Seoha’s POV

He hasn’t stopped smiling since he told me about the ’plan’.

But as much as I want to comfortably bask in the happiness of this moment, I feel something is wrong again.

The alpha is wearing a silly smile on his face as he drives but there is a look in his eyes that makes me think of yesterday.

During the date, he did everything that made the day happy, but at night...it became a different thing.

I look behind me at the girls.

Sooin is sleeping with her head on Jisu’s back, and Jisu is also sleeping while sitting upright.

"Did something happen?" I ask and Taesan looks at me briefly before turning his attention to the road again.

"Nothing you should worry about" he says through his clenched teeth.

Omega.

I want to pretend like I can’t tell that he feels suddenly darker, or like I can’t see the way he’s gripping the steering wheel harder as he focuses on driving.

He is still smiling for me.

"You keep staring at me, am I that handsome?" he asks, mocking me like a naughty lover and I drop my eyes to my hands.

The alpha seems lively but there is a shadow over his shoulder. I know it’s only in my head, but the shadow is looking down at me like it’s waiting to strike.

"I can tell something is wrong" I murmur and he sighs, flexing his fingers on the wheel like he’s stretching them.

The darkness eases and the smile fades, but not in a scary way.

"There’s too much I want to tell you, baby, but I want to gift you today...give you a happy day" he says.

Baby.

I blink once, nodding my head and leaning back in the seat; he’s doing it again, he’s protecting me from his world.

"I’m getting stronger, then you won’t have to hide things from me anymore" I say and he laughs softly, making a noise in his chest that sounds like his alpha is approving my words.

I wish he wasn’t wearing a scent patch, I wish I can smell him in this moment...scents never lie.

"Yes, Seoha, you are becoming strong but I prefer you to stay soft for me" he says like he’s talking to himself.

They are simple words, but they feel like commandments to me.

And I just know that they’re just that. Commandments.

My alpha is giving a command, and my omega purrs in response, excited to do what our mate wants.

He wants me to be me...the Seoha he pushed away before.

Brushing hair out of my face, I look at his focused side profile, the sharp jawline, his predator-like eyes...

"Will you tell me what you planned?" I ask, testing my luck, and Taesan takes one hand off the steering wheel to pat my head.

"I love you, so much Seoha. And if anyone dares me, I will fucking burn their entire bloodline’s bodies to keep you warm" he says and I whimper quietly.

It’s not pre-heat.

Something is happening inside of my body, and it only responds to Kang Taesan and his crude expression of love.

"Hmm, your scent...fix it, Jisu will make fun of us if she wakes up to it" the alpha says and I slap my hand over my scent gland.

I smell heavily like a pleasured omega. my vanilla scent is overpowering everything else and announcing my desire.

"This is so embarrassing" I mutter, covering my face with both of my hands out of habit, and Taesan keeps laughing at me.

"So, you are done being mad at me?" he asks, still focused on the road and I return to pouting.

"Didn’t you like your drink?" he asks and I sink into the seat, held up only by the seatbelt.

Would it be bad to commit suicide by jumping out of a moving car?

No. I can’t do that.

Sooin will be traumatized for life and Taesan might take another omega.

At the thought of another omega being with Taesan, I shake my head, dispelling the whole idea of jumping out.

"Are you considering it, little dear? Will you take the drink or will I?" Taesan asks and I almost choke on air.

"Kang Taesan-ssi" I gasp.

"Don’t wake our travel partners, unless you want them to overhear" he says I gape at him.

The number of times this man has made me speechless on this one trip can’t be counted.

"Answer the question wifey, you or me?" he asks again.

"If I take it..." his eyes sweep over my body and I press my thighs together, feeling myself starting to get hard just from the suggestive look.

"Please stop" I blush for what has to be the hundredth time since I woke up today.

"You won’t be able to take it, little thief, I might break you" he says and I shake my head.

"You’re too much" I mutter, finally taking my hand off my heated face.

"Why? We are doing what I read online, couples...communicate" the alpha beams at me, and my heart skips a beat.

He is something beyond me; that smile, that voice, low and rough.

"But if you take the drink, little deer..." he says, letting out a low wolf whistle, "it would be a mess" he says and I groan.

"Stop saying weird things" I fold my arm across my chest, making him chuckle with amusement in his dark eyes.

My eyes drop to his crotch, and I realize that the alpha is as hard as I am. And when he moves his hips slightly to ease some of the pressure, my mouth water.

"If you keep staring, I might be tempted to pull over and just take you at the entrance of your grandmother’s home" he says and I turn my head to see where we are.

Grandma’s home!

"Taesan-" my word is ended by a kiss on the lips.

Taesan holds the back of my head, kissing me softly like he would never see me again; kissing me like he’s saying goodbye.

"Don’t leave me" I mutter breathlessly, holding to the sleeve of his shirt as he breaks the kiss.

"You didn’t leave me when I asked you to, I won’t leave you even if you beg me to" he says.

"Go, I’ll wake the kids" he slides his hand down my cheek.

"Why are you looking at me like you will leave without me?" I ask, eyes welling with tears.

My omega is clinging on to the alpha, still feeling the after effect of being in omegaspace last night.

"I’m not leaving you baby, I’m just jealous" he says and I furrow my brow in confusion.

"Jealous?"

"Yes, I’m jealous of that stupid dog that will steal you attention" he says and just in time, my grandmother’s faithful dog barks for me, wagging his tail with excitement.

Taesan’s POV

As expected, he jumps out of the car, squealing with happiness as he pets and kisses the dog.

I glare at the animal from my seat, licking my bottom lip to show it that I have the best of Seoha.

His taste is still my tongue.

"Is that Seoha?" his grandmother comes out of the house with her eyes bright.

"Grandma!" Seoha yells, rushing forward to hug his grandmother, hugging her tight as she pats his back.

Seeing him with the woman always makes me feel a strange kind of warmth and pride.

I am the reason he is smiling this brightly. His voice has gone an octave higher with happiness because of me.

"My goddess, my baby, what were you two doing in that car, you smell like an omega on their wedding night!" grandma says and I snicker.

"Grandmother!" Seoha gasps and I act like I didn’t hear, getting out of the car to wake my daughter while Jisu unpacks.

"Innah" I call, shaking Sooin gently and she wakes up almost immediate, rubbing at her eyes as she looks around.

"Where is daddy?" she asks in a small voice.

"Over there, he’s waiting for you with grandma" I point at the grandchild and grandmother duo who are still arguing over the concept of ’modesty’.

"Don’t be immodest in public and I will be a changed woman"

"Grandma!"

"Go on" I encourage Sooin and she shakes her head, clinging to me instead of going to them.

"I promise grandma is very nice, should I carry you?" I ask and she nod, letting me carry her out of the car. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Stone brought his child" the old woman says and Sooin tighten her tiny arms around my neck.

"Dad is a person, dad is not stone" Sooin says, making the elderly woman laugh.

"I know dear, I’m only joking, come here beautiful child, we will get along so well" she says, beckoning for Sooin.

"Go" I say, watching with pride as my shy daughter hugs her grandmother.

I look up to find Seoha watching them with tears in his eyes, and when our eyes meet, my chest fills with the desire to hold him tight.

’Tonight. We wait for tonight’ my alpha says.