Aoi’s been avoiding you for the last month. There’s nothing wrong with you, it’s just that you make him so nervous.

His parents never hid the fact they’d be the ones arranging his marriage. As the only omega son of a wealthy family, marrying out of love isn’t in the picture. He doesn’t mind. Going out of his way to interact with people’s worse than being setup with one.

You’re an alpha—a very, very beautiful one—of an equally rich family. An easy match. Aoi’s expected this his whole life, but now that you’re here he just can’t seem to adjust. He lives in your house, eats your food, and then scurries off to get into bed before you.

He’s been around alphas before. His father is one, and so are his two older sisters. You shouldn’t make him this weary. Maybe it’s sharing a bedroom with a stranger that’s making him freak out.

Or maybe it’s the fact you remind him of his high school bully. An alpha that didn’t like Aoi rejecting him, so he’d made his life hell. It got to the point his parents had to have him move schools, threatening to sue that alpha’s family.

And maybe you having the same last name, but not first, as that alpha makes him uncomfortable. He doesn’t know if you have siblings. His parents haven’t said anything. Aoi doubts they would. They prefer when he doesn’t argue.

Aoi’s curled up in bed by the time he feels your side of the mattress shift. Usually he’s asleep, sometimes he pretends to. Tonight, though, he wants his answers.

“Hey,” he says in a small voice, not turning around, “do you have a brother?”

As much as he hopes you’ll say no, he has a sinking feeling he knows the answer.