SKYE

The following week, I kept my distance from Soren, avoiding his gaze, sitting as far away as I could, even on the opposite side of the room. It all didn't make sense anymore. Why should I be begging for his attention?

He didn't want me. I accepted that. I wasn't going to be a creep, as he called me before.

Sean approached me a couple of times to greet me and exchange a few words… at one point, when we were alone in the hallway, he spoke in a hushed tone. "I know you've gained access to the Kingdom of Promises, maybe consider exploring other options? Since this one isn't available to you?"

I shot him a surprised glance. He smiled gently, and I sensed a slightly flirtatious energy in him.

"For now, I've got too much studying on my plate, but thanks for the offer."

Just then, Soren emerged from the lecture hall and turned toward us, but he slowed down significantly upon seeing me standing next to Sean. Sean glanced in his direction, then with a soft, almost sensual gesture, he raised his hand and slid it over my bicep.

"Seriously consider it, it's Soren's loss if he's turning you down. You're definitely the most handsome among all our patrons…"

I felt a blush creeping onto my cheeks. It had been a while since I'd heard anything friendly directed at me, surely not after the day Martin broke up with me. I hadn't had much interaction with omegas or betas, mainly by choice.

"Apparently, I'm not handsome enough." I smiled with a hint of sadness, but Sean's hand still rested on my bicep.

It was a nice feeling, I won't deny it, I missed human touch, but it didn't spark any desire in me, so I wasn't planning to propose a meeting with Sean, that's for sure.

Soren approached us slowly. I saw his gaze zeroing in on Sean's hand. It was weird, did I detect a flash of irritation in his eyes? Something… completely unconscious, something that slipped out from under his hostile facade?

"Oh, Soren, there you are. We were just talking with Skye about him joining the Kingdom of Promises. Personally, I think he will be a great addition to our patrons; there are only a few alphas on campus who match his looks. In beauty, he beats the hell out of that blond-dyed idiot…" And his hand moved toward my shoulder, stroking me lightly.

Soren pressed his lips together, before snapping, "So, sort it out if he's your type. As for me, he's in the bottom five percent."

There was a brief silence; Sean's mouth almost gaped in surprise.

"Take care, Sean, have a nice day," I simply said, then turned around and walked away, because as I mentioned—it didn't make sense; you can't force people to like you, that was a simple and trivial conclusion. And I certainly didn't want to go where I wasn't invited.

***

Intense studying took over my next two weeks. I had to catch up, fill in my knowledge gaps, just to keep up with these classes. I spent a lot of time working on my Python skills, but was kind of pessimistic about it, though, because I really had a lot of catching up to do.

They had an advanced class here, and I was only at the middle level before. I even texted Finn Delgado since he helped me transfer. I felt obligated to let him know that I was struggling.

Finn responded: "Listen, from what I remember, Winter was great at Python. Maybe he could help you?"

Yeah… nope!

Finn was way too optimistic about my relationship with my beta brother.

"Ugh, I don't think so. He'd probably say, ‘You're failing at Python? See, alphas have no business in programming.'"

"I'm sure he wouldn't. But maybe you should find a tutor? Check the Announcement Board or leave your own post. People will reach out if they're interested in tutoring you."

"Thanks, Finn. I'll try."

"No problem. Let me know if you still have trouble. I'll see what I can do."

Finn was a really cool guy. For the millionth time, I wondered why he and Winter broke up, but neither of them ever wanted to talk about it.

While scrolling through my messages, I noticed with some surprise that being so wrapped up in Soren-related stuff made me miss some important texts from my dad.

One was kinda jaw-dropping—it was about my brother, Rain, who supposedly found his True Mate! From what I gathered, he was helping a rather bitter widowed omega with a complicated pregnancy. The guy had strong cravings, and his placenta started deteriorating due to the lack of an alpha's energy. It turned out, they were TMs! Kind of stunned, I had a quick chat with Rain on Messenger and sent him my congrats.

I gotta say, the guy who was his True Mate was really a beauty—an ex-model, to be exact. Feeling a bit jealous, I tried not to dig too deep into their situation. No point in getting worked up about the idea of finding a True Mate, especially when I was into a beta. My chances were practically nonexistent anyway.

But the other news caught my attention even more.

Dad texted me that my other brother, Storm, got arrested and accused of sexual assault and abusing his husband! That was a shocker since I knew he was always super protective of omegas. But he was also a purple alpha, a rare kind among our subgender, the wildest ones, so I couldn't rule out that there might be some truth to it.

For a while, I considered calling him. I even tried one time but disconnected. To be frank, I didn't care that much about the outcome of his case. Storm and I were always at odds. Since we were kids, he'd beat me and Rain often, showing off his fucking purple alpha's inhuman strength and bossing us around.

And to make it even worse, he slept with my ex-boyfriend, David, after I left for college. We fought over it, and yeah, that's when he broke my fingers. So, I could honestly say, I wasn't that fazed about his criminal charges. Maybe I was a dickhead—he was my brother after all—but Storm had it coming. Too much aggression and cockiness can lead a person down a dark path, so to speak.

Despite my dad asking me repeatedly to contact him, I ditched the idea and just focused on my studies. I had a shitload of work and wasn't keen on spreading my attention to other people's messes.

Also… not much has changed on the Soren front.

During lectures or exercises, Soren and I kept our distance from each other. But I noticed something strange. One evening, when the interior of the lecture hall was reflected in the windowpane, I caught Soren looking at me. And not just once. I saw his frequent glances—recurring, almost insistent!

So stupefying… I decided to observe him more closely during other classes too. I discreetly turned on my phone's camera but didn't look in his direction myself. When I rewound the video to the beginning… yep, I caught him. He was definitely staring at me. His face seemed uncertain, like he didn't even know why he was doing it. Well, I surely couldn't understand his contradictory behavior; what a mystery.

Since nothing came of it, I just kept ignoring him and focused on my studies.

I also started going to the gym with Archer and Gabe more often, just to burn off all the pent-up energy. I even managed to have a few small convos with them during our workouts, but since I had to dedicate most of my time to studying, we didn't hang out outside the gym.

Still, even those brief chats helped me get to know Archer better, and I was awed by how strict he was. He truly seemed much older than his birth certificate would suggest—responsible, neat, and organized, working out with a rigid regimen. Gabe, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—erratic and emotionally unstable. According to Archer, Gabe, who was part of a student environmentalist club, was hopelessly in love with its president, who treated him like shit. That was the reason for his constantly jittery mood. I could understand him to some degree, since my own interest in Soren wasn't reciprocated, but I never vibed with Gabe well enough to bond over our rejections.

Other than that, nothing major happened in my life—day after day of college life just went by.

***

The next opportunity for my interaction with Soren didn't come until the end of the month. Another student mixer took place, and finally, Alvin dragged me along. I didn't even know if Soren and Sean would be there.

Since this party was off-campus, alcohol was available to students over twenty-one. So, I stood in the corner and watched the people swaying on the floor, as always. A couple of omegas approached me, asking if I wanted to dance, but I declined. I wasn't in the mood. I just sipped my beer, going with the flow, listening to the music.

I noticed Alvin dancing with Sean, so I figured Soren must be around here somewhere too. After a moment, I managed to spot him. He was hanging around with Tim and Mark near the beer keg. He had on a silver-black tank top with a mesh back, showing off his slender waist and shoulder blades. He had numerous silver necklaces and chains around his neck, and his hair was fluffed up into an impressive mohawk, with the longer strands over his nape tightly braided. He looked so sexy that, well—I got hard in my pants.

Pretending I was going for a beer, I approached the keg, and then he noticed me. His face immediately scowled. I poured myself a glass while his stormy gray eyes watched me from under those long lashes.

I could almost physically feel his gaze sliding all over me. Slowly, he turned and drifted toward the center of the dance floor, leaving the group behind. For some reason, I was glued to the sight of him, moving with light, sensual, almost erotic steps, like a professional dancer. His narrow hips flexed gracefully to the rhythm, swaying gently, rising and falling in a slow-motion simulation of sex with the waves of air. The whole time, he kept peering at me from under his impossibly long lashes, piercing me with his sexiness and beauty, making my dick painfully press against my zipper. There was even a moment when he opened his lips as if moaning in orgasmic ecstasy, tilting his head back. My pulse spiked dangerously high.

I'd never seen anyone move in a more arousing way in my entire life, and the show was all for me—I knew it.

A show of things I-could-NOT-have!

But then, just as I was coming to the conclusion that Soren might be up for a dance… Might! Possibly?

"Skye!"

Fuck, not now! Sean almost jumped on me, already pretty tipsy, practically draping himself over my shoulder. He smelled like alcohol, and his eyes were glazed. The mesmerizing show I was enjoying so much came to a brutal end, and I cursed under my breath as Soren stopped dancing, now standing there, staring at Sean and me with crazy intensity—especially at Sean's hands, which wandered over my stomach and even grazed my crotch.

"Dance with me, Skye, please…" Sean breathed out, pulling me toward the dance floor, all while Soren's vitriolic gaze burned through us. Before I could protest, Sean had wrapped his arms around my neck and started swaying to the music.

This was bad. I didn't feel comfortable at all. I didn't want to touch him, but his grip was strong, his compact body pressed against mine. Sean wasn't some willowy omega type—he was a beta at 6'2"—so when he clung to me, it was a solid hold. I could feel his hands on my ass, and I was sure Soren could too. Should I care?

My eyes met Soren's over Sean's head. He still stood there in the middle of the dance floor, glaring at us. It was as if pure, boiling hate poured out of his pupils. God, how he despised me—it was unreal.

Suddenly, Soren turned and approached Don, who was dancing nearby with… Alvin. Yep. My eyes practically bulged at that. Alvin's hand was on Don's ass. Interesting. That should be the theme of the night: ‘hands on asses'.

But Soren ignored their intimate embrace. He just put his slender hand on Don's arm, and Don immediately turned around, leaving Alvin, who looked shocked.

Don instantly wrapped himself around Soren, and they started dancing. Yep, I wasn't even mad. I knew he didn't want me. He just played cruelly with me, like tonight, with that strange erotic dance.

There was nothing more behind it, right? It wasn't like he danced to encourage me to join him, or that it was some breakthrough moment for us that I'd just missed, right? Surely, that couldn't be the case! Not with Soren.

I'd already given up chasing after him, figured it was a waste of time, and I wasn't going to reconsider my decision now.

And yet, I couldn't deny that Soren's behavior tonight was kind of strange. I hadn't seen him with Don once in the past few weeks. Not even one time! So, why the change? And those stares he gave me during lectures, and now…? It almost looked like he was jealous. Of me? That would be stupid. He could have me anytime, but he didn't. So what was his problem?

Soon they stopped dancing and headed toward the exit. I didn't feel like watching that, so I looked away, and a moment later, they disappeared from the hall.

Sean suddenly stood on his tiptoes and muttered into my ear, "I can give you a discount today. 100% discount, if you know what I mean…" And he winked.

I blinked dumbly in response and cleared my throat. "Thanks, but we're both tipsy. I'm not into drunk hookups."

Such a blatant lie on my part. I would've definitely said yes if that was Soren's proposition. I stepped back, noticing the immensely disappointed grimace on Sean's face.

Why did I deny him at all? Why couldn't I just convince myself to do this? I should have said yes and taken the free, enthusiastic fuck.

Just to change the energy, I went outside, but far too many people were standing at the building exit, smoking and drinking. That's when I decided I didn't need that much fresh air after all, feeling frustrated with the noisy crowd. I remembered I had cigarettes and a lighter in my jacket pocket, which I still carried around. I took out a cig and stepped aside toward the bushes to light it and relax a bit. I stood there for a moment, smoking and mindlessly staring at the dark sky.

Unexpectedly, I heard two voices coming from around the corner of the building.

Something got my attention, so I moved closer, pressing myself against the wall. I immediately recognized Soren's voice. "Give it a rest, fucker, I'm not in the mood."

"Come on, Soren, why are you so stubborn?" I cautiously peeked out from behind the corner of the building. I saw Soren leaning against the wall, with Don practically pinning him there, his elbows propped up on the wall. He was trying to kiss Soren's neck, but Soren was pushing him away.

"What's your problem? I can't figure you out. Is it really that big of a deal, or do you just enjoy playing hard to get?" Don held him tighter and tried to press his lips to Soren's mouth, but Soren resolutely turned his face to the side and shoved him away even harder. It didn't help though—the betas were no match for alphas. Even ones as lame as Don. Our bodies were filled with ten times more testosterone than the other subgenders; we could literally bend metal rods with our hands.

"You're drunk, let me go. You're not getting anything from me," Soren growled. But Don didn't back off; he pressed Soren harder against the wall and tried to kiss him again. The beta made a sound of protest and punched him in the chest with both fists, but Don didn't let go, didn't stop. Soren started pulling back, arching his body away and making almost sobbing sounds, and that's when I knew I couldn't just leave it like that.

I stepped out from around the corner of the building and spoke up in a calm tone, "Is there a problem?"

Don immediately released Soren, his face red and sweaty.

Soren quickly turned toward me, his lips trembling slightly, surprise filling his eyes. Suddenly, he took two steps toward me and spoke in an odd, almost desperate tone, "Still interested in the Kingdom of Promises? I'm in the mood to do something stupid tonight, so if you want, you can use me. Bj?"

I barely processed what he said—it was so unexpected. But Don heard it clearly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Don exploded, stepping toward him and grabbing Soren's arms roughly, spinning him to face him. "You never do bjs, what's going on?"

I could see his fingers digging into Soren's slender arm. Soren looked stressed and desperate to get away. I let out an instinctual growl, directed at Don as an alpha, and then I pushed him to the side to separate him from Soren.

"Don't touch him without his consent," I snarled.

Don growled back. Now we stood facing each other, low rumbling sounds coming from our throats. Soren was positioned beside us, watching with a mix of shock and confusion. Being a beta, he might not even hear those growls clearly—or only hear parts of it, which probably just sounded like a dog barking or something. But little did he know, those sounds were actual words in AOs' language. It was something like: 'I'm going to pin you down, fucker', 'Keep your distance', 'Stay out of my business', and so on.

"You two need to calm down. You sound ridiculous, like… animals," Soren snorted.

"We are animals, Soren," I said in a low voice.

"Speak for yourself," Don hissed.

"Get the hell out of here!" I shot back, my tone raspy.

"No, you get lost, idiot!" Don spat, and then I shoved him, surprised by my own strength. He flew backward and landed on his ass. Maybe he was drunk, but it took way less force than I thought to knock him down. And it worked like a charm, even though I was only two inches taller, and I didn't have any martial arts training.

"I saw what you did. He said no, and you still tried to force him. Get out of here before I kick your sorry ass."

Don tried to get up, but I pushed him down again. And then a third time, not letting him get up because I felt he wasn't done fighting.

"Don't even try it. You're too drunk to take on me; let's postpone this for another time."

To my surprise, Don finally reacted. He got up much quicker this time, then turned away and rushed off, his face twisted in anger. Honestly, I didn't expect him to back down that easily, but maybe he sensed something in me—some aggression he couldn't handle while drunk—and decided to let it go.

I didn't even look at Soren. I saw no point in it. I just started walking away, but then I heard his voice.

"Skye!"

Wow, Soren actually said my name. What a fucking ‘honor', finally. I slowly turned toward him, now staring at me with his head slightly tilted and his bottom lip bitten. A moment of silence fell as I looked at him, and he looked back at me.

"So, what now? Like I said, I'm in the mood for some stupid shit. You want that bj?" There was something sarcastic in his tone, almost like he was provoking me.

I took a step back, wincing. "Thanks for the offer, but I know that's not something you'd want if you were sober. I'm not the kind of guy to take advantage of that, and I don't want charity either."

Then I turned around and walked away quickly, leaving him standing there alone. That horrible mood hit me again, that strange sense of gloom and frustration. I got back home and crawled into bed.

What was happening to me?

Why did I keep getting involved in his life, even though it made me feel miserable? I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to sleep, but my heart was pounding. And all I wanted was to see Soren.

His angry gray eyes directed at me, his lips pressed together in anger. But I wanted him to look at me while sober, without that anger, without disdain… in a sweet way, but I doubted that was ever possible.