Phayu is a very organized man who knows what he wants and how to get what he wants. He is not a very patient man, but patience is a subjective thing for him. It depends on what kind of thing that requires his patience.

Rain was one of the exact kinds of things that needed his patience and he was willing to give him all the patience he had to pursue him.

He knew from a young age that Rain and he are mated. He had a brilliant mind, he managed to put one and one together from all the clues in textbooks about mating. That was why he kept Rain closed to him at all times that people thought he was needlessly devoted to Rain.

He was devoted, but not needlessly.

He protected Rain the best kid of his age could do. He learned harder on things that Rain lacked to be able to teach the younger one himself. He put Rain's needs before his. But he was a stern teacher and strict provider. He knew Rain sometimes wondered why people were praising Phayu as patient. He gave as much as he took.

He kissed Rain on the lips for the first time when he was 15 and Rain was 12. He thought that was the perfect age for a kiss. 3 years of age difference can be hard to manage. At that time, they were both teenagers.

It was merely a peck but Phayu remembered the feels, the smell, and how Rain's face morphed from startled to bright red with a little smile. He remembered he couldn't contain his happiness and told his mom about it, earning him his father's tease.

Since that day, everything they did together seemed to have a different meaning. Even something as normal as holding hands can make his heart thump like crazy. He couldn't get rid of Rain from his head and wanted to spend every waking minute with him.

It was crazy, but his mom reminded him that maybe his true mate was somewhere out there waiting for him, so he better not put his whole egg in one basket. His mom didn't know what he knew already: that Rain was his as he was Rain's. Rain was his mate, he was sure of it.

The incident with the death of Rain's father was unfortunate for the couple and it broke Phayu's heart when he heard his mate declare he hated him. But after a long thought, that was to be expected and Rain was still young, barely a teenager. It allowed him to grieve and channel that grief. All he could do was wait.

But that didn't mean he was going to be still.

No, no, no.

That wasn't Phayu.

He knew he was going to be an outcast as a child born out of wedlock. But knowing how Gun was with his legitimate children, Phayu didn't wonder why his mom ran away and rather be with his father who was a mere chief-village than be with a Theerapanyakul. His mom made the best decision although that decision blew up in their faces and they had to lose lives for it. Someday, Phayu was going to be the one who put a bullet between Gun's eyes as a payback for his mother and father.

Two years was enough to see the dynamic of the minor family and he wanted to be out. So he went to another outcast of the family, although by choice, Kimhan. The guy was brilliant in his own right. He managed successful businesses despite his young age. Sure his family's name helped, but Kimhan did most of the work.

Kimhan accepted him without a fuss and trained him to the point he almost killed him, but it took three years to be able to gain his trust and be his right hand. Kim said family is family no matter how murky it is and Kim chose his own family, not by blood. Now Phayu supervised their automotive business, construction build, and assassin guild.

He took on the role as it able him to move freely to get what he wanted. With money, life became easier and bearable. With money, comes the power to move people around.

He never lost contact with Rain's mother, sending her money that can put both her and Rain to an easier life. He was also the one who got a job and a house for her in Bangkok and paid for Rain's education, transportation, and insurance. Phayu paid people to be his eyes on Rain the moment he started to gain money, planting one or two people in Rain's life so seamlessly that his mate wouldn't be able to suspect a thing.

Phayu was and is still a devoted man for Rain.

He already figured it all out to make the scenarios of how they will meet again and what conversation to kick start their relationship. One thing that wasn't in his calculation is Porchay.

But then Kim laid eyes on Porchay's photographs.

Never had Phayu seen Kim give that much attention to a man. Any man. He didn't even know Kim was capable of romance let alone falling in love with a stranger without even seeing him up close and personal.

There was a thin smile on Kim's lips, the first of many he had seen later, when he said, "This is Porsche's baby brother," as he took a photo of smiling Porchay in his hand.

"You know him?"

Kim nodded. "I've conducted thorough research on him as Kinn displayed his attraction to Porsche. I figured it was only a matter of time for things to get serious between them. He posted no threat and doesn't seem to want anything to do with our world and business."

"And you're interested in him because ...?"

Kim didn't answer. Instead, he only said, "He changed greatly in two years."

"May I have his file?"

Kim nodded. "Sure. But nothing interesting in his file. He cut contact fully with Porsche for some time now after months of going in limbo between them." The limbo was caused by Kinn's possessiveness and Porsche's unwillingness to say no to Kinn. Porchay seemed clever enough to know that but didn't say a word against it. He simply cut the rope, not even saying goodbye.

Kim admired that. He thought Porchay was like his younger self.

That statement shocked Phayu. "He cut the contact? Not Porsche?" Why Porchay did do that? His brother was now loaded, he could have anything he wanted in the world and Porsche would say yes to anything, never depriving his younger brother of the said wants.

Kim nodded. A sense of weird pride swelled in his chest. That got Phayu's forehead furrowed seeing the evidence of his feeling well displayed for Phayu to see. That wasn't like Kim who held his emotions in an ironed box.

Strange for Kim to feel that way for an unknown individual.

But of course, he didn't question it. No one, not even his father or brothers, could get an answer from Kim if he didn't want to part with the information.

"He's 20 now, right?" Kim asked, pointing at Rain's pictures on Phayu's phone. Phayu nodded. "I think it's about time to make a move. Your position in the business is settled, just about everyone knows your name, and you're more than capable of taking care of both yourself and your family. What are you waiting for?"

Phayu hesitated. Yes, he had all those and more, but Rain's feelings about his father's death were still there. He told Kim that.

Kim nodded, acknowledging it. "Have you done what I told you to do? Making his mom coax out the hatred?"

"Yes, I did that."

"That was ... What? Two years ago, right? Then it's enough time by now. Every feeling if not nurtured doesn't last, Phayu. It's you who needs to try harder. Judging by his looks, he's not that stubborn when it comes to feeling. Different from that one," he pointed to Chay's picture. Phayu believed Kim's words. He was an excellent people and situation reader.

"Make someone bring them to the club. We'll see from there."

Them, Phayu thought. Porchay was in the equation.

When Phayu saw Rain at the club, he felt bold shivers running through his veins. The longing for Rain sang his tune loudly inside his brain, threatening to break the chains of years of self-restraint. One look, it was all it took.

He chased Rain when he thought the boy was running away and found himself inside the bathroom. He forced the others out with his eyes. The guests didn't make a fuss as here, Phayu's name meant something.

"Rain," he called. The name finally left his lips after years of drought.

The boy physically shivered and looked like he was on the verge of breaking down. Phayu wanted to soothe his fears and worries away, wanted to say that he was here in this world solely for Rain. That the boy was the only reason he was still alive and breathing to this day.

"Phi Phayu," Rain replied, and, oh fuck, that did something wicked to Phayu's mind.

"It's good to see you."

'What the fuck, Phayu? 'Good to see you'? Really? That's all your fucking head can manage to say?'

Rain nodded again and they stood still for a while. Phayu used the time to admire Rain up close. Years of separation did good to Rain. He didn't know Rain managed to become even more beautiful. Etheral.

Then a commotion was heard and Rain was on the run again. Phayu didn't even think when he grabbed Rain. It just happened.

And Phayu saw how Rain's morphed from confusion to shock as the electric jolts ran through their veins.

***

Kim knew what he was doing.

He never pursued underage kids no matter how beautiful he/she was. 18 was barely an adult. He couldn't, wouldn't, and shouldn't break his principles.

But he nearly did.

That was how much attraction he felt when he first laid his eyes on Porchay. When he first saw his picture, he thought of how similar but really different was Porchay's face to Porsche.

Porsche was stunningly beautiful. One look and he can take your breath away. Kinn had eyes on him for the right reasons.

Porchay was more subtle in beauty, but there was something that more forcefully drew him to Chay. He called the kid, Kitt in his head as to him the boy was that. A kid. Porchay's eyes were stunning, they framed with those perfect eyebrows beautifully. And his lips... Oh, his pink lips were sins for Kim as it made him wonder how they would taste and how would they look after Kim was done devouring him.

He wondered and he shut it down as Porchay was too young for him. He thought the kid would be immature, like kids his age. He was similar in age to Macau and looked at how that kid turned up. Porchay was strictly a report for him to read. He forbade himself to ever look at the pictures that went with the report.

He didn't need it. Porchay was merely statics.

But then he saw Porchay's pictures in Phayu's hands by accident. He didn't like it one bit but managed to conceal it, didn't say anything about it, not even the fact he had seen it.

He told his people to pull their reports on Chay and to dig deeper. The reports said Porchay never used the money Porsche had transferred for him for fun. There were no luxury items bought. His phone was still the old cracked one. He worked two to three jobs. Fun times with friends were rare.

It poked his curiosity.

So he spent his precious time digging for Porchay's footage and putting cameras where Porchay's activities should be placed. He did it himself, like in old times. No one needed to know his guilty pleasure. He worried when Porchay didn't come home when he should. He admired how Porchay handled his troubles, smiling when Porchay kicked someone twice his size in the butt. He was annoyed when someone clearly put interest in the kid but relieved when Chay shut it down.

He behaved like Porchay was already his.

Even Kim himself thought he had gone crazy. It was fortunate for him that no one knew his interest or there would be a war on its own with Kinn and Porsche. Porsche wouldn't like Chay near Kim as he often branded Kim as a rabid dog. But it would be the end of the world if Kim paid mind to what other people thought.

A week ago, Kim once again saw Porchay's picture in Phayu's hands. He acted nonchalant, although he gave some insides. He put directions for his own gain in Phayu's actions.

And this night was the reward as he was staring at that said boy with his own eyes.

Kim liked the challenge in Porchay's eyes when the boy finally, finally, looked back at him. It brought a smile to his cold face. They had a stare-down. Kim looked in areas where the competition might affected Porchay. His genes enabled him to have a good look at Porchay even for this distance. The tellings were there to a professional eyes like Kim.

The boy was aroused.

His smile got wider and luckily Porchay already placed his eyes elsewhere. Kim didn't want to scare the little doe.

The same boy who talked to Porchay before whispered said something and his doe nodded but followed him with his eyes. Kim then noticed Phayu move as the kid moved, triggering Porchay to follow suit.

He too made a move, casually but he put more speed in his walks. He was in time for the action. Porchay even warned him not to be involved, to go away.

Cute.

It was satisfying to see how Porchay handled the situation. His chest was swelled with pride. His boy was indeed not a damsel in distress.

"What if I didn't want to?" he asked, moving closer. The boy didn't move. He challenged him, standing his ground. Perhaps it was because Kim didn't release his pheromones, so the boy didn't know fear when he looked at him in the face.

But he must've known that Kim was a predator.

Yes, he did and he still chose to challenge him.

Fascinating.

Kim forced himself to stop. Porchay's smells drew him closer. His smell was enticing and captivating. It was nothing he ever smelled before. When he sobered up, he already leaned closer to Porchay, with his nose almost touching the younger's neck.

Oh fuck. The things he would give if Porchay allowed him to kiss, to lick, to bite him there.

The boy said something. "Hasn't anyone told you that it's rude to smell someone you don't know? You haven't taken me on a date yet."

First, he was confused, still wondering about this boy's smell. He wished he could bottle it and take it everywhere with him, bathed himself in it. But then his brain caught up and Kim smiled at that. His boy was cheeky, huh?

"If I take you on a date, where will you want to go?" he whispers, just inches from Chay's ear. It seemed Chay was sensitive there as he could physically feel him shuddered.

Porchay performed a smile beautifully. "Let's see. I've always wanted to go to this particular onsen in Japan. But, Khun, I'm sorry if I alluded to you that I want a date. I don't. Guys like you are trouble. My mom said better stay away from trouble, Khun."

It wasn't fair to bring (dead) mothers into this game of give-and-take seduction. But he made a mental note to take Chay to that onsen in the future.

"Give it a try, you might like it, Omega," he whispered again. But his kitty didn't like that. "Calling sub-gender is not in favor of my good grace."

"I don't know your name," he lied, letting Chay look him up and down, studying him with his eyes. It took everything in him to hold back, not kissing those sinful lips.

"Find it yourself. By the looks of it, you can afford it. Now will you excuse me? I got a friend to save," he said before freeing himself from Kim's prison.

He only watched when Phayu and Chay argued but stepped up immediately as soon as he saw Phayu wasn't shy to escalate the confrontation.

As they both watched their prey escape, Kim said, "Give them a few hours before we hunt again." He patted Phayu's back before going back to his chamber for a good drink and a chance to dream a certain boy with doe eyes.