Lenny's innocent suggestion began to gain some relevance in his mind after so many weeks of treatment and repeated ups and downs in his health and mood. He had short periods of high energy, and then would crash again. He began to have genital pain, certain stabbing sensations, however he also didn't have time to look for another specialist. He had called to schedule a new appointment but they had told him it wasn't possible at the moment and that they would call him as soon as they had news. The specialist handling his treatment was attending various conferences, and it was impossible for him to contact her. He couldn't get any more information.

He asked if they could send him a copy of his medical history which detailed all the treatment so he could find another specialist, but they told him that due to professional confidentiality laws and other issues, they could only send it directly to the new specialist.

Leo, who didn't know how information was handled in that sense, did a search and confirmed that it was indeed a common practice among healthcare entities. His mother, on the other hand, was already on alert and Leo somewhat regretted having told her. She asked him some questions, although of all the symptoms his mom mentioned, he didn't have a single one.

Both came to the conclusion that they were side effects of the medication. His mother promised to take care of finding him a new specialist, and Leo for his part called an emergency hotline where they usually gave information about extreme situations such as cycles, ruts, morning-after medication, pheromone intoxication, etc.

The young woman who attended him clarified from the beginning that advising him without knowing the medication he was taking was very difficult. She also commented that if there was the slightest possibility that he was alpha, he should continue taking the medication until consulting with a new specialist. If, on the contrary, his subgender was 100% confirmed as beta, there was no major risk in stopping the medication. With an uncertain percentage, interrupting the treatment increased the risk of suffering pheromonal shock. She also asked if among his symptoms he had headaches, dizziness, nausea, feeling of suffocation or excessive heat, just as his mother had asked, but no, he didn't have any of those symptoms. When mentioning the genital pain, the question was automatic.

"How long has it been since you masturbated or had intercourse?"

Leo sighed somewhat annoyed, but the answer was obvious—besides, he didn't feel desire either. He had never really felt desire, except for the time he had slept with Jared. It was true that when he was near Jared those thoughts returned, and he experienced what he supposed was normal for a person who was in love. However, he had never had a high libido, something that was also one of the main indicators of the beta subgender. Thinking about it seriously, maybe his problem was much simpler than he thought.

When he got home, he went straight to the shower, cleaned himself, grabbed a towel and threw himself naked on the bed. However, he realized he wasn't aroused and the pain, or the slight stabbing, came from within. Still, he had nothing to lose by trying. He had bought gel, just in case. He took some out and slowly began to spread it over his member. He barely felt anything. He tried to return to that scene but suddenly remembered about Jared's family, how soon he would no longer be available, and began to feel too sad to imagine any kind of slightly erotic theme (content?). He decided it was better to put everything away. He tidied up what he had prepared, got dressed, and went out for a walk to clear his head. He had thought about sending a message to Lenny, with whom they had increased contact—maybe he felt like going out. The relationship with North wasn't fully defined, and he noticed that Lenny was getting less and less patient.

On the other hand, Leo had fulfilled his part and had made a kind of report for North including analysis of how the union between the young woman and North could affect and develop in the future. He had encouraged himself to talk to her, and according to what he had told him, the young woman seemed convinced, however, the issue was the parents, who insisted on the union. A bitter pill had been the moment when Jared's name had come up in the discussion, one of North's ideas being to cross the candidates and propose her to the Rickdorfs. He didn't know what Lenny had told him exactly, but the next day the idea had become history.

For the moment they continued having lunch together, although not as frequently. They were preparing for exam period and Jared had begun to be absent. Leo initially supposed it was because of meetings the family was organizing, but then found out from North that he was dealing with an important imbalance in pheromone levels as a result of a failed arranged date he had recently had.

North had explained to Leo that in Jared's case and due to his social profile, pheromone attacks were more common than one thought. Generally those who perpetrated them used amplifiers to maximize the effect, and if they were lucky they could be knotted that same night, securing their place as "daughter-in-law" of one of the country's richest families. Leo found it horrible, although he thought that as the saying goes, all's fair in love and war—though that wasn't love, it was more like a war of power and money.

Exam week had arrived and passed without major surprises. He hadn't seen Jared for about two weeks, nor had any news. The night before he had sent him a message to know if he was okay and if he had been able to take the exams. Then he found out that students like Jared or North usually had immediate access to makeup exam week, and if they still didn't make it, they were offered special dates before the semester closed so they wouldn't lose their enrollment. Leo was beginning to realize, now more than ever, what kind of reality he would face in the future.

That day he had finished early. He had tutoring classes he had coordinated with two Physics students, and he had to thank Lenny for it, who seemed to know the entire campus and upon learning that Leo wanted to give tutoring classes, helped him get his first students.

In the middle of the second class, he received a message from Jared.

"I was out of the city, I arrived a while ago. I'll call you later"

Leo read the message strangely and wondered if he was already recovered.

He finished class, arrived home, but Jared didn't call. North, instead, wrote to go out with Lenny for drinks. Since both usually frequented bars near campus, they always tried to be in groups of three or four to avoid raising suspicions. Leo hadn't gone out in a long time and thought maybe Jared could join later. He sent him a message with the location so he could join them.

"He's back already? I didn't even know he had left. I heard he was still in poor health," North exclaimed, surprised.

Lenny added:

"At that level of power, half of what they tell you is a lie."

Leo shook his head.

"Jared isn't like that."

Lenny looked at him almost with pity and poured him another shot that Leo hurried to empty.

"Believe me when I tell you I know his type very well. He may not be like that yet, but by the time he's finished university, gotten married, and assumed his role, he'll become a replica of the rest. And from what I heard, his father is a real gem. If he's even 50% like his father, you'll wish you'd never met him."

Leo felt a shiver run through his body and signaled for him to pour another drink.

"Don't they have salvation?" Leo asked quietly.

Before Lenny could respond, his phone captured all his attention. Somewhat dizzy, he answered automatically.

"Where are you?" It was Jared, his voice almost a whisper. The noise of the bar interfered with the call.

Leo went outside to hear better.

"I sent you a message, did you read it?" Leo responded. He had trouble walking straight.

When he spoke again, part of his being shuddered. He recognized that tone, rough and honeyed.

"Leo, I can't read well, my head hurts so much. I need you..."

"Should I bring you some medicine?"

"I don't need that," he paused, Leo could hear his heavy breathing. "Are you far away? Should I come get you?"

Alarm bells went off throughout his body, and his mind cleared from the fog of alcohol.

"Wait, I'm coming. Don't go out, Jad, please."

"Okay, I'll wait but hurry up, I feel like I'm going crazy." He heard his gasps over the phone and all the hair on his neck stood on end.

Part of himself told him not to go, although his mind had already discarded the idea of resisting, especially when he spoke to him like that.

He sent a message to the guys that an emergency had come up and he was leaving.

He arrived very quickly. For a few milliseconds he thought about going to a pharmacy to buy an inhibitor, but an ultra-dominant alpha needed prescription ones. With determined steps he entered the building, went up in the elevator with his heart pounding in his chest, feeling sweat on his hands from nerves. When he reached the door, he was going to enter the code, but the door opened at that same instant. 

There was Jared, wearing only briefs that displayed a powerful erection. The forest scent was intense, even more than the previous time.

He felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him to his strong, hot chest. All his skin was burning, and the aroma filled his senses, drowning him. He had to open his mouth to breathe deeply. Jared brought his lips to bite that ear, making Leo shudder, who pushed him inside to close the door.

Jared's voice enveloped him again. Everything about him was hypnotizing.

"I was going to come look for you, but then I sensed you," he whispered in his ear, while Leo laughed quietly, nervously asking.

"How were you going out wearing only your underwear?" He had to make an effort to finish the sentence.

He felt his burning lips on his neck, the little common sense he had left was disappearing quickly.

He felt the hardness of Jared's member pressing against his stomach through the thin fabric. It was wet.

"I had to find you..." Jared whispered to him, while completely covering him with his body, pressing him against the door. "I had to see you again."

Leo's blood froze, thinking that Jared in rut remembered him. When he separated him slightly, his eyes were completely eclipsed, darkened, looking at him full of desire. His lips tried to kiss him again, without forcing, his attitude was different from the first time. While caressing his groin and fighting against the rain of desires that ran through his being, he whispered:

"Jad, who got you like this?"

"You," Jared responded without hesitation.

Upon hearing the unexpected response, Leo felt his legs trembling while Jared's hands began to remove his clothes, quickly.

Jared buried his face in his neck, licking him like someone savoring ice cream, nibbling his skin until reaching his earlobe. The heat of his breath penetrated his skin and ran through him entirely.

"Here or in bed?" He asked with a tone of voice that denoted urgency, while pulling down his briefs and freeing that part, burning and wet. At the same time those long fingers slipped into his underwear, making their way to the inside of his buttocks.

Leo let out a moan while choosing the bed. Jared lifted him easily with his left arm while his fingers played inside him. Leo got lost in deep kisses, in that tongue that explored every corner of his mouth and sucked his tongue. He heard his own gasps and moans feeling Jared's caresses. A delicious tingling sensation made him ask for more.

Jared's voice loaded with desire said:

"I've been dreaming about this moment since last time."

Leo closed his eyes, feeling the imminent climax, he bit his lip at the violent shuddering of both of them.

Leo thought he would lose his mind from the pleasure he felt—this couldn't be human. His body was soaked. Jared sat up to kiss his mouth while licking his lips like a wild beast that had just had its best feast. Leo hugged him by the neck and pressed his body to his, seeking contact.

Jared desperately sought his lips.

Something began to grow inside him.

An alarm resonated within him, the waves of pleasure diminished while an uncomfortable sensation made its way inside his body.

"No, no, no," Leo thought. He knew what that was, even in his state of absolute perdition, he knew what it meant. His entire mind reminded him. No, that couldn't happen. He tried to break free uselessly.

Jared looked at him with his dark eyes and smiled, began to lick his neck while Leo moved uselessly beneath his body.

The honeyed and rough voice in his ear took away his fear for a few seconds.

"It is almost ...there"

Desperately Leo grabbed Jared's arm to bite him despite not having strength.

At that moment the blonde took his arm away effortlessly and with eyes full of desire whispered:

"If you want to bite me, do it here, on the jugular." Leo thought he would kill him if he did that at that moment, but the pain was so unbearable that without hesitation he bit him violently on the neck, tearing the skin. He felt blood on his lips and at that instant Jared trembled, grabbed his hair forcefully urging him to bite again. Leo sank his teeth in.

Jared looked at him, approached, licked his face.

"It's over..." He kept kissing his entire face, his hot tongue comforted him.

He no longer felt his body, he was sunk in a circle of desire, where pleasure and pain shook him equally. He dug his hands into the blonde's skin moaning his name, wanting to wake up from that torture and at the same time not wanting it to ever end.

Jared covered him with kisses, licked every corner of his body while repeating over and over that he was his.