Even though it was the dead of a winter night, the bedroom was filled with cozy warmth. Chaika, who had been dozing lightly, slowly opened his closed eyes. Beside him lay the Duke, asleep, one arm offered as a pillow for Chaika’s head.
Ever since arriving at Castiya Castle, Chaika hadn’t had a single night of truly restful sleep. His nerves were always stretched taut, making it hard to fall asleep in the first place, and even when he did manage to drift off, he would wake again almost immediately. Ever since he began sharing a bed with the Duke, the symptoms had only grown worse.
Once he woke like this, it always took a long time to fall asleep again. Rather than forcing his eyes shut, Chaika stared at the Duke lying beside him.
The firelight from the hearth flickered, casting a soft vermilion glow. Mihail Castiya. He was as handsome as the rumors claimed—no, even more so. True to his status as a Dominant Alpha, he was strikingly tall, his large, sturdy frame wrapped in resilient, supple muscles that fit together beautifully. Some Betas believed Dominant Alphas were descendants of the gods. Given their long lifespans, strength, and beauty—qualities far beyond those of ordinary humans—it wasn’t such a strange belief.
The Duke wasn’t the first Dominant Alpha Chaika had ever seen. Many nobles visited Marquis Lucius’s estate to purchase Omegas, and among them were even members of royalty. When Chaika had first seen a Dominant Alpha, all he’d felt was that—at least outwardly—they were perfect works of beauty. There was that much of a gap between ordinary Alphas and Dominant Alphas.
And now, a Dominant Alpha with beauty worthy of being called divine lay sleeping right before Chaika’s eyes. Features so perfect no master artisan could ever reproduce them, a body flawlessly beautiful in every line. Perpetually slightly tousled black hair, sharp, cold gray eyes that carried the aura of a feral beast. At least in appearance, he was perfect enough to be called godlike.
But perhaps the gods don’t give everything to one person. This beautiful Dominant Alpha was infamous for his foul personality and terrible temper. In fact, his personality was even more famous than his looks. It was fortunate that his ugliness of character wasn’t directed at Chaika; had Chaika needed to endure the full brunt of it while carrying out his work, it would have been truly hellish.
And yet, this man—whose personality was worse than the rumors claimed—was now completely taken with Chaika. He had challenged him because he was confident he could make it happen, but now that he’d actually succeeded, it still didn’t quite feel real.
The Duke’s initial cruelty had been so mild it wouldn’t have made even a child cry. Pouring water out conspicuously and making Chaika kneel before him, tossing cookies at his feet like he was feeding a dog—every single act was childish enough to be laughable.
If Chaika himself had wanted to torment someone, he would’ve thrown the cookie at their feet, crushed it into crumbs with his boot, and then made them lick it up. Compared to that, the Duke’s pathetically juvenile antics weren’t a problem at all.
Carefully, Chaika reached out and caught the tips of the Duke’s black hair, savoring the sensation. The well-kept strands were soft and glossy, and the feel of them was surprisingly pleasant.
This is really unfair.
Chaika muttered inwardly.
This man had been born with everything. A lifespan twice that of ordinary humans, strength, countless rights, and immense wealth… all for the single reason that he was an Alpha.
And what about Omegas? Even an Omega born into the imperial family was nothing more than a political tool, their own will never taken into account. Alphas could inherit everything from their families, but Omegas couldn’t legally possess even personal property of their own.
In the end, Omegas had no choice but to live dependent on Alphas or their children. No matter how wealthy or noble their lives appeared—as imperial kin, royalty, or aristocrats—in reality they owned nothing at all. Empty-handed. Half-formed humans forced to live leaning on Alphas. That was why Chaika hated and despised the Alpha race.
Of course, the man before him hadn’t created those laws himself. But because those laws existed, he had enjoyed rights stolen from Omegas his entire life. That made him an accomplice all the same.
So your beauty or your tenderness means nothing to me.
Chaika murmured silently as he toyed with the Duke’s hair.
How long had he been staring at the Duke’s face like that? The Duke suddenly caught Chaika’s wrist—the hand that had been touching his hair. Then he opened his eyes and smiled faintly at him.
“You shouldn’t tease someone while they’re sleeping.”
“I-I’m sorry. Your hair was just so soft, Lord Mihail, I couldn’t help myself…”
Chaika immediately put on an innocent, guileless expression and muttered his excuse. Mihail snorted softly, then tugged Chaika’s wrist and placed his hand on his own chest. Beneath Chaika’s palm, he could feel firm, flexible muscle. Just that alone conveyed the strength of the body beneath.
“If you want to touch, then touch.”
After placing Chaika’s hand on his bare upper body, the Duke released his grip and tilted his gaze as if daring him to try.
The innocent, pure Chaika alternated his gaze between his own hand resting on the Duke’s exposed torso and the Duke’s face. His cheeks flushed red. The Duke’s chest shook slightly as he laughed, clearly amused.
“Touch as much as you like.”
The Duke said it again. Chaika lowered his head briefly, as if hiding his embarrassment, then bit his lip and cautiously began to move his hand across the Duke’s upper body.
Chaika’s hand slid upward from the firm chest. Collarbones strong enough to withstand an axe strike, broad shoulders spread wide. When his hand drifted back down across the chest, it encountered a muscular abdomen that looked like it could shrug off even a blade.
Just a little further down lay the lower body hidden beneath the sheets. There was no way innocent Chaika could muster the courage to put his hand there. He quietly withdrew it. The Duke smiled as though he’d expected nothing less. His eyes curved slightly, gray irises glinting. His gaze, filled with laughter, looked at Chaika as if he were unbearably adorable.
Suddenly, Chaika’s chest felt tight. He took a deep breath—but it wasn’t enough. He inhaled deeply once more, then again, yet the suffocating sensation refused to fade.
“That’s all?”
Smiling, the Duke suddenly pulled Chaika onto his body. Chaika ended up sprawled on top of him, using the Duke’s body as a mattress.
“…Ah.”
Chaika let out a delayed gasp of surprise, eyes wide like a startled rabbit. The Duke grabbed the back of Chaika’s head and pulled him downward.
“When you provoke a sleeping beast, you should be prepared to get eaten.”
The Duke whispered as their lips drew close enough to almost touch.
“…Lord Mihail.”
Chaika wore an awkward, flustered expression. The Duke tightened his grip in Chaika’s hair. Chaika resisted briefly, but the difference in strength was overwhelming. In the end, their lips met.
It was a gentle kiss. The Duke’s lips were soft, warm, and careful. The hand that had been gripping the back of Chaika’s head slid down, gently stroking his back. That hand slipped beneath Chaika’s shirt, rolling slowly along his spine as if caressing each vertebra one by one. The tingling that started along his back soon spread throughout his entire body.
“…Ah… s—…”
As Chaika shuddered and let out a moan, the kiss deepened.
“Mmm… mm….”
The kiss was soft yet feral, obscene in its intimacy, and Chaika’s whole body trembled. Without realizing it, he began to rock his hips. With most of the poison gone and his Omega traits largely restored, his body responded quickly to sexual stimulation. Memories of their coupling during his heat cycle surged back. The way he’d been filled completely, the pleasure so intense it made him black out. The relentless, passionate kisses even as he was being shaken senseless. The fierce climaxes he’d reached again and again. The Duke’s sweat dripping onto Chaika’s body.
As he traced those memories, his breath grew ragged. Deep inside, his body itched and throbbed.
“Mmngh….”
Chaika twisted his hips with a moan, as if he couldn’t bear it anymore. Beneath his buttocks, he could feel a large, hard cock. The instant he registered its presence, his body shuddered violently. He wanted to swallow the Duke’s cock right away and move mindlessly around it. He wanted it filling him completely. He wanted that mind-numbing pleasure.
Noticing how heated Chaika had become, the Duke reached up and lightly twisted both of Chaika’s nipples through his nightshirt. “Ah—!” A high-pitched moan burst out at the unexpected stimulation. The Duke chuckled, then wrapped an arm around Chaika’s waist and effortlessly flipped their positions.
In the blink of an eye, Chaika was lying on his back, staring up at the beautiful Duke straddling him. The gray eyes were already filled with anticipation and desire for the coupling about to take place. The Duke brushed Chaika’s hair back gently, as if he were precious. Then he leaned down and pressed their lips together again. The kiss soon deepened.
The Duke’s kiss was intense yet tender, sweet enough to make Chaika feel like he was melting.
“Hnn….”
Chaika let out a soft nasal sound without meaning to. It felt too good. His entire body screamed for the next pleasure. He wanted the Duke’s cock—long, hard, thick—filling him completely. Just imagining it made him wet already. Clinging to the Duke’s back, Chaika raked his nails down him impatiently.
“Shh. Easy. We need to take it slow. It’d be a problem if you ended up bedridden for days again like last time.”
The Duke soothed him. Then he lowered his head, showering kisses along the sensitive skin of Chaika’s neck. Every brush of lips and breath against that tender flesh made Chaika’s body twitch. The Duke didn’t rush. After lavishing hot kisses on his neck, he moved lower, caressing Chaika’s shoulders and chest. Then he slipped a hand down and grasped Chaika’s cock, gently pumping it.
“Ah—! Ah! Ah!”
As a knight who trained with swords, the Duke’s palms were hard and rough. Having that kind of hand pump his cock sent overwhelming stimulation through him. Chaika made no attempt to hide it, spilling pleasure-soaked moans freely. In time with the Duke’s hand, his hips began to buck on their own.
His climax was approaching rapidly.
“…I—I’m going to come.”
Barely managing to warn him, Chaika dug his nails into the Duke’s shoulder as his body went rigid. Every muscle tensed tight—then, in the next moment, cloudy white fluid shot out from his cock.
Once it was over, all the strength drained from his body at once. Chaika lay sprawled on the bed, panting, utterly limp. He didn’t even have the energy to breathe properly. His whole body felt languid, sleep crashing over him. If he fell asleep like this, he felt like he could sleep deeply for hours without waking.
“We’re not done yet.”
The Duke said as he lifted Chaika’s thigh. Looking down, Chaika saw a large cock standing fully erect. The moment he saw it, something deep inside him throbbed. He knew the pleasure it would give him. Anticipation made his breath hitch.
But that wasn’t something he could allow.
