L*ck Me If You Can-Chapter 135

Epilogue

“It’s done.”

Ashley opened his eyes at the flat, detached voice. The medical staff were finishing up, removing the IV from his arm and tidying the space around him. He sat up, pulled down his sleeve, and adjusted his clothes.

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror on the wall. Hollow eyes, shadows beneath them—his pale face made everything look even more stark. It was nothing new. He ran a hand through his hair and turned away.

Wearing a white shirt with a few buttons undone and a suit jacket tossed over it—no tie—Ashley stepped into the hallway, where a woman waiting there straightened her posture.

He walked right past his father’s secretary, who had been waiting for hours while he received the injection. He didn’t even glance at her. She followed without hesitation, unfazed by his reaction.

“Are you feeling well?” she asked. “According to the steward, your pheromone levels were quite high.”

“They’re gone now.”

Of course they were. He’d had them drained via injection. She kept speaking, walking beside him without invitation.

“Mr. Dominique Miller asked me to check on your condition. He’s concerned about you constantly relying on chemical extraction for your pheromones.”

At that, Ashley suddenly let out a sharp, humorless laugh. The bitter sound made the secretary fall silent.

“Concerned? That man? About me?”

His voice was still laced with laughter, biting and mocking, just as it always was. It had become second nature. ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) The secretary, face blank as usual, added,

“He’s wondering whether your inability to release pheromones the natural way has something to do with... that boy.”

Ashley’s steps hesitated for the first time. But only briefly. He resumed walking and answered.

“By ‘natural,’ you mean a room full of naked bodies fucking each other?”

“Well, that’s how most extreme alphas manage it.”

Ashley turned to look at her. His expression was pure disdain.

“So if everyone’s doing it, it’s normal?”

“...So is it because of Mr. Niles?”

This time, the secretary did not answer her own question. Ashley looked away and kept walking. If he admitted it was because of Koi, that man would probably tell him to just go through with it. Better than injecting drugs, right? But not anymore. Not for Ashley.

If I see him again... I might kill him.

They exited the building and headed toward the parking lot. The secretary continued,

“If you’re against parties, Mr. Miller said to consider a regular partner. He’s selected a few candidates for you to meet.”

They had reached Ashley’s car—a Bentley Bentayga. Before he could get in, the secretary handed him a folder. With a resigned sigh, Ashley rolled down the window and took it.

“I recommend you meet all of them,” she said. “But if you’d prefer, choose a few that suit your tastes and we’ll arrange the time and place.”

Ashley didn’t answer. He simply tossed the folder carelessly into the passenger seat and drove off.

She stood there, watching his car disappear into the distance.

Once out of the parking lot and onto the road, the car blended into the traffic. The constant honking didn’t faze him anymore. He rubbed the sore spot on his arm and stared straight ahead.

Dominique’s sudden concern was obviously prompted by Ashley’s upcoming graduation. Graduation and marriage. It was the oldest cliché in the book. But it was also the safest option.

Ashley hadn’t dated anyone the entire time he was in college. It wasn’t a conscious decision. He just... never felt the urge. He had tried going to those pheromone parties a few times. But every time, the omega scent made him so nauseous that he nearly passed out. Eventually, he had no choice but to rely on chemical extraction.

Because he volunteered as a test subject, the medication had improved slightly over time. The initial severe nausea and days of fatigue had grown less frequent.

Dr. Steward, the one overseeing his treatment, felt sorry for Ashley but was visibly thrilled to have such a rare subject—a true extreme alpha. Research into their kind was almost nonexistent, and willing participants were rarer still. freёnovelkiss.com

Of course, it wasn’t something Ashley wanted to do. He had no choice. But even this was beginning to wear thin.

Dominique wasn’t wrong—if he had to keep draining pheromones regularly, marriage really was the most stable and efficient option. Whoever it was didn’t matter.

While waiting at a red light, Ashley pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The nicotine gave him a sense of calm.

He’d started smoking because he couldn’t stand the overpowering scent of pheromones at parties. Now he smoked constantly. Alcohol and drugs didn’t work on extreme alphas—no intoxication, no addiction. His life had become a dull cycle of nothingness.

The light turned green. Ashley rolled up the window to block out the smog drifting in.

*

Her name was Melanie. Someone said they made a good pair.

Ashley met her after going through six other candidates.

Considering Ashley’s status, Dominique had only selected omegas for the list. And since Ashley’s last known partner had been a woman, all the candidates were women.

Koi had been the sole exception.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Based on that single relationship, Dominique had decided Ashley must prefer women.

In truth, Ashley didn’t care. Male, female—none of it mattered anymore. Since that day, he had lost interest in everything. Life was boring. Tedious. Repetitive. One day it would end, and that was the only comfort he had left.

So when he showed up to meet her, he had no expectations. He’d rejected previous candidates because their pheromone scent didn’t agree with him.

A couple of them had triggered immediate vomiting. In that sense, Melanie was different from the start. She barely had any scent at all.

“Um... I don’t really give off much unless I’m in heat,” she said shyly.

That, to Ashley, was a plus. They chatted casually, had dinner, took a walk. Then he drove her home.

“Um...”

She stopped him in front of her door. He turned. Melanie hesitated, then asked,

“Could I... see you again?”

Her voice trembled faintly. Clearly nervous. But Ashley felt nothing. He was going to marry someone on the list anyway.

Still, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to see her again. So he nodded. Melanie’s face immediately lit up, her cheeks flushed.

Ashley stood there watching her, then said,

“Would you like to see a movie this weekend?”

“Y-Yes! I’d love to!”

Melanie’s response was immediate. Ashley smiled faintly. Her eyes went blank for a moment, mesmerized.

“I’ll pick you up Saturday at four,” he said gently. “That okay?”

“Yes, of course! That’s perfect.”

She repeated herself several times, then stumbled through a bright red goodbye and rushed inside.

Ashley stood there for a moment longer, then returned to his car.

She was different from the others. For the first time, his attitude shifted. He wanted to see her again. Their weekend dates turned into every three days, and soon they were exchanging messages frequently.

Talks of marriage between the two families began in earnest a month before graduation.