We
came in early the next day to make sure that all the work was
properly executed, then left the laboratory under Pedro and Pilar’s
supervision. It was a good thing that I was able to persuade the
professor to clean himself and wear something presentable in a
checkered polo shirt and jeans. He was planning to meet Nathan’s
professor, after all.
“Damn
that Nathan, I’ve been trying to call him all morning, but he won’t
pick-up!” the professor mumbled as we drove towards the campus. “I
even told Bless to tell him to contact me, but he never called!”
“Perhaps
he is still in class,” I told him.
“Hmph!”
he grumbled. “That’s no reason not to contact me last night!”
He
kept dialing his nephew’s number, until the call finally went
through.
“Nathan!
Where the hell are you?!” he snapped as soon as it was answered,
“I’ve been trying to contact you since last night!”
‘Tito
Eric? Why? What’s the problem?’ his nephew asked.
“Nothing.
Are you in campus right now?”
‘Yeah,
but I’m about to head out and get some lunch...’
“Good,
wait for us there.”
‘Ha?’
“I’ll
meet you at the lobby of your college building in about 30 minutes.
Eat fast. I hate waiting.”
‘What
the – wait a minu – ’
The
professor dropped the call before his nephew finished talking.
“I
think he was still trying to say something.”
“Don’t
bother. He’d just make some stupid excuse not to show up,” he
said as he faced me. “Now, remember, that idiot Louie doesn’t
want his kids to know about Blondie yet. So don’t go spouting
anything about them. Got it?”
“Got
it.”
We
made our way to the College of Business Administration Building. I
parked my car, then went to the lobby where we stood by the entrance
to wait for Nathan. People were already gathering around us when the
professor’s nephew finally arrived, accompanied by several women
who stared at us with their mouths open.
“Tito
Eric, sorry for being late, we were eating our lunch at the other
college department, Nathan apologized. “Guys, this is my uncle Eric
and his friend Aahmes.”
“That’s
Dr. Aahmes Abdel to you,” snapped the professor. “I’ll be
taking my nephew for a bit.”
“I’ll
see you guys tomorrow,” Nathan waved at his friends.
We
went to their college department’s library.
The
librarian looked surprised when we handed her out ID’s to enter the
vicinity. We heard whispers as we entered and chose a table at the
end of the room to keep away from unwelcome stares. The professor sat
beside me, his back to the rest of the room, and placed his head on
my shoulder.
“Ugh...
what a draining experience... I don’t think I wanna step out
anymore...” he glared at Nathan. “This is all your fault! I
wouldn’t have to endure all those stares if only you arrived on
time!”
“Can
you blame them if they like what they see?” Nathan said with a
chuckle as he checked out his uncle and I with a smirk. “You two
look great together, by the way. So, what are you doing here anyway?”
“Ask
him!” he pouted at my direction.
“It
was just a small request,” I said.
I
stared at him. Why can’t he just admit that he was worried about
his nephew, too?
“You
know I could never say no to you!” he mumbled to me.
It
was then that I noticed that he was actually sweating and shaking a
little. He was probably worried that an alpha might attack me again.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Are
you feeling okay, professor?” I asked him.
“It’s
okay, you’re all I need to calm me down.” He reaches out to my
left cheek, caressing it, and gently gave me a kiss.
“I’m
still here, you know,” his nephew said flatly.
I
sat straight in my seat and gently pushed the professor off my
shoulder.
“So,
what did you want to say to me? Couldn’t you just meet me back
home?” he asked.
“Ugh...
and risk the chance of seeing Louie? No thanks!” replied Prof.
Antonio.
“Speaking
of Dad, did you know that an omega’s trying to woo him?” Nathan
whispered.
“Hu-Wat?!”
answered the professor exaggeratedly.
“Shh!”
Nathan silenced him, “Keep it down, the librarian might kick us
out!”
“I
bet he’s just some kid looking for a sugar daddy! How dare that
bastard father of yours replace my brother with a gold digger!”
I
have to admit, the professor can act well. Something tells me though,
that he wasn’t merely acting.
“Relax,
Tito, he’s not a gold digger, he’s still in high school, but he’s
of legal age already, and he’s desperately going after Dad like a
chihuahua in heat!” Nathan told us. “He’s actually Dad’s
client, hails from a rich family, and says he fell in love at first
sight. And dig this,” he added, “he insists that it’s mutual!”
“In
what way?” I asked Nathan, genuinely interested. “How did they
meet? What did they feel?”
“He
said he felt a bolt of lightning strike him when they first touched,
and smelled something special from the first time they met.”
I
knew it.
“He
said our dad smelled like vanilla,” continued Nathan, “while this
person smelled like cinnamon.”
“So,
it is true, they really are fated pairs!” I happily faced the
professor. “I was actually able to conclude that, the night I took
their blood and pheromone samples.”
“Huh?
What samples?” Nathan looked confused.
“Pshh...
not this again, with the fated pairs!” the professor frowned at me.
“I already told you about my brother, didn’t I? If this garbage
about ‘ were real, then how was my brother
able to turn his back on his so-called ?
And didn’t you write a book yourself, explaining FPS and debunking
the myth?” He looked at his nephew next. “Did you ask your dad
about Winston Heuer?” he asked.
“I
did,” replied Nathan. “And the answer is simple. It just shows
that Papa Louie and Papa Jonas are real fated pairs.”
“That’s
just wishful thinking!” the professor insisted. “And with your
assumption, it would imply that Louie is just lusting over a young
omega. It’s been about 15 years, after all.”
“But
we cannot disregard the evidence!” I insisted. “The first touch,
the unique scent, the inability to resist the other... this makes it
the 18th incident from actual people I have studied so far!”
“If
that is the case, are you saying then, that omegas should refrain
from having intimate relations with alphas and just simply wait for
their to appear?” the professor asked
coldly.
“No,
of course not,” I answered back. “People have the right to pursue
happiness, but it does not change the fact that two complete
strangers – an alpha and an omega, can and will get attracted to
their fated pair, with no regard to who, what, or where they might
meet in the future.”
“Ugh...
go ahead and believe what you want. I still refuse to accept that
theory. Destiny has no power over people! It’s just lust, pure and
simple,” insisted the professor.
“You
are correct, Professor,” I told him, “and that is exactly what I
aim to prove.”
“Habibi,
you really like to contradict yourself,” the professor said,
glaring at me.
“Of
course. I am a man of science. I have a broad mind, open to all
possibilities. FPS may be explained through science, but the fact
still remains that destiny plays a big role in how two complete
strangers get drawn to each other as if by magic.”
“Wait
a minute,” Nathan piped in, “can you tell me exactly, what the
signs for FPS or what ever are?”
“Well,”
I took a deep breath, “they say, it is like love at first sight;
the captivating first glance, the electrifying sensation when you
first touch, the current running through your bodies, the feeling
that you are finally complete. Some people also say that they notice
a particular scent after the first touch, while others say that they
follow this unique scent to lead them to their destined pair...”
“Wait,
what kind of scent?”
“It
is unique for every person. You know how a regular omega smells
sickly sweet?” I asked Nathan who nodded at me. “Well, they say
your fated pair would smell like the most fragrant thing you have
ever smelled in the world. In some cases, it is a nostalgic scent
from an old memory. To others, their favorite fragrance, or something
they are well accustomed to, and of course, you won’t be able to
resist each other, and would feel miserable when the other is away.
This is the greatest evidence of passionate love of a fated pair.”
“Fuck.”
Nathan mumbled.
I
stared at him.
“I
had no idea you were such a romantic,” he told me, trying to hide
his reaction.
“Oh,
I am not,” I replied, “I am more in love with the mystery behind
this science.”
“Whatever.
We’re getting off topic,” said the professor who was looking
bored. “Why don’t you tell him the real reason why you dragged me
here?”
“Oh,
right, I almost forgot,” I faced Nathan once again. “I want to
meet your dominant omega.”
“Eh?!”
Nathan covered his mouth and looked around the silent library. “Wait
a minute... what about that confidentiality rule that you told me
before?!” he asked his uncle.
“Did
I say a name?” the professor replied coldly.
“You
mentioned that he was in your campus, so I decided to come here to
meet with him,” I told him.
“With
me in tow,” the professor piped in.
“I
plan to sniff him out myself,” I said proudly.
“Just
know that I have nothing to do with this, Habibi just forced me to
come with him,” the professor told him.
“And
just how do you plan to sniff him out?” asked Nathan.
“I
have a very sensitive nose,” I told him.
“Good
luck,” the professor snorted, “as long as they’re taking
suppressants, omegas won’t leak any pheromones. Same with alphas,
dominant o otherwise.”
“I
have my ways,” I added. “So, why don’t you give me a tour of
your college building, Nathan?”
