Alpha & Omega // Ateez // P.SH

- 32 -

They were nearly at the secret entrance closest to their old house when Mingi gave a sharp warning in the pack link.

«Number one is compromised, head towards number two,» he said, and the wolves quickly moved in a new direction, taking an alley away from the danger.

Ellinor whimpered, she felt her father trying to reach her in the parent child-link again. She still kept it closed, but she wasn't able to focus on keeping it closed when they were running. It was too much going on at the same time. Wolves everywhere. They were forced into a warehouse. Large halls filled with containers and junk. There were a thousand places the enemy might be hiding, and it was hard to avoid being split up.

Panic struck when Ellinor realized she was alone.

«Where are you guys?» she said in the link. «I can't find you!»

«We're close. Keep going north,» Hongjoong answered, but it was hard to stay oriented.

«Wolves behind you, Ell!»

The warning from Helena made Ivy take off, but she had no idea where she was.

«I'm surrounded,» she finally said, the fear in her could not be hidden.

She stood in between the containers, feeling enemies in all directions. She knew who was coming, she felt him, and the other wolves snarled and bit when she tried to break out of the ring they had formed around her. She got some tears, but she didn't even notice the blood trickling. Her head felt like it would explode, her father really worked hard on getting into her head again.

«Omega!» he roared after stopping and shifting to his human form. He couldn't reach her when he was a wolf, but now she had no headphones on. «Come here!»

He stood still and just looked at her with dark eyes. His rage could easily be seen on his body. Ellinor whimpered, crawled along the floor, and she had no way of avoiding him.

«Your pathetic pack is scattered,» he smirked. «And it truly is pathetic. They really thought they could just come here and pick you up?! Hah! I'm the most powerful alpha of all the clans, no one can stand up to me!»

It felt like the world moved in slow motion. Ellinor lay on the floor, not daring to look up at her father, but a movement in the air made her shift her eyes up. From a metal beam far above them, Seonghwa jumped down onto the leader alpha. They rolled around, it was hard to see what was happening, but when they stopped, Elinor felt it. She felt it in the parent child-link. She stood up and saw Seonghwa with his fangs deep in her father's neck. The shock in her father's eyes made her rage sink back, just like his body did.

Seonghwa could have torn out his trachea in a moment, but he didn't. For her sake. Her father had to die, but that was enough. She didn't need to see a bloodbath. Seonghwa kept his grip around the alpha's neck until his body was completely limp. He let him fall to the floor and growled deeply at the wolves around them. Ellinor stood right next to him now, and he would have done anything to keep her safe. It wasn't necessary, though. His bright red eyes were enough. The enemy pulled back.

«My love?»

Seonghwa turned to Ellinor, to find her on the floor, almost unconscious. He quickly shifted and picked the beautiful wolf up in his arms. Their pack was gathering around them, but the enemy was nowhere to be seen.

—

«What happened?» Hongjoong whispered to Seonghwa. They stood by the door in Seonghwa's room watching Yunho taking care of Ellinor. She was still in her wolf, but Yunho said she was doing okay. She had a few cuts and bruises that he fixed up as best he could. He gave her a strengthening potion, just a few spoonfuls into her mouth should be enough.

«I told you, he was mine.»

«You did. And he had to die.»

Hongjoong understood, and that allowed Seonghwa to gather his thoughts.

«I jumped him from above,» Seonghwa sighed. «They obviously didn't smell me, Yunho's potion worked. I took him by surprise. And it felt like the only way to do this. Ellinor was watching, I couldn't just rip out his throat.»

«For Ellinor,» Hongjoong nodded. «But you do realize...»

«What?»

«That makes it a ritual killing.»

Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong, his eyes glazing over as he started to search the memory bank of his mind. He was the original heir to Avande, he had learned a lot before he left.

«No!» Seonghwa suddenly realize what that entailed. «My instincts told me to do it this way.»

«Your instincts showed you the right way,» Joong said. «So even if you didn't know, everything lead you in this direction. You are their new leader alpha now.»

—

The room was dark when Ellinor woke up, but she felt his hot breath against her fur. She shifted and turned around. He peeked at her before closing his eyes again, he had been sleeping behind her back. Now he smiled a tired smile.

«I love you,» she whispered.

«I love you too, Elli. Sleep a little longer, we'll talk in the morning.»

With a smile on her lips, she found her way as close to his body as she could possibly come. She hid her face in his neck, and the scent of the man she loved lulled her right back to sleep.

—

Seonghwa held her hand as they walked through the corridors of the fortress, going to the kitchen. They smelled the cooking far away and Seonghwa smiled at her.

«Yunho's scrambled eggs?»

«I think so, my love,» he chuckled.

«Who's going to be there?» she asked, her voice a little anxious.

«The entire pack is here now, and also 11 new children, 12 with Minah.»

«Minah?»

She had tears in her eyes now.

«Yes, Minah is Helena and Mingi's daughter who was born...»

«That night.»

He nodded. She squeezed his hand, smiled as bravely as she could, and took a deep breath before they entered the kitchen. She had no idea why she felt so nervous. This was her pack!

«Ellinor!»

As soon as they entered the kitchen, the pack all wanted to hug Ellinor. She met most of them the night before, but there had been no time for these things then. But now, in their safe and warm kitchen, with the smell of Yunho's famous scrambled eggs in the air, they could allow themselves to be happy. The pack was back together again.