Taesan’s POV

My nose is buried in the softest strands of light brown hair when I wake up.

Whatever drug the doctor gave did a good job, I don’t know how long I slept, but my body feels better.

Seoha is lying on my arm, most of his weight is carefully held off my arm, and I take a deep breath of his shampoo.

The smell is fruity and sweet, it goes just right with his vanilla pheromones, making him feel even more beautiful.

I lift my free hand to touch his face, this beautiful face, the button nose that I have grown to love and that sleepy pout.

He’s fucking precious, it took almost dying to see just how much I love him, now I don’t want to let him go.

I drop my head slightly and kiss him on the forehead.

"Want to see some more" he mutters in his sleep, moving his body closer into mine, and I chuckle as his leg slides between my legs.

The way we fit would make puzzles envy us.

My body accommodates him like I was created with him on the maker’s mind...and I don’t even believe in the moon goddess.

"I’ll be back" I say and carefully untangle our bodies, that’s when I notice how warm his body is to the touch.

"Fuck, baby, don’t get sick because of me" I whisper to the sleeping omega, rubbing my thumbs in circles on his cheek.

I leave him in the room, walking out bare chested as I make my way to my pup’s room, following the sound of conversations.

"Dad?" she whispers when she sees me.

She’s in the middle of getting dressed for school, one half of her hair is in a pigtail, and the other half is being brushed by a maid.

"Hey, princess" I greet and she bursts into tears before running to me.

I pick her up immediately, kissing her head as I hold her gently, and she hugs my neck.

"I didn’t see you anymore" she sobs.

"I’m sorry princess" I whisper, forgetting about the maid in the room.

"I thought you left me"

"I will never do that, I swear" I tell her, feeling my eyes starting to get wet with tears. Fuck, I never imagined she would think of me leaving.

"I’m sorry princess, daddy’s sorry" I say and pull her away from the hug to let her see the sincerity on my face.

"You know I love you, don’t you? hmm?" I ask and she nods, hugging me again and holding on tightly.

"I love you daddy, more than everybody" she whispers with a lisp, but the crying has slowed down, giving me the chance to press another kiss to the side of her head.

"That’s my girl" I say.

"Daddy, can I stay at home with you and daddy?" she asks in a small voice, and I look at the maid attending to her.

I shouldn’t spoil her, but she hasn’t had a chance to see me in days, and I can never say no to her.

"Whatever you want princess" I say and put her down.

"Don’t go away again, okay?" she says with her eyes shining with the honest wish.

"Never again" I promise and I nod at the maid, "you can change her clothes" I tell her.

"Dad, don’t go anywhere" Sooin says loudly again and I smile at her, "I’ll be in my study, then we’ll make breakfast for daddy"

"How does that sound?" I ask and my pup’s eyes widen with happiness, "yes! Daddy always cooks for us, let’s cook for him too" she says.

"Get changed and pick what we can make for him" I say, giving her something to be occupied with before leaving the room.

Satisfied with my daughter’s state, I prepare myself for what I will do next; attending to my underworld business.

The betrayal, the weak link, and the guts for my daughter to be touched in the first place.

I calmly walk down the hallway, going into my study to take my phone and to make a very important call to my righthand man.

The phone doesn’t ring for long before Junho accepts the call.

"Junho" I say his name and a small laugh follows.

"You’re awake" he says and I take my seat in the old leather chair that has been with me for over four years.

"Did you expect otherwise?" I ask with a guarded tone, and I hear the movement on his end, like he’s sitting up.

"You know I am not that way" he mutters in cold voice and guilt swells in my chest.

’You know I am not a betrayer, you know I die for you and live for you’ is what he means. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Where are you?" I ask instead of apologizing, he knows me well enough to know that this is my apology.

"I took a break" my beta says.

"I didn’t give you one" I shoot at him.

"I gave myself one, fuck, Taesan" he snaps and I sigh, preparing myself for his complaints, fully resting my weight on the chair and hearing a creaking noise.

Is it time to let the chair go?

"Do you know how hard it was to see you lying there, helpless and hurt?" Junho asks through his teeth, and I fix my eyes on the light above me till my eyes start to water.

Old Taesan would be on a killing spree, dying to take control by taking lives, or by smoking sticks of cigarettes.

Old Taesan...at what point did I become a new man?

"I’m not helpless...not when I have you" I say and the man curses softly, I can hear his struggles through the call.

"This is getting too hard" he confesses and I shut my eyes, "is it Yuki?" I ask and this time the curse sounds painful.

I don’t have to explain, I just know that he knows, or that he would have figured it out while I was out.

"Yes, Yuki" he asks and I run my hand down my face, feeling my stubble scratching my fingers and the cold leather of my chair pressing against my naked back.

"She’s in the basement, the men kept her there for you" he says and I nod, getting out of the chair.

"Good job, Junho" I say and end the call.

I don’t want to put him under pressure, or make him think of her.

I’d rather handle it all by myself.

I make my way to the off-limits basement of my home, signaling to my guard not to come in, I need to see her all alone.

"Open" I order the person guarding the entrance, and he opens the door, bowing his head as I walk through.

The room is dusty and dark, there’s only one light hanging from the ceiling, so I flip the switch.

Yuki, the girl I took as a younger sister, is right there.

She’s breathing properly and unharmed, but she looks like she’s seconds away from death.

Her head is down, and she’s tied to the same chair she has watched me kill people in.

I don’t speak yet, I just walk into the room, one step at a time till I pick my waiting sword off the table.

Time to judge, I am the captain and this is my crew, I am their leader and their god.

The noise of metal dragging against the wooden table wakes her up, and she looks up at me with wide eyes.

"Captain" Yuki breaths out the word, and I just inspect the sword, checking how sharp the blade is.

"Please..." she whispers and I turn to look at her face for the first time, "why?" I ask in a quiet tone.

"I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry" she starts to cry, clenching her teeth as she apologizes for her sin.

"You gave up the child that calls you aunty...for what?" I ask, moving away from the table to stand in front of her.

She looks terrified as she starts to speak, she looks like a woman who knows that she can’t escape.

"I-I needed to protect my father...he threatened my father" the young woman starts to sob.

Of course my grandfather used her father against her.

"You know better than anyone how hard I protect your father" I say to her and she nods, dropping her head.

"I was scared, it wasn’t something I really wanted" she cries, shaking her head side to side and I roar in rage.

"You betrayed me!"

"You betrayed my trust, you know that well that I would have killed for you, my fucking family" I say in a lower voice.

It’s getting hard to breathe with the burning feeling in my chest.

"Captain..." she sobs even harder.

"You know what happens to betrayers, don’t you?" I ask and she drops her head again.

"Please" she begs.

"My daughter was too innocent to beg you not to take her, wasn’t she? Do you deserve mercy?" I ask.

"Please" she repeats herself and I raise my sword above my head, too hurt, too angry.

Betrayers must go.