The Crown Prince, the most sought-after husband in the Empire, was already destined to become someone’s partner.

She was a dominant Omega of noble birth and high social standing, personally chosen by the imperial family.

Although the wedding ceremony had yet to take place, it was a foregone conclusion that she would become the Crown Prince’s consort. The idea that Seraphina could have taken her place was simply unbelievable.

“Marriage negotiations? Just how long ago are you talking about?”

The Crown Prince showed no sign of wavering. In fact, he frowned in displeasure. He seemed genuinely perplexed as to why she was pushing him away.

“We are married. Don’t speak of other women.”

“I am not the Crown Princess Consort. It’s impossible for us to be husband and wife.”

Seraphina spoke calmly, as though explaining something obvious to a child. She could not be bound to the Crown Prince. It was a simple truth, yet he seemed utterly unaware of it for some reason.

“Impossible? Why?”

“Well… because I’m a Beta.”

“Who says you’re a Beta?”

“I— ngh—!”

Seraphina was in the middle of replying when her pupils suddenly dilated.

A powerful scent surged towards her, overwhelming her senses.

Despite the sunlight flooding the chamber, the air smelt like a cool, damp early morning — moist earth mingled with the crisp, green aroma released when pine needles brush together in the wind, conjuring the illusion of walking barefoot through a forest at dawn.

Rich. Intoxicating. Vivid.

The fragrance seized Seraphina’s consciousness in an instant.

‘What… is this?’

Reflexively, she clamped a hand over her nose and mouth. But, as if mocking her efforts to resist, the dense, unfamiliar scent quickly found its way into her lungs and heart.

It was strange.

It was as though she could sense it not just through her breathing, but through her entire body.

“Hngh… haah…”

Every nerve in Seraphina’s body snapped taut and her breathing became ragged. A sense of rising excitement crept up her body.

“Th-This… hngh… what is—”

“You react this sensitively to my pheromones, and you still say you’re a Beta?”

Pheromones?

When the Crown Prince whispered those words, Seraphina’s pupils quivered. The moment she heard them, everything fell into place.

It was a sensation she had never experienced as a Beta.

It was as though her whole body had opened up, yearning for the Crown Prince himself, and she was filled with an aching thirst.

This must be pheromones…

“Sephi. You are my Omega.”

As if in response to her unspoken confusion, the Crown Prince placed his large hand on Seraphina’s cheek. The moment his fingers brushed her pale, delicate skin, a sweet scent bloomed from her body.

The fragrance of deep orange, laced with a faint floral note, rose from the nape of her neck. The scent that Damian drew out was subtle yet unmistakable.

It was like the fresh burst of citrus released when biting into a ripe fruit, layered with the vivid, dewy aroma of blossoms opening beneath the morning mist.

It was the pheromone of an Omega yearning for an Alpha.

“I—I…”

Seraphina was confused. She clutched at her neck where her pheromone gland should have been. The soft blankets tangled around her long legs as she changed position on the bed. She felt an unfamiliar tightness coil deep in her lower abdomen and a tingling ache spread between her thighs.

“I don’t… really know…”

As she murmured, unconsciously rubbing her legs together, the hand resting against her flushed cheek tightened. Yielding weakly to Damian’s pressure, Seraphina fell back onto the mattress. She stared up at the man moving over her, his breath heavy and uneven.

Under the crushing weight of the Crown Prince’s pheromones, she could no longer think clearly. Desires she had never even known existed slowly rose to the surface, dissolving her reason piece by piece.

It’s hot.

So hot.

Her mouth felt painfully dry.

She desperately wanted to quench her thirst.

“W-What should I… do…”

“There’s nothing difficult about it.”

Damian narrowed his eyes lazily and looked down at Seraphina’s flushed face. He loosened his cravat and spoke in a languid voice.

“Just accept it as it is.”

As Damian’s loosened cravat fell from his fingers and fluttered to the floor beside the bed, he kissed Seraphina.

Seraphina’s thoughts dissolved into a hazy blur as she gasped; the Crown Prince’s breath mingled with hers.

She was kissing the Crown Prince.

Until recently, even speaking to him had been forbidden. Yet the moment she lost consciousness and awoke again, her world had been turned completely upside down.

She was now the Crown Prince’s omega and wife, and the man who had always seemed so cold and composed was treating her as though he truly loved her.

But that couldn’t possibly be true.

“Haah… Sephi…”

Seraphina accepted the Crown Prince’s advances, unaware of the sweetness of his moan. As she parted her lips and spread her legs, he lowered his upper body and pressed himself fully against her.

Before she could close her legs again, he slid his sturdy thigh firmly between them.

“Mmm…”

Seraphina let out a soft moan as her tongue tangled with Damian’s. It was her first kiss and she was clumsy and helpless.

Rather than pulling away, however, Damian became more aroused, guiding her gently. Brushing gently along the sensitive contours of her mouth, he wound his tongue around hers, slowly teaching her how to move.

Their tongues intertwined softly. He traced the tender flesh inside her mouth, shared her breath and tangled their tongues again, pressing deeper and more insistently.

Following his lead, Seraphina cautiously wrapped her tongue around his. Damian responded with unmistakable delight, cupping her face in both hands.

He was a considerate partner. Even as he explored her fragile palate and the soft insides of her cheeks, he would part their lips when her breathing became shallow, giving her time to catch her breath.

But before she could fully regain her composure, he tilted his head and kissed her again, lightly biting her lower lip and teasing beneath her tongue.

“Hh…”

Seraphina was completely undone. After all, a handsome, powerful and perfect Crown Prince was kissing her! What woman could remain calm in that situation?

Dazed by Damian and intoxicated by his pheromones, Seraphina began to melt. Moisture soaked through her undergarments and pooled between her thighs. The hidden place shielded by her clothes twitched of its own accord.

‘This is strange. What is happening to me?’

The restless sensation below was driving her mad; her bare feet were scraping against the sheets. She wanted more.

She longed for something to fill her completely, deep down inside, but she had no idea what that something was. Not knowing only made it worse.

“Haa… I… want more…”

Under the influence of pheromones, Seraphina’s lips trembled and parted. Seeing her flushed, saliva-slick mouth silently pleading, a vein throbbed in Damian’s temple.

He exhaled sharply and pulled down the silk robe she was wearing. He slowly pressed kisses along the smooth curve of her shoulder, exposed by the robe.

“Sephi… this is all my fault…”

The depth of his voice and the sweet scent of his pheromones made Seraphina’s breathing become uneven.

She didn’t understand what he meant. But that didn’t matter. He knew how to quench the thirst that was tormenting her right now.

That was all that mattered.

“Please… do something… anything…”

“Will you forgive me?”

“What… am I supposed to forgive?”

Seraphina frowned faintly in response to Damian’s earnest plea. In response to her question, he let out a low hum, his throat bobbing as he did so.

He pressed his nose to the nape of her neck, where her pheromones were strongest, inhaled deeply, and murmured.

“Everything.”

Everything?

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed. It was an answer, yet it answered nothing at all.

Her head throbbed.

From what she could piece together, the Crown Prince had married her. He had wronged her somehow, and now he was asking for her forgiveness.

But she didn’t know what he had done.

To uncover the truth, she would need to have a long, careful conversation. Time to think. Time to question him properly.

But Seraphina no longer had the patience for that.

The pheromones that she could sense for the first time in her life were far too intoxicating. Her thoughts were unravelling and her composure was slipping away. The fact that she was still capable of forming coherent sentences seemed nothing short of miraculous.

“For now… just do something. Anything.”

At Seraphina’s urging, Damian reluctantly raised his head. He then took off his clothes and threw them carelessly to one side.