He didn't move from the dressing table as the soft exchange of greetings between the beta guard and the alpha carried over from outside the door. The door opened and closed, followed by the click of the lock, then the sound of smooth fabric being pulled as the alpha undid his tie.

“Why didn’t you eat the food Henry brought you?”

Sungmin glanced at the mirror reflection of the alpha removing his suit jacket. After throwing the jacket and tie on the bed, the alpha approached while ing the top button of his formal shirt. He pushed the tray of food towards the side as the alpha came up on his right.

“Henry brought your lunch for you,” he said flatly without looking up at the alpha.

“I’m sure that is two portions for two people,” Siwon replied, “You should eat and go nap.”

He allowed the silence to hang in the air for a few seconds before replying, “I have no appetite.”

The alpha leaned against the dresser. “Are you upset by what happened? I will make sure to punish Jun Jin later – to think he abandoned his responsibility and handed you over to Jong. I knew something was wrong the moment another beta led you in instead of him.”

“It’s not his fault. He insisted on protecting me even when his family was threatened,” Sungmin said monotonously as though reciting a boring script. “I was the one who didn’t want his family in danger because of me.”

“It’s just all words. Jong wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on Jun Jin!” Siwon hissed in frustration.

“It has been action so far for me, not just words,” Sungmin said, but there was no bitterness in his tone unlike usually.

“Sungmin,” the alpha called, crouching beside his chair. “Are you upset because of what Kyuhyun did?”

“No,” Sungmin answered firmly, staring at the scratch on the surface of the dresser. “He does whatever he likes to me.”

“He stepped on you to get himself up!” Siwon raised his voice in frustration. “He made use of you, Sungmin!”

“I belong to him. He can use me in whatever way he desires—” He was abruptly cut off when there was a sharp tug on his chain that forced him to turn to the alpha. Despite the surprise at the alpha’s rough handling for the first time since he was taken to this place, he looked at the vexed face calmly, refusing to let his emotions show.

“You’re still saying that even though he humiliated you in public?” Siwon questioned, aura strengthening into a dangerously dominating one.

“You did the same too,” Sungmin stated plainly, though his submissive nature was screaming at him for being disrespectful.  

“I did it to get you out of that situation!”The alpha exclaimed, pulling him closer by the chain.

He did it with a reason too. “I didn’t need you to. I belong to him; I accept—” A startled gasp broke free from Sungmin when a strong arm grabbed his waist, flinging him to the bed unceremoniously. Before he could get up, the alpha straddled his hip, pinning him down on the bed with hurting grasps on his wrists.

“You belong to him?” Siwon repeated in incredulity, leaning towards his face. “You’re bonded to me,” the alpha the bonding mark on his left wrist for emphasis. “You enjoyed that night, didn’t you?”

Sungmin stared into the burning gaze, suppressing his submissive nature. “That night was a mistake.”

“A mistake?” Siwon laughed mockingly, then cutting his laughter as abruptly as it came. “Don’t tell me you have forgotten our deal already,” the devious smirk on the alpha’s face was a total contrast from the gentle and apologetic smiles the previous day. “I have yet to fault you for that extra little scene you added at the debate. It may very well be because of it that the Council Secretary decided to take in Cho Kyuhyun for mentoring too even though they lost.”

“You said it was—”

“It was a draw—no, it was a defeat for me in my father’s eyes,” Siwon said through clenched teeth, nails digging into the omega’s wrists.

Sungmin’s eyes widened in fear from the news. “The deal…”

Siwon snorted. “You’re actually afraid for his life now hur?” A hand swung towards Sungmin’s face, causing the omega to shut his eyes tight instinctively. However, a tender caress came instead of a slap. “Don’t worry, my omega. I will honour my promises to you, unlike someone else.”

He wanted to retort for Kyuhyun, but the smarter, logical side of him now agreed with his submissive side. The alpha was angry; any further provocation would only risk the deal between them. No matter how miserable and bitter he was, he had to swallow the words hanging on his lips for the sake of Kyuhyun. Sungmin abruptly turned his face to the side when Siwon pressed close.

There was the clinking of metal as hands located the padlock on his chain, and a soft thud on the bed followed upon the padlock being discarded to the side. The alpha loosened the silver chain around his neck, pressing lightly at his red and burnt skin.

“I do not wish to hear those words again unless you want to call off the deal.” Siwon’s mouth came up against his ear, body pressing tight against his. The warmth and pleasure running through his body at the promixity made Sungmin disgusted at himself. “You are my omega.”

Sungmin released an unknowingly withheld breath as the alpha’s weight was lifted off him. Listening to the shuffling and fumbling sounds around the room, he lay motionless on the bed, waiting hopefully for the alpha to leave the room. There was a sharp clank against the wooden dresser before the alpha spoke again. “When you decide you want some freedom around this house, put your collar back on.”

Sungmin pulled the loose bathrobe tighter around himself as the door was finally slammed close, the pressing dominating aura fading into the distance. He bit into his lip as the alpha’s voice sounded in his mind.

Don’t cry. Stay strong, Sungmin.

~--~

His footsteps sounded heavy in his own ears as he walked into his study, pausing momentarily to examine the situation of the room after the break-in. The books and documents were still intact and neatly organised on the bookshelves and his table, with only the chair and sofas being out of place. It was obvious that the people who broke in came for his omega, thus only searching the places that could have hidden a person.

Kyuhyun pushed his chair back behind the table, listlessly taking a seat.

“Kyuhyun,” Junhyung started but he raised his hand, silencing the alpha.

“I know. The plan is to pack the necessary things and move to your house,” Kyuhyun looked up tiredly at the couple. “Can you all help me pack some clothes from my room please?”

“But…”

“Let’s go, Junhyung,” Hyunseung tugged on his alpha’s arm. “He needs some time alone.”

He smiled gratefully at the beta who glanced at him before closing the door, a tear slipping as he closed his eyes, his nose instinctively picking up the weak scent of red wine.

Kyuhyun didn’t know if he should be thankful for or hate those suppressants. They dulled his senses and smothered his alpha side, restraining his illogical rage that would have caused him to act without thinking. It prevented the numerous disastrous consequences, but the drugs had a side-effect. They not only forced his aura low to a normal level, but also forced his mood and emotions into a new low.

He hated these irksome feelings – depression, helplessness. It made him pity himself when he didn’t deserve to, because it was his fault.

It was his fault that his omega was injured.

It was his fault that those precious eyes were filled with shame as his omega tried to hide the brand.

It was his fault that his omega was crying.

More than the possessiveness that flooded him at the interactions between his omega and Siwon, the thought that his omega was hurting so badly wrenched his heart out of his chest, leaving an empty hole that the suppressants pushed to fill with despair.

But he couldn’t allow such a thing to happen. He made a promise to his omega, and this time, he needed to keep it. He needed to find some way to save his omega from that place.

Kyuhyun punched the code into the safe box installed in the drawers of his study table, pulling the documents out of it. Looking at the organised documents, he slowly went through the first few, before the flipping turned faster and faster, panic filling the empty h