Chapter 23

"Why do I have to roll around too when just making that bastard roll would be enough?"

To this reasonable protest, Wilkins calmly persuaded him.

"You could just do it, sure. But we need something to overwhelmingly crush that bastard. We need a control group to show that no matter how good Miller is at seducing women, he's useless in actual practice."

Wilkins firmly gripped Dane's arms to prevent him from escaping and said.

"You're an essential participant in this plan."

Dane twisted his face with an "ugh" as if getting goosebumps at the darkly shining eyes.

"Isn't a plan that includes 'essential' conditions when making it a failed plan in itself?"

To Dane who was trying to escape until the end, Wilkins persuaded him with a more serious face than before.

"Dane, I didn't plan this just thinking about making Greyson Miller suffer. Doesn't that bastard need to actually experience that he's in a different league from us to become more compliant in the future? A year is long. Do you know what that bastard might do in the future? Don't we need to establish dominance from the start?"

Of course, as team leader, his priority would be to somehow manage Greyson Miller well. Since it was unimaginable that he would obediently follow orders, forcing him to comply like this was a reasonable thought for a team leader, but...

While Dane was still quite reluctant, Ezra suddenly cut in.

"You'd better cooperate too. Think about it, what if that bastard gets isolated while out on a scene with us? Someone has to go rescue him. Who among us could do it?"

Dane twisted his face and silently pointed to himself with his middle finger. As if saying, do I really have to rescue that guy? Ezra nodded firmly.

"That's right, of course I or someone else would go in too, but you'd have to be there essentially. Why? Because your physical abilities are the best among us! You're the only one who could possibly drag Greyson Miller out!"

The passionate explanation was nothing short of sophistry, but it seemed difficult to escape this solid trap.

"Now, Dane Striker."

Following the cruel reality, Wilkins called Dane's full name. He opened his mouth while glaring at Dane with a more serious expression than ever.

"Should you do this? Or not?"

"...Ha."

Finally, Dane covered his face with one hand and let out a deep sigh. With that, everything was decided.

3

It was a bright midday with the sun beating down hot.

The sky stretched out in a clear blue without a single cloud, and strong sunlight brightly illuminated the earth. Glass windows of distant buildings sparkled dazzlingly, and the blowing wind made the air feel cooler. Such perfectly clear weather. But the moment he saw the scene unfolding at the location they arrived at, Dane suddenly wanted to cover that sun with his hand.

Other team members were already waiting at the location. Seeing a group of female employees gathered, befitting the purpose of this ridiculous test, Dane couldn't help but sigh. They were already overflowing with adrenaline. Watching them swing their fists, cheering for Dane and jeering at Greyson, Dane suddenly thought about turning around and going home.

"Come here. I'll explain the course. Dane, Dane! I said come here!"

At Wilkins's shout, Dane reluctantly walked toward him slowly. Greyson had arrived first and was waiting for him. With the two men standing on either side of him, Wilkins unfolded the map he had brought and spoke.

"Now, this is our fire station."

Wilkins explained while tapping the map with his finger.

"You start from here, go around like this, and come back, got it? If you finish the course quickly, it should take less than 30 minutes. Look, you pass through here and go like this..."

Dane just stood indifferently, glancing down at the map while listening to Wilkins's explanation. This was because the course was already a familiar route. This route, which went around the low mountain behind the fire station, wasn't much different from the course they occasionally took for physical training, so there was no need to memorize it. If there was one difference, it might be the remote curved path that deviated from the main road. It was clear they had added it to increase the difficulty from the usual test. Though it was called a physical fitness test in name only, it was actually a scheme to make Greyson Miller suffer, so the modification was understandable.

Not that it would make much difference anyway.

As he watched indifferently with one hand on his waist, he suddenly felt uneasy. The moment he raised his head, Dane met purple eyes staring intently at him.

How long had he been watching?

He couldn't tell, but it was certain that the time spent staring at Dane wasn't short. Was this a battle of nerves? It was a continuous series of truly pointless things. But he had no intention of avoiding eye contact, so Dane also met his gaze directly.

At that moment, the deep purple eyes darkened even more. Along with the eyes that had turned almost black, the sweet scent that always faintly lingered around Greyson intensified several times.

A sensation as if even the air had become sticky. The intense pheromones that instantly swept the surroundings caused immediate changes.

"Ah!"

"Jane, are you okay?"

"Mark, what's wrong? Mark!"

"Does anyone have medicine?"

Colleagues with Omega traits were momentarily staggered by the influence. Some even became flustered, breathing heavily. Ha, Dane let out a short sigh in disbelief. It was because of the overflowing scent from this damn extreme Alpha.

The scent of incredibly sweet pheromones.

Ridiculously huge in size, yet with excessively sweet pheromones.

As if biting into it would rot all your teeth.

Of course, it wasn't that Dane wasn't affected at all, but thanks to his long experience and special trait, he could easily overcome such situations. The problem was the ordinary Omegas who were affected. Releasing pheromones recklessly like this showed he didn't have even a speck of consideration for others. Like all extreme Alphas.

He felt the urge to just knock this annoying bastard out, but he suppressed it firmly. Because resolving things this way every time wasn't good.

For the first time, he thought it might not be bad to make him behave as Wilkins had said. These types of people usually had muscles built while drinking protein shakes in the gym, so when they actually had to undergo rigorous training using their entire body, they would often be flustered or fall behind. So there wasn't much time left for such provocations. Dane thought this way and kept an open mind.

"...so, got it? You both understand, right?"

"Yes."

"Of course."

Dane and Greyson answered in succession, but their gazes toward each other remained the same. Wilkins looked at them both in turn, then shrugged and rolled up the map, holding it in his hand.

"Well then, let's get started. Go to the starting line, hurry."

It was when he moved his steps following Wilkins who urged them with "come on."

"Dane, Dane."

The person who called him in a small voice was DeAndre. He glanced around briefly, then took out 10 dollars from his pocket and pressed it into Dane's hand.

"Hit that bastard when no one's looking, preferably in the face."

He was serious. Dane looked down at DeAndre's grim face, then glanced at the bill before folding it and putting it in his pants pocket.

"Is 10 dollars' worth enough?"

At his indifferent question, DeAndre hesitated. Soon after, he hurriedly searched his pockets and hastily placed crumpled bills from here and there onto Dane's palm. To DeAndre, who looked tense as if waiting for a judgment, Dane silently unfolded the money one by one to check the amount, then nodded.

"38 dollars... 25 cents. Got it."

When DeAndre gave him even the last coins in his pocket, Dane put them all in his pocket, patted the client's arm, and turned around.

"I believe in you, Dane! I trust you!"

To DeAndre who shouted urgently from behind, Dane, still with his back turned, just waved one hand. Then he walked toward the starting line where everyone was waiting.