William smiled as he relaxed on a park bench across from Erika's apartment. The dark-haired man was leaning against the back of the bench, arms outstretched and one leg crossed over the other, holding a smoothie in his hand as if it had been an afterthought.
He seemed relaxed, almost indifferent, but every fiber of his being was attuned to the window of the building in front of him, which he knew belonged to the platinum-haired omega.
The earpiece in his right ear whispered sounds only he could hear, listening intently.
Before leaving Erika's house, he had placed a few microphones in hidden locations for things that had only to do with him and Erika.
It had been years since he had enjoyed something as mundane as surveillance work this much, but hearing Erika's voice again stirred him inside with a kind of savage joy. A visceral buzz resonated in his chest at her soft murmur, and when she reacted to his gift, the emotion that flooded him was almost unbearable.
The buzz of satisfaction was intimate and intense. He could almost taste her nervous delight as she tried to downplay the gesture in front of her friend.
If he remembered correctly, it had been fun listening to that beta named Emma. The equipment she'd used was top-of-the-line, designed for covert operations, and it captured every word, every inflection, with perfect clarity.
When Erika studiously avoided revealing certain details about the gift to someone she trusted... William felt something unusual. A flash of pride, not just possessive, but personal.
And then the note arrived. Reading what she'd written in the icing, his smile turned wicked, and his eyes momentarily darkened with a faint crimson glow. His embarrassed voice, trying to ignore her, painted such a vivid mental image that he could almost see her blush, still and small, not knowing where to look.
(Her purring certainly made her look like a beautiful cherry.)
His fingers tightened around the milkshake, bursting the container and staining its surroundings, which he ignored, simply throwing it into a nearby trash can with a flick of his wrist.
Just imagining her like this had nearly shattered his self-control. His carefully laid plans, his strict schedule, and everything he'd spent days organizing, all trembled under the weight of a single imagined moment.
He wanted to reach out to her. Touch her. Corner her. Make her truly tremble... But he didn't.
William Aballay was many things, but impulsiveness wasn't one of them, not when it mattered.
For now, he'd be content with what he had, especially his wild card.
Reaching into his coat pocket, William pulled out his phone and opened Erika's contact information. He'd obtained it discreetly, through the alpha guitarist of his band.
It had lain there, dormant but burning, like a forbidden artifact, always a click away from temptation.
He looked at the screen; the contact seemed to mock him with its silent presence.
Having it on hand has been a blessing as much as a curse since, in addition to having it close, it served as a temptation that weighed on him wherever he went.
Hour after hour, minute after minute, second after second. The alpha could feel the burden growing heavier, but he endured, remembering that he'd been saving it for when everything was ready. And gradually increasing the contact between them.
Wanting to maintain the omega's interest and curiosity without having any kind of altercation, not wanting to attack her when they finally met.
Still… the idea of a confrontation, hand-to-hand combat in something primal and challenging, was delicious. Imagining Erika reacting under pressure, trapped between him and a wall, her breath hot and fast against his… made his blood churn dangerously.
The fantasy became too intense. William bit his lip hard, drawing blood; his pheromones ignited involuntarily. His pants tightened, a telltale sign of a body that refused to be dominated.
(I'd better get out of here.)
He stood up; the smooth movement didn't betray the chaos beneath his serene exterior. Without looking back out the window, he started walking, forcing himself to breathe normally, until he reached his black Toyota Land Cruiser, parked two blocks away.
Once inside, the alpha slumped into the cool leather seat, closing his eyes as the vehicle enveloped him like a cocoon.
"That was dangerous," he muttered to himself, exhaling as the engine started. The soft purr of the engine was a balm that momentarily soothed the tension building in his muscles.
"Now it's not just about suppressing impulses... I'll have to control my thoughts too. Being a gamma alpha is a damn curse," he sighed, tightening his fingers on the steering wheel until the leather creaked in protest as he began to drive.
.
.
.
Currently.
Erika sighed, looking at her phone, imagining what Alison might mean by small talk.
"(It's times like these that Emma must be thankful betas can't conceive pups)" the omega thought with a bit of pity and amusement. "(I hope that perverted alpha doesn't go to...)"
"Who are you talking to, Sister Eri?"
"Mmm?" Erika hummed as she heard the small voice behind her, getting an idea of who it belonged to. "(Is she awake yet?... Was I busy talking to Emma for so long?)"
"Big sister?"
"I was talking to your aunts." The older white-haired woman turned around, watching Rose come toward her, clawing at her eye with her fist while dragging an old teddy bear across the floor with her other hand. "Something… unexpected happened, so they had to cut it short… but they send their regards to both you and Melina."
"Aunt Alison and Aunt Emma called?!" The younger Belion would scream, opening her eyes wide while grinning from ear to ear. "They sent that cake?" The little white-haired girl dropped her teddy bear and ran in the direction of the dessert but was stopped by two hands that would grab her waist. "Sister?" Rose would turn her head, looking curiously at her sister, who with a slightly bigger smile would hold her in her hands, pick her up, and gently sit her on her lap, getting in the way of the little girl's lens.
"Don't worry, little sister, you'll have cake, but first I have to make some arrangements so Melina can have it too… Could you wait in your bed so I can prepare it?… I promise it will be worth the wait." Erika would say something, to which after a few moments she would receive a nod along with a sigh that would soften her heart.
"Okay."