PHEROMONE BLIND

PHEROMONE BLIND

STARWRITES

CHAPTER 1: THE REPORT

"There has to be a mistake."

Lucas Bennett's fingers tightened around the medical report as he stared at the words that had just shattered his world.

Across from him, the doctor remained silent.

The silence was worse than any answer,Lucas let out a nervous laugh and pushed the report back across the desk.

"You mixed up the results."

The doctor didn't touch the paper, "We repeated the examination three times."The smile on Lucas's face slowly disappeared.The consultation room suddenly felt too small, the air too heavy.

Three times?That wasn't possible.

He had been classified as a Beta since birth. Every school medical examination, every government record, every health check had said the same thing.

Beta.

There was no reason for the result to suddenly change."Then do it again," Lucas said immediately. "There has to be something wrong with the equipment."The doctor sighed.

"Lucas."

Something about the doctor's tone made Lucas's stomach twist.The older man folded his hands on the desk before speaking quietly.

"You are a late-developing Omega."

The words hit Lucas like a truck.

For several long seconds, he simply stared.Omega? No.That was ridiculous.

He was already eighteen years old. People didn't suddenly become Omegas at eighteen. They manifested much earlier.

Everyone knew that.

"This isn't funny."

"It's not a joke."

"I'm a Beta."

"You were believed to be a Beta."Lucas felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath him.Believed?What was that supposed to mean?The doctor pushed another document toward him.

"This isn't the first time this has happened. It's rare, but not impossible. Some secondary genders manifest much later than expected."Lucas couldn't bring himself to look at the document. His vision was already beginning to blur.

An Omega.

Not a Beta.

Not ordinary.

Not the future he had imagined for himself.

His entire life had been built on a foundation that apparently didn't exist.

"What happens now?" he asked quietly.

The doctor hesitated, and somehow that hesitation frightened Lucas more than the diagnosis itself."You'll need suppressants," he said gently. "And regular checkups.

Your body is still adjusting."

Adjusting.As though this was just another illness.As though it wasn't destroying everything Lucas had planned.His thoughts immediately drifted to Sophia Walker.

The Omega he'd secretly liked for almost three years.He had imagined a simple future, graduate, find a stable job, confess his feelings, maybe, if he was lucky, build a quiet life together.Nothing extraordinary.Just... normal.

Now that dream felt painfully out of reach."I don't want anyone to know."The doctor's expression softened."That's your choice. Your medical records are confidential."

Lucas released a shaky breath, at least he still had that.As long as nobody found out, maybe his life wouldn't completely fall apart.

Maybe.The word sounded painfully fragile even inside his own head.The doctor handed him a small prescription bag."Take these every day. They'll help regulate your hormones until your body stabilizes."Lucas accepted it mechanically.His mind was still trapped on a single sentence.

You are a late-developing Omega.

Lucas stepped out of the hospital a few minutes later.The afternoon sun was bright, and students filled the streets outside. Cars rolled past while laughter drifted through the air. The world continued exactly as before.Yet Lucas felt as though everything had changed.His phone vibrated, a message appeared.

Sophia.

His pulse jumped, for a brief moment, irrational hope filled him.Then he opened the message.

Can we meet after school tomorrow?There's something I need to tell you.

Lucas stared at the screen.A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Maybe this wasn't so bad, maybe life wasn't completely falling apart, maybe Sophia finally....

He stopped himself, getting his hopes up had never ended well.Still, he couldn't stop the warmth spreading through his chest.

Sure, he replied.

A second later, her response arrived.

Thank you.

The simple message was enough to brighten the rest of his day.

The next afternoon crawled by. Lucas barely heard a word his teachers said. Every time he glanced at the classroom clock, it felt as though the hands had barely moved.

When the final bell finally rang, he hurried toward the courtyard.As he crossed the campus, loud cheers erupted from the basketball court.

"Captain!"

"Nice shot!"

"Eric!"

Curious, Lucas glanced over, the court was surrounded by students.At the center stood Eric Carter.With a confident smile, he sank another three-pointer before casually tossing the ball to a teammate. His teammates crowded around him, laughing as students on the sidelines cheered his name.

Lucas watched for only a second before looking away, people like Eric Carter always attracted attention without even trying.He lived in a completely different world from someone like Lucas.Lucas continued toward the courtyard.

Sophia was already waiting beneath a tree, nervously twisting her fingers together.

The moment she noticed him, relief crossed her face.

"Lucas."

"Hey."

An awkward silence settled between them, finally, Sophia drew a deep breath."There's something I need to tell you."

Lucas smiled gently."It's okay. Take your time."

She looked down, gathering her courage.

When she looked back up, there was a shy smile on her face, it was the kind of smile people wore when thinking about someone they truly liked.Lucas's heart sank before she even spoke.

"I've liked someone for a long time."The words landed exactly as he had feared, still, he forced himself to smile.

"Who is it?"

A faint blush spread across Sophia's cheeks.

"I think... I've been in love with Eric Carter since freshman year."Lucas stood quietly, for a brief moment, the cheers from the basketball court echoed in his mind.

Of course.Who else could it be?

The school's basketball captain, the top student, the campus heartthrob, the Alpha everyone admired.

Sophia gave a nervous laugh."I know I probably don't stand a chance."

Lucas managed a smile, though it felt painfully stiff."You never know."

The words tasted bitter, compared to Eric Carter, Lucas had never believed he stood a chance.Now, after learning he was an

Omega...He wasn't even sure who he was anymore.

Sophia continued talking about Eric, completely unaware that every word was quietly breaking Lucas's heart.

When they finally parted ways, dusk had settled over the campus.

Lucas wandered through the nearly empty pathways, his thoughts a tangled mess.

First, the diagnosis,then Sophia,one blow after another.All he wanted now was to go home, crawl into bed, and forget this day had ever happened.

A loud crash shattered the silence.Lucas stopped.The sound had come from the old gym building,his brows drew together, the building should have been empty at this hour, another sound followed.

A low, strained groan,it didn't sound like someone fooling around, it sounded like someone in pain,Lucas hesitated.

Should I call for help?

Before he could decide, another crash echoed from inside, without thinking, he hurried toward the boys' restroom beside the old gym, the door was slightly open

"Hello?" he called cautiously.

No answer, only ragged breathing, Lucas slowly pushed the door open. The scene before him made him freeze. A tall young man was bracing himself against the sink, one hand gripping the edge so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His school uniform was disheveled, his breathing uneven, and a broken mop bucket lay overturned on the wet floor.

For a moment, Lucas thought the stranger might collapse."Are you okay?"

The young man didn't answer, instead, his shoulders trembled as though he were fighting an invisible battle. Lucas took an instinctive step forward.

"You should go to the infirm—" His foot landed on the spilled water, he slipped, instinctively, he reached for the nearest person to steady himself, his fingers caught the other boy's wrist. The instant their skin touched...the young man went completely still, Lucas finally looked up, bright crimson eyes stared back at him, his breath caught.

Eric Carter.

The school's basketball captain, the Alpha everyone admired.For a long second, neither of them moved, Eric's chest rose and fell rapidly as he stared at Lucas in disbelief, then he slowly leaned closer, not enough to frighten him, just enough to breathe him in.

His expression changed, shock, recognition, relief, as though he had finally found something he hadn't realized he was searching for. His lips parted.

"Omega..."

Lucas's blood ran cold. "What...?"

Eric's crimson eyes never left his face.His voice was hoarse, almost painfully gentle. "...Where have you been?"

Lucas froze.How...How did Eric know what he was?And why did that question sound as though he'd been waiting for Lucas all this time?