“If you’re fine, it’s time to get ready."

His alpha’s words followed by that jarring sound of the door closing reverberated endlessly in his ears. The night flew past faster than he realized, his alpha’s vibrating alarm jerking him harshly out of his thoughts. He had stayed still when his alpha gently pulled away from him to begin on his morning routine, returning to him minutes later with a hand running through his hair.

“Are you okay, Sungmin?" His alpha had asked, well aware that he was already awake yet not getting out of bed. He wanted to hum in response, but it came off as an off-pitch whimper, prompting his alpha to climb back into bed. Sungmin avoided his alpha’s gaze when his alpha turned him around by his shoulders, fixing his eyes on his alpha’s uniform shirt instead. A hand landed on his forehead, checking his temperature.

“No fever…” His alpha had murmured under his breath, hand moving to press against Sungmin’s neck next. “Are you feeling sick… or was it the dreams again?”

Sungmin forced his body up, hiding the motive of wanting to brush his alpha’s touch off by allowing his alpha’s hands to fall away naturally from the movement. He shook his head, having no trust in his voice to garner a verbal reply. To his relief, his alpha patted him on the shoulder and got off the bed. “If you’re fine, it’s time to get ready.” There were a few moments of lingering before his alpha finally exited the room, leaving him alone to the war against his emotions.

One way or another, Sungmin had managed the night without waking his alpha up. He had forced the cries down his throat, emptying his mind so that he didn’t need to face the issue. It didn’t help him much though; the suffocating feeling in his chest still kept him up during the night.

Palming his heavy forehead again, Sungmin slid his hand down to his bare neck, forcing the thoughts out of his mind again. However, the fleeting thought of how his alpha had pressed his hands caringly against his neck to check his temperature sent him rubbing his skin roughly. The lingering touch felt insulting suddenly, his skin burning as though it was punishment for stealing a touch meant for another omega.

Sungmin trudged to the bathroom, fingers mercilessly scratching his neck. He felt the anger in him raging when he stepped in, immediately spotting the cursed collar hanging off the hanger that held up his uniform. It was undoubtedly the work of his alpha, eager for him to wear the collar again, eager for him to turn back into Ryeowook again.

Master prepared your uniform for you this morning because you were still lying in bed. He cares about you, his submissive side asserted. His other feisty side, however, snorted at himself in the mirror.

“He doesn’t care about me. He cares about that omega.”

As though finally admitting that aloud broke his submissive nature, Sungmin smiled at his own ridiculous actions for the past three weeks. He had been stupidly submitting to and obeying his alpha in pursuit and exchange of the little affection, only to find out that the affection wasn’t for him. He was a replacement, a substitute… that can be easily substituted.

And he didn’t want to be so; he didn’t want to allow his submissive nature erode everything Lee Sungmin once was.

He didn’t want to be Ryeowook.

~--~

Sungmin moved down the staircase confidently, surprisingly calm in spite of what he was going to do. The feisty fire in him was threatening to escape, slowly wearing down the cage of calmness he had managed to lock up after fifteen minutes in the bathroom. Slowly, but without hesitation, he strode into the dining room where the voices of Doojoon, Yoseob and his alpha’s came from, the thin omega collar held firmly in his right hand.

“Sungmin! That took you long!” Yoseob pulled his usual chair out from under the table, patting it. “Come eat breakfast quickly. I don’t want to be late!”

Sungmin walked over to his seat, glancing over at the breakfast spread Yoseob had prepared. Instead of sitting down, he crossed the table to his alpha, raising the collar to his alpha silently.

“What’s wrong?” His alpha received the collar. “Is the clasp spoilt?”

“No.” Sungmin replied curtly, surprising himself with the hostility in his tone. “I don’t want to wear it…” he added after a pause, “Master.”

Confusion filled his alpha’s face. “Why not? You have to wear it out.” His alpha held out the collar to him. “You know the rules, Sungmin.”

“I know.” Sungmin forced his gaze to stay locked with his alpha’s, ignoring the submissive nature that was screaming disapproval at his actions. His body was inclining towards lowering his head and gaze in submission, but he would not bow his head this time. “I will wear another, but not this one. I don’t want this collar.”

“Sungmin,” Yoseob tried to interrupt, but his alpha shut the beta up with a raised hand.

“Why?” His alpha questioned, jaw gripping tighter. “I gave it to you. You should wear it.”

“I don’t want to wear this.” Sungmin repeated with a hiss on the last word, hands curling into fists when his alpha’s eyes narrowed, displeasure leaking through the calm mask of his alpha’s.

“You will wear your collar—”

“It’s not mine!” Sungmin exclaimed, blood rushing up his neck as anger gripped his entire being, breaking the final lock of the cage. The feistiness jostled the remaining submission into the cage instead, the lock snapping into place when Kyuhyun stood up abruptly, knocking the chair over. Sungmin glared back at his alpha. He felt no fear; all he knew was that he didn’t want to be insulted by a mere collar anymore.

“I gave it to you, Sungmin. That makes it yours.” His alpha said calmly, though his anger was evident from the shaking fist clutched tightly around the collar. “Wear it. Or you can forget about going to school today.”

“I don’t want to wear it!” Sungmin snatched the collar from his alpha’s hand, throwing it harshly onto the floor. The loud, ominous clanking sounded once, twice in slow motion, before it sped up with the collar spinning into fixation on the ground. The tension in the room was sharply slashed apart by Sungmin’s following yelp, a result of his alpha’s fist on his hair that dragged him harshly towards the door.

“Kyuhyun!” Doojoon and Yoseob shouted belatedly, but his alpha was oblivious to the couple’s calling, even to the cries from Sungmin.

“Let me go!” Sungmin yelled, hands fighting against his alpha’s strong hold tugging him.

His alpha didn’t say a word, relentlessly dragging him past the staircase, towards a door at the back of the house Sungmin had yet to enter. He stumbled onto the old wooden floor when his alpha threw him in, slamming the door shut and leaving him to the darkness. It took another ten seconds before the door opened again with his alpha flicking on the light switch, throwing the collar in his direction.

“Stay in here until you decide to wear your collar.” His alpha said, ignoring his responding growl and slamming the door again.

“I will not wear it!” Sungmin screamed defiantly in stubborn insistence as he heard the clanking of the keys, followed by the click of the doorknob lock.

When he heard the retreating footsteps along with the muffled voices from the other couple, Sungmin let out a frustrated groan, sending the collar to the corner with a kick. He sat there for half a minute glaring at the collar, before the frustration spiked again.

Sungmin picked himself up from the floor, storming towards the closed door. Feeling the need to show his alpha that he had not given in, he yanked and twisted at the locked knob, sending a few kicks to the door. However, his useless struggles were answered by t