It had been a long evening, which I wouldn't have wished to relive — if Noel had not been involved. Even after an exhausting drive through the outskirts of the city and ordering the spiciest dish on the menu at a restaurant downtown. Noel still seemed reserved and happier at the exact time.

We arrived at my home, half an hour later due to the multiple orders we had for the night. With the pizza, instant noodles and spicy wings packed in the takeaway order bag — I quickly entered the passcode as the door opened. Immediately, when the entrance was clear, Noel got inside. I made sure that I had not informed him about my father's absence because it was the least self-control reminder that my dad taught me.

His steps were sturdy and quiet to avoid unnecessary noise because, apparently, my dad was asleep according to my lies. "Are you certain that your father won't mind you inviting a male alpha at this time?"

I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face. It had to be the first time that I saw him sneaky and worried. "Of course." I lied, "He wouldn't mind at all."

Noel shrugged off my comment as he walked over to the living-room. A little calmer than earlier — he sat on the couch and placed the bag on the decorated, glass table. I walked over toward the kitchen, then turned on the kettle. "It was cold outside, do you prefer tea or coffee?" If I'm accurate, he preferred coffee with half a spoon of melted brown sugar.

"Green tea, thanks." I froze midway of coffee brewing.

"But, you are allergic to green tea." The spoon in my hand fell on the floor, which caused Noel to laugh.

"I'm allergic to — oh, I said that in an interview. I only take herbal tea." Noel's gaze was fixed on my dumbfounded expression that I couldn't hide. I thought he had said tea had a bitter taste to it. "Do you watch a lot of those stuff?"

"What stuff?" I gasped.

"The gossip news and trends."

"No, I have a friend whose your crazy fan." My stomach turned at the lies that I kept summed up for the night. When I stared at the tea cups, my mind unconsciously thought of my father. If I had continuously made herbal tea for him back then during his early stages, would he have been healthier? To think of it, I should have gotten rid of all the alcoholic beverages.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Noel's voice seemed closer than before. I suddenly turned, then flinched when I noticed that he stood beside me — a cup of tea in his hands. "I had been speaking to myself for a while."

"S-sorry, I'll bring some juice for the spicy food." Flustered, the heat in my cheeks became warmer as I rushed to the refrigerator. "Orange, right?"

"Pineapple."

"Are you certain?" I whispered. It was strange, I had been Noel's fan for a while. I had a phase where I stalked him and everything that he liked or disliked. But, the person who stood in front of me seemed to be different.

"Yeah? I can have orange juice too."

"I'll bring it." Subsequently, we both walked back to the living-room before Noel set up the video game. It was awkwardly silent until everything was loading and the music filled the room. We sat on the same couch, my heartbeat increased at the closeness.

"Still want to bet?" His bottom lip curled upward, despite the bright light from the lightbulbs — his eyes had a hint of excitement. That made me nervous about the outcome of the night. I rubbed my thumbs when his eyes met mine. "Of course, there are boundaries."

When he tilted his head with the brightest smile that I had ever seen, it drove me to a greedy path of many wishes that he could always smile at me. "Okay, but keep the dares soft." Noel's laughter filled the room.

An hour had passed by since we had begun the bets and video games. Lucky enough, Noel mostly would dare me to eat a spicy wing each time that I lost the challenge. The worse that I got him to do was sing along to my terrible drumming skills on the table. It had been a remarkable hour, and I knew a few new things about him. It was hardly eight in the evening, though Noel and I were still up for the night.

He pulled the warm blanket that I gave him after the meals. Even though he refused earlier because of the omega scent on it, the blanket slowly covered his body until he couldn't reject the warmth. "Do you always run away from events?"

I turned down the volume of the action, thriller movie that played on the screen. "Most of the time when I get bored." I had expected that he did, yet the uneasy feeling that he might have spent a good time with better girls worried me.

"It must be nice having fun after running away." My hair covered my face when I rested my head on my knees — still covered by my yellow blanket.

"I guess?" He paused, which caused me to stare at him. Noel's eyebrows were pressed, and I quickly assumed that it was a subject that he wouldn't wish to have talked about.

"Ahem, I spoke to your mother today." Noel's media personality was centred on his calm and soft aura that hid the usual dominant traits of an alpha, born sub gendered person. I had always assumed that his family relations were beyond perfect because of the praises that he showered his family on television. But, the face that he had made for a second after that mention of his mother made me doubt his facade.

"That's lovely, I really wondered why you were at the party." That fake Noel. His lips stretched as the once excited eyes became gloomy. I could see the frown hidden by his constant rubs on his forehead. "She is outstanding."

"... Hmm?" I nodded, then smiled. "I had a great time today."

A short-lived excitement crossed his dull eyes. For a moment, he pulled the blanket closer to himself and sighed. His gaze stuck on the half-eaten bowl of spicy wings. "Am I to see you at the regional camp?"

Oh, no. My eyes closed, shuttered by another lie that I had to engage in for the evening. With two deep breathes, my mouth opened, then I froze when Noel's warm fingers placed my loose strands of hair behind my ear. Before that, I had been sure that I had to turn down the offer — then those eyes that stared at me with hope of seeing me again. Which sane girl would reject those pretty eyes?

"Yes, I'll be there in the afternoon."

"Tomorrow?" As he whispered, my attention was directed at the curly motion of his finger with my hair. "Okay."

"Y-yes." I could feel the heat that raised throughout my body. If it were possible, I wouldn't be surprised that my heat cycle began at the exact moment. It seemed that I had been so occupied with my thoughts that I hadn't realized the increased pheromone concentration between us.

"I. I should leave right away." Noel called the driver without hesitation. To avoid unnecessary events, he said his farewells and walked out of the house — whilst I was left bewildered. Immediately, I rushed upstairs, then took my suppressants. On my way out, I saw Noel's car driven out of the yard through my bedroom window. It was indeed a long night that I wish would be the start of our major story.

"Ruby's trust issues will have to wait."

Rockville was a two-hour drive from the main bus station within my residential area, I had to use three different bookings for the journey. The view of the countryside might have been extraordinary, but I had been preoccupied by thoughts of my father's health for the upcoming week. Worse, I had to find a better explanation to manipulate Ruby.

Of all my worries, I was grateful for the VIP ticket that Noel gave me — it covered the food, equipment, and settlement fees. Which was fortunate, even though I carried cash for emergencies. When I arrived at the entrance of the camp area, I noticed the gigantic billboard that highlighted the words 'regional youth camp.'

Moreover, the place was full of people, who walked ahead and behind me with various sizes of travel bags. There were different species of birds that flew through the huge, tall trees as the voices became louder — that made the eventful week promising. Countless teens already settled down and began singing in groups, whilst zoology lovers ventured into the forest for a glimpse of what nature had in store.

As we went deeper into the dusty grounds, I noticed the fixed tents. Although the air was filled with smoke from the campfires — there was a cold breeze mixed with the sound of splashing water from the river across the VIP marked tents.

I took a deep sigh, then rubbed my cheek as I lifted the medium-sized bag in my hand. There was a thatched fence-like wall that was built around the massive tents. I immediately showed the invitation code to the guard, who quickly scanned it.

"On the Parschels' list?" His thick, eastern accent covered for his LR syndrome — immediately, he took out another card, then handed it to me. "Tent 19, room 2. The available menus and agenda for the week are placed in your room."

"Thank you." With a bright smile, I rushed past the entrance. Unlike the outside of the thatched wall, the interior was made for wealthy families indeed. Being located near a hot spring and far from the other youths' tents weren't enough. The place had a wood built dining hall and musical booth — moreover, the interior of the tents had already fixed mattresses and bedding per room.

After several minutes, I settled and got ready for the night event. Apparently, there was an introduction of the youth campaign and a performance by upcoming teen artists.

The long, exaggerated evening started off with a performance by Chantel. Every teen girl, except me, was on their heels as they sang along to his song. The guitar that he played filled the room with an additive melody — which I couldn't resist the snap of my fingers as he sang the chorus. The moon shone in the bright sky and the echoed voices of the audience made the area lively.

"Ms Hexion, a note for you." A middle-aged man stood next to my wooden chair. Without hesitation, I got the piece of paper in his wrinkled hands — a little smile of gratitude crossed my face.

When he was gone, I slowly opened it as a frown spread to my face. There was neither the sender nor receiver's name on it, which made me stare around the place. When nothing awkward caught my attention, I decided to read the note.

Why didn't you tell me that you'll be here too?
Come to my room after the show, tent 7, room 1.

Who could it be?

My eyes rolled at the thoughts of teenage pranks that I had grown accustomed to, due to my classmates. Thereafter, I rolled the paper, then tore it into tiny pieces before throwing on the dusty ground. Although the event went on with various activities from the audience as well, I couldn't get over my curiosity.

That came to a stop when Noel and Evangeline came on stage. They both wore casual clothes, but had badges to identify their stations in the event. Needless to say, from afar, they seemed like a couple — the audience seemed to have noticed too. Evangeline had her hand around Noel's left arm as she smiled and spoke on her part of the speech.

"Welcome everyone to the seventh regional youth camp!" Her excited tone echoed in the quiet place. "My name is Evangeline Chester, and I'll be assisting in the hospitality and event planning departments."

An applause filled the area, as it did for several other individuals who introduced themselves. I had not expected the least, Linyu and Katana were on the youth executive team as well.

"Hello, you can call me Noel." A smooth, husky voice sped up my heartbeat. He smiled softly yet fake to pass unnoticed. Immediately, girls muttered his praises quietly, that included me as I internally screamed. "I'll be assisting the disciplinary committee and security units."

"That reminds me." Katana interrupted, "All the fully trained and registered volunteers have to meet me after this."

Truthfully, I hadn't heard what the next discussion was about because my mind was filled with a spark of jealousy for a person who slightly seemed attainable last night. It all happened so fast that the view on the stage made my stomach turn — a little regretful of my selfish desires.

Maybe Victoria's words were right, Evangeline knew the real Noel — the Noel that I craved to understand.

🦋
Thanks for reading this chapter, support the story by commenting or upvoting.