Revenge

Chapter Nine

Jungkook slammed the book closed and pushed it away. He threw his face into the palms of his hands and rubbed his throbbing head, eyes screwed shut from the piercing pain behind them as the sun began to set in the back.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting in his office for, reading over books and articles about running a pack and just trying to learn as much as he could about being an alpha. He wished his parents were still alive to teach him these things, or for someone to be around who knew what to do.

He knew nothing, and the frustration of staying up all night for days on end were driving him insane. He felt like he was running off caffeine and only hours of sleep. He had woken up in his office with his head resting on an opened book, the pages sticking to his cheek.

That's how he had woken up that morning, too. His phone was turned on from reading articles, laptop pushed back and screen gone black from doing more research on that device. Books and palates were everywhere, pens and pencils shoved in binders and books and notebooks from take notes.

His legs were falling asleep from sitting down all day, not stretching or going outside to get some fresh air and gather his racing thoughts. He had paced every now and then when he couldn't stand the tingling feeling to his numb legs, but it didn't last long because not even ten minutes later he was sitting back down.

He felt like he had read every book known to mankind, every article he could find on the internet, and he still felt like he didn't know a single thing. He was beginning to lose confidence in himself, wondering if he'll ever be as good of an alpha like his parents were.

Jungkook sighed, slamming the lid to his laptop down and standing from his chair. He could feel the blood rushing down his legs, the limbs growing tingly as he stretched them out and began to pace around the small office space with his hands on his lower back.

"Knock knock," A soft voice had sliced through the silence, causing Jungkook to turn and see Hoseok peeking his head inside with a gentle grin on his lips. The alpha flashed him a half smile as the male walked inside and closed the door behind him, "How're you doing?"

Hoseok had noticed the dark bags underneath Jungkook's eyes, his once honey-brown orbs now dark and lack of light. He frowned at the sight, wishing the alpha would get some proper rest before he burned himself out.

"M'fine," The ravenette mumbled, turning his head and looking away from the beta and out the window as he watched the sun set. The once blue sky slowly faded into a bright orange, the sun painting the clouds as it slowly began to disappear behind the horizon.

Hoseok didn't believe him, but he didn't say anything more. Knowing Jungkook, Hoseok knew the raven-haired boy would do things on his own, and whenever he wanted to do it. It was impossible to talk the youngest into doing something if he didn't want to, so getting him to take a step back and get some rest was something he wouldn't be able to do.

"Can I get you anything? Like water or something to eat?" He asked the young alpha, "Joon cooked up a good dinner, if you want any of it. He made your favorite."

The mention of food had Jungkook's stomach almost growling instantly. He hadn't properly eaten anything in the last few days and the sound of a proper meal seemed satisfying at the moment.

"Thanks, Hobi," The alpha said with a smile on his plush lips, and the beta had turned on his heels and made his way out of the office, soon returning with a plate full of food for the younger and set it on his desk.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" He asked the boy, only to receive a shake of Jungkook's head as he made his way to his desk and sat down, mouth almost watering at the plate piled with all of his favorite foods. "You want some company?"

"Only if you're okay with it," Jungkook mumbled with a mouth full of food. Hoseok just chuckled as he took a seat in front of him, leaning back and making himself comfortable as he sighed contentedly.

Silence filled the room, the smell of the food lingering in the air filled Hoseok's nose, the setting sun pooling into the small space as crickets and birds chirped outside, the faint sound making its way inside and filling their ears.

"Can I ask you something?" Jungkook was the first to break the silence, eyes glancing from the beta seated across from him and to his closed laptop only inches away as the older's nodded. "What . . . What can you tell me about mates?"

Hoseok's eyebrows pulled together a little at the question, not expecting this to be what he was asked but didn't really question it. "Well . . ." He began, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, "what do you want to know?"

"Anything," Jungkook almost instantly replied with, setting his chopsticks down, wanting his full attention to be on the beta so he could learn as much as possible about this topic.

"Well, everyone's destined to have a mate," Hoseok began, repeating the exact words Taehyung had uttered to the young alpha, "A mate is someone you're destined to be with for the rest of your life. The moon goddess is who grants us with someone, I guess is how you would put it. She's the goddess who makes everything happen."

Jungkook nodded, leaning back in his chair as he listened intently to the eldest. He hadn't really read anything about mates, more focused on how to run a pack without failing as their leader and knowing nothing.

"But having a mate can be a little tricky," He had stated after a while of silence, and this had caught Jungkook's attention. His brows raised a little at this, eager to learn more. "Sometimes it can get to our heads, because mate bonds are strong."

"What do you mean by that?" Jungkook questioned, almost a little hesitantly as he scratched the skin behind his ear, unsure if he really wanted to know more. However, knowing Taehyung was his mate, and now finding out that it could be tricky was something he knew he needed to know.

"Well, you feel everything they're feeling," Hoseok informed, and this had Jungkook's eyebrows stitching together. "If they're hurt, you can feel it. If they're sad, angry—whatever they're feeling, you can feel it, too. Even physically."

"P-Physically?" Jungkook stammered as he watched Hoseok bob his head in a single nod. "So, if they're in physical pain, I can feel it too?

Hoseok nodded once more, eyebrows furrowing a little as he asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"My parents didn't teach me anything about mates," Jungkook had said with a steadier voice, and Hoseok nodded again in understanding. "I guess I was curious as to what they were, you know."

"I get it," Hoseok said. Jungkook barely nodded as they both fell quiet, neither speaking as they listened to the faint noises of the birds and crickets chirping from outside his window. "Do you want to talk about what we learned back there?"

Jungkook glanced up, brows pulled together as he looked at the beta. "What do you mean?" He questioned, confusion laced within his voice and etched within his honey-toned features.

"I'm talking about what we learned about your parents," Hoseok clarified, but Jungkook didn't know what to talk about with that topic. He didn't believe what Taehyung had told him. He knew his parents better than anyone, and he knew they wouldn't have done such a thing.

"No, because I don't believe him. I don't believe they would do something like that," Jungkook stated confidently, sitting up in his chair and taking a bite of his growing cold food.

"You're not mad or anything?" He asked the boy, only to earn a shake from his head as a response. "Did you figure out what you're going to do though?"

"I've been thinking about that," Jungkook had admitted, scratching the back of his head as he set his chopsticks down on the edge of his plate. "I know we're too small to go to war, and let's face it, they'd wipe us out without a doubt."

Hoseok nodded, humming lightly as he agreed with the young alpha. He liked how Jungkook was approaching this; thinking things through with a clear head and not acting on impulse.

"I know I want to get them back, though," Jungkook confessed, sighing shortly after as he sat back in his leather chair, arms folding over his chest and eyes settled on his closed laptop. "But I know we need to get close to them and hit their blind spots. And I have just the idea."