CHAPTER 6

"Ash, I'm starting to get hungry. We need to stop now."

"Not until I redeem myself and beat you again."

"Oh? I don’t remember ever losing to you in this game. Not even once."

"Shut it. Just keep playing until I beat you at this level."

"Ash, this is stupid. I really want to eat now."

"Be quiet. I just need one hit and—Ah! Damn it!"

Sera could only roll her eyes upon seeing Asher throw his phone onto the sofa. Although he had a huge interest in RPG games, Sera couldn't deny the fact that he really sucked at playing them. No one knew how competitive Asher was except for her and his twin brother, Aster.

Asher was the type of person who would never stop just because he lost once. He would keep challenging the thing or the person that made him lose until he finally became the winner in the end.

Both Sera and Asher had become interested in RPG games lately. They were both excited about the heroes' designs and their skills. When the game was released last month, they both downloaded it on their smartphones and started playing at the same time. The rules of the game were simple and easy to understand.

All they had to do was destroy the enemy's main tower to win.

At first, Sera and Asher were always on the same team. They were still familiarizing themselves with the gameplay and both took it very seriously. Once they learned how to use their chosen characters and maximize their skills and power, Asher proposed that they should have a one-on-one match every week to see who was improving faster. To make things more interesting, Asher even said the loser had to fulfill the winner's wish as punishment.

Sera had no problem with that and quickly agreed. Asher must have been confident that he could easily win against her when he came up with that idea. But unfortunately for him, he had never once beaten Sera since they started. She was too good at the game. It was something Asher refused to admit despite his many declarations that he'd win easily.

"One more game." Asher suddenly said before picking up his phone again.

"Ash, this is already our tenth game and you haven’t won once. Give me a break." Sera helplessly said.

"Come on, Sera. I can feel it now. I know this is the moment I’ll finally beat you."

"I'm sorry to break it to you. But you said the exact same thing a few minutes ago."

"I was just practicing earlier. This time, I'm taking it seriously. Come on, let's play one more game, okay?"

"You know what? No. I'm not playing with you anymore unless you're going to feed me." Sera firmly said before logging off and placing her phone on the coffee table.

"Sera!" Asher whined.

To show his dissatisfaction, he kicked the coffee table and sending the magazines on top of it to the floor.

"Stop it, Ash. Whining doesn't suit you." Sera said while frowning. "And I'm not starving myself just because you're acting like a child again."

Seeing that Sera wasn't moved by his antics, Asher clicked his tongue and leaned back on the sofa.

"Fine. But we're playing again later. I still need to beat you before the day ends."

"That's just wishful thinking, Ash." Sera replied. "So... Do you even have food in your fridge?"

"You can reheat the pasta in the fridge if you want." Asher suggested.

"Pasta again? We just ate a lot of it last night, remember? So yeah, no thanks. Aside from that, what else do you have?"

"Some crackers and fresh fruits, I guess. I think Aster left some beef soup in the fridge before he left."

"...For an athlete, you really don't know how to take care of yourself."

Since Aster wouldn't be back until tomorrow evening, Asher invited Sera to come over and play. This was normal for them now. Even if their mom found out that Sera stayed over, it wouldn't be a problem.

Their mom adored Sera since they were kids. In fact, she often said she wished she'd had a daughter. But instead, she got twin boys.

Neither Sera nor Asher found the setup weird. She had often visited their place growing up and Asher always liked hanging out with her. She was the only person he constantly invited to play games or talk about things that interested him. Sera didn't mind. She enjoyed his company and thought he was fun to be around.

"As if you have the right to talk." Asher said while rolling his eyes. "Should I remind you that your cupboard's full of instant noodles and canned goods? And your fridge has nothing but bottled water and frozen snacks?"

If Asher didn't know how well Sera could cook, he'd think she was hopeless living alone. Her fridge had no fresh fruits or vegetables and her kitchen always looked spotless mainly because she rarely used it. When she got hungry, she'd either cook instant noodles or eat out at a nearby restaurant.

No wonder his mom was concerned about her lately. While on business trips, she often called the twins and never forgot to remind them to tell Sera to eat properly and cut down on instant noodles. Anyone overhearing would think Sera was her biological daughter given how many reminders she got.

"I just haven't had time to buy groceries." Sera said.

"That's the same excuse you gave me last week."

"Oh, shush. That's not the point right now." Sera quickly said and changing the topic. "Since you have no decent food, do you want to order pizza and a bucket of fries for dinner?"

"How about a change of pace? Let's order salad or something less oily." Asher suggested.

"Who are you trying to fool? As if you really want to eat that right now."

"At least I know how to suggest healthy food."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

"So... Pepperoni pizza and chili cheese fries?" Asher asked.

"Pepperoni pizza and chili cheese fries." Sera confirmed with a nod.

"Alright, my treat." Asher said.

He picked up his phone and ordered their food online. Within a minute, they received confirmation that their order would arrive in forty-five minutes. Since they still had time to wait, Sera finally gave in to Asher's request for a rematch in exchange for an extra slice of pizza later.

"Damn it! You must be cheating!" Asher said with his eyes still glued to his screen.

"You just don't know how to dodge my attacks, that's all." Sera calmly replied.

While Asher sat tensed and focused, Sera lounged comfortably on the sofa and shifting occasionally to find a better position. In just a few minutes, the game ended.

As expected, Asher lost again.

"There must be a bug in the system or maybe my phone is too old for this game. Otherwise, I'd be winning continuously." Asher grumbled.

"Don't be such a sore loser, Ash. Just admit you're not good at this game. It's easier than struggling to beat me." Sera said in a comforting tone.

"You—"

"And yeah, you really suck at this game. Big time."

Asher was about to grab her when Sera suddenly stood and ran. Of course, Asher didn't let that slide. He jumped up and chased her. They ran around the living room until he cornered her behind the sofa.

Before Sera could jump over it, Asher grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. To make sure she couldn't escape, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Let me go, you sore loser!" Sera squeaked while struggling against his hold.

Because she kept struggling, Asher lost his balance and they both landed on the soft carpet Sera had laid earlier. The fall didn't hurt thanks to the scattered throw pillows. But Sera still kept squirming while Asher refused to let go.

"You prick! Just admit you're not good at this game and I'll show you mercy later!"

"You really dare to insult me again, huh? Now take this!"

Since Sera was lying down, Asher took the chance to tickle her sides. Sera squealed until her laughter became louder. Being ticklish was one of her biggest weaknesses and Asher knew it. He was using it as payback every time she teased him.

"Asher... Stop... You—"

"Huh? I can't hear you!"

Asher kept tickling her until Sera was breathless and teary from laughing. He only stopped when she finally surrendered and took back her words that he was a lame gamer. But during their playful struggle, neither of them noticed the suppressant patch on Sera's neck come off.

Excited and laughing too much, Sera's scent quickly spread through the living room. Her cinnamon and vanilla aroma was different from Asher's pure vanilla. His scent was light and warm while her scent carried a spicy and minty undertone with a hint of fruitiness. It was calming and full of warmth.

That must be why so many omegas were drawn to her. They found comfort just by being near her.

And Asher was no different.

Normally, an alpha wasn't affected by another alpha's scent. For them, it just smelled normal like perfume. But Asher had long accepted that he wasn't immune to Sera's scent. Even the wolf inside him stirred restlessly whenever he inhaled it and urging him to lose control.

But Asher wasn't the kind of man who would give in so easily. He had years of practice in restraint especially around Sera.

But still, that didn't mean he was immune.

He was just very good at controlling himself. Closing his eyes, Asher leaned forward until his forehead rested against her shoulder. Sera's laughter faded and leaving only the sound of their breathing. When she finally calmed down, she tried to push him away but he didn't budge.

"Asher..." Sera softly called and gently warning him.

"Let me rest here for a bit." he said.

They both knew it was a lie. But Sera didn't point it out. Instead, she closed her eyes and focusing on calming herself to lessen her pheromones.

"Sera—"

"No."

Asher sighed softly before pressing a gentle kiss on her neck. Sera's body tensed and he could see the smooth skin before him. It was tempting and inviting. For a moment, he almost lost control. But before his thoughts could run wild, the doorbell rang.

"...I'll get it. Just stay here." Asher said before standing up and walking to the door.

Once he was gone, Sera let out a long breath and touched her neck. It might have been her imagination, but she could still feel the soft warmth of Asher's lips lingering on her skin.