Chapter 12 - Chapter 9: A Different Side R18+

"Wake up. We have a busy schedule today." I blinked a couple of times and looked up at Ronak. Was it finally the weekend? I had been so swamped with things to do that the last two days just flew by. "First, we'll swing by the estate so I can change. Then we'll go to the guild to get rid of all those monster corpses in your storage-" 

"No more bugs?!" I excitedly sat up and stared down at Ronak, who looked rather amused. 

"No more bugs." He chuckled. "Then we're going to go on a little tour of the Elutra capital branch. It's rather small compared to the other branches, but I figured you'd find it interesting."

My eyes were almost sparkling with curiosity. "Am I going to get a guild card?" 

"If you want one, you can get one." Ronak sat up and stretched. "Shall we get ready then?" 

"Okay!" I was exceptionally excited about our day out! We wanted to go last weekend, but the scary nightwalker prevented us. Was this going to be our first proper d-date? Gah! Wh-what am I thinking?! Be quiet, brain!

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"So… what's the guild like?" I asked as we headed off to the estate for Ronak to change. 

"As I mentioned before, the guild helps control monster populations, manages dungeons, provides traveler information, sells potions, and many have built-in taverns or inns. They're quite the busy place. To work for the guild, you have to have your adventuring identification card. That lets the employees at the guild know who you are and what kind of jobs or quests you can take on." We exited the travel spell in Ronak's room. Oh… the window was all repaired… heh…

He sat me down on the bed, and as if she already knew we were on the way, Olivia entered the room and walked into Ronak's closet to retrieve clothes. Ronak retrieved something out of his bedside drawer and handed it to me. It was a thin, shiny, dark blue card with silver writing on it. Huh, it seemed to be made of a weird type of metal. The last time he showed it to me, he just waved it around in my face because he was mad. This time I could actually read it. It stated his name, that he was an alpha, his guild rank, his weapon of choice, his magic attribute, and, of course, it had the empire's crest in the corner. Things like his weapon of choice and magic type had funny little stars next to them. "Can anyone get these cards?" 

"Yes and no." Ronak stepped into a pair of pants and buttoned them up while watching me. "You have to be at least eighteen and have some combat abilities." 

"So betas can get them?" 

"Of course, many betas are adventurers and in the military. Just because they can't use magic doesn't mean they have no combat prowess. The Knight Academy has a pretty strict no magic policy, so even betas can attend. There are a few knight classes that involve magic, but they're strictly for alphas." Ronak held out his arms, and Olivia skillfully pulled his shirt on for him and started buttoning it. "We're getting off topic. You might have noticed that my card is blue." 

"Yeah, it's very pretty." I smiled while looking at it, but noticed the dull look Ronak was giving me. 

"Whether it's pretty or not doesn't matter, Micha. Mine is blue because I'm ranked blue. You'll start at red and have to work your way up. The ranks are color-coded. They're red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, silver, and gold." Like a rainbow! Sort of…

"Oooh, you're over halfway!" Ronak snickered as Olivia started buttoning up a vest over his shirt. 

"Sort of, but there are only three gold-ranked adventurers on our continent and a handful of silver ones. It's a great honor to reach purple and almost impossible to move forward in rank once you get there." 

"Oooh, so blue is pretty good!" I looked down at Ronak's card curiously. It's rather impressive that it's already blue! I think I understood the rankings, but how you advanced was still a bit of a mystery. 

"It took quite a bit of effort to get there. Anyway, you might have noticed that my card doesn't give any details on noble ranking." Oh, he's right. It didn't. There was no title or anything, just Ronak Abraxos. "The adventuring guild doesn't care. You could be the prince of the empire and still get handed a red card on your first day. They only care about you proving yourself through successful jobs, not who you are. That's probably why my mother became an adventurer…"

I think I was starting to understand. "So to move up in rank, you have to complete jobs?" 

"Yes, and the higher you rank, the harder the jobs or quests you get sent on. It can be quite a dangerous job if you don't take it seriously." I see… That's fascinating… So that means that the three gold adventurers were probably incredibly strong.

"Your outfit is rather fancy…" I blinked in surprise as Ronak's simple outfit actually turned out looking rather complex. I hadn't been paying too close attention, so I didn't notice the cloak or heavy boots Ronak had put on until now. I-I sort of liked this look on him. It was different and far less formal… Gah! I-I can't keep looking at him! Thank goodness he has a cloak to partially hide how good that outfit looks on him. 

"This isn't my normal adventuring clothes. I just didn't want anyone there to take me lightly. Normally, you wear protective clothes, especially when going on dangerous quests, but since we won't be questing today, this will do." 

"Is that why some people wear plate armor like knights?" 

"Some people wear plate armor, but it depends on their fighting style. People who prefer agility wear lighter chainmail, while magic-only types, like you, only wear light fabrics. We'll have to get you an adventuring outfit made if you want to continue questing."

"I'm going to get an adventuring outfit?!" Do I get to look as cool as Ronak?!

"If you want one." Yesss!

"Do I get to do quests with you?" 

"You'll need to rank up, but yes." My face turned a bit pink. Getting to go on quests with Ronak sounded fun… "Are you ready? Let's head out." Ronak presented his hand to me, and I accepted it. I was a bit nervous, but the moment Ronak pulled me into his arms, those fears dissipated. 

We made it to the commoners' trade district, and Ronak exited his travel spell in an alley. I always liked how bustling the commoners' districts were compared to the nobles' districts. People were everywhere, moving from one stall to the next and into stores. It was so exciting. I could have easily wandered around all day and never made it to the guild. 

We came to a stop in front of a massive building with the guild crest embroidered into two massive tapestries that hung on either side. I think their crest was a compass of sorts, but I didn't ask. I was far too shocked at how big the building was, but Ronak said they had lots of resources available to adventurers and travelers. Since it was the capital, I guess it made sense for the building to be so big. When I made a comment, Ronak said this wasn't even the largest guild branch. Apparently, the head office was much larger since they kept track of many major incidents and jobs, but I doubt either of us will ever go there because it's in an empire on the opposite side of the continent. 

"Welcome to the empire's capital guild branch. It's one of hundreds of establishments all catering to adventurers and travelers. Shall we go get you registered?" Ronak didn't let go of my hand once as we traveled here, and it seemed like he had no intention to let go now… I-I sorta liked it though… 

"Y-yeah!" I was rather nervous, but it was too late to worry about that as Ronak escorted me up the steps to the main set of doors.

It was a large room with counters at the back and tables strewn about. The mix of people was really interesting. Clearly, all the guild employees wore the same formal uniform, but adventurers wore all sorts of armor and weapons, while travelers were dressed a little simpler. Overall, it was an odd mix of people. I thought Ronak and I would stick out, but we didn't. I-I mean that woman over there is only wearing a bra with plate mail bottoms…

My attention got drawn to the excited cheers, and Ronak leaned closer to whisper, "That's the guild bar. I would avoid it unless you want to get into a fistfight." I-I don't think I'd survive a fistfight… Note to self, stay far, far away from the bar…

"P-people fight here?" My eyes were as wide as a goldfish's as I stared up at Ronak. Why would people fight here?

"Of course, though you're with me, so I doubt anyone will bother you. Over on that side is a guild restaurant. It serves basic food for a cheap price. No sweets though, so you're out of luck." I stuck out my bottom lip as I glanced at it. H-how does a place not serve sweets? Gosh… maybe I did have a problem… "Upstairs, there are resources about monsters, plants, and travel information that can be read, but books are not permitted to leave the loft." Ronak pointed to a spiral staircase that led to a small library. "This guild doesn't have an inn because there are so many inns around the capital." 

"What's that wall of papers?" It was color-coded like the guild ranks, ranging from red to purple. In each section, there were papers hung up, and I couldn't help but look in their direction. One guy even ripped a paper off the wall and walked off with it.

"Oh, that's the quest wall. It's sectioned off by rank. Because you'll be red-ranked, the highest level job you can do is orange when you're with me. If you're not with me, you'll have to stay within your color section."

"They don't have a section for silver or gold…" 

"That's because those ranks are rare, remember? If there are jobs for silver and gold, those people get contacted privately to take care of things. It's not something the general public needs to know about." Huh… I like listening to Ronak talk. He wasn't being curt or rude at all. There wasn't even a swear word in sight. He seemed almost calmer here… Like he preferred adventuring over noble life. Hmm, I liked getting to see this different side to him. 

"Holy fuck. Is that the arrogant Ronak showing a noob around the guild? Did you hit your goddamn head somewhere and lose your mind?" A scruffy-looking guy wearing rather basic leather armor with blue detailing approached and stared at me with a furrowed brow. 

Th-there goes Ronak's calm demeanor… A spike of irritation shot through me like an arrow. "Go the fuck back to the bar, Ives," Ronak growled and pulled me towards him.

Ives flinched, but swirled his finger around in Ronak's direction. "No doing that annoying alpha growl thing. It's fucking weird." He turned his attention to me, which I didn't appreciate. "Who's your flat-chested babe? She new around here?" He got a cheesy grin on his face and leaned closer to me. "Hi, the name's Ives-!" Ronak grabbed his face, shoved him away from me, and moved to stand between me and Ives.

"Stay the fuck away from my omega! He's mine!" Ronak snarled, which only drew the attention of those around us. I peeked past Ronak to see Ives's puzzled face. 

"Shit, someone can tolerate you enough to form a bond with you?" H-he didn't ask… "What did this fucker say to get you to like him? Wait… He? He's a guy?" It was like his brain wasn't processing what was happening. He was completely ignoring Ronak and just staring at me in confusion. 

"I'm an omega…" I tried flashing him a polite smile, but that was a mistake.

He blushed, which only got Ronak growling again. Ives took a few steps back from Ronak. "Damn! You don't deserve such a cutie! She's, ah, he's way too nice to be hanging around an ass like you!" Heh… between his Uncle Hemonnet and this place… I can see why Ronak had such a potty mouth on him… "You wanna ditch this jerk and meet up later, you and I can get to know each other a bit better-" 

"No thanks." I quickly responded. Ew, ew, double ew! D-don't you dare wiggle your hips while saying that. Ronak started pulling his arm back to hit the dummy, and I quickly grabbed his hand. "I'm only interested in my alpha." I pulled his balled-up fist over to me and rubbed my cheek on his hand. Like an ice block, his hand slowly melted and cradled my face. He didn't need to worry about some dumb beta flirting with me. I wasn't interested in the slightest. Besides, he was far too scruffy and scraggly for my tastes… Ronak calmed down a little, but was still glaring daggers at Ives. "What are the counters for?" I asked in an attempt to distract Ronak, but he didn't budge.

"I can tell you all about those-" Ives tried to swoop in and get my attention again, which was the dumbest thing I've ever witnessed. 

Ronak's anger hit me like a boulder, and his eyes instantly narrowed in on Ives. The growl he let out was the angriest one I've heard yet. It almost made the air around us vibrate. Gah! Th-this isn't what I wanted to get involved with! Without even thinking, I pivoted and grabbed Ronak's face. "R-Ronak! Please calm down. W-we were having fun on our little tour together! Don't tarnish today by getting upset. E-even if everyone in this room flirted with me, the only one I'd be interested in is you." The waves of anger crashing into me slowly dissipated, and Ronak's attention drifted to me.

It was like everyone in the room had been holding their breath. "Shit, I'm out." Ives quickly scurried away. That jerk! Don't get him all mad and scurry off!

"Only me?" Ronak mumbled with skeptical eyes. 

"Y-yes…" 

"Why?" He looked at me with curious eyes, and I couldn't help but notice people listening in on our conversation. 

"W-we're in public! I-I… Just finish our tour!" I squealed nervously while hiding my pink face behind my hands. I-I'm not saying something so embarrassing here! No way!

"Mmm, fine. We'll finish the tour." He patted my head and pulled my hand down so he could lace his fingers through mine.

"Thank you for not putting any holes in the walls or coating my establishment in blood." Huh? That voice sounded slightly familiar… I peeked out from my hand and instantly recognized the guy standing before us. He was dressed far more formally than he had been last time, but…

"Thorn, right?" 

Ronak leaned down and whispered into my ear. "That's a secret name. Here he's Guildmaster Rosen." Ronak stood back up and glared over at Rosen. He's the guild master?! Like, he's in charge of this entire place and works for Ronak? How did he manage that?! I know he said he had an information network, but it involved guildmasters? "A beta foolish enough to go after what belongs to an alpha deserves to have their internal organs rearranged and hung from the rafters." R-Ronak… D-did you have to say the creepiest of things?

"No matter what, we ask that all disputes between adventurers be taken outside the capital walls. Neither we nor the guards want to deal with your petty disputes." Thorn, or I guess Guildmaster Rosen, gave Ronak a polite smile despite what he had just said. Hmm, he had a rather large scar across his cheek that I didn't notice when he came to Ronak's estate last week to deliver information. "What brings you to the guild today?" 

"Micha needs an adventuring card, and we have monsters that need to be broken down." Ronak crossed his arms while looking rather perturbed, but he seemed to be controlling his attitude a bit better. 

"I see. One of our receptionists will help with that. Please be mindful of others and control your growling while here." He waved us over to a rather nervous-looking receptionist before leaving. I was pretty impressed that she held her ground as we approached, but she probably works with people like Ronak all the time.

"Hello. Can I get a guild card?" Ronak stood behind me like a protective dog waiting for someone to approach so he could bite their head off. Pft, I don't think anyone is going to try anything after what you just did, Ronak. Though… that guy was rather dumb…

The receptionist seemed a little relieved to be dealing with me and not Ronak. "Are you getting one for the first time?" Wasn't it obvious?

"Yes, please." I smiled excitedly. I wasn't sure how the guild made them, but I was sure curious. 

"Perfect, first you need to fill out this paper." She brought out a document and a quill from underneath the counter. I looked over the paper, and it seemed simple enough. It asked for all the information that Ronak's card had on it, like name, whether you wield magic, what branches of magic, what types of spells, and other simple questions. It wasn't too hard to fill out. I didn't even have to look over the weapon part. The only thing I could wield was a harvesting knife. 

When I handed it back to her, she gasped loudly. Gosh, could we stop making a scene for the entire guild? "Y-you wield light magic a-and all three branches?!" Thanks for shouting that through the room… Her mouth was practically hanging open in shock. "A-are you sure you filled this out right?!" 

Ronak let out a slight growl, which made her flinch. "Of course he fucking filled it out right! Do you think he lied, or were you expecting a public display?!" 

"Ronak, settle down…" I patted his thigh in a desperate attempt to get him to stop. Did he want everyone in the guild staring at us?!

"N-no, sir. Sorry for questioning you, Sir Ronak. I was simply shocked." I thought Ronak said they didn't care about rank here, but Ronak sure seemed to be held in high esteem by the staff. Maybe it's because the guildmaster worked for him? "I'll get this taken care of right away!" She turned around with my paper and inserted it into a strange-looking device. She pressed a button, and the device glowed for a second before spitting out a shiny red card.

"Oooh! Is that a magic tool?"

Ronak's head slid down next to mine, and he slightly nuzzled against me. "Yes, it is." 

"That's cool! Besides basic household ones, I've never seen any that function like that." 

"All the guilds have a card maker. They're not that rare." Oh, I see. Guess I'm just the one not familiar with them. 

Complicated magic tools were rare because they were rather difficult to make. One tiny mistake while crafting their magic circle, and they could explode in your face. I was surprised to find out that they were using such a machine here, but I guess its only job was producing guild cards, so it probably wouldn't be useful anywhere else. 

"Okay, here is your identification card. You'll start at rank red, and when you complete quests, you get stamps." She held up a large stamp the size of the card and showed it to me. "Once your card registers you as earning so many stamps, then your card will change colors and move to the next rank. Good luck out there, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask us." 

"Oh, we have monster corpses that need to be broken down. Do we do that here?" I doubted it, but I figured I would ask, though Ronak probably knew where to take them. 

"That's in the back. Would you like me to show you where to go?" 

"No," Ronak grunted and grabbed my hand. "Welcome, little red adventurer." He smiled at me, and I saw out of the corner of my eye that all the receptionists went wide-eyed. Hehe, he has a nice smile when he doesn't look pissed off.

Ronak guided me down a hall to a different counter. A gruff-looking guy wearing a thick leather apron greeted us. "Are you having a wagon drop-off parts?" 

"We have the parts," Ronak responded, and the guy raised an eyebrow. "We're going to need the backyard to deposit everything. Your counter isn't big enough." 

That made the guy look even more confused, but he just shrugged and pointed his thumb at the door next to the counter. "I'll meet you in the yard." 

The yard was a relatively small walled area that allowed wagons with valuable monsters inside to be broken down. It was mostly dirt with a bit of grass, nothing too special. "Alright, where are these magical monster parts you couldn't give me at the counter?" I could understand why he was skeptical; my storage spell was unheard of.

"Do you want me to take everything out?" I looked at Ronak for permission. We had a lot of monsters stored away in my storage. I kept trying to pretend they weren't there, but they haunted a small part of my brain that constantly knew what was in my storage. 

"Sure."

"Even the nightwalker?" Ronak nodded at me, and I turned to face the yard. 

"The what-?!" Before he could finish, I raised my hand to the sky, and a golden light gently filled the air. I let it rain monsters and monster parts into the little backyard. It was a little gross, and there probably was a better way for me to deposit them, but I didn't care. I was just happy to be rid of them. There were giant lizards, elemental cores, slime cores, treants, undead, giant bugs, kobolds, goblins, and a whole host of other monsters we killed in the dungeon. Oh, and how could I forget the one beast I never wanted to see again? The nightwalker. It might have lain there motionless, but just seeing it scared me. After my spell was cast, I promptly moved to stand behind Ronak. I knew it was dead, but still…

"We would like them broken down into useful alchemy ingredients and to sell everything else. Except for the nightwalker pelt. I need that back." Ronak was about to turn and leave when the guy we were expecting to do the work gasped in horror. 

"W-where did all these come from?! What the hell?! You expect me to process all of these?!" He seemed a bit overwhelmed… Oops…

"From a storage spell, and yes, that is your job, so we expect them to be processed." Ronak didn't show an ounce of sympathy. 

"Are you some gold-ranked adventurer?" He stared at me with wide eyes, and I excitedly showed him my card. 

"Nope! I just registered!" His expression changed to one of complete confusion. 

"If you have problems, take it up with the guildmaster," Ronak grunted before grabbing my hand and walking away.

"Should I have taken some of the corpses back until they get some done?" 

"No, they have cold sheds they can stick them into. It's their job, not ours." We entered the guild, and Ronak let me look around a little bit more. I was quite curious about the different things the guild offered. We even stopped by a small store that was selling Ronak's potions and first aid supplies. The guild was so incredibly interesting!

"Are you ready to go tour Elutra? The carriage is here." Ronak pointed over to Gerard, who was standing at the guild doors. He looked so out of place in his black butler attire. 

"Yeah, we can go. Th-thanks for bringing me here. It was super fun!" Well… you almost punching someone and me having to stop you wasn't fun, but I'll pretend that didn't happen… "We'll have to do a quest together when we get a chance." 

"Okay, you could stand to work on your aim. I prefer arrows not whizzing by my face." Ronak took his finger and whizzed it past my nose. H-hey!

"I-I never hit you! Not once! Y-you're being a baby!" I complained as we exited the guild.

"Gerard, do you want an arrow to fly right next to your face?" Ronak asked as he took his finger and zipped it past Gerard's ear to prove his point. 

"No, my lord. I wouldn't enjoy that at all." Gerard opened the carriage door and watched the two of us bicker with an amused expression.

"I-it wasn't going to hit you! I always pair my targeted attack spell with my other spells so they hit a predetermined location! I don't just blindly fling spells! You'd have to move into the path of the arrow at the last second to get hit!" I couldn't believe him! He was still upset over that?! Ridiculous! 

Ronak basically tossed me into the carriage with a smug smile as I continued to rant about my spells. Did he think he was being funny?! "Calm down, little omega. I was teasing." Angry grumbles continued to escape me as the carriage pulled away from the guild. Teasing?! Yeah right! You're still, butt-hurt! I don't believe you!

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"This is your version of small?!" The carriage rolled down rows upon rows of fields dedicated to different herbs. We had entered Elutra's farming district a while ago, and I couldn't believe how many plants there were. Ronak even stopped the carriage at each different field and let me wander about to harvest a few.

"This is the smallest operation that I run. Most of the potions produced here are sold in the capital." It made you realize that when Ronak said that his company was the number one producer of potions and healing supplies, he meant it. "My other branches produce balms, salves, and other first aid products as well, though we are best known for our potions." He talked about it like it wasn't that impressive, but I was stunned. This was incredible! 

"This is one of the buildings where potions are brewed. We do it in large batches, so it looks a bit different compared to what you're used to." We exited the carriage, and Ronak took me around inside the building. It was insane. When he said large batches, he meant massive vats that had fires built underneath them. I couldn't even comprehend it. I would have never thought about producing potions like this. 

We stopped to watch a group of workers as they worked together to brew a mana potion. "The larger batch size allows for prices to be kept down. If I had workers brew small batches, it would take longer, and prices would skyrocket. It's quite the fickle process, though; one wrong move and the entire batch will be messed up." 

"You came up with this idea?" I watched as the workers spun cranks that gently stirred the potion while other workers added ingredients at the correct times. It was amazing that they could do something so complicated repeatedly. 

"If I told you where I came up with the idea, you would laugh." Ronak gazed off into the distance with an embarrassed look on his face. 

"Now you have to tell me." I gently pinched his arm, and he looked back at me. 

"I was… in the bath one evening thinking about where to take the business… when I looked at my rather large bathtub…" I know I said I wasn't going to laugh, but I snickered so hard I almost fell over. I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Ronak's tub was unnecessarily massive; it could probably fit ten or twelve people in it comfortably. "See, I knew you would laugh…" Ronak pinched my cheek, but it didn't prevent me from smiling smugly at him. 

"Duke Abraxos! Why didn't you inform me of your visit?!" A man wearing the same uniform as the other workers approached us and bowed. 

"I'm not here for inspections today. I deferred them. I just wanted to take my omega, Micha, on a tour of the facilities." Ronak gestured to me, and I smiled. 

"Greetings, Duchess! I am the overseer of productions here at Elutra Capital Branch. It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope that you find everything here to be up to standard." He bowed, and Ronak looked away awkwardly while I snickered. Did he hear omega and jump to conclusions? "Did I say something wrong?" His eyes widened in fear, and I waved my hands back and forth as I giggled. 

"W-we're not married or anything, so giving me a title isn't appropriate. You can just call me Micha." His mouth opened and closed awkwardly as he processed what I told him. His face turned flush, and he quickly bowed again. 

"I'm sorry for my error! Please forgive me, miss!" 

"It's not a problem! It happens all the time. Please don't bow." I pulled him up, which only made him turn even redder. I quickly released him and took a step back. I didn't want Ronak to fire the poor guy because of me. 

"Do you want to get lunch, Micha? There's not that much more to see. All the other facilities look like this one; they just make different types of potions." Ronak… wasn't mad or at least I don't think he was, but he wasn't looking at me…

"O-okay…" It wasn't like I was going to demand to stay. I waved goodbye to the uncomfortable overseer, and Ronak hauled me back to the carriage. That was… a fast trip…

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We rode in silence for a while, but I couldn't take it any longer. "Is everything okay?" 

"Why didn't you correct him?" 

"I did correct him…" 

"You didn't tell him that you're a guy. Are you unbothered by that?" Ronak's brow was furrowed as he stared at the floor of the carriage. Ronak glanced at me with a flushed face, then quickly turned back to stare out the window. Why was he getting so upset on my behalf?

A snicker escaped my lips, and Ronak gave me a side eye. "Ronak, I get confused for a girl multiple times a week. Even when I wear masculine clothes. I just have softer features. Some people at the academy even laugh when I claim to be an alpha; guess that's my fault for lying." I poked my cheek and laughed as Ronak turned back to face me with his red face. 

"God, you're too fucking nice, how does nothing bother you?" I peeked back at Ronak, who was attempting to hide his red face with a hand as he stared out the carriage window.

"Oh, I'm good at hiding it with a smile. Though… that doesn't work as well with you since you know how I'm feeling…" I moved to Ronak's side of the carriage and gently grabbed his hand. 

"That's a bad habit you've formed. I hated it when I first met you, and I still do." Yep, I'm totally aware. You only said it to my face multiple times…

"I believe I mentioned that I trained under doctors…" 

"Yes, you mentioned it briefly..." Ronak glanced at me curiously. He probably wasn't expecting my slight shift in topic.

"I learned to hide my emotions with a smile when working for a doctor a couple of years ago." I brought my knee up and rested my head on it while I played with Ronak's hand. "There was an outbreak in a village, and we were called to try and cure it. The elderly and children were catching it and dying. I had multiple people that I helped care for. They had bright smiles and loving families. We would laugh, and I would tell them stories to keep them entertained as their health declined. I told them they were going to be alright every day, that we would find a cure… I kept hoping to be blessed with a spell that could cure illnesses… I continued doing it until each one of them… took their last breaths…" I trailed off as their faces resurfaced in my mind. It was part of the reason I strove to become better at healing. So I could save people like that. "There's not much that someone could say to truly upset me. Simply guessing if I'm a girl or a guy because of how I dress or look seems like something drivel to talk about over tea. I would hardly consider it something to hit someone over." I balled his fingers up into a fist and snickered. I mean, I preferred it if people got it right, but it wasn't that big of a deal. A sense of concern washed over me, and I laughed. "I'm fine, it's in the past. Don't worry so much about me."

"You're my omega, Micha. Of course, I worry about you. You shouldn't hide feelings like that…" That's ripe coming from you… Ronak's fingers laced through mine, and I felt happy knowing that Ronak cared so much. He didn't express feelings like this very often, but it made me happy all the same. 

"That is true…, but you don't need to worry about whether the smiles I give you are fake because you know how I'm feeling. You should know instantly if they're fake or not." A little smirk formed on my lips as I watched him stare at me. His face had calmed down, and it wasn't flushed and cute anymore. That's a shame…

"Let's not let something silly ruin our day. I've been having a great time. I have plenty of questions about Elutra, if you're willing to answer them." 

"Ask away." Ronak smiled, and my heart fluttered. It was nice getting to spend the day with him. He wasn't too bad when he was comfortable in his environment. 

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"Where are you taking me?" Ronak asked as I gleefully hauled him through the streets.

A familiar scent hit my nose, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. "Come on!" I tugged on Ronak's hand and dragged him with me. We were in quite the busy area, but what I was searching for was only one road over. I directed us down one alleyway to the busy street lined with vendors. Their stalls sold anything from household goods and jewelry to food and beverages. It was quite the sight with all the different colored stalls and people crowding the street. It reminded me of a city next to our village that I occasionally got to visit, except this was many times larger.

"What are we doing here?" 

"We're going to eat street food! We can even look at other interesting stalls as we go!" Ronak looked downright confused. Had he never wandered a busy street like this before? "Remember those meat skewers we ate in the dungeon?" H-he fed me mine, but he should remember it.

"Yes…" 

"Those were from a vendor like these." I dragged him over to the vendor who was selling skewers and purchased two. "Tada! I was able to smell their signature sauce a block away and knew there had to be a kebab vendor nearby." I proudly stood with my skewer, and Ronak snickered. 

"I have to admit I wasn't expecting this…" He mumbled as he accepted the skewer I was handing him.

"Don't worry, there's going to be a ton of different options that we can snack upon as we walk, and some vendors even sell sweet treats!" Maybe I can even find one selling steamed custard buns! That would be amazing!

"Okay, but," Ronak paused, making me become nervous. "I'm paying for everything, so don't even try to pay again." He scowled at me, and I rolled my eyes. Why can't I pay for things? I don't have a ton of money, but this stuff is dirt cheap.

"Do you even have low enough coin denominations, Mr. Moneybags?" I narrowed my eyes on him.

"You act like I only walk around with gold coins on me." His smile was oddly tense. I narrowed my eyes even further, and his smile twitched. "Fine, let's stop at the guild for a second, and we can return afterwards." I snickered, but nodded my head.

After our quick stop to break some of Ronak's gold down, we resumed our walk. He was legitimately only carrying gold and platinum, though. He acted like the copper and silver were the strangest things ever. I-I know you're a duke, but talk about living a totally different life…

There were all sorts of vendors to look at. "Just a second, wait here," Ronak mumbled to me before wandering off. I don't know how sneaky he thought he was being because I could easily see his tall figure a couple of stalls down. I wasn't able to make out what they were selling, but like a good omega, I stayed where he asked me.

"It's not the nicest quality, but… it would look good in your golden hair… Now that I think about it, you might not want it…" Whoa, where did the oh so confident Ronak go? Was he worried? A-also, the fact that he called my blonde hair gold was rather adorable.

"I promise I'll like it. Please show me." I said while leaning over to peek at his hands.

Ronak held out his hands for me and slowly opened them. Inside his hands was a gold hair accessory. It looked like someone had plucked a leafy golden stem from a plant. The tiny leaves were so incredibly detailed, and even the stem was excellently crafted. I didn't wear hair accessories because girls were usually into bows or fancy ribbons, but I didn't mind this style at all.

I carefully plucked it from his hands with a big smile. "It's lovely, do you want to put it in my hair?" I turned around and held it up at the side of my ponytail's base so he knew where I wanted it. Good thing I opted for a high ponytail today, it would work in a low one, but I liked the idea of it being shown off better in this hairstyle.

"I can try…" Ronak took the hairpin from me and carefully slid it into my hair. "I think it's in correctly." 

"H-how does it look?" I turned back towards him, and his gaze drifted away. The tops of his cheeks were pink, and he used his hand to try and hide his face. C-cute!

"It looks nice." Hehe! Ronak got me a gift, and he's blushing!

"We need to find something for you, to commemorate today!" I grabbed his arm and pulled him along with me. As we walked, I wasn't sure who was getting more glances, Ronak or me. Our clothes probably gave us away as nobles…

"To commemorate today?" Ronak mocked back in a questioning manner. 

"Y-yeah… th-this is a date, right? Our first date?" I paused and looked up at Ronak with worried eyes. H-he thought this was a date… right? It was totally giving off date vibes…

"Yes…" Ronak looked a little stunned.

"Th-then let's find you something too!" I had to look away to hide the blush creeping into my face. Gah! Wh-why did I say that?!

We walked down the street a little way, and I instantly pulled Ronak in the opposite direction he was walking. "What caught your attention? Oh, that's a dumb question, of course you were able to sniff out something sweet." Ronak grumbled as I hauled him over to another food vendor.

Ronak paid the vendor, and I excitedly held the skewer out in front of me. "It's fruit, so I consider this to be healthy!"

"When you coat fruit in sugar, it's no longer healthy…" Ronak glared at me as I happily ate the strawberries and grapes that had been dipped in a sugar glaze. 

"You said I could eat anything I wanted today." I batted my eyes at him, but he wasn't falling for it.

"I never said that!" Ronak snapped. Hehehe! You didn't say I couldn't.

The lady making the sugared fruit laughed as she listened to us. "Oh, to be young. You two are just too cute. Don't listen to a word he says and enjoy yourself. A little bit of fruit isn't going to put an ounce of weight on your body. Here it's on the house for the cute couple." She handed me another skewer, but this time it had what seemed to be pear slices skewered on it. 

Ronak let out a defeated sigh, "There's no stopping you and your addiction, is there?" 

"Nope, so let's go!" I excitedly waved my new skewer through the air as we walked towards another stall. 

We purchased a few things here and there, but I wasn't seeing anything that I specifically wanted for Ronak. There were still dozens of stalls, though, so I wasn't too worried. Ronak was getting slightly perturbed that I kept stopping at each food vendor to buy something. The regular food I would split with Ronak, while the sweets I would enjoy by myself. We even bought extras of the good stuff for my storage.

"Say awww!" I held up a wrap-style sandwich for Ronak to take a bite. He gently grasped my hands and took a bite while not breaking eye contact with me. It was a little embarrassing when a group of girls started fawning over him, but I ignored them and took the next bite. Gah! I think my eardrums were almost ruptured by the squealing girls as Ronak wiped the corner of my mouth with his finger. 

"Micha, you have sauce on your face." The squealing girls took off when I glanced at them. Gosh, even female betas can be annoying. Must just be a girl thing. 

"Thanks, Ronak." I smiled at him and offered him another bite of the sandwich. This was nice, we should make time to do this again. 

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Ronak

That damn doctor had to be full of shit. Something had to be wrong with me. It was like I had become obsessed. I didn't want to peel my eyes away from him or his radiant smile. He looked so… happy… even though he was spending time with… me…

I didn't even care about or taste the food he was feeding me, but each time he offered me food I couldn't resist. It was as if my heart was forgetting to beat. I wanted to buy him something at every stall just so I could see his reactions. 

The doctor said to explore this feeling, but this feeling was consuming me from the inside out. I couldn't handle it. All I wanted to do was steal Micha away and ravage him. I wanted to hear his cute squeals and for him to look just as pleased while we made love. Shit, I need to stop thinking about this… I'm going to get carried away and act upon my impulses.

"You need to stop running off." My hand automatically gravitated to his, and I tightly wound my fingers through his small ones.

"But look how cool! I've never seen such an interesting array of gadgets!" I couldn't help but indulge him. I… wanted him to smile more… smile at me…

"Do you want one?" I wasn't even sure what this shit was, but if all it took was spending a meager amount of money to make him this pleased, then I'd spend any amount for him. 

"No, I just wanted to look." Micha giggled. I wanted to reach over and poke him so he would laugh more. The sound was just so pleasant to my ears. 

Was this… really love? Did I love this little bubbly golden omega that I claimed for myself? His fingers almost slipped from mine, so I pulled him back over to me. 

His snicker made my heart jump in my chest. "I'm not going to get lost.", but what if you disappear? What if I never see you again… 

"Just stay close to me, it's busy." Stay close so I can keep you safe. I need to keep you safe.

"Then we've got a go over there! That looks interesting!" Sure… whatever you say… Fuck… I… I…

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Micha

As we walked by a stall, I saw something that caught my eye. "Hey, I'll be right back! It's your turn to stay here!" Ronak looked a little concerned as I sped off, but it wasn't like he wouldn't be able to track me down if we got separated. 

"How much is that?" I asked while pointing at a bracelet.

"What a fine eye you have." The older gentleman smiled at me and held up the bracelet I had been eyeing. "This is a tiger eye stone; it's not every day that you see it in this magnificent crimson color. Plus, these golden beads were handcrafted here in the capital. I doubt I would be able to part with it unless I got two gold coins out of it." I raised an eyebrow.

"What's with that price? We're not in the nobles district. I'll give you thirty silver." I folded my arms and lightly glared at him. Did he think I was going to pay whatever just because I was a noble? 

He narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "I'm feeling generous, one gold." 

"Forty silver." I wasn't going to be that generous when he just cut his original asking price in half. Did he think I was an idiot?

"Seventy-five." He started to look worried. Good, he was being a bit more reasonable now. 

"I guess I'll just take my business elsewhere." I exaggeratedly shrugged and began walking off. 

His face had completely broken, and he looked worried as I turned away. "Fine! Fifty, I'll do fifty, but I honestly can't go lower than that!" I smiled smugly, but hid it as I turned to face him. 

"I'm glad we can come to an agreement." I held out my hand and brought the fifty silver coins out from my storage. The man stared at me with wide eyes, but gladly accepted the coins. I knew I was probably overpaying for the bracelet, but it looked to be of good quality, and Ronak was worth it in my opinion. 

I turned around with my purchase and stood on my tippy toes trying to see Ronak. It seemed that something at a stall had caught his eye because he was talking to a vendor as well. When I approached, I saw that it was more hair accessories. 

"Are you buying another one?" I peeked around his arm, trying to see what he was hiding.

"I just thought you would like something to swap to, so you don't wear the same one every day…" Ronak turned and showed me the hair clip in his hands. This one was also floral, but it had small red flowers adorning the piece. Pft, h-he was being way too cute. He set the bar high, expecting me to wear one of them every day. I-I think I can mix them into my wardrobe. 

"This isn't fair, you keep buying me such nice things." I carefully picked it up with one hand and looked at the finer details up close. I had his bracelet clasped behind my back so he wouldn't see it. I felt a little guilty that he had purchased me two gifts, and I only found a bracelet.

"Mmm, but I want to." He gazed at me curiously. "What are you hiding?" He tried to run his hand down my arm to my hand, but I flinched away. 

"S-secrets!" I put the new hair accessory into my storage with a smile and turned my attention to my curious alpha. "This caught my eye as we were walking past." I brought my hands out from behind my back and presented Ronak with the red tiger's eye bracelet. He stared at it for a second, then held out his wrist. 

"Put it on." His gaze was piercing as he demanded I put it on him.

"Y-you don't have to right now! Plus, you might not even like it!" I was a little flustered by his behavior. I didn't think he would like it that much.

"It's the first gift you've given me, Micha. I think I would like anything you gave me, though. Even if it was a fist full of dirt." Ronak's smile was heart-stopping. Even the lady working at the vendor let out a gasp. My poor little heart was pounding up a storm as my shaky hands attempted to put his new bracelet on his wrist. Luckily, it didn't clasp, and all I had to do was loosen it, then pull the strings to tighten it back up. It matched his outfit exceptionally well. Gah! When he smiles like that… I might just die…

It took me a while to calm down after that. I was a little jumpy when Ronak tried to hold my hand and talk to me, but it wasn't my fault. It was definitely his. How dare he be that charming?! He even kept buying me things. He kept wandering over to each hair accessory shop and purchasing different hair accessories. Apparently, he took quite a liking to the one in my hair. I'm sure all the omegas at the academy are going to go nuts if I wear them. They'd wonder where they came from and who gave them to me. Gah! Wh-what am I supposed to do about him? He was being so cute, but completely overdoing it!

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"We should probably start wandering back to the guild. If you want, we can go a street over and wander through some stores on the way." Ronak mumbled. I looked up at the sun that was steadily dropping; it would be evening soon. I guess we should be heading back. Aww, we didn't get to visit all the vendors.

"Okay, that's fine. We should be able to cut through this alley." It looked empty and was a straight path to the other road. As we headed down that path, I noticed that it was much quieter now that we were relatively alone. "H-hey, I've had a really good time today. I-I know there were a couple rough patches, but I would l-like to do this again sometime-!" I yelped as Ronak pulled me into the shadows of the alley and his cool lips pressed against mine. I could instantly tell that he was holding himself back because his kiss was rugged and rough with a sense of urgency. His tongue pressed against mine as he tilted my head back and held my neck with his hands. I gripped his cloak and gasped as he pulled away. Holy cow, it was like he was going to consume me.

"I wish I could do this with you every day." He kissed me again, practically drawing the breath from my lungs with his excitement. 

"R-Ronak! D-don't you're going to…" I gasped for air and tried to calm my racing heart that was trying to catch fire. He didn't even need his pheromones to send me over the edge. Just his charming outfit, words, and passionate kiss were enough to send me to the brink. I had to pull away from him and lean against the opposite alley wall as I took slow, deep breaths. I even clenched my eyes shut so I didn't have to look at him. H-he was going to trigger a heat if he didn't stop. He was way too overstimulating!

"Is everything okay?" Ronak sounded concerned, and he gently rubbed my back.

"Y-you got me… all riled up." I slowly opened my eyes as my heart stopped pounding in my ears.

"I didn't produce any pheromones." 

I glanced over my shoulder to glare at him. "D-did you not look in the mirror today?" I snapped at him as I closed my eyes again. Gosh, that outfit! Was he oblivious to all the girls who were fawning over him today? He obviously had looks that could slay a maiden's heart, and mine stood no better chance. I was already unfortunately aware of how good he looked before he marked me, and now I have the opportunity to see him shirtless all the time. H-him dressing in attractive clothes was taking things too far!

Ronak excitedly leaned forward, and I could just tell there was a massive grin on his face. "Oh? Am I that handsome?" 

"Y-your ego doesn't need to get any bigger than it is," I grumbled. 

He gently whispered in my ear, "If my omega gets that turned on by me simply wearing my spare adventuring outfit, I'm afraid of what you'd do if you saw the regular one." I-it looked even better than that one?

I quickly covered my ears and stepped away from him. "La, la, la! I'm not listening!" It was too late, though. The idea of an even better outfit on him came to mind, and I was sent into overdrive. Gosh dang it! Ronak, you tease!

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I managed to calm down after a while, but I had to escape to the air on a sky platform because Ronak kept trying to whisper dirty things into my ear. He was finding this all too entertaining. "Oh, little omega. Come down from there before I have to come get you." 

I was about the roof height of the two-story buildings around us. I figured he would use one of his spike bullets to shoot my platform, but as I glared down at him, my expression turned to shock. With a couple of leaps of his transformed feet, he made it up to the rooftop. Then, in one quick move, he jumped across the alleyway gap and scooped me off my platform. He turned, leapt over the alleyway again, and ran across the roof. 

"W-what are you doing?!" I clung onto him in shock as he jumped across to another roof. H-he barely had a grip on me!

He slowed down and grinned at me. "It's getting late. We need to return to the guild." He repositioned me in his arms, which was more comfortable, but it felt weird being carried like a toddler all the time. 

"I was about to come down! I-I don't think you should be jumping from roof to roof!" 

"I've done it before. No one has said anything to me." I stared at him flatly. More like no one has dared to say anything to you. Ugh, it was true that the sun was starting to set. If someone hadn't teased me for so long, we wouldn't have wasted so much time. 

"W-we could just walk…" 

"Nope. I've claimed my prize for the evening." I gulped nervously. P-prize for the evening? His smile widened, and I looked away. He looked too much like a charming prince right now. H-how dare he show me such a peaceful and happy side to him! I didn't even know that Ronak could be so sweet. He's usually so grumpy at the academy!

Ronak didn't even falter as he leaped between large ten or twenty-foot gaps between houses. Had I not been used to my skywalk spell, I would have been freaking out. My only complaint, though, was that I didn't love being jostled about.

We made it back to the guild, and Ronak jumped back down to ground level like it was nothing. How did he not hurt his ankles or legs?! H-he really had no intention of putting me down, did he… Ronak waltzed right in like he owned the place while still carrying me. It was way busier than it had been earlier. People were even eating food at the tables in the main lobby, but every pair of eyes was on us. "Y-you should put me down…" 

"Don't fucking feel like it-" 

I reached up and poked the tip of Ronak's nose, startling him. He looked up at me curiously as I narrowed my eyes. "Y-you don't need to swear just because we're at the guild." That set people off. The room was so quiet that it felt like everyone was listening in, but the moment I said that, people burst into whispers. 

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?" Ronak's gaze was intense as he returned my stare. 

"I-I might be." I wasn't sure what possessed me. I-I've never been so bold in my life. I reached out my hand and created a binding hoop around Ronak's neck. It wasn't tight or anything; I could probably stick my entire arm in there and still have room alongside his neck. I gently picked up the front of it, and Ronak's gaze turned completely feral. He inhaled sharply and let out a strange sound. It was like I collared a beast that was about to kill me. 

"You'll come to regret those actions in a moment." I-I already was… I quickly released my flow of magic, and the binding hoop disappeared. As Ronak took off, the main hall burst into loud chatter. I-I'm doomed! Ronak was going to end my existence! Wh-why did I do that?! He's had me all sorts of worked up for the last few hours! I'm not in my right mind! P-please have mercy!

Ronak kicked the door to the monster drop-off yard open, and I let out a rather loud yelp. "How long is it going to take to get everything processed?!" Ronak snapped as he strolled over to the guy working on, butchering one of the kobolds. Yuck! I had to look away as he brought his cleaver down on its neck. 

"Might be a few days." 

"Send word to my estate when it's done." 

"Your estate?" The poor guy looked equally confused and annoyed.

"Just tell the damn guildmaster, he'll contact me." 

"I'm not your lackey, boy." He snapped as he waved his cleaver at us.

Ronak didn't even pay him any attention. He simply ducked down into his travel spell and took off. W-wait! Someone help me!

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"Where did that bold streak from the guild go? Are you only confident in front of others?" Ronak had dropped me onto the bed while glaring down at me. He leaned down and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "Do you want to put another collar around me?" 

"N-no! I-I don't know why I did that!" I yelped. Why did I do that?! I was all caught up in the moment and didn't stop to think about my actions!

"Are you trying to tame me? I'm quite the beast." Ronak's crimson eyes stared into mine, and I could sense the danger that was approaching. 

"N-no!" I gasped, trying to make my brain function normally. It was like Ronak's presence had made it stop. His thumb ran across my lips as a mischievous grin formed on his. 

"How to punish my naughty omega… Hmmm…" A shiver ran down my spine as his thumb stopped on my cheek and he squeezed it. "Go get in the bath. I'll be there in a moment. Try not to flood it with soap this time." Ronak managed to swat my bottom as I quickly fled to the bathroom. 

Gah! I-I had to get out of here! Should I escape out the window again? R-Ronak would just hunt me down again, and I'd really be in a sorry state... I thought he wasn't going to try anything until I admitted my feelings! I-I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything today! Despite my fear, I did manage to draw the bath and get in. I was a nervous disaster, but there wasn't much I could do, a-and it's not like Ronak would do anything he hasn't already done…

A bit of time passed, and Ronak hadn't shown up yet. Did he say that just to stress me out? I pulled the five different hairpins out of my storage and lined them up on the edge of the tub as I tried to distract myself. By far the simplest in design was the one with golden leaves. Next, Ronak got me a set of dainty white flowers with golden accents. Then there was another one that looked a little like leaves, but the leaves themselves were red jewels. Hehe, Ronak clearly had the desire to give me red things. The next one was a bunch of intricately sewn flowers; of course, they were red. So silly. Lastly, there was one that had a completely different style compared to the others, which were all attached to combs. It had a metal band with intricate flowers carved into it that would sit over the base of my ponytail, then a pin would be pushed through to hold the metal band in place. They were all so unique and different, yet I loved each one.

"Do you actually like them? I've never seen you wear anything like them, but this one looked good on you." I flinched as Ronak slid into the bath behind me and pointed at the golden leaf accessory. How was he so quiet? I didn't even hear the door open.

"I-I do like them. I've never owned anything like them before. I've had girls that know I'm an omega try to get me to wear bows, but I think that's going a bit too far." One even succeeded in putting one in my hair, and I thought I looked particularly silly.

Ronak snickered, "You would definitely look like a woman if you wore a bow." 

A terrible thought crossed my mind. "Do you ever wish I were a woman?" I always tried to be comfortable with who I was, but occasionally this thought would cross my mind. Being a female omega would be far easier than being a male one. Then I wouldn't have to worry about such silly things. 

"Micha…" Ronak moved to sit next to me. I avoided his gaze, but he gently pulled my chin towards him. "I like you, not some version of you that doesn't exist. Those thoughts have never crossed my mind, and I doubt they ever will." His eyes were still rather intense, but his kiss was gentle as he pulled me towards him. "Micha, I bought those because the smile on your face when you received them made me happy, not because I thought they made you look more like a girl." He kissed me again, drowning out the negative voice in my head. I couldn't believe I let such a stupid thought even occupy my brain. Ronak had been so worried earlier about making me feel uncomfortable; of course, he wouldn't think that. I'm the one being dumb. 

"Oh…"

"How am I supposed to do naughty things to you when you're feeling this way?" He grabbed my bottom and squeezed, making me yelp. Ronak used my distraction as an opportunity to kiss my collarbone, making me melt like butter in his arms. "Rather excited already, aren't you?" I squirmed as he grabbed my dick with one hand and teased my tip with his thumb. 

"Ngh!" T-too much! H-he was touching me too much!

I covered my face with my hands to avoid his hungry gaze. He rarely touched me like this, so it was always embarrassing when he did. "I want to do something different tonight." He released me and stood up, grabbing two towels from the shelves. He laid them out on the side of the tub and patted them with a hand. "Please come lie down… Micha, what are you doing?" 

"Wh-what do you think you have p-planned?" I nervously watched him through my fingers. The last time he said something like that, he forcibly marked me. I wasn't sure I was ready to trust him and his strange desires.

"Mmm, I want to make my omega squeal in delight." He patted the towels again, but I didn't move. I was frozen in terror. He wanted to do what?! "Fine, I'll do this the hard way." He approached and scooped me up into his arms before I could escape. He hauled me over to the towels and sat me down. His eyes stared me up and down for a moment before he reached over, grabbed a third towel, and tossed it at me. I used it to cover myself from Ronak's hungry eyes. "You make me feel like a villain when you try so desperately to hide yourself like that." Th-that's because you're exactly like a villain. 

"I-It's cold…" I lied, not wanting to tell him the truth.

"Fine, wrap yourself up a little, but… you're all mine tonight. I'm a beast that won't be tamed easily." He fiendishly licked his lips before pulling the towel up, revealing how turned on I was. I tried to cover up, but Ronak stopped me. "Why are you so embarrassed? Where did that unbridled confidence go? Hmm?"

"Th-this is different. Y-you don't need to see that!" 

"You're a guy, I'm a guy, why are you so embarrassed?" Ronak shrugged like I was being the weird one. P-please for the love of all that is holy, don't try and c-compare us. You're in a completely different league compared to me. "You always clam up when I touch you here." He gently touched my tip with his pointer finger, and I grabbed his wrist. 

"I-It's because it's e-embarrassing." It's also so sensitive!

His eyes narrowed on me. "There's nothing embarrassing about it." My mind went blank as he grabbed my wrists to stop me from interfering and bent down to lick the entire length of my shaft. 

"R-Ronak!" I squealed as he put my dick all the way into his mouth. "S-stop! It's dirty!" I tried kicking my legs about, but it didn't seem to deter Ronak. Gah! I-it was so wet and warm! D-don't nibble with your teeth!!

He sat up, releasing me from his mouth, and gave me an annoyed look. "There's nothing dirty about you. Now settle down." He pushed me over and I fell onto my back. I was grateful that he was considerate enough to put towels down. I squirmed like crazy as Ronak resumed teasing me. It was a completely different feeling than what we usually did, and the more he did it, the more turned on I felt. 

He kept putting me entirely in his mouth and sucking, which was driving me crazy. I felt like I could burst at any moment, then he would stop, making the feeling back off. I was gasping for air and panting as I held onto the towel across my chest. "God, you're so wet." Ronak released me from his relentless teasing, but his mouth traveled further down as his hands pressed my thighs against my chest. A loud yelp escaped me as his tongue got to work. D-don't put it in there! I-It's so gross! He aggressively lapped at me like an excited dog, making me squirm. I thought my eyes would roll back into my head as he brought me to the brink. "Damn, you're so cute." I glanced down to see Ronak wiping his face off with a hand. His eyes kept darting to different locations as if trying to take in all the sights, but they kept returning to my face, which was flushed from my panting. "Should I stop teasing you?" 

I nodded anxiously and relaxed the tension in my legs. Ronak grinned and licked his lips. I gasped as he gently swirled his tongue around my tip, then enveloped me entirely in his mouth. Gosh, I don't think I could even fit him inside my mouth like that. He's too big-! A shudder ran through my legs as Ronak inserted a finger inside me. I felt like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs as I panted. My brain felt like it had turned to mush as a second finger entered me. He kept touching all the right spots and teasing me in just the right way. I felt the pressure start to build and build. 

"R-Ronak!" I moaned while trying to push his head away, but he just used his free hand to wrangle my hands down. Gah! My back left the towels as I shuddered and shook. It was a strange feeling having Ronak gulp it all down, but he didn't stop until it was gone. 

"Gah, why are you so sweet?" He gasped for air as he released me, and I covered my face. I was too mortified to look at him. "Still embarrassed?" He pulled my hands down, forcing me to acknowledge his smirk. 

"W-why did you do something so g-gross?!" I could barely look at him. Why did he do something like that?! I-it was weird!

"I already told you that you aren't gross. Are you really sure your ears work?" Ronak rose up from the water, revealing his throbbing monster, and I flinched in fear. I-I can't believe that fits inside of me… "Do you want to take this to the bed and see if you can walk in the morning, or would you prefer staying in here and seeing how much water we can slosh around?" My eyes widened, and I wanted to find that annoying courage I had earlier so I could beat some sense into it. Ronak held onto my knees and wiggled my legs around in excitement as he waited for my answer. S-stop that! Y-your- M-my legs are rubbing against y-your-! Ronak froze for a moment, and he excitedly leaned over me. "Too late. Guess we'll go with my choice." 

He scooped me up into his arms, and I let out a loud squeal. "W-wait!" 

"Nope, you didn't respond, so I get to see how much it takes to make you pass out." Gah! No! I-I'm sorry! I-I pick option number one! P-put me down!

Ronak didn't even pause to dry us off before he tossed me onto the bed. I nervously tried to crawl away, but Ronak jumped onto the bed and grabbed my ankles, dragging me back over to him. "W-wait!" I glanced over my shoulder and shuddered as Ronak stared down at me with hungry eyes. 

"I'm tired of waiting. Just admit the truth." He snapped. 

"T-truth?!" Ronak leapt onto me, and I let out a loud squeal of surprise. O-our bodies were s-so wet and slippery! Gah! H-his dick was all sorts of pressed into my back!

"I want you to tell me that you like me and you want me." He snarled into my ear. Wh-what?! "You said I'm the only person you want flirting with you, we went on a date, and you liked all the hair clips I purchased for you. I tolerated you talking to other guys despite it pissing me off. You even had to calm down after I simply kissed you because you find me attractive, and yet you refuse to admit it to me." I-I know Ronak was rather upset with me, but how did he expect me to focus as he aggressively rubbed his shaft up and down my butt crack? My eyes were barely focused as my body melted under his. I was about to start drooling from excitement. 

"I-I…" Why was I struggling to admit the truth? I knew I liked him and yet… Ronak ground against me, and his thumb slid into my bum, making my toes curl. Th-this isn't exactly how I wanted to tell him. It was oddly forced and erotic, like most of our intimate interactions were. I-I was hoping there would be a little more romance involved when I told him. Like a confession over dinner and dessert instead of while Ronak ground me into the bed.

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Ronak

Micha mumbled something into the bed, but I couldn't hear him. I let out an annoyed grunt and bent down to his ear. "What was that?" I snarled.

"S-stop teasing me!" Mmm, my gaze drifted down to his plump ass that I couldn't get enough of. I brought my dick back and let my tip slightly press into him before angling it so that it would pop right out. Gods, I wish it made a little sound. That'd be fucking hot. Maybe if he was even wetter or if we used an oily product- Micha let out an erotic moan which drew my attention back to him. 

"All you have to do is tell the truth." It was driving me fucking crazy. I wanted him to be as obsessed with me as I was with him. I saw all the shy looks he'd give me and the soft smiles that were directed my way. I knew he liked me; he had to. I needed to know that this wasn't a one-sided relationship. I didn't even want to consider anything else. He… he was different from all the shitty assholes in my life… He had to be…

"Wh-why do you have to be so embarrassing?!" Micha cried out. "I-I-I like you! Are you happy-!!" I didn't even hesitate. The moment those words left his mouth, I plunged my tip inside. Micha let out a cute cry, and I paired it with a growl. Yes. Fucking yes.

Want. I want Micha so fucking bad. He let out a louder cry as I pushed deeper in, but I was so excited that I hardly paid attention. "Say it again." I snarled. 

"Ngh! B-b-but!" Micha tried to complain, but I pressed in further, and his cries were replaced with moans. He's so tight… I probably should have loosened him up a bit, but it'll be fine.

"Say it." I wanted to hear him- no. I needed to hear him say it again. 

I dug my fingers into the bed on either side of Micha's head as I continued to thrust into him. "I-I ngh! L-like you! Ngh!" I couldn't handle it anymore. My emotions were swirling around and overwhelming me. It wasn't like when I was furious. No, this was completely different… I swung my hips with a lot of force and rammed them down against Micha's velvety ass. He let out a loud cry, but that didn't stop me as I did it over and over again. 

"More. Tell me more." I was obsessed. I wanted him to tell me he liked me over and over again. I wanted to hear him say it every day. Micha's cries were a bit incoherent because I had started thrusting at such a rapid pace that his face was spending more time in the bedding than in the air. 

I didn't even want to stop as Micha started to shake and shudder. Fuck- fucking hell. His body clenched down on my dick, but I managed to slide back and forth despite that. I must have hit the perfect spot because he started to shiver like crazy immediately after his body tensed. Yeah, look at how your body reacts. You like me so much! Orgasm, orgasm more!

I paused only to pick his hips up into the air before I continued to thrust into him with everything I had. I wanted to portray all my feelings to him through my actions. I needed him to know how much I desired him. How much I liked him back. 

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Micha

I could barely process what was happening. The more I muttered the fact that I liked Ronak, the more excited he'd get and the more violent his thrusting would become. It was like I got marked by a horny rabbit. I wasn't sure what possessed him, but it was intense. So intense that my body was already struggling to keep up. H-how many times was he going to make me orgasm?! I-I already made a mess of the bed. 

A funny new sensation started to build up, and panic coursed through me. "R-Ronak!" 

"Tell me you like me more." He mumbled in response as he grabbed hold of my shoulders and started pounding me to the point his balls were slapping mine. Gah! N-no! This- this isn't helping!

"W-wait! Wait, I'm going to-!!!" It was too late, and Ronak was too rough. He pressed the spot one too many times, and before I knew it, a hot stream of definitely not love-making fluids started to leak out onto the bedding. Ronak paused, and I could hear him sniffing the air. I didn't even want to know if he had peeked in on the situation. I was too mortified. "I-I told you to wait!" I let out a sad whine and had to close my eyes. I-I can't believe that I ended up peeing on the bed.

"Shit… that's hot…" Wh-what?! H-he thought that was… h-hot?! H-he was more insane than I thought he was. "We should have stayed in the bath." Ronak slid out of me, plucked me up into his arms, and hauled me away from the mess I had made. I didn't even want to look, but Ronak pulled my hands down from my face after he lay me onto the opposite side of the bed. I let out a little squeal as Ronak started to press into me again. 

"W-wait!" 

"What…" He looked at me with a rather disgruntled look. S-stop looking at me! 

"I-I just!" I didn't even want to say it. I was too mortified. H-how could he still be turned on in this sort of situation?! 

I peeked up at Ronak to see him gazing over at the mess I had made. The big weirdo seemed rather pleased about the situation. "We'll have to sleep in a guest bed or have Olivia change the bedding." 

"Th-that's what you're concerned about?!" My face was burning up. How was Ronak not even slightly bothered about what just happened? 

Ronak held my hands hostage so I'd stop covering my face and pressed them against his cold cheeks. "My omega likes me so much that he lost control of his body." I-I don't know i-if that's exactly what happened. "You think I could make you do it again? We should make an absolute mess of this room. To commemorate my omega telling me he likes me." Ronak had the cutest yet dumbest look on his face, like he was delighted with the situation. I-I'm not escaping this alive… am I?

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Ronak

Micha fell face-first into the bedding and twitched slightly before falling still. I let out a little disgruntled growl and pulled him over to me. I was just about to finish… I lost count of how many times Micha orgasmed, but the best part was that each time they got stronger. I was incredibly disappointed to be finishing alone, though. He needs to work on his stamina… We only made love for… my eyes slowly wandered to the clock. We didn't even make it three hours… I could have gone for another round or two…

I lay down behind Micha and slowly slid back into him. It wasn't as fun with him like this, but I needed to relieve the pressure I was feeling. Heh, he was going to be furious come morning. I absolutely ruined his pretty, clear skin. Every square inch of his shoulders was covered in bites and marks from me biting him. I ran my hand over his nipples and wished he would cry out from how sensitive I made them. They were still erect and hard from all my teasing. Shit, I could nibble on them a bit longer.

He likes me… Micha said he likes me. I rubbed my nose around in his hair and burst inside of him. Fuck. He shouldn't be allowed to smell this good. Ah, oops. I ended up knotting inside of him again. Oh well. I'd rather lie like this for a while anyway. Dammit, I felt so good. Like a little bit of weight had been removed from my shoulders. Mine, all fucking mine. 

Despite me licking his neck, he didn't put out any pheromones for me. Wake up. I want to hear you complain and see you angrily glare at me. It's so fucking cute. Shit, I'm going to be stuck inside him for hours at this rate…

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Micha

I felt like the rising dead. Well, there actually wasn't any rising because I don't think I could move. My entire body ached from head to toe. The worst part was that when I peeled my eyes open, I had to see Ronak's pleased face. Th-this jerk looks like he enjoyed some mild exercise, while I feel like I got attacked by a magic beast.

Was it morning already? Impossible. I don't feel like I slept a wink. Ronak noticed my eyes watching him, and he slunk down to lie next to me. "Hello, sleepyhead." He let out a pleased rumbling and kissed my exposed shoulder. Ouch, even his gentle touch hurt. Did he really need to bite me so much? I-it felt good at the time, but I'm having some serious regrets right now.

I went to speak, but my mouth was so dry. To my surprise, Ronak sat up and retrieved a cup from the side table so he could offer me something to drink. The water felt so refreshing to my palate. Like the blessing of rain in a desert. 

"You're so thirsty." Ronak snickered.

"Be quiet," I grumbled. I didn't need his obnoxious commentary. I focused my attention on my poor skin and let out a sad whimper. He didn't need to take things this far… the irritating part was that very little of it could be healed by my magic. Most of it was bruising, I can't heal bruising! Don't give me a dumb happy look! You did this!

I brought a stamina potion out of my storage to help with fatigue, but all it did was take the edge off the achy pain. "Here, try this." Ronak retrieved a potion I had never seen before and handed it to me. It was really pretty. When I gently swirled it, it glistened a golden pink. 

"What is it?" I asked while admiring the shimmer. 

"Mmm, it should help with pain relief, or at least that's what I designed it to do. Maybe only start with a sip since you're so small." Why did he sound unconfident? He really wanted me to try this thing?

"A-are you using me for product testing?" He wanted me to drink this after that explanation?

"No, I know what it does, but I've only ever used it on soldiers who are injured. Never anyone sore from sex. Besides, it can't be product testing when I've been banned from selling it." My eyes widened, and I stared at the potion in fear. What?! That made me even more nervous about this thing!

"Banned?!" I quickly set the potion down and looked at Ronak with concern. He's joking, right?

"It relieves pain so well that someone on the brink of death, with all their organs hanging out and half their bones broken, can get up and keep fighting. I was told it would cause too many problems if released to the public." Wh-why did it sound like Ronak saw someone in such a state? I don't think I want to know the answer to that question…

"I-I don't think I should be drinking such a thing…" 

"Just take a sip. It's not going to hurt you. I'm the one who formulated it. There are no dangerous herbs or ingredients in there." That… didn't make me feel better, but I doubt Ronak would take no for an answer. 

"Th-the better solution would be to not be so rough…" My cheeks turned a little pink as Ronak smirked. 

"You'd better watch out, just thinking about how good it was is going to make me turned on again." Gah! He felt no shame for leaving me in this state, did he? "I really like hearing that you like me…" S-stop staring at me like that! My face was red enough! I don't need you making it worse! I-I can't believe I acted so shamefully. I can't even get mad at him. I told him repeatedly that I liked him just because it got him worked up, and it felt good. "Tell me again." Ronak leaned closer with large, curious eyes.

"No!" I pulled the blanket up to cover my face, but Ronak just pulled it back down. 

"Tell me!" Ronak excitedly leaned over me, and the blanket slipped down, revealing his naked bottom. Wh-why didn't he have any clothes on?!?

I let out a loud squeal and hid my face with my hands. "Nooooo!" 

"Take the potion and then tell me." I nervously peeked through my fingers at Ronak's intense gaze. 

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Ronak

"Wh-why?" Micha was peeking up at me with a shy gaze, and I wanted nothing more than to get into more trouble with him again, but his body couldn't handle it at the moment. Despite not wanting to, I had to show a little restraint. I was all too aware of the pain he was in because of me.

Why? That was an odd question. I decided to stop teasing him and flopped down beside him. I wanted to pull him close, but even jostling him a little made him wince. Just how weak was his body?

"You're… part of my life now… and probably the only part I don't hate." There wasn't much to care about. My mother was dead, the man I thought was my father abused me and ended up not being related to me, I had the responsibility of running a business and a dukedom dropped into my lap at a young age, my uncle forced me to attend the magic academy even though I didn't want to, and I have to ensure the endless heckling to take over the throne. The few things that made me happy growing up were either ripped from my arms or violently killed when I misbehaved. 

Just simply hearing that the omega I had grown incredibly fond of liked me made me pleased.

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Micha

Regret instantly overwhelmed me. I-I should have just admitted that I liked him to his face. It's not like I didn't say it last night. It was easy to forget that Ronak didn't live an easy life. He's mentioned bits and pieces here and there, but hearing him say that I was the only part of his life he didn't hate made me feel guilty. I uncorked the potion and brought it to my lips. "I-I do like you…"

The instant the potion hit my mouth, I recoiled. Wh-why does it taste like that?! What's wrong with him?! I'd rather take my tongue and run it across the trade district cobblestone. "Seems you don't like my potion." Wipe that amused look off your face!

"Why's it so bitter?!" I didn't even want to taste any more of it. I quickly corked it and tossed the bottle across the bed. It doesn't matter how pretty it is! It's vile! That's not going back into my mouth!

"That was rude… It has vexfang venom in it and there's your favorite aloettle… I admit it tastes rather unpleasant, but we don't all have the pleasures of healing magic to make injuries disappear." Ronak leaned down and retrieved the bottle by his feet. V-vexfang venom?! That pretty potion contained venom from those giant hairy spiders?! That stuff was incredibly toxic! Why is he using it in his potions?! He told me there was nothing dangerous in it! A-am I going to get sick? "Why are you panicking now?" 

"Why would you make me drink that?!" 

"Because it should help with the pain you're in. Open up." Ronak uncorked the bottle and leaned towards me, but I hid my head under the blankets. No way! I'm not drinking that! "Micha… stop being difficult." 

"I-it's gross!" I whined.

"You're such a baby." Ronak pulled the blanket down, and my eyes instantly darted to the bottle in his hands, but my attention should have been elsewhere. He completely tricked me! His lips clamped down over mine, and his tongue shot forward, holding mine down. I let out a loud, muffled squeal as Ronak forced me to drink the disgusting potion. I've never wanted to physically hit someone so much in my life.

Ronak pulled away from me, and I instantly gagged. Th-that jerk! So gross! So bitter!!! I wanted to vomit it all up, but Ronak would probably make me drink another one… W-woah… It really did make the pain dissipate… and quickly. I didn't feel stiff and uncomfortable at all. Even the pain I was getting from the blanket simply rubbing against me is gone.

"I take it that the potion started working?" I didn't want to admit it, but I nodded my head. "You probably shouldn't overdo it just because you feel better, but shall we go get washed up? If I avoid work any longer, Gerard might burst in and throw an inkwell at my head." I hope he does… You'd deserve it…