Viona woke to the sharp, familiar blare of her alarm. It was early—painfully so—but the demands of running a company meant her mornings always started before the sun. She reached out to silence the noise, her mind already shifting into work mode, when she froze.
There was a distinct, unfamiliar bulge under the heavy duvet beside her.
Heart quickening, Viona slowly peeled back the fabric. Her breath hitched. Curled into a tight, protective ball was Ethan.
Didn't I sleep alone last night?
She blinked, racking her brain. Yes, she had definitely gone to bed by herself. Ethan was usually so guarded, a man who hesitated over a simple conversation, let alone intimacy. Had he actually gathered the courage to slip into her room in the dead of night?
A soft, affectionate smile broke across her face. Ethan was still sound asleep, completely undisturbed by the loud alarm. Reaching out, Viona gently brushed a stray lock of dark hair from his forehead, captivated by how peaceful he looked. Leaning down, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
Let's just say I stole a kiss, she thought.
But as she stood up, a sudden wave of heat made her pause. Truth be told, she had stolen far more than a kiss in her dreams last night. Shaking her head at her own vivid, borderline perverted imagination, Viona wondered if her Alpha rut was approaching, or if she was just becoming entirely too greedy for him. Poking his soft cheek one last time, she quietly grabbed her things and slipped into the bathroom, making sure to tuck the blanket securely around his shoulders before she shut the door.
Caught in the Act
The moment the bathroom door clicked shut, the Omega beneath the blanket slowly opened his eyes.
Did she just kiss me?
Ethan buried his burning face in his hands. He remembered everything: the middle-of-the-night loneliness, the terrifying walk down the hallway, and the quiet relief of slipping into her bed. But now, reality was crashing in. How was he supposed to explain himself? He completely lacked the confidence to tell her that he just wanted to be near her.
He considered fleeing back to his own room, but it was too late. Instead, he pulled the blanket over his head, desperately trying to disappear.
"Honey..."
Ethan flinched. He tried to freeze, hoping to fake sleep, but his racing heart gave him away.
Even though Viona had started using the pet name recently, hearing it still sent a shiver of shy warmth straight to his core. He wasn't entirely used to it yet, but he knew he was falling for it. Fast.
"Honey... I know you're awake. Come out of there."
Defeated, Ethan slowly peeked out from under the covers, looking like a guilty child. But Viona wasn't angry. In fact, she looked radiant, clearly thrilled that he had taken the first step toward her.
"Let's sleep together from now on," she said simply, offering no interrogation or judgment.
A heavy weight lifted from Ethan's chest. He nodded quickly, sliding out of bed to brush his teeth, his cheeks still burning.
"Honey..." Viona called out from the doorway.
Ethan paused, looking at her bashfully. "...Can you please stop calling me that all the time?"
"No... Honey."
Realizing it was a losing battle, Ethan let out a quiet sigh, though a secret part of him loved the warmth in her voice.
"Don't starve yourself today, okay?" Viona instructed, her tone softening into genuine concern. "I'll call you in the morning and around lunchtime. You have to promise me you'll eat."
"Mm..." Ethan murmured. It felt a bit like being scolded by a protective parent, but the underlying care filled a hollow space in his chest. It felt incredible to be looked after.
Scent and Status
"Okay then, I'm leaving," Viona said, opening her arms wide. "Give me a hug."
Ethan hesitated, taking a step back. Viona's smile faltered for a fraction of a second, wondering if she had pushed him too far.
"Ah... um..." Ethan stammered, looking down at his feet. "My scent... it will rub off on your clothes. Is that really okay? Won't it cause trouble for you at work?"
Relief washed over Viona. Before he could spiral into any more doubts, she stepped forward and pulled him firmly against her chest.
"Of course it's okay," she murmured, burying her face into the crook of his neck. She took a deep, centering breath, intoxicating herself with his sweet, calming Omega pheromones. "Shouldn't I show everyone that I finally have an Omega of my own?"
Without her heels on, they stood perfectly eye-to-eye. Viona stared directly into his gaze, watching him flinch and look away in sheer embarrassment. She found every single one of his clumsy, shy reactions completely endearing.
Giving him a final, playful kiss on the cheek, she stepped into her heels, grabbed her keys, and headed out the door.
Ethan stood by the window, watching her crisp office suit disappear into her car. As the vehicle pulled out of the driveway and vanished down the street, an immediate wave of loneliness hit him. The house felt entirely too big. Too quiet.
He had sworn a long time ago never to let anyone close enough to hurt him. But looking at the empty driveway, Ethan realized his heart had already broken its own rules.
The Alpha Poker Face
Exactly thirty minutes later, Viona arrived at the corporate headquarters. The moment her car door opened, the playful, affectionate girl from the morning vanished. In her place stood the cold, formidable Alpha CEO. She walked through the glass doors with a flawless, intimidating poker face that kept everyone at a respectful distance.
But as she walked past the main lobby, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Staff members bowed in greeting, but as she passed, their eyes widened, and whispers immediately broke out.
Viona secretly smirked. Predictable.
The Alphas in the room were the first to catch it—the unmistakable, sweet, and dominant scent of an Omega clinging to their boss's clothes. A few of the more sensitive Omegas in the office gasped, turning to their coworkers the moment Viona entered the private elevator.
"Did you smell that? There's an Omega scent all over her!"
"Wait, wasn't there a rumor that she secretly got married?"
"No way. If the CEO got married, it would have been all over the financial news."
"Then how do you explain that scent? It's completely wrapping around her Alpha pheromones."
"Maybe the rumors are true..."
By the time Viona reached her top-floor office, the corporate chat rooms were already ablaze with the morning's biggest scandal: The ice-queen boss has an Omega.