Annie: I...

016

Arthur's pupils contracted slightly.

Annie's breath brushed past his lips, and he tasted the fragrance of lemon leaves on his tongue. Like an electric current, it shot from the root of his tongue to the back of his head, igniting the murderous intent he had been brewing, condensing it into an indescribable tremor.

But their lips weren't pressed together. Annie hovered near Arthur's lower lip and murmured, "There are cameras."

The short sentence shattered Arthur's last hesitation.

Now wasn't the time to strike.

Arthur Kane didn't care about anything beyond his mission, but he didn't want to die either.

If he killed someone right under Twilight's nose, he'd be walking out to a hail of gunfire.

The next second, he grabbed the back of Annie's neck and abruptly erased the remaining distance between them.

This was a cover-up.

Arthur thought.

It was for the cameras—to conceal why they'd fallen into the water, to conceal his intent to kill.

But through the fabric, Annie's heartbeat reached him. The water was icy cold, which made the warmth of her body all the more evident.

Unlike the death declarations filling the sky above, this was the breath of the living.

Her warmth and pheromones, without his noticing, soothed the rage and pain churning in Arthur's chest, yet also awakened a longing he couldn't understand.

The Alpha unconsciously swallowed, greedily wanting to take in more of the Omega's scent.

The smell of scorched metal seemed to dissolve into the water, clinging to Annie, refusing to fade.

It was just... too cold!

Even though Arthur Kane's embrace was warm, soaked in water, Annie couldn't stop shaking violently.

Her lips parted slightly. "Carry me up."

The small distance earned an annoyed breath from the Alpha.

But Arthur didn't say anything. He simply tightened his arms and lifted Annie straight out of the water.

The wedding dress clinging to her body pulled painfully with gravity, but Arthur Kane did it as easily as if he were carrying a rabbit.

He strode ashore and set her down. His contact lenses automatically adjusted to the brightness ahead, bringing the scene into focus—

Beyond the single-plank bridge was a wine cellar.

Countless wine jars were stacked layer upon layer up to the dome, and around the cellar, what met the eye was devastation.

Erased stone carvings, bullet holes as dense as a sieve, and scorch marks blackened into the mortar between bricks.

The massacre had happened twenty years ago. The bodies and blood had long been cleaned up, but the traces of the past still lingered on the architecture and stone.

It looked like this had been the battleground back then.

Annie couldn't help but look at Arthur.

He showed no reaction, as if he didn't care at all what had happened here. His blue eyes were fixed on the wine cellar ahead. "Pick a jar."

Annie: "...What?"

She blinked.

"After crossing the bridge, you choose a wine," Arthur frowned. "Is that so hard to understand?"

Since Twilight's surveillance was overhead, the "wedding" had to continue. But...

"This wine," Annie hesitated for a moment. "We're not supposed to drink it, are we?"

Arthur's blue eyes swept over coldly.

Fine!

Of course wine was for drinking. Besides, on many planets, there was the custom of newlyweds drinking from the same cup.

The second "trial" was drinking wine. It made sense.

But how long had this been stored?!

There were no proper storage conditions in this ancient temple, and a massacre had occurred here—even if a new batch had been placed afterward, it had been sealed for twenty years.

She was afraid that Arthur would die of food poisoning before he could find a way to kill her!

"You can still call off the wedding now," Arthur urged impatiently. "We can go back."

As if that were an option! Charles Lang was probably watching from behind the surveillance cameras.

Well, it was just some potentially microbe-ridden wine. Fieldwork was never without hardship.

At least she wasn't lying face-down in a rainforest feeding venomous insects. Annie steeled herself and looked around.

"Any jar will do?" She raised her chin and pointed randomly at the highest part of the dome. "The third one from the left."

Arthur: "..."

He nearly laughed in anger.

The wedding couple was supposed to go through "trials," but who would actually make things hard for newlyweds? Traditionally, this was just a formality. The bride would point, and the groom would fetch the jar.

The dome was nearly six meters high, and Annie had chosen the topmost jar. This little Omega was just trying to make things difficult for him.

He should have held her underwater and drowned her just now! Twilight's surveillance be damned—Arthur regretted it.

"Can't you do it?"

Annie even blinked, looking hopeful. "If it's too hard, I'll pick an easier one."

Arthur: "............"

She was challenging him, wasn't she!

The Alpha gritted his teeth in fury. Fine, he'd get it down and then find a way to strangle her.

He made his decision on the spot and ripped off his soaked wedding robe. The loose white garment fell to the ground, revealing clearly defined muscles.

Water droplets clung to his wheat-colored skin, making his muscles glisten in the candlelight as they stretched and shifted with his movements—a violent sort of beauty. He walked to the wine cellar, bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and then leaped!

Arthur grabbed the sculpture beside the racks, swung his long legs, and jumped to the highest point of the dome.

His muscle contours looked deeper in the shadows. His inverted-triangle body was swift and agile, like a black panther pouncing on its prey.

If Annie were truly a bride, seeing her husband like this, she'd be overjoyed.

But now...

Not bad.

Standing below, Annie was in a great mood—who wouldn't be happy watching a performance as thrilling as a content-thin live streamer?

As for him wanting to kill her, well, Arthur Kane had tried before. She was used to it.

At the edge of the dome, Arthur reached out, pulled out the third jar from the left, then let go and landed.

Six meters of height. To him, it was as easy as walking on flat ground.

By now, Annie was used to Arthur's monstrous physical abilities. The Alpha landed steadily, and with one hand gripping the jar, his biceps bulged as he exerted force. With a crisp "pop," the seal came off.

Arthur handed the jar to Annie. "Drink."

Annie took the jar and peered inside.

The jar wasn't big—about three hundred milliliters—and a rich aroma hit her. The liquid inside was clear and bright. It didn't look spoiled, and the smell...

On a commercial planet, this would fetch a good price.

Better than expected!

Annie hesitated for a long moment, then decided to take the plunge.

She was here, so she might as well! Not to mention Twilight's cameras were watching, and this was an application approved by Meridian—she couldn't waste it.

She steeled herself, raised the jar, and took a small sip.

The taste wasn't bad!

The mellow aroma was soft on the tongue, not spicy, with a hint of sweetness from the grain. After swallowing, the alcohol slid down her esophagus into her stomach, warming her up.

In an instant, she no longer felt cold.

She reasonably suspected that the single-plank bridge was deliberately made long so that every couple would fall into the water, and the wine was meant to warm them up.

She swallowed the wine and handed the jar to Arthur.

He took it back, raised it with the rim to his lips, and drank three big gulps.

The clear liquid slid down his Adam's apple, mingling with the water from the pool, pooling in his collarbone hollow before dripping down along the lines of his muscles to the ground.

"What's the next step?" Annie asked.

The jar was empty. He wiped his mouth and tossed the jar to the ground.

The crisp sound of shattering ceramic echoed in front of the wine cellar.

Arthur reached out again.

When his arms circled behind her, Annie instinctively tensed. The Alpha lifted the bride into his arms once more.

"Marking." Arthur Kane answered expressionlessly.

He strode toward the stone door at the center of the wine cellar and kicked it open.

The moment they entered the inner chamber, the surveillance warnings and anomaly signals in Annie's contact lenses vanished abruptly.

It was an enclosed space, about twenty square meters, brightly lit by candles. In the center stood a tall statue with a blurry face, but its head was bowed in humble reverence.

This was the prophet of New Thebes's legends. He had led the people to discover crystal sand, ushering the planet into the interstellar age.

The temple had been sealed for twenty years, yet the room with the prophet's statue was spotless. In front of the statue's base was a cushion, its size far exceeding what one would kneel on.

Annie: "..."

You've got to be kidding!

She couldn't believe it. "Your tradition is to... in front of the prophet—"

She didn't get to finish.

The Arthur who had been holding Annie a second ago suddenly changed expression.

He flung Annie onto the cushion with brute force!

Her soaked skirt flew up and then crashed heavily onto the floor. Her back hit the cushion—it didn't hurt, but the loss of gravity made her dizzy.

Arthur's tall body pressed down, his broad back becoming a cage that imprisoned Annie.

"Even Twilight wouldn't install cameras here. It's an act of great disrespect," Arthur said coldly. "You deserve to die, empire—"

The Alpha's voice grew quieter.

No matter how violent the man, he noticed something wrong in Annie's reaction.

The Omega beneath him stretched out wantonly, as submissive as a bird unaware of danger. But this little Omega was cunning and vicious—how could she not notice?

Those black eyes stared straight at Arthur.

"Go ahead, Arthur."

The crisp words fell, and Arthur Kane's massive body suddenly lost its strength.

He couldn't even support himself. He collapsed directly onto Annie.

He's heavy!

But Annie still chuckled softly.

"You didn't really think I'd just sit here and wait, did you?" She reached out and pressed her fingertips against Arthur's lips.

A comprehensive paralytic toxin for Alphas, hidden behind her teeth—she had prepared this the moment she learned she'd be working with an Alpha, and with Arthur Kane at that.

Annie pushed the body off her with effort and sat up straight.

The two flipped positions. Arthur lay on the cushion, his breathing speeding up.

The paralytic didn't affect his heartbeat or breathing; it just relaxed his external muscles. But that was enough to restrict Arthur. He struggled with all his might but couldn't move an inch, couldn't even speak.

He could only lie there like he was frozen, his blue eyes blazing with extreme fury.

If looks could kill, he'd have killed her a dozen times over.

Who told you to keep falling for it?

Annie was unmoved.

But just as she was about to get up, the metallic burning smell around her grew even stronger—

Like flames after an explosion, bursting in front of the statue.

The rapid surge of pheromones made Annie's breath catch, completely derailing her thoughts.

She turned her head. In the blink of an eye, Arthur, who had been lying on the cushion, now had a faint mist over his eyes. Annie felt the back of his neck. The heat was rising, sweat nearly evaporating the water on his skin.

Oh no.

He's in heat?!

Now? No, it couldn't be pheromone disruption again—this time she hadn't shocked his neck. Arthur Kane wouldn't forget his own heat cycle. How...

The wine. It suddenly hit Annie.

No wonder the traditional wedding was about marking in the temple. No wonder there was a cushion in front of the prophet's statue big enough for two!

017

That wine was drugged!

She knew traditional weddings were... "traditional," but this was too wild!

Annie clicked her tongue inwardly.

Getting the prophet's blessing was one thing, but doing it right under his nose? She didn't know New Thebes's prophet had such a kink!

She complained inwardly while a headache started to form.

She knew working with Arthur Kane would never lead to anything good! And this heat of his was even more ferocious than before.

The Alpha lying on the cushion was burning up; even with the paralytic toxin, his breathing was rapid. The metallic burning scent was practically being forced into Annie's lungs; she almost choked on his pheromones.

Compared to this, the temporary pheromone disruption was nothing.

Not good.

She'd just been thinking about how fast the toxin worked, but it must have mixed with the alcohol and entered his bloodstream. Annie's mind was calm, but she didn't know what to do at the moment.

The original plan was to paralyze Arthur, then make up an excuse that he was unwell and have Twilight's soldiers transport him.

Once safe, she'd go straight to the Dreamlight Hotel with the scientist while the toxin was still in his system.

But now, he'd been thrown into heat by a jar of wine!

Clearly, the wine only affected Alphas. Annie smelled her own pheromones too, but that was just her instinctive reaction to Arthur's presence.

The excuse of him being unwell was no longer viable.

—If he was in heat and hadn't marked his Omega, it would definitely raise suspicion.

And Annie hadn't expected this at all. She hadn't brought any suppressants.

So...

"Arthur."

She took a deep breath. "I know you want to kill me. That's probably the new mission you got from Peace Star."

When those words landed, Arthur on the cushion moved with difficulty.

Any other time, he'd have lunged and grabbed Annie's neck, but now, struggling like a dying prey was the best he could do.

"But if we don't deal with your heat, neither of us is getting out of here alive."

Annie leaned down.

"I won't let you mark me, not just because we're enemies."

Her hands reached around to Arthur's abdomen, and she pushed his body up with effort. The man, devoid of strength, was heavy. It took all her might to move him onto her lap.

"But also because..."

The Omega's fingertips pressed against his lower back.

Annie curled her lips. "I'm not the one bottoming, so sorry, you'll have to take one for the team."

Arthur's struggling movements paused for a moment.

He clearly didn't understand what Annie meant, and what happened next left Arthur Kane even more at a loss.

Under the pitying gaze of the prophet's statue, Annie moved slowly.

This was not part of the traditional wedding ceremony. For a thousand years, the prophet's statue had witnessed countless marriages, but it had probably never seen such an unconventional ritual.

The paralytic toxin was taking effect, so Arthur couldn't tense his body. The muscles along his spine were relaxed and natural, water and sweat evaporating from the heat, his wheat-colored skin glistening in the dim light.

Lower, his quadriceps were soft and relaxed. Annie rested her palm on them. It felt nice. Continuing further, Annie raised an eyebrow slightly.

Impressive. He really was a top-notch Alpha.

But for now, he could only be played with like a stress toy in Annie's hands.

In any case, the first priority was to get Arthur's heat under control.

Normally, an Alpha who didn't mark an Omega or use suppressants could only endure the days. Self-gratification couldn't stem the flood of pheromones—without an Omega, the ebb never outpaced the tide.

At that thought, Annie found it ironic.

Everyone said Omegas were weak. But who was the one controlled by hormones?

But...

"I bet you didn't know, Arthur."

Annie's tone remained calm, but with a barely detectable smile. "Men—whether Alpha, Beta, or Omega—actually have another switch."

She continued.

When her soft fingertips pressed, Arthur's eyes flew wide.

His clear blue eyes stared at her, shock and indignation visible through the haze. His pupils shrank in shock, but his muscles remained utterly still.

His body couldn't move, but his senses were still there. His superficial muscles could only twitch slightly no matter how he tried, his whole body as if pressed to the bottom of the sea, unable to stir even a ripple.

The beast had become a lamb, now at Annie's mercy.

Arthur couldn't even clench his teeth. He could only slice Annie again and again with his eyes.

But that had no real effect.

The Alpha could only accept what was happening, his dormant neural network struck by an unexpected electric shock. An indescribable sensation swelled and coiled inside him, rushing up his spine.

This was completely outside his frame of reference. He didn't understand why his body would react like this.

An Alpha was supposed to be the dominant one, the one to conquer and possess an Omega. He should have killed her, or at least controlled her. But now he could only lie prostrate on Annie's small body, treated like a toy.

Damned Omega.

He would kill her. He definitely would.

The clear murderous intent made the surging pheromones in the room even more pungent, but Annie took in all of Arthur's reactions.

"It's okay."

She spoke softly, her voice unexpectedly gentle.

"I'll stay with you." The Omega seemed oblivious to his murderous intent.

Even though he couldn't move, Arthur managed a deep breath.

Arthur's large body curled up naturally on her lap, looking both comical and pitiful. The muscles of his back twitched with his short, rapid breaths, and his blue eyes were blank, still etched with disbelief.

The Alpha simply couldn't comprehend that he had... fallen like this.

But this wasn't enough.

Arthur's skin was as hot as a fever, and his pheromones were still thick. Annie looked down at his handsome, conflicted face and laughed.

It was actually endearing. Annie never hid her peculiar taste: she loved the look of someone's principles and boundaries being broken through.

"This is your and my wedding."

The little white bird showed its black belly, and Annie flashed a bright smile. "We should at least see it through to the end."

She withdrew her fingers, moved her left hand, and the personal terminal on her wrist sensed the gesture, releasing a rope with a swish. The multifunctional rope with sensors automatically wound around and tied itself, attaching securely to Annie's waist.

Her wedding dress was still on her.

The waterlogged fabric was cold and heavy, but that didn't matter; it was still white. Annie laid Arthur on the cushion, lifted her voluminous skirt, and knelt down.

The spread, heavy skirt covered the both of them. Annie leaned over and wrapped her arms around Arthur's waist.

"Now," she said, lying against his solid back, "the groom can have his bride."

The beautiful dress hid all movements, its golden embroidery and patterns swaying, drifting.

Arthur let out a growl but couldn't do anything.

Annie wasn't in a hurry. She pressed close to him, patiently waiting for him to adjust. The tool wound from the rope was different from flesh and blood; it didn't tire, didn't need rest.

Annie wrapped her arms around his waist.

Skin met skin, breath whispering against Arthur's back.

So warm, she thought contentedly. The soaked clothes were far too cold, but Arthur was like a furnace, finally warming her cold fingertips.

Without needing to bite his gland, Arthur's pheromones soaked into her completely. The scent of lemon leaves melded so perfectly, as if they had been made to fit together.

It was just a matter of easing Arthur's scent.

This method was unconventional. If once wasn't enough, then a second time.

At first, Arthur still resisted.

The Alpha couldn't accept this fact. He struggled with all his might. But after the third time, the fourth, even if the back she had her arms around could go clearly tense, he no longer tried to attack.

Kisses, encouragement—Annie kept her promise.

She stayed with him.

The prophet's statue above bowed its head humbly, silently witnessing the end of this entirely different ceremony.

The night was so long.

Near dawn, the metallic burning smell, like the site of an explosion, finally began to fade. Annie burrowed into Arthur's arms. Both of them were drenched in sweat, the cushion soaked through—utterly disheveled.

Annie reached out and brushed the damp hair from Arthur's forehead.

He was exhausted and had fallen into a deep sleep. His thick lashes covered those startlingly blue eyes, and his usually fierce features relaxed, suddenly looking harmless.

He's still handsome, she thought with satisfaction.

Annie stretched, like a little rabbit that had eaten its fill, and got up first. Her dress had dried, and she was covered in the scent of Arthur's pheromones. That would be enough to fool Twilight's soldiers; they surely wouldn't peel her collar to check for a mating bite.

She needed to get back before he woke up. One, to use a suppressant. Two...

Remembering the night's events, Annie was also afraid Arthur would kill her outright when he woke.

It was a bit much, so getting the equipment first was priority! Annie lifted her skirt and headed for the exit while opening communication.

It was working hours on Spica, and Meridian's voice came through promptly. "Good day, Agent Annie. Should I congratulate you on your wedding?"

Annie gave a dry chuckle.

After the joke, Meridian got down to business. "I need you to report, Agent Annie: Did Arthur Kane mark you?"

"No."

"Did you... sleep together?"

"...Not in the traditional way."

"Good. I've recorded that. Well done, Annie. Even if you're not affected by pheromones, you're still an Omega. I won't interfere in your personal life, but just to be safe, please take precautions."

Annie rolled her eyes behind her contact lenses.

As if Meridian didn't know her preferences and habits! Of course, it was protocol. Meridian had to ask and advise.

"I have nothing more. Please ensure your safety as soon as possible," Meridian added.

"Wait!"

Annie finally seized the moment. "Meridian, I still have a question from before."

"What?"

"The pheromone disruption Arthur had before we entered the city," Annie quickly recounted the episode of his sudden temporary heat. "Was it caused by the electric cuff?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Just as Annie was losing patience and about to prompt him, Meridian cleared his throat.

"There's something I didn't tell you, Annie," he said. "Your partner was chosen jointly by me and the Interstellar Federation's central coordinator, Future Star. The Federation AI took a sample of your pheromones and sent me Arthur Kane's sample. Your pheromone compatibility is over 95%—a remarkably high ratio. Future Star believed that high compatibility would make you work better together, and I agreed. As for what you're describing... it's likely a reaction caused by that high compatibility."

Annie: "..."

Meridian had said a lot, but translated, it simply meant that she and Arthur Kane were soulmates, to the point where he went into heat the moment he saw her.

"I see," Annie took a deep breath. "I'll find a way to extricate myself first and contact you later."

"Take care, Annie."

After ending the call, Annie turned around.

Arthur was still asleep. The candlelight fell on his handsome, deep-featured face, revealing a tranquility that would never appear when he was awake.

A pheromone compatibility of 95%?

That meant even if she used suppressants and got through this heat, because of the high-compatibility pheromones, as long as she was in front of Arthur, he would still go into pheromone disruption at any time.

...The situation had become even more complicated!