FIGHTING against every instinct screaming at him to stay close, Taeyang lowered Haneul back onto the bed as gently as he could. Before he let go completely, he reached for a tissue from the bedside table and carefully wiped the blood from the bite on Haneul’s neck. The mark was already starting to look less raw, the skin around it slightly pink instead of angry red. He made sure it was clean before he finally let his hands fall away.
Haneul’s hand reached out weakly, fingers brushing against Taeyang’s sleeve. "Taeyang...?"
Taeyang held himself back from taking Haneul’s hand. He knew that if he gave in, if he let their skin touch again, he wouldn’t be able to walk away. So instead he reached out and softly brushed the stray strands of hair off Haneul’s forehead. His fingers hovered for a moment and then withdrew.
"Everything’s going to be okay now, Haneul-ah," he said, forcing his voice to stay soft. "You’ll be fine. I promise."
Then, with all the strength he had left, he stepped back. A quiet groan of complaint escaped Haneul, like he didn’t like the space suddenly between them. Taeyang clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms, using the sharp sting to keep himself grounded and in control.
He turned to the doctor and bowed. "Please take care of Haneul." Then he faced Haneul’s mother. He could barely register her expression, his grip on his sanity had worn dangerously thin. He bowed again. "I’m sorry you had to see that, ma’am. It couldn’t have been easy for you. I wish we could have met again under different circumstances. I’m sorry I can’t speak with you properly right now and that I have to leave like this."
He didn’t wait for a response and quickly strode out of the room. If he stayed any longer, if he kept breathing in Haneul’s scent and hearing those small, needy sounds, he wouldn’t be able to leave at all. He’d give in to every instinct screaming at him and just take what he wanted, consequences be damned. That was exactly why he had to go.
Kyungho stood up when he saw Taeyang stumble out of the room, his steps unsteady and his face pale. "What happened?" he asked quickly. "How’s Kang Haneul-ssi?"
Taeyang didn’t answer him. Instead, he grabbed the PD’s arm, his grip tight and his breathing uneven. "Can you arrange a cold shower for me here?" he asked, his voice strained. "I need one now."
Kyungho’s eyes dropped to the obvious, and rather very huge, bulge in Taeyang’s pants, then flicked back up to his face, which was tight with pain. He gave a short nod. "I’ll see what I can do."
~~~
"Taeyang... Taeyang..." Haneul groaned, staring at the door. Why did he leave again? He just wanted him to stay.
His whole body was throbbing. The bite on his nape burned, and the heat from it spread through his veins like wildfire. Everything he’d felt earlier felt like it had multiplied, pressing in on him from all sides. And the only person who could make it stop had just walked out the door.
Eunji couldn’t hold herself back any longer. She reached out and took her son’s hand, the one reaching for the door, and held it firmly between her own. "Sshh, it’s okay," she said softly. "It’ll be over soon, Haneul-ah. Just hold on a little longer."
She turned to the doctor, her eyes pleading with him to do something, anything, to make Haneul more comfortable. The doctor seemed to understand. He moved to the back table and picked up a small tray he’d left there earlier. On it sat a syringe and a small glass bottle.
The doctor carried the tray over to the bedside and set it down on the small table beside the bed. He picked up the glass bottle and turned it over, tapping the top once before wiping it with an alcohol swab. He uncapped the syringe, inserted the needle into the bottle, and slowly drew the clear liquid into the chamber. He flicked the side of the syringe lightly and pushed the plunger in a little to get rid of any trapped air.
"This will help stabilize his pheromone levels," the doctor said, holding up the syringe. "Combined with the temporary mark he just received, his system should regulate itself within the next few hours. We’ll keep him under observation until then, but I expect a smooth recovery."
He reached for Haneul’s arm, turning it over gently to show the inside of the elbow. He swabbed the spot with an alcohol pad, then waited for it to dry a moment. Then he lifted the syringe and, with a steady hand, inserted the needle at a slight angle into the vein. He pressed the plunger slowly, watching the clear liquid disappear into Haneul’s bloodstream. Once the syringe was empty, he withdrew the needle smoothly and pressed a cotton ball over the site, holding it in place for a few seconds before taping it down.
After that, Haneul’s groaning slowly faded. His restless movements stilled, and his breathing began to even out. His eyelids grew heavy, fluttering once before closing fully. Soon, the only sound in the room was the soft, steady rhythm of his breath.
"Will my son really be okay?" Eunji asked, keeping her voice low.
"Yes, Kang Haneul-ssi will be fine," Doctor Kim said, offering a reassuring smile. "We’re lucky that the Alpha who volunteered to give him the temporary mark is a very honorable young man. I’ve rarely seen an Alpha his age with that much control. He must care deeply for your son."
The doctor’s words caught Eunji off guard. She thought back to what had just happened, to the self-control Jung Taeyang had shown. Even when he was clearly struggling to hold himself together, he’d still managed to ask the doctor to take care of Haneul and apologize to her. Watching that, the resentment she’d felt about agreeing to this whole situation started to ease. She hadn’t even realized she was holding onto it so tightly until she felt it slip away.
"Yes," she said softly, nodding. "He’s a decent kid."