Chapter 34
Rain lashed against the windowpanes, driven by a fierce wind.
It was late, but the house was brightly lit, filled with warmth and a sense of contentment.
Shi Nuo took several stuffed animals and pillows from the dryer, soft and fluffy, freshly washed and disinfected.
As he entered the bedroom, Hugh emerged from the bathroom, a white animal skin wrapped around his waist, his appearance a stark contrast to the elegant, almost austere figure he had presented earlier.
The dark clothes he had worn had been well-tailored, concealing his muscular physique, only hinting at its powerful contours, making him appear taller and leaner, his usual wildness subdued.
Their eyes met, and Shi Nuo found himself lost in the depths of the Alpha’s deep blue gaze.
The air warmed, a heat spreading through the room. Hugh Elvis’s Adam’s apple moved as he stared intently at Shi Nuo, his gaze lingering on the Omega’s soft, pink lips, his expression intense.
Shi Nuo lowered his eyes, unable to meet the Alpha’s gaze any longer, and walked further into the room, placing the stuffed animals and pillows on the rug, which was covered with a sheet.
The bright orange carrot plush toy stood out among the three pillows, each printed with a cartoon wolf: a gray wolf, a black wolf, and a white wolf.
The quality of the plushies wasn’t as good as the ones he had before, likely due to the limited selection available on the black market, but he liked them.
The soft, harmless additions made the bedroom feel more welcoming.
Shi Nuo had already showered, but his heart was racing.
After being kissed senseless, he had grown accustomed to the Alpha’s touch, the rhythm of their intimacy, yet he still couldn’t control the rapid beating of his heart, the surge of pleasure.
In his hazy state, he thought his racing heart must be from excitement. All these things, even at the cost of his body, seemed worth it.
Hugh Elvis, abandoning his usual urgency, kissed and caressed him gently, and hearing the Omega’s soft, involuntary moans, he swallowed, his desire intensifying as he devoted himself to pleasuring his mate.
Morning. The rain continued.
Shi Nuo, worried about the unpacked items in the living room, woke up early, ignoring his sore waist as he sat up and got dressed.
After washing up, he ate the leftover cake from last night for breakfast, the sweetness a comforting treat.
Hugh Elvis followed him out of the bedroom, his expression sleepy, his eyes half-closed.
The rain had lowered the temperature, and he preferred to sleep in this kind of weather, but Shi Nuo had been moving around, and he had woken up alone in the empty bed.
Shi Nuo opened the crate of clothes, took out all their light-colored garments, and put them in the washing machine. While waiting for them to wash and dry, he carried some of the books and comics to the bedroom, placing them in the corner, within easy reach for bedtime reading.
He took the remaining books out of the crate, and Hugh, dragging the empty crate to a corner of the living room, opened the intelligent system’s control panel, adjusted the settings, and as they watched, the metal plates of the crate shifted and expanded, transforming into a simple bookshelf.
Shi Nuo roughly categorized the books and placed them on the shelves. The comics were easier to organize, and he finished quickly, the bookshelf now full.
He did the same with the crate of snacks, creating a makeshift snack cabinet.
He wanted to read, watch movies, and TV shows, but he was also eager to organize the food supplies, so he went to the kitchen to unpack.
Hugh followed him, helping him move the crates. The seafood crate could stay in the kitchen, but the other items needed to be sorted and stored in the kitchen pantry and the storage room.
Shi Nuo, happily engrossed in his task, didn’t feel tired at all.
By three in the afternoon, everything was neatly organized. The living room and bedroom, previously bare, were now filled with things.
Shi Nuo, having showered and dried his hair, emerged from the bathroom, let out a contented sigh, and collapsed onto the thick, soft rug.
The sound of rain against the windowpanes was muffled, a distant patter.
Lunch had been meatballs and tofu, with fresh green vegetables, other soy products, crab meat, and boneless fish, a delicious and flavorful meal.
He had followed this with a small bowl of sweet, alien fish roe, a nutritious and flavorful treat.
He had woken up at five o’clock and worked non-stop until now. He grabbed a pillow, rolled over, and hugged it contentedly.
The bedroom door opened, and Hugh Elvis entered. He had just moved the empty crates to the basement. Seeing Shi Nuo lying on the rug, smelling the faint scent of his shower gel, he paused, went to the bathroom, and quickly showered himself.
“Do you want to watch a movie? Or read a comic book?” Shi Nuo asked, opening his optical brain, his expression eager.
He then frowned. “Movies are long…and tiring. If we take a nap afterwards, it might be too late to finish, and I don’t want to leave it unfinished.”
And with five or six hundred movies, choosing one would take a while.
The holographic projector had already been installed, one in the living room, one in the bedroom, providing an immersive viewing experience.
Hugh walked over, glanced at the stack of comic books in the corner, their titles and volume numbers visible on their spines, and picked one. “This one is thin. It should be a short story. We can read this and then nap.”
“Okay!” Shi Nuo’s eyes lit up. He sat up, leaning against a pillow, took the comic book, and couldn’t help but say, “You’re so smart.”
Hugh had solved his dilemma so easily.
This was the first time he had been complimented, and Hugh Elvis paused, then simply grunted in response, his expression unchanged as he sat down next to Shi Nuo.
Shi Nuo, engrossed in the comic book, started reading, a faint smile on his face.
It was a thin volume, not many pages, and he should finish it quickly.
However, it was an adult comic.
Although it had some plot and dialogue, it quickly got to the point, the illustrations of the handsome Alpha and the innocent-looking Omega detailed and suggestive.
Shi Nuo, seeing the two kissing, frowned, sensing something wasn’t quite right.
He turned the page and froze.
An awkward silence filled the air. Shi Nuo, having never seen anything like this before, blushed crimson, the color spreading to his neck. After a moment, he closed the comic book, his movements stiff. “I don’t want to read this anymore,” he mumbled.
Hugh, however, took the comic book from him and, with a perfectly straight face, continued reading, pulling Shi Nuo closer and settling him on his lap.
The images became increasingly explicit, the Omega’s expression shifting from innocent to seductive and wanton.
The dialogue was even more embarrassing.
Shi Nuo didn’t dare look at the words. He closed his eyes, his face burning, pretending to be asleep, but hearing Hugh turn the page, he whispered, “M-Mr. Elvis…”
Please stop reading.
He couldn’t bring himself to say it, unable to fathom how someone could read this so casually in front of another person.
“Hmm?” Hugh, hearing the Omega call his name, responded absently, nuzzling his chin against the top of Shi Nuo’s head, his eyes still glued to the comic book.
So, these words could be used to enhance arousal.
Even without any personal experience, he understood the underlying passion behind the seemingly degrading language.
However, glancing down at Shi Nuo, who was hiding his face in his chest, too embarrassed to even open his eyes, he figured it wouldn’t be useful. His Omega wasn’t…slutty.
The word made him frown. He couldn’t say it, couldn’t use it to describe Shi Nuo.
They were mates, and fulfilling his Omega’s needs was his duty, something he did willingly and eagerly, even without using vulgar language to heighten the experience.
Shi Nuo’s very presence was intoxicating, his scent addictive.
After quickly finishing the comic book, its explicit details imprinted in his mind, Hugh placed Shi Nuo on the rug, showering him with kisses on his lips, eyes, and neck.
The gentle affection quickly turned into a passionate embrace.
While at the black market, Hugh Elvis had passed by an adult novelty store, its sign advertising erotic videos and other items. He had gone inside and browsed, but the strange and unusual items on display, their functions explained on virtual screens, hadn’t interested him. They seemed pointless.
And he had no use for condoms.
With just his touch, his Omega would cry and moan, his reactions alluring, his delicate body sensitive. He didn’t like those malicious-looking devices and couldn’t imagine using them on Shi Nuo.
His Omega was enough.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, the sky filled with fluffy white clouds.
A week had passed since Hugh returned with the supplies. With access to nutritious food every day, Shi Nuo’s cheeks were rosy, his complexion much improved.
He hadn’t gone out to forage in the past week, spending his time either in his bedroom or on the living room sofa, watching movies and TV shows, sometimes for hours at a time. He hadn’t even had time to read many of the books.
The entertainment provided him with a sense of comfort and fulfillment.
Hugh had been with him constantly, sometimes watching movies with him. If it was a melodramatic TV show, filled with complicated relationships – Alpha A loves Omega O, but O loves Beta B, who loves another Omega, and so on, with confrontations, arguments, and even fights – he would go to the bookshelf, pick a comic book, and sit beside Shi Nuo, reading quietly.
The bookstores and comic book shops on the black market were different from ordinary stores. A third of the comics he had bought were adult comics, completely uncensored.
Shi Nuo suspected the comic book shop didn’t have a proper license, which was why they sold such explicit material without any concern.
Fortunately, the movies, TV shows, and animation were downloaded from the star network, based on official rankings, after Long Xu connected, so there was nothing inappropriate.
Hugh had also bought a holographic gaming system with several downloaded games, which they could play offline, but they hadn’t tried it yet.
The top-ranked TV shows were all captivating, and Shi Nuo, watching the complex relationships and dramatic plot twists, couldn’t help but gasp and exclaim. The over-the-top drama was surprisingly entertaining.
He hadn’t watched this kind of show before, but now he was hooked.
He was admiring the impressive fighting skills of a supporting Omega character when Hugh suddenly reached out and paused the show, the dramatic background music abruptly silenced.
Shi Nuo turned to him, puzzled.
Hugh Elvis stared at him intently, his deep blue eyes cold and sharp. “How many Alphas do you want?”
“What?” Shi Nuo was even more confused.
Hugh held up the comic book, the illustration showing several entangled figures.
His expression was serious. “Omegas and Alphas can be with multiple partners now. Because of medication, Omegas who can’t be permanently marked can have relationships with multiple Alphas. Some even choose to live together.”
“One Alpha in this story has even marked three Omegas.”
Shi Nuo glanced at the comic book, hesitant to speak.
But under Hugh’s insistent gaze, he finally said, “That’s a comic book. It’s not real.”
“Most stories are inspired by real life,” Hugh Elvis said seriously, then paused, thinking. “I know someone in the Elvis family who has a…complicated personal life. But he’s a Beta.”
He had been too young during his periods of instability and hadn’t known that the bond between Alphas and Omegas, created by marking, could be disrupted by medication. He had assumed a permanent bond would create an unbreakable connection, ensuring mutual fidelity.
Shi Nuo opened his mouth to speak. He knew the world had its dark side.
He thought for a moment, then answered Hugh’s initial question. “I don’t want multiple Alphas.”
The Alpha’s furrowed brow smoothed slightly.
Seeing how seriously Hugh was taking the comic book’s plot, he added softly, “Most Alpha-Omega relationships are monogamous. These…situations are rare. And they don’t involve legal marriage. There are also social and moral constraints. Even if it does happen, it’s not something people openly discuss.”
Hugh Elvis nodded, relieved. As long as it wasn’t the norm.
He had been isolated from the outside world for a long time. What other people did was none of his business, but Shi Nuo couldn’t have multiple Alphas, and he wouldn’t have anyone else besides Shi Nuo.
He kissed Shi Nuo, then, still feeling slightly uneasy, turned the Omega’s head, exposing his neck, and bit down on the soft skin, marking him again.
Shi Nuo felt the Alpha’s lingering anxiety in his pheromones as they were injected.
After the marking was complete, Shi Nuo took a deep breath, and a soft kiss landed on his lips. He didn’t pull away. “I can be permanently marked. You don’t have to worry,” he whispered.
Hugh Elvis pulled back slightly, stared at him intently, then leaned in again, gently nuzzling his face against Shi Nuo’s.
