"Why can't I mark Ezra yet?!"
A flock of birds leaves the tree at once, startled by Fa's coarse voice. He can't release his anger at the mansion, so he drags the emotion to Peinaire's cabin that morning.
"Who says you can't? Carry on, we don't mind. But, we have no idea about the public opinion on forcing a mark on a minor..."
"Tsk! That same boring preach over and over again!" Fa gushes at Cirrus. His cousin calmly pats Emi's back, puts her to sleep. He takes over the babysitting job from Tul so the Omega can take a rest for a moment.
"We can't help but follow the rules. Just look at Pein and Caspi. She marked him once he reached 18. And marry him when he was 21," Cirrus calmly advises Fa. "Just be patient.
"I can't! His senior, that so-called socialite Alpha! I can feel like he is trying his luck around Ezra!" Fa slams the hard cement wall with his bare hand.
Cirrus is waiting for Peinaire to bash Fa, or at least, channel out her sarcasm. But, the female Alpha looks out of space, as if only her body is present, not her soul.
"It's rare to see you caught in tongue, Pein! Where's your manners?" Cirrus sarcastically sneers at her. But, her reaction isn't something that Cirrus expected. She sighs heavily, crinkles form on her forehead.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Fa asks Peinaire. He slowly notices that she is drifting away from their heated conversation.
"Caspi is not himself lately," Peinaire finally voices out. "He looks a bit tired, although he eats a lot—which is a good thing. But... I don't know. He looks different."
The sound of her knick-knacking her fingernails fills the air. Her stern face turns even more stressed than usual. Cirrus realizes, the issue is serious. There's no way an ignorant person like Peinaire will have such a deep thought like this.
"I'll ask Tul for help. You know, they're closer these days. Maybe, he can make your Omega open up," says Cirrus, just enough to ease the pressure in Peinaire. She huffs but later nods her head faintly.
The air was suddenly cold and quiet. These three third generation of Sarin soak into the morning bliss, with different thoughts in their mind. Emi is sleeping soundly in Cirrus's embrace, as her father is by now at peace. He had been in all of these situations before. He can proclaim himself a pro now.
This is nothing compared to what he had been through with Tul!
***
Ezra climbs down the stairs of the Annex Hall, just like usual. The orientation has not ended yet—a few steps to go before the final ceremony; where they will get their wrist tied with a jute thread and a bronze gear as a symbol of the engineering students.
Throughout the orientation, Ezra learns a lot from his seniors and peers. TechNex still holds onto the system called SOTUS; an acronym of a hazing system in Thai universities; standing for Seniority, Order, Tradition, Unity, and Spirits. It is a way the seniors discipline and initiate the freshmen by upholding these principles.
TechNex adapted the system years ago, based on the outcome of the Faculty of Engineering. Since the implementation, this faculty has produced a lot of high-quality graduates who not only succeed in academics, but also have a high discipline and a good work ethic.
The best example is none other than Kawei Sarin; the former valedictorian of TechNex.
He is about to start his super bike engine when suddenly rain starts to fall heavily. Ezra rushes back to the foyer and once he's there, he sighs heavily. He picks up the phone from his pocket and calls home.
"It's raining here. I might be late," he informs the Beta helper before cutting the call. As he waits patiently at the foyer, Gio descends the stairs with light steps.
"Stuck in the rain?" The senior asks.
"Yeah, looks like it..." Ezra smiles. He creates a sufficient space between them to avoid a misunderstanding. Who knows maybe one of Fa's friends passed by the faculty building and the news broke down to him.
"Come. Let me send you home."
"It's fine. I can wait until the rain stops. I'm riding alone today so no worries," Ezra politely rejects the offer.
Gio sneers a bit. He steps closer to Ezra. "Are you afraid that your Alpha will misunderstand us?"
Ezra can only smile at the senior. "I respect him just as he respects me. If he dislikes something with a solid reason, I will respect his decision without question."
"Sounds like overpossessive. It's not a healthy relationship."
Ezra snaps a bit. He knows, Gio is concerned about him—maybe. But, he has no right to judge him or Fa for having this kind of relationship.
"Define a healthy relationship, senior? Is talking closely to someone's Omega a good way to create a relationship?" Ezra asks, with a plain look in his eyes.
"You proclaim yourself his Omega when he hasn't marked you yet. He already brainwashed you to believe that you belong to him. What if one day, someone comes and he loses interest in you?"
A good question to think about, to be honest. But, for Ezra—who already knows the answer—this is just a mere speculation.
"I came of my own will. And if one day someone comes and snatches Fa away, I might leave also by my own will," Ezra replies. "People are being overhyped about having partners being good. But for me, living alone is not a sin either. It's your life, so it's your choice."
"You're an Omega. You will need an Alpha in your life..."
"I do have one now. And I never plan to ask for more. Fa is enough for me."
There's a smile form on Gio's face. The more he looks at Ezra, the more awesome he feels about this young Omega. No wonder why the Sarin chose him to be their family member. And no wonder why his family bid Ezra for him. Unlike any other weak and manipulative Omegas he ever encountered in his life, Ezra is truly one of a kind.
Too bad he belongs to someone, or else, I will pursue him until he's mine! Gio whispers.
"Ezra."
They turn around and look at Fa who comes from the parking lot with an umbrella in his hand. He stands still, looking at them as if he's waiting.
Ezra turns back at Gio, bows a bit before he leaves the spot to Fa. He grabs that Golden Alpha's hand and they walk hand in hand to the parking lot. Once they get into Fa's Subaru, everything goes quiet.
All of a sudden, Fa pulls Ezra into a big hug. The Omega shuts his eyes, listening to the rhythm of Fa's pounding chest at ease. Fa buries his face into Ezra's crook, sniffing the smell of freesia from that Omega's gland.
Ezra pulls away a bit, looking at Fa with a puzzling mind. His head tilts a bit, asking for the reason of the clinging attitude from Fa.
"I heard everything from behind the wall..." Fa's unexpected answers make Ezra smiles. He nods a bit, placing his palm on Fa's cheek.
"I just want you to trust me..."
"I am..."
It's silence in the air—the only sound that orchestrated right now is the pouring rain against the roof of the car. The two finally reach out for a solid ground, and it feels good once they did it.
"I will treat you better, Ezra. I promise," says Fa. The young Omega is using his smile as the answer, saying less when he is aware of the sincerity in those words.
And somehow, he feels an urge comes in him. He pulls Fa's face closer to him, planting a kiss on his lips slowly. That male goes stiff at first; like a machine that is out of order. But when Ezra pulls away, he feels that the kiss is not enough, so he pulls the Omega so they can seal their lips one more time.
What a romantic!