The alley behind the club reeked of smoke. Someone had recently been smoking—the smell still hung in the air, mixing with the dampness of the wet walls. A flickering streetlight cut through the shadows, and every shadow seemed like a foreign figure.
Do-yun leaned against the wall; the tray of glasses in his hands felt heavy. He had only stepped out for a couple of minutes to catch his breath, but the thoughts that had been haunting him for days returned.
If they are choosing those who are closest to the hall, to these deliveries… if they are taking those who work nearby… then why not me?
His heart was beating too fast. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the disappeared Omegas. Their empty rooms. Their severed connections.
I'll become one of them too. Won't I?
— Are you new?
The voice came unexpectedly, and Do-yun flinched. A man stood in the gloom—a tall, broad-shouldered Alpha in an expensive coat. A cigarette was in his hand, smoke curling in thin rings. His eyes slid over Do-yun with lazy interest, but beneath the interest, there was coldness.
— Yes, — Do-yun answered briefly, trying to keep his voice steady.
The Alpha stepped closer. — I can tell. Your hands are too clean. And your gaze doesn't belong here.
He extended his palm, touched Do-yun's fingers, running it slowly, almost weightlessly, but a chill ran down Do-yun's skin.
Do-yun wanted to pull away, but the man had already moved closer. His fingers slid to his wrist, squeezing lightly, as if testing.
— Don't touch me, — Do-yun said quietly, clenching his teeth.
— What if I want to? — the Alpha smirked, flicking the ash. — I have something interesting. I could show you.
— I'm not interested, — Do-yun cut him off sharply.
But the man did not retreat. His fingers were already resting on his neck, sliding across the skin. A light pressure—almost a caress, but something entirely different was clear in it: possessiveness.
— You should have seen what this thing did to Chan-Hoon, — he said lazily. — The Omega squealed with pleasure like a puppy.
The name pierced Do-yun like a blow. Chan-Hoon—one of the missing.
— You heard that? — the man smirked, noticing his reaction. — Yes, him. Don't play coy. Even if you're not an Omega, you don't smell like one… it might be worth a try.
The Alpha gripped Do-yun's chin, his fingers sliding to his neck, and his gaze was too direct: — I think you'll like it too.
— Take your hands off him.
Seung-ho's voice tore through the silence of the alley. It was so low that a shiver ran down Do-yun's spine.
The man looked back; the smirk wavered, but he didn't manage to say a word. Seung-ho was already beside them. His palm landed on the back of Do-yun's neck, pulling him closer, and the next moment his nose touched his neck.
Seung-ho inhaled deeply, held his breath, and something shifted in his body. Pheromones surged out sharply, domineeringly, slicing through the air with a predatory force.
Do-yun gasped; his fingers clenched the wall. His body reacted instinctively: his breathing became ragged, his heart pumped blood faster, as if a wave had crashed over him, one impossible to hide from.
— Disgusting scent, — Seung-ho growled directly into his skin. — This Alpha touched you. And his trace clings to you. I don't like it.
The pheromones grew thicker, binding the space. Do-yun felt them with his whole body—and a strange mixture grew inside: fear, but also the sense that beside him was a force ready to tear anyone apart.
The Alpha who had been so brazen a second ago flinched, stepping back. — I see… — he muttered, put out his cigarette, and dissolved into the smoke of the alley.
Silence fell like a heavy shroud. Seung-ho didn't pull away for a time, inhaling his scent, covering the foreign trace with his own pheromones. Do-yun stood, almost breathless; his body reacted to the invasion more strongly than he wanted to admit.
— You… — he breathed out, trying to pull away. — You overdid it.
Seung-ho pressed him closer, so that his lips brushed the line of his neck. — No. — His voice was firm. — I won't allow anyone else to leave their trace on you.
The pheromones softened, but still held him, enveloped him, making his heart beat faster.
Seung-ho drew back slightly, looking directly into his eyes. — Who was that? What did he want from you?
Do-yun swallowed. His throat was dry, but he spoke. — He… said he had "something interesting." Offered me to try it. I didn't understand, but… then he mentioned Chan-Hoon. Said this thing broke him. That the Omega would soon have come to them himself.
Seung-ho tensed, his fingers tightening on Do-yun's shoulder. — And? — I think he was talking about "Instinct." — Do-yun exhaled. — It sounded exactly like that.
Seung-ho's gaze darkened. He leaned back slightly, but didn't remove his hand. — So, they're testing the waters. They think they can reach out their tentacles to anyone. Even to you.
Do-yun looked away, grinding his teeth. — Seung-ho… I feel like I'm next.
Seung-ho leaned closer again, his nose brushing his temple, releasing a quiet, viscous wave of pheromones—softer now, soothing. — As long as I'm beside you, — he said low, — they won't even be able to approach.
Do-yun closed his eyes. His body was still trembling, but in that breath, in that scent, was something that, for the first time, gave him a sense of security.
The cigarette smoke still lingered in the alley, but now its scent was overpowered by another—the heavy, commanding aroma of Seung-ho.