Chapter 10
Minji had a terrible habit of peeking at the alpha early in the morning. She knew her heat was coming and she could feel the effects of it as she rushed down the hall, just needed to take a quick peek at the alpha and make sure she was okay before retreating back to her room for the week. She wanted to make sure the room was still intact and that she hadn’t snapped at anyone.
She pushed the door open slowly, expecting to see the alpha passed out on the floor, only to be met with a new sight. She was curled up on the bed, arms wrapped around the extra pillow while quietly snoring. The alpha looked entirely too comfortable and too cute for words.
She lingered slightly before feeling everything intensify. The omega didn’t want to subject the alpha to that so soon. So she quietly shut the door and hurried back to her room, never wanting that to be the reason she woke up.
At least not yet.
When the alpha woke up, she felt so much better. Her entire body didn’t ache nearly as much, her head didn’t hurt, and she wasn’t dirty from the floor. She couldn’t help but snuggle into the pillow she was clutching, letting out a content sound of happiness as she rubbed her face into the soft fabric, happy that she didn’t have nearly as many pains.
She sat up, still holding the pillow in her arms. Bora was right. It was so comfortable. Much more than the floor.
The older alpha joined her a little while later, happy to see that she was seated on the bed instead of the floor.
“Comfortable right?” Bora smiled at her.
“Very…” Siyeon whispered.
“Minji won’t be joining you this week. But you can join me,” Bora explained. “If you’d like,” She whispered.
“Oh… I… I should probably let my wounds heal… If you are doing hard labor…” Siyeon frowned.
“Hard labor?” Bora tilted her head, watching the alpha nod her head. “No… We belong to the princesses… We don’t do that…” She explained. “I’ve been working on a blanket for our pup,” She smiled.
Siyeon followed the older alpha, slightly nervous as they walked through the hall. A few servants and maids hurried out of their way when they saw the new alpha, frowning at her being out and about without the princess.
“Right this way,” Bora smiled before pushing a door open.
The smell of old books and dust caught Siyeon’s nose first, causing her to sneeze before anything else. Bora led her to her little spot in the study, finding a second pillow to sit on and be comfortable.
“Yoohyeon will join us soon, she’s walking with the queen this morning,” Bora whispered.
“So you just stay by her side all day?” Siyeon frowned.
“Yes, she requested I stay nearby lately. Before, I used to wander the gardens during the day,” She shrugged. “But since she’s with pup, she has wanted me near.”
“And you… occupy yourself?” Siyeon frowned while watching her pull a basket near her. It was full of different yarn and a somewhat done blanket. “With making a blanket…” She sighed.
“Yes, I want our pup to have a blanket since they’ll be born at the turn of winter,” Bora explained. “It’ll still be cold,” She frowned while pulling everything she needed out.
Siyeon wasn’t sure exactly why she agreed to join. She would’ve been content with staying in the room all day. She would’ve gotten antsy, but she would’ve been content.
It wasn’t long before the princess joined them, muttering things under her breath before jumping at the sight of the second alpha in her study.
“Bora…” Yoohyeon frowned.
“She’s fine,” Bora mumbled without looking up.
“Okay…” The omega sighed while taking a seat at her desk.
“How was your walk with the queen?” Bora asked, finally looking up at her mate.
Siyeon observed them, tilting her head slightly at their interactions. Bora was initiating conversation, directing her attention toward the omega, and waiting. If she didn’t get an answer right away, she would ask the same question or repeat her name just in case she wasn’t paying attention. All things that alphas weren’t meant to do. If omegas didn’t want to talk to alphas, alphas didn’t have a right to demand their attention.
“Yoohyeon,” Bora whispered.
“Hm?” Yoohyeon finally looked up from her papers, looking down at the alpha that was seated near her. “Oh! You’ve done so much with the blanket,” She gasped, fully turning in her seat.
“I think I’ll make a few before the pup arrives,” Bora smiled.
“Maybe! I think make two this size… And then two more that are bigger?” Yoohyeon questioned. “That way we have blankets as they age,” She smiled.
“Of course.”
Siyeon watched as Bora thrived on the praises she was receiving, and it was confusing. The entire dynamic had shifted in this room alone, and nothing seemed right. Nothing at all seemed to be making sense in Siyeon’s head.
“How are you doing?” Yoohyeon turned her attention toward the younger alpha, seeing her confused face. “I know you’ve only been here a few weeks… But it must be hard… Right?” She frowned.
“I’m fine,” Siyeon mumbled. She glared at the omega, causing Bora to send a warning growl at her.
“We aren’t bad,” Yoohyeon sighed. “So far we haven’t done anything to abuse you,” She scoffed. “If anything, we made your life better,” She turned back to her desk, moving a few papers around before dipping her brush in ink and working through a few documents.
“Better? How is this better?” Siyeon scoffed.
“You’re not muzzled, you’re not chained up, you have a room to yourself, food that is actually good and plenty,” Yoohyeon mumbled while writing. “And an omega that actually wants to get to know you rather than use you for whatever they want.” She picked her brush up from the paper, admiring her work before dipping it back in the little jar of ink.
“Still stuck behind barred windows, and stone walls and kept prisoner,” Siyeon glared.
“And yet it could be worse,” Yoohyeon sighed. “I really don’t understand why you’re being like this. Really, Minji could’ve had any alpha in any facilities within the kingdom. Yet, she went back four or five times to watch you. She wanted you. And you have been nothing but severely aggressive and rude to everyone.” She snapped, finally turning to look at the alpha. “I think out of everything you should be grateful.”
Siyeon let out an ugly snarl. It was the same thing the facility staff would tell her. That she should’ve been grateful for the life they were providing the life they had at the time. All she heard was the sounds of the facility in her mind. The voices of the omega staff shouting at her.
Before Siyeon could even react further, Bora had already tackled her and was growling. The smaller alpha’s teeth were bared, furious that this younger alpha had even dared to go against her mate.
Yoohyeon was horrified at the quick actions, watching them roll before Bora slammed Siyeon against the floor. The smaller alpha was heaving slightly, still growling and baring her teeth at the younger. She had never seen this interaction before, not even with her servants or any of the staff. Not even their children.
Siyeon was quick to kick her off, forcing Bora to hit the stone ground hard. But the smaller alpha only saw red. She tackled the larger alpha, barreling into the other table, breaking it in a few pieces the second they collided into it.
The younger alpha swiped at Bora’s face, leaving a shallow scrape before hearing a deep rumble come from the older alpha’s chest.
The omega heard a loud snarl again, a horrible attempt from the younger alpha to try and keep her own aggressive stature, only for it to be drowned out by a new sound Bora had never made before. It frightened Yoohyeon, and it must’ve frightened Siyeon too since the omega watched her flinch and cower at her.
The omega watched as Bora slowly got up, still glaring at the other alpha before making her way to Yoohyeon again.
“Are you okay?” Bora whispered, the concern now overtaking the anger she felt prior.
“I’m… I’m okay…” Yoohyeon blinked a few times, a little shaken by the interaction she had just witnessed. “What… what happened?” She frowned.
“I put her in her place…” Bora mumbled. Her eyes shot down to the floor before taking a peek at the other alpha that was now seated across the room, heaving slightly. “She… she shouldn’t have done that…” she whispered.
“You protected me…” Yoohyeon mumbled. “You’re hurt…” She reached up and touched the scrape, watching Bora move her head away from her touch.
“Yes… I’m fine…” Bora whispered.
Siyeon stayed in the room for the remainder of the week. Servants brought her food instead of Bora. No more conversations, nothing. She was set in her place and now she was back to being alone.
She let out a loud growl, swiping at the linens on the bed. She watched as her nails tore through the blankets, destroying the pillows, and eventually overturned the bed with how frustrated she felt. She let out a loud scream before tears erupted, causing her to fall to her knees.
She just wanted to go home or die.
By the next day, the servant that brought her dinner was shocked to see the room in shambles again. This time, they began to pick up around the alpha that had ultimately passed out from exhaustion.
After hearing the moment of aggression from the alpha, she was muzzled while she slept, and to wake up with the metal contraption on her face again wasn’t at all too shocking. She snapped and almost hurt a royal. Of course, they would want to protect themselves.
She heard shouting in the hall, then a loud voice. A voice she hadn’t heard and it made her cower.
“She almost killed your sister!” The king’s voice echoed in the hall.
“No! She didn’t!” Minji shouted.
“Father she only snarled at me!” Yoohyeon defended. “Bora put her in her place!”
“Minji. I told you to give up. She needs to be executed.” He glared.
“I was in heat! I had to leave her!” Minji screamed.
The king stopped in his tracks, looking back at his eldest daughter.
“Unless you wanted me to be mated that quickly.” She glared at him, seeing the rage building in his eyes. “I’m not agreeing to her being executed. I’m not giving up on her.” She held back her own growl, watching her father start to straighten up his stance.
Yoohyeon smelt the scent again, knowing that he was fuming at this point. She could smell the burning wood radiating off of Minji, and it caused her to panic. Bora was locked in her room because of her spout of aggression and she didn’t know what to do until her eyes landed on Siyeon’s door.
She backed away slowly, seeing her father’s back before she hurried to the door. She pushed it open, seeing the tired alpha sitting back in her spot.
She didn’t hear a familiar growl, anything. But she locked eyes with the alpha and frowned.
“He’s going to hurt her if you don’t step in… please help her…” Yoohyeon hurried to the alpha and quickly unlocked the muzzle. “Please, Minji does like you. And I apologize for speaking out of line. Just please protect her before he hurts her.”
The omega’s tone was sincere, and Siyeon was confused. She felt herself being pulled up and dragged out of the room. She didn’t feel any kind of connection to the younger omega, but the second she smelled the foul scents, something in her clicked.
She didn’t smell the spring flower scent that usually enveloped the omega. She smelled fear.
“Please Siyeon…” Yoohyeon whispered.
The alpha quickly rushed in between them, snarling at the king. She gave direct eye contact, letting out a very ugly noise that Yoohyeon heard prior.
Minji flinched at the sound but was surprised that Siyeon got between them. She was defending her. She locked eyes with her sister, unaware she had released the alpha for her.
“How dare you,” He growled.
Siyeon didn’t step down, but she did take a step forward and continued her aggressive stance until he backed down.
“She’ll be executed by the end of the season if she doesn’t calm down,” He snapped at Minji.
“She won’t need to be.” Minji glared at him.
The king left with a huff, glaring at Yoohyeon as he walked away. Once he turned the corner, the younger omega let out a sigh of relief, looking at her sister briefly.
Minji let out a shuddered breath, hurrying to the alpha, and hugged her tightly. She didn’t care if the alpha wasn’t comfortable. She didn’t care if she had never touched her before. But she needed to thank her.
“Thank you,” Minji whispered.
The alpha stopped growling, almost as if a switch had been flipped. She nosed at Minji, wrapping her arms around her waist to reciprocate the hug. She tightened it briefly, happy to have some kind of contact with her. With anyone really.