Chapter twenty-five

The sunrise came as if it had missed the sky and wanted nothing more than to warm up those blues to a radiant gold. After a long cold night, the daybreak brought glimmers of warmth. The golden light softly caressed the land and ignited the birds into a chorus of melodies.

The new day, the new sky, the water, and the land - ever the same and ever evolving - the embodiment of the moment and the eternal entwined.

Sunlight streamed golden through the kitchen window in a well-mannered announcement of the risen sun. The curtains added an orange glow to the morning light, shimmering rainbow hued onto the wall - the greatest of nature's graffiti.

Taehyung was standing in his kitchen, frazzled, as he stirred stew in one pot, had a marinade for meat halfway mixed, had at least a dozen fruits and vegetables out on the chopping board, and, also had a pan of burnt garlic bread cooling down on the table.

The kitchen was a mess.

But at least on the table was a freshly baked and frosted strawberry cake.

He woke up early this morning to prepare breakfast but got so taken away and now here he was – experimenting with his cooking skills. There was a cookery book laying on the counter, its pages were covered in flour.

Taehyung was so focused on his job that he didn't notice when his sleepy mate had entered the room and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, giving him the warmest back hug ever.

The omega sighed softly and let his hands rest for a second, the batter was smeared against his tan cheek and his apron had turned into a canvas of colorful patterns.

Soojin blinked, still tired and trying to process what was happening. Then it all came back, and he buried his face in the crook of Taehyung's neck where a mate mark stood proudly on display.

"What's my little tiger doing so early in the morning?" He mumbled against the omega's shoulder, taking in the sweet aroma of strawberries and vanilla that lulled him to sleep. The alpha's voice was as pure and sweet as if from heaven, causing the boy in his arms to relax immediately.

A pair of plump lips attached itself on Taehyung's neck, and he tried not to chuckle. He really did, but the melodious sound escaped from his mouth and he found himself unable to resist the gentle touches of his mate.

"Breakfast." He answered shortly, tilting his head to the side to reveal more of his neck, unconsciously gripping the kitchen counter in his hands.

"Doesn't seem like breakfast to me, little tiger." With those effortless syllables spewed from a honey-drenched tongue, Taehyung could feel his heart imploding, the components of the organ tearing at the seams and separating throughout his body, disturbing his respiratory system, and canoodling with the ideal of tarnishing the pattern it had attempted to uphold.

"It is breakfast! I just got taken away and decided to try out some new recipes." The omega whined softly when the pair of lips connected with his nape. Those sweet kisses upon his neck were the key to his heart and soul, for every time Soojin placed them there Taehyung knew he would adore him forever.

"For how many people? Ten?" Soojin joked, arms tightening around the omega's sweet supple waist, which seemed to invite you to squeeze it with your hand.

Taehyung wanted to turn around and slap the alpha in the face for having the guts to laugh at him, but he was so weak to everything that Soojin did, and he couldn't gather up the strength to break away from their cozy hug.

"Only you and I." The omega answered, quieter, curling into the arm his mate had draped over his stomach. He could taste the plain, undeterred breaths of Soojin, who had his gaze cast upon the 'show-off' in the kitchen, though it appeared it was just a façade, as his attention was most definitely set upon the only other living organism near him – aka Kim Taehyung.

A discontented shroud of awkwardness swarth the room under the alias of silence; the only sound slicing through the thickened tension being the occasional singing of summer birds.

"You know...I've been thinking about something." Soojin started, gentle, with a recognizable hint of excitement hidden in the syllables of his well maneuvered tone. The anticipating tension in the air caused Taehyung's cautious heart to make a shift. The slightest, barely sensible skip of a living beat.

"And what is it?" The omega asked, careful with his question, ears straining to hear the answer. With the corner of his eye, he trailed his gaze from the pot to his mate's godly handsome face, pointing out some of the minimalistic details that were so entertaining to look at.

A mellifluous chuckle, coming from the deepest part of his windpipe, slipped past Soojin's sensually pink lips. It caused his chest to vibrate in a pleasantly palliative way, the one that made Taehyung's back run with ticklish shivers. These good vibrations calmed the omega's inner storm to a soothing onshore breeze. They took what jangled and made the softest of music, a melody he could dance to for the rest of his life.

"Why don't we try for pups on your next heat?" Finally, the question was voiced out. Judging by the overt nervousness in his tone, the alpha had spent a generous amount of time on this matter. He was caressing the omega's belly with his index finger, drawing patterns on it.

Taehyung's pupils swelled up in size and a gasp escalated from his cherry red lips, and this time he couldn't stop his heart from beating out of rhythm in a perilously rapid speed.

Quickly, he turned around in his mate's hold and threw his arms over his broad shoulders, pulling him in for a bone crushing hug. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" The omega chanted like a mantra, yelled so loudly his answer till his throat grew hoarse.

The alpha wheezed out at the strong grip squeezing the life out of him. He smiled at his hectic reaction and hugged Taehyung closely to his chest, burying his nose in the soft locks of ash blonde hair to take in a deep inhale of the strawberry scent that never failed to bring him the comfort and calmness he was so desperately seeking for in moments like this one here.

The omega let the happiness soak right into his bones. He wanted the feeling to still be there when he was old. He closed his eyes and savored the moment, but never released the grip on his mate. In that cozy state, when they cuddled up together, the rest of the world and its worries ceased to exist for a few precious moments. They were each other's sanctuary, each other's safe cocoon, their love healing one another, giving the sort of fortitude that supported a sustainable sense of joy.

"I didn't expect you to be that excited about it." The alpha spilled out sincerely his thoughts, a wholehearted laugh ripped off his mouth, and he had to pull away from the embrace so he could have a better look of his mate's face.

"What are you talking about? I would love to start a family with you! To have little pups running around the house and calling you daddy." Then Taehyung opened his mouth and began to laugh full out. A clean pure sound, so unlike his usual cynical chuckle. Soojin felt the tightness in his chest loosen. Soon, they were both laughing so hard that the alpha felt tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. Looking at the omega, pure childlike humor on his face, the alpha saw him as he might have looked, had he grown up away from the lonely hardship of the forest.

"Should I assume you've been thinking about it, too?" Soojin asked, it was a soft whisper, so close and trapped between their lips with little-to-no space remained. Taehyung was trying not to smile like an idiot, he really did try to kiss his mate, but he couldn't stop the grin that morphed on his face.

"Ever since we mated." Was his only answer, admiring the alpha. It was evident how taken he was by the illustration of him like this - vibrant smile against his pale complexion and brown locks.

Taehyung would be lying if he said he wasn't completely and utterly feeling over the moon right now.

The alpha chuckled at this; the sound was like pebbles in a lake. You could hear them resonating throughout, calming your soul. He wrapped his arms tightly around the omega's small frame and hugged him.

In Soojin's embrace the world stopped still on its axis. There was no time, no wind, no rain. Taehyung's mind was at peace. How could it be that he hadn't seen the alpha's love for what it was before? Pure. Unselfish. Undemanding. Free. He felt his body press in, soft and warm. This was the love he had waited for, prayed for. Taehyung inwardly thanked God and hugged all the tighter. A love like this was to be cherished for life. Finally, he was home.

***

Taehyung knew something was wrong when the first wave of anxiety washed over his body. He nearly dropped down the book he was holding, one hand reaching out to cup the mate mark on his neck. It was weird, never had he felt this distressed and panicked.

His mate had been out for over two hours now. Usually, the omega wouldn't mind if Soojin wasn't around, after all he knew how much his mate loved to go out for a run in the forest. But now he wished for him to be here, safe and under his look.

Things didn't stop only there and after ten minutes Taehyung grew extremely worried. The foreboding made the omega feel pretty sick, as if the entirety of his innards could just leap from his body at any given moment.

He couldn't just ignore the unsettling feeling in his guts and decided to go out and search for his mate. The clouds were the kind of grey that would make any quarry rock proud, as if they were so pleased to echo the earth. All the grey, all that swirling water in the sky, condensation was bound to happen sooner rather than later.

The trees were veiled in the lightest of mists, their trunks sombre brown with sable cracks that gnarled the bark. As his eye traveled to the edge of the woodland, they became silhouettes against a blanket of white, as if it was only daylight where he stood, as if he was encircled by twilight.

The omega didn't bother to shift in his wolf form, preferring to wander around the forest as a human. He wrapped his cloak tightly around his shivering frame to protect himself from the harsh winds, despite the fact it was the middle of the summer, the weather was freezingly cold.

The dark woods stood as noble black knights, fresh from the fields of legend. The footpath was rutted, the soft mud had dried in the first heat of the new season, leaving casts of every shoe. Taehyung picked his way over with care, mindful of what a twisted ankle would mean to the rest of his journey.

A shallow howl was heard in the distance, causing the omega to snap his attention to the direction of the noise, the hair on his nape straightened up and he felt how his heart made a doubled twist. He tried to follow it, narrowing his lids over his eyes as he did his best to see something through the thick darkness. The trees were a narrow maze, slowing him down.

And then, just when he thought it was a good idea to go back into the cottage, the smell of freshly spilled blood invaded his nostrils. He ceased his pace abruptly and felt how heavy his chest had suddenly become. The omega placed one hand over his mouth and tried to calm down the erratic beating of his heart, pulling in a lungful of air.

There was a sound of undergrowth being disturbed – a click of breaking branches, a weighty pushing through low foliage – and then a kind of large, vaguely irritable snuffling noise.

Very slowly, Taehyung swirled on his tiptoes, making a full turn. He sucked in a breath, his chest was full of lead, but his eyes were empty as he focused them on the black wolf that stood a few feet away from him. Its yellow eyes dove into the omega's blue ones. Every neuron in his brain was awake and dashing around frantically, like ants when you disturb their nest.

He reached instinctively for his silver dagger, only to realize he had left it in the house.

The monster stood still, ambling from one back leg to the other, limbs swinging against the floor gently, like a truly messed up willow tree.

His eyes zeroed in on Taehyung's, and for a breath, time seemed to stop.

Before the omega could brace himself for the painful death, the loud roar of another wolf sliced through the air. The brown fur of Soojin's wolf appeared in front of his sight, and Taehyung had never felt more relieved to see his mate.

However, his short moment of victory had to stop there when the realization of his mate's state hit him up. Blood was smeared against the brown fur, the sharp canines were painted in red, and the alpha's ankle seemed to be broken.

"Run, Taehyung." Soojin mind-linked through their mate bond, voice as hard as the blade of a shovel.

The omega started to shake his head in a massive protest, watching as the midnight black wolf made his way over them, ready to attack again.

"I'm not leaving you!" Taehyung yelled, tears spilt over and flowed down his cheeks like a river escaping a dam.

Soojin shot him a glare, his red crimson eyes pierced through the omega's soul like thousands of sharp knives, digging so deep into his heart.

"Now, Taehyung!" He loathed to say those words, but he knew better than risking Taehyung's life, no matter how skilled the omega was.

Taehyung wished to retort, but his inner wolf betrayed him, his omega self completely submitting when he saw the red in his mate's eyes. He couldn't say no to an order, even if he wanted to, especially when it was coming from Soojin's mouth.

The omega turned around and ran in the direction of their cottage although his mind was screaming at him not to leave the alpha alone. He knew how powerful Soojin's wolf was, after all he was a true blood, but he hadn't fought in years and that might have weakened him with the time.

It was hard to run. Taehyung cut himself on small branches, the ground was uneven which made it difficult to go fast, especially with the roots. The sound of wailing and suffering echoed throughout the forest, and he wished to be deaf, because the painful howls of his mate drummed in his ears on an endless record.

"Taehyung, do you hear me?" Soojin's voice rang in his head, weak and trembling from exhaustion.

The omega nodded, even though his mate wouldn't be able to see it. "Yes, I hear you." He mind-linked, biting back a sob as he continued to make his way through the woods, starting to feel the burdening heaviness in his legs.

"Good." The alpha said, then he went quiet for a couple of seconds, the only sound that could be heard was the wolves' scary growls and Taehyung's heavy panting.

The omega tried to call out for him, really considering the idea of going back to Soojin, but then the alpha spoke again.

"I don't have much time left, little tiger." He said, tone lacing with exhaustion as he barely fought back with the sleepiness that threatened to overtake him.

Taehyung's eyes widened and he nearly stumbled down on the mossy ground upon hearing those words, his body shook with pure terror and he did his best to put his own will over his omega nature, but it pained him to fight back with the order.

"Don't say that!" He was sobbing at this point.

"I will always love you, f-forever." And that was the last thing Taehyung heard from his lover before their mate bond officially broke.

The omega stumbled, face palming straight into the dirt. He groaned, spitting out sand and wild grass that entered his mouth. His eyes watered from the impact, his previously restrained tears escaping their imprisonment. He sobbed, heart and skin busted open by the injustice he was being subjected to. His blood boiled, bubbling in rage.

He screamed.

The trees mourned for him, standing with him in solidarity.

It felt like the world ended, right then and there. Like you were watching the sun explode, except it all just happened right in your chest, silently. Like all the stars twinkled out of the sky one by one—but it was the life in your mate's eyes instead, and you couldn't do anything about it. Because once it snapped, you knew they were gone.

The bond felt like it was tethered to the heart—but Taehyung thought it was more to the soul, really. And having it ripped away, just like that. It was like something scraped its claws over your soul and ripped a piece of it away. So quickly, too quickly. For a second, Taehyung thought he was the one dying.

And just like that, their soul bond went dark.

***

Taehyung couldn't tell for how long he had been laying there on the mossy ground. The howls had stopped, the forest had gone silent, but the emptiness remained still.

He slowly raised on his feet, wincing from the pain in his shoulder, the mate mark on his neck burnt awfully bad. The omega urged his body to shift in its other form, but nothing worked. It was like the string that connected him with his inner wolf had snapped.

Taehyung made his way through the forest, searching for his mate. He called out for Soojin, followed his scent that seemed to fade away with every second passing by. Finally, he reached the small clearing where he had left him.

There, in the middle of the woods, laid the corpse of Soojin's brown wolf. Dead.

The omega covered his mouth to stop himself from screaming at the sight of his mate's lifeless posture. Ever so slowly, he walked over him, the horror on his face deepened by the second.

His throat felt clogged with disgust, for even in the forest where little sunlight shone, he could still see the red tinge of blood splattered all around him, the metallic smell rising into the air. He was going to be sick.

Taehyung could no longer hold the heartbreak and he fell to the floor in a disheveled heap as his grief poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears. Deep emotions stirred with no other outlet but through his long-lasting sobs.

It felt like something monumental had happened when the first set of raindrops started to pour over them, washing up the scent of mint and dozens of bloods that had painted the viridian grass in a crimson red color. But it wasn't the monument when two lovers were reunited, not when a battle was won in victory, not when people stood together against evil.

It was a monument. Just one that felt like the beginning of the end of something that should have lasted forever. 

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What do you think of the new cover? Also, I hope you enjoyed this chap! So far, this is my favorite one.