He Hates Me, He Loves Me Not

Adam has lost count of how many times he swallowed his saliva while watching Damon eat.

He even sat upright earlier to get a good look, hoping that he can pretend it's him who is biting into the tonkatsu. It doesn't work, obviously, but it's enough of a distraction that his mind wanders back to the events that happened earlier.

When he sees that Damon is down to five bites, he scoots closer from where he's sitting on the bed, questions ready to roll off his tongue.

"President," Adam calls out, using the title more out of habit now than anything, "can I ask you a question?"

Damon doesn't respond. He believes that if he ignores his secretary, Adam will cool off on his own, since he doesn't have the energy to reprimand him like usual.

Damon instantly regrets his leniency when he hears Adam ask, "Are you in a pack?"

He knows why Adam is curious, but Damon isn't in the mood to discuss pack dynamics with his secretary. He wants to finish his lunch and continue working. He still hasn't figured out exactly where his money went.

However, Adam is not the same man as he was before. He is relentless when he asks, "You are, right?"

"No," Damon answers as Adam moves to sit across from him.

"With Mr. Armando, Mr. Trese, Mr. Rio, and Edgar, right?" Adam says, more of a statement than a question. He names the ones he saw when Damon was hospitalized at Nysus City, the only people who were allowed to visit when his boss restricted access to everyone else.

Damon notes how Adam isn't comfortable calling Collin, Gino, and Felix by their first names but doesn't hesitate to name Edgar like they have been long-time friends. Considering Edgar's nature, it isn't truly a surprise, but he keeps his silence in favor of not pointing it out.

"What is it like?"

Damon finishes the last bite of his food as if he didn't hear anything.

Undeterred, Adam pries, "How is it like being in a pack?"

"I'm not in a pack," Damon says as he lifts a cup of water to his mouth.

"Don't lie, President." Adam leans forward, wide eyes staring at Damon's amethyst ones. "I saw them taking care of you."

Damon almost chokes on his water at his secretary's words. He gives himself a moment to save his dignity before he says, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Adam leans back, his turn to continue as if he didn't hear his boss. "Some say that their family is a pup's first-ever pack, but I don't think so."

Damon silently agrees, aware of his own circumstances, even if he's adamant that he's /not/ in a pack.

"Babies are tagging along as the pack's pup until they grow up and form packs of their own," Adam states matter-of-factly. Then, with less confidence, he adds, "Not that I know. It's just my opinion."

"Why are you even asking about this?"

"I'm just curious, President." Adam begins cleaning up the table once he sees that Damon is done eating. "Especially because of what happened earlier."

Ah, Damon thinks to himself, he's talking about the threat he felt at the cafeteria.

"That's the first time I saw alphas acting like that around omegas," Adam says as he dumps the trash and the paper bag inside the bin. "It was really scary."

When Adam moves to the adjacent bathroom to wash his hands, Damon grabs his phone, ready to make a call to Collin and ask if there's any update.

However, even with the sound of the faucet turning on, Adam's voice can be heard loud and clear, saying, "Now I know why people say not to intrude on an alpha territory."

Damon drops his phone back on the table. Has Adam been possessed by the energizer bunny? Why is he talking so much today?

Oblivious to his changing image, Adam returns and asks, "Are you the pack alpha?"

Damon doesn't confirm that.

"It's Mr. Armando, huh?"

He feels a throb on his forehead, but Damon doesn't deny it either.

Adam pauses. He suddenly remembers the list Lucy left for him, detailing topics never to mention in front of President Lin. It makes sense considering he's related to THE Primo Alca, and even Adam can see that their relationship is strained. Despite knowing that, Adam doesn't know when he'll get a chance to talk to Damon like this again.

Taking advantage of Damon's uncharacteristic cooperation, he says, "I'm guessing there are no omegas in your pack, President."

Damon stares at him with narrow eyes. His secretary is starting to walk through a dangerous path, one that he rarely allows anyone to step into.

Perhaps it's foolery, or perhaps it's the leftover adrenaline rushing through his body, but Adam doesn't avert his gaze. There's a part of him that's urging him to power through, promising great rewards at the end of the road.

Anyway, what's the worst that can happen? He'll get fired, at most, and even then, he saved enough just from flying to this island that he won't need to work for a year and a half if he budgets well.

To Adam's surprise, Damon answers with, "No."

Delighted, the words are out of Adam's mouth before he can stop himself. "Will Primo Alca be the first pack omega?"

"He won't be the pack omega." Damon grits his teeth, not at all wanting to talk about his younger brother like this. "He'll be an omega in the pack."

"What's the difference?" Adam asks as he takes a seat across Damon.

Damon doesn't want to answer. He really doesn't, but looking at Adam's innocent eyes, he wonders if the Beta didn't receive secondary gender education in school.

Damon slowly breathes in and out, reminding himself that Adam is the only person he knows on this island. "Pack omegas are unmated," he explains, hoping he won't need to say further than this.

His hopes are shattered when Adam asks, "So only mated omegas are allowed in a pack?"

"No," Damon sighs. Why does it feel like he's teaching a kid where babies come from?

"I don't get it."

"Stop asking."

Of course, his warning doesn't work. Adam becomes more fearless as he negotiates with, "I will after you answer."

Damon feels himself losing more energy the longer this goes on. Still, he does his best to explain, "They're called pack omegas because they take care of everyone in the pack."

"Oh," Adam says with a clap of his hands, "so like the pack's mom!"

That's a good way to put it, Damon thinks. From what he remembers, a pack omega will develop instincts to detect if anyone in the pack is distressed or in need of comfort, even without pair-bonding with anyone in the group.

"I get it!" Adam claps again, looking as if he just had a eureka moment. "Pack omegas have to be unmated because alphas are possessive of their mate."

"Sure," he says, whatever to get Adam to stop talking about it.

Not close to being done, Adam asks, "Who gets to decide that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who assigns the roles in the pack?"

"No one." Damon grabs his phone again, attempting to extract himself from this conversation. "It happens naturally."

"But I heard that anyone can fight for the role of pack leader, right?" Adam is practically bouncing off his seat by now, excitement radiating through his voice and body. "Isn't the leader the one who makes decisions for the pack?"

"We're not in the olden age," Damon says as he scrolls through his email inbox.

"That doesn't answer my question."

Damon sighs again. What has gotten into his secretary today? He won't stop chattering, and Damon has to force himself to answer, "Yes."

"On both accounts?"

Damon nods.

Not even a heartbeat later, Adam already has a follow-up question. "What kind of decisions can the leader make?"

"Didn't you say you'll stop asking?"

"Just give me an example."

Damon closes his eyes, the threat of a headache simmering behind his eyelids. "They can expel anyone from the pack."

"And what will that do?"

Damon gives him a pointed look.

"This is the last one, I swear," the Beta says as he raises his right hand and makes a cross over his heart.

When Damon answers, there's no more patience in his voice. "They lose their place of safety and comfort."

"Isn't that kind of useless in today's age?" Adam asks, immediately breaking his promise.

Damon says no more. He now knows that if he entertains Adam's questions, it won't stop.

"I guess it's like being kicked out of the club," the Beta says, not at all deterred by Damon's silence, "but worse."

Damon nods, the last he'll participate in this conversation. A club is a good metaphor and the 'worse' part is certainly true. Being expelled from a pack is second only to losing a mate, and for those in the upper echelons of society, sometimes it's worse. It means losing the strongest connection they have, both in terms of emotional and economic support.

He shoos his secretary away, indicating that he wants to be left alone.

Just as he's walking through the door, Adam turns back and shoots one last question. "Has anyone been expelled from your pack?"