Chapter Text
Jake stopped and looked down the road he had been walking. Then he slowly turned, taking in the buildings, the street, even the overturned, burned.out cars; everything felt painfully familiar. He was almost certain he had passed through this street before.
His eyes were blurry from exhaustion and lack of sleep. He was thirsty. He was starving. He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for more than twenty four hours.
For nearly five years, Jake had been struggling to survive in this faded, dying world. But until a month ago, he hadn’t been alone he had been with his husband, Minho. Before the world was overrun by zombies, Minho had been a high ranking commander.
He knew how to protect himself from both zombies and people with cruel intentions. He was just as skilled at finding food and water.
Jake was certain he would have died long ago if it weren’t for Minho. He had survived all those years because of him.
But… the omega was alone now. His husband was no longer alive.
What hurt Jake the most was that Minho had died trying to save him.
As soon as the virus began to spread, Alphas took control almost immediately. They formed gangs and enforced their own rules. There was no law, no government, no police anymore.
Over time, only the strong survived the Alphas. Betas and omegas had died from zombie attacks or from cruel treatment.
There were still some betas left. But omegas… they were nearly extinct. Finding an omega was harder than finding food.
Jake just wanted to find a safe place and sleep. But he was certain there was no such thing as safe anymore. The only place that had ever been safe for him was in his husband’s arms.
The boy began to cry. He was giving up. Living without Minho felt like torture.
At that moment, a rotten zombie crawled out from inside one of the overturned cars.
It had once been a man, but Jake had no idea how old he had been. One of its arms was completely gone, and torn flesh dangled from what remained, exposing patches of dirty, off white bone.
When the zombie began charging at him with surprising speed, the omega’s chest rose and fell rapidly.
He looked around frantically, not knowing what to do. There was a knife in his pocket but he would have to get dangerously close to use it. A risk Jake couldn’t take.
He swallowed and sank to his knees, burying his head in his hands.
He didn’t even want to keep living like this. Alone. Hungry.
He waited. In a few seconds, the zombie would reach him and start feeding.
Tragically, the omega was too timid even to take his own life. He could have plunged the knife into his heart and ended it faster but he wouldn’t. He simply waited.
“For God’s sake, what are you even trying to do?!”
A deep voice scolded him. Jake lifted his head and looked toward the newcomer.
A tall, broad Alpha drove a sharpened wooden stake into the zombie’s head, killing it instantly.
Jake raised his tear reddened eyes to the Alpha. His wet lashes fluttered as he pressed his lips together.
He wanted to speak, but a sob caught in his throat.
Sunghoon wiped the disgusting blood off his wooden weapon while looking down at the small omega on the ground.
“Well, well… a lone omega out in the open?”
Jake tucked his long black hair behind his ear and forced himself to speak.
“T-thank you.”
Sunghoon chuckled. He crouched down, resting his knees on the ground, studying the omega more closely. What a beautiful little thing…
“And what exactly are you thanking me for, omega?”
Jake lowered his gaze.
“You saved me.”
“Sorry, but I saved you because you’re an omega, sweetheart. Do you have any idea how rare your kind is?”
When Sunghoon reached out to touch his cheek, Jake flinched back.
Sunghoon stood again. He could use this omega to secure his place in the Alpha gang he had recently joined.
Living alone was boring and difficult. Living with a gang meant better chances of survival.
“Get up. I need to check if you’re carrying any weapons.”
Jake looked up at the Alpha from below, knowing he had to choose his words carefully.
“Why?”
Sunghoon grabbed him by his thin arm and pulled him to his feet, shoving him against the car behind them. Jake’s chest pressed against the old glass window as he looked back at the Alpha over his shoulder.
“I don’t have any weapons.”
Sunghoon raised an eyebrow.
“And you expect me to just trust you? Spread your arms and legs.”
Reluctantly, Jake obeyed.
Sunghoon’s large hands moved over his frail body. First his shoulders, then his small chest, his slim waist, and the soft curve of his hips. It had been three or four years since the Alpha had touched an omega. The soft, delicate body beneath his palms and that fresh cherry scent were dangerously intoxicating.
He stepped back to keep himself under control.
Jake quickly turned to face him, giving him a timid look.
“See? I told you I wasn’t hiding anything.”
Sunghoon tilted his head, smiling at Jake’s frightened expression.
“I’d almost forgotten how beautiful omegas are…”
Jake wrapped his arms around himself.
“What do you want from me?” he asked anxiously. Minho had always told him never to trust people any more than zombies.
“I don’t know. For now, I’ll take you to the shelter where the gang stays.”
After saying that, Sunghoon leaned in, trapping the omega between himself and the car.
“Why are you so scared? If it weren’t for me, you’d already be dead. You’re hungry, aren’t you? A small omega like you doesn’t stand a chance alone. At least with us, you might.”
Jake didn’t trust him. But for now, he had no other choice.
He had been alone for a month often starving and thirsty. He was on the verge of losing his mind.
So he obeyed Sunghoon.