Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
A distant part of him was alarmed by his obsessive, enamored thoughts. Michael was still an alpha. He couldn’t think about him this way. They had no future.
Anthony shoved the annoying voice away, losing himself in the other man.
Chapter 18
Hugh Randall wasn’t a man who was easily surprised in his line of work. As an Alpha Omega doctor, he’d seen it all: alphas and omegas with dysfunctional cycles, infertility problems, erectile dysfunction, slick production problems, and so on and so forth.
But for the first time in a long time, he had a truly unique case. A unique patient.
Hugh regarded the two alphas seated across his desk.
Michael Terlaine met his eyes steadily, but his anxiety was obvious. Anthony wasn’t looking at Hugh at all, his gaze fixed on his… friend with the sort of attentiveness that piqued Hugh’s curiosity. In the years since marrying Eric, he’d never seen Anthony behave like this. His brother-in-law had always been rather aloof with Hugh—with all alphas except for Michael Terlaine, and maybe Jon. Hugh had known these two were good friends, but he’d never seen Anthony look at anyone this way—utterly, singularly focused. It made Hugh curious about their relationship, but he was a professional, so his mask stayed firmly in place.
“We have reviewed your bloodwork and CT scan results, Michael,” Hugh said, shifting his eyes back to Michael. He didn’t know the man all that well, but he’d met him enough times at Blake family gatherings to be on a first-name basis with him.
“And?” Michael said, his posture tense.
“We’re seeing significant deviations from the baseline alpha readings. Your body isn’t producing as much alpha hormones as it should. That’s why your scent is no longer as offensive to other alphas. And that’s not all.” Hugh pulled up a holographic projection of Michael’s brain scan. “See this region of your brain? It’s the fachea, the part of our brain that regulates our instincts.”
Michael eyed it with a frown. “Is it... Is there something wrong with it?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Hugh said. “The area is showing increased activity on our scans, indicating ongoing physiological processes, which should not be possible for Vos alphas outside the full moon.”
“Physiological processes?” Anthony said. “What does it mean?”
Hugh looked at his brother-in-law. “This region of the brain is not typically active to this extent in Vos alphas even during the full moon. Vos is a small moon, and it doesn’t affect alphas all that strongly. Even Torryn alphas’ brains don’t look like this during their ruts. But Xeus alphas’ do. That’s why it’s assumed that active processes in this region of the brain have something to do with body transformation, since Xeus alphas are the only alphas that transform into another form during their ruts.”
“But I’m not a Xeus alpha,” Michael said.
“No,” Hugh agreed. “Your case is unique. None of the moons are in their full phase right now, but your brain is acting like there’s an intense biological process going on. Something as intense as Xeus body transformation.”
“What does it mean?” Michael said.
“We can only speculate,” Hugh said. “I’ve discreetly consulted with a few Kadarian doctors that specialize in researching alpha biology—don’t worry, I didn’t mention your name—and we think the alien toxin that caused Anthony’s unnatural rut must have entered your system through Anthony’s bodily fluids.” He kept his voice impersonal, pretending not to see Michael’s flushed face. “It likely activated your fachea—in both of you—”
“But if that’s the case, is Anthony still affected too?”
“Anthony’s readings are normal,” Hugh said, shaking his head. “I wish you’d come to me right after your return from Belith—it would have been helpful to know how soon Anthony’s readings returned to the baseline. As things stand, we can only speculate why he’s back to normal but you’re not.”
“Then speculate,” Michael said. “What’s your personal opinion?”
Hugh folded his hands on his desk. “I think it has to do with his instincts and behavior aligning with a normal rut,” he said carefully. “He asserted his dominance. His fachea recognized the normal alpha behavior and went dormant again, satisfied. But yours... yours might have gotten confused. Because you submitted to another alpha.”
Michael couldn’t seem to hold his gaze anymore, his shoulders tense. Anthony was watching him like a hawk.
“But I slept with an omega during my next rut,” Michael said stiffly.
Hugh hummed thoughtfully, noting the way Anthony stiffened, his scent thickening.
“Did it feel right?” Hugh said.
Michael’s lips thinned. He didn’t reply for a long moment.
“It wasn’t very satisfying,” he finally said in a stilted voice. “I came, but it felt like it wasn’t what I really wanted.”
Hugh nodded. “That aligns with my theory. Your fachea got confused on Belith, getting your instincts used to a more receptive role.”
“Then shouldn’t spending my rut with an omega have fixed me?” Michael said.
Hugh searched for the most diplomatic answer. “It probably would have worked if you didn’t keep submitting to the same alpha. That likely confused your instincts further, making your body think it needed to reduce the production of alpha pheromones to appeal to what your body started perceiving as your alpha.”