The Fox Spirit Survived as an Alpha by Consuming Pheromones - Chapter 2

Jiang Li lay curled up on the plush carpet, looking like a small, vulnerable animal. By now, her fox tail had long since tucked itself back into her body.

This was the most comfortable sleep she’d had in all her memory. The room was the perfect temperature, the rug beneath her was soft as a cloud, and for once, her usually hollow stomach felt pleasantly full.

Yet, even in such a peaceful environment, Jiang Li retained her primal instincts. Even in the depths of sleep, she could sense the approach of danger.

…

The woman woke up feeling empty-stomached and uncomfortably sticky. She instinctively reached back to touch the gland at the nape of her neck; it was no longer burning with the same agonizing heat.

A faint sound of breathing reached her ears, causing her to bolt upright. She immediately spotted Jiang Li curled up on the floor. Seeing the girl looking so harmless and deep in sleep, the woman’s racing heart finally began to settle. At the same time, memories of her heat flashed uncontrollably through her mind. She had actually engaged in excessive physical contact with this stranger—she’d let her kiss her gland!

If it weren’t for the fact that her heat cycles had become so erratic that suppressants and patches no longer worked, she never would have resorted to such desperate measures as kidnapping someone off the street.

She had tried to endure her heat with other Alphas before, but without exception, every attempt had ended in failure. The memory of the physical revulsion and the urge to vomit was still vivid.

But what happened this time? She realized with a frown that she hadn’t felt any resistance to this girl’s touch. She looked down at Jiang Li, studying her thoughtfully, trying to figure out what made this Alpha different from the others.

The girl looked to be in her early twenties, perhaps a bit younger than herself. She had long, upturned lashes, a straight nose, and lips that were thin and naturally rosy. She looked quite peaceful and charming, even while she slept.

The woman extended a foot, intending to nudge her awake. She had no intention of spending the entire night with a stranger.

But before her foot could make contact, her slender ankle was caught in a firm grip.

The woman let out a sharp hiss of pain and found herself locking eyes with Jiang Li.

In a split second, Jiang Li’s gaze shifted from a fierce, wild intensity to an innocent, cautious look, so fast the woman wondered if she had imagined the first expression. She stared at the girl’s face, realizing she looked even more beautiful than she had at first glance. Her eyes, in particular, tilted upward at the corners, making her look remarkably like a seductive fox.

Before she could process this, a stuttering apology broke the silence.

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to.” The girl sounded so bewildered and fragile, like a child who had made a mistake, that it was impossible to stay angry.

The woman rubbed her ankle. It had actually been squeezed red, but seeing the girl’s pathetic, wide-eyed look, her heart softened. There was something strangely captivating about those “fox-like” eyes paired with such a pitiful expression.

“It’s fine,” the woman said, sitting up straight and looking down at Jiang Li. She asked casually, “What’s your name?”

Jiang Li opened her mouth, but the name that was about to escape her lips was swallowed back down. Fragmented, painful memories of the original owner surfaced; she didn’t want to be sent back to wherever she came from. She decided to hide her identity. Her eyes flickered nervously. It was clear she wasn’t a natural liar.

The woman noticed the hesitation and smiled inwardly, waiting patiently for an answer.

Jiang Li bit her lip. Suddenly, the voice of a little girl echoed in her mind: “A-Li, let’s go out and play.”

“A-Li,” Jiang Li repeated instinctively.

A flash of surprise crossed the woman’s eyes. “Your name is A-Li? Which ‘Li’?”

Jiang Li hadn’t expected to say it out loud. In her panic, her eyes landed on a fox plushie sitting on the nightstand. Guessing the woman liked foxes—and being a fox spirit herself, she replied, “The ‘Li’… as in fox spirit (Li).”

A self-deprecating smile touched the woman’s lips. “A-Li… do you remember why you were wandering around Huayin Alley? Where is your family?”

Jiang Li shook her head blankly, looking reluctant to speak. “I… I don’t remember.”

Since she had been found wandering in a place like that and was clearly avoiding her past, the woman didn’t press for more information. She simply nodded. “Perhaps it’s better not to remember. So, what do you plan to do now?”

At the question, Jiang Li’s face flushed a soft red. She stole a shy glance at the woman, then lowered her head, fidgeting with the edge of her clothes.

“Could you… keep me?” she whispered tentatively. “Your pheromones are delicious.”

She waited, heart pounding, for an answer. She had never talked to a human for this long before; this brief interaction had already sparked a sense of trust in her simple heart. More than that, the woman’s pheromones were an obsession. Now that she had tasted the very best, she would rather starve than go back to “scavenging.”

The woman watched her silently. Her business instincts made her weigh the pros and cons of this “transaction,” but she realized she still needed this girl to help her through her heat cycles.

“Alright,” she replied.

Jiang Li looked up in disbelief, her eyes shimmering with joy. Her body trembled slightly as she took a long moment to squeeze out a soft “Thank you,” followed by a huge sigh of relief.

Her earnestness made the woman’s heart tingle. She slid off the bed and knelt in front of Jiang Li, gently tilting the girl’s chin up. “A-Li, since I’m taking you in, if you ever remember anything about your past, you must tell me.”

Jiang Li nodded vigorously. “A-Li understands.” Since I haven’t fully remembered yet, not saying anything isn’t breaking the promise, she reasoned.

As the woman breathed out, a faint scent of passion fruit lingered in the air. Jiang Li leaned in closer, greedily inhaling the scent. The sudden intimacy caught the woman off guard, and she felt her own face heating up. She hurriedly pulled back, realizing she wasn’t actually as good at “teasing” people as she thought.

“You don’t like it when I do that?” Jiang Li asked, her voice tinged with hurt. She was already becoming more articulate.

“No, I’m just not used to it,” the woman lied. “And remember, you can’t do that in front of others.”

Jiang Li nodded obediently. “How… how should I address you? What is… what is your name?”

In Jiang Li’s mind, this woman was now her “provider.” Asking for her name felt a bit impolite, so she spoke with great care, afraid of upsetting her.

The woman didn’t hesitate. “My name is Bai Muqin. As for what to call me… what do you think would be appropriate?”

“Bai Muqin…” Jiang Li whispered. The name felt strangely familiar, as if it were buried somewhere in those broken memories. She pushed the thought aside to focus on the question.

After a moment, only one word came to mind. She looked at Bai Muqin with complete sincerity.

“Master.”

Bai Muqin was visibly stunned. But when that word, “Master”, came from A-Li’s lips, she felt a sudden, sharp reaction in her gland. A flicker of phantom pleasure coursed through her. She was bewildered by her own reaction. Do I have some sort of hidden kink? Or is this just a side effect of being celibate for too long?

“You don’t like it?” Jiang Li asked softly, unable to think of any other title.

Bai Muqin leaned in again, her hand grazing Jiang Li’s cheek.

“I like it.”

“Say it a few more times. I like the way it sounds.”

Jiang Li obliged: “Master.” “Master—” “Master—”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Bai Muqin said, taking a deep breath to suppress the rising heat in her chest. Those calls were making her heart race. Paired with A-Li’s innocent face and those naturally seductive eyes, it made her want to… do things to her. I’m an Omega, she thought, why am I the one wanting to bully an Alpha?

She gave a small cough to hide her flustered state. “Just like I said before, you can’t call me that in front of others. In public, just call me Miss Bai.”

“I understand, Master,” Jiang Li replied happily. Seeing Bai Muqin’s reaction, she knew she had successfully pleased her new provider.

The scent of passion fruit in the air seemed to thicken. Jiang Li inhaled deeply, then felt an itch at the back of her neck and reached up to scratch it.

Recalling the doctor’s report about A-Li’s gland being necrotic and incapable of marking, Bai Muqin said softly, “Come here. Bow your head.” She wanted to see for herself; if the gland truly was dead, she could feel safe using A-Li to get through her heats.

Jiang Li obeyed. Bai Muqin brushed the girl’s hair aside, and her brow furrowed the moment she saw the gland.

The damage was clearly intentional. What should have been a delicate, soft gland was now a jagged, terrifying scar. Bai Muqin couldn’t bear to imagine the pain of having one’s gland destroyed like that. No wonder A-Li didn’t want to talk about her past. To be a beautiful Alpha, have your gland ruined, and be left to rot in a place like Huayin Alley… who could be so heartless?

She gently stroked the scar, her voice cooling but filled with a trace of pity. “If you ever remember who did this to your gland, tell Master. I’ll settle the score for you.”

“Thank you, Master.” For the first time, Jiang Li felt a true sense of belonging.

The scent of passion fruit grew even stronger. Jiang Li asked uncertainly, “Master… are you going into heat again?” She nuzzled her head into the crook of Bai Muqin’s neck like a cub.

Bai Muqin didn’t push her away. She rested a hand on Jiang Li’s head, her voice slightly strained. “You can take it… but don’t kiss me there.”

Jiang Li mumbled an “Okay” and buried her face in the delicious scent. This time, the concentration wasn’t as high, so even without sucking, she managed to clear the pheromones quickly.

As the scent faded, Bai Muqin found herself holding Jiang Li tight, as if savoring the afterglow of a shared intimacy.

Jiang Li leaned contentedly against Bai Muqin’s soft chest, feeling like the happiest little fox in the world. Even though the back of her neck was still itching, she was too lazy to scratch it.

There, hidden beneath her hair, a tiny, pale-pink bud was beginning to sprout within the scar tissue.

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