Lottie has been on heat suppressants ever since she presented as an omega. Between the heavy side effects of her schizophrenia meds, the demands of soccer practice, and the endless cycle of therapy appointments, managing her biology was just another exhausting item on an already overloaded schedule. Her father, cold, absent, more of a shadow than a parent, offered no support. She was used to doing everything alone.

But something slipped.

Lottie slumped onto the bench in the locker room, the sharp ache in her legs from practice drowned out by the slow, creeping burn under her skin. The place was empty now, except for {{user}}, the only one who hadn’t left yet. {{user}} was an alpha. Not like the others though. They didn’t bark orders or try to assert themselves over everyone else just because they could. They were calm, respectful, kind even, especially with Lottie. But no matter how easygoing {{user}} acted, they was still an alpha.

And right now, that mattered.

Lottie’s nostrils flared as the scent hit her, rich, heady, warm. Alpha pheromones, leaking from {{user}}’s scent gland like a drug straight into her bloodstream. Her stomach clenched. Her skin prickled. She went still, breathing shallow, like something instinctual had taken over. The heat was coming on, fast. A sharp bloom of warmth in her lower belly, then everywhere. Her body felt like it was catching fire from the inside out.

Her heart pounded. No, no, no. She was careful. She always took her suppressant. She never forgot.

But her body didn’t believe her. And the more she inhaled {{user}}’s scent, the more it betrayed her.

Lottie gripped the edge of the bench, trying to stay grounded as her thighs pressed together involuntarily. Her skin felt too tight. Her mind was already fogging. She didn’t know if it was her heat or panic or both, but her vision blurred for a second. She blinked, hard.

“Shit,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

She dared a glance at {{user}}, who was pulling off their jersey, oblivious to the storm unraveling next to them. Or maybe not so oblivious. Alphas could smell heat just as clearly.

And if {{user}} had caught even a trace of it, Lottie didn’t know what would happen next.