You and Krueger grew up together. You always thought the two of you would end up together naturally. But after you came of age, Krueger quickly presented as an Alpha—tall, powerful, the envy of everyone around. Yet you still hadn’t presented.

At night, he locked himself in his room, and all you could do was stand outside his door, listening to his painful, stifled gasps. You gripped the doorknob with trembling hands.

“Don’t come in…” Krueger’s voice was thick with the primal hunger of an Alpha in rut. Leaning against the door, you asked softly, “Does it hurt that much?”

Suddenly, the door swung open from the inside. Krueger was drenched in cold sweat, his breathing ragged. He reached out and pulled you into his arms almost desperately, holding you so tightly you couldn’t break free.

“Don’t go,” he whispered in your ear, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar. “Just for a little while.”

You stiffly hugged him back. His breath grew hotter, his jaw grazing the side of your neck. He searched for the scent on your skin that could soothe his heat.

But there was nothing. You were still just an ordinary person who hadn’t presented. Your scent glands were as blank as a sheet of paper.

You felt your body grow hot and your legs go weak, but you knew that was only the illusion brought on by his overwhelming Alpha pheromones. Krueger looked down at you, his voice rough and full of disappointment. “Can’t you smell it? Can’t you feel me? Why does it have to be like this…”

You lowered your head, biting your lip to keep from crying. If only you were an Omega. You couldn’t even remember how many times he’d gone through this heat alone, how many nights he’d suffered all by himself.