Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
But it had been more than a decade. Aksel was no longer a child. He was eighteen. And yet he was still terrible at boundaries. To be fair, so was Lucien. He didn’t seem capable of being firm with him. Try as he might, Lucien couldn’t quash his desire to please Aksel as he would want to please his pack alpha. For all intents and purposes, Aksel was his pack alpha.
Aksel’s sudden illness had completely turned Lucien’s world upside down. Aksel was the strong one. He was the one person who made Lucien feel safe and protected. Seeing him sick and weakened was frightening.
“I don’t have good news,” Dr. Soren said, snapping him out of his thoughts. “It’s a rare disease Xeus alphas sometimes get before presentation, one of the few diseases they are susceptible to.”
“What disease?” Lucien said before he could stop himself.
Dr. Soren glanced at him before focusing his gaze on Royce. “We call it the Bosovich Disease, after the healer who first described it. We still don’t know why only some Xeus alphas get affected by it, but it’s theorized that the affected patients have a stronger expression of the Xeus gene. It’s a complex disease and the types of symptoms and how severe they are can differ widely from person to person, but in simple terms, your brother’s digestive system is at odds with the hormones produced by his body. Most food makes him extremely nauseated; that’s why he keeps throwing up.”
Vagrippa looked ill. “What can we do? He needs to eat! He hasn’t managed to keep anything down for the past three days. He’s getting weaker every day.”
The doctor sighed, a wrinkle forming between his brows. “We can use intravenous feeding,” he said. “The problem is, we have no idea how long this disease will last. It might be years before his hormones stabilize, which usually happens around their first rut—and that could still be years away for your son. It’s not rare for Xeus alphas to have their first rut late: at twenty or even later. Intravenous feeding simply wouldn’t be sufficient to satisfy his nutritional needs for years. And if his digestive system isn’t used for years, it’d be extremely hard to get it working again. I will put together a diet for him, comprising food that may not make him too nauseated, but...” He shook his head, looking troubled. “He’s a Xeus. His body needs more nourishment, not less. This disease will almost certainly stunt his physical development irrevocably—and that’s the best-case scenario.”
“What is the worst?” Royce said sharply.
The doctor gave him an apologetic look. “This disease is highly unpredictable and dangerously volatile. Sometimes it affects the immune system, too. There have been cases of deaths.”
Paling, Vagrippa grabbed Royce’s arm for support.
“Is there nothing we can do to help?” Lucien croaked out, his hands clenched together. He wanted to see Aksel. He needed to see him. He needed him.
Dr. Soren started shaking his head before pausing and looking at Lucien thoughtfully. “You’re a Dainiri omega. And you used to lactate, correct?”
Lucien looked at him blankly, the abrupt change of subject confusing him. “Yes,” he said, tugging the fabric of his loose shirt anxiously. He tended to wear oversized clothes that hid his curves, so the doctor’s uncertainty was understandable. But the question was still baffling.
“Yes,” Vagrippa said, stepping forward. “What does it have to do with anything?”
“We can induce lactation in him,” the doctor said. “It will be easy, since Dainiri omegas who once lactated already have the necessary hormones. Assuming he can sustain lactation and is willing to do it, it will almost certainly help your son. There is nothing more naturally nourishing and easily digestible than a Dainiri omega’s milk. It’s very rich in nutrients and vitamins. It should agree with your son’s digestive system. As an additional benefit, it has anti-inflammatory properties, which should help with the pain and fever. It’s the ideal solution for Xeus alphas in his condition.”
“Then Lucien will do it,” Vagrippa said.
“We can’t ask that of him,” Royce said, laying a hand on Lucien’s shoulder.
Lucien flinched away from the touch, and the alpha immediately dropped his hand, his expression softening. “Ignore what my mother says,” he said. “You don’t have to do it. I know you didn’t want to nurse Belinda, either, and this is a much bigger undertaking. I don’t want you to feel pressured—”
Lucien shook his head. “I’ll do it, Royce,” he said. “I want to.”
Royce peered at him, doubt clear in his dark eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Lucien said honestly. He might not be comfortable with this idea, but it paled in comparison to the fact that Aksel needed his help. Aksel needed him. For once, Lucien could help him. For the past decade, Aksel had always been there for him, protecting him and comforting him, the one person Lucien could always count on.