《Worthless》 Chapter -1 - A Guide to Omegaverse Hello! I will just briefly go through these since I am sure most of you are pretty much familiar with what Omegaverse is, right? So, the author here will provide you with a description of some Omegaverse terms and a quick background of this universe. To those who are already familiar with it, there may be a few changes as in this story, everything is almost the same with only a few things that I adjust to my liking. In this world, everyone is classified as Alpha, Beta, and Omega. ALPHA Served as the superior, the dominant one. They are born with good figures, brains, and physiques. They have charismatic and leadership qualities. Tend to have high positions in society, people with political powers and influences. They experience a mating season called rut, making them d?s?r? Omega and can be violent. OMEGA Omega are generally lowest on the hierarchy, yet in this story they are treated like a queen. Everyone respects them and regards them as a contributor to society by being able to give a new life. Regardless of gender, all omegas have the ability to carry offspring. BETA The ordinary human. Usually the population of Beta exceeds Alpha and Omega combined, but in this story, Beta was close to none due to the "massacre" that happened years ago. PERIOD: Heat: every 2 months Rut: every 4 months PRE-HEAT: 3-5 days before heat begins, Omegas will go through pre-heat. During this time, they will have the urge to do what is known as nesting. Nesting is generally making up a small and comfortable place to ride out a heat. One will normally keep adjusting the structure of the nest until he/she feels comfortable. The area will be filled with blankets, pillows, or things that remind them of the smell of someone close (their Alpha if they have one) or loved ones. Entering or touching an Omega''s nest without permission will cause him/her to get distress and some may even attack. Symptoms: some feel extremely hungry, cravings, some will even feel incredibly tired and will sleep for a long time. HEAT: Heat starts right after pre-heat and usually lasts for 4-7 days. I guess you know how it works so let''s skip it. POST HEAT: Sleep. That''s what an Omega needs after heat. The use of energy in the heat was intense and the body is trying its hardest to bring the omega back in shape. It is known that an Omega sleeps 15 hours at a time in post heat. This will continue for a week before the body goes back to normal. A mate or a friend is recommended during this session to help remind the Omega to eat and drink in between the sleep. It will also help them return to normal much quicker. PRE-RUT: 4-7 days before entering the rut. Some showed a higher form of aggression, elongated fangs, changes in eye colors might happen for a more dominant Alpha, Possessive behaviors, restless, aroused state, craving for unusual taste buds. RUT: Usually if an Alpha has a bonded mate, their ruts may align with their Omega''s partner. Tends to get more aggressive and possessive (if they have a bonded mate). And you know the rest. The same case with heat, a rut lasts for 4-7 days. SPONTANEOUS HEAT AND RUT: Rarely happens, only occurs when one finds his/her perfect match. Another way to trigger this is by hormones injection that can force an Omega or Alpha into full rut but they are usually self-administered and mostly found in black market or underground dealers. MEDICATIONS: In this AU, any kind of injection or inhibitors has yet to be found and everyone relies on pills. However, these pills are not strong enough to stop a heat or rut from happening so a partner is still required to go through one. The pills can only temporarily delay the process. Doctors won''t suggest taking pills so often since constant use can have unwanted side effects. Taking suppressants for a long period might leave an Omega infertile or even worse, having a heat much more intense than usual. For an Alpha, it can act like a neutering. Rut may be lost to him forever. He may as well just register himself as an eunuch this way. BONDING: It is like an act of marriage. For Alpha/Omega and Alpha/Alpha(usually female), it may be a two-way bond unless it''s forced. Bonds allow the mates to feel each other''s emotions such as happiness, sadness, dissatisfaction, and anxiety. However, between Alpha and Beta, it is only a one-way bond as Beta cannot receive a bond bite. COURTING: An action done by an Alpha when formally inviting an Omega to become mates. Usually by gifting flowers, jewelry, food, or d?s?r?d items that have been marked with the Alpha''s scent. Meant to display an Alpha''s capabilities to provide and protect. An Omega may initiate a courting, but it is rare. SCENT GLANDS: Inner wrists, neck (area below the ears), inner th??hs, ankles. PHEROMONES: Alphas and Omegas tend to produce and instinctively react to pheromones. They also tend to produce large quantities of androstenone, which creates a dominant, intimidating aggressive aura. Alphas usually feel threatened when they scent another Alpha during stressful situations and react violently. However, there are also Alphas that are less aggressive. Omegas produce estratetraenol and copulins, which are highly attractive to Alphas. Betas pheromones have been described as comparatively bland or alternatively "soothing". So why did Jian Yu have more prominent pheromones and is more s?ns?t?v? towards another sub-gender''s pheromones? Wouldn''t you like to know? Read to find out! More will be added in the future. Chapter -2 - Author鈥檚 Note Hi, the author here! Thanks for reading this half-ass story I whipped out because of the lack of Beta being mentioned in any omegaverse story. Since I am only using half of my remaining braincell to write, I noticed a few were a bit confused about the timeline and places in this story, so I am here to summarize that. Firstly, all the characters are living in a fictional place called Zariya, one of the towns in Atlantis. Why Atlantis? "Cuz this place is under the sea," Sebastian, the red crab said. To reach this place, you need to dive deep into the sea. As for the timeline, I would say around the early 1900s. This place lacked technology and they still stick to using the huge telephone where you need to use all of your strength to mobilize the phone when using it. All the characters dressed in the 1900s british clothing, dresses, frills, big hats, stockings, crosets, umbrellas, you know, those kinds of style for women and suits and coats for men. Rest ?ssured, we still have cars in here, BMW and those kinds of cars in the early to late 1900s. Please don''t come at me cause everything happening in here is fictional; their mindset, the rules established in this era, nothing is exactly historical, all of it comes from my own imagination and could be bent how I want it. Ah! And their names! Please don''t put a lot of thought in it as I randomly place a name for each head when creating this story! <> Why did Han have a nokia? That phone was sent to him via submarine express delivery from his close friend, the annoying friend close enough to be called a brother, Hwak, an Alpha that lives above the sea, in Korea in the year of 2021. I think that''s all for the timeline and place. I know this story was totally nonsensical, written with only half brain cells, however I am still glad you guys are clicking onto it. Anw, thank you for sparing some time to read this <> Have fun! -Kolakola Chapter -3 - DISCLAIMER 1. The following content may not be suitable for viewers under 15. 2. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author''s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. 3.. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Chapter 4 - Zeke Roderick There were many things Jian Yu hated working in the Zeros mansion, but he particularly hated this one the most. Accompanying Lady Clement to her college. Accompanying meant he had to enroll in the same college. To the same degree. Which was one of the most, ultimately boring courses. The business course. For once, he couldn''t blame Lady Clement for being extremely undisciplined. Who wouldn''t be? Jian Yu would much prefer something that was ?ssociated with fine arts, like painting, designs, or even music. He was much more of a melancholic guy. Currently, he was sitting down in the library, lying face flat on one of the desks. He was debating and contemplating on his pathetic life now. He turned his head slightly to the side and saw Lady Clement and a few of her friends talking loudly. He wondered why they were all allowed to talk that loud when you were supposed to be silent in the library. But what could he say? The perks of being the heir of one of the richest and successful families, no one dared to reprimand her, terrified of losing their job if they ever opposed these families. Jian Yu turned his head back and ?r??n?d, not without banging his head a few times over. Should he... make friends? Well, it wasn''t that he didn''t want any friends, he was just a natural-born loner, he never knew how to make friends. People usually came and talked to him first. Now that he recalled, he never had someone to call a friend before, it was either his superior or junior. Maybe Rei? But Rei was like a little brother to him. There were times where he felt lonely, perhaps that loneliness he was feeling had become part of him, it had turned into the willingness to be alone. He didn''t feel bad being ignored, abandoned, or even unloved anymore. Bullshit, he couldn''t confirm the last one though, he didn''t know what he would do if Han In Sik suddenly threw him away. He actually wanted to feel loved, being cherished and all, but he had decided to give up all that hope. Really, he really couldn''t picture anyone having a crush on him, or maybe daydreaming about him. Sometimes he would wonder before bedtime, what would it feel like when someone thought about him before going to sleep. He wondered how it felt to have bu??erflies in his stomach because he liked them so much. Oh damn, now he was being sappy. Curse his bleeding heart. ''Ahhh...'' he ?r??n?d internally, he preferred being in his room and reading a book instead of being here. It''s not like there was anything to do here instead of waiting for Lady Clement to finish gossiping with her friends. Another loud chatter interrupted his banging head session. Jian Yu glanced at where those voices came from and were met with a group of seniors. A group of three. Jian Yu''s eyes immediately scanned through them. All of them seemed to be in their mid-twenties. On the left, stood a man with short dirty blond hair, a set of clear blue eyes that sparkles like a child looking at his favorite toy. He was a bit tanned with freckles spread across his face. He looked to be five feet nine, a bit taller than Jian Yu. The one from the right was also another family like the Crosse, the Jeon family. Standing six feet tall, with dark brown hair, shaggy and ruffled, looking like it had never been combed before, he had quite pale skin and wore thick-rimmed glasses. This one was called Jeon Dong-Hyun, also an Alpha. And now... Jian Yu paused for a dramatic effect. Zeke Roderick. Lady''s Clement soon-to-be spouse. Jian Yu''s first impression of him was that he was tall. Too tall. He stood six feet two, it didn''t help when his body was quite muscular, giving him the image ''huge''. He was the perfect image of an Alpha. Jet black hair, high razor blade cheekbones supporting a set of jade jewels. His eyes were sharp and deep as if they were made to pierce someone. Jian Yu panicked, pulling his stare back to avoid getting caught. He picked up the book he took right after entering the library and stood up, he planned to slip among the tall bookshelves. However, he was too late and obsidian met with jade. XXX College life had been pretty flat for Zeke. With a small group of childhood friends to hang out with, getting straight A''s, going to the gym, and getting flocked by omegas for being a good looking and prestigious family. Everything had been too normal and Zeke was in need of some new entertainment. He was bored. Zeke slumped forward against his desk, groaning loudly. He expertly ignored the stares he was getting for making such noises, they ranged from annoying glares to lovey-dovey stares, he could even feel some ?ust gaze being sent his way. But, he was used to it. Anyway, back to the topic. And no one seemed to understand how bored he was. Being bored could rot his mind out. Grunting even harsher this time, he definitely caught the professor''s hard stare. Zeke dropped his face to rest against the palm of his hand. He let his eyes swapped through the class before setting on Jeon Dong-Hyun. Zeke frowned and stared at him. That guy had been having this dreamy look since this morning. Suddenly, he felt something unpleasant settled deep inside him. It took him a minute to realize what he was experiencing. He was jealous. Dong-Hyun had an omega of his own. Whenever Dong-Hyun talked about his omega, he would have this dazed and dreamy look, he would talk and gush about how sweet his omega was, how his days would light up like a Christmas tree, about how he and his omega were made to be, and all. To be honest, Zeke was happy for him. The corner of his lips turned upwards. He wanted someone to be called his too. Someone who he could spend his entire life with, someone to share secrets, someone he could protect, or maybe someone that would depend on him. That was all he wanted. But fate seemed to hate him. His beautifully crafted world crumbled when he heard his father was trying to engage him to another Alpha. Not just any Alpha, it just had to be the Alpha from the Zeros. Didn''t his father know that they had been on odds with each other? Ever since they were young, they were taught to beat their rivals in everything, academics, sports, games, clubs, so why did father suddenly decided to merge their business? Even if you do, leave your kid out of it, Old Man!! Gloomy auras surrounded Zeke, he was spreading distress pheromones all over the classroom. Some omegas in the class had trembled in fear, shaking ferociously. "Mr. Roderick, control your scents!" the professor reprimanded him. "I-- I''m sorry, I will go to the nurse''s office!" Zeke apologized, quickly snapping out of his gloomy state and packed his bag, before rushing out. "Zee!! You okay, man?" "Zee!" Zeke stopped when he heard his friends calling out at him. Mika and Dong-Hyun rushed up to him. Mika swung his arm around his shoulder. "Whatcha thinkin bout to make you like that, huh?" Zeke rubbed his hand across his face, using his index finger and thumb to pinch his forehead. "Nothing," Zeke sighed. "Ya thinking about that stupid arranged marriage again?" Dong-Hyun asked. Zeke blew raspberry before sighing again. "Maybe?" he shrugged, ruffling his jet black hair before pushing them up, he liked his forehead clear off bangs. "Nah, forget it. Let''s go," he sighed one more time, clutching the strap of his bag, he slung it over his shoulder. "Where are we going?" "Library, I need to borrow a book," Zeke replied, his legs had immediately brought him towards the library. Mika and Dong-Hyun had followed him right away, chattering away. By the time he reached the library, he noticed a group of women gossiping loudly. He b?r?ly managed a frustrated sigh when he saw Clement and her gangs there. However, there was something odd about the scene. Sitting not far from the women, a young man with silver hair was currently banging his head on the desk. He didn''t look like an Alpha, but he wasn''t small like an Omega. A beta, perhaps? He observed as the young man who kept banging his head stopped and turned to glance at him and his friends. The view had made him breathless. The sunlight that had seeped through the windows of the library shone through, making the silver mane of the young man shine brightly. Obsidian eyes stood contrasting under those long white eyelashes like burning orbs, especially when he was trying so hard to avoid staring at them openly. The young man didn''t seem to realize that he had been caught. After a few minutes of staring, Zeke tried to force down the corner of his lips from tugging up when the young man''s eyes widened slightly when he realized he had been staring too long. When he did, Zeke tried to catch his gaze, and indeed, his Jade ones immediately locked with obsidian ones. Chapter 5 - Curiosity "Hey, do you guys have any idea who that was?" The group of three he had been eating with all turned to look at him before following his gaze to the empty corner. Not seeing anyone, they looked back at him, confused. "Who are you talking about, Zee?" Mika asked with a mouth full of food. He was munching on his burger, filling his mouth continuously without swallowing. He was resembling a chipmunk right now. "Don''t talk with your mouth full," Dong-Hyun chastised, pushing his thick and oversized glasses with his middle finger. Mika merely stuck out his tongue at him. Zeke rolled his eyes and chuckled. These people made his day. "Someone was sitting in the library most of the evening. Didn''t you see him?" "No. What did he look like?" "And if you wanted to know and he was there all evening, as you claim, then why didn''t you simply go ask him?" Dong-Hyun added. "For once, he has a point, " Mika mused, earning himself an annoyed look from the brunette. "So what did he look like?" Mika interjected hurriedly. Zeke shrugged. "From what I recalled, he had interesting hair color. Light gray, silver maybe? Looks quite neat and taken care of, his bangs are a bit longer on the left side," he gestured with his hands to illustrate his point. "Obsidian eyes if I am not wrong... kinda pale too..." he paused when he noticed the stare he got from his friends. "My, my, aren''t you quite detailed?" Mika smirked. "Found an eye candy?" Dong-Hyun''s eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh! That must be Huang! He is your soon-to-be spouse bodyguard." "Huang?" "Huang Jian Yu," Dong-Hyun stressed out as if he was talking to a bunch of toddlers. "He is hired as Ms. Zero bodyguard a few weeks back. They had signed him up in all her classes." "Why would she need a bodyguard? Ain''t that too extreme?" Mika asked. "Who knows, heard there were a few ?ssassination attempts on her," Dong-Hyum shrugged his shoulders. "Aww Zee, you should have acted as a knight in shining armor and save the damsel in distress, you missed the opportunity," Mika teased, wiggling his eyebrows. "Or... Do you prefer silver head more?" Zeke smirked at him. "And if I am?" Without letting Mika continue, he turned toward Dong-Hyun, completely ignoring the dumbfound look Mika was supporting, his jaw had slackened too. "So, what was he like?" "Who? Jian Yu?" "You didn''t call him by his surname, are you familiar with him?" Zeke frowned. "I worked with him once, during a project," Dong-Hyun turned back to his food, snapping his chopsticks together and made clicking noises. "Then?" Zeke urged, asking him to continue. Mika was busy wiping his tears and sniffling loudly, muttering something about ''first love and love in first sight'' bullshits. "Since we are in the same course, he''s in a few of my classes. He always gets full scores, but he doesn''t talk much and... he is always reading," Dong-Hyun continued. "Was he the one who helped you in your midterms and gotten you a full mark?" Mika suddenly jumped in and interjected, sniffles and tissues forgotten. "Yes, he is the one." "Wow! Then he must be very skilled!" "YA! What''s that supposed to mean? Are you saying I am incompetent?" "Calm down, your dialect is coming out," Zeke snickered. "You said it yourself, so you must have thought of yourself as an incompetent then?" Mika taunted. "Why you little--" Dong-Hyun rubbed his fingers across his forehead, trying to ease the headache from appearing, sighing heavily. "I don''t know much about him, but he''s pretty quiet, either it is due to his occupation or he just doesn''t like people much," Dong-Hyun explained. Zeke hummed but didn''t say a word. "If you are really dying to know more in detail, why not try talking to him?" Dong-Hyun asked. "And maybe woo him while doing that." Dong-Hyun smirked. "Hitting two birds with one stone." Zeke raised one of his slick eyebrows and looked at Dong-Hyun. He wasn''t entirely sure about this situation, should he try pursuing his soon-to-be spouse''s bodyguard? Sure, Huang Jian Yu looked amazing. Tall but not so tall, the perfect height to cuddle and hug. He had the face of an angel, silver hair, and long eyelashes, he appeared just like he had just descended from heaven. And his eyes. They shone like onyx stones that had been polished multiple times under those silver lashes. Last but not least, he smelt particularly good, delicious even, for a beta. It reminded him of the forest, rusty and wooden feeling. The coldness promptly made him imagine the dew that dropped from leaves during the dawn. The more he thought about it, the more unsure he was. Maybe he would start keeping an eye out for Huang Jian Yu, observing him when he could. But what had started as curiosity had grown into real interest. XXX Yet... After researching for a few nights, he had wasted his free relaxing midnight moments, where he and his balcony should be having intimate times, it turned out that this guy, who named himself Zeke Roderick, was just a typical boring Alpha. He was the smart type, armed with eidetic memory or what people commonly called photographic memory. He was majoring in Law, hoping to be a prosecutor one day. That aside, a straight A''s student. Decent attitude, unlike those typical conglomerate family Alphas who always fought, he was quite calm. He even acted as a peacemaker for some. Omegas flocked around him like birds, a few alphas, and betas too. All in all, He was the perfect prince charming. Nevertheless, he had never imagined being approached by the man himself. Chapter 6 - Show Me What You Got It was a peaceful afternoon. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. Specks of dust seemed to dance in the shaft of afternoon sunlight that slanted through the library window-- Scratched that. It was an awful afternoon. He had been screamed at in front of everyone by his client, Lady Clement. Why though? For what reason? He honestly didn''t know. It happened so suddenly during the class. While he was daydreaming, maybe sleeping with the professor''s lectures as background music, which for some reason sounded like slow jazz to him, Lady Clement unexpectedly stalked up towards him. He couldn''t fully register what was said as the domineering pheromones enveloped him. It pressed him down and made him hard to breathe. It felt like someone had shoved their hand inside his ?h?st and squeezed his lungs out. He trembled and shivered. Normally he could withstand it by pretending to be resistant towards it, but this time, it caught him off guard, he wasn''t prepared. He couldn''t stop the whimper escaping his mouth. But when he did, he couldn''t get the image of Lady Clement''s smug face. She looked proud and mocking. She was looking down on him. Oh the humiliation he felt. He was not an omega. He wasn''t supposed to react in such an omega way. It fu?k?n? hurted his dignity as someone who claimed himself a beta. It would have been good if everything stopped there, but no, it didn''t. The group of girls with Lady Clement were actually spectating, Jian Yu didn''t doubt that one of those girls were the one who provoked Lady Clement to do it. They had snickered and laughed at him, a few of them even pointed at him. It directly stabbed his pride. He didn''t care about being childish anymore and immediately excused himself from the class, be damned with the bodyguard duty. And now here he was, sitting in the library. For once, it was peaceful, quiet. The smell of papers were heavy in the air. The librarians were very strict about that, but when it came to those conglomerate kids, rules could be bent somehow. At least now, it was quiet. Jian Yu let out a relieved sigh. He stretched both of his arms high up and smiled when he heard the satisfied pops. How lovely. If only these moments were his daily life, he would trade anything for it. After a few stretches, he stood up, thinking of searching something to read instead of going back to class. This library was huge, maybe due to the only library in the Town of Zariya. Being the only library in the only college in this town, it had to be the best. He walked over the shelves. Again, he had to admit. This library was amazing. This place was surrounded with books. There were high shelves where they would need a sliding stair to reach it. There was a box shoved in between the books. He pulled them out and noticed it was a chess board. It had been a long time since he played one, usually he would play against his adoptive father. Feeling excited, he rushed back to his seat and pulled out the chess board from the box. He placed it on a table, setting the pieces on top of the board. He arranged them as how he remembered them. He sat down on the side of the black pieces, before moving to the other side as he recalled players with the white pieces usually made the first move and since there was no opponent, he played both sides. He played the first game. Knocking down some pieces and making the black sides win. Don''t blame him, he just loved the color black. He then scattered them again to rearrange them again. But a deep voice interrupted him. "Who are you playing against?" Startled, he dropped some of the pieces onto the floor. He quickly picked them up and put them back onto the table. Looking up, he saw a young man around his age, maybe one or two years older with jet black hair. The young man was still looking at him with such a piercing set of jade eyes. Zeke Roderick. His mind helpfully supplied. "You haven''t answered yet." ''Why was he talking to him?'' Jian Yu wondered and he was exerting dominance, what a typical alpha. "Well?" Zeke prompted. Jian Yu glanced across at the empty seat on the other side of his table then backed up at Zeke again. "I''m just¡ªpracticing." "Can I play then?" Jian Yu hesitated, shifting a bit uncomfortably in his seat. He''d come here originally to be alone after all. "Come on," Zeke persisted. "It had gotta be boring playing against yourself." "Uh¡­" Jian Yu was speechless, he actually prefered playing by himself than with his client''s spouse, but it would be rude to just refuse. "I¡­guess you can play," Jian Yu gave in a bit reluctantly. Zeke gave him a blinding smile, Jian Yu noted to himself that he had to bring a pair of sunglasses next time. Not only that, Zeke''s piercing jade eyes had been observing him throughout the exchange. It actually made him uncomfortable and self-conscious. Zeke simply grinned and slid into the empty seat. He didn''t seem to notice or just didn''t care that he had made Jian Yu uncomfortable. He began setting and rearranging the pieces into their beginning positions cheerfully, like he had gotten what he wanted. The happiness and giddiness of a kid that finally got his favorite candy. Jian Yu began observing Zeke. Seeing his familiarity with the pieces, Jian Yu felt his interest piqued. It was rare to see people nowadays know how to play this old classic board game. He might be a good opponent, maybe this wouldn''t be so bad. "Oh, by the way, my name is Zeke. Zeke Roderick." "I know. Huang Jian Yu," he replied automatically. "I know," Zeke grinned. "Oh?" Jian Yu questioned, raising his eyebrow. He actually knew who he was? Well, that''s unexpected. "Show me what you got." "Hope I don''t disappoint," Zeke smirked. Chapter 7 - Gunshots Jian Yu was in a good mood. He knew he shouldn''t be in a good mood for too long. He needed to stay focused on his job. But he was just too happy today, he felt giddy and excited. He couldn''t restrain the corner of his mouth from curling up. Jian Yu was still in a good mood. However, there was a bad feeling peeking in every corner. Was it because he was too happy today that he felt guilty for neglecting his job? But he had never felt this happy before. Zeke Roderick turned out to be an awesome player, a challenging one even. Jian Yu had never lost as many games as this before, not that he wasn''t a bad player. Hey, he always won against his adoptive father every time they played. Zeke Roderick was just an exceptional player. However, there was something about Zeke Roderick that kept bothering him. Why did Zeke Roderick keep asking him about Beta? He asked about his life, how was it, living as a Beta, was it any different from an Omega? Was he more like an Alpha or Omega? He asked him about his heat, he even used the term "estrus", who the hell used that term nowadays?! Asked him how did he handle his heat, did he do it alone or was he accompanied by someone? Fuck, That''s a s?ns?t?v? topic! You didn''t just ask that to anyone, especially those who went through them! Jian Yu merely kept quiet and continued the game when he was bombarded with such questions. Well, forget about those, he needed to ask Zeke Roderick to play with him again. He never lost that many times and it hurted his pride. He had to beat him next time. So, back to the topic. Jian Yu was in an extremely good mood. He couldn''t keep the smile off his face. He felt more than saw the frown sent his way from Lady Clement when he opened the door of a sleek black limousine for her to enter. Granted, his intuition never failed him. He knew something bad was going to happen whenever he was in a good mood. Before he could close the door, a bullet zipped through, hitting the inner side of the limousine door, close to where Lady Clement''s foot was and she let out a startled scream. Jian Yu had been in this line of field long enough to know a gunshot when he heard one. From the loudness, he could estimate the shooting was less than five hundred metres away. He grabbed Lady Clement''s shoulder and shoved her inside, his hand went for the back of her neck and made her ducked. "Stay inside! Cover your head!" He shouted before closing the door. Another bullet clipped through Jian Yu''s bicep when he tried to evade the bullet aiming to lodge itself in his ?h?st. The burst of pain in his arm was enough to make him go wide-eyed and jumpstart the flow of adrenaline in his veins. He ducked under the limousine and reached the gun in a holster he had strapped across his shoulder and back, hidden under the butler suit he wore. The ?ssassin was quite bold, attacking right in front of the college gate. The students were frantically running and screaming with gunfire and swearing as background music. Jian Yu trailed his gun and aimed at where he estimated the shooter was. He shot it multiple times as if to scare the shooter off. "Are you alright?" Startled, he looked through the mirror of the limousine and saw the worried look on Lady Clement''s face. He realized that he must have lost his cool in front of his client. His heart was still pounding in his ?h?st and he tried to ignore it and slowed down his breathing. Sweats dripped down the side of his face and his silver hair clung to his cheeks. When he finally calmed down, he turned his head to look over his shoulder at Lady Clement. "We are getting out of here," He informed Lady Clement. "You are not hurt, are you? Did you get hit? Are you alright?" This time, he was the one bombarding someone with questions. The worried look she had immediately vanished like it never happened before. Lady Clement merely raised one of her sleek eyebrows and scoffed, crossing her arms together and leaned against the seat. "Worry about yourself more, beta.. You are the one bleeding all over my car." Chapter 8 - Which Wife? ~Previously~ "So¡­ How are you?" "I''m fine?" Jian Yu answered, uncertainly. He moved a black piece of his. "I heard you are a beta?" Zeke stated more than asked, making his move on the piece, his eyes never left Jian Yu. Jian Yu fidgeted in his seat and nodded. He felt his soul was being stabbed repeatedly by that piercing gaze, however, he tried to keep his poker face intact, strong and confident. "Wow, this is my first time making friends with a Beta!" Zeke gushed out. Jian Yu felt his eyebrows twitched. ''Friends?'' "So, tell me, how is life as a beta?" He asked. Jian Yu hummed. "A beta¡­ is just a beta, just like any other beta around, I am pretty much the same." "That''s so¡­ normal," Zeke said, surprised. "Well, what do you expect from the life of a beta?" Jian Yu retorted, somehow he felt offended at that. "It''s your turn, by the way." "Oh¡­ okay, so--" Zeke never took his eyes off Jian Yu. All the while looking at Jian Yu, he moved his chess piece. "Can I ask something?" "You are already asking." "Don''t be so uptight," Zeke tutted out. "Is it true that Beta also goes through the estrus period?" Jian Yu choked on his saliva. Heat crept up from his neck and lit up his entire face in red. "What?" Jian Yu spluttered. "You can''t just ask that to anyone--" "Does that mean you do?" Zeke leaned closer, interested. "Do you find someone to help you with that or do you do it alone?" "S-Sir Roderick, that''s--" "Oh I like that, I wouldn''t mind being called Master too," Zeke smirked, leaning backward to give Jian Yu some space, not forgetting to cross his arms over his ?h?st. "Personal information¡­!" "Oh, I guess you don''t like it that way," Zeke hummed out. "Maybe an old traditional courting way?" He muttered to himself. "Listen to me--" Jian Yu''s face was as red as ever, it could even put tomatoes to shame. "Do you like flowers or maybe chocolates? What about other kinds of sweets? Do you wear jewels?" Zeke interrogated. "What?" "I like chocolate a lot! Be sure to remember that," Zeke added. "You should be asking that to Lady Clement, not me!" Jian Yu exclaimed. "Hush, we''re in the library, Mr. Bodyguard," Zeke reprimanded cheekily. "And oh, by the way, checkmate." Startled, Jian Yu looked down at the chess piece. Indeed, his king had nowhere to move, Zeke''s pieces had secured all the route. "How--" Jian Yu stood up and banged the table with his palms, shocked at how the event turned. "That''s impossible! I demand a rematch!" "My p???sur?," Zeke beamed. "Anything for you." Jian Yu, unable to accept defeat, scattered the chess pieces and arranged them accordingly, all the while ignoring Zeke''s beaming face. He looked smug and proud in Jian Yu''s eyes. However, it was different from Zeke''s point of view. When Jian Yu stood up, Zeke felt like God had sent an angel down exclusively for him. Sunlight shone through the glass window, creating a halo around Jian Yu. His flamed cheeks added an even more unique effect, making him look glamorous. The pout on his face when he lost, oh no, Zeke gulped down harshly. He needed to control his Alpha pheromones or else, it was going haywire. He fanned himself slightly, was his rut close? It should be another month though. He had always kept an eye on his rut schedule. "Again." Zeke flashed his famous smile at Jian Yu. ''I wouldn''t gain anything if these kept on,'' Zeke thought to himself. ''Winners should get some reward in return.'' Before Zeke could open his mouth to speak, a bell rang, signaling the end of class. "Oh shoot!" Jian Yu looked startled. He immediately stood up and collected his outer suit, the chair he was sitting on toppled over. "What''s wrong?" Zeke asked. "I have to pick up Lady Clement," Jian Yu answered while putting on his outer suit. He went around the table and stood in front of Zeke, looking up at him. "Sir Roderick, I am sorry for wasting your time playing with this humble servant, I have to take my leave," Jian Yu made a deep bow. He heard the seat was being pushed back and saw Zeke''s polished dress shoes disappear from his view as Zeke stood up from his seat. Feeling a pat on his head, Jian Yu looked up from his bow, surprised. "No worries, I had fun too," Zeke chuckled. "Let us have another match in the future." "Of course, Sir Roderick." "Be careful." "Thank you for your concern, Sir," Jian Yu made another bow before leaving, more like running out of the library. "Please call me by my name next time¡­" Zeke trailed out, but Jian Yu was no longer there to hear any of it. He exhaled before dropping back to his seat and stared at the chessboard they played. Reaching out, he took the queen chess piece of the black sides and held it in his palm. "Smart, but not enough to beat me," He grinned, squeezing the chess piece in his palm. He put the chess piece back on the table and stretched his arms up, relaxing his stiff joints before cleaning up. He placed them back inside the box and went to the librarian to return it. "Zee!" The door of the library slammed open. Mika stood there, panting after running a marathon, in his case. "Where the hell are you?!" He exclaimed, ignoring the glare sent by the librarian. "Be quiet, this is a library, respect it," Zeke chastised, however, inside he was laughing at Mika. "Your wife was shot!" Now, that got Zeke''s attention. "What?" He snapped his head to look at Mika. "A-ha! You are worried!" Mika attempted to snicker, but his snicker came out as a snort due to his panting. Zeke had no time to rebuke him and made a gesture for Mika to continue. "There was a shooting happening in front of the gate right now!" Mika panted out. "Aren''t you going to ask me which wife?" Chapter 9 - Maybe She Wasnt That Bad "Mika!" "Ah! Geez¡­" Mika ruffled his short dirty blonde hair and patted his own sweaty face. "I guess someone tried an ?ssassination attempt on school grounds, but rest ?ssured, both of them had safely escaped." "Aren''t they too fearless?" Zeke questioned, crossing his arms. "Who? The ?ssassins?" Zeke shrugged. "I wonder how the Zeros Family managed to anger their enemies for them to do these drastic measures," Mika sighed. "The Zeros are lucky enough to have hired a bodyguard or they might be losing an heir." "Does the Queen know about these ?ssassinations?" Mika hummed. "From what I gathered, only the people in Zariya know about it, actually you don''t even know at first, is that true? The Zeros are bloody good at suppressing rumors from spreading. Moreover, I don''t think the Queen or Royal Family would trouble themselves with such trivial matters." "You are right, even though we are one of the biggest towns in Asterin, they wouldn''t even bat an eye," Zeke sighed deeply. "Are you worried about your wives?" "Wives? Why are you using plural?" "Because you got t-- akh!" Before Mika could finish his sentences, a thick textbook flew across and hit him directly on the face. XXX "Another ?ssassination?!" The Head of Zero, Malakhi Zero, Lady Clement''s father shrieked. He wore the typical white western-style shirt with a light brown vest over it. He had a worried look over his wrinkly face, Jian Yu ?ssumed he was in his fifties. "How''s my daughter?! You protected her, didn''t you?!" "Of course, My Lord. Not a single scratch adorned her face," Jian Yu did a deep bow and it somehow strained the wound on his bicep, making him hissed quietly. Malakhi breathed out a sigh of relief. He slipped his hand into his short grayish hair and clenched his finger, huffing out in frustration next. The next day after the incident, after Jian Yu had fully bandaged up his entirely not-life-threatening arm, he was called out to the office, a huge room occupying the corner of the mansion with floor-to-ceiling windows giving views in two directions: roses garden to the east, entrance to the mansion just a few blocks north, probably to check out whoever that came. The two remaining walls contained a door, floor to ceiling bookshelf, books leaning against one another in different directions, and a single oil painting - a portrait of a young girl, Jian Yu ?ssumed it was Lady Clement by the face structure and hair color. This was the second time he entered this office of Malakhi Zero, the first time being his first working day. BAM! Jian Yu jumped. ''Holy, that was too sudden,'' Jian Yu nursed his beating heart. White knuckles from clenching his fist too hard, and gritted teeth from the effort to remain silent. His face was red with suppressed rage and when his personal butler even set a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down, he swung around and mentally snapped. "What more did they want?! Haven''t I given enough?!" He growled through gritted teeth. ''What?'' Jian Yu paused. He was currently standing in front of the mahogany desk, trying to maintain himself from the fury of an Alpha, holding himself together. But what was that¡­ So he knew from the start who had been behind all of this, who had sent these ?ssassins. Searching in his memories, Jian Yu recalled there was nothing mentioned in the documents, there were no details and no request to do an investigation, he was just asked to guard, nothing more. Normally the client would request a private investigator as well. Not only that, when Jian Yu tried to figure out who ordered these ?ssassins himself, he was always met with a dead-end. Sure, he had signed that he won''t interfere with any affairs¡­ Damn! After putting the puzzles together, it all made sense now and it was no wonder. All because Malakhi Zero precisely knew who it was and planned to settle it himself? Now the question was, who threatened him? Who had blackmailed him? Jian Yu glanced at the oily painting and silently praised whoever that was. This man loved his daughter to the moon and back, Jian Yu wouldn''t be surprised if he had developed a daddy complex. But¡­ Why did it stop for a month? Was it due to Lord Zero fulfilling what they asked before? "Dismissed." Jian Yu pulled himself together from his thoughts, mentally reminding himself to send a letter to his adoptive father for the update before giving another deep bow to Lord Zero, he excused himself. Closing the door to the office, he walked straight back to his room, only to be stopped by Lady Clement. Speak of the devil. Instead of the hard demeanor she usually supported, she looked pretty unsure of herself. Both of her hands that were adorned with jewelry clasped tightly in front of her. Her eyes flickered back and forth as if trying to look at everywhere but him. Jian Yu took a moment to examine her. She looked gorgeous and elegant but the confidence she usually carried wasn''t there. She wore a light blueish gown, a semicircular, high collar made of silk-like materials headed the ankle-length robe. Black curls fell so naturally on her face, while the rest were tied up in a high bun. Light makeup with rosy lips. The stare she held on her piercing eyes were intense as always. If Jian Yu hadn''t known her and saw her on the streets, he would halt whatever he was doing to admire for a while. "Ehem¡­" "Yes, My lady?" Jian Yu asked, dipping his upper body forward to bow. "How''s your injury?" Stunned, Jian Yu rose from his bow and looked at his client. Did he hear wrong? His face must have shown disbelief as Lady Clement blushed a deep red. "D¡ª Don''t get me wrong, it''s not that I am worried about you. Who else would I be able to torment but you?" She stuttered out, her hands fanning her heated face, struggling to cool it down. "It''s totally fine, thank you for your concern, My Lady," Jian Yu answered, chuckling to himself. To be honest, he was actually quite surprised, but he wouldn''t want to ruin the moment by teasing her. "A¡ªand¡­" Jian Yu raised his eyebrows, there were more? "I¡­ I am sorry about before!!" She struggled to get that out. The moment she finished her sentence, she whirled around, flapping her gown like she was attempting to comfort herself, and ran towards her study room, only to stop again. She turned around and stomped back to him. "One last thing, don''t even think of showing your face in my study room today. You are dismissed for today!" This time, Jian Yu couldn''t stop the laugh from bubbling up his mouth. He covered his mouth with his gloved hands to cover the smile on his face. Maybe. Maybe she wasn''t that bad. Chapter 10 - Void in Memories As soon as Jian Yu reached his room, he immediately plunged himself into his bed, not before locking the door of course. Momentarily forgetting his wound, he had directly put pressure on it, making him winced in pain. "Ah ah¡­ Ouch..." He clasped his hand over the wound on his bicep, it wasn''t any serious but it definitely sting. Lying on the king-sized bed, he turned onto his side and curled himself up. Recalling what the house doctor had said, he shivered slightly. ["Huang Jian Yu, is it?" "Yes doctor," Jian Yu answered, he was nursing his bandaged arm. "Do you feel uncomfortable? Try clenching and unclenching your palm," the doctor instructed. Jian Yu clenched his fingers tightly then released them. Seeing it, the doctor nodded, flipping through the health records he had on Jian Yu. Jian Yu observed the doctor. If he recalled, this doctor was the house doctor of the Zero family, in charge of medical emergencies. He called himself Doctor Liam, no last name. He carried himself like an Alpha and called himself one, but Jian Yu couldn''t smell that Alpha pheromones from him. Jian Yu ?ssumed that it was because he was a doctor and didn''t want to go off intimidating his patients. Wavy and untamed dark brown hair, tied in a low ponytail. He had high cheekbones and a clean shaved face. His body appeared lean under the white hospital coat he was wearing. A pair of round glasses sat on the bridge of his nose as his eyes roamed over Jian Yu''s medical reports. He seemed to be in his thirties and¡­ He looked¡­ Scruffy. "Oh? You are a beta?" Doctor Liam mused. Jian Yu nodded. "That''s quite rare," He hummed, his eyes glinted unknowingly and it sent shivers down Jian Yu''s spine. "I don''t see beta much often, pardon me for being curious." Doctor Liam chuckled, his eyes scanned over the reports. "I notice you have a slight¡­ gap in your medical reports," He started slowly, flipping the documents. He waited for a response but when he received none, he turned and glanced at Jian Yu who had his head down, all the while, keeping his mouth shut. "Oh well, please excuse my forwardness, everyone has their secrets. I beg your forgiveness." Smiling, he brought his hand down and patted Jian Yu''s knee as if trying to comfort him. Startled, Jian Yu looked up, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "Anyway," He drawled. "You got lucky this time, the bullet merely grazed your bicep. Had it strike a millimeter higher, it would damage your nerve and impair your motor control." Jian Yu gulped. What would have happened if it did hit? He might lose his only job. "Here, off you go," Doctor Liam said, handing Jian Yu a piece of wrapped candy. Unsure of what to do, Jian Yu accepted the candy. "Um¡­ Thank you very much, doctor." He stood up abruptly from the stool he was sitting on and bowed slightly. "You are a bit underweight, be sure to have more sugar in your system. It''s a bit sad that I just have a small candy with me today," Doctor Liam explained cheerfully. "I will come back in some days to check in on you and change the bandages. So make sure not to move so much or do extreme lifting so it can heal faster. Don''t worry and get some more rest." "Yes, Thank you, Doctor Liam!"] Jian Yu took a deep breath and exhaled. Had it strike a millimeter higher and it would impair him. He shivered. What would he do if that happened? It terrified him just thinking about it. Turning on his other side, he tried to find a comfortable position to lie on. He kept rolling and rolling, wincing every once a while when he pressed on his wound. In the end, he wrapped himself up inside his blanket, looking like a burrito, only his head picked out of the end, then he sighed in content. He dragged his eyes up and looked at the white ceiling. The doctor asked about that gap. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to answer. He actually did not know what had happened either, he had no recollections of what had happened during those years. Five years. Five years of blankness. Where there should be memories was blank space, like a soft beige wall bereft of photographs. He wanted to run and searched for what had happened. He wanted to know yet at the same time he didn''t. What if it was filled with painful memories? What if it was horrible? Wouldn''t it be better to just forget it and move on? But¡­ What if it was not? What if it wasn''t painful memories at all, but happy recollections instead? Then again, there must be reasons why his body decided to suppress it, packed it all and stuffed it inside a box, and threw it deep inside his head, where he himself couldn''t reach. ''Ah! Stop thinking!'' He screamed internally. It was no use thinking about stuff that had already passed. Let the forgotten be forgotten, it was better not to dig up unnecessary memories. He was quite content with how he was living right now. Content, yes, but it seemed like he had forgotten something. Something he should do. He was on the brink of falling asleep when his eyes suddenly snapped open. The letter! He should write a letter to his father about what had taken place today. He struggled to escape his burrito wrap and fell on the floor instead, hitting his head on the marble tile. After some time, he finally rolled out of his burrito blanket. He walked over to the working desk, placed directly in front of the huge windows. Evening glow shone and reflected through the windows, Jian Yu took a minute to admire the sunset. He tore a piece of paper from his notepad and took the fountain pen he found in one of the drawers. Trying to wake himself, he remembered that he was given candy today. Maybe that could help him replenish his strength. He dug his pocket and fisted out a wrapped candy. Unsealing it, he popped it into his mouth, savoring the taste, tossed the wrapper on the desk. ''It''s sweet,'' He mused. Maybe he could ask where Doctor Liam bought this candy from. It didn''t take long for him to finish it as he wasn''t the type to suck on it and went for a bite. He continued scribbling, humming as he did so. However, his sight suddenly blurred. He shook his head when a wave of dizziness washed over him. He brought his index finger and thumb over his forehead and rubbed. Why was he so tired today? He sighed in frustration and glowered down at his hand, forcing it to write but it was losing its strength as well. He blinked his eyes a couple of times. One fountain pen had just turned into two fountain pens. Oh, wait. Everything became fuzzy.. All the feelings in his body drained away until finally, all was black. Chapter 11 - Feeling Sick Fire. There was a fire burning in Jian Yu. It felt like being cooked alive, not from the outside, but inside. His breath quivered in short, quick gasps every time he inhaled, his lungs having no choice but to painfully and rigidly take in the chilled air around him. His body ached. It burned from somewhere inside him. He couldn''t seem to stop shaking either. Sometimes it was rough, other times he could manage, but every time he''d get close to sleep, a new spell of violent shaking would force him awake. An unsettling chill ran down his spine and made his arms crawl. He attempted to calm down by taking in a huge gasp of air only to choke. ''Fever?'' Jian Yu''s last thought before he blacked out completely was that now he was more worried than ever. XXX Jian Yu swam slowly back to consciousness. He was lying down, he mused. The surface beneath him was sturdy and cold, it wasn''t his bed. He bolted upright and his head throbbed at the sudden movement. The pain felt like someone had stabbed a knife into his skull multiple times. He leaned his head against the palm of his hands. Squeezing his eyes shut, he willed the pain to go away. The rest of the world became detached, all he could concentrate on was the pain rooted deep in his head. When the pain subdued, he wondered. What had happened? He remembered writing a letter then¡­ He fell asleep?! Just like that? The room was dark and the curtains were opened. The half-crescent moon outside cast its silver glow to flood the chamber with a soft light. He made a move to stand before halting his movements. He felt sticky. Frowning, he glanced down and finally noticed that he was drenched in sweat. It soaked the clothes on his back like a map of some foreign land. Why the hell was he sweating so much? Oh God, he hated sweating very much. Even though he sweats a lot during training, he took a bath right away which usually caused him to be sick. But he never cared. Damn. How long had he been sleeping with these sweats? Imagining about it made him shuddered in disgust. Unbuttoning and stripping himself off the white shirt he was wearing, he made a beeline to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Taking extra care to avoid his wound. He then dried his hair while continuing to write the letter. Folding and putting it inside the envelope, he sealed it properly before slipping it inside the outfit he prepared for the next day. Brilliant gold and orange hues filled his room. He stared into the rising sun, its rays burning his eyes. He didn''t look away. Eyes are glued to the beautiful pink and orange color the sky was. ''Pretty.'' He had never watched it like this. He never noticed its beauty. ''Guess I am gonna start early today.'' Jian Yu made himself useful again in the kitchen, chatting up with the head chef and helped with the preparation. Everything was normal. He accompanied Lady Clement to college. Skipping a class to drop the letter at the General Post Office. Everything was fine except the occasional headaches hitting him out of nowhere. The same crushing pain just on one side of his head that came and went in a pattern. He was in the hallway, staggering back to class. The sunlight that pierced through these floor to ceiling windows made his head hurt even more. He stopped walking, palming his own head in hope to reduce the pain. One eye had teared up on the painful side. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain to go away, but a familiar deep voice made him jump. "Are you okay?" Jian Yu whirled around and came face to face with jade eyes. Again, those set of eyes seemed like it had its personal agenda which was apparently drilling holes into him. Awkward at the attention, Jian Yu bowed respectfully. "Good afternoon, Sir Roderick." However, he was suddenly ?ssaulted by the strong Alpha pheromones emitted from Zeke and the headache returned tenfold. It caused him to waver but he managed to stand his ground with a little help from Zeke. ''Too close.'' Zeke was standing in front of him, too close for his comfort. "Hey, you okay?" "A-- ah, yes, Sir. Thank you for your concern, but I am totally fine," Jian Yu pulled himself away from Zeke, carefully so it didn''t seem rude. "Stop being so formal. I think you need to go to the nurse''s office, you are looking too pale," Zeke moved to place his hand on Jian Yu''s shoulder. "There is an emergency unit inside the office so you can rest." "I am totally fine, Sir Roderick. You shouldn''t concern yourself with a mere servant''s health," Jian Yu whispered through gritted teeth. He wasn''t sure if Zeke had purposely let his pheromones go haywire or not, but it was pressing him down and he hated it. Nausea overwhelmed him and he tried his best to not vomit in front of Zeke. Zeke looked surprised at his answer and blinked owlishly before realizing. He put both of his palms up in an act of surrender. "O--oh, I''m sorry. It''s just that¡­ you are a Beta, I forgot to control my pheromones. Please forgive me." Seeing Jian Yu nodded, Zeke sighed in relief. "Let me walk you to the nurse''s office. You look like you are going to fall over any minute," Zeke offered. Another intense wave of nausea hit Jian Yu again and he tried to force down the bile which he failed miserably. Feeling that he wouldn''t be able to hold it down any longer, he covered his mouth and made a run to where he ?ssumed was the direction of the restroom. Yet, he was too late. Blegh! Chapter 12 - Familiar Not Jian Yu blinked and cracked open his eyelids, wincing at the sudden brightness. The sunlight from the window on his left shone brightly, blinding him. This place needed to check their obsession with windows, it was everywhere! He squeezed his eyes shut and diverted his sight elsewhere. Looking around, everything was white. The ceiling, the floor, even the bed he was currently lying on was white. Jian Yu noted that he must be in the emergency unit Sir Roderick was talking about when he realized he was still in college. His sight was limited by the limp curtain hanging from the railings above, but he could still see the view through the window to know where he was. The smell of medicines lingered around. Sitting up, he palmed his head when his vision went dark for a minute. He stayed in that position and waited for it to return normal. Wincing whenever he moved his arm, he finally noticed his arm was struck with an intravenous drip. He reached over to pull it out-- "Keep that in." Jian Yu halted all his movements, his fingers had clasped over the transparent tape that held the needle, ready to pull it out. The curtains were pulled aside and a man in his thirties walked in. "Doctor Liam!" "Hi, I didn''t expect to meet you this fast. It should be another couple of days." Doctor Liam went to his left side and examined the IV tube. He checked his watch and adjusted the roller adapter. "Why are you here?" "Why? I am the physician here. And you, didn''t I tell you to get some rest?" Doctor Liam pushed his glasses and scolded Jian Yu. "I thought I was fine?" Sighing, Doctor Liam clicked his tongue. "Do you feel any headache? Nausea?" "No¡­" "Don''t lie to me, just because you are a Beta, doesn''t mean you have to act all tough, trying to prove yourself. The Beta population is plummeting every year due to that mindset," Doctor Liam criticized. Somehow, those words hit Jian Yu hard, stabbing right through his heart. It''s true. All his life, he just wanted to prove that Beta wasn''t useless at all. "I''m sorry¡­" Jian Yu apologized, dropping his head. "Don''t apologize to me, say that to the one carrying you here." "Huh?" Jian Yu''s eyebrow shot up above his hairline. ''Carried?'' Yes, how did he end up in the emergency unit? He remembered running into Sir Roderick and-- He looked up at Doctor Liam and saw him pulling the curtains wider. There, sleeping peacefully on the same bed as Jian Yu, was Zeke Roderick. "For once, he brought a real human being, I used to scold him when he picked up any injured stray animals for me to treat," Doctor Liam explained. "I am a doctor, not a veterinarian." Jian Yu twitched at that. ''Do I look like a stray animal to you?'' To be honest, Jian Yu immediately imagined himself being in a cage barking or meowing with dogs or cats. He shuddered and shook that image off his mind. "What a privilege. He could skip any classes and get away with it," Doctor Liam sighed. Jian Yu laughed softly, covering his mouth when he did so. He pushed the blanket on him away and scooted to the edge of the bed so he could let his feet dangle over the side, he searched for his shoes. "Thank you very much, Doctor Liam, but it seems that I need to head back to class. I had wasted too much time resting," he dipped his head at Doctor Liam. "Stop being a workaholic. I had informed Lady Clement and she instructed me to keep you here until you recovered." ''W--workaholic?'' Jian Yu thought solemnly. ''I had been relaxing myself too much these past weeks.'' Feeling a glare sent at him, Jian Yu immediately slipped back under the blanket. "I-- I will rest," he stuttered out. The glare was murderous enough and it was laced with Alpha pheromones, trying to make him submit. This was the first time he smelled Alpha pheromones exuded from Doctor Liam. He really knew how to control them well. The second time he came to, he was shaken awoke, feeling better that ever. He heard murmurs of voices and Doctor Liam came to his view. He was told that the last class would end in a few minutes so he should hurry up if he didn''t want to be late at picking up Lady Clement. Doctor Liam also informed him that Zeke had left earlier and he expected another round of game with him as the payment. After that, he thanked Doctor Liam and prepared to leave. "Here, take this." Jian Yu looked down at the lollipop offered to him and back up at Doctor Liam. "Ah, thank you, but I don''t really like sweets actually," he replied apologetically, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. Doctor Liam chuckled and softly reached for his hand, opening his palm and placing the lollipop on it. "I insist. It''s my reward to obedient patients for undergoing treatments and you are such a good boy for listening well." Jian Yu blinked rapidly and flushed at being called a ''good boy''. Doctor Liam laughed at his reaction. He patted his head and called him cute before ushering him out, telling him to hurry up. "Promise me you are not going to throw it away!" Doctor Liam called out when Jian Yu rushed out. He fanned himself and waited for Lady Clement to appear in front of the gate patiently. The sound of a bell echoed loudly, signaling the end of class. Students poured out, some in groups, some alone. Those from wealthy families had their butlers waiting with limousines, while those in lower class walked home. Realizing that he was still holding onto the lollipop, he took a look at it. To his surprise, it had the same wrapping as the one before. It was peach in color and a small logo in the center. Looking closely, it had a familiar looking symbol on it. He recalled the previous candy he received also had it. Three identical circles that overlap each other and form a three cornered knot. It resembled an ancient symbol called Triquetra. A symbol that was believed to be a protective symbol which strengthened the wearer''s connection to the unified divine. Examining it closely, he squinted his eyes and noticed that those three circles weren''t circles at all, but the symbol of an Omega. And the triangle shaped that contained these Omega symbols looked like a symbol of an Alpha. This logo¡­ It looked familiar, yet unfamiliar to him. Where had he seen this logo before? "You." Too focused on the lollipop, Jian Yu momentarily forgot his surroundings. Startled, he almost dropped the lollipop from his hands, but he managed to catch it and shoved it inside his pocket. "You are that bodyguard, right?" Chapter 13 - Lucianna Lloyd "You. You are Clement''s bodyguard, aren''t you?" Jian Yu turned and saw a young woman standing there in front of him, glaring with her arms crossed. He immediately recognized her. Lucianna Lloyd. An Omega. Long and wavy blonde hair that went down her back. Small oval face with large emerald eyes that was currently trying to kill him with them. She wore the normal attire Zariya college had provided all of their students. White suit over the dark blouse together with a white knee-length flare skirt. A ruby red tie tied in bu??erfly knots sat under the collar of her blouse. This was the youngest daughter from the Lloyd family and Lady Clement''s friend. Spoiled rotten and treated like a queen by her family. "Yes, Lady Lloyd. How may I help you?" Jian Yu gave her a bow. "Disgusting." Flabbergasted, he looked at her. What? "Is this how Betas usually are? Spreading their legs whenever they want¡­ trying to act like an Omega?" Jian Yu was stunned. It was as if the impact of those words had knocked every wisp of air from his lungs. "How does it feel? Does it satisfy you? Do you feel good?" Every question she spouted, she took a step closer to him. "Of course it does, especially to s?uts like you." Jian Yu kept quiet, head bowed down. ''Keep silent and she will walk away,'' That was what he thought, yet she didn''t. When she did not receive the reaction she anticipated for, Lucianna flipped her blonde hair backward and sneered. "Y''know, it was once a blessing to all of us, Alpha and Omega, during that massacre." Jian Yu gulped. What the hell was she trying to do? That Massacre. It was a taboo word now, something forbidden to bring up. No one was allowed to talk about it. Not even the Royal Family. And why was she bringing it up? Memories of the massacre made bile rose and his ?h?st clenched. He struggled to inhale, to exhale, to do anything. His widened eyes could only stare at her. Looking at his terrified expression, Lucianna was filled with satisfaction, he finally showed some reaction. "All of you Betas should just perish. I wonder how you are even alive till now. It is such a shame." Tension grew in his face and limbs, his mind replaying all of her words. His breathing became more rapid, more shallow. His heart was hammering inside his ?h?st as if it belonged to a rabbit running for its skin. He could feel a panic attack approaching him but he couldn''t stop himself. He remembered darkness. How it was dark and suffocating. Creeping blackness. He remembered lying in a fetal position and then¡­ His mind kept flashing those moments like broken records, accelerating inside his head. He never noticed how she had stood in front of him. She then stood on her tiptoe and whispered. "I saw you, acting all innocent and docile. I wonder¡­ what would Clement think when she knew you were seducing her future husband?" The moment she finished her sentence, it somehow gave Jian Yu relief. The tension that had kept him up melted into nothing. When she mentioned ''massacre''... It immediately triggered the flashbacks he tried to suppress. "What are you two doing?" Jian Yu jolted back to blink wild eyes. Sweats had dripped down the side of his face. "Step away from my bodyguard, Lloyd." "Ahh~ you are no fun, Clement¡­ Look at him, he''s sweating bullets," Lucianna patted Jian Yu''s cheek with the back of her hand and pulled away from him. "Are you trying to seduce my bodyguard too?" Clement slightly arched her eyebrow and eyed Lucianna. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. Her sapphire eyes darted between the two of them. "A lowly Beta like him? Don''t make me laugh, Clement." "Then find a new toy to play with. This one is mine," Clement growled, her Alpha pheromones came out rolling in waves, heavy and tight. It was pressing down on Jian Yu and Lucianna. Both of them choked on it but it was far worse on Lucianna. "S--stop, you are going to trigger my heat¡­!" "Omegas may be the Queen of the society, but know your place, Lucianna." With that, Clement turned and walked away. When she realized Jian Yu wasn''t moving from his spot, she paused. "What are you doing, Beta? Get going." Snapping out, Jian Yu rushed to Clement, however, his arm was caught by Lucianna. Jian Yu spun. Lucianna''s face was flushed and sweat drenched her face. She was also breathing heavily. Clement must have triggered her heat. "I''m watching you, bitch," She hissed. ''And here, she is still trying to threaten someone,'' Jian Yu internally rolled his eyes. "Hurry up, Beta!" He heard Clement hollered at him. He dugged his inner pocket from his suit and pulled out a bottle of suppressant pills he always brought with him. Pouring a few pills out, he took Lucianna''s hand that was gripping his arm and placed it on her palm. He then tipped his head at her before leaving to chase after Clement. "Fucking hell," Lucianna gritted her teeth. "Are you looking down on me?!" Her fingers clasped over the pills. "And you too, Clementine Zero. I''m going to destroy everything you have, including that smug face of yours." "This is unbelievable¡­!" She eyed the pills in her hand and hurriedly swallowed the pills before running away. XXX "Whatever she said to you, ignore it." Jian Yu looked through the rearview mirror at Clement. "Yes, My Lady." "Even though she is older than you, she has the mind of a child. Well, I guess that''s what happens when being spoiled rotten," Clement heaved out a sigh and clicked her tongue. Rolling her eyes, she murmured in displeasure. "She never learned, greedy and is never satisfied with what she has. Brats." ''Kettle calling a pot black,'' Jian Yu mused and let out a chuckle. "What are you laughing about?" "Ah, nothing, I''m sorry." "Whatever. I heard you fainted? I never knew Beta could be this weak." Jian Yu felt his eyebrow twitch. Are you worried or are you trying to mock me? "You should have to listen to Doctor Liam. He is one of the best physicians in Zariya." Oh. ''I will take it that you are worried about me,'' Jian Yu smiled. "Yes, My Lady." "Good. Since you are fine, head to the downtown," Clement instructed. "I need to get a dress done for the annual party." "Of course, My Lady." Annual party¡­ It''s already that month, huh? It''s the day the Town of Zariya was found. The people would celebrate this date every year. Conglomerate families would take turns in housing this annual party. And this year¡­ It was the Roderick''s. Chapter 14 - Mika Is Actually Scary "Hey." Jian Yu turned at that voice. "Are you feeling okay already?" He saw Zeke approaching him, holding packets of sweets and munching on a bun. He looked as perfect as ever, his black hair brushed back, exposing his forehead and jade eyes so contrast with the white attire he wore, shining brightly. It had been two days since the incident. The day where he puked on Zeke specifically. "Good morning, Sir Roderick," Jian Yu greeted. "I am feeling perfectly well, thank you for your concern. I apologize for causing you inconvenience." "It¡­ doesn''t cause me any inconvenience, you would do the same if it were you," Zeke took a big bite from his bun and chewed. He walked over to Jian Yu and leaned against the wall beside him. "So, what are you doing here?" "Ah? Oh! I am supposed to have a check-up with Doctor Liam to change my bandages. It was supposed to be yesterday, but he was preoccupied." "Bandages?" "Yes, um¡­ Just a minor injury that came with the job," Jian Yu explained. Zeke hummed. Jian Yu glanced at Zeke with the corner of his eyes and abruptly turned away when he saw Zeke staring at him without saying a word. "What about you, Sir Roderick? That''s a lot of sweets, I see," Jian Yu quickly said, trying to get rid of the awkwardness he was feeling. The stare was starting to make him uncomfortable. When Zeke finally took his gaze away from him, he sighed in relief. "Oh? This?" Zeke waved the bag of sweets in his hands. "It''s for Mika. Mika Crosse. One of my best friends." Zeke shrugged his shoulder. "His rut is closing in, maybe in a few days and during those times, he craves sweets, it''s like an obsession," Zeke shuddered. "He is usually such a humorous guy, cheerful and idiotic--" Talking about sweets, Jian Yu paused. He slipped his hand inside his pocket and palmed the lollipop given to him. "--if you ever take his sweets during pre-rut, he will go crazy like an addict. He will scream, cry, laugh, maybe all of it at once, hell, it''s like he had multiple personalities. It''s too scary--" "Here." Zeke paused. "Huh?" "He sounds like a great guy and you seemed to care a lot about him," Jian Yu offered the lollipop to Zeke, only to see him spurted in surprise, choking on the bun he was munching on. "Why would you give him?!" He whispered-shouted after gulping. Jealousy surged within him. "Because he needed it? I heard pre-rut is rough for Alphas," Jian Yu scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "No! Just give it to me, I might need it during pre-rut too," Zeke snatched the lollipop out of Jian Yu''s hand. "B-- but¡­" "But what? My pre-rut might be close too!" Zeke snapped at him. Waves of Alpha pheromones came rolling and Jian Yu hurriedly covered his nose. Startled at his temper outburst, Zeke instantly calmed down. He himself was stunned by the sudden fury within him. "Ah, I apologize." "I-- I will give it to Mika, he will be delighted about it--" "ZEE!" Flinching, Zeke dropped the sweets and his half-finished bun. The shout came from the end of the corridor they were currently standing on. "Oh, shoot!" Zeke scrambled to pick up the dropped items. Loud and rapid footsteps were approaching. Jian Yu whirled around and saw a blonde man, blue eyes wide like a maniac. He looked like an addict who was restricted from consuming his drugs. "What''s taking you so long, huh?!" "Shit! Shit!" Zeke muttered under his breath, picking up the fallen sweets and shoved the lollipop in his pocket. "Don''t try to hide, Zee! I see you there-- Is that Huang Jian Yu?!" ''H-- How did he know me?'' Jian Yu was surprised. "I''m sorry, I gotta go. My life is in danger," Zeke rambled at Jian Yu, preparing to make a run for his life. "So instead of helping your pitiful friend here who is suffering from pre-rut and almost rut, you go flirting?!" Mika shrieked and pointed at Zeke. "See, I told you. He goes crazy without sweets. I wish he got decayed teeth when he''s old," Zeke took hold of Jian Yu''s wrist and the words just tumbled out of his mouth rapidly. "Pray for me and don''t forget to visit my grave, Jian Yu. You know who the culprit is, bring me justice." After that, he ran, leaving Jian Yu standing there, dumbfounded. "Grave, you say? They would have nothing to bury when I am done with you, Zeke Roderick!" Mika zoomed past him and ran after Zeke, fingers pointing and shouting profanity. A shout of "Don''t run in the hallway!" echoed, followed by a chorus of "Sorry!" replying back. Jian Yu covered his mouth and snickered. How fun. He never knew the both of them could be so cute. The door suddenly slid open and shut and a male student came rushing out, almost bumping into Jian Yu. Both of them stared at each other, before the other guy finally walked away. Jian Yu frowned. He smelt like an Omega. Was he okay? That guy''s face was flushed red. "Come in." He heard a muffled voice behind the door he was standing in front of. Sliding the door open, he let himself in. XXX Cold, smooth hands were scrutinizing Jian Yu''s arm. The stitches on it had done a good job, it would only leave a small scar on his arm. "Your arm is healing well," Doctor Liam nodded. "Two more times and we can remove the bandages." "Thank you, doctor," Jian Yu felt happy. He was feeling much more refreshed since yesterday. Whatever Doctor Liam gave him was potent. "There, off you go," He patted Jian Yu on his arms. "Head back to class. Ah! Wait¡­" Doctor Liam then searched through his doctor coat. ''Probably looking for candy to give,'' Jian Yu mused. He was hoping Doctor Liam forgot to bring some. Much to his relief, Doctor Liam indeed forgot to bring more. Jian Yu hurriedly excused himself and left. He never noticed how Doctor Liam''s eyes glinted behind his glasses and watched his every move. Chapter 15 - Call off the Marriage Zeke wiped the sweat from his forehead, exhausted. His long legs broke from beneath him and collapsed onto the nearest stairs. He crawled underneath it and hid there. His breath came in small spurts and hot. ''Oh God, I must have looked pathetic right now,'' He ruffled his hair, it was dripping with his sweats. Even his uniform felt tight and uncomfortable with the clothes clinging onto his skin. Mika had really good stamina. Even though he was faster, Mika was more persistent. The only way he could escape Mika was to drop that bag of sweets. Damn! He should have just done that instead of running! Mika had immediately stopped and shoved those sweets down his throat, gobbling them down as he had starved for years. He slid down the wall and leaned against it. Shrugging off the uniform suit, he unbuttoned a few bu??ons from his shirt and started fanning himself. Taking a few deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down. Thinking back about what happened with Jian Yu, he pulled out the lollipop he had snatched from him. When Jian Yu offered this to Mika, he felt¡­ unhappy. He felt¡­ angry. He knew he wasn''t supposed to feel this way, but he couldn''t help it. Zeke laughed bitterly. ''He''s not yours.'' ''Yet,'' His inner demon whispered. Zeke heaved out a frustrated sigh. He hadn''t wanted to go to Jian Yu, but he was getting more and more interested. Like how honey was attracting bees, he was attracted to Jian Yu. And¡­ He looked somewhat like¡­ Mom. Don''t get him wrong. He wasn''t into ?n??st or whatever it was, but he had been hoping to have a mate like his mother based on personality-- --which was why he was furious about the arranged marriage-- --Anyway, the vibe Jian Yu gave off was similar. The kindness, the sense of security he felt whenever Jian Yu was close by. ''But he is a Beta. He couldn''t give you an heir,'' Another demon in him uttered, reminding him. ''With your status, you can keep him though.'' ''Argh! Shut up!'' Zeke shouted internally. He raised the lollipop in his hand and glared at it. ''It''s all your fault!'' He blamed the lollipop. If the lollipop ever had a mouth or mind to speak for itself, it would definitely curse him. Chuckling, he twirled the sweet in his hand and something caught his eye. He blinked. Huh? He bolted upright from his slouch position and studied the candy wrapper. He furrowed his brows and traced the outlines. This symbol. He raked his mind. This symbol was so familiar to him. He recalled seeing it just recently. But where? Where had he seen it? XXX "My Lord¡­" "Hmmm¡­" "Please put your feet down, My Lord." "Give me a break, Lynn. Your dear friend hasn''t been resting peacefully for days," Derek Roderick pouted. "You are the Master of this household. Please act like one," Lynn, his personal butler, said sternly. "And please take your feet off the desk." He took his feet off his huge mahogany desk, purposely kicking off the high stack of paper on his desk, making them flutter around. "My Lord¡­" Lynn gritted through his teeth. "Stop being such a child, you are an Alpha, a remarkable one at that." Derek looked at his butler, greyish hair and brown eyes. This guy had been with him since he was a child, he had accompanied him up and down. A best friend and a loyal one. Lynn''s father was his father''s butler, and he asked Lynn to be his, he was so excited when Lynn accepted it right away. Derek liked everything about him but his strictness. That''s one thing he admired about Lynn but also hated him for it. He''s too punctual that he actually carried his small and precious pocket watch like his baby. Derek stood up from his swivel chair and looked out at the floor to ceiling windows that surrounded his office. Admiring the huge fountain he had built for his deceased omega, a small smile decorated his face. "Just call me Derek, Lynn." Lynn just smiled in response and Derek sighed. Derek opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by a loud bang. Jumping, both of them turned to look at the newcomer, who had slammed his door open. "Old man!" Derek twitched at that but it was his beloved son, so he would, as always, let it slide. Zeke stomped until he was standing right in front of his father. He turned slightly and dipped his head in Lynn''s direction. "Uncle Lynn." Derek spluttered. "W-- Wh-- a--" Lynn bowed respectfully in response. "Young Master." Derek looked between the two of them, his eyes darted back and forth and he coughed. "This is unbelievable. No¡­ No¡­ This is unacceptable! What should I do, my darling?!" Derek rushed to the left side where a huge painting was hung up high. Painted on the canvas was a young man with long white-blond hair, tied in a low ponytail. He was holding a banquet of red roses and each side of his eyes crinkled as he was smiling brightly. "My darling¡­! Your son no longer holds a respect for me, I have failed as a father and your husband! Forgive me, my beloved!" Derek sniffled and cried out. He kneeled in front of it and wailed. Zeke merely rolled his eyes at his father as if it was a regular act done by his father, which it was. "Call off the marriage," Zeke demanded. Hearing that, Derek instantly stood up and turned. All the cries and tears disappeared like it never happened. He crossed his arms behind his back and walked towards his desk. "No can do." "Why? Is there something wrong with our business? You know I can always switch courses and take care of it for you. Do we need to resort to a contracted marriage? What''s more, it''s to that¡­ that family¡­!" Zeke spat out every word in resentment. "No, it has always been your dream to be a prosecutor, I can''t just take that away," Derek mumbled, shaking his head. Lynn looked at him from the corner of his eyes and shook his head. "Then why? Give me at least a decent reason why I should be married to that family." "Please forgive me but I can''t tell you that now. It''s not the time yet," Derek apologized. "Dammit! Have you seen that Zeros?! Those shit-ass arrogant Alphas who only cares about wealth-- Do you really want to have a family member from that kind of family?!" "Young Master," Lynn said softly. "Please, not now." "There is something you aren''t telling me. What is it?" "Young Master, watch your mouth," Lynn hissed warningly. Zeke glared at Lynn. Alpha pheromones filled the room, fighting for dominance against each other. Zeke tried to overcome Lynn, but Lynn wasn''t backing down either. "I''m sorry, my son," Derek lamented. Zeke threw his head back and closed his eyes, trying to control his fury. The alpha in him was roaring and he felt anger boiling up inside him, however he swallowed it down with difficulty. He clenched his hands into fist, preparing to smash anything or maybe anyone, but he stopped himself. He gritted his teeth in annoyance and looked straight at his father. "You better spit it out before I take this matter into my hands. I''m not letting you off, old man." He whirled around and stormed out of the door. But before he did so, his eyes unconsciously glanced around at the scattered papers on the floor. Papers that need signature and approval, all with the stamp of the Royal Family. Zeke guessed his father was doing the Queen''s order again. What a ??pdog. He clicked his tongue and walked away until a significant symbol caught his eye. Frowning, he stole a glance at the paper with that symbol before taking a peek at his father, who had looked away from him. When he reached the door, he turned his head over his shoulder.. "Either you spill or call off the marriage, your choice." Chapter 16 - Festival "Either you spill or call off the marriage, your choice." Zeke turned and left, not forgetting to slam the door, which caused the wood to crack. "Haaa¡­" Derek sighed. He had waited until Zeke got out before relaxing his tense muscle. He sat down on his swivel chair with a loud huff, massaging his forehead as the headache started forming itself. "You did good." "You think so, Lynn?" He asked. "He seems to hate me for it though." "You are his father, he couldn''t despise you completely." "Are you actually comforting me, my friend?" Derek barked out a laugh and Lynn chuckled. "Stop blaming yourself, this is the Queen''s order. Everything is classified and you did the right thing," Lynn reassured Derek. "Sooner or later, this case will also be passed down onto Zeke and I need him to prepare for that. Yet He is still too young, too impulsive," Derek murmured and heaved a long sigh. "It may be his strength, but also his downfall." "He is just like how you used to be," Lynn joked. "I am too tired to distinguish whether that''s sarcasm or a compliment anymore, so I will just round it about as a compliment then," Derek smiled. "So, how''s the preparation going on?" "I had done what you asked for. So far, everything is going according to plan." "Excellent," Derek nodded. "Haaa¡­ This used to be my darling Ica''s job. I missed him so much." He pushed himself off the chair and walked to the huge painting on his left. "Don''t you think he left us too soon, my friend?" "My Lord¡­" Lynn said worriedly. Sadness and sympathy filled his brown eyes. He watched as Derek traced his fingers on the man in the painting''s face and eyes, following the outlines of the drawing. "Yes, he did." "However he is in a better place right now, leaving us to suffer here," Derek snickered. "Sly little fox." "Let''s have tea before continuing this harsh life, Lynn." "Yes, My Lord." Smiling, Lynn walked over to the door and held it open for Derek and both of them left the office. Icarus Roderick, my beloved. XXX The annual was held once a year, to celebrate the birth of the town of Zariya. It was usually held for three whole days. On the first and second day, it would be celebrated on the streets of Zariya. The usual smelly markets and streets had turned into the land of fantasy. It was filled with lights and sparkles. The usually dimly lit street lamps shone brightly, illuminating the whole town with their flickering candles. Music filled the air, lively and festive beats lifted the spirits and made the people want to move, jump, and sing. It was a time to celebrate being alive, celebrate the wonders of creation, and be one with the community. The air tasted so heavenly with the chefs alongside the parade, food sellers weaved through the mass. The aromas of these foods became perfume in the air. Every delicious thing was ready to be shared between friends and families. There were also jugglers and magicians, mime artists, and dancers performing in the streets, attracting crowds and shouts. The last day of this festival would be held in Roderick''s mansion. It was the grand party of the year, the one everyone was invited to. Families like The Zeros and The Rodericks took turns in hosting this annual celebration. Those families would take this opportunity to flaunt their wealth, demonstrating what they were capable of. He stood rigid, clad in his butler attire, he observed Lady Clement talking animatedly with her group of friends. ''She really stood out among them, huh?'' Jian Yu thought. Just throwing on such a simple black gown that reached her ankle with beautiful jewelry adorning her neck, she managed to catch everyone''s attention. Jian Yu watched as she walked over to him from her friends and mentally prepared himself. "Let''s go," She ordered. "Yes, My Lady." She led him through the crowd and stopped in front of a tailor shop. The doorbell rang when she let herself in and she was immediately greeted by the shop owner. "Oh my lovely Clement, are you here for your magnificent dress?" The shop owner said cheerfully. "I planned to have it sent over tomorrow morning. You will definitely look stunning in it." The shop owner was an old lady with gray hair tied in a loose bun. A pair of small circular glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. Jian Yu stood in front of the door and waited. Aside from various types of clothes being hung around, this place was full of small figurines, carved out of wood. Jian Yu ?ssumed the old lady was fond of collecting antiques. "Help me on with it," Lady Clement ordered, handing him the pink box. "W--What?" Jian Yu stuttered. Lady Clement merely stared at him and Jian Yu hastily kneeled down to untied the straps and swung the lid of the pink box open. He unwrapped the dress and offered it to Lady Clement. The old lady readily ?ssisted, discarding her black gown and helping her on with a simple underdress. Jian Yu was internally relieved when he saw Lady Clement wore an underdress. His heart almost dropped when he thought she wanted to flash him. Lady Clement bent half at the waist, arms stretched in front of her, Jian Yu gathered up the dress and helped her wriggle into it.. She straightened up, smoothed the frock neatly into place, and twirled in place. "How do I look?" Chapter 17 - "Debt?" "How do I look?" Lady Clement spun around. The sleeves and blouse were vague of a gypsy. The skirt consisted of ruffled tiers of burnt orange satin that ended in a ragged hem just above the ankle, as if the seamstress had suddenly been called away before completing her task, along with shades of violet flecked with white that seemed to undulate of their own volition. A spidery black lace bodice consummated the ensemble. The dress brought out her sapphire eyes, making them glow and stood out. "Oh, dear! Holy gorgeous! I knew it would look fabulous on you, it was as if made just for you to wear," The old lady gushed out. "Don''t you think so, young man?" "As stunning as ever, My Lady," Jian Yu praised. "Old grandma, please make another set in men''s attire for him," Lady Clement continued to twirl around, examining herself in the full body length mirror. "Ah, wait, My Lady. That isn''t necessary," Jian Yu blinked. Why would she make one for him too? "Well, I can''t have my dance partner dressing like that, right?" Lady Clement stopped twirling and spun to look at Jian Yu. Her blazing blue eyes raked over him from head to toe before shaking her head. "Huh? Me? Your dance partner?" "Oh my-- is this the so-called fiance?" The old lady asked, her eyes sparkled brightly, ready to absorb any being spilled here. "Don''t be nosy and keep your nose to yourself, grandma," Lady Clement tsked and crossed her arms, glaring at the old lady. "Have it done by tomorrow morning." "My Lady! You don''t have to--" "And you, shut up." Jian Yu immediately snapped his mouth shut. Lady Clement shrugged the newly made dress off and handed it to the old lady who had it folded and placed it back inside the box. She wore the simple black gown on and flipped her hair. "Get going, I have many places to visit before going back home." "W--Wait, My Lady¡­!" Jian Yu hurriedly bowed and thanked the old lady and rushed after Lady Clement. The old lady had shoved the pink box in his arms before he exited the shop. "My Lady! What do you mean by that?" Jian Yu quickened his steps so he could keep up with her. The pink box was quite heavy with the dress inside. Lady Clement ignored him and continued strolling through the festival, looking through the stands and searching for something that managed to catch her attention. "My Lady, it is inappropriate to have your own bodyguard as your dance partner, you should be asking--" "Zeke Roderick?" Lady Clement cut him off and scoffed. "I wouldn''t stoop that low to ask him for that." "He is soon going to be your fiance, My Lady," Jian Yu stressed out. "And I can''t be your dance partner, please find someone more appropriate." Lady Clement stopped walking and turned to glance at Jian Yu. "Can''t or won''t?" "I--I¡­" "Anyway, I am not asking or requesting you to be my dance partner, I am ordering you to." She turned back and continued strolling, stopping at a food seller stand. It sold different kinds of bagels, with various fillings. "My Lady, you know¡­ I can''t dance¡­" Jian Yu tried to persuade her not to choose him. "And you expect me to believe that? Everyone learned to dance the moment they present their sub-gender." She ordered two bagels as she answered him. ''But¡­ I really don''t know how to¡­'' Jian Yu was really dreading the event tomorrow. How was he going to dance?! He didn''t even know the basic steps, for sure! After she received her orders, she stalked away and Jian Yu hurried after her. "My Lady¡­" He tried again. "Are you sure about your decision? Lord Zero won''t be--" She suddenly whirled around and glared at him. Her nostrils flared and she tilted her head to the side. "Who cares about that greedy old geezer? That man, who only prioritizes his reputation and wealth more than anything¡­ I will destroy it all," She gritted under her teeth, seething. "I will crush everything he had built and made him experience how it felt to have something precious of his lost!" Right after spitting those words, they had gained an audience. Apparently, she had shouted it out. Hushed whispers spread among them. A few heads leaned towards each other with hands covering their mouth, some pointing at her. Her eyes darted wildly among the crowd. Realizing the situation she made, she flushed deep red and ran. "M--my Lady¡­! Wait!" Jian Yu ran after her, carrying the pink box. The weight had hindered his movements. ''Ah¡­'' He nodded inside himself while chasing her. ''It''s no wonder then, why she did what she did.'' But then again, why did she hate her father so much when that man only thought of his daughter? Zeke was walking idly, strolling through the stands, hoping to run into the silver head beauty he always dreamed about. Wearing a simple white bu??on-up shirt with light brown trousers, he was greeted by many people, be it old or young. A few omegas flocked around him and alpha friends that gave him a toss here and there. "--crush everything he had built and made him experience how it felt to have something precious of his lost!" A female voice rang through the streets. Everyone paused whatever they were doing and turned to take a peek, a glance, or whatever to fulfill their thirst for gossip. "What happened?" Zeke asked the redhead omega closest to him, this young man had been clinging onto his arm for a while. Zeke had wanted to shake him off, but he latched himself onto his arm like a leech. "Ahh¡­ That? Looks like the arrogant princess made another commotion," the redhead omega explained. Everyone in this town knew who the ''arrogant princess'' was. It was none other than Clementine Zero. "Crush? Who is she talking about?" "Where are her manners?" "--look at her scolding her butler again¡­" "No one will work for them unless they are desperate for money." "Poor boy, look at him." "He must have too much debt on his shoulders to be working there¡­" Everyone watching the commotion produced different reactions. Some shook their heads, while others gathered the information to have something to gossip about. All of their eyes followed the turn of events when the silver head young man ran after the arrogant princess. Another chorus of whispers rose from the crowd, speaking out their opinions, yet the only thing that ran through Zeke''s mind was¡­ "Debt?" Chapter 18 - Who is He "Debt?" Zeke muttered under his breath and frowned. Is that true that Jian Yu was working there due to debts? "--ir Roderick?" A tug on his arm made him look down, staring at the redhead omega still clinging on him. "Have you decided on your dance partner, Sir Roderick?" ''What was his name again?'' Zeke thought to himself. "Let me be your dance partner, then we could do the usual," the redhead trailed his fingertips lightly on Zeke''s arm. "I know your rut is close¡­" He whispered s?utily, ???k?n? his lips as he produced a more sweet smell. A few Alphas on the street had turned and glanced at them, trying to see which omega had emitted such a delicious smell. "I know how feral you can be during your rut, how you pounded into me like I am the only one meant for you, how you filled me up with your--" "Don''t call me that." Zeke cut him off, snapping at him. He could never recall anything that happened during his rut, but hearing this filthy omega spouting it made him want to throw up. It sent shivers all over his body. What''s more? He called him ''Sir Roderick''! Nothing more! So stop clinging yourself to me! "Huh? What do you mean?" The redhead stuck onto him, plastering himself like a glue to Zeke. He gave out another sweet smell, attempting to seduce Zeke, it rolled out in waves and Zeke resisted himself from pinching his nose. Too sweet! He much preferred the woody and rusty smell that came from a certain silver head beta. "I beg your forgiveness, but I have already chosen my partner," The words came through gritted teeth as Zeke forced out a smile, declining this omega politely. He still had to maintain his ''Prince Charming'' image, dammit! Since the street was so crowded, someone had managed to bump into Zeke as to where he took this opportunity, pretending to stumble and pushed this nameless redhead omega. Yelping, the redhead omega fell onto the ground, thinking some other people had pushed him, he shouted. "Watch your steps, peasants!" Zeke rolled his eyes. He understood that Omegas had always been treated like the queen of society, but that didn''t give you the reason to be rude at others. Clicking his tongue, Zeke took the chance to slip through the river of people, ignoring the cries of ''Sir Roderick''. XXX The storm continued all through the night and it wasn''t showing any signs of stopping. A cloaked shadow slipped into an alley mouth, in hope to get away from the heavy rain, however he got very little protection from the buildings in either side. The wind simply funneled in through the alley mouth as the rain continued to bombard the earth from above. Pausing halfway down the alley, the figure adjusted the cloak he was wearing, tugging it closer to protect his body from the heavy rain. He looked back before continuing to run. He managed to knock out a few of the strange cloaked entourages that had been pursuing him and escaped. Reaching the end of the alley, he glanced back once to check for pursuers before climbing expertly up the wall. Flipping over the top, he landed on the other side in a crouch, ready to attack if needed. It was difficult to see through the rain, but he appeared to have entered someone''s yard, and he hoped he was in the right yard. It was a very large, very fancy yard complete with its own pond and little stone bridge. The lanterns by the back doors were lit, but the weather meant that no one was outside. This should be a safe place to rest for a while and get his bearings. He walked up to the door and knocked in a custom rhythm. A young woman in a maid outfit came out to greet him and waved him over, opening another door for him to enter. Letting himself into the dark lit room, he bowed and muttered a soft ''thanks'' towards the woman. "Any movements from there?" A voice came out from the back of the leather swivel chair. The man in cloak flipped out a brown envelope, placing it on the old mahogany desk. "Here, Inspector Han." The leather chair turned around and revealed a man in his late forties with grayish hair. He reached over and flipped the envelope open, pulling out a bunch of pictures taken secretly. He flipped through it one by one before placing them on his desk. He heaved out a frustrated sigh and slammed his fist on the desk, nostril flared. "What is his intention?! We had been searching for him high and low so long and now he just decided... to pop out of nowhere?! Fucking bastard." The man in cloak had shrugged off his heavy and drenched cloak, folding it and placed it on the leather sofa nearby. "Tomorrow night, at the party, keep an eye on Jian Yu." Inspector Han ordered, rubbing his wrinkled forehead to chase away the headache and worry. "Make sure to keep yourself hidden, understood?" Dropping himself on the sofa, the man slipped his hands through his wet light brown hair and swept it back. His hair was dripping wet from the storm. His emerald eyes gleamed in the dark lit room, shining like the eyes of a cat. The corner of his lips turned upwards until it formed a smirk. Leaning against the sofa, he crossed his arms and legs. "Of course, Inspector Han." "..." "..." A beat of silence. Two beats. "What are you still doing here?" Inspector Han raised his eyebrow, he took hold of a thin book and threw it in the man''s direction. "Go home and get yourself clean." The young man on the sofa dodged the incoming book and spluttered. "Why do you have to ruin my epic moment?!" He wh?n?d childishly. "Go home, Rei." "Aye captain!" Chuckling, he gave Inspector Han a salute and rushed out of the door, not forgetting to grab his wet cloak. He climbed up the stairs and reached his room, slamming the door shut. He leaned on it and slid down, sitting with his back towards the door. He clenched his hand so hard until his knuckles cracked and gritted his teeth. "Don''t worry, Brother Yu.. I will never let you fall apart again, not anymore, especially not under my watch." Chapter 19 - Masquerade Ball Turned out¡­ It was a masquerade ball. Jian Yu didn''t know whether he should be glad or not. Well, it was good that no one would recognize him as Lady Clement''s bodyguard but a nameless partner. But it still didn''t solve the fact that he couldn''t dance at all! He adjusted the mask he received from Lady Clement. The lavender colored magenta feathers accentuated his silver hair. The black mask itself covered both of his eyes and the left side of his face with tiny diamonds adorned along the curve of his cheekbones, glimmering against his pale skin. "You can do this, Huang Jian Yu. It''s just a dance," He muttered to himself, pulling and fixing his tie for the umpteenth time. He rolled his shoulder, the wound on his arm no longer hurt, only leaving a small scar on it. Shrugging on the black tailcoat, he looked himself over the mirror. This old lady was really amazing. The whole attire resembled Lady Clement''s gown. Black vest and tailcoat that cut away over the h?ps and descending in a pair of tapering skirts behind, shades of violet danced from the pocket on the ?h?st to his left shoulder. He also received a pair of black shoes with laces and a pair of black glamour gloves that only cover his fingers and half of his palm. Fully dressed, he twirled and smirked. "With a face like this, any clothes will do fine." XXX The sounds of the waves crashing against the cliff thunder in his eardrums as Jian Yu stepped out the limousine. He made his way over the side and opened the car door for Lady Clement. Offering her a hand, he waited for her to accept it. But Lady Clement was already stepping out of the limousine, a look of confidence on her face, however, deep down, Jian Yu knew she was nervous, especially what had happened the day before. Already, there are hundreds of people gathering outside the entrance of the Roderick''s mansion, talking leisurely around the gigantic fountain in the middle of the courtyard, faces hidden by intricate, embellished masks and wearing stylish costumes. The fountain itself had captivated everyone. It was a musical fountain with dazzling lights and very rhythmic music. The water column around it transformed every minute. It became a dragon''s tail for a while, then into a fairy flower next. The statue in the center was made with acrylic stone, carved into dancing dolphins. It''s like a scene from a movie. He then closed the door and offered his arm towards Lady Clement, which she took and looped her arms over his. Both of them approached the stairs that led to the entrance and were greeted by a man working there. The man made a slight bow as he opened the door to let them in. "Welcome to The Masquerade Ball. All hail the Queen and Zariya." The door opened and Jian Yu felt he had just entered a fantasy world. Crystal chandeliers spiraled down from the arching golden ceiling, illuminating the glimmering golden walls and a floor looked like it had been built and polished with gold. It took up two floors, connected by a huge golden stairway so glamour that it looked like one created to reach heaven. Surrounding the second floor was floor to ceiling glass doors that led to balconies, designed for the guests to enjoy the night and beautiful fountain outside. Jian Yu turned to look at Lady Clement and their eyes connected. Lady Clement took a deep breath and nodded. "Let''s go." Greetings were offered along the path they took, and it didn''t take long for Lady Clement to be in the spotlight. There were various emotions being sent their way. Envy, awe, some wouldn''t hesitate to point while whispering to their group of friends. "Oh, look who has decided to show up." Without even looking at who that was, Jian Yu could tell just by hearing that bitchy tone. Lucianna Lloyd. Jian Yu had to squint his eyes to look at her. Bright and sparkly emerald dress with a Sabrina top that perfectly showed off her fine collar bone, her hair was adorned with beautiful golden and silver jewels, flowing down her back in wavy waves. Her mask was white in color, with jade diamonds decorating every side of it. Lady Clement rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, and those gestures were enough to set Lucianna off. She curled the sides of her lips back and glared at Lady Clement. Her emerald eyes turned to look at Jian Yu and he got the hint to leave them alone. He glanced at Lady Clement, only to see her nod at him. "I will go get you some drinks," He whispered to Lady Clement before bowing and left. ''What did Lucianna Lloyd want to talk about? Something that he wasn''t allowed to know?'' He thought to himself. Sweet melody drifted through the busy atmosphere and Jian Yu weaved his way through the crowds of champagne waiters. A group of musicians, forming an orchestra with a conductor in the center of them were placed in the far end of the hall. He could smell lavender essences which had been placed in various intervals around the room. It was used to suppress pheromones from affecting each other. His leg had unconsciously brought him to the second floor and towards the balcony. The night was cold and the moonlight shone like it owned the universe. Standing at the edge of the railings, he leaned and admired the huge and glamour fountain down below. The water columns danced around it was relaxing enough to watch all day. It danced like a free soul, unchained and unrestrained. He places his chin on his palm, enjoying the breeze of the night, blowing on his face and ruffling the feather of his mask. "Pretty, isn''t it?" Chapter 20 - This... is more than enough "Good evening, Lloyd. A displeasure, as always." Clement said cooly, she crossed her arms in front of her and looked down on Lucianna. "I see, you never change, didn''t you?" "Oh I ?ssure you, I am still much better than you." Lucianna gnashing her teeth in annoyance, almost bristling like an angry wet kitten. "As I said, Lloyd, back off. Or are you still sore for being cast aside by me?" The mockery in Clement''s tone was obvious and not concealed in the slightest. "Blasphemy!" That shout got a lot of attention. Those who were gossiping silently were doing it openly now, however, it wasn''t directed towards Clement, but Lucianna. Lucianna''s face turned red and she ducked her head down. Being born in a wealthy family like this was admirable, something to be proud of. But the consequence¡­ Everyone in the town knew you and your existence would forever be in their gossip lists. "Looks like you quite cherished your new toy, huh?" Before Clement could leave, Lucianna taunted her. Heaving a sigh, Clement glared at Lucianna. "What are you trying to say?" Someone cut in before Lucianna could respond. "My daughter! Finally, you have arrived!" Malakhi Zero had made his appearance, accompanied by his loyal butler and Clement cursed inside. ''Can''t I just have a peaceful evening?'' "My precious, look how stunning you are! I should have insisted you come with me before just so I could flaunt your beauty," Malakhi gushed out. "Come, come! Let us greet our host!" He rushed over and dragged Clement away, totally ignoring Lucianna who stood there as if she was invisible. They left her standing and while being dragged away, Clement didn''t miss the chance to smirk smugly at Lucianna, which had caused her to splutter in disbelief. "What the hell¡­!" Suddenly, a loud cling rang across the hall. "Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention?" XXX "Pretty, isn''t it?" Jumping, Jian Yu whirled around and a glass of red wine was shoved in front of his face. The red liquid inside sloshed at the movement. He trailed his eyes on the fingers gripping the glass to a face he recognized even under the mask. Taking the glass of red wine, Jian Yu whistled as he observed the feast displayed in front of him. White victorian lace dress shirt with chiffon ruffle collar that protruded out of the white tailcoat suit. The dress shirt was tight enough that it emphasized the slim waist underneath it. Dressing in all white, accompanied with polished white dress shoes, Rei looked like an archangel. It only added to the description when Rei wore a white, silvery mask with small golden bulbs decorating the gate of the mask. "Tell me, from which heaven''s gate have you descended from, gorgeous?" Jian Yu winked, slurring his words to make it flirtatious. Rei flushed red under Jian Yu''s praise. Hiding it behind a cough, Rei walked over beside Jian Yu and leaned his back against the railings. He twirled the glass in his hand before taking a sip from it. "Aren''t you one yourself?" Rei murmured under his breath, whispering to himself. "Huh? Did you say something?" Realizing he had said it out loud, Rei choked on his drink and the wine went down the wrong way, making him cough. "Are you even old enough to drink?" Jian Yu chuckled, patting Rei''s back to calm the coughing fit before taking the glass of wine from Rei''s hand. "We are only one year apart, brother!" Rei sulked, trying to snatch the glass back. "One and a half, to be exact," Jian Yu teased. "Five hundred and forty seven days, thirteen thousand a hundred and forty hours, don''t even mention the seconds." He sighed dramatically. "That''s a really, really long time apart, how much could I have eaten within those span of days?" Rei pouted, crossing his arms over his ?h?st to emphasize it. "Now you look more like an Omega, almost doubt myself there," Jian Yu glanced at Rei with the corner of his eyes, chugging the wine in one go. The hot burn when the liquid slid into his throat gave him a soothing p???sur?. Rei stayed quiet the entire time, his eyes raked over Jian Yu''s form. Jian Yu''s word hit him like tons of bricks, smashing him over and over. He hated being an Omega. He never wanted to be one. He didn''t have a choice. It was a split life-or-death decision. "--Are you here alone? Or were you with Inspector Han?" Rei clenched his hands, curling them into fist under his armpits. His nails dug into his palm and he was sure they left crescent dents on it. "Rei? Rei!" Startled, Rei blinked and turned to Jian Yu. "Y--Yes?" "Are you okay? You don''t look well, is your heat close?" Jian Yu asked worriedly. He hastily placed both glasses of red wine on the railing and his palm on Rei''s forehead to check his temperature. Rei''s face warmed at the closeness and su?k?d in a breath. The sounds of guests chatter and waves created from the fountain beneath their feet roared inside his ears. The moon behind the man casted a shadow over half of his worried face. Rei exhaled shakily as he wrapped a hand around Jian Yu''s wrist, the one placed on his forehead. His thumb traced circles on the skin of Jian Yu''s palm. A gentle tug and he pulled Jian Yu closer, wrapping his arms around him. Jian Yu let out a soft ''oof'' before finding himself enveloped in a tight hug. He blinked then a sweet smile graced his lips. "You missed me that much, huh?" "Come here, baby boy, let big brother shower you with kisses," Jian Yu pushed lightly at Rei''s ?h?st, creating a distance between them before placing pecks all over his face. From his forehead, cheeks, eyes, chin, everywhere but his lips which Rei was a bit disappointed about. But¡­ This was enough. Internally enjoying himself under Jian Yu''s pamper, he squawked in surprise when Jian Yu ruffled his hair. "How long this time?" "An hour, Brother!" Rei wh?n?d and pouted, hands ready to smooth his hair back. "There, there, head back to Inspector Han, kay?" Jian Yu patted his shoulder. "I need to do my job properly and you are distracting me." "In a good way--" A loud cling interrupted their conversation and both looked indoors. The party was finally starting. "Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention?" None of them realized that someone had been standing behind the door of the balcony, hidden behind the curtains, eavesdropping on them. Chapter 21 - Hiding Spot "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention?" Standing at the bottom of the glamorous stairs, Derek Roderick announced his presence, dressed in all black with a matching shiny black mask with golden lines around it. Every guest halted all their activities and placed their attention solely on him. The whole place went silent. "Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens of Zariya! Thank you for coming to this celebration! I am glad that I could see so many familiar faces joining us on this special occasion," Derek spoke, his baritone voice carried easily in the silent ballroom. "Today is our founding day where we all join together and celebrate the prosperity of the years!" He hollered and the guests joined the cheers, clapping and laughing. "I''ve been very proud and happy that I was born here, and I''m sure everyone of you felt the same way. So," Derek paused and raised the glass of red wine in his hands. "I will cut short to prevent creating a boring speech and raise my cup to toast to you all! Let''s start this celebration with happiness in our hearts and the promise of prosperity of our town. Cheers to Zariya!" "Cheers to Zariya!" All the guests gave a round of applause and cheered, toasting. Satisfied with his own speech, Derek gestured to the guests to continue enjoying the party and a sweet melody played out, drifting through the room. "Ah~ I really hate parties like this," Derek grumbled under his breath, tipping his head back to take a sip from the glass of wine and Lynn felt a tick in his head. "My Lord¡­" "Look, look," Derek signaled Lynn with his eyes. Lynn glanced with the corner of his eyes and saw who Derek had placed his target on. The family of Lloyd. The whole family moved like a horde of ants with one tiny brain. They moved from one to another, said a few greetings, and moved on. "Bunch of hypocrites¡­" Derek uttered before panicking in the next moment. "Shit, shit! Cover me!" The horde of ants were moving in his direction. Derek hunched his shoulders in and hid behind Lynn, all the while dragging Lynn by his arm towards a dessert table. Lynn could only roll his eyes at his master''s childish antics. Derek''s golden eyes flicked through the busy room for any incoming attacks. These greetings and small chit chats were what his beloved used to face, and now he had to do it all alone. Crying internally, his golden eyes scanned the area wildly, looking for an escape route. "My Lord, you are the host, escaping isn''t allowed, but greetings are," Lynn whispered lowly, exclusively only for Derek to hear. He had predicted what Derek wanted to do. When the Lady was alive, Derek always used this opportunity to escape and let the Lady handle all of the greetings alone. Now, since the Lady wasn''t here, the job fell onto Derek''s shoulder. "Shut up, Lynn. You know how much I hate these arrogant bastards-- Shit!" Derek ducked his head under Lynn''s shoulder to avoid making eye contact with Malakhi Zero, who looked like he was in search of something, while dragging his daughter all along. He pulled Lynn with him until they were under the stairway, hiding underneath. Derek made Lynn stand in the light while he himself under the shadow. He took a deep breath. "Finally, I have achieved the highest degree of tranquility." He glanced lovingly at the glass of red wine in his hand and swirled it, watching the ruby red liquid sloshed according to his movements. He brought it close to his nose and inhaled the strong aromas. "Raspberry and cherry, maybe a hint of vanilla in it. Overall, balanced and enjoyable." Taking a sip from it, he closed his eyes and m??n?d at the taste. "My sense of smell is splendid as ever--" "What are you doing here, Old man?" SPLURT! Derek covered his mouth to avoid spilling the wine on the ground, however it backfired to him when the wine surged up his nose like the force of a foreign train. The hot burn sent stars behind his eyes and his head felt like it was about to explode. "My Lord, young master is here--" "Too late, Lynn!" Derek coughed as his eyes watered. He fisted out the handkerchief from his inner suit to wipe off any remnants of the previous inelegant reaction. He sent a glare in Lynn''s direction who he guessed was snickering underneath that poker face. "Father, we need to talk." Derek pulled his attention away from Lynn and turned to his son. A navy cape draped over his left shoulder. It hung from his shoulder down to his th??hs, decorated in golden chains that overlapped each other. The black knee high leather boots clicked everytime he walked through the marble tiles of the ballroom. What''s more? That vivid blood red mask he wore, with golden markings running intricately the curve of his cheekbones. Derek silently praised himself for being able to bring such a handsome son to this world. And¡­ This brat just called him ''Father'' and Derek twitched at that. Snotty kiddo must have wanted something from him. "Talk later, my dear son. Can''t you see your father is busy?" "Busy hiding, you mean?" "Hush, son. Go dance and leave your old man alone," Derek shooed Zeke away, pushing him out of the shadows. "This is my spot." Zeke laughed at his father''s antics. It reminded him of how he and his father used to find a spot to hide during parties like this, leaving his mom to clean up their mess. Smirking, he roamed his eyes over the guests and stopped at someone in particular. Taking deep breaths, he called out. "Lord Zero! Aren''t you looking for Father before?" His smile widened even more when he saw Malakhi Zero snapped his head in his direction and nodded vigorously. "What in the world-- What are you doing, son?!" Derek hissed. "How could you sell out your father like that?!" Lynn scoffed. "Have fun," Snickering, Zeke tipped his head towards Lynn and left his father. Chapter 22 - Old Friends Zeke walked. Walked until he reached the dessert table. He eyed at the colorful cakes lined in symmetrical order, various cake pops and cookies, and as usual, Zeke went for those with chocolate flavor. He munched on it and savored the taste. He was munching on one hand and thinking on the other hand. He had planned to ask Jian Yu for a dance, yet he managed to stumble upon their conversation. He felt his insides twisted when he saw Jian Yu and someone unfamiliar to him so close. It was like sprinkling salt on his wounds when he watched both of them hugged so tightly and longingly against each other. He stood there, holding two glasses of wine, one to offer Jian Yu, but this guy beat him to it. An omega, nevertheless. He clicked his tongue irritably and watched the scene unfolded. Imagine the relief he felt when he realized they were brothers. It was like a huge boulder being lifted from his shoulder. However¡­ Those eyes. He knew those kinds of eyes, how it shone with unshed tears. It was filled with love, burning with intensity. It was love¡­ But not that kind of love. He gnashed his teeth in frustration. When Jian Yu was in his presence, he looked rigid, too polite. But here, he was smiling happily and letting his expressions go free, unrestrained. Zeke''s expression contorted. He wanted that smile only for him. He wanted to clench his fist, wanted to throw this glass of wine, anything! A growl broke out of his throat, earning a few looks from some guests. He pressed his lips flat and ducked his head awkwardly as a greeting before fleeing away. He downed both glasses of wine and handed them over to the waiters. ''Take it slowly, step by step,'' He thought to himself. Before he could court Jian Yu openly, he needed the contract marriage eliminated. When he realized that, he turned to find his father. First, he needed to cancel that marriage. "..." He had gone and came back empty-handed. Well, at least he made his dad pay for what he did today. Have fun handling these hypocritical egoistic human beings. He munched on the chocolate sweets angrily and a dark figure was caught in the corner of his eyes as he darted around the second floor. XXX "A Barolo Villero, one of the best and expensive Italian red wines, you haven''t changed at all." A man stopped in front of Derek, holding the glass of red wine in one hand. "Shouldn''t you be enjoying the ball I had wholeheartedly arranged?" The water from the fountain made a low sound similar to that of a waterfall so people were able to enjoy conversations without being overpowered by the water fountain. The man scoffed, his silky black mask glinted under the moonlight. He eyed the bottom of the fountain. ''Memoirs of Icarus Roderick.'' The man dipped his head to pay his respect before placing himself down beside Derek, sitting on the edge of the fountain. "Then I should have thanked our lovely Lynn over here?" Lynn coughed and hid a smile behind his hand. "You flatter me too much, old friend." "Are you only going to show yourself during annual parties like this?" "Don''t tell me¡­ You missed me, my friend?" The side of the man''s lips curved upwards. "Oh, he missed you so much that he couldn''t sleep at all thinking about how he should greet you," Lynn helpfully replied. "You actually saved him the trouble by meeting him like this." "Nonsense!" Derek spluttered and huffed angrily, but the smile on his face betrayed his tone. All of them laughed out loud like best friends that had separated for years finally reunited again. There was no tension and was full of happiness. There was no terrible imposter fashioned from greed, fear, vanity, sloth, and selfishness. The absence of these emotions brought a harmonious atmosphere. "How''s¡­ The kid?" Derek asked. "Doing well. Hasn''t remembered anything yet," The man said, bringing the glass of wine to take a sip. "Sangue Bevada~ I missed this taste." Derek huffed, a soft smile graced his lips. "You haven''t changed at all either. So, what about the other one?" "The other one?" Seeing Derek nodded, the man sighed. "I really hope he was coping as well as he portrayed himself." "Having your sub-gender altered was not something as simple as changing your name. Not everyone can accept that reality as well as him," He continued. "These two kids¡­ I hope we are doing the right thing," The man sighed. "They are strong kids, let''s not worry so much," Derek patted the man on his shoulder. "Our wrinkles are overcoming our handsomeness." The man chuckled. Three of them, two sat by the fountain and one standing not far away, enjoying each other''s presence in the silence, accompanied by the soft trickling of water. "I believe you received it?" The man asked softly. "I did." "It''s nice working with you again," He thrusted his hand out towards Derek. "Likewise, Inspector Han." Derek reached out to grasp Han In Sik''s hand and gave it a shake. "Let''s end it for real this time," Derek vowed. "For real. No more deaths, no more sacrifices," Inspector Han agreed. "Cheers to Zariya," He lifted his glass. "Cheers to Zariya," Derek clicked Inspector Han''s glass with his. Before they could click their glass together, shrieks of terror startled the three of them. "FIRE!!" *** NB: Sangue Bevada means blood potion in English. Han In Sik said those to compliment how this red wine tasted magnificent and it brought nostalgic feelings to him. Barolo Villero - an Italian red wine, rich complex aromas of fruits; violet and red fruits, cocoa, and liquorice. The Barolo Villero is expressed in a characteristic uplifting scent accompanied by a dry taste, while at the same time giving a lasting impression of warmth and elegance. Chapter 23 - There was Fire Fire. Jian Yu watched the fire from a distance, looking at the thick gray smoke billowing into the skies. The once shining glow the full moon casted was now shielded by a veil of darkness as the smoke swallowed up the whole sky. Fortunately, the fire wasn''t huge. But the entire situation had ended up in a total chaos. When the chefs working in the kitchen burst out of their workplace coughing. One guest screamed ''Fire!'' and everyone was sent into panic. As though the situation was not bad enough, the sound of explosions could be heard from the second floor. Windows cracked and splintered all over the place. Shrieks of terror rose among the guests, everyone scrambled out to the only exit of the ballroom. Jian Yu had rushed to find Lady Clement, only to find that she and Lord Zero standing in front, watching the fire greedily engulfing a room from the second floor from outside. The air smelt of burning, acrid, chemical infused and choking. His eyes moved from face to face in the crowd gathered around the fountain, coughing as if trying to get the smoke out of their system. Jian Yu shrugged off his black tailcoat and covered Lady Clement with it. He sighed. How could something like this happen during such a blessed celebration? This would be a talk in the town for at least a year. He looked back at all the waiters and guards of the Roderick Family trying to extinguish the fire. Nausea clawed at his throat and he forced the bile down. His face was white and started sweating cold bullets. Jian Yu harshly gulped down and thumped his ?h?st when it failed to take in the right amount of air. A hand clamping down on his shoulder made him jump in fright. "Is brother okay?" Rei''s worried face appeared in front of him. "Y--yes, I am fine," Jian Yu forced out, his ?h?st was heaving up and down heavily. "Do you¡­ perhaps¡­" Rei started out hesitantly. "Huh?" "Ah, no, nevermind," Rei shook his head. "It''s not worth remembering anyway." He whispered softly. Taking out a handkerchief, he wiped Jian Yu''s sweaty face. "Here," He handed it to Jian Yu. "I will go back with Inspector Han. Please get home safely, brother." Rei patted Jian Yu''s shoulder before leaving and Jian Yu watched them from afar. He smiled when Inspector Han waved wildly at him and wanted to rush over but was held back by Rei. Not far behind, Jian Yu noticed Lord Roderick and Zeke whispering with frowns on their faces. And as if sensing being looked at, Zeke turned and their eyes met. Jian Yu flushed in embarrassment and ducked his head. It didn''t help when he noticed Zeke making his way towards him. "Hey," Zeke greeted him, smiling brightly. "Hey," Jian Yu responded. He took in Zeke''s appearance. Underneath those black smudges on his face and ruffled clothes, he looked amazing as ever. "I apologize, the party has to end this way," Zeke rubbed the back of his neck. ''I don''t even get a dance with you,'' Zeke thought sulkily. Jian Yu chuckled. "I hope everyone''s fine." While they were chattering and laughing, Derek watched from a distance. "Oh my, who would have thought they are friends?" He muttered softly. "Well yes they are. To be honest, young master''s pheromones always go haywire whenever he is around little Yu." Derek shrieked manly, please note that carefully, he shrieked in a manly way. "Gah! Don''t sneak up on me like that!" "But I am always beside you?" Lynn replied cheekily. "And how do you even know about this?" "I have my ways." "Zeke told you?! Yet he never tells me anything? I am his father! How unfilial!" Derek pouted his lips. "With you as his father, it''s no wonder," Lynn teased him back before seriousness crept back in his face. "My Lord, the fire broke out from your office. Do you think--" "Hush, Lynn. Calm down, the culprit might still be here, observing our reaction," Derek muttered lowly. "Zeke had told me about it." "Zeke and little Yu," Derek pondered, rubbing his chin and making a thinking pose. "Things might actually go a bit smoother, I hope." "I just wish the best for little Yu," Lynn said, his face softening as he looked at them. "Me too, Lynn. Me too." XXX The ride back to Zero Manor was silent as ever. Clement looked at Jian Yu with the corner of her eyes. He had been restless ever since the fire broke out. He wasn''t even this shaken when facing gunfire. Could it be that¡­ he was afraid of fire? "..." When they reached the entrance of the manor, Jian Yu hurriedly pushed the door open and rushed over to open Lady Clement''s, but she beat him to it. Opening the limousine door herself and going inside the manor, Jian Yu could only stare wide eyed at her leaving form before shrugging. ''Well, that''s hers though,'' Jian Yu thought to himself. She paid for it. Tugging off his vest, he pulled off the black gloves and unbuttoned the collar of his white shirt. Tossing the mask onto the working desk, he plunged himself into the bed. His mind went through what had happened today, trying to analyze the situation. All of sudden, a bile in his throat had started to rise again. Talking to Sir Roderick made him forget momentarily about the situation beforehand. Now it was clogging up his throat and he had a harsh time gulping his saliva down. There were many things he wanted to ask Lady Clement about. He had noticed her eyeing at him during the ride back. How could they get out of the ballroom that fast? The place was swarming with humans. Not only that, when Jian Yu saw them outside, they looked calm, too calm. Well, they, as in, Malakhi Zero and his butler. Lady Clement looked angry, furious even. Unlike those who rushed out looking panicked and scared, all of them looked unruffled, like they had expected this to happen. There was another thing that bugged him. The fire only appeared from the kitchen and second floor. Wasn''t it strange that only these two specific places were burned? Again, if, Jian Yu stressed out. If there were indeed someone planned on destroying the party, why not just burned the whole place down? This was as if¡­ As if¡­ Suddenly recalling the fire and explosion from the second floor made his stomach contract violently. This time, he felt it in the back of his throat and he wasted no time in slamming the bathroom door open and pushed his face into the toilet bowl. *** Adding ''little'' in names showed endearment.. It was the nickname that families, relatives and good friends use to call the person, usually used by elders towards their children or grandchildren. Chapter 24 - Bait [["What are you doing?" "We are leaving."]] . . . Jian Yu lurched forward and sunk into his knees. . . [["The power is out and the sensors aren''t working. This is our only chance."]] . . . His hands gripped the toilet bowl, knuckles white. His stomach contracted wildly as he retched, like someone had shoved their hands inside his intestines, grabbed at them, pulling and twisting. . . . [["There is a backup system, it might still be intact! It could come at any second and they are going to kill us this time!" "We have to take the chance. It''s going to be alright, everything''s going to be fine."]] . . . Another one violent contraction, the red wine congealed inside of his stomach emerged as nothing was digested since the evening before. He heaved and retched, red liquid spilled out of his mouth, hitting the water contained in the toilet bowl with loud splashes. His stomach kept on twisting and contracting violently, forcing everything up and out, clogging up his throat. His face was white and dripping bile, sweat, and tears. . . . [["Which one of you boys did it? Answer me."]] . . [["Don''t! Stop it! I will kill you! I swear, I will kill all of you! Don''t touch--"]] . . . He retched and retched until only clear liquid was coming up. His throat felt sore from the constant heaving and his eyes blurred from the hot tears that had gathered. He gripped the porcelain toilet bowl to steady himself and flushed the toilet. The last of it had dribbled past his lips as he leaned forward. Jian Yu wiped at his mouth, acidic residue forming a shiny wet patch on his cuffs. He blinked away his tears, slumping down as his ?h?st heaved heavily from the previous actions. He sat on the marble tiles of the bathroom. ''What was that?'' Fragments of memories flashed in his mind and it sent a sharp sting across his head, making him see white for a second. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for the pain to disappear. He blinked a few more times and the world shifted back again. What the hell was that flashback? He slipped his hands in his hair and gripped it tight, pulling at it. . . . [["Get your hands off me! Get off!"]] . . Jian Yu su?k?d in a breath. It felt so real, he could feel hands rubbing all over his body. He felt cornered. Vulnerable. Dirty. Tears that had gathered in the corner of his eyes now fell freely down his cheeks. His body started to shake. Unable to hold back his tears, he started sobbing. ''What is this? His lost memories?! Was he¡­ Was he-- Oh my god!'' Stop! No! He didn''t want to know! He never wanted to know! Please stop giving him flashbacks! What had triggered it anyway! Go away, Stop! Stop stop stop! He pulled his knees to his ?h?st and curled into himself. Sniffing, his tears trailed down the corner of his eyes, drenching his cheeks wet and dripped down his chin. He curled into himself more, making himself smaller and wrapped his arms over his knees. He stayed in that position until he cried himself to sleep. XXX "Speak." Zeke was standing, leaning against a wall with arms crossed as he stared at the two other occupants in the room with displeasure. "So, what was this all about?" he initiated, seeing as how the two others didn''t seem to be speaking anytime soon. Derek sighed, fingers massaging his own temple. "You are not doing something illegal, are you?" Gasping loudly, which earned raised eyebrows from both Zeke and Lynn, Derek looked absolutely scandalous. "How could you say that to your father? I would never!" "Then?" Zeke thinned his lips. "If it isn''t illegal, it must have something to do with these triquetra symbols, am I correct or am I not wrong?" "Son, you are asking the same thing--" "So it has to do with these symbols," Zeke stalked up in front of his father''s desk and whipped out a file of documents. "Don''t cut into my words--" "Someone suspicious broke into that office of yours and was in the process of burning these documents. Thanks to me, who managed to come in time, the man ended up panicking and burned your whole office instead," Zeke waved the documents in front of Derek''s face. Derek splurted and proceeded to snatch the documents from his hands. "Y-- You, son, do you even know how many precious treasures were burned down?" He opened the side drawer of his huge desk and slipped the documents inside before slamming it close. "What have I done to receive this kind of treatment from you?" "You knew who killed mom." "How many times do I have to repeat myself? Your mom died from a fire explosion in the laboratory he worked at." "Lies," Zeke gritted his teeth. "I have done my own research, mom was definitely murdered. And I believe you have investigated it yourself and that investigation is still ongoing until now." "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Derek gave Zeke a pointed look, the cheery air he carried around himself vanished in the matter of seconds. Seeing as how his father still had his mouth shut, Zeke scoffed and turned towards Lynn. "How did your younger brother die?" "He died in a fire explosion," Lynn answered him monotonously. "Both of you¡­" Zeke squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to contain the growl that almost seeped past his lips. When he calmed down, he ran a hand through his dark hair and huffed. "At least now I know why I must be married into that¡­ That¡­ Those¡­." He shuddered heavily in disgust. However, no one had yet to say a word and Zeke eyed them critically. Fine, he was going to pull this trump card anyway. He pulled out the lollipop he received from Jian Yu before and raised it high enough for his father and Lynn to see. "Don''t you want to know where I got this?" He purposely flashed the brand of the lollipop in their faces and was satisfied at the reaction. Both sets of eyes had widened a fraction. "I am also familiar with Doctor Liam, he is¡­ a friend, a pretty close one, enough for me to bug him whenever I want¡­" He dragged his words, hoping his father bit the bait he laid out. "I saw his pictures secretly taken, tugged in between the documents¡­" Zeke slowly backed up and walked towards the door. "It''s not hard to put two and two together, Doctor Liam¡­ The head of Zero¡­" He suddenly turned back to face his father. He widened his eyes and smacked his fist on his palm, looking as if he figured something out. "He even worked for the Zero family¡­" "What¡­ A coincidence¡­" He continued slowly, before spinning on his heels and reached for the door. ''Take it, take it,'' Zeke muttered like a mantra under his breath, finger crossed. By the time his hand clasped around the handle, a gruff voice stopped him. "Wait." He paused and his lips instantly curled up in a smirk. ''Gotcha.'' Chapter 25 - Money Not Enough "Welcome! How can I help you?" "..." "Hello!" "Hi¡­?" "Hi brother!" Jian Yu thought twice about backpedalling out of the shop and checked if he was in the right place or not before throwing that idea out and crossed his arms instead. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "I¡­ am working here?" "Not good enough, try again." The other avoided his eyes from meeting Jian Yu''s, his hands busy working. He had been wiping that small thing in his hands that Jian Yu was sure once he was done with it, that thing would shine so bright. "I need another job to live the life I want?" "Try again." "I need to save enough that my descendants of the seventh generations can live abundantly?" Jian Yu''s eyebrows lifted up so high that it went above his hairline. "Did Inspector Han not pay you?" BAM! Jian Yu jumped. "You don''t know how much I suffer without you there, brother! No one buys me food, no one takes care of me, no one cleans my room, I even have more paperworks to do, brother!" Rei wh?n?d loudly, big fat crocodile tears formed in the corner of his eyes. "Now i have to work in this stupid antique shop, wiping, wiping, and wiping all day long-- ouw!" An old man appeared from the back of the shop and smacked Rei''s head. "Get back to work, young man!" "Ouch, ouch! Stop hitting me, old geezer-- ow!" Rei tried to protect his head from incoming smacks which he failed miserably. The old man just knew where to hit next. "Told you to call me grandpa, where are your manners?" Another smack and Rei was finally left alone, sniffing like an abused puppy. The old man finally turned to Jian Yu. "My apologies, this young lad has yet to learn." "Ah no, it''s fine," Jian Yu chuckled. The scene was quite entertaining to watch. "Please disiplin him however you like, that brother of mine lacks courtesy." "He is your brother?!" The old man looked surprised. "Yes, an older brother, but he never respects me as one," Jian Yu sniffed, pretending to dab the corner of his eyes. "That brat¡­" Jian Yu felt the side of his lips curled upwards at the scene. This kid needed a few lessons on proper etique. While they were at it, Jian Yu took a moment to admire the shop and holy mother, this place was crammed wall to wall with furniture. The shop was like a maze, filled with mass of furniture of all shapes and sizes. This shop was in the deserted area of Zariya, probably why people rarely visited this place hence it was quiet. The old man who owned this shop was around sixty years old, Jian Yu guessed. An Omega. Wouldn''t that be dangerous for an Omega to live alone in a deserted area like this? But when he looked at how the old man continued to smack Rei, maybe he shouldn''t worry too much. Rei was here. Like how Rei was always there for him. Rei would protect him from danger. "Young man, what do you need?" Snapping out of his thoughts, Jian Yu stammered out. "I-- I am here to pick up a package for Lady Clement." When he woke up the next morning, his body was aching all over, especially his neck. He had actually slept in that position the entire night, it was no wonder he had cramps all over. He took a long shower, to wash away all the grime and brushed his teeth for at least ten times. Everytime he recalled what happened yesterday, how he puked and all, his body shuddered in disgust. When he was done and getting ready, he got a call from one of the maids to head over to Lady Clement''s study room. All that only to receive an order to pick up a package. "Oh! Oh yes, wait a minute," The old man went to the back of his shop and came back out with a small box wrapped in ribbons in his hands. "Here," He handed the box to Jian Yu. "Lovely young lady, she has always been my regular since she was a kid." "Always running around and almost knocking off stuff from my shelves," He chuckled. "I wonder how she is doing now after Madam Zero passed away." "She¡­ Is doing fine," Jian Yu said. "Shy, hot tempered as always¡­" "Yes, indeed, she has always been that way," The old man chuckled before he paused. "Are you¡­ A friend of hers, young man?" "Ah, no. I worked as her personal butler, sir." "A beta?" "Yes." Something flashed behind the old man''s eyes. As fast as it appeared, it disappeared, washed away. Jian Yu had to blink his eyes a couple times to make sure he didn''t see wrongly. He looked¡­ Sad for a moment. The old man suddenly moved forward and took hold of Jian Yu''s other hand, the one wasn''t carrying the box. The hands, full with wrinkles, clasped around his glove hand, gentle and warm. The old man patted his hand comfortingly and Jian Yu tilted his head in confusion. "It''s good to see another one alive," The old man muttered under his breath. "That''s good, that''s good." He breathed out a sigh of relief and his eyes glazed over once more. "What''s your name, young one?" He patted the back of Jian Yu''s palm, patting his cheeks in a longing way before ruffling his white hair. "Huang Jian Yu." But Jian Yu could only stare at him in confusion and mutter his name out in habit. He couldn''t tell him or ask him why and what''s wrong as the old man looked like he was immersed in the past, even though he was itching to know. "That''s good¡­" He kept repeating the same sentences over and over and Jian Yu felt his heart twist at how broken-hearted he sounded. CRASH! "I am sorry!" Rei called out from the back. As if someone had cut the heartbroken moment with a knife which Rei did, a growl broke out of his throat and Jian Yu jumped. This old man was fierce as an Omega. "I am deducting that from your paycheck, you brat!" He whirled around, this time taking a broom with him to smack the life out of Rei. Jian Yu wondered what had happened for the old man to have such a sad expression. Maybe he looked like his deceased family member or someone close? Shrugging his shoulder, he could hear the sound of broom hitting and Rei''s exaggerating shouts. Smiling, he called out. "Thank you, grandpa! I have another errand to do, so please ingrant manners into him!" Jian Yu exited the shop and the bells above the door ring when Jian Yu pushed it open. He heard shouts of ''Don''t leave me Brother!'' and a smack before another shout of ''shut up brat!'' echoing from the shop. Jian Yu chuckled, maybe he should visit this shop again when he has free time, it gave out a homey vibe from it. It made him miss Inspector Han a bit¡­ Wait. Did Inspector Han really not pay Rei though?! Impossible! That kid was just being childish, acting lonely and clingy. Rei really knew how to use his charm and attacked his weak point. Should he¡­ Visit this adoptive father of his? Maybe he could spare a bit of time¡­ He adjusted the box in one hand and palmed his pockets until his fingers touched a small piece of paper. He looked at the address and frowned. ''What the hell did Malakhi Zero want from a place like this?'' Chapter 26 - Sword dance?! ''What the hell did Malakhi Zero want from a place like this?'' Jian Yu heaved out a deep sigh. Going to a place like that when the sun was still high up bounded to earn him weird looks. He folded the small piece of paper in his hand and slipped it back inside his pocket. Adjusting the box in his arms, his stomach decided to announce its existence by grumbling loudly. He hadn''t managed to grab breakfast before he was hauled to do some errands and now it was past lunchtime. Deciding on a light meal, his legs had brought him to the center of the town, the crowdest part of it. The central plaza. A big public square in the town, many artists gathered here to share their pieces, showing off their talent by doing attractions. He looked around in interest. It was packed with people and the remnants of yesterday''s celebration were still there. And as Jian Yu predicted, the gossip about the fire was like a cake fresh from the oven. Everyone was talking about it! He stopped in front of a bakery shop and bought a 30 cm baguette. He hoped this small meal could fill the blackhole he possessed called stomach. He searched for a quiet place to enjoy his meal. Sitting down on a wooden bench placed around the gigantic fountain in the middle of the town, he watched people busied themselves while he munched on his meal. Enjoying the scenery, he bit onto the baguette and winced. ''Damn, this baguette is really hard!'' He wondered if he had dislocated his jaws. He could feel his gums cursing profanities at him by now, but that didn''t stop him from eating and Jian Yu inhaled the whole thing within minutes. He was wiping his mouth with the handkerchief when someone called him. "Jian Yu, is that you?" Turning, he saw Zeke standing across from him, his face shining bright as ever. As if Zeke was thrilled seeing him, his face lit up even more. "It is you!" He waved and bounded over like an excited puppy. With him were several other young men and women. All Alphas. Among them, he could recognize Mika and Jeon Dong-Hyun. "Who is this guy, Roderick?" "He--" "He is the blueballer my poor best friend is suffering from! Huang Jian Yu, the one I am telling you lots about!" Mika, the oh-ever-so-friendly human being existed, called out. He swung his arms over Jian Yu''s shoulder as he introduced him. Zeke had choked on his saliva, his jade eyes shook. Confused as ever, Jian Yu could only offer a polite smile. He had no idea what they had talked about him and he didn''t even want to know. Dong-Hyun came over to greet him personally which he returned the same way. His eyes trailed to Zeke, only to see him avoiding eye contact with a face so red that it could put a tomato to shame. Arms still around his shoulder, Mika leaned closer. "Hey, hey! Are you busy? Yes? No? Come and join us!" A hand reached over and pulled Mika''s ear. "Stop badgering him! He has no time for you and what''s with your choppy sentence? I bet he didn''t get what you are saying at all! Cause, even I don''t!" Dong-Hyun pulled Mika by his ear away from Jian Yu, ignoring Mika''s cries of pain. Jian Yu sighed in relief. The strong smell of Mika''s Alpha pheromones was intense, probably because Mika just has his rut. Zeke had hovered warily from a distance until he stood close enough to Jian Yu. When he was able to sniff Mika''s scent coming from Jian Yu, his eyes narrowed. Zeke heard a low growl and it took him a moment to realize that it was coming out of his own throat. He hurriedly put a stop to the sound. He did not need to give people the impression that he was some kind of psycho, standing around making angry noises at no one. "Join what?" He heard Jian Yu asked. "It''s a duel tournament," Dong-Hyun explained. Jian Yu made an ''ah'' expression which Zeke found really adorable. Jian Yu finally recalled the duel tournament. It was usually held here, at the central plaza. Duel tournaments were held twice a year. One had become a tradition every year after the annual celebration that every Alpha from each family would gather and have a duel. To prove their swordsmanship. The other one was held by the Zariya College during graduations. "Would you like to join?" A man in his mid-twenties suddenly moved forward and asked. "I heard you are Lady Zero''s Beta bodyguard." Jian Yu glanced at the man talking to him. Blond hair and emerald eyes. Must be a Llyod. When the man noticed that Jian Yu had yet to reply, he chuckled. "Please excuse my manner, I am Aloysius Lloyd." He reached a hand out for Jian Yu to shake which Jian Yu did. "Huang Jian Yu." ''Oh, he is polite, unlike his younger sister.'' "I am sorry, but I will have to decline. I still have to run an errand for Lord Zero," Jian Yu bowed his head, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. The smell of Alphas crowding him like that was also making him uneasy. Truthfully, he had intended to watch. He could learn a few tricks just from watching them fight. He crossed over the stone bridge that was elegantly arched over the trail of the river. "Jian Yu!" He paused and turned. Who was calling him? "Jian Yu, wait up!" Zeke rushed to his side and bent over, panting. Jian Yu raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing here?" "You are running an errand for Lord Zero? Let me accompany you!" "Shouldn''t you be¡­ With them? What about the tournament?" Jian Yu asked. "That? It''s not like they could win against me," Zeke puffed up his ?h?st when he said it, looking proud of himself. "Aren''t you quite full of yourself, Sir Roderick?" Jian Yu chuckled. "This Sir Roderick has never lost against anyone before!" Zeke declared. "Oh, really?" "Is that a challenge I see?" Zeke wiggled his eyebrows. "Let''s have a duel, then," Jian Yu offered. "Well, I did owe you a game before. Let''s settle with this." "I prefer having a sword dance with you though," Zeke muttered under his breath. Apparently, Jian Yu heard him loud and clear. "Sword dance? Are you trying to be a finch?" This time, Zeke didn''t only choke, but also cough until his eyes watered. "Why¡­ Would I be¡­ Finch?" He looked scandalous at that. Finches were tiny little birds!! "I am joking," Jian Yu replied nonchalantly. "I know! But still..." After calming down from his coughing fit, Zeke suggested. "Let''s have a bet then." Jian Yu made a gesture for Zeke to continue. "Losers do whatever the winner wants." "Aren''t you a bit childish?" Jian Yu laughed. Zeke merely shrugged his shoulder, snickering. "Scared?" Jian Yu twitched at that. The nerve he had to taunt him. "Deal." Zeke smirked at that.. "My shoulders are all yours if you need a place to cry on." Chapter 27 - Sweet like Chocolate Jian Yu smacked Zeke''s shoulder and huffed playfully. "You are the one needing a shoulder to cry on, with your Alpha pride bruised." Zeke brightened up. "Are you going to offer me your shoulder too?" "If yes, I wouldn''t mind losing then," He continued, smiling. Jian Yu''s cheek flushed red and he turned away. Avoiding making eye contact with Zeke''s. "Sir Roderick, that''s inappropriate--" "So, where are we going?" Zeke cut him off. "We?" "Yes, you and me, me and you. We." When Zeke saw Jian Yu sitting on that bench, he immediately brightened up. Bounding over to greet him, he never expected his friends to follow him. When he was asked who Jian Yu was, God just had to bless him with such a friend. Dearest Mika just had to say that. What the hell was he thinking? He was kind of disappointed when Jian Yu declined the offer since he wanted to show off his skills, but then¡­ When he heard he was doing an errand for Malakhi Zero, his facial expression hardened. He gritted his teeth. He was the one behind all of the explosions in the lab. The one that killed his mother. But why? For what reason did he decide to burn the whole lab down? Was he hiding something? He slipped away from the tournament, went unnoticed, but he still could not escape Dong-Hyun''s eyes. They made eye contact when Zeke planned his escape route. Fortunately, Dong-Hyun wasn''t Mika, he didn''t voice anything out, only his eyebrow went up. Zeke had hurriedly mouthed ''I will tell you later'' before hurrying off. He chased after Jian Yu who was crossing the stone bridge at the moment. Why was he going that way? The direction he was going was the most deserted part of the town during the day and the crowdest part when the moon made its appearance, the red light district. "--Sir? Sir Roderick?" Snapping out, Zeke came face to face with Jian Yu''s worried one. "Are you okay? You are growling for a while there." "No-- no, I am fine," Zeke reassured him. "Let''s go." "You don''t have to¡­ I mean, that place," Jian Yu stammered out, his cheeks heated up once more. "It would be bad if someone saw you in a place like that." "And do you think I care? Also, I don''t like the idea of you wandering in this part of the town by yourself." Jian Yu paused, his mouth agape, but he couldn''t get anything out. His heart thumped once. Twice. Why do you care? "Huh? Did you say something?" Zeke leaned his face closer to Jian Yu. Due to their height differences, Zeke had to bend down slightly. Jian Yu snapped his mouth shut. Had he said it out loud? He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The scent of chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon powder whiffed through the air and washed over him. He frowned and scrunched his nose, too sweet! There was no one nearby or any bakery shop, so that smell could only come from¡­ Jian Yu trailed his eyes up and stared into those jade ones. "Did you eat some sweets before?" He sniffed out. Attacked by the abrupt question, Zeke tilted his head in confusion. "Why would I eat sweets when I am already this sweet?" Zeke frowned, he was talking as if everything that came out of his mouth were anything but nonsense. Jian Yu snorted. "Shameless man." "And back off, you are popping into my personal bubble." He pushed past Zeke and headed to the address given, fanning his flushed face. "Eh? Wait up!" Jian Yu ignored his calls and stalked forward. That sweet smell, so fragrant and pleasant in his nose, it made him feel uneasy. It made him¡­ Feel. Jian Yu smacked his palm against his cheek to wake himself up and shook his head. Stop! Stop thinking! And stop sniffing! Goddammit! That''s your client''s fiance! ''Not yet,'' His inner demon whispered. Jian Yu grabbed his inner demon and squashed it in his hands. He pulled and twisted it like how he wrung water out of his clothes before drying them. Just because someone treated you kindly, didn''t mean that they were attracted to you! He didn''t like you that way! And he needed to stop thinking about love too! Zeke was just being kind, living up to his infamous name. The prince charming, always ready to serve and help those in need. And here, he was just someone who rarely received any kindness. And¡­ He was just a Beta. A nobody. No one special. Jian Yu felt like pulling his hair out in frustration. He felt sad for himself. "Hey, hey! Wait up! Why are you walking so fast?" Zeke appeared beside him, sweats dripping from his face, glistening his already so perfect skin. He was tall, he was perfect. Why would Zeke talk to him though? Jian Yu halted his steps and narrowed his eyes at Zeke. He had unbuttoned the two top bu??ons of his white shirt and fanned himself. Jian Yu could see those defined muscles peeked out of it. All of sudden, he was surged by unfairness. How easily could an Alpha gain those while he had to work so hard for it and only got a few waist lines? Jian Yu clicked his tongue in annoyance and threw the only thing around, which was the box from the antique shop, at Zeke. Zeke flushed at the intense stare he received from Jian Yu. ''Admire all you want, this is your future husband--'' His thought was cut off abruptly. Zeke''s eyes widened at the incoming object coming at him and caught it. Fumbling about before it managed to tumble out of his hands. Once he secured it, he looked up only to see Jian Yu had walked away. Zeke ran to catch up with Jian Yu, all the while trying to think what he had said that might have offended Jian Yu. Chapter 28 - Delivery Gone Wrong "It''s a bar." "No, it''s a brothel." "The same thing." "A bar is a bar, brothel is a brothel." "What¡­ An amazing and descriptive explanation." "Thank you, I aim to be different." A chuckle and a raised eyebrow. "A bar and a brothel are two different things," Zeke insisted. Jian Yu lifted an eyebrow. "Wow, Sir Roderick. I wouldn''t have guessed." "Don''t patronize me, I am going to be a prosecutor sooner or later, I need to know stuff like this." Jian Yu hummed and gestured for Zeke to continue. "You see, for example; someone asked for a bottle of beer with a specific name of a foreplay, if it''s a bar, the waiter or waitress will definitely kick you out, but if it''s a brothel, they will bring you to the destination room," Zeke explained proudly. "So¡­ You are suggesting we asked that question?" "Well, that depends if you want to or not," Zeke shrugged. Clicking his tongue, Jian Yu rolled his eyes at Zeke. "I am here to pick up Lord Zero''s stuff, not to play." "That''s too bad, I really want to play with you," Zeke pouted. "And¡­ they are closed too." He pointed out at the ''close'' sign hanging on the door. "Let''s go from the backdoor." They found the back door open. A man was unboxing bottles of ?ssorted liquors under the dimly lit room. He looked up when Zeke rapped the door frame. Jian Yu quickly analyzed the man. An alpha, around his forties. "Can I help you, Sir?" He asked, glancing briefly at Jian Yu, then to Zeke. He had a slight frown on his face when he scrutinized Zeke. Jian Yu watched his facial expression vary; from frowning to confusion to shock and now to wary. "I would like to pick up a package," Jian Yu cut into his face-changing performance. "Under the order of Malakhi Zero." The man''s eyes widened. He su?k?d in a breath as he whipped his head towards Zeke''s direction before frowning at Jian Yu. "Do you have the sign?" Jian Yu blinked. Lord Zero didn''t mention anything about a sign at all. "I was just given this piece of note with the bar--" "Brothel," Zeke whispered, earning a side glare from Jian Yu. --"brothel''s address," Jian Yu corrected himself and handed the man a piece of paper with the address on it. The man snatched the paper out of Jian Yu''s hand and eyed him without expression and Jian Yu began to squirm under his gaze. "I am afraid¡­ You have to come back another time, young man," The man said in a low voice as his hands slid under the apron he wore. He dragged his eyes away from Jian Yu and landed on Zeke. As if sensing something was not right, Zeke moved and placed himself indirectly in front of Jian Yu. The man had slid his hands into his aprons and Zeke stiffened. When they came back up, he knew they wouldn''t be empty. "Unless you have turned sides and betrayed Lord Zero!" True enough, the man pulled out a handgun from underneath, pointing it at Jian Yu''s head. Jian Yu froze at the sight of the gun. He was just here to pick up some stuff, why did it end up with a gun on show? "W-- Wait¡­! I was just here to pick up Lord Zero''s package," Jian Yu stuttered out, he held his hand up in surrender. ''Yes, explain properly, maybe there is a misunderstanding.'' "Shameless, still trying to act innocent?!" The man jutted the gun in his direction, jabbing at Jian Yu as he spoke. This time Zeke had stood in front of Jian Yu, blocking him from the man and shielding him from the gun. "Calm down, old man. Please put the gun away and talk like a normal person, yeah?" Zeke used the tip of his index finger to push the gun away. "So, hand over the package and we shall leave this place in peace," Zeke said calmly. "And have you Rodericks know what it is inside?!" The man growled. "Oh? You know who I am?" "Who wouldn''t? That black hair of yours, only the Rodericks have those features, you roaches and your disgusting ways¡­!" The man spat out, tone dripping with disgust. Okay, Zeke was actually quite surprised. If an underling like him even knew about Rodericks and even learned about them, wouldn''t that mean that Lord Zero had his precautions? Spreading information about the Rodericks, so everyone in them could be alert? Zeke scoffed. "What are you laughing about? You think this is funny?!" The man pointed the gun in front of Zeke''s face. He pulled his thumb down, clicking the safety off and Zeke gulped nervously. He tensed his legs, muscle tightening, ready to strike or to protect. Not only Zeke, but Jian Yu also. When Zeke stood in front of him, he had blocked his entire view with his huge body. He had no clue what they were discussing. What thing? What was in that package? Why was it so important? Judging from the man''s tone, he also seemed to loathe the Rodericks by how he addressed Malakhi Zero as Lord and Rodericks as something so disgusting. "I will kill you rats! Don''t even think about going out alive!" The man shouted and waved the gun between Zeke and Jian Yu. "Useless betas, they don''t even have loyalty left in them--" Before he could sneer even more, Zeke cut him off. "You talk too much for someone who is holding a gun." He aimed at the outstretched hand and sent the gun flying. The gun had skittered a few meters away. The man yelped and cursed as his wrist snapped in an uncomfortable angle. While he was nursing his wrist, Zeke wasted no time in whipping around and delivering another kick to his face. The man flew away and crashed onto the boxes of ?ssorted liquor. The woods splintered under his body weight and the bottles of liquor broke, sending glass and spilling the liquid everywhere. Jian Yu, clueless of whatever the conflict was, quickly reached for the gun and disassembled it to avoid any accidents. "Seriously, what the hell is his problem?" Zeke huffed out. He adjusted his clothes that had ruffled due to the wide moves. "Disgracing Betas like that¡­" Jian Yu rolled his eyes at Zeke. "Why are you the one getting s?ns?t?v?, huh?" He chuckled as he listened to Zeke continue complaining. To be honest, he was quite used to being it. Being a Beta was just like that. And the strange thing about it was that it somehow didn''t even really bother him. He wondered-- Something bright just flashed his eyes. He saw a quick motion behind Zeke and something caught the light as it moved very fast. "Watch out!" Chapter 29 - Suspicious "Watch out!" Zeke evaded on reflexes, however, he could not escape the dagger completely. It ripped through his shirt, slicing it open and slashed his right waist, creating a thin red stripe on his skin. Zeke hissed and dropped on the ground as the man pushed him and rushed out of the door, fleeing. "Sir Roderick!" Zeke''s face twisted in pain, teeth clenched. His hand clutched againsts his right waist, crimson blood gushing out between his fingers and dripped onto the ground. He grunted. Jian Yu had seen wrongly, it was not just a thin line, but it was deep enough that it needed a few stitches to close the wound. "Sir, are you okay?" Jian Yu looked around for spare clothes, anything to wrap around the wound, something that was able to stop the bleeding for the time being. "Oh no! I need a nurse¡­!" Even in this crucial moment, Zeke still managed to grit out a joke, but Jian Yu wasn''t getting it at all. He was panicking, one hand was pressing down on Zeke''s stomach to slow down the bleeding. That was, until he tore a section of Zeke''s right sleeve, receiving a squawk in return. As clueless as he was, Zeke thought Jian Yu was perceiving his jokes seriously. "My dear Yu, I do not know you are that aggressive--" Was what he managed to blurt out before Jian Yu cut him off completely. "I can''t tear mine, it''s quite expensive. So, yours will do." Zeke wasn''t really sure if he should cry or laugh out loud, so he chose to do both of them and ended up groaning in pain instead. Adding a mental note to buy a lot of expensive clothes for Jian Yu in the future. XXX The man ran out from the bar. His breath came in small spurts, hot and nervous. At his sides, tanned fingers curled into sweaty fists, swinging forward as if it would make him faster. "Shit!" He cursed. They were found out by the Rodericks! He needed to hurry and notify the Zeros immediately. His lungs and heart were pumping, but the air didn''t seem to be enough as he sprinted forward, panic trembling in his exhausted limbs. The man ran towards where he thought was the safest, his home. He almost breathed out in relief when he reached his apartment. Rushing up the stairs to his destination, he never realized he was being followed. His hands trembled furiously from the adrenaline as he patted his body for his keys. Retrieving them, he needed a few tries to be able to plug the keys in the keyhole. The moment he managed to push the door opened, an arm snaked around his neck, one hand against his mouth, and yanked him backwards. It happened so fast that the man had yet to register what was going on. He let out a muffled yelp, but the ?ssailant had slashed his throat with a dagger, ripping it open. His body slumped off and the murderer caught him. The murderer, wearing a long coat with black leather gloves, had a mask around his face, concealing his identity. The only thing noticeable on him was the dark brown locks peeked out of the hat he wore. He looked around, checking for any witnesses. When there was none, he pushed the door open and dragged the dead body inside, slamming the door closed. XXX He blinked, looking up at the ceiling. Something didn''t feel right. What was it? Jian Yu glanced up, looking at the white ceiling and pursing his lips. He furrowed his eyebrows, deeply thinking. It was weird that it gave him a displeasing feeling. He thought back about the events that unfolded he went through. Everything was going fine until the man stabbed Zeke. Yes, stabbing and bleeding all over. Then¡­ Wait a minute. Jian Yu bolted upright, leaping up from the bed. "Ah! I knew it!" It was Lord Zero and his lack of concern. By the time he reached the Zero household, he had mentally prepared himself for any scolding thrown his way. But no¡­ There was nothing. Nothing at all. He was just dismissed right away. Wasn''t it weird? Did he not want his package? Rich people and their endless money. Truth to be told, Lord Zero''s lack of concern was really disturbing to him. However, that wasn''t all. The strange conversations by that man. He said something about the Rodericks and betrayals. To be honest, he noticed the man looked frightened, like a startled rat, the moment he saw Zeke entering. ''What the hell is going on?'' His thoughts were a whirling jumble. What in the world was going on between the two of them? XXX It was midnight when a figure melted out from the dark shadow. A man with messy brown locks appeared across Malakhi''s desk. His light brown eyes glinted brightly under the moonlight that reflected from the window. He walked across His Lord''s office room and dipped his head at Malakhi. "I have silenced the rat, My Lord." Malakhi glared at the man standing in front of him. "That is why I told you to search for a competent one and now, look what happened!" "I beg your forgiveness, My Lord. I shall find a better one to replace him." "You better do before I kill you," Malakhi warned. The man across him almost rolled his light brown eyes in annoyance, but he stopped himself from doing so. "How about the beta?" "Still clueless as ever," He stated emotionlessly. "But there seems to be a problem, it appears that he is quite close with Roderick''s Alpha son." Malakhi clicked his tongue. "Keep an eye on him," Malakhi ordered. "He might be a perfect tool in the future." Light brown eyes narrowed slightly before they turned blank. "Yes, My Lord," The man said, dipping his head. Chapter 30 - Nursing Gone Wrong Oh¡­ Oh my¡­ What was this intense smell? Sniff, sniff. Zeke wasn''t sure of what he was smelling, but he felt the need to give his take. Let''s take another sniff. He didn''t know he had his eyes shutted all the time, but he closed his eyes again and savored the smell. This smell. It was so¡­ Aromatic. It was so familiar. It was something he smelt all the time. Something sweet, roasty, and nutty like chocolate. Oh yes, it was chocolate. His favorite. The early morning sunlight, soft but diffusing, gave away strong rays of light, providing warmth from the harsh cold winter. Pink petals bloomed and fluttered. Birds chirped happily in the blue sky. The green grass was swaying gently along with the breeze as Zeke laid on it. The air was cool, but he could feel the promise of warmth within. He squinted his eyes as he came face to face with the sunlight. It sent black spots at the back of his eyes. The aroma of chocolate got stronger as he became aware of his surroundings. Frowning, he pushed himself on his knees to check where the smell came from. And like how the angels descended from heaven and sang accompanied by rays of holy lights, there, beyond him¡­ Was a lake of chocolate! His eyes sparkled like a child who awaited the presents under the christmas tree. He slowly took a step forward before gradually picking up his pace until he was literally flying in the air to reach the lake. He bent his knees and stretched both his arms out, palm against palm, forming an upside down V above his head. He was about to dive into the lake of chocolate when an angelic voice called out to him. There, on the top on the hill, was his lovely Jian Yu. Dressed in a cute nurse outfit. The short white skirt b?r?ly covered his perfectly round bu??s. He wore matching stockings and gloves that had white frilly laces on them. Zeke dragged his eyes from below. He took his time to admire this beauty. His silver hair glowed so perfectly like a halo. Long white eyelashes fluttered shyly as they blinked in slow motion. Look at that smile on his face. Zeke was smitten. He could literally melt into a puddle under his bright smile. Wait, wait. He noticed Jian Yu''s lips moved, forming words. He was saying something. What did he say? Oh, oh? He was coming closer. Yes, baby. Come closer. Zeke decided to close the distance to prevent Jian Yu from running too long. His pretty and strong legs shouldn''t be running, it should be wrapping around his waist. Finally, they closed the long distance. Zeke enveloped Jian Yu in a bear hug and embraced him tightly. "Hey, is he okay?" "I gave him painkillers, he is probably delirious right now¡­?" "Delirious? He looks like he was high on drugs." "Ain''t that the same thing?" Lynn''s head throbbed in pain as he faced these two knuckleheads. The mini version of Derek had glomped onto him the moment they entered his room. Now Zeke was squeezing the air out of him. Lynn struggled to pry Zeke''s tentacles from him, yet it stuck hard. Derek was frowning all the while. He had told Zeke to stay low after knowing about the Zeros. This brat was too hot-headed! At least they got something out of it. He had sent his men to search the whole bar. All he needed to do now was wait. Kissing sounds pulled him out of his thoughts. ''What the hell?'' Zeke''s hands were groping around. They went around from Lynn''s shoulder to his waist, before they landed on his bottom. Derek''s eyes bulged out. Those hands didn''t stop there, they even gave an experimental squeeze on those perfectly nice-- ''Gah! Where the hell are you touching, brat!'' Even though he was glad his son took after him. But¡­ ''You have your own silver head boy, don''t you dare touch my gray one!'' What was even worse, was that Lynn wasn''t reacting at all! ''Push him away!'' His jaw almost dropped freely before he managed to catch it as he saw Zeke cupped Lynn''s face. He was leaning his face over to kiss him. Shocked, Derek stormed over them and barged in between them. Zeke frowned. He had cupped his hands on Jian Yu''s cheek. They moved closed enough that he could feel his hot breath on his face. Jian Yu''s long eyelashes brushed against his cheek. They were so close to each other. Only one little push and their lips would meet. Zeke closed his eyes and slowly leaned in. Closer and closer. Until¡­ Why wasn''t he kissing Jian Yu yet? The short journey seemed really far. His lips weren''t reaching their destination at all! Frowning, he pushed further, with more force this time. Yet, it felt like there was something invisible blocking him from kissing his beloved. Intervening his only chance. Growling, he decided to bite the invisible wall in hope to crush it completely. Derek shrieked when his son gnawed on his fingers. He had been shoving his son away from Lynn, however, this brat was pretentious. He had bitten him! Moving on instinct, he slapped his son on the face and Zeke flew away from the impact and landed on his own large bed, flopping onto it. Lynn was taken aback when Derek slapped Zeke. That was one brutal smack. Then he proceeded on cursing at Zeke. The vocabulary was pretty colorful there. "You shameless, perverted brat! Are you in rut? How could I bring such a horny little brat into this world?! Where is my gentlemanly son? Give him back! I demand my son back!" ''Oi, oi, aren''t you talking about yourself there? Pot calling the kettle black,'' Lynn snickered but it was cut short when he saw Derek whipped out a bible and a cross. He didn''t forget the small spray bottle. Shaking it a few times, he sprayed it twice on Zeke''s face. Thrice when he thought it wasn''t enough to chase Satan away. "In the name of God, I order you, Satan, to leave my son alone¡­!" This time, for sure, Lynn had facepalmed. Hard. XXX The slap had snapped Zeke out of his delirious state. A burning pain on his cheek made him groan. The slap felt too real, too vivid. His beloved had smack him away. He sighed in relief when he realized it was all a dream. Jian Yu hadn''t really slapped him away for trying to kiss him. ''It was just a dream.'' He comforted himself. But why was his face burning? There was also this constant loud buzzing. Frowning, he noticed a pair of feet across him. That loud buzzing came from this guy. Zeke was about to give the guy a scolding but the moment he faced reality, he gave out a girly scream. It was an absolutely disturbing and negative picture. The man in front of him. Was his father. Wearing the exact same nurse outfit that had torn in a few places due to the bulging muscles. The stockings had stretched so much around his th??h that they b?r?ly hung on. That wasn''t all. That skirt was literally too short that his huge ?ss was hanging out of it. Zeke had to repeat himself. It was absolutely such a disturbing, disgusting, sickening, nauseating, repulsive, and offensive image that he would have a hard time erasing from his photographic mind. He was so traumatized that he fainted. Chapter 31 - Converge Jumping on one foot in order to get his legs into his pants as quickly as possible definitely didn''t belong to the beta''s usual morning routine. He cursed as he started stumbling, almost falling down flat on his bu??. The morning had been one big disaster and it didn''t seem to get better as time went by. A sudden heavy snowfall had made him curled tightly into the comforter, causing Jian Yu to oversleep. Fortunately, one of the maids came knocking on his door, reminding him to hurry as Lady Clement had been asking for his presence. He would have had the chance to actually arrive on time, if it hadn''t been for Dr. Liam blocking his way. Dr. Liam had just stepped out of his car, a british automobile. Malakhi''s personal butler, Zion, was standing in the entrance, waiting for his arrival. Was Lord Zero not feeling well? He had hastily bowed his head in respect and fled but Dr. Liam caught his wrist. His eyes flew open and he made a startled gasp. Jian Yu turned around and saw Dr. Liam holding his wrist. The doctor didn''t say anything yet and just observed him for a while. His light brown eyes raked from his foot until the top of his head. Jian Yu felt like he was being inspected under a huge magnifying glass. Man, those eyes were intense. "How did it taste?" "How did¡­ What¡­ Taste?" Jian Yu wondered. "Did you not try them out?" Dr. Liam heaved a sigh. His tone was laced with disappointment, maybe with a little hint of hurt. ''Oh no, oh no! What is he talking about-- oh candy!'' "It is sweet!" Panicked, he blurted out whatever was in his mind. Nothing felt worse than the feeling of letting someone down. "Really?" As if the previous act was thrown over the window, the doctor turned skeptiful. "Are you sure?" "Yes, it was really delicious!" The doctor furrowed his brows as his eyes scanned Jian Yu once again. The beta fidgeted under his scrutinizing eyes. It was starting to poke his self-consciousness. Finally, the doctor took his eyes away and Jian Yu almost sighed in relief. Looking left and right, he waved Jian Yu over as he leaned to whisper something in his ear. "I plan to open a small confiserie downtown," He said in a hushed tone before backing away, grinning. Jian Yu opened his mouth to speak but the doctor shushed him, telling him that it was a secret and Jian Yu understood. Dr. Liam gave him those sweets just to observe and gather the public''s opinions before launching the sweets in the newly opened shop. Now, Jian Yu felt bad for giving away those sweets. "Sir, Lord Zero has been awaiting your arrival," Zion, the butler, informed the doctor. "Right away!" He called out. Smiling, the doctor excused himself. Zion opened the huge mahogany door wider for Dr. Liam. The butler and Jian Yu made eye contact briefly and time seemed to stop for a second before the butler pulled his gaze away and trailed behind Dr. Liam. Probably yes. He also had this expressionless face intacted all the time, making him unreadable. Jian Yu shivered. It was better not to crosspath with him that often which was kinda hard to do when they were living in the same area. The beta had stood frozen until the gaze was pulled away. Shrugging off the imaginary daggers sent by those glares, Jian Yu rushed into the Mansion to ?ssist Lady Clement and started his boring day. XXX Zeke came to slowly. He blinked his eyes rapidly and ?r??n?d in pain as he shifted uncomfortably on his bed. Adjusting his sight at the sudden blinding sunlight that shone through the aperture of his room, he pushed himself up only to wince at the sudden sting from his abdomen. He hissed in pain as horrible nightmares came flooding into his mind like a tsunami. His body shuddered in extreme disgust. Everything had been flowery at first before they went plummeting down into something that could scar his fragile little life for eternity. A soft knock sounded and it didn''t take long for the door to be pushed open. "Thank goodness, you are awake, young master," Lynn sighed in relief as he pushed the door wider. "Uncle Lynn¡­" Zeke breathed out. "Dad didn''t really wear a nurse outfit, did he?" The need to make sure was heavy. "What, son? You wanna see your old man in a nurse outfit that bad?" Derek grumbled as he trailed behind Lynn. Bile immediately rose to the back of Zeke''s throat as the vulgar image flashed through his mind. "Since you have awakened at such a good time, I would like to introduce you to someone," Derek said. Just then, did Zeke finally notice another man standing behind his dad and uncle. He had gray hair, but unlike Lynn''s lighter one, this man had darker shades. A clean-shaven face and Zeke ?ssumed he was the same age as his dad. The man in a long dark coat initially took a step forward and offered his hand for a shake. "So, this is the rumored son?" *** Extra: A loud familiar ringtone startled Han In Sik from his deep slumber, sitting straight up with a sheet of paper stuck to his face. He ?r??n?d, stretching his arms up and yawned. Inspector Han slapped his palm against his neck to ease the tension from sleeping in such an awkward position. That annoying ringtone kept on ringing and it was starting to get on his nerves. He squinted his already half-asleep eyes and reached for the vibrating nokia phone. [Stupid Brother Hwak] Blared across the green screen. "Ignore it, just ignore it and it will go away," Inspector Han grumbled to himself as he turned the phone away, making it face down. Just as he was about to lean against the desk and resume his travel to dreamy land, the phone rang again. Han huffed out angrily. He was about to throw a tantrum but decided against it. This time with furrowed eyebrows, he picked the phone up. "Sik-ah! This is your beloved hyung!" A loud and deep voice shouted excitedly from the other end. "Ah¡­ Yes¡­ This is a property company--" Han mumbled tiredly as he rubbed his eyes. "Yah! Why did you not pick your phone?!" "Ah.. Then, you have called the wrong number--" "Yah! You, right now, seriously¡­" The caller exploded. "What are you doing right now?" "...That''s not funny, hyung?" "Yes, it''s not funny." "Then¡­ I purposely let the phone ring." "And you think I don''t know?!" Han rolled his eyes and nodded along. He was moving his hands as if trying to give this stupid brother of his a signal to speed up what he wanted to say, forgeting that they were actually not seeing each other and were miles apart. "You see, your dear hyung here is--" "Kzzzzzz Hello? Kzzzz--" Han imitated the sound of a buzzing phone, hoping to replicate the situation of bad connections. "Kzzz Sorry, hyung kzzzz the connection kzzzz is kinda bad here kzzzz!" Han tried his best to drag his ?ss out of this situation. "I will call you later!" He immediately hung up and sighed. He felt like he could melt into the floor at the moment to show how sleepy he was. Meanwhile, the man on the other end had a large tick on his head. "Let''s see how you can avoid me once I send you a samsung!" Chapter 32 - Derek, the priest that lacks love and forgiveness "...You''re not hurt." The normally cold feminime voice said just as Jian Yu shut the door gently behind him, however, right this moment, it was filled with a hint of relief and tiny bits of puzzlement as the Alpha in the room dragged her words. "It''s a p???sur? that My Lady is worried about my wellbeing, but rest ?ssured, nothing happen--" "Did you hit your head on something?" The beta coughed and cleared his throat. "Talk to me like that more often and you will find yourself going back with a ripped mouth." Jian Yu felt a tick in his head. ''Proper Lady, my ?ss. What kind of diction is that?'' "What''s the plan for today?" Lady Clement questioned without even glancing at Jian Yu. Her hands were busy moving, scribbling something on the paper. "In the noon, right after class, you will have to see the authority on Ethics study, Madame--" "Cancel all of the plans for the rest of the day." Jian Yu blinked. "Eh?" "I have to be somewhere at noon, don''t bother to follow me," Lady Clement pointed in the beta''s direction with her pen. "My Lady, you know I can''t do that." "You are my butler, whose order are you taking?" Lady Clement clicked her tongue. Sapphire eyes glared daggers at him and he shivered. She emitted strong Alpha pheromones and Jian Yu snapped his mouth shut, trying not to inhale the surrounding air as he held his breath. Well, It wasn''t like there was anything serious or threatening towards the Lady''s life. He wasn''t the one at losing end and he would never say no to another free day. That day, in the bar was kind of unexpected. Ah, he wondered how Sir Roderick was doing. That wound was quite deep. Jian Yu winced just as he thought about it. "Let''s go." Lady Clement ordered. She had packed her stuff while the beta was avoiding the Alpha pheromones like a deadly plague. "Yes, My Lady." Jian Yu bowed and went to open the door for Lady Clement. "Oh, this," Lady Clement handed Jian Yu an envelope as she passed by him. "Send it over." "Right away, My Lady." Those sapphire eyes flickered up and down as they scanned Jian Yu while he shifted his weight from side to side before finally clearing his throat. "You are going to be late, My Lady." Her eyes finally landed on his face and narrowed dangerously. "And whose fault is that?" She flicked her hair and walked out with her head held high. XXX "You''ve got to be kidding me, Derek." Derek gnawed his bottom lips as Lynn was holding his laughter on the side. "You barged into my office early in the morning under these heavenly weather where I could snuggle into the warm comforter--" "He outsmarted me." "What?" Han glared from his spot, bundled up in a thick scarf and long coat. "Look, I didn''t tell him anything," Derek waved his hands dismissively, as if trying not to anger his korean fellow. "What?" Han demanded hotly. Derek gulped. For a second, the inspector could do nothing but stare unbelievingly, "You told him?" He repeated, disappointment stretching generously over every word. Lynn cringed at the tone. It couldn''t be helped. Zeke sniffed them out first, armed with the one of the evidence they had searched for years. "I know, I know," Derek murmured and sighed heavily. "What do you know?" Han rebuked, quick as ever. "This is the Queen''s Order, it''s conspiratorial! Are you trying to break the vow we made to the Queen?" Lynn shifted nervously from side to side, the tension was getting thicker and thicker as both Alpha pheromones fought over dominance in the air. Having two full-grown Alphas fighting in the office could only end up a disaster. "You think I don''t try?" Derek said, suddenly enraged. "There, lay a hint so obvious, served on a silver platter in front of our eyes to feast on. How could I not grab it? Why go for the hard way when the route is laid out for you to take?" "Okay, okay," Han raised his hand. "I misspoke," He placated. "Since we don''t want our heads unattached, let''s think logically about this. What should we do?" "We need you to have a talk with Zeke." Lynn said dryly. "Please take him under your care, I insist." "What for?" "Right now, he was in this too deep," Derek explained. "Yesterday, he was stabbed. Zero''s men recognized him immediately and reacted aggressively." Alarmed, Han straightened himself. "Where was that?" "It is a bar across the main bridge." "In the red light district?" Han rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Those places were Zero''s territory. What was your son doing there?" "That''s all I got before he fainted from blood loss." Which brought them here, standing in front of Zeke''s room. "So, this is the rumoured son? The one that managed to outsmart you?" As if he hadn''t heard anything that came out of Han''s mouth, Derek stepped forward. "Wait, back off, Han." Derek pushed Han away, making him stumble a few steps back and stand directly in front of Zeke''s bed. He whipped out his precious small and tiny spray bottle filled with Holy Water. "What are you trying to do, old man?" Zeke frowned at his father who was shaking the small spray bottle aggressively. "Cover your eyes." Someone whispered softly beside him. "Huh?" "Close your eyes," Lynn hissed. Derek had sprayed the bottle just in time as Zeke snapped his eyes shut. "St. Michael the archangel, illustrious leader of the heavenly army--" "You are Saint Michael?" Han asked in bewilderment, blinking. "He was Saint Raphael before," Lynn whispered helpfully and Han made an ''oh'' face. "--defend us in the battle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of darkness!" "Gah! What the hell?!" Zeke shielded himself with his arms. "Evil spirit, begone!" Spray. Zeke shrieked as he dodged the incoming attacks from his own father. "Entreat the Lord of peace to cast Satan down under our feet, as so to keep him from further holding my son captive and doing harm to innocent lambs!" "Innocent lambs¡­?" Han spluttered. "Where did he learn that?" Han asked Lynn. Lynn crossed his arms and pouted his lips, thinking deeply. "Maybe he spends too much time in the Cathedral." The two of them had stepped back and let the wannabe priest in front of them perform a fake exorcism. "He could never do it," Han shook his head. "He lacks something, you get it right? He lacks¡­" Han gestured with his hands as he tried to think of the right words to describe Derek. "Love and forgiveness?" Lynn provided. "Yes! That''s what needed to be a priest--" "Stop what you''re doing, you sinners! How dare you slander this astounding priest!" They jumped as Derek suddenly rounded on them, spraying furiously. "...Uh, Uncle Lynn¡­ I think the wound reopened¡­?" Feeling the motherly instinct flooding inside him, Lynn smacked Derek out of the way, sending him flying and rushed to Zeke as he had fainted again. Han could only shake his head as he observed the tragedy in the Roderick''s household. Chapter 33 - Surprise visit, failed The bar curved into the room, dark in the b?r?ly lit room. The smoke twisted in its artistic way, forming curls in the gloom, illuminated only by the age-speckled bar lights. Along the wall was every hue of amber liquid in their inverted bottles. Through the windows, the diamonds of lead panes, trickled the sallow light of street-lamps. Jangle of voices. Men and women who look older than they were, slumped on the bar. Someone crying in the corner, anguish lost in hubbub and din. There were standing drinkers at the bar, a few couples in secluded bays, giggling and laughing. A young woman leaned on the bar, her long and silky black hair lying over one shoulder of her sequinned dress. She lolled her head to the side, pushing out her red lips. She wasn''t exactly drunk but she liked to give out the impression that she was. There were many Omegas that had been eyeing at her shyly, while a few had stared blatantly. She twiddled her hair in a seemingly absent-minded way and giggled girlishly. Her rut was not in a few weeks but picking her target beforehand didn''t sound bad at all. It was much better than picking random Omegas when the rut hit her out of nowhere. The sapphire eyes with heavy make up zoomed into a male Omega at the corner that had been fidgeting uncomfortably under her intense stare. His face was above average with those light eyes. He was also a little bit tanned, perhaps she would come back for him-- Something huge suddenly bragged into her field of vision, making her frown. Clement raised her heavily make-uped eyes at the man taking the stool next to her and she rolled her eyes. "You are late." She fixed him a look that could make any other shrivel but not the man before her. He met her gaze with a smile of his own. Brushing his brown locks that fell over his forehead back, he lit up a cigarette. "Your father is such a hassle," He puffed out the smoke as he raised his hand and a bartender was there to take his order in a flash. "I suppose your target wasn''t him," She stated more than asked. "Of course not." Clement breathed out a heavy sigh. Silence engulfed them. The sound of ice on glass tinkled as Clement twirled the rock glass in her hand. She took a small sip from it, savoring the cheap liquor as she smacked her lips against each other. "My Lady, you shouldn''t be in a place like this. Not when a murderer is running rampant." "And that isn''t you?" She snorted. "What are you talking about?" He blew out the smoke, adding hazy clouds in the stagnant air. "I will never hurt innocent lives." Clement clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Cut the chase, what''s the old bastard''s schedule tomorrow?" "Lord Zero usually wakes up at 8 a.m., he will have poached salmon and salad with toasts as side dishes, then he will usually asks for campagne--" "Zion." Clement threw him a death glare. "He will be meeting Duke Lloyd after breakfast," Zion chuckled, tugging his head back as he dunked the whole drink in one gulp before waving his hand at the bartender for another glass. "What for?" "How could I know? Do you want to tag along? That way you could enjoy the first class exhibition." "What else?" Clement asked, ignoring the hint of sarcasm expertly as she had gotten used to it. "Checking Zero''s family business as usual." Clement nodded as she hummed. "Nothing interesting, I guess." She pushed herself up from the bar stool, collecting her red long coat on the stool next to her. "I don''t get anything for giving out my master''s schedule?" Zion pouted. Clement merely smiled at him as she shrugged the long coat on, bu??oning it up before leaning towards Zion until their noses were only an inch apart. Zion raised a slicked eyebrow at her, daring her to do something but Clement snatched the cigarette that hung loosely on from his mouth. "Next time, don''t smoke in front of me. It stinks." She rammed the cigarette into the ashtray before exiting the bar, sashaying. "Oh, that''s s?xy." The corner of his lips lifted up into a smirk as Zion pulled another cigarette out and lit it up. Chances like this didn''t come that often, well, in Jian Yu''s case. Changing his butler attire into casual clothes, he tugged on a black trench coat that had huge bu??ons that lined vertically. It had been a while since he had visited his adoptive father, so he decided to pay him a surprise visit. Jian Yu rushed out of the mansion and into the town with a huge smile on his face. After delivering Lady Clement''s letter, his legs moved on their own and he reached his dad''s residence in no time. He lifted the doormat with the tip of his shoes and found a spare key underneath it. "Haish, how many times do I have to tell him not to keep the key in such an obvious place." Jian Yu grumbled under his breath, yet he still took the key to unlock the door. Unlocking the door, he let himself in. A young maid came to greet him. "Is my dad home?" Jian Yu asked as he took off his trench coat and handed it to the maid. The maid shook her head. "Master Han left early in the morning and hasn''t returned yet." "What about Rei?" "Master Rei hasn''t returned as well." Jian Yu muttered a soft ''thanks'' as the maid bowed and left to do her task. The beta slumped down against the sofa in the living room. A wave of disappointment washed over him. No one was home to greet him. The surprise visit was a total failure. The urge to throw a hissy fit was high but he knew how childish it would be. He laid down on the sofa, maybe he should just head home instead. Should he wait for them to be home? Yes, he probably should. This was such a rare chance to go out.. Convincing himself to wait, Jian Yu ended up sleeping on the sofa. Chapter 34 - A Wearisome, Confused Jumble Clement stepped out of the front gates. Roaming the town was her goal today and classes weren''t listed inside. The cold air of December stung her cheeks so she pulled her scarf up closer to her face. Instead of wearing a formal dress, she decided on just a casual white shirt with a pair of black jeans. An overlong cloak was draped upon her shoulder as she walked down the tracks created for vehicles. There was a long way to go until she reached the main town. Her brown knee high boots thumped heavily against the soft ground, crunching in the snow. Humming, she took the chance to look around and noticed a white blanket of snow covering the trees surrounding and ground. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the tranquility winter had offered and pretty flowers that blossom over the frozen sidewalk. The smell of damp pine trees made the air feel fresh and clean. She allowed herself a brief moment of serenity as she walked along the frozen pavement. It was early in the morning as the sun had yet to completely wake up, only shyly peeking through the horizon. But she could hear the ruckus caused by the townspeople, echoing quite loudly towards where she stood. ''It is so peaceful,'' Clement thought. ''As if there was never a purge before.'' Lately, the world had gotten a lot more boring. But quite frankly, she didn''t care at all. Peace was nice. She wouldn''t trade peace over anything. The sun was rising steadily. A little longer, the population at large would wake up. Time to leave. The day was going to start, not just for her, but all-- "MY LADY!" Clement ?r??n?d under her breath. ''That fast?'' This beta was starting to get better and better at predicting her moves that it was hard for her to evade him. Best get moving, the muscle of her legs tensed as she started to jog before running into the morning air. "My Lady! You can''t keep sneaking out of class like this!" Clement had picked up her pace and was running now, enjoying the cold wind piercing deep into her exposed skin. Hearing the soft thumps of footsteps, she knew the beta was chasing after her. ''Goodness, damn boy needed to stop taking his job so seriously.'' It''s not like she needs any protection. She could defend herself well. In fact, he was the one in danger. There was another reason why he was here. Hiring a Beta bodyguard was just an excuse, a cover. Clement skidded to a stop, huffing as she panted for air. "He doesn''t know¡­" She mumbled. Even Zion didn''t exactly know what hidden agenda her father had or the sudden obsession he had in studying Beta. And this boy right here, not knowing anything, was just trying to do his goddamn job, which he shouldn''t. Of course it annoyed her. Every time she saw him, she didn''t know what to feel, which emotion she should project towards him. Pity? Sympathy? Or anger? Clement twirled around and waited for the Beta to catch up to her as she crossed her arms, her index finger tapping irregularly against her arm. Patiently, she waited for him to reach her. He was panting heavily, bent over the waist. "My Lady, please head back¡­" She eyed him critically. She bit the inside of her cheek as something heavy settled inside her heart. Clueless. He knew nothing. How pathetic. "Beta." She called out. "Y--yes, My Lady?" "Have you ever gone to a cathedral?" XXX But then again, why was he in a bad mood in the first place? He had gone home without even getting a glimpse of those two idiots; the middle-aged Alpha and that Omega that always seemed to go through turbulent adolescence, not even their silhouette could be seen. And now¡­ Lady Clement was being a brat, again. Skipping classes and all. Not that he cared, she could do anything without even finishing her degree, with her father backing her up in anything. She could do whatever she wanted. Just say the word and old daddy would come running to rescue. And¡­ What kind of question was that? He had totally no idea why they were heading towards the cathedral at all. "Whatever had you been doing since yesterday to be in such a mood, Beta?" Lady Clement asked in undisguised wonder as they rattled through the crowded Zariya streets. ''Says the woman who had him running after her very early in the morning,'' Jian Yu twitched his eyebrows. Jian Yu breathed out heavily, creating puffs of cloud surrounding his mouth. He was about to give a short version of his story last night when a loud shriek interrupted him. "A murder?!" Judging by the loudness, the woman attempted to keep her voice in but to no avail. A few old ladies, Omega women, were hudding close as they tried to gossip, baskets of vegetables and laundry left forgotten on the ground. "Yes, yesterday, a female Omega was murdered." Several heads nodded. "Gutted and a slit throat. Barbarous." "Left to rot by the Cathedral," Another woman quipped in. "How fiendish." "Horrifying. The police haven''t found the culprit yet." "What? Oh good Lord, I will have to keep my doors locked." "Near the Cathedral?" Clement frowned. "Hey, Beta! Let''s go!" She had picked up her pace before Jian Yu could say anything, making him run after her once again. ''Omega? It can''t be¡­ Zion wouldn''t do that.'' Chapter 35 - A Slaughter in the Holy Ground Han In Sik was feeling terribly awful. That was the unfortunate truth, despite how effectively he''d kept up appearances in front of his subordinates. He was finally facing the midlife crisis every elderly had been whining on about. Next year, he would be considered as the Quinquagenarian. How awful was that? His entire body ached with exhaustion. Just because of one fu?k?n? sleepless night. And why was he not sleeping? A murder just had to happen. Decided to mark its existence in the world, right at this moment. He was abruptly woken up in the middle of the night by Rei, receiving a letter from the well known Queen''s Watchdog of Zariya Town, Derek Roderick. It was a drag to be pulled from his bed at two in the morning, but he supposed that that was an occupational hazard when you were friends with the Roderick. Besides, why would Derek need his help anyway? He wasn''t named the Watchdog for no reason. Unlike Derek, Han In Sik was just a small private investigator, trying to make his living by looking for lost pets, well, most of his cases consisted of searching for lost animals. And this was just a murder. There was no need for his involvement in it. He had much more important tasks to do, like searching for that bar owner in the Zero''s territory. Han let out a big yawn. Watching the road in a slow moving car made his eyes drop even more. "You are getting fat," Rei told him. "In your old age." The nerve this brat had. "Kid." Han said. "If there is anything that''s aging me, it''s you--" Another big yawn cut his speech off. "Waking me up this early when I can get as much rest as I can get, be damn with Roderick, he doesn''t need my help for a mere murder. But do you let me have it? No, you decided to wake me up cause you are a curious little shi--" "Stop, driver, stop!" Rei stopped the cab. They were still a hundred yards or so from the crime scene but Rei insisted on dropping them off here and they finished their journey upon foot, telling Han that he needed to do more morning walk. "Why would you call for the cab then? And where the hell did you find a cab this early in the morning?" Han grumbled. It was a foggy, cloudy morning. The sun had yet to make its appearance. A dun-colored veil hung over the house tops. The normally warm vibe that the Cathedral gave off was missing, instead it wore an ill-omened look. The small garden beyond the Cathedral looked sickly in color despite their blooming state. At the entrance of the Cathedral, they were met by Derek and Lynn, who had a small notebook in his hand. They rushed up to Han and Derek exclaimed. "What took you so long?" "I left everything untouched," Lynn said. "Why do you guys¡­" Han sighed as he palmed his face. "Won''t it be easier to solve if we had all our brain power combined?" "You are just trying to make me do all the work, again." "Much better than going around looking for missing pets, right?" Derek scoffed. "Come on, show us that infamous brain capability. It had been stored up inside that head of yours far too long, makes me wonder if there are spider webs in there." Beside Derek, Lynn just nodded along with every word Derek spouted out. "Fine, where was it?" They rounded the Cathedral. There, a motionless figure lay stretched upon the grassy path. There were blood stains on the brick walls which Han ?ssumed that the dead body was once placed leaning against it before sliding down onto the ground. She was dressed like a common noble lady, not overly fancy but it represented the higher class based on the fabric she wore. One would have thought she was from a respectable family if not for Derek to immediately recognize her as one of the sisters in the Cathedral. Her face stood an expression of horror, like she had never expected it to happen. There was this terrible contortion on her face. Her hands were clenched and her arms were thrown abroad as though her death struggle had been a grievous one. Dried blood coated her entire body, her midsection was torn up badly, giving off such a negative image. It looked like someone had shove their hands inside her entrails and made a stir. There was also a long slit on the side of her neck. Either she died from the blood loss from her slit throat or the horror of her stomach, it had yet to be known. The action was brutal as if the murderer had some kind of bad blood with the victim. "Why one of the Sisters?" Han questioned. "I can already tell this case is going to be a problem." "There is no clue?" Rei asked. "None at all," Derek chimed in. Han approached the body and knelt down, examining it intently. "The murderer must be an expert, doesn''t seem to be his first time." "I noticed," Lynn said. "The cut was too clean, well besides the spilt guts, of course." Han hummed, his fingers were flying here, and there, and everywhere. His eyes were focused as he examined the body. "I''m betting that the murderer is one on the medical field," Derek said. "Take your pick." "You kidding me right now?" Han rolled his eyes. "You even chose the one closest to the probability." He grumbled as he leaned over to sniff the dead Omega''s lips. "Wait, has she been moved at all?" He asked. "Not at all." "You can take her to the mortuary now," Han said. "I''m sure you had police checking the perimeter, but I would like to see it myself. See if I can find something else." Lynn nodded and called upon four officers. They came with a stretcher at hand and the dead Omega was lifted and carried out. Han stood upright and glanced at Derek, making Derek raise an eyebrow at him. "Is the bet still on?" For some reason, that sentence seemed to set the alarm off in Derek''s mind. Chapter 36 - Ants, Courts, and Trials "Zee." "..." "You know, you need to learn to be a little bit selfless." "..." "A little bit more accepting and maybe open minded about stuff¡­" A twitch on the eyebrow. "Despite how much you despise them, you have to learn how to love yourself. Self-love is really important for your mental health. The world has no right to curse you for being that way, that''s just showing how human we are--" "Stop beating around the bush, spit it out," Zeke felt his patience so close to snapping that he was tempted to hire a fugitive to murder this blondie. "I am confident that what he meant was that hiring a bodyguard is not a bad idea at all, like what your fiance did," Dong-Hyun answered nonchalantly as his hands were busy doing something. "I don''t have a fiance¡­" Zeke sighed as he looked at both of his only friends. He really needed to put a standard in choosing friends in the future. These people were a bunch of weirdos! Mika was sniffing for an unknown reason, using the side of his blanket to blow his nose. If he wasn''t bedridden like this-- he wouldn''t dare move or he would face Uncle Lynn''s wrath-- he would smack that crybaby. And Dong-Hyun. That nerd had been crouching down the corner of his room for a damn while. What the hell was he doing? Unable to resist himself for asking, he blurted the question out. "Jeon Dong-Hyun, What the hell are you doing in my room?" "We are here because we are worried about your well-being and to mentally support you, of course," Dong-Hyun answered without even glancing back at Zeke. "If you are, you wouldn''t be facing that corner for more than half an hour! And you--!" Zeke pointed at Mika with one hand while the other pulled his own blanket hard, snatching it away from Mika. "--Stop using my blanket! Where the heck is your handkerchief?!" "I''m just wondering if I can play a villain among these ants¡­" Dong-Hyun drawled. "What?" Zeke spluttered. How the hell did he pick up these weirdos again? "I saw an ant passed by, so I decided to borrow the sugar cubes from that tray--" He pointed at the tea tray left for them on the table. "--and placed it here." Dong-Hyun explained it so seriously that Zeke was starting to question his sanity. "He went back to call his friends and by that time, I will take the sugar cube away," Dong-Hyun continued. "Do you think his friends will call him a liar?" Zeke paused. That was one good question. Would they or would they not? "They will probably execute him for lying to their queen," Mika piped in. "Shouldn''t they conduct an investigation beforehand?" Dong-Hyun questioned. Zeke unconsciously nodded along. ''Yes, why not conduct an investigation? There need to be a jury trial for findings of facts and a witness--'' "Will you be there as a witness, Dong-Hyun?" "Of course!" "Ohhh! How dirty you did those ants, not knowing the real villain behind this despicable act!" Mika cackled, amazed by how evil his friend could be. The conversation about ants went on longer than expected. Unbeknown to them, Lynn was standing outside, right in front of the door to Zeke''s room, busy picking up his jaw from falling to the ground. He had just witnessed such an absurd conversation in his life which he shouldn''t be shocked about. The gens ran in his blood. Damn you, Derek. XXX Clementine panted as she reached the Cathedral, only to see that it was surrounded by the police that were guarding the place. There were crowds surrounding the place, curious about the murder. Clementine was the same. She was hoping to get at least a glimpse of the corpse. "My Lady, the body had been taken to the mortuary," Jian Yu informed her. The silver-head beta had seen the panicked look on her face and decided to ask about the incident. It was his luck that Rei was here as well. That was how he got his information. "Mortuary?" Clementine whirled around to look at the beta. "When did the murder take place? Was it yesterday?" Jian Yu was slightly taken aback by her reaction. Why was she so worried about it? "Last night, around 1-3 a.m." "Last night¡­ Last night¡­" The female Alpha furrowed her brows, placing her fingers under her chin as she thought about something and Jian Yu was perplexed by it. "Has the murder been solved yet?" Clementine threw the question out after a while. "It hasn''t been solved yet, My Lady." She nodded her head slowly and Jian Yu could see gears turning in her head. What was she thinking about? Did she know the victim? Was that why she was so worried? No. It was more like she knew who the murderer was. Jian Yu narrowed his eyes at her. If so, what would she do? Even though he tried not to look that obvious, he really wanted to know what step she would take. XXX Heels clacked against the pavement as a young female Omega walked home after a long day of work. She was humming a melody softly and played with her long golden hair, twirling it around her finger. She was totally unaware of a dark figure darting between the building, following her from behind. It wasn''t until she heard another pair of footsteps sounded so close to her, however, it was too late. She let out a startled cry as she hadn''t smelt anyone at all. It all happened rather quickly. She was forced into a corner by a tall figure wearing a dark cloak; she couldn''t tell his subgender because he didn''t give off any scent. She could no longer decide which was more terrifying, knowing or not knowing the subgender. A needle was forcefully stabbed into the side of her neck, injecting her with something unknown. She gasped as she felt her entire body begin to feel hot immediately. It made her movements slow and heavy despite her mind racing with adrenaline and fear. Gradually, her body started to shut down and her world blackened completely. Chapter 37 - The Secret to Hans intelligent brain Winter had begun. The season every kid loved. They could play with snow, build a snowman; maybe a lot of snowmans, playing snowball fight. There were a lot of interesting things a kid could do during winter. However, it wasn''t just the kids who enjoyed winter. Adults did too. Even though winter was meant to be busy with all the upcoming social events like Christmas, winter was still loved. The joy and happiness radiated from everyone in the Zariya Town. The smile that broke out of their lips when they observed the warm clouds that puffed out of their mouth. The streets were filled with their happy laughter and giddiness to prepare for Christmas. Children ran around tirelessly, weaving through the long legs, cheering and shouting. Everyone was busy with their own task to accomplish, young or old, Omegas or Alphas. The town was always bustling during these times, however, there was one place that was especially crowded. There, in the downtown, was a newly open store that was swarmed by the townspeople. The Tricky Treats. Jian Yu blinked and scrunched his nose at the bright neon sign of the candy shop. Why would one put such a bright neon sign in the broad daylight? That aside, this place had been buzzing since this morning. Dr. Liam had finally opened his dream confiserie. The silver-head beta wanted to applaud him for it. He had opened the store at the right time. Contrary to its name, it didn''t only sell sweets but also pastries. Children came running when they saw the cute designs of the pastries. They looked like they had been crafted by heaven itself, the elegance they carried was absolute. The designs and shapes looked simple, but Jian Yu knew otherwise, similar to how Mozart had composed his music. The confiserie was supported and sponsored by the Zero Company. It had provided a huge grand opening for it to attract a lot of customers. Besides working as a family doctor, Dr. Liam was also a close friend of Zero Family. Jian Yu sighed and leaned against one of the street lamps as he watched the crowds. His lips involuntarily jerked at the sight of the children. They looked so happy, problem-free. If he had a kid, he would do anything to make his kid happy. He would pamper his child a lot, spoil his kid crazy and give all his love. He wondered what his future kids might look like-- --stop. What the hell were you thinking about? Jian Yu almost choked on his saliva and felt his face heated up. ''Yea, what was I thinking about?'' He palmed his cheeks, trying to cool his face down. He smacked them a few times as if trying to wake himself up, earning him weird looks from passerby and customers, some even pulled their kids away from him. ''Stop dreaming!'' Think about something else! What else? What else? Murder? Yes, let''s talk about murder. At the Cathedral. The silver-head beta crossed his arms and acted nonchalantly. Talking about murder¡­ It had been a week. Inspector Han should just call him back. It wasn''t like he was doing anything here. Lady Clement seemed to make her ultimate mission to disappear from his sight every time they went to the town. Like right now. Speaking of which, where was she again? The Beta glanced around, hoping to get a glimpse of her and he did. Her position was a bit too far that he had to squint his eyes. Narrowing his obsidian eyes, he caught her leaning with her arms crossed at the opposite side of the store. Due to the huge crowd, Jian Yu couldn''t see clearly but he was sure about one thing. Her mouth was moving as if she was talking to someone, except there was no one beside her or anything. So who was she talking to? XXX "It has been 3 days¡­" Derek took a deep breath and exhaled dramatically. Han eyed at him sideways before glancing at Lynn. His eyes as if asking Lynn if there was something wrong with Derek but Lynn kept on averting his gaze. "It has been a week, you dumbass," Han said as he crouched down to examine a newly found corpse. "We haven''t caught the previous one and another corpse had showed up?" Lynn rubbed his brows, trying to ease the headache from forming. Han examined the body. A woman, an Omega. Long golden hair. A torned up midsection and a long slit at the side of her throat. Similar. "Once is an accident. Twice, a coincidence. Three times, a pattern¡­" Han mumbled softly. "Are you saying this is a serial killing?" Lynn asked, making Han jump in surprise. Looked like Lynn heard him loud and clear. Han nodded almost slowly. "Well, it was just my speculation, but the wounds are exactly the same." "Once is an accident. Twice, a coincidence. Three times, a pattern," Han heard Derek said. "My friend, how did you come up with such marvelous words?" Han coughed and pretended to adjust his collar. "I¡­ Read books." "I own all kinds of books in Zariya, built the biggest library for the school-- I am awesome, I know it-- even the Oh-Almighty-me had never read such beautiful words from any of the books," Derek said. "So, please do tell, which book did you read it from?" Derek''s eyes sparkled so brightly as he anticipated Han''s answer. No way in hell was he going to tell. This was the only ?sset he had. Everyone knew Inspector Han as an intelligent man. He couldn''t have his secret leaked! Besides, without these books, his brain was only on pair with Derek. "Take the body to the mortuary, you know what to do," Han hurriedly averted his gaze from Derek, speaking to Lynn before leaving hastily. ''Oh my, that was close,'' Han breathed out on relief once he reached home. For once in his lifetime, he gotta thank his stupid brother Hwak for sending him books. Now he needed to scrap his storeroom to find where he had stuffed the books Hwak sent him before. What was that detective book his brother said was so good again? Something that started with C. He was sure there were D and L as well. Maybe an O too. Canon Docile? It didn''t sound right though. Chapter 38 - Declaration of the Prestigious Tournament The Zariya College was widely regarded as one of the finest public schools in Atlantis. It was also known for its largest library. The composition of the school was inspired by a gothic-style chapel with large windows built at any space available. Zariya College was a closed-off area, standing tall at the border of Zariya instead of the center. Towering gates were constructed to protect the area with a one-way entrance where students were dropped off. Inside, besides the school''s garden located around the buildings that provide paths towards different premises and vicinities, there were also large fields setted up for any tournament that took place. The Zariya College''s most traditional and prestigious tournaments was the duel tournament, a duel to prove their swordsmanship. The grand tournament happens annually at the end of every year. The school would also host a boat parade for the winner of the tournament to celebrate one''s victory. To commemorate the eve and the end of the tournament, the school would also hold a party on both days. Students were allowed to invite their families and important acquaintances to the school''s dining hall¡ª ¡ªwhich usually ended up in madness. Family rivals gathered and flocked up, having a lovely reunion. Chaos was bound to take place. Those nobles would do nothing at first, but then they would start to gather and talk about irrelevant things like their family did this and that and finally¡­ May the mayhem begin. Zeke exhaled heavily and scrunched his nose. Grinding his teeth together, he su?k?d the air in noisily before tilting his head lightly as he predicted the events that occurred annually, he could even picture the exact scene inside his head. The Alpha heir squinted his eyes as he tried his hardest to see the announcement stamped on the bulletin board. The announcement had been made. The date had been set up. Students crowded the bulletin to get a glimpse of it. It was fortunate that Zeke was tall, he merely needed to cultivate enough energy, centering all of them into his eyes, so that he could scan the bulletin from 3 miles away. ''The party is next week,'' Zeke sighed as he finally caught on the date after a few minutes struggling with blurry gazes. ''Should I participate in the tournament this time?'' It was not like he wouldn''t lose, though. He was an expert in anything. Wielding double swords, he could effortlessly slay it. Daggers, meh. Fencing? Say no more. The Rodericks weren''t called a watchdog for nothing. They were the knights that once protected the Queen. However, it was no fun when he could anticipate and read all the challengers. He knew where to attack and break through their well-put defense. ''Is it a curse to have such an awesome brain?!'' The black-haired Alpha raised his pointy nose up and shook his head, smugness poured out of him. He had almost floated into the air due to the awesomeness in him, if not thanks to his soul that caught him at the last minute. The image of proper gentlemen was ingrained in his brain. He was raised to be the sophisticated gentlemen of Zariya and an individual with high level education. That was why he couldn''t jump around and fly however he wanted to. ''Smile, Zeke. Smile and act innocent.'' His inner saint soul reminded him. "Yo, you joining?" ''Who are you calling yo, you piece of--'' "Oh, good evening, Lloyd," His lips naturally stretched out and smiled an innocent smile. He always remembered to crinkle each side of his eyes a bit to show sincerity. "Make sure to participate. This time, for sure, I will hand your ?ss back to you," Aloysius Lloyd said seriously. "You have said that every year, Lloyd. Aren''t you sick of it?" "Not until I managed." "Nahh, he won''t be joining." An arm landed heavily on Zeke''s shoulder, startling both of them. "You are planning on registering yourself, aren''t you?" Mika pointed at Zeke. "No can do!" Since his wounds hadn''t fully healed, he hadn''t even thought of registering himself. But since Mika said so, he changed his mind. "Mind your own business, Mika." Zeke shrugged the blonde-haired Alpha off him. "Uncle Lynn appointed me as your bodyguard¡ª" He expertly ignored Zeke''s horrified "you have got to be kidding me!"¡ª "¡ªto monitor you and he said no activities, that includes no tournament!" Mika whirled towards Aloysius Lloyd in the speed of lighting. "Sorry to crush your dream but this big baby Alpha had injured himself while trying to protect his wife." "Zero?" Aloysius Lloyd raised a slick blonde eyebrow. "I thought you hated each other?" "Hey, hey¡ª!" Zeke hurriedly cut in. He dragged Mika away and covered his noisy mouth. "Talking about Clementine Zero, I heard that her bodyguard is joining this year," Aloysius Lloyd put a finger under his chin. "Makes me wonder if he is as good as the rumor said he is." Zeke was ready to fall to his knees and give his tribute to Lloyd for such precious information. He dropped Mika onto the ground carelessly and marched up to register himself, only to have his uniform pulled back harshly. "Zee! Don''t do this!" Mika cried dramatically. "Let go of me!" Zeke shouted. "No! You don''t understand!" "Tell Uncle Lynn, opportunity doesn''t come twice!" "W¡ªwait! You don''t understand, Zee!" "Stop pulling my clothes, you motherf¡ª" Zeke quickly caught himself. "¡ªFather, who art in heaven, please forgive me for my sins. Will you please let go?" He asked sweetly but his hold on his clothes never loosened. "I didn''t become your bodyguard because I wanted to! Uncle Lynn threatened to cut my *beep* off if I let you out of my sight!" "Then that is your problem! Don''t drag me with you!" Aloysius Lloyd scratched his blonde head as he watched the scene unfold in front of him, Mika was on his knees, rubbing his hands together in a pleading way and watery eyes at Zeke while Zeke was busy pulling him up because of the crowds they were attracting. ''This is the gentlemen all of you guys are so proud of? What a joke.'' He shook his head and left with only one thing in his mind. ''What will I have for dinner?'' Chapter 39 - Murder Weapon ¡ªSomewhere in the tunnel¡ª "Gosh¡­" Han complained more than a thousand times just in this few minutes. Well, he had every right to. The moment he went down the sewer and into the tunnel, he lost his footing on the ladders and went spiraling down. Even though he splashed into black grimmy water instead of hard ground, Han couldn''t decide whether he was fortunate or not. He was regretting his decision on going down the sewer to check if the murderer had decided to spare him some mistakes. Maybe he dropped something here? Han swore if he didn''t find anything here, the murderer will be on his kill list. Contaminated water reached right below his knees, making him struggle to walk. His hair was dripping wet with grimmy water and an unknown smell he didn''t even want to know. The tunnel curled away coldly into infinite dark. Han hurriedly clicked on his flash light and the orange light lit dimly, showing the rough walls dwindling. He almost sighed in relief when he patted his pockets for gloves and quickly snapping them on. He made his way through the cold sewage, easing deeper into the tunnel. Every so often, his ankles would brush against something, Han would quickly dip his hands into it, hoping it was something that belonged to the murderer, however, his hands mostly come up with dirt, wasted plastic bags or tissues. Han scrunched his nose up in disgust everytime he picked up something unrecognizable. "The things I do to live up to my name," He sniffed. "I didn''t get called the legendary for nothing. I had to sacrifice everything!" The water was also cold and Han was shivering from it, except he was also shivering for another reason. Whenever he picked up trash, he recalled how he fell into the water before and thought about how the water had covered his whole body. He almost retched. "Come on, come on¡­" He kept on repeating like a mantra. "No murderer is ever perfect. Even a psychopath killer makes mistakes!" This time he actively dipped his hands into the slimy dark and greasy water and searched the whole tunnel. He was just that desperate. For what seemed like hours, Han had searched the entire sewer. His back had cracked for bending over the entire time. His sense of smell was damaged for sure. He was getting used to the foul-smelling air, for fu?k''s sake! And nothing! He should just bathe in there like a chinchilla. Even though he was the one giving that order, still, Han felt like he was going to drown in the tears of betrayal. The Alpha detective was losing hope at searching for any evidence. There seemed to be nothing in here. Sighing, he struggled against the heavy dirty water to reach the ladder. Bath. A long bath was required. He needed to scrub his body to cleanse himself until he bleeds. He demanded a purification done on him! Latching his fingers around the rusty metal bars of the ladder, Han heaved himself up. Powered with the thought of bath, he got himself out in no time. Cold fresh air; that he gladly breathed in; and dark night greeted his sight. "It''s still night?" Han blinked. He recalled going down the sewer early in the morning when the sun hadn''t even rose. Crawling out of the tunnel, Han paused his steps as he reached the crime scene. Recalling what the homeless man said, a suitcase floated out of the tunnel and was stuck by the shore. Floated? That could only mean where the suitcase was found wasn''t the actual crime scene. If he remembered correctly, it poured like crazy the other day-- "Holy mother¡­" He swallowed the lump of saliva that weighed like a thousand ton and cursed. Picking up the flashlight that wasn''t waterproof at all and starting to lose its energy, Han gritted his teeth when the loud ringing wasn''t stopping at all. He patted his pockets and pulled out the nokia phone. Answering the call without looking at who called him, he snapped. "What?!" "My lil bro seems eager to answer my call," A deep voice singsong uncharacteristically. "I''m hanging up." Han sighed. This stupid idiot had just ruined his perfectly genious train of thoughts. "W--Wait, wait! Where is your manner, you punk!" "5." Han deadpanned. "Listen to me--" "4." Han smacked his flashlight, hoping to save it from blacking out completely, all the while walking over to the shore, trying to get himself out of the water. The feeling of his pants clinging to his skin was starting to bother him. "Remember that scientist you keep looking for? The one you search your bu?? off?" "What of him?" Han half-heartedly asked as he halted his step when his leg brushed over something and the sound of plastic caught his attention. Frowning, he crouched down. There, tucked under the bushes, was a bag of plastic. "--You won''t believe what I found about him. Hey, Hey! You listening?" Han tore the plastic bag open. The thing inside made him widened his eyes. A knife was wrapped in a coat! A murder weapon! The murderer must have wrapped it in a coat and threw it away! And since it poured heavily that day, he must have thought it would travel far away due to the strong current. But instead of traveling away, it stopped right here, stuck. Han thought excitedly as he picked the knife up with his gloves hands. Feeling like he had found another puzzle piece, he almost jumped in giddiness. Hurriedly wrapping the evidence, he planned to take it back with him. "Hyung! I love you so much! Thank you!" Han immediately hung up and rushed back to his office, completely disregarding the caller. He had some jobs to do and boasting to Derek was one of them. XXX "Haish¡­ Little brat, he didn''t even listen to what I said at all," Hwak frowned at the large screen of his newest edition of samsung. Snapping the phone shut, he exhaled loudly before looking over at his screen of his computer. A young man with light brown eyes with wavy and uneven dark brown hair looked back at Hwak. He was dressed in white swallow-tail coat, which was unfastened, exposing a dark bu??on down shirt with a white western tie. "This information will make a great breakthrough in my lil bro''s life. Should I send him some depressant pills?" Chapter 40 - Lingering Feelings "My Lord, these are the letters we received today," Lynn dropped a pile of letters on the huge mahogany table. The letters landed with a soft thud on it. As usual, Derek had his legs on top of his desk, ignoring the laser eye sent by Lynn. Derek ?r??n?d as he eyed at the letters on his desk, slouching even lower in his comfortable swivel chair, a little more and he would completely slide off the chair. His golden irises glared at them as if trying to burn holes into the pile of letters. It would definitely be better if they burst into flames right at that moment. The thought of being childish flashed through his mind and he resisted himself from flailing his arms and legs around, maybe kicking the desk would do. "These people really have nothing to do. What''s the point of hosting meaningless balls, courting, dancing¡­ Is their life that dull?!" The Head of Roderick complained. He was so fed up with this society. Huffing softly, Lynn couldn''t even bring himself to scold this man. He had actually sorted all the letters and only brought the important ones, not that Derek knew about it. Lynn chuckled at his own ridiculous actions, the things he did for his beloved. He would do it again and again. If it meant being by his side, he was happy enough. He never asked for more. He wouldn''t. Instead of standing opposite the mahogany desk, he rounded the table and picked the pile of letters. Flipping a few and pulling two envelopes out, he went to stand beside Derek and handed the letters, not before shoving Derek''s long and muscular --cough, cough!-- legs off the desk beforehand. The gray-haired Alpha expertly turned deaf ears towards Derek squacks of surprise as he completely fell off the chair and landed harshly on the carpeted floor. "Well then, My Lord, you won''t mind looking these over, right? They seemed¡­ Urgent," Lynn gently placed the two specific letters on the desk and pushed it towards Derek. The older Alpha pouted like the overgrown man he was, soothing his bu?? from the fall. Luckily, the carpet floor had saved his tailbone from hitting the hard ground directly, softening the impact. Jutting out his bottom lips and preparing a puppy-look eye, delivering it full power at Lynn, however the sight in front of him made Derek paused momentarily. As if the time had decided to slow down, which Derek was somehow glad about, a breath was caught in his throat. Like a huge lump had decided to lodge itself inside, Derek struggled to gulp down. The view before him was pulchritudi-- Why did he use such difficult words? His swallow brain wouldn''t be able to grasp it, not when his last brain cell struggled to keep the rusty gears inside turning. In short, the view was bewitching. It was divine, dazzling, alluring, he couldn''t describe it with mere words. It didn''t help that the sun had just intensified the beauty. Sun shone through the windows, the rays of sunlight lit up the office room. Golden fingers of sunlight lit up the scene. Derek''s eyes trailed from the polished dress shoes, black trousers, to a pair of white gloved hands that were busy fumbling the gray vest tucked under a six-buttoned double-breasted tailcoat that hid the lean muscle underneath. In lieu of standing up, Derek leaned back and continued admiring such a breath-taking art. Lynn always had his hair brush back, flashing the world his magnificent forehead, trying to look much more m?tur?. The older Alpha had to hold himself back from reaching out and brush a piece of stubborn ash-gray hair that had tumbled out from the neatly combed hair. His skin was also pale and flawless. ''You absolute perverted Roderick, look away before he notices you ogling him, oh look at that cute blush on his cheek.'' However, there was one thing that Derek loved most about this man. It was the small beauty mark under his lips, placed strategically and attractively at the corner of his right mouth and chin. How he wishes to give that spot kisses and pecks. When Derek met Lynn and Icarus for the first time, he fell in love at first sight, not for Icarus, but Lynn. He wasn''t lying when he told his father that he wanted Lynn to be his. Howbeit, unlike the affair of Male Alpha and Female Alpha, the relationship between two Male Alphas was unheard of. Even if that happened, no Male Alpha wanted to submit under another Male Alpha. Truth untold, he felt really bad and guilty when first start courting Lynn''s younger brother, Icarus. He was just trying to find a substitute, someone who looked like the one he d?s?r?d, someone who could fulfill the pre-requirement of the judgemental society. And¡­ There he was. And an Omega at that. A plus point. With lingering feelings for Lynn, he started courting Icarus until he finally came to love him and moved on. He had forsaken those feelings as time passed by. Heck, Icarus even gifted him such an amazing baby boy, which was a devil right now, that lovable punk. "Ahem¡­" Yet, he never expected ''this illegal feelings'' would come back, coming at him with the force of a bull, hitting him out of nowhere a few years after his wife passed away-- A sudden musty smell entered his nose, something like crisp autumn leaves with a little tiny hint of vanilla. It almost triggered a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach because he knew this smell really well. "My Lord¡­" ''Oh hello there, will you be my peanut to my bu??er? Together we will be peanut bu??er~'' SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! "Are you neglecting your responsibilities, My Lord?" SMACK! Another one was delivered and Lynn made sure to hit him right in the middle of his temple. "Ow! Lynn, why you--!" Lynn shoved a piece of letter in front of his face, making Derek go cross-eyed. A familiar sign entered his vision and he furrowed his brows. "What does he want?" Lynn rolled his eyes. Laughter threatened to bubble out of his throat as everytime his eyes landed on the red spot right at Derek''s forehead. "Did you forget about the marriage contract?" Chapter 41 - I think I have fallen in love again Two long sturdy legs thumped heavily against the red carpet of the long hallway. They moved quickly while trying to maintain the principle of not running in the hallway at all, however, the owner of those legs were currently feeling really agitated that the speed was slowly and gradually increasing. The rustling sound coming from the plastic bag in the hands of said man was exceptionally loud in the silent corridor. It jostled and created irritating noises at every rough movement made by the man. Every step he took was getting wider seconds by seconds that he was partially flying while preserving to look like he was still walking with much elegance and nobility. Unfortunately, besides the noise pollution he fabricated, this man also polluted the air with his gracious presence. Each and every one of the maids and butlers he passed by, slowly raised their hands with their thumbs and index fingers jutted out with the only purpose to save their precious v?r??n nose from inhaling uninvited odor by pinching the tool used to detect smell. These actions were done deliberately time-consuming as if they were trying so hard to not offend the man by retching openly. All of these were done because the man was one of the Alpha that could roam freely in the Roderick mansion, of course, besides the two Rodericks and their trusted butler. Han In Sik strodded the long hallway, trying to move as fast as he could to reach Derek''s office. He couldn''t deny the satisfaction of putting criminals in cuffs. Hearing the metal slapping and fastening against the criminals'' pair of wrists was like music to his ears. There was this pure supreme p???sur? he felt in taking apart a case and putting the pieces together. He took sheer enjoyment in uncovering the truth. He loved the look of those culprits, their faces when the shocking facts they tried to cover were laid b?r? upon them. That was one of the most notable perks of working in homicide. Another one was that knowing people depended on him. Without knowing anything, being left in the dark, people feared. They feared what they didn''t know, what they didn''t understand. They wanted to know, with his-- no, not just his, their judgement, the people could live safer. ''Their'', as in, together with Derek and Lynn. They had come together, teaming up, and earning their respective names. He became the ingenious inspector, the great detective, while Derek and Lynn became the Queen''s Watchdog as Rodericks had always been the Ministry of Defense in Atlantis. However, they had been hitting a wall of bricks in this case. There was no lead, the murderer was meticulous, but to think he found a piece of evidence laying around. ''Derek better fund my agency for such a valuable partner.'' Stopping right in front of Derek''s office, Han contemplated whether he should just knock politely or just go straight with kicking the door open, which he decided on doing the latter. He kicked. And the huge door slammed open, banging into the wall. The occupants inside the room were startled, surprised at the sudden loudness, making them jerked forward. The sudden movement caused the two Alphas inside the room to collide with each other. A loud buzz hummed inside their heads as foreheads crashed against one another. Derek was no different. If yes, he was just exaggerating it by rolling on the floor while clutching his precious forehead, groaning in pain. Maybe it was due to the side effect of being hit previously. Han paused before entering, watching the scene unfold before him with a furrowed brow. He raised an eyebrow at the two Alphas, suspicion hung in the air, alerting his brain. It made him even more curious about what had happened when Lynn kept on averting his eyes, darting everywhere but him. There was also a speck of blush dusting on his cheeks. Han stepped into the room slowly as if trying not to break the tension. He narrowed his dark brown eyes at the grey-haired Alpha who was fidgeting slightly. The way blinked rapidly, the way he swallowed thickly and uneasy movements of his fingers, Han didn''t need to take a whiff of the air to know Lynn was nervous. It was oozing out of him like a waterfall. "I¡­ Uh¡­" Lynn started, clearing his throat again. "I-- You are here to discuss the murder?" He licked his lips, wetting his dry one. "I will go get some tea." Han set the plastic bag on the table across the couch and sat down. His eyes trailed after Lynn who scrambled for the door and slammed it shut as he rushed out. Finally, the thick atmosphere eased out and silence greeted them and Han relaxed slightly. "Han, my bro, my man." The black-haird Alpha started after a minute or so. "Hmm?" Han drummed his fingers against his knee, waiting for either of these two Alphas to sit down and finally listen to him. To think he was the only one excited and dedicated himself to solve the case. "I have a confession to make." "Hmm." "I think I have fallen in love again." Han choked on his saliva. He clambered on top of the couch to peek at the other man, who now had his knees close to his ?h?st as his arms hugged them tightly, head buried in between them. "Gray hair?" A nod. "Brown eyes?" Another timid nod. "A mole at the lower corner of the mouth?" Han''s voiced had raised with every question and his fingers clenched hard on the couch. Again, he received a nod. "An Alpha with vanilla scent?" A possessive growl resonated, grumbling deep and vibrating loudly from inside. "Woah, stand back, man. Just needed to make sure cause Icarus could almost passed off as his brother sometimes," Han reassured, raising his arms in surrender. "Sorry," Derek looked apologetic as he finally lifted his head up and decided to uncurl from his position. Pushing himself up only to drop himself on his swivel chair, Derek exhaled loudly. He turned his head to the left and his eyes caught the large portrait he hung there. The portrait of his beloved ex-wife, smiling so brightly and looking so gentle. The dark-haired Alpha''s face contorted the longer he stared at it. "You think I made a mistake before?" He turned away from the portrait. Looking down at his shaking right hand, his left hand moved to grab it, hoping to make it stop. "Maybe I shouldn''t do what I did right?" His golden eyes were wide-blown, mouth twitched as if trying to hold back his voice from quivering. "I--" Han had turned back to sit on the couch properly, shoulder tense. He was quite in shock. He hadn''t expected to be faced with this situation. "Oh my, am I being melancholic right now?" Derek chuckled and shook his head left and right, like he couldn''t believe himself for thinking such absurd thoughts. Han gulped, unsure of what to say. Words felt heavy in his mouth, everything he thought of sounded wrong to be uttered. It wasn''t helping that Derek was giving off the smell of defeat, sadness, guilt, frustration, confusion, everything that didn''t scream ''Derek'' at all were mixed and combined. He was usually a very positive person, quick-witted, smart-ass, and of course, insane in a good kind of way. He just has a little different taste in humor. Han somewhat felt bad for him. While he was deep in thought, all of those emotions that hung thickly in the air disappeared all of sudden. "So, Han, forgive my dramatism, but why are you here smelling like you had just bathed yourself in animal''s excrement? You stink." Nah, forget it.. He kinda wanted to punch him in the face now. Chapter 42 - The uninvited stinky smell "And that should be enough evidence." Han finished off explaining his newest discovery. "I will also be leaving this to you. Let me be first to know once you get hold of the fingerprints left." "That''s fantastic, Han. Thank you and of course, we will do that," Lynn replied, a tint of relief hung in his tone, relief that they finally found something after hitting the wall for so long. "It''s nothing, really. I am merely doing my duty." Han glanced at the clock. "Do you have anything else?" "Oh, no, it''s been a calm week, surprisingly. The murderer isn''t acting up yet." The gray-haired Alpha shuddered when the idea of another new corpse came up. "You should go home and get some rest. And maybe a shower too." He added sheepishly. "Oh, come on, Lynn¡­" Han wh?n?d. "It can''t be that bad, right?" Trying to prove his point, Han took a deep sniff from the cuff of his white shirt. When he couldn''t smell any, he pulled his trench coat he had laid on the couch and placed it on his nose. Still, he couldn''t decipher the pungent smell. His mind probably couldn''t break it down to him as he had become one with the odor. Pouting at the apologetic smile Lynn was sending him, Han''s dark brown eyes wandered towards Derek, who was sitting so silently on his chair, sipping on the steaming hot Earl Grey tea, which was very unusual. He had grown so accustomed to the noisy and easy-going guy Derek was that he sometimes foresaw the cheerful demeanor that the golden-eyed Roderick always kept up professionally. He hadn''t said a word at all as he listened to Han laying out the newest evidence. Han would bet half of his ?ssets that everything said here went through Derek''s left ear and came out from the right as he had this dazed look on his face. Not to mention, the filter must be working exceptionally well that nothing seemed to stick in his head. Exhaling loudly, Han pulled on his trench coat, making a move to leave, except his department was interrupted rudely by a door slamming open-- Causing Han to jump, startled, followed by a yelp on the other side, where Derek had scalded his th??h-- Thank God it didn''t land on his precious jewels-- with the hot tea. "Uncle Lynn! I overheard the maids talking about a stinky old man"-- A certain smelly inspector blanched-- "walking freely in here!" Another younger black-haired Roderick had decided to announce his presence by kicking the door open with a panicked look on his face. "Listen here, you punk--" The oldest Alpha almost snarled. It was a close call for his lovely ?sset. He still needed it, thank you very much! Except, just as he was about to scold, a soft touch, a gentle dab to his burning th??h made him choked on his words. Staring down, Derek''s widened eyes were faced with a worried looking Lynn who was on his knees, trying to wipe off the stain by dabbing a handkerchief, which was Lynn''s as he noticed the slightly familiar symmetrical pattern on the small red cloth. The gray-haired Alpha''s hand was dangerously close to his crotch and Derek''s entire body immediately flush bright red. Heat filled his cheeks, blooming from his ears, face, and down to his neck. "What are you doing?" He breathed out softly, tone high, almost coming out as a whisper. "I''m cleaning you up, doesn''t it hurt? The burn?" Lynn answered worriedly from his position, still dabbing on the area, drying it. "I will prepare another suit for you right away, My Lord." Derek inhaled and exhaled shakily. With both hands still on the desk, Derek clenched his hands, curling them tightly into a fist as his nails dug into his palms, creating crescent dents on them. He was silently cursing himself for acting so childishly, like a horny teenage boy. It was even worse when he noticed how much Lynn''s presence was affecting him so much, while the other man was so unaffected, unaware of the dirty things Derek wanted to inflict on him. "Old man--" Feeling a tick appeared on his head, Derek stood up suddenly and slammed his palm down on the mahogany desk. His turn to startle the occupants inside. "You brat! Knock before you come in!" Feeling unfair for being told off, Zeke retaliated. "Be glad I haven''t used the window yet!" "What did you just say?!" And that was how the Roderick household started their morning again. Jian Yu''s heart was bound to escape him if he stayed any longer in the training hall. From the moment he arrived to ?ssist Lady Clement in her swordsmanship, he could feel it. That unmistakable twinge, at the back of his neck. The twitch in his hands, the jump in his pulse, something crazy was about to take place. His instinct proved to be right the moment the cerulean-eyed Princess of the Zero Family opened her mouth and spouted absolute nonsense. "My Lady, please." The thin blade of the rapier sword swung across Huang Jian Yu''s head, which he ducked in time to avoid it. "My La--" The silver-haired Beta ducked another incoming attack, this time aiming from his left. "My Lady, please. You can''t do this to me," Jian Yu stressed out, gritting his teeth as he instantly threw himself backwards in a flip to escape the continuous swinging sent by Clement. "You can''t just register me as you please, My Lady. Who will watch over you when I go down onto the arena?" The boots Clement wore clacked loudly against the ceramic floor of the training hall as she spinned gracefully only to launch another attack. Her long black hair that was held up high in a ponytail swung around to accommodate her movements. "You sound like you are confident about your skills," Clement calmly said, however, the words came out a little breathy as she panted. Sweats had gathered and dripped down her forehead. Her ?h?st was heaving up and down despite her effort trying to look calm and collected. "My Lady¡­" Jian Yu felt the urge to wh?n?, to show his displeasure. Sweats, too, had pooled underneath the suit he wore. Even though it was winter, his body was heating up from all the movements. The female Alpha stopped her action and turned to face Jian Yu, her long hair fluttering behind her. Sapphire eyes blazed hotly like jewels that lit brightly under the night as she raised her hand, pointing the rapier sword at him. The tip of the thin blade stopped right under the silver-haired Beta''s nose, making him go cross-eyed. "I have never doubted your skills before. Why don''t you go and prove yourself to me? Show me what exactly you are made of and try not to disappoint me. If you do, I will--" Clement caught herself, almost saying something she shouldn''t be saying at all. "You will?" Jian Yu trailed, tilting his head to the side confusingly. Clement gulped nervously. "Nothing." She slipped her hand, the one not holding the rapier, into her bangs to brush them back as the wet hair had stuck onto her forehead and it was distracting her. "Grab a sword." "Huh?" "Here I come. Don''t say I didn''t warn ya." "H--huh? Wait!" Chapter 43 - Serendipity (1) His dress shoes made a soft thump when landing on the pile of snow and the huge gate of the Roderick household clanged loudly as the guards pulled the gates closed. Hot puff of air surrounded Han''s lips as he breathed out, in contrast to the cold weather of the early morning. What a way to start a morning, a new day was what he thought the moment he stepped out of the Roderick household. They never cease to amaze him with the ruckus they caused, though there seemed to be a little problem in Derek''s situation. He wondered what he should do about it. Emotional consolation was never his strong point. He always weighed the pros and cons in any situation, always had his logical reasoning. It was weird how Derek just loved to turn to him for this kind of stuff, but it couldn''t be helped when Derek had fallen in love with the other party. Han kicked the snow to show his little frustration, only to get the karma right away as the cold bit into his skin, making him shiver. "Cold¡­" He clutched the collar of his trench coat, tugging them up, hoping he could hide in it. It wasn''t helping his case as he had drowned himself in cold dirty water before, causing him to tremble from the frostbite. "Gosh, I truly need a shower, a hot, hot one at that, goddammit." Cupping his hands and blowing hot air into his palms, Han hurried home. If there were disgusted gazes being sent by his way, he pretended to never notice and just focused on his destination. Moving lightly on his feet, Han reached home in no time. Shivering hands kept on missing the keyhole of the gate of his own home, curse words flooded out of his mouth like tsunami. The wet clothes that were now dry felt dirty and filthy on his skin. A snowflake landed on his hand and another landed on the tip of his nose. The sudden tiny bits of coldness spreaded from the tip of his nose and melted instantly from the heat of his body. Blinking, Han looked up to the sky. Snow. Snow had never really brought a good impression in his life. Unlike good memories like any other people have, it meant nothing much to him. Until¡­ Until that day. What should he call it? What was the term for it anyway? Serendipity? The faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. Han almost barked out a laugh at that. Indeed. Maybe it was fate. Their first meeting was under a heavy snowy day. Two kids. One unconscious while the other was looking at him with bright emerald eyes that were filled with distrust, wary, and even fear. How many years had that been? What would happen if he wasn''t the one who found them? Would they still be standing here, alive and living? Or trapped in the laboratory of an unknown syndicate as a living experiment instead? Han couldn''t do anything but agree more. Serendipity. How sweet it sounded. <> The first time Han had gotten drunk was the day he finally found himself back at Atlantis. Since he wasn''t going to stay permanently, the Rodericks-- well, more like just Derek and Lynn-- had thrown a small welcome back party for him. They planned to have a heart to heart talk, to catch up with each other''s life, which only ended up with them drinking their ?ss off. The golden-eyed Roderick had offered him to stay the night, more like Lynn did, because Derek couldn''t even form anything coherent after drinking. He needed to grab a few things at home before leaving again since he wasn''t planning on staying here permanently. It was dark by the time Han bid them goodbye. Han swayed his way home, yes swayed, because he was just tipsy, not completely drunk yet. The desolate streets of Zariya rested in silence as the dark sky loomed over, lit up only by the glow of blinking bright and yellow street lamps. Huge giant buildings stood, looming over the streets. Some windows gave out white and yellow gloomy lights, while others were pitch black. The streets were almost empty besides a few cars passing by, causing stray dogs to bark and cats screeching. Once the cars passed and stray animals stopped barking and screeching, the streets of Zariya now rested in lifeless silence again. Holding onto the wall of buildings in the alley for support, he tried to drag his bu?? back home. Walking through the alley, his body naturally led him through the familiar route until his blurry and drunken sight caught the view of his old cottage. But overall, the house looked intacted. His dark brown eyes blinked rapidly when the scene kind of doubled as a wave of headache washed over him, dizziness almost causing him to stumble forward. Burping, the smell of alcohol was unyielding. ''Damn, I must have drunk too much.'' Grumbling, his clumsy fingers fumbled the pockets of his long trench coat, looking for keys to unlock the gates of his cottage. Just as he managed to pull the stubborn key out of its hiding place, a sniffle caught his ears. The brown-eyed Alpha paused all of his movements, listening for more. In this state, he couldn''t really trust any of his senses anymore. ''A cat, perhaps?'' Shrugging his shoulders, Han plunged the key in and unlocked the gate. He was about to push the gate open when a louder sniffle was heard and Han was a hundred percent sure, in this deafening silence, it wasn''t a cat. It sounded¡­ Like¡­ Like a human. Chapter 44 - Serendipity (2) <> It sounded so much like a human. Still holding onto the iron bar of the gate, his eyes darted left and right as he leaned back to check his surroundings. The alcohol in his body seemed to have dispersed completely as seriousness took over him. The soft sniffles had increased in volume and turned into sobs. ''A kid--?'' Han pulled out his pocket watch, squinting his eyes to read the numbers. ''At 3:58 in the morning?! What is a kid doing in the streets at this hour?!'' The sound indicated that the source was in close range and it set the alarm off in his mind. He released his tight grip from the bars steadily before moving backwards. Taking a careful step, one after another, he moved slowly towards the source. The sounds had brought him back towards the alley way he had crossed before. Han had always prided himself for possessing the innate ability to always pay attention to his surroundings-- something he had had since he started thinking about becoming a detective, even when he was drunk. Not noticing this for the first time he went through the alley way was a huge blow to his pride. He stepped closer, slowly, gulping down his saliva as he went on. Part of his consciousness hoped he had heard wrong, maybe it was just a stray animal. But the other part of his consciousness couldn''t deny it because of the scent that lingered in the air. Sure, the alley way was full of trash, rotting odor, animals and homeless humans'' waste, puke and all, but this. Above all of those, there was another lingering smell that was heavy and thick and¡­ Wrong. There was definitely something wrong with it, yet he couldn''t exactly place it. Since the dimly lit yellow glow from the streetlamps couldn''t light the whole area, the passage was gradually getting darker and darker, making Alpha Inspector reach out for the wall. The bricks were rough underneath his palms as he used them for support as he could only see silhouettes of what was in the alley. Cursing his bad luck that followed him like a parasite, his foot managed to kick over an empty bottle of liquor and it didn''t stop there. Bad luck just never spared him as his other foot came in contact with the cold metal of the garbage bin. A loud thud echoed and a stray cat hissed at him for disturbing it''s precious bedtime. The stray cat skittered around him, probably to find a better place to sleep. Feeling at fault, he muttered a soft ''sorry'' at it before turning back to the alley. And there. He saw it. A hand so skinny and pale reached out towards the empty bottle he had kicked before. Slowly, it wrapped it''s fingers around the bottle and smashed it on the brick walls before pointing it towards him. Han''s dark brown eyes trailed the pointy end that was aimed in his direction, towards the malnourished hands and finally the person --kid-- that was holding it. The boy had slowly stepped out of the shadow, narrow and bony shoulders tight and high with tension. ''10, maybe less, judging by how skinny he is,'' Han''s detective mind immediately supplied him. ''Young.'' A boy. Short dirty brown hair, probably lighter brown underneath all that dirt. A pair of round emerald eyes on a face too pale and cracked lips, probably due to the cold winter. Only wearing a piece of clothing that looked so much like a hospital gown, torn in a few places. The boy was so thin that Han was sure he didn''t just imagine it when he saw bones jutting out of his skin. The boy was also supporting burned skin. They were red and bumpy in some parts, and Han was sure if they were in daylight, he would see more blisters across those skin. He must have some wounds judging by the dried blood matted on his clothes and skin. Even if all of these signs set alarm off in Han''s mind, the smell-- the scent, the boy was emitting was certainly disturbing. The first sniff would determine the boy was an Omega, yet the second, he wasn''t at all. It was as if the pheromones the boy gave out were standing on a thin line between Beta and Omega. He was carrying a mixture of both. The brown-haired little boy swung the cracked bottle around when Han took a step forward. Han wanted to call him, to try and tell him that he didn''t mean any harm, that he wasn''t going to hurt him. But the aggressive swinging intensified every careful step Han took that Han was scared the boy might hurt himself instead. Based on Han''s instinct and his observation of the boy''s defensive stance, the boy was trying to block his way. No. Maybe someone. Another sniff had told him that the boy wasn''t alone. "Don''t--" Han gasped out when the sharp point almost graced his fingers. "Please, I''m not trying to hurt you." The boy finally looked at him and the eyes that locked with his own made Han feel as though he was being doused in cold water. His bright, brilliant emerald eyes that glistened with unshed tears glowed in the dimly lit alley, they were full of fear and despair, like he had no hope for himself. He looked at Han as if he was a predator, ready to attack him, ready to tear him apart, ready to hurt him. He looked as if he had already resigned himself to his fate. However, his eyes suddenly changed. Instead of hopelessness, they began to turn defiant, eyebrows creasing and lips turning down into a frown. His grasp on the neck of the bottle tightened and he pulled his lips back, baring his teeth and snarl. And he attacked. <> Chapter 45 - Serendipity (3) <> The boy struck, yet with his clumsy movements and lack of strength, the 10-year-old''s attack was nothing at all towards Han. The Inspector could easily dismantle the weapon from the little boy''s gawky hands if he wanted to. But he let it happen. He allowed the boy to stab the sharp points of the bottle into his arm. And true to his deduction, the young Omega (Han had decided to label him Omega since his scent leaned more towards that side) didn''t seem to be the type to hurt someone intently. When the sharp glass pierced his arm, the boy had flinched so bad at the sight of blood --though Han wondered if it was due to blood or him being an Alpha-- and almost jumped away. Han had bit his lips to stop the hiss of pain from coming out-- ''Cause yea! It friggin'' hurts!'' Han wanted to shout it out to the world as his hands immediately latched onto his wounds. The brown-haired boy let go of his grip on the neck of the bottle, letting it fall from his hands and dropping onto the snowy ground. The blanket of snow had softened the fall into a dull thud instead of crashing directly on the hard pavement and shattered. Since the boy had finally stepped out of the shadow and was in a closer range, Han could definitely see more than just the outlines of the other. While he had deducted the clothes and wounds of the boy correctly, he could finally put a face to those gleaming emerald eyes. The young one looked¡­ Frightened. His breathing was also getting faster and he was shaking so bad. If Han had doubts whether he was an Omega or not, this moment could determine it for Han. The boy was reeking the smell of an Omega in distress. It was flowing out of him in waves and overlapping each other. The boy had also frozen in place, freezing out of fear at the blood trickling out of his fingers that dropped onto the white ground. Han was sure this time as he saw how those orbs were locked on the red and coppery substance. "Hey." Han started, slowly making his way closer to the young Omega, kneeling down as he did so, so he could meet the eyes of the boy. "Hey, you." The boy flinched and closed his eyes, staying rooted to his spot. He squinted his eyes closed like he had expected a beating from Han. "What''s your name?" Han didn''t expect any response and true, he only received silence. The Alpha wanted to scratch his head. God, he was never good with kids, much less the one that seemed to have problems already. But he needed to get the boy out of here. Night wasn''t exactly a safe place for an Omega, a kid at that. Unfortunate events were bound to happen. Breathing out heavily through his nose, Han tried again. "Boy, it is not safe for an Omega--" As if he had directly hit the jackpot with his words, the boy''s eyes snapped open, glaring at him with even more defiance than the previous one, fear all forgotten. The young Omega leveled his stare with Han''s, and if looks could kill, Han was sure he would be buried six feet under by now. "Don''t!" The boy snapped. "Don''t call me that." He spat, effectively cutting Han out. His glare had hardened once again, jaw clenched and his small body was tense. Lynn was the one usually good at handling kids, not him, and he would normally just let Lynn take over in this part. But right now, he was alone and Han could only feel himself slip into helplessness. Biting his lips, an idea suddenly popped into his mind and he wondered why he didn''t take it out in the first place. Of course, an abused Omega wouldn''t randomly trust an Alpha unless they had that kind of job desk. Han hastily slipped his bloodied hand, the one that wasn''t injured, into his trench coat. His eyes never left the boy and his heart squeezed tightly when he noticed those bright green eyes began to fill with tears, threatening to pool over any minute. "Look, I''m an officer," Han said calmly as he pulled the badge out of his inner pocket and flipped it open for the boy to see. "I won''t hurt you. In fact, can you tell me your name?" The brown-haired Omega hesitated, clearly at war with himself. He sniffled slightly, still shaking with cold and adrenaline and whatever else was coursing through his veins at that exact moment. Han moved cautiously, while waiting for the boy to respond, began to inch closer to him, one small step at a time, since he was on his knees, he dragged them slowly and carefully towards the young Omega, hoping the boy wouldn''t notice. And of course, he did. Having realized the Alpha officer had moved a bit too close for his liking, the boy began to inch back and snarled. "Stand back!" His voice was filled with nothing, but fear. "Hey, hey, it''s okay, it''s fine," Han tried to reassure him. Man, he was so bad at this. He had toned his voice down, hoping to make it sound soft and gentle, making sure it was dripped with kindness and harmless as humanly possible. He had also sent out calming pheromones, trying to comfort the Omega in distress, but it didn''t seem to work effectively. ''He didn''t even trust an officer? What had he gone through to think that way?'' Tears that were welled up in the Omega''s eyes now began to spill over but he never moved from his spot. The boy would occasionally flick his eyes towards the dark shadow in the alley behind him and Han understood. He was not alone. A friend, probably another Omega. "Is that your friend?" That question snapped the boy''s attention back to Han. Those puffy eyes stared at Han, frightened, scared and full of fear, distrust and¡­ Anger. <> Chapter 46 - Serendipity (4) <> Han held his breath. Fuck. He messed up big time. Even a mouse would fight back when cornered. The boy leapt at him, claws ready. Moving on reflexes, Han caught the boy''s small wrist before he could make contact with his face. The boy was nothing but bones as Han took hold of his small wrist. The brown-haired Omega screamed and squirmed with all his might to get away, now in complete hysteria. He began to shout at Han, seemingly putting all his remaining fight into getting away and when he realized he couldn''t, at that exact moment, Han saw the Omega break down. He suddenly stopped moving and began to heave heavy sobs. His angry curses had turned into broken pleas, and he was starting to beg for help, begging for mercy from the man-- the Alpha before him. He slumped forward, hanging from his wrist that was being held by Han, sobbing. And the Alpha holding him felt his heart break at the sight of the boy. "Please! Please don''t take me back¡­!" He choked out through heavy sobs. "Please, I beg you¡­! They will kill me, they are going to kill him if they find out we escaped. They will hurt him again! Please, please, please! Please don''t take us back!" Seeing as the boy was completely limp, Han removed his grip on the boy''s wrist and gently lowered the boy to the ground. He shrugged off the trench coat he wore and covered the Omega with it. He cradled the broken boy in his arms, wrapped tightly in his trench coat as the boy continued to sob. "Shh¡­ Sh¡­ You are fine, no one is going to hurt you," Han comforted the boy. "You are safe, you are fine." Han repeated the words softly like a lullaby, hoping it would get through the boy and gained his trust. "Please," The child''s voice was muffled by the coat, which he had taken the liberty of pressing his face into. "Please, please don''t let them hurt him. I''ll do anything you want, I swear! I-I will be a good O- Omega, so please!" "Him? Who? Is it your friend over there?" Han asked, toning his voice down even more like he was talking to a baby. "B-brother, my brother Yu." In sync with his response, the boy pointed at the spot he had been looking earlier. Cradling a body too small for a 10-year-old, Han slowly inched towards the spot they boy pointed. Finally being freed from the tension, Han patted the back of his jeans to whip out a flashlight. Red. Red was the first thing he saw. Underneath the huge garbage bags, red blood seeped through the gap and onto the white snow, tainting it dark red. Pushing the garbage bags-- Han ?ssumed it was the boy''s doing to hide his brother from being found-- there laid the remains of what looked like another young boy with silverish hair, probably the same age or a year older than the Omega. He was laying on his sides, curled up as his body was growing colder and colder. He was wearing the same hospital gown like the other kid, only the back side had been burned off, exposing a burnt back. This one reeked of Beta. So this was why he smelt the scent of a Beta before. Blood had dried and caked everywhere, cuts and slashes were all over his body, his back had the worst. As much as Han wanted to back away, he moved closer to inspect the other. Looking at the huge wound on his back, Han wasn''t sure if this would heal completely without leaving any scars. Unlike the one in his arm that only had blisters and swollen skin, The skin on this boy had blackened and was bloody and flakey, it was as if the entire skin on his back would fall off any moment. Han shuddered at the thought of the wounds, the treatment would be harsh and painful and it would definitely take a while to heal. He was about to check, to make sure if he was dead or still breathing, by placing his hand below the silver head''s nose, and the boy suddenly moved, shifted, not a lot, but enough for Han to breathe out in relief. Alive. That''s good. That''s good. A hand grabbed onto Han''s wrist that was hovering over the young Beta''s face. "R- Rei?" ''Rei?'' The name was slurred horribly but Han was fast to put the two and two together. Rei must be the one in his arms, probably too tired and fell asleep from all the trashing before. Han brought his other hand to enclose the one on his wrist. "Safe, he''s safe and so are you." Han promised. The last thing he saw on the silver-haired Beta before he closed his eyes was the soft smile on his lips and trust in those obsidian ones. Trust that his little brother had brought them towards safety. <> Han''s heart twisted at the memory of his first meeting with them. Jian Yu had undergone surgery as the burn on his body was classified as the third-degree burn. It took over a year for the wound to completely heal, however, it was still impossible to avoid the permanent scar from forming, the ugly fishnet pattern that marred his back. Han thought that Jian Yu was quite lucky, if he was a bit late and didn''t receive medical treatment in time, the injury could become deadly and the death door would be much closer. Besides, burns were incredibly traumatic injuries. It wasn''t much of a surprise when Jian Yu woke up with amnesia and PTSD served on the side as if getting food served with a drink like a thrifty discount package. But Jian Yu didn''t seem to be aware of any of it. Han didn''t entirely know if he should be glad or not. At some point he was glad, but on the other side, he hoped Jian Yu could recall everything, so they could hurry and plan the fall out of that huge syndicate that had illegally been running for years. They had only gotten a bit further thanks to Rei, yet from what Rei informed them, Jian Yu knew a lot more than him. Everything was locked up in the back of Jian Yu''s mind, except, forcing him to recall would only trigger more traumatic and painful memories. And they wouldn''t want that to happen. They had been trying for years, waiting a few more wouldn''t make any difference. So, yeah. Han nodded to himself. Yep. No need to rush at all. Chapter 47 - Hook "If possible, may I ask whose was this?" The question was asked in a drawled voice that was effectively tuned out as both of the middle-aged men inside discussed the investigation in a hushed but urgent way. Zeke shrugged his shoulders. ''Fine, I will just have to find it out myself.'' Straightening himself up from the couch he was currently slouching on, the young Roderick took hold of the stinky black plastic bag with his b?r? hands. Curiosity had won whatever hygiene idealism he believed in. ''Curiosity killed the cat.'' His inner voice chided at him. ''Too bad I am not a cat.'' Zeke sing-songed, wasting no time in ripping the dark plastic bag that might hold an important piece of evidence. This time, he was the one tuning the conversation beside him. "--What time is it?" Derek asked, his fingers rapped impatiently on his desk. However, the whole rapping didn''t do any justice on his lazy form. He was currently draping himself all over the chair he was on, one leg slung carelessly over the armrest. The other armrest dug painfully into his back, which he paid zero mind to. He had changed into another set of clean clothes, mind you. It wasn''t exactly pleasant sitting around with a patch of warm tea, despite having dried up, sticking to your skin, especially when said patch was just right on top of his junior. "A quarter to eleven. We still have time to head to the station and see how things are progressing before meeting the Lord of Zero in the evening," Lynn answered, clicking his pocket watch open to check the time. Derek nodded his head, agreeing. So many things to do, so little time. It made the Head of Roderick feel stretched thin and exhausted. He pinched the bridge of his nose and glared at the other, besides Lynn, occupant in the room and decided to stamp the "black sheep" mark on his forehead. That was the source of his headache, he was sure of it. "We also needed to hand in the newest evidence. The earlier the better, we can have the fingerprints-- WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING, YOUNG MAN!" Said young man jumped at the loud booming voice coming from his left, dropping the crucial piece of evidence in process, not before nicking himself, of course and hissed in response. The mother hen of the three who seemed unfazed at the older Roderick''s exclamation hurriedly took large steps and snatched the youngest Alpha''s wrist before he could put the bleeding digit into his mouth. "Careful--" Lynn cried out. "Are you dumb?!" Derek hissed. "That''s evidence you are holding onto! Not some toy for you to roll around and play with!" The tone cut through Zeke like steel that automatically made him ducked in shame, at least he still had the audacity to look like it. "My Lord--" "Don''t you try to take his side, Lynn! He needed to grow up and it wasn''t helping at all if you kept baby him like that." His ?h?st rumbled as he growled out each word. The room was suddenly filled with tension, mostly coming from Derek. The Alpha in him was flaring and rolling dangerously, emitting dominance and commanding submission from the other younger Alphas. Lynn, to be honest, had no problem submitting to the Head Alpha, on the other hand, was quite surprised at the sudden outburst coming from Derek. It wasn''t a common occurrence but yes, it did happen once in a while, mostly from stress overload and stuff. However, Lynn didn''t smell anything like stress from Derek. He gave off the scent of impatience, anger, sadness, guilt, and something the gray-haired Alpha didn''t want to dwell about. Derek had always conferred with him when it was work-related but not the other-- His train of thoughts were cut off by Derek''s long sigh, as if he was tired of all the situation that happened when it was still quite early in the morning. Derek took a brief moment to reflect on the fact that he started to sound like a grumpy old man similar to a certain Zero at the other side of the town and decided he hated it. "I--" "I apologize," Zeke said before Derek could start. "My mistake for doing something that might tampered the evidence, it was stupid. I should have known." This felt really bad. Zeke had never seen his father this angry at him before. He could jump around and hit any bu??ons on his father and always get away with it. He realized his mistake the moment he ripped open the plastic. It was no wonder his dad was mad. Heck, he looked furious. Disapproval danced in his golden irises. Finally a lead, and some annoying kid decided to tamper with it. Even the cut on his index finger was nothing compared to the cold look his father gave him. It hit Zeke like a punch in the face. It felt even worse when the kind Lynn was being snapped at because of him. He had wanted to rise and defend Lynn, only to be stopped by a hand landing heavily on his shoulder. It gripped and squeezed tightly as if giving reassurance. He remained quiet until the thick and angry Alpha pheromones subdued. And when it did, a number of apologies were already hanging on the tip of his tongue. Derek nodded slowly, not giving anymore reaction as he turned to Lynn. "Help him, make sure he isn''t infected. We don''t know what the dagger had touched before." The oldest Alpha stood from his chair and walked over the couch, rubbing his temples tiredly. He must have scared his boy shitless just now as he saw Zeke hunched up his shoulders and shuffled his feet. Derek pulled out a pair of rubber gloves he kept in one of the drawers and snapped them on before taking hold of the fallen dagger. There was also a unique design on the handle of the dagger. Just looking at it had already sent thousands of alarms off inside his head. He had seen these symbols hundreds, thousands, even millions of times, it wasn''t impossible for him to recognize them immediately. "There you go, lucky for you, we always keep the first aid kit around here since your dad is a trouble magnet--" Lynn stopped himself when he saw Derek''s sullen expression. He had wrapped the bandage neatly and patted the wound gently before giving Derek his full attention. "What''s wrong?" The other Alpha in question raised the dagger higher to show Lynn the cause of his sullen expression. Derek asked, slowly. "Tell me, are you seeing what I am seeing?" Chapter 48 - Impromptu Pep Talk The strokes. Lacing and overlapping each other. Two symbols that were used for the design. Alpha and Omega. Resembling an ancient symbol. The Triquetra. While other people might not recognize it instantly, it was impossible not to be noticed by someone who had drowned himself deep enough in this old unsolvable case. ''Smart.'' Derek thought sullenly. The strokes were similar in color as the dark handle of the dagger. They simply acted as decorations to those who didn''t know, but Derek knew it was more than that. Instead of yelling out loud like ''Hey! Looks like we are on the same side!'', they could merely flash their signature dagger and the other would get the hint. The golden-eyed Alpha was still holding the dagger by it''s blade, letting his sweethea-- cough!-- Lynn take a look at it closely. He was watching the variety of expressions on the younger Alpha''s face. When he frowned and finally contorted, Derek knew it right away. Of course, Lynn would recognize it right away. This investigation had caused him to lose his beloved little brother. Blasted in an explosion until there was nothing left to collect but dust. Derek could sense the pheromones rolling out from Lynn, tight and angry below the surface of his skin, somehow sending chills down Derek''s back. "Casp--" "Wait! I saw that before!" Zeke suddenly jumped right in, looking from his dad to uncle, causing Lynn to wince back and pull his pheromones back in control before whirling around to face Zeke. "What?" Lynn growled. "Where had you seen it?" Zeke scratched the back of his head with his uninjured hand, the other one had been wrapped like a bundle by Lynn. The sudden attention he was receiving made him try to cower. "Remember that day? At the bar? uhhh¡­ I was stabbed?" He gulped when no response was given. Zeke sighed, closing his eyes and crossed his arms over his ?h?st, trying to gain some confidence. "The dagger. Bar owner attacked me with that. It was embedded in me. Since i''m trying not to ruin the situation and get my handsome face smacked for flirting too much at the beauty in front of me--" "Ahem." "All right, all right, so I spent the last minute tracing and studying the lines on the handle?" "From the bar owner?" Lynn was still frowning. Zeke nodded slowly, looking from Lynn to Derek. "Didn''t he disappear right after that incident?" The oldest Alpha asked quietly. "More or less." Lynn said bitterly. "W-- Wait, wait!" Zeke cutted in. "Are you saying he had been running around killing innocent people?" Derek sighed. "We wouldn''t know for sure. There might be a lot of rats running around with the same dagger. Lynn, let''s head over the station right away, maybe we could badger them enough to speed up the fingerprint identification. This is not a lot to go on, but it''s better than nothing." "What about me?" "Huh?" Zeke pointed at himself. "What can I do to help? I want to do something, anything-- you can''t just leave me hanging like this--" Zeke frowned deeply and thought for a moment. "There''s not much room in your plan for me, isn''t there?" Derek gave him a weary look. "Son¡­" The Head of Roderick felt the old age weighing on him. He rubbed his temples tiredly. Zeke blinked at him. "I know how much you want to help. But don''t try to fool me with that facade. You are trying to unreveal the cause of your mother''s death and I can sense that tiny bits of revenge lingering in your eyes." From the corner of his eyes, Derek could see a bitter smile on Lynn''s face. "I know you are smart, intelligent even, I never doubt that. But right now, I want you to hang back. The game has yet to start, but when it does, I might need you by my side. They know you are my son, my successor. I can''t have you injured again. Getting stabbed isn''t something you should be proud of." Derek continued. "Opening all your cards and flashing them towards your enemy in the early game will only lead us to our downfall. I do have plans for you later but not right now. No one is going to play fair and I can''t have you dead before the game even starts. So I want you to take it easy. When I need you, I will let you know. Do you understand me?" Zeke''s response was amazing and Derek let himself get immersed in it. There was pride in his eyes and also happiness. "Wow¡­" Was the only word that came out from Zeke''s mouth after Derek''s long hearted speech. A pause before he continued. "I never knew you had it in you, old man. Do you have the whole speech prepared and written?" The old man in the room felt a tick in his head. Damned brat. He almost sounded proud of himself for giving such an impromptu pep talk. "Anyway, Lynn," Derek started. "Can you move the appointment with the ''self-pretentious prick'' much earlier? The faster the better." He shivered in disgust. Lynn snorted, but nodded determinedly. "Of course, My Lord. Leave it to me." "Good. And now you, why are you still here? Why are you not training? Hold a sec-- Aren''t you supposed to be in class?!" "Me? I''m injured." Zeke said innocently. The older Roderick spluttered. "Where-- where in the hell are the injuries, besides the one in your head?" He gestured wildly with his arms all over the younger man. Zeke raised his injured hand. Indeed it was just a small nick, but Lynn had wrapped the bandage all over his injured digit down to his wrist and repeated the action, creating a stump. Zeke couldn''t even wiggle his fingers freely inside the bundle. "Ah, my bad. I am terrified he might have caused more damage to it," Lynn said sheepishly, blushing as he scratched his cheek with his finger. Zeke was like a son to him and he couldn''t really resist himself from babying him even though he was a grown man. In his eyes, Zeke was still a baby no matter what. "See? This is a battle wound," Zeke concluded proudly. "And the damage in my head, probably genes." "You punk--" "Actually," Lynn interrupted suddenly, cutting off their glaring contest. "Young master, I could use your help." Lynn knew he was going to feel guilty for playing Zeke like this, especially when he was suddenly bombarded with such happiness and giddiness from the younger Roderick. Whether he regretted it or not, the outcome would determine it for him.. So now, he would just settle with ruffling his baby''s hair and smile along. Chapter 49 - Bumpy Carriage Ride The son, the Heir, the youngest of Roderick, the most handsome and astounding young man of Zariya, for once, wanted to do something as childish as throwing rocks at his favorite uncle. No. Throwing a boulder sounded much better. But he would surely just resort to pebbles in the end since he didn''t want to hurt his lovely guardian. The one that had changed his diapers and patted his bu?? when his dad was being useless right after his mother''s passing-- "..." Wait. Hold the fu?k up. He shouldn''t be wearing diapers at the age of 5¡­ Right? Dignity. What was that? He had none left. If only the earth would open up and swallow and accept him as one of her kin¡­ What had happened throughout his childhood?! Was this what happened when being raised by Alphas who knew nothing about raising a kid at all?! Those who had zero understanding on how to care for children?! Fuuuu-- ''Calm down, calm down, now''s not the time to think about that,'' Zeke''s shoulder dropped. Here he was, being manipulated by the one he least expected. Lynn giggled, ''yes, he giggled, this overly benevolent and sweet and benign and thoughtful pretentious hypocritical angel-- Don''t be fooled by that appearance, Zeke!'' at the younger Alpha''s expression. "Don''t look so glum, Young Master. You may not notice it yourself but you look absolutely stunning right now." Derek snickered from his seat across from his son before turning away to look at the scenery outside, ignoring the deathly glare sent by Zeke. Feeling like his deathly glare wasn''t quite lethal enough to pierce his dad, Zeke rolled his eyes and gave Lynn a disgruntled look. Bump. Bump. Zeke almost lurched forward from his seat, if not for Lynn''s arm that shot across his ?h?st to prevent any accident. It couldn''t be said the same for the oldest Alpha. The bump had caused him to hit his head on the ceiling of the ride, making him clutch his head in pain. The insubordinate son was on verge of mocking his pitiful dad before another bump occurred and made him experience what his father had just gone through before. Now, the both of them ?r??n?d in pain. The gray-haired Alpha could only shake his head at their ridiculousness. Zeke huffed and leaned back on his seat, crossing his arms across his ?h?st after nursing his throbbing head. He was dressed in expensive sophisticated suits. Lynn had decided to doll him up extra for the ''important event''. The ruffles and laces were itchy against his skin, the suit was tightly hugging his figure that he had a hard time breathing no matter how often he wore suits like this. And the worst of all was¡­ The pants. In conclusion, he was uncomfortable. God, he would rather wear his training suit instead of these. At least his training suits were all really comfortable where he didn''t need to calculate and restrict his movements in order to prevent unexpected stripping show from happening. Bump, bump. Thankfully, they were small bumps, only enough to make him bounce on his seat but his tailbone was in need of rescue. Those violent movements were going to break his spine sooner or later! Another fact to make, the trip was rather uneventful. Not just due to his wardrobe issue, but also the ride. Why? Why in the world did they let his father talk through them and insist on a carriage ride? They had cars, for goodness sake! ''Some aristocats just love the traditional way~'' Zeke could hear the teasing tone lacing the well-constructed serious tone his dad tried to maintain. ''Scratched that,'' Zeke sneered. ''His dad actually cackled like a madman.'' This time, nothing was spared. His head and tailbone knocked against every hard surface of the carriage and he hissed in pain. The rest of the trip was gonna suck even more. XXX The Zero estate appeared at the horizon quickly enough that Zeke was finally able to breathe out a sigh of relief. There was too much swaying and exhaustion was creeping on him, and he had yet to meet with the Zeros! His dad looked like he was ready to puke from all the motion sickness based on his pale-looking lips. Though, he gotta hand it to Lynn. Man looked unfazed at all as he clambered out of the carriage to thank the coachman and pulled the door of the carriage open wider for them. Stepping down, Zeke took in the place. Huge, it was enormous, yet incomparable to their estate, of course. Unlike Roderick''s, The Zero Estate was built more to intimidate than inspire awe. It was blocky and square and that includes the structure of the garden. Pretty flowers were a plus point, Zeke decided. Another thing that the young Alpha noticed since passing through the gate was how heavily guarded the place was. There were guards everywhere, standing by the gates and every corner of this place. ''Are the ?ssassinations still around?'' Zeke wondered. He hadn''t heard any gossip about it though. He scratched his neatly brushed head carelessly, only to have his hand swatted away by a certain mother hen Alpha and a reprimanded look was sent his way. They were greeted by Lord Zero''s personal butler. A tall Alpha with thick brown locks that were brushed neatly. Zeke studied the man as he bowed politely at them. It was such a pity that Zeke had pulled his gaze away too fast to miss the subtle action, a eye contact that was held a little bit too long, by Lord Zero''s personal butler and his dad''s. Where the estate''s outside had resembled a blockhouse, he knew he was being mean for criticizing some Lord''s taste, the inside actually surprised Zeke. It was¡­ Quite elegant. Tall windows and red curtains. It made him feel like he was walking down a wedding aisle. The brown-haired Alpha led them through hallways, a few servants stopping here and there to give them deep bows. The group finally stopped in front of a set of large doors. "Lord Zero is already waiting for your arrival on the other side. There will be me and other servants to aid you in any way you wish. If you require my services, just say the word.." Zion said with a half-bow before pushing the doors open. Chapter 50 - Pretentious Old Fart The young Roderick was slouching as he stepped into the room, while his dad had strolled in the Zero''s door with confident strides, walking in grandly like he knew who was more superior, who held the power in this room. Lord Zero was already waiting inside. Besides being consumed by old age, this man had not changed much over the years. He still bore the same weak chin and the same old hairstyle, though one could see how the gray color had overcome the once black hair. The beady sapphire eyes had sparkled when they landed on them and a smile stretched too wide was starting to cause Zeke to shift uncomfortably. All in all, this old man was not a pretty sight to see, even in sophisticated regalia. A young woman was seated beside him. Clement. The younger woman with shining black hair that fell over her shoulder and tumbled down her waist with the same shade of sapphire that shone with intelligence if he ignored the tint of disdain that danced within. Her lips were painted red and the dress she wore only emphasized the color ever more. She looked much more like a regal compared to her father. However, Zeke couldn''t care less about the two look-alike Alpha sitting in the large ?h?sterfield sofa in the middle of the room. His jade eyes had zoomed into the figure standing straight at the back of the sofa, just right behind where Clement was sitting. Zeke sighed as he looked at Jian Yu. The sight was just so breath-taking. Soft white hair that was brushed back carelessly, leaving the bangs falling over his forehead down to his left cheek. ''Oh, his hair has grown,'' Zeke noticed how the white hair had grown past the beta''s pretty nape. Would he tie his hair if it grew longer? Zeke could definitely do it for him. He could help him dry his hair too, slip his fingers and massage his scalp for him-- Zeke was snapped out of his inner future domestic life plan when his dad suddenly strode over in front of him towards the opposite sofa but not before pinching his side where the older Roderick knew will hurt the most, making the youngster hissed in pain. "It is an honour to be here, Lord Zero." The Lord of Roderick greeted with as much elegance as he could muster. "Your taste is as splendid as ever." He kept his shoulders tight, trying to give an impression. If he heard an audible snort, he ignored it completely. Malakhi Zero''s smile widened even more at the praise. "Welcome, welcome! I learn from the best, Lord Roderick." He raised from his sitting position and reached out for Derek''s hand. Once he grabbed hold of them, he shook those hands vigorously. "I would like to introduce you to my beautiful daughter, Clementine," The older Zero gestured towards his daughter who was sipping the tea silently that was served on the small table. She had not moved at all, but at least now, she finally raised her eyes and offered them a small nod. Derek stepped to the side to reveal his son. "And this is--" "You must be Zeke!" Malakhi Zero exclaimed, eagerly taking one of the dumbfounded young Alpha''s hands into his own and shook. "Son! I have heard a lot about you, all good stuff, of course!" Derek felt a vein pop somewhere and twitched. ''Who are you calling son, huh? That is my SON!'' "You win the tournament almost every year! How many times had it been? Four? Five times in a row? I''m sure this time you will rightfully claim it again!" The Lord of Zero laughed and clapped his hands together. A faint blush appeared on Zeke''s cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. ''Ah, there goes my secret.'' He pouted inwardly. He had planned on faking his skills if he and the Beta over there ever faced each other. He glanced slightly to the side, using his peripheral vision and his heart almost warmed at the sight. The silver-haired Beta was looking at him with eyes that were filled with awe. Jian Yu didn''t even look at him that way when he was stabbed! Zeke curled his eyes upwards, crinkling them on the sides as he thanked Lord Zero. "Ah, thank you, Lord Zero. but you must be exaggerating, it really wasn''t anything like that--" "Nonsense!" Lord Zero exclaimed again. "That''s what I expected from my future son-in-law! Then I shall worry no more about ?ssassinations in the future with you by my daughter''s side!" As if a bomb was dropped, the whole place became silent. Zeke carefully slipped his hand out of Lord Zero''s grasp. "Uhh¡­" "That," Derek suddenly started. "That is something we should discuss. That is why we are here, after all." Drawling, he glanced towards Lynn. "However, I am sure we are able to conduct this with just the two of us." Lynn immediately raised his eyebrow in return, indicating ''what the hell are you doing?'' before shaking his head. Derek merely winked at him. "Oh, oh, certainly," Lord Zero clapped his hands and Zion appeared in an instant. "Please give our guest a tour, while I and Lord Roderick discuss our business." The older Zero turned to his daughter, but before he could utter a single word out, Clement waved her father off and stood up, patting and straightening her dress, she walked out of the door without even glancing back, her beta butler in her toes. Zion ushered Zeke and Lynn out, who exchanged uneasy and worried glances, mostly Lynn, but they followed Zion nevertheless. Derek smiled cheerfully and waved them off. His precious butler gave him one worried look before leaving. Zeke actually looked confused. He thought he was supposed to be included in the discussion as he was one of the objects inside, he wanted to have a say in it; however he just shrugged, stuff hands in pocket, and strolled after Zion. Derek smiled at Malakhi once everyone was gone. Lord Zero gestured to the seat opposite him and Derek complied, sitting leisurelessly on the comfortable sofa. For once, Derek had taken his idiotic son''s suggestion and prepared his speech and spell he was going to cast on Zero on his palm. He felt like rubbing his palms together and grin maniacally and wickedly-- After an hour. --He gave up. This guy was nuts. Everytime he tried to steer the topic back to the marriage contract, this bastard skillfully avoid the topic as if he knew whatever Derek was planning if they continued down the road. But Derek knew he had to get it done today, for his son''s sake. That brat better be grateful for what he had gone through today, dealing with a god-tier pretentious old fart was totally not in his agenda. Chapter 51 - A New Discovery The Female Alpha of Zero went straight to her room for a change of more comfortable set of clothes after being ''kicked'' out of the meeting. Not that she cared, her old man just wanted to be a huge parasite and leech off the Rodericks. It was so much better if she wasn''t there to witness him running his mouth trying to please Roderick. It seemed Malakhi Zero had already forgotten their rivalry that had run in their blood for centuries. ''Wealth,'' Clement clenched her jaws. ''Wealth, indeed, can change a man.'' For her father, money was everything. Money was the top priority. Money was power. With money, everything could be handled, settled and done easily, from good deeds to the worst. ''Flash your wealth and see who will gather like ants towards sweets.'' Shrugging on her training clothes, she thought of going for a run. One of the most effective training to do when there was a lot of stuff bottled up inside. She sighed as she stepped outside towards the training ground. The Zero''s family ground had a lot of space for physical training. But-- She paused her steps once she reached the training ground. Snow. How could she forget that? Thick layer of snow covered the ground, creating its own makeshift blanket. How was she supposed to run without worrying about herself breaking bones? The Female Alpha ?r??n?d in frustration. ''Indoor training, then.'' Hearing soft echoes of footsteps that repeated right after hers no longer irritated her. She was pretty much getting used to this. She knew how hard the Beta tried to minimize his presence, hovering over her so silently. Clement appreciated it a lot. His looming figure soon became a comforting presence, a nice company. It helped a lot when he didn''t have any overwhelming pheromones either. They were flowing and rolling in gentle waves, offering calming comfort. They carried the scent of wood and morning dew, fresh and clear. And they were especially thick these few days, not that she minded. She wondered if it was just him or all betas were like that, having their scent flaring up in no specific time. Feeling the corner of her lips unconsciously curved up, she glanced at the Beta behind her and almost rolled her eyes in annoyance, yet with a tint of fondness, as the silver-haired boy almost tripped on his own foot. ''Naive,'' She thought. ''Pure¡­'' She continued describing. ''And dumb.'' She finished lamely. ''He doesn''t know.'' Repeating that like a mantra sure was tiring. But she couldn''t bring herself to tell him. It was much better to keep that innocence, even just a little bit longer. ''Ignorance is positively blissful.'' Clement huffed, now she could feel stress tumbling over the jar where she had it bottled up. She strode across the hall in larger strides to reach the training hall faster. Unfortunately, the stress increased further as she saw a bunch of ''nuisance'' inside. XXX She knew her day was going to suck even more when she made eye contact with the uninvited occupants in the training hall, especially Zion''s, which sparkled so brightly where she could see stars inside. ''Why do you look so excited, you bastard?'' "My Lady!" ''Yep, definitely excited.'' Said Lady was sure she heard her vein pop. "Training as usual, My Lady?" Clement ignored him completely, not without eyeing the others too. The older man with gray hair was looking all too serious with a permanent frown on his face. Clement made a guess that he must be younger than her father or maybe this man was just well-preserved for his age. Zeke, on the other hand, that arrogant Alpha-- the one that always went out of his way trying to pretend to be humble-- supported a bored looking face, hands in pocket and shuffling his foot. Anyone would have missed how those jade eyes kept on wandering to a certain white head in the training hall; yes, it was subtle, but not enough for Clement to miss. ''Oh? It can''t be¡­ right?'' Her eyes almost widened at the new discovery but she quickly concealed her expression before anyone could notice. ''Interesting.'' Biting her lips to stop the emerging smirk, she went straight to where the training equipment was. Heading purposely for the one that had a solid horizontal bar that was connected and supported high up with another two identical ones. Pulling out a ribbon, she threw her head back and gathered her hair, bunching it up high before wounding the ribbon around it, securing her hair from falling all over and interfering with her training session. The only female Alpha promptly tuned out the conversation behind her, raising her hands above her head and stretched. She continued to stretch until her muscle relaxed before starting any workout and also to drag some time, hoping these people would leave soon. Wouldn''t it be uncomfortable doing some exercise with random people watching? Damn it! She should have just gone to her own private training hall, why did she not think of that before? The Female Alpha made sure the others knew of her displeasure by sighing exaggeratingly when the guest finally made a move to leave. "Oi." Clement called out, believing no one else was in there except her and her bodyguard. "Spar with me, beta." "Uhh-- oh! Okay!" Startled at suddenly being called out, Jian Yu blinked and agreed hastily. There were rows of low wooden benches stretched across the changing room which Jian Yu walked past, directly to other rows of training clothes hung from the padded hangers. Slipping off his gloves, the silver-head Beta shrugged off his outer suit and hung them, followed by the dark gray vest he wore. He paused for a second when his fingers reached to unbutton the white shirt beneath. Obsidian eyes rolled towards the entrance of the changing room, making sure no one would be stepping inside the place. He couldn''t make an effort of people barging inside, seeing the enormous and also hideous scar across his back, and started bombarding him with questions when he himself didn''t even know where it came from. Nodding to himself, he proceeded to unbutton his clothes until a low but husky voice penetrated the room. "Hi." Chapter 52 - Confession of an Injured man "Hi." His heart almost jumped out of his ?h?st if it were not for his ribcage keeping it contained. He was only onto the second bu??on of his clothes when that happened. Right now, his heart was beating rapidly, drumming furiously inside his ?h?st as he clenched his hand on the collar of his clothes-- ''It might be wrinkled later on,'' His mind reminded him which he ignored. --And whirled around. A young man supporting slick jet black hair with a heartthrob haircut leaned against the entrance of the changing room. A few stubborn strands of hair fell over his forehead, yet still looked unbelievably handsome. A pair of jade jewels shone especially bright right at this moment. He was dressed in a well-pressed suit that wrapped right in all places and looked like the embodiment of everything Jian Yu had ever found vaguely attractive. "Sir Roderick!" Jian Yu greeted him, he was sweating bullets underneath whether from nervousness or the extreme heat he felt suddenly, he wasn''t sure. "You almost scared me." XXX ''You are already surprised.'' Was what Zeke wanted to say. He almost felt bad at how flustered Jian Yu was which made him frown skeptically. Why was he so surprised, though? What made him so jumpy? "Do I really need a reason to see my favorite person?" Zeke asked instead, tilting his head to the side and a pout in his face, looking like he was offended. The silverette almost flushed instantly, which made the Alpha raise one of his eyebrows in confusion. Sure, the beta never took his flirting too well since the beginning, but it usually took more than this for him to be so flustered. Unbeknown to the confused Alpha, Jian Yu was facing his inner turmoil, having immediately forgotten his current mission of not showing off his scars. ''F--favorite person¡­!'' The silver-head went bright red. His cheeks might have warmed to a certain degree however his ?h?st constricted tightly and his heart felt heavy. Suddenly the air seemed so much harder to breathe in. The incident happened a few months prior, the day he and the Alpha went to a bar, the day that certain Alpha got stabbed instantly came flooding into him. <> The bar owner had remarkably used all of his force when diving the dagger into the Roderick as only the hilt was visible for the eyes white the rest of the dagger was buried deep in the lower stomach. Jian Yu was trying hard not to panic when the ambulance had yet to arrive, applying more pressure to the blood stained cloth he tore from Zeke''s lower shirt. He was just joking when he said he treasure his uniform, he had immediately shrugged off the outer suit jacket and vest to drape them over Zeke to avoid hypothermia. People tended to bleed more when they were stabbed in the stomach than the skin! His bloodied hand reached over to touch the Alpha''s cheek with the back of his hand, feeling the temperature and cursing when he felt the coldness from it. Zeke had also been profusely sweating buckets. His breaths were rapid and swallowed. Jian Yu quickly went for his neck to check his pulse. Weak. Oh dear Lord Atlanta, was it just today or the ambulance was always this slow the whole time?! The next breath he exhaled was shaky yet fully filled with relief when the sound of vehicles reached his ears. "Am¡­ I¡­ in heaven?" A cold and clammy hand hesitantly touched Jian Yu''s, featherly light as if it was afraid that whatever it was touching might disappear if it gripped roughly. "Is that why¡­ I''m seeing an Angel?" Followed by a rough and scratchy voice. The silverette was tempted to scrub his face exasperatedly, he had wanted to. The only thing stopping him from doing so was his blood-stained hand. Wouldn''t want it spread across his face like a jam right? Jian Yu turned with a scowl on his face, ready to reprimand the Roderick, remind him to save his energy and stop talking but his scowl immediately softened when he saw the glazed look on Zeke''s face. "Don''t waste your breath," He whispered. "The ambulance is coming." "Do¡­ Do you know--" Cough, cough. "--you look really nice?" Jian Yu''s eyebrow twitched, face flaming And warmth curling up in the pit of his stomach. What had he just told him? The words probably went inside one ear and out from the other. The black-haired Alpha apparently reserved some energy to compliment him. "Thanks," Jian Yu muttered. "Now shut up." The injured Alpha attempted to chuckle and his wound stopped him from doing so as he hissed in pain. "Darling." Oh good Lord, he was using pet names now. "I''m in a lot of pain¡­" Zeke grunted. "That''s because you''re stabb--" "Because I''ve fallen so hard for you." Jian Yu almost choked on his saliva. The Beta was certain his head was burning right now, with how hot his skin was. "Please stop joking, Sir!" The flustered beta stammered out, he could practically hear the rushing sound of his blood in his ears. He really had to hand it to Zeke for being able to throw a cringy pick-up line even in situations like this. "Sweetheart¡­ Love... Why¡­ Why would I joke about¡­ Something like that?" Zeke managed to pout. "I''m not. And¡­ I would very much like to court you if you permit me." Jian Yu gaped this time, openly. His jaw had dropped onto the floor if that was even possible. Grabbing his dropped jaw and placing it back to its respective place, Jian Yu protested instantly, fearing his head was going to explode with how hot he felt right now. "You don''t even know me!" ''I don''t even know myself!'' Was stuck on the tip of his tongue. "You are kind¡­ You''re honest¡­ Always hard working¡­ You''re clumsy too¡­ Definitely high maintenance, but I will manage somehow¡­" "You can''t like me!" Heart thudding wildly in his ?h?st, Jian Yu exclaimed. Even though he shouldn''t be the one fainting, he really wished he could. The man of everyone''s dream had just asked his permission to court him! Holy gods! What was he supposed to do? Was he even ready to give all of himself to someone when he himself wasn''t complete? He was nothing! A broken thing that was beyond repair! Useless! Just like his dad used to say-- Trash! Scum! A Beta--! ''Reject.'' A voice so cold yet disgustingly similar to his said. Simple as that. Yet he couldn''t say those words, he couldn''t bring himself to. His mind told him to cut it off, but his heart wouldn''t let him do so. "Please¡­ Please just stop talking already¡­" Jian Yu begged. He had wanted to bury his hands in his hair and tugged at his locks in stupid attempt to make sense of all this-- ''Delirious.'' That must be it. Bloodloss could do that to someone¡­ Right? "Why can''t I like you? I won''t stop until I get your permission--" Jian Yu pressed his hand harder against the wound at that moment, thinking it was due to his slacking movement that the blood was flowing out even faster. The delirious Alpha bit his bottom lip, grunting in pain. ''Please just faint already!'' As much as how heartless he sounded for wishing such a thing, it was much better than being flirted shamelessly by a delirious mind. ''It''s not like he will remember any of it!'' God must have heard his prayer when a couple of people from the medical unit finally barged in and carted Zeke away. When he was asked if he was injured just because he looked like he was drenched in blood-- --He wanted to say yes, his heart actually hurt a lot. <> Chapter 53 - Did I smell? No matter how hard he tried to forget that incident, the memories stuck to him like a magnet, a constant reminder of bad omen, he just couldn''t get it out of his mind. Zeke Roderick fu?k?n? wanted to court him! He even went out of his way to ask permission, as if he was asking if Jian Yu consent! The silverette Beta was sure he would have swooned at such a charming confession if not for the blood pooling and creating a large puddle on the ground. Even with the constant side jobs from sapphire-eyed Female Alpha from the Zero house and sudden intensive training session from her, Zeke had taken over the majority of his attention. It was then, he managed to convince himself that it was just a confession of an injured man with a hole in his stomach, a man that was swimming in the pool of his own blood and wasn''t in his right mind when he spouted that nonsense. Thinking like that calmed him down a bit. It wasn''t like Zeke would have any recollections of it once he healed up. But... Did Jian Yu want him to remember? He wasn''t so sure about that. Did he want him to? The silverette was a hundred percent certain the Alpha didn''t recall any of it when they met in school. He flirted as usual, asking about his days and all, not forgetting to throw in one or two bad pick-up lines. It was even easier for Jian Yu to feel more flustered when he knew the man did that for a specific reason, for more than just to rile him up. Yet¡­ Never once had he brought up the courting matter. Was he disappointed? He shouldn''t feel this way but yes, he did feel disappointed, maybe a little upset. So, when Zeke said ''favorite person'', Jian Yu was lost for words entirely; uncertain what to make of the emotions waging war inside of him. "--Yu? Darling?" Jian Yu blinked his eyes and almost backtracked the moment he realized how little the distance between them. "I--" The Alpha had his nose up in the air as. His thick neck was b?r?d for the world to see and the motion made his suit jacket stretch across his shoulders, emphasizing their broadness and the defined lines of his biceps. Jian Yu had to swallow dryly. Zeke was ¨C well, Jian Yu couldn''t think of any adjective other than radiant. Maybe enthralling? Captivating? "Sir?" Wetting his lips, Jian Yu hesitantly called out. "Oh! You weren''t listening to me before. As much as I love calling you ''darling''--" "Please don''t. I''d rather you not." Jian Yu told him, trying not to sound snappy and bitter but failing miserably as he hurriedly ducked and snatched one of the training boots. Clothes be damned, he had more sets of uniform. Jian Yu settled himself on the wooden benches, chugging off his dress shoes, all the while glancing at the other from the corner of his eyes. The man was acting strange. He was sniffing in the air, completely ignoring Jian Yu''s raised eyebrow and befuddled stare. The black-haired man frowned. The scent was rather thick, weaving in the air and¡­ And he actually liked it. Where did it come from? The jade-eyed Alpha continued sniffing shallowly at the air, feeling the back of his mind prickle at him as he inched closer and closer towards the source. Just, where exactly was it coming from? It was only after a few more persistent sniffs and an indignant yelp from Jian Yu that Zeke''s mind finally snapped back to realization. "Sir! Sir Roderick! What are you doing¡­!?" A few seconds were the only thing he had to fully understand the situation and in those few seconds, he needed to draw his conclusions pertaining to his imminent future. What had he done? Sniffing at Jian Yu''s shoulder out of blue? Was he out of his mind? If before he had the chance to win Jian Yu''s heart, now he was sure he would be banned from even coming close! But since Zeke Roderick never made wise decisions, like ever (it couldn''t be help, with the position they were in where he was sitting so close to the Beta that their th??hs were touching each other and his nose was still THERE, might as well just signed a death warrant) he ignored every single protest tumbling out from the lips of a very red beta, and instead, retracted his face from Jian Yu''s shoulder-- --which he''d been subconsciously sniffing for the past minute-- --only to reach a hand out to grip the other''s wrist firmly. Very seriously, he looked the silverette in the eye, his face only inches away from the other. "Did you¡­" He asked with every ounce of seriousness. "Did you put on cologne?" "What?" Jian Yu''s nose scrunched up cutely before shaking his head. "No, I don''t," He confirmed. His eyes darted between his trapped wrist and Zeke''s jade eyes, then to his wrist again. His cheeks were flustered red as he stared at the other wide-eyed that only seemed to widen when he reached a conclusion. "Did I--" Jian Yu gulped. "Did I smell?" He tugged his loosened collar, bringing it up to his nose and took a long sniff. Zeke almost choked. He felt like he was going to pass out. "No! It isn''t like that at all! You actually smell really nice!" He waved dismissively, trying to hide a wince at how stiff he sounded. Zeke felt his cheeks color. Not cologne. It was just Jian Yu''s scent then, yet today it smelt especially strong, overwhelming if he had to say. He had never heard of a Beta experiencing heat or rut, maybe it was Zeke himself? Was his rut close enough to cause his sense of smell to enhance already? He couldn''t possibly say that the delicious smelling Beta that his scent was turning him on, now could he? Chapter 54 - Just a Little More He couldn''t possibly tell the delicious smelling Beta that his scent was turning him on, now could he? ''You totally could,'' His mind supplied traitorously. ''You just need to open your mouth and tell the truth.'' And Zeke almost gave in and succumbed into his utmost ungentlemanly side, but no. ''No can do,'' He reigned over, pushing back his filthy brain away. He stopped himself before he could do it and proceeded on slapping his brain for spouting nonsense because he believed he was a man of honor. A refined and polished man. A man with self-preservation. Unfortunately, Zeke was driven into a moment of mild confusion when he heard the silver-head Beta stammer out an incomprehensible string of words with an even more obvious blush painted across his face and that was the moment where Zeke was drowned in a horrid realization that he-- Jian Yu, on the other hand, felt his brain stopped working. Never once in his lifetime as a Beta did he ever thought his scent would turn anyone on. And it wasn''t just anyone. It was Zeke Roderick. It was already unbelievable to receive a confession from said man, but this? It would never even cross his mind even after his death. This was way out of his league. While dwelling on different matters, the both of them felt as if they were teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown. Zeke held back a sob as he cursed internally at how his brain had malfunctioned for the first time in such an important situation. Instead of working and gearing the tires to ease the moment, his brain decided to add more explicit commentaries. Like¡­ Like Jian Yu''s mesmerising features. Like how the vivid blush on his face acted like a touch up and enhanced his already heavenly looks. His obsidian eyes glowed with a greyish hue that hid underneath long and white fluttering lashes. And his brain also wouldn''t leave out the pleasing scent. Yeah. Those thoughts were distracting enough and not helping at all! Why did his brain have to glitch? The black-haired Alpha sobbed rather comically in the depth of his mind. "Sir? Sir Roderick?" Soft voice, b?r?ly a whisper called out to him sweetly-- Zeke wanted to tear his brain apart for implying it that way-- And pulled him out of his debate with his useless brain. Jian Yu was flushed all the way down to his neck, the tips of his ears burning red, and Zeke almost lost all of his self-control just by looking at the flustered Beta. His obsidian eyes were searching for Zeke''s when the Alpha had zoned out for a few minutes, looking like his soul had left its place. "Are you okay?" He asked with an endearingly cute worried face and the faint trace of red blossoming across his cheeks. Zeke had to gulp down before he actually started to drool when he accidentally took a breath and was ?ssaulted by Jian Yu''s scent. ''He''s really adorable when he''s flustered,'' Zeke couldn''t help but think. His eyes lingered on Jian Yu''s face, the redness on his pale skin, and he tried to burn the image deep into his memory, along with the feel of Jian Yu''s slender wrist that was still-- His wrist! --in his grip, burning with heat. Even after a long time, Jian Yu had yet to make a move to tug his wrist out of Zeke''s grip. The jade-eyed Roderick''s heart thumped in his ?h?st. Once. Twice. ''This is not good.'' He found himself thinking. ''This is so bad for my heart.'' Heat crawled up and burned uncomfortably at the back of Zeke''s neck. ''Oh my god, please bury me.'' His traitorous brain had decided to give it''s opinion. ''He''s not resisting at all. You are holding his hand and he''s not resisting AT ALL! Take a step further? Yes or Yes?'' If Zeke wanted to smack his brain before, right now he really wished he could crack his head open and throw his brain out because it was only making things worse! A light tug snapped Zeke out of his inner thoughts-- only to be met by an adorable concerned face. "Are you really okay? You have been zoning out for a while, Sir." Zeke blinked before humming out, not really registering the words of concern from Jian Yu. He was still distracted by the red flush adoring the silverette Beta''s face and the delicious smell that once in a while flared up unexpectedly. And it made him ponder if he actually tasted the same as he smelt? "Sir? Sir?! Wait-- Sir, what are you doing--!" Zeke could feel the warmth radiating and scent blasting directly under his nose as he nudged his nose up Jian Yu''s exposed collarbone and dived into the crook of his neck, just right at the scent gland below his ear as Jian Yu squeaked out his flustered protests. What was once red now deepened even more like a ripened tomato and Zeke could feel the heat radiating from Jian Yu''s neck. Jian Yu''s breath hitched as he exhaled and his heartbeat drummed furiously that he felt like he almost passed out from burning. At this proximity, Zeke was drowned in Jian Yu''s scent. The scent of fresh woods with the lingering smell of morning dew. It wrapped around Zeke, enveloping him in its gentle embrace. It also smelt so good that it was so addicting and intoxicating that Zeke found himself unable to stop. Instead, he wanted more of it. He nudged himself closer, almost pulling his upper lips back and growled when the source of the scent tried to back away, letting out his own pheromones. He used his other free hand to wrap it around the squawking Beta, pressing his palm flat at the base of Jian Yu''s spine to keep him in place. He purred satisfactorily when this time he managed to press the tip of his nose deeper into Jian Yu''s neck. His lips brushed against the heated skin and it didn''t take long for his tongue to join the fun, mouthing over the scent gland on Jian Yu''s neck and nipping not so gently-- The room temperature that was once hot and burning suddenly dropped drastically as another Alpha pheromones that didn''t belong to Zeke flooded in. The air grew tense as two Alpha pheromones fought for dominance. They prodded and clashed at each other. Zeke had yet to release his hold on Jian Yu, if more, his grip only tightened. Stuck in between the battle between two raging Alpha, Jian Yu choked at the overwhelming pheromones and resisted to let out a whimper. The air was so, so thick that it was suffocating him, strangling him for its own sadistic p???sur?. "What do you think you are doing?" A strong yet feminime voice growled. Chapter 55 - I am a fool "Sir--! You are too close¡­! Sir Roderick!" Jian Yu''s shoulder was tense and trembling all at once as he attempted to escape Zeke. He couldn''t take it. The smell emitted from the jade-eyed Roderick was compelling and mind-blowing to the point it was forceful and unbearable for him. It was sweet and chocolatey with a hint of cinnamon at first, but now he felt like he had been involuntarily shoved head first into a bag full of it. It stuck and clogged up his respiratory system. His mouth watered slightly and swallowing became travailing but he had to force himself to do it if he didn''t want to choke on his own saliva. "Wait, wait--! Sir! Hold up, wait--!" Jian Yu struggled and continued to tug his wrist weakly from Zeke''s tight grip. He shifted and squirmed, stammering out feeble protests in between and trying to create a distance between them. However, he got a growl in return accompanied by Zeke''s alpha pheromones that suddenly spread like wildfire. It had an instant effect on him, rendering him unable to move a single muscle on his body. The silver-head Beta gasped when a hand had snaked around his waist to hold him in place, eliciting a full-blown blush on his face. His pulse thrummed in his veins when he felt warm lips enclosing the skin just right below his ear. His skin burned when ghostly warm breaths puffed over his n?k?d collarbone. His soul nearly left his body when sharp teeth graced his scent gland, scraping and nipping. Jian Yu''s breath was getting ragged as his neck was ?ssaulted, yet he couldn''t bring himself to hate it. He actually liked it. He knew he shouldn''t feel this way, but he did. He allowed it-- He permitted it because he knew who did it. Jian Yu almost squealed in surprise when the sharp canines dug roughly, but never breaking the skin, however nothing could beat the high strung yelp that was almost squeezed out of him when he heard a female voice appearing. Instead, he choked out a gasp and pushed against Zeke''s muscular ?h?st out of reflex, as if being caught red-handed with a hand in a cookie jar but Zeke, like the possessive bastard he was, wasn''t letting him go. His grip on his wrist only tightened even more. "What do you think you are doing, Roderick?" A cold voice snarled. The atmosphere shifted and Jian Yu felt like his world was tipped. Two strong Alpha pheromones were vigorously brawling in the air, fighting for dominance and no one was going to back down. While one was exerting dominance to stop the action from going any further, the other was furious at being interrupted. Being caught in the middle of the brawl wasn''t something Jian Yu expected, not even once in his whole life. A wave of dizziness washed over him, the air seemed so much harder to breathe than before. His insides clenched in pain and he was starting to feel lightheaded. His vision grew bleary with unshed tears and his mind buzzed with the lack of decent oxygen. He was starting to feel nauseous, the warning in his head was going off in an alarming state, forcing him to push Zeke harder than before. "Roderick." Clement stood at the entrance of the changing room, her shoulder tense as she growled. "I am warning you. Get away from him, Roderick." Zeke''s ?h?st burned hotly where Jian Yu''s b?r? hand had touched. The contact of the silverette Beta''s warm hands against his ?h?st and sudden growling from another Alpha was something enough to snap him out of his moment of insanity. He su?k?d in all of the Alpha pheromones he had accidentally let loose in the first place. The black-haired Roderick immediately unlatched his lips from Jian Yu''s scent gland and released his grip on the obsidian-eyed Beta, who had fallen onto the ground as he was pushing against Zeke before. It was then Jian Yu truly felt his world tipped over when he fell on his bu?? onto the hard tiled ground. It was exactly a good feeling when he had bile already rising up to his throat. The fallen Beta had a hand pressed protectively over his mouth; the reddish hue on his complexion had completely disappeared. Instead he had gone so pale and his pupils were dilated. His hair was tousled and the collar to his shirt was tug wide open and down his shoulder. ''Shit,'' Zeke breathed shallowly as he stared at the mess of the Beta, feeling his brain slowly kick back into gear. ''Shit! Don''t tell me-- Did I do that? Oh my god, what was I thinking--'' He felt even worse when he spotted littering marks on Jian Yu''s neck, small and red against his pale skin as he recalled nibbling on it when he was overcome by his frenzied and rampaging hormonal mind. ''I just bit him. Oh my fu?k?n? god, I bit him! I just s?xu??ly harassed him. He is going to hate me! Look at him! Look how disgusted he looks that he is going to puke! And it''s all my own fault! That''s it, I have no more reason to live on! Just let me die! I will even dig my own grave!'' Zeke sobbed internally. He was cut off from his inner monologue of depression when the Beta scrambled up as if woken up from his stupor. His hand was still pressed over his mouth as he rushed out of the changing room and out of the training hall. Zeke thought he was going to die. ''He was really disgusted.'' "You." The black-haired Alpha jumped, startled. "What is wrong with people these days?" Clement bit out. "Has it become a trend to harass someone else''s butler or is it just because he is a Beta that you think you can get away doing something like this?" "I--" "And you, of all people," Clement seethed. "I never expect it from you, though." Her fists were clenched by her sides, trembling with anger and Zeke felt dread pooled in his gut. Chapter 56 - Conjecture Two pairs of similar dress shoes clacked in an intermittent rhythm. The owners of the pairs of shoes didn''t seem to mind as they strolled calmly and leisurelessly, both were content at the silence each other provided. They walked passed numerous halls, with one leading the other. Whether the shorter one was too trusting or the silent understanding he had in the other, he let the taller of the two lead him to a more secluded area. The taller man with dark brown hair brought him towards a spacious garden that was shaped like a labyrinth, more like a maze when one looked closely to it. There was a complex multicursal branching built in. Reaching the center of the maze would be a difficult task to do. Lynn whistled when he saw the maze, impressed when he saw the large glorious oak tree in the center of the maze. It was massive. Its trunk was thick enough that even a grown man wouldn''t be able to make a complete circle even if he tried. "That''s the thousand years tree the Zero had always been boasting for decades?" Lynn finally broke the comfortable silence. Zion shrugged his shoulder as he stood under the shade of the estate, looking at the huge maze that stretched across him. While in this distance, the green walls might have looked short, but if he had stood side by side, those walls would tower over him. Lynn watched him warily from his spot a few feet away from the dark brown haired butler. The other man was still looking at the maze, not a word spoken. The comfortable atmosphere had dissipated. Or maybe there wasn''t anything close to comfortable beforehand, just a mere facade, enough to lure nescient preys. Lynn shifted his weight side to side, from his left, then to his right as he waited in such an uncomfortable silence. There must be a reason for Zion to choose such a secluded area. There were almost no maids nor butlers loitering around the area. Even the walls had ears, they said. The smell of freshly cut grass wafted into his nostrils. Lynn always enjoyed it as it gave him the sense of security, however, not now, it wasn''t working at all, not enough to calm his nerves. After a while, Zion finally turned his head towards Lynn and gave him his full attention. His brown eyes swept over him, prim and tight, despite the amiable smile stretched on his face. The gray-haired male felt dread washed upon him as he predicted the restrained verbal sparring that was about to come. "I like to believe there is always trust between friends," The brunette began. Lynn frowned at the vagueness of his words. He had no idea of the topic to be touched upon this impromptu meeting of theirs. Unless it was about-- Lynn shook his head. That''s quite unlikely. "That''s true," The shorter man answered, treading the lines carefully. Friends. He wouldn''t actually use those terms to describe them. Comrades? Not even close. They just coincidentally had a common enemy. While the Rodericks had been working for centuries as the Queen''s watchdog, this man here was sent by the Queen herself to monitor everything. He was one of the important officials. Many had been fooled by his appearance, by how he carried himself. On the outside, he was courteous, polite, and his words always dripped with honey. But in reality, he was none of those. The way he settled problems was aggressive and vicious despite how effective it was. If Lynn had to describe more, he would say it was to the point of barbaric, inhuman. This man was seriously suffering from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. ''He wasn''t like this before¡­'' Besides, he had his own hidden agenda that no one knew of as it was quite unconvincing that the Queen had only positioned him to monitor them. So, the term ''friend'' was too intimate to express their mock up alliancy, especially with their ''history''. "Just a little advice from lil'' me," The smile on the man''s face didn''t quiver, but his next words were tailored sharper than ever. "Stop drawing legs to a snake, wouldn''t want to accidentally awaken a dragon, would you?" The man hinted. "Oh?" Lynn questioned, sounding a careful mixture of surprise and interest. There were many things Lynn despised about this man and this was one of them. It was his cryptic ways of conveying messages. ''Can''t he just¡­ Spit whatever it is out?'' "Or was it your intention all along?" Zion didn''t lose his composure or the sickening smile on his face. The other man might be younger than him, but he was a hell lot more intimidating. He was creepily unpredictable, if Lynn had to say. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Lynn held his ground for as long as he could, however, he knew it wasn''t going to last. His mind was racing and searching all over in his head, trying to come up with something that caused this man to raise such a question. They had reached a certain level of understanding to not cross each other''s boundaries in doing their respective jobs. While the Rodericks acted their part as the Watchdogs, Zion infiltrated the Zero''s by becoming the Head Butler. Lynn didn''t think they had done anything to anger him. He couldn''t think of anything. Derek had made sure about it-- "You don''t?" The brunette asked. "I can''t say I do." They held each other gazes, no words were spoken, until Zion finally let out a sigh. He stalked towards Lynn, gloved hands swiftly reached into his suit and procured a few snapshots, waving them directly in front of Lynn''s face. Lynn''s eyes tried to take a quick glance at the moving picture but it was momentarily pulled away from him before he could, except he couldn''t shake the feeling that he caught a glimpse of a grotesque image flashing through his eyes. Chapter 57 - Theres nothing to consider "I know it is your job to keep the town safe, of course, you are merely doing your job. But you have been putting that snout of yours in the wrong place. Maybe I should have bought a muzzle instead," There was smugness in that smooth voice. ''What?'' "No?" The younger man urged. "I am certain it will look good especially on you, though." The older man refused to back down when the younger stepped into his personal space as he held back his tongue. The previous words finally registered in him. How had he forgotten? This man was a pervert, a sick fu?k that took p???sur? and satisfaction-- one that fed on the sick sense of exhilaration in tormenting others. It wasn''t like Lynn cared about his s?xu?? preference, but among the Queen''s private secretarial officers, Zion had the reputation for breaking countless Alpha''s wills apart. He had strong intuition, they said. True, no Male Alpha would want to submit, but this man¡­ he knew how to pick his prey. It was terrifying that he knew when to strike. "The offer still stands, you know?" Warm breaths puffed into his ear and Lynn flinched openly, this time taking a huge step back. He had wanted to take more steps but was stopped by a gloved hand clasped around his wrist, restraining his movements. The fabric of the glove rubbed against his n?k?d wrist and the thumb ??r?ssed his knuckles. "When this is all over, you won''t be needed anymore. You know that, don''t you?" The question felt like a direct stab in Lynn''s ?h?st, trying to dig out every inch of his unease. "No¡­ That''s not--" Lynn tried to deflect. There was nothing more than wanting to drop the topic altogether. But¡­ Lynn bit at his lower lip. Of course he knew that. How could he not know? He had thought of it over and over, it had been in his mind since forever. Once this was over, he wouldn''t be needed anymore. An old dog like him, might as well just be discarded. He also wouldn''t have any more reason to stay by HIS side anymore. He always felt terrible at the slight relief when they failed to bring down the syndicate. He was still useful, useful enough to stay and not thrown away. Every time he thought of that, he felt shame washed over him. He was disgusted with himself. The guilt that followed took his breath away, making him breathless. Zion watched the older man carefully, lips stretched into a wicked grin that had set Lynn on edge, but the younger man''s words sounded sincere and honest. "I just wish to help. I am able to offer you a place you can call home, you can stay with me. I will even take care of you, like how you used to--" The world stilled in the next stretch of breath as indiscernible words rammed stubbornly and relentlessly in the gray-haired Alpha''s skull, filling his head with buzzing noise. The air was suddenly so thick and Lynn couldn''t help but take short rapid breaths. His heart was hammering violently inside his ?h?st. "--Don''t you think so? What do you say?" He dimly heard Zion coaxing him. Lynn didn''t know what he was hoping for or even begging for in his mind, but he knew he was desperate for something, anything. "N--No." Lynn stuttered out softly. "No." He repeated sternly, cutting through the air and it was too a dazzling moment for Lynn to realize that he was the one saying it and how much he wanted to say that. "I refuse." Zion''s eyes narrowed, sliding into a calculating gaze. "Why not? Why don''t you think about it? There''s no need to answer me now, take your time." He said with a sickly gentle tone. Lynn''s stomach had churned at how sweet it sounded. "Like I told you before, even if I don''t have a place in the Rodericks, I am not desperate enough to lower myself as low as a house dog." He spoke, grinding his teeth. "You shouldn''t be hasty with your decision. Think it over," Zion had said, taking no regard to Lynn''s words, except his actions contradicted his honey dipped words. The gentle ??r?ss now pressed, digging into his knuckles and Lynn winced when his wrist was squeezed harshly. It would be leaving marks for sure. It seemed this man wasn''t used to being rejected as the idly buzzing Alpha pheromones from Zion had ascended to burning rage. He pulled on Lynn''s wrist diagonally, closing the distance between the two as he pushed his face inches apart from the older man. Two pairs of almost identical shades of brown clashed. The one with a lighter shade of brown had widened at close proximity, while the other one glinted with red tint only twinkled in amusement. "Now, now. You make me regret handing such valuable information to you and what did I get in return? Rejection." He sneered. "There was never a thing to consider." Lynn replied, his tone sharp and icy cold. It even amazed him that he was able to produce such a voice in this situation. "Then¡­" The younger man drawled. "Consider it in your debt." It was then Lynn felt the structure of snapshots being pressed into his palms, those he didn''t manage to get a good look at. The younger Alpha had released his grip from Lynn''s wrist; which he felt left a lingering throb; and landed heavily on the other''s shoulder. He patted Lynn on the shoulder, dusting off the imaginary dust on it and smoothing out the wrinkles on his suit. "Remember your debt, I will come back with interest--" Zion pulled Lynn by the collar of his suit until their faces were so close that the older man could feel the heat radiating and caught a whiff of musky scent. "And you are welcome." The brown-haired man smiled at him, brushing his cheek with the back of his hand before leaving. Lynn''s heart thumped, trying to calm the internal conflict that was wreaking havoc inside of him as he watched the image of the younger man''s back drifted away. ''What had he gotten himself into?!'' Chapter 58 - Way Back Home If the journey to the Zeros su?k?d the first time around, the journey back home was beyond unspeakable. Anyone could have seen how gloomy the atmosphere inside the carriage was, any longer, a thunderstorm might appear soon after. Even the coachman who was sitting on the outside felt the chills from the carriage stabbing his backside, making him fidget and anxious. He was even sweating cold bullets. Like the world had been tainted and corrupted by the devil''s spawn and its minions, black and dark miasma could be seen seeping out from the carriage from any gap it could find as it had manufactured and the space could no longer keep them contained. The pedestrians within the radius of 10 feet had become their prey and judging by how many humans were spreaded out here, a feast was what it was going to have. Creeping out, the dark energy couldn''t hold the wicked grin from stretching and latched onto innocent villagers. It absorbed their life force; their energy, turning their positive and exuberant energy into something dark and gloomy. Darkness gradually descended. The world was doomed. Chaos was everywhere as it was released into society. Facing the endless desolation of the destroyed continent and the tragic view of gloomy and lifeless humans, a protagonist was born. With aches in his heart and soul, he could no longer ignore the harm that was inflicted. He had no choice but to harden his heart in order to save the repulsive world. Especially when two of his remaining family were in the process of being corrupted. The said protagonist, the hero, was no other than our beloved Derek Roderick. He had been clambering all over inside the carriage like a mad man, trying not to suffocate from the lack of decent air as the wicked energy emitting from the other two was in process of choking him to death. He had whipped out all of his holy weapons, starting from his most prized and trusty spray bottle of holy water to finally chanting mantra, yet none of it worked. It was either the evil spirits were too strong or he was too weak that he needed to cultivate more. No matter how heavenly saint he was, he couldn''t even swat it away to the point he had succumbed to his carnal d?s?r?s and resorted to begging pathetically. "Son! Look, isn''t the weather so bright today? The cloud is even sending me a gracious smile, don''t you think so?!" Derek exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the sky from his spot. His eyes were blinking faster than normal and sweats were pooling under his clothes. Anyone could tell he was frantic as hell. The atmosphere in the carriage grew even darker once he finished his sentences, causing him to gulp nervously. His idiot son looked even gloomier, if that was even the correct term to vividly describe him. ''First attempt just went into the drain. Let''s try another way.'' "Lynn, my dear! Isn''t that your favourite pastries? Why don''t we stop by to get some?" Derek had jumped from one side to the other, this time exclaiming even more desperately. He was pointing at one of the famous bu??er croissants they just passed by. Normally Lynn would agree with him instantly, but not at the moment. He was ignored and Derek almost let his jaw drop. This wasn''t normal! Lynn would never ever ignore his precious bu??er croissant! The gray-haired Alpha merely rolled his brown eyes over before pointedly looking away, his expression void of any emotions that Derek''s jaw had unhinged completely. He could even hear the joint dislocated! ''Second attempt failed!'' But rest ?ssured; Derek Roderick wouldn''t give up like that! He was the man of his words! He was persistent! Something like this could never waver his way of life! Like a full orchestra of mini little Dereks, they cheered and sang for glory. He was even fueled with more confidence when he saw conductor Derek give him a nod. With full force, he slammed himself onto Zeke, plastering himself close as he wounded an arm around his son''s shoulder. "My Boy! I am here to bear fantastic news for you! There''s no need to thank your father for this but I would really appreciate seeing tears of joy, of course. With a genius mind like mine, I managed to sway ''the pretentious bastard'' off his little idiosyncrasy--" *Pretentious Bastard = Malakhi Zero* "More like you threatened him." "Hush, don''t interrupt me, so, as I said-- Son! You are finally talking to me!" Zeke promptly turned away after giving him a deadly stare. "Anyway! You just need to make friends with his precious little Alpha and we are all set! We can obliterate the marriage contract that was never even there in the first place-- not that he knew it, he is dumb, after all." Derek huffed, slugging onto his son and waving his hand in the air as he explained. "What do you mean by that?" Zeke frowned, the heavy weight of his father was starting to annoy him. Derek almost sighed in relief causing him to sag all of his weight onto his son. The dark and heavy atmosphere was suffocating him and he didn''t want to die that early, he still had stuff to do, things to explain, and feelings to confess. "Malakhi Zero is still holding onto that string of hope and I am taking absolute advantage of that. I just managed to postpone it a little while-- no need to look so disappointed, you little shit." He ruffled Zeke''s neat hair, making a bird nest out of it. "It is much harder to win against a huge stubborn idiot than a cultured man." Zeke clicked his tongue. "No promise." "Just think of this as a mutual benefit. You''re not losing anything from making friends with her, besides there is that beautiful boy that you''re quite familiar with, right?" Derek''s attempt to coax Zeke took an unexpected turn. As if the thunder had struck, the mood that Derek had tried so hard to lighten, only to have it immediately fell back down so quickly that Derek wanted to scream. ''NOOOOOOO! My hard work!'' "LYNN!" Derek flung himself off Zeke; with the help from the bumpy road; and onto his next victim: namely Lynn. Lynn just glanced at him briefly, however. He had one hand propped up and leaned against his fist, staring out at the carriage window. "What is much more fascinating than me outside?" Derek grumbled. Being a busybody he was, he peeked outside to take a glimpse of what had taken his lovely Lynn''s attention from him. It was easy to see what had stolen Lynn''s attention. That huge fluff of an animal was strolling the sideroad with its owner. It was hard to miss such a huge white cloud in the crowd. "Oh my! Isn''t that your favorite breed of dog? Didn''t you always want one of your own? Why don''t we get one, huh? Since our pup is getting bigger and rebellious nowadays." Derek openly glared at his son when he said this, who expertly dodged the lazer glare. The black-haired Roderick wasn''t sure if he had said something wrong, but right after he said that, Lynn''s eyebrows furrowed and there was a sudden shift in demeanor. The already darkened ambience had decided to blacken even more. And for the second time that day, Derek felt like sobbing into the deepest depth of the abyss. ''What in the world had happened in the Zero''s for these two to behave like this?!'' XXX Lynn''s eyes widened at Derek''s sentences. ''Dog.'' Dog. Dog. Dogdogdog. Mutt.. MUTT. Chapter 59 - Family ''What an ugly mutt you are.'' ''Keep on biting unless you want to be on muzzle time out.'' ''Once a mutt, always a mutt.'' ''Didn''t you know it just bit its trainer''s ear off?'' ''Ya'' kidding right?'' ''No shit. Bet you never saw the blood in there. It''s horrible.'' ''Who cares, I''m still betting on that mad dog, it''s my lucky charm!'' "--Lynn? Lynnnn? SLAP! "..." "!!!" "Uncle?" "Hey, hey, you okay?" Lynn froze at Derek''s words of concern. His breath was ragged and his eyes finally flickered back on focus. The swaying of the carriage had stopped, indicating that they had arrived. His brown eyes slowly moved towards Derek. Despite looking so worried, a large red handprint had marked his handsome features and that brought the attention back to his stinging hand. "Ah~ I shouldn''t have touched you so suddenly," Derek rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his other hand palm his red stinging cheek.. "But we have arrived¡­? And you''re zoning out." Lynn wanted to open his mouth to apologize. That must have hurt based on how red it was. "Uncle Lynn! Is your hand okay?" The young man of Rodericks, who had previously set one foot down the carriage, sprung back up and clutched Lynn''s bruised hand. "It must have hurt! Old man, apologize! Who told you to have a brick as your head?" "...Perish, you little shit." Derek muttered under his breath. As ignoring his father became a natural habit, Zeke soothed his uncle''s hand. "What''s wrong with you, uncle? It''s rare for you to space out like this. It seems even a perfectionist has its flaws, eh?" Lynn straightened his back, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Flaws, huh? What a joke. For years he had tried to mend himself to be flawless but a damage good was always a damage good. [[A/N: Guess you all now know why the title is "WORTHLESS", right? *wink wink*]] "Get away from him, you little-- Go do your homework or something! To think that I actually saved you from the clutches of that marriage, I should have let you rot in there!" "Don''t put all the blame on me, you are also terrified that he might leech you off your precious money." "Preposterous!" Lynn had managed to calm his emotions, but it couldn''t be said the same for the other two. Both Rodericks were on each other''s face and pulling apart one another''s cheeks. In the gray-haired butler''s eyes, they resembled an old bear play fighting with it''s cub. The image brought a chuckle out of Lynn as he raised his hand to cover his mouth, stifling the laugh. ''What am I thinking?'' ''Why did I even think of considering the nonsense he spouted?'' ''I''m so stupid.'' A sad smile adorned his face. Thinking that he had been mellowing far too long and the two bears weren''t showing any sign of stopping, Lynn made a move to stand, wanting to push those two out of the stuffy carriage; coincidently the movement caused something thin and sharp poking his ?h?st. Blinking, Lynn sat back at the edge of the seat and pulled out the offensive item from his suit. ''Ah, right. The snapshots¡­ I need to inform Derek.'' "--Insolent punk! I am going to confiscate all the chocolate you keep under your bed!" ''Ah, How the hell did the conversation turn to this? Food? How much more childish can they be?'' Lynn sighed fondly. Looked like he wasn''t getting out of the carriage anytime soon. He took the time to examine the snapshots and frowned. They really had been played. Being led by the nose like a dumb bull. "What the fu?k--? How did you know about that?" Zeke''s voice sounded horrified. "Lynn told me about it!" "Oi, don''t drag me into your family squabbles." Lynn muttered from the side. "You are part of this fu?k?n? family!" Both of them glowered at him. Lynn pouted and ducked his head so they wouldn''t see his amusing smile, but inside, his heart warmed uncontrollably. XXX Derek threw the snapshots onto his working desk before leaning his back against it. Inside, was the man they had been searching for the past months. Bloodied. Crushed. Unstructured bones. Mutilated. Dislocated jaw. Slitted throat. It was gruesome. Derek had to admit it. Such pictures shouldn''t be captured so vividly. Yet the one who snapped those took different angles as if there shouldn''t be anything that missed. Whether he was mocking him by doing this purposely or just for his self-satisfaction, Derek didn''t want to know about it. "Check the dates." Lynn pointed out. "Huh? I did¡­" Derek took the snapshots back up and flipped them. ''Fuck.'' Headache suddenly seemed like a friendly fiend. Rubbing didn''t do its job to chase it away. In the end, he just resigned to his fate and sighed. "Zion was the one that gave you these?" Derek couldn''t help but ask even though he already knew the answer to it. "Yes." "Then?" "...Then what?" Derek wanted to click his tongue in annoyance, fortunately, he had more than enough endurance and held back. Instead of beating around the bush, he went straight to the point. "Besides these, what else?" Lynn merely tilted his head as if he was confused. As much as how cute he looked that way, Derek couldn''t fathom any strength to coo at it. On the contrary, he felt anger bubbling. The first time Zion came, he set off a lot of alarms in Derek''s mind, which made sense. This man suddenly came saying he was sent by the Queen herself. Normally, the Queen only gave instructions through letters, no more than that. A man claiming to be sent by the Queen sounded fishy. However, like a devil in disguise, he smiled through their weary gazes and immediately flashed the royal badge, which erased all lingering suspicions. All was well, they welcomed him, doing the proper procedure of shaking hands until he finally noticed how Lynn''s hand was trembling furiously when it was almost his turn. His lips might have curved upwards but the smile never reached his eyes.. And it somehow gave Derek the impression that Zion and Lynn had known each other way before this. Chapter 60 - The Serial Killer has been arrested! "There''s nothing else. What more can there be?" Was all Lynn said before he excused himself with a tilt of head and a smile on his face. Derek wasn''t sure if that was a good thing or not as he was already on the verge of snapping. It was obvious Derek asked about it; it was even more obvious that Lynn knew what Derek wanted to know. Yet here he was, still keeping his mouth shut. Derek would never go against his principle, but this might be his last straw. He never knew about Lynn and Icarus''s past. He had seen how reluctant the both of them were in sharing. Let the past be past. Bygones be bygones. But right now, he was so close to breaking his own set of rules. XXX [Next Morning] <> This particular title had made its way up on the headlines in all the newspapers. Followed by <> and <> The news had put a lot of the people in the town at ease. Those who dared not wander around at night now can rest ?ssured. Lynn placed the newspaper he was holding on the working desk in his room and sighed heavily. They patted their bu??s, closed the case and decided to cover the truth and fed lies to the media with the purpose not to cause an uproar. What would happen if they leaked that said serial killer was already dead way before the first victim? The town would definitely end up in chaos and fear. Or not¡­? Lynn could just hope they did. As much as he wanted to thank Zion for such exclusive information; Hey! He even wrote the location of the corpse in the snapshots! That rascal even spreaded it out, dividing them, more like splitting them into fragments and made Derek and Lynn solve the riddles just to know the location. Lynn never wanted to meet that younger man ever again. Just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine. They might have been close before but now, they were just mere acquaintances. If it was possible, he never wanted anything to do with that younger man. On the other side of the town, a man in his thirties threw the morning newspapers onto his white desk and leaned against his chair. His surroundings were white. The walls, the desk, the windows, the doors, the ceilings. Some people might develop Xanthophobia, but not him. Instead, he dwelt in it, he embraced the color, and found consolation in it. For him, it was his paradise. Throwing his head back against the chair, his eyes rolled to read the headlines again. <> He scoffed before it turned into a snort as he tried to hold back his laughter. His body shook, trying to stop the laugh from coming out. When he managed to do so, he tried to take a few breaths to calm himself down. Yet to no avail, his eyes wandered again towards the headlines. This time he covered his mouth and curled his body. The headline titles just seemed to crack him up. His pupils constricted and widened to the extent that the whites surrounded the brown orbs. In the end, he couldn''t help the soft giggle that seeped through his fingers before it finally burst into a full blown laugh. He cackled with a brutal and malicious laughter, the laughter of a madman. It echoed in the white room, the sound resonated and bounced over the walls. A minute later, the laughter had yet to die down. It seemed whatever he saw was a joke to him, like it was something hilarious. Fortunately, he had stopped himself after a while. Scrubbing the tears from the corner of his eyes, he flipped the newspaper open again. This time, only snickers were coming from his mouth. But his eyes shone with even more wicked glint in it. "So this is how you are going to play¡­?" XXX In contrast to the cold winter, the news burned like flames, spread like wildfire. The temperature was cold and heavy snow turned the entire town into a world of silver, yet the market was still especially bustled with people, each one of them had a newspaper in hand. Some had relief on their faces, while some were just planning on spreading gossip. Somewhere far from the town, in the Zero''s Mansion, Malakhi Zero was also reading the newspaper. He let out an ugly chortle as he smacked his palm against the wood of his desk as if laughing at his own stupid pun. The stuff on the desk shook and trembled at the pressure of his palm. "What an idiot!" He cackled madly and inelegantly. "What watchdog? More like a stupid mutt!" He howled like a delusional man. A sudden knock caused him to snap out of his craze and resumed his aristocratic look. Coughing lightly, he muttered "come in". Zion let himself in. In his hands, he carried a tray with an envelope on top of it. Malakhi cleared his throat, it stung from laughter too much, and adjusted his bow tie. Softly, his butler closed the door and made his way towards the Lord. He bowed before placing the letter on top of the desk. Maintaining his arrogant look, Malakhi snatched the letter away, flipping it back and forth until his squinty eyes zoomed into the wax placed to seal the letter. His eyes widened in alarm. Zion had stood there unmoving. His eyes examined the stupid Lord of his, watching the changes in facial expression. He had seen enough of these letters to know it came from the same person and that person seemed to wreak absolute havoc in Malakhi. He had wanted to see more if not for Malakhi waving him off. In the end, he sighed in resignation as he walked to his respective place by the door. ''28 years. 28 YEARS! How dare you¡­!'' The older man seemed to know when and how to avoid getting in contact with him alone. He always managed to get Roderick or the Inspector. The sound of paper being ripped open went unheard as he was busy with his personal drama but the next bang from a fist against the wooden desk made him jump. Slowly, he dragged his eyes forward and saw that... Malakhi was seething. Yet there was fear lingering in his eyes. These two emotions rarely mixed well together, but they worked and combined well enough in Malakhi. Zion thought that the news of the serial killer would make the old man content, yet it didn''t seem to be the case. It made the butler wonder what was in the letter. But man¡­ This old fart needed to stop that bad habit of his. Once all of these were done, he wouldn''t mind butchering this man and of course, his arms would go off first. XXX ''There''s a mole on your side, remove it or else.'' ''There''s a mole on your side, remove it or else.'' ''THERE''S A MOLE ON YOUR SIDE, REMOVE IT OR ELSE.'' The words burned in Malakhi''s eyes as he read the words inside the letter. He crumpled the letter in his fist before hurling it away. These unidentified letters weren''t unidentified at all. The Lord of Zero knew where they were from. But who was it? Who was behind these letters? He had yet to know. His mind replayed the words in the letter again. There was no way there could be a mole in here. It was impossible! There couldn''t be! He had made sure to double check everything before hiring. All¡­ But one. No. Wait a minute. There was another. Those dogs managed to sniff him even better than before and were biting on his tail even more furiously. Malakhi''s face was full of black lines. He clenched his fists tightly until his nails created dents on his palm. He had wasted his time ???k?n? the boots of that dog and losing his face in process. He couldn''t let all of his hard work go down the drain that easily. He had his own suspicions. He better dug the hole and fist the mole as quickly as possible, getting rid of it was his priority. But first. Malakhi dragged his eyes across the room and landed on the figure by the door, standing stiff with a permanent and polite smile on his face. How he wished to rip it off. What Malakhi didn''t know was that the butler on the other side had the exact same thought but with an even more creative way to butcher his Lord. Chapter 61 - He is avoiding me, isnt he?! If Jian Yu had to say or even describe a certain Alpha... Was that he was stupid. He might rebuke if anyone talked bad about him before¡­ But now, he had to agree. Zeke was an idiot. A certified dumbass. A colossal shitbag. That ?sshole had the nerve to lick and leave his saliva all over his neck, not to mention his scent too! No matter how long he scrubbed his skin until it was red, the scent stuck to him like a glue because he had been bitten directly on his scent gland. But that wasn''t all. Zeke the fu?k?n? Roderick actually had the audacity to deliberately avoid him. Ps. He was even leaving some stupid pick up lines while he was at it! [He had to admit that it was so cute but hey, you are sending mixed signals here!] He knew. Oh, he fu?k?n? knew. Normally the man would stick to him no matter how hard he tried to get rid of him. Now he would just zoom away like he had encountered a ghost. It didn''t take long for Jian Yu to catch on that Zeke tried to avoid him. His heart actually squeezed painfully for some unknown reason. Despite being winter, the sunlight cut through the clouds and shone brightly like a summer season. And if it were a summer season, the heatwave would definitely devour the people in the town. At that time, Jian Yu was helping Clement carry the borrowed books back to the library and to borrow a few more. He was navigating through the shelves, one hand holding the small paper filled with the books Clement requested while the other fiddling with the covers to read the title. He was perched on top of the ladder with no support on each side. Mumbling unceremoniously, he moved a little to the side trying to get to see the other books. Going down and moving the ladder were exhausting, besides he just needed to stretch his body out a little bit. As he overestimated his body, the Silver-head Beta lost his footing and, of course, he fell. Jian Yu estimated that the height from where he was perched on was about as high as the second story of a building, so although he wouldn''t die from the fall, a few broken bones were inevitable. He knew there was no way out of this; he could do nothing but close his eyes and meet his fate. He waited and waited. However, the expected pain never arrived, because a second before he crashed against the ground, Jian Yu felt himself being caught in someone''s arms. Even though someone caught him, he had expected that his weight might bring the other person down too. That was only logical. The one who rushed and caught him appeared to have sturdy arms as they didn''t even shake or tremble under his weight. Jian Yu blinked and the moment he opened his eyes, he was stunned speechless. It was Zeke! The whole incident at the changing room rushed into Jian Yu''s head and his face burst into flames. His emotions ran wild and his heart pounded violently against his ?h?st. "I think I need a map." The sudden question confused Jian Yu. "A map? It was over there, in that section--" "Because I keep getting lost in your eyes." Jian Yu''s jaw dropped. No. Not only his jaw. His entire body dropped. Onto the hard ground. Jian Yu ?r??n?d as he rubbed his tailbone. He was about to say something to Zeke when he realised the body of the man above him had stiffened. The silverette was astonished by how fast the other backpedalled from him, picking up the book that had apparently fell away from him when he caught Jian Yu. "What in the world¡­?" The second time Zeke did it, it was at the cafeteria. And per usual, the silverette trailed behind his Lady, clutching a few books in his arms. He was currently engaging in a conversation with Clement when he saw Zeke walking towards the cafeteria with his friends, his eyes smiling crescent. It made Jian Yu wonder what had lifted the young Lord of Roderick''s mood up. And blessed our darling friend Mika. God had created him with good looks and all but He seemed to have made him a human with the lack of knowledge to read the situation. He bounded over where Jian Yu and Clement were, happily greeting them. The clueless friend wrapped an arm around Jian Yu''s shoulder and the action caused one of the books to slip out of his arms. Jian Yu stuttered out a greeting in return as he tried to stabilize the books in his arms from falling altogether, while Clement merely ignored him. However, her eyes were glaring at a certain man. Said man was on autopilot and was in the process of helping Jian Yu take his fallen book, which led to an unexpected situation where both of their hands met. (I''m sorry to go for cliche moments) "Do you have a pencil?" Again, Jian Yu had to blink. That came out of nowhere. "Uh, yeah, let me get it for you--" The Beta rummaged through his pockets to pull out a spare pen but the next words made him blush even harder than the last time. "Cool! Cause I want to erase your past and write our future." "Oh my god--" "Smooth--" Mika and Dong-Hyun sure had the greatest reactions, but not Clement. She did a double take, then crossed her arms over her ?h?st and glared at Zeke with squinted eyes. Jian Yu dropped the pencil from his slackened fingers and hid his face under the books. But before he did so, the master of pick up lines seemed to realize his situation and stiffened once more. He froze before zig-zagging away with the speed of light. Chapter 62 - The Audacity he has to avoid me The third time was a little dramatic, if Jian Yu had to admit it. In his whole life, never had he been involved or even thought that he would be involved in a three sided staring contest. Based on what he had gathered, the contract marriage had not been signed but the both of them were required to meet up as frequently as possible to create some kind of connection. Which brought the both of them in here, at Zero''s mansion. A tea party consisted of only the two of them. Yet there was nothing pleasant about it. The air was somehow tense and tight, ready to snap at any second. Clement was sipping her tea quietly, lounging on the Victorian style sofa, with a book in her hand; the tea party had evolved into a study session. Her posture was lax and lazy but her sapphire eyes were not. They were staring and drilling a hole on the occupant of the opposite sofa. The young man occupying the space was rigid, he sat stiff like a stone. He was holding a book in his hand too, but for the past minutes, he had yet to turn a page. Jian Yu wanted to snicker as he saw the book Zeke was holding wasn''t even in the right position. It was upside down and the silverette wondered when the Alpha would finally notice it. Besides, he kept on feeling the eyes of the Alpha male boring into him since he arrived. However, everytime Jian Yu turned to look at him, the male would immediately avert his eyes to look at anywhere but Jian Yu. "Jian Yu." The Beta jumped. Clement''s cold voice slithered like a snake, snapping him out of his daydream. To be honest, he wasn''t really quite used to being called by his name by her yet. Ever since that day, she had suddenly called him by his respective name instead of his sub-gender, which made him question her purpose. ''Is she finally opening up and accepting him?'' "Yes, My Lady?" "Please refill the tea." This was another thing he wasn''t able to get used to. "Of course, My Lady." By the time he got back, he almost sighed in relief. The tension was no longer thick and the air was much lighter as if the two people inside had reached a mutual understanding and boundaries. Which was good. He approached them, kneeling by the victorian style table as he poured the camomile into the tea cups. "Have you always been this cute? You have been blessing my eyes ever since I laid my eyes on you." Red tinge appeared on Jian Yu''s cheeks and he eyed Clement from the corner from his eyes, the Female Alpha had choked on her tea. "Here, Sir Roderick," With a blushing face, the silverette Beta had said, gently offering the teacup. He knew he should have just placed the teacup and slided it towards Zeke, but he wanted to make sure about one thing. His suspicions were mounting, after all. Surprisingly, after he said that cringey pick up line, the jet black-haired Alpha jerked back away in a desperate attempt to avoid skin-contact, sinking into soft material of the furniture. Jian Yu blinked. Until Jian Yu reached out towards him, the other did a cartwheel and flew away, excusing himself to end the tea party earlier. And Jian Yu couldn''t help but think¡­ What the hell¡­ That¡­ That was extreme. Fuck. That should be expected. He should have known. He shouldn''t be getting involved at all. This man was totally out of his league. Not only was he an aristocrat, but also his client''s fiance. While he was one that separated work and personal matters apart, having one coming onto you continuously tended to make him bend his own rules. He knew. He fu?k?n? knew. But still, why did it hurt so much? Did he hope? Was it wrong trying to hope? Jian Yu''s radical thinking was thrown out of the window and a part of him screamed that he was supposed to be asking questions. ''Why? Is everything you said a joke then?'' ''Did you finally realize how disgusting it was after touching me?'' ''Was it fun to you?'' He never realized how his hands trembled furiously. Even if Clement saw it, she never said a word or called out to him. At first he had thought about how strange it was. If someone had to do the mission of avoidance, it should be him, right? Not the other way around. He wanted to ask. What was his reason? Why did he do what he did? Did playing with his feelings brought some sort of fascination? He wanted to confront him. But he couldn''t. The other always managed to avoid him. And it was almost the tenth time this week. He couldn''t even corner the Alpha Male during the party the college held to commemorate the eve of the tournament. "Do you know what I am doing? I am Yu-gazing." "Are you sure you are not putting any effort on being cute?" "Do you have a bandaid? I think I scraped my knee falling for you." Jian Yu wanted to bite his blanket real hard. ''Please stop sending mixed signals!'' He angrily thought. If you want to ignore me, just do it! Don''t go dropping some stupid lines you pick up out of nowhere! Yet he was here, acting like a m?s??h?st for blushing at each and one of the lines. ''Fine!'' ''If this is how you want to play, I will make sure to beat your ?ss during the tournament!'' On the other side of the town, Zeke shivered and tremors ran down his spine.. Rubbing his neck, he wondered why he felt chills when he was sitting right next to the fireplace. Chapter 63 - Zekes First Predicament Zeke wanted to cry as he held his breath. In his heart, his tears had already become an ocean. He had been doing so ever since he arrived here. Sitting in a place that was a little bit too elegant for him, he much preferred the hard rock grounds with dusty environment and a weapon in his hand. BUT! Hold a damn second! That wasn''t the point at all. He hadn''t been breathing properly as he was afraid to inhale that amazingly delicious smell and unable to control himself. Zeke swallowed thickly, trying to lodge the heavy lump in his throat. His rut was just around the corner, and everything was so s?ns?t?v?. His emotions were going haywire, he could be riled up by smallest things. He recalled snapping at Mika one time when the other Alpha made a comment about his angel. In conclusion, during his pre-rut, he had been reduced into a moody hormonal teenager! Which was why he was hellbent on avoiding a certain Beta. Not only was he avoiding him for leaving his slobber all over him-- hush, he knew he was being a coward, he just couldn''t face his reality yet! Let a man dream!-- but his rut was also making him think about the most unhygienic and unnecessary stuff he wanted to inflict on the silver-head Beta. He was so close to succumbing into his primal urges. So, no. He wasn''t avoiding him. Just trying to reduce the frequency of the possibility of meeting him. While he used to actively search for him before, he just needed to stop doing that. But it seemed, everything just went against his will. His plan to avoid the Beta backfired. Every step he took, his legs always brought him towards Jian Yu. As if his muscles moved on motorically, he flinched every time he caught a glimpse of silver. Then, there was one time in the library. He was walking idly, hands in pocket as he strolled lazily, his back slouching. Humming as he did so, he almost choked when a whiff of familiar scent drifted into his nose. It wasn''t helping when his legs unconsciously brought him towards the source. Yet when he arrived, the most unexpected things happened. As much as he wanted to duck, turn back, and run, he couldn''t do so as he saw Jian Yu fall over from such height. Rushing over to catch him, the Beta landed softly and snugly in his arms, like he was made to be here, Jian Yu was just the perfect size for him to hold. The way his silver locks swayed and the fluttering long eyelashes that parted like a window to the most beautiful eyes he had seen, Zeke wanted to pinch his nose to stop blood from sprouting out of his nose. ''Brain. What the hell?! Why are you glitching again?!'' He strangled his brain and shook it furiously. In this close distance, the Beta smelt magnificent. Momentarily thrown off by his rationality, he could feel heat building up somewhere, pooling around his stomach, and he cursed his pre-rut. ''Get away, shit, get away from him! Don''t do something you will regret!'' The face of a pale looking Beta hovered in his mind and he did what he had been good at. Run. The same thing happened again the next day. He bumped into Jian Yu and Clement at the cafeteria. Feeling like a deja vu, the tragedy happened and repeated again. His brain managed to fail him again, which made Zeke want to fire and change the one in charge of the Ministry of the Zeke kingdom. Not before he choked the shut out of it first, of course. He had spouted the most ridiculous pick up line! What the hell was that? ''Do you have a pencil? Are you kidding me?'' Just thinking about it almost made Zeke spat a mouthful of blood. "I am definitely not a hoarder, but I would like to keep you forever in my heart." Wasn''t that much cooler?! But again, he had to stop right after taking another whiff of the Beta. This time, it had a much stronger reaction. ''Please, please just stay down! No one asked for your presence right now!'' For the sake of humanity and the insanity of every human in the cafeteria, more likely, before he could flash everyone his trunk, he had fled again. And here he was. Zeke really was hoping that he wouldn''t support a boner throughout this stupid tea party the Lord of Zero had arranged for them. Pinching his nose became a bad habit as he tried not to inhale deeply. It was much harder when they were in the same room for an hour or more. The scent was burning, it was also so stifling, pulsating like it had a heartbeat of its own. It seemed to burn his skin and line the back of his throat. He wasn''t sure why the smell of the silver-head Beta affected him this much. He had even made his own theory as to why it did. Of course it was no other than that! The only reason could be that it''s because he loved Jian Yu so much! When Clement had asked for Jian Yu to refill the tea, he had breathed out in relief and inhaled deeply as he was sure his hormonal body wouldn''t act out like a spoiled brat again. The moment the silverette Beta stepped out, Zeke could predict the most insufferable and uncomfortable conversation would come up because Clement wouldn''t send the Beta away for a refill when the tea they drank had yet to finish! "How hilarious. I feel like I am reading some stupid low-rated romance novels, my heart is bleeding so much just from watching it." ''See, told you.'' Chapter 64 - Negotiation "How hilarious. I feel like I am reading some stupid low-rated romance novels, my heart is bleeding so much just from watching it." ''Gosh, did she have to provoke me every time we had a conversation? God dammit, my pre-rut is making my emotions unstable.'' Zeke''s expression shifted slightly at Clement''s remark. "I wonder how popular it would be; a soap opera where the protagonist is having a love affair with his fiance''s butler. What a laughable joke." However, there was no emotion in her words. They were just said lightly, which brought a great surprise to Zeke. "What are you trying to imply?" Zeke sighed as he threw his back against the furniture. Pre-rut was making him impatient. The gentlemanly side he tried to maintain was slowly shedding, dissipating into the air. "What am I trying to imply, huh?" Clement reached for her teacup, taking a sip out of it with her little pinky raised like a noble. "Nothing, actually." There was a moment of silence. "I like him." Zeke suddenly said. "And I want him." "Well, aren''t you being heartbreakingly honest?" Clement scoffed, there was a mocking tone underneath them. Zeke himself was actually quite confused. Why had he said that? But for some reasons, his guts kept on urging him to be honest about it. "Perhaps, I just want to hear your thoughts." "As much as I''m flattered, why my thoughts, Roderick?" Zeke shrugged his shoulders. The weather might be cold with frost biting at their heels, but not Zeke. He was sweating under his suit and was practically swimming in it. He blamed it on his pre-rut. He had actually taken a few suppressant pills, chugging them down like a drug addict, yet they never seemed to work efficiently on him. Clement clicked her tongue, expressing her displeasure as she realized Zeke wasn''t going to elaborate more. "What a polite ?ssaulter. Don''t tell me, you are asking for my blessings?" "If you will, who am I to refuse?" "What a bastard." Clement finally enquired in aghast. "Not so much of a gentleman anymore, are you?" "I have told you before and I will say it again; I want him. I want all of him." The black-haired Alpha''s answer was simple, and the man looked like he was perturbed by the words he spoke himself. "Do you even love him or are you just ?usting over him?" The young man froze slightly but Clement paid no heed as she continued. Before Zeke''s mind could wander any longer, Clement''s voice cut through his thoughts, a sharp, studious look on her face. "Are you certain you are not just taking advantage of his sub-gender with no sense of responsibility or even remorse for his future?" The way she shaped her words made Zeke frown. What did she mean by that? The words acted like they carried unspoken messages. "Of course not. When I said I want him, I mean it. I love him. I completely understand you lack the capacity of understanding in that department--" Clement''s eyebrow twitched at that. "--but this is the first time I experience such a burst of emotions. The d?s?r? to hold him, the d?s?r? to build a future together, I want it, I want everything! I want to know what he likes, what he hates, what''s his favorite food, even the sound of his laughs can light up my entire day. And what do you mean by not taking responsibility for his future? I can ?ssure you--" Clement coughed and held her hand up. "Please, save that stupid fantasy to yourself." Zeke snapped his mouth shut with an audible click as a fierce blush bloomed across his cheek, ears, and down to his neck. Embarrassment downed over him. What the hell did he think he was doing? Did he just do what he thought he did? Zeke felt like his head almost exploded with how much blood had risen to his head! He had just gone all out describing the love of his life to his soon to be fiance. And that said fiance didn''t feel anything or even a tiny bit of weird about their topic of discussion. The black-haired man wanted to dig a hole for himself and weep forever in there. "Fine, but there is one condition." "As long as you don''t interfere-- wait, why do I need your approval?" ''Yeah! Why do I need your approval?'' "Aren''t you the one asking for my thoughts?" ''Don''t raise your eyebrow at me, woman! Don''t ever--! Fuck, she raised itQAQ!'' "Yes, but not approval. Hold up-- don''t tell me you like--" "Finish that sentence and I will make sure you never meet him again." Zeke jutted out his bottom lips, looking like someone kicked his puppy and he sniffed. "What condition?" "You are not allowed to confess first. If anything or whatever is going to happen between the two of you, it has to be him who confesses rather than you. To put it in better terms, if the bonding were to happen, he has to be the one who initiates it." "And if I disagree?" "I will mark him first." A possessive growl almost tore out of Zeke''s throat. "Are you threatening me?" Bonds between Alpha and Omega were simple, once they marked each other, their bond would be permanent. Sadly, Beta didn''t have the same capability to create a bond permanently, as in, they could give a bond bite, but could never receive one, the bond would always disappear after a certain time period. And since Alphas were really territorial, they much prefered Omegas rather than Betas, but the relationships between Alpha and Beta were not unheard of. Not seeing a bond bite on their mate could really set an Alpha off. Even though Zeke knew this, he still wanted Jian Yu more than anything and he absolutely didn''t want Jian Yu to be marked by any other than him. "So do you agree or not?" "Fine." Zeke had no other choice but to agree. It wasn''t like he was going to use force on Jian Yu either. It was best when the feeling was mutual, after all. Then he suddenly recalled the bitey bitey incident and couldn''t help but became gloomy. Huffing, Zeke leaned his back in the same way as Clement, an ?ssuring smile suddenly on his face. "I never knew you cared.. Looks like you are kinder than I expected." Chapter 65 - Zekes Second Predicament Clement snorted. "What do you take me for? A tyrant? I''m just trying to protect someone I see as a naive little brother from the clutches of a sheep in demon''s clothing." Zeke froze. He had expected Clement to deny it, but she didn''t. Wait. "Demon? Are you sure you don''t need a mirror--" "So, we have our deal." Clement raised her teacup. "Deal." Zeke hurriedly mimicked her. For unknown reasons, he felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He would worry that Jian Yu had a hard time working here, but he seemed well taken care of. He raised his jade eyes and watched the woman across from him. To be honest, they had actually never spoken a lot towards each other due to the feud between families, besides exchanging heavy jabs whenever they crossed paths. Being rivals against each other has been a tradition from one generation to another. Well, it turned out she wasn''t as bad as the rumors. They actually just had a normal and decent conversation, which was surprising to him. Zeke placed the teacup back on the table and frowned at the book in his hand. Man, how embarrassing it was. He had been reading the book upside down. Once again, Zeke stiffened, trying to breathe in as little air as possible, totally aware of the mocking gaze Clement threw his way but he couldn''t retaliate at all. Things were going quite well until Jian Yu kneeled beside the tea table and Zeke was soon getting a full blown whiff of the silverette''s forest and leaves scent. He blinked and blinked. And he blanked. Because his stupid brain decided that this was the right and the most absolute moment to take over. Brain: Praise me! Praise me! Zeke: What have you done, you scoundrel! The image of Jian Yu''s burning face burned in his mind and he didn''t hesitate to imprint it into his enormous memory space, storing it safely. ''The blush indeed looks good on him.'' Something warm brushed against his fingertips, causing him to flinch heavily and he jerked backwards, dramatically. And it lingered. The place that was grazed upon, heat bloomed and had spreaded from there up to his head and Zeke''s breath hitched. There were so many mini Zekes running around in his head holding the sign "Maintain distance! Maintain Distance!" and shouting the same written words with a megaphone too. Before he knew it, he was out of the room and sitting in the car, leaving Zero''s estate with a heart that was beating so much faster, thumping inside his ?h?st, ready to burst. However, he was sure that in a split second before the door closed, there was something in Jian Yu''s eyes that he couldn''t depict but it sent shivers down his spine. For a long time. He even felt it at home. Like something bad was going to happen, a bad premonition. But since he never believed in the supernatural, Zeke merely dismissed it. In the next few days, it had been his mission to continue avoiding Jian Yu. ''Until he got over his rut'' was what he kept reminding himself. But once the rut was over¡­ Would it not just be the same thing? How was he gonna approach Jian Yu even without his rut biting his own tail? Could he keep doing what he used to? Approach him with a friendly smile and flirt like he usually was? Man, did you see his face that time? Did you see it or did you not? Zeke was strangling and slapping his other counterpart inside himself. Maybe he could make an excuse and said it was caused by his rut and he was thinking clearly? That might be quite reasonable but not enough to ask for forgiveness. ''Argh!'' Making a deal with Clement was just as useless as it was pointless. He didn''t even have a clue on how to face Jian Yu after doing such a vulgar thing to him. He had just given a bad beginning and Zeke was terrified to know what it would be in the end. There was a saying "bad beginning makes a bad ending" and Zeke absolutely wouldn''t want to even wish for a bad ending to happen. Even though the mission was starting to get rather difficult to do as it seemed he kept on bumping into Jian Yu more than ever as if the other guy knew he was avoiding him and deliberately trying to corner him. So, everything was fine. Until today. A hand slammed against the wall, just right beside his ears, startling the shit out of Zeke. His mind was blank and his pupils dilated. His nose was ?ssaulted by a smell he had tried his hardest to avoid. And all he could see were the other person''s obsidian eyes and gently curved eyelashes. Zeke''s shoulders stiffened and he cursed himself. His scheduled rut would take place in two days and he didn''t want it to happen right now. He didn''t know what would happen if he was thrown into a spontaneous rut and the possible harmful things he might do to the other. ''Please get away!'' *** Hi! Just to make it clear, as you all know each Alpha has different symptoms during their pre-rut. Some showed a higher form of aggression, elongated fangs, changes in eye colors might happen for a more dominant Alpha, Possessive behaviors, restless, aroused state, craving for unusual taste buds. In Mika''s case, during his pre-rut, he was restless, had an increase in appetite, and cravings. Possessive behavior might not occur as he didn''t have someone he wanted as a mate yet. While in Zeke''s, he grew more aggressive as he had been suppressing this instinct just to keep up the "friendly gentleman" aura. And because he had someone he considered to be his future mate, he became possessive, restless, and aroused whenever that person was close. I will make an auxiliary chapter to explain more in detail in the future. Chapter 66 - The Prelude of the Tournament It was snowing. Frost that had looked like it had been crafted by the Gods himself swayed gently, landing on the rooftops, streetlamps, on the ground, and at wherever it felt best. Despite the cold weather, no one had actually thought of forsaking the highly anticipated tournament and instead, their hearts thrumped with excitement. As of today, it had finally begun. Even though the stadium wasn''t as grand as the one in the Capital City where the Queen resided, this large stadium was only close to second. It counted as the largest already in Zariya. The stadium could house almost all of the people in town and Zariya wasn''t exactly small either. While the one in the Capital City could hold more than ten thousand, the one in Zariya followed close in second with seven thousand. The tournament had attracted a lot of participants as well as spectators. Seats were arranged according to hierarchy, the commoners seat at the lower deck while the aristocrats were at the upper deck overlooking the stadium, allowing them to have a better view. Every person in the stadium couldn''t stay calm, everyone was buzzing with excitement. Some couldn''t even sit still and were restless. The stadium was filled with different kinds of noises, some hoots, another cheered loudly, a few more whistles. All of them were looking down at the arena with eyes filled with excitement. And this included Rei and Inspector Han. Rei''s sharp eyes managed to pick out Jian Yu among the ?ssembly of students that participated in the tournament. When he first heard that his brother was participating, his heart was filled with worry. Could he withstand the pressure? What if he got hurt during the game? There were tons of questions and worries inside his head that he couldn''t help but pout. ''Brother Yu¡­'' The tournament was particularly harsh. It didn''t just consist of a duel between two individuals. There were actually two more stages before the duel. The first round was marksmanship, more preferably archery. Not many would be eliminated during the first round, much unlike the second. The second round was hunting. This round usually eliminated almost half of the participants. Not only was it difficult, but also hazardous, especially during the winter like now. And for some reason, it was held especially only during the cold weather. The hunting was held in the spacious area, a training ground just right behind the school. The place was said to be carefully supervised for events like this. Looking from afar, the training ground looked more like a dark forest. Even though it was in broad daylight, it gave off an eerie feeling. The rule was simple. There were a lot of wild animals there. The bigger it was, the higher the points. However, things were never as simple as how it was. Instead of worrying over how to move freely among the heavy snow and searching for the largest animal like a headless chicken to kill, there were various traps and obstacles laid out that could cause serious injury. Winter was a season for a high incidence of asthma and bronchitis. Participating in the hunting game was just like another dangerous survival game. The only advantages given was that the participants wouldn''t be acting alone. In this round, they were given the chance to find an ally among the participants and formed a group of two. Work together and strive for the best. However, don''t be fooled. It was just a facade. On the surface, it might have looked like the tournament just gave a leeway to win, but on the inside, it was just another mass elimination. If only one of the two was injured and unable to continue, the other teammate would also be eliminated as well. This way, it was much easier for them to cut down the participants and only the best could join the last round of the tournament, the final duel. Some used extreme measures to win. Some just had bad blood with the others and used this opportunity to attack as in the training ground that was surrounded with tall and big trees, no one could exactly see what happened and any injuries could pass as accidents. Strangely, Jian Yu showed unusual signs of calmness and no sign of nervousness. If more, he actually looked like he wanted to take a bite off someone. Rei sighed and could only cheer for him inwardly. It was then the tournament host''s voice echoed loudly in the air. Taking a deep breath, the host''s loud booming voice came out rapidly like he was rapping a song. He introduced the tournament a little too excitedly and sweet talk as he mentioned a bunch of sponsors like he was dipping himself in honey. His mouth was moving so fast like a train in a rush. Any normal person would have their tongue twisted if they tried. "Now! Let''s not waste more time and begin the first round, Archery!" Rei wanted to say, ''You are the one wasting too much time.'' "Please, all of you stand in your designated position!" As the host announced the start of the tournament, all the spectators that were previously chatting with each other as to wait for the host to finish his long speech, finally turned their attention back to the arena. And of course, points would be given depending on how close their arrows landed towards the center.. Hitting bullseye would be rewarded with even more extra points. Chapter 67 - The First Round "Begin!" At the signal, all the participants who had their arrows ready let loose their bows in unison. Loud cheers and hoots erupted from the spectators in the lower class. Those on the upper deck didn''t move at all and not even a sound could be heard from them. Trying to maintain elegance seemed to be their goal. Well, almost all of them. It was impossible to miss such an extreme and extravagant anomaly that happened in the rows of emotionally deprived nobles. "Go! Go! My son!! My boy!! Make daddy proud!!!" In his hands, a large sign covered with various flowers and heart drawings swayed dangerously as Derek moved side by side vigorously. His face was red from all the shouting he did and he acted nonchalant at the weird stares he received. He was doing something that not even the head of Zero, who was known for his daughter complex, had the guts to do. Besides, in his opinion, they all should be accustomed towards his behaviour as he did this every year. Why were they still shocked? Beside him, Lynn was suffering, yet he still did his job earnestly by occasionally throwing the flower petals around Derek to create a majestic image. He moved from the left to the right side of Derek to throw the petals without stopping. All the time, Lynn had his head bowed and the tip of his ears were red in embarrassment. As much as he wanted to cheer for Zeke, they could do it in many different ways. No need to shout like this--! "My Lord!!" Lynn''s eyes almost bulged out of his skull when he noticed how close Derek almost fell off the railings of the upper deck as he leaned over too much to cheer for his son. "Be careful, you idiot!" Lynn grasped the back of Derek''s suit and pulled. He put all his weight onto his th??hs to hold Derek''s slightly heavier mass. The idiot paused and realized that he now had a stable pivot; which was Lynn; he turned back and continued cheering like a mad man. The white-haired Alpha''s jaw almost went slack at the audacity of the other man. ''Goddammit! You''re lucky you are handsome enough or I will definitely let go and let you fall from this height!'' He would have to serve a dish called "Derek Meat Pie" if he did! In the eyes of passersby, the two looked like they were reminiscing a scene from titanic where Rose, with her arms spread wide in each of her side, was standing at the edge of the ship with Jack holding her waist, whereas here, Derek was the one playing as Rose and Lynn wasn''t as romantic as Jack to hold Derek by his waist. If taken a closer look, Lynn looked like he wanted to take a voodoo doll and jabbed the needle million times into it. XXX At this moment, Zeke wished he had gone to the mortuary and booked a room for himself. Maybe he should have just booked it for his dad. The moment that cheesy cheering from his dad reached his ears, he was sure he was going to die from embarrassment. Every year, he had told his old man to stop, yet he never listened! Forget booking a room, he would just dig the ground right now and bury himself in it. Pouting, he adjusted the bow in his hands. Zeke had done a few warmed up in the waiting room and relaxed his muscles. Standing in line, he watched a few participants before him as he waited for his turn. The sound of arrows slicing through the air echoed loudly. Most of them hit their target, but some of them didn''t. In the end, there were a few that were eliminated. When it reached Mika''s turn, Zeke almost looked proud. This friend of his was amazing. Hitting bullseye with almost every arrow. Zeke was sure Dong-Hyun would have passed this round easily, but that man never had any interest in participating in tournaments like this. He said it was useless as he just wanted to inherit his father''s business. Next one was Lloyd. The blond guy actually did better than last year as Zeke observed him. He managed to score eighteen out of twenty! Looked like he practiced a lot. Finally it was Jian Yu''s turn to step up. Zeke quickly watched as Jian Yu calmly raised the bow and fired his arrow. Thud! His arrow pierced the target. Bullseye. Only one single shot and Zeke already brightened up. ''My wife is so amazing!'' Jian Yu fired his remaining shots with effortless grace. His slightly longer hair swayed as the wind blew over his face and Zeke immediately su?k?d up all the beautiful images, storing them in his mind for later inspection. He gave off the feeling of an immortal elf hunting magical creatures in the forest. Zeke was sure he would see it in the next round. "Perfect score!" Zeke gasped in awe at the announcement. "Woow-- ah!" "See something you like?" Clement stood on her tiptoes, looking for the source of Zeke''s entertainment, before making a ''ahh~'' expression as she found Jian Yu in the front lines. Zeke flushed at the fact that he was so noticable and grumbled. "Mind your own business." "Oh, he is indeed good. Hitting the bullseye repeatedly." Clement mused as she ignored Zeke. "He must be good at using firearms as well." She continued before pausing as she sniffed something unpleasant in the air. Pinching her nose, she hissed. "You are like¡­ Three or four days from your rut?" "3 actually." Zeke huffed. "And you actually still join the tournament?!" She looked scandalous. "This is not the first time and I took my pills regularly." Zeke shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, having pre-rut now makes me focus a lot more than normally and I''m more s?ns?t?v? towards the surroundings, which may help a lot in the second round." Clement didn''t look convinced at all. "... If you said so." "Is that a worry I hear?" "Touch him during the rut and the Rodericks will have to worry for their next generation. I should say my condolences to Lord Roderick beforehand." Zeke immediately crouched and covered his ''little brother'' to protect him from the evil gaze of the evil spawn, Clement. Chapter 68 - Whos My Partner?! A short break was declared at the end of the first round. Zeke had looked particularly smug at the embedded arrows on the target. Every single one of his arrows hit bullseye. One of the arrows had pierced through another just to claim the same spot. That just showed how good he was. Everyone could see how his head had expanded from all the praises and woos from his fan club in the spectators seats. Some of them even wondered how he could carry such an overweight head all the time. The number of the participants had been cut down to about three quarters of its original number. The next round was the hunting game. This time, the host guided them out from the stadium and had them line up in front of the locked training ground that was located right behind their school. Zeke squinted at the large sign nailed on the enormous tree trunk in the front. [THE ENCHANTED FOREST] Zeke''s face was full of black lines. What enchanted forest?! There was nothing magical or mystical at all about the forest. It only gave off an eerie feeling like the creatures inside were all waiting for them to be their next meal. Despite the safety measures they built around the forest, one way in meant one way out. Once entering, there was no way to go out unless the guards opened the entrance for you. Besides, the forest was more than 30 km, so danger was inevitable. And their weapon was only a bow! Nothing else! In addition, in consideration to the level of the mentality of each participant, the school had set up boundary barriers within the forest to separate between carnivores and herbivores. The second round of the tournament was to test the participant''s comprehensive abilities and their teamwork, requiring them to pass through the enchanted forest within 18 hours. It was like they were being thrusted into a hellhole. The more dangerous the creature they hunted, the higher the point. "18 hours?" Zeke quickly calculated in his mind. It was midday right now, around 2-3 p.m. If they started the second round now, they would likely be staying in the forest for the night. And to be honest, Zeke found this game much more thrilling than the test before. This hunting was new and only established for 4 years. Before, it was a racehorse. He couldn''t count how many times he had fallen off the horse during training. As much as he loved animals, horses never seemed to like him and always tried to throw him off. Which made him wonder what his ancestors had ever done to offend the ancestors of horses. Zeke silently sighed in his heart as he heard the host announcing that they chose their partner for the second round. "Hey, I''m looking for--" Zeke choked on his saliva. Silver. The color that had him jumped at every second. His heart thumped in excitement and Zeke felt a lump had lodged inside his throat. Jian Yu stood directly in front of him with his arms on either side of his h?ps. Snowflakes danced in the air, swaying in a gentle rhythm around him. The scenery behind him was white and the Silverette Beta looked like he ruled over the snow. When one of the flakes landed on his nose, Zeke had the sudden urge to brush it off for him. The arm on his shoulder suddenly tightened and strangled Zeke. Mika dragged him away, out of Jian Yu''s earshot and pulled him closer to say something. "Yo, you lucky bastard. The love of your life just volunteered to be your partner for the second round," Mika wiggled his eyebrows at Zeke as he whispered. "No need to thank me, no need to thank me, of course I will hand over my bestfriend--" Mika was cut off mid-sentence when Zeke took hold of his neck and choked him. The tables had turned. "Are you out of your mind?!" The strangled Mika struggled to speak. "Aren''t you the one drinking your ?ss off and crying like a baby-- akh!!" "It''s not like it matters so much if your partner is a Beta." Mika gently pointed out. "It''s because he is a Beta that I need to be more careful so I can see little me and him running around in the future! I have to stop taking so many pills!" Zeke ?r??n?d in frustration. "...But I already said yes?" Mika timidly voiced. Hearing this, Zeke winced inwardly. He slowly turned his head towards where Jian Yu was, only to see he now had his arms crossed over his ?h?st and looking at them with a tilted head. A raised eyebrow and a cute little smile on his lips. Somehow the cute smile didn''t seem cute at all anymore! It was as if there was something hidden in it! Zeke suddenly felt like crying out. He was heavily worried. Staying with Jian Yu for a day in a dangerous forest sounded pleasant yet unpleasant at the same time. It would have been a different matter if that incident hadn''t happened and when he wasn''t in his pre-rut. As if sensing his worry, Jian Yu slowly stepped up to them and spoke calmly. "Don''t worry, I definitely won''t drag you down." "Of course, you won''t. I will have to trouble you instead." Zeke straightened up, a stiff smile on his face as he kept on smacking Mika on the back harshly. It was all Mika''s fault if he ever came back impotent, whether from the overuse of the pills or being chopped off by Jian Yu. Chapter 69 - The Hunting Game The gathered participants were given a simple kit and a new set of arrows to survive in the hellhole. It was like a small travel pack. Zeke rummaged and checked what was given to them. Flashlight, Simple first-aid kit, 2 packs of ration bars¡­ ''How thoughtful of them.'' Like hell these could fill his stomach. He shoved everything back inside, not forgetting to put the bottle of suppressant pills he kept securely in his pocket. He was ready to seal his fate when his hand brushed something metallic. He was quite shocked when he pulled out a gun from the kit. "Handgun¡­? No way¡ª" The voice of the host of the tournament cut him off. "How was the warming up before? Too easy? Not thrilling enough? No worries! The main event has just started, the Hunting game!" The host swept his eyes across the participants with eagerness. "The rule is exceptionally simple! The bigger and dangerous it is, the better! You and your partner have a total of 18 hours to explore this magnificent and magical forest. And rest ?ssured, to avoid any casualties like the past few years, we decided to give each one of you a flare gun. If you are injured or feel like you cannot continue, you can activate this help flare. If you do, we will immediately pull you out. However, in doing so, you will automatically be withdrawn from the tournament. Any questions?" "I have one," One of the participants called out, raising his hand. "When you say withdrawn, does that mean we are immediately eliminated?" "Yes, you will be eliminated right away." "There are only two ration bars, are you trying to kill us?" Another one voiced out. "A few animals are quite edible though?" "Does anyone else have any questions?" The host smiled. When all the questions had been answered, they were soon left to their own accord to discuss with their partner. Mika had fled to who knows where, running like his life depended on it. Leaving just the two of them, Zeke turned to Jian Yu, who was busy thinking how to carry the set of arrows and kit that was handed to him. The confusion in his face, the little frown on his forehead, everything just screamed cute! Detecting that someone was looking at him, Jian Yu''s movement suddenly jerked to a stop and he found himself looking straight at Zeke. The two of them locked their gaze and Jian Yu blinked. Being caught red-handed, Zeke''s face burned as he realized he had been staring far too long. His mind turned its gear as he tried to find a topic to speak of. A tilt of the head from Jian Yu almost sent him out of the universe by how endearing it looked. However, the silence stretched as the two of them continued staring at each other and the situation had almost turned awkward as none of them had started talking. Zeke almost couldn''t spell the word AWKWARD anymore to show how awkward it was! ''Oh My God, how he wishes he could run away like before!'' "A-- Are you sure you are okay with me? Is it okay for you to leave Clement alone?" Zeke finally blurted out. He patted himself in the back for not biting his own tongue. Jian Yu sighed, finally giving up in trying to figure out how to carry the whole thing with him. He placed the quiver of arrows down onto the snowy ground before giving Zeke his full attention. "Thank you for your concern, Sir Roderick, but are you in any sense doubting me?" "That''s not¡ª" "Don''t look so serious, Sir Roderick," Jian Yu chuckled softly, before continuing. "Besides, Lady Clement was the one ordering me to partner up with you, along with a message." Jian Yu coughed and made his voice a pitch higher to imitate Clement. "''Hope you choke so that the line ends with you'' is what she said, though I wasn''t quite sure what she meant by that." Zeke felt a tick once he heard that. He knew damn well what she meant! ''Line ends with me?!'' Zeke was about to spit fire. Why the hell was everyone wishing him to become impotent? The black-haired Alpha rubbed his throbbing ?h?st. Sniffling like a kid, he strapped the quiver over his ?h?st and adjusted it comfortably so it wasn''t too loose or too tight. His movements were natural as he had done this a few times but it wasn''t the same for Jian Yu. The silverette Beta was more accustomed and familiar with the use of firearms instead of this. A small smile appeared on Zeke''s face as he saw Jian Yu struggling with the complicated straps of the quiver. Before he knew it, the Alpha had already walked over to Jian Yu. "Here, let me help." As much as he wanted to demand answers and hit the other guy for his recent behaviour, standing so close like this was affecting him and caused his heart to waver. "This should go this way and here around the waist, not too low, just a little below your ?h?st¡­" ''He wore fingerless gloves,'' Jian Yu noticed. His fingers were long. The Beta wondered if they were as smooth as they looked. Or maybe he had callouses from training and all. Just a touch and he would know. The Alpha''s large hands went over his back to pull at the straps, brushing across his sides. Even though the silvertte wore thick clothes, Jian Yu could feel heat spreaded across the places that Zeke touched. His deep voice sounded so soothing and the warm puffs of clouds from his breath brushed against the Beta''s face. In such a close proximity, Jian Yu''s nose was ?ssaulted by a sweet and somehow earthy-like scent. There was also a hint of chocolate in there. The whole new discovery made Jian Yu flushed beet red. He ducked his head down and clenched his hands. "There you go, is it too tight? Too loose?" Jian Yu snapped his head up and blinked his eyes open. He hadn''t even realized he had his eyes closed the entire time and sniffed like a pervert. "N--no, it''s just right. Thank you very much." "No problem." Zeke flashed him a smile and Jian Yu''s heart thumped. ''If you do, it will cause you pain in the end.'' ''You will have no one else but yourself to blame.'' ''No matter the result, you have to accept it.'' "Sir--" As if the host knew exactly what Jian Yu wanted to say, the host began speaking to the crowd again. "Dear competitors!!" After getting the attention he wanted, the host cleared his throat and spoke excitedly. "I hope everyone is ready for the hunting game! Aren''t you excited?! Let''s not wait any longer and finally go forward! The hunting game had finally begun! Open the gate!!!" Chapter 70 - Enough is enough There were at least around 50 people, about 25 teams entered the forest from the only entrance. At first, the people clustered together, before gradually growing less and less as they went different ways. Zeke had wanted to drag Mika, after all, the more the merrier; but the other guy immediately put in chokehold and was taken away to the other side by Clement. And also with the purpose to diminish the awkward tension between him and Jian Yu. Well, maybe just him. The silverette actually looked as peaceful as usual. However the air he carried around him was somewhat different from usual. The smile, even though soft looking and sweet, it sent the alarm in the Alpha''s head off. The whole time, he felt like he was walking on thin ice, or even a ticking bomb that was ready to explode anytime. Jokes that were stuck on the tip of his tongue would forever stick. Not even the corniest pick up line dared to stick its neck out this time. Zeke really wished the tension would lessen even just a little bit. Despite the cold weather, he was actually sweating bullets and Zeke was sure that wasn''t even due to his pre-rut. "I think¡­ We should make a map." Jian Yu said the moment Zeke was ready to give up to the tight tension. The aura around Jian Yu had also dismissed a little bit, making Zeke sighed in relief. "I''m sure you are quite familiar with this forest, unlike me." Yes, that was actually quite true. Normally, when he paired up with Mika, they had tacit understanding on what to hunt and they both knew their limits. With Zeke''s outstanding memory, he had mapped out the whole forest after being inside for more than twice. He had a big picture of it in his mind and could even imagine it in 3D. That was partly why they could finish this round without many injuries and with remarkable scores. What Jian Yu said made a lot of sense. Zeke nodded in understanding. "That''s a good idea. I could draw a big picture of it if you want. Do you have any paper or something I could draw on?" "Thankfully I always bring a spare notebook with me," Jian Yu rummaged through his thick clothes and pulled out a small notepad with a pen holder. He walked with much difficulty as he had to drag his legs across the snow that had now raised to his calf. Even though Jian Yu had worn layers of clothes, the cold still managed to make his teeth chatter against each other. He wasn''t exaggerating. Usually they were all protected by tall buildings and fireplace in mansions, but here, there was nothing. The tall trees actually enhanced the coldness. Zeke noticed the shiver that ran through Jian Yu''s body and couldn''t help but be filled with worry. "Are you cold?" Compared to the Beta, Zeke had much stronger resistance towards cold weather and with the help of his pre-rut, the weather wasn''t bothering him at all. Before Jian Yu could say anything, Zeke''s strong legs had already made their way to him as his hands moved to unwrap the dark green scarf around his neck. "Sir--" Taking a step back, he almost burst out in laughter. Jian Yu looked like a puffed up chipmunk. The scarf was thick and made of wool. It had bunched up around the silverette''s neck and squeezed his cheeks together. How adorable. Zeke immediately snatched the notepad out of Jian Yu''s hand to avoid his brain from going haywire. "I will map out anything I remember." Jian Yu, on the other hand, was steaming. He couldn''t help it. He wanted to deny it and suppressed his hope from getting high up. But he couldn''t. He had already fallen for this man. He had fallen and fell hard. The scarf was full of his smell and full of comfort. He felt like he was drowning in it as the cloth wrapped around his neck and up to his face. Slowly, he raised his hand and brought it closer to his nose to sniff it. ''Zeke really smells sweet.'' Sweet like chocolate. When Lady Clement asked him to partner up with Zeke, he was quite elated. He had always tried to corner the other man several times, but the man managed to escape every time. Even though he had hardened his heart to question the man''s behaviour and anticipated the rejection, his heart couldn''t help but shake in relief every time Zeke escaped him. He wanted to know the harsh truth yet he also wanted to drown in this beautiful lie. ''Let me enjoy this moment a little more before I have to back away.'' That was why he had made up his mind. He had been throwing out any ounce of rationality for too long, but enough was enough. Until the end of the tournament. And no more. It was just three more days. ''Enjoy every moment while you can.'' Jian Yu clenched his fingers through the scarf as he looked at Zeke. Jian Yu leaned over to examine the map Zeke drew. This man was really amazing. The map was quite detailed. He even marked which animal resided at which part of the forest. "Any idea which animal should we go first?" Chapter 71 - Lovable Crow Mouth In the category of herbivores, rabbits are granted the least points. Only 1 point. The highest one was a moose. It granted 3 points. If you want a higher score, aim for carnivores. Snakes, tigers, bears¡­ Those animals gave more than 5 points each or maybe 10 points, depending on what you were able to bring back. The head? The skin, perhaps? Or maybe the teeth and claws? But then, Zeke recalled the additional information about the game. Getting this animal was like a free pass, guaranteed with a flying score. And that particular animal was¡­ The head of the Alpha wolf of this forest. However, no one seemed to want to hunt this vicious animal. There was only one reason that could back this up. One plus ten. It was like an extremely generous package. Buy this one and you get an extra ten more with similar features. Go for the Alpha, be prepared for the other ten members of the pack to tear you apart. No one with the right and healthy mind would go and actually hunt for these beasts. It was even better if people were hunting them, but what if it was the other way around? Don''t even think of going out of the forest alive. It was considered lucky enough if you even managed to save your limbs, one of your limbs, to be exact. Zeke himself didn''t even want to meet the pack of wolves. Hunting a tiger or bear? With enough strategy and spectacular aiming skills, it was easy to take down. But a pack of wolves? Just go and die. Even though you shot one down, you wouldn''t have enough time to escape before the others tore your limbs. The black-haired Alpha sneezed, rubbing his nose as cold wind blew past him. What was this? A bad omen? Bad premonition? Wait-- that''s the same thing! Zeke sniffed. He really just hoped he wouldn''t run into something unexpected. But he definitely knew once he wished that, nothing would ever go as he wished. He should have stopped his crow mouth from opening. XXX Two hours of slogging through wind and snow, the two of them wandered aimlessly. The air was cold and thick, snowflakes stuck to them. However, the two of them stayed silent throughout the ordeal. In truth, Zeke was getting restless. They actually didn''t run into any kind of animals! Aside from the occasional sounds from insects and birds and wind, since they were in nature, their surroundings were extremely still. How could that be?! He knew exactly and precisely about this area. This was the east side of the forest, a little further down and they would see a river with clear water, maybe frozen water as it was winter now. Normally there were at least a few deers passing by or even a moose! But no, they had yet to meet any up till now which made Zeke frown in confusion. Normally with Mika, after hunting the animals they wanted, finding a cave was their next target. However, he and Jian Yu hadn''t even gotten a glimpse of any kind of animals. It was strange. Weird. And it somehow sent chills down his spine. Did the deers decide to exchange habitats with the tigers? Tired of the same old boring territory and wanting to breathe new fresh air? Zeke wondered what kind of negotiation had been established. Wouldn''t that be so much fun to watch? There indeed had a frozen river down below so Zeke was so sure they were on the right track. The temperature was so low that the Alpha noticed Jian Yu rubbing his arms insistently as if doing so could warm himself up, maybe it helped a bit. He resisted the urge to reach out and brush the snow that had piled on Jian Yu''s shoulder. Zeke was also in need to stitch his mouth from blurting out nonsense like ''let''s embrace for the night is cold'' so he just resorted to violence. He smacked his handsome face. SMACK! The smack wasn''t exactly loud but it still echoed throughout the forest, disrupting the tranquility it tried hard to maintain. "What? What''s wrong?" Jian Yu was startled. The baby monkey threw a stone at Zeks''s head as it screamed at the Alpha, hitting Zeke right at his forehead. The once silent forest erupted into various kinds of noises and all of them were directed solely at Zeke. Zeke had something to say. He felt really wronged here! Spotting Jian Yu''s mortified face from a distance, Zeke rubbed his neck in embarrassment, his cheek still stinging from the smack. "My blood is so delectable that a mosquito decided to make a nest there." Looking at how Jian Yu''s expression distorted into a more disgusted one, the Alpha finally realized how wrong his statements were. "N--No wait, that sounded really wrong," Zeke forced out a laugh but it didn''t seem to improve his situation. His "ha ha ha" was so fake that even he himself cringed at it. However, after a while, Jian Yu snorted softly before chuckling. Coughing into his fist as gently as he could appear to be, Jian Yu spoke. "It''s winter. There can''t be any mosquitoes in here. Besides¡­" Jian Yu turned and gestured to the whole area that was covered in white with his arms. "Don''t you think it is a bit too quiet in here? I thought you said there is a herd of deer live here--" A rustle sounded from the bushes close to Jian Yu. Note: Crow''s mouth is when one is prone to jinxing things.. They''ll muse on a bad, worse-case scenario and it will inevitably happen. Chapter 72 - Stumbling into a wolf den "Darling, you truly are high maintenance. Do you think I can get a refund? Kisses and hugs are acceptable." A frustrated sigh. "You have five seconds before I drop you here." "Did you say something? Did I say something? No? I must have heard wrong. It is probably the wind just now." Jian Yu snorted softly. Sure, the wind was especially harsh right now. Bellowing like something or even someone had managed to fuel it''s rage to the maximum level. The wind was howling, like it was screaming in their ears constantly. It was harsh nevertheless. The normally soft and fluffy looking snowflakes were carried along by the strong wind, making them look solid and structured like they were made with sharp edges, cut through the both of them. Jian Yu''s legs trembled and he tried his hardest not to let his knees weaken, considering how he was supporting half of Zeke''s weight and trying to withstand the strong breeze. He panted, white clouds puffed around his mouth as he adjusted his grip on the Alpha''s arm that was slung over his shoulder. "How is your ankle? Think you can manage until we find a cave?" "Throbbing." ''Like how my heart throb for you'' was left unsaid, hanging right at the tip of his tongue because Zeke convinced himself that he still wanted to see his future unfold. "But endurable," Zeke mumbled, voice strained as it tried to fly through the wind. Jian Yu frowned. They needed to find the cave Zeke had pointed out before or maybe just anywhere that was sheltered right now to avoid the snowstorm. Jian Yu gritted his teeth as he maneuvered against the thick snow that had somehow piled up to his ankle once they stopped moving. He had an impression that if they stayed still for any longer, they would be completely buried. But then again. This was mostly his fault that Zeke now supported a sprained ankle. If only he never let his guard down and dodge well, none of these would have to happen. The place had been marked off as a place with no predators, only to find themselves being jumped at by one. A bear no less. Zeke was the first to react when a huge black bear leaped from the bushes. The Alpha grabbed him and pulled him aside, his arms wrapped firmly around the Beta''s slim waist as he got them out of the way as a massive black shape brushed past them in the speed of lighting. Not only did Zeke land on the wrong foot and sprained an ankle but he also landed on the wrong side of the forest. It turned out that the both of them had wandered close to the mountain slope. It might not be that high but rolling down the slope like this would still hurt a lot. Jian Yu himself wasn''t sure if he should laugh or actually be worried, because their fall managed to save them from a vicious swipe from the bear''s enormous clawed feet. The both of them rolled down the snowy slope with the same mindset in their own mind. ''Protect!'' Unknown to each other, Jian Yu and Zeke both thought the same thing and their bodies reacted accordingly. Unfortunately for Jian Yu, Zeke had a larger build and he easily tucked the Beta in his arms and took all the damage. The journey down the slope might be cushioned with the thickness of the snow, but sharp twigs still protrude stubbornly among the fluffy snow, waiting expectantly for their opportunity to stab you. They rolled and rolled, holding tight against each other. It turned out that the slope was quite slanted as they went down real fast. The throb in Zeke''s ankle flared even more when they landed harshly on top of the frozen river. With both their body weights combined, the impact where Zeke''s back met directly against the frozen water produced a low but loud thud and a small crack formed underneath them. Fortunately for them, they landed somewhere near the shore where Jian Yu hurriedly detangled himself from Zeke''s arm, who was still groaning in pain as he received all of the damage, and hooked his arms under the Alpha''s armpit and pulled him off the frozen river and into safety ground. And now here they were. "Found it," He told Zeke, his voice straining as he panted. "Hang on." Gritting his teeth in concentration, he adjusted his grip on the Alpha, this time using all his might to carry most of Zeke''s weight. He couldn''t let the Alpha keep pressuring his sprained ankle. The mouth of the cave was quite narrow but once passed the mouth, the cave opened out. It was dark and much deeper than Jian Yu expected. It was wide enough and they would definitely not feel cramped in here. Jian Yu carefully laid Zeke down on the ground, sitting him down with his back towards the wall of the cave. He was debating what to do in advance, lighting up a bonfire or treating Zeke''s injury. Just as he was about to settle down to examine Zeke''s ankle, the smell of old blood and rotten meat attacked his sense of smell, causing him to gag slightly. The disgusted look and frown on Zeke''s face only proved that he smelt it too. A low growl was what they heard before they both found themselves locking gazes with gleaming yellow eyes. Holy mother¡­ They had actually intruded and almost made themselves cozy and comfortable in the house of wolves. Chapter 73 - When did he learn to do this? Jian Yu really wished he could cry out at this very moment. How could they¡­ how could they actually manage to stumble into a wolf den? He slowly rolled his obsidian ones from the yellowish eyes to glare at the owner of the jade eyes, coincidently locking gaze with Zeke. The other man actually had the nerve to look innocent with a little sprinkle of pitifullness added like a cherry to a cupcake. The Beta turned his attention back towards the wolf-- he counted the head, only one, which made him sigh a bit in relief; taking down one wolf was better than the whole pack right? Wait. Where was the rest? A scoff was heard from his left and Jian Yu sneaked a glance at the source of sound. "I can''t believe we were all fooled by the Headmaster," Zeke snorted. "A whole pack? He just fu?k?n? put a female Alpha wolf in the middle of this gloomy forest." The Alpha couldn''t believe they had all been listening to the principal bluffing about a whole huge ?ss pack of wolves placed in the middle of the forest to scare the shit out of them. He even made up stories about how they had to drag the remnants of the victims of the vicious wolves. The victims were indistinguishable! They were reduced to almost nothing! Perhaps, it was indeed nothing due to the fact that none of it ever happened at all. That meant that everything they had heard up till now were mere rumors made up by the Headmaster. Zeke really couldn''t accept his naivety. However, if he put this matter aside and while still on the topic of extreme bluffing¡­ "Fooled?" Zeke flinched unconsciously. He gulped. Don''t get him wrong! As a male, he needed to ruffle and puff his feathers to appease his future mate. Heck, even a peacock did too! So don''t blame him for making up shits about him encountering and surviving the wolf pack as part of his tragic and heroic backstory! Maybe he added a bit more spice in it to make it even more flamboyant. But well, who would have thought that they would encounter the subject of their discussion that quick? He really did have a crow mouth. On the ?ssumption that he had to provide an impromptu but detailed explanation, the Alpha was half glad and half relieved when confusion filled the Beta''s drop-dead gorgeous face. "Female?" Jian Yu was too focused on the fact that they were only a good eight paces away from a snarling wolf and the pungent smell of day old blood and rotting flesh that he missed the shredded carcass of hare, lying scattered at her feet. There was a scurry of movement among the scattered hare and Jian Yu tracked more and more young pups appearing from under the hare, scampering back to their mother. Three ¡ª no, four ¡ª pups clambered over each other, another one toppled the other as if trying to reach its mother in a hurry. Two pressed themselves close against the light brown cloak of their mother and the last, limped towards the mother wolf before slumping on its side over the uneven ground. From his distance, he couldn''t exactly see what was wrong with the young pup but he could draw a few conclusion to himself as he noticed the heavy rise and fall of its stomach indicating its harsh breathing and soft wh?n?s falling out of his snout as it slowly licked at the exposed flesh of what Jian Yu thought was a hind leg. It seemed Zeke noticed it too as he commented. "Ah, a fellow bear survivor." After a while, the mother wolf eventually deemed the sudden appearance of two dumb humans, one injured, as weaklings and not a threat, she turned her attention towards her injured pup, distressed by the continuous painful wh?n?s of her young and licked at it, trying to calm and soothe the young one. She picked up a piece of meat and nosed it towards the little pup, but the young one was in no mood to feed, kept on whining in pain. He pulled out the elastic bandages provided in the bag given out to each of them. He moved instinctively as if his body knew what to do and pulled off Zeke''s left boots. His ankle had swollen a lot, supporting a purple-blue color. He needed something cold to press on the ankle. Thank goodness it was snowing so heavily that Jian Yu hurriedly gathered snow right outside the den and piled them thickly inside the scarf Zeke had given to him. Wrapping it tightly, he managed to create a makeshift ice pack. Walking back towards the Alpha, who was watching him unblinkingly, he crouched down and gently pressed the ice pack look-alike onto the ankle. Feeling the intense gaze on him, Jian Yu ignored him in favor of keeping pressing the pack down. After a quarter-hour, the Beta slowly raised Zeke''s ankle up, lifting it and wrapping it expertly. He wound it around the ankle, not too tightly, then he added two more overlapping strips under foot and wrapped it up over the top and around the ankle again. Still going on, he continued to pull bandages from the back of the ankle and back to the top of the foot to complete the second loop. He finished it up by taking it back up under the arch of the foot and repeated the same action twice. Jian Yu checked his handiwork and taped the exposed skin to avoid blisters from happening from any gaps. "Try moving your toes. Is it uncomfortable?" Zeke did as instructed and wiggled his toes before shaking his head. "It''s good." "Keep it at your heart level." Jian Yu instructed. "You are amazing! It''s like there is nothing you couldn''t do!" Sparkles appeared from the gorgeous jade eyes, piercing brightly through Jian Yu''s soul. The Beta rubbed the back of his neck embarrassingly, his face warmed. "It''s nothing. I''ve always done it when I was young¡ª" No. Truth to be told, this was the first time he did this. He had never performed this treatment before. In fact, he would remember if he ever did. Yet, everything he did seemed natural like he had done it numerous times, the way he handled the injury and bandages. How? How was that possible? When did he learn to do all of this? Chapter 74 - A night in the wild (1) When did he learn all of this? He never recalled himself studying medical stuff or even self-instructing himself about doing first aid. The obsidian eyes of his eyed at the bandaged ankle. It looked perfect like it was done by an experienced medic. Even though he wanted to praise himself for having a knack for it, he was still confused. How? When? Why couldn''t he recall it? He might not remember it psychologically, but physically, his body, more importantly, his muscle memory, was working exceptionally well. This particular movement and action he did was without conscious thought as if it was a result of something he had frequently done before. Not now, but before. Way before he suffered amnesia. Jian Yu bit his lips and stared down at his hands, which were still covered in thick gloves. He honestly wasn''t sure what to feel. Was he supposed to be happy that he had such a handy trick up his sleeves or should he be more concerned about the fact that he knew how to do such a thing? Where did he learn it? Who did he learn it from? His mother? Impossible, his mother knew almost nothing about medical stuff. Jian Yu frowned. "Broken ribs?" "Huh?" Wincing, Zeke was quite startled as he was being talked to. A few minutes ago, he had been trying to get Jian Yu''s attention, which he failed miserably. "No, just a bruise, I hope so." The Silverette Beta was worried, unknowingly reaching out and ran his hand not so lightly across the Alpha''s thick clothed ?h?st and Zeke hissed. Jian Yu gave Zeke a pointed look and the other averted his gaze like a professional. The Beta sighed and shook his head. This Alpha was acting like a tough guy. Fractured ribs. Not broken, but definitely fractured. "..." Damn it. It happened again. How the hell did he know it was either fractured or broken just by touching it?! Jian Yu wanted to groan out loud. Frustrated that he couldn''t get his mind out of it. No, he needed to calm down. He had to sort out his priority, which was surviving the cold night. Get the tournament done. Question Zeke''s courting intention. Yeah. That''s it. Having deluded himself into calming down, the Beta took a quick glance at Zeke. He was not going anywhere in this condition, well, not like THEY could go anywhere. It was dark and scary outside the cave, and traveling in the forest during these moments was a terrible idea. It was worse than their extra roommate, who had deemed them as dumb humans for the time being; thank you very much, Mrs. Wolfie. Jian Yu pushed all the unrelated matters into the back of his mind and began to establish his planned steps. He picked himself up in resignation and went hunting for twigs. He wasn''t exactly an expert in surviving in the wilderness, but making fire was quite efficacious, right? Not only could it keep them warm but also to ward off wild animals or did it not? Should Mrs. Wolfie and her pups be counted as wild animals or friendly neighbours? Yet it seemed, the problems didn''t lie there. The books or whatever survival stuff he had read before never really elaborate and neglected how difficult it was to light a fire. It was really frustrating that Jian Yu felt like coughing blood. Zeke was snickering at the side and the Beta got right back at him every time the Alpha hurt himself at every attempt to laugh at him. After so long, there were no bursting flames like he had expected, only thin smoke came out as the moisture from the tree branches reduced any possibility of creating a fire. It wasn''t until he was this close to give up that Zeke poked at his arm hesitantly before handing him a box of matches that Jian Yu felt rage bubbling up inside him that he wanted to strangle the Alpha. Finally able to make a small bonfire, Jian Yu settled himself down near the cave mouth, right across Zeke with the fire in between them. He leaned back against the rough stone wall and finally let himself relax. XXX The silverette wasn''t sure how long had passed until he had to jerk himself awake, shocked that he actually dozed off. The feeling of waking up abruptly felt like his heart had dropped to the bottom. Though the mother wolf didn''t appear threatening for the time being, no one knew when she would finally snap. Besides¡­ That wasn''t the only reason Jian Yu snapped awake. The feeling of cold and wet nose on the palm of his hand and the sound of sniffing was really breaking down his mental state. Slowly, he pried his eyes open and looked at Zeke who sat across him. The man looked like he was asleep. His silky black bangs had fallen over his forehead, making him appear much younger. His lips were parted as he breathed, slow and even, which was a good sign. He then peeked out from the corner of his eyes to see a pair of small fuzzy ears loitering so close to him. It was so close that Jian Yu jumped at the coldness of wet snout that accidentally poked his hand. In the end, he couldn''t even pretend to be asleep anymore. The Beta blinked and watched as it bounced on its paws and sniffed the air at Jian Yu''s direction. The Beta could feel the gaze of its mother watching him carefully before she gave a soft bark and the curious little one scurried back towards her, though it''s small head turned back quite a few times as it watched Jian Yu with open interest. Chapter 75 - A night in the wild (2) Now openly awake, Jian Yu looked at it with the same interest it showed towards him. Ten weeks old, maybe even less, judging from the size, the curiosity and desire to explore behavior, from the fuzziness of the coat. The mixture of colors of gray, black, and, white on the fur seemed to haven''t spread evenly. They bunched up in one place and left the other places b?r?, making its head look like a tricolored ball. When a wh?n? echoed weakly in the air, the attention Jian Yu had on that one pup shifted to the one lying on the ground, the very first pup that they saw injured. The Beta also finally noticed that it was the only one he had seen aside from the other that was black from the head to the tail. It perked Jian Yu''s interest. Pure black was rare, while gray was common. This was the first time he ever saw a pure black wolf, making him wonder how beautiful and majestic it might be when it was fully grown. If only it survived. The poor pup kept on whining in pain from the injured hind leg while lying on its side. Unconsciously giving in to his conscience, Jian Yu had unknowingly inched closer. His body lowered into a squat and he reached out with his palm open. He had totally forgotten about the mother of the pups, who had stiffen momentarily with the black laced lips pulled back a little bit, baring the slightest of fangs. She had gone completely still, yellow irises watching the silverhead stranger, while the other clueless young ones were being their ignorant self, sniffing and pawing at each other. Being closer to the ground, the putrid smell of rotting meat left by the mother beside the injured one became stronger and Jian Yu almost gagged from the stench. Steadily, the Beta insisted on inching closer towards the small pup, becoming more and more bold when he realized the mother wolf had yet to show any aggressiveness. She was scrutinizing him, weighing and judging him with her sharp yellow eyes. He slipped out a white handkerchief he carried all the time and began slipping closer towards the pack. Only then did he finally get a good look at the injured little black wolf. Due to the darkness of the cave with limited source of light, Jian Yu couldn''t exactly see the injury, but now, he could. He saw a painful-looking flesh wound under the dark fur, some dried blood had hardened surrounding the wound while some was still slightly wet from the continuous bleeding, and Jian Yu was sure he spied something white, protruding from the flesh. He could guarantee that it was a bone that was somehow dislocated. The silverette could only sympathize with the black little one. This was truly out of his area of expertise as he knew nothing about treating an animal. Not even his heroic amnesiatic brain could give a hand. Still, he insisted on doing something for the black little wolf as Jian Yu carefully placed his handkerchief on top of the wound and gave a gentle pressure, dying the white cloth muddy red. The black pup wh?n?d pitifully, its snout and whiskers quivered. When it whimpered, the silverette took a quick glance towards the mother of the wolves, only to find her watching him silently, only observing. Perhaps she knew she was going to lose one of her litters sooner or later and she couldn''t do anything about it but accepted the cruel fate. Slowly and gently, Jian Yu wrapped the white cloth around the wound while the pup whimpered and kept on flicking its tongue in and out as if tasting the air. The silverette knew it was something a canine did when feeling distress. "You poor little thing," Jian Yu murmured, brushing the back of his hand against the scalp of the black little wolf. He rubbed the head and let his pheromones roll out in gentle and reassuring waves. One of the perks of being Beta was that almost all beta''s pheromones had a calming effect. He had wondered if it might work on animals but turned out he needed not to worry. The effect was instantaneous. While his calming pheromones rolled out, even and controlled, the wh?n?s and whimpers quietened, the laboriousness of its breathing had also evened out. While emitting his pheromones, Jian Yu used his other hand to reach for the old piece of meat and directed it closely to the pup, directing feeding it from his palm. The injured pup, probably driven on by hunger, munched on the piece of meat right off his hand until there was nothing left. Its ears perked up as if regaining some energy. Even though there wasn''t any meat left, the black little wolf kept on ???k?n? his palm vigorously, bumping its snout on Jian Yu''s hand. The wolf pup''s tongue lolled out and continued ???k?n? at Jian Yu''s fingers, bringing a smile onto the Beta''s face. It''s tail thumped on the ground. If only it was healthy, that tail would be wagging happily. Jian Yu went from rubbing it behind its ear to stroking its whiskers. The rubbing session went on and on until Jian Yu had to plant his bu?? down on the ground to avoid cramps and continued stroking its back. Occasionally, Jian Yu would take a glance at the mother wolf from his peripheral vision to see her reaction but she didn''t seem to mind him touching one of her litters, which brought a relief to him or he would have to lose one of his limbs. Hi all! I''ve been thinking and contemplating a lot about something. When I first wrote this, I didn''t actually expect it to be a kinda old England style of setting, so the names were randomly given. Now that we are halfway through, what do you think if I westernized "Jian Yu"''s name? The same goes to Han and Rei. Or should I just leave them be? Please tell me in the comment section! Thank you! And happy reading! Chapter 76 - Self-control in peril Taking a deep breath, the silverette Beta slacked against the wall of the cave. The storm outside hadn''t diminished in the slightest. The mouth of the cavern was foggy and dull with the only light source coming from the small bonfire, creating a curtain of yellowish brown motion. It gave the stone walls a slightly chilly feeling. As far as he could recall, it wasn''t just due to the weather that was making the place feel cold. The cave was also humid and damp, making the temperature inside the cave much lower. In the end, their only source of heat was the small bonfire that looked like it was fighting for its life to keep the fire up. Concerned about the big Alpha sleeping on the other side, Jian Yu got up-- receiving a small wh?n? which he shushed softly with some sweet promises-- and went to pull the thin travel blanket from the pack he got from the examiner. Kneeling beside Zeke, he laid it over the Alpha but not before checking his ankle. The injury was still swelling, nevertheless the first-aid was given. They needed a doctor ASAP. Besides, the Alpha wouldn''t be able to participate in the last round with an injury like this. Say if he could hunt for the two of them and provide a helping hand for Zeke to at least get them to pass the second round, the Alpha still wouldn''t be able to participate in the third round. Even though Jian Yu wasn''t the one in Zeke''s position, he still felt a slight disappointment bubbling up inside his ?h?st. The Alpha had lost his opportunity to create a five executive win streak as he had already won four championships already. It must have felt amazing breaking through records. Still kneeling beside the other guy, with his bottom lips jutting out, Jian Yu tucked the sides of the blanket to keep the sleeping Alpha warm. He couldn''t even stop his own hand from brushing the bangs that fell over the sleeping Alpha''s forehead and his heart already leaped joyfully for being able to be this close to him. How could one be so perfect in any aspect? He got the looks, the brains, the personality, the status, and also an Alpha¡­ What the hell did he want with a boring and dull Beta like himself? With his palm out, Jian Yu pressed his palm against Zeke''s cheek. The skin was freezing from the cold exposure, contrasting from his own palm that was slightly warm from constantly rubbing the fur of the little wolf. He had gone from kneeling to squatting down in front of Zeke, admiring the true epitome of beauty and masculine manifesting inside a person. The sleeping Alpha''s cheek was smooth. His eyelashes were not thick and long either but they still created shadows under his eyelids. He had high cheekbones and a long straight nose. Those obsidian eyes trailed the face of the sleeping man carefully, memorizing every detail he could see. The Alpha''s lips were quite thin and his mouth was slightly parted as he breathed. They were also chapped and cracked, Jian Yu ?ssumed due to the winter season and his bad habit at picking the lips. Despite the deformed look, the sight of his lips had made Jian Yu wonder how it would feel on his own. Would it feel rough? Those lips had once landed on his neck before, how did it feel? The Beta didn''t notice he was moving closer and closer as he leaned over the Alpha, so close that he felt both of their warm breaths, despite the cold temperature, clashed against each other. The Alpha was also exuding strong male hormones laced with a little hint of chocolate in his pheromones and they were invading the silverette''s sense of smell. Jian Yu''s mind went blank and his pupils dilated. All he could see were Zeke''s face, his eyes, his brows, his nose, his mouth. Until the sound of wh?n? went through his ears that he finally registered what had actually happened and snapped out of it. His shoulder stiffened and he snatched his hand away from Zeke''s face like he had touched a sizzling frying pan. This was really bad. How could he do something like this to a sleeping man? Didn''t that make him appear like a pervert? No, maybe he was indeed a closeted pervert! Jian Yu smacked himself on the forehead. Okay, he should admit that since that day, he had been having less than innocent fantasies about the other man. He just couldn''t resist it when the said man was sleeping so innocently right in front of him! This moment right here, it was like a test to his will power! To resist or not! Jian Yu let out a frustrated groan. XXX He couldn''t sleep for the next few hours. Five hours and thirty-eight minutes to be exact. And it was almost dawn. Jian Yu could see the sun peeking from inside the cave, the dark sky had lightened considerably and the storm had calmed down. Since he had sat really close to the pup, every time he stopped scratching and patting its dark coat, the little wolf would paw on his calves or even nip at his fingers. When he noticed the sky had brightened a bit more, Jian Yu felt like he should prepare for leaving. Maybe he should pack up first before waking Zeke up. Sighing, the Beta patted the wolf on its head for one last time, running his fingers through its dark coat before patting its bum and got up, putting away his thin blanket. It wasn''t until he put everything away and was just about to move beside Zeke that a loud back echoed, making him freeze in his steps. Chapter 77 - The Black Little Wolf One loud bark that echoed was enough to make Jian Yu freeze. In a half standing and half kneeling position that could have him cramping if he stayed any longer, but Jian Yu would prefer being able to feel the cramp rather than being dead. Those glowing yellow irises that were supposed to be five to seven feets away now were so close to him. Shocked, Jian Yu backed away instinctively, trying to create a distance between them. Everytime he backed away, even just a tiny bit, the mother wolf barked at him. Every bark was louder than the previous and the silverette flinched at every one of them. There were fangs in the depth of the shut snout and the Beta knew the mother wolf wouldn''t hesitate to bite. Look. Take a goddamn good look at that. Look how razor sharp they were. How agonizing it would be to feel those embedded inside your flesh. Wait. "..." "..." "!!!" Oh shit! CHOMP! Jian Yu squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the incoming pain to crawl over his entire body. Yet the pain never came, instead he felt a pull like something was tugging at his coat. The silverette carefully opened his eyes, peeking at the mother wolf. It turned out she had chomped full mouth onto his coat and tugged lightly. Thinking that Jian Yu was going to run away again, she tugged even harsher than the one before. And yes, she wasn''t wrong! Jian Yu also felt like he wanted to flee. What the hell did she want with him anyway? When Jian Yu pulled his coat, the wolf also pulled. A tug of war was established. With her teeth latched on his coat, she pulled with all her might and Jian Yu lost his footing, falling face down onto the ground. Once Jian Yu sat his bu?? down and settled with sitting cross-legged, the mother wolf released her hold on him and sat prettily across him, head tilted to the side with her bright yellow eyes laughing at him. But that didn''t mean the little pups would stop gnawing at the hem of his coat. Jian Yu had a feeling that they were going to have a heart to heart talk with how the mother wolf was staring imploringly at him. Perhaps she developed a strong chemistry towards him for sharing a room for a night. So could anyone explain to him what this sense of accomplishment was he feeling? The Beta sighed. He surrendered himself as a chewy toy to four little devils and was under inspection of the true satan. Jian Yu wondered what had gone through the head of the mother wolf as he watched her keep on pointing her snout towards the direction of the injured black wolf beside her. The action was done repeatedly. Snout pointing back and forth between him and the black one. Until she realized this human was too dumb to process what she requested of him, she decided to just do the extreme. She even rolled her eyes at him! Jian Yu blinked innocently at her as he watched the female wolf turn to nuzzle her injured young, ???k?n? its face and grooming its fur, before stepping back from it. She shot one look of determination towards Jian Yu before giving out a loud bark and began herding her other pups out of the cave. The wounded black one finally squinted his bright golden eyes open, crying out when he noticed his pack, his family, leaving him, yet he didn''t have the ability to pick himself up and follow them. When she felt the distress pouring out of her litter, she hurried back and gave it one last grooming before leaving for real. Jian Yu was shocked, dumbfounded at the turn of events. "Hey--" He called out, but the mother wolf had already gone further away with the rest of her pups lingering a few steps behind her, like she had made her decision and nothing would waver her. The black one gave a little cry, kicking his paws desperately and Jian Yu hurriedly soothed it. The Beta was stuck in a dilemma. Did his mother just decide to leave her pup to him because she knew she had no capabilities to nurse him back? Besides, was he allowed to take any animals inside out of this forest? Jian Yu doubted the organizers and care keepers of the forest would care about one little dysfunctional pup. Thankfully, being young and absent-minded and easily distracted, the black one promptly forgot the current situation and nuzzled into his hand, accepting the soothing and comfort he was given. "There, there, I promise I will get you fixed up," Jian Yu rubbed him behind his ears and the sound of tail thumping against the ground was once again heard. "Then you will have a good healthy leg to run around with, how does that sound, huh?" The black one yipped happily. "Hmm¡­? I think I recalled Dr. Liam saying he treated animals before as well¡­ Maybe he can give you a hand." "Once we get you back on your feet-- or maybe paws, you can go back to find your mother and play with your brothers and sisters!" Jian Yu rubbed his small head. This time, he wrapped the thin blanket that he had folded before around the black little wolf, careful not to jostle the protruding bone. Just looking at it weakened Jian Yu''s knee. That must have hurt. Too much that the wolf was probably numbed from his waist down. "Now that you are stuck with me, how should I call you, huh?" Jian Yu booped the wolf on his nose. The black wolf twitched his whiskers, scrunching his snout. His tongue then flicked in and out to chase Jian Yu''s finger away from the continuous booping abuse inflicted on his snout. Jian Yu, in the end, pulled his hand away and leaned on his palm with his elbows on either side of his knees. He took a good look at the black wolf. Then his eyes flicked towards the sleeping figure at the other side. Then back at the wolf again. The similarities were uncanny. The corner of Jian Yu''s lips curled up and he wanted to rub his hands together and laughed evilly as he thought of such a fabulous idea. Chapter 78 - Z stands for Zeke Jade eyes fluttered open. They stared at the walls of the cavern for a moment before Zeke blinked his eyes a few times to get rid of the heaviness. It took him a while to remember where he was and yawned. "Jian Yu?" Zeke rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "My goodness¡­ I actually fell asleep. How long?" He murmured, his voice slurred. Jian Yu blinked, momentarily taken aback by the adorableness presented in his view. Coughing, he cleared his throat before speaking. "Four to five hours. How are you feeling?" "Except for the numb leg, pretty refreshing. Why didn''t you wake me up earlier? We could have exchanged the night watch." The silver-head Beta raised his eyebrows at that as if saying ''you? With that leg?'' but Jian Yu waved him off before Zeke could say anything. "It''s not a big deal, besides I can''t sleep either." "Sorry for troubling you," The black-haired Alpha felt really bad, especially when he squinted through the dim lighting, he could see the dark circles forming under Jian Yu''s pretty eyes. "You don''t look good." "I''ve been worse," Jian Yu reassured the worried-looking Alpha. "In addition, something happened, right?" The silverette Beta cooed and a yip sounded as if agreeing to Jian Yu. Zeke blinked his eyes a few times before looking dumbstruck, then realization dawned on him. "The wolves¡­!" He whipped his head so fast that Jian Yu winced when he heard a soft crack echo as he rubbed his own neck to ease the pain he imagined feeling. "How did you¡­?" "Say hi to Z junior!" "Z--zee junior?" *Take note that Z sounded like Zee, almost similar to Zeke''s nickname, if you recall, Mika, Derek, and Lynn also called Zeke by that nickname. And from now on, I will use "Z" to address the wolf and "Zee" for Zeke''s nickname.* Jian Yu was desperately trying to contain his excitement from shoving the baby wolf in front of Zeke''s face as to not jostle the fractured leg of Z. He wanted to show off how cute it was and how similar it was to the other Alpha. From the dark coat to supporting a broken leg. The only difference was their eye color. Zeke had jade ones while Z had bright golden eyes like his mother. So, all in all, Z sounded like a perfect name for the baby wolf! Feeling like he had been called, the little black wolf excitedly yip again, happy that he was being included. With one hand holding the baby wolf carefully, Jian Yu used his other one to scratch Z under his chin. "Poor little thing got his hind leg broken¡­'''' Jian Yu lamented, adding a ''almost like you'' on his own inside his own head. "I know Dr. Liam is a physician, but do you think he could help out baby Z?" Zeke almost choked on his saliva as his face flared. While his brain was trying to process the whole sentence, his mind seemed stuck on the word ''baby''. Having the same nickname as that little wolf wouldn''t be as easy as he thought. What if Jian Yu called the wolf but instead he was the one that came over? Wouldn''t that be embarrassing?! Where would he put his face if it indeed happened? When he saw Jian Yu cooing at the little wolf, Zeke took advantage of the extended timeframe given to him to organize his thoughts. Yes, Dr. Liam could cure anything, humans and animals, though he leant more towards humans. Looking at that fractured leg of the wolf-- Hey, hey, you little wolfy bastard, what''s with that slippery tongue? Keep that tongue away, thank you. A flare of irritation, small but definitely there, was bubbling in him. That little guy might be a baby right now, but Zeke could smell the burning of Alpha scent seeping through its fur. And right now, it was dowsing itself in Jian Yu''s calming Beta scent, happily receiving the love that Zeke yearned for. "Bring it to a veterinary surgeon." Zeke had said it out loud without him realizing. There was a bite in his tone, but he quickly cleared his throat, and spoke again. "I mean, I suggest bringing him to a vet. That leg didn''t look promising at all. If you want, I could help you. I know a top-notch one, he is very excellent in his job." The Alpha wanted to hide forever. What was he? Five? Why the hell was he competing for Jian Yu'' s attention with an animal? Gosh, he was such an animal. Maybe he was indeed a beast in sheep''s clothing. "Really?" Jian Yu gasped softly. "You would do that for me?" "Y--yeah, really!" Zeke exclaimed, shooting up from his slouching position and almost forgotten about his ankle but damn, that look of expectation Jian Yu gave him just made his heart skip a bit. "We should get going." He leveled a glare at the wolf and said black little wolf felt it. Offended, Z junior decided that it was a good idea to growl back at the Alpha. Jian Yu, still with the wolf in hand, sat back on his heels, bangs falling over his eyes. "I''m sorry. Like this, you won''t be able to participate in the next round." "What? No, really-- who cares about that. It''s not your fault I twisted my own ankle, we have been over this already. Besides, it''s easier for them, right?" "Cocky," Jian Yu scoffed before nodding slowly. It was just a tournament, an annual one at that. If you missed out this year, you could do it next year. So no need to get hung up on things that had already passed. Keep looking forward and not look back. Just like what he had been doing all the time. Chapter 79 - Cowardice Cold wind blew through the both of them as they traveled back towards the entrance of the forest with the guidance of the map Zeke made. The travel had been really slow as Jian Yu had to support a limping Alpha and another baby Alpha. Z, the little black wolf, was a curious one. His head was moving non-stop, exploring and sniffing everything he could as being the curious one. Life in the den wasn''t as interesting as he thought. They had been one of the last teams to finish the second round with no score to calculate. Elimination was the only response they got from the proctors. Jian Yu wasn''t sure how he felt about that. "Yo, what the hell happened to you two?" Zeke and Jian Yu were both in their waiting room when Mika''s voice drifted into the room. It shouldn''t be much of a surprise to hear that they were the only ones that came back with injuries. In fact, there were a whole lot more. Zeke was just waiting for his turn to be treated as he only supported a twisted ankle and bruised ?h?st unlike those who had really fractured their ribs that even breathing became a problem. Not even Z junior could cut in the line. Thankfully, he was immediately given a painkiller and was sleeping peacefully on the bench in the centre of the waiting room. Mika emerged from the hallway and barged into their room like it was his with Clement trailing silently behind him. The four of them stared at each other for a moment before Clement broke the silence. "This is kinda unexpected, especially from you, Roderick. Zero points?" Mika snickered. Her mocking smile faded a little when her gaze landed on Jian Yu. "What happened? The two of you looked like you had been mauled by a beast." Both Alpha and Beta in question choked on different reasons. Spending a night with your crush made one even more imaginative. Zeke was the one who recovered first. He sighed and relaxed his stance, sitting on the bench with his back against the wall. "You don''t know half of it. We were indeed mauled by a beast. Running shouldn''t be an option when faced with them but our feet think quicker than our brain. So, we ran." Jian Yu''s eyes almost bulged out when he heard Zeke bluffing about their oh-so-boring journey. His face had almost gone red from trying to hold back his laugh. Yet, the Alpha''s expression never changed, not even once, when he started his bluff. "We climbed a tree. Turns out, it could climb a tree too! So we climbed down and searched for a higher tree to climb. We are competing to see who could climb a higher one--" "What exactly happened?" This time, Clement, who seemed to have lost her patience, asked directly at Jian Yu. Even Mika, who was known for being a jokester, leveled Zeke with a deadpan look. "No, really," The silverette Beta sweated under Clement''s intense gaze. "We were unexpectedly attacked by a bear when we had our guards down and as you can see--" Jian Yu pointed at Zeke. "Twisted ankle and badly bruised." Feeling the need to ask back due to the politeness and avoidance of feeling the pressure of being questioned, Jian Yu asked back. "What about you two?" "Got a tiger and a lone wolf," Mika replied with a rather satisfied smile, however there was a growl in the end of his words that vanished as soon as it appeared. His eyes narrowed and a slight irritation flashed across his face but all of it disappeared as Mika recollected himself right away and replaced it with a smile. "I expect that our score will be the highest among the others." "How nice for you," Zeke grumbled on the side. "And what about that?" Clement pointed towards the sleeping pup with her chin. "None of the proctors said anything?" Zeke shrugged his shoulders. "No one seemed to care when we walked by, didn''t even notice." "Oh my goodness! How cuteee!" Mika, who had been silent the whole time, gushed softly at Z junior. He made grabby hands at it, wanting to touch but trying to hold himself back, either because Mika didn''t want to disturb the wolf''s peaceful sleep or the injury was the one preventing him from doing so. Clement looked like she had something to say but a siren was blown, indicating the end of the hunting game, followed by the loud announcement by the host, requesting all those who weren''t eliminated to gather at the center of the arena. To be honest, Jian Yu had the whole script prepared to launch like a rocket at Zeke once they got back, but right now, when given the opportunity, he felt his previous bravery was just a mere facade, something that was fueled by rage at that moment. And now, his guts had shrunk. He wanted to scold himself for being a scaredy cat. A coward. He had been catching feelings since the confession and he wasn''t sure the other was serious about it or not. He heard it when the Alpha wasn''t in his right mind. Now that he was sober enough to talk, would he laugh at him for asking? For making sure about it? But he wouldn''t know unless asked directly. All he had to do was ask, nothing more! Getting laughed once was better than being hung on like this. Jian Yu got extremely uneasy. He squirmed in his seat, his shoulder slouching. He glanced a few times at Zeke. He paused, thousands of words stuck on his tongue, and he thought about what to say. The flash of worry on his face didn''t go unnoticed. Zeke frowned at the Beta. The silverette had been avoiding making eye contact yet he looked like he had something to speak of. Consciously, he questioned the damsel in distress. "What''s wrong? Are you hurting somewhere too?" Chapter 80 - Ineffable "What''s wrong? Are you hurting somewhere too?" No. Jian Yu shook himself awake and smacked both of his cheeks with his palms. Though some dreams should stay dreams, Jian Yu knew it was sick to live in one continuously. Zeke blinked in surprise, looking quite dumbfounded when Jian Yu suddenly slapped himself and stood up. With a disgruntled face, the Beta marched towards the door and slid the lock to its place. He then took a few large strides and stood directly in front of where Zeke was resting. Rut was easily forgotten when he was in pain or overwhelmed and distracted with many things but now, at this moment, Zeke was once again being reminded he was going into rut very soon and it wouldn''t wait any longer. In fact, it seemed to want to arrive earlier. Spontaneous rut was not what he wanted and not something he wanted to experience. He had heard stories about how brutal it might be as one would not be in his right mind when it happened. Injuring Jian Yu was far from his agenda. He wanted Jian Yu to get away from him. A few feet away was definitely a recommendation. The Alpha felt his whole body stiffened when his sense of smell was ?ssaulted by the sweet smell of the Beta. Scents of woods and dews came down hard on his nose and Zeke almost choked on it. It was intense. Frankly, Zeke always had one thing bugging his intelligent mind. How could a Beta like Jian Yu have such a strong effect? He knew, he learned from textbooks and though he rarely met one before Jian Yu, Beta was known to have a calming effect on both Alpha and Omega. But why was his, Jian Yu''s, much stronger than he expected? He hadn''t met enough Betas to compare so he couldn''t judge and draw a conclusion immediately but somehow his guts were telling him that it wasn''t supposed to be that way. A hand slammed right beside his head and Jian Yu leaned over. The oppressive feeling he brought over challenged the Alpha inside him and Zeke felt a sense of crisis. He leaned back, trying to keep a small amount of distance until his shoulder pressed against the brick wall behind him. In any kind of situation, he would have loved this position, however, in this very second, all he wanted to say was ''Get away!'' but the expression on Jian Yu''s face startled him. Holy hell, what a scary expression you got there. He did attack the Beta and hadn''t once even apologized for his behavior. Instead, he was running at every opportunity he had. "I think we have something to talk--" "I''m really sorry about--" They both started at the same time. But for whatever reason he knew nothing about, Zeke noticed Jian Yu''s face distorted into an ugly expression and seemed fueled and even displeased by something he just said. "What?" Jian Yu''s voice was very soft but it held an ice cold quality in it that slitted a piece of the black-haired Alpha''s heart. Zeke was about to cry. Even saying sorry was a mistake? "What exactly are you apologizing for?" Every action he was going to take seemed to be wrong, like he would be adding oil to the fire if he ever spoke wrongly. However, the situation didn''t side with him this time around. His mind was clouded and his ?h?st thumped vigorously as his rut was rushing in with the speed of lighting. Aggressiveness was creeping like a peeping tom. Zeke''s breathing was getting harsher and harsher, whether from inhaling too much of Jian Yu''s scent or from him holding back his dominant nature because his inner Alpha felt challenged by some ignorant Beta, he didn''t know anymore, but the other took the action quite offensively. He was so ready for an outburst to happen and a retaliation on his part and Zeke dreaded the future of his relationship with the Beta. He would have no chances left! He waited and waited. Yet nothing came. Here he was, still locking gazes with Jian Yu''s obsidian orbs until he finally figured that the Beta wasn''t going to say anything. He reached his hand out to push Jian Yu back, trying to put a safe distance between them because, fu?k, it''s too close right now-- "I love you." A bomb finally dropped. Zeke blinked. His brain was trying so hard to process those magical words. He didn''t know why he decided to just drop the bomb like this, but his mouth was running on its own. The silverette''s face grew red as he wasn''t receiving any response yet. He wanted to run. Far away and never looking back. But that would be cowardly, and he had promised himself not to be a coward. "I love you," Jian Yu repeated, much less steady than what he aimed for. "That''s what you told me before, right?" "Then why?" He choked out. "Why are you avoiding me-- if not for this tournament, are you planning on ignoring me like you did all this time?" The dam had been broken and the rocket had been launched. "Did you regret your decision? Did you--" Jian Yu wetted his dry lips. "Did you finally realize I''m just a dull and boring Beta? Did you think I would feel nothing at all?!" *Z junior gonna third-wheeling so hard in his dream XD* Chapter 81 - An Epiphany Fuck. He regretted it. Why did he have to let his mouth run head first without thinking it through? Jian Yu felt his heart constricted, like it was tied in thin silk thread and dangled in midair after asking so many questions. His blood thrumped in his veins and his heart''s nerves were tightly clamped, unable to beat. He was terrified of the answers he might hear, but there was no way he could back out. There was no way he could not ask. Unknown to Jian Yu, there was another reason why he was feeling this way. The air he was inhaling was nauseous and poisonous as the pheromones exuded by Zeke were also playing a role in trying to surpass the Beta. The thickness and heaviness of the Alpha''s scent was coiling and choking the Beta without him realizing as Jian Yu was too caught up with the moment to notice that he had to get away from the Alpha. If Jian Yu ever felt small and crushed, all of it was also ?ssisted by the pressure of Zeke''s Alpha pheromones. They were trying to control and make the other submit if not for Zeke''s effort in trying to hold himself back. "That-- That''s not¡­" Zeke actually heaved out a heavy sigh and Jian Yu deflated instantly. He felt his whole world plummeted down. Jian Yu, for as long as he had lived, had never once wanted to hope for something. He was afraid of the outcomes, he dreaded it. Everything was much better if he thought of the worst case scenario instead of hoping. When confessed, Jian Yu was flattered that someone outstanding like Zeke would fall for such a monotonous person like him. It was like he was in a dream. Jian Yu was like any other person, he too had held delusions like other youths, be it Omega or Beta. He often comforted himself, reminding himself that an Alpha like them liked a Beta like him. He wanted to believe he was a lucky exception. "Look, I''m sorry," Zeke seemed to be struggling to get any words out. "I don''t think now is the right time--" "What the hell do you mean by that?" The younger man gritted out. He had moved his trembling hands to clutch the collar of Zeke''s shirt. He needed a clear answer, he was desperate for one. At least, speak clearly and crush that hope implanted in him! "You don''t understand--" This time, a growl seeped out of Zeke''s lips. The Alpha inside him was unhappy, furious that someone inferior was challenging him. He wanted to dominate, wanted the person in front of him to submit. He could feel his fangs lengthening, forming its shape made to mate. The last thing he wanted was not to mark Jian Yu without his consent, even though, he knew a Beta couldn''t hold a permanent mark, but still, marking without consent was just the same as forcible violation, a s?xu?? ?ssault! It was no different than forcing himself on someone unwilling! Zeke struggled to keep his Alpha in check, chaining him down. But the situation wasn''t helping at all when the Beta across from him kept coming onto him like this. "Now is not the time!" The sentence burst out of his mouth, louder than he had expected and Zeke felt a tinge of guilt when he saw Jian Yu flinched back at his tone. "Back away! You are triggering m--!!!" "How selfish of you¡­!" The silverette choked out. His heart was crumbling and his world shattered but he preserved to listen to the end. Those confessions. Those words had become shackles. And just like that, they followed him like a curse without the intention of disappearing. And Jian Yu wished-- he hoped that Zeke would at least have the heart to destroy and throw it away. "Grrr¡­" Everything was too fast for the silver-haired Beta to catch up with everything. In such a short expanse of time, he picked up the scent of rage and chocolate and something else like some sort of forest fire before an arm pushed across his shoulder and slammed him into the wall. Searing hot pain shot down his spine and his eyelids fluttered trying to make sense of his suddenly blurred vision. Two bright jade eyes glared at him. "Zeke?" Jian Yu''s voice cracked. He remained frozen and the rational corner of his mind told him that he had fu?k?d something up. Was it fear he was feeling? The Beta wasn''t sure anymore. When a hand curled around his throat, that was the moment Jian Yu was positive that he was terrified. Terrified of the slit in Zeke''s eyes and the glimpse of fangs peeking out from his bottom lips. The normally distinguished gentleman across from him looked like a feral beast. When the feral Alpha leant towards him, Jian Yu closed his eyes instinctively. He missed the split second how those eyes softened at the sight of him being afraid. The crazy animal inside Zeke purred at how the Beta submitted, feeling much superior for finally being able to put the other in his place which made Zeke feel a little nauseous at this sight. And when he looked at those plump lips, he really wanted to know what it felt like. His hand went from the Beta''s throat to the back of his head and took a fistful of the white hair. The back of Jian Yu''s skull was already aching from where it had hit the wall and the hard grip on his hair made him gasp. He popped his closed eyes and started to see two slits of jade colored eyes stared back at him. They were so close that Jian Yu could feel the harsh breath coming from Zeke. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. His heart thumped frantically that he could hear it inside his ears. With them locking gazes, Jian Yu noticed how Zeke was slowly leaning in. His eyes flickered towards the fangs jutting out of the bottom lips had Jian Yu trembling. But he made absolutely no action to move. ''Is Zeke going to kiss me?'' Chapter 82 - Ephemeral He couldn''t bring himself to move, hell, he didn''t even want to resist it. Jian Yu kept his eyes open this time, he wanted to see, to know what Zeke was going to do. When the distance between their faces was closer than a breath away, the silverette Beta almost closed his eyes again, but he insisted on keeping them b?r?ly open to observe any kind of expression Zeke made. He could feel the sharp nose of the other Alpha pressed into the curve of his cheek and chocolate was all he could smell. A soft featherly light touch brushed across his lips before the clatter of teeth against teeth was heard, like the other person had gnashed his teeth together. There was a brief minute of silence. But those lips never deepened. Just staying there, hesitating and trembling. The breath coming out from those lips stuttered as it hit Jian Yu''s face. It acted like it was unsure what to do, indecisive but desperate. The hand on the Beta''s silver hair tightened but Jian Yu made no sound at the ?ssault, while another hand landed on his shoulder, clutching at his coat and clinging for its dear life. "Haaaaaaaa¡­." Until a loud but hopeless sigh was heard that both hands landed on either side of Jian Yu''s shoulder, his hair was released from its misery. Zeke shuffled his whole body and leant down, putting his body weight on Jian Yu, resulting in dragging the Beta down along him until they were both sitting on the ground with Jian Yu''s back against the brick wall and the Alpha in between his legs, bench forgotten on the side. Jian Yu let out a small ''oof'' when he was pulled along. His chin felt ticklish from the Alpha''s hair as Zeke seemed keen on burying his face in Jian Yu''s coat. "God, this is pathetic¡­" Zeke breathed so close into his coat. Jian Yu was actually quite hopeless to think about the situation, so he just waited for Zeke to finish what he wanted to say. "I like you, alright? I love you," The black-haired man said. The words cut inside of his mouth like glass as if warning him for going against the promise he made with Clement that Jian Yu was supposed to confess first. But the situation was indeed initiated by the silverette, so it counted right? Besides, no one knew about the promise but them, him and Clement, so who the hell could tell on him? "I love you, I want you, but I.." He clenched his hands on Jian Yu''s shoulder and raised his gaze to catch Jian Yu''s. The Beta''s eyes widened, but he still said nothing, making Zeke gulp. "I thought you needed some space when I crossed the line. I know I shouldn''t have done that, you look like¡­ Like--" Zeke choked on his words. Besides the rut approaching, he kept on remembering the nauseous face Jian Yu was making before and his heart tightened at the image. That was also another reason for him to avoid the Beta. "I like it." "I wanted to apologize, I fully intend to do so but I''m too much of a coward to do and avoid you! I know you must have hated me¡­! But please give me another chance! I want to be with you, please let me court you properly--" "Don''t be so dramatic, I told you I like it." "Even if you hate me, I am fully prepared for it. But you need to know, I''m serious about you. I want to have a life with you. And I''m pretty sure I love you. So please--" SMACK! Twin palm clapped Zeke on his cheeks, waking him up from his stupid ramble. Instead of leaving, those hands stayed on his cheek, rubbing the thumb under his eyes. "Huh?" "Don''t get so full of yourself," Zeke heard Jian Yu shuffle closer and lean until their foreheads were touching. "When did I say I have no interest in you?" Jian Yu almost sobbed when he heard what the Alpha was rambling on, it sounded too good to be true. "When have I ever said I hate you?" Jian Yu ??r?ssed the Alpha''s reddened cheeks as he whispered those words softly. "I haven''t even answered you properly, do you even want to hear my response?" It was quite funny how the situation turned about. It was chaos for the both of them in the beginning, miscommunication and misunderstandings were bound to happen. Fortunately, things ended short-lived and both of them seemed content with the result. With Zeke''s face still cupped in his palms, he finally just noticed how out of it the other guy looked, like he couldn''t believe it. It''s totally fine because Jian Yu felt the same! "Oh come on, seriously¡­" Jian Yu felt like sighing fondly, which he did. "You¡­" Finally, the guy said something. "The kiss¡­" Jian Yu smiled. "I''m returning it to you like this, so if you still don''t get it, I don''t know what else could." This time, Jian Yu was the one initiating the broken kiss from before. He tilted his head and brushed his lips against Zeke''s. Featherly light like before, moving kindly, like he was asking for Zeke''s permission. Zeke swallowed thickly. Everything seemed surreal. It had happened too fast for him to comprehend and somehow everything was just moving the way he had always wanted. The fire burning inside him was warning him about the rut arriving, but he was still deep inside his fantasy. And he didn''t want it to end. The obsidian eyes across him were piercing and drilling into him, reflecting the other''s emotions and what he really felt. Zeke parted his lips, letting the Beta in, inviting him into his treacherous mouth. Jian Yu kissed him slowly, so gently. The silverette''s tongue danced over his chapped lips. The muscle swept and licked, prodding deeper as Zeke opened his mouth. Zeke wanted to return the action but Jian Yu suddenly pulled away. The Alpha almost followed the movement, wanting to chase after that delicious mouth. Licking his own lips, Zeke yearned to taste and explore every crevice of the Beta''s, to get the full taste. A light knock on his forehead woke him up from his daydreaming. Jian Yu had pressed their forehead together again, their breaths mingled towards each other. Obsidian eyes locked with jade ones, staring into each other in their own world. Only the sound of the breaths echoed in the room and it was peaceful, until Jian Yu decided to open his mouth that Zeke couldn''t help but laugh out loud. "I just gave you a kiss, if you don''t like it, you can return it, you know? A refund is allowed." Chapter 83 - Incendiary A force knocked the air out of Jian Yu''s breath and his already aching head throbbed even more as the back of his head once again banged against the rough walls. In the next moment he said those words, Zeke had lunged forward. The Alpha turned his head and held Jian Yu''s shoulder down. Before Jian Yu could admire the beauty of it, lips had already descended on his. The touch was soft and warm, but with an irresistible strength. The tip of Zeke''s tongue slid over the seam of Jian Yu''s lips, before prying them open and slipped inside. The Alpha''s tongue swept across his, ???k?n? up any saliva that Jian Yu couldn''t swallow as the Beta kept his mouth open for the Alpha to ravage his cavern. With every movement of his lips against Jian Yu''s, Zeke was getting hungrier and needier. After his tongue was being tortured relentlessly, Zeke finally pulled out. The silver-haired man gasped for air, he didn''t even know how he had become so light-headed. He couldn''t respond at all. All the blood in his body seemed to rush to the place where Zeke had licked with his tongue. His thoughts were gone under the primal d?s?r? to touch. Zeke watched Jian Yu closely with half-lidded eyes, but they glowed brightly under those long curve of eyelashes. His eyes followed Jian Yu''s tongue that subconsciously flicked out to lick over his own lips, as if still trying to feel the ghostly touch of Zeke''s. The Alpha mimicked Jian Yu''s action, his skin tingling with every breath he took and his feelings were slowly changing, d?s?r? morphing into something else, something dangerous. "You smell so good," Zeke murmured, his normally baritone had deepened an octave lower. "You''re so pretty, I can''t resist you, Jian Yu, I want you¡­" His words were heavy with d?s?r?. They sounded almost like a declaration, tinted of obsessiveness, threading so close to the depths of insanity. And Jian Yu''s shaky breaths ended up fueling the beast inside Zeke that had been kept hidden for ages. The Beta couldn''t help but m??n. How could he, when being scrutinized under that gaze; those words, he had been yearning for throughout his life. Being loved, being wanted. He had wanted nothing but that the entire time. Their mouth crashed again this time and none of them wanted to stay passive. Zeke''s body pressed closer against Jian Yu''s even harder, pushing him against the wall. The silverette felt a force and his head knocked against the wall for the third time as Zeke''s tongue stirred vigorously in his mouth, trailing from his tongue to his upper palate. Jian Yu moved his lips as well, he felt his tongue tingle when Zeke invaded his mouth. Dancing around each other, they entwined with the purpose to convey all of their emotions towards each other. Zeke moved like he was trying to swallow him up. He took every gasps and m??ns that leaked from Jian Yu''s mouth. The Beta soon found it was getting harder to breathe with how his ?h?st moved rapidly up and down. He wanted to part for a while, to take a breath from all the sloppy kisses they did, but Zeke had no intention to do so. When he put a hand on the Alpha''s shoulder to push him away, Zeke growled warningly and Jian Yu shuddered when he felt fangs scraping his lips. The next thing he knew, the Alpha had changed his angle again, adjusting so that he could wantonly ravage between the Beta''s lips and teeth. ''Something''s not right,'' Jian Yu thought as he let his mouth open, unable to resist what the Alpha was doing to him. The Alpha was not acting normal. Jian Yu tried to turn his face but Zeke followed relentlessly. The Beta''s heart pounded, not because of excitement, but uneasiness bubbling up inside him. Until finally, they parted their lips. The black-haired Alpha''s tongue licked his lips, as if reluctant to leave. Both of their breaths were harsh and heavy. Questions were on the tips of Jian Yu''s mouth but the Alpha beat him to it. Zeke''s hands were on the Beta''s face, ??r?ssing the skin under Jian Yu''s eyes and every cell in Jian Yu''s body quaked. The tip of his nose touched Jian Yu''s as he breathed out. "As¡­ As much as I want to continue doing this, I think we need to stop or I don''t know what I might do to you." His words shook as Zeke tried to contain the animalistic growls from seeping out. "You¡­ You do know of a spontaneous rut, right?" "What¡­?" Jian Yu abruptly woke up from his daze and loudly questioned with wide eyes. "Congratulations, you just triggered it." Zeke wanted to joke about it, but his tone wasn''t supporting his sense of humor. He released Jian Yu''s face and backed away. His movements were sluggish but he needed to, he had to get away fast. The Beta was frozen in place as he processed the whole thing. It was no wonder¡­ But-- "Why couldn''t I detect any signs of pre-rut?" "Oh? That? I just took stronger suppressant pills," Zeke was already pushing himself up, trying to go for the door, only then did he hissed in pain when he accidentally put pressure on his injured ankle. "Wait¡­!" Jian Yu struggled to get up as well, he was still light-headed from the lack of oxygen. But Zeke couldn''t go anywhere far with his ankle like that. Before Zeke could even stand straight and walk, Jian Yu pulled the Alpha by the hem of his shirt, making Zeke stumbled slightly before he yelped as he plopped back down on the ground. ''Rut, he is going through a rut¡­!'' Jian Yu felt like whimpering. He clenched his trembling hands into fists, his nails dug into his palm until they created dents on the skin. ''What the hell¡­? After all this, you want to find some Omega to relieve your rut?'' Just thinking about it made Jian Yu didn''t want to live anymore. Chapter 84 - An alpha is always an Alpha "Oh shit! Sorry--" The Beta winced when the Alpha tripped and landed rather harshly on the ground, but his mind was quite jumbled. He didn''t want Zeke to go, he didn''t want the Alpha to go out that door to look for any available Omega for his rutting session. Zeke wanted to growl warningly at the Beta. His rash actions weren''t helping the situation at all, if more, the Alpha inside him felt the need to take up the challenge. He shook his head, trying to dissolve the fuzziness from appearing, from letting himself blacken out and let the Alpha beast inside him erupt. He had to get away, locked himself up. Zeke was already dreading the rut he was going to experience this time. With no one to help him relieving it, it was going to be a torture. When the Beta craned his neck to check Zeke''s swollen ankle, the Alpha''s jade eyes honed in on that slender neck, and nothing else seemed to exist outside of it when he did. His six senses heightened as he could clearly smell Jian Yu from here without a problem, could hear the younger man''s blood pounding in his ears, and hear his blood moving in his veins. Fuck. It smelt enticing, delicious, and it made Zeke want to throw any rational thoughts in favor of devouring the Beta whole. He didn''t know why Jian Yu''s scent was able to affect him this much. A beta was not supposed to smell this good! Zeke tried not to lick his lips as his eyes were shadowed by a layer of haze and-- "I-- I will help you¡­! Let me-- let me do it!" "What?" Zeke was startled. "What the hell do you mean by that?" The Alpha frowned at the Beta. Those words sent his already flying mind even higher. He had always wondered how Jian Yu would react during their first time? Was he the type to gasp? Or even yell? Jian Yu seemed to be one who would try to hold his voice back, though. Would Jian Yu tangle his hands in his hair or would he prefer creating scratch marks on his back instead? Would he enjoy it? In the end, the most significant question was; could he tolerate it? Could he take it? Could Jian Yu handle his knot? A beta like Jian Yu couldn''t self-lubricate himself and it would hurt. A lot. That part would tear. It would bleed without any proper preparation. When Zeke questioned it like that, Jian Yu cringed at himself, his cheeks flushed as he realized how much like a desperate man he was. "Yes," Jian Yu whispered after what seemed like an eternity. "I will do it." Zeke stared long and hard at the younger man and Jian Yu felt like squirming under his heavy but unfocused gaze until Zeke shook his head at the silverette Beta. "Do you even know what you are saying? Fuck that, Are you even aware of what you are asking for?" The younger Beta''s lips quivered. Yes, of course he knew. He was giving himself up on a silver platter to a starving beast, but it was still better and worth it than having the Alpha seek another. He knew his limits as a Beta, he didn''t have the ability of an Omega, but he was willing. True, he was scared, he was fu?k?n? terrified. But he didn''t want to back down. "Yes, I know-- Ah!" Jian Yu squeaked in surprise at the abrupt but harsh and almost painful grip on his waist and blinked at the dark look on Zeke''s face. "I don''t think you truly get what you are offering. Are you sure you should be so pliant and willing to offer yourself to an Alpha in rut?" Zeke growled and Jian Yu found himself stammering. "N--No, I mean, yes--" "You really shouldn''t do that, you know. Not every Alpha is as thoughtful as me." The sadistic side of the Alpha in Zeke was leaking and he felt like being mean. "Don''t ask for what you can''t give, Beta." "Zeke--" Jian Yu gasped as the Alpha shoved him onto the ground before flipping him over so that his front was against the flat dirty floor. The younger man tried to say something but what his eyes caught in the glimpse of second had him shiver. The jade eyes were glowing even brighter than before. With his hair ruffled and fangs b?r?d, the Alpha had this frenzied look on his face. At that moment, Jian Yu realized how fu?k?d up the situation had become. He had underestimated how dangerous a spontaneous rut could be. He had heard it happened before, even Omegas went running, indicating how brutal an Alpha could be when losing his mind. And here he was, offering himself because he thought it was Zeke. The Alpha who exceeded any kinds of expectations an Alpha had. In the end, An Alpha was still an Alpha and no one could change their traits; their brutal and aggressive nature. "My, my, aren''t you a beautiful one?" The Alpha murmured, voice as chilling as the dark abyss. Jian Yu knew that was the Alpha inside speaking and not Zeke, not the kind and loving Zeke. The Beta let out a strangled sound as the Alpha gripped a hand at the base of Jian Yu''s neck and pushed the latter face-down right on the ground, scraping his cheeks. Zeke draped himself over the younger man''s back, lips brushing against the back of his ears. Jian Yu could feel the curve of Zeke''s smirk against his skin before he said with a sickening sweet voice. "Be prepared, darling.. I am going to fu?k you until you won''t be able to think straight for days and feel an irresistable ache so deep inside that only my ???k can relieve it." Chapter 85 - Guilty Pleasure "Zeke-- Sir! What--" Jian Yu wheezed, face smushed into the cement ground as he was pushed even harder. The smell of mud and wet earth invaded his nose making him dry-heaved. No matter how much he wanted to recoil from the dirty and wet ground; how many people had already stepped onto this ground with their dirty boots, the words coming from Zeke terrified him more than his obsession for cleanliness. The silverette Beta found his entire body frozen, hands scraping the ground as he choked another "What?" "Let''s see if you are all bark--" The Alpha scoffed as if what he said was a wrong choice of word. "Well, nothing but m??ning will be the only thing you do even before I am done with you." "W--wait! Stop it!" "What''s wrong, Beta?" Zeke hissed with a snap of his h?ps, grinding his crotch into Jian Yu''s bottom through their pants. "There''s no option for backing out, sweetheart." Jian Yu gritted his teeth. ''Fuck.'' The Alpha suddenly leant so close to Jian Yu''s neck and took a deep breath, taking a long whiff as if he was addicted to the Beta''s scent, like he couldn''t get enough of it. "Are you sure you are even a beta? How the hell did you smell this delicious?" "Don''t do something you will regret later, Zeke." The younger man warned, trying to keep his voice steady despite what he was feeling inside. "And why would I regret it?" The Alpha purred, reaching a hand under the younger man''s body to pop open the vest suit Jian Yu was wearing. His other hand still maintained a tight grip on the Beta''s neck, pining his head down. His right cheek stung and Jian Yu wondered if the skin had been cut but he didn''t have enough energy to push his pinned head. "I''m not talking to you, Alpha." Jian Yu''s finger scraped hard against the ground, gathering mud under his nails. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm down as he gathered his courage to speak calmly. That seemed to make the Alpha pause, he stopped for a second before a mad grin stretched across his face, like what Jian Yu just said was absolute bullshit and such a funny matter to him. "Regret? Far from it, darling. In fact, I''m going to enjoy this to the fullest," His free hand slid upwards to lift Jian Yu''s shirt up and pinch the Beta''s n?pp?? roughly, earning a choked sound from the younger man. Jian Yu regained his struggle to push the Alpha off, but Zeke''s fingers were still around his neck, digging harshly and cutting his airway off. ''Fuck, calm down.'' ''Don''t agitate him. It will only excite him more.'' Jian Yu contemplated his escape route. Bringing a leg back and slamming it in-between Zeke''s spread legs, he would totally hit him right in the crotch. That sounded like a good idea. But trying to reach that point was hard. He knew Zeke was stronger than him, with larger body build and all, that wasn''t even included with his aggressive Alpha side yet. The Beta was sure as hell that he wouldn''t be able to fight off the Alpha right now, heck, he couldn''t even push his body up. Not that any of that matters, he shouldn''t keep on defying the Alpha. The more he struggled, the more excited the Alpha was. Besides, wasn''t he the one who offered himself in the first place? Wasn''t he the one believing that he was willing to let Zeke do whatever he wanted and he was prepared for it? Because of his own selfishness and insecurities that the Alpha would still go and hire an Omega for his rut. ''You picked your choice.'' Jian Yu reminded himself. ''You made your choice.'' Sucking a breath, Jian Yu let himself go limp in the hands of the Alpha as the other pulled his zipper down and palmed at his und?rw??r. The hand on his nape slid down his back to lift his shirt up, tracing a pattern on his spine before returning up to the back of his throat. "Beta isn''t one to carry a mark, but rest ?ssured, I will bite down hard enough to make sure everyone knows who you belong to." Jian Yu let out a shaky exhale when the Alpha purred right beside his ears. He felt the hand move further to pull down his pants. Even though he kept reminding himself that it was his own fault for bringing this issue up to an Alpha in rut and it was his choice for believing he was prepared, he couldn''t help the tears prickling his clenched-shut eyes. Fuck. He''s scared. ''Be strong. Don''t be such a weakling.'' Jian Yu told himself, but he couldn''t stop the wrenched sob that tore his throat. Except, those wrenching sobs seemed to awoken the Zeke buried deep inside his Alpha persona. Those hands paused in their ministrations, fingers hooking onto the belt of Jian Yu''s pants. Jian Yu stilled and Zeke, who had finally returned to the world of living, saw an expression on the Beta, an expression that was never directed at him. It was something unfamiliar, but never once had that been sent towards him. It was fear. And all of it was directed towards him. "Fuck." Jian Yu snapped his eyes open and almost whirled around to look at Zeke. That tone of voice, not an octave lower and full of huskiness, it was Zeke. He was back, but the look on Zeke''s face was absolutely heart-wrenching. Even the fangs poking out his bottom lips no longer look feral but instead looking like a lost puppy. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck, I''m sorry¡­! I don''t know what came over me¡­!" Zeke choked out. "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry¡­!" He had dropped his hands beside either side of Jian Yu''s head, he kept on repeating it over and over again as sobs burst through his throat until he was crying heavily. Chapter 86 - Promoted Or Demoted There was a suffocating silence that followed afterwards, maybe it was just Jian Yu because he could definitely see Zeke mouthing some words. ; But Jian Yu, he couldn''t seem to find the air to breathe as if the air had thickened and the silverette Beta tried not to dry-heave all over. ; His mind was so scrambled at the sudden turn of events until hands were no longer touching him and were on either side of his head. ; Droplets of tears landed on his face and Jian Yu blinked. He wanted to ask why was Zeke the one crying when it was him who was supposed to be crying? ; The beta kept still, not comprehending what had just happened and was too stunned to make a move. ; Jian Yu watched apologies after apologies tumbled out of Zeke''s mouth as he wailed. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were tightly closed as if trying to hide from the view of the world, most likely Jian Yu''s. ; The Alpha was sobbing so heavily that his face was red and scrunching up. The image could be described as something visceral and uncomfortable to look at, Jian Yu couldn''t help himself not to look away. ; It was like he had peeked into the deepest emotion hidden inside Zeke and it was a boundary he shouldn''t have crossed, shouldn''t even stepped into. ; Witnessing such a pure and raw expression on his face, Jian Yu couldn''t stop himself when his own hands reached for Zeke. He wrapped his arms around the crying Alpha, wounding his shorter and lithe arms over Zeke''s back, pulling him into a hug. ; He could feel tremors wrecked through the Alpha''s body as Zeke shook imperceptibly and Jian Yu squeezed his arms, tightening his hold on Zeke to show reassurance. ; "It¡­ It''s okay, it''s alright," He whispered. "You''re okay. It''s not¡­" Jian Yu gasped on his words. "It''s not your fault, not at all." ; It made him wonder if those words he said were supposed to calm the crying Alpha or were they said to comfort himself? ; The silverette bit his lips as his hand moved to rub the back of Zeke''s head before nosing against the dark silky strands. ; Their position was really uncomfortable, especially for the younger Beta, as he was clinging onto Zeke as if he was hanging for his dear life, but the Alpha had not made any move to return the hold like he was afraid to even touch the Beta. ; Jian Yu hesitated, it seemed he had to take control of the situation. Never once had he done something like this, especially with an Alpha present. It was unusual for an Alpha to show such weakness. Alphas were taught that showing any kind of weakness was unwise and uncharacteristic. ; They were taught and drilled once they presented that an Alpha had to be confident and m?tur?, though Jian Yu wasn''t sure about the ''mature'' part. A lot of them were childish and obnoxious, thinking they had higher status and deserve to step on the weak. ; But this, this particular one¡­ ; Had somehow changed how he viewed an Alpha. He had unknowingly broken the stereotype Jian Yu had placed on Alphas. ; "Hey, hey." Jian Yu began, softening his voice as if he was coaxing a small weeping child. ; The Beta pushed himself up, he had to take over the situation and settle this problem right away before Zeke went running and avoided him again. Then they would have to start over and over, doing this looping continuously and Jian Yu forbid it, gods, he forbid that from ever happening. ; The Alpha silently followed his lead. Jian Yu guided him until he was back on his haunches so that the Beta could be on the same eye level as Zeke. The older man had his hands fisted with the fabric on his knees and was still mouthing apologies. ; He looked absolutely distracted. ; "Hey, look at me." Jian Yu began slowly. ; When the guy had yet to follow his instruction, Jian Yu delivered swift but gentle kisses to Zeke''s wetted cheeks, eyelids, and his chapped lips. "It''s alright, okay? If there is someone at fault here, it is probably me, since I''m the one offering." ; "But I--" ; "Look, I''m totally fine, not even injured at all. You have not hurt me," Jian Yu emphasized. The silverette knew he was lying through his teeth, with his hair ruffled and shirt unbuttoned, he knew he must have looked absolutely wrecked. ; "You did nothing wrong," The younger man continued and Zeke finally looked up, catching sight of those obsidian jewels that shone, glistened with unwavering emotions. They were open and honest, and more importantly; understanding. ; The Alpha found himself immersed by the expression, feeling entranced and unable to look away. And he had to remind himself how fortunate, how lucky he was to be able to witness such a thing displayed by Jian Yu. ; "It''s just a natural trait of an Alpha, I completely understand it. Besides, look at me," The Beta reached out to take hold of Zeke''s hand, holding it gently. "Do I look injured to you?" ; His tone was soft and gentle with a little hint of teasing. ; The older man huffed and laughed, sniffling. "You look absolutely gorgeous. Though I really wish you didn''t see this uncharacteristic side of mine-- Gosh, it was horrible--" ; "Hey, hey." Jian Yu brushed the back of his hand against Zeke''s cheeks, wiping a stray tear that fell. "Don''t think about it anymore, ''kay? Why are you being such a crybaby?" ; Zeke chuckled before going for a full-blown laugh before wiping his face with his arms. "I will let you know, I''m not usually this easy to shed tears." ; "Oh, really?" Jian Yu waggled his eyebrows as if not believing an ounce of what Zeke just said. ; "I hope I haven''t been demoted," The black-haired Alpha smiled through his runny nose. "Staying in the friendzone is hell enough for me." ; "Nah, actually¡­" Jian Yu grinned like a sly predator. "You are promoted." "Oh? And what have I been promoted into?" ; "Mine." Chapter 87 - Reek Of Alphas "Oh, this is interesting. I didn''t know that the Zeros favor pets." Jian Yu didn''t correct the man standing beside the examining table as he was still staring off into space in the infirmary of the stadium they were in. He felt giddy when he thought about what happened in the waiting room. Jian Yu softly touched his lips, caressing them. His lips tingle where Zeke had kissed him and the Beta couldn''t help but wet his lips, licking like he was trying to chase after the taste left over them. But none of it could bury the worry he felt for the Alpha and he was probably only nodding along with what Dr. Liam was saying because he was slightly worried about a completely different matter. The black-haired Alpha; namely Zeke Roderick, told him that he would be totally fine during his rut, but Jian Yu knew otherwise. Spending a rut or a heat alone was a torture to one, and that was exactly how Zeke wanted to spend his. How did he know about that? During his stay with Clement, he was the one in charge of the Lady''s matter, personal or not. He was even the one hiring Omegas for her. Imagine his surprise when he saw a certain blonde Omega''s name, which Clement scrunched her face in disgust when he brought it up. Jian Yu heaved out a heavy and frustrated sigh. The Alpha even told the silverette not to seek him for the time being. "I''m sorry, I might be able to help with twisted or dislocated bones, but this one seemed to have the bone in his hind leg fractured." Dr. Liam stepped back, giving Z some space when it started whining. "Going to a veterinarian is the best choice, after all." Jian Yu, who finally snapped out of his thoughts, hurried over to the black pup''s side, coaxing and calming it down with his pheromones. Above him, the face of Dr. Liam twitched just slightly before he pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to tighten the medical mask he wore. Jian Yu was too busy with the little wolf to notice such a thing. The black pup was pawing in the air with its front paw and huffing. Z was giving him a look with those bright golden eyes that told the Beta how unhappy he was at the moment for being awoken from his best sleep, but was momentarily distracted and mortified by a scratch behind the ears. The Beta heard a sigh and a question. "So¡­ how old is he?" "Three to four months¡­" Jian Yu hesitated, his voice raised in the end in uncertainty, before finishing with a lame tone, "I guess." The silverette took a look at the pup and poke its snout, receiving multiple licks instead. It really made Jian Yu wonder if it really was a wolf or a pet dog because it didn''t act like a predator. It was more like a small puppy rolling around and asking for belly rubs. But that didn''t mean Jian Yu would let his guard down and be fooled thinking that there was a tamed animal here, no matter how spoiled it was acting right now. Z had yet to grow up and one would always succumb to its nature, sooner or later. That was just how the world worked. "There are many patients in need of attention, so I will replace the bandages right away and leave the rest to you, how does that sound?" Dr. Liam reached out to slowly unpeel the bandages Jian Yu wrapped before. He worked silently and the Beta wanted to whistle at how expertly he moved and did his job. Even Z seemed to agree with him as it hardly put up any fuss, only a nervous twitch on his tail every once in a while. "Are you the one doing his bandages before?" Dr. Liam didn''t even take a glance at the young beta when he spoke. "Uhh¡­ Yes, I did that." The doctor hummed. He still hasn''t looked at the Beta at all, his hands working on reapplying the bandages. "You haven''t lost your touch at all. It looked quite sturdy if I recall." Dr. Liam said it so casually that Jian Yu almost agreed to it until he realized how out of place it was supposed to be. He said it like he knew Jian Yu was able to do it in the first place-- How-- "Wait-- what?" The brown-haired man turned to the desk on the side without answering him. He pulled out a sheet and pen before scribbling on it. "Here, this is the best veterinarian in town, I recommend him for," The doctor tilted his head to the side, pointing at the pup with his chin. "Lady Clement''s pet." Jian Yu gaped. "W-- what did you mean by that?" Dr. Liam cocked his head to the side, lips pursued in thought before scolding Jian Yu like he was being too dumb to catch on. "Oh my, you are getting slow. It''s my recommendation. There''s no need to worry, I always give the best to my client. Here, take it." "No, not that¡­!" When the slip of paper was thrusted into his hand, Jian Yu fumbled about before finally getting a grip on it. The older man didn''t even let Jian Yu continue as he brought a spray out, shaking it a few times before directing it in Jian Yu''s face and sprayed it. "What? What is that?" Jian Yu shielded his face, but was unable to stop himself from inhaling it and ended up coughing when a familiar stinging smell hit his nose. Dr. Liam was already at the door and stepping out of his office to the other''s patient room when he heard the question. "Disinfectant, next time don''t come near me when you reek of Alphas. It''s nauseating." Jian Yu had seen the doctor a few times, multiple times truthfully, but only today, did he finally see a very different side of Dr. Liam. And it somehow chilled him to the bone. Chapter 88 - The Wrong Body Disinfectant, my ass. There was definitely something wrong inside that spray because hell, Jian Yu was starting to feel drowsy, if not, a little feverish. It happened rather quickly and Jian Yu''s vision wavered. His movements were heavy and slow as he leant against the examination table Z was on. The Beta''s mind was immediately filled with adrenaline and fear. His fear was so thick that he could smell it himself, and it made the situation much, much worse. It had to be a heat inducer, Jian Yu was sure of it. Why would Dr. Liam do something like this to him? There were many question marks appearing in the Beta''s mind, questioning the doctor''s action. There was something off about him, especially today. What did he mean by not coming near him smelling like an Alpha? Why was it nauseating to him? ''And who are you to tell me that you feel the need to reprimand me for that?'' Jian Yu chided at himself. Anyway, that wasn''t the one thing that bugged the silverette. It was true that the scent of another Alpha might set another Alpha off, but his reaction wasn''t exactly that. Instead of getting aggressive like any typical Alpha, Dr. Liam actually looked like he was disgusted. However, wasn''t he an Alpha himself? He was much more similar like a Beta getting fed up with the dominating scent of either an Omega or Alpha. Jian Yu was absolutely familiar with these signs because that was what he usually did when smelling those pungent smells. Jian Yu''s knees buckled when another wave of heat washed over him. Being in between the heat from his inner body and the cold air from the outside, Jian Yu''s body shook, causing him to get goosebumps all over. His heart pounded frantically in his chest. His head also pounded, like something was delivering hard blows to his head with a hammer. He could feel tears forming at the corner of his eyes unconsciously from all the pounding as Jian Yu had fallen to his knees and clutched his head, grunting in pain. The Beta closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not before cursing. Fuck. Was it really a heat inducer? But even if it was¡­ Why was it working on him? Wasn''t a Beta like him not supposed to be affected by such a thing, right? A thought made him pause. No¡­ He was wrong. He once experienced something horrible. A heat that had hit him out of nowhere¡­ years ago. Years ago, yet he could still feel it vividly, like it happened yesterday. On that particular day, he had been feeling extra touchy and rather irascible. He was so short-tempered that he even snapped at Rei that day. Inspector Han thought he had come down with a bad cold, telling him to stay home and take a rest. In the end, he stayed in Inspector Han''s office, curling up on the couch and trying to read, hoping it would distract him from the discomfort of the fever aches that made him irritable. He had fallen into a fitful sleep, the cold fever and heat constantly going on, disconcerting and misleading his body by alternating frequently between overheating or shivering with fever chills. His body had convulsed, malfunctioned as he couldn''t take the constant change of temperature. Fortunately, Rei kept checking up on him that he was able to be saved. Sent to the hospital and had the doctors stabilize him. Because his body wasn''t made to withstand a ''heat''. And his body was only trying to protect him, it threw itself out of balance and attempted to fix him, which only made the situation worse by almost killing him. In his hazy daze, he recalled how Inspector Han and a few more people with unfamiliar faces were shouting, demanding the doctors what happened. The doctors ran a test, but there was no sign of fever or infection. After testing anything they could think of, the only thing they could come up with was that he was having a heat. After everything was over, Jian Yu was shocked, but also terrified and unable to stop thinking about what had happened. During Inspector Han''s visit in the hospital, Jian Yu came crying and asked Inspector Han about it, the old man responded with a reassuring and comforting tone that maybe he was just born different. However, Jian Yu noticed the hesitation in the old man''s tone. Inspector Han had paused and was unable to meet his gaze when he said them. In conclusion, he had to say it was his first time experiencing heat. And it was terrifying. He thought heat wasn''t something to be afraid of because Omegas seemed to enjoy those moments. But it was a totally different case for him. He was experiencing something wrong in the wrong body, which made Jian Yu scared. Saying he panicked was an understatement. If it had happened once, wouldn''t that mean it could happen again? With that mindset, he took a bottle of suppressants with him whenever he went. It went on for years until he finally threw that thought away when the heat no longer visited him. Jian Yu grimaced. Had he smelled something he wasn''t supposed to that day? The Beta grunted when a wave of heat washed over his body followed by cold chills running down his back. Goosebumps covered his whole body as he shivered. He had to get out of here. Right now. He was finally able to get up to his trembling feet and caught sight of a single pup lying peacefully on the examination table and Jian Yu felt the urge to whine. Oh, gods. Why now? His fingers clenched tightly against the cold railing of the examination table, trying to think of what to do before a loud bang made him jump, his heart almost flew out of his chest. But when the familiar light brown hair and emerald eyes entered his view, Jian Yu felt a huge relief washing over him. "Rei! My dear brother!" *** AuthorKola: Damn! You should have followed Zeke just now. Do the Papapa dance and live happily ever after XD Jian Yu: Then why did you make it so?! AuthorKola has logged out. Chapter 89 - Special : White Christmas (1) AU - Hanahaki disease XXX Hanahaki disease: A disease primarily affecting the lungs and respiratory tract. Classic symptoms are expulsion of flower blossoms from the lungs through coughing and exhalation, irritation of the throat, and allergic reactions with no obvious external cause. The flowers take root in the capillaries of the alveoli and grow using nutrients provided by the blood. Several studies have suggested a correlation between unrequited love and incidence of the disease. Medical attention is only necessary if the flowers inhibit regular breathing patterns. Cure: It can also be cured by the reciprocation of the victim''s feelings. Hanahaki disease can be cured through surgical removal of the plants'' roots, but this excision also has the effect of removing the patient''s capacity for romantic love. It may also erase the patient''s feelings for and memories of the enamored. Surgery has to be done if the disease has spreaded all over, meaning if the flowers have fully bloomed because it can cause difficulty in breathing that can bring death upon the patient. XXX Zeke Roderick was a man of science. He believed in the power of knowledge and evidence. In other words, Zeke Roderick was a rational man. He had gone his days normally like that. Life was, Zeke noted, going pretty well for him. Until the universe seemed to no longer favor him and decided to turn his world upside down. That Zeke had to succumb and lean more towards emotional rather than rational when he started coughing out flowers. *** The only son of the Roderick family smacked his dry lips, finally waking up from his slumber. His body had an internal clock, making him wake up at 6 on point every morning. Zeke stretched his body like any feline creature would and buried himself under the blanket once more, unwilling to leave the safety cocoon of warmth. Winter was such harsh weather after all. But he knew that wouldn''t be possible. His serenity would be disrupted. A blizzard would hit him in five seconds. The young Alpha silently did a countdown. Five. Four. Zeke snapped his eyes open. Three. Two. He tensed his body, ready himself to spring at any sudden attack. One. At the same time Zeke launched himself off the bed, a loud bang resonated as his door was being slammed open. The young Alpha barely had time to dodge a bucket of ice cold water that was dumped on the place he was sleeping on before. "Son, you are no fun at all." Derek pouted childishly, still holding on to the empty bucket, which Zeke only responded with a flick of his middle finger before rushing into the bathroom. He cleaned himself up and got ready. Picking out the best outfit he had, Zeke combed his bangs, pushing them above his forehead, however, one stubborn strand kept on falling back to its original place no matter what Zeke did. Clicking his tongue, the young man finally gave up, but the appearance on the mirror was so satisfying that he gave himself a thumbs up. Today, for a specific reason, Zeke was suddenly feeling really pumped. He ran down the stairs, almost tripping on his own foot. Snatching a piece of bread from the kitchen, in which he received a small scolding from Lynn, telling him to wash his hands first, Zeke zoomed out of the mansion. He skipped in his steps, partially too happy to care or even worry about the looks he was receiving. Who cared about being a distinguished gentleman when you finally found your mate. Since all of you were curious, Zeke was willing to elaborate. Today, on this specific day, he was going to have a date with his lover, the cutest and most adorable man in the universe, Jian Yu! Like the way his eyes crinkle first before he smiles; how his lower lip jutted out whenever he was feeling attacked or pouty; the way he would grin when he got something right; the way he blushed and rubbed the back of his neck when embarrassed; the way he clamped his lips together when trying not to snort-- Every little thing that Jian Yu did was fugging adorable! And there was so much more! Zeke recalled the day of confession and his heart went all giddy once more that he couldn''t stop his body from drumming in excitement. And right now, they were planning to spend their first Christmas together at the newly opened carnival. Well, actually not just them, there were also Mika, Clement, and Jian Yu''s younger brother who the Beta roped into joining. Dong-Hyun was supposed to join, but he ditched them for his mate, not that Zeke minded at all. Because he really wanted to ditch this group of friends and robbed Jian Yu away so they could have their alone time. Zeke decided to go to a florist, picking up a banquet of red roses, before meeting up with the rest. However, under all the giddiness, the Alpha noticed something strange on a perfectly snowy afternoon. "Zeke! Over here!" The Alpha glanced to his left, catching sight of Mika who waved his arms widely as if he wasn''t eye-catching enough. Zeke grinned, bounding up to them, not before handing the banquet of red roses to Jian Yu, who blushed furiously. An image that Zeke quickly captured and stored inside his mind. Mika whistled while Clement only rolled her eyes. What he didn''t expect was the daggers of glares sent by the younger brother. Jian Yu laughed sheepishly, thanking him for the roses before apologizing for Rei''s behavior. The group of friends chatted as they strolled into the carnival. There were various food stalls and games. Colorful clouds of cotton candy hung from different stalls, making the whole place bright and full of fun. They played and laughed at each other, cheering when playing dart games, and Zeke paused-- there was a sudden thud in his chest and he felt a little more out of breath than usual. Chapter 90 - Special : White Christmas (2) With his stamina and constant exercise and training, he was normally the last man standing. This time, though, he was tempted to find the closest bench to sit down and chugged down a drink. He must have zoned out while trying to subtly catch his breath because the next thing he knew, he heard a warning shout to his left. He whipped around, eyes wide, just in time to duck the incoming dagger that somehow flew out of a customer''s hand while trying a new game. Fortunately, the thing was dull as it was just a toy but it would''ve still hurt if hitted right on the face. "My goodness! I''m so sorry!" A woman hurried over, worried in her eyes. "I didn''t hit you, did I? Are you okay?" "I''m fine, I''m fine!" Zeke nodded, waving her off before he walked back into his group of friends, who was watching the whole ruckus, before the woman could utter another word. Zeke smiled at his friends, sticking close to Jian Yu as best as he could. But when he inhaled, he found himself wrinkling his nose at the taste of grass? Or maybe petals? At the back of his throat. He wasn''t sure what it was but it gave off the taste of herbs, like plants, roots. However, Zeke thought nothing of it, assuming he had probably eaten something he wasn''t supposed to be. *** It happened again not so long after the first time. A day had yet to even pass. Zeke awoke late at night, almost wondering what had woken him up in this silent and cold night. But instead, he felt something fall from his face. A stray petal fluttered onto his lap. Groggily, the young Alpha picked it up to examine it. The color was white and it was wide. Then almost like the world had played an unimaginable prank on him, he coughed something tangible and another stray petal joined its kin. Something cold settled in his gut when he hunched over to cough due to the itchiness in his throat-- because there''s something real tickling the back of his throat and dancing around his mouth-- more and more petals fell over. There were tears in his eyes and his breaths were harsh as he eyed at the bunch of petals on his lap. Color drained from his face as he stared at the impossible in front of him. Zeke quickly gathered them and flushed them down the toilet. That night, Zeke couldn''t sleep at all. Plagued with the thoughts of various kinds of disease his genius brain could supply him with. But he couldn''t come up with one that had flowers growing inside a body. *** The next day, Zeke buried himself in the library and finally found out about it. Hanahaki disease. A disease born out of love. It happens when you love someone so desperately yet the love isn''t returned. ''What the hell¡­?'' Zeke thought. ''This is ridiculous.'' It sounded like a cosmic joke to him and he wanted to laugh at the situation, but his lungs felt too bristle. It shouldn''t be like that, he had read lots of books, it shouldn''t be like that in the beginning. He picked the petals of flowers he coughed up in the morning. Two white huge petals. Peony. Also known as Paeonia suffruticosa. They symbolized prosperity and happiness. So delicate they were on his hand. It was really hard to imagine that such beautiful flowers with such beautiful meaning would end up killing him later when they were in full bloom. Again, Zeke was in a dilemma whether he should cry or laugh. How funny the headlines of the news of his death would be; The Son of Roderick died from unrequited love? However, it was still much better than accepting the truth that everything a certain Beta said before was a lie. After all, Zeke Roderick was always good at being in denial. *** "Hanahaki disease? Yes, I have heard of it. Why do you ask?" Lynn asked him casually as the older Alpha was busy reorganizing the mountain of documents into the shelves. Zeke tried to make himself useful, picking up any documents he thought were important and handed them to Lynn, which he got a smile in return when he gave the right one. "Hanahaki¡­ Don''t you think it sounds so fantastical, nonsensical maybe?" Lynn hummed. "It does sound impossible at some point, but--" "I know right?! It IS impossible. How could a plant grow inside someone?" Logically thinking, plants needed light and water to thrive, yet a human body was not capable of fulfilling the requirements. Zeke had gripped the documents on his hand hard, causing them to crumple at those unspoken words. "Hey, hey, what makes you so angry, huh?" Lynn gently took the staked papers, releasing them from their misery but Zeke merely stayed quiet. When he received nothing, Lynn sighed, patient as he pushed the papers into their rightful place before turning to look at his nephew. It made him wonder how fast he had grown when the boy only reached his hip before, but now Lynn had to arch his neck back to meet Zeke''s eyes, however that didn''t stop him from ruffling his hair affectionately. "Well, whenever did love ever care about logic, Zee?" *** It was really hard. Extremely hard. No matter how much of all of this sounded like a fantasy from some fictional books, whenever Zeke thought of Jian Yu, his breath would feel strangled and he would choke on more and more flower petals. He could no longer stay in denial like he originally wanted to. There was once; during the weekend, when Mika came over like usual. In his coughing fit, Mika had looked at him worriedly, saying he should go check the doctor as he had noticed Zeke coughing a lot lately. Zeke smiled through his cough and waved at him, saying it was merely a small cold. He tried to play it off casually.. He stood up, surprising himself when his legs didn''t wobble, and excused himself. Chapter 91 - Special : White Christmas (3) He was in his room before he knew it. Wheezing in a way that made him think that this was the moment. The moment where the news about his death was announced with the most ridiculous cause. Huge petals that were once white were now tainted with blood, scattered at the floor of his room. He coughed and coughed until he was breaking a dam when thinking about Jian Yu. What if the Beta wasn''t feeling the same? What if¡­? If so, why? Why pretend? Did he pity him? Why did he do that? Zeke was coughing his life away while wondering ''why'' Until a thought made the Alpha sober up. There was a cure. Mentioned by Lynn before. But first, he wanted to know why. Shallow breaths amidst the pain of his body and Zeke refused to make a sound at all. His coughing fit still continued, muffled by his hands. *** It had gotten worse than before. It had come to the point that he had to excuse himself even during dinner with his family to evacuate himself to the bathroom. There, he would cough and cough, hard and wheezing when he was done. Multiple petals had slowly morph into full bloom peony which made him even wonder how those huge flowers could fit in his lungs. It was no wonder it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Even exhaling hurts. He laughed. And laughed. It sounded a little deranged, but he couldn''t help himself. It was impossible not to when you see a stem followed by. Yet all he could think of was¡­ How cruel. *** "Are you sure you have nothing to tell me?" Zeke decided to ask directly, he didn''t even want to beat the bushes anymore. He had silently snuck out and visited a doctor the other day for a check up. Well, not exactly sneaking out, because his father and uncle Lynn were worried sick about him. Blazing fevers in the middle of the night and difficulty in breathing. Of course, they would worry. It took multiple attempts to convince them not to accompany him while doing the check up. He didn''t know why but he just didn''t want them to know he suffered from this kind of disease. And oh dear God, the look of sympathy he was given by the doctor. Zeke winced just by thinking about it. The doctor had sighed and shook her head before offering him a surgery to remove it. Turned out, the flowers had fully bloomed inside his lungs and the roots were spreading, winding themselves around his blood vessels and chaining his heart, restricting its movements. But Zeke only smiled, or at least that was what he tried to pass onto. "I¡­ I will think about it." That''s what he said and he really, really was thinking about it. But the consequences were heavy, forgetting about someone he used to love so much, it really wasn''t as easy as said. He just¡­ Wanted to hear it for the last time before finally letting go. For real. So here he was, under the moonlight, asking for the impossible. "Are you sure?" He repeated the question that weighed tons in his tongue and heart. "What''s going on?" Jian Yu asked. His eyes glanced worriedly at Zeke, so pure and earnest that the Alpha felt bare and vulnerable at the same time. Zeke swore under his breath. ''Don''t look at me with those eyes. Please, just don''t.'' "You. What''s happening to you?" The Beta rasped. "You have been coughing non-stop--" Zeke laughed. He wished he didn''t, but the chortle laughs had escaped his mouth. And he couldn''t stop. He wanted to go on until he lost his voice, until he stopped finding it funny and cried instead. He glanced at Jian Yu, who stood under the lamppost. Light from the lamp made his silver hair glow even brighter like a halo, his cheeks supported faint red from the cold weather. The way he stood like he wanted to know what was wrong and Zeke swallowed around the heavy feeling in his chest. "Zeke, please," Jian Yu said quietly. His face frowned, worry was clear in his voice. "Everyone is worried about you." ''But are you?'' Zeke wanted to retort back. ''Are you worried about me?'' Those words were stuck in his throat, never wanting to leave, instead, another thing-- another living thing-- decided to make its appearance. The desperate flower inside him shooted straight past his throat and out of his mouth. Petals surging forward, pushing through each other that Zeke didn''t even have time to think when they were forcing their way up and out. He coughed and hacked, bloodied flowers and petals dripping with spit fell out of his mouth and Zeke couldn''t breathe. He was choking; the flowers wouldn''t stop. And all he could do was to continue trying to cough them out and get them out of his lungs unless he wanted to choke on them. He crashed on the snowy ground on his hands and knees as his body crumpled at the force of his hacks. Bloody petals went flying, tainting the white snow with the color of ruby and Jian Yu-- Jian Yu startled, lurching forward with anxiousness in his gaze and Zeke wanted to say ''Don''t look at me like that.'' "Oh Goodness¡­ What''s happening to you?" Zeke couldn''t answer, too busy hacking flowers so he would not die, but fuck, everything hurted. His body shook with the force of his heaving and it hurted. Panic coursed through his vein and his vision blurred. The scenery all mixed together in a swirling mess but his eyes were only able to focus on a certain silverette. A face full of fear, pain, clueless of what was happening, worry, and ''is that the look of pity he just saw? Hopefully not'', and Zeke desperately wanted to scream at him. ''Why do you look like that?'' ''Do I look that pitiful to you?'' ''I don''t need such sincerity coming from you!'' Chapter 92 - Special : White Christmas (4) ''Why do you look like that?'' ''Do I look that pitiful to you?'' ''I don''t need such sincerity coming from you!'' Zeke gurgled, shakily touching his bloodied lips and felt a lingering petal stuck to it. He could feel his life flashed in his eyes, black dots started swarming in his vision and it was becoming harder and harder to breathe. His vision became blurry and all he could see was Jian Yu''s frantic face. A smile tugged at his lips as his vision grew darker and darker. Until it was only left with a lot of shouting and darkness. But maybe nothingness was better than the sickening emptiness that brought nothing but pain to him. *** Zeke gasped, sucking a very, very clean breath for the first time he woke up. "Hey, hey, you okay?" A hand shook his shoulder gently and Zeke sucked in a breath as he recognized the owner of the voice. It was hard not to when it came from the one you had been simping for. "You are lucky I found you before Mika decided to make ridiculous missing posters with your face everywhere." Jian Yu mumbled something akin with derpy faces. "What¡­?" Zeke rubbed his bleary eyes away and sat up, looking confused. Jian Yu blinked at him, he was still sitting in front of the bench Zeke was currently sleeping on. The Beta brought a hand to Zeke''s forehead, almost frowning at the high temperature. "You could have told us you are sick, y''know. We can always postpone the trip for you." Finally, after a whole two minutes, while Jian Yu patiently waited for him, realization dawned on Zeke. The scenery finally cleared up and Zeke noticed he had fallen asleep on some random bench in the carnival. He recalled how the biting chill from the cold wintery weather had only worsened his cold; how he wanted to find a place to sit and ended up sleeping on it. Not to mention, WITH A HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE! Well, he should be grateful he didn''t sleep and freeze to death right here and then but still! Why such a nightmare! The fact that he could remember every bit of it sent chills down the Alpha''s spine. "Are you okay? Wanna head back first?" Zeke was busy groaning and grateful that those horrible moments were only nightmares when he registered the question. His eyes turned to look at Jian Yu. The silverette was humming, hands tucked inside his coat pockets and breath misting in white puffs. All in all, he looked happy to be here and Zeke couldn''t bear to risk it for his own health. When Zeke rejected the Beta''s offer, Jian Yu frowned, asking if he was really okay or not, because the Alpha''s complexion wasn''t looking really good. But Zeke had cut him to it before he could say anything, leading him to various stalls while grumbling about ditching Mika and the others because why not? The carnival was so crowded that both of them were swept up by the sea of humans until Jian Yu finally made up his mind. The silverette reached out, making sure that his hand he''s closing his fingers on were Zeke''s. The moment he did, the Alpha had frozen and become stiff at some point before glancing over his shoulder to look at Jian Yu, then back to the connecting hands. He looked so confused and nervous that Jian Yu almost chuckled at the sight, but the silver-haired man hanged on, gripping the hand in his tighter. "Let''s go, treat this as our red string of fate," Jian Yu cleared his throat, his voice in a higher pitch as he was quite embarrassed but he tried not to. He kept his gaze forward before continuing. "We''ll get seperated, otherwise." Talking like this wasn''t his forte, it was Zeke''s. But he tried his best and the reaction he got was absolutely worth it. It seemed the Alpha had never been in the receiving end before as he was silent and gaping at Jian Yu, shocked to stillness. It took a while for the black-haired man to finally spark back to life and quietly rearrange their hands, lacing their fingers together. "You sure?" He asked, voice soft as he stepped closer. To be honest, Jian Yu wanted to ask why he would ask something like that. Was he worried about Jian Yu''s preference in public displays of affection? Just how much more kinder Zeke wanted to be, he was already too thoughtful for an Alpha with a status like him. "Of course." The younger man gave the hand a squeeze. The effect was immediate. A small smile made its way to the older''s mouth before melting into an oozy grin that Jian Yu could feel radiating all over him. It only took a few more minutes for Zeke to reconfirm again before a full fledged grin burst open, an overwhelming happy squeals of laughter followed and Jian Yu couldn''t help but wanted to follow as well. The Alpha tugged their joined hands, pulling Jian Yu closer to him and the Beta immediately leant in, huddling himself closer to Zeke, soaking himself in the warmth. The couple continued their journey through the carnival with their newly joined hands. And none of them wanted to pull away. XXX THE END XXX NB: Just an alternate universe, there''s no connection between this and the plot of the story. Hi all! This is just a special chapter I made to celebrate christmas, hope you enjoy it! Never planned for it to be angtsy in the middle, but I couldn''t help it XD. Now I''m even thinking about making it vice versa. What if Jian Yu was the one having the hanahaki disease, how would it turn out? What do you guys think? Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I Hope you all have a happy holiday! Stay safe, stay healthy! Eat lots, drink lots! Stay hydrated! Thank you for reading my stupid shits! Chapter 93 - Fabricated Scent Rei was currently debating with himself whether today was just going to be another one of his worst days in life. There was just something in his gut that was screaming non-stop, telling him that something unpleasant was about to occur. He shook his leg, thumping his foot against the wooden platform he was standing on, creating loud thudding noises which he received a few glares from different sides. When he received the news that all the participants had returned, his emerald eyes immediately did a scanning. Scanning for a particular silver head. Rei was quite tall for what he was and he wasn''t one to deny when someone questioned his second-gender, he just let it be. So when he tiptoed, he could still see past the river of humans. The ash brown-haired man knew he should be chill, for goodness'' sake, Jian Yu was a goddamn grown ass man, but shit, he was getting more and more restless the more he thought about it. His hand slipped into his coat, palming the long but thin form of a case. Rei had always brought it with him, even though he knew there was almost zero percentage of it happening unless triggered, it was nice to always be prepared. Jian Yu loved to be prepared at all times. Rei just learned from the most paranoid man ever. No matter how he tried convincing himself, his fingers still drummed nervously against his arm when he couldn''t catch a sight of his brother. After being a busy body and asked everywhere, he finally got the information of his brother''s whereabouts. When they pointed out that most of the participants were in the infirmary, including his brother, Rei was already assuming the worst. He stormed over, blind to the world as he stomped to the infirmary with a hurried pace. Everything would have gone smoothly if only he hadn''t bumped into a hard rock wall. The Omega nursed his nose, apologizes were on the tip of his tongue, but the words uttered to him startled Rei, making him snap his head up to look at the hard wall he just crashed into. Bright cerulean eyes stared down at him and Rei resisted to take a step back because, man, that was too close. The man just right in front of him also exuded a strong Alpha scent that Rei momentarily had to stabilize himself, another thing he hated being an Omega. "God, why do you smell like that?" That was enough for Rei to snap back to his consciousness and look who he had bumped into. Dirty blond hair, short and looked like it had never been combed entered his vision. The Omega had to arch his neck back to see the whole picture of the Alpha standing in front of him. He was tall, huge, and Rei knew who exactly that was. Mika Crosse. A distant nephew of the Crosse family that suddenly decided to live in a small town like Zariya with his surrogate uncle instead of the Capital City. A close friend of Zeke Roderick. And how did he know that? Because he read all the files his brother had. "What are you doing?" Another cold but feminime voice penetrated the air, only then did Rei saw another person behind Mika Crosse. Clement had a hand on her hip, wearing a full complete armor designed for combat. Realization dawned in the Omega that the thing he had crashed onto was the armor identical to the one Clement was wearing. No wonder it hurt so much! "Nothing," Mika shrugged. "Just that this Omega smells so¡­ Fake, like it''s fabricated." "What?" Rei was startled, his heart thumped, in fear of getting found out. Scent blockers were forbidden here, but Rei had been abusing those blockers for he hated his own sweet scent. Fortunately, no one seemed to want to hear his opinion. Clement raised her eyebrows at Mika''s response but that didn''t stop her from looking over to the Omega that got in their way. Curiously, she sniffed the air and immediately scrunched her nose when she caught a whiff of the Omega''s scent, but she decided not to comment on it. "What a pity." Mika shook his head and sighed. "Such a good looking Omega, but smells so disturbing." Strangely, Rei felt those words stabbed something deep inside him. Though, normally he was not one to put those thoughts in his heart, for some reason, he hated it when coming out from this Alpha in front of him. It made him want to rub off the scent blockers he had applied on himself. "Let''s go, don''t waste our time on something unimportant," Clement turned her heels, walking in the direction of the infirmary. "Didn''t they say Jian Yu is in the infirmary? It''s this way, right?" "Zeke''s in there too. Shouldn''t we just leave them be? Don''t wanna walk in something for sure," Mika ruffled his short blond hair, messing the already messy hair even more. "And that is exactly why I need to be there." "Wait, what?! Don''t tell me¡­" The blond Alpha gasped dramatically, hands covering his mouth like he had heard something extraordinary. "Are you jealous?" Mika asked with a tiny voice. Clement smacked the back of the other Alpha''s head, so hard that Mika clutched his precious head and whined in pain. But the female Alpha had enough of his dramatic antics that she immediately went on her own. Rei, who had been forgotten, was still standing over there and watched the interaction between the two Alphas. His sharp ears immediately perked up when he heard his brother''s name mentioned. "E-- Excuse me¡­!" He shouted before he could stop himself and almost blushed when both Alpha suddenly turned towards him. He gulped and took a deep breath. Stilling himself and tried to overcome the overwhelming presence of the two Alpha. "Did you say Jian Yu? Did you know where he is?" The questions seemed to irk Clement as she crossed her arms in annoyance, the metal armor clacked against each other when she did so. "And who are you to him, I suppose?" "I¡­ I--" Rei stuttered for a second when Clement flared her Alpha pheromones. "I''m his brother!" "Brother?" Clement raised an elegant eyebrow up. "Wait a minute¡­" Chapter 94 - A Scent That Shifted "Rei?" Tilting her head to the side, Clement seemed to test the water when she mentioned the name. The ash brown-haired Omega immediately perked up at that. "Yes, that''s me! Did my brother mention about me before?" Rei was feeling giddy all of sudden. Looks like Jian Yu ever mentioned him before! "Wow, Clement. I never knew you care about stuff like this!" Mika bounded up beside the female Alpha, who grumbled about something close to "birds of a feather" before turning towards Rei, giving the Omega his full attention. "Sooo," Mika dragged the words out, a playful smirk stretched across his lips. "This," He put his face so close to Rei that the ash brown haired Omega had to take a step back to maintain a distance. "This handsome Omega is the brother of my brother-in-law?" "B-- Brother-in-law?" Rei spluttered, before squinting his eyes. "What do you mean by brother-in-law? Who--" "Get moving, the third round is about to start." Clement stomped, her boots made low thuds against the ground. She continued while walking without looking back at all. "Didn''t you want to see your brother?" "Ah, y-- yes¡­!" Rei wanted to hurry after Clement but the sudden heavy weight across his shoulder hindered his movement from sprinting. "Hey, Omega." The hot breath coming from the blond Alpha made Rei shudder. Mika had slung his arm over his shoulder in a friendly manner but the words he was about to speak weren''t friendly at all. "I don''t want to offend you or anything¡­" He trailed off at first and Rei knew the moment those words were uttered, he was about to get seriously offended. "You really need to do something about this scent of yours. It''s really making my nose itch." A vein popped at Rei''s forehead and he felt a sudden rise of irritation bubbling up inside him. This man, this stupid Alpha here, had done nothing but insult him the moment they met. He gnashed his teeth, gritting them as he shrugged his shoulder to throw off the heavy arm resting on him. Giving the deadliest glare he could muster and with a tone dipped in venom, he spat. "Then don''t breathe." With that, Rei turned away and jogged right behind Clement, leaving a few paces in between. Stunned, Mika blinked and gaped, unbelieving of what had just happened before a chuckle left his mouth. A chuckle then turned into a full-blown laugh that the blond Alpha was doubling over, clutching his stomach as he chortled. "What the hell¡­?" Mika gasped out in disbelief, rubbing the corner of his eyes to get rid of the tears. "What''s next? Don''t step on the ground?" He muttered to himself. The corner of his lips slowly curled up until a grin stretched across his face. Looking at the back of the Omega that was slowly getting further away, his cerulean blue eyes glinted maniacally. He raised a hand to cover the crazy grin on his face, hiding it from the world as he recalled how the kitten acting like a tiger bristled. "Fuck, why is that so cute?" *** It was awkward. Really, really awkward. Well, in Rei''s opinion, it was awkward. The only sound heard was the sound of their breath and footsteps. Clement wasn''t saying anything at all as she walked, head held high like the noble she was, meanwhile, Rei walked a few paces behind her, fidgeting every second. He felt like he should speak up, to lighten the mood. The guy who was supposed to be the chatterbox wasn''t running his mouth at all. Mika was just whistling away with both his hands behind his head. Even though he looked like he was someone who didn''t care about the world, a carefree guy, Rei could feel the stare aimed his way a few times, making him tense his shoulder and that would result with the Alpha smirking for unknown reason. Rei was about to point it out to him when a doctor came passing by. Wavy dark brown hair that was tied in a low ponytail. He was humming casually as he passed by, giving a friendly smile to them. "Dr. Liam." Clement greeted. "You are here." The doctor didn''t pause in his step, but if Rei was paying more attention, he looked more like he was in a rush. "Of course I''m here, I''m the school physician, after all." He gave them something that could pass off as a friendly smile but it looked strained somehow. Something about this man set all the alarms off in Rei''s mind. There was just something that didn''t sit right with the doctor and the way the doctor''s eyes trailed all of them before landing on him. Those eyes bore into him like they knew him but Rei had no recollection of ever meeting an Alpha like him, besides, the doctor resembled someone that would never leave an impression for long. He was just too ordinary. However, the uneasy feeling he had felt this morning only intensified tenfold as the Omega clenched and unclenched his clammy hand. "Dr. Liam seems really busy." Mika commented idly, talking for the first time in a while. Clement couldn''t help but agree before watching the physician leaving in a hurry. "Guess there are more casualties this year." "Lucky us then." "Hey, did you smell that?" Clement frowned, her nose high as she sniffed the air before immediately pinching her nose. "It smells like bur--¡­" Before Clement could finish her sentence, a sudden flare of burning pheromones filled the air that even Rei almost choked on. Cinnamon and burnt wood, coated with sickly fear. It made the hairs on the back of Rei''s neck on end and there was something else too-- something familiar. Something he used to drown himself in. It was a scent that he knew well, a scent that had long gone, disappeared and evaporated, that belonged to a certain silverette. That one Beta. Who used to carry this scent with him everywhere before it shifted into something else but Rei liked it no matter how it was. This burning wood that smelt like forest fire. Had disappeared along with his memories a long time ago. Chapter 95 - Hesitation THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD! Rei rushed into the direction where his nose led him to, coming across a door that was slightly open and the smell of burning wood intensified. The Omega slammed the door opened, only to find-- That his brother was kneeling on the floor. Face flushed and pheromones flaring like flames; like soots drifting off a forest fire, exactly like how they smelt. Jian Yu''s face was red and his breath labored. He was struggling to breath as if his lungs weren''t pumping fast enough. Rei stiffened in shock at the unexpected scene. The loud bang seemed to startle him as the Beta whipped his head so fast and it actually took minutes for the struggling Beta to process who had actually come in. "Rei! My dear brother!" "W-- what happened to you?!" Rei shrieked, he was beside Jian Yu in seconds, holding him steadily as the silverette seemed to sway unevenly. The silver-haired man''s knees wobbled, unable to even support his body when he tried to stand. "Just¡­ Just a slight fever¡­" He paused, licking his lips. "I think¡­" He finished lamely. His body shook, trembling so hard that if you put a drum underneath him, he would make a perfect tremolo. After a few agonizing seconds, he finally spoke again. "Can¡­ Can you take care of Z?" Jian Yu gulped down, uttering words was difficult when you have a numb tongue. "I really need to go, like¡­ Right now¡­" His breaths were getting heavier and every word weighed like tons. Jian Yu tried taking deep breaths to calm himself, but none of it was working. He was hit with another wave of dizziness that made him squeeze his eyes shut, his face scrunched up as he shivered from the drastic change of temperature clashing against one another inside his body. "Z? Who the fuck is Z?" The ash brown-haired Omega frowned, jealousy burned inside him as he recalled the blond Alpha''s words from before. "You have a mate now?!" His grip on Jian Yu''s slender shoulder tightened as he shook the Beta. "D-- Don''t shake¡­!" The silverette pushed the Omega with the little strength he had left in him. "Dizzy¡­" "Sorry," Rei quickly stopped himself. He himself felt like he needed a breather. Now was not the time to let his emotions run over. He needed to think of a solution. Jian Yu shouldn''t have his heat. He wasn''t supposed to. The thought of it was enough to make Rei''s heart stop for a second. ''Has he¡­'' ''Is he becoming like me?'' Dread filled his entire body and his blood seemed to freeze over. ''Wrong. This is so wrong!'' Two pairs of rapid footsteps echoed and Rei wanted to close the door before the others could see but Clement had already beaten him to it. "What in the world is going on here?" She had her fingers pinching her nose as he let herself in, accompanied by Mika a few steps behind, he too, had covered his nose with his hands. Her sharp sapphire eyes landed on Jian Yu and was immediately alerted. "What? What happened to him?" She rushed over, her hands never leaving her nose. "What''s wrong with him?" She demanded and Rei despised himself for being submissive when her Alpha pheromones filled the air, especially when he stuttered. "I¡­ I don''t¡­ Know¡­!" Rei tried to compose himself before he repeated himself. "I don''t know, he was like this the moment I came in." "Nghh¡­ It''s cold¡­ Hot¡­" The suffering Beta continued mumbling incoherently. He seemed to have lost all his strength to even prop himself up. He would have melted into a puddle if Rei let go of his hold on his brother. "Holy Heavens, what''s wrong with all of you Omegas today? You all stink." Mika stumbled inside as well, this time, with a handkerchief held in front of his nose. However, his grumbling stopped short when his eyes landed on Jian Yu. "Wait a minute, I thought he was a beta¡­?" Those sentences irked Rei so much that he snapped at the blond Alpha. "He IS a beta¡­!" "W--Whoa-- chill out, man." It actually made him wonder if he actually said that to convince the other guy or to convince himself to think so, however he thought it leant more towards the latter. His hold on his brother tightened even more when a protective feeling rushed over him. Jian Yu''s body shook under his touch as he whimpered, sweat drenched his body despite the cold weather. "Brother?" Rei tried. It made the Omega worry when his brother was suddenly not saying anything. The silverette couldn''t even lift his head up. His head was swaying alongside his body before it landed on Rei''s chest and he kept on whimpering. The ash brown-haired Omega gritted his teeth, biting his bottom lip as he contemplated. Should he use it? He had an inhibitor with him right now. Even so, he wasn''t sure if his brother was experiencing an actual heat or not. He indeed was showing the symptoms of it, yet the scent he was letting out-- Was his original scent. And the Omega fucking missed this particular one. Would this scent return to Jian Yu if he let it be? Rei knew, he fully knew he couldn''t actually be thinking about his own selfish desire, but he just couldn''t help himself. "Zeke. Where the fuck is Zeke?" Clement growled without notice beside him, baring her fangs and startling the shit out of him, but that was enough to snap him out of his delirious thoughts. In just a few steps, she had Mika by his collar. "If I recall, his rut is just in a few days, am I right?" "Yes, he does, and what does it have to do with-- Don''t tell me--!!" Mika was perturbed, not only from being Clement''s sudden target but also the whole situation. "You can''t be saying he triggered a heat, right? And a Beta? You can''t be serious." Rei couldn''t really comprehend what the two Alpha''s over there were blabbering about, but his mind was working overtime when he heard the word ''Zeke.'' It didn''t take long for him to put the two together. Z sounded like a nickname for the name Zeke, so did Jian Yu ask him to take care of Zeke? If so, for what reason? "Z is Zeke, right?" He couldn''t help but wanted to make sure.