The previous night

Finian was finally able to turn off the computer, and he looked at his wristwatch. Soon midnight and he had not heard from Dorian in several hours. He felt a little worried and alone. Finian got up from his desk and walked toward the kitchen. It was so quiet without his family, and the house suddenly felt far too big. The children were at their cousins ​​in Ireland during spring break, and Finian missed them, but both he and Dorian had so much to do at work that the children surely had more fun at the family horse farm.

Finian was a psychologist, specialized in relationships between omegas, betas, and alphas, and at the moment, he was working on a thesis together with three colleagues that was revolutionary in research on the other gender and what made people choose a mate. This was the most significant study that had ever been done in this field, and it had been three years of hard work. But now they did not have much left, so just before the baby would be born, they would submit the thesis.

Finian poured a glass of water and put a hand gently on his growing belly. Finian still had difficulty understanding that they had succeeded a third time. Two alphas could usually not have more than one child, and it was scarce with three children. This was one of the reasons why alphas often paired with omegas. But as a Prime Alpha, and a very dominant one, Dorian had managed to get even a strong alpha, like Finian to become pregnant several times. Dorian was tall and strong both physically and mentally, but Finian was no fluke himself. He was 1.88 cm tall, ripped, and was smarter and even more mentally stable than his husband. Finian McCallister was the heart and backbone of the family.

Finian was on his way to the bedroom when the phone suddenly rang. He ran after it, but when he saw the call-id, he instantly felt deep concern. It was from Elliot. Finian answered quickly.

"Hello, Elliot! What's going on?"

It took a while until Elliot answered. Dorian heard a lot of voices in the background. It sounded like he was outside next to a busy street.

"Are you home?"

"Yes, but answer me, Elliot, what has happened to Dorian? Why are you calling?"

"Dorian went into his rut and got knocked out by the medicine the guards gave him. A doctor has looked at him, and he's fine, he will be okay when he wakes up. But I am going to get a cab and take him to you now. Can you stay awake until then?"

"Of course. I'll wait."

The call ended, and Finian stood with the phone in his hand, and a thousand thoughts passed through his head. How was this possible? It wasn't time for Dorian's rut yet. They had spent so many years together, ever since they got into puberty, so their rut had become synchronized. Dorian must have been drugged with a rut inducing medicine used for sexual abuse on alphas. Because, what else could have happened?

Finian waited impatiently at the door, and when he heard the taxi, he rushed out. With his heart racing in his chest, he saw Elliot, and a man he did not recognize came dragging an unconscious Dorian over their shoulders. Troubled, Finian ran forward and caressed his husband's face with his hands.

Dorian was pale, and the sweat ran down his face. All over him was the warm and creamy wood-scent that Finian loved, sandalwood, and cedar. It made Finians stomach jolt, but it also made him so worried.

"Dorian, what happened to you?" he asked but got no response at all.

"Finian can you help carry Dorian, so Tyler can go back with the cab?"

Finian looked at Elliot. The shorter, dark-haired man looked grim.

"Yes, of course, but how about you? Don't you need to go back?"

"I called Katie; she's coming to pick me up."'

Finian looked suspicious at Elliot but didn't say anything, instead, he took the younger man's place and thanked him. Tyler didn't even look at him, he just quickly looked away and mumbled goodnight to Elliot before rushing to the car.

Together they two men carried the heavy Dorian inside the house and put him on the bed. Finian started to take off his clothes, but Elliot stopped him.

"Finian, I need to talk to you before I Katie get here. Can we go to the living room?"

Now Finian was getting really nervous, but he just nodded and walked in front of his husband's best friend. They sat down on the big sofa and looked at each other. Elliot reeked of booze, but he acted as he was completely sober.

"This will come as a shock to you, but please hear me out. According to the doctor who got called to the nightclub, it was the pheromone from an omega that triggered Dorian's rut. The doctor was sure, considering how sudden both the rut and the heat had started and how strong the alpha and omega's pheromone was. There is no doubt they are a fated pair."

Elliot spoke slowly, and his voice was solemn, but Finian just stared at him in shock. The shorter man let what he had said sink in, but when Finian still hadn't given any response after several long minutes, Elliot said in a shaky voice:

"I understand that this is a shock for you. But unfortunately, this is for real."

At that moment, it felt like the world was crashing down on Finian, and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Tears flooded his green eyes, and he hid his face in his hands.

Elliot moved closer to his friend and put an arm over his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Finian."

They sat there for a long time, even when a brown-haired woman came running in and embraced him, Finian continued to cry.

Finian was a psychologist specializing in relationships, and he had researched dozens of records of fated pairs, and Finian was utterly devastated. He had lost the man he could not live without.

Katie held the red-haired man in her arms as she patted his trembling back. Tears ran down the woman's face. Elliot had told her everything on the phone when he went by taxi to Chelsea, and Katie was feeling devastated. Dorian and Finian had been her dearest friends since they were eleven years old. She loved them both, and they were like her brothers. It broke her heart to see her beloved friend so ruined.

She glanced at her husband and saw the tears in his eyes. It was thanks to Dorian that she had met Elliot. Dorian had presented his friend from college to Katie, and she had immediately fallen for the playful and happy Northerner. Just after two years, they got married, and Dorian had been Elliot's best man while Finian had been the registrar.

"What should we do," she whispered in despair.

Elliot took his wife's hand in his and bent forward to kiss her cheek.

"Whatever happens, we will be there for them. Because Finian and Dorian will need us."

Katie nodded. Elliot was right. Whatever happened now, both Dorian and Finian were their closest friends, and they would help them with whatever they needed.

After a while, Katie and Elliot noticed that Finian was utterly drained of energy, and they helped him into the bedroom where Dorian was sleeping heavily, still with his clothes on. They helped Finian take off Dorian's clothes, and when Finian lay down by his husband's side, Katie and Elliot said goodnight and left the alpha couple.

Once in the car, Elliot couldn't hold back the emotions, the alcohol, and the frustration made everything overflow. He started to cry, and Katie had to stop the car, she held her husband, and together they cried for a long time. Dorian and Finian had been a couple since they were thirteen years old, they never fought, and it was apparent to everyone who meets them that they truly loved each other. But the news that Dorian had met his fated pair hit the beta couple so hard.

While the man and woman were crying in their car on their way through London's dark streets, Finian lay on his side and looked at his husband's profile. The tears had subsided, and now he was just completely exhausted.

He really loved that handsome face. Finian lay as close to Dorian as possible and rested his head against Dorian's shoulder. In that way, Finian McCallister fell asleep, and the worst night of his life finally came to an end.