Something is pounding my head, making me want to turn over and go back to sleep. But someone is calling. Grunting, I force myself to open my eyes to a dim room, both of my hands being held.

"Where 'm I?" I rasp, looking to my right to see Ollie watching me with wide eyes. My hand is tightly clasped between his, and it is easy to see the worry on his face.

Ollie opens his mouth to answer but is cut off by someone else. "Cedar's Hospital."

That voice is way too familiar, and I am internally wincing as I turn to see my brother sitting on my left. He is the one holding my other hand. His dark brows are pinched together in worry, the blue eyes that are so familiar to my own watching me with concern.

"What happened?" I ask again, gratefully taking the cup of water that Ollie hands me. "Xania called me from the café, told me that she was worried about you. When I got there, you were out of it and running a high fever. You were scaring me, so I brought you to the hospital."

A knock comes from the door, causing us all to look up at the doctor who walks in. It is an older omega, wearing a pair of glasses that sit slightly crooked on his round face. "Mr. Harris-"

"Katz, please," I whisper, not liking the sound of Aaron's last name anymore. "Harris is my ex's last name." This causes Nico's head to whip over to me, but I refuse to meet his eyes right now.

The doctor just nods, not put off in the least, just making a quick change to the chart he is holding before looking back at me. "How are you feeling, Mr. Katz?"

"Exhausted."

The doctor just nods his head. "Yes, I would expect that." He flips the page on his clipboard, reading something over. "You had us worried here, so I put in a call to Dr. Cole. When she heard the symptoms I was describing, she decided to come down here herself and start running some tests."

The mention of my fertility doctor has me tensing. I can already tell that I am going to be told something that I do not like. Another knock comes from the door, and sure enough, Dr. Cole steps into the room. Her dark curls are twisted into a bun high on her head, and she gives me a warm smile as she comes to stand next to the other doctor.

"Milo, good to see that you are awake and have met Dr. Hershel." Nodding my head, I watch as she hands her own clipboard over to the omega doctor and his eyebrows raise as he reads over whatever is on the paper. "Your test results are in, and they are a little startling, to say the least."

"What is it?" Nico asks, his hand giving mine a vicious squeeze.

"It seems, Milo, that you are suffering from an exaggerated pre-heat, which only leads me to believe that you will be having just as exaggerated of a heat."

"What?" I whisper, brows crinkling in confusion. My pre-heats usually consists of mild nausea and slight tiredness, enough to keep me from eating and staying inside the days before my heat strikes. "Why is this happening? Is it the hormones?"

"Something like that," Dr. Cole says. "Have you been taking any type of suppressants over the last few months?"

"Of course not!" I say, hands tightening around Nico's and Ollie's. "I was trying to have a baby not prevent having one, for crying out loud."

"You tested positive for high amounts of the hormones that trick your body into thinking it is already pregnant, something that only happens when suppressants are involved."

"I-I don't know what to say," I whisper. Moisture is gathering in my eyes, but I can't will myself to free my hands, instead just letting the tears fall. "How is this possible?"

"Somehow, you were taking suppressants as well as the fertility treatments that I prescribed. This is what I believe caused your hormones to be at such dangerously high levels. But it seems that the suppressants have been cut off recently, leaving just enough in your system for us to detect. The combination of the suppressants suddenly being cut off along with the extra hormones from the fertility treatments has caused your body to go into a very strong heat cycle.

"It is my advice that you find someone to stay with during this heat because it will be more dangerous than usual. Your hormones are dangerously high, meaning everything else will be stronger. Your scent will most likely be more potent, and you will most likely not be as much in control."

"I-I don't have an alpha anymore," I whisper, giving my head a small shake. "Aaron left a few days ago."

"You can stay with me," Ollie says, thumb rubbing circles into the back of my hand. "We'll figure something out."

Dr. Cole nods her head. "I want you to come see me as soon as this heat is cleared, so we can see if your hormones have stabilized. Make sure to stay hydrated and keep all the doors locked. Stay safe, Milo." She gives my leg a soft pat before turning to walk out of the room.

"I want to keep you here for a few more hours, but I will get the discharge paperwork started," Dr. Hershel says before walking out of the room.

"What the fuck is going on?" I whisper, shutting my eyes and letting my head flop back against the pillow.

Ollie lets out a startled sound, most likely from my cussing, seeing as it only happens on rare occasions.

"I'm going to give you a few cans of scent blockers. No way am I risking some alpha breaking in to try and get to you," Nico says, and I crack open an eye to look over at him. He looks every bit of the alpha he is: shoulders broad and back ramrod straight, lip curled down in a soft snarl. He happens to be even more overprotective than Ollie. "And I want you to call me every night. If you don't, I am coming over to check on you, heat or no heat."

I give his hand a soft squeeze. "Thanks, Nico."

"Of course. Now, I am going to call Maya, tell her that everything is going to be alright before she sends herself into early labor from worry." He leans down to press a kiss to my forehead before walking out of the room, phone to his ear.

"As soon as you get discharged, we'll run over to your place to get some clothes and toiletries, and then we can head over to my place. I need to call my boss and ask for heat leave and run to the store for some food and supplies, but you can just relax."

Letting out a long sigh, I settled into the bed. "Ollie, you don't have to take care of me, I can just stay home and ride it out."

His brows pinch together, lips turned down in displeasure. "Milo, let me take care of you for once. And Dr. Cole said for you to not be alone. You'll be too out of it to remember to stay hydrated and can get yourself in even more trouble." He pauses then, chewing on his bottom lip as his displeasure morphs into nervousness. "Is this about what I said yesterday?"

Said conversation comes flooding back to me, and I just close my eyes, giving a small shake of my head. "No." Coming to a decision, I look over at him. "I need to ride out this heat, and I don't trust anyone else. Would you help me, Ollie?"

"Of course I will, that's why I offered to have you come over in the first place."

A blush spreads across my cheeks as I give a small shake of my head. "Not just like that. I-I mean to help me through since I don't have an alpha anymore."

His eyes widen considerably, his mouth falling open a little bit. "Really?"

"There is no one else I trust, and I'll know you'll take care of me."

"Of course, love," he murmurs. "I guess I'll have to pick up some condoms, too."

Grabbing his hand as he runs the other through his hair, I give it a small squeeze. When he looks over at me, I give him a small smile and shake my head. "Let's forget the condoms, and whatever happens, happens."

He smiles at me, leaning over to press a kiss against my cheek, just as Nico is walking back into the room. My older brother raises an eyebrow at us, sliding his phone back into his pocket.

"Do I want to know?" he says, sitting back down on the chair he had vacated earlier.

"Probably not," I say, laughing as his brows scrunch together in mock disgust.

"I'll take your word on it," he says, leaning back in the chair. "Maya sends her love. She wants to have you over for dinner sometime next week, so go ahead and plan it into your schedule. Both of you should come. You can help me finish up the nursery while she relaxes."

"Sounds fine to me," I say, settling back into the bed. "My niece needs to have a fully decorated nursery before she gets here."

Nico just huffs, a fond smile on his face. "Oh, you just wait, little brother, until you have a little one on the way. Then I'll be the one teasing you." He pauses for a second, turning a shrewd eye on me. "And don't think I forgot about that little tidbit about Aaron leaving. We will definitely be discussing this when you come over for dinner."

Sighing, I just shake my head, letting myself relax as I listen to Nico bicker with Ollie, both of them keeping me entertained as I wait to be discharged.

The entire time, Ollie holds my hand, not letting go until I have to change my clothes so I can leave. For the first time, I don't question myself, just allow myself to revel in the wonderful feeling of having someone care for me, instead of the other way around.