CHAPTER 33: PHEROMONE OVERLOAD

Sparks spit and scatter across the dim garage as Lucien leans over the engine part, the metal whining under his drill. The sharp smell of burning steel fills the air, mixing with the faint scent of oil. His goggles fog slightly from the heat, but his mind drifts far, far away, back to that mysterious man in the Prey jersey.

The way he stared.

The strange pull Lucien felt.

The unsettling familiarity he refuses to acknowledge.

To the way he couldn’t sense him at all, almost like he was invisible

He shakes his head hard, snapping himself back. Focus, he reminds himself. Focus on the bolts. Focus on the machine. Focus on anything except that man’s stare echoing through his skull. He needed to fix Hunter’s bike before the next round

The garage door creaks open.

Lucien stops working, as he stared at the sound ,

Hunter steps in, sweat still clinging to his neck from the race, his breathing calm but his eyes burning with something else. Something sharp.

Lucien sets the tool down lightly, he hasn’t seen Hunter after the race , he avoided his gaze as he cleared his throat to clear his tension

"Congratulations on winn—"

"Why?" Hunter cuts him off. His voice is steady, but the anger beneath it moves like a storm. "Why give me orders at the last minute?"

Lucien freezes. The calm tone is worse than shouting. He feels a chill dance up his spine. But he couldn’t blame him , he made him to wait for the longest time before he gave an order

"It... it was for your own good," he says carefully.

Hunter scoffs, a short, humorless sound that drops into the pit of Lucien’s stomach like a stone. Of course Hunter would be pissed. Anyone would be. But Hunter’s anger has weight. It presses into the room, thick and suffocating.

Lucien tries to explain, "Besides, I didn’t want you to strain yourself in the elimination round. You still have other games—"

"Was it because... of Ethan?" Hunter asks bitterly.

Lucien goes silent. His eyes widened as his heart dropped at the mention of the name

The air tightens, and Lucien mouth went agape as none of the words came out , what was he supposed to defend himself , and even if he did , it would go to deaf ears

Hunter’s jaw locks until the muscle twitches. His teeth grind so hard it sounds painful. His fists clench, knuckles bleaching white.

"Tell me, chiquittín," Hunter murmurs, voice cracking the slightest bit, "you can’t possibly still be in love with him."

Lucien swallows. His chest tightens, a dull ache buried deep. He doesn’t answer. He can’t.

Hunter steps back, frustration and something far more vulnerable flickering in his eyes.

"I hope next time you don’t bring your emotions into this, chiquittín."

And he turns away.

The door slams so hard the walls tremble.

Lucien stands there, staring at the shaking door, breath caught in his throat. The silence that follows feels louder than Hunter’s voice ever could.

Finally he inhales, slow and heavy, and returns to the engine part.

I don’t bring emotions into this, he thinks.

You’ll soon understand why I didn’t let you push yourself today. And it was certainly not because of Ethan. It is so much more than that

PHEROMONE OVERLOAD

Every rider faces it, it is every alphas worst nightmare. Well the Beta’s are the most safest one

The overstimulation, the adrenaline, the body heating until pheromones surge and twist into something primal.

Some call it a rut.

Some call it a death sentence.

The longer the race, the longer one supress the emotions, the stronger the drive.

Some riders have died from it ,lost to craving, instinct, and violent desire.

Lucien knows this.

He has seen it.

This is why he protected Hunter.

Hours later, Lucien stands in a quiet café, the scent of fresh pastries calming his nerves. He picks up a soft bun and an iced coffee before settling in his usual seat by the window. The sunlight catches on the glass, giving the world outside a soft glow.

He takes a sip, letting the cold soothe him.

On the café TV, the Regent’s elimination round plays. The crowd on screen roars with each biker tearing around the track.

Nearby, a group of schoolkids chatter excitedly.

"Why did they bring Spike back? Didn’t he kill one of the judges? So scary..."

"Wow, Ethan is racing too! I hope he wins!"

"But Bulldozer is my type. Look at him—built for destruction."

"He could literally snap you in half."

"That’s the whole point," she giggles.

Lucien chuckles quietly into his coffee, amused despite himself.

Another kid jumps in, "Did you see the newcomers?! They were amazing!"

"And Hunter," a girl sighs, "that last-minute move? I swear I almost wet my pants."

"Eww, gross."

They laugh together as they leave the café.

Lucien shakes his head, smiling faintly. He reaches for another sip—

His phone rings, catching his attention as he looked at it

His heart drops.

Father.

He hesitates as he reach for it, then answers.

"10 p.m. My office. Don’t be late."

Cold. Flat. Merciless.

The call ends. Just like that , no hello , no goodbye , just like that

Lucien leans back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as a heavy sigh spills from his chest. His stomach knots with dread. He already knows what the conversation was going to be all about

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Mason checks himself in the reflection of a car window, smoothing his hair with meticulous care. Today is his chance. His chance to be with Ethan again.

He remembers the first time, how pheromone overload played in his favor. He plans to use it again.

Dont worry Ethan only i will satisfy you until the end , i will make sure it is me you are always thinking about

He grins to himself... until the car engine roars and drives off abruptly, nearly hitting him.

"Rude!" he snaps, brushing dust off his clothes.

He pulls a perfume from his pocket.

"Omega Enhancer. Grape flavored," he reads with a sly smirk.

Artificial omega pheromones, strong enough to lure an alpha in rut.

He sprays himself generously, drowning in the scent.

This time he wont resist me for sure

Then he approaches Ethan’s door and knocks.

"Ethaaan," he sings sweetly.

No answer.

He frowns. Annoyance flickers.

He tries the handle.

It opens.

A delighted gasp escapes him, until Coco barks, startling him.

"Oh for Christ’s sake, you stupid dog!" he snaps, kicking the small dog aside. Coco whines and retreats.

Mason ignores it and steps into the apartment. His eyes scan the room before landing on a small bottle on the table and a half empty glass of water . he leaned down and picked up the pills and read the label

Rut suppressants.

His smile widens. It started way faster than he anticipated , but that was alright , this was his golden opportunity

He walks toward Ethan’s bedroom and pushes the door open.

Inside, Ethan lies shirtless on the bed, body burning with feverish heat, sweat glistening across his skin. His breathing is ragged, uneven, pheromone overload surging through every muscle. Even though a beta like him can smell alphas pheromones , but looking at him could already tell that he was in heat

"Ethan...?" Mason steps closer, reaching for his forehead—

Ethan’s hand shoots up, grabbing Mason’s wrist with startling force. His eyes snap open, sharp, feral.

He sits up and shoves Mason back violently.

"Get out," Ethan snarls, voice shredded with strain.

Mason stumbles, shocked but emboldened.

The pills didn’t work.

Good.

Perfect.

"Ethan... I came to check on you," Mason says softly, faking concern with practiced ease. "I was worried."

Ethan stands abruptly, pupils narrowing to slits.

"Why do you smell like that?" he snaps.

Mason flinches but keeps his smile small, innocent.

"W-well... I did it for you. I know you like omegas... so I wanted to smell like one."

Inside, he smirks.

An alpha in pheromone overload can’t resist this. He’ll break before he lets me go.

Ethan steps closer, breath harsh, muscles trembling from suppressed instinct. His eyes burn with warning, anger... and something far more volatile.

"Listen here, you little whore," Ethan growls, voice dropping dangerously low. "Just because you drenched yourself in some omega’s shit —" his hands clamp down on Mason’s shoulders, grip bruising, "—you think that gives you privileges?, you think this shit will help me see you in some new light? "

Mason’s breath hitches.

Ethan leans in, trembling with barely restrained instinct.

"If you want to play with an alpha in this state... fine then , since you’re so freaking stubborn ."

His grip tightens, expression darkening.

"I’ll give you something you’ll never forget. Soon you eyes will open of how much of a monster i am , little whore"

His voice cracks into something primal.

The room goes silent, heavy, suffocating.

Mason’s smile finally shatters. The way Ethans intense gaze bore at him , realized that he was playing with fire and he was going to be burnt

Ethan pushes him back hard as Mason gasped in pain