Twilight of Shadows

Chapter 2: Chains of Gold

The car ride was silent except for the soft hum of the engine. Jeonghan sat stiffly in the leather seat, his wrists still bound in the cold steel cuffs. He kept his gaze locked on the rain-streaked window, refusing to acknowledge the Alpha sitting beside him. Mingyu didn't seem to care; his attention was fixed on the road ahead, one hand gripping the wheel, the other casually resting on his thigh.

The tension was palpable.

"Are you going to keep me in these forever?" Jeonghan finally asked, his voice laced with sarcasm as he rattled the chains around his wrists.

Mingyu's eyes flicked toward him briefly, unamused. "If you behave, maybe I'll take them off."

Jeonghan scoffed, leaning back in his seat. "I didn't ask to be here. You didn't need to 'rescue' me if this is what you had in mind."

"That wasn't a rescue," Mingyu said, his tone sharp. "It was business. Don't mistake my actions for charity."

Jeonghan clenched his fists, biting back a retort. He didn't want to give the Alpha the satisfaction of seeing how his words stung.

The car pulled up to a sprawling estate, its dark silhouette looming against the stormy night sky. Mingyu stepped out first, slamming the door behind him, before circling around to Jeonghan's side. He opened the door and grabbed Jeonghan by the arm, his grip firm but not painful.

"Move," he commanded.

Jeonghan reluctantly followed, water soaking his thin clothes as they made their way to the entrance. The house was just as cold and imposing inside as it was outside. Marble floors gleamed under dim lighting, and the air smelled faintly of leather and wood polish.

Mingyu led him to a room at the end of a long corridor. It wasn't a prison, but it might as well have been. The room was sparsely furnished-a bed, a chair, and a small wardrobe. A single window overlooked the rain-drenched garden below.

"You'll stay here," Mingyu said, unlocking the cuffs and tossing them onto the bed. Jeonghan rubbed his wrists, glaring at him.

"And what exactly am I staying here for? Your entertainment?"

Mingyu stepped closer, his height casting a shadow over Jeonghan. "You'll stay here because I said so. Until I decide what to do with you."

Jeonghan didn't back away, even as Mingyu's pheromones filled the air, heavy and intoxicating. "I'm not some object you can control," he said quietly but firmly.

Mingyu's jaw tightened, and for a moment, Jeonghan thought he saw a flicker of uncertainty in the Alpha's eyes. But it was gone in an instant.

"You'll find that your opinion doesn't matter much here," Mingyu said, his voice cold. He turned and walked to the door, pausing just before leaving. "Don't try anything stupid. You won't get far."

The door closed with a soft click, and Jeonghan was alone.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, his hands trembling despite his best efforts to stay calm. He hated this feeling-the vulnerability, the helplessness. But more than anything, he hated the Alpha who had brought him here.

Yet, even as he sat there plotting his escape, he couldn't shake the memory of the look in Mingyu's eyes back at the auction. It wasn't just cruelty or dominance. There had been something else-something darker, something broken.

Jeonghan shook his head. He couldn't afford to care about what made Kim Mingyu tick. His only priority was getting out of here and taking back control of his life.

But deep down, a part of him knew it wasn't going to be that simple.

---

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the house...

Mingyu poured himself a glass of whiskey, his hands unsteady as he leaned against the bar. The storm outside mirrored the turmoil in his chest. He hated this-hated that the omega's defiance had stirred something in him he couldn't quite name.

He downed the drink in one gulp, the burn doing little to soothe him. This was a mistake. Bringing Jeonghan here, involving himself in something so... human.

But it was too late now.

As the rain pounded against the windows, Mingyu stared into the dark, his mind swirling with thoughts he couldn't silence.

Jeonghan wasn't just another omega. And that was going to be a problem.