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Expert
Part I
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Part II
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue From the Author About the Series
Other books in the series:
Book 1: Unnatural
Book 2: Feral
Book 3: Illicit
Copyright © 2023 Alessandra Hazard
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and events are the product of the author’s imagination.
www.alessandrahazard.com OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 1
“The doctor is considered one of the best in his field.”
Eric Blake hummed noncommittally, looking out the helicopter window at the cloudless sky.
“Everything will be all right,” the other omega said. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”
It was a nice sentiment, but Eric doubted it. He was young, not stupid. He’d done his research.
There was something wrong with him. Or at least there was something wrong with his heats. After his third abnormally strong heat, Eric could no longer deny it. Omegas like him were supposed to have very mild heats, remaining lucid and in control. Omegas like him weren’t supposed to turn into mindless animals craving an alpha knot. And yet that was exactly what had happened to Eric during his last three heats, and it had been getting progressively worse.
At this point, he had no choice but to see a doctor. And no matter how much Lucien tried to comfort him, Eric doubted it was nothing serious.
“This is a good clinic, Eric,” Lucien said as the helicopter landed. “The best in Kadar. Their service, discretion, and expertise are very highly rated. There’s no need to be nervous.”
Eric smiled faintly at the older omega. He liked Lucien. Ever since he’d moved to Kadar, Lucien had become the closest person to him in the country.
Lucien was everything an omega was supposed to be: gorgeous, gentle-mannered, well spoken, and graceful. Next to him, Eric was acutely
aware of his own flaws. It wasn’t really about outward appearance: he knew that physically he looked very much like an omega, and a pretty one, with his soft features, light-brown hair, and long eyelashes framing his blue eyes. But compared to Lucien, Eric felt like a country bumpkin. Too bookish and graceless. Too socially awkward. He never knew what to say, preferring his computer and his online friends to real people.
Which is why you ended up fleeing to another country, you ninny.
Pushing the thought away, Eric said, “I’m not nervous.”
“I’ll wait for you here,” Lucien said, clearly not buying his lie.
“No,” Eric said, opening the helicopter door. “Please don’t waste your time. I’m not a child; I’m eighteen. I can find my way home.”
Home. Even after months in this country, the Cleghorns’ majestic estate still didn’t really feel like home. He missed his home. His real home.
“If you’re sure,” Lucien said, frowning a little but accepting his decision, ever so considerate.
Part of Eric wished Lucien would push and insist on staying with him. Gods, it was messed up. He was messed up. Eric was probably the only omega in existence who didn’t crave independence and freedom to do whatever he wanted. What he craved was being part of a pack, security of not having to make hard decisions by himself. He wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to being so alone. He’d grown up surrounded by affectionate older brothers, under the protection of his alpha mother. Over the past few months, Eric had found that being independent was very overrated.
“I’m sure,” Eric said with confidence he didn’t feel. “Thanks for the ride!” He hopped off the helicopter, shut the door, and strode toward the clinic before he could chicken out.
He didn’t like hospitals, but he wasn’t an idiot: he did need to see a doctor. The drastic change to his heat’s intensity could be caused by a number of serious health issues. The horror stories he’d read on the Internet had made him lose sleep recently. A check-up was necessary.
The interior of the clinic was fancy but tasteful, making it obvious that it catered to high-profile clientele. Eric felt a pang of worry, but
unfortunately, he couldn’t risk going to a less expensive clinic. After the scandal, discretion was paramount. He could afford this appointment—his eldest brother was very generous with his allowance, but Eric wasn’t sure how many subsequent appointments he could afford without having to ask his brother for more money. And he’d rather not alert his family about his health issues. He’d been enough of a burden for them already.
“Um, hello,” Eric said, handing his ID to the receptionist. “I have an appointment.”
She smiled, after glancing at it. “Of course, Mr. Blake. Dr. Randall is waiting for you. Second floor, office 207. Please take a moment to visit office 201 for a blood test before you go to Dr. Randall—the doctor has requested it.”
Muttering his assent, Eric headed to the second floor.
After a quick blood test, he walked toward office 207. He stopped, glancing at the golden plaque on the wall.
Dr. Hugh Randall
Head of AO Sciences
He pushed the door open.
The office was fairly large and well lit without being unpleasantly bright. It was rather minimalistic, but it didn’t give the impression of cold and impersonal. It smelled of—
Of alpha.
Tensing up, Eric eyed the doctor in confusion and alarm.
“Please take a seat.”
Eric took the seat across from the doctor and curled his hands in his lap, dropping his gaze. He felt incredibly awkward. And confused. He’d had no idea the doctor would be an alpha. Especially an alpha who was handsome and relatively young. Why had he been given an alpha doctor? Granted, he hadn’t specified that he didn’t want an alpha doctor, but Eric hadn’t thought it was necessary, considering his omega designation and the fact that he was coming off his heat.
Back home, he wouldn’t even be allowed to be alone with a strange alpha like this.
But he wasn’t home.
Eric cleared his throat a little and looked back at the doctor.
It was hard not to notice that Dr. Hugh Randall was an attractive man. His thick chestnut hair was streaked with gold, his face full of character and strength: sharp cheekbones, a patrician nose, well-shaped lips, and a firm jaw dusted with dark stubble. The blue coat he was wearing over his white shirt did little to hide that he was fit and broad-shouldered like most alphas. It was hard to tell his age: he was a man in his prime, and he could be anywhere between twenty-five and fifty, since alphas generally didn’t show signs of aging before they hit their fifties.
“Are there—are there no omega doctors?” Eric said.
Dr. Randall’s eyes softened. They were an unusual color, something between blue and green. Turquoise—that was the color.
“I know that in Pelugia omegas are treated by omega or beta doctors, but in Kadar we treat all genders and designations.” The doctor’s voice was smooth and soothing. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Eric. I treat dozens of omegas every day. It’s just a job for me. You should forget that I’m an alpha. I’m a doctor, you’re my patient, and my designation doesn’t matter.”
Rationally, Eric understood that. But it was still incredibly hard to force himself to talk about such intimate issues with an alpha.
He wondered if Dr. Randall knew about the scandal.
Pushing the thought away, Eric sat up straighter and, fixing his gaze on Dr. Randall’s dark blue tie, said, “I’ve been experiencing problems with my—my cycle for the past few months.”
Dr. Randall made a humming noise, writing something down. “You’re a Vos omega, correct?”
Eric nodded.
“What, exactly, is the problem? Has your cycle become irregular?”
Eric shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I’ve been… My heats are much stronger now. Too strong. Like, I know what a normal heat is supposed to be like for a Vos omega—my heats have been textbook-normal since I presented at thirteen. My last few heats were very much not normal.”
Dr. Randall stopped making notes and lifted his gaze to him, frowning. “There’s no such thing as normal, Eric. Everyone is different. People change. Their bodies do as well. There are many reasons why an omega’s heat might change its intensity. Losing a mate, meeting a potential mate, birth of a child.” His eyes became piercing. “Sometimes a very stressful situation is enough to change the heat’s intensity.”
Eric suppressed a grimace. So that answered the question of whether the doctor was aware of the scandal or not.
“But first, we need to exclude the possibility of a malignant growth, so I will examine you before we proceed further.”
“Ex—examine me?”
Dr. Randall gave him a steady look. “Of course. Please undress below the waist and lie down on the examination table. I’ll perform a manual examination.”
Eric swallowed. He looked at the doctor’s long, strong fingers and tried not to blush.
Manual examination. Right.
“Can’t you use ultrasound for that kind of thing?”
Dr. Randall cocked his head to the side, studying him. “I can,” he said. “And I intend to use it after the manual examination. If you’re shy, ultrasound isn’t a solution. I would still need to insert the probe into your —”
“Right,” Eric said.
“Besides,” Dr. Randall said. “There are certain problems that are difficult to detect with tech, so I wouldn’t recommend skipping manual
examination. Ultrasound might not provide a full picture. But if you are truly uncomfortable, we will stick to ultrasound.”
Wincing, Eric got to his feet. “No, that’s fine. I want to get to the bottom of it.” He headed to the curtain separating the examination area from the rest of the office and quickly pulled off his pants and underwear. He looked at his socks, hesitating. Did he need to take them off, too?
After a moment, he decided against it and climbed onto the examination table. He lay down on his back and cleared his throat. “I’m ready.”
He heard the doctor pull on his gloves; the snap of rubber made him flinch, his stomach tightening with nerves. He hadn’t been examined by an Alpha Omega doctor since he presented years ago, and the doctor had been a beta, which was much less unnerving and embarrassing.
Dr. Randall’s face was the picture of professionalism as he walked toward Eric, but Eric still found himself blushing. He was naked below the waist in front of an attractive mature alpha. To his mortification, he felt a significant amount of slick trickle out of his hole.
Eric fixed his gaze on the ceiling. It wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t help the reaction of his body.
“Let’s see,” Dr. Randall said, pushing Eric’s shirt up and palpating his stomach. The touch was strong and confident—and absolutely impersonal. Unfortunately, Eric’s body’s reaction wasn’t impersonal at all. His stomach clenched at the touch, his entire body tensing up.
“Please relax,” Dr. Randall said.
“I can’t—I’m sorry.”
Dr. Randall’s hands paused. “Look me in the eye, Eric.”
Reluctantly, Eric did as he was told. Dr. Randall’s gaze wasn’t unkind but there was a steadiness to it as he said, “I need you to relax for me.”
His body immediately went boneless.
Eric gasped. “Did you just use your Voice on me?”
Dr. Randall gave him a strange look and shook his head. “No. You just seem very receptive to alphas.” He resumed palpating his stomach. “Spread your legs a little.”
Shifting his gaze back to the ceiling, Eric did as he was told.
“Sorry,” he muttered awkwardly when he felt his cock harden and more slick trickle out of him.
“There’s no need to apologize for the physiological reactions of your body.” Dr. Randall’s voice was calm and professional as he slowly pushed a thick finger into him.
Eric gritted his teeth, his wet hole greedily squeezing the finger. “Sorry,” he mumbled again, his entire face aflame.
“Stop apologizing.” There was a sternness to Dr. Randall’s voice that only made him wetter.
A tiny moan escaped Eric’s lips as another finger joined the first and pushed deeper. “Ah.” And then another moan, as the fingers started moving in him, searching for something—examining him. Dr. Randall was examining him, for fuck’s sake. Why was he reacting like the worst kind of slag? But it felt so good, like it was something he hadn’t known he’d been craving.
To his deep mortification, Eric couldn’t stop a disappointed whine when the doctor pulled his fingers out.
“Hm,” Dr. Randall said thoughtfully.
Eric still had his gaze fixed on the ceiling. He would never be able to look this man in the eye.
“You are hypersensitive,” Dr. Randall said. “You indicated in the questionnaire you filled out online that your heat ended a day and a half ago. Some sensitivity is normal, but you shouldn’t be so hypersensitive at this point.”
“Is it bad? What does it mean?” Beyond the fact that he really wanted his doctor’s fingers back inside him.
“I have a few theories, but let’s try ultrasound first. I will now insert the ultrasound probe into you. Is that okay, Eric?”
“Yes,” he whispered, his hole squeezing around nothing. Fuck, he was so empty.
He bit the inside of his cheek when he felt something hard and cold press into him. It didn’t feel as good as the doctor’s fingers.
Dr. Randall turned the probe a little, making him gasp and shiver uncontrollably. Finally, after what felt like forever, the probe was pulled out.
“You may get dressed,” Dr. Randall said, and Eric heard him take his gloves off before leaving the examination area.
Eric sat up with some difficulty, squeezing his thighs together, trying and failing to lessen the empty feeling inside him. Damn it.
His hands shaking, he got dressed.
Once he was ready, he took a deep breath and emerged into the main area of the office.
He couldn’t hide behind the curtain forever.
It was time to find out what was wrong with him. OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 2
“Please take a seat,” Dr. Randall said.
Eric walked to the chair and sat down. His face still felt too hot and he was having trouble meeting the doctor’s eyes.
It was hard to gauge what Dr. Randall was thinking or feeling, since the alpha was clearly on some kind of suppressants, which made his scent very faint, making it impossible to get a read on him. His handsome face was very neutral.
“I’ve received the results of your bloodwork while you were dressing,” Dr. Randall said at last. “I now feel confident in your diagnosis, but I want to confirm several things first. I will ask you a few questions and I’d like honest answers, Eric.”
Well, that didn’t sound intimidating at all.
“Sure,” Eric said, folding his hands on his lap.
“How long has it been since you last had an orgasm?”
Eric stared at the doctor.
Dr. Randall stared back at him, his gaze expectant.
“How is that relevant?” Eric said, clearing his throat.
“Very. Please answer the question, Eric.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Eric shrugged. “It’s been a while. Maybe two, three weeks? I don’t know. Lately I haven’t been able to—to get off for some reason.”
Dr. Randall nodded, as if he’d expected that answer. “Have you noticed an increase in your libido outside your heats? Increase in slick production?”
Eric was sure his face was totally red now. “Yes. On both counts.”
Dr. Randall’s lips thinned. He looked grimly satisfied, as if he was pleased to be correct, but at the same time wasn’t all too happy about it. “All right. Do you want the good news or bad news first?”
Eric cleared his throat a little, his eyes darting around the room. “Eh, good news?”
“The good news is, you don’t have any malignant growth in your reproductive organs. They’re perfectly healthy for an omega of your age.” Dr. Randall looked back at the chart. “The bad news is, your bloodwork indicates that your hormones are all over the place. Coupled with your other symptoms, I’m confident that you have hypersexual disorder, Type 3.”
Eric wet his lips with his tongue. Hypersexuality. He’d had an inkling it was something along those lines, so he wasn’t all that surprised. “Type 3?” he said.
Dr. Randall met his eyes, his expression still grim and unamused. If Eric didn’t know better, he’d think the doctor was disgusted by the situation. “Yes. It’s a hypersexual disorder that can happen only to omegas, usually as a response to a highly stressful situation. It happens rarely, and there are no confirmed triggers for it. The exact same trauma may not trigger the same response in two different omegas. It’s theorized that the type of trauma and psychological background play a part, but it’s all guesswork. We still don’t know why some omegas’ biology responds to a traumatic situation this way.”
“What way? Why is wanting sex a biological response to a stressful situation? It seems weird.”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not sex your biology craves. It’s the security of having an alpha. That’s why you are unable to achieve orgasm on your own. Sex with a beta or an omega will similarly not work. Your body needs certain pheromones produced only by alphas.”
Great. Fucking fantastic.
Eric clenched his hands on his knee. “Right. So how is this disorder treated?”
“There are two options that are normally advised in a situation like this,” Dr. Randall said. “The conservative medical option consists of a strict regimen of six drugs you’ll have to take for the duration of four months.”
“I’ll take that option,” Eric said quickly.
Dr. Randall gave him a flat look that clearly conveyed how unimpressed he was by his rash decision. “The problem with that option is that the drugs do very substantial damage to your liver and kidneys, and besides, they aren’t recommended for unmated people without children. There’s a high chance that those drugs will make you incapable of having them.”
Eric’s stomach knotted up. It wasn’t that he had been planning to have kids anytime soon, but not being able to have them at all—having that option taken away from him—was… daunting.
Trying to hide his discomfort, Eric shrugged. “I’m never getting mated, so it’s not very relevant.”
Dr. Randall frowned. “You’re eighteen. How can you be sure that you won’t change your mind in a few years?”
Smiling crookedly, Eric looked anywhere but at him. “It’s not about changing my mind, doctor. It’s not up to me. Let’s be honest: no one wants spoiled goods.”
“Spoiled goods,” Dr. Randall repeated slowly. “Is it about the scandal in Pelugia?”
His lips twisting, Eric looked down at his hands. “I mean, the mere fact that you, a Kadarian I’ve never met before, are aware of the scandal speaks for itself, doesn’t it? No one will want to mate an omega like me.” No one would want an omega who had been stupid enough to send a salacious picture of himself to an alpha he’d met on the Internet—an alpha who had sold the picture to the tabloids. The scandal it created had been unheard of. Eric was the brother of the omega the future king had been
courting. Highborn omegas like him were supposed to have an unblemished reputation, but his was tarnished beyond repair.
“Look at me, kid.”
The informal address, spoken in a different tone, made Eric look up.
For the first time since he’d entered this office, Eric could see a man behind the professional, neutral mask of a doctor. And that man was angry.
Dr. Randall’s eyes were hard, his face stony as he said in a flat voice, “Any decent alpha would know not to blame you for that situation. You were a kid whose inexperience was taken advantage of. You are hardly ‘spoiled goods’ just because you sent some asshole a revealing photograph. It’s not your fault.”
Eric blinked a few times and looked down at his hands, his throat a little tight. He rarely allowed himself to feel sorry for himself—what happened was his own fault, no matter what his relatives said—but… It felt so damn unfair that one stupid mistake had cost him so much. If he were an alpha or beta, no one would have cared about the photograph. He wouldn’t have been forced to flee to a different country and live with strangers. His life wouldn’t have been ruined. The double standards were unbearable sometimes.
It felt good to be told that it wasn’t his fault by someone who wasn’t his family or friend. He was grateful—and a little surprised by how candid his doctor was being—but Eric knew things weren’t that simple. He wished they were. “The problem is, people think I did more than just send him the photograph, doctor. I’ll be forever labeled as a slag no matter what I say. No alpha will ever want to be mated to an omega with a tarnished reputation.”
“That’s not true.”
“We both know it’s true.” Eric smiled bitterly, studying the doctor. Judging by the fact that the man was head of a department at such a prestigious, high-profile clinic, he was probably very well off at the very least. He certainly gave off the air of a confident, self-possessed alpha who knew his worth. In a capitalist country like Kadar, the financial situation of an alpha was the primary thing that dictated their place in society, so it was
probably safe to say that Dr. Hugh Randall belonged to the upper class of Kadarian society.
“Let’s pretend for a moment that I’m not your patient. Be honest with me: would you marry a ruined omega like me? Would your family approve?”
Dr. Randall’s eyebrows drew together.
“You’re a kid,” he said at last. “Even if I intended to get mated—and I don’t—I would never mate such a young omega.”
It piqued Eric’s curiosity. Alphas rarely were so against mating. But it wasn’t his place to ask.
Eric shook his head. “Our age difference isn’t that bad by Pelugian standards—”
“We are not in Pelugia. Things are different here. I’m thirty-three. I could have been your father, kid.”
Eric opened his mouth but closed it. Such an age difference didn’t seem big to him. It was a cultural thing, he supposed. Back home, no one raised eyebrows if young omegas mated alphas twice their age, or even older than that. After all, their species lived up to one hundred and forty years, and alphas remained virile for most of them; a fifteen-year age difference seemed like nothing in comparison.
But he couldn’t expect the same cultural norms in a different country. It was no different from alphas in Kadar being allowed to have several spouses; Eric might think it was weird, but he understood that it was just a cultural difference between Pelugia and Kadar.
“That’s beside the point. You’re avoiding the question, doctor. You know I’m right.”
Dr. Randall’s expression became rather pinched. “An alpha who cares more about their family’s opinion than you wouldn’t be worth your time in any case, so I will not accept the scandal as a viable reason for you taking those drugs and risking your long-term health. Don’t get me wrong: it’s your body and you can choose to do whatever you want with it, but I strongly advise against using a solution that you might come to regret in a
few years when you meet someone and want to build a family with them. You’re not thinking rationally right now. The scandal might seem like the end of the world now, but it’ll blow over. It will. Don’t ruin your health with one reckless decision made under duress.”
Eric sighed. He did see the doctor’s point, even if he didn’t believe that the scandal would ever be forgotten. “Fine. What is the other option?”
“The other traditional option is the obvious one,” Dr. Randall said, his jaw clenching for a moment. “A mating to a compatible alpha. A mating bond will fix the hormonal imbalance in your body.”
Eric’s lips twisted. “No, that’s definitely not an option.”
“I can’t say I disagree with you.”
Eric blinked. He had expected the doctor to dismiss his words and tell him he was being unreasonable, not to agree with him. “Really?”
Dr. Randall leaned back in his chair, clasping his long fingers on the desk. Eric tried not to look at them. Every time he did, he found himself squirming, hyperaware that those fingers had been inside him, filling him up, moving in—
Right.
Swallowing, he lifted his gaze back to the doctor’s eyes.
“I don’t think a forced mating to a stranger for the sake of satisfying your biological instincts is a good solution,” Dr. Randall said. There was something hard in his voice, and Eric wondered if there was a story there. The subject clearly was something Dr. Randall felt strongly about.
“Exactly,” Eric said. “Even if alphas were lining up to mate me, I don’t think I could—I don’t think I can trust any alpha right now—trust them enough for the mating bite to take.”
There was a long silence. Eric looked down at the desk, unable to meet the alpha’s eyes. Eric could feel his gaze, heavy and assessing.
“I understand,” the older man said at last, his tone not unkind.
Smiling humorlessly, Eric shrugged. “I guess we’re out of viable options, then. It’s—it’s okay. If my condition isn’t life-threatening, I can handle it. It’s not completely unbearable.” Strictly speaking, it wasn’t true. He had thought he might die during his last heat. It had been that bad. It had scared him enough to book this appointment.
“Your hormones indicate that you’re not being honest,” Dr. Randall said.
Eric winced. “Look, Dr. Randall—”
“You may call me Hugh.”
“Hugh,” Eric said, more softly. “I’m not sure what you expect me to say. If there are no more options, all I can do is suck it up, right?”
“No, the longer you leave your condition untreated, the worse it will become.” A pause. “It has already become worse, hasn’t it?”
Reluctantly, Eric nodded. His heats had grown in their intensity, and the last one had been so intense that he had been literally sobbing all the time. Considering that Vos omegas had heats every 13-15 days, it didn’t exactly look good.
“It will become worse,” Hugh said. “The issue of your heats aside, your regular life will suffer, too. You’re already showing symptoms.”
“What symptoms?”
“Your fingers are unsteady. You keep squirming in your seat, unable to sit still, because you’re still aroused from the simple medical examination and the proximity to an alpha.”
Eric’s face was burning. “It’s not my fault your scent is all over the place.” He couldn’t quite hold the doctor’s eyes. Talk about mortifying.
Hugh lifted his eyebrows. “I’m on suppressants.They don’t completely suppress my pheromones, but you shouldn’t be able to smell me from such a distance. The fact that you can shows how much sharper your instincts and senses are compared to the standard curve. You’re spiraling and it’ll only get worse. Before long, you’ll start losing control of yourself
around unmated alphas, and that leaked picture would be nothing compared to the scandal you’ll cause when you jump some alpha in public.”
“It’ll become that bad?” Eric whispered, his insides going cold.
Hugh’s expression was grim. “I’m afraid so. Type 3 disorder is no joke. It’s the type that makes uninformed people call omegas certain derogatory terms. Judging by your hormone levels, you probably have six or seven days at most before your symptoms get that bad.”
Eric didn’t know what to say. He had noticed his increasingly heightened awareness of alphas, but he had written it off as the consequence of his stronger heats rather than something to worry about. It helped that he almost never left the Cleghorn estate, so he barely saw any unmated alphas. But if what the doctor was saying was true…
“I need a solution, then,” Eric said, desperation making his chest tight. “I can’t be seen jumping strange alphas—not after what happened. My family can’t withstand another scandal. I’ve already ruined my brothers’ life once. I can’t do it again—I can’t let them down again—I can’t —maybe I really should get mated to someone—anyone—”
“Calm down,” Hugh said, his pheromones flaring. Alpha, they said. Obey.
Eric gasped, his panic gone in an instant, replaced by animal need. He felt his underwear become uncomfortably sticky.
He glared at Hugh, his face hot. “Don’t do that,” he ground out.
To the doctor’s credit, he looked slightly chagrined. “You were on the verge of a panic attack. Alpha doctors are allowed to use their Voice in an emergency for the benefit of their patient’s health.”
Eric knew he was right, but it didn’t make him feel better—or less aroused.
Sighing, Hugh leaned back in his chair, his expression pensive. “I understand your situation,” he said. “I understand that you want to avoid any scandal. But getting mated to some stranger isn’t a good solution, given the time constraints. Six days is nowhere near enough to find and mate a
strange alpha. That would be an extremely rash decision, and you shouldn’t settle for someone you can merely tolerate. You deserve better, kid.”
Eric’s eyes were suddenly stinging. Terrified that he might actually cry in front of his doctor, Eric looked down, trying to blink the tears away.
“I’m not a kid,” he said without much heat. Frankly, he didn’t mind being called that. He was used to it, as the baby of the family, and he kind of… he kind of missed being treated like that. The Cleghorns were good people and they treated him well, but they were always politically conscious and treated him like an equal—which was great, don’t get him wrong, but it only made Eric miss his family more. Having this man call him kid made him feel more normal than he’d felt in months.
Coughing a little, Eric said, “Can’t you prescribe some suppressants for me? My brother Jules was taking them for years and he’s fine. Not sterile.”
Hugh shook his head. “Your brother must be a Dainiri omega. They’re exponentially more fertile than Vos omegas, and suppressants can’t damage their fertility. Strong suppressants are never prescribed to Vos omegas because there’s generally no need for them, and Vos omegas’ fertility is already on the decline as it is, on the evolutionary scale. Only very weak suppressants are allowed to be prescribed to Vos omegas, and even they are considered harmful for them. Weak suppressants will not help you.”
Eric sighed. “So is there no other way, then? Besides the drugs?”
“There might be.”
Eric looked up, frowning. “What do you mean?”
Hugh drummed his knuckles against the desk, his expression pensive. “There’s an experimental treatment I have come up with. Its effectiveness hasn’t been proven yet, so there’s a chance that it may not work or that it may not be as effective as the traditional methods.”
“What treatment?” Eric said, sitting up straighter.
Hugh seemed amused by his eagerness. “The alpha-omega mating is nothing more than a combination of certain hormones and pheromones
released by their systems. I believe that it’s possible to simulate a successful mating to trick an omega’s biology into thinking that it’s getting what it needs.” His lips twisted into a wry smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “But you can probably guess that my theory isn’t exactly popular among the majority of my peers.”
Eric nodded. Most people still regarded mating compatibility and mating bonds as something very intimate, soul deep. Turning something magical and romantic into a cold, hard science would never be popular. Even Eric felt a bit weird about the idea of tricking his body into thinking that it was mated.
“So you want to use me as a lab rat?” Eric said, but he couldn’t deny he was intrigued.
“It would be a mutually beneficially arrangement. You would help me with my research, and I might be able to help you with your problem. Free of charge—you will not be charged for my time.”
Eric cocked his head to the side, pondering it. It was a very tempting offer. Considering how expensive Dr. Randall’s services were, he’d be able to save a lot of money this way. This appointment had already put a considerable dent in his savings, and he still needed to upgrade the CPU of his computer. “What exactly would that entail if I were to agree?”
“I will put you through practices designed to simulate mating. You will use self-pleasure tools while I supply you with the pheromones I’ll get from appropriate alpha donors—”
“Wait, what?” Eric said. Did the doctor mean what he thought he meant? “You mean—you mean that I’ll have to use sex toys in your presence?”
Hugh looked at him steadily. “Essentially, yes. I know it’s awkward, but I’m a doctor, Eric. I’ve seen it all. It will be impersonal. I will not touch you or look at you unless absolutely necessary. You will be mostly dressed and you can cover your lap with a blanket if you feel uncomfortable. I will administer an alpha donor’s pheromones to trick your body into thinking that you’re engaging in sexual intercourse with an alpha and I will monitor your readings. They will be recorded, but they will be stripped from any
personal information. Client privacy is paramount in our clinic. Would that be acceptable for you?”
Acceptable? Not really. But it was still far less humiliating—and risky—than the other options. Compared to becoming sterile and jumping strange alphas in public, this option was just embarrassing, and Dr. Randall would be the only person to witness his humiliation. At least he could trust the doctor-patient confidentiality in this case.
Clearing his throat a little, Eric said, “I wouldn’t really call it acceptable, but I think I can do it. It’s better than the alternatives, so… thanks for giving me this opportunity.”
Hugh gave him a wry look. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m reasonably confident it will work, but there’s no guarantee. And you’ll need to sign paperwork first. My nurse will mail you the forms. They’ll need to be signed both by you and your family alpha—you’re an adult, but Pelugian laws still apply here. Your eldest brother is your family alpha, correct?”
“Yes,” Eric said, cringing as he imagined telling Anthony about this. Thankfully, he didn’t need to. “But he gave Mr. Cleghorn the right to act as his proxy in Kadar.”
“Royce Cleghorn?” Hugh said, a wrinkle appearing between his brows. “The prime minister?”
“Yeah. I’m staying at his house. Would that be a problem?”
“Not at all. In fact, I know him. Not well, but our families move in the same circles.”
In the same circles? Hugh must have belonged to the very top crust of Kadarian society, then. It made Eric a little uncomfortable. He must look like a naive, awkward country bumpkin to a man used to socialites.
“All right,” Eric said, getting to his feet. “Will that be all?”
“Book another appointment as soon as you and your guardian sign the paperwork. Don’t drag this out. You can’t afford not to.”
Eric nodded. “Okay. But what if there is no slot available within the next six days?” It was a valid concern. This clinic was booked months in
advance. He’d gotten lucky that someone had canceled their appointment that day.
“Don’t worry about it. In case of emergencies, I can work overtime, and your case is an emergency. Besides, you’ll be essentially supporting my private research, so I’ll be available to you at any time if I don’t have another patient.”
“All right,” Eric said, turning toward the door. “Thank you.”
“Eric.”
He looked back.
The alpha was gazing at him steadily. “Discuss your options with your family before signing the paperwork. You have other options, no matter how inadvisable they might be.”
Eric nodded and hurried out of the room, his stomach in knots and his hole still uncomfortably slick.
He stuffed three fingers inside himself as soon as he got home, but they didn’t bring any relief.
They never did anymore.
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 3
Eric didn’t follow his doctor’s advice.
He couldn’t think of anything he was less eager to do than talk about his constant horniness with his older brothers. It was too embarrassing. Besides, Anthony was still half a stranger after being gone for fifteen years. Jules and Liam were blissfully in love with their mates; Eric didn’t want to ruin their happiness by making them worry for him. He wanted to deal with the issue on his own before it reached his brothers’ ears.
The problem was, he needed to convince the Cleghorns of that. Eric liked Royce and Haydn, but he doubted it would be easy to convince them to hide the truth from his family.
Unfortunately, he was right.
“No,” Royce said, in a tone that brooked no argument. “I can’t make a decision like that and sign these forms without consulting your legal guardian.”
Eric crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to look intimidated. In the months he’d stayed with the Cleghorns, he’d never had to confront the alpha of the family, much less confront him for a reason like that in Royce’s rather intimidating office. It reminded him that this was the leader of the country he was arguing with. “You are my legal guardian. Anthony gave you the authority.”
Royce shot him a rather tight look. “Not when it comes to something like that. I can’t in good conscience authorize you getting an unorthodox treatment like that without consulting your actual family alpha.”
Eric glared at him. “This is my body. I should be the only one making decisions about it. Not Anthony, not you or Haydn. Me.”
“Eric is right,” Haydn said, laying his hand on his husband’s shoulder. “If he doesn’t want to have his family informed, you do have the authority not to inform them. It’s that simple. It is his body and he should be the only one to have a say about it.”
Royce looked at his husband. They exchanged a long, intimate look, seemingly having a silent conversation with their eyes only, and Eric averted his gaze, feeling awkward. It was hard to miss how in love Royce and Haydn were. It made him wistful. And a little envious. He would never have something like this.
“Fine,” Royce said at last, turning back to Eric. “I’ll sign the forms— after I have my lawyer take a look. But I want you to know that getting that treatment isn’t the only viable option you have.”
“What
do you mean?”
Royce’s dark eyes were serious but not unkind as he said, “I think it’s time for you to stop hiding in this house. It’s been months, Eric. We’ll start taking you to social events. You can meet people there. Unmated young alphas from good families.”
His stomach knotting up, Eric shook his head. “I don’t have time for that. The doctor said things would get worse within six—”
“I remember,” Royce said, unmoved. “And I’m not suggesting that we find you an alpha within the next six days—that would be very rash, even if it were possible. But I don’t want you relying on that treatment indefinitely. The sooner you get an alpha of your own, the sooner the problem will go away.”
“You shouldn’t associate yourself with me in public,” Eric said, looking at his shoes. “You’re public figures.”
“We can handle it,” Haydn said firmly. “Royce is right. Think about it, okay? It’s your decision to make, but you should at least consider it. Who knows, you might meet someone you like.”
Reluctantly, Eric nodded and made his excuses.
Four days and about a hundred signed forms later, Eric sent the paperwork back to the clinic and booked another appointment. He winced
when he saw the time of the appointment: eight in the evening. He felt bad for making Dr. Randall work overtime, even if it was for a cause he was clearly passionate about.
Speaking of which… Eric couldn’t resist digging up stuff about Dr. Randall. The doctor’s cynical conviction that an alpha-omega mating bond was just a product of the right hormones and pheromones released by the body and not anything special had to stem from something, right?
Eric had always been good at research. It took him less than an hour of digging up old articles and creeping on social media to piece together Hugh’s past.
Hugh Randall had been married. And not just married, but properly mated to an omega. Apparently, Hugh had been on a school trip with his class when he and his classmate, Nadine, got separated from the class and stuck in a cave for days. Nadine had gone into her first heat, presenting as an omega, which consequently triggered Hugh’s first rut. They both had been fourteen.
Eric chewed on his lip, staring at the screen unseeingly. Considering how young and inexperienced they both were, it was no surprise that they hadn’t been able to resist their instincts and ended up getting fully mated.
If the old gossip websites were to be believed, the marriage had been incredibly toxic, with Nadine and Hugh refusing to acknowledge each other in public. They had gotten divorced when Hugh was twenty-four.
Interesting. Divorce was still pretty rare on the planet, even if it happened more often in Kadar compared to Pelugia. Divorce of a fully bonded alpha-omega couple was practically unheard of.
The reason for the divorce wasn’t stated anywhere, but Eric had found recent romantic pictures of Nadine with another omega. It seemed Nadine preferred omegas.
Eric wasn’t sure what to think. Had his failed mating made Hugh cynical about alpha-omega bonding? Could Hugh be objective in his research when his personal experience might be affecting his judgment?
But Eric had no other choice. Hugh had been right: his condition was worsening. Over the past five days since he’d seen the doctor, Eric had started feeling flushed and aroused at completely random times, and if he happened to smell an unbonded alpha, his cock hardened and he became uncomfortably aware of his hole. It was deeply mortifying. It had gotten so bad that even bonded alphas started looking appealing to him. When Eric had caught himself staring at Royce’s broad shoulders last evening, he had promptly fled to his room, horrified and embarrassed. It was a good thing that Royce’s unbonded brother, Aksel, was temporarily banned from the estate. Eric didn’t trust himself not to jump him if it weren’t the case.
The fact that Aksel and the other unbonded alphas were banned from going anywhere near Eric was deeply humiliating—it meant everyone in the Cleghorn household knew about his problem—and it made Eric determined to fix himself as soon as possible.
That determination made his footsteps firm as he walked to Dr. Randall’s office. He knocked sharply and went inside.
“Good evening,” Eric said, his resolve faltering a little when he saw Hugh and felt his treacherous body react to the scent of a virile alpha in his prime. Hugh’s scent was faint compared to other alphas because of his suppressants, but it didn’t seem to help. He still smelled divine.
“Eric,” Hugh said, pushing his chair away from his desk and standing up.
Eric licked his dry lips, his gaze traveling helplessly over the broad shoulders and strong biceps under that doctor’s coat. He felt blood rush to his nether regions, his groin aching.
“It’s gotten worse, hasn’t it?” Hugh said, his voice calm and lacking any judgment.
Eric nodded miserably, trying not to breathe too deeply.
“Have you brought the supplies I instructed you to bring?”
Eric nodded again, suppressing the urge to laugh. By “supplies” Hugh meant a knotting dildo. Every self-respecting omega owned one to
deal with their heats. Eric wasn’t embarrassed about it. Everyone masturbated, be it alphas, betas, or omegas.
But it was a completely different thing to use a knotting dildo in the presence of his doctor, who also happened to be an insanely attractive unmated alpha.
“Go behind the curtain, put it in, and cover yourself. I’ll join you when you’re ready.”
Inhaling shakily, Eric did as he was told. He relaxed a little when he could no longer see the doctor. Taking his pants and underwear off, he climbed onto the examination table. Retrieving his dildo from his rucksack, Eric lay down on his back and pulled the blanket over his lower body.
Eric had to bite his lip as he pushed the dildo inside himself. Fuck, he was so slick and achy already that it didn’t even hurt. He barely felt the stretch. The dildo wasn’t large—it was considered small by sex toy standards, far smaller than an average alpha cock. That was the size Eric was normally comfortable with, but right now he couldn’t help but think that he needed a little more, that the stretch wasn’t enough. Maybe his body somehow knew it wasn’t the real thing he was getting.
Well, that was what he was here for.
“I’m ready,” Eric said quietly. He didn’t bother raising his voice: alpha hearing was excellent.
After a few moments, Hugh appeared from behind the curtain, his face impassive as he glanced over Eric’s covered form.
“Let’s start, then,” he said, sitting down in the chair by his head. He was carrying a case with closed vials. He set it on the table and pushed a button on the recording device. “How would you describe your state right now?”
Eric fixed his eyes on the ceiling, trying not to breathe in the alpha’s scent too deeply. “Aroused. Unsatisfied.”
“Rate your level of arousal. On a scale of one to ten. Ten being the heat level.”
“Eight,” Eric said after a moment. Fuck, it was so hot here.
As if hearing his thoughts, Hugh took off his doctor’s coat and set it aside. His light blue scrubs had no business looking so good.
Eric stared at the alpha’s strong, muscular forearms corded with veins. He licked his lips, his walls squeezing around the dildo in him. He flushed, unable to meet Hugh’s eyes as the man attached sensors to his neck —to his mating gland—to monitor his readings.
“You should use the dildo now,” Hugh said, as if speaking about the weather.
Eric picked up the remote of the toy and pressed the appropriate button. He barely swallowed a moan as the dildo started making thrusting motions, imitating fucking. He was determined not to make a sound, but his body kept twitching under the blanket, his face burning with embarrassment, even though Hugh was very pointedly not looking at him but at the readings on the screen of his computer.
“Level of arousal?” Hugh said, his gaze still on his computer.
“Nine,” Eric panted out. Fuck, he wanted more. There was this terrible feeling of dissatisfaction, no matter how good it felt. His arousal plateaued, not going anywhere. The feeling had become painfully familiar to him lately. He couldn’t come. He wouldn’t be able to come, no matter what he did. “I can’t—I can’t—”
“I know,” Hugh said, his voice soothing. “Eric, I will now need you to scent these alpha pheromones and pick the one you like the most.” Hugh picked up one of the vials. “We will record how they affect you.”
“Okay,” Eric ground out, moving his hips frantically. He no longer cared how shameless he looked. He just needed to come. He needed it. He needed an alpha. He needed to be fucked by an alpha. Taken care of. Alpha. He needed an alpha.
Hugh brought the vial to his face, and Eric moaned, hit by the scent of alpha. He grabbed the doctor’s hand and pressed his nose against the scent gland on the man’s wrist, inhaling greedily as he was fucked hard. Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods.