Seoha’s POV

We were having a quiet and comfortable day...that lasted until I told Taesan that I’d have to leave soon.

The alpha nodded tersely and left me alone with Sooin...and it has been two hours.

"Daddy, look at this" Sooin whines dramatically as she waves a stuffed elephant in front of my face.

"Yes..." I say as I put my phone down to pay attention to what she’s showing me.

Sooin has been explaining the names of her plushies one by one, Hanuel is Hanuel because it’s blue, Sannie is Sannie because it looks like her dad.

The child’s mind is amazingly beautiful, and I hope it stays that way, happy and innocent.

I know the world she’s born into will make it difficult, but I do wish the best for her, and I hope I can give it to her even though she’s not mine.

"Daddy, this one is you" she says and lifts a chipmunk plushie.

"Me?" I ask softly and she nods with excitement, making her brown hair bounce with her happy gesture.

"Because you’re pretty daddy" the little girl says while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Come here pup" I laugh at her, and open my arms for her to climb into my lap.

When she does, she snuggles into me, pressing her face into my neck while accidentally tickling my Adam’s apple with her hair.

"Sleepy?" I ask and she shakes her head, "I don’t want you to go" she says with a pout, holding on to my shirt tightly.

Of course, she’s scared I’ll leave.

"Yes baby, I have to go but I’ll always come back" I say, trying to convince her but she doesn’t budge.

"I don’t want you to go, dad will be sad again" the pup says and I kiss her forehead.

"Don’t worry, I’ll come back to you and dad soon" and as I say those words, Taesan strolls into the living room.

The alpha doesn’t look at me yet, he just keeps his eyes on his daughter as drops of water fall from his dark hair.

He is now wearing a shirt, but he has it unbuttoned, and the sleeves are rolled up to expose his forearms.

I can’t help but trace his tattoos with my eyes and Sooin starts to say something again.

"Dad, where did you go?" she asks sassily despite being sleepy.

"Dad went to the gym, do you want to gym too?" Taesan asks his daughter and she shakes her head no, yawning again.

Taesan walks over to the light switch and turns off the brighter lights.

It’s noon, but the inside of the house is not too bright, the blinds are drawn and the lights are soft, giving the atmosphere a cozy feeling.

"Nap time?" Taesan asks Sooin and she whines.

"No"

"Yes, come here" he reaches out and Sooin lifts her hand, letting her father pick her up, and I miss her weight on my legs.

"I’ll be back" Taesan says and leaves with her.

Alone, I fold my legs on the seat, sighing tiredly.

Before now, I’ve never had a chance to be anywhere else in the house except his room, my room and the kitchen.

I lift my eyes to the drawing on the wall; it’s a man in clothes that looks like the ones in Mountain Atelier secluded area.

The ones that Taesan designed but never showed...it also makes me think of the clothes he sent Junho to bring to me.

"That’s my mother" Taesan says from the door, startling me with his sudden reappearance.

"Oh...he’s really beautiful" I say, still looking at the man on the wall.

The art looks like the artist loved him.

"I made it" the alpha adds and shoves his hands into his pockets, "let’s go" he tilts his head towards the door.

I don’t say anything, I just get up and follow him, taking only my phone since I don’t have anything else with me.

He opens the car door for me and I slide in, keeping my hands in my lap, worrying about the silent treatment.

The air hangs heavy around us as he drives to Minjae’s place. I can’t smell him due to the use of scent patch, but my own vanilla scent is heavy with worry.

Taesan finally comes to a stop in front of the apartment but doesn’t open the door for us to get out.

"Your drawing is pretty" I whisper after minutes of twiddling my thumbs and he drops his head to the wheel.

"Forgive me, Seoha" he says.

"What?" I ask in confusion and he lifts his head, "forgive me, I...I hurt you, I blamed you for something you didn’t even know about and..."

His eyes are starting to get red like he’s about to cry and I freeze in shock. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

He’s apologizing to me...captain, the man who believes in give and take, is apologizing to me.

"Fuck, I’ve cried, I don’t- I don’t know about this love thing, I want to have you but- fuck" he curses and drops his head to the wheel harder.

"Taesan...you’ll hurt yourself" I whisper and he looks at me, "worse than I hurt you?" he asks and I go silent.

I love him, but he hurt me. I want him, but I need to know he wants me too.

"I don’t know, I don’t know" he starts to mutter and that’s when I see it...

He’s having an anxiety attack, I hold his face in my hands and kiss him on the lips to calm him.

"Breathe..." I whisper as I pull away.

He looks at me with pain in his eyes, like he’s struggling.

Kang Taesan doesn’t look like the mafia lord I met that first night at the hotel when I stole his card.

"Don’t leave me, fuck, let me owe you" he says desperately, still breathing with difficulty.

"No, I still owe you your black card debt, I’ll pay it the way we agreed" I say and his face falls.

"I’ll resume work at your company, I’ll visit for Sooinie..."

"Don’t do this to me" he groans, borderline growling at me.

"And I’ll let you court me" I complete my sentence and the alpha blinks.

"What?"

"I’ll...I’ll let you court me, if you want" I whisper shyly, running out of boldness and confidence.

"Court you? Really? You know I lose control, I’m a fucking monster" he starts to talk and I run my thumb on his cheeks.

"I know, and I like it, I like when you own me and..and make me yours, but now you have to court me" I tell him, opening the door and getting out before I do something stupid.

Something stupid like declaring my love for him and resuming right where we stopped.

I walk up the stairs of Minjae’s apartment and down the hall, hearing the alpha’s heavy footsteps behind me.

And just before I open the door, he slams me against the wall, hugging me to his body and burying my face in his neck.

"I’ll win you back, omega" he growls and my body shivers as my omega perks up, purring at his declaration.

"I know" I whisper.

There’s no denying that he will win me back...he doesn’t even have to try too hard, I already belong to him.

"Can I kiss you?" he asks, tilting my face upwards by my chin and just as he leans in, the door bursts open.

It’s my best friend.

"Tough luck buddy, no kissing, no touching, no fucking" Minjae says like an angry mom.

"Bye" he adds, pulling me out of my alpha’s arms and slamming the door shut.

My alpha..