Chapter 26
The third floor was unlit. Even the wall sconces on either side were extinguished, plunging the space into a dark, boundless inkiness.
Bai Yan leaned against the wall, swallowing nervously.
He had night blindness. In an environment with no light, he couldn’t see the path at all.
There’s no other way. Mr. Pei is still waiting for me inside.
The young man gritted his teeth, reached out his hands to feel his way along the wall, and took one step at a time.
A thick carpet had been laid on the third floor at some point, and his cotton slippers made almost no sound on it.
Because he couldn’t see, Bai Yan walked very slowly. The dark night enveloped the corridor. Apart from the patter of the rain, there were only the occasional rumbles of distant thunder.
BOOM—
Another flash of lightning exploded outside the window, instantly illuminating the corridor as bright as day, and also suddenly lighting up the closed door at the end of the hallway!
The light was fleeting. Bai Yan seized the opportunity and dashed toward the closed door.
With a drip, the solid wood door recognized the highest level of authority and slowly opened inward.
The room inside was still unlit. The dark, cavernous doorway welcomed the prey that had walked right into the trap.
Bai Yan clutched his chest and took a breath, carefully stepping inside.
An overwhelmingly rich scent of orange blossom rushed toward him!
The highly compatible pheromones assaulted the gland on the back of his neck, and an unnamed heat shot through his lower abdomen.
The unprepared young man staggered a couple of steps and almost fell to his knees on the carpet, his legs weak.
Hiss!
In his panic, his left ankle had hit something hard.
A dull thud, and a sharp pain shot up his nerves, his calf going numb from the shock.
It hurts!
Bai Yan tried to move his ankle, but the injured flesh was pulled, a stinging pain shooting through him. Tears immediately welled up in the young man’s eyes, and his small face turned deathly pale.
The young man leaned against the wall and panted a couple of times. When he stood up again, he bit his lower lip hard, forcing back the tears and the groan.
I can’t! If I cry out, I’ll definitely disturb Mr. Pei.
Bai Yan’s hand clenched into a fist. He used so much force that his round fingernails dug into his palm, leaving several distinct bloody marks.
The pain brought his precarious reason back. Bai Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, slowly regained his strength, and moved toward the bedroom, leaning against the wall.
BOOM! Another clap of thunder exploded, the roaring sound mixed with the loud crash of several heavy objects falling.
The young man’s heart clenched into a tight ball, his teeth sinking into his pale lower lip.
I wonder if Mr. Pei is hurt…
He didn’t dare to delay any longer. Dragging his numb leg, he pressed his palm against the wall and tentatively moved forward, bit by bit.
Jasmine pheromones were released from the back of his neck, trying to embrace the orange blossom pheromones. Even if the effect was minimal, the stinging pain in his heart lessened somewhat.
He clutched his collar, steadied himself, and tried to call out in a soft voice, “Mr. Pei, it’s me, I’m Bai Yan… Are you alright? May I come in and check on you?”
No one answered.
Bai Yan didn’t turn on the lights. The room was still completely dark, with not even the faint outline of furniture in his vision.
The young man’s thin shoulders leaned against the wall as he moved forward, step by step.
How could he not be afraid? How could he not be worried?
Bai Yan had never been in the same room with an Alpha in rut before, let alone an S-class Alpha who had lost his reason.
But, but…
The thought of the pain and struggle that might be reflected in Mr. Pei’s dark green eyes suddenly gave him the courage to keep going.
Mr. Pei had said he was his partner.
He had supported Huixin Orphanage, brought him back to Yǎyuán, given him a “home,” and even allowed him to have a family again.
If he ran away now, when Mr. Pei needed him, how sad would Mr. Pei be?
Besides, he had been sick so many times since he was a child. Even if it hurt, he was used to the pain.
If someone had to get hurt, let it be him.
Bai Yan bit his lower lip, forcing back his tears, and tried to calm his racing heart.
He tried to ignore the stinging pain in his ankle, gritted his teeth, and painstakingly moved forward, step by step, until his fingertips touched a cold, solid wood door.
Bai Yan’s fingers traced the cool door. He squinted his eyes to see. The door wasn’t closed, and an even richer pheromone scent poured out from the crack.
The young man’s nerves tensed. His soft, clear voice trembled. “Mr. Pei, are you in there? I’m coming in?”
BOOM—BOOM—
A sudden series of thunderclaps roared, and frantic flashes of lightning lit up the large floor-to-ceiling window.
The door slowly opened inward. Bai Yan’s eyes were suddenly brightened by the light, his trembling pupils reflecting the tall figure of the Alpha.
His scattered bangs covered Pei Tingyu’s face, his handsome features half-hidden, the gaze beneath his long, thick lashes icy and piercing.
“Who is it!”
The man exuded an extremely dangerous and oppressive aura. The suppressive force of the S-class pheromones was extremely strong!
His usually neat and proper shirt was now wrinkled in several obvious places, the sleeves haphazardly rolled up to his elbows, the fabric revealing the sleek lines of the muscles beneath.
One of his large hands, veins bulging, was pressed tightly against the edge of the desk.
The area under the desk was also a mess. Chairs and stools were overturned on the floor, and books and documents were piled up in disarray.
At his feet, there were even several empty suppressant tubes!
“It’s you.”
Seeing him, Pei Tingyu’s expression remained unchanged. He reached out and turned on the only thing on the desk that was still intact—a small, orange-yellow desk lamp.
When the light came on, the man frowned slightly.
An Alpha in rut did not like bright lights. A dark environment helped them release their desires, and even a small light source could trigger the violent emotions in their hearts.
But Pei Tingyu just quickly withdrew his hand, his gaze falling back on the young man before him.
The tall man’s gaze was indifferent and cold, his dark eyes devoid of any light, sweeping over Bai Yan with a mechanical coldness.
The warm yellow light shone down. Only then did Bai Yan see that Mr. Pei was holding a black bite inhibitor in his other hand!
The black metal glinted with a cold light, crisscrossing in a way that would completely cover the face.
This type of bite inhibitor was originally invented for an Alpha’s rut.
At that time, humans had just undergone differentiation, and even when facing their Omega partner, an Alpha could lose their reason and harm their partner.
But as human genetics evolved, most Alphas were able to control themselves, and the symbolic meaning of this bite inhibitor far outweighed its practical use.
Only an Alpha who could not control their instincts had to “accept” such a symbol.
Mr. Pei must have to have one because he’s an S-class and doesn’t have a partner…
For an Alpha, a high rank represented outstanding talent, but it also meant a level of pain far greater than that of an ordinary Alpha.
At that moment, Bai Yan’s heart felt as if it had been violently clenched. It was sour and bitter, a mix of emotions.
Bai Yan didn’t yet understand what it all meant.
He only knew that Mr. Pei, whose shirt buttons were always fastened below his Adam’s apple, who exuded nobility from his very bones, should not be in such a sorry state.
The Omega’s eyes unconsciously turned red. His clasped hands tightened.
Sensing the young man’s obvious distress, the Alpha’s gaze darkened. But he deliberately parted his thin lips and asked indifferently, “What are you doing here?”
Bai Yan bit his lower lip hard, as if he had made up his mind. He dragged his injured leg and stumbled toward Mr. Pei.
It wasn’t until he was right in front of him that he looked up and met the man’s dark green eyes.
“Mr. Pei, if you’re uncomfortable… you can mark me.”
His cherry-blossom-like eyes shimmered with moisture. The young man’s voice was as soft as possible, but his body couldn’t stop trembling.
He had nothing to repay Mr. Pei with.
Just a temporary mark, letting Mr. Pei bite his gland and inject his pheromones—he could handle that.
This was also stipulated in the agreement. During an Alpha’s rut, as his partner, he had an obligation to take care of him.
The young man thought he had hidden it well, but the trembling end of his voice betrayed his nervousness.
The Alpha looked down at him, his gaze scrutinizing. His excellent eyesight allowed him to take in every small expression on the young man’s face.
The beautiful Omega tilted his head back slightly, offering his pale neck as if in sacrifice. The corners of his red-rimmed eyes were moist, and the gland on the back of his neck was pink and cute.
He naively thought that just letting the Alpha bite his gland would be enough to soothe his pheromone disorder.
The light scent of jasmine had no soothing effect at this moment. Instead, it made the desire in Pei Tingyu’s heart burn even hotter.
But it was clearly more than just pheromones. The man knew this now.
What soothed him, what attracted him, what seduced him—it had never been the highly compatible pheromones.
Pei Tingyu’s temple throbbed. He pressed his tongue against the itching roots of his teeth, using all his strength to suppress the surging desire.
He was about to speak when the young man before him rose up on the tips of his right toes and offered his snow-white neck to him.
The oblivious Omega clutched his collar, his naive, beautiful face tilted up, his two snow-white lashes fluttering like butterflies.
Glistening teardrops shone at the corners of his eyes, his pink lips half-parted as he whispered softly, “Mr. Pei, please mark me.”
They were very close. Bai Yan could feel Mr. Pei’s hot breath on his earlobe.
The rich pheromones numbed his senses, and his body temperature continued to rise. He couldn’t help but clutch his collar.
So hot, my heart is beating so fast…
Pei Tingyu put down the bite inhibitor and tucked a stray strand of hair from the young man’s cheek behind his ear. The soft earlobe he touched still trembled shyly.
The frenzied bitter orange blossom pheromones were on the verge of losing control, rampaging through his body and constantly assailing the Alpha’s precarious reason.
The man’s gaze was dark and unreadable. His fingertips brushed against the young man’s neck. The fair skin trembled slightly, its touch as delicate as warm jade.
It made one wonder how beautiful it would be to leave rose-colored marks on it.
The Alpha’s fingers slid down, finally stopping at the Omega’s Adam’s apple.
The slightly protruding Adam’s apple was small and delicate, with a hint of pink.
“So beautiful…”
Pei Tingyu couldn’t help but sigh, his dark, profound gaze as if frozen on it.
The instinct carved into his genes made Pei Tingyu’s soul tremble, and a violent emotion grew.
Possess him, own him, satisfy him… enjoy him to the fullest…
He is your lover, your partner, your Omega.
Besides, he invited you first, didn’t he?
The devil whispered, and desire was born in the darkness.
The cool pad of his finger rubbed against the inconspicuous protrusion, pressing down gently.
An unreadable emotion showed in the man’s dark eyes. He deliberately leaned closer to Bai Yan’s ear, his voice so low it was almost a whisper. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
What does it mean to invite an Alpha on the verge of losing his reason, in the middle of a pheromone disorder, to mark a highly compatible Omega?
