Chapter 48: HE KNOWS

ASHER

I couldn’t focus in any of my afternoon classes. My body was burning up, sweat soaked through my shirt within minutes of sitting down. Every shift in my seat sent sparks of need through my system. The heat was accelerating faster than it should.

In Biology, Professor Nathaniel was droning on about cellular reproduction. I tried to take notes, but my hand was shaking too badly to write. The guy sitting next to me shifted in his seat… Alpha, I could smell him.

Usually, Alpha scents did nothing for me. The suppressants had always kept my body from responding but now his scent was making my mouth water, making heat pool low in my stomach and making my body respond in ways that terrified me.

I stood up abruptly. “I need to use the bathroom.”

Professor Nathaniel looked annoyed but waved me out and I practically ran to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall.

My whole body was trembling, I was so hot I felt like my skin might melt off and the ache between my legs was so intense I wanted to scream.

This wasn’t normal, the heat shouldn’t be this strong yet because the full moon wasn’t until tomorrow night unless the pills I had been taking and the injections had damaged something and unless switching from injections to pills had fucked up my system worse than Ms. Chen thought.

I splashed cold water on my face at the sink but it didn’t help and my reflection stared back at me. Flushed cheeks, dilated pupils and lips parted as I panted for air. I looked like I was already in heat.

The bathroom door opened, and I turned to see Reed standing there. I was shocked as we stared at each other.

Reed’s eyes were wild, his pupils were blown so wide there was barely any gray left. His chest was heaving like he’d been running. Sweat dampened his hairline, his hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and his knuckles white.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I followed your scent.” Reed’s voice was barely human. Guttural. Rough. “You left class and I—I couldn’t stop myself. My body just moved.”

My heart was pounding. “Reed, you need to leave.”

“I know.” But he stepped further into the bathroom and locked the door behind him with shaking hands. “I know I need to leave but I can’t. Your scent, Asher. It’s—fuck, it’s everywhere. In my head, in my lungs and it’s making me—” He stopped, his whole body was trembling now like he was fighting to stay in control.

“Insane.” Reed’s voice broke. “My body won’t listen to me anymore. All I can think about is—is pinning you down, mounting you and fucking you until you smell like me, until you’re full of me, yntil my body is satisfied and right now it’s screaming that it won’t be satisfied until I—”

He cut himself off with a sound that was half groan, half growl. His hands went to his hair, and pulled hard like the pain might ground him.

“My rut,” Reed gasped. “It’s your scent triggering it. Your pheromones, they’re calling to something in me and I can’t—I can’t fight it.”

I backed up until I hit the sink. “Reed, stop. You need to go before—”

“Before I lose control?” Reed laughed but it sounded broken. “I already lost control. The second I smelled you in that classroom. The second your pheromones hit my system. The second I kissed you and printed on you. My body decided you were mine and now it won’t let me leave.”

“You’re not making sense.”

“I know!” Reed’s voice rose. “Nothing makes sense anymore! I hate you. I declared war on you but my body doesn’t care. My body just wants to claim you, breed you and fill you up over and over until—”

He stopped, and pressed his palms against his eyes.

“This is my first real rut,” Reed said quietly. “And it’s being triggered by you. By whatever’s happening to your body and I don’t know how to stop it.”

I was shaking now too. From fear, from the heat building in my own system and from the way Reed’s words were making my body respond.

“The full moon is tomorrow,” I said.

“I know.”

“Reed, if you’re going into rut and I’m—if my body is—” I stopped before I said too much but Reed’s eyes snapped to mine.

“What? What’s happening to your body?” He asked

“Nothing.”

“Liar.” Reed took a step closer. His nostrils flared. “You really do smell like slick, like an omega going into heat. But you keep denying it. You keep denying everything that is so true.”

My throat closed up, I couldn’t breathe.

“I am not lying Reed,” I said in-between gasps, “you’re so damn stubborn to believe. I am an Alpha just like you.” I answered and Reed scoffed before taking another step closer.

“Then explajned this. Explain why your body is going into heat and why you smell like this?” He asked. “Explain why your scent is driving me insane, why my body is reacting like this. You can’t give me a perfect answer because you’re an Omega, and you’re going into heat.”

“Reed–”

“And my rut is responding to your heat.” Reed’s hands were shaking violently now. “My body can smell it, can sense it and it’s trying to prepare. Trying to—fuck, I can feel it. The need to claim.m, to mount, and to pump you full until you’re bred and satisfied and mine.”

The words sent a bolt of heat through me that made my knees weak.

“Reed, enough of this nonsense. Can you hear yourself speak? For fuck sake, I am an Alpha, that’s what I am and not so damn omega you claim me to be. I think you are sick and you need to see Ms Chen.” I told him and he laughed. A bitter hard laugh.

“Tomorrow,” Reed continued, his voice getting rougher, ” Tomorrow night, when the moon is at its peak then we will know the truth right?” He asked, “then we will know if you are an omega or just I am truly sick and delusional.

“Reed–”

“But know one thing, Asher,” he continued, cutting me off, “when the full moon rises and your heat peaks and my rut hits full force, I’m not going to be able to control myself. I’m going to find you, I’m going to pin you down and I’m going to fuck you until my body is satisfied.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.” Reed’s eyes were feral now. “Because that’s what ruts do. They override everything. They override every logic, control and every fucking thing, and my rut is fixated on you, on your scent and on breeding you becausei have imprinted on you.”

“Then stay away from me, because it would be too bad of your reputation if anyone heard that the Reed Jackson marked and knotted an alpha.” I told him and he laughed.

“It won’t be a bad reputation for me when the whole school knows I knotted and marked an omega who lied to be an Alpha.” He shot back and I froze.

“Reed-” I wanted to lie again but there was no need, guess my secrets are out but I would defend myself until everything finally exposes, “I am done trying to explain myself to you. You can keep your assumption to yourself I don’t fucking care but stay the fuck away from me.” I said almost in a yell.

“Do you really think that’s going to work?” Reed laughed bitterly. “My body already knows where you are every second of the day. I can track your scent across campus and tomorrow night, when your heat spikes, I’m going to follow that scent straight to you.”

“I’ll lock myself in my room.” I told him, hating myself for accepting that I have been found out.

“I’ll break down the door but don’t forget Ash, it’s a mandatory run announced for a very long time. You can’t hide from me.”

“Reed—”

“I’m trying to warn you!” Reed’s voice cracked. “I’m trying to tell you what’s going to happen so you can protect yourself because I won’t be able to protect you from me!”

We stared at each other, both of us trembling, and both of us breathing hard.

“What do we do?” I whispered.

“I don’t know.” Reed’s hands went to the sink on either side of me. Caging me in. “All I know is that my body wants yours, wants to claim you, breed you, fill you up until you’re dripping with me and tomorrow night, I’m not going to be strong enough to fight it.”

The bathroom door handle rattled, and we both froze.

“Hey, this door’s locked!” someone called from outside. “Who’s in there?”

Reed pulled back slowly. His whole body was coiled tight. Muscles bunched like he was barely holding himself together.

“Tomorrow night,” Reed said quietly. “When it happens. When I come for you. Run.”

“What?”

“Run, Asher. Run as fast and as far as you can because if I catch you—” He stopped, and swallowed hard.

“If I catch you, I’m not going to stop until my rut is satisfied, until you’re bred, and until you’re mine.”

He walked to the door and unlocked it. An Alpha student stood there looking confused. Reed brushed past him and disappeared down the hallway.

I stood there shaking. My whole body was on fire, my heart was pounding and Reed’s words were playing on repeat in my head.

I’m going to fuck you until my body is satisfied. I’m going to pump you full until you’re bred and I’m going to claim you tomorrow night.

Full moon, my heat would peak, Reed’s rut would hit and he’d already told me what would happen. He was going to hunt me down, pin me down , and claim me whether I wanted it or not.

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