Become A Beta

"I'll work on it at home," Noreen said, tidying up the papers on the table. "Give me three days. Design yang diminta ini tidak terlalu sulit, tapi detilnya cukup banyak."

Noreen and Thiery had finished lunch. Thiery finally ate the seafood porridge Noreen had made with gusto.

After dinner, Thiery, feeling better, asked Noreen to look over the design proposals for the upcoming project.

Thiery asked Sander to place all the files in the living room so Noreen could relax and study them freely, while he dozed off on the long sofa next to Noreen, who was sitting on the carpet on the floor.

"You can work on it here," Thiery said. He rose from the sofa and sat next to Noreen. "Everything you need is here. A library, if you need to do research, a studio complete with several types of drafting tables and complete drawing equipment, a presentation room, a guest room, anything you need."

Noreen swallowed. "Well, that's interesting, sir, but I'm not used to working outside of my own space. It's... Uh, uncomfortable."

Thiery looked at Noreen, confused. Everything he'd offered her was top-notch amenities to ensure comfort, but Noreen was saying the opposite?

"Where do you live?" Thiery asked.

"Moonlight Haven, building three," Noreen replied. "The building manager said you built the building yourself."

Thiery's eyes glinted. He smirked and nodded.  "Yes. I created that apartment complex after returning from Florida four years ago to remind me of someone who left after sleeping with me and bit my glans!"

Noreen bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn't sure, but she felt like Thiery was being sarcastic.

"Oh, that's a very creative way to remember someone," Noreen said formally. "Now, can I go home? I feel sticky and really want to soak in the bath."

"There are 12 rooms in this mansion, and they all have bathrooms with bath tubs or Jacuzzis," Thiery said in an exasperated tone. "And aren't you going to ask who I'm talking about regarding that apartment?"

Noreen was stunned. "Wh-who?"

Thiery smirked. "Do you remember what color of dress you were wearing that day? Four years ago?"

Of course Noreen remembered. It was the dress she had impulsively bought to wear to the wedding night of the man she loved and her slutty cousin, while she was drunk in the club.

The dress was immediately thrown into the trash, cut into four pieces, after that night.

"I-it's green," Noreen replied. "It's a beautiful color, and it's similar to—"

Noreen gasped, her eyes widening as she realized something. "Building two?"

Thiery smiled with satisfaction. "Good that you remember."

"And buildings one and three?" Noreen asked.

"Your eyes and your skin," Thiery replied calmly.

Noreen shook her head. "You're strange, sir. I'm sorry, but your way of remembering people is very unusual and... Err... It cost a lot of money too."

"I made more than I spent on that building," Thiery said sharply. "I'm a businessman and I know what's profitable and what's not."

"Yes, you're right. It's a nice apartment complex, and with such complete facilities and affordable prices, I'm sure it's a very successful project," Noreen said.

Thiery sighed. "You're not even the slightest bit flattered that I built that apartment complex because of you?"

Noreen's eyebrows raised. "Well, I guess that's nice, but, as a designer, I can understand why you did it. We often get inspired by the little things we experience every day, right?"

"LITTLE THINGS?" Thiery fumed. "YOU BITE MY MARK GLAND AND MAKE MY LIFE RUIN FOR—"

"ALPHA T! SHUT UP!"

Thiery didn't finish his sentence because Dash snapped. He immediately realized that his anger could cause trouble.

"Why are you mad at me, sir?" Noreen asked, confused. "You expect me to blush, then take off my clothes in front of you and make love? Did I even ask for that apartment complex to be built? And what are those mark glands you call, I don't understand why you're so resentful about it?"

Truly, this was the first time Thiery had been at a loss for words when dealing with a woman. Noreen was truly the insensitive or heartless type.

How could a woman be so cold when she found out a man built an apartment complex just to remember her? She didn't even say thank you.

Thiery pointed behind his ear. "Here. You bit me here!"

Noreen stared at the spot Thiery had pointed at. "You mean, you got a hickey there and you're resentful of me for it?"

Thiery clenched his fists. "That wasn't just a hickey!"

Noreen rolled her eyes. "Gosh, sir, don't you realize that if anyone should be resentful about a hickey, it should be me!"

"What did you say?"  Thiery hissed.

"You only got one hickey there, maybe two or three elsewhere, but you should know that you turned me into a maroon and purple leopard after I got back home!" Noreen nearly screamed. "Oh my God, why are we even arguing about a hickey from four years ago? I'd forgotten about it!"

"Y-you forgot?" Thiery asked, shocked.

Well, of course Noreen couldn't possibly forget the most amazing night of her life, but why would she admit it?

The man in front of her was strange enough now, and if it weren't for the fact that Thiery was her boss and Noreen depended on the big paycheck, she would have run away from him a long time ago when he asked her to hold him for comfort.

"I was drunk," Noreen said. And heartbroken, she added silently. "So, uh, yeah, I don't remember much from then."

"Patience, Alpha T," Dash hissed, sensing his Alpha's emotions boiling over and coming to a boil. "Don't scare her."

"I don't think she even knows what fear means," Thiery said to himself.

"Sir, if there's nothing else—"

"Go," Thiery said, cutting Noreen off. "Beta Sander will have one of my drivers take you."

"Okay," Noreen said calmly. "Don't forget to eat some more porridge before taking your medicine."

Thiery didn't answer, but simply stood up and walked to his room, ignoring Noreen.

"Gosh, what a strange man," Noreen muttered. "He didn't even thank me."

"Ms. Winchester."

Noreen jumped in surprise, as Beta Sander was suddenly standing behind her.

"Gosh, Beta Sander, are you some kind of ghost? I didn't hear you at all!" Noreen said, half annoyed and half confused.  "If it weren't for your feet on the floor, I might have thought you were part of the Casper family."

Sander just smiled faintly. He quickly learned that Noreen had a lot of guts and never hid what she was thinking.

He watched Thiery and Noreen interact at the dinner table—Thierry's condition had improved so much that he forced himself to sit at the table.

Noreen made porridge, declining all offers of help from the anxious-looking kitchen servants, but then left at Thiery's beckoning.

Noreen cooked with expert movements, and she moved around while telling jokes that even a man as impervious to jokes as Thiery could make him smirk.

Sander's trust in Noreen grew as he watched Thiery devour the porridge she had made.

They were a picky eater, in every way. He also suffered from OCD, not liking anything new that deviated from his usual habits.

However, he ate the food Noreen made without hesitation. He even asked for extra orange juice and red dragon fruit.

For the first time in Sander's life as a Beta, today he wasn't asked to taste the food or drink Thiery was about to eat.

"You've cured Alp—, I mean, the boss," Sander said in his flat voice.

Noreen turned and looked at Sander as if thinking. "Mr. Beta, is our boss really that strange?"

Sander's eyebrows raised. "Strange?"

"Yes. He's like... Deprived of his mother's love," Noreen said in a half-whisper. "He was cured just because I hugged him? Didn't his mother ever hug him as a child?"

Sander shook his head. "No. His mother died when he was three months old."

Noreen suddenly stopped walking. She slapped her mouth with an annoyed expression.

"Gosh, my mouth, sometimes I wonder why God gave me a mouth without brakes like this," Noreen said to herself. "If my mouth were a car, I would have been badly damaged by the crash today!"

Sander chuckled, realizing that Noreen was indeed funny.

"You've only known the boss for a few days, and it took you so long to really understand him," Sander said calmly.  "Be patient with him for a while, and you'll see that he has many wonderful sides."

Noreen continued walking beside Sander, but when they reached the garage, Noreen touched his arm.

Her face was very serious when Sander saw her. "Mr. Beta, you're the boss's confidant, right?" Noreen asked seriously. "And Leah said that the boss's special confidants have a special title, as Beta."

"That's actually—" Sander replied, about to explain, but then he remembered that Noreen was human, so he stopped. "Yes, that's right."

"Then please teach me!" Noreen said eagerly.

"Huh? Teach you about what?" Sander asked, confused.

"I want to be a Beta!" Noreen replied.

Sander nearly choked on his own tongue.