Chapter 131: Alpha Rut, Meet Alex’s Big Mouth

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Nikolai turned to me, his usual teasing demeanor gone as he waited for me to elaborate.

"I keep thinking about the people who died, and I just can’t wrap my head around how anyone could think sacrificing lives for their own goals was acceptable. They had nothing to do with Dracula’s family issues, and they weren’t involved in whatever feud exists between him and Dante, assuming Dante really is guilty."

I fiddled with a blade of grass beside my knee, remembering the faces of the people I’d seen in the ballroom before everything went south.

"I get that people do awful things for power, but at some point, don’t they realize what they’re doing? How can you look at a room full of people and consider killing them an acceptable price?"

Nikolai stayed quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on the lake.

"Some people stop viewing others as people," he finally said. "I suppose they see them as obstacles instead, bargaining chips, or game pieces. And once they convince themselves their goal is more important than anything else, they’re willing to eliminate anyone who stands in their way."

His voice was quieter than usual, and I sensed something in his expression that made me wonder if he was speaking from his own experiences rather than just repeating a lesson he learned along the way.

I glanced at him, trying to decide whether to inquire about it, but he continued before I could find the words.

"The world is full of people like that, Alex. They’d destroy everything if it meant achieving their desires." He paused, looking at me with a faint, almost wistful smile. "It’s good there are still kind-hearted people to balance them out."

I stared at him, momentarily at a loss for how to react to such an unexpectedly sincere compliment. "Are you calling me kind-hearted?"

"I am. I heard you tried to save those people."

"That’s unfortunate. I’ve worked hard to cultivate a reputation for being a difficult, annoying Omega."

"You’ve succeeded."

I nudged him with my shoulder, laughing softly, and he allowed a small smile before turning his gaze back to the lake.

For a while, we sat in silence. I found myself wondering what experiences made Nikolai speak about cruelty with such quiet certainty, but I didn’t want to push him to share something he might not be ready to divulge.

He’d spent the last three days trying to see me and had been turned away repeatedly because Lorenzo’s security measures only allowed authorized visitors close to me. So maybe he had been worried more than he let on.

I was about to tell him he could visit anytime he wanted, as long as he left the exercise routines behind, when I noticed a change in the air.

At first, I thought the breeze had shifted, carrying the scent of the nearby trees and the lake toward us, but the smell was too strong and distinct to chalk up to our surroundings. Nikolai’s usual scent had always been noticeable, but now it was heavier, sharper, and unmistakably alpha, filling the warm afternoon air with an intensity that made me turn to him.

He was staring straight ahead, his shoulders unusually tense, so I sniffed at him once and frowned. "Snitch?"

He looked at me. "What?"

"Why the hell do you smell... different?"

His expression changed slightly, and I might have missed it if I hadn’t been sitting right next to him. "I don’t."

"You do. You smell like someone dumped a whole bottle of alpha cologne on you."

I leaned in closer, studying his face, and realized his cheeks had taken on a light flush. He also looked a bit warm, which was surprising since the afternoon had been pleasant and curiosity won out over common sense, as it often did for me.

I reached up and pressed my hand against his forehead.

Nikolai froze as his cheeks changed color again, but I didn’t dwell on that. I was more worried about him being sick or something.

"Oh," I said, examining him with all the seriousness of a medically qualified person who once Googled the difference between a cold and an allergy. "You’re hot...not that kind of hot. I mean you are hot or whatever. I mean you’re really heating up." ℯℯ𝑙.

His eyes widened. "Sir, don’t—"

"Your scent is stronger, your face is flushed, and your forehead feels warm too." I tilted my head, weighing the evidence. "Yep. You need to get laid."

For a split second, time seemed to freeze.

Nikolai stared at me with an expression of sheer horror, making me almost feel bad for him, though my amusement was winning out over any real sympathy.

Then he stood up so quickly that the grass beneath him barely had time to settle. "I...I need to go, Donna."

I blinked. "What? Why? I was just giving a professional diagnosis, you’re having your rut soon, aren’t you?"

"Alex."

"Would you prefer a second opinion?"

"No."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but whatever words were forming in his head evaporated. His face had turned an impressive shade of red, and he took a careful step back as he adjusted his sleeves looking around as if to see if they were any witnesses.

I watched him, growing more curious. "Are you embarrassed because I said you need to get laid, or because you know I’m right?"

He made a strangled noise that I decided not to interpret, then turned and walked away with more urgency than any man who’d just been informed he was a little warm should need.

"Nikolai?" I called after him. "Do you want me to ask the kitchen to prepare something for you?"

He said nothing.

"Maybe a cold shower?"

Still no response.

I watched him disappear down the path, then leaned back on my hands, staring at the lake and wondering if I had accidentally stumbled upon some mysterious alpha condition that the doctors neglected to mention.

I’d never been around an alpha in an active rut before, so I had no clue if the sudden change in scent and temperature was normal. But judging by Nikolai’s reaction, I had obviously stumbled upon something quite personal.

Maybe I should apologize later.

And perhaps I should check if he had a fever because if he got sick after training with me, I’d never hear the end of it.

For now, though, I decided to relish the rare chance to sit beside the lake alone without anyone asking where I was going or if I had permission to be there.

The breeze moved gently across the lake, and I followed the ripples with my eyes, trying to ignore the uncomfortable warmth lingering beneath my own skin since morning.

I figured it was probably just the weather or the stress from the last few days.

Whatever it was, I hoped it would fade soon because I had a feeling the Castelli estate had developed a personal grudge against my ability to enjoy a peaceful afternoon.