ALPHA | BTS FANFICTION

Alpha - Child Support - Chapter 54

Third Person POV

Before Abduction

Kim Taehyung repeatedly coughed in discomfort as he slumped on the couch after his morning wake and tilted his head backward while sniffing his runny nostrils. The father unfortunately contracted the bothersome flu from the twin. They carried the cold for the past few days and somehow transmitted the illness to their father, who is now suffering from a sore throat and a dull headache.

"APPA!" Woojin shrieked, suddenly hopping onto Taehyung's thighs as the man remained drowsy from being crushed by the sickness. He had suffered their mother's stab to his chest, severe bone fractures... and even endured a heartbreak... yet the flu is the worst of them all. It felt like someone was scraping his throat with sandpaper.

"Outside~! Appa outside~!" Kanghoon demanded as he hugged Taehyung's neck, who groaned and opened his burning eyelids to stare at the cool patch on the twin's foreheads. They were very energetic for someone... who is also suffering from the illness.

"No-"

"OUTSIDE! WE WANT TO PLAY WITH CHINGU~!" The twins screeched while smacking their father's chest to grab his attention. Taehyung grunted and closed his eyes again as they screamed in his ears, hoping they'd eventually give up and leave him alone. But their voices only got louder until the father's blood boiled in extreme irritation.

"BE QUIET!" Taehyung snapped, angrily sitting up to glare at the twins.

The child immediately pouted as they froze in place upon his harsh outburst. They suddenly crawled off his lap and started squealing like dying pigs to express their discontentment. Kanghoon wildly kicked his legs in the air as Woojin spun on his back like a helicopter wing. Kim Taehyung's threats didn't work on the twins anymore. They became more greedy and daring after their mother spoiled them with her giving nature.

"OUTSIDE~! OUTSIDE~! WANNA PLAY WITH CHINGU~!" They squealed on the floor, causing Taehyung to frown at the twins' stubbornness. The alpha hastily rose from the couch and stormed back inside the bedroom- BANG! The twins suddenly stopped throwing a tantrum and quickly sat up to stare at the closed door... until tears filled their eyes.

"APPA IS SO MEAN~! WAAAAAAH~! WE WANT EOMMA~ EOMMAAAA~!" They screamed even louder from outside the door as Taehyung slipped back under his blanket and pulled the pillow over his ears to keep out their deafening whiney noises. He groaned and pressed his burning face into the pillow... panting heavily until his temples throbbed in pain from their high-pitched screams.

A moment later.

Kim Taehyung suddenly jerked awake from his drool-drenched pillow and turned his head to scan the dark afternoon sky. He grunted and sat up to rub his dazed face, slightly furrowing his eyebrows at the muted silence outside the door. The television wasn't on... and even the footsteps had ceased. Sighing heavily... he crawled off the messy bed-

"Ah!- Fuck!" Taehyung painfully hopped on one foot when he accidentally stepped on a block of their scattered toys. The alpha seethed in annoyance as he furiously flung open the door, and marched out of the bedroom... intending to scold them... only to find the twins... sprawling on both couches with their legs spread apart and their snots... dripping from their nostrils.

Hic... Hic... They quietly sulked in their sleep.

The father had forgotten to feed them lunch. Kim Taehyung glanced at the half-eaten banana on the coffee table and at the milk in the mug with a slight frown before shifting his eyes back to his brooding children as they lay a mess with snots and tears all over their faces.

Taehyung sorely rounded the couch to grab the tissues and crouch before the couch to dab their slimy snot. Hic! Kanghoon faintly whimpered, hastily forcing his father's hand away from his face and turned to hug the cushion. Taehyung grimaced as the kid screwed his swollen eyelids shut, causing warm tears to spill between his soaked lashes.

The alpha exhaled heavily as the child sniffled against the cushion before glancing at Woojin... who was sprawling on the other couch with a resentful frown on the heartless man. The bear glared at his father, hastily turning away to hug his mother's scarf with an upset pout, causing Kim Taehyung to lower his head in exhaustion.

He got up to collect the toys from the carpet and placed them back inside the crates before entering the kitchen to warm the japchae Sora had made for them before she left. The alpha separated it into the two baby bowls before strolling back inside the living room to place it on the table with a mug of water.

"It's time to take your medication," Taehyung hoarsely spoke, gently lifting Kanghoon from the couch to place the child on the carpet before turning to lift Woojin and attempted to make the child sit... but they quickly climbed back onto the couch and turned away from their father again. Taehyung paused in his position as he watched the young boys sulk with their dramatic hics... until their shoulders vibrated from the unfair treatment they were receiving.

"I'll take you out after you finish the food and medication," Taehyung muttered, slumping on the couch at Woojin's feet in defeat.

Kanghoon suddenly lifted his head and turned to stare at Taehyung with his puffy eyes.... slowly sliding off the couch to sit on the floor with a snotty nose as Woojin crawled onto the carpet without their father having to force them. They quietly grabbed the baby chopsticks and lowered their faces to eat the food as their father calmly watched them munch the glass noodles with their pouty lips.

Kim Taehyung dimmed his eyes while rubbing his runny nostrils with the tissues, too exhausted to challenge the twins due to his fatigued energy. The twins eventually finished their bow and gulped a mouthful of water, so Taehyung finally got up to grab their medication.

Woojin shivered in distress as he sat beside Kanghoon on the carpet, who was sitting with his mouth open as Taehyung forced the medication inside the child's mouth with a spoon. The children pouted while struggling to swallow the bitter substance.

Taehyung handed them the mug again, so they quickly gulped the medication with warm water to rinse the unpleasant taste from their lips and tongues. The alpha then grabbed a wet wipe to rub their flushed faces clean before getting up to collect the empty dishes and strolled into the kitchen.

A moment later.

Kim Taehyung slowed down by the dim park as the twins happily jogged toward the empty playground on their tiny feet. The alpha exhaled and sat on the bench with a stuffy nose and burning eyes to watch the kids climb the swings. He kept his promise and brought them out afterward, but it was already dark, so the park was empty.

"There's no one here~!" Woojin whined, skipping back towards Taehyung with a grumpy pout.

"Appa! Call chingu~! Where are they~?!" Kanghoon demanded as he seized Taehyung's arm, and tried to tug his father but failed and stumbled to the side. The sun had already set... so the parents had taken their children home to prepare for dinner. The twins were the only souls present... in the empty space under the yolky pole light.

"Will you listen to appa for a moment?" Taehyung grumbled, lowering his dim eye to the furious twins as they taunted him with their mother's distinct glare. Kim Taehyung couldn't raise his voice because he knew... if he upset them again. They will scream... drop... and roll over the ground to unleash their displeasure.

"Appa is so mean~! Chingu left already! Mean! Mean! Mean!" They shrieked, suddenly dropping onto their butts and kicked their legs in extreme agitation. 

"Get up! Now! I will not tolerate your problematic behavior anymore!" Taehyung snapped, firing them an angry glare, causing the twins to flinch at his harsh tone. They quickly got up as he instructed and lowered their faces to cry miserably after failing to meet their chingus.

"We don't like you~! Eomma! We want eomma~! She always took us to see chingus~!" Woojin sobbed, lifting his watery doe eyes to Taehyung.

"Do you wish to infect your chingus!? Look at the both of you!- Snotty nose and a cool patch on your forehead! Do you wish to give your friend the cold?! Is appa the bad person, or are you two inconsiderate of your friend's welfare?! Look at appa! Do you wish to see your friends with a nose stuffed with snot?! And burning red eyes?! If you infect your chingus- Their parents will never bring them back!" Taehyung scolded, causing the twins to flinch at his harsh tone. They pursed their lips and guiltily looked up at their father with their tearful eyes... hands clasped together.

"Eomma said... we must be kind and share... with chingus..." Kanghoon muttered, cutely blinking at Taehyung.

"You can't share your sickness! Only a bad friend will do that!" Taehyung scoffed. The twins grew hushed as they struggled to breathe through their stuffy noses. A small snotty bubble suddenly... inflated over Woojin's nose and popping out of sight as Kanghoon sucked in his flowing snot.

"We're sorry..." The twins finally pouted. Taehyung bitterly eyed their apologetic expression before opening his arms to embrace them, so the twins stepped forward to hug his warm body.

"It's okay to infect appa... but you can't transmit the sickness to other kids. You have to properly heal before you meet them again. Go and play," Taehyung ruffled their hair to console them. The twins nodded in agreement and pulled away before racing back to the empty playground.

Taehyung sighed and leaned back on the bench to watch them climb the small steps. The twins stopped sulking and shrieked at each other as they slid over the slide and chased each other over the empty playground... until Taehyung felt his stomach growling. He forgot to eat.

The alpha cleared his sore throat and glanced around the park until he spotted a small vendor by the street. He got up and strolled off to buy fish cakes from the ahjussi before returning to the bench... but halted once he noticed... The twins had disappeared from the dim space.

"Kanghoon...? Woojin?!" Taehyung unsurely called, quickening his pace toward the playground with the plastic bag. The father raced forward to peek over the platform before checking under the slides in bewilderment.

"Yah! It's not funny! Come out! I got fishcake~!" Taehyung snapped while rounding the playground until he noticed... one of the twin's unattended sneakers... on the ground by the slide. The father picked up the yellow sneaker and wildly turned to scan the empty park. His heart... racing out of control over their unexpected disappearance.

"AH! APPA!?-" A distant shriek echoed to the right. Kim Taehyung quickly turned just in time to find one of the twins grabbing hold of a black van's door as a few men carried the other twin, who was thrashing in distress with his socks.

"YAH!?- H-HEY!- STOP!" Kim Taehyung immediately dropped the fishcake bag and sprinted toward the side of the road. A man suddenly hurled the boy inside the van and hopped in. SLAM. VROOM!- The van blasted forward at full speed, causing Kim Taehyung's eyes to widen in horror.

The alpha shouted in distress as he raced after the van to save his kids from the shocking abduction... eventually crouching down to calm his shaky breath... after the van shot out of the street and steered into a different intersection. Taehyung cursed, wildly turning around to brush back his hair as he dialed Do-hwan to track the van... but... no matter how hard they searched. The kids had disappeared with the anonymous men.

They were snatched... right from... the lone wolf's claws.

Fast Forward

"APPA! APPAAAA~! AH! Hiya! Hiyah!!!" The twins screeched while banging on a rusty metallic door inside a dark and cold room. Woojin screamed, funnily racing toward the door, and kicked the platform with his sock as Kanghoon performed martial arts gestures with his hands- Thud! Thud! Thud!

The child smacked the door with a concentrated frown as he pretended to be the kung fu master in their cartoons. Woojin coolly did a wild spin and kicked the door again but ended up toppling backward after losing his balance and collapsing to the side. Kanghoon wailed and cried for his father once he couldn't open the door with his martial arts punches.

Thud. The twins froze in place when the door suddenly opened... and a few men dressed in black cloaks came strolling inside the room with creepy skull masks over their faces.

"Ah!" The twins shrieked, retreating away from the man to back against the damp corner of the room. The men darkly loomed over their frightened faces as they sobbed against the wall, trembling in fear at the sight of the scary figures.

"Scream one more time... and I'll carve out your tongues. Got it...?" The man lowly growled, causing the twins to quiver in distress. They pursed their lips and hugged each other as the man slowly crouched before them with a shiny blade until the children... screwed their frightened eyes shut and turned to face the moldy wall... not daring to make a sound.

And so, the two young souls remained trapped in the dark and cold basement flocked with shadow men, who only appeared to bring them soggy rice in a metallic dog bowl. The children refused to eat the smelly food at first... but hunger eventually gnawed their tiny stomachs with discomforting aches... until they were forced to eat whatever was thrown at them.

Days and nights... they would huddle on the dirty mattress, not knowing why they were abused by the frightening strangers.

They were left to pee in their pants out of fright and poop all over the concrete floor until their sensitive skin burnt from the filth.

And unlike being the mischievous souls... they used to be... the children remained silent... too scared to use their voices... out of fear of being harmed by the bad men.

End of Flashback

__________________________

Present

WHACK. Kim Taehyung kicked a man right in the chest as they held the cult's people captured inside a dim torture room. The man grunted, spitting out blood from his mouth before lifting his swollen eyes to the second-rank alpha as Min Yoongi leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Where are they...? The twins," Taehyung repeated, lowering his razor-sharp to the wounded man. The man sorely blinked at the alpha with a bleeding swollen eyeball and bloody nose while struggling to contain his ragged breath.

"Dead," The man grunted, chuckling at Taehyung to frustrate the alpha. BANG!

The other captured men flinched in a panic at the spark of the unexpected gunfire. A splash of blood... spattered all over Kim Taehyung's face as he held the gun barrel against the man's opened mouth, causing the other men to cower away against the wall with their cuffed hands in fear as they watched the man in chair twitch and gurgle intensely as the bullet fired through his brain... causing a stream of dark blood to ooze from his damaged skull.

Kim Taehung had shot down yet another... man during his interrogation.

"Did you think you're the only fucker who can kill...?" Taehyung sneered at the captive men as they fearfully stared at him. The alpha rubbed his bloody hands with the dead man's shirt and strode away, leaving Min Yoongi and his men to question the remaining men.

Kim Taehyung exited the room and entered the corridor before stepping inside the elevator with a blood-soaked face to ascend upward to the private hotel floors reserved for the alphas. The man sternly strolled out of the compartment, causing the guards to lower their heads in fear as he entered his private suite to shower... finally strolling back into the corridor and entered the medical center.

"How are they?" Kim Taehyung asked as he stepped into the hushed room to find Jung Hoseok sitting on the private lobby's couch. The doctors and the nurses quickly bowed and left the room, so Hoseok got up from the armchair and pushed open the door to reveal the medical beds.

"Her mother might not make it. But there's hope for her father," Hoseok dimmed his eyes as Kim Taehyung stood in casual clothes, blankly studying the oxygen tubes... lodged inside the elder's nostrils as they lay side by side on the medical bed.

"Keep them alive," Taehyung instructed, strolling out of the medical room. He blankly exited the center and headed toward the hotel's royal suite at the far end of the corridor. Beep. The guard quickly opened the door, so the man entered to find Do-hwan... sitting on the couch with his head lowered.

"Is she awake?" Taehyung questioned, turning toward the master bedroom where imo... stood by the doorway to watch the head doctor inspect Jang Sora's frail condition.

"She woke up earlier but ended up... falling unconscious again," Imo muttered as Taehyung paused by her side to inspect the supreme alpha. He lowered his face to the bandage on Imo's cheek before glancing at the head doctor with a stern look.

"She's alright. I'm only supporting her child," The head doctor sighed. Kim Taehyung dimmed his eyes on her stomach with a restless feeling.

"What about the maid? And the guards?" Taehyung stared at the head doctor as he adjusted Jang Sora's pillow to prevent her from straining her neck.

"No one is hurt. Only the elders," Do-hwan responded. Kim Taehyung exhaled and lowered his face to recollect his mind. The Jang lost their power to the cult... and the society is on edge now that the Black Phoenix has successfully acquired the ultimate supreme alpha's power to dominate the council with their destructive force.

"She signed the contract?" Taehyung asked, turning to frown at Do-hwan, who was sitting on the couch.

"Yes. Park Bogum is now the ultimate supreme alpha," Do-hwan nodded. Kim Taehyung dimmed his eyes on the man and glanced at Sora with a dark frown.

"Find Jae Yangcha," Taehyung muttered, strolling out of the room and left the suite with his hands in his pockets. The head doctor sighed deeply as he rose from the supreme alpha's side to adjust her loose hair strands. Imo darkened her gaze, closed the door, and strolled into the living room to settle with Do-hwan.

Jang Sora was the sole barrier to hinder the Black Phoenix from demolishing the council with its raging wrath.

And without her presence... the society will burn to ashes... with the curse of the Phoenix's flame.

__________________________

Fast Forward

Sora's POV

I listlessly stared at the vast view from the top floor hotel suite with a cup of warm tea brewed by imo, who had been by my side to serve me with Do-hwan. Kim Taehyung wouldn't let me leave the hotel, so I'm held captive here. How did I end up at the mansion to save the household? I ran away again... from Yangcha.

He asked me to remain composed and promised me he'd do everything to rescue the twins... but I grew restless and ran from the hidden villa, got lost in the wilderness for two days before finding my way out into the opening. If I hadn't shown up that night to stop the Black Phoenix... my parents would've perished at their hands.

Yangcha was waiting for the Black Phoenix to slaughter my parents before stepping out from the shadow because he resented my mother for her cold-blooded crimes. And the twins? I still have no idea how they're doing. Where are they? Are they alive? I don't know. I gripped my hands and glanced at my baby bump. All I can do now is avoid losing the baby in my stomach.

"Sora. There's an emergency," Do-hwan suddenly barged inside the room, snapping me out of my deep thoughts. I blinked as I stared at his pale expression, causing imo to tense up as she wiped the coffee table before me.

A moment later.

Beep. Beeeeeeeeep.

I listened to the monotonous flatlining sound as I stood in the hushed room with Do-hwan. Imo was sobbing by my mother's side as my father... sat by her bedside, tightly clenching her cold hands. I couldn't cry. I was weirdly numb as I stared at the woman... blankly... watching her heart line... descend on the health monitor until... she finally... stopped breathing. The head doctor and the nurses quietly stood on the side after doing their best to save my mother... but she had suffered too many severe stab wounds. And so, death took her. Right from her husband's grip.

My father wept over her loss and lowered his head to mourn his wife's passing as imo wiped her trickling tears while holding onto eomma's skinny wrist. The woman I called my mother. The woman I grew up admiring... until she abandoned me. Is dead.

All those years... I spent resenting her.

All those times... I suffered from her greed.

All the pain... I endured because of her.

I thought... I'd feel relieved after she passed because that's what I've been praying for. For her to perish. Yet at this very moment... as I watch her soul fade from her wounded vessel... I couldn't feel anything. I did not feel relieved. I did not feel better. I didn't feel anything for her. Am I in pain? Or am I unbothered? I can't tell.

Is she satisfied? Is she happy? Or is she still restless? Did you live a fulfilling life, eomma? After everything you've done to your husband and to your daughter? Did you anticipate this ending...? If only you were honest with us, would you have met a different fate? Would we live a happier life? Would we be in pain? And would you still die in vain?

I prayed and hoped desperately for your affection, but you were stubborn. You chose to raise me with tough love, so are you happy now, eomma? You could've shown me a hint of your affection, but you did not. Until your very last breath... you left me devoid of your love. I hope you're... leaving without regret because I'm sure... if there's the guilt of treating your daughter poorly... you'd be stuck here forever. Weeping your mistakes. So don't regret hurting me. Move on.

If there's another life... let's never meet again.

It must've been difficult to love a soul that is a spawn of your past abusive lover. When you look at me... you saw him. When I look at you... you were threatened by his resemblance. You couldn't defy him when he was alive... so you unleash your wrath on me.

If only you had gotten rid of me before I was born... you'd be happier and free from Park Jihyun's curse. But you probably felt the same way I did with the twins. Maybe you did attempt to love me. Maybe... you did love me. But as I grew up... you began to regret your decision to raise me because... you didn't see Jang Sora.

You saw Park Jihyun. The dead man. In me.

Sighing heavily, I turned around and left the room before the others. I won't mourn my mother's death. The nurses and medical staff stepped aside as I strolled out of the center and entered the corridor to find a flood of men entering the space.

Seokjin immediately halted with Namjoon and Jimin, who were eyeing me with startled looks... as if they didn't expect me to walk on my feet. I blinked and paused to stare at their unexpected presence with a restless feeling. They're here for me. I might've given up my power... but they'll never free me from the power burden.

Why? Because I triggered an apocalypse.

A moment later.

"Sora! Where is he?!" Seokjin impatiently loomed over me as I sat on the couch with a blank expression.

"What do you want?" I grimaced.

"The cult is too powerful with your power! We need to join forces to resist them. Jae Yangcha can't stay in the shadows and put the power to waste," Namjoon explained. I glanced at Jimin, who had recently joined forces with Seokjin as an alliance after So-young convinced him to side with my former lover.

"If you feared the cult... then where were you when my household needed assistance? Why did you sit and wait for the cult to eliminate my household? Cowards," I asked, darkly staring at Namjoon.

"Sora. We can help you retrieve your power from the cult," Jimin frowned at me.

They wish to lure Yangcha out of his cave? So they can slaughter him and seize the power from the Jaguar to resist the cult? Why is it that I have to make a sacrifice? For them when no one bothered to help me? And if they did... they saved me with the same motive to bait out my lover.

Kim Taehyung did not rescue me because he cared... it's a trap to lure... Jae Yangcha out of the shadows.

"I don't care. I'm powerless now... so stop bothering me. I owe you nothing," I muttered, getting up from the couch and strolled inside the room, quickly closing the door and leaned against the door with my eyes closed. I can't let the others find out about my pregnancy, or they'll come after my baby. If they succeed in killing Yangcha... all his assets will automatically become my child's possession.

The alphas will attack me and my baby if I disclose my pregnancy.

_______________________

Fast Forward

I stood dimly before Kim Taehyung's work desk at the hotel's suite before the night view as he dismissively skimmed through the documents without acknowledging my presence for the past ten minutes. I gripped my hands and frowned at him.

"Free me," I muttered. Still... Taehyung did not budge as he reviewed the documents with a blank expression. Another five minutes passed, yet I refused to leave his personal space.

"Bring me the Jaguar, and I'll free you," He replied.

"Taehyung... I'm powerless. What else do you need from me-"

"So? You did this to yourself. What made you think it's rationally appropriate to grant the cult your power to protect your lover...? The twins are still missing! For all I know, Jae Yangcha is the mastermind behind this madness!" Kim Taehyung suddenly slammed the file on the desk, causing me to clench my jaw in irritation.

"You lost the twins, and I did everything in my power to save them. Why are you blaming him?!" I scoffed. Taehyung frowned.

"Exactly. I'm always the bad guy in your eyes! He's the good guy despite fucking out your womb until it bleeds! And I'm the bad guy for simply wanting to have sex with you out of love! He's the good guy even though he raised a bloody knife at your children! And I'm the bad guy despite sparing my time and effort to raise your children! He's the good guy for hiding in the shadows! And I'm the bad guy for exposing my household to the cult by opposing my alliance in order to save you! He's the good guy- even if he's got blood on his hand! Sure! And I'm the fucking bad guy with the same blood on my hands! Yeah! He's always good, and I'm a fucking evil monster! He's the good guy for earning the battle scars for you?!- I'm the bad guy for the same scars on my body! Whatever I do- You'll never fucking appreciate me!" Taehyung slammed his hands on the desk and suddenly shot up from his seat. A hot lump formed in my throat at his bitter exclaims.

"So I'll remove myself from your life. I'm powerless. You don't need me anymore, and we aren't sure if the twins are still alive. You don't have to take care of them from this moment onward... and I have no reason to see you anymore. Let's part ways here so I won't continue to hurt your feelings if that's what you're trying to hold me accountable for," I whispered. Kim Taehyung glared at me intensely until his eyes swelled with tears. Is this the first time...? His tears.

"I might have wronged you in the beginning! But I am desperately trying to mend everything I've broken. You do realize... you're being heartless right now? How many regrets do I have to voice out? And how many times do I have to bleed for you to believe me?" He gritted. I stared at him without blinking.

"You don't have to try. I'm already healed with the love of another man. I won't blame you for our past, so free yourself. Search for someone who will understand you better than I can. I'm sure she exists somewhere. And I'm sure she can comfort you," I replied. Kim Taehyung searched my eyes in tears as I darkly stared at him.

"Fine. Whatever I say... you'll never believe me. So be it. Go. Go to him. I won't stop you," Kim Taehyung nodded at the door. I stared at his swelling tear wall in silence.

"Don't follow me," I nodded, coldly turning away. I gripped my hand and returned to my suite to get dressed before strolling back out to leave the hotel. I don't belong here. I don't want to be here! I've fulfilled my duties, so I shouldn't be accountable for the cult's intervention in the council anymore! I'm so sick and tired of this endless warfare!

"Sora~! Honey! Where are you going at this time?" Imo gasped, following me out of the door. If I don't leave now... I'm afraid they'll make me sacrifice the Jaguar and my child. And I won't allow it to happen! I will not kill my family to save the fucking world!

"Home," I muttered as I zipped up my jacket, causing Do-hwan to frown by the door as he spoke to a guard.

"Your mother's funeral is tomorrow," Do-hwan blocked my path as I stood in the doorway.

"My mother died since the day she poisoned me," I muttered, sidestepping to avoid the man and strolled toward the elevator.

"Aigo~! You're not safe out there!" Imo cried, chasing after me just as Yoongi appeared with Hoseok. The alphas unsurely eyed me as I walked towards them.

"Sora. We need you at the council," Hoseok requested. See? They'll never leave me alone even if I'm powerless because I'm an effective bait to orchestrate their schemes.

"No, you don't. I do not wish to thrive in the society anymore," I muttered.

"Are you going to leave? This simply? After you placed your power into the devil's hands?" Yoongi sternly glowered at me. I stared at him in exhaustion. Would he have allowed the cult to slaughter his parents if he were in my shoes?

"No one. Not one person reached out to me in the past when I was suffering. Not until my disappearance threatened your security. Am I the one to blame?" I stared right back at Min Yoongi. I'm not a hero. I never claimed to be one... so I don't fucking care about anyone but my family.

"Sora- Listen-"

"No. You desperately believed Park Bogum was the true heir and allowed the cult to assert its dominance in the council. You've underestimated the Black Phoenix. Just like my mother did. She perished, so I'll be a coward because I'm done taking the blame for crimes I didn't commit. My only mistake is to be born as Park Jihyun's illegitimate heir from an affair that triggered a power warfare. So I'll back down. Maybe Park Bogum will be a better leader. The society got what it wanted, and that was to eliminate me, so don't try to use my name as a shield to play your power game. I won't fight a war with backstabbers like you. Don't play the hero in my life when you're hiding a knife behind your back. I will not let you slaughter my lover," I darkly stared at them.

"Let her go," Kim Taehyung suddenly stormed out of his suite, enclosed by his darkness.

"Yah. Are you out of your mind-"

"Leave. Now. I forbid anyone from chasing her. If she desperately wants to leave... then go. You're useless anyways. Just don't come running back to me when you're at a dead end," Taehyung fumed, coldly nodding at the elevator when Hoseok tried to interfere.

"I never ran back to you. It is you who followed me to the dead end. So stay soiled in your place... and don't race after me. I don't need you to thrive. I never did. Don't pretend to be the savior in my life when you're the one to ruin everything I have. How dare you face me after losing my children and even attain the audacity to attempt a murder scheme against my husband?" I glared at Taehyung before turning to leave, causing imo to whimper in distress. Yoongi turned to watch me press the elevator as Hoseok rubbed his face in frustration. Kim Taehyung darkly fumed at me... but didn't budge, so I ignored him and waited for the lift.

Ding. I stepped inside the elevator and descended to the ground floor with my hands clasped together as I watched the number decline on the screen. I lowered my face to my hands with a hollow chest. 

I have to find the twins. I won't give up on them.

Third Person POV

Meanwhile

Min Yoongi placed his hands on his hips and glanced at Kim Taehyung bitterly after the man freed the supreme alpha from their grip. The Kim's heir intensely glared at the elevator with a dark frown. Hoseok shook his head in disbelief before striding off to leave the place as Imo sniffled beside Do-hwan... who was glaring at Kim Taehyung as the alpha clenched his fists in irritation.

"How can you dismiss her like this?!" Imo snapped, suddenly smacking Taehyung's forearm.

"What am I supposed to do!? She can't seem to live without that fucker-"

"She lost her children to the cult, Kim Taehyung! The person she can't live without is not him! But you! How are you so blind?! You grew up with her!- You know! You know she can't thrive alone! Look at her! She's pregnant! She's powerless! Her mother just passed, and her father is injured! And you're forcing her to lure out her lover so you can slaughter him?! Of course, you're the bad guy to her! Aigo~! Anyone is bound to lose their sanity with so many tragedies! The poor thing~!" Imo cried in distress, causing Taehyung to tense his jaw in annoyance.

"She told me not to be her savior. You heard her-"

"So!? What about your heart!? Can you stand it if she dies?! In cold blood?! Why don't you listen to your heart for once?! Why do you always have to use your brain against her!?!! Are you going to polish your ego!? And then what!? Regret everything later!?!- The colder you are! The further she'll drift!" Imo sobbed, angrily turning to storm away. Do-hwan bitterly glanced at the woman... just as a guard entered the corridor with a drained expression.

"Sir," The guard greeted Do-hwan before bowing to Kim Taehyung.

"What is it?" Do-hwan sighed.

"The twins," The guard lifted his face nervously. Kim Taehyung snapped his attention to guard, suddenly tensing his muscles.

"Are they alive?" Do-hwan frowned at the guard.

"It appears... the cult has lost the twins during the conflict. Our spy reported their absence," The guard worriedly grimaced. Kim Taehyung frowned at the guard before glancing at the elevator again.

"What do you mean-"

"They're captured by another party," The guard lowered his head. Kim Taehyung scoffed, suddenly jerking towards the elevator.

"Fuck!" The alpha angrily kicked the elevator door. Do-hwan uneasily stared at Kim Taehyung as he impatiently waited for the lift.

"Find her! Jang Sora! Find her now!" Do-hwan huffed when he suddenly grasped the situation. Ding. Kim Taehyung quickly sprinted inside the lift and entered the compartment as Do-hwan raced off with the guard. The alpha glared at the number on the screen as he nervously paced back and forth with his hand clasped over his lips.

"SORA?!" Taehyung bellowed, rushing out into the hotel's lobby, causing the guests to flinch in a panic as the alpha dashed towards the exit in bewilderment.

"JANG SORA!" Taehyung shouted her name over the night street, aimlessly turning down the sidewalk to search for her as a flock of guards immediately dispatched from the hotel to chase the supreme alpha.

"What's the matter?" Jungkook suddenly appeared... coming face-to-face with Kim Taehyung.

"Jae Yangcha took the twins! Sora is after the twins!" Kim Taehyung snapped, roughly shoving his cousin aside. Jungkook blinked... wildly turning to watch the commotion as Do-hwan stepped inside a car with his men and shot off over the busy street. Kim Taehyung sprinted towards his car, got in to start the engine, and raced out of the hotel with his determined gaze on the night street to search for Jang Sora.... as the past trauma replayed in his head.

The predatory must not reunite with the prey... or he'll murder them in cold blood.

Kim Taehyung knew... Jang Sora will never allow the beast to devour her children... which could provoke her lover to harm her... at the cost of her motherly instinct to defend her children.

____________________________

Sora's POV

Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.

I heaved my sore legs over the thick mud while panting heavily to wander the confusing woods in the dark as the soft drizzle sprinkled over me. Thump! I groaned after tripping over a rock and tumbled into the gooey soil... causing the dark mud to soak my clothes.

"Ah!" I whined, lifting my burning eyes to scan the dark wilderness around me in frustration. I've been walking for hours! I'm sure this is the right path!- So why can't I find the villa?! I sobbed, pushed my body back up and stomped over the mud as the creepy leaves rustled around me. I refused to stop and wandered the woods in tears. 

"Yangcha!? Yangcha! I'm home!" I cried in distress. I'm so dumb! What if I get lost here?! I gripped my head and lowered my hands to rub the baby bump.

"I'm sorry! I won't leave your side again! Baby?!-" I sniffled as I limped over the mud with an aching heart. I yanked my feet from the sticky mud and strolled aimlessly through the wood, dodging branches, swatting away insects, and stepping over the tree roots while crying for his presence as the chills numbed my soaked body.

Rustle. I snapped my head to the right side at the sound of strange rustling noises, halting in fear as I scanned the dark woods, but everything appeared like a shadow to me. I pursed my lips and turned in the opposite direction... attentively listening to the bizarre sound... until my muscles tensed up at the alarming situation.

"What are you!? A tiger!?- A bear?!- A monster!?- Fucking scare me again, and I'll kill you!" I screamed, attempting to chase off whatever it was by limping in the direction. If I run- It'll hunt me.

"Ah!" I screeched in a panic when a shadow stepped out from a tree in the far left corner, so I quickly backed away to snatch a fist-size rock from the soggy mud.

"I'M NOT SCARED!- COME AT ME YOU FUCKER!" I screamed, angrily lifting the rock within my slippery grip while glaring at the looming shadow. Flick. I flinched at the blinding beam and squinted my eyes to shield my face.  

I quickly glanced at the distorted shadow... to find... Yangcha... staring at me with the flashlight in his hand. He glanced at the rock in my palm and back at my dirt-smudged face as I panted heavily under the dripping wet leaves with my eyes wide open in shock.

"Where have you been?!- I've been screaming your name for hours!" I shrieked, furiously stomping over the mud with the rock and angrily smacked his chest as the warm tears coated my burning cheeks. I know he's upset with me! But did he have to leave me and our baby in the wilderness like this?! He's a terrible husband! Yangcha suddenly tugged me into a crushing hug, causing me to drop the rock from my hand, so I wailed and hugged his back in frustration. I was so scared!

"Hey," Yangcha whispered as he gripped the back of my soaked hair, so I cried and buried my face against his shoulder as he held me firmly under the swaying tree branches. The dim flashlight... barely... illuminating the dark wilderness as the cold shower poured over our heads.

"I thought I'd get lost and die here! Did you think you could get away and let me raise the child alone without child support?! You bad person!- I'm freaking broke!- So don't even think about ditching me to marry a new woman!" I sobbed in distress. Yangcha tightened his grip around my waist, so I hugged him tightly as he pressed his face against the side of my head.

"I thought you'd never return to me," He whispered.

"How could I not!?! They wouldn't let me leave!" I sniffled. He patted my back to console me, so I pulled away to stare at his troubled expression. I miss him! He gently brushed my hair strands from my face as I pouted at him.

"You're not far from home. It's pretty impressive," Yangcha smiled, gently rubbing the dirt from my cheeks. He took my hand and drew me to the left path... and to my disbelief... we ended up in front of a villa just five minutes later. Oh! I was close to home!

A moment later.

I quietly sat on the built-in bench in the shower stall with my lips pursed. My cold body vibrating... now and then as Yangcha crouched before me to scrub my legs and feet with a soft body sponge. He didn't speak and gently rubbed the excess dirt off my skin as I gripped the edge of the tiles with a tearful gaze on his exhausted face. The alpha took my hand to stroke the sponge all over my forearm and stood up to scrub my back. I rested my forehead against his solid torso for support as he slid the material down to my buttcheeks. He's... dressed in his usual short boxer with a plain white shirt over his torso.

Yangcha grabbed the shower head to stream the warm water over my face... so I closed my eyes to let him wash my cheeks and slid his fingers down to my neck to wash off the slippery soap. He was very delicate with my skin as we remained muted in the bathroom until he was done showering me. The alpha quickly showered himself as I sat on the bench, guiltily eyeing his toned body as he turned his back on me. He then... grabbed the towel to dry my body.

Is he still upset...? I pursed my lips as he pulled the gown over my head after helping me out of the stall... so I lifted my arms through the long silk sleeves. He made me sit at the vanity table, plugged the hair dryer... and virr~! I closed my eyes. He gently combed his fingers through my hair to loosen the tangled strands as the warm heat blew against my wet scalp.

I finally stood up from the chair to sit on the neatly made bed after Yangcha strolled inside our closet to pull a shirt over his shirtless body. He finally made eye contact with me, so I gripped my hands nervously as he ruffled his buzz cut with the clean towel, and tossed it aside before strolling forward to crouch at my feet. He took my hands as I tearfully searched his stern expression. I failed him. Again.

"Are you feeling unwell? I'll get you medication," He asked, gently lifting his hand to caress my cheek.

"Are you upset...?" I whispered, pursing my lips in guilt. Yangcha clenched his jaw as he studied my face before lowering his head to rest his forehead against my baby bump. My throat suddenly burned intensely, so I gripped his hands as he calmly leaned against me.

"I am," Yangcha admitted, lifting his face to stare at me with an apologetic frown.

"I'm sorry- I know you're concerned about my safety... but my household- eomma passed. Please forgive me, oh? I promise I won't run away again and make sure to keep our baby safe," I sobbed. Yangcha frowned at me as I broke down and lowered my face to cry in distress. He rubbed my knuckles to soothe my flooding emotions as I sniffled in pain. Her death is hitting me. I don't know. But I feel so lost. I should've shown up earlier at the mansion.

Maybe I could've saved her from death.

"I'm not mad at you for running away. I know you'll return because where will you go with our baby in your belly like this? I'm upset because... your health is frail. You get sick easily... and you don't often take great care of yourself in a situation like this," He whispered. I pursed my lips apologetically.

"I yielded my power. The cult seized control of my assets... and the council... they're after you. I'm afraid... we're not safe here anymore," I whispered, fearfully staring at Yangcha. The alpha frowned as he examined the dread... on my face.

"That's why I didn't race to you. You told me to stay in the shadows, so I did," Yangcha patted my hands.

"What if they find us?" I whispered. 

"If they find us... I'll let you kill me. Remember our promise?" He whispered. I sobbed and lowered my head to shake my head.

"I've lost everything in my life. My children. My family. My power. I can't lose you too," I whispered. The warm tear streams... trickling from my lower lashes. Yangcha sighed heavily and lifted his fingers to brush my tears with his thumb.

"Whatever you lose. I'll reclaim it all back for you. Except... for your mother. She deserves to be dead," He muttered, dimming his eyes on me. I sniffled and glanced at our wedding ring on his finger and at my empty hand. Yangcha took off my ring from the necklace thread around his neck and gently slid it back onto my finger.

"I have no power to protect you," I apologetically muttered. Yangcha shook his head and leaned upward to kiss my cheek before standing up to tower over me.

"Don't worry about me. I'll protect you. Can I show you something?" He smiled. I unsurely stared at his sudden mood shift and stood up with him... slightly wary... of his request. Yangcha smiled, leading me out of our bedroom and into the dark corridor... so I nervously followed him into the living room.

My heart dropped to the ground when I found... two bodies lying on the couch with the cushions on their sides. My mind suddenly failed to process the scene as I stood with my startled... gaze on the familiar faces as Yangcha slipped his arms around my waist to hold me with his chin rested on my shoulder. He gently rubbed my belly while back-hugging me in the dark space as I stood... cemented in place... too startled to react. I blinked at their cute pajamas before glancing at their peaceful faces... until the flooding tears formed in my eyes.

"What the-" I scoffed, quickly rushing forward to kneel on the carpet in the dark room with an aching heart as the twins remained on the couch. They were both... soundly asleep. I scoffed in shock as my chest stirred with an uncomfortable ache... so I quickly lifted my hand... in an attempt to touch them... but I halted with my fingers... suspended over their soft mochi cheeks. I shouldn't wake them. I watched them breathe at a steady rhythm... deeply asleep beside the cozy cushions.

A stream of unconscious tears dripped from my eyes as Yangcha sat on the opposite couch to watch me admire my lost children. I sniffled and lowered my head to grip my aching chest in relief after I realized... my children... were safely... resting on the couch. Sobbing softly... I lifted my arms to hug their warm bodies... until I ended up breaking down in the living room while kneeling on the floor.

"I brought them back for you... as promised," Yangcha whispered.

I nodded and hugged the twins tightly, causing them to grumble in their sleep as my chest throbbed in pain. My heart is breaking into pieces. I have failed to save them. Why is a mother so powerless when it comes to defending her child?

I sobbed and choked weakly on my tears before lifting my gaze to scan their pale faces... gently placing my shaky palms against their soft cheeks... to stroke their flushed skin with my thumb. Ah~! I thought I lost them to the devil! I sniffled and lowered my head again, tightly gripping their pajamas until I felt the swelling pain in my ribs... subsiding to the relief of being able to hold their innocent souls... within my embrace again.

I won't lose them. Not again!

Fast Forward

Woojin sniffed in his sleep once his nostrils picked up a savory scent in the air. The child stirred beside his twin but didn't open his eyes. Sniff. Sniff. He flared his small nostrils while patting the cushion... aimlessly searching for his brother until his hand fumbled upon Kanghoon's nostrils.

"Can- you smell it~? Kanghoonie- Wake up..." Woojin muttered, sleepily opening his eyes but was too sleepy, so he rolled over with his legs hooked over Kanghoon's belly. His twin brother grumbled, forced Woojin's hand off his face, and pushed his small body upward to sit up on the couch with his striking messy hair.

"Oh...? The smell...?" Kanghoon cutely sniffed the air like a little bunny with his eyes closed as Woojin rolled on the couch with his butt sticking upward before sitting up... unable to make sense of their surroundings. I smiled and placed the dish on the table as they both sat with their eyes closed... hair striking messily... and faces puffy from the good night's sleep.

"Aigo~! My little dumplings~! Eomma made you seotteok seotteok~!" I ruffled their hair, eagerly sitting down on the carpet and lifted the plate to their flaring nostrils. Sniff. Sniff. The twins funnily leaned forward to sniff the steaming snack with a slight frown while scratching their heads with their half-open eyes. 

"Eomma~?" Kanghoon opened one of his eyes to examine the warm skewers, unsurely grabbing the stick with his small fingers. Woojin did the same without acknowledging me. They exhaled and slumped against the couch to chew on the snack... still oblivious to my presence. I grinned and placed the plate away to watch them lick and munch the skewer with their eyes half open.

"Is it delicious~?" I curiously tucked my arms under my chin while admiring their cute puffy cheeks.

"Eomma made it~?" Woojin muttered while chewing the sausage.

"Of course~! Anything for my babies~!" I grinned.

Kanghoon softly chuckled and shifted his sleepy eyes to me. The child suddenly flinched, halting to stare at me with his startled doe eyes. He glanced at Woojin... who was cluelessly wiggling beside him while chewing the snack. The puppy quickly averted his bewildered gaze to me again... as if he were staring at a ghost. I lifted my eyebrow to question his adorable reaction.

"OH!" Kanghoon shrieked, smacking Woojin's head.

"Ow!" Woojin whined, glaring at his brother while gripping the skewer.

"You seeing what I'm seeing~?!" Kanghoon averted his shaken gaze to me again. Woojin rolled his eyes and glanced at me but flinched in a panic once he recognized my face. Ah~! How adorable~! The twins stared at me with their wide-opened eyes as they intensely clutched the warm skewer. They didn't dare move but gawked at me with the sausage left unchewed in their stuffed mouth.

"Wae~? Is there something on eomma's face~?" I teased while smiling at their stunned reaction.

"OH!" The twins shrieked, suddenly scrambling onto their feet to stand on the couch without averting their gaze away from me. Woojin shook his dazed head and quickly crouched down to inspect my face with his lips ajar as I held in my laughter. The child glanced me up and down... like a little monkey... as if to verify his visions weren't deceiving him.

"What's the matter?" I chuckled. Woojin gasped, dramatically collapsing backward, but didn't let go of his skewer. Kanghoon suddenly lifted his tiny feet to boop my nose with his wiggling toe under the warm sock. I closed my eyes as the child repeatedly nudged my face with his feet to check my solid form.

"Oh!" Kanghoon gasped, suddenly yanking my hair with a startled look. Ouch! He gasped louder when he realized it was real hair.

"Ah~! Hey!- That's not nice~!" I whined, gently holding his hand to make him ease his grip on my hair.

"Ah!" Kanghoon shrieked, toppling backward in horror as I rubbed my sore sculpt. The twins quickly glanced at one another in horror before glancing back at me with their stunned expressions.

"Aigo~ You can't recognize eomma~?" I bitterly frowned at them. The twin's eyeballs suddenly bulged open when their small brains finally processed my actual existence.

"EOMMA!? EOMMA! EOMMAAAAA~!" They screeched, suddenly launching forward. Thump! I scoffed in shock once their force slammed against my body. The child screeched in distress while hugging my body with their possessive grips, so I clutched their small bodies with a big pout. Oh~! I miss their comforting hugs~!

"Hey~! How are you doing~?" I chuckled in tears. The twins quickly pulled away to kiss my cheeks, lips, and all over my face, making me giggle at the ticklish sensation.

"You're real~! Oh~! Boobies~! Real~! Eomma~!" Woojin shrieked as he groped my breast to confirm my identity. I laughed and kissed his sweetly scented cheeks before turning to kiss Kanghoon, who was hugging my neck tightly as I sat cross-legs on the floor.

"We miss you~! Eomma! Bad men-! Bad men! Darkroom~! Scary faces! Kanghoonie is scared!" Kanghoon sobbed in distress.

"Woojinie is scared too~! Eomma~! They- Bad men- Playground~! Scary~! Very scary~!" Woojin cried, pulling away to pout at me with his puckered lips, causing my heart to break into pieces... at the sight of their terrified faces.

"It's okay~! You're safe now. Hmm~? I won't let anyone hurt you anymore~! Okay?" I pouted at them while fighting the urge to burst out crying. The twins cried in relief and hugged me again, so I patted their backs while holding their squirmy bodies tightly in my arms. They wouldn't release me and cried for a while... so I gently consoled them until they... finally got distracted by the snack in their hand and sat on the carpet with me to munch the sausage.

A moment later.

"Where's ahjussi~?" Woojin asked, curiously resting his head on my lap as I sat on the couch in my gown. Kanghoon tightly hugged my waist by my side while staring at the television screen with his attentive doe eyes. They seem... unbothered by the abduction. Are they alright?

"He's outside doing his work," I nodded at the pool as Yangcha trimmed his plank by the pool.

"Eomma. Where is appa~?" Kanghoon muttered. I blinked and glanced down at them.

"He's busy," I whispered. They exhaled and glanced at the television screen.

"Okay," The twins replied. I softly patted their soft head before kissing their vanilla-scented hair. I thought I'd lose them forever... but I'm at peace now. I'll never let them out of sight again.

"Was he nice to you? Ahjussi~?" I curiously asked. The twins didn't answer and stared at the cartoon with their unblinking glassy pupils. Woojin was playing with my fingers as Kanghoon balanced a bundle of my hair strands over his mouth.

"Yes. Ahjussi... can cook. No porridge~! Good food~! But- The bad men- gave us bad food~! belly~ ouchie~!" Kanghoon nodded after a while. I stroked his soft cheek.

"He didn't scare you?" I curiously asked. Yangcha really didn't hurt them?

"He saved us from bad men~! Ahjusshi said... eomma will come to find us~!" Woojin nodded. That's a relief. I glanced at Yangcha as he strolled inside the villa, so I smiled at him as he passed by the couch from behind. He leaned down to kiss my forehead before walking off in his sweat-drenched shirt. The twins curiously glanced at Yangcha and back at me as I smiled at them but they didn't say anything and glanced back at the television.

Dinner

Yangcha softly kissed my cheek as he sat beside me on the carpet. The twins sat across from us with their confused yet curious gaze as they glanced back and forth between us. Yangcha poured them each a cup of water as I reached over the table to place the food on their warm rice.

"Eomma~ Why is ahjussi kissing you~?" Woojin whispered behind his hand, nervously glancing at Yangcha, who smiled at the child's loud whisper.

"I'm her husband," Yangcha replied. Kanghoon's mouth fell open in shock.

"But what about appa~?" Woojin blinked, curiously staring at us from across the table. I frowned at the young souls and glanced at Yangcha.

"Eomma~ And appa~ Aren't together anymore, but we both love you. Okay~?" I smiled. They nodded... but they were somewhat... still baffled as they lowered their faces to eat from their bowl.

"So- Appa isn't your husband~?" Kanghoon asked, lifting his curious eyes to me.

"No. Ahjussi is my husband. Eomma loves ahjussi~!" I explained.

"You don't love appa~? Wae? Because he's mean~?" Woojin questioned. Yangcha glanced at me, so I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"We just don't love each other anymore," I shrugged. They nodded again.

"So what do we call ahjussi~?" Kanghoon asked, blinking at the alpha while chewing on one side of his cheek. I exchanged awkward glances with Yangcha.

"Call me whatever you're comfortable with," Yangcha smiled.

"Eomma's husband~?" The twins giggle cutely. I chuckled and shook my head.

"My name is Jae Yangcha~!" Yangcha smiled. They cutely giggled again and nodded as I nervously stared at them. They must be confused. The twins don't even know their real father.... and their adopted father isn't even here anymore because of my relationship with Yangcha.

A moment later.

"Ah~! I'm scared~ Ouchie!" Woojin pouted while sitting on my lap. I hugged him tightly on the stool as Yangcha rubbed his small wrist with a sanitizer pad to prepare the child for injection.

"Are you sure it's safe?" I asked, nervously staring at Yangcha.

"You don't trust me?" He asked, lifting his dim gaze to mine with a bitter look.

"No, it's just-" I tried to speak when Yangcha suddenly pressed the needle against his own vein to inject himself with the substance. I pursed my lips and looked at him apologetically as Woojin wiggled on my lap.

"I'm only boosting their immune system so they can recover quickly," Yangcha muttered, throwing away the used syringe. I nervously stared at the blood spot on his forearm as he prepared a new kit for the child.

Woojin clenched tightly onto my hand as I clasped my hand over his eyes to prevent the child from looking, causing the bear to groan and pout anxiously. Yangcha pushed the needle under the child's skin to inject the drug... causing the bear to whimper in distress... but before he could cry out loud- Yangcha pulled out the needle... and placed a cute bandage on the blood spot.

"Not so bad~! See~? So proud of you!" I grinned, lifting Woojin's face upward to distract him as he pouted at me. I couldn't resist his cuteness, so I gave him a soft peck on his lips.

"Hehe~ Not bad~!" He agreed with tears in his eyes. I kissed his cheek again and placed him down. Kanghoon nervously gripped my gown as I lifted him upward to place him on my lap.

"That's a badge for your achievement~!" Yangcha smiled at Woojin as the child examined the cute bandage on his wrist.

"I don't like it~!" Kanghoon whined, pouting at me, so I kissed his lips and tugged his head against my chest to hold him still.

"I know you're a superman~! Hmm~? It's only a little prick! I promise~!" I assured.

Kanghoon whimpered and pressed his cutely screwed face against my cleavage as Yangcha sanitized his wrist to search for the veins and gently lifted the new needle to inject the medication. Kanghoon winced in pain but didn't scream as I rubbed his back, so Yangcha quickly placed the bandage on his blood spot to seal the opening.

"See~! Not so bad~" I grinned while running my fingers through his soft hair. Kanghoon sniffled and lifted his wrist to stare at the puppy bandaged.

"So cool~!" Woojin grinned, showing Kanghoon his bear bandage. I placed the children down as they glanced at each other's stickers in their pajamas. I weakly smiled at Yangcha as he packed the used kit in the disposable bin. He then... carried the kids to bed as they giggled over their cute bandages.

____________________

Fast Forward

I stirred softly on the mattress while staring at the twins as they slept on the spare mattress beside my bed under the dim moonlight... beaming brightly through the see-through glass wall. Yangcha stirred behind me as he unconsciously placed his arm over my waist. He gently rubbed my belly with his nose pressed against my nape, so I patted his fingers while staring at the twins from our bed. Woojin was sleeping with his legs rested over his pillow and his head on... Kanghoon's thigh. They stir and murmur a lot in their sleep. It must be the nightmare.

I blinked out of my thoughts when Yangcha shifted his hand from my baby bump to grope my breasts, gently kneading me, making me exhale in relief at his soothing touch. He does it often. Touching me here and there in his sleep. Carefully... I lifted his forearm to place it over his chest, causing Yangcha to turn and lay on his back... but he shifted onto his side again to back-hug me... gently pulling me closer to his body.

A chill of goosebumps... swept across my skin as he panted steadily against the side of my ear with his humid breath... so I turned to lay on my back and gently pushed his shoulder to make him lay on the mattress. The alpha unconsciously tasted his lips and turned his head away.

"What's wrong...?" Yangcha hoarsely spoke up, suddenly turning to squint his eyes at me over the pillow. He scratched my scalp as I pulled the blanket over my nose to cover my red cheeks. The alpha gently tugged the blanket down and lowered his face to kiss my lips, so I quickly pulled the sheet back up to cover my face again.

"Nothing. Sleep," I assured, pulling his hand off my head to place it over his bare chest.

Yangcha sleepily scratched his chest and closed his eyes again, so I sighed in relief when he suddenly jerked upward to sit on the mattress. I blinked at him as he rubbed his face and turned to study me with a confused look. His eyes... were barely opened. Yangcha crawled off the bed to enter the bathroom without speaking. I heard him peeing and the sink running for a brief moment. He strolled out of the bathroom in his boxer while scratching his head.

"What's wrong? Hmm...? Do you feel unwell?" Yangcha grumbled as he sat at the foot of the bed, sleepily glancing at the sleeping twins with his puffy face as he rubbed the base of my feet that were poking out from under the blanket.

"Nothing. I'm okay~!" I smiled, still covering my face. I quickly slipped my feet under the blanket to stop him from touching me. Yangcha paused and stared at me with a questioning look as he struggled to stay awake.

"You don't want me to touch you...?" He grumbled while scratching his head.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Get some sleep," I assured, gently patting the empty space beside me. Yangcha narrowed his eyes suspiciously as I gripped the blanket over my nose.

"You're acting weird-"

"Hey!- What are you doing?!" I whispered in a panic when he suddenly yanked the blanket off my body. I tried to tug it back, but he tossed it aside and crawled over my body with his hands pressed beside my head... until I was trapped beneath his shirtless body. I nervously twisted my legs while staring at him as he studied my face with one eyebrow raised.

"Your cheeks are flushed," He frowned while hovering above me. I softly whined and hugged my chest.

"I'm fine-"

"Legs apart, woman. How are you going to sleep in this condition?" Yangcha grunted, suddenly lifting my legs to make me bend my knees over the mattress.

"W-What-? Hey~!" I gasped when he crawled down my body and slipped his head under my nightgown, so I quickly grabbed his head as he pressed his face against my thin panty, causing my body to vibrate intensely from the thrills of his nose tip's friction.

"You're in heat. Are you going to suppress it~?" Yangcha asked, drawing his head from under the gown to stare at me with a mischievous smile. I bit my fingers and glanced at the twins on the lower mattress.

"But they're asleep," I pointed at the kids. Yangcha glanced at the pair of bowl cuts before crawling over my body again to slip his strong arms under my body. I clung to his thick neck as he effortlessly lifted me off the mattress, crawled out of the bed, and strolled out of the bedroom.

"You should've woken me up earlier," He muttered as he gently rested me on the couch and softly kissed my lips. It wasn't necessary.

My hormones can skyrocket at times... but it usually subsides after I sleep. My husband sleepily walked away to grab a spare towel and blanket from our cabinet as I adjusted my position over the cushions. Yangcha spread the towel over the couch and lifted my body onto the clean sheet before lifting my gown off my body and hurled it aside. I twisted my legs and hugged my sensitive breasts as he crawled between my legs again and lowered his head to my panties.

"Sorry..." I whispered. He chuckled and gently pressed his lips against my groin, causing me to tense my body. He slipped the loose straps from my hipbones and slid the panties down my thighs before tossing them aside.

"The husband is always on duty to please his wife," He smiled, sticking out his tongue to lick me upwards. I shivered and covered my mouth as he lowered his face to eat me out until my body trembled from the arousing activities of his tongue. I grabbed the cushion to tuck it under my head so I could watch him play with my sensitive area until my face grew numb from the arousing sensation.

"Isn't it weird?" I whispered, reaching downward to stroke the scar over his head while moaning in satisfaction as he gently slurped my sensitive lady part.

"What is?" Yangcha asked, lifting his eyes to stare at me from between my legs while licking me. I panted at the arousing strokes until I felt the heat expanding within my throbbing crotch.

"To do this? Don't you feel dirty?" I smiled. Yangcha chuckled and sat up between my legs. He gently pressed the pad of his fingers against my crotch... and slid his fingers inside me, making me moan in pressure as he gently stroked my inside in an upward motion until my lady part throbbed with extreme pleasure.

"How's anything related to you dirty~?" He smiled while teasing me with his fingers. I gasped and tilted my head backward as he slipped his fingers in and out of me before lowering his head to suck on the sensitive spot again. My sore body... squirming in distress... the more satisfied I was with his pleasuring massage.

"Did you ever... consider our relationship as only sexual...?" I whispered in difficulty. Yangcha stared at me with a slight frown before crawling upward to kiss my lips. Smooch. Smooch. He produced a wet kissing sound between our lips until I opened my mouth to accept his thirsty tongue while playing with his earlobes.

"What is my wife saying again~? Are you sure you're okay~? What's wrong with lusting for your body if you feel the same way towards me? There's nothing wrong with lovemaking between a husband and a wife as long as we have each other's consent, right? It would be weird if I claim to love you but aren't sexually aroused by the sight of your sacred body," He chuckled, lifting his flustered face to gaze at me. I chuckled and hugged his back before letting out another breathy moan, only to be suffocated by his lips again. I pulled him down to deepen the kiss as he adjusted his hips between my thighs to rub his bulge over my crotch, causing my body to tense up as he slowly inserted himself.

He was very patient and started slow to ensure I wasn't too stiff. I gripped his forearm as he steadily thrust his crotch forward to pump inside me until I took a deep exhale to resist the blazing-hot pleasure. Yangcha smiled at me as I stared at his sexy body, so I grabbed his palm to place it on my boobs.

"Touch me. I like it when you touch me," I sensually whispered while biting my fingers. He chuckled, lowering his face to lick the tips, making me giggle at the ticklish sensation. I pursed my lips in pleasure when he kneaded my breasts and sucked onto it intensely before sitting up again to focus on his deep thrusts. We moaned softly... every now and then but made sure to keep our voices down because we didn't want to wake the twins.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt?" Yangcha whispered while studying my face as I bit my fingers with a flushed face... eyes... glued to his red cheeks.

"Why don't you often ask to have sex lately?" I asked. Yangcha chuckled and pressed his palm over my moist groin to stimulate my pleasure spot with his thumb, making me moan his name in distress as he thrust repeatedly to weaken my body with the hot jolts.

"I was traumatized... after what I did to your body under the drug influence. Didn't want to hurt your body again, so I chose to suppress my urge and wait for your consent. Wae?" Yangcha replied as he sat between my legs. I nodded and rubbed my fuming face with a faint smile.

"I really love it when you handle me like this," I whispered.

"You're pregnant anyways. I figured you're not always in the mood," Yangcha shrugged.

"Does it feel good? Still?" I asked curiously. Yangcha moaned in satisfaction before lowering his face to hover his parted lips above mine but didn't kiss me.

"Look at my cheeks. Is it red? And feel my heartbeat," He whispered, lifting my palm to press it against his left chest. I felt his heart vibrating against the base of my palm as he intensely stared at me with a flustered face. Smiling, I pulled him down to deepen our kiss as he clutched onto my shoulder while shoving his hips forward to please our heated bodies with his manly movements. He moaned in pleasure and shifted his face to nibble my neck while fondling my breast so I bit my lower lips and gripped onto his toned back with my eyes closed. 

A moment later.

Yangcha returned to the couch after putting the dirty towel away and pulled the spare blanket over my body. He sat down on the carpet to stare at me as I held the sheet over my naked body. He lifted the blanket... and gently kissed my baby bump... making me smile at his sweet gesture.

"Can I ask you a question? It might be a little personal," I whispered while grazing his cheek with my finger.

"There's nothing personal between us," He shrugged, pecking my lips as he interlaced our hands. I lay sideways on the couch with my upper naked body exposed to his view as Yangcha sat on the carpet to admire me. He gently kissed my breast tips... making me chuckle at the ticklish sensation as the man nibbled my nipples and gently tweaked them between his fingers. 

"Do you still want to hurt the twins...?" I asked, unsurely gazing at him. I've been feeling very restless since I returned to find the twins sitting under the same roof as him.

"No," Yangcha shook his head without hesitating.

"Are you sure?" I uneasily stared at him as he kissed my hand.

"You know... my brain... is a bit... defective. I'm sure you're aware... and I'm aware too. During our early days... I tend to harbor... dysfunctional thoughts. I thought... you can only love one person. I didn't... like the fact that you were sharing your affection with the twins. It made me uneasy because I was afraid you'd leave me for them.... which is understandable... because of your motherly instinct," He softly whispered as I stroked his firm cheek.

"I was terrified. That you'll someday replace me with them. And for some reason... my mind convinced me to overcomplicate the matter. I was even more restless when I realized they weren't mine because I thought you cheated on me... I was upset. Angry. Very angry. But then... after everything unfolded... I realized... you're not at fault. There's nothing we can do because we still love each other... even during the most difficult times of our relationship... I know we love each other. I found it rather... difficult to trust you because I wake up every day with this chronic fear... of being abandoned by you," He sighed, gently tracing his fingers over my cleavage. 

"That's why... I made you the bracelet to keep you close. And that's why I thought... keeping you captive is the only way for you to remain by my side forever. I was stupid. And I can be... deadly when I'm mad... that's why I wanted to... hurt the twins. During those times... I have no control of my mind. It's defection I can't seem to restrain. I won't make up excuses for the messed up things I did to you. Like when I... strayed too far with your body... I was at fault. And because of all the mistakes I made... I felt frightened that you'd somehow gather enough of my faults to leave my side," He muttered as I lowered my hand to caress his thick neck. Yangcha gently leaned forward to brush his lips over mine, so I closed my eyes to savor his sweet strokes before opening my eyes to gaze... sleepily at his troubled expression.

"But you also proved your patience and love for me. You left me when you needed to, even if I was against it. And... as always... you'd return. So I'm assured now. That... just because you bore another man's children... it doesn't mean I'm being loved less by you. It was an accident... and I definitely do not wish to hurt your feelings or mine over the matter anymore," Yangcha quietly spoke as I listened to his justifications.

"So you're okay with the twins? Living with us?" I asked.

"Oh. You said you can't give up on me or the twins. I understand. How can I possibly force you to pick between food and water? You'd perish without one... whichever you pick. You need both to thrive. We can live together, you don't have to return to the city anymore. We could've avoided this trouble if only... I had accepted the situation earlier. I was foolish, but I've learned to compromise for the sake of your happiness," He whispered.

"I believe you, Yangcha. I believe every word of yours. But... I still feel a bit uneasy. You understand, right?" I sadly stared at him.

"Yeah. I do. Of course, you're still frightened. But I promise you... I will not hurt them. Okay? We can live together. I'm happy. You're happy. So this should work out between us," Yangcha nodded. I stared at him in silence to contemplate my thoughts. Can I trust him with the twins...?

"Okay," I whispered. Yangcha smiled and pecked my lips again.

"Plus... our child would be lonely. It's nice to have siblings. I don't want our baby to be the only child. I was really lonely growing up," Yangcha chuckled. I smiled as he snuggled his face against mine, so I closed my eyes and squeezed his hand.

Fast Forward

It wasn't so bad after all.

We got along really well. By that, I meant Yangcha and the twins. They were like friends, and he was somewhat very comfortable around them, unlike our early rough patch. I thought I'd have to live the rest of my life torn in half because I couldn't give up on the twins or my lover, but somehow... we were able to reconcile and become whole again. Do the twins love the Jaguar? Yes. They're not as tense around him as they are around Kim Taehyung. Yangcha is still a child by heart... so he's usually very sympathetic... and he has never once raised his voice at the twins.

During the day, the twins would follow Yangcha around the house to help him with the chores or whatever the alpha was doing. Some days, they'd sit outside by the poolside with him as Yangcha built a new bed for the twins with the wood planks he stored at the back house.

On other days, the twins would drive around in their mini cars that Yangcha had bought as gifts to keep them entertained. Some days... the twins would sit in the store room to help Yangcha build whatever he was crafting. They'd bring him the tools and ask plenty of questions out of curiosity... and every time... Yangcha would answer them.

He even teaches the kids to craft the devices.

The twins loved it when Yangcha allowed their involvement in whatever he was doing. Unlike Taehyung... he'd rather sit on the side to watch the twins do their own things. Some days... they'd rush up to me with the new toys Yangcha helped them build. One time... they were obsessed with this small robotic duck that Yangcha had assembled and would make it walk all over the villa.

And me? I was happy. I finally didn't have to care about my duty in the society anymore because I was finally free from the power burden. The place that felt like a prison to me... became my forever home... filled with my children's soothing laughter... and my partner's love and warmth. I was at peace and happy with our close-knit family.

"Why are you bothering him early in the morning...?" I mumbled, rolling on the mattress to find Woojin sitting on his chest. Kanghoon funnily wiggled his finger inside the alpha's nostril as my husband sleepily stared at them from the pillow.

"Play with us~!" Kanghoon giggled as he hugged Yangcha's neck, who lifted his hand to ruffle the child's hair.

"Why do they always wake up so early? Is it a habit?" Yangcha muttered, glancing at me in confusion.

"Yeah. Taehyung often wakes up early for work. They get up with him," I nodded.

"Ah! Hey!" Yangcha gasped when Woojin pinched his nipple. The child giggled and tilted backward until he lost balance and fell into me. I smiled and hugged Woojin as Yangcha rubbed his sore chest. Kanghoon smiled and kissed Yangcha's cheek while poking the scar on his head in curiosity.

"How to get- muscles~? Like this~?" Woojin asked, sitting up to trace his fingers over the alpha's defined pecs.

"Love a woman like eomma... and you'll have this kind of body," Yangcha teased the child. Woojin chuckled without understanding his words.

"Let's play~!" Kanghoon tugged Yangcha's arm until the man sat up to cradle the child as Woojin hugged my waist and gave me a soft peck on my lips. I brushed his rosy red cheeks before sitting up with striking messy hair.

"Go and shower. I'll make breakfast," I smiled. The twins shrieked at the thought of food, scrambled off the mattress, and rushed inside the bathroom with their blue towels. Yangcha smiled, suddenly snatching me by my waist, and slammed my body back onto the bed. I gasped and smacked his firm bicep as he aggressively sniffed my scent with his nose pressed against my face.

"Ah~ They keep disturbing us~!" Yangcha groaned, gently kissing my cheeks, causing me to giggle at the ticklish sensation. We kissed softly, so I hugged his head until he lifted his face to smother himself with my cleavage while kneading my breast like a kitten. I chuckled and patted his shoulder before pecking the scar on his head, making Yangcha exhale in relief as he clung to my body.

"I'm so lucky. I'm so lucky to have you as my wife. Ah~! So lucky~!" Yangcha muttered, sleepily kissing my cleavage, and lifted his face to peck my lips again. I giggled and cupped his cheeks while gazing fondly at his handsome face. We softly exchanged heartfelt chuckles and sealed our lips again as Yangcha gently leaned over my upper body to hold me under him.

A moment later.

"Yeobo. Have some fruits," I muttered, strolling through the glass door to place a plate of fruits on the table before settling on the pool bench as Yangcha drilled the wood in the opening. I picked up a sliced apple and fed him, so Yangcha opened his mouth to accept the offer before turning to inspect the plank again.

"Where are they?" Yangcha asked, lifting his sweaty face to stare at me as I munch on the carrot.

"Napping on the couch," I shrugged and gently wiped the swelling beads on his forehead. 

Yangcha nodded and turned to examine the rim of the wood as I watched him assemble the bed frame on the ground when- Whoosh! Kanghoon came strolling out of the villa... in his white underwear without any clothes on. Yangcha cluelessly lifted his face and glanced at the child as I watched the boy skip over the pavement with his plump belly. His eyes were half open. Is he sleepwalking...?- Plop!

I froze in horror as I watched my child hop into the deep pool... without a warning and disappear from sight. Yangcha stared at the soft ripple with a startled look at how.... peacefully the child disappeared under the surface without stirring the water. Just like a droplet of water... plopping into the pool. WHAT THE FUCK!?

"Omo! Kanghoon-ah!" I gasped, quickly getting up from the bench. Yangcha cursed in disbelief, quickly scrambling from the floor and- SPLASH!

The alpha dived into the pool as I raced to the edge in shock. How can he run and leap into the pool like that!? He can't swim! Yangcha seized the sinking child and quickly pulled the boy out onto the surface- causing Kanghoon to gasp in a panic. His sleepy eyes... were now... bulging open in a horror as the pool water trickled from his flooded nostrils and mouth.

"Why did you jump like that!?!" Yangcha scoffed, quickly rubbing the water off Kanghoon's pale face as the child gasped and shivered in fear.

"Eomma! Ah~ Waaaah~!" Kanghoon finally shrieked when he found his voice. His face turned bright red as Yangcha carried the boy towards me.

"WEEEEE~!" Woojin shrieked. I snapped my head just in time to find the other twin racing toward the pool in his superman underpants.

"NO- WOOJIN!" I screamed in fear as the boy leaped off the edge with his right arm extended like a flying Superman- PLOP! The child sank right beneath the surface... like a waterdrop... and disappeared beneath the surface.

"What the fuck!? YAH!" Yangcha gasped, hastily pushing Kanghoon into my arms, and swam towards the other twin as he wiggled helplessly under the surface. Kanghoon whimpered and hugged my body with his slimy snot as I watched Yangcha grab Woojin to hurl him out of the deep end.

"AH! AH! CAN'T BREATHE-" Woojin shrieked the instant he was out of the water with a terrified look. Yangcha quickly paddled toward the pull edge to place the child on the concrete floor before hurling himself out as Woojin cried in distress.

"Aigo~! I told you not to go near the pool!" Yangcha snapped as he lifted the twin to hold the child against his chest, so I glanced down at Kanghoon... who was shivering from the cold water with a big pout.

A moment later.

The twins sat crossed legs on the couch with a towel over their heads in a fresh set of clothes as I placed the cool patch over their feverish heads. Sniffle. They shuddered with runny noses as I sat in front of them to check their body temperature. They are obviously traumatized by their first pool encounter. I still have no idea why they thought it was a good idea to hop into a deep pool in their panties right after they woke up from their nap.

"Why did you jump like that...? You should've informed eomma or ahjussi first. It's very dangerous~!" I grimaced while pulling the colorful sock over their small feet to keep them warm.

"The pool looks shallow~!" Woojin pouted.

"We wanted to swim~ Like the fish in movies~!" Kanghoon muttered.

"The pool is deep. It's five times your height. It might look shallow... but it's not... so don't try to jump like that again. Okay? You might drown if eomma or ahjussi isn't around," I shook my head. They sniffled and nodded, so I kissed their cheeks before glancing at Yangcha, who had resumed working on the bed in his drenched clothes after he saved the kids.

"We want to swim!!! Like Nemo~!" Woojin shrieked, pointing at the television screen, so I turned to stare at the orange-striped clownfish with a slight grimace. So that's what inspired them to hop into a pool...?

"I'll find time to teach you guys. Okay? But for now... don't go near the pool," I smiled, turning to them. They nodded, cutely huddling under the towel, making me smile at their cuteness.

What were they thinking? How can they scurry just like that and plop!- Disappearing right into the pool without even splashing? Like a sinking rock! It's hilarious but scary at the same time!

Fast Forward

"Woah~! Can we get this too?!" Kanghoon turned to look at me with the stylish blue goggles strapped over his eyes as I inspected the swimsuits in the supermarket aisle.

"Sure. Get one each," I smiled. Yangcha appeared with Kanghoon with a bunch of snacks.

"Kanghoonie~ Which color do you want? Yellow~? You like yellow~!" Woojin asked as he crouched by the rack to look through the colorful goggles.

"Yellow is pretty~!" Kanghoon gasped, quickly racing toward his baby brother and crouched before the accessories on the lower rack. Yangcha placed the snacks in the cart and carefully organized our items. It shouldn't suffocate them. I stretched the elastic swimwear until my husband tugged the dangling strapped purse on my belly to slip his phone into the spare pocket. He smiled and stole a kiss from my lips, making me chuckle at his sneaky gesture as I turned the elastic material inside out to examine its quality.

"This is nice," I smiled, lifting the blue kid's swimwear to show Yangcha.

"Get it in different colors," He smiled, reaching over my head to grab the kid's kid-size arm floaties from the rack above. I smiled and placed the stack of swimwear in the cart.

"Superman~!" Kanghoon grinned while wearing the yellow goggles. Woojin giggled and lifted his arms, pretending to fly around the aisle.

"Aigo~ You could've been a sinking superman if I wasn't looking," Yangcha sorely shook his head, causing me to chuckle at his words. The twins shrieked and zoomed back and forth over the aisle with their lively energy.

"Don't run~!" I called. The twins giggled and hopped back towards us as Yangcha pushed the cart forward. We ended up shopping at the supermarket for an entire two hours before leaving with our bags to eat at an outdoor restaurant... located on a wide terrace. We settled on the cushioned seats before the relaxing city streets, packed with the locals. The twins shrieked and waved at the people below us as I prepared the utensils for them.

"Eomma~! Is your baby a boy or a girl~?" Kanghoon asked as he sat across from us beside Woojin, who was wiggling his head from side to side while munching the fried chicken.

"You'll have a baby brother~!" I replied. They shrieked in glee.

"Yay~! Baby brother! What's his name!?" Woojin curiously asked. Yangcha placed the food in their bowls.

"Why don't you guys come up with a cool name?" Yangcha smiled. The twins funnily giggled as they dug into their food. Yangcha gently hugged my waist and rubbed my belly as I chewed the tofu with a bright beam. We visited the clinic earlier to monitor our baby's health, and the doctor confirmed... we'll be having a baby boy.

"Aigo~ Eomma is surrounded by boys~!" I chuckled.

"That's fine. You can be the only pretty girl~!" Woojin shrieked, causing Yangcha to snort at their statement. He rubbed my upper arm as I reached across the table to feed the twins. We had a really warm family outing that night. The twins didn't whine or cry like they used to, so I didn't have to spend my time trying to break a fight... as often as I did at Taehyung's apartment.

"Eomma~ Can we have ice cream~?" Kanghoon whined as I held his hand over the sidewalk.

"You've eaten so much though~!" I shook my head.

"Ahjussi~! Can we have ice cream~?" Woojin pouted at Yangcha, who was carrying the child over his hips. Yangcha glanced at me and back at the bear in his arm.

"You do realize... I have to ask eomma for permission too? If eomma says no... ahjussi can't do anything because she'll get super mad at me if I don't listen to her~!" Yangcha pinched Woojin's cheek.

"But ahjussi has muscles! Why is ahjussi afraid of eomma~?" Kanghoon giggled as we strolled over the sidewalk.

"Ahjussi might be a big man~! But eomma is much scarier than ahjussi~! This muscle? Ahjussi can only use it to protect eomma and you guys~! Muscles are useless when eomma says no~!" Yangcha smiled. Woojin giggled with his tilted back... revealing his cute bunny teeth.

"Eomma~ One more ice cream~! Oh? Pweaaaaase~?" Kanghoon tugged my hand. I glanced down at the child and back at Yangcha, who stopped to stare at me.

"Let's just get it for them... and then leave?" Yangcha asked as he held the bags with his free hands.

"But they've been coughing so much lately~!" I grimaced as Woojin coughed at Yangcha. The alpha screwed his eyes shut as the child's saliva... splattered all over his face.

"I'll give them the medication later," Yangcha mumbled.

"Araso. Put him down~ I'll look after the bags," I sighed deeply. Yangcha nodded before bending down to place Woojin on the pavement.

"I'll be right back~! Behave okay~?" Yangcha smiled at the twins before strolling off to enter the mart, so I carried the bag to place it by an empty bench as people bustled over the streets.

"Rock! Paper- scissor!" The twins giggled before me. Woojin threw a rock as Kanghoon threw a paper, causing the bear to whine in distress. They chuckled as I fondly watched them from the bench while rubbing my belly until I noticed... a man... approaching us. I looked up at him with a startled expression as he kept his stern gaze... on the energic twins.

My heart suddenly dropped at his unexpected presence as he stood over the twins... who suddenly shrieked in shock when they looked up to find... Kim Taehyung... staring at them. I froze in my seat as the twins gasped at their father, quickly rushing forward to hug his legs before I could properly react. Taehyung lowered his hands to ruffle their heads and averted... his gloomy gaze to me.

"Appa! APPA! Hello~! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? WE MISSED YOU~ APPPAAAA~!" The twins hopped excitedly on their sneakers with their arms extended upward, so Taehyung bent down to lift the children, who happily clung to his neck in extreme delight. 

They repeatedly kissed his cheeks as the alphas cradled the child against his chest with a relieved expression. I remain paralyzed on the bench with a dark frown. Kim Taehyung suddenly spun around and walked away with my children without a warning. 

"Hey- Hey!?- What are you doing?!" I gasped, quickly launching off the bench to chase the man as he stormed away. I grabbed Taehyung's forearm... but he yanked his arm out of my grip and spun around to glare at me in tears.

"How long have you been planning this?!" He snapped in anger, causing the smiles on the twin's face to drop at his harsh tone. I uneasily stared at their innocent faces before glancing back at Taehyung... who was towering over me with a deadly glare.

"I got the ice cream~!" Yangcha chirped, cluelessly appearing with the cones but halted in his tracks once he found Kim Taehyung... holding tightly onto the children. I gripped my fist and glanced back and forth between the alphas... who were glaring at each other. Yangcha clenched the two ice creams in his hands without blinking at the presence of the alpha until Kim Taehyung hardened his expression on the Jaguar... as he possessively clutched the twins.

A moment later.

Kim Taehyung darted Yangcha a piercing glare from our position. The twins sat on either side of my husband on the bench by the bags as we stood at a distance, far enough so they wouldn't overhear our argument. I crossed my arms and glanced at the man again as he averted his uptight glower to my face.

"Give them to me," Taehyung demanded.

"No. They're mine," I refused, frowning at him.

"They're living with a killer! The same man who tried to slaughter them!-"

"Yangcha promised not to hurt them!" I snapped. Taehyung pressed his tongue against his inner mouth and clenched his jaw in annoyance.

"I spent the last two months searching endlessly for them! Did you know how worried I was?! You could've at least told me they're safe!" Taehyung glared. I exhaled deeply.

"Well, now you know. So leave us alone. Your presence will bring them trouble," I muttered. Kim Taehyung frowned in disbelief.

"You've agreed to place them in the custody of my household-"

"I changed my mind. Yangcha has agreed to raise them," I shrugged.

"So what about me!? Am I just a caretaker you can effortlessly discard?!" Taehyung snapped. I dimmed my gaze on his bulging veins over his neck with a heavy feeling. He never changed. Always... straining his anger whenever we meet. How am I supposed to long for him... when he's always... this... harsh with me?

"Do you wish to bring them back to the society? You lost them to the cult once! They're safer here! Why would you want to expose the children to the society?!" I argued. Taehyung clenched his jaw while glaring at me.

"Is it any better than allowing them to live under the same roof as that psychopath?!" Taehyung nodded at Yangcha, who was chatting with the twins on the bench.

"They're not leaving, alright!? I trusted them under your care- but I can't leave them with you anymore! Yangcha was the one to save them from the cult! You couldn't protect them! So don't bother wasting your time and effort anymore! If you're angry- then I'm sorry! You said you didn't want to waste your time on me, so why are you here again!?! How many times did I freaking tell you not to follow me?!- You'll only bring danger to my family!" I snapped at Kim Taehyung. He gritted his jaw and glanced at the twins as they chatted with the Jaguar.

"Am I not your family?" Taehyung grunted, averting his disappointed glare to me again. I took a deep exhale and rubbed my face in disbelief. He appeared a bit hurt by my claim.

"Leave. We have absolutely no reason to see each other anymore," I muttered, nodding at the opposite side of the road. I'm not going to argue with him! It's pointless!

"All it took was one mistake. Just one! And you chose to discard me like- Like I'm a disposable piece of shit. But him? No matter how many mistakes he commits- You'd always forgive him. Why is that? I can't rest because I can't understand why you chose to give up on me! But not him!? Why?- What makes me worse than him!?" Taehyung glared, lowering his uptight face to search my eyes with his eyebrows furrowed. I stared at him without blinking.

"If that day... If that day... after we bled... If only you had softened and held me in your arms when I apologized for hurting you. If only you weren't so stubborn... and if only... you had chosen me. If only you kept the ring on my finger and chose to fight the war for me. If only you had wiped my tears and forgave me when I desperately needed you... you have no idea how far I'll go to fight for you. If only you hadn't been so cold and coarse with me for being foolish... you'd be the one I love most... and you'd probably be the father to my children too," I tensely glare at him.

"Is it I? Who discarded you, or is it... Kim Taehyung... who chose to leave me in the darkness? You desperately wanted to claim victory in our love war, so I let you have it your way. Just so you could be the man. And I never... ever... pestered you about our breakup after I had my closure. But you're whining about it now...? That I'm finally happy with another person? I never blamed you for the scar on my wrist. I never did, Taehyung. I loved you more than anything to bleed... cry... and break for you. You thought I'd return to you like I always did after sulking... but I found someone else while you neglected me," I poked his chest with a stern expression.

"Sora- Please-" Taehyung tried to hold my hand but I yanked my fingers out of his grip. 

"So what... more are you hoping for? Why is everything about how you're feeling? Why is everything always about you? Why is he better than you? Why don't I choose you? What do you lack? Everything is about you and never about what I needed. You say... you were forced to raise the twins all alone. But did it ever occur to you how desperately I wanted to see them again? Did you think it was easy for me? But it doesn't matter... right? Because at the end of the day... it is I... Jang Sora... who has to constantly worry about your feelings. It is my duty to protect your pride," I muttered, dimly staring at him.

Kim Taehyung intensely at me with a worn-out gaze. He didn't speak as angry tears swelled in his eyes. I understand... he wants the kids back for all his past efforts... but he will only endanger the twins... if he returns with them to the unstable society.

I cannot allow him to put my children at risk. Never again.

A moment later.

"Eomma~ Why can't we see appa~?" Kanghoon asked as he sat on the mattress with a slight pout as Yangcha showered in the bathroom.

"He's busy," I smiled while sitting on the thick mattress on the floor with Woojin over my lap.

"We miss him," Woojin pouted while holding onto me. I sadly stared at their innocent gaze.

"Do you want to live with appa?" I asked.

"We love appa~ But we want to be with you, eomma~!" Kanghoon shook his head.

"Then you'll stay with me until you're grown," I smiled as the child crawled towards me. I held the twins in my arms as they softly kissed my cheeks on their messy mattress until Yangcha walked out of the bathroom in a plain white shirt and boxers. He gave the twins their cough medication and I ended up sleeping with them on the mattress... leaving Yangcha to sleep alone on the bed.

A moment later. 

I blankly stared at the moonlight reflection over the soft ripples on the flowing stream while patting the twins in their sleep as I rested on my side with my arm tucked under my head. Should I tell them Taehyung isn't their father? They'd be confused though. They're too young to understand the complications at such a young age. What should I do? I can't keep them here with me forever because I'll have to send them to school so they can interact and socialize with their peers. Sighing deeply, I turned to lay on my back but paused when I glanced at the bed... to find Yangcha resting on his side... quietly watching me sleep with the twins. Oh? He's not asleep?

"You can't sleep...?" I asked him. He blinked out of his thoughts.

"Is he here to take the twins?" Yangcha asked. I sadly stared at him from the mattress below.

"They're staying with us," I shook my head.

Yangcha lowered his arm from the bed to hold my hand, so I smiled and turned on the lower mattress to gaze at his troubled face as he sadly watched me from the bed. We didn't speak and held hands in silence while staring at one another in the dark room.

A few days later.

"Can we swim now~?" Woojin whined as he sat on the bench under the umbrella shade with me. I smiled and smeared the sunscreen over his plump cheeks as Kanghoon strapped his yellow goggles over his eyes on the other bench in his cute swimsuit.

"Let me protect your skin first~!" I smiled, gently pecking his forehead. Yangcha strolled out of the villa through the glass door with a plate of tangerine and grapes for me. Woojin shrieked, hopping off the bench to sit with his twin after I finished rubbing the paste into his sensitive skin.

"You should sit inside. The heat is fierce today," Yangcha smiled at me as he sat in his swim shorts. I pumped a handful of sunscreen onto my palm to smudge the paste over his chest and rubbed it into his sun-tanned skin with a weak smile.

"The shade is enough," I muttered, tapping his shoulder to make him turn, so Yangcha did as I instructed. I rubbed the substance all over his back. He eventually turned around to face me... so I could apply the sunscreen to his face as he cutely sat with his eyes closed.

"Superman~! Weeee~!" The twins chased each other along the pool with their goggles secured over their eyes and floaties strapped to either side of their upper arms. Yangcha pecked my lips before getting up to slip inside the pool. I smiled from the pool bench while munching the fruit as the twins stood by the edge with wide grins... eager to take their first swimming lesson.

"Jump~!" Yangcha beckoned.

"Jump? But it's deep~!" Kanghoon gasped, fearfully backing away.

"You'll float," I chuckled. The twins scratch their heads with doubts.

"Okay. On the count of three~!" Woojin backed away from the edge with a determined gaze. Kanghoon giggled and backed away with a bright beam as Yangcha held his arms open for the kids.

"One! Two~!... Three!" Yangcha counted excitedly.

"AHHHHH!" Woojin and Kanghoon screamed with their cute balled fists, but they didn't budge an inch. I laughed and leaned back against the headrest as the twins stood cemented in their place... screaming in determination to fuel their courage.

"Hey! You're still on the concrete! Are you swimming in your imagination~?!" Yangcha scoffed.

"Count again~!" Kanghoon snapped. The alpha scoffed at the kid's demand.

"Okay~! One~!... Two-! Three!-"

"ARGHHHHHH!" Woojin and Kanghoon screamed again while holding each other's hands. They fiercely raced forward on their tiny feet, so I sucked in my breath to anticipate the wet splash when- Whip! They suddenly did a u-turn before reaching the edge and ran back to their initial spot. Yangcha scoffed at their frantic bluff in disbelief. [Edited]

"ARGHHHHHH!" Woojin and Kanghoon screamed again while holding each other's hands. They raced forward, so I sucked in my breath to anticipate the splash when- They suddenly did a u-turn before reaching the edge and ran back to their initial spot. Yangcha stared at them in disbelief.

"What the heck! Yah!" Yangcha snapped, paddling forward to rest his arms over the rim as the kids shakily wheezed with timid looks.

"If we jump! We'll sink~!" Woojin whined, crouching down with a sore expression.

"Wah~! Superman?!- You're a chicken!" Yangcha snapped at them.

"Chickens can't swim!" Kanghoon whined.

"Exactly!" Yangcha argued, making me laugh hysterically under the shade.

"Count again! For real! For real~!" The twins shrieked. Yangcha bitterly stared at their red cheeks and stepped aside to clear the path.

"One~! Two~! Three~!" Yangcha counted sorely.

"AHHHHHH!!!!" The twins dashed forward with a dark frown- but frantically aborted their mission at the last second and separated their path to sprint along the pool edge in the opposite direction. Yangcha scoffed at their repeated surrender as they giggled and tumbled to the concrete with a wide smile.

"Too scary~!" They whined, sitting up to complain at the alpha. I laughed and smacked my head at their overloading cuteness.

"Come here! You little rascal~!" Yangcha snapped, suddenly heaving his sturdy body out of the pool. I giggled in distress as the twins screamed in horror and tried to flee the poolside... but Yangcha grabbed Woojin by his back collar and turned to sweep Kanghoon... who attempted to sprint for me with his doe eyes bulging open in fear.

"Eomma~! Help-! Eomma! No- AHHH~! WAAAAHHHH~! SUPERMAN CAN'T SWIM! HE CAN ONLY FLY~!" They screamed as Yangcha dragged Woojin by the collar while hugging Kanghoon's waist as the child screeched and thrashed in horror.

"Don't scare them~!" I called, smiling at Yangcha as he placed Kanghoon down... and lifted Woojin by his underarms to hover the child over the surface, causing Woojin to wiggle his feet in horror.

"AHHHH! AH!!! SCARY! AHJUSSSIIIII~!" Woojin screamed at the water beneath his dangling feet. Kanghoon screeched, attempting to tow Yangcha's legs to stop him from tossing his twin into the pool. I laughed and rubbed my tummy in distress.

"YAH!" Yangcha shrieked when Kanghoon suddenly grabbed his waistband and pulled down the alpha's pants, causing me to widen my eyes at my husband's bare buttcheeks. I screeched out loud at the shocking commotion as Yangcha turned to glare at Kanghoon, who sprinted toward me with a wide grin. Woojin shrieked even louder as Yangcha carefully lowered the child until half of his plump body sank under the water.

"Oh no~! Oh no~! AHHHHHH! I'm going to sink! Ajusshi! My belly is too heavy~! I'm going to sink~! I ate too much~! Not ready~!!!" Woojin screamed in fear as Yangcha carefully released the child, leaving him floating helplessly with the floaties on either side of his upper arms. Yangcha quickly pulled his pants back to his hips and turned to glare at Kanghoon... who was hugging my waist with a wide grin. 

"Eomma~! Eomma! Scold him! Eommaaaaaa~!" Kanghoo squealed as Yangcha approached him with a disapproving glare.

"WHERE AM I GOING~?! AH~! AHJUSSI! HELP~!" Woojin screeched as he floated aimlessly over the surface with his bright red cheeks. Kanghoon screeched in desperation as Yangcha lifted his small body and turned to walk toward the edge.

"No! No! Put hoonie down~! Eomma~! I'm not a fish~! I can't float~!!!" Kanghoon shrieked, trying to push Yangcha's grip off his body, but the alpha quickly slipped into the water with the child.

"Stop screaming! You're disturbing the wild animals!" Yangcha snapped, gently releasing the child into the water. Kanghoon screamed in a panic and tried to paddle toward Yangcha, who smiled and pushed the child away, sending my baby floating in the opposite direction. I chuckled in tears as Woojin clung to the opposite side of the pool wall... screaming and screeching for help. Kanghoon sailed over the soft ripples with a pale expression as he helplessly kicked his shorts legs beneath the water.

A moment later.

The twins finally grew comfortable with the pool depth after realizing they were floating fine... so Yangcha taught them basic swimming skills. They paddled back and forth with their supportive floaties as I lay on the bench with a thin blanket over my body, quietly watching my sons struggle to stay afloat with soaking wet hair and runny nose.

Yangcha suddenly got out of the pool to grab something from inside the villa, so I sat up to watch over the twins as they held hands over the water while floating around. They splashed at each other and kicked freely to navigate over the surface until Yangcha returned with a duck toy. He placed the yellow duck on the unstable surface before walking up to me, so I made space for him and scooted aside. Yangcha sat beside me.

"Oh!? So cool!" The twins shrieked when Yangcha clicked the button on the remote, causing the duck to zoom over the surface.

"Catch the duck!" Yangcha shouted.

The twins shrieked and paddled towards the duck toy with a bright beam. Zoom! Zoom! Yangcha teased them and made the duck skate over the surface right before the twins reached them. They screamed in frustration and spun around in determination to chase the yellow duck as I placed a fresh towel over Yangcha's shoulder. His skin is burning red again. He leaned against the bench with me and placed his arm over my shoulder while controlling the duck with the remote... so I hugged his torso and rested my head against his chest while watching the twins swim all over the pool to pursue the toy.

"Did you build it?" I asked as I watched him play with the remote. Woojin leaped for the duck but missed and dived head-first into the pool. The child gasped and rubbed the water from his face as Kanghoon kicked his legs to swim after the duck, screaming gibberish while pretending to be a superman.

"Yeah. I made it when I was in high school," Yangcha smiled, lowering his face to kiss my forehead. I chuckled and rubbed his moist abs.

The alpha finally got to grab another duck and gave the twins the remote so they could play with the duck in the pool. The twins shouted in extreme excitement as they made the duck zoom all over the surface while floating around as Yangcha rested with me under the umbrella shade. He smiled at me as I fondly stared at my children.

"You'd have to make another one for our baby," I chuckled. Yangcha laughed and patted my head.

"Of course I will," He smiled while rubbing my upper arms to soothe me, so I took a deep exhale and held onto his toned body.

________________________

"Ahahahah~ What is this~?!" Woojin giggled while sitting on the carpet with his legs tucked under his body. Yangcha sprawled on the carpet with his arms raised above his head as I gently spread the melted wax over his armpit with a stick.

"Eomma is keeping ahjussi clean~!" Yangcha smiled.

"Don't touch it. It's hot," I smiled at Kanghoon, who tried to poke the wax pot. The twins giggled, curiously poking the hardened wax on Yangcha's armpit.

"Can we do it too~?" Kanghoon asked.

"What is there to wax? Your hair? Do you want to be bald?" Yangcha teased. The twins laughed as they sat by the alpha's side.

"OW!" Yangcha gasped when I swiftly tore the paste off his armpit. I quickly pressed down on his smooth underarm before applying baby powder to his sensitive skin, causing the twins to giggle and slump back on the carpet. I tore the other side of Yangha's armpit until the grown man pouted at me with tears in his eyes. The twins giggled... chaotically laughing at the alpha's reaction.

"Eomma~! Me too~!" Kanghoon smiled, lifting his arm upward to show his smooth armpit as he sat in a thin strap loose shirt.

"Okay~ Hold on for a second," I smiled, gently dabbing the powder onto Yangcha's underarm. The twins shrieked happily and rested their heads on Yangcha's stomach with their arms raised over their heads to copy the alpha's posture. I turn to grab their cute decoration tapes.

"It's going to hurt a lot~!" Yangcha chuckled as I cut the tape into small sizes and placed it on the twin's armpit, causing them to laugh from the ticklish sensation.

"Eomma will wax you okay~!" I smiled, quickly pretending to pull the decorative tapes from Woojin's armpits as Yangcha tore them off Kanghoon's armpit. They faked a scream to copy Yangcha and screeched funnily with their hand over their armpit. I laughed and patted the baby powder on their underarms. They happily sat up again and lifted their arms to sniff the fragrance with a bright beam.

"Wow~! So smooth~!" They funnily rubbed their armpit, so I kissed Kanghoon's underarm, causing the child to wiggle in distress from the ticklish sensation.

"Kiss me too! Eomma~!" Woojin lifted his arm. I chuckled and kissed his armpit. The child screeched and rolled back on the carpet until his feet swung over his head.

"What about me? Aren't you going to kiss me too~?" Yangcha smirked. I laughed and smacked his thigh as I placed the kit away. He pulled me into his arms as the twins turned to watch the cartoon on the television... still giggling as they rubbed the power over their armpits. Yangcha smiled and kissed my lips as we kept the twins company in the living room.

A moment later.

I stirred on the mattress and turned to pat the sheet, fumbling my fingers aimlessly to search for my husband... but his side of the bed was empty. Blinking sleepily, I lifted my head to scan the dim room for Yangcha... but he was nowhere to be found. Is he not sleeping again...? I rubbed my eyes and sat up to examine the twins as they slept on their new bed beside ours. Kanghoon is hugging Woojin on his side... and they are fast asleep.

"I'm thirsty," I muttered, crawling off the bed to stroll out of the bedroom and enter the kitchen to pour myself a cool drink.

I placed the jar back inside the fridge and entered the living room to search for Yangcha, but he was nowhere to be found. Yawning, I scratched my head and walked up to the glass door to scan the dim exterior. Huh? Where did he go? I spun around and walked down the corridor to check the rooms... but he was absent in all of the spaces. Did he leave the villa...? Maybe he's outside?

I slid the glass door open and stepped out into the calm opening to search the pool for his presence... but couldn't spot him anywhere... so I wandered toward the backyard... until I noticed... the small storage house at the end of the property... surrounded by the trees. Yangcha usually stores his unused tools there. Sighing, I walked over the neatly laid pebbled path to approach the small concrete house where the lights were on. Creak. I pushed open the door and poked my head inside to scan the stack of equipment neatly layered in the space.

"Oh? He has paintings too?" I smiled, entering the space to stare at a few antique paintings slanted against the wall. Shrugging, I turned to gaze at the wooden planks covered with cardboard and the technical tools on the rack.

"Yangcha?" I yawned, sleepily strolling through the storage house... to search for him. Creak. I halted once I heard a door to my right swinging open... so I glanced in the direction of the strange... low grunts... and heavy footsteps... from behind the steel door. Is he heaving something...?

"Are you okay?" I asked, quickly rushing forward to open the door but halted in shock when he suddenly slumped to the floor at my feet.

"Yangcha?! Jagi!" I quickly crouched down to support his arms as he crawled over the floor- but my heart... thumped in fear as soon as he lifted his beaten face to stare at me. My mind suddenly turned blank as I stared at his... swollen eyes... bleeding lips... broken nose... and bruised face... with a terrified look... until I felt my chest convulsing in extreme fear.

I wasn't staring at Yangcha...

But... Kim Taehyung.

The alpha grunted in pain and lowered his hand to grip his ribs as I remained frozen before him, unable to utter a single word as I glanced through the opened door to find a spiral of stairs leading down to who knows where. What is he doing here!? I glanced back at Kim Taehyung's unfavorable condition.

His clothes... were drenched in dried blood stains... and he was covered in sweat and dirt.

"Jagi~?" Yangcha's voice suddenly echoed from outside the storage house, causing Kim Taehyung's eyes to widen in horror.

"Leave!" Taehyung seethed, suddenly pushing me away, so I stood up in bewilderment as Taehyung scrambled back inside the door- Creak. He swiftly... closed the door... just as Yangcha strolled inside the storage house. I blinked and turned wildly to find him walking between the racks.

"Oh!" I gasped, quickly rushing in his direction just as Yangcha appeared with a suspicious look.

"What are you doing here?" Yangcha asked, uneasily glancing at the door behind my back.

"I was searching for you. Why did you have to disappear like that~?" I pouted to distract him. Yangcha smiled.

"I was just... searching for tools to work on something," He smiled, walking past me to grab a lock from the rack. I blinked as I anxiously watched him lock the door... until I felt my heart racing out of control. What is Kim Taehyung doing here!? He shouldn't be here!

"Do you... need help?" I gulped, nervously staring at him.

"No. Let's head back to bed," Yangcha smiled, slightly kicking a bloody wooden stick under the rack, and turned to smile at me. The alpha walked forward and gently drew my body into a comforting hug, so I hugged his neck with my nose buried against his shoulder and my intense gaze... on the green door.

"Okay," I whispered, darkly staring at the lock on the door as he pulled away. He gently took my hand and led me out of the storage room, so I followed without looking back out of fear of provoking the Jaguar.

Meanwhile.

Kim Taehyung lowly grunted as he limped back down the dim metallic staircase to slump on the ground before lifting his stained shirt to check the swollen gash on his lower stomach.

The alpha seethed in pain and thumped his head softly against the brick wall... to resist the aching pain as he remained... captured inside... the Jaguar's... hidden bunker.

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Hello~! I'm back! How are you guys?! Good!? I hope so! I'll be busy starting next week because my finals are back! So annoying! It won't be over until mid-December so I'm unsure if I can frequently update the story! If I have time to spare I will update again! But if not- Then you'll have to wait for me! T_T I'm sorry~! Thank you for supporting Alpha! Have an amazing day~!!!