╰─➤she went in the woods away
        so afraid, all alone

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that warming sensation of sun rays tickling one's cheeks was what woke the omega male up the very next morning. he pouted against the feeling before arching his hips up a bit to stretch and reclining into the comfortable sheets. everything was incredibly peaceful and rest-inducing, making it that much harder to peel his eyes open and survey his surroundings.

regardless, he was able to peep around with just one hazel iris, looking left and right tiredly before recalling where exactly he was. oh my god, this isn't solitary confinement! he internally cheered, blinking twice harshly and lifting his head from what he'd assumed was a pillow to glance around. that same white and golden decor was present, stunning, and as pristine as ever. when his head dropped back down again, he noticed the tougher surface he was resting against, and panicked instantly.

fuck, fuck, fuck! he peered to the side, frown softening once he spotted jaemin's princess-like yet masculine features near his own. he was angelic, beautiful and breathtaking as well as sexy, toned and strong. magnificent qualities for a beta who's one purpose was probably this harem.

"mhm," a soft hum resounded from elsewhere. hyuck flinched from surprise, but didn't make a sound. "jeno..."

"who's awake?" the omega enquired carefully, lifting once more from nana's chest to check it out. funnily enough, renjun was rubbing his face to wake up and folding his legs in. 

"me," he yawned, scratching his exposed chest and commencing eye contact. "ah, so it was you."

"is that a surprise?"

"dunno. sometimes i could be the only one awake for hours," renjun whispered, "and other times i'll find someone else daydreaming boredly as well. it all depends on the person, i suppose."

"oh...makes sense." i have no idea how i'm supposed to talk to these people alone. does renjun always speak so monotonously? will he open up a little like last night in the bathroom? it appeared the latter was less likely, for a tense atmosphere was developing in the room.

"your hormones are quite strong this morning," the older then started to speak again. maybe he did want to improve their relationship, or at least cut this atmosphere out. "when is your heat?"

"don't know. i've never been able to afford tracking or medication to work it out."

the chinese adult then lifted his body from the mattress and frowned at him from above. "what? you've just...rolled with the punches? how have you not been raped yet?"

"i locked the bathroom door."

silence.

the mere idea of that alone was enough to leave a confused and quite possibly disgusted expression on the other omega's face. he seemed stressed about it, like a mother finding out about her child getting bullied silently. his lips were pursed into a glower, but he didn't say anything else on the topic. what was there to say, really? 'sorry to hear that'? ridiculous.

"are you hungry?" he eventually enquired, and donghyuck nodded weakly in response. after fasting in that god-forsaken solitary confinement, food sounded like gold to a greedy man.

"please..."

"good, you should be. not only that," renjun hummed while crawling carefully over the other five bodies and off the bed, "you'll probably have a rough day today. you're going to hear about the rules, the standards of the harem, your duties as a doll in the playhouse, and possibly run through what it is you want and need as an omega. we aren't the same."

right, the younger thought anxiously. this already sounds like crap. can't i go back to sleep and pretend i never woke up in the first place? "are we allowed to leave on our own?"

the smaller chuckled dryly at the question and proceeded to gently pull him up off jaemin and to his feet upon the carpet. "of course, since you're with me. you won't be allowed to be left unsupervised outside of this room for at least three days, i'd say. for safety, trust and learning purposes. understand?"

"i under—"

"ngh, fuck that's bright," a deep morning voice groaned, and both glanced down to view jaemin who'd been woken from the movement. "why is the curtain open?"

"nana, go back to sleep," renjun insisted. "you'll wake jeno."

"what?" he sighed, rubbing his eyes and opening them up to look around. "where are you two going?"

"kitchen. i'll have the maids bring stuff up for you."

"with donghyuck?"

"yes."

the youngest omega shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. he felt like a third wheel and an outcast no matter what he did, and listening to them casually converse after a crazy night of sex was just way too strange for him. can i just go already?

"i wanna come~" the beta whined, trying to sit up though having a strong arm wind around his waist and drag him back down. jeno twisted onto his side, still asleep yet very much possessive even so. "ow..."

"just stay. you're such a pain," renjun hissed. "you're noisy."

"why do you hate me?" nana pouted, though curled into his master's chest regardless and snuggled closely. "you're only ever mean to me."

"let's go," the omega scoffed and grabbed hyuck firmly by the wrist, pulling him without much elegance to the door. before they left, renjun briefly let him go, swiped a few piercings off his seat in the corner of the room and returned to pushing him through the exit and slamming it shut.

"what was that about?" the blonde asked quietly, stumbling to keep up with the smaller's power-walking.

"nothing. he's just annoying." renjun started putting his nose piercing, brow piercing and ear piercings in as he moved — the reason for them still unknown.

alright, mr. loquacious, donghyuck grimaced, choosing to shut up about it. from what he could tell, it did sort of appear that the older was somewhat unforgiving of jaemin, and it wasn't immediately obvious as to why either. there were so many mysteries to solve around here, and so many new ways of life that he just wasn't prepared for. why was he here? what had he done so wrong to deserve this?

the halls were the same as yesterday; simply large, white marble structures, not a lot of decor other than golden trimming and rugs. nobody was speeding down these not-so-narrow spaces this time, however, other than the two on a mini-mission. "where are we really? i know it's the countryside, but where exactly in it?"

"you're so full of questions, aren't you?" renjun grumbled, always a few steps ahead. he was barely covered by the gown that had been tugged and messed with all night, but it didn't seem to phase him at all. "are you always going to talk, or is this a new habit?"

"i—" the younger gushed, but realised there was no answer he could give. how was one to respond to rudeness? he couldn't backhand him, sass him or challenge him. heck, he wasn't even aware of where that would land him. dead?

nothing more was uttered from then on. just a hugely awkward silence and the random interruptions of heavy footsteps. it was truly suffocating for the new arrival, yet he had the feeling it'd be something he either got used to, or would start to do himself.

once they got past the large connective hallway that latched the end of the mansion holding the famous 'bedroom' with the rest of the building. suddenly there seemed to be a proper section of the mafia around. men and women were dashing about; mostly betas and alphas it appeared. in fact, not a single omega other than renjun was detectable. how predictable, he mentally sighed.

they trudged with bare feet towards a doorway, and through that was yet again another corridor. it smelled of paper, food and smoke somehow, which was an odd combination. drugs were a strong scent, but that seemed to be all over the place, not just here.

the older yanked his wrist hard again, pulling him into a specific room and suddenly turning him to face each other, gripping the younger's shoulders. "stay here. i'll be two minutes."

"i thought i couldn't be alone—"

"try me," renjun arched his brow cockily. he was so fucking alluring, even for an omega. there was something powerful about him, and donghyuck wanted that. why was he so weak in comparison? "two minutes," the boy repeated. and with that, he was gone — disappearing into a sea of chefs and bakers.

hyuck swallowed harshly and eyed up the entirety of the kitchen. everything was pearly white and pristine clean, including the uniforms and all that. meats and vegetables were a divine change from the nasty dope smell lingering outside.

either way, he gritted his teeth, how far will i get without a punishment? he wasn't some princess in need of babysitting. an adventure or exploration couldn't have been too sinful, right? one lap around the place? whatever, he won't care.

the blonde then started trailing off without permission back through the door. the rest of the structure wasn't as warm as the kitchen, but that was to be expected. his skin was even more sensitive to everything after last night, and especially since his most vulnerable three days were on the way. nothing but the previous night's chaos was littering his brain, so breaking a tiny rule felt like a brilliant way to take his mind off it.

donghyuck pulled his long sleeves down further and fidgeted with them even when his fingers were covered. the hem tickled his achilles heels while he stepped forward with uncertainty, but it reminded him that he was alive at all. that none of this madness was a sick dream.

which way did we even come from? he suddenly wondered with a huge heap of self-doubt. every hallway looked the same around here, like a goddamn labyrinth. "left," he whispered to himself, choosing this direction for no other reason but gut instinct. just as before, there wasn't a change anywhere. it could well have been where he'd started out with renjun, or a completely new section of his new home. security looked pretty tight though, but no one questioned who he was for he was dressed like a harem doll. nice, he inwardly grinned to himself.

his legs picked up the pace while he didn't even compute with his decision, and for some reason he found himself to be running. running down the hall out of breath and desperately pulling the shoulders of the hanfu up as they continuously flew off. where's the way out? fuck, fuck, fuck! he shouldn't have done this. now it looked like he was really planning on escaping. donghyuck hadn't actually thought about trying so soon, nor was this in any form of a plan. so why?

"hey!" someone hissed — a guard most likely. "sir, are you a doll?!"

"i'm nobody's fucking doll!" he screamed airlessly and upped the pace into a sprint. he was terrified, and crazed. his fringe was flying off his forehead and the robe in general was half holding onto his naked body. the stairs, the boy almost cried with happiness, recognising them as the ascent from the bottom floor where that kinky dungeon was and the room of solitary confinement. so was he to go there? should he have tried looking for the way out on this floor instead? fuck, he was making a complete mess of this.

more people started to pursue him, though from every angle, every hall. suddenly he was surrounded as he attempted to run for a random direction...but for naught. people with weapons held up were making sure he was circled and defenceless, and by god had he never felt so pathetic and horrible in his life. this was disastrous and catastrophic...and jeno would surely never trust him again. he'd either be thrown inside that disgusting, dark room again...or shot down on the spot.

he was pointless.

replaceable.

not even fit for a toy.

"please..." he whimpered, slowly turning around to look at each individual surrounding him helplessly, "i just...no..." the backs of his eyes burned and the dryness in his throat was even worse than before. the heaving motion of his lungs was treacherous, and he couldn't help but collapse on weak knees to the floor. "i'm sorry..."

"is he a doll?" someone whispered to another, and the rest all started to question this as well. the harem were well-known faces and the whole reason these guards existed — to protect them. but this boy? his face wasn't familiar at all.

"where is he?!" an angry, loud voice hissed above the noise. donghyuck flinched from his position and burst into tears, covering his face with his hands while begging for someone to end his life before the raging gang leader did.

the crowd started to part right in front of the defenceless male, and in walked two figures. one jeno...the other renjun. the youngest's shoulders were shivering as he sobbed weakly into his palms...he hadn't planned or wanted this. he even decided inside that he'd give the stupid harem a go. this was a mindless act of adrenaline...and surely he'd pay for it.

"stand up," the alpha ordered from where he stood before him. his voice was switched to its primal setting, making the only two omegas shudder with a hint of terror.

yet donghyuck couldn't. his muscles were almost pure jelly after the uncalled for sprinting he hadn't trained for, and his blood rush had ended moments ago. so, instead of obeying like he probably should've, he glanced up to meet the dark, mahogany eyes of an enraged man. they sent the remnants of food in his stomach churning, but it couldn't be helped. "i can't..."

"you're unbelievable," jeno scowled. "what the fuck is wrong with you? huh? are you mentally slow or just plain stupid?"

"n-neither..." he cried, pure floods of tears rolling down his cheeks as he wiped them ceaselessly. "i'm not stupid..."

"then stand the hell up."

"i can't-"

"either you stand up on the count of three, or it's back to the cell. i don't care if i have to leave you in there for another year to learn your fucking place."

no, the blonde panicked, pulling at his ankles and begging them to listen. they were numb and weak, totally useless right now. the countdown began with a rough 'one', and the omega started to hyperventilate. "p-please, they won't—"

"two!"

"no!" he whined, shooting his gaze up to meet that of renjun's...but the older merely looked away to break it. he seemed a bit distressed, maybe even empathetic. "please, i don't want to go back to confinement!"

"three!" jeno growled, stomping over and ripping the smaller off the ground by his neck. "you have been given hundreds of goddamn chances already and you've only been here a measly week! you ungrateful brat!"

donghyuck choked on air, clawing at the fingers digging into his windpipes. it hurt so bad, and he didn't know how to explain himself. it was so dumb to him, how this was all going about. he shouldn't have come down here with renjun. he should've stayed in bed. "ack...please...."

"jeno," renjun murmured pleadingly, "come on, he's only new."

"so what? he'll never learn if he isn't punished for misbehaving."

"it was my fault. i left him alone to get food..."

"i love that you've connected for once," jeno sighed, releasing his grip a bit on hyuck's throat, though remaining as strict as ever, "but you didn't possess his legs and make him run. omega or not...he's not special."

"one more chance," the chinese boy insisted. "if he breaks another rule, i'll take half of the punishment then. please."

the alpha furrowed his brows and let the male go, his skinny figure dropping to the marble ground as he coughed and hacked for air. "why would you offer that? you never get punished."

"perhaps i'm a masochist," renjun sighed, kneeling down to pull the youngest up and into his chest as he sucked harsh breaths in. "or maybe it's because i understand him better than anyone ever will. however it may be, thank you for allowing him the chance, master."

"mhm, don't make me regret it, love. now bring him back to the room, and one more mishap won't be overlooked." he narrowed his eyes and knelt down to be level with his newest member. he was so pretty...yet full of torment and pain. "listen to me," he muttered, running his fingers along the blonde's cheek and then over his perfectly full lips, "you ought to clean up your act. you have a duty tonight, and a tough one at that. listen to renjun and the others when they explain the rules, and once you know them i won't forgive little rebellious acts like this. got it?"

"m-mhm..." he sobbed, blinking the tears away in his eyes and letting them fall. jeno tightened his jaw at the sight of it and desperately wanted to cradle the omega and promise that he wasn't as angry as he came across. but that would've defeated the purpose of his training, so he refrained and instead leaned in to kiss one of the stray trails from reaching his neck.

"go back to the bedroom," he whispered against his cheek, "and be good."

"okay," hyuck nodded meekly and tried to stand up with renjun's aid. it was quite difficult when it still felt as though his knees were going to snap off or fade away. they hobbled out of the large crossroad area and towards the hallway that would lead to the said room. jeno watched carefully as they disappeared out of sight, then growled grumpily to his mafia.

"that is my doll. never hold weapons to him again, understand? should he attempt another escape, merely sound for me and corner him; never touch him. do i make myself clear?"

"yes sir!"

"good. back to work."

>>>>>

"you brave and stupid soul," mark scoffed as the latest arrival sat on the bed with his legs pulled to his chest and the headboard supporting his back. "not only did you disregard renjun, but jeno? are you suicidal?"

"shut up," chenle hissed as he crawled over to sit with the boy. "he's had it rough, remember. a week in solitary, a crazy night of group sex as a virgin and then waking up in an unfamiliar room with random boys he doesn't know? i'd hate to be him too."

"i'll get him proper clothes," jisung piped up and stood from his perch in the window's alcove. "do you think he wants to shower?"

"he isn't mute and deaf, for fuck's sake," renjun snapped from his chair. he had his reading glasses on and a lip piercing in that he played with as he read. "ask the boy."

"oh, yeah..." the youngest cringed. "um...donghyuck?" the said youth didn't really move...didn't really respond either. it took a moment of chenle's soothing back rubs and some silence for him to lift his head and look to the beta. 

"no...i don't want a shower." god, his throat was raw and his voice was hoarse. it felt like he was dying from crumbling on the inside.

"okay. do you like tracksuits? we'll obviously tailor you your own clothes once we've measured you...but..."

"mhm...fine."

everyone awkwardly looked from one to the other. jaemin was flopped over the couch to the side and holding his silence since he wasn't really appreciated in conversations about jeno's moods. it was quite apparent that as the leader's longtime lover and best friend, he had a few more privileges and loopholes than everyone else...perks he didn't want.

"so," mark broke that atmosphere and trailed towards the bed slowly and calculatedly, "we've been told to run over the rules with you. are you paying attention?"

"yes."

"good. we'll start with no lying. under no circumstances are you to lie to our master, or to us. it creates a divide, you see, and we're a team; a relationship. any lying is punishable."

"okay."

"then there's touching each other. it's perfectly fine to be with one another as long as there isn't a punishment in place. if you've been banned from touching for a week, we're obligated to ensure you don't come near us. got it?"

"yeah, i've got it," hyuck nodded dismally and squeezed his legs in tighter.

"thirdly, don't wander around outside on your own. you need a bodyguard in case enemies are lurking and want to use you or one of us as ways to get to jeno."

"that's important," chenle reiterated from beside him.

"as well as those, you cannot disobey an order from jeno. anything he says or asks goes," mark insisted. "he makes rules for reason, and he only wants to protect us. we aren't just sluts, donghyuck, and that's our greatest secret against the world. nobody views us as anything important...so they'd never see our skills coming."

"wait, what do you mean?"

"we're trained, lovely," jaemin purred from the couch. "as soon as he thinks you're ready, you'll undergo training for self-defence, assassination, and party manners. we're weapons, dolls and lovers. fun, isn't it?"

"oh my god..." the omega gasped. "there's no way."

"yes way," mark continued. "training is hard, and you aren't allowed to join him for any missions until he's certain you won't get yourself killed. so work hard."

they're badasses? he wondered, way more intrigued now than he had been before. maybe i misjudged this group.

"also," jisung stepped in, "you'll be getting piercings as soon as possible." he ran his fingers over his own facial decoration and smiled proudly. "they do hurt at first, and nobody will deny that...but they're special."

"i don't want any!" the omega whined. "isn't there a way out? what are they even for?"

renjun slapped his book closed and peered at them all over his glasses. "they are his way of marking us as his. a child's fascination with toys, you know? dressing them, brushing their hair, naming them. he pierces us how he wants to, and that way people are made aware of who we are. the other groups find it mesmerising when we walk into a room with full jewellery."

"it'll be sore..."

"of course. but worth it. i didn't need them," the older explained, pulling his long hair away from his neck and showing off his alpha bite where he'd been claimed. "but i wanted them. betas can't be claimed, so this is how he does it instead. i didn't want to be left out," he smiled faintly, "so i got the piercings. you'll need them too."

"most things are straight forward," chenle hummed and thought about more potential rules. "i think those are most of the important ones, but there are other more obvious ones. like no sleeping alone unless in confinement, and no arguing. we aren't supposed to fight," he rolled his eyes, "but we do a bit. no arguing with jeno more specifically, though."

"yeah, could've guessed as much," donghyuck agreed. "what about heats and stuff? what do i do then?"

"fuck someone," jisung snickered as if it was obvious. "easy."

"all well and good until i get pregnant," he retorted irritatedly. "i don't want a baby. renjun," he shifted to look to the chinese boy again. "what do you do?"

the older looked taken aback, eyes widening a little and lips parting for non-existent words. he pushed his glasses up his bridge and sighed a bit. "i suppose you can just use contraception, right?"

"i mean, sure...but it's not a 'get out of jail card'. shit goes wrong, so what have you been doing to prevent it?"

"i..." it was apparent he hadn't an answer. his eyes never met the other omega's, and he played with his lip piercing again distractedly. "just...things..."

"things?"

"drop it."

what? the younger frowned. what is with his mood swings? so annoying and unpredictable.

"okay, okay, we can talk about all that stuff later," jisung brushed it all off and pulled out a pair of grey, loose tracksuit bottoms and a large t-shirt that was probably jeno's. "wear these for now. they're my favourite."

"they aren't even yours," chenle scoffed.

"neither are those," jaemin interjected and pointed to the peridot gemstones lining the mouthy younger's ears, "but we don't talk about you borrowing jewellery, do we? my birthstone presents from nono go missing all the time because you like them."

"and you nick all my bracelets. don't sass me, jaem."

"guys, just shut up for two seconds," mark groaned and collapsed onto the bed. "so annoying."

"tell me about it," renjun murmured before returning to his book. hyuck glanced back at him once more and stared for a minute as he recalled the reckless promise he'd made with jeno only half an hour prior.

if he misbehaved, then the older was to take half the punishment. why would he do that for him? did he just have an abundance of faith? or was he the stupid one after all? it didn't make much sense.

either way, he couldn't help but smile a bit as he thought about it and allowed jisung to start dressing him. strange people indeed.

but the ideas of training, contraception and romantic influence suddenly created a much more hopeful and warming feeling in the newest boy's chest than had been there before. this may have turned out better than he thought it would.

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...to be continued