(6)

"Leon, tell me what's going on!" Emil yelled.

Leon didn't look back and continued dragging his friend down the corridor. He rushed into the toilet and rinsed his face with tap water.

"What happened when I was away on duty?" Emil asked.

Leon stared at his reflection in the mirror. His face was still burning red. He didn't realise he would shiver so much. The threats weren't suppose to affect him profusely but the gleam in Yong Soo's eyes was etched in his mind.

"Leon." Emil hugged his friend from behind. "I'm here. Don't worry. It's fine now."

"It's not." Leon frowned. "It's all messed up. And it's my fault."

"We were kids at that time, Leon! We didn't know better!" Emil argued, "He shouldn't use that against you. You've already apologised!"

"Don't you get it?" Leon spun around and grabbed Emi's shoulders. "I, like, made his life a living hell once. He's now going to make mine the same."

"That's wrong." Emil shook his head. "If he does that, he's just the same as us!"

"I don't know what to do anymore, shit, this is killing me." Leon hung his head. "Why would he even come back? Damn it!"

"Calm down, Leon!" Emil went forward and embraced his shaking friend. "He can't hurt you that much. I won't allow it."

"And what're you, like, going to do?" Leon quipped, eyes brimming with tears, "What can we omegas do against those alphas? Tell me."

Emil bit his lips and didn't say a thing.

oOo

The clock was ticking. Leon couldn't concentrate. It was time of the season where most omegas got struck by heat waves. First was Mei. She had been absent for more than a week. Then Kiku and Emil. Matthew was nowhere to be seen, probably hiding away from Francis at home. Leon's heat cycle usually came a bit later than the others. He didn't like to miss school because works kept piling up afterwards. It sucks to catch up with the learning progress and if he missed a test, he would have to retake it, which meant more revision and nagging from his mum.

He took pills to suppress his hormones. He wasn't as easily flustered as Emil, who normally went berserk during his heat. He would curl up all day under the blanket, shivering in sweat and whimpering with tears. Leon would drop by to comfort him, hold his hand and whisper pacifying words. But the boy knew his presence was useless. When an omega is in heat, either he suffers until the cycle ends or he mates with an alpha. Only alphas can quench their needs.

Leon didn't want to think about his own heat. It was unbearable. Ever since he got his first cycle when he was thirteen, it only aggravated as he grew older. If he forgot his suppressants, it would be an absolute disaster. His scent was rather unique. It emitted pheromones that could attract alphas from miles away. He was, in other words, constantly risking his luck going back to school. If the thread broke, he was doomed.

It didn't help that Yong Soo was now sitting next to him. The Korean boy seemed mesmerised by his aromatic scent. Leon had separated their desks and moved his closer to the window so that he didn't have to bump into Yong Soo's shoulder. Yong Soo had made it his responsibility to frighten him every single second of his school life. He would stare at him with a smug smile, tease him, fiddle with his sensitive side bangs, slip a hand to his lap and…grope his chest!

"Your breasts belong to me da-ze!"

It had become a habit for Yong Soo to grab him from behind by surprise.

Every time Leon struggled out of the grip, he would blush and glare at his attacker. It startled him that the Korean boy hadn't only come back with a twisted personality, but also a perverted mind.

He was constantly groping Leon. Here and there. Hands. Wrists. Cheeks. Chest. Waist. Legs.

"Fuck off!" Leon yelped, smacking Yong Soo's hand away.

"What? Your breasts belong to me." The Korean boy pouted.

"I don't have breasts. Are you fucking blind? I'm a guy!" Leon growled.

"They are breasts if I want them to be da-ze."

"You're insane!" Leon shook his head and yelped when Yong Soo wrapped his arms around his waist. He hit the Korean boy in the head.

"S-Stop touching me, pervert!" Leon wished someone was there to help. He glanced up. No one dared come to his rescue. They all kept at least a metre away from Yong Soo. Especially Yong Soo.

"Shit," Leon muttered under his breath. He raised his leg to kick Yong Soo in the stomach. The Korean boy caught his knee and pulled him down. The boy landed on the ground with a groan.

"Don't be so difficult~ Why won't you accept the fact that I'm now much, much stronger than you? And more handsome too." The alpha beamed shamelessly.

"Hell no, ugly bastard," Leon snarled and propped himself up. His butt hurt. He wouldn't have expected Yong Soo to be that agile.

"Come on, show me more affection and I'll be sure to treat you nice." The alpha winked and grabbed Leon's arms, pulling him up.

"G-Get your filthy hands off me!" Leon bellowed and shoved the alpha away. "Gosh, stop bothering me anymore, please!"

"I can't figure out if you're begging or shouting at me." Yong Soo shrugged. His curl bounced as he leapt forward, their faces inches apart. Leon's cheeks heated up again. His eyes darted elsewhere but Yong Soo gripped his chin and forced his eyes on him.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, pet." His voice held a bit of warning but he retained the smile.

Everyone was watching. No one would interfere because they all knew when an alpha was sending off signals. Yong Soo was indignant. He was still smiling though.

"If you dare look the other way again, dear." Yong Soo chuckled, tracing Leon's jaw with his fingers. The omega shuddered and squirmed. "I'll gouge your eyes out. You wouldn't want that to happen, right?"

Tears prickled his eyes. Leon forced himself not to cry in front of the class. It was humiliating. Everyone was watching the show. Watching how the alpha threatened the omega to one corner, disciplining him.

"And I absolutely don't want to ruin your beautiful eyes too, darling." The Korean boy laughed malevolently. "I don't even want to scrape an inch of your gorgeous skin."

"L-Let…me go," Leon stuttered, pressing his hands against Yong Soo's chest.

"Aw, poor little mouse, why are you crying? I haven't even done anything to you yet." The alpha giggled and rubbed Leon's cheeks with his thumbs.

"Let's play a game, shall we?" Yong Soo leant closer and whispered into Leon's ear. "If you win the game, I'll leave you alone. If you lose, you'll stop fighting me and submit yourself to me."

Leon frowned.

"It's a fair game da-ze!" Yong Soo jumped back and clapped. "You never offered me any options when we were kids. Now, I'm being super merciful, eh?"

Leon clenched his fists and glared at the grinning Korean.

"A game, Leon, you love games. I'm doing something in your favour." Yong Soo smirked and caressed the omega's face. He bent forward and sealed their lips together.

"Fine." Leon pulled away from the kiss. "I'll, like, do it. Play that stupid game of yours. After that, leave me alone."

"Oh? So confident already?"

"Play fair, Im Yong Soo," Leon growled and stomped out of the classroom.

The alpha couldn't help laughing as his name came out of those alluring lips the first time.

(7)

Leon regretted accepting the challenge the second he was led to the empty school building at night. The place was dark and vacant except the two of them.

"Quite nostalgic, huh?" Yong Soo grinned. They were standing in front of their primary school. Leon hadn't come back for years. It looked the same though. There were four blocks. Each had two floors. A garden on the left. A playground on the right.

"What do you want now?" Leon scowled.

"Treasure hunt da-ze!" Yong Soo whooped. He snatched Leon's bag and tossed it with all his might. Leon gasped. His bag flew across the sky and landed right into…into…

"What the actual fuck?"

"No gadgets to help you, dear." Yong Soo laughed. The bag floated in the swimming pool.

"I've just stolen something from your pocket." Yong Soo winked. Leon blanched and fumbled in his pockets immediately, flipping them out. "I've hidden it somewhere in this school building. You have precisely thirty minutes to find it. After that, you know what it means."

Leon's face was now as pale as his white school shirt. The bottle was gone. His suppressants!

"As I remember correctly, your heat cycle strikes tonight." Yong Soo glimpsed his watch and smiled. "Let's see if you can get away fully dressed?"

"You bastard!" Leon raised his fist but stopped when Yong Soo held up his hand.

"Uh uh, you wouldn't want to waste your time now da-ze. I'm counting."

Leon bit his bottom lip and ran into the school building. Yong Soo strutted after him.

Leon ran into each classroom and looked everywhere. He dug into drawers, flipped the lockers open, kicked open the locked doors, turned every room upside down. He had no time to spare. His cheeks grew redder and hotter. He started panting as he raced from one floor to another. One block to another.

"Remember the storage room, Leon?" Yong Soo's laugh echoed in the dark hallway. Leon hated darkness. He couldn't tolerate it. And Yong Soo clearly knew this. He must've hidden the suppressants in the darkest corner in the school.

"You used to lie to me that there were monsters in the storage room and lock me up there. Remember the time you stole my clothes after PE and forced me to walk around the corridor naked? Oh and the time you splashed paint all over my face in arts, trampled on me with your new sneakers, burned my hair and dumped all my books into the pool!"

Leon gritted his teeth and ran into the next room. He covered his ears. Yong Soo's voice reverberated in the dark.

"Oh wow, fast, you've reached the second floor already! That kinda reminds me, there is this abandoned classroom where you and your lovely friends used to summon me. You would surround me and kick me like a ball. You said I'm your punchbag. I was born to be stomped and spat on."

"S-Shut up!" Leon cried. He couldn't stop his tears. He kept running away from the Korean boy.

"You said you would like to see if I was made invincible." Yong Soo laughed. "So you gave me a little push. Just a little push. Down I rolled. You ran off once you heard the first crack of my bones."

"S-Stop it, please!"

"You know, I really do miss those days," Yong Soo continued, walking slowly after the omega. "I had no friends. You were the only one who would bother to speak to me, even though all you did was bossing me around and throwing me insults. Still, I'm grateful that you did push me downstairs that day. If I hadn't ended up in the hospital, my poor parents wouldn't have to sell their organs to cover up my medical bills. And guess what? Our debtors set our house on fire afterwards. Everyone died. Gone. Vanished into ashes. I survived. I always survive. Like I used to in one of your games."

Leon halted. His breathing hitched. He fell on his knees and trembled. The heat shot up his body. Tears floded his eyes as he rolled on the floor.

"No…this can't be…"

Yong Soo stopped too. He stood behind Leon's curled-up body. The scent grew stronger, enveloping the entire school block.

"I can smell it." The alpha's nose twitched upon detecting the intoxicating scent. "Guilt, apprehension, fear."

Leon groaned and clamped his legs together. His heat had struck earlier than scheduled, probably due to Yong Soo's trigger.

"And then, I got sent to an orphanage. I got adopted. My new family is rich and loving, like yours. They might be what you regard as 'normal'." Yong Soo smiled and loomed closer to the quivering body. "Oh yea, I nearly forgot. But no matter how hard I scrubbed myself clean, I'm still the same filthy doggie born to a working class. I don't match you, do I?"

"S-Stop it…please…" Leon pleaded in absolute pain. His heat wave was attacking. He crawled forward. He needed his pills. Damn quick. "I'm sorry…I'm so…sorry!" He shouted, "For everything I did to you! Please! Give it back…"

"Nah, fair play, you said." Yong Soo grinned and peeked at his watch. "Time's up. You lost, Leon Kirkland. Have you ever lost a game? I bet not. Let this be the first and hopefully the last one you'd ever lose."

"Yong Soo…"

"Uh, you finally call me by my name." The alpha straddled the body and bent down, stroking the tear-drenched face in amusement. "I hated you. I hated you so much I wanted to tear you apart."

Leon's eyes widened. Yong Soo's fingers danced across his cheeks and down to his neck.

"But-" Yong Soo paused and leant in to kiss those puckered lips. "That was my initial thought. After losing my parents, I thought I might end my own life. But then, I started seeing my opportunities. I recalled what you did to me. Everything you said about me. Actually, they were all true. I was a lowlife. Ugly. Weak. I deserved no respect and dignity. I began to think over your words. Eventually, I realised what I had to do. In one way or another, you're the reason why I've become what I'm today. I couldn't be more delighted when I found that I was an alpha. I changed myself. Because of you. And also for you."

"Why…..Why are you doing this?" Leon groaned painfully. His entire body was on fire. It had never happened before. Yong Soo's presence accelerated his heat wave.

"Shortly after I changed school, I found it unendurable. I couldn't get rid of you in my head. Whatever I did, you were there to remind me what a piece of shit I was. I didn't want to admit it at first, but I knew it was true. I could never forget about you. The only way out is to come back and look what I've found!" Yong Soo chuckled. "A beautiful omega awaiting me. I think it's fate. We were meant to be from the very beginning. Otherwise, why would you lay your eyes on me when there were so many other boys you could pick on in class? You must love me, right? Everything you did was for me to strive for better. How considerate."

"You're fucking…twisted…damn it…you're brain-damaged!" Leon yelped.

"Now, now, don't you forget that you were the one who damaged this awesome brain." Yong Soo laughed and knocked his head playfully. He pinned Leon down and latched his mouth on the exposed neck.

"Stop!" Leon struggled but felt weak against the hovering body. A sudden wave of heat washed over him. Haze filled his mind.

"No…" he swallowed his sobs. He couldn't believe he would end up trapped underneath his worst enemy. His body started to tense up. He gasped for air.

"My dear, you forgot how to cheat in your own game?" Yong Soo shook his head and pulled out from his pocket the bottle of pills Leon was craving for. "When you played 'treasure hunt' with me, you used to hide my money in your own pocket and watch me search the entire school building like an idiot. You've searched everywhere da-ze. But you haven't searched my pockets."

"G-Give it to me!" Leon tried to grab the bottle. Yong Soo hurled it out of the window and smirked. The omega wept and lay back down, panting.

"Please…I can't…endure it." Leon wiggled on the floor. The heat grew stronger. He was awfully aroused. His lower region was throbbing, longing for attention. There was no way out.

"You don't just look beautiful." The alpha held his wrists and licked his tears. "You smell and taste beautiful too da-ze."

Leon moaned. His head started spinning. He couldn't hold it any longer. Yong Soo ground their bodies together. The heat was eating his senses away. Sweat coated his forehead and wet his bangs. He stared imploringly at Yong Soo.

"What's it now?" the Korean boy remained unfazed, although he had to admit the scent was tempting. He would have ravaged the omega right away if only he had asked.

"This…is killing me…help me…"

"Now I smell determination da-ze."

It was worse than asking for death. Leon wished he could just kill himself but this heat was evil. It blinded him. He didn't even care that alpha sabotaging him was Yong Soo. He requested a release. Fast.

"Please…"

"Please what? How do you want me to help?" Yong Soo shrugged.

"My heat…damn it... I need…need someone…to fuck me…right now."

"And what do you expect me to do da-ze?"

"Screw you! Didn't you, like, want this all along?" Leon cried, covering his face with tears. "If you're going to avenge yourself…do it…"

"Great, so you do agree that you've lost the game, eh?" Yong Soo smiled.

"Yes, yes! I lost it!" Leon wailed and shut his eyes. "I can't hold it…any longer…fuck…"

"Well then, I shall claim my prize." Yong Soo chuckled one last time before ripping the shirt open.

(8)

Leon wished there was something to grasp. Yong Soo was more than glad to offer his back for him to claw. He wrapped his legs around the alpha's waist and moaned. The thrusts were erratic and hard. Yong Soo spared no time to prepare him. He deserved it anyway. It felt wonderful being filled. The heat still lingered but it wasn't as agonising as before.

Leon arched his back and groaned. Yong Soo bit down his neck hard. The alpha's hands wandered on his chest and settled on his nipples. Leon grunted at the harsh fondling. His hair was soaked in sweat. The sound of their skin slapping filled the air. Yong Soo's scent encased him. The pleasure built up intensely in his stomach. He felt like he could die of it.

"A-Ah…g-go harder…" Leon groaned. He knew he would probably regret it afterwards but at this moment, he yearned for the alpha's touch. The Korean boy complied. He flipped his mate over and thrust harder into the slender body, earning him a series of moans and cries. He yanked Leon's hair and turned his face towards him so that he could claim those lips again. The kiss was long and choking. Leon lay flat on the ground as the alpha took him from behind, shoving himself in and out deliriously.

The release was relieving. Leon came with soft whimper. The alpha followed seconds later, knotting his mate and waiting for the pleasure to ebb away.

Leon collapsed in heaps of sweat, panting. His lids drooped. He felt Yong Soo's arms around him. The liquid flooded inside his rear. He felt drowsy.

"Leon." The voice was tender. Leon forced his lids open and stared at Yong Soo. The boy stroked his face gently and kissed him.

"I know you probably can't hear me right now, but I'm going to say it anyway." The alpha lay down on his mate and cooed. "I don't want to hurt you to be honest, but you left me no choice. All I want is for you to recognise me."

Leon didn't reply. He closed his puffy eyes and sighed.

"And now, you're mine."

oOo

He woke up surrounded by blankets. His fever had subided but it wasn't the end yet. Leon gasped. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He was sweating. The ceiling was plain white. He couldn't see the usual sky blue wallpapers in his room. He skimmed the room in terror. The smell. Every single corner was tainted with a particular smell. Spicy. Hypnotising.

When the next heat wave attacked him, he shrieked. He had never felt this helpless before. Without the suppressants, he couldn't get through it.

"Yong Soo!" he screamed, reaching out his hand. He rolled on the king-sized bed, trying to get to the door from the nest.

The door swung open. The alpha looked a bit disconcerted but soon his frown was replaced with a smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you home." Yong Soo approached his mate with a glass of water. "I thought you would need me for the next two days or so."

"Damn it, just get the fuck here, jerk!" Leon cried and grabbed Yong Soo's wrist. The glass slipped off his hand and shattered on the floor. He dragged the Korean on top of him and kissed him vigorously.

"And I'm warning you." Leon panted, stripping Yong Soo desperately. "You started this shit. If you don't take responsibility, I'll, like, chop your head off when my heat ends."

"How sweet." Yong Soo grinned, groping the omega's ass. Leon moaned and lay back down weakly. The alpha leant in for another kiss.

"Well, you're still wet. Just how much do you need me?"

"S-Stop talking…just fuck me already!" The omega yelped, burrowing his face into the other's chest. The alpha entered the body without any delay. Beautiful moans resounded in his ears.

For the next two days while Leon was in heat, they mated. It was a dilemma for the omega. He couldn't get over the remorse afterwards but at the same time he surrendered to the needs. The only bright side was that the alpha wasn't as downright harsh and horrifying as he thought. In contrast, Yong Soo was rather gentle and always reacted calmly to his foul remarks.

It ended on the fourth day. Leon was finally free from the torment. He rushed into the bathroom inside the bedroom and cleaned himself. He stayed there for hours, simply trying to drown his senses out. He sobbed and curled himself up in the tub. Of course, he knew revenge wouldn't be pretty, but this one was ominous. Yong Soo had successfully avenged himself. He had ruined him thoroughly. And he so deserved it because of all the pain he had once inflicted on Yong Soo.

He didn't go home right away. He didn't want to face his parents or even imagine their looks when they found that their precious son had been mated. He hadn't even finished school. There was still a year till he graduated. And he had dreams. He wanted to get into a university. To do something other omegas wouldn't do or were too afraid to break the social norms to achieve. When he thought about the shattered future ahead, he cried again.

Having a mate wasn't the biggest issue. What he feared most was Yong Soo's next step. Now that he had claimed him, what would he do to him next? He couldn't run away now. He had lost the game. He got to pay for the bet.

"You should dry your hair before going to sleep."

Yong Soo's hand brushed his wet bangs lightly. Leon ducked deeper into the blanket and shook.

"If I were you, I would think about how to please my alpha from now on."

Leon whirled around and glared at the alpha.

"Just kidding." The Korean boy laughed and stroked his hair.

"And what're you planning next?" the omega scowled. "Dump me? Tell everyone your deed? Kill me?"

"Are you scared?" Yong Soo laughed and pulled the omega into his arms. He sniffed his mate and smirked, "Definitely scared da-ze."

Leon looked away to hide his tears, his heart beating frantically. Whatever answer Yong Soo gave didn't matter anymore. The humiliation alone could kill him.

"What if I tell you I'm not going to do anything?" Yong Soo whispered, hugging his mate from behind.

This confused Leon a little. Should he thank him or seize the opportunity to punch him in the face?

"You used to be my greatest fear." The alpha withdrew from him and stood up. "Nightmare, oh boy. But the only way out of fear is to face the fear itself. Turn it around and defeat it. That's why I came back. At some point, I started indulging in it. If I didn't take you, I don't think anyone else could handle you da-ze!"

Leon tossed a pillow at the beaming alpha.

"And the greatest weapon to wield against someone like you is guilt." Yong Soo chuckled. "Indigenous, aren't I?"

"Seriously…are you, like, sure you didn't damage your brain when I pushed you downstairs?" Leon frowned.

Damn. This alpha was utterly warped. But who was he to blame? He was probably the reason he turned out this way.

Yong Soo sat down on the bed and laughed.

"Did your…family really die?" Leon asked, not surprised to find his words come out as stammers. Everything Yong Soo said when he hunted him down in that school building remained crystal clear. Even the images were lucid in his head. He could never forget what he had done- all those deadly pranks he had pulled on the other boy and shoved his mind over the edge.

"My brother and I survived."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't think that's your fault. I exaggerated it a little bit. We used to be in some pretty bad debts even way before I got hospitalised." Yong Soo shrugged indifferently.

"But still…"

"You should go home," Yong Soo said. For once, his smile disappeared. His eyes glimmered. "I think your parents are worried sick about you, spoiled brat."

Leon blushed and averted his gaze.

He couldn't put a finger on his racing heart.

(9)

Yong Soo took him home, but he was clever enough to sneak away before Leon's parents appeared. The boy had to face the music alone. Yao nearly flung the door off its hinge. He raced towards his son and hugged him. Arthur looked like he could kill someone, but didn't bring out his gun.

"Where have you been?" Yao shook Leon's shoulders. He examined his son's face, checking if any parts of his body were missing. His eyes eventually settled on the swollen bite around his neck. The omega parent froze.

"What in the bloody world has he done to you?" Arthur growled in exasperation. Finding his son on their porch in dishevelled clothes was the most unsightly and disturbing scene to be sure. To sense that Leon's scent was blended with someone else's effectively set him off. "I'll kill that git right now!"

"No." Leon frowned.

"He said he's your boyfriend aru. Is that true?" Yao asked worriedly. He couldn't bear to see his dear son crying. Leon had always played tough in front of them. Even when they scolded him on rare occasions, he never shed a tear. "Who is he? Why did you stay at his house? What happened?"

"Please…don't ask." Leon brushed off Yao's hands and stepped into his house.

"Leon, we need to know what's going on!" Arthur said, more agitated now.

"I'm fine, really." Leon swallowed and headed upstairs.

"Are you absolutely sure?" His parents chased after him. He got back into his room and slipped into his bed. He hugged his stuffed animals and turned away from his parents.

"Leon!"

"I'm really fine!"

"And that boy-"

"Yes, yes, he's my mate," Leon blurted out and tried not to sound like he was tearing up. "We used to go to the same primary school. He came back. We bonded. That's it."

Yao gasped, "But…but you've never told us you had a mate!"

"How could you keep this from us?" Arthur snarled.

"Guys! Leave me alone, would you? I don't, like, wanna talk about it right now," Leon growled and curled up in his blanket. "I'm exhausted. Let me sleep, please."

For the next few days, he hid himself in his room, refusing to let anyone in. When his parents asked about it, he shrugged them off or simply lied. If he had to reveal the truth, he would have to start the story from when they were kids. Both Arthur and Yao had no idea what their son used to do in the past and probably wouldn't wish to learn about it. He told them it was his decision to be mated. They doubted it at first but as Leon kept insisting that it was consensual, they left it aside and let him rest.

Yao asked what plans he had for the future. Leon didn't know how to answer his mother. He wasn't even sure what kind of relationships he was in with Yong Soo right now. They were definitely not a normal couple.

What exactly does he feel towards me? Leon thought to himself. He couldn't smell it off Yong Soo. The alpha concealed his emotions well. He was able to control his desires and sentiments, unlike the whimpering, easily flustered boy he used to be as a kid. He always wore that smile on his face but Leon knew right behind that mask hid something unfathomable.

Grudge probably, Leon concluded.

He couldn't do much now. He couldn't reverse time and fix stuff from the past. He thought he would die after what Yong Soo did to him but surprisingly he didn't feel so bad. He found it reasonable that the alpha had avenged himself. Maybe it was meant to be this way. He had to undo the wrong somehow.

It left him the questions though.

What now?

Is he really going to be Yong Soo's mate forever?