Taesan’s POV

’I’m nothing to you’

Fuck you’re not.

You’re nothing to me, but why is my body rushing forward to stop you from hitting the floor?

Huh? Shin Seoha, why have you stolen my body too?

I catch his lithe body, breathing rapidly as I hold him, his skin is hot to the touch and I feel the bandage at the back of his head...

Fuck!

I hurt him like this, I’m a monster.

At the end of the day, I’m a Kang after all, my grandfather’s offspring.

My eyes trace his body, and I see where his pants have ridden up, his ankle is swollen and it’s an ugly shade of purple...did he fucking twist it?

"Seoha, you stupid, stupid omega" I say angrily, forgetting about Jaemin until he comes to stand next to us.

"Wow" he says as he places his hands on his knees and bends forward while my entire body tenses.

’Break his hands off’ my alpha growls and I clench my jaw.

I won’t hurt him...I won’t hurt him...fuck, I won’t let Sooin see me hurting the omega that gave birth to her.

"Keep your distance" I warn and Jaemin makes a dismissing noise, like he finds me...funny.

"Is this supposed to be my replacement?" he asks with a small laugh and I growl, holding Seoha properly.

"How dramatic, I should be the one fainting, I just got off the stage and rushed all the way here for our pup" Jaemin keeps talking.

His words are slow, calculated and purposeful, unlike how I feel.

"I’ve given my warning, Jaemin" I say and he laughs softly, that practiced idol laughter, posturing himself so that his red hair falls over his blue eyes.

"Choyeon was right, he’s so cheap, did your taste change, Sannie? Does he know how to pleasure you like I-" his words are cut off as I grab his throat.

He irritates me.

All he knows is sex, seduction, manipulation...it’s impossible to believe I once loved him.

"I’ll count to five, Jaemin and if you don’t leave my house, I will be responsible for the news of a missing idol" I growl and he gags, struggling to breathe.

"Do I make myself clear?" I snarl in his face and his glossy lips stretch into a smile.

He’s mad...maybe that was why I even wanted him in the first place.

"Is it supposed to be a threat, captain?" he asks in a strangled voice, and I push him away.

He is deliberately releasing his pheromones, filling the hall with his arousal, and I groan.

It’s a smell that wakes a dirty part of me, but it’s not the vanilla that my alpha loves.

"It’s a promise, Siren" I say and the smile on his face drops, "one..." I start to count and he stumbles backwards in shock.

"Taesan" he says my name.

"Two"

"I don’t give up, you know me!" he says before he starts to run down the hall, throwing elegance into the air and I let out a breath.

My hands are shaking from anger at him, and from fear for Seoha, the omega isn’t moving and his breathing is shallow. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Shit" I curse.

Jaemin successfully distracted me, he won this, but now I need to take care of my omega.

"Anyone!" I yell and a maid comes to me, "get my car ready, call Yuki to come home for Sooin" I order and she bows before rushing off to obey.

I hold Seoha’s head carefully, taking in his face.

He remains the most beautiful person I have ever seen, his soft deer like features...maybe this will be the last time I’ll look at him like this.

I need to put myself together.

We are bad for each other,

He’s breaking me when I need to be the hard the most, and I’m fucking hurting him when he needs comfort the most.

I sit in the back of my car with him on my lap, permitting myself to hold him to my chest, knowing that I fucking did this to him.

"Drive faster!" I roar at the panicking driver and he stutters a ’yes sir’ even though we are stuck in traffic.

Seoha’s chest is starting to rise and fall slowly, I know he’s going to be okay, but my alpha is raging in my chest.

Roaring and snarling...angry at me for letting Jaemin steal our focus.

I thump my head against the car seat, angry at myself too, but unsure of what to do with myself.

"Hello" a nurse greets as soon as I burst into the hospital, and Seoha is taken from me, taken into my private hospital room while I am asked to wait outside.

It’s like the heat moment all over again, the time when I brought him here to the hospital, but this time...I can’t blame him for my lack of control.

It’s my fucking fault.

I text Junho of the situation, asking him to contact someone to get Seoha, I don’t want to see him when he wakes up.

"Sir, you brought him a bit too late" the doctor says without greeting me, already familiar with me.

"Is he alright?" I ask coldly, forcing myself to act unbothered.

"He has a mild concussion, a swollen ankle, has been overstressed but generally...he’s stronger than he looks, how much of this kind of violence has he endured?" the doctor asks with a frown and I fold my left hand into a fist.

"How bad is it supposed to be?" I ask, already making a list of potential targets.

A list of those who hurt Seoha...including myself.

"Well...he should be hospitalized for at least three days, but he’s good enough to go home in some hours" the doctor says and drops his hands to his sides.

"I will have a nurse attend to him, and monitor him till he wakes up" he gives a bow and walks away.

Alone in the hallway, I grab my cigarette pack, just feeling the body of it.

"You have done it again, haven’t you?" a familiar irritating voice says behind me and I don’t turn around.

I already know it’s that pregnant omega, Minjae or what was he called?

"Are you happy? Huh? He has been hospitalized, are you satisfied now? Are you going to leave him alone?" he asks and pushes me from behind.

His shove has no effect on me, not because I don’t feel anything, but because...I don’t know what to fucking feel.

"I told Seoha to stay away from you, and I will make sure it happens" the man continues to yell as I avoid his eyes.

I have the power to shut him up forever, here and now, and no one will say a word about it.

But what will Seoha think of me?

’He already knows you’re a monster’ my brain supplies.

"I paid the bills" I say and leave the hospital.

My alpha is still raging, my chest is burning with unfamiliar feelings, and my heart is...breaking?

My phone dings and I stare at the screen, it’s a message from the name I’ve been expecting.

Grandfather Kang:

Where is the Shin guitar, son?

Tick. Tock. Time waits for no one.