Noah was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of inferiority. Ethan's excellence seemed like something he had only glimpsed a tiny fragment of, like an iceberg barely showing above the water.
The familiar scent of oranges filled his nostrils once again, and Noah turned his head to glance at the man beside him. He found that Ethan was looking at him as well.
"Don't be afraid, don't be nervous. I'll always be by your side," Ethan said, pulling Noah's hand and intertwining their fingers.
Noah nodded and squeezed Ethan's hand in return, as if trying to reassure himself.
The two of them proceeded to the examination room. At Dr. Will's signal, Ethan peeled off the inhibitor patch from Noah's neck.
In that instant, Noah felt as if he had plunged into an ocean of oranges, a brief moment of suffocating sensation filling him.
The thought that crossed his mind was: It really is the scent of oranges.
His nose couldn't supply enough oxygen anymore, and he began gasping, desperately trying to breathe.
Then a rich floral scent suddenly burst forth, intertwining and blending with the orange fragrance.
Noah struggled to identify his own pheromones, his mind spinning. It was daffodil.
Ethan quickly caught Noah, whose legs had gone weak, and held him in his arms.
At this point, the machine should have successfully extracted Noah's pheromones.
Looking at Noah's flushed face, his mouth opening and closing as he murmured about the heat, Ethan swiftly tore open Noah's inhibitor patch. Just as his lips were about to land on Noah's, a voice stopped him.
"Ethan, use the inhibitor first. I need to collect data on its effects," Dr. Will's voice called out.
Ethan grabbed the inhibitor from the side, wiped it with an alcohol swab, and then injected it.
Noah let out a soft groan, still murmuring about the heat. "Ethan, do you not like me anymore? Why... why won't you give me your pheromones?"
The inhibitor worked within half a minute, directly suppressing the release of omega pheromones.
However, the heat in Noah's body didn't subside. He curled up, instinctively moving toward the area where the orange scent was strongest, as though getting closer might provide some relief.
Seconds ticked by, but the inhibitor still hadn't taken effect.
Not hearing any more words, Ethan, without hesitation, pressed his lips to Noah's soft flesh and bit down gently.
Noah's daffodil scent gradually faded away, replaced by the fresh orange fragrance.
Ethan gazed down at Noah, who had closed his eyes, and softly smoothed out his furrowed brow. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped his face.
Afterward, he applied another inhibitor patch and carried Noah out of the room.
"Ethan actually knows how to be gentle now," Dr. Will commented, looking at the pheromone analysis on the computer. "The level is A-grade, though not exactly high."
Ethan followed Dr. Will's words, "But what's special is that Noah is not only immune to pheromones but also the inhibitors have no effect on him."
"Right, that's the strangest part. I've never seen anything like this before. It's truly unheard of."
Dr. Will's eyes sparkled with excitement, and Ethan knew that the doctor was already intrigued by the idea of researching Noah.
But Noah was his treasure, not anyone's research subject.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Will. I truly appreciate all your help with the examination, but I can't agree to research him," Ethan said firmly.
Dr. Will nodded in understanding but also pointed out a fact. "What if you're not by his side when he's in heat? The inhibitors don't work on him. How will he cope with the pain of his heat then?"
"And you know that pheromone extraction has failed over a thousand times, so that route is also unfeasible."
Noah's appearance in the examination room was like that of an omega marked for life, only reacting to one person's pheromones.
With the rapid advancements in technology, alphas and omegas could now go to hospitals for pheromone extraction and create exclusive medications.
These medications could be used in special situations, for those without a partner during crucial times.
Alpha pheromones were usually injected directly into the glands, producing a temporary marking effect, while omega pheromones were used as a spray to help alphas through their susceptibility periods.
"I can't guarantee that I'll always be by his side," Ethan said, his tone resolute. "But I'll conduct research, and I'll stay by his side until the day we can extract his pheromones."
That was not the answer Dr. Will had expected.
It was a difficult and dangerous road, but Ethan chose it.
He looked at the two of them, his eyes filled with determination. "I wish you both good luck. By the way, the CT results show that his glands are developing normally."
"As for the release of pheromones, my personal guess is that it's a psychological issue. If you have time, consider taking him for a psychological evaluation. With an alpha around, he may feel more secure."
Ethan held Noah tightly, his actions tender, and bowed slightly to Dr. Will. "Thank you, Dr. Will."
Noah gradually began to wake up. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a soft leather cushion.
"What did Dr. Will say?" Noah's throat was tight, and his voice was hoarse.
"You can drink the electrolyte water beside you. It's freshly bought."
Noah sat up, opened the bottle, and drank half of it, feeling slightly better.
"Dr. Will said your glands are fine. Other alpha pheromones and inhibitors have no effect on you."
Noah touched his slightly sore glands. "So, I only react to your pheromones, right?"
"That's the result," Ethan said, his focus still on the road ahead, occasionally glancing in the rearview mirror.
"What about the pheromones? I still haven't solved my problem."
Noah had come to the hospital specifically to resolve the issue of not being able to control his own pheromones.
Ethan thought back to Dr. Will's words. He had said that Noah might have a psychological block. If Noah subconsciously resisted releasing his pheromones because of something, they would have to trace it back to the source.
Ethan explained honestly, "Dr. Will suggested I take you to see a psychologist. He thinks that not being able to release your pheromones might be due to some mental block."
"I respect your decision. If you don't want to go, that's fine. Even if you can't release your pheromones, you're still you. You're still Noah."
Seeing that Noah didn't respond, Ethan smoothly changed the topic. "There's a dinner tomorrow night. Would you come with me as my partner?"
The abrupt shift in topic caught Noah off guard. "A dinner...?"
"Yes, it's with some partners from our circle. If you don't like these kinds of events, it's fine if you don't want to go."