SPM 1.3

Due to innate physical characteristics, Alphas, unlike Betas or Omegas, were generally larger and had different muscle mass and quality. Even with the same amount of exercise, the results were significantly different. As a result, Alphas were heavily represented in various sports.

This was especially true in American football.

Strength, speed, physique, and agility are essential elements for a football player. Unlike other sports where technical aspects through training are prioritized, American football places great importance on innate physique and strength, so most teams were predominantly composed of Alphas.

The Alpha scent was overwhelming in football stadiums.

There was even a joke about it, as it was an inherently macho sport. The intensity and danger were unmatched by other sports. Experts agreed that American football had the highest injury rate and the shortest player lifespan.

“I thought the Wolves didn’t hire Omega employees?”

Terrence Hunt’s handsome eyebrow quirked up. Ian hurriedly replied to the unspoken question of why he was there.

“The law changed two years ago.”

Many people were working hard for Omega equality. Allowing Omegas like Ian to apply to sports teams was part of that effort. Of course, given the conservative nature of the industry, it was limited to clerical positions.

The distinction between men and women, Alphas, Omegas, and Betas, and primary and secondary sexual characteristics had long been abolished, but some stubbornly rigid groups still existed covertly. This was because specific secondary genders could hinder their goals and objectives. That was why the rule had been maintained until this equal 21st century.

This was especially true in the American football world, so Ian never imagined he would be able to get a job with a football team.

But miraculously, Missouri’s laws changed, and an opportunity arose by chance. This welcome reality, which felt like luck to Ian, was clearly displeasing to Terrence, as his brow furrowed even more deeply than before.

“Not good…”

“What?”

Ian had never doubted that Terrence Hunt discriminated against Omegas. Especially not the Terrence he had known for so long. Ian’s voice unconsciously rose. But Terrence didn’t seem to notice, continuing to speak.

“Players like me who play the games will all agree. How many crazed fans do you think have taken heat-inducing drugs and rushed into the locker room?”

It was something that occasionally appeared in the news or articles. No matter how much the world changed and developed, there were always troublemakers, and people who were obsessed and acted out of the blue.

Unfortunately, some of them would be people like Ian.

Unfortunate cases of going into heat while passing the showers where players comfortably released pheromones and relaxed.

“It’s a good thing it wasn’t during the season. Imagine that happening before an important game.”

“…I’m sorry about the accidental incident you encountered. But what happened with me was truly an accident and a mistake… I thought all the players took medication to dull their pheromones… Besides, I switched to an implantable suppressant after our incident! I even changed to a stronger type. The doctor who performed the procedure guaranteed it. An accident like last time won’t happen again.”

“Hmm…”

“Believe me, Terrence. I want to keep working here. I really do.”

It was freedom he had barely obtained.

He had to build the best resume and practical experience possible to get an MBA, and his mother was berating him for choosing a mere sports team as his next company, with her typical Korean and self-centered elitist mindset. He had stubbornly chosen this job, ignoring her.

Not only her, but everyone around him had something to say. They told him it would be better to keep working in New York, considering his future challenge of getting a Harvard MBA, which was notoriously difficult.

He had persuaded those people to let him experience what he liked and had achieved this result. So he couldn’t quit now for such an absurd reason. He had to endure here for a few years to gain proper social experience and build his career.

Moreover, he had stubbornly cleared everything up for this job and moved to Kansas City, where he didn’t know anyone, so he couldn’t quit now.

“Then what can I do? The accident already happened.”

Who knew there would come a day when that handsome face would look so annoying.

Ian was tempted to punch Terrence, who slowly shrugged his broad shoulders. Of course, even if he punched with all his might, only his fist would hurt.

“And it’s not just about my position, Ian. You’re incredibly lucky that I was the one who found you.”

Terrence’s expression turned grim as if he was vividly recalling the day of the accident.

“Imagine if someone with weaker self-control had found you when you suddenly went into heat. Don’t you realize how terrible it could have been?”

He was right. After all, he trusted the power of medicine that worked on players who took pheromone suppressants and believed in the Wolves players’ patience, but he couldn’t be sure that none of them had weak self-control regarding pheromones.

Even if Ian had been brutally raped that day, there was nothing he could have said to the perpetrator.

As Terrence said, it was entirely his fault for thinking it would be okay and passing by that way, perhaps misjudging the pheromonal influence of the dominant Alpha players.

“You’re right. …I’m late in saying this. Thank you for helping me.”

Ian bowed his head. It was a typical Korean greeting, but he had no other way to express his gratitude. His feelings were a mess from the conversation so far, but the thank you was a separate matter.

Ian was born a dominant Omega.

Because he naturally had a strong pheromonal influence, he had been rigorously trained in control since childhood. Being dominant, he was naturally excellent at controlling pheromone reception and emission, and his inherent patience, derived from his personality, made him less susceptible to the influence of others’ pheromones.

Perhaps because of this, he had never experienced a sudden cycle due to Alpha pheromones, so he had become overly confident in himself. Moreover, he thought that his recent physical condition made it impossible for such a thing to happen.

He had always thought his father was overprotective, but perhaps he had just never faced such an extreme situation. His father’s concerns were valid, and as Terrence argued, it was Ian’s fault.

Knowing this, he couldn’t refuse and was now sitting across from him like a criminal.

Terrence lifted his empty wine glass and pointed it at Ian.

“In conclusion, you are also responsible for this marking.”

At the realistic reminder, Ian’s head dropped.

“I know…. If I hadn’t been in a hurry and passed that way that day, the accident wouldn’t have happened.”

He had urgent matters to report, but minor issues kept piling up, and the meeting time was delayed. So he was in a hurry.

His boss told him to rush back to the office, so he hastily wrapped up the meeting with the staff at the training ground and cut through the shortcut, passing by the showers and going into heat due to the pheromones naturally emitted by the dominant Alphas. Perhaps the fact that he had been pushing himself to adapt to the new environment and new job and hadn’t been feeling well lately also had an effect.

The problem was that Terrence Hunt, who suddenly appeared from somewhere, found him. Ian, unable to control his legs giving way and collapsing to the floor, trembling.

He didn’t remember much after that. When he came to, Ian was lying in an isolation emergency room at a general hospital, receiving an IV drip.

But sometimes you know things without seeing them.

He must have looked very messy and ugly. His lower body must have been soaked and drenched. The stiff, dried underwear marks were as good as telling the story of what had happened.

Terrence was the one who had taken him to the hospital, almost losing his mind from not being able to handle the sudden heat cycle, and had taken care of all the procedures. He was also the one who had taken Ian home after he was finally calmed down with an acute suppressant a few hours later.

He didn’t know exactly when the marking had happened during that exhausting process, but it wasn’t impossible. Ian was a dominant Omega with a significant pheromonal influence, and anyone could have marked him in a situation where the Omega’s estrus pheromones were pouring out. It was surprising that it was Terrence Hunt.

‘You’re a pro, Hunt! You’re a quarterback who always has to maintain peak condition and psychological composure! But a unilateral marking? Do you even know how serious this is? The team could sue you for breach of contract.’

Ian squeezed his eyes shut, and the coach’s scolding he had overheard earlier automatically replayed in his head.

He couldn’t bear to listen any longer when they even said, “Why did it have to be a unilateral marking, which is like a time bomb, instead of a stable bilateral marking?” and he ran away. The interrogation was that severe.

Ian slowly opened his eyes and scrutinized Terrence’s face with a fresh gaze.

The space between his furrowed eyebrows suggested that he was somewhat displeased with the situation, but other than that, his expression was firm and unwavering. Rather, Ian felt dizzy from the intense gaze that was so precise and upright that it made him feel small.

He couldn’t imagine how he was coping with the criticism and interrogation and sitting in front of him with a straight face.

Of course, the marking accident was neither Ian’s intention nor Terrence’s, but since it was a unilateral marking on Terrence’s side and he was a quarterback leading the team with a huge salary, the weight of the blame was on his side.

It was a situation where he would have to listen quietly even if Terrence got angry and told him to take responsibility. He was even grateful that he didn’t bring a lawyer and demand compensation for the situation.

Perhaps Ian should be grateful that he had politely brought him to a meal, fed him, and was asking for a conversation in a gentlemanly manner.

Moreover, Terrence was clearly his benefactor who had saved him.

And that benefactor was now demanding repayment.

“So, if there’s anything I can compensate you with…”

Terrence, who had leaned back in his chair with his weight on his elbow, lifted his chin and opened his mouth.

“Ian, you have three choices.”

Hearing that, cold sweat ran down his spine.

“W-What choices?”

“Choose. Will you meet me regularly for sex?”

“W-What?”

“Or…”

Terrence Hunt’s eyes, watching Ian like a hunter eyeing his prey, gleamed dangerously.

“Will you marry me?”

“…”

Faced with an unimaginable verdict, his vision went dark.

***

Ian hadn’t lived in the United States from the beginning.

Song Ian.

He was called ‘Ian Song’ here now, but he was someone who thought of his real name as Song Ian and that he was completely Korean.

He was born in the United States, but he had returned to Korea with his mother when he was a young child with no memories of it, and he had spent almost all of his formative years here. So even if his blood was mixed, he was sure that he was Korean, and Ian grew up trying to control his confused identity.

He moved his base to the United States in the summer when Ian was eighteen years old in Korean age.

It was already a long time ago, so it was hazy, but it was probably the beginning of summer. He had started packing his bags as soon as the first semester final exams of his second year of high school were over.

“Song Ian, look here.”

Her voice, as a lawyer, was always clear, slightly sharp, and never wavering.

It was the same today. Even as she sent her cherished son alone to a distant country.

Ian, who was staring blankly at his plane ticket to the United States in front of the gate, raised his head at his mother’s voice. It might have been because his arms, gripped by her hands perfectly manicured with nail art, hurt.

What would be the best way to describe his feelings that day?

Sadness? Regret? Fear?

Or… loneliness?

Even though he felt like he was suffocating from all those mixed, sorrowful emotions, Ian couldn’t actively insist that he didn’t want to leave and that he just wanted to live in Korea with his mother. That was because he had never made any demands or thrown a tantrum at his mother in the first place.

Single mom, workaholic, helicopter mom.

These three words accurately described Ian’s mother, Song Joo-hee.

Song Joo-hee was a successful woman. With solid skills and fame, she appeared on television and received high fees for each case, a so-called successful lawyer. In addition, she was also a mother who had single-handedly supported her only son, Ian, from English kindergarten to prestigious elementary, middle, and high schools.

She was someone who devoted all the time in her life outside of work to her son, and Ian knew very well that she was doing her best, even saving her sleeping time.

It is often said that children from difficult families mature quickly. Ian thought he was one of those cases.

Lying on the floor, kicking his legs, and throwing a tantrum to get what he wanted was an unimaginable sight in his short life. He always lived with the obsession that he shouldn’t make his mother difficult in that way.

‘We’re a team, son. You and I are a team.’

She often said that while holding young Ian’s hand. In order for us to live well, we must care for and help each other. The words that one side should not make the other side difficult were engraved in his heart and mind like a sculpture and became an indelible idea.

Of course, even without such a promise, he would never have been grumpy or thrown a tantrum while watching his mother, who came home exhausted every day, given his personality.

A family relationship with only two people. It was natural for Ian, who had matured early, to try to please the only person who gave him affection and to avoid offending her.

So he always followed his mother’s opinions.

He did what she told him to do, and he didn’t do what she told him not to do.

His mother, Song Joo-hee, was a very passionate person, and that was the same in her children’s education. She wanted Ian to walk the path she wanted him to take.

She believed that her son could do what she had done. Seventeen years old, the crossroads where Ian and his mother first started to creak.

Of course, not from the beginning. Thanks to his mother’s enthusiastic education, everything was perfect up to entering the international program of the most prestigious special-purpose autonomous private high school in the country, and until then, her son was her pride and joy, without a single flaw.

But was that the best place that a ‘good son’ could reach? Among the exceptional children who had gathered from all over the country, Ian’s grades began to drop.

From the time he woke up in the morning to the short meal times, the books he had to read every day, the words he had to memorize, the workbooks he had to solve, the languages, instruments, and sports he had to learn, and the various discussion and speech groups….

From the very young age that Ian remembered, he had lived faithfully following his mother’s schedule, which was divided into minutes, but he couldn’t move forward any further.

In the first place, Ian didn’t think he was a genius or someone with an exceptionally brilliant brain. He was just obedient and diligent enough to do what he was told.

He had only been able to come this far as a result of faithfully following a thorough schedule since he was very young, and he felt it painfully as he fell further and further behind in a school full of talented, outstanding, and even proactive prodigies.

As soon as he received his first midterm report card in high school, Song Joo-hee covered her forehead and fell ill.

‘What’s the problem… Why is your presentation score so low? You practice with your tutor every time…’

She had an expression that she couldn’t understand.

But Ian couldn’t say that he couldn’t even raise his hand because he was overwhelmed by the momentum of his friends who raised their hands during the discussion time and poured out their opinions clearly and perfectly. Especially not in front of his mother, who already didn’t like his introverted and unassertive personality. So he just lowered his head and silently listened to her complaints mixed with sighs.

As a result of those days, Ian was now standing at the airport with only one bag.

This was also his mother’s decision.

“Mom…”

“Yes, son.”