Screams made his eyes snap open. His vision was hazy, yet he could smell his own distress stuck with an alpha's heavy scent. It smelled like being lost in a wood after a storm, the petrichor fragrance suffocated the room, leaving no space for breathing normally. He couldn't recognize the bed he laid on or the firm hands that pushed him against it by the shoulders.

The room was barely illuminated, it was impossible to distinguish the blurry figure that was sitting on the bed, right in front of him.

Mikey tried to remember how he ended up in that situation, the last image he recalled in his mind was looking at the sea while eating taiyaki when suddenly it all turned black.

But more importantly... Who was screaming so desperately?

"Shh, it will stop hurting soon," someone cooed him with a husky voice. A hand caressed his damp locks, lips pressing dangerously at the curvature of his exposed neck.

Mikey flinched immediately. A common fight or fly response of an omega having an unwanted alpha too near his scent glands. He resisted the touch, trying to pull away and escape this person's grasp but it was futile, his limbs felt restless, unresponsive. Something wrong was happening to his body and it has nothing to do with a heat.

He wanted to ask what was happening but his voice was muffled by the other's mouth. A rough kiss took Mikey by surprise, his tongue pushing inside, forceful devouring him, invading every space. Mikey struggled or so he thought, but his muscles were definitely not responding.

The room went quiet when the kiss broke... Was he the one screaming then?

Finally, he could focus his eyes on the person that was now a few inches from his face, white hair and unique amethyst eyes staring like a beast admiring his prey, pinning him in his spot with his burning gaze.

"Izana?"

The alpha smirked triumphant, contemplating him with an unreadable expression.

A sudden jolt of pain ached on Mikey's neck; a warmth liquid ran down from it, trickling to his shirt. The corner of his eyes was wet with tears, and by his weakened state he must be drugged. The signs were obvious yet he couldn't believe this nightmare was happening to him. It couldn't be real.

Mikey gasped for gulps of air. He grabbed his now blood-stained shirt with a trembling hand, too horrified of touching the wound shaped on his neck.

"You really got everyone fooled acting brave as an alpha, but when I first saw you, I could easily tell you were an omega," he explained as he leaned against Mikey's neck, voice velvet and sugar coated. He inhaled deeply the scent of his omega, even if it was almost inexistent; a soft fragrance of vanilla.

Mikey squeezed his eyes closed, still froze by the commotion.

"But you are my half-brother... Why?" His voice was a dead whisper, strangled by shock and contained rage.

"I am not," Izana replied coldly. "We aren't related by blood but even if we were, I would have claimed what belonged to me by right."

Mikey blinked the silent tears a few times, pain still lingered, the sensation of being teared, clawed until his very soul pulsed underneath his skin. This felt nothing as he imagined such a special moment would be. Instead of joy, dread was the only thing filling his mind.

What could have been beautiful got rotten by Izana's hands. His future crushed and he couldn't do anything to prevent it.

"What?"

"I wanted Shinichiro as my mate but he died. So, you'll take his place," Izana explained as if his consent means nothing. "Kakucho, help me here to check if the mark succeeded."

Mikey didn't know there was another person with them in the room until Izana acknowledged him.

The realization kicked him completely by now.

He could never be apart from Izana since this day; he will always find him, he will always know what he's feeling, every weakness, every fear... He was at his disposal. There was no turning back, this was his reality and eventually his future by Izana's side.

As he saw Kakucho approaching the bed, Mikey backed off until his back was pressed against the headboard. Teeth showing, furrowed eyebrows, nothing but another cornered omega being forced into submission.

Izana grabbed his arm, pulling him closer. He held him by the neck, forcing him to tilt his face to the opposite side, so Kakucho could inspect the mark.

"No. Get away!" Mikey warned despite the lump on his throat and his heart out of control.

"Behave, omega," Izana commanded using his alpha tone but Mikey kept struggling under his touch. "Stay still."

Mikey could feel his world crumbling down when his body succumbed to his order.

Stubbornness and a fighting spirit couldn't help him out of this.

Kakucho only observed the mark closer for a few seconds before stepping back. "It's done."

An action that couldn't be erased, so there was no point in kept struggling.

He lost.

Izana let Mikey go, standing up at the side of the bed.

"As my omega I expect you to tell Toman that Tenjiku is taking over and I'll replace your position as leader. You are mated now; you should know your place."

"You are insane," Mikey spat, gritting his teeth as his knuckles turned white for gripping the bedsheets. His eyes were deadly, fevered with hatred but weren't looking at Izana, instead he kept his head down. "I won't accept you as my alpha. Ever."

Izana sighed, the words did nothing to alter his mood.

"Well, you can resist all you want. I wouldn't expect anything else from the "invincible Mikey", right?" He said chuckling. "Besides, a feisty omega is always fun to play with."

"He wouldn't have accepted you either," Mikey added.

The mood in the air changed hastily. Mikey understood that Shinichiro was a sensible topic for him, he could use it against Izana whenever he desired. He wanted to make him suffer too, he wasn't going to be the only one trapped in a forced bond.

"What did you say?" Izana hissed, baring his teeth. He grabbed Mikey by his hair in a rough movement, raising his face, forcing him to look at his eyes clouded by rage.

Mikey narrowed his eyes, looking back at him with full determination.

"He was waiting for a kind person to mate with," he continued pressing, voice firm. "He would have never looked at someone who forces himself in a drugged omega. He would have been disgusted."

Izana raised his hand but it stopped abruptly before he could smack his open palm against Mikey's cheek. Kakucho held his arm firmly, locking eyes with him for a brief moment, enough to hold a silent exchange.

Izana turned around to face Mikey again after collecting himself. "Whatever you say, you are mine," Izana stated. "That's not going to change, you'll have to accept it eventually. Rest for now," he said leaning to whisper in his ear. "I'll finish this tonight, just wait for me, brother."

With a mocking laugh, Izana and Kakucho left him alone, locked in that room with his own demons to deal with.

Abandoned with his misery, Mikey curled into a fetal position, screaming against the pillows. Laying there as powerless as when he lost his older brother.

This was never in his possibilities, he always imagined bonding with his chosen mate in a sacred act. He talked about it, hundreds of times with his Kenchin. They were just waiting to be older, more mature.

Oh. Draken.

How would he react when he knew what happened?

Probably he would end up wanting to tear Izana's throat. There weren't any chances of a good ending if they killed each other. Mikey couldn't pick a side now without destroying himself in the process.

It was better if he didn't mention to Draken the bond was against his will, Mikey decided. He didn't want to turn him into a murderer, he would do anything to protect him, even if his only choice was keeping his own hell as a secret.

Izana was his too, so he'll use him to his advantage. Mikey wasn't going to be a martyr in exchange of nothing. If he was forced to play his role as Izana's mate, his suffering would be the price to pay if he could keep protecting his loved ones from any harm.

He'll hide this from the rest, just as who was the father of the baby that was already growing inside him.