"Mrs. Beth, you want this child to go to the Charleston mansion? Have you even asked him?"
"…"
Mrs. Beth stayed silent, hoping the man would understand even without an exchange of words.
"So, you're coming with me first. I'm going to examine your body and run a detailed scan. Don't worry, I don't eat children. Aha…"
The red-haired man walked toward the door. As Damian watched his back grow distant, his eyes couldn't look away. In his heart, he quietly admired how tall the man was— and how much he wanted to grow that strong someday. When he lifted a hand to his hair, tousled by Mr. Hughes earlier, a warm flush crept across his cheeks.
At first, he felt a prickle of fear when they brought him into the sterile-smelling room, when every inch of his body was inspected, and when he was placed inside an intimidating machine whose name he didn't even know. And when Mr. Hughes picked up a syringe and angled it toward him, Damian wanted so badly to refuse. But he understood it was part of the examination, necessary to analyze his pheromones, so he squeezed his eyes shut and let Mr. Hughes and the other man who came with him draw his blood three separate times.
The whole process ended faster than he expected, and once everything was done, Mr. Hughes ordered his colleague out of the room.
It was just the two of them now. And even though the man's red eyes mirrored the color of blood, Damian didn't feel afraid when he tried to look at his face.
"You're emotionally sharp. You can already read and write well, and you've been learning material meant for kids older than you. From the data I've read, you could easily enter a private school and graduate earlier than most… So I understand why that old woman chose you. Hey, kid. Do you know what's going to happen to you? Are you not even a little scared?"
Mr. Hughes raised an eyebrow, studying the boy with eyes that showed no real sign of concern, despite how his question sounded like something an adult would ask out of genuine care. His expression remained relaxed, and he occasionally glanced at something displayed on his laptop screen.
"I…"
Damian opened his mouth, and Mr. Hughes' typing fingers paused.
"I don't really have the option to refuse, right? So does my choice even matter?"
Mr. Hughes' eyes widened, followed by a wide smile. A laugh slipped out of him— the kind that made it clear the boy's small voice had just delivered something genuinely amusing.
"Aha… You're smart. A very smart boy. You're right. Whatever answer you give, whatever decision you think you have… in the end, you'll still follow what that annoying old woman wants."
Mr. Hughes pointed toward an empty chair, and from the gesture alone, it was obvious he wanted Damian to sit.
"Haah… why did I even bother coming here just to see some kid…" he grumbled under his breath, his tone carrying a faint childishness. He tilted his head as if thinking of someone, then let out a quiet, breathless chuckle.
Damian found it fascinating how quickly the man's expression shifted. Though the moment he continued speaking, that fleeting softness vanished entirely— returning to his neutral, unreadable face.
"I'll explain a bit about the duties you'll have once you start working for the Charleston family. You'll attend the same school as their young alpha prime. You'll also act as his bodyguard, babysitter… or if you're lucky, you might even become his friend. Your job is simply to make sure the kid takes his medicine, protect his reputation, report his movements, and scold him when he does something inappropriate … basically, you're just his assistant. Ah, how am I supposed to explain this to a child?"
Listening to him, Damian could tell the man truly had no idea how to speak to children. But that didn't mean Damian couldn't understand him. Mr. Hughes was right— he was essentially being groomed to become the young master's personal guardian. And strangely, the thought didn't feel heavy or scary. If anything, his heart thumped with excitement when he heard he would be attending the same school as the Charleston heir. That meant he'd be entering a prestigious academy, the kind attended by elite children.
"Anyway, once you understand what an alpha prime is and how to handle it, you'll see that life in their mansion will be comfortable for you. They're not planning to enslave you. They just need someone his age to keep an eye on him because adults can't exactly enroll in a school just to make sure the young master doesn't cause trouble. So if you manage to become his friend and ensure he takes his medicine, your life won't be any different from an elite child's. If you are smart, then you will live a lucky life."
—If you are smart, then you will live a lucky life.
Damian never forgot those words from Mr. Hughes. A simple line, but it carved itself deeply into him— fueling his ambition.
*
A day after his examinations, the scans, the bloodwork, and once the results were out, Damian was summoned into a room where a familiar face awaited him. Mrs. Beth greeted his arrival with a warm smile, and judging by Damian's curious expression, she could tell he had questions.
"Is Mr. Hughes not here?"
As if she hadn't expected that to be the first thing out of his mouth, Mrs. Beth paused in the middle of flipping through the documents in her hands. A faint crease formed between her brows, and whatever thought surfaced there made her let out a small laugh.
"After he finished examining you, he went straight home. He was in a real hurry… ah, yes, I heard his future husband is pregnant."
"Pregnant? So Mr. Hughes already has an omega?"
"Yes, an omega who is the reason you're even in this orphanage here today. Anyway… sit down, sweetheart. I need to explain a few things to you."
Turning in her seat, it was obvious she wanted to shift quickly to the main topic of why he'd been called in. Her hands busied themselves digging through her bag. Damian cast a brief glance at his carer, Miss Anita. There were countless questions he wanted to ask about Mr. Hughes, but he didn't know where to begin. He regretted not being able to utter even the simplest "thank you" to the man, too distracted at the time by those striking red eyes that inexplicably drew his attention.
Alpha prime— yes, he remembered. He'd soon be sent to the home of a Charleston child who was also an alpha prime, and around his age too.
"Ah, found it."
Mrs. Beth pulled out a medium-sized document, not too thick, and placed it on the table. Damian tilted his head, trying to catch any writing that might give him a clue about its contents, but he didn't have to wonder long. Mrs. Beth opened it right away.
"I need your signature. Here."
Just as Damian reached for the pen Mrs. Beth offered, Miss Anita called out, "Damian."
Her voice startled him, his hand jerked back instinctively.
"What is it?"
"I apologize ... I realize I may be overstepping. However, isn't this rather heavy a responsibility for a child who has not even reached the age of ten? Should we not first hear his opinion after you explain what his duties in the Charleston household will entail?"
"So you're Damian's carer?"
"Yes. I'm responsible for the children in the same room as Damian. I already know what he'll be doing from the information my supervisor shared, but I've been wondering if Damian truly knows. He's about to sign a document that a child his age can't even review, and I doubt he can fully grasp the consequences of it… so shouldn't you hear his thoughts on this agreement first?"
Worry was written plainly on Miss Anita's face, though her trembling voice betrayed how nervous she was to question a member of an elite family. She clasped her hands together, wringing them, clearly aware that if Mrs. Beth told her supervisor to fire her for this audacity, she would lose her job on the spot.
"Hah…"
Mrs. Beth let out a long exhale that made Miss Anita flinch. She scratched her forehead before pulling the document back from the table.
"Damian, did Mr. Hughes explain what you'll be doing during your examination?"
"Mr. Hughes said I'd accompany the alpha prime who's the same age as me, and act as his friend someone who watches over him to make sure he takes his medicine."
"And? Did he say anything else?"
"I can go to the same school as that alpha prime, and watch over him while we're at school too."
"Do you have any objections?"
"Not at all."
Mrs. Beth's lips curved into a satisfied smile at the boy's unwavering reply.
Meanwhile, Miss Anita looked as though she still couldn't fully believe what she was hearing.
"Damian. Do you know what an alpha prime is?"
Miss Anita's voice grew louder than she intended, and Mrs. Beth's displeasure was immediate. It was the first time Damian had ever heard Miss Anita sound that panicked, even though she was clearly trying to keep herself controlled.
What Miss Anita didn't know, however, was that Damian didn't visit the library just to read random books, he always sought out anything he could find about alpha primes. It was safe to assume he already knew what an alpha prime was.
Most alpha primes are practically dominant alphas. Their pheromones contain an exceptionally intoxicating potency, and they can manipulate them at will, even during rut— very different from regular alphas or omegas, who often lose consciousness during heat or rut. There are periods when alpha primes become dangerously unstable, capable of horrific things. They also lack the instinct of fear; some do not possess it at all, making them capable of cruelty without caring about consequences.
There is only one time an alpha prime loses control over their pheromones during rut— when they choose their mate. When they develop a pure, instinctive attachment to someone they deem theirs, it affects their pheromonal stability, overriding the control they normally maintain.
In essence, alpha primes are dangerous. Their perception, mentality, and instincts do not align with 'normal' humans— though some do blend into society, but only because they choose not to act on their nature.