Seoha’s POV

Whiplash.

Kang Taesan gives me whiplash.

The change in the alpha from the man who helped me out of my anxiety by making me sit on his lap, to the man who called Yuki to take me out of his office was too sudden.

’Yuki, give him a fucking tour’ he said into the phone coldly and the redhaired Japanese lady came to pull me out.

I sigh as I play with the end of my chopsticks...Daeshin’s visit barely matters to me right now.

My omega is still purring at the feeling of his soft handkerchief soaking up my tears, and the way his scent wrapped around me is still in my head, it’s impossible to think he wouldn’t want a mate.

How can I think that when he let me nose at his scent gland and he regulated his scent for me.

Maybe I have a chance...if I talk to him about us being fated mate, he might consider it...right?

"Ow, fuck!"

Someone in the Mountain Atelier cafeteria accidentally kicked a table, and the noise brings me out of my thoughts and back into the room.

Oh that’s right, I’m in the large hall that smells like food and perfume, not the alpha’s office that smells like rain and smoke.

"Try this" Yuki says and pushes the kimbap closer to me, I bow slightly before picking it up, "thank you" I whisper and stuff my mouth with the meal.

The rich taste makes me widen my eyes, "wow, this is really good" I say.

"It’s delicious right? My dad is the best cook" she says with a happy smile, her eyes almost disappearing with how hard she’s smiling...she is really happy today.

I remember the first time we met, she was stone cold and businesslike, today she’s bubbly and smiley.

Is anyone in this company ever with a stable behavior or is everyone exactly like their boss?

Junho walks past us and Yuki drops her head, her cheeks turn red as he greets us with a simple ’hey’, the beta doesn’t stop but Yuki’s blush deepens.

Huh.

"You-" I start, concerned about how red she’s becoming.

"Shut up and look away" she says and points her chop sticks at me, her face is feigning nonchalance, but her entire face is beet red, "is that the slogan of this company or what?" I mutter.

We finish our lunch together and she gets up with a stretch.

"Time to get to work, you’re taking the position tomorrow, so I need to show you everything you need to know" Yuki says and gestures down to the cafeteria door.

I follow her and she introduces me to some of the departments in the company.

Each place I follow her into has my eyes as wide as saucers, taking in the glorious fabrics and textiles, I never knew they were made in the company itself.

"Taesan-ssi loves creativity more than anything...I mean, almost more than anything" she says as we get to another spacious room.

"Here, is the place where fitting happens..." she says.

The room full of mannequins of all shapes and sizes, the sight feels like dreaming, and the room is occupied by only a few employees.

"Taesan has his own private fitting room, but this is the company’s" she says and a man working beside one of the mannequins looks up.

"Yuki-ssi" he greets and returns his attention to working on the mannequin, "hello Mr Joo" she greets back and we both leave the room.

"Mountain Atelier caters to every need, while other places forces alpha fashion on omegas, we try our best to fit omegas into our plans. That’s why the head designer position has been vacant for so long" she explains.

"How is all that possible...Taesan isn’t the most considerate man" I mutter.

"That’s a misconception, captain is different from Taesan, Captain uses a sword and Taesan uses a pen...I should show you these" she says and takes me to the secluded place I stumbled into last time.

"These are unreleased clothing...Taesan doesn’t talk about them anymore, but they are here" she says, and I can’t help but gasp as I watch the line of unreleased clothes behind show glasses.

The clothes are all beautiful even though they are uncompleted projects, each one looks like it was designed to cater to omegas.

One of them calls me and I go to stand in front of it. It’s a white dress-like shirt with low neckline.

The neckline is high enough to not attract trouble, low enough to show that an omega is taken...and the back is completely exposed.

The fabric looks soft and light, a willowy fabric that feels like the moon goddess made it herself, this can’t be created by Taesan...right?

"Taesan made these during his first year as a designer" Yuki says and I whip around with disbelief on my face, "Kang Taesan?" I ask in a low whisper.

"Yeah, he made these...they were his first designs, made for his first muse" she says, moving closer to me and dropping her voice, like she didn’t want anyone to hear.

"Sooin’s mom?" I ask without thinking, my chest suddenly feels tight at the mention of that person, a person I might never meet...the person who was lucky enough to have Taesan’s love and lucky enough to have Sooin as their pup.

"Goddess no, not that man, urgh" Yuki says with a frown, adding a shiver as she says it, and I look at her with confusion.

"Then who?"

"His mom, his mom was his muse" Yuki says with sad eyes and tears fill my eyes for Taesan.

’Mom died in my arms today. Dad cried. Grandpa laughed’

"Oh" I whisper and look away, trying to hide my tears from Yuki, but she has seen it, she doesn’t say a word about it, she just stands next to me as I wipe my face.

I feel so sad for him...why am I so sad?

"You’re already in too deep for Taesan, aren’t you?" Yuki asks and hugs my side, her voice is soft and she rubs her hand up and down my side.

"I can’t help it, it’s not- it’s not intentional" I say, trying my best to hold back my tears, she hugs me, "I know, affections are just like that...I will advise you, don’t give in to it, Taesan isn’t made for love" she says.

Before I can give her an answer, a strong wave of stormy alpha scent hits me and I turn around immediately to find Taesan looking at us.

My alpha, the alpha, is holding one of his canes, he is leading against it as he observes both of us with his icy cold eyes.

They lack the red anger of an alpha but have the darkness of an offended man.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asks with a growl and Yuki takes her hands off me, "no sir" she says and the alpha tugs on his tie, flashing the tiger tattoo on the back of his hand at us.

"Good, Yuki prepare the car, I’m leaving for a meeting" he orders and Yuki leaves immediately, leaving me with the alpha, he stares at me with a flat look in his eyes.

He makes me nervous and excited at the same time, I don’t know how to explain it, just looking at him reminds me of the night we had together...even if it feels like I’m the only one thinking of it right now.

"Did the tour go well?" he asks and I nod my head.

"Yuki is very nice" I say, my voice coming out more hoarse than intended and Taesan nods, shifting his tie again.

"I’ll-" I start and he moves forward, crowding me against the display glass, I look up at him with my hand on my chest.

"White suits you" he says softly, eyes roaming my features, it almost feels like he’s seeing me in the same cloth I was eyeing just minutes before.

He lets out a breath in a way that sounds almost sad before stepping away from me.

Something feels wrong, I hold on to the end of his suit, wanting to keep him as close as possible to me.

"Your meeting..." I say, wanting to ask about it and he clenches his jaw as he take my hand off his suit, the action is gentle but feels off to me.

"I’m going alone" he says and I open my mouth to speak again, but he interrupts me.

"Stay with Jisung and take care of Sooin, don’t talk to anyone else, stay in your room and lock the door" he says, saying the words like he’s giving me a list.

"Are you going to get hurt again?" I blurt out thoughtlessly, and my eyes drops to his clothed chest, the places that had blood and bandages last night, "you didn’t even take care of yourself yesterday" I whisper.

"I’ll be back" he says and walks away from me, leaving me standing in the hallway of designs...designs made by him.

"Don’t get hurt again...please" I say to his back and he doesn’t stop, he just keeps walking away with his cane, taking his scent with him.

What is wrong...?