A Soulmate's Scent

Decision

Kei

Kei leisurely rolled his shoulders with a groan to ease the pain in his muscles before stretching his arms over his head. Now that he was finally involved in his family’s pharmaceutical business more seriously, his days seemed painfully long, the number of things he needed to learn never-ending. Not that he didn’t enjoy it, but Kei hadn’t expected to be this busy with financial matters when he had initially thought he was going to be taking care of the labs instead - that’s what he’d been studying for during his college years, after all.

He was tired but also thankful to be learning the company’s workings since he had always been a man thirsty for knowledge, not to mention that it was an honor for him that both his father and older brother wanted him on board.

Kei supposed it shouldn’t come as a surprise considering what he was and what he could potentially bring to the company.

With a frown, he looked down at his desk, where several sheaves of paper were scattered. There was still much to read, but through the window of the office, the sun was already setting, and in all truth, he felt mentally drained.

As he hooked a finger in the knot of his tie to loosen it, the door of the office creaked open, and his older brother emerged, holding two cups of coffee.

“Are you done for the day?” Ren asked in his low voice, approaching Kei’s desk and extending one of the cups toward him.

“I think so. I can’t seem to process any more information at this point,” Kei admitted, grabbing the cup with a thankful nod. “No one imagines the amount of stuff that’s behind such a large company; it’s a little overwhelming.”

“Indeed, but you are doing well,” Ren praised, moving to sit on the chair across from him. He crossed one leg over the other in one elegant, swift move, his cup resting on one knee.

The older man contemplated Kei with intelligent dark grey eyes similar to his, a few strands of long, black hair cascading over his shoulders. “I know it was shocking for you that father has decided to retire so soon.”

“I’m more shocked that he wants me to take over beside you, to be honest,” Kei admitted, leaning back in his chair with a tired sigh. He undid the first few buttons of his shirt. “I’m the youngest, so I always thought he’d only give me the opportunity in a couple of decades or so. Not to mention that we-know-who was supposed to be in my place right now.”

The two shared a knowing look between them.

“Regardless, I’m glad it’s you and not him,” Ren confessed, refraining from mentioning the person out loud, offering the youngest a small smile. Ren looked immaculate in his dark blue suit as if he’d just put it on rather than having walked around in it the whole day, and Kei always felt jealous of how effortlessly composed he looked. “I will make sure father knows well how hard you’ve been working. I’ll be glad to have you as an asset in the labs, as well, since I know that’s what you love the most.”

“Thank you,” Kei said a little sheepishly.

Indeed, his dream had always been to become a top researcher. Hopefully, he would also become the person who would unveil all the Progressive gene’s secrets and make sure he developed it in ways that would change their kind’s history forever.

Luckily, his biggest asset was himself.

He sipped his coffee, eyeing his imposing older brother but being careful not to show how much those words of praise filled him with joy and confidence.

Ren had always been an example; the perfect son, the perfect student, and the ideal role model. The man excelled at everything he did and was gifted with looks, demeanor, and smarts to go with it. Kei had always admired him for it.

To know that his brother approved of him was an immense honor, mainly because he continuously did his best to be at Ren's level, even if, sometimes, it felt as if Ren’s level was impossible to reach.

Still, even with all of Ren’s potential as the eldest son - and all the hope their Pack had bestowed upon him - the man had, from an early age, quickly discarded responsibilities that didn’t suit his interests to entrust them onto Kei, instead.

However, theoretically, Kei wasn’t the next in line.

Kei would be responsible for half of their family’s company and Pack Leader position once their father either passed or decided to withdraw. The latter possibility was becoming more real from day to day with how things were progressing, and Kei had to admit that he felt more than a little overwhelmed with how fast things were changing for him.

Unlike his two older brothers, he didn’t have that much of a rebellious nature that made him want to go against rules and tradition (even if there were many things he disagreed with), and he was glad that things were turning in his favor since he had the right personality to be in charge. Leading their Pack and ruling their family company alongside Ren was a dream come true.

“I know this is exciting for you, but I also urge you to be careful, Kei,” Ren said seriously, effectively reading Kei’s thoughts. “If father decides he wants to withdraw from being a Pack Leader, you should know what’s coming next.”

Kei felt every muscle in his body tensing, understanding the meaning behind those words all too well. “That’s… not something I want to think about at the moment,” he said. “I’d rather not have to think about it at all.”

Ren took a sharp intake of breath through his nose. “Unfortunately, that is yet another burden I’ve placed upon you when I rejected my position as next Leader,” he muttered, as if just then realizing how fatalistic this fact was.

“It’s just tradition,” Kei dismissed. He didn’t blame Ren for the added responsibility placed upon him. “Still, I don’t want to be forced to marry out of obligation just because they have good genes to keep our lineage alive. I understand the necessity, though.”

“The necessity is bigger than what you want; that is what I’m trying to say,” Ren pointed out. “Our kind is going extinct because of our affections for humans, and you are lucky to be an outstanding existence because, unlike me, you are at least allowed to mate with someone of the same s*x since you can-”

“That’s not something that counts,” Kei interrupted swiftly with a frown since this was a sensitive subject for him for more reasons than one. “You know how rare my gender is. It’s not like it’s something a female will notice, but I can’t exactly be with a male and bluntly tell them about me. It’s weird, especially because I’m an Alpha. The gene is not something our kind knows about at this point apart from our Pack and the Council.”

Ren caressed the cup in his hands with a thumb, his eyes never leaving his younger brother’s.

“Meaning what, exactly? That you’ll accept to marry any female assigned to you just because you don’t feel comfortable about your gender, even if you could potentially prefer to mate with a male?” He frowned. “Even if you say it’s weird, you are a beautiful man, and your genes are of the highest quality. Anyone would want to marry a Progressive Alpha if they understood well what it means. Eventually, if our parents think of a good suitor for you, said person will need to know the truth. It would be an honor, as far as I see it.”

Kei could only release a huff while running a tired hand through the dark strands of his hair. He hated talking about this.

“I’d rather not marry anyone at all if it was up to me,” he admitted. “I just want to focus on the family business and taking care of our Pack. I don’t have the patience to think about marriage and potential partners or whatever; I don't want to think about my gender. All of it is too much of a hassle for me and there are ways that I can study myself without the need for marriage.”

Ren nodded his understanding. “I know how you feel, but I think you should consider it,” he pressed on. “It’s better to find someone yourself than to have to go through an arranged marriage. With a fair negotiation, you and your partner might be able to live your lives the way you want to outside of your marriage if you know what I mean.”

Despite himself, Kei rolled his eyes. “That’s not very ethical.”

“Ethics won’t get you anywhere in this world.” Ren smiled darkly and proceeded. “Don’t pretend that you don’t have a romantic interest, little brother. Unfortunately, you’d have to go for someone everyone would strongly disapprove of, though.”

“I don’t have a ‘romantic interest,’” Kei contradicted, doing his best not to let his emotions show, even if the lie pained him.

“I’m sure that the Peridot puppy says the same thing,” Ren said, straight to the point, his expression stating that he didn’t believe Kei - then again, the man had always known him better than he knew himself. “And I’m sure you tell yourself that, too. But surely you know that's why you haven’t seen him during the annual Cynthia meetings for the past few years.”

At this, Kei instantly straightened in his seat in awareness. “What do you mean?” he asked because he had noticed this strange occurrence but had dismissed it as an unfortunate coincidence.

Ren seemed genuinely surprised that Kei didn’t know. “I thought our parents had approached you about it,” he said, making a face that said that he was regretting having brought the subject to light.

“They didn’t tell me anything, least of all about-” Kei stopped himself, the unspoken name itching to leave his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to utter it, knowing it would only force his longing for the other man to resurface. “Well, I never talked about him with anyone.”

“Not even me,” Ren said in accusation as if he resented the fact, which made Kei feel guilty, but what else could he do? It’s not like he could exactly tell anyone that he’d had a consuming urge to be close to a person from a Pack his own merely tolerated for the sake of peace. If anyone found out, he and Ciel would both be in serious trouble for breaking the Pack law.

Not that there was anything wrong happening between Ciel and him, much to Kei’s frustration. For years, they had only been texting each other and occasionally having brief coffee meetings, but even something as innocent as this would probably have him disowned for reasons not even he understood well. It had something to do with past politics and some kind of feud between their respective Packs - a serious one recorded in books safely hidden away by their Elders.

Their Packs co-existed out of obligation alone. From what Kei had heard, it hadn’t been desired by either, but the Cynthia Council that protected the Shifters’ existence demanded this truce; otherwise, both Packs would have to leave the community and fend for themselves.

Kei respected tradition, but because it was a secret only a select few knew about, he didn’t understand this hatred between his and Ciel’s Packs, making it all the more difficult to accept.

Sometimes it made him feel immensely angry.

They had been friends (he supposed) for years without anyone knowing. Friends was a strange designation for their relationship, but that was all they were, even if there was an evident mutual desire for something more.

They had been enraptured by each other since they had been children, but back then, they hadn’t known what it had meant.

Kei couldn’t explain it himself, and he’d long since stopped trying. After so many years, he had come to accept that what he and Ciel had existed in his daily life and would always follow him no matter where he went - an itch that apparently had no cure.

No matter how many times he had tried to forget about that strange connection or how many lovers he took, the damn guy would always come back to haunt him with his ridiculous sky blue eyes and a smile that shone brighter than the sun.

Kei didn’t know what to call it, but he didn’t believe it was a romantic interest. On the other hand, he would lie if he said that his interest was purely s****l - his strange attachment to Ciel held a lot more than the desire to copulate with him.

Ren cleared his throat, the finger of a perfectly manicured hand poking the tip of his nose. “You probably haven’t noticed, but your scent changes when the both of you are in the same room,” he explained, going back to the previous subject.

Kei’s eyebrows rose. “Changes how?” he inquired, taken aback.

“I don’t know, but his scent changes, as well,” Ren said, thoughtfully. “It was very evident a few years ago, especially after you had your Awakening. I believe mother and father might have noticed it and probably approached the Peridots about it so they would keep Ciel away. I mean, our scents change when we are courting because we release pheromones to attract the person we desire. Probably because he’s an Alpha like you, the air became so heavy it stank, and it could’ve been dangerous if the other Packs started to notice. You’re lucky those meetings are so filled with courting rituals.”

Mortified, Kei could only stare at his brother with his mouth hanging open. He felt the color draining from his cheeks, his whole body becoming rigid.

Courting? He’d never done that to anyone - granted, his scent was already strong enough that his kind acknowledged his superior genes without him needing to force his pheromones on others. As an Alpha, he knew his scent was alluring enough, and he didn’t need to do anything to attract others or assert his dominance.

He had always wanted to be closer to Ciel, but that didn’t exactly mean he had been trying to court him in front of hundreds of people shamelessly, did it? For sure, it was just their dominating pheromones in conflict because they had most certainly never even tried to be as friendly in those meetings as they were when they were alone.

Courting Ciel was unthinkable, even if they had unmistakably flirted with each other on occasion. The other man had an addictive smell, and yes, Kei would use every chance he got to take a whiff, but he was cleverer than to let his instincts take the best out of him, least of all in front of their Packs. At least, he thought so.

Now, he just felt stupid. Those annual meetings had been something he had looked forward to every year because he knew it was the only time when he and Ciel could talk to each other in front of people without being chastised. After all, their socializing helped their Packs look good in front of the Council. Somehow, though, they had managed to screw that up, and it had pulled them apart.

For the last few years, Kei had felt Ciel’s presence during the meetings, but he hadn’t been able to see him, and from Ren's input, he now understood that they had been purposefully distracted and maneuvered so they wouldn’t meet.

He wondered if Ciel was aware of this.

“Kei,” Ren called out, noticing how his younger brother had gone deadly silent. He placed his cup on the desk before leaning forward and lowering his voice to a soft, almost soothing murmur. “Listen to me. Don’t be a fool about this. If you’re happy to become Pack Leader, make sure you make life easier for yourself without making a fuss. You will never have that man the way you want to, but you can have him in some way. Don’t wait for things to fall into your lap, or you’ll miss your chance and become miserable. Take the reins now, or it will be too late. You can’t play hide and seek forever.”

“The way I want to,” Kei repeated, more to himself than to Ren. “I don’t even know what that means. I wasn’t consciously trying to court him; I just like being around him, it’s-”

“Conscious or not, you and he respond strongly to each other,” Ren stated with a sigh. “What it means is exactly that. You want to court each other, and there doesn’t need to be any deep meaning behind it. For your emotional well-being, I advise you to indulge, but be smart, Kei, and play the cards the way you should. If you find yourself a partner you can trust first, without giving our parents any reason to suspect, it should go well.”

Closing his eyes, Kei slumped back in his chair, pinching his nose with his thumb and pointer fingers. It was all too much to take so out of the blue. He could barely believe that he and Ciel had been obvious to the point where their Packs had needed to pull them apart.

Courting. Kei still couldn’t believe it. Was this why they’d been so infatuated by each other’s scents - because they’d been showering each other with pheromones without noticing?

Still, all of it was appealing. Suddenly, marrying for the sake of appearances didn’t seem like such a terrible thing if it meant that Kei could have Ciel.

That he could finally have Ciel.

Yes, because a part of him had always wanted Ciel but had been too cautious, too scared to actively reach out for him, no matter how much he had wanted to.

Maybe it was time for a change. Perhaps it was time Kei and Ciel started to grow closer like they had wanted to for a long time.

He couldn’t be sure Ciel would ever accept this, but there was no way of knowing unless he tried.

Kei opened his eyes and looked at his brother. “Will you have my back on this?” he asked, almost solemnly.

Ren all but smiled, offering him a firm nod. “Always.”