Afraid of Alphas, but Pregnant with an Alpha’s Child - Chapter 11

Warm water was offered, and the pill followed it into his mouth. A faint bitterness spread across the tip of his tongue. After a moment, he thought he detected a hint of sweetness, like chocolate.

Jiang Qiu’s expression settled into peace for a brief second before shifting back into a complex, pained emotion.

Lu Mingshen sat by the bedside, his eyes fixed downward on him. Jiang Qiu’s sleep was far from restful; a fine sheen of cold sweat had broken out on his forehead. Lu Mingshen used a freshly wrung towel to wipe the moisture away. Just as he moved to stand up, his hand was suddenly gripped.

There was no sign of Jiang Qiu waking. His brows were knit tight, and he was murmuring something under his breath. Lu Mingshen leaned in closer. He heard a whisper: “Let me go… please…”

The hand that was about to pull away froze.

Lu Mingshen’s expression was heavy, his features unreadable in the dim, lightless bedroom. He reached out several times, but in the end, he only tucked the quilt around Jiang Qiu, then stood up to change the towel.

When the door clicked shut, Jiang Qiu slowly opened his eyes.

He felt as though a mountain were pressing down on him, making it impossible to breathe. He struggled to sit up, his hands still shaking violently. He took a difficult, deep breath. Hearing the sound of steady, rhythmic footsteps, he immediately lay back down. A moment later, the door opened. The newcomer placed a glass of water on the nightstand, turned up the air conditioning slightly, and switched on the humidifier.

A warm palm pressed lightly against his forehead, then withdrew.

A tiny, high-pitched voice whispered in his ear, “What’s wrong with Daddy?”

“Daddy isn’t feeling well,” Lu Mingshen replied.

“How is he not well? Is Daddy sick?”

Lu Mingshen sighed, kneeling to pat the boy’s hair. “It’s Uncle’s fault.”

Jiang Cheng brandished a tiny fist. “Uncle bullied Daddy!” How mean!

“I will apologize properly…”

The voices drifted away. Lu Mingshen, likely afraid of disturbing his rest, carried his son out to comfort him. He returned a few minutes later. The room was warm but not dry, and Jiang Qiu found himself slipping into a subtle drowsiness.

He curled up, letting the quilt envelop him completely. But this movement alerted Lu Mingshen. He heard footsteps approaching slowly; the man leaned over to tuck the edges of the blanket in once more. Warm breath brushed briefly against Jiang Qiu’s face, sending a wave of goosebumps across his skin.

The room fell silent.

Just as Jiang Qiu thought Lu Mingshen had left, a pair of hands suddenly reached into the quilt, moving toward the top button of his pajamas. Warm knuckles brushed against his chest. Fear shot from his spine straight to his brain. He bolted upright. “Don’t touch me!”

Jiang Qiu cowered, pressing himself into the corner of the bed, his face a mask of terror and pain. Lu Mingshen stood there, freshly dried pajamas draped over his arm and a towel in his hand. His dark eyes watched Jiang Qiu silently, the warm light of the bedside lamp reflecting in his pupils.

“You were sweating. I was afraid you’d catch a cold. I didn’t mean anything else.” Lu Mingshen set the pajamas on the bed. His voice was calm. “Remember to change.”

Jiang Qiu closed his eyes.

…How could Lu Mingshen act as if nothing had happened?

He realized he was wrong. He and Lu Mingshen were not in a “partnership.” The line between Alpha and Omega was sharp and clear; how could two people at opposite ends of the food chain live together in peace?

These past few days of tranquility were merely a test before their pheromones inevitably clashed. The confrontation just now had reminded him exactly how much he feared the scent of an Alpha. If they continued like this, he would be the only one to get hurt.

“Mr. Lu,” his voice was hoarse. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can get used to being this close to an Alpha.”

“Chengcheng and I will move out tomorrow. Thank you for everything.” He gripped the quilt tight. “…If it’s inconvenient, I’ll pack my bags right now.”

Lu Mingshen instinctively moved to stop him, but logic made him pull back his hand at the last second. Jiang Qiu was faster. The moment the door opened, he felt Lu Mingshen’s presence following him. In a panicked reaction, he slammed the door shut behind him and stumbled out into the hallway.

His back hit the wall hard. He used both hands to brace himself against the surface so he wouldn’t slide to the floor. His palms were clammy, and he felt a deep chill, yet his blood was boiling, screaming as it raced through his veins. He felt as if his head were about to explode.

Lu Mingshen reached out to steady him, but Jiang Qiu dodged.

“Thanks, I can do it myself,” Jiang Qiu said, forcing a calm he didn’t feel. He stood up slowly. “Mr. Lu, I oversimplified things. Living together… it isn’t right for either of us.”

He stopped. If he said another word, his composure would shatter.

To him, Lu Mingshen was always silent and composed, his thoughts hidden beneath a calm exterior. Even Lu’s attempts at caring felt like an overwhelming pressure. It made Jiang Qiu feel like he was the only one who was losing his mind.

Their peaceful days had been brutally torn away. How could a victim and a perpetrator live in the same house?

“Daddy? Uncle?” A tiny voice interrupted them.

Both turned to see a little boy clutching a pillow, standing on the stairs. He had been watching them for a while. Chengcheng rubbed his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Jiang Qiu froze. He knew how pathetic he looked and didn’t want his son to see him this way. He forced a smile and said softly, “Daddy was just chatting with Uncle and slipped. Why are you still up so late?”

Chengcheng dragged his pillow over, knelt, and then crawled over to hug Jiang Qiu’s neck. “Uncle said Daddy wasn’t feeling well. I came to check on you.”

He kissed Jiang Qiu on the neck, cupping his father’s face with his chubby hands. “Where does it hurt, Daddy?”

“The pain was kissed away by baby,” Jiang Qiu whispered, holding his son close. “Go back to sleep, okay? Daddy and Uncle need to have a private talk.”

Chengcheng had a strong sense of boundaries; he was curious, but he never pried into things his father didn’t want him to know. He nodded vigorously. “Then Daddy has to go to sleep soon too, okay?”

“Okay.” He received another soft kiss on the cheek.

After kissing Jiang Qiu, the boy turned around, clutched his pillow behind his back, and did a little wiggle. Lu Mingshen was staring at the floor, lost in thought. Seeing no reaction, Chengcheng took a step forward and patted him.

Lu Mingshen looked down and gave the boy’s hair a perfunctory pat, then gently turned him 180 degrees by the top of his head. “It’s time for bed,” he said, his voice husky.

Chengcheng: “…”

He angrily pulled the large hand off his head and demanded, “Don’t you want a kiss from me?”

So that was it. Lu Mingshen knelt, waiting for the kiss. Chengcheng stared at him with bright eyes. Those eyes clearly said: Say it.

“I… I want one,” Lu Mingshen muttered.

Chengcheng stood on his tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead. Then, looking a bit shy, he hugged his pillow and went scurrying back downstairs.

In the dim light, Jiang Qiu let out a silent sigh. The faint, warm yellow light of the living room flickered in his eyes. The tension between the two adults had softened thanks to their son. Jiang Qiu finally lost his strength and slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

“Chengcheng really likes you,” Jiang Qiu whispered.

Lu Mingshen knelt to meet his eyes. His face was in shadow, his features blurred. If Jiang Qiu were to turn on the light, he would see a storm of emotions in Lu’s eyes a volatile mixture of restraint, attachment, and desire… the look of a predator watching its prey.

In contrast, Lu Mingshen’s voice remained calm, as if he were discussing someone else’s life. “Your heat is coming. It’s not safe for you to go elsewhere. I will move out. I’ll only come to see Chengcheng with your permission.”

“For my heat… I can go to the school,” Jiang Qiu said. “There are teachers who specialize in managing Omega heats.”

“Perhaps you should ask for Chengcheng’s opinion.”

That was his trump card. Chengcheng definitely loved the big house.

“Don’t use the child to pressure me,” Jiang Qiu snapped.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I didn’t mean it like that”?

Lu Mingshen always used that phrase or “I’m sorry” to brush things off. There was always a reason for his actions, rooted in the innate superiority of an Alpha. Marking you temporarily? Sorry, your pheromones were too enticing. Getting you pregnant? Sorry, that’s just how A and O unions work. Terrifying you? Sorry, my pheromones were out of control..

“Mr. Lu, do you know how I felt when I found out I was an Omega and not a Beta?” Jiang Qiu looked up, meeting his gaze. “It was terror.”

“Because of that sudden differentiation, I’ve spent every day since then living in fear. I never knew when the next heat would come, and no one taught me what to do. My mother held me and cried for a long time, apologizing through her tears… Could I blame her? Or should I blame the Alpha father who abandoned his wife and son? Or should I hate them for bringing me into this world?”

“That day I met you, when that thing happened… should I blame you, or blame this body that went into heat for no reason?”

“When the school refused my readmission, should I have hated the teachers or the classmates who mocked me?”

“There are too many people to hate, Mr. Lu. I’m just… so tired,” Jiang Qiu closed his eyes. “I think you’ll never understand this fear. The feeling of constantly being on a knife’s edge… the feeling of not even being able to trust your own body.”

“Now, on top of heats and pheromones, I have another uncontrollable factor this ‘Alpha Phobia.’ I don’t know when it will flare up, how bad it will get, or if… I’ll do something to hurt you. So, I’m sorry. If only for Chengcheng’s sake… we should part ways.”

Support