My Alpha

As Si Qi stepped out of the abandoned factory, the cold air, mingled with smoke and the smell of blood, rushed into his lungs, clearing his foggy mind. Without stopping, not even glancing back at the devastation, he quickly vanished into the vast snowstorm.

The Pandora hard drive in his hand felt cold and heavy, as if it held the twenty years stolen from him and Shao Wei, along with all the hopes and threats of the future. But he had no desire to dwell on the gains and losses. Shao Wei's pale face and Silver Fox's words, "It's not going well, there's a slight tear in the gland," burned like a scalding iron, searing his nerves.

The second safe spot Dr. Chen suggested was located on the other side of the ridge, at a more secluded, long-abandoned weather observatory. It wasn't close, and needed to avoid potential "Watchers" eyes.

Si Qi pushed his speed to the limit, his top-tier Alpha's stamina on full display. He trudged through knee-deep snow, leaping over jagged rocks. The chill wind pierced his face like a knife, yet it couldn't slow him down. His senses were heightened to the limit, alert to any sign of movement. His sandalwood pheromones were restrained yet tense, like a blade unsheathed, ready to respond to any emergency.

His mind kept replaying the scene of Shao Wei resolutely detonating his pheromones, and the blood flowing out of his nose... Every time he thought of it, Si Qi's heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an ice-cold hand, and the suffocating pain was accompanied by overwhelming anger.

How could he...how could he dare to let Shao Wei fall into that situation again!

Even though it was all part of the plan, even though Shao Wei had made his own choice, Si Qi couldn't forgive himself. Would the trust that had just been softened, the cracks that had just glimpsed a glimmer of light, close again because of this renewed risk and hurt?

Fear gripped him, a fear deeper than he had ever felt facing any business rival or the muzzle of a Watcher's gun.

After nearly an hour of running, Siqi finally saw the low building hidden among the dead trees and snow. It looked even more dilapidated than the previous research station, almost blending in with the mountain.

He circled carefully, making sure there were no ambushes or followers, before quickly approaching the only entrance—a rusty iron door with a special knock signal.

Three long and two short.

The iron gate silently opened a crack from the inside, revealing Silver Fox's vigilant face. Seeing that it was Si Qi, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately made way.

"How is he?" Si Qi flashed in, without even taking a breath, and asked right away, his voice very hoarse.

The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a single emergency light. The air was thick with dust and the smell of disinfectant. Shao Wei lay on a makeshift bed, covered in a thick blanket. His face was even paler than before, almost transparent, and his breathing was weak and rapid.

Dr. Chen was at his bedside, carefully changing the gauze around the gland at the back of his neck. The surrounding skin was red and swollen, with faint traces of tiny lacerations visible. The gauze was stained with fresh blood and clear tissue fluid.

Si Qi's footsteps suddenly stopped, as if his heart was being crushed by an invisible hand. The pain made his vision black. He moved step by step to the bed, each step feeling extremely heavy.

Dr. Chen changed the medicine and raised his head, his face solemn. "He's severely overdrawn of pheromones, his glands are slightly torn, and his nerves are burned to a certain extent. He needs to rest and must not use pheromones again, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous." He glanced at Si Qi's clenched fists and red eyes, and sighed, "But he's very strong and he made it through."

Si Qi slowly crouched down, approaching the bedside, his gaze greedily examining Shao Wei's sleeping face, inch by inch. Deep shadows shone beneath those long lashes, a fragile look that seemed poised to shatter at the slightest touch. He reached out, his fingertips trembling as he gently brushed away the sweat-soaked strands of hair from Shao Wei's forehead, his movements as delicate as if they were a rare treasure.

His pheromones became uncontrollably soft, carrying a strong sense of guilt and tenderness, like the finest gauze, slowly wrapping up Shao Wei, trying to soothe his nerves that were still restless even in his sleep.

Perhaps it was because he felt the familiar breath and temperature, Shao Wei's eyebrows moved slightly, and he opened his eyes very slowly.

The ice-blue eyes met Siqi's eyes, which were close to him and full of worry and pain.

This time, there was no more emptiness, fear or confusion in Shao Wei's eyes, nor was there the determination and ruthlessness he had when implementing the plan. All that was left was the weakness and fatigue after the extreme physical pain, and... a very faint, barely noticeable dependence.

He saw the scratches on Siqi's forehead and the blood on his body. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end it just turned into a very light, painful inhalation.

"Don't move," Si Qi's voice was so hoarse that it almost broke. "It's okay, it's all over."

He picked up the warm water prepared nearby and carefully moistened Shao Wei's chapped lips with a cotton swab. Shao Wei didn't refuse, but just looked at him quietly, his eyes like a newborn, fragile little animal, with complete trust and a subtle hint of grievance.

Si Qi's heart softened to a pulp, bitterness and love almost overflowing. He carefully fed him some water, his movements extremely gentle.

"Did you get the thing...?" Shao Wei's voice was weak, almost just a whisper.

Si Qi nodded and placed the silver-black hard drive beside the bed. "We got it. They won't dare to act rashly for the time being."

Shao Wei's gaze lingered on the hard drive for a moment, then slowly shifted back to Si Qi's face. A faint light seemed to flicker in the depths of his icy blue eyes. He then closed his eyes wearily and murmured softly, "...That's good."

He didn't ask for details, didn't worry about the follow-up, just confirmed the result, and then, as if all his energy was exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep again. It was as if he had completely entrusted all his trust and follow-up to Si Qi.

This complete, even somewhat blind, trust made Si Qi's heart feel like it was soaked in warm water, aching and swollen. He stood by, motionless, his eyes fixed on her.

Dr. Chen and Silver Fox quietly handled follow-up matters, checking equipment and contacting other trusted channels. Within the small safe haven, a fragile calm, after the storm, temporarily fell.

For the next two days, Si Qi stayed with Shao Wei almost every step of the way.

He put aside all the pride and dignity of a top Alpha and personally took care of him in every detail. He fed him water and medicine, wiped his body, changed the gauze, and even learned how to use the most gentle pheromones to nourish Shao Wei's damaged glands and relieve his nerve pain.

His movements, initially clumsy and unfamiliar, quickly became skilled and natural. He spoke little, but every look and every movement was filled with silent care and attentiveness.

Shao Wei spent most of his time in a coma, his body's instinct forcing him to recover through deep sleep. When he was awake, he was still weak and spoke very little, often just quietly watching Si Qi busying himself for him.

The emotions in those ice-blue eyes grew richer day by day. Sometimes they were simply empty, sometimes they were subtly gentle as they looked at Si Qi, and sometimes a trace of forbearance would flash across their eyes due to a sudden pain in their glands or nerves, but Si Qi would quickly notice it and soothe it with pheromones.

The icy wall between them seemed to be melting silently under Siqi's silent protection and warmth day and night. No longer needing verbal explanations or confessions, actions themselves were the most powerful language.

In the evening of the third day, Shao Wei felt better. He even leaned on the raised pillow and ate the half bowl of porridge that Si Qi fed him in small mouthfuls.

Outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun shines through the dilapidated window lattice, casting a warm golden glow.

Si Qi put away the bowls and spoons, returned to the bedside, picked up the ointment naturally, and prepared to change the dressing on his gland.

As he carefully peeled off the old gauze, revealing the wound that was still red and swollen but had begun to scab over, his fingers couldn't help but tremble slightly. Every time he saw the wound, he would think of Shao Wei's determination at the time and his own fear.

Shao Wei seemed to sense his emotions, and when he paused, he suddenly spoke softly, "...it doesn't hurt anymore."

Si Qi suddenly looked up and bumped into Shao Wei's calm gaze.

Shao Wei looked at him and repeated it again, his voice still weak, but much clearer: "Really, it doesn't hurt much anymore."

A huge, acrid, hot current suddenly rushed into Siqi's nose and eye sockets. He hurriedly lowered his head and continued his hand movements to cover up the pain, his throat choked and unable to speak.

He knew it wasn't pain-free. How could the ripped glands and burned nerves not hurt? Shao Wei was just... comforting him.

This realization made Si Qi's heart ache beyond words, yet filled with indescribable emotion.

He applied ointment to the wound very gently and carefully, and then covered it with clean gauze. During the whole process, neither of them spoke again, but a silent, warm and heavy atmosphere flowed in the air.

After changing the medicine, Si Qi did not leave immediately. Instead, he sat by the bed and held Shao Wei's hand, which was outside the quilt. Shao Wei's fingers moved, and then he slowly and tentatively held his hand back.

Fingertips touch, warmth is transmitted.

Si Qi's heart skipped a beat. He raised his head and looked at Shao Wei.

Shao Wei was also looking at him. His icy blue eyes, in the glow of the setting sun, were like a melting glacier, clear and warm, with Si Qi's shadow clearly reflected in them. There was no fear, no numbness, no alienation in them, only a calmness after experiencing disaster, and a quietly growing, subtle dependence and attachment.

"……elder brother."

An extremely clear name, no longer containing any tentativeness or uncertainty, was gently uttered from Shao Wei's pale lips.

Si Qi's pupils suddenly dilated, and the huge shock and ecstasy instantly overwhelmed him like a tsunami! He could hardly believe his ears!

Shao Wei looked at his stunned expression, the corners of his mouth curved upward ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly, like a pale and fragile smile. He repeated it, his voice soft but with a kind of finality:

"elder brother."

At this moment, Si Qi seemed to hear the sound of the ice wall collapsing, the sound of his heart beating violently again, and the sound of all the regrets and pains of the past being completely washed away by this call.

He suddenly tightened his arms, carefully but firmly embracing Shao Wei. His movements were so gentle, as if he were embracing a fragile dream, but his arms trembled slightly as he tried to suppress his excitement.

He buried his face deep in Shao Wei's neck, sniffing the faint, cold, medicinal scent of cedar. His voice choked with sobs, he responded over and over in a low voice:

"Yes, I'm here." "Brother...my brother..." "We'll never be apart again...I swear..."

Shao Wei leaned quietly in his arms, without struggling or resisting, and even slightly adjusted to a more comfortable position, resting his forehead lightly on Si Qi's shoulder. His body, which had been slightly tense, finally relaxed completely.

The golden light of the setting sun enveloped the two people hugging each other, casting warm overlapping shadows on the ground.

The cold wind still howled outside the window, but inside the safe spot, it seemed like spring had finally arrived.

When the flames of the crematorium burn out, what remains is not ashes, but a closer and inseparable bond after being tempered, and a new life full of hope that has broken through the ground.

Si Qi knew that the road ahead was still full of thorns, the threat of the "Watchmen" had not been completely eliminated, Shao Wei's body would need a long time to recuperate, and those painful memories would also need to be slowly healed.

But at this moment, holding the half of his body that he had lost and found again, feeling the complete trust and dependence, he was filled with unprecedented courage and determination.

No matter what the road ahead holds, he will hold this hand tightly and never let go.