Taesan’s POV

’I’m yours, Seoha...yours’

I, Kang Taesan, am a proud man.

Giving myself to someone is not something that is part of my DNA, I’d rather swallow my own sword than give myself to someone, especially when it’s an omega.

I can already imagine the reactions of my followers; ’mountain giving himself to someone...unbelievable, laughable, Impossible’.

But from the day he walked into my life, dipping his hand into my pocket and taking my wallet, since then his vanilla scent became my undoing.

All my years of discipline and control were ruined by one tiny omega with round brown eyes and a big heart.

I had him, then I lost him, and now I want him back as badly as I need to breathe.

Fuck, I want to hold him forever, kiss away his tears and take that sadness away.

I hear a soft cough and my mom’s here...in this strange garden.

What’s he doing here? Isn’t he with the angels?

I’m too tired to ask questions, so I groan to get his attention the way I used to do when I was younger, and he chuckles.

"If you want something, just say it" he says, he’s reading a book, something about fashion.

"Haseul-ssi" I say his name and he shakes his head.

"You are too mischievous these days" he tsks at me, he doesn’t get mad, he just keeps reading.

"Mom, is love real?" I ask and he looks at me with warm eyes, "you should know by now" he says.

Do I? fuck, I feel like I do, but I’m not sure.

"I’m not sure" I reply and he hums before putting his book down to look at me, "I’m sure you do"

"I loved someone once, he just...left, grandfather paid him" I say while stretching my hands and mom gets out of his seat.

He lies next to me on the lush grass.

"It doesn’t cancel true love out" he murmurs and turns his head, so we are face to face.

Mother and son, victims of the same monster’s greed, I can’t let any of this go...I will be the tiger that tears the lion for the deer’s sake.

"I love Seoha" I say and he smiles, "that’s good, love is good" he says and I sigh.

"I’m afraid of so many things" I confess to my mom, and he just ruffles my hair but doesn’t speak.

"Won’t you say something?" I ask.

"Shh" he shushes me gently.

"My mountain, you’ve been strong all on your own, haven’t you?" he asks and I shut my eyes to feel his fingers in my hair, soft and gentle.

"Yes..." I whisper.

"Don’t worry, Sannie, you will be okay, I know you will" he says and we both turn our heads to stare at the sun.

His fingers are still in my hair, I know that I’m dreaming, but I don’t want to wake up yet.

"Don’t fight it, you have so much to do, they need you even more. Don’t be scared" he says and I hold on to his hand, maybe I’ll stay with him this way.

"Mom" I say and he smiles at me, "fuck, mom, I need you more!" I cry out and try to sit up, but my body won’t cooperate.

"They need you more" he says and I growl, fighting to stay, but unfortunately...I feel myself leaving our quiet garden, coming back to reality.

"...Yes, he’s still unconscious like he has been...yes, the doctor is around me" I hear a voice say as I wake up, but I can’t open my eyes yet.

It’s Seoha.

It sounds like he’s on a call, then I hear the beep that signifies a call being ended.

I draw a breath and his vanilla scent floods my nose...it’s filled with worry, and I can smell a hint of tiredness.

’My mate is here’ my alpha says, and I try to feel him through the open end of our bond, but I can’t feel him...

Fuck, isn’t it better to die than to wake up to him not wanting us anymore?

The omega is ruffling my hair softly the way my mom was doing in my dream, and when he takes his hand off, I let out a whine out of fear and anxiety.

"Don’t go" I say with a dry throat.

Seoha’s POV

"Don’t go" he says and the tears I was holding back start to flow as I drop my head to the bed.

My chest hurts from worrying so much, and my breathing finally stops hitching.

He’s awake, and he’s asking me not to go like I have anywhere else to be but here with him.

"I’m not going anywhere" I say and he lets out a sigh.

His eyes are still closed, and I lift my head to look at his face, this is the first time in four days that he’s waking up.

"How do you feel?" I ask in a soft voice.

"Just don’t go" he orders weakly and I bury my fingers in his thick dark hair, feeling the silky strands around my fingers.

"I’m not..." I say and with my hand still in his hair, I call out for help, "doctor, he’s awake".

"No...no one else" he says, whining the words in a way that would have been cute if he hadn’t been dying under my watch.

"It’s just a doctor, I promise" I say and he growls, grabbing my hand and pulling me to himself.

I gasp as I find myself half lying on the bed, and almost completely lying on him.

"Don’t want to share you with anyone else, need you" he says and finally opens his eyes.

Tears from my eyes drop to his cheek as our eyes meet for the first time in days.

They are dark and strong, too strong for man that should be dead, and they are full of...possession.

"I’m here, Sannah, but I need you to not leave me too" I say and he winces in pain, holding me a bit tighter, "you were almost gone" I tell the alpha.

"Dead" I say the word with unmasked pain, and his face softens.

"I can’t die" he mutters.

"I can’t die when that man is still alive, I can’t die and leave Sooin alone...I can’t die when you haven’t forgiven me"

"Please stop talking, you need to get checked by the doctor" I pull myself away from him.

"Noo" he whines but doesn’t try to make me stay.

Two knocks on the door alert me that the doctor is here, and I sit up straight, looking at the door for the old man to come in.

"Hello, captain, you remember me? From the Hwang clan" the doctor greets and bows deeply.

"Yes, I’m familiar with you" Taesan says, nodding slightly as he watches the doctor with heavy hooded eyes.

I get out of the seat, and the doctor sits in it, I stand behind him, watching him converse with the alpha.

"They poisoned you, it wasn’t meant to kill you, but it was strong enough to slow healing" he says and Taesan’s face morphs into something dark.

"How long will it be effective?" he asks and the doctor lifts Taesan’s hand.

"Does this hurt?" he asks and the alpha presses his lips together in pain, "they broke your wrist, your body has healed it quite well, but it’s still slow"

"Fuck" Taesan curses, flinching as he tries to flex his wrist.

"It will wear off soon, your body is faster than most alphas" the doctor says, and my eyes wander down Taesan’s covered body.

He looks so tense, even though hurt his body is still on guard...maybe that’s why his leg never fully healed.

"How’s his leg?" I blurt and the doctor pulls the blanket off.

The alpha’s legs were left untouched, but I know he still battled with leg pains, pains he never told anyone.

Pains that no one cared about all because he is the captain.

"His legs are perfectly fine, the poison might enhance any pains, but so far, he looks good" he says and cover Taesan up again.

"I need to administer some medications, please, Seoha-ssi, could you leave the room?" the doctor says and as I turn to leave Taesan growls aggressively.

"The omega stays" he commands and my body obeys before my brain catches up. I stop all movements to look at him.

The doctor clears his throat and gets up with his syringe.

"I heard Captain never lets anyone see his weak moments, this is an improvement from the asshole I heard of" he says and I blush as the man pull the blanket low enough to show the alpha’s powerful thigh.

"Do you always insult your patients?" Taesan asks without being offended and I smile to myself.

"Shush boy, my Jaehyun is almost like you" he mutters and I look away as he injects the alpha, making him groan softly.

"You will fall asleep soon, so try and get plenty of rest. Seoha-ssi, call me if you need anything" the doctor says and leaves the room.

I take my seat and Taesan takes my hand in his.

"You’re warm" he notes and I hum.

No one knows that I’ve been fighting headaches or that I’ve been pressing an ice bag against my head.

"I’m okay" I say and he closes his eyes, "come here, come..." he says.

He’s starting to fall asleep, but I climb into the bed with him, resting in his arms and trying not to put my weight on him.

’Alpha is okay now...we can sleep’ my omega whispers.