Shaga was in a car that quietly drove through the night on a deserted street, while the atmosphere was full of awkwardness. Shaga sat in the passenger seat next to Garvin, his gaze fixed out the window, and his eyes drifted into his thoughts. Behind the window, the street scene that passed so fast seemed to reflect his turbulent feelings. He didn't know that going out of the house would end up like this, Shaga just wanted to ease his mother's burden instead of burdening others.
Through the corner of Shaga's eye beside him, Garvin stayed focused on staring straight ahead, holding the steering wheel carefully in control. After the incident in the dimly lit alley and a brief uncomfortable conversation, the atmosphere in the car was weighed down by awkwardness. Of all the people Shaga knew, it was Garvin who found Shaga in such a miserable condition. Shaga didn't know why the man was there, and it shouldn't have been Garvin's business to serve an Omega like him.
"Shaga," Garvin said suddenly, breaking the silence in the car, causing Shaga to automatically turn his head towards him. Shaga raised an eyebrow as the grown man looked at Shaga for a while.
"What brought you out tonight, Shaga?" asked Garvin in a soft voice, once again breaking through his thoughts. Garvin's pheromones lingered around Shaga's scent, and more than that, Shaga hated his own Omega nature, which he was inhaling deeply into his lungs right now.
Shaga looked forward, unaware that they had reached Adrian's residence until the car stopped. Since then, he had let Garvin's question hang, and Shaga was too embarrassed to admit his reasons to an Alpha.
Shaga turned to look at Garvin, his eyes met the man's. There was kindness and care in Garvin's eyes, which made Shaga's heart rippling. However, embarrassment prevented the words from coming out of his mouth. He stammered for a moment before finally replying, "I just need some fresh air at night."
Garvin nodded. Shaga knew very well that Garvin had noticed his unease from the beginning. However, Garvin seemed to just not want to encourage Shaga to talk more if he wasn't prepared.
"Aren't there any other Omegas you know?" asked Garvin, not making a move to get out of the car and come to Adrian.
Shaga stared at his ten fingers resting in his lap. Why was he suddenly asking this? However, Shaga chose not to answer him.
There was a rough sigh from Garvin. The man unfastened his seat belt and moved sideways to face Shaga, disturbing him, and causing him to turn his head, and their two eyes of different colors met.
"Adrian is my brother, and I know how he is. You're in heat and shouldn't be in the same room as an Alpha."
Shaga knew it.
However, where else could Shaga go after this?
"Nothing happened," Shaga responded as he unfastened his seat belt as well.
"Or I can book a hotel for you tonight?"
Shaga's eyebrows angled instantly, he didn't understand Garvin's train of thought at this moment. "Why do you care? Whatever happens between me and Adrian later is my business."
"I don't want to see you with him."
***
"Shaga—" Adrian's words stopped when his eyes looked past Shaga's back.
Shaga had to grip his pants to deal with Adrian's powerful pheromones of rage washing over him, causing him to automatically back away and accidentally bump into Garvin's front body, with one of Garvin's hands accidentally holding his waist. Even before Shaga could put more distance between them, Adrian had already pulled Shaga's arm, and now he was standing by the man's side.
"Don't touch me." Shaga struggled to remove Adrian's hand from his shoulder, but Adrian's grip remained unyielding. Adrian pulled Shaga closer to his body.
"Why is he here?" If Shaga didn't know the context of this dispute, he might have thought that Adrian was referring to him.
Garvin seemed unfazed, but Shaga couldn't be sure because he hadn't seen Garvin's face since they arrived. Shaga automatically looked up when he felt a hand touch the top of his head, instantly regretting it because Garvin was looking at him. His lips were pulled straight, but upon closer inspection, there was another fleeting emotion briefly displayed on Garvin's otherwise flat face. Shaga stiffened as Garvin's hand very slowly descended to the back of his neck, the grip on his shoulder tightening.
"Adrian, don't do anything you might regret." Garvin's deep voice revived Shaga's senses, making him blink. Garvin said it to Adrian, but he didn't turn to Shaga while saying it, creating a strange turmoil in his stomach.
"Don't touch him. Just me." Adrian shook off Garvin's arm from Shaga's neck, growling, then pulled Shaga towards the door, slamming it shut behind them. For a moment, Shaga was relieved not to feel those eyes on him again. He then let out a harsh sigh as Adrian grabbed his shoulders and pushed him against the nearby wall.
"Shaga, you almost drove me crazy. I'm glad you came here in the end, but then he was here. You smelled like him, and he touched you."
"Adrian, I didn't do anything with your brother." Shaga suddenly said, feeling the need to clarify that to Adrian.
"Shaga, before you say anything, I've already figured it out. So, let him remove his pheromones from you."
Shaga shouldn't have come here. He shouldn't have had any contact with anyone named Gautier anymore.