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“Harry, please listen to me.” Said Louis, trying to sound angry while he tried to keep his eyes open, always getting pliant and sleepy when Harry buries his nose in his scent gland. While Harry kept leaving little kisses on his jaw, neck, and collarbones, he started to put his total weight on Harry as his arms dropped to his sides.
“Alpha, stop. I cannot fall asleep at school.” Louis tried one more time before it was too late.
“Sorry, I can’t get enough of you. It will never be enough.” Harry mentioned as he stopped scenting him and holding him firm in his arms. “Ever since you let me scent you, I want to do it every chance I get.” Added, leaving a kiss on his forehead.
“You know I love it when you scent me, but only when we are in my nest.” Louis blushed at the end of his sentence. It was only expected for the alpha to see their omega’s nest when the omega was ready to bond with them, and while they were both ready to bond, they decided to wait after graduating college.
“I am still not used to being scented, and your scent strongly affects me, silly alpha.” The omega giggled. It was a common thing for him to do since he started dating Harry.
Harry’s scent turned spicier with want as suppressed the growl that wanted to leave his throat.
“You cannot say those things without me getting hard.” His hands resting on Louis’ waist went down to his lower back, almost gripping his ass.
“Alpha!”
Louis gently pushed Harry away to keep a safe distance between them. “I know your rut is coming soon, but please control yourself.” He finished crossing his arms.
Harry laughed, putting his hands up and backing away a little more. “You are too precious for me, love.” Harry looked around to see if there were people in the hallway. When no people were found, he whispered, “I know you want my rut to start already more than I do. I know you love to spend two days with me alone in your nest while I knot you every chance I get.”
Louis let out a whine, looking at Harry with his pupils blown. “ Alpha,” Louis let out his omega voice. His sweet scent started getting heavier, and his knees started feeling weak. Harry quickly cut the distance between them and held his omega strong against him. Louis’ gaze was getting too hazy and glazed and quickly started rutting against Harry’s thigh.
Shit. Harry thought. Louis has this condition; when he gets too overwhelmed, his omega takes control.
“Lou, baby. Calm down; everything is fine.” He started scenting him again, leaving little kisses on his neck.
Louis didn’t seem to hear anything. Small whimper sounds started to fill the air, and the alpha became more agitated as time passed. All his alpha wanted was to keep his omega safe in the now dangerous place for the vulnerable omega. He looked around again; he didn’t want anyone to see his omega this vulnerable.
Harry held Louis tighter as he said, “Honey, please, I am sorry.” He tried again, leaving more firm kisses against his neck. He would not lick Louis because only mated and bonded couples did that, and he did not have Louis’ consent. Instead, he started to rub his hands against Louis’ back.
The whimpers started getting louder, and his pupils were almost covering the blue of his eyes. The alpha hated this, but he had to do it.
Harry continued rubbing Louis’ back up and down and kissing his neck when took a deep breath and said against the omega’s neck, “Omega, calm down.” He was not used to using his alpha voice on anyone. He did not like the lingering feeling after. Some alphas would feel empowered or in control, but Harry would only feel like a predator leaving the victim with no choice but to listen.
Harry noticed the moment Louis’ omega reacted to his voice. Louis suddenly stayed quiet and dropped his head, chin meeting his chest. Louis started trembling, something usual after being affected by the alpha voice.
Harry gently lifted Louis’ chin with his fingers and whispered against his lips, “I am so sorry, angel. I did not mean to trigger you. I am also sorry for using my alpha voice.” The alpha apologized, looking at him in the eyes.
“Don’t worry, Alpha,” Louis said, but Harry could see the embarrassment in the now clear blue eyes.
“Do did not do anything wrong,” Harry said as left little kisses all over Louis’ face. “You are perfect, omega.” He finished saying, and Harry felt proud of himself when he noticed the apprehension leaving louis body and mind.
*******
“Do you have to go to your practice today? Can’t you skip today’s?” Asked Harry, not looking at Louis, too busy trying to steal Niall’s chips. Their morning incident was already forgotten.
Louis was about to explain practice was essential to him when Niall interrupted with a growl.
“Stop it, Harry!” Mentioned the brunette boy trying to push the alpha’s hand away from his food.
“As I was about to explain, I cannot skip practice because I love ice skating, and I always work so hard to have those two hours a week free to enjoy my hobby,” said the omega looking at his alpha in the eyes. He reached for his hand, trying to stop him from eating Niall’s food and holding it.
He gently kissed Harry’s knuckles and added, “You know I would love for you to ice skate with me, but I know if I ask, you would say no, as always.” He finished, letting go of his hand to grab the burger he was eating, never stopping looking at him.
“Oh my God, do you guys mind not being so romantic in front of your single friend? It hurts being this single.” Niall said, trying to sound annoying when in reality, his scent announced he was delighted that his best friends were happy together.
Harry ignored his comment and said, “You know I'd rather watch your beautiful body move on the ice than be part of your routine, love.” Louis tried not to feel hurt by his comment; when thinking of a fun and cute activity to do with his alpha, he only focused on his body; at least, he mentioned that his body was beautiful.
He tried to laugh, but instead of the usual joyful sound that comes out when he laughs, he sounded in pain. He tried to cough to appear chill and started picking up his things from the table they were sitting at. Not looking at his boyfriend or best friend. He stood up and mentioned, “It’s okay, and maybe I look for a different alpha who, instead of objectifying me, is willing to try new things with his soon-to-be mate.” Louis tried not to sound hurt, but the omega's voice shook at the end of his sentence. He knows most omegas keep quiet because it is in their nature to keep the peace, but Louis is not like most omegas, and Harry knows that.
Louis quickly started walking away from them, leaving a trail behind him that smelled of sour berries. Harry’s breathing started to get heavier with each step Louis took. The alpha was taking over, and he only wanted to scent mark his omega to let every alpha know that Louis was his and only his to touch.
As he kept imagining Louis with another alpha, his need to claim got worse. Harry needed to make sure Louis knew to whom he belonged. Louis’ omega was destined to be with Harry’s alpha. No alpha should be able even to think that they had a chance to be with Louis.
When Louis turned right, entering a building to go to his next class, Harry stood up to follow him and make it clear Louis knew who he belonged to.
“Jesus, Christ!” Niall said, looking irritated.
“Your smell is too much to handle! Calm down!” Niall continued saying, covering his nose with his hand.
Harry didn’t answer, but he didn’t follow Louis. He just kept staring at the door at which he entered the building.
“Are you near your rut or something? Dumb alpha!” Niall said, trying to get Harry to sit down. He was not budging.
Niall’s scent started to smell more worried as the alpha didn’t register his words. “Harry, please calm down!”
Harry seemed to notice and sat down again. He was still trying to control his breathing and his frown face.
“I cannot let him leave. He will find another alpha, and I cannot permit that.” He answered with his throat feeling dry just by thinking of losing the omega. He buried his face on his hands, now being hunched over.
“You are such a knothead!” Niall protested, “He is obviously not going to look for a new alpha. You hurt his feelings horribly with that comment.” The omega stared at his alpha friend, waiting for his answer. Niall’s thought drifted quickly to the night he introduced them to each other. They were all in their first year, and they instantly felt they were meant to be together, whether as just friends or a couple. One night, Louis got into a fight with an alpha, and the alpha used his voice on him; Harry felt his alpha trying to come out to protect his omega, and at that moment, Harry knew that he was Louis’.
Harry took a deep breath before turning his head to look at Niall. “Yes.” It is the only thing he could get out.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, my next rut is soon.”
“How soon?”
“Next week.”
They both stared at each other for a while.
“Is that why you sounded like a knothead?” Niall asked.
“Yes, I’ve been fucking up all day,” he says, looking down, suddenly feeling his eyes water. Niall didn’t say anything waiting for him to continue.
“I just lose control sometimes when my rut is soon.” He took a deep breath and continued, “I did not mean to sound so superficial. I do love spending time with him. He is funny, intelligent, kind, and passionate about what he loves. I love him. I love who he is, I do not want him to find a better alpha.” His usual rainy-day scent turned into a more sour and rotted smell.
“First of all, calm down. He is not going to leave, and you know it. He adores the floor you walk on.” Niall said, trying to sound light-hearted, “You just need to apologize to him because you did sound like a stupid alpha, and you know why Louis loves you.” Yeah, Harry knows Louis loves his sensitive side and that he is not afraid to show his way of interacting the same way with everyone, no matter their gender.
“I will apologize; I’ll find him before his next class starts,” Harry said, sounding eager and picking his stuff up from the table quickly.
“Calm your knot. Give him time. You will apologize after his practice today.” Niall said as if it was nothing.
Harry looked at him with wide eyes and a huge smile.
Fuck. Niall thought.
“I have a better Idea.”
Niall knew Harry was about to fuck things up more.
******
"Do you really think interrupting Louis' practice is a good idea? You know how he gets when that happens."
Harry tried to hide his smile, looking at him in the eyes. "I know he will love this interruption. He is my omega, after all." He could smell how the previous sour smell turned into something more relaxing when Niall decided to believe him.
"Okay, maybe you are right. I mean, who doesn't like flowers," Niall said while opening the door of the skating center.
"Yeah! Plus, they are his favorite" Harry turned around, looking for the owner of the giggles he heard throughout the establishment. His heart started beating faster as he neared the ice rink. The giggles sounded louder with each step he took, and the smell of the sweetest omega started filling the air.
"Oh! Zayn! Please stop!" Louis laughed hard this time.
Harry did not expect to see his omega up in the air laughing this hard in the arms of another alpha while the alpha was spinning them around.
“Oh shit, this is bad.” Said Niall biting his pinky nail as Harry growled.
“What is this!” Harry mentioned walking towards the rigid plastic walls that covered the ice skating rink.
Louis immediately stopped laughing and looked at his boyfriend with wide eyes, color leaving his face.
“You need help with something?” Mentioned the dark-haired alpha. He seemed chill about the situation, not knowing about the last conversation the couple had.
“I- I can… I can explain this, Harry; please calm down.” Louis said, still in the air.
Harry’s pupils were blown out, and what was once green turned into black. All he wanted to do was attack the alpha that kept him away from his omega.
“Put my omega down.” Harry let his voice out for the second time in the day, adding emphasis to the my. This time it wasn’t to calm his omega down. This voice was filled with anger and possessiveness; almost every omega and beta lowered their heads.
Louis whimpered, lowering his head, and once Zayn put him down, the omega kneeled on the ice rink. He didn’t look put once.
“Dude, you need to chill. I don’t know who you think you are to use your voice on him, but it will not work for me.” The black-haired alpha said, while giving Louis a worried look trying to get Louis to get up. Louis would only whimper as he tried to keep himself kneeling.
Harry opened the little door they had to enter the ice rink and started walking towards them, not caring that he didn’t have ice skates on—the flowers were already forgotten, as well as his apology.
“Harry, you gotta breathe.” Niall tried to say, but as an omega, he couldn’t do much after hearing how angry he was.
“Zayn? What is going on?” said another voice from the other side of the rink.
“Liam, stay there. I think he’s gone feral.” Zayn mentioned as he put his hands in the air to show that he didn’t mean to harm.
“Listen, man, I was just trying to lift his mood a little bit; he seemed-” Zayn couldn't finish his sentence because the whimpers Louis was emitting were getting louder and more hurtful to hear.
Louis finally looked up, tears running down his face, “Please, stop being so mad, alpha. It's not what you think it is.” he barely finished saying as he stood up slowly, to reach for his alpha. He was starting to feel dizzy and disoriented.
Harry appeared to calm down. “You know why I came here? I came here because I’ve been acting like an ass, and I see you have the best time of your life with another alpha like you said you would, so I better leave now before I ruin your little moment more.” He finished his comment and turned around, unable to look at Louis in the face.
As soon as he turned around, high whines started filling the air. Every alpha around started cringing at that sound, wanting to help but knowing they would only worsen things.
“Alpha! Please! It is not what you think.” Louis tried to walk, but his knees felt too weak to move.
Harry kept walking, not turning around nor looking at Niall as he passed him.
“Harry, you are making a mistake,” Niall whispered. Harry didn’t turn to acknowledge him, but Niall knew he heard him.
As Harry left the building, Louis did not know what to do. Every person was staring at him, and he couldn’t process what happened. Zayn was trying to lift his mood because he cried the first twenty minutes of his practice, imagining how it would be with Harry there.
He was starting to feel cold and light-headed. He tried to look for Niall, but his eyes would not focus. He tried to shake his head and rubbed his eyes, but his hands were numbed.
“Louis? Are you okay?”
Louis was curious to know who asked that question. It sounded so far, and as if he was underwater, he took his time to understand what they said.
“I think he is going to drop.” Was that Zayn’s voice? He wasn’t sure. His vision was turning black around the edges, and he couldn’t even tell if he was still standing because he couldn’t feel his legs.
“Louis!” Was the last word Louis heard before feeling the cold ground against his back.
*******
Once Harry was outside of the ice skating center, he passed around the parking lot, not knowing what to do. He was conflicted because his human side wanted to talk to Louis to figure it out together, but his alpha was getting angrier with each breath he took. People started at him as they walked through the parking lot. Harry growled to no one and passed his hands through his hair to try to calm himself down, just like Louis did when Harry would get stressed over school.
He sits down on the floor and tries to reason with his alpha. He doesn’t know how long he stayed there, but Louis never came outside to see if Harry was there. His alpha immediately thought it was because he was having fun with that other alpha.
“Stop being so stupid!” Harry said to himself. He was pulling his hair roughly.
As he was about to stand up and leave, he heard the ambulance enter the parking lot. Harry wondered what the problem was, trying to look from his sitting position if someone needed help. The ambulance parks in a rush, parallel to how you should park right. In front of the ice skate center. Harry stood up suddenly feeling worried, when he was inside no one was hurt, what happened after he left. His alpha suddenly feels anxious again.
Three alpha paramedics leave the ambulance, determined to complete their job. One had a first aid kit, the other was strolling an emergency ambulance stretcher, and the last explained what they were about to do.
“Hey! Why are you here?” Harry said worry, not leaving his voice.
“Hey, kiddo, nothing to worry about. We are doing our job,” the alpha with the kit said, trying to move past Harry.
Harry let them through, but he followed inside. “Who is in danger?” he kept asking, feeling light-headed. What if it was Louis? He thought.
“An omega dropped. We are going to take them to the hospital to get the help they need there,” the alpha leader said, trying to sound calm about it, but he knew an omega drop in a public place was dangerous for the omega if it was not treated correctly.
All of a sudden, the only thing Harry could hear was the sound of his blood running through his ears. He sprinted towards the rink, leaving the paramedics behind.
“Hey, Stop!” One of the paramedics yelled.
As the alpha neared the rink, he could see a bunch of alphas, probably from a hockey team, in a circle looking down on someone. All of his body felt hot. He couldn’t handle people, especially alphas, seeing Louis so vulnerable like that.
Once inside the ice rink, he tried to run without falling on the ice towards the group. No one was paying attention to him. Everyone was too busy trying to help the distressed omega. He could them talk, deciding who was going to help. Then, all of a sudden, he heard a whimper.
“No! No one is going to help him. The paramedics are on their way!” Niall said, trying to growl at the end to warn the alphas that they were not welcome. So, that was the only thing stopping the alphas from getting closer to Louis.
He pushed some alphas out of his way, getting angry growls in return, but he managed to enter the small circle they created.
Niall was kneeling beside Louis hugging him, trying to cover his torso and face.
Harry rushes to Niall and touches his shoulder to make Niall know he is there.
As soon as Niall feels someone touching his shoulder, he lets out a distressed whine, “Please don’t come any closer!” Niall says, hugging Louis harder.
“Ni, it’s me,” Harry says in the calmest tone he can give him right now. Kneeling next to him.
“Oh, Harry. I am so fucking mad at you right now! I don’t even want to see you!” Niall says, his scent getting sourer by the second. His face is entirely red when he continues, “It’s your fault Louis is like this!”
Harry was about to say something when he heard all of the other alphas growling at him, considering him a threat. “Oh, come on!” Harry tries to defend himself when the paramedics show up once again.
“Okay, everyone back off! Back off!” the paramedic with the stretcher says. Magically everyone starts backing off, looking at the paramedics waiting for further instructions.
“Thank you guys for keeping an eye on him while waiting for us,” The leader paramedic says, “Now you can continue with your lives,” he finishes making a hand motion to clear the area. Every alpha starts to leave except Harry.
“I’ll stay; he is my omega,” Harry mentions, not taking his eyes off Louis.
“I am sorry, my friend, but the only person who is able to let you stay is the one in a drop. We are not going to let you scent him and stay with him because you could be lying.” The Alpha with the first aid mentioned.
“That’s bullshit! I am his alpha!” Harry was starting to get angry. There was no way he would leave Louis alone like this.
“I can smell he is not mated yet so you are not his alpha and your sour scent will only alter the omega more; please back away before we need to remove you,” one paramedic said.
A deep guttural growl left Harry’s mouth. His hands started to shake, and he showed his teeth to the now threat his alpha was sensing. He was about to move towards Louis to carry him and take care of him when the omega started to whimper in his drop.
“Please, Harry let them do their job,” Niall said almost in a whisper. That moved something in Harry’s chest. He suddenly felt guilty and full of shame for causing that much distress to the love of his life.
Harry lowered his head to show his submission and just stood there watching how unknown alphas manhandle his omega onto the stretcher and take him to the hospital. Niall stood beside him, not knowing what to do.
Once the alphas finished securing Louis’ body, they turned around, and one said, “Thank you for calling omega and for taking good care of your friend; not everyone is able to hold that many alphas.”
“Uh, oh, thank you!” Niall said, face turning red and scent turning sweeter. The alphas knew that he needed praise after a stressful situation.
“Okay, we’ll take him to the hospital, and he will get better there with the help of professionals,” The alpha said.
“Could we go with you?” Niall said, giving the paramedics puppy eyes.
“Do you know him?” one asked him.
“Yeah, he is his boyfriend.” Niall sighed, scent getting sour again, remembering all the previous events that led to his moment.
Harry stood there trying to make himself look less threatening as if he hadn’t bared his teeth to them less than 5 minutes ago.
“Okay, we don’t have much time,” the paramedic leader mentioned, looking serious again.
“Is he going to be okay?” Harry asked, “He has his condition, where his omega takes control when he gets overwhelmed.” He started thinking of all the possible negative outcomes.
“We should hurry then! We don’t want him to get in a coma,” and with that, the paramedics started running Niall and Harry behind them.
Niall turned around and said, “If I lose my best friend, I will never forgive you.” Eyes cold, face stoic.
Harry couldn’t do anything but start crying. What had he done?