LMI 107

Nausea.

That was the first thing he felt. As one sense returned, his entire body screamed in protest. It felt like something was crawling up his veins, tearing at his organs. His nose was filled with a foul odor, his head was splitting, and he was dizzy. His stomach churned, and he gagged, letting out uncomfortable groans.

Haa, haa.

He gasped for breath and barely managed to lift his eyelids, but he couldn’t see anything clearly. He blinked a few times with great effort before his vision finally focused.

The first thing he saw was the familiar scenery of his room. It took him a moment longer to recognize it as his own. He slowly moved his eyes and saw an IV drip hanging on one side of the bed.

Following the line with his gaze, he realized he was receiving an unknown injection. He instinctively reached out with his other hand to touch the arm with the IV, but a voice suddenly cut through the air.

“Leave it alone. Unless you want me to cut off your arm.”

The utterly cold voice instantly jolted his still-hazy consciousness awake.

Ashley’s eyes widened as he turned toward the sound, freezing in place. A man sat in a chair some distance away, watching him.

Dominic Miller.

He repeated Father’s name in his head. The man had the same nearly silver-white hair and close to two-meter height as him, always impeccably dressed in a suit, but the solid, muscular body hidden beneath was unmistakably him.

The man resembled Ashley in many ways. Or rather, Ashley resembled him. After all, Ashley’s origin was that man.

Now, even the violet eyes.

Remembering that, Ashley momentarily wanted to scream. He glared at the man who had brought him to this state with hatred, but the man merely smirked.

“Try harder. I’d like you to entertain me like ‘Ashley’ did.”

Ashley said nothing, clenching and unclenching the fist of his arm with the IV. He resisted the urge to lash out at him, again and again. But he couldn’t, not now. To be so weakened at a time like this.

Realizing that the physical strength he had built up through all his training was useless filled him with self-loathing. All Ashley could do was lie there and glare at him. Just like ‘Ashley’.

Because that was all ‘Ashley’ could do too.

Dominic watched his son silently for a while, then gave a chilling smile. Ashley sometimes felt like he was a snake. Especially when he stared at him with those eyes while only raising the corners of his mouth.

Ashley flinched, feeling a shiver run down his spine as always, and Dominic, pleased with the reaction, spoke.

“It’s a lovely sight, your pathetic state.”

The last words were added slowly, deliberately emphasizing how miserable Ashley was. Ashley knew very well how Father could use elegant words to make someone feel disgusting. He never swore or used vulgar language. He disliked it when others used such crude words.

Why use such words when he could easily crush someone to the ground without them?

Of course, Dominic knew that it made the other person even angrier. So he used that method with great pleasure.

Despite having experienced it countless times and seen it firsthand, Ashley was furious. He couldn’t help it, even though he knew that was what Dominic wanted.

Ashley clenched and unclenched his fist again, trying to suppress the surge of emotions. He seemed to be regaining some feeling. His body was still a mess, though.

He had to land a punch on that man, no matter what. The voice of reason, telling him that he had endured this well until now and that this was the worst possible timing, was barely audible. But conversely, it was because he had endured until now that he couldn’t do it anymore.

Ashley suppressed the urge to punch that man’s handsome face and barely managed to speak.

“What… did you… do to me?”

Dominic glanced at the IV drip at the strained, broken words.

“I’m removing your Pheromone, my son.”

The affectionate tone didn’t suit him at all. There was probably no one else in the world who would call their son that way with such a cold voice.

Do all the sons of extreme Alphas think the same way I do?

Ashley didn’t know. But what was certain was that his Father would probably have been this awful even if he hadn’t Manifested.

Dominic, already accustomed to the contempt and loathing directed at him, found Ashley’s gaze neither new nor painful. Rather, he seemed to enjoy his son’s resistance. Trampling and destroying those who rebelled against him and rejected him was his entertainment.

Just like he had obtained ‘Ashley’ that way.

But Ashley had a different question on his mind right now. Removing Pheromone, with an injection? Was that even possible? Dominic suddenly stood up at his blinking reaction. Ashley flinched involuntarily at the unexpected movement, but his body was still bound to the bed. Helpless, he could only watch as Father approached him step by step.

“There are many ways to remove Pheromone.”

He stopped next to the bed and looked at the IV drip. Ashley watched him from the bed as Father sneered at the liquid that dripped down, creating small bubbles.

“But you know very well why I wouldn’t try to remove it with an injection.”

…What?

Ashley paused and blinked. His head was a mess with dizziness and headaches, but his voice was clear. As if to prove that he hadn’t misheard, Father looked down at him.

“If you had properly released your Pheromone at the party, you wouldn’t be in this state.”

His tone was not regretful or sympathetic at all. Rather, he seemed to be enjoying himself so much that it was a wonder he wasn’t laughing out loud. Ashley felt fear before the contempt and loathing he felt for him.

He suddenly remembered why he had never been able to stand up to him. The fear of this man that had been instilled in him since childhood made it impossible for him to even dream of rebelling. The fear that he might become like ‘Ashley’.

The feeling that this man was capable of doing just that. It was dominating his body once again.

I’m just this man’s possession.

Just like ‘Ashley’. As if branding a possessed slave, the man engraved his name on his son.

So far, it was something anyone who knew this man could have guessed, but it was unusual that it was his middle name, not his first name. It was surprising that this man, so full of self-love, had put someone else’s name before his own. The only name this cruel and heartless man could say, “I love you.”

Even if it was in his own terribly selfish way.

Ashley clenched and unclenched his fist again. He had much more strength back now. He would somehow land a punch on that handsome face. Just a little more, just a little more.

“What did you hate so much? All I asked you to do was release your Pheromone.”

Dominic tilted his head to one side.

“It’s not like you’re inexperienced.”

Dominic asked as if he truly couldn’t understand. Of course, he didn’t understand at all. To Father, that act was just releasing Pheromone. How many extreme Alphas even recognized it as sex? Maybe he was just making excuses, even though he knew. Either way, Ashley didn’t care.

“I… have someone… I like.”

Dominic narrowed his eyes at Ashley’s strained mumble.

“Ah…”

He exclaimed as if he understood, but the drawn-out ending felt ominous. Dominic smiled as he looked down at Ashley, who was staring fixedly at him.

“Are you talking about that mutt?”