How Could It Be Addictive

"Good day, Miss Annie... no, perhaps I should call you Mrs. Kane now."

"...Just call me Annie. Is there something you need, Madam Hado?"

It was that Omega's voice.

Annie's clear, calm voice reached his ears, and Arthur woke up in an instant.

His consciousness surged upward like a diver breaking the surface after being submerged in deep water, and he jolted awake as he passed through the darkness.

Arthur's memory was still on the cushion in front of the Prophet's statue. He instinctively tried to struggle, but found his hands and feet completely immobile.

What's going on?

The Alpha struggled to open his eyes.

The surroundings had changed.

It wasn't the antique-styled temple, and he wasn't lying on that simple cushion either.

The lemon leaf scent that had lingered in his nose was replaced by dry, fresh air. Above him was an exquisitely decorated ceiling, and beneath him was a soft, spacious bed.

Arthur froze for a moment before realizing this was the guest room of the Governor's Mansion.

And he was bound to it, hands and feet tightly tied behind him. He tried to use his strength, but couldn't break free.

"How is Mr. Kane doing?"

The people outside were still talking. Arthur's hearing was excellent, and he immediately confirmed this was Madam Hado's voice.

The response was a helpless sigh.

"It's fine, Madam. Arthur is just too tired," she said. "Because... hmm, our pheromone compatibility is extremely high. My pheromones cause Arthur's pheromones to become disordered, and on top of that, he marked me yesterday, so..."

It was that Omega.

Her voice gradually lowered at the end, like a newlywed bride who was still too shy to mention such matters to others.

Madam Hado chuckled softly.

"High pheromone compatibility is a good thing," she said. "Don't be ashamed."

Arthur suddenly clenched his fists.

He used all his strength, but couldn't budge the ropes binding him in the slightest. Instead, because of his struggling, the bed creaked and groaned from the change in pressure.

To avoid drawing the attention of the people outside, Arthur had no choice but to stop.

The memories of yesterday were deeply etched into his mind.

He hadn't expected to fall for it again. A kiss meant to be a cover-up had completely flipped Arthur's world upside down.

An Alpha, slept with by an Omega—and being the one on the bottom, at that.

This matter, no matter how he looked at it, had violently shaken Arthur Kane's entire worldview.

Cunning Omega!

She always appeared gentle and harmless, like a clever rabbit or a little bird, but in reality, she was armed to the teeth with weapons hidden all over her body—literally.

Since leaving New Thebes, Arthur Kane had never suffered such humiliation.

He was an Alpha. Alphas were born to be dominators, to be the strong, to be unquestioned leaders and masters.

Arthur had never imagined that one day he would lie at an Omega's knees, unable to even move a finger, played with like a dog.

Soft fingertips pressed against his body.

Kisses, embraces, and whispered murmurs in his ear. Everything was so gentle. Her movements and voice were just like an ordinary Omega... just like the Omega Arthur had imagined.

But throughout it all, Annie remained incredibly calm.

Unaffected by pheromones, unswayed by his emotions and reactions.

She spoke softly, seeming to enjoy herself thoroughly, but this pleasure wasn't directed at a person, an Alpha—it was more like she was treating a beloved pet, or a toy.

But—

The anger and shock surging in his chest weren't only aimed at Annie.

Arthur was even angrier at himself.

He had truly cooperated with her.

His mind felt utterly humiliated, but his body had completely followed instinct and responded. Arthur Kane felt himself being torn apart—out of control, powerless, violated, and in pain—yet he was genuinely... enjoying it.

Disgusting.

The sensation still lingered on his body. Her gentleness and care only made Arthur feel nauseous.

He felt dirty all over.

Right now, the thing Arthur wanted to do most was rush into the bathroom and furiously wash away every trace left on his senses and body, wishing he could also scrub the memories of last night from his brain.

But first, he had to break free from his restraints.

While Arthur was trying, the conversation outside continued.

After the pleasantries, Madam Hado got to the point.

"Boss He hopes you can go see her when you have free time," she said. "The scientist has been protected, and..."

"At this point, Madam, you can just say what you need to say directly." Annie spoke up.

Madam Hado was silent for a moment, then her tone turned serious.

"Since the massacre, the entire planet of New Thebes hasn't held a traditional wedding for a full twenty years, Annie," Madam Hado said. "You and Mr. Kane are the first in twenty years. The Butcher considers this very important. He hopes that after you've rested properly, you'll conduct public activities under the protection of Twilight."

"...I understand, Madam. I'll have to ask my husband's opinion."

Him?

Arthur almost laughed in anger.

These words coming out of Annie's mouth sounded so natural—if Arthur Kane weren't tied up tightly inside, even he would have believed it.

No.

Arthur closed his eyes for a moment. He needed to calm down.

What happened, happened. Even if he was humiliated and treated this way, his purpose in coming to New Thebes was still to complete the mission.

In the past, he had suffered worse injuries and harsher tortures.

Even when he was strapped to an electric chair, Arthur Kane had never said a single word.

He felt that what Annie had done yesterday was more insulting than any torture.

But the mission came first. The few words Madam Hado said outside contained a great deal of information.

Apart from his repeated failures to kill the Empire's agent, everything was proceeding according to plan.

"Good," Madam Hado agreed. "You two rest well. I won't disturb you any further."

"Thank you for coming all this way, Madam."

Then came the soft sound of footsteps, gradually fading away.

About half a minute later, with a "click," the guest room door was pushed open.

He couldn't underestimate this Omega any longer, Arthur thought. It had already cost him dearly.

When Annie pushed the door open, her contact lenses immediately raised the alarm.

Arthur Kane was awake.

The red frame outlined the tall figure on the bed and wildly flashed the word "DANGER"—given his substantive attack last night, Annie's personal terminal had automatically listed him as a dangerous target on the same level as Charles Lang.

Ugh, so tiring.

Annie pinched the bridge of her nose and dismissed the alarm from her contact lenses.

Arthur was staring at her intently with those blue eyes.

She had always felt that Arthur's pupils were too light, too blue, like translucent gems and a vast sea horizon—beautiful enough to captivate the soul, just not quite like human eyes.

He had struggled quite a bit after waking up, and even his shirt button had come loose, revealing his defined collarbones and muscle lines. His wheat-colored skin was faintly visible within the open fabric.

Well, pleasing to the eye.

Annie curled the corner of her mouth.

But her words got straight to the point: "Did you hear what Madam Hado said?"

"Public activities," Arthur replied coldly.

Good, so he'd heard.

Not surprising. But this guy had dog ears and a dog's nose—he'd probably heard the conversation outside perfectly clearly.

Madam Hado's few words had laid out Charles Lang's intentions quite clearly.

Before the wedding, she'd overheard Twilight's soldiers gossiping, saying that the "Butcher" was also a descendant of the former opposition.

How he had betrayed his parents' will, become Twilight's lackey, and earned the rank of senior officer with military merit was a story for another time. But the soldiers' scattered words revealed a fact: even with military merit, he was still discriminated against by ordinary soldiers.

Throughout history, "impure origins" had been a sore spot for extremists.

Charles Lang needed political capital.

And Arthur Kane and Annie, who were "kindred spirits" and seemingly eager to establish a foothold on New Thebes, were a good entry point.

His proposal of a traditional marriage wasn't to humiliate Arthur, but to create a chip he could use.

After twenty years, the descendants of the opposition had accepted Twilight's invitation and became the first couple recognized by the Prophet.

What a beautiful political symbol.

This way, Annie and Arthur were completely tied to Charles Lang. They integrated into society, and he gained the opportunity for political maneuvering.

Sounded like a win-win... and in fact, it was.

The Empire and Federation were cooperating to destroy the gene weapon plan. Either way, they needed to get close to Twilight's high command.

This was an entry point Charles Lang himself had offered.

Annie quickly sorted out her thoughts and calmly met Arthur's gaze.

"I apologize for what happened last night, Arthur," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I know you're angry, but it was so that both of us could survive."

With that, she walked toward her backpack and pulled out a universal suppressant.

Annie showed the suppressant to Arthur.

"Your heat isn't completely over yet, so I need to give you an injection," she said. "But I'll have to get close to you."

Arthur let out a cold laugh.

He squinted, looking at Annie who had stopped three steps away. "You did that on purpose."

Annie: "What?"

Arthur: "Treating me like a dog. As long as I obey, you give me treats."

Annie: "..."

He'd calmed down. Annie was secretly surprised.

If she'd known that one... one night could bring a mad dog back to his senses, she would have done it earlier!

Arthur's point was clear: Annie could have simply injected the suppressant while he was unconscious, saving herself this unnecessary process.

But that would have meant losing the opportunity to negotiate with him.

First show the food, then demand obedience—calling it dog training wasn't wrong.

But it was Arthur Kane who had refused to cooperate in the first place! Annie had no other choice.

"By saying all this," Annie pointed out, "you're finally willing to communicate with me properly."

"Fine," Arthur replied.

"But you've already lost my trust."

Annie decisively stated her terms. "For the purpose of protecting myself, I will take some restrictive measures against you."

Arthur instantly grew wary: "What are you going to do?"

Action replaced words. Annie turned around and pulled out another item from her backpack—

Her slender fingers hooked out a collar.

It was the one Arthur had bought at the couple's hotel. The leather dangled from her fingertips, and the red heart at the center swung back and forth.

"I modified it," she said. "I've set an electric coil between the leather and the inner lining. If you attack me again, my personal terminal will automatically send an electric shock command."

Arthur: "..."

His gaze followed the ostentatious heart swaying back and forth, and he felt the anger he'd just calmed down flare up again.

Damned Empire dog!

He couldn't exchange three sentences with this little Omega without her hitting exactly the spot that infuriated Arthur. He held back, held back again, and in the end still didn't curse out loud.

Cursing was useless at this point anyway.

"How do you guarantee you won't use this to torture me privately?" Arthur demanded coldly.

"No guarantee," Annie said matter-of-factly. "Since the first time we met, you've been the one attacking me, haven't you, Arthur? I've never committed any hostile act. I don't see why I should make any guarantee to you."

Seeing that Arthur was still unconvinced, she added, "Of course, if you don't accept it, then don't wear it. But I won't untie you either, and I won't give you the suppressant."

You can just stay tied up here. When your heat comes back and Twilight finds out, well, Annie's hands and feet are free—she can just slip away and run.

Arthur took a deep breath.

He'd accepted the fact that he was at a disadvantage. And compared to completing Peace Star's temporary mission, obviously protecting his life and infiltrating Twilight was a higher priority.

Hadn't Madam Hado said that Boss He had hidden the scientist away?

He still needed Annie, and in the same way, this Omega needed him.

At this point, Arthur had to admit: until the scientist was safely rescued, he couldn't easily kill her.

"...Fine."

He suppressed his anger and nodded in concession. "As long as you're not afraid of others finding out."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "You'll be wearing a wind scarf anyway."

New Thebes was dry and windy, so wind scarves were a common accessory.

And what did it matter if others found out! It wasn't her who'd be embarrassed.

Only after getting his approval did Annie cautiously step forward.

She carefully observed Arthur's movements—after all, he had a track record of pretending to agree and then suddenly attacking. Fortunately, this time the mad dog had finally recognized the situation.

When she touched his skin, the tendons on the Alpha's neck tensed slightly, but he made no move.

She leaned in, getting close. Her soft fingertips held up the collar and fastened the buckle at the back of his neck.

The leather pressed against his wheat-colored skin, and a subtle pressure came from the gland area. The simple, rough discomfort made Arthur swallow involuntarily, but he still suppressed his resistance.

Collar secured, then the suppressant injection.

After confirming he showed no signs of resistance or sudden movement, Annie said quietly, "I'm going to untie you now."

Arthur: "Hurry up."

Annie pressed her lips together and moved her fingers.

The ropes sensed the gesture and automatically released. Arthur's hands and feet finally regained their freedom.

He didn't know how long he'd been tied up, but his limbs were numb. He struggled to turn over, rubbed his wrists that had marks pressed into them, and looked up.

Annie was kneeling right in front of him.

The petite Omega looked up at him, her black eyes full of vigilance. Like a bird that would fly away the moment he made a sound.

Arthur reached out his hand.

The moment he moved, the Omega before him clearly made a motion to retreat.

But she stopped herself.

No sudden attack, no struggle. Just before she resisted, Annie realized Arthur Kane wasn't going to grab her by the throat without a word like he had before.

His strong arm wrapped around her from under her ribs and pulled her into an embrace.

But the almost "gentle" hug was so sudden that Annie was still stiff all over.

What is this?!

And... so soft.

His relaxed muscles weren't hard at all. On the contrary, they were quite elastic. Annie was pulled into his arms, her cheek pressed against the contours of his chest, the ostentatious red heart hanging at the center of his collarbones, swaying back and forth against her forehead.

Not bad, the texture was quite nice—though of course she meant the decorative heart.

"Don't move."

Arthur said quietly, "I need to give you a temporary mark."

In theory, after a wedding, the Alpha should formally mark the Omega. But whether it was the abnormal behavior of last night or their relationship, Arthur could never truly mark Annie.

He could only do what he did before, using a temporary mark to fool others.

He didn't ask for her opinion.

The Alpha's broad palm pressed against the back of the Omega's head, holding her down, forcing her to expose the back of her neck.

Then Arthur lowered his head, opened his mouth, and bit down.

In an instant, the scent of lemon leaves surged back and overwhelmed all his senses.

His tongue could taste it, his nose could smell it. The refreshing fragrance filled his lungs, sweeping away his fatigue and the anger from just moments ago. Arthur couldn't help but close his eyes, gripping the back of Annie's head, leaving his mark.

But...

It was he who was biting her.

Yet when he touched the Omega's smooth skin, Arthur remembered the moment she had wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

Her breathing had been a little ragged then, too.

She was tired. Just that little bit of exertion had made her breath, blowing against his back, lose its rhythm.

Fragile Omega.

Last night, her pheromones had also enveloped him like this.

The sensations and scents from memory now completely overlapped with the present moment.

Annie was pressed against the Alpha's chest, so she could clearly feel his breathing growing deeper. The skin temperature under her cheek and palm rose unnaturally. She wanted to look up to check on Arthur's condition, but he was holding her head firmly in place, and she couldn't move.

The Omega could only squirm in his arms. Then Annie felt his leg wrap around her waist, and something she was born without pressed hard against her.

Annie: "..."

In the guest room of the Governor's Mansion, the scent of burning metal suddenly surged out of nowhere.

Only when Arthur released his bite could she move again. Annie couldn't believe it as she looked at the Alpha, who still showed no expression on his face. But the reappearing pheromone scent said it all.

She had already been prepared for Arthur to have a pheromone disorder at any moment.

But hadn't she given him the suppressant?!

Yesterday, Annie had indeed said something about a switch, but she hadn't expected that this was truly opening some incredible switch—how could it be addictive!

Help. Annie's head was aching again.

She needed to find a way to control this situation, and also, Arthur Kane had the right to know about this.

Looking at his current state, not only had Meridian not told Annie, but it seemed Peace Star hadn't told him either.

Really, what benefit was there for both sides in hiding this matter!

She understood that both logistics teams wanted to prevent the two opposing camps from getting too close, so they'd kept their guard up to the maximum. But they could have at least given her some psychological preparation in advance.

Annie propped herself up, her hand moving down from the Alpha's forearm, but before she could actually act, Arthur grabbed her.

He firmly gripped her wrist, his blue eyes filled with disgust and vigilance.

"It won't be like yesterday," Annie said helplessly. "Let me help you resolve this... and explain this situation, okay?"