River did not have time to be this hungover. She was young, she wasn’t even supposed to get hangovers! Mixing that many different alcohol types probably hadn’t helped… and the lack of water she’d taken in for the last twelve hours could be entirely responsible for her skull-splitting headache. She rubbed her face into the sheet under her, buried beneath her duvet, basking in darkness.

She needed to get up. Her alarm had gone off twice. She poked her face out and huffed and puffed until her eyes had adjusted to the mild light in the room. It was nine-ish. She shuffled her way up onto her knees, keeping her blankets over her shoulders. On her bedside table was a stale cup of water, she gulped it down desperately and sighed. There was no time for this. She could feel sorry for herself once she got to the cosplay club’s reserved room. A whole morning of mindless painting, that would fix her.

She struggled up and out of yesterday’s clothes - including Elliott’s jacket. More giant laundry to do… She wasn’t in the mood to look cute and flowery today, all she wanted was to hide in a fluffy shell. Thick jogging pants and a matching oversized hoodie fit her cosy hopes perfectly.

All supplies would be provided by the cosplay club, so she stuffed her half-charged phone and keyring set into her pockets and bumbled downstairs for a gallon of water to keep her alive enough to reach her destination.

She was gulping her second glass, head bent over the sink, when Ember sauntered in. The submissive froze a few feet into the room.

“River? You okay?”

“Hmm?” River swallowed and put the cup to one side, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “Yeah, sorry.” She laughed awkwardly. “I’m hanging.”

“You came in pretty late.”

“Sorry, I hope you weren’t disturbed.”

“No, just kinda worried about you.”

“Worried?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged and looked away. “You left the party without saying anything to anyone. Then when we get back we see your alpha’s car outside. And now…” She nodded at her. “This.”

“This?”

“Your scent mark.”

River sniffed experimentally. The fade had begun. “Oh.”

“If you wanna talk, you know I’m always here for you.”

“Yeah. No. It’s fine.” She cleared her throat, no longer dry from the hangover. “I’ve got to go, actually, meeting some people.”

Ember watched her flee with sad eyes.

Shit, she probably looked like a complete wreck. She hadn’t been dumped. She was just hungover. But she didn’t have time to press the issue, she had a long walk to power through and all the water she’d slurped down was already sloshing in her stomach. If she opened her mouth again too soon she’d throw it back up.

×

Every sniff had River on edge. She’d arrived at the cosplay club’s rented out space slightly late, but it wasn’t her tardiness that turned every head at her arrival. The pity in their faces was unbearable.

She assured them she was fine and they said, “Of course you are!” with the tone of a mother assuring her child she really did believe there was a monster under the bed as they claimed. She told them that she was just hungover and they shared quick looks of concern between themselves. No one believed her, and she soon realised there was no point attempting to plead her case.

She picked a quiet spot to sit on the floor and paint the costume pieces she had been assigned. It was monotonous work, but it was better than needing to think. Or trying to argue.

The whispers were all around. They thought they were being kind, she supposed. Attempting to hide reality from her. She could still hear bits and pieces, though.

“-got into a fight at the party-”

“-came to drag her out-”

“-car almost hit them outside-”

“-doing shots with dominants-”

It was all bullshit. She wasn’t some off-the-rails party girl. And her alpha mate hadn’t had to drag her out in a jealous rage. As if any dominant would get that close to her carrying an alpha’s scent.

She finished the items she’d agreed to paint and didn’t offer her services for any extra. Leaving was more important to her than being helpful. She needed to be somewhere that she wasn’t treated like she was a bomb about to go off at any moment.

Savannah followed her out the door and they walked in silence until they were free of curious ears.

“Rowan told me you were looking forward to the scent mark fading,” she said. “But you look terrible.”

“I’m hungover,” River groaned.

“Did you leave with her last night?”

“She gave me a lift. She wasn’t at the party she just came to pick me up.” River sighed. “I’d had a lot to drink and I wanted to get home quickly and safely. And I did.”

“She didn’t take advantage?”

River was severely losing her patience. “She’s an alpha,” she said sharply. “She doesn’t need an omega to be drunk as a skunk if she wanted to take advantage.” Savannah’s horrified expression cooled her off a little. Good. You should be horrified at the reality of being an omega in a big, scary world. “And no, she didn’t.”

“I’m glad.”

“Look, I know you’re just looking out for me, but I really am fine. I need a nap and some vitamin juice and maybe a box of chicken nuggets.”

“Okay. Well, I’m glad you got what you wanted, then.”

“Thanks.” She hated that she sounded bitter. She wasn’t. She was just tired and thirsty and sore in the skull.

Savannah left her side to return to the cosplay club. River kept walking, she had another obligation to attend before she could retire for the day.

×

Her afternoon activity was volunteering with the elderly as part of the afternoon tea society. Heather was staggered at the fading scent River arrived with.

“Oh, darling!”

“I’m just hungover.”

“Then… maybe it would be best for you to go home and get some rest.” She gave her a look with raised brows as though sharing a very obvious secret. “Take some time for you.”

As the other volunteers in the hall caught a whiff, they did their best to pretend they weren’t staring at her while they laid out doilies and filled tea pots.

“I’m fine.” River attempted to enter again.

Heather stepped into her path. “River, we have enough volunteers today. Please, just let your heart settle before trying to throw yourself back in the deep end.”

“I’m not heartbroken,” River hissed.

“Of course not, darling. That alpha is the one who will be beside herself!”

“Heather!”

“Take the afternoon off.” Heather took her by the shoulders and turned her, walking her out. “Do some self-care. A bath bomb or something.” They were out on the street now. “Eat lots of ice-cream and maybe let out a few tears.” She gave her a stiff hug. “Come back when you’re ready.”

River had lost the will to argue that she was perfectly ready to let old people talk to her about their horrid grandchildren and serve tea and finger sandwiches. She nodded wearily.

“I’ll message you.”

“Please do, darling.”

×

“Just a hundred pounds and not a penny more.”

She had her safety money. A wad of cash under her mattress for emergencies. One hundred pounds for a little more time, to avoid the humiliation of every person she came into contact with assuming she’d been ditched by some alpha.

River curled in on herself. She was back in bed, hydrated, and snacking on a bag of crisps bigger than her head. The salt would help with her electrolytes or something… probably… maybe…

She sighed.

Another twelve days and it would be the end of term. If she got another ten off Elliott, she could spend her break letting her scent wear off in the privacy of her own home. Answering to no one. Back for the summer term fresh with only her own scent for people to comment on.

She understood now why submissives took to hiding away after a break-up. She had always thought it so dramatic, to stay inside as though you were in mourning. Turns out, there was a practical reason. Everyone and their mother could smell the disintegration of a scent mark, and it wasn’t the low-key event River had believed it to be. All day she’d been walking around with what was effectively a sandwich board declaring herself newly single, but still stinking of the dominant who had once had her.

And why did they assume she had been broken up with? She could very well have told her alpha mate to go kick rocks. Omegas could take charge, too. She wasn’t a trophy mate just because she was an omega. Not that she wouldn’t look great on Elliott’s arm.

River bit the tip of her finger, missing the crisp entirely.

Who cared what they looked like together?

She did.

River shoved more crisps in her mouth, gnashing them like she was angry at the potatoes that made them. She cared. She hated the way they had all looked at her today, the assumptions, the pity, the invasive concern. She hated all of it.

Just a bit more time. It would line up perfectly. She had no plans for her break, only heading back home. She could sleep the weeks away while Elliott’s stink broke down and washed off. A detox, almost, she could turn her bedroom into a spa. She didn’t need to be the talk of the town.

She grabbed her phone with salt-encrusted fingers.

Are you free tomorrow? Was wondering if we could discuss top-up terms?

Elliott sent her an address and a time. A coffee shop a few roads away from campus. River sent her back a thumbs up and a smiley face emoji.