บท 23: Ch 23: Drink the night away
"Welcome, my dear employee. Seeing that you made it here fills my heart with immense joy. Was your journey tough? Did you have to face a lot of foes? I know one of the problems you faced."
Rocxx's wide and seemingly welcoming smile only deepened Rika's suspicion. It was a trap, she was sure. Rocxx had no intention of releasing her as she had hoped.
She regretfully entered the shop and greeted Rocxx and the old lady.
"Drop the formalities. We both know that I am not here because I want to be. And before you even ask, no! I will not give you Suzie's number. I do not even know that number, so don't try to ask for it."
Rika denied any attempt Rocxx would make to ask for Suzie's contact information.
The older alpha had liked Suzie for years but was too chicken to go up to her and ask her out. (Mainly because of Mark)
As expected, Rocxx made a pouting face at Rika's accusation.
"Hey, this is not fair! Is that what you think of me? I'll let you know that I am a changed man. I did not call you here because I wanted to take advantage of you."
Rika did not believe him, but she pretended to give this man the benefit of the doubt.
Rocxx's expression said he had realised Rika's trick and still felt ticked off by her.
"Hey, I am telling the truth. Look, I did not even tell Emily or Damian that you were here. Do you think they would have left you alone if they knew about this?"
The answer was no, and Rika knew it.
She also realised that Rocxx was telling her all this so Rika would feel bad for him and lower her guard.
It was a good tactic, but Rika was too level-headed to fall for it.
"Stop pinning this on me! You did not tell those two anything because you are afraid of them. Stop making it out to be about me when it is not."
Rika quickly corrected Rocxx's misconception, which caused the older alpha to shudder.
"It is about you. Since you cannot feel pheromones, you don't realise how dangerous and possessive those two are. I do not want to discover what will happen to me once they learn about yesterday's case. And then there is Mark…"
Rocxx trailed off there. He spoke words that registered in Rika's mind and made her feel hopeful.
At the same time, she knew that she could not harbour any hope in her mind.
Not for her useless crush on her alpha couple friend or her older brother's affection.
"Alright! This is enough playing around. I came here because you promised me work. Tell me what I need to do."
Rika quickly changed the subject once she noticed that the unknown man in the shop looked awkward.
He was too big-bodied and awkward to fit in a flower shop.
"Right! We should do that. Sorry, it slipped my mind that you were there. Not that it is your fault! Rika, meet him. He's Daniel. Despite his big body and intimidating face, he is a beta. Daniel. Rika. That is all you need to know. Get to know each other well."
"Rika, I will send you an official employee contract later. Have fun getting to know each other. I will leave now."
The alpha opened the door, but before he went out, Rocxx turned toward Rika in a severe tone.
Ah, before I leave. Rike, can you give me-"
"No, I won't give you Suzie's number. If you want it, get it from Mark."
Once more, Rika denied the alpha entry into her sister's contact list.
As much as she did not care what Suzie did or whom she interacted with, Rika did not want a creep to have her number.
Rocxx pouted and opened his mouth to say something. But then, at the last second, he considered his words and gave Rika a pitiful gaze before disappearing.
"Hey, how long have you known Rocxx? He felt and acted…. different around you. Just who the heck are you?"
Daniel asked in a worried voice. He also kept his distance from Rika and made it evident that he was uncomfortable with her.
"Rocxx is a childhood friend of mine. Just leave it at that, and do not pry any further. There is no point in putting yourself in danger."
Rika warned the man, and he quickly fell quiet. He suddenly realised that the less he knew, the better for him.
...
*ring*
Rocxx made the call as soon as he was alone in the streets.
"Hello, it's me! Your fantastic cousin is calling you to tell you that it's done…. yes, I chose a beta because you keep nagging me…. of course, he will not get along with Rika….no! Don't come here right now! Give Rika some time to adjust…maybe a month? Please don't get angry at me. It is not my fault she's a beta and does not get the signs that you both like her…. fuck! Fine! I will keep an eye on her."
The phone call finally ended, and Rocxx rubbed his head in regret.
Calling Emily felt draining to him, especially when Damian was with her.
"That stupid alpha couple had to go and fall in love with an insensitive beta like Rika. Now they are making it mine and everyone else's problem as well. It would have been better if they liked Suzie…no fuck it! It would not have been."
As cheerful as Rocxx sounded, even he had his breaking point. And he was currently approaching it.
He still had a drinking session with Mark to go through, but Rocxx already felt like falling asleep and giving up.
It was exhausting to talk to Emily and monitor Rika for her. He did not want to ask her how she knew Rika would be there.
Mark chose a high-class bar, and Mark was already drinking the night away.
Rocxx noticed many omegas wanting to get close to Mark but seemed hesitant due to the frustrated pheromones Mark released.
'Fuck! Is it going to be one of those nights? I knew I should have stayed home when I had a chance to.'
Rocxx regretted his decision to come out. But now that he was here, he might use the situation.
"Oh my! You look miserable, my friend. Did you fight with Suzie or your mother? Did one of the reports on Suzie's tests come back wrong? Come on! Talk to me about it."
Rocxx tried to make Mark feel better about the situation, but Mark continued to ignore him and nurse his drink. It was beginning to frustrate Rocxx tonight.
He was about to take a sip from Mark's drink when the older alpha growled at him and pulled his drink closer.
Mark was intoxicated and out of it, but his possessiveness knew no bounds. At that moment, he was the prime example of an 'Alpha.'
"Alright, fine! I get it. I will not try to take your drink away from you, alright? Now, can you talk to me about what is bugging you?"
Rocxx finally settled down and nursed his drink.
The bartender knew his order well on such frustrating days, and Rocxx soon had his drink.
But his friend still did not say anything to him during this time.
He was afraid that nothing would be said even after the drinking time was up, but Mark surprised him by speaking up.
"That fucker! How dare she do this to us? What did we do so wrong that she did not even turn around to rethink her choice of leaving us for a state academy? Rika, what are you thinking."
Mark complained as he drowned another glass of beer like it was water. His frustration shined through his eyes.
Rocxx could tell that his friend was struggling because of Rika.
It was funny to him how Mark could like and hate his sister at the exact time like this, but he was not suicidal enough to comment on it.
"Hey, it's okay! I am sure your sister just grew up and wanted to escape home. Most people have that thought at her age. It will be fine, right? You always told me that Rika was an independent girl you did not have to worry about."
Rocxx tried to help Mark and Rika simultaneously by assuring his friend that Rika's decision was satisfactory.
He understood why his friend was being like this.
Sometimes, even Rocxx needed clarification, as it was a beta. She looked and felt like an omega, and his instincts thought she was a beta until he tried to check her with his pheromones.
Rocxx had never seen such a unique case before, and he even suggested that Mark take Rika to a specialist to check her out.
But Mark had taken offence to his suggestion, and this topic had never been brought up again.
บท 24: Ch 24: That playful chase
"Mark, talk to me. How about you tell me how Suzie is doing? Did she have any new attacks, and is her system all better now? Can you take me to meet her?"
Rocxx was only half-joking when he asked Mark to do this. He expected Mark to bite his head off for suggesting such a thing, but nothing like that happened.
Instead of taking offence to Rocxx's words, Mark gulped down another glass of beer before taking his phone out and making a call.
The call connected and rang for a full minute before not getting picked. Rika had not picked up Mark's call, and Mark was now visibly angry.
Rocxx was beginning to feel sorry for Rika, but it was her fault for not checking her phone.
"Fuck it! If Rika does not pick up her phone, I have no choice but to go and get her myself. She does not get to ignore me like this."
Rocxx held himself back from pointing out that Mark behaved like a possessive girlfriend. But not only that! He was also acting like the exact type of person he hated.
Mark got up, but he was too drunk even to support his weight. Ultimately, he fell flat on his face before reaching the door.
"What a fucking nightmare of a day. I never thought I would see Mark getting this drunk and ignoring Suzie's name when it was brought up. This is going to be a long night."
On the bright side, Rocxx will see Suzie when he returns Mark home. That's a good thing.
...
Rika's first day working at the flower shop was enjoyable.
Since she could not smell much of the flowers, it was easy for her to stay calm by these smells.
It was also a slow day with little traffic, so Rika could relax and enjoy her alone time.
When it came time to close, Daniel took charge of it, and Rika was allowed to head back home soon enough.
The night was cold, but Rika shivered for no reason. She felt that something big was about to happen and she should avoid it.
But Rika's feet took her to where she did not want to be. And before she knew it, she had entered a dark and offensive alley.
Her phone went off in her pocket, and Rika quickly glanced at it to see it was Mark.
Rika quickly turned her phone's volume off and tried to take a peek inside.
The space looked empty at first, but Rika kept walking deeper inside. She was in the middle of that territory when she felt a hand warp around her arm and pull her back.
'Fuck! Am I being held hostage again against my will? As if I will allow that to happen.'
Rika made a reckless move by trying to headbutt the person holding her tightly. But her holder needed to be longer for Rika to be successful.
The man let out a muffled laugh that sounded vaguely familiar, but Rika refused to believe where she had first heard that amused voice.
'Looks like I have begun to hallucinate because of being tired. There is no reason for Damian to come here. I need more sleep.'
Rika stopped struggling and let herself be dragged away. If this man had gone through enough research to track her down and know who she was, he was serious about his threat.
Trying to escape from him might be bothersome when his guard is up.
"Are you not going to struggle?"
Damian's familiar voice caused panic to drain out of Rika's body.
She did not know why he was here or what he wanted. She was just relieved that the person holding her hostage was a familiar face.
The older alpha dragged Rika inside, where Emily was waiting. She seemed to be interrogating her family members, and they all seemed afraid.
Damian's arrival turned the previously tense air into a deadly silent one. No one knew what to say anymore.
"You are all dismissed. Do not show your face in front of me for now."
Emily dismissed everyone, and they quickly ran away with their tails between their legs.
That left Rika alone with the alpha pair, and she felt awkward.
She had so many questions to ask them, but Rika needed help figuring out where to start. She should have realised she did not have the upper hand here.
"I brought a lurker inside."
Damian almost joked as he pushed Rika toward Emily. But his hand never left Rika's back, even as he jerked Rika around.
That force made Rika's mind go into places it was not supposed to.
'Oh god! Someone, stop me and my mind from going down this route. I should not be thinking such thoughts about my friend who has already taken.'
When Damian moved his hand over her back, Rika wanted to stop feeling weird about her feelings.
It almost seemed he was feeling Rika out, but that was her wistful thinking. After all, Damian had always been like this with her.
"Hey, this is not fair! Why do you get to enjoy Rika all to yourself? Learn to share a little with your girlfriend—and you! Stop being this passive. You will be taken advantage of if you remain like this."
Emily reached out around Rika's middle to smack Damian's hand off her body.
That made Emily's hands roam around Rika, and her awkwardness worsened.
Rika was sure that her face could not go any redder than it was, but her body decided to prove her wrong by reacting to these touches.
'Oh fuck! I need to get away now. Emily is too close to me right now. A little more and an incident might occur…'
Rika moved faster than she had in her life and somehow managed to retract herself from between the pair holding her tightly.
"Oh my! Would you look at the time? I should head back now. I will see you both around."
Rika slowly backed away in an attempt to get away from her friends. She felt like prey in front of those two healthy alphas, and her heart skipped a few beats.
The atmosphere around her had also gotten dangerous, causing Rika's breath to hitch in fright.
She was running away from the pair before she knew it, but it felt like a playful chase.
All three knew Rika could not escape even if the alpha pair got severe. It was their territory, after all.
But they were allowing Rika to run away from them.
If she did not know better, she would think this was like a traditional omega chase. But Rika did know better and knew she was not an omega.
Her friends were playing with Rika mainly because they did not have an omega to chase. One day, Rika would be replaced. So, she did not need to give too much meaning to this situation.
"Caught you!"
Emily stood in front of Rika, her arms wide, and waited for Rika to come to her.
Rika was not going to let the chase be this easy. At the last second, she changed her momentum and gave Emily a pass.
The stunned expression on Emily's face was worth it every time that happened. There was a loud growl behind Rika, and she knew that Emily had taken off after her.
Rika grinned as she continued to avoid Emily's stalking.
Traditionally, an alpha was supposed to stalk an omega and, using their pheromones, make them submit.
But that did not affect Rika due to her being a beta.
Emily understood that, but her instincts did not. That was why they tried to follow Rika and make her smell their pheromones.
'Well, Emily is taken care of. Now I need to take care of Damian, and I can end this chase.'
The more dominant alpha was nowhere to be seen, which made Rika nervous. She could not figure out what Damian was going to do.
'Where is he? I should keep my guard up!'
When Rika thought that, she felt someone jumping behind her and pushing her down.
That familiar weight on her back belonged to the alpha she had been thinking about.
That stumble gave Emily enough -time to catch up with the pair.
Rika struggled this time.
More accurately, she tried to struggle this time. But Damian refused to leave her alone.
His instincts thought of Rika as an omega he had caught; it would take some time before he returned to his senses.
This was not Rika's first experience being in her 'best friend's' arms, but it was embarrassing.
Emily stumbled at this scene, and one would expect her to be jealous or at least annoyed that her boyfriend was snuggling with another person.
But Emily only laughed and threw her body on top of Rika's while Damian rolled on his back with Rika above him.
'Fuckkkk. I was trying to avoid this dog pile! I should have expected this to happen. There is no winning against these two.'
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