#alpha!jake

A thick, leather-bound book rested in Jake’s hands, the pages filled with intricate Old English that he absorbed with minimal effort. The world outside didn’t exist in this moment. No expectations, no responsibilities, just the quiet hum of silence.

As a pureblooded Alpha born into wealth and status, moments like this were rare, but within the walls of the student council room, he could finally breathe.

His desk bore the title Council Secretary, and his scent of pine and oranges lingered in the air. His instincts, so accustomed to composure, were calm.

Until they weren’t.

The sharp bang of wooden doors slamming open shattered the silence, followed immediately by a heavy thud and the unmistakable sound of someone crashing onto the marble floor. A low growl echoed through the room, spilling through the air like a warning, but it was nothing Jake hadn’t heard before.

He shut his book with an irritated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can't even enjoy my mornings because of you mutts.”

Lifting his gaze, he saw Ni-ki sprawled out on the floor, groaning in pain, while Jay towered over him, phone in hand, grinning so wide his sharp canines glinted under the lights.

“That was pathetic,” Jay snickered, snapping another picture of Ni-ki’s crumpled state. “Hold still, I need a better angle.”

“Go to hell,” Ni-ki grumbled, pushing himself up on his elbows, glaring up at Jay like he was debating whether to lunge at him or play dead.

Jake sighed, setting his book down with patience before looking at them both with a deadpan stare. “If you two are done turning the council room into a wrestling ring, get out.”

Jay only grinned wider, slipping his phone into his pocket. “Relax your ass, Sim, we’re just having a little fun.”

Jake arched a brow. “And I was having a little peace. But as always, you two can’t seem to exist without disturbing the entire building.”

Ni-ki groaned again, rolling onto his back with a dramatic sigh. “For the record, I was thrown into the room.”

Jay shrugged. “You were in my way.”

Jake ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. Annoyed but amused, he couldn’t fight the small smile. This was routine, his peace ruined before the day even began. With a sigh, he leaned back. “Where are the others?”

Jay offered a hand to Ni-ki, easily pulling the younger Alpha up with no effort. As he did, he casually answered Jake’s question. “Heeseung, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Jungwon are with their mates doing God knows what, and yeah, we're here, I guess.” He shot a look at Ni-ki, who was brushing himself off, looking more disgruntled than hurt.

Ni-ki, still in the middle of recovering his pride, added, “Jungwon was asking what you'd like for breakfast too.”

Jake leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the polished wood of his desk. He took a second to think, then hummed. “Any sandwich and tea will do.”

Jay raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk playing at his lips. “So Australian of you.”

Jake rolled his eyes, the smile still there. He couldn’t help it, his friends knew how to get under his skin but also how to make him laugh when he least expected it. “Fuck off,” he said with a laugh.

Jay and Ni-ki grinned before heading to their usual spots, each claiming their own desk within the spacious council room. They sprawled themselves out on the comfortable office chairs, limbs loose and postures unguarded, a contrast to the cold, poised way they carried themselves outside these walls.

Here, there was no need for their masks of control, no need to uphold the weight of their bloodlines with every carefully measured movement.

Jay leaned back, arms behind his head, his smirk fading into something more relaxed. Ni-ki, on the other hand, kicked his feet up on the desk in front of him. There was no need for perfection here, no calculating gazes from the elders who measured their worth in status and tradition.

Jake watched them settle, his fingers still tapping absentmindedly against his desk. It was an unspoken truth between them—this was a place where they weren’t heirs weighed down by the legacies of their families.

Jay let out a long sigh, staring at the ceiling. “So, what’s on the agenda today?” His voice was lazy, but there was curiosity beneath it.

Jake smirked, finally picking up his book again. “Not my problem until the first meeting starts. So, until then, entertain yourselves.” He flipped a page lazily before adding with a chuckle, “Besides, Jungwon’s the one holding it today.”

Jay let out a low whistle. “Poor guy.”

Ni-ki snorted. “He volunteered.”

“Still,” Jay stretched his arms over his head, “it’s cruel of you to let the kid handle all those reports first thing in the morning.”

Jake barely spared him a glance, amusement flickering in his eyes. “He’s the council president. He can handle it.”

Ni-ki hummed in agreement, already reclining further into his chair. “Fair point.”

Their silence was short-lived.

“Babe, I swear it wasn’t me!”

The frantic plea was followed by the sound of hurried footsteps before the doors were slammed open, again.

Sunoo stumbled into the room, half-dragged by Sunghoon’s sister, who had his wrist in an iron grip. Her eyes burned with fury, a stark contrast to Sunoo’s desperate expression as he tried and failed to reason with her.

Behind them, three familiar Omegas rushed in, all trying to calm her down, but their efforts were useless. She wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

The rest of the council members, scattered around the room, barely reacted, other than to smirk at the scene unfolding before them.

Jay leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Well, this is new. Usually, Sunoo's the one doing the chasing.”

Ni-ki snickered. “What did he even do?”

Sunoo shot them both a panicked look. “I didn't do anything!”

Sunghoon’s sister tightened her grip, making the pink-haired Alpha yelp. “Liar.”

Jake exhaled sharply through his nose, snapping his book shut with a dull thud before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Every damn morning with you people.”

Heeseung, Sunghoon, and Jungwon strolled in, Jungwon balancing a tray of drinks while Heeseung and Sunghoon carried bags of food. Sunghoon placed his down on the table with a lazy smirk. “Yeah, because clearly, I’m the one who forgot her coffee order. Really, Kim?”

Heeseung snorted as he set his own bag down. “Man, you really dug your own grave this time.”

Ni-ki snickered. “Or, y’know, not let your mate plot your downfall first thing in the morning.”

Jake shook his head, leaning back in his chair, already done with the day despite it barely starting. “Someone just make sure they don’t destroy the place before the first meeting.”

Jungwon, the only one actually preparing for said meeting, sighed. “Not my job.”

This was gonna be a long day.

Jake sat at his desk, his chin propped up on one hand as he lazily flipped through his book. His classroom wasn’t exactly his first choice for a hangout spot, but with an hour to kill before class started, the others had somehow decided it was the perfect place to loiter.

Heeseung and Jay were sprawled on the desks near the window, bickering over something trivial. Sunghoon sat with his arms crossed, seemingly unbothered, while Ni-ki stole Jungwon’s notebook, flipping through it with fake curiosity. Sunoo was slumped in a chair, spinning a pen between his fingers, looking as if he was ready to nap at any second.

The rest of the students in the room? Staring.

Seven pureblooded Alphas gathered in one place was enough to make anyone second-guess their presence. To most, they weren’t just intimidating—they were untouchable. A different breed entirely. Powerful, respected, envied. Gods among the mortals.

Jay stretched, letting out a loud yawn. “Y’know, for a guy who complains about us ruining his peace, you sure don’t kick us out.”

Jake didn’t even glance up from his book. “Because you’d just follow me somewhere else.”

Sunghoon snorted. “He’s got a point.”

Ni-ki, still flipping through Jungwon’s notes, suddenly looked up. “So, what’s the plan? We just sit here and let people gawk at us for the next hour?”

Sunoo groaned, tilting his head back. “Sounds exhausting.”

Jake sighed, shutting his book with a quiet thud. He knew better than to expect a moment of true peace when his friends were involved.

Jungwon tapped his fingers against the desk, glancing at the clock before looking around at the others. “We could go out and eat an early lunch or something.”

Jay, still balanced on the back legs of his chair, stretched his arms over his head. “Tempting, but do I look like I wanna move?”

Heeseung smirked. “Or… we could buy a new car.”

For a second, the room was silent. Then, with zero hesitation, the rest of them hummed in agreement.

“We should,” Sunghoon said, nodding as if it were the most logical idea.

“Yeah,” Ni-ki added, “we definitely should.”

Jake leaned back, unimpressed. “You guys can barely get out of those chairs.”

Sunoo, still twirling his pen between his fingers, shot Jake a lazy grin. “Exactly. We have the money, the connections, the resources… but no energy.”

Jay sighed dramatically, rubbing a hand over his face. “Such is the burden of being rich.”

Jungwon rolled his eyes. “You guys are ridiculous.”

Heeseung ignored him, leaning forward with a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Okay, but if we were actually buying one, what are we thinking? Another sports car? Something imported?”

“I’m feeling a custom build,” Sunghoon mused, pretending to consider the idea.

Jay grinned. “We could each get one.”

“We could,” Ni-ki agreed, nodding sagely.

They all sat there for a second, deep in thought. Not a single one of them moved.

Jake smirked, arms crossed over his chest. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

Jungwon shook his head, muttering under his breath before sitting up straighter. “Okay, so lunch?”

Sunoo waved a lazy hand. “Too much effort.”

Jay sighed, finally letting his chair drop back onto all four legs. “Then what? We just sit here and rot?”

“Pretty much,” Sunghoon deadpanned.

Jake, who had been half-listening while flipping through the last few pages of his book, finally closed it with a soft thud. He stretched his arms over his head, rolling out his shoulders. “Well, unlike you guys, I actually have something to do. Gotta return this.”

Jay raised a brow. “You need someone to come with you?”

Jake scoffed, shaking his head. “I’m not like Ni-ki. I can survive a walk to the library alone.”

Ni-ki, who had been aimlessly tapping his fingers against the desk, snapped his head up. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jake just shot him a grin before swiftly making his exit, his laughter echoing down the hallway as the youngest grumbled under his breath.

Jay snickered, nudging Ni-ki with his foot. “You gonna take that?”

Ni-ki huffed, slumping further into his chair. “I’m letting him have his moment. He’s gonna trip on air soon enough, and when he does, I’ll be there.”

Sunghoon smirked. “I’ll pay to see that.”

Luminous shades of gold bled through the library windows, casting soft halos of light over towering shelves lined with countless books. Dust particles floated lazily in the air, illuminated by the gentle glow, as the faint scent of aged paper and ink settled like a quiet hum in the silence.

Jake’s slow steps echoed against the polished floor, the only sound aside from the occasional page turning or scratch of a pen. Most students were in class, leaving the library nearly empty, just the way he liked it.

With one hand shoved deep into his pocket and the other gripping a newly found book by some historical author he had always meant to read, he allowed himself to get lost in the moment.

His gaze trailed along the rows of shelves, taking in the endless spines of stories and knowledge, before drifting toward the farthest section of the library, where the soft rustling of pages caught his attention.

There was someone else here. You.

Your figure stood among the books, reaching up to return a few to their rightful place. The way your fingers traced the spines, the natural ease in your movements—it was almost mesmerizing. Like you belonged to this place, like the library itself was an extension of you.

His grip on his book tightened. Where had he seen you before?

His gaze lingered on the soft flush of your cheeks, the way your lips, plump and untouched by any trace of worry, parted ever so slightly as you focused on the books in your hands. Everything about you was delicate, and it made something inside him stir.

Jake swallowed, shaking his head as if to clear the sudden haze clouding his thoughts.

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft thud of a book slipping from your hands.

The moment it hit the ground never came; because he was already moving, instincts sharper than his own awareness. His fingers wrapped around the spine just in time, catching it with ease. The world around him blurred, fading into irrelevance as he looked up, only to find you reaching for it at the same time.

Your fingers brushed against his: warm, soft, fleeting. But it was enough. Enough for something to stir deep within him, a current running sharp and fast through his veins. His grip on the book tightened slightly before he forced himself to loosen it, finally handing it back to you.

“Thank you,” you murmured, voice gentle, but it rang through his ears like a bell.

Jake swallowed. Up close, you were even more unreal than he had thought. The golden light framed you like you belonged to another world entirely.

And then, there was your scent.

Honey and seawater. Sweet, but fresh. Familiar yet foreign. It was intoxicating, wrapping around his senses and settling into his lungs like something meant to be there.

His own scent spiked before he could stop it—warm, rich, deep, like oranges and pine, crisp air after rain. Not overpowering, but enough. Enough to see your breath hitch, your lashes flutter as you blinked up at him.

Jake silently thanked the universe at that moment for making him a pureblooded Alpha. Because if he weren’t—if he didn’t have the control, the discipline, the sheer force of will ingrained into his very being, he might’ve done something reckless.

He might’ve stepped closer. Might’ve let himself breathe you in for a second longer. Might’ve said something that would betray the way his entire body was suddenly on high alert, every nerve tuned in to you.

But instead, he did what he did best. He played it off, a lazy smirk curving at the corner of his lips as if this moment hadn’t just turned his world on its axis.

“No problem,” he finally said, voice smooth, calculated.

He made sure his tone was effortless, made sure his expression stayed composed, like his heart wasn’t hammering against his ribs, like his senses weren’t still tangled up in the traces of your scent lingering in the air.

He let his gaze flicker over you one last time before he forced himself to look away, shifting his weight slightly, fingers drumming against the cover of his book as if his entire body wasn’t still hyper-aware of your presence.

You gave him a small nod, your lips curling into a polite smile before turning back to the shelves. And that should’ve been the end of it. That should’ve been his cue to walk away, to let this moment dissolve into nothing more than a short interaction.

But Jake didn’t move.

Instead, he stood there, gripping his book a little too tightly, watching as you reached for another volume on the top shelf, your fingers brushing against the spine with ease. He watched as a stray beam of light caught in your hair, making it glow, as if the sun itself had taken a liking to you. He watched the way your lashes fluttered when you scanned the titles, the way your lips parted slightly in concentration.

And for the first time in a long time, Jake found himself at a complete loss.

He had met hundreds—thousands—of people. He had seen beauty in all forms, had been in the presence of those who were revered, admired, worshipped even. Yet somehow, none of them had ever managed to unravel him like this. None of them had ever made the air feel heavier, had ever made him question if he had truly seen them before, or if they had only existed in the parts of his mind he hadn’t dared explore.

Why did it feel like he should know you?

“You come here often?” The words left his mouth before he could think better of them, and for a second, he almost cringed at himself. He wasn’t that guy. He could do better than that.

You turned to him, one brow raised in mild amusement. “To the library?”

Jake chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, okay, that sounded dumb.”

“A little,” you teased, your lips curving into the softest smile. “But to answer your question, I do. I help here when I have free time.”

Something about that made too much sense. You belonged in a place like this, where everything was calm, where the scent of books and ink lingered in the air, where the golden light spilling through the windows made you look almost ethereal.

“Huh,” Jake mused, nodding.

Your brow furrowed slightly. “Why? You don’t come to the library often?”

“Only when I need to,” he admitted with a smirk. “Or when I’m trying to get away from certain people.”

“Ah,” you nodded knowingly. “So, I’m guessing today is one of those days?”

Jake let out a breathy chuckle. “Something like that.” He tilted his head slightly, curiosity getting the better of him. “What about you? You actually like being here?”

Your gaze softened, trailing over the rows of books surrounding you. “Yeah. It’s quiet. Peaceful.” You glanced back at him, a playful glint in your eyes. “And usually free of distractions.”

Jake placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. “Ouch. Are you saying I’m a distraction?”

You bit back a laugh. “I didn’t say that.”

“Didn’t have to,” he shot back, his smirk widening.

For a moment, silence settled between you both—not the awkward kind, but something softer, something comfortable. Jake found himself memorizing the way the light reflected in your eyes, the way your fingers brushed against the book in your hands absentmindedly.

Then you tilted your head. “What book is that?”

Jake glanced down at the book he had been gripping this entire time. “Something I just finished.”

“Was it good?”

He studied you for a moment before a teasing glint flickered in his gaze. “Maybe you should borrow it and find out.”

You smirked, crossing your arms. “What if I hate it?”

Jake grinned, tilting his head, eyes glinting with mischief. “Then I’d seriously question your taste in books, and possibly in people.”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, but you couldn’t help the amused chuckle that escaped. “Wow, so judgmental.”

He shrugged, unbothered. “I have standards.”

You laughed softly, reaching for the book. Your fingers brushed his—warm, electric. Jake’s scent spiked before he could stop it, oranges and pine, rich and inviting.

You didn’t say anything, but you hesitated, your fingers lingering against his for just a fraction longer than necessary. That momentary pause tells him you noticed.

Jake cleared his throat, flexing his fingers slightly before shoving one hand into his pocket. He watched as you flipped open the book, eyes scanning the first few lines. The sunlight filtering through the library windows caught in your hair, giving you an almost ethereal glow. You looked so focused, so at ease, and yet…

There’s something about you that tugs at something buried deep inside him.

“You’re sure we haven’t met before?” he asks, voice quieter this time, like he’s speaking more to himself than to you.

You glance up, brows furrowing slightly. “You seem familiar.” Your voice is careful, as if testing the words. “And not just because you’re the student council secretary.”

Jake watches you closely as you tilt your head, lost in thought.

“I feel like I’ve seen you before,” you continue. “At dinners, at events.” A small sigh escapes you. “But I never really cared to remember the faces or names at those things.”

Something in Jake’s chest tightens.

You weren’t like the others, then. The ones who flaunted their family names, who cared too much about appearances, about impressing the right people. You were rich, sure, but you didn’t let it define you.

And somehow, that made you even more intriguing. A slow smirk tugs at the corner of Jake’s lips. “Ouch.”

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head. “Don’t take it personally. I just never cared about those social circles.”

Jake hums in amusement. “And yet, here we are.”

You arch a brow. “And yet, here we are.”

Jake’s gaze flickers to the book cart beside you, filled with stacks waiting to be returned to their proper places. He tilts his head, considering, then gestures toward it.

“Mind if I help?”

You blink, caught off guard. “You?”

He raises an eyebrow. “What? Think I’m incapable of putting books on a shelf?”

You huff out a small laugh. “I just figured you’d have a class to get to. Or a meeting.”

Jake leans casually against the cart, hands in his pockets, looking completely unbothered. “My classes don’t even start for at least forty minutes or so.” His lips curl into that signature, lazy grin. “Plenty of time to lend a hand.”

You narrow your eyes playfully. “And why exactly would the student council secretary want to waste his free time stacking books?”

His grin widens. “Maybe I just like the company.”

You roll your eyes, turning to grab a book from the cart, but before you can, Jake leans in slightly, dropping his voice just enough to make you pause.

“Or,” he teases, “are you saying you don’t want a big, strong Alpha helping you?”

You let out a giggle, shaking your head. “Oh, please.”

Jake smirks. “That wasn’t a no.”

You shake your head again, amused, and hand him a book. “Fine, Secretary Sim. Let’s see if you actually know your way around a library.”

He takes it from you with an exaggerated air of confidence. “Prepare to be impressed.”

And just like that, minutes pass, time slipping through your fingers like sand as you and Jake move through the towering shelves, placing books where they belong. What started as a simple task quickly turns into something else entirely, something lighter.

You are nothing but a giggling fit as the pureblooded Alpha standing just a few inches from you recounts stories from his childhood. For someone who always seemed so put-together, so composed, seeing this side of him; one filled with sighs and boyish grins as he talks about his past—it was unexpectedly charming.

“So let me get this straight,” you say, biting back another laugh as you slide a book onto the shelf. “You cried because your tutor forced you to read Alice in Wonderland?”

Jake groans dramatically, running a hand down his face. “I was like… six, okay? And I didn’t just cry—I threw the book.”

You gasp, covering your mouth in mock horror. “The abuse!”

He snorts, shaking his head. “It was self-defense. I thought it was gonna be some fun story about a girl going on an adventure, but it made no sense.”

You stifle a laugh as he leans against the shelf beside you, watching your expression with a knowing smirk. “You think it’s funny?”

You nod, grinning. “It is funny. What kind of kid throws a tantrum over Alice in Wonderland?”

“The kind who got locked in a study room for hours and told he wasn’t leaving until he finished the chapter,” he says, deadpan.

At that, you burst into quiet laughter, shaking your head. “So what changed? You seem pretty into books now.”

Jake exhales, rolling a book between his hands. “Honestly? After that, I refused to read anything for a while. But my mom, she wasn’t having it. She started giving me books that actually interested me. Stories about history, people, real things. And eventually… I don’t know. I got used to it. Liked it, even.”

His voice softens slightly, a hint of sincerity slipping through his usual teasing tone. It makes you pause, watching him a little more closely.

“Guess I should thank my stubborn tutor,” he adds with a lopsided smile. “Even if Alice in Wonderland still haunts me to this day.”

You shake your head, grinning. “Noted. No Wonderland-themed gifts for you.”

Jake chuckles, his gaze lingering on you for just a second too long. Then, with a playful nudge of your shoulder, he steps back, grabbing another book from the cart.

He glances down at the watch strapped to his wrist, and his chest tightens when he sees the time—only ten minutes left before his next class. He exhales through his nose, shoulders dropping slightly.

Why did it feel so heavy to leave? It wasn’t like he wasn’t coming back. It wasn’t like this was the last time he’d see you. But something about walking away now, after all the laughter, after the ease that settled between you both, made his steps feel weighted.

He sets the book down on the cart, rubbing the back of his neck before finally looking at you. “Guess I should get going,” he mutters, not moving just yet.

You tilt your head, a soft, knowing smile gracing your lips. “Duty calls, huh?”

Jake chuckles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. Something like that.”

There’s a second of silence, and he shifts on his feet, reluctant. He knows he should go, his class isn’t going to wait for him—but there's something holding him in place, like an invisible thread still tying him to this moment, to you.

His fingers tap against the side of his thigh, his weight shifting slightly. Then, before he can think twice about it, he blurts out, “You know… I never got your name.”

It’s a poor excuse to stay a little longer, but it’s the truth. He’s heard people mention you before, seen you in passing at events or around school—always just another face in a sea of familiarity. But here, now, under the warm glow of the library, he realizes that knowing of you isn’t the same as knowing you.

And he wants to.

Your eyebrows lift slightly, caught off guard by the sudden shift. Then, as if humoring him, you tilt your head, an amused glint in your eyes.

“You mean to tell me you, Sim Jaeyun—Jake, student council secretary—know the names of half the student body but not mine?” you tease lightly, arms crossing over your chest.

Jake scoffs, crossing his own arms in response, mirroring your stance. “Hey, in my defense, most people introduce themselves to me first,” he says, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You, on the other hand, just threw books at me and insulted my childhood trauma.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “Fine, fine.” You unfold your arms, watching him for a moment before finally saying, “(Y/N). (Y/N) (L/N).”

And that’s it. That’s all it takes.

He just knows he looks stupid right now. Like some love-struck idiot with a boyish grin plastered across his face. But he can’t help it.

Your name fits. It rolls through his mind so easily, as if he’s always known it.

“(Y/N),” he repeats, testing how it feels on his tongue. Yeah. He likes it.

Before he can embarrass himself any further, he takes a step back, pointing lazily at the book still on top of the cart. “Don’t forget to let me know if you hate it,” he teases, a smirk playing at his lips.

You roll your eyes but wave him off with an amused shake of your head.

The brunette Alpha stood at the front of the room, hands in his pockets, the glow of the projector casting sharp shadows across his face.

Another council meeting was in full swing, and the proposal was displayed on the screen behind him—an extensive, well-structured plan covering student initiatives for the next few months. His voice was steady as he spoke.

“As you can see, the proposed projects align with last year’s data on student participation rates. The revisions focus on accessibility, budget efficiency, and—”

A voice interrupted.

“How are you sure this is actually in line with what the student body wants?”

Jake’s sentence cut off. His head tilted slightly, eyes flickering toward the source of the comment—a Beta seated a few rows back, arms crossed, expression laced with casual arrogance.

Silence settled over the room.

Jake didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he exhaled through his nose, his fingers curling slightly before flexing out again.

Then, he let out a quiet scoff. The kind that wasn’t amused. The kind that sent tension through the air.

The Beta shifted in his seat, but Jake only raised a brow, taking his time before speaking.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice calm. Too calm. “Did I just spend the last ten minutes breaking down survey data, feedback percentages, and budget adjustments for you to sit there and ask that?”

The Beta blinked.

Jake took a step forward, slowly, hands still in his pockets. “Tell me, do you think I’m just making things up? You think I’m sitting in my room, pulling numbers out of my ass for fun?” His voice was smooth, but the sharpness beneath it was unmistakable.

The room was deathly quiet now.

The Beta’s smirk wavered, but he pushed back. “I just think we should consider if—”

Jake cut him off. “No, see, I actually consider things. That’s why I have reports—real student responses—right here.” He tapped the remote, switching the slide. Pages of survey results filled the screen. “Meanwhile, you’re just speculating.”

Silence.

Jake’s gaze was cold. The Beta looked away.

“Thought so,” Jake muttered, clicking to the next slide as if nothing had happened. “Now, moving on.”

The tension still hung thick in the air, but somewhere near the front, Heeseung and Sunghoon exchanged a look—one of amusement, a smirk tugging at the corners of their lips.

Heeseung let out a quiet chuckle under his breath, barely audible over the sound of the projector clicking to the next slide. Sunghoon bit the inside of his cheek to keep from outright grinning.

“Damn,” Heeseung muttered low enough for only those nearby to hear.

Sunghoon, resting his chin lazily against his palm, whispered back, “Should’ve kept his mouth shut.”

The Beta had noticeably shrunk in his seat, his earlier arrogance dissolving under Jake’s scrutiny. His grip tightened around his pen, eyes fixed anywhere but on the secretary at the front of the room.

From the side, Sunoo barely spared him a glance before mumbling, “Serves him right.”

Jake, meanwhile, acted as though nothing had happened, his expression schooled back into indifference. He clicked through another slide, eyes skimming over the proposal details.

Ni-ki and Jay, seated near the back, exchanged glances before grinning. Without a word, Ni-ki held up a fist, and Jay bumped his against it—the silent gesture between them going unnoticed by most.

Well, almost unnoticed.

Jungwon, ever the responsible president, was supposed to be the professional one—the peacemaker. He was meant to keep the meetings under control, not laugh in moments like this. But, really, this was what happened when people tried to provoke them.

Despite knowing better, Jungwon let out a quiet snicker, only to quickly disguise it with a cough, covering his mouth as if clearing his throat. The movement was poorly timed, though, and Sunoo shot him an unimpressed look while Heeseung outright smirked.

Jake, standing at the front, didn’t acknowledge any of it, his attention seemingly fixed on the presentation—but the sharp flicker of amusement in his eyes betrayed him.

“As I was saying before we decided to entertain baseless accusations,” Jake continued smoothly, clicking through another slide, “the budget allocations for each committee have been balanced accordingly. If anyone has actual concerns that don’t involve unnecessary questioning of my ability to read statistics, now would be the time to raise them.”

Silence.

Jungwon pressed his fist against his mouth, eyes crinkling as he fought the urge to laugh again.

Jake exhaled sharply through his nose, rolling his shoulders back before giving a curt nod.

“That’s all for today,” he hummed, voice smooth yet edged with the remnants of his earlier irritation. He didn’t bother with any closing remarks or pleasantries, simply gathering his things with efficiency. His movements were controlled—yet the way he shut his notebook with just a little too much force gave him away.

The second the meeting ended, he was gone. No lingering, no small talk, just a brisk exit, bag slung over his shoulder.

His steps were quick, the grand library doors already in sight, the one place no one would dare follow him.

But just as he turned the corner, voices caught his attention.

“Oh! Jake’s free now, should we go talk to him?”

“He always leaves so quickly after meetings… maybe today’s our chance?”

Jake cursed under his breath.

A group of Omegas stood a few feet away, clearly debating the best way to approach him. He didn’t have the patience for this. Not today. He wasn’t in the right mindset to deal with hopeful smiles or small talk.

More importantly, he didn’t trust himself not to accidentally snap. The last thing he needed was to ruin someone’s day just because he was still irritated from some idiotic remark earlier.

And, god forbid, if someone tried to confess their feelings today, he might actually combust.

He quickened his pace, reaching the library doors just before anyone could call his name. Slipping inside, he shut them behind him with a soft thud, muting the distant voices that nearly caught him.

The Alpha took a breath.

The library was cool, quiet—the perfect escape. His sharp eyes scanned the room, quickly bypassing the open tables and the front desk. He didn’t want to risk being found. Instead, he made a beeline for the very back, where towering bookshelves created a maze of hidden seats.

There, near the last row, he found what he was looking for—a section with oversized shelves, their positioning just awkward enough to create a hidden space. It wasn’t a proper seating area, more like a forbidden section of the library, where students occasionally hid when they wanted to avoid the world.

Perfect.

Jake slipped into the small space, sinking onto the cushioned seat against the back wall. The moment he was out of sight, he let his head rest against the wood, eyes briefly shutting.

Finally. No interruptions. No stupid questions. No unwanted attention. Just silence.

Jake had been there for a while now, longer than he intended, but time always moved differently in the library. The quiet had done little to fully rid him of his earlier frustration, but at least it kept him from doing something he’d regret.

A book rested in his hands, something he had picked up absentmindedly from the shelf near his hiding spot. He wasn’t even sure what it was about, but flipping through the pages had given him something to do.

His fingers hovered over the corner of the page, ready to turn it, when he heard it—soft footsteps approaching, barely audible against the carpeted floors.

Jake tensed.

He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. If it was one of his friends coming to tease him, or worse, someone trying to get his attention for another pointless conversation, he was going to—

But then the scent of honey and seawater hit him.

It was soft, familiar, cutting through his frustration like a breath of fresh air. Unlike the overwhelming scents he had escaped, this one simply existed, wrapping around him until his grip on the book loosened.

Then, your voice followed. “Are you okay?”

Jake froze.

Your voice was gentle, laced with concern. Not prying, but still searching. And suddenly, whatever sharp retort he had been about to throw out died in his throat.

His annoyance didn’t seem so important anymore.

Jake swallowed, his lips parting slightly, but no words came out at first. It wasn’t like him to be at a loss for words—not in meetings, not in arguments, not even when he was annoyed. But something about you being here, standing so close, made all the tension he had been carrying shift into something else.

Slowly, he lowered the book, tilting his head just enough to meet your gaze. Your expression was soft, brows slightly drawn together, not with curiosity, but with something gentler. You weren’t here to pry or gossip. You just… cared. And suddenly, his frustration felt almost childish.

“I…” he stopped himself, exhaling sharply through his nose.

He wanted to say he was fine, that it was nothing, that it was just another stupid meeting with people who didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut.

But the words didn’t come out.

Instead, Jake leaned back against the loveseat, gaze flickering to the pages of his book as if searching for an answer.

You didn’t press him. You didn’t demand an explanation or scold him for running off like his friends probably would have. You just stood there, waiting.

And for some reason, that made him want to answer.

“I just needed some space,” he muttered eventually, his voice quieter than usual, lacking its usual sharpness. He rubbed the back of his neck, finally meeting your eyes again. “Didn’t feel like dealing with anyone.”

You hummed, stepping closer. The scent of you made the last of his annoyance settle into something easier to manage.

“I figured,” you said softly. “You looked upset earlier.”

Jake’s brows lifted slightly, surprised that you had noticed. His friends might’ve caught on, but most people weren’t perceptive enough to see through his carefully crafted walls. Yet, you had.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Some beta tried challenging me mid-meeting,” he muttered, irritation creeping in before he caught himself. Shaking his head, he added, “Doesn’t matter anymore.”

Silence settled between you, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Jake found himself watching you instead—how you shifted slightly on your feet, how your fingers curled at your sides as if debating whether or not to reach out. The thought made something in his chest tighten unexpectedly.

Then, after a moment, you spoke again.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Jake let out a quiet laugh, not mocking, but almost… grateful. He shook his head, a small, tired smile tugging at his lips. “Nah,” he said, closing the book in his hands. “But… I don’t mind staying here for a while.”

His voice was quieter now, almost hesitant, but the way your face softened told him you understood.

You hesitated before shifting your weight slightly. “Can I sit?”

Jake blinked, surprised by the question, then nodded, maybe a little too eagerly. Clearing his throat, he schooled his expression back to neutral and gestured to the spot beside him. “Yeah, of course.”

You settled down next to him, the space between you small but not suffocating. Close enough that he could feel your warmth, but not close enough to be overwhelming.

Jake exhaled slowly, feeling the last remnants of his frustration loosen in his chest. The meeting, the irritation, the unwanted attention from his admirers, it all seemed a little less important now.

For a while, neither of you spoke. The only sounds were the distant rustling of pages and the occasional creak of a chair as someone moved in the main area of the library. But here, hidden away behind the tall shelves, it felt like a world apart.

His fingers idly traced the book’s cover, though he wasn’t really reading. Instead, he was hyper-aware of your knee barely brushing his, your scent lingering; unexpectedly soothing.

“You always come here when you need space?” you asked after a moment, your voice soft, curious but not prying.

Jake tilted his head slightly, considering. “Not always,” he admitted. “But it’s quiet. And no one really thinks to look for me back here.” He huffed a quiet laugh. “Except you, apparently.”

You smiled, nudging his arm lightly. “I had a feeling.”

The pureblooded Alpha found himself smiling back—a real one this time. Not forced, not out of politeness, but something small and genuine.

Jake eased back against the wall, shoulders finally relaxing. His fingers tapped absently on the book’s spine, but he wasn’t reading, not when your presence felt more real than the words on the page.

“You know, you always seem to know where to find me,” he mused, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye.

You shrugged, tilting your head slightly. “Maybe I just know you better than most, even if I just met you.”

The words settled between you both—not heavy, not awkward, just honest. Jake felt something unfamiliar stir in his chest, something warm.

He studied you for a second longer before shaking his head with a soft chuckle. “Scary thought.”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Oh, please. You’re not that complicated.”

Jake hummed, amused, but didn’t argue. Instead, he let the silence stretch again, though this time, it felt different—more comfortable. The frustration from earlier had nearly faded entirely, replaced by something far less sharp.

After a moment, you reached over, tapping your fingers lightly against the edge of his book. “So, what are you reading?”

Jake glanced down, suddenly remembering he was even holding something. He flipped the book in his hands absentmindedly before handing it over to you. “Something I grabbed off the shelf. Wasn’t really paying attention.”

You took it, skimming the cover. “Mmh, seems interesting.”

Jake scoffed lightly. “You didn’t even read anything yet.”

You grinned. “I have good intuition.”

Jake shook his head, but the amusement lingered in his eyes. He watched as you scanned the cover, the way your brows furrowed slightly in concentration. He didn’t know why, but the sight of you so focused on something so simple made his chest tighten.

He looked away, clearing his throat. “You can borrow it if you want.”

You glanced up at him, lips twitching in the beginnings of a smile. “You sure? I thought you came here to read.”

Jake exhaled a short laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, well…” He trailed off, gaze flickering to yours before looking away just as quickly. “I think I found something better to focus on.”

The words left his mouth before he could really think about them, and Jake nearly winced at himself. But then you laughed, soft and light—and the tension in his shoulders eased.

You nudged him again, a touch more lingering this time. “Flatterer.”

Jake smirked. “Just saying.”

You tapped your fingers against the book’s spine, tilting your head slightly as you considered something. Then, with an easy smile, you turned to Jake.

“Wanna read it together?”

Jake blinked, caught off guard. “Together?”

You nodded, flipping the book open and patting the space between you both. “Yeah. You said you weren’t really paying attention when you picked it, right? So why not give it a proper chance?”

Jake hesitated for a second, then exhaled through his nose, a soft chuckle slipping past his lips. “You really don’t take no for an answer, do you?”

You grinned. “Not when I know it’s a good idea.”

Shaking his head, Jake shifted slightly, leaning in just enough so he could read over your shoulder as you settled into the first few pages. The closeness wasn’t something he was used to—at least, not like this. It wasn’t suffocating. Instead, it felt warm, your scent wrapping around him in a way that slowly untangled the tension from his limbs.

For a few minutes, the only sound between you both was the quiet rustle of pages turning. Then—

“Oh my god,” you murmured, biting back a laugh.

Jake glanced at you, brow furrowed. “What?”

You pointed at a line of dialogue, barely able to hold in your giggle. “My love for you burns like the eternal sun, scorching and unyielding in its devotion.”

You turned to him, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Scorching and unyielding?”

Jake groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “I knew I picked up something weird.”

You nudged him playfully. “No, no, this is great. Keep reading.”

Jake huffed but followed along as you continued. Another dramatic line came up, something about hearts entwining like ivy around stone, and you couldn’t stop yourself from giggling again.

“You’re laughing,” Jake accused, though his tone was more fond than annoyed.

You nodded, grinning. “Because this is so overly dramatic. Do people actually talk like this?”

Jake smirked, flipping the page. “Maybe in, like, the 1800s.”

You snorted, shaking your head. “I don’t know, Jake. I think you should take notes. Maybe next time you wanna woo an Omega, try saying, ‘My devotion to you is like the tides, endless and drawn to the moon’s call.’”

Jake nearly choked. “Absolutely not.”

Your laughter echoed softly through the library’s quiet corners, warm and easy. Jake grinned despite himself, the bitterness in his scent from earlier fading entirely, replaced by something softer, warm oranges and fresh pine, subtle but there.

You inhaled lightly, the change making your chest flutter just a bit. Without thinking, you smiled.

Jake noticed.

His gaze flickered to you, curiosity glinting in his eyes. “What?”

You shook your head, still smiling. “Nothing.”

Jake wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he let the moment settle, let the warmth of your laughter and the ridiculous book between you both fill the space.

“Alright,” he sighed dramatically, flipping another page. “Let’s see just how much worse this gets.”

For a while, you read in silence, the occasional rustle of a page the only sound. The library's soft glow wrapped your hidden corner in warmth, making it feel even more secluded, like the rest of the world had melted away, leaving just the two of you.

Jake found himself enjoying the book despite its overly dramatic writing, maybe because you were reading it too. Your amused huffs and quiet comments made it more entertaining than it should have been. But after a while, he noticed something.

You had grown quiet.

Too quiet.

Jake subtly glanced at you from the corner of his eye, lips twitching when he realized what was happening. Your blinks were getting slower, your posture more relaxed, and the way your fingers had stopped fidgeting with the edge of the page told him—without a doubt—you were dozing off.

He let out a breathless chuckle, barely a sound, shaking his head. You really do have a way of catching me off guard, huh?

For a moment, he debated waking you, but something about the peaceful look on your face stopped him. Instead, Jake hesitated for only a second before moving carefully.

With the gentleness only a pureblooded Alpha raised on traditional etiquette could have, he shifted ever so slightly, angling his shoulder toward you. Then, just as lightly, he guided your head to rest against him.

You stirred for the briefest moment, instinctively snuggling a little closer to his side.

Jake immediately froze. His whole body tensed.

His heart skipped a beat.

It was ridiculous, but the warmth of you against him, the way your scent wrapped around him so effortlessly, made his thoughts stumble.

He swallowed, exhaling slowly through his nose, trying to will away the sudden tightness in his chest. This is fine. It’s nothing.

You were just tired. And he was just being considerate. That’s what an Alpha was supposed to do, right? Protect, provide comfort, ensure safety.

So why did it feel like something far more intimate?

He swallowed, forcing himself to focus on the book still open in his lap. The words blurred slightly as his mind reeled, but he kept reading anyway, if only to distract himself from the fact that you were resting against him, trusting him enough to do so.

Outside, the library remained as quiet as ever. The world carried on.

But for Jake, sitting there in the dim light, your soft breathing evening out against his side, something shifted.

And he wasn’t sure he could ever shift it back.

Your breath was steady, your warmth pressed lightly against him, and for a moment, Jake thought you had fully drifted off.

But then, just as he was about to return his attention to the book, you stirred slightly, shifting against his side.

Your voice, quiet and laced with sleep, barely broke the hush of the library.

"Wake me up in fifteen minutes?"

You mumbled the words, your voice slurring just the tiniest bit.

Jake stilled.

He looked down at you, watching as your eyelashes fluttered against your cheek, your breathing slow and deep. The way you said it—so trusting, so unguarded—made something warm unfurl in his chest.

He exhaled softly, barely above a whisper, but there was no mistaking the tenderness in his voice when he responded.

"Sure, omega. Sure."

It was the softest he had ever spoken. The gentlest he had ever let himself be.

Jake didn’t know if you heard it, if your drowsy mind even registered the way his voice had dipped into something almost tame.

But he didn’t care.

Because as you let out a content sigh, sinking just a little bit further into his side, he knew one thing for certain—

Fifteen minutes wouldn't be enough.

The library stayed still, the only sound a distant rustle of pages. Late afternoon light streamed through tall windows, casting a warm glow over your hidden corner.

Jake, who had only meant to let you rest for fifteen minutes, had somehow drifted off himself.

His breathing was even, his frame relaxed, and without realizing it, he had shifted closer. His head had dipped, resting atop yours, while your body had curled just slightly into his side.

The scent of oranges and pine surrounded you, warmer now, softened by sleep, no longer laced with the bitterness from earlier.

For the first time that day, everything felt at peace.

Until your eyelids fluttered open.

You blinked slowly, your body still heavy with sleep. The warmth against you registered first, followed by the weight on your head. It took your drowsy mind a moment to process that Jake had fallen asleep, too—that you had both somehow ended up nestled against each other.

Your cheeks warmed instantly.

Careful not to wake him, you shifted, his uniform brushing against your skin. Slowly, you reached into your skirt pocket, fingers curling around your phone. You turned the screen on—

And immediately panicked.

You had overslept.

By an hour.

Your breath hitched, and you nearly jolted upright, but Jake stirred at the movement, a quiet sigh leaving his lips.

You froze.

His head shifted slightly against yours before settling once more, his arm now loosely resting against your side, as if unconsciously keeping you in place.

Your heart was practically in your throat.

You should wake him up. You needed to wake him up.

You hesitated, phone still clutched in your hand as you weighed your options.

Jake was still fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady, completely at ease for the first time all day.

Something about that made you pause.

Carefully, despite the awkward angle, you tilted your head up just slightly—just enough to get a proper look at him.

And for a moment, you forgot how to breathe.

Up close, he looked softer, more serene than the composed, ever-efficient student council secretary he always presented himself as. His brows, usually furrowed in focus, were relaxed. His long lashes rested gently against his skin, and his lips, often pressed into a firm line, were now slightly parted.

Even his scent of warm oranges and fresh pine seemed calmer now, no longer edged with irritation or exhaustion.

You swallowed, feeling your heart skip a beat.

Jake had always been handsome, but there was something about seeing him like this, unguarded, peaceful—that made your stomach twist in a way you didn’t quite know how to handle.

The logical part of you knew you had to wake him up. It was already late, and staying like this any longer would only make things worse.

But a part of you, the part that wasn’t ready to let go of this warmth just yet, hesitated.

He just looked so… at peace.

Yet you let out a soft sigh before gently nudging his shoulder. “Jake,” you murmured, voice hushed in the quiet of the library.

He stirred slightly, a low hum escaping him as his lashes fluttered, struggling against the remnants of sleep. His brows furrowed, and he shifted, blinking a few times as if trying to register where he was.

Then, his body tensed.

The realization of just how close you were hit him all at once—your warmth pressed against his side, your head resting against his shoulder, his own head tilted atop yours. His breath hitched as he sat up slightly, eyes widening.

“S—Sorry,” he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t—I mean, I didn’t mean to—”

You waved a hand, amused. “It’s fine. You looked like you needed that rest.”

Jake blinked, processing your words before exhaling, ruffling his already tousled hair. “Shit… What time is it?”

“Almost six,” you replied, stretching slightly.

His eyes widened slightly as he ran a hand through his hair again, the weight of lost time settling in. “Shit. Did I keep you in here? Don’t you have anything to do?”

You shook your head. “No, there’s a different student covering the night shift," you explained. “Library closes at eight anyway.”

Jake hummed in acknowledgment, but then you sighed, leaning back slightly.

“Great,” you muttered sarcastically.

Jake frowned. “What?”

You huffed. “I have no one to pick me up.”

Jake blinked at you for a moment before tilting his head, expression unreadable. “Huh?”

He didn’t say anything at first, just studying you, but there was something about the way his gaze lingered.

The Alpha tilted his head slightly, brows furrowing in confusion. “Wait, why don’t you just drive?”

You blinked at him before letting out a small laugh, shaking your head. “My car isn't here.”

Jake still looked puzzled. “Don’t you have a driver?”

You sighed, leaning back against the loveseat. “It’s my designated driver’s day off,” you explained. “So, I had to hitch a ride with a friend this morning.”

Jake hummed, nodding slowly, but when you casually mentioned her name, his eyes flickered with surprise.

“Oh,” he said, blinking. “You’re friends with Heeseung’s mate?”

You nodded with a small smile, amused by the way his expression changed, like he was processing that information and filing it away for later. “Yeah,” you replied. “We’ve been close for a while.”

Jake let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head slightly. “Huh. Small world.”

“You sound surprised,” you teased, raising a brow at him.

He shrugged, a ghost of a smirk playing at his lips. “I mean, kind of? I just didn’t expect it, that’s all.”

“Why?” you asked, tilting your head.

Jake scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know," he admitted. “It’s just—Heeseung’s mate is usually around him or the others. I’ve never really seen her with you.”

You grinned. “That’s because we hang out outside of school.”

Jake let out an amused huff. “Figures.” He leaned back against the bookshelf, arms crossed. “So, you really have no way of getting home?”

You sighed dramatically, resting your head against the back of the loveseat. “Nope. Stuck here until I figure something out.”

Jake clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “That’s great,” he muttered, his tone laced with sarcasm.

“Right?” you replied, just as sarcastically. “Super great. Love this for me.”

Jake shifted in his seat, hesitating for a moment. You watched as his fingers tapped idly against his arm, his lips pressing into a thin line like he was debating something in his head.

Then, finally, he sighed through his nose and ran a hand through his hair. “I could drive you,” he said, but there was an unusual softness to his voice, like he was testing the waters.

You blinked up at him, caught slightly off guard. “You?”

“Yeah,” he said, but he looked like he was second-guessing himself. “I mean—only if you’re okay with that. If you’d rather call someone else or wait, that’s fine, too.” He shrugged, aiming for nonchalance, but the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes gave him away. “I just figured… it’d be better than being stuck here.”

You hesitated, not because you didn’t want to accept, but because he looked unsure, like he wanted to help but didn’t want to overstep.

A small smile tugged at your lips as you shook your head. “No, I mean—if you’re offering, I won’t say no.”

Jake exhaled, something in his posture easing at your words. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed. “That would actually be really helpful.”

His lips quirked up slightly, and he nodded. “Alright. Let’s get out of here, then.”

Jake stood up from the leather loveseat, stretching his arms slightly before turning to you with a playful glint in his eyes. With an exaggerated gesture, he extended his hand toward you, palm up, and dipped his head slightly.

“After you, (Y/N)—the ever-so-pretty Omega,” he teased, his voice dripping with mock formality.

You laughed, rolling your eyes but still taking his hand as you played along. “Why, thank you, my kind Alpha," you replied, matching his tone with an amused smirk.

As your fingers briefly brushed against his, Jake let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “You’re something else,” he muttered, but there was no bite to his words—only a quiet fondness he wasn’t sure he was ready to acknowledge yet.

As you both stepped outside the hidden reading nook, the warm glow of the setting sun filtered through the library windows. The golden light painted long shadows across the floor, making the whole place feel even more serene.

Just as you reached the front doors, you suddenly stopped and turned to Jake. “Wait here for a second,” you told him, motioning for him to stay put.

Jake furrowed his brows. “Where are you going?”

You pointed toward the reception desk. “I need to grab my bag. I’ll be quick.”

He nodded, leaning casually against the doorframe as he watched you jog over. You made your way to the desk, where the student taking over the night shift was already setting up for her hours ahead. She glanced up as you approached, blinking in surprise before a teasing grin spread across her face.

“So… you and Jake, huh?” she mused, raising a knowing brow as she handed you your bag.

You blinked before letting out a laugh, waving a hand dismissively. “Oh, please,” you scoffed. “It’s not like that.”

She hummed, clearly unconvinced. “Uh-huh. Sure. You do know he’s waiting for you by the door like a damn gentleman, right? That’s Alpha behavior if I’ve ever seen it.”

You rolled your eyes, slinging your bag over your shoulder. “He’s just giving me a ride home. That’s all.”

She smirked, resting her chin on her palm. “Mhm. And I’m just a regular student who doesn’t notice things.”

Shaking your head, you turned away, laughing under your breath. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” you called over your shoulder.

“Tell Jake I said hi,” she teased back, making you shake your head again with a smile as you returned to the entrance.

Jake glanced at you as you rejoined him. “Took you long enough,” he said, though there was no actual bite to his tone.

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Patience, Jake.”

He scoffed, but then reached out, tugging your bag off your shoulder before you could react. “Here, let me.”

You blinked at him. “Jake, I can carry my own bag.”

“I know,” he said easily, slinging it over his own shoulder like it weighed nothing. “But I want to.”

He pushed open the library doors with a smirk. “Let’s get going.”

You only grinned, stepping outside beside him, the air crisp as the last remnants of daylight clung to the sky.

The car ride home was comfortable, the kind of quiet that wasn’t awkward, just easy. The city lights flickered past as the sky deepened into shades of navy, the last traces of sunset fading beyond the horizon.

You sat snugly in the passenger seat, curled slightly toward Jake as he drove with practiced ease, one hand on the wheel, the other resting casually near the gear shift.

“So, mate,” you said, attempting your best Australian accent, dragging the word out obnoxiously. “Where we headin’, aye?”

Jake nearly choked on his laughter. “Oh my god, what was that?”

“My perfect Aussie impression,” you grinned.

He shot you a look, lips twitching. “That was a crime against my entire country.”

“Oi,” you protested, making your voice deeper. “That’s offensive, innit?”

Jake shook his head, amused. “Now you just sound British.”

You burst into laughter, the sound filling the car. Jake just grinned, shaking his head as he made a turn.

“Take a left up here,” you directed, still giggling.

He followed without question, and as the road stretched out before you, the surroundings became quieter, lined with trees and distant estate homes. Soon, large iron gates loomed ahead.

Jake whistled lowly. “Fancy.”

You snorted, shooting him a look before gesturing around the car’s sleek interior. “Oh, please. Stop acting like you’re not used to the same lifestyle.”

Jake smirked, drumming his fingers against the wheel. “Okay, fair point,” he admitted. “But you have to admit, this is some next-level rich.”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Says the guy driving a literal sports car.”

Jake chuckled, tapping the wheel. “Touché.”

The soft purr of the engine filled the space as the car eased forward, headlights illuminating the long road ahead. Soon, the massive gates loomed before you, standing tall and pristine under the dimming sky.

Jake took it in, lips quirking. “Still fancy.”

You hummed, reaching for the intercom, but at the last second, an idea sparked. You smirked and leaned back. “You do it.”

Jake raised a brow. “Me?”

You nodded, barely holding back a grin. “Just say… special delivery.”

He gave you a look, but the amusement in his eyes was unmistakable. With a small shake of his head, he rolled down the window and pressed the call button. A second later, a static click sounded.

“Special delivery,” Jake said smoothly, voice rich with amusement.

There was a brief pause—then, with a soft beep, the gates creaked open.

You burst out laughing, leaning back in your seat. Jake just shook his head as he pulled forward, a chuckle slipping past his lips.

“I don’t know what’s worse,” he mused. “That it actually worked or that you set me up for it.”

“You just have that kind of voice,” you teased, still grinning.

Jake smirked, flicking his gaze toward you. “Oh yeah? You like my voice that much?”

You groaned, reaching over to shove his arm. “Drive, Sim.”

As the gates opened fully, Jake eased the car forward, and the moment you passed through, the estate unfolded before him like something straight out of a movie.

The long driveway was paved with smooth cobblestone, flanked by lush, towering trees that cast intricate shadows beneath the soft glow of vintage-style street lamps.

Vibrant flower beds lined the path, a carefully curated mix of imported and native flora blooming in perfect harmony. The air smelled fresh, carried by the evening breeze.

Jake let out a low whistle as he took in the sight, his fingers drumming against the wheel. “Alright, I take it back. This is next-level rich.”

You smirked, watching his expression shift as you approached the heart of the estate. “Mhmm.”

The trees eventually gave way to a pristine white mansion that stood tall against the twilight sky. The grand structure was illuminated by soft golden lights, casting a warm glow against the cool evening.

Right in the middle of the circular driveway, a massive, intricately designed fountain stood proudly, water cascading from its tiers in a soothing rhythm.

Jake’s gaze flicked to the various luxury and imported sports cars parked carelessly around the front, some you recognized as your family’s, others belonging to guests or relatives who were likely visiting.

At that, Jake let out a scoff, shaking his head with an amused smile. “Okay, now this just reminds me of our house.”

You hummed, tilting your head slightly as you glanced at him. “Told you.”

He snorted. “Our parents really went all out, didn’t they?”

“They always do.” You sighed, leaning back into your seat. “Big houses, big cars, big expectations.”

Jake glanced at you briefly before turning back to the road, guiding the car toward the entrance. “Yeah,” he murmured, voice softer. “Big everything.”

There was a moment of silence, the quiet hum of the car filling the space.

Then, in true Jake fashion, he smirked. “But, to be fair, at least we’re not the ones worrying about car maintenance.”

You let out a laugh, shaking your head. “Small mercies, Sim. Small mercies.”

Before you could even reach for the door handle, Jake suddenly clicked his tongue. “Nope.”

You blinked at him just as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out in one swift motion. His door shut with a quiet thud, and within seconds, he was already rounding the front of the car, effortlessly smooth as always.

The moment he pulled open the passenger door for you, he grinned. “Go on, princess. Fancy estates require fancy treatment.”

You huffed a laugh, shaking your head in amusement as you took his offered hand and stepped out onto the driveway. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”

“And yet, you keep me around,” he quipped, the corners of his eyes crinkling with that familiar, boyish smile.

Before you could fire back a response, the large wooden doors of the mansion suddenly swung open. The warm glow of the foyer lights spilled onto the marble steps, casting long shadows across the pristine entryway.

Standing in the doorway was your mother, poised yet undeniably elegant, dressed in a silk blouse and tailored pants. The usual sharpness in her gaze was softened, just slightly—with both worry and amusement as her eyes flickered between you and Jake, who was still casually holding your hand.

Her lips quirked up the slightest bit. “Well,” she mused, arms crossing. “It seems you’ve had quite the evening.”

Jake, ever the charmer, straightened up, offering a polite yet playful smile. “Good evening, Mrs. (L/N),” he greeted smoothly, his posture changing into something more formal yet undeniably confident.

You, on the other hand, simply sighed and shot him a look before turning to your mother. “Mom, please don’t start.”

Your mother let out a light laugh, though her eyes still held traces of concern. “I wasn’t going to.” Then, her gaze flickered to Jake’s sleek black sports car parked in the driveway. “I suppose I should be grateful you didn’t arrive in something flashier, Mr. Sim.”

Jake blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Wait, how do you know me?”

Your mother let out a soft laugh, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Oh, Jake, dear. I’ve known you since you were in diapers.”

You and Jake exchanged equally confused glances before looking back at her.

Your mother smirked knowingly. “Your parents and I have been friends for years. We see each other at events all the time. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.”

Jake scoffed in disbelief, rubbing the back of his neck. “Huh. Well, that’s news to me.” Then, he turned to you, raising a brow. “Did you know about this?”

You simply shrugged. “Nope.”

Jake let out an amused chuckle, shaking his head. “Figures.”

Your mother, still thoroughly entertained, placed a hand on her hip. “Well, now that we’ve established that, how about you join us for dinner? I’m sure you’ve had a long day.”

Jake straightened slightly, shifting into that polite, well-mannered version of himself that only surfaced in formal settings. “I appreciate the offer, ma’am,” he said smoothly, voice respectful but firm. “But my parents are expecting me back home soon.”

Your mother hummed, nodding in understanding. “That’s a shame. Maybe next time, then.”

“Definitely,” Jake agreed with a small grin before turning back to you. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded, offering him a small smile. “Yeah. Drive safe, Jake.”

He gave you a two-finger salute before slipping back into his sleek black sports car. The engine purred to life, the sound low and smooth, as he backed out of the pristine driveway.

You didn’t move, not even when the taillights faded into the distance. You waited until his car was completely out of sight before finally turning toward the open doorway.

The moment you stepped inside, your mother wasted no time.

“So,” she drawled, shutting the door behind you with a smirk that spelled nothing but trouble. “Jake Sim, huh?”

You sighed. “Mom.”

“What?” she asked, feigning innocence as she followed you further into the house. “He’s handsome. And he clearly dotes on you.”

“Mom.”

“Oh, and the way he opened the door for you? Adorable.”

You sighed dramatically, running a hand through your hair as you kicked off your shoes by the entrance. “Mom, I just met him—literally today.”

Your mother raised a perfectly manicured brow, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the grand staircase railing. The warm chandelier light made the gold accents of her jewelry glint as she smirked at you. “Well, he certainly doesn’t act like it,” she quipped. “That boy was looking at you like an Alpha who’s been courting you for years.”

Your jaw dropped. “Mom! That is not—”

She cut you off with a knowing laugh, waving a dismissive hand. “Oh, sweetheart, please. The way he opened your door? The way he stood just a little too close while you were talking?” She shook her head with mock disbelief. “And you’re telling me you just met?”

You groaned, dragging a hand down your face. “I swear, you’re worse than Dad.”

Your mom gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. “Excuse me?” Then, with a knowing smile, she added, “Speaking of your father, I’m pretty sure he’d approve of Jake.”

You stared at her, utterly exasperated. “Oh my god.”

She grinned. “What? He’s well-mannered, respectful, and from a good family. Plus, he drives a nice car. You know how your father feels about cars.”

You groaned louder, turning on your heel. “I’m going to bed before you start planning our wedding.”

“Oh, don’t tempt me!” she called out, amusement laced in her voice. Then, just as you reached your door, she added, “You'd make a cute pair, don’t you think?”

You slammed your door shut as her laughter echoed down the hall.

Lunch had just begun, and the halls buzzed with the usual midday energy, students spilling out of classrooms, voices overlapping, shoes scuffing against the polished floors. Jake walked alongside his usual group, all casually making their way toward the cafeteria.

“Man, I am starving,” Jay groaned, stretching his arms. “What’s for lunch today?”

“Something fancy, probably,” Sunghoon replied with a shrug. “They said it’s steak.”

Ni-ki perked up at that. “Oh, hell yeah.”

“I hope it’s actually good steak,” Sunoo chimed in, adjusting his bag strap. “Not the rubbery kind they sometimes serve.”

The group chuckled, but Jake wasn’t paying much attention. His hands were tucked into his pockets, his gaze subtly scanning the hallway. It wasn’t obvious, he wasn’t desperate or anything, but he noticed the lack of a certain presence.

You weren’t there. It was weird. He hadn’t even known you for that long, yet your absence was noticeable.

His phone remained silent in his pocket, no texts or missed calls from you.

“Hey, we’re going,” Jungwon called over his shoulder as the group neared the cafeteria entrance.

Jake hesitated. “Actually,” he said, slowing his steps, “I need to finish up some paperwork. I’ll eat later.”

That got their attention.

Sunoo immediately narrowed his eyes. “You always say that.”

“Yeah, bro, what’s new?” Heeseung added, shaking his head.

Jay sighed, already tired. “Dude, just go. We all know you won’t eat properly if you’re buried in council work.”

“Exactly,” Sunghoon agreed. “We’d rather deal with you now than later when you’re sleep-deprived and grumpy.”

Jake waved them off lazily. “Yeah, yeah,” he shot them a grin before turning in the opposite direction. But instead of heading toward the council office, he found himself walking toward the library.

The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere was different, it was quieter, calmer, with the faint scent of books in the air. His sharp eyes scanned the room, expecting to find you tucked away in your usual corner.

But you weren’t there.

He frowned slightly.

Instead, his gaze landed on the student librarian at the front desk, the same one who had seen you leaving with him last night. She noticed him instantly, and before he could even say a word, a slow, knowing grin stretched across her face.

Jake narrowed his eyes. He already didn’t like that look. “Where is she?” he asked, his tone neutral but firm.

The grin only widened. “Oh? Looking for someone, Sim?”

Jake exhaled sharply, unimpressed. “Her classroom. What floor?”

The student hummed, resting her chin on her palm. “And why would I tell you that?”

Jake leveled her with a flat stare. “Because I’m asking nicely.”

She clicked her tongue, dragging out the moment just to mess with him.

“Third floor,” she finally relented, her grin turning smug. “Room 3-A.”

Jake didn’t waste another second. Without another word, he turned on his heel, already making his way out.

But even as he left, he could still hear her barely suppressed laughter behind him.

Jake wasn’t the type to go looking for people. If anything, people usually came looking for him, whether it was for council matters, social obligations, or just random confessions.

But today, instead of heading to lunch with the boys, he found himself climbing the stairs to the third floor, hands tucked into his pockets.

The student librarian had given him your classroom number with an all-too-knowing grin, and now, standing outside the door to Room 3-A, he was met with a scene that made him pause.

You were surrounded.

Not just by one or two people, but by half the classroom. Some perched on desks, others standing, leaning in with animated grins as they listened intently to whatever you were saying.

Laughter echoed through the space, loud and infectious. It wasn’t just that you were well-liked, it was that you owned the room without even trying.

The crowd, the attention, the way people gravitated toward you—it wasn’t new. And yet, as his eyes settled on you, a thought crept into his mind.

Did you even notice him standing there?

But then, as if you could sense him, your gaze snapped toward the doorway.

And suddenly, the noise faded into the background.

Despite being completely engrossed in conversation, despite the people practically surrounding you, your focus changed entirely. Your lips, still curled mid-laugh, softened into something more curious.

Jake hadn’t even taken a full step inside before you were already pushing yourself up from your seat, murmuring brief apologies to your friends as you effortlessly slipped through the crowd.

You reached him within seconds, tilting your head with a knowing smile. “Didn’t see you in the library.”

Jake’s lips twitched. “Yeah, well. That’s ‘cause you weren’t there.”

A teasing glint flashed in your eyes. “So you were looking for me.”

He scoffed lightly, shaking his head. “Something like that.”

Behind you, a whistle cut through the air. “Damn,” one of your classmates muttered. “Didn’t think Sim was into you.”

Jake didn’t acknowledge the comment, but he didn’t need to. You rolled your eyes before half-turning to shoot them an unimpressed look. “Oh, shut up.”

When you turned back, Jake was still watching you.

His gaze flickered over your face, assessing, before he finally tilted his head slightly. “You free?”

You blinked. “For?”

“Lunch.”

A beat of silence. Then—

“You’re inviting me to lunch?” you asked, amusement evident in your tone.

Jake smirked, rocking back on his heels. “I know. Big honor.”

You scoffed, playfully smacking his arm. “You’re such an idiot.”

“Maybe.” He nodded toward the door. “C’mon.”

You exhaled through your nose, shaking your head slightly before casting a glance over your shoulder—because, of course, your classmates were still very much watching. Some wore wide grins, others exchanged glances, and a few were whispering among themselves.

“Guess I’ll be back later,” you announced, sending them a wink before turning back to Jake.

And just like that, he was leading you out the door, the sound of hushed murmurs and not-so-subtle giggles trailing behind you.

The cafeteria was alive with the hum of conversation, the clatter of trays, and the occasional burst of laughter from groups of students huddled around their tables. The sheer size of the place should have made it feel open, but with the lunchtime rush in full swing, it felt like everyone was packed in shoulder to shoulder.

Jake barely hesitated before placing his hand on the small of your back again, guiding you through the crowd with effortless ease. It was instinctual, like he had to make sure you weren’t swallowed up in the mass of students.

The heat of his touch seeped through the thin fabric of your uniform, grounding and steady, but most of all, familiar.

You didn’t move away.

You didn’t want to.

If anything, your body naturally gravitated closer to him, and that realization alone sent a rush of warmth to your cheeks.

Jake, of course, was completely unbothered. He wasn’t even looking at you, his gaze flickered across the cafeteria, scanning the area, before muttering, “You’d think with a cafeteria this big, it wouldn’t feel so cramped.”

His voice was casual, like he wasn’t currently touching you like it was second nature.

You swallowed, trying to will away the warmth creeping up your neck. “What, don’t tell me you’re scared of a little crowd, Sim?”

Jake scoffed, glancing at you with a smirk. “Scared? No. Annoyed? Absolutely.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Such a prince, huh? What’s next? Gonna demand a private table?”

“Don’t tempt me.”

You gave him a look, lips twitching. “Wow. I thought you were the chill one in your group.”

Jake placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. “I am chill.”

You raised a brow. “You’re literally guiding me through a cafeteria like we’re dodging landmines.”

He shot you a lazy grin. “That’s not me being not chill. That’s me making sure you don’t trip over some random first year’s backpack.”

You snorted. “Sure, Sim. Whatever you say.”

The line moved forward, and Jake’s hand, still warm and very much there, pressed just slightly, nudging you along with him.

The air between you two was light, playful, but underlined with something else, something neither of you was fully acknowledging yet.

Jake didn’t remove his hand, and you… well, you let him.

The line continued moving, and when you finally reached the food counter, he casually leaned in a little closer. “What are you getting?” The way his voice dipped slightly, like he was asking something personal, made your stomach flip.

You blinked, shaking yourself out of it. “Uh. Probably just whatever they have today.”

Jake raised a brow, amused. “That’s not very specific.”

You shrugged. “I’m not picky.”

He gave you a knowing look. “Right. I’ll believe that when I see it.”

You turned to him, narrowing your eyes. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Jake only smirked, looking far too smug for your liking. “Nothing, nothing.”

“No, say it.” You crossed your arms, facing him fully now.

He exhaled a laugh, tilting his head slightly. “I just feel like you have your little food preferences. Probably avoid certain textures. Maybe you don’t like overly salty stuff?”

You blinked. “…Okay, but how do you know that?”

Jake’s smirk widened. “So I am right?”

You clicked your tongue, rolling your eyes, but there was no real annoyance in it. If anything, the fact that he’d picked up on something so small about you after barely a day of knowing you was a little too endearing.

Jake, on the other hand, looked very pleased with himself.

The two of you finally reached the counter, and just as you were about to grab a tray, Jake casually plucked one up first—then handed it to you.

His fingers barely brushed against yours, but it was enough to send a jolt of awareness through your entire arm.

Your breath hitched.

Jake, however, was unfazed. “See? Not picky, but definitely predictable.”

You scoffed, snatching the tray from his hands. “I hate you.”

Jake just grinned. “Nah, you don’t.”

And damn it, he was right.

The two of you moved through the rest of the line with that same easy back-and-forth, Jake making little comments about your food choices while you shot back with equally teasing remarks. By the time you had your trays and turned toward the seating area, you realized something—

Most of the tables were already packed.

Clusters of students filled every available space, some standing and chatting with friends, others laughing loudly, their voices echoing through the massive cafeteria.

Jake scanned the room briefly, his sharp eyes flicking over the crowd before they landed on a relatively empty table tucked into a corner near one of the large windows. He didn’t hesitate—just placed his free hand on the small of your back again and guided you toward it without a word.

Your breath caught for a split second, but you didn’t pull away.

It was so effortless, the way he touched you—like he’d done it a million times before, like it was just natural for him to steer you through a crowded space. The warmth of his palm against your lower back was firm but not forceful, steadying yet entirely casual.

And the worst part?

You liked it.

Maybe a little too much.

You felt your face heating up again, but before you could dwell on it, Jake spoke.

“Looks like the guys disappeared on me,” he mused as you both reached the table, setting his tray down before pulling out a chair for you.

The gesture was so smooth, so instinctive, that it took you a second to react.

You blinked at him. “…Are you always this much of a gentleman?”

Jake let out a soft chuckle, his lips curling into a smirk as he leaned slightly over the chair. “Only for people who don’t make me carry both our trays.”

You rolled your eyes, but a small smile tugged at your lips as you sat down. “I could’ve carried my own, you know.”

Jake simply shrugged, taking his seat across from you. “Sure. But where’s the fun in that?”

You huffed a laugh, shaking your head before picking up your utensils. “Anyway, maybe your friends just assumed you’d be too busy drowning in council work to eat. You are kind of a workaholic.”

Jake raised an eyebrow as he unwrapped his utensils. “Oh? And you know this how?”

You gave him a pointed look. “You just told me earlier that you literally ditched them earlier by saying you had to ‘finish up papers.’”

Jake exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “Technically, I didn’t lie. I do have papers to go through later.”

You snorted. “Right. And you just so happened to show up at my classroom instead.”

Jake’s eyes gleamed with amusement as he took a casual bite of his food. “Just a coincidence.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Mhm. Sure.”

He grinned. “What, can’t a guy take a break and conveniently end up where you are?”

Your fork paused midair.

The teasing lilt in his voice was undeniable, but there was something else there, something almost too deliberate in the way he said it. Like he wanted you to catch it. Like he was testing the waters.

And the worst part? It was working.

You quickly stuffed a bite of food into your mouth to distract from the way your stomach flipped at his words.

Jake just chuckled, clearly entertained by your reaction.

The two of you ate in comfortable silence for a moment, the chatter of the cafeteria buzzing around you. The corner you’d picked was quieter, a little more secluded, with sunlight streaming through the large windows beside you. It was… oddly peaceful.

Then, out of nowhere, Jake spoke again.

“I meant what I said, by the way.”

You glanced up, chewing slowly. “…About what?”

His eyes held yours. “That I don’t mind this.”

You swallowed. “This?”

Jake rested his elbow on the table, propping his chin up with his hand. “Eating with you.”

Your heartbeat stuttered.

It was such a simple statement, but the way he said it, the way he looked at you when he did—yeah, you were in trouble.

You quickly looked down at your plate, pretending to focus on your food.

Instead of commenting, he just smiled to himself, shaking his head slightly before picking up his fork again.

But the knowing glint in his eyes told you otherwise.

And damn it, you had a feeling he knew exactly what he was doing to you.

The afternoon sun stretched golden across the field, casting a warm glow over the wide expanse of green. A light breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the crisp scent of grass and the faintest traces of sweat as Jake and Sunghoon tossed the football back and forth.

It was their free period, a rare chance to unwind and let their inner Alphas stretch a little without the weight of expectations pressing down on them.

Jake rolled his shoulders, catching the ball with ease before spinning it in his hands. “Think you can handle a real pass this time?”

Sunghoon scoffed, adjusting his stance. “Think you can throw one?”

Jake smirked, cocking his arm back and sending the ball soaring through the air—

But the second it left his hands, so did every ounce of his focus.

Your scent.

It drifted through the open halls beside the field, laced with something warm that settled into his chest like second nature. Jake’s head turned on instinct, drawn toward the source before he could even process why.

And there you were.

Walking side by side with Jungwon’s mate, your laughter trailing through the breeze.

Jake barely registered the thud of the football landing in Sunghoon’s grip. His attention was fixed entirely on you, the way you were so effortlessly blending into his world without even trying.

He felt something shift inside him, soft, warm, and dangerously easy to get used to.

Because it wasn’t just that it was you, though that alone was enough to mess with his pulse. It was the fact that you were comfortable, that you were talking and laughing with Jungwon’s mate, someone who had already been claimed, someone who was already part of the pack in a way that felt permanent.

And for some reason, seeing you like this, seeing you so naturally fall into step with people who had already been solidified in his life, it made something deep inside him settle.

Like a puzzle piece clicking into place. Like you belonged here.

Sunghoon’s voice barely cut through his daze. “Finally, a decent throw.”

Jake blinked, shaking himself out of it, but the warmth in his chest didn’t fade.

His hand twitched at his side, itching to reach for something, to act on something—but he didn’t even know what. His Alpha stirred, entirely content just from the sight of you.

He swallowed thickly. Then, suddenly, he was moving.

“I gotta—” Jake’s voice came out rushed, unsteady, as he took a step back. “Bathroom.”

Sunghoon didn’t even glance at him, too busy tossing the ball in the air. “Sure, whatever.”

Jake was already halfway across the field, already walking toward you.

The moment Jake started walking, he knew there was no stopping himself.

It wasn’t a conscious decision, his body just moved, drawn toward you like an invisible force had wrapped itself around his chest and tugged.

You hadn’t even noticed him yet, too caught up in whatever conversation you were having. Your expression was relaxed, your smile easy. The sight made something in Jake unravel, it was stupid, really, how soft he felt over something so simple.

But then, as if you could feel him coming, you glanced up.

Your eyes met his, and Jake swore he felt his heart stumble. Recognition flashed across your face, quickly followed by a small, surprised smile. “Jake?”

Jungwon’s mate turned as well, blinking in confusion. “Oh, hey! What are you doing here?”

Jake barely acknowledged her, his attention locked solely on you. “Free period,” he said, voice smooth but just a little quieter than usual. “I was training with Sunghoon.”

Your gaze flickered past him toward the field, where Sunghoon was still casually tossing the football in the air, completely unbothered.

“And now?” you asked, tilting your head.

Jake huffed a small breath, as if he hadn’t just abandoned practice the second he caught your scent. “Now I’m here.”

You raised an eyebrow. “For?”

Jake hesitated for half a second, then shrugged, a lopsided smirk tugging at his lips. “For you.”

Your breath hitched just slightly, but Jake caught it. And so did his inner Alpha, the presence inside him practically preening at the reaction.

Jungwon’s mate, completely noticing the tension settling between you two, let out a knowing hum. “Well, that’s my cue to leave.” She shot you a teasing look before waving. “See you later!”

You barely managed a nod before they slipped away, leaving you and Jake standing there, just looking at each other.

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

Then, slowly, Jake took another step closer, close enough that your scent wrapped around him fully. Close enough that he could see the faint pink dusting your cheeks, the way your fingers twitched slightly at your sides.

“Where are you headed?” he asked, his voice smooth, casual. Like he wasn’t completely invading your plans right now.

You tried to answer. Really, you did. But your brain was malfunctioning.

Because—goddamn.

Jake wasn’t in his usual navy blazer, and the absence of it shouldn’t have been this distracting, but it was. His white button-up was slightly rumpled, the top few buttons left undone, exposing just a hint of skin. His tie was loosened around his neck, his sleeves lazily rolled up to his elbows, and worst of all—his scent was stronger than ever.

The crisp bite of pine mixed with the warmth of oranges, fresh and intoxicating, like stepping into the woods after a summer rain. It wrapped around you, pulled you in, made your head feel lighter..

You swallowed, forcing your eyes forward before you got caught staring. “Uh—” Get it together, damn it. “Library.”

Jake hummed, slipping his hands into his pockets as he walked beside you. “Studying?”

“Something like that,” you muttered, still trying to focus on walking and not the way his arm brushed yours every now and then.

Jake glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, that ever-present smirk tugging at his lips. “You okay?”

No. Absolutely not.

But you weren’t about to admit that.

“Yeah,” you said, clearing your throat. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Jake tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his gaze. “No reason. You just seem… distracted.”

You almost scowled. He knew. Of course he knew. His Alpha was probably reveling in it, preening at the fact that his scent was affecting you this much.

“Must be the heat,” you lied, pressing your lips together.

Jake exhaled a quiet laugh, low and knowing. “Yeah,” he murmured, voice dipping just enough to make your pulse jump.

The Alpha barely gave you a second to react before he was reaching for the books in your arms, smoothly plucking them from your grasp like they weren’t heavy at all.

“Jake—” You blinked, startled.

“You look like you’re about to drop these,” he said simply, adjusting the books against his hip with one arm. The other hand went to your shoulder, sliding the strap of your very, very girly bag off like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Your mouth opened, then closed. “Jake, that’s—”

He swung the bag onto his shoulder without even flinching.

It was pastel. It had bows. A tiny stuffed bear keychain dangled from the zipper, and the fabric smelled very obviously like you.

Jake didn’t even blink.

You, on the other hand, were short-circuiting. “What,” you finally choked out.

Jake peered down at you, unfazed. “What?”

You pointed, staring at the bag hanging on his shoulder. “That.”

He shrugged, completely unbothered. “What about it?”

“Jake, you’re holding my bag.”

Another shrug. “And?”

You stared at him. “It has bows.”

Jake smirked. “Cute.”

Your brain stopped functioning. “It’s pink.”

“Your point?”

You inhaled sharply, your hands flying up in exasperation. “You don’t care?”

Jake raised a brow. “Why would I?”

You huffed, actually huffed as you let your arms fall to your sides. “Because—because you’re literally walking around like that, unbothered, like you don’t have my pink, bow-covered, stuffed-animal-having bag slung over your shoulder—”

Jake leaned down a little, smirking. “Would it bother you if I cared?”

You gaped at him, caught completely off guard.

You hated how easily he did that, how easily he could flip the entire conversation on its head and make you feel ridiculous for even bringing it up.

“No,” you muttered, pressing your lips together. “It wouldn’t.”

Jake chuckled. “Then it’s not a problem, is it?”

And just like that, he straightened up, walking like he wasn’t carrying an entire armful of your things, including your very feminine, very obvious bag.

You? You were still recovering.

And somehow, you just knew, from the way Jake’s scent curled around you in smug amusement, from the way his lips kept twitching at your stunned silence—yeah, he was enjoying every second of this.

Jake didn’t even spare a glance back toward the field. Whatever Sunghoon was thinking, probably something along the lines of: where the hell did he go?

He should have gone back. He should have at least tossed Sunghoon a quick text to say he got caught up. But the moment he saw you, saw the way you were laughing with Jungwon’s mate, saw the way the sunlight hit your face just right, any thought of returning to training vanished.

Sunghoon would figure it out. Eventually.

The next day, the moment the final bell rang, the hallway buzzed with noise, students shuffling to their lockers, conversations overlapping, and plans forming for the rest of the afternoon.

Jake stretched his arms above his head, rolling his shoulders as he walked alongside Heeseung. “Man, I need something sweet,” Heeseung muttered, eyes glued to his phone. “Let’s stop by the café real quick before we head back.”

Jake hummed in agreement, barely listening. His hands were shoved in his pockets, steps lazy and unhurried, until he saw you.

You stood by your locker, fingers moving as you fixed your books and reorganized your things. Strands of hair fell over your face as you reached up to adjust the top shelf, completely unaware of the way Jake’s attention had locked onto you like a magnet.

Like his feet had a mind of their own, walking past you wasn’t an option. He lifted a hand, waving Heeseung off without a word.

Heeseung, still distracted by whatever was on his phone, just nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Jake took that as his cue and started walking.

He changed course, slipping away so smoothly it was like he had never been walking beside Heeseung in the first place. Within seconds, he was ten feet away from where they had been.

Heeseung didn’t even notice.

Jake stopped right beside you, leaning casually against the lockers. “Need some help?”

You glanced up, slightly startled. “Jake? What happened to—weren’t you with Heeseung?”

Jake smirked. “Was I?”

You blinked. “…Yes?”

Jake just shrugged, reaching out and taking the book you were about to shove into your bag. Without hesitation, he slung your very girly, very bow-covered bag over his shoulder like it was nothing. The sight of it against his unbuttoned navy blazer, his loosened navy tie, and the lazy confidence in his stance, was almost comical.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Jake.”

“Hm?”

“You ditched him.”

His grin was shameless. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Jake—”

“Come on,” he cut in smoothly, already turning to walk with you. “Where are you headed?”

You huffed, shutting your locker. “The student council room.”

Jake raised a brow, a flicker of curiosity crossing his features. “Huh. Didn’t know you were suddenly on council duty.”

You shot him a look. “I’m not. Our class treasurer forgot to submit a report on the budget, so I’m doing it.”

His expression changed, something playful settling in his gaze. “And you didn’t ask me for help?”

You rolled your eyes, hugging the folder to your chest. “Jake, you’re the secretary, not the treasurer. Big difference.”

“Still part of it,” he argued, effortlessly matching your pace as you navigated through the crowded hall. “I could’ve at least made sure you weren’t running around like this.”

You scoffed, but before you could respond, you felt the warmth of his hand press lightly against the small of your back. It was a barely-there touch, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Your breath hitched.

Jake, of course, didn’t seem fazed at all. If anything, he was acting like this was normal. Like the heat of his palm wasn’t sending a strange sort of static along your spine.

“What?” he mused, tilting his head slightly when he noticed you stiffen. “Crowded hall. Don’t want you getting lost.”

You swallowed hard, pressing your lips together as you forced yourself to keep walking.

Meanwhile, a few feet behind, Heeseung who had been completely occupied with his phone, glanced up, only to find that Jake had completely disappeared.

His brows furrowed as he scanned the hallway, but all he could see was a familiar fluff of brown hair moving through the crowd.

Heeseung sighed through his nose, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”

The student council room was unusually silent.

No soft hum of pages flipping, no quiet muttering as Jake worked through his usual mountain of files, no fresh scent of coffee filling the air like it always did in the morning.

Just… quietness.

Jay walked in first, balancing his drink in one hand, fingers lazily tapping against his phone with the other. "He’s already here, right?" He barely glanced up, expecting the usual scene: Jake at his desk, half-buried in council paperwork, looking vaguely annoyed that they weren’t being as productive as him.

Ni-ki didn’t even bother looking around. "Duh. Jake’s always here first."

Except, Jake wasn’t there.

Jay froze mid-step, blinking at the empty desk. “Wait.” He frowned. “Where the hell is he?”

Ni-ki finally looked up from his phone, expecting Jay to be overreacting, only for his eyes to land on something even weirder, a stack of neatly arranged documents, sitting untouched on Jake’s desk.

It was done.

All of it. Every single piece of work Jake should've been doing this morning had already been signed, stapled, and sorted.

Jay exhaled through his nose, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Okay. So, either he pulled an all-nighter and got his work done ahead of time…” He trailed off before exchanging a look with Ni-ki.

“…Or he figured out how to clone himself,” Ni-ki deadpanned, poking the paperwork like it might vanish into thin air. “Either way, this is freaky.”

Jay barely acknowledged the joke, still staring at the empty seat. “No, but seriously. Where is he?”

Meanwhile, a few blocks away; Jake didn’t even bother looking up as the café door chimed, signaling more students coming in. He barely acknowledged the low murmurs around them, the not-so-subtle glances.

His focus was elsewhere. More specifically, on you.

You were curled slightly forward, fiddling with your drink, your hand resting on his blazer, which was draped across your lap.

He had thrown the blazer over you without a second thought—didn’t even say anything, just casually shrugged it off and placed it there.

Not that you noticed. You were too busy fuming about your morning.

“I mean, seriously,” you huffed, stirring your drink aggressively. “What kind of professor makes a deadline 7 AM sharp? That should be illegal. There should be laws.”

Jake hummed, lazily adjusting the girly pink bag that was currently on his lap. “So you did it last-minute.”

You shot the pureblooded Alpha a look. “No, because if I finished it early, I wouldn’t be this pissed off about it.”

Jake smirked. “Right. So you did do it last-minute.”

You groaned, pressing your forehead against the table dramatically. “Okay, fine, maybe I did finish it at, like, 3 AM, but that’s beside the point.”

Jake took a slow sip of his drink, watching you. “No, I think that’s exactly the point.” His voice was smoother now, teasing. “You could’ve just asked for my help, you know.”

Your head snapped up. “Oh, please. Like I’d let Mr. Secretary do my work for me.”

Jake huffed out a small laugh. “Yeah, but you let me carry your bag.”

You didn’t even blink. “And?”

Jake blinked back.

Because, yeah, he’d been expecting at least some kind of reaction. A scoff, an eye-roll, maybe even a muttered whatever, Sim. But instead, you looked at him like this was just normal. Like him carrying your pink, ribbon-covered, unmistakably girly bag was something he’d done a hundred times before.

Which, now that he thought about it, he kinda had.

Your omega practically preened at the thought.

It felt natural. Comforting.

Like it belonged there, like he belonged there.

And if Jake noticed the way your lips pressed together like you were fighting back a smile? No, he didn’t. Not at all.

Mornings in the council room were always the same. Papers shuffled, chairs scraped against the floor, low murmurs filled the air as the student council members moved through their routine and Jake’s coffee—always lingered in the air, a signal that their secretary had already buried himself in work before anyone else arrived.

Except today, the room smelled normal.

No coffee, no Jake.

Jungwon, seated at his own desk near the window, skimmed through a proposal, his brows furrowed in concentration. Sunoo, half-awake and nursing his iced americano like his life depended on it, peeked up at the clock.

Ni-ki, on the other hand, had been watching the entrance for the past five minutes.

“Where’s golden boy?” he finally muttered, leaning back in his chair, spinning his pen between his fingers.

Jay, sitting at his own table across from Jungwon, barely spared him a glance. “No clue. Probably overslept.”

Heeseung, who had his feet propped up on his desk, scoffed. “Jake? Oversleep? Yeah, right.”

Sunghoon, who had been absentmindedly flipping through his phone, glanced up, unimpressed. “Maybe he finally decided to quit and live a stress-free life. About time.”

The words had barely left his mouth when the door swung open.

Jake strolled in, hands tucked into his pockets, his usual crisp blazer nowhere to be found. The loosened navy tie around his neck hung effortlessly, and his hair was slightly tousled like he’d been outside for too long.

The Alpha wasn't rushed, not groggy, just calm.

And that was already weird: Jake never looked this relaxed in the morning.

Jay barely lifted his head, but his eyes narrowed.

Heeseung blinked, sitting up slightly. Jungwon paused mid-page turn. Sunoo finally looked up from his drink.

Jake, however, didn’t spare them a single glance.

He just walked straight to his desk, set his bag down, and smiled.

Not his usual morning scowl, not the slightly annoyed expression they were used to, and that alone was enough to make the entire room go quiet.

And then—

“You reek of an omega.” Sunghoon’s voice cut through the silence, lazy but pointed.

Jake didn’t even look up, he didn’t tense, he didn’t acknowledge it. He just shrugged. “New perfume.”

Jay immediately put his pen down.

Sunoo, blinking, looked at Jungwon, then at Jake again. Ni-ki, having just taken a sip of his drink, nearly choked.

“Perfume?” Jungwon repeated, skeptical.

“Yeah,” Jake hummed, still not looking at them. “Wanted to try something different.”

And honestly, it would’ve been believable.

Jake wore cologne. That much was true. But not this. Not this soft. It wasn’t sharp like his usual clean, expensive scent.

It was warmer. Like honey and seawater, subtle but distinct, the kind of scent that only clung to someone when they’d been too close to an omega for too long.

And in a room filled with pureblooded alphas, it wasn’t something that went unnoticed.

But instead of calling him out, Sunghoon just exhaled through his nose, letting it slide. If some omega had thrown themselves at Jake this morning, it wasn’t exactly surprising.

“Damn,” Ni-ki muttered, shaking his head in amusement. “Didn’t know you had a confession today.”

Jake, finally glancing up, raised a brow. “Huh?”

Sunoo smirked. “The omega. They were all over you, weren’t they?”

Jake just rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”

But Jay just stared. Because while the others were making their own assumptions, he noticed things.

Like the way Jake’s shoulders were too loose, the way his usually sharp morning glare had been replaced by something almost smug. The way his fingers lingered just a second longer when he reached for his pen.

Jake was weirdly comfortable, and Jay had a feeling it wasn’t because of some random omega.

It was someone specific. It wouldn't take a genius to acknowledge the fact that his scent was all over a specific omega just as much as theirs was all over him.

That same day, the council room was missing something.

Or rather—someone.

Jungwon tapped a pen against his desk, lips pressing into a thin line as his gaze swept across the room. The usual members were in their usual places, some sorting through reports, others murmuring among themselves. But one chair, in particular, remained empty.

Jake’s.

Jungwon turned to the juniors under the secretary committee, his tone expectant. “Did he say anything about missing the meeting?”

The second-years exchanged nervous glances before one of them hesitantly spoke up. “No, President. He didn’t mention anything.”

That made Jungwon pause.

Jake was many things, laid-back, exasperatingly smug, and a flight risk when it came to avoiding unnecessary small talk. But he was also reliable. He never skipped a meeting without at least a heads-up.

Sunoo, lounging lazily in his chair, finally looked up from his phone. “Are we sure he’s not dead?”

Heeseung, ignoring him, strode over to Jake’s desk. His eyes immediately landed on the thick folder placed neatly at the center, its edges aligned with military precision.

He opened it.

Inside were pages upon pages of documents, all labeled, revised, and signed. Every committee task Jake was responsible for? Already handled.

Heeseung huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. “Figures.”

Sunoo leaned over, peeking at the contents. “So he did everything beforehand, left proof, and then just—what? Vanished?”

Silence.

Then he clapped his hands together. “Well, if everything’s here, we might as well start.”

No one objected, except Jay.

Jay, who hadn’t even looked at the documents because he didn’t need to.

Something about this was off.

It was late.

The university parking lot was nearly empty, save for a few scattered cars and the occasional security guard making his rounds. The group were all making their way toward their rides, conversations overlapping in low murmurs.

The day had been long, the last meeting dragging on longer than expected, and now they were finally free.

"Ugh, I swear, if one more junior asks me to proofread their paperwork—" Sunoo grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Maybe if you didn’t baby them so much, they wouldn’t keep asking," Sunghoon teased, smirking.

Sunoo shot him a glare. "Maybe if you actually showed up to the meetings on time, you’d—"

Jay wasn’t listening.

His attention had been caught by something else.

A few steps ahead of the group, his pace slowed, then stopped entirely as his gaze landed on one of the benches just near the lot.

At first, he didn’t understand what he was looking at.

Jake was there. That in itself wasn’t strange. But Jake wasn’t alone, you were there, too.

And that was what made Jay’s breath catch in his throat; Jake wasn’t just sitting with you.

He was practically curled into you, head nestled snugly against the curve of your neck, his face pressed to your scent gland like it was the most natural thing in the world. His arm draped lazily over the back of the bench, one hand resting near your thigh; casual, comfortable, too familiar.

And you? You were just reading.

Flipping through the pages of your book like this was nothing new. Like Jake burying himself against your scent, molding himself into you, wasn’t something worth reacting to.

Jay’s feet refused to move.

It took Heeseung nearly walking into him for the others to notice his sudden stillness.

“Dude, why’d you stop—” Heeseung started, but then his voice faltered when he followed Jay’s gaze.

One by one, the rest of the group turned.

And one by one, their expressions shifted.

“Oh.” Jungwon’s voice was quiet, but filled with realization.

“No way.” Ni-ki blinked.

Sunghoon let out a low chuckle, crossing his arms. “Well. That explains a lot.”

Sunoo pressed his lips together, visibly holding back a laugh as he nudged his mate. “I mean, are we even surprised?”

They weren’t.

Not really.

But seeing it—seeing Jake so effortlessly tangled up with you, as if he’d been doing this for years, was something else entirely.

And Jake? Jake was completely oblivious to the fact that they were watching.

If anything, he only seemed to relax further, exhaling deeply against your skin before shifting slightly, adjusting his position so he could press even closer. His nose brushed against your neck, fingers twitching slightly as if resisting the urge to grip your waist.

The sight of it made something click.

Jay had noticed it before, the way Jake had been disappearing more often, the way he had been skipping out on long hours at the council office, the way he had been coming back with a scent that was unmistakably omega, unmistakably settled on his skin.

But now, standing here, watching Jake press into you, breathe you in, claim you without even realizing he was doing it—it made too much sense.

Jay exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “Well. That’s new.”

Finally, Jake moved.

Not because he noticed them, no, he was still completely wrapped up in you. It was because you moved.

Without even looking up from your book, you lifted a hand and ran your fingers gently through Jake’s hair, the motion absentminded and natural, like this was routine.

Jake hummed at the touch, actually hummed, his arm tightening slightly around the back of the bench.

The entire group watched in silent disbelief.

Sunghoon blinked. "I feel like we shouldn't be seeing this."

Jungwon huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, but here we are."

Ni-ki raised a brow. "So, are we just gonna stand here and stare, or—?"

Jake had been careful.

Or at least, he thought he had.

But apparently, not careful enough.

Because the second he smelled it—them, it was already too late.

Jake’s body tensed, his nose twitched, and his fingers flexed against the back of the bench. The comfortable warmth of your scent was suddenly invaded, drowned out by something else.

Jake inhaled once again, and immediately regretted it.

⤷ read part 2 here !

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“You look like someone ran over the family dog. This is your party, smile.” Sam handed her a fresh glass of champagne before taking a seat next to her. 

Cassie rolled her eyes. “You mean it’s my mother’s party. You know I just wanted a nice family dinner.”

Her boyfriend shrugged his shoulders. “I know but you have to admit, this is nice.” He gestured towards the garden filled with people.

Cassandra turned to get a good look at him. 

He was wearing an Armani suit, his family emblem embroidered into the pocket napkin and the Rolex watch she had gifted him for his twenty-fifth birthday was proudly on display. As he got older, the more he started to resemble his father but he still retained some of his boyish features. It was a good mix. He was handsome and he was hers.  

She and Sam had grown up together. He was the boy next door, their families had been friends for decades, their great great grandfathers even owning a business together. 

Cassandra knew she was supposed to be with Samuel before she even knew what it really meant. It was all their mothers had talked about while growing up, how they someday would make the perfect couple, joining their families together. 

They had talked about hers and Sam’s future before it had even begun, making suggestive comments over the years. And when Sam asked her to be his girlfriend in eighth grade, she had said yes.

Sam was, in many ways, her first everything. He was her best friend, her first love, her rock, her confidant. He knew her better than she knew herself. 

But their entire lives had been planned out for them. And now she wasn’t sure it was what she wanted. 

“If this is your idea of nice, I think you’re more like my mother than me.”  

Sam laughed. “One of us should be. You should be happy Mary is doing this for you.”

“She’s doing this for herself and you know it. It’s never about anyone else. Did you know that half of the people I’ve greeted today weren't even aware this is supposed to be a graduation party?” Cassandra mumbled, putting aside her now empty champagne flute. 

Sam intertwined their fingers, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “I’m sorry, baby. I know this isn’t what you wanted. But I think there’s still time to turn things around.”

“How?”

He smiled, kissing her knuckles. “You’ll see.”

Cassandra tried to ignore the growing pit in her stomach, smiling widely as to hide the panic taking over her features. 

“Sounds great.” She managed to squeeze out, letting go of Sam’s hand. “I need to speak to Dad, will you get me another drink?”

The moment he turned around, Cassie fled the garden. She pushed her way past people into the house, scanning the crowd for her parents.

Neither were anywhere to be found and with some many people around, no one noticed her slipping away. 

Cassandra didn’t stop until she reached an empty room, locking the doors behind her, sliding onto the floor. Her mother would scold her for ruffling the custom-made Prada but she couldn’t care less.

She knew what Sam meant when he told her things would turn around and it terrified her. 

All Cassie could think about was the ring she had found in the wardrobe a couple of weeks ago. She hadn’t meant to look but the familiar jewellery caught her eye.

There it had been, a stunning diamond ring she knew all too well. She had seen the ring before, on his grandmother’s hand. It was a family heirloom, meant for one thing. Marriage. 

Sam proposing wasn’t a surprise though. It would happen sooner rather than later.

But the thought itself twisted her stomach further and she gasped for air, fighting back the tears. 

There had been a point in her life where she wanted nothing else. That a future with Sam was the only option. He had been all she ever wanted. 

But now, thinking about spending the rest of her life with him made her stomach turn. She could see it all so clearly, the life that they were supposed to have. It was there, all within her grasp, all planned out for them. And Cassandra didn’t want it. 

She had loved Sam for so long that she wasn’t sure who she’d be without him. She still loved him. But she wasn’t in love with him anymore and she hadn’t been for a while now. 

It was easier to admit to herself now than it had been when Cassie first started to realise that she was falling out of love with him. Only then had she realised how much of their lives had already been planned, how much of their relationship was built on their parent’s expectations.

The ring only solidified what Cassandra had known for months. This wasn’t what she wanted.

“Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 75B to Anchorage, Alaska. We are now inviting those in first class and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately fifteen minutes. Thank you.”

Shouldering her bag, Cassie let an elderly couple pass by her before taking her place in the queue. There was no rush. 

She might have been at one of the busiest airports in New York, but Cassie felt strangely calm. More than she had in months. It only served to prove that leaving was the right thing to do. Her only regret was leaving without telling her dad or brothers but she couldn’t risk them slipping up and telling her mother or Sam. 

Her phone vibrated with an incoming call again and she let it go to voicemail. There were several missed calls, unread messages and voicemails. Her father’s contact stared back at her, the most recent missed call along with a text message.

Just tell me you’re safe.

The queue had yet to move so she pulled up their chat, where there was another 4 unread messages waiting for her. 

Cassandra, where are you?

Call me back. Arthur said he dropped you off at LGA. What’s going on?

Your mother is very upset. Please call us back.

Sweetheart, I just need to know that you’re okay.

Cassandra couldn’t call him back, not now. But he deserved to know she was okay. 

I’m ok. I’ll let you know when I land. Please don’t tell mother. I love you.

She put the phone on aeroplane mode after that, effectively blocking any more incoming messages or calls. The queue was moving now and she handed the flight attendant her passport and ticket, thanking them before following the stream of people. 

Finding her seat, she declined the drink offered by the stewardess with a polite smile. Maybe later. Right now, all she wanted to do was sleep. 

Boarding seemed to be over pretty quickly and when the rumble of the engines grew louder as they made it to the taxiway, Cassie leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. 

She could worry about everything later. 

Ted Stevens Airport was just as busy as LaGuardia when Cassie departed her plane. She trudged along with the rest of the passengers towards baggage claim. 

The conveyor belt was already moving when she got there and luckily enough, her bag was already on the belt. She made for the exit after collecting her belongings, looking for a taxi.

Pulling out her phone, she turned off the aeroplane mode and once again her screen was filled with more calls and messages. She ignored them all, pulling up the hotel information. She was grateful for airplane wi-fi, allowing her to book a hotel during the long flight. 

Hailing down a cab, she gave them the name of the hotel and fifteen minutes later the bellhop was carrying her bags into the lobby while she checked into the room she booked. 

Thanking the bellhop, she locked the door behind her and fought the urge to just collapse onto the bed and sleep. Cassie forced herself to take a shower, washing off the entire flight of her body and brushing her teeth before crawling under the covers. 

She plugged in her charger and set an alarm, not wanting to sleep away the next day. Remembering her promise to her dad, Cassie pulled up his contact information, hovering over the call button. She wanted to hear his voice but she didn’t want to alert her mother to her whereabouts either.

Flight went ok, and I made it to the hotel safely. I’m in Anchorage. Please don’t tell mother where I am, or Sam. 

I’m so sorry I left without saying anything to you. I just didn’t want you to stop me. I don’t know how to explain but I need some space to think about what I really want. I knew Sam was planning to propose at the party and I realised it’s not what I want, not anymore. I don’t even know if it's what I’ve ever wanted or what mother has expected of me.

Please, don’t ask me to come home. I need to do this for myself. I’m not asking you to understand, I’m just asking you to let me make my own decisions. Tell Sebastian and Timothy that I’ll miss them. I love you.

She typed out the long message, hitting send before placing the phone screen down to give her some resemblance of peace as she waited for her father to answer. Even with the five-hour time difference, she was sure he would.

In the comfort of a warm bed and surrounded by nothing but darkness, Cassandra let herself feel for the first time since she left. All the emotions she shoved aside earlier to make it easier to leave bubbled up to the surface and Cassie choked back a sob threatening to leave her lips.

It was a strange moment because she felt nothing but relief over her decisions. But she was also scared. She had never been on her own, not like this.

A quiet chime from her phone alerted her to a new message and she breathed a sigh of relief when it’s from her father and not someone else.

I wish you would have told me, I would not have stopped you. I’m so sorry you felt like you couldn’t come to me with this. But I am proud of you for making this decision. Whatever you want, I’ll support you. 

I won’t tell Mary or Sam but I urge you to at least let them know you’re okay. I’ll tell them I’ve spoken with you, as they are worried. 

I won’t ask you to come home but please keep me updated. Your account is there for whatever you need, I’ll make sure that Mary won’t interfere with it. If you need anything, let me know. 

Sweetheart, I love you. Stay safe. 

Cassie let the tears flow as she reads her dad’s message. She didn’t realise how much she needed his assurance and acceptance. If her dad supported her, she could do this. She could be strong, if he believed in her. 

Deciding to keep all decisions until tomorrow, Cassandra put the phone on ‘do not disturb’ before making herself comfortable in the king-sized bed. 

Right now, she felt better than she had in months. That was all that mattered. The rest could wait.

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Jeremiah Bellmoral still crouched in front of her. Very much alive and very much amused by her horror. Elbows on his knees and long fingers threaded together as he observed her with a tilt of his head. Not watched, observed. Like she was a specimen in a jar. 

He was supposed to be dead. He should be dead. Jake had the power of the Alpha, won it in the challenge against Bellmoral. Tore it from the wolf who did nothing but hurt him and his pack. And that could only occur when the other wolf was completely defeated. Ronnie couldn’t wrap her head around how he could possibly be before her now.

It made it hard to move, hard to think under the calculated, pale gaze of what was surely a ghost.

“Your fear…” Bellmoral whispered as he reached out to her, Ronnie flinched as he ran his finger along her jawline — collecting the blood that wept along that edge. “Smells so sweet.”

He pulled back his hand, pointer finger coated in crimson. Then he put the digit to his lips and tasted it with a groan. Ronnie clenched her jaw tight as her stomach turned.

Get out, run, don’t let yourself become a part of his plot, every instinct inside her screamed as he leaned back on his haunches with a face-splitting grin. She knew she couldn’t just start running. He was clearly faster and stronger than her. If she had any chance, it would be to attack him with something first. Catch him by surprise to give herself a head start. Only the pockets of her fleece were completely empty save for some lint, and it seemed that Bellmoral had taken every stick from the clearing. 

As he continued to stare at her, lips now stained with her blood, she tried to move her hands imperceptively on the ground in search of something she could use. Anything. 

Her eyebrows jerked up as her fingers caught on the smooth edge of a rock. Just behind her back in front of the tree trunk she leaned on. She glanced up at Bellmoral’s face to see if he noticed, and maybe he did. His head was tilted to one side, his smile fallen from his face. Shit. She needed him distracted if she was going to do this. The more she felt around the rock she could tell that it was buried in the dirt — it was going to take time to dig it out without being able to look at it. 

So no matter how much she didn’t want to, she started talking to Jeremiah Bellmoral. 

“How did you — ?” She coughed to clear her throat, her voice sounding underused and horse. “Jake’s the Alpha…How’re you alive?”

“I am the Alpha!” Bellmoral roared as he pounded his fist into his chest, then he repeated, quieter. “I am the Alpha. Your mate…Was too weak to finish the job. Left me barely clinging to life — gave me these.”

He ran his fingers along the litany of raised scars on the left side of his face. Ronnie’s nails dug into the dirt around the cold stone.

“But it was enough for the power of the Alpha to go to him. No need to fret, no need to fret. I will be getting it back soon. The power that is rightfully mine, that is wasted on that ungrateful scum.”

This made Ronnie pause, even as she continued to dig out the rock. It was bigger than she first thought. Good. 

“How’re you going to take it back if Jake and Bradley are going to kill each other?” she asked. 

Bellmoral shook his head at her. “I really thought you were supposed to be smart. You know — you know — I read a few pages of that little book of yours. What did you call it? The Blue River Pack: A Werewolf History?”

A shiver ran down her spine, her blood turned cold. He had been in her house. In her room. Without anyone noticing. She dug into the dirt just a little bit faster, the scrape of her nails more frantic. 

“So — So tell me what you wrote, about the Spirit of the Alpha.” 

“It’s — It’s the embodiment of werewolf strength and power. It grants the wolf with the ability to hold control over the Betas in their pack and — and turn humans into werewolves with a single bite,” Ronnie explained quietly, eyes trained on Bellmoral’s filthy boots. “It was given as a blessing and a curse to Augustine Bradshaw and it’s passed down from firstborn to firstborn. Or taken in a challenge.” 

“But-But, have you ever thought about what would happen if an Alpha were to die with no firstborns…And no challenge won?” Ronnie’s brow furrowed as Bellmoral crawled closer to her. “You see, your family isn’t the only one with ancient texts left for the generations to follow. I found that if that were to happen — the Alpha Spirit then goes into the wolf most worthy of its power. Called a True Alpha, because-because they received the power without birthright or fight.”

The rock finally broke free of the dirt. Ronnie had to resist the noise of success she longed to make. It was as wide as her palm, flat and sharp. The ridge dug into the fingers of her left hand. Finally. 

She adjusted her grip on the stone as she said, “So when Jake and Brad kill each other over me…The Alpha Spirit will go to you?”

“See, there you go.” Bellmoral smiled as he gestured at her, both palms turned towards the sky — a few raindrops slipping through the foliage to land on the pale skin. “Now you’re getting it. The Spirit, the power, is mine. By birthright and by the divine. The Moon Goddess…Chose me for a reason. All of this — these six months of torment and your mate running wild — was just a test. Soon, what is mine will be mine again. And you…Veronica Bradshaw…”

She pushed herself back against the tree as he reached for her. As his hand wrapped around her throat. 

“Will be able to do nothing but sit back and watch as your life gets torn apart. But really you won’t be able to blame me. They killed each other after all…And maybe…You’ll find some comfort in my embrace when this is through.”

Ronnie screamed as she lifted the stone and brought it down hard onto Bellmoral’s head. He made a sound of surprise as he fell back, his grip on her throat disappearing as he clutched his bleeding face. As soon as he was out of her line of sight, she scrambled up from the ground and took off at a sprint.

White spots danced in her vision but she didn’t care. She needed to get away. Get somewhere safe, find Jake or Brad and explain what was going on. This wasn’t how she wanted any of this to go down. But none of that mattered anymore when lives were at stake. She couldn’t let Bellmoral’s plans come to fruition. Even if that meant telling her brother in the worst way possible that she was mated to his rival. 

But she barely made it past the edge of the clearing before Bellmoral tackled her to the ground. All the air was forced out of her lungs as she hit the hard earth with a thud, Bellmoral’s entire weight on her back as she struggled and writhed to get away. She managed to roll over onto her back, the rock she had managed to hold tightly in her left fist raised to hit him again. But Bellmoral had learned his lesson. He grabbed her wrist with a snarl and squeezed until there was an audible pop. Ronnie cried out as a sharp pain went down her left arm, fingers falling limp and the stone plummeting with them. 

“You are proving to be — “ Bellmoral rose to his feet, leaving Ronnie stunned on the ground, holding what was surely a broken wrist lightly. “More trouble than you’re worth, Veronica Bradshaw.”

He took hold of the front of her fleece and began dragging her back into the clearing. She struggled feebly, booted feet digging into the dirt as she repeated: “No, no, no!” 

She gasped as Bellmoral suddenly yanked her to her feet before him, lifting her until only her tip-toes were touching as he bared his sharp fangs at her. The stone's mark on his forehead and face was already beginning to heal. She whimpered, bottom lip trembling as she tried to lean away from him. 

“Maybe I should just rip out your throat.” This only made her struggle more, feet scrambling for purchase as her uninjured hand scratched at his forearm. “Leave you here for Jake and your brother to find. Fighting over your dead body will surely end in the same result.”

“No,” she sobbed softly as she tasted the salt of her own tears on her lips. 

Bellmoral perked up, ear turned towards the west. Then he turned back to her with a grin. “Your mate approaches — drawn by your call.”

He set her down on her feet and retracted his hand. She wobbled unsteadily, broken wrist cradled against her chest. Her stomach heaved as reality set in. She couldn’t stop this. Jake was so close that Bellmoral could hear him. Bradley was surely not far behind. His plan was in motion and there was no stopping it.

“If you try to warn him, I will attack…And he’ll watch as I finally get a real taste of your blood.” 

After that, he disappeared into the woods. Leaving Ronnie trembling in the middle of the clearing, unshed tears blurring her vision. She could still hear the rain. Pattering against the canopy, rare drops landed softly on her skin. Mixing with the dried blood on her face. She stared out at the trees infinite before her, like a silent audience to her tragedy. Bystanders who just stood there and watched as everything fell apart. No warning. No guidance. 

Just silence. 

For a moment, Ronnie wanted to scream. It expanded in her chest and filled her throat until there was nothing left to do but open her maw and unleash her shriek upon the world. Her defiance. Her pain. Her call for justice. Her call to a goddess of the moon who had now joined the audience. Who seemed to withhold all Her blessings from a daughter who sat on the fringes of the world She resided over. But the scream got caught in her throat. Threatened to strangle her as she screwed her eyes shut, tears pouring down her cheeks. She gasped and gurgled around it as she fell to her knees.

Do something, she pleaded to the trees, to the goddess above.

Just silence. 

Through blurred vision, she saw a large, golden wolf break through the treeline. Despite everything, the fear and the pain of her injuries, relief flooded her veins at the sight of him. Released from her in a sob as Jake shifted before her. Behind him, the rest of Red Sky followed after — noses upturned as they sniffed out anything suspicious. 

“Jake!” she cried as he came to his knees before her. 

They crashed into each other like tectonic plates that formed entire mountain ranges. He pulled her into his chest with an arm around her shoulders, his other hand threaded into the tangled hairs on the back of her head — holding her to him with that gentle strength. His heart was beating erratically, his shoulders heaved as he assured himself that she was there. His hands snaked under her layers of clothes to feel her bare skin, clammy against his warm palms.

But then she hissed in pain when her wrist bent only slightly and he pulled back to look at her. He inspected her wrist first, eyes still glowing that deep crimson of the Alpha as he touched the delicate bones gently. The flesh was already beginning to swell and turn red. Then he looked up into her face, fingers trailing along the edge of her jaw coated in dried blood. He took in the state of her. The claw marks on her face, the tear streaks in the dirt coating her cheeks. And she watched as his expression darkened. As his lip curled and that crease formed between his brows. 

“Who did this to you?” he whispered, voice trembling with barely there restraint. 

“I…” For a moment, she considered telling him the truth anyway. Anything to save him, to save everyone. But then she saw Bellmoral’s white eyes flash somewhere in the distance just over Jake’s shoulder and she relented. “It doesn’t matter right now. Can we just go, please?”

“No, we’re gonna find whoever did this.” Jake looked over his shoulder at his pack. “Fan out, they couldn’t’ve gotten far.”

The pack trotted into the trees and Ronnie desperately wanted to call out to them to stop. But she couldn’t. Bellmoral was out there somewhere. And how could she explain without telling the truth, without giving some warning?

Jake helped her get back to her feet tenderly. And as soon as she was stable, he wrapped her up in his arms again, pressing firm kisses into the top of her head. She sagged against him, let him take the brunt of her weight. If only for a moment. The danger was still real and ever-present, but she needed just a moment. A moment of respite, a moment to think, even. She needed to find a way to save Jake, save Bradley, and save herself. But how could she? She was just one person, one unpowered, unsupernatural person. 

“S’okay, little one, I’ve got you,” Jake whispered as he ran his hand up and down the length of her aching spine. 

It was only a few hours ago that she would have given anything to be with him. But now the only safe place for him was miles away from her. 

“Jake…” She pulled weakly away from his chest. “Take me home, please.”

Wherever home was. The hostel? The house in Marnmouth? It didn’t matter as long as he got both of them out of there. 

“Okay, if that’s what you want, Ronnie,” he replied.

“Please.” 

She couldn’t help the urgency that slipped into her tone, making Jake pause as he looked down at her. It was hard for mates to hide things from one another. He knew her in a way no one else could. There was something, deep inside, that revealed her truest feelings to him. Being only human, it was something she couldn’t experience herself — that connection to him. Her father described the bond once as a place in his heart that was solely Carole, that whispered to him what she needed and what she felt. Ronnie was sure Jake could feel the anxiety roiling around inside her, the urgency, the horror.

“Who did this — ?” Jake started to ask, but was interrupted by the sound of yelping in the trees. 

He turned, holding Ronnie behind him as the pack ran back into the clearing.

Closely followed by the entirety of Blue River — absolutely massive in comparison to Red Sky — Bradley at the lead with his lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. Jake’s grip on her tightened and for a moment, she was frozen. 

God, this wasn’t how she wanted this to happen at all.

Bradley skidded to a halt. He looked so much like their father in wolf form. Deep chocolate brown, with no fur growing from the pink scars that littered his face and neck. Pete and Bob were hot on his heels, Bob towering above all the other wolves in the clearing. Pretty soon, all of Red Sky was corralled and surrounded on all sides by Blue River wolves. 

And Ronnie never felt so hopeless. She promised they wouldn’t get attacked again. But it was because of her that this was happening. If she had just told Bradley sooner. If she just wasn’t a coward. None of this would be happening. 

Over Jake’s shoulder, his grip on her waist tight, she watched as Bradley shifted back into human form. His cheeks were bright pink, his eyes fiery red as he approached the two of them with stomping steps.

“Get the fuck away from my sister, Red Sky!”

Bradley spat the pack name like an insult. Jake stood his ground, his arm tightening around her with a low growl. But Bradley wasn’t going to stand for it. She could see his perspective clearly. Entering the scene to see his sister bleeding and hurt, in the presence of the rival Alpha. The wildcard. The threat. It was only logical that he would jump to the conclusion that Jake had done this to her. 

Bellmoral’s plan was working perfectly. 

Bradley collided with Jake, his growl loud and menacing, and it all happened in a blur. One second she was standing behind Jake, his touch affirming and strong against her, and the next she was falling back.

On instinct, she reached to catch herself. Then she felt the already fractured bones in her wrist crunch and she shouted, gargled and broken in her throat. It hurt all the way up to her elbow, like a freshly forged knife was dragged along the nerves. Ronnie let herself fall back onto the pine needles with another cry of pain, right hand cradling her left against her chest as her head swam with nothing but white-hot agony. The canopy of leaves above shifted and swirled as her mind fought the pain, her stomach swooping. 

“Ronnie!” she heard Jake call as she willed herself to stay awake, to grit her teeth and bare it. “Get out of my way!”

Bellmoral was watching, somewhere in the distance. In the back of her mind, she wondered how he was able to cover his scent from all the werewolves present. Not a single one of them, even the ones who would be familiar, seemed to know that he was anywhere near them. He was watching and waiting and puffing up with pride at the way it was all falling into place. 

She needed to get up. She needed to stop this. But it fucking hurt. Everywhere. All at once. 

Ronnie couldn’t let that happen. She just couldn’t. It didn’t matter that she was just human. That everything hurt. That she had no power and no strength. It was all up to her now. Even with a broken wrist and so much fear.

Rolling onto her good side, she pushed herself up onto her elbow, forcing herself to move despite the discomfort.

Bradley was pushing Jake back, away from Ronnie. Just another thing that was going exceptionally well for Jeremiah Bellmoral. She was injured. Jake was her mate, her Alpha, and Bradley was getting in the way. He was keeping Jake from protecting her, comforting her, helping her. He didn’t know it, but he was pouring gasoline on an open fire that was already more than willing to burn the world down to get to her.

Ronnie sat up completely, gasping when she noticed that she was starting to lose feeling in her hand. That couldn’t be good. Reuben and Mickey knelt down on either side of her, keeping her upright with gentle hands on her back. 

Jake’s roar echoed through the trees; Ronnie felt it ring her soul like an ancient bell. And when she looked up, he was shifted into his wolf form. His hackles raised as he stared her brother down with eyes red as blood. Bradley muttered something about killing him for hurting his sister, then he too shifted back into his wolf form. This was the first time she had seen them together. She knew Jake was smaller than Bradley, not by much, but he was leaner — muscles well attuned to fighting rippling beneath his golden fur. 

Ronnie knew that Bradley had never fought another wolf in his entire life — not for real. But he was bound to be stronger than Jake with the size of his pack. Every Beta under his control giving him strength. Something that he more than doubled Jake with.

“No! Stop! Please!” she shrieked as she tried to get to her feet. 

To get between them somehow, make them stop. But as soon as she knelt on the ground, one foot planted to propel her into the impending fight, a set of muscular arms circled around her waist and lifted her off the ground. She shouted as she struggled against their strong grip, her mind turned to the worst. Bellmoral forcing her to watch. But when she looked back, it was Jake’s second-in-command, Javy, pulling her away to safety. 

He dragged her back just in time.

Jake lunged at Bradley first. Growls, barks, roars, and the snapping of great teeth filled the air. It was a haze of gold and brown fur as they moved around the clearing. Rolling and biting and clawing at one another. None of the other wolves attacked, knowing that this was a fight between the two Alphas and the Alphas alone. 

Ronnie went limp in Javy’s arms, heart seized in her chest — refusing to pump her precious lifeblood to the rest of her body. It was happening. She wasn’t able to stop it. She really would just sit back and watch as her life was torn apart. As her brother and her mate killed each other over what they thought was the right thing, over her. 

She could see, across the clearing, that Dylan and Natasha were trying to get to her. Get her away from Red Sky and back where she belonged. But they were stopped by Pete and Bob, and for a moment she was grateful. And looking over, she saw that she was surrounded by her pack.

Her pack. Not her family’s pack. Not her ancestor’s pack. Not her legacy’s pack. Her pack. Her own. 

And it was up to her to save it. Just her in her human strength. In her human wit. In maybe her kindness and truth. Her father always said she was human for a reason. And maybe this was it.

Suddenly, a yelp echoed sharp and clear through the canopy. 

Jake lay on the ground, his great wolf body heaving with the effort to breathe. Bradley stepped back from his prone form, posture proud. Ronnie heard the sob she released before she even registered that it was her that made the noise. Wrenched violently from her throat like a rusted nail from stubborn wood. An answer to her mate’s cry of agony. 

Bradley turned to her with a shake of his head, looking nearly surprised when he saw her crowded on all sides by Red Sky wolves instead of Blue River. Jake still lay on the ground, soft whines escaping him as he pawed at the earth. He looked like he was about to get up, lips pulled back from his sharp white teeth as another Alpha looked at his pack. 

The strong arms holding her back released her before she even had to tell them to. Ronnie walked slowly into the clearing, her own injuries forgotten — numb — as she padded across the pine needles. The rain was coming down harder now. More drops slipped through the foliage to wet her cheeks, make her tears disappear with them. The wind howled through the trees. Its own wolf’s call.

Bradley looked expectant. He thought she would come to him, thank him for saving her, and tell him to take her home. But she didn’t. She walked right past him without sparing a second glance. His massive, furry head turned to follow her movement with a noise of confusion.

Everything felt so slow, as she walked up to Jake’s massive golden form. A single red eye followed her as she knelt down by his head. There was a large gash that started at his neck and went down to his chest, rendering the muscles of his shoulder asunder. Crimson blood poured out onto the ground, but she could see that the wound was already healing. Ronnie placed her good hand on his face and he stilled, his breathing less ragged as he pawed gently at her leg. 

“It’s okay, my Alpha,” she whispered softly as she stroked his furry face. “We’re okay. You and me.” 

Behind her, Bradley growled with a stamp of his massive paw. 

Pete took a step closer, speaking calmly and clearly as he said, “He wants to know what’s going on.” 

“Can you stand?” Ronnie asked, hand hovering over Jake’s gaping wound. 

He huffed but lifted his head. And, as Ronnie slowly rose back to her feet, so did Jake. He had to hold up his front left paw so as not to put any weight on it, and she found it fitting as she held her left hand against her stomach. Bradley growled again, insistent and impatient.

But any of the agitations on his wolfish face disappeared once Ronnie turned to face him. A sad, understanding sort of smile tugged at her cracked lips.

“We’re mated, Brad.” She didn’t fumble for words, she didn’t even feel any fear as she looked directly into her brother’s chocolate brown fur and beaming red eyes. “And I accepted him — because I love him.”

A hush fell over the world. Nothing but the sounds of rain and Jake’s labored breathing filled the air. 

“I knew as soon as he walked into the tavern that night. But I — I was scared to tell you. I almost rejected him I was so scared. And…And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. That I let it go this far. I just — I didn’t want you to hurt them.” She looked over to Red Sky, huddled together like Roman soldiers ready to take on attack, and when she looked back to her brother, she couldn’t help the way her chin quivered. “I didn’t want you to hate me.”

Jake moved in closer to her side, now able to put weight on his leg, albeit gingerly. She felt his blood-matted fur brush against her shoulder and it brought her some comfort. Even as she stared into Bradley’s shocked wolf face. Felt the eyes of every Blue River wolf trained solely on her. 

“But I…He was chosen for me by powers beyond our control. At first, I didn’t understand it. Why we would be mated. But I — I choose him, now. I-I irrevocably choose him. Over Blue River. Over the packs’ history. Even over you. Even if you hate me. Because I love him. And I belong with him. 

“So if you’re gonna kill him.” Ronnie took one step forward, placing herself between Bradley and Jake. “You’re gonna have to go through me first.” 

Just silence. 

The audience was gathered to witness the final tragedy. The unhappy ending. Antigone’s brother left unburied and her betrothed doomed to death for his father’s mistakes. The trees, the goddess, the wolves wait on bated breath for the news to come to the hard-hearted king. Everyone is dead, and he would be left to live out the rest of his days praying for the end.

But then applause resounded before the tragedy was finished. A continuous, monotonous, clap clap clap from somewhere deep in the trees. 

Ronnie’s heart dropped into her stomach. She reached out to Jake and tangled her fingers in his fur, gripping the golden strands tight. She had nearly forgotten he was hiding in the forest, waiting for his plan to unfold. But she had just thrown a wrench in it, brought it to a screeching nearly-driving-off-the-road halt. There was no telling what he was going to do now. And that terrified her more than anything else. The unpredictability of a man driven mad by the power passed on to him by his ancestors. 

Jake curled his body around her as the clapping got closer, as a gentle, hollow chuckle harmonized along.

“Leave it to you, Veronica Bradshaw, to find some way to ruin my plans!” His voice echoed through the trees, distorted, like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere. “The key — you were supposed to be the key!” 

“Ronnie, what the hell is this?” Pete asked as he looked around for the source of the voice. 

“I — “ she tried to explain. 

But Bellmoral cut her off. Somewhere in the trees. His wailing an echo and an answer.

“No! This wasn’t how this was supposed to go! We were going to be okay you and I…After you saw the light. After you saw that I was right all along. He was never meant to have it. It was always supposed to be mine. Which-which meant that you were always supposed to be mine, too. Don’t you see? Veronica?” 

Jake pressed around her tighter, growl rumbling low in his throat as his lips curled back away from his teeth. 

“And you…Jake Seresin. Ungrateful. Arrogant. Unworthy. I gave you everything. I gave you that family you always wanted, that belonging. On top of that, I gave you a power that you could never even dream of. And what did you do? You spat in my face! You danced on my grave — or at least, what you thought was my grave.” 

Bellmoral laughed, the sound ricocheting through the trees — making the few birds that had stuck around take off into the rain-filled sky. Jake went rigid around her, ears flat against his head that was tilted low to the ground. Nearly every hair on his massive body stood on end. Ronnie looked over at the small Red Sky pack as she placed a reassuring hand on Jake’s shoulder. Every single one of them was pale, eyes wide as they stared out into the trees. Like they were encountering a ghost. 

Their greatest horror. One they thought was long behind them. 

Bellmoral stepped into the clearing with a smile on his face and a tilt of his head. Ronnie could feel, as Jake somehow wound his body around her tighter, shielding her from Bellmoral, that every muscle inside him was wound tight. Ready to snap. Ready to fight or fly or stand paralyzed before the monster who had done nothing but destroy his life, mar and kill those that he loved. She pressed her hand more firmly into him. Jake relaxed only slightly beneath her touch.

“Ronnie, who is this guy?” Pete asked as the Blue River wolves fanned out, each golden set of eyes trained on this new threat. 

“Jeremiah Bellmoral,” she answered, voice shaking despite the strength she wanted to show; for Jake and Red Sky.

“A pleasure to meet you all, truly.” He looked around at the Blue River wolves with that Cheshire-cat grin. “I’ve been watching you for months and can I just say…You’re a mess. A mess that I sought to clean up.”

“It’s over, Bellmoral. Enough,” Ronnie snapped, a grimace pulling at her lips and brow.

Bellmoral jerked his head over to look at her, white eyes of the Omega shining. “Is it? Now more than ever — it’s clear to see that the Bradshaw line needs to be broken. I mean just look at him.” 

He gestured wildly at Bradley, his skeletal face pulled back in some expression like he was looking at a puppy with only three legs. Doomed to fall and fail as it teetered around the yard. Almost sympathetic, almost pitying. But there was a hidden malice, a rushing river just beneath the ice. The Blue River Alpha stiffened under the sudden attention, head raised and red eyes unblinking as he stared Bellmoral down. 

“I can practically see the silver spoon between his teeth. What has he worked for? For what has he toiled? Fought for? I know that — “ Bellmoral turned to look at Jake with lips pulled back into a smirk — whether it was at what he was about to say or the way the Alpha nearly flinched away from him Ronnie couldn’t tell. “Jake would agree with me. I heard you talking about him. It really is not fair. All Bradley had to do was wait for his dear papa to die, and then he got all that power, all those Betas, all that respect! While you, Jake, you had to fight tooth and nail for scraps. 

“Little Bradley here has everything he could ever want —  and when you want just one thing? His little sister as your own — as the Moon Goddess has ordained? He can’t bare it. He throws a tantrum. He blinds himself to the signs that were there! He refuses to see what was so clear.”

He turned on Bradley, taking a step closer as he roared, “How did you not see it, Bradshaw? How did you not know that your own sister had found her mate? Even I could feel it coming off her the moment she stepped out of that tavern four weeks ago! Sickeningly sweet and bright as the moon! Is it because you would rather keep your sister at a distance, keep her on the outside looking in? You would rather deny her any sense of belonging than let her leave your control — find her own place in this world.” 

Bradley snarled and snapped his teeth, great paws digging into the ground as he lowered his head at Bellmoral. Ronnie could see it, however — see the river beneath the ice, the malice under the pity. This was Bellmoral’s backup plan. Pull at all of Bradley’s strings until he attacked, playing him like a fiddle, or a harp, or some other instrument that could very well snap from misuse. And she knew her brother. Knew that those words would reach something at the core of him, touch all his insecurities and make him lash out in some attempt to defend his hurt pride. 

It was something she had done before, in their youth. When she really wanted to hurt him but knew she stood no chance against him physically. It was always in that way that siblings do. When she would say something so scathing, and then in the next hour walk close beside him to the corner store for snacks. Then at school the next day when someone said something behind his back she would threaten to knock their lights out.

She wanted to defend him now. Even after all he had done, all he had said. Even if, maybe, Bellmoral was even right. That didn’t matter. Because he was her brother. Her family. Her flesh and blood, with eyes that matched her own and a smile just like her father’s.

“Brad, don’t listen — “ 

But it was too late. Bradley roared before he dove at Bellmoral, who shifted into his wolf form in an instant. Prepared and ready for Bradley’s attack. Bellmoral’s wolf was nearly as big as Bob — but he was malnourished. His bones stuck out at odd angles, his once brilliant grey fur now matted and balding in places. His white eyes shown great and terrible as his teeth sunk into Bradley’s shoulder.

Ronnie cried out as Jake moved her away from the fight. Shoved her back as gently as he could until she was amongst the other Red Sky wolves. Mickey took her shoulder and pulled her in closer, his fingers dug into the spot where Bellmoral’s teeth had held her and she hissed against the pain. Everything hurt. Her shoulder, her hip, her wrist, her face, her heart. Maybe her heart most of all. It weighed heavy in her chest, spilled into her lungs, making it hard to breathe as she watched Bellmoral pin her brother into the dirt.

Bradley and Bellmoral grappled, teeth clacking and bodies rolling around on the ground. Blue River could do nothing but watch. A fight against their Alpha meant they couldn’t intervene. It would mean that they thought their leader weak, and none of them thought that of Bradley. None of them ever could. 

Especially Ronnie. And despite everything, a sob left her lips as Bradley yelped. A sound she knew so well, a sound she had heard throughout her life. Bellmoral had him pinned down by the throat, Bradley’s paws moving feebly to try and get him off. Ronnie took a step forward before she even realized she was moving, but Mickey and Reuben held her back. 

She remembered a time when they were as close as could be. When they would sit together on the roof of the pack house and watch the full moon with a kind of longing adventures were born from. When they would ride their bikes to school together. When he let her ride on his back through the woods. When they fought and forgave and hugged and cried and screamed and laughed. But then she went away to college and he stayed put. Then she stopped calling back home as much and he only texted when he needed something. Then she didn’t come home the last two summers, opting to find work in Seattle instead. Then when she graduated and moved back home, she didn’t move back into the family house. She took the hunting cabin their dad had built years ago. 

A rift chipped away at both sides. A symptom of growing up. Of wanting different things. Of being different things.

But he was her brother. She was born knowing him. She was born loving him. 

“Jake,” she called softly before she could put more thought behind her words. His giant golden head turned to look at her instantly. “Help him…Please.”

He stared at her for a moment. And she could see his reaction written all over his face. The fear at fighting Bellmoral again. The defiance at helping the wolf who moments ago wanted him dead. He was still bleeding, the wound Bradley gave him healing at a slower rate, he could barely put any weight on his leg. Ronnie glanced over his golden shoulder to see that Bradley had stopped struggling, Bellmoral’s lips pulled back as he watched the life drain from him — as he took Bradley’s death slowly. 

Ronnie looked back to her mate with a pleading quiver in her lip. “Please.”

Jake turned to the losing battle. 

And then he roared. 

Bellmoral looked up just in time for Jake to tackle him off of Bradley’s prone form. The previous Alpha of Red Sky stared down the one who usurped him, pale grey head hung low and eyes glowing white. They may have been talking to one another, but Ronnie couldn’t hear a thing. Only Bradley’s hacking as he got back to his feet. Jake and Bellmoral met with a furious growl, raised up on their back legs as they swiped at one another. But Jake was clearly weakened, his shoulder refusing to heal. He landed back on all fours with a yap of pain. But he had gotten his claws into Bellmoral’s face. The grey wolf staggered back as he shook his head, trying to clear the blood from his vision. 

Then Bradley came to stand at Jake’s side.

A laugh seemed to spill from Bellmoral’s red lips as he looked at them. The Alphas of two packs who had been warring for centuries. Standing together just to defeat him once and for all. Ronnie wondered, as she leaned against Mickey for support, if he was beginning to worry. If he was beginning to regret. 

It didn’t seem like it as he charged at them. 

He swiped at Jake as he went for Bradley’s throat with his teeth. But even wounded, the two Alphas together were too fast and too strong for him. In what felt like only an instant Bradley had Bellmoral pinned down at his waist. And Jake had his jaw clamped tight around the grey wolf’s neck. 

Then Jake began to pull. 

Bellmoral screamed. 

And with one final yank, the grey wolf was ripped in two. 

Jake arched up with the force of it, up onto his back paws as he pulled the top half of his body free. Leaving behind limp legs and entrails spilling out. Blood sprayed in every direction. Ronnie felt the warmth of it on her face as she stared wide-eyed at the scene before her. Jake spat out Bellmoral’s mauled neck. Bradley got off the rest of the body with a huff. 

Ronnie slumped against Mickey completely. A relief-soaked sob echoing in her throat as he steadied her. When she looked back up, Jake and Bradley were shifted back into their human forms. Their shoulders working as they breathed, as they stared down at the body at their feet. Bellmoral was back in his human form as well — shifted one last time in the Goddess’ mercy so they couldn’t be caught in death — torso separated from his legs. Eyes staring unblinkingly at the grey sky. Mouth still pulled back in a smile.

Bradley nodded, a subtle curt thing, at Jake and he nodded back. A thank you. An acceptance.

It was over. It was finally over. Red Sky was truly free. Maybe it wasn’t a tragedy after all. Maybe there was still hope.

A fractured wrist, the bones now held in place to heal back together by a thick plastic brace. Deep muscle bruising to the shoulder and hip. Four gashes to the face, one requiring stitches and the rest held together with medical glue. 

They told the doctors it was a mountain biking accident. That she was thrown from her bike when she snagged on a root. That they got her to the hospital as quickly as they could, seeing as they were pretty deep on the trail. Everybody believed it. Nobody even gave it a second thought. The injuries lined up. 

And it wasn’t like they would have believed the truth anyway. 

Ronnie was discharged around eleven at night with a pain medication ready to be picked up at the local pharmacy by morning, instructions to take it easy for a few days, and teasing remarks about being more careful on those biking trails. She smiled and thanked everyone for their help as she left, Jake’s arm secure around her waist. 

Blue River was waiting for them out in the parking lot. Gathered around their vehicles and sipping on beers that wouldn’t inebriate them in the slightest. They all perked up as the Red Sky Alpha and his new Luna approached.

Natasha was the first to meet them — an overnight bag clutched in her fist. 

 “Figured you might want some of your clothes,” she said as she handed the bag off to Jake. 

“Thanks, Nat,” Ronnie replied with a tired smile. 

She could see that her friend wanted to say more, but she kept glancing at Jake. Nervously shifting from one foot to the other under the weight of the power he put off. Ronnie gave his hip a squeeze as she looked up into his firmly set expression. 

“Go wait in the truck, okay?” she suggested quietly, and at his hesitance to leave her, she reassured him with another squeeze. “I’ll be okay. Just a few minutes.” 

Jake pulled away from her reluctantly with a curt nod. Then he stalked off towards his truck parked haphazardly in the spot closest to the door. Natasha instantly relaxed once he was gone. 

“Does — Does this really mean you have to leave?” Natasha asked softly. 

She refused to look Ronnie in the eye. Hands shoved in her back pockets. The tears caught in her dark eyes reflected in the fluorescent light of the parking lot. It felt like Ronnie’s ribs were too tight as she reached for her friend — but then retracted her hand. Natasha caught it anyway, reflexes fast as she snatched Ronnie’s fingers in her strong grip. She gave a reassuring squeeze as Ronnie took a shuddering breath. 

“If I could stay, if I could keep both packs, I would. You know I would,” Ronnie replied, eyes focused on their joined hands. “But I can’t. Red Sky is my pack now.” 

“I wish…I wish you would’ve told me.” 

Ronnie looked up at her then, at her rosy cheeks and soft little nose, at her dark hair slicked back into a bun and that sad look in her eyes. Reasons pricked at the very tip of Ronnie’s tongue. It all happened so fast. Everyone was showing animosity towards Red Sky. The less people that knew before Bradley found out, the better. But they all died in her mouth, turned to ash, to something sour. None of that mattered. Natasha was her friend. They grew up together. They worked together. Natasha always had, and always would be, a confidant and an ally. Everything would have been so much easier with Natasha at her side, so much lighter — someone to share the load. Tears gathered at the corners of Ronnie’s eyes as she squeezed her friend’s hand tight. 

“Me too.” 

“I knew that something was off.” Then she laughed lightly. “I thought it was because of Bob…”

Ronnie laughed too. 

“I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything, Nat.” 

The dark-haired she-wolf shook her head. “None of us made it easy, but…He’s your mate, ya know? And a really fine one at that, like, Jesus Christ.” 

They both laughed now. Little chuckles accompanied by shakes of their heads as Ronnie smoothed her thumb over the back of Natasha’s hand. The tears welled up anew, her chin quivering as she looked at her friend. At her friend from this point forward she wouldn’t see nearly every single day. It was all so eerily similar to when Ronnie went off to college. They knew they would still be friends after this. Still connected. But it was going to be different from then on. Morphed into something else. Something more distant. Something more nostalgic rather than present. 

“I’m really gonna miss you,” Ronnie said, voice wavering as her tears fell. 

“M’gonna miss you too.” 

Natasha pulled her into a tight hug, but minded her injuries. Then the friends parted, and over Natasha’s shoulder, Ronnie caught Bradley’s intense gaze from further down the parking lot. Natasha gave her hand one last squeeze before letting go of her completely.

Bradley was leaning against the back bumper of his Bronco. Arms crossed and body cleaned of the blood he had spilled. Bob and Pete stood on either side of him. His face betrayed no emotion, and that was somehow worse as Ronnie approached him. If he looked mad she could prepare for that. If he looked sad she could prepare for that too. But that neutral expression on his face, that blank stare, was nearly painful to her.

Pete met her first. She could see the tears clinging to his lashes just before he pulled her in for a hug. It felt like being hugged by her father. She clung to him tighter, buried her face in his neck as he felt his tears wet her shoulder. He pulled away, and Bob was standing behind him. The bespeckled wolf fidgeted with the edge of his flannel as he flashed her a tight smile. Ronnie smiled at him too. Knowing that Jake was watching, that he was still on edge, she reached out and patted Bob’s shoulder as she passed. Hoping that it would tell him just how grateful she was for all that he had done for her. Bob and Pete moved along, opting to talk with some of the other wolves, when Ronnie finally stood before her brother. 

There could have been an entire canyon between them, not just that tiny strip of cracked concrete. An entire continent. An entire ocean. Standing face to face with Bradley now, she never felt further away. She wanted to be close to him again. Like when they were kids and adventure was just around the corner. But she didn’t know if this was a canyon that could ever be crossed. A continent that could ever be charted. An ocean that could ever be tamed. 

Bradley finally broke the silence. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ronnie coughed, held up her braced wrist for a moment. “I’m okay. Just…Really tired.”

Just silence. Was this the tragedy she had been waiting for? 

“Bellmoral was right you know,” he muttered, eyes focused on the way his boot scuffed against the concrete. “About keeping you on the outside…Keeping you under my control.”

She took a half step forward, longing to comfort, but unsure if she could. “Brad — “ 

“Don’t try n’ deny it, Ronnie. You know it’s true, too. S’just — “ He huffed, uncrossing his arms to shove his hands in his jean pockets. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, eyebrows furrowed as he searched for the words. “First it was Mom. Then Tom…And then Dad. I guess…I just didn’t want you to leave me.” 

He looked up into her face then and there were tears in his eyes. Ronnie tried to swallow around the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. She felt her tears flowing freely down her cheeks, surely wetting the fresh bandages that had been put over her cuts.

“Fuck. M’sorry. For all of it,” he said. 

Then she crashed into him like a head-on collision. Her arms around his middle tight as she pulled him into her. As she buried her face in his chest. As she wept openly, like sorrow and relief all at once. He was stiff beneath her touch for a moment. Only a moment. And then Bradley caved in. Released. Melted into her hold. His own thick arms wrapped around her shoulder tight, his lips pressed into her hairline. The ocean had been crossed. The continent trekked over. The canyon closed together. Somehow, he felt closer than ever before. 

“You’re gonna be an amazing Luna, Ronnie Bradshaw,” he whispered to her as he continued to hold her, continued to love her. “You were born for it. Leading. Helping. More than I ever was.” 

She managed to blubber out between sobs. “We’re children of wolf kings.” 

It was what their father used to say at the end of pack meetings. On nights of the full moon. When he would sit them down and tell them stories about their ancestors. It was nearly a joke he said it so much. But now that he was gone, they came to some solemn understanding of the power behind it. The faith. The strength. The history. 

They were children of wolf kings. Destined for crowns that neither of them thought they could bare. 

Prying herself away from him, Ronnie sniffed back the snot that had clogged her nose and wiped tenderly at her cheeks — making sure to avoid her bandages. Bradley quickly swiped at his own face, looking around to make sure no one saw him. It made her smile. 

“Where’re you guys gonna go?” he asked, hands back in his pockets. 

“The hunting cabin,” she answered, “We sent a few wolves ahead to get it ready.” 

Bradley looked at her for a moment, a smile ticking up the corner of his mustache. “You really love him?”

“I know it sounds crazy. I barely even know him.”

“God.” He shook his head as he laughed, something like realization on his face. “You really do love him.” 

“I do.” 

They hugged again. And then Ronnie turned away. It felt final. It felt terrifying. It felt like walking into darkness and into the unknown. What was out there? What awaited her in the shadows, around the corners, just over the hill? What was in store for her in a world without her family at her side and an entire life to start over? 

But then Jake. 

Jake stood beneath the yellow light of the parking lot. Hands in the pockets of his jeans as he leaned against the side of his old beat-up truck. He smiled softly at her as she approached. He was her guiding light. Her steady shore. Her foundation and her architect. It didn’t matter what waited for her as long as he was there. He would be with her through everything.

Her mate. Her Alpha. Her love.

She fell asleep on the drive and Jake carried her inside.

The a-frame cabin was small, but nice. Jake smiled as he kicked the door shut quietly behind him. The space was so incredibly Ronnie. There were maps and pictures from her world travels hanging on the walls. With no space for bookshelves with the slanted ceilings, there were tall stacks of paperbacks and hardcovers lining the wall by the couch. Candles were scattered about that had been relit — unscented because they gave her headaches.

“Where’s the bed, little one?” Jake asked as he walked further inside, noting the small hallway further back and the short set of stairs that led up to the loft. 

“Upstairs,” she muttered, voice laced with sleep.

Her eyes were barely held open. She felt heavy in his arms, though his muscles didn’t strain. The only thing that kept her awake was the way Jake’s heartbeat directly into her ear. 

He carried her up the steps, careful not the jostle her too much as he came up into the loft where the slope of the roof was at its peak. Mickey and Reuben had made the bed, the linens freshly washed and warm as Jake laid Ronnie down in them. He pulled the soft blankets, flannel sheets and down-filled comforter, over her as she curled up on her side. Nearly like a cat. Her long, dark hair was still a tangled mess but she didn’t seem to care. She blinked up at him slowly. A soft, on-the-edge-of-dreams smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she reached up and touched his cheek. Just the tips of her fingers, the majority of her hand covered by the thick brace. Still, Jake leaned into her touch with a grin of his own. 

She hummed contentedly as Jake gently placed her hand back to rest at her side. 

He pushed the few hairs that had fallen into her face out of the way, tucking them behind her ear. Never before had she felt so comfortable underneath a gaze so intense. He could look at her like that for hours and she would never feel the need to hide. 

“Reuben said he left some clothes for me. I’ll be right back,” he said.

“I’ll wait for you,” Ronnie replied. 

“You don’t have to — “

“I’ll wait for you,” she repeated, a bit more sternly, her eyebrows set in a way that nearly made Jake laugh. 

The bed creaked as he rose from the edge and went back downstairs. Ronnie felt instantly colder without him there. Even though she was under the thick blankets and the heater hummed loudly in the background. Everything felt so heavy yet so weightless. Her eyelids slid shut despite her best efforts. Her body sunk further into the mattress; it felt like she was going to sink right through to the floor. But she was also floating. High up in the sky, above the trees, above the mountains. She was untethered as she teetered on the edge of sleep, detached, falling. Balanced on the edge of a knife.

But then the other side of the bed dipped. The covers pulled back for an instant and she shuddered at the sudden cold. But it was soon forgotten as Jake settled in behind her, pulled her back into his chest. He was so warm. She sighed deeply, some release, as she burrowed further back against him. His chuckle reverberated in her own ribcage. Jake was her anchor, her stake in the ground. Settling her in this plane of existence with a gentle grip around her waist and a soft kiss against her jaw. 

Pure bliss. Sunshine incarnate. This was what it must have felt like to burn. Complete joy and complete belonging. This was where she was meant to be. Happily drowning in a golden ocean of pure warming sunlight, wrapped up in the citrus and bonfire scent of her mate. It was like looking into a grain silo on her grandmother’s farm. Mesmerized by the colors and suddenly falling in, surrounded by that earthy scent of wheat that lulled until dying didn’t sound so bad. But as she lay there, held and loved completely, she felt she was coming more alive. 

“You love me?” Jake whispered into the place where her neck met her shoulder. 

Ronnie, though half asleep, could hear the question bubbling like lava just beneath. You love me despite everything? You love me after what you watched me do? You love me injured and covered in blood and terrified?

“I think I always have.” She smoothed her fingers over the arm curled around her waist. “Even when I didn’t know you. I think I’ve been waiting my whole life for you.” 

There was that calm confidence again. That assuredness the very foundations of the earth were made of.

“I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. Like I’ve loved you from the moment I started breathing, Ronnie.”

She smiled, a joyful noise humming in her throat, as sleep finally overcame her.

When she woke up, Ronnie wasn’t entirely sure it was morning. The sunlight streaming through the window above the bed was too bright, too powerful to be anything but brought on by midday. For a moment, she just basked in it. Too warm and too comfortable to move.

But the space beside her was empty. Cold. 

As she rolled onto her back, her fingers trailed over the rustled sheets. The indent in the other pillow. 

Was it all just a dream? The whole of it? Her father’s death. Going to live with Bradley while the dust settled. Finding her mate in the Alpha of Red Sky. She couldn’t decide if it was joy or sorrow that filled her heart at the possibility. To have her father back would be a joy beyond words. But to lose Jake to have him — that was a sorrow unmatched.

Then her broken bones screeched in a sudden pain that made her suck in a sharp breath. That was real. She lifted her braced hand to drape across her middle, fingers rubbing over the tough plastic in some attempt to soothe the discomfort. And if that was real —  that injury, that hurt — then the rest of it was real too. It wasn’t just a dream. It was a beautiful, yet dimmed reality. Loss for gain. Her father was gone but that was okay. He might not have been around to take care of her anymore, but she had her mate now. 

She had Jake now. 

But where was he?

Ronnie sat up slowly, a soft noise of effort slipping from her lips as she pulled herself to sit up against the wall. Every muscle in her body felt tired, used up, and sore. It took some great effort, like Atlas willing himself to shrug with the weight of the world on his shoulders, just to get herself upright. She rubbed at the sleep that still clung to her lashes. Her tongue suddenly felt heavy and dry in her mouth, like it didn’t really belong there. Opening her mouth to flex her jaw, she looked over to Jake’s empty spot in bed again. 

Where was he?

Somewhere inside, she knew he was close. He wasn’t too far.

But before she could will herself to get out from beneath the covers, Jake’s golden head of hair appeared as he came up the stairs. All the tension that had wound itself up in her shoulders suddenly relaxed at the sight of him. 

His soft smile. That lock of dark blond hair that fell against his forehead. He looked comfortable. Wearing a pair of sweats and a waffle-knit long sleeve, the clothes that the pack must have brought. Ronnie was glad to see him out of the bloodied flannel he had been wearing the day before. 

The smell of toast and eggs suddenly hit her and her stomach grumbled. He carried the breakfast, coffee, a glass of water, and her prescription bottle on the tray from her small dining table strictly used for decoration. But she didn’t mind in the slightest as he set the tray down in the spot he once occupied. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but she could feel it. The way her throat gurgled with underuse and overuse at the same. The first noise of some greeting barely escaped before she was trying to clear her throat. 

“Here,” Jake said as he snatched the glass of water from the tray. 

He held it up to her lips as he sat down at the edge of the bed. She took it from him gratefully, taking a few sips to wet her throat. When she pulled the glass away, she smiled almost shyly at him. 

“Hi.”

Her voice came out as a croak that made her wince. 

But Jake didn’t seem to mind as he pushed her messy hair back away from her face. “Hey, little one.” 

“How long was I out for?” she asked quietly, not trusting her voice to get any louder. 

“About fourteen hours,” he replied as he reached over and grabbed the pill bottle from the tray. “It’s two in the afternoon.”

“Jesus — you should’ve woken me up.”

“No. You needed the rest. Still do.” He undid the cap and poured out two pills into his palm. “Take these, then I need you to eat.” 

Ronnie put up no argument. Her stomach felt like it was eating itself as she eyed the eggs and toast laid out beside her. She took the pills, tongue smacking against the grainy taste they left in her mouth. Jake watched to make sure she did it before handing her the plate and a fork. 

“Aren’t you gonna eat something?” she asked around a mouthful of toast. 

How did he know just how she liked it? Golden brown and coated in a thick layer of butter. Classic and simple and honestly, in that moment, the best thing she had ever tasted. 

“I already ate,” he replied with a smile. “Breakfast and lunch.” 

She felt a heat rise in her cheeks as she took the coffee from the tray, leaving it empty. “Sorry.”

“S’okay. I didn’t mind. Got to figure you out a bit.”

“Yeah?” She sipped on the hot beverage. Black how she liked it. “What’d you figure out?”

“That you’re a huge nerd,” he said with a grin. 

Ronnie made a face, but couldn’t help but smile knowingly. “I….Am. Yes. I can’t deny it. What gave me away?”

“Well, for starters, you own at least ten books on Greek mythology.” Jake got up from the bed and set the tray on the floor, taking his place beside her with a sigh as he relaxed back against the wall. “And you have the other Lord of the Rings books. No one has those except huge nerds.” 

“Okay, okay, number one, sir — I have a degree in Classics and Linguistics so anything to do with Greece or Rome down there is warranted. And second…Tolkien was a master of his craft and he made a fascinating world. You should read it sometime.” 

“I’m not really a reader,” he chuckled lightly.

“I’ll read it to you then.” 

“I’d like that.” He smiled over at her warmly.

His presence was comforting, safe, and warm as she continued to eat. As she continued to feel like she was coming back to herself. Jake was a part of that now. A part of her that she could never reject or deny. Just as she was a part of him. She leaned into his side and it felt like a consecration. Something holy. Something divine. 

But it felt like anticipation too. A string about to snap. A storm looming on the horizon. A finger hesitating over the trigger. 

She could feel it in Jake most of all. As she set her empty plate on the nightstand and leaned back into his arm. He was tense. He nearly flinched away from her. Or towards her. She couldn’t tell. When she looked up into his face, his brow was pulled down in some agony, in barely there restraint. 

Picking her head up off his shoulder she asked softly, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah — “ 

He was cut off by his own sharp intake of breath when Ronnie put her hand on his thigh. It was supposed to be a comfort, but his reaction only made her worry increase. Like a weed in a crack in the pavement. She twisted her torso to look at him completely. His eyes were screwed shut, mouth turned down in a grimace. 

“Jake, are you sure?”

She turned to him further, nearly up on her knees to inspect him closer. And with her movement, her hand floated higher up his thigh. The soft whimper that tumbled from his mouth was enough to make her pause. His hand, which shook with some effort, shot out to gently take hold of her braced wrist.

His eyes slipped open and they were hazy, his blinking slow as he whispered, “Please don’t.”

Looking down at where her hand had been touching him, she expected some injury that just wouldn’t heal for reasons unknown. But she gasped softly at what she did find.

The outline of his cock, thick and heavy and hard against the fabric of his sweatpants. 

Ronnie couldn’t help the way her mouth popped open at the sight. The way a sudden heat and pressure bloomed between her legs. The first few chords of the string were broken. The first drops of rain were falling. The finger was beginning to squeeze the trigger. She looked back up to his face to find Jake already looking at her, his green eyes hooded but hesitant. And now that her pain medication was kicking in and her stomach was full, only one ache remained. One that surprised her still, that throbbed somewhere deep inside her chest.

She knew what it was and knew that Jake felt it too. Felt it stronger than she ever could. Had probably been feeling it for hours while she slept.

“Jake…” She lifted her hand to his face to make him meet her eyes. “How long’ve you been like that?”

“Since I crawled into bed with you last night,” he replied, voice strained. He swallowed something thick. “I — I got up a few times to take care of it myself, but…Nothing’s worked. It just — it won’t — “

He looked guilty. His eyes downcast and his hand moving to try and cover himself up. He refused to meet her gaze, opting to burrow into the palm still resting on his cheek. 

Ronnie’s grip became firm as she slowly, her body still sore and tired, pulled herself into his lap. Knees straddling his thighs. She settled down onto him with a huff, relief and effort, and Jake instantly reached out to hold her waist in a firm, yet gentle grip. Like he wanted her to stay but was prepared for her to go.

“It’s okay, my Alpha. It’s only natural,” she assured, her braced hand coming up to his other cheek as her right hand trailed down his neck and chest. “Our mate bond needs to be settled. Your body is telling you so.” 

She watched the way his chest heaved with shallow breaths for air as the very tips of her fingers ghosted down his chest and stomach. Watched the muscles there jump beneath his shirt. It made her core clench in some desperate cry to be filled, her slick dampening her panties as she thought of what was to come. The ache that had once been housed in her chest now nestled between her thighs. 

Jake took in a sharp breath, his fingers curling into the fabric of her sweater, tugging her closer. “Fuck — I can smell you.”

“Yeah?” she asked softly as her fingertips danced around the waistband of his sweats. 

“We — I shouldn’t,” he said, even as his hips bucked up into her touch. “You’re hurt. You need rest. I should…I should be able to control myself. But…Fuck. I need you. I can’t stop thinking about it. R-Ronnie…”

His head fell back against the wall with an audible thud when her palm came in contact with his hard length. His expression looked nearly pained as she continued to feel him, working him through his sweats. He was big. Bigger than any man she ever had before, which were few and far between. For only an instant, she worried about getting all that to fit inside her. About him splitting her open. Then she felt the muscles in his legs spasm and flex beneath her, one knee rose — forcing her to slide further down his lap. 

Her cunt, now burning with desire, nudged against his length and she gasped. All her worries were forgotten, replaced by her need to be filled by him. She was made just for him, designed and knit together in the most intimate way. Chest falling against his own, her hand moved to support herself against his shoulder. She nuzzled his cheek with her nose, a hum reverberating in her throat as his hands slid up the length of her back beneath her sweater. His breaths hot and heavy against her ear. 

“You can smell it — how much I need you too?” she asked and Jake nodded. She pressed her fingers to the center of his chest, just below his sternum. “Can you feel it, right here?”

“Yes,” he breathed, tugging her closer, pushing her hips down against his own. “It hurts. I can’t…” 

Ronnie kissed his cheek again, pulling him into her with a furrowed brow. She shushed him as he whined softly, his legs spasming beneath her again as she rolled her hips against the erection that had been paining him for hours. Having to bite back her own moan at the way the tip caught against her clit.

“I know, I know it hurts. But I want you. Want you to claim me as your Luna.” She drew close, her lips brushing the shell of his ear. “Make me yours. Completely.”

She tried to drag her clothed cunt against him again but he stopped her with a firm grip on her waist, mindful of the injury on her hip that she had long forgotten about.

“I don’t wanna hurt you,” he confessed, green eyes roving her face for any semblance of hesitance.

Ronnie pulled back to look him in the eye. Tone laced with that calm confidence that world leaders would envy. 

“You could never hurt me.”

Jake was on her in the next instant. His kiss hungry and bordering on desperate as his fingers tangled into her hair. It was like he was trying to drink from her very soul as he nudged her to lay back on the bed, lifting her effortlessly and gently. He slotted himself between her spread legs, urging her to wrap them around his waist with a broad palm on her thigh. Ronnie obliged him happily, heels digging into his ass to get him to move against where her cunt throbbed in time with her heart. 

Hands sliding over the back of his neck and into his hair, she made some noise of apology around his tongue in her mouth when her plastic brace knocked against his skull. Jake pulled away from her to laugh, breathless and shoulders shaking as his face fell into the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

“I hate this thing already,” Ronnie grumbled, displaying her left hand briefly before letting it flop back against the bed beside her head. “I wanna touch you.” 

“You are touching me,” he replied, his eyes fluttering shut at the way her fingers traced over his bottom lip. 

“Wanna touch all of you. Hard to do with one good hand.”

Jake groaned as he surged into her again, like water on rock — his kiss powerful but gentle as he explored her mouth with his tongue. Despite just how hot and hard he felt against her, he still tugged at the hem of her shirt. Fingers dancing around the edge of the fabric with a kind of respect that left her breathless as he pulled away to mouth at her neck. 

“Please?” he asked quietly against her pulse. 

“Yes, yes.” She couldn’t say it fast enough. “I’m all yours, my Alpha.” 

Sitting up on his knees, he pulled her sweater up and over her head slowly. Like he was unwrapping something preciously fragile. They struggled to get her sleeve off around her brace and it made them laugh. But the chuckle died in Jake’s throat once he took in the sight of her. Laid out beneath him, having chosen to take off her bra sometime the night before, in nothing but those little shorts. Her nipples pebbled once exposed to the cooler air of the cabin. Her chest heaved beneath his intense gaze, but she didn’t feel uncomfortable or self-conscious. If anything, his attention empowered her as her hips rolled to relieve the ache in her cunt.

His calloused fingers trailed over her pale skin, between the valley of her breasts and down her stomach where the muscles twitched in anticipation. She gasped as the hairs on her arms stood on end, as her flesh pimpled beneath his ghostly touch. His eyes bled with the power he fought so hard for as he watched her body react to him. 

“Your skin’s like moonlight,” he mumbled.

Then he reached behind his back and tugged his own shirt off, discarding it somewhere in the small room. Jake was thick and broad. Body carved by years and years of hard work. His chest and stomach were muscled, covered in a thick layer of hair that only made him more inviting. Made him look soft despite all that power. Ronnie bit down on her lip as her eyes trailed over him, taking in the way his hips started a V that disappeared into his sweats. 

It felt like her heart swelled to a few sizes too big. It was surely about to burst out of her chest, snap into Jake’s waiting hand. She wanted to say something back. Tell him his skin was warm as the sun and his eyes reminded her of the Spring grain fields she saw in Italy. But the words never made it to her tongue. They were morphed, twisted, until they came out of her mouth in nothing but a moan as Jake kissed her collarbones. 

His tongue and his lips laved down the slope of her chest. While his warm palm enveloped one breast, his mouth latched onto the other. Ronnie arched into his touch with a gasp, fingers of her uninjured hand tangling in the strands of his hair. His tongue swirled around her nipple, sucked on the tender flesh until he released it with a soft pop. Ronnie jerked beneath him, hips working in some effort to feel anything against where she needed him most. 

“Mm, J-Jake?” she asked, a soft whimper quickly following as he dragged the attention of his mouth to her other breast. 

He hummed against her heated flesh, sounding completely content. 

“I need — mnh — I need you to touch me. God, please.”

She felt his smirk against the swell of her breast, heard it in the way he whispered, “I am touching you.”

“Touch all of me,” she replied and Jake groaned, loud and deep directly into her sternum. 

“God, I want to. All the time.” He rose back up to his knees, leaving her a panting, wreathing mess beneath him. “Wanna do this right — wanna make you feel good, sweet girl.” 

Ronnie whimpered at the nickname, at everything. She heard rumors and read tales about Alphas claiming their Lunas in the most brutal of fashions. Archaic and animalistic. But Jake was putting her pleasure first, even if it hurt him. She could see, as he tugged her shorts down her legs — past her bruised knees — that a wet spot was forming in the crotch of his pants. He was achingly hard, and kept that way by his instinct to fill her. It wouldn’t have surprised her if he took what he wanted with promises of making it up to her later. But that wasn’t Jake. That wasn’t who he was.

He was the kind of Alpha that risked his own life to save his pack. That kept his distance when she asked it of him, even though it pained him. That took the smallest room. That respected her enough and cared for her enough to wait until she was ready.

A high-pitched kind of sigh slipped past her lips as he pulled her shorts and underwear off in one go. Jake’s eyes now shown red as rubies as he drank in the sight of her, hands moving up her calves and into the crooks of her knees to prop them up — spread her open for him. He growled, eyes caught on the apex of her thighs. At her glistening cunt, at the dark thatch of curls that framed her. 

She squirmed beneath his gaze now, every sense heightened and attuned to the near-desperate need that filled her. Trying to press her thighs together in search of some friction, some relief, Jake’s knelt form sat in the way. Keeping her from that balm. She whined softly, her cunt clenching around nothing at the way he watched her. 

Reaching out to him in some attempt to keep her own fingers from slipping between her folds, she called, “My Alpha…Come here.”

He grinned as he lay back over her, forearms keeping him propped up as he kissed her sweet and slow. Gone was the hurried desperation, replaced by nothing but that strong love and longing that had been building upon itself for weeks. One of Jake’s hands slipped down her form, over her soft and bruised skin. Until finally the very tips of his fingers ghosted through the dark curls at the joining of her thighs. 

His hand dipped into her cunt and she grunted at the sudden attention, sudden relief, sudden white-hot pleasure. 

“Fuck, you’re dripping,” Jake muttered breathlessly, thick digits exploring as he teased at her entrance. 

“J-Just for you,” she replied, hands latched onto his shoulders, his grin pressed into the side of her neck.

His fingers passed over her clit and she gasped, hips rocking, trying to get him to touch it again. He moved back over the correct spot and pressed in, her head pushing back into the comforter as she clawed into his back. How could it possibly feel this good and he had barely even touched her?

“There?” he asked against the line of her jaw before kissing feather-light at the burning hot flesh. 

“Yes — there.”

Jake hummed as he began to circle her clit, rubbing slow and sweet in a way that made her lungs burn. That made her hands scramble for purchase. That made her back arch despite the dull pain that coursed through her at the action. But, of course, he sensed it — in that spot hidden deep within his chest. He pressed down with more of his weight, keeping her from straining herself. She wanted to say thank you, but all that came out was a wail as he added just a bit more pressure. 

“Sound so sweet, little one.” He inhaled slowly at her pulse point, hips rutting against her thigh. “Smells so good.” 

“W-What do I — smell like?” she managed to stutter out.

“Like lavender…And old book pages,” he replied, lips moving down the column of her neck, beard scratching at her skin. “Second one makes more sense now.”

She chuckled breathlessly, head spinning with pleasure as he increased the speed of his fingers. A quiet whine escaped her as he pulled his attention away from that little bundle of nerves, but it was short lived as the heel of his hand pressed down into it. Two of his digits instead focused on her entrance. 

“Oh.” 

The sound echoed around the room before she even realized. 

Jake pulled back to look into her face, all movements stopped save for the gentle nudge of his palm against her clit. “Okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. It’s just…” Her braced hand lifted to cup his jaw as best she could. “It’s been a long time, for me.”

A heat rose in her cheeks as he smiled gently down at her. Red eyes of the Alpha so soft just for her. He kissed her once, twice, then pulled away to nuzzle her cheek. 

“I’ll go slow,” he said, then his hips jerked against her leg. “Need you good and ready for me.” 

Ronnie whimpered softly as he slowly sunk two fingers into her, nails digging into his biceps, sure to leave crescent moons in her wake that would fade before she got the chance to see them. He just rested there for a moment, let her adjust. Then he curled his fingers up experimentally and the sound she let out was something primal, something she had never heard herself make before. It made Jake groan, teeth clenched, as he began to pump his fingers in and out of her. Stretching her out with his palm grinding against her clit.

Her fingers tangled in his hair and pulled, guiding him up to kiss his swollen lips. They breathed into each other as her hips rocked into his hand, her eyes barely able to stay open against the mounting pleasure. He curled his fingers up against her walls and with each breath, she was spilling some noise to him like treasured secrets. 

Her release was building in the deepest pit of her gut, hot and heavy and begging to be poured out. Her cup nearly filled to the brim. It was a feeling she never wanted to leave but so desperately wanted to take over the edge. 

“Jake…” she managed to pant out as some warning. 

“Can feel it, little one — squeezing my fingers so tight. Think you can take another?”

She sobbed something frustrated as he retracted his hand, but all of it was smothered into whimpers when she felt the tips of three of his thick digits prod at her entrance. Jake pushed back in slow, moving onto his knees between her legs so he could hold her down with his palm flat against her stomach. Keeping her from taking too much at once. Her walls spasmed around his fingers once he was down to the third knuckle, his thumb pressed into her clit and rubbing tight circles that eased the ache. Ronnie’s chest heaved, the stretch delicious as her hands fisted the sheets until her knuckles turned white. 

She cried, nearly a scream, when he flexed his hand. Head thrown back to expose her pale neck and eyes screwed shut. She felt so full, but she knew it wasn’t full enough. It wasn’t him. Jake moaned at the sight. 

“Fuck, little one — you look so good like this,” he breathed, flexing his fingers again and watching as she mewled. 

“Please, move, Jake — please, so close,” Ronnie babbled, rolling her hips as much as she could under his strong hold. 

He began to pump his fingers, never fully leaving her cunt as he curled them against some spot inside her she was never able to reach. She cried out as she was brought right back to that edge, as her cup threatened to overflow, as her pleasure became intense and burning hot inside her. 

“That’s it, sweet girl, that’s it,” Jake panted as he removed his hand from her belly, letting her ride his fingers at her own quickening pace. “Feel so good already — can’t wait to be inside this pussy. Claim you as mine. Have me dripping out of you.” 

Her cup spilled over. Wrenched from her with a scream and her back arched and her walls around his fingers like a vice — sucking him back in as he worked her through it. It made something like a sob get caught in her chest as she blinked up at the ceiling, trying to come back down from an impossible high. Her bones went limp, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. But Jake kept going, kept curling and pushing. He had slowed down to prolong her pleasure, but he was quickly getting back to that brutal pace. 

“W-Wait,” she whined, already feeling herself teetering on the precipice. 

“Just one more, gimme one more.”

A feeble sound of protest slipped from her parted lips as she burrowed her face into the wrinkled blankets. But she made no move to stop him as he leaned back over her, lips and tongue hot and heavy against her neck. The muscles in her thighs twitched in time with the press of his palm against her clit. 

She came with a soft cry, a moan directly in Jake’s ear, though it was just as intense. Just as brutal. Just as overwhelming. And when it all became too much, she grabbed weakly at his forearm and tugged. He obliged her, pulling his thick digits from her dripping core. Ronnie whimpered at the sudden emptiness. Eyes unable to focus as she gazed up at the wood of her slanted ceiling.

But then Jake took over her field of vision and she smiled. His hair was messed, dangling over his forehead from all her pulling. There was sweat on his brow and his lips were swollen and pink. He looked beautiful. Otherworldly. A true Alpha. 

Her fingertips reached and traced the line of his beard across his cheek. Jake’s eyes slipped shut at the gentle, barely there touch. 

“Hi,” she whispered. 

He chuckled lightly as he pressed his forehead into her own. “Hey, little one. D’you feel okay? Do we need to stop?”

“I feel more than okay,” Ronnie replied, fingers threading through the hairs on his chest. “And if you stop now I might cry.”

“Thank, God,” he laughed, relieved.

A sudden thought occurred to her. 

“You should know — I have an IUD,” Ronnie said, hooking her legs around his waist in some subconscious effort to keep him as close as possible. “But, I’ll…I’ll make an appointment to get it removed as soon as possible.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want — “ 

“I want to. God, I want to,” she insisted, pushing her forehead harder against his own. “Wanna be full of you, my Alpha.”

Jake growled. His hand, still wet with her juices, trailed down her front to ghost over her stomach. His cock twitched against her thigh. No doubt thinking about putting a pup inside her. And she wanted it. She wanted it more than anything. It was what she was made for, chosen for. To give him all the pups he could ever desire, to make his pack stronger, to pass his legacy and power on to. She longed to be full and swollen with him, with her Alpha, with his seed. 

But all of that would have to wait for now.

“Ronnie,” Jake whispered into her neck as he drove his hips into her own, his still-clothed length brushing against her. 

She took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. His eyes, red as rubies, were hooded with desire, but reluctant. She pecked him on the lips once, twice, before nodding against his forehead. 

“I’m ready. Make me yours.”

Jake nodded back before jumping up from the bed and ridding himself of his sweats, revealing himself fully to Ronnie who still lay blissed out in the center of the bed. He looked like the muse of an ancient Grecian sculptor. All that muscle, that perfect V pointing down to his cock, erect and perfect. All held up by strong, thick legs. He was golden and hairy and all her’s and the thought of it made her smile. 

Crawling back into the bed between her legs, Jake grabbed his shaft and aligned himself with her entrance. The moment his tip stroked her folds, Ronnie gasped, unable to tear her eyes away from his face. Overwhelmed tears began to prick at the corners of her brown eyes as he positioned himself at the base of her core. Then he began to push inward. At first, it felt good, her mouth dropping open and eyes rolling to the back of her head. Then there was an acute and peculiar pain as she widened for the head. But all she did was grimace through the discomfort. She was made for this. It would only last a few minutes. It was the pleasure she would remember, it was Jake’s nearly pained face as he used every fiber of his control, it was the way she heard the sheets ripping beneath his clenched fists, it was the way everything felt like Jake and it felt like home. 

He paused halfway inside her, breathing heavily as he bumped his head softly against her own. 

“Alright?” he asked gently. 

Ronnie nodded, afraid what sound would come out of her if she did open her mouth. But a whimper fell from her lips as he continued to push forward. Oh, God, there’s more? Jake immediately stopped again. Eyebrows pinched in concern. 

“Don’t stop,” she croaked, taking a few calming breaths. “I can take it.” 

Jake nodded before he finished out his thrust, slowly, both of their breaths ragged. But he stilled once he bottomed out inside her. Ronnie continued to breathe deeply, head tilted back as she adjusted to his size. She felt stretched to the limit, filled to the brim. It was everything she ever wanted and too much and never enough. The overwhelmed tears that had been building in her eyes finally fell. But Jake wiped them away with ease.

One hand releasing from his arms, Ronnie swiped her hand between their bodies — fingers brushing over her sternum and abdomen. Until she found what she was looking for. 

The lowest part of her belly bulged around him. It made her moan as she pushed down on it gently. 

“Oh — fuck,” Jake hissed as he spasmed on top of her, fist pounding into the mattress. 

“My Alpha,” she whispered. “Feel so full.”

“F-Feel so good, little one, so tight. Shit. Could — Could come just like this,” he babbled, mindless, lost in the feeling of her. It made her smile. “Can I move? Unh, please?”

Ronnie nodded as she moved her hips slightly. “Please.”

He pulled out only the tiniest bit before grinding his hips back into hers. She made some noise like she’d just been punched in the gut. It felt like he was holding her heart in his hand, squeezing it to the point of bursting. She could barely breathe. He kept his thrusts slow and deliberate, not wanting to hurt her or go too fast.

“Jake,” she sighed as a heat bloomed through her veins, like the light from a freshly born star — white hot and spreading. 

“Feel good?” he asked, voice strained. 

Her hands on his shoulders, she could feel the tension there. The restraint. He was holding himself back. Holding back the beast inside him that longed to take what was his. Just for her. For her pleasure. For her pain. She put her hand on the back of his neck and forced him to meet her gaze — meeting him thrust for thrust. 

“Let go,” she told him softly, reverently, “Jake, claim me.”

He stared down at her for only a moment. Searching for any hesitence. Any uncertainty. But she knew he would find none as she kissed him soundly.

With a growl, he pulled nearly completely out of her, then slammed back in. The moan she released ripped from somewhere deep inside her. Ronnie brought him down to her for a teeth-filled kiss, sloppy and desperate and noises captured in one another’s throats. The now rough snap of his hips sent her rocking back into the mattress. Ronnie clawed at his back, moaning into his mouth, as she resisted the urge to close her eyes against the mounting pleasure. At just how good he felt as he pounded into her. She wanted to see every expression that passed over his face, every noise that came out of his mouth. 

She felt him twitch inside her as he bared his teeth, revealing his sharp fangs that she could never fear. Then he scraped them against the side of her neck, marking her as his and his only. His scent bloomed around her, citrus and bonfires, overwhelming her every sense. Made her dizzy as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

A cry tumbled from her lips, wanton and echoing, as she came around him. As her entire being became electric, a live wire, a roaring flame prepared to burn the world down. Jake’s thrusts became sloppy and rough, stunted as he roared — spilling his seed and coating her walls with it. He gave a few more short rolls of his hips, letting her milk him for all that he was worth. 

She smiled as she ran her fingers through his sweaty hair, as she relished the feeling of being his. In every sense of the word. Marked and stretched and claimed and filled with Jake. Her Alpha. His Luna. 

Ronnie’s eyes opened wide, however, when she realized he was still hard inside her. He hadn’t gone soft at all. 

“Shit, R-Ronnie…” Jake whimpered as he propped himself up further, looking down at the point where their bodies met with a furrowed brow. “It’s not — it won’t — “ 

She groaned as he started moving again. Her cunt so sensitive after just coming. She could feel his spend leaking out of her and onto the sheets. Jake planted his knees and drew her up into his chest, her legs wrapped around his hips. She choked at the change in angle which somehow drove him deeper inside of her — making him hit something that made her forget everything except his name. 

“Jake,” she gasped softly as she tangled her arms around his shoulders, pulled him as close as she could get him. 

“I can’t stop,” he replied, his hold on her hips tight as he thrusted up into her at a brutal pace. “Feels too — too good…”

“Jake,” she whimpered again. 

Ronnie came sudden and sharp and powerful. Another cry dead in her throat, turned into a choked moan that barely slipped past her lips as she buried her face in her mate’s neck. Then he filled her again with a soft oomf — one arm bracing her lower back as he fell forward onto his hand. Shoulders curled around her as he buried his face in her hair. 

He laid her back down on the bed completely, untucking her legs from around his waist and pulling out with a pained sound. All Ronnie could do was grunt at the loss. She now felt so empty without him. But she also felt so incredibly tired. So incredibly happy. So incredibly home. 

Something warm was pressed against her aching core and she hummed appreciatively. Then she was lifted, set back down where the pillows were beneath her head. 

“Rest, my little Luna,” Jake whispered to her as he pulled the covers over her naked form. 

“Wake me up if you need me,” she muttered back, eyes already closed and thoughts already drifting between awakeness and dreams. 

He chuckled. “You’d be awake forever if I did that. You’d go insane.” 

“What a wonderful insanity it would be, though,” she sighed. 

And then she was asleep.

“God, the fire really did a number on this place, huh?” Ronnie asked as she compared the photo Jake had handed her and the structure standing before her now. 

In the photo, the log cabin was beautiful. Made by Jake’s own two hands. Months, maybe even years of hard work. There was a front deck. Green tile roof. A chimney made of stone. She could just make out carvings in the stair posts. There was even a pair of rocking chairs sitting out on the deck. She had to wonder if he made those himself too. He probably did. 

But what laid before her now was nothing but a foundation, the chimney covered in scorch marks, and the still remaining pieces of the framework. The rest was all reduced to a black and grey heap. 

Jake heaved a heavy sigh, hand carding through his hair, as he looked at the place. At what remained of the home he built.

Then he said, around yet another sigh, “Yeah.” 

Ronnie slipped the photo into her back pocket before wrapping him up in a hug. He threw his arm around her shoulder, wide palm rubbing up and down the fabric of the flannel covering her arm. 

“Just think, we get to build this one together this time,” she said as she continued to look at the frankly pitiful remnants. 

But she could see the potential. What they could build together. The new deck with the new rocking chairs. The beautiful kitchen where she could cook hearty meals. The living room where the pack could feel at home. The bedrooms filled with the sounds of children. She leaned into him further as she grinned. 

Looking down at her, Jake smiled. “I like the sound of that.” 

“I’m only gonna do it though if you let me use the power tools.” 

“I’m not gonna let you use the power tools.” He shook his head.

“Oh, come on, please?” she whined, squeezing him just a little tighter.

“Just once,” he relented, and she cheered. 

The rest of the pack pulled up the long gravel driveway. Each of them ready to work. They hopped out of the bed of Frank’s truck with toolbelts and buckets and trashbags ready to haul the ash away. To make the place ready for the rebuild.

It was a symbol of a fresh start for all of them. For Ronnie. For Jake. For Red Sky. Gone were the things that held them down, that haunted them, that held them back. They were free. Free to move forward, free to forge their own path, free to grow and soar and be. Together. As a pack. As a family.

“Let’s get to work.”

Park Sunghoon stared at the untouched coffee sitting on the edge of his desk, its heat long gone, leaving behind an aroma that lingered in the air. The clock on the wall ticked softly, mocking him with its glowing digits, 3:14 A.M. He was supposed to be asleep hours ago, but here he was, hunched over stacks of neatly organized paperwork. His bedroom, once a place of rest, now served as an office.

As the eldest, it wasn’t just expected of him to succeed, it was demanded. Every report and signature carried the weight of the Park name. Sunghoon leaned back in his chair, his head tilting toward the ceiling, eyes heavy with exhaustion.

The faint ache in his temples grew sharper, but he ignored it, just as he ignored the way his inner Alpha growled in frustration. "You’re supposed to take care of yourself—for her," it growled. "How will you protect an Omega if you can’t even do this much?"

His jaw clenched as he let out a quiet scoff. “There is no Omega,” he muttered under his breath, as if saying it aloud would somehow silence the voice.

The thought of having a mate, someone who would rely on him, only added to his frustration. He was already drowning in expectations, chained to a life that had no room for distractions, let alone love.

but his inner alpha didn’t back down, the primal side of him rebelling against his neglect. it clawed at him, not with anger, but with frustration, urging him to stop, to rest, to breathe.

sunghoon shut his eyes briefly, a bitter laugh slipping out as he rubbed the back of his neck. the idea of prioritizing himself, of prioritizing someone else in the future, felt absurd. he didn’t have time to indulge in instincts or fantasies, not when there was a legacy to uphold.

he opened his eyes, his gaze falling to the cold coffee cup, his reflection faintly visible in the dark liquid. the alpha in him stirred again, growling low and dissatisfied, but this time sunghoon ignored it entirely. with a sharp sigh, sunghoon pushed the cup aside, the clock’s ticking growing louder in the silence. the hours dwindled, and morning was creeping closer, but he knew sleep wasn’t an option.

there was work to be done, and park sunghoon never left anything unfinished.

Sunghoon ran a tired hand down his face, sighing as his bloodshot eyes scanned the even larger pile of paperwork that greeted him. As the student council’s marketing director, his responsibilities seemed endless, and the fluorescent light overhead only made the mess on his desk look worse.

It was 6 A.M., and he was the first in the council room. Of course he was. He had made it a habit to arrive early, more out of necessity than enthusiasm.

A brief pang of guilt crossed his mind as he remembered his sister. He hadn’t been able to wait for her like he usually did, leaving the house before dawn without a word. “I’ll have to apologize later,” he muttered to himself, though the corners of his lips twitched upward in a humorless smirk.

Knowing his sister, she was probably already in Sunoo’s car by now, laughing about something with the Alpha. It didn’t help that Sunoo wasn’t just his best friend. The boy with the pink hair was also her Alpha, a relationship that Sunghoon had begrudgingly accepted but couldn’t help but feel protective about.

The thought made him snort under his breath. Of course, she’d be fine; Sunoo never missed an opportunity to step in, no matter how early it was.

The sound of the heavy, wooden doors swinging open pulled him from his thoughts. Jay walked in first, his tie already loose and his uniform jacket slung over his shoulder. The Alpha paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing as he took in Sunghoon’s slouched posture.

“Dude, you look like shit,” Jay said bluntly, tossing his bag on his own desk.

Sunghoon didn’t bother looking up. “Good morning to you too,” he replied dryly, his voice as flat as his expression.

Jake followed close behind, a half-eaten breakfast sandwich in hand. He took one look at Sunghoon and immediately stopped chewing. “Holy shit, did you even sleep?” Jake asked, his tone laced with disbelief. He gestured vaguely at Sunghoon’s face. “You look like a ghost.”

“Thanks,” Sunghoon deadpanned, leaning back in his chair as he crossed his arms. “Really needed to hear that.”

Jay snorted, leaning against his table. “You know, for someone who’s supposed to be a pureblooded, strong Alpha, you’re doing a great job of looking half-dead.”

Sunghoon gave them both a sharp glare but didn’t have the energy to retort. Instead, he pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning at the headache that was forming. “I’m fine,” he muttered, though the dark circles under his eyes said otherwise.

“Yeah, sure,” Jay quipped, grabbing a stack of paperwork that was messily sitting on top of his table. “Keep telling yourself that, man.”

Jake raised an eyebrow, still looking skeptical. “You’re not going to drop dead on us, right? Because I’m not carrying your heavy ass to the nurse’s office.”

“I’m fine,” Sunghoon repeated, though even he wasn’t convinced by the words.

Jay exchanged a look with Jake, both Alphas sharing a sigh before Jay set his own paperwork down on the desk once again. “You know, if you die,” Jay began with a mocking grin, his tone more teasing than serious, “you do realize you’re going to leave all of this on your sister’s shoulders, right? She’ll probably curse your name for eternity.”

“Or possibly your mate,” Jake chimed in, his voice casual as he gestured toward Sunghoon. “You know, the one you’re supposed to be taking care of in the future by not working yourself into an early grave?”

Sunghoon stiffened at the mention of a mate, his jaw tightening. He hated when they brought it up, and Jake knew it. “I don’t have a mate,” he said coldly, his gaze darkening as he turned to the next set of papers.

Jay opened his mouth to add another comment, but before he could speak, a new voice cut through the room.

“Yeah, as if,” Heeseung’s voice drawled from the doorway, his tone laced with amusement.

He was leaning casually on the wooden door frame, arms crossed as he looked at Sunghoon. “He runs away from any Omega he sees. Poor guy probably wouldn’t know what to do if his mate actually showed up.”

Jake snorted, leaning on his own desk as he tossed his sandwich wrapper into the trash. “He’d probably pass out on the spot,” he added with a grin.

“Or just bury himself in more paperwork,” Jay said, shaking his head. “Honestly, Sunghoon, you’re making all of us pureblooded Alphas look bad.”

Sunghoon glared at the three of them, his annoyance visible. “If you’re all done wasting my time, I have work to do,” he muttered, his voice sharp as he pointedly ignored the way Heeseung’s comment bothered him more than it should.

But Heeseung wasn’t finished. “You know, it’s funny,” he mused, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “For someone so obsessed with rules and traditions, you’re awfully quick to ignore the most important one.”

“I have no time for this,” Sunghoon snapped, his tone colder now, though the way his pen stilled in his hand betrayed his frustration. His eyes stayed glued to the paperwork in front of him, refusing to meet Heeseung’s knowing gaze.

“No time for what?” the older Alpha challenged, his voice calm but laced with amusement. He stepped further into the room, his smirk deepening as he leaned casually against the side of his desk. “No time for the idea of a mate? No time for the Omega who’s meant to balance out that storm in your head? Or is it just no time for things you can’t control?”

“I said, drop it,” Sunghoon growled, his Alpha instincts flashing briefly in his tone as he clenched his jaw. His fingers gripped the pen so tightly it looked like it might snap in his hand.

Heeseung raised an eyebrow but didn’t back down. “I’m just saying,” he continued, his tone now more neutral, “if you keep running from it, you’re only going to make it worse. You think ignoring it will keep things normal the way you want it to?”

Sunghoon’s chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath, his irritation now mixed with something deeper, something he didn’t want to acknowledge.

He glanced briefly at the clock, as if that would give him an escape, before returning to his work. “I don’t run from anything,” he said quietly.

Heeseung’s scent spiked up then, as if challenging Sunghoon. The sharp scent of coffee and leather surrounding Sunghoon spiked in response, tension building between the two pureblooded Alphas as the room seemed to pulse with an unspoken challenge.

But Heeseung tilted his head, studying Sunghoon for a moment. “Whatever you say,” he said finally, his smirk softening into a faint smile.

“But don’t come crying to us when it all catches up to you.” With that, he pushed off the desk, casually moving the placard on his own desk that read Vice President, Lee Heeseung, sliding it to the side as he stood up, making it clear that he wasn’t going to stay much longer.

Heeseung strode toward the door, hands casually shoved into his pockets, his movements deliberate but effortless. Just before he left, he threw a glance over his shoulder at Sunghoon. “See you later, Park,” he called, his voice light but carrying an unmistakable edge.

“I mean, he had a point,” came a new voice from the doorway, breaking the silence. Their gaze snapped up, and Sunghoon saw Sunoo leaning casually against the frame, his usual carefree demeanor somehow at odds with the tense atmosphere.

The pink-haired Alpha’s arm was slung over his sister’s shoulder, and despite the casualness of the gesture, Sunghoon couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the sight of it. Sunoo didn’t drop his arm but instead moved it to hold her hand, intertwining their fingers as if marking his claim on her.

Sunghoon clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as he watched them. “Right, you’re mated to my sister,” he said, the words coming out almost like a warning as his gaze flicked from Sunoo to his sister.

Sunoo grinned, unfazed by the glare. “Yeah, well, we did kind of notice you were a little… tense. Thought we'd come and check on you.”

“How long have you two been standing there?” Sunghoon asked, his voice laced with a hint of exhaustion. His patience was already running thin after the exchange with Heeseung, and now this.

Sunoo shrugged, his smile widening as he stepped further into the room, his mate right beside him. “Long enough to hear your conversation,” Sunoo replied, his voice light.

“And to know you’re not fooling anyone,” Sunghoon's sister added, her tone teasing but with a hint of seriousness. “Not even your inner Alpha, by the way.” She shrugged, as if the comment was an afterthought, but it hit right where it mattered.

Sunghoon glared at them both, irritation flashing in his eyes. He wanted to deny it, to brush it off as just another conversation about his future, but deep down, he knew they were right.

The hallway seemed to clear instinctively as the student council made their way through. A group of powerful pureblooded Alphas, they carried themselves with the kind of confidence and authority that left no room for doubt about their status.

Ni-ki, ever energetic, walked in front, his eyes filled with curiosity as he turned to Jake. “So, about the proposals under the secretary committee…” he began, his voice full of interest. “Do you think there’s anything the public relations committee can help with?” Ni-ki’s gaze flickered to Jake's tablet, whose fingers were drumming absently on the screen.

Jake looked up from the screen, considering the question for a moment. “You guys could help with the promotions. We need the best PR support for this one.”

“Right,” Ni-ki nodded, clearly processing the info. “I’ll talk to them about the promotions then. We’ll get it done.”

Meanwhile, Heeseung and Jungwon were having their own little debate, their voices rising in the back as they argued about something entirely unrelated to council work. “I’m telling you, that new pheromone perfume? It’s garbage. They’re marketing it like it’ll solve everything,” Heeseung said, shaking his head.

Jungwon chuckled, shaking his head. “Garbage or not, some Betas are eating it up. You can’t deny it’s working.”

Heeseung rolled his eyes. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

Trailing just a step behind, Sunoo and Jay passed a football between them, their movements smooth and practiced. “Why are they always like this?” Sunoo muttered, his gaze flickering to the pair ahead.

Jay shrugged, catching the ball effortlessly before tossing it back. “It’s entertaining. Besides, this is tame for them.”

Sunghoon, walking a bit apart from the group, scrolled through his tablet with furrowed brows. His father had sent over another set of files, and while he was used to the constant influx of work, it didn’t make it any less exhausting.

“Seriously, Jungwon, you’re impossible,” Heeseung muttered, shaking his head as he dodged Jungwon’s attempt to nudge him.

“Not like you have a choice,” Jungwon teased, flashing a mischievous grin.

Behind them, Sunoo caught the football mid-air and smirked. “I bet Heeseung’s just mad because Jungwon actually has a point for once.”

Jay chuckled. “Don’t push it. You know how he gets when he’s losing.”

Their banter continued, but Sunghoon remained in his own bubble, his fingers scrolling mechanically over the screen. That was until a familiar voice called out.

“Jake!”

The group collectively slowed, all their attention flicking to you as you approached. Jake stopped in his tracks, lowering his tablet to meet your gaze.

“Hey,” you said, slightly out of breath. “I need your help with something.”

Jake’s brows furrowed slightly. “What’s up?”

You handed him your tablet. “It’s about the proposal breakdown you sent. The third column—again, it’s all messed up, and I can’t figure out why.”

Jake blinked and then laughed softly, shaking his head. “That thing’s cursed.”

You groaned. “Please tell me you can fix it.”

“Of course.” Jake started tapping on your screen, walking alongside you as he explained the error. You nodded along, grateful for his patience.

Behind you, Sunoo and Jay exchanged a glance, their conversation fading as they tuned into yours. Sunoo tossed the ball back absently. “They’re a bit too comfortable, don’t you think?”

Jay smirked faintly, his tone teasing but light. “Maybe Jake’s just that charming.”

Sunghoon’s jaw tightened, his fingers pausing on the screen as he forced himself not to glance in your direction. Something about the way you walked so effortlessly into their group, completely unfazed, grated on his nerves. His inner Alpha stirred, but he pushed the feeling down.

Jungwon, noticing the way Sunghoon’s scent subtly shifted, leaned toward Heeseung. “You smell that?” he whispered, a sly grin forming.

Heeseung, ever the observant one, smirked knowingly. “Oh, I smell it alright.”

Sunghoon’s eyes flicked up briefly, landing on you and Jake. He quickly looked back down at his tablet, though the irritation bubbling under the surface didn’t fade.

“You good, man?” Jay called out, the football now tucked under his arm.

“I’m fine,” Sunghoon muttered, his voice clipped.

“Yeah, just approach me whenever you need help with that,” Jake said, his tone casual as he handed your tablet back. A small, easy smile tugged at the corners of his lips, the kind that made it impossible to feel tense around him.

You mirrored his smile, genuinely grateful. “Thanks, Jake. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”

Turning your attention to Ni-ki, who was walking just slightly ahead, you called out, “Oh, and Ni-ki, I already mentioned the pending tasks to Jake earlier. I think some members of the secretary committee might be able to lend a hand if you’re short on people for logistics.”

Ni-ki glanced back at you, surprised but clearly impressed. “Really? That’d be a huge help. Thanks, (Y/N).”

So you were close to Ni-ki too? Sunghoon’s grip on his tablet tightened slightly, his jaw ticking as he skimmed the lines of text that no longer registered. His focus wasn’t on the files his father had sent him anymore; it was on you. You were supposed to be under Jake’s committee, and yet here you were, chatting easily with Ni-ki like you belonged in every conversation.

Jake noticed the subtle exchange and shook his head with a playful scoff. “You’re getting way too independent for my liking, Nishimura,” he teased, shooting the youngest Alpha a pointed look. “You’re consulting (Y/N) without even running it by me first? Seriously?”

Ni-ki smirked, unfazed by Jake’s mock scolding. “(Y/N)’s good at this stuff. Besides, teamwork, right?” He threw Jake’s own words back at him, grinning.

You laughed, shaking your head at their banter. “Don’t worry, Jake. You’re still the boss. Ni-ki just wanted to cover his bases, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to get a head start.”

“See?” Ni-ki said, raising a brow at Jake. “Efficiency. Maybe you should try it sometime.”

Before Jake could retort, Sunghoon cleared his throat, a sharp sound that cut through the light-hearted conversation like a blade. Everyone stopped talking almost instantly, turning their attention toward him.

“My next class is just around this corner,” Sunghoon said, his voice calm but clipped, as if he wasn’t in the mood to entertain any further distractions.

His gaze briefly flickered to you, unreadable yet heavy, before he shifted his attention back to the tablet in his hands. Without another word, he began walking ahead, leaving the group behind.

Jay and Sunoo exchanged glances, the teasing smirks they’d been wearing moments ago replaced by something more knowing. Sunoo raised an eyebrow at Jay, who shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Interesting,” Jay muttered under his breath, loud enough for Sunoo to hear but quiet enough to avoid catching Sunghoon’s attention.

Sunoo nodded slightly, his lips twitching in amusement as he leaned closer to Jay. “Very interesting.”

You, oblivious to the subtle exchange between the two Alphas, kept walking alongside Jake, still completely engrossed in the conversation. “Anyway, just let me know if there’s anything else I can help with. I don’t want to overstep, but I figured I might as well be useful where I can.”

Jake chuckled, his laid-back demeanor putting you at ease. “Overstep? You? Nah, you’re just making my job easier. Keep it up, (Y/N).”

Meanwhile, Sunghoon, now a few steps ahead of the group, tried to keep his focus on the files displayed on his tablet. But no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts kept drifting back to you—walking too close to Jake, smiling too easily at his jokes, and being too comfortable in a group of Alphas where Sunghoon felt like you stood out the most.

His inner Alpha stirred uneasily, frustrated and annoyed at the pull you had over him. He hated how it made him feel, how he couldn’t seem to control the way his senses sharpened whenever you were nearby. His scent of coffee and leather spiked faintly as he clenched his jaw, pushing the feelings down as best he could.

Heeseung, noticing the slight change in Sunghoon’s posture and scent, smirked to himself but didn’t say a word. Jungwon, however, nudged Heeseung with his elbow, his expression smug.

“Called it,” Jungwon whispered, earning a chuckle from Heeseung.

You, still entirely unaware of the tension you were unknowingly creating, glanced toward Sunghoon’s retreating figure for a moment, a small frown of curiosity crossing your face before you turned back to Jake. “Do you think he’s okay?” you asked, your voice tinged with concern.

Jake glanced ahead, following your gaze to where Sunghoon had disappeared around the corner. “He’s fine,” he replied, though there was a knowing edge to his tone. “He just takes things a little too seriously sometimes. Don’t worry about him.”

But you did. You couldn’t help it.

And neither could Sunghoon.

The classroom buzzed faintly with the low hum of people talking and the scratching of pens on paper. Sunghoon sat by the window, his tablet propped up in front of him, displaying spreadsheets and documents his father had sent over earlier, but his eyes weren’t on them. Instead, they were fixed on the gray sky outside, his thoughts wandering far from budget allocations and meeting agendas.

You.

You’d been on his mind since lunch, and no matter how much he tried to push the thought of you away, it kept resurfacing and demanding his attention. You’d always been around, working under Jake in the secretary committee. He knew you, he had seen you countless times in meetings and events.

But you’d never lingered in his thoughts before. So why now? Why did the sight of you walking beside Jake earlier make something in his chest tighten uncomfortably?

The faintest hint of honey and lilac lingered in his memory, soft but intoxicating. He swore he could still smell it even now, though he knew it was impossible. Your scent—it clung to his thoughts.

His jaw clenched, and his brows furrowed as he tapped his pen against the desk. He didn’t understand it. There was something about you that had his Alpha instincts stirring, clawing at the edges of his mind. His wolf, a part of him he usually kept tightly controlled, was restless.

“Mr. Park,” his professor’s voice cut through his thoughts.

Sunghoon blinked, snapping his gaze toward the front of the room. The professor was staring at him, waiting for an answer to a question he hadn’t heard.

For a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath, his classmates glancing between him and the professor. But then Sunghoon straightened in his seat, his expression calm as he answered, “The proposed budget allocation for next semester’s extracurricular activities needs to account for inflation trends. That’s why the margin was adjusted to five percent.”

The professor raised a brow, nodding approvingly. “Correct, Mr. Park. As expected.”

Sunghoon’s classmates exchanged looks, some impressed, others annoyed, but he ignored them. His body was here, in this classroom, answering questions and keeping up appearances, but his mind? His mind was with you.

The bell rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. He packed his things quickly, stepping out into the hallway where Jungwon was waiting for him, leaning casually against the wall.

“Took you long enough,” Jungwon teased, stepping beside him as they walked toward their next meeting.

Sunghoon didn’t answer immediately, his thoughts still tangled. Jungwon glanced at him, his brows furrowing slightly. “You good?”

“Fine,” Sunghoon muttered, his tone clipped.

They turned a corner, and Sunghoon’s steps halted for just a moment. There you were, standing a few feet away, chatting with Jungwon and Sunoo’s mates. You nodded at something one of them said, a small smile gracing your lips as you gestured excitedly with your hands.

Sunghoon’s chest tightened again, that unfamiliar feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach. His wolf bristled, the instinctive urge to step closer, to claim what was his. But he shoved it down, locking it away behind the mask of indifference he’d perfected over the years.

You glanced up, your eyes meeting his briefly. Without saying anything, you gave Jungwon a small nod, silently acknowledging him. Sunghoon caught the faint smile you sent his way before your attention returned to the conversation in front of you.

“Looks like we’re all heading to the same place,” Jungwon said lightly, his tone casual as he nudged Sunghoon forward.

Sunghoon didn’t respond, his grip tightening around his backpack strap as he forced himself to move. You were close, too close. He could hear your laugh, soft and full of life, as you spoke to Sunoo’s mate. He could smell your scent, and it made his inner Alpha agitated.

He didn’t like this.

Didn’t like how his instincts reacted to you.

Didn’t like the way his thoughts strayed toward you when he had more important things to focus on.

Didn’t like how his body seemed to recognize something his mind refused to.

Heeseung and Jay passed by, still caught up in their conversation, but Heeseung sent him a knowing glance. Not fully understanding, but suspecting something.

Sunghoon shut it all out—he had no time for love, no time for whatever this was.

Without another word, he walked past you, through the council room doors, and forced himself to bury whatever this feeling was before it could take root.

You hesitated for a moment, watching Sunghoon as he disappeared into the meeting room without sparing you another glance. It wasn’t the first time he’d brushed past you like that, but something about today felt different. The way his shoulders tensed, the way his gaze hardened the second he saw you—it was like you were a problem he didn’t have time for.

And you didn’t understand why.

Sunoo’s mate, who just so happened to be Sunghoon’s younger sister, sighed beside you, her voice low as she leaned in. “Don’t bother,” she murmured, arms crossing as she watched her brother’s retreating figure. “He’s always like that.”

But was he? Because despite her words, you had a gnawing feeling that the way Sunghoon treated you was different. Like there was something beneath his cold exterior, something you couldn’t quite understand.

You were still lost in thought when Ni-ki slid into the seat next to you. His presence was casual, but his sharp eyes missed nothing.

He nudged you lightly, voice dropping into a teasing whisper. “Why are you staring at Sunghoon like that?”

You snapped out of your daze, your eyes widening slightly. “What?”

The younger Alpha smirked, resting his chin on his hand as he observed you. “You’ve been watching him since he walked in. And don’t even try to deny it.”

Heat crept up your face as you quickly looked away. “I wasn’t—”

“Uh-huh,” Ni-ki cut in, clearly unconvinced. “Sure, (Y/N). Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

You huffed, shaking your head before turning your attention back to Jungwon as he finally started the meeting.

Jungwon leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly against the smooth wood of the long table before his lips curled into a knowing smirk. “Alright, before we get to the real agenda… I’m assuming everyone here knows they’re expected to be at the grand dinner our dear marketing director's family is hosting?”

Collective groans echoed through the room.

Jay was the first to voice his displeasure, rolling his eyes as he slumped against his chair. “No offense, Sunghoon, but I was trying to pretend I forgot about that.”

“Do we really have to go?” Sunoo sighed dramatically, slouching back in his seat with exaggerated defeat. “What if I suddenly develop a rare illness that prevents me from attending formal events? I think it’s highly possible. I should get it checked out.”

“You and me both,” Jay added, rolling his eyes.

Jungwon chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll make sure our dear school nurse looks after you.” His tone was light, but the glint in his eyes made it clear—none of them were getting out of this.

You sat quietly at the far end of the table, taking in the conversation with mild amusement. The mention of the event piqued your curiosity, though you weren’t as vocal about your distaste for it as the others.

Instead, you found your gaze wandering toward Sunghoon, who, as expected, remained perfectly composed, his expression cold, eyes still skimming over his tablet as if this conversation didn’t concern him in the slightest.

Unlike the others, Sunghoon wasn’t one to complain about formal events. No, he was used to them. They were expected of him, just as everything else in his life was predetermined. And yet, despite his practiced facade, something about the way he held himself—his grip tightening around the device, his jaw tensing ever so slightly—told you that he wasn’t entirely unaffected.

Not that you would ever get the chance to ask him about it.

Because every time you so much as looked his way, his entire demeanor shifted, as if your presence alone irritated him. And it stung, just a little.

Jungwon, unaware of the silent exchange, finally clapped his hands together. “Alright, moving on. Since we’re all forced to attend that wonderful dinner, let’s get to what actually matters—the upcoming school festival.”

A shift in everyone's demeanor followed as the real meeting began. Papers rustled, files were opened, and everyone straightened up, ready to discuss proposals and assignments.

“The main goal for this meeting is to finalize activity proposals before we present them for approval. We have a rough list, but we still need to sort out logistics,” Jungwon continued. “Jake, you and your team already compiled the initial proposals, right?”

Jake nodded, pulling out a neatly organized folder. “Yeah, I went through the ones submitted last week. I’ll run through them real quick.”

As Jake started going over the list, you chimed in with some of your own notes, offering insights from the secretary committee’s perspective. “Some of these proposals overlap with past events, so we might want to rethink a few of them to keep things fresh. Also, we should factor in the budget constraints before finalizing anything.”

Jay, being the treasurer, leaned forward, tapping his pen against his notebook. “Speaking of budgets, don’t forget that we still need funding for venue rentals and logistics.”

Heeseung snorted. “Stop acting like we’re broke. We could fund the whole event if we wanted to.”

Jay smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, but just because we have the funds doesn’t mean we should start tossing money around like it’s fucking Monopoly cash.”

Sunoo, the student relations director, hummed in approval. “Okay, but let’s consider which ones would actually engage the student body. No point in budgeting for an event no one shows up to.”

Heeseung leaned back in his chair, shrugging. “That’s fair, but we do have the resources. As long as it’s reasonable, funding isn’t really the issue.”

Jay sighed, still skeptical. “Fine. Just don’t come crying to me when we go over budget because someone thought a fireworks show would be a great addition.”

The discussion flowed naturally, Ni-ki making suggestions from the public relations side. “We also need to think about how we’re promoting these events. Even the best ideas fail if no one knows about them. I can get the PR committee to start drafting marketing strategies once we finalize the shortlist.”

But amidst all of this, Sunghoon was distracted. No one would have noticed—no one except Heeseung, of course.

Because while the others were engaged in conversation, Sunghoon was stuck in a losing battle against his own thoughts. His gaze flickered to you more times than he wanted to admit, even as he forced himself to keep his attention on his tablet. He wasn’t just distracted; he was frustrated.

Why did he care? Why did it bother him when you spoke so easily with the others? You had always been there. You had always been part of these meetings, always sitting on the opposite end of the table, working just as hard as the rest of them.

So why, now of all times, was he so hyperaware of you?

Why did your voice pull him from his thoughts? Why did the scent of honey and lilac make his muscles tense?

He didn’t have time for this, he didn’t have time for love.

“Sunghoon,” Heeseung’s voice cut through his thoughts suddenly, snapping him back to reality.

Sunghoon didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, I agree with (Y/N)’s suggestion.”

Silence.

Jay raised a brow, glancing at Heeseung before turning back to Sunghoon. “You sure about that, man?”

Sunoo looked equally amused, glancing between you and Sunghoon as he tossed the pen between his hands. “Because that was the first time you spoke since the meeting started.”

The corner of Heeseung’s lips curled into a knowing smirk. “So, you were listening, huh?”

Sunghoon clenched his jaw. Heeseung knew. He always knew.

But instead of giving them the satisfaction, Sunghoon merely straightened in his seat, exuding the same indifference as before. “Of course I was. I wouldn’t be sitting here if I wasn’t.”

Then Heeseung let out a low whistle, still smirking, only leaning back in his chair. “Right. If you say so.”

Jungwon, still trying to be professional, shook his head. “Alright, focus, people.”

You, however, weren’t paying attention to them anymore. Your gaze drifted toward a specific pureblooded Alpha—the way he sat stiffly, the way his fingers tapped against the screen with an edge of tension.

And suddenly, you weren’t just confused.

You were curious.

Because if Sunghoon truly didn’t care about you, why did he remember every single word you had said?

You replayed every moment you saw him from earlier that day—his quiet, almost reluctant responses to you, how he kept his distance but somehow always seemed to be aware of everything you said and did. His voice echoed in your head now, and it made you question everything you’d assumed about him.

Was this really indifference? Or was it something else?

The meeting droned on, but your mind couldn't stay focused. It kept drifting back to him—his posture, the sharpness of his eyes, the moles on his face that somehow made him even more attractive, the way he always seemed so calculated, like he was constantly running scenarios in his head, measuring each move.

Sunghoon wasn’t just someone who blended in with the group. No, he commanded attention, even without trying.

And yet, there he was, looking as uninterested as ever, his expression stoic as he scrolled through something on his device. But that nagging feeling—like there was something more beneath his mask—kept poking at you.

Without thinking, you leaned back in your chair, letting the tension in your body melt away for a moment, trying to get a glimpse of the real Sunghoon—not the calculated, polished version he liked to show other people.

You had to admit, you were intrigued. The pureblooded Alphas were all so predictable in their own ways, but Sunghoon was different.

Your thoughts were interrupted when Heeseung cleared his throat, looking at Jungwon with a raised eyebrow. “We’re talking about the theme for the event, right?” he asked casually, as if the meeting hadn’t slipped into a quiet lull.

Jungwon nodded, unfazed. “Yes. But we need more input from everyone. Ideas that aren’t just—”

“I have one,” you cut in, unable to resist any longer. Your voice came out clear and confident, a stark contrast to the flurry of thoughts racing through your mind. “We could go with something subtle but impactful. A theme that revolves around contrasts. Like light and dark, maybe even using elements of nature, contrasts of seasons, or contrasting textures. After all, it’s all about balance.”

You paused, feeling everyone’s gaze on you for just a moment longer than necessary. But you held it together.

The room fell silent. Sunghoon didn’t react immediately, but you could sense his attention subtly shifting in your direction. You dared to meet his eyes for a split second, but he quickly looked down at his tablet again, feigning disinterest.

But you noticed the way his lips pressed together, the slight tension in his jaw that he never showed anyone else. You wondered if he was considering your words or if he was just trying to avoid acknowledging the pull you had on him.

Finally, Sunghoon spoke up, his voice surprisingly calm. “It’s not bad,” he said, looking up from his tablet. “Contrast is a powerful tool. We could work with it.” His gaze lingered on you for a brief second before he turned his attention back to the discussion, as if the acknowledgment had been nothing more than a casual comment.

You blinked, slightly taken aback. The unexpected approval from him felt different from the usual dismissive reactions. But you didn’t have time to dwell on it. You quickly nodded, trying to maintain your composure.

“I’ll send a more detailed proposal with visuals after the meeting,” you added, pushing forward.

Sunghoon didn’t say anything more, but you caught the way his gaze flickered toward you again, his eyes narrowing just slightly. There was a brief pause, like he was weighing his next move.

The air had shifted just a little, and you couldn’t quite place why. But you were certain that there was something more to his response, even if he tried to brush it off as nonchalance.

The rustling of papers and the faint creak of chairs filled the council room as everyone packed up. The meeting had dragged on longer than expected, and most of them were ready to go home.

Jake slung his bag over his shoulder, exhaling. “Alright, let’s go. I think we all want to sleep at a reasonable hour.”

Ni-ki snorted. “Reasonable? You all literally run on caffeine and stress.”

Jake rolled his eyes, already walking toward the door. “Just hurry up.”

One by one, they filed out into the dimly lit hallways, their chatter echoing through the empty corridors. Outside, the night air was crisp, the usual warm breeze replaced by a sharper chill.

The campus at night had an almost eerie but majestic feel to it, grand architecture bathed in soft golden lights, towering columns casting long shadows across the marble pathways. The air smelled of expensive cologne and freshly trimmed gardens—the very image of wealth and privilege. It was the kind of place that asked for admiration, yet felt untouchable, like something straight out of a dream.

They walked in their usual loose formation toward the parking lot, their voices filling the space between them. Sunoo and Jay were deep in a debate about their next group dinner, Ni-ki throwing in sarcastic remarks while Heeseung poked fun at Jungwon’s overly formal meeting style.

But Sunghoon?

Sunghoon was silent.

He walked with them, hands shoved into his pockets, his usual confident stride still the same. And yet, he wasn’t really there. He wasn’t paying attention to the conversation, wasn’t throwing in his usual sarcastic remarks. He barely even reacted when Ni-ki nudged him in the ribs or when Heeseung smirked at him like he was waiting for a comeback.

Jay was the first to notice. He narrowed his eyes, slowing his steps to fall in line beside him. “What’s up with you?”

Sunghoon blinked, like he hadn’t even realized someone was talking to him. “What?”

Jay gave him a look. “You’ve been weirdly quiet. Like, more than usual. It’s kinda freaking me out.”

Sunghoon exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t. And they all caught it.

Because for the briefest second, his scent changed—something bitter wafted through the air.

Jay’s eyes flickered, but he let it go. “If you say so.”

The conversation picked up again, but Sunghoon remained detached, walking alongside them but never really taking part in any of the conversations.

They reached the parking lot, and the group naturally split off toward their respective cars, saying their goodbyes.

Sunghoon walked toward his own: a sleek, black sports car, polished to perfection. It stood out even among the other luxury vehicles, a clear reminder of his status.

He pulled the door open but didn’t start it. Instead, he sat in the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel as he stared straight ahead.

The quietness of the parking lot pressed down on him, leaving nothing but the hum of distant streetlights and the faint ringing in his ears.

And then, for the first time all night, his inner Alpha spoke.

"Pathetic."

A dull throb started in his temples. He shut his eyes, jaw clenching.

"You’re running, aren’t you?"

“Shut up.” His grip on the wheel tightened, but the voice didn’t stop. It never did.

"You saw her today. Again. And what did you do?"

His chest ached. “Nothing.”

His inner Alpha scoffed. "Exactly. You ignored her. You walked past her like she was nothing."

“Because she is nothing to me.” But even as he said it, his own words felt hollow.

"Liar."

His head pulsed, frustration clawing at his skull. He couldn’t do this. He had responsibilities. Expectations. He had worked too damn hard to let something as simple as instincts get in the way.

His life was structured, orderly. He had a plan.

He had no time for love.

No time for distractions.

And yet, the way his instincts clawed at him, the way his Alpha had been restless all evening, it was suffocating.

His own body was betraying him.

He exhaled sharply, pressing his thumb and forefinger against his temple. Not now. Not ever.

With a final, sharp breath, he yanked the car door shut, sealing himself inside.

And then, without another second wasted, he started the engine and drove off into the night.

The drive home was a blur. Sunghoon barely remembered driving through the city streets, his grip on the wheel tense, jaw locked as he forced his thoughts elsewhere—anywhere but where they wanted to be.

But the moment he pulled into the long, private driveway leading to his family estate, he knew that tonight was going to be hell.

His home was as grand as expected from a family like his—towering windows, intricate stonework, and the ever-present air of power. The gates shut behind him, and for a second, he let his forehead rest against the steering wheel. Maybe if he sat here long enough, his thoughts would settle.

Your scent still clung to his senses—honey and lilac, sweet but not overpowering. It had wrapped around him in the council room, seeped into his skin, and now it refused to leave. He hated how much it soothed him, how his muscles almost wanted to relax, how it made something deep in his chest coil tighter instead of loosening.

"You’re being pathetic," his alpha sneered, voice curling in his mind like a mocking whisper. "Avoiding her doesn’t change the fact that she’s yours."

Sunghoon’s lips curled into a silent snarl as he shoved the car door open, stepping out into the crisp night air.

“She is not mine.”

His inner alpha laughed, low and knowing. "Keep telling yourself that. See how well that works."

Ignoring the voice, he strode toward the house. The moment he stepped inside, everything felt too much. The walls felt closer. The silence was suffocating. His body was tense with an agitation he couldn’t shake. His instincts were screaming at him to move, to do something.

He made his way upstairs, stripping off his blazer and tossing it carelessly onto the chair by his desk. His bathroom door was open, the mirror catching his reflection. His eyes were sharp, glowing under the dim lighting, the exhaustion on his face barely hidden beneath the tension.

He turned away, forcing himself not to linger.

A shower. Maybe that would help.

The water was scalding against his skin, yet it did nothing to ease the heat gnawing at his chest. The steam didn’t drown out your presence—your scent lingered, thick in the air. His hands clenched against the tiles, his body stiff as the wave of frustration rolled over him.

“She’s under Jake in the secretary committee,” he muttered, trying to remind himself why it couldn’t be this way. “She’s always been there, but you never cared before. Why now?”

His alpha growled, the voice inside him bitter. "Because you were blind before."

“And I’m not now?”

"No. And you hate it."

Sunghoon exhaled sharply, the water running down his back as he scrubbed it away, scrubbing away the thoughts that wouldn’t leave.

He was supposed to have control. He couldn’t let this slip. He had responsibilities, obligations—his family, the council, the expectations weighing on his shoulders. He could not afford distractions.

And yet…

The moment he collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion tugging at him, he couldn’t escape the truth. The weight of it crushed him as he stared at the ceiling, and despite all the effort to push it down, all he could think about was you.

His body fought against it. His mind screamed at him to focus, to remind himself of his purpose. But his heart, and his damn alpha—kept drawing him back to you.

He lay on his bed for what felt like hours, the shadows from the window stretching over the floor, taunting him with the silence that felt too heavy.

“Get up,” he muttered to himself, sitting up abruptly, his body moving almost involuntarily. He couldn't sleep. Couldn't let himself relax. He needed something to focus on, something that would force his mind to behave.

Sunghoon stalked over to his desk, flicking on the lamp with a snap of his fingers. The pile of paperwork in front of him was waiting; papers that he had ignored for far too long, reports that needed reviewing, contracts his father had left for him to examine.

He grabbed the nearest stack, flipping it open, pretending to care about the figures and legal jargon written on the pages. But it was useless. His eyes skimmed over the words, but none of it made sense. His mind was elsewhere. His fingers would itch for the next page, yet they weren’t moving fast enough.

He cursed under his breath, trying to force his attention back onto the papers, but his thoughts kept drifting—drifting to you.

He slammed the folder closed, frustration clawing at him, his teeth gritting as he let out a harsh breath. What the hell was wrong with him?

"You know the answer," his inner alpha purred darkly. "It’s only a matter of time before you crack."

He shook his head, trying to fight back the growing sensation of need. He couldn’t allow it. He wouldn’t allow it.

Still, the clock ticked on, its hands mocking him, each second louder than the last.

He pushed himself up from his desk, pacing the room in frustration. His mind was a battlefield, the war between his own instincts and the duties he had been born into. He couldn’t just let go.

He had responsibilities. But everything in him—his very core, his inner alpha—was screaming for him to do the one thing he refused to acknowledge: follow his instincts. Go to her. Take the step forward.

"You’re already in too deep," the voice reminded him again, this time quieter, almost tender. "She’s not just anyone. she’s yours."

Sunghoon froze, his back against the wall as the words hit him harder than he could have ever anticipated. His heart skipped a beat. The thought of you, the reality of you being his, it felt almost too much to bear.

His alpha wasn’t wrong. But the fear of breaking the walls he had carefully built around his life, the fear of losing control, it was all too overwhelming.

Finally, Sunghoon gave in and walked over to his walk-in closet, the weight of his thoughts dragging him down. He yanked open the door, revealing rows of neatly organized clothes.

His eyes scanned the options without much focus, hand moving almost automatically as he grabbed a random hoodie from the rack. Pulling it over his head, he felt the familiar weight of the fabric, but it did little to comfort him.

Maybe a walk would help. Fresh air. Something to clear his mind. Maybe then, he could shake the way his body burned for something, anything that wasn’t this.

But the instant he stepped out into the cool night, his mind betrayed him again. He walked in the direction of the garden, his eyes glued to the ground, his thoughts clouded.

And there, in the garden, where the cold air mixed with the scent of flowers, the feeling hit him again, the overwhelming, suffocating need to give in.

Sunghoon found himself staring at the moon, and then, without realizing it, his mind drifted again.

You.

And when he tried to stop it, it came anyway.

Sunghoon’s frustration increased, his fingers clenching into fists at his sides. The wind swept across the garden, rustling the leaves, and yet he felt nothing but this suffocating pull toward you, toward whatever this was. The thoughts were relentless, the pull of his instincts gnawing at him.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, cutting through the chaos of his mind. He pulled it out, his eyes narrowing at the message from Jungwon, “Need you in the council office tomorrow for another meeting. Can’t do this without the rest of you guys.”

Sunghoon scoffed, shoving the phone back into his pocket. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with any more committee business. He was already drowning in it.

Yet, despite himself, he began to walk back toward the house, his pace quickening as if his legs knew what his mind refused to accept—that he couldn’t escape this. Not for long.

The only thing on his mind now was what he couldn’t have. And the bitter, hollow feeling that came with it was growing by the minute.

The morning light barely made its way through the heavy curtains, casting faint shadows on Sunghoon’s disheveled bed. He groaned as a loud knock broke through the quietness of his room. The sound echoed in his head, still hazy with the remnants of sleep.

Reluctantly, he reached for his phone, eyes squinting against the harsh glow of the screen. 7:00 AM. The numbers were bold, a text from his sister flashed across the screen, accompanied by a string of impatient emojis.

“Sunghoon, get up. We need to head to the venue. There are last-minute details to fix before the event.”

A sigh slipped past his lips. The last thing he wanted was to be pulled into this whirlwind of preparations, but as usual, duty called. His inner alpha thrashed beneath the surface, restless as ever, but there was no time for that. He had responsibilities to uphold.

Another knock came, louder this time. “Hurry up!” His sister’s voice echoed from the hallway, laced with a teasing urgency.

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, dragging himself out of bed. His body felt heavy, his mind clouded, but he forced himself to push through. His sister’s impatience was nothing new, but today, it felt more grating than usual.

He stumbled to the door, opening it to find his sister standing there with arms crossed, an amused smile playing at the corner of her lips. “You're seriously still in bed? I swear, you’re getting worse with every event,” she said, her tone light but laced with the expectation of someone who knew he could do better.

Sunghoon rubbed his eyes, his voice groggy. “I’m coming,” he muttered, trying to shake off the sleepiness clinging to him. She rolled her eyes, brushing past him and heading down the stairs without another word.

Minutes later, he stood in front of the full-length mirror in his closet, adjusting the black Dior suit his mother insisted on for every event. The fabric felt familiar, but it didn’t comfort him the way it usually did.

His reflection stared back at him: sharp, immaculate, and detached. The face of someone who had never been able to escape the expectations placed upon him. He barely recognized himself some days.

Sunghoon’s sports car sped down the quiet road, the cool morning air rushing through the slightly open windows. His sister, as usual, was absorbed in her phone beside him, chattering on about whatever had caught her attention.

But Sunghoon’s mind was elsewhere. It kept drifting back to the image of you at the council, the way you carried yourself with ease, how your presence lingered in his thoughts like a scent he couldn’t shake.

“You’re driving like you’re half asleep,” his sister finally commented, giving him a quick glance with raised brows. “Sunghoon, are you okay? You’ve been off all week.”

He blinked, pulling himself out of his daze and offering a strained smile. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice betraying him as he tried to brush it off.

She eyed him skeptically. “You’ve barely talked to anyone at home this week. What’s going on?”

Sunghoon stiffened but didn’t respond immediately. His mind briefly flickered back to you, but he shook it off, trying to stay focused.

“Have you found your mate yet?” she asked, her voice soft but curious—not teasing. She could sense the change in him even if she didn’t fully understand why.

Sunghoon’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as he kept his gaze on the road. His mate. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about that possibility, not when everything felt so complicated.

“No,” he muttered, the word coming out sharper than he intended. “Not yet.”

His sister let out a dramatic sigh, clearly unimpressed. “You’re such a mess. Honestly, you could just relax. It’s not the end of the world if you let your guard down for a second.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he continued driving, his mind still wrapped up in the swirling tension inside him. Why couldn’t it be anyone else? Why did it have to be you? He couldn’t seem to make sense of it.

The silence stretched on until his sister mumbled something under her breath, so quietly that he almost missed it.

“The poor girl.”

His head snapped toward her, brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”

She looked at him knowingly, the edge of her teasing never fully disappearing. “You’ve been pushing her away all week, haven’t you?” she said softly, almost pitying. “And you think she doesn’t notice? Poor girl. She probably thinks you’re confused with the way you keep looking at her.”

Sunghoon’s chest tightened at her words. He didn’t say anything, but the weight of them lingered in the air between them. His mind was too busy to process it. He had to stay focused. He couldn’t let himself get distracted by his feelings now, not when there was so much at stake.

His sister didn’t press the matter further. The drive continued in silence until they arrived at The Park Hotel, Seoul—a towering, luxurious building that his family owned. Sunghoon parked the car and shut off the engine, forcing himself to breathe.

As he stepped out of the car, his gaze landed on a sleek white sports car parked by the entrance. It was familiar, but there was something about it, something about the way it was parked so perfectly neat, that made Sunghoon pause. He glanced at it for a moment but didn’t think much of it. He shrugged it off. After all, there were so many cars in the parking lot. It was probably just another business associate’s vehicle.

“Come on,” his sister said, walking ahead toward the entrance. “Let’s go.”

They walked into the hotel, where the hustle of preparations for the event was already in full swing. His mother was already there, talking to a few staff members, discussing last-minute details. The sight of her being so composed and confident was a relief to Sunghoon. He always felt better around her.

“Mom!” he greeted, his mood lightening as he walked toward her. She smiled and greeted him in return before they moved toward the elevator.

“Top floor,” Sunghoon said, pressing the button for the penthouse suite, the family’s personal event space at the top of the building.

The elevator doors closed, and as it ascended, Sunghoon relaxed slightly, the tension in his shoulders easing. He loved this space; it always gave him a sense of control. The casual chatter in the elevator with his mom helped ground him.

“Everything ready for the event?” he asked casually, watching the numbers on the elevator screen rise.

His mom smiled, nodding. “Almost. Just some last-minute touches, but I think we’ll be fine. You know how much I love to be thorough with everything.” She glanced at him, her smile softening. “How’s everything with you, Sunghoon? You seem a bit distracted today.”

Sunghoon rubbed the back of his neck, trying to smile more naturally. “I’m just tired, I guess. Been a long week.” He quickly glanced over at his sister, who had her nose buried in her phone. “You know how it is.”

“Of course,” his mom said with a knowing look. “You’ve got a lot on your plate, don’t you? Just don’t overwork yourself. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Sunghoon appreciated the concern, but he wasn’t ready to share what was really on his mind. “I’ll be fine, Mom. Don’t worry.”

The elevator finally stopped, and they were greeted by the usual flurry of activity as staff members hurried around, making sure every last detail was in place. His mom led the way, greeting workers and supervisors with ease.

But Sunghoon’s attention was already elsewhere. His eyes instinctively swept over the scene, and that’s when he saw you.

You were standing near one of the event coordinators, looking effortlessly at ease, your posture graceful. Sunghoon froze. His heart skipped a beat as his gaze locked onto you.

Before he could process it further, his mom continued walking ahead, greeting a woman standing nearby. Sunghoon barely registered who she was until he saw her face, and the resemblance was unmistakable.

His breath caught. The woman was elegant, poised, with the same features that were reflected in your own face. He stood frozen, unsure of how to react. His eyes flicked back to you, now standing beside the woman, his mind struggling to catch up with the sudden connection.

Then, to his surprise, his mom stepped forward and pulled you into a warm, affectionate hug. The gesture caught the pureblooded Alpha off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.

His sister, noticing the way Sunghoon’s gaze lingered on the scene, raised an eyebrow. She smirked, almost as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“So… it’s actually (Y/N), huh?” she said casually, her tone light but laced with a knowing edge. “Guess you really can’t avoid it, huh?”

Sunghoon’s chest tightened as he took a deep breath, trying to process everything at once. What were you doing here?

Sunghoon stood frozen, his thoughts racing as his mom pulled you into a warm embrace. The sight of your face, the familiar features—everything about you felt like it was making his world tilt. He was still processing it all when his mom’s voice broke through his daze.

“Sunghoon, come here, both of you,” his mom called, waving them over.

Sunghoon’s feet moved almost automatically, his sister walking ahead of him, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she noticed the subtle tension in his posture. When they reached his mom, she was still smiling warmly at you and the woman standing next to you.

“(Y/N), I’d like you to meet my children, Sunghoon and his younger sister. And this is (Y/N)’s mother, who I’ve been coordinating with for the event,” she added, beaming. "She’s in the same university as you two, actually.”

Sunghoon’s eyes flickered between you and your mother. So, it was your family they were working with. The realization hit him harder than expected, his chest tightening.

Sunghoon’s sister raised an eyebrow and gave you a knowing smile, but it was his mom who asked the next question, her curiosity piqued. “What are you involved in at school, (Y/N)? I’m sure you’ve been keeping busy with the student council, right?”

You smiled a little, still feeling a little nervous under Sunghoon’s gaze, but his mom’s friendly demeanor helped ease the tension. “Yeah, I’m part of the student council. I’ve been helping with the planning and coordination for the event today.”

His mom nodded approvingly. “That’s wonderful! It’s always nice to see young people so dedicated and involved. I bet you and Sunghoon are both quite busy with school.”

You nodded in agreement, a small smile tugging at your lips as you looked at Sunghoon. “We see each other around. We’re both pretty busy with different things on campus.”

Sunghoon’s sister teased, “You two are pretty close, though, aren’t you?”

Sunghoon barely met your eyes, his lips curling into a tight, controlled smile. You mirrored his smile but said nothing, feeling the tension between you both grow.

“Well, it’s great to see you both getting along!” his mom said, clearly happy with the easy atmosphere. “It’s nice to have a friendly face on campus.”

Before Sunghoon could respond, his sister pulled you away with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Come on, let’s go help with the flowers,” she said, nudging you gently. “We’ll let Sunghoon handle things for a bit.”

Sunghoon watched you both walk off, his gaze lingering on your retreating figure. His thoughts swirled, but before he could gather them, his mom caught his eye, giving him a knowing look. She didn’t comment, but her silence spoke volumes.

Sunghoon took a deep breath, his mind still racing. Whatever this was, it was far from over.

The evening settled in, casting a golden glow through the large windows of the hotel. The once-chaotic venue was finally coming together—round tables adorned with pristine tablecloths, floral arrangements meticulously placed, and staff scurrying around to finalize details.

You stood near a reception table, clipboard in hand, while Sunghoon’s sister leaned in beside you, skimming through the checklist.

“So, what’s left?” she asked, propping her chin on your shoulder.

You tapped the page with your pen. “Final seating adjustments, sound check, and we still need to confirm the catering schedule.”

She let out a dramatic sigh. “God, I don’t know how you keep up with all this.”

You smirked. “Maybe because I actually enjoy it?”

She gave you a teasing nudge. “Or maybe because you’re a perfectionist, Secretary Committee Girl.”

You rolled your eyes at the nickname. “I organize things. It’s literally my job in the council.”

Before she could respond, a familiar voice cut through the air.

“You’re overcomplicating the seating chart.”

Your head snapped up, and there he was—Park Sunghoon, standing with his usual composed posture, hands tucked into his pockets, expression unreadable. His mother had been talking to a coordinator nearby, but now, she glanced between the two of you, a small, knowing smile on her lips.

You exhaled through your nose. “We’re adjusting it, not overcomplicating it.”

Sunghoon gave you a flat look. “You moved the executive table again.”

“it needed to be closer to the main stage,” you argued.

“Which messes with the aisle clearance,” he countered.

You opened your mouth to respond, but his mother stepped in smoothly. “You two can argue about seating later. For now, go check on the banquet hall setup. The decorators should be almost done.”

Sunghoon sighed but nodded, while you grabbed your clipboard and turned to his sister. “You coming?”

She waved you off. “Nah, I’m staying here. You two have fun.”

You frowned at her mischievous tone, but the Alpha next to you didn’t give you time to dwell on it. With a tight-lipped expression, he gestured for you to walk ahead.

The large hall was buzzing with activity. Staff were setting up buffet tables, arranging cutlery, and making last-minute touches to the decorations. You and Sunghoon stood near the entrance, scanning the room.

“I’ll check on the centerpiece placements,” you said, glancing at your clipboard. “You can handle the catering status.”

He crossed his arms. “Why do I have to handle catering?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Because I don’t feel like arguing with the head chef.”

Sunghoon huffed but walked off toward the catering team while you made your way toward the floral arrangements. After a few minutes, you stood near the main table.

“They’re behind schedule,” Sunghoon reported, running a hand through his hair. “Something about delayed deliveries.”

You groaned. “Of course.”

You took out your phone, scrolling through your contact list. Sunghoon watched as you expertly navigated the crisis, calling the supplier and getting an update within minutes.

When you hung up, he raised an eyebrow. “You’re really in your element with this.”

You shrugged. “I have to be. The secretary committee basically runs everything behind the scenes.”

He scoffed. “So that’s why you always look stressed on campus.”

You shot him a look. “Excuse me?”

He smirked. “I see you in the student council room all the time, buried under paperwork. I just assumed it was self-inflicted suffering or Jake really hated your guts.”

You rolled your eyes. “Unlike some people, I actually like responsibility.”

Sunghoon just hummed, amused, before looking toward the exit. “Come on, we still have to check the ballroom.”

The ballroom, meant for the main program, was dimly lit as technicians adjusted the spotlights. You and Sunghoon walked toward the stage, where a staff member was testing the mic.

“You handle sound checks?” he asked, sounding mildly impressed.

You nodded. “Part of the job.”

Sunghoon leaned against a nearby pillar, watching as you exchanged instructions with the technicians. His eyes trailed over the way you moved—so effortlessly slipping into control, giving orders with ease, adjusting the smallest details without hesitation. You were in your element, and for a brief moment, he wondered if this was what he had been avoiding all along.

When you finally wrapped up, he glanced at you, voice quieter than before. “You’re really everywhere, huh?”

“That’s kind of the point,” you said, flipping through your notes.

His gaze lingered on you for a second longer before he looked away, clearing his throat. “So, what’s next?”

You skimmed the checklist. “We need to make sure the VIP section is set up properly.”

Sunghoon groaned. “Please don’t tell me we have to argue about chairs again.”

You smirked. “That depends. Are you going to accept that I’m always right?”

He gave you an unimpressed look but followed you anyway.

The two of you walked through the elegantly arranged VIP tables, double-checking details. At one point, you crouched down to fix a misplaced name card, only to feel Sunghoon standing way too close behind you.

“You’re hovering,” you muttered.

“I’m observing,” he corrected.

You turned your head slightly, only to realize just how close he was. His scent—coffee and leather—wrapped around you, warm and grounding. You swallowed, standing up quickly and brushing imaginary dust off your skirt.

His inner alpha stirred, "Weak. You’re running again."

He ignored it.

His gaze traced the slight parting of your lips, the subtle rise and fall of your shoulders as you exhaled. He let himself linger, just for a second, in the space between restraint and surrender. And that’s when the thought crept in, unbidden.

"Is this really what you’re afraid of? Her? Or the way she makes you forget everything else?"

His jaw tightened.

Because it wasn’t just the bond. It wasn’t just attraction. It was the fear of unraveling, of slipping so deep into something he couldn’t control that he’d abandon everything else, his duties, his carefully built walls, the life that was expected of him.

His alpha hummed in amusement. "She makes you weak, but you want her anyway."

Sunghoon swallowed hard, straightening his posture. The warmth in his eyes cooled, replaced by something unreadable.

You frowned slightly at the shift.

He smirked. “Nervous?” His voice was smooth, but there was a sudden distance in it.

You scoffed. “You wish.”

His gaze flickered to your lips for the briefest second before he took a step back, shoving his hands into his pockets as if forcing the space between you.

"Coward."

“If you say so,” he hummed.

Before you could respond, a voice interrupted.

“Ah, there you two are.”

Sunghoon turned, shifting his expression into something neutral as his mother approached, clipboard in hand. You straightened up beside him, the moment from before slipping between your fingers like sand.

“I need you both to oversee the final checks while I discuss something with the event coordinators.” His mother’s tone left no room for argument. She gave Sunghoon a look, one that was equal parts expectation and knowing—before handing you the clipboard. “You know what to do.”

You nodded. “Of course, Mrs. Park.”

Sunghoon exhaled slowly through his nose, nodding along as well. It wasn’t like he could say no.

"Another thing you can't say no to, huh?" His alpha taunted.

He clenched his jaw, pushing down the irritation forming in his chest. It wasn’t at you, he knew that much. It was at himself, at the way he was still standing next to you despite everything.

You, however, had already moved on, scanning through the checklist before nudging his arm. “Come on, Park. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish.”

His eyes flicked down to where you touched him, the warmth of your skin seeping through his sleeve. His inner alpha hummed in approval, but he ignored it, following you as you walked through the venue.

As you worked, your voice was steady as you went over the details. “Floral arrangements are set, table placements are final…” You trailed off as you examined the stage setup, flipping a page on the clipboard. “Lighting checks should be done soon. Could you talk to the technicians?”

He raised a brow. “You’re delegating to me now?”

You gave him a pointed look. “I can’t do everything myself.”

Sunghoon smirked despite himself, but there was something bitter about it. You weren’t even flustered around him anymore. When did you stop getting nervous?

His alpha scoffed. "You’re upset about that? Pathetic."

Still, he didn’t argue. He stepped away, scanning the ballroom for the lighting crew before walking off.

By the time he returned, you were deep in conversation with the floral team, gesturing toward one of the centerpieces. His gaze followed your movements—how easily you took control of the situation, how effortlessly you belonged in this environment.

"She’s everywhere. Always in the middle of things, always moving forward."

He rubbed the back of his neck, a familiar tightness forming in his chest. Maybe that’s why he had avoided this for so long. Because standing here, watching you do what you did best, made him realize something.

It wasn’t just about you. It was about him.

The fear wasn’t of falling for you. It was of what that would mean, of what he’d have to let go of to have you.

“Earth to Sunghoon?”

He blinked, snapping back to reality. You were watching him, an amused expression on your face.

“Spacing out already?” you teased. “We’re not even done yet.”

He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing important,” he muttered, voice clipped.

You frowned at the sudden change in his tone but didn’t push. “Right. Well, let me know if you're ready to go. We still have things to check.”

You walked past him, your scent—honey and lilac—lingering in the air, soft yet unmistakable. His Alpha bristled, pushing at his restraint.

"She’s slipping away. Your Omega is slipping away."

Sunghoon clenched his fists. No. You were right here. He just didn’t know what to do with that.

For now, he settled for following you.

The night air was crisp, carrying a faint chill that hinted at the changing seasons. You barely noticed, too preoccupied with checking off the last few items on your clipboard as you walked through the dimly lit parking lot with Sunghoon’s sister beside you.

“God, if one more person asks me about table placements, I’m quitting this whole thing,” she groaned, rubbing her temples.

You chuckled. “You say that, but you’ll still show up tomorrow looking like you run the place.”

She shot you a tired grin. “Shut up.”

A few steps behind, Sunghoon trailed silently. He wasn’t really listening to the conversation—at least, that’s what he told himself.

But his eyes betrayed him, flickering to you every so often, catching the way your brows furrowed in concentration, the way you absentmindedly tapped your pen against the clipboard, the way your scent of honey and lilacs felt like it was wrapping around him, daring him to step closer.

"She’s right there. Yours. Slipping away."

His inner Alpha’s voice was persistent, lingering in the back of his mind like an ache he refused to acknowledge.

He exhaled sharply, pushing the thought away. This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? Distance. Control. A clear line between what he felt and what he knew he had to do.

But then you stopped beside your car, unlocking it with a quiet beep. His sister slowed beside you, turning to Sunghoon with a slight frown.

“Hoon, you good?”

Your gaze flickered toward him at the question, eyes searching, like you were trying to figure out what was wrong.

And that was the problem. You always noticed.

The Alpha tensed, his walls slamming back up. His face smoothed over, his posture shifted; cold, detached, unreadable.

“Yeah,” he said flatly.

The change was almost unnoticeable, but you caught it.

Your grip on the clipboard tightened, as if debating whether to push, whether to call him out on it. But instead, you just nodded, lips pressing into a thin line.

“Alright,” you murmured.

His sister sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. “You’re both so dramatic.” Then she turned to you, brightening up again. “Don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

You mustered a tired smile. “I won’t.”

Sunghoon stayed silent.

And this time, you didn’t bother looking at him before sliding into your car.

The moment your door shut, his Alpha growled in protest.

"Fix it."

He clenched his jaw, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.

“No.”

Your engine rumbled to life, headlights casting long shadows across the pavement. He should’ve looked away, should’ve just walked off—but he didn’t. He watched as you drove off, the sound of your car fading into the night.

A quiet sigh escaped him. His mother.

She didn’t say anything earlier, didn’t scold or pry. She simply looked at him; knowing, like she already had a hint of what was happening.

And for some reason, that made his chest tighten.

So he exhaled, turned on his heel, and walked away.

The Park estate was quieter than usual, save for the faint rustling of leaves outside and the occasional laughter echoing from the living room. Sunghoon leaned back against the couch, one arm draped over the backrest as he scrolled mindlessly through his phone.

The guys had gathered there a few hours before the grand dinner, since it was closer to the venue, and the suits for the evening were going to be delivered directly to the estate. It was comfortable, familiar.

“Bro, do you even listen to yourself?” Sunoo snorted, throwing a cushion at Jungwon, who barely dodged. “You keep saying you care about her, but where are you, huh? If I were your mate, I’d leave your ass.”

Jungwon groaned, rubbing his temples. “It’s not like I’m ignoring her on purpose, okay? I just—”

“Just what?” Sunoo raised an eyebrow. “Bro, you’re literally a pureblooded Alpha. Start acting like one.”

Jake snorted from his spot on the couch, shaking his head. “You talk a lot of shit for someone who barely figured out his own mating bond.”

“Hey, at least I figured it out,” Sunoo shot back. “Jungwon’s still treating his Omega like he's still courting her—he's walking on eggshells.”

Jungwon groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t need this right now.” The younger Alpha huffed, slumping into the couch, ears turning a bit red.

Heeseung chuckled. “He’s right, you know. Just follow your instincts. Might help.”

Sunghoon tuned them out. His fingers tapped against his phone screen, his mind elsewhere. That was, until two familiar voices drifted in from the hallway.

“Oh yeah, follow that. Don't be like my brother—can’t relate to the whole instincts thing.”

His sister and Heeseung's mate.

Sunghoon barely registered her words, but the comment stung more than he expected. He tensed up, feeling his jaw clench involuntarily.

They didn’t even glance his way, walking past them straight to the kitchen.

For some reason, it made him feel smaller than he ever wanted to. He stayed quiet, his grip on his phone tightened, focusing on the lack of sound in the room.

Jungwon’s eyebrows lifted. “Uh… hello? You good?”

Ni-ki leaned forward, grinning. “Yeah, that was kinda weak, man. You always have something to say.”

Sunghoon didn’t respond. He couldn’t. His thoughts were spiraling too fast, his Alpha stirring like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

"They’re right. You’ve been avoiding this for too long."

His jaw clenched.

"Why? Because you’re scared? Because you think pushing her away makes you stronger? You already know the answer, don’t you?

Sunghoon snapped."

A low, warning growl left his throat, deep and sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

His scent soured, something bitter and tense.

The room fell silent.

Sunghoon immediately regretted it.

His friends weren’t scared, he knew that much—but they were surprised. He never let his emotions slip like that, never let his control falter.

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Damn, man,” he muttered, clearly surprised. “You good?”

Sunghoon exhaled slowly, pressing his thumb against his temple.

Jungwon, still startled, hesitated before speaking. “Hey, man, relax…”

And then, Jungwon added, almost absently—

“What’s got you all messed up? It’s like you—”

Sunghoon cut him off. “I met my mate.”

The words left his mouth before he even fully registered what he was saying.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Sunoo was the first to recover. “What?”

Jungwon’s eyes widened as he processed what Sunghoon had said. “Wait—what?”

Sunghoon leaned back against the couch, rubbing a hand over his face. His heartbeat felt louder in his ears now, the weight of his own admission settling in. “I met my mate,” he repeated, this time with more certainty, but still unsure.

Jake let out a low whistle. “Well, shit,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Didn’t think I’d hear that today.”

Jay was still staring at him like he had grown a second head. “You?”

Sunghoon shot him a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jay raised his hands in defense. “I mean, dude, it’s you. You’ve never even cared about that kind of stuff. I just—when? How?”

Sunghoon hesitated. He hadn’t planned on saying this out loud, let alone explaining it. The moment he said the words, it felt like he had given away the control he had spent years perfecting—it had just cracked at the edges.

Sunoo narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, and who?”

Ni-ki looked almost wary. “Wait, wait, hold up—are you sure?”

Sunghoon shot him a flat look. “You think I’d joke about this?”

“No, but you also don’t exactly seem sure,” Ni-ki pointed out.

That was fair.

Because the truth was, Sunghoon wasn’t sure, not fully. Or at least, he had spent the last few days convincing himself he wasn’t sure. Because if he admitted it, that meant things had to change.

And Sunghoon hated change.

Heeseung, who had been the quietest of them all, finally spoke up. His voice was calm. “Since when?”

Sunghoon pressed his lips together.

“Sunghoon,” Heeseung pushed, more insistent this time. “How long have you known?”

A muscle in Sunghoon’s jaw ticked. “…A while.”

Another silence stretched between them, heavier this time.

Sunoo groaned, running a hand down his face. “You knew and didn’t say anything?”

Sunghoon didn’t answer.

Jake scoffed, shaking his head. “Bro, what the hell?”

Ni-ki leaned forward, his expression sharper now. “You’re seriously fighting this?” His voice was wary, frustrated. Despite being the youngest, he thought it was stupid—this was instincts, this was nature.

The gods themselves had chosen fated mates with intention. Rejecting that was like rejecting the sky, the air, the pull of the ocean’s tide. It made no sense to him. “Why would you reject something that’s meant for you?”

Jungwon, usually the more level-headed one, actually agreed. “Ni-ki’s right,” he muttered. “You’re making this way harder than it has to be.”

Sunghoon snapped.

“You think I had a choice?” His voice came out sharper than he meant, louder. His scent flared again, dominance pouring out of him.

And that set them all off.

Because they weren’t just Alphas. They were pureblooded Alphas, born and bred into power, and when dominance was challenged, instinct demanded they answer.

Jake and Jay shot him a glare, their own scents spiking as an automatic reaction. Jungwon bared his teeth slightly, frustration and something close to disbelief flickering in his eyes. Sunoo looked like he wanted to hit him.

“Yeah, you had a choice,” Sunoo threw back. “And you blew it!”

Ni-ki’s glare sharpened. “Do you even hear yourself right now?”

Jake scoffed, shaking his head. “You think this is a fucking game? Do you know how many Alphas would kill to even find their mate?”

Sunghoon clenched his fists. “It’s not that simple.”

Jay barked out a short, humorless laugh. “No, you’re just making it complicated.”

Sunghoon had had enough.

He shot up from the couch, turned on his heel, and walked out, his footsteps heavy against the marble flooring, his scent still bitter, still unsettled. He didn’t care where he was going. He just needed to get out.

Sunoo and Heeseung exchanged glances before following after him.

The afternoon air was cooler than he expected. He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair, trying to breathe.

Sunoo was the first to break the silence. “Dude,” he muttered, “what the hell is going on with you?”

Sunghoon didn’t answer immediately. He stared out at the sunlit garden, hands in his pockets, jaw tight.

Heeseung leaned against the railing beside him. “Talk to us.” His voice was calm. “You don’t have to deal with this alone.”

Sunghoon let out a short, hollow laugh. “Feels like I do.”

Sunoo crossed his arms. “No, you’re just choosing to.”

Silence.

Sunghoon’s fingers twitched. He didn’t know how to say it, didn’t know how to make them understand.

“I…” He exhaled sharply, tilting his head back. “I don’t want this.”

Sunoo furrowed his brows. “Why?”

Sunghoon swallowed hard. “Because I don’t know how to be that person. A mate. A bond. A life that’s—” He shook his head. “I wasn’t made for that.”

heeseung sighed, rubbing his temple before stepping in. “sunghoon, listen to yourself. you’re treating this like it’s some kind of punishment.”

sunghoon let out a heavy breath, the weight in his chest pressing down harder. “it feels like one,” he admitted.

“because—” sunghoon continued, closing his eyes for a brief second before looking away. “because it means everything changes. i change.”

Sunoo scoffed, shaking his head. “And? What’s so bad about that?”

Sunghoon turned to him, frustration bubbling to the surface. “You don’t get it—”

“No, you don’t get it.” Sunoo cut him off. “You’re not losing yourself, Sunghoon. You’re finding something—someone that was always meant to be yours.”

Heeseung nodded, stepping closer. “And having an Omega to call yours? That’s a responsibility in itself, one you were always meant to take on. You’re not abandoning anything—you’re taking something just as important.”

Sunghoon’s jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling with each sharp breath. He wanted to argue, wanted to fight back—but the truth was, deep down, he knew they were right.

The thought alone terrified him.

The event was already in full swing by the time Sunghoon arrived, the grand ballroom glowing with golden chandeliers and the murmur of polite conversation.

His polished shoes clicked against the marble floors as he stepped in alongside the others, all of them dressed in perfectly tailored suits, their hair styled to absolute precision. They looked every bit like the pureblooded Alphas they were raised to be: refined, dominant, untouchable.

But none of that mattered the second he spotted you.

You were standing near the center of the room, surrounded by a group of familiar faces—his sister, Jungwon’s mate, Heeseung’s mate, and other Omegas of high standing. A tight-knit circle of Omegas that radiated grace and effortless elegance, laughing softly amongst themselves, their delicate fingers wrapped around champagne flutes.

And then there was you.

Your gown hugged your frame in all the right places before cascading down in soft waves, your hair curled to perfection, makeup flawless, lips painted a shade he couldn’t quite name but suddenly wanted to memorize.

It pissed him off.

Not because you looked good—no, that was obvious. It was the fact that you had noticed him, just as he had noticed you, but chose to act like he wasn’t even there.

He saw it. The way your shoulders tensed when he stepped into your vision, how your fingers gripped your champagne glass just a little tighter. But you didn’t acknowledge him. Didn’t even glance his way.

Like the past few days of him being distant meant nothing.

And that—that frustrated him more than anything.

A cough sounded beside him.

“Karma,” Sunoo smirked, enjoying every second of this.

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. Jungwon outright grinned. Even Heeseung—calm, composed Heeseung—gave him a knowing glance, like he had expected this from the start.

But the worst was Ni-ki.

The youngest in the group, ever observant, leaned in slightly, whispering just loud enough for them to hear.

“Damn,” Ni-ki mused, tilting his head. “That must hurt.”

Sunghoon clenched his jaw, ignoring the way the others tried to suppress their laughter.

His gaze flickered back to you.

Still not looking at him.

Sunghoon barely had a moment to collect himself before the inevitable happened.

People noticed them.

It was impossible not to.

A group of young, pureblooded Alpha heirs walking into a gathering like this, dressed to perfection, exuding confidence and power—of course, eyes turned their way.

The murmurs started almost instantly, subtle yet unmistakable. A few heads turned, quiet whispers rippling through the crowd as their names carried weight in these circles.

They barely had a chance to exchange glances before they were pulled into conversations, their group dispersing as they were greeted by family acquaintances, business partners, and distant relatives.

Sunghoon knew how this worked. He had been raised for it, trained to move through these events with effortless charm and perfect composure.

His feet carried him toward his parents, who were seated at a table near your group. His father, deep in conversation with a few business partners, barely glanced at him before greeting him with a firm pat on the shoulder. His mother, ever the composed woman, gave him a knowing look before murmuring, “You’re late.”

Sunghoon exhaled, adjusting the cuff of his suit. “Got caught up.”

His father chuckled, still half-distracted. “Ah, well. You made it.”

Before Sunghoon could take a step back, a familiar voice cut in.

“Well, if it isn’t Sunghoon.”

Sunghoon turned, and his expression barely shifted, though he immediately recognized the man.

An older Alpha, mid-forties, silver-streaked hair, broad-shouldered and sharp-eyed. Someone deeply tied to their family’s business dealings—one of his father’s closest partners.

“It’s been a while since I saw you,” the man continued, raising his glass in greeting. His tone was casual. “You’ve grown into quite the spitting image of your father.”

Sunghoon offered a small, polite nod. “It’s good to see you again.”

The older Alpha chuckled, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Good to see you too, kid. I remember when you were still a runt, running around at these events like you had better places to be.”

Sunghoon let out a short, practiced laugh. “Not much has changed.”

That earned another chuckle. Then, with an amused tilt of his head, the older Alpha leaned back slightly in his chair.

“You must have Omegas swooning left and right,” he mused, swirling his glass lazily. “With that face of yours, I bet they’re lining up.”

Sunghoon let out a soft breath, shaking his head. “I don’t have time for that.”

It was an easy response. Dismissive, effortless. A throwaway comment.

Except his eyes betrayed him.

Because, without thinking, his gaze flickered right back to you.

And you heard him. Of course, you did.

Omegas had sharper senses than most. Your hearing was leagues above everyone else’s, and Sunghoon knew it.

He knew it the moment he saw your grip on the champagne glass tighten ever so slightly. The way your shoulders straightened just a little more.

But you didn’t react, not outwardly.

Instead, you let out a small, polite laugh, face perfectly neutral. Then, in the same smooth, composed tone you always used at events like this, you excused yourself.

Sunghoon stiffened.

But it wasn’t just you who reacted.

His sister’s gaze snapped to him almost immediately, a flicker of something unmistakable in her expression: disappointment.

She said nothing, but she didn’t need to. The look alone said everything.

And she wasn’t the only one.

His mother, ever observant, barely shifted in her seat, but the sharp glint in her eyes told him she had caught on too.

Sunghoon swallowed.

He shouldn’t follow you.

He should’ve let it go.

But before he even realized it, his feet were already moving.

The hall leading to the restrooms was dimly lit, the golden glow of the chandeliers fading the further you walked. The music and chatter from the ballroom dulled behind you, muffled and distant, as if the world was deliberately pulling away, leaving you alone with your thoughts, with the weight on your chest.

Your back hit the wall beside the restroom entrance, your breathing sharp and uneven.

Your inner Omega whimpered, "Not here. Not now."

You clenched your fists at your sides, nails pressing into your palms as you fought the sting behind your eyes.

You had known. You had always known how this would end.

And yet, standing there, shoulders stiff, throat tight, your pulse hammering against your skin, you hated that it still hurt.

You sucked in a breath, blinking up at the ceiling, forcing the tears back.

You would not cry.

Not in front of him.

And yet, the moment you sensed his presence, the moment his scent curled around you; thick, intoxicating, overwhelming, your body betrayed you.

Your fingers twitched.

Your breathing faltered.

You hated yourself for giving in so easily.

“What do you want, Sunghoon?” Your voice was cold, but the slight tremble at the end, barely there, almost unnoticeable, gave you away.

He stopped a few feet away, his hands flexing at his sides.

He was staring at you, his gaze dark, conflicted, like he didn’t know why he was here either.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I—”

“You what?” You cut him off, your voice sharp, edged with something dangerously close to heartbreak.

He exhaled, pressing his lips into a thin line.

You almost laughed. Of course.

“Nothing to say?” You scoffed, tilting your head. “Then why are you here?”

His jaw clenched. “I don’t—” He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling harshly.

You hated the way your chest clenched at the sight.

Hated the way his tie had loosened slightly, the way a strand of hair had fallen over his forehead, the way he looked so frustratingly undone for the first time tonight.

“You push me away.” Your voice wavered, but you forced yourself to continue. “You act like I don’t exist. And now you’re here, acting like you—” You swallowed, shaking your head. “You don’t get to do this, Sunghoon.”

His lips parted slightly.

“You don’t get to act like I matter when you’ve made it very clear that I don’t.”

Something cracked in his gaze. And for the first time, he looked afraid.

“I never said that,” he muttered, his voice softer now.

“You didn’t have to.”

Silence.

A suffocating silence. Your throat burned. You couldn’t do this. You turned to leave, to push past him, to breathe—

But suddenly—

You couldn’t move, and before you could react, a strong, calloused hand wrapped around your wrist—firm, desperate.

Your breath hitched.

Sunghoon pulled you back—hard—and in the span of a heartbeat, you collided straight into his chest.

The impact knocked the air from your lungs.

His scent swallowed you whole.

You gasped sharply, your knees nearly giving out.

And then—

Warmth.

Overwhelming, all-consuming warmth, his arms were around you.

One wrapped tight around your waist, pulling you flush against him. The other cradled the back of your head, fingers weaving through your hair—steady, like he was terrified of letting go.

Your chest heaved against his, hands fisting his suit jacket so tightly your knuckles ached.

But you didn’t care. You couldn’t care.

Not when his heart was hammering against yours, not when his grip on you was desperate, not when his entire body was trembling, like he was breaking just as much as you were.

Your breath came out shaky. “Let me go.”

He didn’t. He tightened his hold.

“Sunghoon.” Your voice cracked.

His head dipped lower, his breath fanning against your temple.

“I can’t.”

Your stomach flipped violently. Tears spilled down your cheeks, hot and relentless.

“You—” You squeezed your eyes shut, your grip on his suit tightening. “You’re such a fucking coward.”

His body tensed. But he didn’t pull away. Didn’t loosen his hold. Didn’t deny it.

Instead, his fingers curled into the fabric of your dress. And for the first time—Sunghoon let his instincts win.

Your hands gripped his suit tighter as your chest heaved, a strangled sob breaking free before you could stop it. The tears were now, falling fast and hot, no longer something you could hold back.

You pressed your face into his chest, the fabric of his suit absorbing the wetness, but it did nothing to soothe the ache inside you.

Sunghoon’s grip didn’t loosen. If anything, it tightened. He pulled you in closer, as if trying to protect you from everything.

The shaking of his hands on your back was evident, and the way his chest rose and fell in uneven breaths made your heart ache for him in ways you didn’t understand.

“Don't cry, Omega, please.” His voice was barely a whisper.

You shook your head, the words stuck in your throat. It felt like all the pain you’d buried, all the frustration, the confusion, the rejection—it was spilling out at once. You were drowning in it, and you didn’t know how to stop.

But his plea only made the sobs come harder, breaking free from your throat like you had been holding them in for years.

His arms tightened around you again, as if he could physically hold your pain together, as if he could stop you from shattering completely.

“I hate you.” The words barely made it past your lips, muffled against his chest, but he heard them.

You knew he heard them.

Because his entire body stiffened for a split second before his grip on you softened, his hand sliding from your waist to your lower back, the one behind your head shifting, his fingers threading into your hair with a gentleness that almost hurt.

“I know,” he murmured, voice so quiet it was almost lost in the silence of the hallway.

Your body shook against his, another sob wracking through you, and he just held you.

Not saying anything.

Not pulling away.

Just letting you break in his arms the way you had never allowed yourself to before.

Minutes passed, or maybe seconds—it didn’t matter.

Time felt frozen between you, the weight of everything crashing down in the space between your heavy breaths. Your mascara had smudged against the fabric of his suit, staining it, but he didn’t seem to care. He just kept holding you, his scent wrapping around you, keeping you from completely falling apart.

And then, finally—finally—you found your voice.

“Why?"

A single word. Quiet. Shaky. But sharp enough to cut through the silence.

Sunghoon stilled.

“Why did you do it?" Your voice cracked, but you pushed forward, your hands gripping his suit even tighter. “Why did you act like I didn’t exist? Like I was nothing to you? Why did you pretend you didn’t care when you—when you—" Another sob clawed its way out of your throat, your fingers trembling where they clung to him. “When you do this? When you hold me like this, like you actually—"

Your voice faltered, and Sunghoon inhaled sharply. His grip on you loosened, just enough for him to pull back slightly, just enough for him to see your face. His fingers, still shaking, brushed against your cheek, tracing over the tear-stained skin, his thumb wiping away the wetness that refused to stop falling.

His hands paused for a second.

And then—so, so softly—he spoke.

“I was scared.”

Your breath hitched.

“Scared?" you muttered, barely above a whisper.

He nodded, swallowing hard, his jaw clenching like he was fighting something inside himself. His fingers brushed against your cheek again, hesitating, before cupping your face fully, his touch impossibly gentle.

“I didn’t know how to handle it," he admitted, voice soft, filled with something unrecognizable. “I didn’t know how to handle you."

Your brows furrowed, your heart pounding painfully against your ribs.

“Sunghoon—"

“Everything in my life has always been about responsibility," he cut in, his grip on your face tightening slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to make sure you were listening. “I was raised to be strong, to take over, to lead—to never let anything distract me from what I was meant to do."

His thumb traced the curve of your cheekbone, and his gaze softened—just barely.

“And then there was you.”

The words came out barely above a whisper, but they sent a shiver down your spine.

Sunghoon let out a shaky breath, his forehead nearly pressing against yours. “You were never supposed to be a part of that plan.”

Pain flared in your chest, sharp and unrelenting.

“So what?" you whispered, voice trembling. “You thought ignoring me would make it easier?"

His eyes squeezed shut, his expression twisting into something almost pained. “I thought if I pretended you didn’t exist, it wouldn’t hurt as much.”

A bitter laugh left your lips. “And did it?"

Sunghoon let out a slow breath, his hands stilling against your skin. His silence was the only answer you needed.

He was breaking, right in front of you.

And for the first time, you saw it. The fear in his eyes. The weight on his shoulders. The guilt, the regret, the want.

“You absolute coward," you whispered, fresh tears spilling down your cheeks. “You let your fear ruin everything. You let it destroy me."

Sunghoon inhaled sharply, his fingers pressing against your skin like he was afraid you would slip away.

“I know," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

And then, as if he couldn’t help himself, his hands moved again, thumbs tracing over your cheeks, smudging the mascara-stained tears without a care that his fingers were getting stained too.

He was looking at you now. Really looking at you.

Even with tear-streaked cheeks, even with mascara smudged against your skin, he thought you were beautiful.

You always had been, and maybe that had been the scariest part of all.

He exhaled shakily, his forehead finally pressing against yours.

“I was so focused on all the responsibilities I had," he whispered, eyes fluttering shut, “that I forgot the most important one was right in front of me."

You. It had always been you.

And for the first time in forever, he stopped fighting it.

His hands trembled as he pulled you close again, wrapping you in his warmth, as if trying to make up for every second he had spent pretending you didn’t exist.

His heartbeat that was once steady, always controlled, was frantic against your cheek, like his body itself was betraying him, exposing everything he had kept hidden for so long.

“I’m sorry," he murmured against your hair, his voice soft, stripped bare of all the indifference he had once worn so easily.

Again.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

And again.

“I’m sorry."

Each word landed like a plea, an ache.

His hands clutched at the fabric of your dress, fingers curling against your back as he buried his face into your shoulder. His breaths were uneven, his hold desperate like he was afraid that if he let go, you’d slip through his fingers for good.

You squeezed your eyes shut, the feeling of his regret pressing against your chest like a force you weren’t sure you could withstand.

“I really hate you," you whispered, voice unsteady, and you felt the sharp inhale he took against your skin.

But you didn’t move away. Neither did he.

“I know," he murmured. He didn’t argue. Didn’t try to make excuses. He just held you.

You swallowed hard, fingers gripping the lapels of his suit. “I understand you more than you think."

A breath passed between you, thick with everything unsaid.

Slowly, hesitantly, he pulled back just enough to look at you, his hands moving from your back to cup your face. His thumbs brushed over your cheeks, wiping away the tear-streaked trails, smearing the black mascara that had run down your skin more than before.

His hands were shaking.

His fingers, stained with the remnants of your pain, trembled as they held you.

But he didn’t stop.

“You do?" His voice was so quiet, so uncertain, it almost broke you all over again.

You nodded. Because you did. You understood.

You had always known Sunghoon was never just the eldest son of his family, never just the heir, never just the perfect pureblooded Alpha everyone expected him to be. He carried burdens he never spoke of, expectations that weighed him down like chains.

And you understood now, you understood that loving you, wanting you, was the one thing he had never been taught how to handle.

Sunghoon exhaled sharply, his forehead nearly knocking against yours as he leaned closer, the warmth of his breath fanning across your lips.

“Can I kiss you?”

The words sent a violent shudder down your spine. Your breath caught, your heart twisting painfully in your chest.

Because this moment, this hesitation, this vulnerability in his voice—was not the Sunghoon everyone else knew.

This was the boy who had spent so long running. This was the boy who had finally stopped.

“It doesn’t mean you’re forgiven,” you murmured, even as your fingers curled against his chest.

For the first time that night, Sunghoon laughed. Soft. Shaky. Breathless. But real.

“I know,” he whispered, and then, slowly, finally, he closed the distance.

His lips met yours, and the world stopped spinning.

The first press of his lips was soft, like he was still afraid, still unsure if he deserved this, deserved you.

But then you exhaled against his mouth, a shaky breath that tasted like surrender, and something inside him snapped. The hesitation was gone.

Sunghoon’s hands, still cupping your face, tilted your head just enough for him to deepen the kiss, his lips moving against yours with a hunger that bordered on desperation. His body caged you in, pressing you against the cool wall behind you, but all you could feel was him—his warmth, his scent, his everything—surrounding you, consuming you.

His grip tightened. One hand slid down, fingers grazing your jaw, your throat, before curling around the small of your back and pulling you in.

Closer. Not close enough.

A small gasp escaped you, and Sunghoon swallowed it, exhaling a sharp breath against your mouth before chasing your lips again. His movements were rougher now, more frantic, like he was trying to pour every unspoken word, every regret, every missed moment into the kiss.

Like he was trying to prove something. That he was sorry. That he wanted you. That he needed you.

His other hand tangled in your hair, tilting your face up further, deepening the kiss until you felt dizzy, breathless—like you were floating, like you were falling.

And god, maybe you were. Maybe you had been all this time.

Your fingers fisted his suit, clinging to him. His lips, now hot and insistent, barely gave you a second to breathe—like he was terrified that if he pulled away, even for a moment, you’d disappear.

But you weren’t going anywhere.

You melted into him, letting yourself get lost in the moment, in the way his body trembled against yours, in the quiet, choked noise he made when your fingers finally, finally slid up to his hair.

It was intoxicating—the way he kissed you—like he was trying to make up for every second he had wasted, every touch he had denied himself, every moment he had spent pretending he didn’t want this.

Didn’t want you.

Your lungs burned, your heart pounded, and yet neither of you pulled away, unwilling to break whatever fragile, breathless thing had formed between you.

Sunghoon made a strangled noise against your lips before reluctantly—so reluctantly—he tore himself away just enough to rest his forehead against yours, his breath ragged, his lips red and swollen.

His eyes, dark and dazed, fluttered open to meet yours.

And then, barely above a whisper, voice wrecked, he murmured,

“Stay.”

A single word, but it held everything. A plea. A confession. A promise wrapped in desperation.

Your fingers tightened in his suit. “I’m not going anywhere, Sunghoon.” Your voice was steady, but thick with emotion. “Even when you push me away. Even when you try to pretend I don’t exist.”

His hands, still cupping your face, trembled. “Never again.” It came out like a vow. Like a prayer.

His thumbs brushed over your damp cheeks, smearing what remained of your ruined mascara. His grip on you didn’t loosen—if anything, he pressed his forehead against yours, inhaling deeply, as if he was making sure you were real.

The silence stretched between you, heavy, but not suffocating. Not anymore. Then, suddenly, he straightens—“We need to fix you up.”

You blinked. “What?”

Sunghoon pulled back slightly, scanning your face, your tear-streaked cheeks, the smudges of black under your eyes. Then, without another word, his fingers curled around your wrist, tugging you toward the restrooms.

“The female restroom is that way,” you pointed out, confused.

“I know.”

Your steps faltered. “You’re not allowed in there.”

Sunghoon scoffed, barely sparing you a glance. “As if I’m letting you out of my sight again.”

Your heart flipped.

Before you could protest, he pushed open the door, dragging you inside with him. The moment it clicked shut, he turned to you. “Up.”

You blinked. “What?”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes before gripping your waist and lifting you effortlessly, placing you onto the cool marble counter like you weighed nothing.

You gasped. “Sunghoon—”

But he was already turning to the faucet, pulling a Dior handkerchief from his pocket. You watched, breath caught in your throat, as he ran it under the water, fingers tightening around the fine cloth.

And then, with the utmost care, he turned back to you.

Your knees brushed as he stepped between your legs, his touch impossibly gentle as he cupped your face, tilting it slightly. The wet fabric pressed against your cheek, cool against your overheated skin, and Sunghoon—god, Sunghoon—wiped at the tear stains, the smudged makeup, his fingers brushing over your skin like he was handling something fragile.

Something precious.

You couldn’t stop staring.

The way his brows furrowed in concentration. The way his jaw clenched whenever he came across a particularly stubborn stain. The way his lips pressed together—like he was trying to hold back words he wasn’t ready to say.

The way he touched you. Like you were his. Like you had always been his.

Your heart pounded against your ribs.

And when he finally, finally met your gaze again, his own eyes filled with something unreadable—something raw—you realized, with stunning clarity, that you had never really stood a chance against Park Sunghoon.

Not then. Not now. Not ever.

A shaky exhale left your lips.

He was still staring at you, drinking in every detail, like he was memorizing the way you looked, the way your lashes trembled, the way your lips parted as if you had something to say but didn’t know how.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” His voice was quieter than usual, but the tease was still there, laced with something softer.

You blinked, startled, feeling heat creep up your cheeks. “What?”

His lips curled slightly, but there was something about his smirk—something less sharp, less guarded. Something that made your pulse stutter. “You were staring.”

Your stomach twisted. Of course, he would notice. Your first instinct was to scoff, to roll your eyes, to dismiss it like you always did—but before you could, you felt it. The shift.

Your scent spiked—not in distress, not in discomfort, but in something else. Something sweeter.

The scent of honey and lilacs curled around him, delicate yet intoxicating, a confession wrapped in something neither of you had the words to say.

Sunghoon inhaled. Slowly. Deliberately.

His lashes fluttered for the briefest second, his fingers tightening just slightly around yours, before his smirk faded entirely.

And then, wordlessly, he leaned in.

He didn’t hesitate. Didn’t second-guess.

His lips found your forehead, pressing into your skin with the kind of tenderness that made your breath catch in your throat.

And he stayed there. Lingering. Savoring.

His breath was warm, brushing against your temple, the tip of his nose barely grazing your hairline.

You didn’t move. Couldn’t.

His thumb brushed over your cheek, the corner of his lips twitching slightly. “Come on,” he murmured, voice still hoarse.

You barely had time to process it before he moved, guiding you off the counter with his hands firm at your waist, catching you when your balance faltered.

But he didn’t step away. Didn’t loosen his grip.

Instead, his fingers threaded through yours, locking them in place as if letting go was never an option. You blinked up at him, breath uneven.

“You ready?” His voice was quieter now, softer in a way that made your breath hitch.

You swallowed, throat tight. Then slowly, you nodded. And just like that, he pulled you with him. Hand in hand.

The warmth of his palm was steady against yours, fingers locked. It wasn’t just an absentminded touch, wasn’t something he would let go of the second someone looked too long.

No, this was different. This was him choosing you. Claiming you as his mate. And the second you stepped out, the change in the atmosphere was immediate.

Silence. Then whispers. A sea of murmurs spread through the ballroom like wildfire, voices hushed yet urgent, their curiosity thick enough to suffocate.

Heads turned, eyes widened, people stared.

Alphas. Betas. Omegas.

They looked, and looked, and looked. Their shock crackled through the air like static electricity, palpable in every held breath, every barely concealed gasp, every sharp glance exchanged between one another.

You could feel their questions hanging in the air, unspoken yet deafening. Was this real? When did this happen? How did this happen?

Their gazes burned into your skin—some filled with intrigue, others laced with disbelief, and a few even brimming with something close to envy.

Because this wasn’t just anyone walking out of a room hand in hand with Park Sunghoon. This was you. And Sunghoon? He didn’t even blink.

He didn’t falter under the weight of their stares, didn’t acknowledge the whispers that carried his name in hushed, scandalized tones.

No, he just walked.

Back straight, shoulders squared, head held high. As if this had been the plan all along. As if this was exactly where he was supposed to be. And with every step forward, the hushed murmurs only grew.

Some Alphas scoffed—exchanging skeptical glances—as if trying to convince themselves they weren’t impressed. Some Omegas straightened, eyes wide with a mix of admiration and disbelief. Others, Betas included, simply watched, unable to look away, their expressions unreadable.

But none of them mattered. Not to you. Not to him.

Sunghoon’s grip on you remained firm, and even as the weight of the room threatened to crush you—even as the world outside of this moment blurred into nothing but an afterthought—one thing became blindingly clear.

You weren’t walking behind him. You weren’t trailing after him, waiting for him to decide when to let go.

No, you were right there, beside him. Right where he wanted you to be. And for the first time in a long, long time, you weren’t afraid to be seen.

Sunghoon shot a smirk over his shoulder before tugging you even closer, his grip on your waist effortlessly firm. Your hands barely had time to react before his fingers slipped from yours—only to be replaced by the steady warmth of his palm pressing against the curve of your hip.

The moment you reached their designated table, all conversation died. The six boys stared, mouths slightly open, like they had collectively short-circuited.

“What the fuck?”

The words came from Sunoo, cutting through the silence. He blinked once. Twice. Then leaned back in his chair, hand over his chest like he had just witnessed a crime.

For a second, nobody spoke. Then, slowly, as if processing what he had just seen, Sunoo exhaled and shook his head in mock devastation.

“I feel like a proud dad,” he said, voice thick with fake emotion. “My boy finally grew a pair.”

Jake choked on his drink. Jay slapped the table. Ni-ki let out an actual wheeze, gripping his stomach like he physically couldn’t handle it.

Meanwhile, Sunghoon just sighed, clearly regretting every life choice that had led to this moment.

“Shut up,” he muttered, shoving Sunoo’s chair with his foot.

“Oh no, no, no,” Sunoo replied, shaking his head. “You don’t get to shut me up after making us sit through weeks of your bullshit. You brooded for so long.”

“You were insufferable,” Heeseung chimed in, still recovering from his initial shock.

“Actually unbearable,” Jake added.

Ni-ki snickered, nudging Jungwon. “Tell me I’m lying.”

Jungwon exhaled through his nose and pinched the bridge of it, like he was physically restraining himself from joining in. Instead, he turned to you.

“I respect you so much,” he said seriously, nodding. “For putting up with this.”

You smiled awkwardly at first, not really sure what to say. But then you caught the way they all looked at you—not like a stranger, not even like someone new. No, they knew you. Maybe not personally, but definitely through him.

Sunghoon had been avoiding his feelings, but he hadn't been quiet about them, either.

“I wouldn’t say patient,” you admitted, finally finding your words. “I just… didn’t want to force anything.”

Jay clicked his tongue, shooting Sunghoon a look. “You’re lucky she even gave you that chance, man.”

Jake leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “You do realize you can’t run forever, right?”

Sunghoon groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “I wasn’t running.”

“Bro, you practically had track shoes on,” Ni-ki deadpanned.

Heeseung smirked. “But at least you were smart enough to stop and follow.”

Just as Sunghoon was about to retort, a flurry of movement caught everyone’s attention.

Across the room, Sunghoon’s sister, along with Heeseung’s mate and Jungwon’s mate, almost ran over to you, practically shoving through the crowd. Sunghoon barely had time to react before his sister skidded to a stop in front of the table, eyes blown wide.

“When did this happen?!” she demanded, breathless.

You blinked. “Uh… a few minutes ago?”

A sharp gasp.

“Oh my god,” Heeseung’s mate clutched his arm, her face pale as if she might actually pass out.

Heeseung sighed and started fanning her with his hand. “Breathe, babe. Breathe. You knew this would happen eventually.”

“Did I? Did I really?” she shot back, eyes still locked on you and Sunghoon like she was watching the finale of a long-running drama.

Jungwon’s mate wasn’t any better. She was bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet, excitement thrumming through her whole body. Jungwon, ever the responsible one, subtly reached over and stole her champagne glass before she could drop it.

“This is insane,” she whispered, eyes wide. “Like, historical. I need a moment.”

But while that mess was happening, Sunghoon’s sister was not celebrating the way the others were. No, she was glaring directly at Sunghoon, hands on her hips, looking like she was about to throw hands.

“You—” she started, voice rising.

Before she could even think about launching herself at her brother, Sunoo—who, unfortunately for Sunghoon, also happened to be her mate—stood up and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back.

“Alright, alright, let’s not start a scene, love,” he said smoothly, voice light but firm.

She squirmed against his hold. “I just want to talk to him—”

“Liar,” Sunoo deadpanned.

“Park Sunghoon, you forced the poor omega to accept you as your mate, didn’t you?” she accused, jabbing a finger in his direction.

Sunghoon blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah! You probably made (Y/N) feel like she had to accept you just because you’re all high and mighty—”

Sunoo sighed and pulled her back against his chest, locking both arms around her now. “Hoon, just let her get it out of her system. She’s been waiting for this day for too long.”

You stifled a laugh, shaking your head. “I actually said yes willingly, if that helps.”

Sunghoon’s sister froze. “You did? Like… willingly-willingly?”

“Willingly-willingly,” you confirmed, amused.

She blinked. Then sighed dramatically, leaning into Sunoo’s hold. “Well… okay. But if he screws this up, I will come for him.”

“Noted,” Sunghoon muttered.

Sunoo patted her head like she was an over-excited puppy. “There, there. You’ll survive this.”

Sunoo shot Sunghoon a smirk over her shoulder. “But man, you’re never living this down.”

Sunghoon groaned. “I hate all of you.”

Jay grinned, raising his glass. “Love you too, man.”

Sunghoon let out another sigh, but despite his grumbling, his hold on you was steady as he guided you toward an empty seat.

With ease, he pulled the chair out for you and waited until you sat down before moving to adjust the trail of your gown, making sure it was neatly tucked away so no one—especially him—would step on it.

The entire table had fallen eerily quiet.

It wasn’t an awkward silence. It was the kind of silence that felt like everyone was holding their breath, watching something unfold before them in real time, something they never thought they’d actually witness.

Even as Sunghoon straightened up, his focus remained on you. His eyes scanned your face with the same attention he always gave to important things, searching for anything he might’ve missed.

Apparently, he had missed something.

Without a word, he reached out, the pad of his thumb brushing against the edge of your eye, carefully swiping away the faintest smudge of mascara that had escaped his first attempt.

Your breath hitched.

But the Alpha wasn’t done.

Satisfied with his work, his fingers barely hesitated before they moved to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, letting his knuckles graze your cheek ever so slightly. The touch was brief, but it was enough to send a wave of heat rushing to your face.

You swallowed, pulse slightly unsteady, but managed to send him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

Sunghoon hummed in acknowledgment, seemingly unaffected by the entire exchange as he finally settled into his own seat.

He exhaled, relaxed for the first time that night, before slinging an arm around the back of your chair—or maybe it was your waist, you weren’t even sure anymore. His fingers brushed against your side absentmindedly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And yet, the silence remained.

It was as if the group wanted to soak it in, to relish what they had just witnessed before fully reacting.

“I know they’re fated mates and all that,” Ni-ki mumbled, voice tinged with disbelief. “But this is shocking.”

“Right?” Jay breathed out.

“I never thought I’d live to see Sunghoon be so…” Jake trailed off, gesturing vaguely in Sunghoon’s direction.

“Domestic?” Heeseung guessed.

“Whipped,” Sunoo corrected.

Sunghoon let out a long, suffering sigh, tilting his head back against his chair. “Can you all just shut up?”

“Fuck no,” Sunoo said, smirking. “We’re never shutting up about this.”

Jake lifted his glass in mock toast. “To Sunghoon, for finally pulling his head out of his ass.”

Ni-ki followed suit, raising his drink with a grin. “To (Y/N) for somehow handling his brooding for weeks and still willingly agreeing to be his mate.”

Sunghoon groaned, muttering curses under his breath, but his arm around you didn't move.

As the evening stretched on, your table of eleven had finally started to settle. The once chaotic energy mellowed into something softer—comfortable, easy.

Some of the boys were a little tipsy, their words slurring as they tried to argue over something completely irrelevant. Others remained to themselves, quietly nursing their drinks, letting the night wind down at its own pace.

But Sunghoon? Sunghoon was right beside you.

His arm had never left your waist, fingers idly tracing patterns against the fabric of your gown as if he needed the reminder that this was real. His other hand was laced with yours, his grip firm.

He held you like he wasn’t planning to let go anytime soon. And the scent—his scent, coffee and leather tinged with a lingering warmth—wrapped around you, mixing with your own like they belonged together.

You let yourself relax, melting into his hold as the voices around you became distant background noise. Sunghoon exhaled softly, shifting just a bit so he could rest his chin against the side of your head. It wasn’t something anyone else would really notice, but you did. You noticed the way his thumb brushed against your knuckles, the way his heartbeat was steady and slow against your back.

The rest of the table was lost in their own little worlds, some caught in their own quiet moments with their mates, others too caught up in conversation to pay attention.

Heeseung sat comfortably with his mate curled up against him, her head resting against his shoulder as he absentmindedly played with her fingers, their hands intertwined.

Jungwon was just as affectionate, his mate tucked against his side as he nursed a drink in his free hand. Unlike Heeseung, whose touches were slow and casual, Jungwon was openly doting, reaching up every so often to tuck a stray hair behind her ear or brush a kiss against her temple.

Sunoo, of course, was a little more dramatic with his affection. His mate—Sunghoon’s sister—had been sulking in his arms for the past several hours, still processing the events of the night. He cradled her easily, stroking a soothing hand over her hair as she grumbled into his chest.

“I just wasn’t prepared, okay?” she whined, her voice muffled. “This all happened so fast.”

Sunoo hummed, ever patient.

“You don’t understand.”

“I do, though.”

“No, you don’t.”

Sunoo rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss against the top of her head. “Fine, you win. I don’t.”

Meanwhile, Ni-ki was watching everything unfold like it was his own personal drama series. His eyes darted between all the couples, mouth slightly open in exaggerated disbelief. “Damn couples,” he muttered, half to himself, half to Jake, who only chuckled.

Sunghoon straightened, rolling his eyes. “Can I have a moment?”

“No,” Sunoo deadpanned, still holding Sunghoon’s sister against his chest. “You wasted weeks brooding. This is our moment too.”

Jake let out a loud laugh. “Yeah, man, we had to sit through so much.”

“I still have secondhand trauma,” Heeseung added.

Jungwon stole the champagne glass from his mate’s hand as he nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, you just buried your face in your free hand, overwhelmed but undeniably warm inside. But before you could even fully process it, you felt his eyes on you, watching the way you tried to hide your flustered expression.

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, and before you could react, he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just for you. “You better get used to this,” he murmured, “because you’re gonna hear a lot more of this for a very long time.”

A very long time.

Forever felt like such a long time, but maybe it was worth it when you finally had your Alpha within arm’s reach.

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Jake had been careful.

Or at least, he thought he had.

But apparently, not careful enough.

Because the second he smelled it—them, it was already too late.

Jake’s body tensed, his nose twitched, and his fingers flexed against the back of the bench. The comfortable warmth of your scent was suddenly invaded, drowned out by something else.

Jake inhaled once again, and immediately regretted it.

The sharp mix of scents crashed into him all at once; strong and entirely too familiar. His grip on the bench tightened as his mind registered what this meant, who this meant.

He didn’t need to raise his head up. He already knew.

A few feet away, a cluster of figures stood at the entrance of the parking lot, their presence thick in the air. Pureblooded alphas and omegas: his friends. His pack.

Jake exhaled slowly through his nose, forcing his shoulders to relax, but it was no use. The warmth of your scent had been his safe haven for weeks, and now it was being suffocated under the weight of theirs.

He could feel the way you stilled beside him, your fingers subtly tightening around the edge of your book. You felt it too.

The realization settled in your chest like a stone.

You could feel their eyes now. The weight of their stares pressing in, a mix of emotions swirling between them: amusement, curiosity, suspicion.

Jungwon and his mate, Heeseung and his mate, Sunghoon and his mate, Sunoo and his mate. Jay and Ni-ki. All of them.

You swallowed, glancing at Jake, only to find his gaze locked straight ahead, jaw clenched. “Jake?” you whispered.

He didn’t respond.

But he did look at you. His golden-brown eyes met yours, flickering with something unreadable, it was heavy, waiting.

That silence stretched too long, and your heart started to pound. Instinct took over before you could stop yourself. “Alpha?” you murmured, softer this time, almost hesitant.

That snapped him out of it.

His shoulders eased just a fraction, his fingers flexing against the wood of the bench before he sighed. His head tilted ever so slightly, lips brushing against the shell of your ear as he murmured, “Do you wanna meet them?”

Your breath hitched.

He was waiting. Waiting for your response.

It was as if nothing else existed in that moment but the space between you and him. Not the weight of the stares boring into your back, not the amusement in Sunghoon’s smirk, not the knowing gleam in Jay’s eyes. Just Jake. Just his question.

And when you gave the smallest nod, Jake didn’t hesitate.

With ease, he reached for your things, moving as if he had done it a thousand times before. His hands brushed against yours as he fixed your books, slipping them into your bag before slinging it over his shoulder. Then, in one smooth motion, he reached for his own.

Two bags. One on each shoulder.

The sight of it sent something warm and electric through your veins. It was such a simple thing, such an Alpha thing, but your inner omega reacted instantly, curling with satisfaction, swooning.

And the worst part?

Despite the situation, despite the fact that all of your friends had just caught Jake ditching them for you—you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

Jake took slow steps forward, as if still assessing the situation. His grip on your bag tightened for a moment before loosening, his gaze flickering between you and the group still watching from a few feet away.

And then—he caught it, the slightest shift in your scent.

It was subtle, barely noticeable to anyone else, but to him? It was everything.

The hesitance. The nerves. The way your omega fluttered beneath the surface, not just from the weight of their stares but from him.

And just like that, Jake didn’t hesitate.

His free hand dropped from your bag strap, fingers brushing against yours for only a second before he took your hand fully, intertwining them without a second thought.

Your breath hitched. Your head snapped up to look at him, but he wasn’t fazed at all.

Jake gave your hand a single, reassuring squeeze. Then, in a voice just above a whisper—low and teasing, meant only for you; he murmured, “How fucking unbearable are they about to be?”

Your lips parted, a small, nervous laugh tumbled past your lips. “Very unbearable.”

The silence that followed was almost deafening.

You could feel it, the weight of their stares, the unspoken words pressing into your back.

Jake, in true Jake fashion, pretended not to notice. Or maybe he just didn’t care.

His grip on your hand didn’t loosen, his fingers still intertwined with yours like he had no plans of letting go anytime soon. His strides were slow, deliberate, like he had all the time in the world. But you weren’t fooled.

He was stalling.

And then—

“Sim Jaeyun, you absolute menace.”

Jay’s voice rang through the air, and the exasperation in it was so familiar, so expected, that you almost laughed.

Almost.

Jake finally stopped walking, letting out a slow, drawn-out sigh before finally, finally turning to face the group. Still holding your hand.

And as expected—they were all staring.

All of them.

Sunghoon had his arms crossed, unimpressed but unsurprised, Jungwon looked beyond entertained, Sunoo was clutching Heeseung’s arm in excitement, and Ni-ki? Ni-ki had his phone out.

“Not a word.” Jake pointed a warning finger at them, but it only made Sunoo’s grin widen.

“Aww, but Jakey—”

“Not. A. Word.”

You felt the second Ni-ki snapped a picture.

Jake groaned, running a hand down his face. “I hate all of you.”

Jay scoffed. “Clearly not as much as you love disappearing on us.”

“Correction.” Sunghoon lifted a finger. “Disappearing on us for the love of his life.”

Jake gave him a flat look. “Wow, thanks for that. Really needed the clarification.”

“Oh, don’t mind us,” Jungwon added, voice dripping with amusement. “We’re just catching up with our dear council secretary. You know, since he’s been avoiding his actual responsibilities.”

“Responsibilities?” Jake echoed, feigning confusion. He squeezed your hand lightly before flashing his signature, lazy grin. “I don’t know, I think I’ve been pretty responsible.”

Jungwon blinked. Then, he laughed.

It was slow, knowing, and full of amusement.

Because it was true.

Because even when he was ditching them, Jake had still been keeping everything in order. Still answering emails, still approving proposals, still handling every little thing he needed to.

He just… hadn’t been doing it in person.

“Do you know what I had to suffer through today, Sim?” Sunghoon cut him his thoughts, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. “Coach absolutely wrecked me on the field. Do you know why?” He paused for effect. “Because my dear best friend, my beloved council secretary, my alpha packmate—left me to die.”

Jake sighed. “Sunghoon—”

“Left. Me. To. Die.”

“You weren’t even there on time.”

“That’s not the point!” Sunghoon threw his hands up. “I had to run extra laps alone! Do you know how humiliating it is to be the only one doing laps while everyone else is just standing there watching?”

Jungwon nodded sagely. “That does sound tragic.”

“Oh, utterly devastating.” Sunoo pressed a hand to his chest. “Poor Sunghoon. Abandoned. Betrayed.”

Sunghoon clicked his tongue. “Exactly. And for what? For you to come running to your omega?”

That did it. You finally laughed, the sound slipping out before you could stop it.

Jake blinked. Then smirked. “Sounds like a pretty good reason to me.”

Sunghoon’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”

Ni-ki burst out laughing. “Dude, he didn’t even hesitate.”

Jungwon chuckled. “Man knows his priorities.”

Jay exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”

Jake only smirked, shrugging. “I do my best.”

Then, before anyone else could add more, he cleared his throat, straightening up.

“Alright,” he said, voice cutting through the noise. “Since you guys are so invested in my love life—”

“Secret love life.” Heeseung corrected.

Jake ignored him.

“—I might as well make this official,” he finished, then turned to you, his gaze softening. “(Y/N), meet my incredibly nosy, insufferable friends.”

Sunoo gasped. “Did you just call us insufferable?”

Jake smirked. “You deserved that one.”

Before anyone else could chime in, Heeseung’s mate stepped forward, looking straight at you with a knowing smile.

“Oh, we know her,” she said, and then—“More than you do.”

Jake blinked, brows furrowing. “What?”

Before you could even begin to explain, Jungwon’s mate tilted her head, grinning.

“This little missy’s been hiding a lot from us these past few weeks,” she teased, crossing her arms. “I’m honestly impressed we didn’t figure it out sooner.”

Jake turned to you, eyes narrowing. “You’ve been hiding from them?”

Your face warmed, but you squared your shoulders, pursing your lips. “…Maybe.”

“Oh, my God.” Sunoo'smate looked delighted. “So this was a two-way sneaking-around situation? Adorable.”

And then—before you could react, Sunghoon’s mate and Sunoo's mate were suddenly at your side, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Finally! A new friend!” Sunghoon’s mate beamed.

“Oh, this is gonna be so fun!” Sunoo's mate added, already looping her arm through yours. “We have so much to talk about.”

Jake frowned, pulling you back toward him. “Okay, can we all calm down?”

Jungwon's mate smirked. “What’s wrong, Sim? Afraid we’ll steal your girl?”

Jake glared. “We’re not even official yet.”

Silence.

And then—

Laughter.

Full, unrestrained, absolutely merciless laughter.

“Oh, honey.” Heeseung’s mate patted your arm, smiling fondly. “You’re already one of us.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jungwon waved Jake off. “Technicalities, technicalities. It’s basically official.”

Jake shook his head. “You guys are ridiculous.”

Heeseung shrugged. “And you’re in love.”

Jake froze.

And then—he scoffed.

But he didn’t deny it.

The low purr of the engine filled the space between you, steady and smooth as Jake effortlessly navigated the road. The once playful energy that surrounded you both earlier had shifted into something quieter, softer.

The streetlights flickered past in a golden blur, casting fleeting glows over his face. Sharp jaw, slightly tousled hair, the relaxed curve of his mouth.

And his hand; still warm against yours. Still holding on.

Not like before, when it had been a casual, almost unconscious gesture.

No, this was different, this was intentional.

Jake was driving with one hand, his other still intertwined with yours, resting against the center console like it belonged there. And maybe… maybe it did.

“You good?” His voice broke the comfortable silence, gentle but teasing. “You’ve been staring at me for a while now, sweetheart.”

Your eyes widened slightly. “I have not.”

Jake hummed, clearly amused. “No? Then what were you looking at?”

You huffed, shifting in your seat. “I was just… thinking.”

“About?”

You hesitated. Not because you didn’t want to say it, but because you weren’t sure how to.

Jake, however, wasn’t one for patience. With a slight squeeze of your hand, he coaxed, “Come on, pretty girl. Let me in.”

You exhaled, fingers tightening around his. “Just… your friends.”

Jake clicked his tongue. “Ah. Yeah. Them.”

You laughed softly. “You make it sound like they’re the problem.”

“Well, they are,” he said, grinning. “Did you see the way Sunghoon was looking at me? I swear he was two seconds away from kicking my ass.”

You rolled your eyes. “It’s because you ditched him on the field, Jake.”

“For a very valid reason,” he defended, tapping his thumb against your skin absentmindedly. “I mean, come on, what’s more important? A stupid practice game or my favorite omega?”

Your breath hitched. Just a little.

But he noticed, and that cocky little smirk of his deepened.

“Jake,” you warned.

“What?” He feigned innocence. “I’m just saying. If you were me, wouldn’t you choose the same?”

You gave him a look, but your silence spoke volumes.

Jake chuckled. “That’s what I thought.”

Another beat of silence. Another flicker of golden light over his skin.

Then—

“You know, they really like you,” Jake murmured, a bit more serious now. “Even if they’re insufferable.”

Your chest tightened at the sincerity in his voice, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He glanced at you briefly, his gaze softer than you’d ever seen it. “So, I hope they didn’t overwhelm you too much. I know they can be a lot.”

You smiled. “It was… a lot. But not in a bad way.”

Jake’s fingers flexed slightly around yours, like he liked that answer.

“Good.”

The car slowed as he pulled up in front of your place, but neither of you made a move to get out just yet.

The street was quiet. The world felt small.

And Jake? He looked too damn good in the dim light, one hand on the wheel, the other still tangled with yours.

Jake’s foot eased off the gas the moment you passed through the large iron gates. The car rolled forward at a slower, almost leisurely pace as the long, luxurious road stretched out before you, lined with towering trees and carefully maintained flora. The headlights cast soft glows along the stone pathway, painting the scenery in warm, golden hues.

He was stalling, you could tell.

The way his fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel, the way his other hand, still holding yours, tightened just the slightest bit.

Sim Jaeyun was never the nervous type. He was always so sure of himself, so effortlessly confident. But right now? With the way he exhaled softly, the way his jaw tensed and relaxed in quick succession, you knew.

Something was coming.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” Jake murmured, eyes flickering briefly to you before settling back on the road.

You tilted your head, watching him carefully. “Thinking about what?”

He let out a quiet chuckle. “You.”

Your breath hitched, and he noticed—of course, he did.

Jake glanced at you again, this time longer, like he wanted to see your reaction. Then, with a soft squeeze of your hand, he continued.

“I didn’t think it’d happen like this.” He exhaled, shaking his head lightly. “I didn’t think we would happen like this. But then I started spending more time with you. Started prioritizing you over things I never thought I’d neglect.” He clicked his tongue. “And the thing is, sweetheart? I didn’t even care.”

His grip on the wheel tightened, his thumb brushing absently over your knuckles.

“I didn’t care that I was missing out on game nights, that I wasn’t showing up to practice as much, that I was skipping out on meetings.” His voice softened. “Because I was with you. And that always felt more important.”

Your heart pounded so loudly in your chest, you were surprised he didn’t comment on it.

Jake kept talking, his voice quieter now, like he was letting you in on a secret.

“And I tried,” he admitted, shaking his head with a small, breathy laugh. “God, I tried to be subtle about it. But the guys caught on. Hell, everyone caught on before I even did.”

Your stomach flipped. “Jake…”

He turned his head fully now, his dark eyes locking onto yours. And the intensity in them? It froze you in place.

“I want you, (Y/N).”

Your breath caught.

“I want to court you. Properly. Not just as Jake, your annoying escape from reality, not just as your friend.” He turned his palm up, allowing you to tangle your fingers with his if you wanted to. “I want to court you as your Alpha. As your mate, if you’ll let me.”

Silence.

The kind that hung heavy, filled with something more.

The car rolled to a stop at the grand entrance of your home, the world around you completely still, yet your mind spun.

Because Sim Jaeyun, the big bad council secretary, the golden boy who had it all—was offering himself to you.

Entirely.

Completely.

You stared at him, your lips parting slightly, and Jake—he waited.

No teasing remark, no smug smirk, no impatience.

Just… waiting, waiting for you, waiting for your answer.

Jake’s grip on the wheel tightened, his other hand still wrapped around yours. He hadn’t let go once. Not in the library. Not in front of his friends. Not even now.

And yet, there was hesitation in his touch.

“I meant what I said,” he finally broke the silence, voice lower now, more careful. “I want to do this right.”

You swallowed, fingers twitching slightly against his. He noticed.

“I want to court you,” he repeated, slower this time, like each word was deliberate, like they carried more weight than he knew how to handle. His thumb brushed over the back of your hand. “Not because I think I should. Not because of some expectation. But because it’s you.”

The car rolled to a stop at the base of your driveway, the soft hum of the engine lingering between you. His gaze never wavered.

“You don’t have to give me an answer now,” he added, quieter. “I just… I needed you to know. I needed to say it.”

The way he said it, like it was inevitable. Like it didn’t matter how long it took, because he had already made his choice.

He had chosen you.

And he was just waiting for you to choose him back.

Your breath hitched.

Jake exhaled a small laugh, shaking his head as he glanced down at your joined hands. “God, I thought I’d be good at this,” he admitted. “I thought I’d know exactly what to say, exactly how to make this sound… less terrifying.”

Your heart squeezed.

Sim Jaeyun, the ever-composed, ever-effortless Alpha—was terrified.

Because for the first time, he was giving someone the chance to say no.

And yet, he was still here. Still holding on.

Still waiting.

And maybe it was the sincerity in his voice. Maybe it was the way his fingers curled just slightly around yours, like he was memorizing the shape of them. Maybe it was the fact that deep down, you already knew your answer.

You squeezed his hand back.

Jake inhaled sharply, his entire body going still.

You didn’t let him wait any longer.

“Yes.”

His breath left him in a quiet rush, like he hadn’t realized he’d been holding it. “Yes?”

You nodded, biting down the smile threatening to break through. “Yes, Jake.”

And just like that—just like that—Jake Sim, the Alpha who had spent his life in perfect control, the student council secretary who had built his world around responsibilities and expectations, broke.

Not in the way that meant ruin, but in the way that meant relief.

Because for the first time, he wasn’t standing at the top alone.

He had you, and he wasn’t letting go, but even then, he still couldn’t believe it.

Jake let out something between a breath and a laugh, but it was unsteady, like he was struggling to ground himself. He shook his head, giving your hand a small tug before turning fully in his seat to face you.

“Wait—wait, say it again.” His voice was rushed, almost urgent, like he needed to hear it one more time just to be sure. “You actually—” He broke off, exhaling sharply before letting out a breathless laugh. “You actually said yes?”

Your chest ached in the best way possible.

“I did say yes,” you repeated, slow and teasing, and his grip on your hand only tightened.

Jake exhaled another stunned laugh, tilting his head back against the seat before running a hand through his hair. His fingers curled slightly, like he didn’t know whether to laugh or bury his face in his hands.

“Holy shit,” he muttered under his breath. “Holy shit.”

And you would’ve laughed, would’ve teased him for how utterly shaken he sounded, but then he was leaning in, forehead resting lightly against yours, his breath fanning over your lips.

“I don’t think you get it,” he murmured, voice softer now, a little more vulnerable. “I was prepared to wait. I was ready to wait as long as it took.” His fingers curled around your wrist, grounding himself in the warmth of your skin. “But then you just—” He broke off, exhaling a sharp breath, “—you just said yes like it was the easiest thing in the world.”

Your heart swelled.

“It was the easiest thing in the world,” you whispered.

Jake let out a small, disbelieving laugh, shaking his head again.

And then, he pulled you in.

Not for a kiss.

Not yet.

But just close enough that you could hear his heartbeat pounding against his ribs, just close enough that you knew, he was yours now.

Then—

The sound of the big white wooden doors opening snapped the both of you back to reality.

Jake didn’t hurry, didn’t jolt or stiffen or scramble like he’d been caught red-handed.

No, he just let out a soft chuckle, low and fond, before he begrudgingly, slowly—let go of your hand. The warmth of his palm lingered against your skin, even as he pulled away to step out of the car.

You barely had time to process the rush of cool air in his absence before he was rounding the front of his sleek black sports car, movements unhurried, like he had all the time in the world.

Your door opened with a soft click, and there he was, standing before you, effortlessly illuminated by the warm glow of the driveway lights.

His eyes met yours as he extended a hand, palm up, waiting.

You slipped your fingers into his grasp without hesitation.

Jake gave the slightest squeeze before helping you out of the car.

And then, wordlessly, he ducked down, reaching inside for your bag, as if it were second nature, like it was obvious that he’d be the one carrying it. The sight of him, tall and broad, in his neatly pressed uniform, standing against the quiet of the night with your belongings in his hands; something about it felt so… domestic.

Before you could say anything, he grabbed something else, his discarded school blazer, which had been tossed carelessly onto the passenger seat earlier.

Jake straightened, holding both items with ease before turning back to you.

Then—he held his blazer out, shaking it slightly, like an unspoken invitation.

You hesitated, glancing up at him.

Jake cocked an eyebrow. “Take it.”

You bit the inside of your cheek but complied, reaching out to grasp the familiar fabric, feeling the weight of him lingering in it.

The scent—his scent—was everywhere.

And then, in an almost perfect, synchronized motion, your hands reached up to your own blazer, still snugly draped over your shoulders. You slipped it off, folding it neatly before handing it over to him.

Jake blinked once. Then twice.

His lips twitched.

“Can’t let me go without a properly scented item too, yeah?” he mused, voice laced with something teasing but sincere.

You rolled your eyes, but the heat rising to your cheeks betrayed you.

Jake didn’t slip your blazer on, just held it, fingers curling around the soft fabric. Meanwhile, he moved forward slightly, lifting his own blazer before draping it carefully over your shoulders, adjusting the collar just right.

The moment was soft, warm.

And then—

“Ahem.”

A small, quiet cough cut through the thick silence.

Jake froze.

Your heart plummeted.

Slowly—so, so slowly—your heads turned toward the front porch.

There stood your mother.

Still dressed in her business attire from work, a hand perched on her hip, her gaze cool but undeniably amused as she took in the sight before her. The sight of you, bundled in Jake’s blazer, standing just a little too close to him under the soft glow of the peeking moonlight.

Jake straightened. Not stiffly, but… refined. Almost like he was preparing to introduce himself to a superior officer.

Your mom tilted her head, the corners of her lips twitching.

With a quiet, knowing sigh, she muttered, “Young love.”

Your stomach dropped.

Jake exhaled sharply through his nose, half a laugh, half disbelief.

Meanwhile, you, mortified beyond belief—groaned, hiding your face behind your hands.

Jake barely had time to school his expression before your mother took a slow step forward, heels clicking softly against the marble porch floor.

The corners of her lips curled just slightly, not quite a smirk, not quite a smile, just enough to let you know she was enjoying every second of this.

Meanwhile, you were dying.

Young love? Young love? Oh, you were never going to hear the end of this.

Jake, for his part, seemed to recover faster than you. He straightened—not stiffly, but with that effortless poise he always carried himself with. He still held onto your blazer, fingers curled around the soft fabric, like he had no plans of letting go anytime soon.

Your mom’s gaze flickered to the exchanged blazers, the way his sat snugly over your shoulders, the way yours was still resting in his grip.

A knowing glint passed through her eyes.

Then, without hesitation, she turned to Jake and said, “You’re staying for dinner.”

Not a question. Not even a suggestion. A statement.

Jake blinked.

You blinked.

Your jaw nearly dropped.

Your mother simply shrugged, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear as if she hadn’t just casually invited Jake into your home for dinner.

Jake’s lips parted slightly, caught between amusement and surprise, but he recovered quickly. He shifted his hold on your blazer, glanced at you briefly before nodding, effortlessly slipping into that charming, golden boy demeanor of his.

“I’d be honored,” he said smoothly, giving your mother a slight bow of his head.

You groaned under your breath, pressing your fingers against your temples. This was not happening.

Your mother, entirely unbothered, turned her attention back to you.

“(Y/N), dear,” she said airily, clasping her hands together. “Please inform me ahead of time when you're bringing Jaeyun over, yes?”

Jake coughed.

You choked.

Your mom merely smiled.

Jake, to his credit, kept it together. Mostly. He tilted his head, eyes twinkling with barely contained laughter as he leaned slightly in your direction.

“Well?” he mused, voice rich with amusement. “You heard your mom.”

You glared at him.

He grinned.

The warm glow of chandeliers illuminated the grand foyer as you and Jake stepped inside, the scent of freshly prepared dishes wafting through the air.

The moment the doors shut behind you, the sight that greeted Jake was the chefs bustling in the open-concept kitchen, a handful of staff moving seamlessly, plates clinking, and the rich aroma of slow-cooked meats filling the space.

Jake let out a low whistle, eyes flickering over the scene before turning to you. “So… what’s for dinner?”

You snorted. “I don’t know. You’ll find out with the rest of us.”

“Great,” he said, amused. “Love a little mystery in my life.”

Your mom, already slipping into host mode, gave Jake a polite smile before excusing herself toward the kitchen, probably to oversee the final preparations.

Which left the two of you alone.

“Come on,” you said, motioning for him to follow you toward the living room. “Let’s get comfortable before they make us sit through some formal dinner.”

Jake chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets as he trailed behind you. “So, do I sit wherever, or is there some unspoken family hierarchy I need to know about?”

You threw him a look over your shoulder. “You’re fine, golden boy. Just don’t sit in my dad’s chair, unless you have a death wish.”

Jake raised his hands in mock surrender, lips quirking up. “Noted. Avoid the dad throne.”

The two of you settled onto the plush couch, the air shifting into something more relaxed, comfortable. You curled your legs under you, and Jake, ever the gentleman, didn’t immediately invade your space—though the scented blazer still draped over your shoulders said enough about the way he wanted to.

The soft murmur of the staff in the kitchen filled the background.

And then—

A deep, serious voice cut through the space.

Your dad.

Both of you stilled, tuning in as the unmistakable authority in his tone rang clear.

“—If the shipment doesn’t arrive by Friday, I expect a full report by the end of the day. No excuses.”

Jake leaned in slightly, brows lifting, intrigued.

Another pause. Your father’s voice lowered slightly, but still firm. “No. I want the contract finalized before the month ends. I don’t care what needs to be done, just make it happen.”

It was funny, he had spent years in rooms full of powerful business partners, men who made decisions that shifted markets and controlled entire industries. He had shaken hands with some of the most influential Alphas in the country. He had sat through negotiations worth millions, unflinching.

But this?

Facing your dad?

He was nervous.

God, he was so screwed.

Because this wasn’t just some businessman, this was your father; your very much pureblooded of an Alpha father.

And Jake was about to do something infinitely more terrifying than striking a deal.

He was asking for his daughter and risking it all didn’t even begin to cover it.

His hand flexed at his side as the sound of your father’s deep voice grew closer, footsteps heavy against the marble floors. The call had ended, the sharp clack of his phone being placed down echoing through the vast space.

Jake straightened.

Your dad stepped into the room.

The man was tall, broad-shouldered, with the kind of presence that could silence a room without saying a word. He barely looked at Jake at first, his gaze landing on you instead. And just like that, the hardened businessman softened.

“Did you just get home?” he asked, voice much gentler than it had been on the call.

You nodded. “Jake drove me.”

That was when your dad finally turned to him.

Jake didn’t miss a beat, he stood up immediately, straight-backed, and bowed slightly before extending a hand.

“Good evening, sir,” he said, perfectly composed, though his fingers curled just a little tighter. “Sim Jaeyun, please, just call me Jake. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Your dad’s eyes flickered to his outstretched hand.

Then, slowly, he clasped it.

The handshake was firm, and Jake wasn’t stupid enough to think that was unintentional.

“Jake.” Your father’s voice was slow, calculated. “I remember you.”

Jake nodded, maintaining steady eye contact. “I’ve had the privilege of seeing you before at a few events.”

“Mm.” Your dad hummed, unimpressed. “And now you’re here. In my home.”

Jake felt the weight of the words. He refused to let it shake him.

“Yes, sir,” he said evenly. “Thank you for having me.”

Your dad’s gaze flickered. Assessing. Calculating.

“Do you like cars, Jake?”

Jake nearly let out a relieved laugh, but he knew better. Instead, he grinned. “I love cars, sir.”

Your dad’s expression didn’t change. But there was a glint of approval in his eyes.

“Good.” He released Jake’s hand, then gestured toward the dining room. “Let’s talk over dinner.”

Jake caught your gaze for a brief second before following your father, only to catch the amused, shit-eating grin on your lips.

He huffed a quiet laugh.

You knew he’d survive.

Jake had barely taken a step before your dad’s voice rang through the space, cutting through the distant clatter of the kitchen.

“That black sports car outside.”

Jake halted mid-stride, his fingers tightening slightly at his sides.

Your dad turned to him, arms crossed, gaze sharp. “That yours?”

It was a simple question, but the weight behind it made something coil in Jake’s stomach.

“Yes, sir,” Jake answered, nodding with practiced ease. His voice was steady, his posture relaxed, but you saw the way his jaw tensed for just a fraction of a second.

Your father hummed.

Jake nearly swayed on his feet.

It wasn’t disapproval, but it wasn’t outright approval either. It was the kind of sound that could mean anything, and Jake knew better than to assume the best too soon.

Your dad’s eyes flicked towards the door, as if mentally reviewing the car in question. Finally, he turned back to Jake, tilting his head slightly. “What model?”

Jake almost let out a breath of relief. “McLaren Artura,” he answered, voice calm but undeniably proud.

Your dad’s brows lifted ever so slightly. “Hybrid, right?” he asked, his tone shifting from scrutinizing to genuinely interested.

Jake internally grinned. He knew that tone.

“Yes, sir.” His shoulders eased just a fraction as he continued, “Twin-turbo V6, powerful but efficient.”

Your father actually nodded, his lips twitching in what could almost be called approval.

“It’s an incredible drive,” Jake admitted, unable to hide the slight excitement in his voice. “Would you like to take a look after dinner?”

Your dad barely hesitated. “I’d like that.”

And just like that, the atmosphere shifted.

The tension in Jake’s shoulders disappeared completely. He let out a slow exhale, stealing a glance at you, only to find you already watching him with barely contained amusement.

Your lips twitched.

Jake shot you a told you so look, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.

You just grinned.

Because, of course all it took was a damn car to break the ice.

Your dad barely gave you a second to recover from his unexpected interest in Jake’s car before he turned to you with a teasing glint in his eye.

“Come on, (Y/N), don’t keep your suitor waiting.”

Jake barely had a second to process your dad’s words before you froze beside him.

Your eyes widened in absolute shock, head snapping toward him so fast you nearly gave yourself whiplash. Your dad? The same man who had spent years maintaining his unreadable, intimidating aura? He just casually called Jake your suitor?

Jake, meanwhile, stiffened beside you. Not in fear, no, at this point, he had already thrown himself headfirst into the battlefield that was your family; but in pure disbelief.

Your dad let out a low chuckle, effortlessly amused at both your reactions. Then, before either of you could fully recover, he gave Jake a firm clap on the back. Not light, not cautious, just enough force to make Jake jolt slightly in surprise.

"Relax, son,” your dad mused, eyes glinting with something almost mischievous. “I was the same way with her mom.”

Your jaw dropped.

Jake, who had just barely started to regain his composure, choked on air.

Your dad? The same man who had kept his business empire running with an iron grip? The same man who rarely let emotions slip past his carefully built walls? Once upon a time, he had been just as whipped as Jake was now?

Jake straightened slightly, as if realizing that. His lips parted just a little, and then, ever so subtly, a smirk tugged at his mouth. It was barely there, almost unnoticeable. But you saw it.

Jake was relieved, like some kind of weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Like this small confirmation from your dad was the reassurance he hadn’t even realized he needed.

Your dad smirked at the sight, already making his way toward the dining hall. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Jake exhaled, finally relaxing. He turned to you, catching your gaze with a look that was half amused, half triumphant. You just huffed, biting back a smile as you both followed your dad into the dining area.

The dining hall was massive but warm. Despite the high ceilings and the long mahogany table stretching across the center, the soft glow of the chandelier cast a golden hue over the space, making it feel less like a cold, formal setting and more like home. The faint scent of herbs and spices wafted from the kitchen, promising a well-prepared meal.

Jake slowed down as you both reached the table. Before taking his seat, he momentarily set down your bag and his blazer—your blazer, on the side of the couch near the dining hall entrance, making sure they were placed neatly.

Jake hadn’t even taken his seat yet. Instead, he moved wordlessly, hands brushing against the back of the chair as he pulled it out for you. There was no hesitation, just quiet, effortless care.

You hesitated for only a second before sitting down, watching as he made sure you were comfortable before pushing the chair in gently. The moment was brief, simple, yet something about it made warmth bloom in your chest.

Just around the corner, where the kitchen met the dining hall, your parents lingered for a second longer. A glance was exchange, one of knowing, of quiet approval.

Then, they stepped in.

Your mom took her usual seat first, and your dad followed soon after, settling at the head of the table. He didn’t say much at first, simply reaching for his glass of water.

Your dad set down his glass, regarding him with a thoughtful look before asking, “How’s your father doing?”

Jake swallowed his bite of food before answering. “He’s doing well, sir. Still as hands-on as ever when it comes to the business.”

Your dad nodded. “And how’s it been? The family business?”

Jake’s lips twitched slightly, something fond in his expression. “Really good, actually. We’ve opened more branches recently, both for the restaurants and the malls. My father’s been focusing on expansion in other regions, and I’ve been following him more closely to learn how to manage everything. It’s been challenging but rewarding.”

Your dad hummed in approval. “Planning to take over one day?”

“Yes, sir,” Jake said without hesitation. “I’ve always wanted to. I’ve been training for it properly a few years back, but I started learning the basics way before that. My father believes that the best way to understand the business is by experiencing every level of it firsthand.”

Your mom smiled, clearly impressed, while your dad nodded in agreement.

You sat quietly, not wanting to intrude, though your attention had shifted slightly, toward the mashed potatoes sitting just a few plates away from Jake. You weren’t even thinking about it, really, just absently staring, considering whether or not you wanted to reach for them.

Jake, ever observant, noticed.

Without breaking his flow in conversation, he reached for the dish, smoothly setting it down in front of you before finally glancing your way.

“Do you want anything else?” His voice was low, meant just for you. “String beans, carrots, shrimp?”

You blinked, a little caught off guard, but shook your head. “No, I’m good. Thank you.”

Jake gave a small nod, as if satisfied with your answer, before effortlessly shifting back to your dad, seamlessly continuing their conversation.

It was such a simple moment, but something about it—his attentiveness, the way he so naturally took care of you made warmth curl in your chest.

Your parents exchanged another look.

Yeah. Jake had definitely won them over.

The kitchen smelled like vanilla and melted butter, the warmth of the oven humming softly in the background. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden patterns on the marble counter where you stood, a wooden spoon in hand as you mixed the cookie dough in a glass bowl.

Jake was seated on one of the stools at the kitchen island, elbows resting lazily on the counter as he watched you. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, revealing his forearms as he idly drummed his fingers against the cool surface. He’d been stealing bits of cookie dough whenever you weren’t looking, but you let it slide.

“So, explain to me again,” Jake said, breaking the quiet. “Why are walnuts a crime in cookies?”

You huffed, pausing to shoot him a look. “Because some of us actually enjoy soft, chewy cookies.”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “You have zero appreciation for texture.”

“I appreciate textures that make sense,” you corrected.

Jake chuckled, leaning forward to swipe a bit of cookie dough from the bowl. He popped it into his mouth before you could swat him away.

“Well, more for me, then.”

You rolled your eyes but smiled anyway, sending the Alpha a teasingly glare.

“By the way, my parents want to meet you.”

You froze for half a second, just long enough for Jake to notice. The spoon in your hand stopped mid-stir, and when you turned to look at him, your voice was steady, but your fingers gripped the edge of the bowl a little tighter.

“Really?”

Jake immediately caught the nervousness laced in that single word. His lips curled up slightly, half amusement, half affection—before he pushed himself off the stool.

“Mhmm,” He hummed as he made his way around the counter, closing the space between you. You weren’t facing him yet, still staring at the dough like it held all the answers to your life, so he gently rubbed his hands up and down your arms

“Hey,” he murmured, voice softer now. “It's just my parents, not a police interrogation.”

He let out a small chuckle, hoping to ease the tension, but you only sighed, grip loosening on the spoon but not quite relaxing.

“What if they don’t like me?” you muttered, finally turning to face him. Your brows furrowed, uncertainty flickering behind your eyes. “What if I say something wrong? Or they think I’m not… I don’t know, enough for you?”

Jake clicked his tongue, tilting his head slightly. “First of all, impossible.”

You rolled your eyes. “Jake—”

“Second of all,” he cut in, grinning now, “if my parents don’t like you, I’m disowning them.”

That made you pause. “Jake.”

“Okay, okay,” he laughed, hands squeezing your arms reassuringly. “But seriously, that’s not gonna happen. My mom already thinks you’re great, and my dad is all about first impressions. Just be yourself.” He shrugged. “Worst case scenario, you bribe them with cookies.”

You let out a breathy laugh despite yourself, finally feeling some of the tension melt away. “You think that’ll work?”

Jake smirked. “Babe, you had me wrapped around your finger after one batch.”

You sighed, your hands instinctively finding his as they rested on your arms.

Jake gave your arms another reassuring squeeze before dipping his head slightly, voice laced with certainty. “Besides, our parents work in close circles. I just know they’ll love you.”

He nudged his nose against your temple playfully before adding, “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, omega.”

Your breath hitched slightly at the way he said it—soft, teasing, but still carrying that familiar weight of possession, of affection.

You scoffed, tilting your head up to meet his gaze. “That obvious, huh?”

Jake grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Painfully.”

You groaned, leaning back against him dramatically, and he chuckled, easily holding you up. “I hate you.”

“Mm, no you don’t,” he murmured, resting his chin on your shoulder. “You love me, and you’re gonna charm the hell out of my parents, just like you did with yours truly.”

You nudged him lightly with your elbow, and he let out a mock oof before grinning against your skin.

“Anyway,” he continued, dropping another kiss to the side of your head. “On the bright side, you’ll finally get to meet Layla.”

That made you perk up slightly. “Your dog?”

“My baby,” Jake corrected, pulling back just enough to look at you. “And trust me, once she sees you, I’m pretty sure she’s gonna forget I exist.”

You laughed, the last remnants of your nerves fading. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Oh, you will,” he smirked. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when she ditches me for you.”

You fumbled with your necklace, fingers grazing over the small pendant as if it would somehow calm the nerves bubbling in your stomach. You exhaled slowly, trying to steady yourself, but it wasn’t working.

A beige coat wrapped snugly around your frame, paired with a brown sweater underneath and a black skirt—something Jake specifically asked you to wear.

Jake had texted you the night before, the alpha sending a flurry of ‘I miss you messages’ before casually asking you to wear something beige tomorrow. When you asked why, he said that he wanted to match with you—like this was just some casual thing and not the biggest meeting of your life.

You pushed open your bedroom door, stepping out and making your way down the spiral staircase. Each step felt heavier than the last, and the motion did nothing to help the uneasy feeling settling in your chest. You weren’t even in the car yet, and it already felt like you had a rock in your stomach.

Jake’s parents wanted to meet you. That was all this was.

So why did it feel like you were walking into a battlefield?

As you stepped into the hall leading to the living room, your eyes immediately landed on the neatly wrapped box of cookies you had prepared that morning.

A small gift for his parents, something to bring, something to keep your hands busy, something to make a good first impression. You reached out to grab it, only to freeze when you noticed someone else sitting on the couch.

Your mom.

She was staring at you with glossy eyes, and before you could even react, she was already on her feet, pulling you into a quick but tight embrace.

You stood there, blinking, arms awkwardly hovering in the air as she held onto you like she was about to send you off to college in another country.

“…Mom?”

She pulled back just enough to cup your face in her hands, letting out a soft, wistful laugh.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she murmured, her thumbs brushing over your cheeks. “You look so beautiful.”

You barely had time to register the compliment before she let out a dramatic sigh.

“My baby’s meeting her mate’s parents. Time flies so fast.”

You deadpanned. There it is.

“Mom—”

She pinched your cheek before you could finish, making you let out a small noise of protest.

“Breathe, darling,” she said, smiling. “They’re going to love you.”

Before you could argue, your dad’s voice interrupted.

Standing in the doorway, he crossed his arms and leaned against the frame, watching the scene with an amused smile.

“She hasn’t even left yet and you’re already emotional?”

Your mom shot him a glare but didn’t let go of you just yet.

“Let me have my moment.”

Your dad only chuckled, shaking his head. You sighed. This was already off to a great start.

Before any of you could say anything else, the faint sound of an engine pulling into the driveway reached your ears. You swallowed hard, heart skipping a beat.

Jake was here.

The deep, purring hum of his sleek black McLaren filled the air, the polished exterior gleaming under the soft morning light. Your dad, as expected, cast an approving nod toward the car the moment it came into view, he never failed to acknowledge Jake’s car, much to your amusement.

The door swung open smoothly, and Jake stepped out with confidence, adjusting the cuffs of his coat before shutting the door behind him. His eyes flickered toward the front door, his lips curving into a small, knowing smile the second he spotted you through the glass.

Your dad didn’t even hesitate to step forward, meeting Jake halfway with an outstretched fist. Without missing a beat, Jake bumped it with his own, the casual gesture signifying just how close they had grown in the span of a few weeks.

You blinked. If someone had told you months ago that your father and Sim Jaeyun would be on fist-bumping terms, you wouldn’t have believed it.

You took a deep breath, fingers tightening around the box in your hands before stepping forward. Your mom walked beside you, her hand brushing against your back in silent reassurance as you both made your way to the entryway. Jake met you halfway, his smile growing the moment he laid eyes on you.

Before you could say anything, your mom pulled him into a warm hug. Jake, never one to hesitate, wrapped his arms around her with ease, his touch gentle but firm.

“Take care of my baby, okay?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jake pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, nodding once with unwavering certainty. “Always.”

Something in your chest softened. He said it so naturally, like it wasn’t even a question. Like it was a promise he never had to think twice about.

And just like that, he turned to you, wordlessly reaching for the box of cookies in your hands. You blinked in surprise as he effortlessly took it from your grasp, holding it securely in one hand before his other hand found yours. His fingers slid between yours with ease as he gave them a small squeeze.

You cast one last glance at your parents, who stood side by side in the doorway, their smiles filled with something between amusement and quiet pride. Jake mirrored the gesture, flashing them his signature grin before gently tugging you forward.

Like always, he opened the passenger door for you, a silent but familiar gesture that never failed to make your heart do the smallest flip. You slid into the seat, watching as he carefully set the box of cookies in your lap before shutting the door with a soft click.

A moment later, he was in the driver’s seat, adjusting his sleeves before starting the engine. The low, smooth purr of the sportscar filled the space between you.

Jake glanced at you as he shifted into gear, his smirk playful yet reassuring. “You ready, pretty?”

You exhaled, finally allowing yourself to settle into the seat. “As I’ll ever be.”

Tall buildings stretched high into the sky, their glass windows reflecting the afternoon sun. The sidewalks bustled with people, neon signs flickered against storefronts, and the distant sounds of car horns and laughter filled the air.

Inside the car, however, it was quieter, just the soft hum of the engine and the faint sound of music playing from the speakers. Jake’s hand rested effortlessly on the wheel, his other draped over your thigh, fingers tracing absentminded patterns on the fabric of your skirt as he drove through the familiar streets.

A beat of silence passed before he glanced at you. “You okay?”

You turned to look at him, his side profile glowing under the soft golden light. “Yeah.”

Jake hummed, unconvinced. His fingers drummed lightly against your thigh before giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You nervous?”

You sighed, shifting slightly in your seat. “A little.”

Jake chuckled, his thumb brushing circles against your skin. “I can tell. You’ve been messing with your necklace since we left.”

Your hand immediately dropped to your lap. “I do not.”

“(Y/N).” Jake smirked as he turned onto a wider street, city lights reflecting off the sleek black exterior of his car. “You’ve been doing it since you walked out the door.”

You huffed, crossing your arms. “Okay, maybe I am. A little.”

Jake squeezed your thigh again. “Again, it’s just my parents, pretty. Not a job interview.”

You gave him a look. “Easy for you to say. You already passed my parents’ test.”

“And you’ll pass mine, too.” Jake’s lips curled up. “Besides, our parents work in the same circles. You think they haven’t already talked about us behind our backs?”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” You exhaled, turning your gaze to the city outside. The skyline blurred past, “What if they think I’m not… business-minded enough for their only son?”

Jake let out an amused scoff. “You’re kidding, right?”

You blinked at him.

Jake shook his head, lips quirking slightly. “You were practically born into the industry. You know how to navigate this world better than anyone. If anything, I think my parents are more worried I’m not good enough for you.”

You faltered at that, brows furrowing slightly.

Suddenly, the car rolled to a smooth stop at a red light, the soft hum of the engine filling the momentary silence between you. Jake shifted in his seat slightly, and before you could process what he was doing, he leaned over, closing the distance between you.

You barely had time to react before he buried his face in the crook of your neck, his scent enveloping you as his wrist brushed against your skin. The familiar, comforting warmth of him sent a shiver down your spine, his touch soft as he rubbed his wrist along your scent glands, letting his pheromones settle into you.

Your breath hitched, hands tightening slightly in your lap.

He inhaled deeply, voice low as he murmured, “Just so you can ease up a little.”

The tension in your shoulders loosened almost immediately, the comfort of his scent working faster than your own attempts to calm yourself down. A soft, grateful smile tugged at your lips, though he couldn’t see it with his face still pressed against you. Instead, you raised a hand, fingers slipping into his hair as you gently ran them through the soft strands.

Jake hummed at the touch, his grip on your thigh tightening for a brief second before he finally pulled back, eyes lazily flickering up to meet yours. His smirk was subtle, teasing, but his gaze held something warm.

“You’re really overthinking this, huh?”

You hesitated. “Maybe a little.”

Jake chuckled, shifting his hand to intertwine his fingers with yours. “You'll be fine, omega.”

The ride continued in easy comfort, the city’s vibrant energy gradually fading as the streets grew quieter, more exclusive. You watched as the towering buildings gave way to sprawling estates, each one grander than the last, their high gates and manicured gardens a clear mark of old money.

And then, as Jake turned onto a long, private driveway, you saw it—their estate.

The first thing that caught your eye was the sheer size of the garden. Lush, endless greenery stretched across the front of the property, perfectly trimmed hedges lining the stone pathway leading up to the house.

Various trees, their branches swaying gently in the afternoon breeze, stood tall and proud, while vibrant flower beds added soft bursts of color to the landscape. A few workers were scattered around, tending to the greens—trimming bushes, watering flowerbeds, adjusting small decorative lanterns placed strategically around the garden.

You raised a brow, leaning forward slightly. “Damn. Your mom is just like mine with the plants.”

Jake let out a short laugh, slowing down as he drove past another set of hedges. “You could say that.”

Your gaze followed the stretch of land, taking in the well-maintained beauty of it all. It was similar to your own estate, but while your family leaned toward a sleek, modern aesthetic, the Sim estate carried a sense of old-world charm.

The house itself was a perfect blend of traditional and elegant—a massive structure of smooth marble mixed with rich oak wood. Tall, arched windows lined the facade, allowing glimpses of grand chandeliers and luxurious interiors inside. The pillars supporting the grand entrance had intricate carvings, and the towering front doors were framed by a classic stone archway.

Jake pulled up to the front, the car rolling to a smooth stop just before the entrance. A staff member, dressed in a crisp uniform, was already making his way down the front steps, likely to open the door for you. But before he could reach the car, Jake wordlessly beat him to it.

He stepped out smoothly, shutting the driver’s side door before rounding the front of the car to your side. You barely had time to reach for the door handle before he was already there, opening it with ease.

“Come on, pretty,” he murmured, offering his hand.

Your fingers slipped into his without hesitation, the warmth of his touch grounding you as he helped you out. The cool breeze brushed against your skin, and as you straightened up, your eyes flickered toward the house once more.

It felt real now. You were here. You were about to meet his parents.

Jake gave your hand a gentle squeeze, bringing you back to the moment. When you glanced at him, he was already reaching for the box of cookies, his other hand still holding yours firmly.

Your chest tightened at the simple yet reassuring gesture.

Before you and Jake could take another step, a blur of golden fur came rushing out from one of the garden houses. The rapid thud of paws against the stone pathway echoed in the air, followed by an excited bark.

Jake barely had time to react before the golden retriever launched herself straight at him, her tail wagging furiously as she jumped up, paws nearly reaching his chest. He laughed, shifting the box of cookies to one hand while keeping his grip on yours.

“Layla,” he greeted, his voice dropping into something softer, more affectionate. He crouched slightly, giving the dog a quick scratch behind her ears before she finally noticed you.

Her big brown eyes flickered to you, curiosity taking over as she took a hesitant step forward. Layla sniffed the air, her nose twitching before she brought it close to your free hand.

You watched her for a second before letting out a laugh, bending your knees just a little to meet her halfway. “Hey there, girl,” you cooed, running your fingers through her soft golden fur.

Layla’s tail wagged faster, her entire body practically vibrating with excitement. She gave a happy little huff before pressing herself into your touch, clearly approving of you already.

Jake grinned, watching the interaction with amused satisfaction. “I think she likes you,” he remarked.

You chuckled, scratching behind Layla’s ear. “Good. I was kinda worried she’d be the hardest one to win over.”

Jake let out an exaggerated scoff. “Excuse me?”

You glanced up at him, smirking. “What? Layla’s the real judge here.”

Layla let out a happy bark in response, her tongue lolling out as if she agreed.

Jake shook his head, but the fond smile never left his face. “Let’s go. My parents are probably already waiting by the door.”

With that, he wordlessly shifted the cookie box under one arm and took your hand again with his free one, tugging you gently toward the entrance while Layla trotted happily beside you.

As you approached the front steps, the grand double doors were already beginning to open.

Jake gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. “Ready?”

You exhaled slowly, glancing at him. “Do I have a choice?”

His lips quirked up, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “Nope.”

The moment you reached the steps, one of the staff members outside, dressed sharply in a clean, tailored uniform—bowed his head slightly toward Jake before reaching for the grand double doors. With a practiced ease, he pulled them open, revealing the warm glow of the estate’s interior.

As the doors parted, Jake gave your hand a light squeeze, wordlessly guiding you forward. You barely had time to take in the intricate details of the grand entryway, the high ceilings, the cascading chandelier that shimmered like stars, the polished floors reflecting the golden light, before he was leading you deeper inside.

Your heart pounded as you stepped through the threshold. The faint scent of wood and something subtly floral filled the air, mingling with the distant sound of soft classical music playing from somewhere in the house.

Layla padded ahead happily, her tail still wagging as she trotted down the hallway, clearly knowing exactly where to go.

Jake, ever the effortless alpha, walked with quiet confidence. The smooth stride of his steps, the way he carried himself so naturally here, only made you more aware of the difference between your nerves and his ease.

As you passed by, another staff member stepped aside, bowing their head slightly toward Jake in silent acknowledgment before continuing with their tasks. You swallowed, this wasn’t just some casual introduction—Jake was bringing you into his home, into his world.

He must have sensed your nerves creeping back in because, without looking, he gently ran his thumb over the back of your hand in slow, comforting strokes.

“Breathe, baby, breathe,” he murmured, just low enough for only you to hear.

You exhaled, steadying yourself as you let your gaze drift to the hallway ahead. The dark oak floors stretched long, leading to an open archway where the living room came into view.

Soft, golden light filtered in through the tall windows, illuminating the plush sofas and polished coffee table. The fireplace flickered quietly in the corner, casting a warm glow over the space. The air held the faintest trace of fresh flowers, and from where you stood, you could make out a vase sitting elegantly on a side table, delicate white lilies arranged with the utmost care.

And then you saw them.

Two figures seated on the couch, their conversation pausing as they turned their attention toward the approaching footsteps.

Jake’s parents.

Your grip on his hand instinctively tightened.

Jake glanced at you, and though he said nothing, the soft, reassuring squeeze he gave you spoke volumes.

The moment your eyes met Jake’s parents, you felt it. The nerves clawing up your throat, the way your heart pounded so loud you were convinced they could hear it too.

You were pretty sure you could smell your own scent turning bitter, your anxiety seeping into the air like an unshakable weight pressing down on your chest.

Jake’s mother sat with a perfectly poised elegance, her gaze sweeping over you in a way that made you hyper-aware of every inch of yourself. Was she scrutinizing you? Did she already think you weren’t good enough for her only son?

His father, on the other hand, blinked once. Then twice. Expression unreadable, completely composed, his lips pressed into a neutral line as he studied you in a way that sent a fresh wave of unease through you.

Oh, god. What if they didn’t like you?

And then, just as you braced yourself for whatever came next, Jake’s mother suddenly stood up. The shift was so quick you barely had time to react before she was already making her way toward you, her heels clicking against the polished floor.

Your breath hitched, the tension in your shoulders locking into place.

But then—

“(Y/n), darling! It’s so nice to finally meet you in person!”

Before you could fully process it, she was pulling you into a warm hug, her arms wrapping around you with a familiarity that caught you completely off guard.

You froze for half a second, caught between your lingering nerves and the unexpected warmth of the embrace. But then you felt it, the genuine affection in her touch, the way she held you like you already belonged here.

Your chest loosened just slightly.

Jake’s scent curled around you comfortingly as he let out an amused huff beside you. “Told you there was nothing to worry about.”

You barely registered his words, still stunned as you slowly lifted your arms to hug her back.

Jake’s mother beamed at your response, pulling away just enough to hold your hands in hers. They were soft and warm, her grip gentle as if she was already treating you like family.

“Oh, sweetheart, how was the ride? Was Jake driving too fast again? You should tell me if he does, I’ll scold him,” she fussed, her expression filled with nothing but warmth.

You blinked, stunned for a moment before shaking your head. “Oh—no, he was fine! I mean, he drove well, not—uh—”

Jake snickered beside you, clearly enjoying this.

His mother waved a dismissive hand, completely ignoring him as she kept her focus on you. “And are you hungry? I had the kitchen prepare a few dishes already, but if there’s anything else you’d like, just let me know. And, oh dear, did he even let you rest before bringing you in? The drive can be tiring—”

You barely had time to process all of her questions before a deep, amused chuckle interrupted.

“Let her breathe, love,” Jake’s father said as he finally stood up, making his way toward you. Unlike his wife’s warmth, his presence was more composed, his steps slow and steady. But the moment he reached you, he extended his hand.

You hesitated for half a second before shaking it, and then—

“Welcome to the family.”

You had to physically hold back your tears.

The words hit you like a wave, crashing over your already overwhelmed emotions. It felt real. Like you were truly being welcomed into something bigger than yourself.

Jake’s hand, still resting against the small of your back, pressed just a little firmer.

His mother, who hadn’t missed the way your eyes slightly glossed over, let out a soft coo. “Oh, sweetheart, we’re just so happy you’re here.”

You swallowed thickly, nodding as you mustered a small, grateful smile. “Thank you… really.”

Jake’s mom’s gaze then flickered downward, and the second she spotted the neatly wrapped box in her son’s hands, her eyes lit up. “Oh! Jaeyun mentioned you bake.”

Jake groaned playfully. “Mom, don’t embarrass me.”

“Oh, hush, I’m just saying,” she scolded before calling over one of the maids. “Set these aside to be served during lunch.”

You watched, still in slight disbelief, as the maid took the box with careful hands and carried it toward the kitchen.

Jake’s father clapped a firm hand on his son’s shoulder, shaking his head fondly. “You really found a good one, son.”

Jake grinned, nudging you slightly. “Told you they’d love you.”

Before you could even fully process the warmth of their welcome, Jake’s mother looped her arm around yours, gently stealing you away from the entrance.

“Oh, come, darling. Some of the dishes are still being prepared, and I don’t want you standing around hungry.”

Jake and his father trailed closely behind, Jake’s hand instinctively finding the small of your back as his mother led you through the hall and toward the garden.

“I had the staff prepare some cold brew tea for refreshments,” she continued, her voice light and eager. “I hope you don’t mind, Jake mentioned you enjoy lighter drinks rather than coffee?”

Your eyes flickered toward him, and he only smirked in response.

“You told her that?” you mused, a small smile tugging at your lips.

“I tell her everything,” Jake said smoothly.

His mother laughed. “He really does. You should hear how much he talks about you over the phone.”

You felt your cheeks warm at that, but before you could dwell on it, you stepped into the garden, your gaze immediately taking in the picturesque setup.

A beautifully arranged table sat in the middle of the lush greenery, set with delicate porcelain cups, a glass pitcher filled with golden-hued tea, and an assortment of small treats. The garden itself was breathtaking as vibrant flowers lined the stone pathways, and the soft sound of a water fountain trickled in the distance.

You turned to Jake’s mother, eyes wide. “This is beautiful.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you think so! I wanted everything to be perfect for you.” She gestured toward one of the chairs. “Come, sit, sit.”

You settled down, and the second you did, she was already fussing over you, pouring you a glass of tea before placing a small plate of pastries in front of you.

“Now, tell me, dear, how have you been? I hope Jake hasn’t been keeping you too busy.”

You chuckled. “Not at all. If anything, I think I’m the one keeping him busy.”

Jake scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “That’s debatable.”

His mother beamed, clearly delighted by your dynamic. “I love that! It’s good that you keep him on his toes.” She then sighed dreamily, placing her chin in her palm as she looked at you. “You really are lovely. When Jake told me he was finally bringing his mate home, I might have gotten a little too excited.”

Your heart stuttered.

His mate.

Jake stiffened slightly beside you, likely catching your reaction, but his mother simply continued, “I know you two haven’t made anything official yet, and I completely understand the pressure that comes with it. It’s a big decision, and I don’t want you to feel like we’re forcing anything.”

You swallowed, glancing at Jake, who was already looking at you with quiet reassurance.

“I really appreciate that,” you said sincerely. “It means a lot.”

His mother reached out, patting your hand gently. “Sweetheart, we already adore you. You don’t have to prove anything to us.”

Then, with a warm smile, she added, “Oh, and please, call me Mom.”

Your breath hitched slightly at that, your heart squeezing in your chest. You hadn’t expected her to say it so soon, so effortlessly—but the way she looked at you, like she had already welcomed you as part of the family, made your throat tighten.

Jake nudged your knee under the table, as if silently telling you to take it in, to believe it.

You swallowed past the sudden lump in your throat and managed a small, touched smile. “Okay… Mom.”

Her face lit up instantly, and before you knew it, she was reaching over to pull you into another gentle hug. Jake’s father chuckled at the sight, shaking his head fondly as he took a sip of his tea.

And just like that, the nervous knot in your stomach completely unraveled.

The dining room was just as elegant as the rest of the house,high ceilings, warm lighting, and a long oak table set with an array of dishes that made your stomach rumble just looking at them.

You were seated next to Jake, and across from you sat his parents, who, to your surprise, had chosen seats closer to the middle rather than the grand ends of the table.

“We like to hear each other talk,” his mother had explained with a wink, pouring you a glass of freshly squeezed juice.

Jake’s father chuckled as he adjusted his napkin. “And by that, she means she likes to talk, and I listen.”

Jake groaned beside you, leaning in to whisper, “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

You held back a laugh, already feeling at ease.

The meal started off light, just casual conversation and the occasional compliments toward the food. But it wasn’t long before the attention turned to Jake, and his mother, much to your delight, wasted no time embarrassing him.

“Oh, (Y/n), has Jaeyun ever told you about the time he used to sleep with his stuffed puppy?” she asked with a knowing smile, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Jake, who had just taken a sip of water, nearly choked. “Mom—”

“Oh my god,” you gasped, turning to him with wide eyes. “You had a stuffed puppy?”

His mother nodded eagerly. “Oh yes, he wouldn’t go anywhere without it. He even used to call it ‘Puppy’—such a creative name, right?”

Jake groaned, dropping his head into his hand. “Mom, please.”

His father smirked, finally joining in. “He threw a fit once when we accidentally left it at a hotel during a family vacation. We had to call the staff and ask them to ship it back to us.”

Your jaw dropped as you tried to hold in your laughter. “No way.”

“Mhmm,” his mother confirmed, absolutely delighted. “He wouldn’t sleep properly for three nights until we got it back.”

You turned to Jake, who was sinking further into his seat. “You poor thing,” you teased. “I can’t believe I’m just now hearing about this.”

Jake sighed, taking your hand under the table and squeezing it as if to silently plead for mercy. “You know, I thought today was supposed to be about you meeting my parents, not me getting humiliated.”

His mother waved him off. “Oh, hush, Jaeyun. I need to make sure (Y/n) knows all the important things about you.”

His father hummed in agreement. “Like the time he dressed up as a prince and made Layla his ‘royal steed’ for a whole week.”

Jake groaned. “I was five.”

“And yet,” you giggled, “that’s still adorable.”

Jake sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I thought bringing you here was a good idea.”

You leaned into him, smirking. “Because you love me?”

His ears turned pink, but he played it cool, bringing your hand to his lips and pressing a quick kiss to it. “Something like that.”

His mother cooed, clasping her hands together. “Oh, you two are just precious.”

His father smirked. “At least now he has something else to obsess over besides that stuffed puppy.”

Jake groaned again, and you just laughed, squeezing his hand under the table.

The laughter finally settled as the meal continued, but the warmth in the air remained. You were beginning to feel more at home, like you truly belonged here.

“So, (Y/n), you and Jaeyun go to the same academy—we already know that,” his father started, setting his utensils down neatly. “But have you given any thought to what you want to do after graduation?”

You hesitated for a second before giving a small, sheepish smile. “Not entirely. I have a few things I’m interested in, but I know for sure that I’ll be taking over the family business.”

His mother’s eyes lit up with interest. “Oh? That’s wonderful! Your family has quite an empire, don’t they?”

You nodded, swallowing a bite of food. “Yes, we have a few ventures, but our biggest ones are the island resorts and event rentals. Most of our islands are privately owned, but we lease them out for major events like weddings, corporate retreats, sometimes even small festivals.”

Jake’s father let out an impressed hum. “That’s an incredible business. It must take a sharp mind to manage all of that.”

You chuckled softly. “Well, I hope mine is sharp enough when the time comes.”

Jake squeezed your hand under the table. “You’ll be great,” he said confidently, as if it wasn’t even a question.

His mother clapped her hands together. “Oh, speaking of your family, I had the absolute pleasure of meeting your mother at a charity gala last year.”

That caught you off guard. “You did?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! We sat at the same table during dinner, and she was just delightful, so charming and intelligent. We talked about all sorts of things, and honestly, I’ve been meaning to reach out to her again. We should arrange something soon.”

You smiled, amused at how eager she sounded. “I’m sure she’d love that.”

“Wonderful,” she beamed. Then, after a beat, she tilted her head. “And what about hobbies, dear? What do you enjoy doing in your free time?”

“Oh, she bakes,” Jake answered before you could, earning a nudge from you.

His mother’s smile widened. “Oh, I already know that! These cookies are divine.” She motioned to the plate on the side, where the kitchen staff had already set them out. “Anything else?”

You thought for a moment. “I also do some graphic design when I have the time. Mostly for fun, but it’s something I’ve been doing for a while now.”

His father nodded approvingly. “A creative mind as well as a business-oriented one. That’s an excellent balance.”

Jake’s mother suddenly gasped. “Oh! I just had an idea. (Y/N), dear, if you ever want to, I’d love your help in designing invitations for some of our events! I host a few charity functions throughout the year, and I just know you’d create something elegant and fresh.”

Your eyes widened slightly. “Oh, I—I'd love to, actually.”

“Perfect!” she said, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

Jake leaned in, whispering, “See? Told you they’d love you.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, but the truth was, he was right. They did love you. And for the first time since arriving, you weren’t just trying to make a good impression, you were simply enjoying their company.

After lunch, you found yourself seated comfortably on the plush sofa in the living room, a massive photo album spread across your lap. Jake’s mom was right beside you, flipping through the pages eagerly, while his dad sat back with his drink, occasionally chiming in with his own commentary.

Jake, on the other hand, was slumped on the armrest beside you, groaning into his palm.

“Oh, look at this one!” His mom pointed excitedly, tapping the glossy page. It was a picture of Jake, probably around four or five years old—wearing the most ridiculous set of oversized sunglasses while attempting to hold an ice cream cone twice the size of his tiny hands. His chubby cheeks were dusted with crumbs, and he had the most determined expression as he tried to keep the ice cream from dripping onto his shirt.

You giggled, covering your mouth. “Oh my god, he was adorable.”

Jake peeked over his fingers, his ears already tinged pink. “Please, no.”

His dad chuckled. “That was at a summer festival. He insisted on getting the biggest ice cream available, and when it started melting all over him, he threw the saddest tantrum I’ve ever seen.”

Jake groaned louder, dragging his hand down his face. “Dad, stop.”

You, however, were having the time of your life. “Wait, wait, what happened next?”

His mom laughed. “Oh, we had to strip him down to just his little shorts right then and there. He was crying about losing the ice cream, so we had to buy him another one, only for him to drop it again.”

Jake sat up suddenly. “Okay! That’s enough. We’re done.”

But his mom had already turned another page. “Oh! This one’s my favorite.”

It was a picture of a younger Jake, maybe ten years old, curled up in a pile of pillows with Layla, his golden retriever, draped across him like a blanket. His hair was a little messy, his face buried in her fur, and his small hands clutched the dog close like she was the most precious thing in the world.

Your heart melted. “That’s so sweet.”

His dad smirked. “He refused to sleep in his bed for weeks after we got Layla. He swore she’d be lonely without him.”

Jake, officially unable to handle more, grabbed the album and shut it dramatically. “That’s it. Nope. We’re done with memory lane.” He stood up and, in one smooth motion, pulled you up with him. “We’re going upstairs.”

You laughed as he practically whisked you away, but before you could fully escape, his mom called out, “I do want grandpups running around someday, Jaeyun, but not too soon!”

Jake choked, nearly missing a step on the staircase.

Your laughter doubled as you clung to his arm. “Oh, I love your mom.”

“She’s insane,” he muttered, ears burning.

As you and Jake made your way up the grand staircase, your hand still wrapped in his, you couldn’t help but notice the wall of framed pictures lining the hallway just above you.

It was a mural of memories; photographs of Jake through different stages of his life, from baby pictures to school achievements, and even candid moments with his family. Some frames held images of his cousins, aunts, and uncles, the warmth of their smiles radiating through the glass.

But what caught your eye the most was the largest frame near the top of the stairs. It was a beautifully preserved photo of his parents when they were young—probably still in high school. His father had his arm around his mother, both of them laughing, completely lost in each other’s presence. There was something so genuine about the picture, something that made your chest ache in a way you couldn’t quite explain.

Right beside it, however, was an empty frame.

You frowned slightly, pausing your steps. “What’s this one for?” You gestured towards the blank space, curiosity lacing your voice.

Jake, who had been leading you up the stairs, followed your gaze before exhaling softly. “That’s for me,” he admitted.

You blinked. “For you?”

He nodded, lips curling into a small, knowing smile. “My parents put this up when I was little. They knew they were meant to be—fated mates, if you want to call it that. So they kept this one empty, saying it’s for when I meet mine.”

Your heart skipped a beat, the weight of his words settling over you.

Before you could respond, Jake turned to you, his golden eyes searching yours with something unreadable yet undeniably deep. Then, without a word, he tugged you closer by the waist, his warmth seeping through the layers of your coat.

He pressed a soft, lingering kiss to your forehead.

Then, in a voice so soft you barely caught it, he murmured, “I already found mine.”

Your breath hitched.

The pureblooded Alpha pulled back just enough to meet your eyes, his expression unreadable for a split second before it melted into something unmistakably tender. “I don’t need some grand revelation or the universe to tell me. I just… know.”

Your chest tightened, a warmth blooming deep within you.

Jake let out a small chuckle, shaking his head as if amused by himself. “Guess my parents were right to put that frame up, huh?”

You felt your lips part, but no words came out, too caught up in the weight of what he had just said.

As if sensing your inability to respond, he gave your waist a final squeeze and tilted his head toward the hallway. “Come on. Let’s get to my room before my mom finds another way to embarrass me.”

Jake pushed open the door to his room, stepping aside to let you in first. It was big—just as big as yours, but undeniably boyish in its essence. Darker tones complemented the sleek furniture, a mix of modern luxury and personal touches that made it distinctly his.

To the side, another door led to a small office space, likely where he handled council work or studied in peace. His bed was massive, positioned near a set of tall windows that undoubtedly led to a balcony. A walk-in closet sat slightly ajar, revealing neatly arranged clothes, and another door, presumably leading to the bathroom, was slightly open.

But what really caught your attention was the study area near the far wall. Above the desk, a series of framed photographs hung neatly. Some were of his family, others of his friends, and then—

You took a step closer, heart nearly stopping in your chest.

One of them was of you.

It wasn’t just any photo. It was… breathtaking. Almost surreal.

You, asleep at one of the library tables.

It looked professional, almost like a painting. The way your hair draped over your arms, the golden light catching on just the right places. Your lashes looked impossibly long, lips naturally pink, your entire expression soft and peaceful in slumber.

You turned to Jake, wide-eyed. “Where did you get this?”

Jake scratched the back of his neck, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. “I took it.”

Your brows furrowed. “You took this?”

“Well,” he chuckled, rubbing his jaw, “I commissioned it.”

Your stomach flipped. “Commissioned?”

He shrugged, stepping beside you to admire the piece as if seeing it for the first time himself. “You just looked… so at peace. I didn’t want to forget it. So I had an artist recreate it.”

Your lips parted, but no words came out.

Jake turned to you then, eyes gentle but serious. “I don’t think I ever told you, but that’s when I really started to notice you.”

Your throat tightened.

“I mean, I knew who you were, obviously. But that day? You were just there, completely unguarded, no pressure, no expectations. Just… you.” He exhaled a soft chuckle, shaking his head. “And I couldn’t look away.”

A warmth spread across your chest, blooming up your neck and into your cheeks. You swallowed thickly, fingers twitching at your sides.

Jake grinned at your reaction, nudging you playfully. “Don’t get all shy on me now, omega.”

You rolled your eyes, but the smile tugging at your lips was impossible to hide.

Jake tugged you forward, guiding you toward his bed with a gentle pull. You followed, watching as he sat down at the edge, his head tilting up to look at you. You were standing between his legs now, and before you could say anything, his arms wrapped around your thighs, pulling you impossibly closer.

Your breath hitched. His touch was warm, steady, and grounding.

His hands smoothed over the fabric of your skirt, resting on your hips as he tilted his head against your stomach, inhaling deeply.

“You have no idea how crazy you make me feel,” he murmured, voice low but soft, like it wasn’t meant for anyone else but you.

Your fingers found their way into his hair, threading through the soft strands as you smiled down at him. “Oh? That bad, huh?”

Jake chuckled, squeezing your waist. “You have no idea.”

He leaned back slightly, shrugging off his coat before pulling away just enough to pat your arms. You blinked at him, confused for a second, before realizing what he wanted.

You complied, letting him slip your coat off your shoulders, his touch lingering as he neatly set it aside.

But before you could process the tenderness of the moment, Jake suddenly tugged at your hand, pulling you forward until you toppled onto the bed—right on top of him.

A surprised giggle escaped your lips as you landed against his chest, his arms looping around you effortlessly.

Jake grinned, eyes filled with something unbearably fond. “That’s better.”

You shook your head, resting your hands against his chest, still giggling. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he murmured, squeezing you gently. “But you like it.”

Jake shifted beneath you, his arms tightening for a brief moment before he suddenly flipped the both of you onto your sides. A surprised yelp left your lips, but he only chuckled, adjusting so that you were facing each other, bodies comfortably close.

His hand found your waist, thumb tracing slow circles as you stared at him, taking in the soft expression on his face.

"That went well," you murmured, still processing just how warm and welcoming his parents had been. "Your mom is amazing. Your dad too. I didn’t expect them to be so…”

“Loving?” Jake finished for you, lips curling.

You nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I was nervous out of my mind, but they made me feel like—like I belong.”

Jake exhaled a quiet laugh, cupping your cheek, his thumb brushing just below your eye. “That’s because you do, omega.”

Your heart swelled.

“I’m just so happy,” you admitted, pressing your cheek further into his touch.

Jake’s eyes softened, and then he shifted, pulling you up slightly so you were leaning against his chest, while he settled back against the headboard. His arms remained wrapped around you, steady, secure.

“I’m just as happy as you,” he murmured. “You really have no idea.”

You smiled, looking up at him. “I think I have some idea.”

Jake chuckled, but then his expression grew distant, thoughtful. His fingers traced slow lines down your spine before he finally spoke again, voice quieter.

“I never really expected to fall in love,” he admitted, gaze fixed somewhere past you. “I thought—maybe someday, when I was older, when I had time for it. But finding you—” he paused, swallowing thickly before continuing. “It’s like everything I thought I wanted before doesn’t matter anymore.”

“I was willing to drop my position on the council,” Jake confessed, voice barely above a whisper. “I still would, if it meant spending more time with you.”

Jake exhaled shakily, his arms tightening around you like he was scared you’d slip away if he didn’t hold on tight enough. His head dipped, nose brushing against your temple as he breathed you in, like you were his lifeline.

“I was so focused on the idea of it,” he whispered, voice thick with emotion. “On knowing that someone was out there for me—that someday I’d find them. But you…” He let out a shaky laugh, pressing his lips together. “You were right in front of me all along.”

You stared at him, heart skipping.

Your breath caught in your throat.

Your chest ached at his words, the quiet realization that had been eating at him for God knows how long.

Jake swallowed hard, his grip on you never faltering. “And I was too stupid to see it.”

You opened your mouth to say something—anything, but Jake was already shaking his head, his hands coming up to cradle your face, thumbs brushing away the dampness collecting beneath your eyes.

“No, let me say this,” he pleaded, his own eyes glassy. “(Y/n), I love you.”

Your breath hitched.

“I love you,” he repeated, firmer this time, like he needed you to understand just how deeply he meant it. “And I don’t care if it’s too soon or if I’m not supposed to feel this way yet—I do.” His voice cracked, raw, vulnerable. “I love you so much it scares me.”

Tears slipped past your lashes, your vision blurring as you stared at him, at the boy who had somehow, in the midst of everything, become your home.

Jake’s hands trembled against your cheeks as he continued, his own emotions threatening to spill over.

“I would’ve given it all up for you,” he whispered. “Everything I’ve worked for, every expectation set on me—I would’ve thrown it all away if it meant I could be with you. But you…” He let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head. “You didn’t even ask me to. You just wanted me, for who I was, not for what I could give up.”

A sob caught in your throat, and Jake was already pulling you in, pressing your foreheads together as he closed his eyes, his breathing uneven.

“I don’t deserve you,” he murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

You let out a soft cry, shaking your head as your hands found his face, cupping his cheeks.

“Don’t say that,” you choked out.

Jake let out a shaky laugh, his thumbs brushing against your skin. “But it’s true.”

You pulled back just enough to look at him, your hands sliding into his hair, fingers threading through the soft strands.

“Jaeyun,” you murmured.

His breath stilled.

“I love you too.”

Jake’s eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected you to say it back. Like he had prepared himself for anything but this.

And then, within seconds, he was kissing you.

Jake kissed you like he had been holding it in for years, like the weight of every suppressed emotion had finally come crashing down all at once. His hands cradled your face with the utmost care, fingers trembling as they traced the curve of your jaw, the line of your cheek, as if memorizing every inch of you.

A quiet, broken sound left his throat as he angled his head, pulling you impossibly closer, like he wanted to drown in you. His lips were warm, desperate yet gentle, moving against yours with a devotion so raw it made your chest ache.

And God, you kissed him back just as fervently.

Your hands moved to his hair, fingers threading through the soft strands, tugging ever so slightly. Jake groaned against your lips, his arms wrapping around you fully, pulling you flush against him, as if he needed to feel every part of you pressed against him to truly believe this moment wasn’t just a dream.

When you finally pulled away, breathless, your foreheads remained pressed together, noses brushing as you both tried to catch your breath.

Jake let out a shaky laugh, one that was thick with emotion, his thumb brushing tenderly against your cheek. His eyes were still damp, glistening under the soft light filtering through his bedroom.

“I wasn’t ready for that,” he murmured, voice hushed, like he was afraid speaking too loudly would break the moment.

You smiled, just as breathless. “For what?”

“For you to love me back,” he admitted, voice cracking slightly. “I—I wanted it so badly, but I never let myself believe I’d actually have it.”

Your heart clenched at the quiet vulnerability in his words, at the sheer disbelief still lingering in his eyes.

You cupped his face again, your thumbs tracing soothing circles against his skin. “I love you,” you whispered, because you needed him to believe it, to understand that this wasn’t a dream. That you were here, with him, for him.

Jake closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, before exhaling just as shakily. “Say it again.”

You smiled, pressing a feather-light kiss to the corner of his lips.

“I love you, Jaeyun.”

A sound escaped him—somewhere between a laugh and a sob, before he crushed you against him again, holding you like he never wanted to let go.

And you knew, in that moment, that he never would.

The Sim estate was alive.

Warm lights flickered from the chandeliers, and laughter rang from every corner of the room. The party was in full swing, with staff and chefs moving efficiently in the background, setting up the final touches on the decorations.

Your friends were scattered throughout the house, making themselves comfortable as if they lived there—Jungwon and his mate chatting near the dessert table, Heeseung and his mate inspecting the decorations, Sunghoon and his mate laughing over something near the fireplace, while Sunoo and his mate lounged nearby.

And you?

You were losing your mind on the loveseat.

Seated directly across from Jake’s and your parents, you were tense, fingers twisting the hem of your white dress, which by now had lost its crisp perfection from how much you’d been picking at it. Layla sat beside you, her large brown eyes flicking between you and your phone, sensing the waves of stress rolling off you in thick waves.

Sunoo’s mate plopped down next to you, barely settling in before your voice rang out.

“What do you mean the cake isn’t there yet?! It was supposed to arrive thirty minutes ago—where is it now?”

The entire room paused.

It was so rare for you to raise your voice that even the staff subtly slowed their movements. Ni-ki, who had been mid-sip of his drink, turned his head so fast it was a miracle he didn’t spill it. Jungwon’s mate blinked, exchanging looks with Sunghoon’s mate, while Heeseung’s mate raised a brow.

Sunoo, who had been lazily scrolling through his phone nearby, leaned over and whispered to Jungwon’s mate. “I think this is the most stressed I’ve ever seen her.”

Jungwon’s mate hummed in agreement. “Jake has no idea how much effort she’s putting into this.”

Across from you, Jake’s and your parents continued their conversation, though it was clear that Jake’s mother was watching you with amusement.

“It would be lovely to have both our families vacation together soon,” Jake’s father was saying, voice casual yet certain. “Somewhere quiet, maybe. A private resort.”

Your mother hummed in agreement. “That does sound nice. We’ve been meaning to take a break.”

Jake’s mother nodded excitedly. “Oh, absolutely! I was thinking something like—”

You barely caught the rest because your phone buzzed again.

This time, it was a message from Jay.

Jay [6:42 PM]: Yo, we’re on the way home. He’s driving. We were at the F1 event. Got him distracted, don’t worry.

Jay [6:43 PM]: Be there in like 15 minutes.

Fifteen. Minutes.

Your grip on your phone tightened. The cake still wasn’t here.

Just as panic was about to set in again, your phone vibrated with another message.

Staff [6:44 PM]: Cake is here, Miss.

Your head snapped up. The front doors opened, and two staff members walked in—one carefully holding an enormous white cake box.

The sheer relief that flooded through you had you sagging back into the loveseat, a breathy “Finally.” escaping your lips.

Sunoo’s mate patted your back, and Layla let out a soft woof, sensing the tension in your body ease.

As the staff carried the box toward you, your eyes widened at the massive size of it. It was beautifully crafted, the logo of the upscale bakery gleaming in gold on the top, and while it looked heavy, the way they handled it told you it wasn’t too much for you to carry.

You quickly stood up—so fast that Layla let out a surprised yelp, and rushed over to them.

Carefully, you placed your hands on the sides of the box, testing the weight before taking it into your arms. It was large, but the weight was manageable, and you cradled it as if it was a fragile piece of art—which, honestly, it was.

Jake’s mother, watching your intense concentration, let out a fond laugh.

“Everything alright now, sweetheart?” she called out, voice warm.

You turned, exhaling deeply before finally smiling. “Yes, everything’s good now.”

Jake’s dad chuckled. “You put so much effort into this. He’s a lucky boy.”

You glanced down at the cake, warmth blooming in your chest.

Jake had no idea what was waiting for him.

And honestly? It was going to be perfect.

The moment you carefully lifted the cake out of the box with your mother and Jake’s mother helping you steady it, you heard the familiar hum of a car pulling up outside.

Your stomach flipped, your heartbeat quickening as the entire room stilled for half a second before suddenly—

Chaos.

Everyone rushed to get into place. The staff quickly stepped back, making way for the group as they hurriedly gathered in the living room. Sunghoon, moving with sharp reflexes, snatched a lighter off the nearby console table and flicked it on.

“Keep it steady,” he murmured as he leaned over, the warm glow of the flame flickering against his face before he lit the candle sitting atop the cake. The moment the soft golden light illuminated the surface, he gave you a small, satisfied nod before stepping back.

Jake and Jay’s voices were getting closer.

“I should be spending time with (Y/n) and my family, man.” His voice was muffled at first, but as he and Jay neared the end of the hallway, it became clearer, the weight of guilt unmistakable. “I feel like a complete douche for leaving her today. I mean, I get that you wanted to take me somewhere cool, but I feel like an idiot for just—disappearing like that.”

Jay, walking beside him, nodded his head towards the living room entrance, not saying a word.

Jake kept going.

“I swear, she’s probably stressed out. She’s been planning everything so carefully, and here I am, leaving her to handle it all while I went off with you to some F1 event. God, I’m such a—”

The doors opened.

The staff stepped aside.

And the moment Jake rounded the corner, he was greeted by everyone.

His entire family.

His closest friends.

And you, standing right in the center, holding a perfectly crafted birthday cake, the candlelight glowing softly against your face.

A soft gasp left his lips as his entire body froze. His eyes swept over the room, from his parents standing by the couch, his friends scattered around with varying expressions of grins and amusement, the staff standing by with knowing smiles.

Then, his gaze landed on you.

His expression melted.

Pure shock and awe crossed his face, his lips parting slightly as he took you in—the way you were holding the cake so carefully, the way your dress had wrinkles from how much you had been fussing over everything, the way the warm glow of the candle made you look even more radiant than he thought was possible.

Jay, watching Jake turn into a complete goner, simply smirked, patting him on the shoulder.

“Surprise, birthday boy.”

Jake didn’t move. He barely blinked.

And then, as if the reality of the moment finally hit him, his eyes softened.

Jake barely had time to process what was happening before his body moved on instinct, surging forward, arms reaching for you, heart pounding in his chest.

But just as he was about to pull you into his arms, you swiftly lifted the cake up, holding it just out of reach.

Laughter erupted from everyone around you.

Jake froze mid-step, blinking at you in disbelief before a fond, exasperated smile stretched across his lips. His hands, once desperate to embrace you, found their place on your waist instead, thumbs absentmindedly tracing soft circles against the fabric of your dress.

“Make a wish first, birthday boy.”

A groan slipped past his lips, head tilting back dramatically as he let out a playful sigh. For a second, he just stood there, shaking his head at you, but the warmth in his gaze stayed.

He exhaled deeply, his grip on you tightening slightly before he leaned forward, eyes fluttering shut.

And in that moment, with the sound of laughter filling the air, the warmth of your presence in front of him, and the love of his family and friends surrounding him, he only had one wish in mind.

‘I get to spend the rest of my life with you.’

Jake opened his eyes, gaze locking onto yours one last time before he blew out the candle.

Before he could even react, Sunghoon smoothly stepped forward, grabbing the cake out of your hands with ease, as if he had been waiting for the perfect moment to do so.

Jake barely had time to process it because the second your hands were free, he finally pulled you in

His arms wrapped around you in an instant, lifting you slightly off the floor as he spun you around once, twice, before pressing you firmly against his chest. His heartbeat pounded against yours, fast and steady, so completely full.

A breathless chuckle left his lips as he set you back down, but he didn’t let go.

Instead, his forehead dropped to yours, eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment as he took you in, the warmth of your touch, the scent of honey and seawater lingering on your skin, the way your hands clung onto the fabric of his suit like you never wanted to let go either.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he murmured, voice soft, almost vulnerable. “Jay was being pushy and—”

“You mean Jay, the person who was part of this entire thing?” you interrupted, amusement dancing in your tone.

Jake froze.

Slowly, he pulled back, brows furrowing as his head turned toward Jay, who stood across the room, smug as ever.

Jake’s jaw dropped.

His eyes darted from Jay, back to you, back to Jay.

And then, without missing a beat, he lifted his hand behind his back and flipped him off.