The Alpha and the Omega

Alex froze and inhaled deeply. He smelled something new, something different. Despite having never smelled something as exotically delicious before – like spice and cinnamon and a hint of musk – he knew instinctively what it was. Mate. He’d found his mate. Excitement built in him and he veered off the path to work, turning instead towards a side street and following his nose into a coffee shop.

There was a line of people inside, men and women. He walked among them, nose twitching, eyes blazing red as he sniffed. A few startled. One woman smirked at him and started to press close but he moved on, searching through the crowd until he came to stop beside the young man who’d just turned from the counter, coffee in hand. The man had short black hair and tanned skin that blended well with the color of his sweater-vest and thick hipster glasses. Alex dropped to one knee and the man stopped short, his eyes wide.

The man looked around, as if he thought Alex were presenting himself to someone else but there was no one in their vicinity. A soft murmur rose from the now staring crowd. The young man blushed and bared his neck. The crowd whistled and cheered, which only deepened the man’s blush.

Alex stood, extending a hand. “I’m Alex.”

“Roger,” the young man said. His hand touched Alex’s and it was like a spark of static electricity jumped between them. Something shifted inside of Alex, like a puzzle piece slotting into place. He knew Roger could feel it too.

They moved to the side, grabbing a vacant table. There were a few looks being thrown their way, accompanied by smiles and happy murmurs. Other mated couples smiled fondly at each other, hands twisting together, while the unmated gave them wistful looks.