Avery POV

We went straight back to Kai's after dinner, drained from the stress of planning the family meeting. Emette confirmed the reservation, though it was two weeks away. I'd asked if he could get anything sooner, but he said it was impossible with how booked they were. Luckily, it still fell within the timeframe Mom had given me to come clean to Dad. I messaged everyone with the day and time, letting them know I had something important to discuss. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

Distracted by my thoughts, I trailed after Kai into his apartment, feeling strangely at home here despite the short time we'd been together. The moment we crossed the threshold, a wave of calm washed over me, melting away the tension and fatigue from the day. This place felt like a sanctuary—somewhere we could shut out the world and just be.

"What are you thinking about?"

Kai's voice pulled me back to the present as he wrapped his arms around me, his warmth seeping into me like a soothing balm.

I hesitated, then let the words tumble out.

"Telling my family. I'm more worried about how they'll treat you than how they'll react to me."

Kai nuzzled my neck, brushing gentle kisses across my skin.

"The only thing that matters to me is you. I can handle whatever they throw at me. Don't worry."

He didn't wait for a response, his kisses drifting from my neck to my shoulders. His hands slipped beneath my shirt, fingertips tracing my skin as he turned my head to meet his lips in a deep kiss. I felt him growing hard, pressing into my back, his desire making my pulse race.

But then, just as things grew intense, Kai's pheromones flared in a surge that took me by surprise. His breathing quickened, and I could feel the heat radiating off him, his heart racing under my touch. The pheromones grew stronger—thicker than anything I'd felt even during his rut.

"Kai, I think we need to stop," I murmured, the concern lacing my voice. "Your pheromones… something feels wrong."

"I know," he whispered, a shiver in his voice. "But I don't want to stop. Everything feels… right."

His words were drenched in need, sweet and desperate. Part of me wanted to give in, but something wasn't right.

"Kai, we should go to the hospital. Your pheromones are out of control, and I'm worried."

After a moment, he released me, looking dazed. His face was flushed, pupils blown wide, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He was barely holding on, a raw intensity in his gaze that made him look almost feral.

Quickly, I gathered a few things and called Emette to bring my car. He didn't ask many questions, sensing the urgency. Once he arrived, he helped me get Kai settled in the car, and I dropped Emette back off on the way to the hospital.

By the time we reached the ER, Kai's pheromones had only grown denser—but strangely, they felt empty. Normally, his emotions would pulse through me—desire, pain, happiness. But now there was nothing. His pheromones weren't conveying anything; they were just… excess. It was as if he was releasing them only to relieve pressure rather than to communicate.

After I explained everything to the triage nurse, she got us settled quickly. She started an IV, drew blood, and did an EKG before leading us to a room. As Kai dozed fitfully, I tried to reassure myself. This was just a hormonal imbalance, I reasoned, a side effect of bonding. But this felt different, something I hadn't heard of before.

Finally, about forty minutes later, a doctor entered, clipboard in hand.

"So, Kai's a recessive alpha, and you two are newly mated?" he asked, glancing between us.

"Yes," I confirmed. "He marked me yesterday. He wasn't supposed to go into rut for a couple more months, but his symptoms started early."

The doctor nodded, his expression thoughtful. "And his previous rut, a month ago—was it different than this one?"

I hesitated, then admitted, "I don't know. We've only been together for about a week."

"A week?" He raised an eyebrow, looking slightly taken aback. "Forgive me for asking, but… you haven't known each other long. You weren't... Forced, were you?"

I tensed but kept my voice even.

"If anything, it was the other way around. He found me in heat, after I'd been exposed to an alpha in rut. I couldn't make it home, and Kai helped me. I imprinted on him, but nothing happened until we reconnected later. We decided to date and wait until his next rut, but then it happened early. We both wanted this."

He nodded, still looking thoughtful. "I understand. I'll order more tests. May I ask a few more questions?"

"Of course. Anything that helps."

The doctor glanced up from his notes. "This may seem irrelevant, but you said he resisted an omega in heat, yes? Are you a dominant omega?"

I nodded. "Yes, I am. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"For a recessive alpha to control himself around a dominant omega in heat… it's unusual. Between that and his accelerated rut cycle, along with the unusual pheromone release even after sedatives… well, I have a theory. But I'd prefer to confirm it with the test results."

"Can you tell me what you think it might be?"

"I don't think it's anything to worry about, so try not to stress." His words were calm, but a trace of mystery lingered.

At least his reassurance brought me some relief. Hormonal imbalances after mating were common, but this was different. The unknowns gnawed at me as I waited for the doctor to return.

Kai stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he took in the room, his gaze wild for a moment until it landed on me. He relaxed.

"Where are we?" he asked, voice thick with exhaustion.

"The hospital. Your pheromones were overwhelming, and you weren't responding to me. They're running some tests, but the doctor doesn't think it's anything serious. Try to rest."

Three hours passed before the doctor finally returned, his expression unreadable as he pulled up a stool. I braced myself, hoping for answers.

"Ah, hello Kai. My name is Dr. Genty, and I have some results here. But first, now that you're fully awake, do you mind if I ask a few questions?"

"Doctor, please, just give us the results—"

I started, but Kai placed his hand on mine, his calm gaze grounding me.

"I don't mind," he said with a small smile. "Please, go ahead."

The doctor nodded.

"Alright. First, when did you find out you were a recessive alpha, and how did you manage your ruts when you first presented?"

Kai explained that his father had insisted on an early trait test when he was just a couple of years old and shared how his first rut struck in middle school. He hadn't been allowed any medication to manage it until high school, leaving him to suffer through unpredictable cycles until they finally settled.

The doctor's face softened.

"That explains quite a bit. I'm sorry to hear you had to endure that, Kai. What you experienced is called Acute Hyperectoism. 'Acute' meaning sudden, and 'ectoism' referring to external hormone—pheromone—imbalance. In simpler terms, you experienced a flood of excess pheromones."

Kai shifted beside me, his brow furrowing.

"Alright, I'm following. But what caused this… surge?"

The doctor's face grew more serious, though not overtly worried.

"Well, Kai, our results show that you're actually… a dominant alpha. Quite a strong one, in fact."

Kai looked stunned. "That… That doesn't make any sense. How is that possible?"

"Well," the doctor explained, "testing young children for dominance or recessive traits can often be inaccurate. While basic traits like alpha, beta, or omega can be identified around eight to ten years of age, dominance and recessive traits typically only reveal themselves closer to puberty. Your case was complicated by the conditions you had to endure; repressing your ruts without help for years caused your body to produce fewer pheromones as a survival mechanism, preventing it from functioning as it should."

Hearing this, I felt a chill settle over me, the full horror of Kai's neglected past sinking in. Kai had been punished for a trait he hadn't even possessed—treated as lesser, forced to suppress himself to the point that his body had shut down just to keep him safe.

Kai looked at the doctor with a mix of disbelief and curiosity. "…So, why did this acute… hyperectoism happen now?"

The doctor looked over at me before answering.

"You could say your mate here was the catalyst. With Avery's pheromones around, your body finally sensed it was safe to function naturally. Imagine it as a dam breaking—everything that was held back was finally able to flow freely. That's why your rut came early, too. Your body is adjusting to a new normal, so you'll need some time to re-learn pheromone control as your levels reach a healthy balance."

A sense of fierce protectiveness welled up in me, and I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. Kai had been mistreated and stripped of a life he was meant to have, forced to bear the burden of his parents' misguided beliefs.

"Avery?" Kai's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. His hand covered mine, grounding me.

"I'm not mad at you," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "I'm furious at the world for doing this to you. Your parents—they couldn't even see you as their son, only as a means to… to preserve dominance. And for what?" I bit back a sob, tears blurring my vision.

Kai wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

"Thank you, doctor," Kai said, his voice steady. "If you could provide a referral to a primary care physician, I'd appreciate it. For now, I think we'd like some privacy, but I'll reach out if I have any questions before we leave."

The doctor nodded with understanding.

"Of course. Best of luck to you both. I'll have the nurse bring your referral and discharge paperwork shortly."

As the doctor left, Kai held me closer, his embrace steady and calming.

"Avery… I finally feel like I can breathe. Like I deserve you. For the first time, I feel like I can give you everything I've wanted to." His voice was soft, filled with a tenderness I'd never heard before. "I love you, Avery."

Hearing him say that, with such confidence, made my heart swell. To me, Kai was Kai; dominant, recessive, or anything in between, he was the same person who I'd come to love so deeply. But seeing the relief, the happiness in his eyes—it was like he was seeing his true reflection for the first time.

After gathering the discharge paperwork and reading over the instructions for managing his pheromones, we prepared to head home. Kai's excitement was radiant, his grin infectious as he reached for my hand.

"Shall we?" His eyes sparkled with a brightness I hadn't seen before.

"Yes," I replied, smiling back. "Let's go home."