Strings of Fate

12- Point of Breaking

What's going on? Jimin looked from Taehyung to Jin.

Jungkook was talking with Y/N and left upset. He implied that she didn't want to be around him because he was an alpha. Jin set a plate in front of the three wolves seated at the table. Jimin turned back to Y/N.

"Is that true Y/N?" Jimin asked, forgetting that the whole conversation had taken place through the link.

"Is what true?" There was a hint of anger and frustration in her voice. Jimin stuttered, realizing his mistake.

"Sorry," He said hurriedly, "Just, I heard that things didn't go well with Jungkook today. Did you tell him you didn't want to be around him?" She stared at him, eyes searching his. She apparently didn't find what she was looking for. Jin's heart crumpled as a sheen of pain took over her features. Tears gathered and glossed over her eyes, her bottom lip trembled slightly.  Then she stood up, her chair scraping across the floor.

"Thanks for the food," She nodded towards Jin and then she retreated to the other room, pushing the door as closed as the broken latch would allow her to. Jimin blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. Jin could feel the sharp pain Jimin was feeling by being snubbed by Y/N before it receded to a dull ache.

"What did I do?" His mate looked to him for answers and Jin didn't have any for him. 

"I-" He didn't know what to say to his hurting mate. He felt like cursing the Moon Goddess, everything would be just fine if Y/N could feel the mating pull, but she couldn't, she might never be able to. Jimin squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his chest hard, the place where he had placed his mark on all his mates, the place where his mark was currently fading from Y/N. 

Did it hurt to have a bond fade? Jin didn't know, he had never experienced it himself. There was a loud crack and everyone at the table jumped. Y/N's plate of uneaten food had cracked almost perfectly down the center. 

"Jin, I'm so sorry!" Jimin got to his feet and started to scoop the food off the table and onto one of the two halves of the plate. 

"Don't worry about it Minnie," Jin gently shooed him towards the sink, "Wash your hands and I'll take care of it." Jin could feel Taehyung's eyes on him as he cleaned up the mess on the table and threw the cracked plate away. Jimin turned off the sink and absentmindedly dried his hands on his jeans. 

"I'm going to go lie down for a little bit." He slowly dragged himself to the stairs leading up to the nest.

Jimin, just let it run off you, she's not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, Jin sent to him, but he didn't turn around. 

"Why don't you go up with him Tae?" Taehyung seemed to be looking to Jin, still waiting for an answer to Jimin's question. Jin still didn't have an answer to give. After a moment Tae relented and went up after his mate, leaving Jin in the kitchen alone. He sat down heavily and ran his hands through his hair.

Maybe Jimin's question wasn't the right one. Maybe instead of "what did I do?" it should be "why had happened to Y/N before we found her?"

Jin sighed and rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes. His three most sensitive mates were now upset and it was leaking through the bond, draining Jin's energy. If she hadn't been their mate, her behavior wouldn't be a big deal at all, but because they were feeling the mating pull and being rejected, their wolves were upset and causing unnecessary tension.

In an ideal world, they would probably have already mated with her. It was common for fated mates to mate the day that they met each other, there was really no point in fighting the mating pull, it just became more painful the longer it was ignored. His mates were used to quick matings since that's practically how each of their matings had gone.

The front door opened cautiously and a tuft of white hair poked through the gap. Hoseok scanned the room with a tentative smile. He probably thought his mates were having a fight because of the overlapping emotions coming through the bond. When he saw Jin alone in the kitchen, he pushed the door open further and came in.

"Where's everyone else?" He asked, scanning the room as he came up to Jin. Jin didn't want to talk so he twirled his finger unhelpfully in the vague direction of all his mates.

What's wrong? He switched to the link. Two fingers slid under Jin's chin and tilted his head up to meet Hoseok's gaze. His touch and the earnest concern in his eyes made Jin's heart clench with gratitude and desire for affection. Jin gently grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down slightly. Hoseok took the hint, cupping Jin's face and initiating a tender kiss.

It's Y/N, Jin offered as their kiss ended, She's upset them without meaning to. Hoseok pulled up a chair next to Jin and sat down. He rubbed Jin's back soothingly and Jin gave him a weak smile.

I'm fine really, just a little tired. Hoseok kissed his knuckles as the last two of their mates came in. Both of the alphas were on edge, the emotions in the bond making them go into protect mode. Yoongi seemed particularly agitated.

"What's wrong? Where's Y/N?" The urgency in Yoongi's voice confused him and he pointed to the spare room.

"She's in the room, resting."

"She fucking climbed out of the window just last night, remember?" Yoongi hurried to the  bedroom and Jin got up to follow him. Yoongi flung the door open and stepped inside, searching the room for their mate.

"Yoongi! Calm down!" Jin said in exasperation as he came up behind his mate. Yoongi was staring at Y/N in her bed, chest heaving as she cowered under the comforter. After a moment Yoongi's shoulders relaxed.

"Keep this door open at all times," Yoongi instructed before he left the room. Bewildered, Jin watched him go before he looked back at Y/N. She was staring at the window, her eyes glassy. Jin sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her hand, but she snatched it away and pressed herself closer to the headboard she was leaning against.

"I'm sorry he scared you, he's just worried about you!" She didn't respond and Jin didn't really expect her to. He got up from the bed and left the room to go scold his mate.

Yoongi was in the kitchen making himself an iced coffee. Namjoon was sitting at the table, lost in thought and Hoseok was gone, probably in the nest with their other mates.

"Why couldn't you have opened the door like a normal person?" Jin shot at him. Yoongi pulled the spoon he had used to stir his coffee out of the glass and licked it clean before he threw it in the sink. The harsh clang of metal on metal rang threw the empty space and made Jin jump.

"She almost died last night," His voice stilled the air, the tension in the room tightened to the point of breaking, "I killed a wolf for her." Jin gulped and took a step back, lowering his head in submission to his alpha.

"I honestly don't care if I scared her because she scared me! I am her alpha and I will do whatever I need to do to protect her!" The silence in the room echoed when he finished. Jin was afraid to even move. Yoongi picked up his glass and left the house.

Jin slumped against the counter, back towards his last remaining mate. He heard Namjoon's chair scrape back and then his footsteps as he approached. Jin felt the warmth of his body as he pressed in behind him. His strong arms wrapped around his waist and Jin felt himself melting into his touch.

Let it go Luna, you're taking on too much of their emotions and it's stressing you out. He pressed his temple against Jin's.

"It's not that easy." Despite what he said, he could feel Namjoon's influence calming him down and dissipating the borrowed emotions that were hanging over him. Jin sighed and leaned more into his mate, letting Namjoon take some of his weight. Namjoon butted his nose against Jin's cheek and then kissed the same spot.

Feeling better? Jin nodded. To his disappointment, Namjoon let him go and turned Jin to face him. There's something I need to talk with you about.