Chapter 14

Sebastian found this person completely endearing.

"Didn't you just tell me to keep my pheromones put away?"

Asher set his face in a hard line, saying nothing. The sheer agony was unbearable, but he felt too embarrassed to open his mouth a second time.

However, though Sebastian was amused, he still extended his hand. "Here, smell it."

His hands were exceptionally beautiful—even his wrists were pale, slender, and well-defined. Under the lights, his bones seemed faintly visible beneath the pale skin, alongside the light blue veins. The soothing pheromones seeped out from his blood bit by bit.

Asher ground his canine teeth, wanting to take a bite.

But he reminded himself that he needed to maintain control, remain reserved, and stay completely aloof. Thus, lifting Sebastian’s wrist with a look of mock disgust, he lowered his head and sniffed it intensely.

It felt like an antidote, yet it resembled an enchanting, slow poison even more. It temporarily mitigated his agonizing pain, yet it planted a deeper seed within him, making him crave it and leaving him entirely unable to sever the tie.

One sniff wasn't enough; he needed another.

After several refills, the pain finally eased slightly. Only then did he release Sebastian’s wrist as a gesture of grace, shrinking lazily back into his blanket. His posture radiated such absolute pride that he might as well have said "you are dismissed."

He was completely oblivious to how ambiguous his actions had just been.

Sebastian felt it was necessary to educate this novice Omega, who clearly hadn't paid attention in biology class, on some basic safety knowledge.

Withdrawing his wrist, which had been burned hot by the contact, he pinched and rotated it a few times. "Do you know what a mating heat is?"

The tips of Asher's ears flushed red.

Sebastian nodded. "It seems you know."

He hadn't expected this person to be so thin-skinned regarding this matter. It seemed he would have to mind his boundaries carefully in the future.

While calculating this internally, his face remained entirely solemn. "Then do you know what it means when you find immediate comfort in sniffing my pheromones while you are in agony?"

Asher: "..."

It means you've secured an absolute hold over me.

"It means the compatibility rate of our pheromones is exceptionally high—at least above ninety percent. We are a perfectly suitable match to become life partners."

"Who the hell wants to be your partner... wait."

Asher suddenly froze. "So, you're saying I am supposed to find an Alpha as a partner in the future? An Alpha?!"

Judging by his expression and tone, the blow he suffered was catastrophic.

Sebastian realized his mistake. That original diagnostic report hadn't been completely without effect. At the very least, if the result had predicted an Omega from the start, Asher wouldn't have grown into such a pure, straight Alpha, nor would he hold absolute conviction that his romantic interest should be an Omega.

That fraudulent institution should have been shut down a long time ago.

Ignoring Asher's expression of absolute self-doubt, he loosened his shirt collar slightly. "Within a month after presenting, an Omega will experience their first mating heat. The duration and intensity of the heat vary based on an Omega's physical build. Therefore, within this month, you must carry a sufficient dose of suppressants at all times just in case. Got it?"

It took Asher a fair amount of effort to snap back from the nightmare of having to find an Alpha as a partner, only to be struck by another catastrophic piece of news. Feeling thoroughly exhausted, he muttered, "Being an Omega is far too troublesome. I'd rather not have presented at all. Even crossing into a Beta would have been acceptable."

"Instead of letting your mental front crumble over things that cannot be changed, you should take a nap and accept reality."

"Why don't you try transforming into an Omega instead? Let’s see if your mental front crumbles or not." Seeing that the other had indeed expended a fair amount of grueling effort, Asher didn't throw a tantrum, casually adding a line of concern: "I’m taking a nap, but what about you?"

"As your temporary guardian, staying up to watch over you."

His long legs stretched straight out as he leaned back into his chair, radiating the absolute momentum of someone preparing to guard a military frontier.

"There’s no necessity for that. We still have class tomorrow."

"Grandpa will handle our leave of absence. Aunt Eleanor is also racing back through the night; she’ll likely be here by the time you wake up. After that, my business will be completed."

His tone sounded entirely nonchalant, yet the faint, porcelain-blue shadows beneath his eyes couldn't lie. Sebastian's maternal grandmother was half-European, making his hair and skin color noticeably lighter than normal, so any dark circles showed up with absolute clarity.

Asher felt quite a wave of guilt rising in his chest. Biting his lip, he murmured, "Thanks for this time. I've troubled you."

"It doesn't reach the level of trouble."

A smile hooked the corner of Sebastian's mouth, his tone laced with a faint hint of amusement.

"After all, who told you to call me 'Sebbie'?"

"?!"

Staring at Asher's abruptly widened eyes, Sebastian felt thoroughly satisfied. Estimating that the worst of the boy's discomfort had passed, he decided to stop teasing him to prevent further distraction.

His smile turned softer than before. "Go to sleep. If you genuinely feel bad about it, just be generous and stop being angry with me, alright? I'm clumsy with my words and not very good at coaxing people."

Who the hell wants you to coax them.

Asher let out an unhappy mutter, yet in the end, he couldn't hold his ground against his body's deep fatigue and lethargy, falling into a hazy stupor.

The entire ward filled with the unyielding fragrance of wild roses, growing increasingly thick with nowhere to hide.

Only after ensuring Asher had fallen completely asleep did Sebastian stand up. Walking into the restroom, he locked the door from the inside, undid his shirt buttons all the way down his chest, and braced his hands against the sink. Hunching over, he took one slow, deep breath after another.

The radius bones on the backs of his hands tensed, his knuckles turning pale as his veins protruded slightly.

After a long while, he scooped up a handful of freezing water to splash onto his face.

A human body is a simple and honest entity. When he was close to Asher, breathing in the fragrance of those pheromones, every single cell in his body was screaming to mark him, possess him, and plunder him.

Yet unfortunately, the true culprit remained entirely oblivious, a picture of absolute innocence and daze.

Lifting his head, he looked into the mirror. The flat, detached face reflected in the mirror was dripping with water, every single line radiating absolute restraint and suppression.

He is an Omega, and an Omega with such a high compatibility rate at that.

Living alongside each other day and night, how on earth was he going to survive the upcoming year?

He let out a self-deprecating smile.

Returning to the edge of the bed, he rested his hand near Asher's gland, unleashing his soothing pheromones to smooth out those knitted brows.

Lulled by the deep stupor, Asher dropped his guard based on pure instinct. Gone was his aggressive front; his cheek乖巧ly rubbed against Sebastian's palm a few times—soft and ticklish. His raven-wing eyelashes remained quietly downcast, making him appear exceptionally innocent.

Sebastian reminded himself to behave like a human being.

When he woke up the next morning, the sunlight was excellent.

Streaming through the white sheer curtains of the hospital, it filled the entire ward, rippling with rings of soft, golden light that felt thoroughly warm and soothing.

The room was packed with the wildly blooming fragrance of roses.

Exactly as Sebastian described, it wasn't the cloying, sweet scent of a greenhouse rose, but resembled a wild rose growing in a desert, on a cliffside, or amidst a barren thicket—carrying a relatively heavy, crisp wood fragrance.

It smelled a bit wild, as if its thorns were fully visible.

Though it lacked a massive dominant edge, it was acceptable enough to sniff.

His entire frame feeling completely refreshed after the final transition, Asher stretched his limbs.

Sebastian walked out from the restroom with damp hair. "Awake?"

His voice was slightly raspy, indicating a severe lack of proper rest.

A few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a slender neck and a prominent Adam's apple. Drops of water slid down his hair along his jawline, dipping straight into his collar, exposing a few glimpses of toned lines.

He usually looked quite thin, yet he turned out to be rather well-built.

An Alpha’s genes truly triggered a fair amount of envy.

Holding a towel with one hand to dry his hair, Sebastian used the other to toss a bottle of blocking agent toward Asher. "Spray it."

An unscented blocking agent.

Not bad; at least it didn't feature any bizarre artificial fragrances.

Asher shook the bottle, delivering a rapid barrage of sprays over his body.

Leaning against the window sill, Sebastian ran his fingers through his hair, his tone relaxed. "Aside from your special periods, an Omega can typically keep their pheromones properly restrained on regular days. Don't let them wander everywhere."

"Who's letting them wander?"

Finishing his sprays, Asher took a sniff. The air was entirely clean—both the pine and the rose fragrances had completely vanished. Looking down, he evaluated the bottle covered in foreign text with total satisfaction.

"Quite useful."

"A new product developed in Northern Europe. Currently the best-performing model on the market; once sprayed, no one can smell whether you're a human or a ghost."

Asher weighed the bottle a couple of times, calculating something silently within his mind.

After a brief moment, he finally reacted. "Does the hospital carry such high-end blocking agents nowadays?"

"It’s not from the hospital."

"Eh..." The look Asher cast toward Sebastian turned slightly bizarre. "Why on earth does a straight Alpha like you secretly store an Omega's blocking agent?"

What exactly was his image within this person's mind?

Amused, Sebastian answered, "It belongs to your mother."

"Why the hell are you cursing?"

"I'm not cursing. I'm stating that this bottle of blocking agent belongs to your mother, Aunt Eleanor."

The moment his words fell, before Asher could prepare his thoughts, the ward door was pushed open. A highly noble and beautiful lady rushed straight toward the edge of the bed, throwing her arms around Asher while weeping a torrent of tears.

"My son! My poor son! Why must your destiny be this bitter... waaa..."

Asher: "..."

If he recalled correctly, he had merely presented; it wasn't as if he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Awkwardly lifting his hand to pat Eleanor’s back, he murmured, "Mom, I'm fine. Stop crying; your eye cream is quite expensive."

"How can eye cream compare to my son? Waaaa..."

Asher spent a fair amount of patience soothing her, his tone noticeably gentler than usual. "Look, aren't I perfectly fine?"

"What do you mean, 'fine'? How on earth is this fine?" Eleanor straightened her body, her tears falling like rain. "You've transformed into an Omega, and you call this fine?"

Asher let out a small smile. "I hadn't realized you preferred Alphas over Omegas. This kind of archaic thinking is unacceptable."

Eleanor knew her son’s heart must be suffering immensely, yet he still had to summon the patience to make her happy, causing her heart to melt into absolute softness.

Wiping her tears and suppressing her sobs, she gripped Asher’s hand. "It’s fine, son. Although with your current appearance and personality, it might not be easy to marry you off, your dad is wealthy. We can take care of you for the rest of your life. Do not let this become a psychological burden."

"..."

Eleanor grew increasingly animated as she spoke. "It’s my fault—it's entirely my fault. Back then, when that institution stated the genetic testing was a hundred percent accurate, I blindly believed them. I raised you as an Alpha since you were a toddler. Even when Sebastian presented as an Alpha, I failed to notice anything amiss, remaining stubbornly oblivious, which caused you to fall into such a state today."

Asher: "..."

Exactly what kind of state have I fallen into?

"Look at you—so tall, with such a short temper, and you even have an eight-pack." With that, her hand even reached out to touch Asher’s waist, letting out a heavy sigh. "So hard, completely lacking any softness. What kind of blind, crazed, brainless Alpha could possibly fall for you?"

Sebastian: "..."

Asher: "..."

Eleanor’s distress was thoroughly authentic. Bracing his heart, Asher offered his comfort: "Mom, it’s fine. In any case, I have zero interest in Alphas, and actually, there are quite a lot of Omegas who like me..."

"What use is a massive horde of them? An Omega-Omega relationship? When your mating heat arrives, you look at each other, and I look at you, roasting eggs together over mutual heat?"

Asher: "..."

Sebastian felt Eleanor’s every single word was an absolute pearl of wisdom, laced with profound insight.

Letting out a sigh as if accepting her grim fate, Eleanor murmured, "Sigh, forget it. If worst comes to worst, you can just inherit the family business when the time comes. We can go buy—oh no, select a few Alphas with excellent qualifications but impoverished family backgrounds to marry into our household. That way, you won't suffer any bullying, and the children can even take your surname. If one won't do, we’ll find two. If two won't do, we’ll get three. Surely there will be a few compliant and honest ones."

Asher: "..."

The plan was remarkably thorough.

Sebastian felt Eleanor’s thoughts were drifting into a dangerous territory.

Letting out a couple of soft coughs, he spoke up, "Auntie, it won't reach that extreme. Asher is only seventeen right now; it's still far too early. There's no telling what might happen in the future."

Realizing Sebastian was still present, Eleanor reined in her emotions slightly. "You're right. It’s still early; we can take things slow. What if a blind cat happens to stumble across a dead mouse?"

With that, she let out another sigh. "To tell the truth, when that original test result came out back then, your father and I had actually thought about establishing a childhood betrothal. But since you later presented as an Alpha, I abandoned the idea. Now that Asher has transformed into an Omega, I’ve even been thinking about stuffing him over to you against my conscience."

Sebastian's heart leaped slightly.

"But I can't do that," Eleanor stated with genuine emotion, looking at Sebastian with tears welling in her eyes. "I watched you grow up since you were a toddler; how could I bear to push you straight into a fiery pit? If I genuinely stuffed Asher over to you, how could my conscience ever rest easy? How could your father find peace in the afterlife? You are an excellent child; I cannot allow my personal selfishness to ruin you!"

Sebastian: "..."

Asher: "..."

This was, ten-to-one, his biological mother.