NINETEEN

The sound of the door opening must have caught the alpha’s attention, because as soon as it opened and Klyde stepped into the room, the alpha was already facing him from where he was standing in front of the glass wall behind Klyde’s table.

“Wade,” he greeted, forcing himself to sound casual. The alpha’s eyes raked over his form, left brow rising.

“I thought I was babe?”

Fuck him, actually.

Klyde gave him a forced smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Can I not visit my husband?” the alpha asked, head slightly tilted to the right. Klyde sighed and stepped further in the room. He walked to his table, standing a safe distance away from it. The alpha just watched him.

“What are you doing here?” he said, repeating his question.

Wade stared at him for a while, and Klyde did his best to meet his eyes, jaws clenching before he eventually opened his mouth to answer. “Have you eaten?

Klyde’s brows furrowed. “What?”

“Did you already have lunch?” the alpha asked again.

“No, why?” Klyde asked back, confused. Did he go here just to ask that?

“Great. Let’s have lunch then,” Wade said before walking around Klyde’s table to approach him. Klyde took a step back from him, hands coming up to make him stop.

“What are you doing?” he asked again.

Wade shot him a confused look. “I said we’re getting lunch?”

“No, no,” the omega sighed, shaking his head. “What are you really doing here?”

“I told you, we’re getting out for lunch.”

“But why?”

“Nothing. Do I have to have reasons to do that?”

Yes, Klyde wants to say. The other times they had lunch together was with the pack, and the spontaneous one with Aien. So, yes. He needs to hear a reason or else he’s going to overthink this one like the kiss they had at the party.

Great, Klyde. You remembered it again.

Plus, Klyde doesn’t really think he can be trusted to be alone with the alpha right now. He’s a mess.

But since when did you care about what alphas think, Klyde?

The answer is, he doesn’t. But he seems to care about this one.

Silence.

“Your secretary said you just had a meeting. How did it go?” Wade suddenly asked.

“It went like usual,” he answered before finally walking to his table, disposing the papers he’s holding. He still has to review them later.

“Shitty, then?”

“As shitty as Wong being there, yes,” he replied hastily.

“You can just remove him from your board, you know?” the alpha suggested. Klyde’s eyes found his.

“I can’t,” he replied. There was a meager silence between them, a blank space for him to fill and proceed to explain. Klyde sighed.

“As much as I want to, I can’t. He’s being a prick because he knows he has power over this company. The board members favor him because he’s an alpha.”

“How did he even get there?”

“I was stupid and thought he was offering genuine help,” he sighed.

“You trusted that face? An alpha, with that face?” the alpha asked in a playful tone.

“I know, right?”

They share a small laugh at that, and Klyde only now realizes how easy it is to be in the presence of the alpha. Has he been too deep in his prejudice that he did not realize this sooner? Or was he too busy trying to ignore him and escape his presence?

“Lunch?” Wade suddenly asked.

It prompted a bewildered chuckle from Klyde. “You’re still on that?”

“Yes. That’s what I came here for,” the alpha shrugged. Klyde watched him carefully, there’s something about the alpha that seems so light these days, but he can’t pinpoint it. Has he always been like this? Was he really just too buried in the thought of saving his company that he did not notice?

Eventually, he just shrugged at himself. What is he really trying to decipher here?

“Fine,” he sighed, although inside, he knows he’s not really opposed to the idea of having lunch with the alpha. Nervous maybe, but not forced. Nothing feels forced with him. Their marriage perhaps, but that’s another discussion.

“Great,” Wade said, even clapping his hand once in front of him.

The two of them walked out of Klyde’s office then, a safe distance between them. They walk by Louis’ station.

“I’m heading out for lunch. Call me if anything urgent happens,” he said. She knows it well by now, Klyde just has a habit of saying it so he, himself, won’t forget. She gave them both a polite smile, followed by a nod.

“Enjoy your lunch, Sir,” she said with her usual business voice. Klyde gave her a smile and turned back to Wade. He doesn’t miss the look the alpha was giving her. He chose to remain silent until the both of them were in front of the elevator.

“What was that?” he asked. His eyes are fixed on the screen above the closed elevator door.

“What was what?” the alpha replied.

“You looked at her weirdly,” he said, finally facing Wade to emphasize his point.

“Ah,” he deadpanned. Klyde’s brows furrowed even more at that.

“I did not like her scent. She’s an omega, right?”

“Yes.”

“She smells like candy, too sweet.”

Klyde put his left hand on his hip, feeling defensive for his secretary. “So, what? Does she need to change her scent for you?”

“What? No,” Wade quickly replied.

“You know I did not mean that.”

“Then what?”

“I just thought her scent was too sweet.”

“But did you have to look at her like that? What if she saw? I bet she already deals with so many alphas looking at her like that.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Wade sighed.

Klyde’s mouth shut at the sudden apology. He did not expect that.

His mouth opened, like a fish out of water, scrambling for something to say in the face of a sudden apology. Why did he suddenly say sorry? But what did Klyde really expect Wade to do? Be defensive about it? Would he rather have that?

A small part of him answered, yes. Because it’s the usual scenario for him. He’s used to defending, not accepting apologies. So, now that he’s in the face of it, he suddenly doesn’t know what to do.

“I-I—that’s fine,” he stuttered out, averting his gaze. He wants to smack his head. Wow, Klyde. What a smart reply.

“Just don’t do it again.”

The alpha hummed in answer. The elevator door finally opened, and Klyde wants to thank whatever deity there is out there for the perfect timing. They both step in wordlessly. Wade took it to himself to press the button for the underground parking lot.

The only sound that could be heard was the buzzing of the elevator and once again, Klyde feels so awkward. He wants to ask himself why, why is it always awkward? When did he even start feeling awkward? When did he start caring?

Klyde cleared his throat, glancing at the alpha through his peripheral. “Where are we going?”

“I have a reservation at a nearby restaurant. We’ll eat there.”

Klyde’s brows shot up. A reservation, huh?

“Keeping me in finery, Alpha Wade?” he asked, mockingly. Wade gave him a sarcastic smile back, and oh lord, does that look good on him. Klyde wants to internally—no, he wants to physically smack himself for that thought.

“Of course. Only the best for my husband.”

Klyde almost cringed at the route of their conversation so he just shook his head.

“Rehan,” Wade suddenly called out after a brief silence.

Why does this elevator ride seem so long?

“What?”

“Is everyone in your company an omega?” he asked.

“Why?”

“Just curious.”

“Except for the board members, yes. Almost all workers are either omegas or betas,” he answered, though he’s still unsure why the alpha is asking him that.

The alpha hummed. “Do you trust them that much?”

“We’re the only ones who got each other’s backs. We know the struggles of our own rank. We have to rely on each other or we’ll get devoured in this world,” he explained. Because it’s true. They understand each other the best because they know what each other has gone through. In a world where their rank is so belittled, and Klyde was able to somehow get pass that, now he wants to help them be empowered too. Even through the small act of giving them work in his company.

“Plus, they’re better to have around. They’re gentle and doesn’t explode with rage out of the blue. And their scent may be too sweet for you, but for me, they’re calming. I feel safe around them.”

The elevator door opened just then. They both step out, wordlessly after Klyde’s lengthy explanation. Their footsteps echoed in the empty parking lot. The alpha suddenly stopped walking. Klyde, who was walking behind him, bumped onto him.

“What are you doing? Why did you suddenly stop?” Klyde asked, curious and irritated.

“What do you think betrayal smells like, Rehan?”

Klyde stopped on his tracks, what the fuck is with the sudden question? He stepped around the alpha to look at him properly.

“Why are you suddenly asking me that?”

“Tell me,” the alpha urged, face blank. The trace of playfulness suddenly gone.

What is happening? Klyde is so confused with the way the alpha is acting lately.

“I don’t know. Bitter?” he answered. It’s the closest thing to the feeling of betrayal, bitterness.

“Ah,” Wade hummed.

“Why are you even asking me that?”

“Nothing. Don’t you think it can smell sweet too?”

He threw the alpha a confused look. What is he saying?

“Don’t beat yourself too much about it, sweetheart. I was just asking,” the alpha said, suddenly smiling again.

“Where’s your car?”

He shot him an unsure look. “What about my car?”

“My driver drove me here. But he’s away now to do something I told him to. Now, where’s your car?”

“What makes you think I brought my keys?”

“You did not?” Wade challenged, raising his left brow.

He did. He always carries his keys with him.

He just rolled his eyes in answer and walked to the direction of his car. He clicked the button to unlock it and entered the driver’s seat to start it. Wade entered not a minute later.

“Where to?”

“I’ll tell you on the way.”

--

Moments later, Klyde drives his car into a clean parking of a fancy-looking restaurant. He whistled at the sight of the place.

“This is a nice place,” he said, killing the engine off. They both walk out of the car after removing their seatbelts.

The two of them walk to the entrance of the restaurant, where a hostess is waiting.

“Wade Curtis,” the alpha said. The hostess, a beta male, then automatically directed them inside the restaurant.

Klyde scanned the restaurant as they walk around the tables. He could feel Wade’s hand hovering on his back, but he pushed his mind to ignore it. To his surprise, instead of a booth or a table at the front of the restaurant, they are both lead to a room with a low Japanese style table with decorative ornaments on top and two cushions on opposite ends. They both sat down quietly, the hostess walked out quietly after making sure they’ve settled down.

“Private room, huh?” he asked once they were alone.

Wade gave him a small smile, but his face was suddenly serious as he picked up the menu. Why are his emotions going up and down so suddenly? Klyde is struggling to keep up.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“So, you really did not just come to my company for nothing then.”

“I wanted to talk to you in private,” the alpha replied seriously again.

Klyde suddenly felt nervousness and anxiety creeping on him because of how the alpha is acting. Is it something bad? Is it about his company? What’s wrong that they have to talk privately?

“Rehan,” Wade called with a soft voice. Klyde’s eyes snapped back to him. His face is still serious but there was an underlying softness there.

“Don’t worry too much about it.”

“Is it something bad?” he can’t help but ask.

He can see the way the alphas jaw clenched. From his probably anxious scent or lack of words to say, he doesn’t know.

From his peripheral, he could see the server turning on a device beside the door—an air neutralizer. Of course, he must be stinking up the place the.

“I don’t think it will affect your company that much. It’s a small inconvenience after all,” Wade replied. Klyde still worried his lips though, his words don’t really do much to calm him down.

“Shall we order?”

Since it’s a Thai restaurant and Klyde doesn’t really know how to pronounce their food nor how to order since it’s his first time here, he let the alpha order all their food. Not a smart move, the alpha might as well just poison him there and he would be defenseless. Meanwhile, his mind is still going over the thing Wade wanted to talk to him about. He badly wants to ask about it now. But he guesses he could wait until after they eat.

Klyde casted the alpha a glance who is busy ordering. He gulped down his nerves.

Why does he feel like something bad is awaiting him?