After spending Sunday together, the week began to take its usual course, echoing each step with the stress of work.
The days were no longer as hot—they had begun to shift. The heat was slowly fading, and people started bundling up. The seasons were following their natural path, preparing for the arrival of the next one. With it, summer's laughter would soon be replaced by autumn's silences.
After waiting nearly all weekend, Bastian finally made an appearance. He apologized repeatedly over the phone and through messages, asking to see her as soon as possible, even offering her a ticket for the upcoming weekend.
WChat
Bastian:I'm really sorry. I swear work completely drained me.
Valentina:Don't worry. I know what it's like to be under pressure.
And just like that, the doubts faded, and what was once an uncertain landscape became a space of mutual understanding.
As she exchanged messages with the one who made her feel like she was on a roller coaster, she called Lucas midweek to finalize the details of their trip to Mönegliä.
Just before ending the call, she mentioned she still didn't feel completely comfortable around Andrea. She had already arranged with Bastian to stay at a hotel, allowing Lucas to have enough space in the villa.
She knew the promise her best friend had made to his "partner," and because of all the lingering feelings and echoes still pulsing through her body, she wanted to be far away from all of it.
Her relationship with Lucas had always been direct, open, and honest, so she knew he wouldn't take her decision the wrong way. She had every right, though she also knew Lucas wouldn't exactly like the idea. But she couldn't just say:
"Your boyfriend, in one of his stupid moments, made me end up with stitches in the back of my head. And thanks to him, the days that followed were pretty much hell."
The cuts on her head, the medical bills, the stares, the judgment, the guilt, and her silence—out of fear of breaking his heart—had all been shoved into a corner inside her, tucked away in an attempt to move on. After all, she had already shared her point of view. But the only one who could take control of his life—and face the consequences—was him. She was just a companion, an eternal observer.
By Thursday night, nerves had settled in, so she decided to wake up two hours earlier the next day to get everything ready for the weekend. For a moment, she questioned whether it was normal for someone her age to still get nervous like this. But then she told herself:
"What even is normal at my age?"
She closed the suitcase she had packed earlier, making sure to include lingerie and one of her best perfumes.
When she left home, she followed the same routine as the previous week—but this time, many in the office stared at her.
—"So, you're making the most of this weekend too?" Karl said playfully.
Valentina blushed, her cheeks turning a soft pink as her eyes darted to the floor. She took it as a casual comment, but she wasn't used to joking like that with her boss. It felt like camaraderie—a kind she had never experienced before.
After saying goodbye to everyone, she headed to the train station. The train was visibly crowded; most people were heading home. She didn't like holding on to the overhead handrails because they always left her arms sore—she had the bad habit of gripping too tightly.
But this time, she had no choice. What was curious was that the handrails were shaped like pheromone suppressor. No one used that kind of advertising anymore—it wasn't eye-catching, nor did it influence purchases. When you were on a train, you'd much rather stare out the window than focus on manufactured needs.
WChat
Andrea:I miss you so much. I'll pick you up at the station.
Lucas:I'll call you when I leave. Finishing up. Kiss.
Lucas felt uneasy. He liked Andrea, but he wasn't sure if he was wrong about him. Maybe it was normal for omegas to be more intense, coming from different castes. But at the same time, Andrea had stopped being a kid long ago.
Yes, a lot had happened. But he still felt curious about Andrea. The promise he had mentioned to Valentina—as if it were merely a duty—no longer felt like one with each passing day.
Spending the heat cycle together would bring them closer. As two adults in their thirties, maybe then they could finally talk about the dust floating in the air.
All the negative thoughts from the previous weekend quickly vanished. He had to pack. It was Thursday night, and he realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd spent a heat cycle with an omega.
It had probably been years. Omegas were demanding in bed. Not that he fell behind. It wasn't about stamina—it was the whispers that a beta could never satisfy them. And because of that, he just wanted to prove them wrong.
He couldn't mark, couldn't use pheromones to arouse his partner, and definitely couldn't knot—but he had his own methods, ones only he knew how to use.
Friday morning came. Just before leaving for work, he remembered a package he hadn't opened. Toys he'd bought for the occasion. They were necessary. There would be pauses—for eating, sleeping, or simply catching their breath. But they'd be together for four days, within four walls, breathing the same air that, eventually, would stop feeling new.
He took the train this time. The glances were there but felt more subtle. The day passed normally, time flew, the clients left, and when he looked up at the sky, he noticed it was getting dark earlier and earlier. Smiles were no longer as abundant in the streets…
At the station, he stood in the middle to check the schedules—then something caught his attention. A scent, enveloping and unforgettable, the kind that makes you turn your head, no matter who's wearing it.
He didn't turn, but he felt a tingle down his spine—a shiver. Then a voice whispered sweetly in his ear:
—"Hello, darling. ¿Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are? ¿Do you take cash or card…?"
They had agreed to meet at 6 p.m. at the central station. It had been years since they'd traveled by train together. Not because they didn't like it, but because...
—"Stupid bitch," Lucas said, holding back laughter.
The trip wouldn't be long, but it wouldn't be entirely pleasant either. The reason they had stopped traveling by train was that it always ended in some less-than-happy story.
—"What happened? Did you get your hopes up?" Valentina said sarcastically.
By 6:30 p.m., it was time to board. They sat facing each other. As the train filled up, Valentina contacted Lorenzo to share Lucas's information as her companion.
—"So when we return, we'll meet with him to go over the final details, right?" Lucas asked, frowning.
—"yup," Valentina answered sweetly.
There was a rule that every train had to stop when crossing the border, though it wasn't always enforced. Unfortunately for them, this time it was.
It was a routine check. Border officers boarded with drug-sniffing dogs. They were in second class. The train didn't restrict them, but being in a different class still made their stomachs churn.
—"Good evening, documents please," the officer said politely.
The dog sniffed Lucas's suitcase persistently. It was routine, but the feeling of being watched by everyone was deeply uncomfortable.
One look from someone uneasy could shift quickly—especially when your caste was clearly marked on your ID.
The dogs wouldn't stop. They asked Lucas to stand and undergo a full-body inspection, then to open his luggage completely.
—"We'll open the suitcase. Please cooperate," the officer said firmly.
The shame of being searched head to toe, as if he were a criminal, a trafficker… the rage, the helplessness of saying nothing.
The issue wasn't the inspection itself, but the contempt in how they handled his things, like they were cursed, like trash.
—"¿Lucas, care to explain where those toys came from? And why does your bag reek of supplements? ¿Are you cheating on me?" Valentina asked sternly.
The officer's eyes widened. He shifted from staring at Lucas to suddenly looking out the window. Something in the air, in his movements, screamed that he wanted to get out of there fast.
—"Aham, signore, excuse me. There's nothing wrong with the bag. Thank you very much for your cooperation," he said, eyes glued to his phone.
Just as he was about to leave the car, a female voice rang out:
—"Darling, calm down! It's not what it looks like. Please, let's not make a scene here."
—"A SCENE!? EIGHT YEARS TOGETHER AND YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" Valentina cried, covering her face.
The tension was thick. The train car felt heavier. People stopped looking at them and turned to their phones or stared out the window.
Valentina fell silent and gave Lucas the cold shoulder for the rest of the trip. They were partners in crime—and above all, she would never let anyone humiliate her best friend. Even if it meant getting a little dirty.
She knew what that humiliation felt like. Once you tasted that acid, you stopped caring about going through it again.
Upon arriving in Genövä, they noticed the weather was still quite warm. There were more smiles around, but silence still reigned.
They took the next train to Mönegliä and finally arrived at midnight. Valentina reminded Lucas of what they'd discussed on the phone—he would get off first to leave her alone with Bastian.
Five minutes later, Valentina stepped off. Andrea and Lucas were still there. Lucas looked her in the eyes—calm, relaxed, yet as if she were his emergency lifeline.
Andrea moved ahead of Bastian and offered him a hand to help him down the train stairs. Lucas and Bastian locked eyes and smiled—saying nothing.
She wasn't a hypocrite. She hated lies. But this wasn't the time to pull away from someone who now seemed, perhaps, to be wearing a mask.
—"Valentina, I want to sincerely apologize to you," Andrea said softly, looking at his hands.
—"I think it would be best if we talked about this privately," Valentina replied, cordial but firm.
They agreed to talk before returning. She knew she shouldn't have said what she did, but sometimes, in trying to protect what mattered most, her mouth trapped her in a maze with no exit.