Vengeful Bonds #2

33. Loch

Loch was in the shower, mentally running through his game plan for the lab, when he heard the shower door open and close. He didn’t need to look to know it was Fen. His wildflower scent was ten times stronger in the steamy heat swirling around the room. Between Loch’s petrichor and Fen’s wildflowers, their bathroom always smelled a little like a rainforest.

He smiled when arms slid around him from behind, Fen pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades. “Morning, Sunshine.”

“Hey, alpha,” he said, sounding sleepy as he pressed his cheek to Loch’s back.

Loch redirected the shower spray to hit them both, swaying back and forth when Fen made no move to release him.

“Sleepy baby. You came to bed so late last night.”

Fen hummed out a quiet confirmation. “I wanted to get all of Ollie’s files deleted off Cerberus’s servers. I won’t be able to scrub his U.S. military files until I’m back at work on Monday, but on the off chance Dresden does try to access anything before then, he’ll have to work for it, which could take days.”

“I thought you were gonna do all that today?” Loch asked. He reached behind himself and grabbed Fen’s waist, pulling him even closer. “Or are you planning on sneaking in to play with Saint and Seth?”

Fen softly slapped his wet shoulder. “I’m not always after a knot, you know.”

“No, sometimes, you just want to bully our littlest omega into doing dirty, filthy things with you,” Loch teased.

He barked out a laugh when Fen pinched his side, flinching away from the attack.

“Yeah, and you like to watch,” Fen countered.

“Yeah, I do,” Loch agreed easily. “We all like to bully the baby. He’s so cute when he pouts and whines and begs.” After a moment, he said, “So…are you?”

“Am I what?” Fen murmured, running his tongue up Loch’s spine.

“Going to help Saint satisfy our other horny omega?” Loch reminded.

“Seth isn’t in heat. If I tried to take Saint’s knot right now, I think Seth might actually maul me to death. That seed is pure gold in his mind. Until he’s pregnant, I think Saint’s dick might be off-limits.”

“But if you don’t plan on playing with Seth and Saint, why stay up so late?”

“I decided I want to go to the lab with you guys,” Fen answered, now mouthing at whatever skin he could reach.

Loch frowned even as his shoulders sagged with relief. “I thought you were babysitting with San?”

Loch could practically feel the shrug in his mate’s words when he said, “Saint’s still in pre-rut and seems pretty calm, all things considered. Seth said his rut pheromones were so strong in pre-rut he accidentally paralyzed him.”

Loch froze, his heart plummeting. “He’s okay, though?”

“Okay?” Fen barked around a laugh. “He’s over the moon. He wrote San and me a text with no less than ten paragraphs, describing in detail exactly how well Saint fucked him.”

“But you think it’s safe to leave him? Especially if that’s his pre-rut?” Loch asked.

“San and Binnie both agree he won’t go fully into rut until tonight. San said he could handle monitoring Seth’s check-ins so I can go with you.”

Loch didn’t argue further. He wanted his mate beside him for this. He’d been fully prepared to go without Fen. It would hardly be the first time they were forced to divide their pack responsibilities. But in times where emotions were high, Loch just functioned better with Fen beside him. His presence soothed his alpha.

Loch was usually level-headed about most matters, considering every word before he spoke, always gauging the best play. Fen, on the other hand, spoke his mind without a second thought, often putting a voice to the things Loch, as the leader, couldn’t say. Fen was also soft-hearted when he needed to be where, sometimes, Loch put the good of the pack over the feelings of one member. Fen was always there to remind him what was important.

“You did this for me, huh?” he asked.

Fen’s hands slid down his wet belly, small fingers settling into the grooves of Loch’s hip bones. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he murmured. “I just want to see our first pack baby.”

Fen was lying—not about seeing the baby but his motives for changing his mind. Loch tried to keep from dumping all his worries on his mate, but it was impossible with their mating bond. Fen just…knew. He knew when Loch was happy or scared or anxious or horny. Fen was forced to endure the heavy burden of Loch’s leadership even though he’d never asked for the role. But he never complained.

“Thank you,” Loch said, anyway.

Fen bit Loch’s shoulder playfully. “It wasn’t just for you, I promise. I stayed up late to give Ollie some peace of mind before we walk into the lion’s den today. He’s acting like everything is fine, but we all know he’s not taking this pregnancy well.”

Loch nodded. As long as he’d known Ollie, he was the epitome of a pragmatist. Always rolling with the punches, always weighing all the options carefully, plotting ten steps ahead so there was no possible scenario they weren’t ready for. But there was no way Ollie could have ever prepared for this.

“He’s never been one to complain or dwell on things,” Loch said. “That’s what makes him so good at his job. He removes his emotions from the equation. He says he doesn’t like to dwell on mistakes. That humans are flawed and mistakes happen. That it’s better just to pick up and move on with the situation as it is now. Which is fine if you’re talking about a fender-bender or losing someone’s debit card. Not so much if you went from infertile to pregnant during your mate’s presentation. I think he’s just afraid to admit he’s…scared.”

Fen nodded. “I think so, too. He hasn’t mentioned it in weeks, but he was convinced something might happen to the baby and he hinted at it yesterday. It’s like he doesn’t want to get his hopes up or he’s in denial or something. I thought he would jump at the chance to see the baby, but the idea only seemed to add to his anxiety.”

Loch nodded. He’d noticed Ollie’s anxiety, too. Ollie was putting on a brave face. He always did, but there were cracks in his facade. “I think he’s trying to focus on the big picture. He isn’t big on emotions. He’s not good at asking for help or letting people in. Being older than Deke, I think he’s trying to downplay just how hard this is for him.”

“I can’t even imagine what he’s going through…spending most of my life a beta then boom, you’re an omega. You’re pregnant. You’re mated. You’re an official pack. That would be a lot for even the most level-headed person.”

“I’m impressed by how well Deke seems to be handling it,” Loch admitted. “If this was all happening to me at his age, I would have run screaming into the night.”

“Deke isn’t really handling it,” Fen countered. “He’s an actor. He’s acting like he thinks an alpha should. Deep inside, he’s freaking out. But, like Ollie, he doesn’t want to make him feel bad. Sometimes, I’ll catch him snuggling with San and his scent will just sour. But when we ask about it, he just laughs it off.”

“You don’t think he’s happy about the baby?”

Fen sighed. “It’s not that. It’s clear he’s crazy about Ollie and he can’t stop touching his bump. His instincts are going crazy. But he’s a kid who escaped an abusive home only to fall head first into a family. I think he’s afraid he’s going to be a bad alpha and a bad father…a bad pack mate.”

“Nothing we can say right now is going to change either of their minds. But maybe seeing their baby, seeing how healthy she is, maybe that will help ease some of their worries.”

“You said she, too,” Fen murmured.

Loch turned in his arms, looking down at him fondly. His omega’s blond hair got longer each day. His skin was pink from the hot water, making his freckles stand out more. His full lips were a deep red, like he was wearing makeup, and water clung to his unfairly long lashes. He was so beautiful, body and soul. It made Loch want to show him off and also made him want to hide him away.

“What are you thinking?” Fen asked, wrapping his arms around his neck.

“That I have the prettiest mate in the world,” Loch answered honestly, pulling him closer until their bodies were flush against each other, letting Fen feel he was half-hard.

“Sweet talker,” Fen murmured, coming up on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Loch’s mouth.

“I only speak the truth,” Loch said, groaning when their cocks dragged along each other.

He tugged Fen’s chin down, then swept his tongue inside, exploring him lazily, sucking the sharp taste of spearmint from his tongue.

Fen whined, low and desperate.

Loch just swallowed it down. “You taste good,” he said between kisses. “I can’t get enough of your taste.”

Fen smiled against his mouth. “I think you’re a little biased.”

Loch snorted. “Hardly. If anything, I’m downplaying how lucky I am.”

“Yeah?” Fen asked, looking down between them at Loch’s hard cock hanging heavily between his thighs. “Looks like I might be the lucky one.”

Loch released a rumble from deep in his chest as his mate wrapped his hand around his length, stroking him slowly.

“Don’t start something we don’t have time to finish,” he warned.

Fen nipped at Loch’s bottom lip. “Hurry up and wash me. We can squeeze in a quickie before we go.”

“God, you’re so fucking horny all the time,” Loch said, awestruck. “It’s amazing.”

They washed up in record time. Once out of the shower, Loch quickly dried them off, wrapping a towel around his waist. He combed his fingers through his wet locks, then left them to dry naturally. Fen didn’t even bother with that much, just roughly ran a towel over his head to get the excess moisture off, then left the bathroom with his hair sticking up in all directions like some kind of anime character.

When Loch followed him not even a minute later, he stopped short at the sight before him. Fen was bent over the bed, propped up on his elbows, legs spread as he looked back at him from over one slender shoulder. Loch licked his lips, taking in the slick starting to drip down his mate’s smooth thighs.

Loch throbbed, heat enveloping him as he took it all in. He crossed the room in a few steps, draping himself over Fen, scraping his teeth across his mating bite, nostrils flaring as he smelled his slick. “You’re soaked.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” Fen countered, back rising and falling rapidly. “Come on, alpha. You’ve fucked me every morning for the last month. You gonna break our streak now?”

Loch hesitated. “The pack is waiting…” he said, even as he dropped his towel to the floor.

“So am I. You don’t even have to prep me. I’m already dripping for you,” Fen purred. Loch’s eyes rolled, overwhelmed with the need to consume him. “Come on, alpha. Fuck me.”

“Fenny…” His mate rubbed his wet ass across Loch’s cock, then gave the most whorish moan Loch had ever heard. “Christ, baby.”

“Just put it in,” Fen begged. “I can’t function if you haven’t stretched me around your cock at least once. I wanna feel you in my throat.”

Loch choked on the sound that punched from his lungs. Why was he arguing? The others could wait. They’d have to. He was a weak man. There was no way he could refuse his mate, bent over and dripping slick, begging for his dick.

He kissed Fen’s shoulder once more before standing up, kicking the omega’s feet slightly farther apart before pressing a hand to his lower back. “Arch for me, Sunshine.”

Fen canted his hips, muscles tense. “Hurry, alpha.”

Loch bit down on his lower lip, trying not to blow his load before he even got in, like some desperate virgin. He rubbed the head of his cock between Fen’s cheeks, feeling it catch on his rim. When Fen made another disappointed sound, Loch slammed home, driving him up on his toes. They both groaned, Loch’s voice low, Fen’s high and reedy.

Loch’s eyes rolled behind his lids at the tight heat surrounding him.

Just when he was starting to regain his composure, Fen said. “Don’t be gentle,” then added, “I want to feel like you’re still in me every time I sit down today.”

“Christ, baby. Go easy on me,” Loch begged. “I’m barely hanging on and your filthy little mouth is killing me.”

“Oh, is it?” Fen asked, voice full of mock innocence. “I can’t help it that I like having your cum painting my insides all day. Blame my omega. All this breeding talk makes him crazy.”

Loch planted his feet, holding Fen in place so he could slide deep with every roll of his hips. “If you keep talking like this, you little whore, I’m gonna fill you up then plug you…make you walk around like that, all day. Everyone will know that I bred you this morning. They’ll smell it on you… in you. They’ll know how you like to be used like my own little brood bitch. They’ll know how desperate you are for me to put my pups in you.”

This time, it was Fen who moaned long and low. “Fuck. Yes, alpha. Do it. Please. I don’t care what others think. I love bending over for you,” Fen panted, his words punched from him with every sharp snap of Loch’s hips as he drove into him harder and faster with each passing moment.

Loch pulled out suddenly, then grabbed Fen’s waist, tossing him onto the bed, then following him to the mattress. He crawled between his legs, lifting Fen’s legs and settling his knees over his shoulders, lifting his hips up off the bed to pound into his tight hole the way he knew they both wanted.

Fen’s eyes went glassy, jaw slack, lips raw and wet. He stared up at Loch like he was some kind of god, needy little cries escaping each time he slammed home, like he wasn’t capable of keeping his mouth shut. As if to prove Loch’s point, saliva dripped from one corner of his mate’s mouth.

“More, more, more,” Fen begged, eyes growing wet. “Harder.”

Loch snarled but complied, dropping his hips to plant his hands on either side of Fen’s head, practically bending him in half just so he could loom over him while he used him. “God, you’re such a slut,” he panted against his lips. “So greedy. Always so desperate to get fucked. Touch yourself for alpha, show me how you get off when you’re alone.”

Fen didn’t answer—he couldn’t, it seemed—just wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking himself in time with Loch’s brutal thrusts. His gaze dropped to where their bodies were joined, watching himself fuck in and out of Fen’s perfect fucking hole. Just seeing it had him teetering on the edge.

“Come on, Sunshine. Come for me. Wanna feel it,” he chanted.

“Knot me?” Fen panted.

Loch made a distressed noise. “Baby, we don’t have time for that today. We’re already going to be late. Tonight, I promise.”

Fen’s hand worked faster, but he huffed. “Ugh, fine,” he panted. “Then just come or whatever.”

Loch snorted, dropping one of Fen’s legs, while leaning down to attach his lips to Fen’s. The change in angle had Fen screaming every time he bottomed out, his cock dripping as much as his ass.

Fenny started to babble—a clear sign he was close to coming. “Oh, fuck. Right there. Right there. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Hnf. So close. You fuck me so well, alpha. I love it. I love your cock. So good.”

Heat and pleasure chased their way through Loch’s bloodstream, his body rapidly approaching the point of no return where he would have to fill Fen up.

“Want me to pull out so you don’t have to shower again?” Loch managed, trying to stave off his orgasm just a little longer.

Fen looked horrified. “No, don’t waste it.”

Loch growled at that, his thrusts growing a little erratic. “For someone who has no interest in a baby right now, you sure beg like a bitch for my cum.”

Fen locked eyes with him, a challenge in his expression. “That’s ‘cause I love to feel it dripping out of me. I love how well you use me. I love when you fill me up. Can’t you hear how wet you make me? Seth loves it, too. He loves licking your seed out of me. Especially when he’s getting drilled from behind.”

“Jesus Christ, baby,” Loch managed. “You have the dirtiest fucking mouth sometimes, I swear.”

“You love this dirty fucking mouth,” Fen said, then his eyes rolled back and he arched his back. “Gonna come, alpha. Can I come?”

“Yeah, Sunshine, you can come.”

Three more strokes and Fen was coming hard over his fist, his cries only driving Loch closer to his own release. He was clenching so tightly around him, it was driving him insane. He wanted to knot him so badly. But there was no time. They could do it later.

“Keep going,” Fen gasped, even after he started to flinch from each thrust. “Come inside me. Hurry up. I need it.”

Loch pistoned his hips faster, sparks shooting through his blood, pleasure clouding him to all but driving in and out of his mate. His hole felt incredible, wet and sloppy with his slick, and the sounds of their skin slapping and slick squelching felt so wrong. Loch wanted to add to the mess, wanted to breed him so deep it would still be leaking out of him days from now.

“Fuck. Fuck. Gonna come, Sunshine. Gonna fill you up, breed you like you need.”

“Do it,” Fen whispered. “Please, alpha.”

Loch’s hips slammed forward one final time, grinding as deep as he could, pleasure whiting out his vision as his orgasm rolled over him. He could feel his release mixing with Fen’s slick, and couldn’t help but keep fucking his cum back inside his loose hole.

Loch didn’t pull out, just collapsed on top of Fen, catching his breath while Fen stroked his sweaty back.

After a few minutes, he said, “I need to pull out.”

“No,” Fen whined.

“Baby, we have to go.”

“Ugh, fine. At least plug me.”

Loch blinked at him. “Really?”

“Why not?”

Loch stared down at his mate. “Because everyone will know that we fucked this morning and that it’s still inside you. I’ll look like some kind of crazy alpha with a breeder fetish.”

“Who cares? We’re adults.”

Loch sighed. There was no point in arguing with Fenny when he wanted something. “Okay, but I have to pull out.”

As soon as he slipped free, Fen pushed his fingers inside himself. “Hurry.”

“God, you’re so nasty, baby,” Loch said with a laugh, shaking his head. “I love you so much.”

Fen giggled, then grimaced. “Hurry,” he said again with more urgency this time.

Loch rolled his eyes but still quickened his movements. “Okay, bossy.”

* * *

Veritas was a six-story, nondescript gray building with glass doors and an abstract metallic sculpture that blinded drivers from its home in the center of the circular drive just outside. The inside of the building was the exact opposite. It looked more like an upscale hotel or an airport lounge than the reception area for a research facility.

There was a U-shaped wooden desk to the right of the entrance with a white sign on the front and Veritas written in gold letters. It was also emblazoned on the far wall just above two locked doors. There were four large screens on two walls, each one showing smiling people standing beside scientists in lab coats. Loch wasn’t close enough to hear what, if anything, was said, but he knew an ad when he saw one.

They all huddled together, looking around, Fen’s gaze climbing upwards as he realized that the lobby was open all the way to the roof, which was made of glass. The railing for each floor was covered in greenery that was mirrored in key points all around the space. It seemed to dampen some of the ambient noise of day-to-day office work.

The woman behind the desk waved them over with a smile that made Loch feel like he was interacting with a robot instead of a human. She introduced herself as Prudence and let them know she was the receptionist. Fen gave Loch a raised eyebrow at the puritanical name, but otherwise just smiled benignly as she explained that she would alert Bas and Win to their arrival and get their visitor badges.

She was very pretty in a severe way, like an adult Wednesday Addams. She had inky black hair, blunt bangs, pale eyes, and milky skin. It didn’t help that she was wearing a black dress with a Peter Pan collar. She appeared to be in her late-twenties, but something about her eyes made her seem far older.

She smiled in a way that felt rehearsed, then picked up the phone on her pristine desk. After a moment, she spoke to whoever was on the other side of the phone. “Your guests are here, but one of them isn’t on the visitor’s list. What should I do?”

Loch winced internally. He hadn’t thought to call ahead and let them know that Fen had changed his mind about tagging along. After a moment, she said, “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do that.”

She hung up the phone. “Win will be right with you. May I have your ID for security?” she asked Fen.

Fen nodded, reaching for his wallet, handing over his license without thought. She took it with another polite but disinterested smile and gestured for them to have a seat in the waiting area. Only once they were sitting in the plush olive green chairs did Loch notice the words inscribed below the large logo on the wall between the screens.

Domina Naturae, Domina Futuri

“Master nature, master the future, ” Ollie translated out loud.

“Oh, that’s not at all ominous,” Deke muttered, leaning into Ollie.

Ollie threaded their fingers together, then used his other hand to pull at his oversized shirt. Deke’s shirt. It was like he didn’t want anyone there to see his bump. Loch couldn’t blame him. This place felt like it was trying too hard. Like it wanted people to believe there was nothing insidious happening behind those doors.

Prudence crossed the lobby to hand Fen his ID and his visitor badge. He slipped it over his head with a nod. She turned on her functional chunky heel and click-clacked across the marble floor back to her desk. She occasionally peered at them over the counter.

“Deke!”

Deke’s head jerked toward the doors Loch had noticed when they’d first arrived. Win was standing there in black trousers that ended just above her slender ankles and a short purple sweater with weirdly puffy sleeves. Like Prudence, she wore a low, almost chunky heel, like she knew she would be on her feet all day. Loch didn’t know much about fashion, but he knew the red bottoms on her shoes meant they probably cost as much as a decently priced used car.

They all stood as she approached. “Bas is still stuck in a meeting with Daddy, so I was going to start the tour so we don’t waste anymore of your time. Is that alright?”

She addressed the question to Loch. Interesting. He gave a singular nod, then gestured for Deke and Ollie to take the lead. He and Fen stood just behind them. Binnie was the odd man out, walking behind them, his head on a swivel. Loch felt better with him on his six. No matter how innocuous the place appeared, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

Win scanned her badge at the double glass doors, then held it for them all to enter. While the lobby was warm and welcoming, these halls were brightly lit with white walls and maroon carpets. Was that to hide all the blood? Loch shook the thought away.

Win gave them a cheery smile, then led them to another set of doors. There was a red sign that boldly stated that beyond the entrance was a restricted area for authorized personnel only.

Just as before, she scanned her badge and held the door so they could pass first. This led them to another hall. But this one had medical rooms lining either side of the hall with glass observation walls.

“Welcome to the fish bowl,” Win said. “That’s what we call this area. This is our secondary gender affirming care unit.”

Loch felt his eyes widen. “The what?”

Most of the hall consisted of ten large rooms—five on each side—but past that was another room filled with recliners. An infusion room. Three of the ten chairs were full, two women and a man, all spaced far enough apart so they didn’t feel pressured to speak to each other. They didn’t acknowledge their audience either.

Despite their distance to each other, their scents were so intermingled that Loch couldn’t say for sure whether they were alpha, beta, or omega. There were bags hanging from steel poles, connected to the patient with thin tubing. The bags were covered in what looked like aluminum foil, but the liquid running to the patients was a rusty brown.

“To answer your question, Lochlan—” Win started.

Loch grimaced. “Just Loch, please.”

She gave a nod. “Loch,” she confirmed. “This wing is where we help those born with the wrong secondary gender to fully transition.”

“Wrong secondary gender?” Ollie parroted. “There’s a wrong gender?”

“Not wrong to us, but yes. Many people born an alpha long to be an omega. People born omegas feel they should have been born an alpha.” She glanced at the three people in the room. “And don’t forget about betas. These betas were denied the chance to reach their full potential as an alpha or omega.”

Loch had heard about this feeling some betas experienced. Some born with dormant omega traits longed to have children, others with dormant alpha traits longed to be able to knot and breed their mates. He didn’t know it was prevalent enough for a lab to create a drug to help people transition, but their government tended to frown on anything that didn’t align with their bizarre traditional values.

She pointed to the screens, a smaller version of the ones outside. “These are just some of our success stories.”

They looked at the smiling people on the screen. Fen slid his fingers into Loch’s and squeezed. Loch squeezed back. They followed Win to another wing. This one was a large glass-enclosed space. Loch had seen them often enough at Cerberus. It was a cleanroom. It was filled with high-tech machines that blinked and whirred.

“This is the synthetic blood lab,” Win said. “This is where our researchers try to replicate enigma blood.”

“What is all this?” Binnie asked, looking around the space.

Win began pointing out machines. “That is used for gene splicing. Those are cell culture incubators.” She knocked on the glass, catching the attention of a man who was looking at something on a slide beneath a microscope. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. He removed his gloves and came to stand at the window. He ran his fingers through light brown hair and adjusted his glasses.

“This is Dr. Orson. He’s heading the current team researching how to replicate your blood,” she said bluntly, looking at Deke.

“My blood?” Deke muttered, brow furrowed.

“Well, enigma blood,” she clarified. She pushed a button on the intercom. “How’s it coming along?” she asked.

“No luck with this batch either,” he said, giving a soft shrug. “Despite our best efforts, the blood remains unstable and won’t activate the necessary genetic markers.”

Win nodded, then looked at them. “We’ve had this problem since the last of the enigma blood was used. We’ve tried everything. Cloning, CRISPR modification, hormonal infusions…nothing works long term. Your blood carries a unique component, something no machine can seem to replicate with any reliability. That’s why we desperately need your help. You could be the key to giving these people the lives they deserve.”

Deke looked at Ollie, who gave him a there and gone smile. When they didn’t ask any further questions, Win clapped her hands together once, waving to Orson before turning on her heel and taking them deeper into the facility.

Their next stop was a room unlike the others. On one side of the large room was a bank of refrigerators. Two other walls had rows and rows of small medication boxes. The third wall held pamphlets about those medications.

“What’s all this?” Fen asked.

“This is our success,” Win said, beaming at them. “This is where we’ve excelled. These products have just finished phase four testing and will be hitting the market early next year.”

“What are they?” Ollie asked, picking up a box off the shelf.

“What you’re holding is a secondary gender suppressant,” she said. Loch frowned, opening his mouth, but she raised a hand. “I know what you’re going to say. We already have heat and rut suppressants.”

Loch and Binnie both nodded. Ollie appeared to only be half-listening, turning the boxes this way and that, like he was trying to commit the information to memory. He probably was.

“But these aren’t your average heat and rut suppressants. We’ve perfected them. We’ve created an injection that completely masks your pheromone output and makes you immune to other’s pheromones. We’ve already secured a contract with the military for these. It's excellent for helping their undercover operatives blend in as betas.”

Loch’s stomach sloshed, images of Dresden coming up without permission. Was this why he was so desperate to find his own enigma?

“We also have desensitizers. This not only acts as birth control, but it desensitizes omegas and alphas to pheromones so that their heats and ruts are mild to non-existent.”

She picked up another box. “These here mask your entire secondary gender. No more scent patches, no more special pheromone blockers, no more strange perfumes. Thanks to enigma blood, we’ve perfected a formula to allow people to live as betas as much or as little as they like, free from the prejudices that come from one’s secondary gender.”

“These are all…suppressants of some kind?” Fen asked, wandering to the second shelf.

Win moved with him like a shadow. “No, these are our fertility medications. These are what we’re most excited about.”

“Fertility medications?” Deke muttered.

He was barely speaking, hovering behind Ollie and glowering at everything and everyone who was unfortunate enough to make eye contact with him. His alpha was in protection mode and Deke was too new to even notice.

“These are heat and rut inducers,” she said excitedly.

Fen’s eyes went wide as saucers. “They’re what?”

“With this medication, we can induce a heat or rut within four to twelve hours,” Win said with a smile. When Fen blinked at her, her nostrils flared. Loch tried not to blush. She could probably smell his cum still inside him, just as Loch had predicted.

Her gaze dropped to Fen’s flat tummy, eyes glinting with excitement. “Are you trying to conceive?”

“Not me, n-no,” Fen stammered distractedly, still looking at the box.

What was he thinking? Why would Fen be interested in heat or rut inducers?

He got his answer when Win gave him a knowing look. “Oh, the little omega from the church. The one who smelled so envious of Ollie that night?”

Fen hesitated, then nodded. “His alpha is in rut. That’s why he’s not here with us. Seth very much wants to have a baby, but he knows the chances of conceiving when he’s not in heat are significantly lower.”

She gave him a kind smile, then handed him a box that said Ovastim. “Take this for him. If his alpha’s rut just started, there’s still time for him to induce his heat and conceive in this cycle.”

Fen looked down at the box, then at Loch.

“You want us to just give these pills to our friend on your word?” Deke snarled. “You must think we’re stupid.”

Win’s eyes went wide. “Not at all. I just see heartbroken omegas all the time, trying again and again to match their mates’ cycles. This makes it easy. Our success rate is ninety-two percent.”

“Ninety-two percent what?” Binnie asked.

“Conception rate,” Win said, as if that weren’t obvious. “There have been two studies published about them in well respected journals. I can get you the links if it helps.”

“How does it work?” Ollie asked.

“It’s a synthetic analog of omega pheromones derived from the enigma’s blood, which mimics natural heat cycles. It’s also a dopamine agonist, which heightens an omegas pleasure response, making the omega more…receptive to their alpha. Essentially, the compound increases sensitivity to their alpha’s pheromones, amplifying the natural biological response.”

Loch watched the gears turn in Fen’s head. He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. He finally asked, “Are their side effects? Is it dangerous? Could the pills hurt him?”

“All medications have side effects,” she said. “Even the suppressants you take now.”

“Like?” Binnie asked.

“Well, like there’s an increase in the chance for multiples,” she answered.

“Multiples?” Loch echoed. “Like twins?”

Win nodded. “Twins, triplets. We’ve even had one case of quadruplets, but they were also taking our fertility enhancers as well. They knew the likelihood was high that they’d have two or more babies. But for most struggling couples, that’s a blessing, not a side effect, no?”

“That’s the only side effect?” Deke asked, his tone very much implying he wasn’t buying it.

“No, it could also extend his heat cycle, make him more sensitive to his alpha’s pheromones. He might have some residual heat symptoms even after his heat ends. At least, in the short term.”

Loch wasn’t going to lie—as far as side effects went, they did sound pretty mild.

“If you’re worried for your omega, we do have rut inducers. If he doesn’t conceive during his alpha’s rut, you can wait until his heat cycle and trigger his mate’s rut instead. Some alphas handle the side effects better, some worse.”

“I don’t think he wants to wait that long,” Fen said after a moment.

“Most don’t,” Win teased.

After an awkward pause, Win stuffed boxes of heat and rut inducers into Fen’s hands as well as a box that promised heightened ovulation. She then pulled out three pamphlets and handed them over.

“This has all the information for each drug. They’ve already been FDA approved. You can let him make the decision.”

“You can just hand over these drugs without a prescription?” Deke asked, looking at Binnie.

“I’m a physician,” Win reminded. “We give out samples all the time.”

Fen looked at Loch. Loch looked to Deke, who was now staring back at him so hard he might burn holes through his skin. Loch studied his face, trying to get a read on what he was thinking, but he eventually just looked away, pulling Ollie back against him, his hands settling on his belly.

Loch nodded to Fen, who held the boxes protectively against his chest. Win had already lost interest in them. She was now staring unabashedly at Ollie’s belly.

“The next and final department is the maternity observation ward. Are you ready to go see your baby?” she asked.

“Yes,” Binnie said before anyone else could answer. It was clear he was the only one who was more excited than nervous. When he saw the others’ uneasy looks, he frowned. “What? Do we not want to see our baby?”

All eyes swung to Ollie, who was now looking down at Deke’s folded hands over his bump. He took a deep breath and let it out. “No, no. I do. Let’s…let’s go see our baby.”

He stepped away from Deke but only so he could stand beside him and thread their fingers together. As he passed Binnie, he took his hand, too. Loch’s heart did something funny and complicated behind his ribs. Binnie looked so fond of them both.

Once more, he let the others get ahead of him and Fen. He took some of the boxes from Fen’s hands.

“You’re not mad at me for taking these, are you?” Fen asked.

“Of course not. I know you’re only looking out for Seth. He deserves the right to make the decision for himself.” When Fen kept looking at him anxiously, Loch smiled at him. “We’re good, Sunshine. We’re all good.”