The Only Ultimate Alpha in the Universe - Chapter 23

The morning room.

Xiao Sa sat at the dining table, stuffing a sandwich into his mouth while quickly scrolling through the reports on the light screen.

Although he wasn’t familiar with the Wenser family’s specific industries, back on his home planet, finance and management courses were mandatory for the elite youth of his family, second only to combat specialties. In higher education, Xiao Sa’s grades in most subjects were among the top.

The only exception was the “AO Physiological Knowledge” class—a non-graded elective he found incredibly boring. He had either skipped it to spar at the training grounds or used it to catch up on sleep, resulting in failing marks for two consecutive years.

With Hainuo’s assistance, he efficiently extracted key data curves and other vital information. Xiao Sa had always been a fast learner; as long as he had time to adapt, processing these daily business documents wasn’t particularly difficult. After all, he only needed to oversee the general direction; the actual operations were handled by executive managers below him.

That was, until Black Flame, the uninvited guest, suddenly appeared in the morning room.

Xiao Sa immediately put down the tablets, his eyes practically glowing as he stared at the black lion. He had been eyeing Landis’s “battle pet” for a long time—who wouldn’t love a majestic, handsome, and fluffy big cat?

It had to be said that although the people of the Starry Sea lacked pheromones and the complex ABO genders, and their physical strength (aside from powerhouses like Landis) was nothing special, the one thing Xiao Sa envied most was that everyone had their own “battle pet.” Fine, the correct term was “Mental Entity.”

It reminded him of a cartoon he loved as a child, Mystical Creatures, where characters could summon various spirits to fight, heal, and play. Growing up alongside a companion like that was the definition of versatile. As a teenager, Xiao Sa had been obsessed, dreaming of having his own mystical creature. He had spent all his pocket money on figurines and plush toys, never tiring of it.

Previously, the black lion had always appeared by Landis’s side. The only time it appeared alone was when it attempted to attack him on the warship. This had left Xiao Sa itching to pet it but never finding the chance. Now, with Landis tied up in a meeting, the Admiral certainly wouldn’t have time to watch his pet.

I’ll just have to do him the favor of looking after it, Xiao Sa thought.

Black Flame held its thick tail high, walking with a measured pace. It paused about ten feet away, its dark gold vertical pupils glancing at Alanton. The look was so piercing that the hair on Alanton’s neck stood on end. Even though the food Xiao Sa gave him was bizarre, Alanton had forced it down in one go, wanting nothing more than to flee.

Black Flame’s gaze first fell on the bowl of soup, then glared at Alanton, its nose wrinkling in displeasure.

Xiao Sa ignored these details and beckoned the lion over. Black Flame hesitated for a moment before walking toward him. Unexpectedly, the second it got close, Xiao Sa wrapped his arms around its neck.

“Your fur is so black and shiny, so smooth. You’ve been raised well,” Xiao Sa praised. He first rubbed Black Flame’s head, then smoothed back the thick mane. He stroked from the furry forehead all the way down to the base of the tail, then grabbed the thick black tail and ran his hand slickly to the tip.

Black Flame, having suddenly been petted over its entire body: “!!!”

Its dark gold pupils dilated instantly. The entire “cat” seemed frozen to the spot, unable to move.

“They say cats love having their chins scratched, I wonder if it’s true…” Xiao Sa scratched beneath the lion’s jaw. Black Flame indeed narrowed its eyes, even tilting its head to rub the top of its skull against Xiao Sa’s palm.

Encouraged, Xiao Sa’s petting grew even more vigorous.

Beside them, Alanton and the others were dumbfounded. After receiving yet another “death glare” from Black Flame, they no longer cared about making things difficult for Xiao Sa with the documents; they turned and fled, wishing they were blind.

Meanwhile, in the restroom next to the conference hall.

Landis had locked himself inside, hands braced against the black marble sink. The cold stone did nothing to reduce the burning temperature in his palms; soon, he had warmed the edge of the marble.

In the mirror, Landis’s sword-like brows were slightly furrowed. His gaze grew hazy, staring at nothing in particular, as if he had suddenly developed an intense interest in the patterns of the marble.

The heat radiating from his body became increasingly obvious. He used one hand to loosen his tie and unbuttoned his collar with a rough, almost violent motion.

His flushed neck was exposed, the skin on the side still showing the significant red swelling. In the mirror, two distinct red tooth marks were clearly visible. As his fingertips lightly brushed the marks, he felt an immediate sensation of itchiness and a slight stinging prickle stimulating his nerves.

Soon, this itchy sensation began to spread to other parts of his body. The feeling in his jaw was particularly pronounced; he couldn’t help but tilt his head back, exposing a long stretch of neck and a restless, bobbing Adam’s apple.

Xiao Sa is touching me here…

Through the mental link with his mental entity, this realization was transmitted to his mind with absolute clarity.

Whether for humans or animals, the vulnerable throat is a place one never easily exposes; to do so means placing one’s life in another’s hands. Landis had no time to think about such things now. He panted softly, his fingers uncontrollably stroking his own Adam’s apple, trying to relieve this unspeakable, restless itch.

Yet it was like scratching through a boot; he rubbed the skin of his neck red, but it didn’t relieve even a fraction of the sensation.

Suddenly, Landis’s body stiffened. He took a sharp, uncontrollable breath, his pupils dilating slightly as if the blood throughout his entire body had begun to surge with passion.

It was strange there were clearly no scents in the restroom, yet he felt as if he could smell the fragrance on Xiao Sa again. It arrived with an intense strength, like the spicy intoxication of strong liquor.

At this very moment, Black Flame in the morning room was in even worse shape than its master.

Under Xiao Sa’s teasing, rubbing, and the surrounding pheromones, it had suffered a total defeat. It could no longer maintain the image of a cold, high-ranking S-grade lion. Its massive body was sprawled completely in Xiao Sa’s lap, its tail wrapped around his calf. It rolled back and forth in his arms, its wet nose twitching as it tried to capture more pheromones.

Normally, the noses of Starry Sea humans cannot smell pheromones, but their mental entities can. They can even emit pheromones to transmit their own consciousness, expressing affection, fear, or a plea for help.

Xiao Sa’s pheromone scent was tequila. When aggressive, it transformed into a sharp, chilling blade; when peaceful, it was a crisp, mellow woody liquor; when joyful, it was a sweet aftertaste and a burning flame. One taste, and it was easy to fall into addiction.

Naturally, Landis’s mental entity, which had already been deeply marked by these pheromones, was even more addicted.

Watching the big cat in his arms acting as if it were tipsy, losing itself in the mastery of his petting and let out small “mew-wuu” sounds for more, Xiao Sa’s personal penchant for animals was immensely satisfied.

Black Flame’s furry head burrowed into the crook of his neck. Its two pitch-black paws wrapped around his shoulders, and it extended its tongue to give his cheek a heavy, wet lick. Its long whiskers and mane tickled his skin, making him burst into laughter.

When Xiao Sa looked up to wipe his face, he realized that the attendants had slipped away at some point. Even the butler was nowhere to be found. The entire morning room was left to just him and Black Flame—one man and one lion—playing a private game of “pet the cat” without any interruptions.

“Huh, where did everyone go?”

Xiao Sa reached out to rub the fur on the black lion’s belly. Black Flame immediately curled into a ball, its two hind legs giving him a weak kick. Lacking the strength to truly escape, it could only endure his kneading, which made Xiao Sa chuckle with delight.

This was far too much fun!

“Does your master know your belly is this sensitive, big kitty?”

[Xiao Sa, Landis knows.] Hainuo’s mischievous, middle-aged voice rang in his ear, dutifully answering his question.

Xiao Sa froze. So there really was a telepathic link between the mental entity and the master.

[Stroking another person’s mental entity is a very intimate act. Usually, it only happens between lovers.]

Xiao Sa arched an eyebrow. Well, that didn’t matter. They were a step beyond lovers; they were married. But if there really was a telepathic link…

He asked, “Then what would Landis be feeling? Would it be uncomfortable?” For instance, would it feel like someone was constantly messing with his hair?

Hainuo was silent for a moment before speaking slowly: [If it were an outsider, of course not. But since it’s his spouse… he probably feels very comfortable.]

“Oh, I see.” Xiao Sa nodded. He had been worried he was accidentally bothering the man’s work. If it felt comfortable, then he was relieved. The principle was probably similar to combing through a mental sea, right?

Xiao Sa gave a wicked little grin. He rubbed down the fur of the lion’s belly and quietly reached toward the cute, large “bells” (testicles). He had only ever flicked a kitten’s bells before—that bouncy, soft texture was quite amusing. He had never had the chance to pinch a big cat’s.

“I’ve only ever heard that you can’t touch a tiger’s backside. I wonder about a lion’s?”

Inside the restroom.

Propped against the marble counter, Landis’s leg muscles were tensed to the absolute limit. He was gradually losing the strength to keep himself upright.

His military jacket had already slid down to his elbows, rumpled and messy. His crisp white shirt was completely unbuttoned, exposing firm chest and abdominal muscles slick with a fine layer of sweat. They rose and fell rapidly with his low, suppressed breathing, shimmering with a pale honey-colored luster under the warm yellow vanity lights.

From beneath the marble sink came the sharp metallic “click” of a belt buckle.

Landis’s head hung low, his sweat-drenched brow tightly knit. His lithe back arched uncontrollably. The five fingers of his remaining hand, gripped onto the edge of the stone counter, clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the strain.

“Xiao Sa…”

An involuntary, hoarse gasp escaped his throat.

If Xiao Sa were there in person, he would have smelled the cedar scent radiating from the bite on Landis’s neck, much more intense than before, filling the entire space.

After an unknown amount of time, a knock came from the restroom door. Carlo’s worried voice drifted in from outside: “Admiral? Admiral, are you alright? Is it your mental sea again? Do you need an inhibitor or should I call a doctor?”

Inside the room, Landis exhaled a heavy, jagged breath and opened his eyes. The sight of his disheveled reflection in the mirror met his gaze instantly. His fine blonde hair was soaked with sweat, sticking to his forehead and temples. His flushed neck was a deep crimson that spread all the way to his ears and the corners of his eyes.

“No need.” He realized his voice was incredibly raspy the moment he spoke.

Outside, Carlo hesitated, clearly not trusting the answer. He asked again, “Should I call your spouse over?”

Landis stiffened completely. He leaned against the sink, covering his forehead with the back of his hand.

He felt humiliated to the extreme, yet he had to strive to maintain a composed expression. His tone carried a hint of gritted teeth as he repeated: “No need!”

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