CHAPTER 6
1185 Words
Nate barely slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the bathroom again.
The stranger.
The fall.
The way the man had suddenly looked sick.
And most importantly...
The scent.
Nate sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his face.
His patch was still firmly attached to his wrist.
Good.
But that didn't stop the anxiety twisting in his stomach.
The patch had been missing.
Even if only for a short time.
What if someone smelled it?
What if that man smelled it?
What if...
No.
Nate shook his head.
The gala was over.
Nothing happened.
Nobody confronted him.
Nobody exposed him.
He was probably overthinking.
Still...
The thought refused to leave.
A knock came from his door.
"Nate."
Richard.
Nate sighed.
"Coming."
He walked downstairs and immediately knew this wasn't going to be pleasant.
Richard was already sitting in the living room.
Martha was there too.
And neither looked particularly happy.
Nate sat down.
Richard folded his arms.
"Do you have any idea how irresponsible your behavior was yesterday?"
Nate blinked.
"What?"
"You disappeared."
Nate froze.
Ah.
That.
Richard continued.
"You left in the middle of the gala."
"I had a reason."
"You had a responsibility."
The sharpness in Richard's voice surprised him.
"You were supposed to remain with us."
Nate frowned.
"It wasn't intentional."
"Intentional or not, you missed the opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
Richard stared at him.
"The Blackwoods."
Silence.
"You were supposed to be introduced."
Nate's stomach dropped slightly.
Introduced.
Already?
Richard rubbed his forehead.
"I spent half the evening looking for you."
Nate looked away.
That wasn't exactly true.
Richard had servants for that.
But he wisely kept that thought to himself.
"You agreed to this arrangement," Richard continued.
"Then act like it."
Nate's jaw tightened.
"I said I'd do it."
"Then take it seriously."
Martha finally spoke.
"Richard."
He sighed heavily and leaned back.
The anger left as quickly as it came.
"I'm not asking for much."
Nate didn't answer.
Because the truth was...
Richard was asking for a lot.
But arguing wouldn't change anything.
Eventually he stood.
"I have work."
Richard nodded.
"Go."
Nate didn't wait around.
He left immediately.
---
The café was quieter than usual.
Daniel was cleaning tables when Nate arrived.
One look at his face and Daniel immediately knew something was wrong.
"You look terrible."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Nate dropped into a chair.
Daniel sat opposite him.
"What happened?"
Nate hesitated.
Then sighed.
"A lot."
Daniel grinned.
"Good. Tell me."
Nate rolled his eyes.
But he did.
He told him about Richard.
The lecture.
Missing the introduction.
The bathroom.
The missing patch.
Everything.
Daniel listened carefully.
By the end of it he looked more serious than before.
"You think he smelled you?"
"I don't know."
"Did he react?"
Nate remembered the stranger stumbling.
The confusion in his eyes.
The strange tension.
"...Maybe."
Daniel cursed quietly.
"That's bad."
"I know."
"No, that's really bad."
"I know."
Daniel leaned back.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Daniel suddenly snapped his fingers.
"My brother."
Nate looked up.
"What about him?"
"He might be able to help."
"Your brother?"
"Yeah."
"The doctor?"
Daniel nodded.
Nate frowned.
"He lives hours away."
"Exactly."
That made Nate pause.
Daniel continued.
"He works outside the city."
"Far away from all this Alpha politics."
"He'll know where to get stronger suppressants."
Nate considered it.
Honestly...
He didn't have better options.
"Fine."
Daniel grinned.
"Great."
"You're buying lunch."
"Why?"
"Because this was your idea."
Daniel groaned.
"You're evil."
---
The trip took most of the afternoon.
By the time they arrived, the city looked completely different.
Smaller.
Quieter.
Less crowded.
Daniel led the way through a modest medical building.
Unlike the hospitals back home, nobody seemed in a hurry.
Nobody seemed interested in status.
It was strangely relaxing.
A nurse pointed them toward an office.
Daniel knocked once before entering.
"Yo."
A man sitting behind the desk looked up.
He looked older than Daniel by several years.
Dark hair.
Sharp eyes.
Calm expression.
The exact opposite of his younger brother.
"Daniel."
The man adjusted his glasses.
"I was wondering when you'd show up."
Daniel laughed.
"Miss me?"
"No."
"That hurts."
"It was supposed to."
Nate couldn't help smiling.
The doctor finally looked at him.
"This must be Nate."
Nate nodded.
"Nice to meet you."
The man offered his hand.
"Lucas."
Daniel dropped into a chair.
"My favorite brother."
"You only have one brother."
"Details."
Lucas ignored him.
His attention returned to Nate.
"Daniel explained the situation."
Nate immediately became uncomfortable.
"All of it?"
"Enough."
Great.
Just great.
Lucas folded his hands.
"Before we continue, I need to ask something."
Nate nodded.
"When was your last injection?"
"Never."
Lucas blinked.
Then blinked again.
"You've never used injections?"
"No."
Lucas looked impressed.
"That's actually good."
Daniel looked confused.
"Why?"
Lucas sighed.
"Because suppressants aren't harmless."
His expression became serious.
"Most Omegas only hear about the benefits."
"They don't hear about the damage."
Nate listened carefully.
"Repeated injections can affect hormone stability."
"They can affect fertility."
"They can affect future pregnancies."
Daniel immediately sat up straighter.
"Seriously?"
"Very seriously."
Lucas nodded.
"That's why patches are usually preferred."
"They're safer."
"Less invasive."
Nate frowned.
"But safer doesn't mean effective."
"No."
Lucas nodded.
"It doesn't."
Silence settled briefly.
Then Lucas opened a drawer.
He removed a small box.
"This is stronger than what most stores carry."
Nate looked at it.
Pheromone suppression patches.
Medical grade.
Lucas placed it on the desk.
"Use these first."
"And the injections?"
Lucas gave him a look.
"Only if absolutely necessary."
Daniel pointed at Nate.
"Tell him again."
Lucas ignored him.
"Nate."
His voice became gentler.
"You're young."
"I understand why you're scared."
"But don't start treating your body like it's disposable."
Nate froze slightly.
Because somehow...
That hit harder than the medical warnings.
Lucas continued.
"You only get one body."
"Protect it."
The room became quiet.
Finally Nate nodded.
"...Okay."
Lucas smiled slightly.
"Good."
Daniel immediately ruined the moment.
"So you're saying don't become addicted to scary Omega drugs."
Lucas threw a pen at him.
Daniel barely dodged.
"Violence!"
"Leave my office."
"You're hurting me emotionally."
"Leave."
Daniel laughed and stood.
Nate found himself smiling again.
For the first time since the gala...
His chest felt a little lighter.
Not completely.
The bathroom incident was still sitting in the back of his mind.
The stranger was still there.
The questions were still there.
But at least now...
He had a plan.
And maybe...
That was enough for now.
Far away in the city, Derrick sat alone in his office.
The lights were off.
Only the city beyond the window remained visible.
His fingers tapped slowly against the desk.
The memory wouldn't leave.
Not the face.
Not the collision.
Not the scent.
A scent he couldn't explain.
Couldn't identify.
Couldn't trace.
He closed his eyes.
Trying to remember.
Trying to find where it came from.
But every time he got close...
The memory blurred.
Just like it had in the bathroom.
Derrick opened his eyes again.
Something about that night was wrong.
He knew it.
The problem was...
He didn't know what.
- Writer
