The sun was mercilessly beating down on them, reminding Liam that summer is in full force. He was grateful for his sunscreen, honestly.
Sure, some people say Liam would look good in a tan, but he doesn't really tan. Most of the time, he just burns in this weather.
On the other hand, Mar will get a shade darker if he stays in the sun a little longer. The taller alpha doesn't mind that since his best friend looks great either way. Even in white shorts and a light blue sleeveless t-shirt, Mar still looks like a model coming out of a magazine cover page. His jet black hair was pulled back today, and his slender fingers ran through those slightly wet hair as sweat slowly rolled off the side of his face, down his sharp jawline and dropping onto his shoulder.
The taller alpha gulped down his water, swallowing them as his blue eyes stared at his best friend. Who said it was a good idea to walk into town?
Oh, right. Liam himself did.
He was even prepared by wearing shorts and sneakers, a thin tank top so his skin could breath, and a healthy amount of sunscreen to keep himself from burning under the sun.
Mar grinned as he snatched the water bottle from his best friend. The black haired alpha finished the rest of the water before throwing the empty bottle into a trashcan nearby. Liam couldn't help but watch and bask in the scent of vetiver and cedarwood mingling together.
Their situation reminded the taller alpha of their apartments, when it's the middle of the semester and Liam had a hundred and twenty different tasks to get done in a week, so his weekends were spent at the gym with Mar. Their sweats contained enough scent to clog the entire gym room, so Mar liked to go there in the wee hours of the morning. Well, Liam never complained because one, he got to keep in shape, and two, he got to ogle his best friend's amazing physique.
Summer is the only time the beach town was filled with life. Blue eyes wandered to the actual beach where a lot of people frequent, unlike the private beach where the White Pearl Mansion resides.
It's hot enough for girls to put on their bikinis and the guys to go shirtless. The surfers were running towards the wave with their surfboards, and the beach was dotted with colorful umbrellas and people sitting on their beach mats. Liam hasn't been on a beach doing normal things like normal people do. For a long while. At one point his parents stopped taking their kids to have normal vacations and just go to Mr. Aster's place every year.
After their little rest, the duo made their way deeper into town. The town folks greeted them with a wave or a compliment, the tourists didn't. Of course, most of the locals know who they are, and everyone wants to either stay clear of them or do some bootlicking.
"There!" Mar pointed at the farmers market in the middle of town, where tourists gathered.
The taller alpha simply nodded and grinned. They wanted to mingle today, pretend they're just tourists and see how it goes, buy some cheap souvenirs and eat street food.
As they got closer, the smell of fish wasn't pleasant, but it was welcomed. The loud banters of the sellers and buyers made them giggle as their fingers laced together. Like school girls having their first trip, they walked through the market holding each other's hands. Once in a while, they stopped to look at a shop that caught their attention.
"This one's cute." Mar picked up a pair of earrings, his slender fingers traced the markings on each sea shell, no bigger than a fingernail.
"Yeah, it'll look good on ya." Liam picked up a random bracelet just to pretend that he's looking at something other than his best friend.
"Young masters!" The store owner rushed back to her stall the moment she saw them. The store attendant was a little confused that her boss actually greeted some customers.
"Hello, ma'am!" Mar put on his smile, and Liam followed along as he picked a few more bracelets.
One of those bracelets was made of cheap little pearls and a single blue orb in the middle. A genuine smile came on to the taller alpha's face since the bracelet reminded him of Blue. Oh, he's getting this one.
"Young masters, you see something you like?" The store vendor flashed her eyelashes at them, and she looked somewhat familiar.
"Here." Liam handed the three bracelets that he got to the store attendant. "Mar, you taking the earrings?"
"You paying for me?" Mar grinned as he handed the earrings to the store attendant, who was quickly scanning and bagging their items.
"Yeah. I said you'll look great in them, so I'm getting them for ya." Liam pulled out his phone from his pocket, ready to pay.
However, he was a little slow since his companion's phone reached the scanner first. The platinum blond alpha didn't mind as he rolled his eyes playfully.
"Thanks for coming, young masters." The store owner snatched their small plastic bag of items from her store attendant and handed it to them. "You know, I used to work at the White Pearl Mansion, too."
Ah, that's why she looks familiar.
"Thanks!" Mar took their stuff and ushered Liam away before more conversation could be made.
Their next stop is a food vendor; more specifically, an ice cream stand. There were a few tourists in line before them, which gave them time to pick. They should've known someone was following them until that person stood behind them in line.
Just like the bubbly person he pretended to be, Liam turned around to greet the woman who has been following them since they bought the jewelry.
"Heyya. Whatcha picking?" Liam innocently pointed at the menu board. His companion caught on to his scheme, so Mar's eyes ran over them briefly before going back to the menu.
"Me?" The woman chuckled as she pulled her wavy dark blonde hair out of her face. Her sunglasses were clear enough for them to see her green eyes.
She looked just like any other tourist, dressed in a white swim suit revealing her bust and curves, plus following the trend of wrapping a piece of transparent cloth around her hips while her phone was kept safe in a plastic protector hanging around her neck. Uneven tan lines sectioned her arms and legs, so she's probably a surfer or she just liked wearing t-shirts. From the faint smell surrounding her like an aura, she's a mated omega female, sweet cherry entangled with the ever masculine pine.
"Yes, you." The platinum blond alpha's friendly grin didn't drop. "I need some opinions on ice cream flavors. I don't trust this guy to pick for me."
"Says the guy who always gets vanilla." Mar shot back momentarily before going back to looking at the menu.
"Oh!" A giggle rang out from her. "I'd say strawberry and chocolate go together very well. Also, mint and chocolate. Though I'm not sure about huckleberry, I'll try it with chocolate, too."
"You do love chocolate, huh?" Liam teased before he patted Mar's back. "Get chocolate and mint for me."
"Why are ya eating toothpaste with chocolate?" His best friend was still a person away from ordering, and his purple eyes landed on the woman. "Say... What's your name? I'm Mar Silverin, and this idiot is Liam."
"Hi." The taller alpha waved a little before he leaned half of his weight on his companion as punishment for calling him an idiot.
"Ruby Arkham." The woman lent her hand out for a handshake, and Mar gladly took it. "Nice to meet ya!"
"We also know an Arkham!" Liam didn't move from his spot even as the black haired alpha took a step in line to order. "Do ya happen to know Jasper Arkham?"
"Yeah, he's my baby brother." Ruby's smile widened at them. "He's working at the mansion for the summer. I wish I could see him a little more."
Just yesterday, they decided to look into their new butler with the help of their annual list of butler hand picked by Petrov. Jasper Arkham, age 29, nothing suspicious about him except the fact that he's an only child.
The platinum blond alpha clicked his tongue, then he tapped on Mar's shoulder. A glint of amusement gleamed in those magenta eyes, and Mar nodded.
"Say no more, darling." Liam turned to face the mated omega again. "Bring your mate, we're visiting your dear brother Jasper Arkham."
According to the list Petrov gave out, their butler Arkham doesn't have a sister.