Chapter 105

"That's right."

Ashley looked at his son and coldly pointed out.

"I've told you more than thousands of times that you need to be especially careful because you have congenitally high pheromone levels, so you should remember by now. Don't be negligent, check your pheromone levels tomorrow immediately, and if it's urgent, ask Steward to extract it by injection."

"Yes, I understand."

Greyson answered promptly and obediently as always. With an unchanging smiling face.

Norman Steward was the head of a medical center that primarily researched extreme Alpha pheromones. His parents were the ones who first established the center, and after his parents died in an unfortunate accident, Steward succeeded them as the head.

He was probably the person who knew the most about pheromones in the entire world. That research institute cum center was the place extreme Alphas always visited when they had problems related to pheromones, and because of that, it was always overflowing with donations. What the center lacked wasn't money but test subjects. After all, those willing to offer their bodies for researching extreme Alpha pheromones were extremely rare.

Unless they were someone who had given up on themselves quite thoroughly.

And the extreme Alpha who visited Steward's clinic most frequently was probably Greyson. Of course, unlike his younger brother Chase, it wasn't because Greyson was immersed in self-loathing. He was very interested in pheromone research and even became a test subject himself, a fact that Ashley also knew. As well as the fact that Greyson never neglected to extract pheromones according to his teachings.

Nevertheless, being reminded like this again was also proof that Ashley was that sensitive about Greyson's pheromones accumulating. The fact that Ashley was particularly obsessive with Greyson compared to other siblings was known to the entire family. Of course, there was good reason for it too.

Come to think of it, it's been quite a while since I went...

Greyson suddenly recalled. It was the first time he had forgotten to visit Steward's lab. The reason, of course, was singular. It was because his life was at its most enjoyable these days.

However, Ashley's words about needing to extract pheromones were correct. Greyson also absolutely did not want to go crazy or have his brain damaged. Then the only remaining method was to resolve it with an injection.

Anyway, should I go to a party...

Parties were more convenient than the research institute for getting injections. He had laughed at his younger brother Chase when he got those injections, but thinking about it now, it was a fortunate thing. Thanks to Chase, he could get a verified drug.

Of course, the drug at those pheromone parties was also developed by Steward. If he were to learn about Greyson's current state, how would that man react?

He would certainly be amazed. If I told him I had come to know the emotion of fear.

And the emotion of love.

Ah, Greyson blinked. Come to think of it, I haven't told him about this.

"Daddy, I."

"No."

Before he could even speak, Ashley coldly cut him off.

"I clearly told you, didn't I? That you need to complete a year. Didn't I say that quitting on your own again is absolutely not allowed?"

Ashley scolded his son in a strict tone. It was actually as expected. In a normal case, Greyson would have been dejected by now, thinking he was wrong again, and might be preparing to run away or might have already fled. Just as he had always done.

Though he was somewhat surprised by the statement about living with a lover, it wasn't the first time he had experienced this. There had been several instances where Greyson had run away with someone, saying they would quit work together and play, but when he thought he was wrong, he would suddenly change, abandon his lover, and disappear alone. The reason Ashley had come all the way here under the pretext of adding donated items to the fire station was to check on Greyson's situation. To warn him in advance so that his bad habit of running away as soon as his interest waned wouldn't emerge.

Facing his father who was looking at him with cold eyes, Greyson suddenly burst into laughter, "Puhaha." Due to his innate temperament, this response that didn't match his son's situation was unavoidable, so Ashley wasn't particularly displeased. However, he needed to let him know that he was wrong, again and again. That he shouldn't laugh in this situation, because if he didn't, someone would eventually discover Greyson's fatal flaw, and that would become his son's weakness.

"You're wrong, Greyson. You shouldn't laugh in this situation."

"Yes."

At Ashley's point, Greyson answered immediately this time as well. However, Ashley's brow furrowed even more deeply.

"Why are you still smiling?"

This time, Greyson didn't answer right away and blinked.

"Am I?"

He was still pulling up the corners of his mouth, but it was probably because he hadn't yet composed his expression after bursting into laughter just now. Ashley suppressed the sigh that was about to come out. It can't be helped. This was just a congenital defect that his child was born with.

"What were you going to say? If it wasn't about quitting."

When Ashley asked in a businesslike tone, Greyson's eyes suddenly lit up as if he had just remembered.

"I, I've come to know what fear is."

Ashley, who was about to bring the black tea to his mouth, hesitated. Slowly, in a very slow motion, Greyson watched him put down the teacup, still with the corners of his mouth raised. After a moment of silence, after the very small sound of the teacup touching the saucer was heard, Ashley opened his mouth.

"...What did you just say?"

* * *

The tea room, where bright sunlight poured in, with a cool breeze coming through a window left open on one side, gave a feeling as refreshing and exciting as having a picnic in a garden.

Dane, sitting across from Koi at the round tea table, was bewildered by the unfamiliar atmosphere but was inevitably awkwardly maintaining his seat. Watching the employee who had brought them refreshments disappear silently, Dane thought, so there are people working here after all.

Well, that's why they were able to prepare such an incredible meal in the morning.

Recalling the lavish table he had forgotten about, Dane suddenly felt a chill down his back. As he unconsciously looked at the closed door, Koi suddenly exclaimed in a high voice.

"To think that Dane was my child's lover!"

When he turned his head, he saw Koi with sparkling eyes, unable to hide his emotion. He had been overjoyed and at a loss since he first saw Dane. For Dane, this kind of reaction from Koi was bewildering, but what was even more perplexing was the fact that he himself didn't feel any rejection toward this man he was seeing for the first time. No, far from rejection, he was actually feeling a sense of intimacy.

The sensation he felt when he first saw this man wasn't a misconception. Dane felt strange at the unchanged affinity. As if sensing Dane's confusion, Koi spoke in a still excited voice.

"We have a bond. That means there's something that connects extreme Omegas."

What does he mean by a bond?

To Dane, who still didn't understand, Koi continued excitedly.

"Extreme Omegas can recognize each other. And they have an affinity for each other. You probably feel it toward me too. Like, family?"

At the word family, Dane frowned and gave a cynical smile. Could there be a more unreasonable word than that? This man seemed to have no idea how dirty a community connected by blood could be.

Looking at Koi, who was gazing at him with a bright face, Dane suddenly recalled Ashley Miller, who had been wary of him earlier.

He would probably do all sorts of promiscuous things to extract pheromones, but he couldn't tolerate his partner looking elsewhere?

Thinking that it was indeed a selfish phenotype, Dane picked up the mug that had been set out for him. As he was about to bring the coffee to his mouth without thinking, he suddenly hesitated.

Cat poop...

Dane wrinkled his nose but inevitably swallowed the coffee.