Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession-Chapter 76: Watching. Waiting.

As soon as Trevor stepped into the grand mansion, the atmosphere hit him like a wall.

He paused just beyond the doors, narrowing his eyes as he inhaled deeply through his nose. There was something... wrong. A dark energy clung to the air like humidity before a thunderstorm, sharp and choking in his lungs.

His instincts stirred immediately, clawing at the surface like an awakened beast. It had been so long since something like this had happened in the mansion. So long since Roman’s aura had been this volatile, this overbearing.

Before his thoughts could spiral further, footsteps echoed against the marble floor. Daniel appeared at the far end of the hallway, his face too pale, brows drawn together in concern. He was walking briskly, urgency lacing every movement. That alone was telling.

"I think something is wrong with Madam, and Boss is unreachable," Daniel reported as he came to a halt in front of Trevor, his voice low but tight with worry.

Trevor’s eyes narrowed further, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean?" he asked, confusion flickering across his expression.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder, as if checking for eavesdroppers, then leaned in slightly. "Let me explain," he said, his voice just above a whisper, like the walls themselves had ears. He began the story from when he and Tessy returned to the house, and went on until when Roman carried her out of the theater. "When they stepped out of the theater, something was off. Madam... she didn’t look right. By the time they were coming out, Madam looked like she had passed out. I thought she was only sleeping, but the look on Boss’s face didn’t suggest that. He looked... scared."

Trevor’s expression remained unreadable, though a tightness began to form in his jaw. Roman? Scared?

Daniel pressed on, rubbing his hands together nervously. "At first, I didn’t think much of it. I assumed everything was under control. But just now, Ruby went to inform Madam that the dessert she asked for was ready. She came back crying—clutching her neck and shaking. I asked her what happened, and she said the top floor was suffocating. It was hard to breathe." Daniel said, recalling how red the girl’s eyes were when she had come running in an almost flying pace downstairs. Hot tears were streaming down her eyes, and instead of worrying for her welfare, she kept asking if her ma’am Tessy was alright.

Trevor’s gaze turned sharp, slicing through Daniel with focused attention. He could tell the boy wasn’t exaggerating.

"I decided to go check by myself, and..." Daniel trailed off, swallowing hard. A shadow darkened his expression. "Something seems to have pissed Boss off. He’s still in Madam’s room as we speak."

Trevor said nothing for a moment, just watched the young man silently. Every word Daniel spoke was stacking one on top of the other in his mind, forming a jagged mountain of worry.

He finally nodded. "I’ll go check it out," he said, already turning toward the stairs.

The mansion was silent except for the faint click of his shoes against the polished floor as he moved with purpose. He didn’t bother asking more questions—his instincts had spoken. The tension he felt when he entered was real. Something was definitely wrong. But even then, he hadn’t grasped the full extent... until he climbed the stairs.

The moment he reached the top floor, it hit him.

Truly Romans scent was coming strongly from Tessy’s room, but with it was the strong poisonous air floating everywhere.

Trevor stilled, his eyes scanning the hallway with renewed alertness. This... this was the scent of an angry Lycan.

And it was suffocating.

His heart skipped. It wasn’t just that Roman was furious—it was the dangerous kind of fury that leaked out like venom, contaminating everything it touched. And yet, in the midst of it all... Tessy was in there with him.

Did Roman not realize that this kind of atmosphere could kill an Omega?

Tessy was delicate. An Omega through and through. Her body couldn’t handle prolonged exposure to the kind of energy Roman was emitting. Trevor’s confusion began to morph into alarm.

Without hesitation, he walked toward the door. He had stood beside Roman through the worst of his rages, and had survived many episodes of this toxic aura. He was no stranger to this atmosphere. He had learned how to endure it.

He paused outside Tessy’s door.

"Boss?" he called out, his voice steady but cautious. "Is everything alright?"

For a few seconds, there was no answer. Just silence thick enough to strangle. Then finally, Roman’s voice rang out from within, low and controlled.

"Come in here, Trevor."

Trevor took a breath and pushed the door open.

The instant he stepped inside, he blinked. Then blinked again.

What the hell?

The air in the room was clean.

Pristine, even.

The poisonous aura that had choked the hallway like a noose? Gone. As though it had never existed. The air in here was light, breathable. It even smelled faintly like lavender and something sweeter, something distinctly Tessy.

Trevor’s brows furrowed in confusion as he looked from the hallway back into the room. He felt like he’d stepped into a different dimension. One moment he was walking through a battlefield, and the next he was in a garden of peace.

What the hell was going on?

Pushing his confusion aside, he walked further into the room, his eyes immediately landing on Roman. The lycan was seated rigidly on one side of the bed, shoulders squared and jaw tight. His gaze was locked on Tessy, who lay there motionless, looking for all the world like she was in a deep, serene sleep.

"Boss?" Trevor called again, softer this time, though he was well aware that Roman already knew he was there.

"Make arrangements with the hospital. I think something is wrong with my wife. If she doesn’t wake up by morning, I’ll transfer her there," Roman said, his voice devoid of emotion, eyes still fixed on Tessy like she might vanish if he looked away.

Trevor nodded immediately, his hand already slipping into his pocket to retrieve his phone. "I’ll do that right away."

He began scrolling through his contacts, but curiosity gnawed at him.

"But why do you think something is wrong with her?" he asked, glancing at Tessy again. From where he stood, she looked fine. Her breathing was even, her skin glowed with a gentle flush, and there was no sign of distress. Even his senses couldn’t pick up anything particularly off.

"I can feel it," Roman replied quietly, like every word cost him something. "And I truly hope I’m wrong."

Trevor said nothing more. He knew better than to argue with Roman’s instincts. If Roman said something was wrong... then something probably was.

He turned his attention to his call, speaking swiftly and clearly, making arrangements for a medical team to be on standby with the best equipment available. If Roman wanted Tessy in a hospital by morning, then she would be there without delay.

By the time the arrangements were finalized, he looked back at Roman.

"Boss, something else is going on," Trevor said, his voice lower now, more deliberate. He continued without waiting for a response. "The air outside is practically suffocating, even for the servants and maids. We already knew you were angry from outside, and I feared such an atmosphere would hurt Madam since you were in here with her."

Roman’s eyes snapped up at that, his entire body going still. Tessy’s frailty, her sensitivity to his moods—it all came crashing into his mind.

He rose from the bed instantly, taking a step back to give her space, guilt etched into his face. His aura had always affected her more than most. How could he have forgotten that?

But before he could retreat further, Trevor quickly interjected.

"No need, Boss," he said, and Roman turned a confused gaze on him.

"The air in here is clean, as if you are in a happy mood. There is no such poisonous air here. That was why I was confused. I don’t understand it."

Roman’s frown deepened, his eyes drifting back to Tessy’s peaceful form.

"How is that possible?" he asked, more to himself than to Trevor.

"It beats me as well, Boss," Trevor admitted. "Maybe you have found a way to shield her from your aura so she doesn’t get affected by it."

Roman slowly shook his head, lips parting slightly in realization. "I have no such power. It’s Lazer."

He spoke the name softly, reverently. His wolf.

It made sense now. Lazer—though quiet and weakened lately—was still there. Still watching. Still doing what he could. Roman understood that his beast had taken it upon himself to shield their mate.

He lowered himself back down onto the bed. "You did well, Lazer," he muttered under his breath, the words almost lost in the silence of the room.

And then he sat there again, unmoving.

Watching.

Waiting.

As if the rise and fall of her chest was the only thing tethering him to this world.