They spent two more days with Soonyoung’s pack before they drove home. It was late by the time they reached the orchard; Jeonghan had needed even more breaks on the return journey. The omega was asleep on his feet, so Seungcheol carried him to bed, checked in with Junhui, and turned in for the night.
The next morning, he woke to find the other side of the bed empty. Junhui and Jeonghan were at the kitchen table, talking quietly.
“Are we really a pack?” Junhui asked when he spotted him.
“Seems like we might be.”
Junhui huffed, crossing his arms. “Does that explain why I’ve been crawling the walls since you left? I’m usually a pretty chill guy, but I spent half the night before last walking the orchard boundary. I’ve never felt that uneasy before, not since Jeonghan went to Douglas’s.”
Seungcheol wasn’t sure what that meant in pack terms. He caught Jeonghan’s flinch at the mention of Douglas’s name and decided to take the bull by the horns.
“I guess us being pack might explain that, closer ties and all. Speaking of Douglas…” Jeonghan winced again. “…I’m going to make contact with my grandpa’s lawyer, see if he can recommend someone to help us expedite your bond annulment.”
“Annulment?”
“Uh-huh. Since you and Douglas were never… intimate, it should be a straightforward matter to put an end to it.”
“And then you and I will…”
“If it’s possible, we’ll do both at the same time. Once you feel ready for that.”
He wouldn’t push Jeonghan into anything he didn’t want to do.
Jeonghan nodded enthusiastically. “I’m ready. How soon can we arrange it?”
“I’ll make a few calls.”
Within an hour, he had the name of a lawyer and an understanding of the timeline.
“He’s going to call Douglas and point out the legal ramifications of him having paid money to your father to coerce you into a mating bond. It’ll be easier to end this with his cooperation. If that doesn’t work, we’ll go the slower route. Might take a few months, but we’ll get there.”
Their plan had an unintended consequence: Jeonghan’s father called Junhui.
The alpha stormed into the house after lunch the next day, tossing his phone on the table.
“Our devoted dad rang. He’s had Douglas talking in his ear, complaining that not only have we taken Jeonghan from him, but we’re now threatening to set the cops on him. He’s demanding Dad repay the money he forked out for Jeonghan, and Dad’s insisting we should pay it, since we took Jeonghan away.”
“What did you tell him?” Seungcheol asked, watching Jeonghan.
The omega had gone very still as he listened to his brother.
“To go to hell. And that if he ever came near us again, he’d regret it.” Junhui threw an arm around Jeonghan’s shoulders. “I’ve got your back, Jeonghan. That’s what brothers are for. Besides, we’re pack now. That makes Seungcheol and Minghao our family. Our real family.”
It was the most Junhui had said about their situation, and more positive than Seungcheol had expected. He knew that Junhui’s easy acceptance wouldn’t last. He was carrying a lot on his shoulders; that’s what the fighting was about.
Maybe being part of a pack would be good for him, settle him down, help him find his feet. They could hope, anyway.
In the longer term, Seungcheol would work with him to turn that unruly anger into something more productive.
YOU ARE READING
𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚́𝐧 || 𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥
FanfictionAn omega without a home. An alpha without a family. They need a pack-they just don't know it yet. Seungcheol put everything he had into fulfilling his father's ambitions, almost dying in the process. After a year spent recovering, he has one thing...
