He could understand now why the man had told him to spend the night here. With how enormous the suite was, it felt like it could easily accommodate thirty adults without any issue. Honestly, it seemed entirely possible to live here without ever bumping into anyone. But thoughts like that could wait until he got back home. Right now, the priority was sorting out the situation.
“CEO. I think you should lie down first.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
Alexander, who had been pressing a hand to his forehead, sighed as he nodded in agreement.
“I’ll take it from here. You should go get some rest, Mr. Yeon.”
“All right, then. …Please call me if anything’s uncomfortable.”
After confirming that Alexander was slowly taking off his suit jacket, Yeon Yiseo stepped out of the bedroom.
Since he was already inside, Yiseo figured he might as well take a look around the suite while he was at it. Up until he entered, he’d been exhausted, but maybe because it was a new experience, he hardly felt the fatigue anymore.
There were so many bedrooms in the suite, he actually had to stop and think about which one he’d sleep in. There were also plenty of bathrooms, and to be honest, even the couches were so large that sleeping on one wouldn’t be a problem.
This was probably someone’s daily life. Just not his. And there was no need to feel bitter about it either—life was unfair, after all. Complaining about every little thing wasn’t going to change anything. It wasn’t going to improve his situation.
But even so, today made him unusually sentimental—because it was May 5th. Children’s Day in Korea. And also the anniversary of his parents’ death.
His parents had left together, right after cheerfully explaining to a bright-eyed Yiseo that Korea had a holiday just for kids. They’d left him behind in this world, and gone together.
And this year, he hadn’t even been able to properly observe the anniversary.
Most people said that when things get tough, it’s like you can’t see what’s ahead. But for Yeon Yiseo, the future was crystal clear. He could see exactly what kind of life lay ahead of him, what path he’d be walking.
To Yiseo, the future wasn’t something radiant or dazzling. It wasn’t filled with hope, nor did it spark any excitement. It was just a long, far-off road that stretched endlessly before him. So far that it made him want to collapse from the weight of it. But if he did that, he’d get dragged in, trapped in place—unable to even stop. That was the kind of life he faced.
The call he received during a short break at the party had made that clear.
You can’t escape this. That’s what it had told him. You’ll be living like this for the rest of your life.
And it wasn’t just some baseless fear—it was real. There didn’t seem to be any way for Yiseo to escape this life through his own efforts. He had a gut feeling that this life was going to stretch on, just like this, maybe even get worse. And he’d have to face all of it alone, forever. He knew that already, had accepted it. But even so, the reality hit him anew.
“Expensive stuff really is nice, huh.”
As if to break the chain of thoughts, Yiseo muttered to himself as he looked up at the high ceilings. He’d seen enough, and figured it was time to head back.
But just then, a loud, dull thud echoed from the bedroom where Alexander was.
He rushed over to find Alexander collapsed on the floor, bracing himself with one arm against the edge of the bed.
“Are you all right?”
“I’d like to say yes, but I don’t think so.”
Alexander replied with a self-deprecating sigh.
“I think this might be… haah, a rut.”
“…What?”
Yiseo couldn’t believe his ears. A rut? Did he really just say rut?
Someone like Alexander would never handle a rut or heat—the defining traits of a Trait-bearer—in such a way. Even his boss, Ethan, had a team to manage his rut cycles, with pheromone checks every morning. Alexander had to be the same.
“Where’s the suppressant?”
“My secretary probably… haah… no, there’s an emergency stash, in the drawer over there…”
Alexander couldn’t even finish his sentence. “That drawer over there” could mean anything, and Yiseo didn’t have time to go hunting for it.
Ruts were notoriously difficult even for standard dominants. And Alexander was an extreme-dominant Alpha.
He didn’t need a detailed explanation—he could already picture what that meant.
“I’ll just call 911—…huh?”
Yiseo couldn’t finish the sentence.
Because Alexander was kissing him.
Frozen in shock at the utterly unexpected turn of events, Yiseo could only widen his eyes, unable to move. In that defenseless moment, Alexander’s lips claimed his without restraint, savoring him.
The suction was so strong, so intense, that Yiseo flinched, suddenly regaining his senses.
“Mmph, hngh…!”
He tried to push him away, but there was no way he could overpower someone like Alexander.
He couldn’t believe how fast he’d lost control.
Was it because he was an extreme-dominant and his pheromones were that much stronger?
In that moment, Alexander’s tongue slipped into his mouth without hesitation, licking and sucking at Yiseo’s. The sensation of their tongues rubbing and clashing was so foreign and bizarre. Yiseo tried to push his tongue away, but even that motion felt like a response to Alexander.
Their tongues collided, then parted with a wet, obscene sound.
“…Ugh, hnngh… mm.”
Alexander’s hands caressed Yiseo’s side and waist. Under normal circumstances, this would never be happening—but maybe it was the situation. Yiseo could feel a tingling, ticklish sensation pooling near his navel, and he couldn’t keep his body still.
When he instinctively twisted his waist, their lips broke apart slightly. But as if displeased by that, Alexander reached up with his other hand and cradled Yiseo’s face.
There wasn’t a hint of his usual composure in any of his movements. This wasn’t the Alexander Yiseo had known. Maybe all Trait-bearers were like this.
“Ah, …nngh.”
Like he was telling him not to think about anything else, Alexander lightly bit Yiseo’s tongue, drawing a small moan from him.
More than whether it felt good or bad, what hit him first was a strong sense of revulsion—he was doing this with someone he wasn’t even in a relationship with.
Yiseo had never dated before. He’d never even kissed anyone. Obviously, he’d never had sex either. Though, he had been curious. What was it about sex that made it such a big deal in every form of media? What made it so enticing that people were willing to pay for it?
But this… wasn’t anything like what he’d imagined.
The sensations were overwhelming—everything was new and strange—but most of all, the squishy, wet feel of a tongue moving in his mouth sparked a visceral rejection in him.
Yiseo shook his head and struggled to shove Alexander off him with all his strength.
But Alexander just pulled him into a tighter embrace, like he was begging him not to push him away.
Even as he continued to resist, Yiseo was shocked by how good that hug felt.
Come to think of it, this was the first time someone had ever held him like this.
The feverishly high body temperature gave him a strange sense of comfort. It soothed him, made his body relax.
“…Don’t reject me.”
A barely-there whisper echoed against his ear.
It was a voice he never thought he’d hear from Alexander—the same man who had always seemed so confident, so self-assured. Hearing him plead like this… it made Yiseo’s heart soften, just a little.
He wasn’t going to have a romantic relationship in this life anyway, so maybe… just this once wouldn’t hurt.
It might not be such a bad idea to try it, just this once.
Wouldn’t be the end of the world.
“…Please. Help me.”
At those words, Yiseo swallowed hard.
A memory surfaced—from one of those mandatory weekly lessons they’d had in middle school before manifestation.
The topic had been rut and heat cycles in Trait-bearers.
One of the boys had asked if it was possible to just endure it with willpower.
The teacher had laughed out loud at that.
“Well, you’re still pre-manifestation, so it makes sense you’d think that way. I’m sure Betas and unmanifested people all think it’s a matter of mental strength. After all, you haven’t experienced it yet. Okay, let me put it this way: you’ve all had the shits at some point, right? And what if it was diarrhea? Could you hold it in then?”
The class had burst into horrified laughter. The kids had all cringed and laughed at the blunt analogy.
The teacher had laughed along with them, clearly enjoying the moment. But once the laughter died down, his tone had turned heavy and serious.
“So listen up. Don’t underestimate ruts or heats. Always make sure to take your suppressants in advance—especially if you end up manifesting as a dominant. There’s a reason it’s called ‘heat’ or ‘rut.’ It overrides the other three basic instincts—hunger, sleep, and even the urge to relieve yourself—leaving only sexual desire. And it’s not like you go crazy or lose consciousness either. You’re fully aware of what you’re doing. That’s what makes it terrifying. You don’t want to end up a criminal—or a victim—because of a rut or heat cycle, do you? If you don’t want to regret it later, remember what I said.”
And he hadn’t been lying.
Now that Yiseo was seeing Alexander suffering like this right in front of him, it was sinking in—more than ever.
Veins were bulging on Alexander’s forehead, and sweat was visibly beading on his skin.
