They must have figured they could track him down and get him medical attention before the injury got to that point, only, this omega had been better at running than they’d thought, and Sarang had gotten to him first.
Technically, as an alpha himself, it was his legal right to lay claim. He could take this unmated omega as his own, tie them together and—
“Your eyes are glowing,” the omega stated, smirking slightly. “You won’t be able to hold out for much longer. If I wasn’t so seriously injured, my pheromones would have been strong enough to have you mounting me within seconds.”
Sarang pulled away quickly, trying to put space between them. It was impossible to escape the scent of pheromones, however, and all distance did was call to thepossessiveness that awakened instinctively in the face of a potential mate.
He’d felt these urges before, of course, but he’d never been drawn to someone the way he was drawn to this person. It’d been five years since he’d presented as alpha. If the omega was to be believed, they weren’t too far apart in age.
If his glabrio was damaged, he’d never make it to twenty-one like Sarang had.
Not being like his father was one thing.
Could Sarang really stand by and allow someone to die like this?
“Oh.” The omega frowned, some of the heat wafting off his body dissipating. His heat should last at least a day, which meant… “Looks like you’ll get out of this after all.”
“What?”
“I’m out of time.” He fell onto his side, bouncing on the mattress, hand pressed against the hole on the right side of his belly button. A dark chuckle passed his lips, and his eyes closed. “The heat was too much for my body to handle. Word of advice, bury me somewhere no one will find me. You don’t want my family as an enemy.”
“Hey.” Sarang tried to get him to sit up again, but the omega felt like deadweight. “Don’t fall asleep.”
“I’m not,” the omega’s words began to slur. “I’m dying. Not the same thing.”
“Stay with me.”
He grunted, seemingly finding that hilarious, but unable to muster the energy to laugh. “Thanks for trying to take care of me. No one’s ever done that without a motive before. It’s upsetting though.”
“What is?”
“That I won’t get to experience your knot.”
“It’s your heat talking.” Even though his body was shutting down, he was still hard, the scent of slick still permeating the air.
“I’ve been omega since I was sixteen,” the man stated dryly. “I’ve gone through plenty of heats, all on my own. Trusting someone to fuck me, to get that close…For someone like me, that isn’t easy. But now I sort of regret it. I never thought I’d die before I got to experience what taking an alpha would feel like. I wish I could try it with you. I think you could make waiting to give it up worth it.”
“I’m nothing special.” The omega had been dressed in designer clothes, whereas Sarang’s jeans were torn and there were stains all over his shirt.
“Ever heard of a trauma connection?” He chuckled. “When two people undergo a traumatic experience together and bond over it? You aren’t the one dying, but having a stranger expire in your bed can’t be easy. Maybe that’s what this is. Maybe the reason I feel safe with you is because you’ve rescued me.”
“I haven’t.”
“Don’t sound so guilty. It’s not like you shot me. Bringing me here and allowing me to die with some dignity is more than enough.”
What the hell had this poor omega been through?!
All these years, ever since their dad had left them, Sarang had done his best to be a good person. He’d ended up with a mountain of debt, a sick mother, and a little sister to basically raise.
And now he was going to sit back and watch a dominant omega die when there was something he could do to stop it? How far was he willing to protect himself? When it came at the expense of another, was it really worth it?
Could he live with himself if he did nothing?
No.
No, he couldn’t.
Sarang wasn’t like his father, and this wasn’t the same situation.
