Chapter Text
The Zhou Group was one of the most important companies in the entire region, but for 23 year old Zhou Anxin, that was not enough at all. He walked through the long carpeted hallways with his back very straight and a completely serious face. He always had a cold and calculating expression because he wanted people to think he was strong, and that made the employees afraid of him.
At his side walked Lin, his assistant, who was checking a digital tablet in a great hurry to have the contract papers ready because everything had to be perfect.
"Mr. Zhou, the shareholders are already in the main room," Lin said in a professional voice, looking at his screen. "Your brother Arno arrived ten minutes ago and he is already talking with the directors to get them on his side."
Anxin did not change his expression, but he clenched his fists hidden inside the pockets of his black suit trousers.
Arno.
Ever since they were children, the rivarly between them had been complete hell. In the beginning, when they were younger, they clashed over a fraction of attention or for their father's love, but that did not matter anymore. Their father's love was useless and it did not give money. The only important thing now was power, being the smartest, and proving who could keep the entire Zhou empire. Today was the key day to finally beat him and leave him with nothing.
They entered the large hotel boardroom. The table was made of fine dark wood. Arno was already sitting on the other side, smiling in that fake way that annoyed Anxin so much. The investors waited in silence.
The meeting began in a natural way. Anxin sat down, arranged his papers, and took the floor.
"Our proposal for the new signing of contracts ensures a growth of twenty percent in the first quarter," Anxin said. His voice sounded firm, just like he had practiced it in front of the hotel mirror for hours.
One of the main shareholders nodded his head, impressed by the numbers. "It is a very solid offer, young Zhou. Arno gave us similar numbers, but yours have better guarantees."
Anxin felt a spark of triumph in his chest. He was winning. He looked sideways at his brother and saw how Arno's smile froze completely. But then, in the middle of the presentation of the graphs, a strange feeling began to run through his body. Anxin felt a sudden dizziness that forced him to hold onto the edge of the table tightly . His vision went a little blurry for a few seconds and the room seemed to spin.
“What is happening to me?” he thought, feeling an alarm in his mind.
He started sweating cold under his expensive suit. His cheeks became extremely hot, as if a very high fever was rising from his neck to his ears. A horrible anxiety, like an animal was trapped in his chest, made him lose the thread of what he was saying.
“It can't be. This cannot be happening right now. Not today,” he repeated to himself with desperation. He tried to swallow past the dryness in his throat. He thought about the pills that Doctor Chung had prescribed him. Chung Sanghyeon was supposed to be his trusted doctor and also his close friend, someone who knew how much Anxin hated the idea of being an Omega and who gave him suppressants in secret.
Sanghyeon always reminded him of his feelings and how much he loved him, although Anxin never paid attention to him in that way because he only cared about business. But now, those damn pills were not working. His second gender presentation was occurring right in the worst meeting of his life.
"Mr. Zhou, are you feeling well?" the main shareholder asked, holding out a pen. "Are you ready to sign the contract once and for all?"
Anxin looked at the pen, but the heat in his body was already unbearable and he felt that he was burning inside. He felt like he was going to pass out right there and that everyone would smell his weakness. He could not let Arno see him fall.
Without saying a single word, Anxin stood up abruptly. He left the papers on the table, turned around, and ran out of the boardroom before the surprised eyes of everyone.
Outside, the hallway seemed to move. Anxin walked bumping into the walls, trying to maintain a straight posture so people wouldn't notice his state. His breathing was loud. At a corner, his vision blurred so much that he crashed sideways into a waiter carrying a tray with glasses. The glasses fell to the floor breaking into pieces with a loud noise, but Anxin didn't even turn around to apologize. He just wanted to hide.
He saw the metal doors of an elevator open a few meters away. He ran there and entered, hitting the buttons with desperation so it would close. When the doors came together, he leaned against the metal wall, praying internally that everything would go well, wanting to reach an empty room before his scent exploded.
The elevator stopped two floors higher and the doors opened. Anxin tried to leave in a hurry, but his body did not respond well and he ended up crashing head-on into someone who was about to enter.
The impact made him stumble. It was a young person, a tall man, almost his same height, but with very strong shoulders that showed under his fine clothes. He had very light, almost blonde hair, and very deep blue eyes that opened with surprise upon receiving the blow.
"Hey, are you okay?" the stranger asked, holding him by the arms so he wouldn't fall. His voice was calm and deep.
Anxin lifted his gaze. He felt his whole face wet, bright, and glossy from the sweat of the fever. He could not speak well. The blonde man frowned and, by instinct, sniffed the air around them a little bit. At that moment, Anxin's pheromones began to break out without control, filling the elevator space with a sweet and pure smell of an Omega presenting for the very first time.
The stranger opened his eyes wider upon feeling the strength of that scent. He was an Alpha, a dominant Alpha, and his own instinct reacted immediately, although he managed to control himself.
“I think he is entering presentation. He shouldn't be here in the hallways,” the blonde man thought, looking around to make sure nobody else was coming. He knew the danger a tender Omega faced in a hotel full of businessmen. “What do I do with him?”
Anxin, totally vulnerable and without strength, clung to the stranger's shirt."Help me... please," he managed to whisper with a thread of voice, almost begging.
The man did not think twice. He grabbed Anxin by the waist, passing an arm around his back to carry most of his weight, and took him down the hallway of that floor, looking for the door of the room where he himself was staying. He took out his card, opened the door, and they went into the luxury suite, locking everything securely.
He laid Anxin down on the big bed. The Zhou boy moved uncomfortably, complaining in a low voice about the internal heat that was burning his veins. The blonde man went to the bathroom quickly, wet a clean cloth with cold water, and returned to put it on his forehead.
But the cold cloth was not enough to calm the fire of the presentation. Anxin felt that his clothes were in the way, that they were scratching him. With his eyes half-open and his mind clouded by pheromones, he began to pull at his tie and unbutton his suit jacket, trying to take off the garments to breathe better.
The Alpha stood by the bed, watching the scene.
The air conditioning of the room felt freezing against Anxin's exposed skin, but the heat he carried inside was so strong that the contrast only made him shiver and press closer to the Alpha's body.
He looked down at him as if he were contemplating a work of art. His blue eyes were completely fixed on Anxin's face, admiring every little detail: the eyelashes wet from the tears of the heat, the cheeks burning in a bright carmine tone. The Alpha tangled his fingers into the omega's hair and brought his hands to his face, caressing his jaw with, rendering him a silent adoration.
"Look at me" The man whispered, running his thumbs over his lips, pressing down hard until the omega let out a small whimper. "I am not going to let you go."
Suddenly, the environment changed completely. The scent of Anxin's presentation finished exploding, filling the suite with an intense smell of sweet strawberry and ripe peach. It was a scent so pure and intoxicating.The dominant Alpha felt his head spin; the autocontrol he took so much pride in began to crumble completely before that fruity combination that called out to him.
"You smell incredible... you are driving me crazy," The blonde whispered with his voice completely hoarse, almost losing his senses as he leaned toward the Omega's neck.
He began to leave a series of slow and wet kisses all over the Omega's jaw, going down his throat. Anxin let out a low gasp, arching his neck back to give him more space, losing himself in the brush of the Alpha's lips.
The man could not contain himself anymore and gave a small nip, a subtle but firm bite at the base of the neck, sucking the skin until leaving a dark mark. Anxin let out a loud moan that echoed off the walls of the room, squeezing the alpha's shoulders with desperation.
With his fingers trembling a little from the tension of the environment, the man slid his hands down to Anxin's waist. He began to unbutton the suit trousers very slowly, brushing against the exposed skin of his hips. He knew that it was the boy's first presentation and that his body was extremely sensitive from the physical change, so he did not want to hurt him at all. He took off the garment with extreme care, getting rid of everything that was in the way, revealing the Omega's nakedness under the light of the suite.
When both were left without clothes, the alpha positioned himself right on top of him, sinking chest to chest. The contact of the hot and sweaty skin of both was like an electric shock that made them let out a heavy breath.
"Ah... mhh...." the moans of both mixed in the air as soon as the movements initiated.
Based on how sensitive Anxin was, the alpha began to push very slowly and carefully, measuring every reaction of the omega's body. The mattress of the bed started to creak rhythmically with every friction. Anxin felt that pleasure and heat enveloped him completely, but the slowness was driving him crazy with desperation. The fire of the heat begged him out loud for friction, strength, something to put out the internal burning.
"More... please, harder... I can't take it," Anxin begged with a broken voice, pulling on the Alpha's shoulders, completely shattering his cold posture of a businessman. "Do it... do it now..."
"You want more?" the blonde asked, stopping for a second right on top of him, looking down at him with a dark smile, enjoying seeing the omega begging in his bed. "Ask me by my name, tell me what it is that you want me to do to you."
Anxin opened his eyes, completely clouded and bright from the heat, and looked at him with desperation, moving his hips searching for the contact that the alpha had just denied him.
"No... I don't know who you are... I don't know your name, tell me now," he managed to say, gasping hard, with his chest rising and falling.
The Alpha leaned down, trapping his lips in a short, hungry, and tender kiss before answering directly into his ear, letting his hot breath make him shiver:
"Lee Sangwon. Call me that."
"Lee... Sangwon, move, harder please," Anxin began to cry out, completely losing control of his own words.
Hearing his name slip from those lips in such a desperate, breathless whine completely snapped Sangwon’s restraint...
An animalistic growl tore from his throat as he abandoned all patience. He pinned Anxin’s wrists ruthlessly against the headboard, stretch-marking the Omega's pale skin as he drove inside him with a punishing depth.
The bed groaned violently, loud slaps of their flesh colliding. Anxin’s entire body was flushed a deep, feverish crimson, slick with a thick sheen of sweat. He was completely undone, choking on his own ragged gasps as a messy mix of slick and white fluid leaked out heavily, creaming the friction between their thighs and making every thrust sound wet.
Sangwon didn't give him a second to breathe, grinding his hips in filthy, heavy circles to abuse the sensitive spot inside. He looked down through hooded, dark eyes, watching the brutal way Anxin’s lower abdomen stretched and bulged outward with every single, deep shove. Seeing his own shape pushing against the Omega’s trembling belly made Sangwon growl again, setting a relentless pace that left them both drenched, filthy and consumed by the heat.
Anxin, driven by the ecstasy and the intensity of the thrusts, buried his nails into the Alpha's back, scratching him accidentally, leaving red marks over his skin while opening his eyes wide. He maintained a fixed, direct eye contact with Sangwon, seeing how the Alpha's blue eyes devoured him completely. Right at that moment of maximum tension, where the pleasure was too much, Anxin let out a sharp moan, arched his back, and ended up giving in completely, leaving his hot trace over his own stomach.
Sangwon stopped for a moment, supporting himself with his firm arms, breathing very heavily, with sweat running down his forehead and falling onto Anxin's chest. He had not finished yet, he felt the pressure of the dominant Alpha instinct demanding more. He looked at the Omega beneath him, tender, with his lips half-open and his glassy eyes fixed on him.
"Can I continue?" Sangwon asked him with a broken voice, trying to maintain a gram of gentlemanliness despite the madness of the moment.
Anxin, with a weak, tired little smile and his mind still floating in the pleasure of the orgasm, looked at him sideways, intertwining his legs with his.
"Bon appétit..." Anxin managed to wheeze out, a filthy, playful smirk breaking through his exhaustion.
Sangwon let out an amused chuckle at the absolute boldness of this Omega. "You cocky little shit," he growled, his grip tightening as he gave him exactly what he asked for. He slammed back into him with brutal strength, burying his length to the absolute root. The rhythm had Anxin screaming out loud again, his mind completely fracturing under the sheer force of the friction. Sangwon grunted against the heat, completely intoxicated by the tight contractions of Anxin’s walls milking him dry. "Take it all," he snarled, shoving deeper, until with one last, heavy thrust, he buried his face in the Omega's neck, choking back a deep roar as he knotted and came violently inside him, painting his insides completely full with a scalding flood of warmth.
Both lay there completely spent and ruined, the quiet suite filled only with the erratic thumping of their hearts and their ragged breathing. Sangwon finally collapsed onto the mattress beside him, their bodies separating with a wet sound.
Needing him close, he immediately stretched out his heavy arms and dragged the Omega's back against him, locking him into a tight embrace. Sangwon leaned over, peppering his entire face with soft kisses, tasting the salt on his wet cheeks, pressing his lips to his forehead and the tip of his nose, gently licking away the traces of sweat.
Feeling an overwhelming wave of relief, his body turning entirely to jelly for the first time in hours, Anxin weakly tilted his head back, looking up at him with heavy, soft eyes. "Thank you..." he told him in a sincere whisper, with his voice a bit hoarse.
Anxin stretched his loose hand, bringing it up to the Alpha's face, and took a lock of Sangwon's blonde hair, pulling it down a little bit to give him a soft kiss right on the eyelid of his eye. After that last tender contact, the extreme exhaustion of the presentation and the act beat them both, and they fell deeply asleep, united in the middle of the large hotel bed.
The next day, the sun's rays entered through the window of the luxury suite. Anxin opened his eyes and the first thing he felt was a dull, sharp pain in his entire body, especially in his hips and lower back. It cost him a world to sit up in bed because everything ached.
At that moment, the bathroom door opened and Sangwon came out, already showered, with his blonde hair a little damp and wearing clean clothes that made him look impeccable and manly. Seeing the omega awake, Sangwon gave him a warm smile and approached the bed.
"Good morning. Everything is ready, I prepared the bath in case you want to go in," he said in a soft voice, reaching out to take the Omega's hand affectionately.
However, Anxin reacted on instinct. Remembering everything that had happened and realizing his vulnerability, he pulled his hand away quickly with a jerk, avoiding contact.
He got out of bed as best he could, wrapping himself in the sheets, and went into the bathroom alone, locking the door behind him.
When Anxin came out of the bathroom, already dressed in his suit from the night before (which was quite wrinkled), the atmosphere in the room was different. Both looked at each other fixedly in silence. Anxin felt his cheeks turn completely red with embarrassment upon remembering the screams and scratches from the early morning. Avoiding the other's blue gaze, he walked toward his things to pick them up.
"I am leaving before anyone sees me," Anxin said in his cold tone of voice, trying to recover his mask as the boss of the Zhou Group.
But before he could touch the door handle, Sangwon moved quickly and stood in front of him to block his way.
"Wait, don't leave like this. I ordered lunch for both of us, it should be up soon," Sangwon told him, trying to make him stay.
Anxin frowned. "I have much more important things to do at my company than stay for breakfast," he replied dryly, wanting to get him out of the way.
"More important than fixing the problem with your pheromones?" Sangwon let out tentatively, lowering his voice so nobody outside could hear. "As soon as you step out of this room everyone in this hotel is going to smell that you are a pure Omega. What are you going to do then when you go to your business meetings? Your empire is going to fall apart."
Anxin froze completely, his knuckles turning white where his hand gripped the door handle. Sangwon’s words dug into the back of his neck like needles of ice. He was entirely right. The moment he stepped out of this suite, his raw scent of strawberry and peach would betray his true nature to the entire world, utterly destroying years of agonizing effort to be the perfect heir to the Zhou Group. His brother, Arno, would use that vulnerability to trample him into the dirt.
Slowly, Anxin’s hand slipped off the handle. He squared his shoulders, taking a breath to force his cold mask back into place before turning around. He glared at Sangwon with narrowed eyes, radiating pride and venom.
"And what the fuck do you know about my empire?" Anxin spat, taking a challenging step forward, deliberately ignoring the sharp ache in his hips that made him stumble slightly. "You are nobody to tell me what happens to my business. Get the hell out of my way."
Sangwon didn't move a single millimeter. Instead, he let out a hoarse laugh, crossing his arms as his dark eyes boldly dragged down Anxin’s body, lingering on the purple bite marks covering his neck. He absolutely fucking loved the claws on this Omega.
"Yesterday you were on your knees begging me to help you, and today you’re talking to me like you own the world," Sangwon said, as he took a step forward. "I know exactly who you are, Zhou Anxin. I know your position, your family, and I have your contacts right here" Sangwon added with a cruel smirk.
Anxin’s face went pale before flushing a furious red. "You pig... You set this up. You took advantage of me when I was in heat."
"Did I?" Sangwon interrupted, his voice dripping with mockery as he leaned in close enough for their breaths to mix. "Because a few hours ago, you were leaking all over my sheets, and begging for my cock—"
"Shut the fuck up!" Anxin snapped, his voice cracking with humiliation, his face burning as he cut him off. He wanted to choke the Alpha, but at the same time a terrifying spark of doubt and unwanted arousal flickered deep in his gut.
"Don't get confused, Lee Sangwon," Anxin hissed, lifting his chin haughtily to defy the tiny distance between their lips. "That was an emergency because of my presentation. I don't owe you shit. Move before I ruin you."
Sangwon let out another laugh right against his skin, he slammed his hands against the wood on either side of Anxin’s head, trapping him. He leaned in until their noses brushed.The tension in the space became so thick it was hard to breathe.
"Ruin me then. I’d love to see you try," Sangwon provoked, rubbing his lips deliberately against Anxin’s without actually kissing him, driving the Omega crazy with the proximity. "But we both know that if you walk out that door without my help your brother is going to strip you of everything by tomorrow morning."
Anxin breathed heavily, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He loathed being cornered, but his body betrayed him, a wicked heat pooling in his lower belly at the Alpha's sheer confidence.
"What do you want?" Anxin demanded, his voice slightly broken as he tried to maintain his icy glare while helplessly tracking the movement of the blonde's lips. "Stop playing games and speak."
Sangwon slipped one hand into his pocket and pulled out a small, dark glass vial containing a clear liquid. He held it right between their faces, almost brushing Anxin’s flushed cheek.
"This is a specialized inhibitor," Sangwon explained, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he watched Anxin’s eyes widen with ambition. "A single drop on your scent gland and your Omega traits vanish completely. You’ll smell like an alpha.Your secret stays buried."
Anxin lunged to snatch the vial, but Sangwon was faster, lifting it way out of reach while driving his weight forward. Their hips clashed hard against the door, drawing a gasp from both of them.
"It’s not free, gorgeous," Sangwon whispered into his ear, biting down softly on his sensitive earlobe until Anxin let out a pathetic moan. "If you want the perfume to save your precious empire, you pay the price."
"Name the fucking price, you bastard," Anxin snarled, burying his nails deeply into Sangwon’s shoulders through his crisp shirt."I don't have all goddamn day."
Sangwon looked straight into his eyes, his gaze dark.
"You’re going to be my muse. Every time I touch down in this city, you come to this suite the exact second I command it. You’ll let me use your body to test my formulations, and you’re going to beg me in this bed exactly like you did last night. That’s the deal. Take it, or go out there and let your brother ruin you."
Anxin’s blood boiled from the humiliation of the terms, battling an intense urge to just rip the Alpha’s clothes off right there. It was a sick pact with the devil that dragged his pride through the mud, but his ruthless, calculating mind knew it was his only winning move in the family war. He stared at the vial, then looked up into Sangwon's mocking, hungry blue eyes.
"I accept the deal, you piece of shit," Anxin hissed, grabbing Sangwon roughly by the collar to drag him down to his level. "But don't you dare think you own me. You don't control me, and you never will. So fuck you."
Sangwon didn't look angry, if anything, the fierce defiance in the Omega's eyes only made his smile widen. Instead of slamming into him like before, Sangwon leaned down and caught Anxin’s lips in a kiss that was shockingly gentle. It wasn't the bruising, dominant assault Anxin expected, but a slow, lingering, and tender brush of their lips that stole the breath right out of his lungs. Anxin froze, completely defenseless against that sudden warmth, his mind going entirely blank as his fierce defense mechanism melted for a split second.
"God, you are fucking addictive," Sangwon murmured against his lips, his voice raw, his thumb gently tracing Anxin's jawline. "Just let me kiss you like this one more time..."
Anxin’s resolve wavered, his knees feeling weak under that soft touch. He swallowed hard, forcing his walls back up with pure willpower as he pulled back just an inch. "Just the kiss," he demanded, his voice shaky but sharp. "And let’s get one thing clear: this is business. No strings, no attachments, and absolutely no fucking feelings. We use each other, and that's it."
Sangwon's blue eyes softened with an unreadable emotion as he looked at the stubborn Omega in his arms, his hand sliding down to finally press the cold glass vial into Anxin's trembling palm. He leaned in to seal the contract with another quiet kiss, leaving Anxin's mind in chaos as he gripped the inhibitor tight.
It's just a business deal, Anxin repeated to himself like a mantra, trying to ignore the frantic hammering in his chest. There's no way in hell I'm falling for him... right?