EIGHT
Orin
I had my first suspicions a few weeks ago after I was forced to suspend Drax from work, and tonight only confirmed them. I should have intervened sooner, but I wanted to give him space, figuring he might open up if given time.
When I saw him hitting the beer, I kept my eye on him. Damn, why didn’t I listen to my gut and go check on him before the situation went south? I feel partially responsible for the disaster that my team are now working to fix.
“How…?” Drax blinks at me in disbelief. “H-how did you…?”
“Here.” I don’t answer the question, passing him a pack of wet wipes from my top drawer. “To clean up the blood.”
He winces, looking down at his red-streaked, trembling hands. “I l-lost control. I shouldn’t have?—”
“Are you taking medication?”
Being a late-presenting alpha is unusual and often comes with complications. Primarily, it brings a sudden influx of heightened aggression, which can make them act unpredictably. It’s similar to going through puberty only twenty times stronger.
“Yeah,” Drax admits meekly. He fumbles around in his pocket then pulls a strip of pills from his wallet. “But they don’t seem to help. Well, not for long anyway.”
I study them and frown. “These are far too weak of a dosage for an alpha of your size.” Drax is a giant and would need at least quadruple the potency. I don’t know what doctor prescribed him this junk, but they might as well have given him candy. He’s clearly had terrible guidance up until this point. “I’m surprised you didn’t kill the alpha downstairs, based on this and your strength.”
Late-presenting alphas should use medication to temper their pheromones, gradually decreasing the dosage over time as their bodies get used to the adjustment, before they can be phased off them completely. It helps make the transition easier.
“How do you know so much about this?” Drax asks while furiously scrubbing his hands with the wipes.
“I’ve seen a few late-presenting alphas during my time in the military,” I reply. “Sometimes, the training kickstarts the transition. I assume you have alphas in your family?”
He nods glumly. “Yeah, all the men in my family have been alphas. Except me.”
“Have you spoken to any of them about this?” I study him. “You’re close with your dad, right?”
“Uh…” He picks up and drains the rest of the ginger shot, unable to look at me. “Can I have some more?”
I pour him another glass. “You haven’t told your father?”
“I…” He takes another long sip then sighs. “I haven’t told anyone. Well, apart from the guy I got the pills from. He’s not exactly a doctor.”
“Drax.” I slam my hands down on the table, fury ripping through me at his sheer stupidity. Not telling his father I can understand, but risking his health by picking up medication from someone who’s unregulated? It’s utter recklessness. “This isn’t something you can keep a secret, hoping it goes away. And you know better than anyone the risks of taking unchecked drugs after all your security training!”
“I know, I know.” He hangs his head. “I just didn’t want my dad—or anyone—to know. Not until I was sure it was really happening. Dad was so disappointed when I didn’t present as an alpha, and I didn’t want to get his—or anyone else’s—hopes up.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Anyone else’s?”
“There’s a girl,” he mutters.
“An omega, I take it?”
He nods sheepishly. “That’s why I was so angry tonight. The guy was talking shit about her, and she…” He drains the rest of the shot. “It doesn’t matter.”
“You can’t let an omega cloud your judgment, Drax.” Exasperated, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What you’ve done is dangerous. You have to think of yourself and your health.”
His eyes grow wide with panic. “You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?”
“It’s not my secret to tell.” His shoulders sag in relief. “But you can’t carry on like this, especially after tonight. You could have really hurt someone, or worse.”
He groans, collapsing forward, head in hands. “I fucked up. I know that. I…” He sits up again, quickly wiping his eyes while I look away. “It’s just, when this anger takes over, I can’t control it.”
“Your feelings for this girl must have triggered your protective alpha instincts, which make us even more powerful than usual,” I explain. “You’ll get used to handling those emotions over time.”
