LIAM

That evening, we watched romantic comedies together, just like Finn had promised back on the cliff. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to see that Finn had chosen only movies about relationships between betas. We watched, and I have to admit, they really lifted my spirits.

Later, we made dinner together, which was nice. It felt so… normal, like we were a couple—or at least, I allowed myself to indulge in that wild, far-fetched illusion for a bit. I cut the veggies, Finn cooked, and we helped each other and exchanged culinary tips. I also love cooking, but I let Finn show off his skills, and they were impressive. The meal he prepared was very tasty. Afterward, I spent some time on my computer, and while I was online, Winter called me.

He told me he'd spoken with a friend at D-Project who had an opening for a programmer in his department. He asked if I wanted to come in for an interview with the potential new boss next week. I thanked him and said I'd love to. I told him how much I appreciated his help, and he said it was no problem.

As we were wrapping up, he added, "I'm glad you're staying with Finn. I've known him for years, and I vouch for his character."

I wasn't really sure how to respond to that. It almost sounded like he was recommending Finn as a potential boyfriend. I just mumbled another thank-you, and soon after, we said goodbye.

Before bed, we spent a little more time just chilling in his yard, and Finn gave me a bottle of beer, good quality and brand. The evening was warm, the breeze gentle, and I felt really at ease.

"This place is so peaceful; I could sit here all day. It's such a small, almost confined space, but so… quiet. I really… need it," I murmured, watching the long Miscanthus grass sway in the wind.

Finn smiled.

"Yes, my life was pretty hectic when I bought the place, and I needed a safe haven. Now it's my Zen space where I can relax and recharge."

"Thanks for letting me stay here… It's really kind of healing," I added shyly.

Finn's gray eyes rested on me for a moment. "I'm glad you feel that way. I hope it continues, and… I want you to know you're welcome to stay as long as you like." His voice trailed off slightly, as though worried it might sound too intense or suggestive, but I decided to act cool about it.

"Thank you! It's like a little spa, with a jacuzzi, stargazing, and… good company."

Finn grinned widely.

When it was time for bed, I hesitated, wondering if I should repeat what I did last night, and decided to try—but in a more discreet way. So, I went to Finn's room, feeling a little anxious. But he didn't make a big deal of it. He just shifted over, making room for me beside him. This time, I lay down a bit farther away—not touching him—to make sure what happened last night didn't happen again.

Still, there was this strange feeling of sensing him. I had the bizarre impression that Finn was somewhat displeased, some subtle energy coming from him suggested that he was disappointed that I didn't hug him. But maybe I was reading too much into it. How could I possibly know what he was thinking?

I have to admit, it was hard to fall asleep with him lying so close. I could smell his skin, faint but pleasant. Compared to alphas and omegas, betas don't have much of the Allure scent. With alphas and omegas, their fragrance comes in all kinds of variations—floral, fruity, or other natural scents. At least, that's how the brain interprets them. They probably don't actually smell like nature, but our minds link them to familiar scents.

Betas, though, either have a very faint scent or none at all. Soren, for example, had a very faint Allure—something like a dahlia with a hint of mint. But it was so subtle I could barely notice it, so it didn't function as true Allure. Omegas, on the other hand, have pheromone-filled scents that trigger a strong response in alphas, letting them instantly assess a potential mate's suitability. With our faint scent, an alpha would read it as ‘low compatibility' rather than anything significant. Even if it was his True Mate, the scent wouldn't be recognized as such without increasing in intensity by at least tenfold, triggering a proper pheromonal and hormonal response from the alpha.

I knew that I basically didn't have Allure at all. Soren was a beta with omega traits, but I was just… a beta. I never experienced anything like he did—like mini-heats. My reproductive system was inactive, and my glands didn't produce any noticeable scent.

If I really tried, maybe I could pick up a faint whiff of something sweet, like a flower, but it was so subtle I couldn't even identify what it was. With Finn, I couldn't tell if what I was smelling was his shower gel or maybe a trace of his own Allure. Lying close to him, my nose by his shoulder, I tried to separate the artificial scent of the soap from whatever his own fragrance might be. For brief moments, I thought I could make it out—something herbal, maybe like lemongrass?

Then I thought a bit about how Finn reacted when he saw my tattoo. I saw the shock on his face, and was sure he didn't like it—maybe he even hated it. His whole energy seemed to reflect that. I just knew that if he had the power, he'd erase it instantly. His expression made me realize how crazy it must seem to others, to have a tattoo of a love interest's name on your body. Borderline psycho territory.

Even if it seemed like a good idea at the time, now that Soren had his True Mate, my perspective on the tattoo had completely changed. It was a huge mistake. But I had no idea what to do about it. For now.

***

The next day started with breakfast. This time, I got up earlier, determined to prove I could be useful. I made a hearty breakfast with eggs, bacon, and pancakes. When Finn came out of his room, his eyes widened as he stared at the table.

"Oh, wow! You really surprised me; this looks amazing!"

I noticed he gave me a cautious look, like he wanted to say something or ask a question but held back. He ate everything with a good appetite while I cleaned the kitchen—wiped down the counters and loaded the dishwasher. He watched me the whole time, looking pleasantly surprised.

After that, he took me to his brother's house, where we picked up bikes. It wasn't far, and his brother and kids were away on a weekend trip, which was a relief since I wasn't ready to meet Finn's family just yet. We got on the bikes and headed to a nearby park. It was next to a small forest lake, so we got off our bikes, sat on some wooden benches, and ate a snack while watching ducks float on the water.

It was a really nice, relaxing outing. I have to admit, Finn's energy was completely different from Soren's, which was always all over the place and unstable. Finn had his life together—there was a calmness and an inner peace about him. His smile wasn't forced; it seemed to come from somewhere deep inside and felt genuine. We talked for a while. I asked him about his family. Both his parents were doctors. He had two brothers—an older omega and a much younger alpha who lived abroad.

Being the only beta, he grew up under unique pressure, somewhat similar to my own upbringing but with a different angle, since I was an only child. Having an omega and an alpha as siblings, he always knew that as a beta, he was the ‘less desirable' child, even by comparison. That was the harsh reality for all betas. You could say it was like a rite of passage we all had to go through as we hit puberty, realizing our secondary gender. Parents rarely reacted with, "Oh, how wonderful that our child turned out to be a beta!"

They smile and put on a good face, but it's all just a show. In our society, it's expected—smiling and pretending everything's fine. You're not allowed to express anything negative, not even to close relatives or friends because it's considered highly inappropriate. Whatever you think, you bury it deep inside. You can't let it show that it's unfortunate to have a beta—the one who won't have kids, won't have a perfect mate, and has to build a career just to be seen as useful in society. Kinda twisted.

From what Finn told me, it was different with siblings, though. The ‘disappointment energy' surrounding him was more subtle than in my case. Omegas and alphas often looked positively at having a beta sibling from a practical standpoint. It was widely accepted that betas would leave their inheritance to their siblings' children, so from their perspective it wasn't really an issue. It was more about how the parents felt, and there lay the rub.

Over the last thousand years, society has developed all sorts of mechanisms to protect betas and build up their sense of worth. There were tons of programs under the umbrella term ‘Empower Betas', all meant to elevate us to the same social level as alphas and omegas. There were even movements trying to argue that betas were superior to alphas and omegas, who were stuck in humiliating, primal mating games. Their reproductive drives dominated their lives, like that of animals, while betas were supposedly truly free. In those movements, betas were seen as being able to fully focus on careers and personal growth, which was considered more valuable than being caught in an endless cycle of heats, ruts, matings, parenting, and biological instincts.

But beneath all those socially constructed layers, there was still that flicker of disappointment in every parent's eye when they found out their kid presented as a beta.

Finn talked about it honestly, without sugarcoating or pretending it was all fine. He spoke about his own disappointment, and I shared my own experience with that. No matter how much society told us betas were just as valuable, that the ability to reproduce didn't add anything to one's worth, or that you could always adopt if you wanted to be a parent, deep down, we all knew betas just didn't have something that alphas and omegas did. And no matter how valuable we felt as humans, that difference was simply… objective.

Of course, for betas who never wanted kids or didn't plan to start a family, it wasn't really an issue. It might have even been a convenience since they didn't have to worry about birth control. But for people like Finn and me, who wanted children of our own, dealing with that disappointment was—truthfully—a lifelong process of coming to terms with reality.

I appreciated that Finn talked about these things so openly because I preferred the ugly truth to sugarcoated lies. Soren had given me enough of those. No matter how much philosophy you build around it, I'd rather deal with undeniable facts.

At one point, we were sitting, looking out at the water, watching ducks and swans glide by. Finn was right next to me, his arm almost brushing against mine. I really wanted him to lift his arm and wrap it around me, but I knew he didn't want to cross that line between us—the line that, if crossed, would bring a lot of unknowns.

As I sat there next to him, enjoying the nice weather, soaking in Finn's peaceful energy, and just basking in the serenity of the moment, for the first time, I seriously started to wonder… what if Finn and I were actually together? The idea, so murky and vague before, started to crystallize.

When it fully sank in, I even felt it as a wave of warmth in my body. Feeling physically attracted to Finn was one thing, but the idea of actually building a relationship with him? That was a whole different world. A much scarier one.

There was a twelve-year age difference between us and a gap in life experience. It didn't bother me, but Finn might not be interested in being with someone who had just finished college and still had years ahead to figure himself out.

Realizing this, I quickly pushed the thought away and decided not to dwell on it. But maybe… maybe I could still indulge in a simple fantasy about Finn. You know, just a harmless one. Even if he didn't want me as a life-long partner, maybe we could at least… have a fling?

I glanced at him cautiously. He was staring out at the water, deep in thought, his finger tracing lightly along his chin. His eyes were squinted against the bright sunlight.

They were really similar to Soren's—light, silvery-gray. I suddenly realized I had to stop comparing Finn to Soren. Finn had his own eyes, and it was silly to keep linking him to my ex.

I analyzed his face for a moment. He had an elegant profile, with a straight nose and well-shaped lips.

What if he turned and kissed me right now?

Nah, he wouldn't do that. I was sure of it. Still, I imagined him wrapping his strong arms around me… He was so muscular, not much less than most alphas. He was about 6'2", which put him on the taller side for betas. Alphas were usually at least 6'4".

I remembered how easily he had picked me up on that cliff, like I weighed nothing—which wasn't far from the truth. I wanted him to carry me like that again. I even thought about pretending to twist my ankle, but that seemed too childish.

I closed my eyes, picturing him kissing me, his mouth brushing my cheek, then moving down to my lips. When I opened my eyes, trying to shake off the pleasure from the vision, I saw Finn looking at me intently. I smiled shyly.

"What are you thinking about?"

Oh, crap. Busted. I had to lie to save face.

"Just, uh, random park thoughts. Nothing exciting." I played it off.

Finn didn't respond, but his eyes lingered on my face for a moment, sliding briefly down to my lips before quickly darting back to the lake. Oh, hello… did he entertain the same fantasy?

About half an hour later, we decided to head back because Finn insisted, I should have a solid lunch. His concern for me was honestly so nice, a huge change from what I was used to in my past, when no one really cared about whether I ate or asked how I was feeling.

I realized how dangerous this was, how easy it would be to fall for someone caring like Finn, like a lost puppy, just because he showed me a little bit of kindness… A part two—of being self-destructive and hopeless? Most likely, his behavior was just simple human kindness and warmth. Meanwhile, I, starved for affection, might be reading too much into it.

So, I promised myself I'd keep my reactions in check and not let my gratitude toward Finn turn into something unhealthy, like another fixation, despite his continuous assurance that he wouldn't mind having someone obsessed with him. He probably only said that to avoid making me feel judged.

When we got back home, I was exhausted. Out of shape and weakened from not eating or moving much in the past month and a half, I was really drained. After lunch, I decided to take a nap, and Finn sat down to work on a research paper he had to finish.

I woke up later in the afternoon, and Finn casually suggested we go into the city—he knew a nice café by the sea.

So we did. The place was charming, full of other couples, which gave the whole spot a romantic vibe.

We chatted for a bit about the food—they had some interesting dishes on the menu. Since it was getting close to dinner time, we ordered some unique and delicious appetizers.

Soon, a rather pretty omega waiter came over with our plates. As he set the food down in front of Finn, he managed to drop a few leaves of salad right onto Finn's lap. Irritation sparked through me like wildfire; I was practically seeing red. While he tried to pick up the leaves, his fingers were right near Finn's crotch, all the while apologizing, smiling, and trying to be sweet.

Finn looked a bit confused and didn't react much, so when the omega lowered his hand to wipe a dab of garlic sauce from Finn's belt, I'd had enough.

I made a weird, raspy noise that came out as… well, nothing coherent. It wasn't the typical omega warning sound, and it definitely wasn't anything betas usually make, so yeah—I embarrassed myself. But I didn't give a damn.

I shot up to my feet. "Can you stop?!"

Everyone around us froze, staring as I went full-on territorial right in the middle of the restaurant. I clenched my jaw, practically shooting daggers at the waiter with my glare.

The guy turned to me, holding his hands up in apology. "I'm sorry, I just… made a mess—"

"Just back off! Don't touch what's not yours!"

What the hell did I just say? But there it was. Finn just stared at me, stunned. The waiter stepped back, his face turning bright red. "I'm sorry, sir," he mumbled before hurrying off.

I glanced around—people were definitely paying attention. I didn't care about that, but Finn's reaction? I cared about that. And his eyes were locked on me with this warm, almost amused look. Then he smiled—widely.

I swallowed, feeling my face heat up as I sat back down. "We should probably skip dessert… I'm guessing they'll spit in it after that. Sorry," I muttered, clearing my throat.

"You're just… so cute!" Finn exclaimed suddenly, his own cheeks flushing as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

For a second, I didn't know what to answer.

"Wait… you're not mad?" I asked, my voice going all squeaky like a little mouse's.

Finn chuckled. "Mad? That was kind of… hot."

Strange example of ‘hot' behavior, but that was fine as long as it was coming from his lips!

"Uh, well, but we're not, you know… I don't have any claim on you," I mumbled, my voice so muffled he probably barely heard me.

Finn bit his lip, picking up his fork as if he were about to start eating again. "Nobody's ever been jealous of me, Liam. It's just not something I've had in my life. So… I appreciate it. You just gave me an experience I've never had before," he said, sounding genuinely grateful.

It made me feel all warm and oddly giddy inside.

"It's good that you're not mad. I warned you I can be… intense."

"I don't mind. Don't ever change," Finn grinned, picking up a piece of pepper on his fork and popping it into his mouth, clearly in a good mood.

We ate in silence for a moment. I wondered what this outing meant to him. Was this some kind of date or just a casual dinner? Finn, being single, often ate out and knew all these cool spots, whereas I didn't have that experience. I'd spent the last four years at college, mostly eating in the campus cafeteria.

But as we sat there for a while, I started feeling strange—warm and restless. It was hard for me to sit still, and I kept shifting in my seat. Finn must've noticed my uneasiness because eventually, he suggested we go for a walk along the boardwalk to watch the sunset over the ocean. He probably concluded that I felt bad about my jealous outburst and didn't want the waitstaff giving us strange looks.

The walk was a good idea, as it helped distract me from the strange thoughts that had been swirling in my head, growing more pronounced and, honestly, more inappropriate.

I was battling myself and these strange heat flashes, not understanding what was happening. Was I sick or something? One of the oddest symptoms was a slight clenching sensation in my hole… Yes, exactly there. No way around it.

There were moments when my shoulder would brush against Finn's muscular arm during the walk, and I'd feel this jolt of energy shoot through my body. I'd never felt anything like it before, so I didn't know how to make sense of it.

At the same time, it was getting harder to focus on our conversation, and keeping a clear train of thought felt almost impossible. So, I mostly asked him simple questions—about his job, even his exes. He didn't go into much detail but admitted he'd been in pretty uneventful relationships, ones that were typical for betas—more about convenience than any overwhelming love or attraction.

At one point, Finn asked,

"Are you hot? You look a little flushed."

I hesitated for a moment, then admitted, "Yeah, I'm feeling kinda hot. Breaking into a sweat. Not sure if I'm coming down with something," I muttered, trying to find an excuse.

Finn looked concerned and quickly suggested we head back home, which I agreed to since I was too on edge to focus on anything else.

All I really wanted was for Finn to pick me up and hold me in his arms. I knew how silly that sounded, but my mind was stuck on the vision.

When we got back, I took a shower and told Finn I was going to bed in the loft room early. The information made his face drop a bit, as if he had hoped our bed arrangements would continue. And to make matters worse, what I said wasn't the whole truth. As soon as I got to my room and carefully shut the door behind me, I opened a small pouch I had brought from my apartment and found exactly what I was looking for.

A pink rubber dildo.

Yes, I had to do it. I had no idea what was happening to me, but it was already beyond my threshold of composure.

However, the biggest surprise came when I lay down on the bed with my pants pulled down, reaching for the tube of lube. Instead, I felt a strange wetness on my buttocks. I slipped my finger there and, to my shock, discovered a clear, colorless substance with a faint sweetish smell—definitely nothing that had ever come from my ass before.

After all, I was a beta, and in this respect, we were no different from alphas… And yet, something strange had happened here.

Did I produce slick—like an omega?