By Zephyria 
four
A chilling silence fell instantly. No one spoke. A woman looked up at Dane with a desperate expression, Dane looked down at her with a blank face, and Grayson, watching them, paled and stiffened.
“…What?”
Dane asked after a moment. She took a breath and replied.
“I’m pregnant, with your child.”
…What is this woman saying?
Grayson frowned in disbelief. How could Dane possibly impregnate a woman? It was absurd.
“She’s crazy, don’t bother with her.”
Grayson abruptly stepped between them. Gently, but firmly, he grabbed the woman’s shoulder and pushed her away, smiling.
“I think you’ve come to the wrong house.”
“Let go of me, what are you doing?”
The woman shook off Grayson’s hand and shrieked. Grayson was about to speak again when Dane suddenly blocked him.
“Don’t touch her.”
“…Huh.”
Grayson stared at Dane in disbelief. What did he just say to me? I’m taking your side here! And you’re taking the side of this woman spouting nonsense?
Along with Darling’s meow, Dane glared at Grayson. He didn’t say it, but his actions made it clear.
Pheromones.
Grayson realized that he was unknowingly releasing a strong, sharp pheromone. Of course, he was incredibly angry right now.
But Dane was glaring at Grayson with a frightening look. He didn’t care about Grayson’s anger. All that mattered was that his pheromones were threatening his precious cat, Darling. That fact made Grayson even more dumbfounded.
“Grayson Miller.”
Dane called his name again, as the pheromones continued to overflow. It was clear he wouldn’t stand for it if Grayson didn’t stop. Eventually, Grayson suppressed himself and contained his scent. As the scent faded, Dane turned his head back to her. Grayson was hurt once again, but there was nothing he could do.
The ending of this absurd situation was obvious, but that didn’t make the unpleasant feeling go away. Unless Dane revealed his Trait, things were bound to get complicated.
Of course, he’ll keep it a secret. Dominant Omegas usually hide their Traits. In fact, that guy is pretending to be a Beta…
So, what should I do with this woman?
Grayson instantly turned cold. There were only certain actions to take in this situation. He calmly organized his thoughts and stared down at her, already coldly planning his next steps. Despite being the focus of attention from the huge men, the woman raised her head and spoke in a trembling voice.
“Let’s talk inside, this isn’t something we can discuss standing here.”
“There’s no need.”
Dane suddenly blocked the woman as she tried to brush past him. He spoke to her in an indifferent tone as she looked up at him in surprise.
“If you’re pregnant, it’s not my child.”
“What?”
The woman raised her voice in confusion, as if she hadn’t expected this situation at all.
Wait, could it be…
Just as Grayson paused, Dane spoke. In his usual indifferent tone.
“I’m sorry, but I’m an Omega.”
Her eyes widened. Grayson was just as surprised. He’s revealing his Trait? That easily? No, but this is the simplest solution…
“What?”
After a few seconds of silence, she asked again. Looking down at her face, which was perhaps even more bewildered than Grayson’s, Dane calmly repeated what he had said.
“I’m an Omega. I can’t impregnate you, look for another candidate.”
“That’s impossible… it can’t be…”
The woman shook her head, then let out a hollow laugh.
“You’re lying to avoid it, aren’t you? Don’t talk nonsense, how can you be an Omega? You expect me to believe that? Such an obvious lie?”
“It’s true.”
Dane stated definitively once more. A faint scent of pheromones followed. The woman blinked several times, her eyes wide as she smelled the scent, then shook her head.
“No, it can’t be… it can’t be…”
She wanted to deny it, but this was undeniable proof. With a wavering gaze, she looked at Grayson standing behind her. Grayson crushed her futile hope with a sneer.
“Do I look like an Omega to you?”
The arrogance in his voice startled her, and she bit her lip and lowered her head. Dane looked down at her trembling body and spoke.
“There must be another candidate, right?”
The woman slowly shook her head.
“No.”
“Think about it.”
“No, I said no!”
Her headshake became more violent. Eventually, the woman began to scream.
“That man can’t be the father, I don’t want to, no…!”
Dane stared at her as she screamed, then spoke.
“You wanted me to be the father, didn’t you?”
The woman paused and looked up at him. Her eyes were filled with tears. She looked pitiful and pathetic, but nothing changed. Dane still spoke in an emotionless voice.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t take responsibility for something I didn’t do.”
He continued in a calm voice.
“And you’re mistaken. Maybe you think that way because I’m a firefighter, but I’m not the kind of person who can take responsibility and start a family.”
Those words resonated strangely with Grayson as well. He frowned and turned his gaze to Dane, as the woman spoke.
“I’d still be better than that man.”
At the woman’s stubborn words, Dane chuckled and added in a slightly lighter tone.
“You trust me, who goes to clubs every other day and sleeps with new people?”
The woman didn’t laugh. Instead, she sniffled and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Dane watched her and spoke.
“…If you don’t have anyone to go to the hospital with, I can help with that.”
Why would you?
Grayson didn’t understand, but he didn’t want to prolong this unpleasant time by interfering, so he simply remained silent. And she got into the taxi that Dane called for her and left. It was already over an hour later when they were finally alone again.
Desire Me if you can
“Haaa.”
Dane sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead with one hand as if he had a headache. Only after the taxi carrying her disappeared did he return to the house, heading straight to the table and gulping down the cold coffee like water. He emptied the remaining coffee in one go, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and then put down the empty cup. Grayson, who had been silently watching him, spoke.
“Does this happen often?”
At the quiet question, Dane wiped his lips with the back of his hand and replied.
“Not often, but sometimes.”
So it’s happened more than once. No wonder he seemed so strangely familiar with how to handle it. Grayson stared at Dane and muttered.
“It’s a good thing you’re an Omega.”
Dane frowned at him, as if wondering what he was talking about. But Grayson simply met his gaze in silence, his brow furrowed deeply as if his mood had soured.
If Dane had been a Beta.
His heart immediately turned cold. Dane would have taken precautions, but if he had accidentally gotten her pregnant, he would have taken responsibility immediately. He would have become a perfect husband and father, creating a loving family.
Imagining that made his stomach churn with jealousy, as if it were about to burst.
Dane declared that he wasn’t the kind of person to do that, but that couldn’t be true. This man might not be domestic, but he was responsible. He would have dedicated the rest of his life to his family. Whether he was satisfied with it or not was another matter.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
Dane’s voice broke through his thoughts. Grayson snapped out of it and saw Dane still standing there, waiting for his next words. No, he said, pausing for a moment before speaking.
“Why did you reveal your Trait so easily?”
When he asked what he had been wondering, Dane unexpectedly answered readily.
“Because it’s the easiest solution.”
He then added casually.
“It’s not like my life changes just because I’m an Omega.”