She was climbing.

Climbing, and climbing, and climbing, until she was falling.

Screaming, sobbing, shaking, and falling.

But she was floating. And happy. Deliriously, uncontrollably, insanely happy.

"Now you see what an Alpha cock can do, little omega," he growled, his hot tongue probing at her inflamed mating gland, "Doesn't it feel so good to fall apart on one?"

Words escaped her. There was no way she could think, let alone speak, with his massive alpha cock pistoling in and out of her. His massive hands held onto her hips tightly, his fingers digging into her so deeply that she'd probably sport the bruises for days.

But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but her alpha fucking her so good, his mouth covering every inch of her skin, and his giant body keeping her warm.

This was what her inner omega begged for. This feeling of complete submission, of complete surrender, of being claimed.

"I'm going to bite you now," His low voice growled, his words tickling her deliciously, "Is that what you want, Omega? To be mine forever?"

Her cries only encouraged him, especially since his movements left her unable to form words. As his lips ghosted across her neck, settling above her collarbone, she let out one final sob of pleasure.

Finally, she thought, I am home.

-x-x-x-

Sweat.

That was the only substance Rey let herself identify coating her skin.

After the dream her alarm had rudely woken her up from, it really wasn't a surprise to find herself in such a state of well, disarray. And as desperately as she wanted to return to sleep (and hopefully the dream), she simply had to drag herself out of bed.

It was finally time for her to return to work.

To return to her normal life.

And since it was Rey's return to her usual routine, it wasn't a surprise that she found herself in a mad dash to get ready. That being said, she typically didn't shower in the morning, and as a result had to figure out how to squeeze a short shower into her already cramped routine.

She simply couldn't show up to work smelling of sweat and…

Other things.

But she managed to squeeze the shower in. Some way, somehow, she was slipping into her shoes, ready to go, not even twenty minutes after she had turned her alarm off.

In fact, she was so delighted with her speed that she almost missed the massive man sitting on their sofa, a box from their local bakery sitting in front of him.

Rey froze. "Ben? What are you still doing here? Didn't you go to the gym?"

How Ben managed to wake up hours before necessary simply to punish his body would never make sense to her.

"I did," He explained rather quickly, before pushing the box of what Rey assumed to be donuts towards her, "But I came back after. I uh…"

While still a new sensation to Rey, she could smell the shift in the air. Ben smelled…

Nervous? Angry?

Nothing made sense to her anymore.

She dug into the boxes, immediately retrieving a glazed donut, before looking back to her best friend. He cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"I'm escorting you to work. To make sure you don't run into trouble," His voice was stern, as if lecturing her, "Your suppressants probably won't kick in fully until the end of the week."

Rey merely nodded and bit into the donut, unable to take her eyes off him. Ben, however, jumped to his feet, hovering over her like a predator over prey.

"You really should stop leaving this late for work. No wonder you're never on time," He explained casually, as if his eyes weren't locked on her very new scent gland, "You'd probably enjoy the morning more if you weren't always rushing to get ready."

That got Rey to snort. "I'd enjoy the morning more if I didn't have to go to work and had all the money in the world."

He simply rolled his eyes and took a step forward. "Eat your donut. I'm going to scent you again."

The casual way he alluded to running his tongue all over her skin nearly had her shaking. She swallowed her last bit of donut and coughed.

"You think I need to be scented again?" She managed to get out, watching him with wide eyes.

He nodded and took another step forward. "Most Alphas won't approach you if you smell like me. It'll mask your new Omega scent."

Who was she to argue? Ben was certainly more knowledgeable about this than she was. Not to mention, despite wanting to think otherwise, she couldn't deny how much she enjoyed the first time he scented her.

So, instead of considering all the implications of that concerning thought, she merely looked to him, tilting her neck as if to offer him the inflamed gland like a freshly prepared meal.

And perhaps he was eager, or maybe it was just biology, but he immediately latched onto her, his tongue caressing her gland with an expertise that made her knees weak.

In fact, if not for the sofa supporting her, she would have completely collapsed. She could only close her eyes and hold on for dear life, reveling in the way he lapped at her engorged skin.

The feeling could only be described as orgasmic.

But just as quickly as it had started, it was over. Ben jerked away from her, as if scared of being burned, and immediately moved towards the door.

"That should do it," He choked out, determinedly not looking at her as he spoke, "So let's get you to work."

Rey cleared her throat and grabbed her work bag, before turning to Ben. She wasn't sure what to say anymore.

She was feeling new things.

She was smelling new things.

With a deep breath, she grabbed another donut for good measure and followed Ben out the door.

She purposely ignored why she was so excited to sit in his car.

And later that afternoon, she pretended she wasn't smelling her shirt, desperate to inhale the bits of his stench that clung to her.

Nothing had changed.

Nothing at all.

-x-x-x-

When Ben strolled into the deli two blocks from his office during his lunch hour, he was starting to wonder if any of this was a good idea.

It wasn't like him to ask for help or advice.

It especially wasn't like him to reach out to his father of all people.

Yet somehow, he dropped into a booth, meeting the bored gaze of Han Solo, who by the looks of the plate before him, was already halfway through a cream soda and pastrami on rye.

"You couldn't even wait for me?" Ben asked, before setting a pharmacy bag beside him, "Isn't that the point of having lunch together? You know, actually eating with the other person?"

Han rolled his eyes and bit into one of the crisp pickle spears on his plate. "Your work schedule is notorious for making you late. I was hungry and wasn't taking any chances."

Before Ben could even get a retort out, a sandwich was set in front of him by a friendly waitress, who winked at Han before scurrying away. While Ben was momentarily too stunned to speak, Han snatched a potato chip off the plate.

"See, I ordered for you. Even got you some of that healthy shit you eat," Han explained, before grabbing another chip, "The chips were mainly for me."

Ben nodded dumbly, before bringing one of the halves to his mouth. Apparently, his father viewed a turkey club as healthy, but Ben would argue the mayo and bacon really cut into that label. However, it was delicious, and apparently paid for by Han, so he wasn't going to argue.

Besides, with the stress he was under, he was allowed to cheat a bit.

That was how he explained the three donuts he ate before Rey woke up.

They munched in silence for a moment before Han noticed the paper bag beside Ben, recognition lighting up his features. He merely smirked and watched his son, amusement crinkling across his face.

"Oh, I get it. This wasn't out of the goodness of your heart. You've got problems," Han explained, only letting up to shove another few potato chips in his mouth, "Nothing to be ashamed of, son."

Ben scoffed and crossed his arms. "Problems? What does that even mean? And what gave you that idea? Isn't it possible that I just want to have lunch with my father?"

Han rolled his eyes. "Just about as likely as you taking Luke for ice cream and a walk in the sand," He dabbed a few specs of mustard from his lips and pointed to the bag, "You're upping your blockers, aren't you?"

Knowing playing coy would be futile, Ben sighed and nodded, his cheeks tinging pink. "I wasn't sure what else to do."

"I see. What grade did you up to?" His father asked, rather intrigued by the subject.

The grades of blockers indicated their strength and ability to not only control the scent of Alphas, but also the degree to which Alphas could smell Omegas and other Alphas. Blockers also helped limit ruts, with the higher-grade blockers having the potential to completely prevent them from occurring at all.

C-grades were the most common on the market for unmated Alphas and kept both their scent and scenting ability to a controllable range. It kept Alphas at a healthy schedule for ruts—typically two to three times a year—and still gave them the ability to scent omegas, since most of age Alphas were readily looking for a mate.

A-grades were typically meant for mated Alphas, since they no longer needed the same level of scent protection. Just by being mated, their scent would dim naturally, and their ruts would typically organically line up with the heats of their mates.

Ben, who had been using C-grades since he presented, had made the abrupt decision to up to D-grades after calling his doctor. They were a stronger dosage, meaning his scenting ability would be further reduced. In fact, they were usually reserved for Alphas who worked in close proximity with others, such as pilots, air stewardesses, servicemen and women, and even school teachers.

He cleared his throat. "D-grades," He explained, keeping his voice hushed given their very public location, "I wasn't sure what else to do. My doctor said Ds made the most sense."

Han merely smirked and took another bite of his sandwich. "Right. And what exactly are you trying to accomplish by upping your blockers?"

Ben scowled. "What type of question is that? What do you think I'm trying to accomplish?" He cursed and ran a hand through his hair, "Look, these past few days have been nightmarishly hard. Her scent is everywhere." He shook his head and averted his gaze, "I know things will get better when her suppressants kick in but I just can't take the chance."

"And if they don't?"

Ben pursed his lips. "If they don't what?"

"If things don't get better. If her smell isn't muted by her suppressants or your new blockers don't do anything."

With another aggressive shake of his head, Ben was quick to respond. "They'll work, okay? These are the same grade of blockers given to fucking school teachers and marines. I'll be fine."

Han didn't seem convinced. "I'm going to tell you a story and I expect you to listen closely."

Ben rolled his eyes, not appreciating his father's tone. "Alright. Go on."

"How much do you know about how your mother and I met?"

Ben shrugged. "You met at an airport?"

"Sure," Han began, before munching on a pickle, "We did. But that's the PG version of the story."

The phrase "PG" immediately had Ben tensing. Suddenly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the story. "Dad, gross, I don't want—"

"Hey!" Han immediately interjected, looking rather irritated, "You're going to sit and listen. I bought you a fucking flesh light when you were fourteen. I think you can hear about your mother and I."

While Ben was deeply regretting inviting his father, he remained seated, waiting for the older man to continue the story.

"Well, as I was saying," Han retorted, looking perturbed by the interruptions, "We were at an airport. You remember that when I left the Air Force, I became a commercial pilot. Well, I ran into your mother when she was flying home to Massachusetts when her semester ended. She was 20, I think. Maybe 21. I'm losing count of the years."

He whistled and grinned, a smile blooming across his worn face as he clearly recalled the memories, "She was the most delicious thing I had ever smelled. The moment I saw her, and inhaled that scent, I was done. A goner. And she had the same reaction."

Ben flinched, having a gut feeling that he wouldn't like where this story was going, "And…?"

"And so we banged it out in a supply closet!" Han explained, a smirk across her lips. "That little she-devil sent me into a rut right then and there."

Forcing himself to swallow the vomit that was bubbling in his gut, Ben wearily met his dad's gaze. "What exactly was the point of sharing this story? So I can now know the first time my parents had sex was in public?"

Han rolled his eyes. "No, son, I'm sharing this story to remind you that I was a pilot."

"Okay? I'm aware."

Unable to stop himself, Han leaned across the table and smacked his son upside the head. "I was a pilot, dumbass. I was pumped full of Grade-D blockers. And guess what? They didn't do jack shit! Not when I was around my soul mate."

Ben tensed and glanced at the remaining half of his sandwich. "So what? That was like… a hundred years ago. Medical science advances constantly."

Han merely shrugged. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But all I'm trying to say here is if this is meant to be," He studied his son closely, his face for once serious, "If you and Rey are really compatible, no drug is going to prevent nature from taking its course."

With a shrug, his father returned to eating Ben's potato chips, looking remarkably comfortable despite their serious conversation.

Ben, however, stared at the pharmacy bag, his stomach in knots.

His father couldn't be right. He just couldn't be.

Yet somehow, his father's words brought him closer to being sick than even picturing his parents' first roll in the hay.

What the fuck was he going to do?

-x-x-x-

After lunch with his father and another four and a half hours of Hux being a dick, Ben was thrilled to see the sun go down. While usually he would have been desperate to go home, the thought of returning to his apartment and being absolutely submerged in the scent of fresh omega was giving him anxiety.

So, he decided that he'd take Rey out to dinner. While her scent was still strong and made thinking difficult, the other lingering scents in public would provide some relief.

Certainly, more relief than sitting on their sofa eating takeout, her delicious essence attacking him like a tidal wave.

Ben stood in the lobby of her office, waiting by the elevators. He wondered if his overwhelming urge to keep her safe was simply a side effect of being her best friend for so long or tied to their biology. Either way, even if he was overreacting, he refused to let her go anywhere alone until her suppressants truly kicked in.

If Hux wasn't such an asshole and Ben had unlimited vacation time, he would have fucking sat beside Rey at her job all day

He'd do just about anything to keep her safe.

Ben also wondered if the relief that coursed through his body the moment she stepped off the elevator was tied to their lengthy friendship or biology.

Because as much as he loved seeing Rey in the past, it had never felt like that before.

Rey appeared before him, all smiles and delicious Omega, and let out an enormous yawn.

"God, you miss a few days of work, and all hell breaks loose!" Rey bemoaned, her features clearly tired from the long day, "Not to mention, I spent my entire lunch hour on the phone with Designation Services. The moron on the phone thought I was prank calling them. He refused to believe I presented at 25!"

He frowned and took her work bag from her small hands and led her to his car. Once satisfied she was inside and buckled up, he too climbed in.

"What happened then?" He asked, pulling away from her office building, "Were you able to get an appointment?"

Rey snorted and rubbed at her eyes. "I did. But only after I demanded to speak to a manager."

Ben smirked at her and turned down the street. "You're starting to sound like my mother."

"Well, your mother gets shit down," She explained calmly, looking over to Ben with a grin, "Besides, being a pushover is no fun."

He noticed her smirk and raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying I'm a pushover? Because I am most certainly not!"

Rey laughed and shrugged. "Please, what can I not get you to do Ben? You'd go to work for me if I asked nicely."

Well, she wasn't wrong. If Rey asked him to do something, he'd do it. Cook, clean, watch a movie, stop singing in the car, whatever, he'd do it.

Good Alpha. Keep Omega happy.

He cleared his throat, conscious of the blush painting his cheeks. "That doesn't make me a pushover. Just a good friend."

Rey bit her lip. "Where are we going for dinner?"

Before he could respond, they arrived at their location, and Ben was quick to park the car. Rey sat quietly, seemingly amused.

"What?" He found himself asking, his cheeks still impossibly pink.

She glanced at him, her hazel eyes amused. "See, I was right! You are such a pushover!"

"Really? And how do you figure that?"

Rey smirked and unbuckled her seatbelt, looking positively mischievous. "Because. We're going to Masala Mansion for dinner. You hate Indian food!"

Somehow, his cheeks managed to darken. He cleared his throat and shrugged. "I like…naan."

She laughed and grinned at him. "Thank you. I could use some curry tonight. Preferably spicy enough to burn my tongue off."

Noticing his look of disgust, she laughed again. "Oh, your poor white boy taste buds! How is life without a little heat?"

Ben shrugged. "Cool, I guess."

Rey laughed and reached for the car door but was immediately halted. She turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"I need to scent you again," He explained, his eyes already dropping to stare at her perfectly engorged scent gland, "Just to be safe."

For once, she kept her mouth shut and merely nodded, immediately angling her body towards Ben, only slowed down by the layout of his car.

But as soon as her neck was presented to him, Ben couldn't prevent his instincts from taking over. Truth be told, he felt ravenous.

How could he not be? With her delicious scent settling in his car like a disease and the sight of her perfectly inflamed glands, it was impossible for him not to want a taste.

And so he immediately went to work, roughly licking and nipping at the reddened skin, his eyes fluttering closed as he worked away. With his hands holding her hips, he could hear her soft gasps and pleas as he continued, the noises immediately going to his groin.

But he had to control himself. He had to be more than his biology.

With one final lick, he pulled away and ran a hand through his hair, suddenly ashamed of his actions.

If he was protecting her, why did he feel like he was doing something wrong?

He cursed and climbed out of the car, quickly moving to the other side to open the door for Rey. Similar to him, she looked… off, her eyes only describable as glassy. On wobbly legs, she jumped out, her cheeks bright pink.

"Okay," She sputtered out, before taking off towards the restaurant, "Let's get some curry."

Ben watched as she raced away, not able to move as quickly as her.

Not when he had another body part impeding his movements.

Fuck.

For the second time that day, he wondered what the hell he was going to do.

-x-x-x-

The following day, Rey was looking forward to spending her lunch with Poe and Finn. It was her treat of course—she would never be able to repay them for taking such good care of her during her heat.

Well, not care per say, because her inner omega would argue that she was not taken care of, but at least someone fed her.

Because Alpha LEFT! You upset Alpha!

You're upsetting him RIGHT NOW!

Rey muttered under her breath and entered the café, already sick to death of her omega. The little bitch ran her mouth nonstop, constantly complaining about something.

That morning, it was Rey not waking up early enough to see Ben leave in his gym clothes.

Then, it was her inner omega complaining that the apartment wouldn't be big enough for pups.

Then it was the foul-smelling Alpha IT guy who repaired the internet on her work computer and lingered for just a tad too long.

But, currently, her inner omega was livid that Rey was leaving the office without Ben's permission. He was still hellbent on escorting her everywhere until her suppressants kicked in, so since she returned to work, she'd simply brought lunch and ate it at her desk, not leaving until he picked her up.

Well, Ben would pack it for her.

Yesterday was his mother's pasta salad which was Rey's favorite. He'd even made her pound cake.

ALPHA CARES! GET BACK INTO YOUR OFFICE!

But, today she needed to get out. Poe freelanced and Finn worked close to her, so lunch seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch up with her other best friends. Not to mention, she was certain the pair had plenty of questions.

The last week of her life had been well…

Let's just say she had no desire to repeat it.

She immediately located Poe and Finn tucked comfortably in a booth near the windows and slid into the empty seat, unable to hide her smile.

But, their smiling faces morphed into shock the minute their eyes landed on her. In fact, Poe nearly spilled his coffee.

Rey frowned, uncomfortable with the attention. "Uh, hi guys. Is something wrong?"

Finn swallowed and shared a look with Poe before looking back at Rey. Besides seeming surprised, he looked hurt. Actually, he smelled hurt.

That was still new to her.

"I can't believe it happened," He began, his eyes looking over her frantically, "And you didn't even tell me!"

Poe shared his boyfriend's look of sadness. "I mean, we get that you've probably been busy, but that's huge Rey. We've been waiting for this for years."

She cleared her throat and glanced at the menu sitting in front of her. "Um. What are you talking about?"

Finn gave her one of his legendary eyerolls. "Don't be coy, Rey. It's not cute. I witnessed enough of your heat. Nothing needs to be private anymore."

What was originally confusion was slowly moving towards irritation. Rey loved Finn and Poe deeply, but she didn't appreciate the attitude or ambush.

"Listen to me," She began, suddenly wishing she had listened to her omega and just stayed at the office for lunch, "I have no idea what you're talking about, ok?"

The couple shared another look and glanced back to Rey, looking just as confused as she did. Poe spoke first.

"Why didn't you tell us that you and Ben finally got down and dirty?" He asked, not so casually trying to take a look at her mating gland.

His words immediately stained her cheeks pink. Why on earth did Poe think she and Ben had gotten intimate?

Mated Alpha is smart! GET DIRTY WITH ALPHA!

Rey cleared her throat. "Um, what are you talking about? Ben and I haven't… You know…."

Finn snorted. "Rey. Don't be ridiculous. You reek of him."

"Eau de Ben," Poe added with a smirk, "The scent of virile Alpha. Ben should bottle it—might be a big hit."

With her best friends staring at her like she was an idiot, Rey was having trouble forming words. Their rapt attention certainly wasn't helping, especially when they had just voiced the most ridiculous, most ludicrous assumption to ever grace her presence.

Finally, after a waiter came by to refill their coffee, she managed to speak. "I'm serious, okay? Ben and I have not done anything! We're just friends!"

"Then why do you stink of him?" Finn asked, his tone accusatory, "Because scent sticks when you live with someone, but that's not a second-hand smell. That's…" He whistled and sipped his coffee, "That's 'I let this alpha rail me and call me omega' stink."

Rey swallowed and blushed, suddenly embarrassed by the truth. "You're right. It's not second-hand smell. Ben has been um… Scenting me."

From beside her, she heard the clank of Poe's spoon hitting the table. He choked on his coffee, before sputtering out, "Ben has been scenting you?"

She managed a short nod, unsure why Poe and Finn were looking at her like she'd committed murder.

Finn spoke first. "Rey…" He cleared his throat and rubbed at his eyes, "That's not normal."

His words immediately had her on edge. "It most certainly is!" She shot back, beyond sick of the way her friends were treating her, "Alphas scent omegas all the time! My pamphlet says so. Hell, I've even seen Poe do it to you."

"Whoa, hold on!" Poe jumped in, holding up his hand to silence her, "Finn is my mate. Before that, he was my boyfriend."

Rey crossed her arms. "And so what? Ben is my best friend."

"He's your friend, peanut," Finn explained, watching her carefully, "It is not normal for platonic friends to scent each other. Scenting…. Well, it means something."

She looked away, her stomach in knots. "Such as?"

Poe sighed and squeezed her hand. "Look, sure, a lot of it is about telling other people that you're taken. But it's also intimate, Rey. It's someone rubbing their pheromones all over the most sensitive and hormonal part of your body."

"You must be feeling that," Finn jumped in, glancing at her glands with curiosity, "They're inflamed. Have you been…" He cleared his throat, "You know, been feeling anything around Ben?"

We ALWAYS feel things around Alpha! GO TO ALPHA NOW!

Rey flushed, immediately thinking back to the rather… hot dream she had only the previous night. A fantasy that featured a tall, dark, and handsome Alpha, completely fucking the life out of her.

An Alpha that didn't have a face.

But Rey knew.

She just did.

"Yes," She merely whispered, unable to meet their concerned gaze, "Of course I feel it. But he's protecting me, okay? I'm barely suppressed."

Finn pursed his lips. "Right. But are you comfortable with him scenting you like that?"

YES! BITE! MATE! LET ALPHA DO IT!

Rey cleared her throat. "Yes. I am."

Poe snorted and took a sip of coffee. "So Ben, your completely platonic Alpha best friend, is scenting you daily to 'protect' you and it doesn't bother you at all. In fact, it almost sounds like you like it."

She just nodded. "Yes, okay? Is that it? Can we enjoy lunch now without you two hounding me?"

The couple shared a look before turning back to Rey. Finn smiled.

"Of course, Peanut. But just let us know when it happens."

She sighed. "When what happens?"

That made Poe smirk. "When you two snap."

Finn grinned and snapped. "Like Thanos."

"Because you will," Poe continued, his sing-songy voice taunting her, "And when it happens, it's going to be hot."

His mate nudged her with a smirk. "It's going to be hot and you're going to be mated before you can even say 'Alpha'."

When the waiter returned to take their order, Rey could barely focus on the menu.

Mated pair is right.

Snap with Alpha.