Chapter Text
There was this nest of a sparrow at the eastern wing of the Theerapanyakun mansion, every time Kinn would pass by it to his father’s chamber he would stop by and stare at it before starting to walk again. When he was young, he used to be fascinated with animals and birds before he reached adulthood and embraced his status as a human.
The creature that was above animals.
“You must marry a feral Anakinn.” His father’s finger worked on the clay model he was building. “If we want to rule, we must have one of them in our house.”
Kinn stared at his father’s nimble finger shaping the clay model, just like he shaped the bloodline according to his wishes. No, this bloodline itself was shaped long ago by people like his father.
Humans must be superior to other creatures.
“Is this a sacrifice you are asking from me?” Kinn asked.
Korn Theerapankun’s eyes flickered on him, “Alphas have very little to sacrifice in their life.” He washed his clay-covered hands in the bucket beside him. “This bloodline doesn’t need anymore, it craves stability which no alpha can offer.”
“How would that solve bringing in a feral in this household?” Kinn questioned again.
Korn Theerapanyakun wiped his hand on the cloth offered to him and sat on the chair, his eyes travelling outside. He observed the red blooming hibiscus by his balcony before turning to him.
“Because only someone not blinded by humanity can save this bloodline.”
………….
When the descendants of wolves came to live in this place and built a nation, nobody would have imagined one day they would be ashamed of their own ancestors.
Who knew they would hide their claws and fangs and pretend to be humans when they were not. Who knew the nation would be divided into two parts, one that was proud of their ancestry and another that was ashamed of it.
Who knew shame would overpower pride.
The few groups of werewolves that still shifted even without a full moon lived in the forest, in traditional packs rather than in a family with blood. They still have their birth sub-gender as a hierarchy in the hunt and they live in a traditional way. As opposed to the majority of people in the city that had a more civilised lifestyle.
That included not entirely having a hierarchy, hunting or shifting outside of the full moon and most importantly, never showing your claws and fangs in front of the public.
Kinn had taken two sips of his whiskey when he felt a hand in his hair. The sweet smell of cinnamon mixed with a sharpness of cumin entered his nose.
“I can feel your pheromones from the corridor.” Tankhun sat beside him, he was not wearing his usual extravagant night clothes. Kinn assumed he wanted Kinn to focus on whatever conversation they were about to have.
“I heard from Pa.” He started, “I tried to argue with him but he is adamant. He insists that his decision is perfect and I just need to trust him.” His older brother was pinched with frustration. Kinn just shook his head.
Tankhun and their father’s relationship was special. Even the post impartial parents are partial toward their first child because the first time always holds a special place in people’s hearts. Their father loved Tankhun more than Kinn and Kim and involved him more than them in his decisions. Even though he chose Kinn as his successor.
“If you failed then we won’t stand a chance.”
Tankhun made a frustrated noise at the statement. “Kinn I am worried.” He said.
Kinn sighed and let Tankhun wrap a hand around his shoulders. “This is a test.” Kinn responded after a while, “A test to break me.”
With the way Tankhun rubbed his shoulder he knew how his brother was aware that he was right.
The next morning even before Kinn could wake up he heard the knock as his bedroom door was opened abruptly. “Whoever this is fuck off.” Tankhun’s voice was rough beside him.
“It’s me your beloved brother.” Kim took off his shoes and jumped on the bed to the other side of Kinn. The bed bounced roughly sending shocks through Kinn’s spine and he groaned.
“I hate this family.” Tankhun mumbled.
“Heard you are getting married brother.” Kim greeted him with a shit-eating grin, “Thought I would give my bless- oh I mean condolences.”
“Thank you.” Kinn had the back of the forearm on his face, “Just so you know if I fail this you are next in the line.”
“Oh fuck off.” Kim rolled his eyes, “Father choosing me the black sheep of the family over the perfect son who shifted at the age of ten? In your dream.”
“I agree.” Tankhun raised his arm from the blankets.
“Why are you here?” Kinn changed the topic, “I thought he had some gig nearing?”
The teasing glint in Kim’s eyes disappeared, “I have something very important to tell you.”
In thirty minutes the three of them gathered together on the bed blanket forgotten at the side. Kim was sitting in the middle with his iPad while the other two peered over his shoulders.
“I called for the records of all of the feral packs that lived in the rural area.” Kim said, “I found two packs particularly powerful, the Rangthabat pack that belonged to the Wattanapanit clan of the southern and the Sesaket pack that belonged to the Rattanakosin clan of the eastern. They were lush in lands and resources with educated family members.”
Kinn nodded, he has done business with the Rangthabat pack a few years back, and their hospitality was nice except Kinn had to leave right away for safety reasons. It was issued by his father, who didn’t feel safe to know his heir would stay a night in the feral territory.
He knew why Kim was researching all of this. In the beginning, he thought his father would probably set his match with the Rangthabat pack for their particularly lush resources and manpower, yet when he was anded his match’s background check he was pretty surprised to find that was not the case.
He swiped his finger and opened another record, “But the clan Pa has chosen is a completely battered one.” He clicked on a folder and there were multiple files inside. One of them was the land and property with the leader's family.
“I did receive a file as a background check.” Kinn affirmed, his eyes trained on the outline of the territory marked on the map. “But that was just his name and a little bit of family background.”
“This clan used to be an affluent one, still pretty average, not anything significant.” Kim went on, “The pack alpha Namphueng Kittisawat passed away 10 years ago along with her omega husband, leaving their two sons. the oldest sibling is an omega that is matched with Kinn and the youngest is an alpha who is yet to come of age.”
Kinn exchanged glances with Tankhun over Kim's head.
“From what I saw there is an advisory that was managing the pack right now. I have a meeting with him next month.” Kinn said.
“What are you suspicious of?” Tankhun directly asked Kim. From childhood among the three of them, Kim saw things with more scepticism. Perhaps because both of his older brothers got a taste of betrayal and he witnessed how bitter that was.
“If Pa was looking for business, money, lands and resources I wouldn't mind, but he is basically picking up street urchins.” Kim gave the tab to Kinn who was swiping. "And most importantly, someone has erased the entire folder in the government's database of the Kittisawat clan. The only thing I could find was some vague information here and there.”
Kinn's eyes narrowed.
“What do you think?” Tankhun asked Kinn who was picking his bottom lips with his thumb.
“This might not be a simple test.” Kim answered for him.
“Pa said he wanted stability in this pure alpha-heavy bloodline.” Kinn spoke. “Then why does he need a feral?” Kim countered, “And that is the lowest status even among them. If he comes here he will be crushed.”
“Kinn.” Tankhun called, “I think you need to visit sooner than the discussed time.”
………………
Kinn drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for the border police to check his ID. The older man checked his face and then the fake ID he was given before a small smile bloomed on his face.
“Thank you Mr Chutimant.” He greeted him and opened the gate for him to pass.
It was dangerous, Kinn knew how dangerous it can be to pass the border to the feral territories in disguise without the minimum security but he trusted Kim and his skills and the tracking device he has on his body.
Thankfully the Kittisawat clan territory was not that far that one had to cross multiple territories, it could get exhausting just to pass by the securities. Kinn could shed his disguise and breathe finally. The forest was lush and green, and the huge trees kind of made him happy.
“Do you want to rest?” Tankhun commented through his earpiece.
“No I am good, just 30 more minutes and I will enter their territory.” Kinn responded.
He was going as the supervisor today, just to observe what he couldn’t do as Kinn Anakinn. After Kim presented him with all the evidence his suspicion only grew, not that he wasn’t aware of what his father was capable of. Kinn knew his father, he learned how to work from him he knew what Khun Korn was capable of, how far he could go to get what he wants and how much he could sacrifice for it.
Yet this was the first time his father was involving him in his little ventures. For the first time, Kinn was held as leverage in whatever his father was planning. That was what bothered him, Kinn didn’t give a fuck who he wants to burn to the ground but his father just could not push him into a political marriage.
Something suddenly fell on the car and Kinn pressed on the break, the car stopped with a screech and the thing flew in front.
“What the fuck!” Kinn cursed.
“Kinn?!” Tankhun’s worried voice pierced his ears as he winced in pain.
“I am okay stop screaming.” Kinn replied.
“What’s going on?” His older brother asked.
“I think someone fell on my car.” Kinn said as he got out. Whatever that was it was heavy, the top of his car had a serious dent. He walked closer to the motionless ball of brown lump and winced.
“Fucking hell someone just jumped on my car in their true form.” Kinn spoke.
“True- oh my god.” Tankhun sounded positively horrified.
Kinn slowly approached the wolf. Judging by the pheromones it was an alpha, a young not fully adult.
“Hey, kid are you okay?” Kinn touched its head and it jerked up. Shit, it was going to shift. Kinn quickly peeled off his overcoat and offered it to the young alpha that shifted.
Kinn's eyes widened when he recognised the boy, it was Porschay the younger Kittisawat.
“What is happening?” Kinn asked, feigning ignorance. The young alpha narrowed his eyes at him but then noticed the overcoat and clutched it further.
“Please save my brother.” The boy pleaded.
Kinn blinked, “What?”
“We were running away from pack alpha.” He said, “But they caught us halfway and my brother started fighting them.”
Kinn’s eyes narrowed, for ferals pack was everything. The territory of ferals was dangerous particularly because their ultimate rule was to be in a pack. They are running away from the pack alpha meant they were abandoned.
“Why are you running away from your pack alpha?” Kinn asked as he pulled the child from the ground and wrapped the coat tightly. The child fell silent, perhaps thinking how much information he wanted to tell. On the other side of his earpiece, Tankhun was silent too.
“My brother is to be sold to the Theerapankun family in the city.” Porsche finally spoke, “But I am not allowed to leave, the pack leader wants me to stay there so we were running away.”
Kinn listened to everything before zeroing on a single word, “ Sold? ” He asked, “Your brother is being sold?” Porschay nodded, “Yes, our pack leader received a hefty amount in exchange.”
Kinn exhaled from his nose, once, twice. Then he grabbed his hand and led him to the car, “Get in I will bring your brother.” He said. Yet the child didn’t trust him, of course. “No, I won’t leave without my brother!”
“I am going there to get your brother.” Kinn answered literally throwing him inside the car, “Trust me you need my help in this.” He said as he locked the door.
“Khun quickly check if there was made any transaction for Porsche with the major family.” Kinn spoke as he broke into a sprint. “Roger, Kinn please take care.” Tankhun cautioned him before falling silent again.
Kinn took a deep breath and slowly released his pheromones. Ferals didn’t hide their scent of pheromones like them, and for an alpha, with Kinn’s ranking, it was easiest to track a bunch of alphas that were now fighting just by releasing his.
After mere seconds he could smell it, the rampant smells of unrecognisable scents but there was a mix of sweetness that belonged to an omega. Kinn didn’t smell further as he ran in the direction it was coming from.
A few minutes of running and he could see them, four no five alphas were standing cornering an omega who was in an attacking stance. What was amusing was that there were at least ten alphas already on the ground. Kinn saw as the omega attacked another alpha that tried to sneak up on him, with a merciless punch on the face he also joined the pile.
“Leave me alone!” Porsche growled.
“Shut up!” Another alpha growled, he seemed to be the pack leader, “You are a nuisance I am done playing nice.” Then he released his pheromones, thick and heavy even the alphas around him flinched. Porsche was breathing heavily, his face was getting red still he kept his stance.
“Khun I am getting in going to disconnect for 3 minutes.” Kinn whispered before pulling his knife and jumping right in the middle of the formation. “Okay fun is over boys.” He mumbled before throwing one quick punch to the asshole in front of them, then sidestepped some kicking his kneecaps so hard that they bent backwards.
The remaining one hesitated for a bit so he was sent flying. The pack alpha was flabbergasted at the intervention but he didn’t stop releasing pheromones, Porsche whimpered his knees buckling. Kinn’s temper flared more.
“You are fucking annoying.” He said before grabbing the man by his collar and slicking the knife lightly on the side of his neck, not enough to kill him but enough to severe his scent gland. The man fell down with an ear-piercing scream and the pheromones disappeared in the air.
“Kinn!” Tankhun’s voice floated in his ear.
“I am good but we have a situation.” Kinn spoke. “I will bring him and his brother, release the order of involving Pete in this we will discuss after I go back.” Kinn saw Porsche was panting on the ground, he slowly approached him while talking.
“Okay.” Tankhun obliged instantly, he sounded a bit breathless.
“Oh and-” Kinn was about to add when he was cut off, “Don’t tell Pa anything right now, I know.” Tankhun said, “Just come back as soon as possible.”
After the conversation was over Kinn kneeled beside him, “Hey are you alright?” He asked.
The man raised his head and looked at him, “Who are you?” He asked.
Kinn thought for a moment before speaking, “I came on behalf of the real Theerapanyakun family.”
Porsche’s eyes widened, “What!”
Kinn didn’t budge when Porsche tried to resume his attacking stance. “Yes. You are actually to be matched with Anakinn Theerapanyakun and not sold.”
“What the fuck are you saying!” Porsche roared as he attacked him. Kinn didn’t budge and only dodged the attacks. “I am an advisory just came here to observe.” He spoke in between dodging the attacks, “But it seems like there was lots of stuff going on that I didn’t have any idea.” He added, “Oh and your brother asked for my help as well.”
That word completely stopped him.
“What?” Porsche was surprised.
“If you don’t believe me then let’s go.” Kinn spoke as he held up his arms.
After a few minutes of walking and they reached his car, now Porschay was dozing off in it but after hearing footsteps he quickly got up.
“Hia!” He unlocked the car and ran out. The two brothers hugged and scented each other, Kinn stood with his hands inside his pockets not wanting to interrupt them. As they parted Porschay bowed to him, “Thank you very much for helping us, mister.”
“I didn’t do it for free.” Kinn replied, waving off.
Porschay was a bit surprised, so when he looked at his brother for an answer Porsche supplied with a sour face, “He is from the Theerapanyakun family.”
“The real one.” Kinn added, “Not the one that made the deal with them.”
“Now get in, we need to leave before nightfall.” Kinn looked around the darkening sky.
The two brothers exchanged glances but didn’t move.
“What?” Kinn asked.
“How can I trust you?” Porsche asked, his hands folded on his chest.
“You have no other options but that you know.” Kinn pressed, he was getting impatient now, nightfall in feral territory meant literal bloodbath. “Get in.”
Porschay was the first who got in the back seat, and Porsche took the passenger seat. As Kinn drove they fell silent, Porschay fell asleep at the back and Porsche was sitting with his face towards the window.
Kinn glanced at him, his faded khaki pants and torn white shirt, the hair that was matted with dirt and a supposedly sweet smell that said his status as an omega. Kinn also saw him fight, flooring an alpha that was twice as size.
“There are water bottles at the back.” Kinn said, “Drink some.”
Porsche turned around and observed him for a few seconds before taking one sealed bottle.
“What are you here for?” The omega asked him.
“Well, I had to make sure they do everything for the match to happen properly.” Kinn lied through his teeth but it was somehow true as well. “Also give my boss a proper description of the omega he was getting matched with.”
“Matched..” Sarcasm dripped from his voice. “So tell me, Mister, what is your boss like?” Porsche turned his attention to him.
Kinn tried to think of himself as a third person. Needless to say, he never had to describe himself to anyone let alone an omega. “Well, how a prominent heir is supposed to be.” Kinn struggled to find words, “He was responsible enough for a pack leader and an heir, though not sure about an alpha though.”
Porsche smiled, “You have such a poor opinion of your own boss.” He said, “I hope he is responsible enough to be a pack alpha at least and not some egoistic bastard.”
Kinn fought the urge to retaliate. “Kinn Anakinn only valued loyalty.” He said instead, “You offer him your loyalty he will give it back tenfold. Whatever the relationship might be.”
The rest of the car went silent.
When they reached the compound it was around 10 pm. Porsche woke up with a start as the car stopped.
“We are here.” Kinn said before getting out of the car.
Pete was waiting for them but Kinn stopped him from approaching. He rounded the car and opened the passenger door. “Come out.” He said. Porsche hesitated, his eyes shrinking in fear. “Porsche.” Kinn called again.
“Khun Kinn!” His fucking dumb fuck bodyguard who couldn’t keep his mouth shut suddenly shouted and Porsche’s eyes flickered on him.
“I said STAY THERE!” Kinn lost his temper, as he ran his hand in his hair pushing it out of his face. “Porsche.” He tried again.
“You are…” Porsche mumbled.
“I am Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakun.” Kinn said, “Your betrothed.”