The car stopped in a quieter spot, off the main road. The engine was off, but the atmosphere inside felt noisier than the city outside. Ryne's unsteady breathing, my own heartbeat, and the faint scent that was beginning to change.
"I never thought it would be this bad," Ryne muttered quietly.
I turned to him. "Since when?"
He let out a small, bitter laugh. "Since my body started reacting less like a beta."
The words hung in the air.
Ryne was born a beta. Stable. Neutral. Unaffected by any alpha pheromones. That's what used to make him different. Safe. Unbound by complex dominance dynamics. But everything changed… slowly.
Being around me too much. Allowing my pheromones to surround his unhindered too often. Exposure to my rut cycle for too long. His body began to adjust. At first, it
