The man and Kael worked on tying his car to the back of the man's car, and when he started the engine, Kael ended up sitting in the front seat with him.
The car moved slowly down the road, struggling under the weight of the other vehicle. All Kael wanted was a quiet drive, but the man's priorities were obviously different. First, he turned on some rap music, then he started a conversation.
"So, where were you going before your car got rear-ended?"
"I don't think I have to tell you that," Kael said with a slight cough, his eyes fixed on his phone despite having nothing to do on it.
"Oh… okay," the man smiled as he continued driving, but he didn't back down.
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"
'If I don't say something, he's obviously going to keep talking and asking me things, Kael thought, slightly annoyed. 'Since I won't be seeing him again, I guess I can just tell him… but how do I make sure I never see him again?'
Kael glanced at the man. 'I can't possibly kill him, can I?'
"Why are you looking at me like you're planning to kill me?" the man asked, seeing straight through Kael's thoughts.
Kael coughed, caught off guard. "Why would you think that?"
"Intuition," the man said casually.
"Well, I was going to tell you my name, but now you're accusing me of wanting to kill you," Kael replied with a pout.
"You don't look bad with that expression," the man commented.
"What?"
'How am I supposed to not want to kill him when he keeps reminding me that I'm not Alpha…' Kael brooded.
"So, are you telling me or not?" the man pressed.
"It's Kaelith. What about you?"
'If you're going to know mine, I should at least know yours too.'
"It's Caius. Nice name. So, Kael for short?"
"Yes," Kael responded. Surprisingly, after they exchanged names, Caius didn't ask any more questions and just focused on driving.
Soon, they reached an estate. After Caius spoke to the gatekeeper, they drove inside and pulled up to a mansion. The gate opened automatically, allowing them entry.
Caius stopped the car, opened the door, and stepped out.
"You can come out now," he said to Kael.
"Oh… thanks," Kael replied, snapping out of his thoughts.
'I'm here now. I just have to get through the night, and I'll be gone in the morning.'
Kael glanced at his car, which was still stretched outside the gate, and then at Caius's car in the compound.
"The mechanic will come get it tonight. You'll have it back tomorrow," Caius informed him.
"Thank you."
As they spoke, a middle-aged woman wearing an apron around her neck emerged from the mansion. She walked up to Caius, took his bag, and asked, "I thought you left for college. Why are you back today?"
"And who's that?" she added, gesturing toward Kael.
Caius walked toward the gatekeeper but looked back at Kael and said, "He's Kael. He'll be staying here tonight. Prepare dinner for two."
"No, don't worry about me," Kael quickly interjected.
"Huh?" Caius raised an eyebrow but then said, "Alright then. Just prepare the usual portion."
After sorting that out, Caius turned to the gatekeeper and handed him his keys. "A mechanic is coming to take the other car. Here's my key. Park my car properly after the mechanic arrives."
"What about the other key?" the gatekeeper asked.
"Get it from him," Caius said before walking into the mansion, leaving Kael standing in the compound.
Kael handed his key to the gatekeeper before following Caius inside, trying to keep up with his steps. He had come with him and couldn't afford to lose sight of him.
However, when Kael entered the house, Caius was nowhere to be found. Instead, the housekeeper he had met earlier stood before him.
"I'll get someone to take you to the guest room so you can rest," she said.
"Thank you," Kael replied. A moment later, another lady arrived to escort him to his room.
Kael shut the door behind him, leaning against it as he looked around. The room was neatly arranged, the walls painted white. The bed was covered in a white and blue bedspread, and a towel had been placed on it along with a set of nightwear.
"How considerate," Kael muttered as he picked up the towel. He stripped off his clothes and walked to the bathroom.
After bathing, he stood beside the bed, drying himself. His stomach grumbled, and he frowned as he recalled what had happened earlier.
'Could he be annoyed that I declined his offer to eat? His demeanor seemed to change after that, and he just left…'
"Well, if he's annoyed, that's for the best. At least I won't be seeing any more of Caius," Kael mumbled as he lay on the bed. Sleep soon overtook him.
A knock on the door woke Kael. He sat up, walked over, and opened it to find the same lady from last night standing there, about to knock again.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No, but breakfast is ready. Will you eat before you leave?"
"Yes, thank you. I'll be down in a few minutes," he said before closing the door.
Kael washed his face, got dressed, and neatly placed the towel back on the bed. Then, he headed downstairs to the dining room, where the housekeeper was laying the table with bread and tea.
"Good morning. Thanks for your hospitality," he said before sitting down.
After finishing his breakfast, Kael turned to the housekeeper and asked, "What about Caius?"
"He had an urgent appointment, so he left early this morning. But he told me to give you your key and let you know your car is ready."
"Ah… thank you," Kael said, taking the key. He stared at it for a moment before saying, "Then I'll be going."
Kael left the house and continued his journey to college. As he drove off, he thought about Caius for a moment but quickly reminded himself that it was best they never saw each other again.
'Caius knows my secret, and that's bad news.'
With that, he drove away with a smile.
Soon, Kael reached the entrance of his college. Imperium Crest Institute was boldly inscribed above the entrance, with a statue of a wolf standing beneath a full moon. He knew that the hierarchy of Alphas and Omegas originated from werewolves, but seeing it actively practiced was still a surreal experience.
Kael showed the gatekeepers his student pass before being allowed inside. He parked in the lot and made his way to the registry to collect his student details and dorm assignment.
Inside the registry office, a long line had already formed. Too exhausted to stand, Kael sat down on one of the chairs, barely acknowledging the person beside him as he pulled out his phone.
He opened his messaging app and began typing to his friend.
[Forgot to check in about my journey. Sorry about that. I'm finally at school.]
As he sent the message, a notification sounded. He glanced up, saw that the line was still long, and went back to his phone.
A reply came quickly.
[Thought you were dead. So, what happened?]
Kael began typing his response.
[Got into an accident, my car broke down, and worse, I ended up stuck with some weirdo for the night.]
He paused, deleted it, and re-typed:
[I mean, I spent the night at his place, and now we've parted ways.]
Another notification popped up.
[Was he handsome? Did you get his number?]
Kael chuckled.
[Because he's a guy, and you're gay. Maybe you could like him.]
[He's a Beta. And I'm an Alpha.]
As soon as he sent the message, another notification sounded.
[Look beside you.]
"Huh?" Kael muttered.
He turned to his right only to realize that the person seated beside him was his friend.