That Alpha Monster

Li Ruisheng was told by his father that he had to marry Chu Ren.

Chu Ren was an Alpha with exceptional genes, a distinguished family background, and outstanding abilities. Li Ruisheng, on the other hand, was a defective Omega, born with weak pheromones. He couldn't soothe an Alpha, nor could he be easily affected by one’s pheromones. He was practically no different from a Beta.

Why would someone like him be chosen?

After they married, however, Chu Ren turned out to be unexpectedly gentle and refined, attentive in every way. Even the intimacy shared between partners was restrained to the point of seeming cold. He never forced anything, always stopping after a brief taste. Li Ruisheng gradually let down his guard, feeling that although their relationship wasn't particularly deep, it was stable and harmonious.

The only strange thing was that an odd feeling lingered after every time they were intimate.

He remembered that day. After Chu Ren let go of him, he turned his exhausted head to the side and glimpsed their shadows on the wall. Something was wrong...

Behind Chu Ren's silhouette was a huge tail, swishing happily, its tip curled slightly as if trembling with excitement.

He suddenly shoved away the man beside him, who was soothing him after their lovemaking, and held his breath as he stared fixedly at the wall, his heart pounding as if it were about to leap from his chest.

But in the next moment, the shadow returned to normal, as if it had all been an illusion.

Fear spread through him. From then on, he began making excuses to refuse Chu Ren's advances. He thought Chu Ren would resent him, or even turn cold toward him. Instead, Chu Ren merely rubbed his hair gently and comforted him in a soft voice. "If you're tired, get some proper rest."

He even moved into the room next door, leaving Li Ruisheng to sleep alone.

Li Ruisheng should have felt relieved, but from that night on, he had nightmares every day.

In his dreams, a pair of dark, unfathomable eyes stared at him in the night, cold and merciless. A thick tail pierced his abdomen and pinned him to the ceiling.

He jolted awake and, still shaken, rushed into Chu Ren's room, throwing himself into the man's arms and trembling. "I had a nightmare... There was someone with a thick tail, and..."

But he broke off before he could finish.

He sensed something cold and rough slowly sliding along his waist, winding around him bit by bit and pressing against his skin, as if patiently tracing his outline. The icy touch was faintly damp.

His body went rigid.

He looked up abruptly and met Chu Ren's eyes.

The man still looked as gentle and considerate as ever, a familiar smile at the corner of his lips. His voice was soft. "What's wrong?"

But Li Ruisheng couldn't speak.

Chu Ren gently stroked the wedding ring on Li Ruisheng's hand, his fingertips rubbing its smooth metal edge. Meanwhile, the tail slowly crept upward, climbing along his back until it reached the nape of his neck. The marks left by their earlier lovemaking were still there. The moment they were touched, he couldn't help shivering.

It was like a comfort, or perhaps a test.

His breathing grew ragged. He struggled to push Chu Ren away, but the other man held him even tighter. The tail wrapped around his wrist and pulled him into Chu Ren's embrace.

In the end, he was left voiceless from the teasing, sobbing and begging for mercy in broken gasps as he clutched at Chu Ren's lapels, his voice trembling beyond recognition.

But Chu Ren only chuckled, pressing his lips to Li Ruisheng's ear. His voice was low and husky, full of tenderness. "You're lying to me..."

"Even when I'm like this, you still like me, don't you?"

Reader's Guide:

1. Both are sexually inexperienced. The recipient has multiple personalities, and the pursuer is a chameleon beastman.

2. This is a fictional world with no connection to reality. All characters are fictional, and their views do not represent the author's. Neither the main nor supporting characters are perfect; each has their own strengths and flaws.

3. Extreme character-control fans, please do not read. This is purely a personal indulgence, so read with care. The writing, logic, and plot of this new author's work will not hold up to close scrutiny.

4. If you find the opening uncomfortable, please stop reading.

[70% anti-piracy lock. The full novel costs only as much as a cup of lemonade to subscribe. Writing is hard work, so thank you, dear readers, for supporting the official release!]

[Upcoming novel: After Forcibly Marking an S-Rank Guide] Blurb:

Little Bell wasn't originally called Little Bell, but nobody cared what his real name was.

He came from a defeated family on a remote planet. Since he wore a bell earring in his left ear, everyone called him Little Bell.

Little Bell fell into servitude and was sent to a poor planet to mine and farm. When his B-rank Sentinel abilities were discovered by chance, he was assigned to the Leslow Sentinel-Guide Management Center and began fighting for Star E330.

Since he was only a B-rank Sentinel, he didn't even have a chance to meet an S-rank Guide, let alone receive guidance from one.

All Sentinels below A-rank had to rely on medication to cope while on the battlefield. They were only called back for machine-assisted guidance when they were on the verge of going berserk.

Little Bell always fought with everything he had. Blood would gush from his wounds and splatter all over the guidance room, and the medical staff often complained about him.

"Honestly, these B-rank Sentinels are useless. The medical support they get costs far more than anything they contribute, and they make a terrible mess of the place..."

They mocked him without any restraint. Little Bell could only lie on the guidance bed and smile bitterly, never complaining about anyone.

Almost his entire family had been wiped out. Back then, on that remote planet where life was unbearable, he had to ration a single potato over several days. But here, there was white rice and even hamburgers. He was already more than satisfied.

At first, he was simply that optimistic. He worked diligently without complaint, clearing minor monsters day and night in all sorts of low-level instances that were plentiful, if tedious.

But at a Sentinel assembly, all the Sentinels and Guides from Leslow were fortunate enough to be summoned before the higher-ups. There, he saw the legendary S-rank Guides and Sentinels.

Even from a great distance, the man at the head of the group stood out. Dressed in a white military uniform, with black hair and red eyes, he was dazzling. Once again, a flutter stirred in Little Bell's heart.

Anster, captain of Team One at the Leslow Sentinel-Guide Management Center, was one of only two S-rank Guides in the country. He was also the only dual-ability user with S-rank Sentinel abilities.

Admiration, jealousy: all kinds of complicated emotions showed in everyone's eyes.

Little Bell only took one look before lowering his head, his heart pounding.

He had once met Anster. A year earlier, carrying guidance medication, he had been sent alone to handle a low-level gate. He'd done this a few times before. Killing D-rank monsters was repetitive, exhausting work, like weeding. Even a boss was something he could handle alone.

He thought this time would be like the others, just a little longer and harder. But an accident happened: the D-rank gate quietly upgraded to B-rank. He didn't know that merged gates existed, and after killing the D-rank boss, a large number of B-rank monsters appeared.

Unable to call for help, Little Bell fought desperately until he ran out of guidance medication and was on the verge of going berserk. For the first time, he felt a vast pain wash over him like a tide. Blood vessels inside his eyelids burst, spraying blood.

No wonder so many low-rank Sentinels couldn't get relief, went mad, or killed themselves. So this was what it was like: so agonizing, so unbearable, enough to drive anyone insane.

With his last bit of strength, he crawled out of the gate. Through his blood-blurred vision, he saw a man floating in midair, looking at him in surprise. Then the man glided lightly down to him.

"How pitiful. Why did you go into a B-rank gate alone?"

Whether it was an act of charity or something else, a kiss devoid of affection covered Little Bell's lips.

Little Bell was like a dried-out sponge soaking up water. Feeling immensely satisfied, he instinctively reached out with his bloodstained tongue and tangled it with the other man's, greedily drawing the fluid from his mouth. He had never dared hope for guidance through the mucous membranes of an S-rank Guide.

So this was what it felt like: intoxicating. The pain soon faded, and the overwhelming pleasure in his mind made him lose himself...

Both are sexually inexperienced. A naturally optimistic, sunny puppy-like Sentinel recipient x a cold-blooded, highly intelligent Guide pursuer.

Theme: Mental health issues should not be ignored. Even unseen pain needs to be brought into the light.