She doesn't remember coming to the store room, doesn't remember how she managed to get the door shut but she remembers the burning in her body, the pain under her skin, the suffocating desire. She claws at the ground beneath her, her nails breaking due to the concrete, then claws at her own skin, splitting it open, in an attempt to dissipate the heat in her body. It doesn't help, it never does but she needs to do something, anything. 

It's been a while since she last had her heat. She always had the pills on her and when she didn't, Jade or Jinwoo would always be there for help.

It's her first time on her own. And she feels like dying. Where are the alphas? Aren't they supposed to be here for her? They are her mates for s sake!

No, she stops herself. They are not her mates, they have no obligations to her. No responsibilities. And she shouldn't get her hopes high.

The burning continues, the pain intensifies and after what feel like ages it finally starts to lessen. Her senses come back, her body finally becomes more of hers than an alpha craving wolf's.

When the heat finally subsides, she finds herself on the ground, her head caked with dried blood, her nails broken from the roots, her body and covered in scratches.

Getting off the ground on wobbly legs, she tries to open the door. It barely bulges, the heavy metal proving too much for her starved body. She tries again and on the third try, manages to get it open. Peeking outside, she sees nobody. The hallway as deserted as it has been the first time she discovered the room.

She contemplates on whether to make a run for it or wait for someone to come and ask for help. Even if she does manage to run out of here, she is sure to encounter either the guards or the maids on her way to the Queen's Chamber. So the best option for her is to wait.

Fortunately she didn't have to wait for long because a person is walking down the hallway, a tray in hand.

"Excuse me," she calls out, hiding her body behind the door. The man turns around and she's surprised to see Jimin there.

As he walks closer, she realizes he's not the witch. Because she can smell the beta scent from him. He does resemble Jimin physically but once he's close enough, it's clear as day that he's someone else.

"Umm yes?" He asks, a bit unsure.

"Can you please get me clothes?" She requests, poking her head from behind the door.

The person crunches up his nose and she knows that having no windows was a curse because the scent of her heat lingers there, "Clothes?"

"Yes, clothes."

He takes one last look at her before turning and walking away and she hopes that he comes back.

A few moments later he is passing her a bundle of clothes. She takes them and realizes he brought her his clothes. There's a shirt and pants. She doesn't mind. The betas smell really mild so it barely disturbs her. Once clothed, she emerges out of the room to find him still standing by the door, holding his breath.

He looks cute and she barely holds back a smile. Pulling the door close, she walks to him, "You can breathe now."

He looks at her, then at the closed door and then exhales, "Thank God! I thought I would die of asphyxia!"

This time she allows herself to smile, "Thank you. I'll return these to you as soon as possible."

"Oh it's alright My lady," he blushes a little and she wants to pinch his cheeks. 

"You know who I am, it's only fair that I know who you are as well," she suggests tugging on the sleeves of his shirt. They are too long on her 

"Ah, I am Ha Sungwoon, my lady. I work in the intelligence."

"Thank you once again Sungwoon," with that she turns to the right, intending to go to the kitchen because she feels starved. But her feet barely carry her a few metres before she feels them giving out under her.

There are hands reaching out for her, steadying her before she crumbles to the ground, "Are you sure you can walk my lady?" Sungwoon questions, holding onto her forearm, "You just got over your heat, judging from the smell. Shouldn't you rest?"

She doesn't exactly understand why but he seems familiar, like she knows him from somewhere but can't figure it out, "I.....," She initially wants to tell him that she's fine and that she can walk on her own but she knows she can't, "I am hungry."

"I'll get you something to eat then," he offers, his gesture a bit hesitant before  he reaches for her, hand going around her waist, supporting her weight, "but first lets get you to a bed. You need to rest."

She hums in return, letting him bear most of her weight as they start walking and she finds her consciousness slipping away.

The next time she wakes up, she's surrounded by beta smell. The bed is unfamiliar, so is the room. It's smaller than what she has seen in the palace. There's a small window across the bed
with a table and chair pulled up against the left wall. There's also a cupboard sort of thing which is overflowing with scrolls and other papers.

She gets up into a sitting position hating how weak her body feels. The heat did take a troll on her. Sungwoon is still not back and there is no food either.

She knows that she should wait but the constant rumbling in her stomach forces her to get up from the bed and move to the door. She really needs to eat. 

But before she could reach for the door knob, the door is thrown open from the outside. There's Hakyeon, Queen Beta and Ravi standing in the other side with a few guards.

"What did I tell you Hakyeon?" Queen Beta smirks, throwing her a disgusted look.

She swears his eyes flash golden for a second and it sends chills down her spine.

"Go to the Queen's Chamber," he commands in a low voice. 

She looks at him and then at Hongbin's mother who is looking at her as if she is an insect needed to be squished.

"I said," her attention is drawn back to Hakyeon who seems ready to kill, "Go to the Queen's Chamber. Now!"

"I need to ea....," before she can even finish, his hands are in her hair, pulling them harshly.

She feels the pain flare back to life as the dried blood starts to crack under his pull, "Did you not listen what I just said?"

"Hak...," With a final push she goes tumbling towards the guards.

"Take my wife to the Queen's Chamber and make sure she stays there."

She doesn't know how long she has been there but it must've been long because her body finally gives up and she falls into the darkness second time that day.

She wakes up to gentle caresses on her arms and smell of alcohol. On opening her eyes she's met with the sight of Yoona Unnie who's busy applying some sort of ointment on her arms.

"You're awake!" The healer says once she realizes that Meliha has woken up, "Thank God, you were starting to worry me!"

"Sorry," she mutters, her voice hoarse.

"Water?"

"Hmm," she nods and a glass of water is given to her by a maid.

"You were out for two days. I didn't know what to do," Yoona says, putting the ointment aside and examining her face.

"Two days?" She was unconscious for two days? That's not good. 

"Yes, I had no idea what happened to you. But you looked weak so I tried feeding you some of my energy but it wouldn't work."

"My body doesn't accept just anybody's energy," she tells her, trying to feel her limbs. They're stiff.

"Why?"

She's about to answer when there's a knock and a soldier walks in, "Lord Hakyeon says if the lady is awake, she is to be present in the court."

"What? Why?" She questions but recieves no answer. The soldier just stands there as if he didn't hear her say anything.

"I don't think that's a good idea Jinhyuk. She just woke up," Yoona speaks up.

"Those are my orders Noona," he refuses to leave and she realizes he's the same soldier who brought her here when Hakyeon told them to lock her up in the Queen's Chamber.

"I'll go," she says, trying to get up. It's not like she is given a choice. And she knows that he will drag her to the court if he has to.

That's the first time she sees their Royal Court. And it's extravagant, from the floor to the roof everything is shimmering golden. There are huge chandeliers hanging from the domed roof, and a narrow passage with flowing water in the middle of the room going to the far end of the room where six thrones are set up. 

VIXX is sitting at those thrones with Hakyeon occupying the middle throne.

She sees Mother Royal and Queen Beta on chairs a little lower than the boys by the right side. The remaining members of Monsta X, BToB and BTS are also there. Taehyung gives her a sad smile and she wonders why is he sad for her.

There are a lot of other people as well, people she have never seen before, sitting at still lower platform. Their Royal Council maybe?

The whispers start as soon as they lay their eyes on her. Well that's nothing new but what did she do now?

"I knew they shouldn't have brought an Omega here!"

"There was a reason they were all wiped out for good!"

"Now she'll go around tainting our kingdom!"

"Silence!" Leo's voice is small but everybody falls quite after that, not a single word is spoken.

"Sit!" She knows it's for her so she sits down at the first empty seat she could find.

"Let's get this over with quickly!" Queen Beta sounds annoyed and she can see the similarities between her and her son, which reminds her that he saw her back. He knows she didn't heal. 

Did he tell on her? Is that why she's here? To be punished for lying?

"Bring forth the guilty," Hakyeon commands and she braces herself for being dragged out of her seat and thrown at their feet.

But nobody comes for her, instead she watches as the soldier drag somebody into the court. The person seems to be wounded, is hardly conscious and his left leg seems to be broken. They have definitely tortured him.

The soldiers throw him down when they reach the foot of the thrones and she realizes it's the same beta who has helped her two days ago.

"Sungwoon!" She runs to him trying to help him but is held back by the soldiers.

"Go back to your seat," she hears Hakyeon say and looks up to find him staring her down with his golden orbs.

"But why are you hurting him?" She asks, ignoring his order.

"I said go back to your seat Omega, you've done enough."

"What?" She doesn't understand what he's talking about. But it's clear that he is being dragged into this because of her. It's clear from Hakyeon's words because 'she has done enough.'

"If it's something that I did, why is he being punished?" She dares to question.

"So you're defending your lover now? Have some shame you worthless woman!" Queen Beta speaks up before Hakyeon can say anything.

"Lover?" 

"Don't act innocent here. We all know what you did behind my son's back. But really you chose a weak Beta over Alphas? Or you didn't even care? Since they were not touching you, you went around looking for ?"

"Are you sure you have royal blood in your veins?" She questions, disgusted by her thinking, "because even a Venal woman would not have such appalling mind set."

"Watch your tongue Omega!" She recieves the warning.

"And if I don't?"

"Then you'll be punished with your lover as well," it's Hakyeon who answers and she shifts her attention back to him.

"You know what, earlier I used to think you as a person but now I know you even more as a ruler!"

She nearly gets a slap in return but he holds himself back. She doesn't know why.

"It's okay if you don't believe me, but he's one of yours. How can you not trust him? I might be a filthy Omega looking for but he's not."

"You disappeared for four days without a trace and then he shows up smelling like you," Ravi elaborates.

"Not only were you in his room, on his bed but also in his clothes, smelling of ," Ken joins in.

"I was not smelling of , I was smelling of heat. There's a difference. And he had my scent because he helped me. I was in his room because I collapsed."

"For four days?"

"That's how long my heat usually lasts."

"So you were in heat and he didn't touch you? You want me to believe that?" Queen Beta scoffs at her.

"I was not with him while in heat. He found me when I came back after it subsided. You can believe whatever you want. If you still don't trust me, go ahead and punish me. He's innocent because even if he did touch me, it would've been because of my pheromones and hence not his fault."

"He should have controlled himself better then," Ravi counters.

"Just like Lord Ken did? And my heat had just started then?" That shuts him up.

"If it's about punishment, then I am willing to go through what ever punishment you want but let the man go. His only fault is helping me and he has been punished enough for that," she had been taught loyalty from childhood. Don't forget the people who help you and don't forget the people who hurt you. She would not allow them to hurt the Beta.

"I don't believe a word coming out of your mouth," Queen Beta counters, a sneer visible on her face.

"He's a part of your kingdom, you're his Alpha. Use the Alpha command," she challenges Hakyeon, ignoring the woman. She's getting on her nerves!

"I think that a good idea," Taehyung stands up, nodding in approval.

"I agree," Hyungwon joins in, along with Wonho and Jungkook.

"Very well," he finally agrees, turning towards the Beta who doesn't even seem to know what's going on or where he is. 

"Ha Sungwoon, your Alpha commands you," his voice echoes in the Court and she can see the chill that runs down everybody's spine. For the first time she feels the extent of his powers.

Sungwoon's head snap up, his eyes going green and focused on Hakyeon, "Say nothing but the truth. Did you touch the Omega"

All eyes focus on him as he opens his mouth to answer, "Yes. I did."

"I knew it!" Queen Beta stands up, her finger pointing at Meliha. Something dangerous swim in the golden eyes and she takes a step back.

"Take her away. I'll deal with my wife later," she takes another step back, suddenly very afraid of him. Her Omega senses flare, telling her to run.

"As for the Beta, hang him first thing tomorrow morning," those are the words that make her suppress her instincts.

"No!" She retailiates, "No, wait!"

He grabs her wrist, pulling her into him, "You want to go against me for a beta? Why? Was he that good, little Omega?" She feels dirty, at the proximity, the feels of his hands on her, of his words, "I can do a lot better you know. I bet you weren't satisfied, begging for an Alpha all along."

"Stop it!" She tries to push him away but his eyes burn into her.

"Why? You can imagine it right now? Me taking you, us taking you together? Does that turn you on?" 

No, it doesn't. It makes her feel filthy.

"Ask him again," she says, leaning away from him, "He had to touch me to help me stand, to take me to his room. Ask him if he took me," she says, her wrist starting to feel numb, "Ask him if he ed me!" 

He looks at her as if she has lost her mind and then looks at the man still on the floor," Tell us Ha Sungwoon, did you '' her?"

"No, I did not."

"What did he say? Is he lying? Did he find a loophole through your Alpha command?" Queen Beta questions, her eyes going from the Beta to Hakyeon to her.

"There is no loophole in Alpha command, you should know that Queen Beta," Leo counters, crossing his legs.

"Did you touch her inappropriately?" Hakyeon asks, still holding her wrist.

"No, I didn't," Sungwoon replies, eyes still green.

"Is that enough?" She asks tugging her wrist. He finally lets her free, "Or you want to know something else?" She runs to Sungwoon, taking him away from the soldiers.

"Was she with you for the last four days?"

"No," he doesn't react, still under the Alpha command.

"Hyung, I think we know they are innocent," Hyuk intervenes, getting up from his seat and coming down.

"Get a healer here!" She screams feeling the blood soak through his shirt and onto her hands.

It's silent for a while as she cradles his head in her lap, her Omega heart hurting because of the pain he went through.

"The court is dismissed for today," Hakyeon's voice echo in the room and she watches as everyone jumps to their feet and file out.

"Call Yoona noona," he says as an after thought as he exists the court room with Hongbin and Queen Beta, "and you come find me after this Omega."

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Hello lovely readers, I am back!!

My exam was so I didn't feel like writing for a while.

Anyways I am here now. Apologies for any grammatical mistake that might ruin your read.

Enjoy!!! And T.O.P is back!