CHAPTER 64: _HIS NAME SHOULD COME WITH A TRIGGER WARNING

Elian’s POV

*****

He tried so hard to concentrate with the Beta in his room.

The edges of Axel’s shoulders seemed to blur for a fraction of a second before snapping back into focus. Elian blinked, blaming the heat haze.

He could take a good whiff of his manly pheromones from across the room. Lucian’s scent was like incense and pine wood sometimes.

But Axel? His was... Musky. Kinda sweaty in an alluring way.

"B–Beta Axel." Elian managed to clear his throat with an awkward smile, hiding his right hand behind his back. "Uh, what can I help you with? Is now a good time?"

Axel furrowed his eyebrows at first until he sniffed into the room. His eyes widened, probably after he caught a whiff of Elian’s pheromones.

"Right..." Axel cleared his throat, closing the door behind him. "You’re... You’re in heat. How are you feeling? Is it half as bad as the one from this afternoon?"

[Why are you acting awkward around him when Lucian told you he’ll send him to you before leaving?]

Elian’s fingers twitched. ’I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself...’

[Oh, honey, if you can’t control yourself after that time spent with Lucian then you’re more freaked out than I thought.]

The system did mention having sex with Lucian... Alleviated most of the symptoms.

"N–No. It’s not really that bad." Elian responded with a smile to Axel’s question.

The Beta paused for a few seconds before nodding. "That was honestly expected."

Elian arched an eyebrow, confused by what he meant. Axel was trying so hard to avoid direct eye contact, scrunching his nose as if and tightening his jaw as if...

[The poor guy is going feral just being close to you. His seduction meter is pulsing.]

Elian swallowed hard. "What... What do you mean you expected it?" He asked Axel.

The latter rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you know. With Lucian being here earlier I had a feeling your heat symptoms would... Be more..."

Elian tilted his head just in time to see Axel lock his golden eyes on him.

They stared at each other for way too long, the air between them growing stiff with tension. Elian’s heart beat quickened, and for some odd reason, he could pick up Axel’s heartbeat as well.

Their hearts beat in sync, the boundaries between control and desire wearing thinner by the second.

But then...

"Never mind." Axel cleared his throat, adjusting his pants. "I’m here to ask a few questions. About the intruder in your room."

Elian cleared his throat awkwardly as well, nodding. "Sure."

Axel let you a small breath, his footsteps echoing softly on the polished marble as he took a few steps closer. "So did you notice anything missing? Anything at all?"

Elian shook his head once at first but then paused. He... Didn’t really search the place to see if anything was missing.

[Well, that’s because your mind was too occupied with Lucian’s presence earlier, remember? Oh, and finally having that royal dick inside—]

’You’re such a perv, I swear to the gods.’ Elian grumbled mentally but the system was unbothered as usual.

[Pretty sure the gods know that.]

Elian ignored that, trying hard not to stutter as he focused his attention on Axel. "I didn’t... I didn’t have the time to search around the room."

Elian realised just then that he was clad in only underwear. Crap... That’s probably why the Beta was finding it so hard to concentrate.

That and his hormones.

"Right..." Axel nodded, stepping further into the room. His gaze scanned the place before he turned to Elian again. "Then you wouldn’t mind if we searched the place together. Right?"

Elian’s heart skipped a beat but he hid it behind a smile, nodding. "Of course not."

[Host’s heart rate could suffer a serious case of jumping out of your throat at this rate.]

[Also, just to note in case you’ve forgotten... Close proximity to any of your mates will lengthen the time frame of your heat.]

’And how long do I have for this one to wear off?’ Elian asked mentally, walking toward Axel with slow and steady steps.

[Well, about an hour give or take. Give if Mate #3 remains here. Take if he leaves.]

Fair odds...

Elian subconsciously clutched the heat Suppression Pill in his hand. If needed, he’ll just take the pill tomorrow and forget about his heat for the next three days.

.

.

"Alright." Axel sighed heavily, walking to Elian’s door with his arms folded in front of his chest. "So there really wasn’t anything the intruder took."

Elian stood close to his bed, keeping his distance from Axel even though every cell in his body was dying for him to just hop on the hunk of a man.

[I mean, one more round with the Beta wouldn’t hurt. It might help completely dissipate the heat symptoms for tonight.]

Elian’s throat swelled at the thought, his gaze trailing down to Axel’s pants.

His eyes widened slightly when he saw his bulge underneath his navy blue pants. The... The Beta was hard!

Just when Elian’s eyes became hazy and he thought he would pass out, Axel cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Is everything alright?" Axel questioned, placing his hands in his pocket. Probably a futile attempt to hide his erection. "You’re sweating."

He began walking closer to Elian again but then paused, closing his eyes and sighing. Then a small, humourless chuckle left his mouth, causing Elian to blink at him with confusion.

[Now wouldn’t it be fun if your pheromones managed to drive your mate into insanity?]

"I’m sorry..." Axel waved apologetically, shaking his head. "It’s just Lucian... He casually predicted that this would happen."

Elian’s breathing hitched for a second when he heard Prince Douchebag’s name.

Gosh, at this point, his name should come with a trigger warning.

[Right... A trigger warning which you gladly run to. It’s giving "dark romance girlie with PTSD" who’s running toward said triggers.]

"Lucian said what would happen?" Elian took the liberty of taking a step forward, narrowing his eyes at Axel with curiosity. "Nothing pleasant I suppose."

But Axel shook his head. "It’s not like that. He... Mentioned that I would get distracted by you. The original plan was for me to interrogate the guards stationed close to your door. But after I did that... I just..."

He paused, his gaze softening in a way that made Elian’s heart melt.

"I just wanted to see you..." He added, a wry smile curling up his lips.

Elian’s muscles twitched, whatever ounce of rationality or restraint he had slipped away by the second.

His breathing became strained, the sparks in his stomach coiling into something stronger that bloomed to his chest and then his entire body.

Axel seemed to notice his distress and frowned. "Elian?"

Suddenly, the system made a loud alarm noise within Elian’s head.

[WARNING: Mate #2 pheromones just spiked, worsening the host’s heat symptoms. That and the host’s emotional constipation...]

The voice started becoming faint as Elian’s vision blurred.

Something was wrong.

[Outside interference with the host’s consciousness detected. Fruitcake? Elian?...]

His knees wobbled despite the system’s voice. And then...

The room spun around him, the ground becoming closer to his view until he dropped face-first to it.

"Elian!" Axel’s voice and a pair of strong arms wrapping around him were the last things he heard and felt before everything went black.