Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Wake up." 

The horses stopped. Jimin didn't know for how long they had been traveling. He lost the time track since he was handed over by his owner to the King's men. He has been working alongside a tradesman since he was young. The tradesman was an old man who was in need of a helper around his house since he didn't have a family of his own, so he bought Jimin when he saw him chained with other kids in the square of the rural side of the Jeon Empire. Jimin was so young when he was sold that he couldn't remember how he even ended up there. He just knew his parents were dead, and he had no one to protect him then.

The tradesman was a quiet and kind man most of the time. He took his time to explain the household chores to the 7-year-old kid. He taught him how to clean, cook, and sew. He gave him proper clothes that would protect the boy from the cold and asked him to carry his papers all around the town with him when he went out with his clients to go see new products. They had spent 12 years together, but he was still the old tradesman he met on the first day. He didn't open up about himself, and when the King's men came to his house in search of new concubines for the King with a big pack of coins, he easily gave the boy to them.

"Wake up!" The voice repeated.

Jimin didn't even notice his eyes were still closed this whole time. His heart was banging in his chest through the whole thing, and he couldn't get the chance to observe his surroundings. He tried to see the others he was brought with, but he was already pushed by a rough hand to get out of the horse car. His head was hurting, his legs were shaking, and he was about to cry right then and there as he was escorted to the unknown place.

People around him were all tall and buff, walking with their strong legs and their heads up high. It was what made the Jeon Empire the way it was. Strong, huge, athletic wolves regardless of their gender and status. The people of the Jeon Empire didn't care about beauty, intelligence, loyalty, or any other feature a wolf could have. The only thing that mattered was power and a strong body to fight off any attack, to protect themselves and their family, and to produce the strongest pups. Jimin was one unfortunate wolf in this matter. He was pretty, with his long blond hair and rosy cheeks, and he was small compared to the other wolves, even smaller than omegas like him. He didn't know how to fight; the tradesman barely knew anything to teach him about this. There were so many nights the old man came home with a bruised body, which Jimin asked nothing of and instead poured some tomato soup into his plate as he tried to look at his wounds when the man was not looking in his direction. Now, he was in the Jeon Palace, being dragged down into a huge door and an even bigger corridor, straight to the King's bed.

The men who were dragging him had a tiny bit of a grin on their faces. It was as if they were joking, proud of themselves for picking the weakest one among the other concubines for the king. As they came to another huge door, their grin turned into a big laugh. Jimin saw some women and a man opening the door and coming out of the room. Just as they saw him, the man swore at the guys holding Jimin. The laughing men said nothing and left Jimin with this angry beta and the women with confused eyes behind him. Jimin stood there awkwardly; the shaking of his legs got even worse over the next few minutes, and he felt his eyes burning. The man looked him in the eye, and then, with the slowest movement, he paved the way for him to enter the room reluctantly.

*

Jimin didn't know the time exactly; he was fighting with his sleep the whole time while the two servants bathed him. They got him out of his dirty clothes and cleaned his tender skin with scentless soaps, and after that long session, they made him wear a silk rope and left. And after that, nothing happened. Jimin was standing in the exact position they left him. His blond hair was in a nice and neat braid. He was holding onto his rope with his dear life. His throat was hurting as he hadn't spoken to anyone for many hours. The servants were so engaged in their cleaning that he couldn't find the courage in him to ask questions. After what felt like an eternity, the two servants from before came back into the room with a knowing expression on their faces.

"You will serve the King tonight."

Jimin took a deep breath. This was it. He was about to be a lonely concubine of the King with no friends and no real love in his heart. A concubine, the realization hit him in the face. The King. He only heard about him when he was on his mission with the tradesman in town. He heard he was a young, strong, and powerful alpha. His authority in politics, the war zone, and even in the palace were the things that he heard about the King. And now he was being taken to the alpha, whom he knew nothing about other than his power and victories. After the maids told him to take off his robe, they left the room without uttering a word. Jimin felt his entire body cold and shivering. He was lying naked on the king's huge bed. He wrapped his arms around himself and waited. 

Then the man appeared at the door. His strong scent preceded before him, his scent filled everywhere he stepped, and with each step he took, Jimin felt his legs trembling with the need to submit to him. The man was so tall, and his body was so muscled in all the right places. Gods, his chest was bare for the omega to see. The King had a handsome face with dark, piercing eyes that bore into him as he walked to the bed. His scent was so aggressive, so demanding, so Alpha.

After what felt like an hour, the alpha was standing in front of the bed. Jimin stopped breathing for a second. He turned crimson red at the vision of what he looked like to the king: splendid on the furs all naked, chest and face flushed a healthy red, his bangs were pushed aside neatly. The king took a few steps to the bed, and the small boy was already trembling with anticipation of him touching his burning skin. But the touch never came. Jimin couldn't look him in the eyes; he was too scared. He was about to leak slick all over the sheets by just looking into his handsome face. Instead, he tried to steal some looks at his lips and his long hair, which was on the alignment of his lips.

Jimin couldn't help but make himself even smaller in the massive bed under the gaze of the king. He couldn't quite understand what the man was thinking, as he couldn't get himself to look him in the eyes. But from the powerful scent he was radiating, Jimin could understand that the man was somehow irritated, almost angry. The omega in him whined desperately. He didn't know what made the king angry, but the omega in him was ready to do whatever it takes to make the man relax and get rid of that discontented expression on his lips.

It was about the time Jimin slowly allowed himself to breathe again when the king made a turn on his heels within seconds and made his way out of the chambers. Jimin felt like he was hit right in the face, shame burning through his bones with his naked and obscene state. He didn't know what exactly happened or what he did to cause this retreat from the king, but with the way two servants from earlier came into the room with blank expressions and his earlier rope in their hands, he knew all of these meant rejection. The king didn't want to take him. The realization burned into his skin while he was being dressed in his robe by the servants. Their faces wouldn't say a word or show any emotion to show how Jimin should feel about the situation.

"Follow us."

The servants led him out of the king's chambers in a rush. They passed corridors and a big guarded door together, but Jimin was not thinking about it. He was not thinking about anything at this point. He felt degraded and ugly, his omega cried in shame the whole time as they made their way to the concubines' chambers. Fortunately, it was late at night, and the room was dark with nobody seen around. The servants showed Jimin a neat, comfortable bed and called it quits for the night. Jimin didn't waste a second getting in bed and cried himself to sleep quietly. It didn't take long before sleep embraced him.

The morning was nothing like the night before, when he was brought into the rooms. There were many chatting voices; some of them were laughters, and some others were just mumbling and excited whispers. He opened his eyes to see that he was in a huge room with many beds and saw many beautiful men and women; some were tidying their beds, some were still sleeping like him, and some were chatting while sitting in a big pile of pillows right in the middle of the room.

"My king," A girl with a high pitched voice was talking in the circle. "He really wants me to have his baby." She was lying down on the pillows with her back turned to Jimin. All he could see was her long black hair that covered her whole back; her hair was so long that some of it was on the floor. "He never wastes his cum anywhere but inside me. He even waits for a moment before pulling out."

"My king wants an heir as soon as possible. I heard he even arranged and commissioned some knights and teachers for his heir that haven't even been born." The boy sitting opposite her spat the words out in a second.

Jimin had full access to his face from where he was lying on his bed, and he could see the way the boy's eyes were burning with a fire that stunned him in the bed. The girl didn't care if she even saw the fire burning in the boy's eyes, and she continued her talk excitedly. "If only I could have my heat while he was here. He just returned from his trip to the outskirts yesterday. If he had been here the day before that, he could have bred me, it was the last day of my heat. What a shame that-"

Jimin was quietly listening to their conversation when all of a sudden the girl stopped talking, and the rush around him seemed to end. They were looking at him now. It was as if they just noticed his presence in the big room with many beds. Jimin tried to make himself even smaller with the attention of others. His heart was beating loudly against his chest.

"You," He heard someone talking to him. He shut his eyes for a second before looking at the source of the voice. It was coming for a tall boy sitting in the circle. "You new?"

All of the others were waiting for his response while Jimin struggled to form an answer. His cheeks lit up in an instant. When he was sure his voice would crack if he talked, he simply nodded and jumped out of bed to tidy his sheet, just like the others. Unlike what he thought, no one seemed curious about him. He slowly relaxed in the rising noises and buzzing in the room as the others returned to what they were doing.

Jimin struggled to tidy his bed for a moment; his hands were shaking as he observed the room. There were men and women; all were omegas, and they all seemed to sleep together. Other than beds, there was quite nothing to see in the room, but the room had three big doors, and Jimin only remembered the one in the middle; it was the one he entered last night, returning from the King's chambers. His gaze lingered on a girl entering the room from the left door, which seemed to be opened to an indoor garden, he assumed, with the color green so visible in the background everywhere. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a girl entering from the door on the right, and she soon returned with a lush green satin dress in her hand. That's how Jimin realized that this was the place to put his clothes and personal belongings.

While Jimin was lost in his thoughts, many maids came in and brought their breakfast. And just like that, he did nothing for the rest of the day. He didn't know how to spend his time there. From time to time, he watched those around him. Some were reading books, some were wandering around the garden, and some were gossiping around. Jimin just sat on his bed, watching his hands until dinner. No one had approached him, and he was too shy to meet anyone.

That night, a tall beta with blue eyes appeared at the doors and uttered a single word that made everyone stop their chatting. "Tuisin." There was no voice for a minute or two while the boy named Tuisin quickly got up and followed the beta with a pleased grin on his face. Jimin spent a few more minutes looking at the pissed expressions of the others; after that, he returned to making his bed ready for sleep just like the others.

By the time Tuisin returned to the rooms, it was almost morning. His curvy figure walked fast and tried not to make a noise when he was going to his bed, but his walking was odd and held a meaning behind it. His messy hair and neck full of hickeys were a sight to see. The majesty took him in his bed, in the bed where he refused to touch Jimin, and left him there with his slick waiting to be spilled right into the sheets for the alpha. Jimin felt tears gather in his eyes that were deprived of sleep; his tear drops were so fat they wet his cheeks in seconds, falling one after the other. Just before the boy lay down on the bed right next to him, he used the little energy his body had to turn around and hide his crying face. He didn't understand why the king would reject him and have Tuisin in his bed instead. He tried to sleep as he hid his bitter scent; the morning was almost there.

*

Appearantly being a cuncubine in the palace didn't mean they were free of some simple household chores. They accompany servants with the chores even though they're not doing much compared to the servants whose main job was housework. But they still were required to do dusting, tending the plants in the garden, and arranging the cabinets. Some days they even help the servants prepare the king's chambers for him to return to a clean and well-organized room at night. But apparently that job was already taken by Yuri, the same girl that was talking the other day in the circle, who saw it as a way to make herself known to the king and hopefully end up in his bed for the night.

Today was no different with the way Yuri gathered stuff with her to head to the king's chambers under a servant's supervision. She had a beautiful blue dress that was way too revealing for a quick preparation of the room for the king, but no one seemed to be surprised by it. Jimin was dusting in the corridor that led to the concubine rooms. He didn't have anyone to talk to, with all of the others ignoring his existence and looking down on him for his weak appearance.

He was about to get finished with his job when the servant from earlier who got Yuri with her to the king's chambers got a hold of his arm and made him follow him in quick steps. "Come with me." she said, already dragging him as she uttered the words sullenly. While passing through the corridors of the palace, Jimin saw Yuri with a crying face and a limping leg that she was dragging.

"W-What?" He uttered it in a breath. "What happened to her?"

The maid didn't even look where the omega was looking while answering. "Poor thing sprained her foot on the way to the king's chambers," Jimin only noticed they were standing in front of the king's room when the woman spoke again. "You are to do her job for today. Go heat some water for the king's bath, roll up the silk cover on his bed and fluff up his pillows, stand next to him until he gets into his bed, and then return to the concubine rooms." With a quick explanation she delivered, she turned on his heels quickly. Muttering about all the jobs she has to do, her voice gets lower and lower with each step she takes, and then it comes to a stop.

Jimin entered the room with shaky legs; his heart skipped a beat at the thought of the King and him alone in this room. He took a deep breath in the alpha's scent lingering in the room and prepared the bed for the king in a haze. His alpha scent had an amazing effect on the omega he seemed to get, which had never happened before with any of the alphas he saw on his journeys with the tradesman. He pressed his legs together, his body trembling in anticipation. He hurried to the tub and started to fill the water, and when he was sure it was the perfect temperature, he lit the candles and waited nervously by the bed. He didn't know when the king would come, but judging by the maid's fuss, there wasn't much time left.

Just as he was trying to calm himself, the king stepped into the room, and Jimin blushed all over with the memory of his last time in this room, all naked on the bed in front of the king, ready to be taken there. Even if the king possibly didn't expect to see him in this room, he didn't make a noise. He made his way to his bath with his eyes lingering on the omega. His movements were lazy, but he didn't seem tired with his burning gaze on the omega. Jimin tried to look anywhere but the alpha's body as he stripped off his clothes. The fewer clothes he had, the more of his scent invaded the room, and it became harder and harder every second for him to breathe.

With the splash of the water, Jimin understood that the king was in the tub now. Jimin felt the need to be closer to him. The alpha was naked in hot water; his strong arms were on both sides of the tub, his head resting against it. Jimin didn't know what to do with his body; it was almost betraying him with his shaking, and he didn't know where to put his hands as he tried to avert his gaze from the alpha. He tried to look at the pattern of the silk cover on the headboard just to distract himself. But it only worked for a minute or two until he fixed his eyes on the king again. His eyes were closed, and his eyebrows were slightly frowning. Jimin felt himself getting closer to the strong source of burning wood. His insides were burning with desire, and he didn't know what to do with this desire. He never felt the need to touch someone else this badly in all his life. 

He came closer and closer to the king. Alpha looked even more handsome up close; the way he held himself was screaming wild and free. As the seconds passed, his frowning expression began to worry Jimin; his omega was throwing a tantrum, wanting to fix the expression on the alpha's face. He was just about to reach out and touch the alpha's forehead when his hand caught him by the arm before he knew what was going on. The king had risen from his lying position and was looking at him with flaming eyes. Jimin felt his heart stop for a moment with the hand on his arm. His hair stood on end at the alpha's touch, and his gaze was almost pinned in place. Jimin pressed his legs together tightly as the alpha stared at him questioningly, trying to pull his hand away, but the alpha's grip couldn't loosen.

Up close, the smell of wood fire was much more intense, and Jimin was starting to feel dizzy. For a moment, he thought he would have collapsed if it weren't for the hand holding him tightly, but then that feeling gave way to another, and he felt himself getting wet under the alpha's gaze. His insides were slicking himself for the alpha to ravish, to take all of him and leave nothing behind. He watched the way the alpha's nostrils flared, smelling his sweet slick. The grip on his arm got tighter, and Jimin felt the alpha pull him against his wet chest. The other hand that wasn't holding him was wrapped around his tiny waist.

"Alpha,"

He whispered so quietly that the alpha wouldn't have been able to hear him if they weren't so close. The hand that gripped his waist slowly went down as the King brought his face close to Jimin's neck. Jimin's ass was soaked with slick in seconds when he felt the hand cupping his ass.

"A-Alpha," He tried to call out to the king again, gasping at the king's touch. He could feel the king's breath on his neck, near his scent gland, when suddenly the hands holding him disappeared. Jimin almost lost his balance when the king's voice came to his senses.

"You may leave."

Here it was. The king was rejecting him a second time. Jimin walked away from him as if he had been electrocuted, his eyes burning with tears. He didn't know how his legs worked properly as he rushed out of the king's chamber.

His head was spinning.

Chapter Text

Jimin was getting used to this life. He would wake up in the morning with laughter and the sounds of getting ready, make his bed, wait for his breakfast, then either walk around the indoor garden or stay in bed and read a book. Sometimes he would sit on the cushions on the floor next to the other concubines and knit quietly, and sometimes he would kill time by organizing his wardrobe, even though it was not needed. It had been days since he had arrived, but still no one had tried to talk to him. It was as if everyone knew their business here; their only goal was to serve the king and get his attention. They were not interested in anything or anyone else. While walking around the garden, Jimin could see small groups of friends talking in small circles, but apart from a few such groups, no one seemed to care what anyone was doing.

There were twenty concubines inside, each one more beautiful than the other, young and well-built. They did not hesitate to show each other their strength and skills, often talking about their noble family and how good their upbringing was. While they were talking, Jimin had seen a few people sitting quietly just like him, and he could tell that he wasn't the only one without a family. During his time here, he noticed that the king had his favorite concubines and that everyone else respected them. It was as if there was a hierarchy in the room, and favorite omegas seemed to like slamming it in the others' faces with their actions, if not their words.

And sometimes they seemed to do it with their words.

"I believe my king will be inviting me to his chambers tonight."

Yuri. Undoubtedly, she was one of the king's favorite omegas, and she did not hesitate to say it with great joy and ambition. "It's been four days since I've seen him, but I miss him already. I'm sure he's thinking of me too."

She had her long black hair tied tightly into a single big bun. She was walking quickly from side to side with her long legs, while she was rocking the book she was holding in her hand as if she were reading it. Jimin was relieved to see that the other omegas didn't really care about Yuri and what she said, but he couldn't help the gnawing feeling.

"After my last night with him, I don't think he'll be calling any of you."

When someone else spoke, Jimin turned his eyes toward her. Helena. She was another of the king's favorite concubines. "The King has ejaculated inside me so much that I can still feel it flowing through me from time to time." She had big, long-fingered hands, gripping the hem of her dress tightly. "This time, it's for sure. I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant."

Jimin went back to reading his book to avoid being alone with his heart pounding, but he couldn't understand anything he was reading. He didn't even know how many times he had read the same page. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tuisin, who stood in awkward silence next to the racing omegas, listening to them. Although he was one of the king's favorites and it was well known, Tuisin did not open his mouth and utter a word. Deep down, Jimin realized that he was scared of him the most. He was involuntarily exposed to the details of the king's relationship with the other omegas on a daily basis, but despite his frequent visits to the king's bed, Tuisin kept what was going on between them a secret. This obscurity was eating away at Jimin. When he realized that he couldn't read the book any more, he closed it, put it aside, and lay down on his bed.

Sometimes he wanted to sleep in one of the beds near the gate. His bed was on the side of the wall, almost at the end of the room, and it saddened him not to be able to see the lush green leaves of the trees in the garden and the beautiful riot of colors of all kinds of flowers. Yuri and Helena's competing voices began to fade, and he felt his eyes getting heavy. He could sleep until dinner; maybe by then Helena would have stopped talking about the sperm inside her.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he saw a maid noisily enter, followed by Jinsoo in a white dress. The blonde girl was holding her stomach with a big smile on her face. As the maid immediately laid Jinsoo on her bed, shocked shouts arose from all around. Jinsoo was literally radiant; she pulled the dress off, revealing her long, shiny legs, and immediately put her hands on her stomach again. Jimin stood up, trying to understand what had happened as he noticed the omegas around him smelling bitter.

"Jinsoo says she's pregnant, soon the Emperor will come here. He will wait here while Jinsoo checks in, so restrain yourself and stop smelling the room by releasing this bitter smell."

After the maid gave them a small scolding, three betas, all dressed in white, entered. Holding small bags in their hands, they got between her legs after putting Jinsoo in a comfortable position. Jimin felt his heart beat like crazy in his chest. Unable to stand any longer, he found himself sitting on the bed again. Helena and Yuri's voices had been cut off since morning, and Tuisin was watching Jinsoo out of the corner of his eye.

As Jimin watched the scene with goosebumps, the King walked in and everyone stood up at the same time. Jimin tried to stand up with trembling legs, but his effort was ignored, and King walked to Jinsoo's bed in all his glory. Within seconds, the scent of the alpha filled the entire room. While the maids were checking in, Jinsoo was smiling wide, and Jungkook was watching with an unreadable expression. He was dressed in all black and gleamed in the room, as if he had to arrive in the middle of important business.

Jimin kept his eyes on the alpha, unlike the eyes of the other omegas watching Jinsoo. Every time he saw him, his heart was beating with terrifying speed, and he felt a tremendous fire in his fingertips to touch him.

After that check, which felt like years, the oldest of the servants turned to the king and shook her head. "My king, she is not pregnant."

Jinsoo's face seemed to turn black in seconds. The hand that had just been holding her stomach with a big smile had fallen from the side of the bed. She looked at the king with eyes filled with tears. Jimin didn't know what the alpha was feeling, but Jungkook's silence was saddening. This silence did not last long; the alpha approached the tearful omega without any change of emotion on his face. Jimin held his breath when he saw the alpha's hand caressing Jinsoo's cheek. The alpha's tender touch was soon withdrawn, and he glanced one last time at the servants and returned to the work he had been doing before he hurried here. As soon as the king left the room, Jinsoo burst into tears. The servants left her crying on the bed and followed the king out of the room.

Dinner soon arrived, and for the rest of the night, the concubines were back in their routine as if nothing had happened. Jinsoo hadn't eaten a bite that night. With his aching heart, Jimin forced himself to eat, remembering how weak and frail he was when he saw the others. He forced himself to eat more, but as always, he got up and went to bed before he finished what was in front of him. He felt tired.

*

When Jimin woke up the next day, he realized that he had slept for hours. He even missed breakfast time, it was past noon. It didn't take long for the concubines' dissatisfied conversations to reach his ears. The king hadn't taken anyone to bed last night. Jimin could see how important it was to him to have an heir, seeing the fire in the alpha's eyes when he checked in for Jinsoo last night. But it was almost impossible for an omega to get pregnant outside of the heat. That still didn't stop the young alpha from trying every night.

With the noise rising around him, Jimin slightly sat up to see what was going on. In front of the room with the clothes, Yuri and Jinsoo were tugging at a piece of emerald green cloth.

"Let go of it!"

"No, you let it go! I'm going to wear this tonight. Do you think the king will want you again after you disappoint him?"

Yuri's scream echoed throughout the room. Jinsoo wasn't holding back either, not letting go of her clinging to the thin piece of cloth. It was as if she was taking her anger out on the dress.

"You two!"

A short, middle-aged omega walked in. It was the first time Jimin had seen her, but judging by the others' startles, she was respected.

"Stop that noise you're making now." The old woman's deep voice stopped the arguing omegas, but neither of them had taken their hand off the piece of cloth.

Yuri was still stubborn. "The king hasn't called me to his room for five days. He will definitely call today. Soye, please tell him to leave my dress." She whined like a child, and the woman named Soye seemed unaffected.

"I won't warn you again. Stop it."

Jimin sighed with an exasperated expression. It was as if the negative energy here was absorbing his soul. He was in enough pain, and he didn't want to listen to the others fighting. He slowly got up from his seat and walked unobtrusively towards the garden gate. Soye's calm warning seemed to have left the door open for the arguing omegas when their quarrel escalated again.

"Bitch!" Yuri pulled the dress off with such speed that she found herself hitting Soye during it. Jimin was near the door while all this was happening, and realizing that Soye was going to fall backwards with the unexpected jolt, he took a few quick steps behind her and caught her before she fell to the ground. He felt his slender legs flex under the old woman's weight when Soye straightened up with a snarl. Her cheeks were slightly red as she pulled the fabric from the frozen omegas' hands.

"Neither of you are going anywhere! I'll choose who goes to the king's chambers tonight." She said it at once.

Before the Omegas had a chance to respond, she turned around to meet Jimin's eyes, who caught her before she fell. Jimin quickly averted his eyes, scared to stare at the angry woman. After a few seconds, the woman's gaze rested on him, and she went out with the dress that she held in her palm and squeezed tightly. The concubines took a deep breath.

"Damn it." Yuri hissed through her teeth. "She does that all the time. She takes whoever she wants to the king. It's ridiculous that she's entitled to it."

Jimin now understood the reason for the woman's authority. No other servants could interfere with the concubines, who went in and out of the king's bed. Soye had the right to say a name.

"She doesn't love me at all, bitch." With one last hiss, Yuri entered the dressing room.

"Me too." Jinsoo also muttered quietly and walked to her bed.

Jimin took a deep breath; he was happy that he hadn't drawn arrows at himself during the chaos. He quietly went out into the garden, hoping to find some peace. There were no more fights until the evening. Everyone had their dinner and went to bed. Several concubines, whose names Jimin did not know, were talking about who would be summoned to the king's chamber, their voices starting high and gradually turning into whispers.

The door opened with a bang. It was quite late. Soye was much better and stronger than Jimin had seen her at noon. She had a mocking smile on her face, and the corner of her lip slightly curved upwards.

"Jimin."

Jimin didn't hear her the first time. His hand was reaching for his book beside his pillow so he could read a few more pages before he fell asleep.

"Jimin."

He could only hear her at the second call of the old woman. He was frozen in place. Looking questioningly at the woman, he realized that he wouldn't get any more explanations from her. He already knew what it meant. Soye had chosen him. She had come here to take him to the king's bed. He slowly got up and looked around to see that everyone was watching him. At first, he was filled with fear, afraid that they would become hostile towards him, but when he looked carefully, he saw that no one was looking at him with grudge eyes but instead with almost mocking eyes. Judgmental eyes roamed his face and body. Even Yuri didn't make an angry grimace, as she normally does when other concubines are summoned. She was looking at him with calm eyes.

Jimin suddenly stood up, remembering that Soye was waiting. His book had fallen to the ground. He was going to see the king and lay down on his bed to be with him. The omega inside him was screaming for joy, but he was in pain at the chance of being rejected again. While he was walking down the corridor after Soye with heavy steps, he couldn't fit inside. He was glad to have another chance with the King, maybe this was his last chance, he didn't even know about it. The king had not called him into his chamber since he arrived. Soye had done him a huge favor without realizing it.

When they got to the front of the king's room, Jimin experienced the familiar trembling sensation. Even knowing that he was close to the Alpha was burning him with desire. He felt Soye's eyes on him. The woman looked like she was going to say something but didn't. After beckoning the guards to open the door, she gently pushed Jimin inside. Then, without waiting, she turned and walked away.

Jimin walked in with his heart beating fast. The scent of alpha was all around him. Alpha was sitting on the edge of the big bed with his strong body, staring intently at a few pieces of paper. He didn't seem to notice the shy omega's presence. Jimin looked at the closed door behind him, not knowing what to do. He wanted to approach the Alpha, but he was too afraid. He realized that he was releasing his nervous scent as the fear of being rejected again consumed him.

The Alpha's eyes suddenly found his. Jimin tried to suppress his whining. The alpha didn't seem surprised; he masked his expression as usual, but he put the papers aside and gave the petite omega his full attention. Jimin paused for a while, trying to control his breathing, then started walking to the alpha sitting on the edge of the bed. He took uncertain steps, praying that his legs wouldn't get tangled. The Alpha had been watching him silently all this time.

The alpha had his legs spread invitingly apart, and Jimin stood right in front of the alpha's muscular legs, not daring to get between them. He let out a shaky breath he didn't even realize he was holding. As he inhaled the alpha's scent of wood fire, he felt something inside him burning with desire. There was that feeling again. He felt like he would die if he didn't touch the alpha. He wanted to open his mouth to say something, but he didn't have the strength. The only thing swirling around in his mind was the alpha grabbing his tiny body and slamming it hard into the bed. Jimin wanted to be fucked until all he remembered was the king's name. Jungkook. Jungkook.

His cheeks reddened as he felt helplessly wet. He knew the alpha could smell his slick. Alpha took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Omega,"

Jimin almost fell to his knees when the alpha spoke in a deep voice. He whimpered from where he was standing. His long bangs were sinking into her eyes, and he had his bright blonde hair gathered in a single braid and pulled over one shoulder in front of him. He realized that he was about to fall as the alpha's large arm wrapped around his tiny waist. He sighed and approached the alpha. This waiting was killing him.

"Alpha," he whispered. There was nothing else he could do. He wanted to rest his face on the alpha's strong chest and feel his hands on his body.

"Go back to your room."

Hearing the alpha's words, he whimpered louder and wrapped his arms around the alpha's neck. Alpha tightened his arm around his waist in response to his sudden movement. "Alpha, n-no." Jimin felt his eyes fill with tears. "No, no."

He caressed the alpha's hair hesitantly. He was sure that the fire in his body had turned his entire face red.

"Go back to your room, little one." The Alpha spoke tenderly, as if he didn't want to hurt Jimin, but Jimin felt like he was being torn apart by his cruel words.

"Alpha, please," Slick had soaked his underwear. His body was preparing to surrender itself to the alpha. His stomach was burning with anticipation. "Don't reject m-me, I beg of you."

He said it all at once, and luckily he was able to control his tears. He stared at the alpha's masked expression, trying to understand what he was thinking. The omega inside him couldn't understand what was going on; he had to be in the alpha's lap by now, his womb full of his cum.

"Little one," Jimin trembled from head to toe as Alpha gently lifted him into his arms. The alpha's strong body was all around him, he could feel the alpha right under his ass. His alpha cock was only under a few pieces of clothing.

"Don't make it difficult for yourself. You are so weak." Alpha's other hand was tucked under omega's dress, roaming his smooth legs. "I don't see you fit to bear my pup."

Jimin closed his eyes in humiliation.

"I need healthy, strong heirs. Your narrow hips and small back don't seem suitable for childbearing. I don't know why they got you here in the first place." Alpha paused as his hand came to omega's soaked underwear as he slurred his cruel words. "You wouldn't even want to know how I want to destroy you."

Jimin took a shaky breath. He closed his eyes to focus on the alpha's touch as he slid his hands from the alpha's neck to his broad shoulders.

"I don't think you can stand my rough touch, let alone give birth to my baby."

"My king," Jimin said, starting to draw small circles with his hips. Every second the Alpha remained motionless, it became more unbearable. The tears that he had taken under control a short time ago had taken their place in his eyes again.

With one last look into the alpha's eyes, the alpha quickly pulled him to his body and laid him on his back on the edge of the bed. Jimin made a startled noise as his back hit the bed, his legs dangling from the bed. Without hesitation, the Alpha bent down and slid between his legs. Jimin's heart was beating harshly, he couldn't take his eyes off the king that was sitting there between his legs. He was sure that he would never forget this sight for the rest of his life. The king stood in all his glory between his legs, exactly where he wanted him to be.

After a while, large hands roamed his legs, he quickly lifted the dress up and slid the soaked underwear down to the omega's ankles. Jimin's floral slick scent filled the room, competing with the dominant, masculine scent of the alpha. Jimin squeaked more in anticipation as the king folded Jimin's legs and completely exposed his ass. Jimin's knees were touching his chest; his petite body was folded in half this way. Alpha bent down and placed kisses around his little dick.

He gently scolded him, but he also looked like he was talking to himself. "You're so delicate, you're all soft. Don't torture yourself like that."

He kept the omega's legs still as Jimin's legs trembled slightly in anticipation. With the pressure of the alpha's rough hands, Jimin sank into the sheet. Jimin groaned loudly when he felt the alpha's tongue up his ass. After a few slow licks, the alpha moved like a hungry man and began licking his hole without letting omega catch his breath. Jimin felt his eyes darken with pleasure, his little cock whining unattended as the alpha snorted contentedly as he tasted his slick.

A moment later, the alpha pressed his tongue into his hole, and Jimin placed his small hands on the ones of the alpha that were pressing him into the bed. He tried to wrap his little fingers around the alpha's wrists, but his fingers did not meet around them. Meaningless words and high-pitched moans poured out of his mouth. His bangs had slipped off his forehead, and his blond hair was strewn across the soft sheet. He looked like he was going to faint with pleasure at the alpha's experienced tongue.

"Alpha! Yes, yes, alpha.."

Without raising his head, the king let go of omega's legs, and he held both of them with only one hand. Jimin looked like he had been nailed down even by the pressure of the alpha's one hand. He couldn't escape the alpha's cruel mouth. He couldn't take it anymore when Alpha stroked his little red-hot dick with his free hand.

"Alpha!"

He shuddered as breathless moans escaped his lips. He was almost blinded by pleasure as he was cumming all over himself. The Alpha continued to fuck his hole with his tongue while the omega was slowly coming down from his orgasm. Then he licked his hole a few more times and finally lifted his head. Jimin didn't know what he looked like in the king's eyes, he couldn't even form an idea of it. It was as if his brain had stopped. He closed his eyes tightly, and his cheeks turned a dark shade of red when he remembered that he was still dressed.

Alpha slowly pulled away from between his legs and stood up. Jimin took a deep breath when he felt the hand caressing his face. His body was so mashed that he was about to fall asleep where he was. He heard the alpha say something, but he couldn't understand what it was, and soon the alpha had pulled him into the middle of the bed and had him rest his head on the pillow. He wrapped his arms around himself under the blanket the alpha just put on him and closed his eyes to fall asleep.

Feeling no weight next to the bed, he opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at the alpha. He saw that he was taking the papers he was examining when omega entered the room. The expression on his face was unreadable as always, but his dark eyes were looking tenderly at Jimin.

Jimin soon fell asleep. The smell of wood was everywhere.

Chapter Text

Through time, the indoor garden became the place where Jimin spent all his time. The concubines were not kept as captives, they wandered freely in certain parts of the palace if they informed the maids or guardians, but at the end of the day they would return to their rooms. The concubines' room was where they felt safest, most relaxed, and most judgment-free. There was no one to judge what they did there, everyone inside was there to warm the king's bed, no one was better than the other. They were also in a higher position than many nobles in their social lives; they had everything they demanded in an instant. The softest sheets, fluffiest pillows, the best food from all over the Jeon Empire to maintain their health and strength, and all kinds of clothes they wanted were laid before them in one fell swoop.

Jimin could say that he had a life a thousand times better than his life with the merchant, but it still pained him to be surrounded by omegas who competed for the alpha's attention and touch. What was worse was that Jimin didn't even feel like he was involved in this race. Alpha wouldn't let him into this race, the last time he went to his chambers, he fell unconscious with pleasure and slept in alpha's bed. He woke up in the morning to an empty room and was soon taken back to the concubine chambers by the maids. He would have thought he was dreaming all of it if it were not for the delicious smell of burning wood that pervaded him.

Despite his young age and lack of a father to guide him, the king was exceedingly good at politics and defense and was admired all around the world. He had won many victories in a short time and increased the prosperity of the kingdom. He was in such an untouchable spot that it was as if he were standing on the very top of a mountain. The nobles were chasing after him, the soldiers were ready to fight to the death for him, and the concubines had lined up to carry a piece of him. Everyone was in pursuit of a small piece of benefit that they could obtain from the alpha, and the alpha was aware of it. He wanted a lasting legacy, an heir. Someone who would follow in his footsteps, someone he could teach life to and raise as the future king, a pure-blood leader like him. The fact that both the nobles and the commoners couldn't keep quiet behind closed doors and talked incessantly about it showed that they also wanted the same thing.

"Yesterday, the wish stones were finally moved,"

Jimin looked around upon hearing the voice.

"Thank goodness. I've been leaving piles of paper for the past few months. I hope they start reading them soon under the king's orders."

Jimin saw two servants talking, and he pretended not to hear them as he looked around. When he heard the king's name, he perked up. Since he had no one to talk to, listening to other people's conversations was the only interaction he had.

"They've already started. Many have written that they want an heir to the throne. Our king is young and at the most suitable age to have a baby; having offspring from such a healthy male will be good, people can see that."

"Our king is getting impatient now."

Jimin was trembling from head to toe. He tightly wrapped his arms around himself. It was driving him crazy that he couldn't do anything, he just wanted to erase the king's impatience and give birth to dozens of children for him. He wanted to forget how it felt not to be pregnant and prove that, despite his delicate body, he could give birth to strong and beautiful babies for the alpha. As the evening darkened, the garden cooled down, and now his arms wrapped around himself were not enough to keep him warm.

"What did you write, by the way?" As Jimin was leaving the garden to return to his bed, the voices of the servants were gradually fading away.

"Many things..."

That night, as was the case every night, there was hustle and bustle in the concubines' chamber. Omegas were donning their finest clothes, applying their best scents, and eagerly hoping to hear their names called. Jimin gathered his hair into a single braid and sat on his bed, knowing that the alpha wouldn't summon him. He watched absentmindedly as others prepared around him. He couldn't understand why everyone looked so perfect; the concubines walking back and forth in his room seemed to have stepped out of a painting. Their column-like legs, ample and overflowing breasts, skilled hands, and athletic bodies made it abundantly clear to Jimin why he wasn't a part of this competition.

As the frantic preparations continued inside, a beta entered the room, and all noise ceased. Everyone was now attentive to the name the beta would announce.

"Ursula."

There was silence. It seemed as if no one understood who the beta was referring to. Then a red-haired, well-endowed girl rose from the bed by the wall. With every step she took toward the door and the king's bed, her breasts bounced like jelly. Judging by the indifference of the others, she wasn't one of the king's favorites. When Ursula left the room and the door closed behind her, everyone stopped preparing. They rushed to the wardrobe and changed into more comfortable nightgowns for a peaceful night's sleep. Some meticulously ruined their nicely-done hair in a corner. Jimin changed his clothes and waited for everyone to finish their preparations before lying down to sleep. He didn't want to be caught in the midst of the concubines rushing in through the door, risking damage to himself.

An hour later, he had put on his nightgown and laid on his bed. Jimin felt jealousy welling up inside him. While he tried to sleep in this cold and lonely bed, Ursula was undoubtedly sprawled out in the king's warm bed, feeling his body's warmth against her and gladly accepting the king's touch. She didn't seem very talkative, but when she returned to the room the next morning, it was uncertain if that situation would persist. Jimin, perhaps for the hundredth time, tried to stop wrestling with his thoughts and forced himself to sleep.

His heart-wrenching palpitations were just beginning to subside when the grand door of the room swung open and Ursula entered. She looked nothing like she did when she left the room. Her face was as red as her fiery hair, and her voluptuous legs brushed against each other as she walked to her bed. It had been over two hours since she had gone to the king's room. Jimin tightly shut his eyes. As the girl walked carefully towards the bed by the wall, he wrinkled his nose at the waves of woodfire scent emanating from her. He didn't want to smell the alpha on others; he wanted to lean his nose against his scent gland and inhale directly from the source, all while touching every part of him and adorning his neck with soft kisses.

"Helena," The maid spoke a new name when everyone expected the beta to leave the room. "Helena, wake up."

Bewildered noises erupted in the room. Helena hurriedly got out of bed and ran to the wardrobe; her face was as white as a ghost. Whispers filled the room, but they were too distant for Jimin to hear what was being said. He didn't even know the names of the omegas lying in the beds next to his; he had never heard them speak. Helena soon emerged in a black, translucent dress, quickly brushed her hair, and adorned herself with a shimmering necklace. For the first time, the king was spending the night with more than one omega. Not long after, Helena almost ran out of the room, seemingly not wanting to keep the king waiting any longer. Her footsteps were heard in the corridor for a while, then they faded away.

Everyone seemed as if they had fallen asleep, but Jimin could already guess what would be discussed in the morning. Only one conclusion could be drawn from what had happened. The alpha's desire seemed to be growing stronger.

*

Days passed, and it became routine for the alpha to have multiple omegas in his bed in a single night. Now, after the first omega's name was called, no one would change into their nightgowns and lie in their beds as they used to. They waited in their places until the first omega returned, sometimes hours later, panting and with a reluctant gait. When the first omega returned, the second one left, and everyone took this as a signal to go to sleep. In the early days, some would wait to be the third omega, but when they realized that the third name was never called, the concubines stopped waiting. While they waited to be the third, Jimin had already gone to bed long before the first omega's name was called, trying to sleep with tears in his eyes.

Jimin woke up that morning with a terrible feeling. There was more commotion in the concubines' chamber than usual. Yuri, in a bright red dress that clung tightly to her body, was standing in the middle of the room.

"Tonight," she said. "The king will definitely want me. He takes me at least once every week, and today is the last day of the week. He will definitely call for me tonight."

She uttered hopeful words one after the other while trying to style her hair. It wasn't even breakfast time yet, but she was already preparing for the night. Jimin didn't get out of bed until breakfast was brought to him. He didn't read a book to pass the time, either.

After breakfast, he spent the whole day wandering the palace's vast corridors. He enjoyed exploring the palace more than the other concubines. He would study the paintings in the grand hallways, watch the flowing waters in the main garden, and gaze at the crystal-clear river for hours. Palace life was peaceful, and Jimin occasionally thought about the old tradesman. He remembered the bag of money the king's men had given him in exchange for taking Jimin to the palace. A bag full of money. The tradesman was undeniably living a life of unprecedented prosperity now, enjoying better meals and more wealth than ever before. Perhaps he had already purchased a slave to assist with the household chores that had accumulated in Jimin's absence and to help transport goods for showcasing to customers. Jimin tried not to dwell on this thought any longer and decided to return to the concubines' chamber.

Unlike many nobles who had distinctive clothing or accessories that revealed their identities, the concubines had no such markers. This allowed them to move around the palace without being recognized, but as Jimin approached the concubines' chamber, fewer people seemed to appear on the corridors, and those who saw him walking his path understood where he was going and watched him with knowing glances. For Jimin, the worst part of navigating the palace was the journey back to the concubines' chamber.

As he wandered through the glittering palace, he seemed to have forgotten what time it was. The sky had suddenly darkened to the point where it might already be past dinnertime. As he quickened his pace, he saw a blue-eyed beta walking towards him down the corridor. Jimin was about to pass by when the beta grabbed his arm. Jimin winced in pain as he pulled his arm back, but the beta didn't comment on it and just carefully examined his face.

"Come with me. You will prepare the king's chamber," the beta said, then continued walking without waiting for Jimin. In this palace, nobody seemed to wait for another; they simply gave orders and walked away.

Jimin quickly followed the beta, his hands and feet almost tangled in each other. He didn't even know what he looked like; he hadn't braided his hair as usual today and had left his shiny blond hair flowing freely. He had been wandering the palace for hours, and the wind must have tousled and ruined his hair. He attempted to quickly fix his hair with his hands, knowing that this preparation was futile. He knew from Yuri's loud proclamation in the morning that the king would be calling her tonight.Jimin would only be preparing the bed they would share and setting up the bath for the alpha to wash himself for the girl. He didn't even know how many times his heart had broken, but each time he felt the same pain, and it seemed to multiply with each occurrence.

Jimin found himself at the door and soon inside the king's chamber without having a chance to compose himself one last time. This time, the king was already in the room. He was sitting at the large table beside his bed, writing something by the candle-lit table. Jimin couldn't help but pause for a moment to watch him.

He knew he needed to get to work as soon as possible, preparing the alpha and the bed for the night before quietly exiting. Tonight was Yuri's night, and she was to be followed by an omega whose name Jimin didn't even know. But as Jimin stood there, he couldn't think about any of that. That anticipatory trembling sensation had come over him again, and he took one more breath of the alpha's scent that surrounded him before beginning to prepare the alpha's bath. Even if the alpha hadn't looked up yet, Jimin knew he could tell the alpha knew it was him in his room from his floral scent.

When Jimin turned back to arrange the bed, the alpha stood up, stretching with his massive arms, and walked to the bathroom. Jimin had tightly wrapped his hands around the sheet he was holding, watching the alpha undress from the corner of his eye. When he saw the alpha's naked back, he quickly averted his gaze and tried to refocus on his task. He could feel his body burning with the alpha's scent as he entered the bath.

The alpha was undeniably good-looking, with a body every omega would want to touch, a scent that would make everyone faint from just one sniff, and a striking, handsome face that could grace paintings. Jimin finally prepared the bed, then hastily fluffed the pillows. He didn't know how much time had passed while he tried to keep his mind off the alpha; he was startled when he saw the alpha return to his table. His heart was pounding so loudly that he couldn't even hear the splash of water the alpha made while he was getting out of the tube. The alpha's chest was bare, and he had put on something comfortable underneath. He picked up the paper and pen with slow movements and continued writing as he had done minutes ago.

Jimin tried to control himself as he lit the candles next to the bed. He was burning with anger and jealousy. He had prepared the bed for Yuri and the other omega; the alpha would touch them here, filling their hearts with love and adoration. His scent had gone bitter. For a brief moment, he saw the alpha looking at him, and he struggled to hold back a whimper. His duty in the room was now done, and he was waiting for the alpha to tell him to leave and return to his chamber. However, the alpha was deeply engrossed in his work, not noticing Jimin standing tensely by the bed.

Jimin let his eyes wander over the tattoos on the alpha's skin, symbols of the victories he had achieved in a short time, already covering one arm with the insignias of his achievements. Jimin felt himself getting wet slowly, a natural response his body had every time he saw the alpha. The omega inside him longed for the alpha to notice him, to look at him, he couldn't help it. The king was not looking at him, completely absorbed in the paperwork on the table that he had been working on for hours.

Jimin struggled to speak, "A-Alpha," but it seemed that his words went unheard, though Jimin knew the king had heard him.

His cheeks burned with embarrassment as his plea went unnoticed by the king. He didn't want to leave the room and hand the alpha over to Yuri and the others. He wanted the alpha for himself. As slick dripped into his underwear, he squirmed restlessly in his place. The king was still engrossed in his paperwork, Jimin couldn't see what he was writing, not that he would get it. His cheeks remained red from the king's indifference, and his trembling legs carried him towards the king.

He wanted to elicit a reaction from him, wanted to feel the alpha's large hands on his trembling body. As he imagined Yuri's hands roaming the alpha's body, he approached the king even more. Even though the king noticed the boy, he didn't move to stop him until Jimin got too close. He had placed himself behind the large table when the king's sharp eyes found his, causing him to freeze in place.

The king didn't utter a word, but his burning gaze made Jimin's heart race. When he remembered Yuri and how she had prepared for tonight, he fell to his knees. The alpha was looking at him closely, and under the dominant alpha's gaze, Jimin felt like his prey. He was just below the table, right at the king's feet. With the king so close, he could feel his slick dripping even more, seeping through his underwear and onto the floor.

The king had turned his face back to the papers, but when he caught the scent of Jimin's slick, an involuntary growl escaped his lips. Unable to bear the weight of his own head any longer, Jimin quickly found his way to the king's large thigh and buried his face in it while letting out a painful whimper. Soon, fingers seared through his hair, forcing his head up. The king had an annoyed expression, and the small boy's cheeks reached their peak level of redness at the sight.

"Do not interfere when I'm doing paperwork," he said, his voice devoid of kindness.

Jimin could have felt terrible with the king's distant tone in his words if only he didn't feel the overwhelming need to be full of the alpha's cock. Another large drop of slick left his insides. Pressing his face firmly against the alpha's thigh, he tried not to make it obvious while inhaling the alpha's scent deeply. The king watched his movements without saying a word, his expression wavering between annoyance and something Jimin couldn't decipher.

"M-Majesty," he began, his mouth watering from the alpha's scent. "Want.. I want Majesty inside me."

Seeing the nonchalant expression on the king's face made him feel weak in the knees. He was thankful he was already kneeling before the king's thighs, or he might have fallen recklessly.

"I told you," The king finally uttered after what felt like an eternity of waiting for the small, trembling boy. "You're not strong enough to bear my child."

Despite his words, the king's fingers were now gently caressing Jimin's tousled hair. At first, Jimin couldn't make a noise, but after taking several deep breaths, he felt the shame burning in him. His face was so close to the alpha's cock, and he just wanted to devour him all at once. He knew the alpha wasn't meant to be his alone; he had others to share him with in the chambers, but in that moment, he didn't care. Taking a few more deep breaths to try to keep his composure, he only succeeded in making the wetness between his legs worse, with the king's essence being the only thing he could smell from his position at the king's feet. During the king's moments of silence, Jimin couldn't help but think about Yuri. Her shiny hair and nice pair of tits that she loved to flaunt in the bathrooms for others to envy. Her long legs, her sweet scent, and the sweeter sound of her recounting stories of how the king had pleasured her all night long, leaving them with no sleep until the morning sun rose. She never once mentioned the table full of papers and ink that the king took his time with. The king had been generous with her, giving her all of his time, while with Jimin, he only seemed to emphasize his weakness right into his face and then went straight to his large table, full of obviously more interesting things to inspect.

Distracted with his thoughts, it took a while for Jimin to see the king grabbing his alpha cock. He was taking deep breaths and stroking his cock over the fabric. Jimin was salivating so much that he had a hard time swallowing it all. With a whimper, he slid deep between the alpha's legs, his face just in front of the alpha's cock. The alpha pulled his dick out from under the cloth and let it go. It was angry red and half-hard. It was so huge that Jimin was leaking all over the floor at the sight of it. He watched the alpha lazily grab his dick and move it up and down.

Before he could wait for his dick to be completely hard, Jimin rushed forward and placed a kiss on the red tip. The alpha was stroking his blond hair with his other hand, and as soon as the hand on the alpha's cock was gone, Jimin took it in his mouth without wasting a second. He couldn't help his moaning with the weight in his mouth, the murmur of his groan sent vibrations to the alpha.

He didn't even know what he was doing, but whatever he was doing felt right. He licked the alpha's dick anywhere he could, taking as much as he could in his mouth and sucking on it. His eyes would close from time to time, but when the desire to look at the alpha prevailed, he would stare right into the alpha's eyes. He was struggling to put more of Alpha's cock in his mouth, making a gagging sound during the process. The hand that had been stroking his hair was now tightly wrapped around it.

"Take it easy,"

The alpha whispered without taking his eyes off the omega. Glad to finally get the alpha's attention, Jimin tried to suck the alpha's cock as hard as he could, occasionally pulling it out of his mouth and pressing it against his reddish cheek, breathing heavily. The hand in his hair grew heavier and heavier, and his breathing quickened.

The alpha looked like he was holding himself back. Even though his eyes seemed to squint and his scent filled the room with tones of delight, when Jimin tried to take him too deep, he didn't interrupt the omega's rhythm, allowing him to set his own pace. Jimin felt tears welling up as he tried to get the alpha's dick tight around his throat. His throat was aching, but if it meant being close to the alpha, he could do it for the rest of his life. He wrapped his small hands around the part that didn't fit in his mouth and started stroking the alpha's hard cock with the movements of his head.

As tears continued to wet his cheeks, the king's hand in his hair pulled back, and he felt the king gently wipe away his tears.

"Shh," he hushed him kindly. His eyes were forgiving, and his hand started to stroke Jimin's hair again. Jimin backed away, slowing a bit and taking deep breaths with the alpha's cock resting against his cheek. A bond of saliva remained between the tip of alpha's cock and his lips. He left kisses all over him before he took the alpha's cock back in his mouth.

His head was spinning. He sucked the alpha's dick for a long time, he didn't know for how long he was wetting his cock. The alpha was watching his ambitious efforts with half-closed eyes, grabbing his hair from time to time as if telling him not to rush. He was trying to make sure the tiny omega took enough breaths before going down on his dick again. His dick was soaked with precum and Jimin's spit, it was gliding smoothly in the omega's throat now.

Jimin put his hands on the alpha's legs, trying to take him all the way down to his throat when the alpha pulled him away. The king wrapped one hand around his dick quickly and moved his hand around it up and down roughly. It didn't take long before the alpha's cum started pouring into his muscular stomach. His lips parted slightly. The harsh scent of his cum pervaded the entire room in a second.

Jimin tiredly rested his head on the king's leg, his throat was aching so badly, but he was more content than ever. His legs were trembling, he didn't get to feel it in the heat of the moment, but his kneecaps were aching with pain as he was kneeling on them for what seemed like an eternity. Jimin felt his eyes getting heavy. He looked at the wasted cum on the alpha's body with half-lidded eyes. The omega inside him was bursting with anger and sadness, but he still managed to bring pleasure to the alpha, which made his chest swell with pride.

All of a sudden, the king stood up with him in his arms. Jimin clung to the alpha's arms in surprise. The king lifted him with one hand easily and carried him to his bed. Jimin tried to wrap his sluggish legs around the king's waist. The king carried his body as light as a feather and laid him on his bed. Jimin was falling asleep as he was placed on the sheet, just made a noise of discomfort when the king took the warmth of his body away from him.

The king's eyes found the petite boy's reddened kneecaps, and his brows furrowed after a disorienting glance. It was as if he hadn't noticed it before. He softly caressed omega's bruised legs. It was the first time Jimin had seen a legible expression on the alpha's face, but he wasn't happy with it, he wanted to erase it from his face. He didn't want to see pity on his face, he wanted to prove himself worthy of his seed. Jimin's mind slipped away as Alpha softly stroked his knees.

When Jimin woke up, it was already morning; he was still in the king's room, and there was no one there but himself. He slowly straightened up and stretched, then froze, remembering what had happened. He remembered the tears spilling into his face and how he licked the alpha's angry red dick. As he tried to get out of bed, he remembered he had slick all over his ass before he fell asleep. He didn't even know how he fell asleep, it was as if his mind had not been working properly since he arrived in this palace.

He stood nervously in the middle of the room, trying to get himself ready to leave. The Alpha was nowhere in sight, and he had been gone a long time, judging by the lightness of his scent in the room. For many times, he heard from the other concubines that none of them could spend the night in the king's chamber; the king would tear them apart with his touch, then reassemble them, and finally send them to the concubines' chamber with a vague kiss on their cheek. Sometimes, but most of the time with Tuisin, they spent the whole night with the king and only returned in the morning, but that was also because they spent the whole night having sex together, not because the concubines were sleeping through the night in the alpha's bed.

Jimin reined in his hair and fixed his dress, then slowly walked out of the room. It was difficult to walk with the uncomfortable feeling of dried slick in his underwear. He crossed the corridors one by one, trying to walk as quick as he could.

When he entered the secluded corridor where the concubines' chambers were, he felt someone grab him by the arm and found himself on the ground in the same second. Yuri was right in front of him, staring at him with her flaming eyes and giving him all her hatred with her irritating scent.

"Tonight was my night."

Cruel hands gripped his hair.

"And you knew it."

The young girl was still standing in the dress that Jimin had seen her wearing since that morning. She must have waited all night, her red eyes staring as if she wanted to tear Jimin apart.

"You knew." A heavy slap fell on his face. "You seduced the majesty, took my place, and ruined my night with him."

As another slap fell, Jimin desperately tried to protect himself. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape Yuri's strong hold on his hair. It was a mess. Long nails scratched his face, and the taste of blood came from the corner of his lip. After a while, the girl who was spreading terrible pressure and terror on him got up. He didn't even realize that he was crying. His face was aching all over, and the taste of blood was making him sick to his stomach. He tried to open his eyes. He saw someone grab Yuri and drag her away. She was trying to get away from the one who dragged her so that she could hurt Jimin even more.

"Poor child." Jimin looked at the source of the sound through his tears. He saw Soye from a few feet away. Soye didn't say anything more as she carefully picked him up from the floor.

Chapter Text

Jimin was staring at the wall with empty eyes. For the past few days, it was the only thing he could do. He spent his time laying in the squeaky but comfortable bed of the infirmary, trying to erase the marks Yuri left on his face and soul.

That day, Soye had brought him to the infirmary from where he got hurt on the floor, whispered a few things to the maids who would take care of him, and left after giving him one last look. He had spent all day yesterday in the infirmary, and today was his second day.

The maids had told him that he could stay in the infirmary for one more day and then return to the concubine's chambers, and that he should not tell anyone about what had happened. He later understood why he had to stay in the infirmary with these injuries instead of being with the others in the chambers. Yuri's attack would remain a secret. Yes, it would certainly stay a dirty little secret.

He sat up from where he was lying and took the small mirror from the table nearby. He had asked for a mirror last night because he wanted to see himself, but the maids initially refused to give it to him with a few excuses. However, when Jimin asked for it a second time, they reluctantly gave it to him. But by the time they gave it to him, it was already night, and he couldn't see anything in the dim candlelight. Now, holding the mirror in the light of the newly born day, he held his breath. He tightly closed his eyes, then opened them and looked at his reflection in the mirror. The corner of his lip was split, and there was a scratch running across his cheek from Yuri's long nails. It didn't look as bad as he had feared. His lip was healing, but the scratch covering his entire cheek in two thin lines looked angry red. He sighed deeply and placed the mirror back in its place. He felt tired, both physically and mentally.

Since he arrived, he hadn't been able to make friends with anyone, and now he had even incurred the hatred of one of the concubines. The truth was, he wasn't sure if he wanted to be friends with any of them. No matter how good friends they could be, he knew that smelling the king on them after they spent the night in the king's chambers would upset him greatly.

Throughout his life, he had never had someone he could fully trust and call his own. After losing his family at a young age, he found himself traveling from place to place under the care of an indifferent and not very talkative tradesman. And now he was in the palace of the Jeon Empire, whose people are the strongest nation of all. Under this massive and magnificent roof with every imaginable comfort and service, there was no one he could build a relationship with, sadly, except for the king. And even with the king, he couldn't touch him as he wished, and the time he could spend with him had to be shared with everyone else. He really didn't know what he should do; perhaps he just needed to focus on surviving in this cruel palace to see the next day.

Jimin didn't get out of bed until his breakfast was brought to him, and when it arrived, he could only eat a few bites. He heard voices at the end of the corridor while he was playing with the food on his plate with his fork. First, he saw a few servants rushing past him.

"Where is the Duke resting?"

"In the bed at the end of the corridor."

Jimin had seen one of the maids heading towards the end of the corridor when morning and evening meals were brought to him, but he didn't know who was staying in the infirmary. Now it turned out the other patient was a duke. Guardians followed the servants. They were talking about a duke who returned wounded from the lands he was in charge of.

As he watched those people pass by one after another, he saw the king coming from the back. Dressed in a dark navy matte suit and with impeccably shaped jet-black hair, the king was on his way to see the injured duke at the end of the corridor. Although Jimin wanted to call out to him desperately, he found himself pressing against the bed. He didn't want the king to see him in this injured state, and besides, the maids had told him to keep this incident a secret. Yuri's noble family was well known to everyone, and no one wanted to cross them openly.

He tried to shrink himself further in his place, and the king was almost disappearing from his view when the plate in his lap fell to the floor with a loud noise. Sharp eyes turned to him in an instant.

He closed his eyes and writhed in his spot. When he opened them again, he saw that the king was walking towards him instead of the end of the corridor. His gaze was dark, his lips were slightly parted, and he hadn't taken long with his long legs to approach him. Jimin looked at him from under his lashes, feeling his cheeks flush under the king's gaze.

"What..." The king's fingers gently held his chin. He had slightly turned his face to the right to inspect the damage on his face; his scent had intensified.

"Little one," His fiery eyes found his. "What happened to you?"

Jimin wished there was a place to hide, he wanted nothing but to disappear at that moment, but he couldn't take his eyes off the king's. As the king continued to look at him, expecting an answer, he felt his eyes welling up. The king looked at him in silence. His hand on the omega's jaw gently traced the scratch on his cheek. With the tips of his fingers, he followed the scratch as lightly as a feather. His scent had turned horribly bitter and filled the entire infirmary.

When the king carefully sat on his bed, Jimin saw the maids gathered in the corridor, the guardians were waiting just a few steps away from the king. With the weight of the king sinking into the bed, Jimin leaned back even more.

Unable to bear the curious eyes any longer, he closed his eyes, and the tears he had been holding back slowly streamed down his cheeks. He pressed his face against the king's hand on his cheek. He knew the alpha was still waiting for an answer from him, but he felt too exhausted to speak. Besides, even if he did, he knew he couldn't mention Yuri's name.

When he felt the gentle pressure on his face, he slowly opened his eyes. The alpha had left a kiss on his tear-soaked cheeks. His gaze wandered over the omega lying in the infirmary bed for a while, searching for any other injuries on his body. After gently caressing the omega's cheek and leaving one more kiss, the king turned to the maids and spoke.

"I will take care of this."

Then, without saying another word, he got up from where he was sitting and left. The maids and guardians immediately followed him, and as they disappeared into the corridor, Jimin saw that a few of them were still looking at him with curiosity.

Jimin hadn't seen the alpha again that day, but the alpha's angry and terrifying scent had permeated the infirmary; it had been pacing around there all day.

*

Jimin, with wounds that looked much better than the first day, was sent to the maids' room the next day, as the maids had told him. Unlike the first day he spent in the infirmary, he was almost never left alone during his last day there; he was checked by several maids every hour, and larger portions of food were brought during meal times.

When he returned to the concubine's room, he saw, as usual, that no one was paying any attention to him, as if they hadn't even noticed his lack of presence in that big room. But there was undoubtedly a difference. Yuri, who used to loudly talk about things and boast about herself every morning, was silent. Surprisingly, she was ignoring Jimin and everyone else, spending most of her time in bed and simply doing nothing. Jimin had only seen her talking to the freckled girl, whose name he had learned was Bibi, a few times. He wasn't expecting an apology from Yuri anyway; being ignored by her was enough of a relief for him.

Four days had passed since the encounter with the king in the infirmary, and during this time, it seemed that the king's routine of spending the night with two different omegas had come to an end. The king had spent his nights with Bibi, Jinsoo, and an omega with a boxy smile named Hann. After three days, everyone understood that the second omega would not be called anymore, and they returned to the routine of putting on their nightgowns and going to bed after the first name was called, just as it used to be.

Now that Yuri had chosen to stay silent and stop waking everyone up in the mornings with her bragging, Jimin finally found some peace in the concubine's room. Although he wasn't sure, he felt that they were all in the same mindset, judging from the relaxed scents of the others. 

He spent the afternoon finishing the book he was reading and starting another one, sitting on the grass in the indoor garden, and working on some crafts. In the afternoon, he helped with some minor cleaning tasks. The maids no longer scolded him for his mistakes; instead, they showed him how to do things correctly without a word and chose to ignore his incompetence when he couldn't do it as shown. Jimin didn't know what had changed, but he couldn't help but connect all of this to his encounter with the king. Regardless, he decided not to get too used to this polite and leery behavior.

The day was about to end quietly like the other days when murmurs began to come from Tuisin's bed. The boy was tossing and turning in his bed, his unfocused eyes shining a bright yellow. Jimin understood what was happening when the maids entered and immediately took him away. Tuisin was in heat. He was sure that he hadn't detected any preheat scent on him, but the redness on his face and neck and his deep and rapid breaths left no other explanation.

Jimin felt his heart racing. Heat was the time when an omega was most fertile. It was also a time eagerly awaited by concubines, as it only happened a few times a year. It was the most suitable time to get pregnant. Jimin tried to suppress the terrible feeling inside him as he sat on his bed, but he couldn't contain his anxiety. He knew that Tuisin had been taken to the king. After all, this was a wonderful time for him to get bred and finally bear the child the king had wanted for a very long time.

When he looked around, he saw that the other omegas were also tense. Yuri's scent, which had been suppressed for days, was now spreading faintly like spoiled cherries. While Yuri was sitting on the cushions in the middle of the room, playing nervously with her fingers and frowning at the floor, some omegas had already accepted defeat and gone to their beds, while some others seemed to be lost in their thoughts as they stared blankly at a random point they chose on the walls.

Jimin felt like he couldn't stand to stay in that room any longer, so he got up and rushed out into the garden with quick strides. The cold air surrounded him, but he seemed to feel nothing. The fire inside him hadn't diminished in the slightest. He pulled at his braided hair from both sides, undoing the braids. The colorful display of flowers under the moonlight, which had always brought him peace, didn't provide any comfort this time. His inner omega was begging to come out, to claim the alpha, to pull him away from Tuisin's inviting arms. When he realized there was nothing he could do, he lay down on the grass, looking up at the shimmering moon. His wounds were completely healed, but much larger ones were opened in his heart. He pressed his sweaty hands against his stomach.

He had no idea what would happen to the other concubines if Tuisin became pregnant. Would they continue to stay there, or would they be told that they were no longer needed and sent away from the palace? Jimin had nowhere else to go. He didn't belong anywhere or to anyone, and surviving outside the palace would be a miracle for someone as inexperienced and naive as him.

Jimin didn't know how long he had been lying there on the cold grass under the bright moon, but when he saw the guardians approaching with cautious steps, he realized that it was time to get up and return to the room. He got up from where he was lying without allowing the betas to say anything to him and returned to the concubine's room with trembling steps. The atmosphere in the room was not the same as when he left it; instead of the previous dead silence, there were murmurs and conversations happening all around.

"Are you being serious?"

"Yes, didn't you hear Soye saying it?"

"No, I was asleep then."

Jimin walked towards cushions with curiosity. Everyone seemed to be somewhat relieved. Jimin locked eyes with a girl sitting on one of the cushions. She had thin lips and slanted, small eyes. Jimin had seen her a few times, rearranging her wardrobe in the dressing room and reading books alone in the garden.

"His Majesty is not in the palace," Jimin heard the girl say as he hesitated and sat down on the cushion that was next to her.

At first, he remained still in his place, then he focused on the girl's knowing gaze.

"His Majesty is on a trip to the South borders for a mission. A respected duke there is said to have been injured and got back to the palace, and His Majesty decided to personally deal with the issues in that region. He left this morning." Her voice lowered a bit. "Soye said he is expected to stay there for several weeks, so he won't be returning for some time."

While the girl was carefully observing Jimin's reaction, he felt the terrible feeling that had been weighing on his chest for hours finally dissipate, and he took a relieved breath. Although he couldn't understand why the girl was talking to him or what was going on behind her curious eyes, he wanted to thank her for the relieving information. Without taking his eyes off the girl's hazel eyes, Jimin nodded slightly. The corner of the girl's lips lifted faintly, then her expression disappeared, and she got up from the cushion.

Thanks to this unexpected trip by the king, Tuisin wouldn't be able to spend his heat with him.

Jimin's tense body finally relaxed a bit. However, he still didn't know how long he could continue to live on this roller coaster of mixed emotions. Taking a deep breath, he examined the drawings on the walls and the intricate embroidery details for perhaps the hundredth time since he came here.

He was relieved that his heart had been spared greater damage for now, but he didn't know for how long this deficient peace of his would last.

Chapter Text

Jimin learned that her name was Isabel, the girl who decided to approach him after spending so many nights in that room together.

During the king's time on the trip, the concubines' room was filled with an unexpected calm. From now on, when night came, no one was engaged in a silent race; they were eating dinner calmly, playing instruments, and laughing together until nightfall, when the candles in the room were extinguished. During these days, Jimin slowly got used to Isabel's presence. She had told him before that she was just like Yuri, but then, because of her endless ambition and mistakes, she fell out of favor with the king and was no longer invited to his chambers. Jimin didn't know why she told him these things, but he was trying to listen to her with a soft expression while she was talking. Although he could not comment on what she said, the girl did not seem to expect a reply from him. It was as if she was doing the lonely boy a favor by talking to him, and at the same time, she was getting rid of the weight she was feeling a little bit.

It had been exactly two weeks since the king left the palace. It was on the fourth day of this period that Tuisin returned to the room he had hastily left. Jimin could swear he saw the irritated expression of the boy, who was always unresponsive and motionless, even if only for a few seconds. He knew it wasn't easy, his most fertile time, which only happened a few times a year, was wasted with the king not being in the palace.

During this time, Yuri broke her previous silence a little, took the king's absence as an opportunity, and started talking again, albeit a little. Her voice wasn't as loud as before, but she was just as cruel as before when she caged Tuisin one evening.

"I pity you, you know, you missed a great opportunity."

Jimin was sitting on the cushions with Isabel, the two were quietly knitting without talking to each other.

"It is truly sad that the king was not here while you were in the heat."

Isabel's hand movements had stopped, silently listening to the interaction of Yuri and Tuisin a few feet away. She had a knowing look on her face the entire time, and Jimin was sure he saw pity in her hazel eyes for a split second.

"Luck... maybe fate. You warm the majesty's bed many nights."

She had a face full of moles spread on it beautifully, but her beautiful mouth was spitting venom.

"He definitely enjoys your company." A cruel half-smile was added to the pile of moles. "Yet, you couldn't give him a baby yet." Her eyes looked like she was looking right into the boy's soul. "All these nights, the emperor chose to force his seed into you." A bigger smile appeared on her face as she turned on her heels to disappear out of the room into the gardens. "This will change."

While Jimin was trying to digest what he heard, Isabel was already going back to knitting. There was a faint smile on her lips, but her scent clearly showed that she was angry. "This is all nonsense," she said, finally breaking the silence. Jimin looked at her in surprise. The girl was looking at the knitting in her hand without looking up. "We are all like trapped mice here. We are expected to be happy and grateful because we are fed and protected from the cold, but this... these..."

She dropped the knitting and crochet hook in her hand to the ground.

She was taking deep breaths, as if trying to calm down. Jimin continued to listen to her without making a sound; he was afraid of interrupting the girl. Isabel was one of the oldest concubines, one of the omegas who was most used to this setup, and she seemed to be fed up with it.

"I will leave this place."

Her voice was lower than a whisper, but Jimin heard it anyway. Then the girl lifted her head and looked straight into his eyes.

"All I have to do is talk to Soye, and she will talk to the king, and he will let me leave here. It has been months since he last touched me. Of course, he will let me go. They will marry me off to a mid-level nobleman, and I will be free of this nonsense forever." The girl seemed to be talking more to herself. She was repeating the words one after another without giving Jimin a chance to respond. "I will talk to Soye about this as soon as the king arrives."

Then she stopped and looked at Jimin, and it seemed like she was going to say something, but she didn't. Jimin didn't feel like he could open his mouth and speak either.

That night, he tossed and turned in his bed all night. He was having one of the most sleepless nights he had ever had. His mind was full of endless questions. His heart felt like it was going to burst when he thought about what Isabel had said. Leaving here. Jimin didn't even know that was an option; he found himself in the king's bed as a little joke on the first day he was brought here, without getting a word of information from anyone.

The King.

Jimin felt more vulnerable and needy than ever before whenever he was in his presence. He doubted the king even knew his name; as if it were an unspoken rule, neither of them had ever said each other's names. Jungkook. It was as if his heart was shaking even as he said the alpha's name in his head. He held his breath as he remembered how they touched each other. He could feel the irresistible attraction between them, and although he could see that the king felt a similar feeling, it was obvious that he was holding back. He couldn't help but think that things might have been better between them after their last encounter, where the alpha had caressed his scarred face and left kisses.

But Isabel.

Leaving here.

Jimin wandered in his thoughts for a while longer in the darkness brought to the room by the sparkly curtains. When he couldn't find a way out of it, he closed his eyes. 

*

The news of the king's return from his three-week journey was greeted with enthusiasm by the people of the palace. Banquets were held all over the kingdom in honor of the king resolving the issue on the southern borders. That day was one of those days when banquets were held. The king was going to return to the palace. When the time came, the concubines immediately dressed in their most elegant and beautiful clothes and began to wait, ready for the possibility of the king calling one of them to his room after a long time.

Jimin hadn't seen Isabel around all day; it was good for him to have someone he could talk to, even if just for a few sentences, after a long time. He was now lying on his bed, sleeping peacefully among the joyful omegas. His loose, braided blonde hair was scattered beautifully on the pillow. The omegas' excited noise had not stopped since morning.

"Oh, I've missed him so much." Ursula was wearing flowers in her red hair with a dreamy expression. "His absence was unbearable."

Next to her, a brunette boy was applying a shiny lotion to his long legs while nodding his head, approving of what Ursula said.

"Indeed. Many nights passed without his presence. I can't wait to feel him inside me again."

Jimin was watching the omegas prepare to serve the king while trying to read the book, of which he did not understand a single word. His eyes found Yuri. She was dressed in a long blue dress, walking towards the garden with her head bowed. The girl, who had started to make a little noise again in the king's absence, now became silent again with the news of the king's return. Jimin couldn't understand her unusual behavior, and whenever he saw the omega walking around the garden with a sad expression on her face, he almost felt sorry for her.

He put his hand on his cheek; his wounds were completely healed, but he still remembered his first pain, his silent tears on the ground, and the days he spent in the infirmary. He removed his hand from his cheek and brought it back to his book.

"Who do you think he'll want in his room tonight?" He flipped through the pages thoughtfully. "Who knows? I hope he wants me. I'm so close to my heat, I can feel it." He almost tore the pages out. "You're lucky. Tuisin had to spend his heat alone."

Tuisin. As if he had just realized it, Jimin looked up from the book and looked around the large room for the boy in question. Tuisin was nowhere to be seen. It was not difficult to understand that he was still pissed because of the heat issue, due to the slightly bitter smell he gave off around him, but the boy's face did not reveal any secrets.

Jimin sighed and placed the book next to his pillow as the doors swung open and dinner arrived. He looked at the silver trays and fruit baskets the betas were carrying. He couldn't see anything he wanted among the variety of foods. He lay down on his bed and picked up his book again.

Finally, it was time. The omegas were waiting for the blue-eyed beta, with their best clothes and beautiful hair styles, to enter and say the name of one of them, and for the moment when they would be reunited with the king. The weeks-long absence of the king had made everyone a little more ambitious and impatient to give the Jeon Empire a strong and healthy heir.

When darkness fell and swallowed the trees in the indoor garden, the door opened and the blue-eyed beta entered. Everyone was waiting with excitement. Beta looked around the room with an expressionless face. Then his big blue eyes found Jimin.

"Jimin."

Silence. Then came the sounds of mugging.

"Jimin."

Silence again. What was happening? Jimin looked at the beta with the ringing in his ears. Had he heard right? Beta repeated his name once again with an annoyed expression, his reddening ears making it seem like he was running out of patience, but his voice was too experienced to reveal his emotions.

"Him?" The voices of the omegas around him began to fill the room with small hums.

"Who's jimin? That...?"

Some giggles and burnt scents filled the room. Jimin was still trying to digest the events as he stood up in surprise and walked towards the beta. Today was the first day the king returned from his trip, and he asked Jimin to come to his bed. He wanted Jimin. Jimin's legs tangled together as he left the room where the omegas were angrily collapsed on their beds, prepared to undress. Even though he avoided falling at the last moment, the beta's curious eyes caught his clumsy movement.

At this time of the night, there was no one in the corridors where he wandered around during the day. Jimin shuddered to think what they would think of him if there were people around and saw him blushing like this and being carried towards the king's chamber. He didn't even know what he looked like right now. He hadn't even prepared properly; he had braided his hair loosely, and he was wearing a green dress that flared from the waist down. How could he know? The king had never called for him before. Jimin only had a few pathetic memories with him, that's all.

He held his breath when they finally arrived in front of the king's chamber. The beta fixed his eyes on him for a few seconds, and after checking his state, he then turned his gaze to the door. Jimin stood still for a few more seconds. "Go," he heard the beta say.

The guardians on both sides of the door opened it wide, and Jimin entered inside.

Alpha was sitting at the table full of papers, in all his glory, in his jet black clothes. He looked like he had just returned from the celebrations, judging by the fact that he still hadn't changed out of his bright clothes. The doors closed with a small noise. Jimin was standing in front of the door, looking at the alpha's handsome face that was focused on the papers on the table, without taking a step. He didn't know if it was possible for him to miss him this much, but as he looked at the alpha's figure, his whole body was in flames.

His cheeks turned red when he remembered the last time he was in this room. He was on his knees, his mouth full of the alpha's cock, leaking slick all over the floor. The alpha's sharp eyes were looking down at him, his mouth slightly open in pleasure, his hands gripping his hair and pulling. He remembered every detail; those moments when he gave pleasure to the alpha were engraved on his mind like a tattoo that would never be erased.

The omega inside him whined, waiting for an opportunity to come out. What was he doing in front of this door, so far away from the alpha? By now, he should've been where he belongs, just like that day, at the alpha's feet, chocking on his cock. The king examined the papers for a while longer, placing some pages on the edge of the table, tearing some of them up with quick and skillful movements, and throwing them on the floor. Then he suddenly stopped.

His gaze found him. After leaning back at his desk for a moment, he stood up. When Jimin saw the king approaching him, he took a step back, his pupils widening. The king stood right in front of him, and his closeness made the trembling omega's back lean against the door. He was hesitant to make a move when the alpha's scent was so close, so he stared at the alpha's slowly rising and falling movement on his chest.

When they stood like this, the height difference became even more apparent. The alpha's large body completely blocked his view. He wanted to lift his head and look right into the alpha's eyes, to be in his strong arms all night long and all the nights to come. He dug his nails into his palm, his body feeling a tremendous pull to the alpha's scent, and Jimin didn't know how to react to this pull. It was instinct; he knew it, but he didn't know how to control it.

He took a shaky breath as the alpha's warm hand gripped his chin and lifted his head. The alpha's sharp eyes roamed his face. The tips of his fingers grasping his chin slowly caressed his skin. When Jimin saw the alpha carefully examining his face, he finally started to get used to the effect of the alpha's scent on him, and the cloud in his mind cleared enough for him to understand what was going on. The alpha was checking to see if the wounds from the last time he saw him had healed well.

After the alpha's eyes examined his face carefully for a while, he locked his eyes with Jimin's with a satisfied expression.

"Omega," Jimin suppressed the whine of his inner omega by biting his lip. Despite his neck hurting from looking up, he continued to look at the alpha with his bright eyes. "You're healed. Good."

Jimin nodded slightly at his husky voice. His trembling hands were hanging aimlessly from either side of his body. While he continued to watch the alpha with his red cheeks under his eyelashes, the alpha leaned into his face and pressed his lips to his forehead. Jimin closed his eyes tightly. He was afraid to open his eyes, even when the alpha's merciful kiss left his forehead.

His eyes flew open as the alpha's large hand that was still holding his chin withdrew. He saw that the king had already started to move away from him, walking back towards his desk. Jimin was watching him with questioning eyes, his heart was shattered into pieces.

"You may return to the chambers," the king said, before returning to the seat he had been in moments ago and sinking back into the papers.

What did this mean? Jimin continued to look at the king with tears filling his eyes, but the king's gaze was on the papers. The king would not touch him. What was Jimin thinking? The alpha had once again refused to take him to his bed. He just called him to his room after the last day he had seen him to make sure he was getting better, and now he had asked him to leave.

Jimin wanted to sob. This wasn't fair. The alpha called him from among all those concubines, and now he was sending him back to the concubines' room with a little touch on his skin and a small kiss on his forehead. Jimin's excitement and arousal when he first entered the room were replaced by humiliation and unbearable pain. He opened his mouth, trying to suppress his tears. He wanted to say something; he wanted to get angry at the alpha, to shout, to demand something. But it was as if he had a lump in his throat.

When the king looked up at him again, he swallowed back everything he wanted to say. He couldn't bear to look into the king's eyes, so he turned around, quickly opened the door, and went out.

As he was walking towards the concubines' room, he ignored the beta that followed him. He couldn't see anything or anyone. This was too much. His only crime was being born into this weak body. Yet he was ready for anything, ready to give everything to the alpha until there was nothing left of himself. His soul, his body, his love. A child.

His cheeks were wet with tears when he reached the concubines' room. He rushed in without looking back at the beta behind him. He walked towards his bed, not bothering to wipe his wet cheeks. There was only one explanation for his return from the king's chambers this early, and anyone sane could get it. Jimin didn't want to see the knowing look on the concubines' faces.

As he was about to reach his bed and lie down, he saw that no one had noticed him. At that moment, his eyes fell on two new faces lying on the pillows in the middle of the room. These were two omegas with long black hair; their hair was darker than the night. They were the most built and strongest-looking omegas Jimin had ever seen. He slowly sat on the edge of his bed and paid attention to the jealous looks of the other concubines.

"His Majesty did not return empty-handed."

He jumped with a start when he heard Isabel sitting next to him. He didn't even notice the omega approaching. All his attention was on the omegas who were beaming and giggling in the middle of the room. They looked very similar to each other, wearing short dresses that were as black as their hair.

"They say he found them at an inn where he was resting on his way back to the palace. He grabbed them both and brought them to the harem."

Isabel was continuing to talk, but Jimin's ears couldn't hear anything. His heart had been broken many times since he came to this palace, but he couldn't remember ever being broken so irrevocably. He ran his eyes over the omegas' wide hips and strong legs as they lay on soft pillows. The girls' big breasts were visible as clearly as a mirror under their transparent dresses.

Jimin clenched his fists tightly as watching them started to hurt his eyes, which were now filled with new tears. What did he think he was doing? Why was he beating himself up so much when it was clear as day that he couldn't compete with them? Having the king's babies meant having privileges, attention, and care that no one else in the world would be granted. A pure-blood alpha like him only deserved a strong heir like himself. Jimin was deluded for just a moment. He thought he might've been the one. A delusion that lasted days, weeks, and months.

While he was still lost in his thoughts, the doors swung open, and a short beta with cat eyes entered. He leaned over and whispered something into the ears of the giggling girls in the middle of the room, then the girls stood up and followed the beta, laughing. As the doors closed, the surprised voices of the concubines filled the room.

"Two? His Majesty called them both to his bed?"

The girls had already left. But Jimin continued to look at where they were sitting moments ago. He was in a state of confusion. First sadness, then anger, then acceptance, then... he looked at the door where the omegas had left. He thought about how the king would generously give those two omegas the touch that he had denied him. But this time, his eyes did not fill with tears. He was too tired to feel anything anymore.

He turned his head slowly and looked at Isabel sitting next to him. He didn't say a word, but Isabel didn't need words to know what the omega was thinking. She seemed to be taken aback for a moment, but then she slowly nodded her head knowingly.

That night, the two omegas laid down in their beds before anyone else. Neither of them slept.

Chapter Text

"You!"

He turned to look at the man he had bumped into.

"You should watch where you're going."

He quickly said his apoligies, bowing to the man wearing a blue suit. When he turned back, he saw that Isabel had already moved far ahead and hastily started running after her again. Together, they navigated the long corridors filled with nobles, bumping into a few more people along the way. Every time Jimin bumped into someone, he would bow deeply, even apologizing on behalf of Isabel for those she had bumped into, and then he would sprint to catch up with her. They had been running for a long time, and exhaustion was causing his legs to tangle.

It had been two days since his embarrassing exit from the king's room. During these two days, he tried to calm himself and provide logical reasons to support his decision. In the meantime, the two omegas the king had found and brought back with him from his journey had settled into the harem, spending the past two nights in the king's room. Although this was distressing, it only provided more reasons for Jimin to stay true to his decision. A decision. He had made a decision, and now it was dragging him around the palace right behind Isabel.

After running for a while longer, Jimin felt like he was about to collapse when they reached the front of a relatively small door. Without giving him a chance to catch his breath, Isabel hurriedly knocked on the door. Jimin, leaning against the wall to catch his breath, saw Soye open the door with an irritated and annoyed expression in response to the loud knocking. The short woman, wearing only her bare face and a robe over her sleepwear—she had clearly thrown it on after she heard the knocking—looked like she had just woken up.

Soye looked at Isabel, who was staring at her boldly, with puzzled eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I have a request."

Jimin had never seen the girl so full of energy and determination. Her hair was disheveled from the running, her cheeks were flushed with excitement, and one of her hands was nervously playing with the hem of her dress.

After silently examining the girl for a moment, Soye sighed, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and then opened the door wider to invite her in. Together, they entered Soye's small but cozy room. There wasn't much furniture inside—just a bed, a small chair, a tall but narrow wardrobe, and a few fading plants by the window. As Soye sat down at the end of her bed with heavy steps, Isabel took her place on the little sofa opposite her and quickly began to speak.

"You know me. I'm discontent, a wild one when it comes to human relationships, and it's obvious from a mile away that I'm not the king's favorite," Isabel said, and Soye nodded as if encouraging her to continue, still looking like she hadn't fully shaken off her sleepiness. "I'm not happy here. I know that we weren't brought here to be happy. But it would be crazy not to want it when I have another option. So, what I mean is-"

"Stop beating around the bush, whatever you're going to say. I'm dying from exhaustion, the celebrations lasted a whole week, and I did all the running around. I swear, nobody can survive a single day in this palace without me. Incompetents..." Soye continued to mutter under her breath.

"I want to leave here." said Isabel quickly. Then, without waiting, she listed the words one after another. "The King hasn't laid a hand on me for months. I was immature, I made many mistakes, and I haven't been forgiven. He kicked me out of his bed, you know it, everyone knows it. So, there's no point in me staying here in the harem. Send me away from here. Please."

When Isabel's scent became sharp, Jimin, sitting next to her, held his breath. Soye's still swollen face due to sleep seemed to crease further, as if she had been expecting what she heard. Isabel was about to continue speaking when Soye raised her hand to silence her. "Okay, stop right there."

She stretched where she sat, and there was a faint sound from a few joints. "What do you plan to do once you leave here? Become a servant? Don't even think about it. You see my condition. The palace's troubles never end, they assign every task to you. Whether it's the harem, doing dirty work for the nobles, or the envy and gossip of the other servants-"

"I want to get married."

Soye stopped and looked at her. Her face took on a thoughtful expression, and she finally seemed to have fully awakened. She placed her hands on either side of her body on the bed and took a deep breath.

"Look, I know why you're doing this. I know deep down that your decision is right, we've known each other for a long time. But I'll ask you to think it over carefully. If I tell the king about this request, there's no turning back. Think well."

Jimin saw the girl clench her fists. "I've thought. I've thought enough. I want to get married, help me get out of here. I know I can't win the king anymore, I gave up a long time ago."

"Is this your final word?"

"Yes. If I have a choice, I want my husband to be an ordinary nobleman from the north. I have no other request."

Soye remained silent, deep in thought. After what felt like years of silence, she slowly nodded. "I'll try to arrange someone good for you. I'm sure Noya, the northerner who works in the gardens, knows a potential match that suits your preferences."

She got up with a shake and took a cup from the bedside, then walked towards the weary flowers by the window.

"You can leave now; I need to rest."

Jimin shivered from head to toe as he felt Isabel's curious gaze on him. He didn't know how to say it; his heart was racing with worry. There would be no turning back. He would say it only once, and everything would change. Soye had mentioned becoming a servant. She had been complaining about how difficult it was since they entered the room. Jimin would do his best to be a good servant, but he didn't know how much he could handle.

What if he didn't become a servant? What would he do instead? Would he really have a northern husband? Would he marry one of the well-dressed men he bumped into in the corridor? Would he continue to stay in the palace with his new husband? What would happen to the king? How could he touch another when he still felt the taste and touch of the Alpha?

Isabel continued to stare at him with expectant eyes.

Soye had started watering the flowers, beginning with the most withered one, as if she had all the time in the world, pouring the water slowly and reviving the dying plant. When she noticed that the omegas hadn't left the room, she stopped watering the flower and straightened up to look at them. Her eyebrows furrowed as she saw Jimin's troubled state. 

"What? What do you want?"

Jimin swallowed hard, his throat feeling tight. "I... I..."

Soye watched him with an expression of incomprehension as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. When Isabel's suspicious, sharp scent became unbearable, he finally whispered, "I, I want to leave too."

The cup of water in Soye's hand trembled. She placed the cup back where it was and walked to the end of the bed again, this time not sitting down. She locked her gaze onto Jimin's troubled face without saying a word. Jimin thought now or never. The words left a bitter taste in his mouth as they came out.

"I could be one of the servants. I'm not very talkative, and I don't understand much when someone talks to me fast, but I can learn the job quickly. I-I can be useful."

"You wouldn't last a day in the palace," Soye said with a firm tone. "You don't have the stamina to run around and work all day."

Jimin's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I... I was with a tradesman. We visited customers, traveled for long hours with little rest. I'm used to it." When Soye made a disapproving sound, he became even more insistent. "Please... if I'm not allowed to be a servant, I-I can get married." His heart ached. "It doesn't matter who it is; I don't know anyone here anyway. I've never been outside the villages in my life, never seen the city, and I don't know the palace or the nobles." He felt like he was about to vomit.

"No one would marry you. You're a weak, puny omega. Jeon alphas prefer their mates to be plump with wide hips."

Soye closed the last door of opportunity, and Jimin lowered his head, not knowing what to do. Nothing seemed to work; he couldn't find a way out of this deadlock. His eyes welled up with tears, and Isabel's heavy gaze weighed even more on him. Hearing that he wouldn't even be accepted as a servant was a blow to his pride. He had no more strength to insist or fight.

As he accepted defeat, he heard Soye sigh. "Of course, we can find a willing candidate for you. Your beautiful face might do the work."

He looked up at Soye, who still had a tense and worried expression on her face. It was clear that she didn't approve of what she had heard. When she saw Jimin looking at her hopefully, she quickly added, "But it may take some time."

Jimin nodded vigorously. Soye examined him for a few more seconds. Then she shook her head from side to side, picked up the water cup again, and walked toward the window without looking back.

"Okay, both of you return to your room." She said without turning around. She had refocused her attention on the flowers. "I will tell the king about your request at an appropriate time. The rest is beyond my control. The king is the sole authority in this palace. His word will be the final say."

As the flowers received the water they needed, the two omegas left the room.

*

"As the melody fades into the night..."

He closed his eyes.

"Our love remains, burning so bright..."

He hid his ears.

"With every note, our souls ignite..."

There was no escape. He opened his eyes in defeat and removed his hands from his ears. He was in the dressing room, sitting on the floor, trying to drown out the voices of the singing twins coming from inside. They were lying on the cushions in the middle of the room, singing and playing instruments, their southern accents half-pronouncing the words. When they weren't in the room, they would thoughtlessly and carelessly roam the indoor garden, making flower crowns out of the carefully tended flowers that Jimin took care of every day, and then leaving them to wither in a corner as the flowers faded away.

As the days went by, the king turned to others for company again, but it didn't seem to bother the twin omegas. They would wander around and laugh, and when new fabrics were brought for the maids, they would rush greedily, like vultures, demanding dresses and nightgowns from each of them.

Jimin felt a heavy weight in his chest as he emptied his closet onto the floor. He needed to decide what to take with him when he left. He couldn't take everything that had been given to him; he would only take what he needed. Soye had said it would take time to find him a husband, but she ultimately agreed to help him get married. So that was it. It was only a matter of time before she conveyed his request to the king. Jimin had to be prepared to leave at any moment.

He paused for a moment and took a shaky breath. He tightly gripped the nightgown in his hand. All of this felt so wrong that he couldn't sleep anymore these days. He had to get married to be able to leave this place. The idea of being with another alpha, a stranger, was eating him up like a worm from the inside out. Ever since closing his eyes to the unknown had become a burden, he stayed awake all night, wrestling with thoughts and fears and only getting a few hours of sleep towards dawn.

Although the idea of this marriage frightened him, the unfair competition he had entered with the others who were willing to give everything to get a piece of the alpha at this place was breaking his heart. He had no other choice. Despite spending a whole hour examining countless dresses, in the end he only chose a few modest ones and set them aside. He felt undeserving of taking the shiny, luxurious items the palace had given him.

The door opened, and the singing voices of the twin omegas grew louder. In walked a tall, dark-haired girl and Jinsoo, who closed the door behind them. Although the duo saw Jimin, they paid no attention to him and headed for the closets.

"These two never shut up."

"Those girls spent a few nights in his majesty's bed, now they're singing their hearts out."

They laughed. Jinsoo picked up the dresses, one by one, and held them up in front of the mirror before dropping them to the floor with a dissatisfied expression.

"It really annoys me that these two started to live with us, as if we didn't have enough concubines here in this chamber." Until she picked a pink nightgown from all the dresses, a sea of clothes had formed around her feet. "Did you notice that His Majesty doesn't ask for Yuri anymore?"

"Of course, I noticed. Yuri must have done something to anger our king. That girl has no filter." 

Suddenly, when she took off her dress and stood there naked, Jimin quickly turned his head away, no longer watching. Although he heard her giggling, he didn't look up. "What's this? Are you embarrassed?"

Jimin, in a rush, stopped folding the dresses neatly and gathered them all up, placing them back in the closet. He had no intention of drawing any attention to himself. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. He moved away from his closet and headed for the door. 

"You're Jimin, right?"

He turned around. The brunette girl, whose name he didn't know, was looking at him with her hands clasped together and a half-smile. He nodded nervously. The girl's smile widened mercilessly.

"I noticed when His Majesty summoned you to his chamber one night. But you returned soon after. It was the day those twins arrived."

Jimin listened to the girl nervously. Although one part of him wanted to turn his back and head for the door, he didn't want to appear frightened and run away.

"Why did you come back early that night?" She asked. Jinsoo, now dressed in her nightgown, was also listening to the girl's words. He lazily scratched his neck with one hand. "Did you also anger the king like Yuri did?"

Jimin swallowed hard. He didn't know how to answer. Both omegas were staring at him, and he began to tremble. Just then, another concubine entered the room and pulled Jimin out of this conversation he didn't want to be a part of.

"Get ready. It's cleaning time."

The omegas who had cornered Jimin had already forgotten about the small omega, whispering in annoyed voices as they left the room.

"Where did this come from now? Didn't we clean just last week?"

Jimin stayed in the room for a while longer, taking deep breaths. His legs were still shaking. He brought his hands to his face and closed his eyes. The singing was heard everywhere.

"Each night a promise, each tune a kiss,

In this song of love, there's nothing we'll miss."

For the rest of the day, the concubines were instructed to clean every nook and cranny until everything sparkled. Soye entered the concubines' chamber and handed everyone a bucket and a cloth, and the omegas groaned as they filed out into the corridors. Now, with the judgmental eyes of the palace's noble class upon them, not a single one of them made a sound. They quietly completed their assigned tasks and longed to return to the comfort of their rooms.

While Jimin wiped down heavy vases, he caught sight of Soye and Isabel out of the corner of his eye. They were standing apart from the others, speaking in hushed tones with serious expressions. Although the short woman occasionally gestured with her cloth as if explaining something to the younger girl, Jimin knew exactly what they were talking about. Isabel didn't say much; she merely nodded in response to Soye's feigned reprimands and mimicked Soye's hand movements to avoid drawing attention. They didn't stay long, and Isabel returned to her task of dusting the frames of the large paintings in the wide corridor. Jimin continued to lazily wipe the vases, pretending as though he hadn't witnessed their conversation.

He couldn't quite understand why they were occasionally assigned these tasks when the palace employed hundreds of maids already. Everything they cleaned was already spotless. When he saw the disdainful glances from the nobles who followed them everywhere they went, he understood the purpose of this spectacle. It was to remind others of their place, to make them know who they were and what their purpose was. Serving the king wasn't enough; they had to serve the palace as well. It was better to be seen cleaning the floors than to be perceived as idle, useless eaters lounging in some corner of the palace.

Jimin was focused on dusting the small golden embroidery details on the columns when someone grabbed his arm. Startled, he looked at who was holding him; it was Soye. She held a mop in her hand, and right beside her, there was a bucket on the floor.

"Take it," she said in a firm tone. "You're going to mop the floors now." Then she made a dismissive sound. "Do you even know how to do this? You seriously know nothing."

She grabbed his arm and began to pull him, motioning for him to take the bucket. Jimin awkwardly managed to take the heavy bucket and follow her. Once they were away from the others, Soye let go of his arm and leaned in to whisper.

"I told his majesty."

Jimin froze. His mouth went dry, and his heart began to race. The king knew. He knew that Jimin wanted to leave. His grip on the bucket was shaky, and it almost slipped from his hand before Soye caught it just in time.

"Why are you so surprised? You asked for me to tell him." She grumbled, placing the bucket on the floor and spilling some of the water. "You're stinking up the place."

Jimin's heart ached as he struggled to contain the scent of distress that wafted from him. His legs trembled uncontrollably. The fact that the king knew weighed heavily on him. He had been the one to express his desire to leave and had confided in Soye about it. So why did he feel so miserable now? He swallowed hard, unable to find the words to express himself. With trembling hands, he took the bucket back from Soye.

Soye scrutinized him for a moment but eventually relented and handed him the mop. Leading Jimin back to the corridor where the other omegas were, she whispered, "I conveyed your request to His Majesty. This morning." Before Jimin could respond, she added, "I don't know what will happen next. What His Majesty decides will be final. Do not dwell on it."

Jimin felt like a ghost for the rest of the day. He knew he shouldn't let it affect him this much, but he couldn't help it. He felt too weak in this place. Among all the competitors, what had he done to deserve the attention of the most powerful person in the Jeon Empire? What did he have to offer?

As evening approached, they were in the corridor leading to the infirmary, cleaning the floors. When the omegas grew more vocal about their exhaustion, Soye couldn't stand it any longer and told them to clean this one last place and go back to their chamber. After that, she left them there on their own, as she had some other work to do in the palace.  Without the critical gaze of Soye watching over them, the omegas began to relax a bit. They went about their tasks somewhat lazily, and some of them even started whispering to each other.

Jimin glanced towards the door of the infirmary at the end of the corridor. The pain of the days he had spent there was still fresh in his mind. The memory of the slap he had received for something he hadn't done would forever be etched in his memory. As he looked towards the infirmary, he couldn't help but recall the events that had transpired there. It was a memory he couldn't erase.

His eyes briefly locked with Yuri's, and although neither of them spoke a word, Jimin knew they were both thinking the same thing. He involuntarily searched for any hint of regret in Yuri's eyes, but found none. Her eyes still burned with the same anger from that day. Jimin was the first to break eye contact, his exhaustion from bending down to clean taking its toll. He had wanted a moment of rest, especially in Soye's absence, but the act of cleaning and keeping himself busy helped to keep his mind occupied and shielded him from confronting the thing he feared the most.

He wasn't entirely sure how many more hours had passed in this way. The other concubines had already set aside their tasks and were retreating to their chambers for dinner and rest when the corridor suddenly filled with a multitude of guardians. These armored men in black attire lined up one after the other, heading towards the infirmary, with some remaining behind. Jimin tried to understand what was happening as he saw him—the king.

In his fiery red attire, the king led the way among the guardians. They marched towards the infirmary amidst the curious and admiring gazes of the nobles. Although he was still some distance away, it didn't take long for the king's overwhelming and dominant scent to permeate the entire corridor. Jimin, trying to suppress the whine rising in his throat, took a few steps back and leaned against the wall for support.

As the alpha approached, Jimin's heart raced, and his eyes remained locked onto him. It was only a matter of seconds, but the weight of those eyes was enough to crush Jimin. The alpha's gaze was merciless, as hard as stone and as cold as ice. Jimin couldn't help but emit a whine, almost a whisper. Every fiber of his being urged him to bare his neck in submission before the angry alpha, to appease his anger. 

Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, the alpha's piercing gaze shifted away from him, and with a few large strides, he moved farther out of Jimin's line of sight, surrounded by his guardians. Jimin continued to watch the retreating figure of the king, feeling his eyes burn with tears. He leaned against the wall for support, taking deep breaths. The sharp scent of the alpha still filled his lungs, even as the crowd disappeared from view. Servants approached and took the belongings from the concubines' hands. They were about to return to their chamber.

Jimin remained against the wall, struggling not to cry.

"Hey," he startled when Isabel took his arm and pulled him away from the wall. "Come."

As they walked towards the concubines' chamber, Jimin kept his head down. His entire body ached, but the exhaustion from the day was nothing compared to the coldness he had felt in the alpha's gaze. Upon entering the chamber, he quickly freed his arm from Isabel's grasp and retreated to his bed. Without waiting, he crawled under the covers, closed his eyes, and tried to control the scent of sadness that was seeping from him. Tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably. He pulled the blanket up to his head, hiding his face. He cried.

He had lost track of time during his sobbing. He could hear the opening and closing of the door and the clinking of utensils, indicating that dinner had been served, but he had no appetite. With his face hidden beneath the blanket, he was glad that the blanket kind of blocked the voices of concubines preparing themselves. Only a few muffled voices were heard. Each one of them was prepared like a souvenir, trying to present themselves in the best possible way for the king's potential selection.

The door opened, and the room fell into silence. Jimin didn't lift his head from under the covers.

A firm voice spoke, "Lie down and sleep. No one is going anywhere tonight."

Gasps and murmurs filled the room as the omegas reacted to the unexpected announcement. Jimin shifted in his bed at the sound. Unable to resist his curiosity, he lowered the blanket from his head. When he exposed his eyes to the light, they stung with discomfort after the hours he spent in the darkness. Despite the pain, he stubbornly opened them again. With blurred vision, he saw the beta with blue eyes. The beta was just standing in front of the door, looking at the omegas with a weary expression.

"Didn't you hear? The king doesn't want anyone tonight. Lie down and sleep now." Then turned quickly and left the room before giving the omegas any chance to open their mouths and ask questions.

As soon as the beta left, the omegas began talking among themselves.

"What? How?"

"Has his majesty gone on a journey?"

"It's been months since he last didn't want company for the night."

"Is there something they're not telling us?"

The concubines grumbled, shedding their glittering outfits and extravagant hairstyles, changing into more comfortable clothes, and retiring to their beds. The lights went off, and until they all fell asleep, the omegas didn't stop whispering questions and speculations to each other.

Jimin, his eyes swollen from crying, watched the darkness. A gentle spring breeze flowed into the room through the slightly open windows. Curling up in his bed in a fetal position, he closed his eyes. For the first time in a long while, he managed to sleep for more than a few hours that night.

*

"Want some?"

Jimin squinted at the peach that came into view. Amidst the dark and dappled spotlights, he saw Isabel leaning over, offering him a peach. He had been lying on the grass in the indoor garden, basking in the sun, for a while. Without saying a word, he took the peach, cleared his view, and then returned to watching the sun. Isabel was accustomed to his silence, so she lay down beside the omega without saying anything.

The rumors had spread in the palace after the king had refused anyone for a few more nights. It was said that the king had set out once again towards the southern border, but this time there was a good reason for his departure. After the celebrations, he would ensure the new order at the borders and completely erase the remaining disorder.

"You've been silent for the last couple of days."

Isabel finally broke the silence. Jimin turned his head to look at her when he could no longer bear the sun in his eyes.

"Well, you've always been quiet, but I haven't heard you speak at all in the last few days."

He shrugged. "I didn't notice." His voice came out low and raspy, almost confirming Isabel's observation. He paused for a moment when he saw her smile. He had never seen the young girl so happy and relaxed before.

"Aren't you happy?" Isabel said, turning her head to look at the sun. The spring air was circulating throughout the palace, and the flowers were at their most vibrant.

"His majesty set us free. Aren't you happy that we get to decide on our fate?"

Jimin furrowed his brows slightly. "Set us free? Soye said he hasn't said a word yet."

"Jimin." Isabel lifted the peach she was holding to shield her eyes from the sun. She looked remarkably happy and playful, like a child. She swung her bare feet back and forth, stacking them one on top of the other. "He will set us free. His majesty might be indifferent and rough around the edges, but he won't turn down his concubines' request."

She took a bite of the peach. "Just wait until he returns. He will set us free." Peach juice dripped down her wrist as she spoke.

Jimin turned his head to watch the sun, his heart aching. It felt like his heart had been shattered into a thousand pieces. He listened to the cheerful chirping of the birds and the scent of spring flowers mixing with his own flowery scent. Isabel looked at him with a glimmer in her eyes.

"He'll set you free."

Just like that, thirteen days had passed since the king left. During these thirteen days, Jimin had slept and woke up with that constant ache in his heart. Instead of diminishing, the pain had grown with each passing day. On the morning of the fourteenth day, the celebrations began. The king was returning. The palace was preparing to welcome the great king, with servants cleaning every corner meticulously, the palace kitchen working tirelessly day and night to prepare the finest meals, and nobles lining up behind the massive doors of the palace to receive the king's blessings. The concubines, as always, were ready in their most beautiful attire and alluring smiles.

Jimin sat at the end of his bed, loosely braiding his hair. He wore a simple white dress that reached just below his knees. He twisted and turned the fine strands of hair between his fingers as he braided, trying to keep his mind occupied. He had noticed that he hadn't cut his hair since coming to the palace; it had grown quite long, and his braids were now longer than before. His hair was still slightly damp from the bath he had taken half an hour ago.

In a quiet corner away from the concubines, who had washed and prepared themselves to meet the king, he had silently cleaned himself. The king's return meant that perhaps this was his last night here, and he didn't know when he would find clean water again. Clean water, countless clothes, limitless food, and a comfortable bed... Every luxury the palace had offered him would slip through his fingers, but he knew that this wasn't what saddened him the most. Jimin felt a longing in his heart for an alpha who didn't want to touch him. He knew the truth.

As he braided his hair without bothering to put a clip on the end of the loosely woven strands, he placed his hands on his lap. Ever since they heard rumors that the king had brought South omegas with him on this visit, just like the last time, the concubines were on edge.

Jimin looked at the others sitting quietly, huddled together, with empathy. They must be feeling bad; they didn't want to lose what they had in this vast palace—the king's attention. Being with the king meant being at the pinnacle of the world, while leaving his presence meant being at the bottom.

Jimin lowered his head and watched his hands on his lap. The door opened, and a beta he hadn't seen before entered and said his name, "Jimin."

Unlike previous times, he quickly stood up this time without needing his name to be repeated. Without giving anyone a chance to speak, he hurriedly walked to the beta and left the room. His heart was about to stop at this point.

Every time he went to the king's room, he felt excited and aroused, but this time, for the first time, he felt fear. He was afraid of what was to come. The king knew he wanted to leave; Soye had told him. Yet now, the king had chosen him from among all the other omegas prepared for him and called him into his room.

They passed through long corridors and empty rooms one by one, and finally, Jimin found himself back in the king's chamber after many days.

A hand pushed him inside, and the doors closed behind him. Jimin kept his head down, gazing at the floor with moist eyes. He hadn't spoken at all, but he knew the alpha was in the room; he could sense his presence.

When he heard the alpha's authoritative voice saying, "Come," he instinctively took a few steps towards the room, not fully aware of what he was doing. His eyes were still fixed on the ground, and he felt like he might faint at any moment.

"Look at me, omega," The alpha ordered. Jimin lifted his eyes from the floor to meet the alpha's gaze.

This time, the king was sitting on the bed. His powerful legs were spread, and he was sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at him. His eyes were as piercing as they were when he first saw him in the infirmary corridor, and Jimin shivered under his intense gaze. The alpha continued to watch Jimin's trembling form ruthlessly.

"I heard you wanted to leave," The alpha said. Jimin closed his eyes tightly, and a tear escaped from one of them. The alpha wasn't shouting; his voice was even quieter than usual, and Jimin could tell he was restraining himself. "You wanted to get married off to some noble."

Jimin spoke with great difficulty through his tears, his voice barely above a whisper. "Soye said I couldn't be a maid."

His hands gripped the hem of his dress tightly. He was crushed under the alpha's questioning gaze, there was nowhere he could run and hide. He saw the king sit motionless for a while, then get up and approach him. His dominant scent got closer and closer, filling his lungs to the brim as the alpha stood right in front of him. The alpha's arm wrapped around his slim waist.

"Silly omega," his soft lips placed a kiss on the corner of his forehead. "If only you knew what terrible trouble I saved your little head from..."

Jimin leaned his face against the alpha's hard chest and sobbed.

"Palace is cruel." He held the omega tightly against him with his arm wrapped around his waist. "This great empire is demanding." He left kisses on the omega's blond hair. “You will always give, give, give,” Jimin hid his face further into the alpha's chest as his hand grabbed the petite boy's ass. "But you won't take any."

He had stopped crying, but his face was still burning with the wetness of his tears. With an experienced movement, the alpha's hand grabbed his long dress and lifted it up, touching the omega's bare skin under the dress. Jimin whined at the feeling of warm hands wandering up his legs, brought his hands to the alpha's shoulders, and held on tightly.

He felt herself getting wet under his touch. He pressed his legs together, lifted his head, and looked at the alpha with half-open eyes. His eyes closed when the alpha touched his wet entrance without taking his eyes off him for a moment. The delicious pressure in his hole made him leak faster; soon, his slick covered his entire hole and spilled all the way to his balls, leaving a shiny trace.

Without taking his hands off the omega, the king took a few steps back and laid Jimin on the bed in one fell swoop. Jimin blinked and held on tightly to the sheets underneath him. His dress was gathered up to his waist, leaving his entire body from the waist down exposed to the alpha's eyes. He looked at him with red cheeks. The alpha leaned over him and got between his legs, one hand wrapped around his delicate neck while the other pulled the omega's underwear aside.

"You don't see what I'm trying to do for you."

His fingers found his wet entrance. Jimin was too lost to form sentences while lying on the bed filled with the alpha's intense scent.

"Alpha," he simply whispered. "Please."

He didn't think he could bear it if he was rejected this time too. His mind was telling him to do many things: vent, yell at the alpha, leave the alpha, then beg him to touch him. But he did neither; he just laid on the alpha's bed, under the pressure of his body. But the alpha seemed to hear all those words he couldn't say.

He coated his fingers in the omega's slick and slowly pushed his fingertip inside his hole. Jimin held his breath. He pulled his hands from the sheets and wrapped them around the alpha's neck.

"Please," he said again.

He fell silent as the pressure of the alpha's hand on his neck increased. "Omega." warned the king. He inserted his finger a little deeper and began to move it in and out, slowly moving it back and forth.

"Did you want another alpha to touch you like this?" He didn't take his hand off his neck. "Tell me. Is this what you were imagining when you told Soye you wanted to get married?"

When he added another finger, Jimin threw his head back in pleasure. Although he had produced and spilled a lot of slick, his hole was still tight since it was his first time. The alpha's fingers were slowly widening his hole and preparing it for his alpha cock. Despite the pleasure rising in his lower belly, he shook his head for the alpha, who was waiting for an answer from him.

"No," The pressure of the Alpha's hand on his neck was released. "No, alpha!" The king hummed in a low voice.

There was no sound in the room except for the wet sounds coming from the omega's waiting hole. Even though Jimin turned red with the sounds he heard, he laid still and allowed the alpha to use his hole and give him pleasure.

"Can't you see I was protecting your well-being?"

When the king spoke again, this time his voice did not sound as angry or dominant as when he first entered the room. He was full of compassion now.

"Do you think you can carry my pups? Think you can handle it?"

Despite his affectionate voice, his hand, which was removed from his neck, grabbed his hip and added two more fingers to his hole. Jimin's lips parted in pleasure as the alpha fucked him with four fingers. Jimin made a sound like crying when the alpha grabbed his hips and pulled his tiny body towards his fingers.

"Such delicate skin." He could feel the alpha's erection against his leg. "You're just a doll with a pretty face." He was rock hard. "Can you imagine yourself with a belly so round and heavy with my heir that you can't even walk around properly?"

Jimin's ears couldn't hear anything. His little cock was incredibly hard, the alpha's long fingers were touching untouched, unexplored spots inside of him.

"You've really tried my patience, little one," He heard the alpha say through gritted teeth one last time. "I'm gonna ruin your sweet hole now."

He ripped his dress in a quick motion, leaving his body completely naked. He pulled his slick-soaked underwear down his legs.

"Put you back into your place that you seem to forget."

For a moment, Jimin saw the alpha's eyes turn red, but before he could look any further, the alpha took his fingers out of him, lifted him up in one move, and turned his face down.

"Present." He growled.

Jimin was just about to whine at the feeling of inadequacy in him, but he froze upon hearing the king's order. He clumsily spread his legs and bent his waist, but he wasn't sure he was doing it right. He felt embarrassed when the alpha pressed his hand on his back, making him present himself properly. His chest was pressed against the soft sheets of the bed, his ass up in the air for the alpha to use it to his wish. When the alpha's clothed dick pressed against his ass, he couldn't hold his head still any longer and laid it on the bed. He was completely at the alpha's mercy.

He heard the faint sound of clothes wrinkling and felt the alpha's naked dick in his hole. Soon, the alpha slowly started inserting his dick inside him. Even though the alpha's fingers prepared him greatly, the alpha's cock was huge, and Jimin felt like he was almost split in half.

"So tight." He tried to comfort himself when he heard the alpha's growl. Jimin was out of breath when the alpha inserted his dick completely to the brim.

He was embarrassed; the real thing hadn't even started yet, but Jimin already felt like he was about to cum. The alpha's big hands caressed his back as if to comfort him. After making sure he was relaxed and ready, he slowly began to move inside him.

Jimin felt whole for the first time in his life. For the first time, his mind and body were thinking the same thing and feeling the same thing. There was only pure pleasure. The pain and sadness had disappeared. The condemning looks he received from the nobles in the palace, the pain in his waist while mopping the floor in the large corridors, the sounds of singing and laughing in the concubines' room, the pretty flowers he watered in the indoor garden, the burning heat of the sun, the peaches, the bed in which he fell asleep crying. Everything was erased and disappeared one by one.

There was only alpha. There was only the alpha's breath in his ear. At that moment, he knew it wasn't just a physical attraction; the warmth of the alpha's skin, his hands on his body, his cock thrusting inside him—everything felt just the way it was supposed to. This was more than a physical pleasure; it was as if his soul had found peace.

The alpha's lips moved down his back and the nape of his neck. His thrusts were deep and hard. “So pretty,”

Jimin let out a little scream at the delicious pressure on his prostate. "Alpha!"

He started to cum as his eyes closed. He painted the sheets underneath him white and made a crying noise when the alpha continued to hit his prostate during his post-orgasm oversensitivity.

"Take it," The alpha leaned into his ear, growling. "Take it, dove."

He wrapped his arms around the omega's waist, and a second later Jimin found his back pressed against the alpha's hard chest. He thought that the moans coming out of his mouth could be heard throughout the palace. He couldn't hear anything other than the wet sounds coming from where they became a whole and his own pitiful moans. When he felt himself getting hard again, he moved his hands to the alpha's arm wrapped around his waist to steady himself in his hold.

"So sweet, you're making me insane."

Jimin slowly turned his head and looked at him, he saw that the alpha's eyes still had that color red. Submissively, he bared his neck for the alpha to dive in. The man let out a deep growl, leaning down on his neck and sucking his neck between his thrusts. When Jimin felt that he was going to cum again, the alpha's hand grabbed his small dick, and while Jimin was cumming on the sheets for the second time, the alpha started to cum inside him with a deep growl. The movements of his hips slowed down but still continued. Jimin closed his eyes tightly as the cum filled him and went all the way to his fertile womb. He dug his nails into the alpha's arm in a silent scream.

The alpha continued to cum inside him for a long time, and Jimin realized that the alpha did not knot him only when the cum dripped from his hole and flowed down his balls. His omega whined before he could stop himself.

"No," He whispered as the king slowly took his cock out of his puffy hole. His cheeks were wet, but he didn't even know when he started crying or how long he had been crying.

The alpha laid him on the bed, laid down next to him, and covered the omega's body with a blanket, which was still shaking with after-orgasm tremors. With swollen eyes, Jimin watched his chest rise and fall with his rapid breathing, wanting to run his fingers over the king's victory tattoos, but he didn't.

His eyes found the alpha's large erection resting against his belly, he could see that it was still hard.

"M-my king," He extended his small hand toward him. The alpha followed his gaze, then he took his hand and moved it away from his erect cock, forcing him to lay down on his chest.

"Hush now." He caressed his hair.

Jimin didn't want to sleep like this right away; there were so many things he wanted to tell the alpha. He didn't know when he would be able to say it again, since the moment he felt the alpha's touch on him, all that came out of his mouth were begging and moaning; he couldn't even recall forming one single proper sentence.

But his eyes were heavy, they were about to betray him.

"Sleep, little one," said the king. "Alpha will hold you."

Chapter Text

The return to the chamber of concubines has never been this short. Jimin felt like flying as he returned to the room in minutes, walking as fast as he could. The large doors opened, and he walked in.

When he hurriedly packed up and left the king's room, the king was not in the room because he was summoned to the main hall in the early hours of the morning. Jimin vaguely remembered the man's departure amidst the haze of sleep. The weight lifted off the bed, and the kiss placed on his bare shoulder was vaguely there. Jimin had been attended to by a few unfamiliar betas as soon as he woke up. They had prepared a bath for him, provided new clothes, and accompanied him to the concubines' quarters.

As the doors closed behind him, Jimin turned to look at the departing betas one last time and blinked his eyes. Then he stepped into the room, surprisingly finding it empty.  He passed by the empty beds in the large room in surprise, and through the open door of the dressing room, he could see that there was no one there either. Then he heard voices coming from the garden. He hurriedly headed towards the garden and saw that all the concubines were there. Some were planting new flowers, some were watering the flowers, and some were cutting the grass with a giant scissor-like tool in their hands.

Someone came into his line of sight and handed him two small pots of flowers.

"Plant these over here." She pointed with her finger to a nearby spot and then turned away.

While Jimin was walking, trying not to drop the magnolias in his hands, he saw Isabel, who was working with the soil, and walked over to the girl. Nobody had noticed his arrival, and those who did see him stared at him for a few seconds before turning their heads away again. It seemed like an unspoken truth that Jimin could never be a formidable rival to anyone. His existence was so insignificant and easy to ignore that it wouldn't disturb anyone.

Isabel was wearing big blue boots, digging in the ground, and holding a small pot of violets in one hand. Jimin stood a few steps behind to avoid getting dirt on his shoes and watched the girl for a while. Even if Isabel had sensed his presence, she continued her work without making a sound. She dug the soil, planted a bit, and carefully placed the flower from the small pot into the ground.

As she covered the roots with soil, she said, "You're back."

Jimin nodded, and when he remembered that the girl had her back turned, he cleared his throat and spoke softly, "Yes."

With a soft 'hmm,' Isabel returned to her work. She dug another gap next to the newly planted flower and buried another of the same kind. Jimin stood there, unsure of what to do. He nervously glanced around, thankfully realizing he wasn't the only one not working. Some omegas were diligently working, while others were huddled in small groups on the side, talking. Jimin could see that one of them was holding a potted plant, but it was clear that they were just holding it for show and not actually doing any work.

After watching the girl silently for a while, he squatted next to her, not caring that he would get soil on his shoes. Using the hoe she had been using, he clumsily created a small hole in the soil. Then, he struggled to take one of the pink magnolias out of the pot and buried it in the ground. He had damaged the roots a bit while removing them from the pot, but he hoped that with proper care, the flower would recover and be even better than before.

"I'm leaving." 

Jimin turned his head to look at the girl, but Isabel didn't look at him and continued planting the small flowers in rows. Jimin didn't know what to say; last night had ended so unexpectedly that the other omega had completely slipped his mind. So, the king had allowed her to leave. Jimin stopped his hand movements for a moment and pressed his palms into the ground.

"She spoke with that gardener Noya he mentioned and said they've started looking for a suitable husband for me. Apparently, my preference for a northerner has slowed things down because northern nobles are traveling far for the hunting festival at this time of year, so not many of them are left around here," she told Jimin.

His heart raced as he listened to her. His only friend was leaving, and even though he wanted to say something to her, he knew it would be selfish to do so. There was nothing he could do.

"They'll be back in a few months, though," Isabel added, her voice soft but content. She shrugged. "I'll wait. It's not a problem."

With this ache in Jimin's heart, he didn't feel like he could speak, so he could only manage a dry "I see."

When he felt Isabel's eyes on him for a moment, he turned his gaze to her. Their eyes met. Isabel was looking at him with an unreadable expression, her lips pressed tightly together. Their eye contact didn't last even a second before Isabel turned her gaze back to the soil, as if the soil held a fascinating story that she couldn't divert her attention from. But it was clear that she still had more to say to the small boy.

"He touched you?"

Jimin hesitated, holding his breath. When they locked eyes again, he nodded, his cheeks blushing. An indescribable emotion had passed through Isabel's eyes, but before he could make sense of it, the emotion was wiped away.

Isabel nodded slightly. "I see."

For the next few hours, they continued to brighten the garden with colorful flowers without uttering a word. Jimin had moved on to watering the flowers at some point. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the scent of spring. No matter what task he was doing, he hadn't taken his eyes off Isabel. He realized that Isabel was just as lonely as he was. She had no one by her side. She worked so hard for the garden that she would no longer be wandering, laboring under the sun without a word.

After some more time had passed, an elderly beta came and said the job was done. The concubines happily left their pots and hoes where they were and hurried back to the room. Jimin was relieved that he remained invisible to everyone. The omegas passing by him seemed to have completely forgotten that he had spent the previous night in the king's chamber.

Before entering the room, as he watched those who had removed their large, shiny boots at the door and placed them aside, he saw Yuri. Yuri was furious, her eyes fixed on him, just staring. His body trembled from head to toe. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Yuri's intense gaze. Knowing that he wasn't invisible to someone had scared him. He had begun to fear that the dark-haired girl would hurt him again, and his legs had started trembling. That's when he felt Isabel's hand holding his. He struggled to pull his eyes away from Yuri and looked at Isabel instead. When Isabel's hand caressed his and she smiled wistfully, he couldn't return the smile.

He turned his head back to Yuri, and she was gone. He took a deep breath and lowered his head. When he did, he squeezed the hand that was holding his.

"Isabel," he whispered.

"Hm?"

"I hope you'll be happy."

He didn't need to explain what he was talking about. Isabel hadn't asked either. She continued to stroke the back of his hand.

"Jimin," she said with kindness. "I hope you'll be happy too."

Jimin was still looking at the spot where Yuri had gone.

*

Jimin held on tightly to the edges of the table, trying not to fall. It was the time before dinner. As soon as the concubines returned to their room after working in the garden, a beta appeared at the door, and in a matter of minutes, the alpha bent him over the table in his room without waiting for nightfall.

The alpha was reshaping his insides with his deep thrusts, his grunts were in the tiny omega's ear, whispering sweet nothings from time to time. When Jimin slid on the table with the alpha's strokes, the alpha's hands found his thin waist and grasped it tightly, continuing his thrusts without stopping.

Jimin felt like he was going to lose his mind; the alpha was exactly where he wanted him, between his legs, deep inside him. The masculine scent was all around him. But it wasn't enough, Jimin knew the alpha was holding it back. His strokes were hard and deep, but they never accelerated enough to take Jimin's breath away. The alpha's hands gripped the omega's body tightly but never pressed so much that his fingers sank into his flesh and left a mark. 

"Alpha!" He tried to turn his head back and look at the alpha, who was buried deep in his insides. The man took his dick out for a moment, Jimin whined instantly, and the alpha put his dick back in at once to the brim with a small breathy chuckle. The alpha's hands on his waist were pulling him back to his cock to meet his thrusts in the half way.

Jimin tried to hold on to the table with his dear life, every once in a while his sweaty hands were slipping on the table. He groaned in embarrassment as the alpha shifted some of his weight onto him and pressed his chest against the petite boy's back. The alpha's powerful chest rose and fell with a growl.

"What do you want?" A light slap landed on his ass. "Tell Alpha what you want."

Unable to hold on to the table any longer, Jimin leaned over completely and leaned his chest on the hard surface of the table. His saliva was flowing onto the table from the addicting hits to his prostate. He felt himself blushing all over.

"Tell me, beautiful."

A hand pressed between his shoulders, making him unable to move. Although Jimin opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, all that came out was a moan, close to a cry. The same hand caressed his blonde hair, and when the alpha's dick slipped out of his soaked hole, the hand that was caressing his hair grasped it between his fingers tightly this time.

Everything he saw on the table when he entered the room was now on the floor. Papers were strewn everywhere, and he could see some spilled ink somewhere off to the side. The alpha had thrown everything on the table to the floor in one fell swoop before placing him on the table.

Jimin shivered, remembering the days when the king worked at this desk and never gave him a single glance, while he craved the alpha's touch in his cold bed. He remembered the alpha's unforgiving eyes and the way he was writing something indifferently on the papers in front of him; he remembered his nostrils flaring at the sweet slick scent leaking from his hole, but he still didn't touch him. He remembered the time, at this table again, when he got between the alpha's legs and let him fuck his throat.

"Fuck."

Jimin didn't seem to realize he was squeezing his hole until the alpha cursed out loud from the tightness of it, squeezing his cock deliciously. Trying to relax, he looked at the alpha's hand placed on the table.

A lot had changed since these memories he suddenly seemed to remember, but Jimin didn't know what had changed clearly. He felt like a pawn in this big, bad game. He continued to look at the king's hand, full of shiny rings. A pawn. When the alpha's strokes got harder, his eyes were closed for a while in insane pleasure.  He opened his eyes at the sight of the king's hand.

Pawn.

He moved his hand with difficulty and placed it on the king's hand. He held his breath. He didn't know what he was waiting for; of course, the alpha felt the touch of his hand, he thought. The alpha's hand gripping his waist tightened, and Jimin felt his eyes closing in pleasure again when the alpha took the small hand on his hand tightly into his warm palm and held it. Jimin smiled slightly when the king lifted his hand and left a kiss on it.

It was clear that this was a game, but he had no intention of remaining a pawn.

He came all over the table with a shy scream, the alpha's supportive voice right next to his ear the entire time.

"Good little doll," he was saying. "You did good."

The hard surface of the table hurt his skin, but Jimin was far too gone in pleasure to think about it. His cheeks were wet from all the tears he was shedding. The alpha hit his prostate mercilessly for a while and then took the omega in his arms without saying a word. Jimin put his hands on the alpha's strong arm that was holding his waist, not knowing what to do. The alpha walked over and laid him on the bed with his cock still inside him. Jimin breathed out with satisfaction when he felt the soft bed as soft as cotton after the hard surface of the table that was sinking into his chest.

Even though he thought he would feel the alpha inside him again in a second, the alpha did not move. Jimin whined, turned his head, and looked at him. He saw the alpha frowning. He whimpered with a low, confused whine. The king soon grabbed the pillows from the bed, lifted the omega up with one hand, and placed the pillows under his hips. Jimin breathed a sigh of relief at the new position and leaned his head on the soft sheets. With the pillows under his hips, his hole was high enough for the alpha to push inside easily.

He nervously put his trembling hand on his one asscheek and pulled it aside, showing the alpha his hole. The alpha let out a deep growl. With the omega presenting his hole like this, he put his dick inside again within a second. While Jimin was trying to get used to the dick splitting him in half, the alpha's big hands gripped his waist again.

"M-more, alpha!" He held the other cheek as well and tried to ease the alpha's thrusts with both hands. "More." 

He remained motionless as the alpha lunged forward and sunk his teeth into his neck from behind, opening his neck even further in response to the alpha's display of dominance.

"Patience, omega." He scented Jimin throughly with his teeth sunk into the omega's skin. "You take what I give," The alpha growled.

Despite his words, his strokes accelerated, and soon Jimin was a crying mess laying on the matress for the alpha to take, take, and take. And the alpha took. He took it until very little of the omega remained. Even though the teeth on his skin had withdrawn after a while, Jimin still felt his pressure, and from time to time he felt his body shaking with submission. His entire face and neck turned a healthy red with the wet sounds his hole was making. He didn't know how many times he had cum, his little dick was too soft to get hard again.

The alpha fucked him at the same pace until he came deep inside him. The last thing Jimin remembered was the alpha lying next to him, pulling him into his hard chest, his red eyes looking at him. 

*

"This is ridiculous," Jinsoo said, staring at her broken brush. "I wasn't even pressing that hard..."

She continued to paint with her half-broken brush. She had imagined one of the palace corridors in her mind and was trying to transfer it onto the canvas in front of her, but her drawing skills were as poor as that of a child's, making the canvas look like random brushstrokes. She furrowed her brows and continued to rub the brush back and forth.

"This is such an ugly orange," she said.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no such thing as an ugly color," Helena retorted.

"Yes, there is."

"No, there isn't."

"Yes, there is, look." Jinsoo pointed at her painting with the broken brush.

Helena's eyebrows raised slightly. "Gosh," she said. "That's an ugly orange."

"You shut up," Jinsoo blushed and silenced her with her reddened cheeks. "What are you drawing anyway?" She leaned over to see the girl's canvas.

Helena shrugged. "An apple."

The concubines were painting in the indoor garden with large canvases, paints of every color, and some brushes -a few of which were partially broken. It was another afternoon. Three days had passed since Jimin had returned from the king's chambers, and the king had not summoned anyone during this time, which had left the concubines on edge. However, Jimin had been spared from being the target of the concubines' frustrations because the king had not called for him either.

As the sun cast its glare, he squinted his eyes and raised his hand to create some shade over his face. Painting days like this were among his favorite things in the palace. He mixed various shades of green to achieve the exact hue he desired. His canvas was almost complete, but he just couldn't find the green he needed for the finishing touches. As the direct rays of the sun no longer pierced his eyes, he took a relieved breath and stretched while glancing around. Due to the angle of the canvases, he couldn't see every painting, but the ones he could see looked quite good. Even though no one was speaking out loud, he knew that the other concubines also enjoyed this activity the most.

"A fucking apple, she said,"

Jinsoo's high-pitched laugh echoed in the garden. Helena, seated next to her, furrowed her brows as she continued to paint the misshapen apple on her canvas. Ursula, who sat on the other side of Jinsoo, had turned to them with curiosity.

"You're drawing an apple?"

Jinsoo nodded while laughing, then turned to Ursula. "What are you drawing?"

Ursula had tightly gathered her fiery red hair into a ponytail and held her brush with the skill of a true artist. She pointed to one of the pansies that had been planted a few days ago, hidden behind her canvas.

"That one,"

Jimin continued to look around while his eyes caught Yuri, who was seated close by. He seemed to have just noticed how close Yuri was sitting. Trying not to make it obvious, he looked at Yuri's canvas and saw a large, shining ring. Yuri had finished the basic outlines of the ring and was meticulously drawing the glimmers reflecting from the diamond. Fearing that they could make eye contact, Jimin quickly averted his gaze and tried to focus on something else.

He saw Tuisin, finished with his drawing, and was silently leaning back, looking somewhat bored. With curiosity, Jimin looked at his canvas, and his mouth opened in awe. This was the most magnificent horse painting he had ever seen. It stood proudly on the grass, with its long brown mane billowing in the direction of the wind. He shifted his gaze back to his own canvas to examine his own drawing. He was about to lose himself in his work when he was startled by Isabel taking her place as she returned from a restroom break.

"Hey,"

Jimin responded with a slight smile to Isabel's greeting.

As soon as Isabel returned, she promptly chose a light blue and continued painting her canvas. Jimin could see that Isabel had been in a better mood than she had been in the past few days. He could say the same for himself. Every night in his bed, he wished happiness for both himself and Isabel with an open heart.

"I actually didn't go to the restroom," Isabel whispered.

When Jimin looked at her with a confused expression, she explained, "I went to talk to Soye." 

"Oh, I see," Jimin nodded and looked at the blue spreading across her canvas. He found himself wondering, "What did you talk about?"

Isabel smiled. "She found someone for me."

"Didn't you say everyone had gone far away for the hunting festival?"

"I did. But apparently not everyone." Isabel leaned closer and whispered, "He's a tailor. But not just any tailor. He's well-loved, coming from a noble northern family. He makes gorgeous clothes for all the other nobles in the palace, even for us. Can you believe it?"

Jimin listened to omega's excited voice with a warm smile on his face.

"Did you say 'gorgeous clothes'?"

One of the twins next to Isabel was looking at them.

Jimin sensed that Isabel froze, and after looking at him with fearful eyes, she turned to the twins. Had they heard their talk?

Jimin didn't know which of the twins had spoken; they looked exactly the same. The other twin hadn't even glanced away from her canvas; they were both painting on the same canvas, depicting a bustling town.

Isabel, attempting to control her anxious tone, cleared her throat before speaking, "No?"

The girl tilted her head slightly, looking at Isabel, but then turned back to her work without further insistence.

"I guess I just heard it wrong." She spoke to her twin, picking up her brush again.

"I think you did," the other twin replied, and then they fell silent.

Isabel continued painting with a sense of relief. She was drawing a bright blue sky—nothing too ambitious—but she was confident that it would look beautiful once she added a few small bird details.

"I'm happy for you," Jimin said to Isabel after a while.

"Thank you, Jimin."

Jimin finally found the shade of green he had been looking for, and he let out a relieved sigh. He could finally complete his painting of a lush forest with towering trees, where the soil seemed freshly soaked from rain and the trees were dense with leaves and thick trunks. He looked at his painting proudly, green paint smearing his fingers all over. He could almost smell the scent of this safe, splendid forest...

"Wake up," He heard a distant voice. He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. "Wake up!" the voice repeated itself.

His body ached, and it felt like he was engulfed in flames. "I'm telling you, wake up!" He woke up.

He sat up, looking around without understanding what had just happened. It was night; darkness surrounded him from all sides, and he was in the garden. When he noticed the guardian standing over him, he was startled and quickly got to his feet. He lowered his head in apology, despite the man's weary expression, then hurried back to the room.

Inside, he found the concubines already in their beds, fast asleep. Even his hair was sweaty, he didn't know how he had become so hot while sleeping out in the garden. He tried to reach his bed with silent steps.

When he saw Isabel sitting at the foot of his bed, he froze in place. The girl's eyes were shining in the darkness, staring at him without blinking.

There was a problem. Jimin felt his body tense with concern.

"W-what?" He felt his legs trembling as he approached the bed.

"Jimin," Isabel said. "Tuisin is gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Tuisin is not in his bed, he's gone."

Jimin placed his shaking hand over his rapidly beating heart. There was only one place a concubine could go at this hour. Jimin's heart tightened, and the flames within his body intensified. He fixed his gaze on the door. He wouldn't live like this anymore.

Not anymore.

Chapter Text

Jimin walked in burning anger to the door. Isabel was following him nervously, with some distance between them. He tried to open the door. He pushed, pushed, but it wouldn't budge. He began to pound the door with force, tears streaming from his eyes. Before long, one of the doors opened slightly, and he came face to face with one of the guardians.

"What's going on? What's all this commotion?" Small sounds started to come from the omegas.

"Open the door." Jimin angrily wiped the tears from his cheeks. When the door didn't open any further, he shouted, "I said, open the door!"

The voices from the concubines were getting louder. They were beginning to wake up because of the noise.

"Lay in your bed, omega. You can't go anywhere at this hour."

"Open the door," Jimin said again. This was too much. The king. Tuisin. His heart was aching; he felt like he was about to lose his mind. "I'm going, open the door!"

"What's all this noise?"

"Is that Isabel at the door? Who's that with her?"

"The small one? Jimin, I guess?"

Another guardian arrived, but Jimin wasn't convinced. Tears were streaming from his eyes. He felt Isabel hugging him from behind.

"Jimin," the girl said softly. "Come, let's wait, and let it be morning." Despite her reassuring tone, her scent was terrifyingly sour. Jimin shook his head from side to side.

The concubines were whispering. The guardians looked at each other, and one of them signaled to another. Soon, another guardian appeared with Soye at the door, and when Jimin saw a familiar face, he dropped his angry expression, which he had used as a shield.

"Soye," he pleaded. "Let me go."

Soye looked at him for a while with a sleepy expression. After examining his face, she asked, "Where are you going at this hour, omega?"

"To him." Jimin said in one breath.

He couldn't, he wouldn't allow this. After dedicating himself so entirely to the alpha, giving him everything, and feeling the alpha's merciful and caring touch, this couldn't happen. He refused to be a pawn any longer. Soye continued to look at him for a while, and then her eyes slowly widened. Isabel had Jimin tightly in her arms, not letting go, and she was whispering things to him that he was far from hearing at that moment.

Soye turned to the guardians and spoke. "Open the doors."

"What? We-" "I said open the doors." she repeated.

The guardians hesitated for a moment and exchanged glances, but eventually opened the doors without defying Soye's orders. Jimin swiftly broke free from Isabel's arms and stepped into the corridor.

How could this be happening? What was the alpha thinking? Jimin had given himself to him wholeheartedly. How could he allow this? In the previous encounters, he had never seen Jimin, never touched him, never known him. But now, it was different. He had memorized every curve of the omega, allowed him to sleep in his bed, and addressed him with many sweet words. Was all of it fake? Jimin hadn't realized that Soye was following him until they had reached the king's chamber. In a state of shock, he stared at her. Soye signaled the guardians outside the king's door, and they, without a word, knocked gently. One of them went inside and then returned to his place, opening the door to allow Jimin to enter.

*

Jungkook got off his horse with a single motion and landed firmly on his feet. He patted the horse's mane a few times, signaling its direction back to the palace. Within seconds, the massive gates swung wide open, revealing dozens of people ready to accompany him to his chamber. As he walked towards his room, he shed layer after layer of clothing. First, his fur-lined robe slipped from his shoulders, followed by a beta who removed the vest that had shielded him from the wind while riding. He strode down the corridor, drawing curious and admiring glances from the nobles.

The jumbled scents in the air were about to make him wrinkle his nose when he stopped himself. The overwhelming odors of the palace seemed to trigger his inner alpha, making him increasingly aggressive with each step into the palace. He longed to escape to a place where he wouldn't see anyone for days, months, or even years.

Upon arriving at his chamber, a guardian spoke, "Your majesty, one of your concubines is inside."

Jungkook entered without a word. After a long journey, all he wanted was to doze off in his warm bath. He walked into the room, and there it was—what was this? There was an omega on his bed, one he had never seen before. Jungkook had lost count of his concubines, often forgetting their names and instructing the betas responsible for them to bring any of them to his room. He was sure he had never seen this one before.

He approached the bed. The omega lay sprawled naked on the sheets, more delicate and fragile than anyone he'd ever seen. His face and neck were flushed, and he was breathing rapidly and shallowly, obviously struggling to control his breath. His full, glossy lips, tiny nose, porcelain skin, and sun-yellow hair—everything about him seemed out of place, like he didn't belong here.

He didn't belong here.

Jungkook furrowed his brows. Who had brought this frail omega to his bed? He unabashedly let his gaze wander across the omega's slender waist and hips. Looking at the length of the omega's legs, he could imagine him standing, he appeared even small. He wouldn't touch him; he was certain his touch would harm the omega. His wolf's head was in a whirl, trying to catch the omega's scent, but the palace's numerous scents made it impossible for him to identify the omega's fragrance. When he noticed the concubine's timid attempt to press himself further onto the bed, he turned away in frustration and left the room.

As he exited, he cast piercing glares at the guardians and issued a stern command, "No one should be inside when I return."

The prospect of dozing off in the bath would have to wait a bit.

"Your father, your majesty,"

Jungkook fixed his gaze on the man who had the audacity to mention his father. He detested council meetings in the main hall more than anything.

"When your father was your age, he had a 3-year-old son already. Then we lost your precious father, may his soul rest in peace."

Everyone in the hall placed their hands on their chests and whispered something. Only Jungkook remained motionless, observing the old man. His gaze resembled that of a hunter watching his prey. Although the man seemed unnerved, he looked at the other elderly men around him and continued speaking, seemingly drawing strength from them.

"And then your majesty inherited the throne and the crown, leading our kingdom to this day." Jungkook knew where this speech was headed. "What I mean to say..." And he didn't like where it was going. "...is that it's time for our great kingdom to have an heir, a powerful true-blooded alpha, just like your majesty."

Jungkook looked at the elderly council gathered around the table, the nobles, the guardians, and the servants at either end of the hall, waiting with wine in their hands. He was utterly alone here. He realized much later that the old man was still talking. "...Only in this way can we ensure the continuation of the Jeon dynasty. This is the desire of the aristocrats, the military, and our dear people." After bowing deeply to show respect, the man returned to his seat at the table.

The grand hall fell into silence. Jungkook heard the wheezing breaths of the elderly council, the sound of the servants' trembling hands swaying their drinks, and the rumbling stomach of the fat nobleman. Fortunately, his wolf's lack of scent was compensated by his remarkable sense of hearing.

After a moment of contemplative silence, he said to those in the room, "I will take it into consideration." He could feel the crown pressing against his head. "An heir will be born. And the Jeon dynasty will continue."

Jungkook's next encounter with the omega occurred in the main hall after a grueling day spent listening to the demands of the nobles and the so-called concerns of the people. As he walked to his room, much like many other days, all he desired was to doze off in the bath and let the warmth of the water wash away the day's tension.

He entered the room and saw the omega preparing his bed at the head of his bed. The omega blushed deeply upon seeing him. Jungkook, without a word, walked straight to the bath filled with water. He never took his eyes off the omega. He glanced at the omega's hands, which were tidying up the pillows; they were tiny. His wrists were delicate. He was determined to find out who had brought this omega here. No matter how beautiful his face might be, there was no place for an omega like him among the concubines. He seemed too fragile to be held in the hands of such a rough wolf as him.

He quickly undressed and got into the bath, expecting all his muscles to relax, as they always did. But it didn't happen. He continued to restlessly stay in the water. He closed his eyes. Bright blond hair. He furrowed his brows. A delicate body. What was happening? He had placed his strong arms on either side of the bath, sitting in the water with a furrowed brow, when he heard the omega's shaky breath and the sound of footsteps. He thought the concubine would exit through the door, but the footsteps drew closer and closer, and he felt the tiny hand near his face.

He opened his eyes and grabbed the omega by the arm, pulling himself up from the water to look at him. The omega attempted a few unsuccessful tries to pull his arm back, but under the alpha's grip, he was too weak. However, he seemed oblivious, not understanding.

He was about to release him when he suddenly caught a faint scent. His nostrils flared, and he clenched his teeth. The little omega was leaking slick. His inner alpha, in a way he couldn't comprehend, was reacting to the omega's floral and fresh scent, as if trying to break free. Jungkook couldn't resist himself any longer and pulled the omega toward his wet chest, wrapping his other arm around the tiny waist.

"Alpha," The omega's whispering voice was sweeter than his favorite song. It was as if the omega's scent was becoming increasingly distinct. It was the clearest scent he had smelled in a long time. He brought his face closer to the omega's neck, nearing the scent gland. He moved his hand around his waist to his ass, which was leaking sweet-smelling slick.

"A-Alpha," Then suddenly, everything became overwhelming. Jungkook started to hear and feel everything, every little detail. He heard a few drops of water spilling over from the bath, the hushed conversations of the guardians behind the door, and he caught their earthy, musky scents. He smelled it on his skin—the scent of dozens of wolves that had been crouching on him throughout the day and following him to the safety of his chambers. He sensed the scents of the many wolves who had trailed him throughout the day, sticking close to ensure his safety all the way to his secure room and bath.

He released the concubine, watching as the petite young man staggered slightly. His head was spinning.

"You may leave."

The restlessness within him was growing.

The sounds were intensifying. As he strode confidently toward the main hall, he heard a sobbing noble, the solid sounds of the guardians' heavy boots beside him, the noise of opening and closing doors. Some of these sounds were not meant to be heard by him, but others were there to be heard. In one of the council meetings in the main hall, Jungkook struggled not to lose himself. Every week, at the same time, on the same day, he had grown weary of listening to the same men and their endless demands. Lately, he felt the weight of his magnificent crown more than ever.

He ruled a kingdom, he knew. "The Kims and Jungs already have two heirs each." No, the kingdom ruled him. "Our king's condition is worrisome."

Jungkook silenced the whispering men with a sharp gaze. Yuri, the concubine with whom he had spent the night last night, had been begging in his ear all night to cum inside her, and it was one of the reasons why he was so on edge to snap now. He had a harem filled with the healthiest and strongest omegas from all corners of the country, but Jungkook was often on the move. He could never be one of those kings who ruled from the palace, giving orders to others without leaving his room. He wanted to do everything himself and handle every task. His perfectionist alpha didn't want to entrust a task he could do personally to anyone else.

It seemed that his frequent departures from the palace often coincided with one of his concubines going into heat, and omegas getting pregnant outside of their heat cycle was nearly impossible. Jungkook often knew that he was wasting his time on nights spent with the concubines in vain. If the omega wasn't in heat, it meant their womb wasn't ready to carry a child, and it didn't matter how much he spilled inside. But at the end of the day, the privileges and rights he was entitled to in return for bearing the burden of the royal family made it worthwhile. Shifting his attention away from the burdens of royal duties, like border security and military inspections, to often anonymous bodies for a few hours was a small relief that helped him preserve his mental health.

It hadn't been long since one of his concubines had stirred up trouble by falsely claiming she was pregnant, her name might have been something like Jinsoo. It was already known who would be responsible for educating the future heir and under the supervision of which teachers they would grow, but he still didn't have an heir. This situation bothered him more than anyone else, even more than everyone else.

A beta entered and announced a few foreign names. Then the men whose names were called came in and started explaining a tedious art gallery project. Both of them were wearing horribly ugly pink robes. Jungkook was counting the minutes until he could return to his room at night.

Finally, he had returned, but work seemed never-ending, and it followed him all the way to the safety of his chambers. He was in his bed, reviewing files on border security; there had been unwelcome and potentially intervention-worthy activities in the south recently. Jungkook carefully examined the papers and took notes on what needed to be done.

The guardians had informed him that a concubine was prepared for him. The doors opened, and he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He didn't lift his head from the papers. Because of his wolf's lack of olfaction, he was unaware of who was coming. All the concubines knew what to do when they entered this room. None of them should distract the king while he was dealing with paperwork; they knew that well. The incoming omega, whoever it was, should lie on the soft sheets of the bed and wait obediently until the king had finished his work and taken his place between their legs.

Jungkook waited for a while, but when he didn't hear the footsteps, he raised his head. He did his best to keep his expression neutral.

It was that omega. As breathtaking and innocent as ever. His big amber eyes were wide open, and he looked at Jungkook with flushed cheeks. Jungkook set his papers aside and directed his full attention to the beauty within his field of vision. The omega approached with uncertain steps and stopped right in front of him. Spring flowers.

With a sudden surge of scent hitting his nose, he took a deep breath. "Omega," The faint scent of slick filled his lungs. It was very subtle, but better than nothing. He couldn't quite understand how his sense of smell seemed to improve occasionally when he was near this petite concubine. Putting off any further thoughts for later, he gripped the omega's waist.

"Alpha," When the sweet voice addressed him with his rank, he thought his fingers could break that slender waist. They could.

"Go back to your room."

The omega's weak arms wrapped around his neck, his eyes filled with bright tears, ready to spill down his cheeks. Jungkook repeated his command. He wanted nothing more than to break him into pieces beneath his touch, then put him back together again and again. But when he looked into the omega's innocent eyes, he had no desire to do anything to him. He seemed like a jewel deserving of protection. Even if it were against himself, he wanted to keep him safe. When the poor little omega continued to plead, Jungkook lifted his slight frame and sat him in his lap.

"Don't make it difficult for yourself." He seemed to be talking to himself more. His hands roamed over the boy's smooth legs. "I need healthy, strong heirs." It would be difficult. The omega was as delicate as a fragile flower. His body wasn't suitable for bearing children, especially not for giving birth to a pure-blood alpha's child like his. This would give him great trouble. He stopped when his hand found the omega's soaked underwear.

Omega begged and pleaded, rubbing clumsy little circles on his cock with his tight hips. This didn't make any sense; Jungkook didn't like pleading and demanding concubines, but this omega was so different from what he had. When he saw the tears welling up in the omega's eyes, he couldn't bear to remain expressionless and continue his cruelty any longer, so he laid the omega down and got between his legs.

The scent of spring flowers was stronger than ever as he savored his sweet slick straight from the source and listened to the omega's beautiful moans.

The smell had disappeared again. Jungkook was starting to feel feral. His alpha was still very angry that he didn't keep a seed of his in any of his concubines' wombs. He started going so far as to fuck two concubines in one night, but he stopped doing this when he saw that it was useless and that he had to listen to the voice of two people instead of the pleading voice of one person that way. He didn't know how to rein in the alpha within him. He closed his eyes. Blond hair, plump pink lips. Perhaps he actually knew deep down, but his protective instinct was overpowering the feral alpha inside.

The problems that had arisen at the borders recently and the troubles he had foreseen himself had intensified, ultimately leading to the injury of a trustworthy duke on the northern border, who was now being treated in the palace infirmary. Jungkook had been increasingly infuriated by how a small problem had made it all the way here.

He walked to the infirmary along with the guardians surrounding him, and amidst the noise, he found the last person he wanted to see here.
The tiny omega was lying in an infirmary bed with a terrible red bruise on his cheek. He had extended one of his hands toward a plate on the floor, but he seemed hesitant to reach out and take it.

He didn't belong here. Jungkook knew this.

He quickly turned his gaze toward the omega's bed, reached the foot of it, and looked at the tired face of the boy. He held his chin after making sure it was uninjured.

"Little one," He looked at the omega's bright eyes with tenderness. "What happened to you?"

The omega first looked around, seemingly unsure of what to say, glancing at the crowd in the corridor, and then fidgeted nervously in his place. His eyes found the alpha's when he found the courage to speak, and his tears immediately wet his cheeks. He rested his face on the hand that had slid his cheek. What was he doing here? When Jungkook realized he wouldn't get an answer to his question, he tried to calm the boy by leaving a few kisses on his wet cheeks. Since he couldn't smell his scent, he couldn't fully put his thoughts and feelings into a mold. He looked at the angry wound on the omega's beautiful face with sadness.

"My king, please! Don't punish me like this!"

She tried to reach for his robe, but the guardians had grabbed her by the arms in time.

"I didn't do anything! He's lying, it wasn't me!"

Jungkook didn't lift his head from the table, and he continued to ignore her until Yuri was dragged out of the room by the guardians. There were certain things he couldn't tolerate, and Yuri had committed one of those sins, and even worse, she had been caught.

He remembered the state of the injured omega in the infirmary. Jimin. He longed for the spring flowers. He issued orders to the harem betas that he never wanted to see Yuri in his chambers again.

Soon, the storm of hopeless despair that Yuri had unleashed had calmed.

He had spent three weeks away from the palace, personally dealing with the border issue, yet the turmoil within him had only worsened. Everywhere he went, with every step he took, he felt himself becoming more agitated, and he couldn't even be sure of the source of his restlessness. Before returning to the palace, during his time in the south, he had tried to clear his mind with things to do there. He went hunting, even indulged in a few drinks at the inn, and he left there accompanied by two well-endowed omegas given as a gift. However, his unease lingered, and he couldn't find a solution no matter what he did. His mind was scattered across multiple places, and he needed to gather the pieces, knowing where at least one of them was located.

Soye, with her aged hands and a wise expression on her face, stood before him, struggling to keep her sleep-deprived eyes as wide open as possible.

Jungkook didn't remember much about his mother, who had passed away many seasons ago, but her memory was somehow reflected in the silhouette of this short, elderly woman. She had been a friend of his mother's, and after his mother's passing, Soye had faithfully served the palace for many years, never withholding her services even for a single day.

One morning, after an unappetizing breakfast and a long bath to shake off the lingering touch of omegas on his skin, Jungkook was informed of Soye's arrival by the guardians. Soye, as always, got straight to the point, "My king," she said. She was in a hurry but maintained a careful demeanor. "I've heard that some of your concubines have requests they wish to make of you."

Jungkook thought that all the other nobles could learn from Soye about not wasting his time. Perhaps this way, the endless demands and requests he had to listen to during council meetings every week would be reduced by a quarter.

"A few of your concubines wish to leave the harem." she continued.

Huh?

He had delegated the management of harem affairs entirely to Soye and a few trusted betas, so he wasn't concerned with the exact state of life in the chambers. Occasionally, he was briefed on the living conditions of the concubines to ensure they were well-fed with quality food and dressed in the finest fabrics. Hearing Soye's words, he was a bit surprised since there hadn't been a concubine wanting to leave the harem for a long time. The only example he knew was the daughter of a high-ranking soldier who had been in love with another alpha before being brought to the harem. After two months in the harem, she claimed her omega had accepted someone else as their alpha and wanted to leave. In the following process, Soye, by the king's command, had done everything necessary for the young girl to reunite with the alpha of her choice.

He raised an eyebrow. "Who?" he asked. If there was a problem, it was his responsibility to solve it and ensure the happiness of the concubines.

"Isabel."

It had been a long time since he heard that name, and an even longer time since he had seen the girl's face. The poor girl's removal from the king's bed and the privileges he provided her weren't one-day affairs. Isabel had gone through a gradual process, becoming increasingly defiant, making mistake upon mistake, until her selfish errors eventually led the king to withdraw his generous hand from her. Jungkook understood why she wanted to leave.

"She doesn't ask for much, just to be married to a common noble from the northern territories."

He wouldn't stand in her way. Jungkook made a small gesture without saying anything. Soye knew it was a sign of approval and nodded in response.

"There's another one, my king."

Jungkook donned his emerald-green robe. It was time for another journey. He wanted to roam freely within his kingdom's lands, to be away from this palace with its hundreds of intrigues.

"Jimin wants to leave the harem."

Spring flowers. Golden hair. Rosy cheeks.

Jimin wanted to leave. Jimin wanted to leave?

"He wishes to become a servant, but he's very weak, my king. Even in the simplest tasks that concubines perform, he lags behind them. He walks the slowest and gets tired the quickest." Unaware of the king's inner turmoil, Soye continued speaking. Jungkook felt his mouth go dry. "Given his current state, integrating him among the servants would be excessively difficult and require rigorous training." His heart rate quickened. "But he has a beautiful face; there might be one or more alphas who find him appealing. I heard that the head alpha of the palace courtesans is looking for a third mate this year, maybe we could introduce them..."

He fought to suppress a growl. His heart felt like it would burst from his chest. Jimin wanted to leave.

Jimin.

"What are your orders, my king?" Soye was looking at him tensely, clearly affected by the intimidating pheromones he was releasing into the room. Jungkook closed and opened his eyes several times in agitation.

How could Jimin not see that he was trying to protect him? Did the omega have no idea about himself? Jungkook clenched his fists. Of course, he didn't. The omega didn't know what it meant to be in this position, what it meant to provide an heir to the Jeon kingdom, or the burdens and responsibilities that came with it. Was it so difficult to understand the alpha's reluctance to see the delicate omega in agony on a bloody birthing bed? Jungkook wasn't a fool. He could see the reasons behind the omega's request. Jimin had perceived his restraint and desire to protect as a rejection, so he had honorably wanted to leave. But if leaving meant becoming the third mate of some arrogant noble, was that truly what he wanted? The beautiful boy didn't deserve to live a life where an alpha would use and discard him.

When he thought about the omega's delicious scent and the bright eyes that he believed had vanished from his life completely, he couldn't help but emit a low growl. This omega had been the only one to help him control his wolf's feral instincts lately and, although only rarely, had slightly improved his sense of smell. He was taking him back to memories of his childhood when he strolled in the gardens with his parents. It was the only key that brought back memories of what he longed for in life—of the time when he was free and safe, with his family, away from the responsibilities of the kingdom that now weighed on his shoulders.

Jungkook looked at the door. He wanted to leave this place that was suffocating him and end this conversation as soon as possible. Soye was still waiting for a response from him regarding Jimin's request. This time, Jungkook didn't raise his hand to signal a response, and Soye didn't nod either. Nevertheless, Soye bowed in respect, bid the king farewell, and left the room.

"What's this smell, mom?"

"It's spring."

"What does spring mean, mom?"

"It means Father is coming home, my dear son."

He hugged the omega's waist. He sank into the warmth of his body. The scent of spring filled his lungs. And at that moment, his wolf knew what it all meant.

"So tight." He watched the omega in satisfaction as he fell apart under his touch. He memorized his skin and engraved it in his mind. "So pretty." Everything was silent; only the omega was there. He had a sweet, high-pitched, pleading voice. "Take it," He had a seductive scent. "Take it, dove." Oh, he had a scent.

He buried his face with an animalistic growl in the smooth skin of the omega's neck, which he shyly presented. Everything fell into place, like pieces of a puzzle. He felt his fangs itching. He used everything he had to stop himself from sinking his teeth into the omega's neck. Sweet, cute Jimin was having a hard time breathing, leaking slick all over the sheets for him. He held the small waist with one hand and took a deep breath as he moved deep inside the omega. This omega had to be his. Totally his. He ejaculated deep inside the omega and passed his scent to the omega inside and out with his teeth, gently sinking into the skin of his soft neck.

Jungkook made himself the promise of leaving things under his alpha's control and making this omega his as he deserved.

The next day, without even waiting for nightfall, he bent the omega over the table and claimed the beautiful boy again. But when his eyes found the omega's satisfied but tired eyes, he looked at him with compassion and decided not to touch him again for a while. He was trying to restrain his insatiable alpha from harming the delicate omega and give him time to rest.

He had washed up in his bathtub full of hot water to spend another night alone and put on his night clothes to get ready for sleep when there was a knock on the door. He took the papers he needed to examine before going to bed.

"Your majesty," the voice said. "A concubine has arrived."

He walked to his bed. He didn't want to see anyone. Ever since he had Jimin in his bed, his inner alpha didn't want to see anyone else there, didn't want to touch anyone else. It was a situation he had never experienced before, and it was seen as odd by the betas who usually managed the harem. Every night, despite his refusals, they still offered to bring him another concubine.

He didn't know who was behind the door, but he said, "I don't want anyone," in one breath. "Send them back to the concubines' chamber."

The door was tapped once more, and a guardian entered. "Your majesty," the guardian said respectfully, never taking his eyes off the ground. "Omega Jimin is in heat." Jungkook crumpled the papers in his hand. "He wishes to be in your majesty's presence."

*

Jimin tried to take a deep breath with great difficulty. His head was spinning, and his body was covered in cold sweat. He entered with haste, and the doors closed behind him. His eyes found the intense gaze of the alpha, who had broken his heart. He wasn't sure how he appeared in the alpha's eyes, but he was convinced it was a complete mess. Tears welled up in his eyes. He watched through his tears as the intense expression on the king's face shifted to confusion, one of the rare moments he observed an expression on the king's face.

He walked towards the king, who was standing in front of the bed. Jungkook had also taken a few big steps towards him, about to put his hands around the omega's waist, when Jimin growled suddenly. The king froze in place, his hands in the air, hanging on both sides of Jimin's body. Jungkook growled very lowly, cautioning him, and Jimin sobbed upon hearing his warning. His head was splitting.

"Alpha," Jimin said, taking a step back when Jungkook tried to reach him again. "You're hurting me. You always hurt me." His hands were still tightly clenched into fists. "You put me through hell." He watched the furrowing of the king's brows.

"Omega."

"You're making my life a living hell."

This time, the king didn't attempt to touch him. He just stood a few steps away, frozen, looking at him with a mix of emotions in his eyes. Jimin hadn't noticed the scent of the alpha's pheromones when he had entered the room in his anger, but now, among the deep breaths he was taking to calm himself, he had started to pick up the scent. He struggled to suppress the rising whimper in his throat, wanting to stand up for himself and hold the alpha accountable for breaking his heart so brutally.

When he saw the king standing still, he couldn't help but hesitate. Going against his nature and confronting the big, mean wolf was difficult, but he had to do it. It was for his own good.

"Your majesty," he finally said after a long silence, feeling the anger slowly giving way to a more pitiful and desperate sensation. It was time to express his disappointment to the alpha openly. "You can have anyone you desire. You have Yuri, Tuisin, Helena, Jinsoo, Ursula, the twins, the others..." After each name he mentioned, his crying intensified. "Even Isabel," he whispered. The only friend he had was once one of the omegas warming the king's bed. He was trapped in a nightmare.

Jungkook had cautiously taken another step toward him, bringing his hands to Jimin's waist. He was about to touch him when Jimin stopped him in his tracks with a dead grip, preventing the alpha from making contact.

"H-How can you do this?" he asked quietly, shaking his head and taking a deep breath before digging his nails into the alpha's arms. "Every day has been hell since I came to this palace. All I listen to is the jealous fights of the other concubines and how you t-touch them at night."

As he withdrew his nails, the alpha's arms were already tightly wrapped around his waist. Jimin couldn't find the strength to push him away; he allowed the alpha to hold and envelop him. He was crying so much that he couldn't speak. He heard Jungkook's heavy breath. The arms around him tightened.

"You were generous to everyone," He looked him dead in the eye. "You generously gave them your time, your touch, while leaving me with the pain of sharing you. But then..." He averted his gaze. He was experiencing a whirlwind of emotions. One moment, he felt like he could gather his courage and face him, but the next, everything changed, and he wished he could bury himself for vocalizing his inner thoughts. "But then something changed. You touched me. And I thought, I thought-"

He placed his hands on the king's chest and pushed him hopelessly, but as he expected, the alpha didn't budge an inch. The scent of his pheromones was overwhelming, and it felt like he couldn't breathe.

"While I waited for you to call for me, you called for Tuisin. Tonight. You wanted him."

He trembled with the alpha's deep growl.

"Omega, I haven't had anyone in my bed since I touched you."

Jimin shook his head, trying to push him away again. King or not, he had no right to toy with him like this. He had no right to play with his heart and deceive him. The alpha caught his hands again and growled.

"Jimin."

Jimin. Hearing his name from the king's mouth made him blink. The diminishing adrenaline made the pain in his body even more pronounced.

"I haven't touched anyone else after touching you," the alpha repeated. He wiped the tears from Jimin's wet cheek with his hand. He looked into his eyes and said, "I swear it."

Jimin stared back at him, confusion clouding his mind. The alpha wasn't lying. He wasn't lying, was he? He carefully studied the king's eyes and couldn't find a trace of deception. The alpha's voice was clear and strong. But Jimin was sure of what he had seen. "Tuisin wasn't in the chamber," he said incredulously. "Where else can a concubine be at this hour? He's not in the chamber."

Jimin turned his head and looked around, checking the doors of the clothing room and the other small rooms that he wasn't allowed to look into. Ugly thoughts filled his mind, and he felt his anger rise again. "Is he here?" His voice grew louder, almost shouting. "Is he hiding somewhere?"

He tried to break free from the alpha's grasp, but the alpha growled loudly. "Omega, he's not here. I don't know where he is, but he's not here."

Jimin was tired of being made a fool, he tried to move away weakly. "He's not in the chamber. Where else would he be?" he asked, almost crying, unable to think of any other possibility.

The alpha held his hands again, this time holding him so tightly that he couldn't move at all. "He's not here," the alpha said through his teeth. "He's not here, Jimin. Can you smell his scent?"

Jimin hesitated; he was already held too tightly to move, but he still physically froze. He sniffed the room, there was nothing but the scent of the alpha. His mind was confused, and he felt scared and sad. The alpha's demanding eyes met his as his cheeks turned bright red, shaking his head no. The alpha took a deep breath and pulled him closer, pressing him to his chest.

"See, baby. He's not here. He never came." He brought a hand up to ruffle Jimin's blonde hair. "Calm down, take deep breaths."

Jimin closed his eyes tightly, trying to listen to the alpha. He took a deep breath, then exhaled. He repeated this a few times more. The alpha continued to stroke his hair throughout this time, leaning down to whisper reassuring words into his ear. "Just like that, petal," he said, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "Breathe."

As Jimin felt the fight leaving his body, he cried out, "Alpha." He raised on his tiptoes and pressed his face against the alpha's neck. The warmth of his body, which he had forgotten in the background due to the emotional turmoil, was now intensified by the direct source of the alpha's scent, sending shivers down his spine. "Please, don't let me down," he begged.

The touch of the alpha's hand on his hair never ceased. Jimin unclenched his fists and clung tightly to the alpha. "I won't," he heard the alpha saying. His crying had stopped. "I promise. I won't ever let go of you."

Jimin continued to take deep breaths, but it wasn't enough. For a moment, he thought he would just fall asleep there in the alpha's arms, but the sensation of wetness in his core made him pull his face away from the alpha's neck, his head tilted to the side in confusion. He felt too drained and upset to be aroused. His body was confusing him. What was happening?

The alpha seemed to understand his confusion and pulled him back toward himself. "Poor little thing," he cooed.

Jimin's head was even more puzzled. When the alpha's strong hands gripped his hips, a few drops of slick dripped from his hole onto his underwear. "A-alpha?"

"It's okay, little one. You're okay," he said. "You're in heat."

Jimin's eyes widened. Unintentionally, he released the sweet scent around him, and he saw the king's eyes shut tightly as he deeply inhaled the scent. He whimpered weakly when the grip on his hips tightened enough to leave marks. When the king's eyes opened again, they were red. His slick had thoroughly soaked his underwear, and he felt uncomfortable. He shifted, and his pupils dilated.

"Don't be scared, my omega." He felt the alpha's hardening bulge on his lower belly. "Let Alpha take care of you."

And the alpha continued to hold him tightly. Until Jimin's breathing had calmed down, he wiped his cheeks and placed kisses in his hair. Jimin seemed to have a little more time before completely losing his consciousness and self-control.

"Sit here for a bit," Jungkook said as he sat Jimin down on the bed and walked to the door. Jimin watched the alpha's every step as he walked away. Jungkook spoke to the guardians at the door inaudibly, then returned to join him on the bed.

Jimin's breathing had accelerated again, but this time it wasn't due to an emotional crisis. It was because of the aching sensation deep inside him. The alpha's experienced hands skillfully removed his wrinkled clothes and laid him in the middle of the bed.

Jimin felt a sense of déjà vu, and he held his breath. He remembered the day he was brought to this room for the first time. Being sprawled out like this, completely naked, with the alpha's gaze upon him, and the alpha leaving the room without touching him.

Jungkook also seemed to remember the same thing.

"When I first saw you like this," he began, "you looked so innocent and fragile that I thought my touch would hurt you. I even doubted whether you could handle a nice and proper fuck, let alone give birth to a baby. That's why I didn't touch you."

However, this time, the alpha touched Jimin. His hands roamed all over the omega's naked skin, and Jimin could feel his little cock getting harder and his hole becoming a bit wetter.

"But now, I know you can handle it. You're my omega."

Long fingers touched his cockhead, collecting the precum that had formed there and spreading it along his small cock. As Jimin watched the alpha's hand move down towards his balls and beyond, he felt his mind slip further into the heat.

"You can handle it. You can bear with anything, now that I know." He could feel the fingertips at the entrance of his hole and had completely given in to the heat. "You will bear my pups." The alpha leaned closer to him and spit onto his hole. "Will you, Jimin?"

As the alpha's fingers entered him, Jimin moaned and threw his head back. He was so wet that the alpha was able to slide two fingers deep inside.

"You will give the alpha many beautiful, healthy heirs, won't you?"

"Yes, y-yes," he wrapped his fingers tightly around the sheet beneath him, needing something to hold onto. He felt empty, so empty that it hurt physically.

"I know you can. I know it now." The alpha straightened above him, leaning down to his neck and breathing deeply into his scent gland. "You were made for this." He pushed two more fingers inside.

Jimin had completely lost his mind, and he didn't know what had happened in between, but when he came to his senses again, his legs were over the alpha's shoulders, and the alpha's large cock was filling his hole. Moaning, he clung to the alpha's neck. The feeling of emptiness had diminished significantly. His painfully hard cock made a wet slapping sound against his pale stomach with each mean thrust of the alpha.

When the alpha pulled out, Jimin looked at him with a broken whimper. Shortly after, the alpha filled the void with his fingers, thrusting them inside at a certain angle as if searching for something. When Jimin felt his entire body tingling, the alpha smiled; he had found what he was looking for. The fingers repeatedly met at the same spot, and Jimin could feel something building within him. Unsure of what to do, he buried his face in the alpha's neck.

Shortly after, he let out a small scream of pleasure, squirting slick from his hole while coating his belly and chest with cum. When he pulled his face away from the alpha's neck and looked at him again, he saw the alpha stroking his slick-covered cock. The sight made his mouth water.

"Alpha," he demanded. "In my mouth, please?"

"Fuck," he heard the alpha cursing. The next second, the alpha's powerful legs were on either side of his shoulders, and his angry red cock was in front of his face.

"Open up, doll."

He eagerly complied, opening his mouth, and the alpha only gave him the tip to suck on while he ran his tongue over it. As he looked up at the alpha from under his eyelashes, he raised his head and tried to take more into his mouth. When the alpha's hand grabbed his neck and pushed him back onto the sheets, he whimpered. He let go of his cock with a loud sound.

"Alpha?" He seemed to know no other word than that, as if he had forgotten everything else.

The alpha hesitated to give him more, but he stubbornly raised his head again and, with a sudden motion, took the alpha's cock halfway into his mouth. He moaned around the large cock, the vibrations he created stirring the alpha into action. The alpha started to thrust gently. Jimin could taste his own slick on the alpha's cock.

When he tried to take more into his mouth, the alpha's hand found his hair. "Careful there," he warned.

Jimin placed his hands on the alpha's powerful thighs and stroked, all the while continuing to suck on the alpha's cock as much as he could in his reclined position. His head bobbed up and down, doing his best to pleasure the alpha.

One more time, when he attempted to lift his head, he heard the alpha curse, and the alpha's cock descended all the way down to his throat. He choked around it, tears wetting his cheeks, but he kept looking into the alpha's red eyes. The alpha waited for a while for him to get used to it, and then he started to fuck his throat. He leaned his head back, towering over the little omega, his cock buried deep in his throat.

Jimin continued to suck and lick his cock until the alpha's cum shot down his throat. Jungkook had muttered a few more curses in his mouth, but Jimin was too out of it to hear. His eyes closed.

When he came to his senses again, he was standing. He was walking?

He slowly regained consciousness and noticed the alpha's hand, pulling him along. The alpha guided him to the large mirror at one end of the room. When they stood right in front of it, the alpha stepped behind him and spread his ass cheeks. Jimin instantly moaned, reaching back with his hands and presenting himself to the alpha. As the alpha entered him, he had been slightly thrust forward into the void before him, but the alpha wrapped his arm around his waist and leaned him back against his chest, taking him from behind while they were standing.

"Look at you," the alpha said. "Look how fucking beautiful you are."

Jimin held onto the alpha's hand at his waist, and as he looked at their reflections in the mirror, he moaned softly. The alpha had wrapped his minuscule frame tightly, and with his hand on the alpha's waist, reaching his hole was much easier. Jimin was barely on his tiptoes, but he wasn't complaining one bit. "So wet and obedient," he heard the alpha's teeth on his neck.

"Hanging off my cock like you deserve to. Only you deserve to, darling."

The alpha's cock seemed to grow inside him. He watched his slick drip down to the floor and by his feet in the mirror. His face and body had turned bright red. He could feel the alpha slowing down inside him.

"You're messing with your pretty head," the alpha's hand stroked his stomach. His voice was unmerciful. "Listing all those omegas to me," Jimin whimpered at the mention of other omegas while he was the one warming his majesty's dick.

Before he could say anything, the alpha pulled out and turned him toward himself. "All these other omegas combined can't be compared to you, not even a bit, my beautiful."

Jimin felt his eyes fill with happiness as he looked into those bright red eyes. He had cried many times since coming to the palace, from pain or pleasure, but crying from happiness was rare. Jungkook brought his face to Jimin's scent gland. He sucked on the spot where the mating mark should be.

"Not even a bit," he repeated.

Jimin had slipped off within the haze again. He didn't remember most of it, but when he did, all he saw was the alpha fucking him in various positions. Jimin would occasionally come to himself in the haze, and during these sessions, Jungkook would force some food into him, or sometimes he would lead Jimin into a warm bath, and when Jimin lost control again, he would fuck him again.

"Yeah, baby, like that." Jungkook lazily held the omega's hips and watched him bounce on his cock in the water. The water was pouring noisily out of the tub, but he couldn't take his eyes off the omega's pleasured face.

"Take it, my baby. Take all of it. It's all yours."

Jimin took his cock inside until it was pressing against his stomach. His ears were ringing. The alpha was kissing his shoulders while he was balls deep inside him.

"You smell insanely good," he snarled. Jimin started to bounce faster on his dick. He seemed to lose his balance every now and then, but the alpha was there to catch him just in time. When a slap landed on his ass, he screamed and went faster. He rose up to the tip of the alpha's dick, then lowered himself until he took it all in.

"Such a wet hole," he heard the alpha growl. "You're wetter than any pussy I've ever had." The alpha's hands found his hips and stopped his movements. In the next second, the alpha was lifting his hips up in the bathtub and fucking him up. "I'm going to have you hanging off my knot every day."

"Please, alpha!" "You will never go to sleep without my dick inside you, pumping you full of cum."

Jimin's mind couldn't think of anything but alpha's knot, belly so tight, thinking of cuming on his huge knot messily.

"Would you like that, my doll?" Jimin nodded quickly.

Jungkook laughed lightly. "Aren't you my doll, Jimin? You're going to let me do whatever I desire to do to you, aren't you?"

"Y-es, alpha,"

When Jungkook stopped his movements and spanked the omega's ass, Jimin took the hint and started jumping on the alpha's dick again.

"I could fuck you stupid in that cold-ass main hall for all the brainless members of the council to shut-" He threw his head back with pleasure. "shut the fuck up about the heir subject forever." Jimin tried to hold on to the sides of the tub, but his hands were slipping. He was so close to cumming, he could feel it. "I'd make you bounce on my dick, and they would take the hint, right?"

Jimin's hands left the tub and shyly held on to the alpha's shoulders. The king captured the omega's lips in a bruising kiss. He moved his tongue around the inside of his mouth. Jimin pulled his mouth back with a long moan.

"I'm gonna cum Alpha," he cried. "May I cum?"

Another spank landed on his ass, the king smelled very satisfied. "You're one of a kind, aren't you, my baby? Asking so nicely to alpha if you can cum on his dick?"

"Yes, alpha, I- want to cum so bad."

Without saying anything, Jungkook wrapped his hand around his small dick, stroked it three times, and Jimin moaned and came like that. The king had also came at the same time as him, with his hole tightening around his cock. He leaned his head on the marble of the bathtub. When he came down from the high of his orgasm, he looked at the omega in his arms again. The water had spilled so much that it was just covering half of their bodies now. Jungkook could see that the omega was getting cold. His half-hard cock came out of the omega, he carefully cleaned the omega of cum and sweat with the remaining water and laid him on the bed so he could get some rest.

Tears flowed from Jimin's eyes as he felt the alpha's knot for the first time. "Hurts," he was resting on his chest with his legs straight open, presenting right on the floor. The alpha caressed his hips as if supportive, but it didn't help. Jimin cried harder as the width pushed his hole.

"Hurts s-so bad, alpha."

Jungkook pushed his knot in a little more, he was almost about to cum, he couldn't wait to knock the omega out. He cooed when he heard the little omega whining. "I know, baby, I hate to see you in pain." He leaned down and left a kiss on his back. The omega's skin was burning where he kissed. "It will be better."

After moving one hand all over the omega's body, he moved it to his soft cock. His dick couldn't get hard due to the pain. As he pushed his knot further in, he spit on his palm and started stroking the omega. As he expected, the omega's hole widened and relaxed a bit. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he inserted his knot a little further, it was almost taking its full form, he had to place the knot into the omega's hole before it was completely inflated.

Jimin groaned in pain, contracting again. The alpha's hand going up and down his cock felt so good, the alpha's big hand covered the entire length of his small cock. He begged despite the pain in his hole. "Please, alpha. Knot me."

Jungkook placed another kiss on his back. "I will. Oh, I will. I'm gonna knock you up real good, my omega."

He threw his head back when he got his entire knot inside his wetness. Jimin was shaking violently with the alpha's knot splitting him into two. He unconsciously presented his neck, and the alpha's hot cum filled him at the same moment.

When he opened his eyes again, his head was on the alpha's hard chest, his blonde hair messy on him. The alpha was looking at him with a kind smile and gently caressing the subtle bump on his belly with one hand. His eyes closed back.

Chapter Text

Burning stares were all Jimin got for days. If he had thought life in the harem was difficult before, the real torment had only just begun. The concubines kept their eyes fixed on him, staying several meters away as if he were infectious, and when they knew he could hear them, they spoke harshly at a volume just loud enough for him to overhear.

The king had been absent from the palace for days. After their night together, a few daring promises and deep kisses, he had sent Jimin away from his room and left the palace himself soon after. A few betas had come to check on him that first night; once they confirmed he was well, they departed, and that was the only time they had shown any concern for him. Since Jimin returned to the concubines' chamber, he felt so isolated and insignificant that he forgot the earlier joy he had experienced in the king’s room.

Isabel, his only friend in the harem, was constantly acting like she was assigned tasks that others refused, slipping out of the chamber early in the morning and sometimes returning late at night or the following morning, all while secretly preparing for her own marriage. Jimin felt even more isolated, unable to speak with the only friend he had.

Because of his unexpected heat, he hadn’t had the time to think about what the alpha had said that night, but now, left alone, he had more than enough time to dwell on it. He had been mulling over everything that had happened for days, unable to stop the shivers of excitement that ran down his spine. The king's promises and his loving embrace were burning memories etched into his mind, the only things keeping him occupied and warm in this solitary harem.

Slowly setting aside the book he had begun to read for the second time, Jimin lay on his back, gazing around the room. It was relatively empty; at this hour, most of the concubines were having a picnic in the indoor garden, while others, like him, were resting on their beds. After ensuring no one was nearby, he gently placed his hands on his stomach.

He could feel it.

There wasn’t yet a scent mingled with his own or any visible signs, but he could sense that he was carrying a piece of the alpha within his belly. He attributed the fact that his omega hadn’t gone mad, despite losing the alpha's body heat immediately after their heat together, to this realization. He was pregnant.

As soon as he saw the concubines entering from the garden, Jimin quickly pulled his hands away from his stomach. The omegas had fixed their eyes on him the moment they stepped inside, and Jimin clutched the bedsheet tightly between his fingers, turning his face back towards the ceiling.

The omegas murmured as they moved towards their beds, sticking close together before finally separating.

"He's lying down again,"

"Unbelievable,"

"Was he always this lazy...?"

Jimin took a shaky breath, struggling to resist the urge to protectively place his hands back on his belly.

If only he knew how much longer he had to endure, it would have been easier to bear, but no one knew when the king would return to the palace. No one knew exactly what he was doing outside either. It had been mentioned that he would be meeting with some envoys, but it had been nearly two weeks since he left, and the delay was working against Jimin.

His heart ached as he recalled the sorrowful expression on the king’s face when he kissed him that morning. Of course, the alpha wouldn’t want to leave him alone in a vulnerable state right after his heat, but it wasn’t something that had been planned. Jimin only wished the alpha would return to him unharmed. He didn’t feel safe in the harem while the king was away. Now, with Isabel also gone and the king’s baby growing inside him, his life was on the risk than ever. The concubines seemed to be on high alert, as if they were already expecting such news from him. Jimin no longer feared just for his own life, but for the life of his child as well.

His eyes found Tuisin as he entered from the garden, carrying a wicker basket filled with an array of fruits and other foods. He was carrying the large basket effortlessly. Jimin still didn’t know where Tuisin had been that night; when he asked Isabel, she had claimed not to know, and since he couldn’t ask Tuisin directly, he would never learn the truth. But it didn’t matter anymore—knowing he hadn’t been in the king’s chamber was enough for him.

Jimin slowly sat up and picked up his book again. He didn’t have many to read; the harem usually received dresses and expensive fabrics, books were a rarity. He ran his fingertips over the cover of the book. One day, he hoped to have access to a vast library where he could read as many books as he wanted. He wanted to provide the best conditions for his child as he raised them.

When Tuisin, unlike the other omegas, set the basket down quietly and went to his bed without making any snide remarks, Jimin let out a sigh of relief. His fingers, holding the book, were practically burning with the desire to wrap protectively around his belly.

*

Jimin tried to calm himself with the scent of flowers in the cool garden. Dawn was approaching. As soon as he had woken up, he had emptied his stomach and then made his way to the garden until he felt better. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep warm. His nausea was getting worse day by day; almost every morning at the break of dawn, he would leap out of bed, discreetly handle his business, and wander around the garden until breakfast was brought to the room.

It had been over three weeks since the king left. Jimin prayed for the alpha to return to the palace before his symptoms became noticeable. He gently stroked his flat stomach, still feeling as if he were in a dream.

Out of all the omegas, he was the one carrying the heir to the Jeon kingdom. The one who everyone saw as weak, who had been bought and brought to the harem as a mere joke, who had no chance—him.

Although Jimin was still astonished by what had happened, the omega within him felt only contentment. The moment he saw the alpha, he had stripped him of all other titles, seeing him only as his alpha. To everyone else, they were the king and the concubine, but to the omega, from the very beginning, they were alpha and omega.

Hearing noises from inside, signaling that breakfast had arrived, Jimin pulled his hand away from his flat stomach and walked toward the entrance. He was very hungry and cold.

The breakfast routine had been cut short when a beta burst into the room. He was slightly shorter than the other betas and looked at them with his dark eyes.

"Time to get to work!" There were groans from the omegas. "A shipment of very precious new paintings has arrived; all of them need to be unwrapped, dusted, and hung on the walls..."

As the servants who had entered started taking away the breakfast trays one by one, the omegas rose with complaints and set off. Jimin followed the others quietly.

Since the king had left, the concubines had been left idle, as if forgotten. For days, the omegas had done nothing but eat, drink, and amuse themselves. Jimin had been grateful for the chance to rest, but it seemed that this restful period had come to an end.

They arrived at an empty corridor filled with boxes on the floor. Everywhere, there were paintings of all sizes, carefully wrapped. There was no one else around. Jimin was relieved, at least, that they wouldn't be working under the curious gazes of the nobles.

They began by unwrapping the packages. Jimin used a small knife to cut through the wrapping, placing the beautiful paintings that emerged aside without much chance to admire them.

He worked in silence, ignoring the whispered conversations of the other concubines, until he froze, feeling a burning sensation in his stomach. The sound of the knife clattering to the floor echoed down the empty corridor.

Trying to avoid the scrutinizing eyes of the others, Jimin bent down to pick up the knife again. The more he tried to suppress the nausea, the worse it got. When Yuri’s sour scent filled his nose, he felt a burning sensation in his throat. She was looking at him with a half-smile, holding a large painting and a damp dust cloth in her hand.

“Here,” she said. “I’ve dusted it. You take it and hang it up over there.” She nodded toward a high spot on the wall opposite them.

Jimin’s eyes welled up as he tried to swallow the bitter taste in his throat—this was not the time. He timidly approached Yuri and tried to take the painting from her hands. When Yuri released the full weight of the painting onto him, he stumbled backward. Helena, who was dusting behind him, caught him just in time. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as the concubines' eyes were all on him.

He tried to drag the painting toward the wall, but it was in vain; he couldn't bear its weight. The large painting was protected by heavy glass and had a thick, gold-colored frame. Seeing him struggle, Helena reached out to help, but Yuri’s cold voice stopped her.

“What are you doing? He can do it himself.”

While the concubines watched the scene, Jimin's only concern was to keep from emptying his stomach in front of them. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself; he couldn't afford to expose his condition while the king was away. Helena had not withdrawn her hand.

Yuri, clearly irritated, took a step towards the pair.

“He doesn’t need your help. We all need to work under the same conditions; there are no privileges here.”

Helena, with a thoughtful expression, pulled her hand back. As she returned to the painting she had dusted, she muttered with a pout on her lips, “But he’s ruining the frame…”

When Jimin was left alone with the heavy load again, he struggled to suppress the ache rising in his throat. His omega kept telling him he shouldn’t carry heavy burdens and needed to protect the baby.

The painting was of a beautiful, starry night, digging into his skin. If his hands were free, he would have covered his mouth, but he couldn’t even manage that.

“Yuri.”

Seeing Yuri smile, he heard someone approaching from behind and pulling the painting away from him. As Jimin breathed a sigh of relief, he watched Soye carry the painting with wrinkled hands to the edge of the wall. After leaning the frame against the wall and returning, her brows were furrowed.

“Do you need a reminder?”

Yuri's smile disappeared in an instant. Her pupils widened as she looked between Soye and Jimin several times before shaking her head and disappearing from view.

Jimin could no longer hold on. He pressed his hand to his mouth. Soye grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along until they entered a small room off the corridor. As soon as Jimin stepped inside, he bent over and began to vomit on the floor. He heard the door being shut behind him. As the sound of the woman's footsteps moved around the room, he continued to vomit until his stomach settled. Tears streamed down his cheeks in lines.

When he finally straightened up, he wiped his wet cheeks and tried to calm himself. He could only see where he was; the room was filled with fabrics and various garments. He noticed some washing stones and blocks of soap stacked in a corner.

“You’re a child yourself,” he heard Soye say as he watched her pull two cushions out of a nearby cabinet. She stacked the cushions on the floor, then returned to the cabinet to retrieve another cushion, placing it on top of the others.

“How will you take care of a child?”

Soye’s words made Jimin feel like he was losing his breath. Ignoring his shocked expression, Soye pointed to the cushions on the floor.

“Sit.”

In his shock, Jimin walked over to the cushions with trembling legs and sat down. Finally able to rest his legs after standing for hours, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Habitually, he placed one hand on his stomach. As he stroked his belly over his dress and tried to relax, he remembered where he was and opened his eyes. Soye was silently cleaning the spot where he had just vomited. His cheeks flushed with warmth, and as he began to get up to help, Soye stopped him with a single look.

“I said sit, child.”

Jimin watched in embarrassment as she cleaned the mess and then used pleasantly scented soap and water to eliminate the sour smell from the room.

“How did you know?” he whispered.

Soye poured lavender oil onto the marble and lathered it up.

“If you keep behaving like this, it won’t take long for everyone to notice.”

Jimin hugged himself, trembling. His mind was a mess, not knowing what to do. Soye didn’t seem to think Yuri would harass him again, but he would still have to carry those heavy paintings back and forth when he returned to the concubines. There was no escaping it, and he wasn’t even sure what he was afraid of. He was carrying the heir to the kingdom, and he didn’t think the concubines would dare to lay a hand on the heir, but Yuri and the other concubines... Jimin knew he had to protect the defenseless baby inside him from their hatred.

“It’s said His Majesty will return in two nights. These preparations are for that. If you can make it through these two days carefully, you’ll be safe.” Jimin nodded in understanding, sniffing as he wiped his still-wet cheeks. “Stay here until nightfall. When it’s time to return to your room, you can sleep. After breakfast in the morning, I’ll have you called back here as if I’ve assigned you a task. Come without making a sound.”

Once Soye was sure the area was thoroughly cleaned, she walked over to him and sat on the edge of the cushion. She looked at the pile of laundry around her. Gray was starting to streak through her hair. Jimin noticed for the first time that she didn’t look sleepy or weary but attentive.

“Don’t touch anything. Do you hear me? Don’t wash anything. No folding laundry, nothing. Do not touch anything; I’ll come during the day to handle it. Just wait for evening.”

Jimin nodded again. After Soye’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, she got up from the cushion and left. An hour later, she returned with bread filled with grapes and nuts, an apple, and some water, then went back out.

The next day passed in the same manner. Jimin spent the day resting on the cushions in the laundry room, dozing off as he stroked his stomach amidst the pleasant scent of the soaps. As promised, after breakfast, a servant came to take him out of the chamber under the pretense of tending to the garden of one of the high-ranking nobles in the palace.

His morning sickness was getting worse, but carrying a piece of the alpha in the absence of the king was mentally comforting.

By the afternoon, Jimin was still doing nothing but drifting in and out of sleep on the cushions. He didn’t like being alone; whenever he was by himself—much of the time in the harem—his mind filled with dark thoughts.

Recently, he found himself reminiscing about the old merchant. He recalled trailing behind the merchant, barely eating, and watching with bewildered eyes as the merchant tried to find buyers for whatever was in the sack he carried that day. Though the merchant was somewhat known in the area, he was not a respected figure. Occasionally, customers at their doorstep would chase them away with a bucket of water and a mouthful of curses. The merchant’s business had been steadily declining, and when the king’s men came to the door offering to buy the young, single omega from his household, he had accepted their offer, knowing he had to leave.

Despite not having a life he could call unhappy while living with the merchant, Jimin knew he had to leave that house one day. He didn’t belong there. Now, he was sitting on the cushions in the room filled with laundry and soap, belly pregnant with a child. He couldn’t help but wonder, did he belong here ?

“Psst,”

Jimin flinched at the sound coming from the door and tried to sit up. He pulled the thin cover up to his neck. His body trembled with fear. Whoever was behind the door had waited in silence for a moment before speaking again. Jimin held his breath, waiting inside. When he saw the door slowly open, he swallowed his scream and looked at the person entering. Isabel quickly slipped inside, carefully closing the door behind her.

Relieved to see the familiar girl, Jimin let out his breath and whispered, "Isabel."

Isabel reached him in a few steps and embraced him. He inhaled the comforting scent of the girl, and his eyes immediately filled with tears. The omega’s hands gently stroked his frightened body.

"Jimin, I’ve been looking for you everywhere."

Pulling back slightly, Isabel glanced around the room. Speaking in a hushed tone, she continued, "Others told me about a garden. I went there, but you weren’t there. Then Soye told me you were here."

Isabel looked at the room’s belongings and Jimin, sitting in a corner amidst the pile. Her eyes widened as she saw him again. When she embraced him once more, she held him tighter.

"You’re with a child," she said.

He nodded. Jimin had hoped Isabel would say more, but the girl only responded with a half-hearted smile. It wasn’t hard to understand; after the heat with the alpha, everyone must have been guessing by now, he thought.

As Isabel looked at his stomach with curiosity, Jimin examined the girl attentively. He saw that the girl was wearing an elegant gray fur and a long, bright purple dress. Her clothing was different from what the servants in the harem wore; it resembled more what the nobles wore- Oh.

It was Jimin’s turn to figure things out. Just as he was about to state the obvious, Isabel spoke up.

"I got married."

"You did?"

"Yes. Things moved faster than I expected. I went to his family’s tailor shop a few times to have my wedding dress made, chose my bridal bouquet, dealt with the design of the invitation cards... I think that’s about it." Her cheeks flushed slightly. "So, I didn’t really handle the wedding part; my husband took care of everything."

"I see," Jimin said, nervously playing with his fingers, "I’m very happy for you. I hope your new life brings you joy."

Seeing Isabel shrug her shoulders, he offered a half-hearted smile. The poor girl was truly happy to have escaped the hellish harem. Isabel stood before him with pink cheeks, a sweet expression trying to appear indifferent, and elegant clothing that radiated happiness. Jimin wished for nothing more than a peaceful future for himself as well.

*

Evening had arrived. With no candle lit in the room to avoid being noticed, Jimin had no choice but to track the time by the darkness of the room. As the room darkened, it must have been evening. Soye would come to fetch him in a few hours and escort him to the room he shared with the other servants in the dark.

While waiting, he was struggling to stay awake on the comfortable cushions as his eyes grew heavy and drowsy. He was a little hungry; he had finished the strawberries Soye brought in the morning, but there might still be some of the cheese bread left. Trying to find his way in the dark, he got up. Although he hadn’t encountered any sign of rats in the room for the past two days, he placed his food as high as possible on the cupboards.

He took a few unsteady steps to the cupboard, trying to locate the bread on the shelf in the darkness when the door creaked open. Jimin bit back a scream as he tried to see who had come in.

"I-Isabel?"

He couldn't see who it was, and just as the silhouette drew closer, he was about to scream from the scent, but a hand was firmly clamped over his mouth.

"Shh, don’t even think about it."

Yuri’s hate-filled whisper reached his ears, and Jimin felt tears well up in his eyes. As the rough hand touched his stomach, he desperately tried to escape the hands on his body.

"So it’s true!"

The hand on his stomach pressed harder, making him whimper helplessly.

"I didn’t believe some idiot who said you smelled different, but it’s true." She laughed hysterically. "His majesty indeed knocked you up because of your stupid, little heat."

As Jimin tried to escape the pressure on his stomach while tears streamed down his cheeks, Yuri finally let go of his belly. Jimin swallowed hard against the remaining horrible feeling.

"Don’t be afraid," Yuri said after a moment of silence. "I won’t harm the baby. Even though I fucking hate you, I would never think of harming His Majesty’s child."

As Jimin tried to relax his tensed muscles, Yuri’s hand moved to his delicate neck.

"But I don’t want you here. You’re going to leave. I’ll give you all the gold I’ve saved up in the harem and arrange your way out of the palace." Her hand began to tighten around his neck. "And you’ll leave willingly. Everything will go back to how it was. It’ll be as if you never existed."

As Jimin struggled to free himself from the hand around his neck, Yuri continued to speak as if mad, indifferent to his fear.

"You’re going to leave. And I’ll regain my old position in the harem. What right do you have?"

As the girl began to cry, Jimin felt his strength waning. All the blood in his body seemed to pool in his face, and Yuri’s tear-streaked, smiling face became blurred.

"His Majesty belongs to all of us. Just because you’re pregnant with his child doesn’t mean he’s yours!"

As Jimin felt darkness closing in and his consciousness slipping away, Yuri’s merciless hands still continued to strangle him.

"I should have sent you away from here a long time ago."

*

Jimin did not want to open his eyes and wake up to this hell.

He had never felt so abused, empty, and alone.

He could sense he was lying on something soft, but he was too afraid to open his eyes and see this cruel world. When he placed his weary hands on his stomach and realized someone else’s hand was on top of his, he jolted awake.

"Don’t be afraid, my baby."

His eyes widened. He was in the King’s chamber. Was this a dream? The King was sitting next to him, looking at him with wet hair and reassuring eyes, though something very dark seemed to float in his gaze. As the King's delicious scent suddenly filled his lungs, Jimin couldn’t help but sob, his eyes quickly filling with tears. He hurriedly tried to cling to the King, desperate to feel his warmth. He thought he would die if he were even a step away.

The King wrapped his strong arms around him, pulling him into his lap, and Jimin continued to cry loudly.

"I’m back, my sweet baby. You’re safe."

No comforting words could stop Jimin’s tears, but the King seemed to understand, silently rocking him gently in his arms and listening to his cries.

As Jimin wept in the King’s lap, burdened by the terrible weeks without him, the King soothingly stroked the Omega’s belly with his injured hand, spreading calming pheromones throughout the room.