‘Is this really your favourite food here?’ Mingyu stared at the greasy crab stick they just bought from the stall with big ‘#1’ signs written all over. He wondered why anybody would line up to buy this junk which didn’t even look appetizing to begin with. Looking back at his omega who seemed to ignore him while enjoying his own with a blissful look, Mingyu took a bite.

Nope. Meh. Number 1 his .

He didn’t know what had gotten into Wonwoo, but the older had been in a good mood ever since they got out of Seoul. Right now, Wonwoo was screaming along with the songs playing in the radio, annoying Mingyu once in a while by changing the lyrics to insult him. Nothing too severe, just the occasional ‘Mingyu is an idiot’ and ‘Mingyu got no jams’. God knows what the second one meant. He wanted to do the same to the omega but unfortunately, he didn’t know enough Korean songs playing on the radio to do so. Mingyu prefers English songs over his native ones since he grew up with it. The only Korean songs he knew were the old ones from his parents’ collection, which he doubt will be playing unless they tune to the oldies. So now, Mingyu just accepted the playful joke his partner was doing to him. At least it kept Wonwoo entertained, and that was enough to make him feel good as well.

‘Yah. Aren’t you going to stop?’ He pretended to be annoyed as Wonwoo kept headbanging along the rock song while repeating some stupid words over and over, just like the lyrics. Except, Wonwoo was screaming ‘slave’. Sometime Mingyu wondered whether his mate was actually a sadist.

‘Aren’t you suppose to love me? Aigoo, is the bond broken?’ Mingyu turned towards the man and tried to look at the scar from their bonding before feeling his head being pushed away. Pouting, Mingyu clicked his tongue while turning his attention back towards the road. He heard Wonwoo laughing beside him and smiled to himself.

Wonwoo had his nose scrunched.

*****

‘Let’s stop somewhere first…’ Mingyu suggested as they finally reached Wonwoo’s hometown. The latter had calmed down since he first noticed the places he grew up in, and started to point it out to his mate. And a few minutes before, Wonwoo suddenly suggested they take a detour so he could guide Mingyu around town. Not failing to notice the change in his tone, Mingyu realized that Wonwoo was anxious, just like him, and he kept dragging the time outside as a result. Unfortunately, they would have to go back sooner or later, and Mingyu prefers soon.

Parking the car near a shopping street, Mingyu pulled his mate towards the nearest restaurant. They weren’t going to eat anything, they just needed to relax and there were just no cafes in sight. Ordering their drinks, both the males sat down silently, each with his own thoughts.

Wonwoo told Mingyu the reason why he wanted the alpha to come back with him, and it was not because he wanted to officially introduce Mingyu as his mate. It was because his bond was still not broken and he couldn’t face his parents alone. Though Mingyu was disappointed to learn about that, he realized that he was partially at fault. First, for bonding with Wonwoo, and second, for keeping the bond in tact. Twice. Even though he didn’t do it on purpose.

He was scared, owh he was. But he knew Wonwoo was even more nervous than he was. He knew how much Wonwoo loves his parents, and how weak he gets in front of them. When Wonwoo told him that Jun had to be the one who spilled what happened that night in his place, Mingyu realized how much this visit meant for him. Which was why he couldn’t refuse it despite his own fear.

Not saying a word, Mingyu felt a hand on his own, and put his other one on Wonwoo’s. His mate’s hands were really cold. He tugged on that hand a bit towards him, and reading his mind, Wonwoo got up and moved to sit beside him, allowing Mingyu to drape his arm around his shoulder. ‘It’ll be alright.’

*****

Wonwoo stood in front of the door, regretting his decision to come back. He still had his hands in his pockets, he couldn’t find the courage to twist the knob to get inside. And funnily, he even hid his scent, to his own family.

What if they don’t like Mingyu? Or worse, what if they blame Wonwoo for not being strong enough to reject him? The thoughts scared him. Turning back to look at the alpha who was waiting a few steps away, he suggested, ‘Let’s go back.’

‘To where?’

‘Campus.’ He answered as he made his way towards the gate. But before he could go past his alpha, the man stopped him. Wonwoo sighed.

Wonwoo pushed the doorbell and bit his lips, waiting for someone to open it. Deep inside, he wished that nobody was home so they could call it a day and blame it on luck. Seeing his anxious condition, Mingyu finally asked, ‘Don’t you have a key?’

‘I have.’ With that, Mingyu nodded and kept his silence, understanding the omega’s intention.

Before long, both males heard footsteps from inside and crossed their hearts. Mingyu literally felt his heart threatening to jump out, seeing the knob turned and automatically, he recited the introduction he had been practising in his head. Even then, he managed to mess it up. Now, he wished he had taken Wonwoo’s offer earlier to run away.

‘Oppa!’ Wonwoo released his breath at the sight of his sister, accepting her bear hug. She was heavy. Getting a well deserved hit for his comment, Wonwoo released the hug. ‘Omo.’ She commented when she finally noticed Mingyu’s presence, looking at both of them in confusion. It was obvious that she recognized the stranger’s scent, based on the horror in her face and that only added to Wonwoo’s worry. ‘Can you call eomma and appa?’

‘Sure.’ She gave the alpha one last look before turning to her brother, concerned, and ran back inside to call the two owners. Glancing back at his mate, Wonwoo invited him inside and showed him the living room. He took a seat beside Mingyu with their backs facing the door so they can see his parents the moment they came out from wherever they were. Wonwoo wanted to offer his parter some water, but decided against it, afraid that his parents might show up while he was at the kitchen, so they both just sat, looking around the house Wonwoo grew up in. Before long, they saw Seulgi again, but she was heading out. ‘I’m going to the gym.’

Wonwoo forced a smile towards Mingyu, hiding his anxiety. The only time Seulgi goes to the ‘gym’ is when she wants to get out of the house, for whatever reason besides working out. And he could guess why.

‘Won, is this your new mate?’ His father was the first to break the silence after they both sat down opposite the young couple. Mr Jeon was smiling, but he could sense the critic in his old man. Mrs Jeon, on the other hand kept her eyes on Mingyu, not even trying to hide her distaste. Based on this situation, Wonwoo could only conclude that his mother haven’t told his father about this yet. And god, he wished she did.

No, he wished that both of them are betas so he can just lie his way through this. But he couldn’t. ‘He’s th-’

‘I’m-’

‘He’s the old one.’ Wonwoo answered quickly to avoid Mingyu taking the lead. He knew how badly Mingyu wanted to prove himself, but this was not the time. He saw the anger in his father as the man looked at his wife for confirmation, which she gave him. And to both the younger men’s shock, the old beta stood up and went to the back, almost stomping his legs. His father looked greatly agitated, and Wonwoo bit his already dry lips as he glanced at Mingyu looking for assurance which the latter couldn’t give because he too, was scared.

‘Alpha, you should leave.’

‘Eomma, he’s not-’

‘Eommo-nim-’

‘Didn’t you hear me? Leave.’ Mingyu swallowed hard at the threat, quickly noticing the anger around him. It shocked him how he could sense it, he thought he could with Wonwoo’s because they were mates, but apparently his mother could do it too. Wonwoo held his hand tightly while he asked her to calm down, stating things such as the fact that they just got here, and Mingyu didn’t have anywhere to go, but somehow that angered her more. ‘You have the balls to bite my son but you’re afraid of going out for a few minutes without him? What kinda messed up alpha are you?’

‘A-a few minutes?’

‘Until the old man calms down. Now leave.’ Looking at his omega one last time to see Wonwoo half-begging him not to, Mingyu walked out as quickly as possible after caressing his cheek, no longer than needed because the mother was watching. ‘I’ll be back soon.’

He felt guilty for leaving Wonwoo when he promised to protect him, but he was with his parents. This was the safest place he could ever be. Starting the car, Mingyu drove towards the nearest park which Wonwoo showed him a few minutes prior. Finally feeling safe enough, he laid on his back and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to relax.

That was intense. He thought they would at least give him the chance to introduce himself but he couldn’t even say anything. Heck, he didn’t even get to say his name! Damn, who knew an old beta and an omega could be that threatening, enough to make a noble like him shake in fear. What the hell? He almost wet his pants.

*****

Wonwoo kept looking at the coffee table, playing with the fabric of his sweater, waiting for his father to return from the back. He heard shuffling and clinking of metals so he knew the man was still in the house, but he didn’t want to think of what the sound meant. Then he heard his mother’s voice, muffled by the walls, his father replying in an agitated manner, and so on so forth until only the woman’s voice could be heard. A creaking sound of the door and Wonwoo took a deep breath, preparing himself.

‘Wonu, is that boy really the one that did that to you?’ Wonwoo instinctively put a hand over his scar before looking back at his father. He was still angry. As the man closed his eyes in disappointment, his wife guided him to sit in front of their son while she took the one beside him. ‘Why is he here? You’re still bonded?’

‘Mingyu did this to save me.’

‘Is he threatening you to say that?’ It took Wonwoo a second to understand the reasoning behind that question. He completely forgot about the cops which could be the why his father came up with that speculation. ‘What happened? Is this why you didn’t want to come home?’ His mother asked after he shook his head to deny the first question. ‘Honey, he’s not here. You can tell us. He can’t hurt you.’

‘He didn’t-’ Wonwoo exhaled deeply, trying to gain enough courage to speak about what happened. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t mention what happened to him. He couldn’t speak the word. Closing his eyes to find other words to replace the nightmare, he frowned as he forced himself, ‘-attacked me.’

‘Where is Jun?’ Mr Jeon inquired, not trusting his own son. Being a beta with four omega children, he knows about how bond affects an omega’s behaviour. He knows that omegas put their trust in their alphas blindly. Which was why he couldn’t believe Wonwoo right now. And not having Jun with him seemed too strange. That alpha might be threatening his son right now. Or this could be a case of Stockholm syndrome.

‘