The frantic thudding of their footsteps echoed off the forest floor. The sound of heavy breathing and the sharp crack of the branches whipping against their bare arms were clearly audible to the trained ears of the royal guard. Even the smell of fear and the panicked beating of their hearts were all detectable to their pursuers. 

They’d lost track of time— couldn’t distinguish if they’d been running for hours, days, or their whole lives, but they knew it wouldn’t be long until they were caught. 

Just a little more. 

They just needed to go a little farther, and they could at least save their baby.

12 hours earlier

“My lady, try to relax. Remember to breathe.”

MiSun attended her mistress as well as she could. This was the first birth the young beta had ever witnessed, and she didn’t quite know what to do. Honestly, the lady in waiting was very worried that she would either faint or vomit at any moment. 

MiSun sat at the bedside of the nobleman and his wife, who was now deep in labor, and she  dabbed the expectant mother’s brow with a cool towel to keep her as comfortable as possible. While MiSun sat anxiously wishing for all this to be over, she looked around the luxurious room with its long curtains framing the floor to ceiling windows, the handwoven carpets that were carefully laid upon the floor, and the deep mahogany four poster bed where her mistress currently lay in labor. And she also studied the people within:  Lady SooAh slightly writhing and groaning in pain, the nobleman who kissed his wife’s forehead and whispered quiet encouragements in her ear, and the ancient midwife, Mother HyunYi, who slowly circled the room as she prayed to whatever spirits she believed in to help keep the mother and baby safe throughout the birthing process. 

Who would have known that the real threat sat among them, wiping the sweat of the mother-to-be?

“Lady SooAh, it’s time to push.” 

The midwife’s aged, croaky voice was a stark contrast to the soft sounds of discomfort coming from the woman in labor on the bed. 

Finally! This was the moment SooAh had waited for her whole life— the moment she would become a mother and have a pup of her very own to love and cherish. Even during the painful contractions, images of nursing her baby, hugging and kissing her baby, teaching her baby to walk, and a whole lifetime of images passed before SooAh’s eyes. 

Although the cramping was almost unbearable at this point, no complaints passed her lips. Instead she only uttered short prayers of petition and thanksgiving:

Please gods, keep my baby safe. I already love my baby so much. Thank you gods. Thank you.

The old woman situated herself in front of the mother-to-be and explained how she was to push. Holding on to her husband and lady-in-waiting’s hands, SooAh did as she was told— bearing down when she was instructed to bear down, breathing and resting when she was instructed to breathe and rest. The minutes passed in this way, until finally the crushing pressure was relieved, and SooAh threw her head back in exhaustion. 

The excitement in the room was palpable, but in the few seconds between when the old woman tugged the baby free and the mother asked to see her child, the midwife, having delivered hundreds of babies over the last 60 years, caught a glimpse of something she prayed she would never see again, yet something she had painstakingly prepared herself to handle if she ever did. 

Fixing her expression, the old woman carefully swaddled the newborn in a blanket. She trained her eyes and her scent to hide any sadness or fear, and plastering a smile on her face, she finally spoke, 

“It’s a boy, Lady SooAh and Lord JiHoon. Congratulations.”

SooAh reached out her hands, and all of the pain and exhaustion she felt just moments ago were completely forgotten. 

“A boy!  A little boy!” SooAh half cried and half laughed, as she grasped the tiny bundle in her arms. Her husband, by her side, tried to hold back his own tears.  

“OH! Let me see him!” squealed MiSun, but as she craned her neck to look at the little boy, the old woman sternly called out her name. 

“MiSun… you will have time to see the baby in just a minute, right now I need you to go fetch me more warm water and clean towels.”

“But Mother HyunYi, I only want to see the baby for a second.”

“Not yet. I need them now—  unless you want your mistress to lose more blood and go into distress.”

“Of course I don’t want that halmeoni, but it’ll only ta…”

“NOW MiSun.” 

And with that tone of finality from Mother HyunYi, MiSun resigned herself to seeing the baby later on. Hell, considering her position in the household, it was very likely MiSun would be caring for the baby the majority of the time anyway. There would be plenty of time to study his tiny nose and teeny toes when she got back, but just as she stood to leave, MiSun thought she noticed something very strange— something shiny. Was it the baby’s eyes? It couldn’t be. It must have been the sun reflecting off something within the room... because there was no wolf in the world with eyes that color.

“MiSun, hurry please!” 

The old woman interrupted the young maid’s train of thought, and shaking her head, MiSun made her way out of the room. 

The moment the door closed the old woman sprang up— adrenaline giving her energy and speed that belied her 70 plus years. 

“Lady SooAh and Lord Jihoon, please listen to me very carefully. Your lives and the life of your son depend on you doing exactly as I say.”

The couple were shocked by the sudden change in demeanor from the old woman.

“Halmeoni, what are you talking about?” SooAh clutched her baby deeper into her chest.

The old woman was scavenging through the large medical bag she had brought with her and took out a smaller pouch made of old, stiff leather. Opening the pouch she took out a necklace, from which hung a very large amethyst with strange symbols carved into it.

^^^ To be continue... ^^^

“Lady SooAh, please wear this. It will guide you to safety.”

The mother and father were confused and frightened by the old woman’s words and behavior.  How was it that just moments ago they were celebrating the birth of their son and now they were being told to wear jewelry and to find safety. Was the old woman going mad?  

Finally Jihoon spoke up,

“Halmeoni, you are scaring my wife. Please just slow down and tell us calmly what is going on.” 

The old woman looked at the man and woman in disbelief. Could they not see? Did they not notice that within his mother’s arms lies an omega? A male omega! Did they not catch a glimpse of the electric blue eyes that are now peacefully closed in sleep?

The old woman tried to contain her frustration and began to explain to them clearly how serious of a situation they were in, “My lord, I never intended to scare either of you, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be scared. Your son...” Then pointing to the tiny bundle in SooAh’s arms, she finished, “is an omega.” 

The man and woman didn’t know how to process this information. They had never heard of a male omega outside of myths and story books. Could this be true? 

Mother HyunYi noticed their doubt immediately and went on, putting as much weight into her words as she could, 

“Your son is an omega, and if anyone finds out, you are all dead. Your family will be exterminated completely. Do you understand me? There is a reason you’ve never seen an omega male! That’s because they are killed immediately after they are born...without exception, and its so rare that decades pass before it happens again. But I know this is true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and I refuse to see it again, if I can help it! Do you finally understand what I’m telling you?!” 

It was too much to take in. SooAh had just given birth. All of this was so overwhelming to happen at once. The mother and father looked down at their newborn baby. The bright skin of his cheeks, his little button nose, and precious pink lips were all they could see poking out of the swaddling blanket.

Gently SooAh positioned the baby on her lap and slowly began to pull back the swaddling blanket from his face. The first thing she noticed was her baby’s hair. He was almost bald, but he did have a thin smattering of shimmering silver strands that swirled around his beautiful round head. But just that would not convince the mother. She had to see his eyes. All wolves were born with brownish gray eyes that eventually turned dark brown or black. If Mother HyunYi were correct, then seeing his eyes would be the way to know. 

SooAh could feel her husband’s steady presence beside her, silently encouraging her to go on. They both had to find out for themselves, had to see with their own eyes, if their son were truly an omega. 

With the tip of her finger, SooAh began to massage under the baby’s chin, she ran her finger across his eyebrows, she tickled his little nose, and rubbed his cheeks. When her finger came close to his mouth, the baby instinctively began to open his mouth in search of milk. Then just for a moment, he opened his crystal blue eyes, and the parents could no longer deny the truth. 

The old woman barely gave the couple a moment to process this new reality before she began rummaging through her bag once again, pulling out shiny black stones that were also engraved with those same strange symbols. 

“Lady SooAh, keep that necklace on and never take it off. Do you understand me? It will guide your way. Lord JiHoon, if you want your wife and child to survive, you will need to do everything I say and protect them with everything you’ve got.”

Mother HyunYi locked eyes with the mother and father before speaking again,

“I don’t have much time before MiSun makes it back here, so listen very carefully. My younger sister lives deep within the Black Forest. Ever since I discovered what happened to the male omegas I helped to deliver, she and I have been devising a plan. The necklace you have around your neck, Lady SooAh, has been engraved with many ancient spells. As you enter the Black Forest you will be led directly to her home by following the trees that glow as violet as that amethyst stone. Do not deviate from the path. She and I have reinforced these spells for decades, all with the intention to save the lives of as many of these innocent creatures as we could. Her home is also protected by powerful incantations. You will be safe there.”

Handing the couple 3 of the black stones she had taken from the bag, she went on,

“Only by holding onto these stones will you be able to approach her homestead. One for each of you and the baby. Keep them close to you and do not lose them.” 

JiHoon grabbed the stones from the old woman’s wrinkled but sturdy hand and rubbed his thumb across the engravings. He was scared. He didn’t understand half of what Mother HyunYi was saying, but he knew one thing: He was a wolf. An alpha. And he would protect his omega wife and son with all his might. 

Jihoon turned toward SooAh and his baby, who was sleeping peacefully in his mother’s arms with no notion of the circumstances he had been born into. He noticed the tears streaming down his wife’s face, as she pressed their son close to her chest. Bending toward her, he kissed SooAh’s forehead breathing in her rose scent that he loved so much now marred with the smell of sadness and fear. He did his best to push his own anxiety as far down as he could and to fill his own scent with comfort and strength. He then began to nuzzle his wife’s face and neck, covering her rose scent with his cedar one and wiping the tears from her cheeks. Then, reaching for his baby, he lifted the tiny bundle up, and staring at his beautiful child, he vowed that he would give his life to keep him safe. This was more than duty to his family, this was his eternal promise of unconditional love for his family. 

Just then the door opened and a cheery voice filled the room, breaking them from their introspection. 

“Halmeoni, I’m back. Sorry I took so long! All the maids wanted to hear all about the baby, and I just had to…”

^^^To be continue... ^^^

Interrupting her, Mother HyunYi walked toward the door, stopping MiSun from entering further. 

“MiSun, I’ll take the water and towels from you now. Thank you, dear…” Then quickly setting the basin and towels to the side, Mother HyunYi began to usher MiSun out the door,  

“Lady SooAh was just about to fall asleep. Thank you for your help, but you can go to bed now.”

MiSun’s curiosity over the baby was getting the best of her. Those eyes! She just had to see the baby before she left, “Oh but halmeoni, I still haven’t held the baby!” 

“There will be plenty of time for that later, MiSun. Have a good night.” And with one final push, MiSun was out the room and the door was closed shut. 

Turning to the couple, the old woman’s eyes grew more frightened. Deep inside Mother HyunYi just knew that MiSun had noticed something strange. While she was certain that the young beta didn’t understand what it meant, her over the top curiosity to see the child and her chatty nature made MiSun an unseeming but very real threat. Gossipping was the maids’ favorite pastime, and they were known to spread news around the palace and to the surrounding manors in less than an hour. If MiSun had even hinted that there was something strange about the child, the entire royal family as well as the nobility would be made aware by dawn. 

“I’m so sorry, my lord and lady. But I’m sure you and your child will not survive to see another day if you don’t escape immediately. Get as far away as you can. Follow the violet trees within the Black Forest. Keep the stones safe. Change your bandages, Lady SooAh, as often as you can. There’s no time to waste. Go!”

"Where are they?” The cold voice sent shivers down the old woman’s spine and raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

HyunYi had been dragged into this cellar hours ago. Just as she’d feared, it hadn’t taken long for a rumor to spread about the Park’s new son. And it was only a matter of time, once the Parks were found missing, that the royal guards would come to find her instead. Somewhere behind her she could hear MiSun whimpering in the darkness. She must be exhausted after all the screaming she did. “I DIDN’T KNOW! I’M SORRY! PLEASE!!”

HyunYi turned toward the alpha before her: The Royal Chief Advisor, Lee SangHa. 

HyunYi knew him well; she had even helped deliver him all those years ago! He was a man of absolutes--black and white, life and death, and duty above all else, with no room for in-betweens. HyunYi could smell the fury rolling off of him, a metallic stench that made her nose burn.

 “You’re despicable” was Mother HyunYi’s only response.

“I’m only doing my job, HyunYi-ssi.”

“Is your job to threaten children and old women?”

“My job is to protect my king and my country, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY! I do what I have to do, what is expected of me, just like my father before me, and gods willing, like my son will do when I’m gone! It’s not always an easy job, but I take pride in carrying out my duty. Now I’m going to tell you this HyunYi-ssi, you WILL tell me where the Parks have escaped, or I will have to exercise my duty on you . Do you understand?” 

MiSun had begun crying again. The smell of her fear mixed with the stench of SangHa’s anger was almost suffocating the old woman. HyunYi knew that no matter what she said, at this point, she would not make it out of this room alive. Concealing the omega male and also helping the Parks escape would only be construed as treason. But this scenario had played out in her mind for decades. This moment was something she had been preparing herself to endure ever since she delivered that tiny omega male all those years ago. How long had it been now? Almost 30 years? It was actually the second blonde haired, blue eyed omega male she had seen. The Park’s son was her third. 

The first came when she was just an apprentice midwife at 12 or 13 years old. She had only caught a small glimpse of the child before being instructed to leave the room. Putting no thought into it at all, she left, and when she returned a few hours later, she was told that the baby had unexpectedly passed away. She was heartbroken for the parents, but she had been taught that these types of losses were a part of life and she would do better to guard her heart going forward. 

The thought that they had delivered a male omega never entered her mind until several decades later when, in her 40’s, she delivered a male omega all on her own to a common family who lived in the village. Usually villagers took care of their own during births, but this mother had experienced some strange symptoms during her pregnancy and HyunYi’s assistance was requested for the birth. 

HyunYi would never forget her shock when the baby was born with a full head of silver hair. She remembered the gasps from the other women in the room and how the mother didn’t even dare to hold or touch the baby until she was urged and almost physically forced to nurse him.  HyunYi left the mother and child that night with a heavy heart. By then she had learned more about male omegas and the folklore that surrounded them. Through stories and songs, the people had been taught to fear male omegas. Honestly, she feared the thought of them as well, but her job was to do everything she could to ensure that both mother and child survived the birthing process, and that’s what she did! 

^^^To be continue...^^^