The day Emma took the job to be the personal assistant to a high-profile prime omega, she was faced with threats by the omega’s 3 alpha mates, who were all quite high up the ladder of social status. This did not include the long interrogations she was subjected to by said omega’s family of artists with upper-tier connections. The contract alone involved long talks with 2 lawyers and a fortnight of legal talks. Still, in the end, Emma was hooked to a high-paying job as a personal assistant to the artist and heir, Julian ‘Jules’ Armes.

Hair like spun gold and skin flawless like porcelain, Julian was born special. The Armes family name alone was enough to entice respect and admiration. The Armes produced some of the biggest names in the arts, music, and fashion. They were known for their ability to create beauty in all forms.

Julian’s talent was in brushes and canvases. At the age of 11, he rose to fame due to his first painting, ‘The Teddy Bear’. But beyond the still frames and dried paints, Julian Armes did not only create beauty; he emulated beauty. He was beauty itself.

Perhaps it was the omega in him. Julian was, after all, a prime omega, a male prime omega; a combination considered so rare and potent that he became the most sought-after mate among the elites. At the age of 27, Julian was mated to 3 alphas.

Yet, that never seemed to satiate the omega.

Throughout her career, Emma witnessed all the dances and courting rituals between Julian and his 3 mates; from an impromptu dinner in France, to secret dates in the Alps, and even that one time they decided to escape the spotlight and live a commoner’s life in the Philippines. Their romance was crazy, as was expected for a relationship involving 3 alphas and 1 prime omega; but it was never enough. 

Because she also saw through Julian’s sexcapades when his alphas were not around.

And strangely enough, with 3 alpha mates, you’d think Julian had a type. But Julian’s eyes strayed elsewhere. Julian thirsted for omegas.

It was part of her job to see that these needs were met. During their trips or long stays away from home, Julian would name the omega and Emma would do her magic to get that omega in Julian’s nest (and to rid of them). Being a beta, it wasn’t easy to learn the courting language of omegas. By this point, however, Emma considered herself an expert.

Yet nothing prepared her for what was about to come.

Julian dropped the name while she was in the middle of enjoying her dinner, causing her to choke and almost spit the wonderful dry-aged duck breast.

“That kid? The kid who always has a mask on indoors??” She shot, looking thoroughly conflicted.

The beautiful face scrunched in bafflement right after he set his wine glass on the table, “He’s of age, Em. And 23 is hardly that young. Who do you think I am? A monster?”.

“Yes. Yes, you are. You go after…, someone more sophisticated? You went for models, celebrities - you’ve had orgies!!” Emma ignored the sideway glance her employer was sending her way from behind his wine, “No, seriously, Jules? I hope you know he’s not an omega”.

“Takumi is a beta, I know,” the answer was cool and calm.

Having this conversation over their exquisite evening spread was diabolical. Their private chef dished out his best that night, and the wine pairing had been amazing. It wasn’t enough to calm her down. Her employer had given her an impossible task.

Betas don’t play into the courting game alphas and omegas do. Relationships between betas and omegas, or betas and alphas, are not unheard of in this day and age; but prime genders craved entanglements on such a primal level that they can only get from other alphas and omegas.

Hence Emma doubted a beta could satisfy Jules.

“So what’s with the change of heart?” If this was a matter of curiosity, she didn’t think it would last, as did most of Julian Armes' flings. Jules switched nest partners as much as a regular person changed shirts.

Jules took his time to wipe the jus off his plate with a fat slice of duck breast. After a bite, he landed his utensils on his plate and wiped his hands with a napkin. He took his time to savor his meal.

“He’s cute– that little shift he does whenever he’s feeling shy and how he looks away whenever you try to talk to him”.

Emma wasn’t stupid enough to believe that. She let the seconds ticked through the pleasure Julian was milking from her mirth. Twenty seconds, thirty, and then Julian finally spilled:

“Takumi has the most beautiful eyes... Like a teddy bear”.

“Seriously?” Something in her stopped. Her annoyance, her protests, or maybe her thoughts altogether. One doesn’t hear the word ‘Teddy Bear’ from the painter known for his teddy bear obsession and not take note.

“Mmhm. Have you seen them? They’re the most beautiful coffee color”.

Emma let that sink, before she shot back, “Maybe you just like Asian eyes. You need more Asian friends”.

“Em! I’ve been around many Asians. I have you".

Emma deadpanned at that. She was born Korean. Her legal name was Sa Eun-soo, and she only went by Emma because the constant mispronunciations ticked her off.

“Takumi’s eyes are different. Yours are, well, bland and mundane”.

Maybe Emma should just quit this job.

“This won’t work, Jules. This place is not like Paris or Italy, Thailand, Moscow – they’re not like the people we hung out with,” Emma pointed out.

They were only at this small college town for work – a tiny little ‘charity case’, Emma liked to call it. When she and Julian agreed to take on the job, they were deliberately agreeing on an uneventful stay. The city would have a small celebrity to gawk on and fuss about, and the museum got to have something secured in their calendar with a big name to also boost tourism. Jules could amuse himself with cosplaying simplicity.

The loclal school had also asked Julian to be a visiting lecturer for the whole semester, with two courses for the Arts program and a surprising offer to teach two courses for non-Arts students.

The latter was where they met the 23-year-old beta, Takumi West.

Emma could make up any excuse to stop Jules on his track. She could mention the fact that this was a student and Jules was a visiting lecturer, but that never stopped Jules before. In the end, she said:

“He doesn’t seem like the type to go for someone like you. I could tell he probably has a perfect GPA and parents who he still talks to on a daily basis. The people here are not like us,” she paused for a second, “We shouldn’t, Jules”.

No one Jules had seduced into his nest left that nest unscathed. Anyone who had had a taste of his sole attention tended to crave and obsess over it, only to be neglected and turned down the moment Jules had had his fill. One should not make easy of how much a prime omega could plant the seed of obsession in a person.

Jules didn’t seem to care. “Many from that class have asked me out”.

“Well, true,” which told her enough of how naïve the people here could be, “But not your little ‘Teddy Bear’”.

For a split second, Emma saw a genuine resentment on that beautiful face.

“What if he does?”

“You know what?” Emma sighed, “If he does, I’ll prepare the gifts, the nests – everything – for you,” she doubted it. Growing up Asian, she understood Asian kids like the back of her hand. Even if West had feelings for Jules, he wouldn’t even make a move. “I promise you”.

Oh how wrong she was to make that promise.