The Alpha in His Corner

Chapter 13

The wind whooshed in the tree branches overhead, but Dan barely noticed. All he could focus on was the man sitting in front of him, and the secret he'd just revealed.

Jaekyung shifted restlessly, as if he might jump up and bolt away at any moment. But he remained seated across from Dan, watching him with a troubled, anxious expression. "You, Kim Dan," he said, "are the only omega whose pheromones have ever felt good to me. And now that I've had you once..." He paused, rubbing a knuckle across his eyebrow. "...I'm not satisfied with anyone else."

Dan could barely breathe. He gripped the edge of the picnic table until his fingertips were white. He had to swallow before he spoke. "I thought you had a bunch of other partners."

"I do," Jaekyung grunted. "I tried them."

Dan's eyes grew wide. "All...all of them?"

"...Not everyone was available," Jaekyung admitted. "I mostly fuck betas, but I tried some alphas. Even tried a couple of omegas to see if I'd been magically cured. No luck there."

Dan's mind was reeling. "Wait, alphas can...do that together?" He shook the thought away. "No, never mind, that's not the issue here." He rubbed both his temples. "You're telling me that your heightened sex drive is preventing you from training properly for your matches, and you think that sleeping with me again will fix it?"

Jaekyung bobbed his head from side to side a few times. "That about sums it up."

Dan clasped his hands together in front of his mouth. He studied the table for a few seconds, then glanced up into Jaekyung's furrowed gaze. "When is your next match?"

Jaekyung's jaw shifted. "Tomorrow."

Dan stared at him. "So, tonight we'd have to..." He stopped himself. Why was he talking as if he was actually considering sleeping with Jaekyung again? The first time had been so chaotic, and Jaekyung had been so harsh the last time they'd seen each other. What reason did Dan have to even consider his request?

Suddenly, images flashed across Dan's mind, images from the dreams he'd been having recently. Damp skin, heated breaths, and wet slaps echoed through every corner of his brain. A voice simmered at the back of his thoughts.

Don't pretend you don't want this, too.

Dan flinched, ducking his head as he flushed deep red.

A frown flickered across Jaekyung's brow. "Dan?"

Dan rubbed both hands over his face, wishing he could douse himself in a cold shower. "I'm sorry, I, uh... This is a lot to take in." He slid his hands slowly down, peeking at Jaekyung over his fingertips. "...What happens if you don't get... satisfied by tomorrow's match?"

Jaekyung's leg was still bouncing under the table. "I might be able to handle it," he said gruffly. "But based on past experiences, it will likely be...difficult."

Dan's stomach was tight. "Isn't it dangerous for you to fight in this condition? Can't you just...skip this match?"

Jaekyung's eyes sharpened to razor points of blackness, and Dan regretted making the suggestion. "Even if I did that for this fight—which I won't—what about the next match? And the one after that?" His dark hair rippled in the wind as he shook his head. "No, I can't do that. I have to fight, Dan." His jaw was taut, his gaze raw. "It's what I do."

Dan was reminded of when Grandma had been diagnosed with cancer in the middle of his second year of studying to be a physical therapist. He'd been doing amazingly: straight A's, top of his class, promising opportunities lined up for future semesters. He'd loved his classes, had known that physical therapy was what he was meant to do. But he had to drop it all to see Grandma through her treatment. If he had to redo it, he would have made the same decision in a heartbeat, of course. Nothing mattered more to him than taking care of Grandma. But still, the stifling pain of being torn away from doing what he loved still lingered, even now that he was back in school.