Hwang Jaehyun is suspicious.
One look at him gives me whiplash, how is the same man whose eyes had looked at me with disdain that night in the hotel room after my heat, the man that had called my weakness pathetic…
How is the same man right here in front of me losing control over his Alpha for my sake?
I am bare in the enemy's home, my body broken down and bruised in various places, this should be the perfect time to destroy me- to tear me to shreds, instead his Alpha swears through him to defend me.
How is that possible?
The air between us smells strongly of Jaehyun. His scent is strong with the unrestrained and unmasked anger filling the room, the harsh scent causes my nose to burn as I blink at him.
"Hwang…your scent…" I say quietly and the Alpha whines pitifully in his throat, he looks at me with his Alpha eyes glowing red, the most pitiful look on an Alpha that I have ever seen, sad- like a young puppy that has been wounded.
"Why are you like this…?" I ask, surprise taking over me as he leans in closer to me and takes a whiff of my bare neck, I freeze in place and let him…
The alpha keens as though he is in deep pain. Jaehyun rests his head on my shoulder, his nose towards my scent gland and again he keens for not being able to smell me.
The broken keen makes me stiffen, I know he is slipping deeper, I should fight and make the Alpha stop scenting me but I don't, instead my omega pushes to come forward.
For the first time in my life, my omega struggles with me, applying a force that I have never felt before, seeking to break forth.
'Stop' I command him.
'Comfort alpha' the unruly omega responds to me.
The response surprises me as I struggle with my omega, for the first time in my life-years pretending has made me unconscious- that my omega remains dead unless I am in heat.
"Jun-ah" Hwang Jaehyun murmurs, "can I scent you?" He asks and my breath catch in my throat, no one has ever scented me asides Yunah…not even my own mother.
I should say no. I can say no but instead I tilt my head for him, baring my neck to him. My omega purrs deeply in me, satisfied.
Carefully, Jaehyun finds the edge of the skin colored scent patch on my neck and lift it bit by bit. Once he has takes it off my neck, he leans in to rub his nose on my tender skin to coax my gland into releasing my scent.
My Omega is so familiar with being surpressed that my gland no longer knows how to have scents released unless I am delirious and in heat, so used to hiding even in my private space that even I don't remember what I smell like.
Jaehyun's nose pressing into my glad causes my scent to flood the room, and I take in a lungful of it- the sweet smell of Jasmine. Despite my ability to mask pain, my true state is exposed with the release of my pheromone- my sweet jasmine is tainted with a bitter undertone of pain.
"You're hurt here too" Jaehyun murmurs again my neck, his voice is deep as his Alpha speaks through him. "Jaehyun!" I gasp his name loudly as he suddenly opens his mouth and press his tongue flat on an injury next to my scent gland.
The heat and wetness of his tongue against my neck causes my eyes to cross as he laps up the raw injury. An act that is reserved solely for mothers to tend to their pups or for lovers tending to their mates- it is not something enemies should do with each other.
Reminding myself of who I am and who he is brings me back to my senses and with a small groan, I push Jaehyun away from me, bracing myself to fight if need be.
Coming to his senses as well, Jaehyun immediately gets up and walks quickly to the window of his living area to stick his head out and breathe in the city's cold night air.
The small room smells heavily of both of us, our pheromones strong and heady- an intoxicating mix of Jasmine and patchouli.
I watch quietly as Jaehyun moves from the window to another part of his little home. It doesn't take long before he returns with a first aid box, he places it in front of me with his eyes downcast.
"Jaehyun" I call and he keeps his head down, refusing to look at me. "Jaehyun-ssi" I say again and he sighs heavily, his scent dropping in it's intensity, as he mumbles something softly under his breath.
"What?" I ask tilting my head to catch his eyes, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have scented you like that" he says and my heart stutters in my chest.
An Alpha apologizing?
Even through my years pretending to be one, I have never given an apology to anyone who wasn't my father.
What kind of man is Jaehyun?
What is he hiding underneath?
"I shouldn't have touched you like that…I am not one to lose control like that…" Jaehyun says, "me too" I say, my voice coming out as a broken whisper, I clear my throat to try again, "me too".
"My omega has been beaten into silence and nonexistence, Jaehyun-ssi, but somehow…since you…he seems more alive than he has ever been" I confess to him, baring myself further.
"I'm glad then, I'm glad you can be yourself" Jaehyun says and lifts his eyes to hold mine. Once again the air is charged, a strange cocktail of comfort and peace- a rare atmosphere for me.
His eyes drops to my lips and mine to his, subconsciously my body leans forward into his space…wanting what should not be heard of…