"And the soul sickness?" I asked after absorbing that. "The fever?"
"Your body's response to having five incomplete bonds." Dr. Yoon explained as she pulled up a diagram on her tablet. "Think of it like an electrical circuit with five open connections. The energy is flowing, but it has nowhere to go. The incomplete bonds create a feedback loop that puts tremendous strain on your system."
"The scenting helped." I said, remembering how the fever had broken after Jae-won marked me. "Last night, when he..."
"Yes, scenting provides temporary stabilization." Dr. Yoon nodded approvingly as she made a note. "It's like putting a cap on those open connections. Not a permanent solution, but it slows the energy leak, reduces the strain. I would recommend regular scenting from each bonded alpha over the coming days. It should help manage the symptoms until..."
She trailed off, and I felt my stomach clench.
"Until my heat." I finished the sentence for her.
"Yes." Dr. Yoon confirmed, setting the tablet down and folding her hands in her lap. "Miss Park, I won't sugarcoat this. Your heat is coming, and it's coming faster than it would under normal circumstances. The incomplete bonds are accelerating the process."
"How long?" I asked, the words barely above a whisper.
"Based on your hormone levels and bond resonance readings..." Dr. Yoon paused to consult the tablet. "Ten days... Possibly less if you experience significant stress or if the bonds destabilize further."
A little over a week, two at most.
"And when it hits?" I pressed my hands against my thighs, trying to ground myself.
"Your body will demand completion of the bonds." Dr. Yoon spoke gently but unflinchingly. "The heat drive combined with five incomplete mate bonds will be... intense. More intensethan a typical heat, more intense than anything you've likely experienced before."
"I've been on suppressants since I was sixteen." I admitted. "I've never actually had a heat. Not a real one."
"Never?" Dr. Yoon's expression flickered with surprise.
"My mother..." I swallowed hard. "She wanted to protect me. From the bonds, from alphas, from... all of it. She put me on suppressants the moment I presented."
"I see." Dr. Yoon was quiet for a moment, processing. "That does complicate things. Your body has never learned to regulate its own cycles naturally. When the heat hits, it may be more severe than average. Your system won't have the learned responses that help omegas manage the intensity."
"What are my options?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
"You could attempt to suppress it again." Dr. Yoon's tone made it clear what she thought of that. "But I wouldn't recommend it. Not with five incomplete bonds already straining your system. The suppressants would likely fail, and the backlash could be dangerous."
"So I have to... complete the bonds." I said it flatly.
"You have to complete at least some of them." Dr. Yoon leaned forward, her expression softening. "Miss Park —Keira— I want to be very clear about something. This is still your choice. No matter what your body is demanding, no matter what the bonds are pushing you toward, the final decision is yours. If you truly don't want to complete these bonds, there are medical interventions we can attempt. They're risky, and they're not pleasant, but they exist."
"But you don't recommend them." I said, reading the answer in her expression.
"I recommend that you make an informed choice based on all available information." Dr. Yoon held my gaze steadily. "You have triggered five compatible bonds with alphas who, byall accounts, are desperate to prove themselves worthy of you. The bonds want completion. Your body wants completion. The question is whatyouwant."
What did I want?
A week ago, the answer would have been simple. Freedom. Independence. A life without alphas, without bonds, without the shadow of my mother's warnings hanging over me. That was before Hwan's sunshine smile made me feel warm for the first time in years. Before Jin-ho's music reached into my chest and pulled out emotions I'd buried deep. Before Tae-min's earnest determination made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. Before Min-jun's quiet care made me feel safe in a way I'd forgotten was possible. Before Jae-won's fierce protection made me feel... cherished.
"I don't know." I admitted, the words barely audible. "I don't know what I want."
"Then you have five to seven days to figure it out." Dr. Yoon reached over and squeezed my hand briefly — a surprisingly warm gesture from someone so clinical. "Get to know them. Let them scent you to manage the symptoms. And when your heat comes, make the choice that's right for you. Whatever that looks like."
She began packing up her medical supplies, all brisk efficiency again.
"I'll leave detailed notes with the pack alpha." Dr. Yoon spoke as she snapped the bag closed. "Recommended diet, rest requirements, warning signs to watch for. I'll also send documentation to your workplace — nothing specific, just standard medical leave paperwork. It will protect your position while you're dealing with this."
"Thank you." I said with as much feeling as I could muster. "For everything."
"Of course." Dr. Yoon paused at the door, looking back at me. "For what it's worth, Miss Park, I've worked with a lot of packs. A lot of alphas. What I sensed from those five when they called me..." She shook her head slightly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "They rearranged their entire schedule within hours. Cancelled a photoshoot, pushed back recording sessions, called in favors to clear the week. All before they even knew if you would agree to stay." She let that sink in. "They care about you. Genuinely, deeply care. Whatever happened in your past to make you fear that kind of connection, I hope you'll give them a chance to prove it doesn't have to be that way."
