I splashed some water on my face in the bathroom and looked at myself as I dried it with a towel. If there was one thing in the world that I didn't bother trying to fight, it was sun. I did not play with the sun. I always had a long-sleeved hoodie that could protect me from its rays and long pants. I carried a bottle of spf 30 with me at all times in the zipper pocket of my pants, which I quickly reapplied.

I didn't think much of my appearance, as I was used to the stark paleness that came with lack of color. In my early teens I tried dying my hair just for kicks, but I felt it made me look even worse, so I allowed the color to fade. I kept my hair generally short because it was wavy and could easily become unruly if left to its own devices. But, when it was no longer than 2 inches on top, it was easy to manage. While human, we didn't have any of our canine features, but my yorkie form also had similar wavy fur.

The only time my nose turned pink was when I got sick and had to wipe the skin raw. The tips of my ears and my lips were pink, but that's about it. I had no freckles or markings of any kind. All of the paleness made my eyes stand out in contrast. They weren't really lilac in hue, it had something to do with the lack of pigment in my irises and the blood vessels being visible. But, lilac was how the world perceived them. After I closed the cap of my sunblock and tucked it away, I looked back into the mirror to see a familiar set of amber eyes staring at me. I had to do a double take.

"Whoa, is that you, pink-nose?" Derrick the Doberman asked.

I turned around to look him in the eye and had to crane my neck up. I was 5'7" (170cm). Derrick, he was at least 6'3" (190cm). "You still trying to fight me?" I questioned, and he actually looked chagrined.

I almost felt a sneeze coming on, but then I realized it was just my newly adjusted Omega nose taking in his scent. Waffles, of all things, and muted. Someone was actually bonded to Derrick. Who knew?

"About that…" Derrick replied as he hunched his shoulders forward and placed his hands in his pocket, looking very much like a kid told that he had to go sit in time out and was guilty about it. "I tried to find you again for weeks to say sorry for being such a dick, but I couldn't find you. I know I say a lot of shit without thinking, but you'd think that after turning 21, I'd have learn to control that habit." He scowled. "The point is, you had every right to lash out like that and for a Beta…wait, Omega? I thought you were a Beta."

I instinctively covered my neck where my faceless stalker's emblem rested. "What's it to ya?" I retorted.

He actually chuckled. "Jeez, are you always this defensive? I have nothing against you being an Omega," he said as he headed towards one of the bathroom stalls. "Well, whether you believe me or not, I really am sorry."

I shuffled my way to the door, but shot him smirk. "Apology accepted. I wasn't any less of a dick that day. So, I'm sorry, too." I caught sight of the surprise on his face as I finally left. I think the two of us were finally seeing each other in a different light. If he weren't an Alpha and if I weren't an Omega, we could have actually been friends.

::::

Though it took me a while to bury down the traumatic events of that morning in order to concentrate on my classes, I think I did well. At least, until around lunch time. Morgan had a class during my lunch break, but Sabine easily found me and kept me company. I always ate inside to avoid the sunlight as much as possible, so it was always a good feeling that my few friends preferred to hang out with me instead of sitting outside.

"So, I was thinking of getting him those Husky brand shoes he keeps drooling over for his birthday," Sabine mused aloud.

"Oh, he'll love you for life if you go that far," I snickered. "Are you ready to actually form a bond with him?"

"Maybe," she replied with a grin. "It's still too soon to tell."

The smile on my face fell when I remembered that I didn't have that kind of choice anymore. Sabine noted it immediately and apologized.

"Shit! I'm sorry, Avion, that wasn't very thoughtful of me." She admitted.

A moment of silence washed over us both for a while before she spoke up once more.

"And you still haven't been able to figure his voice out?" Sabine asked.

I shook my head and let out a little groan. "I'm trying not to think about it too hard."

"Hey pink- crap, I never got your real name. No more name-calling from now on, I promise," Derrick called out as he approached us. Right beside him was a young woman that was about four inches taller than me, and she wasn't even wearing high heels. "This is my mate Deziray, Dez, these are…"

"Sabine and Avion," Sabine filled in. "Nice to meet you! You guys wanna sit with us?"

Derrick actually looked to Deziray as if to ask if it was okay and only sat down when she sat down. That small notion made me curious about their relationship. Didn't the majority of Alphas boss their Omegas around? And Deziray was definitely an Omega. I didn't know what her canine form was, but my nose kept telling me she was an Omega.

"Avion," Deziray tested out. "Your name's as tricky as mine."

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many times I've been called Avon over the years," I responded.

"Ha! Try 'Desi-rah' or 'Dezray.' I feel your pain, believe me," Dez countered.

"Derrick and Deziray…if you two ever got married, even your names sound cute together," Sabine stated. "You have that double "De" thing going."

A blush actually formed on Derrick's face, which didn't go by unnoticed by Deziray, who promptly pressed her finger into one of his pink cheeks in a gentle teasing manner. "My blushing groom-to-be. Though, marriage is still a few years away. Yeah, I gotta admit that it's gonna be fun sending out the invites with both our names."

"You two are waiting to get married?" the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. The couple before me was just so different compared to those that I had seen before.

"Deziray's studying to become a nurse and wants to work for a few years before we get married," Derrick explained. "And I'm taking over my family's auto shop, so the first year or two after graduation will be busy for us both."

"Good for you both," I commented. "Sorry if I sound so shocked, it's just that the other Alpha-Omega couples I've seen barely even waited to graduate high school before marrying and having kids."

"I understand why they would," Deziray admitted. "Strong bonds like the ones between Alphas and Omegas can be overwhelming at times. But, I figure that if we already know we're in it for the long haul anyway, then what's the rush to have kids?"

"It's harder on the Alpha to curb the need to throw caution to the wind and mate without protection," Derrick confessed. "But, it's just primal instinct. You don't need to go bareback to form the bond and, once it's in place, then that need calms down."

"That's amazing," Sabine acknowledged. "I wish you both success and, when the time comes, I better get an invite."

"You're officially on my list," Deziray decided, flashing a smile. "Both of you."

I never had such a long conversation with a mated couple before. They left before us due to their class schedules, but I actually hoped to talk to them during lunch every day. "You know what," I told Sabine. "I think this is the first time that one of my fights actually turned out for the better."

"Hey, just because those two are more mature than we thought doesn't' mean that you should continue going around picking fights," Sabine admonished.

"It's not like I start them!" I argued. Sabine began to argue back, but I ended up tuning out her words as my senses narrowed down to one thing. The scent of dark chocolate.

I didn't know how to explain it, but the scent of an Alpha was different than the scent of real food. An Alpha's scent carried a specific presence. I stood up and looked around, desperately trying to identify the face that went with the scent. But, then it was gone. Had he walked past the table? How long had he been around?

"Hey, are you ok?" Sabine asked, concern bleeding into her voice.

That was when I realized that I was clutching the zipper of my hoodie with two trembling hands. "I-I'm fine. I just thought…"

"You are not to accept any other Alpha's intentions or affection. The same goes for Betas and even other Omegas," my mind recalled.

But, Derrick and Deziray didn't treat me with that kind of intent or affection. I didn't break that command, not in the slightest! So, why did it feel like the Faceless Alpha wasn't pleased with me?