🐺 - Chapter Thirty -

 

As soon as the three got into the car Baekhyun pulled his phone out and called Chanyeol. The alpha answered on the first ring and was talking before Baekhyun could even speak.

“I heard everything baby. We all listened. You did SO well baby. I’m so proud of you. SO proud…!”

“Cha..” Baekhyun realized he was shaking and the tears were threatening to fall. He tried to distract himself by watching the scenery outside the window begin to go by at a faster pace.

His mate growled protectively. “It’s Ok. My strong mate.. You’re coming home to me and you’re safe. It’s ok..”

Baekhyun sniffed and nodded, even though he knew the alpha couldn’t see him.

Chanyeol continued. “Hey, put me on speaker for a minute baby..? So I can talk to the guys..?”

Baekhyun pushed the button to turn on the speaker. “Yes. Ok..” He wiped at his face as he held the phone out.

The voice of the alpha sounded loud in the sedan interior. “Great job guys. Lay, Junmyeon, and I are all at the office. We had Minseok from the legal team here as well and he was giving thumbs up with every word that we heard you all say. Really, great job. You too Baekhyun. You all did really well with your choice of words and how little you talked. We have more than enough to go ahead with plans for the lawsuits and we’ll be submitting them first thing tomorrow morning.”

“That’s good to hear.” Tao offered. “No offence Baekhyun, but your father deserves whatever we can hit him with.” 

“No offence taken..” Baekhyun responded with a shaky smile. 

Sehun smiled then spoke up as he directed the car through the traffic. “So should I bring Baekhyun to the office or will you be meeting us back at the apartment?”

“He’ll have plenty of other days to see the office. For now I’m guessing he’d like to relax at the apartment before our plans for dinner.” 

“Um.. yes please!”  Baekhyun’s squeaked response made the guards chuckle. 

“Ok we’ll meet you there.” Tao assured over the sound of Lay and Junmyeon cooing at the omega’s cute response. 

 

By the time the black and white vehicles pulled back into the underground parking garage Chanyeol, Lay and Junmyeon were already standing beside the designated parking spaces. The WhiteChord heir opened the sedan’s passenger side door and Baekhyun gratefully tumbled out into his mate’s embrace. The stress and buildup that had led to the unpleasant events of the afternoon seemed to affect him all at once, and the omega felt himself sagging tiredly against Chanyeol’s broad chest. His eyes began to droop and he was only half aware of his mate bending down and picking him up bridal style. 

Junmyeon spoke up. “I’m sure he’ll be fine after a nap. Go ahead and take him up to bed, Chanyeol. Lay and I can oversee the unloading of the stuff and make sure it gets upstairs to your place.”  The tall bodyguard nodded in agreement with his boyfriend. 

“..’znot much..” Baekhyun mumbled. 

Chanyeol looked down with affection at the man in his arms. “OK Sleeping Beauty. Let’s get you upstairs for a power nap..” He nodded at Lay then turned and walked to the elevator. The elevator security guard rode up with them and assisted Chanyeol with getting his door opened and a now fully asleep Baekhyun into the apartment. In less than 5 minutes the omega was snoring softly, securely tucked into the covers of the alpha’s king-sized bed.

 

About an hour later Baekhyun woke up and came back out into the living room. Chanyeol sat on the couch, looking at his phone. The glass merry-go-round sat on the coffee table in front of him. 

“Hi..” Baekhyun called out softly and the alpha jumped up from his seat with a welcoming smile. 

“Hi.. Umm..I hung your clothes in the guest bedroom closet. I didn’t want to disturb you while you were sleeping. Plus I figured this way you could go through and organize everything the way you want as we hang them in the master bedroom closet.” Chanyeol offered.

The omega smiled in appreciation. “You think of everything. Thank you.” He stretched his arms out asking for a hug, which his mate happily gave. They stood together for a minute, then Baekhyun leaned up and pecked the alpha with a quick kiss on the lips. “What time do we need to leave for your father’s place?”

“In about an hour.” Chanyeol smiled softly. “You have plenty of time to get ready before we leave.” 

Baekhyun hummed. “Help me pick out an outfit?” he asked, leading his mate back down the hallway.

 

Dinner at the Park family home was full of delicious food, lighthearted conversation and pleasurable atmosphere. Mr. Park was very warm and welcoming, and Yoora couldn’t contain her delight in getting to know more about her new brother-in-law. They both asked questions that allowed the omega to feel comfortable and open, but didn’t press or say negative things when he chose to not answer questions or changed the subject. Mr. Park specifically mentioned that he wanted Baekhyun to be settled in comfortably in his new home with Chanyeol before coming to the WhiteChord headquarters and being presented as the newest member of the pack.

Baekhyun thanked him, then began to ask his own questions, mostly about the Park family life as his mate was growing up. Yoora made it her personal goal to tell as many embarrassing stories about her brother as possible. Chanyeol was embarrassed but didn’t take offence at the humor at his own expense. The laughter of everyone present echoed through the home during the entire visit. Even the few staff that lingered in the house were warm and welcoming, and joined in the laughter when appropriate.

Baekhyun felt valued, appreciated and loved. All things he had not felt often when he was growing up. Realizing this, he fought internally against tearing up, but finally his emotions overflowed and he cried in front of his new family. They didn’t brush off his feelings, but cooed and acknowledged his expressions of gratitude, then made fun comments to lighten the mood and help the omega not be embarrassed. Mr. Park, Yoora, and even Chanyeol were adamant that Baekhyun understood this was his family now, and they would be there for him for the rest of his life. 

The WhiteChord pack was now his home. 

 

When the new couple got back to the apartment later, Baekhyun didn’t waste any time expressing just how grateful he was to his mate for being so patient, understanding, and loving. In the process, clothing was left in a trail down the hallway to their shared room. The silky briefs that the omega had chosen to wear that morning were an instant hit and Chanyeol dazedly promised to buy many more pairs for his y mate. Baekhyun thanked him for that offer in a very pleasing manner that neither were going to forget. 

The alpha reciprocated very enthusiastically, thanking his mate in a manner that their neighbors might never forget. 

It was only after the couple had enjoyed three rounds and were taking a lazy bath together that they thought back through their actions of the very late evening. They couldn’t help giggling as they acknowledged that even with the sound proofing in the apartment, it would be hard to mistake the sounds of repeated rhythmic pounding on the walls.

 

 ❍

 

🐺 - Chapter Thirty-one -

 

Late the next morning Baekhyun once again woke to the sound of the alpha’s phone. 

“I’m starting to get deja vu” the omega groaned. 

Chanyeol chuckled sleepily as he grabbed the offending device that was vibrating aggressively on the bedside table. He cleared his throat as he looked at the caller ID, then answered. “Tell me you have good news.”

The omega blinked sleepily up at his mate. “Yup.. Deja vu is real...:” he muttered. The alpha held the phone close to his ear and patted the omega’s head with a smile.

Baekhyun wiggled out from his mate’s embrace then rolled over suddenly to sit up on his knees with a little space between them, straightening the oversized t-shirt he was wearing. Chanyeol was still listening to the caller, but he looked surprised then amused as the omega rolled his shoulders exaggeratedly and tilted his head back and forth, cracking his neck. Baekhyun then leaned forward a little to place a quick kiss on the alpha’s nose before jumping out of bed to head to the bathroom.

Chanyeol ambled into the bathroom a little later as the omega was finishing brushing his teeth. Baekhyun cocked his head expectantly as he rinsed his mouth one last time. 

His mate didn’t wait long to smile widely. “That was Minseok. Everything’s hitting the fan, baby. Your father is scrambling to catch up with the lawsuits. And we now have a press conference scheduled for this afternoon.”

Baekhyun had smiled at the first part of the comment but then furrowed his eyebrows at the last sentence. “We.. As in-”

“You and I. And dad. And Minseok will be there with us as legal counsel if the questions get too out of hand.” 

“Oh.. Wow..” The omega stared into nothing a bit in his surprise. 

Chanyeol came over and put his arms around his mate. “Are you ok with that? I don’t want to stress you out. I mean, it’s important for the press to know the truth but I can talk to Dad and see if you can get out of having to be there-”

“No.” Baekhyun put his hand on the alpha’s arm. “It’s ok. I need to be there.” Chanyeol hugged his mate a little tighter in reassurance. Baekhyun smiled bravely up at him. “I have to show my parents that I’m not the push-over they want me to be. And like you said, it’s important for the press to know the truth.” 

The alpha leaned down and pecked Baekhyun on the lips. “My strong omega. That reminds me.. Was your mother not there at the house yesterday?”

“I didn’t see her. My father has always accused her of not being strict enough with me so he probably told her to stay away while I was there. He’ll likely try to blame her for my ‘immature stubborn streak’ but she won’t stand by and just let him put her down. They’re probably yelling at each other even as we speak..”  

Chanyeol looked a little sad at his mate’s words, but Baekhyun just shrugged with a smile. “It’s fine. They argued a lot when I was growing up so I’m used to it.” 

“No child should have to grow up being used to their parents arguing..”

“I look at it as a ‘What NOT to do’ scenario. It’s better to talk things out sensibly than to yell.” the omega said matter-of-factly.

Chanyeol leaned down and pecked his mate on the lips again. “My strong omega. So proud of you.” He kissed him again and this time the smooch became a little more intense and threatened to blossom into something more as the alpha’s hands began to travel, heading towards the omega’s perky . 

Baekhyun broke the liplock and wiggled his finger in front of his mate’s face. “Un uhh.. None of that now. I’m still a little sore from last night and I don’t want to be limping at the press conference later.”

The alpha whined but obediently dropped his hands with a cute little pout. Baekhyun stretched up for a quick peck on the pouted lips then pulled completely out of his mate’s arms. “Now! We need to eat breakfast and get a start on our day!” he chirped.

Chanyeol groaned. “Why are you so organized..?” The omega cackled as he handed the alpha his toothbrush then walked out of the bathroom.

 

The press conference was held in the largest conference room at the WhiteChord main office building. The whole conference lasted about half an hour and the press filled the room to overflowing. It was big news that the WhiteChord heir had found his mate, and even bigger news that the mate was none other than the same omega that the high-ranking banker Mr. Byun had just days before blatantly denied was in any situation other than being betrothed to “a close friend of the family.” This was obviously not the case. 

Minseok gave a brief admonition to the attending press, then stepped back to allow Mr. Park to give his prepared speech. As the older man talked, Chanyeol and Baekhyun stood off to the side, dressed in coordinated suits, relaxed expressions and with their hands linked. Camera flashes continued through the entire speech. It was explained that the Byun heir had been betrothed, but that it was arranged against his will. Although Japan was mentioned, details of exactly how and why the couple had met were deliberately not mentioned. Mr. Park sternly stated that due to the lawsuits that had been filed, no information of that nature would be given outside of a courtroom setting or when the couple deemed it appropriate among friends. Otherwise, as Mr. Park also stated, for all intents and purposes, Baekhyun was now a member of the WhiteChord pack and any slander against him or any other member of the pack in this situation would not be tolerated. 

When Mr. Park indicated he was finished with his speech, the questions began flying and the flashes from the cameras intensified. Through it all Baekhyun didn’t flinch and kept a confident yet closed look on his face. The only question that he answered was when one reporter asked very nicely. “How are you feeling?” 

Baekhyun responded with a beautiful calm smile. “I am feeling very well and very happy. Thank you for asking.” 

The picture from that moment of the smiling omega looking at the reporter as Chanyeol looked at his mate with a warm affectionate gaze was all over the news for the next several days. It was no surprise that Yoora and Junmyeon both used it for their lock screens on their phones.

 

 ❍

 

🐺 - Chapter Thirty-two -

 

Chanyeol's sister was visiting the couple in their apartment two days later when they learned the court dates for the lawsuit hearings were set for a month’s time. It could have been sooner, but Baekhyun would be in heat in two weeks, so the assignment had been adjusted accordingly. 

Yoora made the casual comment that this would give the couple plenty of time to make sure Baekhyun was taken care of properly. Chanyeol looked shocked for a moment then grinned widely. The omega responded by turning a deep shade of red as he choked on his tea. 

The truth was he was grateful for the consideration, but also secretly hoping to be pregnant by the time he got to have his day in court. Baekhyun knew the courtroom would be stressful, but he felt confident he could handle it, and he really wanted to start a family with his mate as soon as possible.

Chanyeol had other ideas. He wasn’t against having a family with his beautiful mate. The exact opposite, actually. They had talked about the possibility of Baekhyun becoming pregnant, and the idea of becoming parents was very exciting to both of them. But what he hadn’t told anyone was he planned to officially ask Baekhyun to marry him. He really wanted to help the omega through his heat as his fiance. 

Immediately following the press conference and the dismissal of all reporters from the building, Baekhyun had been officially presented to the higher ranking members of the WhiteChord pack. The whole time the omega had remained quiet and respectful, speaking only when spoken to but not being timid or fearful regardless of who was speaking. A perfect combination of bravery and submission. Chanyeol never left his side, also being respectful while showing the typical alpha combination of stoic yet proud. 

The pack members had unanimously approved the mating of the new couple. 

Not that this mattered to Chanyeol. No matter what the decision might have been he would follow the beautiful omega to the ends of the earth. Happily, their union was official to the pack. Now he wanted to make it official to the rest of the world.

 

Baekhyun was feeling a little upset. It had been three days since he had been presented to the WhiteChord pack. Chanyeol had been almost smug that night on the ride home, acting as if he knew all along there would be no issues with his mate being approved. The reality was there were many things that could have kept him from being accepted and Baekhyun had repressed a lot of the stress he was secretly feeling over the whole situation. Strangely, the alpha acted distracted and it felt as though he was ignoring the omega’s relief. 

Since that night the alpha had also kept his phone away from his mate. Baekhyun had his own phone now so he didn’t need to use Chanyeol’s phone, but the omega found it a little strange that his mate carefully locked or turned his phone over whenever Baekhyun came near. Their lovemaking hadn’t slowed any and Chanyeol was just as affectionate as he had been since they first became intimate, almost constantly holding the omega's hand or playing with his fingers or even just back-hugging him at random times. But in the two weeks that Baekhyun had known the man, this was the first time he felt like Chanyeol was keeping something from him. 

Only knowing his mate for such a short time was actually hard for the secretly struggling omega. Up until now he had not felt neglected or unloved, but old insecurities were hard to ignore, and Baekhyun had to fight against the doubts that were trying to niggle at his mind. He didn't know if the alpha felt as strongly about Baekhyun as he did for Chanyeol. Afterall, even with all of their ual escapades they still hadn't said those three special words to each other. The alpha had only told the omega that he was important. Baekhyun didn't think this whole situation was all just a cruel joke to secure a desirable omega for the WhiteChord pack, but he also didn't know if he was just a checked off box in a list of requirements for his alpha mate to move up the ranks in the pack. 

Baekhyun found himself thinking all these thoughts again. Not even the glass merry-go-round sitting on the coffee table could make his thoughts any lighter. He sat forlornly looking out the window at the late afternoon rain while he waited for Chanyeol to get back home.

That morning the alpha had announced he was going to hang out with Lay. Two days before that Junmyeon had gone back to Japan to present some pictures at a prominent gallery in the Tokyo region, and his boyfriend was feeling the loss. Chanyeol was actually Lay’s best friend, so it was fitting that the two would spend time together to cheer up the lonely bodyguard. 

Whatever the reason, Baekhyun had been left alone in the apartment, watching the rain coming down outside and starting to feel very melancholy. He drowsily curled into himself in the plush chair and gradually gave in to his drooping eyelids. Even his stomach protesting from having skipped lunch didn’t deter his mind from shutting down and he fell asleep. 

 

An hour later the omega thought he heard his name being called. He blinked his eyes open. The clouds outside were hiding the last bit of sunshine left in the day and it was mostly dark in the apartment. But there seemed to be a light coming from the hallway Baekhyun knew he hadn’t seen before. 

He got up cautiously and looked around the corner. Sitting in the middle of the floor of the hallway was a pretty little green plate with a short candle on it, flickering in the darkness. 

Baekhyun looked at the candle. Obviously it had to have been put there by his mate. He didn’t smell any other unknown individuals' smells, and no one else had the code to the front door other than himself and Lay. 

“Chanyeol?” The omega called out tentatively as he picked up the plate, keeping it level because of the burning candle. He noticed another unfamiliar glow coming from the master bedroom doorway, so he walked towards it. “What’s going on..?”

“Cha-” Baekhyun’s words stopped short as he came to the bedroom doorway. He almost dropped the plate, gasping as he took in the view in the room.

Another candle on an identical small green plate was placed on the bedside table, illuminating the bedroom. Red, white, and pink rose petals were scattered on the bed and a bouquet of red, white, and pink roses was placed in the center of the bed. 

Baekhyun went over and set the plate in his hand onto the bedside table next to the other plate and candle. He then picked up the bouquet and admired the beautiful flowers, counting the 9 roses in the process. 

A glimmer caught his eye and he realized under where the bouquet had been sitting was another pretty green plate. On the plate was a small black velvet box, opened to reveal two slender bands shining in the dim light. 

Baekhyun put his hand up to partially cover his mouth in surprise. At that moment Chanyeol chose to show himself, coming out from the shadows where he had been standing beside the door, watching his mate discover the arrangement. 

"Baekhyun. I am so happy that we found each other and I want the whole world to know that I love you.  Will you make me even happier and marry me?"

The bouquet the omega had been holding dropped to the floor.

 

 ❍

 

🐺 - Chapter Thirty-three -

 

Baekhyun whipped around and put his hand up to join his other one, securely covering his mouth in shock. He whimpered loudly as he looked at the alpha with wide glassy eyes.  

Chanyeol faltered. "Or.. We don't have to marry if you don't want to. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Baby.." He started to step forward but stopped himself.  "I can smell your distress. Did I misunderstand? Please tell me what I need to do to make this right.." The alpha held his hands out a little from his sides and wiggled his fingers, obviously unsure of what to do with himself. 

The omega pulled his hands down to his chest and clasped them together. "You.. You love me?" he asked, gasping shakily as his tears continued to build up on the brink of falling. 

The body language and facial expression of the alpha was a mixture of distress, relief, affection, uncertainty, and love all wrapped up into one. "SO much.. I do love you. I'm sorry I never told you before now. I wanted to say it so many times but I was worried you would think it was too soon. BELIEVE me, I do. I love you, Baekhyun." Chanyeol held out his arms to his mate, who was now fully crying. 

Baekhyun took the offer, flinging himself into the alpha's embrace. "I l-love you too-hu-huuu..!" he wailed, clutching fiercely at the alpha’s button-down shirt. 

Chanyeol tightened his arms around his mate. He had tears in his own eyes as he buried his nose in Baekhyun's slightly sweaty hair and gently rocked them back and forth, letting the omega cry out his emotions. The alpha deliberately released his own pheromones into the room, letting the addictive smell of brown sugar and warm chestnut soothe and calm his mate. 

After a bit, Baekhyun stopped crying. He sniffed and pulled back from the hug a little to look over his shoulder at the bed. The candlelight flickered gently as he looked at the romantic setting. "I can't believe you did all this for me.." he said, still sniffling. 

Chanyeol placed a kiss on the omega’s head. “I would have proposed on the moon if I thought you wanted it, but I know you wouldn’t want an over-the-top gesture when simple sincerity means the most to you.”

Still in the alpha’s embrace, Baekhyun turned his head back around to face the man. “You know me so much better than I even realized. This is perfect..” He stretched up to give his mate a warm kiss, trying to pour every bit of his love and appreciation into the gesture. 

Chanyeol returned the affection but then leaned back a little. “So.. what does this mean..?”

“It means..” Baekhyun began ing the alpha’s shirt he had wrinkled with his desperate clutching hands only minutes before. “...that I am about to have wonderful mind-blowing with my fiance for the first time.” He leaned forward to kiss the area of bare chest he had managed to expose.

The alpha pulled back with his eyes wide, grabbing Baekhyun’s hands to stop his actions. “Wait! Does that mean you’re saying yes? You will marry me?!”

The omega giggled loudly. “Yes. Yes I will marry you.” 

He barely finished getting the words out before his grinning lips were captured in a heavy kiss. The momentum of the alpha swooping in to engulf him in a tight embrace propelled the couple towards the bed, and Baekhyun felt the back of his legs hit the side of the mattress. His hands had landed on his mate’s chest in the action, and he took the chance to push against the partially covered skin in order to get Chanyeol’s attention. 

The alpha pulled back, protesting. “Wha- what..”

“I know you want to ravish me and I look forward to that, I really do..  but I didn’t want to land on the rings..” Baekhyun explained with a grin. 

“Oh..” Chanyeol returned the grin a bit sheepishly, bending around his fiance to lean over the bed and retrieve the small velvet box. He carefully pulled the smaller ring out of it’s nest and held it up between their faces. Baekhyun grinned happily and lifted his left hand. The alpha slid the ring onto the next to last finger of his fiance. The omega responded by giving a loud happy sigh, then looked down at the velvet box still in Chanyeol’s hand. Baekhyun pulled the other ring out of it’s slot as he took the box out of his fiance’s hand and turned to place it on the bedside table. He turned back around to see the alpha had already lifted his left hand, eagerly positioning it between them at Baekhyun’s eye level. The omega couldn’t help the giggle that escaped as he happily slid the shining metal onto Chanyeol’s ring finger then linked their hands. 

Chanyeol looked down at their intertwined fingers for a moment. Then, in a complete change from his earlier eagerness, gently lifted their hands to his mouth to kiss his fiance’s hand just above where the new addition graced the slender ring finger. Baekhyun lifted his other hand to card his fingers into the dark hairs at the nape of the alpha’s neck as he watched the tender action. As soon as Chanyeol brought his lips away from their hands the omega stretched up and met his fiance halfway in a gentle yet passionate kiss. Even as their mouths began exploring each other, their arms and hands encircled each other and without any preamble they moved to the bed with Baekhyun sitting down and bringing the alpha with him, hovering over him. As their kiss continued the omega had a second of lucidity and reached behind himself, blindly grabbing at the bed. His hand found the small plate that was still sitting innocently in the middle of the bedding, and as Chanyeol pulled away slightly to see what his fiance was doing, Baekhyun stretched to stack the plate on the bedside table under one of the plates with the candles. The task accomplished, Baekhyun and Chanyeol looked at each other with a little smile.

“My organized fiance.” The alpha chuckled as the omega whacked lightly at his shoulder, but then the smaller shut him up by leaning back up to wrap his arms around the broad shoulders and pulled the tall man back down into a heated kiss. Chanyeol’s eagerness was back quickly and he began ridding them both of their clothing.

The gloominess of the early evening rain was long forgotten in the candlelit master bedroom as rose petals began to drift down from the bed onto the floor. 

 

 ❍

 

🐺 - Chapter Thirty-four -

 

Baekhyun sighed happily. Although they only went for one round this time, their lovemaking had been slow, expressive, and thoroughly satisfying. Now, the sated omega couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he watched his fiance carefully clean him up with a warm washcloth and small towel. Just the thought of being able to call this wonderful man his fiancé made Baekhyun so happy he was sure he would explode. 

Chanyeol tossed the cloth and towel in the laundry hamper then came back over to the bed, looking at the omega in amusement. “Somebody’s in a really good mood still..” he chuckled.

“I can’t help it. I’m just so happy..” Baekhyun gushed. He held out his hand which the alpha willingly took, letting the smaller pull him down onto the bed. Their connected hands were both their left, which gave the omega an idea. 

“WAIT! Where’s my phone?” 

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow as he raised back up on his elbow, supporting himself over his fiance. “You want your phone..?” he asked confusedly.

“Yes! I want to take a picture and show off to the rest of the world how good your taste is in jewelry!” Baekhyun grinned as he shook their joined hands in the air.  

The alpha smiled widely through his laughter. “Hahahahahaha SO damn cute!” 

The omega flushed but continued to grin impishly as he watched his fiance lean over towards the bedside table. By now the candles had almost burnt down to the last of the wick, so Chanyeol the small lamp before leaning back up holding a cell phone. “Here you go..” He handed the omega the phone.

Baekhyun looked confused for a moment then looked at his fiance with a smirk. “Oh. This is your phone. So I’m allowed to see it and use it now?” 

Chanyeol looked sheepish. “I should have known you noticed that.. In my defense I was trying to plan out the proposal.”

Baekhyun lifted up briefly to give the alpha a quick kiss. “Totally worth getting rose petals stuck in my belly button... Ten stars. Would enjoy again..” He grinned mischievously. 

“Oh it’s like that is it..?!” The alpha had an incredulous yet amused look on his face as he leaned over his fiance. He wiggled his fingers against the omega’s nape, deliberately tickling the giggling man. Baekhyun’s giggles turned into a satisfied hum as Chanyeol leaned in further and brought their lips back together. 

When Chanyeol pulled back a little later, the omega was a bit dazed and it took a second before he realized his fiance had picked up the forgotten bouquet from the floor and was now holding it between them. Baekhyun blinked in confusion but then smiled as he realized what the alpha wanted. He wiggled onto his belly and propped the bouquet up against the pillows. He opened the camera on the phone then put his left hand out in front of the flowers. The omega looked up expectantly at his fiance, who smiled as he slid his hand under Baekhyun’s so their ring fingers sat next to each other. The shutter on the camera clicked. 

As expected, Baekhyun wasn’t satisfied with only one picture, and soon there were several shots of hands, roses, candles, rose petals, smiles, and kisses filling up the alpha’s phone. There were even a couple of shots that Baekhyun quickly put into a password coded file to make sure they didn’t get seen by the wrong eyes. 

The couple went through the pictures together, deciding which ones they wanted to share with friends and family and which ones they wanted to share on social media. Baekhyun posted the social media pictures first and they waited for the reaction. 

Only seconds later the omega’s phone began ringing in the living room where he had left it. Baekhyun grinned and looked expectantly as his fiance. Chanyeol chuckled, shaking his head as he got up and jogged down the hall to retrieve it. By the time he got back to the bedroom the alpha’s phone had new text notifications, and the alerts for notifications on his Instagram account were ringing almost non-stop. Baekhyun was rolling around on the bed laughing delightedly as the phone buzzed beside him, the remaining rose petals drifting off the bed onto the floor. 

The view was beautiful. 

Chanyeol opened the camera app on the omega’s phone and snapped a picture. By now Baekhyun’s phone had stopped ringing and the shutter sound got his attention. He looked up at his fiance and smiled, totally relaxed with his eyes full of mirth and love. Chanyeol smiled back and took another picture.

The mood was broken when Baekhyun’s stomach growled loudly. The omega blushed. “I skipped lunch..” he said sheepishly.

His fiance laughed, even as his phone still sitting beside the omega began to buzz with another notification. “OK how about this. We go ahead and place a delivery order for dinner, and while we’re waiting we can start answering everybody.”

Baekhyun sat up on the bed. “Can we have ramen?” he asked, bouncing cutely. 

Chanyeol nodded as he chuckled. “I’m starting to think we should just go back to Japan since you like the food so much.” he said, scrolling thru the omega’s phone to find a restaurant and place their order

The omega got up and went over to the dresser, pulling out a couple of over-sized t-shirts. “Actually, I’ve been thinking..” He slid his head through the top of one of the shirts as he continued. “Can we go back to the onsen before my heat starts? I’d kinda like to spend it there and it would be nice to see Tony again..” He pulled out two pairs of flannel lounging pants and put one on as he talked. Then he picked up the other shirt and pants and held them out for his fiance to take.

“I think that’s a great idea.” The alpha smiled, taking the clothing. “It will help us both be comfortable and happy, and I’m sure Tony misses us.”

 

Responding to all the texts from friends, family, and colleagues, comments on social media, and even a few congratulatory emails from Mr. Park and some of the WhiteChord officials took a lot of time. 

The phone call Baekhyun had missed was from his cousin, so he started by calling Junmyeon back on a video call. Chanyeol sat at his side participating in the short but very animated conversation that was full of a lot of squealing by both of the omega and amused chuckling by the proud alpha. Once that was done the newly engaged couple did the same with a video call to Yoora. Chanyeol’s sister offered to help with the wedding plans and stated she wanted to make sure her new brother-in-law was completely happy joining their family. Her brother told her she could start by making the arrangements for their tickets to return to Japan in the next day or so.

Only after the phone calls were done did they split the rest of the duties, Chanyeol taking on the emails and texts, and Baekhyun taking on the social media comments. Of course several of the comments were from friends and family, but the general public was apparently very interested in the newly affianced couple.

In the middle of all that the doorbell rang. Chanyeol answered it to find Lay standing at the door with the food they had ordered for dinner.  Much like the very first time the omega had met the bodyguard, he didn’t stay, but offered his congratulations and then went back to his apartment to call his boyfriend. 

Although it took almost two hours, Chanyeol and Baekhyun finally finished answering everything, eating their food, and cleaning up the kitchen. They then decided to watch a movie, but only 20 minutes into it the two men were asleep, wrapped up in each other on the couch, with the flickering light of the TV shining off the glass merry-go-round.
 

  ❍

 

🐺 - Chapter Thirty-five -

 

The next morning Baekhyun woke gradually. The omega slowly came to understand sunshine was making him feel a little overheated and waking him up. Sunlight streamed through the open blinds directly on his face, making him squint from the light and also helping him realize he was lying on the large bed in the master bedroom. Apparently Chanyeol had moved them there in the middle of the night, but forgot to close the blinds. 

The thought of his fiance made Baekhyun also notice that he was alone in the big bed. He sat up on his knees, stretching in his usual fashion, then jumped up and went to the door, intending to go to the bathroom. But hearing noises from the direction of the kitchen changed his mind and he made his way down the hallway, intending to quickly greet his handsome alpha.

A different handsome alpha greeted him. “Hey B...” 

“Sehun!” The guard popping up in front of him unexpectedly startled the omega and he blinked in surprise. “What are you doing here?” Baekhyun looked around the living room, seeing several large boxes but no sign of his fiance.

“Chanyeol stepped out to speak to the delivery driver of all these boxes.” Sehun explained.

“Where did they all come from..?” Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows and cocked his head. 

The guard chuckled. “You still looked like a puppy, even now..” 

“I’m not a dog, Sehunnie..” the omega pouted, his head still cocked, looking even more puppy-like. 

The guard chuckled but his self-preservation kicked in and he decided to not comment. He subtly changed the subject, directing Baekhyun’s attention to the boxes by walking over to the largest one. “A few of these are from WhiteChord pack members. Probably gifts congratulating you and Chanyeol on your engagement.” 

“A few? What about the other boxes?” Baekhyun asked, padding over to look at the label on a box close to him. “Wait. Don’t tell me…”

“Yup. Looks like your folks had a change of heart and sent all the rest of your stuff from their house. Chanyeol is guessing they want to use this as part of their strategy in defending themselves in the lawsuits.”

“Well the jokes on them ‘cause I don’t want any of it. They couldn’t buy my affection when I was growing up and it’s not going to work now either. I hope Chanyeol is telling the driver to take them all back.” The omega retorted.

As if on cue, the apartment security beeped, indicating someone entering the code for the door. Chanyeol came through the door followed by the elevator security guard and another man wearing a hat and jumpsuit. The WhiteChord heir was in full business mode. “OK ,so the ones you’re taking back have the light blue labels - yes, those. And that one there. And I think that’s one as well.”

“This is one as well.” Baekhyun’s soft voice stopped all the men in their tracks as he indicated the box next to him. The omega smiled softly. “Thank you gentlemen.”

Chanyeol immediately came over to gather the omega in his arms, shielding him from the rest of the room with his large body. Sehun turned to the other men and pointed at some of the other boxes they were to take as he also bent down and picked up the one Baekhyun had indicated, effectively taking their attention off the couple. It was only after the men with boxes exited the apartment that Chanyeol finally released his fiance from the embrace.

The alpha spoke as though he was choosing his words carefully. “You look beautiful as always this morning baby.” 

Baekhyun smiled, however the alpha bent down to make sure to keep eye contact as he continued. “But I don’t want anyone else seeing what’s for my eyes only.” Chanyeol tugged the collar of the oversized t-shirt back up to cover the omega’s shapely collarbones.

Baekhyun flushed and he covered his mouth in mortification as he realised what the other men might have seen. The night before he had kicked off the flannel pants as they were starting the movie. Now he was wearing just the oversized shirt, and this could easily be mistaken as a promiscuous outfit. Sehun had been a true gentleman in trying to keep him from coming into the room the rest of the way, and then directing the attention elsewhere while his quick-thinking fiance blocked the men from seeing him. 

“Oh my- I am so sorry! Please don’t be mad, Alpha.. I didn’t even remember I was dressed- well, undressed like this.”  

Chanyeol noted the omega referring to him by his rank, but smiled reassuringly. “I’m not mad baby, don’t worry. You’ve been running a little warm since last night so it’s not surprising you didn’t notice the clothes.” The alpha leaned down and gave his fiance a quick kiss. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up and dressed while I fix us some breakfast?” 

Baekhyun nodded eagerly and started to dart down the hallway but stopped quickly. “Love you!” he called, watching for his fiance’s reaction. 

The alpha didn’t disappoint. “I love you too baby! So much!” He smiled widely, blowing a flying kiss. The omega cutely acted like he caught it in his fist then put his fist up to his mouth and grinned before turning back down the hallway and disappearing into the bathroom.

Chanyeol headed into the kitchen. As he prepared breakfast his thoughts churned. Baekhyun was always sweet, but being a little warmer than usual and also referring to Chanyeol with his rank made it all too obvious. The omega was closer to his heat than they originally thought. Chanyeol took out his phone and sent his sister a quick text, then turned back to his cooking.

By the time the food was ready Chanyeol had already heard back from his sister. With perfect timing Baekhyun came back into the kitchen, fully dressed and hair towel-dried after a quick shower. As they enjoyed their food Chanyeol told his fiance that Yoora had arranged the plane tickets for their return to Japan for that evening. Baekhyun was excited, but also asked if they could open the gifts in the living room before packing for their flight. The alpha agreed.

After cleaning up the breakfast dishes the couple opened the boxes together. Among the gifts were matching plush bathrobes, a monogrammed sheet set, a deluxe mixer, a high end vacuum cleaner, and a shiny espresso machine. But they agreed their favorite gift was a mid-sized wooden plaque with Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s names carved in an intricate intertwined pattern. 

They made a list of every gift and the sender so messages of appreciation could be sent as soon as possible. Baekhyun wanted to write a thank you card for every gift received, but the alpha warned this would soon be an overwhelming task since this was only the first day of gifts and there would likely be at least a couple hundred more gifts to commemorate the WhiteChord heir and his mate becoming official in the eyes of the public. Baekhyun was amazed hearing this number. But he understood fully when Chanyeol explained from this point forward all gifts would be diverted to the WhiteChord office and members of the security team would be opening everything to ensure there was no threat hidden among the well-wishes.

The mood turned a little somber at that thought, but as soon as they began packing for the flight to Japan their spirits were rising again. Chanyeol had his fiance blushing and laughing at all of his innuendos and jokes about the main reason for their planned trip. Baekhyun had never had anyone help him through his heats before, so he was excited to have the man he loved helping him and taking care of him. 

They knew this trip would be exciting for both of them in ways they hadn’t experienced before.  

 

  ❍