Chapter Text
The train blared on its approach, rattling the rail lines. The rocks jumped and popped like they were seeds on a hot pan, and the workers scrambled to move out of the way. The bells trilled, red lights flashing as the deafening roar of the train grew louder. The barriers were down, preventing anyone from crossing the tracks. Everyone stood aside as the giant metal train zoomed past, billowing clouds of smoke trailing behind it. Dark streaks striped the skies as the massive machine chugged past. The whistles faded as it entered the tunnel, taking with it the heat and noise from an engine that breathed fire. The bell trilled once more and the workers made their way back to the railways.
The service station was packed with people. Teams of engineers and mechanics poured onto the main floor as the train screeched to a halt. The bell clanged before the train hissed loudly, letting out steam from the windows as the men aboard poured water over the engine. Most of the workers began to board the train almost immediately, while the rest jumped onto the tracks and began their routine inspection. Regular inspections were required for a train this size. It wasn’t a passenger train but a cargo train, which meant they needed to make sure it wouldn’t break down or be easily stopped by thieves that wanted what was on board. Service stations like this were constantly full, cargo trains making daily stops and needing to be maintained. In a way, they were more valued than passenger trains as they were retro-fitted to run almost twice as much with nearly double the normal capacity.
The Head Engineer barked orders at the rest after receiving the initial assessment. There were a few groans in the crowd as they discovered one of the train cars had been damaged by corrosion. That was usually a big job, requiring them to do much more than a normal inspection. It could have been easily done in the Eastmoore service station due to its size; it was one of the biggest service stations in the capital. It would take a few hours, but this was the last train and it was nearing the end of the day. Most of the engineers were worn out and hungry, barely having eaten during their break. The Head Engineer sighed, scratching his bald head before blowing on his whistle. Everyone turned their attention to him, heads popping out of windows to hear him.
“Alright! We are working overtime! Anyone who wants to stay gets extra rations for the week.” The crowd began to murmur, discussing the advantages of staying when a hand shot up.
“I’ll stay.”
“You always do, Bang. Start with the coupling rods and the wheels. Anyone else?”
The Alpha saluted, pushing his way out of the crowd politely. He unbuttoned the top of his uniform coveralls, tying the sleeves around his waist. It revealed a leather strap that ran across his chest, holding in place a metal shoulder plate. Ink swirled from underneath the metal all the way down his torso. He tugged lightly, making sure the buckle was secure. Chan wrinkled his nose at the state of his undershirt before taking it off. It was stained with oil and sweat; no one really minded if he worked shirtless anyway. He slipped on his apron and grabbed his tool box, putting on his gloves as he headed over to the train. A few of his fellow engineers were already clocking out, talking excitedly about dinner with their families. The rest lingered, getting back to work, the Head Engineer included.
“You’re a beast, Bang. Get some rest, too. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow!” Chan called out, waving his hand. He sighed, rummaging through his tool box. It was going to be fine. Just a few more extra hours and he’d get double the amount of ration tickets. So what if his wrist was starting to hurt or his lower back ached when he bent down? He had a job to do.
It was already nighttime when Chan made his way back home. He cracked his neck, stretching his arms out. He was glad to be out of his jumpsuit; it almost always smelled like coal and oil, no matter how many times he had it washed. He was in a simple shirt and trousers, a tattered long coat on to beat the chill. There hadn’t been much they could do for the train cart. They’d noticed that some of the parts couldn’t be fixed, needing replacement. They didn’t have enough tools in the station, and they placed an order for the parts, but it wouldn’t be delivered until the day after. Nonetheless, Chan got his extra rations plus his usual pay. He was glad they’d let everyone head home instead of forcing them to stay. All he wanted was some warm soup and his bed.
The night was filled with drunken reverie. Chan lived along Boli Street, in the downtown red-light district, and it was fully alive at this late hour. Windows were brightly lit as the clubs and taverns started their days. The streets were full of drunks and women, music pouring out from every open door. Shouts from gamblers and shrieks of laughter rang out into the night, bar fights and smashing glass were almost comforting sounds to Chan. This world was all he’d ever known.
Chan bumped into one of the women on the sidewalk, snapping out of his wandering thoughts. He apologized profusely before realizing her state of dress; Chan blushed as he noticed the mark on her skin, indicating that she belonged to one of the brothels. She tried to persuade Chan to employ her services, but he simply smiled before politely refusing, quickly scurrying off.
He continued down the street, his stomach gurgling as he passed the smoking grills of the street carts. Maybe he could pick a few skewers up and bring some home for dinner. His mouth watered, and he decided to listen to his stomach and turn around. He ordered some chicken, pricier than his usual pick, but he had money to spare tonight. He was paying the vendor when a door swung open and loud peals of laughter spilled into the street. Chan looked up to see a group of women laughing at a man who looked like he had dressed himself in the dark. The man was clearly drunk, making grabbing motions at the women as they stood on the balcony above him. Chan snorted, shaking his head when someone called out.
“Chan!”
“Sana! Good evening, I hope the night is treating you well.” Chan cupped one hand over his mouth, waving in the direction of the voice. He walked over to the building; there was a swirling staircase that led down to the street from the second floor balcony. A woman descended the stairs, her beautiful gown sweeping the steps. One heel was metal, and clicked on the steps as she drew near.
Sana was the madam of one of the best known brothels in the area. She used to work as a prostitute herself, but she had suffered a terrible accident. She nearly lost her life, and ended up having to lose half her leg, and went bankrupt paying for a clunky prosthetic. After the incident, she was almost thrown out because no one would bother paying for her services. Luckily enough, she had proved herself extremely capable, and the former madam entrusted her to run the brothel when she passed. Sana was like an older sister to Chan, offering him room and work when he was younger. They had an almost familial bond. When Chan was much older, he had Changbin redesign her leg into something more sleek and much easier to walk around in.
She stepped down onto street level and walked up to Chan, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
“Can’t say I can complain. What are you doing out so late? Are you working overtime again?” Sana reprimanded him, but Chan simply smiled fondly.
“Well, got some hungry mouths to feed.” He raised the bag of food, shaking it a little. He still had one skewer in his hand, and he offered the grilled chicken to Sana who just wrinkled her nose and refused.
“Well, I heard one of those hungry mouths of yours was causing trouble over at Shownu’s Club.” Chan groaned inwardly, already knowing exactly who she was talking about.
“What? Shit, thanks Sana. Stay safe, alright?”
Sana waved him off as the rest of girls jeered from the balcony. Chan flushed pink, waving goodbye to her and the women upstairs before making his way over toward the clubs.
Son Hyunwoo’s club was easily one of the more popular clubs in the area. It had become known to the area’s residents as a gaming hell because of its regular patrons. Funnily enough, it was mostly frequented by young rich Alphas and Betas who were unmarried and making the most out of their status. It was at the upper end of Boli Street, close to the border, and was much more upscale than the other clubs in the area. Most of the residents knew the clientele were being swindled out of their money; the gambling tables were rigged to lose. Many of the players were actually employed to win the pool for the house, and even the women that worked there were on their payroll. Some of the residents still tried to play at the tables, but most of the winnings went back to the house.
The club was much bigger than the others on the street as well, due to their earnings. It spanned at least two houses and two floors. There were rooms for more private meetings, and the rest of the club was full of tables and card games. They were one of the few clubs that was big enough to house a boxing match, which brought in the majority of the earnings. There was actually one scheduled for tonight, which left the gambling tables open for some of the more local players as the higher class patrons focused on the match.
“You cheated!”
The accuser stood up, a massive drunken man with a nasty beard. He had a tattoo on his arm that meant he was an employee at the club. The winning pot was quite a large sum, and he clearly expected to win it for the house, but he had the misfortune of playing against the worst possible opponent.
Han Jisung was well known around the clubs in the area as a serial gambler. It would be pitiful on his part if it were not for the fact that he somehow ended up winning almost every game he played. Nearly every club knew to turn him away, or kicked him out for winning too much. Many people asked him what his secret was, but he kept his mouth shut. What most people didn’t understand was that card games were mostly math and memory, two things that came easily to Jisung. He enjoyed the game itself, keeping him amused and entertained, but the money was a great bonus for him, too. Nowadays, though, Jisung didn’t usually risk playing at the clubs unless his pack needed the money.
“No, I did not!” Jisung scoffed at the man, rolling his eyes before reaching for the money on the table. It seemed like a great time to make his exit, but the man brought his fist down, nearly crushing Jisung’s hand.
“You did, you brat,” the man growled, turning red in the face.
Jisung shot up from his seat, nearly overturning the table in his haste. This was why he didn’t play at the clubs anymore. Too many angry and bitter people called him a cheater when all he did was play smarter. Being accused of being a cheater was a direct jab at his honor, and he may not have been a gentleman, but his dignity still mattered.
“Listen, I told you. I’m just doing the math! It’s not my fault you’re too stupid to understand!”
Jisung probably shouldn’t have said that. The man looked close to exploding; Jisung could almost see steam pouring from his ears. He puffed his chest out, towering over him; Jisung swore internally, cursing his unfortunately shorter stature.
Jisung never really got angry, not when he’d spent most of his life in a foggy daze. He was an Alpha after all; from the moment he was born, he’d been taking suppressants that not only impeded his strength and senses but also subdued his emotions.
Every Alpha born in the working districts were required to take the suppressants, pumped full of drugs to prevent them from overpowering the rich Betas that controlled the factories. Still, Jisung had always been slightly more volatile.
His skin felt hot, his heart racing in his chest. He could feel his hackles rising, his Alpha clawing at him to put this man in his place. If Jisung was off his suppressants, he could easily take him. Even with his impaired nose, he could tell this man was a Beta. At full strength, Jisung could rip this man in two. The man was eyeing him warily; Jisung didn’t even notice that he was growling. He almost stepped forward when a hand shot in between them, pushing him back by the chest.
“Hey, hey, why don’t we all just calm down.” Chan’s voice soothed Jisung instantly. He blinked away the fog and found Chan’s eyes on him, equally worried and angry. Jisung ducked his head down, bracing himself for the sermon he was going to get once they were back home. The other man, however, didn’t seem placated, only growing angrier at the fact that Jisung had brought someone else into the fray.
“You tell your boy to give back what he stole. You cheating fucker!”
“I didn’t steal shit! Chan, I swear I didn’t cheat. I promise, I just-”
“Jisung. We will speak about this later.”
Jisung ducked his head, cutting himself off when Chan spoke. He bit his lip, chewing on the metal of his lip ring. His blood still boiled from being challenged, but Chan’s presence was calming to him. Chan was always the diplomatic one; he was very good at knowing just what to say. Jisung hoped he could get them out of this situation.
Unfortunately, the commotion at their table was drawing more attention. Jisung looked around and noticed a few people whispering, and there were some men making their way through the crowd. He signalled to Chan, silently pointing out the lackeys that were moving towards them. Chan eyed them for a second, glancing back at Jisung before facing the man in front of them.
“Listen, we don’t want any trouble. We’ll get out of your way.” Chan’s words were calm and level, despite the fact that he wanted to smack Jisung on the head for playing at the clubs again when he knew that this would most likely happen. He’d save the sermon for later, but for now he needed to make sure that neither of them ended up in a jail cell.
The man didn’t seem to want to back down, puffing his chest as more of his lackeys approached. “Ha! Fat fucking chance. Your boy here owes us money, and he’s not leaving till he gives it up. Fucking mongrel.”
The reaction was instant. Chan felt his eyes flash, ice running through his veins. A low rumble bubbled in his chest, and he had to consciously stop himself from baring his teeth in anger.
Jisung had less control. Behind Chan, he growled low, hands balling up into fists. Chan could feel the waves of anger rolling off of him. He turned to see Jisung’s one good eye narrowing dangerously as he gritted his teeth and snarled. Clearly, this man was aware they were both Alphas; the insult was pointed, one that Chan had heard for most of his life since he presented. Chan was starting to worry, though, because if the man knew they were both Alphas despite the lack of scent, it meant that he was ready to take them both on in a fight and send them to jail. An Alpha was usually the one to be arrested during street fights, the authorities considering their supposed aggressive nature as a threat. Chan needed to get them both out of the club before Jisung went feral and pounced. Some deity must have been watching over them, because just as the two groups faced off, a well dressed man approached the table.
“Excuse me, gentlemen. Is there a problem here?”
Both groups turned to face the newcomer. His eyes flashed with recognition at the sight of Chan, but it quickly disappeared. He turned sharply to the lackeys, silently demanding an explanation.
“W-well, sir, he cheated…”
“He didn’t-”
The man brought a gloved hand up, silencing Chan immediately. He narrowed his eyes as his gaze swept over the scene. Once he was done, he snapped his fingers and ordered that Chan and Jisung be brought upstairs. The rest of the men would be dealt with later. Chan rubbed his temples, this was exactly what he wanted to avoid and yet-
“Chan?”
A door was pushed open and Chan and Jisung were ushered into the room. It held a similar motif to the rest of the club, except it was adorned with expensive paintings on the walls. Sitting behind a giant cherrywood table was the club’s owner.
“Good evening, Shownu.”
“Didn’t expect to see you here. Change your mind about drinking?” He smiled jovially, confused but happy to see Chan nonetheless. Chan, however, was a little less enthused at meeting an old friend under these circumstances.
Shownu had worked at the club before it passed into his possession. During his time as a lowly lackey, he would sneak food from the kitchens to Chan. Chan was always grateful for the kindness that Shownu had shown him. When he got older, the two of them worked at a factory together, where a machine malfunctioned, nearly severing Shownu’s hand. Being an Alpha meant that his reaction was just a little bit faster even under the influence of the suppressants, but it wasn’t enough to save his last two fingers, rendering them useless. Chan had helped Shownu at the factory, knowing how important it was to keep a job. Unfortunately, the pain was too much and he could no longer keep up. Chan had asked Changbin to help design a metal prosthetic that looked like a glove for him, giving him back full functionality in his hand. The prosthetic glinted in the low light where Shownu’s hand rested on the table.
Chan stood in front of Jisung, blocking him protectively. He and Shownu may have been friends, but Chan knew where his loyalties lay. Shownu appraised him first, before letting his gaze fall on Jisung.
“Ah, I remember you.”
”Good evening, Mr. Son.” Jisung stepped around Chan to stand next to him, his head down, voice lowered to a mumble.
“My men tell me you’ve been stirring up trouble at the tables.”
“Shownu…” Chan looked up, pleading silently.
They both knew that Shownu’s men were simply making trouble, especially because of Jisung’s status and seemingly never-ending luck. Shownu had even praised Jisung for skill at the game before, knowing full well that cheating at every game could never guarantee the winning streak Jisung had.
Shownu hummed, swirling a glass of amber liquid. He looked up to his mate, Kihyun, who was silently wiping his gloves as he stared at the two men in front of him. Shownu tended to leave many of the decisions to him, despite being the owner of the club, and everyone knew as much. Kihyun didn’t really mind that Chan and Jisung were Alphas - he was mated to one himself - but he surely didn’t appreciate the trouble that they brought with them when they visited. He looked back to Shownu, a silent conversation passing between the two. Shownu nodded slightly at his mate before turning to face them again.
“Half the earnings.”
“What?!” Jisung yelled.
Chan eyed him sternly before bowing to the club owner. Jisung looked just about ready to argue, but Chan’s hand shot out to grip his wrist.
“Thank you, Shownu.”
Jisung wanted to scream. Why was Chan okay with having half the money taken away when Jisung had done nothing wrong? Chan looked straight ahead, ignoring the waves of anger rolling off ofJisung. Shownu simply smiled, sensing his frustration.
“Mm, you must understand that I have to appease my men as well, lest they accuse me of playing favorites.”
Kihyun moved around the table and beckoned one of their lackeys to come forward. He had gathered all of Jisung’s earnings, and he counted them swiftly before handing half of the stack to Chan. Chan murmured a quick thanks before pocketing the money. Jisung felt like he was shaking, his fists curled tight. Shownu eyed him before looking away, dismissing them both.
“Remember, Chan - this kindness is only extended because of our friendship.”
“Thank you, Shownu.”
Chan winced. He hated this part. He owed too many people favors now, and their years of friendship would only go so far. He turned to Jisung sharply, baring his teeth to get him to stand down before pushing him towards the door. Chan didn't want any more trouble; all he wanted was to go home. Jisung obviously wanted to argue more, but one look at Chan’s tired scowl had him backing down.
“You know,” Shownu called as they neared the door, “you can’t keep relying on me to do you favors.”. He was swirling his glass, the liquid inside shining like gold.
“I-… I’ll repay you someday.”
“Nevermind that.” Shownu waved a hand dismissively, and the men by the door finally let them through.
Jisung felt thoroughly ashamed, embarrassed and angered. He hated that he had to just take whatever treatment he received simply to avoid trouble. Chan walked silently in front of him, one hand still clutching an oil-spotted bag of chicken skewers. The two made their way down the street, through an alleyway to a side door.
The building they lived in was an old seamstress’ shop. The woman who had owned the shop had also lived with her family upstairs. They were on the poorer side of town, and when the price of rent grew too high, she was forced to close down. It had been a cold winter, and her granddaughter had gotten sick. Chan was the only person who had been willing to pay to rent the downstairs area out. When the seamstress moved away, Chan figured they could keep the whole building to themselves. Unfortunately, the area was in gang territory, so Chan paid a cut of his salary to appease the gang and make sure they were left alone.
They entered through their measly kitchen. Jisung grumbled, pushing past Chan to go to his room. He stomped up the stairs, slamming his door loudly before Chan could even offer dinner.
Chan sighed, placing the chicken in the fridge for tomorrow. He exited the kitchen, turning the corner to head downstairs to the basement. Even from the stairs, he could see the lights flickering, sounds of liquid bubbling and the smell of smoke wafting in the room. Chan knocked on a wooden beam, drawing the mechanic’s attention.
“Well, don’t you look swell?”
Chan snorted, unbuttoning his shirt as he approached the work bench. He pulled out a stool and slumped in the seat, feeling the fatigue of the day catch up to him. “You’re right, Changbin. I feel absolutely great.”
Chan turned his head to the side lazily and eyed Changbin. His hair was tied up in a short ponytail, revealing his undercut. He kept his protective mask down as he finished welding the metal rods he was handling together. When he was done, he pushed the mask up and turned to Chan. If he didn’t know any better, he might have thought that Chan had fallen asleep. Changbin chuckled under his breath, shutting his torch off before putting it away. He wiped his hands carelessly on his apron before taking it off; he always got dirty working on his projects.
“Jisung playing the tables again?”
Chan’s eyes fluttered open, lifting his head from where he was leaning back. He ran his hand through his short cropped hair with a sigh.
“I don’t get why he does it. He told me he got sick of it.” Chan leaned his elbows on his knees, cradling his head.
Changbin clicked his tongue, standing up as he rubbed his neck. “Isn't it obvious? It’s for the money, Chan.”
“What?”
Changbin rolled his eyes, leaning his hip on the table’s edge. He crossed his arms, muscles bulging in his black shirt. “We both know you’ve been taking extra shifts at work. You’re always coming home late. You look tired, Chan. More so than usual.”
Chan scoffed before looking up to see Changbin’s worried gaze on him. He sighed, his eyes falling to the floor. He watched as Changbin’s shoes drew closer until they stopped right in front of him. Changbin cupped Chan’s chin, tipping his face up to look at him.
“I’m starting to get worried too. You promised you wouldn’t overwork yourself.”
Chan suddenly felt guilty. He had promised both Changbin and Jisung he wouldn’t over exert himself, especially after an incident at the station where he had passed out. But they were behind on payments, and Chan didn’t have enough to feed all of them. Changbin’s clients wouldn’t pay him until the end of the month, and Jisung was still out of a job. It was up to Chan to make sure they survived day to day. On top of that stress, a new brand of suppressants was really weighing him down.
“I know…”
“Mhm, sure.”
Changbin let out a fond sigh, shaking his hand. He drew Chan’s face closer to his tummy, letting Chan wrap his arms around him and breathe in Changbin’s scent. There was something calm and refreshing about it, like a soft breeze through a forest, woodsy and fresh like pine. Changbin had the scent among the three of them that smelled least like an Alpha. It was also the strongest scent in their home as the suppressants didn’t cover it up as much. Changbin was often mistaken for a Beta, because of his scent and his demeanor, but underneath all that he was strong and reliant, protective of what was his; he was still an Alpha by nature.
Changbin ran his fingers through Chan’s hair, petting him softly. His rough nails scratched at Chan’s scalp, making him whine. He let one of his hands run lower, along the metal plate on Chan’s shoulder, remembering when he had it designed for Chan.
It was a minor injury, being ignored by Chan, but it would have escalated further if it were not for Changbin’s intervention. He’d been designing and making metal prosthetics and mods for years. Chan refused the plate at first, but it had proven to be a big help in the long run. Changbin tugged at the leather harness attached to the plate. No matter how much it helped, Chan still shouldn’t be overworking his body.
“Chan… you remember Bambam, right?”
Chan hummed, pulling himself back to the present. Of course he remembered Bambam; the two were as thick as thieves. They were both abandoned street children with no place to call home. They’d run around and play, causing all sorts of trouble together. When they got older, Bambam left him for his newly found pack, a gang that ran one of the clubs further downtown, in the seedier parts of the district. Chan had never harbored any resentment towards him for leaving. After all, Bambam found his family, and Chan found his, too.
“He says he’s got a job for us.”
“A job…” Chan was wary, knowing Bambam to be a bit on the wilder side. He was extremely reckless, and Chan wasn’t entirely sure a job from him would be without it’s risks.
“Yeah, they’ll take 65%.”
Chan furrowed his brow. “Only 65? That can’t be right.”
Changbin snorted, like he too believed it was an absurd cut. They were both used to the gangs taking at least 85% of their payout.
“What’s the catch?”
“This.”
Changbin stepped back, pulling open a drawer. He tossed a piece of paper towards Chan, who caught it easily. As soon as it was in his hands, a sweet floral smell hit his nose. Chan was even more confused now; the envelope smelled like it had been doused in expensive perfume. It was sealed with wax, but the seal had already been broken, most likely by Changbin. Chan took the paper out of the envelope and scanned its contents.
“A ball? What’s so special about a ball?”
“Fuck if I know. Apparently this one’s pretty big. It’s for this one guy, an Omega. It’s invite only.” Changbin pointed out the name at the top, written out in looping cursive letters. The reasoning clicked in Chan’s head. No wonder Bambam was offering close to half of the cut to them - it was a crazy job to begin with. It would be almost impossible to ensure a safe return. Changbin sat on his stool, spreading his legs. He crossed his arms, fingers toying with his metal piercings on his bottom lip while Chan quietly considered their options.
This was something they did. Although Chan wasn’t entirely proud of it, the three of them were infamously known as thieves for hire. It’s not like they aspired to it; they just happened to be very good at it.
It had started out small, with just pickpocketing a few rich drunks at a club. They each had a set of skills that made them the perfect team. Jisung was deadly swift with his hands and could steal a brooch off of a Lord’s lapel without being noticed. Chan was very good at reading people— and charming them. He was warm and inviting; most people tended to drop their guard around him. Changbin was their getaway driver. He was skilled with almost any type of transport, and he was the only person Chan trusted to be behind a wheel. The three of them worked together so well, it was like they were of one mind.
Chan was proud of his little pack, so when people started asking for them to take on more jobs, he agreed. It was a simple side job for them, and it was good extra income for when the winters were particularly bad. But over time, Chan came to refuse any job unless it was for good reason; taking back something someone had stolen, returning stolen documents and the like. He didn’t like doing it anymore, and Bambam knew that. He knew that, and yet he had still offered Chan’s pack the job.
Judging from the invitation, the ball would be held in the Duke’s old estate. It was further uptown than any of them had ever gone before. Chan knew that was probably why Bambam chose them for the job. To get that far uptown, they would need an airship. Airships were difficult to acquire; it was not only expensive to purchase one, it was expensive to maintain, not to mention illegal to own unless you were nobility or a rich merchant. Most of the factory bosses and the rest of the upper class rented airships; personal ships were far more rare.
While other gangs used the airships at the port for smuggling, paying exorbitant amounts of money for use of a ship and a pilot, it just so happened that Changbin had chanced upon one during a visit to a scrap yard. It barely had half its body, and it had been stripped of its sails. It didn’t even look like an airship, but Changbin had recognized it by its guts alone. It had taken him close to a year to scrounge up the parts he needed and restore it to full functionality. The ship was hidden in the garage behind their house, sails folded up and gathering dust.
Chan sighed, not even sure how Bambam had found out about their ship, but clearly he had. He knew that the only way to sneak across the border to that part of town was aboard an airship under the cover of night.
He folded the invite, stuffing it back into the envelope before handing it back to Changbin.
“I’ll ring Bambam in the morning. Let’s get some rest.”
Changbin shook his head, putting the envelope back in his junk drawer. He shut all the lights off, before following Chan up the stairs.
“You know we don’t even know if Levanter will fly.”
Chan smiled, throwing an arm around Changbin’s shoulder. “Course she will, Bin. You fixed her up.”
Changbin tsked, rolling his eyes. Chan knew he was right, though. Changbin was the most skilled mechanic he’d ever met. If anyone could make an airship fly, it’d be him.
Mornings in their household were usually quiet. It was one of Chan’s extremely rare days off, and he usually would just take an extra shift for some more pay, but he had already made plans.
He was frying four eggs in a pan while Changbin was reading the newspaper at the table. The oil sizzled as Chan sprinkled some salt on the yolks. Next to them, Changbin’s newest prototype food heater hummed as it blasted heat onto the chicken skewers from last night. Thankfully, this version seemed less likely to explode.
Jisung stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. Chan was just about to flip an egg when he felt a solid presence plaster itself against his back. A pair of arms snaked around his waist, Jisung’s breath warm on the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry… for last night,” Jisung mumbled into Chan’s neck. He hugged Chan tighter, burying his face in the crook of his shoulder. Chan sighed, feeling Jisung’s fluffy hair tickle his face. He glanced over to where Changbin was still reading the paper, briefly meeting Chan’s eye before drinking his coffee.
“I’m not mad.”
And he really wasn’t. Chan was worried and frustrated, but he slept it all off, chalking up his anger to his tiredness.
He petted Jisung’s hair, rubbing his cheek on his head. Jisung whined softly as Chan pushed his hands away, moving him so that Chan could plate the eggs while Jisung slid into his seat. He served up two eggs on each plate before turning back to the stove to cook himself two more. They required more protein than this - Alphas were notoriously voracious eaters - but they could only afford so much.
Changbin ruffled Jisung’s hair in greeting before getting up to check on the chicken. Jisung was already finished with his eggs when Changbin handed him a skewer.
“Jisung, you know there’s a reason why they won’t let you in the clubs anymore.” Chan moved to sit down, setting his plate on the table. He may not have been mad, but he still needed to remind Jisung of his limits.
Jisung sighed, pushing his hair up. “Yeah, I know…”
“So why did you-”
“Because we needed the money, Chan.” Jisung turned to face him.
Chan flushed with shame. He always took responsibility for taking care of the three of them. More than being in his nature, it was a promise he had made to himself and them, to take care of his family.
He looked up to see Jisung’s gaze on him, his damaged eye a pale, milky white. Jisung only ever wore an eyepatch outside, as the dirt and dust tended to irritate his eye, but at home he didn’t mind going without.
“They came yesterday, while you were at work. I know we’re behind on payments.”
Chan swore under his breath; he had tried his best to keep it a secret. This was exactly what he didn’t want them to worry about.
Changbin sighed, pushing his cup of coffee toward Jisung. He leaned his elbows on the table, facing Chan. “I think we should take the job, Chan.”
“What job?”
Chan sighed, side eyeing Changbin. They had agreed to keep it from Jisung until Chan made a decision. Jisung was the most adventurous of the three, which really meant that he was the most reckless. He liked dangerous jobs more, and it usually didn’t end well for Chan’s nerves.
Changbin merely shrugged, bringing the envelope out from his back pocket and sliding it over to Jisung.
“A party?” Jisung quirked his brow as he opened the sweet smelling invitation.
Changbin leaned back on his chair, shaking his head. “Not a party, a ball. A pretty special one.”
“But this one’s uptown…?” Jisung was confused. He vaguely recognized the address, knowing it was somewhere uptown, near Yoonjung . They’d done jobs before, snuck into gentlemen’s clubs and taverns, but never a private ball in an estate uptown. He looked at Chan, who had his hands steepled in front of him.
“Yeah, the Duke’s old estate and yes, it’s a private ball.”
“But they’ll never let us through there. The farthest we can go is Blackrose street.”
The shopping district was close to the border separating uptown and downtown. Many of the shop owners and their employees came from their side of the border. Anyone living downtown who needed one had a worker’s pass which allowed them to go to and fro within their work hours. They could forge passes that would get them across the border easily enough, but Blackrose was a long ways away from Yoonjung .
“We’ll need to take an airship.” Changbin wasn’t all too happy about it. It was a risk taking Levanter out of the garage, and even riskier to fly it. He wasn’t even entirely sure it would take off. He would still need to compute its capacity and speed, and whether or not it could hold enough gas to take them all the way there and back. A lot was riding on it, and Changbin was still unsure.
“Wait, are we actually doing this?” Surprisingly enough, Jisung seemed opposed to it. Usually he was all up for crazy ideas, but going uptown made him anxious. He’d never been there before; it was an entirely different world there, and that terrified him.
“65% percent.”
“What?”
“They’re only taking 65% of the cut. The rest is ours.”
Jisung shook his head in disbelief. That sounded too good to be true and he knew the rest of them thought so too.
Chan took a deep breath before bringing out a piece of paper. His reservations had been enough to make him call Bambam to get more details. He needed to know who the mark was, and if it would be worth risking their lives to get whatever it was Bambam was looking for.
“What we’ll be after is this. It’s called the Gyeryeong’s pearl.” Sketched on the paper was a picture of a pendant. The pearl wasn’t actually a real pearl, but a pure white diamond, shaped like a teardrop. It was part of a priceless heirloom, a necklace taken apart over the years.
The pendant alone was worth millions, and the more pieces one had, the more expensive it would be as a set. Pieces of the Gyeryeong’s heirloom were extremely hard to find, and the pendant was actually the largest piece, therefore being worth the most. Jisung and Changbin leaned in, eyeing the drawing curiously.
“It’s a pendant, and it’ll be on a man named Lord Park.”
Instantly, the name brought out a growl from Changbin. He was very familiar with the man.
Changbin used to work down at the docks for Lord Park; he owned most of the ships in the area. It was a terrible place to work, and his factory was run by a Beta that seemed particularly bitter towards any of the Alphas that worked there. He had wrung Changbin dry before he grew too frustrated and quit. He’d been treated like he was less than dirt for being an Alpha, along with the rest of the ship’s mechanics who were like him. He never liked the factory’s manager nor Lord Park; the man smelled like burnt rubber and chewed up tobacco. Jisung looked at Changbin before rolling his eyes.
“So this is personal?”
“No, it’s not. Right, Changbin?”
Changbin grunted, crossing his arms. He knew it would be too dangerous to pull a job within a job. This was strictly professional, and whatever personal grudges he had needed to be put aside. He nodded silently and Chan continued.
“This thing is worth millions. Even after Bambam taking 65% of the payout, we would be set for life. That 35% could really help us out.”
All three of them were in agreement on that much. That money could buy them a whole new life, in a new town, away from the gangs. A bigger workshop, better food. It meant fewer work hours and a chance at a good life.
“Okay, there has to be a catch here,” Jisung said after a moment. “This sounds way too good.”
Changbin chuckled, rubbing the metal barbell on his brow. He smirked, gesturing for Chan to be the one to break the news to Jisung.
“We’ll need to stay off the suppressants.”
“What?! Chan, I haven’t been off my suppressants in forever. Do you remember the last time it happened?” Jisung’s eyes were wide with panic. He still had nightmares over it.
That month’s shipment of suppressants had been on a ship that sank in a storm. Nearly everyone in the district was on edge, and the police had every Alpha on house arrest. Jisung had never had a rut that bad before. Changbin had still had some suppressants left over, and due to his nature, he was able to ride it out alone in his workshop. Jisung, on the other hand, was pushed into an early rut and nearly went feral. Chan was afraid he’d rip apart any Beta that came into contact with him. The three of them usually had their ruts around the same time, so Chan had ended up taking care of him like usual.
“Shit, you nearly skinned Chan alive.” Changbin hissed through his teeth. He remembered seeing the evidence the next morning. There were deep gouges on Chan’s shoulder plate and angry red lines down his back. Jisung was in a terrible state after that, spiraling into guilt for having hurt Chan. It had taken a while to coax him out of it.
Jisung shuddered. He hated feeling out of control. At least with suppressants, it was much easier to ignore his needs during a rut.
“I know, I know. But the new batch is much stronger, you won’t get your rut until weeks after.”
Chan had done the math. If they began weaning off their suppressants around a week before the job, they’d have enough in their systems to tide them over till the next cycle. Jisung’s rut wouldn’t be nearly as bad as he remembered.
“Why do we even need to?” Jisung whined. He was terrified of his baser instincts. Out of the three of them, Jisung’s Alpha nature was the most volatile and aggressive. He hated succumbing to it.
Changbin sighed. “It’s an Omega’s mating ball.”
Jisung’s confusion must have been obvious on his face, because Chan began to explain.
“Only one Omega will be in attendance. This ball is for finding their soon-to-be mate. The only people allowed in are Alphas or family. I’m getting this invite copied. You and I will each have one.” Chan knew a papersmith that could easily recreate the make and scent of the paper. He could probably pay a forger to copy the contents of the invite.
“Why can’t we just sneak in as Betas?” Jisung whined, still adamant about staying on suppressants.
“Because, Jisung, they’ll be able to tell. No matter what you do, your scent is still there. Since we can’t mask it, we might as well amplify it.” Chan shrugged, folding the paper up.
Changbin nodded next to him. “Plus, at a ball like this, everyone on staff is probably accounted for. They won’t let an unmated Alpha in unless you’ve got an invite.”
Jisung groaned in frustration. He buried his face in his arms, feeling defeated. Chan clapped his hands to get both their attention.
“We’ll have a month to prepare. Changbin, I want a test run on Levanter by next week. Jisung will help you, make sure she’s up and running. I’ll be calling in a few favors. Oh, and we’ll need to get you a new suit.” Chan got up, putting the plates away. He had a busy day ahead of him, he needed to start his plans now and make a couple of calls so that they could stay on schedule.
“Huh? But my old one fits fine.” Jisung cocked his head to the side.
“For now. Once you get off the suppressants, your body’s going to start changing. Changbin, make sure he stays out of trouble.”
Changbin saluted Chan before getting up as well. He needed to make an initial check on the airship to see what modifications it needed to accomodate 3 full-grown Alphas. Jisung looked worried at the mention of his body changing. He knew his muscles would probably get bigger, nothing close to Changbin, but bigger than his were now. More than physically, he was probably going to get more aggressive as well. Chan turned to see Jisung still in his chair, clutching the mug of lukewarm coffee. He kneeled beside him, a hand around his nape.
“Hey, it’ll be okay. We’ll pull off this plan, and then we’ll have enough to pay off all our debts and start over. Together.”
Chan smiled, squeezing the base of Jisung’s neck. Changbin placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed as well. Jisung sighed, leaning his forehead against Chan’s. Changbin bent down, placing his forehead against theirs as well. Chan breathed in their underlying scents, mingling with each other. They’d pull this off, the way they always did.
Together .
They had a month to prepare for the job. Chan contacted Bambam immediately to confirm they’d take it, in case he’d offered it to anyone else. Luckily, Bambam had some ins with the airdock, and Chan convinced him to help them get some of the materials that Changbin would need.
Changbin had basically finished the airship, having redesigned it and rebuilt it from scratch. He just had to do a few additional computations, considering they would need to carry all three of them round trip, plus the gas. Levanter was a class C airship, more commonly known as ‘Quail Hoppers’. They were fast, but were only made for short distances;Changbin essentially needed to quadruple its capacity to get them uptown and back. Jisung worked mainly on the small moving parts - he specialized in more intricate pieces of metal work - while Changbin handled all the heavy lifting. . Working together, they got the airship up and running for their first test flight, which was with Changbin alone. There were only minor incidents, and Chan was confident they would have the ship done in time.
Chan called in a couple of favors and acquired the blueprints for the estate, plotting out their route and possible exits. Changbin would need to dock on the roof and stay there while Chan and Jisung worked the party. They decided they would try to take as much as they could to make the most out of the job. Jisung had a very good eye and could easily spot a fake, so it was up to his discretion to take anything he thought was of value. Chan was in charge of working the room. He was a good distraction, and he needed to make sure no one noticed Jisung. They’d only have a short window of time to finish the job, so Jisung knew he had to prioritize grabbing the pearl first. According to Changbin, he would be able to identify Lord Park through scent alone.
The easiest parts were done, planning, setting up and laying down the rules. Now came the hard part.
Jisung grunted, waves of heat coming from him. He was absolutely drenched in sweat, his skin tinged pink. He was close to dunking his head in a bucket of cold water. Wiping his brow, he placed a soaked towel on his head. Only a couple of days after they cut his intake of suppressants in half, and his body was already starting to react.
Chan had warned him that the hot flashes would come first. He was still at work, and Jisung had no idea how he could manage working without overheating. He walked to the kitchen, bare feet sticking to the floor. Changbin was grabbing some juice when Jisung pushed him aside and stuck his head in the icebox. Changbin simply patted his bare shoulder before grimacing at the sweat on his hand. He left him slumped over in his rolled up pants, shirtless in the kitchen.
Chan arrived home in a much worse state. He was feverish and his body ached. He nearly passed out, and Changbin carried him to the bathroom where Jisung was taking an ice bath. He dumped Chan in with him, making him scream from the shock of the freezing water.
The next few days got so bad that they needed Chan to call off of work. The Head Engineer didn’t seem to mind much; Chan had a good reputation and he had never called in sick before.
After the hot flashes came the appetite. Alphas usually ate a lot of protein, but it was manageable. Now, they had abnormally huge appetites, finishing whole chickens by themselves.
It was also difficult because only Changbin could leave the house. Unmedicated Alphas could be caught and put in jail for being menaces to society, so they had to rely on Changbin to do most of the errands. Luckily, Chan was able to manage most of the effects easily enough after a few days of adjustment. He wasn’t able to go back to work because his scent was more prominent, but he looked much better.
Jisung was having a bit more difficulty, having relied on such heavy doses of the suppressants for years, much longer than Chan had. There were a few perks, though. Jisung woke up to find that many of his shirts were tight, his arms having become bigger. He was broader now, even with his slim waist. Chan had also gained more muscle. They had suits made to their new measurements, and thankfully, they were done on time.
The prep for the actual ball was rigorous. First they made a final inspection of the ship, checking to make sure it wouldn’t fail. Next was taking thorough baths. They needed to make sure that they smelled clean and only like their natural Alpha scents. Oil and rubber tended to stick to people's scents, and the chemical smell from the suppressants needed to be flushed away.
Jisung fitted his eyepatch on his face, a simple dark burgundy leather patch to match his suit. He wasn’t used to the whole ensemble, and Changbin laughed at how he struggled with the coat. Chan had them remove all of their jewelry as well, even his own shoulder plate. They needed to blend in, and no one rich enough to be at the ball ever studded their faces like his pack did. Their tattoos were at least covered by the long sleeves of their suits. Changbin was in his usual garb, a fitted button down shirt and trousers being held up by his suspenders. He had his hair tied in a ponytail and a pair of flying goggles. He was loading up the gas tanks outside while Chan double checked his plans.
“Chan, what was the point of doing my hair if I’m going to wear this stupid hat?” Jisung grumbled. He quite liked having his hair styled, having worked on it for a good hour.
Chan looked up before rolling his eyes fondly. “A gentleman always wears a hat. Don’t worry, you’ll take it off inside.”
Jisung was still grumbling when Chan handed him his invitation. He grabbed his own hat before stepping outside.
It was getting dark, close to when they needed to leave. Changbin was already outside, waiting for them.
“Oh, before I forget. Here.” Chan handed Jisung a pair of black leather gloves. They were different from what he was used to. Gloves for him were made for work, clunky and thick like the kind Changbin was wearing to fly. These were plain, sleeker and much softer. He was worried his hands would be impeded by them, but they were fingerless and asymmetrical, leaving at least his thumb and two of his fingers free. Chan pulled on a similar pair, though his fully covered his hands. They boarded the ship, sitting in their assigned seats as Changbin began the process of starting the ship up.
“Hey, Jisung.”
“Yeah?”
“No matter what happens, do not approach the Omega, okay?”
“How will I know-”
Jisung had never actually met an Omega before, not like this. He’d known of some that lived in their area, but because of the suppressants, it was difficult for him to distinguish who was what. Chan was worried because he was afraid Jisung wouldn’t know what to do if he was face to face with an Omega that was as pure as this one.
“Don’t worry. You’ll know.”
Changbin cranked open the sails, pulling the levers. The only light inside came from the gas chamber, burning a warm orange. He turned slightly, looking over his shoulder.
The flight went off without a hitch. Jisung held his breath for the most part, clutching his safety harness with his eyes squeezed shut. He never did that well with heights. Chan held on to his top hat, looking out the window in awe. They flew over the tops of buildings, floating on a sea of clouds. Below them, plumes of smoke from the chimney tops helped keep the Levanter up at a good distance.
Changbin pulled the gas, lessening its output as they neared the estate. He smiled, patting the control board in front of him, thanking the ship silently for making it through half the journey. He descended a bit further away from the estate; they agreed it would be best for Chan and Jisung to walk to the venue itself. They would arrive separately, and would meet at the assigned time at a top floor window where Changbin would be, dropping his anchor on the dome top of the building. They synced up their watches, pocketing them before splitting up.
Chan had decided that they would be arriving a little later than most of the guests. Too early and they’d be forced to mingle, but arriving too late would only attract attention. He smiled politely at the coachmen who lingered outside the estate, and even helped an older woman who was having trouble up the stairs. Chan handed the forged copy of the invite to the staff; in case anything happened, at least Jisung would be able to get in with the real version. Surprisingly enough, the staff outside barely checked him before they let him through.
He left his hat in the foyer and followed the crowd as they flowed into the gorgeous main hall. Chan breathed in the flowery scent, the food that was laid out calling out to his hungry stomach. He could feel his mouth water, but he shook his head to clear it. He needed to focus on finding Lord Park first. Jisung would follow.
The party was in full swing when Jisung arrived. He reluctantly surrendered his top hat, hoping they’d be able to get it back before they left; he would feel bad if Chan had bought them only for them to be left behind. He padded down the hall, moving past the main hall where the guests were gathered. He had one hand on the wall as he walked, pleased when he felt what he was looking for. There was a tiny indent in the wall, and Jisung looked around to make sure he was alone before using his multipurpose tool to pry the secret door open. According to the blueprints, there were servant’s corridors inside the walls so that the servants could move through the house without being seen; hopefully, they were unused now that the house was no longer occupied full time. The corridor he stepped into smelled mostly of mold and dust, so Jisung wasn’t too worried that he might run into someone. He could hear muffled sounds of music and chatter as he squeezed down the tight passageway.
Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a smaller version of the blueprint; they had duplicated it so that they could each have a copy. Jisung took out a small hand light that was attached to his pocket watch and checked his whereabouts. He was somewhere close to the kitchen. He waited to hear if anyone was outside before slowly pushing open the door. Once the coast was clear, he made his way outside through a back door. He flashed his light a few times until he spotted a small glow flashing up above him, close to the roof. That was Changbin’s signal; he’d made it. Jisung was relieved, he wasn’t sure he wanted to end up stranded in this part of town. He made his way back inside, dusting himself off and steeling his nerves. Now he needed to join the party.
Chan was sipping on his glass of wine when he spotted the Omega moving in the crowd. He watched from afar, his eyes following the crown of brown hair as the Omega moved through the sea of people. It was almost impossible to look away. He wasn’t too tall, an average height, but his legs looked gorgeous. Chan guessed his shirt was made of silk from the way it clung to his curves. His waist was cinched and his coat billowed behind him. He looked ethereal, soft waves of vanilla reaching as far as where Chan stood. Chan held his breath as the Omega passed by, needing to stay focused. This Omega was different, that was for sure. He held himself with dignity, able to control his pheromones just enough to tease the Alphas around him. Chan hadn’t even known one could do such a thing without the use of suppressants.
He hadn’t noticed that his feet had moved him closer to where the Omega was until a waiter bumped into his shoulder. He snapped out his daze, whipping around to see a terrified Beta. Chan simply smiled, waving off his apologies and moving away from the crowd and the Omega. He was dangerous; his scent was just too enticing. Chan needed to be far away to stay focused. He craned his neck to see if Jisung was already inside, but he couldn’t see past the rest of the guests. He tried sniffing him out, but that was a no go either, not with the scents of so many Alphas in one place. He just hoped Jisung had been able to get inside.
The hall was full and Jisung was on edge. He was trying his best to make sure his senses didn’t go haywire from all of the people present. He was getting overloaded with different kinds of scents, some subtle and smooth while others were aggressive. He had to bite down on his lip to prevent himself from growling, his Alpha feeling threatened by the mere presence of other Alphas. Thankfully, no one paid him too much attention. Sure, there were some odd looks, but that was mostly because of the eyepatch. His hair was long enough to cover part of it, but it was impossible to hide entirely.
Jisung was making his way through the main hall, sticking to the walls, until he caught onto the scent of dark chocolate and hazelnut. He quickly followed his nose, hoping no one else had the same kind of scent. He drew nearer, and by the bottom of the staircase was Chan, chatting with the musicians. Jisung lingered until Chan looked in his direction. The two made brief eye contact before Jisung disappeared into the crowd once more. He let out a sigh of relief at having found Chan; now, he could finally have fun.
Pickpocketing started out as a game for Jisung. Someone had wagered that he wouldn’t be able to get a watch off of a lord who was in the tavern. It was a silly little bet, but Jisung took them up on it. He’d slipped in from behind the lord and tripped over a woman, knowing he would try to catch her. As the woman fell, another man stumbled to try and catch her, too. In the commotion, Jisung managed to slip in between them and steal the watch from the Lord’s pocket. It was a sloppy job looking back now, but the thrill that came with it was the reason Jisung stuck with it. He didn’t really steal anything of value and when he was bored, he would simply return the items. Jisung knew stealing was bad, of course, so he tended to target the rich, young Alphas and Betas that frequented the clubs. He gave himself a pass since they were obviously rich enough not to notice anyway. He’d mastered it to a T and Chan later discovered just how good Jisung really was when he’d managed to nab the keys to a barn and brought home a purebred horse.
Jisung moved like a shadow, tailing the people he decided to target. Chan quickly assessed if they were drunk enough to not notice, and signaled the all clear to Jisung. Jisung would then take his pick, an earring or a ring, a small hairpin or brooch. He knew his limits, and he wasn’t a greedy person. If he stole something too obvious, the person would notice almost immediately. Jisung would gather the jewelry, dropping it into a full glass of the wine and putting it somewhere Chan would pick it up. It was much safer for Jisung to not be carrying anything he stole in case anyone accused him. There were a few close calls where Chan had to intervene, but other than the occasional under-the-breath swearing at how rude Jisung was, most of it passed without incident.
The party, as Jisung began to discover, was actually extremely boring. Despite the number of people and the decor and lavishness, there wasn’t much to say for the reveleries. Everyone seemed so stuffy and uptight. Jisung even tried conversing with some of the attendees just to get a feel, but Jisung blanked out after a minute of them talking. The only upside was the food.
There was a huge banquet table full of all kinds of food, the likes of which Jisung had never seen. There was so much, and more only continued to come out of the kitchens. There were different meats, cheeses, soups and breads, a whole section full of pastries that never seemed to lose their freshly baked smells. Jisung’s mouth watered, and he could feel his stomach already grumbling. He felt a bit sad that Changbin was missing out, stuck guarding the airship.
Chan caught his eye and indicated to take a break from picking pockets. If he did too many too fast, he would likely get caught. As much as Jisung knew they were supposed to act like strangers, he wished he could stay with Chan. He hated crowded places and he was still on edge. He didn’t have the ease that Chan seemed to have when it came to talking to people, whether they were rich or poor, an Alpha or Omega or even a Beta. Jisung sighed before disappearing behind a crowd that was beginning to form around the dance floor.
Changbin had taught him a grounding technique for whenever he was too overwhelmed. It forced him to find something similar to his own scent and focus only on that, something around him that was familiar to him. Jisung let his eyes fall shut as his brain tried to sift through all the scents around him. He was trying his best to not be pushed around or drowned by all of the people. It was easy enough, as they all seemed to gravitate towards the dance floor, presumably to dance, even though the dancing didn’t look in any way fun; Jisung had noticed that none of them stomped their feet or even cheered. Jisung was near the outer rim of the crowd when his nose picked up on a scent. Something warm like freshly baked cookies, a dash of cinnamon that was similar to his own scent. His feet followed it blindly until he reached the pastry table.
Jisung licked his lips, eyes bright as he took stock of all the food. Chan had never said anything about not eating. Perhaps he could have just a little bite; surely it would be even stranger if Jisung didn’t eat at all. It was a party, after all. A Beta on staff turned to him with a pair of tongs and a plate, as if waiting for Jisung to point out what he wanted. Jisung blushed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Of course one had to be served. Jisung was going to blow his cover, exposing his lack of etiquette. The Beta patiently waited as Jisung began to nervously eye the food, mentally trying to decide how much he could have without drawing attention.
Another Alpha approached the table. Passing one dismissive glance over Jisung, she began pointing out what she wanted. The Beta was quick to pile the food onto the plate, balancing everything carefully as he handed it to the Alpha on a tray connected to a long arm. Jisung thought it was odd that they seemed adamant not to touch each other. He looked around, noticing how all of the Betas seemed to be giving the guests a wide berth, blending into the walls, almost invisible as they served and cleaned up. Jisung frowned; it hardly seemed fair that these people were being overlooked like this. But then again, this was a whole different world.
Jisung shrugged off the weird feelings before pointing out some pastries. A mix of sweet and savory was piled high onto his plate, even requiring a second one when it seemed the Beta wouldn’t stop him. Jisung smiled kindly, making sure to thank them before heading off to the side. There were some empty tables, and Jisung made a quick check to see if there were any name cards, indicating they were reserved. When it was clear there were none, Jisung sat down and quickly tucked into his meal.
He almost moaned out loud at the burst of flavors in his mouth. There were cakes and breads and jams and pies. It didn’t matter which he ate; they were all heavenly. Manners be damned, Jisung was going to stuff his face before they left. He doubted he'd be able to taste anything remotely like this after tonight. He even wrapped a few tarts for Changbin to have later, tucking them into his pockets. He had a meat pie in one hand and a jam-filled slice of bread in the other when he looked up to see an older woman sneering at him. She dragged her younger companion away, whispering ‘heathen’ under her breath. Jisung couldn’t blame her. His cheeks were stuffed full and they were no doubt covered in crumbs. He didn’t care though, the food was just that good.
Jisung finished both plates, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He hummed happily, rubbing his stomach. He wished he could unbutton his suit as it was starting to get tight, but he doubted that would be appreciated. He got up, intent on getting seconds. He was giddily picking through the meat section when his nose tingled. He rubbed at it, feeling the way the soft scent tickled his nose. There was something sweet and floral, barely there as the meat smell was overpowering but nonetheless, Jisung noticed it. He looked up to find the source of the scent.
The man had his back turned to Jisung. With broad shoulders and a cinched waist, his long coat spilled onto the floor the same way the women’s gowns did. Jisung watched blankly as the man seemingly argued with his companion before turning to face the food on the table.
He felt like his breath had been knocked out of his lungs. The man was beautiful. Not in a superficial way, like the decor and the clothes were, but in a way that felt almost unearthly yet somehow natural, the way a blossom blooms in spring, breaking through the harsh ice. His profile was stunning. Sharp nose and long lashes, the soft brown waves of his hair framing his face. Jisung watched as the man continued to stare at the food, seemingly without the intent of taking any for himself. He leaned over and Jisung watched as his lashes fluttered as he began to smell the food. Jisung cocked his head, confused. He could tell the man wanted to eat, so why didn’t he just take something?
Suddenly, the man jerked in surprise before straightening up as if shocked and embarrassed he had been caught. Jisung only realized then that he might’ve spoken his last thought out loud. Jisung bit his lip; he didn’t want the man to think he was judging him. Maybe if he spoke to him, he could ask why he wasn’t eating, or at least apologize. Chan would be proud that Jisung at least tried to mingle with people. He wiped his palms on his coat, already thinking of what to say, when his nose was assaulted by the scent of burnt rubber. Jisung had to stop himself from pinching his nose; the scent was so strong and so out of place in the softness of his surroundings. It was enough to snap Jisung out of his daze, his mind helpfully supplying him with the knowledge of who the source of the scent was. Jisung looked over to find the old, hunched form of Lord Park.
Jisung felt his jaw tense, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest. He looked around and noticed Chan also glancing in his direction. Chan couldn’t get too close. Lord Park knew who he was; the only member of their pack that he wasn’t familiar with was Jisung. Jisung nodded imperceptibly before moving, blending quickly with the crowd and forgetting all about the food and the man with the enticing scent.
Jisung assessed the lord from a distance. He was surrounded by servants and other distinguished-looking people. Jisung would have difficulty blending in, as it was obvious he wasn’t with them. He craned his neck to see if Lord Park was wearing the pendant. He could feel a ball of dread building in his stomach when it became clear that Lord Park wasn’t wearing it around his neck. Jisung hid behind people, looking over their shoulders, desperately trying to see if any of the jewelry the lord was wearing was what they needed. He could feel himself starting to panic, his scent souring, but then Lord Park turned to address his servant. He brought out his pocket watch and there, connected to the chain, was the diamond. Jisung had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from cheering out loud. It was almost too easy; all he needed to do was distract the old man and get close enough to cut the thin chain connected to his jacket.
Jisung’s mind scanned his surroundings, all his senses heightened, his focus razor sharp on every minute detail around him. He began to set up the theft in his mind, like a predator stalking its prey behind tall grass. He waited as Lord Park approached the man Jisung had left by the food table. That was good; the smell of the food was strong enough for Jisung’s scent to blend in.
Jisung approached slowly, making sure to watch the servants carefully. He noticed some of the waiters were passing by and Jisung got an idea. He waited until a small group moved closer to the lord. They seemed to be busy talking, holding flutes that were near empty. Jisung waited until a waiter had spotted Lord Park and the other man, intent on refilling their glasses. As soon as the waiter passed by in front of Jisung, he tripped them, sending a mental apology. It had the desired effect: the waiter stumbled, bumping into one of Lord Park’s servants. Jisung made sure it was on the side that the older man seemed to least favor, making it easy for him to lose his footing.
As soon as Lord Park was knocked off-balance, Jisung joined the frenzy of helping him stand. It was easy enough to slip his hand into Lord Park’s pocket and snap the chain with a sharp tug. It took less than a minute, and Jisung pulled away, his heart racing. He was about to leave when he noticed the beautiful man staring at the commotion. He had his arm outstretched, looking shocked but almost pleased. Jisung noticed how his soft scent had soured,and Jisung guessed it had something to do with Lord Park. The old man liked to prey on people with sweet scents, even on the docks as Changbin had told them. Without even thinking, Jisung grabbed the man’s outstretched hand and asked him to follow.
Jisung quickly spotted an open door, leading to an empty room. He pulled the man behind him, nearly throwing them both in before slamming the doors shut behind them. Jisung let out a sigh of relief. He could still feel the way his fingers trembled from the rush of pulling off the heist. He needed to stay out of sight until he could pass off the pendant to Chan. He took a deep breath, turning around to address the man he had pulled in with him. He figured he should apologize for such rude handling. Jisung wiped the sweat off his brow, panting.
“Okay, I don’t think anyone saw us. Are you okay?” Almost before Jisung could finish, a loud slap rang in his ears and his head snapped to the side. The force of it made him stumble, and he nearly fell back on his ass. Pain bloomed in his cheek and he cradled his face, turning to the man sharply. “Ow! What was that for?”
Jisung felt betrayed. He had wanted to help the man. And sure, he was a little rough, but he doubted that it warranted this type of violence on his person. The other man looked almost wild, blinking rapidly.
“You-! You fiend! You dragged me here, trapping me in this room with you- you, what are you going to do with me?!”
Jisung’s eyes widened. The man’s fist was balled up tight, his knuckles turning white and his scent had spiked enough to trigger something in Jisung.
“Wha-? Huh? But I just saved you from that Alpha-” Jisung reasoned, hoping the man would calm down. His scent was all over the place, the panic was palpable.
“You fiend! You… you… grabbed me…”
The man’s voice began to falter. Jisung watched as his anger slowly turned into shock as he stared at his hand. Jisung cocked his head in confusion when the man clutched his hand to his chest. Maybe Jisung was too rough? Jisung began to worry. He hadn’t meant to hurt him. He looked him over, trying to see if he was hurt anywhere else. Thankfully, other than looking a bit rumpled, the man was fine.
Jisung watched silently as the man gathered his thoughts. He eyed Jisung from head to toe, making him feel incredibly seen. He had to resist the urge to cover himself. The man’s scent was calming down, and Jisung put his hands out in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture.
“Are you… alright? I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to grab you. I must have scared you. Did I… hurt you? Does it hurt?” Jisung eyed the man’s wrist, held tightly against his chest. It didn’t have any red marks at the very least. Still, Jisung had an Alpha’s strength and a part of him still had difficulty controlling that. He could’ve seriously hurt the man’s delicate-looking wrist.
He wanted to get a closer look so he stepped forward. It was only half a step, but it was enough for the other man to back himself up against the wall. Jisung cursed himself, smelling how the man’s scent spiked once more. Clearly, Jisung was now more of a threat than Lord Park. He sighed, feeling a little hurt but knowing that the other man had every right to be suspicious of such an odd character. Jisung almost backed away when the man bit his lip before looking at him.
“I’m… alright.”
Oh.
Jisung wasn’t sure why he was so surprised that such a sweet, honey-like voice came from such a delicately beautiful man. It was soft, almost like a whisper, airy enough to tickle Jisung’s ears and make him sweat. His heart began to pound. He’d never really reacted this way to someone before. Jisung was starting to get nervous, feeling as though his tongue was growing heavy. The other man seemed to have gotten over his bout of meekness, though, and began speaking to him more.
“Thank you, for earlier.”
The man smiled, lips curling softly. His cheeks pushed up to make his eyes crinkle and Jisung felt like he was stuck. He stared blankly at the man as he dropped his arms and began to move. To Jisung’s horror, the man seemed to be walking towards him.
“I apologize for hitting you. I was… I panicked.”
The man looked genuinely remorseful, and Jisung didn’t know how to tell him that he had gotten over it the moment the man smiled. Jisung probably looked like an idiot, staring, his blood rushing in his ears. The man furrowed his brow, looking at Jisung’s cheek.
“Are you hurt?” The man stepped forward, reaching towards him, and Jisung flew backward without thinking. He startled them both with his sudden movement, but he was beginning to feel his nerves go haywire. All he knew was that he couldn’t let this man touch him, not yet.
“Are you feeling alright? Do you need a doctor?”
Jisung felt bad. The man seemed genuinely concerned about his odd behavior. He wondered as well why he was acting like a jumpy cat on a busy street. He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the sweat pooling in his armpits.
“I-I’m fine.” Jisung wasn’t quite sure he sounded as convincing as he hoped.
The man’s nostrils flared, scenting the air. No doubt Jisung’s anxiety was obvious. The man’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Are you sure?”
Jisung felt lightheaded. The man was getting closer, his voice void of any of the nervousness from earlier.
“Y-yes, of course. Ah- um, I…” Jisung swore. This was bad. He was going to make a fool of himself, and soon the man would realize that he had next to no manners or poise. He’d get caught in a heartbeat.
“Do I make you nervous?” The man’s smile turned into a smirk. He looked far too amused, as if Jisung making a fool of himself was entertaining.
Jisung flushed a little, already feeling hot under his collar. “Of course not.”
The man’s eyes twinkled, almost distracting Jisung from his own anxiousness. This sort of mirth looked good on him. Jisung distantly felt glad that he no longer looked at Jisung as if he was going to hurt him.
“Really? I’m not quite sure I believe you.”
Jisung’s eyes narrowed. It was probably very obvious now that Jisung was nowhere near as proper as the other men here. His eyes darted to the door, wondering how fast he needed to be to be able to escape and trap this man inside. “You… can tell?”
The man scoffed, looking all too pleased with himself. “Of course, I can. It’s just us here. I can smell you all the way from over here.” The man gestured to the empty room.
It was true, they were the only ones there; of course their scents would stand out. Now that Jisung was paying attention, the man didn’t smell at all like any Alpha he’d ever met. Alphas didn’t have cloying sweetness to their scents like this man did. Even if Chan smelled like chocolate, it was still rich and dark. Alphas tended to smell very strongly, almost aggressive and overpowering. Every Alpha Jisung had met had a scent that permeated the room, enough to make his hackles rise, but not this man. This man’s scent was soft and enticing, almost like a whisper. It coaxed and teased; it was the exact opposite of aggressive.
“But you don’t smell like…” Jisung mumbled, almost to himself. He turned his nose up and inhaled deeply. Without everything else distracting him, he could easily focus and pull apart the man’s floral scent. Jisung could feel his lashes flutter as he scented the air. His mouth filled with cotton, his heart pounding. His mind was just buzzing at this point.
Jisung went back to his earlier conversation with Chan and Changbin. He had asked how he would be able to identify the Omega, having never been around one that was off suppressants. Jisung’s libido was also suppressed by the medicine they took, which meant he had never experienced his body reacting to an Omega. Before, he was unsure of what he needed to steer clear of, but now what Changbin had said finally made sense. He had told him that when the time came, Jisung would know. And now, stuck in an empty room alone with this man, Jisung knew.
This man was the unmated Omega.
Jisung’s body reacted instantly. He pumped out a heavy scent mixed with his pheromones. It was so strong even Jisung was knocked off balance. Clearly the Omega smelled it, too, his own scent growing stronger in response. Jisung felt drool pooling in his mouth, resisting the urge to taste the air. He felt like he was in a daze, watching his body move on its own.
“I-” The Omega looked nervous. His scent spiked, but only a little, which meant that he no longer was afraid of Jisung. That was good news, because it meant that he wouldn’t run away from Jisung. Not that he would be opposed to a chase, but Jisung had to tamp down that line of thinking before he got lost in the idea. He gritted his teeth, wanting to fight back the fog that was threatening to take him over.
“You’re…”
Jisung wanted to groan. On his approach, the Omega stood firm. If Jisung wasn’t watching closely, he would think he wasn’t nervous, but he had seen the pinkish hue blooming on his cheeks, his ears tinged red. Jisung’s Alpha felt pride that this Omega was strong, strong enough to put on a calm facade in front of an Alpha. He had gotten even closer, his head spinning at the thought of being so near to him. The Omega didn’t make any move to stop Jisung until he was right in front of him. Jisung’s nose filled with the cloying scent of vanilla, something he only knew from the bakery he visited once a month. He’d never smelled such a delicious scent this strongly; it felt almost wrong. Jisung’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart nearly bursting out of his body. He wanted to reach out and touch the Omega or worse, bury his face in his neck. His body was experiencing heat flashes, making him sweat even more.
He was barely thinking now. This was exactly why Chan had told him never to approach the Omega. He had well and truly lost his head. Jisung felt like he was in a trance, his fingers twitching at his sides.
“No wonder, of course, you’re… God, that’s why I…” Jisung slurred. He didn’t even know what he was saying at this point. He felt like he had been given the sweetest piece of candy at the shop, feeling the flavor burst in his mouth and slide down his throat. Jisung watched as the Omega’s eyes crinkled with mirth, soft giggles like wind chimes ringing out. The Omega ducked his head as if embarrassed from Jisung’s attention. That just wouldn’t do.
If it were up to him, Jisung would happily look like a fool and tell him he was beautiful if it meant that he would smile at him again. The Omega looked like he enjoyed Jisung nearly drooling over just his scent, smiling up at him.
“…you?”
If Jisung was more present, he would notice that the Omega was teasing him, but all he could focus on was the way that the Omega turned towards him like a flower to the sun. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the attention, almost like he craved it. That felt odd to Jisung, as he assumed this Omega would be showered with attention almost daily. How could he not be?
The Omega’s eyes were searching, almost like he was still trying to figure Jisung out. Jisung thought he was being quite obvious. The only thing he could think of was those dark brown pools staring at him. The chandeliers reflected in the Omega’s eyes, making them sparkle, and Jisung couldn’t help but reach up to touch his face.
“Your eyes look so beautiful. Like they have stars in them…”
Jisung wanted, no, needed to see him properly. His fingers carefully brushed his hair away from his face, wanting to see his eyes more fully. The Omega blushed prettily, letting out a soft gasp as Jisung tucked his hair back. Jisung’s eyes fell to his parted lips helplessly. His mind was flooded with the thoughts of tasting his mouth, wondering if he tasted as sweet as he smelled. His mouth began to water; scents were deeply rooted in every person, and Jisung believed even the Omega’s sweat would taste like vanilla.
It wasn’t just that. This Omega’s eyes were so magnetic, Jisung felt like could drown in them. He truly didn’t know what to do with himself. His finger brushed the man’s ear accidentally. In an instant, the man’s scent thickened, and it made Jisung hungry in ways he had not yet felt. He could feel his body react unconsciously, all the hair on his arms standing. The scent was just too tempting, and Jisung was still reeling from the effects of being off his suppressants. He felt something stir in his gut and gritted his teeth.
“God, you… fuck.” He had to push down a growl that threatened to bubble up from his chest. Without thinking, he moved forward and backed the man up against the wall. He would normally care more about the fact that the move caused them to step on the man’s train, but Jisung couldn’t think of anything except how the Omega fit against him. It was perfect; Jisung wanted to cry. He leaned further forward until he felt a pressure in the middle of his chest. Jisung’s gaze dropped from the Omega’s face down to see that his hand had been placed between them.
Jisung felt himself snap out of his daze for a moment. He needed to get a hold of himself; he couldn’t act like some heathen and barbarically take this man for himself. That was improper and illegal and all types of wrong, and Jisung would not be reduced to his baser instincts. He took a shallow breath, limiting how much of the Omega’s scent he was inhaling, and watched as the Omega began to breathe a little easier. He wanted to take a step back, but it was almost like his body was no longer listening to him. He was nearly vibrating with tension as he tightened his muscles, maintaining the arms length distance between them. His fist curled on the wall where it rested next to the Omega’s head.
Jisung felt himself tip forward, leaning to press his forehead against the wall. The Omega bit his lip but said nothing. He kept their chests apart, which was all he could manage as Jisung took a shuddering breath. He could barely stop the rumble that vibrated out of his throat. The Omega jerked, making his hair brush against Jisung’s nose. Jisung had to stop himself from burying his face there, inhaling the smell of soaps that complimented his scent.
As much as the Omega was trying to maintain composure, his scent didn’t lie and neither did his body. Jisung could feel the way his legs trembled, and his scent shifted into something even more enticing and delicious. It was almost like it was coaxing Jisung to take a bite, just sink his teeth in without thinking. He could feel an ache in his jaw, but he dug his nails into his palms, focusing on the pain. He growled again, louder this time when the Omega fisted the front of his shirt. He felt like a dog in heat. There was nothing in his head except the way this Omega smelled. Jisung pressed closer, making the Omega whimper. The sound was so pitiful it made Jisung’s head spin, a warmth swirling in his gut. His legs tensed, like a string that had been pulled taut. It almost felt like the Omega was going to give in to whatever was happening between them when he unfurled his fist and pushed.
It wasn’t very strong, really; Jisung’s strength would not be so easily swayed. But it came out of nowhere, making Jisung stumble back in shock.
“W-wait-“ The Omega bit his lip, his palm in front of him. He averted his eyes, looking away from Jisung’s heated gaze.
“Huh?” Jisung felt like he had been woken up from a dream, a little groggy. He was a bit confused until he noticed the Omega’s stance. He was curled in on himself, looking disheveled. His cheeks were bright pink.
“Stop, please, I-“
“Oh my god- I, shit!” Jisung flew back as if drenched with cold water. He stumbled and fell to the ground. The Omega sounded so weak that Jisung had to resist the urge to take him right then and there.
His mind raced. If the man hadn’t stopped them, Jisung wasn’t sure what would have happened. He might have even gone feral. And then what? He would scar this poor Omega, who had done nothing, and Jisung would become everything he’d ever hated. In a moment of weakness, he had succumbed to his instincts and he’d lost control of himself. Now this man couldn’t even look at him. Jisung’s fists curled into the floor. His heart was pounding in his ears as bile began to climb up his throat. He could feel his chest tighten as the man slowly stepped away from him and moved toward the door. He didn’t even spare Jisung one last look before escaping into the night.
Jisung felt sick. He was on the ground for a few moments, making sure to give the Omega enough time to be far away before he exited the room. He stumbled into a few people, making his way to where he knew the toilets were. He was glad no one was in the restroom as he burst in and hurled into the bowl. He made the worst retching sounds, and kept going until almost everything he’d eaten was gone. He fell back in a sweaty heap on the ground. He ripped open the buttons on his shirt, feeling the cool air against his heated skin. He blinked back tears, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. Jisung felt sick. He hated losing control like this. This was why he needed his suppressants; it was obvious he couldn’t be trusted.
Just the presence of that Omega was enough to make him lose his head. That beautiful, delicate, strong, dignified Omega had no need for such a sloppy Alpha like him. He was probably disgusted by Jisung and his complete lack of manners. Jisung groaned, curling up into a ball. He breathed hard through his nose, trying to calm himself down. He would stay here until he calmed down, and then he would go find Chan and finally go home.
The chatter in the main hall continued. Clinking utensils and the sounds of dignified laughter were starting to grate on Chan’s ears. He smiled, politely nodding to an older man who seemed to have taken a liking to him. Chan didn’t know how to tell the man, who was clearly an Alpha, that he was one himself. He made sure to avoid his fleeting touches, but even Chan could see the man leering at his backside when he looked away. Chan sighed, waving him off when the man’s mate spotted him and dragged him away. It always seemed to happen to him. His scent was sweet and warm, usually associated with Omegas. His mild personality also contributed to people’s first impression being that he was an Omega. That didn’t bother him, though. It only made people trust him more, which Chan always saw as an advantage.
He was sipping his drink when he noticed a crowd beginning to form. The guests crowded around the dance floor, and Chan was helplessly swept up by the tide of people. He dropped his drink off on the tray of a passing waiter and stood next to a few other gentlemen. He wasn’t exactly sure what the crowd had gathered for until the quartet began to play. He smiled softly, recognizing it to be a waltz. He hummed to himself, watching as men and women began to pair up. Chan had always loved dancing and music. They were such fine pleasures, and he rarely got to experience them.
Chan smiled, huffing a little laugh when a young girl stepped up to him., scenting her to be a young, newly presented Alpha. She probably thought that Chan was an Omega, and invited him to dance. Chan wasn’t one to say no to a dance and he took every heel to his toe in stride. She giggled as he spun her around and Chan felt himself soften. Eventually, he felt a tap on his shoulder and he was passed off to the next partner.
Chan was having a good time. It had been a while since he was able to dance, and he would have hated for his skills to remain unused forever. He was finishing his round when he noticed that the Omega had come to join the dance. Chan couldn’t help but be drawn to him, glancing toward him every now and then. He looked distant, almost as if he wasn’t paying attention. Chan cocked his head. He wasn’t sure why, but it was almost like the Omega hated being here. That struck Chan as odd; it was his celebration, after all. He went against his best instincts and passed his partner off, pairing up with the Omega and pulling his new partner into his arms.
He was immediately greeted by the man’s muted floral scent. His soft vanilla scent was dull, and Chan had to hold back a laugh at how obviously disinterested he was.
“You look bored.” Chan smiled, teasingly. The Omega jumped a little, as if only now realizing he had changed partners. He looked utterly confused and Chan resisted the urge to laugh.
“S-sorry, I was just-” The man seemed to be floundering, blushing a little at having gotten caught. Chan thought it was a good look on him. Sure, he was breathtaking when he was dignified, but he was utterly endearing when he was like this. Chan smiled, unable to stop teasing the poor man.
“Bored?” He chuckled as the Omega flushed more deeply, averting his gaze. Chan led them around, focusing more intently on the man in front of him. It probably wasn’t good that Chan was this close to him, especially after he had told Jisung not to approach him. But there was no harm in dancing, right? Besides, they all knew that Chan had more control than Jisung by a hundredfold.
“It’s alright. Although, I would think you would be a bit more cheerful. After all, this is your party, correct?” Chan smiled, turning the Omega easily.
The man— Lee Minho , his brain supplied— rolled his eyes. “Sure, my party.”
“Well, as far as I’m aware. It was your name on the invite.” Chan smiled, taking the man’s apathy in stride. He wondered what could have prompted such a lukewarm response. It was, after all, a ball for him. It was a celebration, wasn’t it?
“Please, if this was truly my party, there would be much less fanfare and much more alcohol. This is more like a party for me, for my… future endeavors.” Minho frowned, his apathetic tone mixed with some bitterness. Chan could understand what he meant by that, but he was still confused. He’d always believed mating and marriage were joyous occasions. They’d even given this Omega a ball, the opportunity to meet Alphas and hopefully his mate.
“Future endeavors? Is that what you call them?”
“Of course. I’m not foolish enough to believe that any of this is more than a ploy to ensure a successful future.”
Chan felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Perhaps he was naive to think that Minho was like him. After all, it wasn’t exactly far-fetched for a man like him to marry to better his own status. Still, it felt like a terrible way to live if status was the only reason to marry someone.
“Well, that sounds bleak.”
“Excuse me?” Minho sounded insulted, and Chan winced. He didn’t mean to come off as judgmental. He could understand that Minho had his reasons, but he was an Omega of status. Surely he would be better off marrying an Alpha he would grow to love. He could clearly afford to do so.
“You make it sound like a business rather than a marriage.”
“Isn’t that what all marriages are?”
Chan frowned. Perhaps it was different here. He had always thought that mates and marriages were built on love. It was difficult to imagine having to stand someone for so long, simply for status. But Chan was a romantic at heart. He hated the idea of Minho simply giving up. He should have the right to choose.
“Do you not believe in love?”
Minho looked surprised at his question and so did Chan. He hadn’t meant to ask him that out loud; it was such a personal question. Chan almost took it back, but his next step drew Minho closer. Like this, Chan could smell the chamomile undertones in his scent. It was really something else. Chan had been around Omegas before, but none of their scents really called to him like this. His eyes darted to their joined hands, taking in how Minho’s small hand fit perfectly in his palm.
Chan wasn’t entirely sure why he felt so strongly on Minho’s behalf, but he didn’t deserve to be locked in a loveless marriage with an Alpha whose ego was bigger than a cargo train’s caboose. No, Minho deserved to be wrapped up in fine clothing and sweet smelling perfume, fed nice warm food and waited on hand and foot by someone who cared about how he felt. He deserved an Alpha that would take care of him, someone that understood that being his mate was a privilege.
Chan hadn’t noticed that Minho was looking at him. His brown eyes twinkled in the light, and he looked almost lost at the suggestion of love, as if it was some foreign concept. Chan hated that; Minho deserved to be treated like the treasure he was. He deserved an Alpha like Chan, sweet and caring. He would put Minho first, he would give Minho everything he wanted if he simply asked. Suddenly, Minho’s grip tightened and pushed them apart, as the Omega shook his head. Chan rid himself of his thoughts, unsure where they’d even come from.
“I have neither the time nor luxury for love. Everything is about capability.”
Chan felt sad. He’d really thought Minho would be different, but perhaps he was struggling as well? Still, surrounded by all this splendor, Chan came up short when wondering about what else he could possibly need.
“Hmm, I would think an Omega of your status would have the luxury to marry for love.”
“No one marries for love these days. Mating isn’t even about that. It’s all instinct.” Minho spoke with such decisiveness that Chan decided to drop the topic.
“Hmm, perhaps.”
They continued to dance but Chan’s mind was elsewhere. He understood that they were two very different people. Minho belonged to a world where status was everything. To Chan, status had been long stripped from him, and it had showed him what truly mattered. In a way, Chan was probably more privileged than Minho, at least in that sense.
Chan had never seriously considered mating, mostly due to the fact that suppressants were difficult to deal with, especially for Omegas. He was content with his little pack of Jisung and Changbin. All three of them may have been Alphas, but their personalities complimented each other, which made it easier to handle. If Chan truly had to choose to mate, he would have probably chosen both Jisung and Changbin; he doubted that he would ever be able to live without them, and he knew they felt the same. It wasn’t uncommon around their parts to have such unconventional partnerships. It was rare for Alphas to pair off naturally, but downtown, almost everyone was the same due to the suppressants. Sure, there were still little remnants of their scents and their libidos, but most of their biology was suppressed enough that they didn’t base their decisions purely on instinct.
The song was coming to a close, and Chan had to stop himself from tightening his grip. He was still here on a mission, and Minho was here for a purpose as well. He smiled apologetically.
“Looks like our time is up.” Chan watched as Minho seemed to deflate. Minho’s gaze fell past his shoulder, and Chan knew he was probably looking at the other suitors. Chan chuckled under his breath, it seemed that Minho was dreading having to leave his company.
“It seems so…”
Chan had to stop himself from preening at the fact that Minjo was clearly disappointed to leave. Maybe he hated the other Alphas, or maybe he just wanted to stay with Chan more. Whatever it was, Chan was not one to disappoint. Besides, when was he ever going to get the opportunity to dance with Minho again?
A new song started and Chan turned them, sweeping his coat in a wide arc. Minho looked pleasantly surprised that Chan didn’t want to let him go either. He felt his heart soar as Minho’s face finally bloomed into a smile. Chan smiled back and spun him around. Minho’s movements were strong and sure; it was obvious that he enjoyed dancing beyond the purposes of etiquette. Chan didn’t want to disappoint, and he did a lift that seemed to shock Minho. The Omega recovered quickly, pushing with his arms to stay in the air before landing lightly on his feet. Chan couldn’t stop smiling. It had been a while since he’d danced with such an intuitive partner. Their movements were so in sync, one might think that they had rehearsed beforehand.
Minho looked beautiful like this. His eyes had fallen shut, and he let his body move naturally, letting go. Chan took the opportunity to really study his face, his sharp features and plush lips contrasting with his soft, round eyes. This sort of happiness looked good on Minho; Chan could smell the way his scent had shifted into something light and airy. He no longer held back, and Chan’s own scent responded in turn, mixing with Minho’s.
Chan was dangerously close to getting addicted to the way their scents smelled together. He shook his head before he turned Minho out, his eyes following the long line of his outstretched arm before he spun Minho back into his chest. He wrapped an arm around Minho’s waist and dipped him. Chan felt Minho’s hold tighten across his shoulders before his lashes fluttered open and he looked into Chan’s eyes.
Minho was truly something else. Beyond his scent, his eyes were so deep and expressive. He was beautiful in every sense of the word, and Chan held him like a precious jewel. He could feel his arms nearly tremble at the thought of holding Minho close to him. There was a dark little part of him that wished he could keep Minho for himself, but he shut that voice up quickly. Bitterly, he reminded himself that he could not offer anything that Minho needed. He had no status or wealth. Chan’s heart was beating against his chest and he could feel Minho’s heart beating just as fast. Chan had nothing to give him, but why did Minho look at him like he could?
Chan’s gaze dipped down to Minho’s plush lips, parted slightly. He could feel a pull that he desperately tried to fight. Still, he couldn’t help but lean in, and his heart soared as Minho did the same. It was like a dream. Chan almost let his eyes fall shut, but then the music stopped. Everything around him came flooding back suddenly. They both straightened up quickly, blushing hard. The sounds of chatter and music and utensils and whispers slowly flooded back in as Chan’s senses tried to recover. He felt off-balance, and Minho looked just as dazed. Chan looked around and noticed a few people whispering and he swore internally. He had drawn unnecessary attention to himself, all because he couldn’t let go of Minho. It pained him to have to do so even now, but he had to.
Swallowing his instincts, Chan took a step back and bowed. Minho did the same, just as stiffly.
“I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“I… hope so, too.”
Chan bowed once more before turning away. He left Minho and whatever else that had been on the dance floor. He couldn’t afford any more distractions; there was too much at stake. Chan wove quickly through the crowd. He spotted Lord Park off to one side, speaking angrily to his servants. He felt pity for them before turning away, hoping Jisung had managed to get the pendant.
He followed his nose, trying to find Jisung’s scent. Thankfully, Chan knew his scent as well as his own, easily finding it amongst the crowd. He followed it down a corridor and noticed how there were no people around. Chan wondered if he had taken a wrong turn before catching Jisung’s scent more strongly. It was mixed with something sour, and Chan panicked, worried Jisung was in trouble. He ran down to the end of the hallway and reached the toilets. The scent was strongest there and Chan knew Jisung was inside. He banged on the door a few times, trying the knob in vain. He was contemplating breaking it down when the latch turned and Jisung appeared.
“Oh thank god. You’re alright.” Chan gathered Jisung into a hug. He fretted over him, scenting him. Jisung sighed, patting Chan on the back before pulling away.
“Ye-ah, I’m fine.” Jisung’s voice croaked a little. Chan wrinkled his nose, smelling the acidic stench of vomit. Jisung looked worse for wear, too. His coat was rumpled and his hair looked as if he’d run his fingers through it too many times. His eyepatch was askew and his face looked pale.
“Jisung, are you sick? Did something happen?”
Jisung smiled, tired, before turning back to the sink. He splashed water on his face before straightening his clothes.
“Yeah, I think I ate too much.”
“Jisung. I told you, you have to slow down when you eat.”
Jisung snorted, the same way he always did when Chan nagged. They always teased Chan for being such a mother, but clearly someone needed to tell them off. Jisung was glad that Chan didn’t seem to have picked up on the real reason for Jisung getting sick. Chan rolled his eyes and waited as Jisung fixed himself up, buttoning everything back up before turning to Chan.
“By the way, here.” Jisung fished something out of his pocket and tossed it over to Chan. Chan caught it easily, opening his palm to see the pearl and an old, expensive pocket watch.
“You got it!”
“Yeah, it wasn’t that hard. Couldn’t remove the watch, though. Think of it as a little bonus.” Jisung flashed an easy smile. Chan felt relieved; they had what they needed. He patted Jisung on the shoulder before pocketing the pendant and watch.
“Good. Now let’s head back. I’ll signal Changbin that we’re ready to go-”
Before either of them could reach the doorway leading back to the main hall, there was a loud shout.
“Help! Thief!”
Jisung’s eyes widened as Chan swore, both of them now on high alert. The scream was like a signal, because in an instant, chaos erupted. There was commotion in the main hall and staff scrambled to call the guards. Jisung looked at Chan, panicked; they needed to get out now. Chan turned to him, pushing him towards another hallway, further away from the main hall.
“Go! I’ll meet you upstairs. I’ll signal Changbin to come get us. Here.” Chan pressed the pendant into Jisung’s palm. Jisung knew if Chan was giving it to him, it was in case he got caught and couldn’t escape. That way, they would still be able to fulfill the mission.
“Chan, no. You take this, I’ll signal Changbin. I know a way outside. I’ll meet you upstairs.”
“Jisung, wait-”
“No arguments. I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself if you get caught. Now, go!” Jisung pushed Chan towards the main hall and began to sprint down the corridor. He ran his hands along the wall until he found the secret entrance again. It was a good thing he had such a good memory.
Chan swore as Jisung ran off. He knew there was a chance that he might get caught. He headed down towards where most of the staff and guards were. Chan blended in with the crowd, hunching down. He felt around inside his coat, wrapping his hand around a small cylinder. Gripping it in his glove, he snuck off to the side. Without missing a beat, he dropped the cylinder on the ground and followed a group that was making their way out into the main entrance. Chan counted in his head before he heard a loud bang, making everyone duck and scream. Chan followed suit, glancing over to see the wall of smoke that had erupted from the tiny smoke bomb. It was harmless really, a byproduct of Jisung’s tinkering. He had created them by accident, and they only needed to be stepped on to be triggered. There was no shrapnel, either, as the cylinders were wrapped in something elastic enough to stretch and pop like a balloon.
The smoke bomb had the desired effect. Soon, the room was filled with all of the guards. Chan hoped that Jisung didn’t run into any of them coming this way, and began following the crowd to the main hall. He would have to find a way to separate from the group and move upstairs while the rest of the party ran outside. He spotted an empty gallery and slipped inside, exiting out another door and making his way back into the building.
All of the staff were buzzing with rumors of a gun and robbers, panicking until a guard told them to leave the area. Jisung waited for their footsteps to recede before he opened the secret door. He quietly made his way outside. He stood in the same spot as he had before and frantically signalled Changbin with their sign for ‘ emergency.’ He made sure to communicate that they had successfully pulled the job off but that they needed to leave immediately. Changbin flashed an affirmative and Jisung raced back inside. He had just opened the secret door again when he heard footsteps. He panicked and ran back outside, and in his haste, he forgot to close the panel.
“What-?”
“Hey! They used the secret passageways!”
“The thieves are inside!”
Suddenly, the kitchen area began to fill with guards, and Jisung’s panic grew. They might be able to scent him, and he would end up getting caught. He doubted jail uptown was very forgiving for people like him. He was scrambling for options when he looked up and noticed a balcony. It was a little ways up, but he had no choice. He jumped up, grabbing the edge of the roof gutter. He stopped, praying that they’d think the noise was just a cat. He waited for a moment, and when it was clear that they didn’t hear him, he moved towards the balcony.
He was standing underneath it when he realized there was nothing he could use as a ladder to try to scale the wall. It was too late to go back now, though, as the guards began to move outside. Jisung was running out of time. He pulled up his pants, slipping a pair of knives out of his boots. They were extremely sharp and Jisung always brought them along in case he needed them. Jisung began cutting at the wall, slamming the tip of the blades deep enough to become a hold of sorts . He grunted, using all of his strength as he began climbing the wall. Thankfully, the building was made of a type of stone that had grooves that were easier to chip away. He was starting to struggle by the time he reached the bottom of the balcony. He threw his knives over and pulled himself up. He jumped over the railing and nearly collapsed from tiredness; he shouldn’t have skipped working out with Changbin.
He tried to catch his breath, but he knew time was running short. He picked the latch on the windows and stumbled into the room. He exited into the hall and tried to see just how far he was. He began bounding up the nearest stairs, afraid that Changbin or Chan might leave him, thinking he had gotten caught. His muscles burned and for once, he was grateful he was off of his suppressants. He peered out one of the windows as he ran down the corridor. He could see the shadow of Levanter one floor above him, and with one last burst of energy, he ran up the stairs.
Jisung was panting, running down the hall when he turned the corner and smashed straight into someone. Pain bloomed in the side of his head when it snapped back and hit the wall. Jisung groaned in pain, clutching his head.
“Fuck! That hurt! You ass-… oh my god, it’s you.” Jisung’s eyes widened. It was the Omega! Quickly, ignoring his own pain, he helped the man up. In his panic, Jisung realized he hadn’t even considered what would happen to the man. It was his party, after all. If he wasn’t so busy worrying about their escape, he might’ve doubled back and gone to look for him. He was missing his heavy coat, but he looked otherwise free of injury. Jisung began to worry that maybe he had hurt the man with the force of their collision.
“Are you alright? Did I hurt you?” Jisung didn’t even think as he patted the man down, checking for any injuries. He was fretting; it would be hilarious if it weren’t so worrying. The Omega still seemed to be in a daze, nodding mutely. Jisung’s brow furrowed with concern when his gaze fell to the man’s cheek. There was a darkening spot, and Jisung felt his eyes flash with anger at the thought of the man getting hurt.
“Oh my… your cheek…” Jisung cradled his jaw carefully, swiping his thumb just below the man’s cheekbone. He didn’t even realize how close he’d gotten, distracted by his worry, until his eyes met the man’s searching gaze. His rough thumb brushed the soft skin of the man’s cheek almost indulgently.
“Does it hurt… when I…” Jisung murmured, trailing off. He had forgotten the sort of effect this Omega had on him, but still, he just couldn’t pull away. His fingers twitched when the man seemed to melt into his touch, lashes fluttering.
“No, I’m… alright.” His voice was so soft, Jisung was almost afraid to breathe. He felt small fingers curl around his wrist, and Jisung felt his breath catch. The Omega was touching him, not pushing him away but keeping his hand there! Jisung nearly trembled, trying his best to stay calm.
“Good… that’s good. I’m glad…” Jisung’s voice was just as soft, though a little rougher when his voice was deep.
The Omega looked almost surprised. “You are?”
“Of course, I was so worried when the whole commotion started. I… was afraid you were hurt.”
And that was the truth. A part of Jisung had worried about the man, although he had ignored it in favor of ensuring their safe escape. He couldn’t risk their whole plan because he wanted to act on selfish impulses. Still, Jisung felt like it was the right thing to say as the man’s cheek grew hot under his palm.
“You… were….?”
“I’d never want you to get hurt, petal.” The name slipped out, making Jisung flush with embarrassment. He didn’t mean to call the man that when he barely knew him, but it just felt right. This man was a beautiful flower that deserved to be taken care of and nurtured to bloom. His scent also reminded Jisung of flowers; the nickname felt natural.
“What’s your name?”
Jisung froze. He didn’t expect the man to ask him that. He hesitated, biting his lip. He had assumed he wasn’t going to see the man again after this. The Omega looked at him pleadingly, and he felt himself soften. Perhaps that was why he should tell him. He wasn’t going to see him again. If anything, at least he would be able to remember him. Jisung stayed quiet for too long, and the man began to pull away. Jisung panicked, grabbing his arms to hold him in place.
“Jisung. M-my name… is Jisung.”
The Omega blinked. He looked like he was contemplating the information for a moment. Jisung was nervous. This was either the worst idea or the best. He was starting to worry when the man smiled softly to himself.
“Jisung…”
He was not at all prepared to hear the man say his name. Jisung heard his heart pounding in his ears, blood rushing to his face. His stomach dropped at how softly and how sweetly the man had said his name, like he was savoring a piece of candy. Jisung smiled helplessly in return before a voice rang out.
“Jisung! Let’s go! We need to-”Jisung froze when he spotted Chan, and he felt the Omega freeze up as well. He began to worry that the Omega might be afraid of Chan, or of the fact that he was alone with two Alphas. Jisung faced Chan, trying to find something to say when the Omega spoke up.
“It’s you…”
Jisung turned. Had they met? Or did they possibly know each other? Jisung guessed that maybe at some point in the party they had run into each other.
Chan was both shocked at and afraid of Minho’s presence. Not only should he not be here, but he looked awfully close with Jisung. Chan snapped his gaze from Minho to a guilty-looking Jisung.
“Jisung! What is he doing here?”
Jisung fumbled. He felt the Omega press against his side. Jisung noticed the way the man and Chan eyed each other. “I-I don’t know. We just- he ran into me!”
Jisung stepped in front of the man defensively. He’d be damned if Chan scared him off.
Chan groaned in frustration, eyeing Minho where he stood behind Jisung. This didn’t look good.
“I’m sorry, do you know each other?” Minho piped up, and Chan felt himself jolt. It was bad news if Minho made a connection between the two of them. It was already too dangerous that he was here for who knows what reason with Jisung.
Chan’s ears perked when he heard footsteps coming closer and he could tell that Minho heard them, too. They were running out of time.
“We don’t have time for this! Let’s go!” Chan moved forward, heading straight for the window. He grunted, pushing the window open with his shoulder until it swung open. They were several stories up, and the wind instantly swept Chan’s hair up in a flurry. Chan turned to Jisung. “Come on! Let’s go!”
“C-can’t we bring him?” Jisung’s eyes were wide with panic. He couldn’t leave the Omega, not now. He didn’t think he’d survive. The Omega seemed to realize this too, clutching his shoulder.
Chan growled, his eyes flashing when Jisung didn’t follow. “Jisung, no. He’s not what we came for. You need to leave him. Now, let’s go.”
“But-”
Chan paused, seeing the way the Omega clung to Jisung. This was not going to be easy. Jisung didn’t seem to realize how attached he was already. Chan met Minho’s eyes for a moment. His heart ached to see the swirling confusion and dread there, realizing that both of the Alphas were lying about who they were. Chan forced himself to look away, knowing Jisung would take that as his final decision.
Jisung felt his stomach drop. There was no way Chan would let him bring this man now. It was simply out of the question. It would be dangerous to bring him along and he knew it would throw a wrench into their escape plan. The guards were getting closer, and Jisung shut his eyes, taking in a shaky breath as he braced himself for the inevitable. He turned, cupping the man’s face.
“I’m sorry, I have to go.” Jisung took a moment to look at the man’s face, Memorizing all of the sharp lines and soft parts, imprinting in his mind the way his eyes sparkled. He needed to look away before he changed his mind. He could feel his stomach drop as the Omega’s scent soured, his eyes widening. Jisung bit his lip, forcing himself to pull away when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Chan, his eyes trained on the floor. He could sense bitterness in Chans’ scent as well, and Jisung knew that it was difficult for him to walk away too. But they had to. This was bigger than both of them; they had Changbin to think about. Jisung shut his eyes tight before pulling back and turning away from the Omega. He held his breath, knowing that just a whiff of the man’s scent would be enough to break his resolve.
Chan had one foot on the window ledge, reaching for the rope that was dangling outside when Jisung felt a hand grip his wrist. He whipped his head around to see the Omega looking into his eyes.
“Take me with you.”
Jisung’s eyes widened with shock. He hadn’t thought that the man would actually want to come. Jisung turned back around to see Chan gripping the rope, equally stunned. Now they were both at a loss. They obviously hadn’t thought of what to do if the man asked to come along. Chan bit his lip; was he actually considering it? Jisung looked torn, confused and lost. He looked to Chan for an answer.
The guards were on their floor now; all three of them turned their heads towards the sound of approaching footsteps. Chan needed to decide now. He looked at Jisung and then to Minho, his gaze dropping to where they were still holding hands. He sighed, because the decision had clearly been made for him. Chan pulled the rope inside before handing it to Jisung.
“Fine! Here, you first, then Minho, and I’ll bring up the rear.”
Jisung and Minho seemed hesitant to let each other go, but Chan pushed Jisung. They didn’t have time for this. Jisung nodded, taking a deep breath before he began climbing up to the airship. Chan looked over at Minho, who paled as he stared out the window.
“Y-you want m-me to c-climb out the window?” Minho walked backwards until he hit Chan’s chest. Chan could feel the way his heart raced, his scent souring with fear. He made Minho face him.
“Minho, are you afraid of heights?” Chan was beginning to worry that Minho might change his mind as he looked over to the window before turning back to Chan, nodding shakily.
“Y-yes, but I’ll… um, I’ll-” Minho watched the rope outside swing towards them and Chan caught it easily. The guards were closing in and they needed to go now. Chan had an idea but he was worried that Minho wouldn’t like it.
“Minho, do you trust me?”
Minho paused, looking into his eyes. Chan knew this was a big deal, but he needed to know if the Omega trusted him enough to get them both out. Minho eyed the ledge before facing Chan.
“Yes.” Minho nodded, his eyes determined. Chan smiled gratefully and carefully guided him to the window.
“Okay, just close your eyes and whatever happens, don’t let go of me. Okay?” Chan cupped the back of Minho’s neck, squeezing once. Minho seemed to relax slightly, and shakily nodded. Chan smiled and took both of Minho’s arms and wrapped them around his neck. Minho blushed at their closeness. When Chan murmured for him to jump, Minho hesitated but gave in after a moment, locking his legs around Chan’s waist.
Chan turned to the window, tugging the rope. Minho was definitely not light. This was going to be a challenge, but he was not about to give up. The rope would hold, that he knew for sure. He gripped it tightly, wrapping it around his forearms and looping it around one foot. He heard Minho whimper when he stepped onto the ledge and Chan whispered. “Just close your eyes and trust me.”
Changbin was staring at the controls when the ship began to dip. He panicked, pushing one of the levers to make sure that they stayed balanced. Surely Chan hadn’t gained that much weight at the party, had he? Jisung was still by the door, crouching as he stared out into the night.
“Hey! What’s with the extra weight?!” Changbin yelled, gripping the steering wheel to prevent it from over-correcting. He watched the meters begin to rise, feeling the strain of the extra weight. The shrill beeping sounds of the controls grew louder from the added effort. Changbin was beginning to worry that they may have gotten caught or were being pulled down. Jisung still hadn’t replied, and Changbin was starting to get annoyed when Jisung suddenly shouted.
Changbin turned in his seat in time to see Jisung pulling someone that was definitely not Chan into the ship before Chan hauled himself up after them. Chan was panting raggedly, stumbling to close the latch. Changbin swore, cutting the anchor loose and flying off. He noticed the guards flashing their lights up from below and Changbin growled, going full throttle, flying up into the clouds for cover.
Once they were high enough, Changbin turned around to face the passengers.
“What in the hell just happened!” Changbin pushed his goggles off of his face. He was faced with Chan in a heap against the back wall, still trying to catch his breath. Jisung was on the other side of the compartment, blocking Changbin’s view of the person cowering behind him. Changbin growled at the stranger until Jisung growled back.
“Stop it! You’re scaring him.”
Changbin felt almost hurt that had Jisung growled back at him, when he noticed the way the person behind him was curled in on himself. Changbin was about to address him when Chan stood, stepping forward.
“We’ll explain when we get home.”
“No, no, I want to know why we have a stowaway when clearly we were only here for a pendant!” Changbin’s voice rose. The stranger winced, curling further behind Jisung’s back. Changbin’s nose was beginning to itch. Chan rubbed at his shoulder with a groan.
“Jisung, take Minho to the back seat. Don’t lean too much on one side. Go.” Chan nodded his head and Jisung quickly took Minho away, escaping Changbin’s wrath for the time being. Changbin grew even more confused and angry until Chan handed him the watch.
“Here. We’ll have to take it apart when we get back, but it’s in pretty good condition.”
Changbin stared at the pendant in his hand, scowling. He still wasn’t satisfied, but he could tell Chan had over-exerted himself trying to get the stowaway on board. Chan had called him by his name, but Changbin refused to acknowledge him until he knew exactly why he was here. He sighed, looking over to where Jisung was comforting the stowaway, holding his hand. He looked back at Chan who huffed out a resigned chuckle, patting Changbin’s shoulder before moving to sit down. Changbin went back to the controls, pulling the goggles over his eyes.
It was a smooth ride, Levanter floating over the sea of clouds, bringing all four of them home.