Seoha’s POV

What if his intentions weren’t to make me indebted to him again?

What if he just wanted to give them to me as ’I’m sorry’ and not ’goodbye’?

What if he’s hurting right now because of me?

’Want alpha’ my omega whines in my chest and I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, trying to stay asleep.

"Rise and shine!" Minjae’s voice rings out and I groan as my blanket is pulled off my body, folding myself into a ball.

Please, Minjae, please let me have a normal day today, please.

"Today, we’re going to have fun" he says cheerfully, and I open one eye to look at him.

He’s still in his pajamas, his smile is big, bigger than his baby bump and bigger than the kindness in his heart.

"This is unfair, Minnie, I just want to sleep" I say.

One part of my brain wishes to lie about my ankle hurting, but Minjae would only scold me, he’d tell me to walk it off.

"I just want to take care of you" he says, and I open my arms, asking for a hug.

"Take care of me by giving me a hug" I mutter under my breath and he climbs in with me.

"Am I doing a good job?" he asks and I hum a sleepy, ’huh?’

"As a caretaker, do you think I would be a good mom?" he asks.

I open my eyes to look at his face, I can smell the nervousness in his pheromones, he’s really worried despite the warm baby milk in his scent.

"You will be the best mom ever, I’m just so sure of it" I say, pressing a kiss to his cheek and he purrs.

"I miss being loved" he whispers.

His words are simple, but they let me see the vulnerability in his eyes.

He woke up this morning, put on a smile and a positive attitude, just because he’s fighting to be happy for both of us.

"Me too, I miss being loved" I confess and he presses his forehead to mine.

"By that man?" he asks and I nod, eyes already wet with tears.

I had opened our bond in my sleepy state last night, and I felt him waiting there for me like a wounded puppy.

Taesan felt overwhelmed, he felt like he’s having it worse than I am, and the worse part is...I could feel everything.

The alpha felt so real and so raw through our bond that I cried into my sleep.

"Yes, that man..." I say and Minjae frowns.

It doesn’t feel like judgement, it feels like he’s trying to understand me, like he wants to see why I still want Taesan...especially after rejecting his gift.

"Is it because he marked you?" my best friend asks, touching the scar on my neck.

"No, I fell in love with him before then" I whisper and he sighs.

"Make me understand, Seo-ya, I really don’t understand" he says and I shut my eyes, breathing him in.

I’m slowly waking up, but still swimming in the softness of this morning.

"I don’t know how to explain it" I murmur to him and he sighs again, "I really hate him, I’ve never hated anyone this bad" my best friend says.

"Don’t hate him please, he’s...not a bad person" I sniffle, making Minjae groan and turn to the side.

"This sucks, it’s the worst, just spoon me" he complains and I hug him from behind, brushing my finger over his baby bump.

"If he does what’s right, then I’ll consider letting him court you properly this time" he says sternly and I hide my face in his shoulder.

Court?

Taesan and court in one sentence doesn’t feel right.

He made a mess trying to ask me out, I wonder what he would look like trying to court me...he’s not a flowers and soft kisses kind of man.

Taesan is a ’I would kill for you’ kind of man.

"Are you really thinking of him right now? Wow you’re so gone" Minjae says with fake disgust in his tone and I whine, pressing my face into his nape.

I miss him.

I can’t be angry at him, I just know that he’s not an unreasonable man...he must have known by now that he did wrong.

A knock on the door startles us both and Minjae lets out a long string of curses before apologizing to his stomach.

"Sorry baby, mommy will curse less, I promise" he says and I shake my head at him.

"I’m not expecting anyone" he complains about the door and I get out of the bed to answer the door.

As soon as I open the door, a bloodied man falls in, and I let out a horrified scream.

It’s my ex.

He looks beaten, like a man robbed by the most horrible people, and...two of his fingers are missing.

"D-Daeshin" I whisper as he grabs my legs with his complete hand, smearing blood on my pants.

"Aghhh" I scream and jump away from him.

"What is going on?" Minjae yells, running out of his room with a lamp in his hand and his eyes wide.

"What happened to your finger?" Minjae asks and Daeshin gasps helplessly.

"Seoha, forgive me, I-I wronged you, please tell him to spare me! Please!" Daeshin screams and I stumble backwards to get away from him.

The strong smell of blood on him is nauseating.

It’s so strong that Minjae turns around to gag with his hand over his mouth, and I cover my nose as well.

"Daeshin..."

"Here...here...he said I should give it to you" he says and holds up a phone to me.

I look at the unsaved contact and take it from him.

"H-hello?" I say.

Wondering if it’s Taesan on the other end, did he torture Daeshin because of me? Is that why he’s calling through him?

"Ah, finally, just the Shin I wanted to meet" a strange voice says and I frown.

"Who are you?" I ask, Minjae has ran into the bathroom to empty his stomach and I’m alone with a writhing Daeshin.

"You don’t recognize my voice? How sad, it’s me, Lord Kang" he says and my breath catches in my throat.

Why is Taesan’s grandfather calling me? Is he hurting him again?

"Calm down, don’t end the call, she just wouldn’t stop talking about you" he chuckles.

"I’m sorry but...you must be mistaking me for someone else" I say and before I return the phone to Daeshin, I hear a voice that stops my breathing.

"Daddy? Are you going to come for me? I miss you" Sooin’s voice says and I stare at the phone.

"Baby..." I whisper. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

What is she doing with that man?

"Daddy, dad got hurt when you were not there, but it’s okay, you’re coming home to us, right?" she asks and my hands start to shake.

No...no...no.

"Call Taesan, tick tock, tick tock" the old man says and ends the call.

No.