He Juan sucked in a breath of surprise.

AX–03 was no longer an unfamiliar drug for them, the major reason was its high demand in the black market despite the drug being strictly banned for its destructive side effects. It was a miraculous drug that could enhance an Alpha’s prowess, but once consumed past a certain limit, the glands would be damaged, crippling the Alphas for life and turning them into mindless beasts in rampage.

A terrifying possibility began to materialize in his mind, one that gripped his heart in utter dread. "AX–03... the scientists who specialized in pheromones and DNA reconstruction, and also... the missing pregnant omegas..." He murmured out loud. A dull pain permeated through his chest and he was certain that it had nothing to do with his broken ribs.

He Juan dared not continue that line of thoughts further. It was too horrible, too wicked and twisted. Marius had handed the pieces of the puzzle to him, and all he had to do was to line it up and he would be able to obtain the whole truth. Yet He Juan could not bring himself to do it.

Perhaps Marius was right. Perhaps... this was more than what he could chew.

"Calm down, XIU." Marius’ firm voice pierced through the thickening fog in his mind and propelled him back to the present. He Juan took in a shaky gasp, his whole body drenched in cold sweat. He did not even realize that he was gripping onto the edge of the table so tight that his knuckles turned white. In front of him, Marius elegantly poured a cup of chamomile tea and pushed it in front of him, his expression was one of sympathy and understanding. "Here, drink it first. Take it slow and don’t burn your tongue."

The mild and soothing fragrance wafted to his nose, and it was only then that He Juan noticed how distraught he was to the point where... he failed to control his own pheromones!

Wisp of whiskey and rosewood scented pheromones hung in the air and He Juan hastily withdrew them with a horrified gasp. "Oh God, I’m so sorry, M. I didn’t do it on purpose!"

Alphas letting out their pheromones in front of another Alpha could be taken as a form of provocation or an invitation to fight. He Juan closed his eyes and chided himself inwardly. How could you be so careless! You should have kept a firmer grip on yourself!

He had not offended the other Alpha, had he...?

"It’s okay, you’re handling it way better than me." Marius sipped his tea, still looking calm and unperturbed. "I ended up destroying half of my living room and sending two of my men to the hospital when I first received the report. It’s lucky that you were not around yesterday."

He Juan gawked at him, utterly caught by surprise. Marius, losing control of himself? Somehow, he... just couldn’t imagine it. As far as he knew, Marius had always been the perfect picture of calmness and elegance. Adding on to his deep accentuated features, his light colored hair and striking blue eyes, he looked just like a prince from a fairytale. He always gave off the impression that he would not bat an eyelid even when the sky came crashing down. That’s why He Juan had always admired him and even taken him as a role model despite the other man only being two years older than him.

And to think that such a person would also make a mess of himself...

An abrupt laugh escaped He Juan’s lips. For some reason, the notion that he was not the only one who had gotten too emotional succeeded in calming him down more than any consoling words could. "My bad, I forgot," he let out an amused yet helpless sigh. "We are both the opposite of what we have always shown on the surface, huh..."

"You’re right," Marius grinned, his blue eyes crinkling in smiles. "So don’t feel bad about it. I understand how you’re feeling, XIU."

He Juan sighed again. He took the hot cup of tea and brought it into his mouth, sipping it little by little. A bitter tang permeated his tongue but it was soon followed by a sweet and crisp aftertaste. It was delicious. Burned his throat the way he needed.

Just like that, they spent a few minutes in comforting silence, enjoying their chamomile tea and relishing in the melodious singing of birds in their natural space.

He Juan felt like he could begin to comprehend why Marius chose to remain here at all times. Sequestered from the rest of the world, surrounded only by nature and fresh air... it was a rare tranquility, a priceless treasure that could not be exchanged for anything under the blue sky. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

After confirming that he had his Alpha in check so that he would not repeat the same mistake again, He Juan broke the silence and asked, "That year, which party was in control of the confiscated AX–03? The government?"

Marius let out a light sigh, "Always the government."

"So that’s the case..." He Juan leaned back and tilted his head to stare at the overcast sky above him, squinting his eyes at the dim sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of foliages. "It must be an official project then – one that involves a number of first world countries across the world. That’s why those scientists were willing to let go of their current position. It’s also the reason why this matter could be hidden for so long. If I hadn’t stumbled upon that murder scene, if I hadn’t sensed the strange presence of another Alpha... who knows until when I would be kept in the dark?"

"Not only you, XIU." Marius corrected gently. "Me too."

Frustrated but with nowhere to vent, He Juan could only stretch out his paw and grabbed a few cookies, shoving them into his mouth for a ravenous chew. Only when the rich and sweet flavor permeated his tongue did he feel a little better. "So..." he swallowed and asked the most crucial question. "This damned project... is it still going on right now? They have succeeded, right? They have created a creature that’s a level above superior. Are they still going at it madly? A mass produce, perhaps?"

He Juan chuckled wryly, feeling shivers running down his spine when he imagined the world starting to be occupied by those mutated Alphas with abnormal strength.

Humans were always terrified of the unknown, and he was no exception to that.