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Word has it that Bonten is the worst gang to ever appear in Tokyo. Its members pave their path with blood and bones and eliminate anyone who dares to stand on their way; lucky ones enjoy the bliss of instant death, and unlucky ones wind up in one of the desolate warehouses on the outskirts of the city. Those who heard their screams say that the voices of the deceased haunt them every night, and those who got to witness the punishments prefer not to say anything at all.
There are many ways one might – accidentally or deliberately – cross Bonten.
The first way is the most obvious: mess with their business. Be it an interrupted deal, or a failed trade, or stolen goods, you are guaranteed to join sharks in the sea.
The second way is only obvious to those who saw Bonten's top brass in person: mess with the Boss' mate. They say Sano Manjirou has a short temper and can target you for the smallest offences, but doing anything to his omega, even praising him, is a one-way ticket to hell. Whether he is guided by the blow to his alpha pride or sheer possessiveness, nobody knows. Maybe both.
The third way only applies to the members of the organization: break their rules.
And they have quite a lot of rules.
____
Takemichi enters the elevator, tiredly massaging his temples. The negotiation was a total flop, and he doesn't know how to explain it to Manjirou. Personally, he is certain he did nothing wrong – Koko was also present and can confirm that – but they gambled a lot of money on that deal. They were just really unfortunate that their potential business partner turned out to be a jerk with insatiable greed.
Being the most wanted criminals in Japan, they are all jerks in one way or another, so that's not Takemichi's main gripe. The man's greed was the problem.
Bonten, the worst bunch to ever exist in Tokyo, are no strangers to human trafficking. In fact, it's one of their most profitable businesses – it's only natural they would take this job seriously. They have quite a lot of rules in general, but when it comes to human trafficking, they have only outlined two.
Rule number one: they don't kidnap just anybody. It has to be an alpha or an omega like no other: with status, with history, and with appeal that makes kidnapping them worth the effort. Covering their tracks is not an issue, but for the lack of additional commotion, they prefer to put quality over quantity. The rarer the goods, the better they pay off.
Rule number two: the goods must remain unharmed. Once taken captive, they are to be protected, well-fed, and regularly cleaned up. No abuse, be it physical, psychological, or sexual, is allowed, so the merchandise can be delivered in pristine condition. Thanks to such policy, very few customers complain about their work.
Just two rules, easy to understand and short enough to memorize. And yet, some people still manage to break them. That failure of a businessman had the audacity to ignore the first rule and demand a whole family of unassuming omegas that had nothing to do with their world.
Now, it also seems that there are people who think that they have the right to break the second rule.
When Takemichi steps out of the elevator, heading to the room where their captive is awaiting her buyer, he smells it – the scent of a distressed omega. Sour like spoiled milk.
If he were an alpha, his first instinct would be to go secure his omega mate first. But he is an omega as well – also mated to the most feral alpha in Tokyo. Instead of a typical omegan run-and-hide reaction, he seethes in rage.
Takemichi storms into the room and winces at the thick odour of terror, so prominent that he is sure it can be smelled on other floors. Two men that were supposed to guard the room are pinning the omega in torn clothes to the floor; the girl, already half undressed, is thrashing in their hold in desperation. He can spot bruises on her pretty face, but what gets to him the most are the rivers of tears cascading down her cheeks.
Their eyes meet, and he can sense his fellow omega wordlessly plead, Help me.
Eyed glowing gold, Takemichi is by their side in seconds.
"Oi." His tone is steely, and the alphas freeze. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Sir, we –"
"I don't need your excuses. Submit." Not a demand. An order. Something that, unlike alphas, very few omegas can do; also something that Takemichi broke his back to get the hang of. His lover insisted it wasn't necessary, but Takemichi didn't want to be a walking liability or an opening for their enemies to ridicule his mate. He wanted to stand by Manjirou's side with pride, parading the same authority and making it painfully clear that they are not the ones to be messed with.
To be fair, he fails at it more often than he does not. Within their inner circle, he is still known as a huge crybaby. Only in the direst moments does his feral side awaken and subdue everyone his gaze lands upon.
And this moment is one of those.
The alphas' reaction is immediate. They raise their heads, necks bared; it takes them a few seconds to realize what they've just done. Low voices growl at him in indignation, clearly dissatisfied that an omega dares to order them around.
One of them picks himself up and prepares to strike, but the delay is enough for Takemichi to claim victory. He is far from a strong fighter, but he attacks faster – before the alpha even takes a stance, his fist is already colliding with his opponent's face. He grabs the man by the shoulders and knees him in the stomach, then sends him flying with a kick – and that's how one enemy goes down.
The second alpha is harder to defeat. Takemichi misses a few hits and gets a black eye, but in the end, he successfully knocks the alpha out.
Stepping to the side, he heaves a sigh and takes a few moments to catch his breath.
The abused omega is curling into herself in the corner, trying to cover bare parts of her body with the remnants of her dress. Such a shame, Takemichi thinks, that dress really brought out her pretty eyes. Tachibana Hinata, that is her name, is one of the most good-looking omegas they've ever captured, with delicate features, model-like proportions, and a princessly aura – it's no riddle, really, why Kisaki wanted her so much. If Takemichi had met her about a decade earlier, he would have felt extremely conscious of his own scrawny body. Thankfully, he met Manjirou first – his alpha was nothing but generous with compliments, doing wonders to Takemichi's self-esteem.
Takemichi approaches the omega, releasing calming pheromones that earn him her attention. She is still shaking, but seems to be recovering the clarity of mind and observes him with a more focused gaze, eyes sharp and attentive.
Takemichi squats and places his jacket on her shoulders. Her tiny frame stiffens, but then she catches a whiff of his pheromones and shudders with a peculiar expression, a mixture of pleasure and relief. She wraps the jacket around herself and nuzzles into the collar, inhaling his scent greedily, like a starved animal.
"You poor thing."
She must have felt so horrified, all alone, at the mercy of two lascivious alphas. She looks so small, wrapped in his jacket like a tiny burrito, and his motherly instinct kicks in like never before. The pup must be protected at all costs.
Takemichi raises his hand carefully, letting the omega watch his every movement, and starts petting her head. Her shiny hair, a beautiful colour of brown sugar, is smooth and silky. The omega purrs and moves her head to meet his touch, butting his palm like a cat.
She kind of reminds him of Manjirou on his moody days, and Takemichi chuckles. He wraps his arms around the omega and starts rocking her, humming.
"Don't worry. Nobody will hurt you anymore." The omega purrs louder and nuzzles directly into his neck, making him unexpectedly ticklish. He can feel her breath on his skin, leaving a wave of goosebumps in its wake.
He doesn't want to scare the omega with his squirming and tries not to tremble too much, which proves to be harder than he expected. Nevertheless, he continues to croon, "It will be okay. Soon, a strong alpha will come here for you. I promise he will be a good partner for you."
Good or not, he still paid them to tear Tachibana Hinata away from her family and friends and keep her confined until his arrival. Both her father and brother are high-ranking police officers that persistently keep trying to get on Bonten's tail, so marrying her legally is nigh impossible for a criminal like Kisaki. Faking her death and taking her away is a task more fitting for their world, also a good warning for the rest of the nosy Tachibana family, and this is how they ended up in their current predicament.
Of course, Kisaki made it perfectly clear that his future wife must not be harmed. She is a pure unmated omega, and Bonten took the job of protecting her innocence like a personal duty. This kind of thing is one of very few things Manjirou treats with utmost seriousness: in the distant past, he kept fussing about Takemichi's virginity, too, and spent their first time like a ritual, praising every inch of his omega's body. Takemichi still thinks he went a little overboard, but he will lie if he says he hated the way Manjirou made him feel.
He finds he wants this tiny, fragile omega to feel the same way – loved and treasured. A frightened look doesn't suit her beautiful face. He hopes her future husband will treat her with due respect – no, he tells himself, he will make sure of it.
The omega doesn't seem to share his sentiment because she stills in his hold the second he mentions Kisaki. The pleasant scent of contentment acquires a bitter note.
Ah, of course. She must be scared to marry a man she most likely doesn't know.
"He is not that bad," Takemichi soothes, resuming his gentle ministrations. "He cares for you a lot. And he is smart. And he has a lot of money. I'm sure he will give you the lavishest life possible."
Maybe it's not very nice to whisper such things when she is still visibly distressed, but it's better than telling her the truth that will make life harder for her. There is no running away from Bonten or Kisaki, so it's the least he can do to ensure the omega's comfort.
Tachibana appears displeased with his words and wriggles in his arms to get more space and look him straight in the eye. There is an obvious peremptory request shining in her gaze, one he finds hard to resist because his protective instinct flares up in full force.
"I don't need him and his money," the omega whispers in a soft but determined voice. "I need you."
Takemichi huffs out a laugh, "Of course. If he ever does something bad to you – which I hope never happens – you can always find me. I'll save you as many times as it takes, I promise."
Maybe it didn't come off as reassuring as he intended because the omega shakes her head.
"No."
"No?"
"I want you," she utters.
Even though she is being stubborn, Takemichi wants to coo: she looks like a pup about to throw a tantrum, face puckering cutely. Ah, maybe he is getting a baby fever. He wonders if Manjirou is open to discussing the prospect of getting a pup.
Well, that's the topic he will be free to explore later. Right now, he has an omega to console.
"Give him a chance," he tries. "He will be here soon."
The omega grabs his forearms with startling force, and Takemichi, perplexed, witnesses her eyes turn bright yellow. She tugs at the collar of his dress shirt and leans closer to his scent gland, only to snarl at Manjirou's mating mark. Takemichi turns his head and reveals more skin, trying to show that being mated is not that scary. He expects her to scent him, so it comes off as a big surprise when she starts nibbling at the scar.
"What are you doing..?"
"Stupid, stupid…" he hears her mumble. "…stupid alphas, always in the way…"
Her bites start to hurt, so Takemichi attempts to gently pry her head away from his neck. "Calm down, please –"
The door slams open.
Accompanied by his right hand Sanzu, Sano Manjirou appears in all his glory. Both halt at the threshold to take in the scene in the room.
Oh right. Takemichi totally forgot about the goons he took out.
Sanzu clicks his tongue at the sight of two unconscious alphas, but Manjirou's bottomless eyes remain trained on Takemichi and the omega who is still sucking on his neck.
"Manjirou, good timing. Do something with these two, please. They tried to assault her, so I beat them up – and don't worry, she is fine. See?" He tilts his head when Manjirou doesn't say anything. "Manjirou? Love?"
A low growl from the omega startles him. She must be scared by the appearance of two even more intimidating alphas, Takemichi surmises, and embraces her tighter –
Manjirou growls back.
What the fuck.
Why on earth is he growling at an omega?
It takes some time for Takemichi to realize that yes, his mate and the petite girl in his arms are glaring daggers at each other with purpose – challenging one another at a game he is not aware of. Tachibana's scent turns sour, a low rumble coming out of her throat, and Manjirou's eyes ignite crimson red. Neither is directed at him, but Takemichi can't suppress his unease and swallows.
He glances at Sanzu, asking for a clue, and is left even more confused when the other gives him an accusing look that spells, Deal with your mess yourself.
What is happening?
The only thing Takemichi knows for sure is that he has to stop it somehow, and his inner omega is greatly displeased with the way his alpha is acting right now.
"Manjirou," Takemichi chides. "What are you doing, threatening a poor omega like that? Can't you see how scared she is?"
He hears Hinata giggle, and joy blooms in his heart – yeah, he must have got that right, at least. She buries her face in the crook of his neck, and he feels her smile against his skin – again, so ticklish! He involuntarily shifts in place. Manjirou's eye twitches.
"What are you doing, Takemitchy?"
"Protecting her, duh!"
"Leave her be," Manjirou's voice is cold, and the air is instantly permeated by a pungent smell of blood. Even Sanzu blinks slower than usual, bewildered at the sheer intensity. "She needs to be taught her place."
"You're threatening a helpless omega with your scent? Seriously?" Now irritated, Takemichi releases a copious amount of his pheromones and makes sure to drench Tachibana so that the stench of Manjirou's scent doesn't affect her. She breathes them in with a loud, contented sigh, and resumes purring.
"You won't damage your goods, will you?" she asks sheepishly, peeking over Takemichi's shoulder.
The phone that Manjirou is holding practically explodes in his hand. Squealing, Tachibana clings closer to Takemichi, and one of her hands grabs at his nape. It's a very sensitive place, one Manjirou always kneads when giving him pleasure, and he has to bite at his lip to hold in a groan.
His alpha's pheromones get so out of control that Takemichi is actually getting light-headed.
"O-okay, let's just talk about it–" he mumbles, not really ready for the talk that's supposed to resolve an issue he doesn't even see.
Takemichi is promptly rescued by the ringing of Sanzu's phone. The alpha listens to the call, drops a few occasional uh-huh's, and turns to his boss.
"Kisaki is here to receive his omega."
Oxygen finally returns to the room. Manjirou huffs, and Tachibana whines loudly.
This time, Takemichi lets her go, gently removing her delicate fingers from his clothes. He allows her to keep the jacket because she seems to have taken quite a liking to it – and also because the size difference makes her look absolutely adorable.
She sniffles, clearly unwilling to part from him, and Takemichi squeezes her hand, "Come on, you need to get cleaned up before meeting your alpha. We've got spare clothes for you, don't worry."
She looks at him with such helplessness he wants to howl, "Will you stay?"
"No." Manjirou yanks Takemichi up by the arm and drags him to the exit. "He goes with me, and you meet your husband."
Tachibana pouts, dejected. Takemichi flashes her his best smile.
"Don't be afraid. He's one of our business partners, so we will be meeting often. Our promise still stands, yeah?"
Her eyes twinkle and zigzag from one corner to another, as if she were deeply in thought. When she looks at him again, they glow with confidence that can rival Manjirou's when he gets serious about something.
"Alright. See you soon, Takemitchy."
Manjirou almost tears the door off the hinges as he bangs it closed, leaving Hinata in Sanzu's care. He doesn't even say anything about the alphas Takemichi neutralized, though one glare is enough to tell Sanzu what kind of punishment they will get.
He stalks away with fast, heavy steps, and Takemichi awkwardly staggers behind, struggling to keep up with his pace. Manjirou's grip on his arm is not unbearably painful, but it's uncomfortable for sure.
"Manjirou, mind telling me what's up with you?"
His feels a shiver run down his spine when his mate glances at him over his shoulder. Just one glance, and Takemichi is blank, absorbed by two portals to the abyss.
Manjirou growls with a dangerous lilt to his tone, "You are mine. Mine, mine, and mine only. I won't let anyone take you away from me, even some dumb omega. I will kill her with my own two hands, and I won't give a damn that she is weaker than me."
What? Take him away? Omega? Who?
The answer finally comes to him, and Takemichi openly laughs at the ridiculousness of the situation.
"Idiot, what are you even thinking? You thought she was trying to claim me?"
Manjirou's grip on his arm tightens. Ouch. A sufficient response.
"Love, she is an omega. We are not compatible. And even if we were, I would never leave you, you know that."
An omega can't date another omega – this rule is dictated not only by their nature, but also by the law. Of course, it shouldn't be a problem for criminals of their calibre, but Takemichi still finds it hilarious that the thought of losing him to an omega even crossed Manjirou's mind. He is so paranoid sometimes.
His mate slacks up his pace as his eyes turn contemplative. When he seems to reach the conclusion he sought, he smirks darkly, "You are so stupid."
"Huh? What was that for?!"
Takemichi doesn't get his response because they reach the penthouse. As soon as they enter, he is pressed against the entrance door while Manjirou descends on his lips in a hungry kiss.
Just earlier this day, Takemichi recalled the first time they slept together and how careful and sensual Manjirou was back then. Well, today would be its direct opposite – it's rough and animalistic, a surge of fiery passion that burns away at them both.
Manjirou isn't even in a rut, but he takes Takemichi with the predatory force that exceeds the days when his need for relief is at its zenith. Each grip of his fingers leaves dark bruises, each kiss paints an angry red mark, and each thrust of his hips makes Takemichi roll his eyes and whimper, completely forgetting the events of the day.
"Who do you belong to?" Manjirou whispers, ceasing his movements seconds before Takemichi's climax.
"Y-you-u-u!" Takemichi can nothing but moan, "O-only you…"
A dark grin finds its way to Manjirou's face, and he swallows Takemichi's cries with another kiss, finally granting his lover a long-awaited release.
He exhausts Takemichi so much that the other only gets some rest after losing consciousness, and his head is still foggy when he wakes up hours later. Feeling entitled to some care – his bottom is so sore that he can't even sit properly! – Takemichi doesn't hold back with being needy, and Manjirou indulges his every whim, trailing behind him like a lost puppy. He constantly apologizes for his yesterday's behaviour, but occasional smug side-glances betray that he isn't really sorry.
He is lucky that Takemichi doesn't mean any of his complaints, too.
The incident with Kisaki's omega is successfully forgotten.
____
One of the big organizations – though mainly the leader, an exceedingly rich braggart – hosts a gala, inviting many top dogs of their shady world. Bonten's admins see no reason to refuse, which brings Takemichi to his current problem, stranded amidst over-perfumed strangers after Manjirou had to leave for some brief business talk. Just as Takemichi expected, he grows tired from the incessant buzzing around relatively fast, so he retreats to the finger buffet to help himself to some snacks.
He certainly doesn't expect to be hugged from behind – out in the open with a lot of potential enemies around, no less. Takemichi turns around to tell the person to back off, and the words die in his throat when he sees their face.
He doesn't recognize Tachibana Hinata right away. She is stunning, figure nicely framed by a pink cocktail dress, hair kept in an elegant updo, and crystal waterfall earrings dangling from her earlobes. Her skin is a healthy colour, and her posture doesn't show a trace of fear or cautiousness like the day they met. Even though Takemichi himself admits that her marriage to Kisaki is a cruel fate from start to finish, she doesn't appear fazed at all. If anything, right now she embodies radiance and poise.
Takemichi is genuinely relieved.
"Tachibana-san, what a surprise! Or Kisaki-san, I suppose?"
She grins enigmatically, "Call me Hinata."
"Alright then, Hinata." He offers her a smile, one that makes her stare at his mouth – maybe he's got food in his teeth, how awkward. "I'm glad to see you in good health, and hope that this life has been treating you well."
It feels odd talking to her so formally, but he decides to play it safe. She wears the ring and the mating mark of a very dangerous man, after all. For the very same reason, it must be safe to have her and Manjirou in close proximity now, so Takemichi waves his mate over when he sees him in the crowd. Kisaki happens to be seriously talking to him at the moment, most likely about something work-related, but the second his eyes land on Hinata, they soften to the point of unrecognizable. A powerful alpha is reduced to a gaping puppy, and the sight is twice as absurd as it would have been with anybody else because he is someone Takemichi used to fear.
He always considered Kisaki an impenetrable wall, but it seems Hinata's already put a leash on him. Yeah, he can be sure she'll survive in their world. His motherly side preens itself on completing the duty.
He is quite surprised to feel Tachibana's arm snake around his waist.
"Hmm, I'm not quite sure," she murmurs. "I think some alphas keep staring at me wherever I go."
"Yeah, I can relate to that. You'll just have to scare them off once, and they will leave you alone. I'm speaking from experience."
"Oh, I see." Her deft fingers start rubbing circles into his side. "I'm not really good at this kind of stuff, and I don't want to trouble Tetta, he is already so busy with work…"
Maybe it's because of the way Manjirou's eyes darken or the odd scent Takemichi smells on Hinata, but his inner omega suddenly reveals itself, begging to do something.
"I – I can help you with that. I promised I'd protect you, didn't I?"
Hinata starts purring.
"Thank you, Takemitchy," she gives him one last rub that felt bizarrely intimate.
Their alphas finally approach, and Hinata leaves his side and pads over to Kisaki with a smile. Before that, however, she whispers to Takemichi, fanning his ear with a sweet breath, "And you don't have to worry about my new life anymore. With your help, I'm certain it will be the best I ever had."