Chapter Twenty-three

Author’s Note: This story is set in an alternate universe, in an imaginary town and country, and during an ambiguous time period.

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When Monday morning rolled around, Kazir felt worse than he had on Sunday—and Sunday had been worse than Saturday. Each day, he was getting progressively worse. His body felt heavy—a weight pressing down on his chest. He felt drained, feverish, and uneasy, the vivid dreams from the weekend still clinging to him like a shadow. That freaking sesame seed behind his ear tormented him, when he was awake and in his dream.

Kazir had never realized how healthy his sex drive was or how pent up he had been until that weekend. It all left him feeling grossed out.

He slipped a mask over his face as an extra precaution as he stepped out to complete his day’s work. His body felt off—he wasn’t sure if his nighttime activities were the leading cause of his current state, but he knew something was wrong, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

The moment he stepped into the office lobby, fate had its way with him. Walking in the same direction, with a casual expression, was Adisa.

Kazir’s pulse quickened immediately, heat creeping up the back of his neck as memories from his dreams resurfaced. He averted his eyes, trying to hide the guilt and alarm rising inside him.

He hoped Adisa would ignore him, but he knew that was a farfetched wish.

“Good morning,” Adisa’s voice was soft but reserved, and Kazir cursed inwardly as he caught the worried look on Adisa’s face. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kazir muttered, brushing him off. He quickened his pace, not wanting Adisa near him—not with all the confusing, humiliating thoughts swirling in his mind. And he didn’t want to embarrassingly look behind his ear, or have his real thoughts and feelings reflect on his face.

Adisa frowned, his gaze scanning Kazir closely. “Are you sure? You don’t look well.” He paused, his nostrils flaring slightly, as if he caught a scent in the air. His eyes darkened with recognition, and Kazir’s stomach twisted.

“Wait… Kazir. Are you sure you should be at work?” Adisa’s voice dropped to a whisper, his eyes locking onto Kazir’s. “Are you… feeling okay?” he asked delicately.

Kazir’s heart raced, panic flashing across his face. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry.

“No. No, I’m fine,” he said, his voice strained. The lie came out smoother than he expected, but Adisa didn’t seem convinced. His brow furrowed as if he wanted to say more, but after a moment, he let it go. “Alright… but—” He stopped, catching himself. His worried gaze ran over Kazir, studying him.

Kazir hurried off before Adisa lost his battle with his willpower and said what he truly wanted to say.

He felt suffocated—every second around Adisa felt like a ticking time bomb. What if Adisa kept pushing? What if the truth slipped out? His body was betraying him, and no matter how much he tried to deny it, he could feel the heat building inside whenever he looked at Adisa or was near him.

What was going on?

He realized he needed to schedule an appointment to have his dosage increased again before the one-month preliminary period was up, stepping off the elevator and heading to his office.

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Work became unbearable as the morning dragged on. 

His temperature started to rise, and his head started to feel heavy, like he was swimming through fog. At one point, his vision blurred, and the buzzing conversations around him became too loud, too much. His body was burning up from the inside, the sensation growing stronger by the minute.

It wasn’t until Ngozi stopped by his desk, her worried expression piercing through his haze, that he realized just how bad it had gotten.

“Kazir, you look awful,” she said, her voice tinged with concern. “Maybe you should go home—no,” she shook her head, brow furrowed. “Maybe you should go to urgent care. You don’t look well at all.”

He blinked at her, barely processing her words. He knew he should go to urgent care. Because even he didn’t know what was going on with his body, but he did know he had never felt this bad before. He couldn’t place his symptoms.

Even if he did want to leave, he couldn’t drive in the state he was in. He would be a danger on the road. He had no one he could ask for help, he realized. His heart sank.

Maybe this was what his parents meant when they urged him to find someone—a companion, someone he could call on when he was sick. He hated how alone and ashamed he felt at that thought.

Feeling nauseous and on the brink of tears, Kazir momentarily pressed his palms to his face, rubbing his wet eyes. Even his eyes hurt. His whole body hurt, and he felt sticky all over.

He needed to go home.

Who could he ask for help? His mind scrambled for options, but no one seemed safe. No one... except...

“Kazir,” Ngozi's soft voice jerked him from his breakdown. She extended a hand and softly ran her palm down his back. The pressure felt nice on his sore muscles.

“No. I’m fine,” he said, sitting up.

His words proved false when, only ten minutes after his declaration, he got up to cross to the printer, and his head spun so fast he dropped to his knees. He had no choice but to go home after the team lead helped him up. He had started sweating, and judging by the look on her face, he knew he looked as horrible as he felt.

“You can’t stay any longer. Who can I call?” she asked.

“I understand,” he muttered, chewing the inside of his cheek, trying to swallow down his mortification.

“Give me a moment, please. I’m just going to go wash my face,” he said after sitting down and sipping a bit from a water bottle. Slowly, he made his way to the bathroom. He knew he needed to go home.

She frowned at him. “If I…” She stopped. “You’re a beta, right, Kazir?”

His heart thundered in his chest.

“Why?” he responded weakly.

She shook her head and gently squeezed his shoulder. “Never mind. You have a really bad cold. Go home.”

“Okay. Umm, let me go wash up, and I’ll... umm... call—”

She nodded sympathetically.

As he walked out of her office, the storm raging in his head finally calmed down and he realized what he should have known since Saturday.

He wasn’t sick, he was starting his heat.

Writer's Note:

Hey, everyone! 🌟

I’m thrilled to let you know that I’ll be updating every day this week until the beginning of December! 🎉 I’d absolutely love to hear your thoughts, so if you have anything to share, please don’t hesitate. Your feedback means the world to me!🔥😉

Let’s chat in the comments—can’t wait to hear from you! 💬

Happy reading,
L 💕