The Married Alpha Who Refuses to Be a Heartthrob (A/B/O · Alpha POV) - Chapter 14

“What did you drink?” Keith stepped inside to help the person up, only catching the distinct scent of pheromones upon drawing near.

“My cousin’s parrot only eats live insects so I took it out to the garden and accidentally overheard them making love. I came back for my suppressants cause their pheromones were all over the place. I guess that’s what I get from wandering around.” Keith felt awkward recalling it, placing the empty bottle on the nightstand with a wry smile. “I’m fine now.”

Probably aroused by the dual Alpha pheromones, relying on suppressants wasn’t helping with his curse either.

“Why are your hands shaking?” Kaes helped Keith sit on the bedside, clasping both his hands.

The suppressant worked but Keith’s distinct narcissus scent still lingered in the room.

“This happens when I take suppressants. Think of it as a side-effect. Good thing I don’t need it that much.” Keith’s voice held a hint of bitterness. His damaged glands certainly didn’t require as much suppressant as a normal Omega.

A single Alpha’s pheromones alone rarely triggered his heat.

In this situation, Kaes knew that a small amount of his pheromones could help Keith. He held his slender fingers in his palm: “If I were your fiancé, you wouldn’t need any of that.”

“But we’re not yet…” Keith’s cheeks flushed as he stared intently at the other man. This felt like a confession, making his heart race.

“Still uncomfortable? Want to lie down?” Keith smiled as Kaes gently lowered him onto the soft bed until he was half-reclined, then pulling a pillow to support his head.

Kaes leaned over, elbows pressed against the mattress, and stroked Keith’s green hair. Smooth strands slid through his fingers. He drew close, gazing into the other’s dazed eyes. “Last time I wrote to the Queen, she didn’t approve of our marriage. I plan to write to her again.”

“Why don’t I write to her this time? What if she says yes?” Keith lay nestled beneath Kaes’s body on the soft bed, inhaling the scent lingering on his clothes. He stared at Kaes’s dazzlingly handsome face mere inches away, his golden hair glowing a warm golden-brown in the candlelight. Keith felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Happiness seemed to have arrived too swiftly.

Keith sniffed the air. Only his own pheromones lingered. Kaes hid his so well. Even after taking the medication, Keith still craved Alpha pheromones—but only Kaes’s.

“Can you kiss me? I still want a little more Alpha pheromone.” Keith’s voice was unusually tender, as if he hadn’t fully shaken off that influence yet. He took Kaes’s hand, which had been stroking his hair, and pressed it against his cheek.

Keith guided that hand from his cheek over his ear, down to the back of his neck.

Kaes felt the barrier patch at the back. The skin beneath it felt slightly warm through the patch. He cupped that soft, slender neck with his palm and kissed it.

Keith’s mind was fuzzy. The Alpha pheromones washed over him, yet he still didn’t know what Kaes smelled like. He only gave him a little, just enough to ease the aftereffects of his medication. His body calmed, but his heart seemed to burn even hotter.

As the kiss deepened, Kaes tore off the barrier patch at the base of Keith’s neck. The scent of narcissus grew more pronounced. Kaes loved burying his nose in the other’s neck—the fragrance was rich yet never cloying.

Now, the other lay like a defenseless prey. Kaes licked and nipped at Keith’s Omega’s gland, marking his body with his own pheromones. For the first time, he felt an overwhelming urge to devour Keith whole.

Like a soft, docile little animal, beneath the warm, supple skin lay an enticing aroma that stirred primal desires.

This time, Keith caught a faint whiff of gunpowder—not exactly pleasant, even slightly acrid—yet surprisingly fitting for Keith.

Alpha saliva coating the gland surface could mark the Omega for a few hours at most; only a bite could leave a lasting mark for years.

A sharp sting on his neck jolted Keith back to his senses. He pushed against Kaes’s chest before the skin could be broken. “Wait… We don’t have Auntie’s permission yet. She wrote to me, telling me to return in five days to be betrothed to Aither.”

“What?!” Kaes deflated instantly, the faint scent of gunpowder in the air retreating. He grew increasingly sick of that name. “Why must the Queen force you to be betrothed to him? Is he an Alpha?”

“No idea. He never releases his pheromones, just like my cousin. And he wears an extra barrier patch—I’d say at least three layers.” Keith pushed Kaes aside and stood up, feeling speechless at the thought of Aither too. “But he looks just like an Omega.”

Keith didn’t care about gender when it came to choosing a mate. After all, he couldn’t bear children, so his partner’s gender didn’t matter.

Keith approached the table: “Being with Aither feels like walking into a future of utter darkness. I will write to Auntie to tell her I’d found someone suitable.”

He turned back and smiled at Kaes, his expression tinged with happiness.

“How is she related to you? Does she treat you well?” Kaes joined him at the table, lighting another candle. Keith’s reaction was always amusing—mentioning Aither was like getting bitten by a venomous snake.

“I think it’s mainly because Auntie adored my mother. They were the best of friends in Bain-Perella. Her affection for me is just a case of loving the house for the owner. Plus, my father died young, so Auntie took pity on me.” ” Keith explained, smoothing out the paper as he pondered his words.

Keith’s mother was a countess in the Bain Perella Empire, she was wealthy and highly regarded. His father had married into the family, so Keith took his mother’s and aunt’s surname: Bain Perella.

In his letter, Kaes stated that if the Queen refused his request, he would not return to the palace….

The two waited expectantly for two days, only to be presented with an Omega named Abe.

Kaes read the Queen’s letter to him in the Governor’s office.

【Governor Kaes:

I have selected a fiancé for you: the young master of the Marquis household, Abe. Your engagement ceremony has already been conducted at the chapel by my representatives on your behalf and Abe’s. Abe is now your betrothed.

Abe will arrive by ship at Lanqi. The Governor must not neglect Abe. Arrange for Abe’s accommodation within the Governor’s residence. The wedding shall be held one month hence.

Wishing you happiness!】

Abe was that milk-scented Omega. Kaes was furious, his entire being in turmoil.

Long Shi knocked on the door, pushed it open, and saw Kaes with a dark expression. He asked, “Kaes, what’s this about Abe? The inspector said Abe will arrive tonight and told us to go pick him up. Who is this Abe?”

“The Queen’s designated fiancé.” Kaes handed the letter to Long Shi.

“What the hell?” Long Shi looked utterly confused, still not understanding after reading it. “Didn’t you say you were marrying Keith? Now it’s become Abe?”

Long Shi felt heartbroken that Keith had sacrificed so much for revenge.

“How should I know? The Queen suddenly assigned someone, saying she needed someone to complete the engagement ceremony for me.” Kaes wanted to tear up the letter, but it wouldn’t do any good. He tossed it back into the drawer. “Tonight, we’ll just go pick up this Abe guy and see what happens.”…

Keith also received the news, but he didn’t show up when Abe arrived.

Kaes had no time to seek him out. That evening, Kaes, Long Shi, and Erlan met Abe at the harbor.

Abe disembarked with two attendants. Petite and delicate, he carried a constant sweet, milky scent.

“Your Excellency… I am Abe, your fiancée.” Dressed in light blue robes, Abe stood between his two attendants, shyly eyeing the man in black military attire whose cap revealed strands of golden bangs.

Such a handsome man was already his fiancé! Abe felt as if fortune had fallen from the sky. As the adopted son of a marquis, he’d never expected a favorable match—yet heaven had blessed him beyond measure.

Kaes lowered his eyes, coldly observing the Omega who stood nearly a head shorter than him. He disliked the constant scent of milk emanating from him.

“Abe has traveled far. Let’s not stand here talking,” Erlan said, glancing to the side where two carriages were parked.

“Let’s go,” Long Shi said, guiding Abe toward one carriage. “The Governor’s carriage is over there.”

Kaes, Abe, and Long Shi rode in one carriage, while Erlan took another to escort them back to the residence.

The atmosphere was awkward throughout the journey. Kaes disliked this fiancée; the milk-scented carriage was even more unbearable than Erlan’s rose-scented one.

Abe sat across from them, his hands nervously pressed against his knees. “Is the Governor unwell? He hasn’t spoken a word the entire journey.”

Abe felt flustered, the Governor’s cold demeanor throughout the ride unsettling him.

The atmosphere was too tense, so Long Shi tried to smooth things over. “The Governor just wasn’t expecting a fiancée to appear so suddenly.”

“Oh…” Abe offered a faint smile. “Before I left home, Mother told me it’s normal for elders to choose spouses. That’s how they did it—feelings develop gradually.”

Abe believed he and the Governor could cultivate affection too.

“…” Kaes’s gaze shifted from Abe’s face to the window. The nighttime in Lanqi was eerily quiet—no pedestrians, only the rhythmic clatter of two carriage wheels.