Jaden's hands burned as he swung the battle ropes in loud, rhythmic arcs. The clank of metal, the thud of feet, and the echoes of chatter filled the gym. But Jaden couldn't be too disturbed by the current routine or care much about his exercise, as his eyes darted toward the gym entrance from time to time.
The assistant gym instructor also seemed to notice his lack of concentration, so he walked toward Jaden and stood before him.
"Hey, you! Quit looking around and focus on your workout!" he shouted.
Jaden nodded immediately, though he didn't plan to listen.
As he worked, his mind was in shambles, scared and worried. 'Where is Kaelith? I hope he's safe!'
Jaden had woken up in the morning to realize that Karlith didnt come back from the club with him and worst, he wasn't able to get in touch with him.
As he drowned in his pool of worries, a figure walked through the gym door… one like a menace. Kaelith's hair was unruly, his eyes damp, and he was missing a shoe. His gaze darted around the gym until he spotted Jaden.
Before he could walk toward him to unleash his worries or soothe Jaden's, the assistant gym instructor suddenly appeared before him.
Jaden dropped what he was doing immediately and walked briskly towards them.
"Where are you coming from?" Jude, the assistant instructor, asked, gripping a metal pole as he sized Kaelith up.
Kaelith's hands sweated, and his lips parted as if to say something, but he was too worked up to form a proper sentence. He turned to Jaden, his eyes begging for help.
Jaden sighed and faced the instructor. "I told you before, he went to the toilet."
The gym instructor glared, then suddenly struck Jaden with the metal pole. His face flared with anger as he snapped, "I'm not stupid! Look at him."
He sized Kaelith up again, listing, "His hair looks like he just woke up, his face hasn't even been touched with water, and then his clothes… where the fuck is he coming from with a crop shirt?!"
At the mention of "crop shirt," Jaden looked at Kaelith and immediately covered his face in embarrassment. "The shirt…"
Just as Jude was about to berate Kaelith again, a cold and calm voice sounded behind them.
"What is happening here?"
The man was an Alpha, one who had been minding his business directing some of the first-years during their workout until he started hearing voices near the entrance.
"Nothing, Leonhardt," Jude replied, turning to face him. "It's just that—"
But Jude wasn't able to finish his sentence because Leonhardt's gaze had landed on Kaelith. His brows arched in confusion.
"What are you doing here?"
The last time he saw Kaelith was at a club, in an unfavorable and inappropriate setting. He never expected to see him again. But now…
Leonhardt smirked as he locked eyes with Kaelith, who looked at him, confused and surprised.
Kaelith's lips pressed together as a single thought ran through his mind:
'How is the guy I kissed last night suddenly here? Did he track my scent? Did he figure out that I'm an Omega…?'
'This wouldn't do…'
Leonhardt watched him intently before suddenly grabbing his wrist. Before Kaelith knew it, he was being dragged away from Jaden and Jude.
"Wait… where are you taking me?" Kael panicked, struggling to keep up with the Alpha's long strides.
Leonhardt pulled him into a bathroom and cornered him against the wall. Kaelith pressed his back against the cold tiles, his face down, his hands sweating as he clutched his shirt anxiously.
'I just need to pray that he doesn't say something…'
He was still deep in thought, his lips pressed tightly together when a cold hand lifted his chin.
Leonhardt's sharp gaze met his as he asked, "Why did you kiss me yesterday?"
Kaelith blinked. "No…"
Leonhardt sighed and shook his head before correcting himself. "I mean, yes, you did kiss me yesterday and I…I mean… what gave you the courage to?"
"Huh?" Kaelith muttered. But then worked on trying to push Leonhardt's hands off him.
Leonhardt had him locked in place, both arms caging him against the wall.
As Kaelith struggled, Leonhardt inhaled sharply. His chest rose and fell as he took in Kaelith's presence. The way Kaelith licked his lips, the way his blue eyes squinted slightly, the way he fidgeted with his hands and the way his fair stomach was out: it all bothered Leonhardt in a way he didn't like.
"Not again…" he gritted his teeth, shaking his head.
"What?" Kaelith asked innocently, unaware of the effect he was having on the Alpha before him.
Leonhardt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, which only made Kaelith more nervous.
Then, Leonhardt looked at him seriously, his lips pressing into a thin line before he finally spoke.
"Can I try it again?"
"What?!" Kaelith's head snapped up. He stared at Leonhardt, trying to confirm what he had just heard. "What do you mean? Try what again?"
Leonhardt exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair in frustration before rubbing his temples. "I mean… the kiss."
"You see, I refuse to believe that everything that's been happening to me since last night is because of that kiss. So I want to try it again to see if it really was the cause…"
"Huh?" Kaelith blinked in surprise. "What has been happening to you since last night?"
"You can imagine it," Leonhardt muttered.
"No, I can't," Kaelith retorted, shaking his head. He rambled, "Last night was a mistake. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it. I was so stupid…"
Leonhardt's face darkened as Kaelith's words hit him.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but I couldn't sleep because of you," Leonhardt admitted. "Then you show up at the gym this morning, and I can't stop thinking about that kiss: how it felt, how it messed with me. I hate not being in control, and I refuse to believe it's just because of that. But… it's causing reactions I don't like."
Kaelith stared at him, dumbfounded.
Then he suddenly covered his mouth in shock, 'Did he smell my scent? My pheromones? Has he gone crazy because of how sweet my Omega pheromones are?'
"What?" Leonhardt asked.
"So you want to kiss me to confirm it?" Kaelith repeated, still trying to process everything.
"Yes."
And before Kaelith could react, Leonhardt leaned in to kiss him.
Kaelith dodged quickly, pushing against his chest. "What are you doing?"
Leonhardt didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed Kaelith's wrists, locked them in place, and pressed his lips against his.
Kaelith tried to resist, but when Leonhardt's tongue brushed against his lower lip, he unexpectedly melted into the kiss. His hands moved from struggling to wrapping around the Alpha's neck, his body responding to the warmth.
Then, something poked him.
Reality crashed back into him.
Summoning all the strength in his body, Kaelith pushed the Alpha away.
He gasped, his mind clearing as the overpowering scent of Leonhardt's pheromones faded. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and glared.
"You! Are! A! Pervert!" he spat, then ran out of the bathroom.
As he fled, he collided with someone but didn't bother looking back.
Leonhardt stood frozen, staring at the door Kaelith had just bolted through.
His hand ran roughly through his hair.
"Nothing's changed…" he muttered, rubbing his temples.
"What a headache…"
Just then, he noticed someone standing by the door, holding up a phone.
Leonhardt clicked his tongue and hissed in frustration before walking away.