Episode 13

He continued driving until he reached the entrance and began the dirt road.

Potholes were everywhere and there wasn't much time to dodge them, so he nearly hit every one. His focus was on ensuring nothing lay ahead that he could crash into, and that was all. Everything else was of no consequence to him. His men trailing behind couldn't see well because of the immense dust cloud stirring up.

As the lights of the place came into view, he noticed the excess of cars and an entrance with gates. He saw some men stand, cradling their weapons as they noticed the oddity approaching. They were always informed when someone was due to arrive and, since all the guests were already inside readying to leave with their purchases, concluded that this was not a good sign. They blocked the road, anticipating the car to slow, but Jaehan wouldn't make such a mistake. He just floored the accelerator, forcing the men to leap aside to avoid being hit.

The gate was flattened, and he had to grip the wheel hard to keep from losing control of the car.

His men swiftly followed him in, all well-versed in such matters. They knew what to do and how to do it. Jaehan was no stranger to these scenarios, so he simply grabbed the gun hidden under the passenger seat and got out of the car.

"Check every place! If Saije isn't here, I'll burn this place down and do the same to the others until I find him!"

Rex and another Alpha accompanied Jaehan while the rest scattered to search elsewhere as gunfire erupted. Jaehan took cover behind a metal container, then moved to shoot, striking men with ease. Men began spilling out from every direction and he took down several as he moved through the area. When his bullets ran out, Rex handed him more, and they covered him as he reloaded the Beretta in his hands.

He leaned behind a large light pole and waited patiently to shoot, then moved. Opening a space, the scent of Omegas was pervasive. He covered his nose with a cloth, checking everyone laid out on the beds, and the Betas and Alphas taking advantage of the drugged were forced to flee.

He inspected each room, but none held Saije. Stepping out, a man ambushed him, landing a hit. Jaehan fell but didn't stay down. If he took a hit, the attacker received threefold. Blood splattered his clothing, and he tossed him to the ground. He fired when necessary, listening as his men called out:

"Not here!"

"Nothing here!"

"Not here either!"

"Empty!"

"He's not here!"

Looking all around, he began to feel fear. He clenched his gun's grip tighter, realizing there were still places unchecked.

When more men crossed his path, with no bullets left, he resorted to fists which was easy until his right arm burned with pain. Rex came to cover him, but Jaehan pushed on. He picked a dropped weapon until he reached another check point. There were many drugged Omegas, both male and female. Breathing was near impossible with the potent pheromones, but Saije was still not among them.

Kicking the door open at one of the last checkpoints, he was on the verge of madness. He considered that if Saije was untouched, he wouldn't be here; virgins were sent elsewhere, being more valuable.

Door by door he went until, at the last, he froze at the sight.

What surged in his chest was unrecognizable, a force so strong it almost moved him to tears. He approached to check on him, but Saije was deeply drugged, incapable of even opening his eyes or hearing Jaehan call his name. In such a state, he was vulnerable to unspeakable acts from one man, or even three. The grape-scented pheromones filled his senses overwhelmingly, capable of unhinging any Alpha.

Jaehan stroked his face and carefully handled a lock of pink hair. He sighed in relief for finding him in time and swallowed, ignoring the pain in his bullet-wounded right arm.

Seeing him so weak and fragile ignited a desire to eradicate everyone responsible. Jaehan knew worrying and fearing to such a degree was almost foolish because they were nothing, yet he couldn't quite understand why.

He draped his jacket over him and lifted Saije into his arms, appearing unharmed aside from the drugs. He walked holding his breath, the pheromones nearly dizzying him, yet he had to remain composed to bring him home. The home where Saije drove him mad and had taken over the bathroom, but he preferred that to what had just occurred. He wasn't sure what made Saije flee again and assumed, due to being drunk, he had done or said something wrong. He vowed that once Saije woke up, he would apologize and give him more flowers.

He paused as, before he could exit, two figures arrived aiming guns at him.

"Well, well, if it isn't the famous CEO, Jaehan. And you're too far from home, aren't you?" chuckled one of the men mockingly.

"Move," Jaehan ordered, his face serious and his black hair falling over his eyes menacingly.

"You've caused chaos here and think we'd just let you leave. Your uncle won't like this one bit."

"That man's thoughts and actions are no concern of mine, we have not been family for a long time."

The man laughed again.

"Oh, right, how could I forget the family split after your little sister Amalia was killed."

At that, Jaehan's blood boiled within. Holding Saije, he wanted nothing more than to thrash them until their mockery ceased.

"Pity about your sister. Born sick and left in a wheelchair, and then killed so cruelly."

Jaehan's chest heaved with the mention of his sister. Three years gone, and the sound of the violin she loved to play echoed in his memory.

"Had your father not been a recessive Omega, she might have had fewer problems."

His teeth nearly ground together as he swore silently he'd make them pay for mocking his family. He watched them halt briefly before one smirked and gestured to the other, leaving at the command of an order.

Jaehan stood frozen momentarily, then his men arrived.

"Boss, we need to go! The police are coming!"

Snapping back to reality and what he held, he quickly walked to the car. They circled back to escape from another direction—Jaehan in the middle, with one car ahead and the other following.

At the clinic, he handed Saije to the doctors, and another tended to his bullet wound. Without any reaction to the pain, he was lost in the gibe from the man. For a moment, he relived memories of his little sister, who died too young. His chest grew heavy but relieved gradually, as Saije was now safe with an IV countering the drug. He watched Saije for a moment.

Extending his uninjured arm, he said:

"Stop running, Saije. Don't think I can chase you every time you decide to run from me."

He reclined in the chair, utterly weary.

When the Omega began to awaken, he was unsure of his whereabouts. He looked around until his gaze settled on the IV in his arm, and shifting his view further, he found Jaehan asleep in the chair. He blinked—a couple of times—taking in the dirty clothes and bloodstains, noting Jaehan's bandaged and cut shirt sleeve.

He tried to recall what led to this scene, his mind trailing back to a man placing something under his nose, then blackness.

He adjusted to sit up, noticing it was night, far from midday when he had left Jaehan's house. His focus returned to the Alfa. Unclear why Jaehan was on the clinician's bed, he looked like he'd been hit by a truck.

He swallowed, sighed, and even in the haze of awakening, he knew everything stemmed from his escape.

He resolved to apologize when Jaehan awoke.

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