A/N: The next update will take a little longer...

“Sungmin.”

The alpha’s call of his name reverberated in his ears as he trudged down the corridors of the Youth Council building. He had wanted to turn his head so badly, to run to the alpha so badly, but he couldn’t… he simply couldn’t.

“What a spectacular show, blackie.”

Sungmin released a heavy breath as the beta leading him stopped in his tracks, prompting him to follow so with the rattling of the chain. Even without lifting his head, he knew who the irritating guy that had taken to calling him ‘blackie’ was. And though he should have been happy to have ticked the guy off, he was feeling too tired to deal with anyone now.

“So spectacular that even your aura dropped fully to what an omega’s should be.”

His eyes narrowed to a sharp glare when Jong yanked the chain around his neck, forcing his head up. “But what happened to the ual performance I ordered?”

“Master rejected it,” he said the honorific title with a sour tinge.

Jong snorted, the corner of his mouth lifting into a mocking smirk. “I’m sure the exact word I used was ion, blackie.”

“You wanted me to humiliate myself and embarrass the other party… and I did!” Sungmin screamed into Jong’s face, suddenly realizing how true his words were. He had embarrassed the other party… he had embarrassed the alpha.

A few seconds of silence settled between them before Jong pulled away. “But I didn’t tell you to embarrass your Master. You were intending on doing that, right?”

Sungmin dropped his gaze, not bothering to deny it. It was the truth anyway; he did it in an attempt to embarrass them all.

“Looks like you’re itching for some punishment,” Jong said, the threatening remark prompting Sungmin to look up again. “Boys, strip him.”

“What?” Sungmin muttered under his breath as Jong’s two guards--assistants approached, catching his arms and holding him easily. “What are you all doing?” He yelled, struggling against the two wolves trying to pull the cloak off him. Even though his body was weakened, particularly by the silver chain around his neck, he refused to give in easily and allow those men to pull the only clothing off him.

Jong clicked his tongue in irritation at the draggy struggle, waving his hand dismissively. “Just tear the cloak.” With the order, claws swept down his back, and the sound of cloth tearing accompanied Sungmin’s yelps at the stinging wounds being inflicted on his back.

There was a loud clink against the metal handle by the corridors, and a sharp burning encircled Sungmin’s left wrist right after. His knees knocked hard against the floor in successive thumps as the guards forced him down with kicks to the back of his knees.

“Isn’t this nostalgic?” Jong picked up the long chain, casually looping it around the handle. “I’ll tie this to make it more similar for you. You miss him, don’t you? But since you can’t have him, I’ll do you a favour and let you have his punishments instead.”

“Let go of me,” Sungmin hissed through his clenched teeth, tugging at the silver handcuff as he tried to shrug the hands off his bare shoulders. “I won’t let you off for this.”

“Oh?” Jong bent towards him, caressing his cheek with the back of his fingers. “What are you going to do, blackie? Tell your Master to get back at me?”

“Like hell I will ask him for help!” He spat, attempting to free his right hand to land a hit on the disgusting face. However, the guard behind him folded his arm further, causing him to scowl at both the pain and discomfort as Jong’s hand slid down his neck, tracing past his chest and violating his private region once again.

Sungmin snarled, reaching forward to bite the dirty hand as he ignored the shooting pain through his neck when the chain was pulled taut. Though unsuccessful, the action drove Jong jumping back, mockingly laughing at his useless struggles again with hands up in surrender.

“This aura burning in rebellion.” Jong closed his eyes, as though enjoying the defiance radiating off Sungmin. “This is what makes you so beautiful, blackie.”

Sungmin threw a punch towards the guard who released his right arm, reaching out for the chain coiled around the handle. “But let me tell you what makes you more beautiful…” Their gazes locked in intensity as Jong caught his hand. “When this aura drops to that of a submissive omega, that’s when you’re the most beautiful, darling. It is the process of breaking you that holds the greatest charm in disciplining an omega.”

“You’re sick,” Sungmin spat, smacking Jong’s hand away.

“And you think your nice little ex-master isn’t?” Jong raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest. “How would he come up with such a sick punishment if it’s not for the enjoyment of breaking you in?”

Memories of the alpha’s punishments flashed past his mind, causing him to hesitate at his retorts. But he remembered the alpha’s apology; he remembered those tears. “He doesn’t enjoy hurting me,” he answered confidently, his tone challenging Jong to refute him.

“Whatever.” Jong shrugged nonchalantly. “This punishment will only end when the humiliation forces you to tears and your aura into total submission.” The alpha spun around, announcing loudly, “We have a disobedient omega here who needs some discipline!”

That was when Sungmin registered the people flowing out of the debate room and the other passerbys that were starting to form a crowd around him. He wrenched at the silver chain, swiftly uncoiling a few rounds before he was interrupted by an approaching alpha. With a ferocious snarl, he drew his claws defensively, forcing himself not to cover his body in a stubborn bid to show that he wasn’t affected and embarrassed by his in public. The rage burned at the disgusting looks the crowd threw at him, battling against his submissive side that fought to surface.

“Ooo, feisty.” Another approaching alpha mocked as Sungmin swung his right claws towards him.

“He’s the unfaithful black omega?” An omega questioned with disdain.

“Oh, isn’t he the one Cho Kyuhyun threw away?” A gossiping beta pointed a finger at him.

Sungmin wanted to block his ears, but the insulting remarks were flooding his ears and mind too quickly. “Nah. Most likely it was Choi Siwon who snatched him.”

“But he went against Cho Kyuhyun in the debate? He helped his current alpha.”

“What can omegas do? Especially black omegas; they listen to whoever owns them.”

“I heard this one is different.”

“Do you think he’s as good as Jin’s omega in bed?”

“Maybe he had more than just Cho Kyuhyun before Choi Siwon.”

“Do you think Choi Siwon will lend him out for a night?”

“His body is good. Such a ty temptress.”

“Well, since it’s a punishment, we might as well enjoy it.”

“Dirty thing. Changing alphas so easily.”

“He should be in a e house.”

“Does he have any shame? Seducing two high status alphas.”

“He doesn’t even deserve to kiss Siwon-nim’s foot.”

“He has a small . I bet he has a even smaller hole, perfect for ing.”

“I heard he slept around without Cho Kyuhyun’s permission.”

“Anything is possible! He submitted to Choi Siwon and even tried to provide service in front of his ex-alpha!”

“Such a .”

“I like feisty ones like this.”

“I bet he enjoys people ing him open like a .”

Sungmin let out a wail at the endless verbal abuse, forcing his whimpers down his throat. Refusing to let his weakness show, he thrashed around his claws, forcing the spectators a safe distance from him as he swallowed the tears. He cannot cry… he cannot give in.

But that whimper still escaped when he heard the familiar voice calling his name.

“Sungmin.”

He froze at the minty scent reaching his nose, head rising to catch sight of the alpha standing three metres away in the middle of the parted crowd.

Sungmin’s first reaction was to whip his free hand to his left chest, ignoring his claws that dug into his skin and drew blood.

~

“Do you know why wolves don’t die from silver chains, threads or cuffs?” Jong questioned, shoving the tool with a rubber handle into the burning pot of charcoal. “Even though silver is a deadly element for us.”

Sungmin’s eyelids fluttered close, ignoring the question as he discreetly tugged at the silver thread binding his hands to the back of the chair.

“It’s because they’re made of metal alloys containing a range of percentages of silver in it. Enough to burn and weaken, but not enough to kill. That is why some silver hurt more, while some are bearable.” Jong stabbed at the charcoal with the tool, then lifting it and bringing it directly in Sungmin’s view. “Have you seen pure silver before, black omega?”

He had only heard of it, never really thought about its existence, but he didn’t answer the alpha as he observed the bottom, flat surface of the tool.

“This is made of pure silver.” Jong brought the tool closer upon realizing that he was examining it. “You see that emblem and surname? It’s the emblem signifying the Choi household. We use this to brand the prisoners and slaves of the Choi household.”

Sungmin’s heart raced at the explanation, although his facial expression betrayed nothing. “We heat the silver up and simply press it to wherever we choose it to be. The pure silver prevents the skin from healing fast enough, and together with the silver’s burning, the heat melts the skin into the emblem. That is how branding is done.”

“So…” Jong pushed the tool near his cheek, and it took Sungmin everything not to flinch and pull away. “I’ll give you one last chance.”

“No,” Sungmin said before Jong could even ask the question again. He would never work for the Choi against the Cho; he could never betray the alpha again.

“Then you leave me no choice. Let me warn you first; it’s going to hurt… bad.”

A deranged scream echoed down the corridors of the basement.

~

“Kyuhyun-ssi,” Jong greeted with a sickening smile, but the alpha simply disregarded the other, striding towards him.

The strength in his body began to drain rapidly as the alpha neared, his head bowing immediately to avoid the eye contact. Sungmin whimpered again when a warm hand landed on his head, ruffling his hair a little.

“How did you land yourself in such a situation?” Kyuhyun’s voice was void of all warmth and emotions, unlike his touch. “And here I thought you were having such a good time at the Choi’s, since you even tried to offer Siwon-ssi some lip service just now.”

His blood ran cold at those words from the alpha’s mouth, heart aching at the forsaken implication behind them. The alpha was upset at what he did, and had possibly decided to give up on him, but he couldn’t blame the alpha. It was his fault; he was the one who betrayed Kyuhyun first, he was the one who embarrassed Kyuhyun first.

Gracefully, the alpha lowered and knelt before him, hands holding his shoulders as the unrelenting gaze scanned him. “Come here,” the alpha said with a sudden perk in his voice, before pulling him into an embrace. To the bystanders, it should have been a chilling action, for the alpha appeared to be pretending to be gentle before punishing the omega, but all Sungmin could feel was the warmth that he had missed dearly. However, like how a submissive omega would have feared in such a