My husband

The susceptible period came earlier than expected.

When he woke that morning, a rush of heat shot up his spine, instantly tensing his muscles. Shao Wei's cedar scent still lingered on the pillow, but the bed was empty. Si Qi pulled himself up, beads of sweat covering his forehead. His glands throbbed, and pheromones flowed uncontrollably—the aggression of a top-tier Alpha was so intense that even the air felt heavy.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Shao Wei: "I'm going to the company to handle an urgent matter. I'll be back at noon. The inhibitor is on the bedside table."

Si Qi stared at the message, his fingers unconsciously tightening. Reason told him to use the inhibitor as usual, but the promise he made to Shao Wei last time was still fresh in his mind – to face it together, without relying on drugs.

He put down his phone and stumbled into the bathroom. Cold water splashed on his face, but it couldn't quench the fire burning within him. The man in the mirror had red eyes and a dark stubble on his chin, looking tormented by desire. Si Qi chuckled self-deprecatingly. Who could have imagined that CEO Si, so arrogant outside, would be tortured like this by the pheromones of his own Alpha spouse?

The doorbell rang suddenly. Si Qi put on his nightgown and went to open the door, thinking that Shao Wei had forgotten his key. However, standing outside the door was the Shao family's housekeeper, followed by two men in white coats.

"Mr. Si," the butler bowed politely, "Mr. Shao sent us to pick up Young Master Shao Wei for a routine checkup."

Siqi's pheromones instantly became more aggressive, and even the housekeeper unconsciously took a half step back. "What inspection?" He spoke in a low voice, each word coming out as if squeezed from between his teeth.

"It's just... a routine physical examination." The butler's eyes flickered. "Young Master Shao has been emotionally unstable recently, and the family is very worried."

Si Qi sneered, the veins bulging on his arm as he leaned against the door frame. "Go back and tell Mr. Shao that Commissioner Shao is now my spouse, and I'm responsible for his health."

"but--"

"No buts." Si Qi's pupils constricted, and the pressure from the top Alpha made the air freeze. "If you dare to disturb him again, I will make Shaw Enterprises disappear from the business landscape within a week. I mean what I say."

The housekeeper's face paled as he hurriedly led the two men away. Si Qi slammed the door shut and leaned against it, panting. His irritability and anger combined to make his temples throb. He pulled out his phone and called Shao Wei.

"Where are you?" he asked as soon as the call was connected.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "...Company. What happened?"

"Your family just came over." Si Qi tried to control his tone, "They wanted to pick you up for a checkup."

Shao Wei's breathing paused. "I'll be right back."

Si Qi was about to say no when a sudden surge of desire washed over him, forcing him to hold onto the wall. He clenched his teeth to prevent himself from making an awkward sound, but Shao Wei on the other end of the line seemed to have noticed something.

"Susceptible period?" Shao Wei's voice suddenly became tense. "Have you used inhibitors?"

"No." Si Qi panted, "Wait until you come back."

There were hurried footsteps and the sound of an elevator opening and closing on the other end of the line. "Twenty minutes. Hang on, don't... don't hurt yourself."

After hanging up the phone, Si Qi stumbled back to the bedroom. Shao Wei's scent still lingered on the sheets, and he couldn't help but bury his face in the pillow and take a deep breath. The scent of cedar filled him with both longing and pain—his Alpha instincts made him want to conquer the source of that scent, but his rational mind told him not to hurt Shao Wei.

Fifteen minutes later, the door was flung open. Shao Wei hurried into the bedroom, still wearing his suit jacket, beads of sweat on his forehead, evidently from running all the way back. His eyes darkened the moment he saw Si Qi, and his pheromones emanated uncontrollably—not the usual gentle, soothing scent, but rather the aura of Alpha aggression.

Two top-tier Alpha pheromones collided fiercely in the air, seemingly repelling each other, yet strangely entangled due to their tagging relationship. Si Qi stood up, feeling his blood boiling. He walked towards Shao Wei, noticing his jawline tense and a flicker of struggle in his eyes.

"You can... use an inhibitor." Shao Wei took a step back, his voice hoarse, "I don't want to hurt you."

Si Qi shook his head and continued to approach. "I said, we will face this together."

When they were within arm's reach, Shao Wei suddenly struck out, grabbing Si Qi's wrist and pinning him against the wall. This action was swift and fierce, completely unlike the normally restrained Shao Wei. Si Qi raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't resist.

"You don't understand..." Shao Wei's voice was low and dangerous, with a wild light flashing in his eyes. "During my susceptible period... I'm not like usual."

Si Qi smiled, deliberately releasing more provocative pheromones. "Then let me see the real you, Shao Wei."

Those words seemed to flip a switch. Shao Wei kissed him fiercely, his teeth scraping against Si Qi's lips and tasting blood. The kiss was aggressive, devoid of tenderness, a pure Alpha conquering another. Si Qi responded to the kiss, feeling Shao Wei's hand slip into his robe, his nails leaving burning marks on his back.

They stumbled onto the bed, tearing at each other's clothes. Unlike his usual restraint, Shao Wei seemed a different person today—strong, overbearing, and possessive. When Si Qi tried to turn over and take control, Shao Wei simply pressed his knee against his thigh, looking down at him with a feral fire in his eyes.

"Today," Shao Wei panted, his fingers tracing Si Qi's collarbone, "I'll do it."

Si Qi should have resisted this hierarchical relationship between Alphas, but strangely, he found he wasn't repulsed. Seeing the rare light in Shao Wei's eyes, he even felt a strange sense of satisfaction—this was the real Shao Wei, without pretense or repression.

Si Qi gasped as Shao Wei leaned over and bit his gland. Pain and pleasure washed over him, and he instinctively wanted to resist, yet he yearned for more. Two streams of pheromones swirled around them, filling the air with an electric tension.

At a certain moment, Si Qi's hand slid onto Shao Wei's back, and the touch instantly sobered him up—it wasn't smooth skin, but raised scars. He suddenly turned over, pressed Shao Wei to the bed despite his protests, and lifted his shirt.

The scene before him made his heart stop - Shao Wei's back was covered with crisscrossing scars, some of which had turned white, obviously from many years ago; some were still pink, and were left recently.

"What is this?" Si Qi's voice trembled, and his fingers gently touched the scars.

Shao Wei's body stiffened instantly, the lust in his eyes fading, replaced by a familiar wariness. "...Nothing."

"Don't lie to me." Si Qi pulled him up and sat face to face. "Who did it?"

Shao Wei looked away, his long eyelashes casting a shadow on his face. "When I was fourteen, my Alpha traits began to become apparent... and my family was unhappy."

"Unsatisfied?"

"They wanted an Omega heir." Shao Wei's voice was eerily calm. "When they discovered I was an Alpha, they tried various methods to 'correct' me. These...are part of the punishment."

Si Qi's blood froze instantly. He thought of the scars on Shao Wei's wrists, the inhibitors he'd been taking for a long time, and the expression on his face when he'd said, "Life's meaningless." All the clues finally connected—this wasn't simple depression, but the despair of a soul that had been tortured for so long.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" He held up Shao Wei's face and forced him to look at him.

A hint of vulnerability flashed in Shao Wei's eyes. "Tell you what? Tell you that I'm an Alpha even my own family despises? Tell you how much pain is hidden beneath these scars?" He tried to break free. "Si Qi, don't look at me like that... I don't need pity."

"It's not pity." Si Qi pulled him into his arms and hugged him tightly, "It's anger, it's heartache, it's... love."

Shao Wei froze in his arms, as if he didn't understand the word. Si Qi kissed the top of his head, feeling his body gradually relax.

"From now on," Si Qi promised in a low voice, "no one can hurt you again. Including me."

The restlessness of his susceptible period seemed less significant at this moment. Si Qi simply held Shao Wei, gently stroking the scars on his back, as if to soothe the pain of those years. Gradually, he sensed a change in Shao Wei's pheromones—no longer aggressive, but gentle, blending wonderfully with his own.

As night fell, the symptoms of their susceptible period eased considerably. They lay side by side in bed, neither of them speaking. Si Qi's fingers unconsciously entwined with Shao Wei's, their pheromones forming a warm little world around them.

"Siqi." Shao Wei suddenly spoke in a very soft voice, "I have never... not used inhibitors during the susceptible period."

Si Qi turned his head to look at him. "How do you feel?"

Shao Wei pondered for a moment, a complex light flickering in his eyes. "...Freedom."

This simple word warmed Si Qi's heart. He turned over to face Shao Wei, tracing his outline in the dim light - the high nose bridge, the thin lips, and the eyes that always hid too much emotion.

"Shao Wei," he asked softly, "can you imagine a life without inhibitors, without pretense?"

Shao Wei's eyelashes trembled. "...I can't."

"Try to imagine this," Si Qi guided him. "It's just you and me, being our true selves. Whether we're Alpha or Omega, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we choose each other."

A flicker of desire flashed in Shao Wei's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fear. "What if... the real me isn't beautiful?"

"Then let me love the unpleasant parts of you." Si Qi kissed his fingertips, "Just like you accept my stomach problems and bad temper."

Shao Wei didn't answer, but Si Qi saw the tears welling in his eyes. In the silence, Shao Wei did something that made Si Qi's heart stop—he raised his head slightly and gently kissed Si Qi on the lips. It wasn't the intense, demanding touch of a sensitive period, but a gentle, tentative touch, like a young bird learning to fly for the first time.

This simple kiss was more powerful than any words. Si Qi didn't deepen it, just let it linger on the surface, letting Shao Wei take full control. When Shao Wei pulled away, Si Qi saw the uncertainty flickering in his eyes and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Go to sleep." Si Qi pulled him into his arms, "Tomorrow is a new day."

Shao Wei slowly relaxed in his arms, his breathing steady. Si Qi listened to the sound of rain outside the window, felt the warmth of the person in his arms, and an unprecedented desire to protect him surged in his heart. He knew the road ahead was long—the Shao family's obstruction, society's prejudice, and Shao Wei's inner scars were not something that could be healed overnight.

But at this moment, the Alpha in his arms, who had finally begun to let down his guard, made him believe that it was all worth it.