"Yes, there is a fucking problem," I snarl, tightening my grip on his coat. I want to shake him. I want to wipe that look off his face. "You need to back off. Leave Heesung alone."
Donghwa’s mouth quirks up at the corner. A smirk. A genuine, mocking smirk.
"Pretty sure he came to me," he says, his voice low and rumbly in the quiet room. "I was just sitting there."
"I don't care," I snap, stepping into his space until our chests are almost brushing. My heart is hammering against my ribs, loud enough that I’m worried he can hear it. "I saw him first. I’ve been working on this since the semester started. You don't just get to walk in here with your moody act and steal him. Get in line."
Donghwa actually snorts. It’s a dismissive, ugly sound that makes my blood boil.
"Get in line?" He shakes his head, looking amused. "It’s not a deli counter, Sihwan. And it’s hardly my fault if an eager omega decides to throw himself at me. Maybe he just likes the view better over here."
"You’re doing it on purpose," I accuse, my voice rising. "You don't even like him. You’re just doing it to piss me off."
"Maybe," he admits easily. "It’s working, isn't it?"
I see red. I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches. "This is your last warning, Kang Donghwa. Back. Off."
I let go of the leash on my pheromones. I flood the small room with them—heavy, aggressive waves of spiced rum and musk. It’s a dominance display, pure and simple. I want to choke him with it. I want him to cough, to flinch, to turn his head away in submission. It’s the scent of a threat, thick and cloying, scorching the air between us.
But he doesn't flinch.
Instead, Donghwa’s eyes darken. His nostrils flare slightly, inhaling the scent deep into his lungs. He doesn't look intimidated. He looks... interested.
He leans down, just an inch, invading my personal space. The smell of winter air and ink rolls off him, cutting right through my heavy musk.
"You're loud," he murmurs, his gaze dropping to my mouth before flicking back up to my eyes. One of his eyebrows arches, a challenge written in the sharp angle of it. "If you're such a big, bad dominant Alpha... shouldn't you be able to subdue him on your own?"
He tilts his head, his voice dropping to a taunting whisper.
"Why are you so worried about me, Sihwan? Unless you think you can't compete."
"I would have him wrapped around my finger by now if you would stop distracting him," I hiss, my voice tight. "It’s hard to work when there’s a gloomy cloud hovering over the entire department."
Donghwa just hums, a low vibration in his chest that I can feel through the layers of our clothes. He doesn't look threatened. He looks like he's solving a particularly boring math problem.
"So you're admitting it," he says, his voice smooth, sliding under my defenses. "You're admitting that my presence alone is enough to derail your game. That I'm the better Alpha."
I let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. It echoes harshly in the small room.
"You're delusional," I spit, leaning in until our noses are almost touching. I have to tilt my head back slightly to look him in the eye, and I hate it. I hate that he’s taller. "You think you’re special? You think this whole 'I’m too cool to care' act is actually working? It’s a novelty, Donghwa. They’re bored, and you’re the shiny new toy. Give it a month. They’ll realize you have thepersonality of a wet rag, and they’ll come running back to the real thing."
Donghwa’s expression doesn't change, but his eyes gleam in the semi-darkness.
"Are you sure about that, hyung?" he asks softly. "Or maybe it’s just... a lack of appeal on your part."
My eye twitches. "Excuse me?"
"Maybe you’re not as dominant as you think you are," he continues, his voice dropping to a whisper that scrapes against my nerves. He leans down, sniffing the air near my neck, and wrinkles his nose. "Maybe all those boosters you wear are just false advertising. Maybe your pheromones just aren't strong enough to keep anyone interested."
The accusation hits me like a slap. He knows. Somehow, this arrogant freshman knows about the boosters.
"Shut up," I growl, slamming my forearm against his chest, pinning him harder against the wall. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" He smirks, lazy and infuriating. "You're trying so hard, Sihwan. It's exhausting just watching you."
"I could have anyone I want," I snarl, my control snapping like a dry twig. The rum scent pouring off me turns acrid, heavy with aggression. "I could walk out there and take Heesung right now. I could take anyone in this room."
I grab his lapels, jerking him forward.
