Unnatural (The Wrong Alpha 1)

Haydn sighed. “Is it fixable?”

Dr. Jordan seemed to hesitate before nodding. “Theoretically, yes. The genetic centers on the Inner Core planets can likely fix your genetic code and make you either an alpha or an omega. It would obviously be outrageously expensive though.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Royce said, taking Haydn’s hand and squeezing it. “We can afford it—if Haydn wants it. It’s his body. No one should be allowed to change it without his consent.”

Haydn stared at their hands and felt such an overwhelming rush of love his eyes teared up. He cleared his throat and looked at the doctor before he could do something stupid like kiss Royce in front of an audience. “What I don’t understand is why Taube would give me this drug. For what purpose? If it’s a fixable issue? It doesn’t makes sense. If I were to become a Xeus, it wouldn’t change anything for me. I would still inherit the throne.” Xeus alphas might have been sneered at and feared, but legally, they still had as much rights as non-shifter alphas and could still rule Pelugia.

“It wasn’t aimed to make you ineligible to inherit,” Royce said, his thumb rubbing circles in Haydn’s palm in an absentminded manner. “Taube wouldn’t care about such things. He likely wanted to destroy the peace, and then blame it on us, a Pelugian prince and his political rival. If a relationship between two regular alphas is practically unsustainable…”

“Then a Xeus alpha would likely physically maim their alpha partner,” Dr. Jordan finished for him, her expression grim. “Xeus alphas are too violent and aggressive to tolerate an alpha partner. If kerosvarin worked as intended, it would have most certainly ruined your marriage. The prime minister couldn’t know that Haydn didn’t have dormant alpha genes to amplify, and that’s the only reason why that plan failed.”

“That’s comforting,” Haydn said tonelessly. Bracing himself, he finally asked the question he’d been dreading to ask. “What about Devlin? Can you fix him?”

Dr. Jordan sighed, her mild beta scent souring with some negative emotion. “I’m sorry, Haydn, but I don’t have good news. Kerosvarin has been outlawed for a reason: it doesn’t have a cure.”

“It’s been five hundred years since it was outlawed,” Royce said. “Surely our medicine has progressed enough to find a cure now?”

The doctor’s expression turned a little pinched. “We’ll do our best,” she said. “But I have to warn you that you shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Haydn dropped his gaze, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Isn’t there… Can’t the genetic centers of the Inner Core planets fix him, too?”

When he looked up, he found an uncomfortable expression on Dr. Jordan’s face. “It is an option, but… In my understanding, such genetic centers can painlessly fix irregularities in one’s genetic code—cases like yours. Devlin’s case is more complicated. His transformation was successful, so technically, there’s nothing to fix. Genetically modifying full-grown adults is different from modifying embryos. Even if his feral state can be fixed with genetic modifications, it’s possible he would not be the person you’ve once known. It would be just another genetic modification on top of the kerosvarin’s instead of a proper fix.”

“So it should be our last resort,” Royce stated.

She nodded. “Indeed. We will try finding a cure first before I can recommend that option.”

Haydn nodded numbly and got to his feet. “Thanks, Dr. Jordan,” he said. “Please keep us updated.”

They returned home just as the sky started turning pink.

By an unspoken agreement, they went to Royce’s room, undressed, and fell into the bed, too exhausted for anything besides trading sleepy kisses as they drifted off in each other’s arms. It was still the best feeling in the world: the intoxicating intimacy of it, the way their bodies fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle.

The last thing Haydn remembered before sleep claimed him was the feeling of Royce’s mouth sucking on his scent gland.

This was right.

Everything would be all right.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Haydn woke up to the sensation of a hard cock grinding against his buttocks.

“Sorry,” Royce said into his ear. “I know you’re probably not in the mood with everything going on, but I can’t…” He breathed in shakily, his arm around Haydn’s waist tightening. “It’s been a day since I had you. I feel like I’ll snap if I don’t get my cock in you again.” His teeth nipped at Haydn’s nape, and Royce sighed, frustration souring his scent. “Don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me.”

Haydn blinked sleepily and barely stopped himself from saying something stupid like, I’m yours, you can do whatever you want to me, even fuck me in my sleep.

Still half-asleep, he rolled onto his stomach, getting up onto his knees and burying his face in his folded arms. Presenting his ass.

He heard Royce’s breathing hitch.

Haydn closed his eyes and waited, the submissive position doing strange things to his insides. It felt wrong and right at the same time, his mind becoming hazy.