*A while passes…*
Time passes differently in hospitals.
Hours feel endless, stretching like melting taffy around waiting and watching and hoping for a spark of life. But there are moments of peace, too: quiet moments where sunlight slips through the window, illuminating the room in a warm glow, and the world doesn't seem so big or scary.
Sometimes, those moments are stolen.
Like the feeling of a heartbeat under your fingers, the warmth of skin against skin. The sound of breathing, quiet and steady. The smell that you could breathe in forever.
The clock ticks gently on the wall, seconds passing in measured silence. Soft light filters in through half-ajar curtains. The room falls into a quiet rhythm: *beep-beep*, *inhale*, *exhale*….
Jake watches Felix sleep, the rise-and-fall of his chest the only movement in the room.
He can't help reaching out, running gentle fingers through the soft blonde hair, tracing Felix's sleeping face. *It's him*, Jake thinks—heart swelling so hard it feels like it might break. *My Omega*.
Felix stirs slightly under Jake's touch, a soft sigh escaping his lips as if even in sleep, he recognizes the warmth of his Alpha. His fingers twitch on the blanket—searching.
Jake gently takes them. "I'm here," he whispers. "Right where I belong."
And for the first time in days... Felix smiles in his sleep.
Jake leans forward slowly and presses a featherlight kiss to the back of Felix's hand—the kind meant not for passion, but promise.
The heart monitor keeps its steady *beep-beep*
The room stays quiet
But something has changed
Not fixed—not yet
But healing
And that? Is more than enough
Jake sat there a while—just breathing in the quiet, watching Felix sleep. He counted the rise and fall of his chest, listened to the soft *beep-beep* of the heart monitor, traced the lines of Felix's face with his eyes.
It was peaceful… almost.
Except for those lingering thoughts—the ones he couldn't quite shake. The doubts, the questions, the fear whispering in the back of his mind.
*Will Felix ever forgive me for losing control? Will he recover fully? Will he still want me after all this?*
Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair and leaning back in his chair. He should *trust* that Felix would be okay. The doctors had all said the signs were good, the treatment was working... but the worry twisted in his gut anyway.
His phone buzzed suddenly in his pocket, jolting him out of his thoughts.
He pulled it out as the heart monitor kept its steady rhythm.
*One message from an unknown number*
Jake frowns, brow furrowing as he opens the message. It could be something important, he supposed, even if it was from an unknown number...
The content of the message made him sit bolt upright.
A single picture: a blurry, grainy image of a hospital room. Dark and dingy and not at all familiar... but with one horrifyingly *distinctive* figure slumped against the bed-rail...
*...Felix.*
Jake's breath caught in his throat, pulse slamming hard against his ribs.
The image was low quality—but there was no mistaking that messy gold hair, the pale curve of Felix's cheek, the way his hand dangled limply off the side of the bed. And on top? A timestamp: *14 minutes ago.*
His eyes flicked back to Felix—real, breathing, chest rising and falling steadily in sleep. Right here. Safe.
Then who…?
Jake's fingers tightened around the phone as a cold realization slithered down his spine.
This wasn't a warning.
It was a *trap.*
And it could only have one sender.
---
Anger flared hot and fast in his chest. Anger that someone would dare to threaten Felix's safety. Anger that he'd been tricked, manipulated, played like a fool. But above all, anger that he hadn't been the one to keep Felix safe.
Jake's nostrils flared as he clenched his jaw. He would deal with this. *Personally.*
He stood from the chair, slipping phone into his pocket as he pulled on his jacket. "I'll be right back, babe," he whispered, kissing Felix's forehead. "Love you."
He made his way quickly out of the room, barely even noticing the nurses and orderlies at their stations as he walked. His mind was racing with possibilities: how much time did he have? Who was this person? Had they hurt Felix? *Damnit, he should have known this would happen…*
Jake clenched a fist, pushing down the sudden flare of rage. *Later*, he told himself. *He could deal with his anger later.* For now, he had one priority: get to Felix as fast as possible.
Jake pushed open the door to the stairwell in the hall. It was empty, just concrete and metal echoing around him. Good. He sprinted up the stairs, taking each turn as fast as he could without losing his footing.
*Faster*, he thought, the sound of his feet pounding on the stone steps almost drowning out the blood roaring in his ears.
*Hurry, hurry, damn it...*
He burst through the door at the top of the fifth floor, gasping for air—lungs burning from the effort. But he shook it off, eyes searching the hallway for room numbers.
*Where was it? Come on, where was it...?*
Finally, he saw it—Room 512, tucked away in the corner where few people ever went. *Perfect.*
Jake paused in front of the door, taking a shaky breath. He could handle this, he told himself. He'd been a soldier, he could keep it together. He just had to keep focused on the mission: get Felix, get out, make sure he was safe.
Slowly, quietly, he pushed the door open.
The room was dark—only slivers of street lamp light coming through the curtained window. The air was rank with the smell of something... foul.
"Hello?" Jake called out, stepping further into the room.
Jake stepped inside, the door creaking shut behind him. The air was stale—thick with something bitter beneath the hospital antiseptic. Not blood. Not illness.
*Pheromones.*
"You didn't really think I'd let you walk away that easy, did you?"
A voice—soft, mocking—slithered from the shadows near the bed.
Mika stepped into view.
And there on the bed?
Not Felix.
*An empty pillow shaped like a body under thin sheets.*
Jake's breath left his lungs in a rush—not from fear, but fury. He'd been *played.* This wasn't about harming Felix—it was about getting him here. Alone. Away from protection.
"You're pathetic," Jake growled, fists clenching at his sides. "Using my love for him to drag me into some cheap trap? You're not even clever."
Mika chuckled, that mocking tone lacing every note. "So what if I am?" he purred, stepping forward. "It worked, didn't it? You're still here."
*And vulnerable*. Jake took a slow step back. Mika's eyes glinted in the dim light as he moved closer—a cat stalking its prey. "Not clever? Really?" he mused, circling Jake. "I think you meant to say 'genius.' Because I'm about to get exactly what I want."
Jake stiffened, tracking Mika's movement with every muscle in his body. "And what's that? A good ass-kicking?" he gritted out, watching Mika's every move.
"Don't be dramatic." Mika chuckled again, circling just out of reach. "There's a less… violent way to settle this."
Jake scoffed, eyes narrowed. "And you think I'm gonna agree to whatever half-baked deal you're offering?"
"Of course not." Mika's voice dripped with honey-sweet mockery. "You're an *Alpha*, right? Strong… powerful… *in control.*"
Jake tensed as Mika's hand ghosted over the collar of Jake's shirt. "But that's the problem, isn't it?" Mika murmured, leaning in until his lip brushed Jake's ear. "Because right now? You're *not* in control. *I am*."
Jake clenched his jaw, every muscle in his body wired like a spring. Mika's scent was getting stronger, wrapping around him in a web of sweetness. It was designed to mess with instincts—to make an Alpha submit. And it was *working*.
"I'm perfectly in control," Jake growled, but even he could hear the strain in his own voice.
Mika hummed, hand drifting over Jake's chest. "Are you?" he whispered, lips brushing the sensitive skin at Jake's throat. "Because it doesn't feel like it. I can hear your heart racing… feel you trembling…"
Jake shuddered, gritting his teeth. His instincts were screaming, every fiber of him wanting to *fight*, but he held on. He wouldn't give in. He *couldn't*.
Mika's touch was like fire on his skin, driving him insane. But he had to stay focused, Jake thought. Had to keep from losing it. "Is this all you've got?" he growled, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Tryin' to make an fool out the big bad Alpha with a cheap trick?"
Mika chuckled softly, thumb tracing idly over Jake's collarbone. "Oh, this isn't a trick, Alpha," he murmured, moving just a little closer. "This is a trap—and you're already caught."
Jake bristled at the word "trap", something primal and angry flaring in his chest—but he couldn't help the way his body responded to Mika's touch. His skin was too sensitive, his heart beating too fast; every cell in him was screaming to claim.
And Mika knew it. "Go on," he whispered, nuzzling against Jake's neck. "Take a deep breath."
Jake hesitated—even as his body leaned into the touch. "Why?" He demanded, fighting the pull in his chest. "So I can breathe in more of your damn pheromones?"
Mika chuckled, the sound like velvet in the silence of the room. "No, sweetheart," he murmured, breath warm against Jake's skin. "Because I have a surprise for you."
Jake's brow furrowed, wariness and curiosity warring in his mind. "*Surprise*?" he echoed, trying to hide the note of anxiety in his voice. *What was Mika up to?*
"Mhm." The hum rumbled through Mika's chest, setting off a shiver down Jake's spine. "Close your eyes."
Jake's muscles tensed, every instinct in him telling him *not* to close his eyes. To keep *some* control. But the pull of instincts was too strong. Slowly, reluctantly, he obeyed. "Now what?" he growled softly, heart thudding.
Mika's voice was smooth as silk as he spoke, a hint of that mocking lilt still there. "Hold out your hand."
Slowly, warily, Jake obeyed. "There's a good Alpha," Mika whispered, placing something cool and heavy in his palm. "Now, open."
Jake's fingers closed around whatever was placed in them, curiosity overriding caution. His heart was hammering so fast it felt like it might explode. "What is it?" He asked, struggling not to let the hint of fear show in his voice.
"Have a look." Mika's tone was soft, almost teasing. "Can't keep a surprise if you don't see it."
Jake clenched his jaw, but he couldn't deny the curiosity burning in him now. A part of him just wanted to get this over with. With a sharp huff, he opened his eyes.
---
In his palm lay a small, silver locket—cool to the touch. Engraved with delicate ivy and a single *F* curled into the center. But it wasn't Felix's initials that made Jake's blood run cold.
It was the scent.
*Jasmine.*
Faint, almost masked by hospital air and Mika's pheromones… but undeniably *Felix's*.
Jake's breath caught in his throat. "No…" he whispered, fingers tightening around the metal. "This isn't possible."
"Felix gave it to me," Mika said softly—too calmly. "Said I should pass it on… once you chose me instead."
Jake's head snapped up, eyes blazing with fury—and fear. "*Liar.*"
Mika chuckled, stepping closer. "Is that right?" he purred, eyes locked on Jake's face—watching the anger and fear spark like wildfire in his eyes. "And if I told you it was the truth?"
Jake's lip curled, fangs flashing. "Bullshit," he spat, body tight like a coiled snake. "Felix would *never* give something like that to you."
"Oh, really?" Mika hummed, taking another step closer. "So if I told you that Felix gave me his first kiss…"
"Bullshit." Jake's knuckles flared white around the locket, muscles taut with tension. "Felix doesn't like you. He'd never do something like that."
"Hmm…" Mika's voice was soft as silk. He was close now—close enough that Jake could feel the heat from his body. "What if I told you I'm wearing his shirt?"
Jake's lip curled, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest. "Liar," he spat. "Felix would never give you his clothes."
"Wouldn't he?" Mika chuckled, leaning in so close Jake could feel breath against his skin. "What if I showed you proof?"
Jake bristled, every muscle in his body tensing. "Proof?" he repeated, growling. "What proof could you possibly—"
Felix's footsteps echoed softly in the hallway. He'd followed a hunch, tracking Mika's scent to a secluded part of the hospital. He'd been expecting a trap—but not this.
*Jake*. His Alpha, standing with Mika's hand on his chest, face flushed and body rigid with tension. He stopped short, heart thudding. "What's going on here?" he breathed, voice cutting through the air like a knife.😳😲