Page 4 of Broken Alpha (Unwanted #1)

Aidyn

I woke with one of the most horrendous headaches of my life.

It felt like someone was squeezing my skull, expecting it to pop.

Sitting up in bed, my body felt warm with zero traces of fever, yet my head was swimming so much that I had to place my head on my knees or I was going to throw up. God, I felt like death.

I was certain that this was the result of the new suppressants, and tears of frustration pricked at my eyes.

I was so exhausted. Tired of being a dominant Omega, tired of the endless cocktail of medications and nothing working like it was supposed to.

Dr. Easton’s words came back to me about the risk of organ failure, and I wondered if maybe I should find a deserted island somewhere and live off coconuts and bananas.

Away from society so I didn’t have to take any more of these fucking chemicals.

A sense of urgency consumed me as bile rose up my throat, and I bolted from the bed.

Flinging my bedroom door open, I pushed Erik out of the way as he opened the bathroom door before emptying my stomach into the toilet.

I dry-heaved into the bowl, my back and ribs protesting the lack of substance my stomach could provide.

With a groan, I sat on the floor, resting my head on the wall, my hair sticking to my forehead. I should cut it.

“You okay?” Erik asked, kneeling beside me. I opened my eyes to see his face full of concern and confusion.

“I will be. I need to adjust.”

“The suppressants?”

I could only nod slightly, but the motion made me want to vomit again.

Erik got up, and I heard him moving around in the kitchen, setting the teakettle on the stove.

This isn’t the first time I’ve reacted badly to my suppressants, and I have found that a combination of green tea, ginger tea, and peppermint tea helped with the nausea and headaches they caused.

Erik knew this and the protocol for getting things started for me.

He was probably already setting the water to boil, pulling out a travel mug and some honey, and draping the tea bags in the mug for me.

Forcing myself off the floor, I started the shower before stepping under the lukewarm water.

I already felt overheated but couldn’t stand cold showers.

Using the wall to brace myself against as another wave of lightheadedness washed over me, I took advantage of the cool tile and leaned my head to rest against the coolness until the tile warmed beneath my skin.

It took every ounce of my energy to rush through the mundane tasks of washing myself, having to pause every once in a while as nausea tried to get me to empty my stomach once more.

I don’t know where I pulled the energy to shower completely, but by the time I exited the bathroom, I contemplated crawling back into bed to sleep.

I found a short-sleeve shirt that was long enough to cover my ass and a pair of gray fitted leggings in my pile of clean clothes, pulling them on slowly.

The season was changing into the cooler months of the year, but adjusting to suppressants always made regulating my body’s temperature difficult, so wearing warm clothing was next to impossible for me.

There had been times when I was sweating in a room where others were shivering.

Grabbing the suppressant shot from my nightstand, I measured out the dosage from the vial I received from the pharmacist. Pinching the flesh next to my belly button, I pushed the needle into my stomach, hissing softly as I pressed down on the syringe plunger.

Fuck, I hated this type of suppressant. Taking a pill instead of injecting myself daily was so much easier.

I tossed the needle and syringe into the special garbage can beside my bed that I had picked up at the pharmacy before lowering my shirt just as Erik knocked on my door.

“Maybe you should stay home,” Erik said, handing me the travel mug. “You look paler than a vampire.”

“And yet, I can’t miss a day.” I sipped and winced at the hot liquid as it burned my tongue.

Erik knew better than to argue with me, so he nodded, and together, we took the city bus to the university.

Normally the bus didn’t bother me, but today it was overcrowded and hot.

Every time the bus jerked, someone bumped into me, their touch like an unwanted heat pad against my sensitive skin.

The second a seat near the window opened up, I pushed my way toward it, desperate for fresh air that the open window provided, even if it was just a crack.

The passengers behind me grumbled in annoyance, complaining that it was too cold to have the window open, but I ignored them.

Resting my head against the thick tempered glass, I closed my eyes, letting the breeze ruffle through my hair.

When the bus pulled up to the university, the majority of the passengers got off, and it was relatively easy to move with the flow of exiting passengers.

I was slightly upset that it wasn’t raining since that would make the cool temperature drop even further, but the cloud cover that had rolled in while we were on the bus provided a promise that there was still a chance.

We made our way across campus in silence, Erik picking up on the fact that I was conserving what little energy I still had.

The pounding headache in my head had gone away, but I still felt hot and sluggish, my stomach still uneasy.

I had random bouts of lightheadedness that I needed to stop for as my vision swam and clouded.

The most recent attack happened outside the classroom door, and we paused for it to pass.

The classroom was empty upon our arrival, and I groaned at the wave of heat that greeted us.

It was as if someone left the furnace on overnight and didn’t open any windows.

We sat toward the back of the room, and I opened the window behind us to let in some of the breeze, hoping it would prevent me from overheating during the lecture.

If this was going to be a constant issue, I would need a mini fan to help keep me regulated, but I would have to get one that I could plug into my laptop via a USB drive if I were going to have the ability to use it in class.

Every month, my parents sent me an allowance that I’m supposed to use for rent, food, and schooling, but, to me, this didn’t qualify under any of those categories.

To purchase an item outside of what was discussed, I would have to be able to justify the expenditure, even if I had a little money left over each month.

“Just do it,” Erik said, taking my phone from my hand, where I was looking at mini fans when I voiced the idea to him. “If you overheat in class and get sent home, you’re not participating. It’s a health concern.”

He selected the cheapest fan to plug into my laptop, pressed the ‘one-click’ option that automatically purchased the item for me, and returned my phone.

It’ll be here tomorrow. I took out my laptop, turning it on, before taking another packet of anti-nausea medication from my backpack and downing the last of my tea while the classroom filled up around us.

The medication only took away the most severe feelings of nausea, and I needed the assistance in order to sit in a classroom that was way too warm for an hour and a half.

Every once in a while, I could feel the breeze coming in through the window, and I would close my eyes to enjoy the pleasure of it before it disappeared again.

As Mr. Ellis entered the classroom, my body stiffened instantly as the Alpha glanced around the classroom, his eyes landing on me.

He watched me briefly, frowning slightly, which deepened when he saw Erik beside me.

When his gaze moved from me, my Omega panicked slightly, wanting the Alpha to return his attention back toward us, and I could feel a strange sound crawl up my throat.

Before it reached an audible octave, I stifled it with a cough, clearing my throat.

What was going on with me? Was I so upset his gaze left mine that I almost called out to him in a room full of people?

I had to force myself to open the document I used for class notes, pulling myself out of whatever fantasy it tried to manifest. I don’t know what’s going on, but I need to get it under control.

“Today begins our first lecture,” Mr. Ellis began.

“To understand ABO psychology and biology, we need to start with the history of ABO and the theory of evolution.

Humans have long been described as adaptive creatures, something we can easily see as we move through the early stages of humanity from Homo erectus to Homo neanderthalensis to Homo sapiens.

We adapted to the world, creating hunting and gathering tools to meet our survival needs.

There was once a theory that male body temperatures were hotter than their female counterparts because the males hunted, and the females stayed in the cave to prepare food, baskets, and tools and took care of the offspring.

“The adaptation of survival is clear today and can be found in the Inuit people with high-fat diets to accommodate living in the Arctic.

In the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau, mutations have been observed that help the oxygen concentration in their blood.

The Sea Nomads of Sama-Bajau have evolved to be able to dive underwater for long periods due to the evolution of their spleens.