After Viona finally marked Ethan—at least for the time being—a profound sense of relief washed over her. The constant, lingering anxiety that had weighed on her for weeks finally dissipated. She no longer had to worry about him the way she used to.
That day, however, Ethan went out of his way to avoid eye contact. He was still so thoroughly embarrassed that his immediate instinct was to play dead whenever Viona called out to him. Finding his shyness utterly endearing, Viona couldn't resist teasing him, deliberately dropping the word "Honey" into every sentence with a flirtatious grin.
Naturally, her little husband wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and hide.
"Honey, you can call me by my name if you want," she teased, her voice dripping with affection. "But I'm not going to use yours anymore. Calling you 'Honey' just feels right. Honestly, it makes me feel so romantic."
As she grew more comfortable around him, Viona found herself airing every random thought that crossed her mind, chattering away like a happy parrot. Ethan didn't mind it at all. In fact, watching her talk so animatedly by his side brought a warmth and liveliness to the house that he hadn't realized he was missing.
He genuinely loved the atmosphere.
"Mmm... Honey? I have a proposal for you. Do you want to hear it?" Viona asked, finally getting to the point as they sat down for lunch.
"What is it?" Ethan asked.
In response, she slid a crisp envelope across the table. Following her encouraging nod, Ethan opened it with quick, hesitant fingers. Inside was an official, printed letter.
An appointment letter.
"My father gave it to me," Viona explained gently. "You know he's a Beta, right? He was worried when he heard you were working at a restaurant, but he also didn't think you'd want to just sit at home all day. He always says that while some people hate working, others genuinely love it—especially Omegas who have to struggle just to find a decent job. He figured you were that type. So, he asked me to offer you a position at my company."
Sensing his immediate tension, she quickly added, "You don't have to worry about a thing. We aren't looking for specialized qualifications for this specific role. You just need to know basic computer typing, put together some reports, and hand them over. You'll learn the rest as you go."
She leaned forward, her expression turning serious. "And please remember this: I am not giving you this job just because you married me. We already have a few vacancies for this exact position, and we specifically hire Omegas for it. I just thought it would suit you perfectly. Think about it, okay? If you want to join the company, just let me know."
Viona wanted to make absolutely sure he didn't feel looked down upon. Her explanation wasn't a lie to spare his feelings, either; the department genuinely restricted hiring to Omegas. Her father had implemented the policy after noticing how heavily biased corporate hiring was toward Alphas and Betas, leaving Omegas with next to no opportunities.
To level the playing field, they reserved these foundational roles exclusively for Omegas. Ethan already possessed a solid grasp of computers that would serve him well. He had actually planned to study computer science in high school, but unfortunately, life had cut his education short.
With no formal certificates or diplomas to his name, he had been forced to rely on whatever books he could get his hands on to study in isolation. But in a world that heavily discriminated against Omegas, a resume without paperwork meant no one would ever give him a chance, no matter how much he actually knew.
Ethan stared down at the paper in his hands, his voice quiet. "Are you sure about this?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"No... I mean... is it really okay for me to work at your company?"
"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Ah... no, it's just..." Ethan swallowed hard, staring at the table. "What if people misunderstand?"
"I don't care what they think," Viona interrupted smoothly. "And frankly, they won't dare say anything to my face because I'm their boss. But look, I'm not forcing you into anything. You can come to work if you want, and if you don't, you are entirely free to do whatever makes you happy."
"..."
Ethan fell silent again, deeply contemplating her words. Viona's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of frustration crossing her features.
"I do want to work at your company," Ethan admitted hesitantly, noticing her change in mood. "But... won't people look down on you if your Omega is just a low-level worker in your own firm?"
"Are you unhappy with the position?" Viona asked, misinterpreting his anxiety.
"No! No, that's not what I mean at all!" Ethan waved his hands frantically. "I'm worried they'll gossip about you! They'll say you only gave me the job because I'm your Omega. I'll just end up embarrassing you."
Viona let out a long sigh, running a hand through her hair. "Then let's play them at their own game. Don't let them know you're married to me."
"Huh?"
"Just don't tell them," she said casually.
"But... wouldn't that be deceiving everyone?"
Viona groaned, completely defeated by his relentless honesty. Why does he overthink everything so much?
Still, she didn't want him to feel guilty or uncomfortable. "Sigh... okay, let's do this instead. Forget the appointment letter. My company has several openings that fit your skill set. I won't interfere at all. You can submit your application online, go through the standard interview process completely on your own, and earn the job meritoriously. Then, when you're at the office, you can just act like you don't know me."
By removing her influence entirely, no one could accuse him of nepotism, and he could finally get the job he deserved.
"...Are you mad at me?" Ethan asked softly, pushing the letter aside.
Only then did Viona realize she had raised her voice in her exasperation. Instantly, her expression softened, shifting into a playful, heavily flirtatious pout. "I'm not mad at all... Honey."
Seeing that look, Ethan knew he was safe. A truly angry person couldn't possibly look that shameless.
"I see," Ethan muttered. He covered his face with one hand and turned his head away, utterly helpless against her perverted, teasing gaze. "I'll do it your way, then. I think that's better for both of us." He gently slid the letter back to her side of the table.
"Deal. But let me warn you," Viona added, her eyes twinkling. "Apply as quickly as possible. Don't procrastinate, or the vacancies will fill up."
Ethan nodded, and they finished their lunch in comfortable harmony.
By evening, the house was quiet. Viona was typing away on her laptop, wrapped up in work, while Ethan sat nearby on his phone, carefully filling out and submitting his job application to her company. Once their respective tasks were finished, Ethan headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Aside from Viona throwing the word "Honey" around at every given opportunity, the rest of the day passed peacefully.
When bedtime arrived, Viona retreated to the guest room just as she had the previous nights. She figured it was best to maintain some boundaries until Ethan eventually went into heat. Deep down, she was terrified that pushing too fast or sleeping in the same bed uninvited might leave a bad impression and scare him away.
But tonight, Ethan was done waiting.
After tossing and turning in his own empty bed for what felt like hours, he finally gathered enough courage to make a move. He threw off his blankets, walked down the hallway to the guest room, turned the knob, and flicked on the light.
Unfortunately, his internal debate had taken far too long. By the time he actually made it into the room, Viona was already fast asleep.
A wave of disappointment washed over him. He knew his own personality well—he was stubborn but inherently passive, and his emotional stamina was incredibly low. If he didn't do this tonight, he would never find the nerve to ask her tomorrow.
Refusing to retreat, he crept over to the side of the bed. Viona was buried beneath a thick, heavy blanket, breathing steadily in a deep slumber.
Steeling his resolve, Ethan did something he never thought he'd have the guts to do.
He gently lifted the edge of the comforter, climbed onto the mattress, and lay down right beside her. His movements were incredibly light and careful, ensuring he didn't disturb her rest. Once settled, he pulled the blanket up over his shoulders, closing his eyes as the realization of what he had just done hit him.
Panic flared in his chest. What if she gets angry and blames me tomorrow morning?
Never mind, he thought, trying to quiet his racing heart. I'll just figure out an excuse in the morning.
He was just beginning to drift off when a sudden weight dropped across his waist.
Ethan froze.
Viona had moved. He checked her face in the dim light, but her eyes were tightly shut. She was still fast asleep. It seemed that even in her slumber, her instincts had caught the scent of her Omega, prompting her to blindly reach out and pull him flush against her body. She locked her arm around his waist, hugging him in a tight, unyielding embrace.
Against her dominant Alpha strength, Ethan stood absolutely no chance. He could only lie there and let her have her way.
Viona shifted, burying her face into his chest. Because she was slightly lower on the mattress, Ethan's chin rested naturally against the top of her head. Strictly speaking, the positions were backward—the Alpha should have been cradling the Omega in her arms—but trapped by her monstrous grip, Ethan couldn't move an inch. He was stuck acting as her personal pillow.
"Honey... you smell so good..." Viona mumbled into his shirt.
Ethan's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in the dark.
Is she a pervert? he wondered wildly.
Why else would she be talking about his scent in her sleep? Was she having some kind of inappropriate dream?
As a matter of fact, Ethan's intuition was entirely correct. But Viona was only a pervert for him—her deeply adored, precious Honey. And at that exact moment, she was indeed having an incredibly vivid, wild dream.
In her subconscious, Viona was thoroughly consuming her Honey. She had him pinned, kissing his lips breathlessly until he whimpered, softly begging her to stop. But the dream-Viona was entirely shameless; she merely laughed, capturing his lips again before trailing her kisses down his jawline. She mapped the path over his sharp Adam's apple, down his neck, and across his collarbone, before sinking her teeth into his shoulder in a phantom mark. In her dream, Ethan's sweet Omega pheromones began to flood the air, driving her to hold him even tighter, inhaling his scent greedily as if terrified someone might steal him away.
Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she sighed out the exact words she spoke aloud: "Honey... you smell so good."
As the dream escalated into much wilder, more erotic territory, the real-life Omega remained completely oblivious. He didn't notice the sudden, intense flush on her sleeping face, nor did he realize that her vivid imagination had caused a very physical, rigid reaction lower down against his thigh.
Wrapped entirely in the comforting, protective shroud of his Alpha's scent, the little Omega finally relaxed, letting go of his anxiety and drifting into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Morning would undoubtedly bring a mountain of embarrassment for both of them. But for now, it was a perfectly happy night.