By Zephyria 
“Yes.”
Ashley stared at his son and coldly pointed out,
“I’ve told you thousands of times that you have to be especially careful because you naturally have high Pheromone levels, so you should remember by now. Don’t be careless. Check your Pheromone levels tomorrow, and if it’s urgent, ask Steward to extract them with an injection.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Grayson answered obediently and immediately, as always. With an unchanging smile on his face.
Norman Steward is the head of a medical center that mainly researches the Pheromones of Dominant Alphas. His parents were the first to establish the center, and after they died in an unexpected accident, Steward took over as the head.
He is probably the most knowledgeable person about Pheromones in the entire world. The place Dominant Alphas visit when they have problems related to Pheromones is that research institute and center, which is why it is always overflowing with donations. What the center lacks is not money, but test subjects. It is extremely rare to find someone willing to offer their body for research on Dominant Alpha Pheromones.
Unless they are utterly resigned.
And Grayson is probably the Dominant Alpha who visits Steward’s office most frequently. Of course, unlike his younger brother Chase, Grayson wasn’t wallowing in self-hatred. He was interested in Pheromone research and even volunteered as a test subject, a fact Ashley was also aware of. Ashley also knew that Grayson never neglected to extract Pheromones according to his teachings.
Nevertheless, the fact that he is being reminded again and again is proof that Ashley is that sensitive to the accumulation of Grayson’s Pheromones. Everyone in the family knew that Ashley was obsessively strict with Grayson more than with his other brothers. Of course, it was understandable.
Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I went…
Grayson suddenly recalled. He had forgotten to visit Steward’s lab; this was the first time this had happened. The reason, of course, was simple. It was because his life was at its most enjoyable these days.
But Ashley was right that he needed to extract Pheromones. Grayson also didn’t want to go crazy or have his brain damaged. So, the only remaining option was to solve it with an injection.
Anyway, I have to go to the Pheromone Party…
The Pheromone Party is more convenient than the lab for getting an injection. He used to laugh at his younger brother Chase for getting those injections, but looking back, it was a good thing. Thanks to Chase, he could get a verified drug.
Of course, Steward developed the drug for that Pheromone Party as well. If he found out about Grayson’s current state, what kind of reaction would he have?
He would definitely be intrigued. If I told him I had learned the emotion of fear.
And the emotion of love.
Ah, Grayson blinked. Come to think of it, I haven’t told him about this.
“Daddy, I…”
“No.”
Before he could even speak, Ashley coldly cut him off.
“I told you clearly, you have to complete a year. I told you that you absolutely can’t quit arbitrarily again, didn’t I?”
Ashley scolded his son in a stern tone. Actually, he had expected this. In a normal situation, Grayson would have been disappointed that he was wrong, and he would have been preparing to run away or might have already run away. Just like he had always done.
He was somewhat surprised to hear that he was living with a lover, but this wasn’t the first time he had experienced this. There had been several times when he had arbitrarily run away with his lover, saying he would quit his job and play around, but when he thought he was wrong, he would quickly change his mind, abandon his lover, and disappear alone. The reason Ashley came all the way here under the pretext of adding donations to the fire station was to check on Grayson’s situation. To warn him in advance so that his bad habit of running away as soon as he lost interest wouldn’t resurface.
Grayson suddenly burst into laughter, “Puhahaha,” at his father, who was looking at him with cold eyes. Ashley wasn’t particularly displeased because this inappropriate reaction from his son was due to his innate nature. However, he had to tell him over and over again that he was wrong. That he shouldn’t laugh in this situation, or someone would find out about Grayson’s fatal flaw, and it would become his weakness.
“You’re wrong, Grayson. You shouldn’t laugh in this situation.”
“Yes.”
Grayson answered immediately this time as well, at Ashley’s remark. However, Ashley’s brow furrowed even more deeply.
“Why do you keep smiling?”
This time, Grayson didn’t answer right away and blinked.
“Am I?”
He was still lifting the corners of his mouth, but it was probably just because he had just burst into laughter and hadn’t yet recovered his expression. Ashley suppressed a sigh. It couldn’t be helped. This was just a flaw that his child was born with.
“What were you going to say? If it wasn’t that you were going to quit.”
When Ashley asked in a businesslike tone, Grayson belatedly seemed to remember and his eyes sparkled.
“I, I found out what fear is.”
Ashley, who was about to bring the tea to his lips, paused. Grayson was watching him, still with the corners of his mouth raised, as he slowly, very slowly, put down the teacup. After a moment of silence, the sound of the teacup touching the saucer was heard very quietly, and then Ashley opened his mouth.
“…What did you just say?”
Desire Me if you can
The sun shone brightly into the tearoom, and the cool breeze coming in through the open window made it feel as refreshing and exciting as having a picnic in the garden.
Dane, sitting across from Koi at the round tea table, was embarrassed by the unfamiliar atmosphere but reluctantly remained in his seat. Watching the employee who had brought them refreshments disappear silently, Dane thought, ‘So there are people working here.’
Well, that’s how they could have prepared such an enormous meal this morning.
Recalling the extravagant dining table he had forgotten, Dane suddenly felt goosebumps on the back of his neck. He glanced absentmindedly at the closed door when Koi suddenly shouted in a high voice.
“Dane was my child’s lover!”
Turning his head, Koi, unable to hide his emotion and with sparkling eyes, came into view. He had been overjoyed since he first saw Dane. Dane was embarrassed by Koi’s reaction, but what was even more awkward was that he didn’t feel any aversion to this man he was meeting for the first time. No, far from feeling aversion, he actually felt a sense of closeness.
The feeling he had when he first saw this man was not a mistake. Dane felt strange about the unchanging affection. As if noticing Dane’s confusion, Koi said in an excited voice,
“We have a bond. That means Dominant Omegas have something in common.”
A bond, what is he talking about?
Koi continued excitedly to Dane, who still didn’t understand.
“Dominant Omegas can recognize each other. And they feel affection for each other. Maybe you feel that way about me too. Like, family?”
At the word family, Dane frowned and gave a cynical smile. What word could be more absurd than that? This man seemed to have no idea how dirty a community connected by blood could be.
Looking at Koi, who was looking at him with a bright face, Dane suddenly thought of Ashley Miller, who had been wary of him earlier.
He’ll be doing all sorts of messy things to extract Pheromones, but he won’t tolerate his partner looking elsewhere?
Thinking that it was still a selfish Trait, Dane picked up the mug that was meant for him. He paused as he was about to bring the coffee to his lips without thinking.
Cat poop…
Dane wrinkled his nose but reluctantly swallowed the coffee.
106 – 106
Koi, who had been staring at him with sparkling eyes, opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for Dane to put down his cup.
“How did you meet my child? At work? Is Grayson adjusting well? How long have you been dating? When did you start living together…?”
Was the shell the only thing Grayson Miller inherited from Ashley Miller?
Dane couldn’t help but look at Koi with a disgusted expression. Seeing his blatant expression, Koi exclaimed, “Ah,” and smiled awkwardly, embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, I can’t help myself when it comes to my children…”
It could happen.
Dane thought indifferently. Some parents are overly interested in their children.
Thinking that far, he suddenly frowned. Since when have I become so generous?
Normally, he would have gotten up from his seat already, annoyed, but not only was he still sitting, but he was even showing understanding with such a broad mind. Could this be the tolerance that comes from the bond of the same Trait?
Dane, his mind complicated, cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.
“I understand that Miller lives in the East, but how did you come here? What’s the matter?”
“Ah, Ash said he was coming to check if Grayson was adjusting well, so I came with him. I can only see the children when I’m with Ash…”
Koi’s voice trailed off, and a shadow fell over his face. When he paused at the dark atmosphere he felt for the first time from him, who had been smiling brightly until now, a short beep suddenly came from his back pocket.
Dane took out his cell phone, checked the message, and inadvertently sighed.
Grayson
My beloved Dane.
As soon as he saw the first sentence, he didn’t read any further, skipped through it roughly, put his cell phone back in his back pocket, turned his head, and met Koi’s eyes. Dane turned his palm up, shrugged, raised one hand, and then dropped it on his thigh. He scratched the back of his head with his other hand and opened his mouth with a reluctant look.
“Grayson sent it. He sends so many every day. He doesn’t even think about the receiver…”
Realizing belatedly that he had complained about his child to his parent, he smiled vaguely. But Koi’s reaction was, as expected, different from ordinary people.
“Grayson? He sends texts? And a lot of them?”
Dane nodded, bewildered, at Koi, who asked repeatedly with a surprised face.
“Yes, to the point where it’s a little difficult…”
“Oh my gosh, I see! I had no idea.”
Koi clasped his hands together as if in prayer and blinked his eyes with a moved face.
“To be honest, I was a little worried about how he would be with his partner. I was wondering if he would be aloof, but I’m glad.”
When Dane paused at the word “aloof,” Koi added something absurd.
“Grayson doesn’t talk much, you know.”
Who are you talking about…?
It was clear that it was a different person with the same name as Grayson Miller that Dane knew. Maybe, as the conspiracy theorist at the fire station said, aliens kidnapped earthlings, copied their shells, and pretended to be them, and one of those aliens using the shell was his child…
What’s wrong with my head?
Dane blinked rapidly to regain his reason. He was constantly trying to weaken his mind because of that damn bond or whatever.
No, get back to normal.
Of course, resisting instinct requires considerable effort. And Dane hated making an effort next to being annoyed. That’s why his choice was made.
“Then I’ll be going, I’m tired…”
As he was about to clean up, Koi widened his eyes as if startled.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was too excited because I had nowhere to hear about the children, right? What should I do, keeping you here when you’re already tired? Since you’re the same Trait and Grayson’s lover, I got too emotional…”
Seeing him apologize, at a loss, Dane’s heart softened again. There are many cases where the external appearance and the appearance shown to parents are different. No, most of them will be like that. Of course, they’ll be curious about how their child is doing outside.
Besides, Grayson has a taciturn image at home, unbelievably…
Dane ended up choosing to stay. He picked up his mug and said,
“There’s still coffee left, so I should drink this before I go.”
“Really? That’s a relief!”
Koi was delighted and quickly changed his expression. He deliberately pushed the tray with the cookies toward Dane and continued.
“I wanted to talk to Dane a little more, even if it wasn’t about Grayson. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the same Trait. Ah, the youngest is also the same Trait as us! If you include Bliss, there are three of the same Trait around me. I’ll introduce you to Bliss next time, she’ll be really happy.”
Suddenly, Dane remembered that there were six children in the Miller family. If the youngest is the same Trait, that means Dominant Omega. Then one Dominant Omega among five Dominant Alphas…
Koi smiled awkwardly, perhaps because he had unknowingly made a disgusted expression.
“That’s right, there were some difficulties. That’s why I’m so curious about how the children are doing…”
Dane stared at Koi’s face.
“You’re very interested in your children.”
Koi smiled bitterly at the slow tone.
“I can’t help but worry. My children are… special, after all. But I just believe that my children can do what other people can do and wait.”
And he muttered as if he were talking to himself.
“If I don’t believe in them and hold on, who will believe in my children?”
Sadness seemed to well up in Koi’s eyes. Dane simply held his mug in the air and stared at him silently.
Desire Me if you can
Ashley stared at Grayson without a word. Countless thoughts were going back and forth beneath his cold expression. Grayson, as always, waited for a response with a grinning face, as if he was enjoying himself to death.
After a moment of heavy silence, Ashley finally opened his mouth.
“How can you be sure that’s really ’emotion’?”
If such a thing were possible, it could only be called a miracle. Until now, Ashley had worked tirelessly to get him to ‘learn’ emotions. No matter what he did, he couldn’t feel it. Then the only way was to learn the senses.
But no matter what he did, the child only showed the same reaction. Even in the midst of all this, his curiosity was so strong that he couldn’t stand not knowing what he was curious about. He barely managed to teach him how to endure even when he was curious, but Grayson would probably never be able to endure his thirst for emotions for the rest of his life.
A curiosity that he could never know, but could not be filled.
But he learned what ‘scary’ is? How?
Of course, he couldn’t believe it. Just looking at Grayson’s history of lying to him, he couldn’t be trusted. But Grayson went even further.
“Yes, and I know what love is.”
He looked at Ashley with a surprisingly arrogant face, as if he was proud of it. Seeing his son’s expression, Ashley slowly narrowed his eyes. He was definitely acting. Acting according to the situation, as he had taught him so far.
But how did he know that he had to make that expression while saying those words?
Ashley mercilessly trampled on the hope that was trying to raise its head. How many times had he been deceived by Grayson in this way? Was he just a foolish parent who was blinded by his own child, and Ashley even felt a self-deprecating feeling as he opened his mouth.
“How did you?”
“I learned it.”
This time, Grayson answered immediately. And he straightened his chest and declared confidently.
“From Dane.”
Ashley was silent again this time. Dane Striker. The man Grayson introduced as his lover taught him emotions? Is he allowed to be so confident, even though he’s going to rave about lifelong love and then say he was wrong?
“This time it’s real.”
Grayson said, but these were also words he had heard before. Ashley didn’t think he needed to waste unnecessary time with his son.
“Really? Then I can check it out, right?”
Unlike his confident attitude so far, Grayson paused. Ashley’s eyes narrowed. He knew it.
“If what you said is true, it won’t change anything if I check with Dane Striker, will it? Or.”
Ashley asked in a slower tone than usual.
“Did you lie again this time?”