Kim Dopul frowned when he heard the doorbell ring, announcing the arrival of a guest. “Mummy, you stay here,” stated the handsome, silver-haired boy as he bolted out of the master bedroom to the front door to answer it.

He checked the time again and his silver brows furrowed even deeper. “This isn’t on the schedule.” He muttered to himself, displeased. Byul, who was the expected guest, knew that she could only pick up her date two hours from now. If the handsome silver-haired woman wanted to send a gift to his mother, then it could only be delivered one hour later, giving Kim Yongsun the opportunity to rethink her outfit for the big night.

Mummy was already in the bedroom, resting from a hectic shopping spree that took place after school. She was to undergo a beautification process that included a spa and massage just to look perfect for the night.

This was part of his carefully-drawn plan for the Formal Date, an event that had become important to the household because Dopul wanted to be fully involved in his parent’s first official date. He had planned every single detail to make this night unforgettable for Byul or Moon Byulyi and his mummy.

He checked the identity of the guest and answered the door, the frown relaxing at once.

The smell of rage added a spicy edge to the familiar scent of bergamot hit him squarely on the nose as the door swung inwards. “Byul?”

Moon Byulyi or Byul was in such a terrible mood that a handsome, towering man that came with her gave her a wide berth. Her almond-shaped eyes were dark, reminding him of dark obsidians rather than beautiful, priceless sapphires. Her exquisite face with delicate, androgynous facial features were contorted but it relaxed slightly at him.

Despite her anger, Moonbyul was dreadfully handsome in the summer service officer uniform, with all her accolades pinned to her chest. It was in deep blue, a shade lighter than midnight blue. The golden laurels on her collar and the on the cuffs added to her imposing appearance. Golden braids were secured between the right epaulette and the platinum button of her formal service uniform. She had ignored the use of the beret for the night, completing that regal appearance with a pair of polished leather boots.

“Pip, I’m sorry for being here now, but may I speak to Mummy?” Byulyi asked politely despite behaving like a caged panther, ready to attack viciously.

His gaze vacillated to a tall and well-built man behind her. He was also wearing the service officer dress but with minimal decorations, just his awards and his rank. He was holding a bouquet of flowers along with small bag, probably a gift for Mummy. The handsome pup’s face became neutral, staring at him straight in the eye.

Byulyi’s nose scrunched as she smiled faintly, all anger dissipating at the suspicion gleaming in the eyes of Kim Dopul, the very characteristic of a Moon alpha pup. Despite the size difference, the precocious pup was undaunted, seizing up her subordinate with clear distrust and wariness, calculating how he could possibly disarm him if he turned out to be a threat to him and his mummy. She held her silence, observing the exchange between her right-hand man and son.

Moon Hajoon straightened himself at once when he comprehended the identity of this guarded and protective silver-haired pup, half his size—a powerful pup likely to be sired by a remarkably assertive and formidable alpha. He felt the intimidating and invisible pressure he often associated with the alphas from the main family of the Moon clan, demanding his acquiesce. It took him some effort to remain standing rather than falling on a knee.

Moon alpha pups would never acknowledge a spineless individual as a retainer. He met the cautious gaze of the doubtful silver-haired pup directly, showing that he had nothing to hid and was of no threat to him and his family. It was the correct decision, his wariness dissolved into curiosity.

He was in awe that the pup had never once looked at Byul for help, handing himself perfectly. Like his sire, this pup was worthy of his devotion and loyalty. Hajoon snapped his heels together, standing at alert. He stepped forward and fell on a single knee, bowing his head out of respect for his future leader, the pup of his liege, Moonbyul.

He waited with bated breath, wondering if he had passed the inspection of the handsome boy with piercing blue eyes. He sensed the slow approach of the pup as he kept his gaze down.

“I’m Kim Dopul, son of Moonbyul,” announced the silver-haired boy in a soft and steady voice, weaved with pride and authority. “Please raise your head and introduce yourself.”

“Yes, Little Master,” answered Hajoon at once, obeying the little boy without question, his inner wolf accepting the dominance of the pup. He lifted his head and met the steady gaze of Dopul, whose eyes were just like his superior, a remarkable blue that seemed to penetrate the soul.

Kim Dopul looked like a child no older than ten years of age. He had only met Byulyi when she was a young adult so he had no idea if it was typical for a Moon alpha pup to be able to assert himself so easily. “I’m Moon Hajoon, the sworn subordinate of Moonbyul. It is my honour to meet you, Litte Master.”

Dopul finally smiled, little indents appearing under his lips. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr Moon.” He approached him to hold his forearms and guide him to stand. “Thank you for taking care of Byul.” His sapphire eyes gleamed with warmth. “Pretty Noona tells me that you were instrument in caring for her.”

Hajoon glanced at his superior, confused. He had not expected such friendliness from a Moon alpha pup. “Pretty Noona?”

“Wheein,” answered Byulyi when she saw his bewilderment. She smiled faintly, feeling the swell of paternal pride. After all, her pup was such a wonderful mix of Yongsun and her. Her gaze returned to her pup and she nodded approvingly. “Nicely done, my pup. However, Pip, you can’t be so amicable at first meeting. There will always be ravenous wolves out to prey on us so we have maintain a stoic and assertive persona.”

“Byul,” stated Dopul with a touch of heat. “This isn’t the Moon Mansion and Mr Moon is your personal bodyguard who has watched over your back since you entered the army. I think I ought to be more respectful towards him.”

Hajoon froze, shocked that the ten-year-old pup had argued with Moonbyul. He had witnessed the communication between the Moon and Moonbyul far too many times to count and know that the Moon alpha sire’s will was absolute.

Byulyi touched her pointed chin contemplatively and raised a shoulder in a shrug, accepting Dopul’s point of view. The bodyguard reeled from shock. All he could do was to watch the exchange between his stoic superior and her pup.

“Byul,” prompted Dopul suddenly, looking innocent. “Don’t you need to meet Mummy?”

The visage of Byulyi darkened. “Yea, I’ll go to her now.” Her cherry-shaped lips thinned. She was about to head to the bedroom when she felt Dopul squeezed her hand.

“Byul, remember to keep to the schedule.”

“I know,” Byul replied wryly, mildly amused that this schedule was so important to her pup. “Anyway, just address him as Hyuk, Pip.” She marched towards the bedroom swiftly without waiting for an answer.

Her anger returned in full force when she remembered the reason she had intruded to the apartment. Dopul had chased her out of the apartment at the break of dawn to heighten the level of anticipation for the date in the evening. And it worked very well since she took her time to dress herself, knowing that Yongsun would also do the same.

All that delightful anticipation dissipated since she had to discuss with Yongsun about her attendance. The young Colonel knocked on the door of the master bedroom, an action that felt awkward since they had a quiet understanding that they were sharing a bedroom.

She stepped into the bedroom, their sanctuary. Immediately, all anger and anxiety melted. The sweet and irresistible scent of sunshine was an effective remedy to soothe her.

Her future mate detected her presence instantaneously, just like any couples who shared a deep and meaningful connection. “Bathroom, Byulie. Wait a while.”

Byulyi picked up the splashing of water and realised that she had interrupted the bath of the older woman. She dropped into the armchair, her face contorted into a scowl. She did not have to wait long for her future wife to join her. Yongsun stepped out of the bathroom in one of her bathrobes, stolen from her. Her blond hair was dyed in a beautiful hue of ash-brown, enhancing the beauty of her flawless and mildly-tanned skin. Her long hair was parted in the centre, cascading down her soft face, framing it.

Inhaling sharply, Byulyi stared unblinking at the beautiful older woman, speechless at her magnificence. Yongsun was a beauty with blond hair, but she had not expected that she would look even more ravishing in this shade of brown. She her bottom lip absently.

An explosion of pheromones in the air yanked Byulyi out of her appreciation. She was just in time to notice the predatory gleam in Yongsun’s slightly dark eyes. The older woman was upon her in a flash, straddling her thighs as she devoured her cherry-shaped lips like a starved person.

Byulyi felt the acute void and realised that she shared the same were starvation of affection due to the coerced separation by their pup distractedly. Yongsun displeased with her wandering mind, nipped her bottom lip, earning a husky gasp. She plunged her tongue through her parted cherry-shaped lips, entangling a hand in her long, silver hair to trap Byulyi’s exquisite face to hers.

The sleeping beast within Byulyi awakened, her toned stomach clenching with eagerness. Their mouths were ravenously hot, melding and fusing in a decadent tempo, drumming up the flares of pure heat coursing through their systems. Their hands were everywhere, fanning up the blaze until the haze of nameless lust clouded their minds threatening to eradicate all reason.

Their passions were potent and swift like summer storms, too violent to contain. The couple were losing more reasons each time to stop themselves from being consumed by that blazing passion.

Byulyi grunted, lifting Yongsun as if she was weightless. She shifted them onto the bed, settling over her future omega. She smiled into their ardent kiss when the older woman moaned at the way Byulyi’s weight settled on her, feeling their bodies pressed flushed against each other.

The silver-haired woman grunted when Yongsun spread her legs open to accommodate her weight and her awakened member brushed against the centre of her future omega. Her hand ghosted up and down Yongsun’s bare thigh, exposed as the hem of the bathrobe rode up.

Yongsun sighed against her lips, an arm circling around Byulyi’s trimmed hip. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks as she shuddered from the heat of Byulyi’s arousal pressing against the entrance of her humid core.

More…. More.

Yongsun longed to be filled with her future mate.

Their tongues duelled for dominance, neither wishing to cave in this fiery and passionate tango. Byulyi throbbed powerfully where their lower bodies met, now rocking desperately against each other.

Byulyi had the power to arouse Yongsun with such possessiveness that she purred into the crook of her neck when the younger woman started to raid her neck, finding her neck far too bare for her liking.

One day.

Yongsun moaned sinfully when Byulyi drew her tongue methodically over her pulse, feeling the slight drag of her teeth. Delectable shivers danced down her spine at Byulyi’s ministration. She arched into the taller and powerful woman, feeling the delicious and sensual friction that birthed to the consuming desire of ripping their clothes so that they could be joined in every sense of the word.

Byulyi grunted deeply, so primeval and animalistic that it became aphrodisiac for Yongsun. Why did the y tenor of her voice make her thighs tremble? She threw her head backwards, lost in the throes of passion, arching desperately against the solid body of Byulyi. She clawed on Byulyi’s back, finding purchase in this wild, whirlwind of passion when the younger woman matched every curve of her body with an equally needy of her hips, gliding roughly against the entrance of Yongsun’s liquefied heat.

Too good…

The brown brows of Yongsun furrowed when she reached that the pleasure wasn’t sufficient. She slipped her hand between their bodies and slid it down to grip Byulyi’s belt and tugged it roughly.

Byulyi growled, a noise that had Yongsun’s stomach coiled with consuming wanton want. She nipped her generous bottom lip and chased after her naughty hand, trapping it against her abdomen. She drew away from feasting on her neck unwillingly, staring at her through fluttering eyelashes. Their breathing was erratic as their darkened gaze met and clung. “Unnie,” whispered Byulyi breathlessly, her gaze falling on her generous lips pointedly. “Not now.” She felt the hot, heady feel of a hungry mouth claiming the soft flesh of her exposed neck. Yongsun wasn’t willing to stop this tango, trying to urge the younger woman to continue this fervent expression of desire. The sheer pleasure of Yongsun’s open mouth loving such wickedness over her scent gland had Byulyi questioning her decision.

No, no, no.

“Unnie,” gasped Byulyi in a soft and long whine.

Yongsun’s heart fluttered at her adorable little tantrum which only urged her to test the resolve of her future mate. She brushed her tongue in soft, teasing swirls below her ear, feeling the younger woman tensing at once. “You taste so good,” whispered the brown-haired woman hoarsely, knowing the effect of her scratchy voice on Byulyi’s self-control. She could sense that Byulyi would cave in to her soon. Just a little more.

“Yong,” grumbled Byulyi, frowning. Unfair.

The unrepentant older woman stole a ripe and luscious kiss from her cherry-shaped lips, silencing her dissent.

Just a little more.

Her kiss deepened but slowed down into a drugging kiss. It dismantled the flimsy defences of Byulyi and she yielded with every passing heartbeat, resting more of her weight on the older woman.

She could arch her body into her and drive the younger woman completely mad…

“Yong, not now,” she panted heavily, pulling away. “Not right now.”

Fire blazed in her dark eyes as Yongsun stared intently into Byulyi’s, pinning the younger woman. “Not when you’re in a uniform.” Determination gleamed in her mocha eyes. “You picked this for me, didn’t you?” She grasped her pointed chin, looking like a powerful queen despite lying below Byulyi, her ash-brown hair fanned out.

Byulyi did not answer her and Yongsun avoided the heavy braids of gold, sliding her hands possessively along her chest. All hers. The service dress had made her slight figure looked more heroic and sinful.

“No,” protested Byulyi, jolted back to her senses by the reminder of the Formal Date. She had picked her summer service dress to honour her date at the upcoming social event. They had a schedule to follow and she wasn’t going to disappoint Pip.

Byulyi rolled off her future mate swiftly, not trusting her waning self-control, resting on her back. “I did,” confessed Byulyi wearily, reaching for her neatly knotted tie to release it so that she could breathe better. After that incensing revelation, the CEO did not bother to maintain her immaculate appearance since Yongsun would likely not turn up as her date.

“Unnie, there is a change,” stated Byulyi tiredly. She reached into her pocket, whipped out a slightly crumpled gold-leaf invitation and held it in air.

Several heartbeats later, Yongsun found sufficient composure to sit up and take the invitation. Her brows were still knitted from annoyance that she was denied from devouring the visual feast that was Byul in her crisp, military service dress. “What change?” It must have been important for Byulyi to disrupt Dopul’s schedule. She studied the invitation closely before she found something very familiar.

Wait a minute.

Her brows furrowed deeply.

All blood drained from her face when she recognised the address.

“That…That…” Yongsun cursed under her breath when she finally understood what had happened. That shameless and unscrupulous Jung omega had changed the venue at the final moment to one that Byulyi and her were very familiar with: the very boutique hotel that they had met.

The Pandora’s box opened and horrible memories related to the hotel raced through the mind’s eye of Yongsun. Her chest tightened painfully and suddenly she could not breathe.

She was taken to those halcyon days, now tainted with the artlessness of having full and misplaced faith in her former boyfriend who appeared so mild and charming that she had no idea of his deviance. Retroactively, she ought to know, all the warning signs going off in her face: the gaslighting, their mismatched priorities and all that ualising. Her heart sank into the pits of her stomach, a creeping sense of uncleanness gripped her.

Familiar arms wrapped around her protectively, locking her in position as they grounded her in the present. The irresistible and soothing fragrance of bergamot filled her nostrils and filled her lungs with her scent greedily. Byulyi nuzzled against her plump cheek lovingly, crooning musically.

Somehow, Byulyi had discarded the heavy jacket, leaving her in just a dress shirt. She buried her face into her chest, listening to the steady heartbeat of her future alpha. The sensation of Byulyi threading her fingers through her hair rhythmically was soothed her battered soul. Despite Byul’s gentle ministration, it wasn’t sufficient to chase away the foul feeling of uncleanness and humiliation that crawled over her skin like ants.

The attentive younger woman curled an arm possessively across the dip of Yongsun’s back and undid the top few buttons of her dress shirt expertly with a hand. Byulyi kissed the crown of her head, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, her heart pained.

The sight of her flawless alabaster skin had Yongsun pressed herself flushed against her, burying her face into the crook of her neck to inhale the calming scent from the source. The change of position helped to calm the raging storm within her as she felt the gentle warmth of Byulyi’s bare skin on her face.

That was Byul.

The warmth of her body only promised comfort and security.

The image of Eric’s sweet and charming smile as he offered a glass of poisoned wine as a toast. The scent of his cologne invaded her nose and she choked up, eyes stinging.

“Unnie, I’m here,” crooned Byulyi softly, threading her fingers through her ash-brown hair with utmost gentleness. If she was panicking, the younger woman did not show. Her low voice was a trove of love, overlapping the vivid image of the boyish man. Yongsun blinked owlishly, noticing the inconsistences.

It felt so real but she realised that she wasn’t with Eric since Byul had already put the man behind bars. Byul was here. She allowed the sensations from her caring partner to drown all her senses.

Her future mate’s hand lightly ran up and down her back, caressing so affectionately that it cleansed away the filth of shame and taint with ensuing certainty. When she inhaled normally, all she could breathe was her alpha pheromones, so refreshing with its bright lemon fragrance and bergamot undertones. It was just like Byul, so confident and reassuring.

Her eyes stung and gave herself to the weakness of clinging on Byul like a frightened pup, revelling in her strength. Byul was powerful, strong and faithful. She trusted that Byul would never let her down or let her go.

The gentle and low croons was a refrain of comfort and strength, overwhelming the loop of conversations between Eric and her that had only featured her shame. Her body must have shuddered because Byul tugged a blanket over them, forging a haven.

Here, in a nest that was completed with Byul’s presence, she could ignore the fragmented memories and rest fully. The younger woman was her harbour in the calm waters, a safe spot for her weary heart to dock and rest. And her fragrance was the Lighthouse of Alexandria that beckoned her to Byul when she was in utter despair, betrayed and running away from a monster.

Byul had comforted her and chased the monsters away for good.

Tears welled in her eyes when she realised the kindness of her partner. Her racing heart started to calm down as she curled in Byul’s embrace, drawing strength from her. She felt Byulyi kissed her forehead affectionately, holding her like her prized treasure, as if she could look beyond her flesh and beheld her soul.

“Unnie, it’s OK. I’m here.”

Yongsun raised her head, meeting the soft and gentle gaze of Byulyi. She closed her eyes and let Byulyi pampered her tenderly by crooning and wiping the tears away from her eyes. “My strong and beautiful girl,” smiled Byulyi, staring deeply into her eyes, her words as affectionate as a gentle kiss.

A blush coloured Yongsun’s cheeks as she ducked her head, earning a husky chuckle.

“Byul-ah,” whispered Yongsun as she rested her hands on the chest of Byulyi gently, soothed by her steady heartbeat.

The younger woman hummed a sound of acknowledgement, pillowing her head with an arm to meet her determined gaze.

Yongsun swallowed visibly, looking at her through her eyelashes. She knew that she had made this request many times but this felt a little different. “I want to touch you.”

Byul’s brows winged upwards, astonished. The older woman tensed at the lack of consent and Byul was quick to explain, looking at her worriedly. “Unnie, you don’t have to do anything for me, reassured the younger woman emphatically.

Yongsun frowned, pouting. How many times have they quibbled about loving each other? She averted her gaze and sighed, too exhausted to get into a squabble. To her surprise, Byulyi grasped her chin and tipped her face so that their gazes connected.

“Unnie, is there a reason?”

Yongsun smiled softly when she realised that Byul was willing to be open-minded. The address on the invitation had triggered the recollection of the painful trauma that had irrevocably changed her life. She never had the time to process the past, too busy trying to raise Dopul as a single-omega mother.  Yet, the past was catching up with them and she needed to decide to confront it.

Silence stretched between them as Yongsun studied Byulyi openly. Soon, she came to a decision.“Byul-ah, have I told you what had happened in the hotel before I met you?” Her heart pounded so hard that it almost leapt out of her chest.

Byulyi’s face contort with barely-concealed rage at the reminder. “Are you sure?” She trailed off, gritting her teeth as she tried to formulate the words calmly instead of allowing her rage at someone hurting her girl devour her. “What I mean is that you don’t have to,” stated Byulyi insistently. “What I mean is that if you want to tell me, I’m al