Chapter 39: The Dream That Was Not a Dream

The heat of the rut steadily blurred Yeon-chae’s mind, making his thoughts hazy. He struggled with all his might to maintain his reason, pushing Yoonwoo away from him.

Yoonwoo, however, stubbornly refused to be pushed. He whined, uttering a bewildered sound.

“Why am I dangerous? I’m a Beta.”

For the first time, Yeon-chae regretted the bitter tears he’d shed on the day of his manifestation. Yoonwoo, with a calm and unconcerned expression, then said,

“I’m a Beta, so I’m fine.”

Indeed.

“Yeon-chae, snap out of it. Let’s take some medicine, okay? Look at how bad your fever is. What am I going to do with you…?”

‘What am I going to do with you?’ Yeon-chae muttered in pain, clenching his teeth.

Then, in a single moment, he lost consciousness.

Before the rut, Yeon-chae could not possibly have maintained his sanity. This was no time for Yoonwoo to utter carefree words like, “I’m a Beta, so I’m fine.”

The heat Yeon-chae had harbored in his heart for sixteen years now boiled within him. After that, his memories fragmented, leaving only hazy snippets.

“Yeon-chae. I’m a Beta, but…”

Yoonwoo was panting for breath. Could it really be Yoonwoo? Perhaps it was all a dream.

“Ah… Yeon-chae…”

Yoonwoo, groaning and calling his name, could not possibly be real. Only then, with his feverish mind, could Yeon-chae finally feel a sense of relief.

Yoonwoo’s bare arms and legs trembled faintly. His loose pajamas had slipped to his shoulders, fully exposing his pale nape.

Yeon-chae lowered his head and bit into the soft skin of Yoonwoo’s nape. Yoonwoo’s entire body trembled convulsively.

‘It’s okay.’ As if to reassure him, Yeon-chae hugged his shoulders and patted him. Yoonwoo’s gaze met his.

In those frightened black eyes, Yeon-chae saw a faint heat.

So, this had to be a dream.

Yeon-chae released his pheromones as if pouring them out. The spacious bedroom filled with the scent of cherry blossoms, further fanning Yeon-chae’s own feverish heat.

It was easy to strip the loose pajamas from Yoonwoo’s slender body. With a half-dazed expression, Yoonwoo obediently followed Yeon-chae’s leading hands.

Yeon-chae gripped Yoonwoo’s leg with one hand. Perhaps startled by the strong grip, Yoonwoo frowned and whimpered.

From somewhere, a faint, refreshing scent of milk wafted in.

“Uh, there, it feels strange…”

Struggling to push away the heat that persistently tried to consume his mind, Yeon-chae slowly stroked Yoonwoo.

Yoonwoo made a whimpering sound.

“H-huh, ah, no.”

“Hyung, please, be quiet…”

Yeon-chae feared what he might do to Yoonwoo if he lost control like this. He reached out and cupped Yoonwoo’s cheek.

Yoonwoo’s soft skin felt gentle in Yeon-chae’s palm. Even in a dream, he couldn’t bear to hurt him.

“Ugh…”

“Does it hurt? Is it hurting a lot?”

“I-I think I’m okayy…”

Even as he gasped for breath, Yoonwoo dutifully replied. His words slurred, his pronunciation crumbling.

‘Oh, right, Hyung drank a lot today.’ Even with his hazy mind, Yeon-chae thought this dream subtly reflected reality.

“Just bear with it a little longer. It won’t hurt anymore, soon.”

“Don’t, lie, to me.”

“No, it’s not a lie.”

Yeon-chae tried his best to speak reassuringly. After all, in the past few dreams where Yoonwoo had appeared, he had adapted before long, so it wasn’t a complete lie.

With every breath Yeon-chae took, Yoonwoo’s breathing hitched. The thick cherry blossom scent weighed heavily on their bodies.

Yet, from Yoonwoo, a sweet and soft fragrance emanated. Even though it shouldn’t have been possible, it felt like Yoonwoo’s pheromones.

“Ugh… stop it…”

Yoonwoo uttered a breathless plea. Then, at the unfamiliar sensation, his eyes snapped open clearly.

Dismay spread across Yoonwoo’s small face. Finding his bitten lower lip irritating, Yeon-chae lowered his head and licked Yoonwoo’s lips with the tip of his tongue.

A faint taste of blood mingled with their saliva, then vanished. Yeon-chae explored Yoonwoo’s slightly parted mouth at will.

He entangled their tongues, trapping the one that had constantly tried to escape. Their lips, tightly interlocked with no room for breath, tasted sweet.

“Hmph, is it over?”

As soon as their lips barely parted, Yoonwoo urgently asked. Yeon-chae smiled faintly.

Instead of answering, he drew even closer to Yoonwoo.

“What are you doing…?”

Yoonwoo’s voice trembled faintly. His slender fingers gripped Yeon-chae’s shoulders.

The frantic trembling of those fingertips conveyed a pitiful emotion. Yeon-chae, with a tender heart, spoke sincerely.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

His puzzlement lasted only a moment. Yoonwoo couldn’t even scream.

His eyes, wide with horror, stared at Yeon-chae. Yeon-chae smiled softly.

“This is my dream, after all.”

‘So I’ll do as I please. Hyung, just indulge me this once.’

It was pitiful to see Yoonwoo fluttering like a butterfly pinned down. Even so, Yeon-chae couldn’t let him go now.

Yeon-chae’s mind went blank. Yoonwoo shook his head, shuddering.

“Ah… H-huh…”

“Breathe. Breathe, Hyung.”

Yeon-chae patted Yoonwoo’s rapidly heaving chest. Yoonwoo, who had been holding his breath, finally exhaled in ragged gasps.

Instead, a faint, choked sob escaped him. ‘Stop it, please, more, more…’ Each time those incoherent pleas scattered in his ears, Yeon-chae’s breathing grew ragged.

At a certain point, Yoonwoo’s expression changed to one of urgency.

“Ah, no…!”

Yoonwoo’s slender limbs flailed helplessly. As his mind went utterly blank, Yeon-chae clenched his teeth.

Yoonwoo was almost sobbing. Though his body seemed to crave rest, Yeon-chae could not release him.

“H-huh, stop it, now.”

Yeon-chae could not possibly heed Yoonwoo’s plea. He tightened his grip.

Yoonwoo screamed. The hand that had rested on Yeon-chae’s shoulder slipped down to his broad back, mercilessly raking his smooth skin. Red scratch marks appeared on his flat back.

“Not yet… Just a little more.”

“H-huh, you bastard…”

Even while sobbing, Yoonwoo didn’t push Yeon-chae away. Instead, he was busy digging his nails deep into Yeon-chae’s back, clinging to him.

Yeon-chae curled the corners of his lips, smiling languidly.

Despite his languid smile, his heart raced. The heat of the rut blurred his entire vision.

The heat from his feverish skin was so intense it felt as if it would burn Yoonwoo. Yeon-chae squeezed his eyes shut.

Simultaneously, Yoonwoo burst into tears again.

Yeon-chae collapsed beside Yoonwoo. His tear-streaked cheeks and lips, swollen red from biting, were unrealistically beautiful even in the darkness.

‘Had the window been open?’

A sweet, fresh scent of milk permeated every cool floral note. Even though a Beta like Yoonwoo shouldn’t have had a scent, it was there.

It must have been the scent of his bare skin. Compared to an Alpha’s pheromones, it was faint and subtle, but that alone was enough.

It was a lovely and gentle scent. Just like Yoonwoo.

Yeon-chae lay there for a long time. Sleep would not come. Yoonwoo, warm and pleasant, lay in his arms, limbs dangling, eyes closed, breathing in ragged, soft snores, asleep.

The heat of the rut gradually subsided. When his blurred vision finally cleared and sharpened, Yeon-chae at last understood.

This was not a dream. His heart pounded wildly, dizzyingly.