The Underground Spice Crime

{TW Guns Violence}

The penthouse had officially transitioned from a luxury residence to a high-security maternity ward.

ShaYou had replaced the air vents with medical-grade HEPA filters that hissed like a goddamn snake pit, and Hua Yong had taken to "scanning" every room for structural weaknesses before Wenlang was allowed to enter.

Wenlang sat on the edge of the oversized velvet sofa, staring at a bowl of steamed spinach and unseasoned chicken. His gold eyes were vibrating with a level of rage that could have powered the city’s grid for a month.

"I can't do it anymore," Wenlang whispered, his voice cracking with fucking desperation. "If I eat one more piece of 'bio-available' boiled bird, I’m going to throw myself off this balcony. At least the fall would be exciting."

Gao Tu, sitting across from him, looked even worse. As an Omega, his pregnancy markers were hitting him with a physical intensity that made Wenlang’s look like a goddamn walk in the park. His silver-rimmed glasses were foggy from the steam of his own "maternal tea," and his usual icy composure was hanging by a thread.

"ShaYou hid the sriracha," Gao Tu rasped, his eyes narrowing behind his lenses. "He put it in a biometric safe. He says the capsaicin will 'irritate the developmental lining.' I’m a high-level Omega; my 'lining' survived a goddamn civil war in the Associates' headquarters. It can handle a pepper."

"Hua Yong is worse," Wenlang hissed, leaning in close. "He caught me trying to smell a bag of salt and vinegar chips and he spent three hours lecturing me on sodium-induced edema. He won't even let me walk to the fridge anymore. He carries me. Like a goddamn bride. I’m the King of the Underground, Gao Tu! I have a reputation!"

Gao Tu looked toward the kitchen, where ShaYou and Hua Yong were currently huddled over a tablet, debating the optimal thread count for "hypoallergenic" infant swaddles.

"They're distracted," Gao Tu murmured, his voice dropping into a lethal, tactical register. "The supply drop is in the laundry chute."

Wenlang’s eyes widened. "You got it?" "I bribed one of the delivery couriers through an encrypted shell company," Gao Tu smirked. "Burritos. Extra spicy. With the 'dangerous' red sauce. And a bag of those chips you like."

Moving with the silence of two wolf predators who were also currently dealing with shifted centers of gravity, they navigated the hallway. Wenlang felt the mini-Reaper in his gut give a tiny, energetic thrum—the kid clearly approved of the clandestine mission.

They reached the laundry room, the scent of lavender detergent acting as a cover for their crimes. Gao Tu reached into the chute, pulling out a grease-stained brown bag that smelled like heaven and cardiac arrest.

"Goddamn," Wenlang breathed, his mouth watering so hard it hurt. "Give it here."

They sat on the floor behind a mountain of organic cotton towels, tearing into the foil wrappers like starving wolves. Wenlang took a massive bite of the spicy beef, the heat hitting his tongue and sending a rush of pure, unadulterated joy through his system.

"This," Wenlang mumbled through a mouthful of salsa, "is the best thing that has ever happened to me. To hell with the boiled chicken."

"Agreed," Gao Tu whispered, methodically destroying a taco. "If ShaYou finds out, I’ll tell him I used my Omega 'influence' to force you into it. He’s a sucker for my pheromones when I’m being 'vulnerable.'"

"And I’ll tell Hua Yong I used a King’s Command on the delivery guy," Wenlang grinned, his gold eyes glowing with a violet-gold spark of rebellion.

The door to the laundry room didn't open; it was practically vaporized by the sheer weight of the Enigma presence behind it.

Hua Yong stood in the doorway, his violet eyes glowing like twin stars of disappointment. Beside him, ShaYou looked like his entire world had just collapsed.

"Is that... processed cheese?" ShaYou shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the bag. "Gao Tu! The sodium! The nitrates! The goddamn preservatives!"

Hua Yong didn't shout. He walked into the room, his shadow stretching over Wenlang and Gao Tu like a shroud. He knelt down, his nostrils flaring as he took in the scent of the spicy salsa and the "contraband" beef.

"Wenlang," Hua Yong rumbled, his voice so low it made the dryer rattle. "I told you the acidity would be an issue."

"It's not an issue! It's delicious!" Wenlang snapped, holding his burrito protectively against his chest. "Back off, Reaper! I’m eating this, and then I’m having the chips!"

Hua Yong reached out, his hand hovering over Wenlang’s stomach. The "closed circuit" snapped shut, and for a second, the Reaper’s face softened. He could feel the kid—the mini-Reaper was currently doing backflips, clearly fueled by the sudden influx of spicy calories.

"He likes it," Hua Yong muttered, his brow furrowing in confusion. "The heart rate is... enthusiastic."

"See?!" Wenlang barked. "He’s an Enigma He wants flavor, not steamed grass!"

ShaYou let out a dramatic sob, leaning against the doorframe. "I’m surrounded by rebels! I’m trying to build a temple of health, and my Omega is eating street meat in the laundry room!"

Gao Tu looked up, his glasses reflecting the light. "ShaYou. If you take this taco away from me, I will recuse myself from your life for the next forty-eight hours. No pheromones. No cuddles. Nothing."

ShaYou froze. He looked at Gao Tu, then at the taco, then back at Gao Tu. "Fine! But I’m ordering a gallon of high-alkaline water and some probiotics! And Wenlang—if you barf on the velvet later, I’m charging your estate!"

Hua Yong sighed, his protective stance relaxing just a fraction. He sat down on the floor next to Wenlang, his massive frame dwarfing the laundry baskets. He didn't take the food away. Instead, he reached into the bag, pulled out a stray chip, and ate it.

"It is... acceptable," Hua Yong conceded, his violet eyes meeting Wenlang’s gold ones. "But if you get heartburn, I’m the one who has to stay up and rub your back."

"Deal," Wenlang smirked, leaning his head on the Reaper’s shoulder. "Now pass me the red sauce, you big, overprotective prick."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The "Spice Rebellion" had left Wenlang and Gao Tu feeling bold, and frankly, bored out of their goddamn minds. So, when word reached the penthouse that a splinter group of the Old Associates was trying to hijack a shipment of ShaYou’s medical tech down at the harbor, Wenlang didn't even wait for permission.

"We’re going," Wenlang said, pulling on his heavy leather jacket—the one that barely zipped over his slightly thicker waist.

"Wenlang, you are literally carrying a biological detonator," ShaYou hissed, frantically trying to block the elevator. "You can't go to the docks! There are smells there! Rust! Dead fish! Unfiltered Alpha pheromones!"

"I don't give a fuck about the fish, ShaYou," Wenlang barked, checking the magazine in his custom piece. "They’re touching our property. Gao Tu, you in?"

Gao Tu stood by the door, already wearing a dark trench coat that hid his bump perfectly. He was checking the silencer on his pistol with a cold, terrifying efficiency. "I’ve been staring at a wall for three weeks. I would kill for a reason to shoot someone in the leg."

"This is a disaster!" ShaYou wailed, looking at Hua Yong. "Reaper! Do something! Use the Voice! Chain them to the bed!"

Hua Yong stood in the center of the room, his violet eyes glowing with that deep, dark intensity. He looked at Wenlang—the King who was currently vibrating with the need for a fight—and then he looked at the mark on Wenlang’s neck.

"I’m not stopping him," Hua Yong rumbled, stepping toward Wenlang. "But I’m the one driving. And if anyone comes within ten feet of either of them, I’m not just ending their lives. I’m erasing their lineage."

The salty air hit Wenlang’s lungs like a goddamn tonic. The harbor was dark, lit only by the flickering overhead lights of the shipping containers. A group of about a dozen armed Alphas were currently trying to pry open a crate marked with ShaYou’s corporate seal.

"Hey, pricks!" Wenlang’s voice echoed across the concrete, jagged and heavy with that 40% Enigma bleed.

The Alphas spun around, guns raised. "It’s the King! And the Reaper!" one of them shouted, his voice cracking with fear. "But look at them... they’ve gone soft! They say the King is—" "Say the word 'pregnant' and I’ll pull your tongue out through your goddamn throat," Wenlang hissed, stepping into the light.

The Alphas hesitated. They could feel it—the air was thick with a new, terrifyingly dense power. It wasn't just the King’s gold-violet aura; it was the Reaper’s dark, suffocating presence standing right behind him.

"You have five seconds to drop the weapons and get on your knees," Gao Tu said, his voice like dry ice. "I’m in a very bad mood, and my partner is even worse."

One of the Alphas, a meathead who clearly didn't know when to quit, raised his rifle. "They’re weak! Look at the King’s—"

He didn't finish.

Hua Yong didn't even move his hands. He just let out a low, guttural growl that hit the harbor like a goddamn shockwave. The crates nearby groaned, and the Alpha who had spoken was suddenly slammed backward by a wall of pure telekinetic force, his body crumpling against a shipping container.

"Kneel."

The Command from Hua Yong and Wenlang hit the air at the exact same time, perfectly synchronized. It wasn't a request; it was a biological shutdown. Every single Alpha in the yard hit the concrete so hard their kneecaps probably shattered.

Wenlang walked up to the lead Alpha, who was gasping for air, his face pressed into the dirt. Wenlang leaned down, his gold eyes burning.

"Tell the rest of your shitty little splinter group," Wenlang rasped, his hand resting casually on his stomach. "We might be 'nesting,' but we’re still the monsters that built this city. And if you ever touch our shit again, I’ll let the Reaper show you why he earned the goddamn name."

He turned back to the others, a slow, dangerous smirk on his face. "Gao Tu, you want to finish the paperwork?" Gao Tu stepped forward, his pistol out. "With pleasure."

Thwip. Thwip.

Two shots to the shoulder of the leader. Just enough to send a message.

As they walked back to the SUVs, the adrenaline was finally starting to settle. Wenlang felt the mini-Reaper give a satisfied little kick, and for once, the nausea was completely gone.

"Feel better?" Hua Yong asked, his hand sliding around Wenlang’s waist the second they were in the car, his touch possessive and grounding. "Much," Wenlang breathed, leaning his head back. "Nothing like a little light assault to clear the sinuses."

ShaYou sat in the front seat, clutching a bottle of hand sanitizer and looking like he’d aged ten years. "That was the most irresponsible, dangerous, fucking thing I have ever witnessed. I love it. But tomorrow? Tomorrow, we’re buying a goddamn island. This city is too stressful for my heart."

"Shut up, ShaYou," Wenlang and Gao Tu said in unison, finally sharing a grin.

The "S-Tier Parents" were back in business.