Private room gatherings…
Le An had a feeling that tonight, time would torture him by dragging on endlessly. But at least he had Theo by his side; that was comforting.
"Dear treasure, this way."
Le An set his mocktail down on a silver tray and began to follow the attendant. The crowd's eyes followed him, whispers breaking out as soon as he walked away.
"My god, I've never seen the treasure go into private rooms."
"He looked wistful, didn't he? That smile was dazzling as always, but he kept whispering to Theo."
"Who is he meeting in a private room? Business, or…"
"Romance? No way! Which omega could've stolen his heart?"
They were now being led down a narrow, dark hallway by another staff member. From beyond the walls came bursts of laughter, loud voices, and sultry, suggestive hums. Le An took a final deep breath before stepping inside.
Just before entering, a staff member touched Le An's hand gently and smiled, halting in front of the door and blocking their way.
"T-Treasure! I've never seen you this close before, y-your skin looks soft like... silk. Tonight, I wasn't picked to serve you."
Theo stepped forward, positioning himself between Le An and the omega. The omega flinched but kept speaking.
"My name is Kiet! I mean no harm. If you'd consider it, just tell the dancers inside my name. They'll call me."
Le An gave the omega a kind smile. Theo could already tell a soft rejection was coming. He stepped slightly aside but kept an arm between them.
"Nice to meet you, Kiet," Le An said. "Tonight's a business gathering."
A flicker of emotion passed through the omega's eyes. Something in his reaction piqued Le An's curiosity about what was happening inside that room. Still, he continued warmly, "Thank you for your kind words. You look beautiful tonight."
Another wave of pheromones hit them. Le An cast a worried glance at Theo, this omega didn't know that his pheromones wouldn't affect Le An, only disturb Theo. The omega left in a flurry, glancing back at them with a hopeful smile.
They entered.
The room was bathed in black and gold, an atmosphere of luxury and indulgence. Low, slow music drifted through the air. The lighting was dim, creating a smoky haze that blurred the lines of the space and propriety. It was deliberate. Boundaries were unclear here.
Omega dancers began to gather around Le An, their flawless skin glowing faintly under the soft lights. Some wore sheer, colorful veils; others wore nothing at all. Their pheromones saturated the air, sweet and thick with every breath. The guests, already drunk on both scent and alcohol, barely registered Le An's presence at first.
He carried himself with poise, hands folded gracefully. He moved forward to greet the group of high-ranking men, smiling all the while. Theo trailed two steps behind, already tense and battling a growing headache from the pheromones.
The chatter died down. The music became clearer. One shareholder threw open his arms theatrically as if reuniting with a long-lost friend.
"Oh, he's here! Finally!" he exclaimed, giving Le An a light hug.
"The country's miracle has arrived. And he's brought his esper guard, too," another said.
Theo gave a stiff nod in response.
"Thank you for the invitation," Le An said with a courteous smile, bowing slightly before shaking hands.
One man grasped his arm and led him toward a low circular table with an overly sweet voice.
"Dear treasure, surely you remember me?"
"Mr. Huimin, of course," Le An replied quickly. "How could I forget any of you gentlemen?"
Mr. Huimin paused mid-step, turning back to glance at Theo. "You're welcome to enjoy yourself, dear Esper. No need to shadow us as if we'd harm the precious one."
Le An noticed Theo's jaw clench and met his eyes. "Le An?" Theo asked quietly.
Le An gave a silent nod. "It's fine, Theo."
"Come, sit," another man urged. Even in the dim light, his rings sparkled. Le An realized he hadn't been making eye contact, his posture too stiff. He corrected that, looking each of them in the eye.
An omega server approached with a drink, but before Le An could decline, Mr. Huimin slapped the omega's hand away.
"Were you not informed, idiot? The treasure won't be drinking alcohol tonight. Get out—all of you, out!"
"We'll serve you ourselves, dear Le An," another said. "After all, we're the privileged ones who share your secret."
They handed him another mocktail, something bitter. He downed it quickly. As drinks flowed and conversation drifted to the experiment, the atmosphere lightened. The shareholders laughed loudly, seemingly entertained by every comment Le An made.
"When we first met you, we were worried, dear Le An. But Mr. Qui assured us of your professionalism. And look at you now, so vibrant and full of energy!"
"I'm eagerly awaiting my cloning," Le An said with a wry smile. He was purposely feeding them foolish remarks. They liked him that way, dumb and oblivious. As expected, they laughed even harder.
"Why haven't we done this before? You're now at the top of my guest list, darling." Mr. Huimin chuckled.
But Director Vey, another sharp predator, had been watching him in silence. After a long sip of wine, he finally spoke.
"You're a rare thing, Le An," he said. "Resistant to pheromones, an omega in disguise, the strongest guide in the nation, and a beauty..."
A thing. He wasn't the first to reduce Le An to an object.
"Fascinating," Mr. Huimin murmured, fingers pressed to his chin. The room fell silent. Le An could feel something shifting.
"We were thinking," Director Vey continued, leaning in on one elbow, "since the mood is festive, perhaps you'll demonstrate that famed resilience of yours."
Le An didn't flinch. "…It might strain my body. I'm working early tomorrow, sir."
"Are you rejecting our kind request? That's no fun."
"It's just... The exposure process we do is systematic. If I try it here, I might not perform as skillfully as you described, sir. I'd hate to disappoint you."
He felt sick as he said it; every word was laced with the sickly subtext of satisfying them.
"Oh, you could never disappoint!" Mr. Huimin said eagerly. Le An could already sense his pheromones. Then came another. Then a third. Their scents grew stronger.
Theo stepped forward. "That's not appropriate for Le An's health. His performance might be affected," he said tightly.
"And you are?" one asked, raising a brow.
"I'm his special guard, responsible for Le An's well-being."
"We're not doing anything. Perhaps… are you the one who helps him through exposure?"
Theo stiffened. "Yes."
"Ah... No wonder you look uncomfortable. All these alphas crowding the treasure."
Theo swallowed hard.
Meanwhile, Le An was unraveling. The heavy scent was overwhelming. Yet he remained still, smiling faintly. "Hmm… You'll share him with us," one said, staring Theo down. "Step aside. The treasure hasn't objected."
Because he couldn't. Theo was furious.
All eyes turned back to Le An. He slowed his breathing, trying to control his pulse, anything to lessen the exposure. He appeared steady in the low light, but they could sense his tremble. Alpha instincts knew too well.
Theo thought of Le An's metaphor: hawks. And here he was, surrounded by six men in black suits. Just as he described. Theo's fists clenched.
Le An had started to feel uncomfortable after a while; however, since any other omega exposed to such intense pheromones would react far more severely, the men around him now watched in admiration. As more time passed, they began to notice the changes in Le An and started smirking; Le An didn't know where to place his hands, anxiously touching his neck, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as heat radiated through his body. His lips were tightly shut, trying not to make an inappropriate sound. To the men, this state was even more captivating than all the other naked omegas who had just left the room.
The pheromones thickened until Le An's breathing turned ragged and irregular. The performance was over. Applause erupted.
"Dear Le An, it's impossible not to be impressed by you..."
"You truly are a rare treasure, aren't you?"
"His guard must be lucky to see this side of Le An so often."
"If we asked you to share your pheromones with us, I suppose that would frighten you, wouldn't it, dear Le An?" one of the men said.
"…"
Another man eagerly added, "I wonder what you smell like..." Then, he subtly stepped closer and lightly sniffed Le An. Theo tensed immediately.
Le An didn't flinch. Instead, he tilted his head slowly and smiled faintly. "Right now, I doubt I can smell anything but your pheromones, sir."
While he smiled, his hands were pressed tightly into the leather of the seat beneath him, his fingers digging into the cushion's edge. The faint shimmer at the corners of his eyes, moist, on the verge of betraying him, was mercifully hidden by the room's low light.
Only when they'd had their fill did the men finally turn their attention elsewhere, searching for other omegas—ones they could actually use.
Le An asked to leave, bowed politely, and exited. Naked dancers passed them on the way in. Le An brushed by them, clutching Theo's jacket tightly.
Theo wanted to carry him, but too many eyes were watching.
By the time they arrived home, it was past midnight. Le An hurried to the bathroom for a shower, just like he did the first time he met those men.
But when he opened the door, he was startled at the sudden sight of the man standing there; yet he couldn't react, since they hadn't spoken for days. Had the man been waiting for him?
"What's with all those scents on you?" The question caught Le An off guard.