Ruts have never been fun. It becomes worse after he's had the taste of Seungyoon's warmth. Sweet and addictive. That should justify his foul mood, shouldn't it?

But no, people decide to be s on his bad day. They lurk around in the vision peripheral, with shifty looks. Whispers linger in the air. His Twitter mentions get spammed.

How was he? Tight? Slippery?

Why did Mino-oppa come early?

Bad performance? Too loose?

s. Bastards. Mino wishes he could go Alpha on them for disrespecting his Omega like that. But he can't.

Can't because Seunghoon is around watching him. Can't because it could aggravate their prejudice against Omegas. Against Seungyoon, specifically. Can't have his Omega's name getting tainted just because he can't control his Alpha instincts.

So in the end, annoyed, Mino flares up his Alpha authority every now and then. People start to keep a safe distance from him. Only Seunghoon remains within his radius, and that's because Mino's Alpha acknowledged Seunghoon as his Alpha pack.

Lunch shares a similar fate. No students within the radius. No one dares to occupy the tables around them.

"Quit the glaring, eat first." Seunghoon drops into a seat across him, placing two bowls of jjajangmyeon on the table. He puts his bag on the stool, with a sigh. "Eat, eat, pup."

"No appetite." Mino stares at the bowl. Seungyoon's absence takes away his appetite. 

All his mind can come up with is Seungyoon writhing alone in his nest. Crying for release. Needing his attention and touches to feel grounded, and , he needs to see Seungyoon. His Alpha is howling so loud inside him, asking for his Omega, and Mino hides his face in his folded arms on the table.

Desperate. Worried.

"Stop thinking about it. Eat." Seunghoon s the bowl to Mino's face.

Pouting, Mino acquiesces. He pulls the bowl into his hands, takes the chopsticks, then mixes the ingredients together. All while he's frowning.

Halfway through bowls of jjajangmyeon, while they're discussing the group project, Mino's phone vibrates on the table. He puts down the chopsticks and skims over the ID caller on the screen.

It reads 'Jiho annoying hyung.'

"Hello?"

"Hey." Jiho's voice is grim when he greets. It gives Mino chill. , what did he do this time? A lump grows in Mino's windpipe.

"...Yes?"

"Come to my place. Emergency. It's Seungyoon."

"Seungyoon?" Mino asks, alarmed, eyes on Seunghoon. Even Seunghoon is alerted by the tone, snapping up to clash gazes with Mino.

"His heat got worse. I suspect it has something to do with you. Come quickly."

His thinking process stutters at the mention of Seungyoon's heat. No, no. Did something happen to him? To his Omega? Mino stares, unable to react, dumbfounded by the thought of his Omega in pain.

"—Mino!"

Seunghoon's voice startles Mino out of his racing thoughts. Mino blinks twice, then catches a firm, "Go," from Seunghoon, with a jerk of his chin, prompting Mino into action right away. Hands snatching his bag on the table, Mino takes off.

His endurance is , all because of the nicotine he'd consumed over the years. But it, his Alpha instincts go into overdrive. Adrenaline gets pumped through his muscles. Every sense gets heightened. Mino sprints through the streets, his bag flapping in the wind. 

The long-distance feels insignificant compared to his urgency to help his mate.

By the time he reaches the apartment, exhaustion peaks. Mino takes a deep breath, eyes up high at the block as if he can see Seungyoon's room.

(No, he can't.)

Mino bolts for the elevator, pushing the button repeatedly. Hurriedly. The door dings open. Three kids skip out of the cart. Happily, as they show off their planes. Mino moves to the side then slinks inside before he presses the button.

The short ride is unnerving. Mino shifts his weight from one foot to another, impatient. Once the door slides open, Mino jumps out, almost knocking boxes stacked up against the wall.

Seungyoon's unit is the fourth one. Mino almost misses the unit but manages to catch the gate, slightly sliding across the floor. Once he gets his balance again, then—

Scent. Sweet, salty and addictive. Strong as if Mino gets punched in the nose, and he reels backwards, dizzy.

Surprised, Mino cups his nose. , , no wonder Jiho called him. This is the worst-case scenario, considering Seungyoon's scent manages to waft out of the house. 

He tries the knob—it's locked. Relief washes over him knowing Jiho secured the place.

Hurriedly, Mino knocks on the door. He can hear a ruckus coming from the inside, and a second later, the door flings open, revealing a ragged-looking Taehyun.

"Thank ," Taehyun pants.

An agonized howl echoes from the inside. Mino recognizes the voice. It's Seungyoon.

Mino attempts to step inside. "Seungyoon—"

"No, no, no, wait—" Taehyun grabs him by the shoulders. Then Taehyun shouts, "Hyung, he's here!!"

Mino cranes his neck, trying to peek over Taehyun's shoulder. Anxious hearing the howl. His Omega's howl. A calling designed for him. His Alpha yearns to rush to his side. His bag slips off his shoulder, but it, he doesn't give a .

Seungyoon—Omega, mate—priority!

Yet he fails to see anything except Jiho rushes towards him. Before Mino can access the situation, Jiho pushes him out, away from the door, and kicks the door closed behind him.

"No, you can't come inside yet. Not yet," Jiho whispers furiously, pushing at Mino's shoulder to stop him.

"Seungyoon—he—my Omega—"

"I know, I know—hey, hey—" Jiho catches Mino's flailing arms. Locks them in a firm grip. Grits his teeth. "Hey, hey, listen. If you want to help Yoon, listen to me first, dip, or you might hurt him!"

Hurt—no, no, no!! Can't let that happen. Seungyoon, Omega, stay safe. He must keep him safe.

Mino stops struggling. Tries to focus on Jiho.

"Good." Jiho carefully releases Mino, sharp eyes on him. Trusts that Taehyun can hold him. When he's confident enough that Mino won't lash out, he carries on, "Look, his heat is never easy, but this time, it's the worst."

"How."

"Usually it takes him five days to ride out his heat, but this—no sign of him calming down from his high yet. Extremely territorial. Feral. Signs of an Omega deprived of his mate." Jiho explains hurriedly. Takes a breath to calm himself. Then, "By 'mate' I meant you since he keeps asking for you."

Mate—yes, that. His Alpha purrs his approval. If only his rational thought didn't acknowledge Jiho as Seungyoon's family, he would've torn him apart. "Let me see him."

"I need you to understand that going inside there—it could mean something permanent." Jiho points at the closed door. "I don't know how far you two have gone, but I don't want you two doing something you'll regret later."

"He's my mate," Mino hisses.

"Is he?"

"He is!"

"Have you collared him?"

That shuts him up. Snaps his Alpha into silence because , that's the truth. Seungyoon hasn't given his consent. Hasn't let him buy the collar. This is all heat talking. The mate calling—just animalistic desires and.

And Mino wants more than that.

More than this moment. More than this heat.

A howl echoes. Seungyoon. His Alpha howls inside him. Pulled to be by his side. There must be something he can do—something that—

"Give me your jacket," Mino decides. "Also, get me suppressants. Tons of them."

Jiho blinks.

"Jacket and suppressants or I'll pounce Seungyoon."

"Oh." Jiho gets the message crystal clear and shucks off his jacket. He nods at Taehyun. "Your cardigan—give it to Mino."

"But—"

"He's going to need our scents to keep his mind sane. Also, you're gonna buy suppressants for Mino."

A fact. While the scent of Omega in heat might overpower the rest, a Beta's scent often gives a sense of stability despite being the weakest scent of them all. A sense of groundedness. Mino knows this because Jinu-hyung is their mediator when he and Seunghoon have Alpha conflicts.

It's ridiculous, covered in layers of a jacket and cardigan. But for Seungyoon, Mino doesn't care about his image and comfort. He adjusts the collar of Jiho's jacket. The stronger the scent, the better it is.

Once he's ready, Mino steels his heart. He steps in and—

Oh, wow. What a lovely scent. And a pained whimper.

—no, no, no. This ain't it. Mino shakes his head to get his bearing again.

Maybe it's his Alpha instincts. Or perhaps he's gotten used to the plan of the house that it takes Mino seven long strides to get to Seungyoon's room.

The door is understandably closed. He can hear faint cries from the other side. His Alpha yowls mournfully. Mino swallows thickly, a palm on the door. Then presses his ear against the flat plane.

"...Seungyoon?"

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