$ f i f t y t w o $
Miran could hear the screams of pain coming from in front of her and instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Baekhyun. "Light! He's injured. Someone help him!" She called blindly. She had no idea where he was, since she was blindfolded, but he sounded close enough to her that he would hear her. Just a few feet in front of her, Baekhyun pressed down on the open would with a bullet lodged in his skin while blood was pouring out.
But everyone had their eyes focused on Jagi, and her new identity.
Kyungsoo stepped forward, eyes full of suspicion. He didn't seem at all surprised to find out what her real name was, which led Jagi to think that he already knew. "You know her?" He asked the two members of the Coyotes that had said her name.
Jin nodded his head in affirmation. "Kim Hyejin. She's my little sister."
She turned to Kyungsoo, eyes full of resentment as they pooled up with tears. "You knew who I was, and you didn't say anything?"
He started, trying to come up with justification for himself. "You said you didn't want to know anymore. You said that it wasn't important because you were right where you belonged." He pointed out. But the real reason was that he was afraid that if she knew who she was, she would leave and never come back. Sometimes love was selfish like that. What he didn't know and never imagined was that her brother would turn out to be Kim Seokjin--beta of the Coyotes. That meant she was a member as well, and the day she was attacked, someone was looking to hurt their pack through her.
"That was because nothing was coming to me!" She shouted at him through her frustration. "You saw me suffering through that--not knowing who I was, or where I belonged--and you let it happen, Soo."
Her older brother Jin beckoned her over. "Come on, Hyejin. Let's go home together."
But Namjoon gave a shake of his head. "We're not leaving without taking this land as ours."
Jagi looked to Jin with pleading eyes. Even though she was upset at Kyungsoo for keeping the truth about her past from her, the pack had taken her in and cared for her when she had no one. They nursed her back to health and treated her like a part of their family. At lease--for their sake--she would try to do something to help them. "I know you both don't like each other." She began, looking from one group to the other. "But please spare the wolves, and don't fight against them. Brother, if you love me, then you will respect my wishes. The wolves took care of me when I was dying in an alley and lost my memories. They're my family now too. I will go with you, only if you spare them."
"No, Jagi--" Kyungsoo started, but he was interrupted by the Coyotes' beta.
Jin nodded without a second thought, and turned towards his alpha, saying through a shaky voice. "Finding my sister is all I've ever wanted since she disappeared two months ago. I will not fight the wolves."
Jimin stepped forward as well. Jagi's disappearance had affected him just as much as it did Jin, but for other reasons. "I will not fight the wolves either."
"I'm your alpha." Namjoon reminded them through gritted teeth. The only thing an alpha hated more than being challenged, was being challenged in front of a rival gang. It made them seem disorganized, disloyal, and weak. He quickly added, "You have to follow my orders, even if you don't believe in them."
"Not when it comes to my sister." Jin refused with a shake of his head.
Considering that Jin was Namjoon's closest friend, and had been his most loyal member until that moment, he begrudgingly accepted his beta's proposal. Hyejin was his sister after all, and she was the only blood relative he had left. With a frustrated groan, he gestured for everyone to follow him. "Alright, everyone. We will retreat. But that doesn't mean the wolves won. We'll be back soon to claim this territory as ours." He said. The Nightmares just stood there in shock at what they had just witnessed.
They left Miran blindfolded on the ground, with Baekhyun just a few feet from her. Jimin helped Taehyung lift Jungkook off the ground and they carried him away. The Coyotes then disappeared into the forest, taking Jagi with them.
He was the second alpha who had lost the woman he loved.
Junmyeon walked over to his brother and gave him a side hug, knowing that heartbreak he was feeling. He said nothing to him, there was really nothing he could say. He couldn't really tell him it would get better because it wouldn't. Every day without Hani was a painful one for Junmyeon.
Instead, Kyungsoo was the one who spoke. "The alpha seat is a lonely one."
Though he fathomed for a moment that at least Junmyeon had as a small consolation that Hani never wanted to leave him. She was forced to leave by circumstances of luck--or lack of it. Jagi left on her own, without being forced, to spare the family. But he also thought it was aprtially due to the fact that he had hidden her true identity from her. He now cursed himself in his mind for ever thinking that was a good idea.
He looked around at his other brothers and sisters, head down and shoulders slumped in defeat. Sehun had gone over to help untie Miran and to help Baekhyun, but everyone else just stood watching their alpha with pity. When his eyes fell upon the circle drawn on the dirt under the moon light, he remembered why they had been out there in the first place.
"We came out here for an alpha battle, didn't we?" He sighed. When no one answered, he continued, "Let's get on with it then." Calling to Sehun, and then to the others, he instructed, "Baram, drag Light into the circle. Fire set us up for the fight. Everyone else just stand around us. Anyone who interferes--I will personally be the one to seek out and deliver the punishment, and you know I'm not very forgiving." His eyes darkened as he spoke the last sentence in a menacing tone.
Everyone nodded and complied out of fear.
Sehun apologized to Baekhyun--informing him that as an omega, the last rung in the pack, he had to obey orders more than others--and he dragged his hyung into the circle while Baekhyun could barely even keep his eyes open since he was losing blood quickly and slipping into unconsciousness.
Miran crawled over to where the others stood and cried. She didn't know how battles for the alpha position worked, but she imagined them to be bloody.
Kyungsoo stepped into the circle with his beta and Chanyeol gave the rules once again. Everyone watched with their breaths held as Chanyeol did the countdown for the fight to begin. When they were down to one, Miran closed her eyes tight.
But instead of hearing or seeing anything, all they saw was their alpha stepping out of the circle in a sigh of forfeit. The older boys in the pack watched him with wide eyes and let out a gasp. Stepping out of the circle not only meant forfeiting, but it also meant that person would be relegated to being the pack's new omega. In addition, he was to be treated badly by the other members for being a coward and backing out of a fight.
None of them understood why Kyungsoo made that decision.
They all knew he could have easily taken Baekhyun in a fight, and now even more that the beta was injured. Baekhyun propped himself up on his elbows and saw what had happened. "What have you done, Soo?" He breathed.
His brother could only shrug. "You're the new alpha."
With that, he turned and went back in the house.
-
things are getting intense now. baek injured, kyungsoo forfeiting, jagi deciding to leave, and being a sister of the coyotes. this is all so much that it happening. and i hope you're all liking the story so far.
literally the alpha seat has gone through three people in fifty two chapters. that was very quick.
thank you all for reading and supporting. i hope you're all having a wonderful day!
-clary
