It was with a light, cheerful heart Kyuhyun wore as he wrapped his hand around his omega’s, leading the way out of the carpark for the short walk towards the building the clinic was situated at. As the lift door closed, he turned towards his omega, noticing the hints of anxiety disturbing the lively beauty of his omega’s face.

“Nervous?”

His omega looked up at him, giving a gentle but weak smile. “I’m okay, Master…”

He scrutinized his omega’s expression for seconds before asking, “Is it the session?”

His omega shook his head lightly, the gentle smile never falling. “It’s the walk… the crowd…”

A clashing mix of heartache and relief assaulted Kyuhyun’s chest at his omega’s admission. After yesterday’s success in bonding and cheering up his omega, Sungmin was steadily becoming more honest with him, trusting him with such admissions of weakness that the high-spirited omega who had stubbornly applied the neutralization cream to the whip wounds on his own in the past would never have done so. Not that Kyuhyun saw it as a weakness; everyone has his pains and fears, and he wanted so badly to take away all his omega’s pain.

“But I’m okay,” Sungmin whispered before he could conjure the right words to encourage his omega. “Because… you’re here with me.”

Undeniable fondness burst in his heart at the blushing red spreading across his omega’s cheeks. He reached out to hold the warm cheek gently, swiping a thumb absently across the soft skin as he locked gazes with his omega. If his companions saw his mesmerized and entranced expression now, he did be teased for the rest of his life. But he was so deep inside the bittersweet pit of love he would never be able to climb out of it again. And he had no intentions of climbing out of it anyway.

The ‘ding’ of the lift interrupted the reverie.

Unwillingly, he withdrew his hand, leading his omega out of the lift with their linked hands. A turn around the corner brought them to the main street, and he felt the small hand tightened around his fingers as the buzz of the crowd filled their ears. Kyuhyun pulled his omega close, whispering low enough for only his omega to hear. “I’m here.”

The smile his omega gave in return conveyed all the trust in him, boosting his confidence as he briskly strode across the streets, keeping his eyes open for danger out of habit. The simple, short walk that was weirdly perilous for them ended in less than five minutes.

When Kyuhyun pushed open the door to the clinic, they were greeted by Soohyang’s comforting smile.

“Kyuhyun-ssi, Sungmin!” Soohyang walked over, waving at them. “You’re here.”

“Good morning,” he answered, turning to look at his omega whose hand was still linked tightly to his.

“Good morning, Noona.” He was rather amazed at the trust the psychologist had already gained from his omega, but it seemed normal for his omega to be addressing another this intimately in a short period of time. Sungmin had always been a burning sun emitting warm rays, eager to provide warmth to every person he met. It was natural for him to reach out and reciprocate others’ kindness, and the tender-hearted omega had been fortunate enough to meet several people with pure intentions in his life. But ever since Sungmin met him, the omega had become the target of those with malicious intents, much more often than the famous feisty omega had been in school. Though he knew of his omega’s strength in protecting himself, the situation had changed since Sungmin was claimed. There were no longer protective laws that would pardon a claimed omega of his offences and mistakes. But just like how Kyuhyun’s words had become the law for Sungmin, he would be the protective law for his omega now. He would not allow any danger to come close to his omega again.

“Shall we go in?” Soohyang’s question interrupted his intense gaze fixed onto his omega. Though the question seemed to be directed at Sungmin, Kyuhyun knew it was for him.

Kyuhyun cleared his throat awkwardly, finally freeing his fingers from the small hand. “Go on then.” He smiled at his omega. “I’ll see you after the session.”

“Yes, Master,” his omega replied, hesitating for a moment as though waiting for or considering something, before turning away and following Soohyang.

Kyuhyun stood still at the spot thinking about his omega’s weird hesitance, only to figure out nothing. Giving up, he approached the beta receptionist. “Is Dr. Song inside? Can I go in?”

“Please hold for a moment, Mr. Cho.” The receptionist smiled politely, picking up the phone. “I’ll check for you.”

He patiently waited for the receptionist to make the call, admiring the painting on the wall while overhearing the affirmative replies the receptionist was giving over the phone.

“Mr. Cho.”

Kyuhyun turned back at the call, briefly noticing the frown etched onto the receptionist’s face. There was a flash of hesitance on the beta’s face before she forced a smile, raising a hand towards the direction of Kihwan’s door.

“You can go in now.”

“Thank you.” Pushing the receptionist’s weird expression to the back of his mind, he walked towards the door, casually knocking and opening it. “Good mor—”

Kyuhyun froze in his steps, hand dropping from the door handle.

“Kyuhyun-ssi, please take a seat,” he heard Kihwan say, but he didn’t make a move as he stared right at the face that was morphed in surprise.

“K-Kyuhyun.” And when his name tumbled out of the stuttering mouth, the shock that had gripped him transformed into a rage that burned from within, the sound of the familiar yet foreign voice stinging to not only his ears, but also his heart.

“What is she doing here?” He posted the question at the psychiatrist, well aware of the hatred dripping off his icy tone.

“Suljin-ssi is here to collect some things from me,” Kihwan replied, unfazed by his glare. “And I thought it would be good for you two to meet.”

“I don’t see a reason for us to meet—”

“I see plenty,” Kihwan cut him off, but the psychiatrist was in turn interrupted by the abrupt dragging of chair legs across the floor.

She stood, back towards Kyuhyun, but the alpha didn’t miss the trembling of the shoulders. Was it fear? Sadness? Guilt? Kyuhyun snorted mockingly at the omega’s apparent anxiety.

“I… I’ll g-go.”

Though he should be more than glad for the omega to leave, he felt his rage boiling at how she was running away. Just like how she ran away ten years ago. The memories of that day and his father’s heartbroken cries flooded his mind, pushing all the sourness and bitterness to surface.

“Too ashamed to stay here?” He couldn’t stop the words that escaped as Suljin brushed past him, only to halt at his words.

“I’m sorry, Kyuhyun. I’ll just… go.”

“Sorry?” Kyuhyun smirked at the ridiculous apology. How dare she apologise just like that after everything? How dare she think that everything can be solved with just an apology? “Do you actually know what it means to be sorry?”

The simmering anger in him pushed him to continue when the omega remained silent. “I suppose you don’t, considering you’re shameless. I take back my previous words; you don’t know what shame is – you’re a shameless e.”

“Kyuhyun-ssi,” Kihwan called warningly from the side.

“Oh, did I say anything wrong?” Kyuhyun asked in mocked innocence, shrugging as Kihwan narrowed eyes at him. “I bet she was in pleasure as another alpha slammed into her while Father was dying. Is that not—”

A loud slap threw his head to the side, silencing him.

He looked back at the omega who had her hand raised, her eyes widened in shock at what she had done.

“I’m—I’m—s-sorry—”

He swatted away the trembling hand hovering over his reddened cheek.

“I didn’t mean it, Kyuhyun—I’m sorry—”

Unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer, Kyuhyun strode out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.

~--~

Though he had sensed that dominating aura spiking, he had fought against reacting, attributing the instability to the session his alpha was having. Thus, when his alpha had burst through the door, the surprise still froze both him and Soohyang for a second that permitted his alpha to hoist him up from the sofa seat with a bruising grip around his wrist.

“M-Master?” Sungmin pulled back his hurting wrist a little, but his refusal in following his alpha towards the door only invited a tighter grip and a low growl from his alpha.

“Kyuhyun-ssi, what’s—”

“Shut up,” His alpha spat the words harshly at Soohyang, throwing a hostile glare at the beta. “You’re in this with your alpha.”

Confusion deepened the creases on Sungmin’s forehead when understanding flashed across Soohyang’s face. “No—I thought she already left—”

“Which part of shutting up do you not understand?”

Sungmin winced at the glacial tone, which was a definite appearance whenever he had done something wrongly. Though the fear from the overwhelming dominance urged him to just stay silent and follow his alpha, the worry rising from the stiff demeanor and unstable flickering of his alpha’s aura took over.

“Master?” He called out gently, moving right in front of his alpha’s sight to catch his alpha’s attention. The shift brought him to the sight of the red slap mark on his alpha’s cheek, drawing a loud gasp from him. “Master! What happened?” He pressed his hand to the red cheek, hoping to cool the burning a little with his fingers.

“I’m fine,” His alpha answered, catching his fingers and finally meeting his eyes. Worry surged further at the vulnerability that flashed past his alpha’s eyes before they turned cold and emotionless again. “We’re going home.”

“Why…?” He frowned in confusion, shifting his fingers to hold his alpha’s hand and giving a light squeeze. “Please tell me who did this to you, Master.” The confusion grew as he voiced the question. Nobody would dare to hit his alpha, not even Kihwan. Who could have done so and sent his alpha running to him with those vulnerable eyes and wanting to leave—

“Suljin-ssi…” He muttered, the tightening of the grip around his wrist an affirmation of his guess. “Your mother…” Sungmin whispered, chest hurting at the pain that his alpha was obviously trying to hide. “She’s here, isn’t it?”

His alpha’s response was to drag him further towards the door. “We’re going home.”

“No!” Sungmin pulled back, faltering briefly at the glare his alpha shot at him. He mustered his courage, speaking his stand quietly, “We are not going until you explain what happened.”

He silently thanked Soohyang in his heart when the beta left the room without another word, closing the door and leaving them to their privacy. Carefully, he raised his free hand to his alpha’s cheek again. “Why… why did she hit you?”

His alpha snorted, face pulling away from his fingers. “This is nothing.”

Though his alpha tried to sound nonchalant about it, Sungmin knew it was far from being so. Even if he knew how much unhappiness and dislike his alpha held towards Suljin, to the extent of hating black omegas, he could still sense the pain his alpha was undergoing despite trying to keep silent. He could see the traces of hurt in his alpha’s expression, the struggle of trying to keep up a strong front despite breaking inside, and it was killing him to see his alpha like that.

“Tell me,” he repeated anxiously, “Please, Master…”

Those eyes grew vulnerable again, and his alpha hesitated for a moment before giving in. “I just… said some ugly things to spite her.”

“Like what…?”

“I said she was doing her…” His alpha’s face contorted in disgust, “job when Father was killed.”

Sungmin felt an entire bucket of cold water being dumped on him at the revelation. He fell silent for a few seconds before twisting his wrist out of his alpha’s hold. “How could you?”

Shock painted at his alpha’s face at his accusation, then turning into hostility. “Are you siding with her, Sungmin?”

“That was her biggest regret!” He exclaimed, unable to hold back the anger for Suljin. “It was her biggest pain even if she went through numerous bond breakings.”

“And how would you know?!” His alpha’s exclamation fueled his anger.

“She felt it! She felt it when your father died! And she could not do a single thing about it while she was in bed with another—” Sungmin shook his head, exasperated at how his alpha didn’t understand how hurting his words had been. “She could still sense him even though their bond was broken.”

“Did she tell you that?” His alpha questioned. “Bull. It had been at least 8 years since their bond was broken when Father was assassinated.”

“She felt it!” He yelled insistently at his alpha. “And I would have too if anything happened to you! Black omegas only have one alpha in their lives. Even if the bond is broken, we never lose—” Sungmin fell silent as his eyes locked with those brown ones glaring at him, the hatred burning within them so intense it wiped his mind blank in an instant.

When his alpha took a step towards him, his submissive nature instinctively stumbled backwards until his back was against the wall. His eyes dropped from the relentless gaze, a sign of submission, but an unknown source of courage, or perhaps stubbornness, still pushed him to say, “You-you should go apologise to her—”

Bam— The slam of a fist right next to his ear drew a whimper from him, the vibrating wall the sole support holding him upright as his knees shook, hardly able to withstand the urge to kneel and ask for forgiveness.

“Apologise?” That one word dripping poison quietly formed on his alpha's lips. “Why should I?” He couldn't find his voice for an instant, but his alpha spoke the words that ran through his mind. “Because she sacrificed herself for me and Father?”

The ensuing silence was as though his alpha was daring him to agree, and despite the submissive nature urging him to submit, the courage persisted. “You know she did it for—guhh—”

The sharp pressure around his throat sealed off his voice, allowing only his whimpers to escape as his lungs seared from the lack of oxygen. It was akin to an alpha punishing an omega by holding the omega still by the collar, but there was no collar here to bear the brunt of the force for him.

“You black omegas are so self-righteous.”

Sungmin wrapped a hand around the tensed grip locked onto his neck, fear consuming him from within as he begged his alpha through his gaze and whimpers. But his alpha’s eyes seemed to be blinded by rage and hatred, the glare seemingly passing through him instead of landing on him.

“Can that one alpha be so easily given up on?”

He tried to reach for his alpha’s face with his other hand, hoping to snap his alpha out of the trance, but the strong hand that shoved his arm back sent his body slamming against the wall with a loud cry.

“Does the idea of sacrifice entice you so much it blinds you from the other consequences?” The tightening of the grip drew tears and hacking from Sungmin as his limited supply of air was diminished further. He attempted to struggle against the pinning hold on him, but his alpha was too strong for him to even budge an inch. “Or perhaps, you selfish black omegas are so desperate for some recognition that you all choose not to see the consequences.”

The burning in his lungs and chest was making him so light-headed his consciousness wanted to give in, but the derisive laughter and words that followed stabbed his heart so sharply he was alert in an instant. “Why are you acting noble when you are just a shameless in society?”

The fight left him; strength draining from his body as he halted the physical struggles, striving but failing to fight back mentally as well. Ironically, the hand around his neck finally loosened, the inrush of air bringing his lungs relief which he didn't feel.

“S-Sung-Sungmin—”

He panted, no longer finding any courage to meet his alpha's eyes. The punishing hands fully loosened their grip, and he slid down to the floor weakly, landing on his knees in a submissive posture. His submissive nature urged him to apologise and ask for forgiveness, but what was he supposed to be apologising for?

For being a black omega? For being a shameless ?

Fear jolted him when he heard his own sob escaping, and he quickly threw a hand over his mouth, afraid to further incur his alpha's wrath and disdain with his cry.

The apology instead, came from his alpha.

“I'm sorry.”

And when the door opened and closed with his alpha leaving, Sungmin wrapped his arms around his trembling self, his cries turning louder at the realisation of how pathetic he was.

He was still seeking for his alpha's warmth despite his breaking heart.

~--~

He had screwed up again.

Kyuhyun dropped his forehead hard on the steering wheel, fists tightening around the leather grip as the image of his crying omega came up in his mind again.

How could he have let himself be consumed by the rage and release it on his innocent omega?

And he had taken the easy way out again, had escaped from his omega again, horrified at what he had done and tumbling into Kihwan’s room. The post-anxiety from losing control had erased whatever anger he felt towards the psychiatrist and he had pleaded—begged for some stabilizers that could suppress his wolf. The psychiatrist gave him one mild shot, warning that this was the only dose he was going to get, but it was fortunately enough to calm him down sufficiently to force back his claws. After phoning Doojoon to pick up his omega, he had spent the rest of the time hiding in Kihwan’s room, the alpha oddly accommodating by switching to use another room before returning two and a half hours later. Then the “talk” started, which Kyuhyun only could stand for five minutes before he decided he had enough and escaped from the clinic to head towards his companions’ house for his omega.

But twenty minutes after arriving, he was still sitting in the car, ashamed to go see his omega and own up to his mistakes.

Would Sungmin be angry with him? Afraid of him? Hurt by him?

He didn’t know; all he could remember was the trembling omega kneeling before him, a hand muffling the sobs that came along with those hacking coughs. He had hurt his omega once again, when his omega was the last ever person he would want to hurt.

And that was how much of a monster he was – uncontrollable, wild, savage, unforgivable—

Two knocks on his car window caught his attention, prompting him to look up. Kyuhyun rolled down the window.

“Do you want to go in, Kyuhyun?” Hyunseung gave him an understanding smile, looking back at the house. There were a bunch of envelopes in Hyunseung's hand, which suggested the beta was out to collect mail. “Sungmin is waiting for you.”

Kyuhyun’s frown deepened at the soft sentence added at the end. Releasing a heavy breath, he asked, “How is he?”

“Sungmin is… the usual.”

“The usual?”

“Smiling… Trying to help everyone out with chores...” The look on Hyunseung's face showed that everyone must have seen through his omega's pretence, that his omega looked that off for everyone to see through his pretence easily. “The one you should worry about isn't Sungmin though… Our mother is quite angry.”

“Ahjumma?” He questioned for a moment, before realisation hit him. Jinhee must have been angry at him again for not taking care of his omega properly. Kyuhyun ruffled his hair messily, suppressing the groan threatening to escape.

“Yeah…” Hyunseung gestured at the house again. “Shall we?”

With a silent sigh, Kyuhyun got out of the car, locking it and following after the beta. The short walk to the door seemed to stretch forever, but as much as he was dreading to face whatever was coming, Kyuhyun was getting impatient. He wanted to see his omega, needed to check that his omega was alright.

The house seemed empty when they first entered it, with only soft voices indicating any presence in the house. Kyuhyun instinctively looked towards the kitchen, where sounds of cooking could be heard, guessing that his omega was most likely to be there. However, he didn't manage to sense his omega's aura.

“Sungmin's upstairs.” Hyunseung answered his unvoiced question. “I'll go get him.”

As the beta wandered up the staircase, two other companions appeared from the top, a blank expression on one face and a smirk on the other.

“Well well, our Master is here~~~” Junhyung laughed, rushing down the stairs towards him and ignoring Hyunseung's warning tug on the sleeve.

Kikwang followed steadily behind, raising an eyebrow at him. “What happened?”

“Isn't it obvious?” Junhyung chirped in from the side. “Master has regressed back to punishing his disobedient omega!”

Kikwang elbowed the irritating alpha in his side, eliciting a loud groan. “Was it intentional?”

Kyuhyun frowned, shaking his head.

“What happened then?”

“I—”

He was abruptly cut off by the blunt force landing on the back of his shoulder, followed by a loud clank as the metal object slammed against the side of his head as he spun to the attacker. If it had been a foreign scent, whoever assaulted him would have been down on the floor begging for mercy by now. But he knew the scent well, the owner one of the few that had the right to discipline him like that.

“Ahjumma…”

The beta seemed to be stunned by the unexpectedly loud hit, but when Kyuhyun didn't even bother to rub at the sore spot on his head, the glare returned. “What the hell did you do to Sungmin this time?” Jinhee waved the ladle at him dangerously. “I know it's more than his neck, you idiot!”

“I didn't mean to—”

“Then who did you mean to do that to!” Jinhee hit him on his arm once more. “Your mother?”

Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes, saying flatly. “She called you.”

“So what if Jinnie called me? Hur?” The raining blows came back stronger. “She called because she was worried about you, idiot!”

“Worried?” He let out a mocking snort. “Why wasn't she worried ten years ago?”

“She was, you dumb pup!” Jinhee screamed, whacking at his arm harder. “How long more are you going to keep this up? Jinnie finally appeared! And then here you are—”

“Ahjumma!” The familiar voice snitched Kyuhyun’s attention, but it failed to stop Jinhee’s continuous hits. “Don't—” Seeing how his omega was going to jump in, Kyuhyun spun abruptly, pulling his omega around to protect Sungmin from getting hit.

There was a sharp sting as the edge of the ladle cut across his cheek, but he ignored it, eyes fixed on the omega in his arms. The scent comforted him for a moment – to know his omega was safe and close by the scent always did – but the guilt flooded in when he saw the bandages wrapped around his omega's neck.

“M-Master…” Sungmin reached out a hand to his face. “You're-You're bleeding—”

A strong yank flung him around, causing him to lose hold of his omega.

“Idiot!” Jinhee scolded again, throwing the ladle to Hyunseung by the side. Despit