I stared at the phone, trying to gather my words.
That phone call was not what I was expecting. He seemed very understanding and wanted to help, but there was a hint of eagerness in his voice. And he gave me his personal cell. What Director did that for a new dancer who was merely sick?
I recalled being in his office earlier today. The smell of coffee and dark chocolate was so rich and intoxicating; it instantly filled my head the moment I stepped past the door. I was usually nose-blind, even to strong alphas. Why was his scent so strong? The heat in his room was intense as well.
An interesting craving formed in the pit of my stomach at the thought of his scent. It was such a weird sensation, and I didn’t quite know what to make of it.
A quick knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts. Was the doctor here already?
I rushed over and looked through the peephole before letting her in. A tall, thin brunette woman walked in carrying a small duffel bag.
“Hello, Ivy, I’m Dr. Laughlin. The pack sent me over to give you a check-up. How are you feeling?” She asked as she slowly walked into my apartment with a gentle smile. “I can see you look a little bit flushed at the moment.”
“Hi, um, yes, I feel a little…no, very warm, and there’s this crawling sensation all over my skin. I’m sorry, did you say pack?” I asked, confused. What pack was she talking about?
“Yes, one of the Arco pack members sent me a quick text. I actually live in the penthouse on the top floor; I’m the owner of this building,” she said as she set her bag down on the kitchen table.
“Oh, I only just talked to the Director…”
She smiled at me as she pulled out a thermometer. “Well, they all live together in their packhouse and help each other out. So tell me about yourself. Demetrius mentioned you said you were a beta.”
“Yes,” I answered quickly. “But he called me an omega earlier…I’m not one. I don’t know where these symptoms are coming from.”
“New symptoms can be frightening,” she said as she used a digital thermometer on my forehead. “When were you designated as a beta?”
“When I was younger, probably around ten years old.”
“That’s pretty young. Who designated you? Do you remember?” She glanced at the reading on her thermometer before returning it to her bag.
“My mom took me to the Alpha Designator in our community. Everyone always said he had a nose for designations.”
“Ah, the good old sniff test,” Dr. Laughlin chuckled as she pulled out some more equipment. “Not quite accurate at the age of ten, and the older the designator, the less he can smell in general. Combine that with the fact I’m assuming you were dancing a ton of hours of ballet…his designation might not have been correct.”
I watched her lay out vials and tubes across the table as a thousand questions ran through my mind.
“Do you also believe I’m an omega? How can that be? Don’t they have heats? Wouldn’t I have had one by now?” Instead of having a monthly cycle, omegas had two cycles annually that they needed to sequester for…right? I actually didn’t know much about omegas. It’s not like I had regular cycles anyway, with all the dancing I did.
“It’s rare, but there are cases of ‘late bloomers’ for lack of a better phrase—omegas beginning their cycle in their twenties. These cases seem more likely among top athletes such as yourself.”
I stared at her as the words sank in. Could I actually be an omega?
She held up a tube connected to a needle in her hands. “What I’d like to do is take some blood and run it back to my office. It will definitely tell us what your designation is.”
“Okay,” I mumbled in disbelief, holding out my arm. Dr. Laughlin quickly poked me and started to draw blood. After a minute, she pulled the needle out and checked her vial. “There we go! Should be enough!”
“What do I do now?” I asked nervously.
“For now, let’s just sit and wait for the test results. I’ll rush them through the lab and see if I can’t get a reply back quickly.”
She packed her bag and stood to face me. “Stay out of the company building until we get the results back and can create a plan from there. Wouldn’t want to cause any issues.”
“Okay…” I said meekly. I was so disappointed to miss class and rehearsals. How long was this going to take to figure out?
She made for the door before turning back. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I’ll contact you when I know anything, of course. I recommend some cool baths and your favorite snacks. Try not to leave the apartment; order in if you can, or give me a buzz, and I’ll pick up whatever you need. You should start to feel better within a day or so.”
With that, Dr. Laughlin quickly left through the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I couldn’t be an omega; I just couldn’t. I have goals I’m working towards. I was only supposed to stay with this company for a few years. I’d dreamed of joining a European company or freelancing around the world.
