3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Professor Wayden Mephis

" H e'll be right out," Matews had said ten minutes earlier before he left, leaving him alone to deal with the little menace.

Fuck. He wasn't ready for this. For five days Wayden had stalled on the pretence of getting everything ready for the field trip. In truth, he'd been reaching out to his old associates and previous assistants in the hopes that one of them was free to go with him. But none were free. The betas were all busy with their families and he couldn't exactly drag them away from them, even though he wanted to… badly.

In all his field trips he'd never had an omega assistant. Never. And he wouldn't have minded if the omega was normal and respectful, but he was going to work with a little menace who was bent on making him crazy. If Wayden had other applicants, he would leave the hellion behind. But he kind of needed him.

Where the hell was he? He was supposed to be out here ten minutes ago.

Wayden stared at the massive door of the Covus mansion, irritation burning in his stomach. He shoved it away, unwilling to give in to it. The brat was getting to him before he'd even showed his face.

Wayden sighed, irritated with himself. He didn't even know why he was allowing the omega to get to him in this way.

Wayden didn't allow emotions to control him. Emotions were a distraction for which he had no use. A lot of people called him emotionless and cold, because he didn't react to every little thing. But the omega had a knack for provoking him. Where many had failed, Blaine was succeeding, though Wayden tried his best not to react. He could admit that he'd come close to throttling the little minx during the most important dinner of his life.

Talk about the devil, Wayden thought warily as he watched Blaine walk out of the house with Xaine Covus' mate. They said their goodbyes and, after what felt like an eternity, Blaine walked down the driveway toward him.

Wayden took a deep breath as Blaine got closer and braced for whatever would come out of the omega's mouth, because he just had to say something. Wayden took the case from him and opened the shuttle before he could say anything. Wayden frowned at how light the case was but said nothing. He walked down the narrow hallway to the back of the shuttle. He stopped in front of a door and opened it. He heard Blaine come up behind him and stop a few paces away, which wasn't much since the space was tiny.

Damn, this is going to be fun, Wayden thought.

"What's in there?" Blaine asked. His breath hit Wayden's bare arm as he tried to look around him. Wayden clenched his jaw as warmth filled his stomach.

"This is where you'll be sleeping." Wayden quickly dropped the case and stepped to the side so Blaine could go in. Wayden moved to the left and bumped into another door as he tried his best not to touch the omega. The tiny space didn't allow this, so Blaine brushed against him anyway. Wayden opened the door behind him and walked into his room, but he soon regretted it when Blaine's eyes lit up. The omega moved towards him.

"We should get going," Wayden said his voice sounding high and awkward to his own ears. Fuck. Why was this so awkward? And they haven't even left yet.

"Excuse me." He swallowed as he sidled past Blaine to go to the front of the shuttle. He got into the operator's chair and brought the pod to life. He drifted onto the airway, and they were off. He heard Blaine move around the back. After a few minutes he came to the front and sat in the passenger seat. A few beats went by before Blaine opened his mouth.

"No welcome speech?" Blaine said.

Wayden almost laughed at how predictable the omega was. He wasn't going to let him have a moment of peace. Wayden glanced over at Blaine and tried hard to suppress the smile that pulled at his lips.

"Do you need one?" Wayden asked.

Blaine gave him a look Wayden couldn't decipher. "I guess not."

What was with the omega? Wayden had never met someone so complicated and downright combative, especially for an omega. Omegas, though Wayden hated to say it because it wasn't right, were naturally submissive. But Blaine wasn't. The omega didn't even try. He came at him with everything he had.

"Where are we going?" Blaine asked as they left the capital behind.

"We're going to Beon. A small town four hours from here," he said. He held his breath, waiting for Blaine to say something. But he just nodded and said nothing.

That's a first, Wayden thought. He relaxed into his seat. Maybe the field trip wouldn't be as bad as he'd initially thought. They were off to a good start… well, until Blaine opened his mouth again.

"Why Beon? Are they gullible enough to believe your ideas because you think small town people are uneducated?" Blaine asked.

Wayden gritted his teeth. "No."

"Why then? Why are we going there?" Blaine asked. Wayden could hear the smug tone in the omega's voice. The little minx thought he'd got him.

"Because it's my first field site. You're asking the wrong questions," Wayden said. "For someone who doesn't like me to think you're uneducated you sure like to ask…"

"Stupid questions?" Blaine interrupted.

"I didn't say that. Don't accuse me later of calling you stupid when you did that yourself," Wayden said. The omega's nostrils flared. Wayden braced himself waiting for him to unload whatever came to mind.

"You're stupid," Blaine mumbled under his breath. But Wayden heard him anyway.

"Watch it." A growl rumbled deep in Wayden's chest and his scent thickened around him. The urge to reach for Blaine and exert his dominance fucking burned through his veins.

Fuck, Wayden silently groaned, fighting the need.

Blaine laughed. The fucking minx laughed at him.

"I know you didn't just go alpha on me when you refused to be my alpha. I don't have to submit to you. So don't even try it," Blaine said, his eyes burning dark with… fury?

Was he angry with him?

Wayden narrowed his eyes at the omega, confused. His confusion deepened when Blaine's eyes suddenly widened, his cheeks turning red before he quickly looked out the window.

What the fuck? What was that about?

Blaine couldn't mean what he thought he did, right? He couldn't be angry that Wayden had refused to be his alpha. Wayden glanced at Blaine…well, the side of his face. He couldn't see the omega properly because he was looking out the window, but it was clear Blaine was pissed at him somehow.

No, that couldn't be right. From their heated conversation five days ago, Wayden had concluded that Blaine despised traditional omega roles. Why would he hate the fact that Wayden refused to be his alpha?

Wayden shook his head. It didn't make any sense. It didn't matter anyway. Wayden didn't have to be Blaine's alpha in order for him to work as his assistant. As a matter of fact, Wayden had thought Blaine would appreciate it, because he didn't like Wayden much. Submitting to an alpha he didn't like would have been hard for the omega.

Wayden rubbed the back of his neck to release the tension he felt there. He was thinking too hard about this. It was probably nothing and he was projecting because he felt a little guilty. He'd felt guilty from the moment he'd refused to be Blaine's alpha, because it wasn't the way things were done. It wasn't natural.

Matews wasn't happy about his decision either. For days they'd argued about it until Matews relented when he'd seen that Wayden wasn't going to budge. The beta even thought it was because of Ambrose, Wayden's ex. But it wasn't. Wayden just didn't want to be anyone's alpha.

"You're going to regret this," the beta had warned him. But Wayden didn't want it. Director Luna would be responsible for Blaine. That was the best decision.

Yes, Wayden thought trying his best not to feel guilty.

They drifted in torturous silence. The tension in the shuttle was so thick that Wayden found himself wishing Blaine would say something, anything, even if it was to disrespect him.

It was ridiculous.

He should be grateful the little monster had decided to keep quiet. There was no telling what would come out of Blaine's mouth. Wayden's ears were still sore from Blaine's last insults.

Silence is good, Wayden thought as he focused on the airway in front of him. Though there wasn't much to see, there were a few hover pods in front of them. The airway would get more and more deserted the further they travelled. He hadn't been kidding when he'd said it got lonely sometimes. Wayden glanced at Blaine, wondering how he was going to handle being away from home. It was hard to tell. Wayden couldn't even figure out how Blaine felt now. The omega was still looking out the window, ignoring him.

***

Blaine

Please take my mouth away, I don't want it.

Blaine bit the inside of his mouth hard, until he felt pain and tasted his own blood. It hurt, but the pain didn't compare to the embarrassment he felt.

What was wrong with him?

Blaine silently groaned because he didn't fucking know the answer to that question either. He leaned his head on the cool glass, calling himself all types of crazy. It wasn't like he wanted Professor Douche to be his alpha. He just… he hated that Professor Douche had rejected him before Blaine could reject the professor.

Fuck, he hated him.

Blaine glanced at Professor Douche from the corner of his eye. He couldn't see much of the alpha. From this angle, Blaine would have to have eyes on the side of his face. But the little that he could see made him groan internally again.

How could someone look like that? And how could Blaine have been so wrong?

This wasn't the alpha he'd met five days ago. How could he be so… so… so… Blaine gritted his teeth, hating that he'd even noticed. Blaine was coming to realise that he hated a lot of things about the alpha.

Blaine hated the alpha's gorgeous face. He hated his dirty brown hair that didn't look so dirty anymore as the sun hit it just right to highlight the golden streaks in the messy bun. He hated the corded muscles around his throat that Blaine got a peek of every time Professor Douche shifted in his seat. He hated his gorgeous tattoos, winding around his arms to disappear under his shirt sleeves. Blaine hated that he wanted to know what the damn symbols meant.

Was Professor Douche going to think he was stupid if he asked?

Arggg! Why did he even care?

Blaine looked away from Professor Douche before he became cross-eyed from looking at him sideways. The alpha had hidden weapons Blaine hadn't even imagined. What else was under that rakish and untouchable exterior? The urge to glance at the alpha again gnawed on Blaine's insides.

Hmmm, he silently hummed to suppress the need. But Professor Douche's shaggy yet perfect hair, tied in a messy bun to reveal shaved sides, kept popping into his mind, enticing him to look – to prove to himself that it wasn't real. This couldn't be the same damn alpha. There was no way. Blaine stared out of the window in confusion.

"I'm in an alternate universe," Blaine mumbled. There was no other explanation.

"What?" Professor Mephis asked.

Arggg… he'd said that out loud.

"Nothing," Blaine said, still trying his best to ignore the alpha, but fuck, his presence was hard to ignore. He was like a beacon of light, daring him to get close. Blaine found himself turning to stare at Professor Douche, even though he didn't want to. He racked his brain looking for something to say to break the awkward silence between them. He should have kept his mouth shut. But he had mouth diarrhoea that needed serious attention. Blaine bit the inside of his cheeks and looked away.

Great, now he was self-conscious.

They drifted in silence all the way to Boen, and it was the longest four hours of Blaine's life. He'd never been silent for that long. He felt abnormal. No one should go hours without talking to someone. That was just not right.

Blaine glanced at Professor Douche as they slowly drifted down the one-way airway and they kept going, leaving the town behind.

"Are we not staying in town?" Blaine asked. He needed a minute away from the alpha. Blaine didn't think he could drift for another second before he exploded.

"No. The pack lives out of town," Professor Mephis said.

"Pack?" Blaine frowned, his need for an escape forgotten. "Do those still exist?"

"Yes. I found a few that I'm going to visit. Though this one is not exactly a pack, they prefer to be called one because of the way they live. They still follow the rules set by the council of alphas, even though they have their own alpha," he said, his voice taking on an excited tone that grated on Blaine's nerves.

Fuck. Why was he here again?

Oh… his big mouth.

Shit.

"The pack was founded by four alpha brothers. Their story is quite fascinating."

"Put omegas in cages already," Blaine bit out angrily. He should have kept his mouth shut, so he wouldn't have to listen to this archaic drivel.

Professor Douche jerked, horror in his eyes. "What? Why would you say something like that?"

"Because I know that's what's going to happen. They're already doing it, shoving us into commune houses. What do you think you're going to find at some pack with archaic beliefs? Omegas living blissfully? Please."

"I never said my research will be the solution to all our problems. That's why it's called research. I'm trying to find a solution."

"For whom?" Blaine growled.

Professor Douche didn't answer. He made a turn to the right and drifted for a few minutes before they came to a stop in front of a large gate. The gate was bordered by tall walls that gave off detention centre vibes. As if that were not enough there was a large sign on the side that read: "Right of admission reserved".

Yep. I should have kept my mouth shut, Blaine thought irritably.

Professor Mephis turned to him, and then leaned close, bringing his scent with him. For the past four hours Blaine had tried to ignore the alpha's scent swirling around him in the small space. Blaine was surprised that he didn't hate the alpha's scent. Professor Mephis smelled good, actually. He smelled like summer rain and wildflowers. Blaine swallowed as his nostrils flared to breathe in the alpha's scent more.

It was strange. A lot of alphas' scents put him off. Blaine found them to be abrasive, oppressive and downright foul. But Professor Douche's scent was… nice.

Don't breathe it in, Blaine told himself.

For a full minute Professor Douche said nothing but just stared. Blaine nervously swallowed and tried hard not to fidget under the alpha's hard stare.

Professor Douche's eyes were dark… so, so dark.

Fuck, why was he noticing his eyes right then?

"What?" Blaine said, going for irritable, but his voice came out small and whiny. Blaine slapped a hand over his mouth and looked away from Professor fucking-Douche. "Why are you staring at me like that? It's uncomfortable."

Professor Mephis audibly sighed. The sound echoed around them. Blaine turned around to stare at the alpha.

"Can we please not fight in front of my hosts?" Professor Douche said in an even tone that belied the intense look in his eyes. "I'm here to observe, not to pass judgement on their way of life, and as my assistant I need you to do the same. Do you think you can do that?"

Blaine gritted his teeth as the urge to refuse filled him. He couldn't agree to something like that. If he saw omegas being treated badly, he couldn't just sit back and say nothing.

"Please," Professor Mephis begged.

Blaine swallowed as something tingly rushed through him. He nodded, without thinking.

"Thank you," Professor Mephis said, just as the gate slid open and a mean-looking alpha walked out. Professor Mephis got out of the shuttle to go meet him. They stopped a few paces from the shuttle and talked a bit. Blaine felt the mean-looking alpha's eyes on him the whole time. Professor Mephis came back into the shuttle a few minutes later. They drifted through the gate, following a hover pod a few paces ahead of them.

Tall trees bordered the residential airway on both sides. Blaine couldn't see anything else. It felt like they were stepping into another world.

"I hope we don't come up missing," Blaine said.

Professor Douche laughed, the sound echoing all around Blaine, causing his stomach to flutter. "Do you say everything that pops into your head?"

Dammit, not again. Blaine bit into his bottom lip, feeling mortified and awkward. He really should watch what he said. Blaine glanced at Professor Douche and found him staring at him. Blaine's stomach fluttered harder, making him breathe funny.

"What? You're staring at me again."

"I'm surprised, that's all. You always have something to say. But this time you went silent. What's wrong?"

"I can be quiet if I want to," Blaine said sulkily. He looked out the window, wishing they were there already. He'd had enough being in the same space with alpha douche. He needed out.

Professor Douche laughed, irritating Blaine even more. "You look like you're thinking too hard over there. Are you okay?"

Blaine nodded. They drifted for a while in silence, and it fucking got to him.

"What is your name?" Blaine blurted out just to fill the silence. "I can't keep calling you Professor Dou… Mephis."

Fuck. That was close.

Blaine glanced at the alpha to see if he'd noticed. If he did, Professor Mephis didn't show it. He drifted on, his eyes on the pod ahead of them.

"It's Professor Mephis to you," he said not looking at Blaine.

Professor Douche it is, then.

"Very well, Professor Mephis," Blaine said mockingly. "Can you tell me what I'm going to be assisting you with?"

"Wow. You managed to make even that sound insulting," he said. "Working with you is going to be interesting."

"I'm glad you think so," Blaine said with a sigh. He had a terrible feeling about the whole thing. Maybe he should have stopped being stubborn and told Professor Douche that he'd made a mistake. He couldn't be his assistant. But Blaine couldn't bring himself to say it because he couldn't lose to an alpha… ever.

But now Blaine realised he was in over his head. Professor Mephis was nothing like the alphas Blaine had encountered before. He was…

"Oh, wow," Blaine gasped at the sight in front of him as they drifted to a stop. Blaine had thought the Covus mansion was big and beautiful, but the house in front of them was something else. Multiple wings stretched from the centre outwards, into the trees surrounding them. Glowing orange light spilt from large windows creating a warm welcoming atmosphere.

"Wow, someone is wealthy," Blaine said.

Professor Douche coughed next to him. "Uhhh… Blaine. Can you please refrain from saying everything that enters your head? We don't want to offend anyone."

Blaine opened his mouth to say something, but the alpha who met them at the gate walked towards them.

"Just follow my lead," Professor Douche said as he got out of the shuttle, shutting the door before Blaine could say anything else.

Stunned, Blaine stared at Professor Douche's wide back, not sure what to do.

It wasn't what the alpha had said, but the way he'd said it. It wasn't exactly a command and Blaine was sure Professor Douche hadn't used his alpha voice on him, but… Blaine was torn between following him out the shuttle and waiting for him to tell him to come out.

He gripped his thighs as the need to follow Professor Douche's lead tore through him. Blaine tried to breathe through the tight feeling in his chest as his body tingled all over. His cock hardened, his hole pulsing with need.

What the hell?

Blaine stared down at his lap confused. He sank his nails into his thighs. Moaning, he relished the pain as it brought him out of the weird moment, and he returned to his senses.

No alpha told him what to do.

Blaine opened the door and got out of the shuttle. Professor Mephis and the other alpha turned towards him. For a second, no one moved. They stared at him as if they'd never seen an omega before.

Shit. Maybe he should have waited in the shuttle, Blaine thought feeling like he'd done something wrong.

He took a step back, but Professor Mephis reached out to him. Professor Mephis' large hand closed around Blaine's wrist and pulled him closer. Blaine tried not to react to the warmth seeping through his skin or the electric current that went through him. His skin fucking sizzled.

"This is my assistant, Blaine," Professor Mephis said.

"Just your assistant?" the alpha asked, his tone implying there was something more, as if an alpha and omega couldn't work together without there being something more. Blaine opened his mouth to give the alpha a piece of his mind, but Professor Douche's fingers tightened around his wrist to silence him. Blaine swallowed as his entire body blazed from the simple grip.

Oh, fuck. Blaine bit the inside of his mouth, his hole pulsing deliciously.

"Yes, he's just my assistant," Professor Douche said, his voice going a little growly and deep. The alpha stared at Blaine for a few seconds before he nodded and walked towards the house.

"Remember what I said," Professor Douche whispered. He gave Blaine a pointed look before they made their way to the house, his large hand still on Blaine's wrist.

"You can let go now. I promise I'll behave," Blaine said, tugging his wrist away. The alpha's fingers tightened for a beat before he let go. Blaine rubbed his wrist, smoothing away the goosebumps that had erupted there.

Shit. What was happening to him? Blaine lagged behind confused by his body's reaction to alpha douche. He couldn't possibly want him.

No. He hated him. Of course he hated him.

"Are you coming?" Professor Douche asked from the door.

Blaine nodded and followed him.