"That was just a joke." Grayson's voice had flattened carefully. As if saying that 'I'm fine and definitely not affected'.
"No, I—" Neville turned around, scrub brush forgotten, hands dripping soap suds onto the floor. His cheeks burned in shame. "I know. I know you were joking. I just—"
He overreacted like an idiot.
The logical part of his brain caught up with his panic response, and mortification replaced the fear.
Of course, he knew that Grayson was just joking. Even through the haze of rut, he was a man who had maintained iron control over himself. More importantly, there were enforceable laws in the Imperial Galaxy governing all sorts of things related to ABO dynamics.
Alphas and omegas who weren't in formal marriage negotiations, aka engagement or marriage talks, couldn't mark each other.
It was illegal.
