The scent hit Phainon the moment he stepped off the elevator onto their private penthouse floor. Thick. Cloying. Like spiced amber thrown onto a roaring bonfire, laced with an undercurrent of raw, aching need. Rut.

His breath hitched, fingers tightening around the grocery bag containing the ingredients for your favorite stew – a futile attempt at comfort he knew would go uneaten. For the twenty-fifth time. Twenty-five times. The number echoed in his mind, a heavy weight settling in his chest, heavier than the groceries

Phainon’s breath caught in his throat, fingers tightening around the doorframe as he hesitated. He had known this would come. Had dreaded it.

And yet.

The sight of you—his alpha, though neither of them had ever spoken the word aloud—brought a sharp, aching twist to his chest. You were on your knees, forehead pressed to the marble floor, muscles locked in a fight so visceral Phainon could feel it in the air. The tension. The agony.

He had seen you in rut before. Had watched from a distance as you locked yourself away, refusing to let the fever take him, refusing to let it touch Phainon. He remembered the countless nights you held him through his own timid heats, whispering soothing words, never pushing, never demanding the one thing Phainon was too scared to give: the mating bite, the permanent bond.

But this time was different.

This time, Phainon wasn’t running.

The scent of your restraint was suffocating, a storm barely contained. And beneath it—something deeper. Something that made Phainon’s pulse stutter.

You’re suffering.

The realization struck him like a blade.

All this time, you had held back. Had chosen to endure the rut alone rather than risk claiming Phainon without his consent.

And for what?

For him?

A shaky breath left Phainon’s lips as he stepped forward, the door clicking shut behind him. The sound made your head snap up, eyes wild, pupils blown wide with need.

Phainon had seen you like this in your past ruts—raw, unraveling, barely human.

And yet.

Even now, you flinched away from him.

"Baby, stay back."

The words were rough, shattered, but the plea in them was unmistakable.

"Please... it’s... not safe."

Phainon’s chest tightened.

Not safe?

No.

He took another step forward.

And then another.

Your entire body tensed, a growl building in your throat, but Phainon didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

Not when he finally understood.

This wasn’t just your rut.

This was his choice.

His to make.

His to give.

And so, with a breath so soft it barely stirred the air between you, Phainon let the word fall—

"Alpha."

The effect was instant.

You went still.

For a heartbeat, the world hung suspended.

And then—

You moved. Body trembling with the force of your restraint. Even now, even like this, you were holding back.

Phainon could see your eyes slowly turning red.

Fuck......you look so hot and sexy. Almost made Phainon to be the one to pounce on you instead.