Chapter 101: Done badly
Seoha’s POV
I stand close to the alpha as we check out of the hotel.
We showered to wash off layers of body fluids from hours of rut and heat, and it feels strange to be without his scent on me.
"And this one..." Taesan’s voice floats over to me from where he is addressing the person attending to us.
While he talks with her, I secretly reach under my cloth to feel the bruise he left on my waist.
It still hurts, and I know it will fade away soon, but I press into it again to make it stay.
Knowing Kang Taesan, he might not touch me like that again for a long time...he acts rash and mean, but he cares the most in the world.
"Seoha" he calls my name and I fix my posture instantly.
"Let’s go, the car is here" he says and I nod, following him with my hands held in front of me.
The alpha’s tall frame obstructs my view, I don’t know what’s in front of me, but I follow him step by step.
This is how I want to live my life from now on.
Trusting him.
He opens the door for me and I get in, blushing as I realized that it’s the same car from that morning.
The morning when he came to find me at Minjae’s apartment...hours before I walked into Mountain Atelier like a willing sacrifice.
"Buckle" he says as he fastens his seatbelt and start to drive out of the hotel’s parking lot.
As he drives, the alpha feels cold, it’s like he has reverted to the Taesan he used to be before the elevator, and his silence makes me nervous...
Did he suddenly realize that he could have had a better rut?
Did I do badly? Was he just humoring me through it?
I put my hand between my legs and subconsciously shrink into myself.
"Yes?" he says loudly, startling me and I look at him, but he’s not talking to me, he’s on the phone with someone.
"Tell them their silk has dropped in quality, we will not be dissatisfying our customers just to help them" the alpha says, keeping his eyes on the road as he drives.
My omega starts to pace inside me, worrying about why he’s not looking at us, and questioning the sudden change in mood.
"Fire them" he snaps but his scent doesn’t change, his pheromones remain stable and calm.
It’s not soothing, but it’s also not disturbing.
"Oh, and there’s the new assistant head designer" he says and I perk up curiously...that’s Daeshin.
"Give him the new fabrics, I want a new design by tomorrow morning" he says and I hear bits of the voice of the person on the other end.
They are worried that he might not be able to meet up.
"Do I pay you to give me advices on how to run my empire?" Taesan asks, dropping his voice to a low growl.
The rough sound makes my stomach flip in a funny way...some weeks ago, that voice would have scared me, but now...
"Good then, do as I say and I will be back to survey the results" the alpha says and ends the call.
"Why do you smell like that?" he turns his head to ask and I slap my hand over my scent gland, blinking at the question.
I smell normal...just a little upset.
"Nothing..." I say and he looks at me again, a don’t lie to me look.
"Are you...mad at me?" I ask and the alpha frowns, "why would I be mad at you?" he ask the question with a genuinely puzzled tone and I blink again.
"You...you aren’t talking to me and you’re...distant" I say and his frown deepens like he’s thinking about it.
Is it unintentional?
"Oh" he says and I lean in to him slightly, there’s a small change in his scent, he smells like he’s...embarrassed?
"Are you okay?" I ask with concern and he mumbles something under his breath.
"What?"
"I’m going to get us lost, I am not good at direction" he says and I take a second to process what he just said.
Oh...oh!
Kang Taesan was worrying about navigation all along?
I giggle and rest my back against the backrest of my seat, relieved that he’s just being human.
"I see"
"Don’t laugh" he says grudgingly and I cup my hand over my mouth in a fake attempt to mute myself.
"Why not call Junho?" I ask and he growls, "I want just you and me" he says and my heart skips a beat.
I was anxious about nothing.
"Let’s use gps then, what’s your address?" I ask and he scoffs, "we won’t need gps, we’re going to see your grandma" he says and I pause.
"My grandma?" I ask in a surprise.
"You said you miss her, Junho gave me her location but I can’t for the life of me figure it out" he says, he sounds detached but I can see that he’s really doing this for me.
I feel the rush of emotions all at once. I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to laugh...
"Turn right" I whisper and he follows the direction without words.
"Thank you, Kang Taesan-ssi" I say and lean forward to kiss him on the cheek.
I don’t know if it’s just the light but his cheeks turn a deeper shade of red.
The drive is a long one and I keep staring at his face, soaking in his scent, replaying his voice and smiling to myself till I fall asleep.
’So Shin Seoha can be happy too’ I say to myself in my sleep.
The car jostles me awake as he enters the rough road of the less developed side of the country three hours later.
We’re home.
The smell in the air here is different, it’s a fresh mountain smell, the smell of trees and nature.
"Here...here is Grandma’s home" I say, sitting up and looking outside the window with so much emotion filling my chest.
As the alpha drives into her front yard, the door open of the cozy little house open and my grandma comes out with a small tray of food, probably to feed Kkumi the puppy.
"Grandma...Grandma!" I call and hop out of the car without looking back.
"Who is that?" the old woman asks as she squints her eyes at me, "grandma, it’s me" I call and she gasps before smiling brightly at me.
"My baby!" she calls, opening her arms for me to run into them, and I do.
I run to my only loved one and I hug her tightly with my heart full of happiness.
She remembers me! My grandma remember me even after six years!