"Hi, is this seat taken?" A male with a slender body approaches Ezra. He shakes faintly, offering the seat to the newcomer. The male sits freely, opening his legs as if it's nothing.
"I'm Tao," he lets out his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Ezra. Nice to meet you," says Ezra.
"You're not local, aren't you?"
"How did you know?" Ezra surprises.
Tao laughs a bit. "There's no way anyone who looks like an angel descending from Heaven comes from A Nation. Most of the time, everyone here looks kinda urban and sleek modern. No one looks like classical royalty like you."
"Believe me, there are some people who look noble in this nation. Perhaps, you're looking in the wrong direction?" Ezra chuckles a bit.
Tao continues to laugh. "Are you sure you're an Omega? Your tongue is sharp!"
"How did you know I am an Omega?" Ezra starts to feel uneasy.
"There..." Tao points his finger at Ezra's guardianship form. "Your Alpha seems a bit possessive. Who used such a darker pen to write a form anyway?"
Ezra squints his eyes while looking at the form. Jeez, this maniac never lets me breathe easy!
"Hi, is this seat taken?" Another male approaches them. Both Ezra and Tao shake their head in unison. The male smiles while taking his seat politely; unlike Tao, this very mannerly male closes the gap between his laps with his bag.
He must be an Omega! Ezra guesses.
"I'm Up," the male introduced himself. He has a deep husky voice that doesn't match his beautiful and demure appearance.
"I'm Ezra, and this is Tao..."
"Hey there..." Tao puts up his hand. Up smiles and nods politely. He takes a good glance at Up. "A Nation?"
"Yes. From the North..." Up replies. "Central?"
Tao nods. "Yep. Local."
Ezra frowns. He goes back and forth between Up and Tao. Is this how the A Nation people converse? Short word and tense?
"Where are you from?" Ezra is taken aback when Up suddenly asks.
"Ah... I'm from the Kwi Nation. Quite far, right?"
"No wonder you're so beautiful and unique! People from the Kwi Nation have a very beautiful feature. Just look at Senior Gio!"
Ezra turns his head towards the direction that Up points to. A man; in blue black corporate suit, lingers around the hall to check on the freshmen. He has fair skin—a signature of the people of the Kwi Nation—with a well-built body; huge and muscular biceps and a good height.
"He is the A-Class Alpha. I heard, he's among the famous socialites in the Kwi Nation," says Up. "Do you know him?"
Ezra shakes his head. "I'm not into social media, except gaming. Besides, my school is quite strict. No phone allowed during classes, no outing except for school activities, and of course, no dating allowed."
"Where did you study?" asks Tao.
"The Ou Academy—"
"You're Omega?!" Up shriek in shock. Ezra bats his lashes innocently. He frowns when the male almost pesters him with a confused look.
"What's wrong?" Ezra asks, feeling a bit threatened.
"Man... I thought they only allowed Alphas and Betas to sign up. This is the first time I met an Omega in this faculty!" Up replies. "I think, you're the only Omega in our batch!"
"Wait. You're not Omega?" Ezra asks Up.
"Me? No! I am an Alpha! Look..." the male holds Ezra's hand and splashes only a bit of his pheromone. The scent of white cotton abuses Ezra's gland, making him wince and unconsciously slap Up's shoulder.
"Sorry. Just a reflex..." Ezra apologizes.
"Never mind. Even if you're an Omega, you've got a super strength, pal!" Up rubs his hand. "What about you?" his gaze is now on Tao.
"Abro Beta."
Ezra's eyes almost pop out of the socket. "Ab... Abro...Beta? Wow..."
"What's Abro Beta?" asks Up.
"You don't know Abro Beta?" Ezra blinks in disbelief. "What kind of world did you live in?"
"My family is kinda reserved. I am home-schooled. After my Alpha father passed away, I was raised by my Omega dad. All of my siblings are Omegas. I am the only Alpha in the house," Up explains.
"Ah... that's why you act like an Omega..."
"That's not an act! It's a habit..." Up grins innocently. He indeed looks like an Omega. No one could believe he is an Alpha. His look is the type that unlikely screams if there's a bug in the room. "Back to that Abro Beta... what's that actually?" asks this clueless Alpha.
"Abro Beta is a type of Beta that can change position in any type of condition; he can be the receiver or the sender. They can manipulate scents of Alphas and Omegas; suiting up with their partners. They can't mark others, but they can choose anyone as their mate based on that ability," Ezra explains.
"You surely know a lot of things! Perk for being a student in a prestigious boarding school!"
"We got one within our household, so it's not a new thing for me!" Ezra replies. As far as he knows, aside from being a Cupid Beta, Cirrus is an Abro Beta. He can suit the scent with Tul, that's how they become a couple.
"Then, why are you in shock when Tao said he is an Abro?" Up asks.
"He looks like an Alpha. That's why..."
Tao chuckles. "I don't know who my parents are; whether they are Alpha, Omega, or Beta. But, my adopted parents are male Alpha and male Omega who both work in the military. So, I was raised like a soldier."
I bet this is how War's cub looks like in the future! Ezra suddenly smiles, thinking about War. The male Omega just announced his pregnancy last week.
"Excuse me?"
The conversation cuts short when a senior by the name of Gio approaches them. Everyone sits still and politely while facing the senior.
"You are from the Kwi Nation..." Gio smiles at Ezra. That young Omega nods politely.
"I am Ezra—"
"Ezra Han, from Ou Academy. A former basketball athlete for the varsity team..."
Ezra blinks his eyes in disbelief. "How did you know me?"
"You look just like the picture in the Ou Academy's Graduation system," Gio replies while collecting forms from them. He glares at Ezra's guardianship form, letting out a soft huff. Then, his gaze points back at Ezra.
"My family bid you for me last time. But, they rejected the application. Now, I think, I know why..."
Ezra turns pale. Facing the one who bid him before the Sarin came into a picture brings a bitter memory for him. His head lies low, unable to lock his gaze with Gio.
"Enjoy your time with us, freshies. Don't worry..." Gio's eyes dart to Ezra. "I'll make things easier for you..."
After finishing his duty, Gio walks away; eyes still on Ezra. Up and Tao exchange their gaze while studying that young Omega's expression.
"I hope there's no bad blood between you two!" Tao says, casually leaning against the chair.
"I hope so..." Ezra's voice goes flat.
***
Ezra waits patiently for Fa in the foyer after the orientation ends for the day. He checks his watch a few times, anxiously counting every second that passes.
"Tsk, this male is late!" Ezra whines. He stretches his neck, looking around just in case he missed Fa's car.
"Waiting for your driver, or your Alpha?"
A voice from behind startles Ezra. He turns around and bows politely to Gio. The senior smiles, still looking fresh in his corporate shirt.
"I'm waiting for my ride," the young Omega replies. Gio nods, eyes lingering on his watch.
"It's quite dangerous to wait here alone. Wanna grab a coffee while waiting? The café is still open, and there are a bunch of resident students, so it's a bit safer," Gio's offer makes Ezra feel torn.
"Ah... I..."
"It's fine if you feel uneasy. But allow me to accompany you until your Alpha arrives."
Ezra blinks at Gio, looking anxious and awkward. But perhaps Gio only cares about his safety. Plus, Gio is his senior, so it's acceptable for him to take care of a freshman.
In the end, Ezra gives in. Both of them stand in front of the Annex Hall building—but with different thoughts in mind.
"Can I ask you something?" Gio asks.
"Sure!" Ezra nods.
Gio bites his lower lip. "Why did my application get rejected by Ou Academy?"
Ezra goes blank. He scratches his head like a silly goof. "I don't know. In fact, I don't even know who bid on me last time. It all happened so suddenly, so I'm not sure..."
"They only sent me a memo stating that the Omega my family bid on had an accident and got suspended for a year. So they politely asked us to retreat," Gio says. "I can't believe you look perfectly fine!"
"It takes time to heal, actually..." Ezra quickly retracts. "And about the bid... I hope it won't affect us in the future, okay? No hard feelings?"
Gio nods, slowly studies the Omega, as a smile forming on his face. Even though it was his family who bid for Ezra, he himself had agreed to it. In fact, when his mother showed him a picture of Ezra, he immediately did his research. Frankly speaking, he was truly counting on meeting Ezra.
"It's a shame we never met before..." Gio's words make Ezra step back unconsciously. He goes into alert mode, knowing Fa hasn't marked him yet; thus, anything can happen. He doesn't want to create an opportunity for others.
"I haven't smelled any other scents on you."
"Er... I'm wearing a patch today. You know, just in case..."
"Your Alpha hasn't marked you yet, am I right?"
Ehey, how did he know? Ezra gushes inside.
"No—I mean, he did mark me..."
"Even if you wear a patch, the scent should still linger, even in a spiked amount. Your pheromone is clearly solely yours, with no other mixture."
Ezra almost slaps his face when he finally realizes he's talking to an Alpha who obviously knows how marking works!
"He's underage. So, as a good mate, I'm fine taking my sweet time..."
A veiny hand snakes around Ezra's waist from behind. Fa has just arrived at the hall and overheard the conversation. His possessive mode quickly activates once he lays eyes on Gio.
Another Alpha is trying to invade his property.
"Underage? Ah... that explains why he looks fresh!" Gio smirks.
"Anything else? If not, then..." Fa glares at Ezra. "Let's go home, baby..."
They both turn around when suddenly...
"You'd better hurry, Alpha..." Gio's words intrigue Fa to turn back. "Your Omega is on a hot shelf."
The Golden Alpha squints his eyes, slowly releasing his pheromone as a counterattack. Gio feels the pain in his throat but scoffs it away.
"The line is drawn thick. Make sure to open your eyes wide and dare not step on it," Fa warns Gio before yanking Ezra toward the car.
Once they arrive at the parking lot, Fa can't help but pin the Omega against the cold metal body and stare deep into his soul, making Ezra whimper in horror.
"Why did you let him get close to you?"
"I'm not! He just stood there! What can I do? Chase him like a stray?" Ezra replies.
"Never let me see you talking to him ever again, Ezra Sarin!" Fa slams the metal behind Ezra. The Omega shuts his eyes tight. And that's when Fa crushes his lips against Ezra's. He nibbles the lower lip until the Omega yelps in pain.
"ThongFa!" Ezra pushes him away. Fa stumbles backward, just a few inches away. He smirks, looking at Ezra's bruised lip. Then he hovers over the Omega again.
"This is just a soft warning to you. Don't turn me into a bad mate..." Fa growls at Ezra. The Omega nods faintly, unable to fight him. Or perhaps, he has no will to drag the issue.
Even if it's not his fault.