Novel-novel oleh Kirti Rana

Kieran called Dr. Chen's office first thing Wednesday morning."I need to see her today," he told the receptionist. "The symptoms are getting worse."There was typing on the other end. "Dr. Chen had a cancellation at eleven. Can you make that?""Yes. I'll be there."Maya drove him. She'd taken another day off work, claiming a family emergency. Which wasn't technically a lie."You look pale," she said, glancing over as they waited at a red light."I feel pale.""That's not a thing.""It is now."The clinic lobby was quiet. Only one other patient was waiting, an older omega reading a magazine. Kieran checked in and sat down, leg bouncing with nervous energy.Maya put her hand on his knee. "Stop. You're making me anxious.""Sorry.""Whatever it is, we'll handle it."Kieran wished he had her confidence."Kieran Hunt?" The nurse appeared in the doorway. Different nurse than last time. Younger, with bright pink scrubs.He followed her back to the examination room. She took his vitals blood

Day twenty-two of medical leave started with that same strange heaviness in Kieran's body. He woke up feeling slightly nauseous, his abdomen tight in a way he couldn't explain. He pushed the feeling aside and stayed in bed.Maya burst through his door at eight, already dressed."Get up. We're playing hooky."Kieran pulled the blanket over his head. "You have work.""Called in sick. Today is about us." She yanked the blanket away. "No talk about Elliot, no talk about bonds, no talk about work. Just siblings having fun.""Maya—""I already planned everything. Get dressed. We leave in twenty minutes."Kieran knew better than to argue when his sister used that tone.They took the subway across the city to their old neighborhood. Kieran hadn't been back here in years. Too many memories. Too much grief packed into familiar streets.But Maya was determined. "We need to remember who we were before all this."Their childhood apartment building looked smaller than Kieran remembered. The brick w

Kieran sat on the couch staring at his phone's blank screen long after Elliot hung up. The silence in the apartment felt heavier than it should."That's what he called about?" Maya's voice cut through the quiet. "Work?"Kieran looked up. His sister stood in the doorway to her bedroom, arms crossed, face flushed with anger."He has a business to run," Kieran said. The defense sounded weak even to his own ears."He has a bonded omega who's been sick for weeks." Maya's voice rose. "And all he cares about is hiring a replacement? That's not an alpha, that's a monster.""You don't understand—""I understand perfectly." Maya crossed to the couch, sat down facing him. "He's using you. He rejected the bond but still expects you to come crawling back when he needs you."Kieran's chest tightened. Part of him knew she was right. But the bond made agreeing with her feel like betrayal. "It's complicated.""It's really not. He's selfish and you're letting him get away with it.""I can't just quit.

Maya's apartment building looked the same as it always had old brick, six floors, the lobby door that stuck when it rained. Kieran had been here a hundred times. But standing outside at 7 AM with a duffel bag and nowhere else to go, it felt different.He pressed the buzzer for apartment 4B."Hello?" Maya's voice came through the speaker, groggy and confused."It's me."Silence. Then: "Kieran?""Yeah.""It's seven in the morning.""I know. Can I come up?"The door buzzed immediately.Kieran took the stairs because the elevator was broken again. By the fourth floor, his legs were shaking. Not from the climb, just from everything. His body felt like it was held together with tape and willpower, and both were running out.Maya was waiting in her doorway. She took one look at him and her eyes went wide."Jesus Christ.""Yeah."She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "You look like death.""Feel like it too.""When's the last time you slept?"Kieran tried to remember. Couldn't. "Tuesday?

Dr. Chen smiled at him from across the small examination room. She looked exactly like her photo professional, calm, with the kind of face that probably made people feel safe. Kieran didn't feel safe. He felt like he was about to shatter into a thousand pieces."So, Mr. Hunt," she said, settling into her chair with his chart. "Tell me what's been going on."Kieran's mouth was dry. He swallowed hard. "I've been sick. For about seven weeks now.""What kind of sickness?""Nausea. Every morning. Sometimes all day." The words came easier once he started. Clinical. Factual. He could do this. "Exhaustion. Can't stay awake past 2 PM most days. Dizziness. Food tastes wrong, things I used to like make me want to throw up."Dr. Chen wrote notes. "When did these symptoms start?""Seven weeks ago. Right after the heat."Her pen paused. "You're on suppressants?""Yes. Have been for years." Kieran's hands clenched on his knees. "The heat came early. I wasn't expecting it.""I see." She wrote somethi

The morning light filtered through Kieran's bedroom window with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He opened his eyes at exactly 7 AM, the way he'd trained himself to do for years. No alarm needed. Military precision, even in civilian life.Except nothing about his life felt precise anymore.The nausea hit before he'd even fully sat up a rolling wave that started deep in his gut and climbed up his throat with practiced efficiency. Kieran barely made it to the bathroom before he was on his knees, retching into the toilet.This was routine now. Week seven of whatever the hell was wrong with him, and his body had developed a reliable schedule. Wake up. Vomit. Try to function. Fail. Repeat.When his stomach finally stopped heaving, Kieran slumped against the cool tile wall, breathing hard. His hands were shaking. Everything was shaking. He felt like he'd run a marathon when all he'd done was wake up.*Just call. Just do it.*The thought had been circling his mind for days, ever since he'