Chapter Text
Han felt hot.
This was not normal.
His skin burned, as if sparks of fire were coursing through his veins, spreading through his body with every heartbeat. His chest felt tight, the air barely reaching his lungs. How long had it been this hot? Why did it feel like the walls of the room were closing in on him?
He tried to kick off the blanket, but his muscles disobeyed. His fingers were heavy, his legs stone-like. It was as if his body had detached from his own will. Every attempt at control only tightened an invisible chain around him.
There was weight on him. Arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. Normally, these arms were the sweetest symbol of safety, offering warmth and calm, quieting the world’s noise.
But now? Now he whimpered, trying to escape the heat. It was suffocating, almost burning, inevitable.
Why did no one understand?
A whimper escaped his lips. Chan’s eyes snapped open.
Not from the heaviness of sleep, but from the sudden strike of instincts.
It was as if a sleeping beast deep in his chest had leapt awake, claws outstretched. His inner alpha responded to a call far stronger than any threat.
An involuntary growl escaped his throat.
The atmosphere in the room shifted.
The scent.
Soft. Sweet. Like marshmallow, but with another hidden layer beneath it—subtle, barely noticeable, yet etched deep into Chan’s veins. Almost like vanilla: pure, fragile, but intoxicatingly potent.
Chan’s mind went blank. His knees weakened.
He felt like he would lose his mind.
Omega.
Another whimper followed. More shaky, more muffled—a plea for help.
Chan focused his gaze and saw Jisung.
Turned to the side, face flushed red, breath racing. Lips parted. Tiny tremors in his jaw, beads of sweat on his forehead. Eyes half-closed, clearly searching for someone, needing someone.
In Chan’s mind:
My omega. My omega. My omega.
Their eyes met, bodies frozen.
For a moment, the entire world shrank to just the two of them.
Fear and surrender mingled strangely in Han’s gaze.
— So… hot… he whispered, almost inaudible, his voice broken and trembling.
Chan froze. His heart pounded violently. His inner alpha screamed: hold him, cool him, protect him.
But his mind warned: one wrong move and you’ll hurt him more.
— Jisung… breathe. Just look at me, Chan whispered.
Han’s eyes were blurry, but he clung to Chan’s gaze. It was as if he had found an oasis in that look. He lingered a few more seconds, fighting to stay upright by anchoring himself in Chan’s eyes.
The scent intensified, spilling from the walls, filling the room. Sweet, sharp, pure… powerful enough to awaken the entire pack.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor. Minho was first.
The moment he caught the scent, his pupils dilated, shoulders tensed. A whispered, almost terrified mutter escaped his lips:
— No… is it starting?
Felix appeared right behind him, eyes wide, breath quickened. Without hesitation, he tugged the blanket off Han.
— He needs to breathe! he exclaimed.
Hyunjin froze a few steps back, as if the weight of the scene had nailed him in place. His eyes shifted between Han writhing and Chan’s shaking hands.
Chan adjusted Jisung slightly in his arms. His cheeks were burning. Soft, trembling whimpers slipped from his lips.
Minho immediately knelt, placing his hand on Han’s forehead.
— He’s burning… it’s rising fast. This… this must be a presentation reaction. No other explanation.
Chan’s throat went dry. The echo from his inner alpha still rang in his ears:
Mine.
Han whimpered again, voice trembling:
— So… hot… why does no one understand…
Chan leaned in, pressing his forehead to Jisung’s.
— I understand, Jisung. I’m here. Just look at me.
Han’s eyes locked onto Chan’s. He found a small relief there, a lifeline. His breathing steadied slightly. But his heart still pounded like a storm.
And the pack… formed a circle around Chan.
Fear, curiosity, acceptance—all merging in one silence.
Only Minho’s voice broke that silence. His lips moved, this time clear and deliberate:
— The presentation… begins.
In that moment, time fractured within the house.
And the pack understood, for , that they were witnessing the birth of new omega.