Chapter 98

"Are you in rut?"

Asad's eyebrows curved in a fierce angle.

"You need to ask that? The cycle gets distorted after experiencing demonization... I guess no one told you that."

Asad seemed to think Kinaine was surprised by the sudden arrival of the rut. But that wasn't the only reason Kinaine had asked.

His black eyes wavered aimlessly.

Asad's pheromones... were hard to sense.

A dominant alpha's pheromones during rut were truly at a violent level. Enough that even the dullest omega would notice immediately.

But to Kinaine, they felt only slightly stronger than usual, if that.

Having easily guessed the reason, Kinaine swallowed a groan.

His senses were starting to break down.

The recent rough treatment of his body seemed to have accelerated his already poor condition. Well, even if it had been made of steel, it would have worn down after experiencing such things. Let alone a body that was broken to begin with.

Just then, a white hand gripped Kinaine's chin. More than the strong grip, the burning hot hand drew his attention.

"Why are you spacing out like this?"

The voice was thoroughly hoarse. Veins stood out on his forehead. Beads of cold sweat had formed at his temples.

Rut came with unbearable pain. The heat like blood boiling throughout the body, terrible thirst, senses sharpened like needle points. Kinaine knew these things because he had experienced them.

"You can't possibly not know what rut is... Even with your fearlessness, there's something wrong with you. Everyone else ran away from the start... Why are you here?"

Since coming to the dragon palace, Asad had been someone accustomed to looking down on others, his arrogant and proud manner of speaking highlighting that nature. But in his current state, struggling to get out each word, that arrogance was hard to find.

"Where are the suppressants?"

"It's already too late. In this state."

Having to endure the rut period without suppressants. It was like being told to endure in boiling water while sober.

"Damn it..."

Muttering a curse softly, Asad rubbed his nose tip against Kinaine's neck. As if searching for something.

"Release your pheromones, just a little."

When suppressants weren't available, only an omega could soothe an alpha's pain when rut hit.

Kinaine began releasing his pheromones as Asad said. Just from that, Asad's rough breathing noticeably steadied. But soon this wouldn't be enough.

"Strange. Other omega pheromones were only disgusting. Why are yours..."

Asad muttered something, but his voice was too soft to hear.

"Haa..."

Asad took a deep breath and held it without exhaling. As if trying to keep Kinaine's pheromones inside his body.

Then he raised his head and looked down at Kinaine. Though he seemed to be trying his best to maintain his reason, even a dragon couldn't overcome his own nature. Each time he slowly closed and opened his eyelids, the light of reason flickered like a candle.

Kinaine was certain Asad would pounce on him. The dragon he had known had no patience.

But Asad raised himself up as if he had never pinned Kinaine beneath him.

"Get up."

Finding words insufficient, he urgently grabbed Kinaine's arm and pulled him to his feet.

Caught off guard by being grabbed, Kinaine was practically dragged to stand in front of the door.

"What is this?"

Asad frowned down at the magically locked door. It was understandable he found it strange, since he couldn't remember placing his own magic.

Watching this, Kinaine's heart grew anxious, fearing Asad might recall things he shouldn't.

Fortunately, Asad seemed to have no leisure for deeper thought as he waved his hand toward the doorknob.

Simultaneously, there was a bang and the doorknob exploded.

"..."

"..."

Seeing Asad's furrowed face, Kinaine realized this wasn't what he had intended. His poor condition seemed to be making his magic uncontrollable. Though magic wasn't the only thing uncontrolled.

"Get out."

Kinaine was suddenly pushed outside the door.

Having expected Asad to come out with him, Kinaine was startled.

"Lord Asad?"

"Go."

A low voice came through the closed door. Only then did Kinaine realize Asad was trying to confine himself.

Kinaine's body, which had naturally moved to open the door again, flinched.

If he opened the door and went in, then what?

Was he prepared for what would happen next?

Kinaine's gaze fell on the droplets of blood dotting his hand. Spatters from when he had vomited blood earlier.

Vomiting blood meant internal damage. Yet he wasn't feeling any particular pain now.

It wasn't a good sign. It meant not just his sense of smell for pheromones, but his other senses were breaking down too.

He didn't regret it. If he had been careful with his body, he wouldn't have made it this far.

Just that he thought the time he could be with Asad might truly be very short now.

So...

"Why are you still standing there?"

The voice from beyond the door cut off his thoughts. Kinaine realized Asad was right by the door.

"How did you know I hadn't left?"

"Because your scent hasn't disappeared... Now that you've heard my answer, stop talking and get out quickly."

"You'll be in pain without taking suppressants. You'll need an omega."

Asad burst out laughing. It was a sharp laugh filled with displeasure.

"So you're offering to provide an omega? Anyone who saw me demonized would have already run away."

"There's no need to look far. One is right in front of Lord Asad."

Silence fell for a moment.

"You... do you really want to die?"

The voice that broke the silence was so low it sounded like a growl.

"Ah, do you want to bear my child with this opportunity? But it's useless. I've been taking medicine continuously. You won't get what you want..."

If that was the case, Kinaine had even less reason to hesitate. What he wanted wasn't Asad's child.

As if his earlier hesitation had been a lie, his wavering heart hardened.

"Lord Asad, please let me help you."

"..."

Heavy silence fell again. Kinaine moved without waiting for an answer.

Opening the door with its broken handle wasn't difficult.

When he opened it, he saw Asad standing in the doorway. As if he hadn't moved a step since closing the door after pushing Kinaine out.

Asad blinked slowly.

"I really... don't understand. Why go this far?"

Until now, whenever Kinaine did something incomprehensible, Asad had thought it was to become his bride. More precisely, because he wanted the magic that could grant any wish.

But now he felt some dissonance in Kinaine's actions that couldn't be explained by that alone.

"You won't gain anything from this... I won't even be grateful... The fact that you, a human, can't become my bride won't change..."

"..."

"Are you listening? This is your last chance to run away..."

"Have you finished speaking?"

"...What?"

Kinaine strode across the threshold. His pale white hands cupped Asad's cheeks.

For a very brief moment, or perhaps a very long time, they held each other's gaze.

"If I was going to run away, I wouldn't have opened this door."

The briefly touching lips parted.

Asad looked down at Kinaine with an expressionless face.

"You... really have no fear."

The back of his head was grabbed, and the parted lips urgently pressed together. Teeth clashed against lips and blood flowed.

"Ugh."

Even when Kinaine groaned, Asad paid no attention. Rather, he licked and bit at the bleeding lips.

Though it should have hurt quite a bit, surprisingly the pain wasn't felt strongly. Rather, with each dull ache in his lips, his spine tingled. As if his body remembered when pain transformed into pleasure.

Kinaine knew Asad liked kissing. That hadn't changed since he was Helio. But because their lung capacity was different, Kinaine quickly ran out of breath when kissing Asad. After coupling several times, Asad had learned to control himself somewhat, but now he was acting selfishly as if back to the beginning.

Kinaine barely managed to plead between pants.

"Lord Asad, slowly..."

As if unwilling to part even for that moment, Asad answered with his lips pressed tightly to Kinaine's mouth.

"You brought this all on yourself."

And that was the last rational thing Asad said.