* * *
‘What kind of condition? Money? No, that can’t be it. The Harland family has plenty of money. Then what? What could he possibly want?’
“Think about it. I’m going out of my way to help you here. It’s only fair I get something in return, right?”
Remy found himself nodding before jerking back in alarm.
‘No! Don’t fall for it! Stay sharp!’
“What’s the condition? Let’s hear it first.”
So, as if forgetting the precarious situation I was in, Remy boldly lifted his chin at Ashton.
Even though his height didn’t even reach Ashton’s shoulders, making any attempt at intimidation laughable, he still tried his best to appear threatening.
“It’s not a big deal.”
Ashton lowered his gaze, struggling to suppress a laugh that was on the verge of bursting out.
Looking down at Remy, who resembled a puffed-up squirrel, Ashton wore an insufferably smug expression as he spoke.
“From now on, spend your heats with me.”
For a moment, Remy blinked in disbelief, wondering if he had misheard.
Dumbfounded, he stared blankly at Ashton, trying to make sense of what he’d just said.
Noticing his confusion, Ashton graciously repeated himself.
“I said, spend your heats with me. You’re going to need an Alpha to get through your heat cycle anyway, aren’t you? So I’m volunteering. I’ll be your heat cycle partner.”
“Ha.”
The sheer absurdity of it made Remy snort.
‘What the hell is this guy saying? Heat cycle partner? Does he think I’m some pushover?’
The term “partner” sounded nice, but it was just a thinly veiled proposal for a purely physical relationship.
Remy was appalled.
Seeing Ashton—who was exploiting his weakness to demand s*x—act like he was doing him a favor made his blood boil.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. A heat cycle partner?”
“Yeah.”
“Me? With you?”
“Yeah. Got a problem with that?”
“Plenty. Loads of problems.”
“Like what?”
“Well, Your Grace, for starters, I don’t need that kind of thing at all. You talk like you’re doing me a favor, but I’m not interested—at all. You must be delusional from those two times we spent my heat together, but let me make one thing clear: I have zero desire to keep doing this kind of thing with you!”
As he said this, Remy raised his third finger in his mind.
Ashton, as if anticipating this reaction, didn’t flinch at the harsh words.
Instead, he simply replied, unfazed.
“Well, if that’s how you feel, I can’t force you.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
“In that case, I’ll just have to inform the Countess immediately.”
“Wait a second, Your Grace.”
Panicked, Remy tightened his grip on Ashton’s arm.
Just as Ashton was about to turn away, he stopped and looked down at Remy, still maintaining his lowered gaze.
“Got more to say?”
“Now, now, Your Grace. Don’t be so hasty. It’s only proper to hear someone out to the end, isn’t it?”
“And?”
“Well, maybe we could explore other options. Something that doesn’t necessarily involve being a heat cycle partner. Surely, there must be another way to satisfy Your Grace.”
“There isn’t.”
“Oh…”
This guy is seriously… Remy realized with dawning clarity that the unease he felt when Ashton smirked earlier hadn’t been misplaced.
This bastard had planned this all along.
Even when he’d brought up the Countess, it had been a setup to push Remy into agreeing.
‘Do I really have to go along with this? Something about this feels so wrong…’
But no matter how hard he racked his brain, Remy couldn’t come up with a way to counter Ashton’s proposal.
Power, wealth, a stunning face, and an incredible body—what did an ultra-dominant Alpha born into nobility lack?
‘This is driving me crazy. Am I really going to have to go through with this?’
Frustrated, Remy yanked his hand away and ran his fingers through his hair.
No matter how he looked at it, there was no solution.
Yet the thought of submitting to this loathsome Alpha and enduring his heat under him made him sick to his stomach.
‘This is madness… absolute madness.’
Finally, Remy let out a long sigh.
After turning it over in his head again and again, the only conclusion he could come to was that accepting Ashton’s proposal was the only way to shut him up.
“Fine. Alright. I’ll take your deal.”
Resigned, Remy agreed.
At this, Ashton’s demeanor shifted instantly, his expression turning sullen.
“But there’s another condition.”
“What? Another condition besides the heat cycle?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s ridiculous! Isn’t this already a huge deal?”
“Take it or leave it.”
“No, no! Who said I’m leaving it? Just tell me. What’s the other condition?”
“Whenever I need it, we’ll do it. Doesn’t have to be just during your heat.”
“…What? Are you insane?”
“You’ve heard of ruts, haven’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be fair if only you got what you needed. I should get my turn too.”
“That’s not a heat cycle partner! That’s just sleeping together whenever you feel like it!”
“Then forget it.”
‘This guy…!’
Trembling with rage, Remy clenched his fists.
Meanwhile, Ashton just stood there, smiling smugly.
“Fine. That’s it, right? We’ll do it when either of us needs it. That’s all, right?”
If only it ended there.
Unfortunately, Ashton’s response was a firm shake of the head.
“No.”
That was the last straw. Remy exploded.
“You scammer! Are you out of your mind?!”
“There’s one more condition. Want to hear it or not? If you don’t, I’ll drop it.”
Remy’s head spun as he seriously contemplated how best to murder this bastard and bury the evidence.
But Ashton, unbothered, asked again.
“So? Hear it or not?”
Remy, nearly at his wit’s end, groaned.
“Fine… Go ahead. Just spit it out.”
Ashton beamed brightly and leaned in so close that their noses almost touched.
“No one else.”
“What?”
“You don’t touch any other Alphas.”
“…Huh?”
The simplicity of the condition caught Remy off guard.
He had expected something far more outrageous and perverse, but… this was nothing.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“Seriously? Heat with you, s*x when you need it, and no other Alphas? Just those three things?”
“Just those three.”
‘I’m saved!’ Relieved, Remy exhaled deeply.
This wasn’t so bad.
Sure, continuing things with this Alpha was annoying, but… honestly, it wasn’t the worst.
‘And, well… he is really good at it. Not that I’m complaining…’
When Ashton first proposed being his heat partner, Remy had been furious.
But now?
He couldn’t deny that he was starting to enjoy it.
“Alright. Deal.”
“Deal.”
Remy extended his hand, and Ashton clasped it firmly.
Their contract was sealed with a handshake.
“If you break any of the conditions, I’ll go straight to the Countess.”
“Got it. Got it.”
“Especially the third one. Don’t mess around with other Alphas.”
“Are you insane? When did I ever mess around with anyone?”
“Oh? So that’s why you were all over Rex like that?”
Remy froze in place, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at Ashton.
“How… How did you know?”
“Hah. So it was Rex. I was just guessing.”
“Ah, damn it!”
Remy cursed inwardly, resenting how transparent he was—so transparent it was infuriating.
Even if he outright showed his innermost thoughts, it probably wouldn’t be as obvious as this.
“How far did you go?”
The follow-up question startled Remy so much that he jolted in place.
“W-What do you mean, how far did I go?”
“Did you go all the way?”
“What?”
“Just answer the question, will you?”
“No, I mean, uh… it’s not like that….”
“Ah, so you did.”
“Rex, you bastard,” Ashton muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with disdain.
But Remy, too flustered, didn’t even register it.
* * *
