No one really knows the details
×××
Taehyung forgot how much he loved breakfasts in the pack. Every morning from 7 to 9, the dining room was filled with starving werewolves who wanted nothing more than to fill their stomachs with some delicious pancakes, eggs, and rice. Taehyung was no different from them.
When he got up the next morning, his belly indicated with a loud growl that it was empty. He fell into bed the day before without eating anything. So much happened to him that he didn't even have time to think about dinner. Now, however, his mind was focused on nothing else but food as he packed his plate to the fullest.
"That's disgusting," Beomgyu frowned as he saw how Taehyung put beacon and mayonnaise on his pancake. They all looked just so appetizing that he couldn't choose. In Bang Sihyuk's home, breakfast consisted of a few slices of bread and salad leaves each day. Taehyung felt like he had eaten enough salad for a lifetime.
He ignored Beomgyu's remark and grinned as the boy began to gag after seeing him pouring ketchup on his waffle.
"I think I'm just gonna leave," the boy grimaced and walked away to his friends. Taehyung didn't mind. As a matter of fact, he didn't really care since his thoughts were occupied by his breakfast.
After taking from everything to himself, he looked around the elegant dining room, searching for some familiar faces. He hoped to spot Jungkook and have an opportunity to apologize to him or Hoseok for causing a scene at their engagement party, but he only found the other couple instead.
Jimin and Yoongi sat in a quiet corner by themselves. The beta diligently stuffed a sandwich into his mouth, while Yoongi just sleepily swirled his coffee beside him.
"Good morning," Jimin chirped as he spotted Taehyung standing by their table, and pulled an empty chair out for him with his leg.
"Morning," Taehyung smiled at them but only Jimin looked conversation-ready as Yoongi still looked like someone sleeping with his eyes open. He didn't even acknowledge the younger.
Jimin, on the other hand, beamed cheerfully at Taehyung until his gaze fell on the boy's plate and the smile immediately turned into a disgusted grimace. "What are you eating?"
Taehyung followed the beta's eyes and let out a soft chuckle. Instead of answering, he just took a big bite of his waffle, grinning smugly at Jimin who was looking at the ketchup dripping off the waffle as if Taehyung had at least killed someone.
For a few minutes, they only enjoyed their breakfast in silence, only Yoongi's occasional sighs could be heard around their table. When Taehyung successfully ate everything from his plate, he looked around the dining hall again, hoping that Jungkook appeared in the meantime. Luck was not on his side today because the young omega was still nowhere to be seen.
"Who are you looking for?" He heard Jimin's curious voice and Taehyung turned back to his best friend to see him staring with wide eyes.
"Jungkook," Taehyung answered simply.
Jimin seemed to be slightly surprised by that but didn't ask anything. "He usually eats in his room with Hobi."
Well, that was unfortunate. "Damn. I wanted to apologize for causing a scene at his engagement party. It was rude of me."
Yoongi snorted, gaining Taehyung's attention with that. The man still looked tired as he supported his head with his palm on the table. "No need for that. I don't think he's angry. If he even feels anything that would gratitude for diverting the attention away from him and he actually had a reason to leave."
Taehyung must have had a pretty confused look on his face because Jimin continued as a kind of explanation. "What Yoongi is trying to say that Jungkook wasn't a big fan of this whole party so we don't think he's angry at you. That party yesterday wasn't even about them. It was more about announcing Hoseok as the next Head Alpha. If I were you, I would be more worried about the Head Alpha. He looked pretty pissed yesterday when he dragged you away."
Jimin had a concerned look on his face, silently asking about what happened to Taehyung the previous night. The boy just shrugged it off, calming down his friend. "He wasn't mad. At least not until I asked about Junghyun."
Jimin's eyes bulged and suddenly Yoongi didn't look so sleepy anymore.
"Before you say anything," Taehyung raised his hands in defense when he saw their reactions. "I didn't know his name is banned."
Jimin cautiously looked around before leaning closer to Taehyung as if he was about to share a huge secret with him. "We don't talk about him anymore."
His voice was barely above a soft whisper, Taehyung really needed to concentrate to hear him in the noisy dining room.
"Yeah, I know that now," he nodded. "I just don't understand why."
Jimin and Yoongi shared a look that Taehyung couldn't really place anywhere. Then they gazed back at him, their eyes were holding something serious. This time, it was Yoongi who spoke up, his raspy voice sounded deeper than usual as he tried to keep his tune down.
"No one really knows the details," he shared that tiny piece of information that Namjoon already told Taehyung this morning. When he went to see the older to get his schedule just as the Head Alpha told him to do, he also asked him about Junghyun. Namjoon's eyes darkened at the question almost immediately and he only told these exact words.
No one really knows the details.
This basically meant that only the inner circle was aware of Junghyun's real situation. More precisely, the Head Alpha, the Luna, Jungkook, and most probably Hoseok.
"But," Jimin whispered too and Taehyung looked in his direction, attentively. "There's a rumor going around that he was a spy."
"A spy?" Taehyung asked back in disbelief.
Jimin nodded. "Yeah, like he was leaking information to the Bae pack."
That just made even less sense. "But the Bae pack is our alliance!"
Jimin and Yoongi shook their head at the same time. "Not anymore," Jimin said in a serious voice. "Helping each other in foreign policy and border protection is one thing, but providing information on how to break into our headquarters and computer system is another. They say Junghyun fell in love with the Bae pack's heir and was ready to betray his own blood for her."
Jimin took a short break, his eyes running through the people around them, checking whether anyone was listening before he continued. "Shortly after you left, someone hacked into our IT system and it is said that important information got leaked out. Junghyun came out as a perpetrator and was exiled from the pack instantly. Ever since then, we are not allowed to mention his name."
Taehyung stared at Jimin in shock before glancing at Yoongi, desperately searching for any sign that the beta was just joking. Junghyun as a spy? Disclosure of information is one of the most serious sins in the pack, it directly violates their vows. Only murder is worse than that. Taehyung couldn't believe that it was the firstborn of their Head Alpha who did this.
"I-I don't know what to say," Taehyung admitted. He was totally lost of words. When Beomgyu told him last night that Junghyun's name was forbidden in the pack, he didn't think the situation was so serious. He thought Junghyun had just resigned his position and fled or something.
"But... where is he now?" If all this was true then there was no way that Junghyun would have been released. He may have no longer been a member of the pack, but it was also certain that a spy will not be freed from their grasp, only to share even more information with the enemy.
Jimin shook his head with a sorrowful expression on his face. "We are not even sure whether it's true or not. It's just a rumor. The Head Alpha never denied or agreed to it."
"So what? We don't even know where he is?"
A single glance at Jimin's desperate face was enough for Taehyung to know they really had no idea what happened to Junghyun. "What if he ran away and joined the Bae pack and told them everything?"
"He's not with them," Yoongi assured him. "If he had really joined them and helped them take over the power in Busan, we wouldn't have been at war with them for nearly six years."
This just shocked Taehyung even more. "Wait! What? We are in a war? With the Bae pack?"
Never in a million years did Taehyung thought about that. The Bae pack has been their ally for decades. They followed similar principles and had a similar past and culture, the relationship between the two packs has always been friendly.
To hear that they had been at war with them for almost six years had completely shaken Taehyung. It was as if he hadn't had enough unpleasant surprises so far. It seemed since he had returned one shock followed the other. Taehyung wasn't sure how long his heart would last.
Yoongi's face didn't reflect any specific emotion just like usual. His eyes were empty, and the scar on his face only made his whole appearance even scarier. In contrast to his face, his voice was dripping in annoyance as he spoke.
"Where have you been in the last few years? Living under a rock?"
Yoongi couldn't have been more accurate, actually. Bang Sihyun's lifestyle really can't be described more perfectly than that. For eight years, Taehyung had almost nothing to do with the outside world.
"Where do you think he got this ugly scar?" Jimin pointed at Yoongi's face and the older frowned.
"You said I look badass." Maybe that was the first time Taehyung saw Yoongi pouting. That adorable gesture was never something Taehyung could ever imagine the grumpy alpha would do, but he did with such naturalism as if it was a habit.
Jimin only giggled and squeezed his cheek.
Looking at them, Taehyung suddenly realized how lonely he was. While the young couple was busy with each other, Taehyung was surprised to note that time flew by very fast.
Namjoon said he had to be at the eastern border by eight in the morning, which meant if he didn't go right now, he would be late. Since Jimin and Yoongi were lost in each others' mouths, Taehyung got up from the table without saying goodbye and began to walk out of the room. The couple probably didn't even realize he was gone.
Luckily, the east wall wasn't far away, it was just a ten-minute walk from the main building through the woods. Taehyung may not have been home for years, but he still knew the area like his own palm. He knew that the east side of their territory was protected by a high stone wall, it was the best-fortified part of the whole area, so newcomers were always sent there to patrol. Just like him.
Once the gray concrete block was in sight, Taehyung slowly noticed the three figures standing at the base of the wall too. With two older wolves who looked a little tired, Hoseok shone almost blindingly as he gave them praises, his bright smile never leaving his mouth. One look at the man's cheerful nature was enough to also pull Taehyung's lips into a wide grin.
"Don't worry," Taehyung heard Hoseok saying as he approached them. "You did great. Now, go and sleep a little. You deserve it."
"Thanks, Hoseok," one of the older wolves bowed to him before slowly walking back to the woods. Hoseok's eyes followed them, concern evidently shining in his dark orbs. But it went away quickly as he recognized Taehyung awkwardly standing just a few feet away from the spot where the other two disappeared.
Hoseok's face lit up again and Taehyung didn't even have time to think before the man jerked him into a tight embrace. The trueblood was startled at first but it quickly fled away as he enjoyed his old friend's warm welcome. He's been longing for this for a long time.
The hug lasted only a few seconds, yet it meant the world to Taehyung. At least there was someone who was glad to see him.
"Gosh, you grew a lot," Hoseok chuckled as he looked up at Taehyung. "Must be your trueblood genes."
Taehyung giggled too. He just felt too euphoric that someone was showing a little kindness towards him.
"I was so glad when Joon said I will be patroling with you today. I wanted to say I'm sorry I couldn't greet you properly yesterday," Hoseok flashed an apologetic smile and stepped back from Taehyung. "Things were quite hectic."
Taehyung was quick to wave his hand in the air dismissively. "No, no. Don't apologize! It should be me who should say sorry. I ruined your engagement party. Congratulation, by the way."
A light blush crept its way onto Hoseok's face. He rubbed his palm against his nape awkwardly. "Thank you. I'm really lucky."
"I should probably apologize to Jungkook as well."
"Oh, don't bother!" Hoseok said. His smile faded a little bit but it was still there, assuring Taehyung that it was fine. "He hated that party."
Taehyung was a little bit surprised to hear that but then he remembered what Yoongi and Jimin told him. They also said that Jungkook wasn't really happy about the party.
"Head Alpha forced it on us," Hoseok explained as they started to walk along the wall. "Even I didn't understand why it was so important to do it now. Jungkook is only 18 so I still can't marry him for at least two years. There was no reason to rush it."
Taehyung hummed in agreement as he knew very well that underaged werewolves couldn't be mated unless it is their fated mate who marks them. But the possibility of finding your fated mate was really low. Wolves usually didn't wait for their fated mate and married someone else they loved.
"So you're not..." Taehyung tried to say but his voice died down when Hoseok started to shake his head.
"No, we are not fated. But I genuinely love him. Jungkook's great." It rather sounded like he was trying to convince himself but Taehyung decided he was nowhere near to question Hoseok's feelings towards the omega.
It didn't matter if Hoseok was really in love with Jungkook or not. Taehyung had nothing to do with it. At least he was trying to tell himself that and calm down that part of his brain that was very much concerned about whether the omega was happy or not.
"But enough of me!" Hoseok suddenly raised his voice and placed one of his hands on Taehung's shoulder. "Tell me about your training. I'm sure you have a lot to tell."
Maybe Taehyung wasn't the closest to Hoseok when they were kids, but he must have been the only one who really cared about the boy. Taehyung didn't blame Namjoon or Jimin, they were both busy with their own lives, especially Jimin because of the wedding preparations. But Hoseok obviously had his own troubles too, yet he greeted Taehyung with open arms and a wide grin on his face, eager to hear what had happened to him over the past eight years.
And although Taehyung was much more interested in what had happened in the pack during that time, he knew that he could by no means ask Hoseok - the future Head Alpha - about it. He wouldn't say anything.
So he told the alpha what experiences he had. How his days were spent with training from morning to night, how he had to do the same routines every day, and how incredibly unbearable yet lovable his master was.
But all the while, the same questions zigzagged through Taehyung's mind. What exactly happened to Junghyun? How serious is the war they got themselves into? How did they get together with Jungkook? And were they really happy together?
Taehyung's heart sank every time the image of the blonde omega flashed in his mind. Jungkook didn't seem to be happy at all yesterday and based on what he had heard, not only did he seem but he was really unhappy. That somehow made Taehyung feel uncomfortable. Maybe his hyung-instincts finally surfaced or maybe he was just sorry that Jungkook was born into a pack where he could never be fully accepted.
He couldn't imagine what Jungkook might feel now. He was raised all his life to hate omegas and Taehyung still remembered how many times Jungkook had exclaimed how disgusting omegas are. Maybe he just said it because his family expected him to do it but maybe he really felt that way. Taehyung didn't know but he was sure the younger wasn't happy in his own skin.
He just hoped Hoseok would be able to show how wonderful he actually was. Because if Taehyung had been standing next to him last night, he would have risked his life to make Jungkook feel better.