Chapter 68

* * *

Crazy psycho bastard.

Dane sat with his arms crossed, legs spread wide, shaking one leg frantically. Across from him, Greyson Miller was sitting demurely with his legs together, eyes sparkling, looking back at Dane.

After a commotion, Dane had to punch the wall several times to calm himself down. And it was only about 10 minutes ago that he had finally withdrawn his swollen, wounded hand and barely managed to calm down somewhat.

"Haa."

Dane closed his eyes, let out a deep sigh, and then slowly opened his eyes. Surely that remote control was fake. He wouldn't be the type of person to do such a foolish thing, risking his own life when he could be in danger if things went wrong.

After a few days of endurance, he'll get tired and give up on his own.

Even if he didn't, gaps would appear as they lived together. Until then, he would find a way to escape this place by any means necessary. To realize that, for now, there was no better option than buying time.

But before that, there was something he needed to know.

"What exactly do you want by going this far? Are you doing this crazy thing just to find out my phenotype?"

"No."

Unexpectedly, Greyson denied Dane's assumption. When Dane frowned as if to ask what then, he grinned and said.

"To sleep with you."

"Ha."

Dane tilted his head back in disbelief. After briefly looking up at the elaborate ceiling light, he lowered his gaze back to Greyson and slowly rose from the sofa.

"Bend over, I'll fuck you. But I might throw up on your back while doing it, just so you know."

"No."

Greyson immediately rejected Dane, who was speaking while unbuckling his belt. When Dane stopped his hands, he added cheerfully.

"There's something I need to see. If you fuck me, I can't see it."

What nonsense is this now.

"See what?"

When he asked with a still frowning face, Greyson suddenly narrowed his eyes. It was another unexpected reaction. Seeing Dane frown even more, the corners of Greyson's mouth slightly rose.

"You don't know."

"What don't I know?"

Dane pressed again, but Greyson just kept grinning. Though his face was so unpleasant that Dane wanted to slap it, he held back. For now, he needed to conserve energy. He never knew when the opportunity would come...

Just as he was thinking that, something flashed through Dane's mind. Looking at Greyson with suspicious eyes, he slowly opened his mouth.

"Don't tell me there's food prepared too?"

Greyson blinked with a still smiling face. At another ominous reaction, Dane ground his teeth fiercely.

"Answer me, you fucking bastard."

At the ominously resonating sound of grinding teeth, Greyson scratched one cheek and then laughed, "Hee."

"I was wondering how to answer."

"Don't push it."

Dane slowly raised his fist. At the unspoken pressure that he would smash his walnut with this, Greyson soon answered.

"There is, a lot."

* * *

The storage warehouse, designed to connect immediately when the mansion descended underground, was right next to the living room. What had looked like a back door the day before was now a space connected to the storage warehouse. When Greyson opened the door in front of him, Dane's mouth fell open at the enormous amount of food that spread out before his eyes. Even a decent-sized military unit's storage probably wouldn't have this much. Inside the warehouse, which was stocked with everything from simple instant foods to all kinds of canned goods, there was also a huge refrigerator. It contained all kinds of processed meat products, poultry, and even vegetables in sealed containers—nothing was missing. And to think they had eaten that rotten bread yesterday with all this. Damn, hell, fuck!

Dane took a deep breath, resisting the urge to punch the wall again. This was enough to live on for three years even if the earth were destroyed. He said he was going to imprison his partner, but it was no different from building a bomb shelter.

As expected, all extreme Alphas are out of their minds.

Thinking that Ashley Miller must be crazy too, just like Greyson, Dane jerked his chin.

"Go in."

"No, you're trying to lock me in, aren't you?"

Greyson, of course, immediately refused. Dane silently kicked him. As Greyson yelped, "Ack," and staggered, inevitably being pushed into the warehouse, Dane stood leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and said.

"You'll need to prepare a meal, bring out something appropriate."

Greyson scratched his head and asked.

"Um... then the cooking...?"

"Of course you'll do it. You imprison me and expect me to cook for you? Do you really want to die?"

When Dane growled, Greyson turned around with a dejected face and began looking around. As he hesitated and seemed to be contemplating, he picked up a can. Dane silently watched him. After watching Greyson continue to pick up cans for a while, Dane finally opened his mouth.

"Hey."

Greyson flinched and turned to look at him. Dane asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes.

"What are you trying to make right now?"

"Um... well."

Greyson looked down at the cans he was holding in his arms. They were all chicken breast. Raising his head again, he grinned.

"Protein?"

"Hey."

Feeling a vein bulging at his temple, Dane finally detached himself from the doorframe and strode in. After putting all but one back where they were, he quickly scanned the cupboard and found canned vegetables and spices, rapidly stacking them one by one on Greyson's arms. Finally, after taking out a beer from the refrigerator, Dane went out first and looked back at him.

"Come out, idiot."

When Greyson came out of the storage warehouse as instructed and stood in the living room, Dane demonstratively closed the door behind him and pointed to the kitchen with his chin. When he did as instructed this time as well, Dane, leaning against the panel, again gestured with his chin and said.

"Start."

Greyson blinked and pointed at himself with his finger. Dane alternately pointed at the canned goods they had just brought out and Greyson with his eyes. Only then did Greyson ask incredulously.

"Do it? Me? Cook? Really?"

The sentence order was a mess. He had clearly said it earlier, but Greyson obviously hadn't thought he was serious. To Greyson, who clearly showed his confusion, Dane silently raised his fist. Greyson began opening the cans one by one with a gloomy expression. Dane watched Greyson as he opened the beer can and brought it to his mouth, gulping down the beer. While following Greyson's actions with his eyes, something in one corner of the kitchen suddenly caught his eye. He detached himself from the panel, strode over, and picked it up.

"Hey."

Greyson raised his head at the call. Dane held out what was in his hand and said.

"Put it on."

Greyson moved his gaze from Dane's face to his hand. There was an apron with lots of frills being held out.

"Put it on? This? Me?"

Again, Greyson spoke in a jumbled manner. Dane just nodded silently, substituting words to say yes. Greyson, who had taken it with a reluctant expression, unexpectedly shrugged and readily put it over his head. As he was diligently tying the ribbon behind his back, Dane thought it was unexpected, when suddenly Greyson raised his head and smiled seductively.

"Now that I'm wearing this, let's do it."

"Cut the crap."

When Dane cursed with an expressionless face, Greyson showed irritation for the first time.

"I don't sleep with the same partner twice. You just need to sleep with me once, why are you refusing?"

"Let me correct you, it's not that I don't want to sleep with someone, it's that I don't want you."

"Then just let me put my dick in and take it out once."

"Didn't I say I don't like repeating the same words? Remember it, you walnut head. If you make me say this again, I really won't let it slide."

When Dane delivered his final warning, Greyson finally closed his mouth. As Dane was going back to his seat to drink his beer, Greyson spoke toward him.

"Eventually, you'll sleep with me."

When Dane turned around, Greyson was smiling with a confident face. Dane smiled back.

And then he turned his beer can upside down and poured it over Greyson's head.

* * *

Just like the day before, Greyson lay in bed, preparing to sleep. Everything was going as expected. After a few days like this, Dane would eventually surrender. No one in the world could endure this situation. He held all the keys, and victory was all too clear.

Butterfly.

Greyson raised his hand in the air and then gently clenched it.

I just need to confirm that.

Anticipating that day which would come soon, he closed his eyes. He felt as if he could faintly smell that scent at the tip of his nose.

...or so he thought.

Huh?

Greyson suddenly woke up. Something felt strange. He couldn't tell if it was because he wasn't fully awake yet or for some other reason, but one thing was certain—something was wrong.

Someone is...

When he realized this fact, Greyson made eye contact with the man who was standing with his knees on Greyson's body, looking down at him.

Dane Striker.

"Why are you here..."

Am I dreaming?

Just as he opened his mouth with a dazed feeling, suddenly an unexpected pheromone scent overwhelmed him.

...Heat cycle.

Seeing Dane's flushed face and shoulders heaving with rapid breaths, Greyson could be certain.

He's in heat.

And simultaneously, his heart began to beat wildly.