It happened as Pedro predicted.
Our interns became more open to the professor who was in a good enough mood to accommodate them.
Until Thursday morning came and we got another call from the professor's brother-in-law.
"Damn idiots, now they're both in the hospital!" Prof. Antonio mumbled as he hurriedly got off our bed.
"Why? What happened?" I asked.
"He said something about Blondie falling unconscious after going into forced heat."
"There's nothing to worry about, then," I said, "it's only natural for one to feel exhausted after a forced heat, and besides, they are already in a hospital."
"You tell my idiot brother-in-law that," he said, irritably. "He keeps asking me for a favor that only I can do for him."
"And you're also worried about them, right?" I asked while stifling a yawn.
"O-of course not!" he looked at me with disgust. "Who cares what happens to a couple of idiots who can't control their libido?!"
Yet the professor hurriedly put his boxers and shirt on to check on his brother-in-law.
"Okay, I'll make you some coffee."
"Thank you, Habibi!" he said, kissing my cheek.
I dropped him off at the hospital that morning before heading off to work. He came later at half past 9, looking so pissed and sourly that no one was brave enough to approach him.
"Professor, welcome back," I greeted him. "How was your brother?"
He kept silent, walked into his room, and gestured for me to come in. He closed the door as soon as I entered his work station.
"That goddamn bastard Louie! That fuckin' asshole who can't keep his libido in check!"
"Huh?" I stared at him wide eyed, surprised at his sudden outburst.
"It's so damn obvious that he's head over hills for that Blond kid, yet he refuses to make the relationship official, so now, some other fuckin' dominant alpha shit, tries to hit on the kid! And after all that bullshit, he calls me over and wastes my time with this crap!"
"I don't think I follow..." I told him.
"Haay..." he gave a deep sigh and sat on his chair. "You know Blondie..."
"Mr. Joshua Safiro?"
"Yeah, that flirty kid!"
"I remember they said he was already 19?"
"Well... yeah, but you've seen what he looks like, right!? Well, anyway," the professor continued, "his mom tried matching him with this rich dominant alpha. Of course Blondie refused the engagement. So, the alpha bastard gets insulted and blasts Blondie with his pheromones! Good thing Louie was there to save the poor kid!"
"The other alpha did that In front of your brother-in-law?" I asked.
"Not just Louie, in front of Blondie's whole family as well! That's how arrogant the goddamn alpha was! Just because they're a bit rich they think..."
"You are rich as well, professor, and stubborn, too. So is your brother-in-law," I reminded him.
"Well, yeah, but we're not THAT kind of assholes!"
At least he admits it.
"Anyway, the kid, obviously, goes into heat, and Louie, that idiot, goes berserk and hits the alpha with his own pheromones, sending the bastard into a seizure."
I watched the professor snicker.
"I would have done worst if I was in his position," I told him.
"Same. I would have kicked him `till he was black and blue!" he kicked at a table leg. "But he should have known better, he's a lawyer and he's so much older since the other alpha was only 18. If he was any younger, my idiot bro-in-law would have had to face a case of child abuse!"
"Okay, is that all?" I asked as he paused in his story.
"I wish!" he continued. "He then took Blondie and ran, risking a kidnapping complaint!"
"Not if Joshua says that he came willingly."
"Well, he just took him to the hospital, anyway, and do you know what those two lechers did?!"
Prof. Antonio looked at me expectantly.
"They had sex to abate his heat?" I guessed.
"Exactly! That sick, 39 year old pervert just took advantage of a kid!"
"Joshua is of legal a –"
"But," he interrupted me, "the kid suddenly loses consciousness before he could actually do it!"
The professor started to laugh like a mad man.
"Serves his right!" he continued, wiping a tear from his eye. "Then the bastard starts to panic when he couldn't wake the kid up in the morning and had the guts to bother me again!"
"That's it?" I asked him again, "That's the favor that only you can do for him?"
"Stupid, right?" he scoffed, "He said he can't call Blessing and the kids since they aren't official yet. He even had the audacity to ask me for contraceptive pills for alphas `coz he's afraid he might get the kid pregnant!" he snorted. "But that's IF he can score a home run!"
He started laughing again.
"Professor, I cannot tell if you are angry at your brother-in-law, or if you are happy at his misfortune."
"Both!" he placed an arm around my shoulder and continued. "But you know what pissed me off the most?" he asked. "All that shit happened `coz he can't take responsibility! He confessed that things already happened between them, yet, he still makes excuses, saying Blondie's still young and still needs to study... why, my brother and him were both 14 when they got bonded and got married!"
"Well, in Louie's defense, I think he just wants Josh to be ready before they actually do something they might regret in the future."
The professor glared at me.
"Yeah, I know that, but he still needs to mark his territory. He should make it official to get rid of other pesky alphas from targeting Blondie. But no. He even made me promise not to tell his kids about their relationship!"
"But, isn't Louie Joshua's lawyer?" I asked Prof. Antonio, "Having a romantic relationship with a client, especially a much younger one, is against the ethical standards of a lawyer."
"Exactly," the professor replied, "That's why I told him to drop the case and just pass it on to Florence Derejedo."
"That would be the best way to go."
"Yeah, that way, my kids won't get caught up in all the bull shit either. At least Florence is still single, and has bodyguards at home since their father's a well known Judge who eats death threats for dessert."
"Why? Are your nieces and nephew still being affected by the case?"
"Bless and Mercy keeps getting prank calls," the professor gave a deep sigh. "And that idiot Nathan is always out of the house, when he should be the one looking after his sisters... The brat haven't been home for three days, it seems. Bless said he's been hanging out with his old, good for nothing alpha friends from high school. We're not even sure if he's just messing around with them, or if he's already in trouble!"
"Let's hope that he's just with his friends, then," I told him.
"Fuck... that's even worst," he sighed and sat back in his chair. "That father and son team really knows how to piss me off..."
I went behind the professor and gave him a shoulder rub.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he's doing fine," I told him. "On the brighter side, we just got two more manifestations this morning."
"Ah... thanks for the good news..." he took my right hand and rubbed it on his cheek. "I really am lucky to have you by my side, Habibi."
I felt my face turn warm.
I caressed his cheek and leaned over, holding him. I was about to kiss his forehead when the professor sat up straight, pointed past the glass walls, and yelled in a loud voice.
"Oy! What the hell are you looking at?!?" he called out to several interns and a doe-eyed Pedro. "Go back to your workstations!"
"Professor, the room is sound proof," I said, while covering my ears.
"They seem to have understood my, never the less!" he grumbled as the people outside dispersed.
He gave another sigh and kissed my hand.
"Anyway, according to Mercy, Nathan seems to be infatuated with some omega. He's probably just rolling around in bed with his new boyfriend. He'll come home as soon as he loses interest. Frankly, he's like a tom cat who only comes home to look for food."
A thought suddenly passed my mind then.
"Professor, didn't he say before that an omega dominated him?" I asked.
The professor frowned.
"That's right, could that be the reason why he won't go home?" he said thoughtfully.
"We need to ask him personally about his relationship with this omega," I continued. "It is a good thing that our last set of samples have already been processed, we won't be busy for the rest of the day, in fact, we have little work left for the rest of the week."
"Ask him? Have you got any idea how hard it is to talk to a teen now-a-days? He'd just think that we're trying to meddle with his personal life."
"We could corner him in his University and catch him together with the omega."
The professor stared at me.
"I knew it! You're planning something, aren't you?!" he said, "you're just trying to meet with the DOME!"
"Of course, since you refuse to tell me more information about him," I confessed, "Also, we are not even a hundred percent sure if he is the same DOME you met years ago."
"Hmph. I have my reasons," he said with a pout, "I used to tell Dome about the kids in the past. Particularly Nathan. He was the bane of my existence, after all, and I usually end up relieving my stress by telling Dome about his antics. He actually finds them amusing." The professor paused, his brows furrowing. "Come to think of it, he might have approached Nathan to get to me..."
"A kind of bridge, you mean?" I asked.
"It could be possible, right?"
"Then, why haven't he contacted you yet?"
The professor paused once more.
"Well, he's obviously being cautious, he's probably being watched 24/7... Maybe he's hoping that we could meet in person if he hangs with Nathan? Anyway, if that's the case, then it would be better not to meet at all."
"On the contrary, if he cannot approach you, then isn't that a good reason to go to him instead?"
"No."
"We could say that it is merely a coincidence, that you had no idea that he is currently your nephew's professor. We can go there in the pretense of checking Nathan's attendance and academic performance."
"No."
"Don't you think that it is only right for you to talk with his professors since Nathan has been skipping his classes lately?"
"Still no."
"He has been avoiding you, obviously, at least if we go to his campus, he won't have any reason not to meet with us."
"Ugh... Habibi, you're real stubborn. You just won't leave me alone until I give in..."
"I am quite good at getting what I want," I proudly said.
"Well, I am getting worried about him..." he frowned.
The professor finally decided to call Nathan, but his phone was turned off, he did not return the professor's calls and messages either. In the end, the professor called Blessing instead to pass a message to his nephew.
"I told you, it is easier to go to his university and corner him there."
"Corner him, huh?" he sighed. "Okay then, we're going to his university tomorrow," he finally agreed, "but don't expect me to introduce you to Dome. If Dome is even there."
"You don't need to," I answered, "I can find him myself."