Chapter 4
Alec
The door opens before the pretty omega can reply. Though, with the way her skin had flushed and she’d tried to hide her face against me even more than she already was, I doubt she was going to answer.
She whines as the doctor approaches, a more reserved omega scent drifting closer to us. The doctor smells mated, not anywhere near her own heat. It’s likely she’s also using at least a mild scent reducer to be less upsetting to her patients, given how subtle her scent is.
“Hi there, sweetie. “I’m Dr Hastings, and I’ll be doing your heat checkup,” the doctor explains gently, exuding a motherly energy as she greets the omega in my arms while completely ignoring me.
I don’t take any offence at being ignored. The specialist knows best, and if she thinks there’s a possibility of the omega acting territorial, the less we interact, the calmer she’ll be about the doctor being here.
The omega only whines again in response to the greeting, and her fingers dig in, clutching at my shirt like she’s afraid she’ll be torn away from me. I want to promise her I won't be going anywhere, but until Nathan gets here, I can’t do that, no matter what my instincts are demanding from me.
“Can I have a name for your file? It doesn’t need to be your full legal name or anything if you’d like to remain anonymous, but it helps to have something to call you.”
It takes a long moment, but eventually the omega whispers, “Bell.”
Bell.
I wonder if it’s short for Annabelle…or maybe Bella?
“Thank you, Bell. Could you turn your head for me? I need to get a quick look at your eyes,” Dr Hastings asks.
For a moment, I think the omega will just ignore her, but slowly Bell lifts her head, turning towards the doctor, though she immediately rests her cheek back against my chest. I continue petting her hair, hoping it’ll help keep her calm.
“This will be bright, but it’ll just be for a second or two,” the doctor says as she shines a light into the omega’s eyes.
Bell flinches but keeps them open while they’re inspected, blinking rapidly as the light is put away.
“Definitely passing into your actual heat stage now, but your scent and reactions do seem a little intense for so early in it. Do you know when your last heat was?”
The omega shakes her head in answer, but I can feel the tension that builds in her body at the question.
“A rough estimate, then?”
“Four,” Bell manages to whimper out.
“Four months?” the doctor asks, not sounding at all like she believes it. Four months would put her right on a fairly normal heat schedule. Most omegas have a heat every three to four months if they’re on a natural cycle.
“Years,” she mumbles, burying her face back into my chest as she shudders at the confession.
Four years?
My body tenses up just as much as the one in my arms.
No wonder she’s struggling so much with her instincts.
The only way it could be possible for her to go so long without a heat is with suppressants, and even then, omegas are meant to take a break at least once a year for their health.
No doctor would prescribe them constantly without that mandatory break, and definitely not for four whole fucking years.
She can’t be much older than her mid-twenties. How many heats has she actually gone through since the first if they were cut off so soon?
“It’s okay, you’re not in any trouble,” the doctor assures her as she steps closer again.
“If you could tell me which suppressants you’ve been using, it would be helpful.
There’s a chance you could experience some side effects from them once your heat is over.
I’ll also need to get a quick blood sample, if that’s okay? ”
Instead of answering with words, the omega reaches a hand into one of her pockets and pulls out a slide of pills, half of them already used. The doctor takes them, frowning at the package before setting them into the pocket of her white coat.
“And the blood sample? I can do it myself now instead of getting a nurse. I understand not being comfortable with more people than necessary coming in and out of here,” she offers kindly.
“Do I have to move?” Bell asks shyly.
“Not at all. Just stretch your arm out a little and keep still, please. It’ll be quick. I only need a small sample.”
Bell does as requested. She flinches slightly as an antiseptic wipe is rubbed over the skin of her inner arm and again once the needle pierces her, but otherwise she remains still.
Blood drawn, the doctor wipes the bead of red off from her skin and then presses a small plaster over the needle mark.
“There we go. All done. One last thing, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“What?” the omega grumbles, yanking her arm back now that it’s over.
“I just need verbal confirmation that you're happy for Alec to remain here for the duration of your heat.”
“Who?” she asks while looking up at her, clearly lost.
“The alpha whose lap you’re currently occupying,” Dr Hastings says, a wry smile on her face as she meets the confused omega’s eyes.
“Oh. Yes, please,” she agrees, her cheeks flushing bright red. She then bites her lip, looking like she’s thinking really hard about something for a moment.
“Did you have any questions?”
“Just…what about Nathan? They’re his mate, right?” Bell whispers.
I fight back the urge to tense up at her words, at how unhappy she sounds about the idea of him joining us.
Well, fuck.
While there are plenty of omegas who are happy to accept assistance from an alpha pair during a heat at a clinic, she might not be one of them.
Sure, most omegas wouldn’t choose to permanently bond with an alpha pair, but for something like this, they’re usually happy enough for the extra attention on a one-off basis.
A few have rejected the offer over the years, requesting a single clinic-approved alpha instead.
Still, the idea of letting another alpha come in here and help her seems wrong in a way those other times hadn’t.
“Do you not feel comfortable with a second alpha assisting with your heat?” Dr Hastings asks seriously, quickly adding, “To be clear, you can meet him first before fully deciding, but if it’s a definite no for you, then we can get someone else here.
We have a list of alphas on call as well as two who are sitting in at the clinic right now. ”
“Second al—his mate is an alpha?” Bell squeaks out, clearly surprised.
What had she—
“Did you think I already had an omega?” I ask quietly, realising where her thoughts must have gone.
She nods shyly, not meeting anyone’s eyes.
“We only approve alpha pairs and single alphas for heat clinics in this county. Honestly, I think it should be standard across the whole country. Studies have shown it’s much less stressful for the omega who’s in heat that way,” the doctor explains.
“Would you like to meet him? I just got the notification that he's arrived.”
I hold my breath as I wait for her to answer, praying she’ll at least want to scent him before outright rejecting the idea—before rejecting us.
“I…I would,” she agrees tentatively, and if I pull her closer, holding her tighter as the doctor leaves, it’s not as if anyone else will ever know.