The engine of the SUV hummed, a low, constant vibration that seemed to mirror the frantic pulse beating in Felix's neck. The city lights blurred into streaks of color outside the tinted windows, but inside, the darkness was absolute, broken only by the faint glow of the dash and the golden fire in Jake's eyes.
Jake's hand remained anchored on Felix's thigh, the weight and heat radiating through the thin fabric of his uniform. It was a silent, constant reminder of the Alpha's presence and claim.
"You're trembling again, little one," Jake observed, his voice a deep, rough velvet. "Do you know how rare this is? For an Alpha in rut to find his match so immediately, on the street?" He leaned closer, the movement slow and deliberate, filling the remaining space between them.
Felix swallowed hard, tasting the metallic tang of adrenaline. "It's terrifying," he admitted, the words barely a breath. The air, thick with Jake's potent musk, was starting to feel heavy, almost liquid. "I shouldn't be feeling this way. I came here for an autograph, not…" He trailed off, unable to articulate the primal, desperate ache spreading through his core.
Jake's thumb stroked the sensitive skin of Felix's inner thigh, a slow, mesmerizing rhythm that made Felix gasp. "*Mmmph*," he moaned, the sound muffled and involuntary.
"Not what, Felix?" Jake prompted, his voice laced with amusement. "Not a biological imperative that overrides every single rule and social construct you've been taught? That's what we are, Omega. Instinct." Jake's eyes narrowed slightly, the gold intensifying. "Tell me about your heat cycle. When was your last suppression shot?"
Felix shook his head, pressing his spine into the cool leather, seeking distance that wasn't there. "Three weeks ago. They're supposed to last a month. But your scent… it's like a trigger. I can feel the suppressants failing, like a dam breaking. *Haaaaah*." He sucked in a ragged breath, trying to draw in air that wasn't saturated with the Alpha's essence.
"Good," Jake purred, a low, satisfied sound that vibrated deep in Felix's chest. "Those chemicals were cheating nature. We're returning to baseline, darling. That's what this is." He shifted his body, angling toward Felix. "Tell me what you smell now, Felix. Tell me what my rut smells like to your heat."
Felix closed his eyes, overwhelmed. He focused on the scent, trying to describe the indescribable pull. "It's… woodsmoke. And rain on hot earth. It's heavy. And… and it smells like safety. Like I should be under you, safe from everything else." The confession was humiliating, yet completely honest.
"Exactly," Jake confirmed, his voice thick with triumph. "Submission isn't weakness, Felix. It's recognizing where you belong. You ran away to find me, didn't you? You didn't just want to see the actor. You wanted the Alpha."
"I didn't know!" Felix insisted weakly, though even to his own ears, the denial sounded hollow. He had felt the pull toward Jake's celebrity for years, a fixation that now felt terrifyingly biological.
Jake leaned in until their foreheads were almost touching. The scent of his breath—mint and the deep, masculine musk of his rut—was dizzying. "Stop lying to yourself. The moment my eyes changed, you knew. And you stayed. You stayed even after I ordered you not to move. Why?"
Felix trembled, his resistance finally crumbling under the weight of the Alpha's gaze and the relentless heat in his own body. He couldn't help the high-pitched, desperate sound that tore from his throat. "*Ah!* Because I couldn't move. I felt tethered. I felt… claimed."
Jake's smile returned, slow and devastating. He didn't need to speak. The victory was palpable in the air, in the sudden intensity of his gold eyes. He lifted his hand from Felix's thigh, and Felix instantly felt the loss, a chill where the heat had been. Before Felix could protest, Jake reached around his back and unzipped the heavy, weighted backpack, pulling it off Felix's shoulders and tossing it onto the floor.
"No distractions," Jake murmured, his fingers brushing the nape of Felix's neck where his scent gland pulsed hotly beneath the skin. "You're here now. We're almost there."
The SUV slowed, turning sharply into a subterranean garage. The silence of the secure space was broken only by the gentle *shhh* of the tires on the concrete. Marcus, the Beta guard, opened Jake's door, but before he could speak, Jake had already grabbed Felix, pulling him out into the cool, sterile air of the private parking area.
"No contact with staff, Marcus," Jake instructed, his voice ringing with authority. "Double the scent blockers on this level. We are not to be disturbed for seventy-two hours."
"Understood, Mr. Thorne," Marcus replied, his voice neutral.
Jake didn't wait. He guided Felix toward a private elevator, the walls mirrored and cool. As the doors slid shut, sealing them inside, Jake finally released Felix's wrist, only to wrap both arms around his waist, pulling the smaller boy flush against his chest.
"*Clunk*," went the sound of the elevator locking into a high-rise ascent.
"You feel so good, so soft," Jake whispered, burying his face in Felix's hair, inhaling deeply. "Your scent is so clean, a perfect match for the filth I feel right now."
Felix gasped, tilting his head back, giving Jake better access to his neck. The Omega scent was now fully blooming, sweet and intoxicating, mixing dangerously with the Alpha's rut. He felt Jake's hardness pressing against him, a solid, undeniable promise.
"We are home," Jake announced, the elevator chiming softly as it opened onto a breathtakingly luxurious penthouse foyer. The space was sleek, minimalist, and silent.
"I… I can't breathe," Felix choked out, the overwhelming combination of desire and fear making his lungs seize.
Jake didn't let go. He simply bent and lifted Felix into his arms, holding him with surprising gentleness. "You will breathe, Felix. You will breathe my air, and you will learn to love it." He started walking, heading toward a set of double doors. "Now, let's get you out of that ridiculous school uniform."