Kai would bring food every day for Rei. Being stuck in the same room for almost a week had begun to wear on Rei's mind. The isolation, the silence—except for Kai's occasional presence—was driving him insane.
For the past week, the only thing the poor omega did was observe the outer surroundings through the balcony, watching the world continue without him.
And that was exactly what he was doing now.
"The backyard seems huge with that giant pool," Rei muttered to himself, his eyes following the glimmer of the water reflecting under the sunlight. He rested his elbows on the balcony railing, sighing heavily.
That's when he heard voices coming from outside the double doors. The muffled chatter was distracting enough to pull him away from his idle observation. Curiosity sparked in his chest as he pressed his ear to the door, straining to listen.
"Did you hear? The boss caught that boy he wanted?"
"The one at the store?"
Rei's breath hitched. What boy? Are they talking about me? His heart pounded in his chest as he continued to listen, but the voices soon faded, leaving him with more questions than answers.
"Ugh," Rei groaned, rubbing his face in frustration before turning back toward the balcony.
With no proper clothes to wear, he had resorted to rummaging through the Alpha's closet, settling for oversized shirts that barely fit his frame. Today, he was wearing a T-shirt two sizes too big, the fabric hanging loosely over his shoulders. The hem of the shirt barely covered a portion of his thighs, but it wasn't like he had many options.
Underwear? Nonexistent. He had found none in the closet, and at this point, he had already lost so much dignity—what more was there to lose?
With a sigh, Rei leaned against the doorframe, staring out at the backyard again. The large pool shimmered under the golden afternoon light, looking almost inviting. If only I could just run...
His fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as his mind spun with thoughts of escape. But how? Kai was always watching, and the doors remained locked.
Still, that conversation he overheard… it unsettled him. He needed to find out the truth.
And more than anything—he needed to get out of here.
Down by the pool, two figures stood close—too close. At first glance, it almost seemed like they were making out, but upon closer inspection, that wasn't the case.
"What's wrong with you?" Yuri muttered, stepping back slightly.
Yuri, an A-class Beta, worked as a bodyguard for Kai's younger brother, Fei. And wherever Yuri was, Jade was never far behind.
"You don't have anything better to do, so why not hang out with me?" Jade smirked, his usual cocky attitude on full display.
An A-class Alpha and the head of the bodyguards, Jade was Fei's favorite—and he knew it.
Towering over Yuri, he leaned against the wall with ease. "Aren't you tired of always following me?" Yuri huffed, already exasperated by the Alpha's relentless presence.
Jade rolled his eyes. "You smell like jasmine."
"Oh, shut up!" Yuri snapped. "Get to work before the boss finds out you're up my ass instead of his."
For Yuri and Jade, their boss was Fei—Kang Fei, a 20-year-old university student at Kang International University (KIU), an institution owned by none other than his father, Kang Sang-wei.
An SSS-class dominant Alpha, Sang-wei had passed down his strength to all three of his children.
Yes, three.
Alongside Kai and Fei, there was another—Kim Lee. The elusive middle child, 25 years old, and just as powerful as his brothers. He rarely made an appearance, but when he did, it was impossible to ignore.
Rei stood there, lost in thought.
"How many bodyguards does this guy even have?" he wondered, staring at the seemingly endless security stationed around the mansion.
Just as he was about to turn away, he felt a firm squeeze on his backside.
Yikes—
"Hey!" he yelped, whipping around.
Kai stood behind him, completely unfazed. "Relax," he said casually.
Rei, still rubbing his poor butt cheeks, glared at the Alpha.
Kai's gaze, however, had already drifted elsewhere—down to the pool below. "Those are my brother's bodyguards," he remarked. "They're always stuck to each other like glue."
Rei didn't respond, too busy recovering from the unexpected assault.
Then, as if remembering something amusing, Kai smirked. "Oh, by the way, I thoroughly checked the store for you."
Rei blinked, confused. "Huh?"
"They don't sell extra-small underwear," Kai chuckled.
Rei's face turned a deep shade of red.
Rei's mouth fell open. His entire face burned with embarrassment.
"Y-you—!" He pointed an accusing finger at Kai, struggling to form words.
Kai simply grinned, crossing his arms. "What? I was just trying to be helpful. Thought you might need some, considering…" His gaze deliberately flickered downward.
Rei's hands instinctively yanked at the hem of the oversized T-shirt he was wearing, attempting to cover more of his bare legs. He was mortified.
"I-it's not extra small!" he stammered, stomping his foot.
Kai hummed, clearly unconvinced. "Mm, sure. But if you ever need some custom-made, just let me know. I have connections."
Rei groaned loudly, turning on his heel. "I hate you."
"Aw, that hurts," Kai said, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. "After all we've been through?"
Rei ignored him, marching back inside. But as he reached the bed, Kai's voice called after him, smug as ever.
"Oh, and Rei?"
"What?!" Rei snapped, exasperated.
Kai smirked. "Nice legs."
Rei grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him with full force.
"Missed me~" Kai teased, effortlessly dodging the pillow Rei had thrown at him.
Rei, now sitting on the bed, hurriedly pulled the sheets over himself like a protective shield. The alpha strolled forward at a leisurely pace, soon towering over him.
He bent slightly, just enough to meet Rei face-to-face, his hands still tucked casually in his pockets. Then, in one swift motion, he placed both hands on the bed, effectively trapping Rei beneath his gaze.
Rei instinctively pushed himself backward—only for Kai to follow—until there was nowhere left to escape.
Kai was now completely hovering over him.
"You smell good," the alpha murmured, nuzzling into Rei's neck. His words melted into soft, lingering kisses.
Rei squeezed his eyes shut, still not used to the way Kai touched him so intimately.
"W-wait—" Rei stammered, pressing a shaky hand against Kai's chest to stop him.
Kai stilled, his breath warm against Rei's skin. "Yes, baby?"
Rei stiffened. W-why is he calling me that?!
Their eyes met, and Rei quickly averted his gaze. His voice came out small, almost embarrassed.
"C-can I please have my i-inhibitors back?"
Kai raised a brow. "Why?"
"B-because my s-sc—" Rei struggled to explain, but Kai interrupted before he could finish.
"You don't need them anymore." His tone was calm, almost smug. "Once an omega has paired with an alpha sexually, only that particular alpha can smell his scent."
Rei stared at him in disbelief. "That… That's not true."
Kai chuckled, clearly entertained by Rei's reaction. "Oh, but it is."
Rei had read plenty of books about omegas and their biology, yet somehow, in this world, his knowledge seemed utterly useless.
Rei felt as if his entire perception of the world had shattered.
Kai noticed the distant look on Rei's face and smirked. "You might not know everything about this vast world," he said, sitting up straighter while Rei remained lying beside him, unmoving.
Rei hesitated. "If the authorities are afraid of you… then why lock me up?"
Kai chuckled. "They fear my family, not just me. And sure, I could let you go—" he leaned in slightly, his voice playful, yet laced with something deeper, "—but where's the fun in that? I told you, I need a male omega."
Rei rolled his eyes at the statement, but deep inside, for reasons he couldn't understand, he felt safe within these walls—this mansion that felt more like a dungeon to him.
"You're really intimidating, you know?" Kai snickered.
Rei barely heard him. He sat up, now side by side with the alpha. "Then… can I at least be let out of this room?" His voice was quieter now, almost careful. "Please?"
Silence.
Kai shifted, turning to face him directly. The teasing edge was gone from his expression, replaced with something unreadable. Something raw. Something needy.
"Promise me something," Kai said, his voice lower, steadier. "Promise me you'll stay."
Their eyes met, and in Kai's gaze, Rei saw something dangerous—something desperate.
"I promise."
Why did I say that?
Will I even keep that promise?
Rei's mind screamed, but his heart refused to let him take back the words.