MARLOW #4
"Of course you are!" Caspian answers immediately, sounding almost offended by the suggestion.
"During hours when the inhalant therapy isn't running, people leave all the time.
Lots of participants go hiking in the forest or drive into the nearest town, which is about seven miles from here.
Rainbow Spring. It's a beautiful little mountain town surrounded by woods.
There are shops, restaurants, and pretty much everything you'd expect from a small tourist destination. It's a really adorable place."
I let out a breath of relief.
I'm not the kind of person who can stay trapped in a room twenty-four hours a day. I need space. Fresh air. Somewhere to go when I need to clear my head.
My gaze lands on a comfortable-looking couch in what I'd consider the living room, and another wave of relief washes over me. I put my luggage next to it, claiming it instantly.
At least Rupert and I won't be forced to share a bed from day one.
Right now, the idea of sleeping beside a complete stranger, doesn't exactly thrill me.
Then again, who knows.
Maybe that'll change once I actually meet him.
◆◆◆
By the time Rupert arrives on the third day of my stay at Alpha Activation, I've gotten familiar with the facility, if you can even call it that.
It's mostly endless corridors connecting lounges filled with technical areas, a sauna, a karaoke club, a pool, a gym, a multimedia library, medical rooms where participants undergo examinations, a small convenience store, and all the usual amenities.
I've already checked out the cafeteria too. The food is actually pretty good; I'll give them that, and everything is free. Behind glass displays sit all kinds of prepared meals you can mix and match into a decent lunch or dinner, and there's a snack bar that's open twenty-four hours a day.
During my initial tour with Caspian, some of the other participants came over and introduced themselves.
Since everyone's hormone levels are being regulated, the atmosphere stays surprisingly relaxed.
No tension, no posturing. Couples sit together, chatting casually about sports, politics, economics, and the latest gossip circulating that day.
Not everyone spends their days wandering around freely. Quite a few participants still work online, so they stay in their rooms, but another group clearly treats this place like a vacation resort, perfectly happy living off the stipend and benefits the facility provides.
Since I haven’t been assigned to anyone yet, I naturally end up sitting alone.
I get the impression that when people see a single alpha, they aren't quite sure what to do with me. As a result, they keep a certain distance, perhaps following some program guidelines or rules.
Nobody invites me to join their table, which honestly suits me just fine. I've always been more of a loner.
After breakfast, I head back to my room. An older alpha nurse, Groban, stops by and activates my room therapy panel, bringing up the schedule for my inhalant sessions. At the same time, a certain excitement is building in my chest because Rupert is arriving today.
By around ten o'clock, I'm almost certain he's already somewhere in the building, probably going through intake procedures with Dr. Lomax.
I also met him the day after I arrived. The conversation wasn't especially informative since Dr. Lee had already explained most things, but Lomax went through the facility rules and had me sign a stack of paperwork. He struck me as stiff and unpleasant.
I pull on a pair of tight black jeans and a vivid green top threaded with silver accents. I leave my hair down.
Looking at myself in the mirror is usually one of the few things that doesn't disappoint me.
Everyone says I'm a beautiful alpha, but behind my eyes there's never much happiness. Smiling has always felt almost foreign to me, so my face tends to fall into a permanent melancholy. My dad always said it’s because I’m half Russian, but oh well, I mostly disagree.
Today, I make an effort.
Rupert is arriving, so I even put on a little makeup.
Just a faint touch of blush on my pale cheeks and a subtle pink tint on my lips, barely noticeable unless someone is looking closely.
My lashes and brows don't need any help.
They're already dark and thick. My hair is a rich, deep brown with a reddish tone to it, and my eyes are mint green with a silver sheen.
As I'm standing in front of the mirror, I hear footsteps and voices in the hallway.
One of them belongs to Caspian.
There's another voice with him. A brief knock sounds at the door.
"Come in," I call.
Caspian enters first, wearing his usual broad smile.
"Good morning, Marlow. I've brought you your Rupert," he announces in the tone of someone delivering an expensive gift.
A second later, a young alpha steps into the room behind him.
Our eyes meet.
It's one of those brief moments when scent and energy collide.
And I know immediately. Even though I’ve been on pheromone blockers for two days now, I can still faintly detect scents, and his is just… not it.
We're not a perfect match.
What about his appearance? Well, Rupert is objectively attractive in a boyish sort of way. He's about my height, maybe a little more solidly built than I am, though not excessively so. He doesn't look like someone who lives at the gym, but he seems fit. Still, not my type.
Even if I disregard the look and the scent, it's… in the energy.
The aura, the presence.
That impossible-to-define something.
The truth is, my taste in men has always leaned in a very particular direction.
It all started with my ridiculous crush on a first baseman from my high school's baseball team. Cliché as it sounds, that guy set the standard for years afterward.
Huge, broad, built like a walking mountain of muscle and bone.
Rupert isn't anything like that.
Beyond his lighter build, his entire presence lacks what I've always found myself drawn to.
Still, for fuck's sake, what kind of attitude is this? I came here fully intending to make this work. I knew compromise would be part of the deal. That's the price of the future I want.
Rupert smiles broadly and extends his hand.
"Hi, Marlow. It's really nice to meet you."
I take it.
Nothing. No spark, no shiver, no legendary 'First Touch' effect, so famous between fated mates, no magnetic pull. Just an ordinary handshake. People say those little reactions hint at compatibility, though supposedly they're strongest between alphas and omegas.
Rupert keeps smiling at me. It's the kind of smile you'd see in a brochure. A good smile, admittedly, but he has the overall energy of an insurance salesman from a billboard ad. Or someone selling dental implants. Okay, that's unfair.
The point is, he's handsome, friendly, relaxed, and clearly well-meaning.
I really shouldn't complain.
Things could have turned out far worse.
So I smile back, making myself put some effort into it.
"How about we continue the grand tour?" Caspian says, still radiating the same cheerful enthusiasm. "Why don't you join us, Marlow? We'll show Rupert everything."
"Sure," I say, even though I have absolutely no desire to spend the next half hour doing that. Honestly, Caspian could handle it perfectly well on his own, but I don't want to come across as uninterested from the start.
So I join them and let Caspian talk. And talk.
And keep talking. Rupert listens and nods, and his engagement is genuine; that I have to admit.
Caspian leads us through the cafeteria, the movie theater, the nightclub, the sauna complex, the arboretum, the pool, and every other attraction the facility has to offer while enthusiastically explaining each one.
The entire time, he keeps praising… well, everything, describing the daily schedule, the entertainment options, the hiking trails surrounding the facility, and the nearby town of Rainbow Spring, which apparently offers breathtaking views and endless charm.
Along the way, more couples approach us. Now that my assigned partner has finally arrived, people seem considerably more interested in introducing themselves.
"Hey, I'm Juan."
"I'm Timmy."
"Pedro."
"Vasyl."
The introductions keep coming.
Rupert shakes every hand enthusiastically, flashing his perfectly straight, professionally whitened teeth. His friendliness is honestly difficult to compete with.
Still, there’s this unsettling, persistent thought spinning in my head, growing stronger with every passing minute.
Maybe I should have been pickier.
Because I don't feel anything.
Nothing at all.
Just emptiness.
Discouragement.
What have I gotten myself into?
I want to be an omega. I crave the life that comes with it. But wanting that doesn't automatically mean I wish to build an entire future with someone I have roughly the same chemistry with as my own brother.
Dear Fate… what a mess I’ve made.