Dr. Elias led them past several consultation rooms to a corner office that managed to feel both clinical and comfortable.
"Please, sit," he said, settling behind a desk that was notably free of the usual medical-ness of hospitals. Instead, personal touches softened the space, a few framed photos, a small plant on the windowsill, books that looked actually read rather than displayed.
Levi chose the chair furthest from Noah, a choice that didn't go unnoticed by either alpha. The doctor's eyebrows rose slightly, but he made no comment. Instead, he opened a tablet and began making notes.
"So," he began, his tone carefully neutral, "Noah mentioned you've survived what appears to be a full Type B alpha rut with no apparent lasting damage. That's... unprecedented, in my experience."
"Lucky me," Levi said dryly, earning a sharp look from Noah.
Dr. Elias, however, seemed amused rather than offended. "Luck might be part of it, but I suspect there's more to it than that".
He continued "This is not the first time Noah would try to mate, even with those with higher compatibility. Some immediately, some a few days later, their bodies simply gave out" This echoed Noah's earlier desperate plea to Levi.
Levi felt a prickle of unease. He had scoffed at the idea of "just dying" later, viewing it as a "ridiculous end". But hearing it laid out so clinically by an expert, seeing the quiet pain in Noah's eyes.
'Bullshit, if it was Silas, it's understandable but Noah surely won't have care much if he didn't see the omega alive'
Levi wasn't afraid of dying, infact he'd made peace with it years ago even before it happened. What rattled him was the sudden reminder that this new life, this bizarre second chance, could vanish in a heartbeat.
He kept his face neutral, but the thought pressed hard 'I didn't crawl out of hell, just to be waiting to drop dead.'
He smirked faintly, tilting his head. "What kind of tests?" His voice came out sharper than he'd intended.
Dr. Elias either didn't notice the edge or chose to ignore it. "Nothing invasive initially. Blood work to check your hormone levels, both current and any residual markers from the mating. A physical examination to assess any trauma or unusual healing patterns. We'll also want to analyze your scent glands. They're often the key to compatibility issues."
"We need to understand why your body reacted differently," Elias continued, "not just for your safety, but for the future understanding of Type B Alpha compatibility. It's a scientific breakthrough waiting to happen, if we can decipher it."
Levi's assassin instincts, always alert to details, screamed at him.
Vulnerability. Exposure. Control.
His body, already feeling the lingering aches from Noah's rut, tensed. To allow himself to be examined, prodded, and scanned was to surrender all control. He was used to being the one observing, the one assessing weak points, the one hidden in shadows. Here, under Elias's analytical gaze, he was the target subject of observation on a slab.
Not at all.
"After that," Dr. Elias continued, "we'll need some imaging. MRI, CT scans, possibly an ultrasound to check for any internal changes or adaptations. The more specialized tests would involve controlled exposure to alpha pheromones while we monitor your responses."
"Controlled exposure?" Levi's voice dropped to something dangerous.
Noah shifted in his seat, his own tension evident. "It would be carefully monitored. Small amounts, medical grade…"
"You want to drug me with pheromones and watch what happens?" Levi interrupted, his mind immediately jumping to the worst-case scenarios.
"I'm perfectly fine," Levi stated, his voice dry and flat. "I've survived a lot worse. This just doesn't sit right with him.
Elias offered a sympathetic, almost knowing smile.
"I understand your apprehension, Levi. This is highly invasive, and you're in an unfamiliar environment." He spoke with a quiet authority that suggested he was used to handling difficult, perhaps even violent, patients.
"However, your unique situation requires a comprehensive approach. We need to rule out any underlying damage, any latent complications that could manifest later." He paused, letting the unspoken threat of a delayed, debilitating death hang in the air.
"We need to identify the factors that allowed you to survive, and ensure those continue to protect you. Okay?"
Noah stepped forward, his voice low but firm. "Levi, this isn't a request. It's necessary. I won't have you... ending up joining a statistic after all this." His protectiveness was evident.
Levi glared at Noah, but internally, his mind was racing.
'Ending up joining a statistic'.
That phrase resonated. Why were they treating him like he was such a distressed kid, it's understandable if it was his reactions that caused that, but still, the thought of being medically examined was disturbing.
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken implications. Levi felt Noah's gaze on him, heavy with something that might have been guilt or fear. The junior shifted restlessly in his chair, while Ethan maintained his usual professional stillness, though his attention was laser-focused on the conversation.
"How long?" Levi asked finally.
"The initial tests can be done today. Results from the blood work should be available within hours, imaging by tomorrow morning. The more specialized compatibility testing would require an overnight stay for observation.
'Hmm,overnight observation' Could it be that Levi is traumatized by his own death?.
"Fine," he said, the word coming out clipped and final. "But I want to know everything you're doing before you do it. No surprises, no 'minor additional tests' that suddenly appear. And I want the results explained to me directly".
Dr. Elias nodded, apparently unsurprised by the conditions. "Completely reasonable. Medical autonomy is important, especially in situations like this".
'Who do you think you're deceiving' Levi scoffed mentally.
"When do we start?" Levi asked, resigned to his fate.
Elias glanced at his watch. "If you're ready, we can begin the initial blood work now. I'll have a room prepared for your stay." He paused, studying Levi with those lost eyes.