The ABO Serum

Can You Call It Love Under the Circumstances

The body trembling in his arms pulled Ryan out of the deepest sleep he'd had in a long while. Still only half-conscious he pulled the body closer and mumbled, "Hey babe, you cold?" The lack of response alerted him that something was wrong, and he came fully awake with a start.

Carey's stalker shuddered silently in his sleep. After a few moments focused on remembering what happened the night before, Ryan refocused his attention on the other man's face and tried to figure out what he felt about it.

Ryan pulled his blanket up thinking his companion must be cold. It wasn't a facility blanket, but his own favorite comforter that he'd requested Carey send up. As it settled in around Tom's shoulders, he shifted and snuggled into Ryan's chest, his nose buried in Ryan's neck. This seemed to soothe him and the trembling slowly subsided.

It was comfortable. That's what Ryan decided first. Comfortable to hold this warm body close to him. And it smelled nice. Dr. Alan explained to them all about the smells. This body was infinitely more appealing than the various other alpha smells he'd started picking up the day before.

Carey told him Dr. Martin was an omega and attracted to him. But how had he got to the fifth floor? Wasn't he isolated? Did he escape to come here? That's some serious attraction. What did it mean? The omega needed him? Him specifically? But was that need anything more than biological attraction?

Ryan felt it too. He wanted to wake the doctor up and fuck him all over again. But he also had a protective urge that was even stronger telling him to let the doctor rest. And this other weird feeling like he wanted to absorb this little body right into his own and make it a part of him forever. It was the sort of feeling he thought love must be like. But did it mean anything while they were under the influence of their transitions? They knew nothing about each other.

His phone vibrated and he reached over to grab it off the nightstand. "You're awake," Carey texted.

"U have cameras," Ryan replied.

"Yeah. You had quite a night," Carey answered.

"Perv. Don't watch!" Ryan replied.

"We need to extract you both before we let the other alphas out of their rooms. Can we do that now?" Carey asked.

"He's finally sleeping," Ryan replied.

"We know that, but it's holding up everyone else's day," Carey answered.

"So why are you asking me?" Ryan asked.

"Because we don't want you to attack security when they come in and try to move him," Carey answered.

"I could do that?" Ryan examined his own emotions.

"We don't know what you could do. Daryl says the protective instinct is nearly overwhelming," Carey answered.

"I don't think I will. Maybe your attachment is stronger. Go ahead and extract us. But wait 'til I'm dressed. I'll carry the doctor so he doesn't have to wake up," why would he offer to do that? Ryan's thoughts and his feelings didn't match up. But he had an omega with him now and Dr. Alan was right. He felt calmer, like he could resume his life as long as his omega stayed close.

Possessive. That was the next feeling Ryan identified. But possessive wasn't love. He'd learned that from the girls he dated. They wanted to claim him for a variety of reasons having to do with status, sex, emotional neediness...just, ew! Why did he want to possess the doctor?

It was physical for sure. Who wouldn't want to lock up a partner that made them feel like a fertility god? And he could feel an expansion of ego that made alpha a suitable moniker for this secondary gender. His ego refused to share partners.