When I thought that, my vision suddenly cleared.“…cough!”Oxygen flooded back, and I burst into violent coughing. As when he had choked me, he unexpectedly released his grip. I slid down to the pavement, drawing in raspy, exhaust-tinged breaths while he remained standing over me, silent and still.My mind was bone-dry, incapable of thought. I simply gulped air, fierce with the will to live in that moment as never before.“…so… you… think… it’s… mine…”Until then, only my hearing had held out; now every other nerve flared, screaming in strobe-light agony. My muscles awoke in a chorus of pain. Each breath reminded me of the aching fringe of my body, and one eye burned too fiercely to open.“Ugh…”Through my parted teeth I moaned. In the periphery of my blurry ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) vision, I made out several dark figures surrounding Nathaniel.Someone had arrived.I recalled it vaguely—pressed against the Jaguar’s door, gasping, while sensation trickled back step by slow step. My hearing, rekindled last, registered a woman’s voice.“…we’ll handle the aftermath.”Among the black suits, one speaker was female. Nathaniel shifted—he may have glanced at me. Or not. To him, I was less than an empty can. His disdain diminished me further. After he climbed into another car and drove off, the woman who’d spoken stepped toward me.“How are you feeling? Can you stand?”She offered a hand politely; I detected no scent on her. A Beta, maybe? I tried to rise unassisted.“Careful!”She hissed sharply. I steadied myself against the car, balancing unsteadily. Though I thought I’d had enough air, my head still throbbed, and my eye still burned. She watched me, then spoke again.“I’m Alice Martin—Mr. Miller’s executive assistant and bodyguard.”“…Chrissy Jin.”I rasped out my name after a coughing fit.“I’m glad you’re alive.”She gave me a professional smile. I stared at her, dumbfounded. She must have witnessed the strangulation—how could she say that? As if reading my mind, Alice continued evenly:“You didn’t break anything or suffer lasting damage. You were lucky—had we not arrived when we did…”She shook her head, unwilling to imagine the alternative. I agreed silently. Alice went on:“We’ll come back later to deal with the wreck. Have you contacted your insurance?”I fumbled out my phone. My fingers trembled so badly I mis-dialed several times before finally reaching my agent. After assigning a claims adjuster, I ended the call. Alice spoke again.“I’ll be heading off. Would you like a ride home?”She cast a knowing glance at the crashed car behind me. I hesitated. In this godforsaken country, service was abysmal and wait times infinite. I couldn’t drive, nor summon a taxi. Maybe I should just abandon this heap. Temptation surged as I glared at my ruined car.But now was when I needed my wits. Could I trust his employees and leave? I declined politely.“No, thank you. I’m fine.”I didn’t want to open a can of litigation over damages. If anyone could, it would be him—the man who throttled me without a second thought. The memory sent a chill through me; I instinctively hunched my shoulders, then relaxed them in irritation. My stiff limbs creaked awkwardly.I could have smiled it off and struck a quick deal—my usual tactic. Why had I revealed my inner turmoil so unfiltered?Perhaps my nerves, already frayed by dinner, hadn’t settled. And his pheromones hadn’t helped.I pulled a cigarette from my pocket as Alice offered a lighter.“Thanks.”After lighting mine, she drew on hers. We stood silently, smoking. Past midnight, the streets were still. In the hush, I wondered why she lingered.Ah.Maybe the recent horrors dulled my instincts. I glanced down, then locked eyes with Alice watching me. Suddenly I understood both her offer of a ride and why she remained by my side.“I’m sorry—I’m gay.”I apologized with a conciliatory smile. She sputtered on her smoke in surprised coughing. After she recovered, I added,“I’m sorry if I misread things.”Alice drew a steadying breath and looked at me. Her expression told the truth: it wasn’t a misunderstanding. Disappointment shadowed her face, and I offered a rueful grin.“I worried only about Alpha or Omega—I never considered a gay Beta.”To herself, she murmured with a sigh. I clarified,“I’m a Beta.”She stared at me in disbelief. Embarrassed and regretful, I added,“You probably didn’t smell any pheromones—didn’t know?”She answered readily:“Oh—I’m a Gamma.”At last it clicked. I’d never actually met a Gamma before. The rarest of the four types, Gammas were scarcely covered in any training beyond the basics: they alone could not detect pheromones and were immune to them.

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