Chapter Text
Felix stood frozen in the doorway as he tried to take in the scene. His eyes darted between Seungmin, Jeongin, and Jisung nestled in between them in a nest. His lips parted as if to say something, but no words came at first. He doesn’t say anything until he steps inside and closes the door.
“Okay, what’s going on? Is that a nest?”
Seungmin got out of the nest, body positioned like he was trying to block Felix’s view. “Yes Lix,”
“What… is this some kind of weird experiment? Alphas don’t need a nest.”
Seungmin hesitated for a split second before answering, his voice steady. “He does… because he’s not an alpha.”
Felix frowned, confusion etched into his face “What are you talking about? Then what-”
“He’s an omega,” Seungmin interrupted.
“I"m sorry what? When did you find this out? And you didn’t think this was important enough to tell Chan? I already stayed quiet about his back-”
Jeongin’s hand, which had been gently rubbing Jisung’s shoulder, suddenly froze. His eyes snapped to Felix, narrowing. “You knew already? You both knew?”
“Well, I didn’t know exactly how it happened,” Felix admitted, running a hand through his hair, “but I sure had a theory. Finding this out makes it look more like a fact.” He gestured to the nest, before letting out a sigh, "Let"s just go get Chan. He deserves to know.“
“No!” Seungmin yelled, “Not yet.”
Jisung flinched at Seungmin’s loud voice, his shoulders curling inward. Couldn’t they argue somewhere else? Anywhere but here? The last thing he wanted was for Felix, or any of them really, to see him like this. Flushed, weak, and utterly vulnerable. He felt exposed, and his inner omega curled.
Felix’s eyes widened at Seungmin’s sharp tone, “You don’t think he’s going to figure it out on his own? Chan knows everything. If I don’t tell him, he’ll know something’s off and demand answers anyway!”
“Then let him demand them,” Seungmin shot back, his arms still crossed, “But we’re not bringing him into this while Jisung is in heat. He’s already overwhelmed!”
Felix’s eyes darted between Seungmin and Jeongin before settling on Jisung again, who was curled tightly in the nest, his head tucked low as if he could disappear into the blankets. “He’s in heat?” Felix repeated Seungmin"s words.
To be honest, neither Jeongin or Seungmin could remember the last time they had seen Felix this upset. Felix’s hands were balled into fists at his sides, trembling as if he were ready to fight for Jisung right then and there. “How long has he been in heat?” Felix demanded, his voice rising. Then his expression darkened, and he took a step forward. “Don’t tell me, you’re not seriously sitting here, trying to tell me you both are using and enjoying-”
“Don’t you dare finish what you’re about to say,” Seungmin growled, stepping closer to Felix. “It’s not like that. Besides, his heat hasn’t turned sexual yet.”
“Yet? When, not if, his heat starts to escalate, what are you going to do then? You’re not exactly equipped to handle it, are you?”
“And you think you are?” Seungmin shot back.
Jeongin rose from his place in the nest and put himself in between the two. “I don"t think that"s what Felix meant. All that matters right now is helping him feel safe.”
“Safe?” Felix countered, his deep voice dripping with disbelief. “How do you think Chan is going to feel when he finds out we hid this? He’s going to lose it. If I were in his place, I’d be losing it! Seungmin,” Felix turned his gaze to him, “you made me a promise. If we found out anything about Jisung after seeing his back, we’d go straight to Chan. And yet, here we are!”
They were speaking as though he wasn’t in the room, dissecting his very existence, leaving him feeling bare. Though none of the loud, angry voices were directly aimed at him, it was too much. This chaos was all the proof he needed: he couldn’t keep pretending this was some fairy tale where the vampires cared for him unconditionally.
A soft, broken whimper cut through the air. Jisung whispered, his voice trembling “I can’t do this,”
All three heads turned toward him.
“Jisung, it’s okay. We’re not fighting about you-”
“Yes, you are!” Jisung cried, his voice cracking as he bolted upright. His hands trembled as they clutched the blanket tighter around himself. “You’re talking about me like I’m not even here! I-I just can’t do this!”
Before anyone could react, Jisung scrambled out of the nest, his feet hitting the floor with an unsteady thud. He stumbled toward the door in a desperate attempt to flee, but Jeongin caught him before he could go far.
“Let me go!” Jisung’s voice cracked as he struggled against Jeongin’s grip.
“Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Jeongin said gently, holding him firmly. “I’ve got you.”
Felix raised an eyebrow, his tone dry but pointed. “Oh yeah, you two definitely have this under control.”
Seungmin shot Felix a sharp look. “You want to start again?”
“What’s going on here?”
The room fell silent, all four heads snapping toward the door. Chan stood there, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the room. Jeongin moved Jisung behind him, positioning himself to shield Jisung from view.
“I could hear you arguing from across the mansion,” His eyes flickered to the nest, before landing squarely on Felix.
“Well? It"s your turn to watch him today. Speak up.”
Felix hesitated, shifting on his feet from the glare he was getting from most of him. He wasn"t used to them looking at him like that, “It’s… complicated.”
"Felix, you know I expect a better answer.”
“It’s about Jisung,” Felix finally admitted, his voice quieter than usual.
Chan’s eyes narrowed, his posture straightening “What about Jisung?”
The room was swallowed by silence once more, “I asked a question,” Chan repeated, his tone sharper this time.
“He’s in heat,” Felix finally admitted.
Chan’s head whipped toward Jisung, who was huddled behind Jeongin, his form small and trembling. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned his attention back to the others. “Let me get this straight, you’ve been managing his heat on your own, without my knowledge for who knows how long, and instead of focusing on helping him, you’re here arguing like newborn vamps?”
“Channie, it’s not-” Felix began, his tone pleading.
“Then tell me what it is like,” Chan cut him off. He allowed the silence to linger, his glare shifting between the three of them. “You’ve forgotten your place. All of you.”
Felix averted his gaze, Seungmin’s jaw tightened, and Jeongin remained silent. Jisung’s fingers curled into the fabric of Jeongin’s sleeve.
“You think you can make decisions without me? Hide something this important?”
Seungmin finally broke the silence, his voice firm despite the guilt heavy in his eyes. “It wasn’t about excluding you, Chan, or thinking we are above you. It"s just complicated, his fears-”
“I don’t care,” Chan snapped, his gaze cutting to Jisung, who flinched. Jisung’s first instinct was to run, but his legs refused to obey. Each limb heavy and immovable, pinning him in place. “It’s my responsibility to ensure his safety, even if he doesn’t understand that yet.”
Jeongin shifted slightly more in front of Jisung, “He’s been through enough. Barging in and throwing your authority around isn’t going to help him.”
Chan’s eyes darkened as he stared Jeongin down. “And what do you think will help him, Jeongin? Watching him struggle while you argue amongst yourselves?”
“I want you three out. Now.”
Seungmin opened his mouth to protest, “If you think-
“If I think what?” Chan interrupted as he shifted his focus to Seungmin. “ I will be watching him for the rest of the day, and tonight, there will be a meeting. Seungmin, stay in the hall. I want to talk to you.”
Jeongin hesitated, his eyes darting to Jisung. Jisung"s eyes widened, almost pleading for him not to leave. Felix tugged lightly on Jeongin’s sleeve, a silent gesture to obey for now.
“Well?” Chan growls out lowly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I said out!”
Felix and Jeongin exchanged a glance before reluctantly heading toward the door. Jeongin cast one last worried look at Jisung before stepping into the hall. Chan waited until Seungmin walked out the room before he moved.
Chan clicked the door shut before turning back to Seungmin.
“What do you have to say?” Chan asked, his tone calm but sharp.
Seungmin scoffed, “What do I have to say? Are you serious? You storm in here, throwing around your title!”
Chan’s eyes narrowed, his patience visibly thinning. “Watch your tone, Seungmin.”
“Watch my tone?” Seungmin snapped, his voice rising as his frustration grew. “Do you know how hard it’s been? Hearing him talk about what his father did to him, watching how truly broken he..." Seungmin’s breath hitched, and a single red tear slid down his cheek. He quickly wipes his cheek, and straightened his shoulders, but his voice trembled as he continued, “You just don’t understand, Chan. You can’t.”
“How can I, Seungmin? How can I understand when no one tells me?”
“I couldn’t,” he admitted after a moment, “He asked me not to. He’s terrified that it will be the same like all of his other heats. Like he thinks it"s what he deserves. "
Chan was quiet for a moment, "Still, no matter what you come to me."
"It"s not that simple Chan."
“How is it not that simple? Do you think I wouldn’t care? You see me as that big of a monster?”
"He doesn’t know that!” Seungmin interrupted, his voice rising. “To him, we’re just another group of people who could hurt him if he steps out of line. He’s terrified, Chan. Terrified of you, of me, of all of us. He’s only just starting to trust us.”
“And you think this helps? By keeping me in the dark, and having me fly off the handle?”
Seungmin’s shoulders slumped, “I don’t know what else to do. He’s fragile, Chan. One wrong move, and it could break him completely. Turn him feral maybe.”
“Then we tread carefully ok? I will see you at the meeting later." Chan pauses before he continues, "For the record, i"m not mad at you. I"m happy you took care of him when he needed you."
Seungmin nodded reluctantly, “If you need anything, please come and get me.”
“Of course,” Chan watched Seungmin disappear from the hall before he turned around and knocked on the door. "Can I come in? Just to talk?”
After a long pause, Jisung cracks the door open slightly. Chan entered and closed the door behind him.
Jisung tensed, his breath hitching as he fought the instinct to crawl up and hide when Chan came up to him. Running would be pointless—where could he even go? He didn’t know enough for his father to leave, and he was still in the middle of heat.
He braced himself, expecting the worst. Surely, Chan would be furious. After all, he was the reason his three most trusted men had been fighting, and he was the one who’d been lying to them from the moment he arrived. Jisung was ready for the punishment he was certain was coming.
But instead of any of that, Chan just looked at him.
Not with anger, not even with disappointment, but with an intensity that unsettled Jisung in an entirely different way. It was like Chan was searching, trying to see him, truly see him. And for once, Chan didn"t look at him with suspicion.
“Are you okay?"
Jisung froze, his wide eyes meeting Chan’s. Of all the things he’d expected Chan to say, that wasn’t it, especially in such a soft gentle way. His wolf stirred, uncertain but comforted by the tone, pushing Jisung to answer even as his throat tightened.
“I…”
Chan shifted slightly, “I"m sorry for how I acted when I came in here the first time. I shouldn’t have been so angry with them in front of you when you are in heat.”
Jisung braced himself, expecting Chan to hit him; maybe pin him down, and assert control like all the others had. But instead, Chan was apologizing? Jisung didn"t know exactly how to feel about that. Was this genuine? Or just another trap—a cruel attempt to give him false hope? “You don’t have to apologize.”
“I do. I know I can be… harsh sometimes, but I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Maybe not physically,” Jisung muttered, his voice dripping with bitterness, “but I know you’re here to use me.”
Chan’s brows furrowed, his confusion genuine. “Use you? What are you talking about?”
“An omega in heat. The perfect little plaything. Don’t think I don’t know how this works.” Jisung was quick to say, he wasn"t going to let Chan continue the lie, he"s already accepted it.
“Jisung,” Chan said, his tone softening, “I wouldn’t—”
“Don’t,” Jisung snapped, cutting him off. His voice rose with anger and pain. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve heard it all before. I know what your kind does. You bloodsuckers will use me and then toss me aside, just like my father. Like his men.”
“Jisung,” he began gently, stepping closer but careful to keep his distance, “I don’t know what lies your father or his pack told you, but-”
Lies? Lies! What right does Chan have to say that to him? What gives him the audacity to act as if he’s any different? As if he isn’t just another version of his father, a leader ready to tear him down for being a weak omega? How is Jisung supposed to believe this man wouldn’t hurt him, wouldn’t break him, just like all the others?
“Lies?” Jisung’s voice cracked, his shoulders trembling. “Do you think I’m stupid? I lived it, Chan! I know what happens to omegas like me.”
“I’m not your father, Jisung. And I’m not his pack. I would never hurt you like that.”
“Stop lying to me. Please, just stop.”
“I’m not lying,” Chan said, his voice softer now, “I swear to you, I’m telling the truth. You are part of this coven and I"m here to protect you,”
“Protect me? Whatever helps you sleep in that wooden coven.”
“I don"t know what your father has put you through, but-”
“You don’t, and it doesn’t matter. I said I would do anything to stay,” Jisung cut him off, moved himself into the center of the nest before he continued. “I promise I’ll be good… Just get it over with, please.”
He stepped closer, lowering himself to Jisung’s level but keeping enough distance to avoid crowding him. His voice was gentle, almost pleading. “Jisung, please believe me. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Jisung turned his face away, his voice bitter. “Lies.”
“I’m not them,” Chan said firmly, he reached out, tilting Jisung’s chin up with gentle fingers so their eyes met. “I swear on everything I am and have, I will never do that to you.”
Jisung didn’t speak. He just stared at Chan looking for even a hint of deception. His inner wolf stirred, a quiet rumble of comfort. It was infuriating, his wolf seemed to trust Chan, and seemed to deem him as some kind of safety. Stupid wolf, Jisung thought angry. Trusting the main enemy so fast.
“You don’t have to believe me right away,” Chan replied, his fingers retreating slowly “But not everyone is out to hurt you.”
Jisung frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Your words mean nothing to me.”
“Let me prove it by giving you control,” Chan said simply, “If I do anything to make you uncomfortable, if I overstep, you tell me to stop, and I will. No questions, no hesitation.”
“And… if I don’t want you here?”
Chan nodded. “Then I’ll leave. If that’s what you want.”
The honesty in his voice made Jisung’s throat tighten.
No one had ever said that to him before, offered him an out when he didn"t want to do something. Part of him wanted to push Chan away, to test the promise, but another part, the quiet, fragile part of his omega, didn"t want to fight anymore.
“You can stay,”
Chan gave him a small nod, not pressing further. “Thank you. For putting that small amount of trust into me.”
~♤~
It was just past a quarter to three am when everyone gathered in Chan"s office. Chan sat at the head of the long table, he had made sure Jisung was fast asleep before slipping away.
The events from earlier were fresh on his mind as they looped over and over again. He didn’t know the full extent of what Jisung had endured, but the way Jisung spoke and acted spoke volumes. It wasn"t normal and wasn"t right.
How much had his father put him through before finally kicked him out of the pack?
He waited until they had all taken their seats before speaking.
“I have an announcement to make,” Chan began, “And after that, I’ll give the floor to anyone who has something to add. First and foremost, it has come to my attention that Jisung is not who we think he is-”
“I knew we couldn’t trust that dog!” Changbin interrupted, “You should have never-”
"Quiet,” Chan snapped, he then leaned forward, his gaze sweeping across the room. “I’m tired of the disrespect I’ve been receiving from my top men. You will listen, and you will not interrupt me again.”
Chan continued, “As I was saying, Jisung is not an Alpha. He has been hiding the fact that he is, in fact, an omega.”
Hyunjin, lounging in his chair as though the conversation bored him, casually inspected his fingernails. Without missing a beat, he quipped, " Do we really have a use for an omega than? What are we going to do? Make him a little sex slave to play with when he goes into heat?”
Seungmin moved so fast it was almost a blur. One second, he was seated near the end of the table; the next, Hyunjin was lifted from his chair, slammed to the floor with a thud, Seungmin’s hand pressing him down. He bared his fangs as he growled low. “Say that again,” he hissed. “I dare you.”
Hyunjin, despite the position he was in, had the audacity to smirk. His voice was full of pure amusement as he teased, “What? Do you want to fuck him and keep him for yourself?”
Seungmin’s grip tightened, his nails threatening to break skin. "Will you stop acting like a monster with no heart?"
“Seungmin, that’s enough. Let him up,”
For a moment, Seungmin didn’t move, his rage holding him in place. It wwasn’t ntil Chan repeated his command he released Hyunjin, rising to his feet but not stepping away. His glare was unrelenting. Hyunjin got up slowly, dusting off his clothes with a chuckle, before sitting back down.
Chan turned his attention to Hyunjin, "Let me make one thing very clear. Jisung is a part of this coven. He is under my protection, and by extension, yours. If I ever hear that kind of talk again, you’ll answer to me, and it won’t be pretty."
Hyunjin shift uncomfortably in his chair, before giving Chan a tiny nod.
Chan turned his attention to Seungmin. "And you. I don’t care how mad you are, handle it better next time."
Seungmin gave a small nod, clearly biting back whatever retort was on the tip of his tongue.
Satisfied, Chan leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Now, I’m giving the floor to anyone who has something to say about Jisung. I want to hear everything. What you’ve seen, what you know, what you suspect. "
Felix glanced at Seungmin, as though urging him to speak first, but Seungmin remained silent.
Finally, Felix broke the silence, "I’ve suspected Han has been abusing Jisung ... I don’t know all the details, but… you should see his back. Years and years of whip marks."
Jeongin hesitated before adding, "He doesn’t even see it as wrong. He said he deserved every single one his father gave him."
It slience for a little bit before Seungmin spoke up. "His father let"s his top men use him when he"s in heat... I don"t think he"s every had a heat by himself,"
Hyunjin lowered his head, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair so tightly the wood cracked. The air in the room shifted as his thoughts spilled out, unintentional yet deafeningly clear as he projected them.
He"s frustration and disbelief over why they all cared so much. Confusion about how Jisung’s father could be so cruel to his own son. But cutting through it all was guilt-The weight of his earlier actions, even if meant as a joke, bore down on him. He wasn"t a monster, he wasn"t empty without a heart, he-
Chan was the first to address him his voice was kind as he spoke. "Hyunjin, focus. Guilt won’t help. What"s done is done, we just will be better now."
Minho finally spoke up, "What he has been through is terrible, but we still don’t even know why Jisung was truly kicked out.”
Seungmin’s eye snapped to Minho, his expression darkening. “Oh, please. Minho, look me in the eye and tell me it wasn’t because he’s an omega.”
Minho leaned back in his chair, " I’m saying there’s more to this than him being an omega. If that were the reason, Han would have done it sooner. He isn’t stupid."
“So what’s your theory, then? That Jisung just walked out one day, faked being kicked out, and Han just let him go?"
Changbin shook his head "Minho has a point. It looks bad for him to kick out his youngest son for nothing. It would have to be a reason worth him doing that and we need to figure out what that reason is.”
"If it is something bigger that we aren"t seeing," Jeongin paused, like his was hesitating to say what he truly wanted to, "than anything can happen. He might try to take Jisung back.”
Chan straightened in his seat, his eyes flickered between the others, "Whatever this might be, we will be ready for it. And we will be prepared. If no one has anything else to say, this meeting is over."