SKYE.4

The next morning, I woke up feeling something strange. My neck tingled, and the area around the gland was a bit sensitive to the touch. I knew it shouldn't be the case—after I bit Soren, he didn't have any inflammation there; it had all healed overnight thanks to the MT healing magic.

But what if it didn't inflame because Soren was still hormonally beta then, with his glands unreceptive, and now he had changed, making the effect of his marking much more intense?

I went to the bathroom to check it out.

Indeed, the bite mark itself had healed into a smooth, perfect scar—the only thing left was this weird tenderness. As I stared at myself in the mirror, Soren walked into the bathroom behind me, completely naked, heading for the shower.

Suddenly, my attention was drawn to an unusual smell.

"Wait."

Something caught my attention, and I looked at him more closely, inhaling deeply. I didn't have to try too hard; the scent was strong, much stronger than usual.

"Your scent—"

Soren snorted. "I know, I know, I probably stink after the whole night—"

"No, that's not it. You never stink. Your scent… is so much stronger, but also different. You smell more like an omega now!" Saying this, I grabbed him around the waist, pulling him close with a swift motion to investigate his glands.

Yes, Soren's scent had become more Allure-like! There were pheromones present, very enticing and intoxicating. Soren's eyes widened, he swallowed loudly, as if struggling with how to respond. His pupils dilated, and his gaze settled on my gland.

"Do I have my own Allure…?"

I nodded with a soft smile. "Yes, and it's getting stronger. You're changing," I whispered, gently kissing his forehead.

Soren blinked, his gaze still stubbornly fixed on my neck, and he made no comment.

My hungry eyes wandered toward his bitten gland and… it was slightly reddish too! A curious case. Was it now just more susceptible to marking after its hormonal activation?

Soren raised his hand and skimmed over my neck.

"There were two pretty large puncture marks after my bite, and now there's only a flat scar," he said softly.

I smirked. "Yes, it's healed, just like my bite on you. It's smooth, with a bit of reddening. I suspect since you're more hormonally active now, our bites will have a stronger effect."

There was a moment of silence.

My hands on his warm, naked skin could only mean one thing—a delayed shower. We didn't have much time left before work. I could already hear his breathing deepen, his hands rising to embrace me as his eyes instinctively closed. Seeing him get worked up, I reluctantly took a small step back.

"You know… there's one more thing. I've been wanting to tell you this for a while. I noticed a new, very light and subtle note in your scent right after the first time we made love, but today… it's even more potent."

He blinked, his face a bit disappointed that I stopped stroking him. His hand, unbeknownst to him, slid down to his already hard dick. I had to admit, Soren was incredibly reactive to even the slightest touch—more than anyone I'd ever been with. Or was he? By his own admission, he didn't have a high libido before he met me. Could it also be the magic of TMs between us?

Soren shrugged. "Yes, you mentioned it already, vanilla, from the pregnancy."

"Not just that. A hint of lime. Seems like you're mated to me." I said this, tilting my head and narrowing my eyes.

His hand froze. He blinked, and there was a flash in his eyes, like he was starting to realize something.

But then he took a big step back and muttered, "We need to hurry; we've only got a few minutes before we have to leave…"

And there it was again—the denial, the dismissive approach. I almost laughed, struggling against a wave of dark humor. It was absurd how stubbornly Soren refused to believe it. If we weren't TMs, I wouldn't have been able to mark him and, as a result, mate him successfully because he was genetically a beta. But TMs didn't follow that rule. I had this suspicion that my bite during our first sex had partially mated him to me, but only now… it was complete.

For a few seconds, I studied his face. It was unfortunate that something was happening between us, yet it remained unspoken, unacknowledged, elusive—like a missing link.

"Wait." I opened the drawer and pulled out a blister pack of pills. Soren's eyes immediately locked onto the blue and green package with the Malden Pharmaceuticals logo. It was Seprudin 100.

I waved it slightly in front of him.

"It's a suppressant, Soren."

There was a flicker in his eyes that I couldn't quite read.

"I bought it a long time ago, but I kept putting off the day I'd actually take it. I truly believe there's no need for me to use it because of what I suspect. But it's ultimately your decision. If you want me to, if you still think it's necessary, I will."

Again, I waved the blister pack, and his eyes stayed glued to it.

"I want us to be together forever, with nothing ever separating us, Soren. I want to marry you someday, see our grandchildren, and grow old with you. If it means living on suppressants, I'll take it."

There was a long silence. Soren's eyes were wide, kind of shocked by my confession. It was the first time I laid out my plans for our future like this, and I guess it was a lot to take on. I could feel he was pondering my words, fighting an emotional wave.

"It's all your decision, Soren," I repeated, as we stood there for quite some time already, seemingly in an impasse.

We both knew that if we were True Mates, there'd be no need for suppressants. But if we weren't… I wanted to honor the promise I made to him.

Soren's eyes moved from the blister pack to mine.

He straightened slightly and said calmly, "I want the same with you, Skye. That's why I don't want to risk it. Take it."

Saying nothing more, I pushed a pill out and swallowed it under his watchful gaze.

"Do you really want it all with me?" His voice seemed strangely weak, almost scared.

"I do."

Soren slowly nodded, biting his lip.

"Good." He gave me a small, warm smile.

Was it the first time he had ever smiled at me like that? It could be, actually! Before, he only smirked or gave me shy half-smiles. But now, his face seemed brighter, his energy gentler.

Looking almost embarrassed, he turned away and went to the stall to take a shower. We didn't discuss it any further that day. We just continued to live on.

***

The next week, Soren's behavior changed quite a bit. I got the impression he wanted to talk to me more often, even about simple, everyday things. He had been very quiet before, but now we'd occasionally have pleasant (even cheerful!) small talks.

I also noticed some shift in how he interacted with people around the office. He seemed a bit friendlier with the employees. In the cafeteria, if there weren't any open tables, and we had to join someone, he'd actually start conversing, coming across as more relaxed and laid-back.

A few times, we even ended up sitting with Sariel Lowen, who usually ate alone, and Soren would chat with him a bit. I remembered how he used to avoid all the alphas back in college, refusing to give them the time of day, but now he didn't seem to care about Sariel being an alpha at all.

Overall, there was a subtle change in Soren's vibe; his energy felt lighter and more cheerful, as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. I wouldn't say he'd suddenly become a carefree life-of-the-party type, but it was a good start.

A few days after he bit me, I caught him looking into the hallway closet, rummaging through the pillows from the omega nesting kit I'd won.

When he noticed me watching, he blushed and muttered, "There's a nice mint blanket in here. Maybe we could use it."

"Sure, Soren, if you see something you like, go ahead and take it."

I walked over to him, and he was holding the edge of the fluffy mint blanket in his fingers. I noticed two small pillows in the same color. "Maybe we should take these too? They match."

Soren's eyes lit up. "Yes! They're beautiful."

I didn't comment further. We took the items to the bedroom, and Soren carefully spread the blanket out and placed the two pillows against the headboard.

***

Two days later, something happened at work. While we were sitting in the office, I noticed Devon and Fay glancing at Soren now and then, eyebrows slightly raised.

Later, when we went down to the cafeteria for lunch, Soren suddenly said, "Devon asked me something today."

"What about?"

"He asked if I'm pregnant because my scent smells like a pregnant omega's."

My eyes widened. "Right… We didn't think others would pick up on that. What did you say?"

Soren shrugged. "I told him the truth that today I forgot to use the deodorant that covers the pregnancy scent. Now I have to deal with it."

"Is this even that effective? You used it before, but I could still smell it on you."

"Yeah, well, but you were getting pretty… close to my skin. The rest of the people in college never noticed. And I didn't want anyone else to figure it out. Even though it's not the first thing people think of with a beta, they usually assume it's just some body wash or cologne. But I didn't want to risk even jokey questions."

"What did Devon say?"

Soren shrugged again. "He was a little surprised. He asked if I'm a beta with omega traits."

"Seriously? He's heard of that?"

"They talk about it in advanced biology courses, even in high school. So I wasn't too shocked. I just told him, ‘Yeah, but pregnancies for someone like me aren't always guaranteed.' And I asked for his discretion."

"I get it. Not to deal with any awkward situations later."

"Exactly."

"Did he ask who the father is?"

Soren scoffed. "Of course not! Would you ask that? It's a pretty personal question."

I stared at my plate, brooding over what to answer. "So… our relationship. You still want to keep it a secret at work?"

There was silence. Soren, leaning over the table, ate his soup quietly, occasionally glancing out the window. He looked deep in thought and didn't answer for a while.

Finally, as we finished eating, he cleared his throat. "I don't. But I'm struggling with how to navigate it. They all saw me with Liam during the first few months I worked here. I don't know how to explain it to them, especially when it comes to paternity. They can do the math. The dates match up with when I was still with Liam."

"But… he's a beta."

"I don't follow."

"How could he be the father?"

Soren looked a bit annoyed. "If I'm fertile, they might think we just matched up that way. About 2% of betas have fertile sperm. But that's not really the issue here, Skye."

Now I snorted. "Well, the cat's probably out of the bag by now. We've been hanging out together day after day. They see us sitting at the same table in the cafeteria all the time. They'd have to be stupid not to put two and two together. And they already know I've got a ‘mysterious beta love interest' who just so happens to look exactly like you. I'm pretty sure they've figured it out."

Soren stared at me for a moment, tension on his face. He glanced over at the table where Jess and Fay were sitting. Devon wasn't there, but it didn't matter. Those two had been sneaking looks at us all day too, their eyes… yeah, they seemed to know.

"Shit. You're probably right. I've kind of been in my own bubble lately," he muttered, "ignoring what everyone else thinks, just dealing with—" he trailed off, clearly at a loss.

I didn't say anything. I just wondered—did they really think Soren was carrying Liam's baby? For some reason, this thought was quite upsetting.

Although I hadn't seen Liam in the cafeteria lately—it seemed he'd stopped going there—the fact that he was still working here made me uneasy. I knew that any confrontation with him might stress Soren, sour his mood, and hinder his progress.

Later that day, I was making coffee in the break room when Devon and Fay walked in. I could tell right away they wanted to talk. I stubbornly kept my head down, focusing on the coffee machine, but it didn't help. Devon came to my left, and Fay stood on my right.

"So, we've been meaning to ask you something for a while now," Devon started. "Did you ever solve that love life dilemma you told us about?" His tone was a little ironic, his eyes playful as he looked at me.

"I did, and I'm pretty sure you've already figured that out," I grumbled and gave them a wry smile.

"The tall, slim beta with black hair, pale skin and gray eyes, right?"

"That's the one."

"And he's got tattoos too, I bet."

"Yup."

"So, the situation wasn't as impossible as it seemed, huh? Are you… happy?"

It felt weird talking about Soren like he wasn't Soren, but I played along.

"I am. And I handled it, yeah, though it got… a little controversial."

Fay cleared his throat.

"The beta you're in love with—wasn't he dating another beta? The other guy is not around anymore."

"Well, yes, he was. That's where the controversy comes in." I gave a sour smirk. "But I'm not really in a position to talk about any of the details."

"Fay, give us a minute. I need to ask Skye something," Devon said.

Fay pouted but left the break room.

Devon leaned in and lowered his voice. "You're the father, right?"

I took a sharp breath. Hearing it said out loud felt bold, almost shocking. But I wanted to own it, make it real.

"I am." I looked him straight in the eyes.

Devon chuckled softly. "That's… interesting. I didn't know he was one of those rare betas with omega traits. Does he have regular heats?"

I snorted. "Come on, man, are you really asking about that? I'm not saying anything else. And I'd appreciate your discretion. There are some risks, and I wouldn't want him to get stressed."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Sorry. Just… congrats. On locking him down and on becoming a father."

He was the first person to congratulate me, and it made me light up a bit.

"Thanks. I'm… happy with him. I don't want anything to mess that up."

"Totally understandable. Are you on suppressants now? I can't smell you."

"Yeah. I promised him I would be."

Devon nodded, looking thoughtful. "That's… considerate." There was actual admiration in his voice, like he regarded it as a kind of noble sacrifice for the sake of making our relationship more secure and stable. "You truly do love him." His voice became a bit dreamy.

"Yeah. I do. He's… everything."

Devon slowly raised his head, rubbed his chin, and sighed as he gazed through the window.

"So romantic!"