Chapter 51
REED
The morning of the full moon arrived with an eerie quiet. I woke up drenched in sweat, my sheets tangled around my legs, my cock painfully hard and aching. The rut was here, not full force yet but close. So fucking close I could feel it building in my system like a storm was about to break.
I stumbled to the bathroom and stared at my reflection. My pupils were blown wide, my skin was flushed and there was something feral in my eyes that I barely recognized. This was what I’d become, a predator preparing to hunt.
I took a cold shower but it did nothing. The water ran over my overheated skin and I could still feel the need building. The urge to find Asher, to track him down and to claim him.
Today was going to be torture because I had to get through classes. I had to pretend I was in control, and I had to act normal while my body was screaming at me to abandon everything and go find what was mine.
I saw Asher in the cafeteria at breakfast.
He too wasn’t looking okay, he looked wrecked. There were dark circles under his eyes, pale skin and there was a tremor in his hands as he picked at his food.
He was barely eating, just pushing eggs around his plate while Julian talked to him. I sat across the room with Callum and my crew but my eyes never left Asher.
I couldn’t look away because my body wouldn’t let me.
“Reed, you’re staring,” Callum said quietly.
“I know.” I answered sharply. Not caring if my voice was harsh or not.
“You need to get control of yourself before tonight p>
“I can’t.” The admission felt like a failure. “I’ve tried. I can’t stop thinking about him, I can’t stop watching him and I can’t stop—” I stopped, my jaw clenched tightly.
Callum followed my gaze to where Asher was sitting. “He looks sick p>
“He’s experiencing something strange and I know it is but he keeps denying it.” The words came out rough. ” and I can smell it from here. His scent is getting stronger, sweeter and it’s making me—” I stopped before I said something I couldn’t take back because right now, his scent was making me want to walk over there, throw him over my shoulder, carry him somewhere private, and claim him right fucking now.
“Somethjnh strange? What could that be?” Callum asked, curiosity piqued in his voice.
“I don’t know yet, although my senses and my mind are telling me it is what I am expecting but his face makes me want to punch myself for doubting him. It’s insane but whatever that scent is, it’s triggering my rut.” I told them. There was a long pause before Callum spoke up.
“Reed, I don’t know what the heck you are saying means but the most important thing is that you need to lock yourself down tonight,” Callum said. “Before the full moon rises and before you lose control completely p>
“I know that too well but heck I can’t just lock myself away somewhere. This is a mandatory run and no student has ever missed it because of rut. Missing it’s like failing, and proving to the world that you are weak p>
“Damn it, Reed. This is not about being weak or failing, this is about someone’s life in danger. You know how rut is. You know how uncontrollable one can be during a rut and now with the full moon intensifying everything, how do you think he will survive it? He is already plain and weak. He won’t even last the second round. What next? Are you going to fuck him in his unconscious state?” Callum asked and I shook my head.
“Of course not, I am not a monster p>
“You are not, but you in your rut under the full moon can be worse than a monster. So, you need to do something, find out a way or solution and act on it now p>
“I know p>
But even as I said it, I knew it was a lie because when the full moon rose and Asher’s heat peaked or whatever was happening to him, I wasn’t going to lock myself down. I was going to hunt.
I followed Asher through the entire day, not obviously because I had kept my distance and stayed far enough back that he wouldn’t notice but I tracked his every movement.
I watched him stumble through his classes, I watched him clutch his stomach in pain when he thought no one was looking. I watched him lean against walls and take shuddering breaths like he was fighting to stay upright.
Whatever was wrong with him was hitting him hard, and my rut was responding.
By third period, the pain started, not unbearable yet but there. A dull ache that radiated through my entire body. My muscles felt too tight, my skin felt too hot and my cock was hard constantly, throbbing with need that wouldn’t be satisfied until I had Asher.
I sat in the back of Biology and watched him three rows ahead. He was sweating through his shirt. His scent was so strong now that every Alpha in the room kept glancing his way with confusion. They could smell something but they couldn’t identify it.
everyone would know.
By full moon, I would know if what I am suspecting was true and if it’s true that Asher was an omega or not, and everyone would smell that Asher Graham was an Omega in heat., that’s if he was and I would kill anyone who tried to touch him.
The thought should have shocked me, it should have made me question what the fuck was wrong with me but instead, it felt right.
Asher was mine. My body had decided and I would destroy anyone who tried to take him from me.
Even if he was an Alpha pretending to be something else. Even if the scent was wrong. Even if claiming him broke every law about Alpha bonds, about Alphas mating each other. I don’t fucking care sny more because I would be damned to hell before I let anyone else have him.
Lunch was torture because Asher sat with Julian and Scott. He was barely participating in the conversation. Just staring at his untouched food with a blank expression. I sat across the cafeteria and watched.
My mouth was watering, my hands were clenched so tight that my knuckles were white and the urge to walk over there and take him was overwhelming.
Callum kicked me under the table. “Csn you stop please, please and please.” He pleaded.
“I can’t, I am trying to but I can’t.” I said honestly.
“You look like you’re about to attack him in the middle of the cafeteria p>
“Maybe I am, Cal. For the first time in my life I ever wanted something so bad, I can’t resist it p>
“Reed p>
“Whatever he is,” I interrupted, my voice low and rough, “whatever secret he’s hiding, it ends tonight. When the full moon rises and it all fails completely, I’m going to find out the truth p>
“And then what p>
“And then I’m going to claim him.” I looked at Marcus. “Omega or Alpha or something in between. My body wants him and I’m not letting him go p>
Marcus stared at me. “You realize that if he’s an Alpha, claiming him is illegal. Alphas aren’t meant to mark each other. The bond could kill one or both of you p>
“I don’t care p>
“Reed p>
“I. Don’t. Care.” Each word came out harder than the last. “If anything or anyone tries to take him from me, I’ll destroy them. Laws. Biology. Logic. None of it matters anymore p>
Callum looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
Maybe I had, maybe everything was insane to me right now, but one thing I know is that, I will have Asher and that’s final.