Chapter 50: Xiao Sa’s Arousal Phase

Chapter 50: Xiao Sa's Arousal Phase

Xiao Sa reached out to turn on the bedside lamp.

Landis immediately grabbed his hand, his voice rough, like he'd been shouting all day, "Wait, don't turn on the light."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Sa, ever quick, had already switched on a lamp.

The warm yellow light revealed Landis's slightly embarrassed expression. He was propped up on his arms above Xiao Sa, his forehead glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, and some suspicious marks at the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Sa glanced down, feeling a sticky, cool sensation on his skin, and raised an eyebrow, clicking his tongue, "Now, what kind of mischief have you been up to, Landis?"

Feeling a bit awkward, Landis averted his gaze and tried to climb off Xiao Sa, reaching over to the bedside table to pour himself a glass of water to rinse his mouth.

But Xiao Sa wrapped his arms around Landis's waist, narrowing his eyes as he leaned in close to Landis's ear, pinching his chin to force him to look at him:

"What's going on, General? Getting restless and horny in the middle of the night? I didn't expect the esteemed general to be like this behind closed doors."

Before Landis could react, Xiao Sa had already taken control.

Landis cleared his throat, now that he'd been found out, he dropped the pretense, pushing Xiao Sa back onto the soft pillow and pressing his hot chest against him, capturing Xiao Sa's lips with his own, gently sucking.

They were married, so what was wrong with a little affection? He deserved this.

His core muscles began to exert force, and the muscles of his arms and chest, highlighted by the warm light, outlined the contours of his physique.

"Hey, hey," Xiao Sa grabbed his shoulders, pushing him up, and flipping over to pin Landis down.

"Landis, you're getting more and more uncontrollable. Trying to sneak up on me in the middle of the night? You still have work tomorrow, you know."

Landis hummed lowly, wrapping his arms around Xiao Sa's waist, tilting his head back to meet the kiss he'd been anticipating.

He extended his tongue to lick Xiao Sa's earlobe, a laugh vibrating from his chest, "They say people in their early 20s are the most energetic. Especially newlyweds."

But Xiao Sa always had something else on his mind. He was never around during the day, and at night, he disappeared into the study.

Landis couldn't help but reflect on whether he'd been too engrossed in his work, leaving his partner feeling neglected, experiencing loneliness and emptiness.

He held Xiao Sa's head to his chest, his fingers intertwining with his dark brown hair, gently combing through it.

Landis closed his eyes, tilting his head back as he hissed and drew in a breath, his voice hoarse, "If you're not more careful, you'll hurt me."

It seemed he was wrong; Xiao Sa did have his moments of high energy.

Xiao Sa propped up his upper body, his long fingers tracing Landis's cheek, passing over his protruding Adam's apple, sliding down his chest, following the line to his navel.

Finally, he poked Landis's lower abdomen, pinching a layer of soft flesh with his thumb and forefinger, suddenly asking, "Have you noticed how your stomach has gotten a bit softer?"

Maybe he'd been eating a little too much lately?

Landis leaned back on the pillow, his gaze lingering on Xiao Sa's face, his voice filled with lazy desire as one hand caressed Xiao Sa's hot neck.

He chuckled lowly, "So what if it has? As long as you're not soft."

Talk about intense.

Xiao Sa narrowed his eyes, looming over Landis, the dim yellow light casting a line of light and shadow on his handsome profile.

He lifted a corner of his pajamas with one hand and swiftly pulled it off over his head, revealing his toned, warm body reflected in Landis's blue eyes.

Xiao Sa clamped down on Landis' wrist and leaned in, murmuring into his ear, "Sir, First-Class Sergeant reporting for duty."

Landis' eyes darkened, looking up at him, his chest rising and falling heavily as if he was being drawn into a vivid scene, that familiar ache in his gut returning.

He turned his head slightly, his hot breath brushing Xiao Sa's cheek. "You're late, trooper."

His eyes roamed over Xiao Sa's muscular frame, then returned to his face. He licked his dry, almost burning lips and gave a hoarse command, "As punishment, do fifty push-ups."

Xiao Sa chuckled softly, starting the exercise at a slow pace. Just as Landis tilted his head up to ask for a kiss, Xiao Sa pushed him back into the covers, speaking seriously, "A CO shouldn’t be kissing a subordinate during punishment."

Landis buried his head between the pillow and sheets, his sharp brows furrowed, letting out a suppressed groan, a few indistinct syllables escaping his throat.

Xiao Sa breathed lightly, moving closer. "Sir, what did you say? I couldn't hear you..."

He brushed aside the soldier's sweat-soaked golden hair, revealing a face flushed with desire. Landis' icy blue eyes were hazy, completely immersed in Xiao Sa's pheromones, the corners of his eyes flushed red, the color spreading faintly to his ears.

After a few more prompts, Landis shuddered and rasped, "...Not enough..."

He wanted more...

Xiao Sa chuckled, releasing more pheromones, leaning down to give a sticky, lingering kiss, a thin thread of saliva connecting their lips.

They kept up the 'punishment' until late into the night before finally stopping, wrapping themselves in the covers and falling into a deep sleep together.

※※※

The next day was a weekend, with the sky bright and clear.

Xiao Sa realized he’d slept like a rock, so deeply that he hadn't woken up when Landis got up in the morning.

The sunlight outside shone through the glass window and white gauze curtains, casting a faint golden glow on the floor.

Xiao Sa turned over in the sheets, furrowing his brows and slowly opening his eyes.

The clock on the wall had passed nine, much later than when he usually got up.

He thought about getting up but felt limp and listless, his head a little heavy. He pressed his hand to his forehead but couldn't gather any energy.

He reached out, but the sheets were already cold. Landis had been up for a while.

Groping around, he hugged Landis' pillow to his chest, pulling the covers over his head, curling up in the spot where Landis had been lying.

Xiao Sa’s mind wandered lazily—he should get up to eat breakfast and start his day's work. His small 'business group' had just started running, and there were many things waiting for him.

However, his body was screaming at him to stay in bed, not wanting to leave the cozy nest or the covers still tinged with Landis' pheromones.

He felt like staying here until the end of time.

But the lingering scent of pheromones on the bed was already faint, and even after taking a deep breath, Xiao Sa still felt unsatisfied.

For the first time, Xiao Sa even began to complain in his mind. Why had Landis left him alone on the weekend? Did he really have to go to work even on weekends?

After tossing and turning for a while, his hungry stomach reminded him that it was time to eat, and he reluctantly got up.

Xiao Sa grabbed Landis' slept-in pillow and held it to his chest, washed up quickly, and shuffled to the dining room in his slippers.

At that moment, Landis had finished his morning exercises, eaten breakfast, and was sitting in the sunroom, going through reports while watching the morning news.

"Has Xiao Sa not come down for breakfast yet?"

The butler respectfully said, "Not yet, should I go and call him?"

After a while, the sound of Xiao Sa's footsteps approached. Landis turned around to see him holding a large pillow, his hair disheveled, and the buttons of his pajamas in disarray, giving off a peculiar appearance of someone who had been thoroughly worn out.

Landis stood up, walked over, and held him, amused. "Why did you sleep so late today? Why are you holding a pillow? Come over and eat."

He took the pillow from Xiao Sa's arms and helplessly adjusted his collar and buttons. "Are you still a kid? How can you not even button your own clothes?"

Xiao Sa blinked slowly, his thoughts inexplicably sluggish. It took him a moment to focus his gaze on Landis's face. He sniffed, catching the familiar scent of cedar—the Omega he had marked.

Reassured, Xiao Sa took a deep breath, moved close to Landis's shoulder, and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist, pressing his warm chest firmly against him, almost entangling his legs around Landis as well.

He nuzzled against Landis's shoulder and then leaned his entire weight on him.

Landis held him, amused. "What's wrong, Xiao Sa? Didn't you seem pretty intense last night? Why are you acting so clingy this morning?"

Xiao Sa nudged Landis's neck with his nose, right where he had bitten him, and pulled open his shirt collar, rubbing his cool nose against the skin, seeking more of his partner's pheromones.

In response to Landis's question, he furrowed his brows and slowly emphasized, "I'm not acting clingy."

A good Alpha wouldn't act clingy with their Omega.

He just suddenly wanted to be close.

Landis cupped his face with both hands and gently lifted his head. Only then did he notice the unusual flush on Xiao Sa's cheeks and that his body temperature was much higher than usual.

Landis's brow furrowed in concern as he placed his palm on Xiao Sa's forehead. "You seem off today, are you sick?"

Sick? Xiao Sa slowly realized the meaning of the word, shaking his head. He was a strong Alpha; how could he get sick?

Landis's worry deepened, his rough fingers caressing Xiao Sa's cheek, unable to help but wonder if he had been asking too much of Xiao Sa lately, and if Xiao Sa was unable to keep up.

He cleared his throat. "I'll call Doctor Sommerk to take a look."

Xiao Sa seemed unusually slow today, both in thought and action. It was a stark contrast to his usual sharp, in-control self. He was usually busy and out of sight, but today he was unusually clingy with Landis.

Landis wrapped one arm around Xiao Sa's waist and gently stroked the back of his head. This was what it felt like to have his little wolf so close—strangely satisfying.

When the doctor arrived, Xiao Sa reluctantly let go of Landis, his face dark with displeasure, irritated by the presence of an outsider.

Fortunately, the doctor wasn't an Alpha and had no strong scent; otherwise, Xiao Sa would have struggled to suppress the inexplicable aversion and anxiety.

Doctor Sommerk took his temperature with a thermometer, performed a quick check, and said, "No fever, just a degree higher than normal. It's probably just lack of rest recently. A few days of rest should be fine."

Relieved, Landis had the butler escort Doctor Sommerk out.

Sitting in the dining chair, Landis held Xiao Sa. "Are you really okay?"

Xiao Sa gave a slow, thoughtful nod, then slowly realized that his condition might be due to an Alpha's heat cycle—a period when Alphas become more sensitive and anxious.

Though his knowledge of AO physiology was lacking, he knew this basic fact about his body.

During an Alpha's heat cycle, they often became sensitive and anxious, with increased aggression towards others. They craved the comfort of their marked Omega's pheromones, desiring to be by their Omega's side twenty-four hours a day for a sense of security.

Xiao Sa had experienced his fair share of heat periods before, but they were usually like a mild cold or fever that passed after a day or two. This was the first time he had entered a heat after claiming his mate.

Perhaps it was due to the stimulation of Landis' pheromones; this time, the heat hit him especially hard.

Landis, however, was unaware of these physiological details about Xiao Sa. All he knew was that Xiao Sa was in a vulnerable state, likely due to illness, and had become unusually clingy.

To some extent, this greatly satisfied his overprotective instincts.

If the condition wasn't serious, as the doctor had said, Landis secretly hoped that Xiao Sa's condition might last a little longer.

Landis discreetly touched Xiao Sa's hair. Normally, Xiao Sa would have swatted his hand away, but now, his mind seemed a bit fuzzy. Not only did he not swat it away, but he also rubbed his cheek against Landis' palm.

It was rare to see Xiao Sa so "obedient and adorable."

Landis put on his rose-colored glasses again, feeling a string of bubbles rising in his heart, experiencing a peculiar mix of pleasure and happiness.

He had Xiao Sa sit properly by the table, then fetched utensils for him. He cut the poached eggs and pan-seared salmon into small pieces, using a fork to pick up a piece and bring it to Xiao Sa's mouth.

Xiao Sa instinctively opened his mouth, chewed absentmindedly, and swallowed. However, his eyes never left Landis. His tongue flicked over his itching canines.

He felt extremely hungry. Although the breakfast was delicious and being fed by his mate was delightful, the pheromones emanating from Landis smelled even more enticing.

The real delicacy wasn't the food in front of him, but Landis, who kept releasing pheromones, tempting him.

An Alpha in his heat often craved the comfort of his mate intensely, but he had never felt this kind of hunger before.

This hunger was the kind that no amount of food could satisfy, an insatiable craving that gnawed at him.

A lurking desire clamored inside him, urging him to pin Landis down, bite into his neck, and drink the warm blood that surfaced.

Then, he would consume him completely, merging their pheromones until they were inseparable, marking every inch of his mate's mental territory in his spiritual sea.

Xiao Sa furrowed his brows, startled by his own disturbing thoughts.

He had once scoffed at the idea of an Alpha's heat, but now he realized he had underestimated the intensity of this biological craving.

This wasn't good. It was damaging to his Alpha pride.

Xiao Sa struggled against his instincts, trying to distance himself from Landis.

Seeing Xiao Sa's movement, Landis was displeased. He scooted his chair closer, extending an arm. "Come on, finish your breakfast."

In Xiao Sa's vision, it was as if a warm, inviting presence was waving at him, tempting him. Wouldn't it be nice to give in just once?

Damn Landis, tempting him at a time like this!

After a fierce battle between reason and instinct, Xiao Sa decisively abandoned reason and swiftly nestled into Landis' embrace.

Ah, forget about Alpha pride. He could toss it aside today and pick it up again tomorrow.

Once the heat passed, he would be a strong Alpha once more!

After a clingy and rather unbearable breakfast, Xiao Sa's comm was going off non-stop. It was Kaman urging him to check out some new land and factory buildings.

Reluctantly, Xiao Sa realized he couldn't delay his important business any longer and left the house with a dark expression and a gloomy demeanor.

Sitting in the back seat of his flying car, Xiao Sa propped his cheek with one hand, lazily yawned, and stared with gloomy eyes, wondering why people had to work.

If only he could cuddle with his mate and still get things done, life would be perfect.

Xiao Sa made sure that his production of inhibitors using the Pox agent remained a secret. Since it wasn't convenient to do so at the Wenser Estate, he purchased a plot of land and registered a trading company. This was still within the territory of the Wenser family.

As the partner of the family head, he held financial power, and no family member dared to question his industries anymore.

With Haino's help, it was disguised as an ordinary trade and logistics company, blending in with the many industries of the Wenser family without standing out much.

Kaman, as the second young master of the Lot family, although not the heir to Duke Lot's title, was still a favored noble child.

After Xiao Sa carried the A-class team, these formerly useless rich kids developed some ambition, and their status and image in the eyes of their family elders improved considerably.

Duke Lot was pleased that his son had become capable and finally agreed to let Kaman manage part of the family's industries.

Under his elder brother's cold stare, Kaman took control of a portion of the business from him.

Kaman was highly efficient. Soon after joining Xiao Sa's small business operation, he managed to obtain a batch of recently phased-out assembly line equipment.

They were labeled as phased out due to some mechanical faults, which Kaman found excuses to intercept, had repaired, and then secretly placed into Xiao Sa's new factory.

Xiao Sa also ordered a batch of robotic workers, which, under Haino's control, secretly and efficiently produced inhibitors for him continuously.

Xiao Sa only needed to provide the initial raw materials and the high-concentration active ingredients of the inhibitors.

The inhibitors produced here were transported through the Wenser family's dedicated transport channels, leaving Central Star.

At the transit planet, people sent by Broken Peak received the supplies, which were then sent to distribution points.

The transport ships bore the Wenser family's crest.

With the backing of the renowned General Landis and Haino as a professional insider, they were not afraid of any infrared scans or surveillance.

All inspections were just a formality, and Xiao Sa had no worries that his inhibitors would be discovered by customs, even under the noses of royalty and high nobility, as he quietly expanded his influence.

The only issue that needed consideration now was the one raised by Broken Peak—they were short on manpower.

After Xiao Sa's first batch of high-concentration inhibitors was transported out, through the connections and channels accumulated by the Broken Peak pirate group over the years, it quickly became a hot item on the black market.

Whenever new stock arrived, it was immediately sold out.

Many gangs and groups were eager to get a piece of the action but were hesitant to make a move, fearing the unknown benefactor behind Broken Peak.

Xiao Sa understood that this was only temporary. Those drawn by the promise of profit would always try to take a bite unless they were beaten back bloody and broken. Especially with the well-known huge profits of inhibitors, who wouldn't be tempted?

Once Xiao Sa obtained the initial funds, the next step would be to purchase weapons and equipment to expand his armed forces.

※※※

After a busy day outside, Xiao Sa, who hadn't smelled his partner's pheromones, returned to the estate with a grim expression.

The guards and attendants around him didn't dare to breathe heavily, wishing to stay as far away as possible, afraid of getting on his bad side.

Xiao Sa asked the butler with a frown, "Where is Landis?"

The butler respectfully replied, "The patriarch saw that you were not here in the afternoon and left for military affairs. He said he would be back soon."

"I see," Xiao Sa grunted in a low voice and went upstairs to the couple's bedroom, remaining inside.

Because of work during the day, he had fought to control the anxiety of being away from his partner, but now he had reached his limit.

Finally, back home, and Landis wasn't there when I returned!

Xiao Sa became even more irritated and threw himself onto the massive bed, rolling around, but the attendants had already changed the sheets. The brand-new bedding only carried the scent of a freshener, with no hint of pheromones.

Xiao Sa paced restlessly between the rooms of the master suite. He initially thought about sending a message to Landis but restrained himself, fearing he might disrupt his partner's work.

After circling around for a while, he felt that same hunger, like something was off.

It wasn’t until he opened the door to the wardrobe that he immediately caught a whiff of lingering pheromones.

Without hesitation, Xiao Sa dove into Landis’s wardrobe.

He scooped up all of Landis’s military shirts, tossing them into a pile, and nestled himself inside with the pillow from that morning. He shut the wardrobe door.

The small, dark space grew quiet, with a faint scent of cedarwood, instantly soothing him.

Moments later, after getting a message from the butler, Landis rushed back and searched the room, only to see the mess Xiao Sa had made in the closet.

“Xiao Sa, what are you doing inside the wardrobe?” Landis pulled open the wardrobe door.

An arm reached out, grabbed Landis’s tie, and without a word, yanked him inside. With a snap, the wardrobe door closed again.

“Landis, you left me here all alone!” Xiao Sa complained irritably.

Landis felt a little wronged—it was Xiao Sa who had insisted on working today. But wisely, he didn’t argue.

Xiao Sa clung to him, wrapping his arms and legs around him, burying his face in his chest and rubbing against him. He breathed deeply, inhaling the refreshing cedarwood scent of his partner.

Enveloped in his partner’s pheromones, Xiao Sa’s inner agitation and anxiety gradually eased. He bared his canines and sank them into Landis’s neck.

The rich pheromones slid out smoothly, and Xiao Sa licked the side of Landis’s neck, trying to absorb more of the delicious scent, finally letting out a satisfied sigh: bliss again.

Landis had long grown used to being bitten on the neck by Xiao Sa. In fact, whenever it happened, he felt an extreme shiver of pleasure.

He hummed softly and, turning back, hugged Xiao Sa, contentedly enjoying his partner’s rare display of dependence and desire.

Not sure what was up with Xiao Sa, but hey, he was enjoying it.