Page 8 of All That We Keep
Quentin runs a hand through his hair, looking like he's been dreading this conversation since the moment he walked through our front door. "I would say so as well under normal circumstances, but it seems like being around another Omega for an extended period is forcing Blake's biology in a certain direction that we don't typically see."
Grayson shifts in his chair, his eyes moving between the device and the doctor's concerned face. "So, Blake is becoming a Beta instead of an Omega?"
"No, not really." Quentin shakes his head, his expression growing more serious as he tries to explain something that clearly doesn't have easy answers. "We have several terms for designations that are kind of... in between, I guess? Not lesser in the slightest, just different from the standard three categories that most people are familiar with."
"But how is he presenting so late?" I ask. "He already presented as an Omega years ago. I’ve never heard of someone’s designation changing after becoming an Omega."
Quentin chuckles nervously, the sound lacking any real humor as he fidgets with his medical equipment. "Designations can fluctuate more than most people realize. It can be a very fluid thing, especially in a pack dynamic like yours where there are multiple mates and now multiple Omegas with different needs and biological pressures."
Maceo huffs out a frustrated laugh. "I still don't understand what's happening to him. He's tired all the time, his scent is sweet as fuck, and I can't decide whether I want to fuck him or coddle him." He pauses, a blush creeping up his neck as he realizes what he just said. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but fuck."
I can't help but chuckle at Maceo's bluntness, having never heard him be so direct about his feelings regarding any of our pack dynamics. Usually, he's more silent and giving, but Blake's condition has clearly been affecting him more than he's been letting on.
"It's fine," I assure him. "We're all worried about him, and you're not saying anything that the rest of us haven't been thinking."
"Those reactions you're having are completely normal, given what's happening with Blake's biology. His scent changes aretriggering instinctual responses in all of you." Quentin explains as he meets each of our gazes. It seems that there’s something more than just fluctuating biology, though. "You're not going to like what I'm going to tell you. Blake's biology is completely in flux right now. He's presenting more like what we call a Delta at this moment, but his body is trying to match Luca's pheromones and biological needs."
"What does that mean exactly?" Grayson asks, though from his tone I can tell he's not sure he wants to hear the answer.
"It’s a mixture of two things. All of that protective, Alpha-like drive is really that addition to his Omega designation. I don’t think he’ll ever be an Alpha, just that his pheromones are changing and morphing in that direction. His protective instincts are at an all-time high, a very Delta-like trait that usually presents in the loss of some of the Omega traits. However, Luca's pregnancy hormones and pheromones are also drawing Blake into another heat cycle so that he can reproduce alongside him. The problem is that I'm not sure his body is ready for that kind of biological stress, especially with everything else he's dealing with."
The thought of Blake going through a heat while he's already sick and exhausted makes my chest ache. He can barely handle his normal workload right now, and the idea of adding the intensity of a heat cycle on top of everything else feels like it would break him completely.
"How can we help him?" I point to the little device, hoping that Quentin has concrete answers and not just suggestions. I need more than wishes and pills at this moment.
"This is the hard part, because I know you can't make him quit his job since he owns the damn company. But he's going to need you - your knots, your cum, the biological support that only Alphas can provide. He might not specifically ask for it," Quentin lets out a nervous chuckle, "but you'll be able to tell when he getsa little drained or his symptoms worsen. There are nutrients in an Alpha’s release that an Omega and even a Delta absolutely need to maintain their health during times of biological stress."
A growl slips out into the air, my attention falling on Grayson as his expression darkens. "What aren't you telling us? There's something else, isn't there?"
"Blake is already stressed and very attached to Luca. I didn't want to add to his stress level by discussing this in front of him, but if he does fully present as a Delta..." He trails off, chewing his lip nervously before he finds the right words. “While there won't be many dramatic changes if he fully transitions to a Delta designation, he'll be completely incapable of having children. I know that this is the worst possible timing with everything else that's going on, but biologically speaking, he won't be able to father children as an Omega or conceive them as the other partner."
I know in some part that Blake wants children of his own someday, beyond just the twins that Luca is carrying for our pack. He's mentioned it in passing and I can see it in the way his eyes light up when he talks about teaching our kids to code or showing them how to build things with their hands. The thought of having to tell him that his biology might be taking that possibility away from him permanently feels like it would devastate him completely.
It will be a hard conversation to have under the best of circumstances, but it will be one we'll need to have nonetheless. Blake deserves to know what's happening to his own body, especially if there are decisions he needs to make about his future. Keeping this kind of medical information from him would be a betrayal of the trust he's placed in all of us as his pack.
"How long do we have before we need to talk to him about this?" I ask, dreading the answer but needing to know our timeline.
"Maybe a week or two at most? I wouldn't wait too long, especially if his symptoms continue to worsen." He starts gathering the few pieces of his equipment to put away. "The longer his biology stays in flux like this, the more permanent any changes might become."
Grayson groans from his position across the table, running both hands through his long brown hair in pure frustration. "Fuck."
Maceo seems to have a better handle on all of this than we do or maybe he just wants to escape, our Beta pushing away from the table to head up to our Omegas. No doubt they chose the room at the end of the hall with the most space and the lower ceiling.
Our Beta throws me a small nod before squeezing Grayson’s shoulder. "I'll go upstairs and check on them. Make sure they're settling in okay and see if Blake needs anything."
Quentin looks up from packing his medical bag. "Blake would really do well with a knot right now, you know. Both of them, but especially Blake given what his body is trying to do right now." There's a moment of nervous laughter around the table, all of us kind of looking at each other before Quentin catches onto the awkwardness of the moment. "Did I miss something important about your pack structure?" He turns specifically to Maceo, his head tilted with curiosity. "Wait, Maceo, do you have a knot?"
Maceo nods, though I can see a slight flush creeping up his neck at the direct question about his anatomy.
"I thought you were a Beta.”
Maceo shifts his weight from one foot to the other, looking slightly uncomfortable with the attention. "I am, well, I was born an Alpha but..." He trails off, seeming to search for theright words to explain something that he's probably never had to articulate to anyone other than us before.
Quentin's eyes light up with understanding as he sets his medical bag back down on the table. "I just told you about fluctuating biology and designations being more fluid than most people realize. You don't have to be strictly one thing or the other." His voice takes on the excited tone of a researcher encountering something fascinating. "Sometimes there is an in-between designation that bridges multiple categories. Would you mind submitting to a blood test? I'd love to see your results. It might give you some clarity."
Maceo glances at me for permission, and I nod my approval. If there's more we need to understand about our pack dynamics and it could put Maceo’s mind at ease, I’m all for it.
The blood draw is just as quick as it was with Blake’s, Quentin pulling out a second little device to fill up with the same little A, B, O lines. This time around, I can see markers in between those lines, much smaller letters attached to them, though I can’t make them out.
