Damn! Damn! Chapter 38

Just before his eyes fully closed, he took a deep breath, and Michael’s body scent from where he was stuck right behind his back suddenly rushed completely into his nose. He always smelled good to begin with, but for some reason, the floral scent felt even richer now.

Did he change his shampoo…?

Achim sniffed his nose before falling fast asleep.

“Nils, hold on a second.”

It was right after he had eaten his meal, using the sharp glares from the maids as a side dish. While leaving the servants’ dining hall and heading toward the main building, Achim spotted a familiar back and quickly called out to him.

“Ah, Yvonne.”

Fiddling with his earpiece, Nils turned around with a welcoming face.

Achim approached the stationary Nils and gave a light nod.

“I have something to ask you.”

“Me? What is…”

Though Nils asked back in surprise, he couldn’t suppress the corners of his lips from twitching upward. Not only had Yvonne acknowledged him first, but he actually had something to ask. Since this was something that had never happened before, Nils couldn’t hide the expectation that abruptly surged within him.

Soon, Achim, who seemed to close the distance between them, looked up at Nils and asked, “Is there pheromone lingering on me?”

“Pardon?”

When Nils asked back at the abrupt, random question, Achim took a quick glance around as if checking their surroundings before speaking.

“That pheromone shower you told me about yesterday.”

“…”

“I was wondering if it’s like that today too.”

“Ah…”

Nils let out his disappointment in a sigh. He had wondered what brought about the rare occasion of Yvonne speaking to him first, but the reason wasn’t him after all. Besides, those words meant that Yvonne had been with that man again yesterday, didn’t it?

Nils, who had fallen silent for a moment out of bitterness, shook his head after a brief pause.

“No, Yvonne. It’s lingering, but it’s not to that extent. He’s a Royal, so it can’t be helped that his pheromones are thicker than normal Alphas.”

At those words, Achim let out a “Damn it,” before he could even stop himself. When Nils opened his eyes wide in surprise, Achim hurriedly shook his head.

“Thank you, Nils.”

Only fellow variants could smell pheromones, and among them, Nils was the only one he knew, meaning the pool of people he could ask was extremely limited.

He thought it was truly a relief that he at least had Nils around. If Nils hadn’t told him like yesterday, he wouldn’t have even known why the guards were looking at him in surprise or whispering among themselves.

“But, Yvonne.”

It was just as Achim was feeling relieved by the news that the pheromones weren’t lingering as much as yesterday.

“It looks like your cold hasn’t cured yet.”

“…”

Achim ducked his head, following the eyes of Nils, who was speaking with a worried face while looking near his neck.

“Have you been to the hospital?”

When Nils asked with the corners of his eyes drooping low, only then did Achim’s eyes snap wide open as if something had just hit him, and he clutched his neck, trying to hide his nape where a scarf was wrapped.

— Mmh…

It was something that happened while he was half-asleep. It felt like he had been dreaming, too.

A large, furry beast was rubbing its body against him, so Achim opened his two arms wide and tightly embraced the frame that was even bigger than his own. At that, the beast stopped its movements for a moment, before digging into his nape this time.

It felt as if he was being weighed down by something. One might think it would feel suffocating since their bodies were closely interlocked without a single gap. Yet, because a sense of strange comfort and solace hit him first, Achim tightly pulled it even further into his embrace rather than pushing it away.

— Ah…

A breath resembling a sigh burst out from between his teeth.

The furry beast licked here and there around Achim’s neck and buried its nose as if inhaling his body scent, repeatedly taking deep breaths and kissing him.

Because that felt unbearably ticklish yet somehow made his mood feel elated, Achim tightly hugged the beast’s head.

— Ha…

It was a ticklish, unfamiliar sensation that made his toes curl inward. However, as foreign as it was, it was a deeply addictive sensation. Because it felt exactly like drinking a fragrant poison, he had no time to snap back to his senses.

The beast, which had been slowly moving down his nape, suddenly bit his collarbone hard, and only then did Achim snap his eyes wide open.

— Gasp…! Haah…

Like someone waking up from a nightmare, Achim panted heavily for breath.

He had thought it was just acting cute. In the end, was it a beast trying to harm him?

The dream was savagely vivid. It felt exactly as if the bitten spot was still throbbing with pain…

It was while he was panting for breath and reconstructing the dream. Achim lowered his eyes at the sensation of something rustling right beneath his chin.

— …

Am I still dreaming? It was the moment he thought this while looking at the glossy golden fur visible right in front of his eyes.

The golden-furred beast, which had been meticulously licking the bitten spot, finally lifted its head after a long while. At the same time, Achim’s eyes went completely round.

Achim, barely shutting his mouth which had almost let a curse slip out in his panic, blinked his wide-open eyes heavily.

— Wh…

As he spat out his words in shock, only then did Michael lift his body up slightly. His face, which looked a little disheveled unlike usual, and his hot breath, told him that everything that had happened up until just now was not a dream.

The thing that had been rubbing its lips against his nape and sucking on it like a beast until just a second ago…

Don’t tell me.

Out of sheer humiliation, a surge of heat instantly spread across his face. Achim frantically rubbed his eyes and cheeks with the back of his forearm as if trying to erase the memory.

— What do you think you’re doing?

Because Michael had placed his palms on either side of his head, he was naturally trapped inside his embrace. When Achim asked while glaring up at him with a sharp tone, the man seemed to tilt his head slightly before lowering his body a bit.

— Hmm…

— …

— You have a face that looks like you think I assaulted you while you were sleeping.

It’s not? When Achim replaced his answer with silence, Michael softly creased the corners of his eyes.

— You’re the one who threw yourself into my arms first.

— …

— Didn’t I tell you? As long as you don’t come here of your own accord, I won’t touch you.

It wasn’t that he had forgotten the words he had heard right before falling asleep. However, the huge flaw was that they were words hard to believe.

To think he had pounced first. And to a guy like him? …There was no way.

As Achim looked up at him with eyes full of distrust, Michael’s gaze, which had seemed to slide down for a moment, soon landed near his collarbone. At the same time, anxiety spread like spilled ink, and just as Achim was about to break out of his embrace—

— What the…!

The man yanked and pulled back the collar of Achim’s T-shirt as if ripping it, and soon wore a fully satisfied, blooming expression.

— Oh dear. Another mark was left.

Though he phrased his words to pretend he was troubled, there was no way Achim wouldn’t know he didn’t mean it. Achim couldn’t hide his resentment and tightly bit his lower lip.

Achim glared at him and slapped away Michael’s hand that was stretching out his clothes. However, because the man snatched both of his wrists, Achim, who had been trying to sit up, ended up with his back helplessly glued to the sheet again.

What a waste of energy right after opening his eyes. Moreover, judging by the guy’s smiling face, it felt like there wouldn’t be just one or two marks left behind, making his mood feel even filthier. It also felt like if he dragged time a little longer here, his patience would hit rock bottom.

Should I flip him over and subdue him? Then my identity will be exposed. How am I supposed to get out? While Achim was constantly running his brain, the man soon parted his lips.

— I hope that day comes as soon as possible.

Michael gently pressed down on Achim’s wrists that were pinned to the sheet.

— Into those eyes…

The two glittering pupils looked exactly like those of a beast holding its breath while staring at its prey from a distance. Looking at them, a mixture of anxiety and curiosity reared its head together.

Achim lowered his gaze to the lips that were subtly opening, before raising it back up.

— The day I drive my own into them.

At the words he added while looking back and forth as if digging into his black pupils, Achim’s face distorted all at once.

Crazy bastard. Drive what into where?