Deeply aware that her gland was abnormal and her pheromones were definitely affecting Sister Shu, Lin Xu’s heart still pounded wildly, so fast it nearly made her faint.
Waves of warmth surged through her abdomen. She couldn’t stop gasping for air, swallowing saliva between breaths.
She was so thirsty. The air tasted sweet, the sweetness seeping into her lips and tongue. Still craving more, she took another deep inhale.
Her marking fangs itched in her mouth. Lin Xu ground them together as her gaze locked unerringly on the fragile beauty at the edge of the bed.
A scorching heat swept over her body like a tornado. She knew this was their pheromones entwining uncontrollably, beyond either of their power to stop.
Lin Xu let out a low pant, her eyes flickering with thick lust mingled with the red veins of drunkenness.
The inky black clouds dispersed, leaving the autumn night quiet and desolate. Moonlight spilled onto Shu Qingyou’s trembling shoulders, white and porcelain-smooth.
She bit down hard on her lip.
Even as the taste of blood spread, it was still completely overwhelmed by Lin Xu’s signature phlox scent, domineering and all-consuming.
It was like a beast biting into its prey, the beast’s breath lingering on its fangs.
The soft Omega before her was on the verge of being marked. Once her pheromones fused with Lin Xu’s, she would belong to her completely.
Mark her! Now!
The thought exploded in Lin Xu’s mind, startling her.
Alphas had slightly better control over their heats than Omegas, especially female Alphas. Sharing the same gender, they could empathize more readily.
Lin Xu was certain she’d never liked anyone before. A female Alpha could only mark one person in her lifetime, unless that mark was washed away.
She didn’t know if other Alphas would pounce immediately in such a tempting situation.
Perhaps thanks to the partial nerve damage in her own gland, Lin Xu managed to slap herself across the face.
How can you be so shameless!
She cursed herself inwardly.
Shu Qingyou is your savior! Are you really going to act like a dog?!
You can’t do something so beastly!
Hearing the noise, Shu Qingyou lifted her head slightly, her expression complex. Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall.
The beauty’s face was flushed, radiantly alluring. Lin Xu’s heart pounded recklessly against her chest again. She pinched her thigh viciously.
Taking a deep breath, she resolved herself and knelt before Shu Qingyou.
“Lin Xu, no, you can’t…”
Shu Qingyou was already on the brink of collapse. She could only pin her hopes on the remnants of conscience in this amnesiac Alpha. Clutching her swollen, reddened gland at her neck, she pleaded bewilderedly.
Her voice was beautiful, even in the midst of her disordered emotions. Lin Xu recalled Shu Qingyou that afternoon, sipping tea with a translucent cup in hand, her gaze gentle and warm.
If that mirror-like porcelain shattered on the floor, it would sound just like Shu Qingyou’s current, crime-inducing voice—an Omega’s visual and auditory seduction toward an Alpha.
“Listen to me. I won’t mark you. We’re both suffering, so… could you bite me first?”
Lin Xu was going crazy too. She needed relief from her surging heat and craved skin-to-skin contact with Shu Qingyou…
What the hell are you thinking?! She bit the back of her own hand while tearing off the useless inhibitor patch with her other.
The gland, too painful to look at, had swollen to the size of a fingernail, a round red dot secreting moist pheromones.
In truth, an Omega biting an Alpha’s gland only provided slight temporary relief; the heat would soon return.
The same went the other way.
Shu Qingyou hesitated. Did Lin Xu just want brief release?
Lin Xu, still tense, didn’t wait for her response.
Like a kitten desperate for comfort, she pulled down her collar, exposing her pale, flushed neck right under Shu Qingyou’s eyes.
“Don’t be mad at me anymore, and stop biting yourself until you bleed,” Lin Xu’s throat trembled. “Bite me, okay?”
Shu Qingyou stared for a moment, realizing Lin Xu wasn’t joking. She was sincerely trying to help, even though she was suffering too.
An O biting an A did little to suppress unless it was for fun.
Her gland was less than three centimeters from Shu Qingyou’s lips.
Shu Qingyou’s breath brushed against Lin Xu’s quivering gland. She gazed steadily at Lin Xu and licked her own bloodied red lip.
Their breaths mingled indistinguishably, just like their pheromones—sweet scents blended with crushed desire.
Lin Xu felt a tingling electric current radiating from her gland across her entire neck. Her body shuddered, her breathing chaotic.
She knew Shu Qingyou probably wouldn’t take the initiative.
Unable to bear it, Lin Xu instinctively pressed her legs together, a sob in her voice as she ground her marking fangs, closed her eyes, and leaned her gland forward.
The expected touch never came. Instead, Lin Xu tumbled to the floor.
She looked up embarrassedly at Shu Qingyou, who had dodged away, and finally burst into dazed tears.
“Why? Do you just want me to mark you? You’ll regret it, Sister Shu. Don’t do something stupid.”
“The suppressants… in the next room. Help me…”
Lin Xu stopped crying midway, her mind blanking for three seconds.
Then an even greater wave of frustration rushed to the top of her head. Her face burned hot enough to cook an egg.
Fuming, she wanted to curse but chose to shut her mouth.
She crawled two steps toward the door, realized she could stand, endured the sticky discomfort in her legs, and dashed to the master bedroom.
Flipping on the light, the harsh white glare sobered her up instantly.
Shu Rong found it odd. Had big sister just wailed a few times? It had interrupted her TV watching a bit.
In the drawer under the bedside lamp, Lin Xu found a kit with a row of syringes. Checking the expiration dates, they were recent.
So Shu Qingyou had come looking for this. Lin Xu had actually deluded herself into thinking the other wanted her but was just being reserved.
An awkward yet polite smile bloomed on Lin Xu’s face.
Fine, she was magnanimous. No anger, no anger—getting mad would ruin her skin and hurt her liver.
Lin Xu trudged back unhappily, but the familiar craving assaulted her again, her lower abdomen churning.
Pouting, her eyes teary from recent crying.
“Here, take it. Should I inject it for you, or do you want to do it yourself?”
“Why don’t you inject yours first?”
Shu Qingyou knew Alphas’ heat desires well. Being around Lin Xu for so long had made her used to it—an A who could heat up anytime, anywhere, regardless of occasion.
Lin Xu must have used tremendous willpower.
She took the suppressant. It held only a light dose of liquid, but security flooded back into her body.
Lin Xu’s dissatisfaction was plain on her face. Clearly, some things hadn’t changed: mood swings, with amnesia just masking deeper flaws.
Shu Qingyou couldn’t quite name her feelings at that moment, but for now, she felt a bit grateful toward Lin Xu. She panted softly, her lips parting.
“Thanks.”
Whoa, Sister Shu smiled at her.
No… what was this?
Lin Xu’s pupils contracted sharply. Forgetting to breathe normally, her neck gland still throbbed faintly.
Shu Qingyou’s soft, delicate fingertip pressed against Lin Xu’s gland, soothing it with three rubs—or was it five? Lin Xu lost count.
It felt too good; a sigh escaped her lips.
Lin Xu knelt with narrowed eyes, hands braced on the floor. Shu Qingyou’s right hand gripped the syringe and injected the drug.
Once the injection finished, Lin Xu noticed the wonderful touch on her gland had vanished.
After a few seconds, she recovered, like descending from clouds back to earth.
Still savoring it, she licked her lips and opened her teary peach-blossom eyes, pleading, “Sister Shu, I want more…”
“I’ll get your suppressant.”
Though the drug had taken effect, heat lingered in Shu Qingyou’s cheeks. She regretted her overstepping action earlier.
Lin Xu’s posture was like a tame little animal begging for comfort, a shallow smile on her face.
Now sober, Shu Qingyou warned herself: this was the amnesiac Lin Xu, but still the same person as before.
Since nothing more extreme happened, it was fine. Shu Qingyou forced herself to leave the room.
Shu Rong was still cuter. Kids didn’t have heats or messy thoughts; she swung her little legs watching her favorite cartoons.
Seeing her mom walk wearily, Shu Rong decided cartoons weren’t as important. With an inward hey-ho of encouragement, she ran to her mom’s side.
“Rongrong, were you scared?”
A bit worried that Shu Rong had seen the tussle between her and Lin Xu, Shu Qingyou noted the child still wore her little padded jacket, her small hands warm. She held Shu Qingyou’s finger.
“Want a hug?”
Shu Rong shook her head and used all her strength to pull her mom forward.
Shu Qingyou understood and let Shu Rong lead her to Lin Xu.
It rather ruined the scene: Lin Xu sprawled flat on the floor, face up, turning her head.
“You’re both here,” Lin Xu grinned, crooking a finger. “Rongrong, come help big sister with her shot. Do you like shots, Rongrong? Want to try?”
Shu Rong didn’t understand much, but shots terrified her inwardly. Her eyes darted around and spotted the shiny sharp point in her mom’s hand.
Frightened, she let go of her mom’s hand, clutched her clothes tight, and retreated to the wardrobe.
She knew she shouldn’t have stayed with mom; she was scared.
Lin Xu grinned mischievously. “Come on, or how about you watch sister get the shot from your mom?”
Nonsense. Shu Qingyou glanced between them. Shu Rong covered her eyes with both hands in fear; Lin Xu winked at her.
She’d underestimated Lin Xu’s shamelessness. But she’d caught her breath, and Lin Xu wisely didn’t bring up that previous inexplicable behavior even Shu Qingyou couldn’t understand.
“I’ll inject you?”
“No need, it’s a small thing. Give it here.”
Lin Xu took the suppressant, handling it deftly as if she’d done it countless times before. She pushed the plunger in swiftly.
So fast that Shu Qingyou worried she’d hit the wrong spot. Leaning in with concern, she brushed aside Lin Xu’s curly hair.
The gland had returned to red bean size, no longer swollen, flat against the skin.
“Mm, no problem.”
Lin Xu lowered her eyes meekly. Sister Shu is caring for me. Don’t get the wrong idea, or you’re a big dummy. She quietly turned her head away.
“Inhibitor patch?”
The check took a bit long. Shu Qingyou snapped back; Lin Xu’s ears were red?
She tore open the patch, pinching the edges, and gestured for Lin Xu to offer her neck.
“Lift your neck a little; I’ll put it on for you.”
“I can do this one myself; no need to trouble you.”
Shu Qingyou disapproved. “You always apply it wrong. It’s leaked pheromones several times before.”
Oh, so she was being picky. Lin Xu grumbled inwardly that Shu Qingyou was surprisingly fussy.
“Hmph, fine then. Be gentle.”
