Page 174 of Toxic

I nodded and turned to go, and that’s when I saw…

Liam was standing behind me.

It startled me slightly, as I hadn’t seen him up close in almost six weeks, only from a distance. He looked incredibly pale and alarmingly thin. His eyes were still, like a shark’s, and he stared at me with cold hatred. He was clearly waiting to talk to Winter, so I moved past him without a word, because what could I say? I didn’t feel any triumph over him, just sadness that it had all ended like that—and Liam truly looked awful.

That afternoon, I drove to pick up Alex. He was waiting for me in the driveway of his small suburban home. He hadn’t changed much since I last saw him at Bay’s high school graduation. He was twenty-seven now, a very petite and pale omega who looked sickly and frail, but was still undeniably attractive. He and Bay had dated all through high school, head over heels in love. But when their glands matured toward the end of senior year, it turned out they were… incompatible. They agreed to break up amicably. Bay was devastated, but had to accept that they weren’t meant to be. He was never quite the same after that, as if a part of his soul had died. Sometimes it seemed like he was just… a shell of himself, a mask. He smiled, but there was always a hint of something tragic in his eyes, a hidden pain and anger. He seemed extroverted, sometimes even the life of the party, playing concerts and participating in local events, but there was always an emptiness, as if a part of him was missing.

I greeted Alex and couldn’t resist teasing him about beating ten-year-olds at chess, which he took in good humor, sincerely apologizing for his teenage ego. He looked so pale, like he was on the verge of fainting, that I offered him a sandwich. He declined,muttering that he had celiac disease and avoided bread—just one more thing on top of his many other health issues.

I glanced over at him from time to time. He was a very short omega with dark blond hair cut to shoulder-length, wearing glasses that hid his striking violet eyes. His features were delicate, which many would find very attractive, though I preferred sharper, more catlike features like Soren’s. Still, I couldn’t deny that Alex had a certain charm.

"So, you’re still friends with Bay?" I asked, trying to fill the silence during the drive.

He blushed. "We ran into each other a few months ago when he played a concert at the school where I teach."

Alex was a math teacher, from what I remembered.

"And did the old feelings come back?" I asked jokingly, but was surprised by his reaction.

He blushed even deeper. "Well, Bay… Bay’s always been amazing."

A moment of silence. It sounded so serious, definitely not the answer I expected. Most people joked about their high school flings, but not him.

It wasn’t really my business, but I murmured, "It’s a shame you’re not even Low Mates. You two would have made a great couple."

Alex quickly turned toward the window, as if I’d hit him with that sentence. As he did, his collar shifted slightly, and I caught a glimpse of a faint bite mark on his gland.

"So… what about you? Are you seeing anyone now?" I asked, though I had a feeling he wasn’t, considering I was the one taking him to therapy.

"No," he replied quietly.

Should I pry? Damn, well, I’d come all this way, I might as well be nosy…

"I’m asking because I noticed a bite mark on your gland."

Alex flinched and nervously covered his neck with his hand.

"That’s… none of your business!"

The sharpness in his voice was so unusual for him. Alex was usually a soft-spoken omega, not one with a fiery temper.

"Sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you, just curious how you’ve been doing lately."

To make my question seem more casual, I pulled down my own collar. "I’m marked too. By my boyfriend, a beta."

Alex’s breathing grew rapid, his heart racing. He took out his inhaler but didn’t use it.

Then, suddenly, he blurted out, "This is the mark Bay gave me in my junior year of high school."

There was a heavy silence.

I was a bit shocked because what he said was absolutely impossible for several reasons. First, no one, not even True Mates, could mark each other before their glands matured—the tissue was unreceptive. And the first half of high school definitely came years before that process. And another thing! Markings usually fade after about a year or two! Everyone had to renew them during the next heat! Well, except for people over sixty, only then would the mark stabilize.

"So… it’s a tattoo?" I asked, trying to make sense of it.

"No."

Another silence. Finally, I muttered, "Strange."

---