The bedroom was too quiet.
Phuwin stood at the edge of the bed, still wrapped in the ceremonial silk robe his family had forced him into. He could barely breathe. The walls of pond naravit's estate were thick, soundproofed, isolated from the rest of the world just like him now.
Pond was seated in the armchair by the fire, his dark eyes drinking him in like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.
> "Take it off," he said, voice like black velvet—smooth but dangerous.
Phuwin's fingers trembled.
"I—I don't want to do this," he whispered. "Please."
Pond rose slowly, deliberately. Each step toward Phuwin made the air feel heavier, the distance between them shrinking until Phuwin could barely hold back the panic building in his chest.
> "You think this is about what *you* want?" pond growled, reaching forward and curling a finger under Phuwin's chin. "You're mine now. That's the only thing that matters."
Phuwin's lower lip quivered. "Please… I'll do anything, I'll serve you, I'll obey—but please, not like this."
Pond's gaze hardened.
He grabbed Phuwin by the wrist and pulled him toward the bed, the robe slipping off one shoulder. The boy let out a soft cry and stumbled, falling to his knees.
> "Please!" Phuwin choked, tears slipping down his cheeks. "Don't hurt me. I've never—"
> "I've never even been kissed before…"
That stopped pond cold.
The room was silent except for Phuwin's broken breathing. Pond stared down at him, and for the first time, there was hesitation in those cruel eyes. He slowly released his hold.
> "You were really saving yourself for a fairy tale, weren't you?" he muttered.
Phuwin looked up, unsure if it was mockery or pity.
Pond turned away, voice low and unreadable.
> "Get dressed. You'll sleep in the other room."
Phuwin didn't move.
> "Why?" he whispered, too confused to be afraid now.
Pond's back was to him. "Because if I touch you now, I won't stop."
And for the first time, Phuwin realized maybe pond wasn't just pretending to be an alpha.
He was pretending to be human.
the Naravit estate—was a palace of shadows and silence. Yet amidst all that, Phuwin found one unexpected source of warmth.
Off and Gun.
The two had greeted him at the gates with far more care than his own family ever had. Off, tall and stately with an unmistakable alpha presence, had offered him a firm hand and a kind smile. Gun, smaller, with soft features and warm omega scent, had pulled Phuwin straight into a hug.
> "You're even more adorable than the photo," Gun had said, cradling his face. "Pond didn't tell us you were so shy."
Phuwin had blushed and lowered his gaze.
> "He didn't really… say much at all."
Off chuckled, clapping a hand on Phuwin's shoulder. "That's Pond. Always closed off. But don't let his silence scare you. He might be cold, but he was raised to protect what's his."
Gun nodded. "And now that includes *you*, sweetheart."
They led him inside like he was one of their own—not property, not some object traded for power. They showed him the family wing, asked about his favorite foods, and insisted he sit with them during evening tea.
> "You don't have to act so nervous," Gun said gently, pouring Phuwin jasmine tea. "This is your home now. We may not be your blood, but we're your family."
> "You're our son-in-law," Off added. "And that makes you *ours*."
Phuwin's throat tightened at that.
He hadn't expected kindness here. Not from anyone connected to Pond.
> "Can I… ask something?" Phuwin said softly.
Off raised a brow. "Of course."
> "Is Pond really an alpha?"
They exchanged glances—surprised, but not suspicious.
> "He's registered as one," Off said firmly. "Born into a long line of elite alphas."
> "It's true," Gun smiled, brushing Phuwin's hand. "Though he suppresses his scent sometimes. He's always been overly disciplined, even as a child. But he *is* an alpha."
Phuwin nodded slowly, though something about their words didn't sit right. Pond didn't smell like an alpha. He didn't move like one. And there was something in his presence—something too quiet, too unreadable, too... empty.
Still, he didn't say anything.
If even his parents didn't know what Pond really was… then maybe Phuwin wasn't just married into power.
Maybe he was married into something far more dangerous than anyone realized.
The next morning, Phuwin woke to silence.
No birds. No distant traffic. Just cold marble floors, a locked bedroom door, and the faint scent of steel and cologne that clung to the sheets—pond's scent. The bed beside him was empty, undisturbed, as if pond had never planned to stay.
He sat up slowly, sore not from touch, but from fear.
There were no windows in his room. Only an opaque wall of glass on one side—reflective. He wasn't sure if it was a mirror or a one-way observation panel. Probably both.
He tested the door.
Locked.
The bathroom had no razors, no sharp edges, no comms panel. No way to contact the outside world. His family hadn't even tried to check on him since the wedding.
Phuwin didn't cry.
Not this time.
Because crying didn't change cages.
**Later That Day…**
Pond was colder than the stone floors of his estate. He didn't speak unless necessary, and when he did, it was curt and clipped.
> "Dress properly. We're leaving."
That was all he said when he opened the door mid-afternoon, tossing a suit onto the bed without looking at Phuwin.
Phuwin obeyed, of course. What choice did he have?
But pond didn't expect *how* well he'd obey.
When Phuwin stepped into the black tailored suit—silk shirt beneath, sleeves rolled just enough to reveal the delicate silver cuff branded with pond's insignia—pond paused. For a moment, he stared. Not like a man admiring beauty, but like a man realizing he'd created something dangerous by accident.
Still, he said nothing.
**At the Business Meeting**
The skyscraper glittered with wealth and legacy. It belonged to OffGun, pond's father—a stern, intelligent alpha who valued appearances and family . Off had demanded the couple appear together in public to "sell the alliance."
Pond had reluctantly agreed.
Phuwin stayed by his side, quiet and graceful. His smile was polite, his posture obedient. But he didn't hide the uncertainty in his eyes—nor the fragile pride he clung to, refusing to let pond's silence break him.
That's when *he* appeared.
The alpha.
Younger. Handsome. Arrogant. A rival heir from a partnering corporation. He was bold, charming, the kind who flirted for fun, but there was a sharp hunger in his smile the moment he spotted Phuwin.
> "Well, well," the alpha purred, stepping too close. "pond never told me he had such refined taste. What's your name, sweetheart?"
Phuwin froze, unsure what to do. He looked to pond, expecting fury—but pond hadn't moved.
Not yet.
> "You look too soft to be his," the alpha continued, brushing his fingers along Phuwin's wrist. "If you ever get tired of being locked in a tower, find me."
And then—**CRACK.**
The sound of a wine glass shattering in pond's fist.
Pond's voice was low. Controlled. Lethal.
> "Touch him again, and I'll break every bone in your hand before your bodyguards even blink."
The room fell silent.
Phuwin's heart thundered, not from fear—but from the look in pond's eyes. Possessive. Unhinged.
Jealous.
The night reeked of expensive colognes, pressed suits, and too many wandering Alpha eyes. Phuwin had stayed quiet, barely sipping his drink, surrounded by the chatter of powerful men and their sons. He was dressed in silk—Gun's doing—and his scent, naturally sweet and innocent, had begun to pull attention like moths to flame.
And Pond saw it.
From across the room, behind cold eyes and a tense jaw, he watched them look. Watch. Smell. Want.
It wasn't until one of the Alphas leaned too close—brushed a knuckle along Phuwin's cheek with a murmur of "You smell too good to be untouched"—that Pond moved.
No one saw him coming. One second Phuwin was cornered by politeness, the next he was hauled away by the wrist, out of the golden lights, out of the music.
"Pond—wait—" Phuwin stumbled, breath catching as the elevator doors closed behind them.
Pond didn't speak. His grip was tight but not cruel. His jaw clenched. Something ancient burned behind his gaze—primal and dangerous. Not quite Alpha. Not quite human.
The moment they reached their floor, Pond dragged him inside the penthouse suite and straight into the bathroom. He didn't even turn on the light.
The sound of rushing water echoed sharply. Ice cold.
Phuwin gasped as Pond suddenly pressed him beneath the spray, clothes and all.
"W-what are you doing?!"
"Washing them off you," Pond growled, voice low and shaking. "All of them."
The cold water soaked through the silk, clinging to Phuwin's slender form. His scent rose with steam, tainted by the lingering traces of unfamiliar Alpha pheromones. Pond's hands were rough—gripping Phuwin's shoulders, holding him still beneath the stream like he was burning with something that only freezing water could extinguish.
"You let them get too close," Pond said, his voice tight. "You don't even know what that does to them. To me."
"I didn't— I didn't mean to," Phuwin stammered, shivering. "They were just being polite—"
"No." Pond leaned in, his forehead pressed against Phuwin's, both of them soaked and shivering now. "They weren't. You're mine."
Phuwin froze.
It wasn't an Alpha's snarl. It wasn't a heat-driven claim.
It was something deeper. Hungrier. Something that shouldn't have existed at all.
"You don't get it," Pond murmured against Phuwin's temple, his voice almost breaking. "I've tried to stay away. I've tried not to ruin you."
"Then why...?" Phuwin's voice was a whisper.
"Because they were looking at you like you were prey. And I've always known—" Pond pulled back just enough to stare into Phuwin's wide, wet eyes. "You were never meant for them."
He reached down and gently cupped Phuwin's cheek, thumb brushing across skin that still trembled under the cold. "I'll keep you clean. I'll keep you safe."
Phuwin's heart thudded. The water ran cold around them. But somehow, he felt warmer in that moment—wrapped in the storm of Pond's protectiveness, his unspoken truth, and whatever lived beneath his skin.
And he didn't even realize... Pond had never once released his scent.
Because what he was... couldn't be defined by Alpha or Omega.
" The Cage Has Windows Not Doors"