Another busy weekend at the restaurant since people are getting paid. The kitchen is loud, filled with banging woks, tongs and knives. The greasy smell hangs in the air. The sounds of coversations overlap each other. Laughter. Even little shouting. Mino flits from one table to another, taking orders.

A busy day. Mino uses his entire Alpha energy to keep up with the customers.

A tap on his shoulder. Mino pauses cleaning the table and glances over his shoulder. It's Jiwon-hyung. He trades the ragged towel in Mino's hand with a water bottle.

"10 minutes break, go. You've been moving around since morning."

Mino alternates his gaze from Jiwon-hyung's face to the bottle. Then takes the bottle, with a garbled 'thanks' because why the not. He had been fluttering about nonstop since the beginning of his shift.

On his way to the back alley, Mino swings by the locker to get his phone and cigarette. He puts a cigarette on his lips, amused as he unlocks his phone.

There are four texts from Seungyoon, sent about 2 hours ago.

From Seungyoon: is jinu-hyung on leave today? i saw him with seunghoon-hyung

From Seungyoon: worst decision ever

From Seungyoon: now they're dragging me around the city

From Seungyoon: save me!!! ε==ε==(ﾉ゜д゜)ﾂ

A bark of laughter escapes Mino around the cigarette. He considers replying to those texts but where's fun in that. It's amusing knowing Seungyoon gets teased by the hyungs endlessly for the rest of the day.

"Mino." Soogeun-hyung pokes his head outside, offering a slice of a rolled omelette in a plate. Oh, wow. Late lunch. Looks delicious.

Mino sweeps up one and shoves it into his mouth. Bad decision. It's still hot. Head thrown back, hand over his lips, he huffs breaths around the omelette in his mouth to cool it down.  "Hot, hot."

"Clumsy pup," Soogeun-hyung laughs.

"Am not—argh, hot! Am not pup—"

Soogeun-hyung pats Mino's head, "Sure, sure," and goes back inside.

Half annoyed to be thought as a pup, Mino shoots Soogeun-hyung a brief glare before he returns to his phone. He's about to check the time on his phone when it rings.

squirrel Yoon

A smile stretches across his lips. Seungyoon is probably crying asking to be saved. Mino picks it up, "Hey—"

"—Jinu-hyung, wake up, hyung, hyung! , blood—hyung!"

Mino frowns. That's so sudden. Like what in the ing world.

"Jinu-hyung—"

Panic in Seungyoon's distant voice. Dread slides down Mino's spine upon hearing that as horrible images flash across his mind, and he shouts, "Yoon? Seungyoon, what's happening. Hey, can you hear me? Hey, Yoon-ah!!!"

"—hyung, stop, Seunghoon-hyung—"

"SEUNGYOON-AH!" Mino tries again, tossing the cigarette to the side.

"—what, Mino?" Seungyoon sounds closer now. The tremor in his voice is louder, eliciting a rush of panic in Mino. Panic churns in Mino's gut. "Mino, Mino, help—hyung, Jinu-hyung isn't waking up—Seunghoon-hyung, he went Alpha—"

.

The Alpha inside Mino growls knowing his Omega is possibly in danger. "Location."

Seungyoon rattles off his current location. It's at least three blocks away. Screaming, "Emergency," at the people in the kitchen, Mino sprints off. He cares not about his sloppy look, apron tied around his mid, messy hair as his hat gets blown away by the autumn breeze in his urgency to get to Seungyoon.

His thumb swipes across the keyboard screen to type a number; the Centre. Then he calls the Centre for help, explaining the situation despite his ragged breaths as he continues to run.

Not for long, Mino hears a faint shout coming from an alley. He runs faster, pivots around a corner and sees—

Holy—Seungyoon!

Pinned down by the shoulder, Seungyoon is pushing at Seunghoon's jaw with all his might to protect himself. Mino can see Jinu laying unmoving on the asphalt near them. There are three other men unconscious around them as well, but Mino can't find in him to give a about them.

Not when Seungyoon in apparent danger.

Driven with his Alpha instincts, Mino charges towards Seunghoon. He growls loudly to draw Seunghoon's attention. It works, and in brief seconds, Mino catches Seunghoon's slit eyes, bright yellow, feral and Alpha in a rut.

Mino's heart thunders louder. , that's not Seunghoon. That's a ing Alpha.

The impact pushes Seunghoon off Seungyoon. But dammit, Seunghoon regains his feet in instant seconds, grabs Mino by the collar and slams him down on the ground. Hard.

——

"Yoon, stay away from Jinu—" Mino risks a chance of repelling an attack from Seunghoon to warn Seungyoon, and a strong punch lands on his cheek. An instant pain blooms across his face. , that hurts like a .

Seunghoon snarls loudly.

In his peripheral vision, Mino spots another incoming punch. His Alpha instincts have him quickly blocking with his left arm. Damn, the punch feels heavy.

Gotta free himself.

His other hand catches a fistful of Seunghoon's front shirt, grips it tightly, and with his knee on Seunghoon's sternum as the leverage and a deep breath, Mino throws Seunghoon off him. Then immediately rolls away from Seunghoon's dangerous swipe.

Lifting his head, Mino realizes that Seungyoon has distanced himself from Jinu. He lurches towards Seungyoon and pulls him into his arms. Seungyoon freezes in his embrace, shocked.

Mino turns on his heel to maintain the eye contact with Seunghoon, a hand on the back of Seungyoon's head while keeping Seungyoon tucked his face in Mino's collarbone, hands Mino's front shirt, tight.

"Stay still," Mino whispers into Seungyoon's ear, hawk eyes on the feral Alpha in front of him.

A non-defensive stance; that's what Mino tries to convey to Seunghoon at the moment. Convey that he and Seungyoon aren't threats. Convey that he's just trying to protect Seungyoon, to protect what's his, not to steal what belongs to Seunghoon. The Alpha authority from Seunghoon is overwhelming him, challenging him, but no, Mino won't fall for it.

Not when Seungyoon is trapped in this cross. One Alpha authority is already too much for Seungyoon to bear. He's not going to suffocate Seungyoon some more.

So long as he remains on guard until the help arrives, they should be fine.

The Alpha in Seunghoon accepts this gesture.

With a whine, Seunghoon crawls towards Jinu. His behaviour is purely animalistic, relying on Alpha instincts only. He crouches protectively over Jinu. He tilts his head, checking the injury on Jinu's head.

A pitiful whine escapes him. That doesn't sound good. It means the Alpha in Seunghoon is anxious. Has become utterly territorial. Any slight movement could provoke him into attacking again.

"Mino, Mino—" A tug on his shirt has Mino momentarily riveting his attention on Seungyoon instead.

"What."

"Collar—it's—"

Mino's eyes glance over the collar. He can see the leather collar almost ripped apart, barely hanging together with some threads. , that explains Seungyoon's trembling body. His scent gland is exposed to danger.

"It's okay, it's okay," Mino reassures, ripping his sleeve to tie it around Seungyoon's neck with minimal movements possible. A sloppy replacement but at least, it calms Seungyoon down a little.

After what it feels like an eternity to Mino, the help arrives. A squad from the Centre, dressed in armed gears, specialized in handling feral Alphas, swoops in like a storm, quick and efficient. They close in on them from all sides.

"Who are they." Seungyoon whispers, alarmed.

Sensing danger, Seunghoon bares his teeth, ready to attack. Even Mino can't help growling under his breath, arms tightening around Seungyoon's body.

Before Mino can process anything—in the blink of an eye—a tranquillized dart has embedded deep in Seunghoon's neck.

Wow, that's—

Mino can only watch as Seunghoon's eyes roll into his skull. A pained whine tears from Seunghoon's throat and he collapses in a heap on the ground, next to Jinu's body. The squad wastes no time. Seunghoon instantly gets held down by 3 grown men.

A guy trains his weapon on Mino, and Mino wraps his arms around Seungyoon tighter as to protect him from threats. He growls through teeth in warning.

The man remains stoic underneath the face mask. "Release the Omega."

Who the he thinks he is, aiming a dangerous weapon on his Omega. The Alpha inside Mi