Jeno's car screeched to a halt in his building's parking lot, the hurriedness in his steps mirroring the urgency of the text he had received moments ago.
Harin: Come home. Please.
There was no need for pleasantries or context. The demand, veiled in her sharp words, was enough to send him speeding through the city.
His eyes darted around his unit as soon as he entered, and without hesitation, he headed for his bedroom. She would be there—he just knew.
And there she was.
Harin sat on the edge of his bed, clutching his pillow tightly against her chest. Her shoulders trembled faintly as she buried her face into the fabric, finding solace in the faint scent of his surroundings.
"Baby," Jeno whispered as he crossed the room in a heartbeat, pulling her into his arms.
Harin let out a shaky breath as she melted into his embrace, her hands gripping his shirt like a lifeline. Jeno knelt before her, cradling her curled form, his presence steady and unwavering. He released a comforting wave of pheromones, wrapping her in a cocoon of security and warmth.
"Take your time," he murmured into her hair. "Tell me when you're ready."
Harin's voice was barely above a whisper, her words stumbling out as if they weighed too much. "I had a blind date with Jaemin."
Jeno's brows furrowed. "A blind date? Since when?"
She sighed, pulling back slightly to meet his concerned gaze. "Since forever. My dad's been setting them up for years. He doesn't stop." She rolled her eyes but her frustration didn't mask the weariness in her voice. "The previous one was with Zhong Chenle—it was fine, just friendly. But then, after you came home this morning, my dad arranged another. This time, it was with Jaemin."
"Jaemin?" Jeno's jaw tightened.
"I didn't want to go," she admitted. "But I showed up out of respect. And then... he told me something."
"What did he say?" Jeno asked, his voice sharp yet controlled.
Harin hesitated, her hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt before she finally buried her face against his neck.
"He said he wants to settle in with me. That he's liked me for a long time."
Jeno froze. The tension in his body spiked, his grip on her tightening protectively.
"That's bullshit," he muttered.
Harin's arms instinctively looped around his neck, anchoring herself to him. "I didn't have the heart to reject him outright. I just... I didn't want to hurt him, Jeno."
"Do you like him?"
Her breath hitched, and Jeno felt her falter.
"Don't give me an I don't know, Kwon Harin," he warned, his voice edged with frustration.
YOU ARE READING
ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS
Fanfiction❝I want you, what you gonna do about it?❞ They said alphas can't date each other. If they do, it'll just be a wreck. Lee Jeno especially believes that. But one day in that raging heat when he came across a female alpha, he only wanted to shut her up...
