REFUGE (2/3)
The one who molded me,
Is the one who can break me...
---
"Luhan is back! Luhan, our mighty warrior, is back!" A messenger howled, calling the attention of the wolves. The militia troops who were having their harsh trainings that day stopped abruptly, and everybody came running to the lean figure coming to their view.
Luhan stood in his slender glory. His face had gotten more ethereal and his arms and abdominal muscles more defined. He waved his hand to the troop members, and he also found his brothers who also became part of the militia sprinting towards him. They collided, the momentum preventing Luhan to balance himself as his excited brothers tackled him on the grassy meadows.
"We missed you, Lulu~" Baekhyun sang, planting affectionate kisses Luhan's cheek who giggled at the action.
"I missed your pretty face, Lu," said a voice coming from the owner of those dirty boots above Luhan's head, who turned out to be Yixing, a wide grin on his face.
"You've gotten manlier!" Kyungsoo exclaimed in awe as he run his fingers along the dents of Luhan's biceps and abdomen, who yelled an enthusiastic "Yes! Finally!" as an expression of gratitude.
As soon as he stood up, he was practically carried and thrown in the air, some of the militia members too hyped up to see a comrade who disappeared for a long period of time.
"What the fuck is happening there?" The chief warrant asked, hearing the cheers of the troops from the training grounds. They just came from a negotiation meeting from another pack. They remembered leaving with the troops having harsh trainings so the sudden shouts from the distance alarmed them.
"Has there been a fight?" The lieutenant inquired, squinting her eyes at the bunch of golden hair appearing every now and then in the atmosphere. She focused on the source of sound, and once she made out what name the militia troops were chanting...
"Excuse me, Alpha," the lieutenant kneeled on her knees, interrupting Sehun and the colonel chatting about their negotiation with the other pack.
Sehun's brows furrowed, clearly annoyed because the momentum of their talk died down at the interruption. "What is it, First Lieutenant?"
"I apologize for the interruption, but your servant knows that the Alpha would be happy by the news." Everyone was puzzled by the bright smile appearing on her face, and the corporal who unknowingly went seconds ago ran back from the training field with an ear-to-ear grin on his face. "Alpha! The Private is back! The Alpha's best friend is back!"
"Luhan, you say?" In a split second, Sehun was gone from his comrades' sight, making the officers chuckle at the sudden change of behavior of their pack leader.
"Hey! Put me down you bastards!" Luhan whined, feeling dizzy from being thrown by his troop comrades for the past few minutes. Sure, it was nice to be loved by your fellow members, but to this intensity...
"OI! LUHAN! LULU, MY BOY!" A holler resounded in the military training grounds, calling the attention of the soldiers and the addressed boy. Luhan groaned when he fell on top of Joonmyeon's arms, who was looking at him with a smug expression on his face.
"Sehun?" He craned his head towards the direction of the voice. He beamed once he saw Sehun in his black tank top and cargo pants standing on the other side of the field.
"SEHUNNIE!!! I MISSED YOU!"
A feast was held that very night, initiated by Sehun. Meat cooked in different recipes and wine were overflowing, all for the whole pack to enjoy.
Luhan missed the company of his pack, and he was more than happy to finally go home to where he belonged. All night, he took pleasure in laughing at his drunken friends prancing and dancing around like the idiots they were. He became exhausted by constantly entertaining the people he barely spoke with before, and in helping himself catch up with the events in their pack right after narrating his own adventures.
"...and with that, Minseok landed on the bear's shit. If you could just see how dirty his face was!" Drunken laughters pierced through the joyful summer night, except a shriek coming from the topic of the conversation.
"Fuck ya, Chanyeol!" Minseok threw the instigator of the fucked up talk a dirty finger, causing the pack to laugh harder.
"Minseok stinked like hell! If you were just there, Lu," Kyungsoo retorted, taking another sip of his fermented grape juice.
"Shut up you little fuck!"
"'Little fuck?' Look who's talking." Anyone could not stop laughing at their comrade whose red, burning cheeks resembled steam buns being cooked in the fire of burning wrath. No one should definitely challenge the small ones.
"They seemed happy in joining the militia," Luhan mumbled, turning to the alpha, who was momentarily talking with a shewolf he never noticed before. Sehun gave the female white wolf an affectionate pat before the wolf went on her way, probably back to her home.
Maybe she was someone merely asking for the alpha's help. Maybe, the shewolf was a relative or family friend that Luhan never paid attention before. Or, she could be a visitor from another pack. Or maybe...
A playful pat on his butt cheek snapped Luhan from his thoughts, and he turned to see his tipsy brother Jongin smiling at him. "Hey, Lu, our father and mother wants to talk with you about your adventures."
Luhan gazed to the farthermost area lit by the campfire and saw his elderly parents smiling at him whilst sitting on a log. Sehun seemed to take notice of this and ushered Luhan to go and catch up with his parents "who did almost nothing in the past year but talk about their golden son." Luhan happily complied.
The next few days, the best of friends did not have enough bonding time together. For some reason, the leaders of the militia, including Sehun, were always away in their confidential trips and all that was left to train the rest of them was the Sergeant Major.
Whenever Sehun came back, he looked exhausted from the long trip so Luhan made no move to ask him about it. Even if they were friends, he was still lower in rank than Sehun and he knew his place.
There were times when Luhan wanted nothing but to talk to Sehun, but with his brothers who were newbies in the militia, he saw that it was his responsibility to guide and help them train to be respectable soldiers. Luhan's father would stand by a distance, expression clearly depicting the joy in his heart because of their now-strong family ties. Luhan's mother would come by afternoon, bringing her sons luscious food to help supply their energy for the harsh trainings.
As much as he wanted to enjoy his time with his family during their family meals, his eyes would naturally go and rest on the image of a shirtless alpha sitting under the tree, together with a slender body that belongs to no other than a woman. She was constantly doting on Sehun, feeding and babying the alpha whenever they were together.
Coming in the camp everyday just to bring food and feed someone was definitely not just a 'friends only' thing.
The thing that pissed Luhan off was that he never spoke with the lady, for the reason that Sehun seemed to be making ways for the two not to meet at all. Also, the fact that Sehun would go to the farthest tree in the camp meant that he was hiding something.
It horrified him how not a single wolf was pointing out that their pack leader was interacting with a random woman, indicating that the woman was far from being 'random' and that perhaps, everyone already knew something Luhan did not.
"When were you planning to tell me?"
Luhan definitely saw this scene before, only that the one on the hot seat wasn't himself anymore.
"Since when were you together?" The omega inquired, his inner self forcing his voice not to break. Indeed, the militia training and his trip in the humans' realm helped train his emotional aspect.
Sehun won't look at him, his eyes glued on the fingers he was fiddling from the past moments of judgment that felt like forever. "...six months."
"Oh." The words winded in circles inside Luhan's mind. His usually sharp and fast brain failing to process the information he just heard.
"I-If it was that long already," the private paused, biting his lip to silently scold himself from stuttering. "It was impossible that you did not mate yet, right?"
The alpha shifted uncomfortably on his spot.
"Where was she from? I think I never saw her before."
"She was the daughter of the alpha of one of the strongest neighboring packs," Sehun said. "Part of the negotiation for peace was that I would mate with his daughter."
"Do you love her?" Luhan asked, a hopeful smile on his face. So there is still hope. "This is just an arranged stuff, right? I saw same instance in the humans--"
"I learned to love her."
Hopes and rosy dreams of being with Sehun shattered into a thousand pieces. A sharp pain sprang in Luhan's chest, as if the claws of Death were clutching his heart, threatening to make the poisons of jealousy, hopelessness, dejection and self-loathe burst inside him.
It made him feel like filth how Sehun fell for someone that he just met, while he, after almost two decades of being with Sehun...
After doing almost everything together...
After going through anything together...
Sehun could not love him.
The fact alone caused his heart to rip into fragile shreds, and he wished that damnation take his soul already.
Why? Was it because he was not a woman? But male omegas like him may also reproduce. Some couples in the militia which were of the same sexes were pairs of alpha with alpha, beta with beta or alpha and beta. So the aspect of giving childbirth was definitely not the issue.
Then, why could not Sehun love him?
Because he was just Luhan?
Was waiting for a year too much for Sehun to bear? Why, Sehun became together with the shewolf just five months after Luhan left. Was it too much to wait for Luhan?
Perhaps Luhan just thought of himself. While he was blossoming in his career by garnering praises and achievements in the early age of twenty-one, Sehun was getting older. It never struck Luhan's mind that Sehun, now in his mid-30s, would want to settle down. It was a reasonable explanation. Even if Sehun's face said otherwise, he was already aging, so it should not be a surprise if he wanted to finally have a family of his own. Perhaps, being with Sehun for more than a third of his life, with the elder never changing his kind and loving attitude, made Luhan think that things would never change between them.
Ignorance is bliss.
"That was sweet," Luhan said, his lips parting into a wide-toothy grin that failed to reach his eyes. "I was actually planning to finish my yearlong training. Good thing I changed my mind; I would have caught the news that your mate is already pregnant if I came back late."
"Luhan, I'm sorr--"
"It's fine," Luhan muttered, with forced nonchalance while leaning against the cave's rock face. "You got an amazing woman there, Hun. She seemed genuinely concerned about you. Besides, she's pretty as fuck. Good catch."
"Lulu, I sincerely apologize--"
"Why are you apologizing?" Luhan chuckled, its signature lightness gone. It was void, just like the empty space inside Luhan's being. "You should not say 'sorry.' Don't worry, I won't leave the militia. I promised to stay and protect you forever, right? I never break promises, Sehun."
"What are you trying to imply?" Sehun growled, clearly irritated by the other's tone while saying the last part of his statement, "that I do not keep promises? I never promised you anything."
"Yeah right. Before I left, you told me that you would wait for me," Luhan shot back, his fists curling on his sides. "I believed you, and I thought you could wait!"
"What?" Sehun's face changed into ones of bewilderment and surprise, as if the man was playing dumb. "I do not understand!"
"Before I left," Luhan's breathing became labored from controlling himself, "you kissed my neck and told me that you would wait for me. I held on that promise for the whole time I was gone, Sehun. So don't you dare deny it on front of me."
Sehun became deadly silent. His face that was scrunched in confusion gradually relaxed, as if realization dawned on him. It shifted into ones of guilt, with a hint of despair and... pity.
"I guess I gave a vague statement," Sehun sighed, his hands running in his hair in exasperation. He looked troubled, as if not wanting to break the news out. Just one stare at Sehun could tell that he was on pins and needles, as if not wanting to hurt Luhan any further.
"Just tell me what the fuck you are thinking."
"Sorry to say this but... I think you misinterpreted. Yes I did that. I said that. But I do not mean in the way you are thinking," Sehun paused, heaving a nth sigh in such an early time of the day.
"I... I was referring to you, and the change you wanted to develop. I never meant it that way, or in clearer terms, not in a romantic way. I'm so sorry, Luhan."
Luhan felt like a pot of boiling water was poured on his body, followed with a bucket of icy water.
Stupid. Stupid, Luhan. You suck. You delusional, retarded sissy.
He never thought that Sehun was implying that reason, the logical and reasonable one. Of course, Sehun would wait for him, as a friend, as a comrade, as a guardian who had been with Luhan through thick and thin.
Luhan was such a pitiful existence. Clever on the battlefield, but simple things such as these...
"Luhan? Are you okay?" Sehun's honeyed voice snapped him from his thoughts, and he looked up, met with a worried expression on Sehun's face. "You're pale. Are you alright?"
He nodded his head without much thought, too overwhelmed by the fact that the small hope of Sehun seeing him as the right one for him was all in vain...
That what he held on for almost a year was all a moronic, delusional interpretation that even a pea-brained pup would never think of.
The knowledge that Sehun could not love him, sees him only as a best friend, and that he humiliated himself right now in front of the alpha were all too much bear in a day.
"Forgive me, Alpha." He went down on his knees, falling prostrate on the ground to show utmost respect. "Your servant had wronged you, and I deserve to be punished with insubordination. Just do not force me out of the militia, or else I'll die."
"Get up, Lu." Luhan felt the strong arms slipping with his to hoist him up, only to be lightly push away.
"The Sergeant Major might be waiting for me," said the private, his head down and his golden strands covering his eyes blinking the tears away, "please excuse your servant." He didn't waste a second and dashed out of the cave, running to nowhere in particular.
Why did you cry, Lu? He asked himself, hastily wiping his eyes with his sleeve. You're so weak. That is why you are just a runt. The lowest in the hierarchy, who doesn't deserve the alpha's love at all.
"Is Lu alright?" Yixing asked, clearly worried by the other's isolation from their meal. Luhan's parents stayed behind at their home as the female was sick, so the brothers ate with their friends today... Except Luhan who was sparring with an innocent tree on the other side of the training camps.
"I don't know," Jongdae sighed, biting on the last piece of his venison. "Today, Baekhyun, Joonmyeon and I were the ones who accompanied him in hunting, and damn, Luhan's eyes were burning with rage."
"A lion threatened to attack us. Instead of letting us surround the animal, he pounced on it all of a sudden, scaring the shit out of us." Baekhyun cringed at the thought, and his face scrunched into ones of disgust. "You should have seen how mangled the lion was after the brawl. Torn flesh and blood everywhere."
"I thought I would vomit." Joonmyeon ran his hand through his hair as if pulling on them would make the nauseous memory go away. "I never saw Luhan that way."
"All the animals we hunted today are in courtesy of Luhan," Baekhyun added. "He was bloodthirsty today. I momentarily thought that he isn't our cute, gentle brother."
"Now, may somebody stop him from hitting the poor tree?" Jongin mumbled, "and, he's hurting himself. If he has any problems, he better tell us."
When he blinked his eye, he saw a familiar six-footed figure beside Luhan, a hand on the shorter one's shoulder and muttering words as if asking him to stop. As soon as Luhan laid his eyes on the alpha, he moved away, and even from afar, a shiny trail could be seen falling from Luhan's face, grabbing himself from Sehun's hold before sprinting in the woods.
"Lovers' quarrel?" Chanyeol mused, to which Jongdae said, "Lower your voice. You know that the Alpha is already mated. I do not want any rumours involving our brother."
"But I cannot help it. I really thought that they would be together," Chanyeol chimed in, to which hums of agreement were heard.
"Bitch please, it was so obvious how Luhan was ogling over Sehun," Minseok spat, "I do not know how Sehun could be so blind and dumb."
"Now, I certainly do not take back what I said in my childhood years," Kyungsoo said in a hushed voice, sticking his head closer to his brothers and friends who wore inquiring expressions. "Duh. That Sehun was a dim-witted, dense fucker who was not as great as Luhan perceived him to be."
Their conversation was interrupted when a loud sound of something heavy crashing on the ground echoed in the camp.
"I guess Luhan was really angry." Yixing commented as they stared at the tree Luhan punched for the past hour fall from its tall glory.
Weeks flew faster than Luhan thought they would. Since the incident in the military camp grounds, their relationship became distant. They still go on to missions and hunts together, but the gap that Luhan himself initiated to make became too big to fill in. Sehun was obviously trying to mend their broken friendship, but Luhan repulsed each and every attempt.
He cut Sehun off by polite and formal remarks, clearly drawing a line between them. Luhan was an omega who was aspiring to be promoted in a higher rank to get in the special forces, and Sehun was the alpha and pack leader who Luhan should treat with respect instead of familiarity.
Luhan bonded with his brothers more so that he may make excuses about not talking with Sehun during day-offs. Though, it still pained him to see the alpha,
The love of Luhan's life,
Enjoy life with someone who was the love of Sehun's own life.
He thanked the heavens that his brothers, parents and friends, who were obviously aware of the situation but said nothing, were there to make the dull canvas of his life more colorful.
"Everyone in the camp is dead!" Everyone's blood ran cold at the messenger's news, and Luhan felt his world falling into abyss. His father, his mother, Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, Minseok, Jongdae, Yixing...
They were all dead.
"Alpha!" Chanyeol screamed from the top of his voice as he saw the alpha running back to their camp. "Luhan! Jongin! Follow him!"
"B-But what about you--"
"Chanyeol and I would deal with these shits," Joonmyeon, whose beautiful silver coat was now stained with crimson fluids oozing from his fresh wounds assured, a handsome smirk on his face. "You two go! The alpha cannot die!"
The two wolves sprinted towards the camp, their weary legs taking them to the entrance of their homeland. Luhan wanted to vomit from the gore and terrible devastation the battle left, but he continued going on his way
The traitors, who were the members of the pack who made an agreement of peace with their alpha by making his daughter mate with Sehun, discovered through his daughter that the gem Sehun was holding was of great value. The traitor alpha deserted the peace treaty and made a surprise attack in their land.
Whilst running, Luhan saw the corpse of his father and mother sprawled on the ground. They were clinging on each other, protecting each other even to their deaths. He threw himself on their lifeless bodies, bawling his eyes out. Jongin, who was obviously as broken as him, forced him to get up and go to the alpha.
"We are soldiers, Lu! Do you think father would be proud if he sees you cowering like that?" Tears were gushing down of the brown wolf's face, and the golden furred one reflected the despair in the former's eyes. With a heavy heart, Luhan laid his parents' bodies back on the ground and ran with his brother.
On the way to the alpha's home, he saw the other wolves' bodies littered on the bloody path, which included his brothers and militia comrades. The major he never took a liking at was clinging on the first lieutenant he had an on-and-off relationship with, the captain's body filled with bleeding cuts as he protected some pups who were also dead, and the other militia members who died with glory and honor protecting the citizens.
Despite the agonizing sight of his lifeless brothers laying on the ground, Luhan was proud of how they threw their life on the line just to save the pack. They really did grow up to be respectable wolves and that their legacy and of all the wolves who laid their lives for the pack would be forever stamped in Luhan's heart.
They got in the alpha's cave and saw Sehun holding his dying mate in his arms. Luhan gasped, seeing Sehun holding his bloody mate who was in her fragile human form. The youngest in the room could not digest the sight of Sehun breaking down in grief, and Luhan could only shed tears.
Sehub pulled his mate close and whispered assurances of their bright future to her ear, that were more than promises that could never be fulfilled.
"I'm s-orr-y, Hun," she coughed, spilling more blood on Sehun's bloody paw caressing her face. "I-I tried t-to prot-ect the g-gem, but f-fath-t-her... he was s-so, ma-mad at me..." It made Luhan shiver how the shewolf's own father would order his traitor of a daughter to be killed, or worse, kill his own flesh and blood with his own hands.
"I-it's ok-ay," Sehun croaked, "it's o-okay, swe-etheart. Just s-survive, then-th-en I-I would forg-give you f-for foo-fooling me tha-that you love m-me."
"F-forgive m-me f-for bet-betrayi-ying you, S-Sehun. B-But I w-want you t-to kn-know that I-I rea-really did lo-love you and d-did everyth-thing in m-my po-power to s-stop f-fathe--" she never managed to finish her sentence, as she breathed her last and left the world above.
"Get him out of there, Luhan!" Jongin yelled from the outside, "they are coming here!"
"S-Sehun." Luhan fought his own tears, wiping them with the back of his hand to pry Sehun's arms off his mate. The alpha just tightened his hold around his mate, not wanting to accept the reality that came crashing down on him.
"ALPHA, LET'S GO!" He yelled, and successfully pulled Sehun away from his dead mate. Sehun was unyielding at not letting himself to be dragged, but the surge of adrenaline pumping in Luhan's veins made him carry Sehun on his back.
Luhan darted off the cave, and growled in despair while watching his brother being attacked by numerous wolves.
"GO! LUHAN GO!" Jongin shouted on the top of his voice, "Do your duty! P-Protect the Alpha, a-at al-all costs!"
Luhan didn't know where to go. He was just running, going to farther lands lying beyond them.
"Do your duty! Protect the Alpha at all costs!" His brother's last words ran in his mind, playing in an endless loop that would dictate his future destiny.
"Do your duty! Protect the Alpha at all costs!" Now he had a purpose in life that he was sure he was appointed by the gods to fulfill.
"Do your duty! Protect the Alpha at all costs!" He was born to spend the rest of his life with the alpha, shielding him from the dangers of this cruel world.
"Do your duty! Protect the Alpha at all costs!" He would fulfill his duty, in honor of his family and his comrades who laid their life for the pack.
"Just a little more, Sehun," Luhan whispered at the alpha asleep on his back.
The omega could not speed up as much as he wanted unless he wanted to drop the alpha. It was already nightfall when he saw a desolate cottage lying in the middle of nowhere. As soon as he laid the alpha on the bed and made sure he was okay, the omega fell on the wooden floor, transforming into a helpless human with minor injuries and shallow wounds.
He curled into a ball, his hand covering his mouth to muffle the screams of agony and despair he so wanted to fall from his lips.
His family, comrades and home were all gone in a blink of an eye.
All that he worked for: to get accepted by his peers, his siblings, his parents...
To help bring peace and prosperity in their homeland, to bring and preserve the bright, sunny smiles on the faces of the pups that were supposed to be the future leaders of their pack...
They were all gone.
He glanced at the alpha lying motionless on the bed. Even when sleeping, Sehun's face reflected the same internal anguish Luhan bore in his heart. The former respectable, feared-by-anybody Alpha had now fallen into the deepest pits of despair and he, a broken omega who was just a private in the militia should remain strong and keep Sehun's broken pieces altogether.
Days wore on. Days became weeks, and weeks became months. Autumn would soon end, and Luhan could already feel the winter's breeze caressing his cheeks especially during the nights when he would cry alone.
He just finished sealing the jar where he placed a quail's cleaned body in brine water, to preserve it for the upcoming winter. He craned his neck towards the alpha's direction, and heaved a sigh as he saw Sehun laying on his side on the bed, his back facing Luhan.
Sehun remained devastated by the aftermath of the war. He won't transform in his wolf form and refused to hunt with Luhan. All day long, he remained motionless on his bed, and won't eat the food Luhan heartily prepared. Luhan cooed, doing all he could to persuade Sehun to eat but to no avail.
It would only be one of those days that the plate Luhan laid before Sehun was empty, probably eaten by the elder during the time Luhan was out hunting or going to the humans' realm to trade.
There were nights when Luhan would get up from his self-made cot when his ears twitch to the slightest noise of Sehun crying in his sleep. His heart would break into countless pieces as Sehun started murmuring pleadings of "Do not go, please" which would turn into sharp, desperate cries piercing through the silence of the pitch black veil surrounding their disconsolate hearts.
"I'm a failure, Lulu," Sehun would often speak in a dishearted voice as he buried his face on Luhan's chest.
"I didn't notice the slightest deceit in his voice," he said with misery and wrath dripping from his poisonous words destroying his already broken self. "That man... I was so blinded by my love for his daughter... I... It is me who killed my people. It was me who destroyed my homeland by a damned alliance!" The omega, whose final thing he wanted to do was to cry together with the alpha whispered soft assurances that it was not Sehun's fault.
"Once I see him, I will rip his heart from his body and feast on it on front of his people," Sehun growled in anger, his grip tightening around Luhan's frame surrounding his shaking body, "I-I will slaughter all of them who stole my gem and the lives of my people. I would make them pay!"
Luhan, knowing that no words would be able to pacify the inner turmoil Sehun was feeling, chose not to speak and cradled the alpha to sleep.
Whenever he comes to the humans' realm, Yifan and Zitao did there best to help Luhan have at least a drop of color in his black and white world. Luhan pretended to have fun, going along with Yifan's funny remarks and Zitao's comforting words but sometimes, the numerous walls he set up to mask his crumbling foundations come tumbling down. Countless times did he let himself loose and shed tears on front of his human friends, narrating the same tormenting memories but still raising in intensity every time he confides. They let Luhan cry, with Zitao rubbing soothing circles on Luhan's back and Yifan giving him painkillers for his head ache after weeping together with a deliciously prepared meal and water.
Sehun left every day from sunrise to sunset, trying to search for his enemies' territory. But it seemed that he was getting weaker from the lack of proper nutrition and that Luhan took him to a place miles and miles away from their ruined homeland, so he always came back at night... Or in most cases, Sehun came back after a few days, which had Luhan lying awake while waiting for the elder to come back.
"Sehun, you're getting thinner." Luhan was sitting on Sehun's bed side, his hand combing the jet black strands of Sehun's hair. "Please get up. It has been three days since you last ate. I'm worried."
"I told you to leave me alone," Sehun snarled angrily, "this is your fault. If you just let me die that day, then my suffering would be finished by now."
"It is my duty to keep you safe, to keep you away from any harm. I will protect the alpha at all costs up to my last breath. I will never waste the purpose of my family's death." Luhan retracted his hand from the other man who was in his mood swings again.
"If that is the case, then why are you always stopping me from searching the enemy?" Sehun shot back, turning his body to face Luhan, "if you really do not want their deaths to be meaningless, then you should avenge their deaths, too."
"It won't bring back everyone's lives. Do you think that she will be happy with you destroying yourself because of that?" The grimace on Sehun's face deepened, clearly displeased by the omega's words. "Do you think your parents would be proud and happ--"
The sound of a body slamming on the floor followed with a strangled noise leaving Luhan's lips echoed in the lone cottage.
"S-Se--" he choked, trying to relax his breathing despite the bony fingers locking his neck on the wooden planks.
"You... You know nothing, so shut the fuck up unless you want your throat to be slit." Sehun's furious tone served as a warning to Luhan, who profusely nodded while gently caressing Sehun's hands with his trembling fingers to calm Sehun down.
"I-I'm sorry. I did not mean to offend you," he croaked, and with that, Sehun went off Luhan, storming out of the cottage and running off.
Luhan was horrified, not because of the death threat Sehun just dared to give him but because of the sudden wetness between his legs, which started when Sehun straddled him seconds ago.
"W-where are the heat pills..." he whimpered, his wobbling legs taking him to the table. Before even reaching for the pill bottle and water flask conveniently standing on the surface, he stumbled, all of his strength seeping out of every pore of his body.
A delicious moan left his own moist lips, which awoke the omega from his slumber. The air around him was hot, his skin tingling from the tiny explosions of pleasure shooting in his spine. His mind was hazy, his bones doing nothing to support his already wilting body and the weight on his back.
His eyes shot open as realization dawned upon him, and tried to get away from the arm wrapped around his lithe waist and the big, warm hand giving his throbbing cock languid strokes.
"You want to cum, bitch?" The tone of the alpha's voice was dangerously low, the other's lips pressing closer at the omega's nape. He shuddered as Sehun left a long stripe of saliva on his pale neck. The omega's fists curled on the floor to find any support, but he found none.
He blushed upon realization of the position he was in; his knees and hands on the floor, and Sehun's muscular arm hoisting him up.
"S-Sehun, wh-why are you here?" He asked, the hot, knife-like sensations in his needy body intensifying with every passing second. He just needed the alpha's cock and knot, and he knew that he was going to be okay...
But it was not okay at all. His rational and logical reasoning told him to push off the alpha above him, but his body said otherwise, especially with the outline of the massive erection of his leader pressing against the curve of his ass.
"S-Sehun," he panted when the warm hand left his cock, only to plunge three fingers at once in his virgin hole.
"This is what you want right? You want my cock so badly in your boyhole, don't you, slut?" Sehun's angry words were drown out by Luhan's shouts of pain. His back curled, not because of pleasure, but because of the aching stretch Sehun's bony fingers were giving him.
"I-It hurts," he whined, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. Never in his dreams did he dream of his first time like this. He wanted to get away, but his body was begging for release. "Sehun, n-no. T-Take them out. I-It hurts."
"You want my dick deep in you already? No fun," Sehun's dry cackle made goosebumps break on Luhan's skin, and he profusely shook his head. "N-no, please, Sehun. Leave me alone."
"But you won't leave me alone before," Sehun grunted, biting on the curve of Luhan's neck harshly, enunciating a cry from Luhan. "Just give in to your body's demands. You know you want me to fuck you to oblivion until you cannot get up anymore."
Yes, Luhan wanted that, but not in this way. Not when Sehun was angry at him for reasons he could not fathom.
He never had a heat as intense as this, and the last bit of his sane mind reminded him that it was because of the accumulation of his suppressed heats. His body burned like a blazing inferno, begging for the searing touches from every inch of Sehun's bare skin pressing against his back.
Sehun's presence was making everything worse. His intoxicating scent grazing Luhan's nose and the rough manhandling Luhan was experiencing was making the omega's hole wetter and his small cock getting harder.
His train of thoughts were forgotten once he felt Sehun's fingers leave his hole. Luhan felt a sense of relief; perhaps Sehun woke up from his rut.
But he was wrong. Definitely wrong.
His back curved impossibly bent, body shuddering as something big tried to get past his entrance, and the next moment, the head of Sehun's dick already popped inside him. Luhan's eyes shut close, his jaw opened slack for a silent scream at the excruciating pain of Sehun's dick spearing him open. Though, this ache was mixed with the gratification of being filled by the love of his life. The thought alone made his body convulse violently, his cock spurting its release on the wooden planks of their cottage.
"So tight, fuck," Sehun hissed on the omega whimpering under him. He halted, heavy breaths leaving his parted lips. He leaned down to suck on the omega's skin, the tip of his tongue licking the drops of sweat seeping from Luhan's pores.
Luhan felt being ripped apart, as if he would be reduced into shreds after this. He knew that the alpha was well endowed judging by the rare instances he saw the outline of his cock straining from his cargo pants. But fuck. This was different than what he imagined it to be. Sehun was long and meaty, the veins of Sehun's raging hard on pressing against Luhan's damp walls.
Sehun began thrusting, not giving the oversensitive omega anytime to adjust. Luhan bit his lip so hard that it bled, refusing to let out any sound that would just encourage Sehun to go further.
"You were seducing me, weren't you?" A slap landed on his ass cheek, intensifying the ache of being stretched apart. The hand planted itself on his hips together with the other one, so brash that Luhan knew bruises would appear later on. "You think you can replace my mate by that fuckable body of yours?"
"I-I never thought that way-- ahhh," Luhan keened, the tip of Sehun's cock rubbing against his sweet spot shutting him up. Sehun seemed to have taken a liking on Luhan's reaction, as he did it over and over again, until Luhan laid on the floor with all the fiber of his body screaming for domination.
He felt like a boneless heap when Sehun's balls collided with the omega's reddening ass. Even the alpha's sweaty muscled thighs kept slapping the back of Luhan's thighs. He moaned, he mewled, he whimpered wantonly at the ecstastic, addicting gratification reverberating through every pore of his body.
"Sure, your ass is tight and good to fuck, but you can never replace her." Luhan momentarily woke up from his dazed, delirious state, the last bit of his functioning mind trying to clear the mist that had settled.
Luhan's heartbeat thumped in a rapid rate, both from the gratifying pleasure of his alpha fucking him like the bitch he was and by his tentative guess of the words that would come out from Sehun's mouth.
"No, you can't, because you are just Luhan."
Luhan's body shuddered violently with one particular press against his prostate, and he came, spilling his essence on the surface for the second time of the day.
The knot buried deep inside him swelled, and his tight walls milked the last bit of Sehun's orgasm. Sehun fell on top of him, nearly crushing him had not the elder's hands rested on the floor to support himself. Luhan felt being pulled, and found himself curled against Sehun on the floor, who seemed to doze off in exhaustion.
Luhan gazed at the ajar cottage door, rays of sunlight peeking from the wonderful world outside.
"No, you can't, because you are just Luhan."
He always heard that from the other wolves in the early years of his life, but he never expected to hear it from Sehun's own lips.
He did not know which was worse: being insulted because he was a runt or because he was himself?
Now, the alpha slept soundlessly behind him, as if not bothered by the knowledge that he took advantage of his best friend's heat and spoke words that would remain etched in Luhan's heart for the rest of his life.
"No, you can't, because you are just Luhan."
Could I experience a sunny day in my life again? He stretched out his arm, reaching for the sun that he would never take a chance to hold.
Am I that disgusting? Am I really just a mistake? Don't I really deserve a single bit of the happiness I always thirsted for? He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze meeting Sehun's handsome face that had gotten thinner the past months.
Are we really bound to stay together?
Sehun hissed at the coldness of the wooden floor against his body. He stirred, instinctively pulling the blanket he never remembered putting on against his body.
The wind that night was cold, the gentle breeze kissing every inch of his exposed skin. He grunted lowly, turning on his side when he felt something sticky on the surface. Without opening his eyes, he palmed the substance, bringing it up to his nose. It smelled so good and sweet, just like...
Luhan.
Sehun abruptly sat up, and stared at his hand stained with slick and cum that rested on the cold surface. A sudden rush of memories filled his drowsy mind, which soon became alert as realization dawned upon him.
Hours ago, he was about to go out to inhale some fresh air, as Luhan's suddenly sharp tongue pushed some buttons that switched off his rational mind. Overwhelmed by his feral instincts at the sudden mention of his dead loved ones, he momentarily strangled Luhan, whose face reflected the same horror that was plastered on Sehun's face as he remembered the eventful afternoon.
As he was walking further, a faint whiff of something deliciously fuckable tickled his nostrils. It had been long since such a heavenly smell grazed his senses, and the fragrance got stronger as more pheromones clouded the atmosphere.
Sehun found himself walking briskly at the direction of their cottage, and through the opening of the door, he saw Luhan laying face first on the floor, mindlessly humping against the floor. The alpha inside Sehun quickly took over, and having shut the last drop of rationality off his mind, he started feasting on his delectable meal.
All the blood drained from Sehun's face as he registered the facts his crazed mind failed to grasp:
One. He defiled Luhan. The pup he practically raised, his best friend who did nothing but love him, his life savior... A fucking virgin.
Two. Because they did the act, it meant that Luhan is now Sehun's new mate.
Three. He said some things that he did not, do not, and will never, ever mean.
Four. He fucking hurt Luhan, again.
And five. Luhan is nowhere to be found.
He sniffed and stood, alarmed that Luhan's scent was faint, meaning, he never went home since he left. His eyes darted on the chair where Luhan's military jacket was supposed to be on. Sehun saw the clothes he last saw Luhan wore rolled into a ball and carelessly thrown at the corner, and his crop top and cargo pants were nowhere to be found.
"Shit!" Sehun ungracefully wiped himself clean and dressed in his own military uniform. He knew that he fucked up, he knew that he sucked...
But it never occured to him that Luhan would leave for real.
If he waited for Luhan to come back, that would just decrease the chances of finding Luhan on time before the omega gets mauled by bears or any other beasts that may wander in the forest...
Or wandering wolves that may lay a hand on his omega in heat...
Wait.
Wait.
His omega.
Yes, the alpha's only omega. He's the only omega Sehun ever had.
Their former pack community was saturated by alphas and betas. Omegas were rare, and most of the omegas he knew just accepted the belief that they were just future carriers of the future pups that would be born to their land.
But Luhan was different from them all.
He always admired the kid overflowing with determination and desire to improve himself. Every time little Luhan gained a skill, he would spend a great deal of time on it until he outdoes his own progress. The more the wolves taunted him for being the runt, the more his zeal to prove what he could do fired up into unreachable heights.
"...I will be the best omega you will ever know. I will join your special forces, standing by your side and protecting you forever. I will prove father, mother and my siblings wrong, that I am worthy of adoration and attention as much as they do. I will never let you regret believing in me."
Perhaps he had taken the pup's statement lightly. He never knew that Luhan would fulfill his promise of being always by his side...
"It is my duty to keep you safe, to keep you away from any harm. I will protect the alpha at all costs up to my last breath."
Through thick and thin, Luhan was there. When Sehun got overwhelmed by his tiring work, Luhan was there to prepare him a scrumptious meal as they talked over Sehun's matters.
When Sehun did something as simple as hunting, Luhan would be there to shower him with praises and adorations Sehun honestly did not believe he deserved.
When Sehun was too injured to fight, Luhan, despite being an inexperienced teenage wolf before, was the one who bravely attacked the beast who planned to harm Sehun.
When Sehun accidentally tore the robe he was going to use for an occasion for the next few hours, Luhan skipped his militia training just to stitch Sehun's robe, causing the omega to undergo harsh training punishments he did not deserve.
When Sehun was almost captured in a battle, Luhan did not think twice and threw his life on the line just to rescue him.
When Sehun lost his composure and cried childishly during one of his parents' death anniversary, Luhan was there to comfort him and pay tribute to the alpha's late parents.
When Sehun rejected him, Luhan still fulfilled his duties, even doing the things he did not need to do such as nursing the alpha's sickly mate who Sehun left alone at home while he did his alpha duties. He never heard any bad thing Luhan did to his mate. In fact, she was always telling Sehun that he got a really pure and loyal friend in the omega.
When Sehun's world started collapsing together with their homeland, Luhan still did his duties despite his loved ones' dead bodies spread before him. He took Sehun out of that hell and took him to unknown lands despite his own heart still mourning for his own loss.
When Sehun failed to hold himself up, Luhan did it for him. He constantly looked out for him during the times Sehun stopped caring about his own life. The omega had always been patient, guarding the alpha's fragile being with his own broken self.
The funny thing was,
Luhan was as broken as him, but he remained strong just to bear the weight of Sehun's fucked up burdens on his shoulders.
Luhan was tormented with even greater miseries. Sehun lost his parents a long time ago, and all that he lost in this battle were his mate, the gem heritage, his people and his honor.
But Luhan?
Luhan lost all that he worked for in the past years, such as his family's affection, his peers' acceptance, his pride and honor he aspired for since childhood up to adulthood... and not to mention how he lost Sehun, his beloved best friend, who drifted away as the alpha thought only of his own loss.
Luhan had always been his, always there to answer to his each and every call.
Sehun even thought that Luhan was even greater than him in every way.
Sehun was the alpha; he was supposed to be the one protecting an omega, his own omega, from any harm.
Luhan was supposed to be the damsel in distress and Sehun his knight in shining armor. Why was it the other way round?
Shame on him.
He should have mourned with Luhan during the battle's aftermath instead of sleeping like a log all day.
He should have been the one hunting for food instead of Luhan tiring his body carrying loads and running great distances.
Sehun never felt so small.
He wanted to kill himself on the spot.
But if he did that, Luhan would be alone again.
He saw how devastation glimmered in Luhan's eyes every time they faced each other, and he did not want to make Luhan to feel the same torment all over again.
The battle's afflictions were enough sufferings for the two of them.
Sehun should do his part.
He should be the one to protect Luhan from danger.
The one to wipe Luhan's tears.
The one to hold him during the night to chase his fears away.
The one to bring back Luhan the wings he lost along the way.
The one to love and treasure Luhan, his mate, with all his life, up to his last breath.