If someone had told Leo how his life would change in the span of two university semesters, he would have laughed in their face.

Leo had always been a faithful defender of the idea that one shaped their own future. He believed almost obsessively in the culture of effort because in his case it had always worked, and despite some few variables in his life—one of them being an ultra-dominant alpha he had been in love with his entire short existence—he expected few surprising changes, or to be exact, almost none.

He was an extremely rational person, lived and breathed structure. He had his priorities defined since that moment when they had left the town of 5,000 people where he had grown up with his parents.

He hadn't had a hard childhood, but he didn't know luxuries either, and from a very young age he had been an "achiever," a kid "with talent." When his father passed away from a fairly common illness, his mother decided it was time to show her son the world, and with the savings they had, they moved to the big city. Getting into the elite institute hadn't been a problem—he had also been lucky in that sense, since one of the town elders had worked in his youth as a professor at that institute and recommended him.

Leo was a brilliant kid, one of those rarely found. The change to the big city had been bearable and the new institute had been Leo's first great love—it was vast terrain to explore. And since then, he had traced a path in his head, analyzing each year how his own progress was going. The new environment also helped him meet different profiles of people.

As responsible as he was, he was the least sociable person that existed. He was kind, and even servile, if it served his purposes, and had known how to recognize from the beginning with whom and for whom. And precisely because of that, he earned several unpleasant nicknames from his classmates.

The only variable he had never been able to control was Jared. All the logic, moderate temperament, calm attitude that characterized him disappeared when it came to Jared, who despite having a predictable behavioral pattern for Leo still turned out to be unstable. And everything unstable needed to be stabilized, only Jared didn't work that way.

Maybe that's why he had been the only one capable of controlling him during high school. And the time invested in deciphering some kind of scheme that would explain Jared's behavior had served him well.

However, currently, he himself was no longer stable, didn't fit his own behavioral pattern, and couldn't prevent his own actions. University had been a before and after in his life.

For the first time he had a close friendship bond like Lenny, and he realized this person played a role similar to the one he himself had played in high school. It was one of the few rewards, or perhaps the only one that his recently premiered university life had granted him. Everything else was a disaster. And he was no longer so sure if the culture of effort still worked in the adult world.

The big break had been realizing that in this new stage of his life, he had reached the conclusion that he had become an emotionally volatile person.

The phone alarm pulled him from sleep. No, he wasn't in his bed—he was in the doctor's office waiting room, waiting to have his blood drawn. Lately he had been sleeping quite badly. The night before he had dreamed of a pine forest where peach trees grew. It was something very strange—in the air you could smell the scent of ripe fruit, so typical of summer, however the place where he found himself was a forest, thick, wide, of pines. He wondered if somewhere in the world such a place existed. He could breathe much peace.

Someone called him to go into the lab. The nurse, a young man with a sweet smile, guided him inside and drew his blood. Seeing him so tired, he offered him candy.

Leo looked at him surprised.

"The long study nights of university time are what I miss least," he commented, amused.

Leo smiled at his comment.

If only that were his problem, but it wasn't. Lately he was sleepy 24 hours a day but had great difficulty falling asleep when he went to bed at night. He had even asked his mother about that kind of very particular "insomnia" and she had recommended he start taking a vitamin supplement.

"Are you eating well?"

"The problem is I'm so busy I don't even have time to eat. I forget."

It was a half-truth—the problem was he had no appetite and didn't even remember to eat. He had never been a person who had problems eating, he could eat absolutely everything, and baked chicken with potatoes was still his favorite dish, but lately all food disgusted him.

"You should get blood work done to see if your levels are okay."

"You're right." he replied to his mom.

"...it's unusual for you to agree with me on something. Want to come by  and I'll make your favorite food? It's been a while since we've seen each other."

Leo responded quietly:

"Next week. I'll let you know. This week is complicated. Oh, Friday I have an appointment with another specialist. This is the second one. Next week I'll tell you properly, I hope to have news by then. I had to stop the other medication in the end."

"Leo, you can also tell me things before they happen and we can solve them together, right?"

"I know, but I don't want you to worry unnecessarily, that's all."

His mother laughed and lovingly responded:

"That in your language means you don't want me to worry because otherwise I become a pain, right?"

Leo laughed at his mother's response.

"Maybe. I'll text you Friday after the appointment."

After hanging up, he looked at the time—he had finished earlier than expected. He stopped by the café near the university. The next class started in about an hour, and he didn't feel like entering campus yet.

The place was practically empty, they were playing pleasant music and the aromas were nice, so he decided to go in. He looked at the menu list and his eyes fixed on the strawberry frappuccino that Jared liked.

He ordered an iced coffee and sat in a corner. He took out his phone and wrote in the group chat:

<I'm at the corner café, lessons begin later today>

<Jared, they have that disgusting strawberry thing you like>

North responded with an emoji as usual.

Jared responded out of nowhere:

<Order me one>

Leo went to the counter to order the drink. He was talking to the employee when he felt a familiar arm on his shoulders—he couldn't help smiling.

"Do you still drink that?"

Jared looked at him mischievously.

"Some tastes never change."

Leo rolled his eyes and returned to his seat.

Jared waited for them to give him the drink and sat down with a wide smile. Leo realized it had been a long time since they had spent time alone.

"It's extremely sweet, doesn't go with your ultra-dominant alpha character," Leo remarked with a malicious expression.

Jared looked at him, laughing amused.

"It wouldn't hurt to have something sweet—you've been too bitter lately."

"Not everyone can live partying, Jared."

The blonde looked at him and became serious.

"I don't live partying. Lately the 'parties' as you call them are costing me a bit."

Leo smiled at him.

"North told me something about an island. Is it true they had you incommunicado?"

Jared nodded.

"They're worried."

Leo looked at him questioningly.

"Don't ask me, I have no idea why."

Leo gave him an incredulous look.

"You didn't talk to your parents?"

Jared looked at him incredulously and then smiled, only there wasn't a hint of joy or mockery in that smile.

"Clearly you don't know my father." He took a sip of his drink and his eyes lit up again. "Mmm, it's delicious."

Leo noticed at that moment that the scar Jared had on his neck was barely visible—a kind of linear cut remained where he was supposed to have gotten stitches. Leo found that strange. He didn't remember it being such a clean cut. Jared noticed his gaze.

"Um, the scar? They had to make a small incision to reconstruct some of the tissue."

Leo tried to hide it, but that made no sense.

"Didn't you say someone had taken a chunk of skin...?"

"Exactly... and part of the tissue..." he took another sip, "but I didn't turn into a vampire."

Leo laughed remembering the silly joke they had made last time.

"How's the search for the future heir wife going?"

Jared became serious—you could tell it wasn't a topic he wanted to discuss. Leo, on the other hand, needed to come to terms with it.

"Not very well, from what I heard, though this week they were talking to the daughter of a foreign politician."

Leo felt a knot in his throat.

"As a last resort I'll find myself a beta... like North. There'll be several looking for sponsors, he won't be the only one."

Leo's expression transformed instantly.

"You're talking about a friend of mine. Watch what you say."

"Oh Leo, please, sometimes you go too far with the moralist thing... I think I never told you but sometimes your 'principles' border on stupidity."

Leo felt a familiar stab in his chest, but it wasn't pain—it was rage. And thinking about the rut, he nodded and said:

"You know what, Jared Rickdorf? On this one I'm going to give it to you—yes, I'm a great idiot. I'm not immune to feelings. But tell me something, Jared, if you could choose: Would you like to be immune to pheromones or feelings?"

Leo noticed Jared's gaze had darkened.

"Immune to feelings? Are you serious, Leo? Do you like that idiot?"

Leo looked at him without understanding.

"Jared, I don't know what you're talking about right now. What I'm telling you is that indeed feelings made me commit stupidities. And regarding Lenny, he doesn't need sponsors."

Jared clicked his tongue.

"This is exactly what I mean, Leo. Can you be stupid enough to believe that someone like Lenny gets into a university of this level without a sponsor?"

"I don't have a sponsor."

"Leo, you have an IQ of 1500, your house must be wallpapered with certificates of I don't know how many things, please..."

Leo choked on his coffee from the laughter that hit him.

"1500?!"

He couldn't stop. Jared looked at him confused. He wiped the tears from his eyes and became serious again, looking at him with a smile on his face. Jared had the ability to insult and praise you all together in the same sentence.

Jared observed him for what seemed like a long time. For a second Jared's eyes darkened slightly, and Leo held his breath, nervous. Jared blinked a few seconds and added:

"Leo, that guy wants to position himself in a powerful family. I don't know who the sponsor is, but it must be someone with a lot of influence."

Leo looked at him incredulously.

"I don't think he needs anyone, but if he really needs it, then don't you think we should ask ourselves what's failing in the system?"

"Don't come at me with your socialist shit, that guy's a delinquent..."

Leo took a deep breath before responding.

"I don't understand why you dislike him so much."

Jared laughed, though his gaze contradicted his mouth's gesture.

"And I can't understand how he became your protégé and North's boyfriend overnight."

Jared continued, his eyes shining—he was irritated.

"I can understand it from North, he's very basic, but I thought you had better judgment. Maybe it's like you say, feelings cancel out the only good thing you have, which is your intelligence."

Leo looked at him, resigned, and added:

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm still friends with you."

Jared looked at him, annoyed.

"What do you want me to say? Are you going to deny it?"

"Jared, I have more good things besides my intelligence..."

"I already know that..." he added quietly.

Leo looked at him confused.

"This conversation makes no sense. I don't know why you dislike Lenny so much. What did he do to you, Jared?"

"He gives me bad vibes."

Leo rolled his eyes.

"Says the person who goes from party to party and doesn't even know who he spends his rut with. Don't you want to know who it is?"

"No, I'm not interested anymore."

Leo felt a knot in his throat. That hurt him.

"And what happens if you knotted that person?"

Jared shook his head.

"I haven't knotted anyone, Leo—otherwise I would know. It's an intimate bond that you only make with a special person, not with someone you run into drunk on pheromones."

Leo looked at him incredulously. He had to make an enormous effort so the trembling wouldn't reflect in his voice:

"How can you be so sure?"

Jared smiled at him like someone who knows they own absolute truth.

"Leo, I didn't knot anyone, I'm not going to have children, and I don't want to have children either. Okay?"

The dark-haired boy observed him in silence. He couldn't tell him he had been wrong in the first statement.

And soon he would find out he had also been wrong in the second.