"Okay class, your final this year will be on May 12th. I want everyone to be there. No exceptions."

  The professor had told the classroom on the first day of school back in January. He had meant it; several moths had gone by, and the finals were but a week away. The only problem Talon had when he had put this final his calendar was that his rut wasn't clockwork. It showed up whenever his body felt ready. They could be every month to once every six months. But he did have a knack for knowing when it was coming a few days beforehand, or on a worse occasion, a few hours beforehand.

  On early Friday morning, he had taken a shower before going to class. He washed his body, making sure he didn't smell overwhelmingly like an Alpha. He could feel his knot at the base of his dick was sore, despite not getting any action in quite some time. That was usually an indicator that his rut would come about soon. He would probably find himself accidentally stalking and following around Omegas, trying to get a whiff of their scent.

  He was dreadfully bad at being an Alpha, he always tended to lean more towards Beta, but when his rut came for the first time, he had surprised many people including himself. He had spent his first rut with an Omegan friend who offered. But Talon had yet to understand how to control the Wolf and it turned out that he was very aggressive in rut, he ended up having to leave halfway through because he, the Omega, couldn't handle Talon. After that he decided to spend his ruts alone, it had been years now since he spent it with anyone or was with someone outside.

  Talon raised a hand to thread it shakily through his blond hair, walking over to throw on his school's white button-up dress shirt and black khakis, pulling on a deep green tie to complete their uniform. Uniforms held significant importance within the school, created not only for comfort but also for safety. Alpha and Omega uniforms were designed with special fibers to effectively block scents, allowing both to focus on material and not the scents lingering around them. It was also useful for when one enters their mating cycle unexpectedly, and needs to keep their scent blocked long enough to leave campus without an uproar. In contrast, Omegan uniforms were engineered specifically to be bite and scratch-proof, helping create a safer environment for for them should anything happen. Each uniform required a display of their corresponding secondary gender symbol stitched into the fabric, helping with identification.

  Walking outside he got into his black Nissan Versa and began the short drive to school. Before pulling out of his apartment, he called his mate Oliver and put his phone on the stand he had clipped to the vent as the phone rang.

  He could hear the phone being picked up, "Hey Tal, what's up mate?"

  "' M not actually doing too well." He said, pulling out onto the road.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, concern evident.

  "You know how my rut randomly shows up?" The car goes silent for a second before Talon spoke up again, "It's probably going to start soon, we have around a week until the final. I don't know what to do! I'll fail the class if I'm not there." He stressed.

  "I don't know. How long do you think you have?"

  "A few days at most."

  "Oh boy..." He could hear a long sigh from the other end, "Have you thought about maybe spending it with a-"

  "No! Absolutely not!" He cut him off, "I'm aggressive, I'll hurt the poor thing."

  "It's been years! You're probably better now. You know how to control your Wolf more; it was one time. Your first time!"

  “That doesn’t make it any better! Besides, where would I even find someone to help with ‘ that’ on such short notice?”

  Oliver laughed in the background. “I can't really offer up my Omega, but I know I can find one you like, so either you give me names, or I figure it out myself.” There was some rustling in the background and a low humming sound. “Hey man, I need to do something. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Talon huffed, turning the corner onto Payne Road leading to the school parking lot, "We can talk about this later. I'll see you in class."

  "Alright, mate. Hang in there, yeah?"

  Talon half-smiled, despite Oliver not being able to see him, "Yeah. Bye."

  "Bye," Oliver said before the call ended. Talon put his head on the steering wheel for a moment, taking a deep breath and carding his hands through his hair shakily before grabbing his schoolbag. He left the car and clicked the lock button, walking to his chemistry class. The class before his was a medical study and practice class, the class was just about to end. Talon always liked to be early to his classes, especially this one. His professor didn’t like the idea of assigned seats; the first ones there got the best equipment and the seats they wanted, so naturally, Talon showed up as early as possible to reserve seats for his friends. Oliver, Jacob, and Rorke were always a little late, or just showing up just barely on time.

  The students trickled out of the classroom; Talon walked in after there were only a few students left in the room. He walked in proudly, attempting to keep his Alpha in line. He wasn’t looking down; only at the professor at the head desk of the classroom, in doing so he accidentally slammed into something – or someone. He looked down, he had accidentally knocked down a girl, but not just any girl. The Omega he’s had his eyes on for the last year of Uni, Lillian. She immediately scrambled to her feet, bowing her head and apologizing to the Alpha, fingers clutching tightly to the small purple binder that she assumedly used for the class. Her voice was so soft and gentle, the voice of a well in-tune Omega. He got lost in her for a moment, she was so small and perfect and adorable. Her long blonde hair was up in a sleek, straight ponytail, the little curls and fluff around her head fell down her forehead and hung around her ears. Being this close to rut certainly gave him some ideas of what to do with – no – to that hair.

  She looked up, expecting him to be upset, but instead, he was looking at her with a fond, goofy smile. She smiled back, “It’s fine, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” he said, snapping himself out of his trance. They stood in the doorway for a moment, both taking a slow deep breath and smiling. “I’m Talon.” He said, breaking the silence and extending his hand towards her.

  “I’m Lillian.” She replied, though he already knew that, and extended her trembling hand to shake his in return. His hands were so much bigger, he was so much taller than her, she barely went up to his chest. Talon pulled away from her hand quickly, his cheeks flushing slightly at the metaphorical sparks that he could feel just from her warm, soft hands. It certainly wasn’t helping that his rut was coming up. She smiled, the typical Omegan blush spreading across her freckled cheeks and kissing the tips of her ears. “I - I should get going...” She said with sad eyes. He nodded, stepping to the side to let her pass.

  He smiled again, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and let his eyes trace her movements as she walked away, even her skirt looked petite, seeing as it showed off the sensual curves she possessed. He tore his eyes away from her, walking into the classroom and taking a seat at Lab Table “6”. He needed to get this girl out of his head, and what better way to do that then to check up on the celebrity gossip.

  “Henry Beau Stalker Told to Leave the Star Alone”

  “Mikey Cybal Clarifies Instagram Remarks About Being an Alpha”

  “Prince Jacobs Wants to ‘Protect’ Sonja Mable from Intense Media Scrutiny”

  The minutes passed, Talon fiddled with his black pen and scrolled through Twitter to distract himself as his professor silently walked around the classroom getting things set up for his next class. Jacob walked in, his short brown hair messy, clearly not brushed, and his light brown eyes lighting up at the sight of his friend. “Hey, Talon!” He waved over, smiling at him.

  “Hey, Jake. You’re here early.” He teased, nodding toward the stool next to him.

  “Yeah, thought I was going to be late, so I kind of hurried out the door.” He laughed sheepishly, sitting down and dropping his backpack on the floor. “Why are you always here so early?”

  Talon shrugged, “Get the best seats.” he replied.

  “Oh, okay...” He trailed off, “Where’s Oliver and Rorke?” Jacob asked.

  “Should be here at some point, unless Rou got distracted by a cat. Or a baby.” Talon smirked.

  “Yeah, that Omega has issues.” Jacob laughed, “I’m glad Betas don’t get distracted by that stuff!” He proudly smiled.

  “Can I please remind you that most of your friend group is either an Alpha or Omega? There aren’t really any Betas except for Shaun and Cindy.”

  “Okay, okay. That’s fair.” He replied, throwing his hands in defeat.

  “Don’t act like you don’t get distracted by babies sometimes too.”

  “Whatever!” Jacob yelled, face tinting red on his puffed-out cheeks as he pivoted his body to turn away in a huffed fury, his arms crossed tightly.

  Talon laughed, the other students started trickling in as well as Oliver and Rorke. They walked over to where Talon and Jake were sitting, Rorke smiled brightly as the two. Rorke’s usual fixed curls were tussled; and his cheeks seemed a little more flushed than usual, his glittering green eyes glossy. Rorke hid tiny behind Oliver, who’s fringe was messy (he hated anyone messing up his hair) and his bright blue eyes seethed with something mysterious, mischievous even. The corners of his mouth quirked up into a smirk as he nudged the Omega behind him to go sit down at the table.

  Talon watched in silent amusement as Rorke winced slightly as he sat down. Jacob didn’t take notice of the pheromones that still lingered slightly around the Alpha and Omega. Talon raised an eyebrow, “Good time, guys?”

  Rorke flushed deeply and looked at his hands bunched up under the table on his lap, Oliver gave a sick grin before pulling a small translucent purple bottle out of his backpack and poured a little on his hands. He put the blocking gel on his neck and inside his forearms followed by passing the bottle to Rorke. “Better, my Lord?” he quirked at Talon.

  Talon rolled his eyes and nodded, turning to the front of the class as more students trickled into the classroom, filling the remaining seats. A few minutes later the Professor sighed and walked to the front of the classroom, beginning the lesson. Today they got to study Recrystallization, which is a technique used to purify chemicals.

  They had been given two solvents; hydrocarbon and ethanol. Oliver had branched off with Talon to talk about his rut whilst working on hydrocarbon and he had sent Rorke to go work on ethanol with Jacob. They were nearly done with the filtering of the solution (the last step) when Oliver finally spoke up. “So, Talon... Names.” Talon looked up; white lab coat curving around his form, hands clad in blue gloves, and clear lab goggles. He tilted his head to the side, a silent ask for what Oliver meant. “I told you this morning that I’d need some names of your crushes or someone you can spend your rut with. “

  Talon threw him a glare. “Keep it down!” he whisper-yelled. Oliver rolled his eyes. “And I told you, I can't spend it with someone, I’ll hurt her...” Talon sighed begrudgingly.

  “Hmm. ‘Her’. So, you prefer a female partner? Got it.” He smirked, “Names?”

  Talon sighed heavily, knowing Oliver wouldn't let up. They’ve been best friends since Talon’s second year of secondary school, it was just pure luck that they were both accepted by Aries Prometheus University, a proud school of Manchester, England. They were now in their second year of university and Oliver had been in quite a few of Talon’s classes. Though Oliver wanted to go into Bioengineering, Talon just needed a degree before he went into something less ‘high demand’ and more ‘dream job’. He decided he wanted to become a coach at his old secondary school. Many laughed at him, but he wanted to be there for the wayward kids, kind of like he was when he attended.

  He could still remember getting teased by all dynamics, “You’re the apotome of all Alphas and Leadership.” or “You're just a Beta bitch!” How clever. He remembered spending a significant amount of time with his football coach, Mr. Ward. Everyone else would pack up their black and white pentagon balls and sports bags before heading out, Talon would sit with the coach talking or go on walks. The Alpha taught him everything he didn’t learn in his Junior High heath class, even the embarrassing parts. When it felt like the world came down and everyone hated that he wasn’t a “proper” Alpha, Griffin came in to hold him. Something special they shared, Talon received permission to refer to him as Griffin, rather that Coach Ward or simply Ward.

  Talon snapped his head back to reality after shaking his head a few times, which earned an amused look from his best friend. “Oliver...” he groaned out lowly, “ You know that’s not what I meant.” Oliver snorted once before comparing both crystalized substances they had in the end, one turning to look like wet chalk dust and their own like powdered sugar and regular sugar mixed.

  “Still, we both know you can’t fail this class. You’re too smart for that. Now c’mon. Help me out here? We need to find someone.” Talon huffed, pulling off his lab coat with ‘TK’ written in red sharpie on the tag and set the folded cloak into his bag. “If you can’t choose then I’ll just hire someone. I don’t have an issue.”

  Talon snapped his head over from the sinks where he was scrubbing his hands down, enjoying the cool water. “No! I would never accept that. I - I do... like someone that is...” He shied away, muttering the last bit under his breath.

  Rorke looked at his boyfriend whose eyes had suddenly lit up, accidentally releasing happy pheromones. “You do! Oh, my goodness! What's their name? Is it a girl or a boy? Are they an Omega? No judgment if they aren’t. What’s their name?” Talon rushed over to the eager Alpha and pressed a palm to his mouth, effectively shutting him up. “Sorry, I’m just excited. You haven't shown interest in anyone in a long time... Not as long as I’ve known you. I was starting to think you were Ace.”

  Talon shot him a glare. So nosy. “She is an Omega, a female one. And I'm not Ace! I just like to... stay cautious.” Oliver sighed deeply; he could tell that he was still a tad bit traumatized from when he presented. They had shared a dorm room in their freshman year and would occasionally have to go to Talon’s bed and comfort him when he had nightmares. Talon would tense his entire body, flashes of the Omega crying out in pain, the scratches and teeth marks, bruises from where he had gripped his hips and forced himself as deep into the boy as he could. His Wolf was desperately restless, nothing but fire in its veins.

  After a particularly rough round, Talon’s second round with him, Talon had fallen asleep for a few minutes to recharge. Meanwhile the Omega riffled through the tote he brought with him and found a little blue capsule. He pulled out two pills and crushed them into fine powder, which he put into a glass of orange juice for the Alpha to drink once he awoke. He did. And in a moment of clear headedness and munching on an energy bar, he blacked out. The Omega ran and called for help, desperate and dishevelled. Talon was brought to a confined area for situations like that, turns out he had a double dose of Alpha Quell, a special medication that can be taken in rut or in anger to calm the Alpha dynamic. Too much will knock someone out.

  Once it was all over, the Omega filed a restraining order, and Talon was burdened with the visions of being a vicious beast. He never forgave himself for it and had nightmares every night until a few years later when it was reserved for every month or so. Oliver was the only one he could be vulnerable around, so the other Alpha would end up coddling him until he either fell asleep again or stopped shaking. Usually, he would just get behind him and big spoon him, which was always a comfort. On particularly bad days Oliver would call Rorke to come and make a nest for them all to lay in and watch The Office reruns on either someone's laptop or the telly. Talon appreciated that he had such good close friends, Oliver never criticized him for being the way he was, and Rorke was always there to keep him true to his heart.

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  “ How about this, you head down to Blue Fox with Rorke? I have another class in half an hour, but he’s free the rest of the day. ” Oliver offered, silently hoping he’d take the bait. Throwing the fishing line and hoping for a bite.

  He did. “Yeah. A cuppa sounds brilliant right now. Thanks.” Talon was just glad Oliver had dropped it. Or so he thought. Talon trudged off to go collect his things, seeing as the Professor had dismissed class. Meanwhile, Oliver was sending a few quick texts to Rorke to keep him up to date and inform him that he was heading to the Fox after he packed up.

  Talon walked up to the Omega after class, loosening his tie around his neck. “Ready to go Rou?” he asked, shrugging on his grey messenger bag.

  “One second!” He rushed out, bounding over to Oliver to give him a quick kiss. “I love you Oli. I’ll see you back at the flat!” Oliver returned his kiss with an ‘I love you too’ before they walked out of the classroom to head to the Blue Fox Café.

  Rorke’s lips were still tingling from the kiss he gave Oliver before they left, Talon could tell. He kept reaching his hands up to his lips and biting them slightly. Occasionally, he would hear a deep rumble, or a low humming sound, the Omega was purring . “What was it like to meet Oliver?” Talon suddenly blurted out, catching his friend off-guard.

  The boy looked up at him where the Alpha was averting his eyes, his lips pursed together nervously, and his knuckles turning white where they clutched the strap of his grey messenger bag. “Maybe I remember it differently, because it feels like a scene from ‘Jaws and Jewels’,” Jaws and Jewels is a widely-known old children's fairy tale about the first Alpha and Omega meeting. “But it did feel like that. Like my nerves were all tingling, and my heart was beating super-fast, and I couldn’t take my eyes away.”

  Talon pondered the way he looked, Rorke’s eyes glazing over and sparking with happiness at the memory, ‘Like a flower growing in darkness and only blooms when it sees the sun...’ Talon mused to himself. “I want that someday...” He trailed off sadly, turning the corner to the street where the Café was.

  “I wasn’t expecting it to happen either.” Rorke laughed a little, pulling down the collar of his dress shirt to show off his mating bite. “Then I ended up with this! Hurt like a bitch!” Talon laughed at the Omega, always good at lightening the mood. Talon could remember it like it was yesterday, Oliver had called him an hour beforehand asking for his help in spreading roses and candles around their flat. Talon tended to the chicken noodle soup on the stove, Rorke’s favourite, while Oliver prepped the bed and everything else. Then, after Rorke got home from a friend’s house, they mated officially. From what he had been told, they had been talking about it for around a year but teetered on the edge until two months ago. Rorke was glowing for weeks after.

  Talon noticed a few people staring at Rorke’s mating bite until he pulled his shirt back to cover it. Talon could feel his rut seeping through again, a rumble rising in his chest before he let out a low growl. Rorke snapped his eyes over to the Alpha, eyes wide open. Talon stopped almost as soon he started. “Fuck! I’m sorry, I'm having trouble controlling it. Sorry. I saw people staring at you – I'm – fuck, sorry. Don’t be scared. Please.” Talon and Rorke continued walking, Talon with his head buried in his hands, and Rorke with his hands in the pockets of his tan khakis.

  “I - It’s okay. Just startling is all. Glad you're protective of your best friend's mate.” He smiled, brushing it off. Talon still had his head in his hands, so Rorke reached up and pulled them away, giving him a reassuring smile. “You're okay.”

  “Thanks, Rou.” He mumbled, pulling the door open for Rorke to walk into the bustling Café/Bakery. The Blue Fox was a little coffeeshop on campus that they usually went to when they wanted to do study sessions or hang out.

  The store was on the corner of the street, windows lining the edge and faded maroon walls. The windows had colourful cursive writing, which changed every week. Things like “Create your own sunshine!” and “Don’t forget where you belong” in pretty pastels with little flower designs and swirls. The dual tables were positioned by the storefront windows, with a few couples eating and some students typing on their computers. Once you walk through chipped white doors and walk deeper into the shop you're greeted by the friendly faces of the employees. More than half of the medium-sized shop was sleek wooden tables and silver chairs, save for a small section where there was a worn-in leather couch and some armchairs arranged in a circle, in the centre was a large coffee table under a baby blue rug, which matched the walls.

  They walked in and took a seat at a table with an extra chair, until a child walked up from the table nearby and asked for it. They both set their belongings beneath the table before Talon stood up on his way to the cashier. “Cappucc-”

  “Cappuccino with the little hearts, extra shot of espresso?” Talon cut him off, smiling.

  Rorke nodded. “Thanks!” Rorke shouted back as Talon walked to the front. On his way up to the glass display of baked goods and the marble counter tops he heard a small commotion from the ‘Fox Den’ as they called it. Talon stopped and looked over at the long-curved couch that seemed to have a trio of rowdy Alphas surrounding something. Everyone else didn’t seem to pay any mind, but with Talon being dipped into the soft glow of his rut, he could smell something. Something strong and alluring, but also something worrisome. Something that left an empty pit in his chest and left him sinking to his knees.

  Talon strode over to the slight commotion and picked up what he was smelling, distress pheromones . A blonde headed girl was sitting on the couch, her hands bunched at the edges of her tan skirt with her head down. “C’mon sexy. We know your kind are desperate to be touched. Let us take you out of here, we’ll show you a good time.” A tall black-haired Alpha urged.

  “N - No... I don’t want to... P - Please leave me alone...” Talon could see her sink into the couch further, a shudder racking her body as she released stronger distressed pheromones. Talon walked over quicker now, about to come up behind the group.

  “Is that any way to speak to an Alpha, Omega?” He nudged her shoulder, she pulled away, whimpering softly.

  Talon rushed up behind them. “Damn right it is!” He growled. The trio all turned to look at him. So did the girl. Lillian. His eyes softened, her eyes glossed over and her eyes a pleading look for help. His eyes snapped back to the Alpha’s eyes in rage. “ Leave her alone. Just because she’s an Omega doesn't mean that she must obey you, and it certainly doesn’t mean she’s a whore like you’re making her out to be.” Talon’s eyes flicked to hers again, sincerity and compassion. “Now leave my mate alone.” The words slipped; he couldn’t stop them. Her eyes widened with confusion before she gave a knowing smile.

  The front Alpha grumbled. “Whatever, Knot-head.” He said before walking away with his group, not before bumping into his shoulder with another grumbled insult. Talon sighed deeply, no trouble this time, thankfully. Talon shot her a quick smile before turning heel to go order he and Rorke’s drinks, until -

  “Thank you.” He turned around again at the gentle voice.

  “Excuse me?” Talon asked, turning around to face her. “Did you say something, Lillian?”

  She nodded her head, the click of her laptop shutting and pushed onto the circular table before she stood up. She cleared her throat and spoke up. “Erm... I said thank you. For getting them to go away... A – And the things you said...” Lillain bumbled on, blush spreading up her freckled cheeks and kissing the tip of her nose and ears with pink.

  “Of course. No-one should treat an Omega like that. Especially if that Omega is you.” He mumbled the last part, but she caught it.

  Lillian smiled back, he was so sweet and made her heart jump. “You’re the boy I bumped into this morning, right? Tal – on?” She questioned, hoping she got his name right.

  Talon grinned, she remembered! “That is my given name.” He sent her a wink.

  She giggled a bit, not startled by his hint. Her eyes lingered on the red-stitched α printed on his button-up. “So, you’re an Alpha?” she asked, gesturing to his Alpha insignia.

  “Yeah, since seventh grade.” She nodded. “I would ask if you were an Omega, but judging by circumstances and your thick pheromones, I don’t have to ask.” He smirked, cocking a hip out and slipping a hand into his pocket. For once he was glad to have the confidence of a secondary school gridiron player.

  Her leafy eyes widened, freaking out, she rushed and pulled some blocking gel out to rub over her scent glands. Talon was bittersweet with it, though he didn’t have to be tortured by the alluring scent of vanilla and orange peels, the smell slowly drifted away until it was replaced with the homey smell of baked goods, coffee, and sandalwood. Much to his disappointment. “Sorry. My scent is really potent. I try my best, but it seeps out sometimes.”

  “It’s okay. It smells good.” he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “Though your reaction was priceless.” He said, before bursting out laughing.

  She looked hurt for a second before joining him, laughing along with him. The rest of the world could fuck off for all he cared, right now, he had the cutest little girl in front of him and she wasn’t afraid. Rorke had watched the entire exchange from his spot at the table, using his phone’s camera to zoom in on the two and snap a quick picture to send to Oliver. “Female, and an Omega. Check.” He typed out, sending a message to Oliver.

  They stopped laughing and smiled at each other. Talon could tell his eyes were lighting up, the same way hers were twinkling, little green bursts behind her eyelids with each heartbeat. “I should go order for my friend...” Talon trailed off sadly. “Sorry. I’d love to talk more, Lillian.”

  She looked down sadly before rushing behind her and grabbing a small to-go cup from off the coffee table. “I finished mine earlier and was going to go get another one before those guys showed up and you so bravely fought them off.”

  He turned, a silent invitation for her to go with him up to the counter. “I’m your knight in shining khakis, and don’t you forget it!” Testing the water, he jokingly nudged her side. She tossed her (clearly half-full) cup of tea into the bin. She came back, and nudged him back, a typical tell-tale sign that she was interested.

  “I won’t.” She replied. They both approached the cashier, Justine, and nudged her forward.

  “You can go first.” Talon urged, to which she smiled gratefully and put in her order.

  “Can I please have a small lemon-ginger tea?” The cashier nodded before Talon stepped forward, putting a hand on his chin.

  “Can I have another tea, this time spearmint?” Justine nodded. “And a Cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso?”

  “You have the option for foam, what design would you like?” she asked, typing the orders into the silver handheld tablet.

  “The hearts please.” Lillian shot him a look. “For my friend’s mate.” Talon whispered. He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to explain himself, but she shrugged and smiled anyway. Talon pulled out his card, about to give it to Justine, until something light and warm grasped around his wrist. Big green eyes looked up at him, he understood what she was trying to say. “It’s fine, Lillian. My treat.”

  Before she could open her mouth and say any form of protest, Justine took his card and swiped it. Lillian attempted to pout, but soon gave up the act and let out a small ‘Thank you, Talon.’ She wasn’t sure why she felt tingly when she said his name, and Talon wasn’t sure why he felt tingly when she spoke his name. It just looked perfect on her watermelon-coloured lips, that's what she was. Perfect.

  Talon’s drinks came out before hers did, the two chatted until Justine called out his order. “Bye Lillian, I do hope to see you later. Will I?” he asked, silently hoping she was still interested and wasn’t going to scurry off and change her classes to avoid him. What a ridiculous thought.

  “Definitely.” She smiled, more blush gracing her cheeks and nose. Watching him walk away left cold blood rushing to her head, and an empty feeling in her chest. She decided to approach him and ask for his number when her tea came out, she’d pack up her things and walk over casually. If it was a no, she was already on her way out of the coffeeshop and could save herself the embarrassment. Which was then followed by curling up in a nest and watching movies until she felt better. If it did go well, however, she’d have his number.

  Talon walked over to a beaming Rorke, face glowing with a wide grin stretched across his face. “You guys gonna suck face later?” He asked shamelessly.

  “ Rorke William Elliot-Bloome! Have you no shame?” he asked, setting his drink down and pulling his chair up. At the same time the girl from earlier with little curly black pigtails came over tugging a chair behind her.

  “Thank you, misters!” She chirped. Both went silent as she left the chair. They looked at each other and laughed. She turned back around and looked at Rorke . “Are you an Omega?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

  Rorke stuttered for a second. “I - I... um... Yeah! I am an Omega.” She smiled up at him with twinkling hazel eyes.

  “You’re so pretty! If I’m an Omega, I wanna be as pretty as you! ” She said, bunching her fists up in front of her in excitement. “Bye!” She said, skipping off. Rorke spent the next minute beaming and smiling from ear-to-ear and gushing before he remembered why Oliver sent him here.

  “So, have you found anyone to spend your rut with...?” Rorke asked, keeping his voice at a lower volume to avoid an outburst. Talon was always so conservative when talking about these things.

  Talon sighed deeply. “Rou... You’ve been there for the bad days; you know I can’t.” He trailed off. “Even if I was looking for someone they aren’t going to fall into my lap. And I don’t want to risk it.”

  Rorke sighed. “Look man, I’m all for sensitivity and letting you take this stuff lightly, but you need to get over it this time.” Talon nodded; Oliver was right earlier; he couldn’t afford to fail this class. “ If the biggest issue is finding someone who can handle you, I have a few people I can set you up with.”

  It was now that Lillian chose to walk over, had you not been tuning into the discussion like she was, no-one would bat an eye. But she heard every bit of it and decided to make a proposal. “H - Hey again Talon...” Talon straightened in his chair from where he and Rorke had been leaning over to talk quietly about his upcoming rut. “I know it’s a bad time to enter the discussion, but if you want I can... Erm...” She mumbled something and trailed off; the last part being lost to embarrassment.

  Rorke’s eyes widened, already figuring out what she was going to offer. “What was that last part?” Rorke asked, just to be sure Talon heard.

  “I - I said that if you want, you can say no, I could offer to sp - spend it with you...” She said, face burning up and breath being held captive in her chest. Talon sat there dumbfounded, mouth open slightly, and from the looks of it, holding his breath like she was. “But you can say no! If you already have someone else in mind.” She said, sadness edging into the last sentence.

  Talon still hadn’t uttered a word, was barely breathing, his breath was just short shallow inhales. Like if a squirrel was hyperventilating. He finally snapped out of it and released the breath building in his chest . “Um... no...” She looked at him sadly. “I mean, I don’t have anyone in mind!” Except you, he thought. “I would love to spend it with you, Lillian. Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  She beamed, smiling. “Brilliant!” she said, glowing slightly. She realised that she was too enthusiastic about being taken up on the offer of such a promiscuous thing as being present during someone’s mating cycle. “I mean... Okay. Erm... I guess we should trade numbers so we can work out all the details?” She could feel herself growing more embarrassed by the second. She had to get out before her face could be camouflaged in a strawberry patch. “I have to go. Um... I wrote my number on this slip of paper. So just send me your first and last name so I can put it in my phone? Then we can talk?”

  “Yeah, yeah sure. That works, looking forward to it.” he said, reaching out to take the slip of paper lightly to avoid showing how truly nervous he was. His heart clenched tight and made his chest hurt with every rapid beat, his palms were beginning to heat up alongside the pit of his stomach, but worst of all, the arousal. He willed his body to stop releasing the pheromones, willed his body not to betray him, willed himself not to fall into rut.

  A few deep breaths and his body temperature lowered by a few degrees, effectively calming down. His hands shook a slight bit, only noticeable if you really looked . He looked up and gave a shy smile, she responded back with big eyes glowing back, and a beaming smile. “Okay, I have to go. Bye, Talon! And friend!” They waved to her as she left out the door, then watched her stop outside the door, contemplating something. She said something, the noise blocked by the windows and bustle of everyday life. She listened to something before burying her head in her hands, obviously trying to get something out of her head. Talon and Rorke turned back to talking after she pulled out her phone and walked away with someone on the line.

  “You should get out of here too, T. Clean up and get everything ready, yeah?” Rorke said standing up and taking his cappuccino in hand, slinging his bag on his shoulder with the other.

  “That would make sense, make sure there is a spot for her things in the guest room and the additional bathroom.” He said, looking up and making a mental checklist.

  “The guest room? Mate, she’s going to be staying with you! Once it hits, you two will be tied together for all but an hour or so of the day.” Rorke laughed.

  “D - Don’t remind me! And I'm going to set up the guest room just in case she doesn’t want to be with me for that ‘hour or so’. And if - no - when I get out of control, she’ll need a place to hide and call the authorities .” Talon rambled on, Rorke rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his muscular shoulder.

  “You’re overthinking it. You’ll be fine. She’ll be fine.”

  Talon smiled sadly, “Yeah, maybe.”

  “Okay! I have to get back to Oliver, he’s already back at the flat.” Rorke said, making his way towards the door.

  “Okay, wish me luck. Bye Rou.” He said, collecting his stuff to walk to his car back in the school parking lot.

  “Oh. And Talon?” Talon turned to look at Rorke with his hand on the exit door. “Be sure to have fun!” Then he left the coffeeshop, pep in his step and a smirk on his face.

  Mission accomplished.