Chapter Text
The penthouse sank into darkness as the sun set beyond the city skyline. Baekhyun stayed curled up on the couch, knees to his chest, eyes locked on the front door as if sheer willpower could make it open—make Chanyeol walk in with that familiar grin, calling his name like always.
But nothing came. Only silence.
The quiet pressed in on him, suffocating. His tears flowed without pause, his small frame trembling as fear clawed at him. Without Chanyeol, he felt bare—unprotected, fragile, exposed to a world that suddenly seemed too cruel.
He didn’t know how much time had passed; hours maybe, or just minutes stretched thin by panic. The darkness swallowed everything until he couldn’t take it anymore. With trembling hands, he fumbled for his phone from his bag, using its screen as a dim flashlight to find the switch.
The light flickered on, stabbing at his swollen eyes. His vision blurred, but as he scrolled through the contacts, he noticed two names saved—Luhan and Kyungsoo. People Chanyeol trusted.
His fingers shook violently as he pressed Luhan’s number. The ringing nearly drove him mad, each second a dagger of helplessness.
“Hello Baekhyun-ah?” Luhan’s voice came quickly, tightening with worry as soon as he saw the caller ID.
Baekhyun’s voice cracked the moment he heard it. “Lu…han-hyung… Chanyeol—he’s—he’s gone! He’s not here, I waited, I waited but he never came back—” His words collapsed into sobs, choked and broken.
“Baekhyun, calm down, breathe. What do you mean gone?” Luhan’s tone sharpened, alarm bleeding through his calmness.
“I don’t know—I don’t know where he is!” Baekhyun cried, clutching the phone so tightly his knuckles whitened. “I called, but—he’s not home, he’s not anywhere! I’m so scared... what if something happened—” His voice crumbled into silence, only shallow gasps filling the line.
Luhan’s chair screeched in the background as he stood up. “Stay there, don’t move. I’m coming right now.”
Baekhyun’s lips trembled, but he could only whisper, “Please… please come fast…”
And the line went dead.
Baekhyun sank back onto the couch, phone pressed to his chest, sobs shaking his fragile body as he waited for the sound of footsteps—praying that the next person through the door would be Chanyeol.
---
The door burst open after what felt like an eternity, and Baekhyun’s tear-filled eyes darted up in hope—only to see Luhan rushing in with his alpha right behind him.
“Baekhyun-ah,” Luhan called softly, his heart breaking at the sight of the trembling omega curled into himself on the couch, eyes red and swollen from crying. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s small frame, pulling him into a firm embrace.
Baekhyun clung to him immediately, fists tightening in Luhan’s shirt as his body shook with another wave of sobs. “H-Hyung… Chanyeolie…i searched for him... but he’s gone…”
“Shh, I’m here, I’m here,” Luhan murmured against his hair, rocking him gently, his voice soothing like a lullaby. He pressed Baekhyun’s head against his chest, letting him cry until the sobs grew weaker. “You’re safe. Just breathe with me, little one… just breathe… good.”
Behind them, Sehun was already moving, his sharp eyes taking in the scene. “I’ll get water,” he said quickly, disappearing into the kitchen. He returned moments later, setting a glass on the table, but when he saw how weak Baekhyun was, he left it untouched for now. Instead, he paced toward the wide window, phone pressed to his ear as he began making urgent calls. His tall frame was outlined against the city lights, his voice low but tense as he spoke to contacts, searching for any lead on Chanyeol’s whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Luhan continued to cuddle Baekhyun, stroking his back. He could feel the heat radiating off the younger’s skin—unnatural, feverish. The omega’s scent was sharp with distress, and Luhan’s heart sank.
It wasn’t illness. It was the bond.
A new mating bond, raw and fragile, and the absence of his alpha was tearing Baekhyun apart from the inside out.
“You’re burning up,” Luhan whispered, brushing the damp hair off Baekhyun’s forehead. “But listen to me—you’re not sick, okay? This is just your bond calling for Chanyeol. Your body… it needs him. His pheromones, his presence. That’s why you feel like this.”
Baekhyun whimpered softly, pressing his face harder into Luhan’s chest. “I just… want him home…” His words were slurred with exhaustion, as though even his voice was breaking under the bond’s strain.
“I know, baby, I know,” Luhan soothed, rocking him gently as if he were a child. His own throat tightened with sympathy. He’d been mated long enough to understand the ache of separation, but Baekhyun—so newly bonded, so delicate—was unraveling completely.
Luhan just knew. If ever Chanyeol die, this omega will not survive.
Behind them, Sehun’s voice sharpened on the phone. “Check again. He wouldn’t just vanish.” His hand curled into a fist as he stared out the window, city lights reflecting in his eyes.
The room was filled with quiet sobs, hurried whispers, and the sound of Luhan’s steady heartbeat against Baekhyun’s ear—a fragile cocoon of comfort in the suffocating absence of the alpha he longed for.
Luhan’s heart ached as he felt Baekhyun’s small frame continue trembling in his arms. The omega’s exhaustion was clear—his eyelids fluttering weakly, his body limp yet overheated with the strain of the bond.
Without a word, Luhan rummaged through the laundry basket, pulling out one of Chanyeol’s worn shirts—soft, oversized, carrying the alpha’s comforting scent. Carefully, he slipped it over Baekhyun’s thin shoulders, tucking the fabric around him like a shield.
“Here… this will help,” Luhan whispered, smoothing the collar. Baekhyun inhaled shakily, and for the first time that night, his body relaxed just a little, clinging to the fabric as though it were Chanyeol himself.
“Chan…” he murmured faintly, curling into Luhan’s embrace. Within minutes, his exhaustion won, and he fell asleep against Luhan’s chest. The older omega held him protectively, rocking him like glass too fragile to break.
The penthouse door clicked again, and Kyungsoo strode in, his expression dark and tight. He didn’t even stop to greet anyone; his phone was already pressed to his ear ringing someone.
Sehun glanced up from where he stood by the window. “You think it’s Baekjin?”
Kyungsoo’s jaw clenched. “Who else would dare? Chanyeol would never vanish without a word—especially not leaving Baekhyun like this.”
Luhan’s eyes flicked toward the sleeping boy in his arms, his chest tightening at the truth of Kyungsoo’s words.
Kyungsoo’s voice dropped lower, sharper. “Baekjinie, hey. Yeah, it’s me. Chanyeol ordered five dozen cupcakes for a family event, but I can’t reach him. Do you know where he is right now?”
There was a pause. Then Baekjin’s lazy drawl slithered through the line. “What event?”
Kyungsoo’s fist tightened around the phone. He forced a calm, clipped tone. “I don’t know. He said it’s private. Maybe… your baby shower, if you’re having one?”
A soft chuckle came from the other end, smug and mocking. It made Kyungsoo’s blood boil.
“Yeah, maybe… He’s sleeping, so I’ll let him contact you later.”
The line went dead.
Kyungsoo lowered the phone slowly, his jaw tight, eyes burning with restrained fury. “Son of a—” He hissed a curse under his breath before slamming himself down onto the couch. His leg bounced furiously, and his fists dug into his knees.
Sehun crossed the room, silent but steady, and offered him the untouched glass of water. Their eyes met—Sehun’s calm but sharp, Kyungsoo’s simmering with anger. Kyungsoo snatched the glass, downing it in one go before pressing the heel of his hand against his temple.
“He have him, I don't know what this bitch is up to..” Kyungsoo muttered darkly, his voice shaking with the effort not to explode.
Across the room, Baekhyun whimpered softly in his sleep, curling tighter into Chanyeol’s shirt. Luhan rocked him gently, glaring at the ceiling.
Sehun stood back near the window, the city lights casting a pale glow over his sharp features. “How are we going to get Chanyeol out of the Byun estate?” he asked at last, his voice low so as not to wake the boy.
Luhan smoothed a hand over Baekhyun’s hair, his tone calm but firm. “Sehunnie, not now. Baekjin’s an omega—he can’t restrain a full-grown alpha, not without help. If Chanyeol hasn’t come back yet, maybe… he has a plan. We wait.”
Sehun frowned, jaw tight, but he nodded slowly. His hand pressed against the glass as if he could burn a hole through the night sky.
Kyungsoo, who had been pacing the edge of the room, finally stopped and looked back at them. “Luhan’s right. For now, we make sure the omega is okay. If there’s still no sign of Chanyeol tomorrow, then we make a move.” His words were steady, but his eyes were sharp with unspoken anger.
All three shared the silent weight of agreement.
Kyungsoo’s gaze dropped to the fragile figure in Luhan’s arms. His voice softened, almost hesitant. “Do you think… he’s pregnant?”
Luhan’s lips parted slightly before he shook his head. “No. His scent is normal. And…” he glanced at Sehun before adding, “Chanyeol mentioned once that he’s on medication. For self-control and contraceptives. He wouldn’t risk Baekhyun like that.”
Kyungsoo exhaled and gave a slow nod, his shoulders easing though his expression remained grave.
The penthouse was too big, too quiet, its silence broken only by the hum of the city outside. One by one, they settled into the couches, their bodies stiff with unease. Sehun remained at the window, Luhan cradled Baekhyun close as if guarding his heart itself, and Kyungsoo leaned back against the armrest, eyes never leaving the omega even as the night stretched long and heavy around them.
---
It was just past 3 a.m. when the quiet of the penthouse shattered. The soft click of the front door unlocking jolted Sehun upright from his uneasy sleep on the couch. His instincts roared to life instantly—three omegas in the room, one of them fragile and newly mated—he was on edge, ready to fight.
But then the tall figure stepped inside, and Sehun froze.
“Chanyeol?” His voice cracked with both shock and relief.
The alpha looked nothing like himself. His tall frame seemed to sway under its own weight, one hand clutching desperately at the side of his neck, his steps uneven like each one cost him everything. His skin was pale, lips drawn tight, sweat dampening his hair. He looked ready to collapse.
Sehun was at his side in an instant, catching him just as his knees buckled. “Shit—Kyungsoo help me!” he barked, his own panic cutting through the silence.
Kyungsoo startled awake, his eyes widening when he saw. He rushed forward, helping Sehun half-carry, half-drag Chanyeol toward the couch. Chanyeol cursed under his breath, low and pained, his body trembling as they lowered him down.
And then he let go of his neck.
Kyungsoo gasped, his hand flying to his mouth. There, across Chanyeol’s skin, was a raw mark—angry, jagged, smeared with dried blood. The wound radiated something vile, wrong. And worse, the scent of Chanyeol’s pheromones was muddied—tainted—with the unmistakable trace of another omega.
The foul mixture swept across the room like smoke.
Luhan stirred at once, senses sharpening. He sat up quickly, and with that, the smaller body in his arms shifted.
Baekhyun blinked groggily, disoriented—until his gaze fell on the broken figure across the room. His heart seemed to stop.
“Channn…”
His cry was small, strangled, but it carried across the space like a blade. Baekhyun stumbled to his feet, tears spilling before he even realized he was crying. He ran—barefoot, trembling—and threw himself against the alpha’s side.
Chanyeol’s arms lifted weakly, instinctively wrapping around him, holding him close despite his own pain. The relief in his eyes was raw, almost desperate, as he buried his face in Baekhyun’s hair.
“Baek…” His voice cracked, his chest shaking with the force of it. He held his omega tighter, as if letting go would mean losing everything.
Baekhyun sobbed harder, clutching at Chanyeol’s shirt, his small frame pressed against him like he could shield him from whatever had hurt him.
And for a moment, even with the bitter scent of betrayal hanging in the air, there was only the sound of their breathing, tangled in anguish and need.