Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mira couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside her had shifted after they saved the world and built Honmoon from nothing. It was like she had regained a piece of herself she hadn’t realized was missing - like she’d been walking around hollow without knowing it, and now some unknown fragment had clicked back into place.

What was it? She didn’t know. Maybe she never would. The thought infuriated her - she hated not knowing something.

The sensation nagged at her - a strange, almost aching awareness that her life wasn’t quite the same anymore, no matter how much everything around her looked the same as always. She told herself she was imagining it. If anything had actually changed, it was Rumi and the revelation of her half demon lineage. The glowing gold eyes, the sharp claws, the jagged purple marks all up and down her body. The world saw it as a promotional stunt for their songs but to people like them - demon hunters - it was a tense topic of conversation for many weeks after the big fight with Gwi-ma. How could it not be? There had been betrayal, secrets, loss, and love. After everything that happened, it only brought the three of them closer, each holding onto layers of guilt at how that day had gone.

So much had changed. And yet… nothing had. Huntrix was still the world’s most famous Alpha Trio, still filling arenas, still topping charts - only now, one of them was covered in dark ink that fans endlessly theorized about online. Only people connected to the Honmoon could see how they flickered with ranges of emotion when Rumi was worked up, something that the other two enjoyed immensely. Mira rubbed at her neck, pressing against a sore spot she hadn’t noticed until recently.

Another early morning. Another day crammed full of interviews and pop-up TV performances, the sort of endless promotional circuit that made time blur together. Mira was always up first - not because she had to be, but because it was the only chance she had to exist in the quiet, to move her body without anyone else in her space. The only time she could breathe without someone else watching. A solid comfort in her life stemming from the many lonely days growing up in her household.

Mira took the quiet time to relax the ever present tension in her body by doing full body stretching. The only time she could get it done without the bundle of energy known as Zoey yapping her ear off about turtles the whole time.

She stretched slowly, savoring the ache in her muscles and the sunrise falling into their penthouse windows. Alone was easier, in some ways. At least when she was alone, she didn’t have to have her mask up as strong. It was exhausting sometimes being a stoic bitch all the time. 

Once she finished, she padded into the kitchen, bare feet silent on the tile. Making drinks in the morning has become a ritual - muscle memory, comfort in routine. The teal espresso machine gleamed under the soft light above the counter, and just seeing it made her chest ease a little. 

Making hand crafted drinks was her one constant, the one thing she let herself enjoy without restraint. It was the one part of her routine that felt entirely hers. It was the only thing that could get her to talk more than two sentences at a time to someone other than the girls, if you asked her what her favorite kind of coffee bean was.

Pulling out the bag of beans she’d picked up from the tiny roastery three blocks down, she inhaled the rich, nutty scent as she opened it. The smell always hit her right in the chest - comforting, grounding, the first spark of life before the day began. Sanity in liquid form.

She poured a careful amount of beans into the grinder, the rhythmic whirr filling the quiet apartment. Mira leaned against the counter as she waited, eyes closing for just a second, lips twitching upward in the smallest smile. It wasn’t much, but this was her peace.

The grinder stopped, and she brushed the freshly ground coffee into the portafilter, tamping it down with practiced precision. She locked it into place, pressed the button, and watched with quiet satisfaction as dark, golden espresso began to drip steadily into the preheated cups.

It smelled heavenly.

She let herself hum - barely audible - as she pulled out the milk for her and Rumi’s drinks, setting up the steaming pitcher. She always wanted hers sweet, a little more foam than normal, while Rumi liked hers closer to a flat white, just enough micro foam to soften the edge of the espresso. Zoey’s was literally just two espresso shots in a cup, literal motor oil. Mira had memorized it all without a second thought.

The steam wand hissed, fogging up her round glasses and clouding her vision for a moment, and Mira found herself smiling a little more. There were only three things in the world that ever managed to make her smile without effort - coffee, Zoey, and Rumi. Coffee first, obviously.

As the milk reached the perfect temperature, she swirled the pitcher, tapped it on the countertop gently, poured slowly, and tilted Rumi’s cup just right to make a heart appear in the foam. No one ever saw her do it since it dissipated by the time the girls got up - it wasn’t like she’d admit she took the time to pour latte art - but it mattered to her. For some reason. 

She lined up the cups on the counter, three in total, the sweetest one for herself. The apartment was still silent, the others still asleep.

This was her favorite part of the morning - before the chaos, before the schedules, before she had to be Mira the Alpha.

Here, she was just Mira, making coffee for the two people she loved most in the world.

The smell filled the apartment, rich and warm, and Mira heard the sounds of movement from down the hall. She didn’t even have to turn to know it was the girls waking up.

Right on time, Zoey and Rumi emerged from Rumi’s room, looking rumpled and glowing in that way people only did when they’d spent the night wrapped up in each other.

Nothing unusual about that. Mira had known for years that they were together - everyone knew. She accidentally came home to them making out on their couch one night and they wouldn’t stop apologizing for weeks. It’s not like it shocked her; they were both extremely talented and beautiful people who deserve the best which was clearly each other. The only thing that was mildly surprising was that they bonded with each other even though they were Alphas. 

It was a constant point of fascination during interviews, the world unable to get over the fact that two Alphas had broken convention to be with each other. Mira always shut those questions down as fast as they appeared, throwing herself between her bandmates and prying eyes without hesitation. The questions stopped eventually, the general public terrified of the third Alpha’s threatening demeanor.

It didn’t bother her that they were together, and she was the technical third wheel of their group. They did not treat her any different - always included her in their plans, and most days spent every waking second with her. But then there were always the small moments: like how Rumi’s eyes softened at the random fact about turtles from Zoey, or how Zoey would brush Rumi’s long ass hair after her shower with such care. Moments like that tugged at Mira sometimes, made her feel left out.

Left out?

Her gaze lingered on them for far too long, flicking over Zoey’s mussed hair, Rumi’s flushed cheeks, the faint bite marks trailing along Zoey’s collarbone that Rumi hadn’t bothered to hide that the makeup department was going to have a conniption fit over. The sight burned in Mira’s chest, hot and hollow all at once.

What they have is special, she thought, the ache behind the words sharper than she wanted to admit. Not something I’ll ever be a part of.

She swallowed hard, forcing the thought down into the same dark corner where she buried every unspoken longing, every bit of quiet hunger she never let herself feel for too long. That place inside her was already too full - crammed with the things she couldn’t say, wouldn’t let herself want. All crammed behind her mask.

Her fingers drifted to her neck again. It felt sore - like something beneath the skin was irritated.

“Morning, lovebirds,” Mira said as they shuffled in, her voice pitched just light enough to sound teasing instead of bitter. She leaned her hip against the counter, cradling her coffee like it was armor. “Sounded like your night went well.” 

Their walls were thin. Apparently. Who knew? Certainly not Mira. Not like she listened to when her friends had sex in the next room over multiple times on purpose. Nope. Never.

Zoey’s head snapped up, her dark eyes widening in mock offense. “Oh my god, ” she gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like Mira had stabbed her straight through the heart. “Did you seriously just call us out like that? First thing in the morning? No caffeine, no foreplay?”

Rumi froze mid-step, halfway to her mug. “Zoey…” she murmured in a half-whisper, cheeks going scarlet. She looked horrified.

“Hey now,” Zoey fired at Mira, voice rising to her usual theatrical pitch that was loud as hell first thing in the morning as she strode over and grabbed her small cup of espresso shots. “I’ll have you know I have plenty of stamina. I can sing, dance, slay demons, and fuck in between all that and still show up flawless. Don’t underestimate me, babe.”

She chugged the shots down in one gulp, savoring the taste like she’d just won the exchange. Mira could practically see her Alpha pride puffing up like a cat’s tail. Zoey had always been like that - never truly threatening, just loud , the kind of person who needed the world to know she could back up every bit of her talk in that tiny body of hers.

Rumi, meanwhile, had gone perfectly still after grabbing her flat white, her mug clutched tight in both hands as if she could disappear into the steam rising from it. “I don’t believe this” she mumbled, her voice so soft Mira almost didn’t catch it. The tips of her ears were bright red. Still mortified.

“Don’t worry babe, I’m sure Mira didn’t mind the noise!” Zoey bumped her shoulder playfully against Rumi’s, nearly making her spill her drink. She shot a wink at Mira. Mira watched the exchange with a tight smile, sipping at her coffee as if that would keep her face from betraying anything. Mask always on.

“Gremlin,” she muttered finally, shaking her head. She took another sip to drown out the thoughts of Rumi and Zoey entangled in each other so close to her last night, the sounds of moans and praises drifting through the walls. It made for a very restless night.

Zoey gasped again, pretending to be horrified. “Gremlin? Gremlin?! I am the moment, Mira. I’m iconic. Don’t disrespect me like that in my own house.”

“You’re literally in our house,” Mira shot back, rolling her eyes.

“Semantics.”

Rumi gave a soft little laugh at that, the sound warm enough to make Mira’s chest ache.

It was stupid. The three of them had been through hell together, literally - saving the world, rebuilding it, fighting side by side more times than Mira could count. Zoey and Rumi loved her. They were best friends, soulmates on a platonic level. She knew that. But it didn’t stop the lonely, hollow feeling that curled up in her chest whenever she caught them sneaking touches or sharing glances. 

It wasn’t even jealousy - at least, not in the traditional sense. She didn’t want to take Zoey away from Rumi, or Rumi from Zoey. She wanted to belong, to be wrapped up in their world the same way they were in each other’s. Belong with both of them, together.

But she couldn’t.

Not when her entire life was a lie. When everything they see is fake.

She took another long sip of coffee, letting the heat scald her tongue just to focus on something real, and turned to face the espresso machine to busy herself with cleaning up her mess.

The high-and-mighty Alpha Mira.

The perfect daughter. The trophy heir. The one who had never so much as kissed someone, too busy playing the role her parents had carved out for her, let alone be any sort of intimate with anyone. Not that anyone would want to be with her anyways, what with her stone faced attitude and “don’t touch me” vibes. 

Her hand drifted up, fingertips brushing her neck. The reminder was always there, even if no one else noticed it - the proof of what they’d done to her. How they’d carved out her scent glands before they could even develop as a child, cutting away the parts of her that made her an Omega. Without them, she’d never gone into heat. Never gave off pheromones. Never smelled anyone else’s. She was scentless, like a Beta, and that made the mask easier to wear. Waking up every morning and stabbing a needle into her inner thigh to inject the smell of a synthetic Alpha into her body. It wasn’t strong, it wasn’t emotionally tied to her like a true Alpha’s pheromones were, but it was enough to where people did not question her and just thought she was closed off.

And wear it she had. Anything to get away from her family.

Her parents had let her join Huntrix only because she could get connections for her father’s businesses. Further their Alpha empire in the banking world. Mira always needed to be connected, always in the limelight. Always on the lookout for more business partners for her father. Whatever it takes to stay here, in this house, with these girls.

Without Huntrix, Mira would have been locked away, hidden somewhere far from the public eye. The world wouldn’t even know she existed had she stayed an Omega, her parents made that abundantly clear. How they can make everything, including her, disappear just like that. 

So she sang. She danced. She played her part.

Because if she slipped - if anyone found out what she really was - she’d lose everything.

Zoey flopped onto the couch with her mug, kicking her feet up on the coffee table like she owned the place. “So, Mira, what’s on the agenda today? More awkward interviews where we’re all supposed to pretend we aren’t fucking? Oh wait - you don’t have to pretend. How nice.”

“Zo.” Rumi nudged her lightly, but she was smiling. She seemed amused for some reason.

“Don’t Zo me. It’s unfair that we have to lie about it but Mimi doesn’t.” Zoey shot Mira a grin, oblivious to the way Mira’s chest clenched at the words. That nickname drove her up the fucking wall, in both a good and bad way.

Mira managed a smirk anyway, swallowing down the ache in her throat. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll take the heat when the press inevitably asks if we’re all sleeping together. As usual.”

Zoey grinned. “You’re the best guard dog. I just love it when you bark.”

I love it when you bark.

Mira almost dropped the milk pitcher she was cleaning and had to fumble awkwardly to catch it before it hit the ground. 

“As you should.” Mira said, her tone just right - flippant, teasing, Alpha enough to keep the mask in place. Even as something deep in her, something buried for years, preened at what the Alpha across the room said to her.

And she told herself it was nothing. It needed to be nothing.

“Mira, are you okay?” Rumi’s voice was soft, barely above as her fingers reached out to brush over the crease forming between Mira’s brows. She made her way into the kitchen during Mira’s cleaning and saw the pitcher fumble. 

The touch was featherlight - hesitant - but it sent a shiver crawling down Mira’s spine all the same. It took everything in her not to lean into Rumi’s hand, to just close her eyes and savor the fleeting moment of contact she so rarely got. Or flinch back. She wasn’t sure which one. Both were horrible options that would lead to questions she didn’t want asked.

Instead, she forced her face to relax, turning her expression into something neutral. “I’m fine,” she lied smoothly, her lips curving into a practiced smile that felt too tight. Interview ready. “Just had a brief moment of dread thinking about how packed our schedules are this morning.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Zoey groaned dramatically. Her head lolled back, her short black hair spilling loose around her face - a rare moment where her silky black hair was not up in space buns.

Mira had to force herself to look away, to wipe down the espresso machine like it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. Don’t stare. Don’t make it weird. Don’t let them see how badly you want to run your hands through her hair. Grab her by the neck and kiss her senseless.

She always felt like she was walking a tightrope - one wrong step, and the fragile balance she’d built with Zoey and Rumi would collapse. So the mask stayed on, even around them. Always around them.

After a few minutes of casual conversation, they split off to get ready for the day. Mira retreated to her room, shutting the door firmly behind her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them; she just… couldn’t. Couldn’t stand the idea of letting them see her like this - undressed, unguarded, vulnerable. Never weak, not her.

She pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a black collared crop top, simple but Mira coded. As she tugged the collar into place, her fingers brushed the back of her neck again. The ache was still there - worse now, like something was buried deep under her skin.

Did something bite me? she wondered, frowning as she checked the mirror. But there was nothing. No mark, no rash, just smooth skin where the faint scars of her childhood surgery had long since faded. Shaking her head, she injected a scent enhancer into her upper leg before she put on her skinny jeans. Always in a spot her bandmates would never see, her inner thighs were just riddled with prick marks from years of needles. Anyone who saw it would probably think she was a drug addict.

“Mira, babe, you ready?” Zoey’s voice came from the hallway, bright and teasing. She could hear the grin in her words. Like she was waiting for her date to finish getting ready. 

Mira took a steadying breath and opened the door.

Zoey immediately shot her a pair of finger guns, winking like the little menace she was. “What’s cooking, good looking?” Her hair was now up in her signature space buns, face framed by her bangs.

Mira snorted, brushing past her. “Fucking dork.”

Her ears burned as she walked quickly down the hallway. God, am I really this pathetic? Getting flustered over stupid finger guns?

Yes, she admitted grimly. Yes, I am. I’m so down bad it’s embarrassing.

Zoey and Rumi had always been natural flirts - not just with each other, but with Mira too. It started after she found out that they were dating. It confused and freaked her out at first, but then she got used to brushing it off. And every time, Mira played her part. Cool. Untouched. Sarcastic. The perfect Alpha who couldn’t possibly be fazed by something as trivial as a wink or a lingering touch from another Alpha.

But it always affected her.

Some days, she wanted to give in so badly it hurt. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with all the lingering touches, the closeness, the words. Were they just to make her feel included in a relationship she had no part in? Did they want her to touch and flirt back? Did they want her?

It didn’t matter how they felt anyways. Nothing was going to change.

As they walked down the hallway, Zoey sniffed the air. “Mira, did your scent change? Smells amazing. Really earthy. I like it.” Pheromone scents sometimes shift as people get older but rarely. Just as rare as two Alphas being mates , mused Mira.

Mira blinked, confusion flashing across her face. “What? No. I don’t think so.” She made a show of sniffing her own arm. They met up with Rumi by the elevator.

“It smells nothing like your usual one,” Zoey said, brows furrowed. “It’s… I don’t know. Different. Better, even.” They all stepped into the elevator to get down to the ground floor.

Before Mira could reply, Rumi leaned in close - too close - and sniffed her.

It took everything in Mira not to bolt to the far corner of the elevator as her heart pounded like it was trying to break free of her ribs. She clenched her jaw and bit her tongue. The heat of Rumi’s breath ghosted over her collarbone, sending Mira’s thoughts scattering like glass shattering on tile.

“I smell it too,” Rumi murmured, pulling back slightly, her brows drawn together in mild confusion. “It’s… really nice. Earthy. Different.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Mira mumbled, glancing away. Her thoughts were racing - what do you mean she smelled different? Was the artificial pheromones expired or something? She felt uneasy.

Zoey grinned, leaning in just a touch too close. “For what it’s worth? You smell amazing. ” She inhaled again. Rumi nodded, looking like she was trying to solve a puzzle that was put in front of her.

The elevator dinged, doors sliding open into the lobby - Mira’s salvation.

She strode out quickly, her long legs eating up the distance to the car and away from the girls, fingers rubbing furiously at her neck.

The ache was sharper now. Deeper.

And for the first time in over twenty years… something in her felt like it was about to snap awake.

By the time they reached the car, Mira’s neck felt like it was on fire.

She slid into the back seat, her fingers digging into her thighs as if grounding herself would somehow stop the creeping heat spreading through her veins. Zoey and Rumi were chatting easily next to her, Zoey’s laugh bright and loud as Rumi shook her head in that soft, fond way she always did when Zoey was being a menace.

Mira tried to focus on their voices, on anything but the rising ache twisting low in her stomach. She couldn’t even piece together what they were saying through all of the sensations she was starting to feel. She kept herself rigid and pressed against the car door, as far from Rumi as possible without looking like a maniac.

It wasn’t just the soreness in her neck anymore. Her skin felt too tight, hypersensitive - like every brush of fabric against her body was amplified. Her chest rose and fell faster, each inhale laced with so many faint smells at once she couldn’t differentiate what they were.

Her head spun. Scents? Since when?

She squeezed her eyes shut. No. No, this can’t be happening. My glands are gone. This isn’t possible. I can’t - I’ve never - 

Her thoughts scattered as Rumi leaned over to say something to her, her braid falling over her shoulder. For one dizzying second, all Mira could think about was how good Rumi smelled - calming ocean waves, rain on fresh soil. Zoey laughed at something Rumi said, and Mira could smell her too - a fresh breeze, wild and carefree. It all hit her like a punch to the gut. Over and over. Her heart pounded. The heat coiled tighter, deeper, impossible to ignore. The recognition is starting to set in. The signs.

Oh god.

She gripped her knees hard enough to hurt, fighting to keep her breathing steady. She could feel the sweat starting to gather at the base of her neck, the place that had always been scentless, useless, empty.

But now…

Now it screamed, like something buried there for decades was clawing its way free.

“Mira, you good?” Rumi’s voice jolted her back to the present, warm but threaded with concern. It sounded like she was in a tunnel.

Mira forced a smile, the kind she’d practiced her whole life. “Peachy. Just tired. I had a hard time sleeping because of some friends of mine.” Rumi groaned and shook her head, flushing. 

Zoey didn’t look convinced. “You sure? You’re kinda sweating. Or, like… flushed? It’s hard to tell. You’re a mix of both. I can feel your heat from here.”

“I said I’m fine,” Mira replied, sharper than she meant to. The word ‘heat’ felt weighted and it made Mira have a moment of panic. 

The car went quiet for a beat too long.

Zoey shrugged and turned back to Rumi to show her more turtle Tiktoks. She was used to Mira getting snappy sometimes, and she always assumed it was close to her rut. Rumi glanced back at her, expression tinged with something Mira couldn’t name. Then she turned to watch the videos that her mate was showing her. 

The rest of the ride blurred.

By the time they got to the studio, Mira’s skin felt electric. She opened her car door and was into the building as fast as her long legs could carry her. She made a beeline for her personal dressing room and closed the door. Every brush of movement sent tingles racing across her body. 

She caught her reflection in the mirror - wide eyes, flushed cheeks, pupils blown just a little too wide. It was looking pretty obvious to Mira what was happening.

No. No, no, no -

She slammed the makeup table with her palms and bowed her head, breathing hard. Her neck ached, the presence of scent glands that aren’t there throbbing under her skin. The heat inside her coiled tighter, hot and insistent.

She was going into heat. For the first time in her life. Right here. Right now. Somehow.

No. No, no, no.

Her breaths came quicker, chest heaving as the heat pulsed low in her stomach, sharp and insistent. It was like her body had betrayed her all at once - twenty years of silence, and now it was screaming. She gripped the edge of her dressing room table so hard her knuckles ached. Her pulse thundered in her ears. She could smell them - Zoey and Rumi - even through the wall. Their scents curled around her, rich and overwhelming, and every instinct she’d spent her entire life without was coming back - slowly but surely. 

You can’t let them know. You can’t. You’ll lose everything. They’ll lock you away.

Mira forced herself to straighten, locking her knees so they wouldn’t give out under her. She grabbed her water bottle, chugging the lukewarm liquid just to have something to do, anything to ground herself.

Her hands trembled so badly she nearly dropped it.

Through the thin wall, she could hear Zoey’s laugh, bright and sharp, like sunlight through glass. Rumi said something low, and Zoey’s laugh softened into that fond chuckle she only ever used for her. It made Mira’s chest ache in a different way. She dug her nails into her palms, sharp enough to sting. She needed pain - needed anything to focus on besides the way her body screamed at her to walk out there, to get close to her bandmates, to offer her neck and submit -

No. Never.

She was the perfect Alpha, and perfect Alphas didn’t fall apart just because their body decided to betray them. She was still an Alpha in everyone’s eyes. She needed to act like one. She splashed cold water on her face at the sink, the shock making her gasp. Her reflection looked terrifying, pupils blown so wide they barely showed any brown at all, face flushed and sweating. She could feel the heat radiating from her neck.

Calm down. You can control this. You’ve controlled everything else your entire life. This is no different. You just have to get through the day. Then you can spend your off week locked away in some random hotel away from the others. Just one day.

She practiced her masked smile in the mirror - too tight. Again. Too strained. Again. By the fifth try, she looked passable. Like she wasn’t burning up from the inside out. Professional, calm, bitchy. Just what people expected.

When she stepped out of her dressing room, Zoey and Rumi both turned toward her.

Zoey’s nose twitched - it was just a small twitch, but Mira caught it. Rumi tilted her head, brows furrowing ever so slightly. Mira felt her pulse spike.

“Ready to go?” she asked casually, her voice steady despite how dry her throat felt. She hoped they did not try to press any further. 

Zoey nodded, “Let’s go get them tiger. I hope you don’t overwork yourself cause you really look like shit.” She looked over at Mira in concern as they started to walk to their recording studio. Rumi smiled softly during the exchange, but her eyes lingered on Mira a second too long, something unreadable in her gaze, just like she did in the car. Mira forced herself to smile slightly at the shorter girl, ignoring the way her skin felt too hot, too tight.

As they walked out together, Rumi’s shoulder brushed against hers - just barely, just enough that would have normally just made Mira catch her breath. This time, she flinched back. Both girls stopped and turned to look at her, concern clear in their eyes. Alarm bells were flaring in her mind. She couldn’t do this. Not with them.

“I gotta - bathroom -” Mira stumbled over her words, stepping backwards down the hall before spinning and all but running away from her bandmates, almost tripping over her long legs in the process. She didn’t miss the look of alarm from Zoey and hurt from Rumi. She wasn’t running because she wanted to. Because she had to. If she didn’t - if she let the mask slip for even a second - they’d see it all. Mira couldn’t let that happen.

Chapter Text

The rest of the morning passed in a blur for Mira, who never went back to her bandmates. They tried calling and messaging her but she turned her phone off. Mira’s body felt like a live wire. The heat pooled low in her belly, coiling tighter and tighter as time went on. She knew it was only a matter of time before the coil snapped.

She felt bad because she knew how hard Rumi and Zoey were working on their new album; how difficult it was for Bobby to set up interviews, performances, and photoshoots. The guilt of leaving them all was eating at her, even though she knew she was doing exactly what she needed to do. She just needed to avoid them until she could get back home, grab some things, and go stay somewhere else to ride out the heat and just say it was a really bad rut. 

She escaped all the way to the other side of the building into a dance studio that was hardly ever used since the training rooms and recording studios were all on the other side of the building. It should be far enough from everyone.

Mira did what Mira knew best: she threw herself into dancing alone in the mirrored studio. Working until her muscles burned and her skin was plastered in sweat to keep from thinking. Thinking about Zoey’s hair falling loose around her face this morning, about Rumi’s soft, warm smile that made Mira’s chest ache every time she saw it. How confused and hurt they both looked when she bolted.

Mira slammed her forehead lightly against the mirror wall with a groan.

You need to calm down. They can’t know, they can’t see. Not ever.

She scratched at her neck again, harder this time. The ache wasn’t going away - it was getting worse. Mira glanced at the clock. The others were probably waiting for her. She sighed. She knew she couldn’t put off seeing them any longer. She stood there and took deep breaths in and out to try and calm herself down and steel herself to leave the room.

The room of the mirrored studio swung open as a tall male sauntered in on his own. He glanced at her and slowed his pace, not making it too far from the door. Something about his look made Mira’s gut twist. He nodded to her. Mira vaguely remembered his name was Jae-Kwan, a new solo artist. The new heartthrob bias that was quickly rising in the K-Pop ranks on his own, which was a feat in itself, going solo right off the rip.

Mira gave a polite nod as she tried to pass him. She had a reputation—cold, intimidating, untouchable. Most people left her alone. She liked it that way. Then his hand landed on her shoulder.

What. The. Fuck.

*Attempted Non-Con Start*

When she turned, incredulous, ready to rip Jae-Kwan a new one, he smiled charmingly. He was over six feet tall, well built, with tousled black hair. He towered over Mira which is an accomplishment in itself considering how long her legs were. Too close. Too casual. Her hackles raised, whole body tensing. Warning bells were going off in her head.

“Sunbae-nim,” he murmured, leaning in. “You smell delicious. I could smell you from outside.” His eyes were dilated. Before she could even react, his fingers wrapped around her waist, yanking her closer. He buried his nose against her neck and inhaled.

Her mouth opened to snap at him - to demand he get his filthy hands off her - when white-hot pain lanced through her neck stemming from where he inhaled, sharp and overwhelming. She cried out in surprise, her knees buckling as the ache in her neck exploded into fire.

The floodgates opened. The Alpha had activated her heat in full with how dominating his pheromones were.

Her senses snapped completely awake .

Jae-Kwan’s scent - thick, slimy, choking  - hit her like a train. It was all at once, violent. The instincts of an Alpha who found a new Omega to mate. The heat in Mira’s body surged violently as his pheromones got stronger by the second. He let go of her waist and she slumped to the floor, legs unable to support her under the weight of his pheromones.

Her mouth went slack, eyes wide, nostrils flaring as her body betrayed her utterly. Her blood ran cold even as her body burned. She was shaking, her mind screaming get away, get out, but the haze was creeping in too fast, clouding everything. An Omega was no match to fight against the call of such a dominating Alpha once they had set their sights on one. Not every Alpha had such a strong dominating trait, and those that do were considered dangerous. Her body gave off rolling waves of an earthy smell that seemed to affect Jae-Hyun as she heard him growl low in his chest. 

“Don’t worry,” came Jae-Kwan’s rumble from somewhere above her, “I’ll take great care of you. You’ll be begging for it by the time I’m knotting you - they always do.”

He got on top of her, long legs straddling her waist. Hands roaming and ripping clothes like they were made of paper. Something hard rubbing against her stomach. Everything was so heavy with him this close: dominating, demanding. The call to submit radiating off of him. The pressure from his pheromones felt like they were pushing her into the floor. Whimpering, she turned her head to offer her neck in an act of automatic submission. Her body was too overwhelmed to do anything except beg to be bred.

Her mind screamed this isn’t what I want, but her body didn’t care. The instinct was too strong, his scent was too much. Jae-Kwan flipped her over so she was laying on her stomach, his hands gripping her waist so hard he was leaving bruises. She was trembling violently now, half from fear, half from the heat coiling tighter and tighter until she thought she might burst.

Sensations took over her mind. She was hardly present anymore. Pressure against her back. A hand yanking her head up by her hair, pain numb. Canines grazing the back of her neck. Licking. Hot breath. Drool. The pressure of his teeth trying to break skin to reach her scent glands to claim her - 

Jae-Kwan’s canines were mere milliseconds from piercing her glands when his weight suddenly left Mira all at once. The sound of flesh hitting flesh, glass shattering, bodies crashing to the ground. Growling rumbled all around her slumped form.

Pheromones filled the air now from three Alphas. Two scents that Mira knew even though she’d only ever smelled them for the first time today.

One was calming ocean waves, rain on fresh soil.

The other was wild and carefree, fresh breeze that lingered.

Rumi.

Zoey.

How…?

And then everything went black.

*Attempted Non-Con End*

The prick of the IV in her arm was the first thing Mira noticed as consciousness returned - a cold, clinical reminder that she wasn’t anywhere close to home.

Her eyes fluttered open just enough to scan the sterile white walls, the dull hum of machines nearby. Her throat felt raw like she had just fought off a hoard of demons and then performed at a concert. Her body felt like fire and lead, bruised and battered. Her clothes were nowhere to be found and she was in a hospital gown. She immediately tried to seek out her bandmates on instinct but they weren’t there. Panic pressed in at the edges of her chest. They’re not here. The pit of loneliness twisted deep inside her, sharper than she cared to admit. She was confused for a moment as to why she was there and what happened. 

*Flashback Start*

Memories crashed over her in an unforgiving tide: Jae-Kwan’s large hands on her, his mouth on her neck, the scent—overwhelming, terrifying. Dominating. His large form towering over her, caging her in on the ground. Her clothes being torn. Her body trembled at the thoughts despite her best efforts to keep it still. Instinctively, her shaking hands reached for the back of her neck, searching for some proof that the memories weren’t real. Finding nothing, her whole body slumped with a relieved, exhausted sigh.

*Flashback End*

Not marked. Just violated.

Like that was any better.

The nausea hit her fast, her stomach twisting as the vivid images her assailant kept playing over and over in her mind. A sudden gag escaped her before she could stop it, and the soft footsteps of a nurse rushing over followed. A cold, smooth bag was pressed to her lips, and she gave in, throwing up whatever was left in her stomach.

The nurse’s gentle voice promised to return with the doctor, leaving Mira alone with her racing thoughts and trembling limbs. The door opened again, and the doctor stepped inside - petite, calm, professional. Mira knew her well: the band’s private doctor, the one who kept their secrets safe from the ruthless press and the dangerous world beyond the spotlight, reporting directly to Celine. One of few who knew their real job as demon hunters since her sister was part of the Sunlight Sisters.

Doctor Emi’s eyes were contemplative as she approached, but Mira set her jaw hard, locking her face into her familiar masked facade with some difficulty. She willed her limbs to stop fucking shaking damn it .

“I’m glad they got to you in time. Your girls took quite a beating getting that boy off of you.” Doctor Emi said in her no nonsense tone. “You’ll need to give a statement to the police soon, but for now, let me check your vitals and go over some things with you.”

Your girls.

The words hit Mira like a shock of warmth in her chest. They saved me. She knew she smelled their pheromones before she passed out. She felt a surge of relief and love swept through her thinking of those two protecting her. But the feeling was fleeting since they weren’t here, which made her worry.

Doctor Emi sat beside her, clipboard in hand, and looked up into Mira’s eyes with an honesty that made her uncomfortable.

“So, I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now - you’ve gone into heat.”

The phrase landed like a blow. Mira knew but the finality of it was felt in that moment.

“We ran bloodwork when you got here, and your scent glands are there, somehow.” The Doctor shook her head in disbelief. “I know they’re supposed to be gone since I was the one who performed the surgery to remove them at the behest of your family. It shouldn’t be possible, medically, for them to grow back. My best guess is that creating the new Honmoon triggered their regeneration. I would talk to Celine about it though. All we can tell you here is that you are an Omega through and through, heats and all.”

An Omega through and through, heats and all.

She swallowed hard, biting down on the nausea rising again.

“Where are Zoey and Rumi?” she asked, voice tight. Her panic was starting to rise. 

Doctor Emi cleared her throat, meeting Mira’s gaze steadily. The air suddenly felt heavy.

“Since they’re both Alphas, your pheromones were giving them a difficult time. You were honestly lucky that they didn’t attempt anything when taking you here. Exceptional self control that’s normally only seen in bonded pairs. That leads me to believe that you’re bonded already - a pack. You just haven’t been able to form a complete bond since your pheromones have been suppressed this whole time.” 

The word bonded echoed in Mira’s mind over and over, surreal and heavy and right . Her chest ached with an emptiness she had always convinced herself was just anxiety when they weren’t near. Now she knew better. It was the ghost of a bond between her and her bandmates, invisible to all of them. Hearing about it felt like the last puzzle piece of their connection fell into place. 

“They left earlier with Celine,” Doctor Emi added softly. “It’s safer that way while you recover. This first heat will be your strongest. Your mating scent and instincts have been suppressed all these years - now they’re overwhelming to everyone around you and yourself.”

The flood of information was too much. Mira rubbed the bridge of her nose, voice barely a whisper. “Can you send in the officer?” Effectively telling the doctor that she didn’t want to continue the conversation. She needed to maintain what little control she had over the situation before she lost it completely. The fear of her family loomed over top of her. 

Oh god, do they know? Has anyone told them?

Doctor Emi patted her arm and left the room while she was in her mind, calling out to someone in the hall. A burly woman in a police uniform walked in with a notebook, eyes full of sympathy. Mira clenched her jaw - she hated sympathy in any form, as she was bred to attribute it to being seen as weak. She recounted the attack to the police officer with factual indifference, the cold exterior of hers the only shield against breaking apart. After the officer left, Mira released a breath she didn’t know she was holding and stopped clenching the bed sheets.

A couple hours later Bobby stopped by with flowers, his quiet presence a small comfort. A Beta, thankfully unaffected by her heat. He didn’t say anything except that he was glad that she was okay, and that he forbade anyone from telling her family, at least for now. They both knew how the press can be, and what people will do to leak information, so it was only a matter of time. He started emitting calming pheromones to ease her rising pain as he sat in the chair next to her bed.

Her bandmates were quarantined at an unknown hotel under Celine’s orders to be kept away from her until the worst passed according to him. Bobby made it very clear that Celine wanted them under lock and key until she was out of her heat. Mira felt like there was an undertone to what Bobby was telling her, but she honestly didn’t care about anything other than the ache for her bandmates that was getting stronger by the hour. The call of an Omega can be brutal if you’re far away from your bonded mate. Mates?

Doctor Emi knocked on the door and came in greeting Bobby, and handed Mira a bottle of pills - suppressants to take twice daily - and a bag of emergency injections, the latter described in clinical terms that made Mira’s stomach twist. It was if Rumi or Zoey ever lost control, these shots could calm them down like an epipen of strong suppressants - it would heavily sedate their Alpha instincts to the point where they just shut down for hours on end. Sometimes the only thing standing between an Omega and an Alpha making a terrible, uncontrollable decision.

The thought made Mira’s heart clench painfully.

Doctor Emi’s stern gaze bore into her like she could read her mind. “Remember, no contact with your pack, for now. Your pheromones will set them off and they won’t be in their right mind. The chance of them hurting you or each other while trying to help you through your heat is extremely high. You take a huge risk of injury if you decide to them near you” 

They would never hurt me.

This was going to be a long, long week.

The car ride back to the penthouse was a quiet one, with Bobby navigating the streets while Mira stared out the window. She was trying to focus on the city lights passing by instead of the storm raging inside her. The past 24 hours was such a shit show. None of it made any fucking sense. Scent glands growing back? The Honmoon deciding to fuck her over after everything they did for it? The audacity to cut her down during their best time as demon hunters and pop stars. To turn her into a desperate shadow of herself for the world to see.

She clenched her jaw so hard it ached. I am not some desperate Omega, she told herself firmly, even as the suppressants and the need went to war with each other in her veins like icy fire. I am the Alpha Mira. A rock. The one who never breaks. But the truth was gnawing at her, sharper and more relentless than ever before.

  Can I even call myself that anymore? What am I now?

Every small movement sent waves of heat curling through her, every breath was heavy with the thought of Rumi touching her body. Of Zoey murmuring sweet nothings into her ear. Being surrounded by their bodies and pheromones. Safe. Protected. Instinct trying to take over her body. The need was coursing through Mira uncontrollably. She hated how vulnerable it made her feel - like a child who had been dragged into a game she had no rules for while she was expected to be okay. 

She wanted to scream. To lash out. To crumble and be held and told it was going to be okay. To feel safe, wanted, needed.

But she couldn’t.

Not now.

Not ever.

They would never hurt me.

Mira wiped the moisture from her eyes quickly, biting the inside of her cheek until the sharp sting grounded her. The mask had to hold. Bobby looked at her out of the corner of his eye, still facing forward in the driver’s seat as he kept releasing calming Beta pheromones to help keep Mira from going into full blown heat while in the car. She was thankful for the silence during the ride - she didn’t even know what she would say.  

Thanks for calming my horny ass? 

When they got back to the penthouse, Mira immediately exited the car, bowed to Bobby, and practically ran to the elevator. No time for pleasantries; her time was running out. She clutched the railing inside the elevator to stay upright as it took her to their penthouse. After punching in their security code, she retreated to her room, shutting the door behind her with a soft click that felt like a lifeline.

She paced the small space, running heated fingers over where her scent glands had been removed so many years ago. They flared in response. A sensation she had never known. Never thought she would know.

They shouldn't be there.

This can’t be happening.

What did I do to deserve this?

She sank onto the edge of her bed, clutching her knees, and tried to think about anything other than the crushing weight of her body’s betrayal. The sharp contrast between her public persona - the unshakable Alpha everyone expected - and the raw, trembling Omega struggling inside was a gulf she didn’t know how to bridge. She hated feeling like prey, like something to be claimed, hunted, owned. She craved it, on an instinctual level. Craved the protection, the safety, the fierce devotion that came with being part of a pack.

How could she admit that? How could she reconcile that desperate longing with the cold authority she’d spent her whole life building? She closed her eyes tightly and breathed deep, forcing herself to remember three things like a mantra:

She was still Mira.

She still clawed her way out of the cage her family built. 

She was still the fierce, untouchable force who refused to break.

Wasn’t she?

Chapter Text

As the minutes ticked by, she felt a pull she couldn’t explain - deep, primal, and utterly foreign, different from the fiery heat. It called on her to get up and follow her instincts in a trance-like state. It wasn’t something that could be taught. It was something buried in her bones, a quiet, urgent instinct that simmered beneath the surface.

She found herself drawn to Rumi’s room, the one she and Zoey often joked was the “den” of the trio - the soft blankets, the scent of ocean waves and sea air that clung to Rumi’s clothes left casually tossed on the floor along with random pieces of Zoey’s clothing.

Without thinking, Mira gathered those worn fabrics - Rumi’s oversized hoodies, Zoey’s threadbare band tees, the well-worn socks Zoey kicked off after long rehearsals, both of their undergarments - and brought them into the corner of the room. She slowly made a nest like she couldn’t make one wrong move, and curled into the mound of their scent and softness like a frightened animal seeking shelter. The heavy ache in her chest deepened with every breath she took surrounded by their belongings, an ache she didn’t fully understand but could no longer deny. Their scent was supposed to help calm her down but it just made her realize how alone she was.

This is just an Omega thing, she told herself, eyes wide with panic. This isn’t me. This isn’t how I’m supposed to be. But no amount of willpower could stop the torrent of loneliness, fear, and longing that welled up inside her as the hours bled into days.

She kept her mask up during the occasional calls from Doctor Emi, Bobby, and the brief calls from Celine, the facade razor-thin but intact. She let them know that she was doing fine each time even as she was falling apart. The heat cycle dragged on with no relief, each day an endless agony of aching desire and desperate, gnawing isolation. She barely ate, drank, or slept. Her mind and body were consumed with the urge to mate, breed, be taken. Her neck ached with the need for an Alpha’s mark.

At the same time those urges surged, a secondary feeling would follow after: fear .

**Flashback to Attempted Sexual Assault**

Something that twisted inside her stomach and kept making her relive sensations she wanted nothing more than to forget.

Teeth and hot breath dragging along the back of her neck.

A heavy looming presence bearing down on her.

Clothes ripping, hands gripping, overwhelming foul pheromones.

Submission.

**End of Flashback**

Mira cried to herself in moments of weakness when she could not keep up her mask. When the feelings of going through that moment replayed over and over in her head and waged war with her own instincts to mate with someone, anyone. She felt so alone in those moments, and her pheromones instinctually called out for her mates through their weak bond link with no response. They were probably really far away knowing Celine.

Mira tried over and over to help ease the burning arousal that threatened to overtake any conscious thought she had by trying to relieve herself. No matter how many times she made herself orgasm, the flames inside of her never dimmed, and instead grew as the days dragged by. Her legs wouldn’t stop shaking, slick dripping down her inner thighs while she stayed four fingers deep inside herself. Nothing was helping by this point. The ache for an Alpha was getting stronger. Her fear grew along with it. The feelings and thoughts wouldn’t stop.

I need to be bred. I need to be filled to the brim. I need to belong to someone. I need to be claimed. I need to get knotted over and over until I can't hold any more -

Mira was well aware what could happen to some Omegas that experience strong enough heats: if they did not find a way to have an Alpha spreading calming pheromones throughout the cycle, then they had to mate with someone, or else they could legitimately lose their mind into a permanent heat cycle. A permanent heat cycle was essentially a death sentence for any Omega, a body void of consciousness and ran on pure breeding instinct even at the cost of their own health. 

The thought scared Mira more than she cared to admit. She was worried that her heat was too strong for her to manage on her own no matter how stubborn she was. She already felt like she did not have full control over herself, so the thought that she could just cease to exist in essence just because she didn’t get laid made her scream internally. 

This is so fucked up. I don’t think I can survive this without them.

Or, a larger part of her mind whispered, you just want them to come make you theirs.

It took a lot of willpower for her to claw what remained of her consciousness to the surface so that she could function for a few moments to dial Zoey’s number. Her fingers trembled as the phone rang, the sound hollow in the quiet room. Then a jumble of overlapping voices came through the line all at once halfway through the second ring.. 

“Mira!?” Zoey’s tone was a mix of surprise and concern. Like she was getting a call from a ghost.

“Mira,” Rumi said quietly, “We’re here.” her voice trembling. It sounded like she had been crying.

Mira’s voice was steady but thin as she spoke, doing her best to keep the cold, untouchable Alpha mask in place. Meanwhile she had to hold back a moan at the sound of their voices as her legs shook with a quiet orgasm. She didn’t even need to touch herself; she was that needy for them. She couldn’t help but feel like a piece of shit.

“Hey. Can you guys like. Come back?” She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, like she was simply asking friends to come over to hang out after school even as her voice cracked. Not dripping with need on the floor of her friend’s room nesting with their clothes. Not like her entire being vibrated for them to come take her as their own.

There was long silence on the other end for a moment before Zoey’s voice came, low and serious. “Mira, you do realize how dangerous that is? We’re Alphas.”

“It’s dangerous for us to be there right now,” Rumi added softly. “With your heat so strong, we could hurt you. We don’t want to do anything we’d all regret. We don’t want to destroy what we all have beyond repair.”

Mira’s breath caught. The weight of their concern pressed in, and it made it all the harder to maintain the mask.

“You won’t. I…” Her voice faltered under the truth she tried to hide for years. The words were stuck in her throat. Confessions she never wanted to say, but at this point knew she needed to at least allude to it. Stubbornly. She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to do this alone. I want you two - specifically. No one else. You don’t have to…do anything I just - need you both. Here.”

There was a long pause, then Zoey’s laughter, warm and teasing. Mira swore she sounded choked up. 

“We love you too, dummy. Took you long enough.”

Rumi chimed in, a smile heard in her words, “We were starting to think you’d never notice all our flirting.”

“Yeah for real” Zoey said, “I was literally a day away from sticking my tongue down your throat to get our point across. You’re so dense it’s infuriating - “

“Zo.”

“What? I don’t want to hear it some someone who was moaning her name just this morning.” Zoey quipped. Mira felt like her heart stopped. There was an embarrassed yell from Rumi over the phone in the background “Why would you say that -”

“I’m sorry, what - “

“We’re going to get to you as soon as we can,” Zoey interrupted Mira, “it might take us a little bit since Celine has people watching us. I don’t understand why she’s been so vehement on separating us but that doesn't matter.”  Venom laced her voice, a low rumble behind it. Shivers ran down Mira’s spine and straight to her core. 

Mira’s facade slipped on accident, her voice barely a whisper. An admission that she would vehemently deny she said later. 

“I’m scared.”

The vulnerability hung between them, raw and unguarded. Something that Mira, strong Alpha Mira, would never say out loud. 

“We know,” Rumi said softly but firmly, “We’re coming to help, however you want us to.”

Zoey added, “We’ll be there soon sweetheart. We promise nothing will stop us from being there for you, ever. We loved you before all this and we’ll love you after. That will never change. You’ve just been too dense to see it.”

Before Mira could even say anything back the call dropped. She thought it was better that way anyways, because what was she supposed to say? After the call ended, Mira sank back against the pile of clothes she had around her, the soft fabric of Rumi’s hoodie still clutched in her hands. For a long moment, all she could do was breathe - shallow and uneven - but steadying with each passing second. Her heat still burned low and fierce beneath her skin, but the ache in her chest softened, replaced by a fragile thread of hope she hadn’t allowed herself before.

Rumi. Zoey.

They loved her. 

They wanted her.

They had sex calling her name .

Mira closed her eyes and let herself imagine: Rumi screaming her name while she took Zoey over and over. Zoey saying her name while rutting into her girlfriend. The thoughts made her drool like a moron and she started touching herself again immediately. It was way too much to think about with a rational mind. The haze of her heat started to return tenfold with her own desire.

The tight ache of loneliness in her chest began to loosen. Still, the fear there didn’t completely vanish. She was scared - not just of the heat, or what it meant, but of losing it all, of letting her guard down and being vulnerable. Even around them.

But the promise in their voices echoed in her mind like a heartbeat - steady, unwavering.

They’re coming for me. Rumi. Zoey. Who are in love me. What the actual fuck.

Mira curled up and pulled the used clothes closer around her. She waited for them with baited breath. Even the fiercest Alpha needs her pack, and for someone like Mira who faked it her whole life, that pack was all she had. She tried her best to hold onto the last shred of self she felt inside her as she felt her internal clock ticking away.

=== (Zoey’s POV) ===

The moment Zoey and Rumi slipped out of the hotel and avoided all of Celine’s security, they ran. Every step they took toward freedom was fueled by desperate determination to reach Mira, to protect her from the agony of isolation and her first heat. They could feel her call, her loneliness, pulling them to her like a taught wire. The streets blurred past in a chaotic rush as they climbed into a waiting taxi a few blocks down. They gave the driver the penthouse address and he took off immediately. 

Zoey took Rumi’s trembling hand in her own and brought it to her lips to give it a reassuring kiss. Her girlfriend smiled briefly at her, and she was once again struck for the millionth time how lucky she was to be surrounded by two beautiful women who could actually tolerate her. The sun reflected off of Rumi’s purple hair that was pulled up into a messy braided bun at the base of her neck and it took Zoey’s breath away. Her marks were shimmering in a more muted tone on her arms and face between dark purple and blue. 

Home. Mira. Their missing piece. They were so close.

Zoey leaned her head on Rumi’s shoulder and closed her eyes, thinking back to a few days ago when they discovered Mira was an Omega. They had watched her practically stumble over herself to get away from them that morning flooded with that earthy scent, which instantly sent off warning bells. After giving her plenty of time to come back, Bobby had to cancel all of their performances and interviews for that day because Mira was nowhere to be seen, her phone turned off. Rising panic had engulfed the two girls as they ran through the building looking for their third with a sense of dread. 

“I wish we had tried to look for her sooner.” Rumi admitted quietly in the silence of the car ride. She had been thinking back to that day too. “I feel like we let her down. She looked so scared.” Her voice cracked on the last word. Zoey winced internally; she knew why it was eating away at Rumi, probably more so than her, since she had been the isolated one not too long ago. Something that Zoey would forever regret even though Rumi had forgiven both her and Mira. Some things just weren’t forgivable.

Zoey squeezed her hand. “I know. We were extremely lucky we were able to get there on time.” The words on time echoed in their heads. Rumi squeezed her hand back. The only reason they had even found her was because Mira was emitting such powerful fear pheromones all of a sudden in the southern dance wing and they picked it up instantly knowing it was Mira somehow, following the scent to find her underneath Jae-Kwan in the dance studio.

Zoey would never forget the sight of seeing Mira on the ground facing the door with tears streaming down her face, eyes glazed over. That boy pressing into her from above, mouth open on her neck, his pheromones radiating domination and possessiveness. She had never seen their brave and tall dancer look so defeated and small.

Neither one of them remember what happened after that since they saw red at the sight. There was growling and snarling, shoving and clawing and punching, everything to get him off of Mira before he could sink his disgusting teeth into her. Eventually the police came and took what was left of Jae-Kwan away while Rumi carried a fainted Mira into a waiting ambulance with flared nostrils and trembling hands. Zoey tried to fill in the police and Bobby what they knew on the way to the ER.

Fast forward to the girls breaking out of the hotel Celine shoved them into and all they could think about was getting to Mira as quickly as possible to be where they should have been from the start - by her side. Zoey was furious at how Celine was treating this whole ordeal; saying stuff to them like she would have never recruited Mira if she knew she was an Omega, because the Hunters have always been Alphas and always will be. How she was already looking to replace her.

Over their dead bodies.

Rumi could sense Zoey’s emotions boiling over from her pheromones getting heated. She nuzzled into her side to calm her down, sending out soothing pheromones. As much as both of them had plenty of feelings regarding how this past week has gone, all that mattered in that moment was getting to Mira as soon as they could. 

Once the taxi cab got to their building in what felt like a lifetime, Zoey tipped him an exuberant amount and they both took off to their elevator. It couldn’t come fast enough. Finally it arrived and opened with a ding and they bolted in, mashing their penthouse floor button repeatedly. Ever so slowly it made its way up and up and they slammed into their door, fumbled with shaky hands to put in their code over and over. Both of them felt their panic rising at being so close but so far from their third. The wire pulling taught in their faint bond like it was about to snap with the tension.

The moment Zoey and Rumi stepped through the door they both doubled over at the smell of just Mira everywhere.

The air was thick with pure lust and desire, covering the entire penthouse. The pheromones were strong and earthy, the scent they now knew was Mira, charged with an electric tension that called to the raw, primal pull their instincts screamed at them to act on.

Every cell in Zoey’s body burned with the urge to claim, to mate, to protect Mira with fierce, possessive intensity. She had never felt the urge to mate that strong until that moment. But her mind fought it tooth and nail.

Not yet. Not like this.

She swallowed hard, gripping Rumi’s hand in a death grip. When she looked over, she could tell her mate wasn’t doing the best either. The scent was crashing over them - intoxicating and hypnotic in the way it was trying to lure the both of them to give into their Alpha instincts, whispering to them to follow the scent into the penthouse to take what was rightfully theirs.

Zoey’s lips pressed tight as she reached into her bag and pulled out the suppressants, Rumi mirroring the motion with a shaky breath.

Together, they took double the dosage, the chemical a small shield against the chaos threatening to overrun their minds. As the medicine began to steady their pounding hearts, their eyes locked again - this time with a clarity so fierce it felt like the entire universe snapped into focus to zero in on one thing: Mira. Her pheromones lead them to Rumi’s closed bedroom door. Rumi slowly pushed the door open.

Man, if Zoey thought her pheromones were strong walking through the penthouse, it was a drop in the bucket compared to how intense it was inside the room. It almost felt like getting hit in the face with a brick. She heard Rumi suck in her breath.

Mira was curled in a nest of their clothes. She was biting a pair of Zoey’s underwear in her mouth while she was on her hands and knees, completely oblivious to the fact that Rumi and Zoey had shown up as she rode through a body shaking orgasm. They could see her trembling from the doorway where they stood frozen. Zoey knew what heat cycles did to an Omega, but it was her first time seeing someone going through it this bad. Normally Zoey and Rumi would help each other through their ruts, their love for each other stronger than the call to mate an Omega. Until now, as they both watched Mira come undone around herself.

And because that person was Mira, their sexy ass baddie of a bandmate, it made it 100 times hotter. She was panting, one arm in between her legs trying anything and everything to satisfy the roaring inferno in her core. She dragged her fingers out and slumped forward into the clothes pile, sides heaving. 

Zoey and Rumi had never seen a sexier site.

For a heartbeat, time froze as Mira groggily looked up at them. Her eyes met theirs - glazed, vulnerable. Once she realized who it was that was staring at her slack jawed, her eyes went wide with recognition. When all of their eyes met, it was like the wire that had been pulling the Alphas to their Omega snapped into place between the three of them.

It was more than pheromones. It was something older and deeper, something that had been growing and growing inside them quietly beneath the surface for years, suppressed. They saw it there in Mira’s trembling frame, in the way her breath caught when they stepped closer, and in the quiet, unspoken question shimmering between all three of them. The finality of the emotions and instincts the three of them had coming to one conclusion that they could all feel was true and right :

Fated pack.

Rumi’s voice broke the silence, soft and awed. “Mira… we’re your mates”

Zoey added, voice thick with emotion, “We’ve always been yours.”

Mira made a strangled noise in her throat - no longer just the Alpha mask, no longer just the Omega in heat - but their mate. The world shifted and shimmered, the invisible threads of their bond tightening and pulsing with life. Their hearts beat in tandem, a rhythm order than time, syncing with each other in perfect harmony in that moment of connection. 

“Please." was the only thing that Mira could manage to say in her haze. The heat was unbearable.

Zoey and Rumi slowly came into the room, hand in hand.

=== ((Mira POV)) ===

Finally.

Mira couldn’t find it in her to be embarrassed being walked in on literally fucking herself for the millionth time. She was full of relief and love for the two women who came slowly into the room. It felt like everything was right with her world now. Rumi and Zoey’s combined pheromones washed over her like a sea breeze stronger than ever before. Their scents helped significantly ground her in the here and now instead of feeling like she was drowning in her own mind. 

They reached Mira and situated themselves in her nest on either side, slowly. She sighed feeling like a weight had been lifted from her chest as she turned onto her back. She was suddenly very aware that she was naked, sweaty, and covered in her own slick running down her thighs. She could feel another wave of her heat boiling in her core at the presence of the Alphas so close to her. 

Instead of immediately pinning her down in a frenzy, Mira felt more than saw their restraint to just stay beside her. Their mental bond shimmered with mutual longing, but from both Alphas she could feel waves of protection encompassing it all. Their love wasn’t just protective - it was patient. It was understanding. It was waiting for Mira to be ready. She felt it all - the love, the restraint, the fierce devotion flowing through their bond faintly. 

It both terrified and comforted her.

Mira wanted to believe she deserved this care, this tenderness. But the mask she wore for so long - the mask of the untouchable Alpha - made it hard to accept. Mira’s breaths came fast, shallow, each inhaling a battle between the wild instincts rising inside her and the cold, hard mask she’d spent her whole life forging. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke, trembling with a mixture of shame and raw truth.

“I’m scared of being bonded…I’m broken. I’ll never be enough for you.”

Zoey’s fingers brushed gently against Mira’s cheek, warm and grounding, a little shaky.

“You are more than enough,” Zoey said softly. “We don’t want some perfect Alpha - we want you. Omega or Alpha or Beta, doesn’t matter. You’re you .”

Rumi nodded, resting her forehead against hers. Mira shuddered at the hot breath that ghosted her skin. Rumi was shuddering too she realized.

“You’re not a failure. You never were. You don’t need to be strong for us. Let us take care of you Mira.”

Their love for Mira was a slow - burning fire, fierce and unyielding, but tempered by deep respect and care. They didn’t want to overwhelm her, didn’t want to let the hunger of their bonded pack instincts take away her control - or her dignity. Consent on all fronts is highly important, especially since there have been feelings of love for this beautiful dancer long before they even entertained the idea of being bonded.. Instead, they became the anchors that she needed to ride out the rest of her heat.

Even if that meant they had to suffer in her stead.

The days that followed unfolded in a quiet, fragile rhythm - a mix of exhaustion, tenderness, and unspoken feelings. Zoey and Rumi’s every move around Mira was a careful balance between instinct and intention - a dance of fierce protectiveness held in check by their unshakable love and respect for her.

Rumi, with her gentle demeanor, became the quiet strength. Her hands were always nearby, ready to soothe, to steady, to catch Mira should she falter. She whispered calming words, laced with warmth and reassurance, their soft cadence breaking through the storm of panic that sometimes clouded Mira’s mind.

Zoey, usually so bold and unyielding, softened into a quiet guardian. Her sharp eyes never left Mira’s face, always alert for the smallest sign of pain or discomfort. When Mira shivered, Zoey was there with a blanket. When her breath hitched with the overwhelming surge of need, Zoey’s voice was calm and grounding, a tether pulling Mira back from the edge.

But beneath the tenderness lay an unspoken struggle. Every time Mira’s scent thickened the air, every time her body shivered under the weight of the heat, Zoey and Rumi fought an intense battle against their primal urges.

They wanted to claim her, to take her, to satisfy the raw hunger the pack bond ignited between them. But they knew this wasn’t the time - not yet.

They held themselves back, biting down the desire to mark her, to press her close and drown out the pain with the fierce intimacy of mating. Instead, they poured that energy into care - into quiet gestures of devotion that spoke louder than words.

When Mira’s breathing grew shallow, Zoey’s hand found hers and squeezed gently, a silent vow to never let go. When Mira’s eyes welled with tears, Rumi brushed them away with a reverent tenderness, like she was touching something sacred.

Their love wasn’t just protective - it was patient. It was understanding. It was waiting for Mira to be ready. Every tender touch was measured, every kiss replaced with gentle words, every wave of pheromones a promise: 

We will wait. 

We will protect. 

We will love you as you need.

Mira’s safety was their only goal, especially after what she experienced with another Alpha. 

Because to them, she wasn’t just an Omega in heat - she was the rest of their heart. And they would fight any instinct, any urge, any battle inside themselves to keep her whole.

They kept a careful watch over her, making sure she took every suppressant on time, gently reminding her when she faltered or forgot.

Mira, stubborn and proud even in this vulnerable state, fought to keep the sharp edges of her Alpha mask in place. But each time the weight of the heat crashed over her, the mask cracked just a little - and Zoey and Rumi were there to pick up the pieces.

Mira felt like a child again, unsure and fragile, but in their care she found a strange kind of safety she’d never known. They brought her water and food, carefully soothed rather than overwhelm, and sat by her side through the restless nights. Refreshed the clothes in her nest with clothes from previous days they had been wearing. Movements deft and automatic to take care of their Omega, even if they themselves had never dealt with someone’s heat before. They knew what she needed even if she didn’t.

The second to last day of Mira’s heat was so bad that she only remembered bits and sensations. Radiating heat, waves of fire, tremors of desire. Shaking hands on her back, words of love in her ear in a trembling voice. The sea and sky surrounding her. High pitched whines and low pitched growls. The sound of skin on skin as her mates consumed each other in the cloying pheromones with an aggressive frenzy. The feel of bucking into her own fingers as she dripped slick, sweat, and drool all over the nest she made. The air thick with want and need and danger.

That was the only night that Rumi and Zoey were not by her side through the night. 

The soft morning light spilled through the curtains, painting the room in gentle golds and pinks. Mira lay nestled between Zoey and Rumi, the warmth of their bodies a comforting embrace around her. Yet despite the peacefulness, a tight knot of vulnerability churned inside her chest.

I want to die of embarrassment. 

She shifted slightly, heart sinking as the weight of the week's events pressed down. The heat cycle was finally over, her body calming down after the tempest, but the emotional aftermath lingered like a shadow. She grimaced as she felt how soaking wet her entire lower half was, how frizzy and greasy her long unkempt pink hair felt. She desperately needed a shower but she wasn’t sure her limbs would listen to her long enough to even get off the pile of clothes. She felt weak and exposed. 

Unconsciously, her breath hitched, and the tight knot in her chest twisted further as she started to spiral.

Almost immediately Zoey’s eyes fluttered open, followed by Rumi’s, their senses keyed into the subtle shifts through the bond they shared. It was as if Mira’s discomfort rippled across the invisible threads that tied them together, tugging gently but urgently. Even if they hadn’t marked each other, intense emotions still rippled through the natural bond they had.

“I think it’s over,” she whispered, her voice rough and fragile after not speaking more than two words in a week. It felt weird talking in the comfortable silence of Rumi’s room.

Zoey’s smile was a balm - soft and proud, her eyes sparkling with quiet admiration. “Yeah? You did amazing Mira. You were so strong.”

Rumi’s fingers gently squeezed Mira’s waist, grounding her with quiet circles of reassurance with her thumb. “We’re so proud of you, always. We know it was hard”

The weight of their words settled in Mira’s chest, swelling with an ache that was no longer loneliness but the raw, fierce love she held for them both. She realized, more clearly than ever, just how deeply she cared for these two, and how much they meant to her.

More than anything in the world.

Her heart swarmed with the knowledge that they weren’t just her bandmates, her friends, or even just her mates in this strange bonded pack. They were her anchors, her home, her found family.

There was a beat, a breath, as the Alphas felt her love wash over their bond. The sudden and fierce feeling of love that came back made Mira’s breath hitch. The weight of their love was both terrifying and intoxicating. She had carried the burden of her own fears alone for so long, but now she was beginning to understand that love wasn’t something that needed to be feared.

Mira felt her mask slipping.

She leaned into them, her hands determined, pulling Zoey and Rumi closer. She finally lets herself fall into the warmth and safety of their embrace. She reached out tentatively, her fingers brushing first against Zoey’s face, then sliding over to lace with Rumi’s hand on her waist. The simple act felt monumental - a physical thread weaving them tighter together initiated by the most terrified person in the room. 

Zoey and Rumi stayed close on either side of Mira, their hands cradling her body like a fragile treasure, their eyes never leaving her face. For so long, Mira had worn a mask; an armor of steel forged by fear, duty, and years of pretending. But now, with her heart pounding raw beneath her ribs, that mask felt impossibly heavy.

She took a trembling breath, the weight of their gazes grounding her, urging her forward.

“I’m scared,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “Not just because of being an O-omega… but because I don’t know if I deserve this. Deserve you both.”

Zoey’s fingers tightened around hers. “Mira, you are enough. More than enough.”

Rumi’s smile was soft but fierce. “We’ve loved you for so long, even when you didn’t see it. We see you - all of you, mask and all.”

Zoey’s hand cradled her face with a reverence that made Mira feel precious, seen in a way she never had before. Rumi’s touch was featherlight, tracing gentle paths down her arms, grounding her, reassuring her.

“I love you,” she breathed, barely above a whisper. A confession she hadn’t even said to herself, spoken out loud. 

“We love you,” they both whispered back, their voices entwining like a sacred promise.

Rumi tilted Mira’s head back and their lips met - soft, sure, and filled with all the hope and longing they’d held inside, the bond between them blazed to life in a brilliant explosion of light and feeling. Mira saw Rumi’s marks shimmering gold out of the corner of her eye.

The air between them hummed with electricity - soft, charged, alive. Mira’s heart thudded loudly in her chest, every nerve ending alight with sensations.

Zoey turned her head back to face her, lips meeting eagerly. Mira was tentative at first like she was with Rumi, but quickly grew more certain. When she tried to back off to breathe, Zoey pulled her back by the nape of her neck, brushing over her scent glands in a way that sent fire down her spine. The second kiss was deeper, slower, a language without words. 

Mira’s breath caught when Rumi’s fingers slid up her stomach, pulling their bodies flush together, anchoring her to this moment, to them. Zoey’s hands stayed on her neck, drawing her in, warmth spreading through Mira like wildfire.

Every kiss, every touch, was a promise: you are safe, you are loved, you belong here - with us.

The world outside fell away. There were only the three of them - their shared breaths, their mingling scents, the steady beat of their hearts in perfect sync. Years worth of love expressed between lips and gasps for air.

Together, they were more than just three souls intertwined - they were a force of nature, a pack bound by love, trust, and the unbreakable feelings of their awakened bond.

Her mask was barely hanging on.

And for once she didn't try to put it back.

Chapter Text

The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the gentle rhythm of Mira’s breathing. Her heat left her utterly spent, her body loose and heavy against the tangle of limbs. Every inch of her felt tender: overused, overheated, and wrung out. 

Rumi was the first to move, carefully slipping out from behind Mira to fetch a warm cloth from the bathroom. Zoey stayed put, cradling Mira close, her hand rubbing slow circles along Mira’s stomach. She let her eyes flutter closed again, letting herself soak in the warmth of their scents curling around her like a warm blanket. 

Rumi came back, kneeling in the nest with a damp cloth and a basin of warm water. “Okay, sweetheart, let’s get you cleaned up a little,” she murmured. She was gentle, almost unnervingly so for someone who beats the shit out of demons for a living. With calm movements, the two Alphas slowly removed the rest of Mira’s sweat drenched clothes so that they could take care of her. Mira was too exhausted to even try and protest like she normally would.

Rumi brushed damp strands of Mira’s hair off of her face, wiping away the sweat that clung to her skin. Her touch was slow and careful, like Mira might break if she pressed too hard. Zoey helped, shifting to support Mira’s weight as Rumi ran the cloth over her arms, her neck, then slowly down over her chest and stomach.

Each pass of the cloth made Mira want to melt - because no one had ever cared for her like this. Not like she mattered enough for this kind of care.

“You’re doing so good babe,” Zoey whispered, her forehead pressed to the side of Mira’s head. She pressed a light kiss to her cheek.

When Rumi was finished with Mira’s upper half, she got another cloth wet to carefully wipe between her legs, murmuring soft apologies whenever she tensed. “Shh, it’s okay. We’ve got you. You’re okay.” Rumi said, her voice trying to be smooth but held a tremble to it. Rumi had always been the shy one of the three so she was having a hard time not staring and blushing. Mira was too tired to tease her about it. 

Once she was clean, they dressed her in one of Zoey’s oversized shirts - an old tour shirt with a ridiculous cartoon of Derpy’s face printed on the front. It had been a gag gift, something Mira had always pretended to hate, but secretly loved and stole from Zoey all the time. They also slid on some shorts. It was a relief that she could wear bottoms and not completely soak through them instantly.

Zoey brushed out Mira’s damp hair with steady hands, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head when she was done. Once her hair had been brushed all the way, Rumi helped Zoey put it in a bun at the base of her neck. Mira suddenly felt even more tired somehow, like she got hit by a semi truck. They both noticed her eyes drooping.

“Sleep,” Rumi whispered, curling her fingers gently with Mira’s and guiding her to the bed. “We’ll be here when you wake up. Always.” Zoey crawled in so that Mira was laying in between them once more. Mira instantly melted into the bed which was much softer than a pile of clothes on the floor, and she was out instantly surrounded by her pack’s warmth.

They stayed piled together in the bed for a few hours, enjoying each other’s company, when Mira woke up and slowly sat up, muscles sore. The other two woke up as well, hands never straying away from her body, as though they were afraid that she would vanish if they let go. Mira felt like she needed to say something, anything to them. She owed them that much.

No more secrets. 

Mira’s voice was halting, hesitant as she spoke, words heavy with the weight of years and years spent in silence. “My family… they never wanted me to be myself. I was born an Omega, but they took that away from me. Surgically removed my scent glands as a child before I could even process what an Omega even was. I was raised and taught to be an Alpha, the only kind of person worthy enough to stand in our family lineage.” She appreciated the comforting pheromones and silence that they gave her to take all the time she needed to talk, and kept going, “They made it very clear that they could make me disappear if I ever did anything out of line. Apparently our new Honmoon decided I needed my scent glands back because I was broken and needed fixed or something.” she said with a bitter laugh.

The room was still, the air thick with unspoken pain. As Mira’s words hung between them, she felt the shift in an undercurrent of their bond as raw, fierce emotions flooded her senses. It was going to take a long time for her to get used to this bond, and it wasn’t even its strongest yet. She pushed that rabbit hole thought away for the time being.

From Rumi, there came a tightness, like a coiled spring ready to snap - a fiery rage that burned just beneath her calm exterior. Mira could feel it as a heat radiating through their connection, fierce and protective. Zoey’s sorrow came next, deep and aching, like a storm gathering strength. It was sharp, poignant despair that cut through Mira’s heart, mirroring her own loneliness and loss. Her breath caught, overwhelmed not only by her own pain, but by the wave of emotion pouring from the two people she loved most.

“They made me wear this…mask of an Alpha persona,” Mira continued, the words spilling out, “told me I had to be the perfect Alpha - the image of perfection to the public. But it wasn’t me. It was a lie. I only ever felt safe when I was with you two, but even then I could never let anything slip, or else my family would take it all away. Even now, I’m terrified of what is going to happen once the press gets a hold of this.”

Zoey’s voice was low and fierce when she finally spoke trying to control her voice, “No one will ever make you feel broken again. Not while we’re here. I would like to see anyone try to take you away from us.” Rumi growled low as her grip around Mira’s waist tightened. Mira felt a thrill at how protective they were of her. It made her feel some type of way.

“Thank you for listening. It means more than you know.” Mira murmured, nuzzling Rumi and then Zoey in thanks. 

After another moment just basking in each other’s presence, they collectively decided to get out of bed. The sun was setting on the day but their stomachs were rumbling and the thought of food got them to move. 

The kitchen smelled like home after a few moments - the gentle sizzle of something cooking on the stove, the clinking of utensils, gentle chatter. Mira stood at the kitchen island, chopping vegetables with a practiced rhythm, feeling the steady pulse of normalcy wrap around her like a soft blanket. Like she hadn’t been a horny wet mess not even 24 hours ago. She felt the tips of her ears start to burn but chose to ignore it.

Zoey leaned casually against the counter, arms crossed but a teasing grin playing on her lips. “I don’t know how we survived this past week without your cooking, Mira. The only thing that kept me going was the light at the end of the tunnel that is your cooking. There’s only so many times I can eat Rumi’s fried rice.”

Rumi smacked Zoey upside the head and then carefully stirred the food on the stove. She offered a shy smile as she caught Mira’s eye. Mira felt her stomach do flips that had nothing to do with being hungry. 

Mira smirked, shaking her head. “Oh please. I highly doubt the apocalypse hinged on my absence in the kitchen. You’re being dramatic.”

Zoey raised an eyebrow, mock offended. “Hey, I’m just stating facts. You’re literally a chef reincarnated to grace us with amazing food. You ruined food and coffee for us both.” Rumi laughed and nodded along. Mira just rolled her eyes and added the vegetables to the pan. 

The food being made was budae jjigae, which consisted of some vegetables, tteok, ramen noodles, and chunks of tofu. Once the broth was done simmering all of the ingredients, Mira put some into bowls for each of them. Zoey had finished setting the table, and Rumi got them much-needed glasses of water.

As Mira brought over their food to the table, she felt a small, nostalgic swell in her chest. This table had seen countless mornings filled with laughter, quiet conversations, and shared dreams. It was a place of routine - but today, it felt like the center of something new. The weight of the past week lingered beneath the surface, but the way they moved around each other, the way Zoey’s jokes made them smile, the gentle ease with which they all worked together - it was a subtle but powerful reminder.

They sat down together, plates steaming, the familiar clink of cutlery filling the comfortable silence. Nothing had changed, yet everything had. Mira caught Zoey’s eye across the table, that same teasing spark still alive there, and felt a surge of gratitude. This was their life - imperfect, complicated, and utterly theirs. Rumi and Zoey smelled Mira’s pheromones shift into something they could only describe as content. They struggled to contain their grins.

They had just started eating when Mira’s phone buzzed on the counter. She glanced at the screen and saw Bobby ’s name flash. Mira groaned and mentally prepared her mask as she put her chopsticks down. Before she could grab it, Zoey snatched the phone with a wink and answered on speaker. “Hi Bobby!”

Rumi chimed in softly, smiling as she set her cup down. “Hi Bobby!”

Mira rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “Hi, Bobby.” she added. She could already see the gears turning in Bobby’s head at the sound of all three girls.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then a sharp intake of breath.

“Mira?” Bobby’s voice was laced with alarm. “Zoey? Rumi? Wait - you’re all there? I thought the doctor said -”

“Relaaaaax,” Zoey cut in, holding up her hands even though Bobby couldn’t see her. “We’re all fine. Mira’s fine. We didn’t jump her bones. Yet.” Mira choked on a tteok.

Rumi leaned closer to the phone, her voice pacifying. “Mira reached out to us so that we could be close, we didn’t do anything. She needed us. And we needed her. She’s our mate.”

Mira swallowed, her chest tightening at the support from her mates. “Celine locked them up in some random hotel against their will to ‘protect the image of Huntrix.’ She didn’t give two shits about what I was going through or that they were my pack.”

There was silence on the other end for a beat, then Bobby’s voice came, low and simmering with barely contained anger. “She what? ” Mira blinked in surprise. Bobby, mad? That was rarer than Mira cracking a smile during interviews.

Zoey winced slightly at the tone, though her grin didn’t fade. “Yeah. We weren’t having it. We broke out.”

“You… broke out ?” Bobby repeated, disbelief mixing with fury.

“Yep,” Rumi said cheerfully, popping a piece of food in her mouth.

“They saved me from myself…I was terrified that I was going into permanent heat,” Mira admitted quietly, her fingers tightening around her coffee mug.

The line was quiet for a moment before Bobby spoke again, his voice softer but heavy with emotion. “You listen to me - all three of you. You’re my kids, regardless of what your secondary gender is. It doesn’t matter. Celine lied to me; she told me that you two wanted to be away. She is out of line. I don’t care if she’s your adoptive mother Rumi, or the head of the company. I am your manager and if she tries to pull something like this again you let me know asap so I can take care of it.”

Rumi smirked at the phone. “Bobby, don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’d start an actual war for us talking like that.”

“Damn right I would,” Bobby said, no hesitation in his voice. All three of them made “aw” noises.

Mira felt her chest ache in that warm, familiar way Bobby always made her feel. For someone who had no real father, Bobby’s fierce loyalty and love meant the world to her.

“Thank you,” Mira said softly. Her mates glanced at each other and smiled, knowing how shocking it would be for anyone to hear Mira say thank you for anything. So for her to say it to Bobby meant a lot to all of them. 

There was silence, then Bobby let out a rough laugh, clearly choked up. “Love you too, kid. We’ll sort this out. Together. Let me handle things for a bit, I need to make some calls. If you need anything let me know and I can send someone to get it for you. Stay off the streets while we get everything under control.”

Zoey shot Mira a grin, Rumi reaching over to squeeze her hand. Mira felt like the pieces of her life were slowly clicking into place more so than they ever had.

Zoey ended the call and set Mira’s phone back on the counter. The girls started to eat again and the table filled with the soft sounds of food being consumed. Without a word, Rumi stood and began gathering the dishes. Mira made a move to help, but Zoey gently tugged her back by the wrist.

“Sit,” Zoey said softly, her usual teasing edge absent. “You’ve done enough this week. Let us handle it for you.” Mira hesitated, instinct still telling her she had to do something, to prove she wasn’t weak - but the bond pulsed gently, steadying her, reminding her that she didn’t have to fight to be so strong willed around them anymore. She sat back down and opted to watch Rumi in the kitchen.

Rumi quickly finished tidying, and soon the three of them drifted to the giant ass couch that was their sanctuary. Rumi settled in the middle, as always, Zoey draping an arm lazily across the back of the couch behind her while Mira curled up closer on her other side.

It was quiet for a long moment, the hum of the city beyond the windows barely audible. Mira’s chest felt tight again - except this time it wasn’t from fear or shame. Zoey tilted her head toward Mira, giving her one of those sideways smiles that always made her heart ache. “You okay?”

Mira nodded faintly, though she wasn’t sure if it was a lie. “Yeah. Just… feels like everything’s different now.”

“Good different though I hope?” Zoey said, reaching over to squeeze her knee. Mira hummed in agreement.

Rumi rested her head against Mira’s shoulder, her voice quiet but certain. “We’ve always been yours, Mira. Now you can finally believe us.”

Mira swallowed hard, feeling her throat tighten. Their bond shifted with love and affection from all three of them.

Zoey leaned her head against Rumi’s other shoulder, effectively sandwiching her against Mira’s side. “You’re stuck with us now. No take-backs.”

A small laugh slipped out of Mira before she could stop it. “Like I’d ever want to take this back. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted…this.”

For a while, none of them spoke. Rumi’s breathing was slow and steady against her, Zoey’s hand lazily tracing circles over her thigh.

And for the first time since she was a child, Mira allowed herself to just be - not the perfect Alpha, not the mask her family demanded, not even the band’s leader. Just Mira. Loved. Safe.

Zoey yawned loudly, leaning more of her weight onto Rumi. “Ugh, I could nap right here. Don’t move, you’re comfy.”

“Gremlin,” Rumi murmured, but there was no bite behind it. She was already drifting on Mira’s shoulder. Mira felt like she hadn’t slept in ages even though they all slept most of the day away already. Apparently pining after your mates for a week takes it out of you, who knew.

“Yeah, yeah. But I’m your gremlin,” Zoey shot back, smirking.

Rumi hummed softly in agreement, and Mira felt something unspoken pass between the three of them - a quiet, steady promise that this was exactly where they all belonged right now. The world outside could wait. The Honmoon was sealed. Gwi-Ma was gone. For now, there was only the three of them, the bond thrumming softly like a heartbeat as they sank deeper into the couch cushions, safe in each other’s arms.

===((2 Hours Later))===

The loud knock at the door was deliberate - sharp, heavy, meant to intimidate. the kind that sent a ripple of unease through the bond before Mira even registered why her chest felt tight. All of them stirred on the couch in their nap pile and sat up. Zoey and Rumi looked at each other and tensed. All three of them stood up, Zoey walking to the front door radiating anger.

Rumi’s reaction was quieter - her entire frame went still, head tilting just slightly in that eerie, predatory way Mira had only ever seen when Rumi’s demon side was close to the surface. Her eyes flashed gold, her marks rippled dark purple. 

Through the bond, Mira could feel it faintly - Zoey’s protectiveness sparking hot and fast, Rumi’s quiet fury simmering underneath her usually timid exterior. They both made Mira’s stomach twist with dread. Who is it?

When Zoey opened the door, the reason became clear as to the heightened emotions.

Celine stepped inside with the same commanding presence she always carried: posture flawless, chin high, eyes sharp. Her pheromones rolled out like a stormfront - crushing, oppressive, designed to force submission. Worse than even Jae-Kwan’s oppressive pheromones which was saying something.

The effect was immediate. Mira’s knees weakened, her Omega instincts roaring in panic. Her chest constricted and she started to buckle as though invisible hands were pressing her to the floor. Every cell in her body screamed at her to submit , to bare her throat, to obey. Not in a sexual way: in a fear for your life kind of way.

She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood, forcing her knees to lock even though it was painful, and willed her chin to stay high. The mask - her mask - was all she had left to cling to in front of her. She would not give Celine the satisfaction of seeing her break. Not after everything she did to Rumi.

But her scent betrayed her. Fear, distress - her Omega scent, sharp and panicked - spilled into the air before she could stop it. Celine’s eyes flicked to Mira briefly, a look of disdain like she was the dirt on the bottom of her shoe. It was crazy the difference in attitude being an Omega makes , Mira thought bitterly. 

Then Rumi moved. She stepped in front of Mira so quickly it was almost a blur, one hand reaching back to ground Mira with a firm, steady touch on her wrist. Mira felt her chest pain lessen just a little at her touch.

“ Enough .”

The word was quiet - but it hit like a command. Low, reverberating through the penthouse.

Rumi’s Alpha pheromones burst outward, a crushing wall of raw power laced with something darker, heavier - demonic. The air itself felt charged, thick enough to choke on. Her demon markings were pulsing dark red with the waves of her pheromones being released like a steady beat.

Even Zoey stiffened slightly at the sudden surge of power radiating from her mate. She recognized the signs of Rumi’s demon surging up.

Zoey stepped to Mira’s side, sliding her hand into her other hand not being held by Rumi. Her pheromones followed after Rumi’s, softer - calming, steady waves that Mira could feel pulsing against her frayed instincts, grounding her in a bubble of airy scent while the room outside of that swelled with the strength of two Alpha pheromones going at it.

“It’s okay,” Zoey whispered, her voice so gentle Mira felt herself lean into the sound. “You’re safe. We’re here.” It felt like the two Alpha’s roles had revered in this moment - Zoey the calm one while Rumi looked like she was ready to launch herself towards Celine.

Celine faltered, just for a second.

“Turn. It. Off .” Rumi’s voice was low, each word deliberate, her dark eyes flashing faintly in the light. “Or I’ll make you turn it off.”

It wasn’t an empty threat - and everyone in the room knew it. Zoey growled to remind Celine that she was there too, and would back Rumi up in a heartbeat. Slowly, Celine’s overbearing pheromones retreated. Mira took a shaky breath.

Celine tried to recover her composure, eyes cutting toward Rumi. “An Omega pretending to be something she’s not. She’ll ruin everything Huntrix built - everything I built for you - She’s weak, submissive. I would have never let her join if I knew. And you knew that, didn’t you? That’s why your parents and you lied to me. So you could weasel your way into some place that could get your father business deals. ” She stared Mira down and continued speaking.

“Demon Hunters have always been Alphas; the strong, the leaders. The Honmoon simply made a mistake by bringing Mira in, a mistake that I intend to correct . We can find another hunter within the month as long as we start auditions now Rumi, Zoey. I just need you two to come with me so we can get started.” Her words hit like blades but Mira was too paralyzed to do anything except look away from Celine in shame at the truth being spoken out loud.

They will lock you up.

“She is one of us, regardless of not being an Alpha. The Honmoon was sealed because of all of us . She has every right to stand beside us.” Rumi snapped, cutting Celine's tirade with a force Mira had never heard from her before. Her usual timidity was gone , replaced with an Alpha authority that brooked no argument. Rumi’s free hand flexed slightly at her side - dark claws just barely starting to form at her fingertips. Celine’s eyes flicked down to see the shift, frowning.

For just a second, something in Celine’s expression wavered.

Rumi’s eyes narrowed, voice dropping lower. “Leave. Now. Or I’ll show you what happens when someone tries to threaten our Omega in our home .” The faint gold glow in her eyes was impossible to miss now. Celine visibly took a step back, fear flashing in her eyes for a split second.

“You need to leave,” Zoey snapped, every inch of her bristling Alpha pride on full display. Her body was tense, protective, ready to throw hands if she had to. Celine ignored her entirely. Her eyes were locked on Rumi now.

“You’ve grown,” Celine said mockingly, her voice dripping with a false sweetness that only made Mira’s stomach turn. “You even look like her now, almost. What a shame you bring dishonor to her with everything you are.”

Rumi’s jaw clenched. Every scar from her childhood - every word Celine had ever spat at her - flashed like lightning in her mind.

You killed her.
You stole her from me.
If you hadn’t been born, she’d still be here.

“I’m not her,” Rumi said, voice steady even as her chest tightened. Her pupils were beginning to slit, the demon blood in her veins stirring more as her anger built. “And I never will be. Stop pretending like you care about anyone but yourself.”

Celine tilted her head, studying her with that same cold indifference she’d always had. “You’ve always been ungrateful. I took you in. I raised you when no one else would -”

“You didn’t raise me,” Rumi cut in sharply, her voice rising. “You hated me. You made sure I knew every single day that I was nothing more than a mistake that cost you my mom. Don’t pretend this is about me. You’re only here because you want Mira gone. You want control.”

Celine’s expression hardened. “I’m trying to protect Huntrix. You three are tearing apart everything I’ve built -”

“No,” Mira said, speaking up with as much bitch as she could muster, “ We built Huntrix. Me. Rumi. Zoey. Bobby. Not you.”

For the first time, Mira saw just how much weight Rumi carried - the years of abuse, of being told she was a monster, of believing she didn’t deserve love. And yet here she was, standing her ground, defending her .

“I won’t let you hurt her,” Rumi said quietly, the low growl in her voice sending chills through the room. Her eyes glinted, sharp and inhuman, her demon heritage bleeding through. “You’ve taken enough from me. You’re not taking my pack.”

Celine’s lips curled into a sneer, but there was something in her eyes - recognition, disgust - that she would never admit to. “You’re just like your father,” she spat. “A monster.”

“Better a monster than listen to you ,” Rumi bit back, her voice steady even though her claws were elongating, marks flaring dangerously. 

For a long, quiet moment, Celine looked between the three of them. Then, without a word, she turned sharply on her heel and left, the oppressive weight of her pheromones finally vanishing as the door slammed behind her.

The silence afterward felt heavy, electric.

Mira’s legs finally gave out, but Rumi caught her instantly, pulling her close against her chest with surprising strength, bridal style. Her pheromones shifted, softening immediately into something warm and steady - safe. She sat Mira down on the couch gently, keeping her arms around her soothingly.

Zoey crouched beside them, brushing Mira’s hair gently out of her face, trying to catch her eyes. “Hey, you kept it together. You didn’t let her win. I’m so damn proud of you.” Then she reached up to cup Rumi’s face lovingly. “And you were so hot, bringing out that sexy demon to defend our love. So proud of you.” Rumi smiled into her hand, preening at the praise.

Rumi held Mira tighter, her chin resting lightly on the top of Mira’s head. “She doesn’t get to tell us what happens with our band or our pack.” she murmured, voice quiet but full of steel. “Not while I’m here. I’ll make sure of it.” She was coming down from her demonic anger, hands back to normal and eyes back to normal. Her marks shimmered iridescent once more.

Their scents wrapped around Mira - protective, grounding - and for the first time since the knock at the door, Mira let out the breath she’d been holding. She hadn’t realized until now just how safe she felt pressed between them, until an outside threat had descended. It just solidified in her mind how right this was, the three of them.

Rumi let out a shaky breath, her eyes softening as she turned to look back and forth between her lovers. “I’ll always protect you. Both of you. No matter what it takes.”

Mira’s eyes shimmered faintly with unshed tears as she whispered, “I know.” and hugged herself. She was still shaking, even with Rumi’s arms wrapped securely around her. Zoey stayed crouched at her side, one hand gently rubbing circles along her knee like she was afraid Mira might collapse completely.

“You’re safe,” Zoey murmured, her voice softer now but steady, unwavering. “She’s gone. She won’t get near you again.”

Mira swallowed hard. She wanted to say something - anything - but her throat wouldn’t work. Her mask was cracking, trembling under the weight of everything she had been holding in since the day she was forced into this crazy turn of events. It had been one thing after another - and she knew that it was far from over. She’d always prided herself on never breaking. Never crying. Never letting anyone see how fragile she felt.

But right now - wrapped in Rumi’s arms, Zoey’s warm presence pressed close - she couldn’t hold it anymore.

The first sob ripped out of her before she could stop it.

Rumi instantly pulled her tighter, one hand coming up to cradle the back of Mira’s head. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to hold it in. Not with us.”

Zoey’s tone was soft, coaxing, as she reached up to wipe away a tear that slipped down Mira’s cheek. “You’ve been holding it together for so long , Mira. Let it all out.”

The dam broke .

Years of pain, loneliness, and fear poured out all at once. Mira clutched at Rumi’s shirt like she was afraid to let go, her sobs loud and ugly and raw.

“I’m -” Her voice cracked. “I’m so tired of pretending I’m okay. I’m so tired of being strong all the time. It’s too much - I can’t -” She started to hyperventilate in between sobs.

“You don’t have to.” Zoey’s hand cupped her face gently, tilting it down just enough so Mira could see the love in her eyes. “We’ve got you. Always.”

Rumi pressed a kiss to Mira’s temple - gentle, sincere. “We’re not going anywhere. You don’t ever have to face anything alone again. You’re our moon.”

Their bond thrummed, warm and fierce, carrying everything they felt straight into Mira’s chest - love, protectiveness, certainty.

It was overwhelming, in a fantastic way.

For the first time in her life, Mira let herself feel it all - the relief of not having to pretend, the ache of finally being seen, the bone-deep comfort of knowing she was safe. Of not having to keep up appearances.

She sobbed harder, but it wasn’t from fear anymore.

It was from finally - finally - letting herself be held.

Zoey brushed her thumb across Mira’s cheek, smiling softly despite the tears in her own eyes. “You’re stuck with us, you know. No take-backs.”

A wet, broken laugh slipped out of Mira before she could stop it.

“That’s better,” Zoey said, her grin widening just slightly. “Knew we could get that gorgeous smile out of you.”

Rumi just held her tighter, murmuring quiet reassurances that Mira could barely hear over her own sobs - but she felt every word through the bond.

You’re safe.
You’re ours.
We love you.

And for the first time in her life, Mira let herself believe it.

===((Bobby’s POV))===

Celine didn’t knock.

The door to Bobby’s office slammed open so hard it rattled against the wall. She strode in like she owned the place, her Alpha pheromones already thick in the air - commanding, suffocating, angry.

Bobby didn’t even look up right away.

He calmly finished signing the paper in front of him, capped his pen, and then looked at her.

“Celine,” he said evenly, leaning back in his chair. “If you break my door, you’re paying for it.”

“You need to cancel Mira’s contract.”

Bobby blinked. Slowly. “Do I?”

“She’s an Omega. A liability . She’s already ruining Huntrix’s image, and if she stays -”

“Stop.”

The word was quiet, but firm.

Celine’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t get to tell me to stop -”

“Yes, I do.” Bobby’s tone didn’t rise, but there was steel in it. He pushed his chair back slightly, folding his hands on the desk in front of him. “You walked into my office, Celine. Don’t mistake me being a Beta for being weak. I am their manager. I am who decides what happens to my girls, not you.”

Her pheromones rolled heavier, a silent attempt to intimidate. Bobby didn’t even flinch.

“You can’t seriously think keeping her will be okay -”

“I think,” Bobby cut in, still calm, “that Mira is one of the most talented idols I’ve ever worked with. She’s loyal to her group, she’s been through hell because of people like you and her family, and she still shows up every single day to give everything she has.”

He leaned forward, voice tightening - not loud, but dangerous .

“And if you ever try to pull what you did again - hurting my girls in any way,” He shook his head, a humorless smile tugging at his mouth. “You won’t like what happens.”

Celine stepped closer, her shadow falling across his desk as she loomed over him. “You think you can threaten me?”

Bobby just grinned wider .

“No. It’s a promise that I can keep.”

The calm in his tone made it all the more chilling. Celine raised an eyebrow.

“You forget, Celine - I’ve been in this industry longer than you’ve been relevant. I know where every skeleton is buried. Including yours. You want to go to war over this? Fine. But you won’t win. And then the world will know the kind of person you really are.”

For the first time, something in Celine’s expression faltered. That was all Bobby needed to see.

“Now,” Bobby said, straightening the papers on his desk like the conversation bored him, “get out of my office. And while you’re at it, stay the hell away from my girls.”

Celine’s mouth opened - then shut.

She turned sharply on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her so hard a picture of his girls fell off the wall onto the floor. Bobby leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. His hands were shaking, his face sweating - but there was a fire in his chest.

No one was hurting his girls.

Not while he had something to say about it.

Chapter Text

Bobby didn’t wait long after Celine stormed out to spring into action. He made a few calls to some people who would help him with legal work and press releases. He sighed and then scrolled to Zoey’s contact - though by now, all of their numbers should just be labeled “The Girls”. He knew if he called one of them, the other two would be right there.

The line rang once before Zoey picked up.

“Hi Bobby!” three voices chimed in unison.

Bobby couldn’t help but smile. “Hey girls! I just had a very… lively conversation with Celine.”

There was a pause, then Rumi asked warily, “Define lively.”

“She wanted Mira’s contract terminated,” Bobby said bluntly.

Mira froze on the couch where she was laying between Zoey and Rumi. Her chest tightened instinctively, but before the fear could settle, the bond pulsed - warm, grounding. Rumi’s hand found hers, Zoey’s fingers brushing along her thigh in quiet reassurance. They had just been watching random turtle videos on Zoey’s phone piled on the couch together.

“She definitely has some fucking audacity especially after coming here” Zoey’s voice was sharp, protective.

“Wait - she came to the penthouse? Are you all okay?” Bobby exclaimed. Rumi immediately filled him in on what happened. 

“She’s not getting her way,” Bobby assured after she finished explaining, “I told her point blank that if she tries anything, she won’t like what happens next. I don’t care if I’m a Beta and she’s an ‘almighty Alpha’ and the biggest investor of our company - I’m not letting her threaten any of my girls. Not happening.”

There was a beat of silence, and then he heard Mira’s quiet exhale of relief.

“Thank you,” she said softly, genuine gratitude threading her voice. Bobby thought the heavens opened up.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Bobby replied, although his voice gave away how happy he was at being praised by Mira of all people. “I should be apologizing to you . To all three of you. I should’ve seen what she was doing sooner, how uncaring she was. She should have been involved heavily with what happened between you and Jae-Kwan but instead she chose to focus on the image of the band. She thought she could control the narrative, and she used your heat against you, Mira, to try and get you to quit. That’s on her, not you. What happened with that boy was not your fault, you shouldn’t be held accountable for it. Nothing that happened has been your fault.”

Mira swallowed hard. “Bobby…” There was a lump in Mira’s throat she couldn’t quite get rid of.

“I mean it,” he said firmly. “You’re safe as long as I’m around. You’re not going anywhere. You’re Huntrix - all three of you. ”

“Bobby…” Zoey started, voice uncharacteristically soft. “You’re the best. You know that, right?”

“Oh I know but keep telling me,” Bobby said with humor, which earned a small laugh from Mira despite herself.

“That’s better,” he said warmly. “I’ll be keeping a close eye on Celine, so you three just focus on resting up and calming down for the next week or two, okay?”

“We will,” Rumi promised.

“Good,” Bobby said. “Because the second I hear she’s meddling again, I’ll burn every bridge she’s got left standing. Take care of each other.”

When the call ended, the apartment felt quieter - but lighter, too. Zoey grinned and nudged Mira’s shoulder. “He’s our grumpy Beta dad. Would fight the entire industry if it came down to it.”

Rumi smiled softly, brushing a hand through Mira’s hair. “And so would we. We’re not going anywhere, Mira. You’re stuck with us. That includes Bobby and our band. We all love you so, so much.”

The bond pulsed warm and steady between them, wrapping around her like a promise. For the first time in days, Mira believed - really believed - that everything was going to be okay. The fear of her parents and Celine still lingered in her mind, but it was overshadowed by the love and protection she felt in their bond. She closed her eyes and fell back asleep. She was so tired, this day was wild.

Of course Mira seemed to jinx herself that night, because why wouldn't she?

==((Weeks Later))==

The studio lights blazed down mercilessly, casting sharp edges on Mira’s already tense features. Cameras swiveled, lenses zooming in on every twitch of muscle, every flicker of expression. The room was packed with journalists, photographers, and a live audience, all hungry for a story.

The interviewer was cheery and warm - but there was ice behind her smile, a predator disguised in makeup and tv charm. All three girls were having their first interview since they took a small hiatus to ride out Mira’s heat and to get her used to being out in public again. That mask was back, as unmovable as usual. They were there to promote their new EP.

They went through question after question, smiles and laughs plastered on everyone’s face while they were on live tv. Mira felt the boredom fluttering through Rumi and Zoey’s bond, and she agreed. Interviews with hosts who don’t even like them were always long as fuck for no reason as the host tried to find a new piece of info from them.

“So, Huntrix,” she said after what was supposed to be the last question, voice dripping with calculated concern, “there have been some… interesting developments regarding your group’s dynamic, yes? I’m sure you know what I am referring to.”

Mira’s heart lurched, the weight of every eye pressing down on her chest like a vise. Zoey’s hand slid into hers on the couch - a small, grounding touch. Rumi sat stiffly, hands clenched tightly in her lap, marks rippling purple.

The interviewer smirked, sensing the tension. “We’ve come into possession of camera footage from when a member of your little pop band seduced one of the top solo artists - Jae-Kwan - with her Omega pheromones, which almost resulted in a scandal that would have certainly ruined his career. Which is confusing because…I thought all three of you were Alphas?” 

A murmur rippled through the crowd - confusion and shock shifting through the girls’ bond. Mira felt her heart stop. Her jaw clenched visibly, hands clenched so hard into the couch she was sure she would have ripped it open if she had claws like Rumi did when she was pissed off. Her eyes were guarded and full of attitude just like everyone always saw. Only her two mates could feel the rising fear coming from her through their bond.

A video started to play on the screen behind them, a security footage clip in black and white and slightly fuzzy. It was inside the dance studio. Mira felt the blood drain from her face. There was increased noise coming from the crowd as the video played without sound, showing Mira dancing alone until Jae-Kwan stepped into the studio. At the angle the camera was, you could only see him yanking her close and sniffing, then his body blocked hers from view when he got on top of her. 

Mira’s throat felt like sandpaper. She swallowed hard, willing herself to respond with the practiced poise she’d spent years cultivating. Can’t let the mask slip. Can’t show them weakness. 

They’ll take me away.

Her voice was tight, unwavering. “I’m still the same person you’ve always known.” 

Not a denial. No reason to, since the video would be all over the internet the second it was shown. She already knew there was no point in trying to fight against the current, only try and minimize the damage. 

The interviewer’s smile turned sharper, almost cruel. “But you lied. Your fans feel betrayed, I’m sure. Huntrix was built on image - on strength, unity, honesty. To find out you hid such a fundamental part of yourself? After talking about being your authentic self over and over again? How can you expect anyone to trust you?”

The crowd began to hiss, shouts and murmurs escalating. Phones lit up, recording, tweeting, spreading the scandal like wildfire.

Rumi stood up and opened her mouth to say something when the interviewer landed the final blow: “How can anyone love you, Mira, when you can’t even love yourself enough to not have to hide? You’re just showing other Omegas that they need to hide to be seen. Aren’t you just setting your fans up for failure?”

Off to the side, Bobby was pacing - his usually steady demeanor unraveling. His fingers ran through his hair in frustration, eyes darting between the cameras and the three idols on stage.

“This isn’t just a PR nightmare,” he muttered under his breath, “this could ruin them.”

Zoey’s anger simmered just beneath the surface, her glare drilling into the interviewer. She squeezed Mira’s hand fiercely, as if willing her not to fall apart. She also stood up off of the couch, angry pheromones rippling off of her. The interviewer was not phased. 

Mira felt every pair of eyes like a spotlight on her most private self. The little fortress she’d built around her heart, her identity, was crumbling, brick by brick. The mask wasn’t just slipping, it was shattering.

She tried to smile, to shake off the trembling. “I -”

Her voice cracked.

She cleared her throat, swallowing back tears she couldn’t afford to show.

Her mind screamed hold it together , but her body betrayed her - heart pounding wildly, chest tight as if it might collapse. Fear pheromones swelled around her, alerting the crowd to her panic. The crowd’s cameras and phones flashed in her face, blinding. The flashing lights grew harsher as her vision tunneled. There was a roar of muted sound thundering in her ears of whispers.

The girl who had once hidden every part of herself never felt more exposed. She had tried . For once in her life, she had dared to lower her walls - to let the bond between them grow, to let herself be seen as more than the untouchable Alpha persona her family had forced on her for years.

But now? Now it felt like a mistake.

Her vulnerability was weaponized, splattered across every screen, dissected in every gossip column, twisted into headlines screaming betrayal and scandal. She could see it all now. And so would everyone else by dawn tomorrow.

The bond - the very thing that had started to heal her - pounded too fiercely in her chest, a raw reminder of what she’d risked by letting herself feel, by letting herself be . She barely felt Rumi and Zoey’s emotions through it because her fear was so loud. She could take it anymore. She needed to protect herself in the only way she knew how.

She pushed the bond away, hard.

A cold mental wall snapped up like iron bars around her mind, severing the connection. She could feel the sudden emptiness where Zoey and Rumi’s warmth used to be, but she welcomed it. Better to be alone than bring others down with you. She rose abruptly, ignoring how Zoey looked like someone slapped her in the face and Rumi’s panicked voice calling her name, reaching for her. She knew in her heart of hearts that none of this was their fault and she shouldn’t be punishing what they have, but she was raised to be alone and that’s all she knew to default to.

She fled from the studio, her shoes clicking sharply against the polished floor, heart hammering not just from the chaos but from the crushing sense of loss inside. Mira thought bitterly that this scene was reminiscent of weeks ago when she ran away from them for the same thing: holding herself together.

They deserve better than someone who can’t even be themselves. They already have each other. I have no place with them. I’ll just ruin it all. 

Outside, the storm of fans was a wave crashing against her fragile resolve - shouts, flashing phones, accusations, and cruel taunts mixing into a deafening roar. The overwhelming smell of hundreds of different peoples’ pheromones a mixture of frustration, sadness, disappointment. Every step felt like her life unraveling in fast-forward. She froze like a deer in headlights as the smells overwhelmed her.

Zoey and Rumi pushed through the crowd, their faces etched with desperation and worry, no thoughts for their own safety as fans grabbed at them and their clothing, security doing their best to get in between. 

“ Mira, please, ” Zoey’s voice was loud but desperate, “Don’t do this.”

Rumi’s hand reached for Mira’s, but she jerked away, the cold barrier inside her locking tight.

“I’m fine,” Mira lied, voice hollow, masking the panic clawing at her throat.

But she wasn’t.

Not even close.

Her world was crumbling - and now, more than ever, she felt utterly, achingly alone. She continued to flee from the studio, long legs flying underneath her as she ran further and further from the two people that she loved with her whole heart. Mira’s breath came in ragged gasps, pink hair flying behind her. 

How had she been so foolish to let her guard down? To lower her walls, even for Zoey and Rumi? The bond she had tried so hard to learn now felt like a cruel reminder of how vulnerable she was as an Omega society looked down on.

A trickle of the bond seeped into her head, panic and desperation from Zoey and Rumi as they tried to look for their third pack mate. It took everything in her not to reach out through the bond. She willed herself to freeze herself into numbness. No more pain. No more weakness. It was a feeling she knew, this emptiness. It was her only companion growing up. It was like greeting an old friend, a friend that told you over and over again how worthless you were.

Her feet carried her away from the city’s noise, guided by an instinct to the one place she’d always sought when emotions overwhelmed her. A sprawling, ancient tree tucked away in a secluded glade - its thick, sturdy branches twisting high into the sky, away from prying eyes and the world’s relentless gaze. Mira found it one day years ago after a particularly rough day trying to fight her longing for her bandmates, and was instantly drawn to it. Not only because of how secluded it was away from the city but also because it reminded her of the tree on Celine’s estate. Home away from home so to speak.

Mira climbed up the trunk with practiced ease, finding her small sanctuary nestled in the crook of two thick limbs, a secret nook lined with soft moss and leaves almost at the top of the tree, away from prying eyes and cameras. From here, she could see the sunset bleeding golden and crimson across the horizon. She settled into the nook, the cool bark pressing against her back as a bitter loneliness settled over her. The soft rustle of leaves was the only sound.

Mira curled against the rough bark, her breath shallow in the cool evening air high above the world. The sway of the ancient tree felt almost like a cradle - fragile and unsteady - mirroring the turmoil roiling inside her.

Her hands trembled slightly as she pressed them to her chest, trying to steady the erratic beat of her heart. Why is it so hard to be both strong and loved? she thought quietly. Her entire life had been a balancing act - keeping up the fierce Alpha facade, pushing down the Omega within, all to satisfy a family that only saw her as a trophy, a piece to be controlled.

And now?

Now her carefully built walls lay in ruins. The world knew her secret. The truth she had fought so hard to hide had been ripped from her like a wound torn open.

They’ll drag me back.

Her parents. The cold judgment behind their eyes. The suffocating grip that would pull her from Huntrix and shove her back into a cage. No press conferences or staged smiles, just a quiet life erased from the public eye.

No one would blame them.

They’d say she had dishonored them by being an Omega who couldn’t control herself, a weakness in their Alpha lineage. Mira’s throat tightened with a bitter lump. It’s not fair. None of it was fair. She hadn’t asked to be born an Omega. She hadn’t asked for this heat, this vulnerability, this raw ache that left her shaking and desperate. How was she supposed to be strong under the weight of a world that demanded perfection.

“I don’t want to lose them”, she whispered to herself into the fading light. Zoey and Rumi - the only family she’d ever chosen. The only people who saw beyond the armor. But what if they left? What if they got tired of her for not being the fierce Mira that they grew to love? What if the bond she cherished so deeply was just another ruse, a love for the Mira they knew, not the Mira that was?

They deserve better.

Her breath hitched as a soft rustling sound stirred below. Mira peeked down to see a giant blue bundle of fur with glowing yellow eyes staring up at her from the base of the tree. Derpy, Jinu’s pet (?) demon cat. It made no move to get to her, but instead turned slowly and padded away. Mira knew that Rumi was probably using Derpy to look for her, which means it wouldn’t be long before the girls were at her hiding spot. A part of her willed her to move before then, to keep running, but she didn’t have the energy. 

Mira let herself sink into the bittersweet ache of solitude, caught between the desperate hope for love and the crushing fear of losing everything while she waited for her pack to find her. They always did.

From below, the soft, rhythmic padding of massive paws broke through the quiet along with two pairs of rushing footsteps.

Zoey. Rumi.

Mira’s breath caught as she heard the crunch of grass and footsteps stopping below her. Looking down, she saw two familiar faces framed by the street lamp close by, worry etched deeply in their expressions.

Zoey’s voice was soft but filled with relief as she called out, “Mira.”

Rumi’s eyes shimmered with tears as she added, “We found you. Thank goodness you’re okay.”

Mira’s lips trembled, the bond between them flickering alive faintly. Love and relief spilled in through that small crack in the walls she had put up. It caused panic to tighten in her chest like a vise. The wind teased her hair as she hugged her knees tighter, perched high in the ancient tree. Neither of them moved to climb the tree or egg her on to come down. They stood side by side underneath their lover, patient and steadfast. Their bond pulsed all the words they couldn’t say from down on the ground, but Mira felt them with how strong they were:

You’re safe.
You’re ours.
We love you.

“I can’t,” Mira yelled with thinly veiled panic, voice breaking. “If I come down... if I let you in -” Her gaze dropped to the ground below, to the crowd of invisible threats she imagined waiting for her - judgment, betrayal, danger. “I’ll ruin you. You’re better off without me.”

Zoey’s brow furrowed, “We can’t live without you goose. You’re the love of our lives and part of our pack - our family.”

Mira’s breath hitched, the weight of her walls trembling but still firm, their emotions pushing against it. “You don’t understand. My family... they’ll drag me back. I wasn’t supposed to get found out. They’ll ruin everything you’ve built because of me.”

Rumi shook her head, stepping closer, voice almost a plea. “Please, Mira. Come down. Let us protect you. Let us prove that you’re worth fighting for.”

The bond pulsed - tentative, fragile - but undeniable. Mira’s mind couldn’t continue to keep up her mental walls, and in all honesty she didn’t want to. She wanted to believe them. She didn’t like being ruled by her own fear of the unknown.

Her voice was hesitant, as though she couldn't believe what she was saying, “I’m worth fighting for?”

Zoey couldn’t hold back her tears and neither could Rumi. Hearing Mira like this was breaking their hearts. “Oh honey, you’re the moon and stars to us. You’re worth everything and more.” Rumi said tearfully.

Zoey rambled through tears up at Mira, “We want to be everything you need. Your lovers, your pack, your family. We want to be what you deserve: people who see you for who you really are and love you all the more for it, secondary genders be damned.”

“We love you Mira.” Zoey and Rumi said in unison, both of them outstretching a hand up to her. Waiting. Patient. Loving.

After a long, trembling moment, Mira’s fingers twitched, and slowly - tentatively - she began to climb down. Every movement down was slow, careful, full of caution and optimism. Mira found herself lowering her mental walls little by little as she descended the tree, her pack’s emotions getting stronger and stronger.

Mira’s hands trembled as she reached for both of their outstretched fingers, the warmth of their touches sending a shock through her frozen limbs. Every muscle ached with the effort to let go of the last threads of her solitude like it was a physical weight she carried.

The moment Mira’s feet touched the ground, Rumi stepped forward and wrapped her arms gently around Mira’s trembling form. Zoey had no such hesitation and launched herself at Mira koala style. Mira barely caught her, but held her close while nuzzling into Rumi.

Mira closed her eyes against the wave of emotions flooding her from her Alphas - relief, love, protection - all crashing inside her like a tempest. For the first time that day, she allowed herself to lean further into the bond, to surrender to the warmth of their presence. The three of them stood tangled together beneath the street light and an unspoken promise held in their embrace: no matter the storms ahead, they would face them as one.

Mira took a deep breath and blurted out what she wanted to say before she lost her nerve: “I want you both to mark me. Like now.”

Rumi choked on air and Zoey fell to the ground, her limbs loosening her koala mode in shock.

Was that too forward?

Chapter Text

They didn’t speak much on the way back to their penthouse. Mira was in between Zoey and Rumi, holding their hands like they were her lifeline. And, in a way they were, the things that kept her grounded and safe. Their faint bond was thrumming with anticipation from at least one of them, probably all three, at what Mira said not even five minutes ago.

I want you both to mark me. Make me yours.

Replaying it in her head made Mira want to die of embarrassment, but she meant every word. She had never been more sure of something in her entire life, except the fact that she was head over heels in love with both of her bandmates. She wanted to be completely theirs, and be able to feel their bond at its strongest. A part of her was nervous about getting marked - it was literally biting really fucking hard into scent glands - but another part of her shivered at the thought of what happened during. 

Marking was considered a sacred practice amongst those who found their bonded mate(s). While Omegas can be marked by any Alpha during their heat temporarily, only bonded mates can permanently mark one another, solidifying their relationship and essentially taking the Omega off of the market. Their smell no longer attracted anyone but their fated ones. For bonded ones, marking was often referred to as something even more sensual than just having sex. 

Mira was certain that she was ready to belong fully to her pack. In body and in soul. The thought of them filling her up made her insides squirm in a way that felt similar to when she had her first heat. This time though, she was herself and present and all the more wanting them even outside of her heat cycle.

They made their way in silence through back alleyways to their residence to avoid the public, the air humming with the city life around them. No one let go of each other as they moved in an almost hurried manner. Unspoken want and love fluttered between them, not just through the bond, but through their touches, their lingering gazes. The closer they got to their penthouse, the thicker Mira’s pheromones got. Without meaning to, she was working herself up. The other two could sense it.

Make me yours.

The door shut behind them with a soft click. Mira stood in the quiet, bathed in the low, golden lighting of the penthouse - a space that had become her refuge from the world. Her heart thudded so hard in her chest she could feel it in her fingertips. She froze just inside the doorway, body humming with the chaos of too many emotions colliding in her chest. She didn’t know how to name what she felt - relief, exhaustion, shame, yearning, fear - but it filled her lungs like water, threatening to drown her where she stood.

Before Mira could say or do anything, Rumi came up behind her and murmured, “Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?” Zoey’s hand was on the small of her back, an anchor.

Mira blinked slowly through the murk of her emotions and nodded.

Rumi moved ahead to ready a bath. Zoey helped Mira out of her boots and led her to the bathroom. Steam curled from the surface of the bathwater, floating throughout the room. The wide sunken tub in the bathroom had been filled and scented by Rumi - the scent of lavender and honey invaded Mira’s nostrils in a gentle way. It helped her escape the smell of her own panicked pheromones. 

Zoey helped Mira step out of her interview clothes which were now covered in leaves and dirt, slow and respectful. Not sexual, not sensual. Loving. Mira didn’t flinch, even when her bare skin was revealed - it wasn’t anything the others had seen before since they went to a bathhouse together - she only leaned into Zoey’s steady hand, letting her guide her into the water.

It enveloped her like warmth and silk. She let out a quiet, broken breath - not from pain, but from the release of tension she hadn’t even realized she was holding. She felt her whole body deflate. She vaguely heard the sound of clothes rustling to her left but didn’t really pay it any mind until she felt them get in the tub with her. 

Startled, she looked around and saw Zoey sitting in the tub facing her, a smile on her face as warm as the water temperature. It wasn’t the first time Mira had seen Zoey in a bath, but she couldn’t help but stare in awe at just how damn gorgeous she was with her hair out of its buns and freckles all over her nose.

Rumi slid in behind her, legs on either side, pulling Mira back against her chest. She was acutely aware of the feel of Rumi’s naked body against hers and the iridescent markings on the legs on either side of her shimmered like starlight in the dim room. Zoey brushed Mira’s damp hair back from her face. She ran fingers through it with a tenderness that made Mira’s eyes sting. She blamed it on the water getting into her eyes. 

Zoey grabbed a cloth to wash her. She locked eyes with Mira, and tilted her head as though she was asking permission. Mira nodded without hesitation. The cloth moved over her shoulders, her neck - slow, soothing strokes that never lingered too long in one place. Zoey’s touch wasn’t clinical, but it was intentional. Careful. She never touched to take, only to comfort. Rumi’s thumb stroked just under Mira’s collarbone, grounding her.

The bath continued on like this for a few moments more, all three of them slowly washing bodies and hair, hands caressing each other like velvet, making sure each other was wanted and seen. It was the first time that all of them had really had an intimate moment outside of Mira’s first heat. She had been too nervous to try anything with them, the fear of her feelings vs. instincts tugging on her. 

Now, it didn’t matter anymore. Not at this moment. She felt more than ever that there wasn’t a divide between what she felt for them vs her Omega instinct; rather, her Omega instinct was her giving into the feelings she already had. The universe just decided that they were all soulmates on top of that like a reward. 

Zoey cradled her face in her hands and studied her, eyes damp and full of hesitation. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Zoey whispered. “We want to make sure you understand what doing this means.”

“I asked you to mark me,” Mira murmured with conviction, looking directly into her dark eyes. “I know what it means, and I meant it. You don’t have to keep asking”

“I know.” Zoey leaned forward and kissed her lips -  slow, tender, reverent. Then again, softer. “But we’ll still ask. Because you deserve to be asked. Everytime.” Mira felt Rumi nod against her neck in agreement.

Mira keened without meaning to as she said, “Please.” She was reaching her boiling point.

Rumi shifted, brushing Mira’s hair from her neck with trembling fingers. Her scent shifted slowly - not dominant or demanding, but heavy with emotion. She lowered her head and pressed her lips to Mira’s skin above a scent gland, whispering softly, “You don’t know how long we’ve wanted this, wanted you.” Her fingers traced idle patterns on Mira’s arms, relishing in how soft the Omega’s skin was. 

Zoey leaned into Mira’s space, dipping her head to press a kiss to Mira’s shoulder, her tongue flicking out to taste her skin. “We’re gonna make you feel so good, Mir.” She purred into her ear, making her shiver in anticipation. One of Rumi’s hands slid further up to the crease in Mira’s leg, her thumb brushing against the sensitive spot behind her knee. Mira had to hold herself back from jerking her leg at the touch, biting back a moan. Her head fell back onto Rumi’s collarbone.

Zoey took advantage of Mira's exposed neck, trailing open-mouthed kisses along the column of her throat. Mira's pulse quickened beneath Zoey's lips, her heart racing with anticipation. Meanwhile, Rumi's hand had reached Mira's inner thigh, her fingers teasing along the edge of Mira's center. The omega shifted restlessly, her breath quickening. 

A small part of her mind wanted to fight back to gain control because of her inherent dominating personality. She never had sex before, but she always felt that she was a top given her personality. Yet here in between her two lovers a larger part of her mind - she was sure it was her Omega side, she kept telling herself - yielded to their touches and wanted so badly to submit.

Rumi and Zoey seemed content to take their time, their touches remaining feather-light and teasing. Mira couldn't take the anticipation any longer. She turned her head to capture Rumi's lips in a searing kiss, her tongue delving into the alpha's mouth. Rumi hummed in surprise and leaned into the kiss, deepening it further. Zoey pressed her entire body up against Mira and dragged her hands down her chest, pausing right before touching her breasts.

Mira groaned, arching into Zoey’s touch, feeling something hard press against her stomach and her back. Her heart thudded in her chest. "Eager are we Mir?," she teased, but there was a hunger in her voice that betrayed her own desire. 

Rumi nipped at Mira's bottom lip, her hands moving to grip the omega's hips. "You’re gonna look so good taking our knots," she breathed onto her neck, her voice low and rumbling with the underlying current of her demon. The sound of that voice almost made both Mira and Zoey collapse right there. Rumi’s marks were shimmering pure gold, lighting up the dim bathroom.

Mira, impatient, stood up on shaky legs to get out of the bath tub as Zoey and Rumi followed suit. Mira bit her lip as she watched them, her eyes roaming over their toned bodies and lingering on their glistening members hardened between their thighs. She could feel her own arousal growing, the feeling that she had during her heat igniting in her core.  The air grew thick with her pheromones; she was calling to them now. She saw the moment it affected the two alphas as their eyes dilated. 

Rumi's eyes devoured every inch of Mira's naked body as they stood there dripping onto the floor. She licked her lips hungrily, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Zoey looked like she was trying not to pounce on her right there and bend her over the tub. Mira stood tall, gazing down at her two lovers, which she could see were slowly unraveling just being near her. Her mouth twitched as she tried not to smile smug at the display of want from them at her, and she turned to dry herself off. It felt great being the center of attention for once , she mused. 

Rumi’s hands slid around Mira’s waist from behind as she was drying off, fingers splayed on her toned stomach. Mira froze as one hand slid south to dip into her core, one finger dipping between her folds to tease her entrance. “You’re already so wet for us.” she purred, circling Mira’s clit with her thumb slowly. It took everything in Mira not to groan loudly, but she couldn’t stop her body from bucking into Rumi’s touch. Zoey was suddenly in front of her, adding her hand to Rumi’s as they moved teasingly through her folds. The dual stimulation had Mira trembling almost immediately, her hands gripping Zoey’s shoulders for stability.

Just when she thought she wasn’t going to be able to take anymore, both girls simultaneously pulled away from Mira, leaving her feeling disoriented. “I think it’s time we move this to the bed,” Zoey suggested with a wicked grin.

Mira grumbled, “Fucking tease.”

They all quickly dried off and made their way into the bedroom: Rumi’s bedroom. Mira thought of the last time she was in here, which was when she had her first heat, and she instantly blushed remembering how needy she was. As much as the taller girl tried to look like she wasn’t dripping with need, they could literally taste it in the air. Zoey looked over at Rumi, an unspoken word hanging between them.

Finally.

Rumi wasted no time. She pulled Mira’s naked body close, her hands gripping her waist as she pulled her flush against her chest to chest. Zoey pressed herself against Mira from behind, hands wandering along her sides. Mira’s breath hitched at the feeling of their hard members against her body. She felt herself get wetter at the thought of what was about to happen. 

There was no slow, delicate touching and kissing anymore; now their primal instincts were taking over. Rumi captured her lips in a desperate kiss, tongue and teeth clashing frantically. Zoey’s nails raked down her sides as she placed open mouthed kisses on her back. The room was suddenly filled with a flood of Mira’s pheromones. Her eyes were glazing over with pure desire. 

“You smell amazing.” Rumi growled, nuzzling into Mira’s neck. She could feel the older girl’s pulse racing beneath her skin as she inhaled deeply. Mira whimpered, her knees weakening. Zoey took that opportunity to reach the taller girl’s earlobe and nip at it.

“I can’t wait to taste you.” Zoey whispered in her ear before dragging her tongue over it. Mira grabbed the short girl’s neck and brought her lips to hers in a breathless kiss. Zoey’s tongue delved into Mira’s mouth eagerly. Mira surrendered to the feeling, her own tongue dancing with Zoey’s in a frenzy. She vaguely felt like someone was pulling her somewhere. Suddenly she was being pushed back onto the bed.

Before Mira could even react, Zoey crawled on top of her, trailing hot kisses up her body until she met her lips again. Rumi climbed up into the bed next to them, and gently gathered all of Mira’s long pink hair so that she could twist it into a messy bun. The act of care in the middle of their frenzy almost brought tears to Mira’s eyes. They were always putting her care first, even now in the heat of the moment.

While Zoey trailed kisses back down Mira’s body, Mira reached out to Rumi with a whine. Rumi immediately started kissing her with fervor, her purple hair creating a halo around them as she leaned down. Mira gasped into Rumi’s mouth when Zoey took one of her nipples in her mouth and bit down. She kept alternating between breasts with hands, mouth, and teeth, her pace keeping Mira breathless as she kept making out with Rumi. After a bit, Zoey made her way further south on Mira’s body with her mouth.

Mira couldn’t help the moan that ripped out of her mouth when she suddenly felt Zoey’s tongue drag up her core. Both Alphas froze in response, staring at Mira in amazement. Mira tried to cover her face in embarrassment but Rumi pinned her arms above her head. “Don’t hide love,” Rumi said, “We want to hear your beautiful voice all night.” She placed a kiss on one of Mira’s wrists, nipping it with her teeth teasingly. 

“Fuck” Zoey moaned into Mira’s entrance causing her to jump at the vibration. The younger girl looked up at Mira from in between her legs with a dreamy look in her eyes and said “You taste divine. We’ve been missing out.”

“We’ll just have to make up for lost time then.” Mira said breathlessly, grabbing Zoey’s head with her hands and guided her back down to her entrance, hands tangled in black hair. Zoey dragged her tongue in and out of her folds on command, eager to please. Mira arched into her, back leaving the bed. She noticed Rumi had shifted on the bed to be behind Zoey, and she winked at Mira before suddenly thrusting fingers into Zoey’s entrance. Rumi knew from experience that Zoey loved it rough.

Zoey gasped at the sudden intrusion of Rumi’s fingers inside her and lurched forward, driving her tongue deeper into Mira. Zoey hissed in pleasure at the feeling of her mate pumping in and out of her and picked up her pace on Mira, her tongue movements becoming erratic and fast. Mira was trying to just breathe . Her head was clouded with arousal pheromones and she couldn’t think anything except oh god this is happening this is really happening - 

Suddenly Zoey’s tongue left her, and Mira opened her eyes in confusion only to find Zoey inches away from her face, mouth and chin shiny with her own slick. Without even thinking about the fact that it was herself that was on Zoey’s lips, she brought the younger girl close and forced her tongue in. They melted into each other, hands tangled in hair, hot breath between kisses. 

Meanwhile, Rumi was still behind Zoey. She ran her hands over her mate’s back and hips, admiring just how sexy she looked taking care of their omega. The need to take her then and there overpowered her patience, and she lined her member up with Zoey’s entrance. Zoey paused against Mira’s lips all of a sudden, noticing the feeling of Rumi’s tip at her entrance. Zoey pulled back and looked Mira in the eyes. Mira was confused as to what was happening before she noticed Rumi pushing into Zoey from behind. Her eyes flicked between the two alphas, not sure on what she should be focusing on. 

Zoey maintained eye contact with Mira the whole time, her eyes practically rolling back into her head as Rumi bottomed out in her. Mira never thought maintaining eye contact during sex would be considered the hottest thing she’d ever seen so far but here she was, falling apart watching Zoey’s face. She could only watch in awe as Rumi thrust in and out of Zoey with zero abandon, Zoey writhed on all fours overtop of her, and it did something to Mira to see one of her alphas at the other’s mercy.

Their hips slapped together in an uneven rhythm as Rumi felt herself getting close. She felt her knot forming, but fought down the overwhelming desire to knot Zoey because she knew if she did that she wouldn’t be able to knot Mira. She leaned over top of Zoey and bit the back of her neck, holding her in place while she continued to thrust violently. Zoey cried out when Rumi clamped her teeth down on her neck. Mira could only watch in fascination from below; the way that Rumi gripped Zoey’s waist with demonic claws digging into her skin, the low growling she heard coming from Rumi shuddering through her entire being straight to her core. 

At this point Mira was still laying down on her back, Zoey overtop of her with her limbs on either side of Mira shaking with the effort of holding herself up under the onslaught of Rumi. Mira whined with need when she felt Zoey’s member dripping onto her stomach with every thrust. She reached in between herself and Zoey and grabbed the member with a hesitant grip. It was her first time touching one, but she could tell that just her stroking up and down was unraveling Zoey by the second if her moans getting louder were any indication.

Zoey brought a shaking hand in between them and slowly pushed two fingers into Mira’s entrance without warning. Mira gasped at the sudden feeling of fingers inside her. It only took a few curls of Zoey’s fingers to cause Mira to reach her first orgasm, who had already been near the edge for quite sometime watching her two alphas going at it. She cried out as the orgasm hit, walls clenching around Zoey’s fingers as they continued to pump in and out of her. She quickened her stroking of Zoey, feeling her buck into her hand with increasing need. 

With a muffled moan, Rumi came inside Zoey, her knot staying outside even though she wanted so badly to shove it all in and watch Zoey fall apart more. As Zoey felt herself getting filled with Rumi, her own orgasm came, causing her to completely fall apart in between her lovers. Mira felt Zoey tremble right before she came all over Mira’s hand and stomach, hot threads of her seed spilling everywhere. Mira had never felt so alive than in that moment, so proud of herself for getting Zoey to unravel in her hands like that. 

Rumi let go of Zoey’s neck, licking the puncture marks in a quiet apology as she slowly pulled out. Zoey couldn’t hold herself up anymore and collapsed next to Mira on the bed, chest heaving and body shaking. Mira looked her up and down and marveled at the sight of Zoey drenched in sweat, Rumi’s seed dripping out from in between her legs. 

“H-how come this was meant to be Mira’s first time and I’m the first one to get filled up?” Zoey groaned out, glaring teasingly at the other two, “Not that I’m complaining.” She reached up to Rumi and kissed her gently, lovingly. Rumi kissed her and then nuzzled Zoey’s neck in a sign of Alpha affection. Mira could feel the love they shared through their faint bond link, and it made her smile at them. 

God I love these two idiots.

It didn’t take long for Rumi to turn to Mira. Mira’s breath hitched at the sight of Rumi’s member still hard, dripping with her own seed and Zoey’s slick. It took what little brain cells she had left to drag her eyes up from it to Rumi’s face, and she could see the amusement in it. “Like what you see Mir?” Rumi husked out, wrapping a hand around herself and stroking slowly. 

Instead of answering right away, Mira sat up and slowly crawled over to Rumi. She looked up at Rumi and slowly licked her entire length before saying, “What do you think Ru?” Her voice teasing. She didn’t wait for an answer and instead lowered her open mouth onto Rumi’s member, moaning around the feel and taste of it in her mouth. She felt Rumi tremble with restraint as she ran her nailed hands up Rumi’s thighs. Rumi was too big for her to take it all in her mouth - something she would just have to practice, she mused - so she bobbed up and down as far as she could go. The taste of both Rumi and Zoey almost sent her over the edge alone. 

She wasn’t sucking for very long though, as Rumi grabbed her by the base of her neck and pulled her back. Her member left Mira’s mouth with an almost comical pop sound as the pink haired girl stared up at her confused. “I want you, now .” Rumi growled, her patience snapping. Mira was practically gushing wet at the sound of her demon layered tone telling her that she wanted her.

“Ru loves being told what you want.” Zoey whispered into Mira’s ear, sending shivers down her spine. She decided to say fuck it and do what would drive them the craziest. Mira kept eye contact with Rumi and she laid back down against the pillows and spread her legs wide open, her soaking wet entrance on display. She kept eye contact as the words left her mouth unfiltered, “I want you to fuck me senseless. I want to feel you so deep inside me as you knot me and fill me up so good -” 

Mira didn’t get to finish what she was saying because Rumi grabbed her chin and started giving her frantic kisses and bites. Mira loved the feeling of Rumi coming undone at her words, so she disengaged her lips from Rumis and whispered in her ear, “What are you waiting for?” as she bit her earlobe. The whine that escaped Rumi sent a thrill through Mira. 

Rumi pulled back, eyes blown wide, chest heaving. Her hands were holding Mira’s legs open as she lined herself up. She looked back up at Mira and said in a strangled voice, “Last chance. There’s no pressure if you -” Mira wrapped her legs around Rumi’s waist and grabbed her face to bite her bottom lip - hard enough to draw blood - as an answer.

That was all it took. Rumi had to restrain herself from just burying herself hilt deep in Mira all at once like how Zoey liked it, and instead slowly pushed her tip into Mira’s wet entrance. Mira moaned as she felt herself being stretched painstakingly slow. Zoey started peppering supporting kisses all over her collarbone and face, fingers circling her clit slowly, murmuring words of encouragement as Rumi eased herself in.

You’re doing so good, baby.

You’re taking her so well.

You look so sexy like this.

Mira couldn’t hear what Zoey was saying anymore because her pulse was thudding so loud in her own ears. All she could think about was how fucking full she felt even though Rumi wasn’t even in all the way or knotted in her. The alpha's thick shaft stretched Mira to her limits, the flared head nudging against a spot deep inside that made sparks of pleasure burst behind her eyes.

Rumi shifted her hips, sinking even deeper into Mira's dripping heat. Mira cried out, her walls clenching around the intrusion as Zoey's fingers continued to tease her clit. "You're so tight," Rumi groaned, her breath hot against Mira's ear. "I can feel every inch of you squeezing me."

Zoey chuckled, nipping at Mira's earlobe. "And you're taking her so well, sweetheart. Look at you, spread out for us and taking Rumi like you were made for her." Mira whimpered, a fresh wave of arousal coursing through her at Zoey's words. She couldn't believe how turned on she was, and how desperately she needed more. Rumi began to move, her hips thrusting forward in a steady rhythm that had Mira seeing stars.

Mira arched her back, pushing herself further onto Rumi's length as Zoey continued to circle her clit. The dual stimulation was overwhelming, Mira's body tensing as she felt herself climbing higher and higher towards another release. Suddenly, Rumi changed her angle, and her next thrust hit that spot inside Mira that made her whole body jolt. "Fuck!" Mira whined, her eyes rolling back as pleasure burst through her. "Right there, right fucking there!"

Rumi grinned, knowing she'd found Mira's sweet spot. She increased her pace, pounding into the omega with abandon as Zoey pinched Mira's clit between her fingers. The combination of sensations pushed Mira over the edge, her orgasm crashing through her like a tidal wave. It took everything in Rumi not to knot her through her orgasm, stomach muscles trembling with restraint as Mira rode out her high. 

As she came down from her peak, Zoey continued to stroke Mira's sensitive flesh, drawing out her pleasure until she was a boneless, writhing mess beneath the two alphas. Rumi collapsed on top of Mira, panting heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. She pulled out and flopped onto her back, her member glistening in the shimmering of her golden patterns. She was still very much hard and very much turned on, but knew that Mira needed a moment. 

"That was... wow," Mira whispered after a long moment, her voice hoarse. "I didn't know it felt that good. I really have been missing out."

Zoey chuckled, pressing a kiss to Mira's temple. "And we're just getting started sweetheart. Wait until you feel an alpha knot stretching you open..." She kissed Mira slow and deep, her kiss full of promises of what was to come. 

Mira shivered at the promise in Zoey's words, her body already aching for more even though she'd just been thoroughly fucked. "Please," she whimpered, “I need you both in me.”

Zoey laughed breathlessly, pulling Mira up into a sitting position. "Such an insatiable mate," she teased, reaching out to stroke Mira's face. "Come here and ride Rumi. Show me how much you want it and I’ll reward you after."

Mira didn't need to be told twice. Rumi hadn’t heard Zoey, and was just laying there trying to calm her pheromones down so she didn’t seem as predatory when she felt Mira straddle her hips, sinking down onto the Alpha's hard member slowly with a moan of pleasure. Mira found it slid in much much easier the second time because she was so stretched out and dripping wet. Rumi hissed, her hands gripping Mira's hips as the Omega began to move on top of her. 

Mira couldn’t even form thoughts as she moved, pure instinct taking over as she took Rumi’s length in and out faster and faster. Rumi wasn’t sure if she should do anything so she just held onto Mira and felt ripples of pleasure flow through their bond. 

Above them, Zoey watched the two women with dark eyes, her own arousal growing at the sight of Mira bouncing on Rumi's shaft. "Fuck, that's hot," she groaned, palming her own breasts. "Look at you taking every inch of her, Mira. You're such a good little slut for us."

What the fuck Zoey , Mira blushed at Zoey's words, but the praise only spurred her on. She rode Rumi harder, grinding her hips in a way that had the alpha groaning with pleasure. "That's it, baby," Rumi panted, her hands sliding around to grip Mira's ass. "God, you feel so good inside."

Mira leaned forward, pressing her tits against Rumi's chest as she changed the angle of her hips. The new position had Rumi's cock hitting that sweet spot inside her with every thrust, and Mira cried out in ecstasy.

Zoey sat up and moved behind Mira to press hot kisses along her spine. "You look so beautiful like this," she murmured against Mira's skin. "So desperate for us to fill you up to the brim."

Mira could only whimper in response, too lost in the haze of pleasure to form words. 

Rumi felt her knot forming again and this time she had every intention of using it. She looked up at the beautiful sight of Mira on top of her and started coming undone, fast. She adjusted herself so that she had leverage to thrust her hips up into Mira. Mira was suddenly snapped back to reality as she felt Rumi’s knot slowly stretching her entrance wider than ever before. 

Mira couldn’t help but scream out at the combination of pain and pleasure she was feeling in that moment as Rumi thrust and thrust up into her, pushing her knot closer and closer into catching inside of her every time. Zoey’s hands were on Mira’s waist and it was the only thing keeping Mira upright at that point. After what felt like an eternity to Mira, she felt the knot finally catch inside of her fully.

She was not prepared. At all .

Mira wasn’t even making a sound, her mouth open but no sound coming out. She couldn't hear, couldn’t see, couldn’t think. All she could do was feel how painfully stretched she was around Rumi’s knot, every clench from herself sending wave after wave of overstimulating pleasure through her. 

Rumi was scrabbling to hold tighter onto Mira as she felt her own release reaching its crescendo now that she was completely inside her Omega. She moaned loudly as she came inside Mira, locking them together. The feeling of Rumi spilling into her sent Mira into her own orgasm, her entire body shaking with the intensity. She slumped forward to rest her head on Rumi’s collarbone, head spinning at the feeling of Rumi still gushing into her. 

Mira felt so full, and was getting fuller still with Rumi’s knot still in her, but she still felt incomplete. Her hazy eyes looked around her until they locked on Zoey, who was off to the side watching them with rapt attention, her member hard again from watching her two lovers going at it. Mira didn’t want to wait any longer - what was wrong with me she screamed at herself - and reached a shaking hand out to the younger girl with need. 

That was all she needed; Zoey couldn't wait any longer. She needed to be part of this, needed to feel Mira's tight heat around her own aching member. With a low growl, she moved Mira's leg to straddle Rumi's thigh, giving herself access to the omega's dripping folds from behind.

Mira gasped as Zoey's fingers probed her entrance, pushing past Rumi's knot to sink deep inside. "Oh god," she whimpered, feeling even more full than before. "Zoey, please..."

The alpha chuckled darkly, scissoring her fingers and stretching Mira open. "Shh, I've got you, baby girl," she purred, her other hand coming up to tease Mira's nipple. "I'm going to make you feel so good."

With a final twist of her wrist, Zoey pulled her fingers free and lined up her own shaft, pushing into Mira's sopping wet hole alongside Rumi's member inch by inch. Mira's eyes widened at the new intrusion, her mouth falling open in a silent scream as Zoey bottomed out inside her.

"This is so sexy," Zoey groaned, savoring the feeling of Mira's walls gripping her like a vice. "I can feel Rumi's knot stretching you out."

Rumi hummed in agreement, shifting her hips and forcing Zoey even deeper inside Mira. The omega keened, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she was filled to the brim with both of her alphas. But even through the overwhelming fullness, Mira could feel another orgasm building deep in her core. Her body trembled with the effort of holding back, not wanting this moment to end.

Zoey began to move, pulling out until just the tip remained before slamming back in. She set a brutal pace, pounding into Mira with abandon as Rumi's knot kept the omega from taking all of her length. Mira felt like she was being split in two, the dual stimulation of Rumi's knot and Zoey's hard length driving her towards the brink of madness. She clung to Rumi for dear life, her nails digging into the alpha's shoulders as she took and took and took.

Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, Zoey’s movement got sporadic and frantic. Mira realized with hazy horror that Zoey was now trying to fit her own knot inside her next to Rumi’s. Mira knew that if Zoey did that, she would rip something for sure, there was no way .

Rumi sensed Mira’s rising panic in her pheromones and ran her hands up and down Mira’s face praising her for taking them so well. “You look so full of us, you have no idea,” Rumi said with trembling words, “I know it’s hard. I’m so sorry. It’s almost over babe.” Mira hardly registered her words.

With a final thrust, Zoey buried herself to the hilt inside her, growling into Mira’s neck with pride at the accomplishment of fitting fully inside her Omega with her Alpha mate. She felt her knot building while she was inside Mira already, catching with ease at being inside already. The feeling of her mate’s knot rubbing against hers sent Zoey immediately over the edge, spilling into Mira with no abandon. 

Simultaneously, Rumi and Zoey latch their mouths onto either side of Mira’s neck on top of her scent glands and bit, hard . Finally finally finally they were bonded.

The moment it happens, Mira’s breath catches like her body’s forgotten how to pull in air.

Zoey’s teeth are still at her throat, her growl low and steady, the vibration sinking into Mira’s bones. Rumi’s hands are braced at her hips, anchoring her between them, her teeth pressed into Mira’s neck as if she can’t bear to be anywhere else.

The heat blooms slow and unstoppable - molten, heavy, and all-consuming. Both of them are inside her, holding her in place, their knots locking her so completely that she couldn’t move if she wanted to. And she doesn’t. God, she doesn’t.

Every pulse of their bodies inside her is matched by the pounding in her chest, by the dizzying rush of knowing she’s theirs - claimed, surrounded, filled in a way that is so much more than physical. The sensation is overwhelming, almost too much, but in the way that makes her cling harder, one hand on Rumi’s back, the other on Zoey’s thigh.

She feels caged between them, but not trapped. Protected. Worshipped. Like every part of her has been seen, wanted, and taken into them with no hesitation.

Zoey murmurs something against her skin as she releases her bite - low, warm words she can’t quite catch - but the tone is enough to make Mira’s eyes sting. Rumi releases her bite as well, licking it soothingly. Rumi’s fingers are stroking her side now, tracing her ribs like she’s memorizing her shape, grounding her through the spiraling intensity. Mira knows she doesn't need to as an omega, but the urge to bite them both was so strong in that moment that she leaned into Rumi's neck and bit as hard as she could without second though. She felt Rumi tense up and groan at being bitten. Zoey noticed what she was trying to do and leaned over Mira offering her neck for easier access. Mira bit her just as hard, humming into her neck before letting go.

Marked. Bonded. Mates. Together.

She can’t tell where one of them ends and the other begins - only that she’s in the center, held so completely it’s as if the world outside the three of them doesn’t exist. The tension breaks in shuddering waves, every nerve singing, every heartbeat echoing each other.

And through it all, they don’t let go. Not when her body shakes. Not when their knots were slowly deflating inside of her leaving her breathless. They hold her tighter, their heat and weight and scent sinking into her until all Mira can think, all she can feel , is that she belongs. With them, not to them.

Her world narrowed to warmth, to breath, to the weight of them against her. For so long, Mira had only felt threads - thin, gossamer lines that tugged faintly in her chest whenever their emotions were at their strongest. them. Love, fear, safety. Always there, but distant… as if the bond had been behind glass.

Now, it shattered.

The dam broke, walls shattered. Emotion poured into her so strong that Mira would have gasped if she had the strength to. It was like standing in a sunlit field and realizing she’d been in shadows all her life. Zoey’s love radiated steady and bright, grounding her. Rumi’s affection was warmer, quieter, like the heat that lingered long after sunset. She could feel their protectiveness, their relief, and the lingering hum of desire under it all - but most of all, she could feel home .

Mira clung to them both, fingers curling against warm skin, their breaths mingling as they held her between them. She could feel them inside her mind now - not just in hints and whispers, but as if their hearts beat against hers in unison. No more guessing at what they felt. She knew .

Her body trembled - not from fear, but from the rawness of it all. She’d never been so completely seen . Every wall she’d built, every mask, every careful distance she’d kept - it was gone. And instead of recoiling, they held her tighter.

The bond didn’t just hum between them now. It sang.

They didn’t rush to clean up. They didn’t rush at all. Mira was so in and out of it that she didn’t even feel Zoey or Rumi get up. But suddenly Zoey was there with a warm cloth, and together, she and Rumi began to tend to her - soft, careful wipes over tender skin, their movements almost reverent. Mira’s eyes fluttered closed, letting herself sink into the comfort of being cared for, the sensation of hands that loved her without asking anything in return.

No one spoke much after that. They didn’t need to. The bond thrummed gently between them, carrying every wordless thought:

Our mate. Our moon.

We love you. We will protect you.

You’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to hide with us.

Rumi and Zoey felt their hearts soar when Mira responded to them even in her delirious state:

My mates. My sun and stars.

I love you both so much.

I never feel alone with you.

Mira drifted in and out, lulled by their steady breathing and the constant presence in her mind that told her she was wanted, cherished, claimed. The bond didn’t just hum between them now. It sang.

Chapter Text

The first thing Mira felt when she woke wasn’t the light spilling in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. In Rumi’s room. It wasn’t even how fucking sore she felt.

It was them inside her head, her heart.

Not just the faint threads of emotion she had grown used to sensing - those delicate tugs of affection and love had flown out the window. This was something heavier, warmer. They were there, inside her in a way that had nothing to do with touch and everything to do with the new, thrumming bond that pulsed between the three of them.

Then she took a deep breath, and the soreness that followed reminded her how she got there.

Oh god. I feel like I’m dying.

Her body ached all over, worse than the one time she got smacked around by a large demon with a club. It was simultaneously the best and worst feeling she ever had when it came to bodily experiences that’s for sure. Every muscle held the memories of what happened the night before, her lower half positively wrecked and barely there. 

Mira couldn’t even muster the strength to cover her face with her hands, but she felt herself flush bright with mortification thinking back on events of last night. How needy and submissive she had been, which went against everything in her personality. Mira blamed it on the pheromones but a small part of her - that she was promptly ignoring - liked the feeling of surrendering it all and being taken care of like she was being worshiped. 

Zoey was draped half over her, hair mussed and mouth slightly open as she snored softly into her ear, her hand curled protectively against Mira’s stomach right overtop of where both Alphas had been buried in her hours ago. The connection from her was grounding - steady heat, amusement even in her sleep at whatever it was she was dreaming about, and protective love amplified to its fullest now that the bond was fully connected. 

Rumi was facing Mira, one arm looped over both of them; even unconscious she refused to let them both go. Her presence in the bond was quieter, like a slow-burning fire, but Mira could feel the depth of it in every steady breath against her neck. It was devotion without question, protectiveness so sharp it made Mira’s throat tighten. Rumi also had strange twinges of emotion that Mira was having a hard time placing because they fluttered in and out of the bond so fast, but whatever it was must have been from what Rumi was dreaming about because her face was twitching with the rush of feelings. Her markings were pulsing a low dark purple, a stark difference from her usual iridescence. 

She must be having a bad dream , Mira thought guiltily. We probably contributed to that . Flashbacks to the night of the Idol Awards went through her mind briefly; how she raised her weapon in fear at Rumi. Their Rumi . How she would never forgive herself for it. She shook her head to chase away the looming guilt before it showed through their bond and woke the others.

Mira lay there for a long time, afraid to move, afraid to disturb the fragile perfection of the moment. This - this was something she’d never thought she could have. Something that she never got to experience growing up, something she was told over and over she would never have the chance to have. A loving family. A home that wasn’t a place, but two people.

Mira couldn’t help the flood of emotions that left her and swirled around in their bond: unconditional love, unguarded happiness, grounding devotion. She tried to squash it before it overwhelmed their bond but it was too late; she felt her Alphas respond to her emotions, stirring on both sides of her.

“You’re awake” Mira said outloud, unsure which of them had woken up first. She felt bad for disturbing their sleep -  they all needed it. She could still feel how exhausted she was mentally and not just physically. 

Rumi stirred first, blinking awake slowly, her eyes heavy with sleep when she noticed Mira watching her. “Hey Mir.” she murmured, voice still rough with sleep. Her thumb brushed Zoey’s hip idly. Zoey stirred at the touch.

A sleepy groan came from behind Mira as Zoey buried her face further into the pink haired girl’s back. “Don’t move. I’m not alive yet.” 

Mira couldn’t help but snort and smushed herself further into their embrace, humming contently. Both Alphas tightened their grip on their Omega. The three of them stayed like that for a few more hours, tangled together under the soft weight of Rumi’s blankets, their breathing synched without effort. No rush to move, no need for words. Just the shared knowledge that their bond was unbreakable no matter what awaited them when they woke up. 

They could face the world, together, as one pack.

===

Her body felt like it had been rung out and left to dry, every muscle a little sluggish, skin warm in a way that had nothing to do with the nest of bodies. It was a good heaviness. The kind that kept her from wanting to move, even as her dry throat begged for water.

A low sound -  maybe a hum, maybe a sigh, Mira honestly wasn’t sure - slipped out before she could catch it.

Rumi stirred behind her, the sheets rustling. “Are you awake?” Her voice was husky with sleep, but laced with the kind of attention that made Mira’s heart trip. Like she had been waiting for Mira to make a sound so she could answer. 

“She’s awake,” Zoey said from in front of her, Mira opening her eyes to see her smiling slowly at her from a sitting position on the edge of the bed, “And she looks like she ran a marathon.”

“I feel like I did,” Mira rasped, voice barely there. Quite literally felt like she had been fucked raw in and out. 

Zoey’s hand came up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing the edge of her jaw like she was holding something fragile. “Yeah. We pushed you.” There was no apology in it - just quiet pride, and a glimmer of something protective.

Mira thought she might drift right back under if she wasn’t careful so she tried to fight it off. But then Rumi shifted closer, chest pressing to her back, her arm sliding over her until she was caged into the embrace. Not that she was trying to go anywhere. 

“You don’t move,” Rumi murmured against her hair. “We’ve got you. Rest as much as you need. We’ll take care of you.”

Zoey reached for a glass on the nightstand, holding it to Mira’s lips so she could sip without sitting up. Water; of course Zoey had thought ahead. Rumi, meanwhile, was running her fingers through Mira’s hair, slow and deliberate, detangling with a patience that almost undid her. The bond thrummed, open and loud in the quiet morning. Mira could feel Zoey’s contentment like a sunbeam, Rumi’s steady affection like the ocean’s tide. 

Mira hadn’t known bonds could be this clear yet so chaotic. She could tell which emotions were from who on an instinctual level. Her brain was somehow wired to not get confused over what she was feeling vs what they were feeling. For someone who likes numbers and statistics and test, she was confused as fuck.

Well. Demons exist so I guess anything is possible, Mira mused to herself.

“If you need anything just let us know you’re feeling some type of need through the bond, and we can come running if we aren’t near you.” Zoey said, a tease in her voice. 

Rumi hummed in agreement, and Mira felt it reverberate through her back. “We’ll bring food. Tea.Water.  And you can just… let us look after you. Be there for you. You’ve been through the ringer. No offense.”

All this aftercare for getting fucked senseless . Mira wanted to laugh, but the sound caught somewhere between her chest and her throat and she coughed a little. Yeah she did feel all kinds of fucked up. She was going to try and argue but she could feel herself drifting off again. She let herself sink into the warmth, into the weight of them, into the quiet worship that didn’t need grand gestures or words. Just their hands, their breath, their bond.

The sheets were soft against her skin, but softer still were the hands on her - gentle, unhurried. Zoey was sitting behind her the next time she woke up, one palm cupping the back of her head, while she slowly brushed through her long pink hair with a hairbrush. Rumi was kneeling near her hips, smoothing lotion over her thighs with slow, reverent strokes, as if even the smallest patch of skin deserved to be cherished.

Mira’s throat tightened. She could feel them without needing to look. Zoey’s steady current of calm wrapped around her like a weighted blanket, while Rumi’s affection flowed in soft, silvery waves, threaded through with Rumi’s pheromones to make a comforting ocean breeze.

“You’re looking at me like I hung the moon,” Mira whispered, her voice hoarse. Neither girl jumped at the sound of her voice, they could sense that Mira was already awake through the bond.

Rumi’s hands stilled just long enough to lean forward and press a kiss into the inside of Mira’s knee. “You didn’t hang the moon, you are our moon,” she said simply, her voice steady in a way that made Mira’s chest ache.

Zoey’s hand slid to Mira’s jaw, tipping her face gently back so she had to meet her gaze. “We’re not letting you forget what you are to us,” she said. “Not after last night. Not ever. We will remind you again and again what you mean to us until you believe us.”

Mira’s eyes burned, and she let them. There was no shame in tears here. “You’re ridiculous…” she mumbled, but her bright red face and shining eyes said another story.

“Maybe,” Rumi said, running hands up Mira’s waist gently, “but you deserve ridiculous. You deserve… more than we can give, and we’re still going to give you everything that we are.”

She didn’t need to say thank you. They already felt it surge through the bond. Both Alphas hummed in content at the feeling. Mira drifted back to sleep again in a haze of warmth. Man, I must be really fucking tired, she thought before the world faded away once more.

===

The sheets were cool in some places, warm in others where her body had been pressed between Rumi and Zoey as they shifted in and out of the bed with her for hours. Her muscles felt loose and heavy, the kind of deep ache that wasn’t unpleasant - just a reminder of how thoroughly she’d been loved last night. Every time she blinked her eyes open, the light in the room had shifted just a little, telling her she’d been slipping in and out.

The bed dipped as one of them sat beside her. Mira didn’t open her eyes; she didn’t need to. The pheromones of the ocean waves let her know it was Rumi who was absentmindedly rubbing small circles on her lower back. Zoey was talking at the foot of the bed. Mira heard bits and pieces of conversation as they talked in hushed tones to try and not wake her.

“She’s so beautiful…this.”

“She was also…damn beautiful last night.”

“Zo…having a moment.”

“...spoiling her until…sick of us.”

“She’ll never get…of me, don’t know…you”

Mira felt her lips twitch into an almost smile at the banter going on even though she couldn’t hear it all. Yep those are my idiots. Even in the soft blur between dreaming and waking, every word felt like it landed directly in her heart. She didn’t need to speak to tell them she heard. She just curled her fingers against the blanket, the tiniest movement, and felt them both shift closer in response.

The day passed like that - snippets of voices, hands that never strayed far, the weight of love so steady she could rest beneath it without fear. A bit later - minutes, hours, she honestly couldn’t tell - she felt herself start to really wake up.

As the golden hues of sunset filtered through the curtains, Mira’s eyes slowly opened, her body heavy but her mind stirring with quiet awareness. She looked around slowly and noticed that both of her mates were gone. Before she could panic, she felt them close by through the bond, peaceful and content. The faint, comforting aroma of sesame oil and soy sauce curled through the air, tugging gently at her senses. 

Cooking? Someone other than her? She could only imagine the kitchen looked like two Alpha-sized tornadoes named Rumi and Zoey flew through it. The thought made her chuckle to herself.

Soft footsteps approached, and Zoey slipped inside the room, carrying a small tray with Mira’s favorite comfort food: japchae noodles, still steaming and fragrant. Next to it was some piping hot tea in her favorite mug. The younger girl’s eyes softened when she realized Mira was sitting up and coherent.

“Hey hot stuff,” Zoey said happily, settling on the edge of the bed. “We thought you might be hungry.” Rumi came into the room after the shorter girl holding their resident movie-watching laptop. Derpy padded in after her with Sussie on his head. The bird gave Mira the side eye and they settled on the floor of Rumi’s room.

Fucking bird .

Zoey carefully balanced the tray of steaming japchae noodles and tea as she settled onto the edge of the bed. Rumi slipped in beside Mira on the other side, laptop in hand, ready to press play on their movie night. Zoey reached over Mira and handed Rumi the tea. She then pulled Pocky from who knows where and started munching on it.

Mira eyed the tray, and a slow smirk tugged at her lips despite the heaviness in her body. “You guys really tried to cook without me?” Her voice was teasing, soft but edged with amused disbelief. They never tried to cook without her because every time it was a disaster. Last time food somehow ended up all the way over on the living room windows and up on the ceiling just trying to make a simple bibimap. Mira forbade them from cooking without her after that.

Zoey laughed, cheeks coloring a little. “Hey, we did our best! You were kinda out of commission so we used our limited chef skills. It was too late to order takeout and I was dying.”

Rumi gave a sheepish smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “We may have… overcooked the noodles a bit. And maybe added way too much soy sauce. Probably forgot a thing or two. You know how we are.” She still looked pleased with themselves for even completing something without burning the penthouse down.

Which truly was an miracle.

Mira’s smirk deepened as she sniffed the dish and took her first bite. The texture and taste was way off - less umami, a lot saltier than usual. “Okay, so the noodles are a little mushy, and I think you both forgot the enoki mushrooms and garlic,” she teased, poking at a slippery strand with her chopsticks. “But I’ve gotta say… this might be the best japchae I’ve ever had.”

Zoey’s eyes widened. “Really? Even with our amateur hour disaster selves?”

Mira laughed softly, the sound warm and genuine. “Especially because of it. You put in the effort, and that makes all the difference. Plus, I’m just happy you even made something and I can get something in my stomach.”

Rumi reached over to squeeze Mira’s hand gently, eyes bright with affection. “We’ll never try cooking again without you, promise. It was a nightmare. I’m going to have war flashbacks.”

Zoey nudged her playfully, careful not to make Mira spill her dinner, “Yeah we’ll just order take out the next time we wreck the daylights out of you.” 

Rumi choked on her tea, Mira almost spit out her bite of noodles with the snort of laughter that caught her off guard. Her center throbbed at the thought of last night's events happening again - she wasn’t sure if it was throbbing with need or dread. Probably both. 

These two are gonna be the death of me .

Rumi propped the laptop against a pillow. “Movie night, just like old times,” she murmured, her voice warm. Zoey’s fingers found Mira’s thigh under the blanket. Rumi’s hand brushed gently over Mira’s arm, feather-light but reassuring. “You okay?” she asked softly. Always the voice of concern. So ironic considering how wild she was last night , Mira mused. 

Mira nodded, swallowing the bite of food in her mouth. “Better… now that you’re both here.” she said honestly. The further a bonded pair was from each other the worse the strain on the bond was which can cause heightened emotions like anxiety and anger. It was everyone’s best interest if a bonded pair stayed near each other at all times just for their mental health. Mira wasn’t sure if it was because their bond was freshly solidified, but just having them in another room in their own penthouse caused a pool of anxiety to form. She didn’t want to be anywhere without them, at least right now. 

Zoey grinned, winking at Mira. “You looked ready to eat us alive earlier in your sleep. You were drooling so bad, we figured some food would help.”

Laughter bubbled quietly between them as Mira grumbled, “I don’t drool” and shoved more noodles in her mouth, the extremely offputting flavors warming her mouth. Mira’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment, savoring the moment. Definitely not the taste . That she could do without.

“I missed this,” Mira admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “Just… sitting here with you, eating and watching movies.”

“Us too,” Rumi said, giving Mira a quick kiss on her cheek. “It’s been a rough…well. Month. For you especially.”

Zoey leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Mira’s other cheek. “But we’re here now. We’ve got you.”

The movie flickered to life, the soft glow painting their faces in shifting light. It was an old movie favorite of Mira’s, one that she knew for a fact that Zoey hated because it was an old cheesy Sci-Fi horror. Mira finished off her noodles and took the offered tea from Rumi, the one she had been sipping earlier. They all took turns drinking it, feeling the warmth spread through their stomachs in contentment. Mira curled closer, head resting against Rumi’s shimmering shoulder, Zoey’s hand still on her thigh. Their breathing slowed, synced in a quiet rhythm

The world outside faded away - the noise, the fear, the chaos. The thought of Celine and her unbridled wrath against her, the general public’s outcry, the lingering feeling of Jae-Kwan hovering in the back of her mind, her family’s threat to lock her away. Here, wrapped in each other’s presence, was peace. At least for now.

And as the gentle hum of the movie played on, Mira felt her heart - so raw and bruised - begin to mend in the soft, steady warmth of their love. Like so many times before, she felt her mask fall around them, her walls staying down. This time, she had no reason to keep it all up. This time, she wouldn’t run away and say that they deserved better when they all knew in their souls that they were meant for each other.

Mira could tell in mind, body, and spirit that her mates would never judge her for her past, her present, or what her future turned out to be. Whatever that was. She knew that they would be by her side through it all, and that she didn’t need to run away from their love and protection anymore. She would face it head-on with her partners, her bandmates, her pack, her soulmates.

Chapter Text

Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains in Rumi’s room, painting it in gentle shades of gold. Mira was sitting cross-legged on the bed sipping coffee, Rumi was curled into her side with her head on Mira’s lap, taking a nap. Zoey was rapping to herself in the kitchen while she washed their breakfast dishes in the sink. The quiet penthouse apartment was peaceful after so many days full of chaos. Their bond hummed with happiness. 

That’s when it happened. Honestly Mira wasn’t even sure what caused one of them, let alone all three of them, to remember something at the exact same time. The thought flew like a train through the bond, all three of them alarmed and anxious.

Bobby. They forgot about Bobby.

Zoey rounded the corner of Rumi’s bedroom door, towel from drying the dishes on her shoulder, Rumi bolted up from Mira’s lap like she had been electrocuted, and Mira grabbed her forgotten phone only to find out it was dead. Their morning was not so peaceful anymore.

“Bobby.” All three of them said at once, horrified. 

“We forgot to contact Bobby about Mira.” Zoey’s words came out all at once, her eyes widening as the weight of it sank in. 

Rumi’s hands shot up to cover her mouth, panic flashing through the bond and her eyes. “He’s been dealing with the public this whole time without knowing if Mira is safe, if we’re safe -”

“We never told him we brought you back home safely. How could we forget ?” Zoey cried out, dismayed at the thought of poor Bobby up to his eyeballs in the PR disaster while his girls were missing.

The silence that fell between them was full of guilt. Mira couldn’t help but say, “Well. We were kinda busy.” Both Zoey and Rumi glared at her and she smiled into her coffee cup as she took another sip.

“No, I know. I feel like shit about the…whole thing.” Mira said, serious. “I shouldn’t have left like that. I was just….overwhelmed to say the least.” She took one of Rumi’s hands and brought it to her lips. Rumi’s marks fluttered gold in response. “Don’t worry, I’ll call him. It’s only fair he hears from me since this is all my fault.”

“Babe, Bobby’s the guy who would fight through the demon realm and back for any of us. I’m sure his main concern is to know we are all okay, especially you.” Zoey said, walking over and sitting on the bed facing the other two. She handed Mira her phone. 

Mira sighed, then tapped open Zoey’s phone to call Bobby. It only rang for half a tone before Bobby’s voice shouted so loud through the phone it sounded like he was on speaker phone before Mira even had the chance to put him on speaker. 

“Zoey!? Rumi!? Is Mira with you guys!? Are you safe? Is she okay? Is anyone hurt? Who do I need to-”

They all winced at the volume. Mira clutched the phone close, guilt slicing through her and reverberating through their bond. Rumi and Zoey were rubbing her knees. They all said their customary “Hi Bobby” but with a lot less enthusiasm and a lot more hesitation.

Bobby stopped talking for two seconds to register that all three girls were on the phone. Then he exploded. “Where the HELL have you been!?” Mira winced.

“I-”

“I have been calling, texting all three of you non-stop for TWO DAYS . Do you have ANY idea how worried I’ve been!? I thought -” his voice cracked. “I thought something happened to Mira, and then you two. All three of you disappear off the grid like that. All I could think of was the worst - I was about to get the police involved. The POLICE , girls.”

“We’re so sorry B-” Zoey tried to say but he steamrolled over her. He wasn’t anywhere near finished.

“I’ve been pacing my office for days thinking you all were in a ditch somewhere or a crazy fan got to you. And meanwhile, every tabloid, gossip feed, and clickbait vulture in the city is circling the studio building and your penthouse building because of the interviewer ‘calling out’ Mira. We couldn’t even get into the penthouse to check if you were there because there’s too many people. It's ridiculous.”

“Bobby…” Mira said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“Mira.” The relief in Bobby’s voice at hearing her made her feel so much worse. “Don’t you dare say sorry. You hear me? You’re not the problem here. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s society - your family - and their screwed up hierarchy that’s to blame for this even being a ‘problem’ in the first place.” Mira could practically hear him running a hand through his hair like he does when he’s frustrated. “People have too much time and money, and not enough common sense and decency.”

There was a beat of silence as the girls all looked at each other while Bobby sighed loudly on the other end like he was deflating. “I was just…I needed to hear your voices and know you were all safe. That’s all that matters. I’ll keep putting out PR fires - it’s what you guys pay me for. You’re under very strict instructions from higher up to stay locked away in your penthouse while this boils over. Right now, I want you three to stay together, and no one goes anywhere. Got it?”

“Yes Bobby” they chorused like scolded kids.

“Good.”

The relief in his tone settled something deep in Mira’s chest. But then he asked the one question they were all dreading.

“What the hell happened anyways?”

Three pairs of eyes darted between each other in the room. No one spoke. The bond between them throws around feelings of panic, embarrassment, and shame.

“…Well?” Bobby prompted, suspicion creeping in.

Rumi’s jaw tightened. Zoey stared at the carpet. Mira’s ears burned so hot she was sure they’d catch fire.

“It’s… uh…” Zoey started, then immediately regretted opening her mouth. 

“It’s complicated,” Mira cut in too quickly, which only made it sound worse.

Rumi gave a nervous laugh that died halfway out of her throat.

Bobby’s tone sharpened. “Complicated how? You call me after vanishing for days, sounding like you’re hiding something, and you expect me not to ask?”

They all winced in unison.

“It’s… we… uh…” Mira swallowed hard, her voice dropping. “We… bonded.”

The word hung in the air like a live wire.

Bobby went completely silent.

“… Bonded ?” he repeated slowly, as if testing whether he’d heard right.

Rumi crossed her arms and stared at the wall. Zoey ran both hands over her face. Mira wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

“Yes,” Zoey muttered, barely audible.

Bobby cleared his throat. “When you say ‘bonded,’ you mean…?”

“Bobby,” Rumi warned, her tone strangled.

“I just want to make sure I’m -”

“You know what it means,” Mira groaned, covering her face.

Another long, painful pause. Mira could hear him processing on the other end.

“…Right,” Bobby said finally, voice much rougher now. “Well. That’s… I can’t say I’m surprised? Am I supposed to say congrats…?”

Rumi made a helpless little noise and her patterns were flaring orange. Zoey muttered something under her breath in English that Mira suspected was swearing.

Bobby sighed. “Look, I’m not asking for details - dear lord, please don’t give me details - but… we’re gonna talk. Later. When I can look you three in the eyes without -” He cut himself off, making a strangled noise that might have been embarrassment. “Were you at least safe about it?”

“Uh - safe?” Rumi managed. Her voice cracked.

“You know,” Bobby said carefully, clearly tiptoeing around the implication but somehow making it worse. “Safe. Physically. No one got hurt, right?”

“Oh my god,” Mira whispered under her breath, burying her face in her hands.

Rumi started to explain “We were fine, it’s not like -” but then realized mid-sentence that anything she said could only make this infinitely more humiliating. 

Zoey, because the universe apparently hated them, broke the silence with: “Defeats the purpose of knotting and mating in the first place if it’s ‘safe’ don’t you think?”

Silence.

Mira’s brain short circuited so hard she could practically hear the Windows XP shutdown sound. Rumi’s face and markings went red to the extreme as she buried her head into a pillow. Zoey cackled with an expression halfway between horror and disbelief at the words that came out of her own mouth.

Zoey started rambling, a nervous habit of hers, her voice too high and way too fast. “I-I mean. Safe. We are safe. For sure. Extra safe. Like… safety plus. We could start a TED Talk on safe double knotting practi -” Mira had launched herself at Zoey and shoved her hands over her mouth.

The silence was deafening.

“Double…nope! Nope nope nope,” Bobby sounded mortified, “Forget I asked. I really don’t want to know. I’m just glad that you’re all…Um.” There was a long pause. “Well. Stay put. Dear lord. Buh-byeee” He hung up the phone.

The three of them sat in the deafening silence after the phone went silent, collectively wishing they could be anywhere else.

Rumi, propped up against the pillows with one hugged tight to her chest, groaned dramatically, burying her face mumbling, “Jinu take the wheel” Then laughed, mortified at the whole scenario.

Mira glared down at Zoey, who was still pinned underneath her on the bed, hands over her mouth as she leaned down, nearly pinning her to the soft mattress. Her eyes were wide, a mix of shock, frustration, and disbelief flashing in them.

“Why - why would you say that to Bobby?!” Mira’s voice was low, tense, but shaking with emotion. “He’s the only father figure we have, Zoey. Our friend. Our… fucking manager! You don’t just go around saying stuff like that!!”

Zoey’s eyes gleamed with amusement behind Mira’s hand, utterly unfazed. A slow, wicked grin curled at her lips as her hands slipped out from beneath Mira and slid up the curve of Mira’s waist, fingers tracing lightly over her sides. Mira and Rumi could instantly feel Zoey’s desire through their bond. Rumi rolled her eyes.

Mira’s breath hitched. Her mouth twitched, but her gaze was still locked on Zoey with a fierce intensity. “I can’t believe you actually said that out loud,” she muttered, voice barely above a breath.

Zoey’s hand moved with slow, deliberate teasing - sliding from Mira’s waist up to her ribs, her fingers dancing lightly under the hem of Mira’s shirt. Her eyes held a spark of mischief, bright and impossible to resist. 

“Zoey.” A warning.

“Hmmm?”

Mira feigned a coy smile, removing her hands from Zoey’s lips, leaning in as though she was about to kiss Zoey and give in, before suddenly pushing off of her with a burst of energy, launching herself up and scrambling toward the bathroom.

“I get the big shower first, losers!!” Mira called over her shoulder, laughing breathlessly as she bounded toward the largest bathroom in the penthouse. They technically each had one but loved the larger communal bathroom more.

Zoey shot Rumi a wild grin, leaping off the bed and sprinted after Mira. “Oh no you don’t!” she called, her voice full of playful challenge. Rumi laughed, shaking her head as she pushed off the pillows and followed close behind, their footsteps echoing through the penthouse like a joyous race.

The bond between them thrummed brightly, alive with laughter and lightness - a sharp, happy contrast to the chaos of their days. Mira’s heart felt lighter than it had in weeks, racing with the chase, the warmth of Zoey and Rumi close behind. 

Instead of pouting and leaving the bathroom because Mira got there first, they both shoved themselves into the bathroom right behind her. She was stripping to shower, the other two started to strip too. Mira looked over at them and said “Seriously? You think I want to shower with you after what you just did?” 

Zoey just grinned and said, “Um, duh. Since we’re bonded and all that jazz, sharing everything is mandatory. Including any and all naked time.” 

Rumi joined in the banter and brushed her arm down Mira’s back, saying mischievously, “You can complain all you want out loud. We can feel it through the bond. You’re loving this.”

It was the first time Mira cursed having a literal emotional bond. Damn feelings .

Mira tried to keep a scowl on her face, but the heat rising in her cheeks won out. “Okay so maybe I don’t hate the thought of being naked with you guys more completely ." 

===((3 Days Into Lockdown))===

The penthouse felt like a gilded cage. The air was heavy with tension and the sharp, restless edge of Mira’s stressed pheromones were everywhere. It clung to the penthouse like an invisible fog, seeping into every corner.

The grand windows offered a panoramic view of the city’s sprawling skyline, but today, the light filtering in was harsh and unwelcome, casting sharp lines across the expensive rugs and furniture. Outside, life went on - people unaware of the chaos inside this sanctuary, this prison.

Mira sat curled up on their large couch, her knees drawn to her chest, eyes flickering between the glowing screen of her phone and the muted television mounted across the room. She was wearing one of Rumi’s many hoodies and a pair of Zoey’s turtle pajama pants. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt, but at this point she didn’t really care. Not with everything else happening.

Celine’s statement had dropped just hours ago and the repercussions were immediate.

“I am devastated that someone I considered one of my own daughters would betray my trust and deceive the fans,” the statement began, Celine’s face calm but eyes glistening with feigned hurt. “Mira to me as well. I would have loved her no matter her secondary gender, but the dishonesty is something I cannot overlook. The girls won’t listen to me anymore, and instead are hiding away with her because they know they need to face the truth; that Mira needs to step down from Huntr/x for her dishonesty. Mira betrayed not just me and her bandmates - but every fan who believed in the honesty that is Huntr/x.”

The world swallowed it greedily.

News outlets ran the story with ruthless headlines: “Mira: The Lie Behind the Mask,” “Alpha Trio’s Omega Scandal,” and “Betrayal and Broken Bonds in K-Pop’s Hottest Group.” Social media ignited with fan fury and harsh judgment, the hashtags trending with calls to boycott Huntrix, to disband, to scream and shout at each other over who was right and who was wrong.

Mira’s phone vibrated incessantly - tweets, messages, news alerts - all flooding in like a relentless tide. She barely looked at the screen anymore, phone on silent, but she could see it lighting up over and over out of the corner of her eye. 

Zoey knelt beside her, gently taking Mira’s hand in hers, offering a grounding presence. “Don’t look,” she whispered softly, voice steady like a lighthouse in the storm. Calming

“I can’t stop,” Mira whispered, the panic making her chest tighten. “It’s everywhere, Zoey. Every post, every channel. They’re calling me a liar, a fraud, an embarrassment. That I’m trash and just a breeding hole, and that I need to quit Huntr/x.”

Rumi, usually the quietest of the three, was standing near the windows, hands balled into fists at her sides. Her lips pressed into a thin line, jaw clenched as though holding back a storm. “Celine is doing what she does best,” she said bitterly, eyes dark with anger. “She’s twisting the narrative to protect herself, but all she’s doing is tearing us apart.” Barely controlled anger was flaring through the bond, but Rumi was making sure she held back so that she didn’t stress Mira out more.

Suddenly, Mira’s phone buzzed again. The caller ID flashed “Bobby.” She hesitated, then answered with a small nod from Zoey.

“Hi Bobby”

“Hey, girls. I’ve been calling a lot, I know.” Bobby’s voice was tight, exhaustion and worry heavy in every syllable. “I just need to hear you’re okay.”

“We’re here,” Zoey said gently. “Safe. Together.”

There was a pause. “I’m doing everything I can. The press is a nightmare, but I’m fighting. I just -” His voice wobbled slightly. “I hate that you’re all stuck in there, waiting for the storm to pass. I wish I could do more. We’ll get through this girls. We always have.”

Mira swallowed hard, the lump in her throat making it difficult to speak. “Thanks, Bobby. We appreciate you. Really.”

“Anytime,” he said. “Call me if you need anything. Or just if you need me for anything. I’m always here for you girls.”

After the call ended, silence returned, but it felt heavier.

Mira looked around at Zoey and Rumi, her anchors. “I hate that it’s like this. That people see me differently now. Like being an omega makes me weak or less. It’s literally how I was raised to think and this isn’t helping to break that narrative.” Her mind flashing back to being told so often how weak Omegas were, and how they weren’t meant for anything except breeding.

Zoey shook her head, eyes shining with quiet fire. “They don’t get to decide who you are.”

Rumi stepped forward, sitting down beside Mira, taking her hand. “This… this will pass, I’m sure. I mean you know how long it took social media to get over finding out me and Zo were together.”

Mira let her head rest on Rumi’s shoulder, eyes closing briefly. The bond between them was swirling with so many emotions jumbled together, most of them being drowned out by Mira’s own stress. Amidst it all though, she could feel both of her Alphas releasing as many calming pheromones as they could, the ocean breeze curling around her protectively.  “Yeah…I’m sure you’re right.”

===((1 Week Into Lockdown))===

The three of them tried so many times to stay side by side during this turmoil. But eventually Mira would drift off to the training room. Rumi got sucked into helping Bobby. Zoey was…well, doing Zoey things. They were each  locked away in separate corners of their spaces, each wrestling with their own storm.

Mira’s sanctuary was the training room. The soft thud of her bare feet on the floor mat echoed as she moved with practiced precision, the woldo heavy yet familiar in her hands. Every swing, every precise cut through the air, was a battle against the helpless fury coiling in her chest. The steel sang as it sliced, a sharp contrast to the ache that burned beneath her ribs.

Her breaths came out in hard, uneven bursts. Her fists clenched the woldo’s handle tighter as she pivoted, striking at invisible enemies, forcing the emotions into something tangible. Swing, spin, twirl, swing, spin . Rhythm. Routine. Something controlled.

But then, beneath the rhythmic controlled movements, memories stirred unwanted.

A painful memory sliced through Mira’s focus just as sharp as her weapon. She could see it all clear as day: the moment she had raised this very weapon against Rumi. How heavy her woldo had felt in her hands when she lifted it at the girl. Rumi’s devastated eyes, one glowing gold, demon marks pulsing purple. Zoey followed Mira’s lead, even though Mira could tell she wanted to do anything but. And then they watched her go. Let her leave. Abandoned her. 

The memory brought with it raw, unyielding guilt that she had to clamp down on before it wavered through their bond. She didn’t want either of them to see her like this. How much that night still affected her. It gripped her chest, twisting tighter with every breath. She could barely hold up her woldo at this point, the weapon suddenly heavy with all the guilt its owner carried. 

Why? The question has haunted Mira to this day. She didn’t want to hurt Rumi, their leader, her sun. When she realized that Rumi had been hiding her demon self from them for years - from her. It shattered her. She felt betrayed, discarded, like everything she thought she had found in her found family was a lie. Anger and fury had blinded her in that moment, and now she carried the weight of that night in every muscle, every breath. 

Mira’s arms trembled, and for a moment it felt like her weapon was a chain binding her to the past she wanted to escape. Sweat slid down her temple, mixing with tears she didn’t even realize were there. She forced herself to take deep, even breaths in and out, just like how Zoey taught her, to ground herself in the present.

The past can haunt me, but it won’t define me.

Every strike felt like she was trying to slice through mud, but she fought against the tremble of her limbs, the weight of her woldo. She wasn’t thinking about the world tearing her apart. Not here. She was thinking about facing her own fractured trust in herself. Sweat dampened her hair, muscles screamed in protest, but this was the only relief she could find. Each strike was a promise - she would fight, not just for herself, but for Rumi and Zoey.

And so she continued, day in and day out. Until her limbs were numb and her body heavier than her weapon, she would be there. Swinging. Twirling. Spinning. Dancing.

Rumi was holed up in her room, a stark contrast to what Mira was doing. While Mira was moving around, Rumi was sitting still at the desk in her room. The soft hum of her laptop mixed with the scratch of pen on paper. Crumpled drafts, hastily scribbled notes, and multiple tabs of emails and social media analytics cluttered her desk. She had become a commander of words and strategy - the voice of the group when everything else felt broken. The leader; it was the least she could do for her pack.

Her phone buzzed incessantly, Bobby’s name flashing repeatedly. Every call brought another fire to douse, another headline to counter, another misleading rumor to quell. She answered with steady professionalism, voice calm but fierce, parsing out truths amid the flood of lies.

No. Mira can’t handle this. Not now. She refused to let Mira shoulder the public weight - she was their leader, their anchor. It was the least she could do for her pack. Especially when she could feel how desperately Mira was trying to surprise guilt and anxiety from slipping into the bond, and Zoey was all energy and restlessness.

“Bobby, we’ll get through this. We have to. No rash moves.” She sighed, eyes darting to another article painting them all in a dark light. “Let me draft a statement. We’ll make sure this narrative is corrected before it spirals further.”

She barely noticed when Zoey padded into the room, pressed a kiss to the side of Rumi’s head, and placed down a bowl of Bimbap. Zoey then started doing little dances around the room before going to the balcony, and then just as quickly left the room to do who knew what. Rumi glanced up, half-smiling at the contrast: Zoey’s jittery energy against her own tight control.

She was right there with Bobby; anything for her girls.

Zoey could not stay still. The penthouse was her racetrack and her prison. Her hands itched to create - to paint, to write, to do anything but sit still. She moved from room to room, trailing fingers along the cool walls, rearranging books, adjusting cushions. Sometimes she perched on the windowsill, gazing out at the city blurred beneath the gray sky. Doom scrolling through hundreds of tiktoks about turtles. Grimacing whenever a video about them popped up. 

She would bounce around on the balls of her feet, practicing random sets of choreography from their shows, humming their songs to herself, or grabbing one of her many notebooks and trying (and failing) to think of new song lyrics. She was nothing but anxious watching her pack slowly drift apart around her. She normally tried to mediate and bring everyone back together, but she was afraid to overstep with how tense everything has been for them all. 

So she just supported them both from a distance. Water and food showing up in front of the training room, snacks brought to Rumi while she was on a call. It was little things, but she could feel how grateful the other two were to her through their bond, and that was enough.

Rarely did the three truly come together these days. The exhaustion - mental, emotional, physical - pulled at their edges. Only at night, when their chaotic energy dimmed, would they gather in Rumi’s room, a quiet refuge from the chaos.

Mira, sweat still cooling on her skin, would collapse onto the bed. Rumi would close her laptop, rubbing tired eyes, and Zoey would curl up on the bed with her sketchbook. In those small, sacred moments, they shared whispered conversations, stolen laughter, and the kind of solace only found in the presence of those who loved you without conditions. It felt like that was the only time they all truly felt ‘normal’. 

But as the days stretched on, the silence between their solitary routines grew heavier - the space that once held shared strength now filled with thoughts they dared not voice aloud. The penthouse was their battlefield, their sanctuary, and their prison all at once.

And through it all, the world outside raged on.

===((1 Month into Lockdown))===

A week turned into weeks. Into a month. The tension in the penthouse could be cut with a knife. Mira was a ball of frustration that none of them could approach. Her pheromones were so wild and angry that it even suppressed both Alpha's calming ones. She never joined them for bed anymore, instead choosing to pass out on the training room floor when she trained past her limits. As the time stretched and grew longer, Mira’s rage at the world and Celine grew too.

Celine.

The shimmering blade of her woldo arching around her body as she swung and swung and swung . It went from practicing to get over her fear of using it again, to it being an extension of her once more - this time though, fueled by rage. She knew that wasn’t the way to wield the weapons gifted to them from the Honmoon, but the anger was all she had keeping her together in what used to feel like home. The movements were mechanical, furious - an outlet for all the fury, hurt, and helplessness that boiled inside of her.

Her breathing started coming in ragged gasps, sweat dripping onto the mat. Her swings became uneven as her limbs started to get harder and harder to raise. With one final, brutal strike, Mira slammed the butt of the woldo into the floor. The force splintered part of the floor. Her hands were trembling, chest heaving with raw frustration. She wiped away sweat on her forehead that tried to get into her eyes, her gaze darkening as a fierce determination overtook her exhaustion.

Enough.

She was tired of it all. 

Mira let the woldo vanish back into the Honmoon, feeling a sense of relief that she had come to a decision. It might not be the right decision, but she was tired of hiding. Tired of the feeling of Celine slowly ripping them apart. Why didn’t I do this sooner , she thought as she exited the training room. 

Because I was afraid.

Of what? People who don’t know me?

My family?

Celine?

No. Mira knew deep down it was because she was afraid of destroying everything that they had built together. Not anymore. She was done hiding behind Bobby and Rumi’s legs.

With swift, heavy steps, Mira marched down their hallway. It seemed to stretch endlessly before her, as though trying to give her mind a chance to second guess herself. But she moved forward with purpose, and urgency fueled by months of bottled up frustration and despair. She stopped outside of Rumi’s room and didn’t knock before she slammed the door open.

Inside, Rumi was perched on the edge of her swivel chair, and she almost fell on the floor at the sound of the door crashing open. She turned to see Mira coming directly at her like she was on a mission. 

“Wha - Mira?!” Rumi’s eyes widened as Mira’s hand shot out and snatched the phone in her hand, where she was already on a call with Bobby. She brought the phone to her ear.

“Bobby.” Mira said, her voice low, fierce, unwavering “I’m done. No more hiding. No more secrets. I’m done with this cat and mouse game with everyone. People want to hate me? They want me to talk? Fine.”

Her fingers tightened around the phone as if trying to steady herself. Rumi reached out and pulled Mira closer to her so that she could wrap her arms around Mira’s waist and rest her head on her stomach. The first intimate touch they’d had in days. Suddenly there were more hands on her, holding her hips and rubbing small circles into her exposed skin. 

Zoey. She must have felt something shift through the bond and came to check. Mira never felt more grounded and supported than in that moment.

“Arrange a press conference” Mira continued, her voice raw but absolute, “No holds. We’re going to sit. And we’re going to talk. Lay everything down - our truth - and everyone can decide what they want to do with it. If they hate me, fine. If they think I’m a disgrace, whatever. But I won’t go down without a fight for my mates and our band.” 

There was a pause on the line as Bobby processed her demand, but Mira didn’t give him time to respond. 

“This ends now. Just let me know when and where.” 

She pressed the hang-up button and tossed the phone on Rumi’s desk. Rumi and Zoey’s eyes were wide, a mix of surprise and concern, but most of all, pride. Unspoken understanding. Mira’s pheromones had retreated from fogging up the entire penthouse, and now she just stood between her two anchors basking in their calm. Their bond hummed with love, protection, understanding, pride, devotion. Determination.

Mira’s breaking point had finally arrived. Silence wasn’t an option anymore. 

The mask had come off, and razor sharp claws replaced it.

Chapter Text

The city buzzed faintly below, but inside, the air was thick with quiet resolve and the subtle undercurrent of their shared bond. Mira stood before the full-length mirror, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. She wasn’t dressing for the cameras - that was the stylists’ job once they arrived - but she needed to look composed, solid, a shield against the chaos waiting beyond these walls.

Zoey flitted around the room, energetic as ever despite the tension. She held out a simple, charcoal-gray blazer to Mira. “You need something clean, structured. No wrinkles, no fuss,” she said, her voice warm but purposeful.

Mira nodded, sliding into the blazer. The fabric felt crisp and reassuring against her skin. Rumi appeared behind her, a calm presence, and reached for Mira’s hair. “We’ll keep it simple,” she murmured, fingers deftly working through the strands. She pulled the pink girl’s hair back into a long ponytail; simple but sleek.

Zoey leaned in close, whispering playful encouragements that melted some of Mira’s stiff anxiety. “You’re going to kill them with your looks. Not literally, cause like, can you imagine being to kill someone by looking pretty. I’d be dead already.” Her teasing smile made Mira’s lips twitch despite herself. Zoey was good at melting tension.

Rumi moved next to Zoey, taking the taller girl’s wild hair in her hands. “Let me do that before we go out there,” she said, smoothing Zoey’s hair back with slow, deliberate strokes to get ready to put it all in space buns, each touch radiating calming pheromones that wove through the room, steadying their nerves.

The three of them worked silently in rhythm; clothing adjusted, hair done, subtle scents mingling in the air, a delicate shield of comfort and strength. They weren’t trying to look perfect; they were trying to look like a unit, like a pack ready to face whatever was coming.

Zoey tugged lightly at the collar of her own dark jacket, then caught Mira’s eye with a grin and a wink. “Let’s show these people what’s up!.” she said simply. They each gave each other brief kisses.

They stepped into their elevator and made their descent.

Mira took a deep breath, the tight knot in her chest loosening just a fraction. Rumi’s hand found hers, fingers intertwining naturally. The warmth, the connection - their bond pulsed gently between them, like a lifeline in a storm. Zoey grabbed her other hand, squeezing it tightly in reassurance. 

No words were needed. They were ready. She was ready as she would ever be.

The elevator dinged softly, a reminder that the moment was near. Mira’s heartbeat quickened.

Without stopping in the lobby of the building, they strode outside through the front door. The outside world slammed into them like a tidal wave of sound, scents, and bodies.

Security personnel moved around them like a living fortress - black suits sharp and unyielding, voices low and commanding, threatening pheromones radiating off of them aimed at the pressing crowd. Their presence was a shield in more ways than one, but even they couldn’t erase the electric tension hanging thick in the air.

Flashing cameras assaulted her eyes, their bursts like tiny explosions she couldn’t shield against. They were KPop Idols, so they were used to flashing lights and paparazzi, but this was taking it to the extreme in a bad way. Her senses were on fire - the crowd’s pheromones surged like a living tidal wave; anger so raw it burned her skin, disappointment like a cold shadow settling in her bones, and beneath it all, the unmistakable bile of disgust.

They hated her. Not because she was Mira, but because she was Omega Mira. That one word made all the difference in so many people’s eyes. But inside, Mira was crumbling. Not with sadness at the words around her - rather, anger. She wanted to scream - at the crowd, at herself, at the cruel fate that had cast her in this role. A role where her worth was measured not by who she was, but by what category her secondary gender put her in.

“A disgrace to the Kang family name!”

“We don’t want you in Huntr/x!”

“Stop bringing down Zoey and Rumi! They’re better without you!”

Just a few things that Mira could pick out from the insane volume of the crowd around them.

Mira’s throat tightened painfully. Her family. Her pack. These things were what kept her mind afloat. Just keep thinking of them . Not her blood family. Not Celine. Her girls, her mates, her pack. Bobby. The fans that were trying so hard to fight against the masses calling for her downfall were fighting back with edits and words of support and love all over the internet. The people that continued to love her and support her were all that mattered, none of these idiots.

Zoey’s hand slid into hers, a steadying warmth. Rumi pressed close, her quiet presence a fortress, her hand on the small of Mira’s lower back as an anchor pushing her forward. She could feel Zoey’s and Rumi’s rage simmering just beneath their calm exteriors, their protective pheromones lashing out like silent shields around her. Zoey’s jaw clenched; her eyes flashed with fury that would scorch the sky if unleashed. Rumi’s fingers were shaking on the hand resting on Mira’s back, her half-demon aura quietly coiling with restrained power, eyes flickering gold and patterns purple. 

They both wanted to lash out - to tear the hateful crowd apart until it was silenced. Silence the chants, the shouting; stop the bombardment of scents that they could tell was aggravating Mira. How dare anyone do anything to hurt Mira?

Their Mira.

But they held their composure, bound by duty and necessity. The press conference was coming. They had to be strong. For Mira, for themselves, for the fragile image they were fighting to keep alive. Mira swallowed hard, the weight of their unspoken rage anchoring her just enough not to fall apart completely. She breathed deep, forcing herself to match their calm, to hold the mask of control in place. But inside, a storm raged - one of anger, frustration, annoyance, and stress. The perfect cocktail of emotions for someone to say something too wrong that would set her over the edge, she knew. So she kept her jaw clenched, eyes forward, and slowly made it to their car.

Every step toward the car was a battle against that storm. She clung to Zoey’s warmth, to Rumi’s steady heartbeat beside her, the bond between them a fragile thread pulling her back from the edge. The crowd’s cries followed them, a relentless tide of hate.

“You’ll never be a true idol!”

“The Huntr/x pack is done with you!”

“You’re nothing but a breeding tool - and tools get discarded!”

“Omegas are nothing but weak! You don’t belong with them!”

“Fraud!”

“Liar!”

“Disgusting Omega!”

Mira looked at Zoey. At Rumi. Who in that moment in time looked like they were going to snap before she did, ironic since she was the hot headed one. Both Alphas were growling low but getting louder with each passing second. The instinct to protect their Omega was deeply rooted, and coupled with their love for her, it turned into a volatile mess.

Finally they were at their car.

The moment the door to the sleek, black sedan swung open, Mira didn’t hesitate. She caught Zoey’s wrist with one hand, Rumi’s with the other, and yanked them in after her before either could whirl back on the crowd. The door slammed shut behind them, and for the first time in what felt like hours even though it wasn’t even a minute, the hateful voices dulled to a distant roar.

Zoey was still bristling, the muscles in her jaw tight enough to ache. Rumi’s shoulders were rigid, her eyes still flashing with that dangerous gleam of gold, her marks flaring purple still. 

“Both of you - breathe ,” Mira said, though her own chest was tight. Her voice came out softer than she expected, more plea than command. The car rolled forward, leaving the chaos behind, though its ghost clung to them - muted shouts echoing faintly in their ears, the crowd’s rage still lingering on their clothes.

Mira reached for both of them, fingers threading through Zoey’s and Rumi’s like the anchors they were for her. They both turned to her and instantly their anger started to leave them at the soothing earth pheromones she was emitting for them both. Rumi deflated and thumped her head onto Mira’s shoulder, nuzzling into her neck. Zoey did the same thing on her other side. Both of them were rubbing against Mira’s markings in an act of intimacy that grounded them all in that moment. Mira felt rather than saw their frustration leaving them through their bond.

“We can’t go in there rattled,” Mira murmured, mostly to herself. They all knew the press would be worse in its own way - colder, calculated, picking at every vulnerability like vultures. Complete with cameras. Zoey hummed low in her throat, an Alpha reassuring her pack. Rumi’s hand squeezed hers, gentle but firm.

The city blurred past outside the windows, and slowly, the three of them began to sync their breathing; matching heartbeats, steadying scents, leaning into each other in the quiet hum of the car. It didn’t take long for them to arrive. The moment the SUV door cracked open, the roar hit them like a physical blow - shouts, curses, camera flashes strobing through the humid air. Protest signs jabbed above the heads of the crowd, the words omega trash and fraud catching in Mira’s periphery like barbs.

Mira’s pulse spiked hard enough that it slammed through the bond, sharp and panicked. Rumi’s braid swung against her back as she shoved forward, one hand locked around Mira’s wrist, the other clenched into a fist ready to break someone’s nose if they got too close. Zoey darted in on Mira’s other side, short but snarling like she was three times her size. 

The guards carved a path through the mob, but every step felt like moving through molasses. Somewhere in the shouting, someone spat - Rumi’s instincts flared hot, Alpha rage rolling through her scent, but she forced herself forward. They couldn’t afford to start a fight. Not yet.

Mira kept her chin high, every inch the ice-cold star she’d perfected for the stage, but through the bond she was trembling. Just keep walking, Zoey’s reassurance brushed into both of them, gentle, though her emotions were crackling with fury. The security doors loomed ahead like a promise. The moment they crossed the threshold into the backstage corridor, the noise outside cut to a muffled roar. The air smelled faintly of dust, hairspray, and the faint tang of fresh paint.

And then -

“ My girls! ”

Bobby barreled toward them. His eyes were already shining, hair messier than they’d ever seen it, and before anyone could stop him, he crashed into all three of them at once. They barely managed to stay upright at the collision, but managed to stay upright, clutching Bobby like a lifeline.

“ Bobby! ”

They crumbled instantly. Reverted back into the three young adults that fell under his wing years ago in the beginning of their idol days. He was the closest thing to family they had; he grew from manager to friend to family through their close time together. 

There was a dizzy rush of home and safety . Mira’s control almost broke - her hands fisted into Bobby’s shirt as she let out a ragged sound. Zoey was laughing through tears. Rumi pressed her forehead to Bobby’s temple, breathing in the familiar scent of coffee and cologne until the rage from outside was nothing but static. His Beta pheromones were radiating with so much happiness at being able to finally see them in person, and they responded in kind. 

Bobby was still holding onto them like he might never let go when Zoey finally squirmed enough to pull back. Rumi followed, reluctantly, untangling her braid from his shoulder. Mira smoothed her hair, straightened her jacket - already trying to reassemble the perfect idol mask before Bobby saw how devastating she had looked seconds ago.

They started to make their way down a hallway towards their dressing room area, people bustling around them getting ready for the conference. Bobby sniffed, eyes shining, then suddenly grinned. “You three,” he said, shaking his head like a proud parent who’d just caught their kids doing something brilliant and stupid all at once. “Bonded, huh?”

Rumi froze mid-step, heat rushing up her neck and into her cheeks. Zoey made a strangled noise somewhere between a cough and a squeak. Mira actually stumbled .

“Bobby!” Rumi hissed, eyes going wide. 

“What?” he said, all innocence, though the twinkle in his eyes was anything but.

“Stop talking ,” Mira cut in, her voice low and dangerous, but her ears were red enough to betray her. She groaned, covering her face with one hand. Through the bond, her embarrassment was practically blinding - though underneath it was a shy thread of pride that made Rumi’s chest ache.

Bobby just chuckled, clearly enjoying himself far too much. “Oh, relax. I’m happy for you. All of you. I’ve been waiting for this since the day you met. I could tell from day one that you were meant to be a pack, and my gaydar is never wrong” He winked at them.

All three girls preened at his words. Bobby always knew how to melt them even in the most stressful moments. “Thanks, but let’s never speak of this again.” Mira mumbled. Bonding was not a conversation she wanted to have with him ever.

He only laughed harder, patting Mira on the arm and Zoey on the head before turning toward the stage doors. “Come on girls. Time to go show the world you’re stronger than they think. And maybe next time I’ll give you the ‘safe word’ lecture.”

All three groaned at once.

It was ridiculous, awkward, and so Bobby - and for a fleeting moment, it almost felt like they were just getting ready for a concert, instead of a pack about to face a firing squad of cameras and accusations. 

The dressing room was a whirlwind of movement - stylists darting in with garment bags, makeup brushes flicking across their faces like they were a canvas, the air thick with perfume and hairspray. Someone was already tugging at the zipper of Mira’s jacket before she’d even finished sitting down.

Through the bond, her irritation was a sharp, electric hum. Rumi caught it immediately.

“Easy, Mira,” she said, leaning just far enough out of her own stylist’s reach to catch Mira’s eye. “You can glare all you want at the cameras, but you can’t deck a reporter. Not today.”

Mira’s eyes narrowed. “Depends on the question.”

Zoey snorted from the next chair over, chin tilted up so her eyeliner could be sharpened to a deadly point. “No, seriously, save the murder for later. We’re here to prove them wrong, not confirm their theories about you being some unstable omega menace.”

“I’ll behave. I won’t kill them,” Mira muttered, voice dripping venom.

“Yet,” Zoey said brightly.

Rumi smirked and kicked lightly at Mira’s foot under the vanity. “Look, you’ve got this. You’re Mira. You’ve survived stalker fans, stage malfunctions, me in a bad mood -”

“And me on too much coffee,” Zoey added.

“ - and somehow,” Rumi continued, “you’re still here. This is just a room full of cameras and people who want to see you panic. So don’t give them the satisfaction.”

Mira’s lips pressed into a thin line, but her scent shifted - still tense, but edged with a stubborn kind of resolve. “I don’t panic,” she said flatly, her bitch mask back in place before they hit the conference.

“That’s the spirit,” Zoey said, both her and Rumi glancing at each other amused. Mira was conveniently forgetting the last couple of months where she had multiple panic moments. It was just Mira being their stubborn Mira. A stylist stepped back from Mira with a final look over, and even Mira seemed to pause at her reflection. She looked every bit the untouchable idol - omega or not.

Rumi leaned in and said softly, “We’re behind whatever you decide to say, all the way.” Mira didn’t answer out loud, but the surge of quiet gratitude that rolled back through the bond said enough. 

A sharp rap sounded at the door, followed by Bobby’s voice. “Alright girls. Showtime.”

The room seemed to inhale all at once. The easy banter from moments ago evaporated, replaced by a sudden, pulsing tension in the bond. This part, they were familiar with. They didn’t have to speak - the change was automatic, muscle memory from years of living under stage lights.

Time to put on their KPop Idol Stage Masks, as they called them. The faces that the public saw that protected the deepest parts of themselves. 

Zoey bounced on her feet, her body visibly turning into the bright, irrepressible spark the fans knew - shoulders loose, smile big enough to melt through the harshest lens.

Rumi followed, drawing in a slow breath and felt herself relax into that calm, confident smile that seemed unshakable. Their group leader, radiant and gorgeous and in charge.

And Mira… Mira became marble. Her chin lifted, eyes going cold and sharp, mouth curved just enough to suggest disdain. Every inch of her said untouchable, and every inch of her dared the world to try.

The door opened, and Bobby stood there, his usual grin tempered by the gravity in his eyes. “Let’s go.”

They rose together, the pack in sync even in silence. The bond hummed with undercurrents - Zoey’s spark, Rumi’s steady anchor, Mira’s coiled steel.

As they stepped into the corridor toward the stage entrance, the muffled roar of the crowd beyond the doors grew louder. The press was waiting. The whole world was waiting.

The backstage corridor opened into a wall of light.

They stepped through the side curtain and onto the low stage, the heat of the spotlights hitting them instantly. A long table draped in white stretched across the front, three sleek chairs waiting behind it. The backdrop that would have normally been a collage of their logo and photos of them for meet and greets, was just their logo on a stark black banner. It matched the seriousness of the conference. Cameras on the front and sides of the stage were manned by cameramen who were filing the press conference to stream it live. 

That was Zoey’s idea; have it televised and streamed so that it reaches as many people as possible at the same time.

Below, the press pit was a living sea - rows of chairs crammed with reporters, cameras hoisted high, lenses glinting like eyes in the dark. The first shutters started clicking before they’d even reached their seats.

Flash. Flash. Flash.

Zoey’s smile beamed effortlessly as she waved, always the picture of happiness and charm. Rumi followed with her steady, composed warmth, dipping her head politely at the crowd. Mira kept her gaze level and cool, each step deliberate, the faintest curl at her lips making it unclear whether she was amused or unimpressed.

Microphones waited in a neat row across the table. Beside them, small bottles of water gleamed under the lights, labels turned to face the cameras. The air was thick with anticipation and the faint smell of hot equipment. Every cough, every shuffle of paper from the reporters below felt amplified in the hush before the storm. They reached their chairs - Mira in the middle, Zoey to her left, Rumi to her right. In perfect unison, they sat, smoothed their clothes, and adjusted the mics.

The moderator, seated just off to the side, leaned into his microphone. “Please welcome KPop Idol group Huntr/x. This conference was called by them to speak to the press in regards to the recent omega accusations. Thank you all for joining us today. Please refrain from making un-needed comments or questions if they do not pertain to the purpose of the conference. We’ll begin with opening remarks from the girls before taking questions from the press.”

The bond between them hummed quietly - Rumi’s steady anchor, Zoey’s electric charm, Mira’s icy composure.

The performance had begun.

The moderator gave a practiced smile and gestured toward the microphones. “Let’s begin with introductions for the press.” Not like any press member there didn’t know who they were. 

Zoey leaned forward first, her voice warm and bubbling like sunshine. “Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for coming today! I’m Zoey, and I’m so happy to see all of you again.” She waved, her bracelets catching the light, and the crowd’s tension seemed to soften just a fraction - several camera shutters went off in rapid bursts.

Rumi was next, posture easy but precise, her smile calm and confident. “Hello. I’m Rumi. We appreciate you taking the time to be here with us today.” Her voice was even, soothing, the kind that drew people in without effort. The response was polite applause, a respectful murmur through the press.

Then came Mira.

She didn’t lean forward. She didn’t smile. She simply tilted the microphone toward herself with one elegant hand and said, “Mira.” She felt both girls trying not to laugh through their bond. 

Typical Mira.

A beat of silence followed, heavy enough to feel. Then came the staccato burst of shutters - faster than before, almost aggressive, the reporters leaning in as if her mere presence demanded evidence.

Somewhere toward the back, a low mutter rippled - someone whispering to their neighbor, someone else scribbling notes a little too quickly. The air tightened, and through the bond, Rumi felt the spike of irritation in Mira’s chest.

Rumi’s smile widened just a touch, covering the shift. “We’re here today because we want to talk honestly with you, and with everyone watching,” she said, slipping into her practiced bridge between charm and control. “We hope you’ll listen.”

The moderator cleared his throat, already ready to move them forward, but the weight in the room had shifted. Mira hadn’t even been asked a question yet, and the storm was already forming.

The moderator cleared his throat again, his voice steady but weighted. “This press conference was called to address the growing controversy about Mira’s secondary gender - her identity as an omega despite publicly presenting as an alpha. Many in the industry and fanbase have questions about how this impacts the group and the integrity of the image you’ve all presented. Did you want to provide a statement in regards to this?”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the packed room. Cameras clicked relentlessly, the press eager for answers with baited breath, waiting like sharks to tear her to pieces. 

Mira remained motionless for a long moment. She was wrestling internally with how she wanted to address this. This was the pivotal moment where she was allowed to tell her truth. But how much of her truth did she want them to know? Her eyes flicked to Rumi and Zoey for a fraction of a second, appreciating their ocean breeze enveloping her in a loving embrace. But it was clear she was wrestling with something deeper inside.

Mira made up her mind. As much as she wanted to keep herself close to her chest - she felt like she didn’t owe the world a single thing - but then she thought of all the omegas that get shit like this all the time. The thought that she was willing to stand down while others like her with less privilege suffered made her taste bile.

She was famous. Might as well make the most of it. Time to act.

Then, with slow, deliberate movements, Mira leaned forward. Her fingers clenched together in front of her as if she was holding herself together. The microphone felt cold against her skin when she brought it close, but her voice came out flat.

“I’m not good at this.”

The room quieted, reporters leaning in, sensing a crack in her armor.

Mira’s gaze hardened again, but there was a tremor beneath the surface, a rawness she usually kept hidden. “I grew up in the Kang family - the Alpha, pure, untouchable family that all of you know that holds much of the banking world under their fingertips. You only see the public Kang family. I’ve been a victim of the private version of the Kang family. I was their black sheep, their problem child, for being an Omega. They isolated me, raised me to be strong, but also... to be invisible. I can’t even tell you if I ever saw my parents growing up.”

Zoey took her hand, squeezing it.

Her throat tightened. She swallowed hard, the vulnerability almost breaking through. “Because I was different, they molded me into their perfect Alpha daughter, no matter what it took. My scent glands were removed when I was a child. I wasn’t even six. It was illegal - it still is. But we all know that the Kangs can just buy their way into getting anything they want, including secondary genders apparently.”

Rumi reached for her other hand.

Her hands trembled slightly in theirs; they both squeezed back, and their bond lit up with reassurance and love. Mira lowered her voice, the most vulnerable she has ever sounded on any stage in front of anyone else besides her girls, and spoke her truth.

“I lived with fake Alpha scents I had to inject into my skin every day. I learned to pretend. To fight back when I couldn’t run. To hide everything that made me, me. To create the perfect Alpha Kang daughter that became a KPop Idol to get connections for the family. I hated what I became, hated what they made me go through, hated myself.”

The reporters were silent now, but their cameras never stopped.

Her glare swept across the room again - still defiant, still unbroken. “And through all of that, I found Rumi and Zoey. They didn’t run. They didn’t turn away.  When my scent glands grew back - a medical impossibility - they were there to rescue me from another Alpha who tried to assault me . In my first heat, they stayed by my side for days fighting their instincts over and over , never touching me out of pure love for me , and not my gender . Something most Alphas can never do.”

Mira looked between Rumi and Zoey with a small smile and nothing but adoration in her eyes, love flowing in waves from her through their bond. Both of them looked like they wanted to cry. “They have been my sun and stars from day one . So when we found out that we were meant to be a bonded pack, it was like fate agreed we were perfect for each other.”

Mira’s jaw clenched, voice steady but raw. “Yes, I am an Omega. Yes, I was an Alpha to the world. Yes I am bonded with Rumi and Zoey. Do I think I need to step down from Huntr/x? Absolutely not.”

A heavy pause filled the room, the weight of her words settling over everyone.

She sat back, delivering her final piece in her statement. “I am not perfect. I am the product of classist, corporate greed. Victim to the system that hates Omegas for no viable reason. I will never be your perfect idol, but I will be an idol regardless whether or not you think I deserve it.”

Silence. 

Then the sound of one single person clapping slowly echoed through the room.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Fantastic performance Mira. I’ve taught you well. I think a conversation is well past due, don't you?” Dangerously sweet words reached Mira’s ears the same time she saw the owner of the voice standing in the back of the press. 

Celine.

Chapter Text

Every head turned toward the back of the press hall. The slow rhythm grew louder as the figure behind the clapping emerged from the shadows.

Celine.

She walked forward with the kind of presence that didn’t need introduction; tall, commanding, long black hair streaked with silver that caught the harsh light like steel. Her heels clicked with the precise cadence of someone in absolute control. Her eyes - those sharp, piercing eyes - never left Mira. Even from a great distance, Mira had to steel herself to not shrink under the Alpha’s powerful gaze.

“Touching,” Celine said, her voice smooth, almost warm, though the weight beneath it made the room feel colder. “A heartfelt story. A tragic past. A romance for the ages.”

Her pace didn’t quicken. She owned every step to the front of the room. The reporters shifted in their seats, cameras snapping frantically, sensing they were about to get something sensational.

“But what I see,” she continued, “is a stain. A stain on an industry built on discipline, talent, and integrity. A stain that, if not removed, will fester and corrupt more and more until it is too late.”

A ripple went through the crowd - words like integrity and discipline feeding straight into the public’s need to keep their idols pure and perfect.

“I have been in this business for decades. I have watched countless stars rise and fall. I have nurtured the best of them into legends. And these three -” she gestured broadly toward the table “ - I took under my wing when they were barely more than children. To turn them into the Huntr/x that you see today.”

Her gaze locked on Mira, cold now. “I trusted her . I trusted that one of my prodigies wouldn’t lie to me from day one. Yet here we are.”

Mira clenched her jaw.

She turned back to the cameras, expression sorrowful, as though the pain were too great to conceal. “And I was lied to. Maliciously. Not a mistake. Not a misunderstanding. A deliberate deception to the fans, the company, and the industry we serve.”

Reporters murmured. Someone in the front row shook their head, scribbling furiously.

“I believed I was raising an Alpha. A leader. A role model,” Celine said, each word measured. “Instead, I was deceived by an Omega pretending to be something she’s not. An Omega who stood on the same stage as our nation’s top performers, our symbols of pride, and made a mockery of the very image we work so hard to protect.”

Her voice dropped, quieter but sharper, slicing through the room. “Do you understand what it means for the world to see an omega on the stage? It makes the entire industry look weak. It says the years of training, of sacrifice, mean nothing. It says standards don’t matter.”

The classist undertone wasn’t even subtle; it didn’t have to be. The press was eating it up.

Celine pressed a hand lightly to her chest, a picture of pained dignity. “When I learned the truth… when I realized I had been played for a fool… I was distraught. I lost sleep. I asked myself over and over how I could have missed it.”

She let her hand drop, her voice hardening again. “This is not about cruelty. This is about protecting what we have built. This company. This industry. The respect of the public. The only right thing for Mira to do now… is to step down.”

Celine had the room exactly where she wanted it.

The room erupted - questions shouted, cameras flashing like lightning, reporters leaning forward with hungry expressions. 

Through the bond, emotions slammed into one another like colliding storms.

Rumi’s fury came first - hot, unrestrained, sharp enough to taste. It clawed at the edges of her self-control, begging for a fight, for teeth bared and claws out. Worse still because she was part demon, and all she wanted was to tear Celine’s throat out. Zoey’s panic flared bright and jagged, followed by a grounding pulse of protectiveness. She was already trying to pull Rumi back from the edge, sending waves of comfort through the bond. 

Mira’s own emotions surged, dark and heavy, anger threaded with hurt so deep it burned cold. This woman had essentially taken her from the pits of hell and raised her to be the Mira she is today - a badass demon hunting kpop idol. She used to think of Celine as an almost mother-like figure in her life. Until she had learned what she had put Rumi through growing up, until she learned that she almost lost Rumi to her. 

Her sorrow and her fight with Celine’s Alphas pheromones was felt through the bond, and both girls clamped down on their own turmoil of emotions to help out their Omega with calming pheromones and thoughts through the bond.

We’re here with you.

You’re not alone.

We will protect you.

Meanwhile, the room around them was chaotic; reporters shouting over one another, cameras flashing, murmurs feeding the fire Celine had lit. They had to do something, or at least try. Mira pushed her chair back slowly. The sound of the legs scraping against the floor cut through the noise, pulling a pocket of attention toward her.

She closed her eyes. Breathed in. Out. Opened her eyes.

Her voice, when it came, was calm. “Celine.”

The name dropped like a stone in water.

“You want the truth? I’ve already given it.” She didn’t raise her tone. She didn’t need to - the microphones caught every word. “Born Omega. Kang family. Scent glands taken before I was five. Raised Alpha so I could walk in public without being shoved back into the shadows. You know the rest, since you were there.”

Celine’s scoff was soft but sharp enough for the front row to catch. “How convenient. Yet there’s no medical record of this supposed procedure.”

“That’s because it was illegal.” Mira’s eyes didn’t leave hers. “And the Kangs can pay to keep things quiet.”

Celine tilted her head, pity flashing across her face. “Illegal surgery on the second heir of one of the country’s most powerful families? Do you hear yourself? Why would any parent do that to their own child?”

Mira didn’t blink. “Because an Alpha daughter is an asset. An Omega daughter is a liability.”

The room went still at her bluntness. Somewhere in the press section, someone’s pen stopped scratching mid-word. Celine’s expression flickered - barely - but she kept her tone sweet. “So this is all hearsay that no one can prove. Just another tragic tale that you can tell the world to justify your deception.”

Mira’s lip twitched, almost a smile. “My proof is standing right here, Celine.” She turned slightly, meeting Rumi’s eyes for a heartbeat - sunlight and molten gold surging through the bond - then Zoey’s, whose steady warmth helped her frantic heartbeat. The pressure of the pheromones that Celine was trying to release on the stage was getting to her. 

“They’ve seen it. Lived through it with me. Rescued me from an Alpha who tried to bite me. Watched my glands grow back. Watched me go through my very first heat at the age of 24.”

Celine laughed under her breath. “And we’re meant to take their word for it? Your supposed… pack ?” The way she said it made the word sound cheap.

“You don’t have to take their word,” Mira said softly, “but I do. And their words mean more to me than yours.”

Celine’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“Well… the Kang family has made their stance on being a pure Alpha family.” She let the pause hang long enough for the crowd to lean in. “Families of their caliber don’t take kindly to Omegas - especially when it risks their reputation in the business.”

Her gaze locked on Mira like the tip of a spear. “I imagine they wouldn’t hesitate to take you back. Quietly. Permanently. And perhaps it’s best to let them handle it before this… farce damages all of us further.”

The crowd rippled - half gasp, half murmur. Someone’s camera clicked three times in rapid succession. Some press people nodded in agreement. Through the bond, Zoey’s panic sharpened to terror, a cold flash that made Mira’s pulse spike. Rumi’s rage surged like wildfire, so hot Mira almost swayed from it. She shoved both feelings down before they broke her composure. They did help overpower Celine’s pheromones though.

“You’re saying,” Mira replied slowly, “that you’d let them kidnap me.”

Celine’s tone softened, like she was doing Mira a kindness. “I’m saying I’d let them correct what never should have been allowed to happen. An Omega in the public eye. In the music industry . In my company. It’s a stain on all of us.”

Mira’s jaw tightened.

“So it’s about your shame.”

“It’s about the company’s value,” Celine said smoothly. “And Omegas have none of that in this world. Mira. You know that. We were built for different roles, Alphas and Omegas. Even Betas have their own roles in society. And I won’t let your… masquerade drag the rest of the company down.”

The crowd murmured louder now, some nodding, some frowning. Celine’s words slid into them like hooks - feeding the old prejudice until it swelled between them. For a long moment, the room felt colder. Cameras clicked in the silence. Celine stepped forward, slow and deliberate, her heels clicking against the floor like a countdown.

“You want the truth?” she said, voice carrying easily over the restless crowd. “The Kang family made me personally responsible for you when you entered my company. Do you have any idea what that meant? My name, my career, my legacy - all tied to a girl they claimed was a strong Alpha heir. Regardless of what they knew or didn’t know at the time, they were under the impression Mira was an Alpha and so was I.”

She looked out at the reporters, letting her expression sharpen into something brittle and wounded. “And now I find out, years later, that it was a lie. That this… Omega -” she gestured toward Mira like the word was a contaminant “- slipped into a role undeserved, under my watch.”

The crowd’s murmur thickened, some voices turning sharp, others muttering in disgust. The way that the press was easily swayed was disgusting to Mira. It wasn’t about what they actually believed; it was always about what would make the best headline. And right now, that would be Celine. But she was going to change that. 

“This industry thrives on image,” Celine continued, lowering her voice just enough that the audience had to lean in. “We are the face of our country abroad. We sell pride. Perfection. Strength. And what do we have here? An anomaly amongst our ranks, a liability, someone who has already caused scandal just by existing in the wrong category.”

Her gaze snapped back to Mira, and this time there was no pretending to be wounded - only the cold weight of dominance. She took one step towards the stage. Stopped when both Zoey and Rumi growled. “I warned you,” she said. “Step down, disappear quietly, and this doesn’t have to get worse. But you -” she let out a mirthless laugh “ - you think you can rewrite the hierarchy that’s kept our society intact for centuries by throwing a fit on tv? You’re just making a mockery of whatever dignity you have left.”

Celine took another step closer. Cameras kept flashing, pens scribbling, tension rising.

“You think you’re special because of your little… pack ?” Her lip curled, and she didn’t even look at Zoey or Rumi. “Two Alphas wasting themselves on an Omega in this industry, trying to pretend that they are all on the same level. It's pathetic. And when your precious bond crumbles under the weight of reality, they’ll regret every second they spent defending you.”

The cameras flared brighter, catching every cold syllable. Mira felt Rumi and Zoey bristling on either side. They were mere seconds from leaping across the table and down the stage to fight Celine, she could tell. She tried to calm them down with her pheromones, which seemed to help, as both of them visibly relaxed a little. Celine’s nostrils flared in disgust as the smell of Mira’s earthy pheromones reached her nose.

“And when the Kang family comes for you,” Celine said, her tone like the snap of a trap closing, “I will not stand in their way. In fact -” she tilted her head, smiling like it was already decided “ -I might even hand you over myself.”

The air in the room seemed to shrink around Mira. The press was eating it alive; some nodding, some whispering, the classist poison Celine was dripping already seeping deep. Rumi’s rage pressed harder through the bond, Zoey’s pain tangled with it, and Mira could feel her own pulse hammering in her throat.

The pressroom was still humming with Celine’s venom when Mira finally moved. 

Time to dance, Celine.

She straightened in her chair, folding her hands on the table as if she had all the time in the world. Her gaze locked on Celine, steady, unblinking. From where she was sitting on the stage behind the table, she was quite literally looking down on Celine, a fact noticed by both parties. Mira’s mouth twitched slightly at the sight of Celine beneath her - Celine’s eye just twitched.

“You’ve said a lot about me,” Mira began, her tone even, almost conversational. “About what I am. What I’m not. About the shame I’m supposed to carry just for existing.”

She let the words hang there, scanning the rows of reporters, making sure she caught the eyes of at least a few who looked uncomfortable with Celine’s tirade. There weren’t very many, but the fact that there were some sent hope through their shared bond.

“I was born an Omega,” Mira said plainly. “I didn’t choose that. Nobody does. And yes; my life is not like most Omegas’. I have more privilege than most because of where I was born, because of the opportunities I’ve had thrown into my lap, because of the people who raised me. That privilege doesn’t erase the truth of how Omegas as a class are treated in this country.”

Her gaze flicked briefly to Rumi, then Zoey, warmth stirring through the bond despite the tension in the room, before she turned back to the crowd.

“Omegas are taught to be quiet. To be compliant. To live small, because the second we stand up, people like you -” her eyes cut back to Celine “ -make sure we’re shoved back down. We’re told our instincts make us dangerous or worthless. That our worth is tied to how we serve Alphas. That’s not a bond. That’s slavery disguised as differences in class.”

A ripple of murmurs passed through the crowd - half scandalized, half thoughtful. Mira could see more people throwing doubtful looks at Celine. Celine to her credit hadn’t moved a muscle, just continued to stare up at her like she was a dirt under her shoe.

“I’m not going to spend my life pretending to be something I’m not just so people around me in the industry I work are comfortable,” Mira continued. “If that costs me fans, fine. If that costs me my career, fine. But since I currently have a platform for the time being, I’m going to use it. Not just for me - for every omega who’s been told their life is worth less because of the way they were born.”

Mira leaned forward slightly, voice low but carrying. She grabbed Rumi and Zoey’s hands and placed their joined hands on the table for everyone to see as a statement. She looked directly into the camera she knew was streaming this event live. She hoped with all her heart that there were other Omegas watching and listening, and anyone else who wanted things to change.

“You can hate me if you want. You can believe me or not. But this conversation isn’t about me anymore. It’s about the fact that our society treats millions of people like they’re broken, when they’ve done nothing except exist. I just want to say to all of you out there watching this - we see you, and you’re not alone.”

Through the bond, her mates’ pride swelled all around her. Mira settled back in her chair, her expression calm, almost challenging.

“Shame doesn’t come from being an Omega,” she said, staring directly at Celine. “It comes from the way people choose to treat us.”

The silence after Mira’s last sentence was taut, like the room was holding its breath. Then, somewhere in the back, a reporter cleared his throat.

The room had barely settled after Mira’s calm statements when a reporter stood up, voice careful but firm. Mira raised her eyebrows; this was interesting.

“Eun Hoejang-Nim,” the reporter began, bowing slightly, “some have suggested that your actions toward Mira may be influenced by personal history. Specifically, your past relationship with Mi-Yeong-Nim, Rumi-Nim’s mother -”

The name landed like a hammer. Rumi’s chest tightened immediately; her fingers curled around her notes, small tremors betraying her composure. Zoey looked confused, as did Miral; what on earth did Rumi’s mother have to do with any of this?

Celine must have also thought the same thing, because her eyes snapped to the reporter, icy and blazing. “Mi-Yeong-Nim,” she said, voice low but cutting, “is irrelevant to this discussion.” Her pheromones blazed for a second. The reporters in the front row winced under the pressure slightly.

The same reporter spoke up again, bolder this time. “Eun Hoejang-Nim, during your time with the Sunlight Sisters, Mi-Yeong-Nim played a pivotal role in the group’s success, and was known to the world as a Beta, yes? There are rumors that you held a relationship with her.”

A murmur ran through the crowd. At the insistence of the reporter, Celine’s face tightened, jaw hardening, the carefully curated mask of control flickering. “This is preposterous,” she spat, sharp and fast. “Mi-Yeong-Nim was a performer. A colleague. A sister. And yes, a Beta. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Her gaze sharpened and swept the room,her voice hardening even more, her pheromones pouring out in aggression. “Any suggestion that my actions toward Mira are personal is ridiculous based on these rumors. Unfounded at best. Mi-Yeong-Nim has nothing to do with this topic of conversation. It is an attempt to distract from the professional responsibilities I hold, and the integrity I maintain within this company and industry, when we have a much larger matter on our hands. That of which is to remove Mira from Huntr/x.”

A murmur ran through the press - some skeptical, some leaning forward. Reporters were like sharks in the water; they could tell when there was more that needed to be said, and Mira could tell that most of the crowd in front of her thought Celine was hiding something. The air smelled of anticipation, tension winding tighter.

A different reporter stood, bowing, and said. “Eun Hoejang-Nim, are you denying that your relationship with Mi-Yeong-Nim, regardless of what it was, influenced your views on omegas at all?”

Celine froze. Her aggravating cloud of Alpha pheromones faltered for the first time. “What makes you think there could be a correlation between omegas and Mi-Yeong-Nim?” Her voice wavered slightly, sharper now. Mira could swore that Celine looked almost…defensive.

Weird.

The reporter stood a little taller like he was bracing himself, expression unflinching, and dropped the bomb. 

“Because, Eun Hoejang-Nim… recent evidence has been provided to our news agency exclusively, by a verified anonymous source, indicating that Mi-Yeong-Nim was an Omega, and not a Beta. And that you actively helped conceal her from the general public. The news of this should be circulating on our station broadcasts as of 5 minutes ago.”

The room erupted all at once. Cameras flashed, microphones squealed, reporters shouted over one another. Questions layered atop questions. Some whispered frantically to colleagues, others shouted for clarification. The moderator was not able to calm anyone down.

Celine’s hands clenched at her sides, the color rising in her cheeks. Her carefully maintained authority fractured visibly as the reality of the revelation hit. She opened her mouth, closed it again, searching desperately for control.

The press was alive with the news, the story exploding in ways she hadn’t prepared for. The reporters were no longer focused solely on Mira - they were circling Celine now, sensing scandal, betrayal, and something deeply personal, all tied to a public figure once seen as untouchable. A much better news story than a young pop star’s scandal.

All three girls sat there in utter shock. 

Mira’s chest tightened further; through the bond, she felt a swirl of grief and shock mixed with the protective heat from Zoey and Rumi. The room had shifted. The power balance was teetering, and Celine was suddenly the one under the microscope.

Mira felt it immediately; Rumi’s chest tightening, pulse stuttering like she’d been shoved underwater. The moment Mi-Yeong’s name had been thrown into the room, Mira knew this wasn’t just a public scandal for her friend. It was personal, raw, and jagged. Now even more so with this new information dropped on them in such a public setting.

Through the bond, Rumi’s panic hit her first. Zoey’s calming pheromones flared in response, sharp and insistent, and Mira let it mix with her own to try and help calm Rumi down. She felt Rumi’s confusion, sorrow, and disbelief twisting around her steady pulse, and she squeezed the hand she was holding, letting Rumi know she wasn’t alone.

Breathe, Mira said to Rumi through the bond, unspoken but deliberate. Steady. You’re safe. We’re here.

Rumi’s inhale was shaky, uneven, but it came, a small tether to the present. Mira felt the tension in Rumi’s hand that was holding hers on the table begin to loosen. That was enough for now. She didn’t need to erase the grief or shock - they just needed to keep looking put together in front of these reporters.

Rumi’s eyes lifted toward her, seeking reassurance. Mira met the gaze steadily, calm and deliberate, unflinching. The exhale she felt in response from Rumi was small but present. 

During all this, Celine’s fury was obvious. Every rigid line, every sharp breath, every tight fist at her side was aimed at controlling the narrative, dodging question after question. But even from here, Mira could see the cracks - the subtle twitch in her jaw, the micro-falter in her composure. Unlike Celine, their strength didn’t need to be a performance. 

Mira’s steady pulse kept Rumi tethered, letting her process the revelation without being overwhelmed. Slowly, she felt Rumi’s body relax just a fraction, her shoulders easing. She could see the shift in posture, the way Rumi drew herself slightly taller. Mira allowed herself a faint, silent smile. 

That’s my girl.

Mira made sure Rumi felt just how proud she was of her in that moment. She could tell when Rumi felt it because she felt how pleased she was through the bond at being complimented by her Omega, her cheeks flushing a little at the silent exchange. Zoey’s amusement and pride filtered over to her as well. It was a nice, calming moment for the three of them before the main event.

The pressroom buzzed with energy, a tangled knot of flashes, murmurs, and scribbling pens, but Mira sat perfectly still, composed. Her hands rested lightly on the table, her gaze unwavering, her pulse calm and steady through the bond. She watched Celine field question after question, denying everything, trying to figure out what supposed evidence this news station had.

Funny enough, the reporter that brought it up in the first place wasn’t there anymore, Mira noticed. Probably ran for his life - I would too.

Mira leaned forward, voice quiet but precise, cutting through the clamor. “You’ve all been told stories about Mi-Yeong-Nim, about me, about Omegas,” she began, letting the reporters lean in, curiosity piqued. “And now we know some of those stories were chosen carefully by someone with the power to shape public perception.”

Cameras clicked, pens paused mid-scribble. Mira rubbed the back of Rumi’s hand that she was holding. Murmurs rose low, and Mira let them linger, giving the room just enough suspense before she continued. “Mi-Yeong-Nim was extraordinary. Her talent, her brilliance… undeniable. She would have made a fantastic mother for Rumi had she been alive today, and we all know it. Her kindness was talked about in every article and interview I ever saw with her in it, how radiant she was. And yet, for years, someone decided to tell the public a different story about that same person, to cast shadows over the truth for their own benefit.”

She let her gaze drift toward Celine for just a fraction of a second - calm, unwavering, almost gentle - and then returned it to the reporters. “I’ve heard people ask why Omegas like me would even lie’ to exist in an industry that doesn’t want them? But consider this: how is it different when the lies are ones from an Alpha; deliberate, chosen, and calculated to manipulate others’ opinions for their own gain? How is that different from what some have accused me of?”

Mira squeezed Rumi’s hand hard, apologizing through their bond about talking about her mother like this, using her to manipulate the press. Rumi gave her soothing pheromones in answer - she understood that her Eomma needed to become the martyr they didn’t know they had to really drive all this home and stick it to Celine.

Mira let the room settle under her gaze, calm, deliberate, every movement precise. Her hands rested on the table, steady, unshaking, as she spoke.

“Yes,” she said, slow and unwavering, “I am an Omega. Everything I’ve endured - the circumstances of my birth, my family, my survival - was never my choice. If I could have grown up as any other Omega instead of being forced into the role of a fake Alpha, I would have. But what has been chosen by others is clear: decades of lies, manipulation, and public deception to control perception and punish those who didn’t fit their ideal.”

She flicked her eyes to Celine, whose jaw tightened, eyes flashing dangerously. Mira didn’t flinch. “The people who have spent years telling the world what to believe, while hiding truths for their own benefit… they are the ones guilty of deceit. Not me. Not Mi-Yeong-Nim. Not those of us simply living in the world as we were born.”

Her voice dropped, sharp but calm, impossible to ignore. “If you want to talk about lies, hypocrisy, or manipulation, look to those who chose them deliberately. I didn’t lie to protect myself. I survived. I existed. But the deliberate, calculated lies - the public deserves truth, not the shadows cast by those seeking to elevate themselves falling over the public.”

The room held its breath. Cameras clicked furiously, reporters scribbled notes, whispers spreading like wildfire. Celine’s carefully maintained mask of control cracked, a tremor in her hands, a flash of fury in her eyes, as the weight of Mira’s calm authority pressed down.

Mira leaned forward slightly, voice unwavering, eyes locked on Celine. “I am telling the truth. For myself, for Mi-Yeong-Nim, and for every Omega who has ever been silenced. I will never back down until Omegas have the same rights as Alphas; Betas too. THere’s no reason a class system should exist in the first place. It’s stupid, old fashioned, and controlled by the 1% who could care less about any of us. And now, the world sees it. Your control is gone, Celine. Your lies are exposed. And it’s too late to take them back.”

The moment Mira finished speaking, the room erupted . 

Flashbulbs stuttered like starlight, voices overlapped, and scribbles of pens scratched across notebooks in a chaotic symphony. The energy was overwhelming, but Mira remained still, a calm center. She could feel both Rumi and Zoey’s panic at the sudden overwhelming press. Mira let her own presence flow through the bond; steady, anchored, deliberate. We’re together. We’re safe. She was their rock, even if she was no longer the big bad Alpha Mira. 

She’d still kick everyone’s asses for her mates regardless. Being an Omega or an Alphas doesn’t change how hard she could hit someone in the face.

From in front of the stage, Celine’s eyes burned up toward Mira, carefully veiling fury behind a polite, professional mask - but Mira could feel the tension radiating off her, her pheromones trying to overwhelm her. The Alpha’s jaw tightened, but even from this distance, the cracks in her control were visible. The pink haired girl allowed herself the smallest, almost imperceptible nod and a smirk to her old mentor. 

Reporters’ voices surged toward Celine. “Eun Hoejang-Nim, given the recent revelations about Mi-Yeong-Nim, how do you reconcile years of criticizing omegas while you personally concealed her identity from the public?”

Another voice cut in, sharper. “Do you think it’s fair to publicly shame Mira Kang for the circumstances of her birth when it seems you actively participated in hiding similar truths about someone else?”

A third pressed, leaning forward with pointed intensity. “Is there a conflict between your stated values about industry integrity and the choices you made regarding Mi-Yeong-Nim? Were personal feelings involved in protecting her?”

Celine’s carefully maintained composure wavered. Her lips pressed thin, jaw tightening, a barely noticeable tremor in her hands. She opened her mouth, trying to respond, but the barrage of questions kept the pressure mounting.

“Girls, come on!” Bobby’s voice cut through the noise, urgent but steady. Mira’s eyes flicked to the side of the stage where he and security were waiting, and she shifted out of her seat smoothly, signaling to Rumi and Zoey to follow. Her movements were precise, calm, the very image of control even as reporters shouted questions at their backs.

Reporters tried to press forward, voices clashing, cameras clicking, flashes stabbing across Mira’s vision, but she just kept her grip on Rumi and Zoey’s hands and led them backstage. By the time they reached the backstage corridor, Mira allowed herself the faintest exhale. The chaos outside was no longer a threat - it was evidence of the shift they had created, directed at Celine. 

Backstage, the noise of the pressroom became a dull roar behind the heavy curtains, replaced by the sterile hum of fluorescent lights and the faint scent of makeup and hairspray. Mira exhaled quietly, letting her shoulders drop for the first time in hours. The bond still hummed softly between her, Rumi, and Zoey - calming, steady, grounding - but the adrenaline lingering in her veins refused to leave completely.

Bobby appeared in front of them almost immediately, that familiar mix of urgency and protection. His eyes softened as they landed on each of them. “Hey girls,” he said, voice warm, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Are you guys okay?”

“Hi Bobby” they said in unison. They were all crashing, fast. The day was a lot .

“You did fantastic,” Bobby continued, turning his gaze to Mira. His puppy-dog eyes softened in that way that always made Mira feel slightly exposed, in a good way. “Especially you. Mira, you were… incredible. The way you handled that room, the way you took control - it was perfect. I’m so, so proud of you.”

Mira’s chest tightened at the praise, though she didn’t let it show. She nodded, giving a small, measured smile. “Thank you,” she said, keeping it brief.

“And I’m glad,” Bobby added, his tone shifting slightly, thoughtful now, “that there was a reporter who knew about Mi-Yeong’s truth. Someone who asked the right questions, pushed forward with evidence.”

Mira’s eyes narrowed just fractionally, a spark of suspicion flickering. The way he said it - like he already knew that reporter was going to stand up and drop that information - set her on edge. But she didn’t press. Not now. Not in front of Rumi and Zoey, who were both still trying to calm down. Instead, she let the thought sit quietly, a small ember she might return to later.

“Thank you,” she repeated, softer this time, letting her gaze fall to her hands. The adrenaline was fading, leaving her body heavy but steady. She could feel Rumi drawing a long, calming breath next to her, Zoey’s body pressed into her side steady and protective, and she let herself exhale fully for the first time.

Bobby tip-toed slightly to meet Mira’s much taller height, one hand resting lightly on Mira’s shoulder, just enough to anchor without being intrusive. “We’re going to get through this,” he said softly. “Together. You three, always. I’m proud of all of you girls. And Mira… you’ve finally given the truth a voice.”

Mira nodded again, letting the weight of the words settle. They had walked away from this conference shoving Celine under the bus instead.

It was the least that woman deserved.

Chapter Text

The click of the dressing room door shutting behind them was like someone sealing the world outside in another universe.

Mira exhaled, rolling her shoulders, the weight of the press conference still clinging to her. The quiet was almost startling after the barrage of flashing cameras and shouted questions. The smell of powder and stage makeup lingered in the air, the mirror bulbs humming faintly.

Zoey wandered toward the middle vanity, her movements unhurried now that they were offstage. Without her idol smile in place, her face and posture more relaxed, herself. People often misunderstood Zoey and nothing but the young bubbly air head idol, but she was really level headed and just laid back. Just another aspect of their idol personas. 

“You were incredible out there babe,” Zoey said, taking out makeup wipes and got to work on her face. “Not just the way you handled your responses - you stood your ground against the press and Celine. The Omega community should be proud of you, just like we are.”

Mira gave a quiet, wry chuckle, tugging her jacket off to pull on her blazer. “You make it sound like I’m some hero.” 

Zoey met her gaze in the mirror, her eyes warm but keen. “No. You’re human . That’s what makes you even better than some hero.” Mira didn’t have anything to say back to her, but she reached over and bopped one of Zoey’s space buns in affection.

Rumi had taken the farthest seat, her back half-turned to them. She reached for a makeup wipe, the movement a little too deliberate, as though each swipe of eyeliner had to be counted. Her reflection in the mirror never quite met her own eyes.

“Rumi? Are you doing okay?” Mira asked, watching her through the glass.

“I’m fine,” Rumi said quickly. Too quickly. A quiver was felt through the bond.

Mira frowned. “No you’re not.”

“It’s nothing,” Rumi muttered, focusing on the smudge under her eye.

“Rumi.” Mira’s tone was low but firm. “We agreed; no more secrets. Not after -”

Rumi’s head snapped toward her, words spilling before she could stop them, a surge of frustration slamming into Mira through the bond, “No more secrets ? You hid what you are for your entire life from us, Mira! Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?” Her eyes flashed gold, markings rippled purple. Zoey’s face tightened at the tension.

The heat of Rumi's own voice startled her. The second the words left her lips, regret crashed in hard and fast. Her chest tightened, her fingers stilling mid-motion. “I - Mira, I didn’t -”

But it was too late. Through the bond, she felt the flicker of pain - sharp, unguarded - before Mira smothered it under layers of calm. “It’s okay,” Mira said, managing a small shrug, “I know I can’t really talk. We were both in places where we couldn’t be ourselves growing up.” She even gave a faint smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. And they all felt the truth humming beneath the surface: it wasn’t okay. Not entirely. Rumi looked away from Mira, guilty.

Zoey’s gaze flicked between them, her own emotions tightening into quiet concern. She leaned slightly toward Rumi and put her hand on her knee, her voice calm. “You know she’s on your side. As am I, Ruru. We’re here for you no matter what, okay? You don’t need to hide anything from us anymore.”

“I know.” Rumi’s answer was soft, shame coiling low in her stomach, through the bond.

Mira reached forward, resting her hand lightly on Zoey’s where it touched Rumi’s knee. She didn’t push, didn’t demand more, just let warmth trickle through the bond. “I just… want to be let in,” she said quietly. The silence had stretched long enough to become heavy. Mira could feel it in her ribs, each second pressing down harder through the bond they shared. Zoey stayed quiet too, though she shifted closer to Rumi, careful and deliberate, hand rubbing her knee in comfort.

Rumi was still angled away from them, makeup wipe crumpled in her hand. Her knuckles had gone white around it. She took a breath, but it snagged halfway out of her chest. Then she deflated, turned to them. 

“It’s not the press conference that upset me,” Rumi said slowly, gathering her words. “It’s about Celine and Eomma.” 

Mira and Zoey exchanged a glance, neither interrupting. They figured that was why Rumi was upset; anyone would be in her situation. But they wanted to give her the space to talk about it on her own terms, to make sure she chose to open up to them.

Rumi tried to keep talking, but her voice broke. “She took me in and raised me, Mira. And saw what I was and decided to do it anyway. I’ve tried to tell myself it didn’t matter, that I didn’t need her affection, that she’s not Eomma. But hearing how Celine apparently protected Eomma like she’s worth all that risk - like she’s someone precious and loved -” She shook her head, tears slipping free. “It makes it impossible not to ask why I wasn’t .”

Mira’s grip tightened, steady and warm. “Rumi… There's nothing wrong with you. Celine’s choices are hers alone, and they’re not a reflection of your worth.”

Zoey’s voice was soft but certain. “You’re worth more than she could ever see. It’s her loss.”

Rumi closed her eyes, the tears coming faster now. Through the bond, Mira let her feel everything she couldn’t put into words. We love you. We see you. You Matter. Zoey added her own presence to it, the three of them linked in that quiet, wordless way. Rumi’s breath shuddered, but she leaned into them both, letting their arms close around her. 

They led Rumi to the lounge sofa that was off to the side of the dressing room, sitting her between them, letting her cry it all out while they rubbed circles on her back and held her hands.

Rumi shifted on the cushion, twisting her hands in her lap, her tears drying. Her gaze was steady when she finally spoke, looking at Mira. “I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier,” she murmured, her voice carrying a low, raw edge of guilt. “About you keeping secrets. It was… cruel. And I knew it the second it left my mouth.” She swallowed. “I was hurting and I was lashing out, and you were the easiest target. But you didn’t deserve that.”

Mira watched her for a long moment, the words settling into the space between them. Through their bond, she felt the sincerity like a warm, pulsing heartbeat - steady, open, unguarded. It made her chest ache in a softer way this time.

“I know you didn’t mean it the way it came out,” Mira said quietly. “And I believe you. I understand why you’re upset.” She reached over, resting her hand over Rumi’s. “You’re allowed to be messy with me, with us. You’re my Alpha, my mate.” She rubbed her face into Rumi’s neck affectionately. Rumi’s fingers tightened around hers, relief flickering through the bond like the first warm breeze after rain.

Zoey leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, watching them both with that gentle, thoughtful intensity she only showed them. “She’s right, you know. You don’t have to be perfect all the time, especially with us.” Rumi hummed in response, fiddling with her pants.

There was a breath of silence before Zoey’s lips curved, the teasing in her tone soft but deliberate. “Watching you at that press conference today? That was dangerously hot - right Ruru?”

Mira blinked, caught between laughter and disbelief at the sudden switch in topic, then realized what Zoey was trying to do. “Dangerously hot?”

“Mhm.” Zoey’s voice dipped into her lower flirty tone, amusement in her eyes. “Like - ‘I’d give Gwi-Ma my soul to hear you speak like that again’ hot.”

A small sound slipped from Rumi - half laugh, half huff of disbelief - but her eyes were softer than they had been all evening. Zoey beamed - mission accomplished. “She’s not wrong,” she said, almost shyly. “You were… amazing up there. And maybe a little hot. Maybe more than maybe.”

Mira felt the warmth in her cheeks, but she didn’t second-guess what she wanted to do. She just leaned in, cupping Rumi’s face in both hands, and kissed her - no hesitation, no restraint. Rumi melted into it instantly, the bond between them flaring with a bright, encompassing rush of love and security. It was the kind of kiss that burned away the lingering sting from earlier, leaving only the clean, steady hum of something unshakable.

When they broke apart, Zoey gently turned Rumi’s face until her lips could meet hers. Rumi let out a contended sigh against her lips, warmth flowing through their bond. Zoey then hopped off of the couch and pulled Mira and Rumi up with her. 

Mira opened her mouth to say “What about my ki -” to Zoey but the smaller girl launched herself koala style at her before she could finish her sentence. Thankfully she had great demon hunting reflexes, which she used to catch Zoey with an “Oof!” Zoey wrapped her arms around Mira’s neck while her legs were wrapped around her waist. Mira held her comfortably with her hands cupping Zoey’s butt. Zoey nuzzled Mira’s cheek and then gave her a lingering kiss. 

“Ya’ll are cute.” Rumi said, rubbing her hand up and down Zoey’s back. They all shared a little laugh, some smiles, lots of love. For a long moment there was no conference, no chaos waiting for them outside. Just the three of them relishing the bond that they share in the midst of the storm.

==

By the time the SUV rolled to a stop in front of their building, Mira felt the adrenaline from the press conference ebbing into something quieter; still tense, but no longer sharp enough to slice through her thoughts. She had Bobby’s voice still echoing faintly in her ears, a low murmur of instructions and reassurance from the ride over, and the silent, watchful presence of the two security guards who had flanked them all the way from the back exit of the conference hall.

Getting out had been a delicate operation, but one that they’ve had to do many times before as idols. They’d slipped down an unmarked service hallway, the fluorescent lights humming faintly overhead, the air heavy with the scent of cleaning supplies. Bobby had been at the front, one guard at his side, the other behind them. The girls moved close together - Zoey with a protective hand at the small of Rumi’s back, Mira keeping pace on her other side. None of them had spoken much, the weight of the cameras and voices from earlier still pressing in, even if the walls blocked the sound.

The SUV ride had been quiet too, the hum of the engine and the occasional radio comms of a guard the only interruptions. Mira had watched the city slide past the tinted windows, the streaks of neon and late-afternoon sun mingling over the glass. The farther they got from the conference hall, the lighter the air felt in her lungs. Rumi was leaning against Zoey, who was playing with their intertwined hands. Mira was leaning against Zoey on her other side, head resting on her shoulder. Their combined energy was slowly ebbing away.

Now, stepping out of the SUV, Mira noticed a definitive change in the air. She noticed immediately that the crowd outside wasn’t nearly what it had been that morning. Then, the street had been packed - faces twisted with anger, signs bobbing in the air, voices blending into one wall of noise, alpha pheromones out of control. Now… There were maybe a dozen people scattered along the sidewalk, some leaning on the railing, some talking in clusters, their shouts only occasional and half-hearted. A handful of phone cameras pointed toward them as the guards ushered them inside, but the energy was different - less like a mob, more like a lingering curiosity.

The glass doors slid shut behind them with a soft hiss, cutting off the muffled noise from outside. Mira’s boots clicked on the polished marble floor as they crossed the lobby, the sound echoing faintly in the high-ceilinged space. The gold accents on the walls glinted under the warm lights, an almost jarring contrast to the grit of the street they’d just left that was covered in protester’s litter and signs.

Rumi’s hand brushed hers as they walked toward the private elevator, a subtle, grounding touch. Zoey had drifted just ahead, already murmuring something to the guard in a polite tone, her voice low but carrying that effortless sweetness she wore offstage like her second skin. Mira’s shoulders loosened fractionally. She was so close to home, away from all of this mess. A brief respite. 

The warm air of the lobby barely had time to settle around them before a crisp voice called out from the front desk.

“Welcome back, Mira-Nim,” the receptionist said, her tone polite but with a slight hesitance, like she wasn’t sure how to phrase what she said next any better. “There’s… someone here to see you. He’s waiting in one of the first-floor conference rooms.”

Mira stopped mid-step, the sound of her boots on marble cutting off like a severed thread. The faint scent of the fresh flowers in the lobby suddenly felt cloying in her nose, heavy enough to make her chest tighten. Her heart gave a single, jarring thud before dropping into a slow, icy sink in her gut.

Rumi and Zoey both turned toward her at the same time. She didn’t have to look at them to know they’d felt it - the sharp, sinking dread that roiled through her bond with them like black water. Mira clenched her jaw and forced her gaze to the receptionist.

“Who?” Her voice came out quieter than she intended, but the weight in it was unmistakable.

“He said his name is Kang Jiho,” the receptionist replied. “He’s -”

“I know who he is,” Mira cut in, though her voice was flat now, deliberately void of emotion. She didn’t need the receptionist to explain. Jiho Kang. Her older brother. The one who’d been groomed since birth to inherit the Kang business empire. The one who’d always been presented as the golden heir, while she was hidden away, reshaped, and eventually forced into a role she never wanted.

They’d never been close. Not even acquaintances in the real sense. As children, she’d been tucked away in the small guesthouse at the far edge of the Kang estate, while Jiho grew up in the main house under their father’s constant attention. At best, he’d given her polite nods in passing - if he even looked at her at all.

So if he was here now, it wasn’t for her. It was for them. The Kangs. The family she’d spent her whole adult life clawing away from.

“Where?” Mira asked tightly.

The receptionist gestured toward the side hallway. “Conference Room B.”

Mira didn’t move for a heartbeat, her mind stuttering between fight and flight. She felt Rumi’s fingers brush hers, a grounding touch. Zoey stepped a little closer too, her warmth pressing in on Mira’s left side.

“Hey,” Zoey said softly, just for her. “We’re right here.”

Mira nodded once, but it was mechanical. Her steps felt heavier than they should as they turned toward the hall. The polished marble gave way to thick carpet, muffling their footsteps as they approached the conference room door. Every pace closer tightened something deep in Mira’s chest.

When they reached it, a guard, presumably a Kang family one, opened the door for them, and Mira’s gaze was immediately drawn to the man standing inside.

Mira’s stomach sank the second she stepped into the small conference room. Jiho was already there, standing near the table, tall and composed in his tailored suit. Broad shoulders, athletic frame - everything about him screamed control and careful presentation. His black hair was neatly trimmed, not a strand out of place. 

And yet, even with the professional polish, Mira knew that look. It was a look she had seen from every member of her family growing up.

The look that meant he wasn’t here for a pleasant conversation.

Her feet felt heavy, but she forced herself forward a step. Rumi and Zoey moved with her automatically, one on each side. She could feel them through the bond - heat, sharp awareness, a silent bracing for something unpleasant.

“Jiho,” she said flatly. Mira clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

“Mira.” His voice was deep, steady, almost cold, no ounce of familiarity in his tone or dark eyes. “Father sent me.”

The words made her skin prickle. She knew but she had to ask anyway. She needed to hear her fate.

“Why?”

Jiho’s gaze didn’t waver. “You know why. You’ve been gone long enough. It’s time to come home.”

Beside her, she felt Zoey stiffen. Rumi’s fingers twitched at her side like she was holding herself back from stepping forward.

“Home?” Rumi’s voice cut in, soft but with a dangerous precision to it. She angled her body slightly toward him, eyes locked on his, markings flashing purple and red. “Usually that word means somewhere safe. Somewhere you’re wanted.”

Jiho turned his head toward her, his dark eyes narrowing as he looked her up and down. “And you are?”

Rumi smiled - small, polite, a perfect mask. “Someone who makes sure Mira never has to set foot in a place that hurts her again.”

The air between them shifted, growing heavier. Mira could feel it - the quiet, unspoken challenge. Jiho didn’t step back, didn’t look away. She knew she needed to step in, to say something, anything, but she was frozen in place.

The thought of going back there took over her entire body. The feeling of being a kid again, forever in a pad locked ‘home’; the scent of antiseptic, pinch of the needles, pain of a surgical blade. Laying awake in agony for weeks after. 

Zoey moved in then, just a breath closer to Mira’s side, her shoulder brushing Mira’s as she spoke. “Long trip for a wasted effort,” she said lightly, almost conversational, but the warmth in her tone had a razor edge to it. “Because Mira’s already exactly where she belongs.”

Jiho’s gaze slid between them, reading the subtle touches, the quiet certainty in their stances. Mira could see the realization flicker in his expression; the way his shoulders squared just slightly, like he’d caught the scent of territory already claimed.

“You’re both Alphas,” Jiho said finally. It wasn’t a question.

Zoey’s smile sharpened just a fraction. “We are.”

Rumi’s voice was softer now, but no less pointed. “And she’s ours.”

The room seemed to be still after that. Even the faint hum of the air conditioning felt distant. Mira’s pulse was a steady roar in her ears, but under it was something steadier - warmth, fierce and unwavering, pressing in from either side through her bonds with them. Her anchors.

Jiho straightened his shoulders, taking a half step closer to Mira. “She’s a Kang. That doesn’t change just because you’ve decided to play house with her.”

Rumi growled, eyes flashing gold, and she took a full step towards him in warning. He stopped moving.

Zoey’s smile didn’t falter. “We’re not playing.”

“And,” Rumi added, her voice quiet but cutting through the tension like a blade, “whatever claim your family thinks they have is gone. She’s not a piece of property, and she’s certainly not a part of your so-called family.”

Jiho’s jaw clenched. “You think you can keep her from us? From her own blood?”

“I’d like to see you try it big guy,” Zoey said, still smiling, still perfectly calm - but Mira could feel the possessive heat rolling off her in waves.

Rumi tilted her head up at him, gaze steady. “You can tell your father she’s never coming back. Not to that house. Not to him. Not to any of you.”

For a moment, Mira was sure Jiho would push it; say something, do something to assert himself. The weight of his pheromones bore down on the room, but so did the fierce, unwavering wall of pheromones from her pack mates pressing in from either side of her.

Finally, Jiho exhaled slowly, a controlled, measured sound. “I’ll tell him.” But his voice carried an unspoken warning - this wasn’t over.

He turned sharply and walked past them, his pheromones lingering in the air long after the door shut behind him.

Mira realized her hands were trembling as she slowly unclenched them. The moment the conference room door shut behind Jiho, Mira’s knees felt like they wanted to give out. She didn’t realize how rigid her spine had been until Zoey’s hand pressed just a little more firmly into her lower back, guiding her forward.

Rumi was on her other side instantly, fingers curling around Mira’s hand with a warmth that cut through the cold that had settled in her chest. “Come on, sweetheart,” she murmured, her voice softer now that Jiho was gone. “Let’s get you upstairs.”

The hallway felt too long, every step echoing faintly off the polished tile. Mira kept her eyes down, focusing on the shine of the floor rather than the way her stomach was twisting. She’d worked so hard to leave that house, that family, behind. Seeing Jiho - hearing him speak for their father - had ripped open something she thought she’d buried.

Zoey caught the elevator button before Mira even had to think about it, her arm brushing Mira’s side in that quiet, grounding way that always made her feel safer. When the doors opened, they stepped inside together, Rumi and Zoey flanking her like they were instinctively keeping her shielded. 

As the elevator doors slid shut, Mira’s breath hitched. The stillness, the soft hum of the lift, made it harder to hold it all in. She let out a small strangled sob. Instantly both Alphas were running worrying hands all over her, sending calming pheromones through the air.

Zoey leaned in just slightly, hands cupping Mira’s face, her voice low and warm. “You don’t have to be strong babe. I know that must have been so scary, I’m so sorry.”

Rumi gave her hand a gentle squeeze, her other hand running up and down her arm. “You’re allowed to be messy with me, with us. You’re my Omega, my mate.” Mira recognized the words she had given Rumi backstage earlier, now directed at herself. The irony.

Mira blinked rapidly, her throat tight. “I’m just -” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “I’m tired. From today. From all of it.”

“We know,” Zoey said, and the quiet certainty in her tone made Mira’s chest ache. They could all feel the spiraling mess that was Mira’s emotions right now.

The elevator chimed softly, and they guided her into the penthouse. The familiar scent of home wrapped around her instantly - coffee from earlier, the faint sweetness of the candle Zoey liked to light in the evenings, the warmth of their shared space.

Her boots were already coming off before she realized it - Rumi kneeling to tug them gently from her feet while Zoey slipped off Mira’s jacket and hung it neatly by the door.

“Couch?” Zoey asked, but it wasn’t really a question. She was already steering Mira toward the big sectional, Rumi close behind with one of the plush blankets from the armchair.

They’d settled into the couch together almost without speaking - Zoey stretched along one side, Mira curled into her, Rumi fitting herself against Mira’s other side like she’d been molded for it. The blanket was draped over all three of them, their legs tangled underneath.

The steady thump of Zoey’s heartbeat under Mira’s cheek was enough to loosen the last knots in her chest. Every so often, Rumi’s fingers traced idle patterns along the back of her hand, her touch featherlight but constant, a silent reassurance she wasn’t letting go. They were all still wearing their business casual clothes, but no one was willing to initiate a change in scenery to get out of them.

Mira’s eyes felt heavy, but the comfort was too sweet to rush. She tilted her head just enough to press a small kiss to Zoey’s collarbone, a quiet thank you that needed no words. Zoey hummed in response automatically, pleased.

Zoey smiled softly, her hand sliding up to cup Mira’s jaw. “Have sweet dreams love. You deserve them,” she murmured, her thumb brushing her cheek. She leaned in, kissing her slow; gentle but deliberate, like she was pouring every ounce of patience and care she had into it.

When they parted, Mira felt Rumi’s breath against her ear before she felt the kiss - warm lips pressing to the curve where her jaw met her neck. It was right over Rumi’s Marking, and the contact sent shivers down Mira’s spine. “You’re safe, you’re loved, you’re wanted. You’re home,” Rumi whispered, and Mira’s chest ached in the best way.

She turned slightly, catching Rumi’s lips in return. The kiss was brief but tender, ending with their foreheads resting together for a moment before Mira settled back into the space between them.

The rhythm of their breathing began to match, slow and steady, the room cocooned in warmth and quiet.

By the time sleep pulled at them, Mira was tucked firmly between them, Rumi’s arm looped protectively over her waist, Zoey’s hand still resting over her heart.

===((Bobby's POV))===

Bobby sat behind his desk, the city’s skyline stretching out behind him through the tall glass windows. The hum of the building’s air system was the only sound until the door closed with a soft click.

The reporter - same one from earlier in the day - stepped into the room. He was still in the same rumpled blazer from the press conference, but now there was a nervous edge in his posture as he shuffled from leg to leg. 

Bobby leaned back in his chair, studying him for a moment. “I really appreciate you working with me at this last minute. It means more to me than you know Duri.” Duri was a college friend, one of his many connections he kept through these years. “Just in case” relationships that might come in handy, like now.

Duri swallowed. “I wasn’t going to sit on something like that. You said you wanted it out there.”

Bobby’s mouth twitched - not quite a smile, more a grim acknowledgment. “Yeah. I did.”

From the top drawer, he pulled out a plain envelope and slid it across the desk. “There’s a passport in there, new name, matching documents. Flight’s booked for tomorrow morning out of the downtown airport on a private jet. You’ll be gone before she has a chance to pull any strings.” No need to mention who ‘she’ was.

The reporter hesitated before taking it. “You think she’ll actually come after me?”

Bobby’s gaze hardened. “I know she will. She doesn’t leave loose ends. And you just made yourself one.”

He reached for another drawer in his desk, the secret compartment one, and pulled out a worn leather book bound with a string. The leather cover was scratched, the corners frayed from years of handling. Bobby’s fingertips lingered on it for a second before holding it up so Duri could see what he had in his hands. Duri’s eyes went wide. 

“This,” Bobby said, his voice low, “is the journal I told you about. Her handwriting, her own words. I pulled it out of her study the night she brought in Zoey and she was preoccupied. I’ve kept it all these years - just in case. It holds so much more than the information I provided to youl I’m just waiting for the right time.”

Bobby was a ‘just-in-case’ kind of guy. Always planning ahead for unforeseen circumstances that might need someone blackmailed or blacklisted. 

Duri scratched his stubble, confused. “Why give pieces of it to the press now? Why wait so long for information so detrimental?””

Bobby’s expression hardened. “Because she’s not going to stop unless she’s forced into a corner and has run out of all options. And because my girls have been through enough. I’m not letting that woman put her hands on their lives again.”

The reporter tucked the envelope away, his voice quieter now. “You really would do anything for them.”

Bobby’s jaw tightened. “Anything. So get on that plane, and don’t look back. And thank you again. It means the world to me and my girls.” 

The man gave a short nod and left. The office door shut again, leaving Bobby alone with the city lights and the faint hum of the air system. 

He sat there for a long moment, staring at the empty doorway. He’d just set something into motion that couldn’t be undone - but for Mira, Rumi, and Zoey, it was worth it. Every risk. Every line crossed.

Chapter Text

Mira woke to warmth.

Not just the cozy, half-dreaming kind that clung to her after sleeping on the couch with her mates, but a heavy, smothering heat that pressed down from every side.

Her lashes fluttered open, and for a moment, she lay still, listening to the faint hum of the penthouse’s morning silence. Then she breathed in - and the world shifted.

It hit her like stepping into a room filled with steam, but this wasn’t humidity. 

This was them .

Rumi’s deep ocean scent curled low and slow, like an endless expanse. Zoey’s sharper, breezy scent cut through it in threads, sparking against Mira’s senses. Normally, their scents sat easy in her lungs, a familiar comfort that reminded her she was safe and wanted and loved.

Now… they were different. Charged. Saturated. Potent. The edges were frayed and wild. And beneath it all was something heavier - thick with aggression, jealousy, and a slow-building heat that curled around her and caressed her entire body like invisible fingers.

Mira’s body reacted before her mind caught up, a faint tremor working its way down her spine. Her heart gave a startled flutter. She felt her face and neck flush almost immediately. Every inhale was intoxicating, laced with something raw that made her mouth go dry.

She pushed herself upright, the blanket sliding from her shoulders to pool at her waist. She vaguely realized she was still in her backstage dress clothes and never changed into pajamas. The air hit her skin instantly, warm and close, as if the entire penthouse had been marked overnight.  Her thoughts scrambled for an explanation, but instinct supplied it for her - one word, unbidden and undeniable: 

Rut.

She’d never been near Rumi and Zoey when they had their ruts; they normally went to a hotel out of courtesy for Mira since they thought the rut pheromones of two other Alphas would have made Mira go feral too as a fellow Alpha. Now, they knew better, but that didn’t change the fact that Alpha ruts were even worse to be around if you were an Omega. That's probably why neither of them were in the room with her. For half a second she was worried that they left her to go to a hotel somewhere, but the tugging feeling in her gut told her they were still nearby. Still, it was dangerous to be around rutting Alphas no matter your gender.

Especially if the Omega was bonded to them. Then the Omega stood no chance. Bonded Omegas helped their Alpha partners significantly more than any random Omega could; their bond stabilizes their aggression and pheromones to a tolerable level. Mira swallowed audibly; should she leave? Did they want her here? She’d imagined it before, but imagining it was nothing like feeling it in person. The thought alone made her arousal worse. 

She stood, legs unsteady, her fingers brushing the back of the couch for balance. The air was so dense she could almost taste it - an invisible fog clinging to the back of her throat. The bond was going haywire with flashes of emotions: aggression, possession, arousal, want, need. The feeling almost forced her to sit back down on the couch with how strong it was. She had to stand still and try to put up at somewhat of a mental barrier against the bond just for her own sanity.

Mira sighed, the sound loud in the quiet. Her Omega instincts didn’t understand her hesitation; they pulled at her, urging her toward the source of the pheromones like a rope tugging at her throat. She made herself move slowly, bare feet whispering over the hardwood as she crossed the living room.

The further she went, the stronger it got.

Near the kitchen entrance, she froze without meaning to. The scent here was sharper, as though one of them had been pacing, leaving behind restless, charged pheromones that tangled in the air. She lingered, breathing them in without realizing how long she stood there.

Her pulse was beating in her ears now.

She could almost see it in her mind like she was watching a movie scene play back; her two Alphas circling each other, teeth bared, instincts scraping against instincts. And somewhere deep inside her, her body reacted to that image with a heat that made her shift her weight uncomfortably.

She felt herself moving down the hallway toward the bedroom before her mind could process what she was doing. The scents thickened here, layered over and over, as if both of them had moved back and forth in this space again and again. Rumi’s heat curled low in her gut. Zoey’s sharpness pricked like static at her skin. The two clashed and merged and pulled apart in waves, a chaotic dance of power she could feel more than hear.

And then - she did hear something.

A low, rough sound from just ahead. Not words - something primal, guttural, as if dragged from deep in an Alpha’s chest. Her breath caught, and she stilled right before the cracked door to her bedroom, where the pheromones were the strongest. Of course they were in my room.

The air here was almost too much to breathe, like it had weight to it. She felt her own heartbeat in strange places - low in her belly, at the base of her throat. Her palms were damp.

They were close. Too close. Not close enough.

Mira’s fingers pressed lightly to the wall, her body trembling with the effort it took to resist that quiet, dangerous pull to step forward, to see . Her Omega instincts whispered that she belonged in the middle of it, they belonged inside her. Her mind told her that crossing that threshold without their awareness would be walking straight into something she might not be ready for and they might regret if the aggression got out of control.

She stayed frozen there, caught between the two urges, her breath coming slow and deliberate. She was fighting between her instincts, her love, and her safety. Her not-so-rational side whispered to her, those are all things your Alphas can give you . The wanting sat in her chest like a drumbeat, pounding harder with each muffled sound in the room ahead. Low growls, the thud of movement, a sharp gasp followed by a deeper, harsher snarl. It was nothing like the gentle, grounding touches they’d given her in heat. This was raw, unfiltered Alphas with little to no control - wild and territorial.

So Mira took a step and slowly opened her door all the way, her mind made up. She wanted to be with her pack even in the worst of times, and knew deep in her heart that they would never hurt her, even if they rutting. It sank into her skin like it was an unbreakable truth, something she was so sure of, because the love they all had for each other ran deeper than primal instincts.

Mira lingered just inside the doorframe, fingers curling into the wooden frame like she could anchor herself there. Her breathing was shallow, too quick, the fog of their pheromones so thick in the air it was almost visible , curling and twining into every inhale she took.

It was intoxicating. And dangerous.

Mira’s instincts told her to go to them. Her heart told her to help them any way she could just like they did for her. A small, very small part of her mind screamed at her to run; it was the same feeling she got when she was facing a demon she couldn’t handle by herself.

They helped me through my first heat. I love them. They would never hurt me.

That was the thoughts she clung to, the excuses she wrapped around herself like armor. She owed them this. They’d guided her through the most overwhelming, vulnerable days of her life with care and patience - never once making her feel small or weak. Surely she could help them through a rut, however they needed.

But deep down, she knew the truth:

This wasn’t just about helping. This was about wanting them, needing them, loving them.

Mira finally raised her eyes to search for her Alphas. Her eyes widened and she felt a rush of need so bad she almost fell to the floor.

The bed was a battlefield.

Neither of them wore a thing - skin slick and flushed, muscles tense with effort and heat. Sheets were shoved halfway to the floor, the mattress creaking with every lunge and shift. There were rips in the mattress from Rumi’s demon claws, shreds of clothing scattered all over the room.

Zoey had Rumi pinned, knees braced to either side of her hips, her hands digging into Rumi’s shoulders hard enough that her knuckles were white. She ground her hips down and got a hiss from Rumi in response, very clearly riding Rumi's member with frantic movement. She was leaning in close, mouth at Rumi’s throat, teeth bared in a warning growl that made the hair rise on the back of Mira’s neck. Zoey’s hair was wild and loose, wavy black hair framing her face as she looked down on Rumi. 

But Rumi wasn’t yielding.

Her hands gripped Zoey’s waist in a bruising hold, sharp purple nails almost raking down to her hips as she bucked upward with enough force to nearly throw Zoey off. Zoey cried out at the feeling, then immediately snarled at Rumi and slammed back down with just as much force. Both of them were trying to be in control through the throes of their passion, making for a very violent time.

Mira thought vaguely, is this how their ruts always happened? No wonder they didn’t stay here during.

They moved like combatants, each action half fight, half seduction. Zoey’s mouth crushed against Rumi’s, not so much a kiss as a bite, pulling away just enough to taunt, then lunging back in when Rumi tried to speak. Rumi responded with her own brand of challenge - rolling her hips, up and forward so that she slammed deep into Zoey over and over. Zoey faltered a little with a small whine, and Rumi tried to use it to her advantage and attempted to flip their positions. 

Neither wanted to submit to the other. That was the heart of it - the primal, instinctive need not just to touch, but to win . Normally, Alphas can’t be near each other during their ruts or they will literally tear each other apart. It was proof of their deep bond and love for each other that Rumi and Zoey had turned that instinctual violence into dominating sexual energy. An Alpha rut can be extremely painful if left alone, just like an Omega’s heat can drive them mad if left alone. The fact that they were probably both in excruciating pain since they were both Alphas but still rode out their ruts together…

It was so hot.

Rumi finally managed to flip the pair of them over, still deep inside Zoey, and wrenched Zoey’s wrists above her head, leaning over her with a predator’s grin, purple hair falling forward to frame her flushed face. “ Say it ,” she growled, low and rough. She started thrusting hard into Zoey who was doing her best not to make a sound. 

Zoey’s answering laugh was breathless and defiant. “ Make me.”

In an instant, Zoey twisted her legs, hooking Rumi’s and flipping them so she was on top again. Both of them moaned at the sudden position switch, the movement causing a thrust into Zoey so deep they both stuttered to a stop in their actions. Recovering first, Rumi’s hands grabbed Zoey’s shoulders now, her mouth claiming Zoey’s with bruising intensity. Zoey tried to shove her lips off, muscles straining, but Rumi only pressed harder, thrusting up with slow, deliberate force that made Zoey’s growl slip into something dangerously close to a moan.

The clash repeated over and over in the span of merely seconds - Rumi surging up to overpower, Zoey shoving back to regain control. Every shift of dominance seemed to fuel them further, their bodies tangling in a relentless push-pull of aggression and desire.

Mira’s breath caught. Her skin prickled with heat. She couldn’t look away. The sounds, the heat, the sheer wildness of it all pressed into her until she felt lightheaded. Her Omega instincts screamed at her to go to them, to soothe, to offer herself as the answer to their rut. But another part of her - the part tied to love, to the deep ache of wanting them in every way - just stood there, transfixed by the way they moved together like fire meeting oil, dangerous and inevitable. It was beautiful, sexy, and riveting. She couldn’t help it - an overwhelming surge of desire and love swelled through their bond.

And that was what shattered the spell for the rutting Alphas.

They froze, looking at each other while their nostrils flared. Then both their heads turned.

Mira felt it the instant their eyes locked onto her - like the ground dropped out beneath her.

The bond between them, normally a steady flow of emotion that was distinguishable from one another, roared to life in her head. It was hot and heavy, molten emotion flooding through every nerve ending, curling low in her stomach until her knees almost buckled. Her markings - Zoey’s on one side of her neck, Rumi’s on the other - burned in unison, a searing pulse that throbbed with their attention. A reminder of who she belonged to, who called for her.

She staggered a step forward, hand flying up to press against the heated skin of her throat, but it didn’ t help one bit. She let out a whimper.

“Mira.”

The voices - two at once, one deep and storm-rough, the other low and velvet-dark - weren’t just in her ears, but in her head too, wrapping around her thoughts, her heart, her core. She sucked in a breath, trying to focus, to think past the instinct clawing at her.

“I -” Mira’s voice cracked, more a whimper than a word. “I want… I need to be here. With you both. I want to help you.”

The moment that they realized their Omega was in the room, nothing else mattered. Rumi was still buried in Zoey, but their attention was solely on their mate. Zoey’s wildly blown brown eyes flickered, a shadow of control warring with the raw hunger in her gaze. “Mira,” she rasped, each syllable strained, “you have to leave.”

Rumi bared her teeth, fangs and all - not at Mira, but at Zoey. Her eyes had slitted pupils, a gold glow, all reason gone. “Don’t tell her -” She tried to push Zoey off, to get to her Omega, to claim her, but Zoey pinned her down further.

“Rumi,” Zoey growled, pressing her forearm harder into Rumi’s shoulder to keep her still. “We’ll hurt her.” Those words seemed like they were aimed at both of them. Rumi stilled in response. Uncertainty flickered across the bond.

The feeling hit something deep in Mira, but the pull in her chest and core only grew. Her markings on her neck burned hotter, almost painfully so. The love that they had for her was so deep it bright tears to her eyes. Even in the midst of their combined rut, pain sky high, they were trying so hard to restrain themselves, for her. She shook her head, stepping closer. “I don’t care -”

“You should ,” Rumi snapped, but her voice cracked on the last syllable, her scent spiking sharp with want. “We love you. We’re not -” Her breath hitched, eyes squeezing shut as another rut-driven wave rolled through her and she unconsciously bucked up into Zoey, who moaned in response. “We’re not safe right now.”

“I’m not leaving.” Mira’s voice was steadier now, though her whole body trembled. She could feel how much they were holding back, their need battering against the walls they’d built. “You’re hurting. I can help. Let me help.”

Both Alphas froze, panting hard, eyes locked on her like she’d just offered herself up on a platter. Mira could see the last of their control hanging by a thread, so she took one more step, leveled her eyes at them, opened the floodgates of her pheromones, and said, “I’m yours . Your Omega . Take me, please .”

For one heartbeat, it was silent except for the rasp of their breathing. Mira knew that was all it took. To tell them that she was theirs .

Then Rumi’s control broke first.

Her snarl was guttural, nothing human left in it, and she shoved Zoey off her with enough force to make the bedframe creak. Mira winced at the fact that Rumi had just thrown the other Alpha off like that considering she had still been inside her, but Zoey popped up on the other side of the bed quickly recovered from being suddenly yanked off of Rumi's member. They both had more important things to do - like knot their Omega over and over.

Neither of them looked at each other now.

They only looked at her .

The bond surged - no longer a pull, but a hook, yanking her toward them so hard her breath left her lungs. Her markings flared white-hot. The scent in the room thickened until it felt like she was drinking it with every breath.

Mira barely had time to gasp at the feeling before they moved.

Rumi closed the distance in two strides, hands curling into the fabric at her hips. Zoey was right behind, a low, rumbling growl in her chest as she caged Mira from the other side. Their heat pressed into her from both directions, their scents, their presence, their sweat soaked bodies, their need wrapping her in a way that made thought impossible.

She didn’t resist. She couldn’t . She wouldn’t . She trusted them wholeheartedly with her entire being, so she willingly submitted to the onslaught of sights, sounds, smells, and instinct that called to her. Mira registered the feeling of their emotions - love tangled with desperation, possessiveness, hunger, and the sharp, unshakable certainty that now that they’d touched her, they weren’t letting go.

Rumi’s grip was like steel, dragging Mira flush against her breasts, her hard and very wet member pressing against Mira's core over her pants. Mira remembered that wetness on Rumi was her other Alpha, Zoey, and whined at the thought of it being inside of her after being in Zoey. She could also feel Zoey's aroused member grinding against her ass. Heat rolled off their skin, the scent of their rut dizzying in its intensity - sharp, electric, and soaked in want. Mira could vaguely tell that Rumi was struggling not to sink her demon sharpened nails and teeth into her skin. Honestly I wouldn’t even mind , Mira though distantly.

Zoey’s hands slid around from behind, palms firmly on Mira’s hips, thumbs pressing into bone like she was staking a claim with every touch, nails digging in. The low growl vibrating in Zoey’s chest rattled right through Mira’s spine, her naked front pressing into Mira’s back, making her breath catch.

The bond wasn’t just pulling anymore. It was demanding . Searing .

“Mine.”

Two voices, layered over each other in her head and out loud, all around Mira, different timbres but the same meaning, the same hunger.

Zoey leaned up until her lips brushed Mira’s ear, voice ragged with restraint. She was really, really trying to give Mira one more chance. “I-If you want to leave -”

Rumi cut her off with a sharp, dangerous sound. “ She’s not leaving .” Her demonic tone reverberated through all three of them. Her grip tightened a little, and Mira whimpered at the pressure of her claws pricking her skin.

Zoey’s eyes snapped to Rumi's eyes around Mira’s body. “You think I'm letting you knot her alone ?” The control she had seconds ago flying out the window at the thought of another double knotting. That single sentence sent a shiver racing through Mira so strong her knees almost buckled. Mira could feel the rising frustration from Zoey, and the possessiveness from Rumi.

“ She’s mine ,” Rumi said, voice low, possessive, like the words were pulled from her chest with claws. Her demonic side was pushing through, making her aggression worse than Zoey's. Both of her mates noticed the change. Was a demon more possessive than an Alpha?

Zoey snarled, “Not just yours .”

The air between them crackled, the tension so sharp Mira swore she could taste it - spice and lightning and the metallic edge of dominance. Their growls rose in unison, each making her body shake with need. She felt bad, because she could tell that both of them would probably regret fighting like this over her after their rut was over, but right now they were prisoners to their own desires. She could feel it, the way their love for her was tangled with that primal need to win her. It wasn’t just rut - it was instinct older than words, the Alpha drive to claim, to prove, to knot, to breed, to make their scent the one that lingered on her skin.

Mira couldn’t take the bickering anymore; she placed a hand on Rumi’s chest and reached behind her and grabbed Zoey’s waist. Anchoring them together. Solidifying their bond mentally, physically. “I want you both ” Mira said firmly.

That shattered the fragile line they’d been holding.

Rumi’s hand slid up to grip Mira’s jaw, tilting her head to bare the side of her neck where Rumi’s own mark burned against her skin. She didn’t bite - yet - but her tongue dragged over the heated skin in a slow, claiming line that had Mira’s pulse jumping. Her fangs brushed against her skin.

Zoey wasn’t having it. She yanked Mira’s back toward her, her chest pressing harder into Mira’s spine as her own mouth found the opposite side of her throat. The sound she made was more of a rumble than a growl, vibrating through Mira until her legs gave out entirely. The feeling of both of them on her neck markings was too much.

The world was just heat and hands and the sound of growls in her ears. Mira didn’t remember moving, only that the world was suddenly moving fast and she was thrown onto the bed. The mattress hit her back hard enough to bounce her, a gasp breaking from her throat. She barely had time to breathe before they were on her. Zoey pinned her by the hips, Rumi by her shoulders, and both moved like they were racing each other.

Fabric tore. Not slipped aside, not gently removed - shredded. The sound was harsh, sharp in the air as Rumi’s claws caught and ripped while Zoey yanked aggressively at her pants and underwear until they flew across the room. Her shirt was gone in seconds, then the bra, scraps of cloth tugged and tossed away with no regard for anything but getting to her skin.

Mira’s back arched into every touch, the cool air on her bare skin only fueling the fire under it. She wasn’t thinking anymore - just feeling, every nerve ending singing with instinct, lust, the primal need to be taken, claimed, knotted, bred filled to the brim by both of them.

Rumi’s mouth was on her throat, teeth scraping just shy of biting down hard, while Zoey’s hands gripped her thighs possessively, thumbs digging deep enough to bruise. Their scents clashed in the air above her, sharp and intoxicating, their growls rumbling over each other as if neither could stand the other’s claim lingering too long.

“Stop acting like I’m stealing her,” Zoey growled, her voice low, roughened by rut, but still the most present in the moment out of the three of them. It vibrated against the air, threading into Mira’s already-overheated thoughts.

Rumi’s fingers were still dug into Mira’s shoulders, mouth grazing her neck over and over, the heat of her body radiating like a furnace. Her markings were glowing a dark emerald green, breathing harsh and uneven. She looked like she was barely tethered, her focus swinging between Zoey’s frustrated look and Mira’s flushed face beneath her.

“I’m -” Rumi’s voice faltered, breaking over the single word. Her throat worked as she swallowed, her jaw clenched so hard Mira could hear the faint grind of teeth. “ I’m trying, Zoey . But it’s -” She exhaled sharply, as if the words themselves burned. “ It’s hard. ” Her voice was wavering between her regular voice and her demonic one, both sides at war with one another.

Her gaze flickered down, and Mira swore she felt it - a heavy, hungry pull - as if Rumi’s eyes alone could make her unravel. Rumi’s ocean scent was thick, spiced with need and a restless edge of aggression. “Every time I look at her , all I can think about -” She cut herself off again, nostrils flaring, chest rising and falling like she’d just run miles. 

Zoey’s eyes widened, a moment of semi-clarity. “Oh, I get it.” Her voice dropped, thick with realization. “You’re not angry at me… you’re scared of yourself . Of your demon side hurting her.”

Rumi didn’t speak - didn’t need to. The tiny flicker of hesitation and guilt in her eyes and the bond was answer enough. Mira felt her heart break in two - poor Rumi was always scared of hurting either of them, and the fact that it carried into this heavy of a rut spoke volumes of how large her inner fear of herself was.

Zoey’s expression shifted - no less possessive, but understanding, determined. “Then I’ll just show you how weak you are, demon or no. I'm sure that will bring you back to your senses real quick.” Rumi looked like she didn't know what to do with that information, but Mira - Mira's heart was stuttering at the challenging pheromones in the room.

Oh. Fuck.

Before Rumi could react, Zoey’s hand shot out, curling around the front of Rumi’s neck. She applied force into her grip, just enough to remind Rumi who had hold. Rumi’s breath hitched, face flushing, eyes wide with surprise at first but furious at the thought of being told she was weak next. Then Zoey yanked hard, pulling Rumi off of Mira and the bed with such force Rumi made a choking noise at the pressure on her throat.

Rumi stumbled backwards with the force of Zoey shoving her, her growl low and vibrating through the room. She recovered quickly, squaring her shoulders, markings flaring from green with lust to green and red - anger. She flashed her fangs in a snarl.

“You think you can dominate me?” Rumi’s voice was a husky rasp, her breathing heavy enough to fog the air between them. “Are you joking? I’m twice your size, you little shit.”

“I know I can.” Zoey’s grin was sharp, confident, but edged with the same raw need Mira saw reflected in both of them. She didn’t wait for another word - Zoey shoved Rumi back by her shoulders again, their bodies colliding with the wall hard enough to make some of the awards Mira had framed on her wall rattle. Their scents in the room thickened, aggression and arousal twined so tightly Mira couldn’t separate them anymore. 

Mina propped herself up on her elbows so she could watch her two Alphas better, every muscle taut, her breathing uneven. Her long pink hair was sticking to her naked body as the sweat on her body cooled a little without the precedence of her Alphas. They were both hers , and yet here they were, pushing and clawing at each other like wild animals, fighting for dominance of each other for the simple fact of making sure Rumi subdued her demonic instincts.

The air felt electric - her skin prickled, her pulse thudded in her ears. She wanted to move toward them, to press herself between them, make them turn their attention towards her and not each other, but her body wouldn’t obey. She was caught between the pounding ache of her instincts and the awareness that this was different. This was primal. Dangerous. Needed. And yet, the most magnetic thing she’d ever seen.

Zoey’s other hand grazed the back of Rumi’s neck, deliberately over the marking she left on Rumi time and time again, enough to make her freeze for half a heartbeat, then bristle harder. The move was Zoey’s way of saying ‘remember, you belong to me’. The tension between them was coiled like a drawn bowstring, their breaths quick and shallow, foreheads nearly touching, heat radiating.

“I’m warning you, back off ,” Rumi snarled, the demon in her voice edged with a warning.

Zoey’s lips curled back. “ Make me .”

From the bed, Mira’s marks throbbed in time with her heartbeat, the heat under her skin blooming hotter each time their bodies collided. She should look away, she told herself - but her gaze stayed locked, transfixed, her thighs pressing together without her permission.

Rumi snarled and shoved Zoey hard enough to break the wall pin, sending Zoey stumbling half a step back. But Zoey’s grin was feral, eyes glinting with something equal parts hunger and challenge.

“Come here beautiful, let me take care of you,” Zoey said, voice dipping low, seductive.

If looks could kill.

Rumi lunged with her demon claws fully extended, but Zoey twisted and caught her wrist mid-swing. She yanked her forward, using the momentum of Rumi’s lunge to off-balance her. Rumi made a surprised noise in the back of her throat and tried to turn towards the smaller girl while swiping with her other hand. Mira felt her heart lodged in her throat with concern; it didn’t look like either one of them were holding back which concerned her. The last thing she wanted was a bloodbath between her mates in her bedroom. 

There was no need for her to worry though. Rumi may be fast, but Zoey was faster.  

Zoey side-stepped Rumi’s second set of claws, hands behind her back, which pissed off Rumi even more. Rumi practically roared at Zoey, clawed hands purple, eyes glowing gold, markings more red than green. Zoey was laughing at her. Laughing . Mira was shrinking against the bed with the waves of pure anger Rumi’s pheromones were giving off. 

Mira’s jaw opened slightly in surprise at the way Zoey moved a moment later - leaping into the air at Rumi, whose eyes widened in surprise when she looked over her shoulder to see her moving too late to dodge. In the span of not even 5 seconds Zoey made her move. The black-haired acrobat wrapped her arms around Rumi’s neck from behind, and used the momentum from her leap to swing herself around mid-air, creating a rush of force with her body weight that off-balanced the purple haired girl.

Their momentum spun them until they were facing the mattress, Rumi's kneecaps brushing the mattress edge. Zoey used that moment, pushing down hard on her shoulders until Rumi dropped to the bed face-first. The mattress dipped under their combined weight as they grappled, hands and legs tangling, muscles straining. Mira scooted back further up the bed to avoid their thrashing bodies, heat rising again at their close proximity.

If someone came up to Mira and told her that she would be watching her petite little Alpha mate dominating (and winning it seemed like) her other Alpha mate who was part-demon after having the most stressful press conference in her life, she would have thought they were insane. Yet, here they all were.

Rumi twisted, trying to get out from under Zoey, but Zoey’s palm slammed flat against the back of her neck with brute force, pinning her face-down into the bed in front of Mira. All Mira could think about was what it would feel like to be pinned down like that by them, and she bit back a moan.

The sound that ripped from Rumi’s throat was part snarl, part frustrated moan. Her head turned sharply up towards Mira - and in that instant, Mira saw it: the tiniest flicker of uncertainty. Not fear of Zoey, but fear of herself. Fear of losing control around Mira. She slumped slightly under Zoey’s hand, the human side of her struggling with both the demon and the Alpha side. Rumi’s emotions and pheromones were flickering in and out in confusion with itself. She knew she needed to stop and let Zoey take over, but it was hard.

Zoey felt it too. Her voice went very sweet, but commanding, every word a heavy push against all of Rumi’s instincts. 

“Say it.”

Mira felt like she was going to come undone before they were even done with each other. Rumi’s breathing came fast now, neck flushing under Zoey’s palm. Her jaw was clenched, nostrils flaring. For a long, taut moment she fought it, muscles tensing as if she could force herself out from under Zoey’s grip by will alone. Rumi lets out a yelp when her movements cause her to inadvertently grind her hard on into the sheets. 

“Rumi,” Zoey pressed, leaning in until her mouth was almost at Rumi’s ear, her voice a husky growl that wrapped around every syllable, “Submit. To. Me.” She nipped Rumi’s earlobe with each word.

Rumi’s eyes locked on Zoey’s as best as she could with the side of her face pressed into the mattress, defiance flickering one last time through her pheromones before melting away. Her body softened fractionally, then more, until her arms eased from pushing into the bed to resting at her sides. Slowly - deliberately - she tilted her neck sideways, baring her throat in an ancient instinct that needed no translation.

“I…am yours."

Something in Zoey’s posture shifted instantly - not a lessening of dominance, but a satisfaction that rolled off her in waves. She released Rumi’s neck, sensing that Rumi was truly done fighting her. Rumi didn’t move, just looked up at Mira with shame at being defeated in front of her Omega combined with arousal for her Alpha at dominating her. Mira sent out as much comforting pheromones of hers that she could, and she could visibly see both of them relax a little. 

“You’re such a good girl Rumi,” Zoey murmured, the heat in her eyes burning still, just not as feverish. Her hands slid over Rumi’s back to land on her hips, fingers digging in just enough to leave a mark while she flipped Rumi onto her back, before shoving her back into the mattress. Mira sat frozen, her breath caught in her throat, eyes wide as she watched. She’d seen Zoey angry. She’d seen her playful. She’d seen her protective to the point of recklessness. But she had never seen her like this - sharp, commanding, every movement calculated to keep Rumi exactly where she wanted her. Control.

Rumi’s claws curled into the bedding, her head slumping back as Zoey’s pheromones rolled over her like a storm. The low, possessive growl in Zoey’s chest made Mira’s skin prickle, her core flaring hot in response. She could tell it had the same effect on Rumi.

“You’re ours,” Zoey said, low and unshakable, like there was no space for argument.

Rumi’s answer was a shudder that ran down her whole body. She didn’t fight - couldn’t fight - not when every nerve was already alight with need for her mates. The way Zoey handled her wasn’t careful, not gentle - it was a claiming her territory.

Zoey dragged her closer, until there was nothing between them but the heat of their members against each other. Mira felt both of their arousal pheromones kicking into high gear again, the aggression taking the back seat. A much better atmosphere now that their primal aggression had been tamed for the moment. Zoey grabbed Rumi’s chin.

“Look at me,” Zoey ordered. Her face was flushed with pure need, her freckles vanishing with how red her face was.

Rumi did, and in that look was everything - lust, frustration, relief, submission, and the deep bond they shared, a connection so tight it felt like their breaths were tied together. Zoey tilted her head at Rumi, like she was asking permission, her gaze searching. In answer to the silent question, Rumi spread her legs open to Zoey in complete and total submission.

Even in the middle of their rut, Zoey was doing her best to ask for permission for things. It was beyond endearing to Mira. Zoey positively beamed at Rumi, pride, love, and devotion flowing through their bond. Zoey held Rumi’s gaze as she lined herself up with Rumi’s soaking entrance and sank into her slowly, her dominance turning physical, the sound Rumi made was nothing short of a loud whine. 

Fuck.

Zoey didn’t go fast at first; she entered Rumi inch by inch, pausing each time to graze her lips and teeth all over Rumi’s breasts in a gratingly teasing way. Mira could tell it was driving Rumi up the wall, her breathing getting ragged and small whines leaving her lips as her hips chased more friction. When Zoey finally bottomed out inside Rumi, her head fell forward onto Rumi’s collarbone and she moaned loudly at the feeling. Then Zoey started thrusting in and out in a frenzy, control lost.

Mira’s own breath stuttered at their intimacy. Every instinct in her screamed to crawl across the bed and press herself against them, to touch, to join - but her body was locked in place, transfixed. She knew that this was their moment for her to watch. Her core throbbed, her thighs squeezing together, and the back of her neck prickled with heat. She wanted to touch herself so bad, but she had an instinctual feeling that if she tried it would piss them off. She she kept her hands clenched on the bed instead, waiting her turn.

The rhythm of their bodies was primal, rough in a way that spoke of claiming as much as it did lust. Rumi’s head fell back, her throat bare in total surrender. Mira instantly locked eyes with Rumi when her head fell back, her hungry gaze looking at her upside down. Mira felt another wave of need hit her, her thighs slick. Zoey leaned down, teeth grazing that sensitive skin on the side of Rumi’s neck before biting roughly.

All three of them moaned in unison as Zoey’s teeth sank into Rumi, the feelings carrying through the bond between them. She was moaning into Rumi’s neck as she kept thrusting into the older woman. Her hands were gripping Rumi’s hips, her grip so hard that her nails were digging into Rumi’s marked flesh like she had her own demon claws. Rumi had still been trying to maintain eye contact with Mira but her eyes rolled back into her head at her heightening pleasure.

A few moments later Mira could tell that both of them had reached their peak. Their knots were bulging, straining, and Mira felt slick of her own dripping out of her entrance at the thought of both of them inside of her. The primal urge to take their knots, let them breed her, overtook everything else. Her eyes glazed over with the need. 

Before Mira could instinctually act on the urges, Zoey thrust as deep into Rumi as she could go without knotting her and came hard. Rumi was stroking herself faster and faster, and the feeling of Zoey cumming inside of her sent her over the edge. The sound Rumi made was nearly a sob, half pleasure, half instinct, as she came all over herself. Zoey’s hand was holding her lower back up off the bed, holding her there, the other braced beside her head as she rode out the last wave of their climax together.

Mira thought she’d never seen anything so devastatingly beautiful - her half-demon Alpha mate, usually sharp-edged and impossible to push down, laid out under the freckled, deceptively small Alpha who had just taken her without hesitation and made her submit.

Rumi looked like the wind was knocked out of her; her eyes were glassy, sweat dripping everywhere, her own seed glistening all over her chest and stomach. The intense aggression and possession pheromones that Rumi had been emitting had receded at being conquered by her Alpha. Both Zoey and Mira could feel Rumi’s thanks through the bond, too weak to move at the moment. Zoey was still inside her, a fact made known when she shifted a bit and Rumi instantly yelped at the overstimulation.

The sight burned itself into her mind, the heat pooling low in her belly so sharp it almost hurt. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move . All she could think was how badly she wanted them both.

And by the look Zoey gave her - wild-eyed, flushed, chest heaving, proud of her accomplishment - Mira knew she wasn’t going to be left untouched for long.

Chapter Text

The air was thick, too heavy for lungs that hadn’t already adjusted to rut. It clung, suffocating, hot with the tang of arousal, the sharpness of sweat, and the electric undercurrent of power still vibrating in the room. Mira had definitely not gotten used to it. 

Rumi lay sprawled on the sheets, chest heaving, eyes closed as though she could hide from what just happened. Her purple hair clung to her temples, damp with sweat, and her skin glistened in the low light. The aggressive haze that had poured off her - those sharp, almost deadly pheromones enhanced by her demon blood - had thinned to a faint echo. Where once it had burned in Mira’s nose and chest, heavy enough to make her knees weak, now it was nothing more than a faded current of pheromones beneath Zoey’s pheromones.

Zoey had overridden Rumi.

Mira still couldn’t believe it. Rumi’s aggression, her dominance sharpened by the demon side of her, was something Mira had always thought immovable - like a wall you could throw yourself against and only break. It was part of what made Rumi terrifying when her temper slipped and she wanted to protect her mates. And yet, Zoey had forced her down, had stripped that feral power from her with nothing but sheer will, her smaller frame pressed over Rumi’s until submission had been dragged out of her.

Mira hadn’t just seen it. She’d felt it.

Her marks burned hot against her skin when Rumi’s pheromones broke and bled away, as though her very body knew the moment power shifted. Her own instincts had flared wildly, calling, yearning, to help her humiliated Alpha - but she hadn’t moved. She couldn’t. Not with Zoey looking at her like she just brought Mira her favorite toy, pride radiating off of her.

Mira had unlocked a core memory she would carry with her forever: Rumi’s throat bared, her voice ragged and choked as she whispered her surrender, forced to yield while Mira watched. Humiliated not because Zoey had made her submit, but because Mira had seen her like that - stripped down to her most vulnerable, her most primal self, her body giving in to what her pride never would. Letting another Alpha dominate her.

Mira had never thought anything could be so devastatingly beautiful, and terrifying.

Rumi let out a soft, broken sound from where she lay, dragging in air like she had been underwater too long. Her face was turned toward the mattress, half-hidden, but Mira could see the tremor in her shoulders, the flush still high on her cheeks. She had been unmade, and though she still radiated strength, it was no longer jagged, no longer dangerous. Zoey had smoothed those edges with her dominance and left Rumi bare, undone, and covered in her own seed..

Zoey moved then.

She sat up by Rumi’s slumped self, slow and deliberate, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the tension that had built up. Her freckles stood out stark against the heat in her skin, her body humming with pride at her display of power in front of their Omega. Her scent filled the room now - sharper than Rumi’s had been, but controlled, contained in a way that only made it more unbearable. It pressed down on Mira, heavy and sweet, making her thighs clench, slick dripping.

Her eyes found Mira across the bed. Mira froze.

The weight of that stare pinned her in place, stealing her breath. She wanted to shrink away, but her body betrayed her, leaning forward ever so slightly, caught between instinctual terror and the ache of wanting. Her marks throbbed hot on either side of her neck, twin reminders of the bond she shared with both of them. The threads in her chest pulled tight, trying to answer Zoey’s call to submit to her.

Rumi stirred faintly, dragging herself half upright with a groan, her eyes barely opening. There was a hollow laugh in her throat, but it crumbled into something hoarse and broken. “Yours,” she rasped, voice wrecked. She wasn’t talking to her, Mira realized - she was talking to Zoey. Declaring it aloud, in her exhaustion, because she had nothing else left to give in that moment. “She’s yours. For now.”

Zoey didn’t even glance at Rumi. She started to crawl towards Mira on the bed, each movement deliberate and silent, like a predator that didn’t need to rush. The shift in the room was immediate; where Rumi’s pheromones had been wild, suffocating chaos, Zoey’s were a net, a web. They wrapped around Mira, tangled with her scent until she was swimming in it, until her body was nothing but heat and need.

“You’ve been watching us,” Zoey said as a statement, her voice soft, like velvet hiding steel.

Mira swallowed hard. Her lips parted, but no denial came out. Her body betrayed her instead, a whimper slipping past her teeth, high and keening. Mira didn’t even have it in her to be embarrassed like she normally would have.

Zoey’s smile was small, dangerous. She crawled closer, her scent wrapping tighter around Mira until it filled her lungs and her bones. “You liked seeing her break for me, didn’t you?”

Mira shuddered. The word slipped out before she could think. “Y-yes.” Her voice broke on another whine. Her instincts were getting harder and harder to fight the closer and closer Zoey got to her.

And then suddenly she was there right in front of her.

Zoey’s hand came up, cupping Mira’s jaw, tilting her head back just enough that her throat was bared. She didn’t squeeze, didn’t press - just held. Steady. Claiming. “You want me to take you too, Mira?” she asked, her tone low, heavy with certainty, as if the answer was already written.

Mira’s eyes fluttered, her breath caught. Her whole body ached with the bond’s pull. “Yes…” she whispered, shame and need tangled together.

Zoey’s smirk curved sharper. “Say it louder.” Mira was learning quickly that Zoey liked to hear what she wanted outloud, because the bond would thrum in response when Mira said what she wanted.

Mira trembled, her hands curling into fists against the sheets, her chest heaving with the effort of forcing the words past her throat. “Yes - I want you. Inside me. Now. Please.” She was getting a sense of deja vu from the last time they were together. 

That answer seemed to please her. Zoey’s thumb brushed over Mira’s pulse in her throat, anything but steady. “Good girl,” she murmured, before kissing Mira with need and hunger, their lips clashing over and over in a frenzy.

Behind them, Rumi groaned faintly, her voice wrecked but still carrying weight. “Don’t… don’t break her.”

Zoey finally spoke back, her lips against Mira’s skin as she whispered, “I’ll make sure there’s plenty of her for the both of us, don’t worry. Mira’s going to make sure to help both of us as much as we need, right sweetie?” 

Mira just bit her lip, the last vestiges of her sanity stubbornly trying to hold onto some semblance of pride. She was having a hard time 

The bed creaked as Zoey leaned forward, slow, deliberate, the way a predator tests how far its prey will freeze before it bolts. Her scent thickened in the air, curling around Mira like smoke. Sweet. Sharp. Head-spinning. Mira’s head tipped back before she realized she was doing it, submitting immediately in the presence of one of her Alphas. Like her body was begging for more of it.

“You feel it, don’t you?” Zoey’s mouth was mere millimeters from Mira’s mouth, the movement of her talking against her lips, the sound tugging at something low and deep in Mira’s belly. “The way your body reacts to mine… the way your instincts know exactly what I am going to do to you. How both of us are going to knot you again and again until you don’t know your own name.”

Mira’s throat worked, but no words came out. A whimper slipped out, soft, humiliating. Her thighs pressed together, but that did nothing to ease the ache clawing through her.

Zoey’s lips curled, hungry satisfaction flashing in her eyes. “There it is,” she breathed. “That sound. Gods, Mira… I could spend forever pulling those little noises out of you.” She gave Mira a ghost of a kiss before leaning back. Mira almost whined at the loss of contact. 

Her hand came up, not quite touching Mira, just hovering close enough to feel the heat radiating from her skin. Zoey’s fingers traced the air near Mira’s throat, right where her marks burned hot on either side. The closer Zoey’s hand got, the worse the heat flared, until it felt like Mira’s entire body was begging her to be claimed again.

Zoey tilted her head, studying her like an apex predator deciding where to bite. “You’re trembling,” she murmured. “Do you fear me?” Her question was almost comical to Mira who couldn’t help but give a small laugh. Zoey’s eyes flashed dangerously at that, so Mira quickly reassured her with calming pheromones and a shake of her head. 

Zoey’s eyes lit up, sharp and merciless, and she leaned back just enough to smirk. “So then it’s anticipation.” Mira’s breath hitched, her chest heaving. Zoey leaned closer again, her forehead brushing Mira’s, her voice a dark purr. “Do you know what we’re going to do to you? How full we are going to make you. How many times we are going to breed you.” Her hand finally made contact, palm cupping Mira’s jaw, tilting her head just enough that her Marks were exposed, glowing hot and vulnerable. “Is this what you want? I won’t be able to stop. Last chance.”

Mira shook, the weight of instinct coiling with her desperate need to please them. Her lips parted, words spilling out as if they’d been waiting on her tongue all along. “Yours. I’m yours.”

The answering growl from Zoey vibrated straight through her, a predator’s victory rumble as she surged forward, pressing Mira flat against the mattress in one swift, merciless movement. The last vestiges of little control Zoey had flown out the window - even an Alpha with as much self control as Zoey gets lost in mating their Omega.

Zoey’s weight pinned Mira flat against the bed, her smaller frame somehow impossible to push off, strength sharpened by rut and pure instinct. Mira writhed beneath her, not in an attempt to escape, but because every nerve screamed for more - more friction, more touch, more claiming, more everything. 

Zoey’s hands slid down Mira’s sides, nails raking hard enough to sting and leave red lines in their wake. When her fingers reached Mira’s hips, Zoey yanked, dragging her closer with a snarl, slotting herself against her with an unrelenting grind that stole the breath right from Mira’s lungs. She could feel how hard Zoey was, and how slick she already was from being inside Rumi mere moments before. Mira moaned at the thought.

The sensation was overwhelming, primal - Zoey’s rut-driven dominance flooding every inch of Mira’s senses. She tried to breathe, tried to think, but her body betrayed her, arching desperately into Zoey’s member, chasing after the friction frantically. “Zoey -” Mira gasped, her voice breaking, “I need - gods, I need -”

“I know,” Zoey cut her off, sharp, almost harsh. Her hand fisted in Mira’s hair, yanking her head back so their eyes locked. Zoey’s pupils were blown wide, her freckles flushed across her cheeks, and her gaze lost in the haze of domination. “You’re mine. Say it.”

Mira’s lips parted to argue that she was both of theirs, but the words tangled in her throat. Her body bucked instead, caught between desperation and surrender. Zoey tightened her grip, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Say. It.”

“I’m yours!” Mira cried out, the words falling out of her with a whine.

Zoey’s answering growl vibrated through her whole body as she claimed her in one brutal, overwhelming thrust, burying herself deep inside before Mira had time to catch her breath. The slick that Mira had been dripping now the lube that let Zoey slide right in. The world shattered in white-hot need. Mira’s back arched, mouth open in a soundless cry as her body clenched around Zoey, every nerve screaming at once. Mira almost blacked out at the sudden intrusion.

Zoey didn’t give her time to adjust - didn’t let her think. Her hips snapped forward in hard, relentless rhythm, dragging Mira into instinct’s grip where thoughts didn’t exist, only sensation. Her voice was a litany between growls, roughened by rut and want. “Mine. Every sound, every breath, every part of you - mine.”

Mira clawed at the sheets underneath her, at Zoey’s shoulders, at anything she could anchor herself to. Her mind was gone, nothing but a haze of instinct and need, her Omega nature clawing to the surface. Her markings burned so hot it hurt, but the pain only made her gasp and writhe harder. “Yes - gods, yes, Zoey!”

On the bed beside them, Rumi stirred, still flushed and exhausted, opened her now-brown eyes to look at her mates in their frantic embrace. Rumi could not get over the fact that Zoey literally fucked the demon instinct out of her. Her Alpha needs were still there, still very much needy and possessive, but she didn’t feel like she was a threat anymore. The sight of Zoey dominating someone else right after her really did something for her.

And Mira - gods, Mira - looked like she was being undone, piece by piece, more beautiful than Rumi had ever seen her.

Zoey’s pace grew rougher, her breathing coming in ragged gasps. Mira moaned, nails digging into Zoey’s back, her body convulsing with every relentless thrust. Zoey’s teeth grazed her throat, right over the mark she left a mere month ago, and the sensation ripped the last shred of control from Mira. Her body broke, shaking apart beneath Zoey’s weight, climax tearing through her like a tidal wave.

Zoey held her there, grinding deep, refusing to let her come down, rut-driven and merciless. Mira was crying out with every thrust, every sensation amplified through her post-orgasm sensitivity. Without even coming down from her first orgasm, Mira already felt her next building rapidly. It was almost too much.

Zoey’s rhythm became frantic, every thrust sharper, deeper, more desperate - her body moving with single-minded need. Her growls tore through the air, guttural and unrestrained, each one vibrating against Mira’s skin like thunder. The bedframe creaked in protest beneath them, sheets twisted in Mira’s fists as she sobbed for breath, for more, for anything Zoey would give her.

Her markings pulsed in perfect rhythm with Zoey’s thrusts, like the bond itself was being carved deeper into her flesh. Mira couldn’t think - her world had narrowed to the punishing weight above her, the raw friction inside her, and the storm of feral Alpha instinct that poured through their bond like fire.

Zoey’s nails dug into Mira’s hips hard enough to bruise, anchoring her down, forcing her body to take every savage thrust. She wasn’t gentle, wasn’t careful - there was no room left for restraint. Her rut had consumed her, feral and desperate, and Mira was her prey, her Omega, hers to claim.

“Mine,” Zoey snarled, voice cracking into something animal. She buried her face against Mira’s throat, teeth scraping mercilessly over her Mark until Mira’s entire body jolted with electric heat. “All of you - every part - mine.”

Mira cried out, her legs trembling as they wrapped around Zoey’s waist, pulling her impossibly closer, begging her body to take everything Zoey demanded. “Yours - yours - please - please don’t - stop -” 

The bond between them roared, drowning them both in instinct, amplifying everything until Mira couldn’t tell where she ended and Zoey began. She felt Zoey’s need like it was her own, the Alpha’s hunger clawing through her chest until her body arched helplessly beneath her. Their bodies slid against each other slick with sweat at the quick movements. Mira felt her second orgasm rip through her before she could even comprehend what was happening.

Zoey’s pace grew even more erratic, hips snapping with brutal force, a feral growl ripping from her throat as her body reached its breaking point. Her hand fisted in Mira’s hair, wrenching her head back, baring her neck wide. And then without hesitation Zoey sank her teeth into Mira’s burning mark, biting down hard, claiming her in the most primal way an Alpha could right over the same mark she left before.

The pain was sharp, white-hot, but it fused instantly into pleasure so overwhelming Mira screamed, body convulsing violently as she shattered again, completely undone. Her orgasm tore through her like wildfire, ripping every sound from her throat until she was left gasping, sobbing, trembling beneath Zoey’s relentless pace.

Zoey’s answering growl was broken, guttural - as feral as Mira ever heard her. Her hips slammed forward one final time, burying herself as deep as she could go before her knot swelled inside Mira, locking them together with a brutal instinctual force. Mira’s entire body arched in shock, her nails raking bloody trails down Zoey’s back as the knot swelled and stretched and claimed her.

They were fused, body and bond both, trapped in the primal lock of Alpha and Omega. Mira sobbed Zoey’s name over and over, her body clenching helplessly around her Alpha, unable to stop even as the intensity dragged her through another blinding climax. This was so different from before - this. This wasn’t mating for love. 

This was mating for breeding. And there definitely was a difference.

Zoey barely heard her - her own world had gone dark at the edges, consumed entirely by instinct and possession. She ground deep against Mira, hips jerking in helpless spasms as she filled her, the knot forcing Mira’s body to take everything, to keep everything. Her growl was low, broken, almost pained with intensity. “Mine. Mine. Mine. ”

Zoey finally collapsed forward, still buried inside Mira, knot sealing them together. Her breath was ragged, hot against Mira’s throat where blood welled in shallow crescents from her bite. The bond between them thrummed so strongly Mira thought her chest might split open at the overwhelming emotions. She could feel it; how full Zoey’s seed was making her inside. The thought alone sent out a large wave of arousal pheromones, which Rumi perked up at.

Mira’s arms wrapped weakly around Zoey's shoulders, pulling her close despite the overwhelming force that had just broken her down to nothing. Her voice was raw, trembling, but steady in its truth. “Yours. Always yours.”

Zoey only growled in answer, tightening her grip around Mira possessively.

Zoey didn’t let go. Couldn’t let go. Not with instinct taken over.

Her body still moved in small, desperate jerks against Mira, knot grinding deep, pumping her seed into her over and over, claiming her again and again. She was lost to it, lost to the haze that demanded she prove her possession with every growl, every bite, every thrust of her hips even though they couldn’t separate.

Her forehead pressed hard against Mira’s, sweat slick between them, her pupils blown wide and feral. Breath sawed out of her chest in harsh pants, each one dragging across Mira’s lips like the air itself was a claim. The sound of her growling hadn’t stopped - it just rolled lower, a constant rumble in her chest, vibrating through Mira’s whole body where they were fused together.

Mira’s vision blurred, pleasure-drunken tears streaking her cheeks as she clung to Zoey with trembling arms. She could feel the instinct thrumming inside her Alpha, heavy and wild, an unrelenting need that pulsed through their bond and drowned her in it. Her own body had surrendered completely, responding to every raw demand - clenching, arching, sobbing out broken pleas she couldn’t control.

The renewed mark on her neck stung where Zoey’s bite still bled sluggishly. It pulsed in time with Zoey’s knotted thrusting, locked tight inside her, the bond screaming with every throb. Her words were slurred when they left her lips, little more than whimpers caught in sobbing breaths. “You f-feel - so good -”

Zoey snarled at the words, hips jerking so hard Mira’s body bowed, a savage roll that tore another scream from her throat. “Omega,” Zoey rasped, voice shredded, more beast than human. “My Omega. You don’t leave. Never. Never. ”

Her nails clawed into Mira’s hips, bruises blooming purple and red where she gripped, forcing Mira flush against her body as if there weren’t already nowhere to go. She shifted just enough to bite at her again, jaw scraping down her throat, nipping and tasting until Mira’s skin was marked with raw, bruised declarations of ownership. Even in her haze, she only marked one side of Mira’s neck - a part of her knew instinctually that she was meant to share Mira, even though her actions said otherwise.

On the edge of the bed, Rumi trembled, her chest heaving as her demon-marked body shuddered with suppressed instincts. She’d thought she was spent, dominated into exhaustion by Zoey earlier, and would need more time - but watching this, watching Mira reduced to prey and Zoey turned feral with the need to claim, she felt that hunger clawing back to life inside her chest very, very fast.

The sight was devastating: Mira arched, flushed and whining, her thighs trembling and spread wide; Zoey, small but vicious, completely overtaken, rut-drunk and brutal, grinding her Omega into the mattress with nothing but raw instinct.

Rumi’s hand pressed into the sheets, nails digging deep, golden eyes fixed and wide. Every part of her screamed to pounce, to take, to join - but the memory of Zoey’s dominance earlier, the way she’d been forced down and made to bare her throat, kept her frozen. The humiliation still burned hot under her skin. And yet - watching Mira being taken like this, claimed without hesitation - her chest ached with a need so sharp she thought it might tear her apart.

Zoey’s growls shifted, low snarls turning into a steady rumbling purr, but it wasn’t gentle. It was predatory satisfaction, the sound of an Alpha who had caught her prey and locked her down forever. Her body rocked with Mira’s, knot locked, thrusts shallow and relentless despite how tightly they were sealed. The knot was now moving inside Mira with each thrust, and the feeling of the knot stretching so much more of her wider and wider was too much. 

Mira cried out, her body convulsing under the onslaught, pleasure and pain tangled into something feral that left her mind blank and her body trembling, broken open in surrender. She barely felt her own release when it ripped through her again - it was all just heat and fire and Zoey’s name, Zoey’s knot, Zoey’s seed pumping inside her.

Zoey ground deeper, panting hard, her hips moving even though it was useless - her body couldn’t stop. Her eyes were wild, glassy with instinct, lips pressed to Mira’s throat as she groaned against her skin. Mira was going limp in Zoey’s arms by this point, and she truly thought she was going to pass out. 

Rumi finally broke, a shuddered moan escaping her as her body bowed, heat clawing through her again despite the exhaustion. The humiliation of submission battled with the hunger of her instincts, leaving her torn and desperate as she clutched the sheets and whispered hoarsely, “Fuck - fuck, you’re both - so -”

Zoey’s head snapped toward her, eyes blazing, a growl curling sharp in her throat - not rejecting, not inviting, but a warning: she’s mine right now. And Mira, lost in the haze had no idea the predatory way Zoey was keeping Rumi at bay; she just sobbed Zoey’s name again and again, her body locked and shaking in the endless rut-driven storm.

Zoey’s body still hadn’t slowed. Even knotted, even trembling from release, her hips kept rolling in shallow, instinct-driven movements, forcing Mira to take every grind, every pulse of her Alpha’s possession. Her chest pressed hard against Mira’s chest now, mouth at her throat, breath hot and ragged as she whispered broken fragments of claim over and over.

Eventually after what felt like hours, Zoey had slowly maneuvered them into a different position, with Zoey now situated flush against Mira’s back, knotting being taken from behind. Zoey was holding Mira up by holding her legs open, wide, waiting. Subconsciously, they were making room for their third mate by pure instinct. 

The mark from Zoey on Mira’s neck burned like fire, heat faint under Zoey’s lips, sealing the bond with every ragged growl. The old mark from Rumi was burning just as bad, if not more, at the need for Rumi too. Her thighs shook from the strain, her voice hoarse from screaming - but through the haze of pleasure-drunk surrender, her hands still twitched outward. Reaching. Searching.

Her fingers clawed weakly at the air before flopping back to her side, no strength left to raise it.. A soft sob broke from her lips, raw and aching. “R-rumi -” 

Rumi froze, sitting on the mattress with her legs folded under her, chest heaving as she watched them. Her golden eyes widened, pupils blown as heat surged in her veins again. She’d thought she could only watch because of Zoey’s possessive knotting. But Mira’s voice broke her apart.

Mira tried reaching again, tears streaking her flushed cheeks as her voice cracked. Her eyes were so glazed over she probably wasn’t even seeing Rumi, she just knew her general direction from the waves of arousal that picked up. “Please - need you - both of you - inside -”

Zoey knew somewhere in the fog of her instincts that Mira wasn’t just hers. That she was Rumi’s too. At the moment it was really hard to slam down the territorial aggression she was finding out. But she was nothing if not stubborn, especially when it came to her mates.

Rumi hadn’t moved, every muscle in her body rigged with restraint. She thought she’d be warned off again, snarled at and pushed back into her place. But Zoey didn’t pull Mira away. She didn’t stop her. Instead, Zoey’s wild eyes lifted, locking onto Rumi’s. 

There was no threat this time. No challenge. Just raw possession and feral need blazing in her gaze for Rumi too, a wordless command that said come here and make her yours.

Rumi’s breath shuddered out, and slowly, she crawled forward on shaking limbs. The sheets twisted under her hands, her nails dragging deep lines into the fabric as her demon markings rippled green again, drawn closer by the raw magnetism of instinct.

Mira sobbed with relief when her hand finally brushed against Rumi’s, clutching desperately at her fingers. “Don’t - don’t leave - please, Rumi -”

Zoey snarled low, hips grinding harder as if spurred on by the sight of Rumi finally joining them. She pressed her mouth to the back of Mira’s shoulder, teeth grazing over raw, bitten skin, content to chew while Rumi kissed Mira breathless.

Mira’s body jolted against Zoey’s chest when Rumi’s kiss broke away, leaving her lips swollen, breath shivering as she tried to catch air. Her hand still clung to Rumi’s like a lifeline, knuckles white, nails digging into skin as though terrified Rumi might vanish if she let go.

“Rumi,” she whispered again, her voice wrecked, hoarse from pleading. “Don’t… don’t leave me - need you -”

Something inside Rumi tore wide open. The fear, the hesitation, the shame of submitting earlier - all of it burned away under the blaze of Mira’s desperate call. Her golden eyes flared bright, pupils thin slits as a guttural sound rattled out of her chest.

Her instincts screamed to take. To claim. To brand their Omega just as Zoey had.

“Mira…” Rumi’s voice cracked as her hand fisted in Mira’s hair, dragging her head back enough to see the glazed, tear-bright eyes staring up at her. “I - fuck, I can’t hold back anymore -” Her voice cracked as she whispered against Mira’s skin, “What if I can’t stop?”

Mira arched her neck willingly, baring her throat with the submission only an Omega could give. Her whisper was soft but sure, laced with instinct: “Then don’t stop. Please. I need you, Rumi.”

Rumi’s mouth crashed onto hers again, brutal and claiming, her fangs grazing Mira’s lip until she tasted blood. The copper tang only sent her deeper into a frenzy. She tore her lips away long enough to growl against Mira’s mouth, “Mine too. You’re mine too, Mira. Never forget that.”

Zoey tightened her grip around Mira’s waist, a growl vibrating against Mira’s throat like agreement, her breath ragged but her arms taking Mira’s legs and holding them open wide and inviting. Mira’s scent flooding the air with arousal. “She’s calling you,” Zoey ground out, her voice guttural, half-feral. “Stop fighting it. You’re hers as much as she’s ours.”

Rumi’s gaze darted between them - Mira’s tear-bright eyes begging her to give in, Zoey’s feral dominance telling her she better. Her throat worked again, a broken sound slipping free. She lowered her mouth to Mira’s neck, hovering over the marking she’d left there weeks ago. Her fangs ached to sink in, to claim again, harder, deeper.

And then she bit, her teeth sinking into Mira’s older mark, sealing her surrender to instinct at last. 

Rumi’s bite was not gentle. It wasn’t meant to be. Her fangs sank into Mira’s Mark, the taste of her Omega flooding her tongue, and Mira cried out faintly. The burn of Rumi’s mark ignited against Mira’s neck, hot enough that Zoey’s growl deepened, her own mark answering in pulsing waves.

Mira’s body went pliant, trembling with the bliss of being taken, owned, worshipped by both of them. Every nerve screamed for more.

Rumi pulled back just enough to look at her, lips slick with blood and saliva, pupils blown so wide the gold in her eyes was only a rim. She was gone, lost to instinct. “You’re mine,” she snarled, voice breaking, “Ours - but mine .”

Zoey’s hand slid up Rumi’s spine, nails raking just enough to sting. Her freckled face was twisted in something savage, half pride and half lust. “Finally,” Zoey rasped, voice guttural, “you stopped fighting it.”

Rumi gave a wordless sound - half growl, half broken whimper - and she started rubbing her member against Mira’s entrance, the feeling making Mira start to panic a little. She had two knots in her before, sure, but two knots of rutting Alphas…she could already tell she was done for with just the one, let alone two.

Zoey still had her arms holding Mira’s legs open from behind, keeping her steady open, guiding her. Her voice brushed Mira’s ear like smoke, low and dark: “Breathe. Take it.”

Rumi’s body shook with the effort of holding back, but she didn’t hold back for very long. The second Mira’s slick scent hit her nose, she snapped. With one brutal thrust, she drove into Mira, burying herself to the hilt. The scream Mira gave was half agony, half sheer ecstasy.

Her vision went white at the edges, her body straining between the two Alphas that owned her completely. It was a wonder how she didn’t pass out right then and there. 

It was too much, not enough, too painful, not painful enough - 

Zoey snarled in satisfaction, pressing her lips against Mira’s temple, murmuring broken encouragements between growls. “Good girl. That’s it. Take her. Look at you. Take us both so well.”

Rumi was getting feral now, her thrusts punishing, each one punctuated by a guttural growl against Mira’s throat. Her claws were clenching Zoey’s shoulders, helping to anchor her in place while she thrusted violently. She kept her teeth grazing Mira’s Mark, like she couldn’t decide whether to bite again or just devour her whole.

Mira sobbed out their names, her hands clutching wildly - one tangled back in Zoey’s hair, the other gripping Rumi’s waist hard enough her nails broke skin. She wanted them both, needed them both. “R-Rumi - Zoey - please -” She really didn’t know what she was pleading for.

The bond between them flared so hot and bright it was almost unbearable. Mira could feel Rumi’s torment turning into abandon, could feel Zoey’s feral pride in forcing Rumi to give in, could feel their combined desire flooding through her veins like fire. When Rumi shifted her hips, angling deeper, Mira nearly broke. Rumi caught her scream against her mouth, kissing her hungrily, feeding on her every cry.

And then Rumi growled against her mouth, voice ruined with desperation. “Mine. Ours. Take mine. Now.” It was as close to a warning as Rumi could give Mira that she was nearing her limit.

Mira arched into both of them, tears streaking her face, pure ecstasy written in every trembling muscle. “Yes,” she begged, broken and raw, rambling at this point anything that came to her head. “Do it - please - oh gods - claim me - knot me - breed me -”

That’s all it took.

Rumi’s roar tore through the room, amplified by her half-demon side, so guttural and raw it rattled the glass in the windows. She slammed forward one last time, burying herself so deep inside Mira that her whole body locked tight around her Alpha. The swelling of her knot stretched Mira wide, forcing her open until she thought she might break - then it slid into place pressed tight against Zoey’s knot with brutal finality, locking all of them together.

Mira screamed Zoey’s and Rumi’s names over and over, her voice shattering into sobs of pleasure. Her body convulsed, a mix of their seed and her slick leaking down her thighs as she clamped desperately around the intrusion. The burn, the stretch, the heat - it was overwhelming, too much, but she craved it even harder. Every nerve screamed that this was what she was made for: to be bound, filled, claimed.

Rumi snarled against her throat, her teeth digging in just enough to bruise, hips grinding as the knot fully swelled. Her entire frame trembled with the force of it, with the way her instincts had finally consumed her. “Mine,” she rasped against Mira’s skin, voice hoarse, cracking with emotion. “Ours. Always Ours.”

Zoey’s arms stayed locked around Mira from behind, holding her steady as Rumi’s feral strength shook the bed. Mira would’ve been overwhelmed, tossed helplessly, if Zoey weren’t grounding her, whispering rough encouragement against her ear. “That’s it. Take us. So good. So perfect. So full. Good girl.”

Such a good girl for them.

Mira’s eyes rolled back, her body caught in the spiral of it - her veins burning with the heat of both bonds flaring at once. The two flames crashed together inside her, consuming her completely.

She reached for Rumi blindly, her hand shaking as it found the Alpha’s jaw. Rumi snapped at the touch at first - feral, instinct-broken - but when Mira cupped her face, when Mira whispered “Please,” Rumi collapsed into it. Her growl cracked into a broken whine as she buried herself even deeper, hips locking hard as wave after wave of release tore through her.

The knot swelled to its full size, sealing Mira in place, and Mira shattered around her. Her cry filled the room, body seizing against both her Alphas, every nerve ending screaming with the ecstasy of being filled so completely, so undeniably owned.

The room reeked of them - sweat, slick, heat, rut, and instinct. The knots locked inside her kept pulsing, spreading molten waves through her core, but even that wasn’t enough to satisfy both Alphas. At all.

Rumi trembled in front of her, still snarling softly as she tried to recover. But a rut didn’t let go. The heat didn’t ease. Every twitch of Mira’s body, every ragged moan, only dragged another growl out of her. The knot made sure they were trapped, Mira’s body milking her desperately. Rumi braced herself against Zoey’s shoulders, chest heaving, pupils blown so wide the gold was almost gone.

Zoey’s teeth sank into the base of Mira’s neck again, right over her bond mark, as she rutted hard inside Mira, the motion frantic, almost painful. Her voice was nothing but broken muttering, half to Mira, half to herself in time with her thrusting. “Gonna ruin. You. Gonne breed. Until. You can’t even. Beg for. More.”

The sound of it made Mira sob, her body convulsing as another climax tore through her, squeezing down on their knots so hard that Rumi choked on a growl. “Gods - fuck - she’s milking me -” Rumi’s claws pierced Zoey’s freckled shoulders faintly, her demon strength barely restrained. Zoey hissed with pleasure. Rumi’s markings were shimmering such a deep green it looked almost black.

The three of them were tangled, trembling, the air thick with rut, with heat, with the undeniable pull of instinct. And it wasn’t going to stop - not tonight, not tomorrow. Zoey’s rut had barely begun. Rumi’s was nowhere near sated. Mira’s heat, fanned into existence by both of them, was only going to spiral higher.

Days. They had days of this. Days of being trapped together in sweat-soaked sheets, every breath thick with pheromones, every second on the edge of snapping again. And Mira knew - deep in her bones, in the burning of her marks - that she didn’t want it any other way.

Mira didn’t know where one knot ended and the other began. She was stretched so impossibly full that her body was trembling from the strain, locked down on both of them - Zoey behind her, Rumi in front. Two Alphas, both buried deep, both tied to her with the pulsing emotions of their bond, wild and untamed. She could feel every twitch, every throb, every broken groan vibrating through their chests against her skin.

Her mind should have fractured under it, but they kept her from shattering. Their emotions, their lust, their desperation, their love - it all collided inside her head, a storm of sensation that her body soaked up until she thought she’d drown in it.

“Fuck -” Zoey’s forehead pressed against Mira’s shoulder, her freckled cheeks flushed dark, sweat streaking down her jaw. She was panting hard, fighting her instincts even as her hips rutted shallowly, her knot jerking against Mira’s insides. “So tight. So good.”

Mira made a sound like she was getting close again. They lost count how many times that had been. Honestly she could hardly feel it anymore until it was right there.

Zoey lifted her head at the sound, eyes blazing, and growled into Mira’s ear, “Let go.”

Mira’s body answered before her mind could form words, a high, wrecked cry spilling from her throat as another wave of climax broke. Her walls clamped down around both knots, milking them hard enough to make both Alphas shudder violently against her. Slick continued to leak out more and more. She felt so full.

Zoey’s laugh was breathless, feral. “She wants it. She’s begging.”

Instinct was winning. The rut was winning. Neither of them could stop themselves, not with Mira writhing between them, dripping, begging, clamping down around both of their knots like she was made to take them both at once. They were locked, all three of them, their bodies bound by biology and bond alike, with no escape for hours.

And that was only the start.

Zoey’s hands roamed over her sides and stomach in slow, deliberate motions, teasing, pinching, holding, as she ground her hips against Mira’s already swollen, wet body. Every shiver Mira gave only made Zoey’s growl deepen, a feral sound that pressed against her shoulder and rattled her spine. Mira’s own instincts were screaming, but the haze dulled everything but the need and awareness of the two Alphas claiming her.

Rumi’s claws dug shallow grooves into Zoey beneath Mira, holding her pinned between them. Her breathing was ragged, lips parted in a feral snarl, golden eyes flashing with possessiveness. Mira could feel the demon fire under Rumi’s skin, pulsing in response to the rut, her demon markings pulsing with tension even though she tried to remain in control. Every little movement of Mira pressed Rumi’s knot deeper, eliciting a groan that was equal parts pain, pleasure, and desperate need.

Time became meaningless. Minutes, hours - Mira couldn’t tell. Her world had narrowed to heat, scent, muscle, and the harsh, intoxicating press of her bonded Alphas against her. Every thought beyond survival and instinct was drowned out by the dual pull of Zoey and Rumi, their emotions streaming directly into her mind through the bond. They were frustrated, lustful, jealous of each other, and simultaneously begging her to submit, to be hers entirely.

Mira moaned into the heat, her hands shaking as she tried to touch both of them at once - Zoey’s shoulder, Rumi’s hip - just to ground herself like before, but she had no strength left. She wanted to calm them, to keep them from tearing each other apart in the haze, but her body had begun to betray her instincts. Every pulse of their knots inside her made her walls clamp reflexively, every brush of their pheromones set her nerve endings on fire.

They fought over her again, growling and snapping in half-conscious aggression, but never letting go, never hurting each other. Rumi shifted, rolling her hips against Mira’s trembling thighs, while Zoey ground into her from behind, claws digging, muscles straining. The dual knots were relentless, stretching her, filling her, making her feel like she’d been broken open to nothing but sensation.

Her markings flared, heat rippling across her neck and shoulders, as her body became the conduit for their shared instincts. Mira’s mind floated in the haze of their bond, tasting lust, love, and primal need all at once. She could sense their dominance, their desperation to mark her, claim her, and she wanted it . She wanted both of them, all of them, even if it hurt, even if she had no control left.

Her cries became moans, moans became shudders, and the haze deepened until she could barely tell where she ended and they began. Every flex of the knots, every rutting motion, every possessive grip, sent her spiraling higher, hotter, faster. The slow burn of the rut had begun - and Mira knew it was only going to intensify over the coming days.

Her body was theirs. Their scent was in her blood. Their heat was in her bones. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Hours slipped into a blur. Mira lost count of how many times she was rolled, flipped, pinned, or claimed from every angle, her body stretched, filled, and used by both Alphas. Each movement of Zoey and Rumi was a surge of fire and instinct, yet through the haze, Mira felt their moments of restraint, their concern, and their love. The bond carried it all: the need, the possessiveness, the longing, the worry that they might hurt her if they lost themselves completely.

Mira’s own body barely knew a moment of rest. Every shiver, every clench, every gasp set off a chain reaction between the three of them. The double claim, the intensity of their combined ruts, amplified her pleasure and her desperation beyond what she’d thought possible. She was being broken open repeatedly, yet her mind clung to tiny fragments of clarity: “I’m yours. I’m yours. I’m yours.” Like a prayer to placate them.

They rotated between claiming, pressing, and holding. Sometimes it was just Zoey, sometimes just Rumi, normally both. Mira was just anywhere they wanted, a trembling, wet, marked mess of need and submission, moaning and whining as she took them both. The feeling of being so full of both of their seed was intoxicating. Honestly she was sure most of it at this point was probably soaked into the bed - her body couldn’t hold anymore, her lower waist bloated.

As the hours dragged on, exhaustion began to seep in, but the rut wasn’t forgiving. Sleep was impossible to sustain for long - every pulse of the knots, every brush of skin, every scent-triggered instinct kept her heart racing and her core hot and aching. Mira learned to catch brief breaths between waves, to cling to her bond to ground herself, to feel the moments of tenderness amidst the primal chaos.

By the second day, their rhythm was almost unconscious. Zoey and Rumi had moments of feral dominance, snapping at each other over who would get more of Mira, then moments of clarity where they would pause, panting, to grab each other in a mad embrace. Those were the moments where Mira could slip into sleep, until they came back for her. Mira began to feel like the center of a living storm, wrapped in fire and desire and love, and she liked it , even as it burned her out.

Even exhaustion couldn’t stop the instinct. They took turns holding her, rutting into her, claiming her, then pulling back just long enough for a breath, a kiss, a whispered name, a quick bathroom break, before plunging back into the haze. Mira couldn’t even tell if she actually went to the bathroom when one of them would sit her on the toilet, her insides were dripping so much slick and seed out of her that it dripped into the toilet and sounded like she was going. Mira’s mind blurred with the sensation, her body perpetually clenched around both of them, soaked and trembling, and yet she never doubted that she was exactly where she belonged: sandwiched, claimed, and loved fiercely by the two Alphas who were hers.

By the end of the second day, their bodies were slick with sweat, their hair matted, their muscles sore, and yet the rut pulsed relentlessly in their veins. Mira’s moans were raw, guttural now, her voice cracking with pleasure as she writhed between them, nails digging into Zoey’s shoulder and Rumi’s back, trying to cling to both. The bond flared constantly, a white-hot tether that kept them locked together even when logic failed, even when instinct threatened to overtake them completely.

By the third day, Mira’s world had narrowed to the heat, the knots, and the bond that tethered her to Zoey and Rumi. Hours blurred together as waves of instinct rose and fell, and yet, amid the haze, tiny moments of clarity began to appear. Even in the rut, her Alphas were careful enough to keep her fed, watered, and alive.

Zoey was holding Mira in her arms koala-style, the reverse of a couple days ago after the press conference. Except this time, Zoey was knot deep in Mira once more, carrying her into the kitchen. Each step jostled Mira enough she would whimper. Rumi was already in the kitchen getting them water and some small snacks. None of them ate a full meal, just little things here and there to stay sane.

Zoey held her hand under Mira’s chin, tilting her head back so Mira could sip from a straw without interrupting the pressure of her knot. “Drink, baby,” she rasped, her voice low, feral, but soft enough to let a thread of comfort slip through.

Rumi hovered behind, pressing her chest into Mira’s back while running a hand over the curve of her hip, giving Mira the support she needed in that moment to take big gulps of water. She murmured, almost tenderly, “Eat too. Don’t pass out.” and started feeding her small pieces of cheese and fruits.

Even with the haze thick around them, Mira marveled at the care. Instinct made her feel like prey between two Alphas, but the bond - and the love hidden inside that instinct - was undeniable. She could feel the careful, deliberate touches meant to keep her from collapsing, even as their ruts demanded everything of her.

She nibbled at the food Zoey pressed into her mouth and sipped water from the straw slowly. Mira felt Rumi nuzzle the back of her neck and nibble her in the same spot over and over, with a different kind of intensity - less chaotic than the first day, more controlled, tempered by the fierce care only bonded mates could offer.

“Still with us?” Zoey growled softly, nipping the side of Mira’s jaw. 

Mira could only nod feebly. She hated being seen as this weak in front of them, but in her defense, it was entirely their fault she was like this. That thought gave her both comfort and thrill.

The fourth day stretched on like a slow-burning fire, the intensity of the rut finally beginning to ebb, leaving Mira raw, trembling, and utterly spent. Every nerve ending still pulsed with overstimulation, every inch of her skin tingling from the memory of Zoey and Rumi’s relentless possession over the past days. Her walls were sore, muscles trembling around the knots that had claimed her, but even through the haze, she could sense the slow pull of clarity returning.

Zoey’s grip, still firm on her hips, began to ease just slightly, though her body remained pressed hard against Mira’s, chest flush against hers, breaths ragged. Rumi’s hands, hot and possessive, slowly slid along her spine and shoulders, easing tension that had built into knots in Mira’s muscles. The scent of both Alphas still clung to her, thick, feral, and intoxicating - but softer now, less demanding, less urgent.

Mira exhaled shakily, head buried between Zoey’s collarbone and shoulder, trembling as she felt their hold on her loosening. Her body was still impossibly full, still alive with the residual heat of their knots, but the overwhelming pull of their rut - the incessant, all-consuming desire - was finally subsiding. For the first time in days, she felt almost normal. Almost… human again.

Mira sagged against them both, trembling, body sticky and sore, hair matted, muscles exhausted, but a small, weary smile tugged at her lips. Her chest heaved as she breathed in their scents, every inhale a reminder of how completely she had been claimed. She shivered as the last wave of instinct finally receded, leaving her with a full, deep awareness of her body and her Alphas. They looked like they had also come to their senses. 

Zoey and Rumi finally pulled entirely away after their knots went down for the final time, letting Mira collapse onto the bed between them, the mattress soaked beyond repair beneath her sore limbs. Mira felt so weird after being filled so intensely for days, the lingering heat of their presence leaving her trembling. She could still feel the ghost of their knots, a warm, pulsing reminder that even now, even as the rut ebbed, she belonged to them entirely.

Zoey collapsed onto the mattress beside her, chest heaving, hair mussed, eyes half-lidded with feral satisfaction slowly softening into tender warmth. She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Mira’s flushed cheek, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. “You were so good for us,” she murmured. “You take us so well.”

Rumi settled on the other side, still heavy and warm, hands running over Mira’s arms, back, and shoulders, careful now, deliberate. “I think we're done,” she said quietly, a small smile breaking through the exhaustion. “You survived us both, and we didn’t break you. That’s saying something.”

Mira let herself sink fully into the warmth and weight of them, finally free from the haze, yet still tethered by the bond that pulsed softly in her mind. She exhaled, feeling the full depth of her relief, satisfaction, and love. 

Zoey grinned, playful even in exhaustion, brushing her nose against Mira’s. “You’re incredible,” she teased softly, though the possessiveness still lingered in her gaze. “We love you. Don’t forget that.”

Rumi hummed against Mira’s temple, hands still lingering over her body protectively. “Every inch of you,” she murmured. “Always.”

Mira closed her eyes, finally allowing herself to melt fully against them, body and soul spent, utterly claimed, utterly loved, utterly theirs. The haze was gone, the full feral heat had ended, but the bond - raw, tender, possessive, and eternal - remained, and would take a while to settle back to the regular flow of emotions they have on the daily. And for the first time in days, she could simply rest, in the quiet warmth and safety of the two Alphas she had loved and who had never let her go.

Although she desperately wished they weren’t passing out on a sopping wet mattress. 

Chapter Text

The morning light slanted across the wreck of the room, gilding the chaos they’d left in their wake of the rut. Sheets shredded and stained, furniture shoved off balance, claw marks scarring the bed frame and walls. The storm had passed, but the air still carried the weight of it, clinging thick and heavy to their skin.

Mira lay between them, her body aching in every place she could name, her head pillowed against Zoey’s chest. Rumi curved tight around her back, her arm draped like an anchor across Mira’s waist, her demon-marked skin warm and grounding. At that moment she was glad that Rumi’s body was literally a personal space heater. 

For the first time in days, there was stillness. Not silence - they could feel one another in the bond too closely for that - but stillness. Peace. Zoey’s pulse under Mira’s cheek. Rumi’s steady, protective breathing at her back. Mira could tell through the bond that they were all awake. For a moment none of them spoke, the silence thick, punctuated only by their slow breathing.

Finally, Mira spoke weakly. It was small at first, almost unsure, before it spilled out, soft and hoarse. “We… we destroyed the place.”

Her gaze flicked around, and the truth hit harder than the humor. The sheets were shredded. Pillow feathers drifted in lazy tufts through the air. The wood of the headboard bore deep claw marks. Even the wall carried the evidence of hands, claws, and desperate grips. One of the nightstands had toppled completely, a broken lamp lying in pieces across the floor. And much to Mira’s horror, her bed was literally soaked with their fluids and beyond saving.

Zoey rubbed her face and groaned again, this time with embarrassment. “Oh, shit. Bobby’s gonna kill us. How do we even explain this without sounding like we just destroyed your room while fucking you for days. I certainly don’t want to tell him.”

Rumi’s sharp laugh cracked out, low and tired, her voice husky. “I don’t want to hear it from you Zo, you’re the one that dug us into that TMI hole in the first place. Poor Bobby”

Mira rolled onto her back, wincing at the soreness that ran through her hips, her thighs, everywhere. She felt a lingering heat in her vaginal area, a combination of being irritated and swollen. She felt worse than when she got her ass handed to her by a horde of demons. But her smile stayed. There was something grounding in seeing the destruction together - the proof of what they’d endured, what they’d given each other, and what they’d survived.

Zoey flopped back, stretching her arms out above her head, grimacing as muscles popped. “I don’t even remember half of it,” she admitted. “It’s all kind of… a blur of heat and fighting and -” her cheeks flushed hot, “ - Mira.”

That last word came out reverent, almost guilty. Like she did something she shouldn’t have.

Mira reached over and took her hand, squeezing gently. Her other hand brushed against Rumi’s wrist where the half-demon was picking at a torn pillow. “You don’t need to remember everything,” she whispered. “I just… I know I’ve never felt more wanted. More loved. More yours.”

Rumi’s eyes softened at that, though her shoulders stayed tense. Her markings still glowing faintly with blues. “We could’ve hurt you - I could’ve hurt you,” she murmured, almost to herself. “I was so close… too close.”

Mira grabbed Rumi’s hand that was picking at the ruined pillow. “But you didn’t,” she said firmly. “Neither of you did. You took care of me. Of each other. This -” she gestured to the room, the ruin of it, the ache in her body “ - this is proof we made it through.”

Zoey let out a shaky laugh of relief, while behind her, Rumi’s chest eased against her spine. But that shared bond - the tether that tied them together - was too strong to hide behind words. They both felt the flicker of her unease, the undertow of something sharp in her chest.

“Mira,” Rumi murmured against her shoulder, voice a low vibration Mira felt before she heard. “What’s wrong, love?”

Mira froze. The question slammed into her, gut-punch sudden, and the answer stuck in her throat. She could feel the way both of them already began to stiffen, feeling the spiraling anxiety and fear..

“I just realized…kinda too late…that I’m not on birth control,” she whispered hesitatingly.

The silence was instant and absolute. Her pulse thudded painfully in her ears, and she felt the echo of their reactions - Zoey’s shock like a flare, Rumi’s worry surrounding them. Their pheromones were leaking out in a panic, the bond swirling.

“What do you mean?” Zoey’s voice was tight, ragged at the edges.

“I never needed it,” Mira blurted, panic rushing fast, infecting the bond until all three of them were reeling. “I was an alpha - my whole life. My doctor never even suggested it. After I got my scent glands back. She just said there was an increased chance of…I didn’t think I’d ever -” 

“Stop.” Rumi’s voice broke through, low and steady but carrying enough weight to still them. She pulled Mira’s hands from her face, forcing her to meet her eyes. Her touch was gentle, but her emotions poured through the bond like a flood: certainty, devotion, love. “Calm down sweetie, you’re going to make yourself sick.” 

Mira was still reeling. The bond carried it - every flicker of disbelief, every jagged edge of fear - as if she’d been split open and couldn’t gather herself back together. Then Rumi said something that made all of Mira’s spiraling emotions grind to a complete stop:

“You’d make a great mom.” Rumi said, looking Mira directly in the eyes. Mira felt like the world stopped at that moment. Rumi smoothed her hand over Mira’s disheveled pink hair, her voice quiet, steady. “Not that it has to happen. Not now. Not ever, unless you want it. There’s no pressure at all. You don’t want kids, then we don’t have kids. We don’t need little ones to love you.”

Zoey pressed a kiss to Mira’s temple, her emotions weaving through the bond like a warm blanket. “But if it ever did happen,” she whispered, “it would be the greatest honor of our lives. Any child would be lucky to have you as a mom.”

Mira’s throat closed. She wasn’t used to this - being told she was worthy, being told she could be more than what she feared. All her life, family had been something she’d watched from the outside. Her own mother had seen her three times. Three times in twenty-six years. Never long enough to be anything more than a stranger with shared blood.

And her family had treated her like a problem to solve, a disappointment to bury, not someone to love. Her brother only ever looked at Mira like she was the bug under his shoe, and her father…

Let’s just say, Mira learned how to defend herself from a young age against attacks from a much bigger foe.

So to hear this - that she could be a great mom, that her pack believed in her more than she could ever believe in herself - was overwhelming in a way she couldn’t hide.

Her chest ached, tears burning before she could blink them back. She ducked her head, but the bond betrayed her, spilling her emotions into them: the grief of what she’d never had, the terror of repeating it, the bone-deep yearning for something different.

“I -” her voice cracked, raw and unsteady. “I don’t… I don’t know how to be…a mom. I never had anyone. My mom - she didn’t care. She barely even looked at me. My father - he only cared about making sure I flinched whenever he moved. And I keep thinking, if I am anything like them -” She broke off, shaking her head, ashamed.

Zoey caught her chin gently, tilting her face up. Her eyes were shining, fierce with love. “But you aren’t them. Either of them. You’re you.”

Rumi’s arms tightened around her from behind, her low voice cutting through the spiral happening in Mira’s mind. “And even if you can’t see it yet… we can. We feel you, Mira. All the love you hold back, all the ways you care. That’s who you are. That’s the part that would make you a good mom. Not blood. Not the family you came from. Not their actions against you.”

The bond thrummed with their conviction, steadying, pouring into her like light into cracks she’d spent years trying to seal shut.

Mira couldn’t stop the tears this time. They slid hot and silent down her cheeks, her chest heaving with the force of feelings she didn’t know how to contain. Normally, she kept things locked up tight - emotions hidden behind sharpness and bravado. But family was a wound that never fully healed, and their words pressed right against it.

Zoey kissed the corner of her eye, catching a tear. “We love you, Mira. That’s all that matters. If kids ever happen? They’d be the luckiest little demons in the world with three moms.”

Rumi pressed her forehead to Mira’s shoulder, voice a low promise. “But if they don’t happen, if it’s just us - this pack, this bond - that’s already everything I could ever want.”

Their certainty drowned out her fear, the bond carrying nothing but devotion, love, safety. Mira clutched at both of them, trembling, overwhelmed, but held together by the truth of it: for the first time in her life, she belonged to a family who loved her unconditionally.

And the weight of that, after everything, meant more than she could ever say.

====

After an agonizingly long span of time, all three of them had managed to drag each other out of the ruined room and into the largest bathroom to bathe and put on actual clothes. Mira was trying her best to act normal but her core throbbed with every movement, her knees wanted to buckle with every step, and she couldn’t stop her arms from shaking. They didn’t say anything, but Mira could feel the other two were amused watching her insist she was perfectly fine to walk on her own. Even as she had to limp to even put one foot in front of the other. 

The three of them were tangled together on the couch, a mess of blankets and limbs after a quick kimbap breakfast, the late-morning sun muted through drawn curtains. Mira sat between them, knees pulled up, one of Rumi’s hands resting on her thigh while Zoey’s arm looped protectively around her shoulders. The bond was thick and steady - love, calm, safety - threaded into her even as her chest tightened.

Mira felt like she needed to talk. To tell her mates about her father, if anything.

She’d never talked about him. Not to anyone. Even thinking about him usually shut her down, froze her blood. But something about the way Rumi had whispered she’d be a good mom, the way Zoey had looked at her with such unshakable belief - it cracked something inside her. The words started spilling before she could stop them.

“My father…” The syllables caught, jagged in her throat. She swallowed hard, eyes fixed on her knees. “He was… he is the embodiment of fear for me. Still. He made sure of that.”

Neither Zoey nor Rumi moved, but the bond surged; steadying warmth, slow waves of reassurance. They didn’t push, didn’t press. Just waited . Zoey pressed a slow, grounding kiss into her hair. Rumi’s pheromones wrapped her in something warm and safe, soothing the spike of terror in Mira’s chest enough to let her keep going.

“He was disappointed in me from the second I was born.” Mira’s voice was flat, detached, but the bond vibrated with her grief, her shame. “Because I was an Omega. That was my crime. My existence.”

Mira’s breathing hitched, and the next words came sharper, faster, like if she didn’t force them out now she never would. “It was his decision to have my scent glands removed. He arranged it - illegal surgeons, middle of the night. They came into my room, in the guest house. Sedated me. But only enough to subdue me long enough to cut me open. I couldn’t move, but I could feel it. Every cut.” Her hand flew unconsciously to the side of her neck, fingers pressing against skin that bore no scars but still remembered. “They cut them out. Both sides. Sewed me up with a needle and thread like some damn jacket that needed mended.”

Rumi sniffled and squeezed Mira’s thigh harder. Zoey’s hand stroked her shoulder, slow, grounding, silently telling her she wasn’t alone here.

“They left me there, in my bed,” Mira whispered. “Bleeding. I was just a kid. No one sat with me, no one… no one cared if I made it through the night. I was ‘lucky’.”

“It wasn’t until after the surgery that he even acknowledged me,” she said, her voice rough with bitterness. “Before that, I was nothing. A mistake. After? I was a project. His project. He started raising me under his direct guidance - strict lessons, stricter discipline. He wanted me to be an Alpha. Strong, ruthless. Like him.”

Her throat closed, but she forced the words out, trembling. “He didn’t start truly disciplining me until then. I thought it hurt before, but…every mistake, every hesitation, every moment of weakness…he would make sure I didn’t fail him the next time.”

Zoey’s tears spilled over, as did Rumi’s. The grief they felt for their beloved Omega to have gone through that all alone broke them.

“I guess the one good thing that came out of all that is I learned early on how to defend myself. I had to, to survive the years through his discipline.” Mira was gripping her own hands so hard her knuckles were white. “It was thanks to running away that Celine found me and brought me to you two. And, I’d do it all again if it meant I could be with you two, as fucked up as it sounds.”

Silence stretched, heavy and raw. Mira stared at the carpet, blinking hard against the sting in her eyes. Her hands were shaking, her body tight as a bowstring. She’d never said anything about her father outloud; as though speaking about it - about him - would speak him into existence. But something in the way her mates had been treating her told her that they deserved to know everything about her, and she truly wanted them to. It was a weird feeling, wanting to be open with people. It scared her a little.

But the bond didn’t recoil. It wasn't filled with pity or disgust or disappointment. It surged, alive with warmth, love, protectiveness.

Zoey shifted closer, pressing her forehead to Mira’s temple, her voice low, steady, unyielding. “You survived him. That’s not weakness. That’s strength.”

Rumi’s arms tightened around her waist from the other side, her voice just as quiet, fierce with certainty. “And you’re not what he tried to make you. You’re you, Mira. I’m so, so sorry you had to go through all of that alone. But thank you for telling us, I know it was hard. We’re so proud of you, you know that right?”

Their emotions swirled around her - love, comfort, a shelter she’d never had. Mira sniffled and said through tears, “I do, I do know. You’re my family.”

The three of them were pressed into the couch as though distance wasn’t possible anymore - Rumi curled against Mira’s side, her arms around Mira’s waist, Zoey stretched along her other flank, head on her shoulder. Their legs were tangled, bodies pressed so close that Mira could feel every rise and fall of their breathing.

Zoey was the first to speak after Mira’s halting confession about her father. Her voice was low, careful but firm, her hand tightening around Mira’s hip. “Mira… you know…that wasn’t discipline. That was abuse . You…know that, right?” She had noticed that Mira hadn’t once said the words ‘abuse’ or ‘hit’ or ‘punishment’, and it rubbed her the wrong way. 

The word landed like a blade. Mira’s whole body went rigid, the old familiar fear crashing against her ribs. She jerked her head toward Zoey, eyes flashing with something close to anger. “No. Don’t call it that. It was discipline . Discipline that I survived .” Her voice cracked, trembling under the weight of the words. “If I call it abuse, then I’m weak . If I call it abuse, then I let him win .”

Through the bond, her panic spiked - ragged, suffocating waves battering them both. Zoey and Rumi caught it instantly and pushed back, their emotions flooding her with warmth and steadiness, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the sharp edges cutting inside her.

Rumi lifted her head, her dark eyes glistening. “Mira… I know what you’re feeling. Because I told myself the same thing with Celine.”

Mira blinked at her, thrown. Rumi never spoke of Celine unless she had to. Especially after the night of the Idol Awards. 

“She never raised a hand against me,” Rumi said quietly, voice tight with bitterness. “But she didn’t have to. She broke me down piece by piece with her words. Told me I was special, chosen, loved - but only if I stayed exactly the way she wanted me. She made me believe my entire worth came from her approval, and she always held it just out of reach.” Her lips trembled before flattening into a hard line. “I thought that was love. I thought I needed her. I would’ve stayed in her shadow forever if it wasn’t for you and Zoey. You sat me down and told me it wasn’t devotion. It was control. It wasn’t love. It was abuse.”

The word hung heavy in the air, pressing down on Mira until her chest hurt. She shook her head, voice hoarse. “That’s different. You don’t understand -”

Zoey’s voice cut in, raw and shaking but steady enough to hold. “She does, Mira. And so do I.”

Mira’s eyes shot to her, stunned. Zoey’s expression was carved with grief, her dark eyes unwavering.

“My parents split when I was twelve,” Zoey said carefully, choosing her words with care. “My mom moved back here, and I stayed in California with my dad. He… wasn’t always bad. Not at first. But after the divorce, he started drinking. And when he drank, he hit me. Every day, for years .” Her breath shuddered, her arm tightening around Mira’s hand as though holding her steady was the only way she could keep speaking. “I never knew what version of him I was going to get. The one who ignored me or the one who snapped at the smallest thing. And I told myself the same lie: ‘you’re not weak, Zoey. You’re strong for surviving it. You’re strong because you’re still standing.’”

The bond surged with Zoey’s pain, sharp and trembling, and Mira flinched at the force of it. She had no idea that Zoey had gone through this with her father. Neither did Rumi from the look on her face as she stared at Zoey. Rumi reached over and placed her hand on top of Zoey's that was holding Mira’s and squeezed. 

“I hated him for it. But I hated myself more . Because I thought if I admitted he abused me, it meant he broke me. That I was too much for him. That I wasn’t enough to stop him.” Zoey’s jaw clenched, her voice cracking. “But the truth is - children don’t stop monsters. We survive them. And surviving doesn’t make us weak. It makes us unbreakable.”

Rumi’s hand pressed into Mira’s waist, grounding her. “Mira, you’ve been telling yourself it wasn’t abuse because that’s the only way you could survive it. But you don’t have to keep telling yourself that anymore. Not with us.”

The bond surged, fierce and overwhelming - love and conviction and raw devotion crashing through her until she couldn’t breathe. Their emotions pressed against every jagged wound inside her, filling all the cracks her father had left behind.

Her chest caved, a sob ripping out of her throat. She clutched at them desperately, trembling so hard she thought she might break apart completely. And for once, she didn’t hide it. She let herself be seen. And this time, instead of silence in a dark room locked away from the world, there were arms around her, warmth pressed into her, and two voices whispering through the bond: We love you. You’re safe. You’re ours.

Her sobs wracked through her body, sharp and painful, like each one was tearing something loose inside her chest. Rumi’s fingers threaded through her hair, Zoey’s thumb brushed slow circles into her skin, and their presence pressed in on every side of her until she wasn’t sure where she ended and they began. The bond pulsed like a heartbeat, carrying warmth into all the places she had always kept cold.

“I -” Mira choked, her throat seizing around the words. Her whole body trembled, and her nails dug into her palms as if that could keep her grounded. She had never said it. Not once. To say it meant it was real. To say it meant everything she had built to survive in this awful world would collapse.

Rumi whispered softly against her temple, “We’ve got you. Let yourself say it.”

Her breath stuttered, broken, as if her lungs refused to hold air. Tears blurred her vision until all she saw were their faces - so close, so steady, so heartbreakingly full of love.

Mira’s lips trembled. Her voice cracked on the first word again. “He…” She swallowed hard, the old terror trying to strangle her throat. Her father’s shadow loomed in every dark corner of her mind, the memories flooding in one after another. Hands wrapped around her throat after she spilled her tea - broken ribs for not standing up straight - the room spinning when she fell to the floor spitting out blood from the punch she got for trying to say she didn’t want to be an Alpha. His eyes - his cold, black eyes. 

Her voice broke free in a whisper so fragile and small she almost didn’t believe it left her mouth. “He abused me.”

The moment the words left Mira’s lips, her chest collapsed in on itself. The dam she had built for years shattered completely. She sobbed so violently she curled forward, clutching at both of them as if they were the only things anchoring her to the earth. Rumi’s tears wet her shoulder, Zoey’s arms crushed her tighter, and through the bond came nothing but a tidal wave of pride, love, and fierce protection.

Zoey’s voice was hoarse but steady, murmuring against her hair: “That’s it sweetie. I’m so proud of you. I know it’s hard.”

Rumi pressed her lips against Mira’s damp cheek, whispering between her own tears, “He doesn’t own you anymore. He never did. You survived him. And you are so much more than what he tried to make you.”

The bond burned like fire, like light, filling every empty place inside her that had once belonged to fear. For the first time, the word didn’t feel like weakness. It felt like a release.

Mira gasped through another sob, clinging to them both so tightly she thought she’d never let go. “He abused me.” The words shook, but they were louder this time. Stronger. Then she kept repeating it, her tone steadily changing from terrified and surprised, to angry. 

“He abused me.”

“He abused me.”

“ He abused me .”

The heaviness of Mira’s words still lingered in the room, but Zoey and Rumi didn’t press her further. They didn’t demand more, didn’t try to fix it. Instead, they shifted closer, wrapping her up until Mira was buried in warmth and touch. Rumi nuzzled against her jaw, brushing the faintest kiss to her cheek, while Zoey pressed her lips to the corner of Mira’s temple and let them linger there.

The bond hummed steady and soothing, their emotions wrapping around Mira like a cocoon - love, patience, devotion, each one layered until the jagged edges of her fury dulled enough to breathe again.

By the time the TV flickered on, Mira was wedged between them on the couch, their legs tangled, a blanket pulled over the three of them. The show on screen was one of Zoey’s favorites, some overly dramatic K-drama where the male lead was brooding in the rain, confessing his love at exactly the wrong moment. Rumi rolled her eyes every five seconds, grumbling under her breath, but she stayed put, because Mira’s weight was against her shoulder and she wasn’t about to move.

Mira stared at the screen, but her thoughts drifted. Every dramatic line of dialogue blurred together, sinking into the background hum of noise. She should’ve been grateful for the distraction, for the mindless normalcy of it. But her mind was restless, chewing itself raw from the inside.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Mira hesitated.

She didn’t want to look. She knew what would be waiting - millions of pings, missed calls, endless messages. Still, her hand moved before she could stop herself, sliding the phone into her lap. The screen lit up, blinding in the darkened room. Notifications scrolled endlessly - mentions, articles, comments, her name lighting up over and over across social media. A wildfire she caused a week ago before she went radio silent.

But her eyes didn’t stick to those. They caught on the message at the top.

One text.

From her mother.

The words were simple. Cold.

Stop this and come back now.

Mira’s breath left her in a sharp exhale. Her thumb hovered over the screen, frozen in place. The bond crackled, Zoey and Rumi immediately sensing the drop in her chest, the spike of fear-turned-rage that flared in her gut.

Rumi leaned in, murmuring, “Mira?” Her voice was careful, gentle, but Mira couldn’t answer.

Her mother’s voice rang in her head instead - sharp, commanding, just as it had when Mira was a child. The kind of voice you obeyed, because the alternative was worse - her father.

Mira’s jaw locked. Anger rose hot in her throat, but beneath it was that old, familiar weight of dread. She wanted to throw the phone across the room, but her fingers wouldn’t move.

Zoey pressed a kiss against her hairline, grounding her. “You don’t have to read it. Not now. Not ever. You don’t owe those people anything”

The bond surged with steady reassurance, Rumi’s love lacing with Zoey’s calm, wrapping around Mira like steel. But still, her mother’s message burned in her vision, impossible to unsee.

Mira had finally spoken the truth about her father. And now, as if the universe couldn’t stand her defiance, her mother had reached out with a leash made of words, yanking her back toward the very chains Mira had tried to break.

====((Meanwhile, at the Kang Estate))===

The Kang estate was silent save for the steady tick of the grandfather clock in the corner of the office. The room itself was cavernous, lined with mahogany shelves and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the sprawling city below. Even the air felt restrained, like it didn’t dare to stir unless the man behind the desk willed it.

Kang Seok-jin sat in a high-backed leather chair, posture immaculate, hands folded neatly on the desk. His expression was carved from marble - no trace of warmth, no flicker of humanity. Just a stillness so absolute it carried more threat than any shouted command ever could. Waiting. For the news from his idiot son he already knew. He knew his son had been delaying coming here for days, but he couldn’t ignore his father anymore.

The door creaked open.

His son stepped inside, shoulders stiff, his eyes flicking up once before immediately darting to the floor. He closed the door with a soft click and moved to stand before the desk, every movement tight, calculated, like a man walking a tightrope above a pit of knives.

“She…” His voice cracked. He swallowed hard, tried again. “Mira did not return with me.”

The words hung in the air like a guillotine blade.

For a long moment, there was nothing. No reaction. Not even the slightest shift of Kang Seok-jin’s expression.

Then - slowly, deliberately - Kang Seok-jin stood up. The scrape of the chair against the floor was deafening in the silence. He stepped out from behind the desk, his movements measured, almost elegant, as though this was nothing more than a casual walk.

But the aura changed.

A low, simmering wave of pheromones rolled from him, invisible yet inescapable, filling the room with the raw weight of Alpha dominance. It was not rage, not even anger. It was power distilled into something suffocating, something primal that left no room to breathe.

His son staggered under the weight of it, knees buckling before he could catch himself. He hit the ground hard, palms splaying against the polished floor, chest heaving. The pressure bore down heavier, colder, until he couldn’t hold his head up. His cheek pressed to the wood, his body trembling despite his desperate attempt to remain composed.

Kang Seok-jin stopped just short of him, immaculate shoes coming into view. The silence was worse than yelling, worse than any strike could’ve been.

“Pathetic,” Kang Seok-jin said finally, the single word as sharp as a blade. He didn’t need to raise his voice. Every syllable carried with it the weight of command, the certainty of absolute control.

The son flinched, fingers curling into fists against the floor. He dared not look up, dared not breathe too loudly. His body bowed instinctively lower, desperate for the crushing presence to relent.

Kang Seok-jin crouched, slow and deliberate, until his shadow fell fully across him. He leaned down just enough to let his pheromones tighten like a vice around his son’s chest, stealing air from his lungs.

“You had one task,” he murmured, his voice cold silk. “Bring her back. And you failed.”

His son’s throat bobbed, a strangled sound catching as he tried to form words. “I - I tried, Father. She -”

The pressure doubled. His words cut off with a choked gasp.

“Excuses,” Kang Seok-jin said. He straightened, the aura never easing, towering above his son like a specter carved of shadow and iron.

Then, with a single breath, the suffocating weight receded just enough for his son to inhale again, though shallow and ragged.

“Stand,” Kang Seok-jin ordered.

His son scrambled clumsily to his feet, unsteady, shaking. He stood only because his father willed it, even if his entire body felt like it had been crushed.

Kang Seok-jin returned to his desk, every movement calm, controlled, a predator who never needed to raise his claws to remind you of their existence. He lowered himself into his chair, steepled his fingers, and regarded his son with eyes that were as cold as the city lights glimmering behind him.

“You will fix this,” he said. “You will bring her back to me. Or I will no longer acknowledge you as my son.”

The words landed like a death sentence. His son bowed low, heart hammering in his chest, sweat dampening the collar of his shirt.

“Yes, Father.”

Kang Seok-jin gave a single nod, the matter dismissed. The weight of his aura still lingered in the air as his son staggered backward, retreating from the office like a man escaping the jaws of a beast - though they both knew he would never truly be free of its grip.

Behind the desk, Kang Seok-jin sat in silence again, expression unchanged. To anyone else, he looked like a man about to work on the paperwork on his desk like any other day.

But his eyes glinted with cold certainty.

His daughter would return.

Alive or dead, he didn’t care. As long as the problem was taken care of.

Chapter Text

The apartment still smelled faintly of coffee and the lingering musk of their rut, a reminder of how time had passed. Now, though, reality pressed against the walls of their little pack bubble. Bobby had parked himself in front of their living room TV, phone in one hand, tablet in the other, rattling off updates like a frantic news anchor. He had invited himself over after Rumi and Mira made Zoey call him about a new bed - to which he just said ‘please, I don’t want to know’ - and he arrived with people to repair/replace Mira’s room while they were talking. Mira was mortified to say the least. They all knew that, as a Beta, he could definitely smell the scent of their escapades in the air. But Bobby being Bobby, he was nice enough not to tease the girls about it.

“Celine’s still ghosting the press,” Bobby said, pacing back and forth. His usual confidence was edged with disbelief. “No statements, no appearances. Nothing. The moment the first allegations dropped about your mother, Rumi - it was over for her. And then her turning around and trying to oust Mira from Huntr/x? People are calling her a hypocrite. The press is tearing her apart. What I don’t understand is why she isn’t trying to fight back; it just isn’t her style to vanish. It makes me uneasy.”

"I agree, something doesn't sit right with me about her either." Rumi said, frowning. "I've never once known Celine to back off from any confrontation, or leave things so...exposed."

Rumi sat pressed close against Mira’s left side, Zoey against her right, the three of them tangled in a pile of blankets on the couch. Sussie was perched on the back of the couch giving Bobby the stank eye(s), and Derpy was sleeping on his back by the chair next to one of their potted plants, as though he had fallen asleep keeping an eye on it. Knowing the big blue cat, he probably did.  Mira leaned back, staring blankly at the scrolling headlines Bobby threw up onto the TV screen. Her name was everywhere. Her face. Clips of her voice, parts of the interview she barely remembered doing, sliced and edited until they carried a weight she had never imagined they could.

“The hashtags are exploding,” Bobby continued, scrolling quickly. “Trending hashtags like #omegamira #omegapeoplearepeople #megamiramovement - which I think is honestly the best one of them all - millions of posts. Omegas are speaking up. All over the world. They’re telling their stories - about being ignored, dismissed, pushed aside in their industries, their own families, even their schools. They’re using your words, Mira. You lit the fuse.”

Mira’s heart hammered in her chest. The bond hummed with her shock, and immediately Zoey and Rumi tightened their arms around her, sending soft waves of reassurance, grounding her. But nothing could dull the way her throat closed up as she listened to posts Bobby were reading aloud:

“I thought I was the only one who felt invisible as an Omega.”

“Hearing Mira stand up for herself made me feel like maybe I’m not alone.”

“Things need to change, now.”

“I’ve always wanted to be an idol, now I feel like I stand a chance.”

"Why are we just letting Alphas walk all over us when we're people too?"

"She's right, stop treating us like slaves and servants!"

Mira felt floored. Like she knew that she had been trying to appeal to Omegas everywhere with her interview, but truly didn’t think so many people would take it and run. She mumbled, words barely audible. “This is a little overwhelming, I'm not going to lie.”

Rumi cupped her hand over Mira’s cheek, firm and steady, forcing her to look at her. She said warmly, “They’re listening because you’re an amazing person.” The bond was warm and insistent, threaded with love. Mira nuzzled into her hand.

Zoey leaned in and kissed Mira’s shoulder, her lips lingering there. “Not just listening, Mira. They’re agreeing with you. Standing with you.” Her voice was a little sleepy, but the bond carried the swell of pride flooding through her.

Mira shook her head again, leaning to press her face into Rumi’s shoulder as if she could disappear there. She had spent so many years learning to keep her head down, to survive truly unseen behind a mask of lies. The idea that anyone - not just fans, but strangers across the world - had taken her side, the side without the mask, was… weird. She didn’t know how else to describe it. 

Bobby kept talking, throwing out numbers and headlines, but to Mira it all blurred together into a haze. Her ears caught fragments - “global trending,” “boycotts against Celine,” “support from other idol groups” - but the words didn’t register as much as the weight in her chest.

Bobby finally stopped pacing, lowering his phone and tucking it into his back pocket, cutting the remote link from his phone to the tv so the social media posts stopped popping up. Then he tossed the tablet to land somewhere on the plush chair next to him. His gaze softened as he looked at the three of them curled up together on the couch. The statistics and headlines coming out of his mouth fell away, replaced with something quieter, more personal.

“How are you holding up?” Bobby asked gently. “Forget the trending tags, forget the media for a second. You three.” His eyes settled on Mira in particular. “What do you want to do next? With Celine. With all of this. Because right now, the stage is yours. If you wanted to go on national TV tomorrow, the networks would eat it up. I know you talked about using your platform to speak for change, and I am with you every step of the way. You just gotta point me in the general direction you want to go and I will carve the best path for you, Star.”

Mira blushed at the nickname. It was something only Bobby ever called her in pain of death to anyone else who tried. According to him it’s because the first time he saw her dancing he felt like she was ‘spectacularly shining’. It embarrassed her to say the least but she could never bring herself to threaten Bobby. He only ever said it around the three of them anyways, so she tolerates it. Anyone could tell from her expression that she’s not-so-secretly pleased about it; not that any of them would tell her that to her face.

Hating to break up the tender moment, Zoey nudged Mira and said, “You might wanna tell him our other much bigger probably life threatening problem, Mir.” Bobby gave Mira a questioning look, waiting patiently for her to speak. Rumi rubbed Mira’s arm soothingly. Mira slumped, sighed, and turned to face Bobby fully instead of hiding in Rumi’s shoulder.

“As much as I’d love to find Celine and kick her ass myself,” Mira said, her tone edged with a sharpness that didn’t quite hide the ache underneath, “and as much as I’d love to be on the frontlines for Omegas everywhere, shouting on every TV that we deserve better…” She trailed off, her throat tight. Then she exhaled, the bond humming heavy with the dread she could no longer hide. “We’ve got a much, much bigger problem.”

Bobby blinked, taken aback by the gravity in her voice. “Bigger than this? Mira, the whole world is -”

“My family,” she cut him off.

The silence in the room thickened instantly, the words landing like lead. Mira could visibly see Bobby stiffen at even the mention of the Kang family. Everyone did, rightfully so. If you weren't afraid of the Kang Family, then you were probably already six feet underground.

Mira swallowed hard, forcing herself to get it all out. No more secrets, no more lies . “The Kangs have started to make their move. Kang Jiho came here. Tried to get me to…go back.” Her voice was flat, almost too steady, but her hand squeezed Rumi’s like she needed the anchor. “And my mot - Kang Ah-Yoon…” She dug her phone out of her pocket, unlocking it with a quick flick before shoving it toward Bobby. On the screen, the single text glared back at them all, still sitting unread in her notifications bar:

Stop this and come back now.

Bobby’s brows knit, his usual hyper bravado faltering for the first time that evening. Concern was very much evident in his eyes.

Mira took the phone back, locking it, setting it down face-first on the coffee table like she couldn’t stand to look at it anymore. Her chest felt tight, her words coming out lower, sharper, like blades pressed between her teeth. “That wasn’t her. Not really. It never is. That was him. Kang Seok-Jin. He’s the one pulling every string. And if those two have already been sent to fetch me and failed, then…” Her hands curled into fists in her lap, knuckles white. “I know without a doubt. They - he - will stop at nothing to get what he wants - which is me, the ‘problem’ that needs to be taken care of. I’ve seen what happens to people who try to run from him…they always get caught, dead or alive. Always.”

Rumi’s hand tightened around hers, Zoey’s arm wrapping around her waist protectively, their bond spiking with steady, unshakable solidarity. Mira was grateful for their pheromones and support through the bond, but it wasn’t enough to shake the feeling of dread and primal fear she had for her father. It was so ingrained in her the images of brutally messed up bodies of people who tried to run from that man, and how he would keep them within an inch of their life for months just to prove a point. 

"I know we're like, bad ass hunters and all and can kick demon ass like no tomorrow, but...I can't say that I wouldn't just fall to the ground just from being near him. As would anyone else. I don't know how we would handle humans." The words had barely left Mira’s mouth before Bobby started pacing again. He didn’t shout. He didn’t even throw his usual dramatic hands in the air like he normally did when something rocked him, like their fans being stupid or something missing for a show. His face tightened, jaw working silently as his mind whirred at a speed none of them had ever seen before.

“Kang Seok-Jin,” he muttered, almost like saying the name out loud tasted bitter. His hand pressed against his temple as he stared down at the carpet, frowning. “The richest man alive. The one with his claws in every industry, every contract, every deal -” He cut himself off, shaking his head like he didn’t even want to finish. 

“Bobby?” Zoey asked cautiously, her sleepiness falling away in concern, frowning as she shifted forward on the couch. She felt like he was suddenly on a different planet than them.

He wasn’t really looking at them anymore. He was already moving, pulling his phone back out, scrolling, muttering under his breath. “I need to call Min-Jun-Nim…what, no - he’s in America right now - damn it. Maybe Seong-Nim. Seong-Nim still owes me…”

“Bobby,” Rumi tried this time, her voice sharper, but he was stuck in his own rambling as his fingers flew across his phone at record speed.

“We’ll need burner phones, he probably has people for wire tapping. Contact Gin-Nim and his security team…have them set up at the Busan safe house. No, not Busan - too obvious, he’ll already have eyes there. Fuck, where wouldn’t he already have people -”

“Bobby,” Mira interrupted, standing now, her hand lightly grabbing his wrist. “What are you mumbling about? Busan? Safe houses? What are you hiding from us?”

He finally stilled again, his gaze locking with hers. For just a moment, his own mask cracked, and there it was - the fear. Not for himself. Not even for what Kang Seok-Jin could do to him. But for them. For his girls. For Mira.

“You don’t understand,” Bobby said softly, his voice low and almost trembling with the weight of it. “The whole world is terrified of your fa - of Kang Seok-Jin. And they should be. He’s… untouchable. Even people who don’t answer to anyone answer to him. But you three - ” He looked at all three of them, eyes determined, chest rising sharply. “My girls come first. Always. No matter the cost.” The girls went silent at that, not really sure what to say. It sounded so...final. Mira would say it was almost too dramatic but, given who they were up against, Bobby had every right to sound that way.

Bobby swallowed hard, dragging a hand through his hair before going back to muttering, completely ignoring the hand on his wrist from Mira holding him in place. “Alright. Contacts. I need to make a list. Safehouses, routes, digital scramblers, security, food supplies. We’re not letting him get close. Not one step closer.”

The three of them exchanged glances, wide-eyed. They’d seen Bobby loud, Bobby fiery, Bobby protective to the point of reckless - but this? This razor-sharp, strategist mode? This quiet, terrifyingly competent side of him that planned like a general preparing for war?

They had never seen this Bobby before. It was kinda frightening, but also really fucking cool.

“Bobby.”

Mira’s voice was soft but insistent, tugging his wrist harder to bring him back from the frantic spiral of muttering names of contacts under his breath. His thumbs were flying over his phone screen in his other hand, drafting messages he hadn’t even finished deciding to send, mind moving a hundred miles ahead of the room. When he finally looked up, the three weren’t staring at him in fear, nor even confusion. They were watching him with open awe, eyes shining in a way that made his throat close. Gratitude pulsed through the air in their pheromones, warm and golden, mixed with the ache of how much they relied on him. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to deflate. 

“You’re doing that thing again,” Zoey said softly, patting the couch in-between herself and Rumi, where Mira had been sitting. “Carrying the whole world by yourself. Silly, that’s our job.”

“I have to,” Bobby said, voice harsher than he probably meant. “You don’t understand. He’s not just some businessman - he is the business world. If he told our government to jump they'd only ask him how high. If he’s making moves, then -”

“Then we’ll face it together,” Mira cut in, jaw tight, her scent sharp with restrained anger, like the calm before a storm. But beneath it was something more vulnerable, something that made Bobby’s chest ache - pure terror at her own flesh and blood. He knew how hard it was for Mira to even come close to being vulnerable around people. She yanked him by the wrist over to the couch, not taking no for an answer.

Rumi reached for him, slipping her hand over his. “You’ve already given us more than anyone else ever did. More than our parents. You fight for us. You see us. That’s… more than we could have ever asked for, especially since you were only supposed to be our idol manager. You're so, so much more than that to us Bobby. Let us help you.”

Bobby froze in front of the girls on the couch, his phone forgotten in his hand. He looked between them - three young women who had been thrown into a world designed to chew them up and spit them out, not only in the idol world but against fucking demons for gods sake, who trusted him , of all people, to keep them safe. Him, the Beta manager who was supposed to be nothing more than a guiding hand in the industry. Somewhere along the way, they had become his daughters in everything but name, changing from scrawny teenagers who couldn’t coordinate together, to full fledged adults taking the world by storm. They weren’t so little anymore.

And that realization wrecked him.

“Gods,” he whispered, his voice shaking as he pressed the heel of his free hand against his eyes. “When did this happen? When did you all grow up?”

Through their actions and movements, a tidal wave of love and warmth rushed back at him as they stood up and hugged him fiercely - Rumi leaning her head on his shoulder, scent calm and grounding; Zoey tucking herself into his side, her scent sweet with devotion; Mira awkwardly pressing a hand to his shoulder, her sharpness softened with quiet care she couldn’t bring herself to voice out loud.

“You’re our family, Bobby,” Zoey said simply, her voice carrying the steady weight of truth.

Rumi nodded against him, murmuring, “The only parent we ever really had.”

Even Mira, gruff as ever, muttered, “Don’t know what I’d do without you, old man.”

That broke something in him, in the best way. Bobby let out a laugh-choked sob, his shoulders shaking as he pulled them closer, one arm wrapping around Zoey and Rumi, the other tugging Mira in with a stubborn refusal to let her hover on the edges.

Bobby exhaled sharply, then tugged them all down onto the couch with him. Zoey flopped down beside him with a bounce, Rumi curled in tighter against his other side, and Mira sat cross-legged on the rug in front of all of them, her arms folded around her knees as she tilted her head up to look at him. For a long moment he just sat there, staring at the floor, his hands twisting restlessly in his lap.

“I need to tell you where my head is at,” he finally said, voice still thick with emotion. “Because the truth is, we can’t sit here and wait for him to come knocking. I've...I've seen what that looks like.” Shadows flittered across his face, so brief Mira thought she imagined it.  

The air in the room shifted at that one word - him . None of them had to ask who. Kang Seok-Jin’s name hung unspoken, like a shadow stretching across the penthouse. Mira’s stomach turned, her pheromones flickering sharp and sour with unease. Bobby’s Beta nose noticed, of course, so he softened his tone, sent out calming pheromones.

“I’ve got… people,” he said carefully, like he was choosing his words. His gaze flicked from one girl to the next. “Contacts. Don’t ask how. Don’t ask who. Just know that over the years, I’ve made it my business to know people. People who owe me favors. People who can keep their mouth shut, or shut someone’s mouth up. I can get in contact with some of them, to help us with the first part of my plan - to leave here, to go somewhere hidden.”

Rumi tilted her head, confused, “You mean like, underground network stuff?”

Bobby gave her a tight smile. “Let’s just say the entertainment world isn’t the only place where strings get pulled. I’ve pulled enough of them to build a net. And right now, that net is the only thing standing between you three and Kang Seok-Jin.”

Mira blinked at him, stunned. “You… have a network.” It wasn’t a question, it was more like she was reiterating what Rumi said like she couldn’t believe it. This was not how she thought the conversation was going to go with Bobby, at all. It just wasn’t very…Bobby-like.

He gave a short, dry laugh. “Don’t let the sparkly jackets and bad dance moves fool you, Star. I’m not nearly as clueless as I look.”

Mira snorted, amused even in a tense conversation like this. Both Rumi and Zoey smiled at the sound.

“You can’t stay here,” Bobby said, blunt and certain. “This penthouse? It’s not protection, not anymore - it’s a spotlight, a gilded cage. Everyone knows where you live. Your fans, the reporters….” His eyes met Mira’s, and she stiffened at the weight of his tone. “The Kang family.”

Her throat closed up. She couldn’t breathe for a second, couldn’t think past the low thrum of dread curling in her gut. The heavy Alpha aura of Kang Seok-jin, that crushing inevitability, felt like it was already pressing down on her. She wrapped her arms tighter around her knees, trying to contain it.

Zoey reached down and gently tapped Mira’s nose to startle her back to the present. “Hey. Breathe, Mir. We’ve all got you.”

Mira exhaled shakily. Bobby nodded at Zoey, grateful, before continuing.

Bobby ran his hand through his messed up mop of hair for the millionth time that day and said, “The only option that makes sense to me is moving you somewhere else. Somewhere off the map, somewhere I know you’ll be safe. I have a place in mind. Remote, discreet, secure. While the world believes you’re locked away up here, waiting out the storm of Celine, your family, and the press, you’ll actually be gone. Ghosts. Invisible. While I work out the next steps.”

Rumi tilted her head, eyes wide. “You can do that? Just… make us disappear?” The thought that Bobby of all people could just make someone disappear sounded wrong, somehow.

Bobby smiled, but it was tired around the edges. “I can. Because I know who to call, and how to make it look like you never left. There’ll be sightings, stories, social media posts. Enough smoke to make anyone looking too hard - press, fans, or Kang Seok-Jin himself - see exactly what I want them to. It will at least give us enough of a head start to figure out what the hell to do next.”

Zoey’s brow furrowed, her voice low. “That’s… risky, isn’t it?”

“Everything’s risky,” Bobby said, with a flat finality that left no room for argument. “But this? This is smart. It’s the one way to get ahead of him instead of waiting for him to tighten the noose.” Rumi grimaced at the thought. 

The girls sat with that, their bond humming faintly between them, scents weaving into something complex and raw. Gratitude. Fear. Determination. Mira bit her lip hard enough to sting, overwhelmed by the idea that someone was not only willing but prepared to go against her father for her sake.

Bobby looked at them, and his face softened, his eyes shone. “You know… somewhere along the way, you three stopped being just another group I managed. You became… my whole damn world.” His throat worked around the words. “I don’t care if he’s the richest man alive or if people whisper his name like it’s death itself. He doesn’t get to take you. Not while I’m still breathing.”

The silence that followed was thick, shimmering. Zoey blinked quickly, swallowing down tears as she grabbed Bobby’s hand and squeezed, ever the emotional one. Rumi tucked her face into his shoulder, her scent flooding the room with warmth and devotion. Mira stared at him, eyes wide, the crushing sense of inevitability from earlier tempered by something new: safety, not just from her mates. From her manager, her friend, the only person she ever loved as a father.

Mira finally spoke, her voice quiet but iron-solid, staring directly into Bobby’s eyes. “I trust you. Always.”

Bobby’s jaw tightened, pride burning through the tears brimming at his lashes. He squeezed Zoey’s hand, rested his chin briefly on Rumi’s hair, and gave Mira the fiercest look she had ever seen from him. “Good,” he said, voice rough but steady. “Because by tomorrow night, the Kang family will be chasing ghosts.”

===

That last night in the penthouse carried a heaviness. None of them really knew how to act. They ate cups of ramyeon in the living room and put on some random K-Drama Zoey insisted was good. Not that anyone was really paying attention. The repair crew that Bobby had brought in had finished with Mira’s bedroom and said their goodbyes as they left. Mira couldn’t even look them in the eyes because all she could think about was the fact that a bunch of random men had to fix her room and bring a new bed because she had the living daylights fucked out of her.

Bobby had insisted he wasn’t going anywhere when they expected him to leave with the repair people. When the girls tried to argue, he just waved them off, flopping down on the sofa with a blanket like he owned the place. He muttered sleepily, “You’re not alone anymore.” And that was that.

The girls crowded into Rumi’s bed instantly, instinct pulling them together as usual. They always ended up here on nights like this, where the world outside their window pressed in too close. Rumi’s bed was big, soft, layered with blankets and pillows that smelled like her the most, with Zoey and Mira’s scents close behind. They spent so much time in each other’s rooms that they all smelled like each other. Rightfully so , Mira though absentmindedly, we’re a pack; everything we have belongs to each other.

Mira lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as if it might crack open and drop her father’s shadow into the room. She could feel the dread in her chest like a bruise, could barely draw a deep breath without it catching. His overwhelming presence felt especially so in the dark of the night. Especially when it felt like his grip on her, gone for years and years, was tightening around her once more.

Zoey rolled onto her side after getting settled, propped up on one elbow, and looked down at her. “You’re too quiet.” Her voice was gentle, but her sharp eyes searched Mira’s face. “What’s going on in that sexy brain of yours?”

Mira rolled her eyes at her cheesy mate. “Nothing.”

Zoey let out a small laugh. “Yeah, and I’m a Beta. Try again.” She reached out, brushing her fingers down Mira’s arm, concerned. “Your pheromones are screaming, babe.” The care that she put into every move pulled at Mira’s heart.

Rumi, sleepily curled on Mira’s other side, lifted her head and pressed closer, looping her arm around Mira’s middle. Her scent wrapped around Mira like soft rain, soothing, grounding. “You don’t have to pretend with us,” she murmured. Always the calm voice of reason. The words cracked something in Mira’s chest.

She shut her eyes, jaw tight, but it didn’t stop the tremor that went through her body. “…I hate this,” she whispered, the confession ripping out of her. “I hate being afraid. I hate that he still has this power over me. I should be stronger than this. I mean, he literally raised me to be strong and fearless…here I am, cowering and terrified.”

Zoey leaned closer, her forehead brushing Mira’s shoulder. “You are strong. Fear doesn’t cancel that out. I understand why you’re scared, but -”

But Mira shook her head violently, frustration spilling over as she interrupted the youngest of them. “It’s not even me I’m scared for!” Her voice wavered. “I could deal with it if it was just me. But if he -” Her words broke, catching in her chest. “If he got his hands on either of you - or - or Bobby - if he hurt you - I couldn’t…” She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, shaking, her pheromones spilling terror into the air despite her best efforts. “I couldn’t live through that.”

The room went quiet as none of them spoke after Mira’s outburst. 

Then Rumi shifted, pushing herself up enough to cup Mira’s face between her palms. Her eyes glistened with emotion and sleep, but her voice was steady. “He doesn’t get to take you from us, or us from you. Not our lives, not our bond. We chose this - chose you .” She leaned in, pressing her forehead to Mira’s, her pheromones wrapping around them like the ocean’s tide.

Zoey’s hand slid into Mira’s, fingers tightening with iron grip as she laid down. “You hear her? We’re not going anywhere. He’s not strong enough to break us, break you.” Her pheromones surged like the desert wind: hot, fierce, protective, wrapping around Mira like armor.

Mira felt like she was going to cry, but held it in. “I’m serious, Zo, Ru. I don’t know who I’d be without you.”

Zoey nuzzled into her neck, winking at the pink haired girl. “Then lucky for you pretty lady, you’ll never have to find out.”

Rumi kissed her softly at the corner of her mouth, then nuzzled her neck too. “Try and relax, babe. We’re here with you, we aren’t going anywhere. Tomorrow is going to be chaotic I’m sure, so get as much rest as you can.”

Mira finally let herself curl into them, head tucked against Zoey’s chest, Rumi’s arm a warm band around her waist. Their scents filled the room, pushing back her father’s shadow, her fear, everything but this moment.

In the living room, Bobby could be heard snoring away, loud and extremely obnoxious. The sound carried faintly through the door, oddly comforting to them. Mira’s trembling slowed as the minutes went by, her breathing syncing with the two heartbeats pressed against her. She still feared tomorrow. She still feared him. But she was able to fall asleep in between her two mates eventually.

====

The next night came too quickly.

The penthouse felt… wrong the whole day. Too bright, too normal, as if nothing dangerous was closing in around them as they packed duffle bags and got street clothes on. But the tension was there - in every hurried step, every whispered exchange, every faint scent of unease filled pheromones threading the air. They took a nap in the afternoon, too exhausted from all the stress, and Bobby said they needed to rest up since they would be up all night to use the cover of darkness to move. He promised he would also try and get some sleep, but Mira had a feeling he wasn't going to.

Bobby was already up when they emerged from Rumi’s room after their afternoon nap. He looked like he hadn’t slept much, but he was back to pacing with his phone in hand. He had a list on the counter - scrawled notes, names, numbers - some crossed out, others circled. The familiar talkative Bobby they normally saw backstage or during singing events was drowning himself in a cup of coffee while he mumbled to himself. 

“Good, you’re up; I was about to come get you girls,” he said the second he saw them. “Shoes on, bags packed? I would rather not wait around for the Kang family welcoming committee.”

Mira rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark, but understood where he was coming from. “We packed what we could.” She held up two small duffels. “Had to talk Rumi out of bringing her entire tea stash and Zoey her army of turtles.” 

"Hey!" Zoey whined, "But those are all my emotional support turtles! Way more important than tea bags!"

Rumi flushed, but Mira’s lips curved faintly, the tiniest lift. It felt good to joke in the moment. Like the calm before the storm.

Bobby’s expression softened for half a second. “Good. The less we carry, the better. This isn’t a vacation girls, as much as we all need one. Phones stay off unless I tell you otherwise.”

“Where are we even going?” Mira asked, semi distracted. She was helping Rumi adjust her braided bun - they had taken the time to make sure their leader’s long ass hair was tucked into itself so it could nestle in the hood of her jacket. Rumi kissed her cheek in thanks. Zoey had her hair, normally in space buns, tied into a low ponytail at the base of her neck. Mira took all of her long pink hair and just threw it into a messy bun with a scrunchie. 

Bobby hesitated, scanning each of their faces. “You don’t need to know yet. Safer that way. Just trust me. No one but me and the guys helping us get there will know. I really hope we can do this right. The world - including your father’s people - will think you’re here. But you won’t be. And that’s the point. To buy us some more time for our next move.”

Rumi tilted her head, curiosity flickering. “How did you even pull this off literally overnight?”

Bobby just adjusted the strap of his messenger bag. “I told you, I’ve got contacts. Don’t ask how. Some things are better left unsaid.” His voice softened then, just slightly. “I promised myself I’d protect you girls no matter what. And I intend to keep that promise. Trust me.”

The shift in his pheromones was subtle but clear: worry tangled with fierce protectiveness, threaded with something deeper - love, and a quiet fear of losing them. It hit the girls all at once, the same way it had the night before.

Zoey stepped forward, her hand briefly brushing his arm. “We trust you, Bobby. Just… please don’t do anything stupid.”

For a moment, he just stared at her, something tight in his jaw loosening. Then he mustered up one of his flashy smiles for them and said a little too high. “Too late for that girls. I'm about to become a wanted man hiding away the world's top idol band and the hottest Omega this side of Korea from the largest business empire in the world...what could possibly go wrong?” They all laughed a little forced, the thought sitting with all of them but no one wanted to voice the feeling:

Everything. Everything could go wrong.

Mira paused at the long window overlooking the city in their living room. Her knuckles were white on the glass as she clenched her hands into fists, breath fogging the glass faintly. Zoey came up beside her, looping their fingers together to get her to unclench. “We’ll come back,” she murmured, sensing Mira's unease at leaving their home.

“Promise?” Mira asked, eyes fixed on the skyline.

Zoey squeezed her hand. “Promise.”

Rumi waited by the door, her duffel slung over her shoulder, watching them with quiet intensity. Her pheromones carried calm and warmth, an anchor in the rising tide of tension.

Finally, Bobby herded the rest of them toward the private elevator. His voice was steady, but his hand trembled slightly as he keyed in the code. “Once these doors open, you follow me no matter what. I know you guys are like, bad ass demon hunters, and can defend yourselves easily, but the second you use force against the Kang family they’ll just have more fuel to go after each of you. So please, try and keep your weapons to yourself, for once. Unless you absolutely think our guys can’t handle it. Okay?”

Three heads nodded.

The elevator chimed, doors sliding shut around them. The penthouse vanished behind steel and mirrored walls. For a brief, suspended moment, it was just them: three girls pressed close, Bobby standing solid beside them, the tension in the air thick. They got out of the elevator and took an immediate right, going through a door into the service corridor for the penthouse employees.

The service corridor felt like a tomb - cold, sterile, with the smell of bleach clinging to the air. Every step echoed, loud in the quiet, a countdown Mira felt in her chest. Bobby moved ahead of them, a solid wall of calm, but Mira knew him too well; his shoulders were coiled like springs, his hand occasionally brushing the edge of his jacket where his phone and notebook sat.

Rumi and Zoey stayed tight to Mira’s side. The bond between them hummed in the back of her mind, a steady pulse of shared nerves and muted fear. The metal door at the end of the hall they were in opened with a soft hiss after Bobby unlocked it. He pushed it outward, scanning the alley behind the building. They saw the waiting black SUV a couple feet away on the street directly in front of them, idling. Satisfied, Bobby took a couple steps forward, the girls close behind. They were ready for what they thought was next, but none of them were prepared for how quickly everything would shatter. 

All it takes is seconds for someone's whole world to fall apart.

A figure slammed into Bobby like a freight train from behind the open door, the sound of the impact cracking through the night. His grunt of pain was cut off as his head hit the brick wall, hard enough to leave a smear of red where he struck it. His phone clattered to the ground, sliding away somewhere out of reach.

“Bobby!” Rumi screamed, but before she could take another step, two shadows moved faster than even she could track. A huge man came out of nowhere, arms like steel bands locking around her middle and slamming the half-demon into the ground in a body slam, all the air leaving her lungs at the impact. Another slammed into Zoey, driving her down so hard her breath left her in a strangled cry and her knees were torn open across the rough ground. Alpha pheromones from both of them rippled in anger and surprise. 

How? How did anyone, especially humans, get the jump on them? 

The world narrowed to chaos - grunts, the sharp tang of blood in the air, the metallic click of safeties flicked off. Both women were forced face-first into the cold, gritty asphalt, guns pressed to the backs of their skulls. One of the men dug his knee into Zoey’s spine until she whimpered; the other wrenched Rumi’s arms back at an angle that made tears flow down her cheeks involuntarily. Both of them were trying to stay as still as possible; even mighty demon hunters were no match for the speed of a bullet at point blank range. 

But something was off about these men. All three hunters could feel it. Massive builds, identical-looking appearances, no emotions. They didn't feel human, but they didn't feel demon either. Whatever they were, they were really fucking strong and fast, that's for sure.

Mira froze. Her body screamed to move, to run, but the sight of her mates being held at gun point kept her rooted to her spot. The black SUV that was supposed to be their ticket out of there opened up its sliding door, and out stepped Kang Jiho and some more men. The men were dragging someone out with them. Mira realized with horror it was someone’s body when they tossed it to the ground like the person was just trash to throw out. Blood splattered the floor on impact, the bullet holes in the person’s face clear as day even from the distance that Mira was at. 

The driver Bobby called in a favor from, Mira guessed. Bobby was still out cold, but coming to, and hadn’t noticed yet.

Kang Jiho stepped closer, dressed in a flawless suit, but even that couldn’t hide the bags under his eyes and the exhaustion. A reminder of past confrontations that Mira was all too familiar with. His expression, however, was pure satisfaction.

“Well, well,” Kang Jiho said, his voice smooth and cruel. “Look at you, thinking you can run away like some wild thing. You really thought you could just vanish? And you -” he gestured toward the pinned-down Alphas with a flick of his hand, “ - you brought your guard dogs. How quaint.”

Something inside Mira snapped, fear twisting into rage at the sound of him insulting her mates. “Funny,” she spat, words sharp despite the tremor in her hands. “My mates? At least they have teeth. You’re just his obedient little lapdog - groveling for praise he’ll never g -”

Mira didn’t even see Kang Jiho close the distance between them, too focused on the waves of helplessness in the bond she was getting from Rumi and Zoey. Suddenly she felt her head snap to the side, the sound of her nose breaking echoing in her head. Blood splattered on the ground in front of her as she unsteadily remained on her feet, only due to years of hunter practice, as the world spun.

“Don’t test me,” he snarled, his polished calm gone, his fist stained with smears of Mira’s blood.

“Mira!” Zoey’s voice broke on her name, raw and desperate. She strained against the man holding her down, her sense of safety for herself flying out the window at the sight of her Omega getting punched in the face so hard her nose broke. The man holding her didn't budge an inch.

“Fucking touch her one more time - !” Rumi yelled in her gravely demon voice, her markings rippling red; it only earned her more pressure on her arm. The man above her twisted it until she cried out, the sound sharp and agonized. Mira was trying to adjust her nose, wincing. She wanted to make sure it didn’t set crooked. Kang Jiho just watched her with an unreadable look in his eyes. 

Bobby struggled to his knees, coughing hard, only to be shoved back down with a vicious kick to the ribs that echoed in the narrow alley. His grunt of pain and the sound of snapping ribs was guttural, and Mira’s stomach twisted. They may have training in fighting bad guys, but Bobby didn’t. Bobby was fragile compared to the three of them, and it seemed as though Kang Jiho knew that.

“Stop!” Mira’s voice cracked. Seeing Bobby in pain made her more nauseous than her nose being broken. She turned to Kang Jiho, chin raised despite the blood all over her face and shirt. “You think breaking my nose will scare me? Try and fucking touch me again and see what happens. Fucking leave them alone, it's me you want.”

Kang Jiho’s face was carved from stone, his anger cold and dangerous now. “I’m here to clean up your mess. And trust me, little sister, as much as I would love to kill you here and now, I want to see the look on your face when Father gets ahold of you even more than your death.” He made some kind of movement with his hand. Mira soon realized that it meant he was telling his men to do something.

The men holding Rumi and Zoey suddenly started applying more pressure; the knee on the middle of Zoey’s back pressing her further into the concrete as she snarled and cried out, Rumi’s assailant pulling back even further on her arm until she screamed in pain when there was an audible popping noise. Mira was seeing red, feeling anger, pain, helplessness, all flying through the bond. 

“Stop it! Leave my mates alone you pieces of shit!” She lunged at Kang Jiho, but he was massive compared to even the athletic and tall Mira, so his hand clamped around her throat and slammed her back against the wall of their penthouse with ease. Her shoulder throbbed where it hit, her breath catching as his fingers dug in. Alarm flared through the bond, overwhelming the feelings of pain they were all sharing.

“Enough of this mess,” Kang Jiho said softly, his voice slicing through the night air like a blade. “Mira. You’ve always been the difficult one, but this? This is embarrassing. They’re not even worth the trouble. You think I wouldn’t put a bullet through each of them just to see if it makes you behave? Or simply to see you squirm?”

Mira’s blood ran cold. Zoey snarled, but there was a tremor beneath the sound. Bobby, bleeding from his temple, looked at Mira with wide, frantic eyes - fear, apology, and helplessness rolled into one. The guilt was rolling off of him in waves. Rumi was trying not to pass out from the pain of her arm being dislocated, demon markings flickering in and out like a lamp that needed changed. Kang Jiho let go of Mira's neck and she dropped to the ground gasping for air - she could already tell she was going to have a hand-shaped bruise on her neck because of him.

Kang Jiho straightened, and looked at a pocket watch, perfectly calm. “Here’s how this is going to work,” he said, looking down at Mira on the ground in front of him. She was glaring up at him, wheezing, and trying to get up. “You’re going to stand up, walk into that SUV, and not look back. Willingly. Submit to your family, to me. Or…” He gestured lazily, and the guns pressed harder against Zoey’s and Rumi’s heads. “Or I let them paint this alley with your precious little pack, one by one.” Another gun safety was heard as another weapon was drawn on Bobby.

“Don’t listen to him!” Zoey’s voice was hoarse, but furious. “Mira, don’t you dare -”

“Please, don’t!” Rumi’s voice cracked back to normal, tears in her eyes. “We can fight, we can -”

Kang Jiho motioned once, and a gunshot rang out in the alleyway, loud and sudden. Mira's ears were ringing at the sound. Everyone was frozen for a moment, until Bobby let out a shuddering gasp, hands shaking over his chest, looking down like he was mildly surprised at what he saw. He looked back up at Mira, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. 

The world stopped for the three girls. None of them were breathing. Bobby, Bobby, their Bobby, their Bobby, was clutching his chest as he sank to the ground against the wall, and blood was pooling around him on the ground at an alarming rate. Suddenly Zoey and Rumi were screaming and screaming, devastation and panic ringing out through their bond. Mira wasn’t breathing. She couldn’t feel anything, think of anything, except what she was looking at. The ringing in her ears wouldn't stop. The ringing almost sounded like screaming - was she screaming?

Bobby got shot.

Bobby got shot.

Bobby was hurtingdyingbleedingbecauseof -

Kang Jiho leaned down and grabbed Mira’s chin and forced her to look up at him and away from Bobby. “That’s one down. Should I have them continue, dear sister?” His eyes were dilated, a wild look in his eyes that instantly made Mira cower in recognition. She had seen that look many, many times; the only time she had ever seen even a flicker of emotion cross their father’s face was when he was causing someone great pain. His only joy in life.

Like father, like son, it seemed.

Mira shrank under his stare and shook her head silently. “No,” she said faintly, resigned, “I’ll go. Please. Just. Stop.” He stared at her for a moment longer before he released her jaw and stood back up, satisfied with her surrender. 

Mira took a deep, shuddering breath through her mouth, her nose still throbbing in pain from being punched so hard earlier. Tried to calm her pheromones and shaking hands. She never felt more useless than in that moment. She couldn’t help Bobby. She couldn’t free her mates. What use was she to this pack other than to save them from her own family? She turned to look at her pack mates, who were still struggling and screaming for Bobby underneath Kang Jiho’s men.

“I love you,” Mira said, softly but with a finality that made the two of them freeze. She let that feeling flood the bond, saturating it with everything she couldn’t say - every touch, every kiss, every moment they’d given her. “No matter what happens. You…you’re my everything.”

“Mira - !!” Zoey was screaming her name now, struggling so hard the man holding her swore under his breath. 

“Don’t you dare!” Rumi sobbed. “Mira don’t you fucking dare !!”

But Mira is just looking at Kang Jiho, her expression stone. “Swear to me. Your word. If I walk into that SUV, they walk away alive. All of your men come with us.”

Jiho’s smirk turned into something crueler. “You think my word means anything when it comes to you of all people?”

“It does when you know he’s watching,” Mira said coldly, stepping closer on unsteady feet. “If you go back on your word, you’ll be seen as weak-willed, someone who can't even hold up their end of a deal having to resort to underhanded tactics to get what you want instead of facing it head on like an Alpha would. And we both know he doesn’t forgive weakness.”

Something flickered in Kang Jiho’s gaze - a tightening around his mouth. He didn’t deny it. It was the one thing they had in common - bottomless fear of their father. Instead, he gave a small, mocking bow as he moved out of her way. “Fine. They live. For now. I doubt he survives though." Motioning at Bobby's slumped body. He then motioned for all his men to get ready to go on his next signal. "Walk.”

Mira didn’t hesitate. She got up as fast as she could, head woozy and nose still dripping. She didn’t look back as she walked quickly to the SUV, though every fiber of her being screamed at her to run to her mates, to hold them one last time. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and moved one foot in front of the other, each step heavier than the last, blood dripping from her nose onto the ground and her shirt. She kept reminding herself that she was saving them by leaving, that she was doing the only thing she could - protect her pack. No matter what.

The bond inside her was chaos, the sounds behind her worse - Zoey screaming, Rumi begging, emotions running as high as can be, pheromones rampant - but Mira shut her eyes, kept their love close, and climbed inside the SUV. The door slammed behind her like the end of a chapter.

Chapter Text

The world felt wrong as soon as the doors to the SUV closed. The moment the SUV’s taillights vanished, silence swallowed the alley - broken only by the wet, shallow sound of Bobby’s ragged breathing.

Zoey was crawling on her knees before she even realized she’d started to move. Blood smeared across the asphalt from the scrapes on her legs, but she didn’t care. She crawled forward, half-blind from tears and pain, back screaming at her where that man had his knee on her. She heard herself shouting like she was hearing herself through a tunnel. “Bobby - Bobby - oh god -!” 

Zoey realized why everything was muffled; she was close to Bobby when he got shot, and her right eardrum must have ruptured from the proximity. It didn’t matter to her; the only thing that mattered in this moment was the man slumped in front of her. 

Rumi was slower, her right arm hanging at a sickening angle, her face pale and twisted with pain. Every movement made her hiss through her teeth, markings flickering through a multitude of colors, but she pushed forward anyway with her left hand dragging herself forward. “Let me see Zoey” she said as she struggled to sit up on her knees next to the younger girl.

Bobby lay on his back near the wall, his shirt blooming red. The shot had been close-range, cruel - high in the chest - too close, too deep. His breath rattled, wet and shallow, each inhale a fight. Blood bubbled at the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin. While both of them had been trained by Celine to handle emergency medicine for demon attacks, this was something different. A gun, from a human, at someone they called home. 

“Gods - n-nononono -” Zoey’s voice cracked as she pressed her hands against the wound. Hot blood soaked through her fingers instantly, running down her wrists. “H-he’s bleeding too fast - R-rumi, we need to stop it - we n-need -”

“I know, I know I’m thinking I’m trying -!” Rumi snapped, frustration and desperation clear in her raging pheromones. Bobby coughed, the sound harsh and wet. His lips parted, trying to form words, but only a thin gasp escaped. His scent was getting weaker, and it sent alarm bells through them. Rumi closed her eyes and willed herself to breathe, just fucking breathe - so that she could think, act, anything .

“Shh - don’t t-talk, don’t talk, y-you’re okay, you’re gonna b-be okay.” Zoey pressed harder on his wound, her bloodied fingers shaking. Her knees screamed from the asphalt tearing skin, her back on fire, but nothing mattered except keeping him alive. “We’ve got you. M-mira’s gonna kill you if you l-leave, you hear me?” Saying Mira’s name sent a shockwave of guilt through both of them, but they couldn’t stop to think about their missing mate just yet.

Bobby’s eyelids fluttered, his breath catching. A soft, strangled sound came from his throat, like a gurgle. Zoey’s heart nearly stopped. She leaned closer, desperate. “Stay with me! Stay with me, Bobby! Please -”

Rumi ripped the hem of her shirt with her teeth, retractable demon fangs coming in handy for once, shoving the pieces of cloth into Zoey’s bloodied hands. Every movement jarred her injured arm and drew broken gasps from her, but she didn’t stop. Couldn’t, wouldn’t stop. Not when everything hinged on time.

Zoey pressed the cloth to the wound, tears falling down her face faster now. Blood soaked everything - hands, clothes, the pavement turning slick beneath them. It smelled sharp, metallic, heavy in the back of their throats. Drowning out the faint scent of Bobby easily.

“Keep the pressure. As hard as you can,” Rumi rasped. Her voice was frayed, breathless, but steady enough to sound like command. Like the Alpha leader she was supposed to be. An Alpha leader that failed her pack, a voice in the back of her head whispered. 

“I’m t-trying! T-there’s so much b-blood -” Zoey’s arms shook from the effort, the warm, slick weight of Bobby’s life seeping through her fingers. Normally blood wasn’t an issue for her; they fought demons left and right and ended up with more battle scars than she’d care to admit to. It was simply the fact that it was Bobby’s blood she was seeing that was sending her into a panic. Something she never wanted to see in this lifetime or the next.

Rumi sat back on her heels, her dislocated arm trembling uselessly at her side. She was pale, sweat streaking her temples, marks still flickering in and out. The pain was eating at the edges of her vision, but she couldn’t stop, she needed to call. She dug her phone out of her pocket with her left hand, nearly dropping it twice before hitting emergency services.

Her voice was rough but clear. “We need an ambulance - gunshot wound - no active shooter, no! He’s not stable. Downtown, alley behind the Huntr/x penthouse. Please, hurry!” She gave the rest of the details like a lifeline, snapping the words out before hanging up.

When she looked back, Zoey was hunched over Bobby, her entire body pressing down as if she could will the blood to stay inside him.

“Did they say how long?” Zoey’s voice was cracked, her eyes wild. Her pheromones were leaking out in waves of panic and despair uncontrollably. Rumi couldn’t really say anything, hers were just as bad. The bond between them - just the two of them - was alive with charged emotions hinging on what happens next.

“Five minutes. Maybe less. The ER is around the corner a couple blocks down.” Rumi said. But they both knew. Five minutes could feel like five lifetimes. Lifetimes that they might not have.

Zoey’s lips trembled. “What if - what if he doesn’t have five minutes?”

“Stop. Don’t say that.” Rumi crawled back closer, her body screaming, her head swimming. “Bobby’s stubborn as hell. He’ll hold.” They were silent for a moment, the only sound was Bobby's faint breathing.

“She’s gone, Rumi.” Zoey’s words were a whisper, but they burned. “I can’t feel her.”

Rumi shut her eyes hard, fighting back tears. The pain in her shoulder roared, but she leaned in closer anyway, forehead almost touching Zoey’s shoulder. “She’s alive. She’s just - just out of range. We’ll get her back.”

“She let him take her,” Zoey said, voice breaking. “She let him take her to save us . We were supposed to protect her, and we couldn’t even do that. What if - what if that’s it? What if we never see her again?”

Rumi’s throat closed. The thought was poison, but she refused to think about it. “We will. We’ll burn the entire Kang family to the ground to get her back. But we have to put Bobby first right now and try not to think about the what-ifs. Not tonight. We can’t lose him…too.” Just saying ‘too’ made the finality of Mira being gone that much harder.

The minutes stretched. Every sound made them flinch - footsteps, sirens in the distance, the metallic rattle of the city. Zoey’s arms burned with the pressure she was using on Bobby, her scraped knees numb against the rough asphalt. Rumi’s vision blurred, but she bit her tongue to stay awake, an iron taste in her mouth. She was using her good hand to hold more pressure on Bobby’s wound overtop of Zoey’s hands.

“Don’t pass out,” Zoey snapped suddenly, panicked, noticing Rumi swaying and her hand trembling on top of hers. “I can’t - I need you -”

“I’m fine,” Rumi lied, voice a hoarse whisper. “I’m awake. I won’t leave you.”

Their world shrank to the circle of their joined hands, Bobby’s shallow breaths, and the dull, haunting absence of Mira. Finally, sirens cut through the quiet. The sound of tires screeching, doors slamming, voices shouting.

“They’re here,” Rumi whispered, more to herself than Zoey, as if afraid saying it too loud would make it vanish. Zoey looked at her, face streaked with blood and tears, and for a moment they were just two terrified women holding onto the last piece of family they had left. 

========

The hospital smelled like antiseptic and panic. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, too bright against the dark smear of blood all over Zoey’s body and the pale sheen of sweat on Rumi’s skin. They’d been rushed into the hospital behind the gurney, even as the paramedics shouted vitals and the nurses swarmed Bobby. His shirt was cut open, crimson soaking the sterile white sheets. Rumi felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“Follow me to some rooms where we can get you checked out as well.” A petite nurse said to the two Alphas barely keeping it together in the middle of the lobby. Zoey bristled at the thought of leaving Bobby, but Rumi said something first before she could.

Rumi swayed on her feet, her useless arm cradled tight against her body. She was barely standing, but the stubborn tilt of her chin kept her upright. “We’re not leaving him,” she said, low and dangerous, and something in her tone made the nurse hesitate before nodding them toward a waiting bay. She vanished and then returned with water bottles and a makeshift sling for Rumi to help hold her arm until she got it fixed, along with some ice. Rumi thanked her and Zoey helped her put the sling and ice on.

Bobby was gone - rolled behind double doors, swallowed by a team of strangers in scrubs. The slam of those doors echoed too loud, and suddenly the space around them felt wrong, empty.

Zoey paced the narrow space, her hands and clothes still smeared with Bobby’s blood. Her knees stung from the scrapes, her back a twinging mess, but she didn’t even notice. Rumi sat hunched on a chair, her injured arm cradled close, sweat slick on her forehead. Every shallow breath made her wince, but she stayed silent, staring at nothing.

Then Zoey stopped moving. The stillness was sharp. “We couldn’t even move them,” she said suddenly, voice raw. “They slammed us down like we were kids.”

Rumi swallowed hard, her throat tight. She had been thinking the same thing. She never felt more overpowered than in those moments.

“They weren’t even demons, Rum.” Zoey’s voice rose, cracking. “They were just - just men. Humans. And I couldn’t even throw them off. I couldn’t even protect you. I couldn’t -” Her hands curled into fists, shaking.

“You couldn’t protect me?” Rumi’s laugh was thin and broken. “I couldn’t even keep any of you safe and I’m supposed to be our leader. My arm -” she gestured to the sling they’d hastily made in the ER, “ - he popped it out of its socket like snapping a twig. We’ve faced literal demons, Zo. We’ve fought things that make the shadows cower, and tonight? A few men took us apart like nothing .”

Silence followed, their guilt swirling around in the bond. 

Zoey dropped into the chair beside Rumi, dragging both hands down her face without thinking, semi-dried blood smearing. “What are we even doing?” she whispered. “We’re supposed to be hunters . Alphas. Protectors. Mira trusted us. Bobby trusted us. And when it mattered, we couldn’t even - I couldn’t even -”

Her voice broke.

Rumi turned, ignoring the ache in her shoulder, and reached for her. “Hey. Stop.” She tried to send out calming pheromones but her emotions were too wild and her exhaustion too high to control it.

“No, don’t you dare tell me to stop.” Zoey’s eyes were wet, fury rolling off of her. “They had a gun to your head. They dislocated your arm like it was nothing . They shot him . They took our Omega, our love, our Mira . And all I could do was scream . I should’ve done something, anything -”

Rumi pressed her forehead against Zoey’s temple, cutting her off. “And I should’ve stopped Mira’s brother before he even touched her. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Trust me, it's killing me too, Zo.” Her voice dropped, soft but shaking. “They were too strong. Humans have never been a problem for us. Only demons. But something was off about those guys, I swear. The Honmoon didn’t alert us to the presence of demons, but…I can’t shake this feeling we’re missing something.”

The weight of those words hung between them. The Honmoon trembled slightly as though it was agreeing with what Rumi said. Dread settled over them like a rough blanket.

The silence swelled, heavier, until Zoey whispered, “What if they hurt her? What if we never see her again? We can’t - Ru, we can’t lose her.”

Rumi could only whisper, “I know. I’m scared too.”

The words tasted like ash.

And then, as though to echo that grief, something shifted. The bond that tied the three of them together quivered; not breaking, not yet, but thinning. A tremor through a thread already stretched too tight.

Both women went still. Slowly, their eyes met.

“Did you feel that?” Zoey asked, voice almost inaudible.

Rumi’s stomach dropped. “Yeah.”

They stayed like that, pressed together, terrified to even breathe too hard in case the thread between them frayed further. The room around them seemed to fade, their whole world narrowing to that faint bond - weak, distant, but alive.

“She’s still there,” Zoey whispered. “But it’s so far away.”

“And getting further,” Rumi finished, throat tight.

They held each other tighter then, silent, fear curling cold and sharp in their chests. For the first time, it wasn’t demons or curses or the unknown that scared them most. It was the idea that, somewhere out there, Mira was slipping away - and they had no way to reach her.

========

Minutes passed like hours. The hum of machines, the beeping from the nurses’ station, the murmur of other patients; all of it pressed against Zoey’s skull like static. Every sound made her hackles rise. She sat rigid in the hard plastic chair, one arm around Rumi, the other braced on her thigh like she was ready to fight at any moment.

Rumi was slumped against her side, head tucked under Zoey’s chin, her injured arm strapped to her chest. Even unconscious, she trembled sometimes, soft whimpers escaping when her pain flared. Zoey could feel every one of those tremors as if they were hers through the bond.

She hadn’t let go of her since they got here. She couldn’t. Not with Mira gone, their bond fraying like a torn thread, and Bobby somewhere behind closed doors with a bullet in his chest. Everything inside her screamed that the pack was splintering, that she was failing them, and it made something deep and primal snap into place. As tired as she was, every instinct in her body kept her wide awake, protective.

When the nurses approached again, it was like a shift in the air. Zoey felt it before they spoke, her head snapping up, pupils dilated. Two of them stood there, hands gentle, voices quiet - but it didn’t matter. They were too close. 

“Ma’am,” one began softly, “we’d like to take her to a room. She needs a bed, proper care for that arm -”

“ No .” Zoey’s voice was sharp, immediate.

“She’s hurt,” the second nurse added carefully, “we just want her to be more comfortable -”

Zoey’s arm tightened around Rumi, pulling her closer. “She’s staying here.”

The first nurse crouched slightly, trying to appear nonthreatening. “It would be easier to treat her if -”

A sound ripped from Zoey’s throat before she even realized it - a low, guttural growl that made the hairs on the back of the nurse’s necks stand up. It wasn’t human-sounding; it was pure instinct, the kind of sound that warned predators to back off.

“Don’t touch her,” Zoey said, teeth clenched. Her whole body had shifted forward, coiled like a spring. The arm around Rumi’s waist was iron, keeping her pressed to Zoey’s chest. Even in her dazed sleep, Rumi stirred slightly at the tension, whimpering softly.

“Ma’am, please,” one of the nurses said again, but Zoey’s hand twitched toward her like she might attack her if she took another step.

“I said no ,” Zoey snapped. Her voice was deeper than usual, rough with exhaustion and fury and Alpha possessiveness. “You’re not taking her. You’re not separating us. She’s mine .”

The nurses exchanged a nervous glance, the weight of Zoey’s stare keeping them frozen. The fierceness in her eyes was startling; she looked like someone cornered. Finally, they backed away, murmuring to each other about stress responses, shock, “give her time.”

Zoey didn’t relax until they were gone. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, but she didn’t loosen her grip on Rumi. Instead, she pressed her face into Rumi’s hair, breathing her in like she could anchor herself there. Rumi’s ocean scent washed over her, calming and grounding and home .

“You’re safe,” Zoey murmured, but it sounded more like a promise than comfort. “No one’s taking you from me. Not now. Not ever.”

Her fingers trembled as she rubbed circles against Rumi’s good shoulder. She felt the faintest brush of the bond between the three of them, thin and fragile, but still alive - and she clung to it with everything she had. Her arms had tightened around the smaller Alpha almost subconsciously, as though holding her could keep the rest of the world from falling apart. Rumi’s soft, uneven breathing reminded her how fragile everything was right now - how badly she had failed to protect them all.

Every instinct in Zoey screamed danger. Her senses were flooded with alarms: the faint hum of the fluorescent lights felt deafening, every creak of the hospital floorboards sounded like the approach of a predator, every distant cough or murmur of a nurse sent her heart lurching. Her alpha instincts were raw and feral, primed to protect, to fight, to claim. She could smell the nurses that continued to hover around her: fear and the faint scent of stress. She tried to control her thoughts and her breathing, but it wasn’t enough - Mira was still out there, and the thought of losing Rumi too made something inside Zoey tighten so completely that she just snapped .

Zoey pressed her face into Rumi’s purple and disheveled hair, inhaling, trying to calm herself through her mate’s pheromones. Her claws of worry dug deeper. She felt feral now; not fully conscious of herself, caught in the raw, elemental desire to protect, possess, and never lose. The world felt too wide, too dangerous, too full of enemies she couldn’t see. And yet, even in that haze, her mind clung to one truth above all: Mira was theirs. Always theirs. No matter what the world tried to take, she was theirs .

And they would find her no matter the cost.

She tightened her grip on Rumi instinctively, letting a low, almost imperceptible growl escape her throat as the nurses tried to return to take Rumi - a warning, a promise, and a declaration all at once. If anyone came near them, if anyone tried to take even a breath of her alpha, she would shred them apart. Her heart thundered, her senses flared, her mind danced on the edge of dangerous and desperate.

Let them try.

========

When Rumi woke, it wasn’t to the quiet hum of the hospital or the sterile sense of medicine that she had passed out to. It was to the deep, vibrating growl rumbling through Zoey’s chest and into her. The sound was low and primal, nothing like the steady calm Rumi knew. It wasn’t a warning - it was a promise of violence to anyone who came too close.

The first thing Rumi noticed when she came to was how tightly she was being held. Zoey’s arms were locked around her, one curved protectively around her waist and the other cradling her head against her chest. The pressure was almost suffocating, but it radiated warmth; a cocoon of fierce possession. Their bond hummed like an electric current, thick and heavy with Zoey’s emotions: protect, protect, protect.

MINE.

When Rumi shifted slightly, trying to lift her head, she realized they weren’t alone. A half-circle of nurses stood a few feet away, their hands raised in placation, their expressions tight with a mix of worry and wariness. One of them spoke softly, as if to a wild animal. Another was holding a syringe, her eyes trained on Zoey. 

“Ma’am please , we just need to take her to a room to treat her injury before it’s too late to fix -”

The growl that ripped from Zoey’s throat was enough to cut her off mid-sentence. It wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. Predatory. Possessive. Zoey’s entire body was tense, her gaze sharp and unblinking as it tracked every movement the nurses made. Her breathing was harsh, shallow. She was running on pure instinct, and those instincts said no one would touch her pack. Her alpha pheromones radiated throughout the entire waiting room, suffocating and angry. The nurses looked strained against the onslaught of her scent.

“Zo,” Rumi said softly, voice rough from pain and exhaustion. Her right arm throbbed, the dislocation sending pulses of nausea through her, but she pushed it aside. She focused on Zoey. “Hey. It’s me. I’m okay.”

Zoey’s grip didn’t loosen. If anything, it tightened fractionally, as if Rumi might be ripped away from her the second she let go. Her head lowered slightly, chin pressing against Rumi’s hair, her whole body curling around her like a shield. Rumi could feel her trembling.

The nurses exchanged looks, hesitant, unsure how to intervene. The one with the syringe took a step closer. Zoey snarled loudly, gripped Rumi tighter.

“Zoey, look at me,” Rumi tried again, keeping her voice calm but firm. “It’s just me. No one’s going to hurt me. But you’re going to crush me if you keep this up, and I’m already hurting love.”

Nothing. Another growl, sharper this time, aimed at the movement of the nurse’s hand.

Rumi closed her eyes for a moment, reaching for their bond, pushing past her own pain. It was frayed and hot, nearly feral in its intensity on Zoey’s side, but she forced calm into it, wove threads of reassurance and steadiness. She tried to let her mate know she was okay, they were okay, the nurses were okay. 

The growl quieted, just a notch.

Rumi tilted her head up as much as Zoey’s grip would allow. “Zo, I need you to breathe. Right now, you’re in fight mode, and you don’t need to be. They only want to help me. You’re scaring them - and me, a little, if I’m honest.”

A pause. Zoey’s shoulders trembled, and Rumi felt the faintest shift in her grip. Her breathing hitched. Rumi could feel her aggression wavering through the bond.

Rumi hated the idea of being separated, but her dislocated arm throbbed with every breath, and Zoey’s raw, frantic energy was almost suffocating. She could feel the tremor running through Zoey’s muscles, the coil of tension that hadn’t eased since Mira had been taken and Bobby shot.

Rumi reached up with her good hand, cupping Zoey’s jaw. “Hey. Look at me.”

Zoey’s gaze snapped to hers instantly, sharp and feral. There was blood on her shirt, hands, face - Bobby’s, maybe her own - and her pupils were still blown wide, every muscle ready to spring. The growl faded into something lower, uncertain. She looked so lost it broke Rumi’s heart seeing her mate like this.

“You did so good,” Rumi whispered, and she meant it. “You kept me safe. You didn’t let anyone near me. I know why you’re on edge. I know . But I need help now, and so do you. Let them help us. Please?”

Zoey’s jaw worked as if she wanted to argue, but Rumi saw the faint flicker of guilt under all that protective fury.

“You trust me, right?” Rumi pressed, voice soft but firm. “Then trust me now. I’ll be right there. Just a couple feet away. I won’t leave you.”

Zoey’s arms loosened - grudgingly. It was slow, like prying open the jaws of a trap, but she let Rumi go, one arm at a time. The nurses moved carefully, like handlers approaching a wild animal, and Zoey’s growl rumbled at even the smallest quick movement.

Rumi kept her eyes locked on Zoey’s, her good hand never leaving Zoey’s arm as they eased her into a wheelchair. “I’m proud of you,” she murmured, leaning forward just enough for Zoey to hear in her heightened state. “You kept me safe when I couldn’t fight. My alpha, my mate, my Zoey.”

Zoey’s throat bobbed, her expression raw and conflicted. She looked into Rumi’s eyes, and Rumi could tell that she was coming down from her protective state. 

That’s when the nurse with the syringe decided to move, while Zoey was distracted.

As the nurse at Rumi’s side wheeled her back a little, another stepped in from Zoey’s blind spot. Quick, practiced hands moved before Zoey could react. A sharp sting at the side of her neck, right into one of her scent glands.

Zoey jerked, a snarl ripping free, but it cut off with a sharp inhale. Her hand flew toward the site of the injection, but her movements were already sluggish, the drug working instantly like intended.

“Zo!” Rumi cried, half-rising from the wheelchair, panic flaring. The nurse wheeling her stopped her from standing up.

“It’s okay!” the nurse said quickly to Rumi in explanation. “It’s an Alpha tranquilizer - she’s too high-strung, she’ll hurt herself and others if she keeps going. We’ll get her treated for her wounds too.”

Zoey staggered, her body fighting the drug even as her vision blurred. Her eyes found Rumi again, desperate and angry all at once. She didn’t fall gracefully - her knees buckled, and two nurses caught her under her arms as she sagged heavily.

Zoey whimpered, voice cracking, the last of her strength poured into the words. “Don’t… leave…” Her eyes fluttered, trying to stay open, but the tranquilizer won. Her body went limp, her head lolling to the side as they eased her onto another wheelchair. Even unconscious, she looked tense, her hands still curled like she meant to grab Rumi back.

Rumi’s chest ached with something fierce and protective of her own. It broke her seeing Zoey like this. “Please, take care of my mate. We’ve been through… a lot.” she said, slumping down into the wheelchair, any semblance of fight gone the second Zoey went unconscious. 

“Of course Rumi-nim”

In a few moments, Rumi lay in the narrow medical bed, right arm cradled in a sling, IV tubing trailing from the back of her hand to drip bags full of who knows what. The pain meds were heavy in her system, thick and warm, pulling at the edges of her consciousness, but her mind refused to rest. It spun like a wheel coming off its axle, jerking her thoughts from one horror to the next.

The doctor and nurses had been brisk, calm, professional. It was a team of nurses and doctors that the girls were familiar with; paid into secrecy about them being hunters by Bobby when he learned about their role and insisted on having a team on standby for accidents. One of Bobby’s many mystery contacts it seemed. They’d moved her through vitals, an IV, blood checks, all while speaking in those low, careful voices people used when someone looked like they were about to crack. The worst part was when they reset her shoulder - a quick, sickening pop that left her gasping despite the meds. They’d been kind, telling her to breathe, to let the medication work, but nothing dulled the ache that went far deeper than muscle or bone.

Now it was quiet, but quiet didn’t help. Quiet left room for everything else.

The world blurred slightly at the edges, but she couldn’t stop seeing it - the alley, Mira’s face smeared with blood from her broken nose, Kang Jiho’s hand around her throat, the way Zoey had fought like a feral thing only to be crushed under one of the strange men’s weight. Bobby collapsing. The sound of the gunshot still rang in her ears, sharp as broken glass.

Rumi reached for the bond instinctively, seeking that familiar spark that had always been Mira. But it was thin, almost ghostly now. There was still something there, a faint pulse far away, but it was too weak, too distant. And the emptiness around it was suffocating.

Where are you, Mira?

The question echoed uselessly, and the silence that came back made her want to tear the IV from her arm and run barefoot through the streets until she found her. Instead, she clenched her good hand into the sheet, nails digging into the stiff cotton. Her mind wouldn’t stop whirling with thoughts and images.

Bobby’s face flew into her thoughts next, pale and still, blood soaking his shirt, her hands, the ground. The sound of his rattling breath would haunt her nightmares for a long time, she knew. He was their anchor, their steady presence. The thought of losing him pressed hard against her lungs. Bobby, their Bobby - the one who had always believed in them, who would blame himself even when none of this was his fault - how could they face him? How could Rumi look him in the eye when she couldn’t even protect him or her pack?

The guilt came in waves, thick and choking. They were hunters, voices strong. Skilled. Nothing human had ever been a threat to them - not really. And yet tonight, they’d been flattened like prey. Men. Just men. And they’d been powerless. Rumi still thought there was something off about them, a deep instinctual feeling that wouldn’t leave her. 

She turned her head slightly to the left. Zoey lay in the bed beside hers, still unconscious from the tranquilizer, her face set in a grim line even in sleep. Seeing her there hurt and soothed all at once. Rumi reached across the space between them, ignoring the pull in her shoulder, and brushed her fingertips against Zoey’s wrist. The bond was strong, but even it felt frayed at the edges, stretched thin under the weight of absence.

Her eyes burned.

We’ll get her back. The words felt hollow, but she repeated them anyway. We’ll get her back, we’ll fix this, we’ll make it right.

But the pain meds were heavy now, tugging her under, blurring the white room into watercolor. She tried to fight it, but every blink lasted a little too long, until she couldn’t open her eyes again.

========

Zoey’s return to consciousness was sharp and ugly, like surfacing too fast after being dragged underwater. Her body went from nothing to fight mode in an instant. Her heart hammered against her ribs, breath coming shallow and quick before her eyes even opened. The first thing she noticed was pressure against her body - tight, unyielding straps pinning her wrists and ankles to the bed.

Her brain didn’t question why the pressure was there. Her instincts reacted first to the feeling of being trapped.

Zoey jerked against them, the muscles in her arms and shoulders straining. A sound ripped from her throat as panic flooded in. She remembered the alley. The ambush. The chaos. Rumi’s cry of pain. Mira’s bloodied face and Jiho’s hand clamped around her throat. Bobby hitting the pavement with a bullet in his chest. The bond - frayed, thinning, Mira’s presence suddenly distant. And then -

A sting in her neck. A flash of heat. The floor rushing up to meet her.

Her chest tightened. Her instincts screamed inside her to find, move, protect.

Then her gaze landed on the bed beside hers.

Rumi.

Everything stuttered to a halt.

Rumi was asleep, turned slightly on her side towards Zoey, her right arm strapped securely in a sling. Her face was pale but peaceful, lips parted slightly, chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. Her uninjured arm was flopped off her bed as though she had been reaching for Zoey. The harsh fluorescent light washed over her and made everything look so much worse, but it didn’t take away from the simple relief of seeing her there, alive.

The wild energy in Zoey’s blood stilled, like water settling after a storm. The straps still dug into her wrists, but her body eased back into the mattress. She swallowed hard, forcing air into her lungs, counting each inhale like a lifeline.

She couldn’t stop looking at Rumi. The sight of her like this - safe, healing, still with her - was enough to cut through the haze. Zoey’s alpha instincts were still sharp and restless, prowling just under her skin, but seeing Rumi unharmed calmed them enough to think. Her memory pulled at the edges again; bond pressed down on her like a weight. The fear didn’t leave. It sat heavy in her chest, but now it had form, a cold dread rather than raw panic. She felt like she finally had control of herself for the first time that day.

Zoey exhaled slowly and leaned her head back against the pillow, eyes never leaving Rumi.

The door opened with a soft click, and muted voices carried into the quiet room. Zoey’s head turned sharply, every muscle tensing as the doctor stepped inside with two nurses in tow.

The staff hesitated for only a breath, their eyes flicking to the restraints and then to Zoey, who was frozen in the hospital bed. She wasn’t snarling this time. No fight, no feral edge; just an alert, tired woman with shadows under her eyes and guilt etched across her face.

“I’m awake,” Zoey said first, her voice rough but steady. She glanced at the nurses and then away, her jaw flexing. “About earlier… I’m really, really sorry.” The words felt heavy in her mouth. The memory of her snapping, growling, refusing to let anyone near Rumi; it burned in her chest. These people had only been trying to help, and she’d treated them like enemies.

One of the nurses softened immediately, her shoulders easing. The other gave a small, understanding nod, still eyeballing her like she might strike at any moment. 

The doctor moved closer, calm and deliberate, hands tucked into her coat pockets. “Given the circumstances,” she said gently, “no apology is needed. Stress can trigger strong protective responses in any alpha. You were trying to keep your mate safe. That’s not something anyone here holds against you.”

The words landed like a quiet reprieve. Zoey lowered her gaze, jaw unclenching, and exhaled through her nose. The doctor motioned for the nurses to step in. She didn’t flinch when they approached this time. She stayed carefully still, letting them undo the thick straps around her wrists and ankles. The moment the last restraint was removed, she flexed her fingers, rolling her shoulders and neck. She felt the sting of the injection site in the side of her neck and grimaced at the feeling. 

“Can you sit up for me?” the doctor asked.

Zoey nodded, moving carefully, aware of every IV line and monitor. The nurses adjusted pillows behind her back, helped her into a sitting position, and checked her vitals: blood pressure cuff hissing, pulse oximeter clipped to her finger, thermometer brushing against her ear. Zoey tolerated it all quietly, her focus drifting to the other bed every few seconds, always back to Rumi, always confirming she was still there, still breathing.

When the nurse stepped back and noted her readings, Zoey finally looked up again. “Thank you,” she murmured, voice quieter now. “For being patient with me.”

The nurse's expression softened. “You’ve both been through something traumatic. The fact you’re sitting here calm enough to say that speaks louder than anything else.”

Zoey managed the smallest of nods. The two nurses moved to Rumi’s side, checking her vitals, adjusting the IV bag, but Zoey’s attention was on the doctor as she crossed the room and sat on the edge of Zoey’s bed. There was no rush in her movements, but her expression carried weight. She rested a tablet on her lap, folding her hands over it.

“Zoey,” she said quietly. “I have news about Bobby.”

Zoey’s heart slammed so hard in her chest it hurt. Her fingers knotted in the blanket, the tension so sharp her nails threatened to tear the fabric. She couldn’t even open her mouth to ask; she just waited with baited breath.

“He made it through surgery,” the doctor said, giving each word its own breath. “The bullet punctured his lung. That could have been catastrophic, but in this case, it saved him. If it had gone any other direction - heart, aorta, major vessels - he wouldn’t have made it here alive. You guys provided fantastic first aid that kept him alive long enough to get the help he needed.”

Something in Zoey broke. A tremor shivered through her arms and her vision blurred. It wasn’t a sob, not quite, but it was close.

The doctor’s voice stayed steady as she continued. “The damage caused a partial collapse, but he’s stable now. We placed a chest tube to help his lung re-expand. It’s going to be a slow recovery, but he’s here. He’s alive, thanks to you two.”

The relief hit Zoey like a tidal wave. It was too much for her body to contain - her breath left in a harsh exhale, shoulders shaking, tears finally falling. The tight coil inside her chest loosened so suddenly it almost hurt. It was as if the walls she’d built to keep herself from shattering crumbled in an instant. That surge of emotion rolled outward like a shockwave, and the one person who could feel it closest stirred.

Across the room, Rumi shifted, eyelashes fluttering. She made a soft sound, somewhere between a sigh and a hum, before her eyes cracked open, bleary and unfocused, immediately seeking out Zoey.

“Zo…?” Rumi’s voice was thick with sleep and pain, but she could feel it - the sudden brightness in the bond, the heavy relief. “What -?”

Zoey turned, wiping hastily at her face but failing to hide the rawness in her expression. “Bobby,” she said, voice rough and breaking. “He made it. He’s alive.”

That snapped Rumi fully awake. She struggled to push herself up on one elbow, grimacing at the tug in her injured shoulder, but she didn’t stop. “He - he’s okay? Really?” She looked back and forth between Zoey and the doctor.

The doctor looked over at Rumi and offered a small, reassuring smile. “He’s stable. Surgery went as well as we could hope. It’s serious, but he’s breathing on his own with help from a chest tube. We’re watching him closely.”

Rumi sagged back against her pillow, the breath she’d been holding escaping in a rush. Her uninjured hand came up to press over her face, lips quivering and tears falling. The weight on their chests didn’t disappear - Mira was still missing, their pack still torn - but for one moment, something precious had been spared. Bobby was going to be fine.

The doctor turned her body on Zoey’s bed to face them both better before she started talking again, setting down her clipboard. “I know it’s not my place to ask, but what happened to your third member? I don’t think I’ve ever seen just the two of you here before.”

Rumi swallowed and finally spoke, her voice strained and hollow. “Our third member - Mira, our omega - was taken from us..” The words felt like a punch to the gut, and Zoey released calming pheromones reflexively. Rumi wasn’t sure how much this doctor of Bobby’s knew about them so she kept it brief. 

The doctor’s expression softened immediately, her eyes filled with genuine concern. “Taken? I’m so sorry. That must be terrifying.” She hesitated, weighing her words carefully, knowing how fragile their current state was. She didn’t know the ins and outs of what these girls did, but Bobby paid them well, and she knew she wasn’t supposed to ask questions. The doctor looked each of them in the eyes, sympathetic but resolute. “I understand that you want to get to her, but your injuries are not just surface scratches, yours especially Rumi. You cannot leave this hospital for a few days. You both need observation and nutrition, and your bodies need time to heal.” She could see both girls bristling at her words so she held up her hands in a placating manner as she continued, “Look, I’m not trying to trap you here. You’re free to go anytime. But the truth of the matter is you both need time to recover. Don’t let your panic send you on a one way ticket to your deaths.”

Zoey’s alpha instincts flared fully, a low, feral growl vibrating through her chest. “I don’t care about my injuries! She’s out there, and we have to get her! I can’t… I can’t just wait!”

Rumi’s voice cracked as she echoed her mate, “We can’t lose her… we can’t.” Their shared bond trembled with despair and panic.

The doctor’s tone remained firm, though soft at the edges. “I understand your fear. I really do. But if you push your bodies beyond this point, you’ll be in no condition to protect anyone, including her. You need to rest. You are not expendable. You cannot save her if you collapse.”

Zoey exhaled, the growl lowering to a trembling hum as she processed the reality. Her alpha pride screamed at the injustice of waiting to go to her missing omega, but the doctor’s words carried a cold logic she couldn’t argue with. She leaned back on her hospital bed, back twinging in protest, and sighed. She nodded slowly at the doctor in hesitant agreement at her words.

Rumi dragged her good hand down her face, letting herself feel the full weight of the despair and guilt pressing down on her. “I hate this,” she whispered, “I hate that she’s out there… and we can’t do anything yet.”

The doctor nodded, giving them both a measured, almost parental look. “I know. And I’m truly sorry. But we will help get you on your feet as soon we can and make sure you heal. You can use this time to plan, to think, to rest. Plus, I think it would be nice if you were here when Bobby wakes up. He’s always talking about his girls.” She smiled faintly at them.

Zoey let out a slow, frustrated breath, her jaw tight. Her eyes flickered toward Rumi, and she felt the bond pulse with their shared terror for Mira. The very thought of their omega alone and in danger sent a shiver through both of them, but for now, they had no choice but to obey.

Rumi looked up at the doctor, her face pale and eyes glossy with unshed tears. “Forty-eight hours,” she whispered, the words tasting like chains. Zoey reached out to Rumi and they held hands across their bed space, a silent promise that they’d survive the wait… and then they’d find Mira.

The doctor left the room quietly, closing the door softly behind her, but the heaviness in the air remained. Zoey and Rumi sank back into the pillows, bodies tense, minds spiraling, hearts tethered together and reaching across the absence of their missing mate. The room was quiet, save for their shared breaths and the faint hum and beep of the monitors, each beat a reminder of the need to wait.

====((Mira's POV, Same Day))====

The van’s doors wrenched open with a metallic scream, flooding the interior with pale moonlight. Mira flinched instinctively, raising her bound wrists as if that could shield her. Before she could adjust, hands like iron clamped down on her arms. Jiho’s men hauled her forward without care, her boots catching on the metal floor before scraping down into gravel. The ground shifted beneath her, the sudden cold night air biting into her skin and bringing a sliver of clarity that she almost wished hadn’t come.

Because she knew this place. 

Her stomach dropped as her eyes focused past the broad shoulders of her captors. Through the dark trees and brush, the guest house stood in the distance, its warped silhouette unchanged. Time hadn’t softened it. It still looked like it had been carved straight out of her nightmares.

Her breath faltered. The moment recognition clicked, her pulse spiked and her pheromones exploded outward full of fear. “No…” It came out hoarse, barely a whisper, but her body lurched backward, trying to wrench itself free on instinct. Her wrists burned against the rope as she fought, but the men dragged her easily, ignoring her as though she were a child throwing a tantrum. 

Kang Jiho followed just behind, his footsteps lazy, his presence all too pleased. “Look at her,” he said, voice coated in mocking delight. “She remembers! It feels just like old times.”

Mira shook her head violently, heart hammering, throat closing in panic. The closer they pulled her, the more the shadows of that place grew until it seemed to tower over her, suffocating and endless. Her voice cracked as the words tore out of her. “No - please! Don’t take me back -”

Her captors didn’t even glance at her. One man yanked her forward by the arm, the other shoving hard between her shoulder blades until her knees buckled and scraped against the gravel. Her lungs convulsed, trying to pull in air, but each breath was thin, shaky, useless.

Jiho’s laugh cut through her spiraling like a blade. “This is perfect . I couldn’t have planned it better myself. She’s breaking before we even put her inside. How humiliating .”

The front steps creaked under their weight as they dragged her up, wood groaning like the voices from her memories. Mira thrashed harder, adrenaline flooding her veins, her body no longer thinking - just trying to get away . She kicked backward, her shoulder colliding with one man’s chest. For a fleeting second, his grip faltered, and hope flared like a spark.

It was gone just as quickly. A vicious yank on her hair wrenched her head back, forcing her eyes upward toward Kang Jiho’s smug face as he leaned in close. “Fight all you want, dear sister. It makes no difference. You’re already right where you belong.”

The door groaned as it opened, the smell of dust and mildew seeping out like a ghost. Mira’s body went rigid, ice shooting through her veins. Every nerve screamed, every inch of her telling her to run, but there was nowhere to go. She couldn’t make her legs work; they dragged her like a ragdoll, her boots leaving streaks across the dusty warped wood flooring.

Her voice cracked raw as she begged, desperation strangling her. “ Nononono please n-not t-there anywhere but there! ”

The hallway stretched out in front of her, narrow and dim, its peeling wallpaper the same faded red color she remembered. Shadows flickered in the weak light, making it feel like the walls themselves were watching. Mira’s throat closed tighter with every step. The men didn’t slow. They knew exactly where they were going. So did she.

Her body began to tremble violently. She could see the door at the end of the hall. The door. The one she had clawed at with bloody fingers. The one she had screamed at until her voice had broken, only to be answered with laughter. The one that had swallowed years of her life.

She thrashed so hard her shoulder nearly dislocated like Rumi’s had, the rope biting deep into her wrists, burning. “ Nonononono please don’t - ” Her words dissolved into sobs as sheer terror overtook her. Her pheromones were at an all time high. Kang Jiho inhaled deeply and his smile grew at the fear he tasted in the air from his younger sister.

Kang Jiho only smiled wider, leaning against the wall as his men pulled her the last few feet into the room. His eyes shone in the dark, sharp and cruel. “You’ll wait here until Father calls for you,” he said smoothly, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. “Seems fitting, doesn’t it? Back to basics. Nostalgic.”

The men shoved her hard, forcing her knees to slam into the floorboards as they pushed her through the doorway. The sound of the impact jarred her teeth, but the shock barely registered against the storm inside her head. The yawning blackness of the room swallowed her whole, exactly as it had before. Her body shook with panic, chest rising in short, frantic gasps on the floor of the room. She was reaching up at them in desperation. “ Don’t shut the door - please, I’ll do anything! ”

But they didn’t listen, of course.

The heavy wood swung shut, blocking out the last sliver of light, leaving only Jiho’s silhouette smirking at her through the narrowing crack. His voice slid through like poison. “Sweet dreams, little sister. Welcome home.”

The door slammed shut.

The lock clicked.

And Mira’s screams tore through the darkness, raw and broken with terrified sobs, before being devoured by the familiar silence.

Chapter Text

====(( Celine’s POV ))====

Celine sat alone on the cold dirt in front of a lone tombstone, a figure carved from shadow and glass. The public hadn’t seen her in weeks, not since Mira’s little stunt ripped open the carefully woven fabric of her reputation. She had vanished from the cameras, withdrawn from the meetings, and left the wolves to gnash their teeth without her. It wasn’t fear that kept her hidden - it was unadulterated fury.

The whiskey bottle in her hand was already half-empty, but it didn’t blur the edges enough. She didn’t bother bringing a glass; she drank straight from the neck, the burn scraping her throat raw. It kept her sharp, kept her mind from softening. In front of Celine was the only place she allowed herself to unravel. It was a grave kept immaculate even when the rest of the world was left to rot.

The headstone was simple, elegant: Ryu Mi-Yeong. The name is carved deep, the flowers at its base fresh and carefully arranged. Celine always brought them herself. She sat back, staring at the letters, and let the weight of the silence press against her ribs.

Celine’s fingers traced the name on the stone. Her touch was almost tender, but her jaw tightened as she spoke. “They think you are my shame. They think I hid you because I was selfish. But you and I both know the truth was never that simple.”

She sighed, her hand brushing against the top of the tombstone. “I miss you.” Her voice trembled. The whiskey burned on the way down, but it wasn’t enough to keep the memories at bay. Sitting there on the cold ground in front of Mi-Yeong’s grave, the night rain drizzling down around her, Celine let herself drift back to when it all began.

====(( Flashback ))====

Celine never thought that auditioning for an idol role for the Sunlight Sisters would also mean she had to fight demons and save the world, but there she was. Back then, there was only one woman left of the previous trio of hunters: a stern, sharp-eyed mentor who seemed carved out of stone. Her name was Im Seo-Jin, and she’d chosen exactly three young women from different parts of South Korea to train to be her successors. She taught them all about the Honmoon - the mysterious glowing threads that Celine had been able to see her whole life every time she sang - and that it kept demons at bay. Their job was not only to be idols on stage for the world to love, but to also fight in combat against demons that passed the Honmoon and came into their world. 

No pressure or anything.

Celine was the youngest of the trio, all raw ambition and restless energy hidden behind a controlled mask of indifference. She remembered the first day vividly; the old mansion perched on a quiet hillside, the air sharp with early morning dew. It smelled of woodsmoke and earth, a far cry from the city where she was from that smelled of nothing but pollution.

The other two were already there when she arrived. Ha-Eun, who stood with her arms swinging by her sides as she bounced from one foot to the other, already a ball of energy ready to go. And then there was Ryu Mi-Yeong.

Celine’s chest suddenly felt tighter. Mi-Yeong looked like she didn’t belong there, not because she was weak, but because she carried herself like she already knew who she was and didn’t need to learn anything. Calm, serene, an omega in a world that had little patience for them. Her hair had been tied back neatly into a long black braid down the entire length of her back, her stance relaxed but purposeful. When she turned and those dark eyes met Celine’s, it felt like a string pulled taut between them.

Seo-Jin wasted no time in starting their training as soon as all three of them had moved into the mansion with her. “You are my trainees, in being both idols and hunters,” she said, her voice as rough as gravel. “You’ll learn to patrol and hunt down every demon that rips through the Honmoon. You’ll learn to sing and dance until your throat bleeds and your limbs can’t move. It is up to you three to protect this world.”

“Yes Seo-Jin-seonbaenim,” the three girls said in unison.

Training under Seo-Jin was relentless. Days bled into nights into days, calluses forming on hands that held both weapons called forth from the Honmoon and microphones during voice training. The mansion was their world: creaking floorboards, a yard turned training ground, the smell of rice cooking while they practiced vocals. Celine was all sharp edges, always trying to prove herself, always chasing Im Seo-Jin’s approval. Ha-Eun thrived under the pressure, steady and efficient. Never running out of energy. But Mi-Yeong? She moved differently. She adapted the quickest to the lifestyle changes, honed her fluid movements until she was the embodiment of steel wrapped in silk both on and off the stage.

Celine had tried to ignore it, the way her gaze kept finding Mi-Yeong, the way a simple brush of her shoulder during sparring felt like flames in her blood. She had an inkling as to why, but didn’t want to put a name to the feelings. But there was no denying the pull. Even then, before stages and contracts and secrets, she knew something about Mi-Yeong would be her downfall.

One evening, long after Seo-Jin had gone inside, they stayed behind to practice footwork. The sun had dipped low, casting the yard in gold. Ha-Eun had gone to bed early, but Mi-Yeong stayed. She always stayed if Celine stayed.

“You need to place more weight on your right hip as you swing into the next step,” Mi-Yeong said, stepping close, correcting Celine’s posture with deft but lingering hands. “You dance like you fight - aggressive. You don’t need to be. It’s like you’re trying to prove something.”

Celine smirked, not meeting her eyes. “Maybe I am.”

Mi-Yeong’s smile was small, secretive, but there was warmth in it. “You don’t need to.”

That was the moment, Celine realized later. The first time she wanted something other than power, other than victory. She wanted her.

The night air was heavier outside one particular night, thick with mist and the metallic tang of something unnatural. Demonic. The three of them moved like shadows - Im Seo-Jin’s students, carrying blades and bow through the narrow streets of a sleeping city. Patrol nights were rare this early in their training, but Seo-Jin believed in trial by fire. And tonight, the fire came in the form of something that wasn’t supposed to be there, that none of the new trainees were prepared for..

The first sign was the smell. Burnt copper and rotting flowers, a stench Celine would come to know too well in her nightmares. It slithered through the alleyways. Celine tightened her grip on the curved twin blades in her hands, uneasy. Seo-Jin had reassured them that this was a patrol that they could handle given the size of the tear that formed in the Honmoon at the demons’ intrusion. 

“Stay sharp,” Ha-Eun whispered, scanning the dark. “Something feels wrong.”

Celine’s instincts were screaming. Her pulse thundered in her ears as they moved in formation - Mi-Yeong at point, Celine to the left, Ha-Eun to the right. The omega’s movements were silent but deliberate, the calm to their sharper alpha edges.

Then came the sound - a guttural, wet growl that didn’t belong to anything human. Deeper than the demons they had encountered prior to this, the sound reverberated through their very souls. The Honmoon was rippling around them red and warping, as though it too felt the threat was worse than they initially thought.

The demon burst from the shadows like any other demon encounter. What made this one different was the sheer size of it; at least double, maybe triple, the size of the largest demon they’ve seen, giant tusks jutting out of a giant maw, horns spiraling around its purple head. When the girls saw it, all three of them felt a tremor run through their bodies - fear. This demon was different. They shouldn’t be here. 

But they still had to try and hold it off until Seo-Jin caught up to them.

The three moved as one, the strenuous hunter training taking over - Ha-Eun’s arrow finding the creature’s flank, Mi-Yeong darting closer with her one-handed sword. They were completely in sync, moving around each other and the demon with fluid motions and deliberate strikes to try and incapacitate it.

But it wasn’t enough. 

The demon turned, faster than it should have been able to for its size, and lunged for Mi-Yeong who was closest to it at the time of its attack. She didn’t have time to block. One second she was swinging her sword to strike again, the next her sword was knocked out of her hands and she watched wide-eyed as those larger than life tusks came for her. 

Celine didn’t think. She didn’t hesitate. Her Alpha instincts roared to life: protect protect protect . She threw herself into its path while shoving Mi-Yeong out of the way, twisting her body so the bite landed where she thought she could survive it - if she was lucky. The creature’s massive jaws clamped down on her back, teeth sinking deep. Its jaw was so large in comparison to them that her entire body was caught in its jaw as it bit down, teeth nearly snapping her in half. The sound it made was wet and horrible, and the pain was so blinding, blood splashing everywhere -

“ Celine! ” Mi-Yeong’s voice broke, sharp with terror. Her pheromones went wild with fear instantly. The demon paused in its attempt to tear Celine apart, inhaling the Omega’s scent that was now permeating the air. 

Ha-Eun took the opportunity to fire her arrows, aiming for the creature’s eyes. It shrieked, wrenching its teeth free from Celine’s flesh. Blood soaked her clothes and the ground, dripping down her sides, but Celine stayed standing. Somehow, she stayed standing. She whirled, blades flashing, and drove both deep into the monster’s throat with strength she didn’t know she had. It went down with a choking gurgle before it disappeared into thin air with a puff of red smoke.

Celine swayed on the spot, looking a little dazed. 

“Grab her!” Ha-Eun’s voice was full of panic as she ran over, but Mi-Yeong was already there, catching her before she could crumple. The omega’s hands were warm and shaking as she pressed them against Celine’s back and sides, trying to stem the bleeding and failing. Celine’s blood gushed out between her fingers and permeated the ground.

Celine managed a strained laugh, At least she thought she did, but it came out more like a wheeze of air. “You’re… safe.” She whispered faintly.

Mi-Yeong’s answer was a strangled sound that wasn’t quite a sob, tears falling down her face freely. “You’re an idiot. A big fucking idiot.”

Im Seo-Jin arrived minutes later, but it felt like an eternity, shock evident on her face. Her hands were steady as she worked, wrapping wounds, the guilt showing clear on her face. The venom that the demon carried in its bite was eating at her flesh, turning the wound black around the edges. It was a miracle she didn’t lose consciousness. The girls helped their mentor carry Celine back to the mansion to heal.

Days passed in a haze of fever and pain. The wound scarred deep and ugly, a jagged black and purple design that tore across her entire back like a brand going in every direction. But through it all, Mi-Yeong never left her side, not even once.

She was there when Celine would wake screaming with pain as the toxins worked through her system. She was there when Seo-Jin said all three of them were lucky to be alive, but that she was so sorry things turned out that way. She slept on the floor beside the bed, hands curled loosely around Celine’s hands as if to keep both of them anchored.

It was something no hunter had ever experienced before, according to Seo-Jin; no one ever survived a demon bite that bad because the toxins would finish them off before the wound could heal. Celine wasn’t faring much better, but she was as stubborn as they come. She was going through cycles of freezing cold and blazing hot, bite marks pulsing with an almost ethereal shimmer of dark purple and black. She could feel it coursing through her system, flowing through her bloodstream, changing her from the inside out. The scar spread across her body, jagged lightning bolts marking her back, sides, chest, upper arms. Thankfully it seemed to stop spreading after that. 

They didn’t speak it aloud, not then. But it was there, unspoken and undeniable. Something had shifted between the Alpha and Omega. Mi-Yeong became a constant presence in her life no matter where she was. Morning and night, she was there, as though nothing else mattered. Ha-Eun teased her gently for it at first before she got annoyed, but eventually stopped when she saw the look in Mi-Yeong’s eyes. There was no convincing her to leave Celine’s side.

The bond formed in silence over time. Celine would wake in the night to find a cool cloth pressed to her forehead, Mi-Yeong’s hair falling loose from its braid as she slept sitting up next to her bed, her face drawn but calm. Sometimes Celine would pretend to still be asleep just to feel the brush of those fingers against her skin, the tenderness in them so unlike the brutal world they trained in. Celine could eventually sit up, though pain rippled across her back with every movement. Mi-Yeong insisted on helping her bathe, which mortified Celine but she had no say in the matter.

The first time Mi-Yeong saw the scar on Celine’s body, she stopped breathing. It carved a vicious path across Celine’s back and all over her upper body, dark and unforgiving, an ugly reminder of how close she’d come to dying. She swore she saw it pulsing a very dark purple but she wasn’t sure.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Mi-Yeong whispered, the words trembling. Celine didn’t need context to know what the younger girl was referring to. “It wasn’t worth it.” 

Celine managed a small smile that Mi-Yeong couldn’t see from behind her. “Would you have preferred I let you get chomped instead? You just wanna look cool like me and these…markings?”

“Don’t joke about that.” Mi-Yeong’s voice cracked. Celine shut her mouth, feeling guilty. Mi-Yeong reached out, fingertips ghosting across the edges of the markings as though she couldn’t bring herself to touch them. “What if it had been worse?”

Celine turned to look over her shoulder, and was startled to see Mi-Yeong silently crying, her pheromones barely contained but full of guilt. She reached up a hand and placed it over the one on her shoulder and squeezed. The touch was electric. “I would do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant I could save you.”

Months went by. Glances held too long during training sessions once Celine could move again, a hand lingered on the other’s shoulder when passing by. It was laughter in the quiet moments, soft and genuine, and the way their mentor’s mansion began to feel less like a place of survival and more like a home.

One evening, after a long day of drills, the three trainees sat around the giant outdoor firepit, drying themselves after a grueling day of training in a river to build up endurance. Ha-Eun dozed against the wall, exhausted, leaving Mi-Yeong and Celine sitting alone shoulder to shoulder in the flickering orange glow.

Celine was leaning forward closer to the fire, t-shirt drying on a rack next to them, her sports bra not hiding the visceral scarring all over her torso. Mi-Yeong was looking over at her again and again, and eventually stared into the fire for a long time before speaking. “I thought I was going to lose you that night.”

Celine didn’t have to ask which night Mi-Yeong was referring to.

“But you didn't,” Celine said simply, leaning back on her arms, though her gaze drifted to Mi-Yeong’s profile. “And you were worth the risk. You will always be worth the risk, to me.”

Mi-Yeong’s lips parted as if to say something, but instead she turned her head. Their eyes met, and whatever walls had been holding them apart crumbled. It wasn’t a dramatic kiss, not yet. It was a closeness, a shared breath, the faintest brush of lips against each other. Questioning, hesitant, full of unspoken longing. They broke apart and Celine rested her head on Mi-Yeong’s shoulder, feeling so much better than she had in a while.

They got up and dragged a half asleep Ha-Eun back into the mansion to take hot showers and go to sleep to start all over again every day after that, as they had for years.

Even after the wound healed, Celine couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside her had shifted. The bite from the demon, she realized slowly, had done more than just scar her back and leave weird lightning markings; it had ignited something she couldn’t name in her body. Her reflexes were sharper, her muscles responding faster and stronger than ever before. But there was an edge now, a low simmer beneath her skin that made her temper flare with a flicker of annoyance at even the smallest things. Her Alpha pheromones were beyond dominant now, much more so than before, and she had to learn how to control her scent better because of it or else people like Mi-Yeong had a hard time being around her without wanting to submit, and that’s the last thing she wanted.

She would catch herself snarling at minor mistakes during drills, her voice sharper, harsher. Even in the quiet moments, her pulse throbbed with an unfamiliar intensity, and her dreams were restless, filled with shadows of predatory instincts she didn’t fully understand. It was as if the fight that had almost killed her had left a permanent residue inside her, a constant reminder that she was not herself anymore.

Mi-Yeong noticed the change first. She would pause mid-laugh, cocking her head as she studied Celine’s eyes, the tension that seemed to coil just beneath the surface. It was both alarming and magnetic, and Celine didn’t want to admit how much it thrilled her to have someone notice her. The tension between them kept building and building day after day, week after week.

Then, one night, the tension became unavoidable and it snapped. 

Celine was curled in her bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling a weird heat in her body that she thought might be her rut, and the restless thrum in her blood. Ever since the incident her Alphas characteristics had been all over the place. Mi-Yeong had been restless lately too. Celine sensed it in the subtle shift of the air around the younger girl, the way Ha-Eun kept glancing at her with an unreadable look in her eyes, in the way Mi-Yeong’s scent - so delicate usually, so controlled - was thick with lilies, impossible for Celine to ignore eventually.

She didn’t even hear Mi-Yeong enter. She just knew that she was there because that delicious floral scent grew stronger as she stepped closer and it told her everything before the girl even spoke.

Heat. Mi-Yeong was in heat.

Celine’s pulse spiked. This was dangerous. She needed to stop this. “Mi-Yeong…” she began, but the name barely left her lips before the Omega lunged forward to get on top of her, pressing herself against Celine’s whole body. Desperate, trembling, her small hands gripping the larger woman’s shoulders like a lifeline. Mi-Yeong’s lips found Celine’s collarbone, her scent wrapping around her wanting and desperate. Celine couldn’t help her eyes rolling back into her head, shuddering.

“I need you,” Mi-Yeong whispered, her voice raw, desperate. “I need you, Celine.”

Celine froze at first, feeling the feral heat coursing beneath her own skin, the strange edge the bite had left in her body reacting violently to the Omega pressed against her. It wasn’t just because she was an Alpha; it felt like her instincts were amplified. She could feel the unspoken pull of dominance, the raw, instinctive bond forming like fire between them. Her own body was responding before her mind could catch up, muscles tensing, heart hammering, the simmering storm within her rising higher and higher.

Mi-Yeong’s hands roamed across Celine’s skin, tentative at first, testing boundaries she didn’t need to speak aloud. The Alpha in Celine recognized the signs, the desperation in Mi-Yeong’s scent, the trembling heat of her skin, how she craved. She exhaled a growl that vibrated deep in her chest, half-warning, half-acknowledgment, and in that moment, the simmering heat beneath her own skin found its outlet. She just needed, wanted, had to give in.

It was a delicate dance, raw and instinctive, and Celine realized she had never truly understood the pull of instincts until now. The bite, the heat, the bond; they were all converging, and she could no longer deny the storm inside her, or the magnetism of the Omega clinging to her. Celine should have pushed her away. She should have reminded Mi-Yeong of their mentor sleeping only two doors down, or of the unspoken rule that if any of them were in a heat or rut, they were supposed to stay isolated until it passed. She should have said no.

But when Mi-Yeong’s lips found the base of her throat and lingered there, trembling with need as she moved her hips against the girl below her seeking any kind of friction, every rational thought shattered.

The bite scar across her back pulsed as if alive, burning beneath her skin, amplifying every sound, every breath, every shudder of Mi-Yeong’s fragile frame against her own. That restless fire that had haunted her since the demon attack surged upward, urging her to claim , to protect , to take what was rightfully hers. It swelled outward in the form of her pheromones, twining through Mi-Yeong’s scent. She whimpered at the sudden onslaught of such strong pheromones surrounding her heat induced ones.

“Mi-Yeong,” Celine growled, low and hoarse, gripping the Omega’s cheeks before she lost control entirely. “Do you even know what you’re asking for? Are you even coherent right now?”

Mi-Yeong’s answer wasn’t words - it was the way she tipped her chin up, eyes glazed with the haze of her cycle, pupils blown wide and lips parted. It was the way her scent thickened, heavy and sweet, flooding Celine’s senses until she could barely think. It was her body grinding down on her over and over.

“I know,” Mi-Yeong whispered. “I want you . Only you. It’s only ever been you.”

That broke the last thread of Celine’s restraint. She pulled Mi-Yeong up to her face to capture her lips in a searing kiss, hands sliding up her sides with a roughness she didn’t intend but couldn’t rein back. The Omega’s small frame fit against her like it had been made to belong there, her soft whimpers striking something deep and primal in Celine’s chest.

The mask of control she had been forced to wear since the accident cracked at that moment. No mentor was watching. No rules could reach them here. It was only her and Mi-Yeong, Alpha and Omega, colliding with a force too old and instinctive to be denied along with a new, unknown force colliding with the two within Celine's body.

Mi-Yeong clung to her, nails raking down Celine’s shoulders as though to mark her, to make her hers. Every gasp, every plea fanned the heat clawing under Celine’s scarred skin, boiling into a storm she could no longer contain. She growled - a deep guttural sound, eerily similar to the demon that gave her the scar - and she gave into the temptation in front of her.

When Celine finally touched Mi-Yeong, deep and claiming - it was like something in both of them broke open. Mi-Yeong melted against her, sighing into her mouth, surrendering completely, while Celine’s arms wrapped around her like steel, vowing silently to never let her go. Their tongues fought for dominance over each other’s mouths, the air getting heavier and heavier with their mixed pheromones. The alpha had certainly gone into her rut in that moment, and any semblance of control flew out the window.

Celine had never lost control before. Even when the scar burned like fire beneath her skin, even when her temper came quicker than it should, even when she would smell Mi-Yeong’s heat from down the hall for years, she’d always managed to cage it - just as their mentor had drilled into her, just as the world expected of a hunter, idol, alpha. But when Mi-Yeong pressed herself into her that night, trembling, fevered, desperate from her heat, every wall Celine had built crumbled into ash in an instant.

The first time she knotted her, it was a blur of instinct and need so sharp it was almost painful. Mi-Yeong sobbed into her neck, her scent flooding the room so thick it drowned out every other thought. It should have scared Celine how easily she lost herself, but nothing had ever felt so right. They were locked together for the first time, but certainly not the last. They were both too far gone to think if the others would hear them, voices and moans ringing out loudly in the night. Celine sank her teeth into Mi-Yeong’s scent gland, her teeth suspiciously sharp even for an alpha trying to claim their omega, as she came over and over inside her new mate. They were now completely and irrevocably bonded.

And it didn’t stop.

Hours bled into the next day and so on. The small room became their whole world - curtains drawn tight, sheets tangled, clothes thrown all over the floor, air heavy with the raw, cloying musk of Alpha and Omega locked together. Mi-Yeong clung to her through every cycle of fire and release, nails scratching down Celine’s shoulders and back, soft pleas spilling from her lips: “Please please fill me, breed me, make me yours, my Celine, my mate” she rambled over and over. Celine answered with teeth, with hands, with her body, over and over, until she didn’t know where she ended and Mi-Yeong began.

Her scars throbbed constantly from Mi-Yeong continuously raking her nails up and down her back, but there was also a feeling underneath; black veins spidering faintly along the edges of the wound like something was waking. Each time Mi-Yeong begged for more, that boiling energy inside her surged higher, urging her to take, to claim, to never let go .

By the fourth night, they were delirious. Mi-Yeong’s heat showed no sign of ebbing, and Celine’s body responded like it had been forged for this moment alone. She couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to. Her Alpha instincts sang every time Mi-Yeong whimpered her name, every time the bond between them tightened until it felt unbreakable. The omega couldn’t hold any more of Celine’s seed in her - hadn’t been able to for a while - so every knot just created a mess of alpha seed all down her legs and onto the wrecked bed.

Even for an alpha in rut and an omega in heat going at it with each other, Celine was significantly more aggressive and possessive than typical alphas. It also lasted a lot longer; typically bonding with a mate halted the heat/rut or at least halved the time. There was no sign of anything slowing down any time soon. Both girls were getting malnourished from lack of sleep, food, and water. Everytime Mi-Yeong tried to sleep, Celine would just bury herself inside her and keep moving. Over time Mi-Yeong could no longer hold her own body up, and relied on Celine’s inhuman strength to just hold her close and breed her over and over. 

Even when it was past pleasure and turned into pain, Celine wouldn’t stop. Mi-Yeong couldn’t voice her pain, only whimpered here and there as her core felt way too stretched, too used, too raw. She was fading in and out of consciousness. 

It was Kang Ha-Eun and Im Seo-Jin who broke the spell - but only briefly. The door creaked open, both of them holding Honmoon weapons in their grasp, their mentor’s sharp voice cutting into the haze:

“Enough! You’ll kill her at this rate -”

Celine turned on them, completely feral and unable to recognize them.

The growl that ripped from her chest wasn’t human, deep and guttural, vibrating through the floorboards. Her vision tunneled, her eyes shone gold, and before she realized what she was doing she was on her feet, between Mi-Yeong and the intruders, fangs bared, nails curved into claws, dark purple staining her arms.The scar and the markings that stemmed from it were pulsing an angry neon purple.

“ Get. Out. ”

Ha-Eun flinched back immediately at the sight of her fellow alpha becoming…whatever it was she was. Even their mentor froze at the sight of her - the perfect, obedient Alpha student transformed into something feral, eyes glowing faintly with that unnatural edge the bite had left behind. 

For a heartbeat, Celine almost lunged, back legs coiled and ready to launch. Her body screamed to tear them apart, rip them to shreds, present their bloodied bodies to her omega in pride , to protect Mi-Yeong from anything that threatened to separate them. It was only the sound of Mi-Yeong’s weak, trembling whimper behind her - “Celine” -that snapped her back.

With a huge mental strain, she slammed the door shut so hard in their mentor’s face that the frame cracked. And then she was back in the bed, back in the cycle, clutching Mi-Yeong like she might vanish if she loosened her hold.

Days passed that way. Celine lost track of time, lost track of herself. There was only the Omega in her arms and the endless, burning need binding them together. Each time the knot locked them, it felt less like instinct and more like possession.

When Mi-Yeong finally collapsed against her, heat fading at last, both of them slick with sweat and exhaustion, Celine didn’t dare move. She pressed her face into Mi-Yeong’s hair and breathed her in, chest still heaving, heart pounding with a mixture of triumph and fear. What did I do to you? She thought as she trembled from her own exhaustion catching up to her. 

She had crossed a line she could never uncross.

And as Mi-Yeong whispered her name one last time before passing out, Celine knew with absolute certainty: she would burn the world before she ever let anyone take Mi-Yeong from her.

===

After a very awkward confrontation between Im Seo-Jin and Celine, she found herself sitting outside by the fire pit as the night fell. It scared her, how little control she had over her own body. Seo-Jin was adamant that something in the demon’s toxin had altered her very essence - that she was no longer just a hunter, an idol, an alpha. She was also, on some level, a demon. Demon enough to change her behaviors, looks, and even her pheromones. 

And that was that. They moved on with their lives as hunters and idols, Celine and Mi-Yeong bonded, Ha-Eun keeping her distance even as they fought demons and strengthened the Honmoon. 

The years that followed blurred together like a long, smudged painting of grief and survival.

Their mentor’s death came quietly, without warning. One morning, she simply didn’t wake. The three young women gathered around her still body in her bed after she didn’t get up early like she normally did. In the will she left behind, everything was divided between the three hunters. Mi-Yeong inherited the mansion itself: a sprawling, creaking thing that now felt too large, too empty. Ha-Eun was given the mentor’s wealth, her accounts and savings meant to help those who come after. Celine received the rights to Sunlight Industries, the company their mentor had used as their idol production company to fund their missions under the guise of entertainment.

It should have been a shared future, the three of them carrying their teacher’s legacy together. But Ha-Eun left almost instantly, disappearing into the world with everything she had been given by their mentor. No letter. No goodbyes. It hurt the bonded pair, but they made no effort to track her down. 

That left only Celine and Mi-Yeong, bound together by more than just circumstance. They filled the hollow mansion with their bond - small rituals of love in the morning light, laughter echoing in empty halls, whispered promises in the dark. For years, they made it a home with their furniture, photos, plants in every room. Celine built Sunlight Enterprises into something formidable, recruiting idol hopefuls and using the glimmering stage as a smokescreen to find and shape the next generation of demon hunters. On the outside, she was dazzling, untouchable - the Alpha who could hold the world in her hand.

But beneath her skin, the wound from that old patrol never truly healed.

The scar across her back pulsed when her emotions were high, veins of lightning across her upper body that shone in ominous purple when agitated. Her strength grew sharper, her speed frightening, fangs longer, clawed hands extended - all these things vanishing when she got her emotions under control. The instincts that made her an Alpha warped into something hungrier, more volatile. She tried to cage it. She tried for Mi-Yeong’s sake, more than her own. But some nights the cage cracked. 

Some nights she tore into the demons they were fighting with claws and teeth rather than her double curved blades created from the Honmoon. Sometimes she lost herself in Mi-Yeong’s enticing omega scent and ravished her day in and day out until the beast in her was satiated. Mi-Yeong for her part always gave Celine what she wanted, always smiled and said she was fine, even if her pheromones told a different story sometimes. It was a life hanging on a very thin thread that neither of them wanted to bring up for fear of the confrontation.

Until they were faced with that confrontation without warning.

It was during one of their nightly patrols that the unthinkable happened. They had been sweeping the outskirts of the city, where demons slipped through thinner places in the Honmoon. The clouds poured rain, the neon lights of distant clubs glinting through the mist in the shadier part of town. That was when they crossed paths with her: an omega, alone, her heat sharp and suffocating in the night air. It was the first time that Celine had been near an omega in heat other than Mi-Yeong in years.

Celine should have turned away. She should have kept her distance, locked her jaw, swallowed the instincts clawing at her. But the moment that scent hit her, everything inside her broke loose. The memory was jagged, fragmented: the omega’s startled scream, the way her own vision had tunneled black and red, the sensation of fangs sinking deep, claws shredding everything it touched like paper. Warm, wet liquid gushing into her mouth only spurned the feral side of her more until there was no life present in the body before her. Only then did Celine feel herself coming back to her senses and the beast in her satisfied with its hunt.

When her senses returned, her first thought was blood. In her mouth, her stomach, her clothes, the ground. The body. The omega lay broken in her arms, limp and lifeless, her heat finally extinguished in the most brutal way imaginable. Celine staggered back, dropping the lifeless body, chest heaving, hands and mouth stained in crimson. Mi-Yeong stood frozen a few feet away, her face pale, eyes wide with horror, her single hand sword hanging limp by her side.

Celine could not speak. Could not breathe. The world felt like it was collapsing in on itself, crushing her beneath the weight of what she had done. The Honmoon was trembling, out of fear or anger she couldn’t tell. All that mattered to her was the way her mate was looking at her.

That night became a ghost she could never outrun.

“Do you even see what you’ve done?!” Mi-Yeong’s voice cracked, wild with grief and fury. Her small hands shoved at Celine’s chest, though she barely moved her. “You killed her, Celine! You tore her apart like a - like a demon!!”

Celine staggered back at the words, eyes hollow, the copper taste still burning her tongue. Her hands trembled violently as she stared at them, willing them to turn back into human hands and not claws covered in blood. “Oh gods - I didn’t mean - Mi-Yeong, I didn’t mean to -”

“You didn’t mean to?” Mi-Yeong’s eyes brimmed with tears, rage twisting her delicate features. Her pheromones were wild with anger and fear. “Do you think that matters? You think I’ll just forget that you tore apart a stranger just because you didn’t mean to? You’re disgusting.”

The words hit Celine like blades. Her temper, already frayed, snapped. “You think I wanted this?” she bellowed, the sound so feral it rattled through the alley, guttural and reverberating. “You think I wanted to become this thing inside me? I’ve been fighting it every day, Mi-Yeong, every single day, for you. I messed up, I messed up bad yes - but I can control it. I won’t let it happen again, I swear -” 

Her voice broke at the end, rough and raw, but Mi-Yeong didn’t flinch. She stood her ground, chest heaving, tears streaking down her cheeks. For a moment, neither moved. The only sound was the hum of neon and the drip of rain around the corpse. The blood on the ground was being washed away at an alarming rate with the downpour.

Their clothes were soaked through by the time one of them spoke. Mi-Yeong’s hands curled into fists at her sides. Her lips trembled. “You don’t know that,” she whispered, then louder: “You don’t know if you’ll lose control again, and what if it’s me next? What if you hurt…us?” She made an unconscious gesture, one that immediately caught Celine’s attention.

Mi-Yeong’s hands moved protectively to her stomach.

Celine staggered back a step, the action slamming into her like her mate had tried to shove her again. “…What?”

Mi-Yeong’s throat bobbed as she forced it out, her voice shaking but certain. “I’m pregnant.”

The air between them seemed to vanish. For a long, unbearable moment, Celine just stared at her as if she hadn’t heard correctly.

Pregnant.

Mi-Yeong’s tears fell faster. “I found out last week. I didn’t know how to tell you - not when you’ve been fighting so hard with your literal inner demons. But now -” Her voice cracked, breaking into a sob. “Now I don’t even know if it’s safe to have you near us.”

Celine’s knees nearly gave out. Her chest caved as she staggered back some more, shaking her head, her face a mask of anguish. “M-Mi-Yeong…” Her voice splintered into something hoarse, almost inhuman. “I would never hurt you. You're my whole world -”

Mi-Yeong cut her off with a scream. “Then let me go - let us go! To keep us safe from - from whatever it is you are!”

The alley echoed with her sobs, with Celine’s ragged breathing, with the sharp scent of blood that refused to fade. With fear, so much fear.

Celine went quiet, staring right at Mi-Yeong with an unreadable expression. She took a slow step forward. Mi-Yeong took one step back; Celine made a pained face at the movement. She refused to believe that her omega, her mate, wanted to leave her. That can't be right. Why would her mate try and leave when she was protecting her? 

“You can’t leave.” Celine said like it was a fact as she stalked forward, “You’re my omega, my mate. I’m protecting you. I’m going to protect both of you like I always do.” Before Mi-Yeong could even open her mouth to retort, Celine had lurched forward and chopped the side of her hand into her neck, effectively knocking her unconscious. She picked her up before she could drop to the ground and made her way through the rain back home. 

Their home.

Months kept passing in a blur.

The mansion was silent, but not peaceful. The air itself was suffocating: thick, cloying with the weight of Celine’s pheromones. They rolled off her in waves, saturating every corner of the mansion, saturating Mi-Yeong’s lungs until she could barely stand. It was a blend of Alpha dominance and something darker, something demonic, that made her knees buckle and her body obeyed even when her mind screamed to run and hide.

Mi-Yeong sat on the edge of their bed, one hand cupped protectively over the curve of her swollen belly. Her skin was pale, lips dry, every breath a shallow rasp. The child inside her thrived, stronger every day, while her own body weakened. Across the room, Celine was pacing, restless. Her nails elongated and shrank from claws over and over as her pupils flickered between human brown and demonic gold.

“ It’s killing you ,” Celine snapped, voice low and ragged, demonic. She gestured wildly at her mate, at the frail lines of her body. “ Look at you - you can barely stand. Every night your scent weakens, every morning you look closer to death.  Every day I watch you slip further away, and you expect me to just sit here while it drains the life out of you? ”

Mi-Yeong swallowed, her throat dry, but her voice came steady. “I don’t expect you to sit. I expect you to listen .”

Celine’s laugh was hollow, broken. She slammed her fist against the wall, wood splintering. “ I won’t raise this thing . This parasite . It’s taking you from me, and when you’re gone I’ll have nothing. Nothing , Mi-Yeong! ” Her pheromones spiked so hard the lamps flickered, the entire room vibrating with her rage.

Mi-Yeong flinched but held her ground, every muscle trembling. She kept herself sitting up even though everything in her screamed to lay down and surrender. Despite the heaviness in her chest, she met her mate’s burning gaze. “You’ll have them. You’ll have my baby.”

“ Don’t call it that! ” Celine roared, rumbling through the room and making the Honmoon ripple with unease around them. Her claws shredded part of the wallpaper as she turned away, shoulders heaving. “ Don’t. I can’t … I can’t -” Her voice cracked, feral fury collapsing into raw human grief. “Our child is killing you and I can’t stop it.”

Mi-Yeong’s eyes hardened, her words sharp, deliberate. “You don’t deserve to call them ours. They’re mine. My child. You don’t get that right.”

Celine froze, her entire body going rigid. Slowly, she turned her head, eyes wide, as though the blow had landed like a blade to her gut. Her lips parted but no sound came, only the sound of her ragged breathing, the storm outside, and Mi-Yeong’s steady, unrelenting stare.

“I’m dying,” Mi-Yeong said, softer now, but unwavering. “I know it. Every day costs more than the last. But this child - my child - means everything to me. The moment I knew I was pregnant I knew I would give everything for them to live, and I will.”

Celine’s chest heaved, torn between the demon boiling under her skin and the mate she adored. She staggered forward, collapsing to her knees in front of Mi-Yeong, clutching a thin hand with too much strength, trembling as though she might tear it apart just by holding on. Her cheek pressed against Mi-Yeong’s palm, wet with tears.

“I can’t do it,” she whispered hoarsely, voice breaking. “I don’t know how to love something that takes you from me. I don’t know how to look at them without hating them.”

Mi-Yeong forced her other shaking hand to lift, cupping Celine’s face in both, her thumb brushing against her tear-streaked cheek. “You’ll learn. Because you’ll have to. Because if you have even a shred of love for me left in that heart of yours… you’ll do this. Not for yourself. Not for them. For me.”

Celine let out a guttural sound, part snarl, part sob, feeling the void between them growing and growing. She looked up at Mi-Yeong with broken, furious eyes, her voice cracking like shattered glass. “You’re cruel,” she whispered. “You’re so cruel to ask this of me.”

Mi-Yeong’s lips trembled into a faint, exhausted smile. “No. I’m asking you to love me one last time.”

The fight drained from Celine instantly, the breath knocked out of her. She collapsed against Mi-Yeong’s stomach, clutching Mi-Yeong’s hands, her scarred back trembling with sobs. Her forehead pressed against her mate’s belly as she whispered, defeated, “I swear. I swear I’ll protect them. I’ll raise them. Even if it kills me. Even if I hate them. I’ll try - for you. Always for you.”

Mi-Yeong exhaled a long, shuddering breath, her head tipping back to look up at the ceiling as tears slid down her cheeks. “That’s all I needed,” she murmured, her fingers threading weakly through Celine’s clawed ones. “That’s enough.”

Celine clung to her like a drowning animal, her pheromones quivering into silence, the demon inside her crushed into an echo of itself at the overwhelming grief overtaking her entire soul.

====(( Present Day ))====

The whiskey bottle slipped from Celine’s hand, rolling across the grass until it clinked softly against the edge of the gravestone. She didn’t move to catch it. Her body felt too heavy, her limbs too sluggish, weighed down by the liquor and the ache that had hollowed her out long before the first drink.

The night air was cool and sharp. She lowered herself down slowly, until her cheek pressed against the ground in front of the grave marker, the cold seeping into her bones. Her arm stretched out to the stone and caressed the name over and over.

Her throat burned, her chest was tight. She let out a laugh, bitter and slurred. “You won. You always did. Even when I fought you tooth and nail, you got your way.” Her eyes slipped shut, and for a moment, it almost felt like the warmth of her mate’s hand brushed her hair the way it used to. She reached for it, desperate, but her fingers closed only on air. Her hand fell back down to her side.

The silence pressed in on her. “I swore,” she whispered hoarsely, lips trembling. “I swore I’d raise her. Protect her. For you. Your child.” She dragged her nails over the grass, tearing it out in trembling handfuls. “But I don’t know if I’ve done right. I don’t know if you’d even recognize me anymore. Who I’ve become.”

She turned her face against the dirt, her tears soaking into the ground above where Mi-Yeong’s body lay. “I’m still yours,” she said, voice breaking. “Even if you’re gone. Even if you hate me. I’m still yours.”

The empty bottle lay abandoned while Celine’s body curled closer to the grave like a wolf keeping vigil over her mate’s bones. Her pheromones seeped into the night, thick and broken, the scent of an alpha who had never stopped grieving, never stopped loving, and never forgiven herself.

====(( Mira's POV ))====

Mira felt it the instant the darkness swallowed her whole, like it was embracing an old friend.

There was nothing soft about it; no edges of light under the door, no windows, no light source. Just thick, heavy black, the kind that pressed on her eyes even though they were open wide, and made her feel smaller by the second. Her chest tightened as her pulse roared to life, pounding so hard she could almost hear it in her ears. It was the kind of silence that wasn’t silent at all; it hummed with tension, with memory.

And then Mira smelled it. The scent of the place she called home for years and years flooding her senses once more. Old wood, stale air, dried blood. She knew this smell. Knew it in a way that made her hands tremble at the mere scent, her throat closing up.

This wasn’t just any room.

This was her room.

The angles, the walls, even the faint tilt of the uneven floorboards that she had tripped over so many times since she couldn’t see - it was all too familiar. She’d lived here. Slept here. Suffered here. Bled out from injuries and her scent gland removal alone here. Been locked in here. And now, standing in the dark with the echoes of Jiho’s laughter still in her head, it was like no time had passed at all.

Her breathing sped up, short and shallow. She pressed her back against the wall, sliding down until she hit the floor, curling in on herself as if she could make her tall body smaller. This room wasn’t supposed to exist anymore. It was supposed to be in her past. But now, it was back, and she felt like she was transported years into the past into kid Mira. She tried to breathe in and out slowly to calm herself down but it wasn’t helping. Her pheromones were everywhere, full of fear and loneliness. Her instincts subconsciously called out for her mates, her Alphas.

Please, I need you.

The bond in her mind flickered, to Mira’s surprise. Thin and strained, like a frayed cord stretched too far that could snap at any moment. Zoey. Rumi. She couldn’t feel them the way she wanted to - couldn’t sense their warmth, their steady presence. And without them… everything felt wrong. 

Wrongwrongwrongwrongwrong - 

Mira shook her head to break herself out of her own spiral. She’d read about omegas separated from their mates, seeing what distance did to them. The mind started to eat itself, a slow spiral into someone broken. She wasn’t sure how long it took an omega to reach that point, but she certainly felt like she was getting there faster than she should because of the stress she was under so far away from her pack.

Mira sniffled, then winced. Her nose hurt. Her chest hurt more still, hollow without her pack.

A panicked whine escaped her before she could stop it. There was no one around to hear it. No one to calm her, to surround her in the sky and sea and tell her it would all be okay. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, but the pressure wasn’t enough. She needed something - anything - to ground herself. She thought back to her childhood when she was stuck in this room for weeks, months at a time. Darkness was her only companion, the scabs on her hands from banging on the door the only thing that reminded her she was alive that entire time.

The need for some form of light, for anything that could help, made her thoughts wander towards the Honmoon. She had not been connected to the Honmoon when she was younger, so she had not been able to call upon her woldo. Now, though -

Mira’s hand rose, palm open, and she called to the Honmoon. The bond answered, faint but there, and with a flicker of pale light her woldo formed in her grasp. The weapon hummed softly, the curved blade gleaming faint shimmers of blues, pinks, and purples, even in the dark. Its weight was familiar, comforting - a piece of herself she could trust. She dragged her hand up and down the staff, finding sanctuary in the movement. She was still Mira. Hunter Mira. Armed Mira. 

She stood, bracing herself, and went straight for the door. She needed to leave, now. She needed to get back to her pack, back to Bobby.

Bobby. Poor, bleeding Bobby. Everything in her hopes that he made it. If her girls were able to get to him after she left, she had no doubt in her mind that he survived. All three of them would do anything to make sure Bobby was safe. 

Mira shook her head to clear her thoughts again. She needed to concentrate on the obstacle in front of her in the here and now. Her breath hitched as she swung, the woldo cutting clean and fast through the air. The blade met the surface with a ringing metallic clang. Sparks jumped. The impact rattled through her arms, the reverberation nearly jarring the weapon from her grip. 

Mira froze.

The door wasn’t wood anymore.

A sharp exhale left her as she stepped closer, running her fingers along the cool, unyielding surface. Metal. Smooth, seamless, and unscarred despite the strike. Her mind raced. When she’d been here as a child, the doors were thick wood - strong enough to keep a kid in but weak enough that, if she’d had this weapon back then, she could have carved her way out in one swipe. Now? Now they’d planned for her. They were ready for her woldo to try and break it down. Somehow.

Her heart pounded, panic twisting sharper.

How did they know? How?

Her grip tightened on the woldo. There was no way Kang Jiho and his people could’ve known she’d call forth a weapon from the Honmoon. No human even knew what the Honmoon was, let alone see it. Unless…someone told them. Sold her out. The thought sent ice down her spine. She only knew one person who would go to such lengths.

Celine.

She lowered her weapon, the weight suddenly so much heavier, and pressed her forehead to the cool metal of the door. Her breath came in uneven pulls as she fought to steady herself, the panic threatening to pull her back under. The old panic rose with new edges: they weren’t just locking her up…they were prepared for her. They knew she was armed. They knew she’d try to fight.

And worse - they knew how to keep her caged.

Mira’s forehead stayed pressed to the door, the cold metal a poor substitute for the warm bodies she craved. Zoey’s steady presence. Rumi’s quiet strength. The bonds that usually hummed in her chest were faint, stretched so thin it felt like a thread about to snap.

Too far. I’m too far from my pack. I need my pack. They’re too far. I’m too far.

The thoughts looped, repeating and unrelenting. Her breath caught and she forced herself back a step, then another, pacing the length of the room. It wasn’t much space now that her legs were so much longer than when she was a child - five steps to the wall, five steps back - but every corner of it felt like it was clawing up her spine, closing in. She could almost hear the echo of the door slamming over and over when she was small, the quiet sobs she swallowed night after night, the scratch of her nails on the wood and her pleading screams when she knew no one was ever listening.

Now there was no wood to scratch. Just metal. Titanium, more than likely, since the woldo normally sliced through everything.

Her woldo hung loose in her hand, the curved blade shimmering faintly, but even the comfort from having it in her hands was slipping. She wasn’t used to being this unsettled at her age. She was the calm one. The strategist. The badass. The one who kept her girls steady when things went bad. But here? Here she was ten years old again, trapped in a box with walls that knew her more than she knew herself.

Her chest ached on every level: physically, emotionally, spiritually. The bond wasn’t just faint; it was hurting, painful. Every minute away from Zoey and Rumi was a reminder that she was an omega left untethered, and the stories about losing your mind without your bonded partners suddenly didn’t seem so distant. She could feel the edges of herself fraying, little cracks spiderwebbing under the surface.

She backed herself into the corner, sliding down the wall until she was crouched low, the woldo balanced across her knees. How did they know? Did Celine tell them about the Honmoon and demons and hunters just to get rid of an Omega? It doesn’t make any sense. The thoughts came again, sharper this time. They’d planned this. They’d reinforced this room because of her, knowing she would try to use her weapon. Kang Jiho’s smug laughter replayed in her head, and the memory burned. He knew exactly what he was doing, throwing her back into this space. He wanted this reaction. Wanted her to unravel.

Her hands shook harder. The woldo trembled in her grasp.She decided to send it back to the Honmoon - it wasn’t doing her any good holding a weapon she couldn’t even use now.

“No,” she whispered, voice hoarse, half-command to herself. “Not like this.”

The darkness didn’t care.

Something cracked inside anyway, a quiet fissure of fear that let old memories crawl out: shadows within shadows, sparse sleep on hard uneven floor, days without food or drink, the way silence could stretch so long it became its own kind of scream. She clamped her teeth together, rocking forward slightly, using the rhythm to ground herself. A movement her body knew all too well since she used to do it in this exact room when she was younger.

They’re coming. Zoey will find me. Rumi will find me. Just hold on. Hold the fuck on.

But the bond gave her no reassurance of her mates coming to get her; just a faint, aching hum.

Mira hated the tremor in her hands. Hated the way her own mind was betraying her. The room seemed smaller now, the air thinner, every breath too loud. Her pulse was everywhere - throat, fingertips, temples - and all she could do was grip her thighs harder and keep her back to the wall.

Time passed, but she couldn’t tell how much.

Each second away from them stretched into an hour.

Each memory of Kang Jiho’s smile made her blood boil hotter.

Each repeating sound of a gunshot in the narrow alleyway as Bobby looked at her with surprise.

Over and over and over and over…

The spiral didn’t stop - it just went quicker, turning inward, tight and dangerous. Mira buried her head in her knees, sitting completely curled in on herself. 

Please, save me. Before I’m not me anymore. 

Chapter Text

Mira had lost track of time.

She wasn’t sure if it had been hours, days, or weeks since the door sealed shut behind her. Her body ached from pacing, her throat was raw from screaming into the black, and still the silence pressed down on her like a second skin. No matter how many times she tried to steady her breathing, to center herself like Celine had drilled into her over and over during training, panic kept seeping back in, gnawing at the edges of her mind. She hadn’t been given any food or water and that combined with lack of sleep was making her feel a bit delirious.

At least, that’s what Mira was telling herself, to avoid thinking about the fact that the delirium was probably more because of being away from her bonded mates more than anything. Her mind kept drifting to that fact over and over anyways.

The walls she found out were cold, unyielding. She’d tested every inch of them - again and again - with her woldo, hoping to find a seam, a loose bolt, a weakness, something. Each strike sent vibrations rattling through her arms, the ringing hum echoing back at her until her ears buzzed. But the result was always the same: nothing. The room was built entirely from the same damned metal as the door, the kind that swallowed her strength whole and refused to give her even the satisfaction of a scratch.

When she realized that the walls as well as the door were made of the same material, she realized another thing: this wasn’t the original room she grew up in. That one was just like a regular room with regular walls and a door made of wood. With a sick certainty she knew that they had constructed this room to look like her other one, to psyche her out. Just want to show how fucked up her ‘family’ was.

Well, it was working. Too well.

She made her weapon vanish back into the Honmoon, chest heaving, sweat slicking her palms. She was too exhausted to keep its solid form in her hands any longer. Her forehead pressed against the cool metal of a wall, and for a moment she let herself just…exist there, body trembling. The worst of it wasn’t the lack of food or the stale air; it was the distance. The yawning, suffocating void between her and her mates.

Mira could feel it like an invisible wound, the connection inside her pulled taut, desperate for release one way or another. She imagined Zoey and Rumi’s scents grounding her. But they were gone. Or maybe she was. Gone, from them, forever. Her thoughts were starting to get muddled. The thoughts scraped against her bones, sharp and unbearable.

Hold it together. You have to hold it together.

Her father’s voice came back to her; the old, brutal lessons he’d drilled into her: You’re an Alpha. You stand tall. You protect. You never let them see weakness. The mask she’d worn ever since she was a little girl - the cold command, the posture of confidence, the hollow authority - she tried to drag it over herself now, like armor against the darkness. As much as she despised that she had to rely on something that was taught to her by that man.

And it worked. A little. Enough to keep Mira from collapsing into the floor, from tearing her own skin raw just to feel something. But it wasn’t enough to stop the whisper at the back of her skull. The whisper that said the longer she was here, the closer she was to shattering and giving them anything they wanted just to make it all stop.

Her hands curled into fists, nails biting crescents into her palms. “I can’t -” Her voice cracked. She swallowed hard, teeth bared. “I can’t lose myself. I won’t. I won’t I won’t I won’t…” 

Mira straightened when the door groaned open. Her mask slid into place; chin high, shoulders squared, every trace of fear buried beneath the Alpha steel her father had beaten into her since childhood. She didn’t try and summon her woldo because she didn’t want them trying to take it from her so she couldn’t send it back to the Honmoon; she wasn’t stupid, she knew they carried guns. She would wait to summon her weapon at the exact right time in order to escape. She just had to figure out when and where that would be.

The sudden flood of light seared her eyes. She blinked furiously, refusing to squint or shield her face, no matter how much the brightness burned. She would not give them that satisfaction.

And then he stepped in. Her oh so lovely older brother.

Kang Jiho looked immaculate as was required of him - dark suit pressed crisp, black hair perfectly combed back, expression carved from stone. The sight of him made something in Mira’s chest tighten and snap all at once. She glared at him.

“Stand up,” he said, voice low, almost bored. Mira didn’t move at first. She held her ground, letting silence answer him. His jaw tightened and he waved his hand. Two large men in black stepped in behind him, the same men who pointed guns at her mates. A third one carried something in his gloved hand.

A metal collar.

It gleamed under the overhead light, a band of black steel with a device fixed at the center. Sleek, seamless. The way it hummed faintly made Mira’s skin crawl. Her instincts roared at her to bare her teeth, to fight, to never let them touch her with it.

“What, afraid I’ll tear your precious throat out?” Mira spat.

His silence was answer enough.

The men moved forward. Mira’s muscles tensed - every fiber of her body screaming to fight - but one of the men pointed a handgun to her head, the other to her leg. She froze; if she had any chance of survival here, she needed her legs to not have bullet holes in them. Begrungingly she stayed still as they slapped the metal around her.

The cold black steel snapped shut, echoing in the metallic room.

The device clicked, a faint hum sparking through it, and Mira felt a vibration pulse into her skin. It wasn’t painful. Not yet. But it felt like it was one step away from being dangerous to her. She supposed it was some sort of shock collar if she had to hazard a guess. I’m sure I’ll find out, she thought to herself.

“Get up,” Kang Jiho said, voice as calm as the strike of a guillotine. “You’ve been summoned.”

Mira forced herself to her feet, every muscle in her body tense. She could feel her Alpha mask settling over her features like armor. That false calm, that trained confidence - it was the only shield she had left against her own family.

The irony was not lost on her.

But beneath it, her pulse was a wild drumbeat. She was doing her best to control her pheromones from leaking out of her with her true emotions: fear, despair, defiance.

Mira lifted her chin. “Make me.”

A flicker crossed Kang Jiho’s face. Amusement? Contempt? It didn’t matter.

Her hands curled into fists. 

She lunged.

Not at the guards. Not past him through the doorway.

Straight for him and his stupid face.

Mira’s body was fire and fury, her hands ready to summon her waldo and teeth bared as she launched herself toward Kang Jiho with every ounce of strength that starvation and captivity hadn’t stolen. Anger rolled out of her pheromones in waves. For a fleeting heartbeat, she thought she saw his composure falter, saw the faintest narrowing of his eyes as her shadow fell over him - 

He pressed some kind of small device in his hand. Then the collar activated.

White-hot agony ripped through her, molten lightning flooding through every vein at once. Her body betrayed her mid-leap, convulsing violently in the air before slamming to the ground with a sickening thud. Her scream was ripped from her throat against her will, raw and ragged, the sound echoing off the walls. She clawed at the floor, muscles jerking out of her control. The scent of scorched skin filled the room where the collar burned against her neck.

Kang Jiho didn’t even flinch. Mira thought she must have imagined his earlier falter. He watched her writhe with cold detachment, as though she were nothing more than a faulty machine sparking on the floor.

The current cut off. Mira lay trembling, gasping for air, every nerve screaming with aftershocks. Her pride screamed louder. She forced her shaking arms beneath her, dragging herself up inch by inch, her body sagging and trembling but her eyes blazing with fury.

Her voice cracked, but she forced it out anyway: “You’ll have to…do better…to break me.””

Kang Jiho finally moved. He only tilted his head slightly, regarding her as though she’d already lost.

“You’ve always been broken,” he said coldly, like he was simply relaying a fact of life to his sister. The men reached for her. Mira wanted to fight, wanted to bite and thrash and tear them apart, summon her weapon, anything, but the memory of how strong these men were plus their guns had her frozen. Her body betrayed her again, sagging as rough hands gripped her arms.

Her body was still betraying her. Every muscle twitched with aftershocks of the collar’s punishment, the phantom burn lingering beneath her skin like fire buried in her veins. She barely registered the heavy boots around her until a man’s hand forced her to her feet.

The guest house was silent around them, its dust-laden halls reeking of rot and abandonment. Mira was being dragged through it like a conquered animal, the building watching her defeat with hollowed eyes. Her boots scuffed against the floorboards, leaving faint trails in the years and years of dust. 

The door opened to the outside world. Light speared into her eyes. The sun struck her skin like a blow, dazzling and blinding after so many endless hours - days? Weeks? - in the dark. She hissed, not in pain, but in sensory shock, squinting as her pupils shrank to pinpricks.

The air outside was sharp with the scent of earth and life. Too bright. Too open. Too real. It truly seemed artificial with how life-like it all looked in comparison to where she had been. Mira had wanted the light so badly - had clawed at the walls dreaming of it - but now, under their control, with her freedom bound to her own throat, the sunlight felt like a brand searing her with humiliation in front of the staff of the mansion landscaping around her.

The men’s hands dug cruelly into her arms as she was half-dragged, half-shoved across polished stone that glimmered in the sun. The sprawling mansion rose before her like a beast, all white pillars and sprawling wings, its shadow stretching. Every breath of air here was perfumed and heavy, scented with flowers from all over the world that didn’t belong. It was truly a cloying scent.

The gates between the main courtyard and the entrance to the mansion clanged shut behind them like the gates of hell sealing Mira in.

Inside, the halls yawned with extravagance. Every wall bore reminders of old power across different centuries and different countries: weapons mounted like trophies, shields dented from forgotten wars, armor gleaming under lantern light as though its wearers still prowled the corridors. Sculptures lined the path of men carved in stone with eyes that followed her in silent judgement. Oil paintings loomed above her head, kings and warriors captured in violent triumph, their gazes so sharp it felt as though they cut straight through her mask, exposing the trembling, beaten girl beneath that used to cower in these halls.

This was not a home. It was a mausoleum of victories that had fed on the blood of the minority. A place of nightmares dressed up in marble and gold accents.

Mira was keeping her pace just behind her brother. She kept her head low, fighting the dizziness creeping from the remnants of the shock collar still coursing through her body, her throat dry. But then -

Movement.

From the corner of her eye, just past a column, a small figure peeked into view. A child. A little girl, pale and delicate, hair falling loose over her brow.

The same shade of hair as her natural hair color that Mira had - pink.

No one else ever had that hair color - not even her mom. No one in the family knew where her vibrant natural pink hair came from. Mira sometimes wondered if Seok-jin was even her real father, but always quickly dismissed the idea since he would have killed her mom a long time ago if she had cheated.

The girl’s wide eyes blinked at her, full of curiosity and confusion at seeing someone who looks like an older version of herself. 

Mira’s heart sank.

That child… looked like her. Was she her sister? A mirage? Did she finally lose it?

She didn’t have the chance to think about the kid further. The heavy doors to his office rose before her, the crest of their bloodline etched into the wood in flowing Hangul. Mira’s pulse thundered in her throat, her chest tightening until she could barely draw breath; she saw this set of doors in her nightmares. 

Mira could already taste copper from where she’d bitten her tongue in the hall to keep from trembling. But here, standing at this threshold, there was no holding it back. Her hands shook violently, knees knocking, the tremor crawling all the way up her spine until she thought her bones might rattle out of her skin.

Kang Jiho shoved the door wide, slowly. The groan of its hinges sounded like the roar of some ancient beast waking to devour her.

The office was just as she remembered, just as she had feared it would be. The air was thick with the stench of cigar smoke and old leather, layered with something colder, metallic; the echo of blood spilled too many times to count. Heavy curtains bled scarlet light into the chamber, casting shadows across bookshelves lined with historical books no one was permitted to read.

It was a tomb dressed up as an office.

Her stomach clenched, bile rising sharp in her throat as the memories hit her harder now that she was there in person. She could hear herself screaming as a child, begging for mercy that had never come. Could taste blood - hers, always hers - getting splattered on the polished wood floor. Could feel her cheek pressed against that floor, the sting of humiliation and submission; and the sound of his voice, steady, unhurried.

Mira’s knees buckled before she realized she was falling. The men holding her arms jerked her upright and kept her standing, supporting all of her weight easily. Her breath tore ragged from her chest, shallow and frantic. Her heart felt like it might burst from the sheer terror curling its claws around her ribs.

Kang Seok-jin.

He stood at the window, hands clasped neatly behind his back, his posture a perfect portrait of calm authority. The light from the rising sun framed him in a halo that mocked sanctity. His broad shoulders, the slow measured rise and fall of his breathing - it was all exactly as she remembered, unchanged, eternal. He hadn’t aged a day in her memory, and seeing him now was like stepping into a preserved piece of time years past.

He did not turn. He didn’t need to. 

Mira’s body collapsed in on itself, lungs refusing air. Her heart slammed so violently against her ribs she swore he could probably hear it from across the room. Her arms shook in the men’s grips, her fingers numb, her skin clammy with cold sweat. Her mask - the Alpha face she had fought so hard to wear, the one the man before her ingrained into her mind - shattered. Mira’s head dropped, eyes fixing to the polished floorboards as if looking up might burn her alive. Shame seared through her, the shame of a child caught trembling, of prey realizing who was the predator.

Her vision blurred at the edges. Dark spots danced across her sight. Her body remembered what her mind tried so hard to bury. Every scar along her skin tingled, every old wound reopened in her mind, the collar around her neck feeling more and more like a noose. She could almost feel the heat of her own blood soaking through her clothes.

She wanted to scream. To fight. To claw and bite and tear at him with every shred of strength she had left. Slice him clean down the middle with her waldo like he was just another demon she needed to kill. But all she could do was tremble.

Her father had not even looked at her. And still, he had broken her down to nothing. That’s all it took. Kang Jiho stood off to the side just as still as their father, silent and expectant.

And then, at last, Kang Seok-jin shifted.

He pivoted with measured grace, every movement deliberate, his polished shoes tapping against the wood with muffled echoes in the large space.

When his feet came into view a few feet away from her, Mira’s heart lurched as she dared to look up at the man in front of her. The sharp cut of his jaw, the unyielding line of his mouth, those eyes: piercing, cold, polished obsidian that had never once looked at her with warmth. They hadn’t dulled. If anything, time had only sharpened them into something more merciless. Those eyes. Those sharp, unyielding eyes that had watched her crawl, bleed, scream on this very floor as a child. They landed on her now, and she felt herself dissolve under them.

Seok-jin did not spare her a glance. Not a flicker of acknowledgment. Not a sign that he even saw her there, collar digging against her throat. To him, Mira wasn’t worth wasting breath on. She might as well have been invisible. Her father had destroyed her once with violence. Now, he destroyed her with silence.

A silence that devoured the air.

Then, finally, his voice. Deep. Even. Heavy with authority that allowed no contradiction.

“It seems like you can actually follow directions,” Seok-jin said, “Perhaps I don’t have a failure of a son after all.” Mira felt sick hearing that voice again, but Jiho… Jiho straightened. His chest swelled. His lips parted and his eyes lit with something close to reverence.

It was a scrap. A single crumb of acknowledgment thrown at his feet. And Kang Jiho received it as though he had been crowned king. “Thank you, Fa- Seok-jin-nim,” he breathed, voice tight, almost boyish with the tremor of pride. His fists clenched at his sides, not in anger, but in desperate effort to contain the glow spreading across his face.

Mira’s stomach turned violently. Her throat clenched, bile burning up her esophagus. The sheer relief in her brother’s voice twisted like knives under her ribs. Once, she was in his shoes, ecstatic at getting anything remotely positive from their father thrown her way like a bone for a dog.

That was all it took. 

“Leave us.”

Kang Jiho stiffened, then bowed his head in crisp obedience. For a split second, Mira caught the gleam in her brother’s eyes; the radiant satisfaction of being acknowledged, of finally being something more than worthless. It twisted her stomach, but she couldn’t even disagree with his reaction.

The men holding her let her go and filed out behind him, the sound of their boots dragging heavy over the polished wood. The massive double doors creaked as they swung shut, then closed with a final, resonant thunk.

The silence after was absolute.

Mira’s breath hitched. The sound wasn’t loud, but it might as well have been thunder. Every hair on her body lifted. Her skin broke out in a cold sweat. Her throat tightened, refusing her air.

She was alone. With him. After all these years running from his shadow she ended up right back where it all started. Her gaze stayed locked to the floor once more, fixed on the shine of the wood grain beneath her feet. She didn’t dare raise her head. She could already feel his presence acknowledging her existence, like a weight pressing down on her, suffocating, unavoidable.

Then, finally, his voice.

“I always wondered,” he said, his tone almost leisurely, like he was discussing the weather with a colleague, “if you’d survive out there long enough to crawl back here.”

The words dug into her chest like hooked blades.

Her knees wobbled. Mira tried to stand firm, but her body betrayed her, trembling uncontrollably. The collar around her throat pulled tight and hot against her neck as her head lowered further, chin to chest, arms locked at her sides. She folded into herself in a bow of respect before she even realized what she was doing.

Her lips moved without thought, the words spilling out like reflex, like muscle memory burned too deep to forget.

“S-Seok-jin-nim…”

He didn’t move at first. She could feel him, standing near the tall window, sunlight gilding his silhouette, but he let the silence stretch. It was unbearable, that waiting. Her lungs burned. Her shoulders shook.

Then, slowly, he took a step forward.

“You.” His mouth curved in faint disdain. “Always the disappointment. Always weak.”

Her entire body clenched violently, but she didn’t lift her head. She couldn’t. The words pressed her down, and she sank lower, folding in on herself, shoulders drawn tight, spine bent in submission.

“I -” Mira’s throat closed. She had to force the sounds out, barely a whisper. “I apologize, Seok-jin-nim.”

He stepped forward, measured and slow, each footfall echoing like a countdown. She felt his shadow fall over her, darker than the sunlight. “You,” he said, voice low and cold, like steel sliding over stone. “You’ve wasted every bit of what I gave you. The one thing you were good for - you couldn’t even do that. Couldn’t be the Alpha I bred you to be, couldn’t bring me the profit, the power, the respect required of you in this family. You failed and became an embarrassment of an omega to this family publicly, humiliated this family, humiliated me.”

Mira’s body froze. She sank to her knees, the crack of her bone hitting the wooden floor echoing through the room like a gunshot. Her heart hammered, but she couldn’t draw a full breath. Her head bowed further without thinking, chin nearly touching the floor.

“I apologize Seok-jin-nim,” she whispered. The words were automatic, muscle memory carved into her from decades of training under fear. Every syllable was an instinctive acknowledgment of submission. He circled her slowly, like a predator assessing prey, and she didn’t move. Her eyes were lowered, shoulders drawn tight, body folded small and broken.

The words hung in the air like a confession of failure, a surrender. Seok-jin leaned down slightly, enough that she could feel the heat of his presence pressing over top of her, and she instinctively tilted her head to the side, presenting her neck in the most submissive posture she could muster. A pose she used to have to hold for hours as a form of discipline sometimes.

His tone was final, merciless. “I don’t have time for uselessness like you. You will fall in line or your supposed pack will die. You know they will fall at a simple wave of my hand.”

Her entire body shook, a mix of fear, rage at herself, and an instinctive need to comply. My mates, my pack, my everything.

Her mind was screaming, clawing for escape, but every fiber of her being - her body, her instincts, her terrified omega, the alpha she had tried to cultivate within herself - folded instantly, entirely, under his authority. She was nothing but the daughter of Kang Seok-jin, kneeling before him, a failure molded into submission.

He straightened, and for a moment, just stood over her, letting the weight of his ownership press down. Mira’s eyes burned, her knees scraped against the floor, her neck burning against the consistent buzzing of the collar, and yet she didn’t dare move. Survival demanded obedience.

Her chest seized.

“Yes, Seok-jin-nim,” she whispered, head lowering until her forehead nearly brushed the polished floor. Every muscle quivered.

His smile was cruel, satisfied.

“Good.” His hand extended, one finger tipping her chin up, forcing her trembling gaze to meet his. “At least you remember who you belong to. Never forget.”

Mira’s lips parted, a faint, strangled sound scraping from her throat barely noticeable by even herself. Her whole body ached to recoil, but she didn’t move out of pure survival instinct. Mira’s body remained taut with fear and submission as she tried to make herself as small as possible. The cold, predatory gleam in his eyes told her he wasn’t finished. And in that moment, every wall she had built across the years time and time again to shove this part of her life deeper into her mind - shattered. Mira wasn’t the fighter, wasn’t the alpha, wasn’t anything at all. She was only his black sheep. His property. His failure.

“You will be secluded in a guest room here in the mansion,” he said finally, voice low and cutting. “Every part of you that failed me will be corrected. You will function as I originally intended. You are lucky your mother stepped in and begged me to raise you into an Alpha all those years ago, or you’d been in a much, much different place in life right now, if at all.”

That wasn’t even a hint of a threat; that was an outright admission of the intent to kill her as a child. This was the first time she had heard anything about her mother stepping in - she seldom saw her own mother, locked away in her own part of the mansion away from everyone. All she could remember of her mom was soft black hair and sad eyes. 

The eyes of a prisoner in their own home.

“Any failure and you will be reminded why failure is unacceptable,” he continued, his gaze never leaving hers, her gaze not able to even blink. “ Do you understand?”

“Yes, Seok-jin-nim, I understand.” Mira said, the corners of her vision going black as the panic set in from staring him in the eyes for so long. It was like looking into the very depths of a bottomless lake full of unknown entities ready to consume every part of you slowly.

He finally stopped holding her chin up and dropped his hand from her, taking out a handkerchief and rubbing his hand like he had touched something diseased. She let out the breath she had been holding. He stood in front of her, overbearing and overwhelming pheromones swarming out of his body to press her further into the ground. 

“Do not forget your place. You belong to me, Mira. This is not a negotiation. Compliance is your only option if you wish to see your people live out their lives. Remember that well.”

Mira’s body went rigid, instinctively lowering her head further in submission. Her entire being screamed for freedom, for the presence of her mates, for anyone who could counter the suffocating control her father exerted but she had none. She was entirely alone. She looked back up at him, hesitating, a question on her lips that she wasn’t sure she could ask but she had to know.

“You may speak.”

Mira’s throat felt dry, her voice tight with fear, but the rare permission to speak made her muscles tense in nervous hope. “Seok-jin-nim, my - my mates and Bobby…are they alive?” Her words came out shaky, terrified to hear the answer but she needed to know. 

Seok-jin studied her for a long moment, his dark eyes unblinking. “Yes,” he said finally, his voice smooth and cold. “They are alive.” He didn’t elaborate - no assurances, no comfort, no report on if they had been permanently injured. Just the bare acknowledgment. Mira’s shoulders dropped, a mix of relief and longing swirling through her. Alive was enough. That was enough.

Seok-jin frowned, folding his arms. His gaze was like ice. “I know they are your current mates,” he said flatly, as if the words ‘your current mates’ was like dirt in his mouth. “That mistake -” his eyes darkened “ - is about to be corrected.”

Mira’s stomach dropped, an instinctual alarm blaring in her body, but she stayed quiet. He paced slowly in front of her. “Do you understand what I am saying, Mira?” he asked finally, stopping in front of her again.

“I… I think so, Seok-jin-nim,” she whispered, swallowing hard. Her dread increased; it couldn’t be what she thought he was referring to, was it?

“The bond between an omega and their mates is powerful,” he continued. His voice was cold, clinical, yet it carried a threat that settled like lead in her chest. “For an omega to break that bond certain conditions must be met. Either the mates must die…” He let the words hang for a moment, letting the fear settle deep in her chest. “…or another alpha bonds over the previous bond with the omega during their next heat.”

Mira’s heart thudded violently. Her body stiffened and she sat straight up, a wave of panic and helplessness overwhelming her. The thought of Rumi and Zoey being forcefully ripped from her very soul sent her into a spiral almost immediately. “You… you can’t…” she started, her voice catching in her throat.

“I have chosen an alpha for you,” Seok-jin said, his voice low and deliberate, talking as if Mira hadn’t made a sound. “A suitable mate. Strong. Proven. Someone whose bloodline will ensure your pups have a chance at strength your genes cannot provide.”

Mira looked at him, the alarm evident in her eyes at the threat towards her mates but now the mention of pups snapped her back to reality. “P-pups?” Her voice barely rose above a whisper, disbelief and horror mingling in the sound. Her instincts flared hotly in response, a mix of fear, anger, and the aching need to escape and get back to her mates before she could no longer feel them.

Mira’s chest heaved with a surge of panic. She could feel Zoey and Rumi in her mind - or rather, the ache of their absence - pulling at her, reminding her of who she would doom to death if she failed. She would do anything for them. Anything. Especially sacrificing her own life to ensure they stayed alive and healthy.

“I… I understand, Seok-jin-nim,” she whispered, her voice trembling, her mind spiraling. Her submission was immediate and instinctual, her Omega nature folding under the weight of the threat to her mates. Survival meant obedience. Her love meant obedience.

Seok-jin’s lips curled into a faint, almost predatory smile. “Good,” he said. “You will comply. You will mate with the alpha I have chosen during your next heat. You will produce strong pups. And you will endure it without question. Any hesitation, and they die. Do you understand, Mira?”

“Yes Seok-jin-nim,” she breathed, her voice barely audible, body sagging forward as if relief had been poured into her through his words. Her mind was a storm of guilt, fear, and desperation. She imagined Zoey and Rumi alive but terrified, waiting for her to act, counting on her to protect them. The thought alone anchored her submission, leaving no room for rebellion. Her body coiled, her instincts screaming obedience now, or lose them forever.

Her submission was complete. Her fear, her love, her instinct to protect, all crystallized into one single, undeniable truth: she would do anything to keep them alive, even if it meant sacrificing herself. Seok-jin straightened, satisfied, the faintest glimmer of approval in his cold eyes. He turned back to the window, leaving her to bend over on the floor in silence, the weight of her new reality pressing down like the coll around her chest.

“You are not to leave the guest wing without permission,” Seok-jin said, his tone clipped, like issuing orders was as natural as breathing. “You will remain there until summoned. Every day, at seven in the morning, you will be in my office. No excuses. No delays.”

Mira’s throat tightened, and she lowered her eyes. She knew better than to speak. One wrong word, one slight hesitation, and her father’s punishments would make the collar’s shocks feel like a lullaby.

Seok-jin snapped his fingers, and a maid appeared from the edge of the room. Mira jumped; she didn't know they were there in the corner the whole time. The woman’s expression was unreadable, professional to the point of coldness, but the faint glint of a collar around her neck told Mira she was not free either.

“This will be your maid,” Seok-jin said, gesturing toward the maid. “She will watch you. She knows her duty. If you stray or disobey, you answer to her and to me. She barely requires instruction.”

The maid’s eyes met Mira’s for a brief, impassive moment before sliding past her like Mira wasn’t even there. Mira’s heart twisted; the tension between recognition and dismissal was painful. This was the maid that brought her meals as she was growing up. She wasn’t the friendliest of people, since no one was supposed to get close to Mira as a child, but she slipped Mira extra food often as an act of kindness. Now, she looked haggard and worn from her years of servitude to the Kang family, whatever life she had died a long time ago.

He swept from the room, leaving Mira with the maid standing silently beside her. The door clicked shut, and the faint echo of the lock seemed to vibrate through her bones. 

She pressed her back against the wall, ignoring the maid telling her to stand up and follow her, staring at nothing, letting the emptiness swallow her. The maid remained still, watchful, a silent sentinel of her father’s power. Every instinct screamed at Mira to run, to fight, to scream - but the collar’s constant threat, the chains of fate latched onto her mates, held her still.

This was her life now: a daily march into Seok-jin’s office, a cage of invisible chains around her mind, and a constant tether to the terror of what would happen if she failed. And in the deepest corner of her heart, the thought of her mates’ faces, their bond stretched thin across the distance, kept her tethered to sanity - or what little of it remained.

===((Rumi’s POV))===

The days bled together inside the hospital.

Rumi sat propped against her pillows, her shoulder bound tightly to her body in a sling. The sharp pain had dulled to a heavy throb thanks to the medications, but it wasn’t her body that kept her restless; it was the weight of absence. The bond to Mira was still there, but thin as can be, as though a thread stretched impossibly far and fraying with every passing hour.

Across the room, Zoey paced like a caged animal. Her IV stand rattled with each sharp turn, her Alpha instincts barely tethered under the fluorescent lights. The doctors had tried to sedate her again when she woke the second time yesterday snarling, but the growl that tore from Rumi’s throat had them decide against it. They’d left her straps undone since then, though the wary looks from the nurses never faded.

Bobby was in a room down the hall, and at last, the updates were no longer dire. The bullet had missed anything fatal, though his lung had collapsed and the chest tube was still in place. Yesterday, he’d finally been taken off the breathing machine. Rumi clung to that sliver of good news like it was oxygen, though it didn’t stop the hollow ache in her chest at their missing mate.

“We shouldn’t still be here,” Zoey muttered, breaking the silence for the fifth time that morning. Her voice was low, sharp, barely controlled. “Every second we sit in this room, Mira’s alone.”

Rumi closed her eyes, steadying her breath. Zoey’s rage echoed down the bond between them, tangled with Rumi’s own fear until she couldn’t tell whose emotions belonged to whom. “I know,” she whispered. “But Bobby needs us. And if we fuck up right now going in blazing we might lose her.”

The soft click of the door opening broke the silence. The doctor stepped inside, her expression carefully neutral, but there was something softer in her eyes now. “Rumi-nim, Zoey-nim,” she said gently, glancing between them. “Bobby’s awake. He asked for you.”

Rumi was on her feet before the words had even settled in the air. Zoey followed, her IV making her slower, but her pulse quickened. They’d seen him through glass, unconscious and still, with wires snaking into his chest, machines hissing to keep him breathing. The idea of hearing his voice again made their throat ache.

The doctor led them down the hall. The antiseptic smell grew sharper, the beeps of monitors louder until he stopped at a room at the end.

Bobby lay propped up slightly in the hospital bed. His skin was pale, sweat dampening his hairline, and every breath sounded like gravel scraping inside his chest. Tubes still ran from his arms, but the breathing machine was gone; just oxygen now, thin plastic tubing looping across his cheeks and into his nose.

When his eyes landed on them, something warm flickered through the pain. “There’s my girls,” he rasped, his voice hoarse but alive. He tried to look as put together but they could tell he was still in pain.

Zoey swallowed hard and crossed to his side, gripping the rail of the bed so tightly her knuckles blanched. Rumi eased into the chair beside him, tears already burning her eyes.

“You scared the hell out of us,” Zoey muttered, her voice cracking despite the bite in it.

Bobby tried for a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” He shifted slightly, wincing, then searched their faces. The warmth drained into something heavier. “Where’s Mira?”

The question hung like a blade in the room.

Rumi’s heart lurched, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. Zoey looked away, jaw clenched so tightly it trembled. Finally, Rumi found her voice, broken and soft. “They took her, Bobby. Her family… they got her.”

His face went still. Too still.

“I’m sorry,” Rumi whispered. “We tried. We - we couldn’t stop them.”

For a long, awful stretch, he didn’t say anything. His eyes glistened, his chest rose and fell shallowly, and his hand twitched against the blanket as if reaching for something he couldn’t grasp. His Beta pheromones leaked into the air with a depth of despair that almost knocked Zoey into one of the chairs behind her.

When he finally spoke, his voice was lower than before, thick with something raw. “She’s just a kid. My kid.” His eyes closed, and a tear slipped down his cheek. “I promised her she was safe with me. I promised all of you.”

Zoey’s hand shot out, gripping his arm with desperation. “This isn’t your fault. Don’t you dare think that. They were too many - they were too strong -”

Bobby shook his head, the motion weak but resolute. His eyes opened again, dark and glassy, and they cut straight through Rumi’s chest. “I failed her.”

Rumi couldn’t hold it in anymore; she bent forward, her good hand clutching his blanket as sobs shook her shoulders. “We’re going to get her back,” she swore, her voice muffled. “We have to. We’re not whole without her.”

Bobby’s trembling hand finally lifted, settling clumsily over Rumi’s. His other reached for Zoey, and after a moment’s hesitation, she grasped it tight.

He looked at both of them, broken but fierce in his own way. “Then we fight. No matter how long it takes. We bring our girl home.”

Chapter Text

The hospital room smelled too clean. Too sharp. Rumi hated it.

She sat cross-legged on the windowsill, forehead pressed against the cool glass, her breath fogging a small circle against it. It was evening again - she thought. Hard to tell after being cooped up for so long. The city beyond stretched endlessly, glittering and uncaring, a world that kept on spinning no matter how much her own had been cracked wide open.

Zoey was pacing again. She’d done nothing but pace since the doctor cleared them both for light movement two days ago. Her boots thudded against the sterile tile, back and forth, back and forth, like she could wear a path through the floor and straight out of the hospital if she tried hard enough.

Bobby was awake now, propped up against his pillows. He still looked like hell - there was a stubborn pallor to his skin and sweat clung to his hairline - but he was alert enough to track Zoey’s frantic pacing with his dark, heavy eyes.

“Zoey,” Bobby said finally, his voice rough. “Sit down before you wear yourself out.”

“I can’t sit down,” Zoey snapped, rounding on him. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her nostrils flaring. “She’s out there, Bobby. Every second we sit in this room doing nothing -”

“Every second you sit here, you’re planning a better way to get to her instead of what you two probably want to do,” Bobby interrupted, calm but firm. “You want to storm Kang Seok-Jin’s compound like that? No plan whatsoever? You’re smarter than that girls.”

Zoey’s jaw locked.

Rumi slid off the windowsill, finally turning toward him. “We’re not just going to wait forever. He’s had her for days.Days!” Her voice cracked on the last word, raw with the effort it took not to let herself cry.

Bobby’s face softened for just a moment, but then he exhaled slowly through his nose, like he was trying not to get angry at them. “You two listen to me. I get it. You think I don’t?” He looked between them, gaze sharp. “You think I don’t feel her missing too? I’m not blind. I’ve known since the first day I met you three that you were mates. And I also knew from the first day I met you three that I would do anything to make sure you all had smiles on your faces. This hurts me just as much as it hurts you so please don’t think that I don’t care enough to sense the urgency we have right now.”

Zoey froze, the tension in her body pulling even tighter, like a bowstring drawn to its limit. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. It wasn’t that she thought that he wasn’t taking things seriously when it came to Mira; she just felt the bond getting thinner and thinner every second and felt like if they did not move soon that they would lose that connection forever. 

“I’m sorry Bobby. We know you miss her too, that’s not what we’re saying -” Rumi said while looking down at her feet.

Bobby interrupted, tired but resolute. “You two need to slow the hell down and think. If you walk in there now, he won’t just kill you. He would capture you. He’ll make you suffer. And worse - he’ll use your pain to break Mira. Do you understand what that means?”

Rumi’s stomach turned. She thought she might be sick right there on the floor. She could still feel Mira in the back of her mind - faint, like a weak pulse - but enough to know she was still alive. Enough to know she was hurting. Not enough to know to the extent of her pain or where she was, not enough to where she could send soothing vibes to her like she so desperately wanted to. 

“We’re not afraid of him,” Zoey spat.

“Then you’re fools,” Bobby shot back, his voice suddenly sharp. “You should be afraid. You should be terrified. Kang Seok-Jin doesn’t just break bones, Zoey. He breaks spirits. He has spent decades making people bend until they forget they were ever able to stand on their own. And if you go charging in there the way you are right now, he will chew you up and spit you out before you make it past the front doors.”

The room went so quiet Rumi swore she could hear the steady beeping of Bobby’s heart monitor like a war drum.

“You’re saying we should just sit here. For who knows how long. Trying to come up with some kind of rescue mission that we don’t know is going to work even if we take the time to make it.” Rumi’s voice was low, dangerously close to shattering. “While she’s - while she’s alone in that house with him.”

“I’m saying you get smart,” Bobby said, quieter now. “You gather intel. You prepare. You use every available resource to execute a better plan than just charging in. You make damn sure that when you go, you don’t just get her back; you tear their whole damn empire down on your way out so they can’t take her again.”

Rumi’s breath caught at that. Bobby was right; deep down, she knew he was right, but every instinct in her screamed to move, to fight, to do something other than sit and wait while the bond that tied them to Mira frayed thinner and thinner. They needed to protect their omega, their Mira, their love.

Zoey’s breathing had gone ragged. She dragged a hand down her face, then suddenly spun on her heel and stormed toward the door, her feet thundering against the floor. Waves of frustration and anger rolled off her in waves strong enough that even Bobby and his beta nose shrank back at the onslaught.

“Zoey -” Rumi started.

“I can’t sit here anymore,” Zoey snapped, her voice breaking like glass. “I can’t…I can’t breathe in here.” She shoved the door open with her shoulder hard enough to make it slam against the wall. A nurse ran into the room in alarm and confusion. 

Rumi hesitated just a second longer, her heart twisting painfully as she looked back at Bobby. He didn’t stop her. He just watched her with those heavy, tired eyes that said he understood - and hated himself for not being able to stop them or help.

Rumi turned and followed Zoey out into the hallway, the door hissing shut behind them.

They knew Bobby was right. They knew waiting was the smarter plan.

But the knowledge didn’t stop them from marching straight out of the hospital into a waiting SUV that took them back to their penthouse to get ready. The city outside was smeared with rain, neon lights bending and twisting on the wet glass as the black SUV cut through the streets. The interior smelled faintly of leather, steel, and the subtle undertone of the driver’s neutral Beta scent. They could tell even though he was calm on the outside that the driver was nervous. 

And he had every right to be, with the way fury pheromones were rolling off of Zoey ever since she got into the car. 

Rumi sat pressed into the corner of the seat, shoulder against the door, her knees pulled close. The leather was cold through her jeans, grounding her enough to stop the spiral that had been trying to drag her under since they’d left the hospital. On the opposite end of the seat, Zoey was a coiled spring, every muscle in her body tense and buzzing with restless energy as she pressed into the door.

The bond between them was thrumming - ragged, loud, nearly frantic. Zoey’s pheromones were thick and sharp, spiking with every mile they drove. It made Rumi’s own Alpha side stir restlessly, her own scent bleeding into the air in an unconscious effort to calm her mate down. Rumi couldn’t take it any longer. She needed to calm her mate down.

“Zo,” Rumi said softly, tentatively.

Zoey’s head jerked slightly, but her eyes stayed locked on the back of the driver’s seat. Her jaw was so tight Rumi could see the faint pulse of the muscle there.

“I know what Bobby said -”

“Don’t.” Zoey’s voice was low, dangerous, barely restrained.

Rumi inhaled slowly, forcing her own pheromones into something soothing, grounding - not to challenge, not to push back. “I’m not saying he’s right,” she murmured. “I’m saying we need to -”

“Don’t you dare say wait.”

The words cracked like a whip. Zoey finally turned her head, and the look in her eyes was pure fury and heartbreak wrapped together.

“We’ve waited,” Zoey said, voice rising. “We waited while they took her. We waited after they dragged her away from us - from our pack - like she’s just something they can take and break and do whatever the hell they want with. We waited through the hospital, through Bobby almost dying, through being told to sit still like good little Alphas and trust someone else to fix us up after we fucked up. And every minute we’re not there is another minute he has her. Another minute he -”

Zoey’s voice broke, her throat closing on the words. Her whole body went still for one aching second -  then the fight seemed to drain out of her all at once.

Rumi’s chest ached.

She slid across the seat without hesitation, until their thighs were pressed together. Her hand found Zoey’s clenched fist and gently pried it open, threading her fingers through it and squeezing hard.

“She’s still there,” Rumi said, keeping her voice steady even though her own heart was trying to claw its way out of her chest. “I can feel her, Zo. She’s terrified, but she’s alive. The bond’s still there - thin, but it’s there. That has to count for something.”

Zoey let out a strangled sound - a broken, humorless laugh that turned into a sob halfway through. Her hands came up to her face, shaking, and then she folded forward, elbows braced on her knees as if her body couldn’t contain it all anymore.

The sound of her crying wasn’t loud, but it cut through Rumi’s chest like a blade. “Oh, Zo baby, come here.”

Rumi immediately wrapped her arms around Zoey, pulling her close and tucking Zoey’s head against her shoulder. Her own pheromones surged with instinct, wrapping the car in something warm, protective, solid. She could see their driver physically deflate at the safer pheromones overpowering the angry ones he’d been suffocating in through the majority of the drive to their penthouse.

“Our Mira, Ru,” Zoey choked out, voice muffled against her shoulder. “They have her and I can feel how scared she is and we’re just - just sitting here like we have all the damn time in the world. Like she isn’t - like she isn’t -”

Rumi pressed her cheek to Zoey’s hair, eyes stinging.

For several long minutes, the SUV was filled only with the sound of Zoey’s ragged breathing and the faint hum of the tires on the city road. Little by little, the sharp edge of Zoey’s pheromones dulled, settling into something still electric but no longer suffocating.

Rumi stayed pressed against her, running a soothing hand down her back. “We’ll get her back,” she whispered for the millionth time. The car had gone quiet again, but it wasn’t peaceful. It was heavy, thick with unspoken grief. Zoey stayed folded against Rumi’s shoulder, but she could feel every rise and fall of Rumi’s chest - every shallow, uneven breath she was trying to disguise as calm.

Rumi’s hand was still on Zoey’s back, but her touch had gone distant, almost mechanical, like her mind was miles away.

Zoey slowly pulled back enough to see her face.

Rumi was crying, silently. She was staring out the window with that far-off look she got when she was thinking too hard, too fast - when the feelings were eating her alive from the inside but she wouldn’t let them spill out.

“Rumi,” Zoey said softly, her voice still hoarse from crying.

Rumi blinked, then looked over at her. The bond between them quivered faintly, like a plucked string.

“I’m sorry,” Zoey murmured, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. “I’ve been… I’ve been taking all of this and making it about me. About how I feel. Like I’m the only one who -”

“Not true,” Rumi cut in gently, but her voice was frayed at the edges. “I just…” She trailed off.

Zoey’s chest twisted. She hadn’t meant to cry again, but something about the quiet way Rumi was falling apart almost undid her all over again. She choked back a sob and nuzzled into her neck in comfort.

“I know you’re hurting,” Zoey said quickly. “I know. I can feel it. You’re hurting just as much as I am, and I’ve been -” She let out a frustrated sound, running her hands through her hair. “I’ve been so focused on how angry I am at the circumstances that I didn’t even stop to think about how this feels for you.”

Rumi swallowed, looking back down at their joined hands.

“It feels like someone ripped my heart out,” she said after a long pause. The words were quiet, flat, but the bond flared with the rawness of them. “Like there’s a hole where Mira should be, and I can’t stop bleeding out through it. I can feel her fear and I can’t do anything about it. We were supposed to protect her. I was supposed to protect her, protect you both. And I failed. Some leader I am”

Zoey’s gut clenched.

She reached for Rumi’s face with her free hand, cupping her cheek and turning her toward her. “Ru. You did everything you could. Even with a fucking dislocated arm you took charge when I was panicking. You kept pressure on Bobby’s wound when I couldn’t even think straight. You -” Zoey’s throat caught, and she forced the words out anyway. “You kept me from losing it completely in the hospital and making a mistake I would have deeply regretted before. You kept me tethered to this earth and I’m so grateful for you every day.”

Rumi’s eyes softened, but they were glassy now, shimmering with tears she had been holding back since that alley. Zoey leaned her forehead against Rumi’s, grounding them both in the touch. Their pheromones tangled in the air; Zoey’s sharp edge dulled into something warmer, Rumi’s steady but trembling presence bleeding through to soothe her in turn.

“It’s not your fault,” Zoey whispered. “And I’m sorry I made it feel like you had to hold it together for both of us.”

Rumi shook her head faintly. “I didn’t have a choice. If we both broke, we wouldn’t have made it out of there. But now that it’s just us -” Her voice cracked. “I don’t know how to feel okay.”

That was all it took - Zoey’s chest split open all over again, but this time she didn’t sob. This time she just held Rumi as tightly as she could, as if maybe she could shield her from everything they’d lost. “We’ll get her back,” Zoey murmured against her hair. Just repeating the assurances that Rumi was just saying to her mere moments ago. 

Rumi let out a small, broken laugh that sounded almost like a sob. “You sound so sure.” Like she didn’t even believe the words she even said earlier.

“We both have to be,” Zoey said fiercely. “Because if we’re not, I don’t know how to keep going.”

Rumi’s arms came around her at last, clinging like she’d been waiting for permission. For a few moments, the SUV was filled with nothing but the sound of their breathing, the thrum of the road, and the steady, aching beat of their bond - minus one.

The SUV slowed to a stop in front of the towering glass building, the city lights reflecting across its sleek facade. Rumi and Zoey sat in silence for a long moment, neither one making the first move. The beta driver cleared his throat softly. “We’re here, Rumi-nim and Zoey-nim.” he said gently, his voice careful, as though even speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile silence in the car.

Zoey finally nodded, her hand slipping from Rumi’s so she could push open the door. The night air hit her face like a splash of cold water, grounding her for half a second. She stood there on the curb, waiting for Rumi to climb out behind her before shutting the door.

“Thank you,” Rumi said quietly to the driver, bowing her head to show respect. Her voice was calm, but it carried that thin, trembling edge of someone barely holding it together.

The driver inclined his head. “If you need to leave to be somewhere tonight, Bobby instructed me to let you know that there is a note on your kitchen counter with the number for someone who will drive you anywhere you need to go tonight.”

Zoey and Rumi couldn’t help the faint smiles that fell on their faces at the fact that Bobby had enough foresight to assign them a literal getaway driver and put his number in their penthouse like he expected they would be going back there at some point. The man must have been some kind of military man, honestly. No one thinks this far ahead for being an idol manager.

They both nodded, though neither had the energy to speak again. Zoey followed Rumi through the gleaming lobby, past the doorman who greeted them with a sympathetic look and a murmured welcome back, same with the receptionist. It was as though they were afraid to shatter the delicate aura surrounding the two remaining members of Huntr/x. 

The elevator ride was silent except for the faint hum of the machinery. Zoey’s hand brushed against Rumi’s, and without a word, Rumi laced their fingers together again, gripping just a little too tightly with her demon strength. When the doors slid open to the top floor, the penthouse was waiting for them - quiet, pristine, untouched. Zoey put in the code to their place wordlessly. 

The moment they stepped inside, the silence hit like a punch to the chest.

The space felt wrong. Too big. Too empty. Too still.

Mira’s shoes weren’t by the door. Her jacket wasn’t slung over the back of a kitchen stool where she always left it no matter how many times Rumi yelled at her about it. There was no faint smell of her scent lingering in the air, no sound of her humming from the kitchen as she made their coffee or muttering under her breath as she practiced choreography in the living room.

It was just empty. Scentless. They had been gone for too long and Mira’s scent had dissipated from their space without her there to renew it every day.

Zoey shut the door behind them and locked it, her movements mechanical. Rumi walked a few steps into the living room before stopping, just… staring. For a moment, Zoey thought maybe she was frozen, but then she realized Rumi’s shoulders were shaking.

“Ru,” Zoey said weakly.

Rumi turned around, and Zoey’s heart broke all over again at the sight of her face - pale, eyes wet, mouth pressed into a thin line like she was trying not to make a sound. Patterns flaring blues and purples all over her arms and face.

“She’s supposed to be here,” Rumi said, barely louder than a whisper. “This is supposed to be home. All of us. Together. Our nest.”

Zoey swallowed hard. “I know.”

“She was sitting right there with us the night we came back from the press conference,” Rumi said, pointing to the middle of the couch. “Kissing us and comforting us and -” Rumi’s voice cracked, and she turned away sharply, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her shaking hand.

Zoey crossed the room in two strides and caught her around the waist, pulling her in before she could lock herself away any farther.

That was all it took.

Rumi collapsed against her with a heart wrenching wail, and Zoey went down with her, both of them sinking to the floor right there in the middle of the penthouse. Zoey wrapped her arms around her and held on like she could keep her from shattering completely.

The bond between them ached with the loss of their omega. They had been sad, lost, grieving, for so long but this - this was complete abandon. Zoey buried her face in Rumi’s neck, both of them letting their pheromones flood the space, not to calm - that wasn’t possible right now - but to keep them anchored in any way to reality.

When they finally pulled apart, their faces were streaked with tears, but the urgency of time passing got them to break apart and get up off of the floor to get changed. Rumi yanked the closet door open so hard it rattled against the wall. Her hands were still trembling, though she wasn’t sure if it was fear, anger, or the adrenaline still burning under her skin like wildfire. “Okay,” she muttered under her breath, scanning the shelves. “We need… something fast. Something easy to move in. Sweats?”

Zoey was already kicking off her shoes on the other side of the room, stripping off the remnants of her earlier outfit without a second thought. “Comfortable murder clothes. Got it.”

Rumi shot her a sharp look over her shoulder but couldn’t help the smallest twitch of a smile tugging at her mouth. “You make it sound so casual.”

“It is casual.” Zoey grabbed the first hoodie she saw, sniffed it, and tossed it onto the bed. “We’re just going to bust in, hit everything that moves, grab our damsel, and get out. Easy.”

Rumi paused with a hoodie halfway over her head, blinking. “You just described a plan that involves exactly zero steps of thinking ahead.”

Zoey grinned, unbothered. “So? Thinking ahead has never been our strong suit.” They fell into comfortable silence, the banter transporting them back to their semi-normal days. Rumi tugged the hoodie down over her head and sat heavily on the edge of the bed to pull on her sweatpants. Her chest felt too tight. Her hands were shaking as she struggled to get her pants on. They dressed in silence, the kind that felt too loud - hoodie zippers, the thud of boots hitting the floor, the faint hum of the air conditioning kicking in. When they were almost ready, Rumi spotted the note on the kitchen island. Bobby’s messy handwriting read, Don’t be stupid. And there was a phone number next to that. For a moment, both of them just stared at it.

Rumi’s mouth twisted. “Think it’s too late for that?”

Zoey huffed out a laugh, sharp and half-hysterical. “Definitely too late.”

They grabbed their jackets and phones. Zoey found the number Bobby had scribbled on the back of the note and dialed it, putting it on speaker.

A gruff voice answered after two rings. “Yeah?”

“Bobby said you’d get us where we need to go,” Zoey said. She wasn’t sure what else to say to this stranger, but she trusted Bobby with everything she had.

There was a pause, then a low chuckle. “That so? I do owe Babi a favor or two. I’ll be out front in ten.”

“Thanks,” Zoey said, hanging up. She turned to Rumi. “Babi?” she mouthed, and Rumi shrugged. Bobby was such a mystery to them.

They stood in front of the door for a long moment before either moved. Rumi’s hand hovered over the handle, her pulse hammering.

Zoey reached over, covering Rumi’s hand with hers for just a second. “I’m with you babe, every step of the way. Let's do this.”

====((Mira POV))====

Mira sat on the edge of the bed, her back ramrod straight, fingers twisted together so tightly her knuckles ached. The room around her was silent, almost oppressively so - the kind of silence that swallowed sound instead of soothing.

The guest bedroom was beautiful, in the way everything in the Kang estate was beautiful: cold, curated, expensive. Terrifying to touch let alone breathe in it. Pale silk curtains stirred faintly in the breeze from the cracked window, the night air smelling faintly of the garden’s roses. The over the top chandelier overhead cast a warm, golden light across the room, but it only made the shadows seem deeper.

Her maid had left her here without a word, without even meeting her eyes. The door had closed with the quiet finality of a lock clicking shut, though she hadn’t heard one.

Mira hadn’t moved since.

Her fingers crept up to the black metal collar at her throat, brushing against its smooth surface. It was cool, unyielding, and heavy. The faint hum against her skin was constant, a reminder of what it could do if she stepped out of line.

The second that the guest room door closed and locked behind her, she tried to reach out to the Honmoon. Tried to summon her woldo. The backlash had knocked her to the ground before the weapon could even form. The smell of her own scorched skin still clung to her memory, making her stomach turn. She wasn’t sure what fucking witchcraft the collars had in that they could sever her connection to the Honmoon. 

It just didn’t add up, between that and the inhuman strength of the guards the Kang family had. The replacement of the walls in her ‘room’ in the guest house to titanium or whatever it was that they made the walls out of. She felt like she was missing a piece of the puzzle and it would all make sense once she realized what the missing link was. It was so frustrating.

Now she didn’t try.

Her gaze fell to her hands. She flexed them once, slowly, as if testing whether they still belonged to her. The air felt too thick, her chest too tight.

She reached for the bond out of instinct - not with hope, not even with expectation, just with the desperation of a drowning person reaching for the surface. The thread was still there. Barely. Thin and fraying, stretched so far it felt ready to snap at any second. She used to feel Rumi’s presence like a steady ocean tide pulling her in, Zoey like a gust of wind licking at the edges of her mind. Now there was nothing but the faintest hum, a fragile ghost of what they used to be. And soon it wouldn’t even be that.

The emptiness was worse than the pain.

Mira’s breath hitched, too loud in the stillness. She folded forward, elbows on her knees, burying her face in her hands. The silence seemed to press closer, as if the house itself was watching her break. Her mind replayed the argument with her father, over and over like a needle stuck in a groove. His calm voice had been worse than shouting.

I always wondered if you’d survive out there long enough to crawl back here.

Always the disappointment. Always weak.

You will comply. You will mate with the alpha I have chosen during your next heat. You will produce strong pups. And you will endure it without question. Any hesitation, and they die. Do you understand, Mira?

She had agreed. The words had left her lips, quiet and shaking, but they had left all the same. Her stomach twisted violently. She slid off the bed and sank to the floor, knees drawn up, hands clutching at the collar until her nails dug into the metal. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, though she didn’t know who she was saying it to. To Rumi and Zoey for agreeing to something that would destroy what they had? To the girl she used to be, who had fought so hard to escape this house? Mira crawled toward the window and shoved the curtains aside with shaking hands. The moonlight poured in, silver and cold, spilling across her face. Outside, she could see the courtyard, the guards’ shadows moving along the stone paths like ghosts. Their pheromones carried faintly even up here, sharp and oppressive. It made her skin crawl.

She pressed her forehead to the glass and tried to breathe through the rising tide in her chest. The bond still hummed faintly, just enough to remind her it was there. Not enough to bring comfort. “Don’t come for me,” she whispered to the night. Her breath fogged the glass, a pale ghost of a plea. “Please. Don’t let him hurt you because of me.”

As if they could hear her plea.

The moon hung overhead like a cold eye, watching. Silent. She felt like she could just stare up at it for hours just to pass the time by. A soft knock startled Mira hard enough that her head smacked against the window. She sucked in a breath and a curse and turned, heart racing. The door opened a crack, and her maid’s voice came through, quiet and careful.

“Mira. Kang Ah-Yoon-nim has arrived.” The lack of honorifics for her did not go unnoticed but Mira could care less. The content of what the maid said shocked her more than that. 

Mira blinked, disoriented. “What?” Her voice was hoarse from crying, though she hadn’t realized she had been crying at all.

“She is here to see you,” the maid said simply, not stepping into the room.

Mira pushed herself off the window sill on shaky legs. Her knees nearly buckled as she crossed the room, as though the words themselves had drained her of strength.

“I heard you but -?”

The door opened wider before she could think up an excuse not to see her.

Kang Ah-Yoon stepped inside.

She was…smaller than Mira remembered. She had been a child the last time she saw any of her family. Her black hair was swept back into a precise, low bun at the nape of her neck, not a strand out of place. Her glasses caught the light, flashing briefly before she lowered her gaze. The shawl draped over her shoulders was simple but finely woven, a deep gray that made her look even paler than she was. There was an elegance to her - there always had been - but now Mira saw something else, something she’d been too young to notice before: the heaviness in the line of her shoulders, the way she moved carefully as though bracing for a blow that might come at any moment. She stopped just inside the room, hands folded in front of her.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Mira had seen Ah-Yoon maybe half a dozen times growing up, usually at formal dinners where she sat silent at her father’s side, an accessory more than a presence. She had never come to Mira’s room, never touched her hair, never tucked her in at night. Seeing her now - really seeing her - sent something sharp through Mira’s chest.

“Ah-Yoon-nim,” Mira said finally. She could never bring herself to call her mother since she never was one to her.

Ah-Yoon’s eyes lifted to hers then, and for the first time, Mira saw them up close: dark, deep, and tired. “Mira-uri,” she said softly, almost like she wasn’t sure she was allowed to say the name. The sound of her voice nearly undid Mira.

“Why are you here?” Mira asked, though her voice came out more brittle than she intended. She couldn’t help it - she didn’t have fond memories of her own flesh and blood, or any memories at all when it came to her.

Ah-Yoon’s lips parted, then pressed together again. She glanced at the closed door before speaking, as though weighing every word. “I heard what happened,” she said at last. “What he asked of you.” Even his own wife wouldn’t say his name.

Mira’s stomach twisted. “Then you know I agreed.”

Ah-Yoon’s hands tightened around the edges of her shawl. “I know.”

Mira turned away, pacing to the open window with the moon shining down and back again just to keep from shaking apart. “Are you here to convince me it’s the right thing to do? Did Seok-jin-nim send you like you sent that text for him?”

“No.”

The quiet certainty in her voice stopped her cold. Mira turned back, startled. Ah-Yoon’s face didn’t change, but something in her expression softened - just barely. “I am here because I thought…I wanted to know how you were doing.” Mira stared at her, words caught somewhere between her throat and her tongue. She had never heard Ah-Yoon speak like this. Never heard her speak much at all, unless Seok-jin permitted her to as he did for all of them at ‘family dinner time’. For a moment, the silence stretched between them again. Then Mira laughed - a small, broken sound that scraped out of her chest.

“What I want doesn’t matter,” she said bitterly, though she wasn’t sure if she was talking to the woman standing there or herself. “It never has.” Ah-Yoon’s gaze lowered to the floor, and Mira saw her shoulders draw in slightly, like she was trying to make herself smaller.

“I know,” she murmured. “It never mattered for me either.”

The words landed like a stone in Mira’s gut.

For the first time, she looked at her not as the quiet, distant woman at her father’s table, but as someone who had been surviving this house far longer than Mira had. Someone who had endured.

Someone who had been broken too.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, as if the walls of the guest room were leaning closer, eager to hear what would happen next. Ah-Yoon’s hands were folded in front of her, but Mira noticed the way her fingers clenched and unclenched against the fabric, the faint tremor running through them. Mira stayed where she was, perched on the edge of the bed, her knees drawn close. She didn’t trust her voice yet. She had spent so many years imagining what it would be like to have this woman walk into her room - when she was little, she used to pretend it might happen, that maybe she’d sit at the end of Mira’s bed and smooth her hair and whisper that she was proud of her. That she would come and rescue her from the dark locked room in the guest house. Instead, she had learned that she appeared only at dinners, only when Father allowed it. And now here she was, finally here, when Mira’s bond was fraying and her body still hurt from the collar’s last punishment and she was one heat away from losing Rumi and Zoey forever.

Mira swallowed hard and forced herself to speak.

“Did he send you?” Her voice came out too sharp, too defensive.

Ah-Yoon’s gaze lifted to hers. “No.”

Mira didn’t relax, but she didn’t look away either. “Then why are you here?”

Ah-Yoon hesitated, her lips parting, then pressing shut as though testing whether she had permission to speak. When she did, her voice was quiet, fragile but clear.

“Because I heard you crying.”

Mira flinched. Of all the answers she’d braced for, she hadn’t expected that.

Ah-Yoon took one careful step into the room, as if Mira might bolt if she moved too quickly. “I could not stay away, not anymore,” she said softly.

Mira’s chest tightened. She wanted to laugh, wanted to scream. “You stayed away my whole life,” she said bitterly. “Why now?”

For a moment, Ah-Yoon’s face went still - not blank, but too controlled, like someone keeping the edges of herself from spilling out. “You think I wanted to?” she asked, and though her tone was even, Mira heard something splintered underneath.

Mira’s breath caught. Ah-Yoon’s gaze flicked toward the door, then back to Mira, as though she were calculating the risk of every word. Like she was afraid of what - or who- might be listening in.

“He made sure I stayed in my place,” she said quietly. “Made sure I did not interfere. Do you think I did not hear you crying back then too? Do you think I did not want to come to you? Your life was on the line.”

Mira’s throat felt tight, hot.

“I would sit outside your door sometimes,” Ah-Yoon continued, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper in the wind. “When he was finished with you. When he would leave you in that horrid guest house locked away. I would sit there and listen and…” She trailed off, blinking quickly, her fingers tightening on her shawl. “But if I opened the door, if I touched you, he would make it worse. For both of us.”

The words landed like stones in Mira’s stomach. Part of her wanted to believe them - desperately. Part of her wanted to scream that it wasn’t enough, that she had been left alone in that house with no one to protect her, no one to tell her she was still worth loving. But when she looked at Ah-Yoon now, really looked, she saw something she’d never noticed before: the faint shadow of old and new bruises along her wrists, showing when her sleeves had slipped back. The sliver of a black collar similar to hers hidden underneath the shawl that was on her shoulder. Mira’s breath shook. Trapped. Just like me. Just like the maid from earlier. Were there any women in this house who were truly free from his control? Mira began to doubt that. 

“I don’t know what you want from me,” Mira said finally, her voice rough.

“Nothing.” Ah-Yoon took another step closer, her movements slow, deliberate. “I only wanted to see you. To see you for myself. To see how much you have grown.”

Mira laughed, short and bitter. “I’m alive. For now. Until he decides he’s done with making me a breeding hole for the studliest Alpha in town.”

Ah-Yoon flinched - the smallest, sharpest reaction - before steadying her face again. “You are stronger than he thinks,” she said softly.

Mira shook her head. “I’m not. I agreed to do what he wants. I agreed to erase them from me, my pack, my mates.” The words scraped out of her throat like broken glass. “Because he told me if I didn’t, he’d kill them.”

Ah-Yoon’s expression wavered, grief flickering across her face before she pressed it back down. “You did what you had to do to protect them,” she said. “That is not a weakness. That is love. I know…trust me, I know.” The look in her eyes and the tone that she had told Mira all she needed to know; that Kang Ah-Yoon was here to save people she loved too. Mira’s eyes burned. She wanted to hate her for telling her all this. She wanted to cling to it too. Ah-Yoon stood in silence, giving her space. No one spoke for a while.

Ah-Yoon seemed to hear or sense something that Mira did not, for her entire back went rigid and she glanced at the door again. “ I will return soon. I…I really am sorry. Just - hang on, for them.” She nodded once, as though they had reached some kind of unspoken agreement, then turned toward the door.

For a moment, Mira thought she might stop her. Might call out, just to see if she would turn back for her like she always wanted her to. But the words never came. They got lodged in her throat along with everything else Mira wanted to shout, scream and cry at the person who gave birth to her. 

The door closed softly behind her, and Mira was alone again - but not quite in the same way she had been before. Now her loneliness was full of questions and thoughts she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answers to.

Chapter Text

====((Mira’s POV, Morning))==== 

The east wing felt colder in the morning, as though the entire house held its breath before Kang Seok-jin woke. The halls were silent, every footstep Mira took sounded too loud against the polished floor. She kept her steps as light as possible, a skill she picked up even before learning how to sneak as a hunter. 

The weight of the black metal collar sat heavy around her throat, humming faintly against her skin like a reminder that she was trapped. She hadn’t slept - not really. She’d spent most of the night sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor, trying not to think about her mates, about the faint pulse of the bond that still barely held them together. The bond that was not going to last. By the time she reached the double doors to her father’s office, it was exactly seven o’clock. Not a minute early. Not a minute late. She wiped her palms against the fabric of her pants before she knocked once and pushed the doors open.

Kang Seok-jin was already there. He always was. Sitting at his massive blackwood desk, framed by the tall windows behind him, the early morning light casting his figure in pale silver and shadow. A neat stack of documents sat to one side, a pen resting perfectly parallel to the desk’s edge. Nothing out of order, nothing without a purpose.

He did not look up when she entered.

Mira stepped inside and bowed, deep enough that her back ached from the angle. “Seok-jin-nim,” she said, her voice perfectly pitched - deferential, careful, the way he had drilled into her since she could speak.

“Close the door,” was all he said.

She obeyed immediately, the heavy doors thudding shut behind her, sealing her into the cool, cavernous space. When she turned back, he was watching her now, his eyes sharp and unreadable. The kind of look that made her stomach twist because she never knew if he was about to praise her or strike her down.

“Step closer,” he said.

Her feet moved before she had fully thought about it, the instinct too deeply rooted to resist. She stopped where she knew she was supposed to - three precise steps from the edge of the rug that lay in front of his desk.

The office was quiet enough that Mira could hear the faint ticking of the grandfather clock on the far wall, the soft hum of electricity in the collar around her throat, and the thundering of her own pulse. Her body was flashing through hot and cold, ice creeping under her skin like fire. A faint ache settled low in her stomach, making her breath come just slightly too fast. She kept her eyes down, fixed on the edge of the rug, praying he wouldn’t notice.

Please, not now. Not so soon.

He stood, his movements precise, measured. When he came around the desk, she held herself rigid. He circled her once, slow and deliberate, like a general inspecting a soldier. Mira stood perfectly still, her spine straight despite the instinct to shrink away. Eyes trained forward at a specific spot of the window curtain that she self-trained herself to stare at while in this office to keep her gaze from wandering.

“You look tired.”

“I am fine,” Mira said quickly. Too quick.

His hand came up so suddenly she flinched - but he didn’t strike her. His fingers caught her chin instead, tilting her face up toward him. Mira’s stomach dropped. The heat was rising too quickly now, an insidious warmth climbing under her skin. She prayed he couldn’t smell it, couldn’t sense it.

“Are you?” His voice was quiet, but it held an edge of warning.

“Yes, Seok-jin-nim.”

His thumb brushed her jaw once, an absent, almost clinical motion, before he released her. “Back to your room until you are summoned for dinner. We have guests coming tonight,” is all he said. He watched her for a long moment, and Mira forced herself not to look away, though every muscle in her body screamed to drop her gaze. She knew better than to move a single hair until he dismissed her.

“Remember your role here; don’t go getting any stupid ideas. You will erase them, and mate with someone of my choosing the second your heat begins. Understand?”

Mira bit down on her tongue so hard she tasted blood as she kept her unwavering gaze locked on his empty eyes, “I understand, Seok-jin-nim.”

Finally, he stepped back. “You may go.”

The dismissal hit like a sudden release of tension, and Mira bowed low again, her hair falling forward to hide the rising flush creeping up her face.

“Thank you, Seok-jin-nim.”

She turned and left as quickly as she dared, her steps measured until she was past the threshold and the doors closed behind her. Only then did she let out the breath she’d been holding, her chest heaving as though she’d just run the length of the estate. The heat was worse now, curling in her gut, making her skin feel too tight. She pressed a hand to the wall to steady herself. She couldn’t break here. Not where he could see. Not where he could use it against her.

Mira straightened her shoulders, forcing her legs to carry her down the hallway. One step at a time. Quiet. Controlled. The way he had taught her. Mira barely made it to the guest room before her body betrayed her.

The second the door clicked shut behind her, she crumpled - knees hitting the floor with a soft, painful sound. The composure she’d worn like a mask in front of Seok-jin shattered all at once, leaving nothing but shaking hands and shallow, desperate breaths. Mira couldn’t hold in her pheromones any longer and they started to leak out around her slowly, calling for the mates that weren’t there. The scent wasn’t overwhelming yet since it was the first morning, but she knew it was going to get much worse over time and she wasn’t going to be able to hide this from them.

The room felt wrong. Too big. Too small. The air too thin, the walls too close. She pressed her palms to the floor and tried to steady her breathing, but the harder she tried, the worse it got. Heat pulsed under her skin, coiling low in her belly, sharp and insistent. Her body felt feverish, every nerve ending raw. Her collar was a band of ice around her throat, the faint hum of it grounding her and terrifying her at once.

She dragged herself up from the floor, almost crawling toward the bed, as though lying down might help.

It didn’t.

The sheets were too soft, too clean, the faint smell of the detergent only reminding her that this wasn’t home - wasn’t anywhere safe. That she couldn’t even make a nest if she wanted to because nothing here smelled like home, like them. She twisted the fabric in her fists and curled on her side, pulling her knees up like she could curl herself away from what was happening.

Mira could feel the bond thread in her chest - faint, fraying, weaker than it had ever been. It wasn’t enough to soothe the heat, wasn’t enough to anchor her. Rumi’s steady weight and Zoey’s bright spark were just… not there. Not close enough to help. Just enough there to make the ache worse.

Her breath hitched.

Her mind began to spiral, dragging her back through years of being told she was wrong, broken, defective. The nights Seok-jin would lock her in her dark room after training, saying this would teach her discipline. The way he’d stood over her when they took her scent glands, telling her this was for her own good. And now they've grown back. And she was weaker than ever because of it.

Mira never thought she would agree with him about something.

She bit down on her fist to keep from making a sound. The pressure grounded her for all of three seconds before another wave of heat rolled through her, making her gasp and curl tighter. She hated herself for how much she wanted them here - wanted Rumi’s steady hands, Zoey’s warmth, their scents filling the air until she could breathe again. She hated how empty the room felt without them, how loud the silence was. How sterile the air was without their ocean and air scents surrounding her.

You will erase them.

Kang Seok-jin’s voice echoed in her mind, over and over until it was all she could hear.

Erase them. Erase them. Erase them.

Her chest hurt. She pressed a hand over her heart like she could hold the bond thread in place by sheer force of will. “I don’t want to,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I don’t want to erase them. Please -” She slammed her eyes shut, clutching the pillow to her chest so hard her arms ached. The room spun. She couldn’t tell if it was from the heat or the panic, or both. Her body was trembling, sweat slick on her skin despite the chill of the room.

If she stayed like this too long, if the bond frayed any further, she knew what would happen. Omegas separated from their bonded mates too long went feral, lost themselves to the heat. The thought of losing control, of becoming that - here, in this house, where Seok-jin could see her - made bile rise in her throat.

“Stop,” she begged herself, voice muffled against the pillow. “Stop it. Stop thinking. Stop -”

But she couldn’t stop.

Every memory, every emotion, every touch, every kiss. She was drowning in the ocean, her remaining air getting ripped out of her lungs. Their smiles, their eyes, their scents. She shoved a pillow over her face and screamed into it until her throat burned, the sound swallowed by the expensive fabric.

When she finally stopped, she was shaking so badly she could barely breathe. She lay there on the bed, curled on her side, staring blankly at the wall as the morning light crept across the floor. The heat still burned under her skin, the ache worse now, sharper, relentless.

Mira didn’t know how long she’d been lying there.

She reached for the bond again, frantic, desperate, clawing mentally at the thread that should have led her back to Rumi and Zoey - and found nothing. Just a thin, faint shimmer that slipped through her fingers every time she tried to hold it.

No warmth. No heartbeat. No comfort.

Just silence.

A raw, broken noise escaped her throat before she could stop it. She clamped a hand over her mouth, biting into her palm to keep from making another.

They weren’t here. They weren’t coming.

The realization she knew already made her chest seize up, panic flooding her lungs like water. She rolled onto her side and curled up tight, shoving her face into the pillow to breathe, but it didn’t help. Their scents weren’t here.

Her skin crawled. Her heat clawed deeper.

She wanted to nest, to rip the room apart and bury herself in every scrap of fabric until she could trick her body into believing she was safe - but there was nothing to use. No worn shirts. No blankets that smelled of her mates. No threadbare hoodie she could cling to like a lifeline.

She grabbed the pillow anyway and held it so tight her arms trembled. It smelled of nothing, but she pressed her face into it like it might change, like if she wished hard enough it would smell like them.

It didn’t.

Tears stung her eyes again, hot and unrelenting. Her omega instincts were screaming at her now, louder and louder, a frantic chorus that wouldn’t let her think: Find them. Find your mates. Get safe. Get to the bond. But she couldn’t move. Couldn’t go anywhere. The collar was a constant weight around her throat, cool and heavy, a reminder that even if she tried to run, she wouldn’t get far before it lit her up and dropped her to the ground.

She was trapped. Trapped until they figured out she was in heat and then -

The thought made her breath stutter, panic rolling through her until she nearly gagged on it.

Her nails dug into the pillow, then into her own skin. She needed to do something, anything, to stop the burning, the crawling under her flesh, the desperate itch of needing to be held, claimed, soothed. Her thighs pressed together helplessly, seeking friction she refused to give it. She wasn’t going to break here. She wasn’t going to let Kang Seok-jin win, wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her reduced to nothing but a feral, needy thing.

But the room was too quiet, too empty, and every second without them made it worse.

Her mind spun faster, thoughts splintering like glass. What if they were dead? What if they’d already been caught? What if he had lied to her and they were really hurt? What if she’d never feel them again, never smell them again, never-

Her breath hitched hard and she pressed both hands against her mouth to smother the sob that clawed its way up her throat. Her whole body shook with the effort to calm herself down.

Kang Seok-jin’s voice was in her head again, cold and sharp:

 You will erase them.

Mate of my choosing.

Strong pups.

She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood, trying to push the voice out. It didn’t work. Nothing worked. Her heat was cresting again, and she had nothing to fight it with but her own stubborn will, which was crumbling fast.

Her body ached for her mates. Not just wanted - needed. The bond was screaming for them, howling in the back of her mind, but there was no answer, no comfort, just a thread so thin it felt like it might snap if she pulled too hard. Mira curled into herself on the bed, shaking violently, tears soaking into the pillow as she tried to hold the frayed pieces of herself together.

Mira could smell herself now - faint, earthy, sharp - and heightened panic tightened her throat. If anyone came near her, if Seok-jin caught even a hint of it -

Her thoughts spun out, dizzying and dark. Her teeth sank into the pillow to muffle the sound that tore out of her, half sob, half growl. She barely stopped herself from rutting down into the bed for any semblance of friction. 

Not enough. Not enough. Not enough.

She clawed at the bedsheets, at her own arms, leaving angry red lines just to ground herself, to feel something she could control. Her breathing was ragged now, shallow, fast, like she’d been running. Tears burned hot in her eyes and spilled over before she could stop them. She pressed her face into the mattress to hide the sound of her sobbing.

It felt endless - every wave of heat sharper, every pulse of the bond weaker, every second stretching out until she thought she might lose her mind entirely.

She didn’t know how long she stayed there, shaking, crying, biting down on her own knuckles to stay quiet. The light shifted slowly across the room, golden becoming white, morning becoming noon. Her body eventually went numb with exhaustion, but the fire didn’t go out. It just settled deeper, coiling tight like something waiting to strike.

When she finally rolled onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling, her face pale, streaked with tears. Her throat hurt. Her chest hurt worse.

By the time the sky outside the window burned orange, Mira was nearly gone.

The room had turned into a furnace. Her skin was flushed and damp with sweat, her hair plastered to her temples. She lay sprawled sideways across the bed, every muscle slack, the sheets a tangle around her legs where she’d fought them earlier and lost the energy to keep resisting.

Her pheromones clung to every surface like syrup, heavy and sweet, saturating the space until it felt impossible to breathe. She didn’t even realize how strong the scent had gotten - her heat haze had dulled everything but the most basic senses. Her body hummed with a deep, pulsing ache, every heartbeat pounding between her thighs until it was all she could focus on.

She didn’t hear the knock.

Didn’t even register the creak of the door opening. The first thing she noticed was the rush of cooler hallway air against her burning skin - then the faint sound of someone stepping inside. Her head lifted slowly, sluggishly, heavy as if she’d been drugged. The maid stood frozen just a few steps inside the room, a tray balanced in her hands. She was young, a beta with dark hair pulled back in a tight bun. The smell hit her immediately - Mira could see the way her shoulders stiffened, the way her nose twitched as her eyes widened.

The tray wobbled in her hands.

Mira tried to speak but her throat was too dry and her voice came out a ragged, broken rasp. “Don’t -” The word barely carried. She shifted slightly on the bed, but even that tiny motion made her body arch with a shudder she couldn’t suppress. Her heat was too far gone to control, rolling over her in waves until her muscles trembled from the effort of staying still.

The maid’s face went pale. Her eyes darted to the sweat-slicked sheets, the pillow with bite marks pressed into the fabric, Mira’s flushed face and glassy, fever-bright eyes. The tray rattled as her hands shook.

Mira’s body ached to move, to crawl toward the door, to plead, but her limbs felt heavy, uncoordinated. All she could do was clutch at the blanket, half-covering herself, breathing hard as another wave hit and left her dizzy. Her scent spiked sharper in the air. The maid stumbled back a step, nearly dropping the tray, and spun on her heel.

“Mira-ssi - I - I’m sorry -” she stammered, but didn’t finish.

She bolted.

The door slammed against the wall as she ran, the tray clattering to the floor outside. Mira flinched at the sound but couldn’t move. Could barely even think past the haze smothering her mind. She knew exactly where the maid was going.

A tremor ran through her, part fear, part the relentless ache that wouldn’t stop. Kang Seok-jin would know soon. He would come. Turn her into a stud meant for selective breeding.

And Mira - dizzy, half-delirious, drowning in her own scent - couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t hide. Couldn’t do anything but wait, curled on the bed, shaking, tears stinging her eyes. The room was too quiet again, the silence broken only by the sound of her own ragged breathing and the faint hum of the collar.

She wasn’t ready. Wasn’t ready to lose everything.

But she didn’t have a choice.

====((Rumi’s POV, Evening))====

The van rumbled low as it sped down the road, the world outside flashing by in streaks of orange from the setting sun. The interior was dim, smelling faintly of leather and motor oil, but it was warmer than Rumi expected. The man behind the wheel hadn’t said a word when he picked them up. Just looked them over once - his good eye sharp, the scar where the other used to be catching the last of the sunlight - then jerked his head toward the back of the van. Now, with the road stretched endlessly ahead and nothing but the hum of the engine filling the silence, he finally spoke.

“How’s Babi?” His voice was rough, like gravel dragged across concrete.

Rumi glanced up at him in the rearview mirror. Zoey froze beside her, her knee stilling mid-bounce. The question hung between them, heavy.

Rumi’s throat felt tight, but she made herself answer. “He was shot,” she said evenly. “Through his lungs. He’ll live, but… it was bad enough that he had to stay behind.”

The man’s hands tightened on the wheel. Just for a moment, his jaw locked, and something hard passed over his face - not grief, not quite, more like frustration and stress.

“Figures,” he muttered under his breath, voice low but clear. He shifted gears sharply, the van growling louder as they picked up speed. “Always throwing himself in front of bullets that aren’t his to take.”

Zoey frowned, shifting uncomfortably, but didn’t speak.

Rumi kept her eyes on the man’s reflection. “You were close.”

He didn’t look at her. “We go back a long way.”

Something in the way he said it - flat, clipped, but edged with steel - told Rumi not to push. The silence after that was different. He didn’t ask anything else, and neither Rumi nor Zoey tried to fill it. Finally, Zoey broke the silence.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked, her voice tense, restless.

Rumi exhaled slowly through her nose, dragging her mind away from the gnawing ache in her chest -  the faint, fraying bond that still wouldn’t answer her no matter how hard she pulled.

“We don’t go in through the front,” Rumi said, leaning forward, elbows braced on her knees. “It’s the Kang estate. If we walk up to the main gate, they’ll have eyes on us before we even hit the front steps. Best case, we’re locked down and separated before we find her. The worst case is shot on site. I’m not too keen on either of those options.”

Zoey bit her lip, nodding once. “So like, employee entrance? Guard room? I mean…what do rich conglomerate families have in the way of security besides those big brutes?”

The driver’s eye flicked to the mirror again, studying them. “You two know what you’re walking into?”

Rumi held his gaze without flinching. “Not exactly,” she admitted. “But we know who we’re walking out with and that’s all that matters.”

For the first time, the man’s mouth pulled into something like a grin - quick, humorless, almost approving. “Good answer. I can see why Babi took a shine to you girls.”

Zoey blew out a shaky breath and leaned back against the seat, crossing her arms. The van slowed, then turned sharply onto a narrow side road. The headlights washed over thick trees before the man cut them, plunging the world into a softer, dim orange glow from the distant street lamps.

They rolled to a stop in an alleyway. The engine went quiet, leaving only the tick-tick of cooling metal. The man sat for a moment, both hands on the wheel, staring straight ahead. Then he let out a low grunt and put the van in park.

“This is as close as I can take you,” he said finally, voice gravelly but calm. “Past this point, you’re on your own. You girls are something else trying to take on the entire Kang family for one person but. I get it, more than you know.”

Zoey glanced out the window - they were still a good distance from the looming silhouette of the Kang estate. Just the faint outline of the estate walls visible through the trees, lights glowing like watchful eyes. The man twisted in his seat, looking at both of them properly for the first time. His one good eye was sharp, assessing - but there was something softer under it, too.

“Why are you helping us?” Zoey asked after a moment, curiosity and suspicion warring in her voice. Her trust only went so far when it came to people Bobby had connections to, especially when they just handed her a firearm like they were handing her a pencil.

The man’s mouth twisted, like he’d been expecting the question. “Babi,” he said simply. “I owe him more than I can ever pay back.”

Rumi stilled. “You were close?” she asked carefully.

A low sound, almost like a laugh, escaped him - rough and humorless. “We were more than close. We spent five years in hell together.”

That caught Zoey off guard. “Hell?”

“An idol group,” he said flatly, turning back to face forward, resting his hands on the wheel.

Both Rumi and Zoey stared at him. “I’m sorry -” Zoey blinked rapidly. “You were what?”

“In an idol group,” he repeated, a hint of a smirk ghosting across his scarred face. “Matching outfits. Choreography. Fan meetings. Screaming teenagers.”

Rumi couldn’t help it - the image of Bobby, gruff and perpetually tired Bobby, standing on stage in glittering outfits with perfect hair and an idol smile - it hit her so hard she actually laughed. A short, sharp sound, but real. Zoey clapped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking. “Bobby?!”

The man’s smirk widened slightly. “Stage name was Babi. Bleached hair, eyeliner, glitter everywhere - all of it. We were called Riot7, and there were 7 of us. Babi was our leader.”

Rumi pressed a hand against her face, grinning despite herself. The tension in her chest loosened just a fraction, enough to breathe a little deeper. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell us,” Zoey said, voice somewhere between awe and outrage.

“He doesn’t like talking about it,” the man said simply, shrugging one massive shoulder. “But he saved my life more than once back then. Saved me after, too. When I got out. I’d do anything for him.”

Rumi’s smile faded, replaced by something quieter, heavier. “Thank you,” she said softly. “For this.”

The man inclined his head once. “Don’t make me regret it. Get in, get your girl, get out. Call me, text me a random letter, I know to be nearby for the getaway.” For a moment, none of them moved. The air in the van felt charged, as if they all understood just how close they were to the edge of something dangerous and irreversible. Then Rumi reached for the door handle.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Zoey nodded, her jaw tight, and followed her out into the night. The cool air hit Rumi’s face like a slap, grounding her. She glanced back once to see the man watching them through the windshield, his scarred face expressionless but his eye sharp. He gave one nod of his head and then took off down the alleyway.

The girls were no stranger to leaping across rooftops, so they scaled and jumped their way up to the nearest building’s rooftop so they could get high up. From there, they leapt from building to building to get closer and closer to the estate. The Kang estate loomed ahead, still and silent, framed by the chaos of the city. From their vantage point on the last rooftop, it felt like standing at the edge of two worlds - one living, breathing, pulsing with neon lights, car horns, and movement, and one completely frozen in time.

They sat side by side analyzing the lights around the perimeter and the guards posted. Zoey, sitting with one knee propped up, broke the silence first. “I can feel her,” she whispered, but she sounded dismayed, “Mira is crying out for us.”

Rumi turned to her in alarm, sensing the same thing, “She’s in heat. But how? Her heat shouldn’t have hit so soon.” She shook her head, “Doesn’t matter - she needs us more than ever.”

“We could try scaling the wall,” Zoey said, nodding toward the floodlights. “But we’ll trip alarms the second we try, I feel. Wouldn’t be surprised if the walls themselves had motion sensing on them or around them. Looks like four guards at the front gate, two guards posted every 10 feet up the pathway to the estate, probably more wandering amongst the inside of the walls that we can’t see. I’m not sure we can sneak in, to be honest.”

Rumi’s lip curled, showing the edge of her sharpening teeth. “Then we don’t sneak in.”

Zoey turned her head toward her, brows raised.

“We go through the front gate,” Rumi said, her voice low and fierce. “We don’t have time to be clever about this. We take out anyone who gets in our way.” A low rumble was starting in her chest, patterns flaring a neon purple. 

A sharp grin spread across Zoey’s face, fierce and approving. “Thought you’d never say so, oh fearless leader. Are we giving them demon Rumi hell cause I’m all for it.” She raised her hand, palm open, and with a flicker of light the air rippled. Six gleaming blades materialized in perfect formation - her Shin-Kal - before snapping into her grasp like they’d been waiting for her call. She spun one casually between her fingers, its edge catching the light.

“You ready for this?” Zoey asked.

Rumi didn’t answer right away. She closed her eyes, inhaling deep, and let go.

The change hit her like a tidal wave of dark energy

(( Looks like this loosely btw. Fanart by Fossilclaws go give them lots of love: https://fossilclaws. /post/791269745773215744/tiger-rumi-sketches-that-i-spent-too-long ))

Her breath came out sharp, teeth lengthening into fangs as her gums tingled. Her nails darkened and stretched into claws, her forearms glowing with that deep violet light that spread across her markings like wildfire. Her ears sharpened into points, twitching at every sound, every shift of the wind.

Black horns curled out from her hair, smooth and wickedly sharp, while her tail unfurled behind her with a whip-like snap. Her long purple hair, normally in a braid, had been secured to her head in a tight bun in preparation for her transformation. She learned the hard way before that if she kept her hair in the long ass braid she would just trip over it and embarrass herself. Her legs lengthened, muscles coiling, bones shifting with a deep crack as her stance dropped lower, more feral, until she was crouched on all fours. Her back legs became closer in nature to tiger legs, paws and stripes and all. Her tail was also like a tiger’s, fluffy and striped but full of whip-like strength.

When she opened her eyes again, they glowed gold, bright as lanterns. Her night vision illuminated the world around her, and her heightened sense could hear as far as the rustle of the gravel underneath the guards’ feet from their vantage point.

Zoey watched the transformation with something like awe, shaking her head with a crooked grin. “God, you’re fucking hot like this.”

Rumi flexed her claws against the rooftop, the purple claws creating gouges on the concrete like butter. “Good,” she said, her voice lower now, rougher. They both turned their eyes back to the estate, to the high walls and the gate that stood between them and Mira, their love, their mate.

“Front gate,” Zoey said again, more like a confirmation than a question.

“Front gate,” Rumi agreed.

The air around them felt electric now - dangerous, alive. Rumi’s tail lashed behind her, the glow of her markings pulsing in time with her heartbeat. Zoey’s grip on her Shin-Kals got tighter as she picked out her targets. Their bond was synced - their breathing, their emotions, and their fierce devotion to their Mira flowing back and forth between the two.

They weren’t going to sneak in.

They were going to storm the Kang estate like a declaration of war.

And nothing, not walls, not guards, not even Kang Seok-jin himself, was going to keep them from getting Mira back.

====((Mira’s POV, Evening))====

The air in Mira’s room was thick and oppressive, heat crawling across her skin like fire ants under her flesh. She sat on the floor against the bedframe away from the door, hair sticking to her face, breathing shallow. The scent of her own pheromones was heavy, cloying, suffocating - a cruel reminder that her heat was getting worse, not better. That her time was running out.

When the knock came, she flinched so hard her teeth rattled.

The maid’s voice, quiet but tight: “Seok-jin-nim requests entry.”

Mira barely had time to stand up and face the door before it opened.

Kang Seok-jin entered, every line of him sharp and crisp as always - his suit perfectly pressed, his expression carved from stone. But there was something in his eyes tonight, a glint that made Mira’s gut twist. Victory. His presence filled the room, making the air feel thick and hard to breathe.

But it wasn’t him that froze Mira’s blood. It was the man walking in behind him. Tall, smug, with that same cruel curve to his mouth she remembered too well.

Jae-Hyun.

Her breath stuttered, her chest seizing as though someone had pressed a fist against it.

No. No, no, no.

Her mind went white, then black, then back again in a dizzying rush as flashes of memory flew by. The dance studio. The smell of sweat and mirrors and cheap floor cleaner. The sound of the door locking. The way his shadow had cut across the light as he stepped closer. Her body, unprepared, overwhelmed, terrified and humiliated as her first heat slammed into her with no warning. His massive body pressed down over top of her, his tongue on her neck.

The disgusting smell of his pheromones like sewer water clogging her senses.

And then - Rumi and Zoey bursting through the door, tearing him off of her, their growls and scents like salvation. Her hands trembled violently now. She didn’t even realize she was backing up until her legs hit the windowsill and she almost fell.

Jae-Hyun grinned. Grinned.

Seok-jin’s voice was smooth and calm, like he was talking about business and not her entire life. “You were informed of our arrangement,” he said. “Your heat has started. It would be irresponsible to let it go to waste.”

She stared at him, her entire body trembling.

“To waste?,” she croaked, tears burning her eyes. “But -”

“Jae-Hyun is the mate chosen for you. There is no reason to delay the inevitable.” His tone was final, leaving no room for argument.

Jae-Hyun’s grin widened, shark-like. “Hello, Mira,” he said, like they were old friends. His gaze roamed over her, too hungry, too pleased. “You look even better like this. Guess we were always meant to finish what we started.”

Her stomach heaved violently. She was going to throw up.

“No!” she shouted, voice cracking into a scream. “I can’t do this! Not with -”

His overwhelming Alpha pheromones slammed into her just then. Pain shot down her spine, forcing her body into a shuddering bow. Her tears came hot and fast now, dripping off her chin as she pressed her forehead to the floor, trying to curl in on herself, trying to make herself small enough to disappear.

“You will not raise your voice at me,” Seok-jin said coolly. “You will behave. You will do your duty to this family, as previously agreed upon.”

Her body felt like it was on fire. Her heat had gone from unbearable to blinding, clawing at her from the inside out.

And Jae-Hyun - Jae-Hyun laughed.

“What’s wrong dear?” he asked mockingly, stepping closer. “Don’t you want a strong Alpha to take care of you? Your father’s just giving you what you need.”

Mira shook her head violently, sobbing now, the sound raw in her throat.

“I don’t need you,” she gasped. “I don’t want you -”

Another jolt from the overwhelming Alpha pheromones made her convulse, biting her tongue hard enough to taste blood.

Seok-jin turned his cold gaze on her.

“This is not about what you want,” he said. “You are an omega. You were born for this. Your play things will be spared, as I promised - but you will fulfill your purpose. Tonight. And every night that follows during your heat.”

Jae-Hyun moved forward, each step deliberate, until Mira’s entire body screamed with instinct to flee - but there was nowhere to go. Her back hit the windowsill again, the room spinning wildly as panic and heat and terror collided all at once.

“No!” she shrieked, the sound ripping out of her throat like an animal’s cry.

But Jae-Hyun only looked at her like she was something broken that needed to be fixed. “Enough,” he said, cold as winter. His own pheromones began to seep into the air around her, cloying and nothing but slime. At the same time, Seok-jin made his way out of the room.

The click of the lock was deafening.

Mira froze where she was standing on the floor, still crouched with her arms wrapped tight around herself. She heard the faintest rustle of Seok-jin’s shoes on the polished floor, his calm, even steps retreating down the hall.

Then silence.

No more witnesses.

Just her and him.

Jae-Hyun crouched down in front of her, just out of reach, his grin wide and unbothered. “Look at you,” Jae-Hyun said, his voice full of mocking delight. “You can’t even move. You’re practically on your knees for me already.” As her knees shook so hard she almost fell to them right then and there. What little strength she had left was being used to keep herself upright.

His pheromones were trying to permeate her every pore to overpower the bond she already had with her mates. Thick, sour, cloying - a smell like stagnant sewer water mixed with cheap cologne and wet concrete after rain. Her stomach lurched violently. She clamped a hand over her mouth, but it didn’t block the smell; it coated her tongue, slid down her throat.

Against her will, her chin lifted when he grabbed it with his large hand, her body obeying the pull of dominance even as her mind screamed to resist. He bowed his head a little so they were eye level, grin spreading slow and easy across his face.

“You don’t know how many nights I dreamt of you; I couldn’t get you out of my head,” he murmured. “Thought about you every damn day in that cell. How it should’ve gone that day. How you were meant to be mine.”

Mira bristled and growled. “I wasn’t yours to claim.”

“Your father bailed me out,” he said, almost casual. “Said it was time to finish what I started. Said you were ready to behave for me now.”

Her vision swam. It shouldn’t have surprised Mira at this point the lengths that her family would go to fuck her over, but it still hit like a ton of bricks. Jae-Hyun reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her face, and Mira flinched so hard she slammed the back of her head into the windowsill. Jae-Hyun crouched closer, and she could feel his breath against her neck. She had nowhere to go.

The quiet beep that emitted from the collar around her neck permeated the silence. The sound was small - almost harmless - but Mira’s blood ran cold anyway. Her head jerked up in time to see Jae-Hyun holding a small black controller in one hand, his thumb pressing down on a button.

The collar around her throat went silent.

For the first time since she had been locked in this place, she couldn’t feel the constant hum of its suppression against her skin. And suddenly her scent flooded the room, unhindered by the collar. It hit the room like a tidal wave - sharp and desperate, a flare of heat-soaked pheromones that she couldn’t contain. The air thickened until it was almost choking, clinging to her skin like sweat.

Jae-Hyun’s grin widened, slow and wolfish as he inhaled deeply.

“That’s better,” he said. “There’s the sweet smell I remember. God I missed that.”

Mira staggered back on her knees, clutching at the base of her throat as the dead piece of metal dropped to the floor with a muffled clang into the lush carpet. The absence of the collar felt wrong, naked, exposed, like her shoulders were too light now without the weight of the metal on them. She tried to scramble away sideways so that she could potentially summon her woldo now that she had access to the Honmoon, but her heat was overwhelming in combination with Jae-Hyun’s pheromones.

“Stay still.”

It wasn’t a command in the strict sense since her bond was with other Alphas - but her omega instincts seized on it anyway since he was a dominant Alpha, freezing her in place. She hated herself for obeying. Hated the way her body trembled, the way her breath came short and fast, the way her entire being seemed to focus on the Alpha in front of her. He knelt down until they were level again, his presence filling every corner of her senses.

Mira flinched hard as his fingers brushed her throat - over the mark Rumi had left, the bond that had been her anchor through every heat since the first one. Then he moved her neck to expose the other side by using his hand on her jaw, the mark from Zoey now showing itself to the alpha in front of her.

He made a low sound in his throat, something between a chuckle and a scoff. “An Omega with two bonds,” he said, almost amused. “Greedy little thing, aren’t you?”