章 21: Chapter 20
~August's point of view~
A warm, soft body pressed against mine. I shifted, confused, and then remembered that I was staying at Malcolm's place. Apollo was curled up next to me on the couch, breathing deeply, completely asleep.
I moved slowly, trying not to wake the wolf as I got up. I rummaged through the cabinets as quietly as I could, eventually finding a glass, which I poured ice-cold water in. Staring at the sleeping form of Apollo, I took little sips. My stomach grumbled, alerting me of its hunger. I frowned; hadn't I just eaten breakfast?
<It's late afternoon, August. You were sleeping,> Echo said, faint traces of amusement in her voice.
<Really?>
<Yes, Sleeping Beauty, good morning. Nice of you to grace us with your majestic presence.>
<Oh, shut up.> I rubbed the last bit of drowsiness from my eyes, blinking. I got a good night's sleep before I came here, yet the moment I relaxed I was hit with a wave of tiredness.
<Less of a wave and more of a tsunami.>
<Perhaps, but. . . should this be something to worry about?> I asked, setting down the glass and wringing my hands. <I couldn't be preg-->
<Of course not!> Echo said fiercely, almost growling. <We've not had our heat in years. It's impossible!>
My wolf was right, yet I couldn't help but feel more conscious of my body. Without heats, conceiving was not possible by any means; that was just the way it worked, the way it was taught back at my old pack. I vividly remember a few lessons as a pup, one of which included pregnancy in male omegas.
<Don't stress about it,> Echo said gently. <We'll ask Malcolm about it when he wakes up.>
I nodded, glancing at the golden wolf still snoozing away on the sofa. I cracked a small smile; wolves didn't fall asleep next to someone they were uncomfortable with. It was simply part of our wild animal instinct as werewolves.
Of course, this instinct didn't always apply, especially if you were drugged and raped until you didn't even know your own name anymore. I shuddered, taking a deep breath to keep control. This earned a proud purr from Echo, who nuzzled the sides of my mind.
<I'm proud of you,> she whispered. <Proud to have such a strong half.>
<Same here. If it weren't for you, I probably would have-->
<But you do have me, so don't even think of such things,> Echo said sternly, <and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.> She flopped down on her side as if to prove her statement.
<Aww, what a shame,> I teased, getting a playful snap of jaws in reply.
Despite my growling stomach, I decided to head to my borrowed room, somehow still being tired even after sleeping the majority of the day away. I slid under the covers, feeling weird as I did so. They smelled like Malcolm-- the slight musk of cologne, fresh, warm laundry, and spring winds.
I snuggled deeper, pressing my face into the pillow, taking in his wonderful scent. I fell asleep faster than ever before, enveloped in the gentle fragrance.
~Malcolm's point of view~
<Malcolm! Malcolm, get up!>
The urgent cry of Apollo instantly roused me from the couch. I jumped up, wrapping a blanket around my naked body. I did not recall shifting back; it must have happened unconsciously.
Apollo was panting, running in tight, frantic circles. <What is it?> I asked, glancing around for anything amiss.
<August!> he panicked. <Can't you smell it?>
I paused, lifting my head and drawing in a long breath. A thick, violent scent hit me in full force, so uncalled for that I staggered back. My heart pounded so fast I could hear it, the steady thump thump thump of blood rushing in my body.
But. . . No, that couldn't be. . .
<Yes, it is!> Apollo shouted, his voice full of distress.
<That's not even possible!> I said back, rushing to August's room. <Not. . . possible. . .>
I stilled upon seeing his form, twisted in discomfort, his uneven breathing and skin flushed. August whimpered, clutching the bed covers under his chin tightly. He looked so pitiful, just lying there, unable to do anything to help the heat coursing through him.
I rushed in, yanking on a loose pair of sweatpants I'd grabbed along the way. The scent was especially thick inside the bedroom, trapped in an unventilated space. It was enough to make my head go dizzy, my own body flushing the slightest.
The bath. I would make him a cold bath, let him rest in that, then put cool compresses over his body. And suppressants. . . while medication could not completely dispel a heat or rut, it can make the burning sensations calm down enough for one to be mildly uncomfortable.
"August," I said, gently transferring him into my arms. "August, can you hear me?"
"Mn," was his reply, pressing his face into my neck, nosing the small dip of my shoulder.
I suppressed a shiver, making my way to the bathroom and setting him down in the tub, turning on the water to a lukewarm temperature. Water too cold would put in him into a state of shock, and that was something I didn't need right now.
"Malcolm," August murmured fervidly, "Malcolm, it's. . . it's too hot. . ."
"I know, I know," I responded, taking off his shirt, dipping it in the water to sponge his burning forehead. "Just rest here for a little bit, okay? It'll get better soon."
"N-no," he choked out. "It hurts. . . Malcolm, make it go away!"
"Hold on, I'll get something to make it calm down." I trashed the medicine cabinet, searching for a small bottle of suppressants. They were made for an alpha's ruts, not heats, but should still provide some relief while being safe. I grabbed a small paper cup and two pale red pills, rushing back to August.
"Here, you have to swallow." I prodded a pill against his lips, but they didn't budge. "August, you have to swallow this," I repeated, pressing harder.
He shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. I set the suppressants aside to turn off the water, silencing the bathroom, the only sounds being August's weak whimpers and moans. I grabbed his ripped T-shirt, sopping up more water to wrap it around his shoulders. Cupping my hands, I rubbed water in his hair, massaging his scalp in hopes of making him more relaxed.
Once his muscles grew less tense, I tried the suppressants again but to no avail. "August, please," I whispered, gripping the sides of the bathtub. "This'll make it better. . ."
<Feed it to him,> Apollo spoke up. <Right now, he's scared and confused. He won't want to eat anything, let alone. . .> he trailed off, but I understood.
August was worried of being drugged again. I never wanted to force him on anything, but in this state of mind he was on the defensive and wouldn't be able to make the choice to take a suppressant without a fight.
Feed it to him.
I also didn't want to force that on him, either, but the circumstances have changed. I popped both pills in my mouth, took a sip of water, and pressed my lips on his. I probed my tongue to open up an entrance so the pills could fall through; August welcomed my touch, wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling me closer.
I startled, bracing my arms against the side of the tub so I didn't fall in, keeping our lips locked in a fierce kiss.
I could only hope that he had swallowed the suppressants, as I was too distracted to pay attention.
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