"Yes!" Taeryn groaned, eyes squeezing shut as his body trembled. His pheromones flooded the air, thick and heady, wrapping around them both.
Rihan grimaced, his nose wrinkling. He released Taeryn's hair instantly, stepping back as if he had been burned. The Alpha's scent was cloying and potent, and Rihan could feel it crawling under his skin, stirring something deep....
It didn't make sense. He was on blockers. And his meds weren't just supposed to suppress his own pheromones. They shielded him from others too. So why the hell was he reacting?
His pulse was unsteady. He needed space, air, distance away from this Alpha.
He rubbed his temple, muttering under his breath, "I need to go to the hospital later…"
"Hospital?" Taeryn asked suddenly, worry flickering across his face. His fingers ran through his hair like he was trying to rub the ache from his scalp. "Why? Are you okay? Are my pheromones toxic to you?"
Rihan ignored him and walked toward the kitchen. The omelettes were cold now, and he quietly served them onto two plates before shoving them into the microwave.
Taeryn followed, standing close enough that Rihan could feel the heat from his body and his gaze.... The Alpha was watching him like he was the meal instead of the food in the microwave.
When the timer beeped, Rihan turned, facing him with that calm, unreadable expression that Taeryn always seemed to mistake for patience.
"Why are you here?" he asked flatly.
"Because I'm tired of being away from you," Taeryn said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
Rihan wanted to crack his skull open just to see what kind of logic was inside. Did this he actually believe Rihan belonged to him?
"I don't want anything to do with you," Rihan said evenly. "I'm serious. You need to get over this crush and leave." Or I'll break you.
Taeryn hesitated, like he was thinking it over. Then he shook his head. "No. I'm staying."
The microwave beeped again. Rihan sighed, pulled the plates out, and slid one across the counter toward Taeryn.
"You can grab whatever you want from the fridge," he muttered, already walking toward the dining table.
Halfway there, he mentally cursed himself. He was supposed to kick the Alpha out, not feed him breakfast.
He wasn't drunk this time which meant he had no excuse. His body was simply betraying him, responding to Taeryn's pheromones like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Rihan sat down, and a moment later Taeryn followed, dropping into the chair beside him with a grin that reached those storm-gray eyes. His brown hair was a mess.... Soft, ruffled, and annoyingly endearing. He looked like some overeager pup as he downed a bottle of sweetened yogurt.
Rihan found himself watching the strong line of Taeryn's throat, the way his Adam's apple bobbed with each swallow, the faint smear of white left at the corner of his lips when he lowered the bottle.
His mind easily visualised his cum on those lips, and he quickly looked away, forcing his attention back to his food.
He really did need to go to the hospital. He'd already told Minjae he wasn't feeling well, and Minjae would no doubt tell the chief. That meant he wasn't stepping into the station today.
They ate in silence after that. When they were done, Rihan collected their plates and washed them in the sink, methodically scrubbing away at imaginary stains. Anything to ignore the Alpha's presence behind him.
No matter how much Taeryn had stalked him, no matter how much he thought he knew, Rihan was certain the Alpha had no idea what he really was. And he needed to keep it that way.
If Rihan was being honest, he had never been interested in anyone not sexually, not physically, not in any sense. He'd assumed he was incapable of it. But he'd researched enough about others like him, other Enigmas from the past, to know the truth.
An Enigma only ever mated once in their lifetime. And it wasn't love, it was obsession. A dangerous, consuming kind of fixation.
The thought had always made him curious as a child. But he'd grown used to the idea that it would never happen to him. Especially since he'd spent his whole life hiding.
"Can I come with you to the hospital?" Taeryn suddenly asked, breaking through Rihan's thoughts.
Rihan blinked. "Why would you do that?"
He rinsed the plates, neatly stacking them away, but just as he turned to face the Alpha, Taeryn was already closing the distance between them. The Alpha grinned, his face lighting up with his messy brown hair, bright grey eyes, looking infuriatingly adorable. He looked more like a bunny than a wolf, and that only made Rihan's pulse quicken.
He felt his hands ache to reach out... to cup that stupidly beautiful face but instead, he clenched them into tight fists.
"Because I don't want to leave your side," Taeryn said simply. "Am I not making it obvious that I like you?" His head tilted slightly, his eyes gleaming with desire.
Rihan pressed his lips together. Oh, he was making it obvious. Painfully so. And Rihan should be doing something about it, like kicking him out.
"You are," he murmured. "It's… unsettling."
Taeryn laughed, his dimples flashing. "Do you only understand the emotions of death? You're even more—"
Rihan's hand shot up, clamping over Taeryn's mouth before he could finish whatever ridiculous word of adoration was about to come out. His face burned. Just that small touch sent sparks racing up his veins.
Something was very wrong with him and it had everything to do with the Alpha in front of him.
Taeryn's eyes widened at first, startled but then he smiled, his eyes brightening until they shimmered a vivid red. Rihan froze, staring at him in disbelief before quickly withdrawing his hand.
"You can come with me," he said at last, voice flat. "But you're staying outside while I speak to the doctor."
Taeryn nodded, still smiling. "Okay."
Rihan turned away, heading toward his bedroom, but the Alpha trailed after him like a shadow. When Rihan finally glanced back, he couldn't hide his exasperation.
"Seriously?"
Taeryn blinked, completely unbothered. "Can I bathe here and wear your clothes? I didn't bring any," he said, his tone innocent but his eyes gleaming with mischief.
Rihan stared at him, momentarily speechless. "You want to wear my clothes?"
"Yes!" Taeryn's eager nod came almost too fast.
Rihan bit his lower lip, studying him warily. The thought shouldn't have pleased him but it did. A little too much.
"...I'll pick them out," he muttered finally, then pointed toward the bathroom door. "Go on."
Taeryn obeyed with a cheerful hum, disappearing into the bathroom. The door slid shut behind him with a soft click.
Rihan exhaled heavily, dragging his fingers through his hair until the knot loosened and long strands spilled down his back. His neck glands tingled sharply, the pulse of it sending restless signals through every nerve in his body.
"Something's definitely wrong with me," he whispered under his breath.