Chapter Text
Seonghwa hated Alphas. He hated their attitudes, their scents, their voices and the way their inner wolves barked for no reason. He hated the fact that none Alpha was civil if not under a powerful Omega's boot. He hated how after so many years of Omegas controlling science and technology, pups with the cursed subgender were still being born from some poor Omegas, who had no other option than to give their pups away to people like him. Powerful people like Seonghwa. Who were able to keep those brainless sacks of bones at bay and give them a purpose to exist. That was the only time Seonghwa didn't hate Alphas; when they were earning him money and visibility.
He owned six Alphas at this point, every weekend he threw each one of them into his inherited Arena and watched them fight against the wolves of whoever dared to challenge him.
Every single Gladiator wore the bite of their pack leader on their wrist. If they won their combat, their pack would earn money and respect; if they lost, their pack would suffer the physical pain that came with a member's death, as punishment.
For Seonghwa, the only con was the constant barking and wailing of his dumb poochs resounding in his head.
He was at the top of the Alpha combat scene, since he owned the most feral wolf born in a century.
Other Omegas didn't challenge Seonghwa's top Alpha often, but when they did, it was a show. People would fill the Arena to its maximum capacity and he would make some easy money betting in favor of Hongjoong, since the beast never lost a fight. He was the perfect killing machine, strong, wild, zero traces of human intelligence and the cherry on top was the fact that Hongjoong never talked through their pack link. Actually, Seonghwa wasn't sure if he could hear them at all, since the Alpha was as primitive as a rock, null in the communication department. And that made him perfect, Omega's hated their pets invading the same pack links they shared with their families.
—Who is going to feed your dogs today?— His counsellor asked while Seonghwa was sipping on his tea. —No one wants the job, it has been two days already.
—My fur balls haven't eaten in two days? What were you doing?
—Seonghwa… I don't want to lose an arm, I think I have more important things to organize for you. Last guy is barely alive, with a plastic tube as throat. Thank you, but I'll pass.
—We are urged to hire some new personnel, San. Remind me after my tea.— San, his personal valet was standing next to Seonghwa, ready to hold a pastry for him or to add sugar to his infusion if he required it.
—I apologize for interrupting, My Lord. But I can do it till you find someone else.— The Beta replied.
—You? You have a lot to do for me, pup. Forget it.
—I'd still serve you without an arm, My Lord. I'm just worried about the wellbeing of your Alphas, since you have been challenged for the weekend.
Seonghwa sighed. —You are right, but leave Hongjoong for last, I've been informed that his neck is still free after what happened.
—I insist that you should have executed him long time ago. What if that was your throat he tore apart?— His counsellor crossed his legs with a cocky attitude.
—If we line up nuisances in decreasing order, you will be executed first, don't worry.— Seonghwa put down his cup frustrated. —Let's go, San. I need fresh air, my head is killing me.
San followed him without question and when they were out of sight of the pack's counsellor he dared to ask. —Are we feeding the Alphas, Sir?
—Yes, I'm as tough as them, we can manage.
—But…
—Don't worry, pup. I'm not made of glass.
When they walked past the kitchen's door, San tapped his arm. —Is it okay if I take today's leftovers, Sir?
Seonghwa nodded, —I'll take the keys in the meantime.
When he walked through the back door, the guard patrolling the yards bowed to him. Seonghwa descended into the ancient dungeon, with a big set of keys in hand. Everything was dusty and moldy but he was not interested in spending a buck for some primitive mammals, no matter how much they made him earn.
Most of his Alphas were relatively civil to him, dogs didn't bite the hand that fed them. And the majority were just shackled by their necks, with a wide range of movement within their cells. But there were some exceptions.
—Sir?— The wolf put the book down on the mattress, while his big, round eyes focused on Seonghwa. —What are you doing "here"?
Wooyoung liked to read, so he was the one who barked no-sense the least and the only one who wasn't tied at all. Since he cooperated most of the time, even when they transported him to the Arena; probably resigned to his fate. Seonghwa felt a little less hateful about him.
—Feeding you all, since no one else seems able to control your moody quirks.
San joined him with a big container of leftover rice, meat and bread. —Good afternoon!
They prepared six plates, adding generic nutritional powder to each one of them. And filling the steel cups of each Alpha with fresh water every time they entered a cell. The animals were way too hungry to even bother with anything else other than the food, the fact that San cared enough to add meat to the plates was a huge free pass.
They were five down and Seonghwa's nose was already stuffy, the mix of musky scents wasn't something he was used to. But when they reached the end of the corridor the burning smell invaded his lungs, spreading as fast as a forest fire and asphyxiating him for a long moment.
—Sir, sir, are you okay?— When he got back to his senses, San was patting his back.
—Yeah, it's just that the scents are heavy here.
—Oh sorry, I can't smell it as good as you. Do you think some of the Alphas are in their rut? Isn't that a good thing? They are going to be more feral in the Arena.
Seonghwa focused for the first time on the last cell. Hongjoong was there, he hadn't seen him for a few weeks and he mostly saw him eighty feet away, from the commanding tier of the Arena. He was kneeling on the floor, his arms and legs chained to the wall and the chain he broke to bite Seonghwa's employee was still hanging around his neck. He was the only one muzzled and his chest and clothes were still covered in dried blood.
—Has he been on his knees for two days? His joints are going to be ruined for the weekend...
—I didn't know either, maybe the guards restricted his legs after what happened, Sir.
—They have enough balls to tie down my dog, but they don't have enough to feed him. What a bunch of hypocrites!
Seonghwa felt genuinely bad for Hongjoong. The Alpha couldn't even reach the toilet while being chained up like that, not that he had anything in his system to even pee. He was sure no one bothered enough to even give him water.
He deserved another type of treatment and Seonghwa hated himself and his Omega nature for that thought. Hongjoong was the textbook description of a primal Alpha brought to life: brute, unintelligent, insensitive and totally uneducable; purely guided by his feral instincts to destroy other Alphas and breed innocent Omegas against their will.
—I think there's an extra loop left in the wall. It may be too low to hook the neck chain, but we can move it down to the waist, Sir.
—Restrained like this he ripped out some throats, it may be dangerous. But we can sedate him.
—If you allow me to differ, I think we should try to reason with him. I have dealt with Hongjoong before and I'm pretty sure he understands. But let me be the only one to enter, Sir. I could never expose you to the consequences of my moral idea.
—San… I'm not going to leave you alone there. I trust you more than my own brothers, if you say the sack of hair is manageable, I believe you.— Seonghwa put the key in the gate lock and Hongjoong immediately raised his head, his gray eyes fixed on the Omega's.
—Listen you, mass of muscle. I know you understand my words well, my family's servants have been talking to you since you were a cub. I'll be clear, we are gonna feed you and if you behave, maybe even free up your legs a bit. But if you dare to touch San or me, you will be executed before dawn.
As soon as he crossed the gate the smoky scent burnt his throat and he had to endure it and breathe through his mouth in order to get closer to Hongjoong.
They moved the broken chain to the Alpha's waist, giving enough length for him to reach like half of the room, while Hongjoong completely ignored the presence of San in the cell, following Seonghwa's every movement with his strong gaze. His hands were still chained close to the wall, so his movements were minimal.
—Bring the plate, pup.— Seonghwa opened the padlock on the Alpha's muzzle and withdrew his hands quickly, well aware of what Hongjoong's large canines could do.
San got the food plate close to the Alpha's face with no effect, his eyes were still fixed on Seonghwa.
The Omega sighed. —I'll help. Free his legs in the meantime, San.— He took the plate, filled the spoon with food and touched the Alpha's lips with it, —eat, you useless animal.
—"Useless" is a bit of a harsh word, Sir. I'm sure he is eager to win another combat for you.— San freed one of the Alpha's legs and stretched it out on the floor.
—What are you? His lawyer?— Seonghwa crouched at his side. —Eat, Hongjoong.
And the Alpha's trance broke, to focus on the spoon, before he opened his mouth. His teeth were flawless, big and withe; all perfectly square shaped except for his canines, which were long, pointy and sharp. The thought made something flip inside Seonghwa's belly, his valets and casual flings respected him too much to give him a good munch.
He fed Hongjoong while San was massaging his knees. He was sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out and being spoon-fed like a child, it was a weird sight considering the Alpha's nature. Seonghwa allowed himself to breathe calmly again and his nose filled with something way sweeter than Hongjoong's classic burning smell, the wood wasn't onfire this time and its scent was rich, spicy, earthy.
When they finished, he tightened the muzzle around the Alpha's jaw and locked it before they secured his wrist chains slightly longer than they were, to allow him to move within half of the cell.
As soon as Hongjoong had extra movement range, he stood up and grasped Seonghwa's arm harshly.
—Hey!— The Alpha's narrowed eyes were back on him.
And San and Seonghwa had to put all their combined strengths to pull the Omega out of the cell.
—What an ungrateful piece of meat!
—Sir, are you okay?— San inspected his arm while Seonghwa was trying to lock the gate.
—Yeah, yeah… let's just go. I need something sweet for dinner.
〰
While having dinner with his pack, the need for extra employees came up.
—I can help San to feed your Alphas, brother.
—I can do it too, Jongho. It's not about that, no one with our status should be feeding dogs. It's imperative to hire new servants, so offer the job through the city, please.
Everyone agreed and went back to their meat feast, while Seonghwa was playing with the bread pudding on his plate.
—You know… I haven't been as close to the Alpha's as today in a long time. And a question has lingered in my mind since then. Can you hear all of them through the pack link?— He pulled at the sleeve of his shirt to cover the purple bruise that was forming on his wrist.
—I don't know. They don't talk much. Why do you ask, brother?— Yeosang answered while wiping his mouth with a napkin.
—Well, I can hear four of them barking no-sense and using simple words to ask for food and water. I hear Wooyoung, mostly during combat, when his inner wolf instinctively asks for help…
—Don't even mention it, brother. That breaks my heart.— Mingi pouted.
—But what about Hongjoong? Can anyone hear him?
—Maybe he's not smart enough for that. I wouldn't worry that much, brother. You know… that one is pretty… "rustic".
—His sense of hearing it's clearly good and today I had the feeling that he actually understood basic words. You think the pack link isn't working? Should I bite him again?
—Isn't that a good thing? He has the mark on his wrist, no one would suspect anything and if he dies in combat we won't suffer any pain. It's perfect, brother.
Seonghwa frowned. —Yeah… maybe when mom died I wasn't in my best condition to override her claim.
〰
After San tucked Seonghwa in bed, he sat on the edge of the mattress.
—I don't know much about pack links, but let me tell you that I think you are an amazing leader, Sir. You are the strongest person I have ever met. And if the link works between all your family members, I don't think the problem lies with you.
Seonghwa giggled. —Are you trying to comfort me, pup? Let me tell you that if the pack was open, you would be the first person I'd want in my family.
Take the night off, have breakfast with your parents and I'll see you in the afternoon.
San stood up. —Thank you, Sir— and bowed to him, —I'll be here in the morning.
When the Beta left the room, he shook his head. As stubborn as Seonghwa. He loved that pup.
〰
He woke up feeling uneasy, with a crushing headache and pain all over his body, as if he had a monstrous flu. Through his chiffon curtains he could see the moon still high in the night sky, it was probably really early in the morning.
Seonghwa sat up and his head spinned as if his skull weighed a ton, the pain in his belly was so harsh that it paralyzed to his neck and jaw.
He took a deep breath, getting back to his senses and jumped on the bed startled. He was sitting on a massive wet spot.
Was he sweating that much? Did he pee himself? He patted the mattress under the bedsheets and the gooey consistency gave him the answer. Slick.
He wasn't expecting his heat for at least three more weeks. And connecting the pieces of his other symptoms he didn't have just a wet dream. But why?
He lay down over his own slick defeated and squeezed his eyes shut hoping for it to be a bad dream, he couldn't deal with a heat on his own.
San was going to be back at 5 a.m like always, he just had to endure it alone for a couple hours. But his legs were painfully cramped and his headache was killing him.
Seonghwa couldn't even go to his brothers for help, not after he repeated to Yeosang a thousand times that he didn't need an Alpha, or scolded Mingi for being dramatic, when they were in their heats. Seonghwa was their leader and he had to be strong, he had to lead by example and demonstrate he was powerful, independent, that Omegas needed no one.
But why was his heat so painful this time?
He sat again and massaged his thighs and belly intensely, the sudden relief of pain made a new gush of slick come out of him and his length started to harden up.
That was good, if he could come, if he was able to reach his climax, the pain would subside a little and he would be able to sleep till the morning.
So Seonghwa touched all over his body with careless hands, trying to forget how uncomfortable he felt and focusing on his crotch and nipples. He didn't get too far. His stomach felt sick and his headache transformed into a piercing migraine.
It was his scent. The problem was the sickenly sweet smell of sugary strawberries that saturated the air.
He opened the large window of his room and took a deep breath. He could see the guard who was supposed to be patrolling the yards, sleeping under his glass gazebo. He was going to fire that useless Beta.
Nothing changed. No amount of fresh air could beat the migraine that his own scent caused him. He needed people scents. To relax in the minty baths San prepared for him and nest in his brothers' clothes. He needed Jongho's strong hands squeezing all the places that hurt and Mingi kissing his tears better.
That or something that smelled really bad, or bitter, or spicy.
An irrepressible intrusive thought invaded his brain.
He had six smelly Alphas some feet away. Alphas with strong bodies, feral attitudes and captivating teeth.
The tingle that suddenly traveled the extent of his back made him feel dizzy, as the image of Hongjoong's teeth crossed his mind.
He just needed a sniff, to clear his migraine and allow him to await for his personal valet's help.
Seonghwa changed his underwear and put on some pants, he was not walking outside with his butt wet and cold, then threw a coat over his pajama shirt and sneaked out through his room window.
It was hard to walk with his legs cramped and the tortuous pain in his belly, but while tiptoeing through the yards he giggled to himself, he felt like a teenanger breaking his parents' rules.
When he reached the dungeon's hall, he mentally thanked past Seonghwa for leaving the keys there. He turned on the dim lights and descended into the old building.
As soon as he was in front of the cells his nose filled with musk and his headache became less crushing. The silence was absolute and it seemed like all his dogs were peacefully sleeping.
He contemplated the extent of the corridor, deciding which Alpha he should approach. The most predictable pick would have been Wooyoung, of course, the least dangerous one, especially since he was, evidently, in heat. But Wooyoung was also the only one who could report him clearly and even if his family was not going to burn him at the stake, he was going to lose their respect and that was something he was not willing to risk. So Wooyoung was discarded.
He passed the first cell and his legs started trembling, his back and arms were hurting and he just wanted to drown in a scent that overpowered his own quickly. Four Alphas were barely restricted and one was way too dangerous to take the risk. He stood there, making excuses and answering himself in his head as if he hadn't picked Hongjoong since he woke up.
Hongjoong was perfect, he was fully restricted, muzzled, he didn't talk a word, his scent was heavy and he was the strongest, hence the one that fed Seonghwa's ego the most and the only possible choice given the circumstances.
He walked slowly towards the last cell and when the gate came into view he gasped startled, Hongjoong was standing in the middle of the room, wide awake and looking at him through his scary gray eyes and deep dark circles.
Seonghwa took a deep breath, the air was different, so much that his pain felt a lot more tingly as his lungs were filling with the scent of burning paper.
He entered the cell with his head up, but his inner wolf was going crazy inside his body. It was his first time being this close to an Alpha during a heat and it was… strangely exhilarating.
—You look like a serial killer standing like that.— Seonghwa left the gate open, in case something went wrong. —I guess you are one after all.
He approached Hongjoong and the Alpha made the chains clang trying to get free, his arms were open, slightly behind his back due to the difference between the length of the waist chain and the wrist ones. —You need to be hosed so badly.— Seonghwa slid his fingers down Hongjoong's chest, a glimpse of dried blood was still decorating his skin.
—There's something we have to talk about.— He rolled up his sleeve, —you marked me today.— He could tell the Alpha's eyes moved to his bruised wrist for a second, before they were back on his face. —It's only fair if I return the gesture too.
Seonghwa pushed Hongjoong with all his strength to make him take a step back. —On your knees,— his hands moved to his shoulders to push him down. —C'mon, sack of meat! On your knees!— He kept pushing till Hongjoong knelt down and sat on his heels, not that he really believed he was stronger than the Alpha, but the other just seemed reluctant to obey without putting on a good fight before.
Seonghwa pondered it for a good minute, before he placed his bet and sat right on Hongjoong's thighs, in his fuzzy mind it didn't seem like a bad idea.
As soon as his body lowered, stuck to Hongjoong's chest, he had the Alpha's muzzle scratching at his neck, making erratic movements with his head under his chin and blowing deep, warm puffs of air inside the muzzle. —Wait!— He tried to push the other away, even if Hongjoong wasn't holding him at all, the chains didn't allow his arms to reach beyond the sides of his own body. But Seonghwa didn't feel like getting up either, so he fought with the Alpha for the extended period of half a minute, till the deep, spicy wood scent invaded his senses and he went limp, wrapping his arms around Hongjoong's shoulders and dipping his nose into the feral wolf's neck too.
Strawberries were on fire, his head was full of sparks and smoke and Seonghwa forgot why he was there in the first place.
The pain of his heat? What pain? What heat?
He felt so relaxed that he let Hongjoong keep scratching and scraping his neck with the metallic bits of his muzzle. His left hand massaged the back of the Alpha's head, toying with his long hair and the padlock of his muzzle. That one was truly a bad idea, he fantasized about Hongjoong's skin, and mouth, and teeth, caressing his scent glands, but that was a thought he would have to save to touch by himself if he didn't want to lose a piece of throat.
With his other hand, he traveled the primal wolf's arm till he reached the wrist and traced the pack's bite with his fingers. He stretched out on Hongjoong's lap and when he was at range, he sank his teeth into the Alpha's skin.
His mouth filled with a strong flavor, numbing yet addictive like the smell of paint, ink or even gasoline and a deep growl came from Hongjoong's chest. He tugged on the chains again, making the wall behind him vibrate and little pieces of concrete fall on the floor. —What? You don't like to be claimed? Well…— Seonghwa licked the bite till it closed, —you are mine and I'll use you as I please.
Hongjoong's fingers caught some of the strands of his hair and he yanked his head to the side with animalistic strength.
Seonghwa moaned inevitably, a jolt of pleasure reached his crotch and he got reminded of his slick as a fair amount wetted his pants. —Behave, you brute!— He freed his hair from Hongjoong's death grip and settled back on one of his thick thighs. His own knee was at range for the Alpha to dig his fingertips into the fleshy side of his leg.
Hongjoong was breathing heavily, his deep eyes and furious expression connected with Seonghwa's mean gaze, the warm air that came from the little vents of his muzzle smelt like burning wood but also like sugar and strawberries.
And Seonghwa lost his head, his brain was filled with vivid images of Hongjoong in combat; of his strong legs and muscular arms tensed and covered in sweat, of his guttural growls and the way his teeth tore through flesh like paper. He dipped his fingers into the other's hair and kissed messily on the muzzle, he didn't know what he was doing, but he let his tongue taste the bitter metal as his body instinctively started grinding on Hongjoong's thigh and making their chests rub together.
He moaned loudly, he was probably going to wake the other Alphas up, but he didn't care, he was definitely hard and close, so close to the relieff he needed to sleep peacefully again that he kept going. His back was tingly, his legs were shaking and an electrifying feeling was traveling his whole body to settle in the palms of his hands.
Hongjoong was pulling and pulling on the chains, making chips from the walls to fall everywhere.
—Shh… easy.— Seonghwa blew air through the vents of the muzzle and the Alpha's arms relaxed. —Be grateful. My dumbest puppy is being useful for once, doesn't that make you happy?— He massaged Hongjoong's scalp with a hand while he clung on to his shoulder with the other to help the fast movements of his hips. The Alpha's muscular thigh was perfectly positioned to rub him in all the correct places, even with the clothes in between.
He was so wet, so gooey, that he could hear the wicked sounds of his slick over his own breathy moans.
—Ah… Hongjoong,— he brought their foreheads together and the Alpha's gaze was unusual, it was relaxed, borderline drowsy. Something completely different ignited inside Seonghwa, boiling liquid flooded his chest, his belly and his throat; the earth scent in the air grew some pretty Aquilaria trees between his strawberries and he could swear he was blushing.
—I wish you could touch me.— He followed Hongjoong's chained arm to reach out and hold onto his clenched fist. As his own free hand slid inside his clothes, to give himself the last pumps and stop the madness he had gotten himself into.
Was Hongjoong even aware of what was happening? Of course breeding innocent Omegas was programmed in his matrix, but was this even close to that? Should Seonghwa touch him too?
No. He had gone too far already, Hongjoong's chains would allow him to touch himself when he was closer to the wall. Seonghwa wrapped his own length in a hand and jerked it quickly. The aroused scents in the air were drowning him, so he kept breathing heavily right over the Alpha's muzzle and Hongjoong was there, still, taking it all, with his lovely drowsy eyes locked on him.
Seonghwa couldn't help but kiss him, kiss him not on the metal but on his cheekbones, on the little stripe of skin that the muzzle left exposed, and on his temple, his ear, his neck. He kissed one of his scent glands and he felt like flying, a vertiginous feeling invaded his whole body, transforming into the pleasure of an intense orgasm. He sucked on the little spot on Hongjoong's neck, hearing his low growls next to his ear, till he came. He came in his clothes while shaking and panting, totally out of breath.
He immediately moved away, he was crazy, out of his mind, for doing that. He closed the gate behind him and Hongjoong stayed there, on his knees, calm, with a new bite on his wrist, a purple dot on his neck and his clothes soaked in his slick. And Seonghwa felt worse for leaving him there than for betraying all the Omegas and their values. He needed to sleep a year and remember who he was and how much he hated the scum he was leaving behind.
Some of the other Alphas were awake, but Wooyoung seemed fast asleep, so Seonghwa tiptoed back to his room. His useless guard was still napping inside the gazebo, even if he was moaning like a literal Omega in heat under his ass a moment before.
He sneaked in through his window, feeling healthy and energetic; then he tossed his pants and underwear into the laundry basket and curled in a clean blanket on the dry side of his mattress. He didn't need to take a shower, San and his bad sense of smell were going to help him bathe in the morning and honestly… Seonghwa felt comfortable sleeping in Hongjoong's smoky scent.