Happy new year, Dear readers💜.

I'm here with a long chapter so please read slowly.

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Some sharp edges of sprawled hair were poking the skin beneath his nose, it made Jungkook nuzzle out from the area and use the next soft spot to soothe the tinkled skin. But this slight movement of his face awoke his other senses as well, he heard a small fluttering sound behind him, the tiny cooing noises filling the empty place of the balcony. 

Doves?

Jungkook stirred in his position and blinked open his drowsy eyes, the first thing he saw was the wrongdoer hairs that were torturing him in his sleep, a few moments ago. Although the hair doesn't belong to him, it belongs to the Alpha who was sleeping beside him, and the place where he soothed his skin was nothing but the shoulder of the Alpha.

His drowsy eyes stretched into the shape of a full circle when he saw the Alpha sleeping… so….. close to him. The movement of fluttering feathers happened behind him again but Jungkook didn't have enough strength to just twist and divert his gaze from the sleeping face of the Royal Alpha. 

It was not the first time that he had seen Alpha sleeping, he had some handful of memories of staring at the Alpha’s peaceful sleeping face. But why did it feel like he was seeing him for the first time? No. he is not.

Maybe 

Yes… he is. 

Without shaking much, Jungkook laid his head on the pillow once again. The only difference is that now his curious eyes were devouring the sleeping persona of the Alpha.

The Royal Alpha was sleeping on his stomach, his face turned towards him. One hand crossed the pillow above while the other buried beneath the pillow. His face was lying on the soft pillow, making his cheeks more prodding and crushed against the layer of the cotton. 

Jungkook bit his lips when he saw black tresses covering half of Alpha’s chin and spread just above his shoulder where he brushed his nose. He wanted to put them behind Alpha’s nape, fingers aching to just move and course through the delicate black threads.

He combined his hands and tucked them under his chin instead. This man… his mate. He doesn't want to ignite a force in between them which only works when one of them is subconscious and he surely doesn't want to start it when the other person is defenceless, sleeping. 

You want to touch him though. 

Jungkook gulped his inner thoughts down, they don't mean anything in the real world anyway. He doesn't want to. It doesn't matter that the Alpha is looking so… so beautiful while sleeping. His cheeks looked so puffed up that none could feel any kind of intimidation from him.

He closed his eyes snappily and pressed his lips together in disappointment. His face turned and hid under his spread hands. He remembered the night in his tiny careful details, those careful fingers massaging the base of his head. 

A shiver ran through his spine when his body recalled the sensations of the past night. Those whispered words of care and admiration fell around his shoulders as a warm hug. But would those words hold their meaning in the future as well? What if the new day might bring a new meaning and everything once again fell under the act of responsibility? 

His shoulders sagged into the mattress, lost in deep thoughts of the mystery that his mate was weaving with his emotions. He opened his eyes and tilted his neck to glare at the sleeping figure beside him. 

The more he stared, the more his glare was melting into a soft puddle of gaze. He is weak. He shouldn't bear such weakness that could destroy his self-dignity and make him an easy prey to catch. 

I have courted a warrior omega of the Lunar pack as my mate.

My mate.

Why are these words still ringing in his mind? Why? What is this feeling of acceptance? A sense of belonging which was controlling his each and every action to move forward and open his arms to absorb the oozing warmth from the Alpha. 

He was absolutely wrong when he wished for the true emotions of his Alpha’s barren eyes because nowadays those eyes have started to ask unhinged questions to him. Unsaid and untold emotions that Jungkook has no experience of. 

I was representing you and me.

Us.

Jungkook gulped down the overwhelming gasp that bubbled inside his throat. What nonsense he hadn't uttered last night in order to protect himself and his wolf… accusations after accusations… still the man sleeping beside him handled him with patience. 

Who wouldn't develop admiration for such a gentleman?

Jungkook’s eyes glared at the Alpha once again but the reason behind his anger wasn't the Alpha. 

An army of omegas with slick dripping…

An unbounded rage dribbled in his eyes as he moved his head back till his gaze poured holes in the dawny sky. How cruel would the world be to perform such a heinous act towards the person who was sacrificing his life for their own good? 

Does the greediness of achieving something big fall in the greater category than the virtuous surviving? 

Oh if Jungkook could just be there then he would have taught those omegan armies some handful of things about behaviours, and ethical values with some broken bones and fleshes.

His dagger would find good use in digging a pattern right from their thighs upto their chins. He loathes these people who like to take advantage of someone’s vulnerability at their lowest times. A rut makes an Alpha as vulnerable as an Omega in heat, so why such discrimination in a society where they think it's really fine to use that weak moment of a person for their personal benefit in the future?

How could they even think? Jungkook closed his eyes and fisted his hands over his stomach. Are those people still alive? Or their ancestors? Where could he find them? He needs deep details and he will soon find something, anything to show them the line of respect that even their generations won't be able to forget.

He knows his anger doesn't have any direction from the start, where may be the reasons… the people died centuries ago. But the more he thinks about the things his Alpha told him last night, the more his instincts provoke him to just tear them apart. 

He turned his body towards the Alpha and looked at him. Wasn't it unfair for the Alpha to bear such hardships in the long journey of his life. Yet he is still standing… wearing his black outfits, with his head held high and arms behind his back as the pillar of his Empire.

Jungkook raised his body and inclined on his elbows so he could look closer. He held his chin on one fisted palm and stared at the Alpha. One gaze and no one can explain the torture his mate has pushed him through. He hadn't disrespected him but he hadn't accepted him as well. The Alpha’s choice would be satisfactory if it wasn't influenced by the false assumptions of his character, his intentions, his every move. The moon goddess knows he has never tried to be someone that he isn't. He is Jungkook. And that will be the truth of his life till his last breath.

So, no. He can't justify the wrongdoings to his character over some words his Alpha graced him with. He doesn't crave words, he needs emotions. Whatever they could be… anger, hate, avoidance, gratitude, happiness, sadness… he wants to see them in those grey orbs with his own two eyes, wants to feel them to prove himself that he wasn't hallucinating anymore. 

He had seen gratitude so far along with a deep solace of shame when the Alpha apologised to him and last night when he assured the partnership during the war… he saw the approval of their bond and felt it too. 

His gaze shifted from Alpha’s calm face to the shoulder where one of the doves flew around before sitting right on the top of it. The dove cooed in the Alpha’s ears and it made Jungkook wonder if the doves always wake up the Alpha like this.  

But when the Alpha didn't budge from his position and didn't give any response, the dove looked at Jungkook. He blinked his eyes while tilting his neck at Luna, Jungkook smiled in response, a tiny stretch of his plush lips. Maybe he was giving proof to the dove that look, I'm already awake. 

It worked and the dove diverted his attention to the sleeping Alpha once again. The dove cooed and rubbed his beak just behind the Alpha’s ear, he repeated the process till a loud grumble made Jungkook’s nape hair stand in attention. 

Jungkook fell on the mattress with his face first and snapped his wide eyes shut. He pretended to be sleeping instead of getting caught in an embarrassing act of staring. He controlled his breaths and moulded the furrowed eyebrows into calmed ones. 

No movement happened around him apart from the fluttering of wings. Jungkook waited and heightened his senses so he could pick up any kind of hustle-bustle of the Alpha.

He opened his eyes slowly and found the Alpha sleeping in the same position as before, however, the dove wasn't sitting on his shoulder anymore. Jungkook moved his neck and saw the dove couple sitting on the sack of the grains in the corner. 

Maybe they are hungry. 

Jungkook should give them some food, he should get up even if there is still time for sunrise, there is no remnant of sleep in his eyes after all. He moved deliberately and raised himself on his elbows again, he stopped himself from sitting when he realised in what position he was lying all night. 

Jungkook was covered with half of a blanket, a fur blanket that looked old enough to change but still provided him potent heat through the night while the Alpha was lying on top of the other half of the blanket. He wasn't covered at all, just sleeping freely by pressing half of the blanket under his weight. 

Jungkook pressed his lips in a thin line and looked at the Alpha much passively. He moved out of the blanket slowly, making minimal hustle around himself. He lifted the blanket from his side and draped it over the Alpha in a very light manner. He raised his hand and pressed the edges around the sides of the Alpha, tucking the rims securely. 

His hand stopped moving when it touched the uncovered neck of the Alpha. The nodes of his nimble fingers touched the bare skin with much hesitation. The skin  was warm, hidden behind the curtains of wavy hairs as if keeping it away from anyone’s eyes like a mystery.

His hand moved once again, completing a wish that his mushy brain had weaved in his sleepy mind. He collected the sprawled hairs from the shoulder and slid them at the back of the Alpha’s nape. 

It was bad because now the face has become more visible and the rising glow of the dawn was reflecting from Alpha’s face into Luna's eyes. The image that occurred was the purest and Jungkook noticed the rare features of the Alpha closely. 

His finger was melting somewhere in between the lava of black hairs but he wasn't aware that he was close to touching the place where the dove was once beaking with all his might. The omega was immersed in the dawn dream of the Alpha who was lying in front of him so when his fingers brushed past the back of Taehyung’s ears, he heard another groan. 

Jungkook flinched back from the sleeping Alpha instantly. A cool shiver of breeze passed the balcony, making Jungkook aware of his surroundings. He sat up on the mattress and crawled out of the balcony after serving a bowl of grains to the doves. 

His heartbeat was too loud, not at all healthy for such early in the morning. He wore his shoes in hurry, he should leave before things get weirder and Alpha might declare him the creepiest werewolf of Europe. In the peripheral view of the Jungkook, his veil caught his attention. It was placed on the Alpha’s bed, neatly folded and stacked along with something more. 

He looked closely and his fingers trembled when he realised what it was. The letter. And some open pages bonded with tight cover, might be the reports. 

Jungkook clutched his veil into his arms first and then picked up the reports. He eyed the letter with reluctance for a while before curling the fingers around it and pulling it into his chest. He doesn't have a good experience with his Alpha’s letter. Yes, they were the purest things an admirer can ever receive but Jungkook knows he didn't receive this letter just because of his admiration. 

It's for war. 

He heard some movements behind him and didn't look back before skipping his steps towards the door. He left the chamber and sighed in relief once he stepped inside his room. His chamber was dimly lit with two flambeaus, a proof that no one stayed inside the room to diminish them for the night. 

Neither he added more coal into it to light it up, nor he tried to diminish them while approaching the corner of his room. He sat under one of the flambeaus to use his faint glow for reading the letter. His veil and the reports found a place on his lap, he shivered slightly when his back touched the cold wall. 

Jungkook braced himself and opened the letter carefully. The design of the envelope was elegant, tied with a beautiful cotton knot around it. The letter unfolded in his hands as a mystery pouring its contents to fall apart around him. 

With a bated breath, Jungkook pulled the letter closer to his face and unfurled it in front of him. He wasn't ready to read, he knew, the moon goddess knew that he just woke up and he wouldn't be able to stop himself from crying if he saw something that his heart couldn't bear. 

The Divine Grace of Eclipse,

Jungkook closed the letter immediately just after reading the first line of the letter. The truth of the situation fell around his shoulders as the first shower of snow, leaving him shuddering beneath it. This letter wasn't written for anyone else, it doesn't belong to anyone else. He wasn't reading someone else’s letters which once were written by the Alpha. The existence of this letter, the rightful receiver of this letter is him. 

He folded the letter securely and placed it on the dressing table along with his veil and decided to get fresh. He needed to take a bath just so his mind could come out from feeling fuzzy and his body could stop seeping tremors every passing second. 

The Sun was up when Jungkook left the bathhouse wearing a long robe that was even trailing behind him as he walked forward. His wet hairs were tied and restrained by a fur towel when he sat on the ottoman near the dressing table. He flipped open a shawl and draped it around his shoulders before picking up the abandoned letter once again. 

His heartbeats were warm, leaving from his lips in the form of breaths. His hands were no longer quivering when he opened the letter and started to read.

In patience for you decision,

Kim Taehyung

Jungkook looked down when he finished the letter. Why does he feel as if he hadn't read these words but heard them in his ears?  How can a piece of paper hold such power over him? He looked up and his own reflection stared at him from the mirror. 

His face looked flushed and maybe it's due to the warm bath he just had. He read the letter once again, of course he will be grateful to accompany his people in war. There is no second choice in his mind rather than joining the Royal troops. 

He was about to read the letter for the third time when his ears perked up at the sound coming from his window. The sound of a spear breaching the fog and tearing apart the tides of air. 

The sound tugged Jungkook closer to the window and his eyes met with a familiar back, throwing spears from the warehouse grounds to….he can't see where maybe deep in the forest penetrating the trunks of trees. 

He could use his clothes that he wore during field days. The black outfits with new styles are placed in his closet neatly, he can wear them and attend the Alpha’s practice in the warehouse grounds and narrate his decision.  

It would be rightful to do as well but when Jungkook was about to take a step back from the balcony a thought crossed his mind.

In patience for your decision. 

How much patience? He stared at his Alpha from above, how much patience the Alpha can muster in his behaviour till he cracks and requests for attention?   

A fire ignited inside Jungkook’s heart as his mind started to process the thoughts. It's not the time to test Alpha’s patience, the seriousness of the situation is more important. His mind was providing every sane excuse to Jungkook to switch his thoughts but his eyes diverted to the reports lying on his bed instead, making his heart the sole winner. 

Jungkook emptied the space and returned to his dressing table. He took out some papers and an inkpot along with its quill from the lowest drawer. The ink was blue, he checked by rubbing his thumb over the cover of the inkpot. 

So Instead of going down to comfort the Alpha with his decision, Jungkook chooses to dive into the land reports of the western area made by the commander. The reports grabbed his whole attention but there were still some parts of his body that were buzzing with a rare delight, his eyes were one of them.

~

Taehyung flung the last spear with all his might and his body relaxed when it struck right at the centre of the cross symbol he made in the middle of a tree trunk. The Sun was high at its peak as Taehyung brushed his sweaty hair back from his forehead. He tied them again and picked up the towel to dry his nape and lower back. 

The morning was the most unusual for the Alpha if he focused closely. First and foremost, he had never slept so out of his conscious state. During the field trip, the blackout occurred due to different reasons but yesterday night, he didn't have any reason behind his deep sleep. 

And then in the morning, when he finally woke up, he was buried two feet beneath some layers of blankets. He found the doves cooing in their fondness. Their food bowls lie empty in the corner. 

And the lack of presence of Luna. 

Taehyung was drying his neck when he looked up towards the high window of the omega’s chamber that faces the warehouse grounds. The window was open and empty. Luna didn't come for the practice, maybe the omega needs time to arrive at some decision. 

The commander was quick in his steps when he approached the warehouse where the king was supposed to be practising. He halted in his steps when he saw the Alpha staring at something above the fences of the grounds. He followed his gaze and his eyes widened in surprise before he looked down humbly. 

He cleared his throat and entered the grounds, “Your Majesty,” He greeted and bowed. 

Taehyung came out of his thoughts and looked at the commander while nodding his head in acknowledgment. He picked up his shirt and started to wear it. He needed to attend the courtroom for the official announcement of war to the generals of neighbouring packs and the people of Eclipse.

“The courtroom is waiting for you, Your Majesty. His Imperial Highness has requested to accompany us to the western land along with Imperial Majesty.” 

Taehyung looked at the commander sharply as if heard something that shouldn't be part of their conversation. But before he could deliver the judgement, Hoseok spoke hurriedly, “ However, His Empress denied it completely. He talked to the Imperial Highness and convinced him that it would be better if the Imperial Highness stayed in the pack house during Luna's absence.” 

The Royal Alpha was listening closely while trying his black cape around his shoulders when his brain saturated… during Luna’s absence. He knows he shouldn't look that surprised to the commander because the commander is smarter than his age. So he nods nonchalantly as if he didn't just get to know about the decision of the Empress from the commander. 

So he decides to join the war. But then…why didn't he come to the grounds for practice? 

Taehyung didn't dwell much on the uneasiness which wafted around him subconsciously. He flicked his cloak and walked out of the grounds. The commander followed him behind, talking about the separation of duties and assigned people who will take over the work in the pack house.

“We will be going to the borders to charge the spells, make sure you hand over the duty of training soldiers to someone till we get back to the pack house,” The Royal Alpha ordered as they took turns toward the stables. Artax neighed from afar recognising his owner meanwhile Hoseok freed his horse from the third stall. A brown beauty, Dabery, a good friend of Artax. 

“I don't think that would be needed, Your Majesty. Luna has been there to train the soldiers since the morning. I was amazed to see his skills, the soldiers were excited to learn new tricks.” The commander kept babbling, unaware of the stiff posture of the Alpha. 

Taehyung stood in front of Artax, his hands tangled in reins. The horse was ready and excited to step out of his stall but the owner hadn't pulled his reins to come out. So Artax keeps standing while watching his owner mirroring his actions. 

“Commander Jung Hoseok.” 

The commander flinched and looked at the Alpha, his body gone so rigid that even his eyelids forgot to produce any movement. 

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Which part of the pack house is known as militant grounds?” Taehyung asked as he raised his hand and brushed a few flakes of grass away from Artax’s muzzle. The action was soft but Taehyung’s eyes looked stony which made the horse take a step back rather than nuzzling his owner’s hand.

The commander stared at the Alpha dumbly as if the question wasn't expected from a person who was living in this packhouse for centuries. Still he commended his confused features into serious ones and replied, “The warehouse grounds where you were practising.” 

So that much is certain. Someone has chosen their decision with full consciousness. The Royal Alpha thought. The Empress has chosen a different place to practise, which is sufficient, a promising choice that includes the betterment of army recruits as well.

So, it's fine.

Taehyung took a step back and Artax finally stepped ahead of his stall. He pulled up a saddle on the horse’s back and fixed it securely before climbing on it. 

The commander soon followed the king with his horse marching alongside Artax, “ Has something happened, Your Majesty?”

“No.” 

The commander bowed his neck and faced ahead. He knew something was up, His majesty was behaving oddly out of his usual self. But what? Maybe his beloved Prince will be able to know the reason. 

His beloved Prince whom he had to leave on the bed sleeping with his Sugar for his morning run. Later… He had seen Yoongi with the Imperial Majesty, attaining his wounds as the Prince had taught him while Jimin was busy stacking trunks of medicines, preparing for the war. 

He came out of his beautiful thoughts when he heard the order of the Royal Majesty, “ Let's take the forest path today, it's been a while since I surveyed the animals.” 

Hoseok changed and flicked the reins of his Dabery, ducking his head when they entered the stretched branches of trees. Their backs keep diminishing as they move deeper in the forest.

~

Jimin sighed in relief when the hot liquid gushed down his throat in the cold weather. He was sitting on the swing, hands occupied with a cup of herbal tea. In front of him, the Imperial Highness was sitting on a chair, sipping a similar tea with him in the lake region. 

“So it's the fourth day?” The Imperial Highness gushed in a hushed voice. 

Jimin nodded his head silently while taking a long gulp of the tea, “ What do you think, how long will they play this game?”

Madelyn shook his head, “ I still can't believe how Taehyung glares nowadays as if it's my fault that Jungkook doesn't bless him with his undivided attention like before. Have you talked about it to Jungkook?”

“And what would I say to him? He talks pretty fine with me, eats with me, helps me with packaging tons of stuff for the war. He just looks adorably busy to me… only that. How will I question him about the weatherly scary mood of my brother?” Jimin grumbled like a child in front of his mother.

“You don't have to question that. Jungkook already knows about it. But it's something a mate should keep in practice with their counterpart so I don't mind.” Madelyn sighed.

“What do you mean? You mean we should purposely ignore our mates from time to time?” Jimin’s eyes were wide as he stared, he enjoyed it, learning new things from his mother. 

“Not from time to time or forcefully. But people like your brother deserve it every once in a while.” 

Jimin gasped, “ My ears shall fall before I hear such things about my brother. Tell me more.” He said as he swallowed another mouthful of his tea.  

Madelyn smiled at that, “ I am not entirely taking sides here. But Jungkook needs some time away from these grave emotions that your brother doesn't know how to respond yet, how to explain and express or reciprocate. So, I think it's wise to stay quiet till your counterpart finds their own voice to talk.”

“I hope he finds his voice soon though… My mate looks more exhausted with each passing day. I don't think there are any other deadly warriors than them, still they are practising like literal beasts.” Jimin finished his tea and placed the empty cup beside him.

“ I think the Commander is used to Taehyung’s behaviour by now. They have fought many wars together.” 

“It's different this time, as far as what Hoseok has explained to me, the difference totally relies on the talks of Luna. If he conveys some information of the Empress to him, he charges more at him during the duels. And Moon Goddess forbid, if he doesn't talk about the Empress at all, he still charges more at him.”

The loud laugh of Madelyn distracted Jimin to complete his talk. His mother’s laugh is contagious. He smiled lazily at his mother, “ It's stressful for me as well. I have to keep my face as stoic as I can when Taehyung takes rounds of the packhouse. I swear, I was this close to laughing till my stomach burst. I'm not even fooling, my jaw hurts in controlling the stretch of my lips.” 

His mother’s laugh becomes louder as he gives his own cup to the stretched-out hand of his son, “ Stop making fun of him then. Redberry told me that Taehyung purposely avoids those grounds where Jungkook practises with the soldiers. Why does he ignore these areas like that?”

Jimin’s eyes shone with a rare gleam, “ He doesn't need to see when I have taken charge to tell him all the deep details of the grounds. Luna has swept all the soldiers off of their feet by his combat skills and Archery tricks. Taehyung nearly looked ancient when I told him how Jungkook flipped and choked an Alpha on the grounds. You should have seen his face expressions, they are my favourite till this date!”

“And here you are complaining about the stress you are getting from it, it looks the other way around to me.” Madelyn prodded.

“Well, the experience is one of a kind. So, I'm not sure.” 

“Do you think today will be the same or Jungkook might lose the thread of his patience?” Madelyn wondered.

“Not a chance. It looks like he is on some kind of secret task and he won't back down until he accomplishes his victory. The one who might tear apart the threads of patience this time… could be my brother.” 

With a knowing smile on his face, Madelyn replied,” I wonder.”

“I wonder too.”

~

Jungkook flicked his shirt before wearing it around his shoulders, this shirt doesn't have any buttons. He doesn't know what it's called but as it is used to cover the upper part of the body, it falls under the category of shirts. He tied his hairs in a high bun, the leather shoes were narrow reaching up to his knees, covering half of his baggy black pants. He might not announce it but he likes these baggy pants, it gives his thighs proper space to breathe and move around freely. 

He wrapped some tight red crepe bandages on his palms and picked up his black scarf before moving towards the window. 

His hands grabbed the bar of the window greedily when that familiar back came into the view of his deprived eyes. The Alpha’s defences to the attacks of the commander were as perfect as the first day, he was smooth in the movements of his body. He looked closely at the weapon of the day… a bandana. The Royal Alpha was immersed in a duel combat with the Commander who had a dagger in his right hand to counter attack. 

Taehyung flicked his wrist and the bandana wrapped around the commander’s neck in a tight grip but Hoseok was quick to dip his neck and rolled his body to unfurl it quickly before the Alpha could pull at the grip of the bandana.

Hoseok squinted when he saw the silhouette of Luna, overseeing the duel from the back window of his chamber. However, distraction and death during the war have a very thin difference between them. But the commander’s memory perceived it a little bit late. The bandana was already wrapped around his waist and with a flick of Taehyung’s wrist, his body stumbled on his feet before collapsing on the ground. 

The Royal Alpha followed the previous gaze of the commander and looked at the window sharply, his iris showing mirth when he found it as empty as always. But the mere distraction of the commander indicates that someone was there, someone was watching their duel in the shadows of that window.

The commander chuckled behind him and rolled on his back on the ground, his chest heaving in pressure with the constant practice of two hours, “Do you know something about hide and seek, Your Majesty?”

The Royal Alpha walked to the Commander and gave him a hand to stand up on his feet, “Sounds something poisonous.” 

“Well, usually it's not but now I believe that it can turn pretty dangerous sometimes. However, Not for the players but the side walkers.” The commander accepted the hand and pushed himself up on his feet, dagger still clutched in his palms.

“Is it some kind of a game?” The Alpha assumed.

“It's supposed to be.” 

But why is the commander talking about games in the middle of their combat? There should be some alternative meanings of his chatters.  

“What are the regulations of this game?” The Alpha asked while opening the bandages that start from his wrists and go up to the elbows.

“One player will hide while the other will try to find the hidden. The chaos will ensue but the game can only end when one of the players wins. Either the finder raises a white flag and accepts his failure or he can try and search for the hidden.”  

The Royal Alpha caught the connotation hidden behind the word mazes of the Commander. He eyed the commander carefully, watching him happening his dagger on a rough stone.

“Every game has some antidote which allows us to set its pacing according to the tricks of our mind. Does this game have one?” 

The Commander blinked twice before looking at the Royal Majesty, “What antidote?” 

Taehyung raised his face and nodded slowly, “ So it doesn't have one.”

“It doesn't have any rapid solution. But if the finder wants to make an effort… there are… Uhm… possibilities of success.”  

The Royal Alpha stacked the weapons on the periphery of the fences one by one, “ How?”

The commander left the dagger on the stone and stood on his feet, providing his full attention to the king, “ Bravery could be an impeccable trait for embarking on these situations.” 

The Alpha’s raised eyebrow made Hoseok’s hands cold so he hurried to explain himself, “ Here bravery doesn't relate to the core strength or enthusiasm for victory, it simply relates to having enough power to overcome the fear of communication.” 

Taehyung poked his cheek with his tongue before bending his head down to flick the sweat out of his hairs. He jerked them back and matched his eyes with the commander, “ Have your mates ever done this to you?” 

The question strikes on the subject and it takes absolute two minutes for the commander to virtually learn the reality of those words. He cleared his throat before replying to the Alpha, “ Yoongi is more sensitive among us. He often becomes quiet and dwells on his thoughts till he decides to share them. Maybe it's the blood of Lunar?” 

Taehyung hadn't had comrades for a long time. He had some friends in the beginning of his life but all of them left his side when the heavens called for their names. The commander came into his life some decades ago and the Alpha had maintained his distance fairly well from the mortal. 

When the plague war happened in the past, it was the first time in centuries when the Alpha had summoned his brother to heal the commander at any cost, and had even promised to bless a boon to his brother. 

They had conquered many wars together and the Alpha trusted him enough to be the commander of his Royal Army. Moreover, the Commander has good relations with his mates and if a man could balance his brother’s coyness then his advice could be taken as serious notes to be written in the history.

So… he can't be wrong with his hypotheses about mates and the theories he blurts as the solutions of the situations he ain't sure even exist. 

Taehyung was new to these things, a part of heart and brain had been left unused for a long time. These sensitive tricks and frolics take time to invade the walls of his heart and then the reaction of his mind comes in specs of assumptions. 

A place where he doesn't want to get lost again. 

He has pledged to not follow the assumptions of his mind anymore. He would rather follow the people he trusts around him, the people who won't use his instincts to achieve a bigger place in the hierarchy. 

He lets the hairs open around his shoulder and gives an acknowledgment nod to the commander, “ If it all depends on the efforts of the finder then raising a white flag shouldn't be an option.”

The commander’s eyes shone with a confident gleam, “ I wish you may find your hidden one.” 

~

The Alpha halted when he was about to step inside the Royal Armory. The noises of the grounds were loud, his ears perked and the noises got disoriented into loud laughs and howls. Behind the large Armory, the militant space was empty and the generals decided to use this space as the grounds to train the soldiers… in the leaders of the Empress. 

Taehyung could smell the heightened scent of pines in the air filled with adrenaline rush, must be in the middle of a combat. If only he would turn his neck a little bit to the right, he would be able to see the slide Jungkook took to dodge a rushed punch towards him. However, the Alpha didn't turn his neck towards the direction. 

He doesn't need to. 

The Empress was breathing a little too loud for his restless position. Happens when you practise combat right after running. He heard a familiar flick in the air which reluctantly matched with the sound of his own… bandana. 

Taehyung turned his head to the right, his eyes sharp on the black silhouette of the Empress who had a lock of knot around the wrists of his opponent from above his shoulders. His eyes stared intensely when the omega used a similar trick as the Alpha and tugged at the knot with full force, the opponent stumbled on his feet and landed on the ground with a loud thud. 

Identical to the commander in the morning.

The howls aroused in the ground once again but the omega scolded them harshly and ordered them to practise the tricks soon before he would increase the number of their laps. 

However, Werewolves worship running. 

Yet the soldiers stood in the circles of the three and started practising the new trick immediately in the supervision of the Empress. The omega was wearing a black scarf on his face, using it as a mask which was tied behind his neck around his high bun. His sharp eyes were visible to everyone, hand holding an arrow to discipline the mistakes of the clumsy ones. 

Taehyung knows it's for the stance only. He can't imagine the Empress actually poking soldiers’ eyes with an arrow over some misstep.

A loud clack was heard in the air when Jungkook used the arrow as a stick and striked on the calves a soldier who streaked away then stood straight in his position. 

Still.

It wasn't the eyes. 

Taehyung looked back to the Armory and marched towards it when he noticed the sudden immobility of the omega.

The Empress turned to his left and watched the vacant expanse of the Armory, no one was there. His eyes crinkled in a smile when his nose picked up the lingering scent of sandalwood in the air.

How much patience, Alpha?

~

The winter was still a month away, however the nights of the Eclipse were starting to get engrossed in the cold misty breeze. The nights were turning foggy and it could be their strength or could be proved as a weakness in the war. 

Right now, the Alpha was taking a stroll on the terrace of the palace. The chillness of the night touching the corners of his mouth before being pushed away by his warm breaths. His calm pheromones high in the air for quite some time now because he has a plan. 

A plan that he should execute now. 

His uneasy thoughts had passed the hours and the time fairly crossed midnight when Taehyung decided to brush past the curtains of dewdrops and stand on the parapet of the terrace and in the blink of an eye… he jumped down.

The wind whacked his face, letting his features penetrate the foggy haze of the night. His clothes flowed with the direction of the breeze as he stretched out his one hand and gripped the window of a particular chamber.

His body was dangling in the air, suspended by a simple clutch of his fingers around the bar. The window was open and it was enough for Taehyung to invite himself into the chamber of the Royal Empress.

He placed one foot on the windowsill and pulled at the bar before getting down in the chamber swiftly. His shoes smashed against the floor and Taehyung decided to take them off in the corner. Only one flambeau was burning dimly in the corner, he twisted his hand and fire blazed from it, enlightening the chamber with yellow hue. 

He looked around carefully, his gaze stopping at the sleeping omega on the floor. 

The omega’s head was placed on the bed, snuggling into one of his arms while his body was laid plainly against the edges, legs crossed on the ground. His one hand was stretched toward the reports of the western land, bony fingers clutching a quill pen. 

And that's how all the plans were drawn out in the air. The plan was simple… face the omega and have a conversation. But maybe he shouldn't have taken such a long stroll on the terrace after releasing the calm pheromones because it surely crashed differently on the omega. 

But he simply did that to make peace in the environment around them. He didn't know that he would have to face such consequences. 

His bare feet covered the distance between the window and the bed before turning towards the sleeping omega. He looked around consciously as if contemplating whether he should do what his mind was telling him or just retrieve his barging self out of the chamber. 

But he couldn't control the movement of his legs when they surrounded the sleeping omega before taking a seat beside him on the floor. 

He was unaware of his eyes which were wandering on the omega’s face like a deprived minor. They were stuck at the closed eyelids, as if wishing those fallen lashes to raise their curtains and let him watch what the omega was hiding inside.

He was seizing everything up in his memories whether it being the open tresses around the omega’s full cheeks or the prodding lower lip against the upper one. His eyes were capturing everything for him, the omega was wearing a simple white hanfu, no socks, no sashes, no norigae, no earnings, no hairpins. His eyes remained on the omega, capturing the details to himself.

He twisted on his feet, letting his back rest against the bed while one elbow found a balance on the edge to set his head against his fist. He stared at the omega, watching him closely to see if he had overlooked some pieces to arrest in his lingering gaze. 

Why are you hiding from me?

The Royal Alpha wanted to ask. But he can't rip off the sleeping hours of a warrior who should have some rest after a long day in the field. And he knows how exhausting it becomes to deal with the notorious soldiers on day-to-day grounds.

His gaze was distracted when he saw that quill pen hovering over the reports, now dried from any ink, just staying over the documents. The Alpha looked closely and saw some circles and squares on the report, line after line covering the graphs and some short notes stuck at the footer of the document. 

The omega likes to read deeply and doesn't hesitate to correct things according to the objectives. The commander may not like that though. 

His attention wavered to a paper peeking out from the stacked documents on the bed and his familiar texture was recognized by the Alpha instantly. His letter. He pulled away from his fist and his hand reached to take the letter out beneath the heavy mass. 

A bit crumbled around the edges but still in neat condition, the Alpha opened the letter only to get surprised by the Omega. The letter has lines that Taehyung was sure he hadn't made, it was filled with blue ink that occurred with some corrections and notations. An amused snick happened around his lips as the Alpha started to read the letter once again.

His fingers itched to write something back when he observed his blunders one by one. He hovered over the omega and moved forward to grab the quill pen from his hand. The grip was fragile around the quill so Taehyung seized it carefully out of his hand before sitting on the floor once again. 

He corrected some mistakes in the letter, accepting his errors and apologising for them. He knows he needs to be thoughtful of what he is writing as he doesn't have spare pages to crumble it and start the new one again. He recalled the night when he had written this letter and had to clean a whole bunch of crumbled and unfinished letters behind him. No, he won't repeat the same process.

He turned the letter and started to write on the back of it. The letter was placed on the bed and the Alpha’s wrist moved along with the letters. His eyes were focused on the paper, following the ink leaving different patterns and turns on it. 

He blew out a breath when he completed the letter and put it on the top of the report to let the ink dry off. 

He left the quill in the inkpot and faced the omega once again. He seemed in deep sleep and to check the level of his consciousness, Taehyung raised his hand and put his thumb on the omega’s inner wrist. 

The pace of his heartbeats was steady, low and high, high and low. A stage where humans need more than 20 seconds of shaking to come out of the drowsiness. And the time is sufficient for the Alpha to move the omega to the bed from the floor.

It is sufficient. 

So Taehyung raised himself and favoured the sleeping omega in his arms. Jungkook’s head snuggled in his neck, his hands fell limp on the Alpha’s chest. He lifted the omega in his arms and the first thing he felt when he took the steps towards the bed was…

Weight Loss.

There are several times when Taehyung has gathered the omega in his arms and it's a shame that his arm always estimates and coils the weight of the omega. And it's deliberately the lowest he has measured till now.

Before the moment of the omega’s drowsiness could pass, Taehyung laid him on the bed. He collected the blankets from the large trunk and draped it on the omega without making any noise.  

“Why aren't you eating well? Are you not getting the time or there is something else?” 

Taehyung whispered but didn't get any answer in return. Why does he have so many questions in his mind and can't think of a way to get answers? If all they need is a conversation then why can't he stand his ground and speak without calculating his words for some time, leaving the control he had earned from so many years? 

Try.

He should. 

Taehyung diminished the burning flambeau and picked up his shoes from the corner. He eyed the sleeping omega who had his head buried in the blankets, just hairs sprawled off the bed. Those loose threads pulled him closer, making him hover over the omega. The Alpha bowed down to place a token of love on the covered forehead of the Omega before leaving the chamber behind in peace. 

~

The next morning was destructive, Jungkook opened his eyes when he felt layers of fog touching his face as if the moisture was trying to wake him up personally. He blinked his eyes and the absence of the Sun just brought out a groan from his throat. He snuggled deeper in his mattress, seeking the last drop of the sandalwood from the threads of the blanket.

Huh…

Huh?

What scent?

Jungkook sat on the bed in a hurried motion, his head striked with an ache that made him close his eyes and then blink them open slowly. Dear goddess, he is hungry. He looked around his chamber and it took him absolute three moments to register that he was sleeping on the bed, not on the floor. His things were placed neatly at the end of the bed, not piling up over the entire place. 

And a brown paper was shining on the very top. 

Jungkook’s set free a clogged breath as he crawled on the bed till he reached the letter. He snatched it away, making a few books stumbled past the edge of the bed. 

He hissed and picked up the books, cursing his clumsy legs. He sat on knees, flooding his legs before placing his butt on the sole of his feet. He opened the letter and his eyes widened when he saw modifications over his underlined corrections. 

Dear Mate,

Jungkook closed the letter and went back to his blanket and covered it up to his head. He didn't want to feel the cold shivers again, his heart was racing when he opened the letter once again.

He covered his face with the letter and hid behind it till his mind started processing the information that the Alpha had actually barged inside his chamber without his permission and read his embarrassing corrections. And and and… had the audacity to do the modifications while he slept with a drool running down to his chin!? 

Something is not right. Yeah. Something is not right with the Alpha. It's… it's disrespect to his dignity. Jungkook shut his mind again when he noticed blue ink all over at the back of the letter. He turned it and there…the page was filled with the familiar handwriting…one more letter. 

Your mate. 

Your mate.

Your mate.

Heart was about to burst the loudest beat when Jungkook ducked the letter beneath the blankets and hid it far away from him. He noticed my absence? He cupped his cheeks and then rubbed his eyes in a tired motion, “ This can't be a dream.” 

Jungkook had thought to peacefully spend his upcoming days till they had to depart for the war. Maybe in his peace… the Alpha’s chaos is included. He just wanted to let the Alpha taste the touch of avoidance for once. He had started to do it with no such large thoughts but when he noticed the lingering eyes in the hall, around the ground. He started to enjoy the feeling of being watched all the time, he started to like the slight attention he has gained. 

But now, there is no peace in his mind or his heart. He had felt those gazes in the back of his mind, he had felt the presence of the Alpha that dawns like a shadow around his arms. It securely restricts his movements while encouraging him to fight off all the hardships of the grounds.  

He shook his head and then other thoughts started to fill his mind with idiocy. 

How dare he step inside my chamber at such a late hour?

“You liked it.”

“Shut your mouth, kookie. It's a matter of my pride and what would others think of me if I can't even fight for my pride.” 

“Oh. Right… we need this excuse to go and speak with him finally. I understand the concept now.” 

“Good. Let me just grab my ground gear and then we will make the Alpha pay for his offence.”  

“I object.”

“Why is that?” Jungkook halted in confusion while leaving his bed. Hands reaching for the letter to secure it deep in his closet.

“You need a bath and please drop by the kitchen before going to the warehouse grounds.” 

“I remember that.”

“Sure.”

“I need you to be less cheeky, it could be a possibility that you would meet your mate in a few days. Van is as reserved as my Alpha.” 

Jungkook unhooked his clothes from his closet and went to the bath house. He noticed the sudden stillness of his wolf, “ Kookie? What happened?”

“Nothing.”

Jungkook tied his fallen hairs and opened the first layer of his hanfu, “Are you not ready to meet him yet?”

“It's not like that. I don't know what he will think of me. I don't want to come out as a weak or clingy mate. I'm not greedy for honesty like you, I just want him to be a bit caring of me. But as we know the human so… I don't expect-”

“You know Alpha cares for us. Not in the way a mate does for another, it's not intimate but he does care for us. We can put our belief on the Alpha when he said his wolf is as respectful as him.”

“Hmm. I am willing to meet him but there are some thoughts which are still not in my control.” 

“It's our instincts, they keep us natural and honest towards our reactions. So don't be afraid to show them in front of anyone. If they want to accept us, they have to accept us together.” 

“We are two souls and-”

“One body. Always remember this.” 

~

When Jungkook walked towards the warehouse grounds early in the morning, he didn't think that Alpha might be there to present him with a sight of his bare shoulders. He staggered in his steps and walked slowly… The Royal Alpha was holding a bow in his hand. His back was facing him, hairs falling around his naked shoulders and sweat was gliding down the lower back before melting into the border of the pants.

The Alpha stretched one of his arms back, fingers holding the nock of an arrow. His posture came around so naturally that Jungkook carved to learn it from the Alpha. The stretch was perfect, not too much, not too less. The direction of the arrow was right on point, not too high, not too low. 

Jungkook stopped breathing when the Alpha placed one of his feet back and released the shot. The arrow penetrated the mark perfectly and Jungkook lost the breath he was holding close to his heart. 

He didn't realise that his feet had taken him beyond the fence of the ground and now he was standing six feet away from the Alpha. 

When Taehyung turned to take another arrow, their eyes met. 

Finally. 

The fog was still there, melting into their warm breaths before meeting the air. Their eyes were observing each other closely. Jungkook watched the barren grey eyes…diving deep into his black orbs. He was covered from head to toe, only his eyes were visible but if someone asked him internally, he has never felt this naked before. 

Those eyes were touching his face without raising one finger, the astonishing gaze was swooping him back on his feet as well as smashing his thoughts one by one. 

However, Jungkook was observing many things at one moment. The Alpha wasn't wearing any upper wears, his broad chest was glistening in sweat… How is it even possible in between such coatings of fog? The omega still stared all around till his eyes met with the glaring ones… which hardened his own soft ones. 

He pulled out the dagger from the bandana wrapped around his waist, gripping its handle swiftly. He tilted his neck before speaking from beneath the scarf, “ Barging in my room without my permission? Doesn't it fall under indecency?”

Taehyung pushed forward his bow when the omega charged on him with the dagger, the edge of blade striking right on the upper limb of the bow. The blow was harsh and powerful, sending the Alpha one foot back before he paced himself on the ground.

The Alpha didn't expect that attack but Jungkook also couldn't anticipate the next moment of the Alpha when Taehyung grabbed Jungkook’s wrist and turned him backward before pulling close to his chest, “ It does.”

The blade rested just above the throat of the omega, one movement and an injury could happen. Jungkook wasn't scared though, he elbowed the Alpha in the ribcage, his back slipping away against the Alpha’s chest and holding a fighting stance a feet away from the offender. 

“I can't seem to recall a memory where I barged into your chamber without any notice.” Jungkook charged once again and this time the Alpha lost the bow from his hand. A challenge in those grey eyes shuddered Jungkook as the Alpha grabbed his cloak from the ground, wrapping it around his palm as if it could spare him from his dagger. 

The KTH shined when the Sun peaked out behind the droopy clouds and the mist started to scatter away, emerging in the air. Taehyung flicked his wrist and one end of the cloak grabbed Jungkook’s wrist in a tight hold. 

Jungkook twisted his hand but he could either drop the dagger or free his hand. Lose the weapon, lose the war. He remembered his lessons well when he got pulled against the Alpha’s chest once again.

Taehyung’s breaths were falling right above the scarf attached over the omega’s lips, “It takes courage to be a barger.” 

Jungkook’s eyes widened, he hadn't expected that the Alpha would accept his indecency with such seriousness. What does he want to imply? Is he provoking me? He yanked his wrist but the hold of the cloak was too tight, still he kept trying, “Evils should also fall into this category then. Bravery? Then Strays are courageous too, why would we even fight against them?”

Taehyung observed how the omega’s eyes crinkled in a smile but he was quick to turn the omega around and grabbed his freed wrist before twisting it behind his back, “Strays have bad intentions behind their thoughts. Mine were harmless.” 

Jungkook’s mind blacked out when the hurried warm breaths touched his nape. His hands become clammy against the handle of the dagger. He pushed his lungs to heave a sigh before dropping down on his knees to twist and gripped the ankle of the Alpha. Both of them landed on the ground and the omega was fast when he sat on the waist of the Alpha and placed the dagger on his jaw, “ Move and I will not hesitate to demolish your perfect face.” 

His lips pressed shut and his ears burned in embarrassment when the Alpha looked at him with raised eyebrows. Taehyung’s chest was thumping under Jungkook’s palm, face was challenging the omega to just perform his duty. 

“How would I know that your intentions are not bad?” Jungkook slid the blade from the Alpha’s jaw down to his adam’s apple, gulping along with the man under him.

“Why? I was careful with my work.” Taehyung remembers he had tucked the omega cautiously in the bed. No harm was intended. 

“I haven't hurt you. Have I?” That deep voice grumbled so closely to the omega that he forgets the meaning behind his visit entirely.

Jungkook blinked above the Alpha, those sharp eyes sending him into a haze of thoughts. His mind was clouded by the movements of those grey irises, coming off so earnest to the omega. He moved his face down, sliding his hand away from the Alpha’s chest just to push a fist on the ground near to his sprawled hairs.

“Let's not repeat this question again.” His eyes hardened as they stared closely in the grey ones. 

“No. I need to know the answer.” Taehyung replied and he didn't show an ounce of flinch when Jungkook jabbed the dagger into the ground, close to his ear. 

“Why does it even matter?” The omega slurred… was about to rise from his position when Taehyung stopped him by coiling his fingers in the belt loops of his pants. 

“It does matter to me. I need to know so that I will be more careful next time.” 

Next time.

Jungkook’s hands felt the trembles again, his lips quivered in shock. His hands moved before he could stop himself, his hands fought off with his Alpha’s fingers and broke free from his hold,” I don't believe you.”

However, Taehyung was quick to grab his wrist and pulled him down on the ground, beside him. 

The scenery changed, lying on the ground Jungkook was staring at the infinite sky above him which was far better than the conscious seeking gaze of the Alpha. His irregular breaths find peace when fingers lose the hold around his wrist. 

“Is that why you were hiding from me? Is this the answer to my question which I left for you?” Taehyung was lying on his elbows now, facing the breathless omega. 

Jungkook can't look towards those solemn eyes anymore, they are lying beside each other in the open warehouse ground, in the middle of a bright day and his mind is spinning but leaving the Alpha unanswered, the omega wasn't built like that, “It was avoidance… wanted to see if… my presence makes any difference… for you.” He moved his face and looked at the hovering Alpha.

The Royal Alpha caught his gaze, mind whirling back the four days he spent around the palace, taking care of several matters, combining strategies with other generals, ordering the soldiers and torturing the commander unwantedly. But he had felt that absence… absence of a careful surveillance around him which the omega often does. 

“It does make a difference to me. I don't have enough words to represent it but your absence was impacting my perspectives internally.” Taehyung pulled away from those questioning eyes and laid on the cold ground, vision covering the entire expanse of the sky. 

The Sun was blazing on top of their heads, layers of fog disappearing in the warm air. 

Avoidance. 

Taehyung watched the sky while lying under it in a deep thought. In the beginning of their ceremony, he had avoided the omega for months. He hadn't accepted the bond then… but it wasn't the same for the omega. He had come to the palace, seeking and believing the connection between them. Being so indulged in his own hurt and thoughts, he had created a new hurt for the omega. Things hadn't changed overnight for him, he had felt those efforts of the omega deliberately, he had seen those eyes losing their hopes bit by bit but the patience still remained as unbroken as ever till the walls around his heart felt the first thunder. 

Then thunders kept striking over the walls till they shook and crumbled down to Luna's soles. So when he saw the question on the letter, how much patience? His answer will always remain Less than you. Even after having patience for centuries, even after having patience for so many people, Taehyung understands what it takes to forebear his surroundings with hope. He had survived those years because he didn't have any hope, a barren skull can spend years till it gets demolished. He had “hate” running in his veins as fuel to his patience. However for Luna, he wondered if that soul is capable of developing hate for his people.

So, No. No amount of apologies are enough for him to fulfil the gap he had created between them. It's not pity towards someone he had hurt, it's not sympathy that he feels inside him for Luna. It's… It's… he doesn't know what to name it but he connects to the person lying beside him on a very primary level. If the omega decides to continue the avoidance for months like him, he will endure it as his fate. He will make his peace with the time till the omega forgives him with a raw honesty. 

“How long will you continue the hide and seek?” Taehyung asked the question, eyes meeting with the omega whose vision was still occupied by him. 

Jungkook raised his hands and untied his scarf from behind. The scarf became loose and fell around his neck with one knot, leaving his face bare for the Alpha to get a glimpse. Similar to the night, the same hunger surged in those grey eyes, perceiving and analysing the features of the omega. 

The omega’s lips parted around a short breath that fell out from him when he looked at the Alpha once again, “ The conclusion is already in the palm of my hands. No frolics are needed to be performed.” 

The Alpha’s hair was coiling around his scent gland, protecting the sandalwood flakes from scattering in the open air, “ What conclusion you behold from this, May I know?” 

“ You care. for us, for me and my wolf. I needed to know if my place in your life comes with sympathy, a thread that connects us only with hurt and comfort. I wanted to see if my presence affects you like yours… does to me.” 

Taehyung’s gaze was fixed on the omega, noticing his jaw moving and creating words along with his lips. He was fascinating as if watching someone speaking for the first time. He looked down before diverting his gaze towards the sky. 

“I can't name the connection with an exact word. But I have felt it.” The Alpha confesses. 

“And the more I dwell on my thoughts…care could be a word that pacifies the meaning of these sentiments.” 

Jungkook closed his eyes for a bare moments, the Alpha shouldn't be this bare with him, “Do you care for us?” He asked slowly, opening his eyes when the lava of emotions engulfed back into his eyes. The Alpha had turned to him fully, lying on the ground they were just breaths apart.

“I do.” 

The sincerity was loud in those big orbs which weren't hiding the warmth behind the thick barren curtains of blankness. It was there. Jungkook was able to read it with his naked eyes, he was able to touch it with his own affection.

He had spent a long journey of loneliness, praying to see these emotions for once in his life. His heart bubbled with happiness when his eyes witnessed them in their primary form. 

Jungkook looked down when the weight of the Alpha’s gaze overpowered his ability to think and speak. He meddled with the scarf around his neck, fingers fidgeting to stop the shivers of knuckles. He sighed in relief when the Alpha spared him and diverted his gaze towards the sky once again. He closed his eyes and took some short breaths to calm his heart, you can't be this weak. 

Even if Taehyung had diverted his eyes on the sky, the flushed face of the omega was still fresh in his sight. Cherries. The Alpha blinked his eyes and licked his lower lip before pushing himself above the ground. 

He stretched his hand for the omega who accepted the help and stood on his feet. Jungkook bent down to extract his dagger when he heard his Alpha clearing his throat behind him, “ The first troop for the war will leave tomorrow with the last batch of armouries. The commander will guide the last session of the training grounds.” 

“So only five days remain, I assume.” Jungkook reckoned as he stacked his dagger back into his scarfy belt around his waist.

Taehyung left the cloak on the fence and turned to the omega, “ Yes… which further implies that we have five days to train our wolves together. If your consent is given, we can start the training from today.” 

Jungkook was stoic on his feet, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected the meeting of their wolves so soon. It's not soon per se but it still felt soon. 

“Kookie…” 

“Ask the human if the Alpha is ready. If he agrees then lead the way.” 

The omega nodded to himself and looked at the Alpha who was waiting for his consent, “Lead the way if Van is ready.” 

Taehyung approached the omega, “ Van’s mindset is focussed on war but I have his consent. We have navigated a place that would be fine for the meeting as well as the training. May I have your dagger, please?”

Jungkook pulled out his dagger and gave it to the Alpha, “ Which place?”

“The forest. The exact place is hidden behind a wall of branches, I will clear it for us to pass through. It might take us some time to return, Have you eaten something for the day?” 

The question was uncommon and Jungkook’s heart skipped a bunch of beats, watching the Alpha waiting for his answer, “ I have had breakfast before coming to the ground.” 

The answers looked pleasing to Taehyung as the Alpha brushed past the omega, “ Then we are off to go.” 

Jungkook nodded and followed the Alpha quickly, their steps matching on the ground as both of them marched on the path of woods. It was a new territory for Jungkook, he hasn't seen this part of the Eclipse yet. The woods started to get denser as they walked deeper into the forest. 

“Wait a moment,” Taehyung requested and walked ahead with the dagger in his hand. Tall banyans were standing in front of them, their branches overlapping each other, creating an impenetrable wall for the surroundings. Behind a wall, the level of the ground was rising, they had to climb these dunes to run through these walls. 

Taehyung climbed from the left side and jabbed the dagger right through the delicate figs of the tree. His biceps swelled with each shove of the dagger, the other hand uprooting the aerial cores away from the jabbing hand. The green hanging buds were hard to slice off so the Alpha goes for the dry ones. 

Jungkook stared at the Alpha’s back shamelessly, the hunched shoulder blades expanding and contracting in front of his eyes. His hands itched to run forward and bind Alpha’s hair into a short bun but he kept himself even on the ground. 

The branch wall starts to break apart and an opening of the cave comes into view, “ A cave?” Jungkook asked in doubt.

“Not a cave. These are the prop roots of trees, we have to pass through them. Come,” Taehyung called him with his hand open for the omega to take.

Jungkook didn't waste any second as he climbed the dunes and grabbed the Alpha’s hand. Taehyung walked ahead while holding the omega’s head, “ Watch your head, these lush roots are hard on skulls.” 

Jungkook mumbled an agreement and ducked his head behind the Alpha, they took turns and the omega was amazed how deep some trees’ roots can run. It's all pure nature, the beauty of nature never failed to shock him.  

Taehyung used the dagger one more time and kicked away some of the roots. The darkness of the tree was immense, Jungkook pressed himself close to the Alpha as they walked deeper into the cave-like roots. Their hands tighten the hold around their fingers, “There could be snakes around the branches, tell me if you see one.”

Jungkook pulled at the Alpha’s hand and covered the small distance between them, “Are you scaring me on purpose? I'm not afraid of snakes.”

“It's beneficial then.”

Just when the Alpha finished his words a pair of snakes dangled right above Jungkook’s head, “Alpha!” The shriek he let out was louder than all the noise combined as they heard a group of birds fluttering away from the tree. He buried his face in the Alpha’s bicep, not wanting to witness it even if it would be the last day of life.

Taehyung stretched the sheath of the dagger and let the snakes roll around it, he moved his hands towards horizontal branches and kept his hand steady till the snakes crawled on the other branch. He resumed their walking, pulling a flustered omega along with him.

Jungkook’s face was red when they walked out of the cave, “I wasn't scared. I'm just not that friendly with them.” 

“Which animals are you friendly with?” The Royal Alpha asked casually but Jungkook picked up the humour behind it.

“Horses, tigers, elephants-”

Jungkook was listing the long lists of nice animals when he halted in his steps. The scenery in front of him sucked away every sound from his tongue, the forest was full of trees with red leaves. He could recognise plum trees, sweetgums, black cherries, maple and some other plants with big red leaves while a large black area at the centre. The whole ground was filled with these leaves and some had fallen from the trees.

“This plant… the one which has black areas in the centre of their leaves… what is it called?” Jungkook asked without any thought. 

Taehyung arched down to pluck some leaves before handing them over to the omega, “Red kisses. A breed of begonia plants.” The leaves were smooth in touch, reminding him of the touch of someone’s skin, a smile bloomed on the omega’s lips as he caressed his fingers on it.

Their hands were still combined when the Alpha took the Omega past the leaves, towards the more green area, “ The red path goes towards the lake. And the green one goes towards… my tree house.” 

Jungkook turned his wide eyes to the Alpha who was looking ahead of them. So the Alpha was taking him to his tree house. Is it the same tree house where the Alpha was trapped during his rut??Where the other omegas tried to-

“No. It's a new one. I had demolished that one way back. No one knows about this one, this forest remains untouched due to its excess moisture. The soil is not mature enough for regular fruits or flowers.” The Alpha replied to the omega’s loud question.

“Are you perhaps reading my thoughts?” 

Taehyung looked at the omega with a tug around his lips, “Apologies for the disruption, Dear Mate. But you asked it out loud.” 

Jungkook looked away instantly, controlling the blooming redness around his face by walking ahead of the Alpha. Blaming those corrections in the letter, why is he so embarrassed for his own death!?! 

“Here it is.” Taehyung exclaimed, halting the omega in his steps as well. In the midst of two tall oak trees, a beautiful tree house was situated. The staircases went up to the door of the house which was overwhelmed by the dark branches of the tree. 

From the outside, the house was similar to Jungkook's bathhouse in the fields of southern land. But this is bigger than that, and looks more spacious too. 

“You can go up and use the house for shifting in your wolf form. I will be waiting three miles down to the red path…around the lake. Would you be able to find me? If you need help in shifting… I can wait down here as well.” Taehyung asked while handing over the dagger to the Empress.

Jungkook hasn't shifted for a long time, so he knows his first shift will be painful but he is habitual to this bone breaking pain, “I will find you around the lake.” He decided.

The Royal Alpha gave a nod of affirmation, taking some step back from Luna before turning towards the path of red leaves. 

Jungkook used the stairs, the wood was new but not recent. He opened the door of the tree house, clicked shut by a twig. He stepped inside the house and he was right, it was even more spacious than their hut on the border. A large futon was folded in a corner, two small trunks beside it. An iron furnace was placed in the centre, connecting to a thick pole that navigates the smoke out of the house. 

He discarded the Red kiss leaves and his dagger on the top of the trunk, piling up his clothes next to the futon. 

Jungkook took a deep breath and sat on his knees, wearing nothing but his inner robe. He closed his eyes and imagined the same scenario his Ajusshi had taught him in childhood, it always worked for him. 

In the depths of his mind, the place was filled with utter darkness. Jungkook called for his wolf till he heard his attentive howl, showing his presence inside him. The darkness starts to fade as the shape of his wolf becomes clearer to his eyes. The wolf started to run at a high speed, Jungkook urged him to run faster and his wolf rushed past the darkness. He was close to the light, the adrenaline surged through his veins, making his hands tighten into a fist. 

Jungkook bowed his head down when the pain started in the middle of his chest before spreading all around. He gasped for air, the light was closer behind his eyelids… his wolf was running, paws thumping loudly inside him and with a big jump in the centre of the light, Jungkook screamed in pain. 

The cracking of bones resonated inside the wooden house, another scream fall out of the omega when his spine broke and moulded into a thick fur. The thigh bones were next along with the ankles. Jungkook bit his lips when the last scream fell out of his and he went unconscious on the floor. 

Moments later, a white fur ball was resting in the exact position where Jungkook was once sitting. 

The wolf moved his paws first, stretching and shrinking them open on the wooden floor. His hind paws rolling him on his back, fore legs falling limp around the hocks. With two more rolls on the floor and the tail wagging faster than the hurricane, the wolf opened his warm eyes, blazing Royal Blue.

Kookie. 

The wolf looked around in curiosity, he knew that his human would remain unconscious inside him for some time. His eyes lost the gleam when they returned to its natural form. He wiggled the furs all around, getting more comfortable in his skin. 

Three miles down the red path. 

The wolf remembered the last talk the humans had between them. He rushed past the gate of the wooden house, excitement buzzing in his heart after touching the grounds with his paws…after… after so long.

Thumpthumpthump.

He pushed the ground back with his hind paws while running faster. The view was mesmerising and as soon as the clear sky came into view, the wolf howled with all his might as if greeting nature with his first wish. 

In the path of red leaves, his white furs were shining like diamonds. The wolf witnessed the birds, animals and other creatures around them with his tongue dangling out of his mouth. 

He is happy. 

The happiest. 

The sudden breaks of his paws, perked his ears in the air. He raised his snout and his nostrils flared when the essence of sandalwood reached him. 

Mate.

All the anxiety fades in the atmosphere as the scent of his mate filled his brain with longing. His paws thumped on the path, burying all the uneasiness under the red leaves. He rushed towards the lake, expanding his forechest to inhale sharply. He howled when an eagle raced along with him till the moisture of the leaves started to freeze his wings. 

Kookie gushed past the branches, he was the fastest among several, his human had trained him well. He clenched his wet paws and slowed his race when the scenery of the lake appeared past the lush plum tree. 

He sat on his hind legs, tail wagging from left to right, right to left as his eyes swam all around the region of the lake. He licked the drool away from his muzzle before settling his tongue in between his canines. 

His blue eyes waited for the Alpha patiently, wiggling the furs once in a while. 

He doesn't howl to make his presence known, he knows that the Alpha must know by now that he is here. 

A loud growl rumbled out from behind the omega, the wolf didn't move at first. He stood on his four paws and walked a bit ahead before roaming a half circle to turn towards the Alpha.

The black wolf was standing ahead of him, their eyes blazed as soon as their vision fell over each other. 

The golden eyes shined with Royal blue while the omega reflected the glowing golden hue. It was the beauty of nature when the animals around them witnessed the moment… with their heart beating in peace. 

When the glimmer hushed down, the omega finally caught sight of his mate. The sheer black furs, adorned with a golden pair of eyes, the body structure bigger than him by some inches, black muzzle and a long bushy tail. Ears were perked up in attention, beautiful but sharp canines peeking out of the upper lips. Broad shoulders standing out along with the muscular neck, black furs thicker than his smooth ones. 

Beautiful.

Both the wolves kept standing in the middle of the red path, nothing moved apart from the breeze that was wafting their furs away with it. 

Those golden eyes were attached to his persona, making him unable to move from his position. 

Then the Alpha moved and took a step ahead, the omega stood his ground and kept looking at his approaching mate. 

His heart forgot to thump against his chest when the Alpha folded his forepaws and bowed with his muzzle. The omega dug his claws in the ground as he watched the Alpha greeting him with a humble bow.

Van raised his head high, standing on his four paws once again. 

“My human is Kim Taehyung. The Emperor of Eclipse. He calls me Van.”

The omega’s head went low when he heard a calm but deep voice in the mindlink. Their first words. Their first link. 

He bowed to the Alpha and raised on his feet while introducing himself to his mate.

“I'm Kookie. My human is Jeon Jungkook, The Empress of Eclipse.”

Their eyes blazed once again and the omega controlled his pheromones from circulating in the air. It's not his fault though, he was seeing his mate for the first time. His paws were holding his heart at the bay of his claws.

“Your human had talked about the inability to swim due to the lack of lakes in the Lunar. We are here to overcome that paucity as it falls under the necessity for the war.” Van proposed to the omega standing in front of him, an astonishing creature that he was witnessing for the first time. 

The omega held his head high while turning his paws towards the lake, “Lead the way, Alpha.”

The growl rumbled in between the canines of the Alpha when he surged past the Omega, “ Care to follow, Dear Mate.”

The twittering of the birds was loud but the omega still sensed the snigger in the last word of the Alpha.

Jungkook!! This is an absolute embarrassment!! How are you even alive?!?

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I hope you have enjoyed the chapter. See you soon.

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Good night, lovely readers.

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