Reservoir Dogs chapter 1
Taste
The slightly calloused hand brushed the back of his neck, and the fingertips deliberately touched the swollen area.
The glands, which had already shrunk, were now under the influence of newly injected hormones, beginning to redevelop and ripen. They were slightly swollen at the moment, resembling the skin of a newborn baby, incredibly tender and sensitive.
Xiao Zhou’s legs felt weak from the touch, but he still stood straight.
The muscles of his arms were as stiff as steel plates, barely restraining the urge to grab the hand that was touching his gland and twist it away.
Captain Wang tapped the table with his baton, clearing his throat as a warning.
The man glanced sideways, withdrew his hand, and continued to ask Xiao Zhou, “You used to be an Alpha?”
Xiao Zhou nodded. “Yes.”
“And you just want out like this?”
Xiao Zhou pursed his lips. “Yes.”
The man chuckled lightly. “No regrets?”
“No regrets.”
The man turned from behind him, standing sideways. Xiao Zhou was tall, but the man was half a head taller, casting a shadow over him. “What’s with the scar on your face?”
Xiao Zhou hesitated, eyes shifting uneasily. He didn’t know how to respond.
Captain Wang glanced at him, fist covering his mouth. A feigned cough turned into a real one, bending over, coughing violently, hands pounding on the table, his face turning liver-colored.
Several people in the meeting room looked over, clearly startled by his outburst.
While Captain Wang diverted the guard’s attention, the man suddenly leaned close to Xiao Zhou’s ear, whispering, “Have you ever smelled your own pheromones?”
Xiao Zhou stiffened. “No.”
The man’s breath brushed against his ear. “It’s like the smell of the ocean, very faint, a little damp.”
Xiao Zhou frowned and turned his face aside, feeling somewhat disturbed, unsure how to react.
There was no scent of pheromones on the man’s suit. He must have used an inhibitor patch, easing Xiao Zhou’s tension to some extent. He had been worried about encountering Alpha pheromones for the first time and how he would adjust.
He had only become an Omega two months ago and had been under strict supervision.
Just last night, he had heard from Xiao Bian that some Alphas would release a large amount of pheromones at the first meeting, inducing submission, followed by the prison guards administering suppressants. This ritual was meant to establish dominance in their relationship.
Lao Qiang sneered from the next bed, chiming in, “Isn’t this quite normal? Especially for tough ones like Xiao Zhou, prickly and formidable, they’re sure to play some tricks to assert dominance. Those Alphas are cunning, masters at using physical instincts to their advantage; soon enough, you’ll become their faithful dog.”
“Don’t scare him all the time,” Xiao Bian flipped onto Xiao Zhou’s bed from the lower bunk, pressing on the hard lump in his shoulder, emphasizing, “Zhou Ge, don’t listen to Lao Qiang’s nonsense. It’s not that terrifying. But this time, since you finally got a chance to go out, you have to be careful and endure; don’t act impulsively. You’ll have to endure some hardships at first, but it’ll get better.”
Xiao Zhou lay back, hands behind his head, face tense and silent as usual.
Xiao Bian thought he was still worried and comforted him with a smile, “It’s not so bad. It’s a good thing to be chosen to go out. I heard that Alpha is quite wealthy and also a lawyer, young and promising. It wouldn’t be bad to be with him.”
Indeed, it was a good choice, the best choice.
Unlike Xiao Bian, who was slender with fair skin, delicate features, and a small braid at the back of his head, very typical Omega traits loved by Alphas, no one would have expected him to kill another Omega just because of his Alpha marking another.
Xiao Zhou, on the other hand, had a very typical Alpha appearance: tall, strong, rugged features with slightly hooded eyes. Even after surgery and with Omega hormones in his body altering his appearance somewhat, it hadn’t improved much.
He didn’t think anyone would choose him originally. Regardless, Captain Wang insisted that he had to take this path, which was like asking for trouble.
Being stabbed in the back, going against his natural physiology, Xiao Zhou had been transformed from an Alpha to an Omega. He might not even be granted parole.
But regardless, he had to take the gamble. He didn’t want to spend the next decade in this cell that was only seven steps long from end to end.
Captain Wang finally regained his composure and stood up straight again. The man beside him moved away and nodded towards Captain Wang. Xiao Zhou was then taken back by the guard behind him.
Watching Xiao Zhou being taken away, his figure disappearing behind the stainless steel door, Captain Wang handed a stack of parole documents to Jiang Chengyuan, asking him to sit down and sign. ‘Is he the one?’
Jiang Chengyuan nodded.
After he finished signing and stamping the documents, Captain Wang cheerfully said, ‘Lawyer Jiang, I’m entrusting him to you.’
‘Xiao Zhou is a good kid, no ill intentions, just a bit intimidating in appearance. He never caused trouble inside, still a university student. If not for that unfortunate accident, his future would be bright.’
Jiang Chengyuan remained indifferent. ‘Hmm, I’ve reviewed his file.’
Captain Wang felt a bit awkward. Despite Jiang Chengyuan’s clear disinterest, he wanted to say more, hoping to leave a good impression of Xiao Zhou on him and perhaps secure his future care.
After all, Xiao Zhou might have to rely on this person in the future.
According to parole laws, an Omega marked after being an Alpha can be paroled if approved by their Alpha guardian after a pardon court’s determination.
Xiao Zhou exploited this loophole.
He spent a large sum on Omega transformation surgery, applied for the mark to be removed through the pardon court, and his file was added to the pending Omega match database. After six months of waiting, he found his Alpha.
He gained his freedom, but also tied himself to an Alpha for the rest of his life. If the mark is removed during parole, he’ll be sent back.
‘Although Xiao Zhou seems decent, I still don’t understand why you chose him.’ Captain Wang collected the documents, unable to hold back the question that had troubled him for over a month.
Jiang Chengyuan lowered his head, and rubbed his fingers which had touched the gland. ‘His pheromones are very faint.’
‘Oh?’
Jiang Chengyuan raised his head. ‘I don’t accept many Omegas.’
Xiao Zhou took off his prison uniform and put on his own clothes, receiving the belongings confiscated before imprisonment: a watch, a flip phone, a bunch of keys, and some loose change.
The bills were stained with blood, Xiao Zhou wiped them with his fingers, the blood had seeped into the paper crevices, darkening it. The phone had long since run out of battery and couldn’t be turned on.
The mechanical watch was still ticking, he lifted his wrist and fastened it. The cold metal strap against his skin felt heavy and cool.
It felt somewhat like handcuffs.
Xiao Zhou’s heart skipped a beat, hesitated, hurriedly took off the watch and put it in his pants pocket.
After a while, he chuckled, feeling like a skittish bird.
Standing there listening to the parole instructions, each person received a green handbook and a bank card containing three years of earnings. Xiao Zhou lowered his head and followed the line, casually flipping through the manual.
The last page read ‘Cherish life, move towards a new beginning.’
Walking outside the iron gate, he looked up, the sunlight was dazzling, burning through his eyelids.
He squinted, the detention center was on the outskirts of the city, and there was a long cement road outside. The barren land on both sides floated with dust, looking bleak and desolate, with barely any signs of human activity around.
A black sedan drove out from the courtyard and stopped in front of him.
Before getting into the car, Xiao Zhou hesitated. Sitting in the front passenger seat was too close; he didn’t want to be too close to someone. Sitting in the back seat made him feel like he was treating someone as a chauffeur, which was disrespectful. He didn’t want to leave a bad impression.
Seeing him hesitate for a while, the man lowered the half-opened car window.
Xiao Zhou looked through the tea-colored glass, seeing a very refined and gentle face—smooth jawline, fair skin, straight and dark eyebrows, a high nose bridge, sharp and keen eyes, thin lips, always tightly pursed. He wore a suit and leather shoes, the epitome of an elite.
Xiao Zhou lowered his head, tugged at the thread on his T-shirt, then opened the rear door.
He didn’t want to be disrespectful, but he remained cautious towards this man.
Several fellow inmates on the list envied him, thinking his Alpha was excellent. They realized that Alphas who chose paroled felons were generally inferior.
Although the law existed, few Omegas successfully gained parole. Omegas were already a minority among criminals; the review process was strict to ensure they posed no threat to society. Sometimes, the chosen felons themselves were unwilling.
But Xiao Zhou had already made up his mind. He had undergone surgery. As long as he could get out, he could accept anything.
Of course, he also wondered why, for someone like Jiang Chengyuan, with his qualifications, how could he not find a suitable partner? How could he end up having to look for an Omega on the list provided by the pardon court? Jiang Chengyuan’s impeccable resume made him a social elite standing at the top of the pyramid, perfect in every aspect.
Regarding this situation, Xiao Zhou only had two thoughts: either the pardon court concealed some information, or Jiang Chengyuan had unique tastes.