San snarled at Seonghwa the minute he stepped through the main entrance door.

At hearing the hostile sound coming from his friend, Seonghwa froze right in his spot, nearly dropping his bag in shock.

His pack members had not once snarled at him in all the time he had known them, never. Snarling at the pack alpha was something akin to a death sentence in some other packs Seonghwa knew. Often it was a sign of challenge, too, if it came from another alpha. Having San growl at him was a very bad signal.

"San?" Seonghwa spoke quietly and made sure his gentle voice carried none of the defensive malice his own alpha felt right now. He was not here to fight and he would like to keep San from it, too.

"You reek of alpha. What the hell did you do?!"

Seonghwa blinked slowly, not getting what the man was implying. He was an alpha; of course, he would smell like one.

"What?"

Icy flames of jealousy and possessiveness were burning in San's eyes as he pressed his hand over his nose and mouth and tried to come closer. In the end, he couldn't. The foreign smell that clung to Seonghwa was too powerful for the alpha to near without wanting to rip Seonghwa's throat out. This Seonghwa didn't smell like the usual Seonghwa. He smelled of somebody entirely different. Somebody who was not part of their pack yet had claimed Seonghwa as theirs.

Above them, more steps got loud, and then Yeosang was curiously coming down the stairs to Seonghwa's left. His blond hair was overgrowing in the back, but he still looked adorable with his big eyes.

"Something smells good."

Seonghwa looked between the two of them confusedly. Despite them waiting for an explanation from him, he rather needed one himself. Did his scent shift? Did he miss something? If it was alpha scents, he had more troubles detecting those as long as they posed no threat. It was easier for him to smell omegas and betas. Maybe the pilot on the plane had been in rut and rubbed off somehow?

"God, smell him, Yeosang, this is like- three layers of another person. What did you do, bathe in somebody's guts? How is that it's only one scent and so strong, too? How did you get so close to these men?" San tensely leaned against one of the columns carrying the corridor above them while Seonghwa slowly sat his bag down. He was moving deliberately as to not trigger San again. He also tried to swallow down the pain in his chest at the man's sudden rejection.

It felt horrible to have his own pack move back from him.

Yeosang, however, had fewer qualms. While for him, too, the smell was foreign, he didn't immediately see another alpha as a threat (especially since they had two in their pack.) He stepped in Seonghwa's personal space easily and his nose scrunched the slightest bit, but he didn't complain quite yet as he carefully snuffled around him.

Seonghwa waited patiently but without leaving San's aggressive eyes out of his sight. He rather wouldn't have Yeosang between the two of them, should his fellow alpha choose to attack him.

"It's only one person... Who is it? Did some woman try to lure you in again? Damn, they are getting bold."

"No, I-" Seonghwa had taken multiple showers on his way home. He should have been able to wash it all off, except-

There had been only one person whom he had been close enough that his scent could have rubbed off all over him.

But that was utter nonsense. Hongjoong was no alpha.

"Uhh, are you guys sure it smells like an alpha?" Anybody could make a mistake, right? Hongjoong's natural scent might seem not very welcoming and dangerous, but that didn't necessarily make him an alpha.

"One hundred percent or I wouldn't be here and try to keep myself from mauling you," San hissed lowly, and the threat that radiated off him became even stronger. Seonghwa placatingly lifted his hands, showing surrender. He didn't want the situation to escalate.

But he was so confused. Why would he smell of alpha? Hongjoong could impossibly be an alpha, could he? Then why didn't he tell Seonghwa?

Then again, what the hell was he doing? Being intimate with an alpha? Why would Hongjoong want that?

He couldn't quite believe it. He refused to believe it until he heard it from Hongjoong himself.

"Give me a minute."

Seonghwa searched his bag for his phone, pulling it out when he finally found it underneath his earphones. He had by now saved Hongjoong's number as 'Brat' and did not hesitate to call.

He didn't care what time zone the man was in right now and if he was sleeping. He needed answers right this instant.

Indeed, Hongjoong picked up after the second ring. Seonghwa tensed, ready to give the man an earful.

"Hey, fledgeling. Miss me?"

"Tell me why the hell my pack just told me I reek of alpha when the only one who was boldly scenting me was you?"

San sucked in a harsh breath, his eyes growing wide with understanding. Yeosang had by now stepped back too and was waiting with furrowed brows on one of the sofas around the large fireplace.

"Are you sure? Maybe somebody took advantage of you in your sleep," Hongjoong hummed easily, sounding clearly awake but unbusy. Also, there way a hint of cynism in his voice.

Seonghwa gritted his teeth until his jaw hurt.

"Why did you never tell me?!" He hissed disbelievingly. He was not angry per se, rather shocked instead. Even if he hadn't known, Hongjoong surely did. And yet, he had chosen to fuck with Seonghwa.

"I never denied it, did I? I'd even dare assume that I was quite obvious with it if we disregard my scent. Which you also got a whiff of by now, though. I can't tell you why you thought of me as omega, and you also never asked," Hongjoong urged caution towards Seonghwa's wild assumptions. However, Seonghwa had heard enough.

Quickly, he ended the call, tasting the sour truth in his mouth. When he looked at San again, the answer was written down on his face far too obviously. San narrowed his eyes at him once again.

"Damn," the other alpha only commented halfway impressed.

"Shut him out. I don't want him here, via phone or anything. I'm gonna finish this hunt and try to avoid him as good as possible." With that, Seonghwa angrily picked up his bag and stomped up the stairs to take his bath. He wouldn't get rid of Hongjoong's smell anytime soon, but he could at least try to.

Gods, it explained so much. The man's strength, his attitude, the way he had always seemed so amused about Seonghwa. He had literally played him like a fiddle, and Seonghwa hadn't done anything about it.

But seriously, two alphas? What was this, some joke? Or a weird kink Hongjoong had? They had even had this conversation face to face. Two alphas didn't make any sense.

Seonghwa dropped his bag in his room before rushing over to his bathroom. Yunho was there still, waiting for him to help him bathe and patch up his wounds like a sweet mom.

"Take a bath with me," Seonghwa asked while he ripped his clothes off his body impatiently. He needed that scent-deafening shampoo in the back of his cupboard now.

If Yunho was surprised, he didn't show it. He also didn't comment on Seonghwa's weird scent even if Seonghwa caught him unconsciously rubbing his thighs together at some time. It annoyed Seonghwa even further.

How dare Hongjoong affect Seonghwa's pack like this with his scent?!

Yunho helped Seonghwa bathe and calmed him down considerably with his soothing presence and happy voice. By the time Seonghwa finished with soaking, he felt a little better and less bitter about having become such a clown.

Despite having come home and having a whole cuddly pack who wanted to share his bed, Seonghwa chose to sleep alone still. He proceeded to toss and turn in his bed for hours until finally falling into a fitful sleep in which he spent his time running from some stupid wolf.

-

Seonghwa hastily lifted his head from the white tiles of the floor around the pool when he heard the door open to the room and close behind him. He was definitely tired and plagued by Hongjoong still, and if he didn't start taking care he would lamely drown in their extensive pool before he ever got to shoot the man in the foot for his foolery. Unsuccessfully, he tried to blink the fatigue out of his eyes.

The person who had entered brought their things over to the niche Seonghwa had placed his towel in, too, before joining him in the water. Tattoed and tanned legs slid into the water next to him as the person sat down on the ledge.

Seonghwa recognised his tattoos.

"Hey, Bang."

"Yunho had to smuggle me in through your garden, there are reporters outside again." The man idly kicked his feet through the water, not coming in yet.

Seonghwa gave a groan. More troubles when he just wanted to scream into his pillows all day.

They shared a minute of silence while they just stared out over the marble halls and the fancy golden linings and statues inside the grand hall and the gallery above them. Seonghwa might need to throw a pool party with his pack again soon to let them all have a break after long, stressful weeks. However, he needed to snatch the treasure first.

Seonghwa idly played with his wrinkly fingers in the water.

"Hey, I gotta ask you something."

"Hm?" Yongguk finally slipped in beside him and sighed as the cool water enveloped his body. Calmly, he swam a few little circles that had the natural light from the glass ceiling and the water play lovingly with the muscles shifting underneath his skin.

"I know this person, who deceived me into being an omega, yet they were an alpha all this time. But even if they probably did it for fun, they were very... close to me. Why the hell would an alpha do that? Isn't that like giving up one's pride?"

"I don't know, what is wrong with alphas sleeping with other alphas? I mean yes, sure, we don't see that often, but then again there was a time when gay couples were a taboo, too." Yongguk didn't seem surprised in the least, just playing in the water happily.

"Yeah, but- I don't know... If I mention biology, it makes just as little sense as telling gay couples off because of it, but as a prideful alpha...?" Seonghwa himself had no idea what the problem was. There wasn't even a problem in general, but it was weird and new and nothing he had associated himself with during his life before.

"But aren't you an unusual alpha yourself? We've long since overcome the stereotype of abusive, domineering alphas and weak omegas. Yeosang would stab as a warning, and you are such a dear towards your pack, too. Most packs with such boring alphas also don't have fellow alphas around who could be a threat. Yet, you have San. Think out of the box. Other alphas have other special traits. Gender doesn't form a personality."

Seonghwa's lips pulled into a wry smile as Yongguk just mumbled to himself mostly. Yet, he was speaking the truth. Seonghwa had to overthink it again.

"Spewing philosophy since 1990, aren't you?"

Yongguk grinned at him with his gums on display before coming over again and resting his head on his arms next to Seonghwa. Lazily, he kicked his feet to keep his body afloat.

"Call me Plato. Not Aristotle, though, he was sexist."

Seonghwa laughed with him as they shared the calming effect of the room.

"I'll be going to Kasachstan in two days, we've detected another one of the pieces there. Have you heard of Project Carbonek?"

"The name reminds me of something but I can't quite get behind it... I assume it means trouble?"

"Yeah. Some secret soviet project... You know they are all the same. Does it interest you? I can take you."

Yongguk turned his head towards Seonghwa, giving him a broad smile.

"Sure, why not? It sounds like fun, let's go together. Maybe I can be of some help even."

They spent the rest of the day chilling in the pool until they ate later with the rest of the boys. Yongguk's presence was calming and distracted Seonghwa at least during the day from certain red-haired tricksters.

He hoped not to see the man again during this trip.