Chapter Text
Since he presented at age 18 and up until 5 minutes before getting hit, Hyunjin had believed he was quite the lucky omega, and a male omega at it. He wasn’t supposed to be one but a beta and yet come age 15 his test results started showing something else. His entire life changed with just one medical check up that should have said Beta instead of Omega. Everything he had planned and hoped about his future had gone down the drain simply because once he turned 18 he would be fully an omega and be sent off to some alpha. That was how his pack did things. Their alphas brought in omegas from other places, their betas were free to stay or move away while their omegas were send off to other alphas outside the pack.
Hyunjin hated calling it a sale but it was just that. They spread out the word of their soon to be omegas and received courtship gifts from alphas that wanted to mate them. How the alpha was decided was not something he had cared about all that much until he was 15. But he still thought he was a lucky male omega. Male omegas got pregnant with more difficulty and even birth was harder as it always involved surgery. There was also the down side of having only one hole to knot compare to the two female omegas had. So when he turned 18 and met his alpha husband and to be mate, he had been nervous and shy and even prayed for the best.
His alpha husband had been nice to him. They got married and spend his first heat together, said alpha becoming the first person Hyunjin had ever had sex with but did not claim him as his mate. His alpha husband said he didn’t want to shackle him with the mating mark as it did come with plenty restrictions. Instead of taking him back to his pack, which he said were too rough and too restrictive, they moved in together in the city. He was lucky because without being marked as a mate he retained his independence when it came to making decisions about his health, life and work. He could finish college. He could get a job which was something he gave up in his teenage days as he thought his future would only entail him giving birth and taking care of his family and pack.
Hyunjin had considered himself a lucky omega also because his alpha husband was not insisting nor pressing to have children. He thought he was even luckier as his alpha did not push him nor asked sex of him outside his heats either. His life during college involved studying, some housework and sex during heats and ruts. His adult life, now at 24 years old, 6 years being married, involved going to work, some housework and sex during heats and ruts. His alpha had his job and they usually crossed paths after 6pm when they both came back from work. Hyunjin would clean the house, prepare some food, go shopping and watch a movie or something before going to bed. He still belonged to his alpha but he was his own person as well.
Lucky. Very lucky compared to omegas who had to ask their alphas for permission to do anything, who could not really study or work, who had to always service their alphas and carry for them as many pups as possible. He basically lived his own life and had sex once every few months. His alpha husband was more like a roommate he slept with at times than anything else. Hyunjin was not sure if he loved him but he was fond of him and very grateful. They had a house, enough money, he had a job and no one from his former pack or his alpha’s pack bothered him. He got a job as a curator at an art gallery which he very much enjoyed so life was good. Being married was not bad at all. The wedding band on his finger was not weighting on him as he had feared. Or so he thought.
There were some things that were not perfect. His scent was not as fully developed as it should have been but Hyunjin liked to see the bright side of things. Not having a proper full omega scent meant he could pretend to be a beta and not be hit on by alphas. The biggest issue was mainly his heat that became more and more powerful as the years passed. For the past two years he actually slipped into his omega space and had very little to no recollection of what happened during it. When his alpha had his rut, his omega became just as restless and as overbearing as during heat and he started losing time during them as well. His doctor said that because his scent was so faint and his usual sex drive low, and he was a male omega, his body and omega were basically playing catch up during heats and ruts.
Still, it did not bother him too much. His omega seemed plenty pleased at the end of each heat and rut so it must have felt really good even if he didn’t remember much and once it was over he could go back to his peaceful married life. Although he was a male omega, his alpha still had him take birth control so that they wouldn’t accidentally get pregnant and as such make it hard for Hyunjin to work and life his life as he wanted to. Truly, up until 5 minutes before he got hit, he thought of his alpha as being different from others, kind and letting him have the freedom he wanted. So why? Why were the two alphas that came in his work place saying things like that?
He was at the gallery, doing his job, trying to figure out what event should their gallery do next when the receptionist told him two men were there to see him. Hyunjin had been confused but thought it might be work related so he told the pretty beta female that she can show them in his very own little office. He was proud of it since he had his desk, his collection of art, his belongings that made him feel good and could peacefully work on his designs and do his job of cleaning, maintaining and protecting items from important collections or artists. He suspected nothing of the two tall looking alphas, who so clearly smelled like alphas, because they were wearing suits and looked very proper.
“Hwang Hyunjin?” the tallest of the two asked as they both entered the office.
“Ah, yes. A pleasure to meet you. How may I help you?” he asked them in a polite, gentle voice, smiling softly to be as welcoming as possible, although he immediately had a bad feeling once they laid eyes on him.
“Oh… the pleasure is all ours…” the alpha looked him up from head to toes, something dangerous in his eyes and somewhat disturbing as well as he seemed to be checking him out.
“Excuse me?” Hyunjin kept his calm, trying to not think too much about the hungry lewd gazes the two alphas were giving him.
“We are actually here to talk a bit about your alpha.” The other guy moved towards the desk, picking stuff from it without even asking.
“My... alpha?” Hyunjin tried even harder to ignore how impolite they were by touching his stuff without permission while still checking him out.
“We’ll cut straight to the point. Your dear alpha husband owes us money. Quite a lot of money.” The tallest alpha said, his hand reaching for Hyunjin but stopping.
Hyunjin knew he was pretty. Sure, he was a bit on the thinner side and his cheeks were not as rosy as one would expect but he was still pretty. He was tall and slim, with black hair medium long, reaching his shoulders, pretty narrow eyes and plump lips, a gentle barely noticeable scent and was quite fashionable as well if he allowed himself to say so about his fashion sense and style. Plenty alphas still gave him attention and tried to hit on him since he did not have any mating mark whether they knew he was an omega or tricked into thinking he was a beta. Still, there was something off about these two. His omega was restless. In fact, his omega was even thinking they were dangerous. Stay away from them, it advised him. His omega was usually quiet so something had to be very wrong.
“There are two ways to settle the debt. You either pay for it…” the shorter one chuckled.
“Doubt he has the money though…” the tall one mocked, openly.
“Or we make good on the contract he made with us…” the man continued, reaching inside his pocket and taking out an envelope, opening it and taking out a piece of paper inside.
“He owes money…” Hyunjin furrowed his eyebrows, confused and worried, his omega becoming more and more restless.
“Here.” The alpha passed him the paper.
Hyunjin took it and read it. He was not sure what to call it but he could read the contents of it and inside of it his alpha husband was relinquishing all rights over his omega husband, him, Hwang Hyunjin, to pay off for his debt if he failed to pay it. In other words, much simple words, his alpha was selling him to pay off his debts. Technically he had the right to. Omegas belonged to their alphas and they got to decide what their omegas were allowed to do or not. If he had a mating mark, he would have been in a situation where it would be impossible for him to go against the wishes of his alpha which was why he thought his husband was nice since he didn’t restrain him like that. So it did not make sense. Why would his alpha sell him off? Even if he had debts which was something Hyunjin had never heard of.
“I don’t understand. I am sure if he borrowed money he will pay it back…” Hyunjin tried to keep his calm, his omega fully alert and warning him to get as far away as possible.
“You saw the amount… yes?” the tall alpha was getting into his personal space, his hand reaching for his hair.
“I….” Hyunjin looked at the paper again and he saw the ridiculous amount written on it.
“That is his signature, right?”
Hyunjin could tell he was being mocked. Those two alphas were clearly trying to scare and intimidate him and were making fun of him. It did not make sense because his alpha did not overspend. Neither of them did. There were no luxury goods or clothes or expensive trips or kick you out of the house electronics. Their house was theirs and it wasn’t some big mansion but an apartment neither too big nor too small. They lived normal lives that would have never gotten them in debt, not to mention the ridiculous amount written on the paper. He had to take a step back because the alphas where too close and only when he did that his omega relaxed a bit. Hyunjin reached for his phone and tried to call his husband.
The number you have called is currently unavailable.
Unavailable. He tried again and again and every time he got the same message which was strange because he always picked up the phone even if he had to leave it to ring for longer at times. His alpha was not answering the phone and he had in his office two alphas that now turned out to be loan sharks or something of a sort, saying there was a big debt to be paid and he had to pay it otherwise they would take him. It was surreal and dangerous. Hyunjin was shocked but his very feint scent barely made it known so at least he could be thankful those two could not tell how scared he really was. Those two were laughing at him now, both of them moving closer to him. The short alpha took his paper back and Hyunjin gulped hard, afraid of what was going to happen.
“I can’t reach him…” He tried to reason with them.
“I bet. I would disappear too if I owed this much money.” The tall one who tried to touch him before as he stepped closer again.
“I… it’s not possible. There is no reason he would have this much debt…” Hyunjin truly could not believe his alpha really did such an immense debt needing to be paid.
“Poor thing…” The asshole cooed. “You don’t know anything, do you?” he reached to touch Hyunjin’s hair and the omega tried to duck. “You don’t know your alpha was out daily fucking and drinking and gambling and ranking up debt.”
Hyunjin froze. Fucking and drinking and gambling? His alpha? Daewon? Fucking as in sleeping with other people? Drinking as in alcohol? Gambling? Daewon? The same alpha who came home with a smile on his face, sat down at the table, ate and complimented the food he made, who never smelled like anything but his coffee infused scent. It did not make any sense. When did he do all of that between going to work and returning home? This had to be either a prank or someone trying to take advantage of him. Hyunjin could not believe it was anything but that.
“He does not know.” The other laughed loudly. “Well… he didn’t give you a mating mark so you wouldn’t know. If you had one, you’d feel him fucking others daily.”
“This is a lie.” Hyunjin told them, unwilling to believe this was really happening.
“It’s not. Listen.. we are nice alphas as long as we get our money back or its worth back. So… you either pay it up tomorrow or we’ll make good on the contract and take you.” The alpha changed his tone, trying to touch him again.
“I don’t have that much money.” Hyunjin licked his lips nervously, wanting both of them out and to leave him alone.
“Then we will take you.”
It was disgusting. The way those two were looking at him was disgusting. They were looking at him as if they were ready to jump him and have their way with him. In their scent, eyes and even body language there were clear signs of an alpha that found an omega they wanted to fuck and claim. They were clearly measuring his worth as an omega. Hyunjin looked around a bit worried, wondering if he should shout out for help or call the police or something but the two alphas only mocked him further. Hyunjin tried to step back and away again but this time the alpha put his hand on him and tried to grab his chin. Hyunjin pushed his hand away and it only made them laugh harder.
“I can’t pay that much.” Hyunjin refused.
“Sure you can.” A nauseating smile appeared on both their faces. “You are an omega.”
Run. That was what his omega was telling him. Danger. Indeed, they looked and sounded very dangerous. Hyunjin wanted to move but he was too startled and too scared to do so. He was not dumb so he understood the implications of them saying he can pay it because he was an omega. His salary as a curator was not going to do it, not even if he worked until he turned 70 years old. They were planning to use him and the fact that he was an omega to get back their money’s worth and there was only one way they could do it and recover their money quickly. They were going to sell his body and get money for it. The realization turned his face even paler.
“Seems you are a smart one. Indeed…” the alpha grabbed his chin forcefully. “We’ll take you. You are pretty and he bragged about you being wild during your heats. We’ll make you wild and sexy every day so you’ll have lots of fun.”
“No.” Hyunjin tried to move away.
“Maybe 50?” he turned to look at the other.
“Maybe.” The other alpha agreed.
“Aren’t you lucky, omega?” the alpha laughed as he pulled his face closer. “50 different alphas and knots a day… you’ll be asking for them yourself in no time.”
“I said no.” Hyunjin panicked. “Let me go.” He put both his hands on the alpha’s arm trying to push it away.
“Don’t worry. We will be nice. We’ll fuck you first to get used to it and then we’ll give you happy pills to make you relax.” He looked Hyunjin up and down again as he struggled to get away. “Bet you’ll feel amazing….” he licked his lips and then leaned into Hyunjin’s face, aiming to lick his face.
Hyunjin did not mean to scratch the alpha’s face as he pushed and tried to get him to let go. He ended up doing it and it only pissed the alpha who smacked him across the face. It rang loudly in Hyunjin’s ear and it had his ears buzzing. Tears gathered in his eyes and he instantly covered his cheek as it hurt. Sure, he was an omega and he was going to heal quicker than betas would but it still hurt. It took a second for the alpha to grab tightly against his arms and shook him before getting into his face again. The look in his eyes turned even more dangerous and Hyunjin’s omega was whimpering, begging him to run away.
“You either pay us tomorrow or we will take you and turn you into a pretty fuck toy that will have to work daily to pay up. You’ll look hella pretty all naked covered in cum and knotted again and again so we will surely get a great price for you. Surely one of them will pup you up as well so we will be able to sell it or use it in the future. So...” he almost growled in Hyunjin’s face. “Better prepare for it. If we don’t get our money tomorrow… we will be back to take you the day after.”
Hyunjin stumbled back as he was pushed away. The two alphas licked their lips and checked him from head to toes again before laughing again as they began to walk towards the exit. Once they left, Hyunjin lost all strength in his legs and fell down on the ground, curling around into himself. In moments like this it would have been good if his scent was full and strong because he could use it to comfort himself but he didn’t even have that. Thankfully, he was almost at the end of his working day so he managed to wrap things up and leave work without people noticing his now swollen cheek. He had never felt as terrified as he was then, constantly looking around to make sure no one was following him.
He went and bought a mask to hide his injury and then rushed home. It had to be a misunderstanding. There was some other Kim Daewon who racked up that much debt. It had to be a lie. It was not happening. His alpha was not the kind of alpha that would sell him off. Hyunjin had to be less emotional and more logical about this to figure out a way to protect himself. He would get home and call his alpha again and he would assure him it’s a bad joke or something. Once inside his building, Hyunjin let out a relieved sigh and walked towards the elevator and almost got inside when he felt a hand press on his shoulder. If he had a proper scent, it would have soured immediately but all he did was almost shriek and bump into the elevator doors.
“I am so sorry, dear. I did not mean to scare you.” An older lady appeared properly next to him. “I noticed you coming in and I wanted to tell you not to worry because I can wait until later this week for this month’s rent…”
“Rent?” Hyunjin looked confused, his mask covering his face and his injury.
“Ah… your alpha handles it… well… let him know.” The lady smiled and if felt warm but the words were like a cold shower for Hyunjin.
He pretended to know what she was talking about and then rushed up to their apartment. He knew the lady. She was a nice elder beta who owned a few apartments in the four floored building. She was a landlord but she wasn’t theirs. They bought their apartment. His alpha said so. Once he got inside his apartment, he first went straight for the bedroom and into the closet to get some clothes and wrap himself around with it. They smelled like the fabric softener he loved and he needed something to comfort himself with. He tried calling his alpha again but the same recording came back. After maybe an hour of being dazed, he decided to take things one at a time.
The old beta lady said she was willing to wait until the rest of the week for rent to be paid. Hyunjin opened every single drawer in their house until he found the one where he found the lease contract. His alpha said the apartment was bought by him. He lied. He paid rent for it monthly. The deadline was the very same day which was probably why she told him she can wait. Thankfully, Hyunjin could pay it as he had money saved up but it was not right. His alpha lied. He did not buy it. What else did he lie about? Was he really out drinking and sleeping around? He said he didn’t mark claim him to not take away his freedom but what if he did it so that he could cheat as much as he wanted without him knowing? What if everything had been a lie just so that he could dump his omega whenever he wanted to?
What options did he have? He could not go back to his pack. They would either send him away, unwilling to shoulder the debt or would take him in, make him divorce somehow and sell him off again to another alpha. Whatever alpha would be willing to take on an omega with that much debt would most likely do to him the same things those two said. He could go to his alpha’s pack but … he barely knew them. They were scary, he met them once and saw them treating their omegas badly, so he believed his alpha when he said it was safer, better for them to live away from them. What if they wanted to do the same thing to him? He thought of going to the police but the last time he saw Daewon was in the morning so they were not going to file a missing person complaint. Not until it was too late.
Hyunjin eventually threw up and then cried himself to sleep, curled on the floor in a pile of clothes that smelled like the fabric softener he loved. This had to be a nightmare. How could things take such a turn in just a few hours? He woke up every few hours trying to call his alpha but there was no answer. When morning came, Hyunjin felt so incredibly lucid he wondered if his heart froze. He was abandoned. This was the truth. The truth was his alpha had lied about a whole bunch of things, had a debt of an amount Hyunjin would never be able to pay off with his salary, and then ran away and sold him off to pay for it. They were just married, without a claiming mark, so he was neither a member of his pack nor of his alpha’s pack anymore. He had belonged just to his alpha but not anymore. His always sold him. He belonged to no one. He was alone. All he had was this apartment that was also not his.
He had no way of paying the debt. He also could not, absolutely never, let himself be turned into a form of a sex slave for alphas to enjoy. No matter how he looked at things, it seemed as if he too had to try and make himself disappear. He had to run away and stay away and he hated it. It made him incredibly angry to be abandoned, alone, having to run and give up his life, his work, his everything. The Hyunjin that walked into the gallery with an almost healed cheek several hours later was not the Hyunjin of the day before. Something died inside him. Maybe he was already dead. All he had was himself and he couldn’t afford to loose himself as well. He almost hated himself for continuously trying to call his alpha only to get the same robot message.
Hyunjin had just finished writing his resignation letter, tears threatening to escape his eyes when his office phone rang. It was his coworker at the reception. His heart began to beat like crazy, afraid that those two were back. They said they would be back. He had to run away. He wanted to bolt away but then he was told some other man was hoping to talk to him and was in the digital art corner of the gallery. He fell down on his chair, losing all his strength once again as relief washed over him to know that those two were not back. He was going to quit his job so he owed the gallery to do his job properly until the end.
Hyunjin was determined to talk to the guest, finish his job, put in his resignation and then spent the rest of the day selling everything he could, paying the final month of rent, it was the right thing to do, and then make himself disappear. He had one day to run away and half of it already passed so he had to rush. Checking into the mirror to make sure he looked properly, he took a deep breath and walked out into the gallery, heading towards the digital art exhibition section. Standing in front of a highly praised animation made by a fellow South Korean was a handsome man. That man was an alpha. Hyunjin immediately recognized the handsome man, dressed in a suit, brown hair slicked back as one although he could not sense any scent coming from him. The alpha was not as tall as Hyunjin but his side profile was amazing. Round eyes, a sharp nose, full lips, the suit looking perfectly fitting him.
“I see…” the man turned around and Hyunjin got to see his brown beautiful eyes, long eyelashes and even better how fit and handsome he was. “So you are Hwang Hyunjin…”
Hyunjin noticed this alpha also looking him down from head to toes. This alpha too was grading his looks and body. This alpha also knew his name. This alpha also had a familiar glint in his eyes that spoke of danger, the feeling growing stronger as the handsome alpha began to grin. This alpha too probably heard the so called rumors and bragging Daewon made about his wild heats. Hyunjin found himself frozen in place once more as the alpha began moving towards him. It was strange though because this time his omega was not shouting at him to run away. He felt some sort of danger and yet he was not afraid. Not like he had been the day before.
“So you are Daewon’s omega…” the alpha said.
Even his voice was not scaring him although it was serious and low. It became so quickly clear this alpha asked to see him not because he was interested in something related to the gallery but because of his alpha. This handsome alpha, much like the two scary ones from the day before, approached him because of his alpha husband. Hyunjin did his best to keep his calm because most likely he too was there to recover some debt his husband made. Just how many people did he owe? Did he have to leave the country to escape? This alpha too was dangerous so why was he not feeling the need to just turn around and walk away?
“I am sorry to bother you at your work. You see, I figured it would be better than to show up at your house.” The alpha explained as he side glanced at him, turning his body to look at another display.
“Let me guess…” Hyunjin found the strength to ask, feeling his blood turn even colder. “He has a debt with you too as well?”
“Oh…” the alpha turned his head fully to look at him. “I take it you received more visits like this.” He nodded to himself. “Well… it does make things easier if you know.” He sighed through his nose. “First... I should introduce myself.”
That was new. The two from the day before did not even think of saying their names. They immediately talked to him about the debt and trying to recover it. Was this why his omega was not panicking, urging him to leave? Was it because this new alpha did not let out his scent to intimidate him, had a much more gentle and calm appearance and that had to be an extension of his personality? He seemed far more polite as well as instead of barging into his office and threatening had asked for a talk in the gallery itself were people could hear any ruckus. It was almost as if this alpha did not want to intimidate him at all. The alpha turned his body around towards him and placed his hands inside his pockets and grinned before he spoke again.
“My name is Lee Minho.” The alpha introduced himself. “Your alpha owes my pack. I am here to see what can be done about it since he ran away.”
So strange. Incredibly so. Hyunjin was facing another alpha that wanted him to settle the debt his alpha left and yet he did not feel the urge to run, did not feel afraid and was not scared. It was a pity though. Even if this alpha appeared to be more reasonable than the other two, there was no way he would be able to help him out of his situation. If Daewon had a debt with him as well, he was going to be another person he had to run away from. This alpha was just another person that would put him in a bad situation. It was incredibly strange. Hyunjin almost felt sad that he had to disappoint this Lee Minho and tell him he cannot pay it. He was going to have to run away from him too.
The alpha had gone to the gallery with the intention to check and see how realistic it was to try and get their money back only to come face to face with an omega that was prettier than in the photos he had on him. Minho actually felt it was a damn pity than an omega like Hwang Hyunjin had been tied to a loser alpha like Kim Daewon. The omega had little to no scent, lacked plenty of the charms of an omega and looked more like a draft of what an omega should be. An omega like him should have been well fed and dressed, with rosy cheeks, tempting scent and more.
Unfortunately, it was not his business what other alphas did to their omegas although he found it close to blasphemy to own such an omega and then proceed to kill everything that made him one until only a shell resembling a beta remained. Was Hwang Hyunjin even aware of what had been done to him and what was going to happen now that his alpha abandoned him for others to pick up and use as they pleased? Some alphas simply did not deserve omegas but again, it was unfortunately not his business. He went to the gallery to see if he can recover his lost or call it quits. He had no interest in Hwang Hyunjin.
Or so he thought.
Not even a few minutes later, Minho changed his mind. He could get his money’s worth and more if he took Hyunjin. There was plenty he could use and do to him so he decided on a new plan. His pack was sure to approve of his plan and decision. The omega had no choice either way. If Hyunjin thought he had a way out, he was severely mistaken and delusional. There was no where for the omega to go and he wanted him. When Lee Minho wanted something, he got it. Whatever it took. Hyunjin did not know then was that running away from Minho had never been an option but he was going to find out soon enough.
If Hyunjin was lucky or equally doomed to have attracted the attention of this handsome alpha his omega seemed to not fear was still up for debate. Only time was going to tell if it was going to be Hyunjin’s demise or salvation. Either way, the process was going to be a very entertaining one. Oh, the fun they were going to have with him.