Chapter 36: The Admiral’s Possessiveness

The two just hid their heads in the coat and stumbled their way onto the hovercar.

Lucas, with his eyes a little red, tightly grasped Luo Ran’s hand.

At times like this, alpha were more sensitive to omega pheromones; and towards omega whom they liked or already marked, they were completely unable to resist.

However, Luo Ran knew that he’d used a lot of scent blocker sprays and drugs to suppress his own pheromones.

Lucas was breathing hard, as if trying to hold something back.

“Admiral, do you have a headache?” From his research, Luo Ran knew that alpha would be very uncomfortable during this period.
They felt like someone was fighting in their minds, so they couldn’t help but direct their aggression outwards to vent.

Luo Ran dug out the rut-suppressant medicine he carried in his pocket, and handed that along with a thermos bottle to Lucas.

Lucas swallowed it roughly.

Luo Ran lightly patted Lucas’ back.

Lucas’ eyes dimmed, and he quickly grabbed Luo Ran’s wrist again.

Ow.

It hurt, but Luo Ran held back from crying out.

Marks soon appeared on the wrist from the hard metal’s pressure.
Luo Ran gritted his teeth, drooped his head, and waited for their destination.

“Admiral, we’ve arrived.”

Lucas didn’t look at Luo Ran again — he felt that if he took one more glance, he wouldn’t be able to hold back.
He turned and strode towards his room as his chest heaved with breath.

Luo Ran locked the doors and windows, then stood outside his room.
“If Admiral doesn’t feel well, or needs anything, send a message through the terminals, okay?”

An answering grunt came from within, then Lucas seemed to climb onto his bed to sleep.
After all, Luo Ran dosed the white tea incense with a lot of sleeping aids.

Luo Ran let out a relieved breath, then smoothly took out an ointment to rub his wrists with.

Lucas didn’t really know how to control his strength and the force he used towards others was different from normal people, but Luo Ran didn’t plan to remind him.

Lucas’ rut usually lasted between one to three days.

Luo Ran pulled up a reclining chair, sat right next to the door, and took the time to do some paperwork.

The beta patrolling outside were also used to Luo Ran guarding Lucas through his rut.

The next day, the investigation into Andika’s case started in earnest.
There were many things to look into, not least of which were the pirates’ supply route, the maid’s weapons, and the extent of the pirates’ infiltration.

According to Andika, the maid threatened him with both drugs and interstellar pirates, in order to force him to bring pirates to the Empire’s capital… and to arrange a meeting between the pirates’ leader — Huntsman — and a VIP from the Empire to take place during the banquet, for a business meeting.
The plan was to disguise Huntsman as Andika’s bodyguard.

As for who the VIP was, Andika didn’t know.

But after careful consideration, Huntsman was present at every banquet.

He could only be there under the protection of the VIP.

Lu Cheng handed the report to Luo Ran, then summarised their progress in a few sentences.

“There’s one more thing… Andika told me something, but I didn’t let him report it to the authorities,” Lu Cheng said in a low voice.
“Secretary Luo reminded me earlier to not report this kind of thing.”

Luo Ran raised his eyebrows and motioned for Lu Cheng to continue.

“Andika said that interstellar pirates are planning to steal UNK.”

The situation had changed immediately after Luo Ran successfully refined the UNK.

Repeated experiments showed that the refined UNK indeed contained more energy — up to five times more energy, in fact, compared to anything from previous mines.

The most important point was that it could not only power machines and factories, but if people ate it or were exposed to its radiation for a period of time, their spiritual and physical powers would increase dramatically.
It was the equivalent of a new medicine and weapon combined.

Of course, the Empire immediately began making plans and setting rules, as well as officially launching a large-scale UNK refining project.
All the omega from the research institute succeeded in refining UNK using blueprints from the ‘SSS omega’, and Xia Zhi, as the first to successfully refine it, was also invited to the institute as a researcher, which could be considered as returning to his roots.

It was also because of this that the meetings between the two countries would start again.

At present, Luobing had already promised to send another batch of UNK soon.

If interstellar pirates wanted to steal some, then they must be targeting this delivery of UNK.

Luo Ran frowned slightly, wondering why pirates would bother stealing it at all.
It wasn’t as if they knew how to refine it.

But on second thought, that Huntsman seemed… a little mysterious.

Maybe he could figure it out? Or perhaps the pirates also intended to steal the blueprints, after all, Huntsman had that important friend of his.

Luo Ran rubbed his temples.
“You’ve done a good job, this thing shouldn’t be reported to them, our army has always been the ones to fight pirates.”

Their superiors weren’t trustworthy.
They didn’t know who the spy was, and they couldn’t defend against it at all.

Their operation couldn’t be interrupted again like last time.

“Go negotiate with them to transfer that maid to our detention facilities,” Luo Ran ordered, “then question her as harshly as needed about their plans for the robbery.”

With UNK containing this much energy, it might easily create terrifying new weapons if processed.
They couldn’t let interstellar pirates get their hands on it.

“Yes sir!”

“Oh, right, Secretary Yuan Han asked me something this morning, and the imperial family is also very concerned.” Luo Ran stroked his chin and smiled.
“You and Prince Andika…?”

At this, Lu Cheng scratched at his cheek, a little embarrassed.
“He said it’s okay to… um, get married.
But he’s afraid Luobing’s side won’t agree, so he asked me to mark him.”

An alpha could mark countless omega in their lifetime, but an omega could only have one alpha, and their marks could never be removed.

If Lu Cheng marked Andika, then Luobing wouldn’t have a choice about it even if their original plan was to have their prince matched with Lucas.

But this result was exactly what the Empire wanted.
Not only would it satisfy Luobing’s requirement for a marriage, but it also wouldn’t let them take advantage of the situation.

Lu Cheng didn’t have a high status — he was neither of the imperial family nor did he have a hereditary title or military rank.

But he also couldn’t be said to have a low status — he was the chief adjutant of the Empire’s admiral, and was someone who held real military power.

Not too much or too little, just right.

Luo Ran chuckled a little.
“We weren’t very clear before, but now we know.
Prince Andika treats you very well, but he’s still a rather timid omega.
You have to be patient while he quits the drug, the process might not be so smooth or beautiful, so you have to take care of him more and don’t show any impatience.
It’s important to give him self-confidence and to keep encouraging him.”

Luo Ran remembered the Andika he saw at the banquet.
At that time, the young man, who held an empty plate, stood next to the long table in a daze, staring at the many types of food.
He obviously wanted to eat but dared not reach out and take any, and in the end, Luo Ran personally chose some food for him.

“He encountered something like this on his first trip to the Empire, plus he’s never lived well in Luobing before, so he must be very scared,” Luo Ran said, “you have to stay with him more.
How about I ask the admiral to give you a holiday when he comes over, and give you a reduced workload for half a year?”

“Thank you, Secretary Luo!!” Lu Cheng solemnly stated, “I definitely will! I’ve already marked him, and I’ll protect him properly in the future, I won’t let him be bullied again.”

“Also… You must treat him well, but don’t think that you’re inferior to him.
Altogether, his position in Luobing and your position in the Empire is about the same, so be confident.”

Luobing was a vassal state and Andika was an illegitimate child, while Lu Cheng was the adjutant of the Empire’s admiral.

“Yes sir!!” Lu Cheng’s heart was warm.

After that, Lu Cheng intended to leave, but he couldn’t resist a glance at the tightly closed door.

“Secretary Luo isn’t going in…?” Lu Cheng asked.

Finding Lu Cheng’s question very strange, Luo Ran raised his head.
“It’s better not to disturb the admiral at this time.”

Lu Cheng hesitated as if uncertain whether to say something.

Secretary Luo was a beta, he… might not understand.

Lu Cheng took a deep breath.
“Secretary Luo, I’ve also experienced ruts before.
During ruts, alpha lose almost all reason and self-control, but can restrain themselves in the face of their favourite omega or beta and suppress all their instincts, do you know what this means?”

“…?” Luo Ran couldn’t quite react to this new topic for a while.

“This means that the alpha really, truly cherishes them, so that they can fight against biological instincts.
That shows extraordinary determination and resolve, I-I might not be able to do it…”

Luo Ran smiled.
“I know this.”

“Yes!”

Lu Cheng left.
Luo Ran paused; putting aside liking him or whatnot, Lucas really was… trying his best to endure, he didn’t lose his temper or lash out.

Lucas didn’t have to.

Luo Ran lowered his eyes and gripped the report without a word.

* * *

Luo Ran sat near the door for the rest of the day, watching the patrolling beta go in to deliver food for Lucas.

Wang Qiuyang prepared a sandbag for Lucas, which he used in the room to exercise and vent.
The sound of his fists hitting the sandbag was so intense that Luo Ran could hear them across the door, letting him feel the depths of Lucas’ irritability.

Luo Ran sat like that until evening, and when he returned after a shower, he saw that the door had opened.

Lucas stood next to the door and expressionlessly watched Luo Ran with pitch-black eyes.

Luo Ran immediately went closer and asked, “Admiral, do you need anything…?”

Lucas: “You.”

Luo Ran froze.

Lucas held the door frame.
The man’s eyes were like those of a falcon, and his sharp aura made Luo Ran breathless.

Luo Ran replied blankly, “I… What about me?”

Luo Ran’s body smelled not only of white tea, but also of his shampoo from his recent shower.

“Can you come in with me?” Lucas asked in a low, hoarse voice.

Luo Ran’s reason was telling him: no, you can’t.

He was a secretary, an employee, and an omega masquerading as a beta, he shouldn’t approach his boss during his rut.

That would be overstepping.

But when Luo Ran met Lucas’ eyes, he suddenly thought of Lu Cheng’s words, and then… he nodded.

Luo Ran wanted to do his best to meet all of Lucas’ requirements and avoid making him sad.

Almost in the same instant Luo Ran nodded, he felt himself being dragged in.

Bang! As soon as the door closed, Luo Ran was pressed against it.
The man in front of him breathed heavily.
“I don’t want you to be anyone else’s secretary.”

“I won’t,” Luo Ran replied.
After a beat, he repeated gently, “I won’t, Admiral.”

Lucas didn’t seem to believe it.
He lowered his head, and bit at the junction of Luo Ran’s neck and shoulder.

Luo Ran frowned slightly at the pain.

Lucas stared ferociously at Luo Ran, wishing to leave his mark.

Luo Ran is mine.

Lucas bit hard, leaving a deep red tooth mark on that fair skin.

Then he turned his head and took a bite on the other shoulder.

“Admiral…!” Luo Ran reflexively raised his head and stared upwards.
“You…”

Lucas grabbed Luo Ran’s left hand and bit his wrist.

“Mnh…” These were all vulnerable places, Luo Ran could only passively let this madman go crazy.

A bright red mark appeared on his left wrist.

It wasn’t enough.
Lucas snared Luo Ran’s right wrist and lowered his mouth again.

—My mark has to be everywhere others can see.

As soon as this thought emerged, Lucas’ gaze moved to Luo Ran’s face.

This place was also his.

Lucas bit those soft lips.