Divorce and Desire: Love with My Boss

By the time the IV was removed, the sky was still gray. Winter nights always felt longer than usual.

Noah had driven himself to the hospital, and it wasn't far from where he lived. The two painkillers had been enough to get him through.

"Why didn't you call him?"

Noah turned slightly to fasten his seatbelt. "It's too late."

"Are you going to take half a day off today?"

Noah stared ahead at the lights, some breakfast spots already lit up. "Who's ever seen a newly opened shop owner so careless?"

"I figured as much. Just take care of yourself, don't push too hard."

The gentle tone of Ethan's voice sent a shiver through Noah's heart. "And you? What about you?"

Though Ethan's face could be deceptive, his body's signals were impossible to fake.

For example, the yawn. Though Ethan managed to stop himself from opening his mouth, the movement of his jaw couldn't be hidden.

"I have a meeting to attend today."

The company's growth was undeniable, and Ethan's personal involvement in key matters was indispensable.

"Get some rest. Even half an hour will help." Noah waved him off in front of the door, the sound of the password unlocking the door echoed, but Ethan's feet moved back a step.

The hug they shared was brief, but it left Ethan frozen in place.

Staring at the closed door, he wondered if the embrace had been just a fatigue-induced hallucination.

But his memory told him it wasn't an illusion—it had definitely happened.

After taking a warm shower and changing into a soft robe, Ethan lay in bed. He thought that after the hug, sleep would elude him, but as soon as his eyes closed, a warm, gentle emotion wrapped around his heart, and he fell asleep almost instantly.

After the hug, Noah had sprinted back to his room faster than he ever had before.

He pressed his warm face into his hands, unable to imagine how bold he had just been a minute ago.

Honestly, he hadn't thought much about it. He just felt like Ethan needed a hug.

He'd almost caught a fleeting scent—something faint, almost imperceptible, like orange.

Noah didn't fall asleep. He kept his eyes closed, but his mind kept replaying the events from the IV room.

He thought of the warm embrace, of Ethan's gentle, deep voice, and of Ethan, the man himself.

Only when the alarm went off did Noah finally open his eyes.

He hadn't fallen asleep, but his body felt lighter and more at ease than ever before.

Despite turning off the heating and opening the windows, the cold wind blew against his face, but it couldn't shake the sudden irritation rising in Noah's chest. His heart was thudding, and with it, a strange sensation pulsed at the back of his neck.

The back of his neck?

Noah slowly reached for the smooth skin at the base of his neck, only to find a small, noticeable bump. He could feel its rhythmic pulse, matching the beat of his heart.

He was an omega, and this was his gland—the one that had only now developed, much later than expected.

Gender was something you were born with, but the development of the gland usually came during puberty. As an omega matured, their heat cycle would begin, just as alphas experienced their periods of heightened sensitivity.

It was... odd.

Very odd.

Noah's thoughts scrambled as a strange, unfamiliar sensation began to flood his body, one that was both overwhelming and hard to describe. He lay on the bed, feeling like someone who had just finished running a long race, his body flush with heat, his breath coming out in shallow gasps.

It felt like even breathing was exhausting.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't have any suppressants at home. In fact, he had never bought any.

Trying to cool himself down, he pressed his face against anything cold—his pillow, his sheets—rubbing against them in a desperate attempt to alleviate the heat. But it didn't help. He was still burning up.

Shawn wasn't home. He'd taken a couple of days off.

Noah began to cry, unsure why he felt so miserable.

When he was upset, he couldn't help but think of Ethan.

His mind was a jumbled mess, unable to process anything clearly. He could barely form coherent thoughts.

In a moment of desperation, he dialed Ethan's number.

"Ethan, I feel awful..."

"I'm outside your door. Can you open it for me?" Ethan's voice was steady, but there was a note of concern.

"I feel terrible… I can't move… I'm so weak… I feel like I'm burning up… what should I do? I'm so hot…"

Noah's voice cracked halfway through, and his words were heavy with distress.

"Hey, Noah, listen to me. Take a deep breath. Slowly, okay? Slowly inhale—exhale. Try to calm down."

Ethan's voice was gentle, but his own heart was racing. He was standing in the hallway, sweat beading on his forehead, his hand trembling as he tried to open the door.

"Noah, tell me your favorite number. Slowly. We'll figure this out, okay? What's your favorite number?"

Noah's breath was still quick and shallow, but at least it wasn't as frantic as before.

"I like spring… I like March… I like the fifteenth moon…"

Finally, the sound of the door unlocking echoed, and Ethan pushed it open. A sweet floral scent filled the air as he stepped inside, but his mind was entirely focused on Noah.

He quickly touched the suppressant patch on his own neck, holding his breath as he entered the room.

The most urgent thing now was Noah. He glanced around, and in the dim light, he saw Noah collapsed on the floor. His pajamas were rumpled, the collar stretched out of shape, and his limbs curled up tightly like a little turtle.

As Ethan rushed forward, he caught a familiar scent—a soft, sweet citrus aroma, stronger now than before.

This time, it wasn't the cold floor that Noah's face was pressed against, but warm skin. Ethan's skin. It felt more soothing, but not enough to ease the fire burning within him.

"Ethan… I feel terrible… why does it hurt so much?"

Noah buried himself in Ethan's arms, his tears soaking Ethan's chest.

"You're going into heat. Just wait a little longer, okay? I'm going to get you suppressants. Stay here. I'll be right back."

Ethan, being an alpha, didn't keep omega-specific suppressants at home.

Noah clung to Ethan like a koala, his hands and feet wrapped around him tightly. "Don't go—please don't leave. Just stay with me. With you here, I feel so much better."

Ethan gently wiped the tears from Noah's face with his fingers. "Alright, I'll stay with you."

Though his voice was calm, his words were mostly meant to soothe Noah. Without the suppressants, the only other option was marking Noah temporarily. But Ethan didn't want to take advantage of Noah in this state, especially not when Noah wasn't fully conscious. He didn't want to leave his scent on Noah's body without his clear consent.

Ethan tried calling Felix for help, but the call kept going unanswered.

Noah, nestled in his arms, was disturbingly quiet for an omega in heat. He wasn't frantic or overly agitated, but the occasional soft whimper and the tears still rolling down his face broke Ethan's heart. Despite the difficulty of the situation, Noah remained unbearably sweet in his distress.

Ethan could feel the heat radiating from Noah's lips—his breath scorching against Ethan's exposed skin, a constant reminder of how little control Noah had over his own body. The scent in the room was thick, pungent, and heavily dominated by Noah's natural pheromones. Ethan's instincts were clawing at him. He knew he was getting dangerously close to the edge, and every second felt like an eternity.

He gently pulled Noah back, his hand instinctively cupping Noah's flushed cheek. "Be good, okay?"

Ethan had just placed an urgent order for a courier, hoping to get the suppressant delivered in time. The late hour made it more difficult, and even with an expedited order, it would still take fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes. That was 900 seconds, and each one felt like a slow torture for Ethan.

Noah, still flushed and vulnerable in his arms, whimpered again, his words almost a plea. "Please, let me stay close to you. I feel so bad…" His lips parted slightly, his cheeks flushed, eyes wide with an unspoken request. The look in Noah's eyes was almost too much for Ethan to bear.

For someone who had seen as much of the world as Ethan, this kind of temptation was nothing new. But with Noah in this state, so raw and in need of comfort, it was almost impossible to resist.

Without thinking, he shifted Noah into a more comfortable position, pulling him into his embrace. "Is this better? Are you feeling a little better?"

Noah let out a soft hum, his head rubbing gently against Ethan's chest, trying to find comfort. His movements were sluggish but needy, seeking more of Ethan's warmth. Despite the situation, there was a quiet intimacy in the way they held each other.

Ethan, unable to keep his mind from wandering, started to gently rub his thumb against Noah's fingers, a small distraction from the rising heat between them. How much longer? He couldn't help but think. Why is time moving so slowly?

He wasn't sure how many times he'd clenched his teeth, but when his phone finally lit up, it wasn't the good news he was hoping for. The message on the screen made his stomach drop.

The courier had gotten into a car accident. The car had broken down, and they couldn't deliver the suppressants.

Ethan's heart sank, his blood running cold. The urgency of the situation was even more palpable now. He could feel Noah's body growing hotter by the second, the warmth spreading across his skin as his heat intensified.

If they didn't get help soon, Noah was going to suffer. Worse, he might burn up from the feverish heat that was consuming him.

Ethan held Noah tighter, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry..."