Chapter Text
Hua Yong looked at the naked, used and exhausted bodies of the three omegas, lying inert on the bed of one of the suites at X Hotel. Each of them had been meticulously chosen for their beauty, their sweet and supposedly captivating scent, as well as their stamina and physical traits. Omegas of great value, the most exquisite of the exquisite, Hua Yong had been assured.
Hua Yong had felt a slight tremor of excitement seeing them eager to be handled by him the moment he had entered the room, however, his disappointment had been immense. None of them had withstood him and his desires, unable to keep up his rhythm and last for more than mere minutes. Hua Yong had not even been in rut, so the likelihood of him being satisfied by those omegas when he would let the animal part of him take over would be nil.
Hua Yong clicked his tongue against his teeth, deeply irritated. Being an Enigma was as much of a gift as it was a curse. He stood at the top of the power ladder, able to overpower any S-Class Alpha with just a breeze of his pheromones, his strength unmatched. The lack of an equal opponent left him incredibly lonely. Succeeding in business without having to truly fight against anything or anyone to get what he wanted was little consolation.
His personal life was even sadder. Pitiful. A fortress of isolation.
Hua Yong’s relentless search for an omega capable of enduring his ruts seemed futile and doomed to end in a sad and lonely ending. He nurtured this desire, this vital need to claim an omega, but the physiology of his Enigma self prevented him from fulfilling this desire. Where other alphas seemed to achieve mating without the slightest issue, it seemed like an impossible wish for Hua Yong to be granted.
Hua Yong firmly fastened the belt of his bathrobe and turned on his heel, no longer able to bear the sight of the three fainted omegas. Their bodies constitution was too fragile to contain him. They weren't made for someone as powerful as him. His pheromones, too dominant, had intoxicated and suffocated more than one in the past. The last omega Hua Yong had tried to spend his rut with was in a coma, caused by his superior pheromones and his physical strength. The unfortunate incident had happened several years ago, and Hua Yong had made three decisions that day.
He would pay for this omega's hospital bills for as long as it was needed.
He would find a way for omegas to be less at the mercy of alphas' pheromones.
And he would spend his ruts alone and locked away until he found an omega who was capable of withstanding sex outside of his ruts for a start.
In the meantime, Hua Yong’s body would continue to burn alone, perhaps even consuming itself to ashes.
*
Hua Yong's foul mood clung to him throughout the day, worse than sweat in summer. His pheromones had made a dozen of his employees sick, forcing him to use an inhibitor patch for his next meeting. He had an appointment with the head of HS Group, who had traveled from the neighboring country to discuss promising research and tests regarding the regulation and impact of pheromones on Omegas.
Hua Yong wanted this to go well, because unlike what most people seemed to believe, he wasn't enjoying scaring everyone into submission more than that. His temperament and physiology were just difficult to work with. Period.
HS Group CEO was called Shen Wenlang, an S-Class Alpha with a penchant for colorful, modern suits. He was known for being a particularly hard worker, demanding of his employees but rigorously fair. Apparently polite, with an extroverted side. Clever. Pragmatic. All qualities Hua Yong appreciated in a work partner.
As Shen Wenlang entered the meeting room, he stepped forward confidently and extended his hand for Hua Yong to shake. The Enigma wondered if this was a mask to hide the apprehension many could feel towards him, but the Alpha seemed oddly sincere.
"Mr. Hua, it's an honor to meet you." Shen Wenlang greeted him without unnecessary praise, straightforwardly and friendly. "Thank you for receiving us at P Country."
"Thank you for coming all of the way here, Mr. Shen. Please take a seat," Hua Yong’s secretary Gao Tu announced, gesturing the HS Group CEO to one of the empty chairs.
As perceptive as ever, Hua Yong didn't miss Shen Wenlang's lingering glance at his secretary. Gao Tu was an omega, the likes of which were second to none. Physically, he could be mistaken for an alpha due to his build, and if his sweet sage scent didn’t betray his omega status, his demeanor could have also been mistaken for that of an alpha.
A flicker of interest flashed in Shen Wenlang's eyes, which made Hua Yong smile inwardly. His secretary was known for not looking twice at someone, and it was always a source of amusement for Hua Yong to watch others try to break through Gao Tu's walls. In all the years they had been working together, it had never happened once.
If the omega wasn't suffering from a hormonal imbalance that affected his pheromone production, Hua Yong thought there was a good chance for Gao Tu to be resilient enough to endure his ruts.
"This is Gao Tu, my head secretary." Hua Yong made the introductions, amused. "I hope you don't mind if he stays with us during our meeting. He's my most trusted right-hand man."
Gao Tu glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, brows slightly rising in question. Hua Yong had told him he wouldn't need him during this meeting and had given him other assignments. His secretary was probably wondering why the sudden change of plans. Needless to say, Gao Tu hadn't noticed Shen Wenlang's behavior, and Hua Yong figured that if they couldn't reach an agreement during this meeting, at least he could have a good time watching his secretary being oblivious to being ogled.
"Not at all," Shen Wenlang replied without surprise. He didn't even hide his merry smile. "May I also ask my secretary to join us? He's waiting in the lounge."
"Of course." Hua Yong agreed, to be fair. "Secretary Gao, go get him please."
Gao Tu gave him a curt nod and left the room, Shen Wenlang following him with his eyes. Once his secretary was out of sight, the Alpha seemed to remember where he was and sat down, redirecting his attention to Hua Yong.
"Your secretary, he's not an ordinary omega." Shen Wenlang had the cheek to say, unbashful. "I myself am very fortunate to have a dedicated secretary."
The HS Group executive was still speaking, but Hua Yong's attention vanished as his nostrils flared when he caught a whiff of a sweet, fruity scent that was unfamiliar. It belonged to the man walking beside Gao Tu, and for a moment, Hua Yong forgot where he was, his gaze fixed on Shen Wenlang's secretary, who carried himself with rare grace. An omega whose posture and physique pleasantly piqued Hua Yong's curiosity.
"Secretary Sheng, please take a seat," Gao Tu offered before sitting down next to Hua Yong himself.
"Nice to meet you. Mr. Hua." Secretary Sheng slightly bowed to greet him, his graceful body exquisite in his silk shirt with hints of gold.
Hua Yong couldn't help but wonder how flexible the omega was. If he tried to bend him in half, would he complain or rejoice?
Secretary Sheng took a seat next to Shen Wenlang before looking at Hua Yong, his gaze flickering up through his lashes with a shyness that tickled the Enigma. Hua Yong was tempted to cancel the meeting to talk alone with the omega in a more private place to get to know each other.
Unfortunately, Shen Wenlang started the conversation, and his research was as interesting as it was serious, so Hua Yong forced himself to listen. He was delighted by Secretary Sheng's rare interventions, his voice a gentle balm in contrast to Shen Wenlang's leadership tone.
It was rare for an omega to be so calm in his presence, an oddity even. For this reason, Hua Yong decided to take off his patch, discreetly placing it in Gao Tu's hand. His impassive secretary showed no reaction, so that even Shen Wenlang, who was watching him intently, didn't notice his move.
Hua Yong controlled his pheromones throughout the rest of their meeting, keeping them locked. It was only once the meeting was over, and that Shen Wenlang had been willingly escorted out of the room by Gao Tu, that Hua Yong let some of his pheromones escape.
Secretary Sheng, who was still in the room, noticed the change in the air, a slight tremor in his body, but other than this discreet reaction, the omega seemed completely peaceful in his presence. Which was surprising. Unusual. Intriguing.
Hua Yong strode forward until they were face-to-face, the distance between them just enough to be considered professional.
"Could you give me your full name, Secretary Sheng?" Hua Yong's voice was an octave above a whisper, borderline seductive.
"Shaoyou." The omega replied with a soft inclination of the head. "My name is Sheng Shaoyou."