FIFTEEN

The place is big and very bright with impressive chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The walls are beige decorated with many paintings and variety of Christmas lights and garlands. There are round tables with chairs for guests and some lounge tables as well which are all decorated with subtle hints of baby pink poinsettias. Businessmen and their dates dressed in black are already lounging and talking, their chatter mixing with the pleasant music playing, and all in all, the place is decorated in things that screams both expensive and Christmas-y. Klyde would have appreciated it at least if he’s not still distracted by what Wade pulled before they entered.

His face feels hot, and he’s much too aware of his heart beating too fast for his own liking in his chest. He inhaled a deep breath, calming himself. Ah, yes. Something that Klyde always appreciated in this kind of parties though, is the presence of air neutralizer. With such big events, with many guests all in a closed space, it is only natural for their scents and pheromones to get all mixed up which is something he always hated. But now, the air in the hall feels clean, with no trace of anyone’s scent, not even his own. At least his head won’t be aching throughout the party.

His eyes roamed around the place. He recognizes some of the guests, having seen them in past gatherings as well, but there are also those he is not familiar with. His eyes landed on a familiar figure, waving his arms carelessly, obviously trying to get their attention. He’s sitting in one of the round tables, and he’s alone.

Klyde slightly tugged at Wade’s arm to call his attention. “Kez is over there,” he said, tipping his head to point at the alpha. Wade immediately followed his line of vision before they wordlessly walk to his direction.

“Long time no see, bro,” he greeted once they were near enough. Wade stretched his hand to shake Kez’s hand in greeting, bumping their shoulders. The latter then proceeded to lean in and hug Klyde after. Wade pulled a chair out for him, and he murmured his thanks before taking a seat, followed by the alpha.

“I was waiting for you guys to arrive.”

“You’re always early,” Wade said. His eyes are busy roaming around the place too.

“I’m punctual. You should learn from me,” Kez jokingly said. He turned to Klyde then.

“Klyde! I haven’t seen you in ages.”

Klyde gave him a warm smile. The alpha is a breath of fresh air. “Ages sounds too much.”

“Felt like it to me,” he shrugged. “I heard my brother had been going to your company a lot.”

“Aien?” Wade asked.

Klyde hummed as he nodded. “Yeah. He comes over every afternoon.”

“I hope he doesn’t bother you?” Kez asked, his tone borderline apologetic. Klyde quickly shook his head, going as far as even raising his hand to tell him that—

“No, no. He doesn’t bother me. I actually appreciate his presence there. He makes my days less boring, you know, with just paper works and all that.”

“Well, I know he can be too much at times,” the alpha added. And at that, Klyde agrees.

“You’re giving your brother too much credit,” Wade grumbled under his breath. It made a small smile appear on Klyde’s lips. The alpha’s tone sounded almost childish.

“Yeah, he can be. But don’t worry about it,” Klyde said.

Kez suddenly looked at him intently, “But if he ever gets too much, too annoying and whatever. Feel free to kick him out. You can call me too. I’ll drag him out for you.”

Klyde chuckled at the alpha’s remark.

The three of them fell silent as they wait for the party to officially start. Klyde went back on roaming his eyes around the place, distracting himself by watching other guests do their own thing. He’s sitting upright, maybe too tense for his own liking, but that’s because he’s conscious of Wade’s arm draped at the back of his chair. The alpha is sitting close to him, and it makes him want to squirm. If he concentrated further, it’s as if he can smell the alpha’s scent despite the air neutralizer. That’s how close he is. He won’t survive the entire night at this rate. He needs something to drink.

“Fuck, when is this party going to start?” Kez suddenly mumbled grumpily.

Klyde heard Wade’s deep chuckle from beside him. And he’s so close that he even felt his warm breath almost graze his skin.

“You’re getting impatient?” Wade asked.

“I’ve been waiting for so long, bro. I should’ve just gone home to my parents,” he sulked.

“You know Racan never start on time.”

“Honestly, fuck him,” the alpha sighed before reaching out to the table to take his empty wine glass and stood up.

“I’m going to get another drink. You two want some?”

“Yes, please,” Klyde replied timidly. He badly needs it if he wants to survive the night. He doesn’t know what Wade replied but Kez eventually walked away from their table. Klyde watched him disappear among the small crowd.

“You seem tense,” Wade’s voice came in a whisper from beside him and this time, Klyde actually felt his warm breath on his skin from their proximity. He closed his eyes briefly, steadying himself.

“You’re too close,” Klyde replied in a tight voice. His eyes are roaming everywhere but on the alpha beside him. There was a moment where both of them stills, before Wade eventually moved away, leaning back to give him space. His arm remained at the back of Klyde’s seat though, but the omega is still glad for the distance.

“Sorry,” the alpha murmured. Klyde just shook his head in answer.

“It’s fine,” he said, but he still refused to look at him. He heard Wade sigh beside him. Silence settled between them, and the awkwardness of it is rather suffocating. The tension was so thick that you could almost slice it with a knife. Klyde wants to just stay silent, but at the same time, he wants the awkwardness to go away.

You don’t look like a married couple, his mind whispers.

Eventually he relented. “I hate parties,” he breathed out.

There was no response for a while. And he almost regretted talking when he finally heard a response from the alpha in the form of a deep chuckle.

“Parties in general? Or just this party?” Wade asked.

A small, almost nonexistent smile appeared on Klyde’s lips. “This kind of party.”

“Same. What is there to like about parties like this anyway?”

“Full of pretentions and alphas trying to parade their powers and status,” he said bitterly, eyes watching the obvious alpha guests. They’re actually very easy to point out as all of them almost look the same. Their heads are held too high, chins almost jutted out in pride, a smug look is a constant on their face and Klyde doesn’t want to imagine the nasty pheromones oozing out of them without the neutralizer. He shudders at the thought. Plus, the omegas clinging onto their arms. He winced when he saw an alpha patting an omega’s ass in front of the guests. No shame, really.

“Fucking alphas,” he hissed.

“You seem to despise us a lot,” Wade commented and Klyde startled. He almost forgot that the alpha was beside him!

“Despise is a strong word,” he said, actually contemplating it but eventually shrugged.

“But it’s close to that.”

“What did we do?”

“What did you not do?” Klyde quickly came back, turning to meet the alpha’s gaze.

Wade nodded, a smirk present on his lips. “Touché.”

Klyde averted his gaze and settled back on watching other guests. It did not take a long while for Wade to speak again.

“Am I one of them?” he asked. Klyde’s brows furrowed. One of what? He turned back to look at the alpha again, giving him a questioning look.

“Do you despise me too?”

Oh.

“You’re helping me save my company,” he said flatly.

“That wasn’t my question,” he sighed.

“I hate your rank,” Klyde then replied firmly.

“I hate the dominance that comes with it. And I hate that your kind thinks they can do and get everything they want just because.”

“So, do you hate me?” Wade asked again. Klyde sighed.

“You’re helping me save my company and yes I know that wasn’t the question but—” he paused.

“You are an alpha. And I am aware of your power but you also haven’t done anything to make me hate you as a person beyond your rank.”

Wade was silent, waiting for him to continue.

“Do I despise your rank? Yes. But do I despise you as a person? No? Maybe? I don’t know. We’ll see. If you wake up one day and choose to suddenly be the dominant alpha, brave and powerful type, ‘I own the world’ bullshit, then maybe.”

A smirk slowly formed on the alpha’s lips again, and Klyde badly wants to know what it means if he’s not too distracted by the fact that it looks good on the alpha.

“Technically, I can do that,” Wade replied with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Being the youngest and most successful CEO of our generation and all.”

“But you won’t.”

“I won’t.”

“As long as you don’t start treating me like a trophy husband or something though.”

“Trophy husband?”

“Like what all those alphas do with omegas, parade them like they are something they own.”

“Do you feel like that with me?” the alpha asked.

“No,” Klyde answered honestly. Because he doesn’t. He really doesn’t. he’s clinging on the alpha the same way those omegas are, but it doesn’t feel like he’s being paraded for status. Not when he’s being introduced as his husband anyway.

“Good. I don’t want you to feel that way,” Wade replied. And his answer made Klyde’s left brow raise.

“If you ever start feeling that way with me, tell me immediately.”

“Why?” he questioned.

“You’re not a trophy husband.”

“Isn’t that what I am?” Klyde challenged. Wade rolled his eyes at him.

“Come on, sweetheart. You sound pretentious right now.”

“Your endearment sounds pretentious,” the omega snarked, making the alpha chuckle.

“Does it? You want a different one?”

Klyde winced. “No, thank you.”

“What? You don’t want to pretend with me? We’re married anyway, let’s take it further.”

“You can pretend well enough on your own already. With your rank and all that.”

“Is this prejudice I hear?”

“I don’t know, Wade. You tell me. Your kind seems to be good at that.”

Wade groaned and it made Klyde laugh, genuinely he points out. He’s actually laughing and enjoying a conversation with the alpha. This is the longest they have ever talked ever since they established the contract. And Klyde actually enjoys it.

“I’m serious though,” the alpha said.

“About what?”

“About not wanting you to feel like someone I’m using for status, a trophy husband you said,” Wade said seriously.

“I know I married you for your company, but I don’t want to make you feel shit about it.”

Klyde doesn’t want to admit it, but the alpha’s words touch him. For some reason, it makes him feel understood, it makes him feel seen. And for people like him who has always been at the receiving end of criticism, who seems to always be under the lenses of dissection. To finally be seen as someone whose feelings are valid, it sure feels like a privilege

Klyde rolled his eyes at the alpha playfully. “You’re being pretentious again.”

“Am I?”

“Perhaps. I feel like you’re bad at pretending though.”

Wade looked at him, something in his gaze unreadable, before a small smile broke out of his lips. Shaking his head, he whispered, “I really am.”

Kez eventually came back empty handed, a grumpy expression on his face.

“I thought you went to get a drink?” Wade asked as they watch the alpha throw himself on his seat. He’s slouching, and he almost looks like a child throwing a tantrum. He immediately straightened up though, gently placing the empty wine glass on their table.

“I ought to, but a family friend saw me before I even got to the table for drinks,” he sulked.

“You got cornered,” Klyde said empathically. He understands. Not that he associates himself with his family’s friends though. He walked away ages ago.

“I will go get us drinks later. I heard the party is finally starting. Thank fuck.”

Just then, a sharp noise of a microphone sounded in the huge place making them wince. They all sat up properly, facing the direction of the make-shift platform. There, the host of the night—Andrew Racan, stood in his full glory. A million-dollar smile is stretched widely on his lips, the lights reflecting on his pearly-white teeth. The crowd cheered at him, and he waved his hand in answer. Klyde wants to roll his eyes at the show.

The alpha cleared his throat on the mic, looking at everyone in the crowd before finally speaking.

“Good evening, everyone.”