Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 208

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

The continuous noise tightened his entire body. It had been like this for over ten minutes. It was obvious who the caller was. But even knowing, he couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Koi, open this door now.”

A low, growling voice roared from beyond the thin front door. Koi held his breath even more, curling his body. If I stay like this, he’ll leave. He covered his mouth with both hands to make no sound, waiting for him to give up and turn away. Just a little longer. Just a little longer.

Then, a different sound came from outside. It was probably a neighbor complaining about the noise. He didn’t quite catch the first part of what they said, but the latter part was clear.

“Get out of here right now, or I’ll call the police, you bastard!”

“…”

The loud banging on the door, which had been rattling moments ago, fell silent. Is Ash finally giving up? He listened intently, expecting to hear footsteps turning away and leaving.

Bang!

A noise incomparable to before echoed throughout the small house.

“Hee!”

He screamed in surprise without realizing it. Perhaps hearing the sound, Ashley paused for a moment, then kicked the door again. It was on a completely different level from the knocking he had been doing with his fists. The flimsy door would surely break and fall to the floor any moment. But Koi, far from running away, remained frozen, trembling, his eyes wide, simply staring at the shaking door.

Bang! again, and the wooden door creaked, cracking. And the next moment, it could no longer withstand, splitting in two.

“…Haa.”

The massive man, silhouetted against the dim light of the hallway, sighed in annoyance and brushed back his flowing blond hair. Koi, huddled tightly on the old bed, gasped in shock, holding his breath, and merely stared at him with wide eyes.

Several hours earlier.

Both his body and mind were exhausted to the point of fraying, but Ashley Miller felt no desire to rest.

Even though he had known the moment he stepped into the house, feeling no presence at all, he searched every corner of the house. Only after opening the laundry room door last did Ashley finally accept the reality.

Koi hadn’t come. Even after he had told him to.

Grrr, the sound of his teeth grinding echoed inside his eardrums. He stood there for a while, arms crossed, then turned and headed for the kitchen.

Without even the leisure to take out a glass and pour whiskey, he opened the bottle and drank straight from it. He swallowed hard, emptying nearly a third of the bottle at once, but felt no intoxication. It was because of the damn pheromones. This headache that tormented him, the endless insomnia, no, everything. He was completely finished the moment he presented.

‘You have so much.’

You’re wrong, Koi.

Koi had told Ashley he had a lot, but Ashley had been losing what he had for a long time. First, he lost Koi, then hope, then his future, his will to live, his memory, and now there was almost no emotion left. His mind was as messed up as his life.

I’m not regretting it now, am I?

It was too late to regret. And he hadn’t even thought of it in the first place.

Ashley placed both hands on the counter and stood there for a moment. His gaze remained fixed on the clock on his cell phone.

He remained motionless for a while, then as soon as midnight passed, he snatched up his cell phone and left the kitchen, getting into the elevator.

Ashley had given him enough chances and waited. Koi was the one who missed it. Now, no matter what Ashley did, he wouldn’t be able to make excuses. And Ashley arrived in an instant in front of Koi’s old, shabby apartment.

&

Koi turned pale and huddled his body tightly. Cold sweat ran down his back, and his entire body trembled. He had to say something, but his throat was so tight that no sound came out.

Seeing him merely mouthing words, Ashley moved without hesitation, striding into the house. Bang! Koi was startled by the sound of a fist hitting the wall, and Ashley ground his teeth, spitting out.

“What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to stay at my house?”

“I-I did, but.”

Koi managed to squeeze out the trembling words, but he couldn’t continue. Seeing him close his mouth again, Ashley’s face grew even more menacing.

“Alright, get up. Let’s go to my house right now.”

“J-just a moment, Ash.”

Koi cried out urgently, but Ashley had already mercilessly stripped away the thin blanket that covered Koi up to his nose. And then, the strong scent he could no longer suppress spread instantly.

Ashley reflexively covered his nose and mouth with his hand. He knew what this scent was. The pounding pulse throughout his body and his rising temperature proved it.

Koi couldn’t say anything as Ashley looked down at him with wide, horrified eyes. His flushed face, ragged breaths, and parted lips were the most certain answer.

“I’m sorry, Ash, I…”

The voice that barely escaped was trembling wildly. He had forced it down until now, but it was no longer possible. Ashley caught his body just in the nick of time as he was about to collapse. The even stronger scent enveloped his entire body. It was enough to make his vision go completely white, but Ashley barely managed to hold onto his reason. He barely collected himself from the pain of his fingernails digging into his palm, took shallow breaths, and said.

“That’s enough, do it later.”

After saying just that, Ashley abruptly picked Koi up. He, who usually walked fast, left the place in an instant as if race racing. Then he climbed the stairs three or four steps at a time and quickly reached the car.

Koi, who had vaguely opened his eyes, saw Ashley place him in the passenger seat, then immediately go around the car and get into the driver’s seat. He immediately started the car and called Bernice, but Koi couldn’t understand the conversation well. His heat cycle, which had now fully erupted, was making his entire body boil. He eventually began to groan and sob.

“Calm down, just bear with it a little longer.”

Ashley said that, but it lacked sincerity. He too had already slapped his own cheek several times due to his constantly rising temperature. At this rate, he might lose control and assault Koi in the car. He didn’t even have time to recall what was happening. There was only one thought in his mind.

I have to protect Koi.

He didn’t know what. He just sped down the road like a madman, as if fleeing from something hot on his heels.

“Mr. Miller!”

Bernice and others rushed towards Ashley, who had barely managed to stop the car. Ashley didn’t answer, got out of the car, and personally carried Koi.

“Dr. Steward?”

“He’s waiting. More importantly, are you alright? We’ve prepared a stretcher, so please…”

Bernice spoke quickly, but Ashley passed her and went straight into the building. The staff who saw him urgently guided him.

“This way, Mr. Miller, are you really alright? The pheromone scent is too strong.”

“Mr. Miller, please put him on the cart. Mr. Miller!”

Calls continued to follow him, but Ashley didn’t stop. He finally put Koi down after facing the doctor who was waiting for them.

Haaah…

Only after seeing the medical staff surround Koi, who was lying on the bed, did Ashley finally step back. A long sigh escaped his lips. The scent of pheromones, deeply penetrating his lungs with each breath, made his mind hazy.

“Mr. Miller, come out now! Quickly!”

Bernice, who had followed him, shouted. Ashley, who was obediently led into the hallway by her, muttered in a low voice to his unusually rigid secretary.

“It’s okay, don’t shout. …My head is pounding.”

His voice was terribly hoarse, painful to hear. Bernice, who immediately fell silent, subtly glanced into the hospital room. The overflowing pheromone scent from inside was something she also knew. It was the very scent she had smelled to the point of being sick when she took Ashley to parties. Only, it was unbelievably strong for something coming from just one person.

“No way, that child… Is this Niles’s pheromone?”

A short, leaking laugh, like air escaping, was heard in her fading, uncertain voice. Bernice, who had turned her head, witnessed Miller’s face twisted into a sneer.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Giggling laughter mixed with ragged breaths followed. An unusual chill ran down her spine, and the fear she had felt from another Miller, who was no longer in this world, returned to her. As if mocking Bernice, who had been confident that such fear would no longer exist.

&

When Koi opened his eyes, the surroundings were suffocatingly quiet. For a moment, he feared something was wrong with his ears, but he barely calmed down when he felt the sound of his own reflexively drawn breath echo in his eardrums.

It wasn’t that.

Phew, he sighed in relief, sweeping his hand across his chest, but it was only for a moment. There was someone else in the hospital room besides himself. Feeling an inexplicable chill, Koi hesitated and turned his head, then froze.

The man sitting on the sofa was facing him. As their eyes met, he finally set the half-empty whiskey glass on the table and opened his mouth.

“Hello, Koi.”

The low, soft voice was exactly as he remembered. But for some reason, Koi felt uneasiness before welcome. Unlike when they talked on the phone, he somehow felt a distance from him. Just as he recalled Ashley from their last meeting, Ashley opened his mouth.

“Are you okay? How’s your body?”

At the still gentle voice, Koi thought he was going crazy. Ash hasn’t changed from before, so why am I like this? He forced himself to shake off the cold face that kept coming to mind and barely managed a smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.”

“That’s good.”

Ashley smiled back. He should have felt relieved now, but Koi couldn’t at all. He kept feeling that Ashley’s reactions were alien. Even though there was no reason for it. To Koi, who kept feeling awkward, Ashley continued to speak with a smile.

“The baby is safe too, don’t worry.”

Koi reacted after a few seconds of blankness.

“…Baby?”

For a while, Koi just stared blankly at Ashley. Seeing Koi subtly slap his own cheek, Ashley opened his mouth.

“It’s real. You’re pregnant.”

The reaction came after a few seconds of blankness. Koi, who had only been blinking, belatedly shot up and shouted.

“Pregnant? Me? How?”

At the series of questions, Ashley replied with a deliberate pause.

“Because you mutated into an Omega.”

Koi paused for a moment. Ashley, who didn’t miss his reaction, frowned almost imperceptibly.

“You knew.”

Koi mouthed words, then reluctantly confessed.

“When you fainted from the pheromone shock… I had a heat cycle.”

“At Al’s house?”

To Ashley, who reacted immediately, Koi shook his head.

“No, it suddenly happened on the street. Nothing happened. Al helped…”

This time, Ashley was silent. For a moment, complex thoughts swirled in his mind. Anyway, thanks to Ariel, they avoided a disaster too horrible to imagine, so he should be grateful. But the thought that Ariel had intercepted Koi’s long-awaited heat cycle made him furious.

He firmly pressed down on the point where emotion and reason intersected, returning to reality, and for now, focused on the immediate situation. Koi was the priority now. Other things could be thought of later.

“That’s good.”

At Ashley’s businesslike voice, Koi hesitated and then mustered his courage to ask.

“What do you mean, baby? Pregnant, I just don’t….”

Seeing his confusion, Ashley opened his mouth.

“You’re an Omega, so you can get pregnant. What you and I did was originally for the purpose of conception.”

Suddenly, forgotten memories resurfaced. What had Ash said when they first had sex? He didn’t remember exactly, but he generally recalled the content. At the time, he thought Ashley was mistaken, as he was a Beta and couldn’t get pregnant, but it was Koi who was wrong.

Then, no way.

“Ah… you knew? That I became an Omega… No way, y-you intentionally… like that.”

Seeing Koi unable to speak properly, Ashley opened his mouth.

“Not necessarily.”

“What do you mean?”

Koi asked, feeling like crying. Ashley spoke slowly, in a slower tone than usual.

“You may or may not know, but I was in rut then. It came out of cycle, so it was very short, and my memory remained intact, but I was not rational while having sex with you.”

Koi listened intently to the calm explanation, his body tense. There were no flaws in his words. It must be true. Hadn’t he seen firsthand how helplessly Ashley, and even Shepherd, succumbed to Angel’s pheromones?

If it’s true that I’m an extreme Omega…

Then it made sense that Ashley lost control and went into rut. The fact that it ended in a short rut without him fainting might even be thanks to Koi’s poor pheromone control.

But if that’s the case…

“You mean you already knew I became an Omega then?”

Ashley stared intently at Koi. His occasional ability to hit the mark, despite his usual blankness, was one of Koi’s lovable traits that Ashley usually thought of, but now it was not particularly welcome.

“Yes.”

Ashley answered honestly again. He had told countless lies in his profession, but Koi was an exception. He hadn’t told him everything, but he hadn’t lied. Koi also knew that, and though it was disappointing, he had no choice but to believe him.

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

He struggled to hold onto his trust in the one he loved.

“You should have told me sooner. You knew I was an Omega, and that I was pregnant… Why did you hide it until now? Why?”

“I didn’t hide it.”

“Then what is this?”

To Koi, who immediately questioned him, Ashley spoke slowly, as if drawing out his words.

“I was just waiting for the right timing.”

“Timing.”

“Yes.”

As Koi grimaced and repeated the word, Ashley readily continued.

“I wasn’t even sure you were an Omega. I smelled pheromones from you, but you seemed clueless, or I wondered if you were trying to hide it. Don’t you remember? The night before, you lied to me, saying you had slept with many men. You said the same thing the day after we had sex, that we were nothing more than sex partners.”

Suddenly, Koi felt as if he had walked into his own trap and been caught by the foot. Seeing his expression, Ashley narrowed his eyes.

“In that situation, what would you have wanted me to do? Tell me, Koi.”

Koi fumbled, unable to find words. He was already bad at speaking, and now that he was cornered, he had even fewer thoughts. After watching Koi, who was just looking around helplessly, for a while, Ashley said, “Alright,” to get his attention.

“Anyway, even if I wasn’t sure, I should have told you, and that’s my fault. So, what do you want to do now?”

“Huh?”

As Koi blinked blankly, Ashley spoke, forcing his way through his complicated thoughts.

“First, we need to see a doctor to accurately assess your condition, right? The doctor can see you right now if you’re ready. Shall we think about the next step after that? What do you want to do?”

Koi unconsciously gripped the sheets tightly. Phew, he exhaled a trembling breath, then opened his mouth.

“I want to see a doctor.”

“Good.”

Ashley readily said, then picked up his cell phone. While he made the call, Koi just sat on the bed, blinking blankly.