Chapter Two

Author’s Note: This story is set in an alternate universe, in an imaginary town and country, and during an ambiguous time period.

Kazir felt a flicker of surprise when Adisa laughed, the sound rich and unapologetic. He had expected him to be offended or at least dismissive after what he had just bluntly stated. But Adisa seemed genuinely amused, not insulted.

"How do you know I’m an alpha?" Adisa asked, a grin playing on his lips.

Kazir shrugged, eyeing him skeptically. "It’s not hard to tell."

Adisa leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful as he swirled his drink. "You might be leaning into stereotypes there. I could just as easily be a beta, or even an omega." He tilted his head. "Sexual dimorphism doesn’t really determine secondary genders, you know. But society sure loves to push that narrative."

Kazir blinked, his curiosity piqued. He hadn’t expected that response. Most alphas carried themselves with a certain air of superiority, whether they realized it or not.

Maybe he was a beta. After all, he was an omega and didn’t "look" like one. Sexual dimorphism didn’t directly correlate with secondary genders. Alphas weren’t always towering and aggressive, and omegas weren’t always delicate and submissive. But society had ingrained those expectations so deeply that most people never questioned them.

"You’re right," Kazir said slowly, a hint of agreement in his voice. "I guess I shouldn’t assume."

He glanced around the table, watching as the others continued their animated conversations, oblivious to the two men sitting quietly at the edge of the group.

"I’m sorry," Kazir said, his voice genuine.

Adisa nodded and grinned at him, dispelling the tension between them. "You’re fine because you’re correct." He laughed. It was booming.

Kazir’s stomach twisted, and it felt like a small fire had been started in there. That queasy feeling he always felt around alphas reared its ugly head, and he felt alarm rising in the pit of his stomach.

"You… You’re an alpha?"

Adisa nodded, his smile not fading. "You’re right, I’m an alpha.”

“Oh." That was his short response.

"We're not that rare. You seem surprised. You must have rubbed shoulders with a few."

"Of course," Kazir said, blinking rapidly, hoping his voice was neutral and polite.

Adisa seemed to notice the shift in Kazir’s demeanor. His smile faltered just a little, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as if they were sharing a secret. "I know how that sounds. But just because I’m an alpha doesn’t mean you need to feel uncomfortable. And, I have been teasing. I hope you haven’t taken anything I’ve said to heart. I’ve been told that I can take my jokes too far."

"Oh, no! I’m not. I… I know you’re teasing." Clearly! Why would he, an alpha, be interested in him, someone who, for all intents and purposes, was a beta?

Most alphas were obsessed with being an alpha and being with omegas was a status symbol. Kazir couldn’t see why this alpha next to him would be any different.

Adisa gave him a reassuring nod, his smile soft now. “Good. I’ve been enjoying our conversation and I don’t want to put you off.”

"You… haven’t." He couldn’t believe his own ears as he said that and how genuine he was being. "And, you know? You’re right. I have many coworkers who are alphas. Including you. I mean, we’re coworkers."

"Different departments," Adisa added, laughing.

"Right. I… I’m sorry. I feel like I have been completely rude and… this whole night."

"No, nonsense. I have been enjoying our conversations. If anyone has been rude, it’s been me. I have this 'playful' nature thing going on, as I’ve been told. I can be completely off-putting. Thank you for putting up with me."

Kazir mutely nodded. He was suddenly feeling hot all over. He averted his gaze.

"Thanks for your help. I wanted a break from… You’ve been great company."

Kazir frowned. "You’re running away from your date?"

Adisa let out that smooth laugh again, his whole face scrunching up with bliss, the lines around his mouth deepening and his cheeks concaving, not hiding his mirth. He had a beautiful smile, Kazir thought, relaxing a bit.

Adisa didn’t seem too bad. Definitely not as annoying as he had previously found him.

"I wouldn’t call her a date,” he said, calming down. "Remember, I’ve been dragged here to fill a quota, too."

"Right," Kazir nodded.

"Well," Adisa started, inhaling and exhaling as he stretched his arms out in front of him. "While I can’t speak for what it must be like as an omega, as an alpha, hell, I’ve had to deal with the expectation of what I’m supposed to be like just because of my secondary gender."

"Right. Being pursued by attractive people is frustrating," Kazir said dryly, chuckling.

Adisa returned his chuckle, but his eyes were now serious. "Actually," he completely faced him, "it can be."

"Right," Kazir said, now serious too.

"It’s strange, isn’t it?" Adisa said, his voice low but engaged. "With all the advances we’ve made, especially the suppressants for heats and ruts, people still cling to these old ideas about how we’re supposed to behave based on our secondary gender."

Kazir nodded, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his glass. How did their conversation take such a serious turn?

His curiosity about Adisa and his mind piqued. He had always denied himself alpha friends. Not because he was discriminatory. Originally, that hadn’t been the reason, though he had to admit over the years he had grown weary and bitter towards alphas who always seemed to have it better. The few alphas he had grown up with had always been the outgoing, popular types, and Kazir never had the chance to run in the same circles as them. And as he had gotten older, his prejudice had, unfortunately, gotten stronger, and he had conditioned himself to stay away from alphas of all walks of life. But he was enjoying talking to Adisa and seeing the way he saw and experienced the world because he was an alpha that ticked all the stereotype boxes: tall, physically fit, above-average looks, social, and intelligent. He wondered what the world was like for someone like Adisa.

"You’re right. Human beings can be very… stuck in their ways." Kazir faced Adisa, disregarding his food and drink.

Adisa nodded, holding his gaze. "I’ve seen way too many people get shifty or clutch their belongings around me."

"That sucks. And I mean it, man. That’s horrible."

He shrugged, looking at Kazir with a half-smile. "I mean… I do understand," he said, taking in a sharp inhale. "People assume we’re all just looking for a fight or ready to jump the first omega we see. And I’ve been taking suppressants for years. It’s not like my biology rules me. But the world hasn’t caught up with that yet. People still think alphas are these… brutes ruled by their sexual desires."

"I wouldn’t say…"

"Try being a young alpha who is propositioned anywhere and everywhere because he must have a high drive that will allow him to have no morals."

"Oh. Dude, I’m sorry." Kazir flushed, shame coloring his cheeks.

Adisa laughed. "It’s not your fault. The whole thing is ridiculous." He paused and chuckled again. "I don't know why I’m telling you all this."

"I’ve been told I have this superpower of disarming people into divulging their deep, dark secrets."

Adisa laughed, his whole body shaking with glee. "I think you’re right. Because I just came here to avoid my “date”, as you’ve so aptly put it, and here I am airing my grievances with society."

"Yeah. Superpower."

He looked at Kazir, his gaze tender. "Ever thought of being a counselor?"

Kazir inhaled slowly, scrunching his face. "That wouldn’t work. I’m a bit standoffish and don’t know how to console people. Emotions scare me."

"No way. Who would have thought?"

"You’re pulling my leg, huh?"

He laughed. "No. I would never."

After a moment of brief silence, Kazir said, "But seriously, I’m sorry. Society… No, the world sucks."

Adisa shrugged. "It hasn’t been all bad. I’d say we alphas get the better end of the stick."

Right. There was that.

They both went silent, reflecting on that uncomfortable truth. The world had made strides in medicine—omegas and alphas no longer had to worry about uncontrollable heat and rut cycles, at least those with access to suppressants—but society still clung to rigid stereotypes. Even their workplace, progressive as it was, had its share of outdated thinking.

"It must not be an easy walk in the park for you, too."

His heart pounded in his chest. It hurt.

“Oh. Me… I…” 

“As a beta.”

“Right! We all face… some level of discrimination and prejudice.”

Adisa’s eyes lit up again. “You know, I always wondered why we haven’t moved past it. I mean, why does it matter anymore? What difference does it make if someone’s an omega or an alpha or a beta if none of us are controlled by those cycles?”

“Power,” Kazir answered simply. “It’s about maintaining the status quo. Alphas are at the top because they always have been. And omegas—well, they’re seen as easy to control if people think they’re weak.”

“And betas?”

Kazir shrugged. “We provide labor.”

“Huh? That’s an interesting take.”

“You know what? I’m glad I got forced into this. I’m glad I got to talk to you. I’m enjoying our conversation.”

Kazir nodded. “You’re not… too bad.”

Adisa laughed. The sound of his laughter was slowly etched in Kazir’s brain. What a happy human being.

Kazir found himself actually enjoying the conversation, his annoyance at the dinner party fading.

The rest of the dinner party seemed to fade into the background, the lively chatter and flirtatious laughter becoming nothing more than white noise as they delved deeper into the topic. Adisa had an easy way of speaking, and his insights were sharp but never patronizing. He challenged some of Kazir’s ideas, but in a way that felt respectful, as if he was genuinely curious about Kazir’s perspective.

“I guess that’s the thing,” Kazir mused, sipping his drink thoughtfully. “It’s not that being an omega or a beta should define us. We’ve outgrown that. But society hasn’t, and that’s why people end up hiding it.”

Adisa tilted his head, his expression softening. “I want to say they shouldn’t have to, but I can see why someone might hide their second gender.”

“You might?”

“Yes. Shocking as this may be, since we’re already sharing all our private thoughts, I might as well tell you all,” Adisa said, laughing as he reflected on how serious and deep their conversation had swiftly turned.

Kazir chuckled. “It’s an interesting topic.”

“I’m surprised a be—I’ve enjoyed this conversation,” Adisa said again.

“Me too. This has been enlightening.”

“Definitely made this a much better night than how it started.”

“Yes. Now, finish sharing your deep secret.”

His eyes twinkled playfully. “It’s not a deep secret. I fear almost every omega and alpha had a moment in their youth when they tried to hide their second gender.”

Kazir smiled wryly, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “That’s the world we live in, huh?”

“Yep,” Adisa nodded, leaning back in his chair.