L*ck Me If You Can

Chapter 208

The loud knocking continued, bang, bang, bang, bang!

The persistent noise caused my entire body to tense up. It had been going on for over ten minutes now. I could already guess who was at the door. But even knowing that, I couldn't bring myself to move.

"Koi, open this door right now."

The voice that came through the thin door sounded almost like a growl, full of anger. Koi shrank back even more, holding his breath. If I stay like this, he'll leave. I blocked my mouth with both hands, hoping that he would give up and turn away. Just a little more, just a little longer.

At that moment, another sound reached my ears from outside. It seemed like the neighbors were protesting about the noise. Although I couldn’t hear the first part clearly, I definitely understood the second part.

"If you don’t get the hell out of here, I’ll call the police, you damn bastard!"

"..."

The noise that had been banging on the door so loudly suddenly stopped. Was Ashley finally giving up? I held my breath and listened carefully, hoping to hear his footsteps as he turned to leave.

Bang!

The noise was so much louder than before, shaking the narrow house.

"Eek!"

Without even realizing it, I screamed. Perhaps hearing my scream, Ashley kicked the door again, this time with even more force than before. The sound of his fist against the door had been nothing compared to this. The frail door was about to break and collapse onto the floor any second. But instead of running, I froze, my body trembling, my eyes wide open as I stared at the shaking door.

Once more, with a crack, the wooden door split open. And the next moment, it was completely broken in two.

"...Hah."

A large man, backlit by the dim hallway light, let out a frustrated sigh and pushed his blonde hair back. Koi, who had been curled up on the old bed, froze in shock, his breath caught in his throat, staring at him with wide eyes.

A few hours earlier...

Ashley Miller had been exhausted, both mentally and physically, but he had no intention of resting.

When he stepped into the completely silent house, he already knew what he would find, but he still searched every corner of the house. Only after checking the laundry room did he finally accept the reality.

Koi wasn’t here. Despite everything he had said.

The sound of his teeth grinding echoed deep inside his ears. He stood there with his arms crossed for a while before turning on his heel and heading toward the kitchen.

He didn’t even bother pouring a glass of whiskey, just opening the bottle and drinking directly from it. He emptied about a third of it in one go, but he didn’t feel any buzz. It was all because of the damn pheromones. The headaches, the endless insomnia, all of it. Once they had manifested, he was completely finished.

You have so much, Koi.

You’re wrong, Koi.

Ashley had told Koi that he had so much, but the truth was, Ashley had lost everything he once had a long time ago. First, he lost Koi, then hope, the will to live, memories, and now, there was barely any emotion left inside him. His life was a mess, and so was his mind.

He wasn’t regretting it now, though.

Regret wouldn’t help. And he never had such thoughts to begin with.

Ashley leaned over the counter with his hands planted on it, staring at the clock on his phone.

After a while, with no movement at all, the moment the clock passed midnight, he snatched his phone up and left the kitchen to take the elevator.

He had given Koi enough chances and had waited. Koi had missed them all. No matter what Ashley did now, Koi couldn’t make excuses. Without a moment to lose, Ashley arrived at the shabby apartment /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Koi lived in.

*

Koi was paralyzed with fear, his body curled up tightly. Sweat ran down his back, and his entire body was shaking. He knew he had to say something, but his throat was so tight it felt like no sound could escape.

His mouth moved, but nothing came out. Ashley, seeing him like this, wasted no time. He stepped forward and marched into the house.

Bang!

When Ashley slammed his fist against the wall, Koi startled, and Ashley growled in anger.

"What the hell are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to come to my place?"

"I-I was going to, but..."

Koi stammered, his voice trembling as he tried to explain, but he couldn’t continue. Seeing him close his mouth again, Ashley’s face grew even more menacing.

"Fine, get up. We’re going to my place, right now."

"W-wait, Ash..."

Koi shouted desperately, but by then, Ashley had already ripped the thin blanket off him. And that’s when the scent that he had been trying to suppress finally exploded.

Ashley instinctively covered his nose and mouth with his hand. He knew what that scent was. The pounding of his heartbeat and the warmth of his body confirmed it.

Ashley looked down at him in shock, his eyes wide. Koi, breathing heavily, his lips slightly parted and flushed red, gave the clearest response possible.

"I’m sorry, Ash, I... "

The barely audible voice was shaky. He had been holding it in until now, but it was impossible to keep going. As his body nearly collapsed, Ashley caught him just in time. The scent that had intensified surrounded him completely. It was so overwhelming that everything around him seemed to blur, but Ashley managed to hold onto his sanity. With his nails digging into his palms, he focused on controlling his breathing, exhaling shallowly as he spoke.

"Enough, we’ll do it later."

After only saying that, Ashley picked Koi up without hesitation. His usual quick pace turned into something even faster, almost like he was in a race. He climbed the stairs in a few swift steps and reached the car in no time.

Koi, who had barely opened his eyes, saw Ashley sit him in the passenger seat before immediately jumping into the driver's seat. He started the car and made a call to Bernice, but Koi couldn’t understand the conversation. The effects of the pheromones were making his whole body burn with heat. Eventually, he began sobbing, the tears coming uncontrollably.

"Calm down, just hold on a little longer."

Ashley said, but his words lacked sincerity. He, too, was struggling with his own rising temperature, slapping his cheeks a few times to stay focused. If things continued like this, he might lose control and take Koi right there in the car. He couldn’t even process what was happening anymore. All he could think about was one thing.

He had to protect Koi.

From what, he didn’t know. All he could do was drive like mad, as if running from something chasing him.

"Mr. Miller!"

When Ashley finally pulled the car over, Bernice and others rushed to him. Ashley didn’t answer. He got out of the car and immediately scooped Koi up.

"Is Dr. Steward here?"

"He’s waiting. Is he alright? We have the stretcher ready..."

Bernice spoke quickly, but Ashley passed her and entered the building directly. The staff quickly guided him inside.

"This way, Mr. Miller. Are you really okay? The pheromone scent is too strong."

"Mr. Miller, please place him on the cart. Mr. Miller!"

The calls continued, but Ashley didn’t stop. He barely set Koi down when he finally met the waiting doctor.

Hah...

After seeing the medical staff surrounding Koi on the bed, Ashley stepped back. A long sigh escaped him. Every breath he took was filled with the intoxicating pheromone scent that clouded his mind.

"Mr. Miller, please come out! Quickly!"

Bernice, who had followed, shouted. As Ashley reluctantly followed her into the hallway, he spoke in a low voice to his rarely shaken secretary.

"It’s fine, don’t yell... My head’s ringing."

His voice was hoarse and painful to hear. Bernice, who had been about to speak, cast a glance at the hospital room. She could smell the pheromone scent overflowing from inside. She recognized it; she had smelled it when she took Ashley to the party. But this... this was so much stronger, almost impossible to believe that one person was emitting it.

"Could it be... that kid? Is this Koi Niles’ pheromone?"

A weak voice, almost unsure, faded as a brief laugh escaped. When Bernice turned her head, she saw Ashley’s twisted, cynical smile.

"Why wouldn’t it be?"

Laughter mixed with ragged breathing continued. An unfamiliar chill ran down her spine, and the fear she once felt from another side of Ashley began to return. The terror she thought she had shaken off was now back. It was as if Ashley was mocking her for thinking she had escaped it.

*

When Koi opened his eyes, the surroundings were eerily quiet, almost suffocating. For a moment, he feared something was wrong with his ears, but the sensation of his own breath vibrating in his eardrums allowed him to relax, confirming it wasn’t his hearing.

It wasn’t that.

Phew. He let out a sigh of relief, but it was brief. There was someone else in the room besides him. He hesitated, feeling an unsettling chill, and turned his head slowly.

A man sat on the sofa, facing him. When their gazes met, the man, who had just set a half-empty whiskey glass on the table, spoke up.

"Hello, Koi."

His low and soft voice was exactly as Koi remembered it. Yet, for some reason, instead of feeling comforted, Koi felt a wave of unease. There was something distant in his tone, unlike the phone conversation earlier. When the memory of their last meeting resurfaced, Ashley spoke.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?"

His voice still sounded gentle, but Koi thought to himself that something was off. Ashley was the same as before, so why was he feeling this way? He tried to push away the cold, harsh face that kept resurfacing and forced a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Good to hear."

Ashley smiled in return. Koi should have felt relieved, but the unease wouldn’t go away. Something about his response felt strangely foreign. There was no reason for him to feel this way, but it kept nagging at him. Noticing Koi’s awkwardness, Ashley continued speaking, still smiling.

"The baby is safe, don’t worry."

It took a few seconds for Koi to respond.

"...Baby?"

For a while, Koi just stared at Ashley blankly. As Koi subtly slapped his own cheek, Ashley spoke up again.

"It’s real. You’re pregnant."

Koi, still stunned, shouted without thinking.

"Pregnant? Me? How?"

Ashley paused for a moment before answering, deliberately taking his time.

"You’ve turned into an omega."

Koi froze at the words. Ashley narrowed his eyes, sensing that Koi understood.

"You knew."

Koi opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words. Finally, he sighed and confessed.

"When you fainted from the pheromone shock... the heat cycle came."

"At Elle’s place?"

Ashley responded immediately, and Koi shook his head.

"No, it happened suddenly on the street. It wasn’t anything serious. Elle helped me..."

Ashley fell silent this time. A flurry of complex thoughts crossed his mind. He should be grateful that he avoided an unimaginable disaster, thanks to Elle. But then, thinking that Elle had interrupted Koi’s long-awaited heat cycle, anger flared up inside him.

Focusing on the present, he suppressed the mix of emotions and reasoning, deciding to concentrate on Koi for now. Other thoughts could wait.

"I’m glad to hear that."

Ashley’s professional tone made Koi hesitate before gathering the courage to ask.

"What do you mean, ‘a baby’? I... don’t understand..."

Seeing Koi flustered, Ashley spoke calmly.

"You’re an omega, so pregnancy is possible. What you and I did was originally meant for pregnancy."

The memory, which Koi had nearly forgotten, resurfaced. What had Ashley said when they first slept together? He didn’t remember the exact words, but the general meaning was clear. At the time, Koi had thought Ashley was mistaken about how a beta could get pregnant. But it turned out he wasn’t wrong—Koi had been the one in error.

Could it be...?

"Ah... Did you know? That I’d become an omega... did you... intentionally do that?"

Ashley, seeing Koi struggle to finish his sentence, spoke slowly.

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

Koi felt a lump in his throat as he asked. Ashley, speaking more slowly than usual, began to explain.

"You might not remember, but I had a rut at that time. It came at the wrong time, so it was very brief, and I still remember it, but when we had sex, I wasn’t thinking clearly."

Koi listened carefully, his nerves on edge. There were no flaws in Ashley’s explanation. It must have been true. After all, Koi had seen with his own eyes how powerless Ashley, and even Shepherd, had been when exposed to Angel’s pheromones.

If I really am an extreme omega...

Then it made sense that Ashley lost control and went into a rut. Perhaps the only reason it didn’t end in him passing out or going further was because Koi had failed to control his pheromones.

But then...

"Does this mean you already knew I was an omega at that time?"

Ashley stared at Koi. Normally, he appeared somewhat clueless, but moments like this—when he caught Koi off guard—were one of the things Koi found endearing about him. Right now, however, it wasn’t the least bit comforting.

"Yeah."

Ashley answered frankly. He had lied countless times in his career, but when it came to Koi, he made an exception. He didn’t reveal everything, but he didn’t lie either. Koi knew this, and while he was disappointed, he couldn’t help but trust him.

"Then why didn’t you tell me?"

Koi clung to the belief that Ashley, whom he loved, would have had faith in him.

"You should have told me. You knew I was an omega, you knew I was pregnant—why didn’t you say anything until now? Why?"

"I didn’t hide it."

"Then what is this?"

Koi immediately pressed him, and Ashley, as if savoring the moment, replied slowly.

"I was waiting for the right timing."

"Timing."

"Yeah."

When Koi repeated the word with a confused expression, Ashley continued.

"I wasn’t sure you were an omega at that point. I could smell the pheromones on you, but you didn’t seem to notice. I even thought you might be trying to hide it. Don’t you remember? The night before, you lied to me, saying you’d had sex with a lot of men. You even said the next day, after we had sex, that we were just sex partners."

In that moment, Koi felt like he had walked straight into a trap of his own making, caught by his own words. Ashley narrowed his eyes, watching him closely.

"In that situation, what did you expect me to do? Tell me, Koi."

Koi couldn’t find the words and fumbled, unable to think of anything. He was already bad at talking, and now, in this difficult spot, his mind went blank. Ashley watched him struggle for a while before snapping him out of it.

"Anyway, even if I wasn’t sure, I should have told you. That’s my mistake. So, what do you want to do now?"

"What?"

Koi blinked, his mind working to process what Ashley said.

"First, we need to see a doctor and find out your exact condition. If you’re ready, we can see the doctor right away. Do you want to think about the next steps after that?"

Koi unconsciously gripped the sheet tightly. He exhaled a shaky breath before speaking.

"I want to see the doctor."

"Good."

Ashley immediately picked up his phone. While he made the call, Koi just blinked, staring blankly at the bed.