Chapter 50
Perhaps due to the combination of a high-meat diet and lack of exercise, the slight roundness of his belly had increased.
However, before Shi Nuo could dwell on his weight gain, another, more pressing matter arose, diverting his attention.
He had been waking up with a strange tightness in his chest for the past few days.
Initially, he hadn’t thought much of it, assuming it was due to his sleeping position, but the persistent discomfort made him worry.
This morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, still drowsy, the familiar tightness returned, stronger than before.
And now there was a slight ache as well.
He instinctively reached out to rub his chest, hoping to ease the discomfort.
As he moved, Hugh, sleeping beside him, turned over, his arm draping over Shi Nuo’s stomach, making him freeze, not daring to continue, afraid of being discovered, especially doing something like this.
He waited, and the aching gradually subsided.
But the tightness remained.
Hugh liked to sleep in, and he didn’t know how long it would take for the Alpha to wake up, so he decided to go to the bathroom and examine himself.
The white-haired man, his arm moved aside, didn’t open his eyes. He had grown accustomed to Shi Nuo waking up earlier than him and simply reached for Shi Nuo’s pillow, hugging it close as he settled back into a comfortable position.
In the bathroom, after quietly locking the door, Shi Nuo lifted his pajama top and looked down at his slightly rounded belly. As long as it didn’t hurt, it was probably just weight gain.
He frowned, his gaze shifting to his chest.
There were no visible injuries or bruises. Hugh hadn’t touched him there in days.
Actually, it had been almost two weeks since they had been intimate. Hugh seemed to be in a period of…restraint, their interactions limited to kissing and cuddling.
The extra weight couldn’t have all gone to his belly. He examined himself and noticed his chest had also grown slightly larger, though still flat, nothing unusual.
He gently pressed and prodded, feeling no lumps or unusual hardness.
The pressure caused a slight ache due to the tightness.
Hugh had brought back several medical devices from the black market. The most expensive one had a diagnostic scanning function, which he could use now.
He quietly left the bathroom, retrieved the device from the closet, glanced at the sleeping Alpha, and returned to the bathroom.
He activated the device, selected the scanning function, adjusted the settings, and the handheld device floated in mid-air, its sensor aimed at his chest.
A soft beep, and a medical-grade light beam scanned his chest, the device humming softly.
Before the scan was complete, the bathroom door suddenly opened, and Shi Nuo froze, startled. Before he could deactivate the device, Hugh Elvis entered.
“What are you doing?” the man’s gaze fell on the floating medical device, his brow furrowing.
He had heard Shi Nuo leave the bathroom, open the closet, then return to the bathroom, but there had been no sound of running water. It was unusual.
“Are you sick?” Hugh asked.
Shi Nuo, flustered, his mind racing, grabbed the device, interrupting the scan.
He didn’t know how to explain, and a large hand suddenly covered his forehead.
Hugh Elvis frowned. His temperature was normal, no fever. He leaned closer and sniffed Shi Nuo’s neck. “Where does it hurt?”
“Nothing. It’s just a small problem,” Shi Nuo stammered, his expression a mixture of guilt and anxiety, a clear indication that he was lying.
Hugh stared at him for a moment, then took the medical device, his expression unreadable.
The interrupted scan’s display was still visible, the words “Chest Scan Diagnosis” clearly displayed. There was no hiding it now. Shi Nuo’s ears burned, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Hugh Elvis paused, his gaze fixed on Shi Nuo’s chest. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“It’s just…a little tight,” Shi Nuo mumbled, his voice barely audible, not daring to meet the Alpha’s gaze.
His pajama top was lifted, exposing his chest and stomach. He didn’t resist, turning his face away as the Alpha’s hand gently touched him.
“Here?”
“Or here?”
A large hand gently explored his chest, pressing and prodding, the questions continuing, and Shi Nuo, his ears burning, endured the examination, answering each question softly.
Hugh withdrew his hand, having found nothing unusual. He reactivated the medical device and resumed the scan.
Five minutes later, the device, its basic diagnostic functions adequate for this task, displayed the results: no abnormalities detected. Shi Nuo breathed a sigh of relief.
Hugh carefully reviewed the results, then looked up. “When did this start?”
“T-two or three days ago,” Shi Nuo’s voice was even softer now, his cheeks flushed.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” the man’s tone was disapproving.
Shi Nuo lowered his head, adjusting his pajama top. “It wasn’t that bad. And it goes away after a while. It’s not a big deal.”
With the scan confirming there were no abnormalities, Hugh closed the display and looked at Shi Nuo, who was avoiding his gaze. “Let me smell,” he said suddenly.
A beastman’s sense of smell was acute, and a top-tier beastman’s senses could even surpass those of machines.
Shi Nuo couldn’t refuse, and as his pajama top was removed, he felt the Alpha’s warm breath on his skin, his nose nuzzling his chest.
His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively tried to pull away, but a firm hand gripped his waist, holding him in place. He turned his face away, unable to look at Hugh.
“Nothing unusual,” the man’s muffled voice said.
Suddenly, a sharp pain made Shi Nuo’s eyelashes tremble. He bit his lip, suppressing a moan.
The sounds of kissing and sucking filled the bathroom.
The cold lotus scent, mingled with the Alpha’s body heat, triggered the release of Shi Nuo’s tea olive pheromones.
The temperature in the room rose, his body heating, slick with sweat.
Shi Nuo’s vision blurred, as if shrouded in a thick mist, and he couldn’t escape, only lower his head submissively.
As his scent gland was bitten, his body trembled, the Alpha’s pheromones flooding his senses, a potent, overwhelming surge.
His legs weakened, and he was lifted onto the bathroom counter.
His damp pajama pants were removed, his legs, soft and pliant, draped over the Alpha’s shoulders.
Someone, perhaps accidentally, turned on the shower, and the hot water cascaded down, filling the bathroom with steam.
Pheromones surged and mingled, their scents intensifying.
Hugh Elvis suddenly lifted his head, his nose twitching, inhaling deeply.
In addition to the Omega’s sweet fragrance, there was another, subtly different sweetness in the air.
The white-haired man froze, recognizing the change.
Shi Nuo, a healthy Omega, always emitted a slightly bitter sweetness when his body was ready for conception, a signal any Alpha would recognize.
But now, the bitterness was gone, replaced by a pure, sweet fragrance, like freshly ripened fruit.
Judging by the scent alone, when the Omega entered the next stage of his pregnancy, his pheromones would become even sweeter.
Like a ripe fruit, its skin thin and taut, ready to burst with sweet juice at the slightest touch.
The handsome Alpha licked his lips, his throat moving slightly, his expression suddenly intense.
He leaned closer and kissed the dazed Omega.
“You’re pregnant,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
Shi Nuo, his desire unmet, his eyes red-rimmed, tears streaming down his face, heard the words as if through a thick fog, their meaning unclear. He whimpered softly, reaching for the Alpha’s hand, seeking comfort.
Pregnant?
His mind, still hazy, slowly processed the word. He tilted his head, tears clinging to his long eyelashes.
Sudden clarity, a shocking realization, and he froze, his mind reeling.
Hugh turned off the shower, grabbed a clean towel, and dried them both, then activated the medical device, this time scanning Shi Nuo’s abdomen.
When the results appeared, a long silence filled the bathroom.
All the symptoms suddenly made sense.
Hugh Elvis looked at the dazed Omega, wanting to say something, then hesitated, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Male Omegas possessed the necessary biological components for pregnancy, and in earlier, more primitive times, when food was scarce, they had also been capable of lactation to nourish their offspring.
However, unlike female Omegas, these changes only occurred during pregnancy.
With the end of large-scale interstellar wars, a period of peace and prosperity had followed.
Food was abundant and readily available, infant formula and nutrient supplements easily accessible, and the male Omega’s less efficient lactation ability had gradually atrophied.
But this ability was linked to survival instincts.
When the Omega’s subconscious perceived a threat, their body would instinctively adapt to ensure the survival of their offspring.
Shi Nuo’s insecurity had triggered his latent lactation ability.
This insecurity stemmed from his subconscious, a deep-seated anxiety he wasn’t even aware of.
Hugh Elvis, understanding this, felt a pang of guilt. They had plenty of food, especially meat.
He looked at Shi Nuo, his brow furrowed. Had he failed to provide a sense of security?
Shi Nuo, also familiar with Alpha-Omega physiology, hadn’t dwelled on the physical changes. His silence stemmed from a different emotion.
His life seemed to be a series of unexpected events.
A sudden arranged marriage, a sudden exile to this planet, and now, a sudden pregnancy.
All within a year. The rapid changes were overwhelming, leaving him emotionally drained.
“Why don’t you feel safe? Have I been neglecting you?” Hugh Elvis asked directly.
Shi Nuo looked up, meeting the Alpha’s deep blue eyes.
Hugh’s expression was a mixture of confusion and concern. He stared at his mate, his lips pressed into a thin line, waiting for an answer.
For the first time, Shi Nuo met his gaze, then lowered his eyes, his voice low, “Didn’t you say it was an equivalent exchange?”
Hugh Elvis was speechless.
Shi Nuo continued softly, “Meat for sex. Food for…payment.”
The word “payment” bothered him. From the beginning, their relationship had been a transaction, not love.
He suddenly remembered that even their marriage was a transaction. Everything between them was based on exchange.
Shi Nuo’s shoulders slumped, his head down, his entire being enveloped in a wave of sadness and dejection.
“No,” Hugh Elvis finally found his voice, his instincts driving him to correct the Omega’s misconception, even if it meant admitting something embarrassing.
“It wasn’t payment. It was…courtship,” he said, avoiding Shi Nuo’s gaze, his jaw tight, his body stiff, his hands placed neatly on his knees, a posture completely different from his usual relaxed sprawl.
He seemed to want to straighten his back, then hesitated, his shoulders slumping slightly as he lowered his eyes. “The food, the protection…it was all to…woo you.”
“It was the only way I could think of to get close to you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have a chance.”
The first time he saw Shi Nuo, he had felt an overwhelming urge to possess him, to be close.
He had never seen such a beautiful, such a desirable Omega, the sight of his wind-blown hair sending his heart racing.
Driven by his beastly instincts, he had wanted to mark his Omega immediately but couldn’t find a suitable excuse, and like a coward, had only observed from a distance.
Hugh Elvis frowned, then admitted, “And then…my efforts didn’t seem to be working. You were always unhappy. I didn’t know what to do.”
