Perfect Omega Chapter 4.1 - A Step Backward to Take Two Steps Forward

“Nick, I’m going to be about 20 minutes late.”

Nick heard Owen’s voice as he hurried up the stairs, breathlessly explaining his delay.

“…”

Instead of replying, Nick finished wiping his hands and left the kitchen. Something was wrong. A foul odor hung in the air. With each step he took down the long hallway connecting the kitchen to the front door, he caught whiffs of a cheap, crudely applied scent attempting to mask something else.

The civilized veneer Nick usually maintained vanished. He began his ascent up the stairs with the slow, deliberate movements of a hunter on the prowl, then suddenly, silently, vaulted up the remaining steps to the landing. Following the offensive scent that had invaded his territory, he arrived at the bedroom door.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just yelled up without really explaining. I was going to say I’ll be right down after a quick shower.”

Owen’s movements as he loosened his tie were economical, but Nick’s senses were heightened. Even that small motion dispersed more molecules of the messy scent clinging to Owen into the air.

“What is this?”

He stopped Owen, who was heading towards the bathroom.

“Oh… it’s, uh, on me, isn’t it? It was board meeting day today. The board members can be a bit…much. It’s like a dominance display in the meeting room,”

Nick wasn’t listening. Or rather, he heard the words, but they didn’t provide the answers he sought. So, Nick decided to find out for himself. He lowered his head and nuzzled his nose into Owen’s hair.

“Nick…?”

Disgusting. The scent of at least five other alphas clung to Owen’s fine hair. With each distinct scent Nick identified, his expression darkened.

“Nick, what are you doing?!”

Owen’s startled cry went unanswered. The sound of buttons ripping from a shirt echoed through the room. The shirt, saturated with the offending odor, was crumpled and tossed into a corner.

He placed his palm on the smooth skin just below Owen’s exposed nape and pushed him onto the bed. Roughly tugged trousers bunched around Owen’s ankles. Between his struggling legs, Nick saw a glistening, transparent wetness. More accurately, a viscous lubricant.

Nick inserted his middle finger deep into the opening from which the slick fluid had emerged.

“Hngh…!”

Not a sound of pain. His finger slid in without resistance. Precome already coated his finger and began to pool in his palm.

“Is this also something that happens often during meetings?”

Nick feigned withdrawal, then thrust another finger inside.

“You come home reeking of other alphas and tell me you need a shower?”

The absurdity of it drew a scoff from him. Beneath his hand, Owen squirmed.

“I…uh…it’s not like that, Nick. The meeting…”

“If you thought I would share you with other alphas, Mr. Rose, you are sorely mistaken.”

Two fingers explored, stretching Owen’s walls. The warm, yielding flesh pulsed around Nick’s fingers.

“Nn…Nick, that’s not….”

“I warned you on our first date, didn’t I? About my position. About our relationship!”

Nick pushed down on Owen’s back, pressing him into the sheets. Owen’s pale back was a stark, erotic canvas. The urge to mark him, to claim him, surged through Nick. Part of it was deliberate, the other half pure instinct. He supposed they called this a pheromone shower.

“Haa…uh…”

Owen gasped, cheeks flushed, tears welling in his eyes. The slick opening now seemed to be a wellspring, leaking a fragrant fluid. Nick imagined Owen’s cock, trapped beneath him, was hard and aching as his own. Even this aroused anger in him.

How dare they. Who dared to make his omega wet? And Owen Rose, why did you react?!

He knew it was unreasonable. Unmated, neither alpha nor omega was entirely free from physiological responses. The solution, then, was to mate him. Now.

Fury consumed reason. He unleashed a torrent of pheromones, far more than he’d ever release under normal circumstances. This wasn’t sex. It was subjugation. Forced mating, dominance, whatever it was, it was violence. Nick’s specialty. His comfort zone.

So what? He would drown out those filthy scents with his own.

“Nick…Nick…don’t…this…Haah…haah…”

Slowly, Owen began to respond to Nick’s pheromones, now thick in the air. Whether real or imagined, Nick thought he could smell Owen’s own scent rising to meet his. The scent was intoxicating, overwhelming. He had to hold on, keep this omega from escaping.

Nick pressed harder into Owen’s back, pouring out his pheromones.

He heard Owen murmuring something, though he couldn’t make out the words. Something about danger…

Danger? What danger?

Was Owen threatening him with legal action? Did he think such threats could deter him? Nick would gladly spend the rest of his life in a cage if it meant Owen would never again respond to another alpha.

“Urk…!!!!!!”

Nick’s face went white. He recoiled from Owen, clutching his head.

He’d been attacked. He’d never experienced anything like it before, so he couldn’t be certain, but he’d felt a sharp, distinct pain lance through his mind.

Nick stumbled back from Owen, shaking his head, trying to clear the sudden dizziness. He had to find the attacker. Someone was in the house. A powerful alpha.

“….”

An alpha? Was it an alpha?

It had been a pheromone attack, that much was certain, but not from an alpha. The force that had struck him with such sharp, fleeting agony and forced him to retreat wasn’t an alpha…it was an omega.

“O…wen?”

Instinct made him look at the omega in front of him. Owen was staring back, eyes wide with shock. This…this instinct couldn’t be trusted. Nick focused, trying to sense the hidden enemy.

“…!”

There was no one.

There was no one else in the house. At least, no one with hostile intent directed at him.

“…….”

Owen was shouting something, but Nick couldn’t quite hear him. He pressed his hand to his forehead. There was a lingering dizziness, but no apparent physical injury. His skull didn’t feel as soft as it had during the attack, and there was no blood on his hand.

The pain, if that’s what it had been, had vanished so quickly he now questioned whether it had been real.

“How…how is this possible?”

Nick stared at the rumpled sheets, muttering to himself.

“Nick!! Can you hear me? Stay with me. I’m calling Dr. O’Reilly right now. Just hold on!”

Owen’s pale face swam into focus, his eyes desperately seeking Nick’s. His hearing seemed to be returning, albeit muffled.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. The doctor will be here soon. You’ll be okay.”

Nick wasn’t injured, just stunned. Owen, however, looked as if he were the one who had been hurt, his hands trembling as he fumbled for his phone. He scrolled frantically through his contacts, Dr. O’Reilly’s name flashing by repeatedly. He wasn’t thinking clearly. Nick gently took the phone from Owen’s hand.

“Owen, look at me.”

He pulled the covers over Owen, partly because he couldn’t bear to look at the evidence of what he’d done, and partly because Owen looked cold, shivering beneath his gaze. Nick tucked the covers around Owen’s feet, then reached out and took his hand.

“Look at me.”

Fear dominated Owen’s face.

“….”

“Owen, look at me. Do I look injured?”

“You…you might be in shock. Just keep talking.”

Owen, still not entirely coherent, retrieved his phone and began scrolling through his contacts again. Dr. O’Reilly’s name appeared several times as he scrolled up and down. He wasn’t stable. Nick gently took the phone away.

“Owen, look at me carefully. I’m not in shock. I am…surprised. I don’t… I don’t know what to call that, what just happened, because I’ve never experienced anything like it. But I’m fine now.”

Suspicion filled Owen’s eyes. He seemed to be debating whether to believe Nick or grab the phone back and make the call.

“Trust me. Do I seem like someone who wouldn’t recognize my own physical condition?”

“Are you…really okay?”

“You can see for yourself. Look at my pupils. They’re focused on you, aren’t they?”

Owen stared intently at Nick’s face, as if conducting a genuine pupillary examination.

“Right now, judging by our expressions, you seem to be the one in shock. I’m just going to get a glass of water. You’re not going to pass out while I’m gone, are you?”

It was good to keep someone talking when they were in shock. Nick slowly rose, watching Owen’s reaction. Before he could clear the bed, however, Owen’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

“I just attacked you. Don’t move until the doctor gets here.”

His voice was still strained, but his expression had changed. The fear had subsided somewhat. He seemed to be regaining control.

“….”

It was good that he was recovering so quickly, but what he said was… strange.

Nick abandoned his attempt to stand and sat back down beside Owen. He carefully pulled Owen’s blanket-wrapped shoulders against his side and leaned back against the headboard.

“Let’s talk about what you just said. But first…”

Nick very gently placed his hand on Owen’s cheek.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong. What I just tried to do…I shouldn’t have done that to anyone, let alone you. It will never happen again. I promise.”

“….”

“It’s not much of an excuse, but I’ve never done anything like that before.”

He meant to reassure Owen that he wasn’t a repeat offender, but Owen frowned, ducking his head to hide his expression, and shook it.

“No…Nick. Non-consensual pheromone showers are assault.”

The implication that Owen couldn’t accept his apology drained the color from Nick’s face.

“But I just attacked you.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed. This wasn’t going where he expected. He gently cupped Owen’s face, lifting his chin so he could meet his gaze.

“Owen, I think you’re the one in shock. Let’s call the doctor.”

He had just tried to overwhelm Owen with his pheromones. Nick reached for Owen’s discarded phone and offered it to him, gesturing for him to call this Dr. O’Reilly.

Instead of taking the phone, Owen pressed his hand over Nick’s, pushing it down.

“There’s something you need to know.”

“Let’s talk after you’ve seen a doctor.”

“No, Nick. I’m fine. I just need you to be okay.”

“I am okay. …This conversation seems to be going in circles. Owen, I was clearly the one who…”

“Nick, what did you feel just now?”

Owen interrupted, unusually assertive.

“….”

“There was something, wasn’t there? Something… strange that attacked you?”

“No. There wasn’t.”

He had felt attacked, that much was true. But he hadn’t yet identified the source. Regardless, Owen’s expression was so troubled that Nick instinctively felt he shouldn’t agree.

“Then why did you pull back?”

He flinched. Owen saw it.

“It’s okay, Nick.”

The words sounded like resignation. Owen sighed deeply.

“You weren’t the first.”

“There was…someone else?”

“My cousin.”

“…!”

“I was young. I don’t remember exactly what happened. I was playing in the attic, and…he came in. I felt something…unpleasant, and I told him to stop.”

“Was he making sexual advances?”

Nick forced himself to speak slowly, carefully, trying to keep his voice even.

“No. I don’t think so. It didn’t feel like that. He didn’t even get close to me. He just…he was trying to do something to me, and I didn’t like it…I think I yelled at him to stop.”

“How old were you?”

“I was thirteen. Locke was fifteen.”

A precarious age. He couldn’t rule out sexual intent, but it was certainly an age of volatile hormones and pheromones. For both of them.

“Was he trying to give you a pheromone shower?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe it was just two cousins having an argument, you know? A disagreement that got out of hand. That’s how I remember it, anyway. It wasn’t a long interaction, and we didn’t say much. We were talking, and then he…he started using his pheromones on me, and I wanted him to stop…and then…”

Owen’s eyes glazed over, lost in the memory.

“It felt…horribly wrong. I just wanted him to stop, and…he did. So I opened my eyes, and…he hadn’t stopped. He had…collapsed. He was face down on the floor…and then the adults came running up, my aunt and everyone was screaming. And they turned him over, and there was foam…”

Owen lifted his hand to his mouth, his fingers moving as if trying to illustrate something he couldn’t articulate, the memory clearly traumatic.

“His eyes…his eyes were rolled back.”

“….”

Nick understood. Foam at the mouth, eyes rolled back in his head.

Seeing Owen so deeply immersed in the memory, Nick gently took his hand and lowered it. Owen’s gaze returned to him.

“He…Locke…he was in a coma for three days.”

“….”

“I’m not normal, Nick. I’m a monster.”

The last words were barely a whisper.

“No.”

He meant to deny it forcefully, but his voice caught in his throat. He cleared it, trying again.

“It wasn’t you, Owen. It was me.”

Nick couldn’t bear to look at Owen. He lowered his head. Below, he saw his own hand, holding Owen’s trembling one.

“I…I made you feel…horribly wrong.”

“No, Nick. It wasn’t like that. You…it wasn’t like that. I was just…surprised.”

“….”

Nick was speechless. It was his fault. He had not only assaulted Owen, but he had also dredged up this terrible memory.

“Nick, are you alright?”

Even after being assaulted, Owen was concerned about him. Nick couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so ashamed to meet someone’s gaze.

“I should have knocked you unconscious. Knocked you out and then beaten you senseless.”

“I’d like to say I’ll knock you unconscious next time, but…no, Nick. I overreacted.”

“Absolutely not.”

“…Yes, I did. I’m just glad I realized it was you so quickly. I almost…I almost did it again. Nick, it wasn’t just unconsciousness. It was a coma. For three days.”

Someone, somehow, had rewritten Owen Rose’s memories, twisting them into something…wrong. This was separate from Nick’s own transgression. He had to address this.

“Owen, look at me.”

Nick took Owen’s blanket-wrapped arms in his hands and forced him to meet his gaze.

“If I, or anyone else, ever tries to do something you don’t want, you use every ounce of your strength to stop them. I was wrong tonight. You did nothing wrong.”

“….”

“Do you hear me? If you hadn’t pushed me away, I would have ruined us. I would have done something terrible to you. You did nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong.”

“….”

Owen still didn’t answer. He lifted a hand from beneath the covers and shielded his face, his lips pressed together in a tight line.

“…Why are you doing this, Owen? Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”

“I’m fine, like I said. I was fine then, too.”

“….”

After a moment, Owen lowered his hand. His eyes were red-rimmed.

“Nick, aren’t you scared?”

“Of what?”

“Of…my power.”

“It’s…unusual.”

“…That’s it?”

“It was so brief, I can’t offer a more thorough analysis. Honestly…”

“Don’t I…seem monstrous to you?”

The question was so out of place, Nick almost laughed.

He knew monsters. True monsters felt different, twisted from the inside out. However fleeting, Owen’s power wasn’t even close to monstrous.

“Not at all, Owen. Not in the slightest.”

“….”

“Perhaps…your cousin, Locke, was particularly susceptible. Or maybe he had some other underlying condition that manifested that day.”

Owen shook his head.

“No. There was nothing wrong with Locke.”

Nick suspected that was true. Locke would have undergone every conceivable medical test after that incident. Any pre-existing condition would have been discovered.

“And Locke isn’t weak. Nick, he’s a dominant alpha, too.”

“Then he must have been a weaker alpha than you.”

The logic was too simple. Even Nick had hesitated and retreated, so Owen couldn’t be considered weak. Strength, to Nick, wasn’t a negative trait, but Owen smiled bitterly.

“Nick, there’s no such thing as an omega like that.”

“Surely you’re not saying that omegas can’t surpass alphas, Owen?”

“I’ve never agreed with that notion, but there’s no need to distort reality. In a world without suppressants, it’s a fact that omegas are dominated by alphas through pheromones.”

“…”

“There are no omegas who can subdue alphas, Nick. I’m not normal.”

“Owen.”

That statement bothered him. He wanted to correct it, but Owen continued.

“Even though that incident was the only one, and I thought I had it under control…”

“I threatened you.”

“There were other incidents before you.”

Owen shook his head, denying it, but Nick knew it was his fault.

“…You were covered in the pheromones of several alphas. Owen, can you tell me what happened at the company?”

Hoping he didn’t sound accusatory, Nick asked about the unpleasant scents.

“It was nothing much. Just a kind of dominance display. That’s what board meetings are like. They argued with me, and when they lost, they got angry and took it out on me. I’ve often experienced alphas trying to mark me with their pheromones. I’m used to it.”

It didn’t sound like something he should get used to. Nick felt a flicker of that earlier unease return.

“Usually, suppressants dull the senses, and I’m rarely exposed to such a large amount.”

It was his fault again.

“I’m sorry.”

“…I think my memory malfunctioned for a moment. I didn’t really feel threatened by you. If I had, I wouldn’t have been able to stop.”

Owen was trying to comfort him, but it only made Nick feel worse.

“I’m truly sorry.”

“It was an accident for both of us.”

“No, let’s be clear. I don’t know why you’re trying to blur the lines, but don’t do that, Owen. I was wrong.”

“…”

“I was wrong, and if you have to find a reason, you were defending yourself. Then, and now.”

“…”

“So, what happened to your cousin?”

He needed to hear the rest of the story about the initial incident.

“Fortunately, he woke up from the coma, and I heard there were no lasting effects.”

“That’s good. What about you?”

“Me…? What are you asking?”

“I’m asking if you were alright after that.”

“Oh. I… with Locke, I mean, separately, we underwent every test imaginable at our respective alpha and omega centers.”

“What did they say?”

“They said there was nothing wrong. …It’s maddening. They couldn’t find anything wrong. I was half-dreading and half-hoping they’d find something.”

“Hoping?”

“Yes, hoping. Hoping they’d pinpoint what was wrong with me.”

“….”

Nick understood, and yet he didn’t. Sensing his confusion, Owen continued.

“If something was wrong with me, it could be fixed. They could remove the excess, supplement the deficiency. Have you ever heard of CRISPR?”

“The gene scissors?”

When gene editing became possible, human rights controversies followed. Society had been in an uproar for a while. There were countless panel discussions and debates. Nick might not know the details, but he knew the term.

CRISPR-Cas9 was a gene-editing technology. It was called scissors because it could precisely cut out problematic sections from the approximately 20,000 human genome genes.

“Yes, that’s what it’s called. If there was a mutation in my genes, they could cut it out and replace it with a normal gene, and I’d be cured.”

“I didn’t realize it was legal for adults.”

The last Nick had heard, gene editing was only legal for fetuses with genetic diseases.

“You can go to a state where it’s legal. And if they found something wrong, I could get treatment. …I would have felt better if they had.”

Now he understood. Even if he didn’t agree.

“Maybe you’re just…different.”

“Nick, this isn’t just ‘different.’ You were in danger just now.”

Owen’s hand touched his cheek, his eyes filled with concern as he examined Nick for injuries.

“The result of all those tests can be summed up in one sentence: I’m just a monstrous omega.”

Several of the words Owen used grated on Nick’s nerves. His brow furrowed in disapproval.

“Well, to me, it sounds like you have superior traits. If having slightly stronger abilities makes you a monster, then I should be called one, too.”

Owen’s head snapped up at Nick’s grumpy words.

“Why…you?”

Looking again, Nick saw not just curiosity but a flicker of hope, as if Owen had found a kindred spirit.

“…I’ve never told anyone this before. I’m afraid I’ll sound narcissistic.”

“I won’t.”

As if afraid Nick would stop, Owen offered a hasty promise not to judge.

“Sensory acuity. That’s what I call it. It sounds a bit grandiose, but I call it an ability because it’s far more precise than the vague sense people call a sixth sense. I used it in the SEALs, and it saved my life and the lives of my teammates many times.”

“Did your…teammates know about your ability?”

“No. They don’t. They find me…odd, but I pretend I don’t notice. There’s no way to prove it unless I demonstrate it, and I’m not particularly interested in being a lab rat.”

Owen nodded in understanding. He seemed to believe Nick, even though his claim could have sounded like bragging. But the hope in his eyes faded again.

“…Yours doesn’t sound dangerous. I attack alphas.”

“You defended yourself, not attacked. There’s a difference.”

“The result was that I made you feel attacked. You can’t deny that, can you?”

“….”

The pointed question momentarily silenced Nick. He had felt attacked, however briefly.

“So I’m the only monster.”

“I…I disagree with that term. I didn’t sense anything…abnormal about you. …I was surprised, yes.”

“Thank you for saying that. But if you had been there that day, you wouldn’t be so sure.”

“Owen, isn’t it possible there was another reason your cousin collapsed that day?”

He had to start with the most fundamental question. Maybe it wasn’t what it seemed. These things happened.

Owen slowly shook his head, having considered this possibility before.

“I was told his brainwaves were similar to those of someone who had experienced a pheromone shock.”

“….”

Pheromone shock was often associated with serious crimes, like forced mating or attempted rape.

“Locke and I were the only ones in the attic that day. Everyone else was downstairs. My pheromone levels were unusually high, it’s in the records. And Locke…his brainwaves showed signs of a pheromone attack.”

“Even so, if everyone else was downstairs, isn’t it possible no one knows exactly what happened?”

“Yes…my parents said that. They didn’t know what happened. They said it was just an accident.”

Owen nodded, as if he, too, had accepted that explanation.

“But Nick, after that accident, the adults were very careful not to leave me alone with any of my other cousins.”

Adults might think they could hide things, but children were perceptive. They knew, even if they kept quiet. The thought of Owen, isolated like that, made Nick’s blood boil.

“That’s unfair.”

“They were protecting their children.”

“The evidence against you is flimsy. Did anything else happen after that day? Besides last night, I mean.”

“….”

Owen was silent for a moment, not searching his memory, but weighing his words.

“No. After that, I took suppressants every day. I never skipped a single dose. And I didn’t put myself in situations where I’d be exposed to an alpha’s pheromones until I had complete control. Actually…I’ve never been this…intimate with a dominant alpha like you. Maybe that’s why.”

“….”

The information that Owen had only dated recessive alphas clicked into place.

“Now that I think about it…maybe something about me just isn’t compatible with alphas.”

“I disagree.”

Nick looked at Owen, who had lowered his head. He had heard the whole story, and he had reached a conclusion.

“I think we’re very compatible. You have superior traits, and so do I. I made a grave mistake last night, and you reacted, briefly retaliating. I’m reflecting on my actions and asking for your forgiveness. Simple.”

“…Nick?”

“I’m glad we’re learning about each other this way. Now all that’s left is for you to accept my apology. I can’t force you, but as a final plea, I swear I will never repeat that mistake.”

“…Aren’t you…bothered by any of this? Are you really okay?”

“If you forgive me.”

Owen, looking bewildered, gave a tiny nod. A smile bloomed on Nick’s face.

“You can go to a hotel if you want.”

The smile vanished.

“Are you kicking me out?”

“No, that’s not…I just thought you might be uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable.”

“…Aren’t you…anxious?”

“About what?”

“About…being with me again. Sleeping in this…bed.”

“….”

Owen Rose lacked confidence in the strangest ways. Nick thought he might have glimpsed a clue as to why tonight, but it wasn’t enough.

That was a puzzle for another time. Right now, he needed to make sure Owen didn’t dwell on the bad memories, if Owen would let him.

“Unless you ask me to leave, I intend to spend the rest of the night here. …Will you…be alright?”

“With what?”

Instead of answering, Nick pulled the blanket from Owen’s shoulders.

“Ah…”

Thankfully, Owen didn’t resist. Nick carefully lowered his head, stopping just short of Owen’s lips. He held his breath, tilting his head, and Owen parted his lips in acceptance. When an arm slid around Nick’s neck, he finally exhaled.

“May I…release a little pheromone? I’ll never do that again. You can kill me if I do, Owen.”

Nick whispered the question, the promise, against Owen’s lips. Owen’s lips curved into a smile.

“It was a misunderstanding. I don’t dislike your pheromones.”

Against his lips, Owen murmured, almost like an absolution, “Actually, I was going to ask you to let me scent you first when we got home. Today was a long day.”

Suppressing a wave of sympathy for Owen’s long day, and the urge to assassinate his past self for tainting their budding relationship, Nick released his pheromones slowly, carefully.

🥀

Owen moved with such grace. His gait, the way he lifted a glass of water, even the way he placed his palm on the…damned cabinet, or safe, or whatever it was, was utterly elegant.

“What happens if you don’t take those pills?”

The glass paused just above Owen’s lips. He hesitated only briefly before tilting it back and swallowing the pills with a sip of water.

“These are health supplements.”

He evaded the question, sliding the tray of pill bottles back into the cabinet and closing the door.

“Most of them are. But you have suppressants in there, too.”

If what Owen had said last night was true, they would be in there.

“Nick, I work in a place teeming with alphas who will stop at nothing to get their way. Suppressants are…convenient, for both of us.”

Owen offered a light reply and returned to his seat across from Nick.

“Owen, are you trying to deny your identity as an omega?”

“What? No. No, not at all.”

He denied it without hesitation.

“Then, what about mating?”

“What?”

The light smile that had played on Owen’s lips vanished.

“If you’re taking suppressants to be free from the influence of pheromones, isn’t there a safer, more natural way? Mating.”

“….”

“With me, obviously.”

“….”

Now Owen was truly speechless. Nick reached across the table and took his hand.

“Nick, I…”

Owen’s hand twitched in his grasp, trying to pull away, but traps were designed to spring when their prey tried to escape. Nick tightened his hold.

“I…I can’t. Not now. You saw. I’m not normal. I overreact to alpha pheromones. …I hurt someone.”

Owen’s hand twitched again. Nick held on tighter.

“Owen, don’t delude yourself. I was wrong. I lost control first, and you defended yourself. It was self-defense.”

“Even if it was self-defense, it was excessive. And more importantly, it wasn’t intentional. Nick, don’t you see the problem? I can’t control it.”

That fear, the lack of control, was clearly Owen’s greatest concern. He spoke barely above a whisper.

“Owen, I’ve met a lot of crazy people in my line of work. I didn’t sense any madness from you last night. You weren’t out of control.”

“….”

The conflict between what he wanted to believe and what he feared was evident on Owen’s face. He seemed to deflate, his shoulders slumping.

“Locke’s brainwaves showed signs of a pheromone attack. Mating requires exposure to high levels of pheromones. How can we be sure the same thing won’t happen?”

“Owen, that was an attack and a defense. What we would do, mating, is a promise, etched into our very being, that we will only have each other for the rest of our lives. It’s an insult to even compare the two.”

Nick’s voice dropped lower.

“….”

“I would gladly accept your pheromones. Are you…reluctant to be mated to me?”

“You know it’s not like that, Nick.”

“Why not try? I think it would work out well.”

“You’re brave.”

Owen’s shoulders were still slumped, but his expression wasn’t entirely hopeless. He stopped trying to pull his hand away. Nick loosened his grip in response.

“Suppressants aren’t a solution.”

“I know. I thought mating was. But now…I’m not so sure.”

“….”

This time, Nick let Owen’s hand go. Instead of retreating, however, Owen’s hand moved to Nick’s cheek.

“Don’t misunderstand, Nick. It’s not that I don’t want you. It’s me. I need…more certainty. Confidence that I can control myself. Do you understand?”

“I understand. So let’s try. I’ll be careful. I won’t make you feel attacked.”

Owen didn’t answer, but he offered a small, rueful smile.

Mating required both parties to release overwhelming amounts of pheromones. Owen was afraid of how he would react to the flood of Nick’s pheromones.

Nick wanted to strangle his past self.

“Just give me a little more time, Nick.”

Nick took Owen’s hand from his cheek and held it again.

“Alright. I’ll wait. Just promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Promise me that I’ll be the one you mate with. I’ll wait until you…regain your confidence.”

“Okay.”

The answer came readily. Owen’s expression regained some of its elegance, then furrowed slightly.

“Why?”

“There’s something…odd about the way you negotiate, Nick. You’re the one making demands, and I’m the one who always agrees, but in the end, it’s like you’re doing me a favor.”

“I’m good at what I do.”

“Or just shameless?”

“That’s a necessary component of gaining the upper hand. I see you haven’t learned that yet.”

Owen rose from his seat, leaving behind an elegant smile.

“I’m thinking about four children. What do you think?”

“…!”

For Nick, the mating promise was as good as a marriage proposal. He’d simply moved on to the natural next step, but Owen’s expression was strange. It looked almost like disbelief. The coat draped over Owen’s elegant arm swirled as he turned sharply.

“Nick, have you ever been told you get ahead of yourself?”

“How did you know? My team used to tell me that all the time.”

They’d shout it after him, telling him to wait up because they couldn’t move as fast as he could. But how did Owen know that? Before Nick could ask, Owen let out a short breath and walked away.

“Jimmy.”

Nick raised a hand in greeting to his driver, who had gotten out of the car to open the door. Jimmy nodded back curtly. Owen Rose, the epitome of elegant aloofness, climbed into the Rolls-Royce without a backward glance.

Who dared to inflict such wounds on his lovely, elegant, aloof, and utterly captivating omega?

“….”

He knew one. He’d been mentally strangling him repeatedly since last night.

Nick leaned against a pillar, watching as the Rolls-Royce pulled away. He glanced briefly at the building across the street, then returned his focus to the departing car. For several days now, someone had been watching him from a window across the street, timed to coincide with his departure for work. Nick had sensed no hostility, so he’d simply noted it.

Once Owen’s car was out of sight, Nick revisited the sensations he’d experienced last night, trying to analyze them.

Owen had been so sensitive to the word “attack” that Nick hadn’t pressed the issue, but he was certain there had been an attacker. A powerful one. He hadn’t told Owen this, but based on the force of the attack, he suspected Owen had been the one who’d sent his cousin Locke to the hospital.

But as he’d told Owen, what they wanted to do, mating, was entirely different from that childhood incident. Nothing would go wrong if they mated. Nick would bet everything he had on it. Owen, however, couldn’t see it yet. His trauma was blinding him.

Last night’s mistake had undoubtedly made things worse, but the wound hadn’t been inflicted overnight.

Who was it? Besides himself, who had festered Owen’s wounds so deeply?

Nick’s lips tightened into a thin line.

Owen’s car disappeared from view. Meaningless traffic flowed past. Nick closed the door and went inside, striding into the kitchen and grabbing his phone.

—Yo, Boss. It’s all good here. You too? Good morning to you too?

John’s cheerful greeting came the moment he saw Nick’s name.

“What about what I asked you to look into?”

—Checked it out. Nothing but suppressants. At least nothing officially prescribed through any hospital or medical center registered in New York City.

“Are you sure you checked thoroughly?”

—Faster and safer than hacking, I paid for access to an active insurance claims adjuster’s ID and checked myself. His Royal Highness, Mr. Rose, hasn’t even had a cold in the past year. Wow, he’s super healthy. Well, I guess that’s to be expected.

“There was an unlabeled pill bottle.”

And he had seen Owen take a pill from it this morning.

—Uh…hold on. I’m with the team doc right now. I’ll patch him in.

After a brief pause, a new voice joined the call.

—Yes, Boss. Team Doc here.

The team physician, employed by the security firm, was simply called Team Doc. Nick had recruited him from a major British PMC where he’d served as a combat medic. Team Doc, who often accompanied them on assignments unless the situation was particularly hazardous, was a highly skilled physician capable of performing emergency surgery in challenging environments. He was also a diligent scholar.

“Team Doc, what does this mean?”

—It could be an illegal substance, or maybe he just transferred his suppressants to a different bottle. John, where does he get his suppressants?

—House calls. A Dr. O’Reilly, his personal physician. But Dr. O’Reilly is currently affiliated with a research lab.

—Then that’s probably it. Unless it’s a different drug.

Team Doc mentioned illegal drugs casually, but given Owen’s personality, Nick doubted he would resort to something like that. It wasn’t a lack of desperation. Illegal drugs were unstable. Owen wouldn’t take that risk.

—Is that allowed? Isn’t that illegal?

—If someone without a house call license prescribes medication outside of a designated location, then yes, but rich people get away with everything. Maybe Dr. O’Reilly made an exception for him.

They continued their conversation while Nick remained silent.

—Well, the research lab is funded by the Rose Foundation, so…

—Then it’s confirmed. They probably made a custom medication for him.

—Is that allowed?

—If they don’t get caught. And even if they do, what are they going to do? He’s not selling it, he’s taking it himself.

“Team Doc.”

He doubted Owen would do anything reckless, but he might be experimenting on himself. Nick had a suspicion about the type of medication, but he needed confirmation.

—Well, Boss?

“If I send you the pills, can you analyze them?”

—I can’t, but I can have it done.

“I’ll send them. Analyze them immediately.”

—Yes, sir.

As soon as Team Doc left the call, John switched back to a private conversation.

—Boss…just calm down and think about this for a second.

With the phone pressed to his ear, Nick stared at the cabinet-safe.

—If someone that rich and connected, in the top 0.01%, is still visiting research labs and taking unprescribed medication, it could mean he has a serious, incurable illness.

The likelihood was slim, but if Owen was sick, Nick had to stop him from taking unapproved medication.

—Medical expenses for incurable diseases are astronomical. I know you’ve got money, Boss, but astronomical means a never-ending number.

Chatty John continued to spin his narrative while Nick remained silent.

—Boss, why throw your hard-earned money away? There are plenty of fish in the sea, plenty of omegas. You haven’t even seen the whole world yet.

“Watch your mouth.”

Nick’s voice was lower than when he’d first made the call.

—…Alright. Calm down.

John immediately deflated, sensing Nick’s displeasure.

Nick knew John meant well. Still, he felt angry. Not at John, but at the situation, which was testing his patience.

He wanted to move forward as quickly as possible, but that polished, mirrored safe wouldn’t open without Owen. He had to wait until tomorrow morning to get the pills for Team Doc.

“Do I really have to…?”

—What? I can’t hear you.

“I wasn’t talking to you. Hold on.”

—Yeees.

Listening to John’s playful voice, Nick mentally reviewed the situation.

He had told Owen he would wait, but he hadn’t said he would be idle. While waiting, wouldn’t it be more constructive to atone for his mistake and occupy his time by identifying and eliminating the factors that made Owen think he was abnormal? There was the heliport incident, for example. He would identify all the threats to Owen and eliminate them. Not a bad plan.

The call was still connected.

“Assemble the team.”

—I’ve been waiting for that, Boss. Just say the word.

John responded cheerfully to Nick’s familiar command.

“New project. Hugh, Simon, Cooper. I’ll lead the team.”

—Uh…I think those guys are currently working on a cost estimate for another project.

“Put it on hold. This takes priority. Have them stand by once their current assignment is complete.”

—Okay. I’ll let them know. But you’re assembling the A-team…can I ask what ‘this’ is? Is it Mr. Rose…?

“Identify Owen’s enemies. We’ll start with that.”

—Mr. Rose has other enemies? Besides the fanatics?

“You’ll figure it out.”

—…Me?

“You’re the information broker. Do your job.”

—…Right. I’ll…do my job. Boss, since this is an official assembly, I’ll put it on the schedule as a formal project. Should I list Mr. Rose as the client?

“Me.”

A formal project meant that all resources used from the moment of assembly could be billed. Resources, personnel, time. Every quantifiable item was meticulously documented and invoiced, usually to the client. This time, Nick was the client. He would pay.

—Me…who…? Wait, seriously?

“The billable hours will be logged anyway. It doesn’t matter who the client is. Get to work.”

Nick ended the call.

He had told John to work, but John could only access publicly available information. Nick would have to handle the human intelligence gathering.

Someone close to Owen had to be responsible for influencing him so profoundly. He had no family, but he had relatives. Including that cousin who’d ended up in the hospital.

“Marge?”

He heard Marge arriving just then.

“Yes, that’s me. Good morning, Mr. Stockton. The coffee smells wonderful today. Thank you.”

As Marge set down her bag and caught her breath, Nick poured her a cup of coffee and placed it in front of her.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Marge.”

“For me?”

Marge paused mid-sip, a look of intrigue in her eyes.

“I need to make a good impression on Owen’s relatives. I need some information.”

He would gather them all together, eliminate the innocent one by one, and the one left standing would be the culprit.