THE PALACE // JIKOOK

Chapter 1

"Oh— of course not, my Lord," HoJoon agreed. "...no woman would ask for more."

Jungkook laughed mirthlessly at that one, his eyebrow arching over one piercing dark eye. "Believe me, HoJoon," He said, shaking his head. "My grandfather would never dare hand me an Omegan wife."

"—because they are spoken for so young, m'Lord?," HoJoon asked, hesitantly touching on his master's single blind prejudice, unable to resist his curiosity about its source.

"Because they are useless irritants incapable of rational thought and I'd rather marry a mule than be saddled with an Omega," Jungkook told him, his mild tone only putting a sting in his words. "And my grandfather knows that well enough. That aside, there is that damnable contract of his with the former Lord Park household. No doubt his insipid little granddaughters will be clamouring over who is to be a future great Lady."

Hojoon stayed silent for a long moment before tentatively asking, "So... what will you do?,"

Jungkook sighed heavily again, shaking his head hard enough that the short locks of his dark hair whispered back across his forehead.

"I suppose you must pack, Hojoon. We are going home."

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Dismayed and suddenly frightened, Jimin hurried after SonJi to the receiving room where the two lawyers, the proxy, and his father were already waiting. His father's wide dark eyes betrayed his stark concern, and Jimin immediately knew that what they had planned was impossible.

The moment the Alpha proxy turned to face him, startled recognition crossed his handsome features, and he frowned, knowing without a doubt what they had done.

"Jimin, this is Jeon Namjoon, Jeon Jungkook's cousin and proxy," The man said, as if keeping to manners might somehow prevent the inevitable realisation that he was trying to foist an Omega off on them. "My Lord, this is my daughter, Park Jimin."

"Lady Park," Namjoon said, approaching Jimin's trembling form with the lithe grace of a cat, amusement and wonder dancing in his eyes as he swept Jimin's hand up for a kiss.

Jimin managed a small curtsey, averting his gaze, hyperaware of the way the man's nostrils flared and uncomfortably certain that his own scent was changing in the presence of virile Alpha.

"Gentlemen," Namjoon said, addressing the room. "Lady Park needs some air."

"I will have a servant—,"

"I will take her for a turn about the garden," Namjoon said, cutting the Lord Park off. He subsided with indignant, frightened fury, but did not protest. Namjoon looped Jimin's arm over his elbow, graced him with a cat-like smile, and escorted him straight from the house to the garden without saying another word.

Jimin clutched his arm unconsciously, barely aware of the warm material beneath his spread fingers, but uncomfortably aware that an Alpha male had hold of him. His pulse raced like mad from it and from the fear that he was caught. He was sure that he was being led out here for some terrible purpose or harsh scolding that would only precede the one his father would give him.

Instead, Namjoon pulled him to a bench within sight of the receiving room windows and settled him there, asking, "Do you mind if I smoke?,"

Not trusting his voice, Jimin shook his head and directed his gaze at his lap, fidgeting.

"Look here at me, please," Namjoon asked, and Jimin tipped his head up to find the man looking at him intently as he rolled a cigarette, his eyes critical. "You are lovely, Lady Park. I suppose you hear that quite a lot?",