18.8.2049 Incheon, Dong-gu, Hunter Command Villas

  Yoon Taeha woke up, his head pounding. He had been locked up in the SHA owned Hunter Command Villa for some days now, unable to go out. Kang Jeonhyun stayed at the apartment as he had said but never showed his face. On the rare occasions he did, he didn’t utter a single word. His hostility towards Yoon Taeha, however, was anything but quiet. He woke at dawn, slamming cabinet doors and drawers, deliberately loud enough to rip Yoon Taeha out of sleep, and he did, annoyed, every morning. Whenever he entered a room, Kang Jeonhyun walked out without eye contact or even the slightest acknowledgement, just a cold, wordless retreat.

  But the events from a few days ago had left Yoon Taeha silent as well. If Kang Jeonhyun ever discovered his secret, Yoon Taeha knew he would be bound to the SHA’s commands for the rest of his life.

  Kang Jeonhyun had let go of him after that provocative remark, only to receive a gate alert seconds later. He thought himself lucky. For an SS-class hunter like him to be summoned, the gate must have been at least A-class, Yoon Taeha thought.

  The doorbell rang, pulling him abruptly from his thoughts. He walked slowly toward the door.

  Why would he ring the doorbell? He has a key card.

  He opened the door without checking the viewer. To his surprise, it wasn’t Kang Jeonhyun at all, it was his sister, and beside her stood an older woman with dark red hair. A woman Taeha recognized instantly, even though time had changed her.

  A soft smile tugged at his lips as he saw his mother for the first time in ten years, though for him, it hadn’t truly felt that long. His mother’s eyes filled with tears the moment she saw him. She reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks.

  “Hi mom,” he hugged her back, “I’m home.”

  “Stupid, stupid boy.” She cried but let go quickly. “You look so old… Who’s going to marry you now?”

  “Mom, is that really the first thing you ask? You haven’t seen him in ten years.” Yoon Jiyeon rubbed the back of her neck. Yoon Taeha however, laughed.

  “Come inside.”

  His mother grabbed his face with both hands, turning it side to side.

  “Not too many wrinkles. You can still marry. Maybe someone blind.”

  “Wow,” Yoon Taeha said. “Heartwarming.”

  Jiyeon rolled her eyes. “Just let him breathe.”

  His mother didn’t hesitate to take over the kitchen, already heating up the dishes she had brought. Yoon Taeha helped set the table, placing chopsticks and bowls to their places.

  “I brought some extra side dishes. Lieutenant Kang told me he’s staying with you, so take good care of him,” Yoon Mi-sook said, reaching into the cabinet for a bowl.

  Taeha froze mid-step.

  “You’ve been in contact with him? Why?”

  “SHA called me during your detention,” his mother said calmly. “They put me in contact with your supervisor. A very nice man. Very handsome. Have you thought about—”

  “Absolutely not,” Yoon Taeha snapped before she could finish. “Looks don’t matter if the inside is rotten, they say.”

  “Shush now, he was polite,” Yoon Jiyeon cut in.

  “You too!?” Yoon Taeha stared at her.

  Yoon Jiyeon shrugged. “Let me ask you this. Where else are you going to find another dominant alpha?”

  “I’d marry a beta if I had to. I really don’t care about that,” Yoon Taeha muttered. The man hated him, that much was obvious. Even if Taeha still didn’t understand why.

  Even without the hate and hostility, the man was too arrogant; even friendship with him would be impossible.Yoon Taeha wondered whether he should start babbling again just to force Kang Jeonhyun to speak. But then again, would he attack him like before?

  The man’s alpha pheromones had been too much to handle, though mostly because Yoon Taeha hadn’t seen them coming. Alpha pheromones weren’t something you could brace for; when released suddenly, they hit like a physical force, heavy, suffocating, crawling under the skin before the mind has time to react. Kang Jeonhyun’s were worse. The kind of pheromones that could pin even a regular omega to the floor, let alone someone like Yoon Taeha.

  Living together for much longer would become a problem. Yoon Taeha’s heat would come eventually, and if that happened, it would be a disaster. A dominant alpha’s rut was sensitive to an omega’s heat, even a recessive one’s, and their pheromones tended to feed off each other in a volatile loop. Yoon Taeha would be risking his life going into heat with Kang Jeonhyun anywhere in the house. One slip, and the entire apartment could fill with pheromones strong enough to make him suffocate.

  The thought barely finished when the door opened, and the Second Lieutenant stepped inside.

  “Omo, Mr. Kang, what a pleasure.”

  “Mrs. Yoon.”

  Kang Jeonhyun bowed politely, then turned to bow to Yoon Jiyeon. Yoon Taeha, however, received only a brief glance from the corner of Kang’s eye, followed by a barely concealed furrow of irritation. Whatever suspicion he had toward Yoon Taeha about the Jujak-gate tragedy, he clearly understood that his family wasn’t to blame. They were off-limits. Yoon Taeha, however, was fair game.

  “Thank you for taking care of my son,” Yoon Mi-sook continued, waving her ladle as if scolding a child. “He’s an idiot, but I hope he isn’t bothering you too much. After the injury he wasn’t supposed to go into dungeons anymore, but he swore the red one would be his last… and then we ended up facing this whole tragedy. Well, I hope he’s fixed his habit of creating trouble.”

  “Injury?” Kang Jeonhyun whispered under his breath, brows tightening. He turned to look at Yoon Taeha, who was calmly sipping soup from his bowl of noodles, completely unfazed. He looked normal. Walked normal. Moved like he’d never been harmed in his life.

  What injury would make him quit being a hunter? Kang Jeonhyun’s gaze narrowed slightly. Unless the injury was between his ears… The corner of his mouth twitched, amused at the thought.

  Kang Jeonhyun seemed perfectly at ease talking to Yoon Taeha’s family, which only left Yoon Taeha wondering what, exactly, he had done to earn such hostility. The moment the door closed behind his mother and sister, the apartment felt colder. Yoon Taeha exhaled slowly, deciding it was finally time to open his mouth.

  “Lieutenant Kang,” he began, this time serious. “What is it that I’ve done to you that makes you treat me with such hostility? I know I went a bit far with my jokes the other day, but even before that, you’ve treated me worse than an insect.”

  Kang didn’t respond immediately. He simply looked at him.

  “Are you ready to talk about what happened inside the Jujak-gate?” he asked at last.

  “I believe I’ve said this enough times for you to understand: I don’t know what happened.”

  “Then I have nothing to say to you.” Kang Jeonhyun turned away without hesitation, as if the conversation had ended before it even began.

  “Hey, I’m talking to you.” Yoon Taeha grabbed his sleeve and looked up directly into his eyes. Kang Jeonhyun opened his mouth to speak, but an alarm split the air before he could. His watch flashed with a white light. He glanced at it, then at Taeha, jaw tightening.

  “Fuck…” he muttered. “Get dressed. We’re leaving.”

  “Me too?” Taeha pointed at himself while Kang walked toward the door.

  “The gate is here,” Kang said sharply. “And SHA protocol says you’re not to be left unattended during an active threat window. Even if I’d love to leave you here to become tiger food, I have orders to keep you safe.”

  “Oh, isn’t this exciting,” Taeha grinned, shoving his feet into his shoes in a hurry.

  “You seem awfully happy when there’s a disaster.”

  “Nope, I’m just excited to spend time with you,” Taeha joked. Kang Jeonhyun wasn’t amused, but he paused, caught off guard.

  18.8.2049 Incheon, Gojan-dong, Namdong-gu

  Yoon Taeha stared at the white Baekho-gate, mesmerized. Even if he had planned to leave the hunter’s life behind, that wasn’t an option anymore, not after what he’d learned. Around him, half a dozen hunters in black uniforms were preparing to enter the gate. They were all surrounded by people, civilians, SHA members, the press. There was no escaping the public eye.

  S-class hunters, huh? Yoon Taeha thought to himself.

  Kang Jeonhyun looked almost unreal in his battle uniform, his build and sharp jawline making him stand out. As the leader, he was focused on explaining the mission to the hunters. Even Yoon Taeha found it difficult to look away. The moment Kang Jeonhyun felt Taeha’s gaze, his brows tightened, and he turned aside with that familiar, irritated stiffness.

  “What a waste of a good face,” Yoon Taeha muttered. “I wonder if they’ll even let me go inside.”

  “Get that ridiculous thought out of your head. If you go in, you’ll be the death of us.” Kang Jeonhyun finally approached him slowly.

  “You talk about me like I’m the grim reaper.”

  “After being responsible for so many deaths, aren’t you one?”

  “Ah, so you actually think I killed them.” Yoon Taeha rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I guess the odds are not really in my favor on this one. But I still wish you’d trust me, even just a tiny bit.” He held up his thumb and index finger, barely apart. Kang Jeonhyun let out a humorless laugh.

  “Never.” He turned sharply and walked toward the gate, gesturing for the other hunters to follow.

  “Ahhhh…” Yoon Taeha paced in front of the gate, anxiety clawing at his chest. They had been inside for what felt like an eternity. “I want to go in too!”

  A voice snapped from behind him.

  “Hey, stop right there! What are you doing this close to the gate?” A soldier jogged toward him, rifle lowered. “This zone is restricted. Civilians stay behind the barricade.”

  “Oh, I’m not a civilian.” Yoon Taeha gave a nervous laugh. “I’m a hunter.” Since no monitor had appeared, the soldier in front of him wasn’t a hunter at all, just a peacekeeper, and a beta at that. The soldier’s eyes narrowed, scanning him from boots to hair.

  “Then why aren’t you with your unit?”

  “That’s… a long story.” Yoon Taeha shrugged. The soldier exhaled sharply, annoyed.

  “We’re short-handed already. If you’re cleared and capable stop wasting time and gear up to assist the team inside.”

  “With pleasure.” Havin found the perfect excuse, Yoon Taeha’s eyes brightened. He flicked open his inventory, a soft glow reflecting on his face as he saw the familiar list. “Ha… still there.” One press on the monitor, and his clothes shifted, replaced by the dark outdated uniform he hadn’t worn in ten years.

  “You old-model hunters are something else…” The soldier pushed him forward, “Now, go!”

  Yoon Taeha didn’t hesitate. He reached into the monitor-light and pulled out the S-19 HAVOC assault rifle. Then he walked straight into the glowing white gate, each step deliberate, his expression stretching into something excited, almost manic.

  Unknown time, Baekho-gate, Seolgol

  The winter breeze hit his face the moment he entered the Baekho-dungeon, the blizzard whipping at him so hard he could barely see.

  “I didn’t think this would be how I make my comeback. My balls are freezing.” He tapped the monitor, and his uniform shifted, nanotech fabric sealing warm across his skin. “Much better. Now… let’s find the beast.”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  He had barely finished speaking to himself when the first white tiger emerged through the blizzard. Silent, with massive form, thick fur and fury red eyes. Yoon Taeha’s breath froze in the air as he lifted the S-19 HAVOC, thumb flicking the safety off. One steady breath in, like the drills they hammered into him in the North, then he tightened his grip and fired a single shot.

  The tiger dropped, but it wasn’t alone. Another shape burst forward through the whiteout, its eyes locked onto him, and the roar that followed vibrated through his ribs. But Yoon Taeha sensing its intention knew it was coming, and he knew they weren’t alone.

  “Ah, I’ve missed this.” He switched to burst mode without looking, finger already pulling again. Three rapid shots, then three more, each burst echoing through the frozen valley. More shapes moved in the tree line, two, maybe three tigers breaking into full sprint.

  He stepped back, slamming a fresh magazine, he pulled from his monitor, into place. Yoon Taeha dived into the cover of the snow-laden trees. Taeha pressed his back against the tree, HAVOC up. His breathing trembled, both from the cold and from how long it had been since he’d run this hard. He could take down a few more, but then he’d have to run. The low circling growls were closing in from both sides.

  “I think I chewed a bit too much.” Yoon Taeha grinned nervously, and went to a full sprint as the white tigers were closing in. “Why the hell is no one guarding the gate? Useless hunters!” He yelled as he skidded to a stop, firing again.

  Two tigers were left. But they were too fast. He’d have to face them in close combat. He shoved the HAVOC back into his monitor and pulled out a combat knife.

  They were only a few meters away now. Yoon Taeha’s adrenaline surged, drowning out the cold and the noise. His expression twisted into something almost manic, reckless joy mixed with the thrill of survival, he was ready to fight. His hunter quality was useless for physical combat, but his military training? Top-tier.

  The first tiger lunged. Yoon Taeha didn’t run. He lifted his arm and let the beast bite down.

  “Fucking hell!” he screamed in pain, but the move was intentional. With the tiger’s teeth buried in his forearm, immobilizing its head, Yoon Taeha drove the combat knife straight into its temple. The blade punctured bone. The tiger shuddered, went limp, and collapsed into the snow.

  The second one was larger, heavier, barging onto him with full force. Yoon Taeha dodged as many moves as he could, but his stamina was failing. He’d been too confident, too reckless. Now he was paying for it. His bitten arm throbbed violently.

  The tiger reared for a killing blow, but suddenly it ignited. A burst of fire, flames roaring across white fur. Yoon Taeha didn’t have to look to know. He knew exactly who had done it. His heartbeat stuttered, not from fear, but something else entirely.

  Kang Jeonhyun landed beside him, grabbed him by the waist, and lifted him off the ground. His elemental quality manipulated the wind beneath their feet with ease. Carrying someone as light as Yoon Taeha was nothing. The weight in his chest, though, was heavy.

  “You fucking lunatic,” he snapped, with fury and something else in his voice. “What the hell are you doing getting yourself killed?”

  “I was waiting for my prince charming,” Yoon Taeha grinned, dizzy with adrenaline. Kang Jeonhyun’s jaw clenched. His eyes flickered with anger and confusion.

  They flew until he found a safe place to land. Blood dripped from Yoon Taeha’s arm, staining the snow. Kang Jeonhyun noticed and reached for it immediately, but Yoon Taeha yanked it back before he could see anything.

  “Do you have a death wish?” Kang Jeonhyun demanded, his expression serious.

  “Not really. I’d feel bad for my mom.” Yoon Taeha sighed. After a long pause he spoke again, “Have you located the guardian?”

  “We’re still searching. My guess is the dungeon core is inside the mountain, so Baekho should be there too.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  “I’m not taking you with me.”

  “You’re not leaving me here either. Why save me if you’re just going to let me die alone?” Yoon Taeha mock-sobbed. Kang Jeonhyun’s brows furrowed, his annoyance fighting something else. He hated that Yoon Taeha was right.

  “…Hold tight,” he muttered, extending his arm. Yoon Taeha stepped closer, too close.

  “Don’t mind if I d– whoa!” Yoon Taeha yelled as Kang Jeonhyun lifted them both into the air. They soared toward the mountains, and he felt something stirring, waking. “Uh… I think our guardian is done with its beauty sleep.”

  He barely finished his sentence when the ground began to rumble. A cave came to view, and an enormous white beast stepped out.

  “Baekho!” Yoon Taeha laughed with pure thrill. Kang Jeonhyun stared at him. This man was insane, reckless and impossible. And yet his chest tightened in a way he didn’t understand. Any man, especially a C-class hunter, would tremble from fear faced with a beast like the white tiger, but not this one. They finally landed, and Yoon Taeha ran straight toward the beast. Kang Jeonhyun had to grab him again, dragging him back. Yoon Taeha fell into the snow. He got up and ran again, not letting him stop him this time.

  “You’re a telepath, not a proper hunter!” Kang Jeonhyun snapped, following him.

  “You know nothing about me, darling. I wasn’t promoted to Lieutenant just for my looks.” Yoon Taeha yelled as he was dodging the beasts’ claws.

  “Your looks are mediocre at best.”

  “Hey!” Yoon Taeha barked back, still dodging attacks. “I’ll have you know I have a ton of alphas lining up behind my door.”

  “I live with you.” Kang Jeonhyun snapped back. “You don’t even get food deliveries.” Baekho was closing in on them again.

  The creature was massive, which made it slow. Yoon Taeha could sense its intention, he knew exactly how the beast would attack. He rushed forward, pulling a long sword from his monitor, sliding under the beast’s stomach. In one swift motion, he cut the tendons of all four legs. The giant tiger began to collapse backward.

  “Suicidal bastard,” Kang Jeonhyun hissed, sprinting after him. Yoon Taeha looked up.

  “Shit!” Baekho’s body was falling, straight onto him. He covered his face instinctively. No time to escape. A sudden burst of wind blasted him off the ground.

  He was in Kang Jeonhyun’s arms again. Heat flared around them as the Second Lieutenant snapped his fingers, the beast igniting in fire. Yoon Taeha stared up at his expressionless face in awe. Just what one would expect of an SS-class hunter in his prime. Deadly, yet beautiful. Not being able to resist, Yoon Taeha wrapped his arms around Kang Jeonhyun and kissed his cheek.

  “Thanks.” Yoon Taeha grinned. The Second Lieutenant froze, ears flushing red. No one had ever gotten under his skin the way this man did. For the first time in his life, he didn’t know the difference between fear and thrill.

  Unknown time, Baekho-gate, Core Cave

  Guardian Baekho defeated. Order: Retreat to gate. S-L2 to retrieve core.

  Kang Jeonhyun sent an alert to the other hunters, but they didn’t stop to wait for them and instead headed straight into the cave. A response came through:

  Roger that. S-SO heading to gate.

  During missions, hunters went by code names in case of foreign interference in the system. When he was still an active hunter, Yoon Taeha went by S-L1, team S-A1, an unusual exception for a C-class hunter. Kang Jeonhyun, on the other hand, went by S-L2, team S-SO, the Seoul Special Ops unit. The Special Ops unit consisted of six S-class hunters, and Kang Jeonhyun, the only SS-class hunter in the country.

  Kang Jeonhyun lit a flame on his palm as they continued deeper into the mountain. The guardian had been defeated, so the immediate danger was gone. Now their only mission was to retrieve the core and exit the gate.

  “The cave is quite far from the gate. Do you think we’ll make it back before it closes?” Yoon Taeha asked.

  The core of the dungeon was what kept the dungeon alive. To reach it, hunters first had to defeat the guardian; and to close the gate to their realm, the core had to be pulled out, its life fading the moment it was removed.

  Kang Jeonhyun, still taken aback by Yoon Taeha’s earlier gesture, didn’t say a word. Yoon Taeha, however, had no idea what provoking the Second Lieutenant actually meant. Yes, Kang Jeonhyun was much stronger than him, but that didn’t make Yoon Taeha weak. On the contrary, his personality was strong, backed by something inside him he still didn’t fully understand.

  That, however, was a matter for another time. Right now, something far more amusing occupied his mind. Even though he feared Kang Jeonhyun, he simply couldn’t resist teasing him.

  They walked beside each other in silence. The core chamber grew suffocatingly hot, even though a blizzard raged outside; Yoon Taeha felt a strange familiarity to it, just like ten years ago. The core was visible now, a white, jewel-like rock embedded in the cave wall, simply waiting for them to remove it.

  Yoon Taeha was about to step closer, but Kang Jeonhyun grabbed his injured forearm and yanked him back, their bodies colliding.

  “Stay behind me,” he said, irritated. “And don’t touch anything.”

  Yoon Taeha scoffed, feeling ridiculous for the split second he’d mistaken the gesture for concern.

  “Whatever,” he snapped back.

  With a simple gesture, Kang Jeonhyun shattered the rock wall holding the core. In one smooth jump he was airborne, grabbing the white stone from its socket.

  The earth began to rumble, rocks breaking loose and crashing from the cave ceiling.

  “You’ll take us out, right!?” Yoon Taeha raised his voice, watching the walls starting to cave in. “Lieutenant!?”

  Kang Jeonhyun only hmphed and dropped back down.

  “Only if you stop your ridiculous behavior.”

  “I can’t promise you that,” Yoon Taeha smirked. Kang Jeonhyun gritted his teeth in annoyance. This man knew exactly how to grind the right gears, pushing him straight into fury. He grabbed Yoon Taeha by the waist again and shot out of the cave, flying as the ceiling collapsed behind them.

  “I will never get used to this,” Yoon Taeha gasped.

  “I should hope so,” Kang Jeonhyun replied, his face expressionless.

  The white gate stood right in front of them, with soldiers waiting for the Second Lieutenant. They watched their leader approach, an unfamiliar man clinging awkwardly to his side.

  “What the—” a soldier with long blond hair, half of it tied in a top knot, began to say. Kang Jeonhyun landed softly, immediately dropping the man in his arms. Without a word, he walked toward the white gate, and the men followed. Yoon Taeha stumbled as he got up but managed to catch up quickly. The soldiers kept glancing at him, one after another, as they stepped through the gate.

  20.8.2049 Incheon, Gojan-dong, Namdong-gu

  Outside the gate, Yoon Taeha leaned forward and grabbed his knees, gasping for air. They had been inside the dungeon for only a few hours, yet two days had passed in their own realm. Time never moved the same way inside the gates. Sometimes they returned in seconds, even if they’d been gone for days; other times it was like now.

  The time-skips always took a toll on the body, leaving it heavy and exhausted.

  Although the SS-class hunter speaking calmly with the association manager seemed completely unaffected.

  “That was intense. I’d forgotten how thrilling missions could be,” Yoon Taeha muttered.

  The blond man from earlier walked up to him, and the monitor opened as Yoon Taeha lifted his head to look at him.

  Name: Kim Jaeseong

  Rank: Sergeant

  Birthday: 1.6.2024

  Sex: Male

  Secondary gender: Alpha, recessive

  Height: 187cm

  City of birth: Daegu

  Hunter class: S

  Qualities:Dimensional Split

  “What was a C-class hunter doing in an A-class dungeon?” Kim Jaeseong leaned closer, inspecting Yoon Taeha as if checking for defects.

  “I was on a field trip with the Second Lieutenant,” Yoon Taeha grinned, openly admiring the man in front of him. Kim Jaeseong wasn’t built like Kang Jeonhyun at all; he looked like he had stepped straight out of a fashion magazine, his blond hair glowing in the light of the slowly closing white gate. “What about you? Why would the Special Ops be raiding an A-class dungeon?”

  Kim Jaeseong laughed and patted Yoon Taeha’s head like he would a pet. Yoon Taeha blushed.

  “A field trip as well,” Kim Jaeseong said, only to be cut off when someone suddenly yanked his hand away from Yoon Taeha. “Oh? Is he your omega?” he asked Kang Jeonhyun, who still hadn’t let go of his wrist.

  “Trash.” It was the only word Yoon Taeha received from Kang Jeonhyun, but it was enough to make him back off. He didn’t reply, but his gut twisted, heavy and unpleasant.

  “That’s harsh,” Kim Jaeseong said, looking at Yoon Taeha first with pity, then with a warm smile. “I find him cute.”

  “I’ll send my report to HQ later. You can all go home for now.” Kang Jeonhyun didn’t leave any room for introductions and walked straight to his car, Yoon Taeha following without a word. Neither of them spoke, and the silence only grew heavier as they got closer to the apartments.

  20.8.2049 Incheon, Dong-gu, Hunter Command Villas

  The door closed as the two of them walked inside. Yoon Taeha removed his shoes quietly and headed toward his room without a word. His gut felt heavier with every step, his brows furrowed tight, remembering what Kang Jeonhyun had called him.

  “Why are you like this?” His hand stayed on the door handle, as he stopped, but he didn’t turn around. “I’ve done nothing to you. Not to anyone.” He looked down, heat rising in his face, frustration burning under his skin. Kang Jeonhyun’s expression stayed as unreadable as ever, but something in his chest tightened at Yoon Taeha’s words.

  “Who are you to call me trash!” Yoon Taeha finally turned around.

  “You…” Kang Jeonhyun began, but he was too slow. Yoon Taeha was already pushing him against the wall, his forearm pressed firmly against the man’s neck. Kang Jeonhyun knew he could take Taeha down with ease, but he didn’t move. He refused to give in to the provocation.

  “Let go,” he said calmly, his expression still unchanged.

  “No.” Yoon Taeha’s eyes were burning with fury, too direct. It was just one word, one that shattered the last piece of Kang Jeonhyun’s composure.

  In a heartbeat, Kang grabbed Taeha’s arm, spun him, and pinned him hard against the wall. His grip was tight. One hand wrapped Taeha’s wrist above his head, the other braced beside his face, holding him there, trapped.

  His knee pressed dangerously between Taeha’s legs, close enough to confuse instinct with emotion.

  Yoon Taeha felt the hair along the back of his neck rise, every nerve ending sharpening. Kang Jeonhyun was too close. Far too close. His breath brushed Taeha’s jaw; his scent, his pheromones, filled the inch of space between them.

  “You don’t tell me no,” Kang Jeonhyun said, voice low, not angry, but holding back. Yoon Taeha should have been terrified. He should have pushed him away. But instead, his fingers were curled against the wall. Kang Jeonhyun’s gaze dropped to Yoon Taeha’s mouth for a fraction of a second, unintentional, but impossible to miss.

  For Yoon Taeha, the line between hate and something dangerously close to wanting him blurred in that silence. Kang Jeonhyun’s grip tightened enough as to tell Yoon Taeha not to test him. Yoon Taeha’s stomach flipped.

  “Do you think this is a game?” Kang Jeonhyun asked, irritation roughening his voice. “People die in dungeons. You, of all people, should know that.”

  “What? Are you suddenly worried I might die?” Yoon Taeha scoffed. “What a joke. You’d be happy if I dropped dead. Or better, if you killed me yourself.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.” Kang Jeonhyun held him against the wall, tighter now. “I need the information you have.”

  “And here I thought you…” Yoon Taeha smiled, unamused, the expression cutting deep. Kang Jeonhyun’s jaw tightened with anger and confusion. He needed to push him away.

  “A northern trash like you—” The words slipped out before he could stop them. He hesitated, regret hitting him instantly. But he’d said it; he had already crossed the line. There was no taking it back. “…you make me sick.”

  The heat rushed through Yoon Taeha’s entire body, overwhelming. His smile finally broke.

  “You want me to apologize for surviving?” he shouted, voice rising. “Do you think I want to be here? I’m here so I don’t hurt the ones I love! So no, I’m not apologizing, especially not to the likes of you.”

  Their chests were almost touching now, breaths crashing into each other, voices echoing in the cold room as both of them shook with adrenaline. Kang Jeonhyun’s face suddenly went pale.

  An overwhelming scent hit him, sharp and sweet. It crawled up his senses before he could brace for it. His hand flew up to cover his nose and mouth. Yoon Taeha’s pupils widened. The air around them grew heavy. He was in heat.

  The omega pheromones flooding from Yoon Taeha finally forced Kang Jeonhyun to back off. He collapsed to his knees.

  Yoon Taeha stepped forward out of instinct, almost worried, but before he could reach him, Kang Jeonhyun burst a violent shot of wind from his palm. It slammed Yoon Taeha against the wall with a harsh thump.

  “Taeha— You! Don’t come any closer.” Kang Jeonhyun’s voice was shaking.

  Yoon Taeha didn’t fully understand what was happening. Only that, despite every reason to stop, despite the fear, he wanted to get closer to him. His body moved before his mind could catch up, pulled toward the man who was clearly losing control.

  Kang Jeonhyun’s knees trembled as he tried to stand, one hand braced against the floor, the other still clamped over his nose and mouth.

  “Stop it!” he yelled. His voice wasn’t cold this time, it was almost desperate. Yoon Taeha froze, breathing heavily. He didn’t have to be told. His omega pheromones had triggered Kang Jeonhyun’s rut. Two people now stood in the room barely standing under the weight of pheromone exposure. And neither able to breathe.