Chapter 21

Because his voice had turned soft, that "what" lingered somewhere between the first and second tones, thoroughly blurred and unclear.

Sebastian couldn't resist curving his lips. "I’d love to, but given it carries a minimum of three years up to the death penalty, I figure it might not be entirely worth the cost."

Asher: "..."

Finally realizing that Sebastian couldn't possibly do anything to him, nor did he possess an ounce of interest in doing anything to him, a certain someone’s ear tips flushed red.

Sebastian straightened his frame. "Keep the blanket off for a bit to cool down so you don't suffer too much from the heat. I'll go collect the suppressants for you."

"No need, I'll do it myself."

Asher stood up, intending to walk toward where his bag was sitting, yet his legs suddenly turned entirely to jelly, his body sliding straight down.

Sebastian was remarkably fast, catching him with a swift grip.

With one hand supporting his arm and the other securely holding his waist, Asher, completely stripped of strength, essentially slumped his entire frame straight against Sebastian.

A thin cotton T-shirt was far from enough to block the blistering temperature of an Omega during a mating heat, causing Sebastian's breathing to grow a fraction heavier.

Meanwhile, Asher simply and purely felt that the crisp, clean scent of a pine forest after snow radiating from this person was exceptionally comfortable, and the somewhat cool body temperature was thoroughly soothing too—everything felt completely comfortable.

Thus, utilizing both hands and feet with absolute, lawless tyranny, he wrapped himself straight around him.

They were brothers, after all. At a critical juncture like this, utilizing him as an ice pack temporarily—surely he wouldn't mind.

The young master had been thoroughly pampered into acting with total abandon. Devoid of any spare thoughts, once he locked onto the ice pack, he refused to release his grip.

Sebastian didn't possess a mind as pure and innocent as his, nor was he genuinely a block of ice. While being turned hot by his contact, he simultaneously wanted the boy to feel a bit more comfortable. He could only encircle his waist with one hand to prevent him from crashing down, using the other to fumble through the bag in search of the suppressant.

By the time he finally managed to retrieve it, the Asher in his arms was already experiencing a catastrophic biological reaction.

Those peach blossom eyes were flushed into a true peach-blossom hue, his body appearing ready to melt in the next fraction of a second. Yet unfortunately, he didn't turn fragile like a standard Omega; his muscles retained quite a bit of tensed resilience, making him exceptionally difficult to handle as he clung to his frame.

As he lifted his chin and squinted his eyes, conducting a thorough, intense evaluation of Sebastian from top to bottom, Sebastian held every justification to suspect that if this young master genuinely succumbed to his impulses and caught a fancy to him, the boy could thoroughly handle him, an Alpha, right on the spot.

Granted, whether he could actually handle him was another story, but judging by this expression, the young master definitively possessed that exact temper and intent.

What kind of absolute Omega was this supposed to be?

Fortunately, this person's standards were likely exceptionally high—at the very least, anyone inferior to himself wouldn't be granted a glance—so there was no need to worry about any other poor yet fortunate Alpha falling victim to his hands.

Sebastian was both amused and thoroughly helpless.

Pinching a certain someone’s waist, he deposited him straight onto the bed, subsequently peeling away the claws that were rubbing and touching all over his frame.

Yanking his right wrist, he spoke in a low voice: "Stop moving blindly, otherwise if the injection gets botched in a moment, you'll be the one suffering the pain."

A certain someone, who usually loved nothing more than to launch a relentless cycle of defiance against Sebastian on regular days, currently possessed nothing but a sliver of primal instinct. Consequently, he turned remarkably compliant, refraining from moving as he permitted Sebastian to hold his arm and inject a dose of suppressant straight inside.

Yet it appeared to be entirely useless. Furthermore, because he was now a bit further away from Sebastian, a wave of bizarre sensations surfaced once more.

Asher bit his lip violently, restraining himself from letting out a single sound, because he couldn't be certain what kind of sound would escape his lips.

It was entirely distinct from the pain of his transition phase; right now, he simply felt that this bizarre sensation was faintly craving something.

He had never eaten pork, but he had certainly seen a pig run. As for what exactly he was craving, he comprehended it perfectly.

Reaching a flash of absolute clarity, he felt a bit embarrassed. Yet in his subconscious mind, he seemed to feel that Sebastian was someone who could be completely trusted—someone from whom he could demand absolute compliance, acting with zero boundaries.

Thus, continuing to indulge his primal drives, he wrapped both arms securely around the man's waist, resting his chin right onto his shoulder. Slumping over him like he was entirely devoid of bones, he greedily claimed the pheromones radiating from his frame.

This left Sebastian enduring a fair amount of torment.

He truly had no idea how Asher had sat through his biology classes. Was he not terrified of goading him into a state of passive heat? If that happened, there was no telling what might occur.

Yet no matter what, he couldn't bring himself to force the boy to release his grip.

He could only endure it through pure resilience.

While carefully unleashing a concentration of pheromones light enough to remain undetected by anyone else to soothe Asher, he simultaneously picked up the blocking agent and delivered a thorough barrage of sprays over Asher's frame—preventing a bloodbath from erupting on this floor packed entirely with Alphas.

And preventing himself from losing absolute control under the goading of the boy's pheromones.

A suppressant typically took effect within five minutes, yet twenty minutes had passed, and although Asher's reaction hadn't escalated further, it had failed to recede in the slightest.

Sebastian recalled the physician's words: based on an Omega's unique physical build, the intensity and duration of a mating heat varied. Someone like Asher, who presented exceptionally late, was destined to suffer a far more violent reaction. Especially during their first mating heat, it was remarkably difficult to control, potentially requiring two to three times the standard dose of suppressant.

Meanwhile, this intensely reacting Omega was currently burying his head into his neck to sniff around relentlessly, even unconsciously attempting to shift his gland right before his face.

A pristine, juicy crop was resting completely unarmed right before his eyes, yet he couldn't even harvest it.

Sebastian let out a bitter smile, wanting to peel the boy off his frame to retrieve a second suppressant. Yet the crop refused to cooperate in the slightest—not only failing to cooperate, but even attempting a reverse harvest.

"Can't you just let me hold you for a bit."

One part complaint, two parts impatience, three parts grievance, and four parts acting spoiled.

Sebastian was completely out of options.

After a massive horde of coaxing and pampering, he finally managed to inject the second suppressant inside. The person holding him tightly finally loosened his grip slightly, his skin temperature slowly dropping down. Yet his brows remained knitted in discomfort, still entirely unwilling to leave the ice pack.

However, when Sebastian peeled him away to stuff him inside the blanket, he offered zero resistance—obediently allowing himself to be wrapped securely within, exposing nothing but a face that looked increasingly stunning during this special period.

Staring at the flush that hadn't completely receded from the corners of his eyes, Sebastian reached out a hand to gauge the temperature of his forehead, his brows knitting slightly.

"Does your frame still lack strength?"

"Mm, much better, but there's still a sliver of an awkward sensation, and it's a bit hot."

It appeared the mating heat's reaction hadn't been completely suppressed yet.

When Sebastian was fumbling through the bag just now, he had only tracked down two suppressants. Presumably, the person who had packed Asher's belongings assumed two pieces would be more than enough under any circumstances.

Yet evaluating the current situation, it was merely under a temporary, forced control; a third piece was likely mandatory.

An Omega collecting a suppressant had to undergo a strict audit process. Once an application was submitted to the clinic, Asher's secondary gender would definitively be exposed with absolute certainty.

But if a third suppressant wasn't secured to control it, Asher would completely fail to handle the training tomorrow. Even if his physical endurance could barely carry him through, his pheromones would inevitably spiral out of control.

Even with the blocking agent present, with this many Alphas around, a single leaked drop would be detected instantly.

He would never permit Asher to take even a sliver of risk.

Sebastian’s lips pressed into a tight line. Lowering his eyes, he tucked the blanket securely around Asher. "The influx of your hormones has been temporarily controlled for now; you won't succumb to any sudden impulses, though you might still experience a few uncomfortable reactions. Take a nap first to ease through it. I'll step out for a bit."

Asher did indeed feel much better after the two injections, his body's cravings turning blunt, yet inexplicably, he simply didn't want Sebastian to leave.

Letting out an unhappy mutter, he snapped, "Stepping out in the dead of night to steal a cow?"

Sebastian had already paced to the doorway. Turning his head to light hook his lip over him, he murmured, "Otherwise, stay behind to let an Omega caught in a special period blindly claim a personal benefit off me?"

A certain Omega caught in a special period instantly recalled his actions from a moment ago, his face turning red in a single flash.

Flying into a humiliated rage: "Go, go, go! Get the hell out of here right now! I was actually worried you were harboring designs on my beauty!"

Sebastian matched his wishes, genuinely opening the door and departing.

The moment the door shut, Asher suddenly felt this small, ten-square-meter room turned somewhat empty and hollow.

Letting out a mutter, he turned his body to bury himself deep inside the blanket.

He had originally intended to wait until Sebastian returned, yet the influence of the suppressants swiftly drove him into a heavy, hazy sleep.

Sebastian walked over to the communal restroom at the end of the hallway, stepping into the innermost stall. Turning on the shower head, he controlled the current to a volume completely silent to anyone outside the door, before letting the freezing water drench him completely from his head across his entire frame.

A barren mountain at two o'clock in the morning was far colder than anyone anticipated. Within the vacant restroom, the water let out a solitary, gurgling sound—stretching long and lonely.

Once he finally felt his system had cooled enough, he turned off the tap, slipped into his clothes, and refrained from wiping the water from his hair, walking straight onto the balcony to let the damp, freezing night breeze of the suburbs consume him completely.

The cold granted absolute clarity, restoring absolute rationality.

Sebastian stood there for an unknown span of time. By the time he returned to the room, Asher had already fallen completely asleep.

Except the blanket wasn't soft enough, the cot wasn't wide enough, and the effect of the suppressants fell short, leaving his sleep far from peaceful.

The blanket had been kicked straight onto the floor, and the boy was hanging off the edge of the cot, curled completely into a tight ball—a single turn of his body would send him crashing down.

Sebastian walked over, touching his forehead. Sure enough, it remained a bit hot.

The sleeping Asher lacked that elevated wave of arrogance and pride he radiated while awake. His features softened completely, his brows slightly knitted. Detecting the cool touch delivered to his forehead, he compliancely rubbed against it a couple of times, carrying a tiny trace of a child's desire to please.

Pitiful, yet thoroughly endearing.

Sebastian let out a sigh. Scooping Asher toward the inside of the cot, he climbed onto the cot himself, lying on his side right along the edge. Leaving a sufficient expanse of space for Asher, he bent a long leg to block the perimeter, preventing a certain someone from falling off the bed, while encircling his waist with an arm—attempting to transfer the cool temperature of his own frame over to him.

Asher turned his body, burying himself straight into Sebastian's embrace. His gland was exposed completely unarmed right beneath Sebastian's eyes, shifting unpeacefully as if attempting to track down the most comfortable posture.

Sebastian felt that even across the best-performing blocking agent, he could still catch a drag of that alluring wild rose fragrance.

Lowering his head, he stole a sliver of sweetness from the petals of this little rose that had dropped its thorns.

He felt his behavior was indeed somewhat disgraceful, taking advantage of someone's vulnerability.

Yet having acted like a gentleman for so many years, committing a disgraceful act once in a while should count as a normal human response.

Except he had underestimated the impulses typical of this age—a mere shallow touch was enough to trigger an instant reaction.

Taking a deep breath, he shifted outward slightly. Bending his leg and hunching his waist, he tilted his body toward the opposite direction, clearly attempting to avoid making contact with anything.

Closing his eyes, a helpless smile curved his lips.

Perhaps the hidden, solitary infatuation locked deep within one's heart during youth looked exactly like this.

It was every single wave of abandon, and every single ounce of absolute restraint.

When the alarm clock blared, the sky outside the window was a dark blue radiating a faint sliver of light.

Asher turned his body, burying himself deep inside the blanket. "The sky isn't even bright yet, what the hell are we getting out of bed for? What kind of absolute idiot established this trash timing?"

If his waking temper hadn't been terrifyingly immense, Eleanor wouldn't have gone through the hassle of communicating with the school administration to secure an exemption from morning self-study for him.

Meanwhile, Sebastian had already dressed completely. Sitting along the edge of his cot with his legs split, his elbows rested against his thighs and his fists supported his forehead. Delivering his words in a thoroughly drained voice, he murmured, "Get out of bed. I seem to be running a fever. Can you accompany me down the mountain to a hospital?"

His throat was completely raspy, his nasal tone exceptionally heavy.

Asher yanked the blanket away instantly, sitting up. Leaning his body forward, his palm pressed directly onto Sebastian's forehead.

It was terrifyingly hot.

Letting out a low curse: "Sh—, how on earth did you burn into this state?"

Subsequently, disregarding the fact that Sebastian remained inside the room, he swapped his clothes within a few rapid movements, preparing to hoist Sebastian onto his back. "Let's go, I'll deliver you straight to the clinic."

Sebastian pushed him away. "It's fine, it hasn't reached the level where a carry is mandatory. Go track down Mr. Bennett right now. Tell him I’m running a fever and need to head down the mountain to a hospital to get an IV. Mention that you seem to have caught it from me too, experiencing a bit of a headache, so you want to accompany me over to look after me, while collecting a few medications for yourself along the way."

Asher semi-forcefully slung Sebastian's arm across his own shoulder. "Isn't that absolute nonsense? How the hell could I refrain from accompanying you over?"

Sebastian removed his arm, shaking his head. "The principal point is that we cannot permit anyone else to follow us."

He paused for a brief second. "You only brought two suppressants; it falls short of what's required. I am a minor Alpha, so the hospital won't sell them to me. You must collect them personally."

"..." Asher paused for a fraction of a second, his breathing tightening. "Fine. Sit right there, I'll go find Mr. Bennett."

Pushing the door open, he happened to run right into Mason stepping out to wash up. Asher called him to a stop: "Mason, where exactly is Mr. Bennett?"

Having just woken up, Mason looked a bit sallow. "Mr. Bennett is pulling watch duty on the first floor. What's wrong?"

"Sebastian is running a massive fever, I need to take him to a hospital."

"What?" Mason was instantly jolted awake. "Boss Seb is running a fever? I knew it—what kind of absolute fastidiousness are you young masters playing at? Wouldn't taking a hot shower with everyone else have been perfectly fine? You just had to step out alone in the dead of night to take a cold shower."

"In the dead of night, alone?"

"Yeah, around one or two o'clock last night. I caught sight of him when I got up to pee. It scared the absolute crap out of me right then, holy sh—, I nearly assumed it was a ghost..."

Asher didn't listen to the remainder of Mason's yapping. His entire face turned completely freezing in an instant. Biting his lip and clenching his fists, he let out an intense breath. Refraining from saying a single word, his pace was exceptionally rapid as he drove down the stairs to track down Mr. Bennett.

Mr. Bennett stepped up to evaluate Sebastian's state, concluding that a trip to the hospital was indeed mandatory. Furthermore, thoroughly buttered up by the max-level blind-lying mechanics executed by Sebastian and Asher, he placed a call to the parents to outline the situation. Securing their input, he finally granted their application to leave the base for medical care.

After all, with Mr. Peng absent this once, he assumed absolute responsibility for every single student in this entire grade, making it impossible for his own frame to step away to accompany them. Furthermore, these two boys were over six feet tall; running a fever didn't necessitate creating too massive a commotion.

Except to ensure efficiency, he still had the base dispatch a vehicle to deliver them over.

Throughout the entire journey, the two sat in absolute silence. Asher’s lips remained pressed into a tight straight line of absolute displeasure, a wave of dark fury faintly suppressed across his brows and eyes.

This suffocating wave of fury actually forced him to completely forget the discomfort delivered by his mating heat.

Accompanying Sebastian through registration, consultation, blood tests, setting up the IV, and queuing to collect medications—holding onto various medical slips, his face sour, he ran back and forth relentlessly.

Sebastian mused that the young master had likely never stepped into such a small community clinic to experience a common life in his entire existence; it was quite a grueling feat for him.

Only after settling Sebastian securely into a seat, getting the IV running, and ensuring there were no further issues did Asher deliver a few instructions to the nurse before departing on his own.

After a dozen minutes passed, he returned holding a single suppressant, slamming it right right before Sebastian, his tone thoroughly hostile: "Are you satisfied now?"

Sebastian kept his head low, his gaze fixed onto the needle resting on the back of his hand, saying nothing.

This silent admission drove Asher into an even deeper rage. "Sebastian, do you find this entertaining? Last night, you clearly completed your shower, yet you insisted on heading back out to take that trash cold shower—purely to trigger a fever, head down the mountain, come to a hospital, just to help me collect a single suppressant?!"

Sebastian slowly lifted his eyelids, his expression entirely flat, his tone cold: "Otherwise? Do you genuinely deem that on the very first day of your first mating heat, stripped of a sufficient dose of suppressants, you could follow a massive horde of Alphas to execute high-intensity physical training?"

"Do I look like I give a flying sh— about that?"

"I know you intend to state that you are formidable, and your physical endurance can carry you through. But have you ever reflected on the fact that you have zero idea how to behave like an Omega? What on earth happens if your pheromones spiral out of control?"

Sebastian’s tone was remarkably peaceful, and Asher knew every single word held absolute truth.

Catching Asher slumping into silence, a smile lightly hooked Sebastian’s lips. "But don't let your heart stir too much over this. Consider this a standard duty tracing the boundaries of Instructor Seb. After all, you’ve been calling me Big Brother for all these years; how could I refrain from shielding you? Furthermore, if everyone catches wind of the fact that you are an Omega, winning against you wouldn't grant me much face—people would even state that I'm bullying you."

In the past, whenever Sebastian delivered lines like that, Asher would have exploded in rage instantly, completely disregarding everything just to unleash a relentless barrage of text blows to satisfy his mouth first.

Typically, finishing his wave of yapping, whatever anger he had originally harbored would be completely forgotten.

This sequence had been executed by Sebastian with total precision over all these years.

It was his definitive method for coaxing Asher, and his method for covering his tracks to conceal his true heart—rarely failing to deliver.

Yet this once, Asher turned remarkably peaceful.

He simply stood right right before Sebastian, his eyelids cast low, his tone carrying a trace of burning friction: "Must that mouth of yours always remain this unyielding? From childhood to adulthood, if you had simply saved me a couple of biting lines, would I look upon you with this much displeasure right now?"

He paused for a brief second.

"But Sebastian, I am far from being a brainless idiot stripped of a single shred of conscience. As for exactly who treats me well, it hasn't reached the point where I completely fail to see it."