"It seems you're coming to your senses." Ethan sighs in relief. It would've been a huge disaster if the alpha didn't have the self control that he did. His scent would've attracted many other omega's, and whether either of them wanted it or not, things would've gotten messy.
"I will leave you to it then. Please come out when you're feeling better." Ethan leaves the bathroom, to find the omega from before still lingering in the hall. He looks unsure of himself, as if he didn't know if he should be there or not.
"Is he okay?" He asks, his hands close to his chest. His blue eyes glimmer with tears, and his face is still a bit flushed. Is he perhaps his boyfriend? Or, what do they call it, his mate? He must be really worried.
"He's fine. May I offer some suppressants as well?" Ethan asks. Who knows if the alphas pheromones triggered the omega's cycle, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
The guy shuffles and clears his throat. "Yes please."
"Sure, this way." Ethan walks to the office and pulls out the heat suppressants. The guy takes one and with thanks, goes back to his table.
Ethan sits in the office chair and sighs. Wow, that was a close one! Thank goodness that alpha had the sense to lock himself in the stall. He'd hate to see anyone vulnerable, it would make things so awkward. Then he'd have to call the police for public indecency. Ethan glances up to see Leo come in.
"It's a good thing you're a beta." Leo sighs. "You're quick to solve situations like that. Ethan gives a tired smile. That makes two. For both the feeling, and the trouble. Now he just has to wait for the third. Because trouble always comes in three's.
***
Ethan stares down at the emoticons that were sent to him. A beer mug, a splash, and an eggplant.
Leo must be out drinking again. He clocked out a few hours ago, and already he is out and about. Is he not tired? He clicks his tongue and glances at the date at the top left corner of his phone, Friday. Already? Wasn't it just Monday yesterday? He presses the power button with a sigh and puts it back in his pocket.
Another week gone in a flash. Time tended to move that way ever since he dropped out of college to help out his mother with her restaurant.
"Ethan, can you take out the trash?"
He finds his mother out in the lobby, wiping down the tables. Her greying brown hair is pulled up in a bun, her hair net missing since the front doors have already been locked. She shuffles to the next table, glancing up at him with tired brown eyes. The dark circles beneath them look heavier, and he wonders if she got any sleep last night.
She gestures to the bags near the back door.
"Too heavy?" Her answer doesn't matter, he never let her take the trash out after closing. The back alley behind the restaurant wasn't well lit, and hobos often fought over who got to dig through their trash.
Ethan heaves the bags over his shoulder, gagging at the smell of uneaten food, and kicks the back door open.
"Goddamn loser." Thwack! There's a heavy groan.
Ah, there's the third trouble. He's been waiting all day for it to happen, and figured maybe today, he was lucky. He should have known better.
Ethan's eyebrows furrow as he pauses after stepping out into the summer night heat. The door clicks against the wooden stopper so it doesn't close all the way and lock him out.
The hobos must have come back. Dropping the trash bags into the dumpster, he wipes his hands on his red apron and peers through the darkened alley. It's a small one between their building and the convenience store next door. The dumpster is towards the front of the alley, pushed against the store's cement wall. Further in is the gate that separates the alley and the next building, which houses a few offices.
Leaning against that gate and shrouded in shadows, two figures block a slouched figure.
"Where's your damn wallet?"
Ah, this was starting to get annoying.
"Yo!" Ethan kicks a stray rock as he wanders over to them. "Why do y'all have to do this here, huh?" There's a silent pause before the two thugs straighten up and glare over their shoulder at him. Ethan's eyebrows raise in surprise. The two definitely don't look like hobos. One has a stylish jacket, the sleeves rolled up and revealing his bloody knuckles. His friend has expensive shoes, the white leather looking out of place in the dirty alley.
"My momma runs a restaurant, so how about you stop giving it a bad name and-" Ethan begins. Thugs like them are harder to deal with than the hobos. They're always searching for some dangerous kind of fun. At least the hobos had an excuse to go snooping around. He'd rather give them uneaten left overs than deal with thugs looking for some easy money.
"Fuck your momma. Get lost beta." the one with the kicks snaps at him.
Beta? Ethan sighs, they must be a bunch of alphas asserting dominance. It may be modern times, but hierarchical obsessed alphas still exist. He pulls his phone out and without glancing at it, puts it against his ear. "Yes, Officer, I'd like to report an alpha fight-"
"God damn it!" One of them curses. "Let's get out of here. Damn momma's boy." They glare at Ethan as they pass, one shoulder checking him out of the way, but before he gets too far, Ethan picks up the rock and chucks it at the back of his head.
Thwack!
"Keep my mom out of your mouth!" Ethan shouts after him. Ethan doesn't move until they are out of the alley. Running a hand through his curly brown hair, he turns. They won't come back to the restaurant and harass him, right?
"Hey, are you unconscious?" Ethan steps closer. The man is slouched against the metal gate, his sweat slicked, black hair covering his face. His damp shirt is ripped from his left shoulder to his chest, blood staining the skin there.
The man gives a half hearted grunt, "Fuck off."
Ethan blows out air and glances towards the front of the alley. He can't tell if the thugs have truly gone or if they're just waiting for him to leave.
"How about you fuck off first, my mom's got a business to run." Even if it is past closing time. Ethan shrugs and lightly kicks the man's shoe. The man doesn't move, and instead snickers coldly.
"Ah, little momma's boy." His words end in a rough cough, his chest making a concerning rattle.
Groaning, Ethan crouches down, and lifts his hand to the man's face only for him to be slapped away. "I said fuck off."
Ethan ignores him and reaches for his face again. When the man goes to slap him, Ethan is prepared. He grabs his other hand, and then grabs his sweat soaked hair and yanks it up. The man groans, eyes clenched shut.
"Dang, they really beat you huh?" Ethan murmurs. His left cheek has a deep cut that bleeds, his nose is swollen and bruised, and blood drips from his hair line.
The man opens his eyes with a wince and pauses as Ethan continues to assess his injuries. "Probably need stitches." Done, Ethan finally looks him in the eyes.
"Oh." He says in surprise. The man's eyes are a bright green, almost glowing in the dark alleyway. How pretty.
"You a beta?" The guy asks, his voice hoarse, his gaze glued to Ethan's face.
"Well, you certainly aren't one." Ethan frowns at the purple ring around the green of his iris. He's an alpha alright. A dominant alpha.
"You a beta?" The alpha asks again.
Ethan drops his hand from the man's hair, letting it flop back down and covering his deep green eyes. He pushes into a standing position and dusts his hands off.
"Yes, I'm a beta." Ethan answers. "Should I call an ambulance?" There's an eerie pause as the alpha continues to stare up at him, his tongue poking out to lick the corner of his lip.
"No-" The alpha goes to answer. The creak of the back door opening again interrupts them.