I spent the morning in the greenhouse, reading a novel until lunchtime. My head was a mess, but the sound of rain beating against the glass distracted most of my thoughts. From long experience, I knew that the more incomprehensible something was, the less good would come from digging deeper into it.

Only then did the rain begin to show signs of letting up. The downpour that had come down like the sky had torn open was gradually thinning and weakening. Even the cloud-covered sky no longer looked as pitch-black or ominous as before.

It was just past noon when my phone began to buzz noisily. The way it vibrated was even more frantic than when a junior staff member caused an accident. A little startled, I checked the screen, only to find it flooded with crying emojis.

“Is it true that you resigned, Directorㅠㅠ?”

“Please come back, Director ㅜㅜㅜ”

“I miss you!!!”

They were messages from staff I had worked with. I saw some familiar names, and others I hadn’t interacted with much. Either news of my resignation had just reached them, or my father had appointed someone new to the position.

Some said they were sad, others that they would wait for me to return. For a moment I was taken aback by the number of messages, but when I read, “How are we supposed to work without you,” I let out a laugh.

“Like you wouldn’t manage just fine.”

I knew full well that no one would be that upset just because one superior was gone. If anything, they were probably relieved to be rid of someone who constantly nagged them. Still, the polite words weren’t unwelcome, so I replied to each message one by one before standing up.

“I heard you skipped lunch today.”

On the day I’d skipped lunch because I didn’t have an appetite, Kwon Yido had spoken with a displeased expression. If I really didn’t want to come to the main house, he said, then he’d have meals set in the greenhouse, but I should at least not skip eating.

Sure enough, the next day, a house staff member came into the greenhouse bearing a full table set. As I watched them lay it out on the table, I thought to myself that no matter what, I should head back during the day. That was two days ago. He only let me go after I promised not to skip meals again.

Since then, I had made a point to leave the greenhouse on time. There was no benefit in offending him, so I figured I should at least keep my promises. The rain had lightened anyway—this much, I could get through even without an umbrella.

“You have someone to call for that.”

To be honest, it wasn’t as if I had no options. If I texted that I didn’t have an umbrella, Kwon Yido would send a staff member without complaint. From what I’d seen these past few days, he was the type who didn’t mind showing that level of consideration.

“Well, it’s not like he’d come himself...”

Still, the more excessive the treatment, the more carefully I had to draw the line. I was someone who knew my place, and I didn’t think Yido would go so far as to show me that kind of sincerity. “Contact me if anything happens” likely wasn’t referring to something as trivial as getting caught in the rain.

“Call me.”

“......”

Then why, why did I feel like he would be displeased if I got wet?

I liked rainy days. The sound of raindrops falling, the sight of them splashing, the overall desaturated scenery—all of it felt like something priceless that money couldn’t buy. Sometimes when I inhaled the scent of damp earth, I felt a refreshing coolness in my chest that wasn’t so bad.

That’s why I sometimes stood in the middle of the garden and let the rain fall on me. Letting the gentle drizzle soak into me helped wash away the muddled thoughts. The only one who ever worried about that was Mr. Kim.

“What if you catch a cold like that.”

Yes, it had always only been Mr. Kim...

A voice rose from the hazy recesses of memory, one that worried about me. Deep brown eyes, features too refined to be real, and the shadow of an umbrella stretched over my head.

“Jung Sejin.”

“......”

Suddenly, the image shattered. A wave of dizziness hit me and I instinctively grabbed the table. My heart dropped, and a surge of nausea rose from deep in my gut.

There wasn’t even time to react. The heat swept over me like flames, spreading from my chest to my lower stomach, even out to my fingertips. My nape went stiff, and my breath escaped in erratic gasps.

“Hh—”

The scent of flowers filled the air. Dense, overwhelming, the kind of scent I could never forget no matter how hard I tried.

My trembling arms couldn’t hold up my collapsing body. My chest was compressed so tightly I collapsed with a gasp onto the stone floor. With each breath I took, it felt like my blood was pulsing faster.

“Uh...”

Why... suddenly?

The endless stream of questions was quickly swallowed up by something else. My thighs twitched and twisted, my mind ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) bleached white. My lower belly clenched tightly, pulsing with surging heat and lust.

“N-No...”

It was a heat cycle. The rut that should’ve arrived two days later, that always came on schedule—never once deviating. The one I’d been sure wouldn’t come today.

I lowered my head and pressed my forehead to the chair. Even the cold metal couldn’t cool the dizzying fever. The pheromones, which had never once surfaced, were now pouring out helplessly like the rain.

“Mr. Jung Sejin... are you...”

“...in heat?”

That thought crossed my mind. Kwon Yido—did you know this would happen?

***

I had no idea how much time passed. The drizzle had thickened again, and pitch-black clouds rolled endlessly in. My throat burned like I’d swallowed fire, too dry to even swallow.

“Haa, haa...”

My heart pounded furiously. My cock, hard to the point of pain, was so sensitive it felt like I’d come at the slightest touch. The greenhouse, full of blooming flowers and surrounded by transparent glass—there was no way I could masturbate here. And so the unspent desire only piled up inside me.

But really, it wasn’t a problem that could be solved with masturbation alone. With rare traits like mine, and a dominant cycle at that, it was a beastly time, difficult to endure alone. If I let my guard down even slightly, I’d be swallowed whole by the desire and fall apart completely.

“Call me if anything happens.”

“...Phone...”

I dragged myself up by the chair and reached out to the phone on the table. I meant to ask someone—anyone—for help, but the moment I grabbed the phone, my mind went blank.

Ask for help? From whom?

“Picked up a defective one...”

My thoughts flickered and snapped. The phone slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a shattering noise. I let out a ragged breath and buried my face in my palms.

“Should’ve never picked up garbage like you.”

“...Hh...”

Who was I trying to call? There was no one who’d help just because I was in heat. Mr. Kim, at best, brought suppressants faithfully without knowing anything.

Someone would probably come looking for me before the day was over. The staff member—clearly a beta—what kind of expression would he make when he saw me like this? How pathetic would Kwon Yido find me, someone who couldn’t even manage his own body?

“......”

What if he breaks off the engagement?

Ridiculously, that was what I feared the most. That he’d cast me aside for ignoring his words and coming to the greenhouse. That once I was abandoned and sent back, my father would look at me with disappointment again, calling me useless.

The unspent desire pooled like lead in my chest. The tears I hadn’t managed to swallow were crushed into my palms. I hadn’t touched myself at all, yet everything—front and back—was soaked and ruined.

I curled under the table, as if by habit. It wouldn’t hide me, not really, but I wanted so badly to conceal how pathetic I looked. I wrapped my arms around my head and closed my eyes. Warm tears slid down my cheeks.

“Haa, hh...”

My ears rang. At some point, even the sound of the rain had faded. Half desperation to release the urge, half shame that I couldn’t endure something everyone else went through. And a little fear, too—aimed at no one, coming from nowhere.

“Nh...”

I almost hoped no one would come. That at least Kwon Yido wouldn’t find me like this. Just as I hunched lower with that thought...

Creak—the sound of the door. The clean scent of rain mixed with my pheromones. The downpour rang louder in my ears, and familiar footsteps drew closer, slowly but surely.

“......”

Tap, tap. The footsteps on the stone floor matched the pace of my pounding heart. Whoever it was rushed over and stopped directly in front of the table. A sigh of relief escaped him, almost imperceptibly.

“Haa...”

I used the last of my strength to tilt my head slightly to the side. Through my blurred vision, I saw the hem of a neatly pressed pair of slacks. Someone who’d wear a suit to find me in this state.

“Mr. Kim...?”

“......”

Was it just my imagination? The air turned heavy. In the space that had been filled only with my pheromones, the presence of another person flooded in. Through my shallow breaths, I caught a dense, mellow scent.

“Usually... that’s when people call for their secretary.”

The voice, deep and resonant, landed shockingly clear in my ears. As if I’d never struggled to breathe at all, my lungs started working again. Each inhale became calmer, now laced with a heavy, rain-soaked pheromone.

“...Mr. Kwon.”

As if I’d said the correct answer, Kwon Yido’s pheromones deepened. He took off his jacket and draped it over my head, then reached under the table to pull me out. A firm grip under my back and thighs lifted me like a child.

“...!”

Being picked up like that—I'd never experienced it, not even as a child. I instinctively clung to his neck, and he pulled me closer. It felt secure, but the height made me afraid I’d fall.

“I told you to call me if something happened...”

“......”

“I must’ve asked too much.”

There was something self-deprecating in his voice. I wanted to respond, but all I could manage were broken whimpers. Kwon Yido raised the jacket higher over my head and whispered gently.

“Keep your head down so no one sees.”

“......”

I must have looked awful. I’d been crying nonstop, so my face was probably a wreck. Once he confirmed I had my head lowered, he began to walk.

“Executive Director!”

Voices buzzed faintly, growing closer, then fading again. Someone was speaking to Yido, but I couldn’t hear the words. The sound of rain on the umbrella, steps on wet soil, his sighs and muttered annoyance—

“I said don’t lift your head.”

A large hand gently pressed the back of my head. I thought I might have made eye contact with his secretary. As everything suddenly quieted, someone cleared their throat awkwardly.

“...How...”

I meant to ask how he knew to come. I meant to ask why he was here when he said he’d be late. But when he patted my back, the bottled-up misery took it all away.

“Later.”

His hand, smoothing gently down my back, felt like someone comforting a crying child. That clumsy tenderness—my father had never once shown me that. His slightly cool body heat, the calm pheromones—it all made my eyes sting.

“......”

I swallowed down inexplicable tears and rubbed my forehead against his neck. As I sucked in shaky breaths, the scent unique to Kwon Yido grew stronger. Whether the lump in my throat came from the heat or something else—I couldn’t tell.

“I don’t want anyone on the second floor.”

When I came to, he was carrying me up the stairs. From the greenhouse to the house—it wasn’t close. If he hadn’t been a dominant alpha, he couldn’t have done it.

He brought me to his room, soaked in pheromones. His scent, usually strong, was overwhelming today. He laid me on the bed and brushed my sweat-dampened hair back.

“...Hh.”

He was definitely dominant. Even the pheromones I couldn’t control were being slowly drowned out by his. His scent, like a rain-drenched tree, wrapped thick and sweet around me.

“Suppressant...”

I croaked the word with a frayed voice. I had something to say—but before I could finish, he answered simply.

“I know.”

What did he know? What did he think I was going to say?

“No...”

I reached for his sleeve and grabbed hold, afraid he might leave. Though my thoughts were paralyzed, I clung to him, knowing I shouldn’t.

“Don’t go...”

I laced my fingers through his. His hands—long, even, thicker than they looked—were warm against my skin. Maybe it was because of the bare contact, but my heated body began to crave him again.

“Do something...”

I brought his hand close to my face and gasped. He didn’t pull away. Instead, he used his free hand to loosen his tie. His pheromones poured out, sticky and intense like never before.

“Mr. Jung Sejin.”

His deep voice sounded like a warning. Without thinking, I pressed my lips to his fingers. I licked lightly, tasting that cloying, addictive pheromone.

Ah... so this is what it’s like. Alpha pheromones... they’re this addictive.

“Haa...”

Something snapped inside me. Maybe it was the last shred of rationality, or the dignity I’d been barely holding onto. One thing was certain—Kwon Yido’s pheromones had thickened as well.

With my free hand, I grabbed at my pants. I clumsily rubbed at the bulge. My cock, already hard, twitched and came weakly from just that.

“Wait—mmph—”

It happened in a blink. Kwon Yido climbed onto the bed, pressing me down. Before I could even blink again, his lips were on mine. His soft tongue slipped inside without hesitation.

“Nnngh...”

I couldn’t tell whose saliva was dripping—mine or his. He tangled his tongue with mine, pressing his pheromones directly into my mouth. As it teased my palate, then stroked under my tongue, a shiver ran through me.

The kiss felt so good it made me dizzy. His cooler body heat, his slowly warming mouth—everything was perfect. Even the pheromones floating in the air felt euphoric.

I opened and closed my hands, shifting my hips. With my wrist held down, it was the only movement I could make. I rubbed against him again, and he let out a low sound in his throat.

“...Ah!”

Suddenly, sharp fangs bit my tongue. The sting made me reflexively turn my head away. Kwon Yido breathed heavily and looked down at me.

“Sejin.”

“......”

My chest felt tight. His face was too close. The moment felt unreal. And some unknown déjà vu scratched at the inside of my throat.

“Don’t provoke me.”

He gave a short warning and kissed me again, gently this time. I saw the shadow of his lashes fall as he leaned in. Then he let go of my wrist and cupped my cheek softly.

They say the best thing to calm a heat cycle is alpha pheromones. I wrapped my arms around his neck and drank them in like lifeblood. Kwon Yido didn’t push me away. Instead, he shared his breath with me—again and again.