NOVEL NEXT Don’t Touch Me!
“Is something bothering you?”
Zhou Lieren lifted his head up to look at Bai Luo. They were by the eastern river next to the recently finished watch tower in order to practice some sword techniques. Bai Luo had asked him to help teach him some of the things he already knew and how to do some of the newer things that he’d mastered by now. He was willing to help Bai Luo in some sort of compensation, but it felt nice to work with someone and feel useful. Back at Tiger’s Grotto, he was often in charge of teaching the much younger orphans that came in.
But he couldn’t help but be distracted.
“No…” he sighed, unable to lie to Bai Luo’s puppy dog face when he looked at him. It was also easy to talk to him, which was probably why he felt he could be honest. “Yes.”
“Oh.” Bai Luo stilled his sword mid-swing and dropped his stance. “What’s wrong?”
He gave a brief summation of his interaction with Huo Laoda yesterday. Zhou Lieren couldn’t shake the feeling that he was rejected, though he wasn’t sure if he was even trying to approach Huo Laoda in that way. Zhou Lieren had just started to make friends, and it was a new experience. He’d hoped that maybe he could get closer to the omega, but now it felt like they separated even further. Huo Laoda wasn’t rude, but there was an obvious distance he held himself away from Zhou Lieren.
Bai Luo let out a low whistle, “Well, the first thing I learned about Jing’er is that omegas from the Huo Clan sect are a whole different thing.”
“How different can they be?” Zhou Lieren asked, but it was sort of obvious. He’d never seen an omega, let alone an alpha, as strong as Huo Laoda. He continued the conversation while picking up where they left off in their practice and moved through a sword swing.
“First of all, they have an elder that is an omega.” Bai Luo lifted his sword again and swept it through the air, copying his movements. “Even though the Anyang Huo Clan sect has always accepted omegas, it was a big deal that Jing’er’s great uncle picked their cousin for the Elder position.”
He only knew some partial information about Elder Huo. The man was the youngest Elder he’d known of, and when he’d seen Elder Huo at the banquet he was surprised by his appearance. Though he was as small as Huo Ningjing, he moved with the grace of a fairy and definitely turned heads. The way he moved his fan was controlled and purposeful, and it looked like he knew how to make such a small thing into a deadly weapon if need be.
“He appears to be strong…”
Bai Luo struck the air after he turned. “Very. He was picked out of ten alpha brothers. Huo Cheng is his youngest brother, you know.”
That gave him pause. “You know a lot about the Huos.”
Bai Luo’s sword hand fumbled as he blushed a bright red that reached his ears. “I...well...I did ask questions of my Elder the first day we met them at the banquet.”
He chuckled and shook his head. He waited for Bai Luo to catch up with him through their sword swings before he started up again.
“Jing’er has also told me these things!” The smitten alpha said defensively, then with a grumble. “I wasn’t being creepy or anything…”
“I’m not judging you.” He managed to smile at Bai Luo and the other man’s face lit up with a big grin.
“Oh, I’d never suspect you of any ill intent, Zhou Rong! I just...well, feel a little bit guilty. I am just glad Jing’er is just as interested.”
Though he questioned just how interested Huo Ningjing was in Bai Luo, he kept his opinions to himself. He had no right to stick himself in the situation, and the younger Huo hadn’t made any more advances towards him at least.
“As I was saying,” Bai Luo went back to their original conversation. “Omegas have equal status, and it is even more apparent now. Since Elder Huo Guowang took his role, omegas can now go on night hunts. It’s how Huo Laoda was able to travel and eventually became Tianshanghuo-jun.”
Huh...that’s how he’s so experienced. He had to wonder if an omega hadn’t taken the position of Elder, would Huo Laoda be as strong as he was today?
He missed some of what Bai Luo said while in his thoughts and only caught a partial bit of what he said next. “....and, I mean, I’d be upset too about having to pay Mu Yi anything. It’s Huo Laoda’s own money, after all.”
“What?” He stopped and turned to Bai Luo, ignoring their practice. “Huo Laoda’s giving away his own money?”
“Oh yeah, the part of the Huo Clan he’s from is loaded. They are divided by the secular clan, and the ones in the sect. Elder Huo Guowang’s uncle was a military man and he was given the title of Marquis after his service. Master Huo Lang, their father, was the only son and an omega, and he inherited a lot. Their mother is a distant relation to the Emperor and she was a member of the sect until she married Master Huo Lang, and she lives a secular life now.”
Nobility? And to the Emperor… Zhou Lieren was stunned by this information. Mu Yi and Fan Su were a step below Huo Laoda, as were many of the upper class in Tiger’s Grotto, but none of the Huos behaved like...well, like them.
They were polite and did not hold themselves above the villagers. He’d seen them get just as dirty, and were very giving of their time. Is it because they are followers of the Dao? He furrowed his brows as he tried to make sense of how someone like Huo Laoda, who was every bit the superior to any of them, did not turn out to be someone like Mu Yi. Maybe he really is a Heavenly Immortal…
“Don’t tell anyone I told you that about the money, by the way.” Bai Luo stopped his practice as well and laughed nervously. He rubbed the back of his neck, which Zhou Lieren learned was a bit of a habit for the alpha when he was nervous or shy. “Jing’er was the one that let it slip.”
“Did…Did Huo Ningjing ever explain why Huo Laoda doesn’t take surrogates?” Zhou Lieren couldn’t believe he asked such a question. For some reason, the comment that the alpha made stuck out in his brain at that moment. He suspected that the supposed rumors came from his sect brothers.
“Well, they can’t because they are nobility. I guess even in the noblemen side of the Huo Clan, omega sons and women are still expected to act according to society.”
“Do the Huos cultivate for immortality?” He thought back on his Shizun and how he sought out immortality. He told Zhou Lieren to not seek it, but instead focus on power. Zhou Jiang thought he was better suited to being a good warrior than the other orphans, so his training had mostly been around that.
“Mmmm...maybe? But Huo Ningjing doesn’t. He just wants to be a healer and get married. But his brother? Hmm...I’m not sure. Why?”
Zhou Lieren looked towards the river, conjuring up the memory of Huo Laoda basked in that golden light. “Don’t you think…” He shook his head, keeping his thoughts to himself. “Nevermind. Are you hungry?”
He could distract Bai Luo from what he was about to say with the promise of food. Bai Luo sheathed his sword in a matter of seconds and grabbed Zhou Lieren’s wrist.
“I’m starved!”
Bai Luo practically dragged him back towards the village, but he made the other alpha release him before they got to the main road. When they passed the inn, he nudged Bai Luo with his elbow.
“I’m going to go grab something. I’ll meet you at Aunty Li’s?”
Bai Luo nodded, “I’ll order some tea for us until you get there.”
Bai Luo went on ahead while he turned towards the direction of the inn. A shuffling and a thud caught his attention and he stiffened. He turned towards the alley between the inn and a general shop where he thought he heard the noise. He focused on his senses and waited.
There was more shuffling, and then a distinct whimpering, like that of a crying child. Concerned now, he went into the alley and noticed a barrel toppled over at the far end. The whimpering and sound of something rubbing in the dirt grew louder until he noticed two leather boots poking around the edge of the fallen barrel. He quickened his step and when he looked over the barrel, his heart stopped.
“H...Huo Laoda?”
Huo Laoda was on the ground, writhing and in complete disarray. His hair, slick with sweat, clung to his face and partially exposed neck where the collar of his shirt had been stretched. Tears on his sleeves, like claws had dug into them, left his shirt in tatters. His red outer robe was covered in dirt and discarded near him.
Tears streamed down his face from his brown eyes which were wide open in fear. A sob wracked through Huo Laoda’s body, making him tremble. He held his hands up defensively and squirmed away along the ground, moving deeper into the alley.
“Huo Laoda?” he repeated, even more concerned. He took a step closer, and another cry followed a whimper and Huo Laoda spoke through clenched teeth.
“D...don’t touch me!”
------
[Moments earlier]
Huo Huli sipped his tea quietly from the window seat in Aunty Li’s, peacefully watching the world go by through it. He finished a short shift at the clinic, which was up and running quite well. The pregnant omega from earlier had another visit and he had the lucky opportunity to be there to help with it. Huo Ningjing wanted to stay a bit longer and help with a few of the smaller things that needed to be finished, so he was left to carry on the rest of the day by himself.
At least, that is what he thought he could do until Mu Yi stepped through the door. When his shoulders tensed, he forced himself to relax by taking a deep breath. He nodded politely to the other disciple as they approached the table and took the seat across from him.
“Huo Laoda! Fancy seeing you here…” Mu Yi’s grin had too much teeth to it, raising his suspicions.
“If you are here to demand compensation for cleaning up after the attack, the answer is no.” He took a small sip of his tea and set it down. He laid his hands in his lap, one on top of the other, and looked out the window once again.
“Shige, I’m not here for anything like that!” Mu Yi waved their hand like Huo Huli’s concerns were frivolous. “Here, let me refill your cup.”
Mu Yi picked up the teapot Aunty Li left for him and refilled his only half empty cup. The delicate steam rose above it as he added more, then set it back down. He arched a brow at Mu Yi.
“Then, Shidi,” he went with the honorific since Mu Yi decided to throw one out at him. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“I just had a few questions, and a few concerns.” Mu Yi leaned forward, his cunning stare narrowed as he cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered like he had a secret. “I’ve been hearing...rumors, you know.”
“Mmmm, rumors.” He had no doubt who the source of those rumors were. He leaned back in his seat and set his face into a stonelike expression to show his disinterest.
“Yes. Of a delicate nature.” They coughed lightly and kept their voice low. “Shige, some villagers were concerned about your heat. What if something critical happens and you are...indisposed?”
He worked hard to keep his face neutral and unmoved, but his hands hidden from view clenched tightly. Mu Yi continued blathering on as he stared.
“It’s just, you know, those sort of things can strike at any time and it’s just a concern that--”
“It appears you don’t know too many omegas, Shidi.” He interrupted Mu Yi with a forced smile, “I assure you, heats are very regular for most omegas. It is why they are called heat cycles. Trust me when I say that we have taken the necessary precautions, so if you hear such rumors again, perhaps you could ease those people’s worries by explaining that, hm?”
“That’s good at least….” Mu Yi smirked and gave a little shrug, “There’s also the fact that, well…”
He was going to have to meditate really hard after this to get over the headache Mu Yi was giving him. He sighed, “What else is there, Shidi?”
“Now...I don’t mean any disrespect, Shige.” Mu Yi leaned closer again, making direct eye contact. His dark eyes gleamed and his smirk dripped with the confidence of a man who thought he could get the upper hand. “But as an alpha, I’m just...a little uncomfortable, you know? There’s a lot of alphas in our group and if you go into heat and try to approach one of us, that puts us in a very difficult spot, don’t you think?”
He blinked very slowly to banish the image of Gong Wu that appeared in his mind’s eye. When he opened his eyes, Mu Yi continued.
“It’s a bit unnerving, having someone throw themselves at you. You’re part of a dual cultivation sect, so you must have some…” Mu Yi raked his eyes over him with a smirk, “Experience.”
Huo Huli’s skin crawled like spiders had traveled up his arms and back, but he remained still to not reveal his fear and disgust. He leaned forward now, entering into Mu Yi’s space and making him lean back.
“Let me assure you that I would never approach one of you.” He smiled softly despite the tight grip of fear twisting his insides. “Even if I was locked in a room with you, I would burn one another alive before I approached you for such a thing, Shidi.”
Mu Yi finally dropped his smug grin and his eyebrows lowered, his glare unwavering. He stared back, unwilling to be the first to blink, but the sudden crash of plates made him jerk and look back.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” It was Fan Su, and he’d collided with Aunty Li’s son who had a stack of bowls that were now shattered into pieces. “I am so clumsy, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble!”
He stood up and immediately went over to help since Fan Su wasn’t bending down. Fan Su roughly brushed past him, bumping against his side and almost tipping Huo Huli over. He glared over his shoulder at Fan Su’s retreating form then he turned back to Aunty Li’s son. He rested a hand on the man’s back to let him know he was near and smiled politely as he helped carefully gather the shards.
After the large pieces were collected, a young boy brought out a broom to help sweep. When Huo Huli stood up and looked back at his table, Fan Su and Mu Yi were nowhere in sight. He sighed. Good riddance. He went back to his table to enjoy his peace and quiet once more.
He sat back down in his chair and peered out the window as he absently lifted the plain ceramic cup to his lips. He took a long sip of tea to help ease his mind, but the liquid felt strangely cool. After his sip, reached for the pot again and poured to warm it slightly and he continued to drink it. His nose twitched, and he caught the scent of something strange.
At the same time as he turned his head to follow the scent, Aunty Li’s son came over with a bright smile on his face.
“Thank you so much, Huo Laoda. You are much too kind. Is there something I can cook for you today?”
“I…” Huo Huli opened his mouth but nothing came out. His eyes began to sting, the light pouring in from the window was suddenly too sharp and bright for him. He repeated again, shutting his eyes. “I…”
The scent was heavier when Aunty Li’s son bent down, his face full of concern and a small frown creased his forehead. “Are you alright, Huo Laoda?”
He inhaled deeply and his throat went dry while his tongue started to salivate. His senses snapped and he opened his eyes wide to stare at Aunty Li’s son.
That’s...that’s his scent. Huo Huli shrunk back slightly and his eyes strained as they went even wider. He smells so good...
Realizing what he was thinking, he bolted up onto his feet and sent Aunty Li’s son tripping backward. Just when he was upright, his knees buckled when a flush of heat rose from deep in his belly up to his face. He grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself, and his heart pounded.
I’m...I’m not due for my heat. What...His gut clenched when a hand touched his shoulder. The contact felt like he’d been scalded with a branding iron and he jerked back, sending the chair clattering to the floor.
“Huo Laoda! Are you alright?!”
Aunty Li’s son’s voice felt like it was millions of li away and muffled. It was hard to discern the sound over the roaring thrum of his blood that felt too thick for his veins at that moment.
Out. His brain told his body. Get out!
He used the remaining bit of sense he had to make sure to suppress his pheromones before he stumbled through the door, practically running away from Aunty Li’s son. He walked stiff legged down the road, though his path swayed left and right as he forced himself forward. He patted his waist down with trembling fingers, seeking out his medicinal pouch, but all that was there were two green strings cut short that dangled from his sash.
F-f-fuck! He cried out internally and the world grew blurry. Sweat trickled down his back and he tried to use some of his energy to ease some of his discomfort, but to no avail. He stopped and leaned onto the edge of a building as he panted. There could only be one thing to focus on, and if it was between suppressing his pheromones and suffering this pain, he chose the former.
“Cheng...Cheng’er…” He opened his mouth and panted, his tongue feeling thick and thirsty. Cheng’er. He can help. He forced himself to lift his head and against the glaring sun he tried to make out where he was amongst the blinding circles dotting his vision.
He could see several shapes stop and look, but he couldn’t make out any of their faces. His brain was too muddled to even think about how he looked at that moment, or how embarrassed he was. What finally propelled him forward was the moisture he felt gathering at his thighs, which was most definitely not sweat.
With lead feet, he scrambled forward and tried to make his way to the inn where his cousin was. There was no way he could get all the way down to the barn by himself, not in this condition. The two red doors to the inn were wide open, calling to him like a lantern to a moth, but he froze when he heard Mu Yi’s laughter.
He twisted around, tripping over his ankle that landed awkwardly in his attempt to catch himself. He hurried away, rushing past the front of the building and went around the corner. An itch started to burn his legs at his shins and it crawled up to his thighs. His arms, which ached and tingled, began to itch as well. Huo Huli didn’t know how he fell onto the ground, but the dirt felt cool in the shade between the two buildings and he rubbed his cheek against it. The heat bothered him and he ripped his red robe off and tugged at the uncomfortable collar of his shirt.
Relieved of his outer robe, he dug his fingers in against his arms, scratching himself through his sleeves. There was no relief, and he let out a sound in his frustration that was between a whimper and a groan. His insides started to ache. Why...Why! He’d never felt this hot before and his fingers sunk in deeper until the fabric tore and his nails scraped against his skin. Like claws he raked his fingers over his itching arms, his whole body ablaze.
In his writhing on the floor, he kicked a nearby barrel. He curled into himself, an erection threatening to rip apart the seams of his pants. He cupped himself and cried, his tears stinging his skin.
“...Huo Laoda?”
The sound of his name felt like a bucket of boiling water splashed on him. Huo Huli lifted his head and stared straight into the golden eyes of none other than Zhou Rong. His heart leapt into his throat and his cock twitched, remembering the dreams he’d been having. His body rebelled against him, his mind screaming no, no, no but his sweat covered, aching body was crying out yes.
“Don’t...don’t touch me!” Huo Huli cried out and pushed against the ground, sliding backwards against it to put distance between him and Zhuo Rong. He prayed that whatever was going on would pass quickly, because he didn’t know how much longer he could hold out.
If...if Zhou Rong smelled my pheromones...He choked on a sob at the thought, fear striking his heart even though his hole clenched with need. He thrashed his head side to side as Zhou Rong’s boots stepped closer.
“Please!” he begged, his teeth chattering. He couldn’t see any longer through his tears. “Please don’t!”
Footsteps pounded, but they retreated instead of coming closer. Huo Huli couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief, because his body ignited in another fresh wave of torturous heat that cascaded over him, sinking right down into his bones. He flipped over onto his stomach and tried to call out.
“C-Chen...Cheng…”
He heard new footsteps and he thought his prayers had been answered. He couldn’t lift up his head, but he recognized that it was Zhou Rong’s deep voice above him.
“This will take a minute, Tianshanghuo-jun.”
The vague figure in black in front of him vanished as something covered him, wrapping itself around him tight. A fresh apricot scent assaulted his senses and rough threads scratched his cheeks.
Blanket...a blanket? He felt himself lifted into the air by two strong arms, one under his back and the other under his knees. Zhou Rong began to move, his pace jostling Huo Huli, but when he trembled, Zhou Rong held him tighter. Despite feeling overwhelmed and even hotter in the blanket, he inhaled as deeply as he could. This is his scent… He strained his neck, trying to dig his nose deeper into the blanket that encased him to get even more of the scent against him. His cock leapt again at the idea of getting that scent on his tongue.
“Huo Ningjing!”
Zhou Rong’s voice bellowed against his ear, which was pressed against his chest. He couldn’t see what was going on, but he was shuffled around again. His brother’s voice was above him. I’m taller than him...He weakly pawed at the blanket, trying to remove it now.
“What happened?!” Huo Ningjing shrieked and a wave of cool air hit his face when the blanket was abruptly torn off him. He blinked, trying to focus his eyes after having been in the dark, but everyone was blurry.
“I don’t know, I found him like this! Can you tell what’s wrong?”
He turned his head towards the sound of Zhou Rong’s voice and his cock leaked profusively. He remembered the dream about touching his strong chest, and his palms burned with the curiosity of what his nipples felt like. Like a man possessed, he reached out, but could not find what he was looking for. Two small hands grabbed his wrists with a grunt.
“Get out for now, you shouldn’t be here. But get that incense burner, in the trunk over by the wall. Hurry!”
A cold, wet thing was shoved against his mouth, and he curiously opened it, his wet tongue wanting to feel what it was. The most sour thing Huo Huli ever tasted was shoved down his throat, making him choke. Fresh tears made his eyes water, only vaguely aware of the banging and rushed voices above him.
He was pushed upward and hoisted into a seated position, uncomfortably sitting in his own slick that soaked through his pants now. His brother cursed up a storm and slapped his cheek while more of the sour liquid slid in his mouth.
“Spit it up, gege, spit it up!”
He flung his hands up and tried to smack the offending taste away, pushing against whatever was against his lips away. His stomach clenched and the taste became bitter as bile rose up from within. Huo Huli bent forward and retched the contents of his stomach out.
“Gege, that’s it...that’s it. Zhoug Rong, please shut the door on your way out.”
Zhou Rong? The memory of that sweet scent tickled his senses and his body yearned to seek it out, but his stomach heaved again and everything went black.