Empire of Desire: An Alpha’s Financial Reign - Chapter 18

As the semester wore on, Han Zaijing found herself increasingly stretched thin. Between the mounting responsibilities at the company and the flurry of campus events and academic duties, her stress levels soared. The persistent pressure, both physical and mental, began to take a toll on her body—culminating in a sudden, uncontrolled estrus episode that caught her completely off guard.

That afternoon, she met Ni Jia in the school’s equipment room for a workout session. Ni Jia had recently taken up a new sport, and Han Zaijing, ever the attentive mentor, had been acting as her personal trainer.

The two moved together among the machines, their breathing quickening in tandem with the repetition of drills, sweat beading on their foreheads. The air in the room grew warm and thick with the intensity of exertion and unspoken emotions simmering just beneath the surface.

Just as Ni Jia finished a set under Han Zaijing’s watchful eye, something shifted inside Zaijing. Her pulse began to race uncontrollably, heat surged through her limbs, and the delicate balance of her pheromones suddenly spiraled into chaos. She recognized the signs immediately—estrus was setting in, uninvited and unmanageable.

Fighting to remain composed, Han Zaijing stepped away and sat down on a bench, her breathing unsteady. She closed her eyes and tried to regulate herself, inhaling deeply as if she could will her body into obedience. But the wave only intensified.

Ni Jia noticed the change right away. She approached quietly, concern etched into her features. “Zaijing, are you okay? You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine,” Han Zaijing replied, managing a fragile smile. “Just… tired.” But the faint tremble in her voice betrayed her.

Ni Jia knelt beside her and reached for her hand, startled by the warmth of Han Zaijing’s skin. “You’re burning up. Let’s get you to the infirmary, or at least to the nurse’s station.”

Han Zaijing shook her head almost desperately. “No… I can’t. Not there. Jia Jia, I need… I need you.”

Her voice was low, almost pleading, laced with frustration and vulnerability. Though the equipment room offered some level of privacy, it was still a public space. Ni Jia froze, her face turning pink as the implication of the request sank in. Her heart raced—not just from embarrassment, but from the intimate proximity and the emotional weight of the moment.

Han Zaijing leaned in, bracing one arm against the wall beside Ni Jia, her tall frame casting a protective shadow. The scent of her pheromones, rich and unruly, filled the space between them. Without waiting, she cupped Ni Jia’s face with both hands and pressed a kiss to her lips—urgent, unrestrained, and sincere.

Ni Jia’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the warmth and intensity of the kiss. Han Zaijing’s hands slid along her back, drawing her closer until there was barely any space left between them. The heat radiating from her body was palpable, her trembling evident.

“Zaijing…” Ni Jia murmured, dazed by the overwhelming presence of her Alpha.

Han Zaijing’s body tensed, struggling against the surging need and the aching swell of her glands. The pheromones she released were potent, her control slipping by the second. She buried her face in Ni Jia’s neck, breathing in her scent as if it were the only thing anchoring her to sanity.

What followed was a flurry of emotion and sensation—a quiet chaos behind the locked door of the equipment room. The connection between them deepened, not just physically but emotionally, a shared surrender to the intensity of the bond they could no longer ignore.

Amid the heated embrace, Han Zaijing whispered hoarsely against Ni Jia’s ear, “Baby…”

Ni Jia’s flushed cheeks were tinged with affection and playfulness as she leaned in and teased softly, “Zaijing, shall we make a baby~?”

The unexpected words made Han Zaijing’s heart skip a beat. Her usual restraint crumbled in the face of Ni Jia’s sweetness. With a tender growl, she lowered her lips to Ni Jia’s gland and bit gently, exchanging pheromones in a moment of mutual surrender. The match between their Alpha and Omega signatures was seamless—calming, grounding, and deeply satisfying.

Relief coursed through Han Zaijing’s body as the chaos within her gradually stilled. Her breathing steadied, and the heat began to dissipate. Her shirt was half undone, the sweat on her skin catching the light, while her eyes softened into a gaze full of silent affection. In that moment, she wasn’t just an Alpha—she was someone hopelessly and entirely in love.

Ni Jia, leaning into her with quiet adoration, felt her own heart surge. She had never doubted the strength of her feelings, but now, they solidified into something unwavering. She wanted to be with Han Zaijing completely—in body, in spirit, and in fate. She wanted to be marked, permanently.

Afterward, they sat in silence, catching their breath. Ni Jia gently fixed her hair and smoothed out her skirt, then leaned down to place a kiss on Han Zaijing’s lips—soft, grateful, and loving. “I’ll go ahead first,” she said with a wink, before slipping out the door with flushed cheeks and a heart full of emotion.

Left alone, Han Zaijing tidied up the room in silence. Her mind lingered not on the shame of what had happened, but on the quiet joy of being seen, accepted, and embraced at her most vulnerable. For the first time in a long while, she felt something that resembled peace.