* * *
His body felt too heavy to get up.
But the phone vibrating endlessly on the nightstand finally made him open his eyes.
Still half out of it, he turned his head slightly.
A crumpled pillow lay askew.
Knowing Saheon’s personality, he wouldn’t have left it like that.
He must have knocked it over in his sleep.
“Haah…”
The phone kept buzzing.
Since he’d disabled all alarms for this U.S. business trip, it was likely a call—and that meant it would keep ringing until he answered.
He stretched an arm toward the nightstand, but it only barely brushed his fingertips—not enough to pick it up.
“Ugh, so annoying.”
What had started as a deep, sultry kiss on the sofa had escalated into intense intimacy and moved into the bedroom, continuing for quite a while.
Apparently, his heat hadn’t fully subsided yet—at least according to Saheon.
And Saheon had asked if it was okay to keep going until it did.
It had been unusually forward of him, quite the blatant seduction.
“No, actually… he’s always been like that.”
From the very beginning, he had pursued him relentlessly like someone obsessed.
That alpha never let an opportunity slip.
And he’d gone and told someone like that to “catch me if you can.”
What happened next was inevitable.
He didn’t even know how many times he’d climaxed.
Toward the end, only clear fluid kept leaking out, a testament to just how thoroughly he’d been ravished.
Wookyung sat up slowly and checked the clock first.
As expected, it was well past 10 p.m.
“Wow… How many hours did we go at it?”
When he saw the doctor earlier, it had already been late afternoon.
After she left, they had talked briefly, and then started kissing… and well, that fire had burned for at least five to six hours straight.
Bzzzt. Bzzz. Bzzzzzt.
His train of thought was interrupted by the persistent vibration.
Wookyung checked the caller ID and frowned.
Not someone entirely unexpected, but not the kind of person he thought would call this persistently either.
“Hello—”
—Assistant Manager! Why haven’t you been answering?! Are you alright?!
Before he could even finish his greeting, the voice on the other end exploded like a bomb.
Blinking, Wookyung had to pause and think over what he’d just heard.
“What’s going on, Associate Choi?”
No matter how he tried to figure it out, he couldn’t imagine why Associate Choi would sound like that.
—“You’re not in some kind of trouble, are you?”
Instinctively, Wookyung glanced down at himself.
He had some muscle soreness and spotted red marks across his thighs, waist, and stomach, but otherwise, he seemed fine.
“Not particularly. Why are you calling, though?”
Associate Choi then explained that he and Assistant Manager Oh had arrived at the hotel.
“You’re here?”
When did that happen? And more importantly, why didn’t I know?
—“We got here earlier this afternoon.”
“Oh…”
If it was this afternoon, that would explain the communication gap.
Wookyung rubbed his face and glanced around the bedroom.
The air still faintly held the scent of pheromones.
Judging by the refreshing tone, it was likely Saheon’s scent.
Both of them had released without restraint, but since Wookyung was a recessive, his scent must have faded quickly, leaving only Saheon’s behind.
They must have been so absorbed that he hadn’t even noticed the phone calls.
Then he’d passed out cold and only just woke up—no wonder he hadn’t felt the vibration earlier.
“Did you speak to the Director?”
—Just a little while ago. But are you reallyalright, sir?
If Saheon had been in touch with Associate Choi recently, then where was he now?
“It’s nothing. I was just tired and took a nap.”
Though it had lasted a bit longer than a nap. But Choi didn’t need to know that.
—Are you feeling unwell? Since when? I arrived at six! If you’ve been sleeping since then…
That was a mistake.
Now that he thought about it, Associate Choi could be just as tenacious as Saheon in some ways.
“I had a long flight, went straight to work, and the weather here is kind of chilly, so I caught a bit of a cold. By the way, Associate Choi, weren’t you supposed to arrive tomorrow?”
Not wanting to drag the call out, Wookyung tried to shift the topic.
—I reported to the Director. Since things were wrapped up on our end, Assistant Manager Oh and I decided to come early.
“I see.”
That must’ve been arranged while Wookyung was lost in the heat cycle.
Things were finally starting to make sense.
—We were supposed to meet when we arrived, so we called after checking in, but you didn’t answer. We figured you’d be with the Director and tried calling him, but he didn’t pick up either.
At this point, Wookyung had no excuses.
The reason Saheon had missed the appointment was none other than… him.
“I apologize.”
He offered a straightforward apology, and Associate Choi quickly said it was fine.
—More than anything, I was just worried. I had to hear it from you to be sure. The Director said nothing was wrong, but I couldn’t relax until I confirmed it myself.
“Right, thank you for your concern. Like I said, I just slept a little longer because I was tired. Uh… it’s a bit late today, so—how about breakfast together tomorrow morning?”
Perhaps this was something Director Saheon would’ve already taken care of, but feeling awkward, Wookyung felt the need to say something—anything.
—You’re really okay, right?
Why did he keep asking like this?
As if he somehow knew something had happened here.
But of course, that couldn’t be the case.
Just as Choi Siwon said, they had only arrived today.
Only Saheon and the doctor knew that Wookyung had gone through his first unexpected heat cycle.
For a moment, someone’s face came to mind—but he brushed the thought aside, deeming it unimportant.
—I’ll hang up now. Get some good rest, Assistant Manager. I’ll see you tomorrow.
“You too, Mr. Choi. Thanks for the call.”
After expressing his thanks once more, he ended the call.
The missed call list showed a shocking twenty calls—all from Choi Siwon.
The messenger app also had dozens of unread notifications, but he didn’t bother checking them.
That could wait.
“Unbelievable. Seriously, what the hell, Gil Wookyung.”
How could he get into trouble like this on a business trip—with the director, no less?
“Ughhh!”
He twisted his whole body and swallowed a scream.
Then, with a composed expression, he stepped out of the bedroom.
That’s when he saw the well-built alpha standing by the minibar.
“You’re up?”
Perhaps sensing his presence, Saheon turned first, already wearing a gentle smile.
“What are you doing over there?”
The casual tone made Wookyung answer easily, while his eyes scanned the counter—plates neatly arranged with fruit, cheese, and bite-sized sandwiches.
“I figured you’d be hungry when you woke up, so I was grabbing something to eat.”
“Oh.”
Why did he have to be so considerate?
Wookyung’s face grew warm for no reason.
He gave a small nod and turned his body.
Saheon followed close behind.
“Let’s go over there.”
He even pointed out the direction Wookyung should walk in—and not stopping at that, wrapped an arm around his waist and began to guide him.
“What is this?”
“Hmm… an escort?”
“Is that really necessary?”
It wasn’t even that far. It felt excessive.
Still, Wookyung let himself be led without complaint.
They moved to a terrace that offered a stunning night view.
With a glass of wine added, the mood turned cozy.
Wookyung, staring down at the plate, eventually locked eyes with Saheon.
“You contacted Choi Siwon earlier, didn’t you?”
His tone shifted from casual to formal—signaling a switch from private to professional conversation.
“Did you speak to him about me too?”
Catching on, Saheon nodded easily.
“Yes.”
“I told you not to, and you still did.”
“I know. I saw over twenty missed calls.”
“Sigh…”
Saheon didn’t bother hiding his annoyance as he lifted his glass.
Wookyung clinked his glass with Saheon’s and spoke again.
“I told him I’d just been sleeping from exhaustion. Let’s stick to that story.”
“Alright. For now, I’ll go with that.”
‘For now?’
Why add something that makes a person feel anxious?
Wookyung looked at him, clearly asking for more explanation.
Saheon sighed again.
“I was going to tell you in a bit.”
“What is it?”
“Assistant Manager Oh made a serious mistake.”
What does Assistant Manager Oh have to do with this all of a sudden?
Wookyung stared blankly, not following.
Saheon took another long breath before finally speaking.
“He found out that you’re an omega. Also, that you didn’t leave the hotel room for two days because of your heat.”
“Ah…”
* * *
