Destiny Makes Eight

Hesitation and Determination

Yeosang had barely managed to wake up when he was suddenly crushed by Seonghwa’s familiar weight. The nest was freshly cleaned but still held the scents of his Pack. “Seonghwa?” Yeosang managed to ask. His voice was slurred from sleep and confusion.

Yeosang moved his body a little and felt Seonghwa’s arms snake around him, arching his back up a little from the hold. Seonghwa often liked to bury Yeosang beneath himself. An instinctual thing from their ancestors. When all of them were still able to shift their bodies from human to wolf and back. Omegas of a Pack would protect their pups beneath their own belly. While none of them could shift now, the gene having slowly faded away, some of the instincts remained. Yeosang usually felt safe when Seonghwa held him like this, but right now all it did was confuse him.

“You’re okay.” Seonghwa whispered and held him just a little tighter.

“What… what’s going on?” Yeosang blinked. He struggled to free his arms but managed to hug Seonghwa around the waist. He was concerned with the way Seonghwa was acting. The sour tinge to his scent assaulted Yeosang’s nose and he tried his best to emit his own calming pheromones to help Seonghwa.

Hongjoong walked into the room moments later and hurried toward the large nest settled on their bed. He felt instantly calmed, seeing both of his Omegas curled up together there. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into the nest with them. He nudged Seonghwa a little and the older Omega moved enough for Hongjoong to pull both of them to him. He did his best to keep his scent calm, allowing the lavender scent he’d gained from his Mating with Yeosang to encircle them.

“Everything is okay, my loves.” Hongjoong spoke gently. His own mind was reeling but right now he needed to make sure his Pack was feeling okay. He felt the fear in Seonghwa the moment he told him about the place Yunho had come from. It had been years since Hongjoong brought Yeosang from Illudere, but the pain and trauma still haunted them even now.

“Hongjoong, he’s from Il—” Seonghwa picked up his head and stared wide-eyed.

“Hwa.” Hongjoong sharply cut him off. His expression softened and he stroked his hair, tucking some behind his ear. “Come, cuddle up with me while we wait for the others.”

Hongjoong moved to lean against the part of the nest that was settled against the wall at the head of the bed. Sometimes, he still found Yeosang in a little nest on the floor in a corner but he was happy when the younger gravitated more toward the bed as time wore on. Yeosang looked between them, feeling even more confused than before. Having woken up to being smothered by Seonghwa, it took his brain longer to catch up than usual. Seonghwa urged him to move to Hongjoong’s side and only settled himself down once he knew Yeosang was safely under the Head Alpha’s arm.

Mingi’s sour scent reached them before he walked through the door and Hongjoong felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He knew his reaction hadn’t been the best, but in the moment his only concern was keeping Seonghwa safe. He’d heard so many horror stories, seen a few himself, of the fate male Omegas had experienced at the hands of ill-intentioned Alphas. How when Seonghwa first presented, an Alpha tried to force him to submit using his pheromones simply because he was a rarity. That was the day Hongjoong learned that a lot of Alphas saw Omegas as weaker than them. That they were beneath them and it was even worse for male Omegas. They were seen as an object or trophy to prove some sort of made-up status or hierarchy.

Hongjoong had seen the condition Yeosang was in when he found him. The terrified young man whose entire life changed the moment he presented. He was locked away and only allowed to see Wooyoung if he behaved well. He was given strict lessons on how to behave and remain submissive to an Alpha. If he failed, he was denied food. His parents, who were supposed to love and protect him, instead turned Yeosang into an object and effectively sold him to the highest bidder for the sake of their connections.