Page 171 of Altius
“But why are his readings so off when mine—”
I froze, looking at Cal with fresh understanding. He wouldn’t worry about Wyatt to the degree he’d lose sleep or yank at his hair.
He’d only do that for me.
“I stopped looking at my readings after the doctor cleared me to drive. Am I like this, too?”
“Close, but not quite,” he said, opening the laptop to show a monthly summary of my hormone data. “The heat did reset your system, but the effects were temporary.”
He zeroed in on the date of Wyatt’s first away meet.
“You spiked here.” Clicking on the current date, my readings were almost identical. “And you’re doing it again right now.”
“But I feel fine.”
“Your version of fine would be misery for most people, Morgan. It was one thing while you were still on the maximumdose of suppressants and Wyatt hadn’t come back into your life, but now… Things are different. I’m afraid the two of you can’t be apart for more than twelve hours without negative consequences.”
I shook my head. “There’s got to be a workaround. He’s too good of a coach for pheromone bullshit to derail his career.”
Digging my thumbnail into the side of my pointer finger, I ran through everything I knew about effective treatments for waning syndrome.
“Can we fool his alpha with some of my unwashed clothes or by packing a few of my throw pillows in his suitcase? Or we could try to bottle my scent. Your study mentioned that it was particularly effective.”
He nodded. “There’s several things we can try—for both of you.”
Cal pulled up the dates I’d been in San Diego.
Scanning the data, I watched as my levels kept rising higher and higher, then went haywire on Saturday during the game.
When the pheromone bombs were at their worst, right before Amir got concussed.
With obvious reluctance, Cal zeroed in on the four-minute window of Garvey’s rampage.
Red.
Every single reading was bright, vivid red.
My pheromones had gone nuclear. And I’d had no idea.
Revulsion coiled within me. I pressed a hand to my mouth, trying to keep my emotions in check. “That’s why Dr. McEwen dismissed me. He couldn’t let me go with Amir to the hospital, because the smell of an omega in distress…”
“It’s unbearable,” Cal said, wrapping his arms around my waist, carefully shifting me forward, angling my injured side outward before pulling me into his lap.
“Alijah was beside himself. That’s why he insisted on washing and de-scenting you so thoroughly. Yes, Garvey left his stench all over you, but your pheromones were too much for him to handle.”
Fisting Cal’s sweater, I leaned against his chest, taking comfort in the steady rhythm of his heart. “Why didn’t he say anything?”
“Didn’t want to upset you, I think,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “You know, for a beta who didn’t grow up around omegas, the kid really impressed me. The video, getting you clean clothes and feeding you… Joaquin picked a good one.”
“Hey, what about me?” I leaned back, tugging on his scruffy chin. “He’s my boyfriend now, too. Don’t I deserve a little credit for my discerning eye for men?”
“I’ll give you all the credit you want.” Cradling the back of my head, Cal captured my mouth for a long, probing kiss.
Honeyed drops of his pheromones dulled my worries, half-convincing me that if I kissed him long enough, got my hands and mouth on his sweaty bare skin, that if he knotted me right here and refused to let me go, all my problems would be solved.
But my logical mind won out, as always.
Surfacing for air, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’ll text Chantal after we eat. See if we can move my next appointment to an earlier date.”
