Chapter 3 — Rumors Start Fires
The next day, whispers followed Lawrence like shadows. Every glance, every half-smile, every sharp intake of breath seemed to be about him.
He's George Mathews' omega, one rumor hissed.
The new pretty one he noticed, another said.
Do you think he'll claim him?
Lawrence tried to ignore it, but every word pierced him like cold needles. He wasn't used to attention—he'd never wanted it. And now, it was unwanted in the worst possible way.
In the courtyard, a group of alphas leaned against the stone fountain, watching him with smirks. He froze as one of them, a tall blonde with a mocking grin, called out.
"Hey, omega! Careful around the top alpha, yeah? You might… disappear if you're not careful."
Lawrence's face flushed crimson. He kept walking, ignoring them, but the words lingered. He felt George's eyes on him, though he didn't dare look up.
It was worse in class. The moment George entered, the room went still. Whispers subsided, but the tension doubled. Every time George's gaze drifted toward Lawrence, it felt like a current pulling through the air, warm and heavy. Lawrence wanted to shrink into his desk and hide.
And then it happened—someone leaned over from the next row.
"Mathews has his eye on you," a beta whispered, voice shaking with excitement and fear. "I've seen him. He's not subtle."
Lawrence froze.
Not subtle.
Not subtle.
The thought sent shivers down his spine. That… that meant something. And that something terrified him.
By lunch, the rumors had spread like wildfire. Everywhere Lawrence went, students stared, whispered, pointed. Some omegas looked at him with pity. Some alphas with curiosity. And George… George's gaze didn't waver. Not once. It followed him, measured him, and stayed with him like a shadow he could not escape.
When Lawrence returned to the library, hoping for a quiet place to think, he found a note slipped between the pages of his textbook:
"Stop hiding. I see you."
No signature. But Lawrence knew.
His hands trembled as he held it. The boldness, the simplicity, the inevitability… George Mathews had already marked him in some way.
And now, Lawrence realized, he could never escape.