* * *

It was fascinating.

I wondered if this was the pheromone connection I had only heard about.

Although I thought it might not be because I hardly revealed my pheromones, I was still curious about what others experienced.

They said the pheromone connection between a compatible alpha and omega was indescribably wonderful.

If what I had with Taeshin was similar to that, then I was even more curious about the connection between true lovers.

Now that I had decided to open my heart more and look for a partner, should I start looking around again?

“Sunwoo.”

As I traced my fingers along Taeshin’s hand, I thought of each alpha around me.

I’ll pass on Kim Jeongsik, Park Shinwoong is out, Jang Minyoung went to America… Kang Eunwon is too sociable, so I’ll skip him for a blind date, and then…

“Sunwoo.”

I exposed my hidden pheromones, letting them coat Taeshin’s hand.

As I slowly ran my hand down his again, the pheromones thickened, marking his skin more intensely.

Responding to the scent, alpha pheromones began to rise from Taeshin’s hand.

As expected from an extreme pheromone, just a little was heavy and potent.

Knowing that Taeshin’s brother was also an extreme dominant alpha, I thought they’d have quite a hard time being careful about their pheromones when together.

Come to think of it, Taeshin’s brother was currently in the U.S. for an MBA program, wasn’t he?

What was his name again? Lee… Lee Tae…

“Sunwoo…”

“Lee Taeyoung.”

That’s right, it was Lee Taeyoung.

Taeshin’s brother, who had lived in the U.S. since elementary school, wasn’t very close to him.

That’s why Taeshin had asked for my help without telling him. He could have at least asked once.

Helping Taeshin while being curious about strange things and studying was exhausting.

Feeling wronged, I smeared my pheromones thickly on Taeshin’s hand again.

I blatantly marked his hand, wrist, and fingers until Taeshin grabbed my hand to stop me.

“Moon Sunwoo.”

Taeshin’s cold voice pulled my scattered thoughts back.

When I looked up, I met his darkened eyes.

“If you have questions, ask me. Don’t go looking for other guys.”

The heat in his gaze made my body stiffen.

The threatening pressure from his alpha pheromones, which poured from his entire being, was intimidating.

The aggressive demeanor was so unlike the usually gentle and mild Taeshin, making my heart pound.

Staring at Taeshin’s heated eyes, my gaze landed on his lips.

His tightly shut lips were red and wet.

I imagined kissing those lips, thinking of just touching and rubbing against them.

The heat transferred from my captured wrist made me speak impulsively.

“…Kiss.”

Realizing what I had said, Taeshin leaned in.

The weight of his body overlapped with mine as his lips, softer and hotter than they looked, touched mine.

The moist and tender sensation quickly parted.

“Kiss…”

“This is just a peck.”

Taeshin murmured from a breath’s distance.

Oh, I see. I nodded like a fool. A peck and a kiss are different… right?

Then, Taeshin kissed me again, and I closed my eyes.

It felt… it felt good. So this is what it feels like.

Holding his lips a little longer felt even better.

When I slightly opened my mouth, his tongue slipped between my lips. The unfamiliar intrusion was both startling and stimulating.

“Mm, ah…”

Taeshin’s tongue filled my mouth, mixing the smell of alcohol with the intense alpha pheromones. The overwhelming pheromones made my vision blur.

Unlike me, who was shocked by his elevated alpha pheromones, Taeshin was free.

Every time his tongue and mine clashed and rubbed roughly, my waist stiffened, and a moan escaped my throat.

Just by pressing our lips together and intertwining our tongues, a searing heat rose inside me.

“Mm…”

The rising heat made the alcohol rush through my system faster, and my vision swayed.

Pulling Taeshin closer, I returned his passionate kiss.

As I mimicked his actions, filling, exploring, and sucking, Taeshin’s tongue pressed deeper, teaching me what I lacked.

“Mm, ah, mm…”

The more Taeshin’s tongue moved in my mouth, the more I clung to his firm body, feeling like I was holding a burning log.

The rising heat from within seemed endless. Rubbing my swollen lower half against Taeshin’s body, I let out a groan.

The raw kiss that began in drunkenness, lacking calm and consideration, gradually softened and tickled before it ended.

“Mm…”

“…Ha.”

Taeshin pulled away, sucking my wet lips before retreating.

Gasping for breath, I looked up. Taeshin met my gaze, licking his wet lips, causing a twinge deep in my stomach.

“More.”

Taeshin spoke without breaking eye contact. His voice was low and resonant like a sigh.

“Any more questions?”

Though his tone was as calm and slow as usual, his eyes glowed with a hunger like that of a long-starved beast.

My heart pounded. With each beat, the heat in my body grew, making my skin tingle and my insides throb. More than the alcohol, the heat left me weak, with my skin prickling sharply.

Heat cycle? Why now? It should have ended last time…

It had been over a week since my last heat cycle ended.

In this sudden situation, overwhelmed by uncontrollable pheromones, I tried to sit up.

But tangled in Taeshin’s legs, I stopped and looked up.

Taeshin was looking down at me.

His previously sharp eyes softened, but as my body emitted heat pheromones, his alpha pheromones thickened with excitement.

This is bad. I needed to leave the room, but my body wouldn’t move.

Taeshin’s pheromones caressed my skin, covering me like a hot blanket. The heat boiling inside me and the feverish body made my limbs tremble.

My palms tingled, and sweat dripped down my back.

The rising heat made it hard to breathe. Taeshin’s alpha pheromones teased my nose, entering with every breath.

His pheromones, usually comforting, now smothered me, making it hard to think.

“Tell me everything.”

Stimulated by the heat pheromones of my cycle, Taeshin frowned as he spoke, but I spoke first.

My backside was damp.

“Tell me everything.”

As my body fully entered the heat cycle, I couldn’t think at all. The heat of arousal overwhelmed me, making me sweat all over.

I looked at Taeshin, releasing more intense heat pheromones with my sweat.

“It’s so hot, I think I’m going crazy. Taeshin, do something about this…”

Just as Taeshin, who had spoken a moment earlier, seemed about to say something else, he pulled my hand with a fierce glint in his eyes.

“Take it off. I’ll show you how.”

Taeshin handed me his tightly bound tie.

Although it was Taeshin who had the tie fastened up to his neck, I felt as if I were the one trapped by his gaze, unable to move.

With trembling hands, I hooked my fingers into the knot and pulled it downward.

As the tie slipped off with a swishing sound, Taeshin’s face seemed to break into a smile, making my breath catch.

The pheromones of an aroused alpha, no, a rutting alpha in heat, burst forth from Taeshin’s body, engulfing me completely.

My entire body trembled.

***

My whole body ached as if it had been beaten, making it impossible to sleep.

As I groaned and got up with my throbbing body, the sheet that had been covering me slid off.

The body beneath the sheet was bare. I was naked.

“…Huh… What?”

I looked down at my naked body, wondering why I was undressed, and then froze. As I tried to piece together my hazy thoughts through the mild headache from the hangover, my face turned pale.

So yesterday… I stole that damn wine and drank it… and then… with Taeshin…

As I slowly recalled the events, my head started spinning.

Despite drinking enough to cause a hangover, my memory vividly replayed the events of the night.

Even in my dazed state, I shamelessly remembered everything that had happened, and what I had said to Taeshin.

My face burned with embarrassment.

…I’m insane!

I swallowed a curse and the shock lodged in my throat.

The more I recalled, the clearer my memory became, fitting together like pieces of a puzzle.

I screamed silently at the vivid memories unfolding before my eyes.

* * *