Min-jun was quiet for a moment, his rose pink bond pulsing with something soft and understanding. Then he crossed the room and pulled me into a hug — brief, firm, the kind of physical comfort he offered so easily to everyone but rarely received in return. His arms were strong around my shoulders, grounding in a way I hadn't realized I needed.
"She's lucky to have you." His voice was muffled against my shoulder, warm with sincerity. "We all are." I hugged him back,just for a moment, before stepping away and clearing my throat roughly.
"Go sleep." The words came out gruff, but he only smiled, seeing through me like he always did. "And make sure there's food ready for her in the morning. Something easy on her stomach. She hasn't been eating properly for days." His eyes lit up at the mention of food, his love language finally something he could express freely. The worry in his expression eased, replaced by purpose.
"Already planned." There was a smile in his voice even if his face remained serious, his shoulders straightening with renewed energy. "Juk with ginseng for energy, fruit for vitamins, that honey tea she liked. I'll have it ready before she wakes up."
"Good." I nodded once, then turned toward the hallway that led to my room. "Goodnight, Min-jun."
"Goodnight, hyung."
I stopped at the nest room one more time before going to bed. Just to check. Just to make sure she was still there, still breathing, still real.
She'd shifted in her sleep, curling onto her side with her face pressed into a pillow that smelled like forest and cedar — Min-jun's scent, I realized with a small pang that was more fondness than jealousy. Her dark hair spilled across the pillows like ink, her lips slightly parted, her breathing deep and even. The tension that had lined her face for days was finally smoothed away, leaving her looking younger somehow. More peaceful. The five bonds pulsed gently in my chest, echoing the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Ours, my alpha whispered again, but softer this time. Reverent.Ours to protect. Ours to cherish. Ours to earn.
"We're going to earn you," I murmured into the darkness, too quiet for her to hear even if she'd been awake. "I promise.Whatever it takes. However long it takes. We're going to be worthy of you."
She didn't stir. Didn't respond. But the indigo bond in my chest seemed to pulse a little warmer, a little brighter, as if it was making a promise of its own.
I closed the door softly and went to my room.
Tomorrow, we would begin.
Chapter Nineteen
KEIRA
I woke to the smell of ginger and honey. For a moment, I didn't know where I was. The bed was too soft, the sheets too smooth, the pillow beneath my cheek carrying a scent that made something in my chest purr with contentment. Then the memories came flooding back — the park, the collapse, Jae-won's arms around me, the choice I'd made.
Stay. Know them. Decide.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through gauze curtains. The nest room. I was still in their nest room, surrounded by pillows and blankets that smelled like five different alphas, each scent distinct and somehow already familiar. The bonds pulsed gently in my chest, steadier than they'd been yesterday. Still incomplete, still aching with that hollow wrongness, but... quieter. Like they'd finally stopped screaming and settled into a patient hum.
"You're awake." Min-jun's voice came from the doorway, soft and warm like his vanilla scent. He stood with a tray balanced carefully in his hands, his honey-brown hair slightly damp froma recent shower, wearing a soft gray sweater that made him look younger somehow — less like an idol, more like someone's gentle older brother. His hazel eyes crinkled at the corners as he offered a small smile, the dimples in his cheeks deepening with relief.
"How long was I asleep?" I asked, my voice coming out rough and scratchy from disuse. I pushed myself up against the pillows, wincing at the stiffness in my muscles.
"Almost fourteen hours." Min-jun crossed the room carefully as he answered, setting the tray on the bedside table with precise movements. His long fingers arranged everything just so — the steaming bowl of juk, the cup of honey tea, the small plate of sliced fruit. "Your body needed the rest. The soul sickness was... severe."
"I feel better," I said, reaching up to touch my forehead where the fever had burned for days. The skin was cool now, normal. "Still tired, but... the fever's gone."
"The scenting helped." Min-jun's cheeks flushed a pretty pink as he spoke, his rose colored bond flickering with something like shyness. He ducked his head, avoiding my gaze, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of the tray cloth. "Jae-won-hyung said you let him... that you agreed to..."
"I did." I reached for the tea as I confirmed it, wrapping my fingers around the warm ceramic and letting the heat seep into my palms. The honey scent rose up to greet me, soothing something raw in my throat. "It helped. He was right about that."
"Good. That's good." Min-jun nodded as he spoke, relief softening the worried lines around his eyes. He hovered by the bedside, clearly wanting to stay but uncertain if he should, his weight shifting from foot to foot. His hands twisted together in front of him, restless without something to hold, and I noticed flour dust still clinging to the sleeve of his sweater. He'd beenbaking. Even now, even worried, he was still taking care of people in the only way he knew how.
"The others are in the living room." He spoke after a long moment of comfortable silence, the words coming out carefully measured like he'd rehearsed them. "We wanted to give you space to wake up, but... there's something we need to discuss. When you're ready."
"The one-on-one sessions?" I asked, taking a sip of the tea. I'd drifted in and out of consciousness last night, catching fragments of conversation through the cracked door. Jae-won's deep voice laying down rules. The others responding with varying degrees of enthusiasm and anxiety.
"You heard?" Min-jun's eyes widened with surprise, the hazel brightening as his eyebrows shot up toward his hairline.
"Bits and pieces," I admitted, setting the cup down. Words likeworthyandearnandher choice, alwaysechoed in my memory.
"We don't have to do it that way." Min-jun spoke quickly now, his words tumbling over each other as he leaned forward, one hand reaching toward me before he caught himself and pulled back. "If you'd prefer something different, we can adjust. Whatever makes you comfortable. Whatever you need."
