Chapter 91: What is that smell?

The shadowless light gleamed with a blinding glare, illuminating every movement of their intertwined shadows with absolute clarity. May bit into the back of her hand, but failed to muffle the soft gasp escaping her nose.

"Don’t hold back," Theo’s voice rasped beyond recognition. "Cry out all you want. They can’t hear a thing outside."

He let out a low curse under his breath, sinking his teeth firmly into her collarbone, his canine tips pressing deep into the translucent, porcelain skin.

"Remember this." Lifting his head, his gold-rimmed glasses had vanished at some point, leaving those eyes—usually distant and clinical—burning with an alarming, crimson intensity. "I am the man who is ’curing’ you."

May’s mind turned entirely to mush, feeling the skin on her collarbone burning with searing pain as if branded permanently. The examination table squeaked under their weight, blending seamlessly with the roaring explosions echoing from the hallway outside.

Closing her eyes, she felt Theo lower his head, the tip of his nose brushing her chin. "When I perform a medical procedure, I am never in a rush."

Theo’s teeth bit down firmly into her opposite collarbone, leaving a deep bite mark that mirrored the left side with surgical precision. May felt ready to explode in anger, but before she could utter a single word, he sealed her lips entirely.

Outside the heavy door, gunfire, detonations, and roars surged higher wave after wave. Inside, however, the silence was broken only by their tangled breathing and the rhythmic creaking of the iron table frame. This stark contrast stretched every single nerve in May’s body to its absolute breaking point.

Clasping her wrist tight, Theo interlaced his fingers with hers, his grip as firm as if holding a surgical scalpel. Pinning her hands on either side above her head, he looked down at her from above, his eyes overflowing with raw, unadulterated possessiveness and obsession.

"May," he called her by her actual name, dropping all formal forms of address completely. "Remember this scent."

"What scent..." her voice broke apart completely.

"Mine."

[Ding-dong—!]

System fireworks exploded across her consciousness in a blinding display, overwhelming her thoughts with a surge of vivid digital light.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully securing the Second Male Lead! Theo’s affection rating has shattered the current level cap!]

[Reward: Massive Skill Points ×1! Epic Area-Clear Item "Kinetic Conversion Shockwave Orb" ×1!]

[Item Description: Throwing the shockwave orb onto the ground generates a powerful shockwave within a 50-meter radius, knocking back all physical entities. Cooldown: Single-use.]

Theo finally released his hold on her, sweat dripping from his forehead as his white shirt, translucent from steam and perspiration, clung tightly to his defined abdominal wall. Drawing a deep breath, he instantly reclaimed his composed, unflappable demeanor.

Lying limp on the examination table, May felt as if every bone in her body had been removed.

Theo pulled a fresh sterile sheet from a nearby cabinet, wrapping her up tightly in a few swift motions, leaving only her flushed little face and long neck exposed. Along her neck, two symmetrical, dark purple bite marks stood out glaringly like a pair of deep marks.

"Theo..." May huddled in the corner wrapped in the sterile sheet, gritting her teeth. "How long will it take for these marks to fade?"

"They won’t fade quickly," Theo paused briefly while buttoning his white shirt, a faint smirk touching the corner of his lips. "At least seven days."

"You did that on purpose!"

"Mmh."

"When they break in later, don’t say anything stupid."

"Say what?"

"That this was a ’medical procedure’."

May glared at him. "You call this a medical procedure?!"

Theo’s gaze swept over the twin bite marks on her collarbone, a flicker of dark, possessive satisfaction flashing deep within his eyes. "What’s wrong? I genuinely treated your injury," he stated with absolute seriousness. "And left a mark while I was at it."

BOOM—!

A deafening explosion erupted outside the door as something was blasted through the air, slamming hard against the corridor wall with debris raining down into the entryway. Immediately following, a voice laced with lethal intent growled through gritted teeth: "Theo! Open the fucking door right now!"

Shot a quick glance back at May to ensure she was bundled up securely, Theo walked over and dragged away the heavy iron table barring the handle.

The heavy door was kicked open violently.

Mitch, Jack, Alex, and Ace stepped inside one after another, looking as if they had just been dug out of a coal pit. Ace appeared the most disheveled—the edges of his twin blades were rolled completely dull, and his tactical vest over his left shoulder was shredded open. Yet the familiar smirk lingered on his face, though his almond eyes carried a trace of deep exhaustion.

"May!" Jack was the first to charge inside. Seeing May curled in the corner wrapped in a sterile sheet, he waved a massive, palm-sized hand. "I’m here to get you!"

Then, he froze dead in his tracks.

The entire room reeked of sweet strawberry fragrance, mingled with an unmistakable, heavy atmosphere that hung thick in the air.

Ray’s eyes swept over the disheveled sterile covers on the examination table, the discarded gloves on the floor, the torn patch packaging, and finally locked onto the twin bite marks on May’s neck. His eyelids twitched twice.

Mitch squeezed his way in, sniffing the air. "What is that smell? Strawberry?"

Theo adjusted his glasses with total composure. "Applying medicine for May. A strawberry-flavored pain-relief patch."

Jack nodded like a woodpecker. "Right, right, right! I’ve seen those in the infirmary before—strawberry flavored!"

Ray didn’t utter a word. His gaze remained locked onto the two symmetrical, deep purple bite marks resting on May’s collarbone, his jawline locked tight as an iron plate.

"Theo," he spoke, his voice as heavy as a boulder hitting concrete. "Do you apply your pain-relief patches with your teeth?"

Ray’s towering frame blocked the doorway like a blood-drenched god of slaughter. Coated in black infected blood, the blade edge of his combat trench knife was bent and nicked.

His vision bypassed the clutter at the entrance, pinning itself squarely onto the center of the surgical room.

Inside the space, a thick, synthetic strawberry scent, mixed with an unmistakable hormonal atmosphere, struck Ray right between the temples. His pupils contracted violently in that fraction of a second.

On the examination table, May’s face was flushed crimson, her body completely weak and limp, leaning almost entirely against Theo’s frame. Meanwhile, Theo—that habitually immaculate man with severe germaphobic tendencies—was looking down, using his white shirt sleeve to gently wipe away the lingering tears around her eyes.

His shirt was half-damp, clinging firmly against his chest. His posture looked as relaxed as a man who had just enjoyed a rich feast.

Ray’s violent fury detonated completely.

"Theo!"

In the next microsecond, Ray’s body blurred into a dark shadow. Closing the distance in a single stride, he drew his heavy sidearm without a moment’s hesitation, pressing the muzzle directly against the center of Theo’s forehead.

"What the fuck did you do to her?!"