Azalea woke up, feeling that all too familiar yet oddly peculiar ache in her stomach. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and to her surprise, she found herself face to face with Granley Shaw, who was a tad closer than she was entirely comfortable with.

There was a sly and triumphant grin on his face as he gently helped her up from the couch. "We've arrived. Welcome to my planet, Little Snow."

Only then did she notice that the vast starry sky beyond the glass dome had transformed into a bright and spacious spaceship dock. Her stomachache was still manageable for now, but she had no doubt it would worsen before long. She contemplated how to share her discomfort with Granley. She didn't want him to feel guilty, nor did she want to admit that she had been pretending to be something she wasn't just to win his affection.

Due to the need for extra inspection of Azalea's luggage at customs, they decided to head to the VIP lounge. In high spirits, Granley led her out of the cabin. Then, quite unexpectedly, he asked, "When you were still an Omega, what did your pheromones smell like?"

Azalea responded, with a hint of concern that he might not understand, "Rhododendron phaeochrysum. It's a common evergreen shrub on Earth. Its white flowers have a scent reminiscent of lychee-flavored ice cream. During the spring, before the snow melts, you can see it blooming in the foothills of the Himalayas. Interestingly, my name actually comes from that flower, Azalea..."

Granley gently squeezed her hand and smiled. "I think I'd love it."

Azalea understood the implication but chose not to dwell on it. "Liking it won't change anything. I'm a Beta now, and I won't become an Omega again, ever."

As her stomachache worsened, she began having this weird thought about histones, the tiny proteins that played a crucial role in cell division. In this process, a fully stretched DNA strand as long as 1.8 meters, coiled around histones to form nucleosomes that were incredibly minuscule, just 0.09 millimeters in size. This coiling effectively reduced the DNA's length by a factor of twenty thousand.

At that very moment, her stomach felt like a pitiful histone, tightly bound by an invisible force, constricting further with every passing second. Finally, the side effects of eating fish had escalated to the point where Azalea struggled to breathe, her palms and forehead drenched in sweat, her vision blurred, and odd sounds echoing in her ears.

Desperate for air, she attempted to ask Granley how much further they had to go, but inadvertently collided with his back. Then Azalea noticed Granley had come to a sudden stop because of someone standing in front of him. However, she felt too dizzy to clearly see the person's face.

These two individuals seemed to recognize each other as they exchanged pleasantries. In Azalea's foggy state of mind, their conversation melded into a distant, droning hum. All she vaguely registered was that the newcomer's voice possessed a gentleness and warmth, with an added layer of clarity and tranquility compared to Granley's resonant, magnetic tones. Strangely, she felt a sense of familiarity.

"Hello!" Out of the blue, a finely crafted robotic hand reached out towards Azalea.

"Uh... Hi," she managed to force out a greeting through tightly clenched teeth. Her hands remained pressed against her aching stomach, and she had no intention of shaking the unfamiliar robotic hand.

Observing her peculiar behavior, the hand's owner inquired, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm sorry; please excuse me..." Azalea's words were cut short as she left the two of them, teeth still clenched. She sprinted towards the nearest medical cabinet, located inside the Omega restroom, desperate to reach it before her lunch threatened to reappear.

She once read in the Solar Union's ABO Safety Manual that, all Union facilities were mandated to have Omega emergency cabins. This precaution was due to the potential emission of pheromones by Omegas, especially unmarked ones, during their heat cycles. These pheromones could attract Alphas and lead to the loss of rationality, often resulting in conflicts over claiming a mate. To mitigate this, the emergency cabins were equipped with independent air purification systems designed to filter out pheromones. They also stocked various emergency medications, allowing Omegas to perform immediate first-aid if necessary, await rescue, and protect themselves from potentially frenzied Alphas. Fortunately, Betas, like Azalea, who posed no such threat, could also access these cabins.

After discovering several cabins occupied by Omegas, she eventually found an available one and swiftly entered, ensuring the door was securely locked.

"Drip—huff-huff—clack!"

The AI system detected her presence, initiating the ventilation system, illuminating a green light to signify the minimal pheromone level in the air, and dispensing an emergency medicine kit.

Azalea knelt on the cold, unyielding tile floor, her vision growing hazy. Her trembling hands rummaged through the kit but found no painkillers or steroids. She did, however, locate a few antiemetic pills. There seemed to be no choice but to resort to a somewhat primitive method - inducing vomiting.

After swallowing these pills, she endured several minutes of internal turmoil, her stomach in a chaotic uproar. Hunched over the sink, she emptied her stomach, waves of dizziness washing over her. Although her abdominal pain had somewhat subsided, it was evident she needed further medical attention.

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Azalea rinsed her mouth with water, wiped the thin veneer of sweat from her face, and sighed in relief as she gazed at her slightly improved reflection in the mirror. She retrieved her phone, preparing to call Granley. A faint smile crossed her face as she recalled he had told her his number remained the same for a decade.

As Azalea typed in the numbers, she unwittingly tuned into a conversation just outside the restroom cabin.

"Oh my stars, you wouldn't believe who I spotted on Europa today! Look at this picture, it's Commander Granley Shaw! He's so tall and devilishly handsome. I swear, I'd drop my current Alpha like a hot potato if I could be marked by him!" exclaimed one of the Omegas.

Another Omega, consumed by curiosity, chimed in, "Wow, he's striking, even among Alphas. But hold on a sec, who's the woman beside him?"

The first Omega pondered, "Hmm, his Omega, I guess?"

The second Omega chuckled, "No way! His Omega is a guy."

Azalea's smile froze, and though she knew eavesdropping was rather impolite, she inched closer to the cabin door...

"What? You're kidding," the Omega outside, much like Azalea, was astounded.

"Why would I? You know my friend works for the union media, right? They just dropped a featured report last week, complete with photos. Let me pull them up for you," the first Omega responded.

Azalea hesitated for a moment, erasing the number she'd just entered, and then opened the browser. Her mobile, now linked to the Solar Union's network, underwent a seemingly interminable identity check, as the browser displayed "Loading..."

Outside the restroom cabin, the gossip continued.

"Look at this. Here's his Omega, and quite the looker too, right? They've been married for nine years already. I thought he was the devoted family type... and now he's cavorting with someone else..."

"What a scumbag! I saw him parading around with that young woman, headed for the VIP section, all snuggled up... absolutely disgusting!"　　

After the gossiping Omegas had moved on, Azalea's phone finally connected to the internet. She typed in "Granley Shaw" along with a few more keywords and anxiously awaited the search results.

An article from three or four days ago appeared, titled "Unveiling the Story of the Solar Union's Primal Alpha." The article was quite extensive, primarily text, with a group photo discreetly positioned at the very bottom. In the image, three individuals stood side by side. On the far left was a modest-looking reporter, while in the center was Granley Shaw in his military uniform, his features striking, and his posture flawless, crowned by a captivating smile. His arm affectionately rested on the shoulder of the person to his right, a man with golden hair, azure eyes, and a charming, gentle expression, which smiled with lazy ease.

Despite the fact that the Omega's hair was longer than she remembered, Azalea immediately recognized him. "Luminos..." she whispered softly, her eyes drifting down to the caption beneath the image: "…with Commander Granley Shaw and his beloved, Dr. L. Summerain."

She felt her strength drain away, and she collapsed to the floor. The cool, unyielding tiles met her legs and knees, but the physical discomfort paled in comparison to the ache in her heart. If it had been any other Omega in the picture, she might have known how to cope, but with Luminos... what was she to do?

Her contemplation was abruptly interrupted by a blaring alarm: "Attention, please. Due to the attraction of Omega pheromones, a significant gathering of susceptible Alphas has occurred in this area. All Omegas and Betas within the cabin are requested to remain indoors until further notice. Please refrain from opening the cabin door! Unauthorized personnel are advised to stay clear!"Azalea instinctively checked the ventilation system indicator — it was still green. The realization struck her that she was now a Beta, free from the concerns of pheromones.

Unable to leave, she huddled in the cabin, idly perusing the featured report, until her phone vibrated suddenly, "Buzz, buzz."

It was Granley Shaw calling.

Her finger hovered over the hang-up button for a brief three seconds, but in the end, she nonchalantly tossed the phone to the ground, gazing aimlessly into the air, feigning indifference.

The buzzing persisted for a while before the screen finally went dark, mirroring the state of her heart. However, in the following moment, Granley's number called once more. The screen flickered to life and dimmed repeatedly until she eventually answered, her voice light as a feather, yet devoid of warmth: "Hello?"

"Azalea, tell me your location. I'm on my way to find you," Granley Shaw urged urgently.

Azalea remained silent for a brief moment and, instead of responding, she softly inquired, "Granley Shaw, I need the truth. Are you already married?" Her tears silently flowed down her cheeks, their taste a mixture of bitterness and saltiness.

There was no response from the other end. Still, she persevered, trying to conceal her fragile tone and trembling voice, "I saw the report… Luminos is your Omega, isn't he? And you have five children?"

The Alpha eventually sighed, likely pinching the bridge of his nose again. It was his habit when he was troubled. "Azalea, it's a bit complicated. But first, tell me your cabin number, alright? It's an emergency! There are hundreds of frantic Alphas searching for you!"

"I…" She glanced at the green light for confirmation. "I'm not an Omega, remember? I'm in this cabin because of a stomachache from the food. And I'm not going anywhere with you. You and Luminos should live your lives together. Goodbye, Granley."

She was just about to end the call when:

"Everest!"

The sudden, thunderous call of her surname made Azalea instinctively shrink in fear. His tone turned abruptly serious and cruel. "Listen carefully, you're turning into an Omega now, and it's highly likely a primal Omega. The primal pheromones can't be fully contained within the cabin, so if I don’t get there in time, those crazy Alphas will get you. You have two options: either tell me your location, or some other random Alpha will mark you. Understand?"

Azalea hesitated briefly and then questioned, "How can I be turning into an Omega? I haven't undergone any modifications."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the call, and then Granley explained, "My pheromones took effect when we kissed."

Azalea was stunned. "What??"

"Remember the space tunnel? Those of us who entered it, you, me, Midori, and Luminos, somehow gained special abilities. I'm the primal Alpha, so my pheromones can turn any Beta into an Omega."

As if to confirm Granley's words, the indicator light suddenly changed from green to yellow and then to a concerning red. The scent of her pheromones began permeating the cabin.