Why Is This Omega Stalking Me…?

Chapter 55

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At Shen Yu’s words, Jiang Li froze, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to respond, yet no sound came out. The sight of Shen Yu standing there—real, close enough to touch—felt almost unreal, like something his mind had conjured just to torment him. For a brief moment, the familiar ache rose in his chest, threatening to spill over into tears, but he forced it down, swallowing hard. He knew Shen Yu didn’t have the patience for weakness, and the last thing he wanted right now was to push him further away.

"I’m sorry..." Jiang Li finally whispered, his voice trembling despite his effort to steady it.

Shen Yu’s expression darkened immediately, his gaze sharpening as if the apology itself had irritated him. "I don’t want to hear that," he said coldly, each word deliberate and controlled. "I want you to tell me why you did what you did."

The air between them seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on Jiang Li’s chest until it became difficult to breathe. He wanted to explain, wanted to make Shen Yu understand, but the words tangled in his throat, refusing to come out. His silence stretched too long, and Shen Yu let out a low, humorless chuckle, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You know what... fuck this."

He turned sharply, clearly done with the conversation, but the sudden movement sent a wave of panic through Jiang Li. Without thinking, he stepped forward and grabbed Shen Yu’s hand, his fingers tightening as if letting go would mean losing him completely.

"I don’t... know if you’d believe me," Jiang Li said, his voice uneven as he drew in a shaky breath. His honey-brown eyes glistened, filled with a fragile desperation he couldn’t hide.

Shen Yu paused at the contact. Slowly, he turned back, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t pull his hand away.

Jiang Li lowered his gaze, his grip shifting slightly to the fabric of Shen Yu’s turtleneck, as though grounding himself in something real. "Before you even manifested," he began, forcing the words out, "I could already smell your pheromones. Not just faintly—I could feel them. They were... clear. Strong. I always thought you were an Alpha, Shen Yu."

That made Shen Yu’s brows draw together slightly, his attention sharpening.

"But when I found out you were actually a beta..." Jiang Li continued, his voice growing quieter, more strained, "I was scared. I thought something was wrong with me. I thought I was broken, that I wasn’t normal."

Shen Yu’s gaze hardened at that. "So because you smelled pheromones on a beta, you decided it was acceptable to turn them into an Alpha?" he asked, his tone edged with disbelief.

Jiang Li shook his head immediately, lifting his eyes to meet Shen Yu’s with urgency. "No, that’s not it. You don’t understand," he said, his voice rising slightly before softening again. "It wasn’t just that. You were the only one. The only person whose pheromones I could actually feel. Other Alphas... they’re just scents to me, nothing more. Empty. But yours..." His voice faltered, and he swallowed. "Yours were real. They reached me. They... made sense."

The confession lingered in the space between them, heavy and raw. Shen Yu didn’t respond right away, but the faint widening of his eyes betrayed his surprise. The possibility formed quickly in his mind.

"You’re a recessive omega?" he asked.

Jiang Li shook his head slowly. "No... my gland broke," he said, his voice quieter now, almost distant. "I wasn’t born like this."

Shen Yu frowned, folding his arms as he studied Jiang Li more closely, as if trying to piece him apart and understand what didn’t fit. "How does a gland just break?" he asked, skepticism evident beneath the calm surface.

The question struck deeper than Jiang Li had anticipated. His body tensed, his fingers curling slightly as memories he had long buried clawed their way back into his mind. His mother’s horrified expression, his father’s furious shouting, the accusations that followed him like shadows—they all returned at once.

"I..." His voice trembled, and he had to force himself to continue. "I was assaulted. Multiple times... when I was young."

The words felt heavy, like something he had no right to say out loud.

"My gland was rare. Sensitive. It hadn’t fully developed yet... and it couldn’t handle it. So it broke."

As soon as he finished speaking, his breathing became uneven, his vision beginning to blur as reality slipped at the edges. The past wasn’t staying in the past—it was bleeding into the present again.

That gaze.

That suffocating presence.

It was back.

Jiang Li stumbled backward, his body breaking into a cold sweat as the hallucination took hold, his chest tightening painfully as if he were being dragged back into those moments he could never escape.

"Jiang Li!"

Shen Yu’s voice cut through the haze as his hands gripped Jiang Li’s shoulders, grounding him, but the sudden contact only made Jiang Li flinch violently.

"Stop—don’t touch me!" Jiang Li cried out, his voice breaking as he tried to push Shen Yu away, his entire body trembling as tears streamed down his face.

Shen Yu’s expression shifted instantly, surprise flashing across his features, but instead of letting go, he pulled Jiang Li into a firm embrace. Jiang Li struggled at first, his movements frantic and uncoordinated, but Shen Yu didn’t loosen his hold. Slowly, instinctively, his pheromones began to seep out, wrapping around Jiang Li in a steady, calming presence.

Warm.

Protective.

Unyielding.

Gradually, Jiang Li’s resistance weakened. His hands fell limp against Shen Yu’s chest, and his sobs softened into quiet, broken breaths. His body went slack, as if whatever strength he had left had finally given out.

Shen Yu exhaled slowly, tension still evident in his posture. "I want to be angry," he said, his voice lower now, less sharp but no less serious. "I want answers."

His gaze dropped to Jiang Li’s face, taking in the tear-streaked cheeks, the redness in his eyes, the exhaustion that seemed to cling to him like a second skin.

"But you make it difficult," Shen Yu added quietly.

With a small shift, he lowered himself to the floor, pulling Jiang Li down with him without breaking the embrace. The movement was slow, controlled, as if he didn’t want to startle him again.

"What... does that mean?" Jiang Li asked weakly, his voice barely steady as he tried to regulate his breathing.

Shen Yu looked away for a moment, his jaw tightening slightly before he spoke. "I hate that I’m not angry at you," he admitted. "I should be. What you did... it wasn’t something small." He paused, then added more quietly, "And I hate that every time I look at you, you seem innocent... even when I know you’re not."

Jiang Li didn’t respond, his fingers clutching weakly at Shen Yu’s clothes, as if he needed something to hold onto.

After a moment, Shen Yu spoke again, his tone calmer now. "Who did that to you?"

Jiang Li stiffened slightly, his gaze dropping as his fingers tightened against the fabric of his shirt. He closed his eyes briefly before answering. "My older brother... and Lu Feng. My senior."

The words were soft, but they carried enough weight to make Shen Yu’s eyes widen in disbelief. For a brief moment, he didn’t speak at all.

When Jiang Li glanced up and saw that expression, he gave a faint, bitter smile before lowering his gaze again.

"They never had to do much," he murmured. "Just enough to ruin everything."

Shen Yu’s expression darkened, but he kept his voice controlled. "Did they ever touch you?"

Jiang Li shook his head. "No... but it didn’t matter," he said quietly. "It still left a mark. I can’t smell anyone else’s pheromones except yours."

His voice faltered again, softer this time. "I thought I was normal again... or at least close to it. But when I found out you were a beta, I realized I wasn’t. I was still... broken."

Silence settled between them, heavy but no longer suffocating.

"Did you use the pills on me?" Shen Yu asked after a moment.

Jiang Li shook his head immediately, his eyes filling with tears again, and Shen Yu let out a quiet sigh.

"...Come here."

He opened his arms slightly, the gesture simple but unmistakable.

Jiang Li froze, clearly not expecting it, but after a brief hesitation, he moved forward, almost instinctively, until he was pressed against Shen Yu once more. This time, he clung to him without resistance, as if he had finally found something solid to hold onto.

"You’re really going to be the death of me," Shen Yu muttered under his breath, his arms tightening around Jiang Li’s smaller frame.

Jiang Li buried his face into his shoulder, his grip firm, unwilling to let go.

Outside the apartment, an Alpha stood quietly by the door, dressed entirely in black, his posture relaxed but his attention sharp. He had heard everything—every word, every break in Jiang Li’s voice, every shift in Shen Yu’s tone.

After a moment, he raised a hand to his earpiece and spoke in a low, controlled voice.

"Still with the same Alpha."