Chapter eight
It was right before the sun was supposed to appear that Jungkook heard the sound of someone else. A warning growl left him at the first sound of leaves crunching, and even though the smell that hit his nose was familiar, he didn't relax.
Taehyung must have sensed it, too. They both exchanged quick glances before getting out of the cabin. The omega's silver dagger hung at his side in a gilded scabbard.
Even when the familiar scent was from a wolf higher in command, Jungkook didn't lower his haunches.
"Don't" He tried to say when Taehyung hurried to walk past him, gently wrapping his fingers around his elbow to push him behind himself, the gesture was almost protective. The sudden urge to keep the omega safe consumed him in a matter of seconds.
The omega glared daggers at him, ready to pull his arm out of his firm grip and run in the woods, but an unfamiliar voice interrupted them both.
"Oh, shut up, it's me."
Jungkook let out one more low growl before he pushed Taehyung's body flush against his chest, protecting the omega from the possible danger. At least the newcomer didn't come too close to the edge. He was just closer than he was allowed to be.
"Alpha sent me to find you. Calm it down." Someone appeared from behind one tree. He didn't look too mean; his countenance was actually stunningly beautiful when he turned to face them fully. He had huge plump lips and almond eyes that were perfectly shaped and sparkly. His jet-black hair was tied in a knot on top of his head, stuck through with an expensive looking pin. He regarded Taehyung with confusion when the boy just gaped after catching his attention, too taken with the man's handsome features to say what he meant to.
There was no doubt the handsome stranger was an alpha. The strong scent of elderflower and dominant aura screamed power.
Jungkook was, instantly. Alarm shocked through him, and his body stiffened a bit.
"I told my father not to send other wolves after me" he said through gritted teeth. Taehyung's curious eyes skidded between them, wondering what was going on and who the mysterious stranger was. "You escaped, Jimin. I know you're lying."
"Alpha wants you beside Namjoon hyung," the person who Taehyung assumed as Jimin said. "It's an order."
Jungkook's look visibly darkened and the omega could sense the slight change in his scent. The tension in the air increased rapidly and Taehyung felt somehow small in the presence of the two alphas.
"He is not going anywhere" Taehyung spoke up, shrugging off Jungkook's hand as he took a step forward.
The sudden spark of confidence made both alphas look at him in devastation, with the tiny difference that Jimin was more shocked than Jungkook.
"And may I know who you are?" The other alpha had a thick guttural accent, one Taehyung had never heard before, but his voice sounded very boyish in contrast to how roughly he spoke. He was short, but his shoulders were powerful and rounded under his tunic, the muscles of his chest rippling where they peeked through in the front. A strong jaw and eyebrows were balanced by warm brown eyes that would be pleasant if they weren't set in such a fierce expression, plush lips pressed into a frown and nostrils flared in annoyance.
"Jimin, don't get the wrong idea, he is just a friend of mine." Jungkook tried to join the conversation, not wanting to cause any scenes. The short alpha was known around the pack for his hot temperament. Someone like Taehyung who didn't know when to shut his mouth up could get easily on his nerves.
"You were supposed to find the true blood. Where is he, Jungkook? Did you turn your back to the pack and start courting random omegas?" Jimin's tongue was quick, and his eyes were duller, more narrowed as they fixated on Taehyung.
Jungkook inhaled sharply through his nostrils, balling his hands into fists. The omega noticed how close he was to bursting out in anger, so he placed his hand on top of his to calm him down, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Control yourself." he pronounced a little above a whisper and it was peculiarly enthralling, because Jungkook's gaze jumped up from his hand and landed at his eyes and it arose a very sudden onslaught of the realization of the wholeness of him.
"Why don't we get inside so we can discuss everything there? It's not what it looks like, Jungkook isn't my – "Jimin was quick to cut Taehyung off from finishing his sentence.
"Know your place, omega." He said in a low, threatening tone, the brown irises flashing a bright yellow color. "You're not making the decisions here."
Taehyung's brows raised up in surprise but instead of bowing his head in submission like Jimin expected him to do he narrowed his eyes at him and spoke up in a subtle confidence.
"You're in my territory. This isn't your pack to tell people what to do." He began, voice loud and stern, body language confident as he spoke.
Jimin had clamped his lips shut, timid on what to say next.
"Who do you think you are to – "
And Jungkook's teeth released, his feet stomped the ground, and his chest just boiled. "Can you two finally stop?" he heard it before he fully thought it, watched them both turn and with utmost shock on their faces realized that the other alpha was here, too.
Jungkook didn't care about Taehyung's parted lips, his wide eyes that turned to narrow in a moment. He set his glaring attention on his friend. His gaze charged accusatory and begrudgingly hurt and that bit of it only served to invigorate his spite some more. In the comfort of his home far, far away from here he had stupidly allowed himself to pretend he was completely over the fact his father had sent someone to search for him.
"Jungkook" Jimin said in a soft warning, his eyes growing warmer as they finally, finally focus on him after the alpha had to practically beg for them to. "It's not my fault your omega doesn't know how to speak to someone with а higher rank than his."
Taehyung huffed out a humorless laugh and was just about to snap at him again If it wasn't for Jungkook to stop him.
"You both need to stop, not only Taehyung." He retorted, shifting his gaze to the dissatisfied omega, giving him a knowing look.
Jimin eyed them warily, before letting out a content sigh to slip past his lips, nodding his head curtly. "Fine, but you have a lot to explain."
Jungkook mumbled quietly the words 'thank you', feeling as if someone had finally lifted the heaviness from his chest.
Taehyung, who didn't seem to be very pleasant with the current situation, simply lifted his chin up and walked past them to get back in the cabin, motioning for the two alphas to follow him.
Once inside, they all settled in the living room around the hearth, everyone staying quiet for the sake of the comfortable silence that somehow managed to keep them calm and composed. Jimin waited expectantly for his answers, the anticipation grew heavier in the air.
"Well?" He started, raising a brow, eyes flickering between the nervous alpha that sat on the floor across him and the annoyed omega.
"Well?" Jungkook repeated, as if he hadn't heard the question right.
A loud groan escaped Jimin as he rubbed his forehead with two fingers, already feeling the dull pain in his skull. "Start from the begging! Did you find the true blood?"
Jungkook took a measured second in which he smacked his lips together animatedly and glanced aside with a certain deliberation before he started to speak. "If I did find him, I wouldn't still be here." he told him, spoke evenly, matter-of-factly, and kept a fully opened gaze on him.
Jimin listened, waited, cocked his head. "And who is the omega?" he asked, petty, tongue pulsing once and stretching his cheek.
Taehyung's scoff was short, and so was the path of his gaze as it charged back at him.
"His name is Taehyung." Jungkook said before the omega had the chance to open his mouth and probably blurt out another sarcastic line that could piss the other alpha off. "His mate was a true blood. The same true blood I was searching for."
This time Jimin couldn't suppress the astonishment written on his face.
"Was?" he asked, slightly bewildered. "Where is he now?"
Jungkook's heart clutched painfully in his chest. It was his responsibility to find the true blood and bring salvation to the pack. He didn't want to disappoint anyone, especially someone as dear to him as Jimin. He remembered their last talk the night before he had to leave his home in search of the wolf. The desperation that laced within his tone, the last spark of hope that had left glimmering in his brown orbs.
"He is dead." Taehyung's voice was caught somewhere in a whisper, causing both men to flinch, just now realizing how sensitive this topic must be to him.
An awkward silence followed, and no one dared to speak for a couple of seconds, as if something bad would happen if they tried to voice out their thoughts.
Jungkook peered at Taehyung through his raven curls, seeing the pensive frown, the dark stare, the way he gripped tightly the soft material of his robe, holding onto it as if he were bracing himself for some sort of a torture.
"Great." Jimin's soft mumble broke the quiet atmosphere. He was gazing at the hearth, the orangish glow of the fire illuminated his features in a beautiful spectrum of colors. "Just great."
There was no soft-soaping. No 'I'm sorry' or 'your loss is awful'. He answered as bluntly as if Taehyung had asked him the time, or some trivia question.
"This doesn't necessary mean I can't help your pack." The omega added, his tone was a few octaves higher now, his shoulders were pushed back, and he seemed to have returned the previous fierce fire in his eyes.
The other alpha snapped his head towards the direction of the silky voice, as beautiful as it may be, he didn't let his wolf be lured in fake hopes.
"How? You will kill the true blood?" Jimin almost laughed, the bitterness rested on the tip of his tongue, he was seriously doubting their chances of surviving.
Taehyung scoffed at the question, the mocking hostility in the alpha's tone caused his nerves to wreck. "I can't kill a true blood, it's impossible." He stated out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "But I'm teaching Jungkook how to do it."
At the mention of his name, Jungkook's cheeks heated up and his heartbeat quickened its pace. This was the moment he had been avoiding for a very long time. He couldn't just return to his pack and say that a random omega had suddenly taught him how to kill a true blood. It was ridiculous, everyone would think of him as some kind of a lunatic who had lost his mind during the long journey.
"You?" This time Jimin laughed for real. "You're an omega. What can you possibly know about true bloods? Oh, and let me remind you that a true blood can be killed only by another – ''
"That's not true!" Both Taehyung and Jungkook said in unison, preventing the other alpha from finishing his sentence.
A tired sigh escaped Jungkook as he rubbed the back of his neck. "The reason why I can't come back is because Taehyung is teaching me how to kill a true blood. Believe me or not, he tells the truth and I'm more than willing to trust him." He explained in the easiest way possible, praying for the other alpha to understand him. They had been friends since childhood and Jimin unconditionally stayed by his side no matter how wrong he was. Jungkook really hoped his dearest friend would believe in his intuition.
"If you have so much faith in him, why don't you bring the omega with you to the pack house?" Jimin questioned, wiggling an eyebrow suggestively.
Jungkook poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, considering the idea in his head. "I can do that, yeah..." he trailed off.
"And who said I'm coming with you?" Taehyung narrowed his eyes at him, slightly offended by the two alphas who so carelessly talked about him without realizing he was in the same room as them.
"Oh, please." Jimin groaned, his resentment festered in him. "Do you prefer to live here for the rest of your life instead of joining a pack?"
Jimin, as wrong as he might be, had a point in this matter. Taehyung couldn't live in the middle of the woods for the rest of his life. Yes, he was capable enough of protecting himself and providing food, but he was lonely. He could find another mate, start a family and have his happily ever after!
"Even If I do join your pack, I still can't come." The omega said, looking down at his lap right after.
"What do you mean?" It was Jungkook's turn to speak. His voice was softer, gentler, not sharp and filled with grudge like Jimin's.
Taehyung visibly stiffened, fidgeting with the light material of his robes violently between his fingers, as if it were a chicken and he was trying to wring its neck.
"I-I can't shift." He muttered, tone barely above a whisper.