Chapter 1
642words
I intercepted him during his forced heat—precisely when fate intended him to have that fateful encounter with his destined mate.
Then I fabricated evidence of his infidelity and betrayal.
"Let's break up. This is the end for us," I told him, my voice never wavering.
Three years later, when news of their wedding finally reached me, I returned to society's spotlight and calmly accepted the genderless contract marriage my family had arranged.
That night, however, he trapped me in a pheromone cage of his making.
He stripped off his clothes piece by piece, offering his gland with desperate reverence.
"Darling," he whispered, "test me. Every drop of my blood has been purified for you."
An encrypted email appeared on my private terminal.
Sender: Genetic Matching Center.
I clicked on it.
Two sets of data appeared side by side on the screen, harsh as surgical lights.
Etheris & Talia, genetic match rate: 99.99%.
Etheris & Silodai, genetic match rate: 25.13%.
Cold blue light from the monitor reflected off my impassive face.
Outside the window, a massive blood moon hung in the sky, bathing the Gothic castle spires in ominous crimson.
Expressionless, I moved the cursor to close the report.
Yet my finger hesitated on the touchpad for half a second.
Every historical record, every scientific paper, confirmed one cold fact.
Between an Alpha and an Omega with over 99% genetic compatibility exists a gravitational pull called "destiny."
Irresistible. Irreversible.
Etheris, my lover, would inevitably and irretrievably fall for that Omega named Talia.
Talia had appeared.
Like a virus in perfectly written code, she inserted herself into my life with Etheris.
When we dined at restaurants, she'd be seated at the next table.
When we walked in the countryside, she'd be sketching along the forest path.
At every party, she'd materialize in his line of sight, wearing a dress that perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences.
She didn't need to do anything. Her mere existence was enough to unravel everything.
I saw it when Talia smiled as she passed Etheris—his amber pupils dilated instantly, the muscles beneath his clothes tensed, and his glands swelled slightly in response to her Omega pheromones.
No one could resist such high genetic compatibility.
I didn't want to believe it. Or rather, I wasn't ready to give up on him yet.
But on Etheris's wrists, more and more overlapping wounds began to appear.
Bite marks. Scratch marks.
Self-inflicted—he bit and scratched himself raw, fighting against his own instincts.
He was already self-destructing.
What finally pushed me to decide was when I had to leave him for an urgent research project.
The day I returned, I pushed open the bedroom door and a dark shadow pinned me against it. His scorching breath hit my neck, canines grazing my gland, while his burning hand slid from my waist to my nape, fingertips sinking into the soft gland there.
But I smelled it.
Beneath his intense, burning scent lurked a faint trace of Talia's sweet fragrance.
I didn't know what had happened between them. Imagination is a terrifying thing.
Even though I trusted Etheris.
But I also understood that highly compatible genetic matching was truly irresistible.
He began treating me better than ever before.
He'd buy out entire flower shops of black roses because I once mentioned "the color is pure."
He'd awkwardly attempt cooking, presenting tables full of strange-tasting dishes made with desperate devotion.
At night, he'd gaze at me with tear-filled eyes, his lashes casting trembling shadows. He'd please me repeatedly, trying to prove through physical intimacy that his heart remained mine alone.
I stared into those golden eyes, full of pleading and dependence, while my heart grew colder.
Break up.
The thought had already crystallized.
