Prologue

A Way Out

“Sigh... What should I do with my life?” I exhaled heavily, tilting my head back to gaze at the night sky. After graduating, I started looking for a job, but life isn’t as simple as that. Finding a job isn’t easy, and right now, I don’t even have enough money to buy a plane ticket back to Thailand.

My name is Ram. It means “joy,” according to my mom, who said my grandmother picked the name for me. I’m mixed-race—my father’s from here, and my mom was Thai. Now, I’m all alone. My mom has passed away, and my dad? Don’t even get me started.

“Maybe I should just go back to Thailand.” Ever since I graduated, I’ve been job hunting, but it’s been almost a month, and I haven’t landed anything. No one’s even called me back from all the applications I submitted. At this rate, I might have to rob someone just to scrape up enough money to return to my grandmother.

It’s not that I don’t want to stay here. I do. I want to find a job and send money back to my grandma in Thailand. The cost of living there is high, and if I go back, I’m not sure I’ll be able to find a decent job. At least here, the currency is stronger, and I can send more back home.

The only family I have left now is my grandma and two aunts. My grandma’s sick, and there’s no way my aunts can support everything on their own. Now that I’ve graduated, I want to help ease their burden.

“If it’s so hard to find a job here, maybe I should go back to Thailand and look for something there. There’s got to be something I can do.” Thankfully, I still have some savings. After my mom passed away, I didn’t return to Thailand right away because I wanted to finish high school first. I worked at a vegetable store to earn my own pocket money for school and sometimes did odd jobs with my classmates. But the owner of the vegetable store passed away last week, so now I’m officially unemployed.

“Sigh...” I let out another soft exhale, lowering my head slightly. Why is adulthood so exhausting? It makes me nostalgic for when I was a kid. Back then, my mom would walk me to school every day, pick me up in the evening, and buy me snacks to eat together. I can’t believe those days are gone forever.

“...” I raised an eyebrow when I noticed several pairs of feet stop in front of me. Looking up, I saw a group of people dressed entirely in black suits, complete with sunglasses and polished leather shoes. Are they the mafia I’ve heard about in this area? Am I about to get in trouble?

“Looking for money, are you?” One of them asked me bluntly, skipping any pleasantries and getting straight to the point. How the hell do they know I need money?

“...” I didn’t respond right away, wanting to assess the situation. They were clearly mafia, and I had no idea what they wanted from me. Everyone knows that the mafia are bad news, notorious for preying on people. But I didn’t know enough to say for sure what they were like.

“It’s a simple job. All you have to do is spend one night with our boss. Just one night, and we’ll pay you no less than fifty thousand.” My eyebrows shot up. Just spend one night with their boss and earn fifty thousand? Wait, no—they said more than that.

“And how do I know you won’t hurt me after the job’s done?” I mean, they’re the mafia. Who in their right mind would willingly agree to spend a night with their boss? It’s terrifying. But, it’s fifty thousand. That’s not an amount you come by every day.

“We don’t harm people without cause. Right now, our boss is in a bad way and urgently needs someone to spend the night with. If you agree, we might even increase the payment.” They stared at me intently, their gaze heavy with pressure, and I started to squirm. What should I do? I was scared, no doubt about it. These guys were full-fledged mafia, and I was just a fresh graduate. How could I possibly stand up to them?

"If I refuse?" I tried to keep my composure as I asked, attempting to gauge their reaction. They stared at me silently, their expressions unchanging, until I began to feel uneasy. Was refusal even an option?

"Do you realize how many people would kill for the chance to spend a night with our boss? You're being given such an honor, and you're thinking of rejecting it? … Fine. If you don't want to, that's up to you. We're not here to force anyone. So, is that your final answer?" Why did they have to make it so complicated? What should I do? But fifty thousand, and potentially more.

"Wait, let me think," I said quickly, stopping them just as they turned to leave.

"Hurry up. We don't have much time. The boss is in agony right now."

"Your boss, is he in rut?" I asked, suspecting as much. Most mafias were Alphas, and I was just a recessive Omega who, at a glance, could easily be mistaken for a Beta.

"Yeah, that's why we need to act fast." I wanted to curse. If he’s in rut, shouldn't he just take suppressants? Why go through all this trouble to find someone to sleep with? Then again, maybe he preferred this over medication.

"Fine, I'll do it, but only if you guarantee my safety," I said, agreeing reluctantly. Even though I’m an Omega, I’m a special recessive gene Omega. I only found out I was one at seventeen.

Recessive Omegas like me aren’t much different from Betas. We experience heat cycles far less frequently than regular Omegas, and our chances of pregnancy are incredibly low—less than ten percent, even if the other party is an Alpha. There’s no way he could get me pregnant. Well, I’ll just take precautions afterward, just in case.

"We never harm anyone first. You'll be fine. No one’s going to kill you." That didn’t stop me from being scared. Sure, I’d learned karate, but that was only for self-defense. What chance did I have against professionals who’d been in this business for years?

"Alright, I’ll do it. Ah…" As soon as I agreed, they grabbed my arm and started pulling me along. What the hell? In such a hurry?

"Move quickly. The boss is in bad shape. He’s suffering right now. If we don’t get you there soon, he’s going to be in even worse condition." Yeah, yeah, I get it, he’s struggling. But do you have to drag me like this? I’m not exactly short, you know. But it doesn’t matter—Omegas and Betas are always weaker than Alphas in terms of both strength and height. Even though I’m as strong as a regular Beta, I could never match a real Alpha.

They brought me to a luxury hotel near the commercial district where I’d been standing earlier. The place was lavish, but the moment we stepped inside, I noticed there were no other guests—just black-suited men stationed at various points. Don’t tell me they’ve taken over the entire hotel?

"Ugh!" As soon as I stepped through the door, I had to raise my hand to cover my nose. What the hell was that scent? The pheromones were so overpowering it felt like they filled the entire building. It was a faint lemon fragrance, refreshing yet overwhelming. More than that, I could feel myself starting to react, as if I was being pulled into heat by the Alpha’s rut. Can pheromones spread this much normally?

"We’ve brought the Beta you requested, sir." I immediately turned to glare at them. What did they just say?  Their boss wanted a Beta to sleep with, and they brought me? If that’s the case, they’d misunderstand that I was a Beta! Normally, Alphas in rut needed Omegas, didn’t they? So, then...

"Uh, if it’s a Beta..." I began, trying to explain that I wasn’t actually a Beta. I didn’t want to die because of a misunderstanding. What kind of person wants to be with a Beta during their rut, anyway? Well, not that it’s unheard of, but still—I don’t get it.

"Yeah, we mean you. Our boss is a bit aggressive, so he can’t be with Omegas. Besides, he doesn’t want to risk getting anyone pregnant, so he avoids Omegas altogether and opts for Betas instead. Now, go on and do your job."

"Wait! Listen…"

Bang! Thud!

I stood dumbfounded at the doorway after being unceremoniously shoved into the room. The pheromone scent in here was even stronger than outside. I immediately raised my hand to cover my nose. Hey, this isn’t normal—I've never smelled Alpha pheromones this intense before.

Because I’m a recessive gene Omega, Alpha pheromones have never really affected me. I’ve never gone into heat just from smelling an Alpha in rut. But this guy, this is different. His scent is overwhelming, and it’s starting to get to me.

“Ugh…” A wave of heat surged through my body. This sensation is rare for me, and even when it happens, it’s usually mild. But now? It’s unbearable. I couldn’t believe it—was this guy somehow special?

Did I make a mistake accepting this job? No, it’s fine. I’m not as weak as regular Omegas. I can handle this. Besides, for fifty thousand, I’ll endure it. Come on, Ram, jobs like this don’t come around often, and who knows when I’ll find another job. At least I’ll finally have enough to buy a plane ticket back to Thailand.

“Hey… come here.” I turned slowly to look at the man sitting on the bed, panting heavily. The room was dark, so I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I noticed his arms were covered in tattoos. His deep, gravelly voice made my heart race, as if I was about to be killed.

“...” I didn’t say anything, opting instead to cautiously walk toward him. Sure, he’d triggered my heat, but I could still control myself. I wouldn’t suffer as much as other Omegas. To an outsider, it might not even be obvious that I was in heat.

“Chocolate? Is that scent coming from you?” I sniffed myself immediately. Chocolate? Oh, right. Earlier today, I’d helped an elderly lady cross the street, and she gave me some chocolates as a thank-you.

“Oh, uh, do you want some?” I reached into my pants pocket and offered him the chocolate. His expression remained calm as he sat on the bed. If it weren’t for the scent and the fact that I knew he was in rut, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. Why was he so composed?

“Keep it for yourself.”

“Hey!” I exclaimed, startled, as he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me down onto the bed. Before I could process what was happening, he was straddling me.

His breathing was ragged, and sweat dripped from his face onto my body. He looked like he desperately needed something but wasn’t making any moves—just staring at me intently, leaving me feeling awkward and unsure. Now that I could see his face clearly, I took in the details. His shoulder-length hair, the piercing on his left brow, and the one on the right side of his lip gave him a rugged look that somehow suited him perfectly.

“This scent…” he murmured softly as he leaned down and sniffed along my neck. I flinched slightly, feeling ticklish. Then, to my surprise, my body started responding—my groin stirring slightly. The more I came into contact with him and inhaled his pheromones, the more my heat intensified, causing me to release my own pheromones. Normally, no one could detect my pheromones. But this guy…

"Ugh... W-Wait a second. Let me take off my clothes first," I placed my hands against his chest to stop him. I was a little nervous, but I didn’t want my clothes to get ruined—I couldn’t afford to buy new ones.

"Such a hassle. I’ve never met a Beta as troublesome as you. Come here!" He growled through gritted teeth, sounding annoyed, before spinning me around and quickly unbuttoning my shirt, yanking it off me with little regard for care. What a brute!

"That hurts!" I snapped at him after he practically ripped my shirt off. The fabric had scratched my skin, and it stung. By now, though, he’d managed to strip me completely.

"Why is your body softer than any other Beta I’ve touched?" Well, of course, it’s soft—I’m not a Beta, I’m an Omega. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. If he stopped now, I wouldn’t get paid.

"H-Hurry up, ah..." My heat bagan to intensify. If he left me hanging now, I’d curse him forever.

"This scent… why is it so sweet? What have you done to me?" I shook my head slightly before the person hugging me from behind gently cupped my face, turning it toward him, and kissed me.

"Mmm…" I closed my eyes and let out a quiet moan, feeling his body press against mine. His hardness was pressing against my hips—it was warm. No, scratch that, it was hot. I’d never felt this desperate for someone before.

"..." He still wasn’t doing anything other than inhaling my scent all over my body. Was my scent really that enticing? Honestly, I’d never realized my pheromones had a smell. No one had ever mentioned it—not even back in school, when I’d gone into heat in the middle of class and had to discreetly ask the nurse for suppressants.

"You can smell it?" I asked, glancing back at him as he squeezed my backside firmly and played with my nipples. He kissed my shoulders and back softly. Weren’t they saying earlier that their boss was aggressive? From what I was experiencing, he was surprisingly gentle. Or was this not what they meant?

"Chocolate," he muttered simply before aligning himself with my entrance and pushing inside without so much as a warning.

"Ugh! Hey! At least give me a heads-up! That hurts!" Was he seriously small enough to think he could just force it in like that?! He didn’t respond, only looking at me intently as if studying me. Then, he lifted me onto his lap, his length still buried inside me.

"Sorry about that. But it’s going to hurt a lot more from here on out." What? He’s joking, right?