Chapter 152

* * *

"Puhaa."

Greyson, who had stuck his head out of the water, checked the electronic clock outside the pool while gasping for breath. 3 minutes 2 seconds. He floated in the water and caught his breath for a while. Once he calmed down somewhat, he planned to challenge the record again. Since it was already the fourth time, the record was getting shorter and shorter.

Even though he hadn't caught his breath yet, he plunged his head back into the water. It was a reflexive action the moment Dane came to mind. While holding his breath, he could avoid thinking about other things. Because he would focus all his nerves entirely on maintaining life. However, unfortunately, this method was also gradually reaching its limit.

"Hwaa."

Coming back out of the water while feeling like his lungs would burst, he gasped and looked for the clock. When he learned that barely over a minute had passed, he had no choice but to admit it. That he should stop diving too.

As he got out of the pool with his tired body, Alex, who was always wandering around, approached him. He gently petted the dog that was panting and showing affection, then headed to the sun bed. The dog naturally followed him and lay down within arm's reach. It was a familiar act they had been doing for a long time. When Greyson lay on the sun bed, Alex would always lie down in a position within reach. And he would enjoy the owner consistently scratching his head and fall into leisurely rest.

When he scratched his head as always, the dog closed his eyes comfortably and curled up on the ground. As Alex aged, he spent more time sleeping. He often dozed even normally, but even in the midst of that, he would always be happy to see Greyson and hover around, trying to be by his side.

It would have been nice if Dane was as simple as this guy.

Seeing how he had completely fallen for Dane and wagged his tail over just one can, he suddenly felt absurd. The guy who ate my Diana. He frowned for no reason, feeling annoyed, but seeing him peacefully wagging his tail slowly left and right with his eyes closed, he just didn't care anymore.

What is Dane doing?

Naturally, his thoughts flowed in one direction. Now tired of forcing himself to turn his thoughts away by cornering himself, he just let them float up as they came. At this time, he would have gotten off work by now. Is he at that cheap hotel drinking tasteless beer? After getting off work, he would take care of his cat, then shower, drink beer, and sleep.

Going home together, drinking beer, chatting about this and that, and falling asleep seemed like a dream. Come to think of it, Dane had promised many things, but what would happen to all of that?

Liar, it was all lies.

Greyson cursed him inwardly. He must have intended to do this from the beginning. Even though he had no intention of keeping his promises from the start, he made people hopeful, dragged out time for no reason, and planned to overturn everything at the last minute like this.

Deceiving innocent me.

He recognized himself as a pure victim as always. He had done his best, but instead of being appreciated, his efforts were exploited and abandoned - what a terrible person. Son of a bitch, trash, used condom...

...

Is he looking for someone new to spend tonight with by now?

While feeling relieved to have escaped from me.

He suddenly stopped at the sensation touching his hand. When he looked down, he saw Alex licking Greyson's fingers. He quietly watched the dog and then turned his gaze to the pool. His gaze that returned stayed on the dog a little longer.

"Alex, what do you think would happen if Dane came to your funeral?"

At the gentle voice, Alex raised his head. Since he heard his name, it was just a reflexive action - he probably didn't understand the content. Greyson smiled slightly while quietly watching him tilt his head to one side and blink.

That wouldn't work after all.

In the past, he would have done so without hesitation. Just to meet Dane again. But now it's different. Because he now knows what reaction Dane would show if he found out the truth after doing such a thing. For the same reason as when he saved his ugly cat from the flames, he dismissed the thought that came to mind. Even though the probability of Dane learning the truth was almost zero.

"Good boy, Alex."

Greyson, who lightly rubbed his nose against the dog's nose, petted his head and then headed into the house. Alex made a whimpering sound but couldn't follow. Because the dog was trained not to enter the house.

Instead, Alex, who had stood in that spot until Greyson disappeared, turned around and headed to his own house. Alex, who entered the building that Greyson had built for the dog - which Dane would surely have grumbled about being bigger and more luxurious than the house he lived in if he had seen it - lay down on the cleanly cleaned bed and yawned lazily. And he fell into comfortable sleep as usual, completely unaware of what had just happened.

* * *

"Damn extreme Alpha."

Greyson spat out curses with a furious face. He had already emptied half a bottle of whiskey straight, but he wasn't drunk at all. No matter how strong a drinker someone was, they would be pleasantly drunk by this amount, but his mind remained perfectly clear. It was because of his damn phenotype. Whether he took drugs or drank alcohol, he just wouldn't get intoxicated. There were drugs or drinks developed for people like them, but to get those, he would have to go to Steward's laboratory. And he would excitedly ask all sorts of questions. Why do you need this, what will you use it for, tell me what the effects are like, I never thought Greyson Miller would come to get this drug, and various other noisy chatter.

"Fuck, it's like being a beggar."

He cursed again and poured more alcohol. Even though he knew it was meaningless, he kept pouring it down perhaps because of the hope that someday he might get drunk. It was a long time ago, but he heard that Keith had done the same when Yeonwoo left. There were even rumors that he might become the first extreme Alpha to die from alcoholism.

If I die, would Dane come to my funeral?

That was a much more efficient idea than Alex dying. Dane would definitely come. And he would regret it. He would never forget me for the rest of his life. Just like his mother.

Dane's mother, that damn woman.

Anger welled up in his mind as he had been excitedly imagining Dane crying and regretting at his funeral. If only that woman hadn't died like that. No, if only she hadn't hit and tormented Dane, he wouldn't have rejected me like that.

It was infuriating to the point of madness that she was already dead. Fuck, he emptied the remaining glass in one gulp with another curse. Just as he was about to pour more alcohol, suddenly his mobile phone rang. He, who had been pitifully drinking alone in the snack bar where he used to eat and drink with Dane, froze for a moment.

Could it be?

With mixed feelings of anticipation, excitement, and anxiety, he hurriedly checked the caller and soon frowned. Greyson looked down at his phone with a face full of disappointment and annoyance for a moment, then finally pressed the answer button.

"What?"

At his curt words, the other party said something. Greyson, who had been listening silently while pouring alcohol, stopped.

"...What did you say?"

He quietly placed the liquor bottle on the bar table and stopped moving. The man continued to chatter on alone to the silently listening Greyson. Greyson just listened quietly. After the man's urgent words ended, a brief silence flowed. Greyson, who had thought of countless things in his mind, opened his mouth with a short sigh.

"Got it, I'll come now."

As soon as he hung up, he turned around and quickly walked out of the snack bar almost at a run. Behind him, only a whiskey glass not even half full remained lonely.

* * *

The screams of a drunk man could be heard close by as if shouting right next to him. Soundproofing was something you couldn't expect from a cheap hotel in the first place. From somewhere else, moans and thumping sounds could be heard, as if a couple was having sex.

In such headache-inducing noise, Dane was lying alone on the bed, looking at the ceiling with an empty face. Fortunately, Darling, who couldn't hear, had settled between Dane's armpits and was making purring sounds. Dane habitually stroked Darling's body.

It had already been over a week since he came to this hotel. Indeed, the human body was fickle. It was a hotel he had stayed at right after the fire, but after spending 3 months at Greyson's house and coming here, he was shocked, wondering if this place had been this terrible.