Chapter 11
Olly
I stare at the ceiling, focusing on my breathing as the whir of the machines in my lab settle on me while I wait for Auryn’s blood to stop processing in the spinner.
I was lucky to get three tubes out of her, so I need to make every test count.
Upon initial inspection, under the microscope, I could tell something was off, but I won’t be certain what it is until I can get a clear readout.
“Olivander, we need you down here. Bring another dose,”
Gage commands through the comms, his voice rough and full of an edge that tells me he doesn’t care if the apocalypse is happening, I need to get my ass down to holding.
To Auryn.
I sit up straighter, lunging for the intercom to respond, but the second I do, all I hear is static. He must be gone, and there’s no way Auryn’s even close enough to the thing to answer me, either.
I hope he’s okay…
My instinct is to find him, but he ordered me to bring another dose of suppressant for Auryn, so that takes precedence over anything else.
I rush around my lab, feeling strangely on the spot. I don’t know what to do first, though I do know what I want to do: grab some pills and haul ass down there. I also know the shot of suppressant works faster because it hits her bloodstream quicker.
But I just gave her a dose last night. It shouldn’t wear off that fast.
I look at the processor, that whir loud and taunting. When I look at the results, will the proteins be metabolized? Will they be non-existent? The suppressant had worked, I saw it with my own eyes. But how long did it take to wane?
I look at the clock. It’s barely been twenty-four hours yet since we’ve had Auryn in our custody. I grab some suppressant from the fridge, a clean needle, and a bottle of pills. I’ll assess her when I arrive, and we can go from there.
It doesn’t take long for me to put my case together and get down to holding, as my lab is closer than any of our rooms. When I walk through the door, the first thing I notice is that intoxicating cinnamon and peppercorn scent. It’s thick.
The second thing I notice is Auryn pacing. She chuffs out irritated sighs, bordering on low growls, and her pace quickens until she just stops. And turns.
Those dark eyes meet mine, and her shoulders loosen.
“Olly,”
she says, her voice bordering feral. I’ve never seen an omega look so…
Menacing?
My blood rushes at the sight of her heaving chest, of the fire in her dark gaze. It’s…
Terrifying.
But also, strangely beautiful.
No wonder Gage wanted me down here.
As I approach her cell, I wonder just what happened to get her so worked up. I have a theory, but…
I also know Gage isn’t the type to just rile an omega up for no reason.
But Auryn isn’t just any omega. I know that, too. I just need to prove it. Scientifically.
“Auryn,”
I say, swallowing hard. “Are you…feeling all right?”
I sniff the air on my way over to the cell, breathing in that sweet cinnamon scent, that spicy peppercorn layering and making my damn mouth water.
Beta likes how Auryn smells. Sweet and spicy.
“I am fine!”
she bites out, but the minute I get to her door, I know she’s not. A burst of lemongrass hits my nose, and I wrinkle it.
Lemons are not my favorite food. They are too tart, too sour.
I like things that are sweet. Things that make me feel warm and comfortable.
Comfort is hard for me to find, though. I don’t feel it the same way others do. Everything needs to be perfect. If one thing is out of place or not in my list of things…it’s moot.
Perhaps Auryn is the same way? Perhaps she needs a litany of things to feel comfortable.
I punch in the code, noticing the way she watches me. Intently. She sniffs the air like she’s scenting something, but I’m not sure what exactly. Me? I showered this morning, but suddenly I’m self-conscious that I smell like bleach and antiseptic and I know that’s not a comforting smell.
“Can you tell me what you are feeling?”
I ask as the door opens. There is a moment, however minute, where she just looks at me. But it’s only a second before I feel my back thrown up against the bars, and I drop my case.
“Auryn—”
I lick my lips, sucking in a breath, but all I get is cinnamon. Sweet, hot, cinnamon. That tart lemongrass scent still lingers, competing.
Something about that seems important, but my brain feels muddled at the moment as I try to assess the situation.
I blink as she leans into my space, running her nose up my neck. She settles her palm on the other side of my neck, presses her body against me, and whines.
My breath comes in fast, my heart thudding like a freight train. I don’t move. I can’t. All I can do is stare down at her dilated pupils.
Omega is presenting as dominant.
Interesting.
She breathes me in. Deep.
“You smell good,”
she murmurs. I blink.
“Antiseptic is not an aphrodisiac,”
I say, trying to lighten the tension forming between us, but I’ve never been the best at jokes. I always screw up the punchlines.
She looks up at me in question, and I try to feign a smile, but it’s hard.
And I’m suddenly acutely aware that other parts of me are as well, and that makes me feel more vulnerable than anything.
I don’t think Auryn would hurt me. Even now with her staring at me like I’m some sort of prey, I don’t think she wants to hurt me. Call it a hunch.
I get another whiff of that competing scent. Peppercorn and…sunshine?
“You smell like the forest,”
she murmurs. “Like rain and dirt.”
Okay, that’s a new one, even for me. I’m going to have to check the label on my shower gel.
Her lips graze the flesh of my neck as she speaks.
Omega’s lips are soft and feel good against my skin.
I settle one hand on her hip, if only to gently push her away, but the second I make contact, something spreads in my chest.
Warmth? I can’t be quite sure, but it feels…
Not terrible. But also alarming.
Beta’s blood pressure is elevating.
It takes more concentration than I want to admit, to focus on trying to push her off of me. Because I don’t want to, and that itself is worth documenting.
Beta is experiencing a new feeling altogether, that’s for sure.
“Well, I suppose it could be worse,”
I say, my heart thudding so loud in my chest, I think she can hear it. “For the record, you smell good, too.”
I give her a nervous smile as I try to recall my training. “Like sticky cinnamon rolls.” I can’t purr, but…
I can change the tenor of my voice to something lower, so she is forced to listen.
So that’s what I do. I lower my voice, trying to catch her focus.
Auryn presses her chest against me and whines. “Your favorite food, right?”
Her voice is dark, thick with feral lust, and I realize all at once Gage was more than right to ask me to bring her suppressant. Because as that sweet, sticky cinnamon scent hits me along with that tart lemongrass, I know one thing is for sure:
What I’m observing is her heat. Firsthand.
I’ve studied omegas for years. I know everything there is to know about them. From the rare presentation cases to the rising issues in omega fertility, it’s my job to know.
I’ve encountered plenty of omegas as part of the team. But none of those omegas ever acted the way Auryn is acting. Not a single omega has ever pinned me against a wall. Not a single omega has ever given me a second look beyond disdain because I’m not an alpha. I’m a beta. Auryn should not be looking at me like this, should not be touching me like this, heat or no heat.
My body doesn’t respond to omegas in heat. It never has. Honestly, my body’s never responded to anyone.
At least…it hasn’t until right now, and that itself is both terrifying and intriguing.
Beta is responding to omega’s heat. Symptoms include elevated heartbeat, blood pressure, and…
I swallow as my dick hardens beneath my scrubs.
I need to push this…whatever this is aside and be objective.
She pulls back for a second, looking up at me with those dilated eyes, her body small and warm against me, and everything around me just…quiets.
There’s a strange sort of ache in my chest that beckons me to hold on instead of push. It’s really hard to fight, so I don’t. I squeeze her hip where my hand is settled and try to breathe.
“Auryn…”
I say her name shakily. “Tell me what you’re feeling.”
Because I’m freaking out right now, and I need to focus on something other than the hardness in my damn pants or the sweet scent of cinnamon that’s making my mouth water.
She cocks her head to the side, and the scent of cinnamon invades my lungs. I’m acutely aware of how close she is, pressed against me.
Against my dick.
And because I’m not in enough of a scenario, that is the moment it decides to twitch of its own accord, voicing what I can’t say out loud, or even in my own thoughts.
Beta is scared.
I squirm because the very action makes me feel flustered. Sure, I experience erections like the rest of my pack does—though not as frequently as they probably do—but the one thing I’ve always loved about this pack is that we are omegaless. We’ve operated just fine for years without one. Diego and Gage help one another out. Emmett’s never been quiet about how much he jerks off, so I’m pretty sure he’s fine, and me…
Well, I didn’t have to worry about that sort of thing, because it was a relief that I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone. I could just…be me. Take care of my needs if they arose. “If”
being the operative word.
Because in the seven years I’ve been with the pack, those needs rarely presented themself. I can count on one hand how many times I have actually masturbated while being at this compound, and I’ve only ever done it as a means to an end. So I could focus on doing my job.
But beneath Auryn, it seems, something is different, and I can’t process that.
I don’t want to process that.
I’m here to help her, not myself.
“Are you okay?”
she asks, her fingers on my neck squeezing slightly. She lets out the strangest sound, her chest rumbling against me.
It almost sounds like a…purr.
But that can’t be right. Only alphas can purr.
Still, the rumble of her chest against me settles me.
“I’m not sure,”
I say, because it’s the truth.
She sucks in another breath, and then she moves away. Off of me.
“I’m sorry,”
she says, her eyes filling with tears as she stumbles back. My body feels different without her pressed against me.
Solid, but…
Empty.
But I can also breathe, and my mind feels a bit less hazy. I look away as I adjust my stupid dick with a mind of its own and clear my throat before I bend down to grab my case.
Auryn scrambles to the back corner. Hiding.
“It’s okay,”
I say as I set my case on the table beside the bed. I focus on stilling my breath, on my softening cock. On my breathing. On pulling out the suppressant.
“No, it’s not, I—”
I lay my gaze on her, in that shadowed corner. I can see the turmoil in her eyes. She’s fighting herself, and something about that pulls on the ache in my chest.
But there’s something else. The hunch of her shoulders, the overpowering scent of lemongrass has erased all the cinnamon and peppercorn.
There’s no competition now.
I take two steps towards her, watching as her gaze flashes to me. She looks frightened. So different than moments ago where she had me pinned against the wall like an…
Animal.
My dick threatens to awaken again at the thought, so I push it aside. That is not the directive here, and I will have a lot to record when I get back to my lab.
“I’m okay,”
I tell her. I stop, giving her a wide berth of space. I offer her my hand. “I promise.”
I’m not okay, but I think I can manage for now. I have to. Auryn’s care is more important than whatever is happening to me.
She looks at my hand. I hold it steady, waiting for her to take it. She does.
Her tiny hand in mine feels warm. Comforting.
I tug it lightly. “Good girl.”
I offer her a smile as she comes closer. “See, totally fine.”
I tell her, my voice dropping an octave. I lead her to the bed and sit her down, regrettably letting go of her hand.
“I have the shot, and I have the pills,”
I say, letting out a sigh as I focus on arranging things in my case because suddenly I feel quite antsy.
Anxious.
Auryn whines. “Which is faster?”
“The shot, but I know you said you don’t like needles.”
I turn to take in the sight of her, sitting on the bed in her sweats and t-shirt. The clothes are too big for her small frame, but she looks…
Cute. Dark hair, a bit messy, pink lips perfectly shaped and parted slightly.
Big eyes staring at me with a look that makes my dick twitch.
I ignore it.
“I’ll take the shot,”
she says, “since you’re so good at it.”
A smile tugs at my lips.
“Why, thank you,”
I say as she rolls up her sleeve and offers me her arm.
I prepare the syringe, and when I turn, I see she’s looking at me with big, wondrous eyes.
“So…”
I say as I take my seat next to her, keeping her gaze on me. “Want to tell me how soon you started feeling…not suppressed?”
I rub an alcohol swab over her skin, my fingers grazing her smooth flesh as I do so. Goosebumps appear on her skin.
“Just a pinch,”
I say as I lick my lips and press the needle into her arm. She whimpers. “You’re doing so good, Auryn.”
I look at those bright eyes.
She lets out a relaxed sigh.
“Am I?”
Her voice is far away. Sad.
I pull the needle out of her arm and grab the cotton from the nightstand, pressing it against her.
“Mm-hm. Can you press that for me?”
She nods, her fingers sliding over mine as she takes over so I can stand and clean up my equipment.
I grab a bandage after doing so and sit beside her again. The bed dips when my weight offsets the balance. My fingers slide over hers as I catch her gaze. I focus on placing the bandage, but it’s hard not to notice how warm and smooth her skin is.
How good it feels beneath my fingertips.
I’ve always been good at my job. Better at it than most things in my life.
I look up at her wistful gaze as I pat her arm lightly.
“Do you need a kiss to make it better?”
I tease her, knowing full well she doesn’t, but the air feels awkward and tense, and suddenly anxiety and nerves spike through me.
“Maybe,”
she says, leaning closer to me.
My heartbeat thuds in my chest, and something inside of me awakens. Something new, something wild. I lift her arm just the slightest and lean forward, placing my lips to the gauze. The sigh that leaves her throat elicits a warmth in my chest I’ve never felt.
“There,”
I say, my voice strangely raspy even to my own ears.
When I lift my head, my gaze meeting hers, I realize she’s a lot closer than I thought. Her knee brushes mine, and her gaze dips to my mouth for a moment before she looks up at me.
My gaze flashes from her dilated pupils to her perfect, pink mouth.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear Gage’s voice.
It’s okay to like her. It’s normal.
Is that what this is? Do I like Auryn?
Beta is confused.
Her free hand finds my neck, soft fingers trailing over my throbbing vein there. Her pink tongue flicks out, licking her lips, and without thinking, I fall into her space. Like a gravitational pull.
It happens so fast, I barely register what’s happening until I feel her tongue sliding against mine, and I realize she's kissing me.
Auryn is kissing me.
I’ve never been kissed before.
My mouth moves slowly against hers as I process the motion and replicate it. I follow her lead.
No, I let her lead.
She tastes like cinnamon, too, and a soft sound escapes my throat.
I break away, my cheeks flushing with warmth. The sight of her kiss-swollen lips, her flushed cheeks, her bright eyes…
Beta liked that.
I lean in awkwardly and kiss her again, just to know I wasn’t imagining it.
Auryn grabs my throat again, her palm hot against my skin, and kisses me back. When she pulls away, I note we’re both breathing heavily.
“All better?”
I ask, my voice shaky and awkward, and suddenly the panic hits.
I kissed her.
Fuck!
Auryn’s breathing steadies, and the dilation in her pupils is gone.
“Yes,”
she says, staring at me for a moment. That’s when I hear the throat clearing of an angry alpha.
“Shift’s over, Olly,”
Emmett bites.
Auryn and I both stand up, nearly knocking one another over.
I grab my case as she moves back to give me space.
“Um, I’ll be back later to uh…check on you, and…uh—”
Auryn smiles. Really smiles.
“Okay,”
she says softly.
I practically run out of the cell, not even bothering to address Emmett. I can’t deal with him right now.
I can barely deal with myself.
The moment I get back to my lab, I lock the door and collapse in my chair. My damn dick is still hard, and I whine in defeat.
I know I should take care of it, but…
I have more important things to address. So, I adjust my stupid cock, grab my notebook, and write. I recount everything. I list every symptom, every observed feeling and reaction until the spinner stops, echoing in the space, and then I get an idea.
I find a clean needle and some tubes, shake out of my lab coat, and take off my scrub top. The cool air kisses my skin, and I hastily tie the tourniquet around my arm, using my teeth to pull it tight.
I make a fist. A hard fist.
The minute the needle slides into my vein, I feel a sense of relief.
I swap out the tubes with precision until I’ve filled three tubes. I slide the needle out and bandage myself, swapping out the tubes in the processor. I take Auryn’s out and pop my fresh tubes in. As I shut the lid, firing up the machine again, I feel a sense of calm, and for now that’s enough to focus on.
I lick my lips, tasting the remnants of cinnamon hanging on, and tell myself the answer will be in the blood.
Because blood doesn’t lie.
So I lose myself in my work, knowing it’s safer than losing myself to the thoughts of Auryn’s tongue in my mouth, of her warm body pressed against me.