But this time, he was watching himself respond. Seeing the readouts that displayed his heart rate climbing, his body temperature rising, hormonal levels shifting in real-time. It was like watching his own autonomy be stripped away by biology, and it made him furious.
"Fascinating," Dr. Elias murmured, studying the cascading data. "Your neurological response shows resistance patterns I've never seen before. It's as if part of your brain is actively fighting the pheromonal influence while another part embraces it."
'Because it's not my brain' Levi thought grimly. 'It's two different people's responses layered on top of each other'.
After what felt like hours of testing, Dr. Elias finally declared a break. "The preliminary results will take time to process. Why don't you rest while we compile the data?"
The private room Dr. Elias had arranged was comfortable enough – more like a hotel suite than a hospital room, with a sitting area separate from the medical bed.
Noah had claimed the chair by the window, positioning himself where he could watch both the door and Levi with equal intensity.
Ethan and the junior had taken residence in the small seating area, where their ongoing dynamic provided a strange kind of entertainment. Ethan sat with perfect posture, reading reports on his tablet with laser focus, while the junior sprawled across most of the small couch, fidgeting with everything within reach.
"Could you please stop bouncing your leg?" Ethan said without looking up from his screen.
"I'm not bouncing," the junior protested, though his leg was indeed bouncing in a rapid, nervous rhythm.
"You're shaking the entire couch."
"It's barely moving."
Ethan finally looked up, his gaze settling on the junior with the kind of patience that suggested this was a long-standing argument. "You're also humming."
"I am not.." The junior stopped mid-protest, apparently realizing he had indeed been humming under his breath.
"It's barely audible."
"It's audible to me."
The junior shifted position, trying to find a way to sit that didn't involve moving any part of his body, which lasted approximately thirty seconds before he was fidgeting again. This time it was clicking a pen – a soft, repetitive sound that somehow managed to fill the quiet room.
Ethan's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Give me the pen."
"It's my pen."
"Give me the pen or I'll take it from you."
There was something in Ethan's tone that made the threat sound less like professional irritation and more like... something else entirely. The junior's fidgeting stopped abruptly, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at his superior.
"You can't just confiscate my things," he said, but his voice had gone softer, less argumentative.
"Watch me." Ethan extended his hand, palm up, waiting.
The junior stared at that outstretched hand for a long moment, and Levi watched with growing fascination as something passed between them. Not quite submission, but a kind of recognition. The junior placed the pen in Ethan's palm, their fingers brushing in the transfer.
"Thank you," Ethan said quietly, and the junior ducked his head slightly, a flush creeping up his neck.
Levi had seen enough power dynamics in his former life to recognize the signs. The way Ethan's attention seemed to center entirely on the junior when he spoke to him. The way the junior's fidgeting was less about nervousness and more about seeking that attention. The careful dance of dominance and submission disguised as professional interaction.
"Are you two fucking?" Levi asked bluntly.
The silence that followed was profound.
Ethan's tablet nearly slipped from his hands, while the junior went bright red from his collar to his hairline. Noah looked up from his brooding with something that might have been amusement.
"I... we... that's not..." the junior stammered, looking between Ethan and Levi like a deer caught in headlights.
Ethan, to his credit, recovered his composure more quickly. "That's not an appropriate question."
"That's not an answer either," Levi observed. "The way you two interact, it's either an established dynamic or you're both too stupid to see what's right in front of you."
The junior made a sound that was half laugh, half mortification. "We're both alphas. And, heck, professional colleagues!!."
"Professional colleagues don't usually threaten to 'take things' from each other with that particular tone of voice," Levi said dryly. "And they definitely don't respond to those threats by going all doe-eyed and compliant."
"I did not go doe-eyed," the junior protested.
"You absolutely did." Levi settled back against his pillows, enjoying the entertainment after hours of medical procedures. "The question is whether you're both aware you're doing it or if it's all subconscious."
Ethan and the junior exchanged a look.
"This conversation is not happening," Ethan said firmly, but his gaze lingered on the junior's face longer than strictly professional.
"Oh, it's happening," Levi replied. "You just haven't figured out what to do about it yet."
The distraction was welcome, but it didn't last long. Soon enough, Levi's attention drifted back to Noah's constant presence, the way the alpha positioned himself like a guardian between Levi and potential threats. It was protective behavior that might have been flattering if Levi believed it was genuine.
But he didn't.
"You can stop hovering," Levi said without looking at him. "I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm not hovering."
"You've been watching me for the past two hours like I might evaporate if you blink."
Noah was quiet for a moment. "The last omega who survived my rut seemed fine for three days. On the fourth morning, she just... stopped breathing."
The admission was quiet, vulnerable in a way that made Levi's chest tight with unexpected emotion. But he pushed it aside, focusing instead on the practical implications.
"And you think your constant surveillance will prevent that?"
"I think I won't lose another omega to my own ignorance."
'Another omega'. Levi's skin crawled. As if he was just the latest in a series of failed acquisitions.
"Is that what this is about?" Levi asked, his voice sharp with sudden anger. "You just want a fuck buddy who won't inconveniently die on you?"
Noah went very still. "That's not.."
"It's exactly what it is," Levi interrupted. "All this protective behavior, this desperate concern for my health, it's not about me".