Mick was not the type to refuse himself the good things in life, so when his fiancee told him that V got them tickets to a sports game, he didn't hesitate to come along. He was free and it was free. One plus one equals two.

He came out to have a good time, so why was his Alpha emitting thick, hostile pheromones?

Even with V in between them, the bitter cocoa and rampaging typhoon cloyed his senses.

"Can you PLEASE tone that down? There are kids here!" Someone shouted, probably one of the parents who came out to have family bonding time, but it felt distant. The pounding of his heart was louder in Mick’s ears.

What is happening?

People around them started to move away, the pheromones getting too strong even for the vast space.

Mick often forgot that his fiancee was an alpha - not when she was short and unpretentious. In fact, he was more inclined to believe that it was V who was the alpha, especially with his cold but explosive temperament. So yes, within Caoli’s warm hands and gentle smile, he often forgot.

Well, this is a good time to remember that, he told himself.

Shoulders taut and arms tensed at her sides, Caoli’s whole body language screamed aggressive, ready to attack at any moment. It’s just that Mick was stumped as to where the enemy was.

They should be safe. The security here was top-notch, how else were they supposed to regularly host an excited crowd otherwise? If anything, it was Caoli who was the most dangerous at the moment.

Mick tried to reach out to her with sweaty palms, but V got to her first.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” V asked while grabbing at her arm.

It was the same question he wanted to ask, but his future wife remained quiet. If it was anyone else who got close to her, her teeth would’ve already been at their throat. It was survival 101 not to invade an aggressive alpha’s space as it can be seen as a sign of threat. But Mick knew that Caoli wouldn’t physically hurt them, he wasn’t even sure if she could.

He wanted to search for whatever it was that made her like this, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off her, not when his nerves singed with restlessness.

“Oh my god!” It was the Omega’s gasp that made him look away.

Mick followed where V stared with wide eyes. It wasn’t difficult to point the odd man out, not with the black trench coat on a brilliant day.

He scrutinized the person’s face to try and figure out if it was someone he knew, and after being surprised at his attractive features, Mick finally remembered.

This is the alpha V destroyed. The healing black eye told him that much. But why is he looking here?

Before Mick can ponder the possible reasons, the Omega next to him suddenly bolted for the exit. This effectively broke the staring showdown between the two alphas, the hostile pheromones ceasing.

V moved fast, too fast for Mick to process what was happening. All that was left were three people eyeing the Omega’s trail and the displeased people around them.

--

V weaved past a horde of bodies, for once not minding that strangers were closer to him than he liked. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of how to get out of here as fast as possible.

He couldn’t believe he got caught. He wasn’t doing anything bad, to begin with.

V stopped in his tracks, the stadium parking lot underneath his feet.

That’s right, I did nothing wrong. Why am I running?

His body moved before his brain could when he saw the Alpha. It was as if he was fueled by guilt, not resisting the urge to flee upon being caught red-handed.

I’m just watching a soccer game. Why am I running?

He knew that wasn’t true. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he knew he came here with a different motive, soccer game be damned. But he had to tell himself otherwise or else he might start running again.

V squatted in the middle of the parking lot, not once caring that there were some people leaving their vehicles. He felt their strange glances but he paid them no mind, he had more pressing matters to attend to. He had to ground himself, to not spiral further into panic.

So why did he run?

It was instinctual - prey avoiding the predator. Echo’s eyes felt like they pierced his soul; he felt numb and hot at the same time. He wasn’t ready to be that vulnerable yet, not with a stranger. He would rather be naked if given the choice.

So he ran.

And now here he was.

The Omega could distinctly hear voices calling for him, but he was too busy trying to make sure his hands regained feeling.

He squatted and waited. They would find him soon enough, he was sure.

However, he did not expect to feel an unfamiliar touch on his shoulder. “Hey, are you alr—”

For the second time since this morning, his body moved faster than his mind. He couldn’t even properly look at the other person’s face before he felt himself throwing a heavy body over his shoulder.

There was a loud thud and then a groan.

V stood in a daze, staring at the man quietly whimpering on the ground. For all the times his brain failed him today, he still registered the scent of old books and ink as their bodies briefly made contact.

“Shit, V!” Warm cocoa and fresh laundry, he was surrounded by familiar scents again.

Mick was helping the man up and profusely apologizing while Caoli was looking over V for injuries, though she was sure she’d find none. They witnessed what happened from a distance. Unfortunately, they were still too slow to stop it.

While the man was brushing the dust off himself, Caoli leaned in and whispered to V, “I think you should apologize this time. You attacked someone unprovoked.” She normally wouldn’t say this to him, not when she had seen this scene multiple times, but it was the first time she saw the Omega attack someone without warning.

V nodded in understanding, but instead of an apology coming from his mouth, he asked, “Do you want to call the police?”

“What?” It was the man’s turn to be in a daze.

“I assaulted you. Do you want to call the police?” V repeated. His nerves were still on edge but his face was expressionless. He silently commended himself for the faux calmness, a little proud of keeping his cool despite the possibility of a criminal record.

Silence reigned over the four of them, amplifying how ridiculous the situation was.

V, Caoli, and Mick held their breaths, waiting for the man’s response.

Finally, the man started to speak. “I —” but he cut himself off in laughter.

V couldn’t believe it. The man was wheezing, small teardrops forming at the corner of his eyes. Still, they remained silent. They let the man laugh everything out of his system.

After a few minutes, the man finally calmed down. With a light chuckle, he reached his hand out to V for a handshake. “I’m Leo Fago, it’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Mu Hen.”

“Nice to meet you,” V replied while shaking his hand. The touch, if not the scent, confirmed V’s assumption that Leo was a beta. Skin contact with alphas felt too hot for him while omegas felt too cold.

“That was one hell of a shoulder throw.” Leo massaged his shoulders with a grimace, yet there was a slight smile in his eyes - a touch of amusement.

“Wait, how do you know his name?” Caoli interceded, senses still on high alert.

“Ah, well, actually,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “My boss would like to invite Mr. Mu Hen for dinner.”

Caoli stepped forward and shielded V with his body. “Who’s your boss?” At the close distance, V sensed that the Alpha’s protective pheromones were stronger than they did before.

“Jericho Quina.” The words reverberated in the air before everything turned black.

--

V wasn’t really sure about the sequence of events. He remembered hearing the Alpha’s name, followed by shouting, and then pheromones so thick it clouded his mind.

That was all he could recall. So why was the said Alpha sitting by his side? And where was he?

A glass of water was passed to him as he was scanning his surroundings. It was warm.

Good. His stomach couldn’t handle anything cold right now, it was still churning.

“You passed out,” Echo explained after seeing that V got his bearings. “Your Alpha friend overwhelmed you with her pheromones. This is my place. You’re safe.”

Okay, that explains some things. It wasn’t the first time he passed out from pheromone overload, but it doesn’t answer his question of why he was here.

“This is the safest place for you right now. And we need to talk.”

Did I say that out loud?

“Yes.”

“What do we need to talk about? Do I need to sign another NDA?” V was relieved he heard himself this time.

“I have something to confess.” Echo weakly scented the air with calming pheromones, afraid of overloading the Omega again but also afraid of what his reaction might be.

V said nothing and patiently waited, allowing himself to bask in the pheromones that would counter the hostile ones he had been in.

“Actually …” Dark eyes gazed into him. Darker than the night, V absently thought. “I’ve known you for a long time now. We’ve been keeping track of you for 10 months."