Chapter 17: Heat Period? Isn’t There a Prime Omega Right Here?

Shao Ye had been trying to reach Boss Bai for days, but the guy had ghosted him like he’d fallen off the planet. Millions in deals were left hanging, and the big-shot collaborators were losing their minds over it. If even those high-rollers couldn’t track him down, what chance did Shao Ye, an average employee, have?

Left with no options, he dragged himself home to wait.

But the second he stepped through the door, he heard a racket inside—drawers slamming, loud enough to be heard from the entryway. His gut tightened.

A burglar? No way.

Lu-ge was supposed to be home. What kind of idiot would dare break in with him around?

Grabbing an iron bar from the doorway, Shao Ye pushed the door open cautiously. A wave of sweet, floral oleander hit him hard, familiar yet oddly intense—exactly like the scent clinging to Lu-ge.

Inside, the scent was suffocating, like stumbling into some forbidden secret garden. But he didn’t dare drop his guard. Something white and fluffy flicked behind the kitchen counter, like a stray dog or some wild animal rummaging through his stuff.

What the hell? In broad daylight?

Hearing the clatter of pots and pans, Shao Ye rushed in to save his brand-new cookware. He rounded the counter, ready to swing—only to freeze in his tracks, eyes locked in disbelief.

“Lu… Lu-ge?” he stammered, his voice cracking with shock.

Lu Zhanxing spun around, flustered. The moment he saw Shao Ye, panic flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t bother hiding anymore.

A fluffy white tail and pointed ears sprouted from him, all too real and far from any cosplay Shao Ye had ever seen. He wasn’t imagining it.

Lu Zhanxing’s pale face was slick with sweat, his usual cold demeanor cracked with visible pain. His red-rimmed eyes locked onto Shao Ye as he lunged forward, grabbing his arm.

“Ah Ye! The white foam box from the cabinet—did you see it?”

Still reeling, Shao Ye managed to nod. “Yeah, I saw it.”

“Thank God!” Lu Zhanxing’s relief was palpable. “Where is it? Quick, tell me!”

“I… I threw it out,” Shaoye stammered, his pulse racing.

“You what?” Lu Zhanxing’s voice spiked, but he quickly reined it in, trying not to scare Shaoye. “Where? Can we get it back?”

That box held his last dose of suppressants. His condition was spiraling, burning through four doses in just a month. If he couldn’t get that shot, his life was on the line here in this backwater zone with its crap medical facilities.

“I… I broke it,” Shao Ye admitted, guilt and worry flooding his voice. “Lu-ge, was it medicine? Tell me what you need, and I’ll buy more!”

Lu Zhanxing’s despair deepened. Those weren’t regular Alpha suppressants—they were custom-made by the top medical academy. Impossible to replace.

Without them, an Alpha in his state had two options: lose control or seek out an Omega to stabilize him. And there was a high-compatibility Omega standing right in front of him.

His breathing turned ragged as his gaze zeroed in on Shaoye. There was a wild, predatory hunger there, barely leashed.

High compatibility. His Omega. His right.

The logical part of his mind screamed at him: Don’t. Shao Ye hated coercion. Push him now, and the fragile connection they’d built would shatter.

Shao Ye’s face paled under Lu Zhanxing’s feral stare, but instead of running, he asked, “Lu-ge… what’s wrong with you?”

Their first meeting flashed in Shao Ye’s mind—he’d been in this same state then. But since then, Lu Zhanxing had seemed perfectly fine, and Shao Ye had almost forgotten.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Zhanxing shoved Shao Ye toward the door and slammed it shut. “Stay away, Ah Ye. Don’t come in.”

Shao Ye stood outside, torn between panic and helplessness. He didn’t know what to do.

Just then, their neighbor—a gruff Alpha—stormed out, shouting, “Hell, whose damn heat is spilling into the block? You’re making it impossible to live here!”

Shao Ye didn’t understand, but before he could ask, his Alpha neighbor shifted into beast form and bolted like a gust of wind, disappearing without a trace.

The neighbor's wife, a Beta woman in her thirties who couldn’t perceive pheromones, seemed unaffected by the commotion.

Seeing Shao Ye standing at the door, she raised an eyebrow and asked, “Hey kid, is it that tall, handsome Alpha of yours hitting his rut?”

Shao Ye blinked, caught off guard.

In the Eight Star Alliance, Omegas were rare, especially in dusty civilian zones like this. Most Alphas who couldn’t find an Omega settled for a Beta as their partner.

“My… my husband is a Beta,” Shao Ye stammered.

The woman clicked her tongue in disbelief. “Kid, are you serious? He’s in rut, and you’re still calling him a Beta? Lucky for you there aren’t any Omegas around here, or with pheromones that strong, every Omega within miles would already be clawing at his door.”

“Rut? Susceptible period?” The word sparked a vague memory from Shao Ye’s physiology lessons at the academy.

Every six months, Alphas entered a Susceptible period. Without inhibitors or an Omega’s soothing presence, they’d spiral into a manic state—violent, unstable, and barely human. Left unchecked, they could lose control entirely, turning feral and posing a severe threat to society.

At that stage, the Alliance military had the authority to subdue them by any means necessary—up to and including lethal force.

The thought of such consequences sent a chill down Shao Ye’s spine.

He turned to the woman in a panic. “What do I do, sis? How can I help him?”

She smirked, shaking her head. “Youngsters these days, clueless about the basics.” She sighed. “No inhibitors? Then you’ll need an Omega. But for couples like us—an Alpha and a Beta—there’s one other way to ease the pain. The question is, can you handle it?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Shao Ye said, desperation creeping into his voice. “Just tell me what to do!”

The woman laughed dryly. “It’s simple: help him release. That’ll take the edge off. But it’s brutal, kid. When Alphas are in rut, they lose all sense of control. They’re rough, relentless, and they don’t hold back. My husband tried it with me once, years ago. I swore never again. Nearly killed me.”

Shao Ye froze, her meaning sinking in like a lead weight.

“Think it through, kid,” she warned. “It’s your life on the line. But I’ll tell you this—your man’s got feelings for you. He’s locked himself away to avoid hurting you. Any other Alpha would’ve dragged their partner in and gone for it, consent be damned.”

With that, she left, retreating to her apartment.

Shao Ye stood there, wind whipping around him as his thoughts spiraled.

How had things escalated to this?

They were supposed to be ordinary Beta bros. How the hell had Lu-ge turned out to be an Alpha?

He hesitated at the door, hand hovering over the knob before pulling back.

“Lu-ge, I’m sorry,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m straight. No way am I letting a guy do that to me. You’ll have to ride this one out on your own.”

Just as he turned to leave, the door exploded. A beast-like hand reached through, grabbing Shao Ye and yanking him inside.

Shao Ye’s mind went blank with terror.

In front of him stood Lu Zhanxing—or what was left of him. His eyes blazed crimson, his limbs twisted into animalistic forms, claws digging into Shao Ye’s shoulders. Even his teeth had lengthened into fangs, sharp and menacing.

“Lu-ge! Snap out of it! It’s me, Shao Ye! Do you even recognize me?” He struggled against the vice-like grip, but it was no use.

Lu Zhanxing pinned him down, staring at him with unrelenting intensity. His scorching breath ghosted over Shao Ye’s neck, primal and overpowering.

Shao Ye froze, muscles locking up as dread consumed him. He didn’t dare move, fearing one wrong step could end with his throat ripped out.

For a moment, their eyes met. Then, without warning, Lu Zhanxing’s head dipped, his lips crashing against Shao Ye’s in a savage kiss.

Shao Ye’s brain short-circuited. He couldn’t think, couldn’t hear, couldn’t process what was happening. His mind went completely blank.

He felt Lu Zhanxing’s searing breath and the raw hunger behind every movement. Fear twisted in his gut, yet—deep down—something else stirred. Something he didn’t want to name.

The frenzied aggression softened, just barely, as if some part of Lu Zhanxing still cared enough to hold back.

Shao Ye’s body relaxed fractionally, his mind racing. Maybe this wasn’t entirely Lu-ge’s fault. Maybe it was the susceptible period driving him mad. Maybe he could still fix this.

But as Lu Zhanxing pressed against him, pushing boundaries Shao Ye didn’t even know existed, reality hit hard.

The neighbor’s words rang in his ears, setting off every survival instinct he had.

Shao Ye thrashed with everything he had, but it was like struggling against a mountain. Lu Zhanxing didn’t budge, his weight bearing down like a landslide.

Tears pricked Shao Ye’s eyes. For the first time, there was no one coming to save him. The man who’d always protected him was now the danger he needed saving from.

———TN: Ah, come on! My sweet, naïve Shao Ye... you're absolutely hopeless.