As Ryan entered the alley, the stench of sweat, alcohol, and something sickeningly sweet filled his lungs. His sharp ears picked up hushed voices, dripping with anticipation and malice.
"Hurry up, damn it. I can't wait any longer."
"Shit, I knew it—he'd be so fucking sexy like this."
Ryan's breath slowed. His steps became calculated, silent. A dark, suffocating weight settled in his chest as he moved deeper into the shadows. The voices grew clearer, laced with disgusting amusement.
Then—he saw it.
He halted.
His blood turned ice cold before boiling over in sheer, blinding fury.
Jihoon lay on the ground, his body trembling, barely holding on. His usual fire—his sharp, defiant glare—was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his golden eyes were glazed over, pupils blown wide, his breath ragged. His chest rose and fell in quick, shallow pants, his entire body burning up.
His heat.
The realization made Ryan's stomach churn.
Pheromones thickenedtheair, oppressive and suffocating. The scent was overwhelming—Jihoon's body was desperately seeking relief, and those bastards knew it.
They were surrounding him like a pack of rabid dogs, sneering, laughing, feeding off his helplessness.
Yunseo was kneeling between Jihoon's legs, fingers hooked around the waistband of his pants, yanking them down with an eager smirk.
"Tch, stop struggling already, Jihoon. You know you want it. Look at you, you're burning up."
Jihoon's breathing hitched, his fingers weakly grasping at Yunseo's wrist, trying to stop him. But he had no strength. His body was betraying him.
"Fuck off," Jihoon hissed, voice barely above a whisper, laced with exhaustion.
Laughter.
Sakyoung crouched beside him, gripping Jihoon's chin roughly and forcing him to look up.
"Come on, baby. You should be grateful," Sakyoung purred mockingly. "Alphas would kill to have an omega as tempting as you. But don't worry, we'll take real good care of you."
Jihoon's entire body flinched at the words, but he couldn't fight back. He was too weak.
Ryan saw red.
His blood vessels constricted, rage coursing through every fiber of his being. His pupilscontracted, his clawssharpened, and his fangsached to sink into flesh.
His hands trembled—not with fear, but with the overwhelming urge to tear these bastards apart.
"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Him."
The words were low, guttural, deadly.
The moment they left Ryan's lips, the temperature of the alley plummeted.
Sakyoung and his lackeys froze, a sudden chill creeping up their spines. The air turned oppressive, suffocating, an invisible force pressing down on them.
A presence far more terrifying than they had ever felt before.
Slowly, they turned their heads—
—and met glowing, blood-redeyes.
Ryan stood at the entrance of the alley, his hood pushed back, revealing his face twisted in pure, unfilteredwrath. His breathing was steady, controlled, but his eyes—his eyes—were the embodiment of murderous intent.
Rage.
It coiled deep in Ryan's chest, black and suffocating, a force beyond his control. His vision blurred at the edges, the only thing in focus being the disgustingfilth that dared to touch him.
Jihoon.
A firestorm of fury erupted inside him, and before he even registered his own movement, his feet had already closed the distance.
Sakyoung and the others jolted upright at the sheer force of his presence.
Unnatural. Overwhelming. His aura had shifted into something demonic, something beyond human comprehension. The darkness around him thickened, suffocating them under its weight.
Yet, Sakyoung had the audacity to smirk.
"Oh? What a surprise. Why are you here, Your Highness?" he mocked, wiping the blood off his lip. His voice was laced with amusement, yet the way his body stiffened was telling.
He tilted his head, chuckling darkly.
"Ah~ Don't tell me... you want a taste of him too?" He laughed, his voice dripping with malice. "Damn, bro, you really are something else—"
Crack.
Sakyoung's breath was ripped from his lungs as Ryan'sfistcollidedwithhisstomach.
A sickening thud echoed as his body was sent flying, crashing into the cold brick wall with a violent force. Blood splattered from his mouth, his body convulsing from the sheer impact. His eyes rolled back as he crumpled to the ground, motionless.
Silence.
Jiyoung and Yunseo froze.
Their bodies trembled, fear clawing up their throats. What... whatwasthat?!
Ryan exhaled sharply, his fists tightening until his knuckles turned white.
"Listen carefully," he growled, voice dripping in venom. "I don't care what disgusting things you do. I don't care who you ruin. But the moment you laid your hands on him—you made the mistake of targeting me."
Amistakeyouwon'tlivetomakeagain.
In a blink, Ryan moved.
Too fast.
Jiyoung barely had time to react before Ryan's footconnectedwithhischest, sending him crashing onto the pavement. The impact rattled through his ribs, stealing his breath away before a vicious punch knocked him out cold.
Ryan turned to Yunseo.
The coward stumbledback, trembling, hisbackhittingthewall. His breath came out in ragged, panicked gasps, his eyes blown wide in terror.
"P-Please," Yunseo whimpered, his voice cracking. His hands raised in surrender. "D-Don't… please, I—"
Ryan tilted his head, his crimson eyes glowing with something twisted.
"You," he hissed, voice low, deadly, "were the one trying to undress him, weren't you?"
Yunseo's face drained of color. Ryan stepped forward.
"How dare you lay your filthy hands on him?"
Ryan's fist collided with Yunseo's face.
Once.
Twice.
He lost count.
Yunseo's screams turned into choked sobs, then into nothing but wet gasps for air. His face was a mess—blood dripping from his nose, his lip split, his cheekbone already swelling.
But Ryan didn't stop.
Not when Yunseo coughed up blood. Not when his hands weakly tried to shield himself. Not when his cries turned to desperate, pathetic pleas.
Ryan's vision blurred. His breath came out ragged. The monster inside him was awake, starving, desperate to tear them apart.
"Ryan…"
A trembling voice. Soft. Weak. Ryan stilled. His gaze snapped toward Jihoon.
Jihoon, who lay there, small and vulnerable, his body trembling from pain and heat, his golden eyes glossy with unshed tears.
"P-Please… stop," Jihoon murmured. His voice was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to cut through the fog of rage.
Ryan clenched his jaw, breathing heavily. He wanted to keep going, to end them, but…
Jihoon.
Jihoon needed him.
With a final, murderous glare at the unconscious bodies littering the alley, Ryan turned away.
He moved toward Jihoon, his movements gentle this time.
Without a word, he stripped off his hoodie, revealing the plain black t-shirt beneath. He draped the hoodie over Jihoon's shivering frame, covering his exposed skin.
Jihoon instinctively curled into the warmth, his body betraying him as he pressed his face into Ryan's neck, inhaling deeply.
Ryan stiffened. A shudder ran down his spine as he felt Jihoon's hot breath against his skin. His scent—sweet, intoxicating, dangerous.
Jihoon was nuzzling closer, as if seeking comfort in him. Ryan exhaled sharply, swallowing thickly. This wasn't the time.
Without hesitation, he slid an arm under Jihoon's legs, the other supporting his back, and lifted him effortlessly into a bridal carry.
Jihoon's fingers curled weakly into Ryan's shirt, his body too exhausted to protest.
Ryan cast one last glance at the unconscious bodies, his expression dark, unforgiving.
If they ever touched Jihoon again—
They wouldn't live to regret it.
With that, he turned and walked away, carrying Jihoon safely in his arms. Even though, he had already experienced what happened if he tried to save someone, but he didn't care. All he can think he should save Jihoon no matter what.
To be continued....