* * *
Edwin’s pheromones, far from lessening, seemed to grow even more intense, making it almost impossible to breathe.
“Edwin, I told you to lower your pheromones!”
“I… can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t? Don’t tell me you’ve lost control?”
Henry looked at Edwin incredulously.
Lately, Edwin had been devoting himself to mastering pheromone control, progressing at an impressive pace.
There was no way he could suddenly lose control, right?
As Edwin remained silent, his expression unusually grave, Henry’s doubt grew.
Gripping Edwin’s shoulders, he moved closer to examine him.
“Edwin… don’t turn away. Look at me.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Stay still for a second.”
Despite Edwin’s attempts to look away, Henry held his chin, forcing their eyes to meet.
Edwin’s flushed face had turned a deep crimson, and his tightly bitten lips suggested he was holding something back.
Realizing this wasn’t a simple matter, Henry sighed.
“Edwin, I think you’re going into rut. Try to take a deep breath and calm down.”
Though rare, Edwin had experienced rut cycles before, and Henry had helped him through them.
Thinking this was similar, Henry tried to approach it the same way.
But Edwin pushed him away.
“No, this is nothing like before.”
“What? It’s not like there are stages to rut cycles—”
“Henry.”
The weight of Edwin’s voice made Henry instinctively cover his mouth and nose.
The pheromones flooding the air were overwhelming, unlike anything he’d ever felt.
Though invisible, they were so thick it felt as though they hung in the air like a suffocating fog.
“An extreme alpha’s… pheromones.”
The pheromones that had quietly been building up over the past cycles surged over Henry like a tidal wave.
Edwin’s face was drenched in sweat, droplets trickling down as his ragged breathing grew more uneven. Henry could tell that Edwin was in a dangerous state.
“I don’t think I can hold back this time,” Edwin muttered, bracing a hand against the wall and forcing himself to put distance between them.
“Go home,” he said through gritted teeth.
“What about you? I’ll go get the Pheros. If that can help…”
Before Henry could finish, Edwin grabbed his hand.
Only then did Henry look down and notice the ring on his finger.
It dawned on him that the Pheros he was about to fetch was already right there, on his hand.
Overjoyed, he tried to lift his hand, but Edwin’s grip held him firmly in place.
“Edwin?”
“Watch closely.”
Edwin lowered his head to look at Henry’s ring, and Henry followed his gaze.
The gemstone on the ring began to lose its color, fading until it became completely transparent, leaving only the band behind.
Confused, Henry opened his mouth to speak, but Edwin cut him off.
“This won’t be enough.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Despite pouring so much of his pheromones into the Pheros, the room was still thick with their presence.
It was evident Edwin hadn’t released everything yet.
The veins bulging on his face made it painfully clear he was restraining himself with every ounce of strength he had left.
“So just… go,” Edwin insisted, pushing Henry away as if he couldn’t bear it any longer.
He turned his head aside, clearly trying to avoid looking at Henry, but the way his hand trembled gave him away—he was fighting the urge to pull Henry back.
Henry watched Edwin’s heaving shoulders, then slowly raised his own hand.
He reached out and gently held Edwin’s trembling fingertips.
Edwin flinched violently at the touch, his half-open hand shaking uncontrollably as it failed to fully clasp Henry’s.
“Why should I leave?” Henry asked softly.
“Henry…”
“You helped me when I had my first cycle.”
Henry brought up the time Edwin had soothed him through his own ordeal.
“Back then, we weren’t even together. But now? I’m your partner, Edwin. I have every right to be here for you.”
“This is different,” Edwin muttered.
“Of course it’s different. Our relationship has changed,” Henry replied.
“That’s not what I mean…”
Edwin’s voice was strained as he bit the words out like they physically hurt him.
“If you stay, I don’t know what I’ll do to you.”
Only then did Henry notice the intensity in Edwin’s gaze, darkened with overwhelming desire.
The kind and considerate man who had always been gentle with him was gone, replaced by someone exuding raw, predatory hunger.
“That’s why… you need to go.”
Edwin was giving him one last chance to leave.
The sweat dripping from his face now fell in heavy drops, his body visibly trembling from the effort to hold himself back.
Understanding Edwin’s resolve, Henry let his hand fall limply.
Edwin’s expression flickered with relief, though a hint of disappointment lingered as he turned his face away.
His flushed face had turned an alarming shade of crimson, and the sweat now poured down in rivulets.
Unable to stand properly, Edwin staggered, his legs threatening to give out beneath him.
Henry instinctively reached out to steady him, only to hesitate mid-motion.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” Edwin said, wiping his face roughly with the back of his hand as he stepped aside.
He was trying to walk away, to endure it alone as he always had.
But as Henry watched him retreat, biting his lip in frustration, he made his decision.
Reaching out, he took Edwin’s hand once more.
“Edwin.”
This time, Henry laced his fingers tightly through Edwin’s, their hands interlocked.
Holding on as though binding himself with invisible chains, Henry shook his head firmly.
“I know you’ve always endured your ruts alone. No matter how hard it was, you never let anyone share your burden.”
“Henry…”
“But you don’t have to do that anymore. Not now. Not with me.”
Henry lifted his other hand to gently cup Edwin’s cheek.
Even that small touch made Edwin flinch, his body pulling away instinctively.
But Henry didn’t let go of their joined hands. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Edwin’s neck and pressed their bodies together.
Edwin’s grip on his hand was almost painfully tight, the strength of it enough to make Henry wince.
But he forced a smile, hiding the discomfort.
“I’m your partner. Why should I leave?”
Henry’s gaze was unwavering as he continued, “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll help you through this cycle, just like you helped me through mine.”
Edwin’s hesitation was the only opening Henry needed.
He leaned in, brushing his lips against Edwin’s.
It was a mistake. A colossal mistake.
Henry’s fragmented thoughts came in bursts as he gasped for air, his body trembling under Edwin’s unrelenting touch.
This was far beyond what he had expected.
‘I should’ve left when he told me to,’ Henry thought bitterly.
The curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out the sun and moon, leaving him clueless about how much time had passed.
Not that it mattered. Edwin didn’t give him a chance to ask, his lips devouring Henry’s with an intensity that left him reeling.
His tongue plunged deep into Henry’s mouth, claiming him completely, leaving no room for protests or coherent thought.
“Ahh…”
A soft moan escaped Henry, but even that sound was eagerly swallowed by Edwin.
His hands roamed lower, slipping under Henry’s waist to lift him effortlessly.
Henry barely had time to react before Edwin withdrew, only to thrust back in with even greater force.
The relentless rhythm made Henry’s body tremble as he clung to Edwin for dear life.
“Edwin… please, slower… just a little…” Henry managed to plead between ragged breaths.
But Edwin wasn’t listening.
Or maybe he couldn’t hear him at all.
The only response Henry received was the firm grip of Edwin’s hands on his hips, holding him in place as the intensity increased.
‘He’s completely lost in it,’ Henry realized, biting his lip to stifle another cry.
There was no escape now. All Henry could do was endure.
Henry’s gaze had already faltered some time ago.
Even though Edwin was looking at him, it didn’t feel like their eyes were meeting.
Perhaps Edwin couldn’t hear his pleas anymore.
That meant Henry wouldn’t be able to escape from here until Edwin’s cycle came to an end.
Somehow, Henry braced himself against Edwin’s force, trembling arms pressed against him, and tightened his core.
As his slim waist curved inward, it made his backside arch upward even more, prompting Edwin to thrust into him faster.
“Henry.”
As Edwin entered him, the soft walls that wrapped around his member clung tightly, welcoming him again despite already being thoroughly ravished.
The scorching heat, incomparable to any other place, made Edwin exhale a satisfied sigh.
At the same time, he gathered the flesh of Henry’s chest in his hands, twisting the hardened buds.
The stimulation caused Henry’s nipples to perk up and tremble under Edwin’s touch.
Henry flailed his weakening arms and grasped at the bedpost to keep himself steady.
“Hold on.”
Edwin’s voice was cold, yet there was a gentle plea hidden within it.
Whether he sensed Henry’s pain or not, Edwin released his pheromones over Henry’s drying insides.
* * *
