Eight years ago……..
It's the night before Jungkook's nineteenth birthday, tomorrow is his birthday. Tonight when the clock will strike twelve, he will become an adult and also able to sense and find his mate. To tell you the truth Jungkook doesn't really care much about his birthday, becoming an adult, well to Jungkook, he had already become an adult five years back on the night his parents died and he had to step up as the new leader of his pack. As for finding his mate, Jungkook could care less about it, he would rather stay alone all his life and work for his pack than having someone always clinging on him, he already has enough on his plate and a mate would be nothing but another nuisance, that's what Jungkook thinks. Though according to Namjoon hyung his thoughts about a mate would change the moment Jungkook will lay his eyes on his mate.
"Jungkook, you have no idea about the power of the Mate bond, you will never be able to look away once your eyes fall on your mate, you like it or not, you want it or not, your world will start revolving around your mate" Namjoon had told him and Jungkook had only scoffed at the older. Obviously Namjoon hyung would say things like that after all everyone knows how whipped the man is for his mate, Jungkook thought. If only Jungkook knew how true Namjoon's words were.
So the thing is Jungkook doesn't care much for his birthday, he isn't excited or anything about it but there is someone else who is very much excited for his birthday, it's Taehyung. The eleven year boy is really excited for his prince's birthday. Apparently Jin hyung had told the boy that this birthday of Jungkook is really special and the boy is hell bent on celebrating it. So with the help of Jin and Namjoon hyung he has arranged a little party for Jungkook knowing that the older doesn't like much crowd.
It's nearly twelve and dressed in black sweatpants and a black vest Jungkook was working on some papers in his office. The clock struck twelve, changing the day to the next and an alluring scent hit Jungkook's nostril.
Jungkook's head shot up from the papers he was working, as the alluring scent hit his nose, it's a mixture of fresh strawberries and honey. Jungkook's eyes started turning golden as his wolf recognized the smell, "Mate" Sky voiced out.
Jungkook stood up and like a person who was hypnotized, he followed the scent. He walked out of his office and turned left as the scent was coming from that side only. As he continued to walk, he passed three rooms, one of them belonging to him. After passing another two doors he stopped in front of the third one and his eyes widened, his heart that was already beating loud now started slamming like crazy in his chest as he recognized the door, as it dawned upon him that whom he was going to find one the other side of the door. With a hammering heart he stretched his hand and held the door knob and opened the door.
Inside the room, one the bed, dressed in a pair of red pajamas sleeping eleven year old Kim Taehyung. Sky went crazy as his eyes fell on the sleeping boy. By then Jungkook's wolf had totally taken over him as his eyes glowed bright golden. He took big steps inside the room and reached the bed.
Jungkook sat on the bed, near the sleeping boy's head and stared at him. Kim Taehyung, the eleven years old male Omega was sleeping without any care in the world, his doe eyes closed, long lashes resting on his rosy cheeks, a pout adorning his plump lips. Jungkook felt like a hypnotized person looking at the boy, the boy is way too beautiful for an eleven year old.
"Mate! He is our Mate!" Growled Sky inside Jungkook's head.
"Yes, he is" Jungkook replied to his wolf.
"His scent, it's so alluring" Sky said. "Go near him, I want more of his scent" he prompted Jungkook who like a possessed person did so.
Jungkook took his nose very close to the juncture of Taehyung's neck and shoulder where the scent gland is situated. He took a sniff and closed his eyes in ecstasy.
"Mark him, Jungkook mark him" Sky again prompted Jungkook. Jungkook opened his eyes and stared at Taehyung's neck. He went very close to the sleeping boy's neck and placed his lips there.
At first Jungkook kissed Tae's neck softly. Then darting his tongue out he licked the honey skin and felt like a drunk person. He couldn't take it anymore, he took the soft skin between his teeth and bit it hard.
"Aahhh.." the sleeping kid whimpered, feeling the sting.
Jungkook who was busy biting and sucking Tae's neck, heard his whimper and stilled, his eyes went wide as he finally realized what he was doing. He raised his head and looked at the sleeping boy and his heart shattered at the sight in front of him.
Taehyung, his eleven year old mate was in front of him, the boy was still asleep but there were tears on his face that must have flown unconsciously when he bit him and there was a big angry red bruise on his neck.
Remorse filled Jungkook's whole being seeing Tae like that, "What are you doing Jungkook?" He asked himself, "you were trying to mark him! How could you?"
"Why not? He is our Mate" Sky argued back.
"But he is underaged, he is still a child. Marking an underaged wolf can lead to his death. You were going to kill him Sky!" Jungkook said.
"I'm sorry" said Sky in a small voice as it finally dawned upon him what he was going to do. "I don't want to harm our mate. But what can I do, I couldn't control myself. His scent, it's making me crazy" he said desperately.
"Yeah right, we can't control ourselves around him. So there's only one way left now, we need to stay away, we have to stay away from him until we learn to control ourselves" Jungkook said with finality.
"No! I don't want to stay away from Mate" Sky whined.
"We have to, for him. What happened today, do you want it to happen again?" Jungkook told him.
"No, I don't want to harm Mate," Sky said.
"Right you don't, I too don't want it. So it's better we stay away from him" Jungkook said.
"Okay" Sky finally agreed.
Jungkook looked at his Sleeping mate and his eyes fell on the bite mark. He decided to heal it. Because he doesn't want anyone to see it, not Tae, nor anyone else. Though Tae wouldn't know what it actually is, he would get worried seeing that big mark on his neck and create a big fuss making everyone else notice it and others obviously can guess what it is, especially Jin hyung and he is bound to go mad at the thought that someone tried to get physical with his kid and would move hell and heaven to find out who it is. And Jungkook doesn't want anyone to find out that it's him who did that because for once he is really ashamed of himself for doing it and also he doesn't want anyone to know that Taehyung is his mate. It would be dangerous for the boy if the words get out that the mate of the true blood leader of Del Luna is an underaged male Omega, because people will try to get him to get even with Jungkook and Jungkook won't let that happen.
He again bent his head and licked the bite because wolf's saliva can heal wounds. Jungkook licked the bite mark on Tae's neck and raised his head and he got surprised seeing it heal immediately, there was no trace of any wound on Tae's skin, it's like the bite never happened at all. Though a wolf's saliva can heal wounds it does take some time, even though a true blood's saliva works faster than other normal wolves but it's never that fast and that's why Jungkook got surprised seeing Tae's wound healing so fast.
"Maybe it's because he is my Mate" Jungkook thought.
He affectionately caressed Tae's face, wiped his tears and with a kiss on the sleeping boy's forehead, he got up from the bed and started leaving without looking back.
Just as he was going to cross the door of Tae's room, "Prince" he heard the boy murmur in his sleep. He felt like his resolve of staying away from his underaged mate crumbling, he so wanted to turn and go back to the bed. He wanted to take the boy in his arms and cuddle him like always but he didn't. He didn't let himself get weak, scared that the moment he turned back he would lose control and again do something that would hurt the boy. He clenched his fist and left the room with quick steps.
Jungkook left Tae's room and then the Mansion and started running to the woods. While running he changed into his wolf and ran deep into the woods.
After running for a long time, he stopped near the beautiful lake deep in the woods of Del Luna. The lake was beautiful, surrounded by different tree's. The reflection of the crescent moon decorating the sky can be seen in the clear water of the lake.
Jungkook turned back to his human form and fell on his knees. He looked up at the sky and, "Aaaahhh…" he shouted loudly.
"What an irony it is" he spoke out looking at the sky over his head, "just like yours, my moon is also crescent. We both have to wait for it to become a full moon. But the only difference is that while you have to wait just for eight days, mine is going to be a eight year long wait" he said with a sad chuckle.
He got up and started walking towards his wooden cottage in the middle of the deep woods. His father had this cottage made for his mother. The couple used to come here to spend some time away from everyone else. Later they bought Jungkook too with them. After his parents death Jungkook used to come here every time he felt sad. This place provided him solace in his moments of distress. But for the last two years he didn't have to come here much because in these two years whenever he felt sad there was someone who provided him solace in those moments. And Jungkook had always found it strange, how a little kid can soothe him just with a smile or a hug. But tonight he finally understood the reason behind it, it's because that kid is no one but his Mate Kim Taehyung.
But today again Jungkook came back to this cottage to find some comfort and solace and for the many years next this cottage is going to witness his sufferings.
Jungkook locked himself in the cottage for the rest of the day on his birthday. He didn't even go back home for his birthday party that Taehyung had arranged so enthusiastically. He didn't bring his phone with him and also blocked the mind link not letting anyone to contact him. He just wanted to stay alone.
He returned home the day after his birthday, that too in the middle of the night when everyone had slept and again left home early in the morning. He followed the same routine for the days that followed, leaving home before Taehyung woke up and returning only after the boy slept, to avoid him. He had heard from his hyungs that Taehyung really missed him but he wasn't ready to face the boy just yet, still scared that he would end up hurting him.
On one of those days when he had returned home late in the night, he found Taehyung sleeping on the cold floor before his room. It was clear that the boy was waiting for him. His heart clenched at the sight of his little mate sleeping on the cold floor, trembling in cold. He gently scooped the boy in his arms and took him to his room. He took Taehyung inside his room and gently laid the boy on the bed and covered him properly. He looked at the boy with sad eyes and kissed his forehead and left the room.
Just like the other day, he heard the boy calling him in his sleep but again he didn't turn back and left from there.
Two weeks passed with Jungkook avoiding Taehyung. In these two weeks, Sky, his wolf, had been in real distress and he thought it's because he was forced to stay away from his mate. If only Jungkook knew why his wolf was so distressed.
One day Jungkook was busy in a meeting away from his pack when he suddenly his heart started feeling heavy, his wolf started whimpering and just after a few moments Seokjin mind linked him, more like a crying Seokjin.
"J..jungkook" Jungkook heard Jin's voice in his mind. He was alerted at once hearing the sobbing voice.
"Jin hyung, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked worriedly.
"Jungkook, Tae, our Tae, he collapsed '' Jin said between sniffs and Jungkook's world stopped hearing it. He stood up from his chair, taking quick and long steps out of the meeting room as he asked, "what do you mean by he collapsed? What happened to him?"
"I don't know what happened, he just fainted," Jin informed him.
"Did you call the doctor?" Jungkook asked as he reached his car.
"Yes, I called Dr Jung and he said he will be here soon," Jin said.
"Okay, you stay with Taehyung, I'm coming home right now" Jungkook said. He sat in his car and drove away. He drove like a madman and soon reached his Mansion.
Jungkook rushed to Taehyung's room and found Dr Jung Hoseok, the pack doctor, checking the boy while Jin sat near the unconscious boy's head.
As Jungkook's eyes fell on his little mate, he couldn't believe that it's the same Taehyung whom he saw two weeks back. There on the bed laid Taehyung, looking all pale and fragile, it seemed like he lost all his weight, his once chubby face looked so shrunken and hollow. Jungkook felt like someone's tearing his heart into pieces at the sight of his once lively little mate lying lifelessly on the bed.
Jungkook saw Dr Jung setting up the IV drip for the boy and asked, "what happened to his doctor?"
"He is malnutritioned" Dr Jung spoke out as he was done giving Taehyung the IV.
"What!" Jungkook was beyond shocked hearing the doctor's words. Taehyung is malnutritioned but why and how? He turned to Jin to ask him because he is the one who takes care of the boy.
"Jin hyung, what is Dr Jung saying? Why is Taehyung malnutritioned? I thought you were taking care of him?" He asked angrily. But was he really ready to hear the answer? Because Jin looked at him with teary eyes and "it's because of you" he answered accusingly.
Of all the things Jungkook hadn't this to be Jin's answer. "b..ecause of me?" He stuttered.
"Yes, because of you, because you didn't meet him for days. Everyday, he waited for you, breakfast, lunch, dinner, every time he kept waiting for you to come and eat with him but you didn't come and he hardly ate anything. He waited all day long just to see a glimpse of you but he didn't even get that. On your birthday, you knew right, how excited he was for the party, this poor kid worked really hard for that party, he even burnt his hand while trying to help me in cooking your favorite food but still he didn't cry" Jin said looking tearfully at the sleeping kid, "this boy here, he can't bear the little sting of an ant's bite, he starts crying but he didn't cry even when he burnt his hand. Do you know what he said when I asked why he wasn't crying?" Jin looked at Jungkook.
"W.. what?" Jungkook asked stuttering, his heart breaking a little more with every word Jin said.
"He said, 'Today is prince's birthday so I won't cry because he will feel sad if I cry and he shouldn't feel sad on his birthday, he needs to be happy today' that's what he said" Jin said and Jungkook felt like slapping himself, "but he did cry on your birthday, because you didn't come home. You were out the whole day, your phone was in your office, we tried to mind link you but you had blocked us all. I don't know why you did that, why you didn't return home but because of that Tae cried, he cried so hard. He slept while crying, he didn't even eat anything and that's the first time he starved himself, because of you. So Jungkook don't get angry and shout on me, do that on yourself" Jin told Jungkook making the boy drown in guilt.
Dr Jung Hoseok who was a silent spectator till then, said, "Alpha, I already doubted it but after hearing what Seokjin..shi said, I think I was right about Taehyung. He is heartbroken"
Jungkook looked at Dr Jung with wide eyes, "Heartbroken?" He asked.
"Yes, heartbroken" Dr Jung nodded, "Taehyung is an omega and omegas are way too sensitive than other wolves and on top of that he is a male omega and that makes him even more vulnerable. If I'm not wrong then he is really attached to you, isn't he?" He said and Jungkook nodded his head in affirmation.
"That's why he felt neglected when you didn't meet him for days. He must have been in a lot of pain and distress because of it, he must have felt unwanted and that's why he became like this" Dr Jung informed.
Hearing the doctor's words, it finally dawned upon Jungkook why his wolf was in so much distress for the past few days, it's not because of his distance from his mate, but because his mate was in pain and distress. Jungkook didn't really think his wolf would be able to feel Taehyung's emotions given that Taehyung is quite underaged but he should have known better. If he could smell Taehyung's scent and recognize him as his mate, then anything is possible. All this must be because of his rank, he came to the conclusion.
Dr Jung saw their Alpha lost in thoughts, so he called the man, "umm.. Alpha?"
"Yes, yes Dr" Jungkook replied coming back from his train of thoughts.
"I've given Taehyung an IV drip. I'll also give him some medicines to help with his malnutrition but Alpha I think what he needs most now is You. I know you have a lot of work that keeps you busy but still please try to spend some time with him. He really needs you right now" Dr Jung said.
"Yes doctor I'll do that. I will stay with him. I won't leave him alone like this ever again" Jungkook said in a determined voice gazing at his Sleeping mate.
"Okay Alpha then I'll take your leave now. Please call me if anything happens" Dr Jung said and left from there.
Jungkook looked at where Jin was sitting near Taehyung's, "Jin hyung" he addressed the man, "I want to stay alone with him for some time" he said, his voice pleading rather than his usual ordering tone.
Jin looked at him and nodded, "okay, I'll leave you alone for now" he said and exited the room.
After Jin left, Jungkook went and sat on the bed near Taehyung's head. He looked at the boy with pained eyes and gently caressed his face, "I'm sorry Taehyung-ah, I'm really sorry for doing this to you. I thought it's good for you if I stay away from you, you would be safe if I keep myself away from you but see what I ended up doing. I made you like this" a tear dropped from his eyes, his wolf wept knowing how much his little mate suffered because of his foolishness, "I'm so stupid Taehyung-ah, your prince is so stupid. But won't let my stupidity hurt you anymore. I won't leave you alone ever again, I promise" he decided. Suddenly Taehyung murmured something in his unconscious state and thanks to his sharp hearing Jungkook could clearly hear it. His heart broke all over again hearing Taehyung's words.
"Prince, please don't leave me. Please don't leave me like appa. Prince please come back" the boy mumbled. Jungkook immediately scooped the boy in his arms and hugged him close to his chest, "I'm not leaving you Taehyung-ah, I'm not. I'll never leave you, your prince is always going to be with you" he said and kissed the top of Taehyung's head.
And as Jungkook had promised he never left Taehyung alone after that day. When the boy had finally woken up that day, at first he wasn't ready to believe that Jungkook was indeed there with him but when Jungkook finally made him believe that he was really there, the boy had cried bucket, hitting Jungkook with his little fists, asking him why he wasn't there for so many days, complaining how much he missed him. Jungkook had let the boy hit him as much as he wanted, he again and again said sorry for leaving him alone, for hurting him. After a long time of crying and hitting Jungkook Taehyung finally got ready to forgive his prince but not before once again Jungkook promised him that he would never leave him alone like this ever again.
Jungkook himself took care of his little mate on the days that followed and with his care and efforts after two months Taehyung became like earlier. All his weakness was gone, the boy was back to his usual lively self. Once again the Jeon Mansion was filled with the giggles of the cute little male omega named Kim Taehyung and Jungkook's heart finally felt at peace seeing his little mate back to his happy self.
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Here's the next part of SoulMate. Next update will be the week after next because I'm taking a break for a week and will start writing after that. Till then enjoy this part💜💜
P.s: Thanks for reading. Hope you like it.