Reid squeezed his eyes shut, a shudder running through his entire body, his breathing harsh and labored, his scent spiking sharp and hot in the small space, his knuckles creaking around the mug.
"I know." The words came out strained, rough, like they were being dragged over broken glass, his jaw working as he forced himself to speak, his whole body trembling with the effort of control. "I know. I'm sorry. I just?—"
He didn't finish. Just shoved back from the table, the chair scraping loudly against the floor, and stalked out of the kitchen without another word. The screen door banged shut behind him, and then he was gone, leaving nothing but the lingering sharpness of his scent and a heavy, confused silence.
I looked around the table, my heart pounding, my brow furrowed with worry, my hands gripping the edge of my seat.
"What was that?" My voice came out smaller than I intended, my hands twisting in my lap, my eyes moving between Sawyer and Kol, confusion and fear warring on my face. "Did I do something wrong? Is he angry at me?"
Kol and Sawyer exchanged a look — one of those loaded glances that meant they knew something I didn't, something important that they weren't sure how to explain.
"It's not you, little flower." Kol's voice was gentle, his golden eyes soft with something that looked almost like sympathy, hishand reaching out to cover mine on the table, his touch warm and reassuring, his thumb stroking across my knuckles. "Well, it is you. But not in a bad way. Not... it's complicated."
"That's not helpful." I stared at him, frustration bleeding into my voice, my hands pulling away from his to cross over my chest, my jaw tightening, my eyes narrowing. "Tell me what's going on. Please."
"Let Nolan explain." Sawyer's voice was rough, quiet, his amber eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made my breath catch, his scarred face serious, his arms crossed over his broad chest. "He'll do it better. Knows the... medical side."
"Where is Nolan?" I was already pushing back from the table, my appetite gone, replaced by a gnawing worry that coiled tight in my gut, my chair scraping against the floor.
"Clinic." Sawyer jerked his chin toward the door, his voice low and steady, his amber eyes following me as I stood. "Go. We'll keep an eye on Reid."
I found Nolan elbow-deep in paperwork, his sandy hair disheveled, his green eyes tired but warm when they lifted to meet mine. The moment he saw my expression, he set down his pen and gave me his full attention, pushing the papers aside, his brow furrowing with concern.
"Reid." It wasn't a question, his voice soft with understanding, his hands folding on the desk in front of him, his green eyes studying my face.
"Reid." I confirmed, dropping into the chair across from him, my hands twisting in my lap, my voice tight with confusion and worry, my eyes searching his for answers. "He growled at Kol. Actually growled, like he was going to attack him. And his scent — it's different. Stronger. It's been getting sharper for days, but today it's almost... overwhelming. Like it fills up every room he walks into."
Nolan nodded slowly, his expression shifting into something more clinical, more serious, his green eyes studying my face carefully.
"Have you noticed anything else?" His voice was measured, patient, like he was gathering information before making a diagnosis, his fingers steepling beneath his chin. "Is he running hot? Sweating more than usual? Having trouble sitting still?"
I thought about it, really thought, and the pieces started clicking into place.
"Yes." My voice was quiet, realization dawning, my brow furrowing deeper, my hands stilling in my lap. "All of that. He's been pacing constantly. And last night, when I touched his arm, his skin was burning. I thought he might be getting sick, but he said he was fine."
"He's not sick." Nolan leaned back in his chair, his hands folding in his lap, his green eyes holding mine with steady calm, his expression gentle but serious. "At least, not in the way you're thinking. Aster, Reid's rut is coming."
The word hung in the air between us. Rut.
I'd heard it before — whispered in group homes, muttered in foster houses, always with a mix of fear and fascination. Something that happened to Alphas, something primal and dangerous and overwhelming. I'd never experienced it firsthand, never been close enough to an Alpha to witness the signs.
"His rut." I repeated the words slowly, testing them, my mind racing to process, my fingers curling into the fabric of my jeans.
"Ues." Nolan leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, his voice taking on the patient tone of a teacher explaining something complicated but important, his green eyes warm and steady. "Let me explain from the beginning. Rut is an Alpha's biological cycle — the counterpart to an Omega's heat. It's drivenby hormones, by instinct, by something deep in our biology that we can't fully control."
He paused, making sure I was following, his green eyes gentle.
"For most Alphas, rut is triggered by a bonded mate — an Omega they've claimed, someone their body recognizes as theirs." His voice was soft, measured, his hands gesturing slightly as he explained. "The presence of that Omega, their scent, their proximity... it activates the cycle. But sometimes..." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully, his brow furrowing slightly. "Sometimes an Alpha's rut can be triggered by an Omega they haven't formally bonded with. An Omega their instincts have chosen. An Omega their Alpha has recognized as mate."
My heart stuttered in my chest, my breath catching, my eyes going wide, my hands gripping the arms of the chair.
"His Alpha has chosen me." The words came out barely above a whisper, awe and fear tangling together in my chest, my hands trembling in my lap, my voice shaking slightly. "Even though we haven't... even though I'm not officially..."
"Even though." Nolan confirmed, his voice gentle but certain, his green eyes warm with something like joy, his hand reaching across the desk toward me. "Your presence here — being part of the pack, being close to him every day, sharing meals and spaces and that nest you've all been building... his body recognized you as his Omega. His rut is responding to you, Aster. You triggered his cycle just by being here. By being his."
I sat with that for a moment, the weight of it settling over me like a blanket — heavy and warm and terrifying all at once.
"What happens during a rut?" I forced the question out, my voice steadier than I felt, my eyes meeting his, my chin lifting slightly. "What does it mean for him? For me?"
