𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫 || 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐖𝐨𝐧

Chapter 4

Mingyu kept his eyes on the road as he drove, looking for the signpost that would direct him to the next town. It shouldn’t have been that hard to navigate, but the narrow back roads he was driving on left a lot to be desired.

Finally, he spotted a side road and a sign so covered in ivy he could barely read it. This was it.

The town itself was busier than a place like that normally would be. But that was exactly why Mingyu had chosen it. There was a cattle auction happening, which had drawn people in from the surrounding counties. If ever there was a chance to get lost in the crowd, this was it. He drove up and down the main street a few times before he found a parking spot. Then he sauntered up the road, popped into a small grocery store to buy a newspaper, and tried his best to blend in. The jeans he wore and the hat on his head helped. Most didn’t give him a second glance.

When he reached the payphone, he stuck his hand in his pocket, pulled out a pile of change, and stepped into the booth. It was now or never.

The phone took so long to dial, he thought it wasn’t working. But eventually, he heard the distant ring and the sound of the line connecting. And then his brother’s voice.

“Hello?”

“It’s me.”

There was a tense silence, a sharp intake of air.

“Hey.”

“You got my message.”

“Sure did. Loud and clear.” His brother was being careful, and for that, Mingyu was very grateful.

“Everything okay on your end?”

“All fine here. You?”

“Keeping my head down and my nose clean.”

“Glad to hear it. You sure you’re okay? You don’t sound quite like yourself.”

“I’m fine, really. Just… taking a break from things. Like we were always talking about.” Though this wasn’t the break he’d envisioned, and the reason for it was far from what he thought would finally spur him on.

“Uh-huh. As long as you’re looking after yourself. It’s good that you called, I’m headed out next week.”

“Yeah? Where to?”

“Overseas. That expedition they were hemming and hawing over? Finally got funding and approval.”

Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief. “How long will you be gone?”

“At least six months. Probably a year if funding is extended, and it should be.”

“Great, I’m really happy for you.” And relieved. His brother out of the country meant one less person who could be used as leverage against him, if it came down to it.

“Wish you could be here to see me off.”

“Would if I could, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know. Look, this… whatever it is you’ve got yourself tangled up in? Find a way out, okay? Life’s too short to be constantly looking over your shoulder.”

“Ain’t that the truth?” he said lightly, not acknowledging the real worry behind his brother’s words.

“Min—” His brother cut himself off with a huff of frustration.

“I’ve got to go,” Mingyu told him. “Stay safe, okay? I’ll be in touch.”

His brother sounded resigned. “Sure. You know how to reach me. Take care of yourself.”

“You too. Have fun out there.”

The call ended on a flat note, the well-wishes tasting bitter in Mingyu’s mouth. He’d always been careful which jobs he took, made sure to keep himself on the right side of things. But he’d trusted people who were a lot less scrupulous than he’d imagined. No matter that the choices he’d made after were the right ones, he was still left dealing with the consequences. Or hiding from them, as the case may be.

He left the phone booth and strolled back down the road, trying to look unconcerned even as he found himself scanning the faces that passed him, watching every vehicle that drove by. No one would think to look for him here; it was so far removed from the life he’d built for himself.

That’s what made this county, and the orchard, the perfect hiding place.

He got back in time for his afternoon training session with Junhui. The alpha was in far better form than Mingyu was, raring to go and grinning every time he landed a hit. Mingyu kept him on his toes, testing his reflexes and getting him to think as he moved. Junhui had good instincts, but his power was often fueled by anger. Anger could override good sense and good training. It left people open and vulnerable. In a fight, the consequences could be deadly.

They were almost finished when Mingyu realized they had an audience. He barely let his gaze flick in the direction of the tree, catching a glimpse of the shadowed form hiding up there. He’d seen very little of their newest visitor since his arrival. Wonwoo had slept through most of his first week at the orchard, and in the few days he’d been up and about, Mingyu had barely spent more than a minute or two in his company.

Curious about Wonwoo, he’d tried to talk to Minghao and learn more about him, but the beta was very close-lipped. All Mingyu knew was that Minghao and Seungcheol had met Wonwoo when he was still in army training. That had been two years ago. Enough time for Wonwoo to have completed his training and seen active service. They trained omegas well these days.

They weren’t just ornaments there to keep the alphas happy—they were fully-fledged team members. At least, they had been on every team Mingyu had ever worked on. As a civilian contractor, he’d moved around a lot, got to pick and choose where he wanted to work and with whom. It gave him the kind of freedom he knew the army would never afford him. And better pay to boot.

“Once more,” he called to Junhui. “Focus on the follow-through this time. The goal is to get your opponent off his feet. The first move is just a distraction.”

Junhui managed to get him to his knees, which was a better show than his first few times attempting the maneuver.

“Good job,” he said, letting Junhui tug him upright. “You’ve almost got it.”

“Almost.” Junhui clapped him on the shoulder. “I give it a week before I’m knocking you flat on your back.”

“Ha, I’d like to see you try.”

The other alpha grabbed his water bottle and strode off toward the house while Mingyu picked up a towel and wiped the sweat off his forehead and chest.

He lifted his head and stared up at the tree and its silent occupant.

“You want to go a round?” he called, meeting the leopard’s green gaze. “I’m sure you’ve picked up a trick or two.”

There was no response from Wonwoo, and so Mingyu turned away, leaving him to his own devices. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he whirled around just as Wonwoo leaped from the tree and landed on the ground in front of him. The leopard’s hackles were raised, his fur bristling, and Mingyu almost took a step back in the face of such clear aggression. But then the omega abruptly turned and stalked off through the trees, not giving Mingyu a second glance.

“What the hell is his problem?” he murmured to himself, throwing the towel over his shoulder.

Even as he asked the question, he suspected he had a good idea of the answer. Like with Junhui, he could see the anger bubbling away under Wonwoo’s skin. Rage like that needed an outlet, or it was liable to rent the bearer apart from the inside out. Mingyu could help with that if Wonwoo would let him.