What Vitamins

After the last class, Adrian went to the university health clinic. The nurse took his name, then paused for a moment, before asking Adrian to wait.

"I'll call you after the doctor confirms it," the nurse said kindly.

Adrian sat down in a chair, though he was still wondering. What was there to confirm? Was his omega status a problem just for a checkup?

Five minutes later, the nurse called him over. "Mr. Riordan, please come in. Doctor Victor is waiting for you."

Doctor Victor was a handsome man, with neat gray hair and steel-rimmed glasses. He had a friendly smile and a cheerful voice.

"Adrian Rhein Riordan, correct?" Doctor Victor asked, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

"Yes, Doctor," Adrian replied curtly.

"So, how are you feeling? Headache? Fever? Nausea and vomiting? Diarrhea?" Doctor Victor asked. "Those are typical symptoms for first-year students."

"No," Adrian said, unsure whether he should tell them what he experienced last night.  "I just felt strange. Last night."

Doctor Victor stood up and grabbed his stethoscope. "Lie down on the bed. I'll do an examination."

Adrian lay down obediently, and Doctor Victor examined him. The examination only lasted about five minutes, then the doctor asked Adrian to return to the chair.

"Adrian, are you currently taking any medications or vitamins?" Doctor Victor asked seriously.

"Yes," Adrian said. "I've been taking iron-boosting vitamins since I was 10, and I still do."

"Do you have those vitamins? Can I have some?" Doctor Victor asked.

Adrian nodded and reached into his bag, pulled out his usual bottle of vitamins, and handed them to Doctor Victor.

Doctor Victor examined the bottle with a frown. It was just a plain white bottle with no brand or other information.

"Who gave you these vitamins?" Doctor Victor asked.

"My mother. She always prepared a bottle every month, and after she passed away five months ago, I still received a package of those vitamins every month," Adrian replied.

Doctor Victor opened the bottle and took a soft, yellow gel capsule. It looked like a regular vitamin.

Doctor Victor raised the capsule to his nose. His brow furrowed slightly.

For a moment, he even stopped breathing. "...Strange," he muttered softly.

He then looked at Adrian. "I'll test the contents of these vitamins and take a blood sample," Doctor Victor said. "As soon as the results are back, I'll call you."

"What does that vitamin have to do with how I felt last night, Doctor?" Adrian asked. "I've been taking those vitamins regularly every day for 10 years, and nothing has ever happened. In fact, you could say I rarely get sick."

Doctor Victor looked at Adrian seriously. He seemed to be contemplating something difficult to articulate.

"Adrian," Doctor Victor said carefully.  "In the past 10 years, have you ever been in heat?"

Adrian shook his head. "Never. I'm scentless, that's what my mother says."

"That doesn't mean you can't go into heat," said Dr. Victor. "Symptoms of heat should still occur. Headaches, body aches and pains, fever, sometimes accompanied by uncontrolled emotions and moods. In scentless Omegas or Alphas, the other party won't notice because the pheromones are very weak and undetectable, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"I've never experienced it, unless..." Adrian trailed off.

Dr. Victor was silent for a long time.

He opened the computer and began typing some data. As time went on, his face became increasingly difficult to read.

"Is something wrong, Doctor?" Adrian asked anxiously.

Dr. Victor turned his head. "I can't say for sure yet." He chose his words carefully. "But medically, an Omega should have experienced their first heat at the age of 16, 17, or at the latest 18."

Adrian's heart beat faster. He was now 20 years old. "Then... why haven't I experienced it?"

Dr. Victor looked back at the white bottle. "That's what I want to know."

"Isn't that a blood-boosting vitamin, like my mother said?" Adrian asked. There was a hint of panic in his voice.

Victor smiled faintly, trying to reassure him. "We don't know what's really in it yet. It could really be a vitamin."

He paused. "Or it could be something that's preventing your body from developing properly."

Adrian returned from the clinic feeling uneasy.

He took a shortcut from the clinic to the dormitory, mulling over Doctor Victor's words.

Adrian clutched the bottle of vitamins tightly, staring at it with a conflicted expression.

Should he throw it away?

But his mother had even had someone send him a new bottle at the beginning of every month, even though she was dead.

Doctor Victor had told him to stop taking the vitamins until the lab results came back.

But what if...

Brugh!!!

Adrian staggered when his shoulder collided with someone. The bottle of vitamins flew out and rolled to the floor.

"Damn!" Adrian cursed softly.

He quickly reached to pick it up, but someone else's hand beat him to it.

Adrian was stunned, seeing a pair of sneakers in front of him. He looked up and locked eyes with Ethan.

Ethan's eyes were silver in the natural afternoon light, gleaming sharp like a knife's blade, but they complemented his strong masculine jawline, sharp nose, and thin lips that had only hinted at a smirk so far.

Adrian's chest fluttered strangely as the gentle afternoon breeze wafted an unusual scent to his nostrils.

Warm, clean musk, layered with the freshness of ripe pineapple, then topped with a faint trace of clove. The scent was masculine, but not overpowering—just enough to make Adrian's breath hitch for a few seconds.

What is this, Adrian thought, confused.

There was something stirring slowly in the pit of his stomach, like a newly awakened butterfly that flapped its wings hesitantly, leaving a soft tickle that spread all the way to his chest.

For the first time since entering the campus, Adrian found himself staring at someone for too long.

The man straightened, cradling the bottle of vitamins in his hand. "Yours?"

"Did you see someone else drop it?" Adrian asked back, covering up his troubled feelings.

He held out his hand with an open palm. "Please return it, and thank you."

Ethan smirked. His eyes lit up even more sharply. A pink blush appeared on Adrian's smooth cheeks, and he longed to touch that beautiful patch of color.

But that would anger Adrian, and knowing this Omega nature—as his teammates had pointed out—he would push him away. Ethan didn't want that.

"Are you always this rude?" Ethan scoffed.

"I use the words please and thank you," Adrian replied flatly. "Where's the rudeness, sir?

Ethan stared at Adrian's plump, moving lips, and a strange desire to see how soft those beautiful lips were made his heart skip a beat.

"So cute," Ethan murmured.

Ethan straightened up again with a shrug, then held out the bottle of vitamins to Adrian.

As Adrian took the bottle from his hand, Ethan pulled Adrian's hand so that his slender body collided with his chest.

Adrian held his breath as he felt the hard muscles beneath Ethan's tight training shirt pressing against his chest. Ethan's signature scent wafted out, much stronger than before.

"Don't forget to clean my new locker tonight," Ethan hissed against Adrian's head.

Unconsciously, he held his breath a moment longer, letting his instincts savor Adrian's sweet scent so close, before slowly releasing it again.

Adrian gave him a cold look, then turned and walked away at a brisk pace.

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

Adrian's scent lingered in his nostrils. It was sharper than last night. His chest feels warm.

Soft rose, fresh citrus, and sweet vanilla.

His inner wolf stirred slowly. "Mate," he whispered.

Ethan stared at Adrian's retreating back.

Why did everyone say he was scentless?