Falling into the Abyss

Chapter 4: Atonement: Red Earth (II)

As soon as Ethan woke up, he found that the scent of pheromones in the air was more intense, to the point that even an ordinary Alpha could smell it. He needed to prepare enough food and water for Samuel before he entered his estrus period, so he hurriedly ran to where the nonhumans were gathered. He was relieved that most of them were still asleep, lying on the ground or leaning against the various pipes and machinery. He casually found a spot to the side to squat down, easily mixing into the crowd.

They heard the sound of the lift moving. It was the porter robot carrying down several large boxes of food and water. Ethan rushed forward with the crowd, reaching between others to grab a handful of compressed bread and a few bottles of water, before sneakily carrying them back to the nest. By this time he arrived, Samuel was awake and obviously very upset. Ethan didnt dare to speak much, as an Omegas mood will be unstable prior to estrus, and he handed him a piece of bread in silence.

By afternoon, the pheromones were so strong that Ethan felt it was a bit suffocating. Their scent was potent enough to render an Alpha incredibly horny. The cargo hold was full of people with nothing to do, and some might wander around. If the scent drifted out and was detected by any Alpha, it would put them in a dangerous situation. Therefore, Ethan stuffed the gaps in the nest that the scent might leak from using the extra sleeping bags, leaving only a small opening to allow air to flow for ventilation.

No one could differentiate between day and night from inside the spaceship. Not even the people on the upper floors had artificial sunlight. The times for everyone to work and rest were somewhat disorderly, so Ethan could only approximate the time of day using his biological clock in order to remind Samuel of when to eat and drink water. The most dangerous time was when Samuel had to go out and relieve himself. In order to reduce the risk of being found out, he slept when the others were awake and ate and went to the toilet when everyone was asleep. Ethan stood watch, eyes darting around nervously the entire time.

When Samuel was in estrus, he looked different from his usual domineering self. His skin became smoother and appeared much more delicate, to the point that one seemed to be able to pinch the water from his cheeks, and his complexion became ruddier. His originally deep brown irises now seemed to be covered with a dense mist layer, causing him to look inexplicably enchanting. Additionally, he was feverish and always cried out due to the heat, taking off his clothes to reveal his robust body and honey skin, covered with a sheen of sweat. His mind was consumed by fervent desire. By the next day, Ethan was afraid that if an Alpha passed by their nest, Samuel would completely forget that he needed to hide his identity and immediately pounce on them. Ethan watched him curl up in his humble nest made of sleeping bags, his long and muscular legs rubbing against each other from time to time. His full lips were slightly opened, and he moaned from desire. Even for a Beta like Ethan, merely looking at him caused his throat to feel dry. He felt like there was a little claw scratching at his heart, causing an itchy feeling.

The sweet, greasy scent of an Omega was growing increasingly stronger in the nest. The scent was so thick that Ethan, whose nose was several times more sensitive than that of pure Earthlings, found it a bit painful. However, he did not dare to let the smell out and had to hide in the nest with Samuel. He looked at Samuel, twisted up like a snake, and wondered what it would be like to feel such a strong desire?

He knew from a young age that he should like female Betas best of the six genders. Ordinary and boring, with no sense of existence and a cold personalityhe owned all the labels belonging to a Beta, and only with a female Beta could he achieve the effect of balancing Yin and Yang. After all, even if both parties were boring, they could be boring together. However, he was always attracted to male Alphas, while those male Alphas were naturally attracted to Omegas. In his high school class, when everyone had found someone to date, he was the only one who was alone, appearing to only be interested in reading his holy books.  In fact, it was not as though he didnt have someone he liked. He had secretly been in love with the most handsome Alpha in his class, the basketball captain. He watched as the captain constantly changed his partner, but he never had the courage to confess.

At that time, he had occasionally imagined whether he would be suitable for the other if he were a rare and precious Omega?

When he grew up, Ethan scoffed at his thoughts from that time and reprimanded himself for being stupid. He now liked that he was a male Beta and never wished to be agender other than his own. However, back then, he had begun to question his gender just because of a boy he liked. That was really immature of him.

His first boyfriend was an Omega, his second was a female Beta, and his third

At the thought of that man and his charming blue eyes, his heart ached with a dull pain.

During this period, Samuels appetite shrank a lot, and under the torment of lust he had to unwillingly relieve himself in front of Ethan. Therefore, he spent most of his time sleeping. If Ethan didnt hand feed him bread, he might not have even realized he was hungry. Ethan tried to stock up on food so that he didnt have to leave to get food often. By the third day, the scent had not abated, but their food was running out. Ethan had no other choice. He looked at Samuel, who was still asleep, before covering him with a sleeping bag and carefully creeping out through the entrance.

For two consecutive days, Ethan neither ate well nor drank enough water. Ethan felt his feet were sluggish, and his head was slightly dizzy because of low blood sugar. He stretched his body, patted his cheeks, and smelled the fresh air without the pheromones, which served to clear his mind a lot. Eventually, he made his way to where the nonhumans were gathered.

Who would have thought that while he was headed there, a hand suddenly stretched out from behind a pipe and grabbed his arm. He was so startled that he almost jumped with fright. With a dull thud, his body was shoved against the wall of a cylindrical water tank. The back of his head throbbed in pain, and his glasses were askew when he was suddenly lifted by his collar by a strong and rough hand.

A nonhuman stood in front of him, a male Alpha who appeared about 40 years old. He was as tall as Samuel and had a thick beard covering his chin, with a fierce expression.

Ethan was stunned for a couple seconds before he finally reacted. He had spent the last two days with Samuel in that small and airtight nest, so his body must be covered in Samuels scent

Im really a Beta! Ethans forehead was sweating and his eyes were darting around, searching for someone to help him, but since his glasses were now bent, he could no longer see anything distant. He did not see any traces of anybody nearby, and could only grab the mans wrist and deny, This is not my scent!

The other party obviously did not believe him and said, If its not your scent, then whose is it?! MotherfuckerI didnt know that there was actually an Omega here this time!

Ethan was once again stumped. He couldnt possibly tell him about Samuels predicament, right?

His Betas urge to protect Omegas quickly overruled any possibility of telling him the truth in order to protect himself. He just stared at the other, but in the other partys opinion, it was an expression of reproach. The mans gaze was like a hungry wolf in winter, and he was practically drooling. The scent of his Alpha pheromones grew increasingly heavy due to the scent of an Omega coming from Ethan, which made Ethan nervous and stiff. He pushed on the mans chest with both hands, but his body was as immovable as a stone mountain.

Help!!!! Ethan could no longer be bothered about anything else, and he shouted as loud as he could. He tried to kick the man in his crotch, but the other party easily grabbed his foot and kneed him in the stomach.

Ethans body curled up like a shrimp. If it wasnt for the man still holding onto his collar, he would have collapsed on the ground. The knee from the other man had injured his internal organs, and he would be unable to stand up for a while. The other party pressed him against the water tank, smiling cruelly as though he had caught a delicious prey. He exclaimed, Great, you havent been marked yet!

After speaking, he used his knee to separate Ethans legs, while restraining his hands using one of his own. He held him down using his weight, causing Ethan to be unable to break free. Ethans eyes were red and he was flustered, panting like a dying rabbit. He turned his head, trying to avoid the other partys quickly approaching face. However, this action struck a chord in the other mans heart, and it instead appeared as though an Omega was submitting to him. An Omegas glands were located on the right side of their neck, and when an Alpha wanted to mark an Omega, they would leave a deep bite mark there. This mark represented an Alphas ownership of that Omega, and this mark usually took a week to dissipate.

Just as the man opened his mouth to bite into the imaginary Omega gland, he suddenly felt a burning sensation on his neck. He cried out in pain and stopped moving.

Ten paces away from them, a figure was approaching rapidly. A silver robe glided along with his steps, and the scepter in his hand thudded on the ground rhythmically, loud and crisp. There was a charming red mark in the middle of a bright and clean forehead. It was the Eves priestTanisiel.

The priest stopped about five steps from them, and the three of them looked at each other. For a moment, no one spoke.

After a long time, the priest slowly blinked his gray eyes, and ordered the other man, Scram.

The mans forehead was bulging with green veins and he was clenching his teeth. It was obvious that he was infuriated, and he instead grasped Ethans wrist even more tightly, speaking aggressively, Mind your own business! This is an affair between nonhumans!

With his brows slightly frowning, the priest took two steps forward and raised the scepter in his hand. An unknown crystal lit up, wrapped in a whitish gold pattern. The top of the crystal was filled with all sorts of symbols, and it was difficult to tell whether they spelled out any words. The red mark on his forehead peeled back slightly on both sides, allowing the splendor inside to flash. A silver pupil was faintly visible.

The expression of the man holding Ethans wrist instantly changed. He let go of Ethans wrist with a scream and staggered backwards with a look of absolute horror, as though he had seen the most terrible thing in the world. After letting out a strange cry, he stumbled away, even tripping over the pipes on the ground. He fell to the floor, but didnt even dare to look back, and fled on his hands and knees.

Ethan sat on the ground, in a state of shock. He raised his head and looked at Tanisiel somewhat uncertainly.

Why was the Eves priest here?

Thank you, he said as he calmed his mind a little. He straightened his glasses and stood up, but his tense posture showed that his guard was still up, and he was ready to run away at any time.

Tanisiels third eye on his forehead closed, and his expression grew much gentler as he replied, Youre not an Omega. Where is the scent coming from?

Ethans heart thudded violently. He should have known way earlier that the Eves perception was far beyond the Earthlings, and that these priests were trained from childhood to have a perception more than ten times stronger than an ordinary Eve. It was said that when the Eves priests opened their third eye, humans who fell within a certain range of mental power could be controlled by manipulating their brain waves, turning people into puppets at their mercy. After seeing the nonhuman Alphas reaction moments ago, that could be confirmed to be true.

However, if he learned about Samuels predicament, it was unknown what trouble he would cause for them

The priest stepped forward, lowering his head as he looked into Ethans eyes and said, You dont have to worry. I wont tell anyone. But if there is an Omega secretly undergoing estrus, youd better let me know, or he will be in great danger.

Tanisiels upright posture and his warm and sincere look made others feel that he was noble and strict, causing Ethan to involuntarily trust him. However, another voice in the bottom of his heart remained suspicious. He didnt know if his willingness to trust the other party was because he was being manipulated. After all, they were currently standing rather close together.

Is that an order? Ethan finally asked.

It is not an order. When I saw you on the bridge before, I felt that someones breath was not right. Two days ago, I happened to notice with the surveillance cameras that you took a lot of food and water in the direction of the nuclear reactor, so I paid attention to you. Is he your friend?

Although Ethan was very fond of this priest, he was still an Alpha, and so he wouldnt believe him so easily, You are a priest for the Eves. Why do you care so much about nonhumans like us?

Tanisiels mouth curved up slightly, and a faint smile could be seen on his face, causing him to appear a little more lively. He replied, My temple is very interested in the study of nonhuman psychology and social order, which is one of the reasons why I was appointed as the military priest for this mission. Your Earth Union keeps a close watch on nonhumans, so this mission is a rare opportunity for me to get close to nonhumans. In addition, as a servant of the Goddess of Mercy, Eudnes, when I see people in trouble, I cannot help but provide a helping hand.

Ethan was surprised that this man seemed to know where Samuel was hiding. Even if he did not tell him the exact location, the priest would still be able to find him. If the other party had malicious intentions, there was no need to waste time speaking with him. After all, so long as he activated the electrocution function of the collar on his neck, it likely wouldnt take long for him to submit to the priest.

He hesitated for a moment before deciding to accept the risk, and said, If you really want to help us, get me Samuels old clothes.

The priest nodded happily without saying anything further and replied, Sure, but dont get too close to the area where nonhumans are gathered. Ill come back for you in four hours. He then turned and walked away.

For the next half of the day, Ethan first picked up the drowsy Samuel and moved to another place, a short distance away from the original nest. He deliberately moved him here as it was also well hidden. He arranged the sleeping bag and the boxes appropriately so that they would block anyones view, filled in the gaps, and fed Samuel the last piece of compressed bread. There was not much water left, but when he saw that Samuel was sweating and appeared dehydrated, Ethan gave him his own share of water that he had been saving. Thirst burned his throat, and he prayed in the dark that everything would soon come to an end.

That Eve priestactually wanted to study nonhumans. Were they regarded as a different species from ordinary human beings

Besides, why were aliens interested in nonhumans? Was there a conspiracy here? The Eves had a good relationship with the Earth Union, but the Milky Ways politics were so chaotic now, who knew whether the priest was secretly scheming something.

It was probably because of his past, but Ethans head was now full of conspiracy theories. However, on second thought, since he was already a nonhuman, how could he still be in the mood to care about the lofty matters of the world.

When the time was almost up, Ethan ran to their original nest and waited, but didnt see any traces of the priest for a long time. Just as he thought he had been lied to, someone patted his shoulder.

After whipping around, he realized that it was Tanisiel in an ordinary crewmembers uniform, and that he was carrying a box in his hand.

Ive kept you waiting for a long time. Lets go.

Ethan quickly stopped him, saying, No, Ill take this to him myself.

Tanisiels eyebrows raised slightly. He was a little confused as he asked, Why? I want to see him.

Youre an Alpha, so of course you want to see him, Ethan muttered. Inwardly, he was thinking, Dont think that I dont know you Eve priests do not need to abstain from having sex like those on Earth. On the contrary, that planet regarded having sex as a holy ritual to cleanse the soul.

Tanisiel immediately understood that the other party thought of him as a rogue who wanted to use this opportunity to mark an Omega in estrus. Once again, he showed a friendly and amicable smile, and accompanied by his exquisite, practically shining face, he wantonly used his beauty to assault Ethan. He said, You misunderstand. Eves, especially priests like me, have much stronger mental strength than you Earthlings and will not easily be driven by instinct. Additionally, sex is a very serious matter for us. We dont mark people casually.

Do you mean to say that we humans are more savage? Ethans face clearly had an expression saying, Id be a fool to trust you Alphas, and he remained firmly rooted in front of him.

Tanisiel heaved a long sigh. He did not expect that such a calm and elegant appearing Beta would cause such a fuss. He replied, Your Omega has already begun to go into heat. If you use the inhibitor rashly, his body will probably reject it. If you dont want me to be there, then you have to be prepared for that.

With that, Tanisiel stuffed the box in his hand into Ethans arms, deliberately turning around as though he wasnt the least bit reluctant. Sure enough, when he had taken just two steps, he heard a reluctant voice from behind him saying, Wait

Tanisiel grinned. At this moment, Ethan could not see the unexpectedly evil expression on his handsome face. When he turned around, his evil smile had already morphed into a solemn and gentle one, and he asked, Whats the matter?

Ethan held the box and looked at him hesitantly, questioning, What did you mean by rejection?