Valerius returned from the kitchen with a glass of wine in one hand and a mocktail in the other.
He offered Armin the mocktail.
“What’s this?” Armin pointed at the glass, eyeing Valerius viciously.
“I asked for wine.”
“Can you hold your liquor, or are you trying to get yourself drunk?”
“Can’t I get drunk?
You will make sure I’m safe after all, no?”
“You trust me that much?” Valerius teased.
“Don’t think you are that great.
I asked you to fuck me and you turned me down.
I will get it from some—”
“Hey!” Valerius called sternly.
“What are you saying?
Don’t do that!” He pushed the drink into Armin’s hand.
“Now drink.
I mixed it myself just for you.”
“Fucking bossy alpha,” Armin cussed.
“I can hear you.”
Armin took a sip, and his eyes immediately lit up.
“Mmm, it’s good.”
A proud smile crept onto Valerius’s face.
“You like it?”
“You made this?”
“Mmmh,” Valerius nodded.
“Will you make it for me every day?” Armin asked in delight.
“Or is every day too much to ask?”
“Baby, nothing is too much for you.
I will take a flight from Chiang Mai in the middle of a meeting to make you an omelette if you ever ask.”
The tips of Armin’s ears turned bright red and his cheeks flushed to a rosy pink as he smiled shyly.
He hid his face in his palms.
“Stop exaggerating.”
Valerius looked stunned at the flustered boy.
He had never seen him like this.
Each time they met, Armin always had a different persona.
He remembered the first day, the way Armin had yelled and scolded him for forcefully taking him.
He found himself giggling at the memory.
“What—” Armin’s voice called him back.
Valerius straightened up and put on his usual stoic face.
“Do you want something to eat?
Fine cuisine?” He arched his brow teasingly.
Armin glared at him.
“I hope you don’t eat flowers too?”
“I’m not a vegetarian.
But it’s okay if you are one, Minmin.”
Armin flipped mentally.
Why was Valerius exhausting him so much?
“What are you going to serve me?”
“What do you want to eat?”
“Surprise me.”
“You got it.”
“Hold on, I said surprise me, not piss me off,” Armin warned, tapping his index finger to his own temple.
“Remember that.”
“Yes, babe,” Valerius cooed.
“You want to come with me to the kitchen?”
He stretched forth his hand, offering it to Armin.
Armin slapped it away but followed him anyway.
“Why do you have a car in your living room?”
“Because I can.”
“Or you are just trying to show off?”
“To who?”
“This isn’t an apartment, Minmin.
I don’t receive guests here.
This is my home—our home.”
“Who says I give my consent to live here?
You abducted me,” Armin mumbled quietly.
“I can hear you.” Valerius pulled out a high stool for him beside the kitchen island.
“Close your ears, Valerius,” Armin replied, sitting down on the stool.
He placed his drink on the island and took an eyeful of the kitchen.
The kitchen was a minimalist luxury design.
Three tall white barstools with padded cushions sat in front of the massive white-and-brown marble island.
A giant vase of flowers sat beautifully on the counter.
A giant glass wall opened the entire kitchen space to the outside, looking over an outdoor natural pool, trees, beautifully trimmed flowers, and distant mountains.
“Why haven’t I seen any normal room in this house so far?” Armin suddenly asked.
Valerius instantly looked worried.
“You don’t like what you’ve seen so far?”
“No, not that.
It’s just…
a little overwhelming,” Armin said, admiring the view.
“Well, get used to it, Minmin.
I don’t do normal, and normal definitely doesn’t suit you,” Valerius replied with a proud smirk as he walked towards the drawers and started opening them.
“I wish I could take pictures, the scenery outside is so beautiful,” Armin mumbled softly, walking over to the glass wall and appreciating the sight of nature.
A pair of hands slid around his waist, grabbing him softly and pulling him from behind.
Valerius rested his jaw on Armin’s shoulder, hugging him tighter in his arms.
“We can get you a phone tomorrow.
Or a camera, or both.
You can take all the pictures you want.
I haven’t shown you the rest of the house, you know?
It’s really a masterpiece.”
“Bragging?” Armin asked, leaning into the back hug.
“Yes,” Valerius whispered into his ear.
“How shameless!” Armin replied, giggling as Valerius buried his face into the crook of his neck, sniffing deeply.
“So beautiful—” Armin complimented the view again.
“Yeah, baby.
So beautiful and smells so good, too.”
Armin could tell Valerius wasn’t talking about the view.
He wriggled out of his hold, turned around to face him, and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Mr.
Chef, are you done cooking?”
Valerius smiled sheepishly and said nothing.
Armin snapped his fingers in front of his face.
“Hello?
Stop being a perv, old man.”
“Ouch!” Valerius replied, clutching his chest and acting hurt.
“I’m hungry, Rius,” Armin groaned.
Valerius froze.
He slowly lifted his head, and Armin let out a sharp, horrified gasp when he saw his face.
His pupils were dilated, and his canines were elongating before his eyes.
Armin had never seen an alpha’s fangs in his life.
His family was made up of betas and omegas, and he had never been in a situation that involved an enraged or aroused alpha.
“What did you say, baby?” Valerius’s voice had such a deep, predatory edge to it that it made Armin’s heart clench.
He stepped back in fright.
“I-I—” he stutters, his back hitting the glass wall.
“Go on.” Valerius took two steps towards him, lifting Armin’s chin with his finger to make him look at him.
“Say it again.”
“I… Rius,” Armin said quietly, fear laced in his voice.
Valerius let out a growl that shook through his chest, quickly stepping forward and closing the gap between them.
Armin yelped in shock and nearly screamed when Valerius wrapped his hand around the back of his neck with a tight grip, tilting it to the side to expose the soft, pale skin of his throat.
“I want to claim you.
Let me claim you, Armin.” His grip tightened and Armin whimpered, his hands flying up to grab Valerius’s shirt, frantically trying to push him back.
“You are hurting me…” Armin cried out, but Valerius was entirely gone.
He breathed softly into his neck.
Armin’s emotions conflicted between the pain of the grip and the comforting warmth of his breath.
“You are hurting me…” he cried again, but his fingers treacherously pulled Valerius closer against his own will.
His neck tilted further on its own, granting the alpha more access.
“You are going to drive me crazy, sweetness,” Valerius howled deeply.
Then it happened all at once.
Valerius’ grip on his neck tightened more, his claws pinching into his skin.
Armin felt the warm, wet lick of a tongue on his neck, and in a split second, he felt the grazing of sharp fangs sinking into his flesh.
His instincts kicked in.
He yelped loudly and flung himself off Valerius, staggering back breathlessly and creating a defensive distance between them.
He noticed the rich brown of Valerius’ eyes had given way to an unnatural red .
His face was pale and he looked hypnotized.
“Come here,” Valerius growled, covering the distance in a split second.
Armin shrieked at the flash of unnatural speed Valerius suddenly possessed.
Before he could dodge, Valerius grabbed his neck again and forcefully tilted it, ready to bite into it, when a small cry jolted him back.
“Valerius, if you hurt me again, I won’t forgive you,” Armin whispered in a soft cry.
Valerius froze and stepped back.
The words seemed to pierce through his hungry instincts.
Slowly, his eyes faded from the scary red back to their normal, warm hazel.
His skin tone returned to its usual tan, and his elongated fangs slowly receded back into his gums.
“Armin,” He called, his voice returning to normal.
He reached out an unsteady hand to hold him, but Armin retreated quickly in fear, pressing himself into the corner of the kitchen.
Valerius was back to normal, but Armin was still frightened by what had just happened.
He had never seen anything like it before.
“What are you, Valerius?” Armin asked, his voice shaking in fear.
“Are you okay?” Valerius asked instead of answering the question.
Armin stared at him wide-eyed, his jaw quivering.
“Did I hurt you?” Valerius tried to check Armin’s body for any wounds, but Armin backed off, throwing his hands up defensively to keep Valerius away.
He wasn’t going to risk it.
“What just happened?” Armin demanded, his face contorting in fear, he almost looked like a scarecrow.
Valerius looked worried at the state he had put Armin.
He reached out again to hold him but withdrew his hands when Armin flinched.
“It’s your pheromones,” Valerius replied, shaking his head frantically.
“It’s got me in a chokehold.”
Only then did Armin realize the sweet scent filling the kitchen space was emitting from his own gland—at the exact spot Valerius had been trying to bite.
The intoxicating aroma of sweet orange blossom filled the air.
It was his very first time releasing his true pheromones, and Valerius’s primal display had violently triggered it out of him.
“I was perfectly fine before you launched yourself on me!”
“Can you…
can you keep calling me the way you just did from now on?”
“How about you not killing me first!” Armin snapped.
“I wasn’t trying to kill you, sweetness,” Valerius whispered, taking a cautious step closer.
“You seduced me.”
“And I asked you, what the hell are you, Valerius?
And don’t you dare tell me you are just an alpha.
I’ve been with alphas before—”
“In bed?” Valerius cut in.
“Shut up!” Armin snapped at him.
“Sorry, please continue.” Valerius lowered his head submissively, awkwardly drawing patterns on the floor with the toe of his shoe.
Armin looked at him, completely bewildered by the nonchalance in his behavior.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?
Why are you taking this lightly?
You almost killed me!”
“I wasn’t going to kill you, baby.”
“You were going to bite me to death!”
“I was going to claim you.”
Their voices kept rising, shouting over each other.
“What right do you have to do that, huh?” The fear in Armin suddenly burned away, replaced by anger.
“What right do you have, Valerius?!”
You didn’t see that coming, did ya?
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Love y’all!