After a long bus ride from the university where he studied, Noel finally arrived at the mansion where he lived.
In front of the door, a man had been waiting for his return with a worried look on his face. He had brown hair and blue eyes like the ocean. It was still quite dark and raining, so Noel folded the umbrella he had gotten from the man who had been with him earlier, Alastair.
"I told you that when you came home, it would be better if you were picked up. Why are you still so stubborn about coming home alone, Noel?"
"I'm an adult, I can come home by myself. You worry too much," replied Noel as he took off his shoes and replaced them with slippers.
"That's not it, but at a time like this, it's dangerous for you to come home alone. What if something happens on the way? Can you just listen to your brother for once?" said the man, folding his arms across his chest.
He was talking about the rotten Alphas who might approach him. Even though he knew his younger brother was a strong omega, as his older brother, he still felt very worried.
Physically, he might be strong, but what if he faced an Alpha who was rut or released pheromones?
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, Regis darling. Don't be angry, okay?" Noel said, hugging the man he called Regis in a slightly teasing tone.
Regis rolled his eyes in annoyance at the teasing, but his gaze softened.
"Huh... how can I be mad at you? Now hurry up and go inside and change your clothes. You'll catch a cold if you stay wet like that."
"Yes, boss!" Noel walked into the mansion to take a shower, or more accurately, to escape from him.
*****
The next day, Noel was finishing his college assignment. He was currently in his final semester of business management.
While looking at the chart for his assignment, one of his Beta friends came up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Still busy finishing Professor Johnson's assignment?"
"Yes, have you finished yours?" asked Noel.
"Just a little more to go. Just the finishing touches, but I can do that later."
"I see." Noel just nodded his head and returned his focus to his book.
Seeing Noel's focus return to his book, his friend tried to strike up a conversation again. This time, he invited Noel to go home together after class.
"Go home with you? Did Regis tell you not to let me take the bus home?"
"Uhh... About that—"
Noel shook his head. "Regis always asks you to tell me things. He trusts you more than he trusts me. Sometimes I wonder, it's you or me who is his brother, Dalton?"
Dalton could only rub his neck in response to Noel's words. "But isn't it good that I have a good image with Regis? That way I can freely play with you without getting scolded like when other people are around you," Dalton said proudly.
From the beginning, Dalton was attracted to Noel even though he was a Beta and Noel was an Omega. But he took advantage of his Beta status so he could get close to Noel and be by his side.
Considering that Betas did not have pheromones that would threaten Noel, nor would he be affected by Noel's pheromones later on.
"Now I'm questioning myself, how can I be friends with you?"
Dalton held his chest dramatically, pretending to be offended by what Noel said to him. "Ouch, your words pierced my heart."
He frowned in surprise and then continued his work, finishing his college assignment before class ended.
When class was over, Noel was going to leave first because he wanted to take the bus home. He didn't want to go home in Regis's car. He just didn't want his friends to know that his family was rich.
'I'm sick of seeing them so happy comparing their wealth. If they knew I was rich too, they would start dragging me along too,' he thought.
Besides that, he also didn't want to continue being seen as a weak Omega. He wanted to show that he could do everything himself.
Meanwhile, Alastair had just finished his business. He drove home along the same road as the bus stop where he and Noel had met a few days ago.
From inside his car, he saw Noel waiting alone at the bus stop. For a moment, he thought about asking Noel to get in his car, but he knew Noel would refuse, just like yesterday. So he gave up on the idea of inviting Noel.
Some time passed, and it wasn't just that one time that Alastair saw Noel at the bus stop, but several times he passed by and always saw Noel there.
"I wonder where he actually lives. The bus should be heading to..." Before he could finish his sentence, on the night he was returning from work, he saw Noel at the bus stop.
Alastair checked his watch. It was already 7:34 p.m. "What is he doing out this late?"
It was dark and very quiet that night, and Alastair felt that this was his chance to see Omega alone at night. He stopped his car near Noel, who immediately took off his headphones.
'Why did this car stop here?' he thought.
At that moment, the car window rolled down, revealing the 32 year old man standing before him.
"Do you still remember me?" Alastair asked.
"Of course. You were the tall Alpha carrying an umbrella at the time. It's a shame I lost it," Noel replied, rubbing his neck.
The Alpha man sighed softly. "Don't worry about it. It was just a cheap umbrella. Are you waiting for the bus?"
Noel nodded his head. He had just finished his final project for the day at the library.
"Then get in, I'll take you home. It's dangerous for an Omega like you to be alone. Especially now that it's nighttime."
The Omega furrowed his brow. What did he mean by "An Omega like you"? Did he think Noel looked weak?
Realizing that his words had been misinterpreted, Alastair finally opened his mouth again to explain that there were many alpha thugs who were sure to be roaming around at that hour. He had often passed this road at night, so he knew about it.
"I'm not saying you're weak. But fighting alphas with their pheromones would definitely be difficult."
What he said was true. It would be dangerous to fight a group of alphas with their pheromones. With no other choice, Noel finally accepted his offer.
He got in and sat in the passenger seat right next to Alastair. They left the place and headed for Noel's house.
During the trip, the mafia boss struck up a conversation with the man next to him. He wanted to break the silence and also learn more about the Omega who was currently sitting with him.
"My name is Alastair Vale. What about you?" he asked, still focused on the road.
"I don't usually tell strangers my name. But since you've already told me yours, I'll answer your question. My name is Noel Ashford," Noel replied, glancing at him.
'Ashford? I feel like I've heard that name before. But where?'
Although he felt like he knew the surname, Alastair tried to put that thought aside for the moment.
He then continued their conversation by asking about Noel's family members. Why wasn't anyone coming to pick him up?
"Isn't there anyone in your family who can pick you up and take you home? You have to wait for the bus every day."
"Actually, there is someone who can pick me up, but it seems like he's busy so he doesn't realize that I haven't gone home yet," he replied while playing with his cell phone and looking out the window.
He directed Alastair to the block where his house was located. It didn't take long before they arrived at a large white mansion. The Alpha man rarely passed that road, so he didn't really notice that there was a mansion there.
He parked his car right in front of the gate, where there were several guards. Noel finally got out of the car and approached the car window.
"Thank you for driving me home. You've been kind to me twice now. So... See you again, maybe? Farewell, i don't know."
Alastair chuckled and smiled slightly. "Sure. Go inside and get some rest."
The brown haired Omega man nodded and walked into his family mansion. For a moment, Alastair stood still, looking at the mansion, before finally turning his car around and driving back to his own home.
"We'll definitely meet again, Omega."