POV Luca Gray

Goddess, this heat cycle has been so miserable. My heat is usually not terribly hard, but this one was excruciating. By the time Eli said goodnight to me on the first day of this cycle, I was hot, in pain, and horny.

I can only assume that my shitty heat is the result of knowing my alpha actually exists and is within reach if I want it. Right now, I hate having this knowledge so readily available to me. It's only the beginning of day three, and my heats generally last five full days. I can't imagine living through this anymore.

Whimpering as another cramp slices through my uterus, I curl tightly onto myself. Ugh, I hate this shit. Between the pain in my internal reproductive organs and the wetness of my slick, leaking from my ass, I am about to lose it.

I've never had a heat so bad. It's kind of revolting to experience this. At least omegas with vaginas can use menstrual cups or tampons for the mess. I suppose, though I am lucky that I don't bleed, like some omegas.

I am a male omega, and it's rare for us to bleed. Male omegas are determined by the positioning of our internal sex organs since we don't have external birthing organs. We don't usually experience menstrual cycles, which involve shedding the uterine lining. Typically, male omegas absorb their uterine lining.

There are many ways omegas' sex characteristics present, but non-female omegas always have a uterus, fallopian tubes, and whatever external genitalia our genetic lottery gave us. It's hard to think or care about what mess our sex characteristics will create when we are struggling through pain that will only be relieved through internal sexual stimulation of some sort.

I just would really like for Eli to hold me and rub my tummy right now. I hate this. I wrap my arms around my middle tightly, willing the pain away.

Eli's ringtone sounds for the fifth time this morning. I push my phone away, not wanting to talk to him. I don't need him to know how miserable I really am. I know he can tell it hurts. I can't even begin to pretend to hold a conversation right now.

Gasping loudly, I turn away from the window. I've been curled up with the heating pad and the weighted blanket since Friday morning. There is a knock on the door just as I curl back into my little protective ball.

"Luna? Luna, Alpha Eli would like to talk to you." The beta warrior called through the door.

I don't try to reply. I just continue to whimper and squirm every time my uterus cramps. I hear the door open sometime later when I am stuck in a pain-filled delirium between sleep and consciousness.

The panic rises, but I can't move. My omega fear instincts are alerted, but all I can do is tremble in my incapacitated state. My omega quietly calls for my Alpha to help me as I whimper in pain and fear, but I can't do anything, and even that was an unconscious reaction to being so vulnerable.

There are voices, and then the door closes again. I'm trying to focus on why anyone would come into my room, but I am too disoriented. The darkness consumes me again as I try to force my body to cooperate with me.

A soulful sob tears through my body, making me wince. The pain pills I took this morning didn't work, and I've been too nauseous and weak to take more. It feels like I'm being stabbed repeatedly, or maybe more aptly, someone has sunken their claws into my middle, holding me tightly as they twist.

I don't know how long it has been since whoever came in left, but when the door opens again, I panic all over. My heart is beating wildly as I try to get the strength to do anything but just lie there. Hearing the soft footsteps coming towards me, I whimper in fear.

The aroma of hickory smoke, punctuated by the metallic smell of hot stones and the earthy soil of the forest, envelops me. A warm sensation spreads throughout my body.

It smells just like the pack, just like home. The bed dips, and I feel my body being dragged up, but I don't feel scared anymore. I groan loudly due to the pain wracking my body.

As he settles down with me in his arms, his scent and body heat smothering me, I feel the pain rapidly draining away. My heart doesn't feel like it's going to launch itself from my chest. I sigh in relief as the pain lessens and muscles unclench.

Eli- Eli came.

"Luca? Luca, can you hear me?" Eli asks me as I feel his hands run over my feverish skin, soothing the intense burning sensations all over that I hadn't really felt due to the visceral pain.

The most frightened parts of my consciousness wanted to panic so badly because my Alpha was here. My Alpha. An Alpha.

Alphas, plus omegas, plus heat, equal mating. But everything about him right now just felt good. I find myself snuggling into his soothing warmth, and he tightens his arms around me.

It's like the pain and misery evaporated the moment I was in his arms. He kept stroking my arms and back. Finally able to relax, I fell into the blessed darkness of my dream state.
~

Slowly coming to my senses, I stir, stretching widely. I open my eyes, realizing it's dark, that I feel well-rested, and that I have absolutely no idea where the day went. I must have passed out from the pain earlier.

I reach over to find my phone, but my hand collides with a body. Letting out a yelp of fear, I scrambled back, causing myself to fall off the bed. The large figure sat up, reaching out to catch me before I crashed onto the floor.

"Careful, Luca." Came Eli's rich voice, full of all the warmth that was uniquely his, rippled around me.

Now that my brain had caught up and I wasn't panicking, I could recognize my Alpha's scent. It was really strong, which was unusual since it was usually more subtle. The room was doused with his pheromones; That must be why I feel so mellow. Eli sat back, pulling me up with him. He sat my back against the headboard.

"What are you doing here, Alpha Eli?" The warm glow spread across the room when he clicked on the old lamp.

I peered up at him curiously. Eli looked at me with a bemused from. Shaking his head, he chuckled.

"I tried to call you several times, Luca. After a few hours of being unable to contact you, I had the warrior check on you, but you didn't respond to him either. He had the staff open the room, and he called me when he found you in a bad state. Luca, if your heats are this bad, you shouldn't be alone." He scolded.

"My heat isn't normally bad," I tilted my head to the side with a frown as I pondered the pain I had been in and the fact that it was now gone.

With a horrified gasp, I remembered I had to look awful. I became aware of how sticky I was, and I was sure that with how much I sweated, I smelled. Oh my goddess, now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure Eli was holding me earlier.

Blushing furiously, I reorganize my thoughts, trying to calm myself. I needed to shower. I stopped, though, since the cobwebs were clearing. Reality hit me. Why was Eli so unaffected?

"You- I- My hea- Wait, how long have you been here, Alpha Eli?" I asked.

"Several hours. I held you for most of it as it seemed to help, but then I needed to take a call. I left in the middle of a business meeting with some investors. It wasn't important, though." He said quickly. My eyes widened in concern. "I needed to make sure you were ok. You relaxed once I was here. I had the pack doctor check you, as well. You looked- Luca, you were in a ball crying."

"Oh," I whispered, thoroughly embarrassed. "Well, what did she say?"

"That your heat was trying to drive you to your alpha. You know, the same old alpha-omega spiel. The doctor was surprised that your body calmed so much without physically mating at all, though. When I first got here, I couldn't put you down before you started to thrash, but over the hours, you settled." He explained.

"You didn't- You didn't try to-um?" I faltered trying to hint to the Alpha what I needed to know. Eli glared down at me, in shock, eyes flashing in anger and embarrassment, making me look down.

"Of course I wouldn't. You made it very clear that you have no interest in that right now." Eli reached over and took my hand. "My omega or not, I respect your decision. I won't try to mate with you until we've discussed it more and you say you are ready." He assured me.

I eyed him skeptically. He is definitely the one person in the pack who could get away with taking whatever he felt was his. I suppose if he managed to stay in a room with me while my heat incapacitated me, I could trust it. Heats are a time when an omega would typically be ready and begging for their alpha.

"I'm sorry, Alpha." I shift uncomfortably. "Was it difficult. Is it difficult?" I gazed up at Eli, curious about what was going on between us. I watched him as he organized his thoughts before speaking.

"I was not prepared for how potent your pheromones and scent would be," Eli admitted. "I have been around omegas in heat, but nothing this strong. I walked in, and it smelled like you rubbed your scent glands on every surface. It is definitely a test of will. But you needed me, and while every part of me is screaming for you, even my baser instincts understand that that is the opposite of what you need." Eli was honest.

"Luca, I can't pretend I don't want you. Omega or not, you are a very, very sexy man, and being my omega makes you that much more appealing. But I want a relationship with my mate. I won't get that with you if I can't control myself."

I smiled softly, looking away bashfully. It took a giant weight off of me. While I have no interest in doing those things, I knew most relationships involve sex. Being the omega of a capital 'A" alpha required an heir. I was afraid the Alpha would just focus solely on figuring me out to seal the deal.

Some of the dates I have been on were tragic. Many of those alphas were just disrespectful. They had no qualms telling me about the things they imagined doing with me, in blushing detail.

Honestly, I didn't even know some of that stuff was possible. There were very few dates that I've had in which I didn't feel disgusted by the end of it. All because I am an omega. I hate that.

I just wanted to be Luca.

Maybe Alpha Eli wasn't a scary alpha.

I felt Eli's eyes on me while I processed what he said.

"Luca?"

I shifted to face him. There was some look in Eli's eyes that I couldn't decipher, mixed in with the concern.

"Yes, Alpha." Eli shuddered a little before.

He cracked his knuckles before continuing.

"I need you to come back to the pack house with me. We have a spare room in the Alpha residence. You will be safe there, and if you need me, I will be nearby."

It felt like all of the air drained out of the room. I immediately wanted to bolt at the suggestion of going back to the pack house. My parents would know, and my dad would make me go home. Or they would find out about my being mated to the Alpha if he told them no.

"You got better once I arrived, and I can't in good conscience leave you to suffer. At the packhouse, if I have to leave, you will have a pack doctor to assist you." Eli squeezed my hand." Don't worry, I'll sneak you inside. I won't tell anyone other than my parents and the doctor that you are there."

Eli was right. I haven't felt a single cramp since I've been awake, and I only feel a little warm at the moment. I can't do two to three days of that.

I nodded stiffly. I can do this. I can be in my Alpha's home and everything will be ok.

"I think- I think I should shower first, though," I said, pulling the slightly damp shirt from my sticky skin, grimacing.

I swear, for just a second, I saw a look of disappointment flash across the Alpha's face, but if it did, he most certainly hid it well. He chuckled softly. I slide off the bed with my cheeks burning hot.

I was still half naked, and he could see my slick and sweat trunks. Moving around the room, I quickly gathered clothes out of my overnight bag and dashed into the bathroom to clean myself up.

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