By Zephyria 
fourteen
Scritch, scritch, scritch.
Dane directed a bitter gaze at his coffee, watching Darling scratch at the table with his paws while sniffing incessantly. The coffee’s aroma was wonderful to humans, but it seemed different to the cat.
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
Reluctantly acknowledging this, Dane watched the cat digging at the table as if excavating a litter box. He stood up, picked up Darling, and placed him on the cat tower. After confirming Darling had settled down, he returned to his seat.
He had barely begun to enjoy his leisurely tea time when lightning suddenly flashed outside the window. Fortunately, the deaf and blind cat only twitched an ear when the thunder rumbled, showing little reaction.
Dane sat in the chair by the tea table near the window, sipping his coffee and gazing outside. The scenery that had captivated him since he first entered this room now exuded a completely different atmosphere under the dreary weather.
Dane watched the rain lashing down through the window. He wasn’t used to such heavy rain in this area, where it rarely rained, but he felt a sense of relief.
It will be a quiet day today…
He thought idly as he drank his tea.
“Tch.”
He clicked his tongue shortly afterward. He should have been working on a day like this, just killing time until he could go home. His luck had been terrible lately.
He was emptying his coffee with dissatisfaction when he thought he heard another sound mixed with the rain. He soon identified it. Grayson’s car was speeding away in the distance.
Where is that guy going in this rain?
He wondered briefly but quickly dismissed the thought. What did he care?
Several days passed. Grayson seemed to have given up trying to persuade Dane and had become quiet. Dane also continued to treat him as if he didn’t exist. They lived in the same mansion without exchanging a single word, ignoring each other so thoroughly that they seemed to inhabit entirely different spaces.
Dane planned to just coast through the remaining time and leave this place. It had been a mistake from the start. He didn’t know what Grayson Miller had expected from him, but for Dane Striker, romance or forming a deep relationship with someone was impossible. The inevitable conclusion had simply arrived sooner than expected.
Only a month remained. In a month, Dane would leave this place, and Grayson Miller would seek out a new partner, as he always had. And they would likely never meet again.
That’s fine.
Dane thought, bringing the coffee cup to his lips. It was only then that he realized the cup was empty.
He sat there for a moment before taking the empty cup to the snack bar. He washed the cup, put it away, and returned to his seat, passing the time until he went to bed.
Once again, an eerie light illuminated the world, followed by a deafening roar. Outside the window, the dreary sound of rain continued incessantly.
Desire Me if you can
Even lying in a room farthest from the hall where the Pheromone Party was in full swing, the Pheromone scent was still thick in the air.
Grayson lay in bed, his eyes closed, panting. His uncontrollably excited heart kept pounding against his ribs. He was even developing a headache. The host of the party looked down at him as he let out a faint groan and asked,
“Are you okay, Grayson? What happened? Your Pheromones are so built up.”
“I’m fine, but where’s Steward?”
Grayson asked between ragged breaths.
“Where is Steward?”
The host looked down at him with a bewildered expression.
“He didn’t come today.”
Grayson frowned instantly. The host was flustered but couldn’t lie.
Norman Steward.
The doctor that all Dominant Alphas seek out when they have problems. No one knows more about Traits than this man. Especially when it comes to Dominant Alphas, no one can keep up with Steward’s research. Thanks to that, it has become common practice to go through him for all concerns and solutions related to constitution.
But the time when that man is especially useful is when Pheromones need to be extracted. When a Pheromone Party is held, hosts often call Norman Steward to prepare for any unforeseen incidents. That’s why you were likely to meet him if you came here.
“I came here because they said he wasn’t at the lab…”
The host replied to Grayson’s mumbling to himself.
“That’s right, he said he’s on vacation right now. But he said he’d have a staff member on standby in case of an emergency…”
“Call them.”
Grayson cut him off before he could finish.
“Call them, now.”
“Grayson.”
The host sighed and suggested another method.
“Instead of that, I’ll send in a few Omegas so you can just take care of it. That’s much easier and safer. Why come all the way here to have your Pheromones extracted with a needle?”
He then added with a frown,
“Chase did that so much, and now it’s you?”
“I don’t want to have sex with someone I don’t like.”
A forgotten phrase suddenly came to mind. Grayson, recalling the face of his brother, who had been on the verge of tears as he said that to him, smiled weakly.
“I’m a bit of a pervert.”
“Haa.”
The host shook his head as if he couldn’t help it and left the room. Feeling his mind grow hazy, Grayson closed his eyes. It felt like his whole body was floating. His heart was pounding like crazy, but his body was endlessly languid. What was this strange sensation? His whole body was burning as if he had a fever, but he couldn’t feel anything in his fingertips.
Haa, Grayson let out a soft sigh. Someone faintly came to mind in his dazed mind.
I’m sorry, Dane.
As he murmured it again in his mouth, he replied.
It’s okay, idiot.
Incredibly, Dane smiled and hugged Grayson’s neck. Ah. Grayson’s nose tingled.
I love you, Dane.
You are, my…
“Grayson Miller!”
Grayson barely managed to lift his heavy eyelids at the sudden shout. His vision was blurry, and he couldn’t focus properly. He was about to close his eyes again when the same voice called out to him again.
“Miller, wake up! Grayson Miller, damn it!”
His consciousness gradually returned at the exclamations mixed with curses. Only then did he vaguely realize that he had been wandering in a dream.
Forced to open his eyes again, Grayson was momentarily bewildered. He had definitely woken up from the dream, but Dane was still in front of him. What was going on…?
Oh, damn it.
Dane was inwardly anxious at the sight of Grayson staring at him with unfocused eyes. He had no idea what was going on. Judging by the intense Pheromone scent emanating from his body, he must have gone to a party, but what was this condition?
Until just before, Dane had been fast asleep. He had woken up because the strong Pheromone scent had assaulted his consciousness. When he belatedly came to his senses and got up, the sweet scent filled the room. He wondered if Grayson Miller had entered the room, but the room contained only Dane and Darling, as it had before he fell asleep.
If so.
There was only one answer. The Pheromone scent was coming from the connected room. If the scent was this strong, it must be a Rut.
Dane sat there for a moment. There was only one choice he had to make. To leave this mansion.
Grayson’s Pheromone scent was already stimulating his instincts. Feeling his face flush and his pulse race, Dane grimaced. There was no more time to hesitate. Dane immediately picked up Darling and left the room.
However, the moment he stepped into the hallway, he realized he had misjudged. The hallway was already filled with the Pheromone scent. It would have been better to stay in the room. How could such a strong scent be permeating the hallway? What on earth was going on?
He soon found out the reason. Grayson had collapsed with the door open. The moment Dane saw that, he put Darling down in the room and ran towards Grayson.
“Grayson! Grayson Miller!”
He called his name repeatedly, but he didn’t come to his senses easily. What on earth was going on? Even if he was in Rut, how could his condition be this bad? This was like…
Being addicted to drugs.
121 – 121
That was as far as Grayson got in his thoughts. His half-open eyes blinked, and the corners of his lips softened. He smiled faintly and whispered,
“…Dane.”
Dane paused at the weak voice. What on earth was going on?
“What happened? Weren’t you supposed to be at the Pheromone Party?”
He was drenched in Omega Pheromone. The scent permeating his entire body was something that could only happen if he had been to a Pheromone Party. Grayson chuckled at Dane’s question.
“I went.”
He continued, as if lamenting, to Dane, who still frowned.
“I was going to get the Pheromone extracted with a shot, but that damn Steward wasn’t there… So some employee or something came and gave me the injection, and, shit… They were terrible at it… The medicine all leaked out of the blood vessel… They were crying, saying my arm might rot, crazy… Why were they crying? It’s my arm…”
Grayson chuckled again. Dane stared down at him, dumbfounded. What was this guy even saying?
He was clearly out of his mind from the drugs. It was a miracle he made it back safely. He must have made it this far thanks to his Homing Instinct, but collapsed before he could even get into his room.
Dane sorted out the situation as best he could, but questions remained.
“What do you mean, getting your Pheromone extracted with a shot at the party?”
Grayson answered casually to his uncomprehending question.
“It’s to avoid having sex… ”
“Why?”
Dane still couldn’t understand. Why would he do that when there was a sure and easy way to get rid of the Pheromone? Especially after going all the way to the party.
“Why, you ask…”
Grayson replied brightly to him, who was still frowning deeply.
“How could I sleep with anyone but you?”
Dane was momentarily speechless, simply staring at him. The loud sound of rain continued between them. Meeting his bewildered gaze, Grayson continued to confess.
“I thought I didn’t really need to get rid of the Pheromone, but Papa would get angry… And I might, go crazy and… hurt you. I can’t let that happen, you know.”
He was rambling on as he pleased. Dane couldn’t tell if it was because of the Rut or the side effects of the drug. What was certain was that Grayson was not in his right mind right now. What should he do in this situation? Dane thought bleakly. He knew all about various emergency treatments, but none of them were applicable right now. What do Dominant Alphas even do in situations like this? In the first place, drug side effects for a Dominant Alpha? That was absurd!
Oblivious to Dane’s confusion, Grayson blinked his hazy eyes and looked around.
“That’s strange, but why are you here…? I definitely went to the party…?”
He tilted his head, rambling. Was he trying to wake up from the drug? Dane couldn’t decide how to react to his bewildered appearance, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.
It was then. In the short time Dane was pondering, Grayson’s condition suddenly changed.
“Guh, guh…”
“Grayson!”
Suddenly, he began to writhe and gag. Dane hurriedly grabbed him, but the fit didn’t stop. Grayson, shaking violently and gasping for breath several times, had his ragged breaths cut off one after another. At this rate, he would stop breathing altogether. He had to do something. Just as Dane was about to get up in a hurry, Grayson suddenly grabbed Dane’s arm.
“Wh-what?”
Dane stumbled back in surprise and turned to see Grayson looking up at him.
“Where are you going?”
A hoarse voice escaped between his panting breaths. Dane blinked and belatedly opened his mouth.
“Let go, I’ll go get some water…”
“Don’t go!”
Grayson quickly turned pale and shouted violently.
“Don’t go, Dane. Please don’t leave me.”
“Just a moment, just let go. I’ll be right back, I’ll be back soon…”
Dane tried to pull his hand away, but the more he did, the more Grayson gripped his arm with unbelievable strength. Soon after, Grayson screamed desperately.
“I was wrong!”
Dane, who had been trying to force Grayson away, stopped in his tracks. Grayson was still staring at him with a pale face, desperately continuing.
“I won’t ask, I won’t ask you anything… I won’t be curious about anything. I don’t need to know forever, it doesn’t matter if you don’t tell me.”
“Miller.”
“Please, Dane. Please.”
Grayson’s voice trembled violently. He grabbed Dane’s arm with all his might and cried out desperately.
“So please don’t abandon me…!”
Dane said nothing. He simply stared at the grown man begging him.
Ah.
The sweet scent of Pheromone filled the air. It wasn’t just Grayson whose brain was melting. Dane slowly sighed. Grayson’s wide-open pupils were filled with Dane’s face. He looked as if he was about to cry, as if he was smiling, as if he was angry, as if he was dumbfounded.
Dane was looking at him with a complex expression that Grayson could not possibly understand.
And.
“…Huh?”
Dane suddenly reached out and grabbed Grayson by the collar. In a moment of carelessness, Grayson was pulled in and Dane immediately pressed his lips against his. Grayson, surprised, widened his eyes.
What was this? Was he still dreaming?
It was unbelievable, but the sensation on his lips was real. And that wasn’t all. Dane unhesitatingly opened Grayson’s lips with his tongue and stirred inside. The thick flesh caressing and rubbing against his stunned tongue jolted him awake.
It was real. Dane was really kissing Grayson. Really, unbelievably.
The sensation of a tongue licking the inside of his cheek made his lower body instinctively tense. Why? Why? Why was Dane doing this to him…?
Question marks swirled in his head, but his body was faithful to its instincts. Grayson closed his eyes and focused on the kiss with Dane, leaving his bewildered brain as it was. Sweet saliva mixed in his mouth. He hurriedly wrapped one arm around his waist and grabbed his chest with the other. Goodness, Dane didn’t push him away even though Grayson’s hands were full. Rather, he continued the kiss as if he didn’t care.
It’s a dream.
Grayson was sure. This couldn’t happen in reality. Because, because…
“What’s wrong?”
Dane asked in a low voice, pulling away from his lips. His breath was also rough, perhaps from the aftereffects of the persistent kiss. Grayson looked at him and opened his mouth.
“This is a dream, isn’t it?”
“What?”
Grayson answered self-deprecatingly to Dane, who frowned.
“There’s no way you’d be this nice to me. Yeah, this is definitely a dream.”
He smiled, raising the corners of his lips.
“You never even talked to me.”
Dane was silent for a moment. A sigh escaped from his lips as he put a hand to his forehead and looked at the ceiling.
“Haa…”
He didn’t move for a while. Many thoughts went through his head, but it was truly just ‘a while’. He never looked back or hesitated on things he had already decided on. That was the same in this moment.
“Ugh!”
Grayson yelped as Dane suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him up. Dane dragged him to the bed and threw him down. As his large body bounced on the bed, Dane immediately followed, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling it off. Dane, who had taken over Grayson’s body, who had widened his eyes, unbuckled his pants and said.
“Let’s do it, have sex.”
“…Wh-what?”
Dane declared to Grayson, who was flustered and unable to react properly.
“I’ll help you get rid of the Pheromone.”
And before Grayson could even grasp the situation, he grabbed his hand and brought it to his chest.
“Here, touch as much as you want.”
At that moment, Grayson’s heart rate exceeded 200.