Page 15 of Forbidden

“Fuck, you smell delicious,” Aksel muttered, shoving his face against Lucien’s throat and breathing. “Even better than usual.”

Lucien shuddered, the ache in his lower body becoming worse. He shook his head, trying to clear the haze in his mind. “I don’t think—I feel odd, Aksel.”

“Odd?” Aksel said, nuzzling his scent gland aggressively.

Lucien’s head was spinning, his mind fuzzy. He really felt odd. Too hot, too much, too something.

“Hot,” Lucien managed. “My body feels weird.”

Aksel’s hands cupped his breasts. “Your tits feel fine,” he said, his voice husky as he kneaded Lucien’s breasts. “Does this feel better?”

Lucien frowned. “I don’t know. I think there’s something wrong with the tips. They feel odd.” More than usual. He didn’t say that. He’d never told Aksel that sometimes he felt odd when Aksel put his mouth on his breasts. He’d never mentioned it before because he didn’t want Aksel to feel guilty about it. Aksel had needed his help. He’d needed him. Lucien could handle some discomfort for him—though discomfort wasn’t really the right word. It wasn’t as though it had ever felt unpleasant. Just strange. A little too intense.

But this was something else entirely. He couldn’t simply ignore it as he normally did. His breasts—his entire body—felt oversensitive, craving something.

His thoughts came to a halt when Aksel ducked his head and caught one of the nipples in his mouth. Hesucked, but differently from the usual way he did it, without drinking milk, andLucien gasped as a sharp, stabbing pain-pleasure pierced him from his nipple to his crotch.

“Aksel...” he whispered in confusion.

“Does this help?” Aksel said around his nipple, his voice incredibly low. His hand was on the other nipple, pinching and kneading it as he sucked the right one.

“I... I don’t know,” Lucien said, looking at his dark head on his chest. The sensation of Aksel’s mouth on his nipple felt good, but it didn’t bring any relief. If anything, the ache seemed to be worsening, a hot throb starting between his legs. It took Lucien a moment to realize that he was hard.

Hard.

It was such an alien feeling. Because of his strong suppressants, erections were very rare for him, and usually he just ignored them until they eventually went away.

An alarm bell sounded somewhere at the back of his head and Lucien frowned dazedly.

Suppressants. Had he taken his pill that day?

He tried to remember, but his mind came back blank. But surely, even if he had skipped taking the pill once, it wouldn’t be a problem, right? Right?

His train of thought was interrupted when Aksel suddenly switched nipples, latching onto his left one and sucking hungrily, his hand kneading his right. Oh God. He felt too warm, too achy, yearning for something, needing something—something—

“Aksel,” he gasped out. “There’s something wrong with me... I need...”

“I know what you need,” Aksel ground out, pushing him onto the bed and settling between his thighs.

Lucien blinked up at him dazedly, trying to think, but all he could do was feel and smell. Fuck, Aksel’sscent.... It was suddenly so much stronger than it used to be, and Lucien was drowning, his mind hazy with need. He barely registered the strange, keening noise that left his own throat, and Aksel’s answeringgrowl. It was a real growl, andLucien stared.

Aksel’s eyes wereglowing. They were still blue, but the glow was supernatural now. Predatory. The eyes of an alpha.

“Aksel,” he whispered. “You’re presenting. Your first rut.” But it should have been impossible. The Xeus moon wasn’t full. In fact...

Aksel shook his head. “Not a real rut,” he said hoarsely, looking at Lucien in an odd, fixated manner. “A false one.”

A false one? Lucien wracked his foggy mind, trying to remember his biology books. Right. Alphas could have false ruts, or sympathy ruts, when a compatible omega they were close to was in heat.

But.

Lucien shook his head. “I can’t—I can’t be in heat,” he whispered, panic making his heart pound. Itwastrue that the Dainiri moon was close to being full, but... “I’m on suppressants!”

“You must have missed a dose or two,” Aksel said absently. “I’ve noticed that your scent has been stronger lately.”

“No, I can’t—I can’t be—” Lucien gasped, panic clogging his throat. His first and only heat had been the stuff of nightmares, utterly ruining his life. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—have another heat.

“Shhh,” Aksel said soothingly. Lucien breathed him in, his panic receding as Aksel’s strong, familiar scent washed over him, making him feel wonderfully safe.

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