Strings of Fate

7- Seenap Root

Hoseok's stomach dropped. Prevent pregnancy... someone had been using his mate? Several wolves around the room collectively growled, Hoseok included. He felt his rage rising.

"Calm down! There's nothing we can do to change the past!" Jin shouted over the growling wolves. Hoseok tamped down his scent guilty and he could sense Taehyung doing the same next to him. Jimin and Jungkook did not. Jimin was still staring at the floor, but the look on his face was murder. Jungkook's growl was threatening to turn into a snarl.

"Jungkook, Jimin calm down," Namjoon commanded, "Let's get back on track. The symptoms of seenap root can vary and it's often abused. One of the reasons for that is that when an omega is on it for extended periods of time, they become more susceptible to an alpha's influence. They essentially become easier to control."

"Like if they wanted to keep someone against their will?" Taehyung asked quietly. The realization hit Hoseok and the thought made him sick.

"We think that's a big reason why her pack leaders were giving it to her, because she did say that she had been trying to escape. The alphas that attacked her were her pack leaders trying to take her back with them," Jin answered. Jimin got up and started pacing between the kitchen table and the couch, clearly agitated. Because he had mated with Y/N already, everything must feel so much more intense for him. Hoseok could hear a low rattle in the house and the lights flared brighter before settling to normal.

"There's another symptom that we need to talk about," Namjoon said as he kept a careful eye on Jimin's progress, "Another reason someone might keep an omega on seenap root is to prevent them from finding their mate or even searching for their mate."

Yoongi's scent spiked which made a nerve-wrecking situation feel dangerous. Hoseok felt his breath getting shallower and his heart started to pound. He felt a hand slip into his and he looked over to Taehyung. Taehyung's eyes were traveling from one anxious mate to another. Hoseok squeezed Tae's hand and drew the attention of the younger wolf. He searched Hoseok for comfort and all Hoseok could do was give him a weak smile before he turned his attention back to Namjoon.

"Seenap root basically cuts off the mating pull. Y/N told Jin that she hasn't felt the mating pull for any of us. Right now we don't know if that is permanent or not." Taehyung gasped, Hoseok felt equally stunned. Jungkook's shoulders slumped and his eyes turned glassy.

"What did you say?" Jimin's voice was icy. There was actual ice forming on the windows. Jimin had stopped pacing and was glaring daggers at Namjoon. Namjoon got to his feet.

"She can't feel the mating pull," Namjoon repeated as he slowly approached Jimin.

"That can't be true!" Jimin shouted, he fist shook at his side. The low rattle in the house escalated. Tae was about to up and go to Jimin, but Hoseok held him back. He had a feeling that Namjoon was the best person to talk Jimin down right now.

"It is true Min."

"Then why?" Everyone knew what he meant, why had Y/N mated with Jimin if she hadn't felt the mating pull? The look of pity on Namjoon's face only seemed to infuriate Jimin more. When Namjoon extended a hand to him, he smacked it away with a snarl and the lights flickered above him.

"She was scared, Jimin," Jin said tiredly. His head was bowed and his hands were tightly gripping his hair, "She wanted to cover up her scent."

"I – I didn't know that! She... she said – she wanted to!" Jimin's voice shook and his eyes were wide with panic. A whimper escaped Tae. Namjoon grabbed Jimin's wrist and began to pull him into his chest. Jimin continued to resist until Namjoon succeeded in getting both his arms around the smaller wolf. Then he lost all will to fight and began to sob in earnest. The rattle stopped and suddenly the room was normal, as if nothing had happened.

Hoseok didn't stop Tae this time as he jumped to comfort his mate. Tae wrapped his arms around Jimin's waist from behind and held him as he cried.

"You didn't know, Minnie!" He whispered gently.

"Did I mate her against her will?" His voice was so broken. Namjoon pet the back of his head to comfort him.

"No Jimin, I don't think so, she actively chose to participate."

Hoseok looked around the room. Yoongi was still brooding, but he was now holding Jungkook's hand. Jungkook was watching his mates hugging dumbfounded. Hoseok looked over at Jin, he was silently crying by himself. Hoseok got up to sit by his Luna. Hoseok gently pulled Jin into his chest and let the omega cry on his shoulder.

"So her mark won't be permanent," Hoseok said softly. Jin shook his head.

"No, it will fade in a couple of days." That seemed like a physical blow to Jimin. He leaned more into the alpha and let out a little sob. Because they were fated mates, none of them would be able to mate her until she also felt the pull. It would be different if they weren't fated.

If they couldn't be mated, they would never share the bond, she might not even be able to bear their pups. Everything that they shared, she would not be a part of. The worst part was they felt the bond for her and it would remain like an open wound, constantly reopening and getting infected. They could all probably take something to calm their wolves, but it would probably never be enough.

They would always need her, but they would never be able to have her. 

After a few minutes, Namjoon took Jimin back to his seat with him, pulling Jimin into his lap. Jimin curled into the alpha as he tried to stem his sniffles. Tae came and sat on Jin's other side and rubbed his back gently.

"You said it might not be permanent?" Jungkook broke the silence.

"We talked with the Alpha Mother and she gave us something that should help her, but we don't know yet if it can reverse the effects. At the very least, her sensitivity to alphas should clear up–"

Sudden movement from Yoongi made everyone jump. He was now on his feet staring at the spare bedroom that Y/N was in. He rushed to the door and tried the handle. When it didn't open he slammed his shoulder into the door. The wood frame buckled and the crunching of wood caused Hoseok to get to his feet as well.

"What is it, Yoongi?" He questioned, his whole body responding to the urgency he felt from his mate. Yoongi pulled back and slammed his shoulder into the door again. This time it gave way and the door flung open, hitting the opposite wall. Yoongi disappeared into the room. From his position, all Hoseok could see was the open window and the curtains lazily stirring around the frame. Yoongi came back into view.

"She's gone!" A second later a feminine scream in the distance floated through the open window.