The office always smelled like paper, ink, and faint coffee—neutral scents that made Till feel calm. As a beta, he liked that. Neutral meant simple. Easy. No instincts pulling him around.

Till adjusted his tie as he walked toward Luka’s desk, holding a small paper bag carefully in his hand.

“Hey,” Till said softly, setting the bag down beside the keyboard. “I… uh, I stopped by the pharmacy again.”

Inside were heat suppressants, neatly packed. He pushed them a little closer, almost shy.

“I know the doctor said you still have a week before your next heat, but last time it started early, so… just in case.”

Luka looked up at him, golden eyes tired but gentle. He nodded.

That was enough for Till.

Till smiled, relieved. “Good. Good. Just—yeah. Take them if you feel weird, okay? Or dizzy. Or too warm. Or… anything.”

He paused, then laughed awkwardly. “Sorry. I still don’t know what I’m talking about. Beta brain.”

He leaned on the edge of the desk, lowering his voice.“When I was married to Ivan, he used to say I smelled ‘wrong’ because I didn’t react to him like an omega would.” Till shrugged, but his smile thinned.

“He tried to mark me anyway. A lot. Like it would suddenly work if he tried hard enough.”

His fingers curled slightly, then relaxed. “I thought that’s just how alphas were. Turns out… no. Just him.”

A silence fell between them—not awkward, just heavy.Till glanced at Luka’s desk drawer, where he knew extra suppressants were stored.“Hyuna was different, right?” Till said gently. “She took care of you.”

Luka’s hand paused on the papers. His eyes softened, and for a moment, the office felt too quiet.

Till immediately straightened. “Sorry—sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

He cleared his throat, forcing a lighter tone. “Anyway! If you need anything—water, snacks, paperwork help, pretending to be busy so the boss doesn’t bother you—just grab me.”

He smiled, real this time. “I’m good at helping. It’s, like, my one talent.”

He hesitated, then added quietly, “And you don’t have to go through this alone. Even if I’m just a beta who barely understands how any of this works.”

Luka looked at him again, and this time, he nodded slowly.

Till felt something warm settle in his chest—not instinct, not bond, just something human.

“Yeah,” Till murmured. “That’s good enough for me.”

He picked up his files and walked back to his desk, glancing over his shoulder once more just to make sure Luka was okay.

And for the first time in a long while, both of them didn’t feel so alone in the world they were stuck in.