Omega Manual chapter 26

Drunk

Shelley tasted the bitterness of cheap beer on Irey’s tongue.

He didn’t know what the beer was made of, but it was strong and bitter, with no other taste besides bitterness and spiciness.

Suddenly, he remembered, he actually didn’t like drinking.

The first time he drank was at a noble banquet hosted by the Manta family.

He had just turned eighteen, hadn’t finished high school yet, and his daily life consisted of piles of homework and tense studying. Yet, he was suddenly dragged to a strange banquet, facing countless strangers and unfamiliar ways of communication.

He kept his head down the whole time, trying to minimize his presence as much as possible, but he was still singled out by unfamiliar relatives.

“So, this is your youngest son, right? He’s grown so big, such a talented young man!”

“My son is nothing, has no prospects.”

“Oh, nonsense, let me toast to the young master!”

“…Hahaha! This won’t do, you’re the future hope of the Manta family, how can you become a man without drinking? Come, fill up the young master’s cup!”

That night, he was alone in the bathroom vomiting, vomiting until the hotel janitor came to clean up, and he didn’t even wait for his father’s phone call.

The second time he drank was on his first day at Manta Technology.

Many people crowded around his office, peering in curiously, making it impossible for him to work all day.

By the end of the day, he was surrounded by many people leaving the office building, insisting on treating him to a drink.

At the dinner table that day, Shelley listened to the most exaggerated flattery he had ever heard in his life. They would say he was the hero who saved the company one moment, and the hope of human technological rise the next.

He was constantly being poured drinks all night, not knowing how to refuse, and he ended up drinking dozens of glasses in a row, delaying the progress of work the next day, and being scolded by his father in front of all the employees. When he looked up to find the colleagues who had invited him to drink last night, he found that everyone had a self-absorbed expression pretending to be busy with work.

At that time, he had thought it would be better not to drink again in the future. But as he grew older and his career advanced, he drank more and more often.

With colleagues, with family, with investors, with brand partners, with advertisers…

His tolerance for alcohol got better and better, and he became more and more numb to the effects of alcohol.

But he also forgot more and more that he actually never liked drinking.

The last time he drank was at the Manta Virtual Projection Technology launch event.

That day, he was very happy and drank a lot of champagne. Even his accompanying female assistant smiled and said his face was as red as a rose bud.

It might have been his happiest drinking experience, as alcohol magnified his joy, warming, expanding, like an inflated hydrogen balloon, making him want to ascend to the clouds.

But then a meteorite fell. He remembered very clearly, a sharp piece of rock fell from the ceiling and smashed the glass in his hand. Champagne spilled all over the floor, like a golden river.

No, when was the last time he drank?

The stinging pain on his tongue suddenly brought him back to reality.

The last time he drank wasn’t five years ago. It was in Leisau’s small bar, where Irey drank brandy, and he had three glasses of whiskey.

“Ugh…!”

With a thud, Shelley’s back hit the wall firmly. Irey leaned forward, sealing his lips with more roughness.

The strong tea fragrance almost filled his entire space, Irey’s kiss more aggressive than ever, like a hungry wolf tearing at his flesh greedily.

After a moment of pain, his lips quickly tasted of blood. Irey swept over his teeth and tongue more recklessly, his thumb pressing on his lower lip to prevent him from closing his mouth.

The whole world became blurry.

The door, the floor, the table, the empty plates on the table, the flower vase without flowers, all turned into blocks of colors, melting into a palette called instinct.

Shelley’s legs soon couldn’t support him, and he could only sit down against the wall in embarrassment. His hair had long been scattered in chaos, scattered at his temples and lips, kissed and urgently brushed aside by Irey.

His shirt buttons were undone one by one. Then the next one, and the next one.

Intimacy swelled to the point of almost exploding, Shelley’s legs involuntarily weakened, only able to retreat weakly, but just as he pulled away a bit from Irey, he was closely followed, finally pressed against the corner of the wall, with nowhere to escape.

Did he really want to escape?

Irey’s pheromones smelled too good, and his kisses made him too happy. As long as he closed his eyes and followed the most primitive instincts of his body, everything could disappear, be forgotten, and melt into Irey’s scent.

But he was also extremely afraid.

He felt for the first time the huge power gap between Alpha and Omega. Irey’s arm just lightly placed around his waist could control his entire body with strength, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t move an inch.

He was like a drowning person in the center of a lake, powerless to resist, unable to struggle. Except for desperately grasping at the straw in front of him, he had no other way.

It had been many years since Irey had felt drunk or a similar sensation of being drunk.

Although his tolerance for alcohol was not as good as his boss’s, it wasn’t bad either. More importantly, for someone like him from the lower district, getting drunk was a dangerous thing.

Getting drunk meant losing control, being unable to act autonomously, it meant the possibility of being robbed on the roadside, or even worse things happening.

In a poor and inferior place like Lansai, there were always malicious people in the bars who deliberately wanted to get you drunk to steal valuable things from you. Irey always smilingly accepted the invitation, drinking one glass after another with these people. He had a hundred ways to switch glasses or pour out the alcohol. In the end, these drunken and cunning people couldn’t figure out how they had lost their belongings.

But now, just drinking a glass of free bitter beer on the street made him feel like he was going to get drunk.

The scent on Shelley drove him crazy.

A bead of sweat slid down Shelley’s neck, his lips chasing after it until it disappeared into the fabric. He had never felt so thirsty, as if there was a flame burning in his throat, urging him to swallow the Omega in front of him to ease it.

Obviously, during these five years, he had gone through countless sensitive periods alone.

He would be irritable, he would want to pick fights, he would inexplicably sweat profusely, but that was all. All along, the sensitive period for him was just like a regular cold, something that didn’t need much attention, endure for a couple of days, and it would pass on its own.

But this time was different. This Omega named Shelley Manta was right in front of him, emitting a tempting scent, marked by him, belonging to him. His.

His. His. His.

Without even realizing it himself, the strength of his grip on Shelley’s arm had become quite strong.

“Halton…!” Shelley uttered a painful cry, struggling.

But under the influence of pheromones, an Omega’s strength was pitifully small, easily countered by Irey with just one hand. In the midst of his struggle, Shelley lifted his head, meeting Irey’s gaze directly.

Irey saw fear flickering deep in those deep blue pupils.

It was like a bucket of cold water pouring down from the sky, drenching him, his heart suddenly pierced with pain.

He suddenly realized that under his palm, Shelley’s body had been trembling slightly all along.

He abruptly released Shelley’s arm, forcing himself to distance himself from him, his throat hoarse with desire, “Boss, do you want to…?”

For a moment, Shelley showed a bewildered expression, his chest heaving in rapid breaths, his lips opening and closing, finally saying, “I… don’t know.”

The next second after hearing this answer, Irey suddenly pushed Shelley forward forcefully, “Get inside, lock the door.”

Shelley staggered a few steps and was pushed into the bedroom, his head muddled, turning back to look at Irey.

“Get in! Lock the door!” Irey roared.

In that split second, flying reason suddenly returned to Shelley’s head all at once.

He grabbed the doorknob tightly, slamming the door shut in front of Irey’s eyes, then quickly locking it, the entire process not exceeding two seconds.

Shelley breathed heavily, sweat dripping from his temples. After a while, he slowly leaned his forehead against the door panel, making a slight tapping sound.

There was a buzzing sound in his ears like the roar of sea waves, continuous and prolonged.

He could clearly hear Irey on the other side of the door also breathing heavily, then the rustling of clothes, and the sound of his back against the door panel.

For a moment, the world became incredibly quiet.

Shelley felt like a patient who suddenly went deaf and then suddenly regained hearing, his ears suddenly able to hear the hustle and bustle of the crowd outside the window, the sound of the wind, and the shouts between the various vendors at the beer festival.

Sitting against the door panel, Shelley’s breathing gradually became calm.

The scent of pheromones remained strong, the distance between him and Irey still close, only separated by a locked door.

This door was so thin that an Alpha could easily kick it open, but Irey just leaned against it, not moving at all.

After an unknown amount of time, Shelley spoke first.

“Halton,” he called softly.

“Here,” Irey’s voice was still hoarse.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Irey raised his head, leaning the back of his head against the door panel, “How about you, are you okay?”

“Just my lips hurt a little.” Shelley reached up and touched his lower lip, bitten by Irey, “I’m fine.”

Irey let out a slow breath, “I’m sorry, boss, for scaring you.”

A complex and indescribable emotion suddenly surged in Shelley’s chest. He clenched the collar that Irey had torn open, closing his eyes, “Why apologize? You’re an Alpha, I’m your marked Omega. Whatever you do to me anytime, anywhere, it’s legal.”

Not only that, an Omega’s body was simply designed for mating.

The pheromones released by an Alpha would affect the Omega’s nerves, causing him/her to feel pleasure and relaxation. In other words, whether forced or voluntary, an Omega would hardly experience any pain during this process.

“That’s not the same,” Irey’s low voice came, “Before being an Omega, you’re first my boss, you’re a person.”

[Author’s Note]

If you don’t want to drink, the person who asks you to drink should not force you. If you suddenly feel uncomfortable halfway through drinking and no longer want to drink, you should have the freedom to leave at any time. If you don’t know whether you want to drink or not, then you don’t want to drink. At any time, in any relationship, the person who asks you to drink should respect your freedom of choice. If they don’t, then don’t drink with them.