Page 5

Ersa

T he next morning, Ersa could barely keep his eyes open. Heavy lids drooped over his sore eyes as he stared listlessly out the window, watching the blurred landscape whip by as the pod sped down the airway. The hum of the engines buzzed in his ears, a steady drone that only seemed to make his exhaustion worse.

All night, his thoughts had spiraled endlessly. Master Quin’s sharp words replayed in his head like a broken record, Benjn’s soft whimpers and restless cries tugging at his heart. The sweet cub who giggled and clung to him during the day had turned into an irritable little monster the moment the lights went out. Feedings turned into UA matches that ended with both of them messy and sticky. Ersa had tried everything: rocking him, whispering soothing words, humming lullabies. Nothing worked. Benjn’s wails had cut through the quiet like a siren.

Worse, every cry summoned Master Quin like a ghost. The alpha appeared in the doorway each time, his towering frame outlined against the dim light, his eyes like steel as they fell on Ersa. Ersa’s heart clenched every time the alpha entered, but relief followed close behind—Benjn always quieted as soon as his dad approached. A mystery to Ersa since the cub had seemed to be afraid of the alpha.

Ersa stole a glance at Master Quin and immediately regretted it as something slammed into his gut, leaving him breathless at the sight of him. The alpha was sprawled comfortably on the other end of the wide seat, his posture deceptively relaxed as his sharp focus remained on the sleek e-reader in his lap. The device cast a faint blue light across his face, sharpening the chiseled angles of his jaw and cheekbones. Ersa’s gaze wandered, lingering on the expensive cut of Master Quin’s dark coat, the fine stitching that seemed as immaculate as everything else about him. He hadn’t even looked up when Ersa climbed into the pod, not a word, not a glance, as if his presence barely registered.

Yet somehow, his silence was louder than words.

Ersa turned back to the window, focusing on the blur of buildings. He tried to let the rhythm of the moving shuttle calm him, but Ersa’s throat tightened, his pulse quickening with anxiety. What if the specialist said it was impossible? That it had been too long? The very idea left a sick knot in the pit of his stomach.

Shit. Ersa squeezed his eyes shut, leaning his head back against the seat. For a moment, he let himself imagine disappearing—just fading out of existence and going somewhere he could sleep. Really sleep. The kind of deep, dreamless rest that had eluded him for years.

As if on cue, a yawn crawled up his throat, splitting his jaw wide. He slapped a hand over his mouth, mortified, and chanced another glance at Master Quin. Of course, the alpha had noticed. Those piercing eyes were on him, as unreadable as ever.

“You can take a nap,” Master Quin said. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”

“No. I’m fine,” Ersa muttered quickly, tearing his eyes away.

The truth was, sleep would be impossible with Master Quin sitting mere feet away. His presence was unnerving.

“We’re still a long way from the capital. Take a nap,” Master Quin said, his tone oddly patient. “I won’t think you’re bad at your job if you do.”

Ersa shot him a sidelong glance, a frown tugging at his brow. Why was he suddenly being nice? It felt… off, like walking into a trap. “No. I’m fine,” Ersa replied quickly, his spine straightening as if to physically prove his words. “And I’m not worried about what you think because I know how to do my job. Benjn is in good hands. Don’t worry about that.”

Master Quin’s lips curled into the faintest smirk, his sharp gaze flicking up from the e-reader. “Except you’re not as truthful as you should be,” he said smoothly, his voice laced with an edge that made Ersa’s jaw tighten.

Fuck, he’s so rude. The thought simmered in Ersa’s mind as he turned his head sharply to the window, choosing to ignore the alpha. Instead, he focused on the view outside as the landscape shifted and gave way to the sprawling expanse of the capital.

The closer they got, the louder and busier it became. The once-distant hum of traffic turned into a cacophony of sound: the deep rumble of hover pod engines. The shuttle slowed to a crawl, the steady pace disrupted by the swelling traffic ahead. Ersa glanced up and spotted the health center looming in the distance—a stark, multitiered structure of pale metal and glass. Moments later, they pulled into an underground parking, the pod gliding smoothly into an empty slot before coming to a halt.

Ersa’s heart started to pound as the reality of their destination sank in. We’re here. He turned his gaze to Master Quin, his nerves buzzing with unease.

The alpha moved, rising gracefully from his seat to reach for the door. Ersa’s hand moved on instinct, his arm shooting out before his brain caught up. His fingers brushed against the alpha’s wrist, a fleeting touch against skin that was surprisingly warm and smooth.

The contact sent a jolt through Ersa’s body, and his stomach did an uncomfortable flip.

“What?” Master Quin asked, looking down at him.

“I… nothing,” Ersa mumbled, yanking his hand back as though the brief contact had burned him. His eyes darted to the floor, a deep flush creeping up his neck. Why did I touch him like that?

Master Quin didn’t move, his presence heavy and unyielding, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. Ersa’s pulse thundered in his ears as he scrambled for something to say, anything to dissolve the awkwardness pressing down on him.

The soft hiss of the door sliding open shattered the silence.

“We should go,” Ersa whispered.

“Of course,” Master Quin replied, his tone even, giving nothing away.

Ersa kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead as they walked, his footsteps echoing faintly across the smooth floor.

They stopped in front of a set of double doors that parted soundlessly, revealing the pristine interior of the health center. Soft lighting illuminated the space, giving it a clinical yet oddly serene atmosphere.

A nurse in crisp, pale green scrubs stood waiting just beyond the threshold. She smiled warmly as they approached.

“Good morning, Master Quin. Dr. Alora asked me to escort you to his office,” she said, gesturing down the hallway behind her. “This way, please.”

“That’s very considerate of him,” Master Quin replied with a faint nod. “We would have been lost otherwise.”

Ersa felt the alpha’s gaze shift toward him, a brief but pointed glance that seemed to ensure he was still following.

Ersa’s lips pulled into a tight smile as he trailed a step behind the alpha.

The strong, sharp, and clean smell of disinfectant stung Ersa, leaving a slight burning sensation in his nose, but the sheer size of the health center held him in awe so that he barely felt the discomfort as his eyes darted around the polished floors that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. Hurried footsteps of nurses and stern-faced doctors clad in crisp lab coats echoed all around him as they moved with an air of purpose, clipboards in hand and expressions set in focused determination.

Walking ahead of them, the nurse pressed her palm to an access panel, opening a glass door that revealed a cozy reception area, with warm-colored couches, fresh flowers in vases atop side tables, and glowing wall lights that invited the visitor to sit back and relax. Behind the front desk, the receptionist greeted them with a welcoming smile that Ersa automatically returned, his eyes falling on the large sign behind her. Omega Health Care Wing, it read in bold letters that served to remind him why he was there. Ersa took in a lungful of the calming scent wafting in the air as a large ball of unease rose to suffocate him.

“Room 3 is ready for you, Nora,” the receptionist said, handing the nurse an e-reader before she turned her beaming smile to the omega that had somehow slipped into the wing without Ersa noticing.

“Just relax,” he mumbled to himself as Nora’s kind eyes fell on him, softening the ball of unease in his stomach.

“Shall we?” She tilted her head subtly, motioning toward the hallway stretching behind the front desk. “Master Quin, we’ll only be a minute.”

Ersa’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the alpha’s name. He’d somehow slipped his mind as soon as he stepped into the wing. Ersa chanced a glance over his shoulder at the alpha, and the heavy stare he found leveled at him made him feel weak at the knees.

“I’ll be right back,” he felt compelled to say before he turned to follow Nora down the hallway. Numbered doors, neatly arranged from one to ten, lined the hallway. All were closed, except for the door marked 3. Inside, a single bed sat in the middle of the room, covered in orange sheets that looked soft and inviting. Wall lights placed strategically in corners glowed, creating shadows that gave off a peaceful vibe that felt nothing like any examination room Ersa had ever been to.

“Dr. Alora ordered a few tests, including a routine check. Please make yourself comfortable on the bed and fill in the form on the e-reader while I get everything ready.” Nora’s melodious voice filled the silence as she moved to the other side of the room, where a steel cubicle sat against the wall. Next to it, the cylindrical human-sized medic bot sparkled as the lights hit its silvery surface.

Ersa picked up the e-reader and skimmed through the questionnaire, the back of his neck warming as he came to the personal questions.

“Do I have to answer everything?”

“Please. Write down as much detail as you can,” Nora said. A few minutes later, she returned, wheeling a cart stacked with medical equipment. “Roll up your sleeve for me, please.” Ersa placed the e-reader aside and rolled up his sleeve. “This is going to sting.”

Clenching his jaw, Ersa closed his eyes as a sharp pain shot up his arm, melting into a dull ache a few seconds later when Nora withdrew the needle and stepped away. Just as he began to relax, she had him on his feet, guiding him to the medic bot.

“I apologize for the cold,” she murmured softly, just as his teeth started to chatter as he stepped into the bot. The machine set off a beeping sound as it applied firm squeezing pressure around his arms and legs. Her movements efficient and professional, Nora guided him through the tests, turning what could have been an arduous experience into a smooth and stressless process.

“All done,” Nora announced, shutting off the bot. She grasped Ersa’s arm and carefully helped him out of the bot. “You should rest. The medic bot can cause dizzy spells in some people. The receptionist will come and fetch you once your tests are ready.”

“Okay,” Ersa said, walking to the bed.

“Lie down,” Nora encouraged in a soft tone, a fluffy white blanket in her hands. Ersa toed off his shoes and lay down on the soft bed, and a moan slipped out of his lips unchecked.

I’ll only rest my eyes for five minutes. That was the last thing Ersa thought as he drifted away, his body wrapped in softness and warmth.

The feel of deft fingers dancing along his arm in featherlight touches slowly dragged him out of his slumber. Heavy with sleep, his eyes fluttered open, hazily focusing on the fiery, thick braid slung over a wide shoulder encased in an expensive dark coat.

“It’s like a flame,” Ersa murmured, reaching out to touch the flaming strands, smooth and soft to the touch.

A sharp gasp rippled through the room, causing Ersa’s hand to stall on its journey down the braid. He lifted his sleepy gaze to meet Master Quin’s dark grey one, swirling like an approaching storm. A tense silence hung between them, the air charged with something electric and Master Quin’s dominant presence.

“Dr. Alora will see us now,” he said, unfolding his large frame to its full height, the braid slipping out of Ersa’s grasp.

Ersa gulped when he realized he was still touching it. Mortified, he scrambled out of bed and snapped the blanket in the air before he folded it and straightened the bed in quick, jerky movements. A slight tug on his skin had Ersa looking down at his arm to find a pain-aid with cute little flowers plastered over his needle bruise.

Was that what Master Quin had been doing while he was sleeping? Fingering the smooth material of the pain-aid, Ersa lifted his eyes to the alpha, an awkward feeling swirling inside his stomach.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ersa said.

“This way,” he said, leading the way. Ersa’s heart thudded hard with every step he took, the door to the doctor’s office looming closer. Anxiety wrapped its cold fingers around his throat, threatening to suffocate him as Master Quin opened the door and stepped aside for him to step into the office. Floor-to-ceiling shelves full of books took up the four walls of the office, making Ersa feel like he’d stepped into a museum. He did a one-eighty as he tried to remember the last time he’d seen this many books in one place.

“You must be Ersa,” Dr. Alora said, rising from his spotless desk, the alpha’s smile instantly putting Ersa at ease. “Please, take a seat.”

“Thank you,” Ersa murmured. He pulled out one of the chairs in front of the desk and eased into it. Master Quin followed suit, lowering himself into the other chair. The alpha’s proximity tied Ersa’s stomach in knots again, the anxiety that had eased a few minutes ago returning with a vengeance. Ersa eyed the workstation on Dr. Alora’s desk like it was his archenemy. When Dr. Alora turned to it and deftly ran his fingers over the screen, humming off-key as if everything was okay, Ersa wanted to scream for him to stop. He bit the inside of his mouth, his palms sweating as the doctor took his sweet time. After what felt like forever, Dr. Alora turned toward them and said the very thing Ersa wanted to hear.

“Your tests came out fine. Your hormone levels are normal, your heats are regular and mild. I believe you’ll be able to withstand the relactation process.”

“Are you saying it’s possible after so long?” Master Quin asked, the relief in his voice overwhelming.

“Yes.”

“How?” Ersa asked.

“By inducing a false pregnancy,” Dr. Alora offered. His words hung in the air, heavy and disturbing. “I know it’s not what you were expecting. A false pregnancy can cause psychological distress and physical changes that can affect an omega for the rest of his life, but in your case, you already have a cub that needs your care. A false pregnancy will get your body into an ideal state to do so. And I hope an emotional bond between you and the cub will offset the rest. It’s not an easy decision to make, I know… but…”

“Benjn needs me,” Ersa interrupted, his mind already made up. “I’ll do it. What do I need to do?”

“Excellent.” Dr. Alora clapped his hands, his attention returning to the screen. “We work with amazing alphas. One of them will assist you with your heat. I had the list here somewhere…”

“Wait a minute. Alphas? Heat? What are you talking about?” Master Quin asked. The rough, tight edge to his voice had Ersa turning to glance at the alpha. The rigid stillness in his body, combined with the dark stare of his stormy eyes, sent a disturbing chill in the room.

If Dr. Alora felt it, he didn’t show it. Rubbing the back of his neck, he laughed sheepishly, his face turning a shade brighter. “I got ahead of myself again. I apologize. I’m a scientist, and I feel more comfortable in the lab. Doctor-patient relationships are not my strong suit,” he said, a shy smile pulling on his lips. “Anyway, I should have explained that the false pregnancy-inducing hormones are administered during the first night of an omega’s heat. During heat, the body is already geared toward breeding, and being with an alpha will heighten the chances of…”

Ersa didn’t hear the rest of what Dr. Alora said, his mind stuck on the fact that he was going to have sex to induce the false pregnancy. Picking his thumbnail, he waited for a sense of wrongness to wash over him, but Ersa was surprised when he felt nothing but a clear determination to fix his mistake.

“When can we start?” he asked.

“Since you’ve already had your heat, we can either wait for next month or induce your heat and get started on the process right away—you decide. But bear in mind that every omega is different. Some omegas achieve good results after the first heat, while others need at least three heats with an alpha. The sooner we start, the better it would be for Benjn, right?”

“Right,” Ersa said automatically. “I’m going to need that list of alphas.”

“Yes, of course, just a moment,” Dr. Alora said, turning back to the workstation. His fingers flew over the screen as he murmured to himself as if he were alone. “It was here somewhere… There it is… Mmmh… let’s see who’s available… Oh…”

“Is something wrong?”

A sharp clicking sound puffed out of Dr. Alora’s pursed lips as he dropped his hands from the screen. “I didn’t realize that all our alphas were assigned. We might have to wait until one of them is available.”

“How long will that take?”

Dr. Alora tapped his lips thoughtfully. “I can’t say. It depends on the case the alpha is handling.”

“Oh…” Ersa said, disappointed. “Is there another way?”

“No. You need an alpha,” he said firmly. “We can only deceive the body to a certain extent.”

“I’ll do it,” Master Quin said, his voice cutting through the room like a sharp knife through a piece of meat. “I don’t think we can wait that long. What do I have to do?”

“Ersa has the final say,” Dr. Alora said, his gaze drifting to Ersa. “If he doesn’t have any objections, we can start tonight. Ersa, do you want to go ahead with Master Quin?”

Ersa chewed on his bottom lip as two sets of eyes focused on him, waiting for his answer. Any other alpha, the decision would have been easy, but Master Quin was his boss. He couldn’t have sex with him. Ersa turned to the alpha, then paused as he remembered he’d been willing to have sex with a total stranger seconds ago. Would it seem odd if he refused now? Ersa dropped his gaze to his lap, his fingers twisting the fabric of his pants, torn.

“I know being with an aggressive alpha can be daunting and…”

“What?” Ersa’s head snapped up at Master Quin’s words, his heart thudding in his chest when his words finally registered. His emotions must have been written all over his face because Master Quin seemed to shrink before his eyes, his broad shoulders slumping as if weighed down by an invisible burden.

“I wouldn’t ask this of you if there was another way,” he admitted, his voice heavy. “Benjn is…”

Benjn. Ersa’s heart broke as he thought about the cub.

“I’ll do it,” Ersa said, his throat growing tight.