Liam took a seat next to Mar, as usual. Across from them sat the Devins, plus Alex next to his fiancée. In between Rita and Blue sat two other omegas, Tian and Hua.
Tian is a beautiful omega male, standing at a good five inches taller than Blue and Rita, which isn't much considering the fact that both omega females are 5'2". The omega male was dressed elegantly in silky light blue shirt and dressing pants, while his cousin Hua is more laid back in his sleeveless pastel green hoodie. Similar to their female cousins, Hua has light brunette hair while his older cousin held a deeper shade of brown. Tian's neatly pulled back was similar to Rita's while Hua's messy side shave is as curly as Blue's.
They're the same package of young omegas Mr. Aster invited every year to hopefully pair up with his kids. At least Alex and Rita worked it out as planned. The others? Not so much.
Blue hasn't been coming very regularly since they shamed her for not having a scent, she didn't show up in the last few years, but now she's here. The two omega male shows up every year along with Rita, and they're just coming along for the ride, mostly third — fourth wheeling their engaged cousin, and Hua likes flirting with any Aster child who can tolerate him, which is less than three.
While her male cousins were on their phones, Blue was looking down, and the platinum blond alpha wished he was throwing hands with the pilot instead of looking at the scentless omega fidgeting with the lacy white table cloth.
"Ptss, Blue!" Mar whispered from across the table. "Come sit with us!"
Blue shook her head in response.
"Why not?" Liam hissed back.
"My p-parents w-will s-sit next to me." The omega female replied in a rush.
The two alphas didn't get a chance to respond to their friend when two pairs of middle aged couples walked into the main dining room.
"The children are early today." Mr. Devin the first said. There are two Mr. Devins this year, so Liam took to calling Blue's parents as the first Devins and Rita's parents as the second Devins.
Mrs. Devin the first took a seat next to her daughter, her white dress with small designs of pink flowers scattering throughout her gown starkly contrasting her daughter's black dress. Meanwhile, her husband is wearing an entire suit and tie; the flower pattern on his grey tie perfectly matches his wife's dress.
Internally, Liam was laughing. Can't wait to grow old and wear stubbly matching clothes with the love of his life and torment their children together. What a fucking life. As far as the platinum blond alpha knows, Mr. Devin and Mrs. Devin the first are alpha and omega respectively, which makes Blue an omega and her older brother Jake an alpha.
Mr. Devin the second sat next to his brother, and his wife sat next to him. Mrs. Devin is wearing the same outfit as her daughter Rita, and she immediately started making conversation with Alex, who gratefully allowed her to ask him some incriminating questions.
"Ptsss, Blue!" Mar was calling out to their friend again, and as soon as she turned her head to him, he pointed at his phone, gesturing for her to text him.
She nodded once, and she reached for her phone. As soon as she pulled it out of her pocket, Mrs. Devin the first gave her a disapproving look. Blue mumbled an apology to her mother as she put her phone back into her pocket.
Oh, so no texting, huh?
"Hey, Blue?" Liam decided to talk like normal people at a dinner table would. "What's the square root of a hundred sixty nine?"
"Thirteen." The omega answered his question instantly, without stuttering her words and with full confidence. Her action only caused her mother to look at her, then at Liam with a confused smile.
"What's fifteen percent of eight hundred twenty?" Mar asked with an edge of seriousness in his voice.
The female omega looked at them confused, but she still answered the black haired alpha's question with absolute certainty. "A hundred twenty three."
Liam is somewhat glad that the others are too occupied with their own conversations to notice the conversation between his best friend and Blue. Except Mrs. Devin the first, who's visibly puzzled at the interaction.
"Great! You haven't lost your senses." Mar clapped his hands together. "Can you lean closer? This is about Rex."
"W-we're d-done talking about R-Rex." Blue didn't move from her seat, and she's giving them a pout. Somehow, her round black eyes look bigger when she's trying to puppy-eye.
Absolutely adorable.
"That's the spirit." Liam grinned as he tapped his fingers on the table. "I know we're like an hour early, and we just had pie, but would you like some appetizers?"
The smile on Blue's face answered the question, so Mar put his hand up to call for a butler. While his best friend talked to the butler, Liam received two plates from a maid. He wordlessly passed one to Blue, who put it in front of her despite her mother's disapproving look.
"Darling?" Mrs. Devin the first took her time addressing what she saw as a problem.
"Yes, m-mother?" The omega female looked at her mother, and the older omega only gave her another look.
A plate of beautifully buttered croissants was put in front of them. Liam mumbled thanks to the maids as they went back to the kitchen. Without a word, Mar picked one up with his fork and knife. Blue pushed her plate closer to the middle of the table so that Mar could deliver the pastry. The platinum blond alpha ignored the various expressions Mrs. Devin the first was giving them as he proceeded to take a croissant.
People were filling up the dining room; they arrived half an hour early just to talk and pick their drinks. At one point, there's only two people missing, Mr. Aster himself and Rex.
Just as Liam was about to ask anyone where they are, the dining room door was opened wide. There came in the familiar footsteps of the Aster family patriarch and his second oldest son. Mr. Aster was dressed rather casually, in one of his white polo shirts and black trousers. Before he sat down at the head of the table, he gestured something to Rex.
"Are you sure?" Mr. Aster's voice contained a hint of amusement, and the pilot nodded in response. "I'm glad one of the Devins caught your eyes."
"Can I ask now?" Rex cut to the chase, which made his father laugh out loud.
"Go on." Mr. Aster didn't walk to his seat, instead he stood there watching his son approaching the general area where the Devins were seated.
The omega male was seated across the table, but Liam could still hear their little conversation.
"Is he coming for us?" Hua asked his cousin, who looked just as confused as he is.
"I haven't talked to the guy for six years." Tian whispered back. "Can't be me."
"Mr. and Mrs. Devin..." Rex addressed them, but really, no one knows which pair of Devin. The platinum blond alpha knows exactly what he's going for.
So, this is the surprise, huh?
"May I ask for your daughter's hand in marriage?"
As soon as Rex asked his question, Mrs. Devin the second coughed up her drink, Madison at the front seat spilled his, Rita dropped her croissant, Alex tried to pick up the croissant in mid air but failed spectacularly, Dyson clapped his hands (either he couldn't read the room or he's genuinely happy for the new couple, probably both), the Velison couple nodded at each other in a silent conversation, Mr. Aster frowned was deeper than the ocean, and a few "wtf" can be heard throughout the room as the realization set in. Tian looked like he expected it, yet his face was in shock. Hua's jaw was hung open, still trying to process the information.
Mr. and Mrs. Devin the second have only one daughter, and it's Rita, but Rita is engaged to Alex, so she's not available to court. That leaves Mr. and Mrs. Devin the first's only daughter.
The daughter in question was in the middle of biting down on a croissant when the room went into chaos.