Destiny Makes Eight

Curiosity is a Curious Thing

Dinner with the other Pack members had gone well enough that Yunho felt a little more secure in wandering the mansion and grounds. He was careful not to go near the area Hongjoong had forbidden. While Yunho wasn't quite sure what to think of the Head Alpha, he didn't want to get on his bad side before he could figure a few more things out. First of all, was how many Omegas lived in the mansion. He'd only ever seen the one, but Hongjoong had used the plural form, indicating at least two. As much as Yunho hoped that his initial thoughts were wrong, he couldn't let it go until he knew for sure that the Omegas were safe here.

Having eaten with San and Jongho, Yunho couldn't really find anything wrong with either one of them. However, if they didn't want him to know something, they could easily hide it. He was in their territory after all. He was a stranger in their midst. It was only natural not to let others in on your secrets. Yet in his own country, Nobleman Alphas never strayed from hiding their collections of Omegas. It was seen as a status symbol to have a well-behaved Omega. Even better if they were a Mate. It was possible to force a Mating and tie an Omega or Beta to the Alpha, but most Alphas chose to leave a claiming bite instead. They wouldn't be affected by the Omega's emotions that way but still 'owned' them. 

Yunho hated those practices. It was better to have a Bonding rather than a Mating. Breaking a Mating mark was incredibly difficult and quite painful. He'd heard that even a few died from it if they weren't strong enough. Or if one of the pair died, it would feel like the remaining half was being torn in two. It's what had happened to his mother when his father became ill and died when Yunho was just a young child. It had come on suddenly. The doctors didn't know what to do. Even when Yunho's father was still alive his mother had slowly become a ghost of herself. She died only a few days after his father. Yunho barely remembered them. His Uncle had come with his sons and raised him ever since.

Yunho had gotten sick from the stress and the doctor said it damaged his body. Giving him medicine to take once a week in order to stay healthy. As a child of only five, Yunho had no choice but to listen to his Uncle and his doctor. He didn't even get the chance to watch his parents be buried. Since then, he was raised mostly in seclusion. Never allowed to leave the building he lived in. He didn't call it a home because it often felt more like a prison. His Uncle didn't beat him, but he controlled him in other ways. Taking away privileges or meals when Yunho didn't do as he wanted. His older cousin was more violent, sometimes beating him up when things didn't go his way. His Uncle would chide the boy but wouldn't put a stop to it.

Despite all of this, Yunho managed to remain educated. His Uncle didn't want an illiterate charge tainting his reputation. Yunho was taught all the proper forms of etiquette. He was taught the right things to say to appease the noblemen who came to visit. He was taught how the hierarchy worked. Who was at the top and who was at the bottom. Yet his own sub gender never seemed to reveal itself. The doctor blamed it on the illness he had as a child. That his presentation was likely delayed because his body had suffered trauma. Part of Yunho was grateful for it. It meant that he didn't have to participate in the hierarchy. If he wasn't an Alpha, he wouldn't be expected to gain his own Omegas. If he wasn't an Omega, he wouldn't be forced into submission simply because he was deemed weaker. The best option was as a Beta, but they were often the working class and sometimes used as slaves when Omegas weren't enough.

Yunho shuddered and shook himself free of the memories. He hated how his Uncle and others in his kingdom lived. He had waited months, learning guard and servant schedules. Slowly gathering money from his inheritance. He knew his Uncle had been using it and as much as he hated that fact, there was nothing he could have done about it. He found a travel pack and carefully prepared until he finally found his opportunity and fled in the dead of night. Walking on the road for weeks had finally led Yunho to the border and into a new Kingdom. And now, several weeks after that, he found himself in another mansion, in another land.