CHAPTER 63: THE FIELD TRIP!

The morning sun had risen, casting a soft golden glow across the Voss estate as Jace zipped up his duffel bag, ready for the school field trip. The house was quiet, his parents already gone for the day, leaving the servants to bustle about with their usual efficiency.

One of them, a young man named Thomas, helped Jace carry his luggage to the car parked out front. Jace’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see his mother’s name on the screen. He answered, balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder as he adjusted his jacket.

"Hey, Mom," he said, his tone light but tinged with the lingering frustration from his argument with Elias the night before.

"Jace, honey," Mrs Voss’s voice was warm but firm. "You’re heading out for the trip, right? Please keep an eye on Elias. Make sure he’s okay and that no one bothers him. You know how things are for omegas."

Jace pouted, his lips twisting as he leaned against the car. "What, you care more about Elias than your own son now?"

Mrs Voss laughed softly, the sound gentle and reassuring. "Oh, stop it, Jace. You know I love you. Just take care of yourself, too, alright?"

Jace’s expression softened, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, yeah, alright. I’ll keep an eye on him. Promise."

"Good," she said. "Have fun, and call me if anything comes up."

"Will do," Jace replied before hanging up. He shoved his phone into his pocket, his mind already drifting to Elias. The way Elias had pulled away from him last night, the sharpness in his voice when he’d said he could handle things himself... it stung more than Jace wanted to admit. He’d only been trying to help, but Elias was acting like Jace was smothering him.

’Why’s he pushing me away? I didn’t do anything,’ Jace thought, his jaw tightening.

He turned to Thomas, who was loading the last of his bags into the trunk.

"Hey, can you go get Elias from his room? Tell him we’re leaving soon."

Thomas exchanged a quick glance with another servant, a woman named Clara, before clearing his throat.

"Uh, sir, Sir Elias already left."

Jace’s brows shot up, surprise and irritation flaring in his chest. "What? When?"

"About ten minutes ago," Clara said, her voice cautious. "He took his bag and headed out. He didn’t say where he was going."

Jace’s frown deepened, his hands clenching into fists. "Why didn’t he wait for me? We were supposed to go together."

Thomas shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "He didn’t say, sir. Just left."

Jace groaned, dragging a hand through his hair.

’He’s avoiding me,’ he thought, the realisation hitting like a punch. Elias had been distant since their argument, and now he’d left for school without even a word. "Fine," Jace muttered. "Get the bags in the car. Let’s go."

The servants nodded, quickly loading the luggage as Jace slid into the backseat. The driver pulled out of the estate, heading toward the university, but Jace’s mind was elsewhere. He stared out the window, his thoughts churning. Elias had always been independent even before they met, since he never wanted help from anyone, but this felt different... like he was deliberately keeping Jace at arm’s length.

.

.

By the time they arrived at the university, the campus was abuzz with activity. Five long buses were lined up in the parking lot, students milling around with bags and excited chatter. Jace stepped out of the car, scanning the crowd for Elias. His eyes narrowed as he spotted him on one of the buses, seated near the aisle in a row of three. Elias was surrounded by students, both guys and girls, who were piling snacks onto his lap... chips, candy bars, bottles of soda. Elias looked overwhelmed, his hands raised as he tried to wave them off.

"I’m fine, really," Elias said, his voice polite but firm. "I don’t need all this."

"Come on, dude, take it!" one guy said, tossing another bag of pretzels onto the pile. "It’s a long trip! You’ll need it,"

Jace’s jaw tightened as he boarded the bus, his bag slung over his shoulder. The sight of Elias, the centre of attention, made his chest ache with a mix of jealousy and protectiveness.

"Hey!" he called out, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Leave him alone, alright? He said he’s fine."

The students turned, some rolling their eyes, others whispering.

"It’s Jace Voss,"

"Are they dating or something?" one girl muttered, nudging her friend.

Elias’s head snapped up, his cheeks flushing. "No, we’re not dating," he said quickly, his voice loud enough to carry. "We’re just friends. Good friends."

The whispers grew louder, students exchanging glances.

"Ohhh, that makes sense," a guy said, smirking. "They’re just buddies."

"Super close buddies," another added, laughing.

Jace’s fists clenched, his face burning as he stepped closer to Elias.

"Move over," he said, his tone sharper than he intended. "I’m sitting here."

Elias looked up, his expression a mix of surprise and annoyance. Jace noticed Rowan sitting in the middle seat, smirking, and a girl by the window, her nose buried in a book.

’Rowan? Why is he sitting with Elias?’ Jace thought, his irritation spiking. He hadn’t even noticed him at first. "Rowan, get up," Jace said, his voice low and commanding.

Rowan’s smirk widened, but he didn’t move. "Nah, I’m good right here, Voss."

Elias sighed, turning to Jace. "Just find somewhere else to sit, Jace. I’m fine."

Jace’s frown deepened, his heart sinking.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice softer now, almost pleading.

"Yeah," Elias said, his tone firm but not unkind. "Don’t worry about me."

Before Jace could argue, a professor boarded the bus, clipboard in hand.

"Everyone, take your seats!" she called, her voice authoritative. "We’re about to start roll call."

Jace hesitated, then nodded reluctantly, slinging his bag into an overhead compartment and finding a seat a few rows back. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Elias, who was now chatting quietly with Rowan. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Rowan grinned before looking away, offering Elias a cookie from the pile of snacks.

"Want one?" Rowan asked, his tone casual.

Elias shook his head, forcing a small smile.

"Take whatever you want," he said, gesturing to the snacks.

Rowan grabbed a cookie, his grin widening. "Thanks, man."

Elias sighed, leaning back in his seat. He reached into his spare bag, checking its contents... the toy Dr Patel had given him, a jacket, his pills, a torchlight, and other essentials. The toy was the last thing he wanted to think about, but he’d packed it just in case.

’Better this than needing an alpha,’ he thought, shoving the snacks into the bag to make room. The watch on his wrist was also there, and he tugged his sleeve over it, trying to focus on the trip ahead.