Chapter 166

"...Huh."

Greyson tried to say something but it was impossible. Dane embraced his collapsing body with both arms. After holding him for a moment, when Dane raised his head, he immediately made eye contact with Joshua.

"You..."

Joshua, who had been standing blankly with surprised eyes, could only mutter one word. There was only one phenotype that could release pheromones in an instant like this and knock out an extreme Alpha's consciousness. At the fact that was as surprising as their kiss just moments before, Joshua stood with his eyes wide as if his soul had left him, and Dane handed over Greyson who had collapsed in his arms, saying.

"Take him."

When Joshua bewilderedly received Greyson, Dane gave a bitter smile and added.

"You're right, I didn't hide it on purpose."

As if that was enough, he patted Joshua's arm twice.

"Go, hurry."

"Dane."

Joshua called his name again. He still hesitated as if his feet wouldn't move, but Dane was firm.

"Did you forget why we came here? Go, quickly."

Of course he remembered. The moment he looked toward the face of the man lying unconscious in his arms, Dane roughly shouted.

"Quickly!"

In the end, Joshua began descending the mountain, leaving Dane behind. After briefly watching the retreating figure moving quickly despite carrying a man much larger than himself on his back, Dane soon turned and ran. The target point was decided. Hurry, hurry quickly. Before the last bomb exploded, until the final explosion...

20 minutes.

Joshua, who checked his wristwatch, looked back. After confirming that Dane's figure running at full speed had already disappeared from view, he gritted his teeth and turned around.

"Ugh..."

A faint groan flowed from Greyson's lips. Joshua pretended not to hear and continued descending the mountain. To fulfill his mission as Dane had entrusted, just as Dane had asked.

* * *

...Huh.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a floating sky. The sun was already rising. Greyson lay on the ground blinking blankly.

"...Ahhh!"

He who had tried to get up carelessly ended up letting out a short scream. As he was breathing heavily with his face completely contorted, suddenly a shadow fell over him. Greyson, who had unconsciously raised his head, stopped moving. Dane looked down at him with a frowning face and opened his mouth.

"You idiot, that's why you should listen to me."

At the words spat out irritably as usual, Greyson blinked in bewilderment. Even as he slowly got up, he still couldn't believe it. To him who was just looking, Dane swept back his hair and continued talking.

"If you had quickly come down as I told you from the start, everyone would have suffered less. Do you know how much Josh suffered dragging you down here?"

At those words, when he turned his head, he could see Joshua sitting on the ground over there, gulping down water. Greyson looked at him briefly, then turned his eyes back to Dane.

"That's because you tried to force me to go first."

"This bastard."

Dane raised his fist. Thinking he would hit his cheek as always, Greyson squeezed his eyes shut. He waited with resolve, but the surroundings were only quiet. When he realized the expected punch wasn't coming and quietly opened his eyes, Dane's face suddenly filled his vision.

"Huk!"

At his pathetic state of unconsciously swallowing his breath in surprise and sitting back, Dane suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, what are you doing?"

Greyson looked at Dane completely dazed. Dane laughing so loudly like that - what was going on?

"What's wrong?"

Dane asked Greyson, who was just staring blankly at him. Seeing him facing him with laughter still remaining on his face, Greyson was bewildered but his heart swelled.

"No, you're... looking at me and laughing like that."

Toward the stammering Greyson, Dane laughed again. Another surprising thing happened. His cheeks were slightly flushed red.

"My puppy."

Dane said that and reached out his hand. Instead of hitting his cheek with his fist, he stroked Greyson's head and said with a full smile.

"You endured well, very well."

At the praise directed at him, something hot gradually spread through his chest. Greyson, who had opened his mouth, moved his lips several times and barely made a sound.

"...I waited until you came."

At the completely hoarse voice, Dane nodded.

"Yes, you did very well. I should give a good puppy a reward."

"Tell me you love me."

Greyson demanded, not missing the opportunity. The hand that had been stroking his head stopped completely. Unable to look at Dane's expression looking at him, Greyson stubbornly blurted out with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Even if it's a lie, it doesn't matter. Just say it once, that you love me."

I want to hear it.

He thought inwardly with desperate feelings. Only 1 or 2 seconds had passed, but after time that felt so long, Dane opened his mouth.

"I love you."

For a moment, surprised, Greyson's eyes flashed open. Raising his head came next. When he slowly, with a trembling heart, raised his gaze, he immediately made eye contact with Dane. And he witnessed an unbelievable fact.

He's smiling.

To Greyson who was staring blankly, Dane asked. Still with a smile.

"Is that enough? Pretty one."

Greyson couldn't answer. At the emotion that felt like his chest would burst, he just opened and closed his mouth while looking, when Dane, with a bright smile all over his face, tilted his head. He slowly closed his eyes. Breath touched. An expectant sigh leaked out. Lips touching came next. At that moment, smelling Dane's pheromone scent spreading throughout his lungs, Greyson thought.

That it would be fine to die like this.

Dane's pheromone scent.

Pheromones.

...Dane's pheromones.

* * *

Suddenly his eyes flashed open. An unfamiliar scene spread before his wide-open eyes.

...Huh?

Greyson left his shaking vision as it was for a moment. It took a bit more time to realize that everything that had happened just moments before was all a dream.

"What, hey... this!"

With a rough shout, he shook his body. Joshua, who hadn't anticipated the sudden situation, ended up swaying greatly and almost falling forward.

"What are you doing right now! Do you want to die?"

He who had barely escaped the crisis of almost rolling down the slope immediately shouted at Greyson. But Greyson, who had fallen off Joshua's back in that gap, looked around hurriedly with a pale face and asked.

"Where's Dane? Where is Dane? Just a moment ago, he was here."

What's going on? What is this situation? He couldn't understand at all. Seeing him unable to distinguish between dream and reality, Joshua tried to regain his composure and opened his mouth.

"You fainted because of Dane's pheromones. And I was carrying you down the mountain."

After finishing his brief explanation, he gestured to Greyson as if telling him to come here.

"There's no time to hesitate, let's go down quickly. Your injuries are severe."

"No."

Greyson began being stubborn again.

"Dane is doing something dangerous right now, isn't he? What is it? Tell me, why did you only send me first? Why did he stay alone? Why?"

Despite not knowing the situation at all, his intuition was so good that he hardly tried to follow Joshua's words. At the repeated questions, Joshua finally had no choice but to sigh and reveal the truth.

"Bombs are exploding."

"...Bombs?"

To Greyson who repeated what Joshua had said, Joshua nodded and added.

"Dane went to disarm the bomb. Meanwhile, we're going down the mountain."

Greyson didn't understand his words for a very brief moment. He stared blankly at Joshua and after a few seconds of silence, barely opened his mouth.

"...What did you say?"