Episode 4

Eley's family consisted of five members.

His father and twin brothers were dominant Alphas, while he and his mother were Omegas; the only difference was that Eley was recessive. His siblings and parents were well-known and commanded respect wherever they went. They were wealthy, and as always, wealth unquestionably brought respect from people. His father and brothers were the heads of the household, often the most visible.

Eley had decided to attend a different university because he did not want to live, so to speak, in the shadow of his brothers' fame. This did not bother them, and they made no effort to hide who they were or their family name.

The Kirstels were a large family with many Alphas, but there were also some dominant Omegas who brought respect to the surname. Most of the Omegas had birthed strong Alphas, but also beautiful Omegas who stood out everywhere; Eley was one of them, even though he was content with being seen as a Beta. For a long time, he heard people talking about that surname, but he remained silent regarding all comments because he did not want to be part of it all. He lived more peacefully in anonymity than admitting to everyone that, of his entire family, he was the only Omega born recessive. It was not something that embarrassed him, but he knew that it could tarnish his family's name and cause issues with his father.

When he woke up, the first person he encountered in the hallway was his father. Tall, nearly two meters in height, and very authoritative, he spoke once, and all the servants obeyed. Eley heard him saying things behind him as he moved on with his backpack and greeted his mother.

"If you don't find an Alpha before you're twenty-five, you'll have serious problems," his father said.

"Yes, father."

"You can do more than just wander around. You're nineteen; if you can't have children, then at least find someone who can provide for you."

Eley let out a sigh and took an apple.

"I don't need an Alpha to support me; I can live perfectly well on my own."

"You're an Omega, and...!"

"And just because I'm an Omega, I have to find an Alpha by force? Maybe I want a Beta," he retorted, seeing the angry look on his father's face. "I don't need anyone by my side to support or protect me; I can manage on my own. If an Alpha is ever to assist me, then that's what those two dummies are for."

He pointed at his twin brothers, who sat watching television, three years his senior.

"You need...!"

He didn't let his father finish as he started walking to the exit.

"Goodbye, dear, take great care," his mother said.

With red hair and gray eyes, Eley was the spitting image of his mother.

"Goodbye, Mom, see you later."

He left, taking in a breath of fresh air and started walking to catch the bus.

He was tired of his father and the repetitive nagging, like a scratched record. He couldn't stand it anymore and was increasingly sure he wanted to move far away to live in peace. His brothers were moving out the next week, and he was on the verge of asking to go with them. He knew they would say yes, as they always did, but he didn't want to intrude on their lives because he knew they deserved privacy.

Hearing a car horn, he turned to see both of them.

"Hop in, little bro, we'll give you a ride."

"Not to the university; then they'll see us and won't leave me alone for asking them for things."

"As you command," said Alay, getting into the back seat.

"Don't listen to Dad; you don't have to do anything," Ilay told him, looking in the rearview mirror. "He'll calm down later, and we'll talk to him. Don't feel pressured into anything."

"I'm not feeling pressured. I'm not going to be with the first Alpha that crosses my path just to please him."

Both smiled, proud of their brother. They knew they always had to look out for him, but most of the time, they didn't bother asking if something was wrong or if someone had done something, because they knew he could stand up for himself. They had taught him to punch many times, and Eley might have been an Omega, but he didn't let Alphas manipulate him or make it easy for them.

They clearly remembered, three years ago, going to fetch him from a party. They had arrived to help him, but ended up helping the Alpha instead. Eley had smashed a bottle on the Alpha's head for trying to release his pheromones over him without permission and attempting to coerce him into something.

"Just have a lot of fun," they both said in unison as they dropped him off two blocks away. "Call us for anything."

"Sure, go ahead and have your weird threesomes."

He waved goodbye and walked away as his brothers watched until he disappeared into the university and they drove off.

His pace slowed as he entered the university, gazing at the clear sky. He sighed, hoping for a calm, good day. He didn't want any trouble and wished for the day to progress quickly. His class hours were short, only from noon till four in the afternoon, but those four hours felt endless.

Navigating the corridor, he dodged some people. Walking, he sensed pheromones from various Omegas and Alphas in the air—scents of grapes, vanilla, mint, lemon, peach, lavender, and more.

Everyone was chatting, the hallway barely navigable.

Upon arriving at his classroom, he entered and saw Cheng. He noticed Cheng's black eyes lift to look at him. Eley took a seat next to him and relaxed, feeling uneasy ever since he got out of his brothers' car.

"All good?" Cheng asked.

"Yes, all's well. You got a haircut."

"Ah, yes, it was getting a bit long and bothering me," he admitted, touching his now very short blond hair.

"I see, it suits you."

"Thanks, hey, did you do the statistics homework?"

Taking seconds, Eley pulled out his notebook and showed it to Cheng.

"I did it this way because it was more practical, but I feel like something might be wrong. I reviewed it several times just in case, but it still seems like there might be a mistake. Can you check it out? I don't want the teacher to point out any errors later."

Cheng nodded, took the notebook, and reviewed the exercise. He read through and found no mistakes; it was all done correctly.

"There are no errors. It's all correct."

"Great," Eley exhaled in relief, sinking back into his seat.

They fell silent for a few seconds. While the Omega reviewed other exercises, the Beta worked on his own, having not had much time due to work. When the teacher walked in, Eley just let him copy from his notebook. They had been friends for five years, so they helped each other out a lot. Cheng even sometimes assisted him with his heat when it arrived unexpectedly.

He wasn't a perfect calming agent like an Alpha, but he did well. And Cheng didn't mind, not because he might fancy Eley, as that wasn't the case, but because they were friends, and he was the only one who truly knew what was happening and how Eley felt. Many times, he had seen Eley arrive sad and tired from the things he had to hear from his father. Cheng understood that being a recessive Omega was not easy because he had some cousins with the condition, so he was always there to listen or make him feel better.

After class, they headed to the cafeteria to grab something to eat, both starving as the heat started to rise with every passing second.

As they entered the dining hall, they saw and heard the commotion. Two Alphas fighting wasn't an everyday sight, but it was fairly common. Everyone began to leave, and due to the anger, the pheromones spread throughout the place, causing reactions among the Omegas inside. Eley and Cheng rapidly moved back with the others to avoid any trouble. The pheromones of enraged Alphas tended to be too intense, wreaking havoc.

"Are you okay?" Cheng asked when they reached benches under some trees.

Eley nodded.

"Yes, just got a little dizzy, but I feel better now."

"Don't you want something to drink?"

He shook his head.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Let's move on to the next assignment."

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