A Deep Drink

Annie's light voice landed, and Arthur's whole body stiffened.

"What did you say?" he said, displeased.

Of course, no Alpha would grovel before an Omega, let alone someone as arrogant as Arthur Kane. Being able to talk civilly with Annie and agree to her terms was already a huge concession on his part.

But Annie wasn't in a hurry.

"Is it that hard to understand? I thought this would be a great deal for you," she said softly.

No urging, no forcing. Annie was patient.

Using the rope to restrain him was pointless now. Binding his body couldn't make Arthur Kane submit willingly. The more she pushed, the more it would provoke the Alpha's resentment.

Step by step, Annie had come to understand Arthur's character: he wasn't unreasonable, nor was he brainless. It was just that with his absolute strength and reaction speed, he simply didn't need to think.

But Annie did.

She had to calm him down, or the Alpha's simple, brute-force approach would drag down her plans—and even threaten her personal safety.

So... she had to grab hold of his lifeline.

Arthur Kane had been a lone wolf for years. Annie knew the royal agent, her enemy nicknamed the "Jinx," inside and out.

But even she never expected that the cold, rough Federation agent would actually respond better to softness than force.

Shackling him wasn't as effective as dangling what he wanted in front of him.

And a beast always covets the delicate little bird.

Annie simply lowered her eyes, slowly, lightly, and lifted the hem of her white robe.

The women of New Thebes preferred light-colored clothing and wrapped themselves from head to toe in robes. Annie wore a white robe, the fabric covering her hair and falling to her ankles.

Only when she raised it like this did her clean shoes and slender ankles show.

Her pale skin appeared before Arthur's eyes, so delicate it seemed he could crush it with one hand. Her protruding ankle bone was round and small, like a polished pebble, appearing and disappearing as the robe's fabric swayed.

There was nothing special about it.

Just an Omega's feet—who hadn't seen those? In films, in advertisements, even on the streets. The Galactic Empire and the Interstellar Federation were full of sexy women, so hard to ignore.

But this wasn't a modern metropolis.

The City of the Radiant Sun was so conservative, demanding that Omegas not expose even half an inch of skin.

So those fragile, clean lines made it impossible for Arthur to look away.

The scent of scorched metal continued to surge through the air.

Annie raised the white fabric a little higher.

Half of her long, straight calf was revealed, and Arthur's breath hitched.

At this point, how could he not understand her meaning?

"I told you, this is cashing in your reward," Annie's voice was nearly a whisper. "I can respond, Arthur, but it depends on what you do."

No need to repeat the order she'd just given.

As if possessed, Arthur dropped to one knee, the heavy fabric falling onto his arm. A corner of the white robe piled on his skin, burying the Alpha's broad palm as it curled around her calf.

Even kneeling wasn't enough.

Arthur Kane was far too tall; he had to bend down, lower his center of gravity, and press his other knee onto the guest room's luxurious carpet.

Only with his head lowered like this did the faint fragrance become clear.

It wasn't from her gland, not the crisp lemon leaf scent—it was Annie's own natural scent.

She wasn't affected by pheromones.

Not just Arthur Kane's. Throughout this journey, they'd encountered many Alphas, including Charles Lang, and Annie remained indifferent to all their pheromones.

That frustrated Arthur deeply.

Everything the Alpha had ever believed was crumbling before Annie. He couldn't let it go on like this.

It was to reclaim his dignity and dominance, to show her who was in charge, Arthur told himself.

The fabric continued to push upward.

This was the perfect chance to weaken the opponent's defenses. The Alpha would seize back his position... he'd reclaim every bit of ground he'd lost to Annie, inch by inch.

That was the plan.

But when that sweetness wafted out, Arthur couldn't help but swallow.

□*□

His breath arrived first, the tip of his nose trembling slightly. Annie's scent and wetness flooded his lungs.

Arthur's breathing quickened, and an unstoppable shiver shot from the base of his spine straight to the back of his skull.

She wasn't unresponsive.

Though she was immune to pheromones, touch, embrace, and kisses could still make the body beneath that white robe respond.

In an instant, the pheromone scent grew even stronger.

His knees eagerly pressed forward, close enough that the shadow half-concealed by the fabric was nearly within reach. A parched traveler finally lunged toward that spring.

□*□

Annie didn't stop him.

His broad hand gripped her knee, wrapping that tiny patch of skin in his warmth. She no longer needed to hold up the hem, so her soft fingertips came to rest on the back of Arthur's neck.

She pressed against the Alpha's gland, feeling his body tense instantly.

"Keep going," she said from above.

Her lazy tone made the crouched beast even more ferocious.

The drinking escalated, his greed growing. He chased the source, swallowing more of the nectar down his throat.

Annie tilted her head back slightly.

The heat rose. She closed her eyes, the hem of her white robe swaying with the movement, her heartstrings trembling with the shiver at the base of her spine.

Her fingers, buried in Arthur's black hair, curled slightly, scratching lightly at the Alpha's scalp.

This guy...

He had no technique at all, driven purely by instinct to claim and drink deeply. The smell of scorched metal was so intense it was like being at the scene of an explosion. If this kept up, it'd be trouble.

So Annie took a small step forward.

Her round foot landed between the Alpha's knees.

A muffled grunt came from beneath the fabric, and Arthur's eyes snapped open.

He lifted his head, holding her waist, and Annie's gaze fell onto those clear blue depths like a sea.

"Slow down," she said. "Do it the way I tell you."

She hadn't expected to have to teach an Alpha how to do it better.

Arthur was resentful; she could feel it. But who knew an Omega's body better than the Omega herself?

She told him to slow his pace, find the right spot, and how to press. No matter how reluctant he was, when Annie's breathing grew ragged and her words took on the lilt of a song, Arthur couldn't help but fall into it, drinking in her voice, savoring every drop.

Her reactions were so sweet.

That little Omega, always calm and flat, like a machine or a precise program, was finally releasing the heat that made her human.

Burying his face in the sweetness, Arthur Kane was perceptive—not a single subtle reaction of Annie's escaped his senses.

First her chest trembled, then her grip tightened on the robe, the fabric gathering in her fingers as it was twisted with a soft rustle.

Her calf muscles tensed involuntarily, her knee trembling—only Arthur's firm hold kept her from going completely weak. Moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating the curve of her back like a drawn bowstring.

Then that string snapped completely.

Arthur caught everything.

He swallowed the surge, tasted the sweetness, and the lemon leaf scent finally exploded through his senses.

The last shred of sanity dissolved under the Omega's pheromones.

She didn't touch him.

No contact, no embrace, not like the previous times when she'd curled up with him and whispered sweet words.

Arthur Kane knelt before her, greedily consuming her response, an uncontrollable tremor reaching its peak in his mind.

He was only drinking.

Yet the Alpha was brought to the edge at the same time.

He gripped her waist tightly, bathed in the freshness of lemon leaves, and it was a long while before his breathing steadied.

Annie bent down.

The lifted robe fell back into place, covering her calves and ankles.

She took Arthur's chin and gently guided his head up. That handsome face was damp with her fluids, glistening faintly in the light.

Annie wiped her own wetness from his face with her palm.

No need to say anything more.

Kneeling could bring pleasure; submission didn't mean humiliation. Arthur had surely experienced that lesson firsthand.

She just patted the back of his head, her fingertip tracing along the collar's edge, her tone lazy and satisfied.

"Not bad, isn't it?" Annie said with a smile. "Not as humiliating as you imagined."

Her answer was the beast closing in again.

His clear blue eyes held unmistakable hunger. One taste hadn't been enough for the Alpha. He pressed closer—"Again—"

But Annie stomped a foot on his knee.

Her heel pressed against the edge of the joint, not hard, but the sudden numbness made Arthur lose his strength.

Once was enough for now.

Arthur might respond better to softness than force, but if she gave him everything he wanted—everything to his mouth—the reward would lose its meaning.

She had to dangle that carrot high.

"No."

Annie refused him flatly. "We need to prepare for tomorrow. Let's have Madam Hado come over first."

A dissatisfied sound rumbled in Arthur's throat.

That sly little Omega!

Didn't he understand what she meant? They'd move tomorrow, but during the day Twilight's soldiers would be watching, so they'd have to sneak out at night. They had an entire day left.

Annie was leading him around by the nose again. Arthur gritted his teeth.

He still felt that heat churning in his chest. Drinking hadn't quenched his thirst; it had only whetted the Alpha's appetite.

But Arthur Kane wasn't so shameless as to push on when the other party refused.

The Alpha closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before he barely calmed down.

Annie smiled and patted the back of his head.

She said nothing—

But Arthur Kane could swear he heard that gentle "good boy" echo in his ear.

Damn it.

He cursed under his breath, thinking darkly that once this crisis passed, he'd make this Omega taste everything he was feeling.

…………

……

Half an hour later, Madam Hado hurried in.

The pheromone scent had been aired out through the open window, and the two had changed into clean clothes.

Even so, as Madam Hado stepped across the threshold, her gaze swept between Annie and Arthur, and a subtle look flickered across her face.

Of course, she said nothing about it.

The governor's wife listened to Annie's request, pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Boss He also thinks it's necessary to meet you," she said. "But with the Butcher's wife currently at the Governor's Mansion, it's not convenient to have her come here directly. How about this: tomorrow evening, I'll arrange for the Governor and Charles Lang to have a talk. Take that chance to leave the Governor's Mansion. You'll have about two hours—go quickly and come back quickly, and don't get caught by the night patrol."

Annie was taken aback.

"The Governor?" She widened her eyes. "Governor Hado is actually... he can, uh, communicate with people?"

As soon as she said it, Annie felt it wasn't quite appropriate.

But her shock wasn't unwarranted. Since arriving at the Governor's Mansion, the Hado that Arthur had described as debauched and dissolute had never once appeared.

The whole mansion seemed to have tacitly accepted Charles Lang as the "master of the house" and Madam Hado as the "mistress"—though their interactions weren't those of lovers or intimates.

It was strange, but since Annie needed Madam Hado's help, she hadn't asked a single question.

Arthur was clearly just as surprised.

The Alpha's blue eyes flickered with wariness. He had already mentally written off Governor Hado as a bedridden, vegetative invalid.

But Madam Hado didn't take offense.

The dignified Omega smiled faintly; through her veil, only her lovely eyes could be seen curving.

Yet her words carried a kind of soft danger.

"He can communicate when necessary," Madam Hado said gently. "Don't worry, leave this to me. Please give my regards to Boss He, and tell her that we haven't seen each other in days—I've missed her."