Irrational anger was what he felt when he saw the omega. That along with distaste. 

He looked too much like Jiho. 

If Jiho was weak and had an omega stature. 

Still, the similarities were enough to remind Mino of his former friend’s actions. Jiho knew. 

Jiho knew they didn’t want an omega. He knew they didn’t want any more ties with the agency, and still he strong armed all of them into this situation. 

Mino hated it. 

*

He was too much. The alpha was too much. 

Seungyoon’s senses were bombarded with angry alpha pheromones. His throat dried. His heart pounded, making him feel lightheaded. 

“.” The alpha’s voice was rife with disgust. 

Seungyoon took a step back. He couldn’t look up, all he could see was the alpha’s bare feet. Another step. 

“Stop.” An alpha’s command. Angry. 

Alpha. Angry. Mad. Angry. 

Angry. 

Seungyoon fell to his knees, unable to move, head automatically twisted to the side in instinctive submission. His ears were ringing and his face was numb. Can’t move. 

Alpha. Angry alpha. 

Sorry. He did wrong. His fault. Sorry. 

Chest hurt. Hurt. Air. Must. Air. Need. 

Tan fingers took his wrist. 

NO. 

Away. Please. 

I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

*

Mino knelt on the floor where the omega was crouched into a very small and very terrified ball. The scent of fear was so acrid that his nose stung. Mino tried to touch the omega but he recoiled from Mino, scuttling back, eyes wide and unseeing, body hitting the corner of the credenza. 

“. Seungyoon. Kang Seungyoon.” He knew the omega’s name. But he refused to use it or even acknowledge the omega’s presence in the house because for him it was tantamount to surrendering to Jiho. But it wasn’t the time for Mino’s stupid pride when the omega was hurting himself because he was so scared of Mino. 

He wanted to call Jinwoo or Seunghoon but he left his phone in his studio. He didn’t know how to deal with this. 

“Ome— Seungyoon.” His stomach was churning. , he was an . Seungyoon was innocent. How could he let his anger dictate his treatment towards another person? “Seungyoon… please.” He softened his tone and gently circled his wrist. 

Wrong move. Seungyoon jerked back, whimpering. His head hit the corner of the table with a smack. 

. 

“No… please. Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Seungyoon chanted, his breathing ragged, pulling weakly from Mino. Seungyoon started crying. 

Mino’s alpha was rioting. Omega. Upset. Scared. Protect omega. Help my omega. Mine. Mine. Must protect my omega. 

The last rational part of his brain told him that he couldn’t touch Seungyoon, but the alpha in him wanted to claim. He forced himself to get away from Seungyoon, putting proximity between them. 

He needed something to wrap Seunghoon in so his omega couldn’t smell Mino. . 

Pack alpha. 

Seunghoon accepted Seungyoon already right? Right? . As long as Mino could get him to a safer place. He strode to Seunghoon’s room, ignoring Seungyoon’s sobs and ripped off the comforter from the perfectly made bed. 

He hastily threw the huge weighted blanket over Seungyoon, steeling his heart against his anguished struggles, the omega’s flight instincts triggered. But he didn’t stand a chance against Mino. He bundled Seungyoon and bodily carried all of him to the living room and put him on the large sofa, bracing him there. 

The omega was full on crying now. Mino’s insides were hurting from the sounds muffled inside the blanket. 

“Seungyoon. You’re gonna make yourself sick. Please stop crying.” He pleaded. Seungyoon’s entire body was quaking that Mino legitimately feared for him. 

“. I’m so sorry.” He whispered, tightening his arms around Seungyoon. 

Mino pitched his alpha authority and ordered, “Seungyoon, stop.” 

Almost immediately all sound and movement stopped. When he was sure Seungyoon wasn’t going to break from his order, he peeled away part of the blanket that was covering Seungyoon’s head. 

Mino in his breath. 

Seungyoon’s eyes were wide open, pupils blown large and unseeing, mouth gasping for breath as tears continued to drip down his temples. 

“. .” Mino muttered, hands shaking as he cupped Seungyoon’s cold cheeks, willing him to come back to himself. Pheromone control was not forte, but he did his best to push out a calming feeling for Seungyoon. 

“Please, please come back.” Mino begged. “You’re okay. You’re safe. I have you.” 

Again and again Mino repeated that even though he was the reason Seungyoon was like that in the first place. 

Seungyoon just kept staring blankly, his breath coming out raspy and labored.

Mino kept holding him. 

*

Seunghoon had a strange feeling while he was at the office. He couldn’t sit still, something at the pit of his stomach was telling him to go home, so he cancelled his meetings for the rest of the day and headed back to the house. 

Around the same time he pulled into their massive garage, Jinwoo’s car slid in beside his. Mino’s car, a rare sight nowadays, was there too. 

“Hey.” Jinwoo greeted, giving him a distracted kiss as they made their way to the back entry. “I don’t know, maybe I’m crazy, but something feels off.” 

Seunghoon nodded, forcing himself to be rational and calm. 

But the moment they opened the door, they were assaulted by the scent of distressed omega. The smell of fear was so heavy he almost gagged. Adrenaline coursed through him. 

He looked back at Jinwoo. 

The oldest alpha already had a gun in his hands, eyes cold and terrifying, in battle mode. 

Ready, willing and able to kill, just waiting for Seunghoon’s signal. 

Seunghoon took out the knife from inside his boot, knowing Jinwoo would cover him and took in the surroundings. 

No signs of forced entry or struggle. Only the thick scent of distress. And Mino. 

They made their way soundlessly into the main part of the house. 

“In here.” Mino’s voice carried from the living room. 

They both relaxed and replaced their weapons into their designated pockets. 

Mino was sitting on the sofa, elbows on his knees, hands clutching his hair. Beside him was Seungyoon lying on his side facing the back of the sofa, swaddled in what looked like Seunghoon’s blanket. 

Jinwoo only had eyes for Seungyoon. He knelt beside the omega, rubbing his temple against Seungyoon’s hair, scenting him liberally. 

“Kitchen.” Seunghoon said, walking away, not looking to see if Mino followed. 

He knew that Mino had a lot of anger regarding their situation, but he did not expect this to happen. 

He took out a bottle of perrier from the fridge and let the carbonated water wash away the metallic taste from his mouth. 

Mino started before Seunghoon said anything. 

“I came home… he was there. Probably thought it was you or Jinwoo hyung.” Mino’s voice was strained. He was hunched over the kitchen island, hands clasped together tightly. 

“I was… angry. A bit of my alpha came out and he— Seungyoon…” Mino swallowed. “He submitted in fear.” 

Seunghoon’s heart clenched, reminded of the first time he met Seungyoon, how he was so afraid of him. He wasn’t even angry then. He could only imagine how it was for him to be face to face with an actual angry alpha. 

“He— he had a panic attack.” Mino’s hands trembled. “I couldn’t get him to calm down, I was afraid he was going to hurt himself. I t-took your blanket— maybe if he can’t smell me— since you’re the pack alpha—“ 

He couldn’t stand seeing Mino that distraught. He set the bottle down and pulled his mate to him, putting his hand on Mino’s head, leading it to his shoulder. 

Mino shuddered, melding against Seunghoon, breathing raggedly to control his emotions. 

“I’m an .” Mino murmured. 

Seunghoon tactfully kept his mouth shut. 

“He’s innocent.” Mino acknowledged. Seunghoon knew that before he even read Seungyoon’s file from the facility. He knew that there were odd blanks in the report that was probably done to protect Seungyoon’s privacy. But as far as he was concerned, the omega was far removed from his father’s nefarious activities based on his gentle nature. 

“Give him a chance, Mino.” He felt the other alpha nod against his shoulder. 

*

Tired. So tired. 

He was blank. Hollow. 

“Yoonie…” 

What is… who—

Face. Pretty face. Alpha. 

Jinwoo. 

Seungyoon whimpered. He could smell the alpha, sweet roses and warmth. Alpha. 

He was suddenly enveloped in Jinwoo’s scent, his body held strongly in the alpha’s arms that he willingly let himself be pulled into. 

He sighed in relief. Alpha. Jinwoo. 

He closed his eyes. 

*

He buried his nose in Seungyoon’s hair, breathing in the omega’s faint scent. The medical smell was starting to fade and only came back when Seungyoon was on his medications. He rubbed his temple again and again over Seungyoon’s head, scenting him to cover up the lingering smell of fear on him. 

His body was so delicate in his arms. Yes he was a few inches taller than Jinwoo, but Jinwoo was hardier. 

According to Mino, Seungyoon’s panic attack lasted an hour before they arrived. Seungyoon had been unresponsive ever since. Jinwoo lay with him, holding him while they were both squeezed on the sofa. Seunghoon’s blanket offered both of them comfort as the pack alpha and Mino prepared their food. 

Occasionally, Seungyoon would whimper and Jinwoo would run his hands over his back to calm him. 

It hurt him to see Seungyoon like that, but the instinctive trust the omega had for Jinwoo also made his heart warm.