"Mr. Maxwell," Neville called out nervously. He swallowed hard and tried again. "Mr. Maxwell. Grayson. Wake up."

Still nothing.

The pheromones in the room grew thicker, wrapping around him.

Focus, he convinced himself. You have to wake him up!

Then, something brushed against his lower back.

Neville froze.

The sensation came again. It was a slow, deliberate stroke that traced up his spine. His breath caught in his throat as he slowly, very slowly, turned his head to look behind him.

It was Grayson’s tail.

It curved through the air lazily with the tip flicking against his waist in what could only be described as caressing.

It was really massive and beautiful.

"Is it a lizard’s tail?" Neville’s voice came out strangled. His brain scrambled to process what his eyes were seeing. "No, no, scratch that—Grayson was a beastman too?"

On the bed, Grayson stirred.

Neville opened his mouth to call out again, but his strong arms pulled his distracted mind closer to Grayson’s bare chest. His flustered self was already facing a wall of warm muscle.

Soon, Grayson’s head found its way to the curve of his shoulder and nestled there. Neville could feel his warm breath slowly exhaling against his sensitive skin.

This is bad.

Neville tried to create some distance, even just a little space to breathe cool air to cool his head. But Grayson’s grip only tightened with each struggle. He drew him closer until there wasn’t even space left for him to breathe anything other than Grayson’s pheromones.

Neville soon felt Grayson’s nose threading even closer to his neck. It brushed against the side of the neck, but it wasn’t its last destination. It trailed upward in a slow, exploratory motion that made Neville’s skin prickle in awareness.

A low, satisfied rumble vibrated through Grayson’s chest.

He’s sniffing me. Neville realized in horror, He’s actually sniffing me? WHY?!

He tried again, his voice embarrassingly ragged and breathy. "Sir, please wake up—"

Grayson’s lips suddenly landed against his neck. It wasn’t just a simple, fleeting kiss. It stayed there for a long while before he felt a warm, wet sensation landing on that same spot.

It was like a branding, hot, firm, and extremely sensual.

The contact sent a jolt of electricity straight down Neville’s spine. His omega instincts that had already been subdued by suppressant and a calming pill felt like they were on the verge of failing.

Neville began to struggle more sincerely this time. He twisted in Grayson’s hold and tried to pry those iron-band arms away from his waist. He saw Grayson’s eyebrows furrowing, and for a moment, he thought that Grayson would finally wake up.

But he was so wrong.

Instead of releasing him, Grayson burrowed deeper into the crook of his neck, his nose pressing against the sensitive skin near Neville’s nape.

Near his secondary gland.

Near the one spot that his every instinct screamed was absolutely off-limits to anyone who wasn’t his bonded mate.

"Oh no," Neville whispered.

Grayson’s warm lips brushed against his gland in a series of feather-light kisses. Each one sent sparks through his nervous system, his body responding in ways that he had only seen in BL novels and never experienced.

"Shelly!" Neville’s mental voice was approaching hysteria. "SHELLY!"

Shelly materialized in front of him, spinning with what could only be described as barely contained excitement. Her animated eyes were practically heart-shaped. Her petals wiggled in what Neville could only describe as "this is going to be good" dance.

[Yes, dearest Host? How may this humble system assist you in your hour of need? (✧ω✧)]

"Help me! Get me out of this! I’m about to fail this quest—do SOMETHING!"

Shelly’s petals drooped dramatically. The color seemed to drain from her form.

[Ah, Host... this one also wanted to assist. But unfortunately, this scenario falls within the parameters of a Quest Zone. ╥﹏╥]

"A WHAT?"

[A Quest Zone! Like back when you had to get hired all on your own.]

"If you can’t help, maybe something else? Just do something!"

Shelly’s eyes somehow managed to look both sympathetic and mischievous at the same time. Her petals resumed their gentle flutter.

[If Host truly wishes to utilize system intervention in a Quest Zone, it can be arranged. However, the cost would be... expensive]

Neville felt his blood run cold. "Define expensive."

[Specifically, all your points plus an additional incurring debt since this quest would take approximately seven days to finish. In other words, Host would effectively be bankrupt, not even money to buy nutrient solutions for the next few days.]

"You’re kidding."

[This system never jokes about the path to ultimate poverty! (´;︵;`)]

Neville’s struggling momentarily paused as the information sank in. But he had no time since Shelly’s petals began to droop even more dramatically. He could swear he saw glittering tears forming in her animated eyes. She pressed one petal to her body in a gesture of theatrical sorrow.

[Host, this parting is so difficult! But Shelly must go now. She cannot bear to not watch and not help. Please do your best! This one will light a candle for you! Farewell, brave Host! May the favorability be ever in your favor! (｡•́︿•̀｡)]

And with that absolutely unhelpful declaration, the pink shell spun away and vanished from his vision.

Neville lay there, stunned into stillness.

Betrayed.

This was not the first time Shelly had betrayed him, but he never learned.

But something strange happened as he stopped struggling. The tension in Grayson’s body gradually ceased.

The almost desperate grip around his waist loosened to something more comfortable. It was still firmly placed there, but it no longer had that crushing feeling. The frantic nuzzling against his neck slowed to occasional, almost sleepy brushes of lips against skin.

Neville blinked.

He calmed down, he realized.

Alphas in vulnerable states responded to distress by holding tighter, protecting harder. By panicking, Neville had only triggered Grayson’s protective instincts. If only Neville had paid attention to the unlocked reward lectures, he would’ve known.

Okay, he told himself. Okay. I can work with this.