“That’s not true.”
“We both know it’s true.” Eric smiled bitterly, studying the doctor. Judging by the fact that the man was head of a department at such a prestigious, high-profile clinic, he was probably very well off at the very least. He certainly gave off the air of a confident, self-possessed alpha who knew his worth. In a capitalist country like Kadar, the financial situation of an alpha was the primary thing that dictated their place in society, so it was probably safe to say that Dr. Hugh Randall belonged to the upper class of Kadarian society.
“Let’s pretend for a moment that I’m not your patient. Be honest with me: would you marry a ruined omega like me? Would your family approve?”
Dr. Randall’s eyebrows drew together.
“You’re a kid,” he said at last. “Even if I intended to get mated—and I don’t—I would never mate such a young omega.”
It piqued Eric’s curiosity. Alphas rarely were so against mating. But it wasn’t his place to ask.
Eric shook his head. “Our age difference isn’t that bad by Pelugian standards—”
“We are not in Pelugia. Things are different here. I’m thirty-three. I could have been your father, kid.”
Eric opened his mouth but closed it. Such an age difference didn’t seem big to him. It was a cultural thing, he supposed. Back home, no one raised eyebrows if young omegas mated alphas twice their age, or even older than that. After all, their species lived up to one hundred and forty years, and alphas remained virile for most of them; a fifteen-year age difference seemed like nothing in comparison.
But he couldn’t expect the same cultural norms in a different country. It was no different from alphas in Kadar being allowed to have several spouses; Eric might think it was weird, but he understood that it was just a cultural difference between Pelugia and Kadar.
“That’s beside the point. You’re avoiding the question, doctor. You know I’m right.”
Dr. Randall’s expression became rather pinched. “An alpha who cares more about their family’s opinion than you wouldn’t be worth your time in any case, so I will not accept the scandal as a viable reason for you taking those drugs and risking your long-term health. Don’t get me wrong: it’s your body and you can choose to do whatever you want with it, but I strongly advise against using a solution that you might come to regret in a few years when you meet someone and want to build a family with them. You’re not thinking rationally right now. The scandal might seem like the end of the world now, but it’ll blow over. It will. Don’t ruin your health with one reckless decision made under duress.”
Eric sighed. He did see the doctor’s point, even if he didn’t believe that the scandal would ever be forgotten. “Fine. What is the other option?”
“The other traditional option is the obvious one,” Dr. Randall said, his jaw clenching for a moment. “A mating to a compatible alpha. A mating bond will fix the hormonal imbalance in your body.”
Eric’s lips twisted. “No, that’s definitely not an option.”
“I can’t say I disagree with you.”
Eric blinked. He had expected the doctor to dismiss his words and tell him he was being unreasonable, not to agree with him. “Really?”
Dr. Randall leaned back in his chair, clasping his long fingers on the desk. Eric tried not to look at them. Every time he did, he found himself squirming, hyperaware that those fingers had been inside him, filling him up, moving in—
Right.
Swallowing, he lifted his gaze back to the doctor’s eyes.
“I don’t think a forced mating to a stranger for the sake of satisfying your biological instincts is a good solution,” Dr. Randall said. There was something hard in his voice, and Eric wondered if there was a story there. The subject clearly was something Dr. Randall felt strongly about.
“Exactly,” Eric said. “Even if alphas were lining up to mate me, I don’t think I could—I don’t think I can trust any alpha right now—trust them enough for the mating bite to take.”
There was a long silence. Eric looked down at the desk, unable to meet the alpha’s eyes. Eric could feel his gaze, heavy and assessing.
“I understand,” the older man said at last, his tone not unkind.
Smiling humorlessly, Eric shrugged. “I guess we’re out of viable options, then. It’s—it’s okay. If my condition isn’t life-threatening, I can handle it. It’s not completely unbearable.” Strictly speaking, it wasn’t true. He had thought he might die during his last heat. It had been that bad. It had scared him enough to book this appointment.
“Your hormones indicate that you’re not being honest,” Dr. Randall said.
Eric winced. “Look, Dr. Randall—”
“You may call me Hugh.”
“Hugh,” Eric said, more softly. “I’m not sure what you expect me to say. If there are no more options, all I can do is suck it up, right?”