When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind

Chapter 13

Lu Zhe's movements had come so suddenly that Shen Qiao froze for an instant. The side of his face remained pressed to the fabric covering Lu Zhe's shoulder.
The other party's slightly elevated body temperature seeped out through his shirt, and the scent of his pheromones swiftly filled Shen Qiao's nose.

By the time Shen Qiao finally reacted, Lu Zhe had already carded his fingers through his hair and grazed his nails over his scalp. He'd even given Shen Qiao's head a pat, leaving him with a few words that sounded simultaneously like concern and a provocation.

"What do you need cigarettes for?" Lu Zhe had said. "Isn't my scent more addictive?"

Shen Qiao couldn't identify the feelings that coursed through him when he heard those words. When he came back to his senses, he knocked Lu Zhe's hand away and pursed his lips. Sitting up straight, he sharply wheeled his chair back to his desk. He moved with such force that the armrest of his chair slammed into the desk with an audible bang.

Everyone instinctively looked up to find the source of the sound.

Coach Fang, the only person who'd witnessed the whole exchange, gave Lu Zhe a faintly disapproving look and warned, "I'd like a certain someone to not mess with his own teammates' psyche before a match."

A moment ago, Qian Bao had been adjusting the height of her chair. With her headphones on and her head bowed low, she totally missed whatever Lu Zhe had whispered. She'd only noticed that Shen Qiao seemed to have moved his chair closer to Lu Zhe for a short while.

She put the puzzle pieces together in her mind, thinking about Lu Zhe's filthy and vengeful nature. Suddenly, she felt like she'd gotten a peek at some hidden truth.

Lu Zhe was the type of person who would take revenge without letting anyone realize he'd resorted to any low, cheap tactics. But they were going to play with Shen Qiao for at least a season. Keeping that in mind, Qian Bao felt obligated to clear her throat and say:

"Captain, don't bully our nice new kid just 'cause you're a degenerate."

Old Wo instantly added, "That's right. Old Daddy and New Daddy need to get along, or I'll feel super awkward being your son."

"...Old Wo," Er-Hua said. "How shameless can you get?"

Lu Zhe unmuted himself again and glanced over at Shen Qiao, who was already wearing his own headset. Shen Qiao's profile was cold and stoic. After a moment, Lu Zhe could only sigh and compromise.

"Alright," he said into the voice channel, with a smile tinging his tone. "I won't bully him anymore."

......

While Team DG chatted, the five members of Team BLX had already gotten online. Soon enough, the clock struck eight.

The private server simulated a real match. They started with bans and picks; taking turns, each team would ban three champions.

Instantly, Old Wo spoke into his mic: "Let's ban Draven, yeah? The Draven-Soraka combo is insane."

His teammates didn't protest; they chose Draven as their first ban.

The other team banned Elise, the Spider Queen.

"Wow," Qian Bao murmured lightly.

Elise was the champion Lu Zhe had used at the world championships last year. Because this champion could summon spiderlings, she could move freely through the jungle without taking any damage. By switching between her two forms, Elise could act as a solid carry for her team.

Lu Zhe's nickname, 'Emperor Lu', stemmed from his history with this empress, this queen.

When he first came to Team DG, Lu Zhe played Elise in his debut match-but he didn't play well. Trolls derisively called him 'Emperor Lu' and mocked his shitty skills with Elise until last year's world championship, where Lu Zhe carried his whole team to victory with Elise as his champion.