3. Symptoms

Aurel

“Laurentis pull yourself together and get back in the game.” Coach Jace shouts from the rink.

But my head feels too light, like I might just drop if I stay out there any longer. The smell of Alphas around me is ruining my stomach.

I swallow hard, but it doesn’t help.

“Shit…” I mutter under my breath before dropping my stick without thinking. I skate off the ice, ignoring whoever is calling my name, and head straight out.

The cold air brushes across my face the moment I step outside, I don’t even get to breathe it in properly before I bend over at the side of the building, throwing up everything I managed to keep down my stomach this morning.

It burns.

My fingers press hard against the wall for support as my body keeps heaving, like it’s trying to get rid of something that won’t leave.

Damn it.

This has been going on for weeks now.

Every single day.

I feel weak all the time, like I can’t even stand properly without my head spinning. Even when I sleep, it doesn’t go away. I wake up just as tired as I was before.

I’ve never been this sick before.

Is my cycle acting up again?

I wipe my mouth slowly, breathing out as I try to keep myself together.

This is draining.

“How are you feeling dude?”

Treyvon’s voice comes from behind me.

I let out a low groan, not even turning fully to him. “I don’t know… like I’m dying?”

He snorts and I feel him step closer anyway. The next second, cold water pours over my head and I suck in a sharp breath.

“Fuck—”

The cold helps though. It eases the dizziness just enough for me to think straight again.

I run my hand through my wet hair and straighten up, brushing past him. “I’m fine,” I mutter, even though I clearly don’t look it. I just need to get inside.

But then—he takes in a sharp breath

“Why…why do you have an Omega scent on you?”

My feet halt instantly.

A chill runs down my spine, my fingers twitching slightly at my side.

Omega scent?

That doesn’t make any sense.

I don’t give off scent.

I turn back to him, frowning. “The hell are you talking about?”

Treyvon looks serious now, his brows pulled together as he steps closer. “You know as a dominant Alpha, I can pick up even the faintest Omega scent,” he says, shrugging as he takes another step towards me. “And right now…you smell like warm honey melting over ripe peach.”

My heart thuds loudly in my rib cage.

That’s…

That’s exactly what that bastard said that night.

Before I can move, Treyvon leans in a little, like he wants to confirm it, and his scent goes straight down the back of my throat.

I step back immediately.

My chest tightening as I try to breathe through it.

Neylan said the same thing.

Honey and peach.

Shit.

What do I do now?

Treyvon isn’t the type to ignore things like this. If he starts suspecting anything, I’m cooked.

Did something change in me?

That night… I even went into heat all of a sudden, and I've been feeling like shit since then. Something that has never happened before.

Is it because he drowned me in his pheromones?

Treyvon suddenly grabs my arm, pulling me slightly toward him. “Aurel—”

But pain shoots through my collarbone just then.

I hiss as the mate mark from that bastard burns under my skin suddenly, and I grit my teeth slightly. This happens when an Alpha mark tries to protect its territory. The sensation reminds me of the cruel situation I am in.

Marked and mated to the one bastard I hate.

I swallow hard and pull my arm back slightly, forcing myself to stay calm.

“I… I helped an omega in heat find a safe place before I got on the ice,” I say quickly, the lie slipping out easier than it should. “It probably rubbed on me.”

For a second, he just looks at me.

Then he sighs lightly. “Oh… yeah, that makes sense.”

I nod once, trying not to look too relieved.

“You better go take a bath before the boys jump on you,” he adds, already turning away.

“Yeah,” I mutter.

The moment he leaves, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding so badly like a life line, dragging my hand over my face.

That was too fucking close.

I need to figure this out before it gets worse.

I need to see Doctor Susan this weekend.

There’s no way I can keep ignoring this.

I head back into the locker room, not even bothering to return to the rink. The hot water runs over my body, but it doesn’t help much. I still feel off, like something inside me isn’t right.

By the time I’m dressed, my phone buzzes inside my locker.

I grab it and unlock the screen, a message from the team group chat.

*Mandatory team event tonight. Full attendance required. No excuses.*

I stare at it for a second.

Of course.

I let out a low hiss.

Tomorrow's game decides who makes the finals.

Everything is getting serious now.

I can’t skip this.

Which means—

Doctor Susan will have to wait.

I’ll go on Monday instead.

My phone buzzes again before I can put it away.

This time it’s my younger brother, Gabriel.

Something about that alone makes me feel uneasy.

I slide my thumb across the screen quickly.

“Aurel?” His voice comes through from the other end, “Mom’s condition got worse. We’re at the hospital.”

My heart drops.

“Send me the address, I'll be there in minutes.” I respond, grabbing my bag and rushing out immediately, not caring about anything else.

The ride there feels too long.

Every second drags, my mind running through things I don’t even want to think about.

I spot my brother in the waiting area.

He looks up the moment he sees me, his face pale.

“Aurel—”

“What happened?” I ask quickly.

“They said it got worse,” he says, his voice shaking a little. “They’re still checking but—”

A doctor walks up to us before he can finish.

And I already know, I can see it on his face. This is going to be bad.

“She needs surgery,” he drops the bomb.

Surgery? And how the fuck am I supposed to afford the money? My part time job at Nudal club can't cover that. My only chance is the playoff bonus.

I clench my jaw hard, nothing is going my way at all. Feeling a throb in my head. I massage the bridge of my nose with my trembling hand.

“H…how long do I have?” I ask, sliding my hands into my pockets as I notice Gabriel's worried expression staring at me.

“About two months…but we will keep here for monitoring till the time of surgery.” The doctor responds.

I nod, if we can qualify for championship, I can pay for the surgery.

“Doctor, we need a hand here.” A familiar voice cuts through the hospital walls. I turn to see Neylan and his dogs, his left hand is wrapped in a blood stained cloth.

Our eyes meet, and I catch a whiff of the

familiar scent from that night…

“You? Why…do you smell familiar?” He mutters, his brows knitting together.

“Do you go around looking for familiar scents, what are you? A dog?” I click my tongue and thank the doctor before leaving.

I can feel Neylan's murderous glare behind my back. Piece of shit.

“Asshole, you better win your match against the Gamethrones tomorrow. Let’s settle this in the championship game,” he yells. And I raise my middle finger without turning.

Yeah, we'll surely meet in the finals. I have a more important reason to qualify.