If hatred is innate, Yeonjun and Beomgyu are the perfect example. The obsession with ruining one another's lives is as natural as the trees in the soil and fish in the water, finding every opportunity to reap havoc and disaster for each other-which is fitting when you find that their clans are rivals too.
And on the slim chance the reaction isn't innate, it's possible Yeonjun hates Beomgyu because of all the little tricks he'd play on him first.
Yeonjun says it's obvious Beomgyu was born to be an omega because he sucks at everything, and to win he needs to cheat. That's exactly what he used to do as a youngling too, often ruining Yeonjun's chance of victory in the process and disrupting his perfect records.
Beomgyu could hate Yeonjun because of his stuck-up attitude, or the fact Yeonjun once tripped him up in front of what felt like half his pack and he ended up covered in mud, but it's hard to say. There's been multiple occasions Yeonjun has purposefully embarrassed him.
Whatever it is... the hatred never dies, but it does feed into passion.
Hatred is like a disease and it infects fast. It causes intense situations of buzzing energy that presses its weight down on Yeonjun's chest. The atmosphere's heavy with both the clans standing off to one another. It's clear neither plans on backing down, stubborn brows drawn together and angry scowls on show. Surrendering would be a sign of weakness.
So, instead, every individual within the two groups wears irritated sneers and rolls their shoulders back, heads tilted up in disrespect, ready to fight.
The reason for the standoff this time is a certain rival clan, overstepping boundaries and attacking several omegas belonging to the opposing clan. Yeonjun's (slash his father's) clan.
The head-alpha, Yeonjun's dad, Iseul, speaks threatening and low. The ground beneath them seems to shake but that may be because of their rivals quivering in fear, despite the stone mask of bravery they hold themselves. However, the threat does nothing to intimidate the opposing leader; he sneers and grinds his teeth.
When one of the opposing men takes a step forward, Yeonjun mirrors him, feet planted firmly on the ground and a low rumble vibrating through his chest. His dark eyes settle on the man, locking him in place.
He soaks up all the energy of his future clan, negativity coating the walls of his lungs. It's hard to breathe and it comes out ragged and tense. An unfair side to being the son of a head alpha (or a head alpha themself) is trying to contain the rage of a thousand fireflies nesting in your gut, each one the resentment his clan members feel. But if that's how they feel, he'll carry the burden and rid them all of it. It's his goal to keep them safe.
Yeonjun won't hesitate, if any of them make a move, he'll rip out a throat if necessary.
"This is the last warning Kwangsoo." Yeonjun's dad breathes in deeply to keep his cool. It fills up the entire surface area, a balloon close to popping. One wrong word from Kwangsoo and he risks being the pin that pops it and wages war. "Keep your people in order, otherwise I'll rip their throats out myself," he growls which causes the buzzing emotions of the pack surrounding him to increase and further intoxicate Yeonjun's lungs.
There's an irate murmur within his crowd, voicing agreement with their leader. Happy enough with the warning, probably happier about the chance of revenge. He's sure the effect is the same on everyone else, easily manipulated by the head-alpha's anger, desperate for the opportunity to strike, their stomachs knotted with the emotions of the crowd, knocked just as sick as Yeonjun.
Kwangsoo doesn't respond, keeping his teeth bared.
He's weighing out his options but that doesn't mean he'll easily abide. His alpha side makes it hard to want to listen to the warnings of another, but no matter how much he wants to destroy the opposing pack, he has to put his own first. So, for now, he'll take mercy on the head-alpha and his son.
Yeonjun's eyes a familiar omega, one he can't stand and who shouldn't be here, his hands are balled into tight fists at his side and he stands off angrily towards the back, shielded by the ones considered higher up in the biology hierarchy. He wears the same ugly look his father does and it only grows when he meets Yeonjun's sharp eyes.
Now, Yeonjun isn't usually all that harsh on the few omegas that aren't as obedient or reliable as most omegas, but this one... This one he can't stand.
Beomgyu is mouthy, arrogant, and rude.
He constantly pushes the Alpha close to his limits and he's sure it's not down to them being in rival clans.
No, it's because he thinks he's better than those around him-better than Yeonjun-and doesn't need to follow placements that have been around for centuries. Proven by the fact that, normally, an omega wouldn't be here, but Beomgyu often lingers around.
Like pollen on a summer's day, he sticks to the air like a bacterial disease, ruining what is good. He only gets away with it because his father is the clan leader, that's what Yeonjun thinks anyway.
The Jung subjects are too scared to put Beomgyu in his place in case it upsets their leader.
Yeonjun scoffs in disgust. If his omegas were stepping out of line, he'd hope an alpha would keep them in line. It's for their own safety. Beomgyu can say what he likes but he's not as physically capable as he thinks, and the fact he challenges it irks Yeonjun.
Seeing the younger has an insult forming on the tip of his tongue, and as bad as he wants to ask Kwangsoo if he's had to resort to bringing omegas because of his weakened pack, he holds it back, he shouldn't stir anything up when they're working on a pact.
When Yeonjun draws his attention back to the omega, he's growling. They're too far apart for Yeonjun to hear it, but he picks up on the low vibration of his vocal cords rippling through the air. He knows it better than anything, it's the same one he's heard for over a decade. An irritating noise he knows too well, one that plays in his mind even when he can't hear it aloud.
Beomgyu's eyes then snap to his father who makes a snide comment that hints at an agreement as long as Iseul does the same for his clan.
Yeonjun forces all the air out of his lungs abruptly, catching the opposing head-alpha off guard, fake amusement oozing out of his scoff.
Yeonjun's clan is a lot less feral than the other, less animalistic too, yet he has the audacity to tell them to keep in check.
His father shoots him a glare, one that tells him to keep quiet and he does so immediately, biting the side of his cheek as he lets his dad handle the situation himself.
.•° ✿ °•.
Beomgyu decides to take a stroll down the forest. It is a rare decision of his, but this is one of the days he wants to forget about his stress and take in the calming scent of nature and its beautiful surroundings. Like the butterfly that flutters in his face as it crosses from one side of the pathway to the other. Beomgyu retracts his head and blinks vastly in surprise.
His favourite thing about the forest is the wildlife, even the deer, his dad cooked them venison when they went on a family trip and it became one of his favourites, so it does stir up some hunger in him. Hunger that makes him want to return home for a hearty meal.
His version of a hearty meal isn't much compared to what you'd expect for the word use. He's a small eater and takes even smaller bites. He doesn't eat more or less than necessary; his hunger is satiated easily. His physical, tummy-gurgling hunger that is.
Beomgyu continues his walk, smelling the rain's effect on the green grass below. It's after it rains when the smell of grass is almost intoxicating and Beomgyu struggles to tell whether it's a pleasant scent or not.
He concludes that it depends on his mood.
When he's angry, he hates it and wants to tear the grass from its roots until there is nothing left but dirt. When he is happy, he adores it to the point he can picture himself crouching down to watch water droplets run down the grass's slender structure all the way to the soil that drinks it greedily, even to the point of overhydration.
Today, he is in a bad mood because that ever-so-stupid clan caused problems for his father again. All because a few of their members got bored and decided to play around. It's not like any of them really got hurt.
Beomgyu's father told him what happened after they arrived back home, and his father trusts him enough to be honest. Others would tell him it wasn't his problem and that he doesn't need to know, which is the usual response he gets as an omega, but his dad tells him the truth. And Beomgyu trusts his dad.
Being an omega frustrates him, people keep things from him to 'protect' him or because it isn't his responsibility but theirs, even when it involves him. They usher him to the back of the crowd like he wouldn't be able to protect himself. Alphas and Betas both alike when it comes to shielding him behind themselves. It's all so frustrating, he isn't weak, and he certainly doesn't need protection.
He also doesn't want to deal with the other clan over the smallest things. They call omegas sensitive, but that clan is more so. Beomgyu scoffs to himself, shaking his head, feeling forlorn.
His ears catch onto the sound of panicked wings flapping above him and he shoots his head up in the same direction.
The bird is a Common Starling based on its build, black plumage and metallic sheen. He knows a fair amount about the woodland creatures inside the forest. As a child, animals piqued his interest to the point he collected a set of fourteen animal books, with knowledge extending further than the animals that live here too.
He tramples through the thicket of trees in the direction of the bird, intrigued by whatever startled it. It is easy to tell when an animal is startled and Beomgyu could tell the Starling was.
His feet begin to tiptoe when he gets closer, noticing a figure perched by the water, letting his fingers trace circles into it. Beomgyu somewhat trained himself for sneaking, even around a head-alpha like his father (that takes more than a few attempts to master, take it from him).
When Beomgyu breaks through the trees in front of him, he barely prevents himself from snarling at the person he sees. His teeth expose past his curled lips, though he stays quiet. It's that damn alpha, Yeonjun, who has always been a problem. What a stuck-up, loud-mouthed prune.
An idea comes to him so suddenly yet so brilliant that his quiet snarl flashes into a cunning grin.
.•° ✿ °•.
Yeonjun needs to let off a little steam after the meeting with the other clan, walking down the familiar forest pathway he always takes when he needs to clear his head.
While walking, he also notes that he needs to shower later too, to scratch off any lingering scent of the rivals. He doesn't want to risk contamination from being in close proximity to them. The thought of the clan alone has Yeonjun shuddering in disgust, no one irritates him more than them. Not only is it Yeonjun's father's responsibility to keep their clan safe, but Yeonjun's too. As the upcoming head-alpha, he must prove himself to his people. Must prove he can keep them safe, and he's failing at the hands of some insatiable ferals harming the omegas.
Yeonjun brushes a tree branch to the side, stopping it from obscuring his path. It springs back up to its original place when he passes and allows his hand to release it. A stick breaks under his foot, startling a bird that flies up with the fluttering of its wings cutting through the silence of the atmosphere. It disappears into the opening behind the clouds where the trees meet the sky.
He ignores it, eyes transfixed on the sparkling lake, his shoulders instantly slump and he lets out a sigh of relief as he approaches it. His feet plant against the ground with soft thumps and he perches down when he reaches the lake, letting his fingers trace gentle movements on its surface.
The water ripples happily in greeting, skewing his reflection in an abstract form of art.
A fond smile finds his lips, briefly reminded of a show he watched when he was younger where a character enters a house of funky mirrors that altered their appearance into something unrecognisable and often amusing.
Yeonjun's surrounded by silence and it's comforting, taking in the emptiness of the land when he glances around. Like this he's able to relax, no troubles of being constantly watched and having to be perfect.
He takes in another welcoming breath of air and breathes in the ground's earthy smell along with the salty scent of the water. A smile creeps its way onto his lips as he finally relaxes, letting himself fall onto his bottom rather than crouching. He traps his legs between his slack arms and hugs them lazily.
He loves coming here, it's insanely comforting having a private place to disappear to when stressed.
He first came to the lake when he was younger, so his mother could bathe him. She loves nature, and Yeonjun's scent encompasses it. The scent of earth: crisp and inviting.
He used to hate being bathed and wanted to get out and play around instead, to shake the water off as soon as possible so he no longer felt it clinging to his hair irritatingly, but he's grown to love it. Now the water is comforting, washing away his stress and negative thoughts, like how shampoo washes out of his hair. A bath cleanses not only his body but his mind.
That doesn't mean, however, that his comfort can't be rudely interrupted.
Yeonjun falls forward with a yelp, aimlessly flailing his arms out as he tries to grasp nothing. He's forced to throw his arms out to keep him from sinking when he falls under the water, gasping when he comes back up. Yeonjun shakes his head to remove the water from his ears and frowns, turning to see who the culprit is.
If his glare from being pushed in alone isn't enough, it significantly increases at the sight of the omega before him.
Beomgyu's watches a safe distance away from the dark patch of upheaved water coating the land's surface, his arms are crossed and an ankle is swung in front of the other. His mouth tugs in amusement as he regards Yeonjun and the state he's in. His wet hair sticks to his forehead, messy from the violet way he'd shaken it around, and he frowns in frustration. Beomgyu fights back his laughter, not only does Yeonjun look like a wet dog, he smells like one now too.
Beomgyu brings a finger to his chin in a pose that expresses thought-he feigns it-unlike Yeonjun, he doesn't have to try hard to conjure up something to say.
He pauses as he drops his arms and looks at the alpha with big eyes, ready to ask an innocent question Yeonjun knows is meant to mock him.
Yeonjun's jaw clenches before Beomgyu even speaks.
"I'm surprised an alpha such as yourself doesn't have better balance," Beomgyu scoffs as he looks at his nails to show Yeonjun how unbothered he is, like he isn't worth his time, despite the fact he pushed him into the lake. They both know how he really feels anyway, Yeonjun doesn't have to see the way the hairs on his arms stand or catch his scent to know it pisses him off. "Aren't you meant to be superior to the rest of us?" Beomgyu scowls at the thought of being considered less, no way he's below Yeonjun, even his petty act isn't enough to justify that idea.
Yeonjun snarls, still using his arms to keep his head above the water. Ripples run through the water with each movement. "Aren't omegas meant to be submissive, little bitches who suck up to alphas? Not surprising your dad managed to fuck up that too," Yeonjun snaps.
Beomgyu can't tell whether it's that awful smugness on his face, the submissive comment, or the remark against his dad that riles him up, all he knows is that irritation is scaling his skin like it's a sport. His chest grumbles in frustration before he realises and his eyes darken, defensive. He's tempted to dunk Yeonjun back underneath the water to teach him some manners but decides against it.
A satisfied smirk crosses Yeonjun's face when he hears the low vibration of Beomgyu's chest and knows he's hit a nerve, giving a victorious click of his tongue.
Yeonjun swims to the edge of the lake and grips where the ground lowers enough for him to pull himself out. He twists his body so his bottom meets the ground, damp clothes clinging to his skin, cold and uncomfortable.
Beomgyu isn't impressed by the defined muscles of Yeonjun's stomach, nor the well-sculpted ones revealed by how his soaked shirt clings around his biteable arms. It doesn't annoy him that Yeonjun has something that may be thought of as attractive, and it doesn't make him bite into the side of his cheek to keep his anger at bay either.
The alpha sighs as he wrings out his shirt in balled fists, and glares up at Beomgyu, who's screwing his nose in disgust. It could've looked cute if he didn't do it under the circumstances, or if Yeonjun didn't detest the person who did it in the first place. All he sees is an idiot looking like he's mid-sneeze.
Neither allow their scent to leak while in each other's vicinity, some unconscious idea that their scents being picked up by one another would be a disgrace to their clans. That's why Yeonjun knows the screwed up face isn't from his bitter scent, but from Beomgyu discarding him in general. Which isn't seldom for the omega.
Sadly, Beomgyu's hatred for the alpha clouds over his ability to think of a quip and Yeonjun mistakes that for winning the dispute.
Yeonjun huffs smugly, standing to his feet and keeping his eyes on Beomgyu. "What no bitchy little remark?"
Beomgyu looks at Yeonjun with boredom and sighs. "I was going to but..." He looks Yeonjun up and down with a smirk. "I still feel like I have the upper hand considering you're dripping like a wet dog." Beomgyu stilts a snort, covering his mouth with his hand that is balled into a fist.
Realistically, it's one of his poorer remarks, but he knows Yeonjun's reactions will satisfy, he's so easy to annoy it should be embarrassing for the alpha. How is someone so sensitive meant to lead a whole clan?
He's so dense getting upset over the comment of an omega-the only time Beomgyu will positively use the idea of an alpha and omega's difference in status-because Yeonjun, an alpha, highest rank in the pack (except head-alpha, which he is to become), is upset by Beomgyu, an omega, considered the lowest in hierarchy. It gives him a weird sense of pride to be an omega in that moment, knowing he, who is considered less, can affect someone who's meant to be 'godly' compared to him.
And to prove Beomgyu right, the glint in Yeonjun's eyes vanishes and returns to darkness, his eyebrows furrow and his lips turn into a scowl. His fists ball at his side, nails digging into his skin until he knows he'll be left with little crescent marks and dry blood. Beomgyu angers him so easily with that stupid, shit-eating smirk and eyes that dawn on Yeonjun, probably thinking about how dumb he is.
He thinks he's better than Yeonjun-which is false-and it only furthers his irritation that it's written all over his face. I'm. Better. Than. You. His entire demeanour is laced with it.
Egotistical jerk.
Beomgyu's whistle breaks through the quiet atmosphere (and Yeonjun's thoughts), snapping the alpha's eyes back into the present.
The omega's legs pull him towards the forest. "I've got to go, got important stuff to do- -you wouldn't understand."
(In reality, the only thing he has to do is fulfil a promise he made earlier and visit his best friend, Soobin. Also known as the one alpha Beomgyu doesn't dearest because Soobin tries his best to treat him as an equal and not fall into the protective and domineering stereotypes of an alpha.)
Simple comments like that from Beomgyu have Yeonjun wishing he could present him in front of Kwangsoo and make him beg for mercy not to hurt his son. He'd use him as an example. 'Hurt, anger, or irritate our clan and this is what'll happen.'
But he can't, because it'll result in a war between the clans, and he can't do that to his people. So, he lets the omega disappear into the forest feeling victorious.
✿ End of Part 1 ✿