The light pierced through the curtains in strips, falling softly onto the floor. Do-yun opened his eyes and for a few seconds couldn't grasp where he was. Panoramic windows, the smell of coffee, the silence of the apartment—and the warmth beside him.
Seung-ho lay on his side, eyes closed, breathing even. His arm was still resting on Do-yun's waist, heavy and warm.
"He's sleeping," Do-yun thought. And he was surprised. It was the first time he had seen him like this—without the mask, without the mockery, without the power. Just a man.
He cautiously tried to pull away, but Seung-ho's fingers tightened.
"Don't leave," he said quietly, without opening his eyes.
Do-yun froze. "I'm not leaving."
Seung-ho opened his eyes. His gaze was tired, but soft.
"You're used to being alone. But I want you to get used to me."
The words were too direct, almost frightening. Do-yun turned his face away, as if to hide a tremor.
"There is no 'us'."
"You're wrong," Seung-ho said, leaning closer and touching his lips. "Yesterday, we proved otherwise."
The kiss was neither greedy nor dominant—it was quiet, calm. Do-yun responded to it, albeit with a delay.
And for the first time, the thought "this is a mistake" did not echo in his head.
***
The club breathed like a beast: the boom of bass, smoke, laughter, and foreign pheromones hung in a thick fog. Do-yun slid through the crowd with his tray, but his gaze was sharp. He was looking for familiar faces, the ones that appeared in the case files. If the next omega disappearance was to begin here—he had to notice.
But instead of the person he expected, his eye caught another alpha. Tall, well-groomed, with a brazen smile. He stood by the counter, looking straight at Do-yun, and there was too much interest in that gaze.
Do-yun pretended not to notice, but when he approached with the tray, the alpha stepped forward and stopped him with his hand. His fingers rested on his shoulder with too much confidence.
"Hey, good-looking," he said, smiling. His voice was deep, almost oily. "I've been watching you for a while. Do you always work here?"
Do-yun kept his face neutral. "I do."
"A pity." The alpha leaned in slightly; his breath touched his skin. "With a look like that, you're not made for trays."
Do-yun looked at him coldly. "I have no desire to discuss that."
"Really?" The smirk widened. "What if I offer you a better job? Or… better entertainment?"
He deliberately held the pause, his gaze dropping to Do-yun's body.
Do-yun gripped the tray tighter. "I'm busy."
"You know how to say 'no'," the alpha said and leaned closer. "But I hear something else."
His hand slid from Do-yun's shoulder to his elbow, lingering too long. And at that moment, Do-yun caught the alpha's pheromones—thick, sticky. The crowd concealed them, but he felt them distinctly.
He wanted to pull away, but he was too late. A heavy step sounded behind him.
Seung-ho.
His gaze was frigid, his lips pressed into a thin line. He approached without a word, snatched the tray from Do-yun's hands, and set it aside. Then he grabbed his wrist.
"With me," he said lowly.
Do-yun wanted to object, but the tone left no choice.
***
The staff room greeted them with silence; only the muffled roar of the music broke through the walls. Seung-ho slammed the door shut, pinning him against the wall so abruptly that a shelf of bottles trembled.
"You talk to other alphas?" His voice was a snarl.
"It was work," Do-yun replied, trying to maintain his composure.
"Work?" Seung-ho smirked, but his eyes were burning. "He was looking at you like he was already undressing you."
"And so what?" Do-yun shot back coldly.
"So what is that you are mine." Seung-ho yanked him closer, his lips covering his in a kiss—rough, punitive.
Do-yun tried to push him away, but Seung-ho's arms were too strong. Seung-ho gripped his wrists, pinned them to the wall, and slid downwards.
"Let go," Do-yun breathed out.
"No. You will remember who you belong to."
He unzipped Do-yun's trousers and sank to his knees. Do-yun flinched, but Seung-ho held his hips firm. His mouth wrapped around his cock greedily, abruptly.
Do-yun threw his head back; a moan escaped involuntarily. Waves of pleasure crashed over him instantly; his breath caught.
"Damn…" He clenched his teeth, his palm hitting the wall.
Seung-ho moved deep, mercilessly, as if to erase even the memory of the other alpha's gaze. His fingers slid toward his anus, collected slick, and pressed, testing his reaction.
Do-yun arched, his breathing breaking into a chant. His body trembled; resistance melted away.
"Don't…" he whispered, but Seung-ho looked up from below, and in that gaze was everything: greed, anger, jealousy.
He sped up; his movements became ragged, dominant. Do-yun's cock pulsed, and soon he groaned loudly, almost a shout. Orgasm overwhelmed him in a storm, and his semen spilled into Seung-ho's mouth.
The alpha swallowed, not pulling away. Only then did he stand, grabbing Do-yun's jaw, forcing him to meet his eyes.
"Did you see how he looked at you?" His voice was low, like a rumble of thunder. "One more second, and he would have thought he could touch you."
Do-yun breathed heavily, his shoulders shaking, but his gaze remained cold.
"You act as if this is a competition for property."
Seung-ho narrowed his eyes, leaned closer, his lips almost touching his ear.
"You're mistaken. This isn't property. This is my territory."
His palm slid down his thigh, and his fingers returned to his anus. Thick slick glistened on his skin, and Seung-ho raised his hand, showing it to him—like evidence.
"Here is the proof, Do-yun," he whispered. "You can stand there with a stone face, but your body is already answering me. Not him. Never him."
Do-yun closed his eyes for a moment, trying to suppress the tremor.
"You're confusing a body's reaction with choice."
"No," Seung-ho smirked, pressing him harder against the wall. Their foreheads met; their breaths mingled. "I distinguish perfectly. And the choice you make will be the same one you just made. With me."
The music outside roared, the crowd clamored, but here, in the cramped staff room, everything compressed into this moment: his fingers, the scent of the alpha's oil, and their tense gazes.