ALPHA UNIVERSE #6: CRAVING YOU

CHAPTER 28

Mark let out a loud, guttural moan as another wave of his heavy rut struck him like a violent storm.

All the pent-up stress, displeasure, and relentless pressure from school had piled up so high that his body had finally given in, cracking under the weight of vulnerability.

His inner alpha clawed at his restraint, desperate to take control, fighting against the last shreds of his conscious strength. He had spent an hour under an ice-cold shower, hoping the numbing chill would ease the unbearable heat surging through his body. But the moment the cold water dried off his skin, his rut hit him full force.

This one was worse than before. It was heavier, suffocating. Normally, his ruts intensified due to shifting weather or the peak of summer, but this—this was different.

He lay sprawled on his bed, his chest bare, beads of sweat trailing down his fevered skin despite the air-conditioned room. Hours had passed, and no matter how many times he reached his release, it wasn't enough. It never was.

If anything, it only fueled the hunger.

Mark wouldn't deny that hearing Danielle's voice on the phone earlier had triggered something inside him—something primal, something insatiable. The moment the call ended, his inner alpha had howled in frustration, aching for more, for her.

It was unbearable.

The more he resisted, the more painful it became. His body burned, his muscles ached, his temperature skyrocketed to an alarming degree. To an outsider, he would look like he was suffering from a severe fever, but any alpha in a rut knew the truth.

The need for a mate was uncontrollable.

Alphas without partners could easily find release with anyone, but Mark—Mark was already bonded in his mind, in his heart. His body refused to be satisfied by anything or anyone else. His pleasure belonged to Elle, and only Elle.

She was his lifeline. His salvation.

He whispered her name, moaned it into the empty room as his trembling hand wrapped around himself once more, chasing a pleasure that refused to last. His fingers were numb, exhausted from overuse, yet his body demanded more. He could've come untouched just by imagining her—

And he had. Twice.

And yet, he was still in agony.

Mark wanted Danielle. He needed her.

But he also wanted to protect her—from himself.

He knew what could happen if she came anywhere near him like this. He knew what he would do the second she stepped into his space, the second he caught her scent in the air. He didn't trust himself. He couldn't.

He would rather suffer alone than risk losing control.

Another two hours passed, and the intensity only worsened. His body was overheating, his vision blurring, his breaths coming out in ragged, desperate gasps. The suppressants he took earlier had failed; their effects barely lasted thirty minutes before being obliterated by the sheer force of his rut.

He was running out of options. He was running out of time.

Just as he considered surrendering to the beast clawing inside him, a soft click echoed in the silent room.

His door unlocked.

And then—the scent hit him.

Sweet. Familiar. Comforting.