Kiss the Stranger

The moment I saw him, my heart almost stopped. The faint pheromone haze in the room thickened instantly, and despite my dread, my whole body began to tremble.

“Ugh, uugh….”
With each shiver, my back ached so fiercely that a groan slipped out. Pinned to the wall with nowhere to flee, I curled inward, tears filling my eyes as I stared at him.
Hah, hah.

My ragged breaths filled the air. Asgail watched me in silence. I had no idea what he would do next, when suddenly Maysa’s words echoed in my mind.
‘You’ll die soon anyway.’
A thought struck me. If I was going to die, would it be from my wounds, or from sheer terror?

This might be that moment.
As I reached that thought, Asgail took a step—and I froze in panic. A terror so sharp it felt like my heart would stop surged through me. I watched him calmly walk over to the sofa. He slipped off his red kaftan embroidered with gold and tossed it aside. I stared without blinking as he removed each article of clothing: the long jeweled necklace, the royal ring on his finger, the black sash at his waist.
Unlike me, gasping for breath as if I might suffocate, he was utterly composed. He did not hesitate or waver. He did nothing but stand there—and I, like a frog before a serpent, could not move.

Meanwhile, Asgail, clad only in a thin shirt and trousers, turned his back to me. I rolled my eyes, wondering if perhaps he had forgotten me—but of course that was absurd. He sat casually on the bed’s edge and looked at me. The moment our eyes met, my trembling returned with a vengeance. Seeing my teeth chattering, he frowned and muttered,
“My, your mouth is quite useless.”
I had no time to ponder his meaning. He raised a hand. I flinched and pressed myself closer to the wall; a crease deepened between his brows. Even his slightest movement filled me with dread. The memory of the whip’s sting returned vividly, and my back throbbed unbearably.
Still, I could not refuse. If I defied him again, this time I would truly die.

I was not afraid of death. I was terrified of being harmed further. Already in agony, I dared not imagine how much worse it could get.
Driven by a fear greater than any other, I crawled forward on all fours, my legs powerless.
“Ugh, aaah.”

Each inch closer sent searing pain through my back, and I could not help but cry out. Tears blurred my vision, but I had no time for sorrow. Asgail commanded,
“Faster.”
At his words, I forced myself onward. My body felt like it was tearing apart, yet I could not even scream. When I finally reached his feet, I nearly passed out from exhaustion.

Hah, hah.
Over my panting, he said,
“Raise your head.”

I obeyed hesitantly. When I looked up at him, a dreadful fear ripped through me. Eyes wide, breath caught, I stared. Asgail examined my face with unsettling scrutiny, then grimaced and said softly,
“Truly pitiful.”
I could not speak. I only crouched there as he glared down at me in disgust.

Then I heard it—rain, faintly at first, then clearer.
“…Ah!”
Suddenly Asgail reached out, seized my arm, and yanked me toward the bed. A scream tore from me as my mind spun. I felt myself thrown onto the mattress, my senses still dull. Behind me, his warmth pressed in. He pressed his face to my neck and shoulder, as if inhaling my scent. His pheromones, once overwhelming, softened. A distant memory flickered—

Then below me, he gripped my hips and spread my buttocks, searching for my opening.
“…Ugh, uugh.”
A thick finger plunged into me roughly, and I could not help but moan. But he did not stop. He probed wildly, then, as if bored, withdrew. Then he entered me.
“…!”

Consciousness returned with a jolt, along with unimaginable pain. He flooded me with pheromones, yet I remained dry. I had always struggled when wet; now, the pain was magnified until I could barely breathe. He forced me open, and I choked on a gasp.
Ah.
I thought, dimly—

Perhaps it would be better to die.
Then I slipped into oblivion.
I awoke to a chaotic murmur. I had not dreamed—I truly had passed out. Voices drew closer.

“My goodness, the room was covered in blood—walls, bed, everything. I thought the prince lay with a corpse.”
It was Maysa and a nurse. The nurse continued,
“You should’ve seen it. His Highness was drenched in blood and furious. He rushed to the bath. The attendants will have their work cut out cleaning that room.”

“Do you think he’ll call for him again today?”
“At this rate, yes. It’s still the rainy season.”
“There are other omegas. Why choose one in this condition…?”

“Well,” the nurse hesitated.
“The prince said this omega gives off no scent. He asked if we’d given an inhibitor.”
“Impossible. Why would we do that? That would kill him.”

Maysa, fuming, replied,
“I denied it. Then His Highness demanded another test—there really was no scent. Why is that? Even now, I can only smell blood.”
The nurse pinched her nose as rain pattered outside. I lay still, unable to open my eyes, listening. Suddenly someone sniffed above me—Maysa, I realized, now very close.

“Well, it’s true. No pheromones. How odd.”
“He smelled them when we treated him, didn’t he?”
“Perhaps it’s a defense mechanism.”

“What do you mean?”
Maysa answered,
“When under mortal threat, perhaps an omega’s pheromones can malfunction. Maybe he believes he must become a beta to survive.”

“But pheromones can’t be controlled by thought.”
“Defense mechanisms aren’t conscious. It’s instinct.”
“How fascinating. Has this happened before?”

“No idea. Just speculation.”
“Still, it’s plausible, Lady Maysa….”
They continued talking, but I lost consciousness again. Outside, the rain continued unabated.

“Ugh, uugh… ugh.”
I groaned as he entered me again, heedless of my pain, moving mechanically. Behind me, the wall’s crimson stains flickered like a ghost.
They said the marks were so deep they couldn’t be removed. The wall would have to be repainted or covered.

For a week, Asgail summoned me each night. Each time he took me and I soon fainted from the agony. When I awoke, I was always in the infirmary, with Maysa and the nurse treating my back.
I never got wet. Even so, Asgail showed no mercy. On that first night, I was torn raw—but I had no choice but to accept him repeatedly. Whenever I bled, he moved faster. Each time I prayed to pass out; fortunately, it always happened.
Hah, hah.

I panted as he drove into me. The ache in my back had become my constant companion. A distant thunderclap echoed as I lost consciousness again.
“If this continues, his wounds will never heal.”
The nurse sighed. I wondered how long “never” could mean. It was clear I was dying—three days, two, perhaps tomorrow. I was just surviving day by day.

“Look how shallow his breathing is.”
Maysa muttered,
“With daily ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) blood loss, even transfusions can’t keep up. The prince should allow time to heal.”

Then I realized: I lived only because of these people. Soon they, too, would be powerless.
What then….
Thinking I would soon die, a sudden idea struck. Today might be my last chance. With that thought, I drifted away.

At the usual hour, I was dragged to Asgail’s chamber. As always, I waited for him to finish his obligations and enter. I took a deep breath—I had to speak. My body trembled the moment I thought of it. I had never been so terrified of him. Of course, he remained indifferent.
Perhaps, I feared, if I spoke, he would kill me. As that thought crossed my mind, the door opened—and the sweet scent enveloped me.