1.6 Scent

Cole's eyes softened as he watched Persie repeatedly glance at his cell phone, his cheeks flushed.

He rummaged through a drawer and retrieved something. When he grabbed the flowers on the desk, Persie looked up at him with concern.

To most people, flowers were just a decorative item, but for Persie, they were much more. He could feel the life in each organism, and when someone harmed a plant or a flower, he felt his heart constrict.

Persie had a deeper connection to nature than he did with people, but he always hoped to find someone with whom he could share an even stronger bond.

Although he developed a friendship with Adonis and thought they might make a good match, his interest was mainly due to his mother's approval.

Adonis came from a respectable family, and Persie enjoyed spending time with him. However, he yearned for a more passionate and intense experience.

He wanted to feel a strong desire to hold his partner, and vice versa. Persie didn't feel that way about Adonis, but he still had feelings for him.

Persie planned to explore other options and then return to Adonis, considering it an experience.

When Persie saw Cole tying a ribbon around the flowers, he was surprised. After finishing, Cole handed the bouquet to him. Persie examined it and smiled when he saw the cute bow.

"Thank you," he said, his eyes shining with delight.

Cole nodded, admiring Persie's lovely face. Cole sat in the chair next to him, turning it to face him directly. Persie was taken aback by the sudden gesture but didn't say anything.

Cole tilted his head when Persie bit his lip and avoided his gaze. He sensed that Persie had something on his mind.

"What is it?" he asked.

Persie placed the bouquet on the desk and turned to face Cole.

"You're different from what I expected," Persie said.

Curious, Cole asked, "What did you expect?"

"I never really thought about it, but when I was at the castle, everyone seemed anxious about your return. They see you as cold, ruthless, and domineering."

As an alpha, Persie knew that was to be expected.

Cole smiled and replied, "I am all of those things. I promised my grandfather I would make Leos Enterprises intergalactic, and I won't keep anyone who doesn't want to do the same."

Persie looked down and murmured, "I wish I was more like you."

He wished he had been more confident and assertive about his wants and needs. In that respect, he understood the original.

Interested, Cole asked, "Why?"

"Because everyone treats me like I'm worthless," Persie replied, taking a deep breath.

He met Cole's eyes and said with determination, "From now on, I will be more vocal and say how I truly feel. I shouldn't have to give up on what I want or who I am for others. The only reason they treat me that way is that I allow them, but now I'm done."

Cole's sudden grip on his wrist confused Persie, and he stood up uncertainly. When he pulled him onto his lap, Persie's face turned red.

Cole caressed his cheek and said, "The situation must be hard on you."

Persie gazed into Cole's eyes, feeling himself becoming emotional because of the original. It was the first time someone had acknowledged that the situation he was in was hard.

They all thought the original had no right to complain when Evander was sick and dying. Even without the original's heart, Evander would have received one from being signed to the donor registry.

But Evander always saw the original as a threat and perpetually played the victim by acting weak or pretending to faint or cough.

Despite having no side effects because of the drugs he took, they all still thought he was weak. Persie swallowed and looked down.

Feeling the original's emotions so deeply helped, but it was also annoying. At that moment, just Cole being understanding made him want to cry.

Cole could tell and pulled him into his embrace. Persie froze until he smelled Cole's pheromones. They smelled just like a meadow in bloom.

Cole's sweet and floral scent was delicate and pleasant. It made Persie feel the same way he did when he was in the meadow.

He leaned on Cole's chest and closed his eyes, feeling his entire body relax. Cole held him tighter, unable to resist wanting to bury his head in Persie's neck. Ever since he first met Persie, he wanted to get closer to him.

Despite being a dominant alpha, Cole had never been affected as the other alphas had. Seeing an omega in heat didn't drive him to madness, and he had never been in a rut.

The fact that he was drawn to Persie's scent was crazy. When Cole couldn't stop himself anymore, he buried his head in Persie's neck and greedily took in his scent.

As he inhaled Persie's scent, he finally stopped feeling so restless. Persie was stunned, and his face flushed again, but he didn't feel uncomfortable, even though he had never been this close to a man before.

It looked like Cole liked his scent too. Persie let him inhale him as long as he wished until Cole pulled back.

Once he did, he met Persie's eyes, which were stunned to see that Cole seemed slightly uneasy for having lost control like that.

"Your scent is driving me insane," Cole admitted

Cole's navy blue eyes crackled with electricity as he gazed at Persie, leaving him unsure of what to say.

Persie wondered if Cole still wanted to be friends despite that, so he asked, "Does that mean you don't want us to be friends?"

Cole reached out and caressed Persie's cheek, "No, I want us to be friends."

Persie couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. It was his first day and he had already made friends with one of the most powerful men in this world.

Cole smiled at Persie's adorable expression. It was clear that Persie was inexperienced; otherwise, he would have realized that Cole wanted more than just friendship.

Cole desired to bend Persie over the desk and make love to him repeatedly. He craved to do many things to Persie, and he would.

As always, he would move on after his usual three times. When someone knocked on the door, Persie tried to get up, but Cole held him in place. "Come in."

Zoe entered, and her eyes immediately darkened. Her hand tightened into a fist, but she remained calm and said, "We've arrived."

Cole nodded, and Zoe looked at Persie with disdain before leaving. Persie gazed out the window and saw that the ship was landing on the pad in the garden.

The garden was breathtakingly beautiful, with vast expanses of perfectly manicured lawns and colorful flower beds that stretched as far as the eye could see.

In the center of the garden stood a majestic fountain that shot water high into the air, sparkling in the sunlight.

Carefully arranged flower beds surrounded the fountain, filled with vibrant flowers of every hue. Roses, tulips, daisies, and irises bloomed in abundance, creating a stunning display of color that left Persie's eyes sparkling.

Persie had not seen anything like it since he arrived in this world. He wished to move into a house with a garden like that.

Persie was already looking for a house, thanks to Iris explaining the concept of investing to him to gain money quickly.

Although his garden would not be as extensive as this one, he still dreamed of a vast garden filled with various flowers.

With his eyes firmly fixed on the garden, Persie said, "You're lucky to have such a beautiful view in your backyard."

Cole gazed at Persie tenderly. He had never met anyone as pure and innocent as him before.