Tiza backed away while the Alpha scrambled to sit up from the floor; there was a look of pure horror on the Omega’s face. It seemed fate thought now was the perfect time for Aosh’s long-awaited confession. Aosh’s cheeks flushed as words spewed out of his mouth.

“Wai-wait! Let me explain!”

“Is this some kind of sick joke…?”

Tiza’s eyes never left where his name was reflected in the skin, the question however wasn’t pointed at Aosh.

“What? No! Look, I’m sorry I lied about my name, but with everything that happened with my friend I didn’t want to overwhelm you and tell you who I was just yet!”

“I already knew you lied about your name…but I didn’t know why…”

Tiza was horrified with himself. To think he was getting remotely comfortable with this..this…Alpha! He knew something was going on and he had almost given up on his gut feeling! Tiza’s anxiety increased just seeing the name burnt into the flesh.  His brain hurt, his lungs burned; the man’s body going through a visceral reaction to the reality of what was happening. He stumbled up to his feet.

“You knew already? Then why didn’t you say anything?” Aosh asked, eyebrows furrowed.

What did Tiza mean he didn’t know why he hid his real name, wasn’t it obvious now? Aosh finally took in the Omega’s expression and his body language. Holding himself close, he shook, it looked like he had seen a ghost.

“Look, Aaron or whatever your name is-“

“Whatever my name is? You said you knew my name!”

“Because you signed up for the course with your real name, idiot! I’ve never seen that name before this!” Tiza yelled, getting worked up he turned to leave the studio. Aosh, now standing as well grabbed his wrist.

“Let me go-!”

“How can you have not seen my name before?! It should be on your-”

Aosh paled realizing what he was saying. The implication that Tiza removed his mate mark was crushing, he didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to believe his name could be so easily erased while he carefully cared for Tiza’s most of his life.

His grip on the wrist loosened. Tiza wriggled himself free and made his way towards the exit. Aosh’s voice came after him, the passion and vigor from earlier no longer present.

“Tiza, I’ve been waiting for you my entire life…We’re fated mates…I finally found you…” He took a deep breath. “I lov-“

“SHUT UP! I’ve never seen your name before, I never wanted to be found, and I never wanted a fated mate! Do yourself a favor and get that scar removed and leave me alone!” Tiza ran out of the dance studio brushing past Sean on his way out.

“Hey! What’s wrong?”

 Tiza grumbles out a shaky, ‘nothing’ and ‘I’ll be in the office until class starts.’ Sean knows the other well enough to know it isn’t just nothing and follows after him.

Aosh still stands in the studio, the words ‘I love you’ still hanging on his tongue. Now they taunted him, the very words he pictured himself saying in the millions of times he played this moment in his head since childhood. With blurry vision somehow he manages to tear his feet from where he feels cemented to the scuffed up floor and quietly shuffles out the door.

The next thing he knows is that he’s staring into the darkness of his room. It was night now, many hours had passed since he was supposed to be in ballet class, the first absence in his time being there. A wet mop of hair clung to the wall his head leaned against, the softness of the bed and pillows surrounding him did nothing to curb how hard his heart ached. Droplets dripped from his face and at this point, Aosh didn’t know if it was from his recent shower or the tears that hadn’t stopped streaming down his face since he left the fitness complex; it didn’t matter.

At this point, nothing mattered.

His mind was so full and yet he felt so empty inside. He just wanted to shut off the hurt, shut off the emotions. Shut out the scene that was playing in his head over and over for hours on end. The only thing that was able to bring him out of his depressed reverie was his phone, lighting up like a beacon in the night. He looked at the screen to see a single chat notification.

After entering his office Tiza promptly sits at the desk; head cradled in his hands in a feeble attempt to calm himself down. His palms continue to shake and he shivers, the remnants of cold sweat being cooled by the air conditioning in the room. The urge to go to the bathroom and throw up what little he had in his stomach plagued him but he remained in his chair, taking deep breaths.

Abruptly he dug into the small filing cabinet near the desk and pulled out the paper that he searched for. Tiza studied what was written there for a while.

‘Aosh Tsutsumi’ it read; it was the Alpha’s registration form.

 Tiza’s eyes absorbed the name over and over trying to dig in his memory for any trace of him seeing it before. His mind built walls to protect him from things that happened in the past; for the last couple of years, he’s been trying to get past them and get over his issues on his own.

Try as he might, he couldn’t remember what his mate mark looked like when it appeared, just the searing pain of hot iron burning it away and his high-pitched screams of agony falling on a pair of deaf ears. The Alpha’s mark had to be real though, he saw his name clearly.

The door opens and quickly the Omega folds the paper, stuffing it into his pocket, and tries to even out his breathing to at least give the illusion he wasn’t having a panic attack.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

The look Sean was making behind Tiza’s back showed he wasn’t buying it.

“Why did your lesson end early?”

“He said he wasn’t feeling well and was going home.”

He’d rather lie through his teeth than tell Sean the truth. Telling Sean that he was going to deal with the Alpha himself hadn’t just been big talk, he tried not to let Sean interfere with things that didn’t concern him. His brother babied him relentlessly; and even though Tiza did nothing to stop it, it grated on his nerves. The Omega knew he was fully capable of handling this situation himself, even if it turned out this way. The last thing he wanted to do is tell Sean that he was right. Tiza’s pride wouldn’t let him.

Sean came to his side and eyed him suspiciously, Tiza chanced a sideways glance to look the other in the face, playing up the fact he looked aggravated rather than anxious.

“Did you eat anything yet?”

It was less a question but more of an indirect demand to know the information. Rolling his eyes Tiza sighed out a ‘yes’.

“Pictures, wrappers, and receipts.”

Tiza pulled out his phone to gather the evidence the Beta asked incessantly for. Shoving the screen in his face, Tiza continued.

“There. The other stuff is in my bag…I left it in the studio.”

Looking between the phone and the man, Sean leaned back up in a huff.

“Well, I’ll go check your bag then. Finish whatever you’re doing in here and help me get ready for the lesson,” Turning around before he exited he points a finger, “And whatever it is you’re not telling me; I will find out.” The door closes and footsteps could be heard making their way back down the hall.

Tired, red, and puffy eyes rested on the phone screen in his hand. Briefly, he contemplated turning the phone off and throwing it somewhere in his room; effectively cutting himself off from anything and everyone until he felt like the universe was a bit less cruel.

She messaged him, and after almost two months of no contact.

Aosh grouped Daniella with Marcus and Hunter. All of them collectively abandoned him at the same time. It was ok, he was a waste of an Alpha anyway. Forget about the Alpha part, just a wasted life to begin with.

What a waste it was to chase the back of someone he didn’t even know for most of his life. He had criticized the two Betas for thinking that they could tell him what to do, who to love, but now he criticized himself.

He was truly a fool if even after such a harsh rejection he still felt love in his heart for Tiza. Feeling the intensity of his emotions start to boil over again, he opened the chat app and replied to her message, entirely too tired and lonely to care about being petty and ignoring it.

[o0DSweety0o]: I’m so sorry Aosh! I haven’t been able to get to my computer in a month because I was in the hospital…Don’t worry though I’m ok!!! I won’t bore you with the details, it wasn’t anything bad. Anyway, I’m so happy for you! Tell me everything that’s happened since you messaged me last. I’m sure some things have changed since then.

[TsuTsuTsunami] :You don’t have to apologize. I know things happen and I hope you are feeling better. Nothing happened between us.

Those words were hard to type; he stared at them for a while before he hit send. In the back of his mind he was concerned for her, being hospitalized for a month was nothing to take as lightly as she made it. Aosh let it go, for now, he would press her more about it later.

[o0DSweety0o]: What do you mean nothing happened? Did you not tell him?

Feeling the need to just get everything off his chest while there was a person who cared enough to listen, Aosh sent quite a few lengthy paragraphs about what had happened in Daniella’s absence.

[o0DSweety0o]: Aosh that’s so sad…

[TsuTsuTsunami]: It’s just not what I was expecting. I had dreamt of that moment more times than I can remember. I had scenarios plotted out for everything, even when it went bad, but I guess I never thought it really would. And then the time came, and I saw the look on his face. He was disgusted, Daniella. I don’t even know what to do anymore. I feel so broken, so lost. Like I’ve wasted my entire life chasing a ghost. All I wanted was a relationship like my parents… like you and your mate. Something perfect…

[o0DSweety0o]: I wouldn’t say what Klark and I have is perfect…

[TsuTsuTsunami] : It is! He searched for you relentlessly until he found you, and then confessed his undying love for you; it’s like a dream. Hell, I tried for years to search Tiza up on the internet but I could never find anything anywhere. You really are lucky.

[o0DSweety0o] : Yea.

[o0DSweety0o]: Listen, I know you waited two whole months to do anything and that you thought that that was enough time, but maybe he needs more time? From what you told me it sounded like this wasn’t the first time an Alpha had been so forward with him. Give him some space. I know you’re heartbroken and devastated but just try to think about how he feels. Being fated mates is plural for a reason, not just one person can do it.

[o0DSweety0o]: I have to go, but I’ll try to text you tomorrow. G’night big guy.

[TsuTsuTsunami] : G’night.

Aosh stared at his phone screen for a while until he was sure she wasn’t going to say anything else. Dragging heavy eyes off the screen he set the phone on the nightstand and laid down in the plush of his bed.

Aside from having an outlet to vent to, the Alpha didn’t feel any better about the outcome of today. The throbbing of his head and the threat of sleep loomed behind his eyelids, but his consciousness was stubborn. What should he do? Does he give up on this love he’s held onto his entire life or does he pursue Tiza even though he was brutally rejected?

As he slipped into a depression-induced sleep, an image of the Omega flashed in his mind’s eye. The warm smile and his melodious laugh accompanied Aosh as he drifted to sleep.