Chapter Eighteen Gideon
Gideon
The shower is blissfully hot, soothing the muscles in Gideon’s back and arms. The marks Grayson left on his neck throb faintly, and he can’t resist pressing on them with his fingertips, savoring the sharp sting. Reaching for the body wash Leo had brought from home—a familiar scent of green tea and basil—he squeezes it into his palm and works it into a lather, scrubbing away the remnants of the night. Sweat, blood, come, and an almost ridiculous amount of lube swirl down the drain in rivulets. A bath would have been better for his aching thighs and the dull burn deep in his ass, but the rut room wasn’t exactly designed for comfort. It didn’t have a tub, just the utilitarian shower he was now grateful for. At least he’d be clean.
Grayson had refused to let his three mates leave the nest for most of the day and well into the night. During the worst of it, he was almost entirely nonverbal, his usual control subsumed by wave after wave of hormone-driven desire. They eventually had to sedate him by putting something in his water because he’d fucked both Luca and Leo happily unconscious.
Since the rebound showed no signs of slowing, they’d drawn some blood, only to find alarmingly high levels of alpha hormones. After his shower, Gideon was headed back down to the ICU to chat with Jay about the options Grayson’s endocrinologist had suggested: sedation or suppression. Both carried risks, especially since they still didn’t know what had triggered the rebound or how long it might last.
Sighing, Gideon dries himself off, and throws on the sweats and a t-shirt that Leo had brought from home. Grabbing his bag, he opens the door as quietly as possible, sneaking out to find Leo sitting gingerly on a pink donut-shaped pillow the nurses had brought hours earlier.
“Not one word,” Leo whispers, pointing a finger at him. “Not a single fucking word. My ass is wrecked.” Besides the sore ass, Leo’s chest, back, and thighs are riddled with bite marks.
Chuckling at Leo’s misery, as he tends to do, Gideon checks on Luca, who is mostly hidden beneath Grayson in the middle of the bed. It’s a mess of come and other fluids that makes Gideon think he might have to send the cleaning staff a muffin basket. Or seven. Trying not to wake the sleeping Grayson, Luca has one hand on his alpha’s bare ass and the other on his phone. Gideon realizes Grayson may be unconscious, but he’s inside the beta and still hard.
“You okay, honey?”
“I’m so, so good. Totally in my happy place.” And he is. Luca is happiest when he’s stuffed full on both ends, being cared for and loved by his mates. “Water, please?”
Leo limps over, water bottle in hand.
“I’m going to go talk with Jay about what the doc had to say. Gray’s going to be pissed when he finds out I’m gone. Finn offered to tag in though, if you needed.” He reaches over so he can run a hand down his gorgeous back, tracing over the Rhodes’ Pack tattoo on his left side. The alpha doesn’t even twitch.
“We’re good. They said he’d be out for a few hours. We’re going to take some meds and try to sleep.” This wasn’t the hospital’s first rodeo—aside from the structural damage to the room, of course—so painkillers were on offer for the long-suffering betas. Although long-suffering hardly seems accurate given Gideon is sure Leo said “ yeehaw ” at one point, and Luca came almost as many times as Grayson in the last several hours.
“All right, my loves, I’m going. I’ll text from the real world.”
“Kisses!” Leo makes kissy lips, hobbling after Gideon to the door.
“Okay, you big baby. Now, go shower while you can. Nothing about this rut is normal, and I’d bet he’ll be awake any time.” Luca just waves at him as he slips out the door.
Gideon climbs into the elevator and leans against the wall, exhausted, head lolling with every motion as he absently reads the posters for support groups and fundraising taped to the walls.
Stepping out into the ICU, he’s surprised to see both Jay and Finn are sitting in the waiting room and not in the room with Nix. He moves Jay’s pizza (ew? pineapple!) off his alpha’s lap so he can sit down. Wincing, he opens his mouth, gesturing for Finn to feed him.
Finn raises his eyebrow, and Gideon rolls his eyes in response. The battles of wills would normally feed his fire, but Gideon is fucking tired of this hospital and the horrible food, and his ass has seen more traffic in the last twenty-four hours than it has in a month. He’ll complain about the first two in excess, even if he secretly enjoys the last. “Pizza! Feed me, Finley. We’ve got to figure out what to do with Grayson. He’s still in beast mode.”
“Is he resting now? You texted that you had to sedate him? When do they think it’ll pass?” Jay asks and smiles at him when Gideon scowls a bit as his mouth is full of Finn’s veggie pizza.
“He’s currently out, but for how long, they can’t say. They can keep him that way for a day or two, but…” He shrugs.
Finn hands him another slice, this one has meat on it and no pineapple, thank the Goddess. “Where was this when you were feeding me that last travesty of a slice?”
His mate cackles with glee. Dammit, he’s missed the little shit.
Finn speaks before Gideon can, “They can’t keep him under indefinitely. I don’t like it, but the last resort for this kind of imbalance is usually suppressants until they can get the hormones regulated. They suck and they have so many side effects. But I think Grayson would prefer them over being unconscious or having his dick fall off.”
Jay shifts uncomfortably, nearly choking on his pizza. “Will he have to be on them for long, do you think?”
“Good question. Maybe I should go up and check him over for myself. To be absolutely sure they’re necessary.” Finn says, his voice overly casual as he shifts a bit and adjusts his khakis.
“Are Luca and Leo surviving?” Jay had stopped eating, and, by Gideon’s judgment, he’d barely managed to eat a single slice. Might be the pineapple, but Gideon doubts it.
“Luca is in heaven; don’t let him tell you differently. Leo is a bit worse for wear but managing. He was in the shower when I left.” When in rut, Grayson and Rowan often see Leo’s bulk as a challenge, and even though the beta is soft and often submissive, their wolves want to make sure he knows who’s boss. Every single time.
Finn’s black currant scent goes sweet, and Gideon smirks, “Maybe you should head up, puppy, just to get a feeling for things? I’m sure Luca would tap out.”
Jay keeps his smirk on lockdown, but just barely.
“Oh, that’s a great idea. Sure. I’ll just go do that.” He’s out the door in a flash. But when he comes back seconds later to put his shoes on, his face burning red as he pointedly avoids eye contact, Gideon can’t help but burst into laughter.
Once he’s gone, Jay nudges Gideon’s shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s been feeling a bit—pent up. Unlike you, he hasn’t had the literal pleasure of spending twenty-four hours with an alpha in rut.” Jay closes up the pizza boxes and gets up to shove them into the fridge. He washes his hands in the sink and grabs two water bottles from the case on the counter.
“Oh, it won’t be me being ‘hard’ on him. I wasn’t kidding when I said Gray’s in beast mode.”
He gulps the water and chucks the empty into the recycling bin. “Speaking of pent up…how are you holding up? I could—?” Gideon raises his eyebrows and mimics a blow job with his hand, tongue in cheek.
Jay chokes on his water, coughing. “Fuck, Gid.”
“Sorry, Gideon’s ass is closed for fucking until at least tomorrow. Please come again later.” Gideon’s robotic voice makes Jay laugh.
“Haha. So funny. I’m serious, though. I’m okay. I can’t think of anything except figuring out what’s going on with Nix. And now Grayson. What a week.”
“Well, if you change your mind… Speaking of our boy, why are you out here and not in there?” He’s surprised because Jay hasn’t left Nix’s side since he’d come in.
“Rowan arrived an hour ago with food. Strong-armed me right out the door after Nix came back from his scans, handed us the pizza, and said he needed time alone with Nix so that he could get him up to speed on how to manage ‘the grown-ups.’”
“Did he use puppy-dog eyes?” Gideon asks sagely.
“No. Worse. He strong-armed me out the door. And I mean literally. Took off his sweatshirt, and he’s wearing that tank top he picked out with Gray last week. I was genuinely distracted by the muscles. Finn nearly slipped in his drool. If I hadn’t separated them, Yasmine was going to go for the spray bottle.”
“At least it’s not the tranq.”
“Fuck, yes.”
“Can we go in now, do you think? I miss the little punk. And I could gaze upon sleeping beauty for a bit, too.” Gideon is already on his feet.
“Why don’t you go in, and I’ll be there in a minute. I should answer a few messages.” Jay takes out his phone and holds it up.
Leaving Jay to his mysterious business, Gideon finds Rowan lying beside Nix, eyes closed. They look like they are both just sleeping, Rowan’s arm under Nix’s head and his hand on his belly.
“He fell asleep about twenty minutes ago. I feel obligated to tell you he has shared all his secrets of manipulation , his words, not mine. I may implement a few of the strategies with my pack. I mean, I work out.” The tiny nurse raises her arm and flexes her impressive biceps.
Gideon chuckles. “I have no doubt these two will wrap us around their fingers.” He can tell that Rowan is awake because he smiles, too.
Figuring out he’s been discovered eavesdropping, Rowan reaches out his free hand, beckoning Gideon to come to him. “Gimme.”
“See? No shame.” But Gideon goes without a moment’s hesitation.
“Hi, Ro. Give me kisses.” He makes kissy lips and fully expects his mate to squirm away. He’s surprised when Rowan’s hand comes up behind Gideon’s head to hold him while he licks his lips and then bites down on the lower one. Despite his many satisfying hours with Grayson and his betas, a frisson of desire slithers in his belly. Rowan is an amazing kisser, and Jay was right: the tank top is giving.
“You smell like fucking and Gray. Was it good?” Rowan rubs his nose along Gideon’s ear and breathes the words softly to better hide the intimate conversation from the nurse twelve feet away. Gideon shivers. The “How to be a Good Alpha” lessons are clearly working.
Yasmine breaks into song to better shield her ears, and Rowan stiffens as he realizes she can hear every word despite his best efforts. His baby alpha’s cheeks are immediately pink, and Gideon is in love. Again. Over and over.
“How’s our sleeping beauty? He still smells so good, eh? You’re managing it better now?” Reaching over Rowan, he runs a finger over Nix’s brow and down his cute button nose. He can’t wait for him to open his eyes.
That reminds him.
Walking toward the nurse, Gideon asks, “Yasmine, hello. Do you know when we might see Dr. Spencer? We’re anxious to know when Nix might wake up.”
Picking up the tablet, she scrolls through several pages, “Dr. Spencer has logged hospital hours…in an hour and a half or so. Will that work? I think she mentioned she wanted Jay to be available, but any of you are welcome, of course.”
“Of course. Will Hannah be on this morning?”
“She’s on her four days off schedule. Dr. Spencer has requested I remain, although I’m not sure why. But it’s fine. My four off starts when I’m done.”
“Thank you for staying, then, and for your excellent care.”
“Of course. I’m hoping that Nix can be moved to a regular ward soon. His kidney and bowel looked good on the scan shortly after the transition, but I haven’t seen the results from the scans from yesterday or even the blood work. It’s weird…” She’s scrolling and stops. “Huh. It’s pass-coded and marked ‘restricted access.’”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Jay enters the room and catches the tail end of the conversation. He looks exhausted and worried. Gideon wonders if there will be a time soon when their leader won’t exude this level of stress. He hopes that having Nix awake will make that possible.
“I’m sure it’s fine. His vitals are excellent. The brain scan was good, too; even though his concussion symptoms might remain for a while, they exceeded even the transition’s effects. I am sure Dr. Spencer will clear things up soon.”
Rowan has moved from the bed to participate in the conversation. Yasmine flinches subtly, so he stops to give her space. The big alpha is still mortified at his earlier breach of etiquette, but the nurse smiles and waves him forward anyway.
“So if he’s well, why are you keeping him in a coma, and why does he smell like…that?” Rowan asks, his usual description of “sex in a bakery” not wholly appropriate.
Yasmine blushes because Gideon is sure that even to the nurse, Nix smells exceptionally good. He’s impressed with her professionalism and adds a second (eighth) muffin basket to his growing mental list.
“I think I can shed some light on that. Yasmine, I wonder if I might have a few moments of privacy with Nix’s Alphas?” Dr. Spencer enters and ushers the confused nurse out the door. Once Yasmine is on the other side, she closes the door after her and turns up the privacy dampening in the room. The added noise irritates the enigmas’ hearing, and it’s one of those times Gideon is happy for his “regular” alpha senses.
“Dr. Spencer, thanks for meeting with us, but I must confess, you are making me nervous.” If Gideon had a dollar for every time Jay has had to say that in the last few days, he’d be a billionaire.
“I’m sorry for the added caution, Mr. Rhodes, and I’m hoping you will understand very shortly. I think the best way for me to explain is to show you.” She gestures to the trio and pulls something up on her tablet. She enters a long passcode and activates her face scan.
Rowan looks at him in disbelief, and Gideon has to agree; this is right out of a spy movie. The hospital has strict security, but this is next level. What could be so important that it required a freaking retinal scan and ten-digit encrypted code?
Once her identity and security level have been verified, the doctor turns the tablet toward them. Gideon struggles to understand what he’s seeing. He’s not stupid, so recognizes that he’s seeing someone’s internal organs, probably Nix’s, but other than that—?
“What are we looking at, Dr. Spencer? I’m sorry, my medical degree from Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t extend to interpreting this.” Jay waves his hand over the tablet, ever charming, even when he’s dead tired and deeply concerned.
She smiles, as susceptible as almost everyone is. “It’s Nix’s ultrasound. I’ve also done a CT scan, too. Plus the blood work…” She’s excited and trying to rein it in. She recognizes that Nix isn’t just a test subject but someone’s someone. He’s their someone. “This is Nix’s uterus, his Fallopian tubes, ovaries, birth canal.” She runs a finger over the screen, moving so they can see each organ.
“His WHAT?!” Rowan says loudly. “You’re saying Nix is female?”
“Not at all. Nix is omega.”
The room is dead silent.
“This isn’t funny, Doctor.” Gone is the charmer that draws people in with “aw, shucks” dimples, and standing in his place is the enigma alpha who once made Gideon’s father piss himself.
“It’s not a joke, Mr. Rhodes.” She bows her head but straightens her spine before continuing. “I have run the tests and scans more than once. If you can’t believe the science, you must believe your nose. His scent profile is consistent with historical reports of omegas.”
Rowan scoffs. “Yeah, mythical accounts, not historical. Omegas are a myth. Right?”
The doctor opens her bag and pulls out two older books with several tabs sticking out the sides. “These are historical reports of omegas. I’ll leave them with you, but I would appreciate you sending them back to me when you’re done. I obtained them from a colleague whose thesis for her doctorate is on the existence of omega Weres.”
Jay turns his glowing alpha gaze on her with a growl.
“I didn’t tell her why, of course. Nix is entitled to his privacy and safety. I would never—” Unwisely, the doctor meets the alpha’s gaze with a challenging tilt of her chin. She wants him to know she is being entirely honest, but the alpha has seen more than enough challenges in the last few days, and Gideon wonders where her self-preservation instincts are.
Gideon puts his hand on Jay’s arm. “Dial it down, big man. Nix is okay.”
“Is he, though?” Rowan asks. “Even if he is an omega, is he the only one? I thought transitioned humans were always betas. What even is an omega? Holy shit, he has a uterus. Can he have babies?” The young man looks back at Nix, still sleeping, like he can see his reproductive organs from there.
“I assure you, I am as sure as I can be. The scans don’t lie.” The doctor drops tiredly into Yasmine’s chair. Gideon acknowledges that she must have been awake long hours in search of the answers they need to help Nix. So he quickly locates a bottle of water from the stash on the side table, which he hands her.
“Thank you so much. I am going to sleep for the next twenty-four hours after this.”
“Let’s just say that I believe you. What does that mean for him?” Jay finally asks.
“I’m not an expert, of course, but I have an interest in secondary genders generally, and human transition disorders are my specialty. I can honestly tell you that the scientific literature is non-existent. But outside of that, I think those books will help. There may not be official studies being conducted, but I find it difficult to assume Nix would be the only omega worldwide despite how rare it is. You would only need to know where to look.” She sighs, a bit taken with her sleeping patient. “Physically, he’s perfect.”
Gideon cannot disagree.
She shakes herself out of her momentary stupor. “If I may? I think your priorities should be protecting this secret from the public and then helping him work through the changes that becoming a newly transitioned Were will entail.”
Gideon stands straighter; the security and safety of his family have always fallen to him. Oh?, its outward trappings have always fallen to Jay. But the practical applications? That’s all Gideon. Clenching his fists and cracking his neck, he finally asks, “A secret? Are you saying he’s in danger?”
The doctor is less willing to meet his eyes, and Gideon realizes she has good instincts after all.
“I’m saying that omegas are real, and if there are more, the world doesn’t know about them. Omegas have long been linked to The Goddess, and every religious zealot and scientist will be out for a piece of yours. If you agree, I can put you in touch with my colleague before I go. I sensed she was reluctant to share a lot of her research, and perhaps it was just her academic proprietary nature, but she also asked a lot of questions I didn’t answer. Maybe she is more aware than I originally thought. You and Nix can decide if it’s something you want or even need to pursue.”
Gideon pushes a bit of menace into his voice and fixes his eyes in a dead-eye stare, as it tends to make his point much easier than sharp teeth or claws. “You are sure you didn’t tell her or anyone else?”
The doctor whimpers.
“Sugar, that’s not nice!” Luca bursts through the door, phone in hand, followed by a disheveled Finn and a limping Leo.
Only Gray is missing, and Gideon’s heart twinges. Luca attaches himself to Gideon, and Gideon sighs in relief when he feels that at least his mate has pants on. He smells so good, and he figures he hasn’t showered, especially when the doctor almost raises her hand to cover her nose. He gives her a small smile as an apology for his menacing earlier, and she graciously nods with forgiveness.
“Rowan Foster, have you had your phone on this whole time?” Jay looks shocked at the audacity of their youngest alpha. He also sounds like a disapproving Dad.
“They have a right to hear it from the doctor for themselves, and look: now we’re all here except Gray. Man, rebound ruts suck. What an awful coincidence.”
The doctor perks up, “A rebound rut? Your mate? How intriguing. Was it after he’d met Nix? After the transition?” She asks eagerly before flushing red. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s none of my business,” She says in apology, but now Gideon is curious.
“Why the added interest?”
Dr. Spencer is on a roll now. “You said he is an enigma? Oh, and yesterday, Mr. Foster, you also had a loss in…um…self-control. Is that right?”
Rowan’s face is red with embarrassment. He doesn’t like everyone knowing. “It’s okay, baby,” Gideon placates, with only a bit of teasing.
“The reason I ask is that enigmas would certainly be more sensitive to the omega pheromones.” Her fingers itch to reach for her tablet to start taking notes, but she resists at Gideon’s pointed look. “That would explain the rebound rut and the uh…loss of control.”
She looks apologetically at Rowan when he bursts out, “Stop calling it that!”
“But Jay’s an enigma, and he was completely unaffected. Even Gideon and I felt—”
Finn’s voice fades away as Jay rubs the back of his neck, cheeks flushed, a sure sign Jay is keeping something to himself that one or more of his mates won’t like.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m unaffected, exactly.” He’s not looking at Dr. Spencer at all, and when he catches Gideon’s eye, he looks away, unable to hold his gaze. Jay is ashamed; for what, Gideon has no idea.
“What did you do?” Luca asks eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Sighing, Jay pulls out a little blister packet of pills, and Finn speaks up first, “Suppressants, Jay? Since when? And, why? We didn’t even know Nix is an omega !” The last is whispered.
“Let’s talk about it after we let Dr. Spencer finish up, okay?” The good doctor clearly wishes she was anywhere else but also like she wishes she could be a fly on the wall.
“Alright. But this conversation isn’t over.” Leo’s massive arms are crossed, testing the seams of a black t-shirt, and his face bears that look of disappointment that they all fear.
“I think I’ve covered everything I can for now. I’m keeping the files confidential, but I expect Dr. Kennedy will be interested in why. He won’t get that information from me unless you say so. But if you don’t mind me saying so, I think he has your best interests at heart and is highly invested in Nix’s outcome. When he contacted me, he called you his friends, said you were important to him, and would consider it a personal favor if I would consult. That’s no small thing in our community, no?”
“You’re right, doctor. Thank you for all your time and hard work on our behalf. If there is anything we can do for you, will you let us know? We also prefer our debts to be paid.” Jay shakes her hand.
The doctor smiles and tiredly makes her way to the door but stops with her hand on the handle, “There is one thing, but it’s a bit embarrassing.” Her blush makes Gideon curious.
“Anything, and what could possibly be embarrassing after all this? You’ve seen our little family at its best and its worst.”
(Rowan is muttering something about it being “not that bad, Jay, seriously.” )
The doctor suddenly appears younger than Gideon had originally thought as she puts her hair behind her ear, looking right at Leo. “I was wondering if Leo would please sign my copy of Rolling Stone ?” The magazine had compiled a Sexiest Musicians Alive list, and Leo was number three. It sold out in record time and became very popular among their fans, The Roadies. Gideon considered himself a Leo fan, too. He had his own signed copy of one photo carefully pinned to his office memo board at Quest. It might be the black tank top and the arms, Gideon thinks, seeing his blushing mate flex slightly—yup, definitely the arms.
No one is more surprised than Leo when she pulls out a well-loved copy of the magazine and a Sharpie. “Please make it out to Trudy.”