Page 13 of High Achiever
“Ash—”
But Ash didn’t let him finish. “Ryder,” he gasped, clutching at Ryder’s arm in clear panic, his nails digging into Ryder’s skin.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m— Oh fuck.” In all their days together, Ryder had never heard him sound so freaked out. “Ryder, I’mwet.”
In an instant, everything clicked.
Holy fucking shit. How could Ryder have been so fuckingstupid?
He stood, grabbing their bags and shoving Ash into the aisle. He ignored the looks around them and the professor’s mid-lecture pause. “Campus health,” Ryder growled, leading Ash out the door. “Right now.”
4
ASH
There was a buzzing in Ash’s ears. It was a persistent, low drone, like a swarm of bees had taken residence inside his brain.
It had begun after the words “late presentation” and “omega” and “irregular heats,” and then the campus health doctor’s voice had just kind of … blended in with the buzzing.
She was still talking, and Ryder was nodding along, but Ash had no idea what she was saying. Probably something important. Ryder would tell him later.
The health team had tried to suggest Ryder leave before they broke the big news, but Ash hadn’t been having it, so here Ryder was, listening to all the nonsense Ash couldn’t stomach.
It hadn’t taken long to diagnose Ash, in the end. A quick physical, some vitals, a bit of speedy blood work, and there it was.
He was an omega.
Why hadn’t he considered that? Why hadn’t it crossed Ash’s mind for even, like, a second? He’d been having a mini heat forpractically an entire week and he hadn’t realized. How fucking ignorant did a person have to be for that to happen?
It was just … in the back of his mind, Ash had always thought alpha. Or maybe even beta. But omega?
Ash wasn’t soft or sweet or … paternal. He was …
Well, he was a prejudiced asshole, with the way his thoughts were going. Omegas weren’t just one thing—he knew that. His parents would be so disappointed right now if they could hear him.Noahwould be so disappointed. Noah’s boyfriend might have been soft and sweet, but he was also a driven academic powerhouse who’d had the courage to leave his dickish alpha first husband in the dust.
“Mr. Teller? Asher?”
Ash turned his focus from the bare spot on the wall he’d been staring at to find the doctor looking at him expectantly. He’d already forgotten her name. He kept referring to her as Doctor Doom in his head, but maybe that wasn’t fair. She was a beta, with no pheromones for Ash to scent, since apparently he could do that now. Ash guessed he couldn’t have an alpha doctor in this situation—Ash might try to mount them or something. Beg for their stupid fucking alpha knot.
Oh shit. She was still looking at him. And Ryder was looking very carefully away. Was there something wrong with Ash, something other than the slick he’d had to wipe away in the clinic bathroom? Maybe his late presentation was a sign that his organs were all dying.
Ash cleared his throat. “Yeah?”
“Did you hear my question?”
Ash shook his head. The doctor’s expression softened. Sympathy. That was nice. There was no reason it should make Ash want to kick the desk in front of him with all his strength.
“I know this is a lot, and I’m sorry it’s happening so quickly, but you probably only have an hour or two until you hit your peak. Do you want me to sign you up for heat services?”
“No,” Ash said immediately. “Fuck no.”
He almost apologized for swearing, but he bit it back. Because why thehellwould he want some random alpha fucking him through his heat? Ash didn’t give a shit how compatible the pheromones might be—he wasn’t getting knotted by virtue of a fucking sign-up sheet.
The doctor shifted in her seat. It didn’t seem to be the answer she’d wanted from him. “I understand it’s daunting.”
She didn’t. She couldn’t. She had no idea.
