Rihan hated that he was drunk. Drunk Rihan was always more reckless, less clear-headed, less composed.
Drunk Rihan forgot he was supposed to be an Alpha, not an Enigma barely holding himself together. Yet here he was, pinning another Alpha to the wall, all because that Alpha had touched him.
He hated being touched. But that single contact had set his body on fire.
This was why he rarely drank because when he did, it became too easy to forget who he was supposed to be.
"Once I release you, you're going to leave," Rihan growled, though his words came out rougher than intended.
His instincts betrayed him. His eyes flicked to Taeryn's scent gland at his nape, and before he realized it, he'd leaned close enough to breathe it in. The scent hit him like a drug. Sweet, magnetic, impossible to ignore.
Taeryn's pheromones flooded the air, rich and heady, and Rihan could feel them sinking under his skin.
Wait!
Rihan jerked back and released him, stumbling a step away. "Leave," he snapped, pointing toward the door.
Taeryn turned slowly, his wide eyes too innocent for someone whose scent was doing this to him. He could already picture the Alpha on his knees for him, choking on his cock.
He could feel heat pooling in his veins, his pulse hammering. The air between them was thick, suffocating.
"I told you to leave," he said again, voice rougher now, frustration soaking every word. He didn't know whether to blame the alcohol or the pull of Taeryn's scent that was slowly dragging him under.
Taeryn pursed his lips, glancing toward the door but not moving. He looked like he was actually weighing whether to obey or not.
Rihan felt his patience fade. He let out a low, humorless chuckle. A sound sharp enough to make Taeryn straighten like a startled pup. The detective gave him a deadpan stare.
"Are you doing this intentionally? Trying to make me lose it in front of you?" he asked, stalking closer.
Taeryn swallowed hard but didn't back away. "I told you I like you, Detective," he said, his voice calm... too calm.
That made Rihan pause mid-step, studying him with disbelief. "Why would you like me?"
Taeryn's eyes widened, almost offended. "Why wouldn't I? You're a work of art. So... mine."
There was something unhinged in those gray eyes. An edge of obsession that made Rihan's stomach tighten. He could still taste the Alpha's pheromones in the air, heavy and sweet, sinking under his skin no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.
"I'm not yours," he said coldly. "I want you to leave."
But Taeryn didn't move. Instead, he stepped forward close enough for Rihan to notice that he was actually taller by two inches, broader too. The difference didn't intimidate Rihan, but it made the moment feel dangerously intimate.
"You don't have to like me," Taeryn murmured, his voice dropping to something darker. "You can just use me however you want. I'd be happy to be your toy, Detective."
Rihan's pulse kicked. The words hit harder than they should have not because of the offer itself, but because of how sincere it sounded. There was a feverish hunger in Taeryn's eyes, the kind that made people run the other way. The kind that mirrored his own darkness a little too well.
He said nothing. He just pushed Taeryn back into the chair and turned away. Without another glance, he left the room, left the House of Crimson, and stepped into the evening air that felt mercifully cold against his burning skin.
He called for an Uber. He wasn't about to drive drunk.
Not tonight. Not after that.
***
Rihan woke to the sound of his own phone screaming.
He groaned, his head pounding, and groped blindly for the device on his nightstand. The screen lit up with Minjae. Six missed calls glared back at him. It was 5 a.m.
He swiped to answer. "What?" His voice was rough, still thick with sleep and a hangover.
"Where the hell are you? I've been calling for hours! How did you do it?" Minjae's voice came fast, anxious, but also strangely thrilled.
Rihan sat up slowly, dragging a hand over his face. "Sick in bed," he muttered, which wasn't a total lie. His head felt like it had been split open, and beneath the dull ache lingered that faint, electric pulse... the afterburn of Taeryn's pheromones.
"What are you talking about?" he asked flatly.
Minjae sounded almost incredulous. "What am I talking about? A body was found in that abandoned brothel, Lantern House, last night. His name was Park Minsoo. The manager confirmed he's the one who threatened him and killed Joon-oh. You sent me the evidence yourself! everything points to him! How the hell did you pull that off?"
Rihan froze. I didn't do anything.
He swung his legs off the bed, his mind clearing fast as the words sank in. "Send me the pictures," he ordered, his voice suddenly sharp. "Everything I supposedly sent you. All the evidence. And the full report on Park Minsoo."
"Okay… but, Rihan. Are you sure you're okay? You left so suddenly yesterday, and then this drops? You didn't even deliver the files in person, and Minsoo was found dead right after."
Rihan's jaw tightened. Something wasn't right.
Rihan pushed himself out of bed, rubbing his temples hard. "How did he die?"
"Suicide," Minjae said.
"Huh."
Rihan didn't buy it. Nothing about this case made sense, but if Minjae was right, then it was officially closed.
He ended the call, tossing his phone onto the bed, and dragged himself toward the living room.
The lights flicked on and his entire body froze.
"What the hell…" he breathed.
There, sprawled across his couch like he owned the place, was Taeryn. Sound asleep.
For a full five seconds, Rihan just stared, every nerve on edge. How the hell had this Alpha even gotten in? His place was supposed to be impossible to break into.
Taeryn mumbled something incoherent in his sleep, shifting slightly but not waking up.
Rihan exhaled sharply through his nose, half in disbelief, half in irritation. "Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath.
He ran a hand down his face. Of course Taeryn would show up here. "This damned Alpha has no sense of boundaries."