It was incredibly disheartening to know that the second true alpha that Andrew met was just like Nicole. Scared, diminished, and nervous when meeting Andrew. Just like Nicole, he was dropped off in a sleek black car.

Andrew was now in full belief that all rich people hand black cars so that they couldn't be picked out from any other cars.

He was well dressed, nervous, and unlike some of the other true alphas that Andrew had met, and himself included, he was thinner, while tall, but he didn't look like a damn house. He was thin, white, with grey eyes and blonde hair. He looked like if Andrew blew on him, he'd topple over.

Andrew got him a drink right away, and while it was probably very rude, Andrew kind of led the man in the direction of getting a higher calorie drink. The man didn't protest, didn't say that he couldn't have sugar, so Andrew felt that it was okay.

His name was Gordon Patterson, he came from a big true alpha family as well, and he wasn't from the city. Andrew wondered how he had managed to get here as soon as he did, and that was when Gordon admitted that he was staying at a hotel for a few days and had been trying to work up the courage to message him.

It was their joint therapist who had encouraged him to reach out, which could explain why all three of them had reached out at the same time. Andrew hadn't heard that from Nicole, but he also hadn't even known to ask. Andrew could confirm with Noah when he arrived.

Gordon was just there to speak with Andrew about how he became a true alpha, how he was managing himself now that he was more in the public eye and had a high profile fiancé. It was something that Andrew was noticing.

As soon as these betas turned into true alphas, they were forced into engagement or even marriage. Andrew, a worry in the back of his mind, asked Gordon about it. He asked if his marriage had always been dictated by his family.

Gordon told him that he wasn't allowed to date without his family's permission. Betas in particular had to be controlled because there was a chance that they could turn into a branch family if the main family wasn't careful. Andrew was horrified to hear that.

Gordon quickly told him that he was fine with it, he probably would have been single for the rest of his life if he hadn't manifested late, so he saw this as a positive. He boldly told Andrew, without hesitation or awareness, that he had been told his whole life until now that his genes were so poor that he shouldn't pass them on. He was glad that their opinion of him had changed.

Andrew just knew that all true alphas were not okay. There was no way that they could be if this was something that Gordon told him without hesitation.

Andrew just listened to Gordon, offered him a nonjudgmental ear, a support system, and answered any question that he had. It wasn't as emotional of a conversation with Nicole, but it was eye opening. For both Gordon and Andrew.

Gordon was amazed that he was able to remain as optimistic as he was without the support of a true alpha family, and was glad that he had reached out to Andrew to ask his questions. He had always wanted to meet Andrew in person and ask him questions because he grew up outside of a true alpha family.

Andrew was glad that he had reached out. He didn't speak to Andrew in a judgmental way, he was just a man who was curious, nervous, and came from out of town. Andrew found this experience rather surreal given the conversation he'd just had with Nicole.

Nicole was aware of how shitty her family background was, because Andrew also knew how shitty it was. Andrew had exposed it to the general public. Gordon, however, wasn't aware of that aspect of his upbringing, and Andrew didn't want to pop that bubble for him.

He seemed to be holding on by a thread.

So, Andrew answered his questions, gave him his advice as much as he could, and told him what worked for Andrew, and was honest with Gordon that it might not work for him. Gordon was receptive to that, and by the end of their time, he seemed…relaxed. Better. Like this was what he had needed to move forward with his life, and Andrew was glad for it.

Maxwell had been so worried that the people who were going to approach him were going to want something from him, or were going to try to kidnap him, but Andrew viewed them more as wary travelers.

People who had no idea what they were doing, where they were going, and had watched as Andrew got his bearings rather quickly while they had struggled. They wondered how he had done it? Now Andrew was just answering some of their questions.

Gordon left at exactly his time, giving Andrew a firm handshake, a smile on his face that lit up his thin face and turned him from a worried man into a handsome one. Andrew told him that he should make sure he smiles at his fiancé, and often. Gordon took those words seriously, making a note of them as he was leaving.

Now Andrew just had to wait for Noah. A man he had already met, his half brother, and he wondered what he wanted to speak to him about?

Was it the same thing that the others had wanted to speak to him about? Or was there something else, something deeper going on? He really hoped that they weren't using Noah as a way to reach out to Andrew. He really didn't want to speak to those dumbasses if he could avoid it.

He'd had one terrible interaction with people Andrew had viewed as 'not as bad'. He had no fucking clue what the Abraham family would do to him, and he didn't want to find out.

~

Noah didn't show up in the same way as the others. He did show up in a sleek black car, but he came by himself. He parked the car out front, lucky that a spot had freed up right away before he stepped out of the car. Andrew was glad that he had grabbed a spot by the windows so that he could people watch.

That meant he could watch as Noah steeled himself, steadying himself to speak to Andrew.

He was wearing a thick, long black jacket. It had a fur trim, like Nicole's jacket had, but that was where it was different. He wasn't wearing gloves, his hair wasn't done in the same way, and he looked determined. Not nervous, not stoic. He looked like a man who was about to go into a very important meeting, and he had no idea that Andrew was watching him.

Noah strolled into the building, took in the obvious security and like Nicole, seemed to relax at that simple sight. Andrew wondered if they were worried Andrew would be kidnapped if he didn't have people with him? The Abraham family wouldn't stoop that low, would they? Should Andrew be more worried than he was while he was travelling around?

When Noah saw Andrew, his expression lightened. He smiled broadly, his steps picking up before he seemed to check himself and grew a little embarrassed. Andrew didn't mind, holding out a hand for Noah to shake that he took gladly.

"Andrew. It's so good to see you looking so well." Noah told him sincerely. His words rang with sincerity and Andrew scanned Noah. He was making sure that he looked good as well. Noah did look a little tired, his cheeks a little sunk in. He had probably suffered greatly from standing up to his family and Andrew felt his lips turn down in a frown.

"I wish I could say the same. Are you alright, Noah?" Andrew asked carefully and watched as the other man's eyes widened, before his expression softened. He squeezed Andrew's hand before he released it. He laughed lightly, shaking his head.

"No, but I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern, Andrew, but-" Andrew shook his head firmly, still frowning at the other man. He was only a little bit shorter than Andrew, about the same height as Richard, and Andrew stepped closer to him, putting his hand on his shoulder. He gave it a squeeze.

"Don't you dare say that you're okay. I'm sure you're aware that I've already had a run in with one true alpha family in the area. I have some understanding of how bad they can be, even if it was only a glimpse. I am sure the Abraham family doesn't like to lose out to anyone in anything." Andrew didn't say it fully out loud, but watched Noah's expression.

He swallowed thickly, his throat working as he slid his gaze to Andrew's before sliding his gaze away. Andrew could tell he was fighting his emotions, and Andrew let him. They remained quiet for a long moment as Noah gathered himself.

"I will be okay. Things are…coming to an end in some regards and I will be able to do what I want soon. For now…it's rough, but that's okay. I made this bed, I decided that I didn't want to live the way that they had planned for me, and so now…I have to live with that." Noah' voice broke on the last word and he looked embarrassed. Andrew didn't say anything even as he felt his heart break for this man.

Andrew had been so focused on himself that he hadn't even considered what Noah had been going through. Granted, it was wedding planning, babies, going back to school, renovations and everything else in between. That didn't mean that Andrew didn't feel like he had dropped the ball with Noah.

He should have checked in, he should have-

"Shall we grab something to drink?" Noah offered, clearly wanting to change the subject. Andrew cleared his throat, nodding and stepping back from Noah so that the man could move past him. Noah glanced at him, glanced at the left hand that had been on his shoulder, and smiled. "How does it feel to be engaged to the most dangerous omega I've ever met?" Noah asked, smiling and Andrew felt himself relax.

It felt strangely normal to speak to Noah about this topic.

"It feels amazing, if not a whirlwind." Andrew told him honestly, and Noah laughed. He was smiling at him warmly as they got in line to order. Andrew chuckled, and the two began to chat while they waited. It felt normal, and Andrew was slightly surprised by that. At the same time, he'd felt this way with Nicole as well. Maybe it was their shared blood, or maybe it was the fact that they had similar values.

For now, Andrew wasn't sure. He had to wait and see why Noah wanted to talk to him.