Chapter 5: My Secret

            “Hey mister president. Why are you taking your sweet time?”

            A person was creepingly whispering to Luke’s ears and that person’s breath was hitting the ticklish part of his neck. Nervously trying to collect himself as his senses are all over the place and could not predict on who it is and what is his motives.

            Attempting to take his hands off his eyes, the grip is too strong and Luke’s sweat is as big as bullets that run down from his forehead to that person’s hand.

            “You smell like an omega. Are you an omega, President?”

            He continued that seductive but suspicious tone on Luke and he could feel his body behind him, hovering and he could tell it was an alpha base on his frame but the poor omega froze on his spot when his other hand was caressing his right arm – up and down.

            The class president was about to scream his lungs out when that person let go of him while laughing.

            “You should have seen your face, Luke. I could tell that you were about to cry out for help and it’s hilarious.”

            Bending over while supporting himself with his arms on his lap as he was laughing out loud. Luke distanced himself as far and fast he could before his stare could bore a hole in that person's face for what he had done to Luke.

            It was traumatizing and the fact that the poor omega knew it was an alpha who did that, did not do good on him. He threw his bag on that person and he caught it, both of his hands.

            “What were you doing, Kent?! You scared me! Can you not greet me normally?”

            “I was too. But I noticed an omega pheromone all over you when I got closer. So, I wanted to play a prank on you to see how truly gentle and kind our president is.”

            Saying those things to Luke as he was giving him his bag before he stopped and stared straight to his bag. Kent opened it and the dense omega pheromone slapped into his face. He dropped Luke’s bag and the contents of it are scattered on the floor.

            He covered his nose and he felt that he was going into a rut. Kent crawled and tugged at Luke’s pants while begging him to help him get his emergency rut suppressant at the left side pocket of his bag.

            The class president shiveringly froze at his spot and could not run away when Kent did that as he felt the heavy alpha pheromone spewing out of his body but he tugged Luke harder before he could hastily take the suppressant from his bag. Taking off the cap of the fluid suppressant and injecting it into his arms.

            As those scenes are taking place, a few alpha students around the area were influenced by it but they were dragged by their beta friends and were able to calm down before it got dangerous.

            Kent calmed down after a few minutes, wiping his saliva while still panting and keeping his breathing in check while looking at Luke in a questioning way.

            “Why do you have a blazer drowned in omega pheromones?”

            “There was an omega that went into heat on the train I was riding this morning. I gave my blazer to one of the omegas in the cabin to let it cover her as she drank her suppressants. I was not greatly influenced by it because they sprayed pheromone neutralizer perfume and took a higher dosage of the suppressant myself.”

Luke nervously explained to him. Hoping that he would believe it and would not ask further.

            “You are still kind and selfless even in that situation. You could have attacked that omega if you weren’t careful.”

            Luke sheepishly smiled at him and hurriedly helped him stand up. Kent put Luke’s blazer back in the bag and ‘sealed’ it as he called it. He gleefully ran away from Luke and told him to catch up with him to walk beside him but the class president declined as he wanted to take his time.

            Kent, then, proceeds first since he has ‘vice president’ duties to do. Luke just shook his head and chuckled at his remark as he slowly walked to school while soothing his palpitating heart by caressing his left chest and through breathing exercises. ‘I’m at the gate within five minutes’ he thought while politely greeting a few schoolmates and teachers along the way.

                                                                                                                                                

            The rattling door made the students inside look in Luke’s direction but realized that it was just their president entering, not the teacher. He quietly walked his way on the fifth desk on the left corner near the windows.

            Few went back to their previous activity while others slowly approached him to ask about the assignments that will be passed today and fully knowing they are seeking for answers. Placing the bag on his desk and taking out all notebooks to hand it to them before putting it on the side.

            Alphas in the room became alert and restless from the blazer’s omega pheromone while betas were oblivious of it. Luke told them the same thing he said to Kent while scratching his nape. Avoiding the alphas in the room and running straight to the restroom to wash the blazer – letting the scent drained down the pipes and out of the building.

            Squeezing it out and sniffing it multiple times before all the omega pheromone is gone to the clothing. He went straight to the rooftop, hung and secured it on the fences.

            Walking back to the room was uncomfortable when other students would turn their heads and whispers. Luke noticed that he still had the remaining scent on him so, when he arrived at his room, he approached some of the betas.

            “Do you have pheromone neutralizing perfume?”

            The class president asked in a whispering small voice and they shook their heads.

            “We don’t use it, Luke, but maybe the alphas have one.”

            Informing him but he was hesitant to ask them, one by one. So, Imee, the other beta beside the person Luke talked to, noticed his uncomfortable expression.

            “Does anyone have pheromone neutralizing perfume? Anyone?”

            Using her thundering voice to ask everything in the room and an alpha female at the far back raised her hands. Digging through her bag and passed the said bottle to the front, without asking why a beta needed one.

            “Thanks.”

            She slightly raised the bottle to the air while brightly smiling. Imee then gave it to Luke and sheepishly took it out of her hand. Sprayed a few times from front to back but made sure that it took just a bit from it. Scared to ask alpha classmates if he still smelled, he idled at the front door. 

            When Kent arrived, Luke asked him if he still had the scent while standing a few steps away and replied ‘no’, the class president was relieved since he needed to report to Mrs. Creowood, the school head.

            Kent whispered that one of the teachers is looking for him at the teachers’ lounge but told them that he, the class vice president, can do her request in the class president’s stead and Luke was grateful for it despite profusely sweating from their interaction.

            Tapping Kent’s shoulder as he proceeded to his desk and laid his head there. Taking deep long exhales as his energy is draining and his body is deteriorating as he feels his responsibilities are piling up without ceasing.

            Five minutes later, someone was poking his right shoulder and Luke raised his face to see who it was. It was his beta classmates who were asking for his notebooks earlier.

            “Sorry to bother you, president. But we want to thank you for this.”

            Shyly scratching her nape while the others were nodding. They handed it to him and tapped his back to let the class president continue his nap. Too bad but he was wide awake and needed to report to Mrs. Creowood’s office.

            Luke quietly stood from his desk and walked out the room but the door abruptly opened by a group of alphas friends – the face of the person in front was so close to his – which caught him by surprise. His eyes were popping out and was slightly panting.

            “I’m sorry.”

            Luke said when he set himself aside and lowered his head.

            “It’s okay, Luke. We’re also sorry to surprise you.”

            They apologized as they walked in and dispersed to their own respective seats. Luke could faintly chuckle but he was shivering and his hands were getting cold. Although, he needs to brush it off by inhaling, exhaling, and repeating.

                                                                                                                                                

            Out of the room, Luke proceeded to Mrs. Creowood’s office and at the school head’s office door, he grabbed his face to mentally prepare himself.

            “Breathe in and out. Relax, Luke, relax. Inhale, exhale. You have done this before, Luke. This is nothing new at all, nothing new.”

            Constantly reminding himself that ‘This is nothing new’ but he still gets nervous when facing her despite the fact that she is like his mother. Unlike his mother, she is different from regular omegas as Luke can feel that her past experiences made her fearless, independent, strong and decisive without asking anyone else’s opinion on it.

            He was trembling but he thought ‘it will soon fade away once I start talking to her’. She is like his mother, after all – kind, caring, and loving.

            Luke knocked three times and waited for her secretary to open the door. It opened and revealed the young man holding documents on his left arm before going back to his previous position, beside Mrs. Creowood.

            She was sitting in the middle of the room, behind her desk with her head down and scribbling without even glancing at Luke. The dirty white room was empty, cold, and quite dim but it was not uncomfortable.

            “Come forward and sit down, Mister Sager.”

            She commanded in a serious tone while continuing her work. The secretary took the document one at a time when Mrs. Creowood would slightly lift her arms.

            Just observing her – the way she tucks her black hair strand behind her ear with her white wrinkly hand grasping the slim black fountain pen. That went on for a few minutes until the paper left on the amber wooden desk and the secretary acquired all of the signed documents before exiting the room.

            Mrs. Creowood sealed her pen while waiting until the young man closed the door and looked Luke in the eye.

            “How are you, Mister Sager? Is the heat suppressant working well with you?”

            She uprightly sits while questioning him in a firm tone without batting an eye.

            “Not so good, Mrs. Creowood. My body is not still used to being so exhausted before, during, and after heat. Although, I think it is not just because of the heat. I noticed that my suppressant is not working well with me as my last heat was worse than the other ones I had.”

            She deeply sighed and began to show her worried emotions which made Luke pay more attention to her.

            “You didn’t shapeshift on your last heat, right? As long as it doesn’t go to that point, it will be okay. I personally think that your duties as both the class and student council president is taking a toll on your body. Luke, you need to rest a bit, okay?”

            “Yes, ma’am. I will do my best to rest.”

            Luke did not promise anything as he knew perfectly well that he cannot rest well as the final examination is around the corner. He still has the duties and responsibilities needed to be done within the campus, and he needs to juggle studying and work.

            Sacrificing a few hours of sleep would not hurt anyway. Luke only reassuringly smiles at her that he will definitely rest and regain some energy since he knows the consequences once the whole school knows that he is an omega in a beta-alpha school.

            He will be kicked out; the reputation of the school will be tainted and the worse is still to come. Luke needs to bear that for himself, for his family, and for the school head.

            “Mister Sager, your class is about to start; you may go and take care of yourself. When you need some help, you can call me.”

            “Okay, Ma’am. I will. Thank you.”

            When he stood up, she did the same. Turning away from her while she was watching outside at the glass window behind her desk. He started walking out of the room when she spoke.

            “Luke, please send my regards to your mother.”

            Luke saw the school head’s mate mark on the neck before he replied.

            “I will, Mrs. Creowood.”

            Affirming that the regards will be reached his mother, as Luke went out and rested for a bit outside the door.

            The image made him think of ‘what it feels like to be bonded with someone they are destined with, without fearing for their own safety and could be at ease and happy with that person. Will we be happy when we are paired with our destined mate?’ – ‘Will I be happy?’ With a curious tone, he asked himself in his mind as he walked down the hallway.