Work in progress!!
Think of me
~a/b/o
~Soulmates
~Still a major work in progress/unedited etc
~Enjoy the first 9.5k words of an a/b/o fic I started last year and never completed 😂
~It will be finished and posted on ao3 eventually, so don't worry!
As soon as you find your soulmate, you start to hear whispers of their thoughts sometimes. The mental bond between the pair will grow stronger the more they get along.
Unfortunately for Taehyun, he must have accidentally met his soulmate at the welcoming party his new pack threw for him. And he really can't afford to have a soulmate reading his thoughts right now or it will blow his cover.
"I don't know Kai, are you sure this is going to work?" Taehyun whispered nervously to his best friend. He glanced around them in wary, noting all of the other shifters slowly gathering in the clearing.
Too many. There's too many of them. Surely they will notice. Someone is going to notice-
"Of course it will!" Kai said cheerfully, rubbing Taehyun's back in reassurance. "Relax, I got this all handled. Nobody is going to find out. Once the alphas of the pack scent you, the coast is clear! Just a few more minutes, trust me."
Taehyun's face blanched at that. The alphas were definitely going to figure it out. How could they not? It was like, bred into their very biological makeup to sniff out a potential unmated ome-
"Do I smell?" Taehyun asked for the hundredth time that day, since the moment he stepped onto another pack's unfamiliar territory. Hopefully it will become his pack soon. Kai even put in a good word for him with the pack leader's son and second in command, Choi Soobin.
Kai sighed, but relented yet again. He bent down and gently nestled his nose into the side of Taehyun's neck. The gesture was very intimate, but Taehyun needed the reassurance only his best friend could give him in this life or death situation.
Well, he was being dramatic, but for good reason. The pack he's originally from, the Cozen Pack, was not a very pleasant one, and their pack leader was one of the worst. Which is why he requested a pack transfer, hoping to get accepted into his best friend's pack, the Matutine Pack. Only the pack leader could approve of the transfer, and it's hard getting accepted right away. If today went well, taehyun would be home free from his past.
If it didn't…well, let's just say taehyun's current pack leader, Shin Moonjo, is not going to be very happy to find out he went behind his back and applied for a transfer. Nobody is allowed to even think about leaving the Cozen pack without his permission. He was a controlling bastard.
Kai inhaled deeply into his neck near his scent gland, and Taehyun tried not to blush at the few stares they were now receiving.
No, there was no romantic attraction between the two friends. They don't act like this on a normal basis. Taehyun just really needed Kai to make sure he didn't smell, and the only way to do that was to get as close as a mate would.
Kai let Taehyun's scent linger in his lungs for a few seconds, and then he exhaled it all out. He nodded his head happily, which meant good news. "Hmm, you have a faint scent of your usual tangerines and mandarins, but for the most part it's hidden. I can only smell it because I know what I'm looking for. If anyone questions it, you can just say it's a new perfume you're trying out! Trust me tyun, it's working."
Taehyun let a shaky breath escape his lips and his shoulders slumped in exhaustion. He believes his friend, he really does, but it was hard not to feel like a cornered scared animal. What he was doing was really risky and could potentially get him banned from every pack out there. There's no way he would survive as a lone wolf if that happened.
Kai was a beta wolf and his best friend. All betas have an extraordinary ability to scent out other shifters. They could easily tell what kind of shifter you were, and which subgender you were born as. They could track scents way better than an alpha or omega, and once they got a whiff of a fragrance, they remember it for life.
A beta's olfactory senses were a thousand times better than everyone else, which makes them a vital part of any pack. If there was an invasion on pack territory, a beta is at the front scenting and locating the enemies so the alphas can then step in and take them out with their incredible strength and stamina. If an omega was about to go into heat, they can scent it days before even an alpha can and get them to a safe place to rest for the week.
So Taehyun trusted Kai's nose. If he says his scent is mostly masked, then he will believe him. The suppressants he took must be working wonders. Kai reassured him that not even a beta would notice his scent unless they really tried, so it would be safe around alphas. All Taehyun has to do is remember to take his scent-blocking suppressants every day, keep his emotions in check so other shifters won't catch a whiff, and refrain from doing a lot of strenuous activity so he doesn't sweat and make his fragrance more potent.
Simple. No big deal. This is fine, everything is going to be fine-
"Here comes the pack leader's alpha son," Kai whispered to Taehyun, his eyes snapping to the tall male approaching the growing crowd. "He will be the first to scent you, which is a good thing because he's pretty sharp and the sooner we get him out of the way the better. Don't let his soft features fool you."
Taehyun bit his bottom lip and tried not to look like a frightened animal. Usually he was confident and sure of himself. He's smart and snarky; he had to be to survive the Cozen Pack all on his own for the past two years. But now he's here at the Matutine Pack, with no allies except for Kai, and a huge secret weighing on his shoulders that could get him kicked out of here, thrown on the street, and black listed from all other packs.
He's not the beta wolf he's trying to pretend to be. He's an omega, and omegas are typically not allowed to work as Pack Empath. Moonjo refuses to let him take on the position, claiming it's because an omega can be easily forced into submission by more dominant wolves. There's no way he would entrust the emotional well-being of his pack to an omega empath.
But this was taehyun's birthright. He was gifted these abilities to help people, and that's what he was going to do. Nobody can stop him, especially not Moonjo and his shitty leadership.
Forcing himself to take a deep, calming breath and straighten his posture, taehyun's eyes followed the pack leader's son as he made his way to the front of the crowd. The sun was beating hard on all of their backs, causing sweat to gather at the temples and neck. Everyone around was fanning themselves, huddling under the shade from the trees, or slapping on sunblock to either keep cool or get a nice tan from the summer heat.
They all seemed like nice welcoming people. Using the training he received since he was young, taehyun scanned the new pack he hopefully will be accepted in. They came in all shapes and sizes, their emotions fluttering over his skin like a second wave of heat. Excitement, curiosity, boredom, anxiousness, even a tad bit of misery all swept over him. He sensed no extreme negativity, no wish to harm him. Not even disappointment or hatred for what he was.
So far so good, and his panic briefly started to dissipate.
The pack leader's son clapped his hands, gaining everyone's attention. Taehyun's eyes flicked to the male, studying him as much as he could in the few moments before he was introduced.
"Hi everyone!" He said in a deep but soft voice. It was soothing and nothing like Moonjo's son, who had a nasally and grating lilt to his voice that made taehyun rather listen to nails on a chalkboard.
"Hey!" He shouted again when people still chattered about. "Shut up or there won't be any food!" He threatened half-jokingly, giving the stink eye to a very talkative male off to the side. Immediately the gathering zipped their mouths, the chances of no food being served at this outdoor picnic more severe than the wrath of their future pack leader.
That was so…weird to taehyun. If they all talked over Moonjo when he demanded silence, they would be beaten publicly with the rest of the pack forced to watch.
Taehyun knew all packs weren't like that. He knew that it was up to the pack leader to lead and enforce rules and structure to the pack as a whole. If you get a nice and caring pack leader, you were lucky. If your pack leader was an asshole then…not so lucky. Shifters don't interfere with other shifters' packs. That was just how it was.
Taehyun wasn't born lucky.
Choi Soobin smiled at his packmates, nodding when everyone waited for him to finish speaking.
"I have some good news for everyone! My father finally approved of a Pack Empath! I know it's been a very long time since we last had an empath, may she rest in peace, so the transition might be a bit awkward. My father and I both reassure you that he would make a good addition to our pack, so everyone please welcome him with open arms."
Soobin flicked his gaze through the crowd, finally landing on taehyun. Taehyun resisted the urge to shrink behind Kai, shock still coursing through his system.
He was approved? He got the position? The pack was going to welcome him among their ranks, just like that?
"Kang Taehyun, would you please step forward and introduce yourself to us?" Soobin called out, holding his hand for taehyun to take.
Taehyun didn't move his feet right away, and kai had to give him a gentle push to get him going.
He swallowed. Right. He needs to appeal to the pack. He needs to get them to like him. He has to make sure they won't hate-
Curiosity, adoration, relief, and gratefulness all bled into him as he stood up front and took soobin's hand. Soobin engulfed both of his hands around taehyun's, giving him a kind pat before letting go. He didn't even seem to mind that taehyun's palm was probably gross and sweaty.
Wide eyes all stared back at him when he turned to the pack.
"Hello," he said a little shyly. "My name is Kang Taehyun, and I will be your new empath for as long as you will have me. Please don't hesitate to come to me for anything you might need." Then he bowed.
Soobin, bless his soul, didn't let a moment go to waste. It wasn't awkward in the slightest as he easily continued talking.
"An empath's job is to ensure the emotional stability of the pack. Taehyun is here to help, he's here to stay and strengthen the bonds of everyone who wants to continue living under my father's authority, and later my own authority. We are family, and family always looks out for each other. If you have any concerns, problems, or hardships you would like to discuss, please don't hesitate to tell Taehyun. I trust he will handle the situations as he sees fit. Naturally, he will report back to me or Father on the welfare of the pack. He will be at the heart of our pack, and it's our job to make sure he's safe and comfortable. We protect our own. Any questions?"
Soobin looked back at the crowd, his face serious although he was still kind when he spoke.
Wow, what a speech. That's going to be some getting used to. Family doesn't exist in the Cozen pack. Everyone was separated and distrust was a common emotion swirling through the air.
Nobody had immediate questions, so soobin nodded and continued.
"To get taehyun acquainted with all of you, I am requiring an introductory session with him over the next few weeks. Everyone has to go, no exceptions. His official hours are Monday through Thursday, but he is on call in case of emergencies. Please be mindful and only call him after hours if it's super important. Being an empath is not easy, and I don't want him to feel bogged down and overworked. He will have a list of everyone's names and pertinent information about the pack, so no skipping out. He will report back to me if any of you decide to be a no-show, and I'll drag you there myself. By the ear."
His threat was genuine, but it was playful.
Taehyun could hear a few groans and grumbles, but overall the emotions seemed to be directed at soobin, not him. They were probably just lazy people who didn't want to go to a therapy session, feeling it's a waste of time.
"Just one session," soobin promised. "Taehyun has to get an emotional feel for all of you so he can keep the pack running smoothly. Afterwards, you are free to schedule appointments with him as you wish." He flicked his hand, dismissing the grumblers.
"Any questions before we move on?" Soobin asked one more time.
Someone in the crowd raised their hand.
"Yes?" He nodded to them.
"Will taehyun have access to all of our personal information, like doctor's records and stuff like that?"
Good question.
Taehyun decided to step in and answer it before soobin. He didn't want to seem meek and mousy next to the alpha, who was gigantic by the way.
"No," he told them confidently. "I will not disrespect your privacy like that. I'll only know what you are willing to share and discuss together. Everything said between us is completely confidential, unless I feel like you or someone else is in danger. You have my word."
Relief, approval, clarity, calm. All of the emotions seeped from a few of the packmates in the crowd. It was understandable. Not everyone wants their entire history laid out before a stranger. Taehyun needs to establish trust and rapport with the pack if he wants to know more personal things about them. He was a support for the pack, not a doctor. He is there to listen, to offer advice, to provide clarity of mind. He can even insert or take away emotions from a person if they wanted; but that was something he only did with consent.
Soobin smiled at everyone, and he fanned himself with his hand briefly to cool his face before addressing the next event on their agenda. The one taehyun has been secretly dreading since Kai told him it was a pack tradition and there was no way out of it.
The alphas need to scent him.
The Cozen pack would never in a million years do something like this, but taehyun found it was pretty common among more family oriented packs.
In order to ensure the safety of all pack members, the alphas gather around and scent their packmates. It's to make sure they have the scent of each person, being aware of who lives within the pack in case an enemy or someone sneaks in to harm them. If they come across a person they don't recognize, they would know it and be able to alert other members of a possible intruder. The shifter world was cruel, and there are always bad people out there who could potentially try to attack or take over a pack by force. Alphas usually guard their fellow members, most of them end up training under the pack leader in case of a pack war. Moonjo had plenty for his own personal use.
Taehyun was worried about the alphas. And definitely scared for the betas. Kai reassured him there were only two other betas in the pack besides himself, which was a relief. A beta might be able to figure out taehyun wasn't a fellow beta.
Luckily, the betas don't usually need to scent people in order to gather their unique scents. They can do that without getting up close and personal.
Only an alpha is required to get up close, so that when a pack member leaves pack grounds other outsiders will know they are accounted for and belong to a pack. Again, just another precautionary measure in case someone harmful approaches.
It was a one time thing, thankfully, so after today taehyun is home free. It will be quick: taehyun bares his neck for each alpha, stays still while they inhale his scent and commits it to memory, and then in return they take the inside of their wrist and brush it against his scent gland on his neck.
Him baring his neck slightly was not a form of submission, and everybody respects each other's intimate personal space by using the wrist to leave behind their scent. Getting your face close to someone's neck was an act of mating, which is why taehyun got a few funny stares earlier when Kai did it.
"There are twenty-one alphas in total, including myself," soobin told taehyun. "It might get a little annoying, but please bear with it until the end. It's important we have your scent and you have ours just in case."
Taehyun gulped, but nodded, keeping his outer expression calm. He gave a reassuring smile to soobin, who studied his face briefly.
"It's fine. I don't mind."
He's lying. But naturally soobin doesn't know that. Nobody has ever gotten this close to him before besides his family and Kai. Having twenty-one strangers basically sniff him and wipe their sweaty wrists on him is not an ideal thing for anyone, especially an omega.
No, they aren't strangers. They will be his new pack after today. His home, his family. He needs to get through this.
"All alphas, please line up!" Soobin ordered, his voice dominant and surprisingly strong. Taehyun's omega side shivered at the command ringing from him.
Yes, Kai was correct. Soobin might be kind and a little bit goofy, but he was no fool. He has to be careful around him and not let his guard down.
Taehyun licked his lips, tasting the sweat that beaded on his upper lip. He wiped his palms on his black dress slacks, hoping to cool himself off but knowing it was impossible in the heat.
Here goes nothing.
Soobin frowned briefly as he watched the alphas of his pack line up in front of him, and taehyun caught a glimpse of annoyance roll off him before the emotion was bottled up tight. What made soobin slightly agitated?
Soobin turned back to him and smiled shyly. "I'll go first, if you don't mind."
"Please," taehyun politely gestured for him to go on. His heart was thumping wildly in his rib cage, but he ignored it.
Inhaling and then exhaling, taehyun slightly moved his head so soobin had easy access to his scent gland on the side of his neck.
Soobin sheepishly bent down and got close enough to inhale but did not touch. Taehyun was internally freaking the hell out, but kept still.
"You smell good for a beta," soobin mumbled quietly. His breath hit taehyun's skin, the warmth adding to the heat already emanating off him. He clenched his fists at his sides, resisting the urge to back away.
"I-It's my favorite perfume," he lied, going with what Kai told him to say just in case.
"Ah," soobin easily accepted. "It suits you. I almost want to take another inhale," he chuckled, lightening the awkward mood. Then he backed his face away from taehyun's neck, and finished up. He respectfully and gently brushed the inside of his wrist against the side of taehyun's neck, and smiled again.
Calm, compassionate, accepting. All of those emotions surrounded soobin, and taehyun felt bad for lying to him.
"Welcome to the pack, taehyun. We're proud to have you." And he meant it. Then he stepped away for the next person.
On and on it went, every other person complimenting him and telling him how good he smelled for a beta. And each time he lied and said it was his perfume. They all accepted the excuse easily, and taehyun mentally relaxed when they were finally down to the last person.
And that makes twenty, he counted.
Wait, twenty? Weren't there twenty-one? Did soobin make a mistake?
But taehyun didn't have time to ponder that. The pack was throwing him a welcoming party outside for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Right now taehyun had to focus on interacting with everyone and building relationships. He was good at that, and it made him so happy when the pack members willingly came up to him and introduced themselves.
The first one to approach was a blonde haired omega wearing a crop top and denim jeans. He threw himself at taehyun into a bone crushing hug.
"Hi, I'm yeonjun!" The omega nuzzled his face into taehyun's chest, purring at the comfort. He was hot and sticky, and the sun was still relentless-
"Okay, enough. Don't overwhelm him. I'm sure our new empath is mentally cringing at all of the scents on him now," soobin pulled yeonjun off of taehyun, giving yeonjun a reprimanding stare. "He doesn't need yours too."
"But my omega likes him," yeonjun pouted. "He's all cute and squishy, I just want to-" he took taehyun's cheeks and pinched them, cooing at his chubby squashed face. Taehyun was dumbfounded, and yeah it kind of made his cheeks sore.
Soobin huffed. "Excuse him, he's like this to everyone. But he means no harm," the alpha apologized, his eyes softening at yeonjun.
"Alright, I'm coming to save the day," kai giggled, slapping yeonjun's hands away and freeing taehyun's cheeks. "You can squeeze my cheeks instead," he said in a flirty voice, puckering his lips for yeonjun.
Yeah, taehyun doesn't need to be an empath to see that going on.
Taehyun caught a flicker of possessiveness heading his way, and his eyes flew to soobin. Of course the alpha would feel threatened by kai and possessive over the omega he wanted-
Taehyun furrowed his brows in confusion.
Love, adoration, content. Those were the emotions coming from soobin as he watched kai and yeonjun goof around. Then who was…?
The more important observation was the way Kai flitted between yeonjun and soobin. He was eating up the attention. Taehyun never knew he was so close to an omega and alpha like this. As a beta, kai could take either one as a mate. But that was a discussion for later. Being in separate packs meant that taehyun and Kai often couldn't see each other. The only time they met up was when taehyun was permitted to go to the local coffee shop briefly once a week. Jinmook didn't like the omegas being gone off pack territory for long.
"Okay well, enjoy the rest of the picnic. I'll be back in a little while. I have to go get someone who thinks he can skip out on the welcoming party," soobin smiled. There was irritation, and the agitation returned. His face gave nothing away though, so yeonjun and Kai were oblivious to his true emotions.
"Hurry back!" Kai said easily, hugging soobin goodbye. Soobin returned the hug, burying his face briefly in the crook of kai's neck and inhaling. If taehyun wasn't watching so closely, he would've missed the intimate exchange.
Envy, longing, impatience. Taehyun glanced back over to yeonjun, who was watching the two exchange goodbyes with a blank expression. He seemed to snap out of it though, and quickly grinned. "Yeah, we aren't going to save you any food from the buffet!"
"Don't be mean," soobin warned. And then he was turning and heading out of the grass and onto the pavement towards the car parking lot.
Taehyun sucked in a huge breath of fresh air, and let it hold in his lungs for a few seconds. Ugh, he felt so gross. Everyone's scents were blending together and it was becoming too much for his omega. He needs to wash it off discreetly. Perhaps a bathroom-
"You must be all icky from having sweaty alphas rub up against you," yeonjun commented, studying him closely. He stood fashionably, with a hip jutted out and his arms crossed over his thin crop top t-shirt.
"Kind of yeah," taehyun smiled shyly. "Is there a restroom I can use?"
"Just the park outhouse down by the entrance," yeonjun nodded his head in the direction taehyun arrived in.
"I'll take him!" Kai jumped in, immediately knowing the truth. "We'll be right back yeonjun noona," he said cheekily, not giving yeonjun a chance to reply as he dragged taehyun towards the restroom.
Once they made it, Kai locked the door. It was a single bathroom and sink, so they wouldn't be disturbed.
"How are you holding up?" He whispered. The park outhouse was stuffy and smelled horrible. It had little ventilation, just a small window opening up at the ceiling letting in sunlight. Dust particles floated in the air, and taehyun tried not to breathe too much of the stink.
"I could be better, but it wasn't too bad. My omega is restless to get all these alpha scents off the both of us though," taehyun barely whispered. He doesn't want to risk someone hearing outside. "It's too much."
"Hear, let me help," Kai sprung into action, grabbing a bunch of paper towels from the dispenser and getting them wet with cool water from the sink. He let the water run while they talked so their voices could be muffled. They were both playing a dangerous game, and there was no going back now.
Taehyun took half the sopping wet paper towels and sighed in relief when he pressed them to his neck. Partly because it was a cool relieve against his sweltering skin, but mostly because he can feel the scents disappearing slightly as he rubbed.
Kai took up the other side of his neck near his scent gland, and pressed more cool paper towels to the back of his neck. Taehyun tossed the bunch he had, and got more for a second round.
Once that was finished, he splashed cool water all over his face and sighed in bliss.
It wasn't perfect like a shower would've been, but it was so much better than before. Most of the scents just lingered on his clothes. His omega could finally relax somewhat and enjoy the party. It was so thoughtful of the pack to throw him one even though it wasn't necessary, although Kai assures him that they would party for any excuse. The Matutine Pack likes food, beer, and a good time.
"Is the link still there?" Kai asked, referring to the metaphysical bond all packmates share when they are part of a pack. Up until an hour ago, taehyun could feel the Cozen Pack bond still attached to his psyche like a chain. Once Soobin accepted him into the Matutine Pack, that link disappeared and a new one took it's place. It wasn't strong yet, that will come with time and the longer taehyun is part of the pack, but it felt nice. Like a warm blanket covering the outskirts of his mind. The links reflect the personality of the pack leaders. There was a huge difference already with a link to Moonjo and Jinmook compared to a link with Soobin and his father.
"No, the link to the Cozen Pack is gone for good. I'm actually free," taehyun said with a small choked sob. Immediately Kai had his arms wrapped around him tight, hugging him and sending calming waves to soothe the omega. It's been a very hard time for taehyun, he's been through so much.
"Good. That's really good tyunnie. Moonjo is going to be pissed though. He no doubt felt the link break and you leave the pack."
"I don't care," Taehyun said, his voice muffled into Kai's T-shirt. He clung on for just a few seconds more, mustering the courage to keep moving forward.
"He's going to try and find you, then bring you back to punish you," Kai warned, a slight tremble of fear in his voice.
"Yeah, but he's going to be looking for an omega, not a beta," taehyun reminded him.
Yes, he was lying about his second gender because he has no choice. It was either pretend to be a beta and transfer to another pack, or get captured and possibly killed by Moonjo…or worse, be given to Jinmook as a 'gift'. Kai helped him plan for months, and then aided him in fleeing without being detected. Now he's going to take refuge in Kai's pack for the rest of his life, far across the country.
The Matutine Pack is relatively medium in size compared to other packs. They are quiet and peaceful to the point not many people know about them. They live in a small town near the southern border of the country, and they mind their own business. They own local stores, restaurants, and shops. The pack members live in houses all around. The entire town itself is no more than 50 miles in width, interspersed with forests, parks, and other normal landmarks. It was the complete opposite of taehyun's old pack, which made it a perfect hiding place.
"He won't get you tyun, don't worry. You're safe here. I would even argue that you don't have to pretend to be a beta, soobin will make sure nothing happens to you. But I agree, we can't risk anyone accidentally letting the word slip and news travelling back up north to moon-hoe and jin-shit.
Taehyun snorted at kai's nicknames for his old pack leader and second in command. Yeah, he can call them his old pack from now on. He will never willingly go back there.
"Thanks Kai. I owe you my life," taehyun muttered, backing away and giving Kai a quick kiss on the cheek.
Normally Kai would scoff and say he's being dramatic, but seriously…taehyun was in a bad place before. So he smiled and accepted the gesture of affection without a snarky retort.
"Now," taehyun brightened up, looking refreshed and determined to make a home for himself here. "Do I smell?"
Kai groaned in annoyance and huffed. "Seriously? Are we back at this?"
"Get used to it. I gotta make sure my cover isn't blown. So get sniffing," taehyun ordered, moving his jaw to bare his neck for Kai.
The beta grumbled as he bent down to give taehyun yet another whiff.
"A little fragrant from the heat and sweat, but no, you do not smell like an omega. Just a really nice smelling neutral scented beta. There, are you happy?"
"Yes, very," taehyun grinned. His face was flushed from how hot it was in the bathroom. They really needed to get out of there before he gagged. Plus everybody is going to be wondering where the empath was since it's his party after all.
They both walked out of the bathroom, ignoring the curious glances they received from a few people near the outhouse.
Taehyun smiled and made his way through the crowd, letting his new pack members clap him on the back and introduce themselves, already accepting he was one of their own. Kai stayed close just in case. Overall, it was a peaceful hot summer afternoon among the shifters.
~
Soobin marched up the drive and stomped into the huge garage, his nice shoes smacking the concrete. It was relatively cooler in the shop, but not by much.
Glancing around, he could hear cranking from a wrench and the soft indie music playing from the radio speakers. Surrounding him were metal parts and machines, and skeletons of cars in the process of being fixed. Huge tool boxes were tucked away in the corners, and the entire place smelled of oil, gas, and iron rust. His eyes narrowed on what he was looking for.
Bending down into the hood of an open car was the little gremlin himself, cranking away on some random car shit he has no hope of understanding.
"You're the only one not at the welcoming party," soobin called over to him as he marched to the car.
"Oh, was that today? I must have forgotten," came a sweet reply that was full of bullshit.
"The fuck you did. It was a direct order from my father that everyone had to attend, especially alphas," he growled out.
Choi Beomgyu scoffed, continuing to ignore soobin and fix the car instead. He's the best mechanic the town had, and ran his own shop. Naturally he would notice everyone, including the other mechanics who worked at his shop, taking the day off work because of the pack welcoming party.
"Rain check?" He asked cutely, which just made soobin want to slam the hood of the car down on his head.
"No, I don't think so. You're the only alpha who hasn't scented taehyun yet. So get your ass down there and say hello."
"No, I don't want to," beomgyu told him in a bratty voice, bending down farther into the hood so he wouldn't have to see soobin's annoyed face in his peripheral vision.
Soobin breathed in slowly, counting to five. And then he breathed out.
Inner peace. Inner peace. Inner peace-
Fuck it. He marched over to beomgyu and reached into the hood, gripping his earlobe. Then he harshly yanked, forcing beomgyu to stand up straight and face him.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Let go you sasquatch!" Beomgyu whined, trying to detach soobin from his ear. Good thing he didn't wear earrings today.
"It's hot outside, I've been talking to people all damn day, and I'm tired. Now listen to me because I'm only going to say it once," he hissed into beomgyu's face.
Beomgyu rolled his eyes, knowing that the super introverted alpha hated confrontation with large crowds of people, but being the second in command he's forced to go do what his father is too lazy to do. Messing with soobin when he's cranky is like signing your own death sentence.
"Today is a special day. We finally found an empath who is decent, nice, and yeah a little bit cute. He's also young enough to relate to the majority of the town, and will be able to stay and serve the pack for a long time. I'm not asking as a friend, but as your pack leader, to get your ass down there and scent him. He needs to know that everyone in this pack has his back, which includes you," he lectured, tugging on beomgyu's earlobe for good emphasis.
"But soobin!" Beomgyu whined. "Why do I have to stick my nose into everyone's neck?! Don't you know how gross that is? And then I have the scent stuck up in my nostrils for the whole damn day. I'm tired of this!" Beomgyu whined like a toddler.
Soobin's upper lip curled. "Get over it. All of us had to do it. And poor taehyun has to stand there as twenty-one alphas mark themselves all over him. If anyone should be complaining, it's him. Now you're coming with me."
"Ow, ow! Okay! Don't tug so hard, okay!" Beomgyu swatted at soobin's hand, sighing in relief when he let go. He glared at the alpha and rubbed his now red earlobe.
Soobin spun around and began walking out of the garage, expecting beomgyu to follow. When he didn't hear footsteps aligning with his own, he sighed, his shoulders drooping.
He was being harsh, he knows that. But it's time beomgyu moves on. This is for the good of the pack.
Turning back around, he studied beomgyu as he just stood there in the middle of his garage. He was wearing his work jumper, a denim looking full body outfit he puts on so he can crawl on the ground and get dirty without having to worry about ruining his clothes.
"Well? Are you coming?"
"Yeah, I just need to change," beomgyu said, staring at the floor. He quickly became oddly quiet, and soobin knows why.
"Kang Taehyun is not the same as your mother," soobin whispered. "Not all empaths are alike."
Beomgyu tensed at the mention of his mother. Her death happened so long ago, it will be almost twelve years this autumn, but it still left a nasty scar on his heart.
"He won't abuse his gifts like her. He even reassured me that he rarely uses the gift, and only if he receives consent. His approach to healing is modern and natural."
Beomgyu was stiff as a board, but he listened. Today was a rough day for him, and soobin understood that.
He too would be wary around empaths if his own mother abused him with her gifts.
Which is why he personally has been searching for a suitable empath to accept into the pack. He doesn't want to repeat history and subject his future pack to emotional and mental torture the same way beomgyu was forced to endure. By the time his father, the head alpha, found out about the abuse and headed over to take care of the matter, it was too late. Beomgyu's mother was already gone.
"If it's worth anything, he's Kai's best friend. Kai recommended him to me and I did a thorough background check on him. He's safe beomgyu, and he needs to know he has our protection," soobin told him softly. "It's unfair to hold prejudice against all empaths, and I'm sure you know that."
Soobin knows that beomgyu has a very kind heart, despite him trying so hard to hide it from everyone. He wouldn't want to be discriminatory against an empath just because his mother was a bad egg.
"Fine, quit it with the psychological bullshit," beomgyu grumped, clenching his fists. He glared up at soobin, not appreciating how right he was in everything he said. "I still hate shoving my nose into every new person's neck though," he complained some more.
Soobin smiled, rolling his eyes. "Normally I would agree with you, but this time it's different. Taehyun smells exceptionally good to us alphas today. I wonder why that is?" He tilted his head in thought.
"I'll be the judge of that," beomgyu told him, turning on his heel and going to the back room to change out of his jumper and into normal clothes. "Last time I shoved my nose into Hanse's neck, he reeked of jasmine!" He called out as he turned the corner.
"But jasmine is a lovely scent!" Soobin called back, arguing just to argue.
"Too flowery for me. I felt like I just snorted pollen like it was cocaine."
Soobin laughed out loud, never failing to smile whenever beomgyu was around.
"We can't help it that omegas have a strong scent, it's not their fault. Get over it," he said heartlessly.
"Whatever," beomgyu mumbled, emerging from the back room and running a hand through his sweaty bronze colored hair. He had on a black sleeveless shirt with a black and white flannel thrown over it, unbuttoned and flapping open all the way to allow airflow as he walked. It was a bitchin hot day today. Could he have mercifully showered and made himself more presentable for this new empath? Sure. But he had no plans of ever seeing the guy again after he dutifully sniffed him like a dog. Sue him.
He did however try to wash off most of the grime and grease from his hands, he wasn't a total asshole. It was somewhat unsuccessful though since his fingernails still looked blackened a bit, but whatever.
Soobin watched him lift up an arm and sniff, contemplating and then nodding his head as if it was manageable.
"You are so annoying," he told beomgyu.
Beomgyu stuck his tongue out at him and then followed him out of his garage. The pack all know each other very well, so he didn't even have to worry about locking up.
Soobin's fancy shoes clacked on the concrete as they walked across town towards where the picnic welcoming party was being held, in their largest park.
"So, if you actually attended the ceremony and listened to my introduction, I wouldn't have to repeat myself," he grumbled to beomgyu. "Kang Taehyun is a beta from a northern pack. He is best friends with Kai, and an Empath. He's had his gifts for as long as he could remember, and was properly trained since a young age to handle them. He did not acquire the gifts later in life, so we don't need to worry about him having a control problem. He's assured me his mental shields are as strong as ever. He doesn't like to use his gifts of forcing emotions into people, and will only use them in the case of self defense. He also asks for consent before he touches a person to read them or give them emotion. I have his word that he will not break those promises."
"So you believe him?" Beomgyu asked suspiciously.
"I have no reason not to," Soobin replied without hesitation. "Naturally if anyone has a problem with him, they can come to me to make a formal complaint. You know how it works around here."
"Yes, alpha," Beomgyu mocked. Everyone calls their pack leaders by rank, no matter what secondary gender they were.
Soobin just sighed, patting beomgyu's back with affection.
"I forgot to mention…everyone is required to see taehyun for one session, to introduce themselves to him. That includes you, and I expect you to go soon," he smiled devilishly when he heard a rumble of a growl from the alpha next to him.
"You're pushing it," beomgyu hissed.
They stepped up from the curb onto the grass and made their way through the crowd. Soobin used his height to his advantage to try and spot taehyun, or Kai.
"Quit being a baby and just suck it up. Taehyun isn't going to bite," Soobin continued to argue while glancing around.
Over there. With Kai under a tree. Luckily no one seemed to be around the empath, so it was a perfect opportunity to scent him before Beomgyu tries to make a break for it. Oh yes, he knows his friend very well.
Unfortunately, beomgyu didn't know what Taehyun looked like, so he continued to blab his big mouth without regard to the people around him as they walked closer to the tree.
"You know soobin, who needs an empath anyways? The pack is perfectly fine without that wannabe therapist. What's he gonna do? Pat everyone on the back and tell them to follow their hearts? Empaths were so last century-"
Beomgyu was on a roll, soobin will give him that. He didn't even notice they stopped a few feet away from Taehyun and Kai. He glanced nervously at the empath, praying he didn't hear. If Taehyun thought the pack wouldn't accept him, he might leave. They needed an empath. They needed someone to care for them, especially the people who are too prideful to talk about their problems with the alpha pack leaders. Wolf shifters are part animal, after all. Sometimes that animal side tends to get out of hand and take over. Empaths help control the urges before a wolf has the chance to go feral.
"I'm actually kind of disappointed," a nasally monotone voice said, cutting beomgyu's rant short. "You seriously couldn't come up with better excuses to convince Soobin the pack doesn't need an empath? Were they supposed to insult me?"
A laugh.
Beomgyu narrowed his eyes at the new voice, one he didn't recognize from his pack. So this was the empath.
Okay… maybe soobin might have been right. Taehyun was pretty cute, with dark hair, full lips, and wide eyes. And the whole glaring like he was gonna kill him thing was actually sexy rather than intimidating.
Beomgyu licked his lips, momentarily forgetting his previous outburst and distaste for empaths.
"I don't know, did it work?" Beomgyu asked, shrugging his shoulders like a brat.
"Take a guess," taehyun rolled his eyes. "All I see is a grown man with the mentality of a two year old. Clearly you have some sort of problem with empaths, so don't worry, I won't take it personal."
"Did you get that from your empathic superpowers?" Beomgyu said in a mocking tone, as if the gifts empaths use were a myth or something.
"No I didn't have to, it's called common sense. Something you clearly lack," Taehyun shot back.
Kai and Soobin both swayed their heads back and forth, watching the two argue with amused expressions on their faces.
"Well this is fun," Kai whispered to Soobin.
"Soobin! Aren't you going to yell at him for talking to me like that?!" Beomgyu whined, sending pouty lips his way.
"No, you started this shit. Get yourself out of it," Soobin snorted. Taehyun shot him a smile of thanks.
Deciding he really should break up whatever this was, Soobin stepped forward and placed a warning hand onto Beomgyu's shoulder.
"Taehyun, please forgive him. He's a wild little thing. This here is Choi Beomgyu, the garage gremlin. He's the pack's mechanic and owns his own shop down the block. He uhh, couldn't make it to the ceremony earlier and missed scenting you. He's the last alpha in the pack who hasn't met you. I apologize for bothering you."
Taehyun crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow. "You do know I can tell you're lying, right? Obviously this alpha didn't want to be here."
Soobin smiled, liking how easily taehyun calls out the bullshit. It was refreshing not having to play politics or be sensitive around him.
"Lemme guess, another voodoo empath power?" Beomgyu scoffed, his body tense with how tight soobin was holding onto him. Ok, yes, he was a flight risk. But he was also having way too much fun pissing off the new pack shrink.
"Yes, lies come with emotions that I can detect, but I don't have to do that right now. It's just painfully obvious how much you adore me," taehyun said with sarcasm.
Soobin sighed, finally growing tired of this. "Beomgyu, just scent our empath and then you can go. I'm sure taehyun is really tired at this point. Being around all these emotions in one place can't be very comfortable."
Taehyun's heart warmed at the nice gesture from soobin. No one in his life has taken into consideration just how tough it is to be around emotions all the time. Yes, he has strong mental shields; shields he has perfected since he was young in order to block out the hurricane of feeling so many things at once. But sometimes even his shields aren't enough if he's around large crowds with lots of hyped up emotions.
Beomgyu watched as taehyun's shoulders deflated, suddenly his prideful face growing a little weary as he relaxed from mental exhaustion.
"Thank you," taehyun said quietly to soobin, his voice suddenly soft. "I hope you don't mind if I leave early?"
Soobin shook his head, removing his hand from beomgyu's shoulder, essentially freeing him.
"No, the pack will understand. Don't even worry about it."
Now Beomgyu felt a little bad. It's true, he's seen what could happen to an empath when they become bombarded with everyone's emotions around them. His mother's mental shields weren't strong enough, and she always curled up in a ball screaming at the pain. She once described it as all of her nerve endings frayed and open to the world. It was too much.
He eyed taehyun for a moment, studying his face, waiting for the same thing to happen to him like it did his mom. But this empath seemed to be well in control of his mental walls.
Beomgyu huffed. "Okay fine. Stay still," he demanded Taehyun.
Taehyun's spine went rigid at the order from an obnoxious alpha. It pissed him off. "Excuse me?" He said in a low and careful voice. His whole life has been spent taking orders and being a meek and docile omega. He wasn't going to repeat that in this new pack.
"Look, I don't want to be here as much as you, so let's get this over with quickly and then never have to speak to each other again," beomgyu huffed rudely while wiping some sweat off the side of his neck. Damn was it hot outside.
Taehyun had two choices: tell this annoying alpha a piece of his mind and cause a scene, or just be the mature one and ignore it so he could get out of here quickly.
Yeah, a nice shower and a comfy bed in the A/C sounded like a better option, so he grit his teeth and forced a wave of calm to spread through his body.
"Okay," he said, essentially giving the alpha permission to approach him.
Beomgyu watched as the empath forced himself to relax and then tilt his head to the side, giving complete access to the side of his neck, a slight glare still present in his piercing eyes.
Woah.
He blinked for a second.
Seeing this feisty beta give in and submit to him kind of threw him off balance. It confused the hell out of him.
No, this wasn't a true submission. He was just allowing beomgyu to scent him, as per pack protocol and the orders of their head alpha. There was no meaning behind it.
Beomgyu snapped out of his daze, blinking away the split second thoughts and images of having this beta underneath him with the exact same facial expression. Eyes so fierce, neck so slim and unmarked, tilted to the side slightly in complete submission and just waiting for beomgyu to bite down and mark, suck, claim-
What the hell was wrong with him? Beomgyu wasn't usually attracted to betas. No offense to the betas, they are all lovely, but his alpha clearly had a preference his whole life. He had crushes on cute and soft omegas throughout the years. Wanting to take care of them and coddle them-
His alpha certainly never wanted a stuck up, snarky, and annoying little beta before. Huh. It must be the summer heat messing with his mind.
"Well? Am I going to have to stand here like this all day?" The bitchy words broke through beomgyu's trance.
His eyes zeroed in on taehyun's neck, the pulse beating over his scent gland. He took a step forward so that they were impossibly close, and he bent down slightly.
Angling his nose, he took a soft deep inhale of the new beta. He smirked when he could sense taehyun stiffening his body and feeling uncomfortable at his proximity. Good, since this was unenjoyable for him, he hopes it was just as unenjoyable for the empath-
And then he let the scent settle in his lungs, finally paying attention to what he inhaled so he could commit taehyun's scent to memory and recognize him as a pack member, as per protocol-
And his mind turned to absolute turmoil.
His alpha went into a frenzy inside his head, pushing to the surface to try and take, take, take-
Beomgyu closed his eyes and didn't dare move a muscle. He tried to gain control of himself and his inner wolf.
Holy fuck, this beta smelled so good. So potent. Like mandarin oranges and tangerines. A spicy citrus that he wants to lick up. Suck on until his skin was bruised and red. Taste on his tongue.
And for once in his life, he lost control. He didn't even register his body moving until it was too late.
He lifted his hand up and softly cupped the other side of the beta's neck, angling it so he could get even closer. Then he dipped down and skimmed the tip of his nose against taehyun's skin, getting drunk on his scent, his eyes cloudy and hazy. He made skin contact without permission, it was supposed to only be his wrist. The wrist is a polite way, it's cordial, it's safe.
His lips however, are not polite, they are certainly not safe-
Beomgyu doesn't know how much time has passed. All he knows is that his hand is lovingly caressing the side of the beta's neck and his lips are about to trail up his scent gland, already making contact with soft silky skin. The hot summer day is not helping at all with the potency of taehyun's scent, the slight musky undertone from his sweat driving beomgyu absolutely crazy.
"Beomgyu?" Soobin called out, his eyebrows furrowed in worry and concern. He had a good view of beomgyu's back as he crowded their new beta empath. The stance was certainly protective. And then beomgyu's hand went up to cup taehyun's neck, his nose brushing his skin, his lips softly pressing against his throat-
This was getting very intimate.
"Beomgyu, what are you doing? You just have to scent him really quick with your wrist-"
It wasn't Soobin's voice that brought him back. It was the tiny gasp and whimper of pleasure into his ear that finally made beomgyu come back to his senses.
He opened his eyes (when did he even close them?) and aggressively jerked his entire body a foot away from the beta.
He stared with wide eyes at the beta, shock clearly on his face.
Taehyun was no better, his eyes also filled with confusion. The both of them panting like they just ran a marathon.
Beomgyu's lips still tingled from when they made contact with Taehyun's skin. He involuntarily licked them, almost moaning in public at the taste. His teeth ached to bite down into the small crevice of the beta's neck where he had his face buried just moments ago. His alpha was growling loudly in his mind, wanting to hunt and chase this beta down so that he could make him theirs.
He cleared his throat, sensing the awkward tension in the air.
"There, he's scented by every alpha in the pack. Happy now? Can I go back to my shop?" He flung the words to Soobin, but his eyes couldn't look away from taehyun.
"Uh, yeah. That was all I needed from you. You're free to go," soobin replied.
One second, two, three more passed by. And then finally, finally, beomgyu was able to get control of his body again and spin on his heel, heading back to his shop and hopefully far away from whatever that was.
Taehyun let out a slow breath, watching as the annoying alpha walked away.
His legs were shaking and felt like jelly, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, his lower half throbbing and aching to be filled up. And he knows his face must look like a mess, cheeks all flushed and eyes dilated and fucked out.
What the hell was that?!
He remembers tilting his head for the alpha to scent him quickly, he remembers the alpha coming closer, almost pressing his slightly taller body into him, and then bending down to inhale his scent. He was prepared to say it was his perfume blahblah just like he did many times before with the other alphas, but then this alpha was different and the words got caught in his throat. He remembers the alpha's gentle caress on his neck, the way his eyes fluttered half closed at the feel of soft lips pressing to his throat, the sound of short breaths as he inhaled more of taehyun's scent into his lungs like he was drunk and intoxicated on his natural perfume.
Lust, possessiveness, shock, confusion. Taehyun felt it all, rolling off the alpha in waves. Normally he would've been extremely pissed having someone invade his personal space like that and intimately touch him without his permission. But he could tell it wasn't with malicious intent. He could feel beomgyu's confusion at his own actions.
And it's not like taehyun stopped him. No, instead he encouraged these actions by releasing a whimper of pleasure. He was totally embarrassed by his own body's response. If beomgyu didn't step away, he would've been moments from rubbing himself up against the alpha and begging him to stretch him wide and fill him up like a desperate omega in heat.
Soobin watched his friend leave, and then he raised a questioning brow at taehyun.
Yeah, there was no mistaking what just happened.
But until taehyun figures out why his omega almost submitted to a complete stranger, he refuses to speak of it and blatantly ignore it.
"I think I need to lie down for a bit. The heat and everyone's emotions have started to tire me out," he said.
It was partially true. But he was more hot and bothered by a sexy alpha mechanic than by his empath problems. He needs to take a cold shower, calm himself down, and cleanse himself of all the swirling energies that clung to him throughout the day.
And yes, he ignored his omega's heartbroken whine at the realization that he has to wash off the delicious alpha's scent from his body.
Typical. He just had to go and get horny for a jerk alpha.
Hiding his omega from the pack has just gotten five times harder.
~