“You’re telling me I presented as an Omega?” I stared at the doctor in disbelief.
The doctor, checking my vitals, just sighed. “No matter how many times you ask, the answer’s the same. You’ve definitely presented as an Omega. It’s rare for a Beta to undergo a secondary presentation, but it’s not unheard of. Better get used to it, kid.”
That was not comforting at all.
How was I supposed to accept this? I’d lived as a Beta for twenty years, and now, just because of a fight, I’d suddenly become an Omega? And not just any Omega, but the kind that’s supposed to be delicate and frail, gasping for breath after walking three steps?
“I’m so tough—why didn’t I present as an Alpha instead?” I fumed.
Lin Zeyan slipped quietly into the hospital room. “Doesn’t look like you’re happy with the result.”
I hurled my pillow at him. “Get out! This is all your fault!”
He caught the pillow effortlessly. “The doctor only said your presentation was influenced by Alpha pheromones. He didn’t say it was definitely mine.”
His smug face made me want to scream.
“Just leave! Don’t hang around here!”
Instead of leaving, Lin Zeyan came closer. “Don’t be mad. Being an Omega isn’t the end of the world.”
Every time I saw him, I remembered how I’d reacted to his scent, how pathetic I’d looked, and the result of my presentation.
I was furious, but more than that, I felt powerless.
“If you’re here to laugh at me, congrats, you’ve seen it all. I’m an Omega now—thanks to your pheromones, I’ll just be a blushing, trembling mess from now on. Happy?”
Lin Zeyan looked genuinely surprised by my outburst.
We’d been rivals for over a decade, but now I didn’t even have the energy to argue. I just buried myself under the blanket.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t accept a secondary presentation—I just couldn’t accept being an Omega.
Omegas were rare and privileged in society, but they always ended up bonded to an Alpha—like a parasite. Alphas could have multiple Omegas, but an Omega could only have one Alpha. If their Alpha was unfaithful, the Omega would be left without any comfort, facing a miserable future.
To Alphas, Omegas were just playthings.
I didn’t want to be someone who could only exist by clinging to others.
Worse, those strange memories told me the truth: I was living inside an ABO novel. Lin Zeyan, my rival, was the male lead, and I was just a cannon-fodder side character. After presenting as an Omega, I’d anger his secret crush and end up forced to marry a gambling Alpha, with a tragic ending.
I was terrified that, now that I’d presented as an Omega, I wouldn’t be able to escape that fate.
“I’m not here to laugh at you,” Lin Zeyan said, his voice muffled by the blanket. For once, he sounded serious. “Yun Fei, I’d never mock you for this.”
Yeah, right. As if I’d believe anything he said.
The room fell silent. Hiding under the blanket, I felt my eyes sting.
Why wouldn’t he just leave?
“If you’re not leaving, how long are you planning to stick around and watch me suffer?”
“If I said I was here to help you, would you believe me?”
Help me? I almost laughed.
I threw off the blanket and kicked him. He caught my foot and held it, his hands warm against my skin. I looked up, ready to curse him out, but the look in his eyes stopped me cold. For the first time in ten years, he looked genuinely serious.
“Since when are you so kind-hearted?” I asked warily.
He looked a little hurt, but I barely noticed before his smile distracted me. He looked way too charming for his own good.
“Did you know I have pheromone absorption disorder?” he said quietly.
Pheromone absorption disorder is a rare immune deficiency. In plain terms, it means an Alpha’s body rejects and is allergic to pheromones. During their rut, they can’t be soothed by Omega pheromones and have to rely on suppressants. If an Alpha goes too long without an Omega’s comfort, they become irritable, their mental state deteriorates, and they can eventually go insane. The higher their rank, the worse it gets.
I was stunned. No wonder he’d always hated being around Omegas.
Lin Zeyan let go of my foot and looked down. “Only your scent works for me.”
I swallowed hard.
Why did it have to be me?
He smiled gently. “How about we call a truce?”
I couldn’t believe Lin Zeyan would trust me with a secret like that.
Shamefully, I was tempted.
Chapter 02
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