Kim Yongsun tried to maintain a neutral expression, her expensive heels clicking on the polished, waxed grounds that gleamed under overhead bright white lights that stripped life from the building. The floors were so clean, she was certain that the products here were the free labour that maintained this aged facility at the impoverished island of Jeju.

Kim Yongsun was the youngest daughter of the late Mr Kim Woo Sung, the founder of the Kim Inc, one of the forerunners for Info-technology industry worth at least twenty billion in value at his passing. She was the only omega of the small family and the heiress of her honoured father’s estates. She had fled to the island to grieve for her Apa, whom she shared a very close relationship with.

The second daughter was a city beauty with soft, feminine features that, taken apart, would not consider breath-taking beautiful, but together, she drew the attention of others easily to her lively bright hazel eyes, button nose and generous lips. Her elegant high cheek bone added to her sophistication, and she looked like a good-natured, charming young woman. The intriguing beauty mark under her brow, added to her charms. Her wavy hair that looked like a tumble of fiery gold was tied up in an elegant knot, revealing her untouched and elegant neck. Understated diamonds adorned her ears. She had wore a immaculate black jacket over a black crop top, matched with cheetah prints trousers that reached her ankles. She completed the outfit with black high heels made of buttery leather.

It had been a while since she had to wear such finery, the real value of her unpretentious clothes known only by the rich. She would prefer to return to her slightly worn sneakers, T-shirt and well-washed jeans. That was her normal attire as she tried to search for a new meaning in life in the past two years until her frantic assistant Park Chorong took a ferry to track her down to explain a deal that her mother had made.

The beautiful omega was stunned when she realised that Kim Inc, the multinational company that her late father had left to her was close to shambles after her henwit of a mother ran it for several years, making poor investments and decisions, a miracle of sorts. The assistant needed her back quickly to save the legacy of her kind and gentle father.

Yongsun made a face at the recollection. If it wasn’t because of her mother, she would not need to be here. She straightened herself fully, maintained her confidence as she allowed a mouse-like man with small moustache lead her deeper into the heart of facility. He was dressed in a cheap business suit that was at least an inch too short, revealing his wrists. He smiled in a way that sent shivers down her spine, his teeth crooked and yellow and he had an obnoxious smell of stale cigarettes.

The reception area was respectable and comfortable, decorated to put customers at ease. Chorong had decided to wait for her in the reception when Yongsun became one of the rare customers who had requested to look at the alphas. The smarmy man with slicked back hair was initially trying to dissuade her until Yongsun nodded at her assistant. Chongrong handed him several bills.

Money makes the world go round, after all.

The creepy businessman agreed straight away and brought her through a heavy-fortified door, permitted by two burly beta guards to tackle unruly characters on the ground and beat discipline into the heads of the stubborn.

Her irritating guide was yapping in the background, trying to introduce her to favourable products.

“We are a reputable manager of virile, obedient Alphas, so well-disciplined that you’ll have no troubles with them. They have been trained since they had presented and was also given a formal education of several years.” He smiled again. “Just a few years so that they can at least recognise their name. Of course, we don’t want them to be too intelligent because they can be too unmanageable.” He flashed another smile at her, obviously trying to get into her good books. “What sort of alphas are you looking for? It will help us to narrow the search.”

She ignored him, walking to the cubicles to peer inside. There were six cubicles in this sector, and they housed three alphas each. On the right side of the area contained male alphas while the other side housed female alphas. A quick glance at them had her stomach churning.

The alphas were also sorted by ages from the tender age of fifteen to the late twenties. They were given very little to wear, possessing not much possession of their own, reminding her of prisoners. However, they seemed to be healthy and clean, no doubt to attract potential buyers. “Our alphas will always rise to the task and not disappoint you. They know how to conduct themselves in formal settings.”

Yongsun ignored him and continued walking around the common area, surveying the female alphas too. They avoided their eyes respectfully, kneeling on the ground when they noticed that there were visitors. Their eyes were completely dead as if their spirits were thrashed out of them. She completed her rounds soon, finding them too unsatisfactory—they were little better than robots with warm flesh.

What did she expect from procuring an alpha from a facility? She was going to live with the alpha after all so it was best that she found one that was agreeable in her eyes.

Yongsun glanced at the businessman sporting a sinister smile. “That’s all?”

“Ah, I see that you do not want trained alphas huh, Ms Kim.” He rubbed his hands gingerly. “Would you prefer to see alphas that are still a little wild? They’re a little on the savage side but I’m sure an upstanding omega like you should be able to rein them in. We will need to be accompanied by guards if you don't mind. For our safety, of course."

The heiress dipped her head sharply. She disliked the very sight of alphas institutionalized into subdued pets.

“I’ll be back soon, Ms Kim,” quipped the businessman, walking towards the entrance. He gave a sharp whistle and two burly men dressed in black muscle T-shirt and cargo pants marched towards him, following the shorter man. They were armed with tasers, batons and clear anti-riot shields.

They glanced at her down their noses with disdain, classifying her as one of those filthy rich young girls that desired a wild alpha like an exotic, fearsome leopard. They followed the creepy businessman who spoke to the other guards on duty.

“You need to stay close to us, Ms Kim.” The businessman nodded at the guard to permit them to enter. The first reinforced door opened and they stepped in and waited for the door to close before they opened the second reinforced door. The way they had structured the sectors, it reminded her of maximum-security prisons.

The guards on the other side gave the clearance to the guards manning the doors electronically and they finally opened the second reinforced door. The first thing that hit her was the stench, the pheromones of alphas in various states like distress and even rut.

“You bring me to a holding area for alpha having rut?” spoke Yongsun sharply.

The businessman plastered a sickly smile. “Ms Kim, you have nothing to worry. The guards are here. Will you step up with me and look?” There were more cells here. She noticed that the cells came in two forms. The ones closer to the door were made of reinforced glass on four sides offering them a full view of the isolated alpha held within.

The first cell held a young man with very toned body. His hair was matted and dirty and he wore a loin cloth for modesty. There was a very obvious bulge at his groin. He was pacing back and forth in a cell that allowed him to take three steps in any direction from the middle.

He did his business inside in full view of the guards. How inhumane...

There was wild look around him as he circled around the see-through cell like a trapped animal. He snarled at them, slamming his bleeding fists on the glass loudly, trying to intimidate them. His eyes were dark, a sign that he was on the last vestige of his rut.

“Submit!” The guard yelled as he straightened the anti-riot shield. The other guard dropped into a combative stance, taking out a long-distance taser and charged it. The door of the cell opened suddenly and the shield guard charged in bashing the aggressive alpha right on the other side, pinning him on it while the other guard fired a taser on him. Instantly, he went down like a tree, blacking out.

The guards retreated and locked the door again and fell back to their original position. They looked as if this hostile suppression of alphas was part of their routine. Legal, especially in areas as poor and faraway from the city like Jeju, there was very little rights for alphas so no one blinked at the sight of a battered alpha.

Yongsun forced herself to maintain a neutral expression, still holding herself proudly. She was starting to regret entering the bowels of the facility.

“Alphas heal very quickly. They will be fine as rain in a day,” explained the businessman evenly. “This is the start of a process to ensure that alphas remain obedient even during a rut. While they are nothing but beasts, we need to use terror to engrave the rules into them. It’s all for the safety of the omegas, of course.” He flashed another disturbing smile.

She ignored him, strolling forwards to the first cell that was the size of a coffin. It was a contrast to the fully-glass cubicle, reminding her of a metal coffin. There was a tiny slit for the overseers to check on the state of the alpha inside. Her brows narrowed as she reached for one of the slit and slid it open before anyone could protest.

The strong fragrance of alpha pheromones filled her nostrils through the small hole. Underneath that irresistible scent was the very nauseating smell of blood and discharges. She wanted to pinch her nose at the off-putting stench when she caught a flicker of the alpha enshrouded in the darkness.

It was a female alpha with filthy and matted hair, so dirty that she could not tell the colour. The cell was mostly dark, lighted by the bright light of the common area. She had such piercing bright blue eyes that Yongsun found it hard to look away. Despite the dirt on the skin, she had a face that was carved by a master sculpture into porcelain, a sharp and delicate nose and cherry-shaped lips.

The female alpha was undergoing rut however she remained completely silent and still.

Bright blue eyes huh—the female alpha was completely alert and in control of herself during a rut. The beautiful omega paused, intrigued by this alpha.

“Female alpha. We found her along the river by the base of Hallasan Mountain in the midst of a rut. We cannot tell how many days it was for her. She is in pristine condition besides the fact that she is a mute,” introduced the businessman instantly.

Yongsun blinked continuously, tearing her eyes away from that piercing blue eyes. A mute?” Her brows knitted together.

The businessman nodded. “Yeah, it’s a waste though. Nice features.” He shook his head. “When we first found her, she couldn’t move at all. After two days, she regained the ability to move her limbs.”

The blonde heiress stepped closer to examine the trapped female alpha within, while paying attention to the introduction of the female alpha. The female alpha could only remain standing since there was no space in this coffin.

The holding cell was meant to inflict deep psychological harm upon its prisoner by trapping them alone in the dark. Time would feel like infinite, and individuals might go mad.

There was none of the aggression or insanity in her clear blue eyes that reminded her of the calm ocean—profound and soothing. The female alpha was also equally captivated, lifting her head to meet her gaze earnestly. She was the only alpha who looked so intently into Yongsun’s eyes almost as if she could see her soul. She held herself with a quiet confidence even though she was still undergoing rut, a great feat of mental acuity. There was steel in her soul, a desire not to cave into her circumstances.

Yongsun found herself entranced with that single-minded determination that burnt brightly in her soul. She was now caught in the web of others and admired individuals who had the courage to be themselves.

“Ms Kim?” The businessman probed suddenly, snapping Yongsun out from the gazing. The heiress remembered herself. “You said you found her?”

The creepy businessman nodded earnestly. “She had her documents with her. This one is named Moon Byulyi. She is uh…twenty this year. No health problems,” continued the man, moping his brow.

The blonde heiress glanced at him, surprised. “Stars?” It was an odd name to give a girl in their society. She clutched her hands together in front of herself to present a formal front. “Let her out please.”

“Please step back, Miss,” intoned the guard gruffly. Yongsun glanced at him, surprised. Did he not see how controlled this female alpha was? “The alpha is still having her rut,” reminded the guard impatiently. “For your safety, please step back.”

Yongsun obeyed reluctantly, taking a step away from the door. Instantly, the guards stepped forward so that they stood between the cell and them. The other guard had the shield at a ready, prepared to pin the alpha if she charged towards them.

The businessman moped the sweat away from his brow and hid behind the guard quickly, eyeing the door with fear in his eyes. He gave the order to open the cell.

The opening of the door was a tedious process to ensure that the alpha could not escape. The doors were manned by the guards at the control centre who let them into this sector. It took a while before the rapid sounds of ‘clicks’ indicated that lock had unlocked one after another.

A thrill rose within Yongsun as she stared at the door of the cell unblinkingly. Her hazel eyes shone with interest as she eyed the door and waited with bated breath. She started to become annoyed when she realised there were more procedures before she could meet this interesting alpha for the first time.

The guard with the shield took the lead. “Alpha,” barked he. “Back up all the way to the other wall. Keep your