~Chapter 9~
(A week later – Monday)
The academy was never quiet.
Students walked the halls in groups, their voices echoing off the high stone walls as a new week began. Some headed to practice, others to classes, still looking half asleep.
I felt exactly the same.
Actually... worse.
I leaned my shoulder against the cold wall in front of the classroom and pressed two fingers to my temple.
My head ached again.
But not in the same way it had the morning after the party.
This pain was duller, more constant, like something was slowly tightening inside my head.
“Idris?”
Rowan’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I looked up to see him walking toward me, Otis right behind him, already carrying a bag of snacks.
“Wow,” Otis said the moment he saw my face.
“You look like you’ve seen death.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
Rowan stopped in front of me and frowned slightly.
“You’ve looked like this since morning. ” “I’m fine,” I said automatically.
It was a lie.
Something had been wrong for a few days.
At first it was something small.
A little dizziness at practice.
A strange morning sickness.
Constant fatigue, even after I’d slept.
At first I blamed the party.
Then the stress.
Then the fact that Cedric seemed to have decided it was completely normal to sit next to me in almost every class.
Just the thought made my stomach clench again.
Not in a bad way.
Just… complicated.
“Idris.”
Rowan’s voice grew more serious.
“You’re pale.”
“I’m always pale.”
“That’s not the point.
”
Otis leaned closer and studied my face like a researcher analyzing a strange creature.
Then he froze suddenly.
“Oh.”
Rowan looked at him.
“Oh what?”
Otis slowly raised a finger at me.
“You look like my cousin when she was pregnant.”
I gasped.
“What?!”
Rowan immediately hit him on the shoulder.
“Otis!”
“What?” he defended himself.
“I’m just saying!”
My heart was beating faster now.
Way too fast.
Don’t be ridiculous.
It’s just a stupid thought.
Just paranoia.
Right?
I forced a laugh.
“Yeah, sure,” I muttered. “Because that’s totally possible.”
But the idea stayed there.
In the back of my mind.
Refusing to go.
Then we started to enter the classroom when it was almost time for the bell to ring.
I sat down in a certain spot and Rowan and Otis sat down above me, one row higher.
Rowan and Otis continued to talk to each other, but I could barely hear them.
I stared at the desk in front of me, trying to keep my thoughts under control.
Don't be ridiculous.
It's not possible.
Just then the classroom door opened again.
I didn't even have to look up to know who had entered.
The smell of Alpha reached me before the footsteps.
Cedric.
I could already feel his eyes on me.
Trying to look as normal as possible, I slowly raised my head.
Cedric put his bag down and sat down next to me, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
“Good morning, baby,” he said calmly.
“Morning,” I replied without looking at him.
There was silence for a few seconds.
Then I felt his gaze linger on my face.
Too long.
“You look tired,” he said.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
Rowan chuckled softly behind him.
Cedric ignored the sound completely and continued to study me.
“Did you sleep?”
“Yes.”
“How many hours?”
“Enough.”
Pause.
Cedric propped his elbow on the bench.
“You’re lying.”
I clenched my jaw.
“I’m not lying.”
Behind him, Rowan whispered to Otis,
“Ten bucks, he’s getting possessive in three…
two…”
“Rowan,” I said through gritted teeth.
Cedric didn’t even turn to look at him.
His gaze stayed on me.
“Are you feeling sick?”
“No.”
At that exact moment, my stomach suddenly twisted.
A wave of nausea rose up my throat so fast I almost didn’t have time to react.
I immediately put my hand to my mouth.
Cedric noticed instantly.
"Idris?
"
I stood up so quickly that the chair creaked on the floor.
"I'll be right back," I muttered.
And I almost ran out of the classroom.
The hallway was almost empty.
I barely made it to the bathroom before I was leaning over the sink.
My breathing was rapid, and my stomach felt like it was rebelling against all existence.
After a few seconds, the wave of nausea began to pass.
I leaned against the sink, taking a deep breath.
“Perfect…” I murmured.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
I looked… awful.
Pale.
Tired.
And very confused.
Behind me, the bathroom door opened.
I closed my eyes.
I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.
“Idris,” Cedric’s voice said.
I sighed softly.
“It’s nothing.”
His footsteps approached.
“You ran out of class.”
“I felt a little sick.”
“A little?”
I opened my eyes and turned to him.
Cedric was much too close.
He was looking at me with a serious, almost worried expression.
“How many days have you been feeling like this?” he asked.
I froze.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
”
Cedric raised an eyebrow.
“Idris.” Pause.
“I’m not an idiot.”
I avoided his gaze.
“It’s just… tiredness, or from the food.
”
Cedric didn’t seem convinced at all.
For a few seconds he looked at me without saying anything.
Then he said quietly,
“We’re going to the infirmary.
”
I immediately looked up.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Cedric..”
“I’m not asking you.
”
Just then, Rowan’s voice came from the bathroom door:
“Oh, great.”
We both turned our heads.
Rowan was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and Otis was next to him with the bag of snacks.
"I knew something was wrong," Rowan said calmly.
Otis looked at me for a few seconds.
Then he said very seriously:
"I swear she's starting to look even more like my cousin.
"?? and Cedric immediately shifted her gaze to him.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“Why would she look like your cousin?” he asked calmly, but with a clear note of suspicion in his voice.
Otis opened his mouth.
“Because when she was..”
“NO.”
My voice came out much louder than I had intended.
All three of them looked at me.
I could feel the irritation, fatigue, and stress of the past week all exploding at the same time.
“Can you stop making a drama out of this?” I said irritably, looking straight at Otis.
“It’s nothing.”
Otis threw up his hands defensively.
“Hey, I just..”
“No,” I interrupted.
“Seriously. No.”
Rowan was studying me closely now.
Too closely.
Cedric wasn’t saying anything.
He was just looking at me.
And that made me even more angry.
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated.
“I’m just tired, okay?” I said. “You don’t need to do a whole investigation.
”
No one answered.
That made me even more angry.
“Forget what,” I muttered.
I headed for the door.
Rowan was leaning against its doorknob, blocking half of the way out.
“Idris.. ”
“Get out.”
It wasn’t a request.
Rowan was moving a little too slowly for my taste.
So I walked past him a little too abruptly, bumping him lightly with my shoulder.
“Hey!” he protested.
But I was already out into the corridor.
The cold air from the hall hit my face, but it did nothing to calm my nerves.
Footsteps were heard immediately behind me.
Of course.
I didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.
Cedric.
“Idris.”
I ignored him and kept walking.
“Idris.”
This time his voice was firmer.
I stopped abruptly and turned to him.
“What?”
Cedric stopped a few steps in front of me.
His gaze was calm.
Too calm.
“What’s wrong with you?
” he asked.
I laughed briefly, humorlessly.
“Really?”
I ran my hand through my hair again.
“Nothing’s happening.”
Cedric didn’t seem at all convinced.
He crossed his arms and looked at me for a few seconds.
Then he said softly,
“You’re lying again.
”
My jaw tightened.
“Maybe.”
Cedric took a step closer.
“Then tell me the truth.”
For a moment I wanted to.
Seriously.
But the thought that crossed my mind made me freeze.
If they found out I was a beta…
And if…
No.
No.
No.
I looked away.
“There’s nothing to say,” I muttered.
Cedric stared at me for a few more seconds.
Then he sighed softly.
But his expression became much more serious.
“I’m not going to let you collapse in the hallway just because you’re too stubborn to ask for help.
”
I immediately looked up.
“I’m not going to collapse.
”
Just then my stomach turned again.
I closed my eyes for a second.
Cedric noticed instantly.
“Idris.”
“I’m fine.
”
“You’re not.”
From behind us came Rowan’s voice:
“I confirm.”
I turned to see him and Otis coming down the hallway.
Rowan was still rubbing the shoulder where I’d hit him.
“First of all,” he said, “you’ve become violent.
”
“Sorry,” I muttered.
Otis looked at me very seriously again.
Much too seriously.
"And secondly," he continued, "my cousin really looked exactly like that for the first few weeks.
."
"OTIS."
Rowan immediately put a hand over her mouth.
"That's it," he said quickly. "You're not talking anymore today.
"
I rubbed my face wearily.
I had the feeling that my life was starting to become a bad comedy.
And Cedric...
Cedric was still looking at me.
And I had a very clear feeling that he wasn't going to let this subject die too easily.
There's a sound of heels in the hallway and after Tricia Wenny, the principal's right-hand man appears and looks at us curiously.
"Hi kids, why aren't you in class?" She asks and stops next to me, looking at me.
"Are you okay? You look pretty pale" she says and stabilizes herself better on her heels
"That's what I said!" Cedric says in a too aggressive tone.
Tricia slowly shifted her gaze to him.
Her expression instantly grew colder.
“Mr. Loxley,” she said firmly, “there are classes.”
Cedric didn’t seem at all intimidated.
“Exactly,” he replied. “And that’s exactly why he should go to the infirmary.”
I sighed softly.
"I really don't have to go.,” I muttered.
Tricia turned back to me.
Her gaze became much more attentive now.
“Are you dizzy?” she asked.
I hesitated.
Cedric answered before I did.
“Yes.”
“No,” I said at the same time.
Tricia raised an eyebrow.
Rowan snorted softly behind me.
Rowan cleared his throat.
“Technically,” he said calmly, “he ran out of class to throw up.”
I closed my eyes for a second.
Perfect.
“Rowan,” I said through gritted teeth.
“What?” he said innocently.
Otis raised a hand like in school, looking very serious.
“And he looked exactly like my cousin for the first few weeks..”
Rowan put his hand over his mouth again.
“Done.”
Tricia blinked a few times, processing the information.
Then she sighed.
“Great,” she murmured.
She turned back to me.
“Idris,” she said in a much gentler tone, “I’m not sending you to the infirmary because I like losing students in class.
”
She placed a light hand on my arm.
“But if you’re feeling sick, you need to get checked out.
”
I nodded slowly.
“It’s just…
from the food,” I said.
Cedric gave a short, humorless laugh.
“A week?”
My jaw tightened.
“Cedric.”
“What?”
“Shut up.”
Rowan murmured softly to Otis:
“Okay, now they’re really starting to look like a couple.
”
Otis nodded very seriously.
Tricia rubbed her temples.
“Okay,” she finally said. Then she looked straight at me.
“You’re coming with me.”
I froze.
“What?”
“To the infirmary.”
“You don’t have to.
”
“You have to.”
Her tone left no room for discussion.
Cedric smiled slightly.
Not an amused smile.
A satisfied one.
“Perfect,” he murmured.
Tricia immediately looked back at him.
“Mr. Loxley.”
“Yes?”
“You’re going to class.
”
Cedric raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
Rowan almost burst out laughing.
Tricia blinked slowly.
“What do you mean, no?”
Cedric shoved his hands in his pockets and looked straight at her.
“I’ll go with him.”
The hallway fell completely silent.
Rowan whispered,
“Oh, this is going to be interesting.”
Tricia narrowed her eyes.
“You’re not a doctor.”
“No.”
“You’re not a teacher.”
“No.”
“Then why exactly do you think you’re going?”
Cedric didn’t even blink.
“Because it’s my problem.
”
My heart skipped a beat.
Rowan put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.
Otis whispered,
“Definitely possessive.”
Tricia looked at Cedric for a few long seconds.
Then she sighed.
“No way. And when you’re done being upset, please stop by your father’s Office, please,” she says and rolls her eyes.
Cedric looked surprised for a split second, but before he could say anything else, Tricia had me by the shoulder and was leading me to the infirmary.
The hallway became quiet again as Tricia Wenny’s footsteps moved away.
Her hand was still on my shoulder, guiding me firmly to the end of the hall.
“It doesn’t have to be anything serious,” she said, more calmly now.
“But I’d rather check.”
I mumbled something vague in response.
The truth was, my stomach still felt strange…
and my thoughts were going in the direction I was desperately trying to avoid.
No.
It’s not possible.
After a few minutes, I arrived at the infirmary door.
Tricia knocked briefly twice and opened it without waiting for a response.
The room smelled of disinfectant and mint.
A woman in a white coat immediately stood up from behind a desk.
Dr. Dasha Jask smiled broadly when she saw us.
“Ah! Morning visitors!” she said cheerfully.
She approached me with open arms, as if I were a small child.
“Let’s see what patient we have today.
”
Before I could protest, she gently took my wrist and led me to one of the beds in the room.
“Name?”
“Idris,” I said quietly.
“I know who he is,” Tricia interjected.
“One of our students.”
The doctor motioned for me to sit down.
“Hello, Idris,” she said, taking out a notebook. “What are our symptoms?”
I opened my mouth.
I closed it.
For a moment I didn’t know what to say without sounding suspicious.
“Dizziness,” Tricia said calmly from behind.
The doctor noted.
“Nausea,” she continued.
The doctor noted again.
I looked up.
“Not really..”
“And he threw up in the bathroom,” Tricia added.
The doctor immediately looked up at me.
“I see.”
I sighed softly.
Perfect.
The doctor moved a little closer and studied my face.
“You’re quite pale,” she murmured.
She placed two fingers lightly on my wrist.
“Rapid pulse.”
Then she touched my forehead.
“And a little warm.”
Tricia glanced at her watch.
“Unfortunately, I have to get back to class,” she said.
She turned to the doctor.
“Please check if it’s anything serious.
”
The doctor smiled reassuringly.
“Of course.”
Tricia’s gaze shifted to me for a moment.
“If it’s anything serious, let me know right away. ”
“Of course,” the doctor replied.
Tricia nodded briefly, then left the room, her heels quickly disappearing down the hallway.
The door closed.
The room became much quieter.
The doctor turned completely to me.
Her smile became a little more curious now.
“Good,” she said. “Now that it’s just us…
”
She leaned back slightly against the bed I was sitting on.
“Tell me the truth.”
I swallowed hard.
“How long have you had these symptoms?”
I hesitated.
“A few… days.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Just a few?”
I avoided her gaze.
“Maybe… a week.”
The doctor wrote something down quickly.
Then she looked at me again carefully.
“Morning sickness?”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Sometimes.”
“Fatigue?”
“Yes.”
“Exercise dizziness?”
I blinked.
“Where did it come from..”
“It’s quite common.
”
She closed the notebook.
Her gaze became a little more analytical now.
“And the last important question.”
I stiffened a little.
The doctor tilted her head.
“Have you had any intimate contact recently?”
My heart almost stopped.
“I…”
She calmly raised a hand.
“I’m not judging you.
”
Pause.
“I just need accurate information.”
I looked at the floor.
"Yes."
The doctor nodded slowly.
Then she asked very calmly,
"With an.
..Alpha?"
I could feel the panic slowly rising in my chest.
"Yes.
"
The doctor was silent for a few seconds.
Then she said simply,
"Then we'll run some tests.
"
I immediately looked up.
"Tests?
"
She smiled reassuringly.
"Just to rule out a few possibilities.
"
I could feel my stomach tighten again.
Because one particular possibility was exactly the one I never wanted to hear confirmed.
The doctor motioned for me to remain seated on the bed.
The doctor walked over to a metal cabinet and pulled out some medical instruments and a small tablet, which she began to write on.
I sat still, my hands clasped together on the edge of the bed.
My heart was beating too fast.
“Relax,” she said without looking at me.
“It’s nothing dramatic. We’re just checking.
”
Easy to say.
She returned with a small blood pressure monitor.
“Arm.”
I automatically handed it to her.
The monitor tightened around my arm, and the sound of air filling the cuff made the silence in the room even more oppressive.
The doctor looked at the result.
“A little high,” she murmured.
“But that could also be from stress.”
Yes, stress.
A lot of stress.
She wrote something on her tablet, then took a small flashlight and checked my eyes.
“Follow the light.”
I did as she said.
After a few seconds, she nodded.
“Good.”
Then she stopped in front of me.
Her gaze became a little more serious.
“Idris,” she said calmly, “I’m going to ask you a direct question.
”
I swallowed hard.
“Okay.”
“Are you sure you’re Alpha?
”
For a moment, I felt the air completely disappear from the room.
“What?”
She didn’t sound accusatory.
Just attentive.
“Your symptoms are… interesting,” she continued.
“Not impossible for an Alpha, but not typical either.”
I felt my stomach tighten again.
“I…” I began. “I’m not Alpha…I’m Beta,” I whisper and lower my head
The doctor looked at me for a few seconds, silent, writing something down on her tablet without seeming surprised.
Then she sighed softly and sat down on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped in her lap.
“So… that explains a lot of your symptoms,” she said calmly but firmly.
“And especially, why your body reacts so intensely to stress or certain situations.”
I felt the tension in my body deepen.
How could I explain that I didn’t want anyone to know this?
How could I say that… Cedric didn’t have to know?
“So… it’s not something serious, medically?
” I asked, my voice shaking slightly.
The doctor smiled a little.
“It’s not dangerous for you, not right now.
But you have to pay attention to your body’s signals.
Being a beta, your hormonal and physical reactions are…
different. More sensitive. And that can be tiring.
”
I nodded slowly. I felt like laughing nervously.
“Tired… is an understatement.”
“I know it’s complicated,” she continued.
“And I know it can be frustrating not to feel in control. But you’re not alone.
And yes, you have the right to protect yourself and choose who you tell.
”
I closed my eyes for a moment. My breathing began to settle.
“And… Cedric?” I murmured. “Does he need to know?”
The doctor raised an eyebrow, looking at me intently.
“That’s… up to you. But I think it’s important to set boundaries.
If you feel like certain interactions are putting you at risk or hurting you, then yes, you need to handle the situation.
But you don’t have to tell everything right away.
”
I nodded, trying to process it all.
“So… that’s it? No complicated tests, no…
nothing?”
“Just a few routine tests to rule out other causes,” she replied calmly.
“The rest is about you and learning to know your own body.”
I felt a strange sense of relief.
But it was mixed with anxiety. Because I knew that once Cedric noticed, nothing would ever be the same.
“Okay,” I murmured, trying to gather my thoughts.
“Thank you… doctor.”
She smiled slightly and stood up.
“Anytime, Idris. And remember… Beta or Alpha, you are you. And that matters more than any label.”
I stood alone for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling, feeling my heart slow down a little. But at the same time, a part of me knew that the moment of truth with Cedric was inevitable… and that he wasn’t ready to face it yet.
I got out of bed and headed for the exit, stopped, waved at the doctor, and left.
Dr. Dasha Jask pov:
After Idris was left alone on the bed, I closed the tablet and took a deep breath.
I felt like I had to make some quick decisions.
I picked up the phone, quickly dialed Tricia’s office number, and waited for her to answer.
“Tricia, this is Dasha,” I said calmly.
“I need to tell you something about your new patient.”
On the other end of the line, her voice was agitated but professional.
“What happened?”
“He’s pregnant,” I said shortly, letting the silence take its toll.
“How…?” I heard her whisper, almost incredulous.
“How is that possible?”
“He’s Beta,” I continued, my voice calm, without any judgment.
“And I think it would be best if you sent him home, to get his bearings and figure out what he wants to do. I don’t think he’s ready to make any decisions right now.
”
Tricia sighed, as if harder than I’d expected.
“Home… yeah. Okay. I’ll arrange for him to be picked up.
”
“I know it’s weird,” I said. “But I think it’s the safest option.
He needs time to process and understand what’s happening to him.
”
“Okay, Dasha. Thanks for calling me right away. I’ll take care of this.
”
“Perfect. And, Tricia… don’t be so quick to judge him.
It’s complicated for anyone.”
“I agree. Thanks, Dasha.”
I hung up the call and looked back at where Idris was, sitting on the infirmary bed, pale and confused, but still alive and…
human.
Sometimes, being a Beta wasn’t about weakness.
It was about surviving in a world that didn’t understand how much someone could feel.
And for Idris… that meant he needed time. A lot of time.