Jungkook POV:
I followed Jin as he rushed down the hall in the hospital, my heart racing as I prayed my mate was okay. After Jin had received the phone call from Officer Grayson that Y/N had been found, he informed us that she was being taken to the local hospital. He assured us that she really was okay, but she did have some minor injuries. My heart had clenched in pain as I heard that, followed by anger so severe that it scared me. I wanted nothing more than to find this Sebastian and strangle him with my bare hands for the pain he caused my mate.
Jin stopped at the nurse's desk, his eyes wild and filled with panic. "I'm... I'm looking for a Y/N. She was brought in here a little while ago."
The nurse, an older woman, scanned Jin, taking in his laid back ears, his fluffed out tail, and his tear stained cheeks then gave him a reassuring smile. "Okay honey. Let me find out where she is." The woman tapped on her computer for a moment then looked back up at us. "Okay. She's in room 4 in the emergency room."
Emergency room? The two words sent me into a panic, but Namjoon moved to my side, gripping my hand. "It's okay. Since she was brought in by an ambulance, they have to take her to the emergency room."
I nodded at his words, but unfortunately it did little to calm the anxiety in my chest. The nurse in front of us gave us stickers for our shirts that read VISITOR and gave us directions to the emergency room. Jin thanked her quickly then hurried away from the desk, the rest of us following right behind him. We followed the nurse's directions and soon ended up in front of doors that read EMERGENCY in bright red letters. Jin shoved the doors open, his eyes wild as he looked around the room.
Yet another nurse sat at a desk and when Jin asked where room 4 was, she pointed behind her, giving us all uneasy smiles. I felt bad because I'm sure we all must have looked like rabid animals rushing in, but her worries were not my concern. I just needed to get to my mate.
Once again following Jin, we stopped in front of the open door of room 4 and I could hear the collective sigh of relief. Y/N, my mate, my sweet beautiful human mate, was sitting up in a hospital bed. She had on a hospital gown and there was a cuff around her bicep. She had bandages around both wrists, along with a bandage on her forehead. I could see the scratches on her face, along with cuts along her neck and collarbone and it made me wonder just what had happened to her.
"Jinnie? Guys? What... what are you doing here?" Y/N's voice was surprised as she looked up at us, as the seven of us piled into her room.
"We came for you little mate." Jin's voice was gentle, but laced with guilt. "Why wouldn't... why wouldn't we be here?"
Y/N's eyes filled with tears. "Because... because I left with Sebastian."
Jin rushed to her side, gathering our sad mate in his arms. "Oh my little mate. I know you did and I know why. I know... I know Sebastian threatened you and threatened Sehun."
"You're not... not mad at me?" Y/N pulled back from Jin, her eyes worried.
Shaking his head, Jin nuzzled his nose into her neck. "No. No. You... you were trying to protect Sehun, trying to protect our friend. Why would I be mad at you?" Jin leaned back and his eyes turned sad. "But you... you should be mad at me."
Y/N's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why? Why would I be mad at you?"
Tears spilled down Jin's cheeks, his eyes filled with pain. "I'm... I'm so sorry. Sam showed us the feed from the security cameras and I... I thought you left me!" His words left him in a wail and the regret in his voice was so startlingly clear. "I'm so sorry!"
"Oh Jinnie." Y/N tugged him close to her, wrapping her arms around him. "It's okay. It's okay. I understand. I do." As Y/N continued to reassure Jin, her voice soft and sweet, I couldn't help but fall even more in love with my mate. Instead of being angry with Jin for doubting her, she understood why he would feel that way, she understood the worry of a hybrid who was mated to a human, who was mated to a human who also had six other mates.
"Y/N? Are... are you really not leaving us?" Jimin's voice was nervous and when I turned to look at him, his long ears were flopped forward over his face, as he tugged on them anxiously.
"Oh baby. Of course not." Y/N held her arms out to Jimin and he rushed over to her, climbing into the bed with her and snuggling close, his head on her chest and his arms coming to wrap around her waist. "Why would I leave you?"
Jimin shrugged cutely, but I could see the remnants of worry in his pretty eyes. He looked up at her, the love so clear on his face that it stunned me. If I ever second-guessed his love for her before, there was absolutely no way I could do it now. "Because you have seven hybrid mates. Because I... I know it can be a lot to handle."
Y/N ran her hand through his hair, smiling softly as he leaned into her touch. "And I love my seven hybrid mates. Why would I want to be anywhere else?"
Nodding his head, Jimin lay against her chest and I could see the contentment return to his eyes, a happiness that had been missing from the instant we found out Y/N was missing.
"Y/N?" Yoongi stepped closer to our mate, his eyes holding the same guilt and regret that Jin's did as his hand reached out for her. "I'm... I'm sorry too. I was... I was the one that convinced Jin that you left us. I'm so sorry." The tears streamed down Yoongi's cheeks and my heart broke for him.
"Aww my sweet kitty. It's okay. Like I told Jinnie, I understand. You saw something and it made you think I left. I absolutely understand." Y/N's voice was once again filled with compassion and sympathy, making me wonder if we really deserved her, if we were good enough for her.
"Kook was the one who convinced us that you wouldn't leave. He... he believed in you all along." Yoongi turned to me, a small smile on his face.
Y/N's eyes widened in surprise. "Really Kookie?
"Um... yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I... I doubted you so much already that I... I didn't want to do it again." Moving closer, I sat on the edge of her bed, subtly nudging Yoongi out of the way, grinning when he hissed at me. "I messed up so much before that I didn't want to do it again."
Y/N reached over and squeezed my hand. "I love you Kookie. You have no idea how much you mean to me, how much you all do. The... the last thing on my mind is leaving any of you. I promise you that."
I squeezed her hand in return, my heart lifting in happiness when she smiled at me. "I love you too little mate." Although I wanted to stay by her side, I knew the rest of our mates needed to be near her, to get the reassurance that she really was okay, that she really was here with us and not leaving us. I looked at Jimin, but from the way he moved impossibly closer, I knew he wasn't going anywhere.
Taking a couple steps back, I let Taehyung and Namjoon have my spot. I sat in the chair by the wall and leaned my head back against it, the exhaustion from the day taking over. A head on my shoulder had me looking over to see Jin seated next to me. "Um... thanks Kook. Thanks for believing in our little mate, for trusting her to not leave us."
I kissed the top of Jin's head. "Don't feel bad about it. You were just reacting to what you saw right then and there. Most people would do the same."
Jin nodded against my shoulder, but I could still see the remorse in his face, in the slump of his beautifully broad shoulders, in the tight set of his full lips, in the clear sorrow in his eyes. "I've... I've known her for twenty years and not once has... has she ever indicated that she didn't want me around. I should... should have known."
Knowing it was going to take more than words to help Jin through the shame he was feeling, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, trying to give him any little bit of comfort that I could. Jin rested his head on my shoulder again, his eyes on our mates. Jimin was still snuggled close to Y/N, her hand running through his soft locks. Namjoon was seated on the bed next to her, while Taehyung and Hoseok were good-naturedly jostling each other for space close to her. Yoongi was still hesitant to go closer to her, but she held out a hand to him, one he took as his eyes grew misty. I knew right then and there that she had already forgiven him, already pushed aside the negativity and the doubt, wanting only to have the love of her mates.
Turning to Jin, Y/N's eyes suddenly went wide and I could tell she had thought of something. "What about Sehun? Is he okay?"
Jin nodded. "Yeah he is. The paramedics patched him up at Sebastian's house and he was being taken to the sanctuary for observation overnight."
Y/N went to sit up, jostling Jimin, making the dozing rabbit whine, but Namjoon stopped her. "Hold on little mate. You can't just jump out of bed and run to Dr. Sehun. I know you want to see him, but the doctors here have not released you yet. We promise he is okay." Y/N started to protest, but Namjoon held up a hand. "Trust me please. We need to make sure you are fine before you go rush to his side, okay?"
Sighing, Y/N nodded, but I could see she didn't want to wait, didn't want to have to lie in the bed while Sehun was in a similar bed at the sanctuary. "What... what about Emery? He didn't make it, did he?"
Jin hesitated then shook his head. "No. He didn't."
Y/N's eyes turned sad and I could see she was mourning the panther's death. "Emery was in on it all along. When he came into the sanctuary, he told Sehun he was someone's pet, someone that no longer wanted him. However, Sehun couldn't find any evidence to support it. He had no owners since his previous owners granted him his freedom almost ten years ago. Before... before he came into the sanctuary, he had been living with Sebastian."
Namjoon POV:
A collective gasp filled the room at Y/N's words. "What do you mean he was living with Sebastian?" Jin's question was curious as he moved closer to Y/N, his eyes on her face, his hands reaching out for hers. The disbelief was clear on his face and I knew it was something we were all feeling at the moment. "How did he end up living with Sebastian?"
Y/N shrugged and I could see she didn't know, that there were some things that were left a mystery. "That part I'm not sure about, but he had been living with Sebastian for about six months. Sebastian... he convinced Emery to come into the sanctuary. Told Emery that he was trying to get revenge on a hybrid who was responsible for ruining his relationship, but didn't tell Emery I was that relationship, that Jin was the hybrid. After Emery met me, he told Sebastian in exchange for helping him, he wanted... he wanted me. Sebastian agreed, but he was never going to hold up his end of the bargain. His intent was always to betray Emery in the end."
I reached for Y/N's hand, wanting to help my sweet mate in any way I could. She gave me a soft smile as she took my hand gratefully. "What did Sebastian want?"
Y/N let out a sigh and looked over at Jin, the worry for the marten in her eyes. "He... he blamed Jin for our relationship ending and threatened to kill him if I didn't go with him." Y/N's eyes welled up and tears spilled over, streaming down her cheeks. "I didn't... I didn't want him to hurt Jin so that's why I left the sanctuary with him."
"Oh my little mate. You did that to protect me?" Jin's voice was filled with love and adoration as he spoke, his eyes reflecting the same emotions, the same feelings.
"I promised you I would always protect you. I'll protect all of you." I could hear the determination in tone and it made me want to laugh. I could just imagine our little mate going up against any adversaries we had, but with as feisty as she was sometimes, I wouldn't be surprised if she slaughtered them all.
As the others reassured themselves that our mate was okay, I looked around the room, realizing just how lucky I was to have them all, to be a part of this amazing group, to have a family. Jimin hadn't moved from her side and I wasn't really expecting him to. Out of all of us, he seemed to be the most needy for affection and after the rocky start to their relationship, I know he needed the reassurance that his female mate was okay, that she was safe in his arms, that she was going to be okay. Jin was seated next to Jungkook, the otter's arm around him, soothing him and letting him know it was all going to be okay.
Yoongi was seated next to Taehyung, the eagle doing the same for him. I know Jin and Yoongi still felt guilty over the way they had assumed she left us, but our sweet female mate was more forgiving than anyone else in the world and I knew we were going to be all right. Hoseok was standing near Y/N's bed, trying to distract her with cute stories about the kids in his dance class and how excited they were for the Fine Arts Festival. He made her laugh and I knew that was what she needed at the moment.
The room was quiet for a moment until Taehyung spoke up. "What's going to happen now? With... with all of us?" I could hear the worry in Taehyung's voice as he asked the question we were all wondering about, concerned about.
Y/N squeezed his hand gently then ran a hand through Jimin's hair as he directed his pretty eyes to her face. "Well I'm hoping to be able to go home with my mates and put this whole mess behind us. To finally get the happy ending that we all deserve."
I grinned at her words, knowing that was what we all wanted more than anything, what we were all hoping for. There had been too many struggles already. The last thing we needed was another one.
***
"Joonie? I promise I can walk just fine." Y/N had her arms around my neck, an indulgent smile on her face. We had just arrived home from the hospital and as she went to get out of the car, I had lifted her into my arms, holding her close to my chest. "It's only my wrists that hurt."
I shrugged and held her tighter. "I don't care. I want to take care of you like a proper mate." Although I could see she wanted to protest, Y/N just gave me an indulgent smile and snuggled close to me.
Even though Y/N didn't have any serious injuries, the hospital had insisted on keeping her overnight for observation. Originally they weren't going to let us stay with her, but after Jin informed we were her mates, a kind older nurse had brought us a stack of blankets and extra pillows. Jimin had refused to leave her side, attaching himself to her for the night. Jin and Hoseok had taken the sofa, along with Jungkook.
A doctor had brought in a couple of reclining chairs for Taehyung and me, while Yoongi had insisted on sleeping in the chair by Y/N's bed. I had assumed he wouldn't be able to sleep well like that, but the stress of the day had been too much and he had fallen asleep, his head resting on the bed and Y/N's hand clenched in his. After spending every night with her since we moved in, none of us were willing to be separated from our mate.
Hoseok walked next to us, holding her hand, his other hand out ready to catch her, almost as though he thought I was going to drop her. I wanted to roll my eyes but I knew it was the protective side of him coming out around our only female mate. "Don't drop her Joonie. Be careful."
"Don't worry. I'm not going to drop our mate." I waited while Jin opened the door to the house then carried her inside, depositing her gently on the sofa. Jimin rushed to her side, grabbing the blanket from the back of the sofa and draping it over her legs. Yoongi hurried into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of water and a can of her favorite soda.
"Are you hungry little mate? I'll cook you anything." I could see from the way Yoongi twisted his hands in front of him that he was still feeling guilty for doubting her, for not believing in her. "Name it and I will cook it for you."
Y/N laughed and held up her hands in surrender. "Guys! It's okay. I promise you. Please calm down." She patted the sofa next to her and Yoongi hesitantly sat next to her. Reaching out, Y/N took his hand and I saw a look of adoration cross his face. "It's okay Yoongi. I promise you."
Yoongi nodded then nuzzled his face into her neck, covering himself in her scent, letting the sweet scent calm him, soothe him, ease the fears that were so terribly present in his pretty eyes, on his handsome face. "I love you." His words were soft, sincere.
"Aww. I love you too my sweet kitty." From the small smile that turned up the corners of Yoongi's lips, I could tell the use of the nickname was helping to alleviate some of his worries. Turning to Jin, Y/N held out a hand, which he took. "And I love you my Jinnie. I know you're still feeling bad about all of this, but please don't. I just want to move on from this, okay?"
Jin nodded then leaned in like Yoongi had done, burying his face in her neck and I could see the way his wide shoulders shook, heard the soft sounds of his sobs. I knew Jin was thinking about how lucky we all were, how fortunate we were to have such a sweet and caring mate, to have someone in our lives who clearly loved us.
An arm slipped around my waist and I turned as the scent of banana milkshakes grew stronger. "We're going to be okay, aren't we?" Jungkook's voice was gentle as he spoke, filled with love and tenderness for our mates.
"Yeah. I really believe we are. I think it's all going to be okay." I hugged Jungkook tight as I watched the scene play out in front of me.
After a moment, Yoongi stood, wiping his face and putting a smile on his pretty lips. "Okay little mate. What do you want to eat?"
"How about we order in? I know you've got to be hungry. The breakfast they gave you this morning didn't look very good and the cafeteria food was terrible." Hoseok looked at the rest of us and we nodded in agreement. While Y/N had been eating breakfast this morning, Jungkook and Taehyung had run to the cafeteria, bringing back breakfast sandwiches and cups of coffee that tasted like crap.
"That sounds good to me." Y/N nodded, her face lit up in happiness. "We can order in and just have a lazy day. Is that okay with the rest of you?"
"Movies and snuggles?" Taehyung's voice was expectant and we all laughed at his cute question.
"I love that idea." Y/N agreed and I could tell by the way we all looked at each other that we all wanted snuggles with our mate, the chance to hold her and reassure ourselves that she was safe, that she was here with us. "But first? I need a shower." Y/N pushed the blanket aside and stood.
"Do you need help?" Hoseok's question was innocent, but Y/N grinned.
Shaking her head, Y/N pinched his cheek gently. "No it's okay sweet boy. I won't be too long. I want to get back here and snuggle with you all."
Although we wanted to protest and trail behind her, we just watched in silence as our mate left the room. I flopped down on the catch, laughing when Hoseok dropped down next to me, resting his head on my shoulder. "God what a fucking mess that was." I rubbed a hand over my face, wishing I could just wipe the stress away.
"Right? I can't stop thinking about how things could have been so much worse. What... what if Sebastian would have...?" Jin's question trailed off and I felt a sucker punch of pain in my chest as I thought about how badly it could have turned out, how quickly it could have gone wrong, how close we were to losing her.
"Dr. Sehun says he wants her to take the next two days off," Jungkook informed us all. "I called to check on him this morning when Tae and I went to get breakfast. He's doing okay and was going to be released this afternoon."
Jin laughed out loud and I couldn't help but join him. "Yeah. Y/N's not going to agree to that. You know that as well as I do. She's going to want to check in on her patients and especially Sehun. And honestly? Even though I hate to admit it, Sehun is going to need her. With the stress of what happened yesterday, he's going to need to reassure himself that his mate is okay."
Hearing Jin refer to Y/N as Sehun's mate made a sliver of jealousy stab into me and I wanted nothing more than to keep Sehun away from her. However, after hearing their story, hearing about his pain, his suffering, I knew the least we could do was be understanding to him, especially after all he had done for my mates. I was lucky enough to not have been rejected by my human mate so I couldn't even imagine the hell he was going through right now. And I really couldn't be surprised that out of everyone, Y/N would turn out to be his mate. Considering her kind and compassionate nature, it made sense that his biologies shifted to her.
"And you promise he isn't going to take her from us?" This was the question Jimin had voiced so many times, but this time I was surprised to hear it from Hoseok. He was usually confident about our relationships, confident that things were going to work out the way they should. For him to suddenly be insecure was something I hadn't expected and it hurt my heart to see him so unsure of himself, of us, of the love we all shared.
Jin moved to Hoseok's side, wrapping an arm around the suddenly nervous fox's shoulders. "No Hobi. He isn't going to take her away. I doubted... I doubted Y/N once and I'm never going to do it again. She loves us. Her relationship with Sehun is different than ours, I promise you that."
Hoseok nodded his head and the smile returned to his face. I could tell that his fears had been relieved and the feeling of contentment had returned to our home once again.