[风情 | FengQing]: You Are Giving Me Christmas In Mid-Summer [TGCF ABO Universe]

★ Part 32: The (Gory) Details

Xie Lian blinked.

Yes, his body was more than ready for sex. And yes... yes... he had been craving the ecstasy of the knotting for the longest time too.

But...

A cool wave ran all through his body, and he shuddered, restoring quickly the inner balance of all chemicals inside his blood stream. He looked down, expecting himself to get angry at the one question in the world that could ever have this effect on him. He had denied this to his lover thousands of times already.

But...

The Beta was there, relaxed on his back, his body warm and open, ready and willing, looking forward to a thing he did not know about, no - not really. It was a thing that was most probably going to injure him, damage his insides, make him bleed, cause immense pain. It was something that could possibly kill him too.

And the young Prince reached out, his hand caressed the warm, blushing cheek, giving his husband a world of hope now, but his lips murmured:

- No, beloved.

Hua Cheng's eyes opened wide, well - one eye, the other was still...

He gasped as the Alpha moved away from him now, getting out of the bed and tying his hair up high, in a high pony-tail, leaving him there, panting still, aroused – and badly so.

- Ge... - he whimpered. – Come... back?

It was a conversation they had had before; it was a scene that had played out too many times in the past. So now Xie Lian ignored him and left the room, heading for the shower. It was a minute later, and Hua Cheng overheard the running water, fair enough.

He turned to lie on his belly, burying his face in the pillow, his chest too tight – his eyes filling up with fresh, quick tears again. The mood was gone, and it was solely his fault. Him, and his foolish, impossible dream!

The pillow bore their scent, and he now wondered. His lover always claimed that he loved it – his scent – but after today's fucking lecture, Hua Cheng wasn't so sure any more.

An Alpha craved an Omega. This was the way of the world.

He sniffled now, too sad, too upset to care. Why had the best Alpha in town chosen him??? Him? He was nothing special! He could not satisfy Xie Lian, he was so very defective!!! Why had he... the best, the prettiest, the strongest... even married him??? Him, out of all the others...

It was a rare thing, but right now Hua Cheng was grateful he was not an Omega; because, had he been one – his scent would have probably reeked worse than that ridiculous boy's!

A boy...

He bit his lips. Even a stupid boy was better than him. Even a boy was braver than him! A skinny Omega had almost managed to trick that brainless Alpha to mate, and to...

His heart started beating faster. The knotting... What would it feel like? To be so full? To bring your lover the best possible sensations? To be one with him, so completely, to the brim? It was probably... wonderful. Magical... the best thing in the world...

His head was spinning. The adrenaline was wearing off, his arousal was gone now, and the whiskey poison was still running in his veins, and he felt a little sick, unsure if it was due to his ruined day, or the way his body was fighting off the alcohol.

But when Xie Lian came back to the bedroom to get dressed, it became worse, because the poor Beta saw that he was frowning, something heavy on his mind, obviously. Hua Cheng's heart was breaking. The one thing he hated the most in the world was to see his Alpha sad, or distraught. The scent was sharp now, and the air was hard to breathe, but still he managed to get up, get out of bed, and fall on his knees, at Dianxia's feet.

His head was hung low, but he mumbled, feeling sicker, and more desperate than ever:

- Forgive me. I upset you today. It's all... my fault. I won't do it again. I won't, Alpha.

The stocky Alpha kept on frowning; he had heard that same promise before. Words meant nothing by now.

Xie Lian was slowly starting to realize that he needed actions.

He reached down, and took his lover's chin, lifting his face up, staring at him, studying him again. He squinted his eyes, not too pleased to notice that the Beta had been crying – the eye-patch was missing too, and he now took a new, careful look at the ugly scar on the left. If anything, Hua Cheng's scent was one of stress.

- I'll say this, today, once. Only today, just once. – he growled quietly, not looking away.

The Beta squirmed, uncomfortable on his knees, cold and a little, just a little, afraid.

- Yes, Alpha. – he whimpered.

- My... knot. – the words fell off Xie Lian's mouth like slow, heavy pieces of iron. – Not all Omegas can take it. Even... the males. Maybe... an exceptional Alpha could... but... I don't think anyone would be... willing...

Hua Cheng's face was red, and he wished he could be anywhere but here. He lowered his eye, trying to look away, as his husband looked terrifying right now, but his chin was being squeezed too tightly. He had no choice.

- Yes, Alpha... - he whined pitifully.

- What you're asking of me... It will kill you. And then, I will have to live without you... I will have to live with... myself.

The Beta was shaking, horrified by this explanation. Surely, they had argued about this before, and his GeGe had given all the reasons why they couldn't do it, but... it had never been so cruel, so graphic!

Also, that last sentence...

- Alpha... Forgive me, my love... I am... so sorry! – he blurted out through sobs, now shaking all over with the terrible anguish, down here, on the cold floor.

- Why... - the Alpha did not quit, relentless. – Why are you... Why do you keep asking this of me? Why are you... asking me... to... hurt you? Kill... you?

Hua Cheng now shook his head so rigorously that he escaped the grip of the strong hand, and he managed to jump to his feet again, still trembling all over.

- No! No, GeGe, no! I just... - he stuttered, it was hard to control his teeth, his tongue felt like an alien object inside his mouth. – I just want... pleasure... for you... for Alpha... For my Alpha! The best in the world! For the one... I love... the most!!!

The rushed words left his breathless, but they also made Xie Lian flinch, reminding him of something.

Nothing happened for one empty moment, but then the stronger male opened up his arms and huddled Hua Cheng's shaking frame into a warm embrace again. The Beta, grateful, managed to hug back and finally relax, reassured by the simple gesture that his Alpha still loved him, even after all his terrible transgressions. He pressed his forehead against the strong shoulder and just sobbed quietly.

- Don't you know, my love...  -  Xie Lian now cooed, as he was subduing his animalistic side, his Alpha side, just like so many times before.  –  I thought you knew, San Lang... I can't live without you, my mate... I love you!

The sobs got louder, the hug got tighter. Hua Cheng truly wished, deep in his confused heart, in his foggy mind, that he could be an Omega, so that he could deserve the call "Mate".