Chapter 1

Skylar

To have an alpha is a wondrous thing. To have an alpha that is good and kind, handsome, fit, caring, protective, well-off with chiselled abs and a big di… stinctive personality; in other words, perfection. To have an alpha such as that is rare, if not the subject of dreams. Skylar’s dreams, to be exact. His alpha, Leo.

The early morning light shines through a gap between the tacky, off-white curtains of the hotel room, causing Skylar to stir as the light penetrates through his eyelids. His eyes flutter open and close a few times before he squints from the beam of light directly hitting his face. Morning already? Tears swell in his eyes as the urge to sneeze tingles in his nose. Clamping his eyes shut, Skylar grips the blanket and rolls, pulling the blanket over his head and hiding from the sun’s rays.

The scent of the generic laundry powder hits his nose, reminding him that he’s not at home. A dull pang hitting him before excitement swells in his stomach as he sits up, realising today he returns home. Not that he didn’t appreciate the small trip away with his co-workers. Strengthening bonds, teamwork building, yadda yadda.

But nothing is better than home. Home with his bed, his things, his clothes, his alpha. Pale cheeks flush with pink, a squeak of excitement escaping him only for his hands to clamp over his mouth. A spark of panic hits him as he peeks over to the other side of the hotel room, hoping he didn’t disturb his sleeping co-worker who lies in the bed adjacent to his.

A sigh of relief escapes him as the room remains quiet. Pushing the covers back, he climbs out of the bed, his pastel blue, teddy bear-printed pyjama set now visible. A smile tugs at his luscious, pink-tinted lips. A gift from Leo, his alpha. His feet touch the ground, and within a few steps, he’s face-planted onto the floor.

“I’m awake! I’m awake…” A soft, feminine voice calls out with a sigh following. Bella, the co-worker he had been paired with this entire trip.

“S-sorry,” Skylar stutters out with an awkward laugh, looking at her from his place on the floor. He watches Bella sit up, pulling her panda sleeping mask down and inspecting what just happened.

“Of course, you’d trip on nothing,” Bella teases, her hand feeling around the bedside table for her phone.

“I didn’t trip on nothing!” He retorts, his lips forming a small pout.

“Oh? What did you trip on then, pray tell?” She questions, raising her brows at him with a smile on her face.

“My feet, of course!” Skylar stands, a large smile on his face as Bella laughs lightly and shakes her head.

Picking up his towel, he bites his bottom lip, his eyes on Bella with anxious bugs wriggling in his stomach. “Would you mind if I used the bathroom first…?”

“Are you, dear sir, requesting that I stay in bed longer?” She asks, dramatic jest in her voice. She always acts this way, like royalty or nobility. It’s something Skylar enjoys about her, making her the easiest to talk to out of all his co-workers, though anxiety still always stirs inside him when asking for things.

“Yes! Yes, I am, fair princess!” He says, more than happy to play along. He’s glad to be paired with her on this trip. It made things that much more comfortable for him, being away from his home, his Leo. Not to mention, there were worse options to be paired with.

Bella waves her hand in a princess-like manner as if waving Skylar away. He can’t help but giggle not just at the duck-face expression she is holding but the fact that her nutmeg-brown hair is half ponytail, half bird’s nest. He bows respectfully before marching off to the bathroom like a knight off to fight the dragon.

As he finishes his shower, Skylar steps out of the glass encasement, steam flooding out behind him. He moves fast to wrap a towel around his waist, standing on the bathroom mat he fears has never been washed in its entire life. He scoots over to the basin, refusing to stand on the cold tiles more than standing on the dirty mat. A mat is better than no mat, or rather, better than slipping on tiles and making a swift escape from the living world.

Reaching a hand to the mirror, he wipes the foggy glass to reveal his reflection. Upon seeing his pastel blue hair dripping with water, he shakes his head on instinct, causing the water to fly everywhere. He freezes, wet pastel blue cat ears flattening to his head as he hears the splattering noises, his reaction like that of a child who just plastered paint all over the walls and knew they were in trouble. He relaxes, a soft sigh escaping his smiling lips.

He sets to work on drying and grooming himself, starting by using a corner of the towel and drying both the inside and outside of his cat ears before focusing on his tail. Both are pastel blue, matching his hair. Dyed, of course. Such colours are unnatural and can only be obtained professionally unless one wants to risk burns to the ears, tail or scalp. No thanks!

He inspects his body, his frame slim, average height, his skin pale, nipples pink and perked. His skin is almost flawless, save for the few love bites and marks left behind by Leo. Just the sight of them makes him fluster as the memories of their creation flood back into his memory. A giddy chuckle escapes him as he imagines away, only brought back to reality by his hand almost knocking his toothpaste into the sink.

Leo can be as rough as he can be gentle, always with expert control, never pushing him too far and always taking care of him. His alpha knew his body better than he did, but then again, Leo was his first.

After patting down his body and running the towel over his hair, he moves to focus on the other essentials. Picking up his pastel blue toothbrush, he lines it with his favourite blueberry toothpaste. He doesn’t waste time and sets to work, humming. He always hums while brushing his teeth, knowing he’s done when the tune is finished.

He rinses his mouth out and smiles in the mirror, drawing his lips back to inspect his canines closely. His cat eyes meet their bright green hue, full of life as he pulls a wacky face at himself. Being only twenty, he still has that youthful playfulness to him.

A knock at the door startles him, and he reaches for the towel out of instinct to pull it up around his body to hide his marks. It is at this moment that he realises he didn’t bring any clothes in with him. Approaching the door, he opens it with just a smidgen of a gap, an awkward and shy smile on his face that just screams ‘kill me’ hidden behind it. “I forgot to bring clothes, haha…” He can feel that anxious feeling swelling inside of him again.

Bella makes an ‘of course’ face and once again takes up her usual role as she covers her eyes with the back of her hand. “Suddenly, I can no longer see, my eyes closed, for the sight of you is far too squeaky clean!” The two change places, her tone switching to casual instead of dramatic. “I swear, you’re such an airhead unless you’re making coffee. I won’t be long, ‘kay?”

“Hey! My brain cells just don’t wake up until that rich coffee aroma hits me.” A smile pulls at his lips. He watches the door close before scampering off quickly to find something to wear. Kneeling in front of his suitcase, which is, of course, pastel blue, he lifts the lid to reveal the various items of clothing inside. Half of them are, yes, pastel blue, the other half a mix of white, beige, and brown.

Rummaging through the items, he tugs a soft blue dress shirt free from the mess of clothes. He holds it up, inspecting the way the collar curves rather than points like a dress shirt worn in business or formal settings. One of his favourite types of pieces, a simple button-up shirt for layering. He pulls a large off-white knitted sweater with dark blue accents around the neckline and cuffs, a pair of washed-out jeans, and a handful of accessories.

Dressing quickly, he stands in front of a mirror, finishing the outfit with a nice watch, white sneakers with pastel blue shoelaces, and socks to match. He smiles at his reflection, adjusting his damp hair. He looks cute, and he knows it, and he’s looking forward to returning home and spending the rest of the day with Leo.

He can feel that excitement bubbling inside of him again as he thinks of his alpha, his mate, the love of his life. Leo is everything to him. The first thing he thinks of when he wakes up, the last thing he thinks of before he sleeps. The one he daydreams about when things are quiet. Leo is the most important person in his life. His family is either non-existent or doesn’t have a relationship with him. Leo is his family.

“Are you ready for breakfast?” Bella calls from the other side of the hotel room, having already finished her shower and dressed inside the bathroom. Her voice causes Skylar to jolt, unsure of when she even exited the bathroom.

“Oh, ah! I’m actually going to catch the early bus and head back into the city,” He replies, returning to his suitcase and packing his various possessions away.

“Really? But don’t you want to go to that workshop before lunch? You were really excited for it,” she says with concern furrowed in her brows. She turns to face him with her hand on her hip the same hip cocked out to the side.

“I found out I’ve already taken that one. Besides, I really want to get home,” his voice is a little nervous as he speaks. It surprises even himself. He smiles, trying to play it off as nothing, confused by the strange feeling swirling in his stomach. It is nothing, right? The previous night’s dream passes through his mind momentarily, but he shakes it off.

“Mmm, I do remember you taking a workshop earlier in the year. Are you sure you don’t want breakfast, though?” She asks, a large grin pulling at her lips. “Don’t you want to fuel up for your passionate reunion?”

“OMG, stop!” Hands fly up to rest on Skylar’s cheeks, trying to hide the pink flush warming under the palms of his hands. He shakes his head, trying to get all and any lewd thoughts out as Bella cackles evilly in the background. “I promise I’m fine! I just wanna get home, you know? Besides, I already told our boss.”

Bella nods with approval, her eyes closed and her arms across her chest. “Well, okay then. If you’re sure. I’ll catch you at work!” With that, she is gone, which Skylar expected. He knew she’d never give up on the breakfast display they have downstairs. He learned that the first time they were here. It was only open for a certain amount of time, after all.

After packing the rest of his things and spending fifteen minutes battling to close his suitcase, a battle he barely won by the way, Skylar is ready to head home. He checks the room once more for anything he’s missed. Once he’s sure he’s gotten everything, he heads for the door down to the lobby to check out.

The hotel itself is a large estate with only a couple floors. It has all the amenities you could ask for: a pool, gym, bar, catering, tennis court, and even a golf course! They always have their training and events here for work, even though Skylar works at a little cafe. His boss is a relative of the owner and is often given discounts.

Skylar didn’t mind this fact since it meant he could have little vacations here and there at a lovely place by the beach. But it always made him miss his alpha, and he wondered if he’d be able to come back one day with Leo.

The elevator ride is short, and he pulls his suitcase along to the polished dark oak desk. A young woman stands behind it, taking the keycard and ID from Skylar to process his checkout.

“My roommate is still enjoying the services and will check out a bit after me,” Skylar says, smiling brightly.

“That’s fine. Did you enjoy your stay with us this time?” the young woman asks, handing Skylar his ID card back.

“Oh, yes, of course! I enjoy it every time I come.”

“Hey, I’ve always wondered, and you don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable, but you always seem too happy to leave. Usually, guests are grumpy at the idea of returning to their everyday lives. Even the most refreshed guests seem a bit bitter to return home to normalcy. Why are you always so happy to return home? What’s your secret?” The attendant asks, her tone eager, like she’s about to uncover a mystery.

Skylar mulls over the question, his mouth twisting to the side as his head tilts ever so slightly. His eyes find the ceiling, and his mind filters through thoughts and memories.

“I suppose…” he starts, “I really enjoy my home life. I miss my alpha when I leave and enjoy my job as a barista. So, while I like the vacations, even for work, I also enjoy the daily grind back home.”

The woman nods, her lips pursed together, and her eyebrows furrowed with seriousness as she takes in the knowledge as if her eyes have been opened by a guru with the ultimate advice.

Skylar isn’t sure how to proceed and just smiles, waves, and turns off on his way to the bus stop. The stop is located right outside the hotel. The route to the city includes a stop between the city he lives in and another since the hotel and beach are a tourist hot spot.

He spots the bus sitting there waiting, and panic fills him. That’s what he gets for dawdling and dragging his feet. He picks up speed, thankfully catching the bus and pressing his bus pass to the electronic reader.

He takes his seat in the middle of the bus. He’s far enough back that he’s not in the way of those who need priority seats but not too far back that motion sickness needs to be a thought on such a trip.

Raising his arm, he places his elbow on the small window ledge, his hand cradling his face as he peers out through the glass at the now-moving scenery. His mind wanders, memories from his previous night’s dream flooding into his mindscape, a pink flushing his pale cheeks. He dreamed of Leo, of course.

The dream started like any other with Leo. His sweet smile greeted him, his large hand extending to take Skylar’s. Usually, his dreams were more like replays of their dates or nights together, and that’s just how this one started.

But also from the start, something felt… off. Skylar can’t explain it. The colours in the dream felt duller, and Leo’s smile looked different. His lips were pulled in a smile, but his eyes didn’t reflect the same.

Skylar furrows his brows as he tunes out the bus’s noises, a hand on his chest as he remembers the dream. That strange feeling swirls in his stomach once again as more memories flood back.

Leo was waiting for him in the park, a picnic spread out on a blanket for them to enjoy. One moment, the food was delicious, and then it was rotting, full of maggots and flies.

The passersby in the park approached, forming a circle, smiling menacingly as the sky darkened. They laughed at him, and Leo soon joined them before he suddenly fell into darkness.

His hand clutches the fabric of his sweater, wondering why such a horrible dream plagued him the night before and what it meant.

The bus trip feels twice as long as it did on the way to the hotel, especially since the memories of that dream returned to him. He jolts when the bus comes to a sudden stop, but relief fills him as he realizes he’s back in the city. He quickly exists the bus terminal. Looking at the clear blue sky, he raises a hand to block the sun from blinding him, his other hand pulling the suitcase behind him.

The excitement from earlier is rebuilding as he walks along the city sidewalk. Tall buildings now bear down and cast shadows, allowing him to lower his arm. The clacking of his suitcase wheels on the cement creates a rhythm that he hums along to.

Floral scents tickle his senses, his cat ears perking as he searches for the source. His eyes sparkle as a flower shop enters his field of vision. That wasn’t there before he left, was it? He approaches with a quickened pace, the clacking of the suitcase wheels also quickening. Definitely not; this place used to sell doughnuts; he’s sure of it.

An idea pings in hits him, his eyes lighting up as if a light bulb had just turned on inside his head. He’ll buy Leo flowers! Leo always buys him flowers, so why not the other way around? How perfect! He enters the shop, a large smile beaming on his face as he approaches the counter. “Hello, I’d like an arrangement of flowers, all in the same shade, please!”

“Would that be in all blues?” Asks the florist behind the counter, her apron the only thing that isn’t brand new inside the shop.

Skylar shakes his head with a blush on his cheeks, his smile growing smaller but still remaining. “All reds, please!” Red is Leo’s favourite colour, making their apartment a clash of blue and red, and the occasional purple when they couldn’t decide. Leo calls it compromise, getting something that is a mix of their favourite colours. Skylar, on the other hand, still considers it winning since most purple things lean towards the blue hue.

“That’ll be $26, please. Cash or card? Also, would you like it wrapped with red tissue paper and a matching bow?”

“Card, please, and can you make the tissue paper purple and the ribbon blue?” Skylar’s request catches the florist off guard, but she doesn’t question it. He hovers his card over the touch pay system as the florist finishes up. The card is denied with a beep, causing Skylar confusion, but he tries again. The same thing, anxiety swells.

“Ah, I’m sorry. The system is new, and we’re still figuring it out. If you give me a moment-“

“That’s okay; I can just pay with cash instead,” he says, pulling his wallet and placing the exact amount on the counter. “Just means you have more change in case someone else comes in and it’s still not working right.”

The florist smiles, thanking Skylar for his business and handing over the bouquet of flowers. Skylar brings the flowers to his nose, inhaling deeply as he exits the shop, suitcase in tow.