Chapter Text
The cold was something he had always lived with, that numbing sensation that forced him to stay awake and alert. It was the only familiarity amidst the vast unknown that was his present. Kim Hongjoong, an omega who had rescued himself after years of abuse from his former pack, moved his hands restlessly, cracking his knuckles as if that could ease his constant anxiety. The rain, which hadn’t stopped for hours, echoed in his ears as if it were his only tether to reality, while bitter memories stalked him from every corner of the room.
The shelter smelled of wet earth and cheap coffee. The warm lights barely softened the chill that clung to Hongjoong’s skin. Most of his face was hidden beneath a soaked hood. His entire body trembled—not from the cold, but from everything that had happened in a matter of weeks.
“He needs something more stable,” the coordinator said in a low voice, as if she didn’t want Hongjoong to hear, though it was clear the omega was listening. She was on the phone, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He remained in the common room, the same spot where he had been nearly motionless for the two weeks he’d been at the shelter. “He’s not in any condition to live alone, and temporary shelters won’t help him heal…”
A silence followed. Hongjoong knew the person on the other end of the line was likely responding. He bit his lower lip anxiously.
“Yes, I remember what I told you after you took in Yeosang,” the coordinator continued, a beta as kind as one could be, rubbing her temple with exhaustion. “But your pack has shown the best results in helping someone recover… Yes, Seonghwa, I know you understand.”
The name caught his attention. Seonghwa. It sounded soft.
He noticed the relief on the beta’s face, and something inside him stirred when she turned to him with a charming smile.
“Go get your things, Hongjoong,” she said. He looked at her as if he didn’t fully grasp what was happening, fearing that, once again, they were getting rid of him. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
An hour later, when the rain had finally stopped, a vehicle parked at the shelter’s entrance. It was a van large enough to carry eight people comfortably. A figure stepped out from the driver’s side. Hongjoong could tell it was an alpha—not from their physical appearance, but from the imposing aura they exuded, even from a distance.
The alpha met with the coordinator first. Hongjoong watched everything from the window with utmost caution. When they disappeared from view as they entered the building, he turned his face toward the door just as the beta returned with her guest.
“Hongjoong, this is Park Seonghwa,” the coordinator announced. The alpha was tall, yes, and elegant, but there was no trace of authoritarianism about him. His scent was warm, like wood and dry autumn leaves. It wasn’t dominant. It was… comforting. Even so, that didn’t untie the knot of fear tightening Hongjoong’s throat, and he was grateful for the layer of scent blocker he’d applied. “He and his pack will take you in until we can find you an apartment.”
The omega only nodded, his eyes never leaving Seonghwa’s movements.
“Hello, Hongjoong,” the alpha said in a low, calm voice. “You can come to my place if you want. You’re not obligated to talk or stay if you don’t feel comfortable. You’ll have a room to yourself and hot meals.”
Hongjoong didn’t respond. He couldn’t. But when Seonghwa offered him a dry jacket, which he didn’t accept, he knew this marked a new beginning. He only prayed, to whoever might be listening, that it wouldn’t leave him even more broken.