Scared Enigma
The penthouse was a goddamn construction zone, and Liang was in his absolute element. Ever since they’d decided to flip his old bedroom into their shared tactical office, he’d been acting like he was the lead engineer for a private fucking military firm.
"No, no, no! Use your fucking eyes, man!" Liang roared, pointing a half-eaten slice of leftover pizza at a confused contractor. "The monitors need to be recessed into the wall! If I’m looking at thermal feeds, I don't want a goddamn bezel in my way! And the hidden gun rack goes behind the mahogany paneling, not next to it! Do I look like I want my guests seeing my hardware before I use it?"
The crew scrambled, fucking terrified of the massive Alpha barking orders in sweatpants and a tight black tank top.
Shen stood by the doorway, leaning against the frame with a smirk. "You're going to give that poor man a stroke, baby."
"He's lucky I don't give him a textbook to the head!" Liang shouted back, though he softened instantly when he looked at Shen. "Look at the desk, Shen! It’s reinforced steel with a carbon fiber finish. You could land a helicopter on this thing!"
"It's perfect, Liang," Shen laughed, reaching out to squeeze Liang’s arm. "But maybe let them breathe for five minutes? We’ve got all day to deal with it. let's enjoy the day off."
While Liang was busy micromanaging the placement of a high-tech swivel chair, Hua Yong caught Shen’s eye from across the hallway. He gave a silent, sharp nod toward the private terrace.
Shen knew that look. It was the "i need to talk to you" look.
He followed his father out onto the glass-walled balcony. Wenlang was already there, leaning against the railing, the wind catching his dark hair. He looked calm, but his golden eyes were focused and serious.
"Sit, Shen," Hua Yong rumbled, his voice dropping into a register that meant business.
Shen sat. "Something wrong with the Lis? Or the Kangs?"
"No. This is about you and Liang," Hua Yong said, his massive frame casting a shadow over the Enigma. "You’ve claimed him. You’re boyfriends, you’re mates—whatever labels you kids use. But you need to understand the biological weight of what's to come."
Shen frowned. "I know he's an Alpha, Dad. I know he’s strong."
"He is an Alpha," Wenlang interjected, his voice soft but firm. "But he is now your partner. And because you are an Enigma, the biology of your bond is... unique. Once you fully mark him—once that bond is permanent—Liang’s body will shift. He won't just have Ruts anymore, Shen. He will experience Heats. Like an Omega."
Shen blinked, his iridescent violet eyes widening. "Heats? Liang? The guy who just threatened a contractor over a bezel?"
"Yes," Hua Yong said, his expression grim. "It won't be easy at first. The transition is violent for an Alpha’s pride. He will be vulnerable in ways he’s never been. He’ll look to you for everything. Protection, comfort, stability. If you aren't ready to handle an Alpha in Heat, you'll break him."
Shen looked at Wenlang, who gave a small, knowing nod. "I lived through it with your dad," Wenlang said. "I still have all my strength—Liang will have 40% of your raw Enigma power and abilities, even in the middle of a Heat. He’ll still be a monster on the field and in a fight. But his soul... his soul will belong to you. You have to be his anchor when his biology betrays his instincts."
Shen looked back through the glass at the office, where Liang was currently laughing at something a workman said, his silver-gold eyes bright and full of life. The thought of that powerful, loud, fucking idiot Alpha being that vulnerable for him—and only him—sent a shiver down Shen’s spine. It wasn't just a romance anymore. It was a fucking responsibility.
"I understand," Shen said, his voice steady. "I’ll take care of him."
"See that you do," Hua Yong grunted, patting Shen’s shoulder with a hand that could crush a skull. "Because if you don't, I’ll remind you who his uncle is," he said gesturing to himself.
Later that evening, after the crew had cleared out and the penthouse was quiet, Shen found Liang sitting on the floor of their half-finished office, staring at the blueprints.
"Hey," Shen whispered, sitting down behind him and pulling Liang back against his chest.
"Hey, babe," Liang murmured, leaning his head back. "You okay? You were quiet after talking to your dads
."
Shen hesitated. He thought about what Hua Yong and Wenlang had said—the Heats, the shift, the 40% power. He needed to tell Liang, but not tonight. Tonight, he just wanted to hold his Alpha.
"I'm fine," Shen said, kissing the top of Liang's head. "Just thinking about how much I love our new office."
"And your boyfriend?" Liang teased, turning in his arms to give him a cheeky, pizza-flavored grin.
"And my loud-mouthed, bossy, fucking idiot of a boyfriend," Shen replied, pulling him into a kiss that was deeper and more protective than anything they’d shared before.
Friday was coming. St. Jude’s was coming. But for now, they were just two boys in a room, building a world where they were the only ones who mattered.
The blueprints were spread out across the new reinforced steel desk when a sharp, rhythmic rapping echoed through the foyer. Liang didn't even look up from his tactical monitor alignment.
"Doors are open, you leeches! Come in and see the future!" Liang roared, his voice bouncing off the high-tech acoustic foam he’d just had installed.
The heavy mahogany doors swung wide, and Min-ho and Min-ji didn't even wait for their parents. They bolted straight for the back office, skidding on the polished floors like two hyperactive puppies.
"Holy shit, Liang! Is that a 60-inch curved thermal display?" Min-ho gasped, leaning over the console. "You’re not building an office, you’re building a goddamn NASA command center."
"It’s for the business, you dipshit!" Liang grinned, slapping Min-ho on the shoulder hard enough to make the Beta stumble. "And look at the seating. Ergo-dynamic leather. I could sit here for ten hours straight and still be ready to break a Li’s neck."
Behind them, the Kang fathers (Dae-hyun and Ji-hoon) walked in with Hua Yong, Wenlang, Shayou, and Gao Tu. They weren't empty-handed; Dae-hyun was carrying a thick leather binder filled with the official documents from the Saturday deal.
"Business first, kids," Dae-hyun rumbled, setting the binder down on Liang’s pristine new desk. "You closed the deal, now you sign the life-blood of it. These are the shipping manifests and the security clearance forms for the North Harbor. Your names go at the bottom."
For the next hour, the office turned into a strange mix of a high-stakes boardroom and a comedy club. Shen sat in his new chair, looking like a young king, his violet eyes sharp as he scanned the legal jargon for any hidden traps. Liang sat beside him, scribbling notes and making shitty jokes about the rival families lack of imagination.
"Look at this clause," Liang pointed out, leaning over Shen’s shoulder. "The Lis actually thought they could sneak a 5% maintenance fee into the East dock? Fuck out of here. I’m crossing that out and replacing it with a stupidity tax."
"It’s called a surcharge, Liang. Use your big boy words," Min-ji teased, sitting on the edge of the desk and stealing a grape from a nearby fruit bowl. "And besides, with that 40% power shift Shen's dads were whispering about, you’re gonna need all the maintenance you can get."
Liang froze, his silver-gold eyes narrowing. "What the fuck are you talking about, Min-ji?"
Shen’s heart fucking stuttered. He shot a warning look at Min-ji, but she just shrugged, blissfully aware of the dad talk Shen had just had on the balcony.
"Nothing, baby," Shen said smoothly, grabbing the pen from Liang’s hand. "She’s just talking out of her ass as usual. Focus on the signatures."
As the clock ticked toward midnight, the six dads finished their wine and retreated to the living room to talk about buiseness leaving the four seniors in the office.
"You know," Min-ho said, yawning and stretching out on the expensive rug Liang had just laid down. "My dad’s place is literally three doors down, but I am way too lazy to walk that far. Can we just stay here?"
"A slumber party?" Liang barked a laugh. "What is this, middle school? Do you want me to braid your hair and talk about our crushes, Min-ho?"
"I already know your crush, Liang. He’s sitting right there looking like he wants to murder me for touching his desk," Min-ho retorted, gesturing at a tired Shen.
"Fine," Shen sighed, rubbing his eyes. "But if you two touch the thermal calibration, I’m throwing you off the balcony. Liang, go get the spare blankets from the hall closet."
The night turned into the most expensive slumber party in the city. They didn't go to their separate rooms; instead, they all ended up piled into Shen and Liang’s massive bed, a chaotic tangle of limbs, silk sheets, and low-voiced insults.
Liang was in the middle, his massive arms acting as pillows for everyone. Shen was tucked against his right side, his head on Liang’s chest, listening to the steady, powerful thrum of his Alpha’s heart. Min-ji and Min-ho were on the outer edges, already drifting off after a day of adrenaline.
"Hey, Shen," Liang whispered into the dark, his voice low so he wouldn't wake the twins. "You really think the office is nice? Like, real-deal nice?"
"It’s the best room in the house, you fucking idiot," Shen murmured, his fingers tracing a pattern on Liang's arm. "Because you built it for us."
Liang let out a contented sigh, his silver-gold eyes closing. He didn't know about the Heats yet. He didn't know about the 40% power shift. All he knew was that his boyfriend was beside him, his family was safe, and for the first time in his life, the King and the Alpha didn't have to fight for a single shitty thing.
Friday was coming. The school would find out. But tonight? Tonight was just peace.
••
The sunlight hitting the penthouse glass was blindingly bright, reflecting off the polished marble floors as the four dads—Hua Yong, Wenlang, Shayou, and Gao Tu—sat in their usual spots, nursing double-shot espressos and reviewing the final logistics for buiseness.
The silence was shattered by a chorus of groans and shifting feet as the slumber party crew finally emerged from the hallway. Liang was leading the pack, his hair a fucking disaster, wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants. Min-ho was right behind him, already bickering about who stole the most covers, while Shen and Min-ji brought up the rear, looking remarkably more composed, as usual.
As they swarmed the kitchen island for caffeine, Shen caught Min-ji’s eye. He didn't say a word, he just gave a sharp, subtle jerk of his chin toward the private balcony—the same spot where he’d had the heavy talk with his dads the night before.
Min-ji, sharp as a damn razor, nodded once.
"Hey, Liang! If you touch that last croissant, I’m telling your dad you cried during the movie last night!" Min-ho shouted, lunging for the pastry tray.
"I didn't fucking cry! It was an eye-irritation from your shitty hairspray!" Liang roared back, immediately getting distracted by a headlock-struggle with the Beta.
While the two idiots were occupied with their morning wrestling match and the dads were busy laughing at the chaos, Shen and Min-ji slipped out onto the balcony, the heavy glass door muffling the noise of the penthouse.
Shen leaned his elbows on the railing, staring out at the hazy city skyline. He took a long, steadying breath of the crisp morning air before turning to the Omega girl standing beside him.
"Alright, Min-ji. No bullshit," Shen said, his violet eyes locking onto hers with a piercing intensity. "Yesterday, when I was out here with my dads... how much did you actually hear from your balcony?"
Min-ji didn't flinch. She leaned back against the glass, crossing her arms over her silk pajamas. A small, knowing smirk played on her lips, but her eyes held a rare flicker of sympathy.
"The acoustics in this building are top-tier, Shen. Especially when your dad, Hua Yong, talks in that voice of doom register," she said quietly. "I heard enough. I heard the part about the Mark. The 40% power shift. And... the Heats."
Shen’s jaw tightened. "And you decided to joke about it in front of him last night? Do you have a fucking death wish? If Liang found out like that—"
"I didn't say anything specific, did I?" Min-ji interrupted, her voice softening. "I was testing the waters. I wanted to see if he knew. Based on his blank stare, it’s pretty clear he’s in the fucking dark."
Shen looked back through the glass at Liang, who was currently laughing so hard at one of Min-ho’s jokes that he nearly tripped over the sofa. The thought of that prideful, dominant Alpha having to navigate the vulnerability of an Omega’s biology felt like a fucking ticking time bomb.
"He’s not ready," Shen whispered, more to himself than to her. "He thinks being my mate just means we’re official and we get to kick ass together. He doesn't realize his body is going to change. He’s an Alpha King, Min-ji. How the fuck do I tell him he’s going to go into Heat for me?"
"You tell him the truth, Shen," Min-ji said, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "Before his body tells him for you. If he goes into his first Heat without knowing why he’s losing control, he’ll think he’s broken. And a broken Liang is a fucking dangerous Liang."
Shen gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white. "I know. I just... I need the right moment. Not today. Not with the Lis still sniffing around."
"Fine," Min-ji sighed, pushing off the glass. "I'll keep my mouth shut. But don't wait too long. Biology doesn't give a fuck about your right moment."
She patted his arm and slipped back inside, leaving Shen alone in the wind. He watched Liang through the glass for a long minute—the way he moved, the raw power in his shoulders, the loud, beautiful laugh.
I’ll protect you, Liang, Shen thought, his iridescent eyes shimmering. Even from the parts of yourself you don't understand yet.
The sliding glass door hummed as it opened again, but the heavy, measured footsteps didn't belong to a teenager. Hua Yong and Wenlang stepped out onto the terrace, the cold morning wind catching their coats. They’d spent decades reading the energy in a room, and seeing Shen standing there—shoulders tight, jaw locked, staring at the horizon like he was calculating a fucking war—told them everything.
Shen didn't turn around. He knew his dads scents by heart. "Min-ji heard," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the wind. "She heard everything you told me yesterday."
"I figured as much," Wenlang said softly, stepping up beside his son and resting a hand on the small of his back. "That girl has ears like a fox. But she’s not the one who looks like he’s about to cave in from the pressure, Shen. What’s actually rattling you?"
Shen finally turned, his iridescent violet eyes shimmering with a raw, jagged vulnerability that he usually kept buried under ten layers of Enigma ice.
The wind whipped around the balcony, chilling the sweat on Shen’s neck. He looked at Hua Yong, the man who defined what it meant to be an Enigma—the absolute peak of the hierarchy. Then he looked at Wenlang, the Alpha who had stood his ground until the bond with Hua Yong literally rewired his DNA.
"I'm fucking scared," Shen rasped, his voice a jagged edge in the morning air. "I’m terrified of telling him. Liang... he’s a King. He’s the Alpha who doesn't bow to anyone. He’s proud of his strength, his Ruts, his role as the protector."
Shen watched Liang through the glass. Liang was currently mid-laugh, his silver-gold eyes bright and full of a fierce, uncomplicated joy as he tried to explain to Gao Tu why the espresso machine was looking at him funny.
"If I tell him his body is going to change... that he’s going to have Heats for me instead of Ruts... that he’s going to be vulnerable in a way he can’t fight off... what if he hates me for it?" Shen’s voice cracked, a rare tremor shaking his hands. "What if he looks at me and only sees the person who broke his biology? I’m scared he won’t love me once he realizes what being my mate actually costs him."
Wenlang stepped forward, his eyes softening with a deep, lived-in empathy. He placed a steady hand on Shen’s shoulder.
"Listen to me, Shen," Wenlang said, his voice calm but carrying the weight of years. "When I realized what was happening to me—when I felt that first shift—I didn't hate your father. Fuck yes, I felt like the world was spinning out of my control. I felt like I was losing the very thing that made me, me. But then I looked at Hua Yong, and I realized he wasn't taking my power—he was becoming my power."
Hua Yong nodded, his massive frame casting a protective shadow. "It’s not about losing who you are, Shen. It’s about where that 40% of power goes. It becomes a shared strength. Liang isn't going to love you less because he’s 'vulnerable'—he’s going to love you more because you're the only person on this goddamn earth he trusts to see him like that."
"He’ll be a nightmare at first," Wenlang added with a wry, knowing smirk. "He’ll probably kick a hole in the new office wall and scream at the sky for three days. But he’ll stay. Because you’re his anchor, and once that mark is there, his soul won't know how to exist without yours."
Shen took a long, shaky breath, the ice in his chest finally starting to thaw as he looked at the two men who had perfected the very bond he was so fucking afraid of.
"I'm still gonna wait until after the Friday, or watever," Shen said, his iridescent eyes hardening with renewed resolve. "I want him to be the Alpha King before I change his whole fucking world."
"Fair enough," Hua Yong rumbled, patting Shen’s back with a hand that could crush a skull. "Just don't underestimate him. He's a loud-mouthed idiot, but he's our loud-mouthed idiot. He'll handle it."