Chapter 4

I was left there, confused by what I had just experienced. How did I end up being marked and misunderstood at the same time? What was his name again, "Leigh"? How do I explain myself? He wouldn't even believe me. I didn't have the strength for the emotions I was feeling now. I should be feeling heartbroken because of Archie's betrayal, but the feeling of such a misunderstanding overshadowed my feelings of heartbreak.

I collected myself and quickly went home. I went straight to my room and didn't answer at all when Amelia called out to me, probably to inquire why I didn't come home last night and didn't bother to call.

I went straight to the bathroom and jumped into the bathtub. I could still smell him on me. It was faint but still intoxicating.

"Leigh," I said to myself, touching my nape lightly before smacking my head to snap out of it. Maybe if I scrubbed hard enough, I'd be able to get the smell of the alpha off my skin, but no matter how much I scrubbed, the smell still lingered.

I accepted my fate and got out of the bathroom. I went to my drawer and grabbed the handkerchief the alpha had given to me during our first encounter. I caressed the T symbol engraved on it.

"So it meant Troy after all" I said to myself. I had wandered what the T stood for. I sniffed it and his scent still lingered. I had thought I'd never see him again but I met him again in such a situation. I'd have to seek him out and try to resolve the misunderstanding. I'd also have to return his belonging back to him.

I got dressed and went to the kitchen. Amelia had cooked noodles, but she probably wouldn't give me any, so I didn't bother asking. She stared at me as I walked around the kitchen, looking for something else to eat.

"Come eat," she said, irritated.

I slowly walked towards the table, and she served my portion. I slurped slowly, and she sat quietly watching me.

"You look like shit," she said curtly.

"And your smell... I smell something else on you," she said, sniffing around me.

"Stop being weird," I said, shifting a little.

"You're the weird one," she scoffed.

"Anyway, dad was home last night and couldn't find you. I tried calling, but you wouldn't answer, so where were you last night?" She said she was looking serious.

Amelia and I were sisters, but we were nothing like sisters, as she had always hated me. We have the same father but different mothers. She was four when my dad brought me home, and her mom wanted nothing to do with me; she strongly despised me until her death. Amelia hated me because she felt I had destroyed her happy family, and she felt I always wanted everything she had. I tried my best to keep my distance so as not to upset her. She and our father, Dr. Eli, were Deltas, so they had better opportunities in society. Delta's were second only to the Alphas. They were the same psychologically but not physically. Dad was the one who brought me my pills when I started to experience heat. I was probably lucky that my father was a doctor and knew how to handle my condition.

"I'll call him later," I said calmly to Amelia, and I stood up to leave. I knew my mere presence annoyed her, so I didn't want to put myself in an awkward situation.

"He was really mad yesterday. But you know how to get on his good side since you are his precious little girl," she said with contempt in her voice.

I grabbed my bag and took the subway so I could meet up with Madam Maureen. She had called me several times, so I had to meet up. I was probably going to be scolded for my behavior at the previous event. I wasn't even expecting to get paid at all.

I arrived at her office. I knocked on the door and let myself in.

It was a small office, but it was decorated extravagantly with some cheap designs, fake paintings, and knockoff sculptures. She always loved such aesthetics but couldn't afford them. Fake or not, it made the room somewhat lively.

I walked slowly, greeted her, and sat down carefully. Of course she didn't reply to my greetings but kept writing in her old notebook, probably calculating her gains and losses.

Madam Maureen was a Delta who ran an agency for C-ranked omegas. We registered and were given jobs to do. I got all my work done through her. She was the most famous agent who provided all sorts of labor. From gardening to teaching to event planning, she arranged all sorts of jobs for us, so I always came to her.

She finally looked up at me, and I smiled as brightly as I could.

"Close those teeth of yours before I break them," she said, forming a fist, and I closed them immediately.

She scolded me for not finishing the job and complained about my attitude to work, she also refused to pay me for the previous job. According to her, I always messed up her events and was only good at cleaning jobs. I apologized as usual and promised to do better.

After she finished her scolding, she informed of a job opening in a wealthy family. They needed about fifty workers and were two people short so she had already recommended me. It was a good opportunity but I had to get permission from my dad so I told her I'd get back to her.