Connor was sitting at the table, in front of a steaming plate of scrambled eggs with bacon. Lunchtime had passed for a while, but after two full days without anything, his best friend was hungry and he decided to go along with him. It would be more accurate to say that the WIA agent had found what he considered to be Glen's Achilles heel and had every intention of exploiting it until he got bored.
He pricked a slice of bacon and slowly brought it to his mouth. His eyes were locked on the werewolf who was already munching his second service with an appetite that didn't seem to wane.
Glen swallowed his bite and reached out to grab the half-empty glass of orange juice near his plate. Despite his efforts to ignore his friend, he could feel the burning gaze of Connor staring at him. He knew that in this game he had no chance of winning. His childhood friend had one great pleasure in life, annoying him, in any way possible. His creativity in achieving his ends was limitless and the only defense the werewolf had found and developed over the years was to feign complete indifference.
However, with the emotional storm he had just been through, Glen had a hard time staying unmoved. He gulped down the juice and set the glass down.
"Stop with the staring please, you're making me uncomfortable."
"That was the plan all along," Connor retorted, his Cheshire smile still plastered on his face.
Glen felt his eye twitching and he didn't know if it was annoyance or sheer anger. He was seriously pounding the idea of throwing his plate at Connor's face to get rid of the pawky expression that hadn't left his face since he had the misfortune to talk about his encounter.
The werewolf pushed aside the thoughts of the omega once again and decided to face the problem that his friend was. He glanced at Connor. He was pretty sure the latter hadn't blinked once since they had settled down by the table. Glen sighed and took a deep breath. His shoulders slumped as if regretting the decision he had just made.
"Ask what you want. I'm listening, but I'm warning you, I don't know anything at all about this omega."
Like a weasel who had just found a chicken coop to persecute, Connor squirmed in his chair and his smile widened.
"What's his name?"
"Don't know."
"What does he look like?"
"Don't know, I barely saw his eyes."
"You're lying," Connor stated as he squinted his eyes.
"I'm not! I was on the run because my dear uncle and my shitty father are scheming to make me tie the knot. "
"Wait, what? Why didn't you tell me anything about that? " Connor's expression switched from machiavellian to worried.
"Because you were busy annoying the hell out of me."
"Yeah, that's right. But even I, I have some empathy, I'm not the scum that you think. "
The look Glen gave the WIA agent showed that he wasn't all that convinced of his premise and Connor replied with a shocked look. With a pout, he poked the eggs on his plate and changed the subject to prove his point.
"So, what is this wedding thing about?"
"My father wants me to be the tool of his greed. The traditional pack Bloodhood is looking for an alpha to mate with the leader's omega son. I had already told him that I won't, but he tried to threaten me using my uncle. So I told him to fuck off. Oh, by the way, I quit my job so I'm gonna move in. "
"No way. Stay the fuck out of my home. I need my space."
"Connor. I'm jobless and it's just for a short time. I'll leave faster than you blink. "
"I already blinked twice and you're still shamelessly stuffing your face in front of me. You being jobless is none of my business. I didn't tell you to throw a perfectly well-paid job through the window because of your ego. Just go and move with one of your many friends with benefits. "
"Ok first, you know it's not a matter of ego. I can't mate with an omega. Well, truthfully I can't mate with anybody at all, and next ... I won't do that! You know that I can't stay too close to humans. Even with my condition, I might expose my secret if I'm careless. "
"You're close to them almost every night."
"Not that much, c'mon. I'm not a beast."
"Yes, you are", He pointed his fork to his friend and glared at him.
"Man, I wouldn't ask if I had the choice. Please. I need your help."
"Ugh. You're annoying. "
Connor put his fork down on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose, already pissed at the thought of his routine being disrupted.
"OK. But, I'll check at work to see if there's something for you. We always need werewolves to work with. What are your major already?"
"Chemical engineering."
"OK. It will probably be easy. Next rules. No girl here. Never. Whether I'm here or not, that's a fucking no. The only person you're allowed to screw under my roof in that omega you seem pretty obsessed with."
"Now you're the annoying one. Why do you keep bringing him?"
"Because you need to grow a pair. Whether you want it or not, you're an alpha Glen, and your wolf reacted to this omega."
"It doesn't mean anything."
"Really? Even my human ass knows how much it means. Why can't you see the truth when you're facing it? For the first time in twelve years, you've been connected with your werewolf side enough to go through your first rut, and the reason is an omega with golden eyes."
"And why should I rejoice? The only time in my whole life my wolf took over and made me shift, I… " He paused and swallowed hard, his face darkened. "I'm an alpha who can't shift. I'm nothing more than a defective product."
"Because you have to learn how to control your wolf to not let him take over your body and remain conscious when you shift. That's why you should hang onto everything that brings you closer to your werewolf side."
Glen lowered his head and continued to eat in silence. Connor watched him as he was piling food on his plate for the thrice time and sighed.
"I'm gonna check later with my boss if there is anything for you because you need to buy your food. The sooner, the better. I'll end up ruined if I have to feed you. "
_______
Eden was seated in his place, his head turned towards the window. He was looking at the students who were playing sports.
Because of the incident in the dean's office, his classes were delayed for a day and he was still adjusting. The three werewolves from Bloodhood pack had been put together in the same class to ease their daily life.
Cherry tidied her things as the male omega was daydreaming. She frowned silently. Dante walked over to his fiancée's desk and followed her gaze to their best friend, the same concern on his face. He bent down and whispered.
"Maybe he shouldn't have gone back to school right away."
Cherry stood up without answering him.
"Eden, we have to change room. Hurry or we'll be late. "
The teenager didn't react and continued to stare out, his hand under his chin. She noticed he hadn't taken any notes. An alarm had gone off in the female omega's head since she had smelled that strange scent in the dean's office, just before the male omega passed out. The school doctor had found nothing abnormal with their friend's condition when he woke up. He had said the omega probably felt overwhelmed by the alpha's pheromones that had saturated the air in the office. However, she knew the truth.
Cherry stepped forward and put her hand on her friend's shoulder to shake him gently.
"Eden, the class is over. We have to change rooms. "
"What? Sorry. I think I zoned out. " he said with a nervous laugh. He put his things in his bag and got up to exit the classroom. Dante was right behind him.
"I'm not the only one who thinks Eden has been acting weird since we got here? "
"Nope. Same statement here, " she retorted.
"What do you think this is about? Homesick? Or maybe it has something to do with what happened in the dean's office. Because that was weird, right? "
"Yeah. He didn't collapse for no reason."
The young beta turned his head to his mate, puzzled, and detailed her profile. Cherry's pupils were scrutinizing their friend. Her slightly wrinkled nose and twisted eyebrows betrayed her concern. Dante knew that, as an omega, there were things she would feel and understand about Eden that he couldn't notice despite his efforts and attention. He turned to look ahead.
"You know what's going on, don't you?"
"Maybe… But it happened so quickly when this alpha passed by us."
"What? Do you mean that guy did something to him? "Dante said suddenly, annoyed.
"Calm down. I never said that. I don't want to give him false hope even though I'm sure what I smelled. "
"What are you talking about?" Cherry was silent and the beta didn't push it.
The day went by without a hitch and the three friends parted ways to go to their respective dorms. Eden and Cherry who had been put in a room together made their way back home in silence. Eden came out of the bathroom, a towel around his neck, and threw his body on the bed where he had set up his nest. He lazily grabbed his phone and started scrolling.
Sitting at her desk, Cherry was working on an assignment even though her concentration was at its minimum as her roommate sighed every two minutes. The female Omega glanced quietly at him and paused as if wondering if she was making the right choice. She made up her mind and turned to the omega male.
"Eden, is everything okay?"
"Hm? Yes, everything is alright, why? "
Cherry looked at the forced smile the young man had just given her and sighed. She strode to the nest and then slipped past Eden, forcing him to make room for her.
"You know I'm your friend and that means I'm here for you, no matter what bothers you." Her eyes were locked on the other omega's irises and the latter smiled uneasily.
"Am I that obvious?"
"Yeah. So much that it hurt my pride to pretend that I didn't notice. I wanted to let you come to me when you're ready, but it's been three days, and I can't stand seeing you daydreaming and fidgeting around anymore."
Eden chuckled and wriggled in his nest. He paused for a moment, playing with the phone in his hands.
"What does it feel like to have your heats?"
The young woman tried to remain unmoved by the question that confirmed how she smelled.
"Hm, my whole body is hot, and I have a hard time controlling my breathing. I can feel my heart racing and my mind is totally in the dark. The only thing I can think of is my mate. "
"Is it possible to think of someone in particular even without them being your mate?"
"Dante has always been the only one dominant I wanted during my heat, and even before he marked me so, in my experience, I'd say yes. Heat is a call to breeding and mating so if you are attracted to a particular person, I guess you will fixate on that person during your heat."
Cherry noted the completely red cheeks of her friend and restrained with all her willpower the smile that wanted to creep on her lips.
"Why are you asking me these questions?"
Eden glanced at his friend shyly. "That day when I woke up after passing out the doctor said there was nothing special with me but I felt weird. When I smelled this alpha's scent, I was…"
"Aroused?" completed Cherry with a rose brow. She saw Eden flush and squealed inwardly at his reaction. "There is nothing to be ashamed of, Eden. It's pretty normal. "
"I know, but it's the first time. There is no chance that it was my heat but… "
"It wasn't your heat, Eden" she cut him off. "But I smelled your seduction pheromones."
Eden's eyes widened.
"I didn't want to talk about it if you weren't aware because I know how you feel about your condition. But if you know, there is no reason for me to keep silent. It didn't last and you collapsed right after it started emitting but I smelled them. You smell like apple pie," she said with a smile.
"I can't believe it."
"What are you gonna do now? Are you gonna look for that guy? He sure is a good catch if he made you head over heels with one glance."
"Yeah, and It drives me crazy. All I can think about it's his green eyes. "
"He had green eyes?"
"The most beautiful I've ever seen."