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Brett nodded and pointed to a door. “If you want to change, I’ve got a private bathroom.”
“Naturally,” Avery sighed. Brett’s parents got him the best of everything… even one of the few dorm rooms with a private bathroom. He grasped the sweatpants and walked across the room.
Inside, he had a moment to breathe. Alone. He leaned against the door and eyed the small bathroom before getting busy. After kicking off his wet pants and underwear, he used a clean washcloth to wash the slick from his body. Once done, he pulled on the soft, warm pants and tied the ties as tightly as he could to keep them on his smaller frame.
Before he could barely get out of the bathroom, more questions came.
“How did you manage to hide this long?”
“I take drugs.” Avery eyed Brett.“Illegaldrugs.”
Brett whistled. “And here I’ve thought you were so perfect. Always following the rules.”
“Because of this, Ihadto follow the rules. I had to stay under the radar and do what everyone expected so I wouldn’t be found out.”
“What are these drugs?”
Avery wasn’t sure how much to share. “First, I found a dealer in the OQ. He sold me a shot that masks my scent, so alphas don’t realize what I am. Later, someone else informed me of a stronger pill thanHeat Repressthat kept my heats from being anywhere near as strong. So I’ve been taking that, too.” He wasn’t about to share that it had been one of their professors—a pro-omega-rights alpha who had found him in the midst of covering a heat in class and demanded Avery go onHeatexif he was going to continue his ruse.
Actually, it had happened the same day he’d first met Brett.
“Are they safe?”
Safety had been the least of his concerns. Perhaps he should’ve focused on it more. Although both drugs were used in other provinces without issue—or so he’d been told—he’d been more focused on what those drugs provided him. The Western Provinces, where the drugs were legal, had developedScentexandHeatexdecades before, and it had spread to most of the others. Omegas there had rights that the eastern block of provinces did not.
If only he’d been born somewhere else. Free. Then he wouldn’t have been forced into the situation he was in.
“They’ve worked fine for the last few years… but in the last couple of months, things have been going wrong. Like today. Suddenly they’re not working as well as they used to.”
“Maybe you need to stop taking them.”
“I can’t stop. Not now… not when I’m so close to getting everything I want. Brett, I’ve worked so hard to get here. Four years of hard work.”
Avery’s mind drifted to that night over four years before… to when his life had changed forever.
“You know what happens if you’re caught.”
“I’m well aware,” Avery replied sternly. “I don’t need you reminding me of it.I get enough of that at home.”
Brett chuckled, shaking his head. “Touché.”
He met Brett’s stare and held it a moment. There was an intimacy in sharing his secret. He trusted Brett… but there was still a bit of danger in bringing the man into the fold.
“I want to help,” Brett offered.
“There’s nothing you can really do. Outside what you did today. Thank you for that.” He tugged on the pants. “I’ll get these and the sweatshirt cleaned and brought back to you.”
“I couldn’t care less about the clothes,” Brett replied. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. Do you want me to escort you home?”
“I can handle myself,” Avery replied—just as a pearl of slick escaped him. If he didn’t hurry and get back to the OQ, he could be in danger of an alpha finding him.
Would theScentexkeep his secret? He wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Maybe I could use help?” he whispered, scared for the first time since starting the meds.
Brett nodded. “Of course. Let’s go.”
5
