Chapter 0

Are you crazy?

A voice as sharp as the tip of a blade harshly pierced Renatos ears.Flinch, Renato shrank his shoulders when hearing the voice and turned his head to the side.

Moving his eyes following the faint smell of blood and the sound of heavy breathing, he saw a black silhouette sitting on the bed with the curtains half lowered. It was Khalid.

Khalid?

I was sure that I told you not to come in because this place is dangerous.

As Renato called out to him, the mans dark red eyes flashed in the darkness. Renato forgot to breathe while looking at Khalid. He wanted to get closer to the man, but couldnt easily move his feet.

Do you know where this place is that you are walking into, seriously?

Huu, Khalid took a deep breath, his chest moving up and down. His heavy breath interrupted the conversation. Inhaling once more, he rubbed his face with his hands. The heat was making him dizzy.

Just which bastard defied his order and let Renato in?

Khalid vowed to kill that human right away as soon as his rut was over. But even as he was angry at his stupid subordinates, getting Renato out was the first priority.

Please get out of here.

Quickly. Khalid told him to go away in a low, subdued voice. A constant stream of hot breath flowed out from his lips. His pheromone that had lost control was running rampant in and out of his body.

So this is the rut of a dominant Alpha.

Renato gulped when he saw Khalid trying to chase him away. Despite being unable to smell the scent, he could vaguely feel the pheromone that filled the room. The damp and sharp, heavy yet bizarre air was filling the bedroom.

Im scared.

Renato bit his lips, feeling an unknown fear. It had been a while since he had a hard time breathing.

Is this how prey in front of a wild beast would feel?He was momentarily overwhelmed with an urge to turn around and run away. But he couldnt.

Renatos gaze moved to Khalids feet. As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, the sight of the bedroom gradually filled his vision. The bottles rolling on the floor were probably all sedatives. Checking every empty medicine bottle without missing a single one, Renato clenched his fists.

Come to your senses.

Renato urged himself and looked at Khalid again. Now was not the time to be like this. He came here to help the man. As he calmed down his heart, Renato opened his mouth and gave strength to his throat.

I dont want to.

Khalids shoulders twitched because of the unexpected rejection. The hands covering his heated face slowly went down. His eyes as red as drops of blood gleamed in the darkness, then gazed straight at Renato as if piercing him.

What did you just say?

Khalid asked in a low voice. A breath that was rougher than before leaked out from his clenched teeth. It felt as if a wounded beast were growling with his fur raised.

Im not going out.

What will you do if you dont go out?

Khalids voice became sharp.Doesnt he know what it means to be in the same room as an Alpha in rut?He glared at the strangely stubborn Renato with ferocious eyes. Then, he clicked his tongue and brushed back his sweat-drenched hair.

Khalid.

Renato looked at Khalid for a moment and cautiously called out to him. Then, he slowly approached Khalid just like a cat that suppressed his footsteps.

Khalid frowned when he saw Renato getting closer. As the distance between them shortened, Renatos fragrant body odor stimulated the tip of his nose. It was different from Omegas pheromones that stimulated Alphas instincts, but it was enough to stimulate Khalids desire.

I want to help you.

Finally standing in front of Khalid, Renato gathered his courage and spoke up. However, Khalids reaction was extremely harsh. He let out a sneer as if having heard something ridiculous. Unlike usual, it was a cold, somewhat twisted laughter.

Renato, you want to?

Yes, Id like to help if you allow me to.

This is not a matter that requires my permission. This is just an impossible matter.

Khalid.

Dont be compelled to do anything, and please just leave immediately. How can a Beta like you help me?

Renatos eyes widened because of his cold rejection. So far, Khalid had never had an issue with Renato being a Beta.

Perhaps because of that, Renato could feel his heart ache at the thorny words. But Renato did not give in. Had he turned away from some cold words, he wouldnt have entered this room in the first place. So, he faced Khalid with a determined expression.

If the sedatives dont work, theres only one option left.

Ha

Forced laughter burst out of Khalids mouth when he heard Renatos bold remarks.This is driving me crazy, he spat out a curse and looked at Renato with even more ferocious eyes. The mans blood-red eyes swayed like blazing flames.

Do you mean that you know what that method is?

I do know.

Renato answered as calmly as possible. The only way to calm down a dominant Alpha when the sedatives didnt work was to spend the night together with him until the end of his rut.

Since you know that Huu.

Khalid sighed heavily, feeling suffocated. A low growl escaped from his lips.

I can hurt you. No, I will hurt you.

Khalid was convinced of his thoughts. The Omegas would fall into a heat cycle and change their body constitution to make it easier to accept their partners in response to the Alphas rut, but this was not the case for Betas.

It might have been different in other times, but when the Alphas reason was swallowed up by instinct, it would be dangerous for Betas if they entangled their bodies together.

So please get out.

Before you are hurt, no, before I can hurt you.Khalid once again told him to go out. His rationality was gradually fading away. He had to get Renato out of there as quickly as possible before he completely lost his rationality.

But Renato remained stubborn. Because he didnt move at all, the one who became restless was Khalid.

Quickly

When Khalid urgently said, a soft warmth touched his heated cheeks. Khalids body hardened because of the unexpected touch.

Its okay.

Renato softly whispered, caressing Khalids cheeks. A sense of guilt soared in him as he felt the heat on the skin he was touching. It was all his fault that Khalid had become like this.

I am your companion.(Eves note: In this novel, the word companion means life companion, in other words, the spouse.)

Even though their relationship was contractual, he was Khalids only companion. So this was what he had to do. Renato met Khalids eyes with a firm gaze.

You also asked me before. You said even though this was a contract, I still had to fulfill my duty as your companion and asked if I was prepared for that.

That

Hearing Renatos words, Khalid slurred the end of his words. He was sure he had said that before. But he had said so because he wanted Renato to change his mind, and not because of this.

After all, even though they signed a contract together, the marriage of an imperial family member was not something that could be broken arbitrarily.

You said the same thing on our wedding day as well. As long as we are married, we will treat each other as companions and keep our loyalty. Dont you remember I agreed with that too?

Renato.

Isnt this what a married couple would do?

Khalid was speechless at Renatos question and closed his mouth. He had to convince Renato to let go of his foolish stubbornness, but he couldnt come up with a proper sentence.

If I leave you alone in your rut, Ill be a coward who abandons my duty as your companion. So

Smooch.

Renato plucked up his courage, lowered his head and closed his eyes. As soon as the soft and tender flesh gently overlapped with his hot lips, Khalids chin became stiff. Thick tendons sprang up on the nape of the mans neck dripping with sweat.

A strange friction sound echoed from the gap between their lips. Renato intentionally kissed him aloud and rubbed his lips against Khalids.

When he opened his eyes again, he could see red eyes flickering like candles in the wind. As Khalid was in a chaotic state, Renato moved his lips again.

Sleep with me, Khalid.