CHAPTER 2

"So, when are we going to get married? Because Mother said I need to bear your kids," Rayne said innocently, glancing down at his tummy.

But this only fueled Zephyr’s anger. He shot up in rage and grabbed Rayne’s throat, choking him as if he meant to kill.

Yet as his grip tightened, he noticed the tears welling in Rayne’s eyes. The sight made him pause, and finally, he released him.

"Why are you bullying me?" Rayne pouted, tears streaming down his cheeks. The sight made him look irresistibly cute.

Any alpha could fall for him like this. Zephyr stared at him without blinking. He hated omegas—Rayne knew that—and just moments ago, his fury had burned hot. But now, the rage was gone, leaving behind only calmness.

And for the first time, guilt crept into him—for strangling Rayne.

“Fuck… what’s happening to me? All of this because of this omega’s pheromones,” Zephyr mumbled under his breath.

When he glanced ahead, he saw Rayne wiping his tears with his palm, just like a baby.

As Zephyr glared at Rayne, his phone suddenly rang—it was an important call.

“Consider yourself lucky I didn’t kill you,” Zephyr said coldly before walking away.

Rayne stayed frozen, watching him leave. Only when Zephyr finally disappeared did he quickly stand up and rush out of the room.

Outside the hotel, a white car was already waiting. He glanced around nervously, opened the door, and slipped inside. The car started moving at once.

After a short drive, it stopped in front of a café. Rayne hurried out, almost tripping in his haste, and dashed inside.

At one of the tables sat an omega with jet-black hair and porcelain-white skin. He was calmly eating pastries as if the world outside didn’t matter.

Rayne walked over and sat across from him.

“Ken, I met that alpha today,” he blurted out.

Ken looked up briefly but didn’t stop chewing. “So?”

“He’s completely psycho! Even when I pretended to act clueless, he strangled me. He even had a gun with him. I think he really is part of the mafia, just like we heard.”

Rayne ranted breathlessly, then reached over and snatched one of Ken’s pastries, shoving it into his mouth as if to calm himself.

“So what now? Are you going to marry him or not?” Ken asked between bites.

“Of course not! I don’t want to die on my wedding night—that’s exactly why I’m not marrying him,” Rayne snapped.

The truth was, when Rayne’s mother first told him about the marriage, he had secretly done a background check. That was when he discovered that Zephyr was no ordinary alpha—he was rumored to be part of an organ-dealing mafia.

Just reading about it had left Rayne trembling in fear. That was why he begged his mother to tell her friend that he was a fool, hoping she would drop the idea of sending her son to meet Zephyr.

But despite all his efforts, Zephyr still came. And so Rayne had no choice but to act like he was mentally unstable—an idiot—just to make Zephyr refuse the marriage himself.

Ken put down his spoon, crossed his arms over his chest, and fixed his eyes on Rayne.

“Listen, bitch,” he said flatly. “You don’t need to be afraid of anything. Just message your mom that you don’t want to marry that monster. She’ll understand. And don’t forget—you’re good at talking trash about alphas, so use that.”

Rayne raised an eyebrow at him but pulled out his phone anyway. With a quick sigh, he typed a message to his mother:

[Rayne: Mom, I met that alpha today just like you wanted, but I can’t marry him. He’s trash. He even tried to kill me, and he already has two omegas he loves and adores. He told me he’d only marry me in name. So I hope you can understand.]

“Okay, I’ve sent it,” Rayne said, setting his phone on the table. He pretended to look nervous, but in truth, he wasn’t.

After finishing the pastries, the two of them left the café. Since it was still their vacation before university started, Rayne and Ken had already planned a trip with their friends—and, of course, with Rayne’s boyfriend.

Yes, Rayne already had a boyfriend. He had even told his family about him, but they never accepted the relationship. His father only owned a small company, and compared to Rayne’s wealthy background, his boyfriend seemed poor.

But none of that mattered to Rayne. He kept dating the alpha anyway. He was still with him now… though the alpha hadn’t contacted Rayne for the past week.

As soon as they both left the café, someone suddenly pulled Rayne into a hug.

When Rayne glanced up, he saw an alpha with brown hair and striking black eyes. He was handsome—and he was hugging him tightly.

“Losif, you’re here!” Rayne’s face lit up with happiness at the sight of his boyfriend.

“Hey, lovebirds! Don’t hug each other in the middle of the street. Go get a room,” Ken muttered, clearly annoyed by their public affection—especially since he was still single.

“Don’t be jealous of us,” Rayne said, still refusing to break the hug. When he finally did pull away, he noticed Losif leaning closer.

Losif was sniffing him.

“Why is there an alpha’s pheromone on you, honey?” Losif asked.

Rayne flinched. He had promised Losif he wouldn’t meet Zephyr again—but he had still gone, only to cancel the marriage. Losif had been furious when he first found out that Rayne’s family had rejected him and already chosen another alpha for him.

“I asked you a question, didn’t I, Rayne? Answer me—why is there an alpha’s pheromone on you? Who did you meet?”

Losif’s voice was cold, sharp, and loud enough for every passerby to hear. The stares made Rayne’s cheeks burn with embarrassment, and even Ken shifted uncomfortably as they exchanged glances.

“Hey, Losif, I know you’re angry, but at least lower your voice. This isn’t your home where you can shout as much as you want—we’re in the middle of the street,” Rayne said. His voice was low, but carried a surprising strength.

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