NOLA
I wasn't entirely sure who the Alpha was. Just that he smelled nice. Really nice. Almost delicious. And I wanted him. Not like that.
Not entirely.
His scent made me feel complete. And it made me forget all the other scents trying to suffocate me. None of this made sense and went against everything I had learned in health class because god only knew I hadn't learned shit at home. Sadly, the only information I knew about my own biology was what I had gathered from textbooks. His presence was dulling the pain in my stomach and I couldn't bear the thought of making him leave.
So when the Alpha delivered me to my dorm room, half-dazed, ignoring the strange stares that other college kids were shooting us, I wasn't sure what to say. He seemed just as confused as I was, leaning me up against the side of the door like an inanimate object. I took a moment to truly see the Alpha, wondering how we had never crossed paths before.
He was a few years older than me, but we were in the same department – chemistry – and we did share one class, I think. He had softer features than most of the Alphas I knew and from the stories – I still couldn't remember his name – he rarely acted like an Alpha at all. His skin was absent of tattoos and blemishes like other Alphas that felt like had to prove something, but his presence demanded respect in a way I desperately wanted to give him.
His arms were toned from years of working out, his shirt just a little on the side of being too tight, and his jeans-
My breath caught in my throat as my gaze landed on his bulging cock, his erection pressing at the zipper. That's… that's for me? I tried to understand what it meant because I didn't have a scent. Beings couldn't react to me, not the way they did with an Omega, and yet…
He shifted himself in his pants, earning him an embarrassing moan from my lips as I tore my eyes away and landed them back on his face, "You're in no condition to be out here. Where's your key?" I had noticed it before, but he was speaking to me with his Alpha essence. While I usually found it offensive, pulling rank, some part of me relished the way it made my body rush with excitement. In my haste to buy scent blockers – which I hadn't accomplished, locking the door had been the last thing on my mind.
Shit.
And now I was sweaty and clammy and veering on the edge of passing out while simultaneously wanting to drown in the musky scent that was the Alpha before me. There was something really fucking wrong with me.
Avoiding the innate attraction between us, I pushed the door open, immediately hating myself as Ravana's scent attacked me. I held in the desire to gag, the Alpha hesitating before stepping in behind me, the door shutting on its own. I had never had a problem with the way that door shut until now, the way it rattled against the frame in the deafening silence.
In horror movies, this was where I was held down against my will and the Alpha took what he wanted.
But this was different. Zetas didn't have heats (which from experience I knew was a fucking lie) and they weren't necessarily weak during their time of the month. Alphas also didn't dominate Zetas, not like the way they did with Betas and Omegas. Many Zetas were on par with an Alpha's aggression, dominance, and power. Lastly, Alphas weren't supposed to be able to smell Zetas.
And yet, another glance down at the bulge in his pants told me otherwise. He was reacting to me like an Omega and yet somehow drawing upon enough strength to ignore his urges. I put a few steps between us, enjoying the relief from another wave of pain. Was his scent protecting me or was it just coincidence?
Maybe I wasn't in heat. It was just a really bad TOM. But it wasn't going to be that easy. These things never were.
The Alpha stayed put by the door, dropping his hands to cover his growing erection in his pants causing my curiosity to spike. That couldn't possibly be comfortable, could it? His dick was so… big. I couldn't help the whine that escaped my lips as my thoughts traveled to what I would have liked to do to it. My cheeks flushed, but he ignored it, his eyes focused on the floor. "You're in heat, aren't you? Your perfume is all over campus."
An unmated Omega's perfume during their heat blossomed exponentially. It was hard to resist the sweet, sticky scent of arousal and desire, even amongst the most disciplined Alphas. But Zetas couldn't perfume and they sure as hell didn't have a strong enough scent to arouse anyone.
Silence filled the space between us as I tried to decide how to respond, stumbling over my words in the process. You can't – I'm not in heat." If I didn't acknowledge it, then maybe it wasn't true.
The Alpha tilted his head to the side, the charm so many students on Campus fell for evident. The dark curls that fell over his deep blue eyes almost the color of midnight in such a way, full lips curling ever so slightly, just one muscle stretch away from a smile. The lone earring on his right ear gave him a mysterious edge that must have driven Omegas crazy. Tall, dark, and handsome. He was beautiful, which made it even more confusing as to why he was here.
"I can smell you." He muttered, head still bowed. It was strange to find an Alpha in such a submissive position but I had other things to worry about. I was sure I had heard him wrong, but the way his nostrils flared every time I thought about his cock pretty much sealed the deal. His voice was low as he explained, almost timid. "I've always been able to smell Zetas." If that wasn't a superpower, I wasn't sure what was. More awkward silence filed into the room and I wasn't sure if I wanted to run and hide or ask him what I smelled like. No one had ever told me. Then again, no one had ever been able to smell my scent. Before today, I hadn't even known I had one.
The Alpha glanced around the apartment, nose scrunching up in disgust, presumably at the mix of colors and plush furniture. He had to know who Ravana was at least. Everyone knew who she was, being one of the Dean's daughters and all.
"What – what do you usually do during – um?"
I knew what he was asking as his cheeks turned bright red but this was the very first heat I had experienced. Sure, my family was full of Omegas, but mom's way of dealing with it was locking them in a room and throwing an Alpha in there until it was over. The Omegas always came out married – it's how it happened with all of my cousins and my older sister. My younger brother hadn't had his first heat yet, but it was only a matter of time.
So other than locking myself in a room and suffering for who knew how long, I had no idea what to do. I hadn't even seen Ravana in heat. I remember reading about nesting and staying hydrated, but I fucking hated the pillows and anything going into my mouth tasted like ash.
"This – it's not usually like this." This was becoming unbearably awkward as I shuffled aimlessly in place. I kinda hoped he would just leave but the pang of desire in my chest wanted him to stay. To do more than stay.
The Alpha mouthed a quiet, "Oh," His eyes wandered to the counter and tabletop fridge that we had cornered off as our makeshift kitchen, "Have you eaten?"
Another question that I didn't want to answer. This Alpha was like no other Alpha I had met. He seemed genuinely concerned for my well being but he hadn't tried anything inappropriate. He hadn't tried to proposition me. Hell, he hadn't even asked if I was sharing the same lustful thoughts. Anyone else who had found me out there – I tried not to think about what would have happened.
He seemed almost oblivious to my inner turmoil, tugging at his crotch to release the pressure. His face was strained, his dark eyes swimming with desire and want but he didn't voice it, continuing on his biology spiel, "Omegas forget to eat all the time during their-" He bit his lip, cutting off the rest of the sentence. We had all had the same health lessons growing up. Omegas, their heats, and how to take care of them. Somehow, everyone had forgotten to teach about Zeta anatomy. The fact that Zetas were rare didn't help. The Alpha threw me a small smile and gestured towards the kitchen again.
I shook my head, waving him off "Don't." My hands were clammy, that dull ache coming back but it wasn't the same painful one I had been suffering through all morning. No, this one made me want things I couldn't have. My thighs clenched together as I resisted the urge to whine for that monster in his pants. There was no use denying it now.
I wanted a knot. His. Plain and simple.
His shoulders tensed further as he reacted to my scent blasting through the room, a flush settling over my skin as I tried to focus on the food question he had asked earlier. "It all tastes like ash. I can't eat." He didn't seem satisfied with that answer, so I explained further. "Yes, I can't taste anything. Can't keep anything down either, so it's all a moot point. Everything smells like pheromones and it makes me want to puke. And then there's this ache…"
Except for your scent. I want yours. You.
"But you're okay with me?"
I could see that he was trying to make himself smaller, less intimidating. For an Alpha that was nearly a foot taller than me, it wasn't an easy feat. It was a nice gesture, but not one that was working. "I don't know – you smell safe. Is that even a thing? I don't know. Seems like all the health classes are fuck all at this point."
Safe. Delicious. Stuff me full with your-
I swallowed those foreign thoughts real fast, the Alpha's tortured expression matching how I felt. A nervous chuckle rumbled through his chest, his large form teetering forward until he was directly in front of me, hands itching to touch, to feel, to stroke. "Well, sleep it off, I guess? I heard Zeta's get through their… thing pretty fast." His voice was husky and deep, breathy like my scent was turning him all sorts of on in ways I couldn't imagine.
It was like being drugged with the best of scents. I knew what this meant – more than just being in heat – I knew that this Alpha was more than just a being to fulfill my needs but I wasn't going to get bogged down with relationships and rules. He might be different than most Alphas on the surface, but they were all the same when it came down to it.
Possessive, controlling, and dominant.
"I can't sleep either." I giggled, horrified at the sound but unable to dwell on it.
He seemed genuinely concerned, more concerned than Ravana had sounded outside the bathroom this morning. Impossible. "Is that another thing, because-"
I didn't let him finish his sentence, "No, but please tell me you can smell my Omega and it's not just in my head?"
The Alpha seemed to flinch at the way I labeled Ravana, but it was a fleeting expression. He took a deep breath and the realization settled in, his eyes growing darker. His arms wrapped around my waist protectively, teeth bared at the third scent. The movement had me pressed flush against his chest, against all of those hard curves, and the arousal between his legs. I squirmed against him, the heat in my belly spreading until I was trying to resist humping him in our living space.
Our eyes locked, our desire for each other heightening until his lips grazed mine, asking for permission. I gladly gave it to him, the Alpha kissing me with all of the lust that had been building over the last over. He tasted amazing and he kissed so wonderfully, so passionately, and so delicately for an Alpha. It was dominant but it didn't push. I wanted to melt into his hold and taste him for hours but when his hips involuntarily jerked against mine, the full length of his erection pressing against my core, I had to step back.
Not because I didn't want to continue, I did but because if Ravana found me lip locked with this Alpha in our living space, I wasn't sure if either of us would make it out alive.
His eyes were searching my face, taking in my expressions, soaking me in. It was vastly different from the way Ravana looked at me. With him, I felt seen and I wasn't sure what to make of it. Something about him made me want to give in. I felt protected, comfortable, and safe – words I would never associate with Ravana. My relationship with her had always been about the power that she could wield over me, especially since I never fought back. Looking back, I wish I had and to this day, I don't know why I hadn't.
"It's just… your scent is so conflicting – I"
As if my Zeta essence had a mind of its own, I bared my neck to him, a purely submissive move, the Alpha gently slipping his hand around my neck to pull me closer again. His nose dragged along my gland sending shivers down my spine, his tongue joining the party as it began to trace the length of my neck.
If he didn't stop doing that, we were going to end up in a very, very compromising position and I still didn't fucking remember his name.
I went soft and pliant in his hands, grabbing at his shirt as he scented me. "Alpha." The word slipped through my lips before I could stop it, the Alpha letting out a low growl in response. I was submitting to him and he was claiming me, scenting me, showing everyone else that I was his.
For me, this was just the heat talking. I was succumbing to a process that made most Omegas out of their mind with a need to be filled so I knew why I was acting out. But why was he?