Has The Live-in Alpha Stepped Up - Chapter 3
3: Not Prey
An Yizhu entered the factory through the front gate and walked unimpeded all the way to the back door without encountering a single person.
The back door was completely different from the front—it was a heavy iron gate installed for strict access control.
In the middle of the gate was a standard-sized door with a keypad lock, clearly not meant for casual entry.
Yet now, it stood slightly ajar.
Even in her current state—her mind foggy and struggling to think—An Yizhu found this odd.
But she stepped through it anyway.
The clouds in the sky gathered, blotting out the last traces of light. The oppressive weight of the darkening clouds pushed time fully into night.
Boom—
Thunder roared mercilessly.
The streetlights nearby flickered on almost simultaneously.
Drip—
Drip—
Heavy raindrops pelted the ground.
As An Yizhu passed through the back door, it felt like she had entered an entirely new world.
What remained here were abandoned tin-roofed shacks left behind by history, sprawled like a fallen beast ready to devour anyone who stepped inside.
Rows of interconnected shacks formed a labyrinth of dark alleyways.
The crumbling walls were dampened by the rain, the heat rising from them carrying the stench of wet earth and mildew.
Based on her twenty years of life experience, An Yizhu knew very well that she shouldn’t venture into this strange, unfamiliar territory.
Dirty, shadowy, and deserted environments were breeding grounds for danger.
But before her rationality could catch up, instinct had already driven her forward. Her steps were unnaturally steady as she moved deeper into the alley.
A mysterious force guided her, helping her make precise choices at every confusing intersection. She had no time to think.
The heart of the shack district was pitch-black, with only faint glimmers of light filtering through the gaps in the ruined roofs. Yet An Yizhu’s vision was unusually sharp, allowing her to calmly survey her surroundings like a predator.
The increasingly heavy rain had completely drenched An Yizhu’s body. Her T-shirt and jeans clung tightly to her skin, making her want to tear them off—or tear apart something else.
The urge to destroy churned inside her.
“Hah—” An Yizhu exhaled a hot breath, her voice low like a beast’s growl.
If there was any danger in these shacks right now, it was probably herself.
[Prey nearby!]
The terrifying thought flashed through An Yizhu’s mind, jolting her awake. She was shocked that such an idea had even occurred to her.
Only then did she realize what she had been chasing all this time—the beast inside her was craving the scent of prey.
What exactly was waiting for her at her destination?
Desire and curiosity spurred her forward, her steps growing quicker as she navigated the dark, cramped passageways.
Thud—
At the end of the path, she kicked over a small pile of collapsed bricks.
She felt no pain, but she stopped.
Leaning one hand against the dented wall, she stared at the corner ahead.
“Who’s there?” A cold voice demanded from around the bend.
[Prey!]
An Yizhu narrowed her eyes, the beast inside her roaring.
The voice was as icy as the rain falling from the sky, dripping coldly onto her skin.
Yet its tone was incredibly pleasant, as sweet as the scent in the air.
An Yizhu’s senses were in chaos. She couldn’t tell whether what she was experiencing came from her eyes, her fingertips, her ears, her nose, or some other sense entirely.
She stepped around the corner.
What greeted her was an open area with no overhead cover, where rain poured down relentlessly, blurring everything in sight.
This was one of the rare clearings in the ruins, with paths branching out in all directions.
An Yizhu stared for a moment, her vision sharpening until she could make out a small figure huddled under the only shelter—a pile of debris—like a kitten hiding from the rain.
A lone streetlight in the clearing, not yet abandoned, cast a dim glow. The light flickered under the assault of the rain, making everything appear fragmented, as if the scene were lagging.
An Yizhu frowned and stepped into the downpour. The storm was so dense that even a “mermaid” like her felt suffocated.
She moved closer.
The small figure had a pair of beautiful eyes—clear, alert, filled with determination, defiance…
A mix of emotions swirled in them, but not a trace of fear.
She was not prey.
Without fear, she could not be prey.
An Yizhu approached the debris pile.
A gust of wind rushed through a narrow alley, driving raindrops into An Yizhu’s face.
With it came that scent again.
This time, An Yizhu recognized it—it was the fragrance of roses.
The figure in the debris shifted, clutching a shard of glass behind her back as she looked up.
“Who sent you?” she demanded.
Boom—
Lightning flashed, thunder crashing like a blade striking An Yizhu.
Through the curtain of rain, under the dim streetlight, she finally saw the face clearly.
She knew it!!
It was the face she had drawn with her own hands!
The face she had poured all her love into!
Yu Guqiu?
It really was Yu Guqiu!
This face was even more exquisite than the one she had drawn!
Yes!
The overwhelming scent of roses in the air—wasn’t that the signature fragrance of this icy villainess?
Frozen Roses.
An Yizhu couldn’t help but move closer to Yu Guqiu. She wanted to help her up—they needed to leave this damned place together!
Her short-circuited brain finally reconnected, and she answered Yu Guqiu’s first question:
“I’m An Yizhu!”
Yu Guqiu frowned, straining to see An Yizhu clearly through the heavy rain.
She couldn’t understand.
This clearing was a hub of intersecting paths, where air currents were chaotic. Even tracking by scent shouldn’t have led anyone here so quickly.
How had this woman found her with such precision?
Even with a name, Yu Guqiu still didn’t know who she was, what she wanted.
All she could tell was that this was a slender, tall woman, moving toward her with slow but unwavering determination.
Yu Guqiu tightened her grip on the glass shard, its sharp edge pointed outward, ready to strike a fatal blow if the stranger came too close.
But when An Yizhu stepped under the streetlight, Yu Guqiu got a clear look at her face—and froze.
“It’s you?”
The words were so soft they were drowned out by the roar of the rain.
Yet Yu Guqiu’s thoughts were thrown into disarray.
She had only seen An Yizhu once, in the car, but she remembered her.
Was even a one-time encounter part of the conspiracy?
Was that possible?
Was this something Yu Feng could orchestrate?
Or was there another mastermind behind all this?
Yu Guqiu stared at An Yizhu, who suddenly stopped three meters away, as if her strings had been cut.
Boom—
Time seemed to pause for a second. Even the rain halted midair. Everything changed in an instant.
A fresh herbal scent crept in from all directions, silent and unnoticed until it had already enveloped Yu Guqiu completely.
“You’re an Alpha!”
The realization made Yu Guqiu tense up again.
She peeled off a corner of her inhibitor patch.
She had to protect herself now—even if it meant releasing more pheromones and risking attracting others.
An Yizhu shook her head, her mind hazy. She could only respond mechanically:
“I’m An Yizhu.”
But Yu Guqiu had already noticed something else. A thought flashed through her mind:
[This can’t be!]
She wanted to deny it, but her body had already given an answer: She had been exposed to an Alpha’s pheromones, yet she wasn’t having an allergic reaction!
An Yizhu reached the edge of the scattered cardboard, intoxicated by the sweet rose scent around her—like a mouthful of strong liquor.
Her nose.
Her throat.
Her tongue.
Her mouth.
Her chest.
Everywhere was filled with Yu Guqiu’s scent.
Her legs weakened, and she dropped to one knee in front of Yu Guqiu.
She braced herself carefully against the ground, afraid of hurting Yu Guqiu, who lay there.
But Yu Guqiu showed no mercy despite An Yizhu’s caution. The sharp glass shard pressed against An Yizhu’s left side, piercing her skin as she leaned forward.
Bl00d, bright red and warm, seeped out and slid along the glass into Yu Guqiu’s palm.
Yu Guqiu’s grip tightened, her heartbeat suddenly accelerating.
An Yizhu’s T-shirt had ridden up slightly, and the bl00d spread upward across her pale skin, stark and eye-catching.
Yu Guqiu stared at An Yizhu’s face.
An Yizhu didn’t even notice the pain in her side. Her eyes were glistening, reflecting the faint light like scattered stars.
She simply gazed at Yu Guqiu as if beholding a treasure.
After what felt like an eternity, An Yizhu finally spoke:
“Sister, you smell so good.”
“…” Yu Guqiu’s breath hitched. She remained silent, feeling something rise from the nape of her neck, surging into her mind as an unnamed emotion.
Not disgust.
Yu Guqiu studied An Yizhu closely.
This girl, who looked barely twenty, didn’t speak with any hint of impropriety. She was merely stating a fact, her eyes brimming with pure delight.
Yu Guqiu had seen that expression somewhere before.
Ah, yes—her mother had looked at her father the same way before she passed.
Her mother had loved her father deeply.
So what was your reason, An Yizhu?
The licorice-like scent gradually eased the discomfort of her heat. Yu Guqiu’s lips curved into a faint smile.
That simple smile sent An Yizhu’s pulse racing, her dazed eyes flickering as if she wanted to look away.
Nothing was more heart-stopping than a smile from an untouchable beauty.
Now, Yu Guqiu set the glass shard aside, finding the girl before her amusing.
[Since your pheromones don’t repel me, no matter who sent you, from now on—you belong to me.]
Yu Guqiu had made up her mind.
Rather than relying on unreliable drugs to endure heat after heat, why not keep this living inhibitor?
The shift in Yu Guqiu’s thoughts made her pheromones drop their hostility entirely.
Roses and licorice intertwined seamlessly, blending in an instant.
An Yizhu didn’t understand what was happening. Her heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the rain.
She was mesmerized by Yu Guqiu’s beauty.
The ice-cold woman’s eyes now shimmered with a rose-colored glow, even her lashes tinted with it.
Beneath those lashes, the light was hazy, indistinct.
“What are you waiting for?” Yu Guqiu’s voice was no longer as cold as before.
But An Yizhu had no idea what to do. Clumsily, she grabbed Yu Guqiu’s blazer.
The thread securing the button snapped, sending it rolling into the rainwater. The blazer fell open, revealing a pristine white blouse beneath.
The sight alone sent a shiver down An Yizhu’s spine, freezing her in place.
Raindrops dripped from An Yizhu’s hair onto Yu Guqiu’s collarbone, sliding beneath the blouse and drawing a soft gasp from her.
Like a rose adorned with dew.
Acting on instinct, An Yizhu leaned in closer. The hem of the blazer lifted, their skin touching—along with the sticky, crimson bl00d staining Yu Guqiu’s blouse red.
The sound of heavy breathing cut through the rain and An Yizhu’s pounding heartbeat.
A sharp ache deep in her gums turned into an unbearable itch.
An Yizhu licked her teeth and felt the pointed canines protruding from her gums.
Before she could process this, Yu Guqiu grabbed her face with one hand.
Her fingers were cool, slender, and strong.
An Yizhu involuntarily opened her mouth, revealing her fangs.
This was Yu Guqiu’s first time seeing an Alpha’s fangs up close.
An Yizhu’s weren’t ugly, but they weren’t as endearing as the little canine teeth she showed when she smiled.
“Mark me,” Yu Guqiu whispered, tilting her neck and exhaling sharply.
An Yizhu, unfamiliar yet somehow recognizing the term, lowered her head and opened her mouth.
“Mm—” Yu Guqiu winced in pain.
But—no!
That wasn’t the gland!
An Yizhu had bitten her collarbone instead.
Seeing An Yizhu’s clumsy, aimless actions, Yu Guqiu grabbed her face again.
The bl00d on her palm hadn’t dried yet, and now it smeared across An Yizhu’s cheek.
An Yiuqiu truly seemed like a clueless little beast, her wild instincts unrefined, unable to even hunt properly—she needed guidance.
Yu Guqiu lifted her left hand, brushing her hair aside to expose the gland at the nape of her neck.
An Yizhu froze.
Yu Guqiu’s eyes were downcast, her fragile beauty breathtaking.
The air seemed to carry a hint of wine—was it rosé?
This poised, elegant older sister was so beautiful, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Her pristine white blouse was stained red, her collarbone marked with bites and damp trails.
An Yizhu finally saw it—the true target was the flushed gland at the back of her neck.
Yu Guqiu released her right hand, only for An Yizhu to seize it immediately. Yu Guqiu’s fingers tightened, her entire body tensing.
“Sister.” An Yizhu murmured, her cheek brushing against Yu Guqiu’s as she buried her face in the fragrant nape, her breath scorching.
The rain transformed into rose petals midair, splashing against the ground in floral bursts.