Chapter 3

The Truth Behind the Mystery

"Boss, have you noticed that you’ve been rutting less often lately?" I glanced at Lef, my trusted subordinate, as he entered the room with the weekly report documents.

"Really? Guess I’m satisfied." Come to think of it, I hadn’t experienced a rut since that night. It’s been nearly half a month now, hasn’t it? Normally, I’d go into a rut at least once a week. Being an Alpha with a special dominant gene had its downsides—it was exhausting. And lately, even the standard suppressants hadn’t been working as well.

"In that case, should I arrange for him to be a regular? Have him stay with you whenever you need. I can handle everything." It was tempting, honestly. Ruts at random times were a hassle, and the suppressants didn’t cut it anymore. Plus, the kid had a scent I liked—a lot.

"By the way, do Betas usually have scents?" I didn’t confirm or deny what Lef asked, but I asked him back first.

"What kind of scent? Like body odor? Everyone has that if they don’t shower." I stared at Lef’s face until he flinched. The one who asked seriously still answered me jokingly.

"Not that. I’m talking about pheromones. Are you messing with me?"

"Whoops! Not at all. Just wasn’t sure." Sometimes, his cluelessness made me wonder how he became my right-hand man. Then again, his skills were top-notch—he just liked to mess with people without realizing it.

"So, what’s your answer?" I pressed, watching Lef smirk as he dragged a chair to sit across from me.

“Well, it could be possible for some. For example, someone with higher omega hormones but whose secondary gender is Beta might sometimes have a sweet scent. Usually, Betas can smell it better, though. Why do you ask, Boss?” So, was it possible for an Alpha to catch such a scent?

"Nothing. Just thinking. The kid I slept with that night had a sweet scent, one I really liked.” It was faint, like chocolate, but damn, it was good. And he tasted sweet too.

"If you’re that interested, why not follow my suggestion? It wouldn’t be hard to track him down,” I shook my head, flipping open the report to review its details.

"No. The kid’s too young, isn’t he? If we meet again, it might spell trouble." Worse, he could blackmail me—a second-unit leader of the Wyvern Family—over hiring a Beta from the streets to deal with an untimely rut. That would be mortifying. Buying company is a closely guarded secret of mine.

"You’re not even mad about him slapping you? If we’d known, we wouldn’t have let him go so easily." I held back a snort. You were the one who brought that kid to me in the first place, Lef.

"Forget it. We probably won’t cross paths again. Anyway, get ready—we’re patrolling the city tonight," I closed the report before stepping out of the office to rest until evening.

I’m part of the Wyvern Family, a mafia group that controls the northern region of this country. I’m the second-in-command, serving under our boss, Master Lardon. Our family has five divisions, each responsible for managing different areas of the Wyvern Group’s operations. My main responsibilities are overseeing the second territory under our control and managing the entertainment businesses, including host bars, in our network. Though we’re a mafia group, we don’t always operate outside the law. Well, not entirely.

My job is simple. Beyond managing the family businesses, I also protect the people living in our territory. It’s a rule of the family. The boss always says that since we share the same land and resources with the people here, we owe it to them to protect and support them when we can. It might not sound like typical mafia behavior—it’s more honorable, really—but it’s how we operate.

Honestly, I didn’t mind. Things were peaceful. Even though the police keep a close eye on us, thinking that we’re involved in illegal activities, well, we’ve paid all our taxes every year without ever evading them. Everything can be checked. Yet they still try to find a way to throw us in jail just because we have more influence than anyone else, making them feel intimidated. But whatever. In the end, they won’t be able to find any evidence to take us down, no matter how many people they send into the family.

After finishing some paperwork, I spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool. When evening rolled around, I went upstairs to shower and get ready for the patrol. I didn’t have to join these rounds personally, but I wanted to. Going out and meeting people feels really good. At least, when they smile and thank me for looking out for them, it makes me incredibly happy. I guess I might have caught this from the boss after all.

"Which bar are we hitting tonight?"

"Let’s go to Margaret’s. It’s been a while. Let the master know we’re coming." Lef gave a slight bow before pulling out his phone to contact the owner. After patrols, we’d usually stop by one of the bars in our territory to unwind. It was a good way to pass the time.

"Open the window," I ordered one of the guys in the car. They rolled it down, and I lit a cigarette. The city’s atmosphere was as vibrant as ever, though unusually quiet lately. Normally, there’d have been some trouble with a rival gang by now. It was almost boring.

We stopped to greet people around my district. After finishing the patrol, we headed to Margaret’s, the bar I’d decided on earlier. It was a good place. I’d been there once or twice, though usually someone else handled its oversight.

"Welcome, Mr. Knucker. It’s an honor to have you choose our establishment tonight," the master greeted us as usual. I looked around the bar, genuinely impressed. It was a cozy, well-designed space. Everything about it was polished and harmonious. If only I had the time to visit more often.

"Umm, the usual." The master nodded and gestured for me and my men to enter. As we walked in, the patrons turned their heads to look. Of course—they all knew who we were.

"The Omega scent is strong here. You didn’t forget your suppressants, did you, boss?" I frowned slightly at Lef’s comment. I’d brought the suppressants, naturally. I knew what to expect on patrol nights. But the Omega scent he mentioned...

"Lef, I can’t smell a single Omega in here," I looked back at Lef, who was ogling the beautiful Omegas. They were clearly flirting with us.

"What? You can’t smell anything? Even though they’re deliberately releasing their pheromones?" Lef looked at me in disbelief, raising his eyebrows in confusion before smacking Billy’s cheek. Billy had been about to break away from our group to approach one of the enticing Omegas.

"I can’t smell anything. It’s weird enough that my ruts have been less frequent. What’s happening to me?" I grabbed Lef’s shoulder tightly, staring at him as if demanding answers.

"Boss, don’t look at me like that. How am I supposed to know? I’m not a doctor. But didn’t you mention before that you smelled something sweet from the Beta you were with that night?" I nodded slightly, and Lef turned to Billy, who was busy rubbing his own cheeks.

"Let’s just go upstairs. Even if you can’t smell anything, I’m already starting to feel tipsy," Billy shook his head before spraying himself with cologne to mask the scents on his body. The others followed suit. We headed up to the VIP section on the second floor, which was always reserved for me. The bar staff made sure to keep the space available, never knowing when I might drop by.

"Back to the topic at hand, Boss. Are you saying you can’t pick up on any Omega scents at all anymore? You used to have a sharper nose than anyone. Whenever we went out for inspections, you couldn’t go without a scent suppressant. But come to think of it, you haven’t used any spray today, have you?"

"Exactly. What does that mean? Why am I like this? Could I be sick?" If it was an illness, that would be bad. I hadn’t even caught a fever in years. Could something like this really happen all of a sudden?

"Or could the Beta we brought to you that night actually have been an Omega?" The others looked at Lef before shaking their heads in unison.

"No way, Brother Lef. We checked thoroughly. He was just like any other Beta we’ve brought to the boss. He didn’t have an Omega scent, and he didn’t react to our Alpha pheromones either. Besides, if he were really an Omega, he wouldn’t have lasted even a moment after stepping into the hotel room. You know how overpowering the boss’s pheromones are."

"Kevin’s right. Normally, no Omega would be able to withstand your pheromones, Boss. So what’s causing this? Could you actually be sick?" I raised a hand to rub my temples before leaning back on the couch.

"I’ll get checked out tomorrow. Forget about it for now. I feel fine otherwise. Pour me a drink," I brushed aside the unrelated concerns before ordering my subordinates to pour drinks, so we could continue hanging out like usual.

"This place has such a great vibe, Boss. Do you mind if I go find an Omega to entertain myself with? Hopefully, the upstairs rooms are free." I shook my head slightly at him before letting him go. He could do whatever he wanted. There's nothing to worry about right now, especially since the Volpe people haven’t made any moves lately.

"Do what you want, but don’t take too long." They took turns disappearing to relax, as they put it. Normally, I might have joined in, but tonight I wasn’t in the mood. Something felt off, and I couldn’t figure out what. Surely, I wasn’t becoming infertile right?

"Boss, the master of the house sent up a gift for you." I looked over to see the master himself walking up to the VIP area with a basket of chocolates. He must’ve known they were my favorite, so he brought them for me. Honestly, chocolate didn’t quite suit my image. A second-in-command of a mafia family, liking something as childish as chocolate—it was almost laughable.

"Thank you for visiting our establishment today, Mr. Knucker. This is a gift I specifically picked for you—Belgian chocolates." I smirked faintly, reaching into the basket to pick out one bar of chocolate. I examined it closely, turning it over in my hands.

"Smells good. Thanks for thinking of me," I set the chocolate back into the basket before gesturing for my men to take it away for safekeeping.

"If you have the time, please visit our bar more often, Mr. Knucker. We’ll make sure you’re well taken care of. If there’s anything you need, just let us know." I gave the bar’s master a polite smile but didn’t commit either way. Having me sit in the bar was like a guarantee of safety.

"I make rounds to all the businesses under my care, so don’t worry. I’ll be back eventually."

"Thank you very much. Well then, please enjoy your evening. I won’t disturb you further." I nodded at the master as he left, waiting until he’d gone downstairs before unwrapping the chocolate bar and taking a bite.

"Chocolate," I murmured, studying the piece in my hand. As I sat, my gaze caught on a staff member moving around the room, busy serving customers.

"Hey, isn’t that the kid you brought to me that night?" I asked my men, not taking my eyes off the person walking around. I had to ask because I wasn’t sure. That night, I was in a deep rut, so some of the memories are fuzzy.

"Where? ...Ah, yeah, that’s him. What a small world, huh? Guess that means he really lives in our territory. I thought he might’ve come from another district or city, considering he looked like he was job hunting that day." I listened to my subordinates' report while sitting with my chin resting on my hand, looking at the boy.

"Do you think he looks like an Omega?" I asked without looking at my subordinates. There was a strange feeling that if I looked away, he might disappear.

"From his appearance? Not at all. Male Omegas are usually shorter than 170 centimeters, slim, and delicate, with a scent that lures Alphas. That kid doesn’t fit any of those traits. We thought he wasn’t an Omega." That made sense. He didn’t resemble an Omega in any way. If that was true, then I really might be sick.

“…” I rested my chin in my hand, observing him for a while. He seemed to be working harder than anyone else, constantly moving while the other staff members stood around playing on their phones. I watched as he picked up a trash bag and walked toward the back of the building, likely to dispose of it.

"I’m going out for a smoke," I stood abruptly and headed downstairs without waiting for a response. My men hurried after me, concerned. The crowd made it difficult to leave, but I finally managed to get out.

"Opps! This scent? I can smell it now. Who’s in heat?" I raised a hand to cover my nose as the sweet, alluring scent of an Omega in heat hit me. My men sniffed the air, trying to locate the source.

"What scent, boss? Everything’s blending together. It’s hard to tell. But as far as I can tell, no one here is in heat," Kevin said, trying to find the source of the scent.

“…” I suddenly stopped in my tracks, causing the man behind me to bump into my back. Damn, what now?

"Boss?"

"Get the car ready," I ordered before following the trail of the scent. It was getting stronger, triggering the beginnings of a rut. This was unmistakably the scent of an Omega in heat. My instincts urged me to leave and find a hotel to deal with the oncoming rut, but my legs betrayed me, pulling me toward the sweet, chocolate-like fragrance until I reached the back of the bar.

"Hah... hah... you..." I stopped in front of the place where the trash was dumped. The person in heat was the guy I slept with that night. He wasn’t just a Beta—he was an Omega. And not just that—I’d already bonded with him by mistake that night.

"P-Please, help me. I’m dying. Hah, hah!" It seemed my pheromones were having a strong effect on him. Of course, they would—we were bonded now.

"Damn it," I quickly closed the distance between us. I grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him toward me, and pressed a rough kiss against his lips. He clung tightly to my collar, kissing me back without hesitation. His body burned with heat, his face slick with sweat, and flushed a deep red. Most intoxicating of all was his scent—it was so alluring that I wanted to devour him whole.

"Mmm..." I let my hand slip into the waistband of his pants, nearly reaching the curve of his backside when he suddenly grabbed my wrist, holding it firmly. I froze, momentarily stunned.

"N-not here," he said, staring at me steadily as if he was still composed. How could he still have this much self-control when his body was screaming with need? What kind of Omega was he?

"You better be able to stop me like that every time," I yanked him by the wrist and dragging him toward the car. My men had already pulled up nearby, the vehicle waiting for us. I shoved him inside before sliding in beside him.

"To the nearest hotel." My subordinate nodded and drove off, heading straight to the destination as I ordered. I glanced at the boy sitting beside me. His breathing had become heavier and more labored, sweat soaking through his white shirt and clinging to his skin. My gaze fell on the nape of his neck, where the faint mark of my bite stood out. Unable to resist, I pulled him into my arms and sank my teeth into the same spot again.

"Ah! Damn it! Why are you biting me again?" he yelped, swatting at me and gripping my wrist tightly to stop my hand from slipping back into his pants. His strength surprised me—far more than any Omega I’d encountered before.

"You’ve already been bitten once. What’s the harm in another?" I smirked, licking the bite mark lightly. That crazy boy shoved me back with his elbow, then spun around to face me, glaring.

"Stop! And take your hands off me. Ugh!" I raised an eyebrow and let my gaze drop to his lower half.

"Really? When you’re this hard?" His face turned even redder than before. Is he embarrassed by my teasing? But the scent, it’s really intoxicating. It’s the kind of scent I love. I didn’t expect an omega to have pheromones that smelled like chocolate, the exact kind I like. And his mouth tastes sweet too.

"Yeah, I’m hard. But I still have some self-respect. Could you back off a little?"

"Are you sure you want me to back off?" The other person looked hesitant. In the end, he didn’t push me away again, though his body trembled with restraint. He bit his lip hard, so much so that it began to bleed.

"Hurry up before I completely lose it," I barked at the subordinate, my voice loud and sharp as I tried to steady myself. To keep my composure, I dug my nails into my thigh, hard enough to draw blood. I couldn’t afford to lose control now—I didn’t want to scare him.

"Hah, hah, please, help me." Sigh, what was I supposed to do with this?