Deux's POV

  I stepped out of Dr. Henry's office, my mind in turmoil. The weight of our conversation bore heavily on my chest, each word repying in my head like a warning I couldn't ignore.

  But he was right.

  This... feeling. It was unnatural for an Alpha like me—especially for someone like Champ.

  I needed to stop this madness before it spiraled out of control.

  Because if my father found out... Champ would be dragged down with me.

  ...

  By the time I arrived home, the atmosphere felt heavier than usual. My father stood in the living room, his back to me, gazing out the window. In his hand, a crystal gss swirled with expensive wine, reflecting the dim lights of the room.

  His voice cut through the silence.

  "Where have you been, Deux? You didn't sleep here st night."

  I inhaled sharply, steadying myself before responding.

  "I was surveying potential territories for expansion." My tone was firm, composed.

  At that, my father turned to face me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

  He took slow, deliberate steps toward me, eyes locked onto mine.

  "And how did your little excursion go? Did you find anything... useful?"

  "Yes," I answered simply.

  He exhaled deeply, taking another sip of his wine before moving to sit in his favorite chair—a single-seater that seemed almost like a throne in this house.

  "Tell me, Deux," he mused, swirling the wine in his gss. "Which areas did you survey? It seems to me that you ventured somewhere... peculiar."

  I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean, Father?"

  His smirk widened. "I can smell something. Something sweet. Irresistible. Enchanting." He paused, watching me intently. "Did you visit an Omega? Did you cim one?"

  My pulse quickened, but I kept my face unreadable. "No, Father. Perhaps the scents of the city have clung to me. I was outside for a long time."

  He chuckled, shaking his head as if entertained by a private thought.

  "Perhaps you're right. The mingling of different scents can be deceiving."

  I kept my posture firm, though all I wanted was to leave.

  "May I retire to my room? I am exhausted and need rest."

  He waved a hand dismissively, raising his gss again. "Granted."

  I turned to leave, eager to put this unsettling conversation behind me. But before I could disappear into the hall, his voice called out again.

  "Deux..."

  I stopped. My fingers twitched at my sides.

  "Yes, Father?"

  For a moment, he said nothing. His eyes were fixed on his gss, the deep red liquid spinning hypnotically under his touch. Then, a slow, knowing smile crept onto his lips.

  "Keep doing what you're doing. One day, I will reward you handsomely for it."

  His voice was smooth—too smooth. A promise, or a threat? I couldn't tell.

  I clenched my jaw. "Understood, Father. Thank you."

  Without another word, I turned and walked away, the weight of his lingering gaze pressing against my back. I didn't stop until I was safely inside my room, door shut, breath unsteady.

  Something wasn't right.

  And I had a feeling my father knew far more than he was letting on.

  ...

  I y on my bed, staring bnkly at the ceiling, my thoughts spiraling in a chaotic mess.

  At least my father believed me. That was a relief.

  But...

  What did he mean when he said he smelled an Omega's scent on me?

  That made no sense. I hadn't come into contact with an Omega.

  Hmmm...

  Well, whatever. That's not important right now.

  What I should be focusing on is how to fix my real problem.

  How do I stop this ridiculous, irrational, utterly insane reaction I have every time Champ is around?

  I need a pn. A strategy.

  A list.

  Yes! A list of reasons why I am not in love with Champ.

  Alright, here we go.

  Reason number one: He's an Alpha, and I'm an Alpha. This... thing between us is wrong.

  Reason number two: He's annoying.

  Reason number three: His cooking is way too good, and now my taste standards are ruined. Nothing tastes as good unless he made it. That's a problem. A huge problem.

  Reason number four: His scent is... comforting. Wait—no. That's bad. That's very bad.

  Reason number five: I hate it when other Alphas get too close to him. Even Betas. Even his friends. Especially his friends. They're too close. Way too close. I don't like it. At all.

  Reason number six: His stupid, dazzling, heart-stopping smile—wait, no! Deux, get a grip! This isn't a list of reasons why you should love him! This is a list of reasons why you shouldn't!

  Alright. Focus. Start over. This time, for real.

  Reasons why I should NOT love Champ:

  First and foremost, he's an Alpha. Dr. Henry was right. An Alpha should not fall for another Alpha.

  Second, we can't have children together. No matter what happens between us, we'll never have an heir. And I... I want an heir. That's the ultimate goal.

  Third, maybe this is just a side effect of Champ's AEDS. Yes! That's it! His condition suppresses his Alpha presence, so it messes with my perception whenever I'm around him! This is not real!

  Fourth, he undermines my Alpha status! I let him get away with too much! I let him win against me, even in conversations! I follow his orders! I—Deux, the Alpha Prince—take orders from him? That's unacceptable!

  Fifth, I'm probably just being tricked by his scent and the way he takes care of me. It's all an illusion! A tactic! He's maniputing me with his kindness! Well, guess what? I see through it now! I refuse to be pyed!

  And finally, I am Deux—the Alpha Prince and the future ruler of my father's throne. It is my duty to choose an Omega of high status. Only through them can I produce an heir. That is the natural way to continue my bloodline.

  These are the reasons why I cannot—must not—fall for Champ.

  I need to take action.

  I need to stay away from him.

  I have to return to the old Deux—the one who bows to no one.

  Champ has always been my rival. An enemy to defeat. That's how it was in the beginning, and that's how it should stay.

  I need to erase him from my thoughts.

  If I don't see him, I won't think about him.

  Yes...

  That's how it should be. That way, I won't have to deal with these ridiculous, infuriating emotions.

  I will suppress my feelings.

  I will not let Champ get to me.

  I will not fall for him!

  ...Right?

  ...

  ...

  ...

  Right now, I stood in the open field of the University, surrounded by five Beta males—my subordinates.

  Just us. No one else.

  I had made sure that no other creature would dare come near. My scent alone was enough to make them turn around before they even set foot in the field.

  I needed this.

  I needed to shake off this madness, this insanity that had been clinging to me these past few days. I had to recim my dominance as an Alpha—the power I felt slipping away.

  "I gathered you all here for a rigorous training session." My voice was firm as I addressed the five Betas before me. "The five of you will be participating in the upcoming Alpha Territory Treasure Hunt, so I must train you well. Your task is simple—attack me with everything you've got, all at once."

  The five Betas nodded, showing their understanding.

  "We don't stop until either I'm down, or all five of you are. Understood?"

  "Understood, Master Deux!" they answered in unison.

  "Then let's begin."

  They quickly assumed their positions, surrounding me in a tight formation.

  The air was still. Silent.

  Then—

  One of them lunged at me from behind.

  I dodged effortlessly, twisting my body mid-air before countering his attack.

  The others wasted no time, charging at me with full force. No hesitation. No mercy.

  Good.

  This was exactly what I needed.

  With every strike I nded, I could feel it—the fire returning to my blood, the strength surging through my body.

  With every attack they threw at me, I reveled in the thrill of evasion, countering each move with ease.

  (Swish!)

  (Swoosh!)

  The sound of my speed cutting through the air filled the field.

  If only avoiding my feelings for Champ was this easy.

  ...

  Wait.

  How is Champ, anyway?

  What's he doing right now?

  ...

  I wouldn't mind eating some Honey Soy Garlic Beef Spicy Noodles right now. If only he'd make it for me. Maybe while wearing that ridiculous pink apron.

  And then he'd smile at me, setting the bowl down in front of me, saying, "Deux, I made this just for you."

  ...

  (SMACK!)

  "Ugh!"

  A sharp pain bloomed in my stomach, knocking me backward.

  "Master Deux! I-I'm sorry!" One of the Beta males looked horrified, his fist still clenched from the punch that actually nded on me.

  I nearly snapped at him—fury fring in my veins—when I suddenly stopped myself.

  I let out a slow exhale, rubbing my sore abdomen.

  "No... it's good." I shook my head, sighing in disbelief. "You woke me up from a nightmare."

  A very dangerous nightmare.

  What the hell was wrong with me?! My thoughts had drifted again! During training!

  This had never happened before. Never.

  And now, one of my own subordinates had actually managed to nd a hit on me—all because of Champ!

  Unforgivable.

  I spped my cheeks, shaking off the st remnants of that absurd daydream.

  "What are you all standing around for?!" I barked. "Keep attacking me!"

  With that, the training resumed—this time, I was fully focused.

  (Smash!)

  (Smack!)

  Now, I was the one attacking. The five Beta males scrambled to defend themselves, barely keeping up with my relentless strikes.

  They staggered back, struggling under the sheer force of my blows.

  Yes.

  This was how it should be.

  This is the real Deux.

  Strong.

  Unyielding.

  Feared.

  Unshaken by anything or anyone—

  "Deux..."

  A soft, gentle voice cut through the battlefield like a knife.

  My entire body froze.

  I turned my head.

  And there he was.

  Champ.

  He stood a few feet away, smiling at me. His expression was warm, inviting—like he was waiting for me to run into his arms.

  And I did.

  Without thinking, I rushed toward him, closing the distance in an instant.

  Then, without a word, I wrapped my arms around him. Tightly.

  As if I had been starving for his presence.

  As if letting go was not an option.

  "Deux..."

  "Champ..." I whispered, eyes shut, as I melted into his embrace, savoring the warmth of his body against mine.

  This was where I belonged.

  "Deux... please, mark me..." he breathed.

  "Yes, I will..."

  Instinct took over.

  My fangs grazed his neck, preparing to sink deep—

  "Deux..." His voice trembled as I bit down.

  "M-Master Deux—nggh!"

  Wait.

  ...

  ...

  Wait.

  Master Deux?

  ...

  My eyes shot open.

  Horror dawned upon me.

  The "Champ" in my arms wasn't Champ.

  No.

  It was one of my Beta subordinates.

  The poor Beta looked utterly terrified, sweat dripping down his face as I clung to him. My sharp fangs were mere inches away from his neck.

  Oh.

  ...

  Oh no.

  "..."

  I slowly—very slowly—loosened my grip, stepping back. The Beta male scrambled away from me like his life depended on it.

  The other four just stood there, watching, their faces a mix of confusion, fear, and possibly—just possibly—suppressed ughter.

  I...

  I needed to disappear from existence.

  Right. Now.

  Clearing my throat, I straightened my posture, adjusting my colr as if nothing had happened.

  "Ahem."

  I turned on my heel.

  "Training is over," I decred with finality, walking away with all the dignity I could muster.

  The five Beta males exchanged looks before one of them spoke.

  "But, Master Deux—"

  "I SAID IT'S OVER! Don't let my eyes see the five of you! Or even your shadows."

  And with that, I stormed off, pretending my entire existence hadn't just crumbled into mortifying humiliation.

  ...

  This was Champ's fault.

  All of it.

  I y ft on the ground, fists pounding against the dirt.

  "Ugh! Damn it!" I yelled, frustration bubbling over. "Deux, get a grip! Champ, get out of my head already!"

  I stared up at the sky, utterly defeated, my mind repying the humiliating disaster that had just occurred.

  I had almost marked one of my Beta subordinates. Almost.

  If I hadn't snapped out of it in time—dear gods, the shame.

  I spat out, rubbing my lips furiously. "Disgusting! That was way too close! That damn neck tasted bitter!"

  My eyes widened.

  "But, what if Champ's neck is actually sweet...?"

  No. Stop. Right now.

  With a scowl, I smacked myself across the face.

  "Champ! Enough already! For the love of everything sacred, I am doing my best to stay away from you! Can you at least leave my mind!"

  (Sniff!)

  And then... I smelled it.

  That scent. His vender scent.

  That dangerously addictive, mind-wrecking, nerve-destroying scent that had been tormenting me for a long time.

  "Great." I groaned, throwing my hands over my face. "I've lost my damn mind! Now I'm hallucinating your scent too! What's next? Are you gonna start talking to me, huh?"

  "...What are you doing?"

  I froze.

  My heart stopped.

  Slowly, very slowly, I lowered my hands from my face.

  And there he was.

  Champ.

  Standing right in front of me, arms crossed, looking at me like I had completely lost it.

  My brain short-circuited.

  "A hallucination," I muttered. "You're a hallucination. That's all."

  Champ blinked. "A... hallucination? Are you insane?"

  "Yes," I answered without hesitation.

  He tilted his head. "So you've been thinking about me that much?"

  I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Can you just leave? Please? You've been running on my mind and I'm trying really hard to erase you from my thoughts, and you are not helping."

  "But why would you want to erase me?" he asked, looking genuinely curious. "Wouldn't it be easier to just let me walk instead of making me run around in your head all day? That sounds exhausting."

  I sat up and gred at him. "You know what's exhausting? You. You and your stupid presence! You and your stupid scent! You and your—your stupid food! I was trying to train, and all I could think about was how good your cooking was!"

  Champ's lips curled into a smirk. "Really? Well, lucky for you, I actually brought you some."

  He lifted a container in his hand.

  My nose twitched.

  No.

  No way.

  I refused to believe this.

  I shut my eyes, inhaling deeply. "My brain is so broken that I can even smell it now."

  Champ snorted. "Who said you were dreaming?"

  Then, before I could react, he pressed the warm container against my right cheek.

  "OW! HOT!" I yelped, jerking away.

  Wait.

  Wait, wait, wait—

  Why did that hurt?

  My eyes widened in pure, unfiltered horror.

  Slowly, painfully slowly, I turned to look at Champ.

  He was smiling at me.

  A real, solid, non-hallucination smile.

  I swallowed hard.

  Okay. Calm down. There's a way to prove this isn't real.

  There's a way to check if I'm dreaming or not.

  Right now, I'm sitting down, and directly in front of my eyes is... Champ's manhood.

  Without thinking—without a single ounce of hesitation—I reached out and squeezed 'it'. You know, just to make absolutely sure this wasn't a dream.

  Soft.

  Warm.

  Hmmm and...

  Small?

  Real.

  ...

  Champ immediately smacked me over the head.

  "PERVERT! Why the hell are you touching my... my dick?!"

  "WHAT THE HELL?" I screamed, bolting to my feet. "YOU'RE REAL?!"

  "Of course I'm real!" he shouted back, still rubbing his harassed manhood. "What kind of weirdo grabs someone's dick to check if they're dreaming?!"

  I didn't answer.

  I couldn't answer.

  Because I was already sprinting away as fast as I could.

  "HEY!" Champ yelled after me. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?! I MADE YOU FOOD!"

  I ran faster.

  Shit!

  What the hell just happened?!

  I thought it was a hallucination!

  I thought I was dreaming!

  But no!

  It was real!

  Champ was actually there!

  And I just groped his manhood like a madman!

  This was, without a doubt, the worst day of my life.

  ...

  ...

  ...

  Champ's POV

  "What the hell is wrong with him? Has he finally lost his mind?" I muttered to myself as I watched Deux sprint away at breakneck speed.

  Seriously. What was that?

  He just grabbed my—

  I shuddered.

  That idiot actually squeezed my little shrimp! What the hell was he thinking?!

  Maybe he just wanted to see how big it was—only to find out it wasn't that impressive.

  Waaah!

  Shaking off that horrifying thought, I sighed and looked down at the container in my hands.

  I had woken up early to prepare food for him, knowing he'd like it.

  And now he runs away from me? Wow. No gratitude at all.

  "Ungrateful bastard!" I shouted after him.

  But then...

  Wait.

  What did he say earlier?

  "I've been running in his mind all day?"

  Why?

  For what reason?

  What the hell did he mean by that? He looked so confused, like his brain was glitching or something.

  Is Deux going through some sort of crisis?

  Oh gods, is his brain breaking down?!

  I let out a ugh at the thought.

  Well, whatever. I'd give him the food ter. He always popped up out of nowhere like some kind of mushroom or a pimple, anyway.

  Right now, I was at the university garden, sitting at a table with Jiggs while we ate and chatted.

  "Did you tell the four Beta males that we're meeting here?" I asked him, taking another bite of my noodles.

  "Yeah, they're on their way. Just finishing their csses first," Jiggs replied.

  "Good." I nodded, then stared at my food, my mind drifting back to someone. "You know, I've been noticing something weird about Deux tely."

  Jiggs raised an eyebrow. "Weird how?"

  I sighed, stirring my noodles absentmindedly. "He's just... different. When I first met him, he was untouchable. Cold. Completely unapproachable. You couldn't even talk to him properly. Well... okay, you still can't talk to him properly, but now he's worse. He's always near me, always appearing out of nowhere. And just earlier, he literally said I've been running around in his mind—like he's dreaming about me or something."

  Jiggs burst into ughter.

  I shot him a gre.

  He immediately shut up, coughing into his fist. "Ahem. Sorry."

  "He's an Alpha," Jiggs said after a moment. "It's just how they are."

  I scoffed. "So am I. In case you forgot."

  Jiggs scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Right. Haha, my bad."

  Then he suddenly smirked. "But hey... what if Deux likes you?"

  I nearly choked on my noodles.

  "EXCUSE ME?!"

  "Think about it," Jiggs said, grinning. "He's always near you. He's thinking about you all the time. I also saw it... He even grabbed your d—"

  "STOP RIGHT THERE." I smmed my chopsticks down. "When, where, how... ugh! Calm your damn imagination, Jiggs! You think Deux—the arrogant, egotistical, Alpha Prince Deux—would like someone like me?"

  Jiggs shrugged. "I mean... what if he does?"

  "If that happens, the world will end as we know it," I deadpanned.

  Then I let out a breath, shaking my head.

  "Jiggs, there's no reason for Deux to like me. Besides, he's an Alpha Prince. He can't fall for another Alpha like me. He has duties, responsibilities—"

  "Ahh, right. That must be why he's over there, gring at me like he wants to crush my skull," Jiggs interrupted, casually nodding in a direction behind me.

  I turned.

  And there he was.

  Deux.

  Standing at a distance.

  Arms crossed.

  Expression darker than a storm cloud.

  Staring.

  At us.

  Specifically, at Jiggs.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  Then, just as suddenly as he appeared, Deux spun on his heel and stomped away.

  I blinked.

  Jiggs smirked, "Sooo... yeah. He's definitely lost his mind."

  "Yep. Completely broken."

  "Because of you."

  "Shut up."

  Jiggs chuckled. "Maybe he's mad because we're sitting here eating and chatting like this. Doesn't look Alpha enough for him."

  I snorted. "Or maybe he's jealous of you and wants you out of my life."

  Jiggs gasped dramatically. "Oh no. Am I in danger?"

  I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

  "But for real," Jiggs grinned. "What if Deux actually does like you? What would you do?"

  I shrugged. "If he did—which he doesn't—I'd tell him straight up that I don't feel the same. I'd tell him to wake up, focus on his own damn path, and leave me alone."

  Jiggs leaned closer. "So you really don't feel anything for him?"