Take a Whiff: The Alpha's Hidden Scent | Chapter 53 | A Temporary Mark | Novela.app

Jiang Wei’s hands were trembling so violently that it took three tries before he managed to tug open the zipper of his suitcase. He felt as though this particular heat was far more intense and severe than any he had experienced before. The throbbing in his head created halos of light before his eyes, and a wave of dizziness nearly sent him face-first into the suitcase. An uncontrollable, itchy tingling crawled over his skin, and his consciousness began to slip. He felt a desperate urge to inflict a sharper, more visceral pain upon himself just to find a moment of clarity. His right fingers rubbed against his left palm for a few seconds before he dug his nails in with brutal force. The nerves in one's fingers are tied directly to the heart, yet the sting in his palm felt even more acute. As soon as his mind cleared slightly, he let go and resumed his frantic search. The suppressants were at the very bottom... To save time, he grabbed the changes of clothes sitting on top and tossed them haphazardly onto the bed behind him. *Knock, knock, knock—* "Jiang Wei? Are you in there?" For a moment, Jiang Wei wondered if the pain was causing him to hallucinate. Shouldn't this person be in class right now? Why was he here? It wasn't until the voice called out again that he snapped out of his daze. Bracing his hands against his knees, he forced himself up and stumbled toward the door. "How did you..." He instinctively pulled the door open, letting the person outside in, but he couldn't manage a single complete sentence. An Omega in heat is extremely sensitive. Even though Tang Zihe was wearing scent blockers, Jiang Wei could still sense the Alpha pheromones enveloping him. It was incredibly effective at dulling the physical pain, but because the concentration wasn't high enough, it only intensified the restless, tingling itch. Jiang Wei took a deep breath. He and Tang Zihe spoke at the same time. "Are you in heat?" "Get out." Jiang Wei hunched over slightly, as if changing his posture could soothe the aching weakness deep within his bones. His fingers found his palms again—the fresh, pale skin that hadn't fully healed was already being clawed into a bloody mess, with beads of crimson welling up and rolling off. Tang Zihe grabbed his wrist, putting a stop to his self-harm. "Let go..." As he spoke, Jiang Wei heard his own heavy, ragged breathing. He could only imagine how flushed his face looked right now, and he used his free hand to cover his eyes. "Get out..." "I go out, and then what?" Tang Zihe could feel Jiang Wei’s struggle, which was utterly futile due to the heat. Sensing that the other boy could no longer stand, he followed him down, crouching on the floor. "Jiang Wei, you were the one who let me, an Alpha, into this room." "You need my pheromones, don't you?" "I..." Jiang Wei slumped onto the floor. The fingers of the hand being held curled uncontrollably. The air in the room was now thick with the mingling scents of green tea and camellia. An Omega in heat cannot control their pheromones; they can only let them diffuse into every corner of the room, gradually beginning to overpower the Alpha’s scent. Because of this, Tang Zihe was also suffering. He didn't dare to recklessly release his pheromones to suppress the other boy. "I don't need them..." Tang Zihe’s breath hitched as he looked at the Omega before him, who seemed to find even lifting his head a struggle. He saw the redness in Jiang Wei's eyes clearly; the bloodshot veins looked as if they might weep blood at any moment. The boy was curled into a shivering ball, yet he was like a small, cornered animal baring its claws in a desperate, ineffective resistance. "I have suppressants..." Jiang Wei wiped his face, seemingly forcing back tears as he sniffled and murmured incoherently, "Let me go... I have suppressants..." Tang Zihe instinctively let go as requested, but Jiang Wei didn't move away. He simply pulled his hand back and buried his face against his knees, shrinking into an even smaller ball. At some point, Tang Zihe had ended up sitting on the floor as well. The person in front of him was the one he had kept in his heart for years, a precious gift returned to him by fate, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. His psychological possessiveness had been raging for a long time, and now, faced with the lethal attraction of an Omega’s pheromones, even his formidable willpower was being cast to the wind. The two remained in silence for a long while. "Jiang Wei, can you hear me?" Jiang Wei’s breathing hadn't slowed down during the silence, nor did he feel any better—in fact, things seemed to be getting worse. He was so weak now that he didn't even have the strength to stand. If Tang Zihe’s pheromones became any more potent, he had no doubt he would lose the ability to think entirely and become a slave to the heat. "Yeah." "Did you ever pay attention during the physiology lesson on Omega heats?" Tang Zihe ran a hand through his hair, trying his best to suppress the desire stirred up by the scent of camellia. He spoke as calmly as possible. "If an Omega has prolonged, close-range contact with an Alpha on the first day of their heat, they will be influenced by that Alpha's pheromones. Ordinary suppressants won't be able to provide effective relief after that." In other words, even if he handed the suppressants to Jiang Wei right now, they wouldn't improve the situation. Jiang Wei didn't respond. "So... if you don't hate my pheromones, why don't we try?" Tang Zihe placed his hand on the floor between them, palm up, and beckoned with his fingers. "Just think of it as holding hands. It's not like you haven't done that plenty of times since we were kids." *What nonsense is he talking about?* Jiang Wei cursed silently. That was from when they were tiny; how did this guy remember it so clearly? "I'm not having a good time either..." Tang Zihe let out a mock sigh, his tone tinged with a hint of grievance. "I need an Omega's pheromones too. Just think of me as a piti—" Jiang Wei slapped his hand into Tang Zihe's palm, cutting him off. *You're not pitiful at all,* Jiang Wei thought randomly. In that instant, Tang Zihe began to quietly release his pheromones, letting them blanket the scent of the Omega in the room. When there is physical contact, Alphas and Omegas are even more susceptible to each other's pheromones. Jiang Wei had braced himself to endure a rampaging Alpha scent, but instead, he felt a warm current flow from his fingertips through his entire body. It was soothing, significantly easing the pain, the tingling, and the feverish heat. Feeling a bit of strength return to his body, he moved to turn his head and say something, but his eyes fell first on their hands, which had somehow become intertwined, fingers locked together. The words died in his throat. Tang Zihe was also uncharacteristically at a loss for words. He didn't know what Jiang Wei wanted to say, nor did he know what would be appropriate to say himself. "Tang Zihe." Jiang Wei turned his head as he spoke, deliberately avoiding eye contact. However, his grip on their joined hands suddenly tightened. Though he was still trembling, he gripped so hard his knuckles turned white. He was nervous. Tang Zihe soothingly rubbed his fingers against the back of Jiang Wei's hand. "I used to be... an Alpha..." Now it was Tang Zihe's turn to be nervous. Jiang Wei had always kept his secrets tightly guarded, leaving no opening for Tang Zihe to probe. Now, an unexpected crack had appeared, giving him a chance to peer inside. "I know." Jiang Wei seemed to let out a small laugh. He shook his head, his voice soft and airy. "You don't know... I didn't want you to know..." "I didn't want you to know..." Tang Zihe felt as though he had taken another step toward the truth. He didn't dare speak, fearing that this door, which had finally creaked open, would slam shut if he made the slightest mistake. Under the influence of pheromones, the current Jiang Wei was far more likely to speak truths he would never normally utter. "I thought I could hide it..." Jiang Wei’s voice sounded like he was smiling, yet it carried a hint of a sob. "I shouldn't have come back. I thought I could hide by your side for a year or so without you finding out..." Tang Zihe felt his heart skip a beat. What did that mean? Why did he have to hide the fact that he was an Omega? What did he mean by "shouldn't have come back"? *Are you going to leave again?* "Jiang Wei, turn around. Look at me." Tang Zihe tightened his grip on their locked hands, half-forcing the other to face him. "Answer one question for me." The distance between them closed again. Tang Zihe's unique scent grew even more concentrated; Jiang Wei felt as though he were being "marinated" in green tea. Tang Zihe’s other hand gripped Jiang Wei's arm. "Are you going to leave?" Jiang Wei suddenly felt the weight of Alpha pressure. His breathing quickened as he shook his head. Tang Zihe didn't seem satisfied. Instead of withdrawing the pressure, he pulled the boy closer into his personal space. "Answer me, Jiang Wei." The absolute suppression of an Alpha over an Omega was on full display. Jiang Wei could only follow his instincts and slump against the other man. The feverish heat he had just managed to push back came roaring back. He involuntarily reached out and grabbed Tang Zihe's collar, his slender fingers clearly feeling the other's body heat. A shimmer of moisture appeared in Jiang Wei's eyes again. "I'm not... I never thought about leaving..." Tang Zihe had never seen Jiang Wei look so heartbreakingly vulnerable. "I feel so bad..." Jiang Wei said, his voice bordering on a plea. "Can you please take the pheromones back..." "You're in heat. Every Omega in heat feels like this. My pheromones are only helping you ease the sensation," Tang Zihe said, his voice a mix of sincerity and coaxing. "If you want to stop hurting so much, the only way is a temporary mark." Jiang Wei let the words "temporary mark" tumble through his mind several times, but he still couldn't quite grasp their full meaning. He only knew that he was suffering, that he didn't want to suffer anymore, and that he trusted Tang Zihe unconditionally. This trust had nothing to do with pheromones; he was simply certain that this person would never do anything to hurt him. "Then... give me a temporary mark..." Tang Zihe’s eyes darkened instantly. "Okay." *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 结合热 | Heat | The periodic cycle of an Omega in the Omegaverse genre. 信息素 | Pheromones | Biological scents used for communication and attraction in the Omegaverse. 抑制剂 | Suppressants | Medication used to control or delay an Omega's heat or an Alpha's rut. 临时标记 | Temporary mark | A non-permanent bond created when an Alpha bites an Omega's scent gland. 山茶花 | Camellia | Jiang Wei's pheromone scent. 绿茶 | Green tea | Tang Zihe's pheromone scent. 压迫 | Pressure/Suppression | The use of Alpha pheromones to exert dominance or control over others.