by Hawke Oakley
Hissing through my teeth, I stumbled out the front door.
“Whoa!”
My body slammed into someone and we crumpled to the ground.
“Ow - oh, Wesley? What are you doing out here?”
I recognized the voice as one of the ex-Scarlet Ridge omegas I’d met earlier. A moment later I was being helped to my feet.
Mason stood in front of me with a concerned expression. “Are you okay? I thought you were still recovering. Did Ken let you out?”
“Who is the top alpha in this pack? And where is he?” I asked bluntly.
Mason blinked. “Huh?”
“The top alpha. Where is he?”
Understanding dawned on Mason’s face as he looked at me gently. “Oh… Um. I know we had one in Scarlet Ridge, but there’s no such thing as a top alpha here in Indigo Mountain.”
I stared at him, dumbstruck.
“What?” I said quietly after a moment.
“There is no top alpha here.” He looked at me curiously. “Why?”
My knees finally gave out and I stumbled to the ground. I couldn’t handle the information hitting me.
How could there not be a top alpha here?
Who ran the pack?
Who was I supposed to get rid of?
Did Gunner know about this?
Mason kneeled down and quickly helped me to my feet. “Wesley, you’re still hurt. You can’t be running around like this until Ken gives you the green light.”
I shook my head in disbelief. There was no way this could be true.
“Wesley?”
“There has to be a top alpha,” I muttered. “There has to be.”
“Well, there isn’t,” Mason said. “I know Gunner was our top alpha back in that shithole, but he isn’t around anymore, okay? And there isn’t another top alpha here. It’s better this way. Now come on, let’s get you back to Ken.”
Dazed, I let Mason carry me back inside. Ken was already there.
“Oh, thank the Moon you found him,” Ken said with a huge sigh of relief. “I was worried he injured himself when he ran off.”
“What were you running off for?” Mason muttered at me. “I was just dropping by on the way home from work when I thought I’d see how you and Wesley were doing, and I wanted to ask about these vitamins too, but… Oh, whatever. Anyway, it was a good thing I came here when I did, because he seems really confused and out of it.”
Ken’s eyes fell on me, serious and full of concern. “What were you thinking, Wesley?” he asked gently. There was no accusation in his tone but I was so frustrated and lost that I didn’t know how to answer. I only shook my head and shut my eyes.
Ken strode over and put his arms around me, pulling me into a firm embrace. “Don’t run out like that again,” he muttered. “You scared the hell out of me. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
I nodded slightly into his chest.
Mason shuffled behind us. “Uh… I’m gonna get going. I’ll see you guys around.”
He let himself out, leaving me alone with Ken in the front hall. After a moment, he broke the embrace and asked, “Can you walk?”
“I guess.”
My knees were still weak, so he put an arm around me and escorted me up the stairs. When we reached the apartment he put me in bed, double-checked my body, and concluded I’d just exerted myself and was fine.
“I’m not going to ask why you were upset,” Ken began, not looking me in the eye. “I know… you must have wanted a relationship with me. But I’m afraid it’s just not possible. I’m sorry.”
Did it even matter anymore? Did I even need to seduce Ken at this point, if there was no top alpha in this pack to work my way up to? Why was I even here if there was no top alpha? What was the point?
“Wesley, please say something,” Ken pleaded.
“I’m just… tired,” I said weakly.
“I understand. Get some rest.” He sighed quietly. “We can talk about this later, if you want.”
Then, Ken left the room.
But I didn’t want to talk about it. There was nothing to talk about. My body and mind felt like garbage. I couldn’t go back to Scarlet Ridge empty handed - Gunner would kill me. But there was no way he could’ve known there wasn’t a top alpha here. He probably still would want me to destroy the pack from the inside out. Probably even destroy Ken.
Right now, I despised that thought with my whole being. I shut off my thoughts.
I laid down, shut my eyes, and waited to pass out.
6
Ken
For a few days, Wesley was quiet and somber. I didn’t bother asking why. I knew me telling him a relationship between us couldn’t work out must have upset him. But there was nothing I could do about that. As much as I enjoyed our physical contact that night, it wasn’t right. I could only pray Wesley recovered soon, moved out of my apartment, and found an alpha mate to call his own.
One that wasn’t me.
Even though that notion filled me with a deeply uncomfortable sense of irritation.
Still, I had no time to dwell on that. I was a professional and needed to help my patient’s recovery. Once he was gone, then I could sit around and mope.
But something was happening to Wesley - something I hoped would happen later rather than sooner.
I knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”
I thought he might be asleep, but instead he said, “Yeah.”
I stepped inside to find Wesley curled up in bed, facing away from me. Even though he had recovered enough to walk for the most part on his own, I still wanted to bring him food. Maybe it was to ease my own anxiety. Maybe I thought the gesture would make him hate me less after snubbing him.
“Here’s something to eat,” I said, setting the tray down on the table.
Wesley still wouldn’t turn to face me.
“Are you feeling okay today?” I asked cautiously.
“Yeah,” he said. “I mean… I don’t know. I feel really warm.”
Instantly I became anxious. If what I thought was happening was truly happening, all of our problems were about to get worse.
“Would you like me to check your temperature?” I asked as clinically as possible.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Maybe later.”
That was fine with me. “Alright.”
I left the room, closed the door behind me, and that was that. At least for now. But now I was getting worried. If even he noticed that he was starting to feel warm, there was a problem.
Wesley might be going into heat. His very first.
I recalled the disaster when he tried to be intimate with me, and I told him no. I couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be when he was desperate, and his needy omega scent would drive my wolf absolutely crazy. I knew I wouldn’t lose control and jump on him like a stupid sex-crazed alpha, but I still couldn’t be here for that.
What the hell was I going to do?
The next day, my fears were confirmed.
Wesley groaned and called for me in desperation. It was clear he was afraid and didn’t know what was going on with his body. His eyes flashed with fear as he clutched my arm.
“It feels like I’m on fire,” he cried pitifully.
I grimaced. Sometimes a first heat manifested like this; the arousal didn’t kick in right away, and the omega was left with a hot, burning feeling. It was overwhelming, especially if you didn’t know what was going on.
“I’m going to check your temperature,” I told him, even though I was sure I already knew what was going on. I gently slid the thermometer in his mouth. Sure enough, he was burning up.
“Do I have a fever?” he asked, staring at me with doe-like eyes. It was if he forgot about the tense situation from a few days ago, which is the one thing I was thankful for. I hated knowing that he was upset with me.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “But it’s… not a normal fever, I’m afraid.”
“What?” he asked weakly. He grasped my wrist. “Ken, what’
s wrong with me?”
“I’m afraid you’re about to have your first heat.”
Wesley stared at me like I’d said something ridiculous. Then the gravity of the situation hit him and he sank back on the pillow before burying his face in it and groaning.
“Great,” he muttered.
“I know it’ll be hard,” I said, trying to be as comforting as possible without touching him for reassurance. “But there are ways to get through it. I can call my omega friends and they can help you, if you want.”
Wesley said nothing for a while. Then he turned and glanced at me over his shoulder. “What should I do?” he murmured.
“There’s methods of… sating yourself,” I said. “None of them are as effective as the real thing, but there are toys and -”
Wesley just groaned and slumped back into bed.
“I’ll leave you alone for now,” I suggested, backing off. “Just call me again if you need anything.”
He grunted in response. I didn’t wait to hear if he said anything else.
I shut the door behind me and stalked to the other side of my apartment. I ended up pacing for five minutes while I wondered what to do. Once Wesley’s heat hit, he would be insatiable. The first heat was always especially hard, even more in this case since Wesley’s was so late in his life. I bit my lip thinking about our options. I could leave for a week, and ask Mason or Charlie to watch over him and make sure his recovery continued. But neither of them were doctors.
But did he still really need a doctor? He was almost completely better. If that was the case, maybe he could move out now, and…
No, that was ridiculous. He didn’t know anybody in this pack and had no means of finding his own place, not right now. Sending an unmated omega in heat into the wild, so to speak, would end up in a disaster.
I groaned and nearly ripped my hair out. Once his heat fully kicked in and his omega pheromones permeated through the air, it would be nearly impossible to avoid thinking about him in that way.
I grabbed the phone and called my friends.
“Charlie? Mason? Can you two meet me downstairs in my office lobby, as soon as possible?”
Hearing the urgency in my voice, they arrived promptly.
“What’s going on?” Charlie asked.
“It’s Wesley,” I said. “His first heat is starting soon, and I don’t know what the hell to do about it.”
They exchanged glances.
“Aren’t you a doctor?” Charlie said almost teasingly. “That’s not really a big deal to you, is it?”
“Well, they are sort of living together,” Mason added. “Plus Ken’s clinic is downstairs. So I guess it would be pretty distracting when he’s trying to work.”
“It’s not that,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t know…” I sighed, and figured I would have to tell them the entire truth, since they were trying to help. “Something happened between us a few days ago. We were laying down together and he started getting really close to me and kissing my neck and… I had to break it off, fast, because I’m his doctor and he’s my patient. I couldn’t let anything happen, but I think he took it pretty hard. We’ve barely been speaking, but now he’s worried and scared because of his heat, and - “
“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Mason said. “You think he likes you?”
I threw up my hands in exasperation. “I don’t know. Maybe. Why else would he do that?”
Mason’s face scrunched up in thought, but Charlie suddenly gasped.
“Wait a minute, Ken,” Charlie said slowly. “Do you like him?”
“What!?”
“Do you like him?” Charlie repeated simply.
I gaped, not knowing what to say. “I mean - yes, I like him as a friend -”
“Oh, come on,” Mason said, rolling his eyes. “You know that’s not what he meant.”
My mouth shut. “No. I don’t like him romantically, if that’s what you’re implying.”
Mason raised a brow. “Is that the honest truth?”
“Even if I did like him romantically, there isn’t anything I can do about it,” I suddenly snapped. My frustrations came pouring out of me. “I’m his doctor, and he’s a patient, and he’s way younger than me, and it’d just be completely wrong!”
Mason and Charlie exchanged glances again, then slowly turned to look at me with smirks on their faces.
“What?” I growled.
Mason crossed his arms. “You know, you’re the one making a big deal out of this. Not Wesley.”
“It’s not like he’s a kid, either,” Charlie added with a nod. “He’s a grown man. And once he recovers, he won’t be your patient anymore. Then there won’t be a problem, will there?”
“I… No - I mean… I guess not,” I said pathetically.
“Then just wait until he’s all better, than make your move,” Mason said, like it was the easiest thing in the world.
I stood there, feeling like an idiot. Were my friends right? Was I just making this a bigger problem than it really was?
“I don’t know,” I said with a sigh. “I mean, right now we’re not exactly on the best terms.”
Mason rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because you pushed him away. He’s probably afraid of fucking things up with you now.”
Feeling awful, I hung my head. I guess it really did help to hear a second opinion. I knew my friends were telling the truth, and as omegas, they probably knew what Wesley was feeling better than I did.
“Maybe I should talk to him,” I mumbled. “Before his heat starts for real and this gets even more complicated.”
“Wait,” Mason said, holding out a hand to me. “Can I go talk to him first? He hasn’t been alone with anyone except you since he arrived here. Maybe as another Scarlet Ridge omega, I can make him feel more comfortable. He’s seemed a little anxious lately.”
“Do you want me to come, too?” Charlie asked.
“No, that’s okay.” Mason shook his head. “It might be overwhelming if there’s two of us. I don’t want him to feel like we’re interrogating him or something.” Charlie nodded. I touched Mason’s shoulder as he was walking towards the stairs.
“Thanks,” I said. “I know I’m not the best with words, so… it means a lot that you’re willing to talk to him for me.”
He nodded. “No worries.”
Mason went upstairs to talk to Wesley about omega things, and Charlie and I waited downstairs.
7
Wesley
Someone knocked at the door. I was expecting it to be Ken again, but a different voice rang from the other side of the door - Mason’s.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
I really wasn’t in the mood to see anyone - except maybe Ken - but it wasn’t like I could say no. My body was hot and feverish and I could barely move. It was too much effort to tell him to go away.
“Yeah,” I croaked.
Mason came inside. “Hey.” He came and strode over until he was sitting on the floor, looking at me. He almost looked like he wanted something from me, but I didn’t know what it was.
“So, uh, Ken was talking to us,” Mason began. “He was feeling crappy because he doesn’t know what to do about your heat.”
My whole body felt like it was on fire. I didn’t know why Mason was talking to me, nevermind trying to get an intelligent response out of me.
“That’s a whole ‘nother issue. But there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Mason looked at me seriously, and the atmosphere shifted. For the first time since arriving in Indigo Mountain pack, I felt uneasy. Like I didn’t quite belong.
“The other day, when you ran out of the building, you kept asking me who the top alpha of this pack was and where he was,” Mason continued, holding my stare. “Why?”
I felt horribly trapped. My body wouldn’t move, and a growing aching need was forming in the lower half of my body.
“Wesley,” Mason said, “Answer me, please.”
“Why do you care?” I snapped.
My blood ran cold. This was the absolute worst scenario. I was vulnerable and incapacitated, barely able to move, and Mason was so close to figuring out who I was. He was already suspicious of me. I had to clear my name, fast, before he told anyone else about his suspicions - but I could barely think. How was I supposed to do this?
“Why?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“Because you don’t seem interested in living here. Because you ran out in a hurry, begging me to tell you where the top alpha is, without even knowing that there isn’t one here.” He narrowed his eyes. “Because you’re playing with Ken’s emotions.”
“What?” I snapped. “That’s not true!”
“He thinks you hate him,” Mason growled. “Or at least that you’re upset with him. And that’s not all. We had another traitor in our midst not too long ago…” He shook his head, looking visibly upset. “I won’t let that same thing happen again.”
“I’m not a traitor,” I growled.
“Then prove it.”
I didn't say anything. I couldn’t prove it.
“Tell me one good reason I shouldn’t tell Ken about my suspicions,” Mason said.
“I like Ken,” I snapped. “Okay? I have feelings for him, ones he didn’t seem too damn interested in reciprocating. And now he barely talks to me because of this stupid heat. And even if I didn’t love him, there’s nothing I can do anyway. There’s no top alpha here. Gunner sending me to infiltrate this pack was a joke. I’m sick and injured and just a stupid omega. So you don't have to worry about me ruining your precious pack.” I buried my face in the pillow, wishing the world would just go away. “Leave me alone.”
For a while Mason didn't move. Then he slowly got up. I heard his footsteps leave the room and descend the stairs. Finally. I just wanted to suffer with this stupid heat in peace, and it had only just begun.
But then, footsteps returned. The door opened again and multiple people shuffled inside. My head shot up. Mason and Ken were both standing there now.
