Jiggs' POV

  I was sprinting back to the open field, my breath coming in ragged gasps from the rush.

  I had no idea what was happening to Champ inside that bathroom, but the sounds coming from him weren't exactly reassuring. He was groaning—pained, desperate. And that was enough to send me into full-blown panic mode.

  This was the first time I'd ever heard him like that. Like he was in actual, physical agony.

  Wait.

  Could he be sick? Is that why he was so frantic about his bag? Maybe his meds were in there!

  That had to be it!

  Wait, wait...

  Now that I think about it, Deux asked me earlier if I knew about Champ's "condition."

  Condition? What condition?

  Was this what he meant?

  But... how would Deux even know? And why wouldn't Champ tell me? I'm his best friend! Shouldn't I be the first to know if something was wrong with him?

  Then again... he is an Alpha. And Alphas don't exactly like admitting weakness, do they?

  But why does Deux know?

  And why did he seem so anxious to find Champ earlier?

  Hmm...

  Something is definitely not right.

  Are those two hiding something from me?

  Is this the moment Jiggs finally puts on his detective hat and gets to the bottom of this mystery?

  Heh.

  Okay, no time for that now—I needed to get that bag to Champ immediately!

  —

  By the time I reached the open field, it was empty. No people. Just Champ's bag, lying there on the ground, completely overturned.

  I rushed over and grabbed it, but as I did, the contents spilled out onto the grass.

  Crap.

  I hastily started stuffing everything back in when—

  "Huh? What's this?"

  Among the scattered items, my fingers brushed against a small package. A medicine packet. And inside... a syringe?

  Frowning, I picked it up and squinted at the bel.

  SupprOmega...?

  My eyes narrowed.

  Then, widened.

  Wait.

  Hold on.

  Isn't this... isn't this a suppressant?

  Why the hell did Champ have this?

  I stopped breathing for a second, my brain rapidly piecing everything together.

  Champ, desperate for his bag.

  Champ, in pain.

  Champ, groaning like he was suffering through something intense.

  Oh.

  Oh, holy sh—

  No.

  No way.

  This couldn't mean—?

  My hands trembled as I stared at the suppressant in my palm, my mind screaming at me to deny what I was clearly realizing.

  Champ is...

  An Omega?!

  HUH???

  But—but how?

  A male Omega?!

  What the actual F—

  Wait.

  If he needed this now...

  And if suppressants were used for only one thing...

  Oh, sh*t.

  He was in heat!

  I barely had time to process this revetion before—

  "Over here! I can smell it!"

  A deep voice rang out, and my blood ran cold.

  I turned.

  A group of men were rushing toward the field, their expressions wild.

  Alphas.

  And they had caught the scent.

  Oh.

  Oh, this was bad.

  "Sh*t—!" I swore, clutching the bag tighter. I need to get this to Champ before it's too te!

  Without another thought, I bolted back towards the bathroom, running faster than I ever had in my entire life.

  Champ, hang in there!

  I don't know how much time I had.

  I don't know how far gone he was.

  But one thing was certain—

  If I don't get to him soon, things are about to get a whole lot worse.

  ...

  As I neared the bathroom where Champ was holed up, I noticed more and more Alphas lingering around, their heads snapping in every direction, their movements erratic.

  They can smell it.

  They can smell him.

  Sh*t.

  This isn't normal.

  I've seen Omegas go into heat before, but this? This was different.

  This was worse.

  The Alphas weren't just attracted to the scent—they were losing it.

  It was like they were feral, driven purely by instinct, barely holding onto their sanity.

  Was it because Champ was a male Omega? Did his scent have a different effect compared to a female's?

  Ack! No time to think about that!

  I pushed my legs faster, sprinting toward the bathroom as if my life depended on it.

  —

  "Champ! Are you still in there? It's me—Jiggs!" I called out, pounding on the door.

  A weak, trembling voice answered, "Y-yeah... I'm here..."

  Sh*t. He sounded awful.

  "Open the door! I've got your bag! Hurry!"

  Click!

  The door cracked open just enough for me to shove his bag through.

  "Got it?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

  "Y-yeah..."

  The moment I felt the bag leave my grip, I smmed the door shut again, locking eyes with the growing crowd of restless Alphas around us.

  I swallowed hard.

  This is bad.

  Please...

  Please let him be able to treat himself in time.

  I stayed put, standing guard like my life depended on it. I was on high alert, my body tense, ready to throw hands if any of these Alphas dared get closer.

  I didn't know what I could actually do against a bunch of feral Alphas, but hey—blind optimism has gotten me this far.

  Still, my mind raced.

  I needed to learn more about Omega males like Champ. If they were different, if their scent had a stronger pull on

  Alphas... then I needed to understand why.

  One thing was clear, though—I wouldn't tell him I know about his secret.

  Not yet.

  I'd let him come to me when he is ready.

  For now, all I could do is support him. Be there for him.

  Like I always said—

  "I got your back, Champ. Always."

  ...

  ...

  ...

  Deux's POV

  The scent in the air was intoxicating—powerful, overwhelming, and completely taking over my senses.

  I wasn't the only one affected.

  Every Alpha in the vicinity was moving frantically, searching, drawn in by the unmistakable pull of an Omega in heat.

  But this one...

  This one was different.

  It didn't smell like any other Omega I'd encountered before.

  It was richer, deeper, almost otherworldly.

  And I—who had never once lost control—felt my mind slipping.

  I had to find the source.

  I had to cim this Omega.

  The scent grew stronger as I advanced, each step bringing me closer. My instincts screamed at me to run, to take what is mine before any other Alpha could.

  And then—

  I saw him.

  Jiggs.

  Standing rigid in front of a bathroom door.

  His stance was defensive, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if expecting an attack.

  But he wasn't just standing there by coincidence.

  The scent—that scent—was strongest right behind that door.

  I quickened my pace.

  As soon as Jiggs caught sight of me, his eyes went wide, his body stiffening. He immediately stepped back, pressing himself against the door.

  "Ma-Master Deux!" He stammered, his voice unusually high. "W-What are you doing here?"

  I ignored him, inhaling deeply again, my instincts surging.

  Jiggs was guarding the door.

  And I knew—I knew—that behind it was the Omega releasing this unbearable, mind-numbing scent.

  I couldn't think. Couldn't focus.

  All that mattered was getting inside.

  I stepped forward, ready to shove Jiggs aside—

  And then—

  The scent vanished.

  Like a switch being flipped, the maddening pull was gone.

  My mind cleared. My senses stabilized.

  I blinked.

  It was as if I had snapped out of a trance.

  And in its pce, a familiar scent repced it—soft, calming, one I recognized immediately.

  Lavender.

  Champ's scent.

  The same scent I'd always known.

  My eyes narrowed as I turned back to Jiggs.

  "Who are you hiding in there?" I demanded.

  Jiggs visibly tensed. "N-No one!"

  I inhaled again, this time with crity.

  The vender scent was coming from inside the bathroom.

  "Champ is in there, isn't he?" I asked.

  Jiggs' eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "H-How did you know?!"

  I scoffed. "Because wherever he is, you're never far behind. And the way you're blocking that door? Suspicious."

  Jiggs filed, looking for an excuse. "B-Because... Because..." He swallowed. "Champ... is having explosive diarrhea!"

  I stared.

  Jiggs nodded frantically. "Yep! Massive stomach problems. It stinks. Really bad. Like, so bad that you'd want to run away, I swear! He told me not to let anyone in! He wants the bathroom all to himself—his territory! You know how Alphas are about their space!"

  I squinted.

  His voice was too high. His face too panicked.

  I wanted to call him out. To push past him.

  But...

  What if Jiggs was telling the truth?

  Did I really want to waste my energy fighting my way into a bathroom—only to be greeted by the foulest stench known to man?

  The mental image alone made me grimace.

  Jiggs must've sensed my hesitation because he doubled down. "What, are you really that obsessed with Champ that you'd break down a door while he's suffering on the toilet? Are you that kind of Alpha? Taking advantage while he's vulnerable?"

  I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

  "Tch. You know me—I fight fair." I turned away. "I'm not wasting my energy on this nonsense."

  Without another word, I walked off, ignoring Jiggs' exaggerated sigh of relief behind me.

  And yet...

  As I put distance between myself and that bathroom, I kept inhaling, trying to catch even the faintest trace of that scent again.

  But it was gone.

  Vanished, like it had never existed in the first pce.

  What the hell was it?

  And why was it so different?

  I had too many questions and not enough answers.

  But I knew one thing for certain—

  I needed to find out more about Omega that are in heat.

  And if there is anyone who can give me the answers I sought, there is only one person to go to.

  Dr. Henry.

  He would know.

  ...

  ...

  ...