The Point of No Return

“Go on.

Let’s continue this conversation.”

“S-So, yes.

He did receive V-2.

And V-2 has stronger efficacy—”

“Cut the bullshit.

Tell me how to return my partner’s body to the condition it was in before the injections.”

“…First, pheromones are required.

Alpha pheromones.”

“From what I heard, he already received pheromone treatment three times in the therapy room.”

“That was only temporary.

What’s used in pheromone therapy rooms is artificial pheromones.

Ultimately, the most stable option is pheromones from an imprinted partner.

From the person he will spend his life with.”

Imprinting.

Imprinting, huh.

“So pheromones alone will fix everything?”

“At the very least, the damaged bodily balance and pheromone glands will recover.”

“That’s an irresponsible answer.

Didn’t I just say it?

Tell me how to return his body to its state before the injections.”

The gaze looking down with legs crossed and hands clasped was too terrifying to meet directly.

The attending physician lowered his head.

“I-I will do my best.”

“And what exactly am I supposed to trust, entrusting this situation to you?

You’ll be hearing from the prosecutors soon.”

“Executive Director!”

The physician sprang to his feet, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop him.

Han Taeseok released his pheromones, making the air heavy and oppressive.

The dominant alpha pheromones that burst forth were so vicious that even betas felt their hair stand on end.

Han Taeseok looked down at him as if he were an insect and walked out.

The physician collapsed onto the floor.

Secretary Oh followed closely behind.

“Executive Director, how did you know about the hormone treatments?”

Most reports were prepared by Secretary Oh, but even he was hearing about this for the first time.

Since when did he know.

How did he know.

Han Taeseok answered with only one sentence.

“I looked into it.”

“Assign him a doctor we can trust.”

“Yes.

But we should inform Director Ji.

She trusts that doctor quite a bit.”

“There are several family physicians.

Losing one won’t concern her.

The problem is his connection to NI Pharmaceuticals, so handle it carefully.

I’ll speak to my mother soon.

Make sure nothing reaches her before then.”

“Understood.”

“And…”

Han Taeseok stopped in front of Park Jaekyung’s hospital room.

At Secretary Oh’s signal, the guards withdrew.

The door opened, and the nurses and doctors all left.

Jaekyung lay alone in the large room.

Each time he saw him, his face seemed paler.

Now even the last trace of color was gone, as if he might vanish at any moment.

Han Taeseok scanned him from head to toe.

He realized he was standing at a crossroads.

— I want a clause stating we won’t interfere in each other’s private lives.

When he heard that, Han Taeseok thought he was just another calculating man.

Most people in this world were like that.

They wanted money and advantage, not affection.

When he came knowing everything and proposed marriage, Han Taeseok thought it was only natural.

But…

“You probably ended up like this because you tried, in your own way.

The problem is that you tried in a stupid way.”

“Executive Director.”

“We’ll have to imprint.

It’d be troublesome if he dies like this.

No matter what, he’s still…”

Han Taeseok swallowed the rest of the sentence and smiled.

Even he thought it was cruel.

“For that, he needs to regain consciousness.

Call the doctors.

If possible, we imprint today.”

“Yes.”

After Secretary Oh left, Han Taeseok took off his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa.

Soon, the doctors returned.

“Imprinting is only possible during a heat cycle.

But his condition is extremely unstable, so we can’t use heat stimulants.”

“What about alpha pheromones?”

“That is possible.

Natural alpha pheromones, especially from the one who will imprint him.

However, the alpha must enter rut.”

An alpha’s rut came only twice a year.

Han Taeseok had already gone through rut recently.

It was unsettling, but there was no choice.

When he agreed to take a rut stimulant, the doctor hurried to prepare it.

“How can we wake him?”

The remaining doctor avoided eye contact.

“We can forcibly awaken him with medication.

But there’s a chance another seizure may occur.”

“Will that strain his body?”

“We’ll use a minimal dose.

It won’t cause serious harm.”

“All right.

Prepare it.

Cancel all my schedules.”

“Yes.”

The entire 13th floor was cleared.

Purification devices were installed to counter dominant alpha pheromones.

Han Taeseok received the rut stimulant.

Jaekyung was injected with medication to regain consciousness.

“The stimulant will take effect in about an hour.

He should regain consciousness around the same time.

Press the red button if anything happens.”

The heavy door closed.

Footsteps faded.

It felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of them.

Han Taeseok loosened his cuffs and unbuttoned his shirt.

Heat slowly gnawed at his body.

Thirty minutes passed.

His pheromones began to slip out of control.

His breathing grew rough.

Sweat ran down his face.

The heat gathered at his core, ready to explode.

He stood, vision blurring.

He reminded himself why he had done this.

He staggered to the bed and looked at the omega lying there.

Pitiful.

Fragile.

Wouldn’t it be better if he never woke up?

Wouldn’t that be less cruel?

But without consciousness, this had no meaning.

Han Taeseok climbed onto the bed.

He braced himself above the omega and slowly released his pheromones.

A normal omega would have reacted instantly.

But there was nothing.

Because he was recessive.

Because he was unconscious.

Or because everything was already broken.

If there was still no response, he would have to go further.

At worst, he might lose control completely.

Dominant alphas had to fear rut.

They became beasts driven only by desire.

Those who endured it did so out of love.

Han Taeseok hoped, even if only by a fraction,

that the omega beneath him would respond.

Otherwise, both of them would suffer.