"Ugh, it's so hot. Lucas, why did we come to Möneglia and not Lämpedusä? There's nothing to do in this city..."
Valentina felt out of place. She wasn't sure if she had done the right thing after that heated moment at the agency. Only five hours had passed since the incident, but her mind was racing. Part of her thought she had overreacted. That she wouldn't have enough money to survive. That finding a job wouldn't be easy. And maybe, just maybe, Miguel had a point.
But her heart was beating fast. As if she had just climbed a mountain and, despite the exhaustion, felt proud for not giving up.
"You're scared, aren't you?" Lucas said, glancing at her as they walked. "Relax. If you don't find a job, I'll hire you to sweep my tiny shop."
"You're such an ass," she replied with a laugh.
They checked into the hotel, unpacked, and took a quick shower before heading out for dinner. Möneglia was a hidden seaside town in the Ligüriä region, with just over 3,000 inhabitants. Quiet. Simple. Unpretentious—a place where social rank didn't seem to matter much. Not like the big cities, where people competed over who was more "pure." There, the cobblestone streets and flower-filled windows gave off a different feeling: no one was in a hurry.
**
The next day, they woke up early to go to the beach. If they didn't get there in time, someone would take their umbrellas; on many Italian beaches, spots were taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
"I feel uncomfortable. I don't think I'll go in the water."
"What do you mean? Is it because of the bikini?"
"No, I just... don't want to get tanned."
"Valentina, I've known you for almost nine years. I know when you're lying."
Valentina didn't have much confidence in her body. She had suffered from bulimia during her teens after one of several episodes of abuse. Since then, she felt vulnerable, as if everyone was judging her. At fifteen, a man had touched her under her uniform on the way to school. She had always believed she would react strongly if something like that happened. But she froze. No one said anything. No one defended her. Everyone looked away as she cried in silence.
And sometimes, being a beta in Zöurich felt like being invisible in a room full of lights. You had scent, sure, but it barely registered. You had rut, yes, but it didn't trigger anything in others. And no one wanted to hear about it. To society, if your pheromones don't excite, you don't exist.
"That's how I like them. Chubby," the stranger had said that day.
She stayed silent out of shame. Her family's judgmental stares, the constant comparisons to her omega cousins and their alpha boyfriends, had left their mark. She felt like she'd never be enough. If she was overweight, she was criticized. If she lost weight, it still wasn't good enough. She lived in a cycle of guilt that no one seemed to notice.
"Please don't pressure me. I've had enough today."
"Never, my love. Never. I love you, and if anyone says anything or looks at you funny, I'll punch them."
At 7 a.m., they reached the shore. Half the space was already taken. Valentina, with some effort, took off her blouse. Her biggest insecurity was her legs. The sun burned, and the sea called. Lucas insisted, and she finally agreed to go in with him.
In the water, her negative thoughts melted away. The laughter, the games, and the arrival of two guys who came over to chat lifted their spirits. Lucas attracted everyone with his smile and confidence. He was building his own business from scratch, which made him even more interesting.
They invited them for focaccia and to explore the town. There wasn't much to do, but the company was fun. One of the guys, Bastian, made Valentina laugh like she hadn't in a long time. There was something about him that made her let her guard down.
"Signorina, Signore," Bastian said as they said goodbye. "See you at eight. I sent you the address."
Back at the hotel, they got ready quickly.
"Valentina, do you have condoms?"
"WHAT?! Why the hell would I have condoms? I came here to relax, not to hunt locals!"
"With the number of lovers I've seen you with, you act like a nun."
"Excuse me? Should we talk about your inboxes? You have a waiting list of ten. And twenty international."
Lucas couldn't help but provoke her. He loved seeing her mad. Because he knew that beneath her tough facade, she was all heart and would give everything for the people she loved.
The address led them to a family villa overlooking the sea. In Süyza, young people moved out as soon as they could, but they knew that in other countries, life worked differently. The family welcomed them warmly. Later, when the adults left, only four remained: Valentina, Lucas, Bastian, and Andrea. Lucas and Andrea didn't take long to start kissing and caressing.
"So, you work in advertising, right?" Bastian asked Valentina.
"I used to. As of 24 hours ago, I'm unemployed."
"Perfect. Come live in Möneglia."
"Hahaha, I can't. I'd go crazy without work."
"Crazy? Well, you're driving me crazy already."
She fell silent. And when she looked around for Lucas, he was gone. She thought, Damn you and your dick, Lucas.
"I'm a beta," she said. "I don't think I'm your type."
"So what? We're not getting married... are we?"
"Don't betas bother you? Wait, are you beta?"
"No. I'm omega. Andrea too."
"Whaaat? Shouldn't you be with an alpha or something?"
"Right now, I'm only interested in you. And those lips that keep tempting me."
Not a minute passed before Bastian leaned in to kiss her.
His touch was gentle, soft. He was almost as tall as Lucas, with green eyes like pine trees, and a body easy on the eyes. His hands were large, slightly calloused from training, but they touched her with such delicacy that she couldn't help leaning in closer.
The first kiss was brief. Then came a second. A third... until his tongue met hers, and she could taste his breath—fresh, minty, from a candy.
One hand touched the back of her neck, pulling her close until she was sitting on his lap. The other hand caressed her thighs slowly.
Their mouths released only soft moans, charged with excitement, fire, and curiosity driving them to see how far they could go. Valentina could feel it all: his tongue, his pressure, his warmth.
"Do you want more?" he whispered.
"I don't know you well enough..."
"I won't do anything without your permission. But let me kiss you until you do."
**
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the villa, Lucas and Andrea were consumed with desire. Caresses, kisses, teasing. The desire was mutual, free of labels. Just bodies, skin, and hunger.
"Should I put it on, or do you want to?"
"Whatever you want. But if you go first, I'll go second."
They were spark, fire, flame. Andrea pushed Lucas against the wall, confidently. No one could hear them—he had a mini apartment separate from the main house.
Lucas had told him he was a beta, but Andrea had already guessed. He couldn't stop smelling him. There was something about Lucas that attracted him on an almost instinctive level.
"I don't give off scent, I'm beta," Lucas said.
"I know. But there's a scent... tuberose. It drives me wild."
Lucas realized he was extremely aroused. As a male beta, he didn't have a rut, but his natural scent could still be detected if someone got close to his glands. If Andrea had been in heat, the scent would have intensified.
The kisses didn't stop. Andrea couldn't stop touching him, kissing his stomach, and slowly moving down to his waistband. They were in a corner of the room, near the bed. With slow, sure hands, Andrea unzipped his pants, opened the button, and found soaked underwear, drenched in precum from arousal. He leaned in and licked it with desire.
"Careful what you're doing. I might tie you to the headboard."
"Do whatever you want. Just know I'll return the favor."
From wall to floor, from floor to bed. Lucas kissed every inch of Andrea's body as if it were something sacred. He was a careful lover, attentive, able to read expressions, sounds, pleas, moans, and every cry of pleasure from his partner.
There were no clothes left between them. Just inches away from where true pleasure began.
Moan after moan escaped Andrea's mouth as he lay face down under Lucas, scratching his back, biting his arms, holding his breath... then letting it go in one long exhale.
"More, please, more. Harder."
From face down, Andrea ended up on all fours. Slaps and licks across his back, up to his neck.
"I want..."
"Yes. Pull my hair. Do whatever you want with me."
That night had no taboos. Only sweat, sighs, bites, dirty talk, and the sound of a bed moving with their lust. It wasn't just one round. Or one room.
**
"You're the worst," Valentina said the next morning. "Our room reeks of sex!"
"Hahaha! But that's why you love me."
"Loving you doesn't mean you get to wreck my budget. I had to rent another room."
"You could've come in after he left."
"Lucas, it smells like two days of non-stop wild sex!"
"Speaking of sex... what happened with Bastian?"
She just blushed, grabbed her bag, and left for breakfast.
It was the day they were going back to Zöurich. Back to reality. She hadn't checked her email. Didn't know if she had to return to the agency.
Her whole weekend had been about Bastian: walking hand in hand through the city, eating, discovering small bars and a church, kissing in alleyways like a shy couple. Long kisses in every shadow, touching each other playfully, as if time was on their side.
As the hour to head to the airport approached, she considered checking her email again. She didn't want to. She just wanted to cling to the last thing Bastian had said:
"I'll be in Zöurich in two weeks to visit some friends. Can I see you?"
"Yeah. I can show you around the city."
"I want you to show me everything... not just the city."
She didn't trust men. Maybe because of her past. Maybe because she was beta. Or maybe because she had only ever loved people who didn't know how to love her back.
"Do you know if you have to go back to the agency?" Lucas asked.
"Yes. They called me in for Wednesday. Meeting with the CEO, Miguel, and HR."
The perfect weekend began to vanish like cheap incense. The only thing left was a memory that, instead of calming her, made her stomach churn. Just thinking about going back to that place... the stares, the whispers, the gossip since her resignation... it all gave her anxiety.
But it was done. There was no going back.
All she wanted now was to close that chapter and start a new one. Find a job. Start fresh.
And for the first time in years, she thought:
Now I can finally sleep in.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Glossary
Focaccia — A flat, fluffy, salty bread, similar to a pizza without sauce, usually topped with olive oil, coarse salt, herbs, or ingredients like olives and tomatoes.
OMEGAS — "THE PRINCES"
Omegas are seen as "society's jewel," but are also expected to uphold certain behavioral standards.
Physical traits:
They're believed to be delicate, but can be tall, imposing, and even stronger than some alphas.