fic for everyone, come morning light (1/2)
For: everyone
From: annafeu
Title: Come Morning Light
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 16300
Summary: From the time of his birth, Luhan was promised to be pack leader Oh Sehun’s mate for the sake of his own tribe’s safety. Faced with the new mission of producing offspring for him, Luhan struggles with finding his place in this new ‘family’, as well as warming the heart of the man who barely spares him a glance.
Other Pairings: Xiumin/Luhan, mentions of Kris/Kai
Warnings: blood, violence, knotting, arranged partners, mpreg
Luhan was, at heart, a romantic. He was the kind of person who cried when happy fairy-tale endings encountered him in good stories, and when anyone asked him why he was crying, he'd answer with something akin to 'because it's just so beautiful, you know?', accompanied with a broad smile that betrayed how drowned he was in hope, which was so drowned that his veins were full with the dreams and fantasies, and it kept him up at night to the point of insomnia. So Luhan had dreamed, from a very young age, that he was going to meet his soul mate and prince who was endlessly charming one fateful day, and he would be courted accordingly, claimed, and eventually mated, all the while wearing a big, goofy grin, because he was so happy and so in love that he was just bursting.
However, being promised away to the North Tribe's pack leader since birth for strictly political reasons wasn't exactly Luhan's idea of romance.
It was a wet, winter day, full of cold winds and shivers when Luhan was led by his father and a few other members of his pack to go meet his future mate, the alpha he'd been promised away to. Luhan wasn't smiling as bright and beautiful as he should, but how could he? His future and freedom had been robbed from him without his consent, all because his pack needed to form an alliance with the North Tribe, and Luhan was the pawn they were willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Luhan, being the son of the pack leader of his own tribe, was the only omega suitable enough to be promised away to the notorious Oh Sehun, leader of the North Tribe. Luhan had one role: become the leader's mate and be bred by him. By having Oh Sehun's children, Luhan's tribe would be under the protection of the pack from the North Tribe under a treaty, and everyone would be happy. Luhan tried to convince himself he would be too. If he didn't fulfil the duty, the North Tribe would maul his family and take their land. It was always out of fear and intimidation that these alliances formed, and it made Luhan sad.
The walk through the forest already had many eyes on him. Other alphas smelling his pheromones, his strong omega scent. God, the place was crawling with alphas. How did the pack even work when there were so little betas and omegas to balance everything out? Luhan could hardly smell any, but perhaps that was how the North Tribe worked; omegas were difficult to take care of and betas weren't as good fighters as alphas so, by eliminating the lower ranks, their power trebled. They probably kidnapped omegas from neighbouring packs whenever they were low in numbers and needed to breed. He'd seen packs like that before, though deep down he hoped he'd gotten the wrong impression of this one.
Luhan's entire body was tense and clenching, and his head was racing with the strong scent of the curious alphas like he'd walked into a field of a million poppy flowers. It made his knees weak and his pupils dilate, his hands hanging limply by his side. Omegas always became meek around alphas, mostly because nature had instilled in them that alphas were dominant and could do whatever they wanted to them, whether it be beating or touching or intercourse or mating, and to be ready for any of it at any given time.
Luckily, Luhan's father, also an alpha, and a few other alphas from the pack, were there to ensure that anyone who wasn't Oh Sehun was kept away from Luhan while they walked towards their destination. Luhan had been embarrassed at first, being chaperoned by so many people, but he saw the necessity now, as unfamiliar alpha mouths were open and drooling in his direction all around.
The one he wished hadn't come with him, though, was his childhood best friend, Xiumin. Xiumin was quiet and walking next to him, looking around warily but soundlessly, like he was plotting the death of everyone around him in a very stealthy manner. Luhan knew why Xiumin was so wary and low in spirits. This pack was taking Luhan away for good, and Xiumin would most likely never get to see him ever again. Once he became marked and mated by Oh Sehun, he became the property of the new pack by law and nature as well as tradition, and his loyalties would lie with his mate. It was uncommon for omegas to be allowed back into their birth packs once mated by someone of another pack. Their scent would change and their bodies would get used to being comfortable around only the pack of their mate, for security reasons. If he were to meet Xiumin again, it would be a tense encounter.
Luhan glanced at him sadly, hoping he could catch his eye, but Xiumin's eyebrows were furrowed and he was staring straight ahead, caught up in thought, it seemed. Xiumin had been the only alpha of his own pack that hadn't wanted to fuck him on a regular basis, which was sad to say. Because omegas were so rare, when alphas smelled any these days, most of them just went for it, especially if said omega was in heat. Luckily for Luhan, he'd befriended Xiumin early on, before he got his strong smell, and Xiumin had guarded him from everyone and everything like a big brother as they developed and grew older.
Now, it felt like all of that effort had been wasted. Luhan had had a creeping suspicion that Xiumin might have liked him more than a friend, and that maybe he'd hoped to have Luhan for his mate eventually, that the alpha he'd been promised to would forget about him or look the other way, but he'd been too naive and now it was too late to even toy with that idea. Luhan's fate was with someone else, and it was sealed with blood. He'd been born for this purpose only. The youngest of his siblings; his parents had made him solely for this alpha named 'Oh Sehun'. That name had been ingrained in his mind since he was able to talk. It had been carved into his lower back with a whittle knife when he'd accidentally let someone touch him longer than they were allowed to. It was shouted at him in reprimanding anger and whispered to him as an attempt of comfort.
The thick trees of the forest thinned out eventually as he came to a clearing, and Luhan could see a large, wooden hut in front of them, with groups of pack members guarding the property, like steadfast tin soldiers.
"Back straight, Luhan," his father reminded him, and Luhan pretended a string was pulling at the top of his head again. He had to be presentable for his mate and his mate's entourage. The women of Luhan's pack had spent a long time grooming him for this day, making sure he was smooth and that his hair was pretty. He'd gotten fine skins to wear around his waist, and a thin cloth for his upper body with feathers dangling from the hems. His father had insisted on tying a red ribbon around his neck as well, just in case. Even though Luhan was the best-rounded and most fertile omega of their pack, if Oh Sehun decided he didn't want Luhan after all, they would be in trouble. He had to hope that when Oh Sehun laid eyes on him, he'd imprint. He at the very least wanted a sacred bond with someone, if he couldn't have his romance.
"State your purpose," a man right in front of the hides that covered the opening to the hut said.
"Can't you tell already? Our omega's scent is reeking; it should be obvious," Xiumin said with clear impatience, moving up to stand next to Luhan's father.
"Why, you little--"
"The pact," Luhan's father cut in, holding a hand out in front of Xiumin to silence him. He'd already overstepped his bounds countless times that day, but Luhan's father sympathized with him, so he was lenient. "We're here to deliver your leader's mate."
The man's eyes went straight to Luhan, and he kept them there for a little bit before turning to head into the hut. Luhan still agreed with Xiumin; during what other occasions did a fertile omega get escorted into foreign lands like this? It was practically a suicide mission if the alphas escorting the omega weren't strong and threatening enough to stand their ground.
"Bring it inside," the guy said as he emerged from the opening, beckoning them forwards. Luhan felt an itch of annoyance from being referred to as an ‘it’, but mostly his stomach tightened and he held his breath because this was it. Inside those doors was his future mate; the one who would give him children. And there was no turning back.
His father went first, and Luhan went in second, Xiumin by his side. The inside of the hut was surprisingly warm, which was good, because Luhan's hands and feet had been freezing out in the cold, his nose turning pink with the wind and his lips tinged blue. He was probably white as a sheet too.
Glancing nervously around inside, Luhan saw, or rather smelled, a small group a female omegas sitting by pots of food, sorting out peas from corn and grains. They were staring at him, just like everyone else was staring at him. They could sense their position being threatened with a foreign omega in the room.
Luhan turned his head quickly to his front, where he saw a man sitting in a chair, which looked more like a bad excuse for a throne. Luhan didn't dare meet his eyes. Was that Oh Sehun? His alpha? He could smell him; strong and bold, clearly different from all the others.
He saw his father bow, along with the alphas from his pack, and Luhan quickly did as he'd been taught and cast himself to the ground on his hands and knees, bowing so that his forehead touched the wooden floor. He stayed there, breathing quickly and shaking slightly in fear. It was all too real now. He'd have to take this man for a mate no matter what his character, and he had every right to treat Luhan how he wanted. Luhan was a possession at best; a tool and a pretty thing, he knew that, but he longed for love so bad that he almost started crying then and there.
A booted foot nudged Luhan's arm, and Luhan squeaked when he looked up and realized it was the pack leader urging him to stand. He scrambled to his feet faster than he ever had, eyes wide as he caught the alpha's unwavering ones, the man a good foot taller than him and a good few inches of broad and muscle wider. He had deep, dark eyes and a handsome face, framed by a chiseled jaw-line and defined brows. The fur of his ears and tail was black as night, darker than even Xiumin's. His neck looked thick and sturdy, and Luhan almost gasped at the sight. He was sure this man could crush him in a second if he wanted to. He'd heard of violent alphas, the ones that thought discipline came best served with a backhand or a foot to the stomach, but he hoped this man wasn't like that.
The man broke their eye contact, casting his eyes down to Luhan's chest instead and reaching to undo his top. The material slid off of his shoulders slowly, and the feeling of the alpha's big hands on him made Luhan turn so weak he could hardly keep standing.
"You're a pretty one, aren't you?" Sehun said as he reached up into Luhan's hair to touch and rub his furry, auburn ears. Luhan didn't reply; he only whined. Everyone knew omegas' ears were sensitive, and he didn't want to further embarrass himself in front of his mate. The capable hands gave his ears one last tweak before giving them a break, and traced down his neck and shoulders, until he ran the pads of his thumbs over Luhan's nipples, pressing at them in intervals.
Luhan yelped, but tried his best not to move. He could feel arousal build from the stimulation, and his father was right behind him, watching, of all things.
"Do they get sore and swollen every time you're in heat?" Sehun asked matter-of-factly, like they were discussing the weather.
"Y-yes?"
The alpha groped and squeezed heftily, as if checking for milk, then moved down to press against his stomach, and Luhan almost giggled because it tickled really bad, but he stopped himself just in time. Sehun was prodding at his lower abdomen, stroking occasionally, like he was checking for something specific.
"I need a fertility check," the alpha said, turning to a man of his own pack who looked like a doctor, and said man came rushing forwards, his hands feeling at Luhan's stomach too. Luhan couldn't stifle his giggle this time, and looked up at Sehun to share his amusement, but the alpha's face was cold and hard as stone, one hundred percent unamused, if not more so.
Luhan stopped giggling when the doctor reached to undo his waist skins, effectively baring his entire self for the world to see. Luhan's face reddened in embarrassment, and he reached his hands down to try and cover himself slightly. His father hadn't seen him bare since the day he was born, and Xiumin hadn't seen it either. Now he was standing there nude with a man touching him weirdly, the only thing covering him being the red ribbon around his neck.
He felt a sharp pull at his tail and cried out, trying to muffle his loud sounds with his hands. The hand then pressed at the base of the tail, and Luhan couldn't keep standing any longer, sinking down on his knees submissively. He knew Xiumin was watching, and felt ashamed that he had to see him like this, naked and ready to be deemed fit for another man's sperm.
The last place the doctor checked was Luhan's behind, making sure it was developed and working and ready to accommodate. Luhan held his breath the entire time, stealing quick glances up at his alpha, who was watching the whole ordeal intensely.
"He's a little young still," the doctor said. "But his body is almost ready. I'd say you only have to wait a couple months tops."
Sehun gave him a once-over, stroking his chin pensively. "So he's healthy and fit for breeding?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Good." Sehun smiled at Luhan then, stepping closer. He chuckled as he glanced down at the red ribbon, pulling at the string to loosen it; effectively baring Luhan's neck. "You're so sweet and beautiful, little omega. It would have been a shame if you were deemed unfit to bear my children. I'd be happy to have you by my side. Are you ready to commit to me?"
Luhan nodded, and breathed, "Yes, sir," feeling himself lean sideways, as if giving himself up and offering his neck. He had nothing more to say; he just wanted it over with. No matter what was said or done, Luhan belonged to this man, and had belonged to him his entire life. This was the crux of his existence; his purpose.
"I'm going to mark you now, bearer of my children. I'll mark you as eternally mine, which you rightfully are."
Luhan stood there tense, closing his eyes and waiting for pain. He knew Xiumin was watching, and felt for him as he had to watch Luhan finally get claimed. Xiumin couldn't protect him from the suitor this time. Not even Luhan's father could.
"Wait," Luhan heard Xiumin's voice speak up from behind him, right when Sehun was leaning in to bite. "We have yet to see if this man is fit to be Luhan's mate. This is not a one-way street or a slave auction; it is an agreement."
Luhan panicked, fearing Xiumin would pay for speaking out at such a moment, and looked fearfully up at Sehun, who pulled away from him steadily, but also in an eerily calm manner.
"Your friend is right, little omega," he murmured, watching Xiumin with calculating eyes. Luhan was unable to swallow the big lump in his throat that seemed to be stuck there, robbing him of his ability to communicate. Not that he had the right to speak up for himself regardless. "How do you propose I attempt to prove myself worthy, alpha?" Sehun moved away from Luhan and over to Xiumin, his facial expression cold and his voice cutting. "By killing you?"
Luhan gasped, clutching at his bare chest. Sehun turned around to eye him and asked, "Would that upset you, little one?"
Luhan nodded hastily, feeling tears well in his eyes. He didn't want a cruel mate. And he didn't want his best friend to die, especially not because of him. It would be better if his father and the others could just leave, so that they were promised safety. Why couldn't Xiumin see that?
"Very well. I'll only sever a few of his limbs."
Xiumin barked out a laugh, walking up to Sehun to speak right into his face.
"I'd love to see you try. I bet your strength is a myth, just like everything else about you."
"Xiumin, stand down," Luhan's father warned, but Xiumin's big mouth continued on.
"Getting an omega served on a silver platter at your doorstep-- you're pathetic. He'll never love you. You stole him from his crib to be your little breeding bunny, and now he's going to live in captivity for the rest of his life. You're a selfish, cocky, reckless piece of--"
Luhan heard the tearing of the flesh before he saw it, and screamed, falling to his knees in shock. Sehun's hands had sprouted long, dark claws, and they had slashed up the side of Xiumin's face before Luhan could even understand what was happening. Xiumin was clutching at his cheek and neck, staring straight ahead while pools of red leaked down his skin.
"You don't know me, but I'll be happy to inform you of just exactly who I am, for your convenience. I am every alpha's worst nightmare." Sehun grabbed Xiumin's neck in a chokehold, the latter sputtering. "If you make up lies about me, I will end you, just like I ended the conniving leader of the East Forest Tribe." Luhan could see his father struggling with whether or not to step in, but he knew their entire pack's welfare was on the line, and that he was probably no match for the male at hand. "I am the force of a hundred bulls and the intellect of the wisest men. I am honourable and fair and certainly not outspoken with stupidity and rage, such as yourself." Sehun leaned in so that he was only a few dust particles from Xiumin's face, loosening his chokehold. "I am also the man with a nine inch cock, who is fertile enough to breed your little omega pup with a whole new generation of children in just one push."
With that, Sehun released Xiumin, letting him gasp for air as he fell to the floor, twitching. All of Luhan's pack were watching the display wearily, unsure of whether to act or not. They knew such treatment was unacceptable to allow, but Xiumin had also overstepped his boundaries by a mile, and so he was paying the price for insulting the notorious pack leader. Luhan's father's face was pale, and he ordered one of the other alphas to take Xiumin away, much to Luhan's chagrin. He hadn't gotten to say a proper goodbye like he had wanted to. Xiumin was just jealous and desperate; it wasn't his fault he'd acted out.
"Where were we," he heard Sehun say, so close to him he could feel his breath tickling his neck. Next came a pair of lips, planting soft kisses on the expanse of skin and making Luhan go limp. Luckily, strong hands were holding him up. "Ah yes, I was claiming you." The lips pressed against his own, teeth teasingly biting at his bottom one, canine’s sharp, before the man pulled away and said, "I want to hear you give yourself to me. You are only mine if you want me to be yours too."
Luhan took a deep breath and clutched the alpha's shoulders, bracing himself while he recited, "I'm yours."
The next thing he knew, Sehun was sinking his teeth into the skin between his neck and shoulder, supporting all of Luhan's weight as he claimed him. Luhan whimpered, the bite painful and throbbing. It was arousing and scary at the same time, and Luhan figured the best thing to do was just stay limp and wait for it to pass.
As the teeth pulled out, Luhan felt a soothing tongue lap at where he'd been bitten, nursing the painful area back to health. He rested against Sehun's chest, wide-eyed and barely functional, the alpha tightening his hold around him and stroking his back while whispering things Luhan couldn't decipher into his ear. Luhan felt strangely safe.
"Thank you for your gift; it was much appreciated," Sehun said with buckets of contentment, presumably to his father, and Luhan felt kind of uncomfortable about being referred to as a simple 'gift', but kept mum. "You may say your goodbyes now."
The warm, comforting hold of his mate retreated from him, and Luhan was left to stand there in a daze, completely naked, while he instantly missed Sehun's presence. At last, they were mates. He could feel it tingling his bones, and especially at the stingy and slightly itchy bite-area embedded into his skin. Things smelled different, things looked different.
"Father," Luhan said weakly. His whole body felt so distant now that he was marked. He couldn't even smell the other alphas in the room.
"My good boy," he heard a comforting voice say, before he was enveloped in a strong hug. Tears leaked hot and plentiful down his face. "Be good for your mate, okay? Obey him and fulfil your duty. I'm so proud of you."
Luhan was blubbering at this point, his face soaked in tears as he cast his eyes over his pack for what would be the last time.
"But F-Father--"
"Don't be like that, Luhan. You're not a child anymore." His father's voice was stern and scolding, and it made Luhan feel even smaller.
He sniffed pathetically, wiping his tears away. "Sorry."
"You've been training for this your whole life; now make me and the rest of us proud. Maybe your mate will invite us back one day to see your cubs."
Luhan nodded furiously, but knew the chances of that happening were slim and very minimal, if not none. He had a better chance of being allowed to head back to his old land by himself. He was, in lack of a better word, banned from going back.
The retreating figure of his father and his pack members was an image that would haunt Luhan for the rest of his life. He'd known it would happen for such a long time, and he'd had forever to prepare for it but regardless, it made him so sad that not even the wave of arousal from being marked managed to distract him. The dam in his eyes broke again and the waterworks started, more powerful than before.
Blinded by tears, he felt two omegas lead him away, out of the hut and into the cold again. He didn't ask where they were taking him, because he didn't care. He just wanted to mourn for the moment. He especially wanted to mourn the fact that he'd never gotten to say goodbye to Xiumin. That broke him. They'd been best friends for so long, and now he was no longer a part of Luhan's life. Nothing he'd come to know was.
His feet soon reached wood again, and he felt a cover from the wind, so he must have been lead into another hut. He furiously wiped his tears away, looking up to see a room a great deal smaller than the big hut he'd been in a second earlier. There was a tiny fire crackling in the middle of the room, with warm furs placed around it, and it almost beckoned him towards it.
"Lie in the sheep skins," a female voice said, pushing gently at his lower back.
Luhan did as he was told, collapsing down in the warm fur while feeling the heat of the fire soothe his freezing hands and feet. The omega females were rushing around the room, pushing things and picking things up and talking amongst themselves. Soon he felt a warm, wet cloth on his back, then two, and lay still as his entire body was cleaned, as well as his bite-mark tended to. He fell asleep to the feeling of one of the woman combing through his hair with thick bristles.
*
When Luhan awoke, he was hit with an insufferable wave of loneliness. The hut was dark and quiet, the fire that had been crackling for him burned out during the night, and he was shivering in his naked form, grabbing at the sheep skins to try and steal their warmth. If only they'd left him with some sort of blanket last night. There was, after all, a raging winter outside. There were blizzards and snow storms and cold winds and ice, among other unfavourable weather.
He thought of how much he missed his father already and started crying silently, reminded of how he'd never get to see his face again, nor the face if his friends or pack members. He was all alone now; an outsider in this new pack full of alpha males and a small selection of omega females (where the betas were, he had no clue, but he did wonder how Sehun managed to control the legion of alphas and how they found it in themselves to submit to him).
He laid there for about an hour, thinking and shivering, letting cold tears streak his face, before he heard his stomach growl and decided he needed food. He hadn't eaten for two days because of his nerves.
He was about to leave the hut and search for food when he remembered that he was completely naked and that there were alphas parading around outside. At least he wasn't in heat, but heading out there would be suicide no matter how he looked at it. Couldn't his new mate bring him food? He understood that as a pack leader he was probably busy and tired, but they were bonded and Luhan needed to be close to him, not to mention to get to know him better. He'd even dreamed about Sehun, his long, strong figure standing and watching over him, and his blood was boiling for him, for him to come and touch or just talk to him.
He decided by the second hour that he couldn't sit around any longer, and pushed out of the skins at the opening, stepping into a world of snow. Luckily, their bodies were well equipped for the cold, so he wouldn't die, but Luhan sure didn't enjoy himself. He wrapped his stick arms around his upper body in the hopes of conserving some heat, and trudged through the snow with the goal of finding someone and asking for food, or making it back to Sehun's hut to remind him that he existed.
On the way, in the middle of the stretch between the two huts, Luhan was cut off by an alpha standing right in front of him, effectively blocking his way. He stopped, feeling nervous. The pack members were too loyal to Sehun to do anything to him, right? He was frozen in fear nonetheless, trying to plan a straight escape route in his head, though the alpha was doubtlessly faster and stronger than him.
"What are you wandering out in the cold for?" The alpha asked, and Luhan shrugged, wishing he hadn't come out now. "Has Sehun not come to you with food? He made a fresh kill this morning."
Luhan shook his head, stomach growling at the thought of fresh meat. "Nobody's come to see me since the women left me last night."
"Oh...well, did you sleep alright?"
"I slept fine, thanks for asking," Luhan lied, feeling his feet grow numb slowly but surely. He envied the alpha's furs and boots, and imagined himself wearing them, though they were a bit too soldier-like for his stature, and would probably weigh too much for him to move.
"That's good. I'm Kyungsoo, by the way. Since Sehun hasn't brought you any food yet, I'll take it upon myself to feed you. Would you mind joining me in my hut? I've stacked up some kills and even a bit of condiments."
"Yes please," Luhan said eagerly, the thought of food already making his mouth water.
He followed Kyungsoo to the east side of the grounds, past a few birch trees and a good stretch of snowy ground. He couldn't tell whether Kyungsoo's hut was smaller than his or bigger once he stepped in, but it smelled wonderful, like something he might have smelled before. Oh heavens, was that parsley? Luhan was always teased for being so particular about food and caring more about tastes and various food groups than only tearing into a slab of flesh. It just fascinated him, and he couldn't help it.
"I hope you like reindeer," Kyungsoo said, beckoning Luhan to sit by the fire, before shuffling around in a mound of things to search for something. “I’m not a skilled hunter like Sehun, but I'd say I get the biggest kills out of all the other alphas. Not to brag or anything, I just think you're lucky to have bumped into me of all people."
Luhan chuckled, catching the meat Kyungsoo threw at him. It smelled wonderful. Not just like succulent, fresh meat, but like it had been soaked with other flavours; spices even. He was so hungry now, his stomach practically screaming, and he was sure Kyungsoo could hear it from where he was standing, gathering potatoes and vegetables for him in a ceramic bowl.
"For a well-rounded meal," Kyungsoo said, holding the picks out to him, and Luhan accepted the bowl gratefully, bowing down to show his gratitude. "Now eat up; I can't have you waste away on my watch."
"Thank you," Luhan said, sinking his teeth into the meat. Oh, it was delicious. He salivated himself, closing his eyes as he ate. This was almost as good a comfort as any act of kindness, and he took it for what it was: a warm hug to the inside of his tummy.
"So, is it anything like the food you're used to?" Kyungsoo asked, eyeing him with interest. He was sitting cross-legged opposite Luhan, watching him eat. "I know the topic of your old tribe is taboo, but forgive me, I'm awfully curious."
"Oh," Luhan said, reminding himself to put the meat down a little. He didn't want to seem barbaric to this tribe, after all. He had manners and that. "No. This has a completely different taste. Not different as in bad, but different as in good!"
"I'm glad."
Luhan took another bite, feeling his fingers get more and more soiled as he held the food. He could always wash up later, couldn't he?
He was about to take another big bite when he heard shuffling behind him and of someone stepping in, wind howling outside. He froze and his heart stilled. He could tell exactly who that was.
Kyungsoo's eyes widened and he seemed to lose face. "Sehun--"
"Why is my mate in your lair?" Sehun spat, and he sounded so offended that Luhan tried to shrink himself where he sat, ready to be scolded.
"You didn't feed him. He's cold and unattended," Kyungsoo reasoned, continuing on with what he was doing.
"And you think that grants you permission to steal him from me?" Sehun shot back. "I almost tore Chanyeol apart under the suspicion he'd stolen him to calm his mating instincts."
Kyungsoo shook his head. "I was just making sure he didn't die out in the cold. You're all about breeding him, but you won't be able to do that if he's too weak to even walk. You have to feed the poor boy."
"I know that," Sehun said obstinately. "I will."
"Alright. Forgive me."
The room went silent, and Luhan dropped the food, sinking to the floor out of instinct. His mate's smell, the feeling of his eyes on him, it made him submit instantly.
Sehun walked forwards and hoisted Luhan up by his arm, then threw him over his shoulder with so little effort it was almost scary, making for the exit without so much as a second thought.
"Sehun, he's naked!" Came Kyungsoo's voice from behind them.
Sehun stopped, grunting. "Right..."
He sat Luhan down again, carefully, then impatiently pulled off his brown cloak and wrapped it around Luhan's form, which was trembling where it stood, both from fear and lack of optimum body temperature.
Sehun picked him up once again, but held him around his waist this time, like a cub, and Luhan quickly wrapped his arms around Sehun's neck to make sure he didn't fall down (and perhaps also to nuzzle into him, but that was just for some much needed warmth. Yes, definitely).
"Bye Kyungsoo," Luhan mumbled to him, thankful that he'd taken him under his wing. Kyungsoo just waved at him, perhaps not wanting to catch Sehun's attention again, and in a few seconds they were out of the hut, trudging through the snow.
Sehun's grip around him tightened, and Luhan felt rather warm and comforted, lulled slightly by their moving. He was afraid Sehun would be mad at him, but it seemed that had all evaporated, and now he was just nosing into the skin of Luhan's neck. Luhan smiled when he felt a few warm licks flick onto his frozen flesh.
"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you. I should have come to see you. And feed you," Sehun mumbled into his neck, stroking his back. He didn't seem to be aware that he was doing it.
Luhan melted at the touches, humming contentedly. "It's okay."
"No it's not. What kind of alpha doesn't feed their mate?"
"There's always tomorrow," Luhan reminded him, but Sehun didn't answer, he just kept trudging in silence all the way back to Luhan's hut. Luhan was still wondering why he wasn't sleeping in Sehun's hut, with his mate. Was it tradition that the omega of the pack leader sleep alone? Luhan had been hoping he'd be able to cuddle up to Sehun instead - he looked really warm - even though he kind of feared him. He'd seen Sehun's blood lust and power, and he didn't want to ever cross him like that. But knowing what Sehun was capable of and being handled with such care by him now was oddly soothing.
Once back in the hut, Sehun laid Luhan down in the furs he'd slept in, taking care to get every inch of his body cushioned as well as covered by his cloak.
"I'll have my seamstresses make clothes for you by tomorrow. You definitely shouldn't be naked."
"What about my old clothes, can't I wear those?" Luhan asked hopefully.
Sehun tensed up at the request, before he answered, "They smell of your old pack. You need to smell of mine. Of me. So that people know who you belong to."
"Which is you," Luhan remarked.
"Yes. Me."
And then Sehun left.
*
As more and more time passed, Luhan began to wonder if Sehun even desired him at all, or maybe he'd acted too soon when marking him and had made a mistake which he deeply regretted. Sure, he'd gotten the robes that Sehun had had made for him the next morning, and food to keep his stomach full, but Sehun himself was nowhere to be seen. Luhan had prepared for many things, but not the notion that his mate would refuse to see him and that he himself would, as a result, become intolerably bored, and yearn deep within his heart for Sehun's attention, if only for a little while. How was Luhan even supposed to be bred by him if he wouldn't touch him? Luhan didn't know, but he was determined for it to stop.
After a week of seeing none of Sehun and staying mostly in his hut, Luhan decided to venture outside, feeling content with wet snow under his bare feet and cold air blocking his nose. The grounds the pack owned sure were beautiful. He wondered if there was a pond somewhere, like there had been at his old home. It had been a while since he had bathed fully, he had only just rinsed. Maybe that was why Sehun didn't want to see him. He stank an acrid stench.
Luhan walked up amongst a clutter of trees, carefully listening to the crows for signs of danger, like other animals and such. Luhan wasn't sure where exactly the bounds for the territory lay, so he went by smell, and decided to follow a small trail into the forest to hopefully reach a spring or body of water of some sort. There had to be one, right? Where else would the pack bathe and fish and wash clothes?
He looked up and saw the skies darkening, which was odd because Luhan could have sworn it was only early afternoon. Perhaps because it was winter time the sun acted differently, and Luhan made a note in his head to pray for longer days, for the sun to be kind to him, because darkness had never been something he favoured.
It was when he'd walked for miles with no luck in finding a small body of water that he knew he ought to turn back, because no water for such a long stretch of territory was odd, and he wasn't sure exactly where the boundaries lay, but he must have headed off in the wrong direction. That coupled with the fact that everything around him was dimming and darkening, and that he didn't know if he'd make it back to their camp before the moon came out.
Just when he was about to give up and sprint home for comfort (and perhaps dinner, if he hadn't missed it already), Luhan saw the twinkle of water a few steps ahead of him, hidden in between a gathering of trees. It was a small creak, not yet frozen. Luhan felt drawn to it and marched slowly towards the glimmering thing, suddenly flooded with memories of how he'd played in water as a child. He loved water. Everyone had joked about him being half-mermaid, because he swam so well and would hide underwater when rains came, and Luhan suddenly longed for the wet feeling on his skin, knowing he could use a good dunk.
He reached the water's edge and dipped his foot in, gauging the temperature. It was cold, but Luhan's protective body heat would keep him warm enough, and he only needed to submerge himself for the few seconds it would take him to rinse his hair.
He began shedding his clothes, feeling freer with each layer he dropped to the mossy forest floor. Sehun's clan had made sure to dress him properly, and it wasn't that he disliked it, but he carried around heavy skins and itchy, woollen undergarments to match, the clothes smelling more of bitter alpha than himself to his own nose, but then again his sense of smell had never been that good. He wasn't made to hunt, after all. But the itchiness was all gone once he had both feet sunken into the cold water, and he sighed to himself, walking further in, but making sure he wasn't too far from the bank in case he got cold and needed to get out. He smiled at the rippling surface and his reflection smiled back at him, as if welcoming him and beckoning him forwards. Goosebumps ran up his skin, and he inhaled slowly while the body of water ate him up, letting him float in its womb-like space. On one hand, the water was lulling, and on the other, it was refreshing, but mostly he just felt cleaner already, once the water reached his navel. He remembered bathing with Xiumin as a child, the older taking care to scrub him clean when he was too hyperactive to do it himself, dirt behind his ears and caked up his shins.
The snap of a twig brought Luhan back to his senses, and he whipped his head around to face the source of the sound, eyes wild with fear.
There was a man standing at the edge of the creek, right where his clothes were, and Luhan froze, unable to breathe. He hadn’t picked up his scent before but it was an alpha, and what made Luhan even more scared was that he didn't recognize the scent of him, which meant he didn't belong to Sehun's tribe.
The alpha bent down to pick up his discarded clothes, and Luhan figured his best strategy would be to stay still, hoping the alpha was only mildly curious or confused, and that he'd leave him alone once he smelled that he was bonded with someone already, which was usually a blaring warning light. It was frowned upon greatly to pursue or even show interest in someone else's mate, especially because the alpha mate was usually territorial and wouldn't take kindly to any contact between their omega and another alpha.
He was smelling the clothes now, sticking them up into his face and inhaling deeply, and Luhan felt humiliated at the treatment. An alpha would never just grab another alpha's clothes, or a beta's for that matter. It was the actions against someone of a weaker rank; someone who wouldn't fight back.
When the man dropped the clothes back down, that was when Luhan turned terrified, because he was staring at him now, as if the clothes had told a great deal about him, which was intriguing or worth sticking around for.
"Has your ass started self-lubricating yet, little omega?" The alpha questioned, and Luhan flinched at the use of the harsh words, almost curling in on himself in the water. He was hunched over now, his gaze lowered, and it took a few seconds before he realized the alpha could smell the early stages of his first heat coming on, something which Luhan had missed. "Do you want a nice, fat, alpha knot to satiate you, baby? Heats become unbearable for you little ones if you don't get cock, you know. You'd probably die from it."
Luhan was backing away hastily, though the only way he could move was deeper into the cold water, which meant he had less mobility to aid him, but he hoped the alpha would be too prideful to get wet himself. He did seem to enjoy toying with him, though, and it sent off warning sparks in Luhan’s mind.
"Oh my, it seems like you're actually bonded with someone else, huh?" The alpha remarked, as if he'd missed the strong scent of Sehun wafting off of his clothes. "Couldn't smell that on you because of the water. You're lucky I can barely smell your skin from here." Luhan trembled, berating himself in his head for going anywhere on his own. He was just used to more freedom, and he longed for feeling clean and having fun, but none of that mattered if he was going to be raped or killed before he even reached breeding age.
"Please leave me alone," Luhan squeezed out, but he wasn't sure if the stranger heard him or not, seeing as his teeth were clattering from the fear and cold, and his throat was tight with anxiety.
"Is he big? You know the bigger someone is, the more cubs they could give you, right? I once bred an omega girl with five little 'uns at once. My cock is huge, and would probably tear you in two. But you omegas like that shit, right? Or else you wouldn't have been made to leak and fall to your knees in submission at the mere sight of one."
Luhan glanced around himself as if help would come in the form of a knight in shining armour, but he was still all alone, stuck in the still water with no way out of it that the alpha couldn't easily catch up to him from. It was already clear that he wouldn't be able to shake him off if he tried to fight him; omegas just weren't built like that no matter how much he wished they were. Even if he'd had ample strength, one bite from an alpha was all it took for an omega to go limp and boneless, becoming the ultimate submissive ragdoll for an invading partner.
Luhan took deep, shaky breaths, reminding himself that no alpha was stupid enough to try and mount someone who was bonded. It basically signed their death warrant. But then again, this particular alpha didn't seem to be of sound mind, his half-grin quirking up to accompany his wild eyes.
The alpha had moved so that his ankles were in the water, playful grin making Luhan sick to the stomach so horribly it was almost maddening. Regardless of what happened, he found a small beacon of comfort in the fact that the intruder would be dead at some point in the near future; he knew Sehun's power was at least that great. The question was when and if he'd make it out alive. Not that he supported killing, but he knew the alpha wouldn't leave him alone if he wasn't forcefully removed. He had bloodlust on him.
Luhan screamed, backing up as fast as he could without going under, the other male taking his sweet time in gliding in, knowing Luhan wouldn't get very far. His calves couldn't even sprint him faster than the slowest beta from his own clan.
As he tripped by the shallow end of the water, head getting dunked and vision blurring, Luhan heard a loud splash at the other end, assuming it was the other alpha picking up speed and motoring forward to pounce on him. But he felt no arms grab at him nor any indication that someone else was closing in, and so he opened his wet eyes, coughing up some water while he made out the figure of someone bigger holding the stranger underwater until he was splashing, then yanking him up, the man sputtering and gasping for air.
Sehun.
Sehun was shirtless, a bloodied bandage hanging off his left shoulder, and Luhan concluded that he must have been wounded while hunting, and that he'd somehow sensed Luhan was in danger before being properly stitched back up, because he was bleeding heavily, red rolling down his back faster than water from the effort he was putting into torturing the other alpha.
Luhan stared dumbly for a bit, hearing the stranger's cries for mercy and Sehun's loud, angry grunting.
"Sehun, Stop! You're hurting yourself!" He yelled as he realized what was happening, getting his legs to move him in his mate's direction, because he seemed set on filling the stranger's lungs with water even though the water by his waist was turning red.
Sehun didn't stop moving until Luhan grabbed at his arm, his touch seeming to bring his mate back to his senses, if he even had any left from the severe blood loss. Sehun was breathing heavily, hand closed around the other alpha's throat, who was barely above the water, coughing and sputtering wildly.
"You can smell him for miles," the alpha rasped out, laughing brokenly. "I'm sure I won't be the last to pick up on his scent and hunt him down."
"Shut the fuck up," Sehun snapped, squeezing the man's throat harder. He grasped at Sehun's strong arm, trying to pry him off.
"Sehun, please; your shoulder," Luhan interjected, reaching up to his ripped skin as if him touching it would help in any way. Sehun barely flinched, but he stopped choking the other male, turning to face his mate.
"Luhan," he started, his eyes full of worry and apologies. His hair was wet and he looked so handsome, his gaze a strangely nostalgic one. All the fear Luhan had had before was gone, replaced with worry for Sehun and admiration of his guts.
Before Sehun got to say anything else, however, his relinquished hold on the other alpha's throat gave him a loophole and, before Luhan knew it, teeth had sunk into his arm that had been nursing Sehun's wound, his vision going black almost immediately as the unbearable pain coursed through him.
---
Part 2
From: annafeu
Title: Come Morning Light
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 16300
Summary: From the time of his birth, Luhan was promised to be pack leader Oh Sehun’s mate for the sake of his own tribe’s safety. Faced with the new mission of producing offspring for him, Luhan struggles with finding his place in this new ‘family’, as well as warming the heart of the man who barely spares him a glance.
Other Pairings: Xiumin/Luhan, mentions of Kris/Kai
Warnings: blood, violence, knotting, arranged partners, mpreg
Luhan was, at heart, a romantic. He was the kind of person who cried when happy fairy-tale endings encountered him in good stories, and when anyone asked him why he was crying, he'd answer with something akin to 'because it's just so beautiful, you know?', accompanied with a broad smile that betrayed how drowned he was in hope, which was so drowned that his veins were full with the dreams and fantasies, and it kept him up at night to the point of insomnia. So Luhan had dreamed, from a very young age, that he was going to meet his soul mate and prince who was endlessly charming one fateful day, and he would be courted accordingly, claimed, and eventually mated, all the while wearing a big, goofy grin, because he was so happy and so in love that he was just bursting.
However, being promised away to the North Tribe's pack leader since birth for strictly political reasons wasn't exactly Luhan's idea of romance.
It was a wet, winter day, full of cold winds and shivers when Luhan was led by his father and a few other members of his pack to go meet his future mate, the alpha he'd been promised away to. Luhan wasn't smiling as bright and beautiful as he should, but how could he? His future and freedom had been robbed from him without his consent, all because his pack needed to form an alliance with the North Tribe, and Luhan was the pawn they were willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Luhan, being the son of the pack leader of his own tribe, was the only omega suitable enough to be promised away to the notorious Oh Sehun, leader of the North Tribe. Luhan had one role: become the leader's mate and be bred by him. By having Oh Sehun's children, Luhan's tribe would be under the protection of the pack from the North Tribe under a treaty, and everyone would be happy. Luhan tried to convince himself he would be too. If he didn't fulfil the duty, the North Tribe would maul his family and take their land. It was always out of fear and intimidation that these alliances formed, and it made Luhan sad.
The walk through the forest already had many eyes on him. Other alphas smelling his pheromones, his strong omega scent. God, the place was crawling with alphas. How did the pack even work when there were so little betas and omegas to balance everything out? Luhan could hardly smell any, but perhaps that was how the North Tribe worked; omegas were difficult to take care of and betas weren't as good fighters as alphas so, by eliminating the lower ranks, their power trebled. They probably kidnapped omegas from neighbouring packs whenever they were low in numbers and needed to breed. He'd seen packs like that before, though deep down he hoped he'd gotten the wrong impression of this one.
Luhan's entire body was tense and clenching, and his head was racing with the strong scent of the curious alphas like he'd walked into a field of a million poppy flowers. It made his knees weak and his pupils dilate, his hands hanging limply by his side. Omegas always became meek around alphas, mostly because nature had instilled in them that alphas were dominant and could do whatever they wanted to them, whether it be beating or touching or intercourse or mating, and to be ready for any of it at any given time.
Luckily, Luhan's father, also an alpha, and a few other alphas from the pack, were there to ensure that anyone who wasn't Oh Sehun was kept away from Luhan while they walked towards their destination. Luhan had been embarrassed at first, being chaperoned by so many people, but he saw the necessity now, as unfamiliar alpha mouths were open and drooling in his direction all around.
The one he wished hadn't come with him, though, was his childhood best friend, Xiumin. Xiumin was quiet and walking next to him, looking around warily but soundlessly, like he was plotting the death of everyone around him in a very stealthy manner. Luhan knew why Xiumin was so wary and low in spirits. This pack was taking Luhan away for good, and Xiumin would most likely never get to see him ever again. Once he became marked and mated by Oh Sehun, he became the property of the new pack by law and nature as well as tradition, and his loyalties would lie with his mate. It was uncommon for omegas to be allowed back into their birth packs once mated by someone of another pack. Their scent would change and their bodies would get used to being comfortable around only the pack of their mate, for security reasons. If he were to meet Xiumin again, it would be a tense encounter.
Luhan glanced at him sadly, hoping he could catch his eye, but Xiumin's eyebrows were furrowed and he was staring straight ahead, caught up in thought, it seemed. Xiumin had been the only alpha of his own pack that hadn't wanted to fuck him on a regular basis, which was sad to say. Because omegas were so rare, when alphas smelled any these days, most of them just went for it, especially if said omega was in heat. Luckily for Luhan, he'd befriended Xiumin early on, before he got his strong smell, and Xiumin had guarded him from everyone and everything like a big brother as they developed and grew older.
Now, it felt like all of that effort had been wasted. Luhan had had a creeping suspicion that Xiumin might have liked him more than a friend, and that maybe he'd hoped to have Luhan for his mate eventually, that the alpha he'd been promised to would forget about him or look the other way, but he'd been too naive and now it was too late to even toy with that idea. Luhan's fate was with someone else, and it was sealed with blood. He'd been born for this purpose only. The youngest of his siblings; his parents had made him solely for this alpha named 'Oh Sehun'. That name had been ingrained in his mind since he was able to talk. It had been carved into his lower back with a whittle knife when he'd accidentally let someone touch him longer than they were allowed to. It was shouted at him in reprimanding anger and whispered to him as an attempt of comfort.
The thick trees of the forest thinned out eventually as he came to a clearing, and Luhan could see a large, wooden hut in front of them, with groups of pack members guarding the property, like steadfast tin soldiers.
"Back straight, Luhan," his father reminded him, and Luhan pretended a string was pulling at the top of his head again. He had to be presentable for his mate and his mate's entourage. The women of Luhan's pack had spent a long time grooming him for this day, making sure he was smooth and that his hair was pretty. He'd gotten fine skins to wear around his waist, and a thin cloth for his upper body with feathers dangling from the hems. His father had insisted on tying a red ribbon around his neck as well, just in case. Even though Luhan was the best-rounded and most fertile omega of their pack, if Oh Sehun decided he didn't want Luhan after all, they would be in trouble. He had to hope that when Oh Sehun laid eyes on him, he'd imprint. He at the very least wanted a sacred bond with someone, if he couldn't have his romance.
"State your purpose," a man right in front of the hides that covered the opening to the hut said.
"Can't you tell already? Our omega's scent is reeking; it should be obvious," Xiumin said with clear impatience, moving up to stand next to Luhan's father.
"Why, you little--"
"The pact," Luhan's father cut in, holding a hand out in front of Xiumin to silence him. He'd already overstepped his bounds countless times that day, but Luhan's father sympathized with him, so he was lenient. "We're here to deliver your leader's mate."
The man's eyes went straight to Luhan, and he kept them there for a little bit before turning to head into the hut. Luhan still agreed with Xiumin; during what other occasions did a fertile omega get escorted into foreign lands like this? It was practically a suicide mission if the alphas escorting the omega weren't strong and threatening enough to stand their ground.
"Bring it inside," the guy said as he emerged from the opening, beckoning them forwards. Luhan felt an itch of annoyance from being referred to as an ‘it’, but mostly his stomach tightened and he held his breath because this was it. Inside those doors was his future mate; the one who would give him children. And there was no turning back.
His father went first, and Luhan went in second, Xiumin by his side. The inside of the hut was surprisingly warm, which was good, because Luhan's hands and feet had been freezing out in the cold, his nose turning pink with the wind and his lips tinged blue. He was probably white as a sheet too.
Glancing nervously around inside, Luhan saw, or rather smelled, a small group a female omegas sitting by pots of food, sorting out peas from corn and grains. They were staring at him, just like everyone else was staring at him. They could sense their position being threatened with a foreign omega in the room.
Luhan turned his head quickly to his front, where he saw a man sitting in a chair, which looked more like a bad excuse for a throne. Luhan didn't dare meet his eyes. Was that Oh Sehun? His alpha? He could smell him; strong and bold, clearly different from all the others.
He saw his father bow, along with the alphas from his pack, and Luhan quickly did as he'd been taught and cast himself to the ground on his hands and knees, bowing so that his forehead touched the wooden floor. He stayed there, breathing quickly and shaking slightly in fear. It was all too real now. He'd have to take this man for a mate no matter what his character, and he had every right to treat Luhan how he wanted. Luhan was a possession at best; a tool and a pretty thing, he knew that, but he longed for love so bad that he almost started crying then and there.
A booted foot nudged Luhan's arm, and Luhan squeaked when he looked up and realized it was the pack leader urging him to stand. He scrambled to his feet faster than he ever had, eyes wide as he caught the alpha's unwavering ones, the man a good foot taller than him and a good few inches of broad and muscle wider. He had deep, dark eyes and a handsome face, framed by a chiseled jaw-line and defined brows. The fur of his ears and tail was black as night, darker than even Xiumin's. His neck looked thick and sturdy, and Luhan almost gasped at the sight. He was sure this man could crush him in a second if he wanted to. He'd heard of violent alphas, the ones that thought discipline came best served with a backhand or a foot to the stomach, but he hoped this man wasn't like that.
The man broke their eye contact, casting his eyes down to Luhan's chest instead and reaching to undo his top. The material slid off of his shoulders slowly, and the feeling of the alpha's big hands on him made Luhan turn so weak he could hardly keep standing.
"You're a pretty one, aren't you?" Sehun said as he reached up into Luhan's hair to touch and rub his furry, auburn ears. Luhan didn't reply; he only whined. Everyone knew omegas' ears were sensitive, and he didn't want to further embarrass himself in front of his mate. The capable hands gave his ears one last tweak before giving them a break, and traced down his neck and shoulders, until he ran the pads of his thumbs over Luhan's nipples, pressing at them in intervals.
Luhan yelped, but tried his best not to move. He could feel arousal build from the stimulation, and his father was right behind him, watching, of all things.
"Do they get sore and swollen every time you're in heat?" Sehun asked matter-of-factly, like they were discussing the weather.
"Y-yes?"
The alpha groped and squeezed heftily, as if checking for milk, then moved down to press against his stomach, and Luhan almost giggled because it tickled really bad, but he stopped himself just in time. Sehun was prodding at his lower abdomen, stroking occasionally, like he was checking for something specific.
"I need a fertility check," the alpha said, turning to a man of his own pack who looked like a doctor, and said man came rushing forwards, his hands feeling at Luhan's stomach too. Luhan couldn't stifle his giggle this time, and looked up at Sehun to share his amusement, but the alpha's face was cold and hard as stone, one hundred percent unamused, if not more so.
Luhan stopped giggling when the doctor reached to undo his waist skins, effectively baring his entire self for the world to see. Luhan's face reddened in embarrassment, and he reached his hands down to try and cover himself slightly. His father hadn't seen him bare since the day he was born, and Xiumin hadn't seen it either. Now he was standing there nude with a man touching him weirdly, the only thing covering him being the red ribbon around his neck.
He felt a sharp pull at his tail and cried out, trying to muffle his loud sounds with his hands. The hand then pressed at the base of the tail, and Luhan couldn't keep standing any longer, sinking down on his knees submissively. He knew Xiumin was watching, and felt ashamed that he had to see him like this, naked and ready to be deemed fit for another man's sperm.
The last place the doctor checked was Luhan's behind, making sure it was developed and working and ready to accommodate. Luhan held his breath the entire time, stealing quick glances up at his alpha, who was watching the whole ordeal intensely.
"He's a little young still," the doctor said. "But his body is almost ready. I'd say you only have to wait a couple months tops."
Sehun gave him a once-over, stroking his chin pensively. "So he's healthy and fit for breeding?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Good." Sehun smiled at Luhan then, stepping closer. He chuckled as he glanced down at the red ribbon, pulling at the string to loosen it; effectively baring Luhan's neck. "You're so sweet and beautiful, little omega. It would have been a shame if you were deemed unfit to bear my children. I'd be happy to have you by my side. Are you ready to commit to me?"
Luhan nodded, and breathed, "Yes, sir," feeling himself lean sideways, as if giving himself up and offering his neck. He had nothing more to say; he just wanted it over with. No matter what was said or done, Luhan belonged to this man, and had belonged to him his entire life. This was the crux of his existence; his purpose.
"I'm going to mark you now, bearer of my children. I'll mark you as eternally mine, which you rightfully are."
Luhan stood there tense, closing his eyes and waiting for pain. He knew Xiumin was watching, and felt for him as he had to watch Luhan finally get claimed. Xiumin couldn't protect him from the suitor this time. Not even Luhan's father could.
"Wait," Luhan heard Xiumin's voice speak up from behind him, right when Sehun was leaning in to bite. "We have yet to see if this man is fit to be Luhan's mate. This is not a one-way street or a slave auction; it is an agreement."
Luhan panicked, fearing Xiumin would pay for speaking out at such a moment, and looked fearfully up at Sehun, who pulled away from him steadily, but also in an eerily calm manner.
"Your friend is right, little omega," he murmured, watching Xiumin with calculating eyes. Luhan was unable to swallow the big lump in his throat that seemed to be stuck there, robbing him of his ability to communicate. Not that he had the right to speak up for himself regardless. "How do you propose I attempt to prove myself worthy, alpha?" Sehun moved away from Luhan and over to Xiumin, his facial expression cold and his voice cutting. "By killing you?"
Luhan gasped, clutching at his bare chest. Sehun turned around to eye him and asked, "Would that upset you, little one?"
Luhan nodded hastily, feeling tears well in his eyes. He didn't want a cruel mate. And he didn't want his best friend to die, especially not because of him. It would be better if his father and the others could just leave, so that they were promised safety. Why couldn't Xiumin see that?
"Very well. I'll only sever a few of his limbs."
Xiumin barked out a laugh, walking up to Sehun to speak right into his face.
"I'd love to see you try. I bet your strength is a myth, just like everything else about you."
"Xiumin, stand down," Luhan's father warned, but Xiumin's big mouth continued on.
"Getting an omega served on a silver platter at your doorstep-- you're pathetic. He'll never love you. You stole him from his crib to be your little breeding bunny, and now he's going to live in captivity for the rest of his life. You're a selfish, cocky, reckless piece of--"
Luhan heard the tearing of the flesh before he saw it, and screamed, falling to his knees in shock. Sehun's hands had sprouted long, dark claws, and they had slashed up the side of Xiumin's face before Luhan could even understand what was happening. Xiumin was clutching at his cheek and neck, staring straight ahead while pools of red leaked down his skin.
"You don't know me, but I'll be happy to inform you of just exactly who I am, for your convenience. I am every alpha's worst nightmare." Sehun grabbed Xiumin's neck in a chokehold, the latter sputtering. "If you make up lies about me, I will end you, just like I ended the conniving leader of the East Forest Tribe." Luhan could see his father struggling with whether or not to step in, but he knew their entire pack's welfare was on the line, and that he was probably no match for the male at hand. "I am the force of a hundred bulls and the intellect of the wisest men. I am honourable and fair and certainly not outspoken with stupidity and rage, such as yourself." Sehun leaned in so that he was only a few dust particles from Xiumin's face, loosening his chokehold. "I am also the man with a nine inch cock, who is fertile enough to breed your little omega pup with a whole new generation of children in just one push."
With that, Sehun released Xiumin, letting him gasp for air as he fell to the floor, twitching. All of Luhan's pack were watching the display wearily, unsure of whether to act or not. They knew such treatment was unacceptable to allow, but Xiumin had also overstepped his boundaries by a mile, and so he was paying the price for insulting the notorious pack leader. Luhan's father's face was pale, and he ordered one of the other alphas to take Xiumin away, much to Luhan's chagrin. He hadn't gotten to say a proper goodbye like he had wanted to. Xiumin was just jealous and desperate; it wasn't his fault he'd acted out.
"Where were we," he heard Sehun say, so close to him he could feel his breath tickling his neck. Next came a pair of lips, planting soft kisses on the expanse of skin and making Luhan go limp. Luckily, strong hands were holding him up. "Ah yes, I was claiming you." The lips pressed against his own, teeth teasingly biting at his bottom one, canine’s sharp, before the man pulled away and said, "I want to hear you give yourself to me. You are only mine if you want me to be yours too."
Luhan took a deep breath and clutched the alpha's shoulders, bracing himself while he recited, "I'm yours."
The next thing he knew, Sehun was sinking his teeth into the skin between his neck and shoulder, supporting all of Luhan's weight as he claimed him. Luhan whimpered, the bite painful and throbbing. It was arousing and scary at the same time, and Luhan figured the best thing to do was just stay limp and wait for it to pass.
As the teeth pulled out, Luhan felt a soothing tongue lap at where he'd been bitten, nursing the painful area back to health. He rested against Sehun's chest, wide-eyed and barely functional, the alpha tightening his hold around him and stroking his back while whispering things Luhan couldn't decipher into his ear. Luhan felt strangely safe.
"Thank you for your gift; it was much appreciated," Sehun said with buckets of contentment, presumably to his father, and Luhan felt kind of uncomfortable about being referred to as a simple 'gift', but kept mum. "You may say your goodbyes now."
The warm, comforting hold of his mate retreated from him, and Luhan was left to stand there in a daze, completely naked, while he instantly missed Sehun's presence. At last, they were mates. He could feel it tingling his bones, and especially at the stingy and slightly itchy bite-area embedded into his skin. Things smelled different, things looked different.
"Father," Luhan said weakly. His whole body felt so distant now that he was marked. He couldn't even smell the other alphas in the room.
"My good boy," he heard a comforting voice say, before he was enveloped in a strong hug. Tears leaked hot and plentiful down his face. "Be good for your mate, okay? Obey him and fulfil your duty. I'm so proud of you."
Luhan was blubbering at this point, his face soaked in tears as he cast his eyes over his pack for what would be the last time.
"But F-Father--"
"Don't be like that, Luhan. You're not a child anymore." His father's voice was stern and scolding, and it made Luhan feel even smaller.
He sniffed pathetically, wiping his tears away. "Sorry."
"You've been training for this your whole life; now make me and the rest of us proud. Maybe your mate will invite us back one day to see your cubs."
Luhan nodded furiously, but knew the chances of that happening were slim and very minimal, if not none. He had a better chance of being allowed to head back to his old land by himself. He was, in lack of a better word, banned from going back.
The retreating figure of his father and his pack members was an image that would haunt Luhan for the rest of his life. He'd known it would happen for such a long time, and he'd had forever to prepare for it but regardless, it made him so sad that not even the wave of arousal from being marked managed to distract him. The dam in his eyes broke again and the waterworks started, more powerful than before.
Blinded by tears, he felt two omegas lead him away, out of the hut and into the cold again. He didn't ask where they were taking him, because he didn't care. He just wanted to mourn for the moment. He especially wanted to mourn the fact that he'd never gotten to say goodbye to Xiumin. That broke him. They'd been best friends for so long, and now he was no longer a part of Luhan's life. Nothing he'd come to know was.
His feet soon reached wood again, and he felt a cover from the wind, so he must have been lead into another hut. He furiously wiped his tears away, looking up to see a room a great deal smaller than the big hut he'd been in a second earlier. There was a tiny fire crackling in the middle of the room, with warm furs placed around it, and it almost beckoned him towards it.
"Lie in the sheep skins," a female voice said, pushing gently at his lower back.
Luhan did as he was told, collapsing down in the warm fur while feeling the heat of the fire soothe his freezing hands and feet. The omega females were rushing around the room, pushing things and picking things up and talking amongst themselves. Soon he felt a warm, wet cloth on his back, then two, and lay still as his entire body was cleaned, as well as his bite-mark tended to. He fell asleep to the feeling of one of the woman combing through his hair with thick bristles.
*
When Luhan awoke, he was hit with an insufferable wave of loneliness. The hut was dark and quiet, the fire that had been crackling for him burned out during the night, and he was shivering in his naked form, grabbing at the sheep skins to try and steal their warmth. If only they'd left him with some sort of blanket last night. There was, after all, a raging winter outside. There were blizzards and snow storms and cold winds and ice, among other unfavourable weather.
He thought of how much he missed his father already and started crying silently, reminded of how he'd never get to see his face again, nor the face if his friends or pack members. He was all alone now; an outsider in this new pack full of alpha males and a small selection of omega females (where the betas were, he had no clue, but he did wonder how Sehun managed to control the legion of alphas and how they found it in themselves to submit to him).
He laid there for about an hour, thinking and shivering, letting cold tears streak his face, before he heard his stomach growl and decided he needed food. He hadn't eaten for two days because of his nerves.
He was about to leave the hut and search for food when he remembered that he was completely naked and that there were alphas parading around outside. At least he wasn't in heat, but heading out there would be suicide no matter how he looked at it. Couldn't his new mate bring him food? He understood that as a pack leader he was probably busy and tired, but they were bonded and Luhan needed to be close to him, not to mention to get to know him better. He'd even dreamed about Sehun, his long, strong figure standing and watching over him, and his blood was boiling for him, for him to come and touch or just talk to him.
He decided by the second hour that he couldn't sit around any longer, and pushed out of the skins at the opening, stepping into a world of snow. Luckily, their bodies were well equipped for the cold, so he wouldn't die, but Luhan sure didn't enjoy himself. He wrapped his stick arms around his upper body in the hopes of conserving some heat, and trudged through the snow with the goal of finding someone and asking for food, or making it back to Sehun's hut to remind him that he existed.
On the way, in the middle of the stretch between the two huts, Luhan was cut off by an alpha standing right in front of him, effectively blocking his way. He stopped, feeling nervous. The pack members were too loyal to Sehun to do anything to him, right? He was frozen in fear nonetheless, trying to plan a straight escape route in his head, though the alpha was doubtlessly faster and stronger than him.
"What are you wandering out in the cold for?" The alpha asked, and Luhan shrugged, wishing he hadn't come out now. "Has Sehun not come to you with food? He made a fresh kill this morning."
Luhan shook his head, stomach growling at the thought of fresh meat. "Nobody's come to see me since the women left me last night."
"Oh...well, did you sleep alright?"
"I slept fine, thanks for asking," Luhan lied, feeling his feet grow numb slowly but surely. He envied the alpha's furs and boots, and imagined himself wearing them, though they were a bit too soldier-like for his stature, and would probably weigh too much for him to move.
"That's good. I'm Kyungsoo, by the way. Since Sehun hasn't brought you any food yet, I'll take it upon myself to feed you. Would you mind joining me in my hut? I've stacked up some kills and even a bit of condiments."
"Yes please," Luhan said eagerly, the thought of food already making his mouth water.
He followed Kyungsoo to the east side of the grounds, past a few birch trees and a good stretch of snowy ground. He couldn't tell whether Kyungsoo's hut was smaller than his or bigger once he stepped in, but it smelled wonderful, like something he might have smelled before. Oh heavens, was that parsley? Luhan was always teased for being so particular about food and caring more about tastes and various food groups than only tearing into a slab of flesh. It just fascinated him, and he couldn't help it.
"I hope you like reindeer," Kyungsoo said, beckoning Luhan to sit by the fire, before shuffling around in a mound of things to search for something. “I’m not a skilled hunter like Sehun, but I'd say I get the biggest kills out of all the other alphas. Not to brag or anything, I just think you're lucky to have bumped into me of all people."
Luhan chuckled, catching the meat Kyungsoo threw at him. It smelled wonderful. Not just like succulent, fresh meat, but like it had been soaked with other flavours; spices even. He was so hungry now, his stomach practically screaming, and he was sure Kyungsoo could hear it from where he was standing, gathering potatoes and vegetables for him in a ceramic bowl.
"For a well-rounded meal," Kyungsoo said, holding the picks out to him, and Luhan accepted the bowl gratefully, bowing down to show his gratitude. "Now eat up; I can't have you waste away on my watch."
"Thank you," Luhan said, sinking his teeth into the meat. Oh, it was delicious. He salivated himself, closing his eyes as he ate. This was almost as good a comfort as any act of kindness, and he took it for what it was: a warm hug to the inside of his tummy.
"So, is it anything like the food you're used to?" Kyungsoo asked, eyeing him with interest. He was sitting cross-legged opposite Luhan, watching him eat. "I know the topic of your old tribe is taboo, but forgive me, I'm awfully curious."
"Oh," Luhan said, reminding himself to put the meat down a little. He didn't want to seem barbaric to this tribe, after all. He had manners and that. "No. This has a completely different taste. Not different as in bad, but different as in good!"
"I'm glad."
Luhan took another bite, feeling his fingers get more and more soiled as he held the food. He could always wash up later, couldn't he?
He was about to take another big bite when he heard shuffling behind him and of someone stepping in, wind howling outside. He froze and his heart stilled. He could tell exactly who that was.
Kyungsoo's eyes widened and he seemed to lose face. "Sehun--"
"Why is my mate in your lair?" Sehun spat, and he sounded so offended that Luhan tried to shrink himself where he sat, ready to be scolded.
"You didn't feed him. He's cold and unattended," Kyungsoo reasoned, continuing on with what he was doing.
"And you think that grants you permission to steal him from me?" Sehun shot back. "I almost tore Chanyeol apart under the suspicion he'd stolen him to calm his mating instincts."
Kyungsoo shook his head. "I was just making sure he didn't die out in the cold. You're all about breeding him, but you won't be able to do that if he's too weak to even walk. You have to feed the poor boy."
"I know that," Sehun said obstinately. "I will."
"Alright. Forgive me."
The room went silent, and Luhan dropped the food, sinking to the floor out of instinct. His mate's smell, the feeling of his eyes on him, it made him submit instantly.
Sehun walked forwards and hoisted Luhan up by his arm, then threw him over his shoulder with so little effort it was almost scary, making for the exit without so much as a second thought.
"Sehun, he's naked!" Came Kyungsoo's voice from behind them.
Sehun stopped, grunting. "Right..."
He sat Luhan down again, carefully, then impatiently pulled off his brown cloak and wrapped it around Luhan's form, which was trembling where it stood, both from fear and lack of optimum body temperature.
Sehun picked him up once again, but held him around his waist this time, like a cub, and Luhan quickly wrapped his arms around Sehun's neck to make sure he didn't fall down (and perhaps also to nuzzle into him, but that was just for some much needed warmth. Yes, definitely).
"Bye Kyungsoo," Luhan mumbled to him, thankful that he'd taken him under his wing. Kyungsoo just waved at him, perhaps not wanting to catch Sehun's attention again, and in a few seconds they were out of the hut, trudging through the snow.
Sehun's grip around him tightened, and Luhan felt rather warm and comforted, lulled slightly by their moving. He was afraid Sehun would be mad at him, but it seemed that had all evaporated, and now he was just nosing into the skin of Luhan's neck. Luhan smiled when he felt a few warm licks flick onto his frozen flesh.
"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you. I should have come to see you. And feed you," Sehun mumbled into his neck, stroking his back. He didn't seem to be aware that he was doing it.
Luhan melted at the touches, humming contentedly. "It's okay."
"No it's not. What kind of alpha doesn't feed their mate?"
"There's always tomorrow," Luhan reminded him, but Sehun didn't answer, he just kept trudging in silence all the way back to Luhan's hut. Luhan was still wondering why he wasn't sleeping in Sehun's hut, with his mate. Was it tradition that the omega of the pack leader sleep alone? Luhan had been hoping he'd be able to cuddle up to Sehun instead - he looked really warm - even though he kind of feared him. He'd seen Sehun's blood lust and power, and he didn't want to ever cross him like that. But knowing what Sehun was capable of and being handled with such care by him now was oddly soothing.
Once back in the hut, Sehun laid Luhan down in the furs he'd slept in, taking care to get every inch of his body cushioned as well as covered by his cloak.
"I'll have my seamstresses make clothes for you by tomorrow. You definitely shouldn't be naked."
"What about my old clothes, can't I wear those?" Luhan asked hopefully.
Sehun tensed up at the request, before he answered, "They smell of your old pack. You need to smell of mine. Of me. So that people know who you belong to."
"Which is you," Luhan remarked.
"Yes. Me."
And then Sehun left.
*
As more and more time passed, Luhan began to wonder if Sehun even desired him at all, or maybe he'd acted too soon when marking him and had made a mistake which he deeply regretted. Sure, he'd gotten the robes that Sehun had had made for him the next morning, and food to keep his stomach full, but Sehun himself was nowhere to be seen. Luhan had prepared for many things, but not the notion that his mate would refuse to see him and that he himself would, as a result, become intolerably bored, and yearn deep within his heart for Sehun's attention, if only for a little while. How was Luhan even supposed to be bred by him if he wouldn't touch him? Luhan didn't know, but he was determined for it to stop.
After a week of seeing none of Sehun and staying mostly in his hut, Luhan decided to venture outside, feeling content with wet snow under his bare feet and cold air blocking his nose. The grounds the pack owned sure were beautiful. He wondered if there was a pond somewhere, like there had been at his old home. It had been a while since he had bathed fully, he had only just rinsed. Maybe that was why Sehun didn't want to see him. He stank an acrid stench.
Luhan walked up amongst a clutter of trees, carefully listening to the crows for signs of danger, like other animals and such. Luhan wasn't sure where exactly the bounds for the territory lay, so he went by smell, and decided to follow a small trail into the forest to hopefully reach a spring or body of water of some sort. There had to be one, right? Where else would the pack bathe and fish and wash clothes?
He looked up and saw the skies darkening, which was odd because Luhan could have sworn it was only early afternoon. Perhaps because it was winter time the sun acted differently, and Luhan made a note in his head to pray for longer days, for the sun to be kind to him, because darkness had never been something he favoured.
It was when he'd walked for miles with no luck in finding a small body of water that he knew he ought to turn back, because no water for such a long stretch of territory was odd, and he wasn't sure exactly where the boundaries lay, but he must have headed off in the wrong direction. That coupled with the fact that everything around him was dimming and darkening, and that he didn't know if he'd make it back to their camp before the moon came out.
Just when he was about to give up and sprint home for comfort (and perhaps dinner, if he hadn't missed it already), Luhan saw the twinkle of water a few steps ahead of him, hidden in between a gathering of trees. It was a small creak, not yet frozen. Luhan felt drawn to it and marched slowly towards the glimmering thing, suddenly flooded with memories of how he'd played in water as a child. He loved water. Everyone had joked about him being half-mermaid, because he swam so well and would hide underwater when rains came, and Luhan suddenly longed for the wet feeling on his skin, knowing he could use a good dunk.
He reached the water's edge and dipped his foot in, gauging the temperature. It was cold, but Luhan's protective body heat would keep him warm enough, and he only needed to submerge himself for the few seconds it would take him to rinse his hair.
He began shedding his clothes, feeling freer with each layer he dropped to the mossy forest floor. Sehun's clan had made sure to dress him properly, and it wasn't that he disliked it, but he carried around heavy skins and itchy, woollen undergarments to match, the clothes smelling more of bitter alpha than himself to his own nose, but then again his sense of smell had never been that good. He wasn't made to hunt, after all. But the itchiness was all gone once he had both feet sunken into the cold water, and he sighed to himself, walking further in, but making sure he wasn't too far from the bank in case he got cold and needed to get out. He smiled at the rippling surface and his reflection smiled back at him, as if welcoming him and beckoning him forwards. Goosebumps ran up his skin, and he inhaled slowly while the body of water ate him up, letting him float in its womb-like space. On one hand, the water was lulling, and on the other, it was refreshing, but mostly he just felt cleaner already, once the water reached his navel. He remembered bathing with Xiumin as a child, the older taking care to scrub him clean when he was too hyperactive to do it himself, dirt behind his ears and caked up his shins.
The snap of a twig brought Luhan back to his senses, and he whipped his head around to face the source of the sound, eyes wild with fear.
There was a man standing at the edge of the creek, right where his clothes were, and Luhan froze, unable to breathe. He hadn’t picked up his scent before but it was an alpha, and what made Luhan even more scared was that he didn't recognize the scent of him, which meant he didn't belong to Sehun's tribe.
The alpha bent down to pick up his discarded clothes, and Luhan figured his best strategy would be to stay still, hoping the alpha was only mildly curious or confused, and that he'd leave him alone once he smelled that he was bonded with someone already, which was usually a blaring warning light. It was frowned upon greatly to pursue or even show interest in someone else's mate, especially because the alpha mate was usually territorial and wouldn't take kindly to any contact between their omega and another alpha.
He was smelling the clothes now, sticking them up into his face and inhaling deeply, and Luhan felt humiliated at the treatment. An alpha would never just grab another alpha's clothes, or a beta's for that matter. It was the actions against someone of a weaker rank; someone who wouldn't fight back.
When the man dropped the clothes back down, that was when Luhan turned terrified, because he was staring at him now, as if the clothes had told a great deal about him, which was intriguing or worth sticking around for.
"Has your ass started self-lubricating yet, little omega?" The alpha questioned, and Luhan flinched at the use of the harsh words, almost curling in on himself in the water. He was hunched over now, his gaze lowered, and it took a few seconds before he realized the alpha could smell the early stages of his first heat coming on, something which Luhan had missed. "Do you want a nice, fat, alpha knot to satiate you, baby? Heats become unbearable for you little ones if you don't get cock, you know. You'd probably die from it."
Luhan was backing away hastily, though the only way he could move was deeper into the cold water, which meant he had less mobility to aid him, but he hoped the alpha would be too prideful to get wet himself. He did seem to enjoy toying with him, though, and it sent off warning sparks in Luhan’s mind.
"Oh my, it seems like you're actually bonded with someone else, huh?" The alpha remarked, as if he'd missed the strong scent of Sehun wafting off of his clothes. "Couldn't smell that on you because of the water. You're lucky I can barely smell your skin from here." Luhan trembled, berating himself in his head for going anywhere on his own. He was just used to more freedom, and he longed for feeling clean and having fun, but none of that mattered if he was going to be raped or killed before he even reached breeding age.
"Please leave me alone," Luhan squeezed out, but he wasn't sure if the stranger heard him or not, seeing as his teeth were clattering from the fear and cold, and his throat was tight with anxiety.
"Is he big? You know the bigger someone is, the more cubs they could give you, right? I once bred an omega girl with five little 'uns at once. My cock is huge, and would probably tear you in two. But you omegas like that shit, right? Or else you wouldn't have been made to leak and fall to your knees in submission at the mere sight of one."
Luhan glanced around himself as if help would come in the form of a knight in shining armour, but he was still all alone, stuck in the still water with no way out of it that the alpha couldn't easily catch up to him from. It was already clear that he wouldn't be able to shake him off if he tried to fight him; omegas just weren't built like that no matter how much he wished they were. Even if he'd had ample strength, one bite from an alpha was all it took for an omega to go limp and boneless, becoming the ultimate submissive ragdoll for an invading partner.
Luhan took deep, shaky breaths, reminding himself that no alpha was stupid enough to try and mount someone who was bonded. It basically signed their death warrant. But then again, this particular alpha didn't seem to be of sound mind, his half-grin quirking up to accompany his wild eyes.
The alpha had moved so that his ankles were in the water, playful grin making Luhan sick to the stomach so horribly it was almost maddening. Regardless of what happened, he found a small beacon of comfort in the fact that the intruder would be dead at some point in the near future; he knew Sehun's power was at least that great. The question was when and if he'd make it out alive. Not that he supported killing, but he knew the alpha wouldn't leave him alone if he wasn't forcefully removed. He had bloodlust on him.
Luhan screamed, backing up as fast as he could without going under, the other male taking his sweet time in gliding in, knowing Luhan wouldn't get very far. His calves couldn't even sprint him faster than the slowest beta from his own clan.
As he tripped by the shallow end of the water, head getting dunked and vision blurring, Luhan heard a loud splash at the other end, assuming it was the other alpha picking up speed and motoring forward to pounce on him. But he felt no arms grab at him nor any indication that someone else was closing in, and so he opened his wet eyes, coughing up some water while he made out the figure of someone bigger holding the stranger underwater until he was splashing, then yanking him up, the man sputtering and gasping for air.
Sehun.
Sehun was shirtless, a bloodied bandage hanging off his left shoulder, and Luhan concluded that he must have been wounded while hunting, and that he'd somehow sensed Luhan was in danger before being properly stitched back up, because he was bleeding heavily, red rolling down his back faster than water from the effort he was putting into torturing the other alpha.
Luhan stared dumbly for a bit, hearing the stranger's cries for mercy and Sehun's loud, angry grunting.
"Sehun, Stop! You're hurting yourself!" He yelled as he realized what was happening, getting his legs to move him in his mate's direction, because he seemed set on filling the stranger's lungs with water even though the water by his waist was turning red.
Sehun didn't stop moving until Luhan grabbed at his arm, his touch seeming to bring his mate back to his senses, if he even had any left from the severe blood loss. Sehun was breathing heavily, hand closed around the other alpha's throat, who was barely above the water, coughing and sputtering wildly.
"You can smell him for miles," the alpha rasped out, laughing brokenly. "I'm sure I won't be the last to pick up on his scent and hunt him down."
"Shut the fuck up," Sehun snapped, squeezing the man's throat harder. He grasped at Sehun's strong arm, trying to pry him off.
"Sehun, please; your shoulder," Luhan interjected, reaching up to his ripped skin as if him touching it would help in any way. Sehun barely flinched, but he stopped choking the other male, turning to face his mate.
"Luhan," he started, his eyes full of worry and apologies. His hair was wet and he looked so handsome, his gaze a strangely nostalgic one. All the fear Luhan had had before was gone, replaced with worry for Sehun and admiration of his guts.
Before Sehun got to say anything else, however, his relinquished hold on the other alpha's throat gave him a loophole and, before Luhan knew it, teeth had sunk into his arm that had been nursing Sehun's wound, his vision going black almost immediately as the unbearable pain coursed through him.
---
Part 2