by H Q Kingsley
The off-white walls of Doctor Kendrick’s practice were covered in posters. Some colorful and bright, and others on the dull side, all information relating to omegas and their bodies.
I’d never been on that side of Doctor Kendrick’s building before. It was a little like the twilight zone. Why hadn’t I learned more for when I’d found my mate? Why hadn’t I cared more about the omega body that would be carrying my child? I vowed to myself to study more, to be the rock that could reassure Iosefa when he needed it.
Doctor Kendrick led us down a second hall to a bright blue door on the right.
As we stepped in, he turned to Iosefa. “Iosefa, if you could, please remove your shirt and sit on the bed over there,” he said with a smile.
Instinctively, a low growl rumbled in my throat. I hadn’t even known that my wolf was so close to the surface, but the second the handsome young doctor instructed my mate to take his clothes off, a possessive, barely controllable instinct ripped through me.
Dr. Kendrick raised his hands up in front of him, his eyes wide with surprise. “I meant no disrespect, Alpha. It is only a normal part of the procedure.”
I took a step back, letting go of Iosefa for the first time since climbing out of the car. “I know.” I shook my head, trying to shake off the feral need to rip the doctor into pieces for examining my mate. “I’m sorry.”
Iosefa looked at me for approval, and I nodded. “It’s okay,” I said. “I’m sorry,” I said again, giving Doctor Kendrick a nod.
“No problem,” Doctor Kendrick said. “You can wait just outside the door. We’ll only be—”
“I’ll wait here,” I said, cutting him off.
“Alpha—”
“I’ll wait here,” I repeated. “I’m not leaving this room,” I said sharply enough that the doctor didn’t argue.
I stiffly took a seat on the uncomfortable looking green chair sandwiched between the exam table and the wall.
Iosefa gave me a soft smile as he crossed to the patient table and climbed on top.
He slowly peeled out of his shirt, and my heart picked up speed in my chest. My eyes traced over the outline of his abs, his firm pecs, and the intricate clan tattoo that covered his shoulder and wound down around the upper part of his left arm.
I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to remember that he wasn’t disrobing for my benefit. This was a doctor’s visit. A completely inappropriate setting for the semi surfacing in my pants.
Iosefa wasn’t making it easy. Every time he moved, the hard muscles of his torso rippled and tightened.
I flexed my fingers, trying to hold back my wolf and contain the growing need to claim him on the table right then and there—doctor in the room or not.
“You look to be in good shape.” Doctor Kendrick looked him over. “That’s good since you are planning to carry pups. Make sure to continue to get your exercise.” Doctor Kendrick dropped his gaze to his clipboard, quickly jotting something down before he looked up again. “I’m going to ask you a series of questions, Iosefa, and we’ll get the best results if you answer them as truthfully as you can.”
For a brief moment, Iosefa looked nervously over at me.
“It’s okay,” I said with a nod, and he instantly seemed to ease.
Doctor Kendrick shifted on his stool, his eyes darting between us before they settled back on Iosefa.
“I know it might be difficult, but just try and pretend he’s not even here. It’s only the two of us.”
Slowly, Iosefa nodded.
“How old are you, Iosefa?”
“Twenty-three.”
“Good, good.” Doctor Kendrick jotted more things onto his clipboard. “You look healthy for your age. What was your exercise routine like? What kind of diet?”
“I was always working around my island. We traveled by boat and I was a diver for the pearl extraction team. I only drink water, and our meals were made with fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, and meat we raised ourselves.”
The doctor continued to write down everything. “Wonderful,” he said. “And how has your living situation been of late? Any recent stresses?”
Iosefa parted his lips but closed them when he turned to look at me.
Suddenly, I sensed the uptick in his heart rate and I felt a pang of guilt. I was his recent stress. That much was obvious.
“It’s okay,” Iosefa finally said.
I cleared my throat, and Doctor Kendrick turned to me.
“Is all this really necessary?” I asked.
Doctor Kendrick smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Alpha. Everything I am doing is a normal part of the omega exam and meant to ensure that we get accurate results.” He looked back at Iosefa. “Now I have to draw some blood.”
Doctor Kendrick stepped out of the room for a moment, leaving the two of us alone together.
I climbed to my feet and crossed to stand by his side.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s just a few questions. No big deal.”
I nodded back and awkwardly rubbed at my neck. “Yeah, couldn’t help but notice your hesitation at that last one.”
Iosefa pressed his lips together and let out a harsh breath through his nose. “It’s just… I don’t know. I’m sorry. I should have answered differently.”
I reached out to place a hand on his cheek. “No,” I said more aggressively than I’d meant to. “Don’t apologize to me.” I softened my voice. “I know that I can be… difficult.”
Iosefa gave me a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s… a word for it, I guess.”
I placed my other hand to his other cheek, forcing his gaze to mine. “I can be better.” I gently rested my forehead against his, breathing him in and feeling his scent give me that familiar high. “For you, I can be better,” I promised.
He surprised me when his hands reached up to rest over my own. I could feel the warmth of his breathing brush against my face. I leaned a little closer, yearning to brush my lips against his.
I could feel his heart racing to match the speed of mine as my lips slowly eased toward his, but just before they could touch, the doctor pushed the door open and reentered the room.
I wanted to stay there, to keep holding him. I didn’t give a damn if the doctor saw, but clearly Iosefa felt differently.
He jumped back, realigning himself across the patient table to put more distance between us than I ever wanted.
I frowned, but stayed by his side, trying to reconcile that our moment had passed.
Doctor Kendrick moved closer to Iosefa, and I noticed the blood kit in his hands.
Iosefa’s eyes grew wide as he spread it out on a small tin tray next to him.
He sucked in a breath as Doctor Kendrick moved toward him with the silver-tipped needle.
My chest tightened, and I could feel my wolf coming back to the surface, an irrational instinct washing over me to attack Doctor Kednrick.
“Be easy,” I growled at the doctor.
“It should only be a little pinch,” Doctor Kendrick assured me as he prepared Iosefa’s arm.
I nodded, but my body was still tense, still ready to launch into an attack at a moment’s notice.
Iosefa let out a sharp hiss the moment the needle punctured his skin, and my hand instinctively reached out to snatch the doctor’s arm.
“I said, be easy.” I glared at him and bared my teeth, my wolf losing patience.
“Relax, Alpha Callum,” Iosefa said, reaching out for my wrist to call me off. “I’m fine. It was only a little pinch, just like he said.”
I loosened my grip on the doctor, letting him go as I got a grip on myself and my wolf.
Doctor Kendrick looked hesitantly up at me as he rubbed his arm where I’d grabbed him.
“Okay, then,” he said as he continued taking Iosefa’s blood.
When he finished, he smiled at Iosefa. “That’s all I need for now.” He gathered his tubes and equipment. “Just wait here, and I'
ll be back with some information on your cycle shortly, okay.”
Iosefa nodded. “Okay.”
An awkward silence settled between us as Doctor Kendrick left the room.
“You’re acting a little crazy, you know,” Iosefa said, finally breaking up the quiet. “Crazier than usual,” he added.
I laughed a little. “Yeah,” I agreed with a nod. “It’s my wolf,” I explained. “He gets a little crazy about you, I guess.”
Iosefa dropped his eyes to his lap. “Oh,” he said quietly. “Just your wolf?”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Well, maybe me too.”
Iosefa looked up at me for just a moment, a glint in his eyes, before he dropped his gaze again.
“Why do you do that?” I asked.
“Do what?”
“Look away from me.” I reached to tilt his chin back toward me.
He tried to look away again, but I held him in place. “I don’t know,” he said barely above a whisper. “You… embarrass me.”
“Oh,” I said in surprise, letting him go.
“No.” He reached out for me. “I don’t mean… I just mean… Ugh.” He groaned and pulled his arms back to drop his head into his hands. “You just make me feel things that I can’t really deal with,” he finished.
“Oh,” I said again. “Things like?”
“Hate.”
“Oh,” I repeated, feeling like I was on a loop.
“And joy.”
“Oh.” I wanted to slap myself. I had a billion words in my vocabulary, and I seemed to be stuck on just the one.
“And…” Iosefa hesitated. “Desire,” he finished.
“Oh.” I practically growled it, my whole body going hot to hear him say he desired me.
“But I can’t handle feeling all those things for you.” He finally met my eyes. “You took me away from my home, Alpha Callum. You threatened my family, you nearly killed my father.”
I winced as I was confronted with the list of my crimes against him.
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “How can I want you so much after all you’ve done to me?” His eyes searched me for a long moment. “After the way you’ve treated me?”
I opened my mouth to tell him I was sorry. Sorry for all it. Promise him I’d change, but before I could get a word out, Doctor Kendrick walked back in with a grave look on his face.
“What’s the verdict, doctor?” Iosefa asked while fidgeting with his hands.
“Iosefa, your vitals are excellent. You are a very healthy young wolf.” He smiled at Iosefa, but it was half-hearted. The kind of smile people gave before the punchline. “And, based on the lab results, he should be entering a full heat soon. But…” He glanced quickly between the two of us. “It will all depend on his stress levels.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, moving closer to the doctor.
He rubbed at his eyebrow. “I mean that Iosefa’s stress levels are incredibly high for his age and current health. And an omega’s body is tied to their emotions, particularly in the areas of reproduction. Too much stress will affect his reproductive organs and disrupt his heat cycle. It is very serious and should be tended to immediately, as it can cause other health complications.”
I swallowed, but my mouth had gone completely dry.
“C-Complications?” Iosefa asked, his eyes wide with fear.
“No.” I shook my head. “That has to be a mistake. There’s nothing wrong with him! He’s healthy and everything is normal. You just said so yourself.”
“I am sorry, Alpha, but the blood results don’t lie,” Doctor Kendrick said. “If Iosefa doesn’t have the emotional stability he needs, it can and will affect his chances of becoming pregnant. Omegas need to be nurtured and loved. Without it, they can become clinically depressed, which will prevent them from experiencing a normal heat. Even if their alpha knots, his seed will not take, and pregnancy will not occur.”
My throat tightened.
“Alpha Callum?” Iosefa looked at me, his eyes pleading with me to have all of the answers, and I hated myself because I didn’t. I didn’t have a clue what came next.
I looked back to Doctor Kendrick. “What should we do?”
Doctor Kendrick shook his head. “There’s no finite answer to that. Only Iosefa can tell you what he needs to be comfortable. You just have to listen.” He looked at Iosefa. “You’re going to have to communicate what you want. You’ll need to be comfortable, and it’s clear from your checkup today that right now, you aren’t. Whatever changes need to be made, I urge you to make them.” He looked back at me. “Both of you.”
9
Dimitri Isakov
“I really hope you know what you’re doing, Elspeth,” I mumbled to myself as I observed our men train for their tenth hour. They were exhausted, completely dead on their feet, but Elspeth had not given me the command to relieve them.
Granted, they deserved every minute of it for the way they’d mocked Iosefa, but I wasn’t sure exhausting them to the brink of insanity was going to do anyone any good.
I circled them up to run shifted-sprints, sighing at the defeated looks on their faces. I really, really hope he knows what he’s doing.
I stilled as a shiver ran up my spine. The familiar smell of moss and burnt sage stung my nose. I had never expected to smell that scent again. I had never expected to see him again.
“Dimitri. It’s been a while!”
I turned, swallowing as I took him in. He still looked exactly the same, as if he hadn’t aged a day in ten years.
His dark skin was still flawless, smooth and untouched by time. And as he leaned, bare-chested against a tree, I could see the ripple of every intensely trained muscle.
A part of me wondered if he still ran the same training drills that we did. If some part of the Shadow Moon Clan was still in him. Even something as trivial as exercise routines. But I knew better. I knew he wasn’t one of us anymore. He wasn’t the boy I’d grown up with anymore. He was completely changed. Vindictive and hateful of everything Shadow Moon.
And as much as I hated him for abandoning the clan, a part of me couldn’t blame him. Some small part of me knew I’d have done the exact same thing if I’d lost my Mishel.
“I’ve been waiting here for quite some time, you know.” Rami pushed himself off of the tree, uncrossing his arms to reveal the scars across his chest. He whipped his long, thick locks to the side as he grinned at me. “I thought you would have scented me long before now. Or maybe Alpha Callum is growing soft with his training?”
I frowned. His accent was different. Thick, and heavy with the South Wolf dialect.
“Rami, what are you doing here?” I asked. I hadn’t seen him in a decade. Not since he’d joined our rival clan. Not since he’d made a show of denouncing us and taking nearly ten percent of the clan with him. He’d certainly incurred Elspeth’s wrath for doing that, but it hadn’t seemed to cease his endless plotting. That much was obvious.
“Can’t a guy just come by to visit old friends?” Rami circled around me like a snake in the grass. “Maybe I missed you guys.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know you aren’t allowed here, izmennik. You’ve intruded into our territory, which violates the code—”
“Right, because The Shadow Moon Clan is all about following the rules,” Rami taunted. “You guys are all about love and loyalty and not stabbing each other in the back.”
I scowled. “Nobody stabbed you in the back, Rami.”
Rami held up his hand. “I’m not here to rehash old grievances. I’m not even here to pillage your territory. I’m here on a totally official and legal mission.”
I arched a brow. “Which is?”
“Alpha Adrian has demanded a rematch, and, of course, I am allowed to cross your borders to relay the message.” Rami squinted across the training field. “Now, where is your Alpha, Dimi?”
I shivered. It was odd to hear him call me by my childhood nickname. The nickname he’d given me. It took me back to si
mpler times. Times of friendship and brotherhood. Times before we’d become… whatever the hell we were.
“The Alpha is busy,” I said flatly. “He isn’t seeing anyone right now. Especially not you.”
Elspeth was prone to intense rage under normal circumstances, seeing Rami probably wouldn’t end well for any of us. Though he’d never admit it, he’d been just as hurt as the rest of us when Rami turned traitor.
Rami tilted his head to the side, causing his locks to fall across his face.
“That’s interesting,” he said with a hum. “Elspeth is busy. Too busy to take a meeting. I thought it was all work and no play for our dear Alpha.”
“My Alpha,” I bit. “You chose to align yourself with Astro Shade trash, remember?”
Rami tensed, a low growl rumbling from his throat.
I leaned forward, baring my teeth, ready for a fight. Some part of me had always known this was what it would come down to. The second I’d laid eyes on Mishel, in the back of my mind, I’d known it’d end with either the death of Rami or me at the hands of the other.
But Rami backed down, his shoulders suddenly relaxing, his eyes focusing back on me. He waved his hand. “Why don’t you tell him it’s a matter of great importance, and if he decides to delay further...” Rami shrugged. “Well, let’s just say, things won’t be so cordial in the future.”
I stayed in my defensive position. “Are you making a threat against my Alpha?” I growled.
Rami pursed his lips, his eyes flitting behind me. I hadn’t realized that the clan had started to run over, prepared to battle by my side.
“It seems like you have your hands full at the moment,” Rami said, with a nonchalant indifference.
He turned, starting his journey back through the forest. He stopped for a moment and turned back to meet my eyes. “I’ll be in touch, Dimitri. Say hello to Mishel for me.”
I frowned, wanting nothing more than to gut the bastard for mentioning Mishel’s name, but I couldn’t start a war. Not with Rami. Not now.
