He made another coffee that tasted like rubber as he sat, inhaling it. The hotel's brand of instant coffee was an insult to coffee beans everywhere.
Just where did they get this? It was as if the hotel was desperately trying to keep up with its low-end status. But nonetheless, it served its purpose.
He replayed the video multiple times while practicing the lines the original host left in the draft.
One of the verses sounded like a farewell, while the chorus sounded like an argument with fate.
He hummed along subconsciously, matching the pitch in a way that would have surprised him, even though it was a bit rustier.
Halfway through the 'nth' time, a soft knock sounded from the door.
He stiffened as he glanced at the door. The single knock belonged to someone who believed the person inside would know who it was.
Levi quickly paused the video as he stood up swiftly. He carefully slid his hand into the narrowly opened drawer where he had placed a small knife he palmed from the hotel's fruit basket.
The metal felt ridiculously inadequate in his hand. It was more of a letter opener than a knife, but it was better than nothing. Well, old habits die hard.
He glanced at the door, then back at the phone's screen that was still glowing.
Why did Noah come personally?
For a moment, he entertained every possible case scenario.
Maybe Noah realized that his supposedly traumatized omega was functioning far too well for someone who barely survived a Type B rut. Or, maybe he came to collect his pet omega.
Lol
Or, well, he could have just known why the alpha was here.
He took a few long strides to the door as he peeped through the peephole.
A man stood in the hallway, wearing a dark suit that was rumpled in a way that suggested he had rushed here quickly. The two top buttons of his shirt were undone and his tie loosened.
The peephole exaggerated the rest of his features, but there was no mistaking him.
Yep, I was right, Levi sighed as he straightened up. Then he peeped again to study the alpha's posture for a while. It was rigid, with his hands hanging loosely at his sides.
Levi made his decision as he slid the knife back into the drawer and walked back to the door to unhook it and twisted the doorknob.
Then a thought struck him.
This was the first time they would meet face-to-face while they were fully conscious and in control.
Time to establish some ground rules.
He opened the door wide enough for Noah Sterling's whole body to fit.
Their eyes met.
Noah's gaze was piercing, seeming to hold both shock and something unreadable. A vein twitched on his temple as his eyes swept over Levi, as if trying to imprint the omega in his mind.
The alpha still hadn't said a word.
Interesting. Was he a confused person? He didn't carry the storm Levi had expected.
Levi leaned against the doorframe and noticed two things.
One, Noah Sterling was huge; he was even more imposing face-to-face.
Number two, the alpha's unreadable expression still contained some uncertainty or complexity.
The silence lasted longer between them. Noah seemed to be taking in every detail of Levi's body while Levi watched the alpha's gaze travel from his face down to his bare feet and back up again, lingering just enough to make the survey feel deliberate and not.
"Hey, chat. Is this feeling of possessiveness omegas get from alphas?"
"Well," Levi said finally, his voice carrying a trace of amusement.
"You can come in, Noah."
Noah blinked, as if the sound of his voice had broken some kind of spell. The use of his first name seemed to surprise the alpha.
Noah stepped into the small hotel room without a word, his presence immediately making the space feel cramped.
Levi closed the door behind him and turned to find Noah staring at him again with that same intense focus. It was a bit unsettling, in a way that had nothing to do with fear but with how his borrowed body responded to seeing the alpha.
Heat had immediately pooled low in his stomach, and he felt the urge to release his pheromones in response to the alpha's proximity.
How annoying. The omega biology was going to need some getting used to.
"You can sit," Levi gestured to the only chair in the room. But after getting no response from the alpha,
He said, as if surrendering to whatever, "Or not."
Noah didn't bother trying to sit, his eyes tracked Levi's every movement with an intensity that would have made most omegas bare their necks in submission.
"You're alive," Noah finally muttered. His voice came out low and rough.