Dear lovely readers, the update is finally here. It's the longest update of Bounded so far, 26k words. And you deserve it all.

Thank you for waiting for the update.

You need to have water with you and a towel for when you choke on that water.

I hope you enjoy the chapter, I'll be waiting patiently for your comments.

If you read slowly, you may find many hidden gems in it.

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Taehyung fixed the saddles one more time and caressed Artax’s muzzle till the horse forgot his little neighs and started snorting cheerfully, “You have conquered yet another battle, Artax. Aren't you the infeasible one?” His fingers kept moving over Artax's muzzle yet his eyes wandered towards the proud laughs of the soldiers. In the midst of all, the Empress was standing, praising them one by one.

He moved over the horse’s flappy ear and praised, “Thank you for accompanying him during his first war. I promise to groom another horse for the Empress next time.” Knowing the tactics of his horse and his behaviour, the Royal Alpha proposed and as expected the horse neighed happily but then much to Alpha’s surprise, Artax grumbled as if denying any presence of other horses around the Empress.

His forehead rested against Artax's furs as he sighed defeatedly, “Aren't you too tough to get charmed like this? Keep me afloat with your weight, Artax. I'm afraid I'll crumble if you move your hooves in submission too.”

Before those short whispers spread in the air, Taehyung straightened himself and patted the horses' back, climbing the stirrup and sitting on the second saddle, leaving the first one empty. He moved the reins and motioned Artax towards the crowd to announce his presence once again.

The crowd was still celebrating and waiting for their Emperor to lead the troops when they found the King staring at them proudly. Their loud banters came to a halt when the Alpha raised his hand in the air, “ Being recognised for their clear wars, soldiers should not leave their mess behind.” His eyes flickered to the crowd as he recited the departing duties of the people one by one, “Royal guest Yunhee and Kenji will be responsible for clearing out the surroundings as much as we can. Byung Sang, Take back the carriage along with Godmother Ella and choose the same path from where you arrived. The Commander of Eclipse and the Royal Guard of Empress would capture the residents of Strays and present them to court earliest by tomorrow.”

The hollering crowd bowed to the Emperor and then turned towards the Empress, who was standing in the middle of the troops, to bow again. The smile on the omega's lips kept increasing as he saw the crowd charging towards their designated works. The remaining troops picked up their weapons and made a huge caravan behind Artax when the Alpha led them from front.

The hooves of the horse stopped and circled the Empress who was keeping his bow and quiver inside the carriage. The lingering eyes of the Alpha noticed the flow of those fingers that were tying everything in a small puddle before putting them in a chest. Their clothes were dripping half of the water and half of the blood that they shed in this war but beneath the stench of dead bodies, his wolf found himself grounded by the spreading pines.

Taehyung didn't hide when he opened his lips and consumed the wafting scent to balance his uprising blood in his bones. His veins flexed above his wrist when he pulled them and stopped the horse just behind the Empress. Jungkook turned around only to find the Alpha waiting for him with his hand stretched towards him.

Jungkook discarded the gloves and tucked them around his waist before reaching forward to slip his fingers on the awaiting palm. He climbed the stirrup by his left leg and crossed the back of the horse with his right to find a place for sitting on the first saddle. Their armed torsos didn't leave much space in between their bodies as both adjusted the saddles under them.

The Empress found himself caged in between the Alpha's arms as he was sitting at the front but the reins were still held by the Alpha. So he waved off a few breaths of ease and moulded his back down just so he could rest some of his weight against the Alpha's chest. His hands were clamped around the hook of the saddle, deciding not moving them as his best option.

Which turned into his finest option because just when he moved his head towards right to admire the lushes of blossoms on the ground, he felt warm breaths all over his neck. The sudden warmth over his drenched skin made his body rigid in Alpha's hold because the Alpha has never touched him so openly before. Definitely, they were leading the troops so there wasn't any accompaniment around them but the crowd was following them with the loud sound of notorious horses and their bombarding cheers.

He looked down at his hands or tried to because above his hands, his gaze stuck around the reins that were held by the Alpha in a tight grip. Over the few counts of their strolls on Artax, Jungkook knows that the Alpha never holds the reins like this, as if the entire balance of their body was held by those leather wines. His hold had always been light, feathery where his centuries of experience in horse riding was shown. And now he could only wonder why he felt the sudden absence of that experience.

He could have asked and even mustered the courage to turn his head towards the Alpha but the pressed heel over Artax's sides trotted the horse to the next new lengths. Jungkook's hands flew over the reins to stop the horse at once but the Alpha's grip didn't loose. The horse picked up speed, leaving the troops behind to follow their traces.

Jungkook clutched the hook of the saddle tightly, “Alpha?” He addressed the Alpha, his voice suppressing the calming tone and becoming more alarming, “What happened?”

He felt the Alpha grunting in pain behind him, making the omega turn his body halfway immediately to take a glance. However, his eyes could only see the bushy mass of black hairs on his shoulder. His eyes moved to the front when the Alpha gripped the reins in one hand and freed the other for only to enclose around the omega's waist in a secure hold, “I apologise for the pace but you are safe with me, Your Grace.”

It wasn't the pace that wafted the seed of panic inside Jungkook but it's the frequent deep sighs under his neck that alarmed him enough to ask again, “Are you hurt? Should we stop and take some rest?” He was meant to see the injury which was tormenting the Alpha like this but his vision got disturbed when he felt the mop of hair shaking above his shoulder.

“Just a few moments and I'll be fine. I apologise-”

“Stop apologising to me, you are scaring me, Alpha. Let me handle the reins, I will keep the same pace.” His hands hovered above the Alpha's tight fist and sighed when the grip loosened.

He controlled the reins but forgot a little detail that came around in the form of short jitters when the Alpha’s free hand enveloped his waist entirely. He blinked the little drops of water that slid around his eyes and focused on the road. He could feel the warm face of Alpha pushing under his nape and the Empress could swear if he wasn't wearing the armour right now, he would have dents of teeth on his skin.

He couldn't understand the painful sighs but he can pull some excuses and aspects. His eyes wandered around to locate a quick path but all he could see was the piles of dead bodies. He pressed his heels on the side of the horse who took a big gallop and thumped his hooves heavily on the ground while running with excessive pace. The tiny puddles under those heavy hooves splashes water to its utmost heights, adding stains of soil on the boots of carriers.

The hold became crushing around his waist making the omega's mind jumbled to analyse the cause of Alpha’s distress, “Is it because of my scent?” He asked but got no acknowledgement from behind, “The scent blocker that Hyungnim applied on our clothes must have washed away with the rain.” They shouldn't forget that it's only the third day of Alpha's rut, who didn't just bravely take part in a war but conquered without choking the surroundings with his pheromones.

When the silence became the new answer, Jungkook realised that while fighting the instincts of his wolf, the Alpha must have knocked himself out. His hands tightened on the reins in anger, he was angry at nature, at the sudden downpour that ailed his mate in this way.

But he could only bite off his tongue and focus on the road to balance their bodies along the pace. He just hopes the Alpha could find some rest after reaching the Western land, the benign rest that he deserves.

~

The Royal omega’s feet weren't on the ground with the pace he was moving around the Western land. He checked the preparation thrice by himself, the aroma of roasting feast was covering the entire cookhouse, different spices were floating in the air as he roamed in between with a little fabric pressed above his sensitive nose. He encouraged the chefs to buckle up their knives and ladles when he heard the loud noise of the Royal couple’s arrival.

The cheerful giggles and fumbled howls of people started to fill the area but before the people could surround the gates, he saw Artax penetrating the aromatic air while carrying the couple towards the healing chambers. With wide fearful eyes, the Royal omega shouted orders for the people to remain focused at their work before following the horse in the same direction.

When he reached the healing chambers supporting the wild ragged breaths and heightened fear in eyes, he found Nami standing at the door with a gaping mouth. He covered the small distance and approached Artax, “Jungkook? What happened?” The omega looked pale while sitting on the horse, back bent forward to support the leaning body of the Alpha.

“I don't know, hyungnim.” The omega's words seemed rushed as if he didn't ride the horse but carried his mate all the way on his back. “But Alpha is in pain, he murmured Nami’s name when we entered the gates of Western land, So he should know something.” He moved to Nami with pleading eyes who looked concerned while standing at the stairs of healing chambers.

“I need to check him to know the cause but I can't do it here. The chambers are filled with injured omegas, they are still recovering. I suggest your chamber would be our best option.” He suggested and went back to the healing chambers to grab his small satchel of potions.

Meanwhile Jungkook turned Artax towards their chamber and the Royal omega called for a few people who could help shifting the Royal Alpha inside the chamber but the issue arose when he found Taehyung sitting on the saddle with a stubborn hold around Jungkook's waist. He called for him twice but there wasn't any noise of acknowledgement at all.

Jungkook's hand left the reins of the horse and threaded his fingers in between the curled hairs resting above his shoulder. He knew that he needs to calm his heartbeats or the Alpha won't leave him until he keeps sensing the fear around him. So he caressed the black locks until his heart felt peace from that touch and called for him, “Alpha?”

“We have arrived to Western land. Hyungnim is here and Nami has come too. Should we step down now?” His voice wasn't above whisper, being conscious enough to not get teased about it later. He glanced at the Royal omega who pretended to look inside the chamber to see if it's good for their arrival or not. However, his heart melted when he felt the arms sagging around his waist. He caressed the back of those palms and gestured towards the servants who shifted the barely opened eye Alpha inside the chamber.

Just when the Empress and the Royal omega were about to step inside the chamber, Nami stopped them with a call, “You should change your attire before stepping inside the chamber, Luna.” He reminded the omega that his own clothes were still dripping with bloody water.

The Royal omega stayed beside Luna who looked defeated while watching the door of the chamber closing in front of him, “I think we should put you in fresh clothes before the troops arrive. He will be fine after some rest.” Jungkook grabbed the omega's hands and asked in urgency, “What has happened to him?”

“Only Nami can tell the reason but I can sense some fatigue too.”

He pulled the omega with him and ran out some maids to find some comfortable clothes for the Empress, “Did something happen on the battlefield? I heard about Amelia, I hope Godmother reached there on time.”

Jungkook took the towel in his arms and nodded absentmindedly, “She did. Amelia is gone now. Maybe she died or Godmother captured her again only she knows what would happen to her.”

He picked up the burgundy hanfu from the pile of clothes that maids stored for him and walked towards the bathhouse. His hurried steps came out after half an hour to fill the Royal Omega with all the details about the departing duties of his mates and Royal guests, so that he would know what to expect in a few hours.

“Don't worry, I will inform the General. He would definitely make some space for the residents of Strays to stay and I should make a run to the cookhouse as well. Would you be alright visiting Taehyung alone?” The Royal omega asked while dapping a dry towel on Luna's hair who was sitting on a chair silently.

The unease that was resting inside Jungkook's heart itched as he looked down at his hands, “Yes.”

“Jungkookie?”

His head moved and matched the eyes of the Royal omega who had a warm smile on his face, “You have won the very first war of your governance.” He leaned down to present a cuddly hug to the stressed omega who opened his arms to welcome it, “It's an occasion of celebration. I have known your mate for years and from that I can proudly conclude that you will see him fine by the morning. Don't let your morale down, keep the spirits high and don't worry about the arrival of troops. I will handle them for the day and I won't let them disturb the healing period of your mate. Hm?”

Jungkook smiled at the Royal omega's assurance and nodded his head before attaching two hairclips behind his ears to keep the tresses around his back. Both of them walked out together where Jimin took the path of the cookhouse while calling the orders and Jungkook turned towards their chamber with slow steps.

The irony with his steps was that his heart wasn't quite matching the pace. He stood on the top of the stairs and realised that in all of his life he feared the closed doors too. He could never count the times he had gathered the courage to open these closed doors around him and waited for the decision of his fate.

Nami squeezed out the moisture from the cotton cloth in his hands and spread it on the Alpha's wrist where the mark was still healing. The Royal Alpha grumbled in pain, gaining the attention of Nami who observed his body again and absurdly found a finger stretching towards the door.

The wizard strolled towards the door and opened it only to find Luna standing in front of him, “I hope I didn't startle you, Your Empress.” He bowed and with a step taken aback he gestured to the Empress to invite him inside. The omega's flickering eyes moved far too quickly and halted only when his gaze found the Alpha's figure laying in the middle of the mattress. His clothes were changed into dry ones with a simple cotton shirt and wide pants, the colour remained black, always black.

Jungkook discarded his shoes and stepped inside with slow steps, the trail of this hanfu was bigger than his usual ones so it followed the dragging feet of the Empress till he found a seat at the shore of the mattress. Jungkook doesn't know how the thoughts were processing inside his head but when he blinked back to reality, his hand was holding the Alpha's on his own while the eyes were awaiting for an explanation.

And he felt grateful when Nami didn't wait for his questions and started to describe the Alpha's condition in a few syllables, “ I don't know where to start as there were a couple of events which were responsible for ailing the Royal Alpha like this.” Nami was standing beside the divan where all of his potions were scattered out of his satchel.

“We all are aware of the fact that it's his third day of rut, however, we must have subtly ignored the mating mark he received on his wrist. And as rare as it sounds, mating marks need a healing period that varies from person to person. When werewolves mark his mate, they share each other's attributes and virtues but when a werewolf marks a Royal, he receives many things. The Royals share parts of their powers with their mates when they receive the promise of eternity in the form of a mark, they share part of their soul where they could entwine with the other in every aspect of nature. And His Majesty did the same.”

Jungkook's wide eyes moved down to their hands as he squeezed their hold subtly. There wasn't a pore on his skin that didn't tremble as he waited for those grey eyes to open and bless him with his gaze. Is that why he was able to sense the rusting fragrance of those lunar puppets when none could? Is that why he was able to block the happenings that were laid in front to trap him? His breaths fell out of his open lips when the wait stretched and the wizard spoke again, “He could have gained his strength that he lost due to the power imbalance but the war knocked on the borders earlier than we expected. He took part in it, knowing the mark doesn't heal yet and that's how Amelia's mana affected his body. And the nail strikes when the downpour wipes off your scent blockers, it makes your presence and his inability to hold you, much more evident.”

The wizard scrunched down and picked his potions one by one with careful hands. He moved towards the table where a grindstone was placed in the middle, he pulled out a brown root from his sachtel and dropped a few drops of a blue potion above it before starting the slow grinding, “He needs rest, just enough hours to regain his powers.” He suggested.

The omega's eyes were fixed on the cotton cloth that was hiding his mark on Alpha's wrist, “How will this mark heal?” He asked.

“It's different for every werewolf. Some feel good after a decent bath, some do well with full stomachs, some take busier routes and tend to ignore it, some demand togetherness while some need intimacy, some nests and some just rest too.” Nami was immersed in his work as he recited the examples that he has witnessed in his experiential life.

“How would we know what the Alpha needs?” The Empress's thumb caressed the bruised knuckles of the Alpha, the small scratches that itched on his skin after handling the weapons for a long time was sending Jungkook's heart running in a slow pace.

“In his long life, it's his first time to bear a mating mark. So no one can tell, All we can do is to observe him closely.” Nami’s words were humble as he scooped the paste in a small bowl. His satchel brimmed with his potions once again as he tied a knot on the top. He hung his satchel on one shoulder and held the bowl in the other hand. Jungkook could sense the steps of the wizard as Nami drew the curtains of all the windows, “And one more thing, Your Grace.”

The heavy eyelashes of the Empress blinked slowly before glancing at the person who asked for his attention. He tried to draw his full focus towards Nami and understand the words that could help in the healing of his mate, “His Majesty is unconscious right now so he won't have much power over his pheromones. It could be possible that the heat of his scent liberates the walls of this chamber so to avoid that you must remain beside him. Your soothing scent can work beside his pungent one to balance the surroundings.”

Jungkook nodded his head in agreement as the wizard was indeed right in his advice. They can't afford to let the scent of Alpha's rut leak out in the open or there will be consequences that Jungkook would absolutely despise.

Nami brought the small bowl closer to the Empress and said, “I had applied this paste on the small scratches he received on his knuckles and shoulders, the skin will be good as before in no time but if you prefer you can apply another coat in an hour.”

Jungkook hesitated to leave the hold of Alpha's hand but when he was about to pull away, the door of the chamber opened abruptly. Kenji was standing there with wild eyes and as soon as they landed on the unconscious Royal Alpha, he marched inside hastily, “What happened to him?”

He looked at Nami in urgency as if his presence demanded the answer of his question but the wizard’s attention was zeroed on something else entirely. Jungkook observed the gaze of Nami which were fixed on Kenji's face but not exactly on his face, the omega looked closely and sighed when he saw blood tickling down the nape of Kenji. To avoid the conflict, the Empress decided to answer on behalf of the wizard, “The fatigue of the rut caught up to the Royal Alpha and somehow Amelia and I contributed in this condition.”

The Alpha wasn't oblivious and became more observant as his eyes noticed the cloth around the wrist where he saw the dents of canines in the morning. Well, how could he not see that when Taehyung shoved his entire hand on his face. And he was quite familiar with Amelia attacks too, “I apologise for barging like this but Yunhee made me run in front of the troops when she saw the unbeatable speed of Artax. I switched duties with Sang and brought the carriage of Godmother Ella. She sent me here to ask if she is needed here.”

The environment of the chamber thickened when Kenji's eyes fell on Nami’s unmoving gaze. Jungkook watched them silently and Oh how wrong he could be to not notice such deep affection before? Nami looked wrecked with his hazy eyes focused on Kenji's nape while Kenji's moving eyes were noticing every bit of the wizard. How could he not notice that the yearning runs in both sides? Where a wizard looked too concerned to witness a wound on a borrowed body of his rejector mate and the said mate looked too deprived as he saw his rejected one after many days.

Days?

Nami didn't want to see Kenji's face… Isn't why he had locked himself behind the facade of healing chambers. But now that he has seen it, he isn't able to divert his gaze so Jungkook replied, “Brother-in-law Nami has done the primary debridement, I think it's better if we let Alpha rest for a while.”

His words might have broken the thread by which their gazes were aligned together so Kenji moved away first and nodded while looking at the Royal Alpha, “As you desire, However, you must remain by his side or knowing his ignorant asß he will ran out of the chamber as soon as he will open his eyes.”

Kenji clenched his sheathed sword tightly in his fist and walked out of the door. Jungkook followed his silhouette waning behind the door and stretched his hand towards Nami who was still holding the bowl in his hands. But just when his hand touched the bowl, he noticed the grip of Nami's hands tightened on it. He looked up to know the reason but sighed when he found his gaze fixed on the door.

His hand left the bowl and spoke, “The wounds are healing already, We won't be needing more medicine.”

Nami closed his eyes as if someone had caught him casting a wrong, a barely inappropriate spell. He bit his lips harshly and bowed till his chin hovered above his knees, “Please forgive me. I have to leave, leave before-”

“Before he could move far away?”

For once Jungkook's eyes widened when he saw the erupting redness on Nami's face, the wizard opened his mouth to speak only to get choked on his words. The Empress stood immediately and grabbed Nami’s hand over the bowl, “I saw nothing. If the perpetrators themselves want to hide, then who am I to expose it?”

Nami didn't look up, didn't meet his eyes and it was enough for Jungkook to realise that the wizard doesn't want to talk about it, “I didn't witness any injury on Brother-in-law Kenji during the war, it must have occurred on his way back to the Western land.” He informed slowly before leaving his hold on Nami's hands.

Nami looked briefly at the lying figure of the Royal Alpha and then raised his head towards the Empress, “I'm not a coward.” His glazed eyes flickered towards the door and whispered, “He is.”

Jungkook's heart stings for the wizard, not able to collect the pain of centuries Nami must have gathered to face his mate without feeling dejected, still holding such concern, such affection towards him? Is this even possible? Before he could consolidate a few more words, Nami moved and didn't slow down till he escaped the threshold of the chamber.

The Empress followed his steps, eyes fixed on the hurried steps of Nami while his arms stretching to get a hold of the parted logs of the door. He pulled them shut and turned back to press his back on the closed door.

“Aren't I the foolish one?” He asked no one but his gaze was filled with the peaceful scenery where his mate was sleeping on the mattress.

“You must have seen them like this for centuries yet you didn't stop me when I tried to separate them. Why? Why were you playing along with me when I proposed that embarrassing idea of making them apart from each other when they are deeply involved like this? Were you testing their patience or were you boosting mine?” The long list of questions didn't have a single answer in the silence of the chamber.

Jungkook moved the short tresses away from his cheeks shyly as if the shame of talking in an empty room reached his cheeks too. He walked closer to the mattress and acquired a spot towards the marked wrist this time. With deliberate movements his fingers removed the cotton cloth from the Alpha's wrist.

His moistened eyes saw the blooming mark with parting lips, the mark was the most beautiful thing Jungkook had ever created in his life. The bite mark of four canines runs deep to the veins, an S shape curve has actually started to form in between two semicircles where one curve(the thick one) was sliding up while the other(the thin one) was sliding down.

The mark was converted into the symbol of ying-yang where two canine marks joined to work as one in the middle of the upper wing and lowered half carried the other two canine marks.

The two halves seem inseparable, demonstrating that one force inevitably flows into the other, such as day turning to night or active energy flowing continuously from rest to motion and then towards rest. The mark looked fragile, in bits which were trying to come together to form a proper shape, “It's beautiful and it's mine?”

He didn't mean to pronounce those words in a questioning accent but sometimes his tongue and brain don't align properly to form words and this scene is definitely one of them. He could look at that mark for hours and hours without reducing an inch of pride from his chest.

He pushed his knees together as he sat in a relaxing posture while half hovering over the mark. His nose touched the open palm of the Alpha and didn't hesitate to rub the lines of fortune with the tip of his nose. He collected the scent of sandalwood and observed the increasing temperature of the skin. Jungkook let his eyes fall closed as he nuzzled his face into the warm palm, “I have so many questions for you. So much that my mind is in shambles.”

Beneath the long eyelashes he peered at the Alpha and sighed, “When you asked for my mark, It made me overwhelmingly happy, as if I finally made a… a home in you. But now when Nami tells me about its advantages, it makes me question everything around me.”

“You wouldn't ask for my mark just to secure me from a possible threat, right? Earlier in Eclipse, when His Imperial Majesty pushed the same condition, you had revolted against him. So you can't be forcing our marking just for the sole purpose of my advantage against Amelia.” His suppressed voice proved for how long he was chewing out these questions within himself.

His trembling breath inhaled deeply over the open palm, fingers slipping to entwine together as he watched the Alpha sleeping off the answer of his questions. His hovering body moved over the Alpha’s face as he laid halfway on the mattress, “You are aware of my fear of separation but there is something more, something that I hadn't dared to share with anyone.” His voice became dull, words made only for the unconscious Alpha's ear so that he couldn't hear, “ It's the mentions of your past mate.”

“At first, when I found out about his existence through letters, I envied his availability around you in the past. But when I… saw him, that enviousness turned into something vicious, a fear of being less than you deserve, fear of you choosing the other. After all, I have read, first mates are hard to forget because they were the bearers of your purest intentions, affections and aspirations.”

“But then you said that I'm different from him. And decided to accept me after surviving the lonesome centuries on your own. Without confessing with words, I..” He swallowed thickly when his throat started closing over his windpipe, “I have shown my affection towards you, have chosen you as my only one. I don't know if Hwan exists anymore but it would be so unfair if he gets to take another glance at you. I'm…” He closed his eyes with a heavy sigh, “Either I'm insecure of his identity, the position he once held in your life or I'm insecure in my own position, I don't know.”

“But then you asked for my mark and for my scent-clouded mind, it only meant one thing that you craved for my togetherness too.”

The tremors of his body vibrated on his skin when he recalled the night when he dented his canines deep into the rigid wrist of the Royal Alpha. His movements were slow but his heart knew where the remedy of his anxious questions resides, so when his nose touched the plain but scented path of sandalwood, he fell into it without any precautions.

He buried his face under the Alpha's jaw, pushing the entwined hold of their hands closer to his chest. The short and eager inhales of the omega shifted his nerves more towards the reality of the time. The time where the Royal Alpha squeezes back his hand in that entwined hold.

“You are not pretending to sleep, are you?” The omega accused while barely rising from his hidden spot, “I won't be able to hold your gaze if you played me like this.”

He opened one eye and glanced at the sleeping face of the Alpha only to get relieved when he found the latter still balancing the even breathing structure that could only be done during deep slumbers. His hovering chest covered the half lying one of the Alpha and rested there for a while. The fingers of his free hand played with the open locks of the Alpha around his ear to find more open space to nuzzle into.

His mind tuned out every thought when the heavy scent mingled with light pines, he parted his lips to inhale hungrily when he could, without being obvious to be deprived of it. The fingers surpassed the nape of the Alpha and his wrist gland found the perfect place to rub his scent all over his mate.

Nami mentioned that close intimacy sometimes helps the Alphas’ in their rut so maybe, maybe scenting could help too. Denying every aspect of choosing this option for his own needs, Jungkook made his heart bigger to deliver the scent for the betterment of his mate’s health. But how could he deny the change of his heartbeats that aligned with the Alpha in a melodious rhythm.

His parted lips touched the junction of Alpha's neck, smearing the wetness of them quietly in the wake of the warm skin underneath. The red tresses merged with the black ones, reducing the delusion of their ending and beginning, “Your scent is warm today.”

He noticed for himself and focused on his pine scent to let it liberate with soothing waves that reduces the pain and calm nerves in his surroundings. His wrist twisted under Alpha’s neck to let the pines consume all and everything around them.

Inside the mysterious slumber of the Alpha, he was aware that he was able to reach Western land safely somehow. With being lacking to see the security himself, he trusted the Empress with handling the reins of Artax. He knew that his rut had decided to surge itself out in a very wrong hour but nature had never been on his side so he kept knocking himself out during the ride when all he wanted was to bite his omega's neck deep with his canines.

The last he remembered was the voice of the Empress informing him about their arrival, then he remembered cold cloth on his body. Whoever cleaned him did the work in haste, he could still smell the blood that he spilled on the battlefield. His chest was stoned for a while now, he has experienced these ruts before, high fevers with a burning body. On usual days, he carried these burns, this heat, inside his scar pouch but during his rut days it spread throughout his entire body, consuming him like a seed of millet under the blazing Sun.

Pines.

Sweet pines.

Cold fingers.

Something was hovering above his body that was protecting him from blazing under the burning lava. His skin felt the cool pads of bony fingers around his wrist, pushing away the itching of spreading burns. He squeezed those fingers into his palm, wanting that touch above his wrist again and again.

The scent came closer and suddenly entered into his nostrils with too much force. Greedily, his chest expanded to fill his vacant lungs with it, his skin felt the cold touch of something under his jaw now, that kept moving from his chin to the junction of his neck.

In the eerie silence of the chamber, he couldn't hear anything but the sharp inhales of the omega above him. The pain in his abdomen contracted, leaving the veins unoccupied to do their work properly. The Alpha accepted to lay plainly under the omega, every touch from the tips of the omega's fingers to his pillowy lips on his neck, brought comfort to his burning body.

The sweet, sweet pines.

The bitter venom swirled in his throat to constrict the comfort but the Alpha swallowed thickly and pushed it again in his scar pouch. Nothing should come in the way of his omega scenting him willingly. His chest spasmed when the sweet pines flew down to his windpipe and it made the Alpha move his head away from the touch to give him more space to blend his scent.

However, the omega must have interpreted his movement wrong because instead of imposing the uncovered area of his neck he started to pull away from his body. Loud screams happened inside his brain but in reality he could only move his pupils under his closed eyelids, inside his abdomen the pain uprooted once again. To avoid the same circumstances, Taehyung stretched his hands mindlessly, trying to stop the omega from leaving him alone in this pain.

Jungkook gasped when a hand grabbed him by his waist and pushed him into the Alpha's chest. His parted lips hovered above the Alpha's face and watched the closed eyelids opening by a distance of thin slit. His eyes widened to see the Alpha blinking his eyes once to open them more.

The omega didn't know that his eyes started to drip with moisture but it's the only thing the Alpha could see before those parted lips of the omega surged forward to place kisses all over his face. His eyes fell closed once again, this time following the lips with more awareness, the first kiss landed on his right cheek. A bit too haste, too moist but enough to create its imprint on the Alpha's heart forever.

The second one landed close to his lower lip, squeezing that same heart in a soft hold as if announcing the presence of its partaker. The count became endless when those same lips moved from his chin to his left cheek and thawed on his forehead to melt his body above the mattress.

“Are you able to hear me?” The words became the first words he could understand after coming back from his slumber. The Alpha couldn't open his eyes again but he knew he needed to reply to the omega so moved his thumb where his hand was still grabbing the omega's waist covering his own body partially. His aching bones welcomed the soothing weight of the omega as an anchor in the tideful peak of a sea. 

Jungkook moved the stubborn locks away from the Alpha's eyes and caressed his cheeks slowly, “I thought I hurt you.” The moving thumb on his waist made the omega rest under the Alpha's chin with a happy sigh, “I was worried when you fell unconscious on my back. But now that I know the reason, tell me what I could do to make this pain go away.”

Unable to move his limbs or convey his words, Alpha's heart palpitated in his chest when he couldn't muster a suitable answer for the omega. How would he convey the message that by laying closer to him, the omega was already blessing him with his fruitful help. How would he show that his deprived heart wanted nothing but the touch of those plush lips on his neck again, his own tongue laid dry in his mouth, eager to soak itself in the sweetness of pine.

His lungs filled the cavity of his chest and kept doing it hopelessly till the wandering nose of the omega touched his chin once again. He could hear the long draws of the omega's nostrils, his lip-parting long exhales. Would he become the fresh culprit of fate if he assumes that his wishes align with his mate? Would it be an offence if he indulges such wishes for once where he liberates his heart to feel and experience the affectionate desires thrown towards him.

The Alpha felt his throat constructed around a groan when he moved his free wrist around his chest, knuckles cracking as he sprawled his palm above his collars. The fingers coiled around the stiff collar of his black shirt and in a swift jerk, the Alpha pulled apart the panels of the shirt, popping off three buttons in a row.

The action made the omega stilled in his arms, he could hear the inhales getting segregated by uneven numbers of heartbeats. He let his mind and body show the omega, an ink dot of his own desires. Rest, he leaves in the omega's covet.

Inadequate to blink away his eyes from the Alpha's collarbones, Jungkook stared at the golden skin shamelessly. He envied the thick candle lit beside the bedpost, elevating a burning flame that spreads its shine on his mate’s body without any restriction or his permission. The same body that burns under him, tingles under his fingertips and awakes beneath his open lips.

He raised his head by rubbing against the Alpha's chin. His pupils kept dilating as he came closer to the open panels of the shirt. The metallic chain was there, the one his Alpha wears occasionally when he steps out of Eclipse. But right now, the chain nestled around the Alpha's throat has no pursuit to be there. So his fingers made the decision even before his mind could bear the right thoughts.

His forefinger hooked the chain in its grip and pulled till its lock became visible to the omega's hazy eyes. When the fingers rotated the lock closer to his lips, he clasped his canines under the hook and unlocked before dragging it out till it fell on the mattress. Abandoned. Detached from the golden skin. Unimportant. Because the importance lies in the Alpha's need right now, the need where he wants to be scented by his mate, by his omega, by Jungkook.

The redness hiked up to the omega's ears as he mulled over his self indulged thoughts. His roaming eyes came to an abrupt rest when he saw the pulsating vein of the Alpha contracting and relaxing on the heightened bone under the collars. His face navigated the path that covers the distance very, very, very quickly. His gaze flickered over the Alpha's face that spasmed into a frenzy when his parted lips touched the uplifted bone. He dragged his glazed lips down till the cavern of his mouth filled with that pulsating vein.

His lips probed over the skin, absorbing the wafting heat off. He appointed his teeth to make a perfect grip on the bone before letting his lips suck the pain away. His fists coiled around the Alpha's barely connected shirt, senses filled with the thick sandalwood scent, Jungkook released his suppressed pheromones in soothing gusts.

The Alpha's growl spread its vibration on the omega's lips but it made him suckle on the collarbone more fiercely. Oh if only he could stop his heart from racing and pushing his heartbeats, he would have told the Alpha that he wants to be scented as well.

The continuous clinking of swords still rings in his ears whenever he closes his eyes, an aftereffect of his first war. He wanted to stop that noise and fill his ears with the subtle gasps of the Alpha when he moved his lips and dug his tongue deep into the junction behind that collarbone. He fought his instincts that scolds him to remain quiet and blocks him to serve the purpose of his life… to love his-

His eyes fluttered open when these sudden thoughts flipped his heart backwards and rested deep into him. He tilted his gaze to watch the Alpha struggling to exhale properly. He noticed the stubborn drool that made past the Alpha's lips and slipped down to make a streak to his ear.

His tongue lapped forward and latched over that drop almost hungrily, resulting in the Alpha's grip tightening on his waist. The omega whined slowly under the crushing hold but his tongue followed the streak of drool till his lips gulped the saliva close to the parting edge of Alpha's mouth.

The breath knocked out of his chest when his whole body rolled on the mattress like a weightless feather. With the use of one hand the Alpha buried him into the mattress by his waist and hovered above him.

The gaze that stared back at him was maddening, fogged by the heat but still warm by the illuminating light of the candle. Half of the locks fell out of the Alpha's loose braid, poking and pinching the sharp cheekbones. Oh what Jungkook wouldn't give to tie them back for him?

His chin got hooked up by the Alpha's finger, pushing his face closer to the hovering one above. They shared a few breaths together before Jungkook gulped dryly around nothing all while staring at the Alpha's lips. His chin felt the rushing tug again till he moved his gaze away, because if he didn't he wouldn't have heard the Alpha's words, “You should not trust me with this much liberty. In the vast ocean of your affection, I don't know what and how much I can take.”

The omega's fists loosened around Alpha's collars that slid out of his fingertips as they surpassed the built shoulders to embrace his face in a half hug. Their noses nudged past the bridges as the omega spoke breathlessly, “Nothing of mine belongs to me…” The words were sitting on those dry lips that crossed all the boundaries with one last whisper, “Everything is yours.”

The whisper welcomed the hovering lips to match his own. Just by touching under the omega's chin, the Alpha holds his face where he desperately needs. Parting to take a breath or squeezing the air out of each other's lungs, the question remained hung in the surroundings as to who was forcing whom to open their mouths. The Alpha engulfed the upper lip of the omega and nibbled the pillowy mass in between his bracketing lips while the omega bit down at his lower lip.

Both of them drank the fluids that slipped past their lips from the mess. The omega mewled under him to invite the roaming tongue inside his mouth and Taehyung hasn't felt much weaker than now. He couldn't stop his hand that fell over omega's hips and pushed the hipbone till his own clothed thigh brushed against it.

Somehow, something or someone should stop this… this pull in his veins that held the ability to destroy all the linings they have woven in between their bodies or he… he may violate the purity the omega carried all his life.

Everything is yours.

Taehyung shook his head to shake the ringing words out of his head as he panted right above the tangled breaths of the omega. He observed the male closely, he recalled his identity in his life, brought enough proofs that this person lying under him, his mate, belonged to him. His fingers caressed the omega's chin before playing with the dishevelled tresses above his ears, “I want you.”

The omega's nails penetrated the skin of his shoulders blades as the Alpha spoke over his lips, “I want you to remain by my side.” This is what he has understood and concluded in their entire journey of Western land. And if his heart wants to achieve more, desire more than he would be as good as the thirsty man who wasted the celebration of first rain in order to find the oasis in a desert.

~

The line of front on the boundaries of Western land was covered with the crowd. In the midst of the downpour, sprinkling light droplets here and there, the crowd remained rooted to welcome the soldiers who brought victory with their shining armors. The first batch of troops entered with hollering hooves and striking swords against the air, the crowd roared with cheers to show their enthusiasm. However, the sound of cymbals and cabasas was lowered than expected as per the orders of the Royal omega.

The troops marched forward with their puffed chests, shining eyes searching for the eldest of the pack to submit their armors. As the ancient tradition of war follows, the soldiers stow pride and dignity in their armors and bring them to wars as their companions. But once the battle ends, they must submit their weapons to the pack eldest just so all of their pride and dignity won't convert into conceit. The falling of their weapons under the feet of the elder symbolises the reason as from where their strength originates and what it causes to mankind whether the presence of these mere weapons remains or not.

Jimin, the eldest of Eclipse, present in the Western land, stood at the farthest end of Lavin. He waited for them with a wide smile and proud shoulders, a row of servants was standing behind him, ready on toes to receive orders from the Royal omega. The troops deviated their path and marched towards the Royal Omega, one by one they bowed and left their stained weapons around Jimin’s feet.

Jimin gestured to the servants who picked up those weapons and directed them towards their designated positions in the armoury. The first troops were still submitting their armors when the second one arrived. However, at the very front, Sang entered the gates with Yunhee sitting on his left shoulder. The Alpha was balancing his mate on his one arm while Yunhee was clinging to his body like a second layer of glinting sweat.

Behind them, three long rows of detainees walked with their heads drooped down to their knees. None of them dared to raise their curious eyes at the loud noises of celebrations and the aroma of fresh bread in the air. The Royal Highness flicked his wrist towards General Dae in a meaningful gesture and the man appeared in front of the defeated Strays to show them the path of dungeons.

The troops settled down their armors to the servants and kept the horses in their stables to enjoy their treats. When the detainees cleared the ground, Jimin waited for the last troops to arrive. His awaiting eyes guarded the gates of Western land till his vision got disturbed by the Byung couple standing in front of him. Sang and Yunhee, took out their swords from their sheaths and kneeled down to submit against Royal Highness.

“After painting the battlefield with your swords, I welcome all the soldiers to their homes. You have shown the courage of werewolves against the malpractices of people playing with nature and humanity. May the future sing of your bravery every day and night.”

The Byung couple rose to their full height and bowed, “You may have received Kenji earlier with the carriage goods. I hope everything is fine?” Sang asked as his eyes searched everything in his peripheral gaze.

The soft smile spreading on Jimin’s lips relieved Yunhee in his mate's arms, “We have received them well. Godmother went to her palace to rest for a bit and His Majesty received essential care for his condition. However, I haven't seen Kenji yet.”

His roaming eyes squint as he shrugged the possibility of finding Kenji in the crowd, “Once the cymbals of feast reach his ear, He will crawl back to the dining area.” His arms tightened around Yunhee’s waist who rested her head on his shoulder and spoke, “Now we wait for the promised feast then.”

The loud howls of wolves made Jimin turn around immediately, his open hair scattered in the back beautifully as his proud eyes welcomed the last troops. The thumping paws of wolves entered the area, their racing increased once they recognised the Royal Highness standing at the farthest end. They lunged forward excitedly and made circles around the piles of weapons that were shielding the Royal Omega like a makeshift wall.

The Royal omega would have spoken the words of wisdom, he even crossed the piles of armors but then his lips remained locked when the neighing of horses lured his attention towards the gates one last time. There they are… The commander strides forward with a big smile on his face as he interacts with the hollering crowd and just behind his horse, Yoongi has both his hands raised in the air and two heads dangling by his fingers. He tossed one towards the Commander who caught Kim Hyejoon’s head with a loud grunt.

It didn't take a lot of time when the wild crowd separated to make a path that reaches to the feet of the Royal Highness. Both of them raced their horses and circled the piles of armors till the Royal omega blushed while laughing along with them. Not even once the prideful glint flickered out of Jimin’s eyes, his pupils collected the sparkling twinkles and kept them inside so he could show his mates how happy they had made him.

They clambered down their horses and detached their swords from their waist to present in front of the Royal Highness. Once kneeling on the ground, they submitted those heads and swords under the Royal omega's feet. Watching the disoriented faces of the evils, Jimin had to clench the lapels of his hanfu as he bit the side of his cheek.

The crowd watched the heads closely, throwing profanities and curses under their breaths. Their chests felt the burn of humiliation those evil must have faced before their souls got snatched out of them. In the midst of the crowd a group of Eclipse soldiers was waiting for the ritual completion. Two of them seemed too young to be in the battle while the other three, older ones, had the most wild grins on their faces as they watched the interaction between the Royal Highness and his mates.

The youngest found their gazes disturbing so he opposed, “You taught us to always lower our head when the Royals engage with their mates. But it seems like you are forgetting your own rules, aren't you afraid that watching the Royal Highness with such eyes can even cost you your life. The Commander’s sword is still sharp after thriving in the battle.”

The oldest took a tired sigh and kicked the youngest shin, “What are you implying? You fool! If it wasn't my responsibility to guide you in your first battle, I would have made you eat my sword.”

The other older soldier hushed them with a finger on his lips,“Keep your voices down, if someone heard his nonsense, we will be as good as the detainees in the dungeon.”

“But I stated what I found wrong!” The youngest protested.

“Oh shut up, will you? I'm not staring at the Royal Highness, Oh moon, even it sounds so wrong to say. Listen closely nipper, I was waiting for the Royal omega's reply to his mate's submission. According to the tradition, when the troops arrive and submit their weapons under the Elder’s authority, they get the promised feast in return but when the mates are involved, it changes some things.”

The youngest mouth fell open as his brain unlocked new information, “So what are those changes? Are we going to get something else?”

His head tilted left when a light smack fell above it, “Quiet down. You won't get anything. It's the mates in question.”

Their conversation vanished in the air when the surroundings picked up the chaos. They watched the Royal Highness stepping closer to his mates, his delicate fingers catching the fabric of his skirt and lifting it with a pinch till the hem hovered above their stained hands. The youngest elbowed one of his seniors and asked hurriedly, “What are they doing?”

The soldiers avoided the question momentarily as they were too occupied with the scenery that played for the first time in their life. The Commander and the red haired Beta shared a glance with each other before they wiped their hands on the boundary of the skirt, converting the pale blue satin into a blood red.

The senior sighed finally and indulged the question, “It's called sharing the accomplishments. Whatever deeds we have performed in the battle, its providence will fall on our mates equally. They become the recipients of the bravery, wounds and everything we carried with us from the battle.”

The sound of realisation fell from the youngest lips as he questioned further, “Ahh so was it the change that they received apart from the feast?”

“Are you from Lunar?” The senior asked.

“No.”

“Then stop asking questions all the time. And no it's not. We are going to do the same with our mates once we reach Eclipse. You need to wait and see what Royal Highness will give them as rewards.”

“Oh-okay.”

The Commander bit his lips as he deliberately cleaned his hands on the Royal omega's skirt. The blooming red on the skirt caught Yoongi’s eyes too, his gaze diverting from the skirt to the Commander as they exchanged a few thoughts without words. They remained kneeling on the ground once they freed the skirt from their hold as now the same empty hands were stretched towards the Royal Highness in demand of reward.

The red always looks good on the Royal omega.

Both of them thought alike when the omega's cheeks blushed with red hues. The crowd went berserk as everyone started to pull and push each other in excitement. The soldiers thumped their boots on the ground to tip the scale in the Royal mates’ favour, following to voice the teasing remarks in the surroundings.

Jimin couldn't meet the eyes of his mates as he looked down in shyness. But being the elder of the pack, he has completed all the traditions that followed the war. He can't step back now when his mates have conquered a battle for their people. He moved his trembling fingers and picked at his norigae, the thread becoming loose when the knot unclasped from his skirt loop.

He raised his norigae in the air, the blush blazing above his neck now. Loud whispers of the servants and cheers erupted in the air as if celebrating the arrival of a new festival, Sang held Yunhee in his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips, “Where is my reward, love?”

“Always in your arms.” She answered as she kissed back wholeheartedly.

Jimin lowered the norigae in their stretching palms and wished the ground to split apart when his mates started to separate the tassels in two halves. His norigae gets untied from the middle, one part occupied the Commander's arm like an armband while the other found a notorious place on the red haired Beta’s waist.

“Senior! What's the meaning of this?! Why is the crowd behaving like this?” The crowd ignored the questions of the youngest, along with his seniors who seemed too lost in the joyous moment.

Ah, I miss my mate too.

When are we going back to Eclipse?

I wish to meet her soon. As the purpose of our arrival got completed, it's taking everything from me to not run back to her.

Don't whine under my ear, you fool! Some of us are still mateless.

Oh my poor friend, let me console you with a hug.

I'm warning you! Stay away from my ears!!

The youngest sighed defeatedly, his frustration of being unknown to the most things encouraged him to ask around. His eyes fell on a group of ladies who were laughing and blushing behind their paper fans. He approached them rather timidly and bowed when all of them noticed his presence, “I apologize for interrupting but I wanted to ask a question if you don't mind.”

“What could it be, young soldier?” A lady asked from behind her fan.

“I wanted to ask what does it mean if an omega-mhgnh” A senior soldier jumped from behind and covered his mouth before he could finish his sentence. The ladies gave them weird looks as the senior dragged the youngest away, “Stop embarrassing us in the open!! Can't you wait for a bit? Come here,” He pulled at his ear and whispered the answer.

The young soldier shrieked away with wide eyes when he heard the answer, “A night in his chamber? But isn't it where they always sleep?”

The senior headlocked him in his arms and groaned, “Oh dear kidling, let me explain its meaning step by step.”

~

His feet felt the weight of the bowl in his hands as Nami followed the waning figure of the Alpha deep into the woods. In the back of his mind, he kept traces of the path his feet covered in order to follow Kenji. However, he doesn't know if he should be following the man or not but all he knows is that he needs to discard this weight from his feet, hands and from his heart.

What worse it could be than following this man to no end. Isn't that what he had been doing for ages? One more rejection, one more profanity and one more moment of ignorance, he has become habitual now. Now the words are empty, overflowing with just syllables like the sloshing paste in the bowl.

His grey shoes squelched the new seedlings under his feet as he walked forward, no, it won't destroy the seedling. The pressure will give them the willpower to push forward and bloom once again. His eyes blinked twice as he found the Alpha stopping in front of the thick linings of deodar trees. He noticed a wooden swing clasped by thick ropes in between two trees.

The Alpha plopped down on the swing, his chest coming in contact first as the whole swing started swaying with his weight. His open hairs accumulated on one side and dangled by the edge, that's when Nami saw how half of his white hanfu was soaked with blood, the red trailing coming out of his nape before flowing down to his shoulder blades.

Nami didn't let his feet halt till he reached two feet away from the swing. He kept standing under the sprinkling downpour while staring at the bleeding wound. He was watching the blood mixing with water droplets when he heard, “Since you have followed me this far, why are you hesitating now? Do what you came for.”

His fingers clutched the bowl tightly as he moved his gaze away from the wound, he had to bite his lips harshly before he spoke the few lies of his life, “His Empress sent me here to heal the wound.”

He ignored the cackle he heard in response, “Does the poor omega know you are making him your new scapegoat?”

“I do not wish to entertain your talks. However, I must complete my promise to the Empress.” Nami crossed a foot and stood closer to the swing sideways, he watched the swaying motion slowing down while hovering above the Alpha's head.

Noticing the firm presence of the wizard behind his back, Kenji pulled at the knots of his hanfu and dragged away the sticking cloth down his shoulders. His bare shoulders came in contact with the raindrops wafting a sharp hiss out of the Alpha's lips.

Nami crossed the last feet distance and stacked his satchel on the corner of the swing. He pulled his scarf out of his satchel and wiped off the excessive blood around the wound. He parted the hairs away from the deep slash on the nape, clearing the area as best he could do that he could apply the healing paste on it.

He scooped out the paste enough to coat an entire shoulder blade but dropped it back when he looked at the size of the wound, his fingers lathered the paste from its tips to knuckles and started applying on the slash, “It doesn't look like a sword wound.”

The Alpha was keeping his body taut with deep inhales as the paste burnt on his skin, “Swallowed a blow of Amelia's spell in the northern forest of Strays. She was trying to play with the Empress's head.”

Nami scooped the paste mercilessly at that and lathered the nape entirely, ignoring the sudden jerk in the Alpha's body, “You need to remind yourself that it's not your original body. You aren't the Alpha that used to cast and destroy spells in his youth.”

“I can always borrow another so why be timid about it. Let it rot.. at least it serves the purpose of its bearing.” The Alpha bragged as he tried his best to tone down his painful grunts.

“I heard the omegas of Western land are sensitive to smells so letting your body rot won't leave you appealing in front of them.” His fingers jabbed the paste on the flash with each syllable.

His fingers hovered above the wound when the skin underneath started to shake due to the Alpha's laughter, “Sucks to be them then.”

“How come the almighty wizard Nami Hatwin planned to stay behind in war when your love interest was in the front line with the Royal Alpha? What was his name again? Rally? Rhaily? Reily?” Kenji murmured with his gritted teeth as he pushed the swing to start swaying again.

Nami moved his fingers away, face void of any emotions as he completed the first coat of paste on the nape, “He is not my love interest.”

For the first time, Kenji rolled his face towards the wizard and stared from beneath his elbow, “Then who is he?”

“An acquaintance.” His eyes locked with the swaying ones and didn't divert till he picked up his satchel once again.

An acquaintance, he said. Kenji wanted to ask if he could receive a slap for such acquaintance’s defence then what would Nami conquest if he ever made him a love interest. The thought oozed bitter blood in his mouth that he spitted away from the swing before going back to lay down.

“You must apply a second coat once the first dries down.” Nami informed the Alpha only to receive a waving wrist dismissing his presence at once.

None of them noticed the pull that was attracted them towards each other, none of them noticed the wince their hearts made when their bodies departed away from each other. None of them noticed Kenji’s clean hands and none of them noticed the blood smudged on Nami’s skirt.

~

The people of Western land prepared for the feast to welcome the soldiers, all the dishes and drinks were made under the supervision of the Royal omega himself. Under such crowded halls and dramatic entrances, the murmurs of the Royal couple's whereabouts died down a bit. But Jimin knows it's only for a temporary period of time because once the moment of feast comes, everyone will seek the presence of their Emperor and Empress.

Observing the condition of his brother, it's not possible for Taehyung to attend the feast but if not two then one should come for the event or the crowd won't start the feast. So when the folks of Western land and Eclipse soldiers gathered in the open dining hall, the Royal Highness took the responsibility of inviting the Empress on his shoulders.

Promising the arrival of their Empress soon, Jimin disappeared into the sheds of the chambers. The looming clouds in the sky were a sign that their downpour was far from over but he was thankful that it's over for a while now. He accepted the bow of the soldiers that were standing on the periphery of the Royal chambers, he had to deploy them here to avoid any kind of conflict. After all, he can not put their safety at stake.

Navigating the path of Taehyung's chamber was easy because even after covering his sensitive nose with his scarf, the heavy pheromones of sandalwood was choking the surroundings with its presence. He weighed the boons and banes of disturbing a couple in the midst of their togetherness and somewhere in his mind, the boon of seeing content smiles on tired soldiers’ faces won.

Gathering the purpose in his arms, his hand raised in the air to place a few knocks on the door only to get wood-pecking silence in return. He knocked again with a light huff and stood a bit far from the door, eyes looking at the closed slit of the wooden plank. His purposeful eyes became droopy as he knocked one last time, “Anybody still alive?”

Inside the chamber, buried beneath a heavy arm, only half an eye of the omega was visible. He pushed it one once and then blinked twice to realise his back was buried under something too. The veiny arms were coiled around his face, and comforting inhales were spreading warmth on his nape. The thumping on the door became rapid but there was nothing the omega could do.

He doesn't remember how he slept in such deep slumber, he doesn't recall any memory of sleeping in this position. Does he faint again? When will these embarrassing moments stop? He tried to twist his body around and gasped when the weight suddenly rolled off his back. He craned his neck in haste to see if it hurt the Alpha somehow but seeing the other still sleeping made him slump on the mattress again.

Grabbing and tying his hairs in a bun, Jungkook wobbled out to the door. His unstable hands opened the shackles and dragged the wooden planks backwards to attend to the Royal omega waiting for him.

Jimin was ready to face a sleepy Jungkook or a grumpy Taehyung behind the door but what he wasn't ready was the omega standing in front of the open door with a bare shoulder oozing a plethora of bites. He turned around with burning cheeks, none of his teasing came into his mind when he recalled the promise he had made to mates for later the night. The experience of the younger was standing in front of him with full body and soul, so if he got even a percent of such… such affection then how-

“Hyungnim? Did something happen? Is everything fine?” Unaware of his surroundings and his own posture, Jungkook asked while resting his hip against one of the wooden planks.

“Yes… Yes. Everything is well and refined after the battle. I apologise for disturbing you both but the feast is about to start and you know the soldiers won't start if one of you didn't host.” It would take more than a long breath for Jimin to wipe off the image of the omega swirling behind his eyelids.

Jungkook squinted his barely open eyes when he realised that the Royal omega was talking while showing his back to him, “Why are you turning around like that?”

Jimin pretends to look around the chamber as if he is appreciating the new scenery made by the downpour, “It's been raining so much today, I think it's going to start snowing soon. Aren't you getting chills in your hanfu?” He asked while intently rubbing his neck to create warmth with his fingers.

Jungkook imitated the same action and froze when his hands touched a bare span of his shoulder. He looked down and shrieked while fixing his hanfu back to its place. Jimin glanced over his shoulder and finding Jungkook's flustered face made him gain extra time to wash off his own blush.

“Wear thick clothes for the feast, Jungkookie. It will protect you from the cold.” and unwanted stares. He decided to spare themselves the moment of tormentation and turned around with a waving off gesture, “You should hurry and get ready for the feast quickly. All the people are waiting for their Empress. As Taehyung is not able to join the crowd now, one of you should be there.”

Jungkook smiled at that, still oblivious of the reason as to why the Royal omega isn't meeting his eyes, “I'll be right behind you soon. The soldiers deserve all the praises and rewards tonight. I'm sorry I had to leave you alone to prepare all the arrangements.”

“It's something that I have mastered to do. I'll keep them entertained till you join us.”

It's the formal tone again that was making Jungkook more nervous around the Royal omega, so he asked, “Hyungnim, Is everything alright? Why are you-”

“Everything is fine, Jungkookie. I think the soldiers’ homesickness is affecting me too and I personally have eyes that can see the length of my brother’s love bites on your neck. They are looking… extraordinary.” The Royal omega's tongue ran before he could bite it off when he met Jungkook's eyes finally.

The wooden planks that got closed off on his face were expected and the door clicking shut strikes the nail on his expectation. Behind the doors, the omega was sinking on his knees. He pasted his red ears on the closed doors and sighed when he heard the faint footsteps of the Royal omega. Stumbling on his wobbled feet, Jungkook stood in front of the mirror and looked at his neck.

Extraordinary… was such an understatement for the cruelty his neck suffered in his slumber. Bright, deep red marks covered his scent glands thoroughly and it just didn't stop there. The marks traveled far up to his shoulder and then covered some parts of his nape too.

His fingertips brushed the bruises one by one, they didn't hurt but throbs when he applied more than a little pressure. The more his fingers roam around his shoulder, the more his stomach sinks below his abdomen. He felt something sticky pooling down his thighs and he can't mistake it as a mere sweat in the chilly night.

Rushing to take a quick bath was the only option he could choose so Jungkook trained his mind to not think about anything else. He shamelessly decided to wrap himself in the same hanfu for the night, the purple embroidery on the hanfu was blending with the night and hiding the bruises on his neck perfectly. However, keeping the advice of the Royal omega he decided to take something warm with him.

He took out a fur coat of the Royal Alpha from the wooden chest and adorned it with a warm smile on his face. The man in his mind and heart was still sleeping silently on the mattress oblivious to the feelings he made him feel in his absence.

Jungkook covered the Alpha with a thick quilt before leaving the chamber with silent steps. He wished to return before the Alpha could sense his unavailability because he knows how the absence of one’s mate feels during their vulnerable moment. And he would never impose the same on the Royal Alpha.

The coat covered his shoulders nicely where the furs reached his chin as if hiding the wafting glow from the dark night. Jungkook noticed the presence of guards in front of the chamber who weren't there when he arrived during the evening. He acknowledged their bow on the way to reach the dining hall quickly.

The hall was filled with numerous heads sitting in several rows and columns. The crowd rose from his seats when his presence was announced in the hall, all of them bowing on their knees simultaneously, “Raise your heads, Conquerors.” His eyes shone brightly with fruitful pride, letting his gaze witness the gleaming smiles of the people.

“As promised by the Royal Highness, we are gathered here to taste the delicacies of the Royal cookhouse as the reward for our diligence. I announce to the folks and soldiers to take their designated seats and enjoy the feast.” The declaration made the crowd wild, it started with the striking of plates on the wooden benches, whistles and howls filled the arena till the first batch of maids entered the hall with flasks sloshing with drinks.

He was stunned when a fine glass of drink was presented to him by the Royal omega, “You need to swallow the first drink and the rest of us will follow.”

All the eyes were concentrated on the Royal Empress who was holding the glass in his hand like a foreign entity. Jungkook has only tasted liquor rarely in his life and the sharp smell of fermented grapes proved its identity well in his hands. The liquid was dark red reminding him of the blood they spilled on the Stray land.

He avoided the staring eyes of people and searched for the ones that could calm his nervous mind. He found Yoongi standing at the far end of the middle table, as if awaiting for Jungkook's questioning eyes, the red haired Beta brought his own glass closer to his nose. He sniffed the liquid and sent a firm nod in response to the omega's gaze.

Jimin smiled while watching the interaction between brothers and grabbed his drink from the presented trays, “It's just a fruity mixture for the first round, Your Empress. The hard liquor will be presented after the feast.” He lowered his voice for the omega's ear and said, “Can't trust a hazy omega around his Alpha's rut, can we?”

Jungkook turned his face towards the crowd and avoided the giggling face of the Royal omega. He raised his flask in the air, letting the soldiers do the same and spoke, “The first cheers of the victory goes to the soldiers who penetrated the shell of Strays and gouge their eyes out.”

Several flasks clinked in the air when Jungkook brought the glass closer to his lips and swallowed the first sip. The Royal omega raised his glass next, “The second cheers goes to the people of Western land who survived the chaos and determined their loyalty to the Royals.”

The folks joined them with loud howls and emptied their flasks in one go. The servants kept bringing the drinks till the Royals completed their cheering ceremony. Jungkook was down with one glass when the first row of servants started serving the feast.  He shared his plate with the Royal Highness and amplified the chef's skills by continuous praises.

The ambiance of the dining hall was warm due to the happy crowd filled inside it. People were talking loudly, chanting praises and prayers for the bravery of soldiers. Meanwhile the soldiers were sharing their experience of war in sheer detail, some of them even demonstrating the skill with imaginary weapons in their hands.

Jungkook ate slowly while talking with the Royal omega when the Commander and Yoongi joined them in feast, “It was truly incredible to see your presence at your first war, Your Empress.” The Commander glorified the omega's dignity who turned all smiley after the praise, “It’s all Yoongi Hyung's hard work that reflects in my skills.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes when a hand coiled around his chest and pulled him into the Commander's chest, “ Well I'm yet to combat the Royal guard’s skills to myself.”

“It will indeed be a sight to see.” The Royal omega poked in between the mouthful bites of his noodles.

“I won't recommend it though,”Jungkook said after giving it a thought, “Yoongi hyung doesn't spare anyone, I'm afraid the Commander may feel inferior in his presence afterwards.”

The Royal omega laughed at his ragged comment while it broke out a whistle from the Commander's lips, “What to say, My knees are made to go weak around him.”

Jungkook covered his ears, heaving with his short giggles while the Royal omega blushed heavily. Yoongi remained rooted to his feet and eyed the Commander with a tilted gaze, “Have you drunk a lot? There are pups around us.”

It had to be something vicious that the Commander whispered in the red haired Beta’s ear because Yoongi doesn't ever elbows someone with such force that sends them tumbling back on their feet, “You have gone insane.” He muttered while crossing a few metres to sit beside the Royal omega instead.

~

When the last round of feast was completed most of the folks retired to their huts with full stomachs and content hearts. Now the ones remaining in the dining hall were waiting for the true drinks to arrive. The servants completed their wish when barrels of old stashed liquor were served on their tables.

Jungkook was grateful that soldiers didn't urge him to host the celebration this time and started to nurse the drink all by themselves. His inexperienced body doesn't react well towards the raw liquor so he avoids consuming them altogether.

But there was no one stopping the Commander tonight, it was truly remarkable to see him enjoy the night this freely. Jungkook has always seen him void of free emotions and submitted to his discipline and duties. Now watching him teasing and romancing his mates was clearly amusing.

The arrival of the Godmother was sudden, her long trail followed by five servants clad in white robes were noticeable from quite afar. She looked afresh, just as an energetic being ready to start the curiosities of the day, “Seems like I have arrived at the right time. The smell of bitter cider reached me perfectly.”

She smiled when the Royals bowed in front of her and started showering her blessings on them one by one, “May the moon goddess give you enough courage to honour your promise of the night.” She pointed her gaze at the Royal omega which was enough for Jimin to leave the table with a coughing excuse.

The Commander and the red haired Beta followed the omega with shy excuses as she waved them off without hosting her a drink, “I guess my blessings worked immediately.”

Her attention fell on the Royal Empress who was still waiting for his turn to come, “And my dear Royal Empress, May all your worries find solace in future and make your life easier. That will be my absolute wish for you tonight.”

They shared the same table when one of the servants served a glass to the Royal guest. She blessed the poor soul warmly and tasted the liquor, humming when her palate liked it on her tongue. It's only after she finished her first drink Jungkook decided to ask, “What happened to Amelia now? I meant to ask if she is dead or confined in her barracks?”

Ella waved off her hand in the air and her servant went to the cookhouse to bring more liquor, “She is unconscious in her barracks. I would need the presence of Elders to decide her future, they will weigh her wrongdoings and judge if she deserves the punishment as a mortal of this realm or she needs to be presented to the moon goddess.”

Jungkook listened to everything with heightened ears and focused eyes, “Is it truly possible to cross the realms.”

“For us? It is. For you, it's not. The Goddess Spara, is the sister of the moon goddess. You may have read one of her illustrations, Spells of Spara?” Jungkook nodded quickly, he could recall the firm cover of the book when he recommended it during the healing of Imperial Majesty’s burnt wounds. He had never read that book fully because of its ancient language.

“Centuries ago when they designated the witches as the mediator of two realms, she ascended on this realm to train the true witches. When she concluded her spells in a book, it became a holy scripture for us. My family had protected that book their whole life. It contains the core connection of werewolves and witches and how both are necessary for each other.”

“So does that mean that book can teach one how to cross the realms?” Jungkook asked.

“If they could understand the spells then yes. Taehyung was and is the first werewolf who read it completely, that's how he was able to cross the realms without my presence when he chased… Hwan.”

When Ella mentioned that name, her eyes flickered over the omega who was sitting in front of her, “I had gifted that book to Namjoon or you can say left it under his care when I decided to preach the purity of that scripture to revive the serenity of witches. But I wasn't aware my decision would make me regret one day.”

“You didn't want His Majesty to chase Hwan? Why? I mean there are instances where I heard you opposed their union at the end. I couldn't understand the reason behind it.” Being the victim of curiosity his whole life, Jungkook couldn't stop himself from asking this question.

“It's because the reason is still unknown to all. It wasn't in the end, I was skeptical about their union from the beginning of it. And trust me, if you would be there among us, you wouldn't want him to chase Hwan too.”

The answer twisted something vile inside him. What was that thing that she knew and others weren't even aware of? Not even the man who became the brutal sufferer of such fate, “Why? If I may ask?”

Ella nursed her second drink and rested her head on the backrest of the wooden chair, “Aren't you a curious little bean? You still aren't comfortable with your mate's first love interest, are you? The demeanour of your body changes whenever he’s mentioned around you.”

The omega's shoulders that were squared up in pride of victory slumped a bit when the words settled heavily in his stomach. Jungkook doesn't feel insecure of their bond, he believes the words of Alpha and his vows where he promised to have only one omega for life. It wasn't insecurity from the start, no, but the fear of the unknown.

The possibilities of repeating the past happenings could only scare him when he was fully aware of them. But the truth is that Jungkook doesn't know what had happened all those centuries ago. So whenever the name of Hwan is mentioned, it diverts his mind towards the portrait of the old library and nothing else. Yes, there are bits and blows that he has collected from different conversations but everything is too vague to be connected together.

“You are scared what will happen if he appears again?” Her piercing eyes cling the nail right over the omega's fear.

Jungkook went rigid in his chair, hands molded together in entwined hold but the cold still found the space to seep in between his fingers, awakening the tremors. The enormous alarmed eyes of the omega was the response Ella recognised very well, “Maybe this is the reason why Amelia decided to choose you as a puppet for her spell.”

Jungkook squeezed his hands in a tight hold, he wasn't prepared for the harsh words that would catch him in the middle of nowhere. But the words scratched his fear with sharp nails, uprooting the shreds and leaving the bleeding trials on his skin, “I didn't understand.”

“She must be aware of your fears and who wouldn't? Isn't it easier to feel envy for the man who pursues your mate before you? Generally it is. And she used exactly that against you and if Taehyung's protection circle wasn't around you or he hasn't shared his power with you, you wouldn't notice indifferences in your surroundings enough to alarm Kenji.”

Jungkook couldn't believe that because it's not true. How could Ella diminish his role from a warrior to a support personnel in war like that? Of course he marked his Alpha before the war but the reason behind that wasn't his own safety! None of them knew that Alpha's rut would demand such commitment from him just before the war, it wasn't planned. It could never be planned because he had seen the Alpha's eyes, when he asked him to mark his wrist, it wasn't out of duty or held any ulterior purpose, it was a pure need of their moment.

His thumb nail dug into the knuckles of his combined hands as he stared into those piercing eyes, “It's not true.”

The piercing gaze of Ella melted, moulding the pupils into a more challenging stare, “So you are sure we would have survived the war without casualties if you hadn't marked Taehyung before the war?”

Jungkook hates how the back of his eyes stung and he had to take a thick gulp down his throat to reply dryly, “Yes.”

The sudden laugh from Ella startled Jungkook in his chair as she dropped the fourth empty flask on the table, “It's admirable how you trust your mate. But if the trust runs deep from both sides then why do the dark curtains of the past still hide the identity of Hwan? How come he never indulges you in the afterburns of his defeat?”

Jungkook felt his lips pressing into a thin line, eyes turning into fine slits as he gained the courage in his mate's defence, “I never asked him. I didn't feel the need to bother him about something that no longer exists in his life.”

“Even if the mention of its name bothers you? You would rather pretend to be fine than asking him for answers?” The black eyes of the omega kept staring at her as if she was speaking a language that's been untold to him. So she quickly brought another flask closer to her lips and giggled, “That's something adorable I came across in a while, I must say.”

When the pressure on his lungs reached to the point of bursting his veins, Jungkook's eyes avert his gaze towards the soldiers who were gobbling down a new cuisine. Empty barrels rolling on the table, some scattered on the floor, the stench of liquor becomes heavier in the air, hurting the cavity of his nostrils with its bitter scent.

He covered his nose in an attempt to soothe the coiling acid in his windpipe and started to stand up. He remembered Yoongi's words from his learnings during the afterhours of practice in Lunar, it is advisable to abandon a celebration, a court and a family gathering when your heart says otherwise. And right now his heart is screaming at him to find his Alpha and stay with him. He missed their nest where their bodies and breaths aligned in comfort away from the hardships of life, questions of Ella and the stench of this liquor.

He rose from his seat and bowed generously, “I may take my leave now.” Ella’s gaze was so heavy on his face that he tried to ignore it and turned around. The back of his nape burnt in shame, hands reached towards his chest in an attempt to pull the pressure from his lungs. But his feet stumbled when a forceful wind embraced his waist as a voice cast over him in murmur, “Sit down, Jungkook.”

His feet dragged him a foot back, buckling his knees till he landed on the chair again. His startled eyes turned to Ella who was sitting on her chair in the same stance, holding the flask closer to her lips and eyes closed. The tremors spread throughout his whole body and after a long, long time Jungkook felt the presence of, of… his own mother. His throat closed off immediately, scent turning sour as if his wolf hid in its deepest cave.

The force that made him sit in the chair was still wrapped around his waist and weight on his shoulder got added when he tried to stand up. His hands moved frantically around his body to wave off that touch, he doesn't like it. He hated to be forced into a position where he didn't want to be, “Let me go at once!”

His panicked voice dragged Ella out of her thoughts as she looked at the omega with a soft gaze. She leaned forward on his chair and put the now empty flask on it, “I apologise, dear Empress. I didn't mean to startle you but I truly wanted to convey some words.”

“It doesn't look like the only thing you want to do is talk. Why am I feeling trapped in this chair?”

“Oh that? It's because you didn't wait for my permission to leave and announced it on your own. My hands will leave you once you promise to hear my words without any hindrance.”

Those hands were making him feel disgusted, they weren't stopping at one place so he couldn't hold himself to promise, “I will listen to you, just stop them. I don't want them anywhere near me.”

The hands disappeared leaving an ache behind. However that ache wasn't front the touch but the betrayal he felt by the Godmother sitting in front of him. His eyes turned furious, looking everywhere but the woman who finally decided that she had consumed enough liquor for the night.

“I apologise again, dear. It was inappropriate of me to hold you like that. But you have to feel my concern too.” She proposed while dropping her hand under her chin to tilt her all attention towards the omega.

“Concern?” Jungkook asked, boring all of his anger into a word.

“Yes. In the upcoming time, there could be instances where Kenji or I won't be around, ofcourse Taehyung will be here but he won't be sticking with your skin all the time, would he? During those instances, you have to protect yourself and your family. You are prepared physically, I have seen it all in the war. Your emotions are stable too till someone mentions your mate. But mentally, your mind keeps many fears at bay, you need to empower it too.”

“I'm sure you know the importance of focus when you indulge yourself in a war.”

“I'm aware but when have I let my mind divert from the fight? I can't recall anything like that.”

“It's because Amelia's spells didn't reach you but if they would have, if she had shown you the shared moments of your mate and Hwan, would you be able to concentrate on the fight just as before?”

Jungkook recalled the dark night when he came across that portrait, those letters, he doesn't adapt to everything that well that time. He knew that a part of him keeps Hwan under his unknown fears but was the fear so profound that it would cause him to lose his equilibrium?

“I don't understand what you want me to do.”

“I'm not asking you to ask Taehyung directly, No, I won't push you to do something like that. It's just… I can show you… everything. I can make you the witness of history so that none can use it against you in the future. I can become the mediator who explains what has happened in the past.”

The proposal was absurd to Jungkook's ears when he heard it for the first time. His toes that had been wiggling in his shoes to run away from this table suddenly fell silently on the ground, “Is it even possible?” He had to ask if the woman wasn't bluffing in her half drunk state.

“Yes. I can use my oracle to reflect the memories of my mind. I just need a portal that can become the screen for your eyes.” The glint in Ella's eyes, make Jungkook terrified, his toes squeezed in his shoes again, eyes turning to find an escape.

“Why are you doing this? What's the purpose, gain of yours if I watch the past?” He asked with a breathless face.

The sudden sadness covers Ella’s face as she leaned back and hugged herself, “I want the safety of the Royal family. I want that happiness back which spreads in the surroundings when Taehyung meets his father after wars. I want their differences to dissolve like mist in the presence of the sun and it could only happen if either you or your mate witness the truth of the past.”

“The world knows Taehyung would never agree with me. He would never see his face again. So my last retort, last hope… remains you.”

“So the worries of my well being in a war… Was it all a lie? When the reason was entirely different.”

“No. It was the benefit that you get if you would agree. I wanted to mention it first so you could be far sighted with the idea.”

“I would have agreed if you had started the conversation with the Royal family’s happiness but the way you played with words till you disgorged the truth makes you dishonorable, unreliable. Forgive me but I don't find myself agreeing with your proposal.”

He tried to get up from the chair but something curled around his wrist and yanked him back into it, "Don't make decisions in haste, Son. Years of isolation have made me arrogant and I don't like it either. And if the traits of my personality are making me unreliable then I will try to change them. I wish you ponder on your thoughts again, it's been 1700 years that my son and your mate have consolidated their bond. For many years this family had suffered from the curse of the past. And now you came as our only hope that could fill the gaps between them.”

The grip around his wrist dissolved in the air as he kept staring at the sadness of those tired eyes. Ella stood from her chair and turned towards Chinra mountain, “The hill of Mosnic and Chinra are the portals where the moon meets the shore of Lavin where you all celebrated the autumn moon festival, it would work finely. Now everything lies in your hands, son.”

She didn't turn around, kept staring at the hill as if it was calling their names. When Jungkook pulled himself up from the chair, he felt the weight of that mountain on his shoulder and with each step that he was taking towards Ella, his feet seemed to sink into the ground, “What difference would it make if I witnessed the past?”

Ella turned immediately with a hopely glint swimming in her eyes, “You are the only one Taehyung has accepted inside his heart. Your opinion matters to him, once you witness the past, once you see how everyone tried to protect him. I'm sure you will convince him to listen to your opinion if not ours.”

Jungkook's hand rubbed his wrist in circles as he looked away from her, his hair shadowed his face from that piercing gaze. Ella studied his body slowly and spoke lastly, “I just want them to talk, to be happy in the remaining days of Namjoon till he decides to ascend to the other realm.”

She met the shocking eyes of the omega in the middle when he lifted his head. She nods in sadness, “Royals are advised to change realms once they complete the purpose of their lives. It's important to mention the ratio of immortals on Earth, we can't increase the population, mortals chase it and even find illegal paths to achieve it so it could be dangerous for humanity.”

His feet seemed to sink deeper as he looked in the sky, the crescent move was hiding in between the thick clouds again escaping from his responsibility to illuminate the night. But can Jungkook do the same? Can he also run back to his nest and hide from every information the woman has recited to him?

“How much time would it take?” He asked instead. Despite his heart splitting in half and feet sinking down to his knees.

The gasp Ella let out was delightful, close to unimaginable as she gripped Jungkook's hands in gratitude, “It won't take long. I promise we will be back before Taehyung becomes aware of your absence.”

A furrow appeared on Jungkook's temple as he pulled his hands out of Ella’s grip, “Why? It's not like I need to hide something from him.”

“Y-yes. I didn't mean it like that. It's just he will need you beside him when he wakes up, isn't he?” Her words slurred and stuttered as she clapped her hands twice to call her servants. Soon two servants clad in white robes appeared in front of them, “The time of soldier withdrawal is about to come. Make sure the soldiers who are about to arrive from their border duties will be served well.”

“Yes, Princess.”

The servants bowed deeply and went to distribute the order among others. Ella collected the trail of her dress and stepped away from the table, her body swaying a little with wind but still rigid on feet, “We should leave now.”

It's only for a few moments, a little bit of time that he needs to spend while watching something that he knew he loathes even before watching it. He makes excuses for his steps to continue following the trail of Ella. They crossed the Western gates and started to climb the road to Chinra when she spoke again, “I hope you would forgive me for imposing my thoughts on you. But I just want you to face the past so you will be more secure in the future. Hwan won't come back and you will know the reason. I have decided to show you their past just so you watch it and forget about it so others won't catch this weakness against you in the wars.”

At this point, Jungkook knew she had started to ramble. He avoided her voice and let her gain the lead so he could divert his thoughts to nature. The nature which has taken a wild turn once again, the atmosphere becomes windy, wild gusts pushing their bodies back with each step forward. The grass under his feet, tangling with his boots as if stopping him in his steps. He was observing all the minute things that were hindering his motion and showing how wrong his decision was.

With shaking lungs and misty eyes Jungkook kept following the woman who was now showing him herbs that are reliable to treat one’s burning wounds. His heart started to beat out of his chest when the path turned towards the steep road of the hill. His boot kept sinking in the muddy soil, squeezing his toes in a bone crushing hold till he pulled them apart to walk ahead.

But doesn't the Godmother want well for the Royal family? Her concern for the Imperial Majesty was evident in her words and if witnessing the past could make her calm then why can't Jungkook do it? Why does he feel like his body is about to melt on this muddy path? Why does his chest squeeze his heart as if someone has punched several needles into it? Why does he feel like he is betraying the Royal Alpha by sneaking behind his back?

If he wants answers, if he is truly disturbed by the name of his past mate then shouldn't he ask about it to the Alpha himself? Instead of following Ella in this dark forest, should he ask his mate? It's not like the Alpha has ever forbidden his questions, he has always answered him earlier or later.

He has always done so.

The jumbling thoughts of his mind choked his nostrils as it became impossible for him to breathe any longer. The thought came to a halt when loud cheers filled the silent night, Jungkook turned on his heels before he could stop himself. The border soldiers had arrived for their turn of feast, he squinted his eyes to see them bowing in front of someone. His feet took him towards the shore of the road as he looked closely.

The Royal Highness was back in the dining hall along with Yoongi to host the feast but they weren't the receiver of soldiers' deep bow. Jungkook's eyes swelled with unshed tears when he saw the Royal Alpha gracing the dining hall. Wrapped in a black cloak, the Alpha was standing in the middle of the open ground. His closed throat choked on a half-breathed word Alpha and then his feet moved.

~

Taehyung felt the sweat sliding down his waist to navel when he stirred awake in his sleep, his body was now sticking to the mattress after releasing excessive sweat. His throat rumbled dryly when his body turned under the heavy duvet, eyes closed, his arms moved till they found the empty shores on both sides.

Nothing could make his brain regulate and make him mad so early but the braveness of the omega where he leaves their nest without his ×[permission]× consent has that tendency, “You keep making me feel your absence over and over again. Is this some kind of revenge, Your Grace?”

“I had overlooked it when you left the nest to visit the waterfall last time. I wonder what excuse you have this time.”

He dragged the blanket away from his skin and rolled off the mattress. His joints cracked when he moved his neck sideways, shoulder blades contracting to show the muscles of his bare chest. He twisted his spine with a roll of his shoulder and brought some clothes from his wooden chest.

In order to find the omega early or according to Taehyung, his clothes keep sticking to his skin so what's the purpose of soiling the fresh ones, he decided to wrap a black cloak around his torso before leaving the chambers. His fingers combed his bed hairs as he dismissed the soldiers who were deployed in front of his chamber.

As soon as he walked inside the dining hall, the scent of pungent rosemary filled his chest in urgency. Blinking out the haze of his slumber, Taehyung looked around to find the source of the scent. But what welcomed him were the soldiers bowing on the ground, Jimin and his mate were standing at the other side of the soldiers to host the dinner for the last troops. 

“Be at ease.” His rough voice became an anchor for the soldiers who raised their bodies and picked up glasses to cheer the victory. The Royal Alpha raised his hand, gesturing to the soldiers to finish their drink without him. The soldiers howled when the sweet drink healed their dry throats, the aroma of delicious food filled the air luring their growling stomachs.

Jimin called the servants to serve the food and crossed the crowd to reach his brother, “Finally you have decided to grace us with your presence. How's the pain now?”

“Jimin, where is Luna?”

The question brought an absurd look on the Royal omega's face as if his brother was saying something unreasonable, “What do you mean? Isn't he retired to your chamber after hosting the first batch.”

Both of them stared at each other for a moment before Jimin waved towards Yoongi. The Royal Alpha's hands turned into sharp fists when he spoke, “His scent is bitter, too bitter.” The thread of his patience lost its life when he saw the same absurd look on Brother-in-law's face.

“He was sitting with Godmother Ella when we left to look after the Commander.”

Her. It was her. Taehyung's sharp eyes scanned the dining hall to look for the presence of either of them. But when he found none , three of them scattered in different directions. Jimin went to the cookhouse to see if the diligent omega had started to help the chefs and Yoongi took the path of stables.

Taehyung followed the scent and reached the tables where it appeared heavier than other places. He eyed the scattered glasses on the table but none of them had the answers of Luna's whereabouts. His scent was weaker now as if the wolf had hidden somewhere deep.

Why? Why is the scent so weak?

He crossed the dining hall in a few steps and didn't stop till he reached the bridge posts of Lavin. He watched the water ripple in the silence of the night, flowing without showing its presence just like the bitter scent of the omega. His chest raised and fell rapidly under the cloak, he closed his eyes and heightened his power to hear the frightened heartbeats of the omega.

Tremors.

Footsteps.

Sniffles.

Breathless.

Taehyung opened his eyes, his hands tightening around the wooden post with enough strength to plunge them out. Just when he turned around, the body of the omega collided against his own, sending him a few steps back till his back touched the wooden post.

His arms held the omega tightly, one hand coiling around the wait and the other supported his head on his shoulder, “Shh, You are in my arms. Nothing can touch you.” His grey orbs surveyed the surroundings to pick up any presence lurking in the corners. He murmured the words for the omega's ears again.

But no matter how many times he said those words, the cries didn't stop and then the streak of apologies that the omega kept reciting, “I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, d-didn't want to go. I'm sorry.”

Taehyung pulled him closer till there wasn't any void in between their bodies. He started to sway themselves side by side, caressing the omega's spine with his hand. He doesn't know what the omega has done that he has to apologise so frantically, “Whatever it is, you don't have to apologise like this.”

He tried to pull away to calm the omega but the arms around his shoulders strengthened, latching more onto his chest. He caressed the omega's back from his head to his spine and spoke reluctantly, “Since when you are roaming around with wet hairs? Have you eaten something? I thought you left me alone in the nest because you happened to be hungry.”

Jungkook shook his head which was buried under his Alpha's neck. His fingers clawing the Alpha's shoulder to keep him close and away from… from that piercing gaze. He didn't look back when his feet picked up the pace after seeing the Alpha. He ran away from Ella, from the duties, from the humble work she wanted him to do, from the words and shame, from the humiliation and pride, from the forceful grips and traps. He ran away from all of them.

“Then I must listen to your excuse when you eat dinner with me.”

The Alpha wedged an arm between their bodies and pushed the omega's chest till his buried face came into view. Taehyung's soft gaze turned worried when he saw the tearful cheeks of the omega, “Oh my little Dewdrop… What you have done to yourself.”

Jungkook closed his eyes, pressing his lips shut to stop his short hiccups, pushing a fresh trail of tear down to his chin. The Alpha cradled the back of his head and raised the back of his fingers to wipe the cheeks. His thumb stretched to wipe the lower eyelids that were still carrying heavy drops of tears.

“I didn't,” Jungkook shook his head in Alpha's hands, “I didn't want to, please believe me.”

“I do.” Taehyung whispered out, too consumed in wiping the tears and controlling the rage when the fresh ones streamed out, “I believe in your words. You don't even have to word it out, just open your eyes and look at me. I'll know it all.”

The warm touches on his face calmed his cheeks that had gone numb due to the rapid run he took down the mountain. When Jungkook opened his eyes, he found his body covered with a black cloak. The shivers died down when the Alpha’s scent wrapped around his body in a tight hold. He hugged the black clock against his chest and mumbled, “I don't want her touches around me.”

The Alpha's hand stopped in the mid air where he was about to touch the omega's chin, eyes hardening when he heard the words, “What?” He didn't want to reflect his rage in his words but the wide eyes of the omega proved him right as if the words weren't made for his ears.

Jungkook blinked his eyes rapidly, shaking his head to not recall the bitter memories of Ella's manipulation. Taehyung cupped his face and stood closer to him, “Just give me permission to read, I beg of you.”

The omega's lips parted in a half hiccup that converted in a hiss when he breathed slowly. If Alpha read him, witness the happenings of the night, he would see how Jungkook betrayed his trust, how he followed Ella to the hill. But if he didn't then Jungkook won't be able to tell him everything. And half hidden truths are always more dangerous than the bitter ones.

So his gaze turned miserable when he gave a light nod to the Alpha. Taehyung kept wiping his tears as his grey orbs dilated in focus, the back of his fingers kept moving under the omega's eyelids but the Alpha's mind was far away from the present, and stopped right where the Godmother joined the table in the dining hall.

Jungkook was noticing his face, the changes that occurred in between his perfectly aligned brows, teeth gritting the side of his cheek. His visionary eyes widening, head tilting slowly as if he was hearing something vile. Jungkook's hands came up deliberately to cover the ones that were holding his face in a soft hold.

Jungkook stared at the Alpha's face longingly, waiting for him to come back and hide away his body in his arms once again. But what he heard was the sound of sharp heels thumping on the ground, his eyes moved towards the Western gates and spilled out with fresh tears when a familiar red gown appeared in his sight.

The sudden burns on his neck and waist, made his knees crumble. She was coming closer. The strike of those heels was making Jungkook revisit his worst nightmares. He doesn't know when and how his fingers circled Alpha's wrist. Eyes following the incoming route of heels and Alpha's static vision, he wanted to call for Alpha, wanting to awake him so that he could see the arrival of Ella.

But right when he opened his lips to make a sound, he saw the Alpha's eyes dulling in disappointment. The surroundings become dead to Jungkook, the sound of heels set off somewhere afar because the cracking of his own heart buzzes loudly in his ears.

He did this.

He caused that disappointment with his decision.

He made him angry.

His fingers slipped away from Alpha's wrist, head lulling down to hide his face behind the red curls. His body shivered under the cloak when the Alpha's voice put a stone on his chest, “How dare you..” His nostrils filled with burnt raisins and fingers started to tremble yet he couldn't raise his head to meet the Alpha's eyes.

The caressing hands disappeared from his cheeks, the only anchor that was keeping Jungkook afloat on his feet. He heard a thump over his shoulder and the rough voice roared again, “How dare you!”

His knees crumbled, going to fall right into the deepest pit of earth but before he could kneel down, an arm secured his waist and then when Jungkook looked up. He saw the steely eyes of the Alpha gazing down at someone that made him look over his shoulder. Ella was standing close to him, her hand outstretched as if wanting to touch Jungkook's shoulder but stopped by crushing hold of the Alpha's fingers.

Jungkook breathed out when he realised those words weren't for him, that angry voice wasn't directed towards him because if it was then why would the Alpha still hold him so delicately against his chest. He could see the Alpha's knuckles turning white on Ella's hand but the woman was still staring at him. Her eyes zeroed to Jungkook's face, lips parting, “Come with me, son.”

It made the omega's vision blurry again as his shut lips fought off the sniffles. He blinked his eyes when the outstretched hand got twisted in absurd angles relieving a sharp cry from the woman and alarming her servants.

“Jungkook!”

Jimin ran when he spotted the omega on the ground, his face morphing in shock when he witnessed the entire scenery. He stood closer to the omega, creating a space for him to lean into, “Tae, She's drunk. I will take her back to her palace.”

He proposed but the sharp glare from those grey orbs shackled his feet on the ground. Taehyung loosened his hold on omega's waist when Jimin started to pull him away towards a more secured place. The servants in white robes circled Ella from behind and bowed, “Mercy, Your Majesty. We will retreat the princess back to her chamber.”

The Royal Alpha hissed at their voice and pushed Ella by her shoulder, sending her stumbling back in the servants’ hold, “You are aware of your Princess’ habits, aren't you? Then why didn't you drag her away the moment she started spewing nonsense to my mate?”

He punched a servant squarely on his face, “You were hearing them, weren't you?” His boots found the ribs of the servant and kicked till his back made a puddle of blood on the ground.

He stopped the other servant by his nape when he tried to sneak away, “Why? Won't you take your reward for following the orders of your old woman?” His one punch laid the man coughing on the floor but Taehyung didn't stop, his knuckles struck his white teeth out punch by punch.

The sound of squelching blood filled the area and it wasn't long when the ground filled with soldiers running out of the dining hall, supporting glasses in their hands. They watched the Alpha dumbfoundedly, each one hiding their glasses behind in a rapid motion.

“How dare she use her foul tricks on him!” The servant's neck twisted when the last punch landed on his ear. Taehyung kicked his body to roll on the ground and pluck out the strings of his bloody robe.

Ella was half awake when she felt the strings tightening around her wrists, “Why do you seem angry?” Her slurred voice disgusted the Royal Alpha when he pushed her back into the one alive servants' hands. His knuckles fisted a punch when the sharp cry of Jimin stopped him, “Tae! Stop!”

“If I see her again,” His eyes conveyed the remaining message to the servant who retreated his feet while dragging a sleeping witch in his arms.

~

Taehyung's eyes were fixed on the back of the Royal omega's head as he sat on one of the tables in the dining hall. Jimin was avoiding him, going to lengths of serving the soldiers by his own hands. But the time was ticking and everything was already consuming the last bit of his sanity. So he zeroed his attention to his brother in law, spotted him talking finely to the front line soldiers.

He moved to stand on his feet but a sudden force on his shoulder pushed him into the chair or tried to. The glaring eyes of the Alpha met with the Royal omega’s burning ones, “Stop eyeing my mate in fury.”

“Then stop avoiding me. You said Luna went to the cookhouse for some water. It's been a while.”

“Ten minutes. It's been ten minutes, Your Majesty,” His lips contracted around a fake smile, “He looked like someone who needed a moment for himself, that's why I let him go. Moreover, nobody wants to get close to something that’s destined to blow up. You aren't a person; you're a fuse waiting for an explosion.”

Their challenging orbs fought without words and it was Jimin who rolled them away to speak, “I suggest we wait for a few more minutes. Then you are free to load him on your back.”

“His penance is always the same, a dark corner and a heavy heart. I hate playing hide and seek with a heart that’s too broken to realize it’s forgiven.” He knows that every second that he spends waiting for him is a second the omega spends drowning in his own guilt and he won’t let him be his own punisher anymore.

“Here,” The Royal omega presented a black cloak to the Alpha, “Wear it. You are intimidating the soldiers with your bare arms, let them eat in peace.” Taehyung crushed the drawstrings of the cloak in his hand and pulled it over his shoulder in one gust. He had started the counting of moments in his mind, a few more minutes and then he would confront the hidden omega. The first thing that he will do is burn the bridge that leads to his despair. Right now, All he has to do is wait for just a few more moments.

The cookhouse was buzzing with working maids and servants, some of them were clearing the routes, some filling the drinks, some stashing the desserts on palate, some fixing the plates for the next run while the others were announcing the refill orders from top of their lungs.

The first chamber was filled with chaos, another walkthrough and the next chamber was stuck on the cutting and chopping noises. The smell of fresh meat and vegetables was covering the whole chamber, large knives were handled by the chefs quite skillfully when he sliced the raw meat.

Another walkthrough and the chamber of stoves comes into view, big clay ovens attached with short stoves, several firewoods stacked in a corner. Three long furnaces that sucks out the smoke wafting from the burning wood and boiling food were placed in the middle. The chamber was empty due to the high heat, however, if one looked closely it wasn't vacant completely.

The Empress was sitting in the farthest corner, handful of green onions laid on a wooden plate that he was trying to cut with his small knife. His slippery fingers were trying their best but the freshly washed greens were making the blade slip from his hands again and again.

He pulled away from the table abruptly and picked up the wooden plate to stand closer to the stove. He waited till the moisture from the greens dried out and started to try again. No one will believe that the man who was slithering enemies with his sword was now unable to use this little knife on the board.

The excuse could be his trembling fingers or choking breaths when the pressure of his lungs becomes too much. But still they are excuses because he should be able to cut them in one stance. He took a deep breath and wiped his face with his arms before leaning down to focus on the board.

His body went rigid when he felt the Alpha's presence behind him, the knife hovered above the greens as his vision became blurry all over again. His fist turned pink on the handle when he heard the commanding stride behind him, feet stopping right behind him.

“You need to leave this tendency of hurting yourself when you feel guilty,” His words didn't hold any bite when the Alpha spoke over the omega's shoulders. His hand went forward to curl around the pink one, “I mayhaps be upset with the situation but if that hand touched what's mine, I can do worse.”

His fist slackened and Taehyung curled out the knife away from his hold. He didn't touch the omega, just kept standing close to him. His grey eyes were too busy to study the half of the visible face of the omega. The red tresses were now sticking on his forehead, sweat rolling down to his chin which he kept attempting to wipe with the back of his palm. The hairs were sprawled over one shoulder, his eyes were moving around the neck when his sight caught the remains of scratches.

“Don't move.” He commanded and went ahead to pull the hairs away from his shoulder, the hidden scratches were deep as if someone had dug their nails and dragged the skin apart, “Who did this?”

The Alpha's dark voice spread goosebumps on omega's skin as he tried to hide the marks. The silence behind his back was deafening, so sharp that his sniffles became too evident in the air. He panicked when he heard the retreating steps of the Alpha and moved around to hold his wrist tightly.

“I did. She didn't. It was itchy so-”

A lie.

A lie that Taehyung's roaming eyes captured instantly but he couldn't hold the omega as the culprit because those eyes bound him at one position. Right then and there, the Royal Alpha found out that he loathes these crying doe eyes. It was sickening how torn apart he felt when those dry lips parted to take a short gasp over a sob.

He brought the omega closer by his forehead and rested against his own,“Don't suffer for me so much that I end up forgetting my own sorrow.”

The omega's head shook against him, “I don't-. I betrayed you.”

“I have told you once and I’ll tell you a thousand times more, you don't have a bone to hurt me. You aren't made like that.”

“But today I followed her. I was aware where she was taking me yet I followed.”

“You denied, you opposed and then she used her tricks to manipulate you.”

“I didn't-”

“I have many words that can discard all of your blames but I would rather present them when you aren't standing close to passing out in my arms. If being in pain drives you out of your guilt then let me impose that pain. I warned you to look after yourself. Now, let me show you the consequences of not listening.”

Jungkook's feet swayed above the counter when the Alpha carried him in his arms. He crossed the walkthrough chambers one by one, causing the people to stare at them constantly with their gaping mouths.

See, I told you something was wrong when the Empress walked into the cookhouse.

He looks tired.

Is he suffering from fever? His clothes are soaking with sweat.

I'm glad Alpha carried him out. I visited the stove house two times but it's like my voice wasn't reaching the Empress, he didn't reply to me at all.

*Gasp* What if they are in the middle of an argument?

I have never seen them arguing with each other. What are you even saying?

But good couples do that, don't they?

Does Alpha's face look like someone with whom one can argue?

Doesn't the Empress look peaceful in Alpha's arms?

Look, his eyes are closed.

I heard Alpha was half naked on the ground, he fought with some intruders.

Intruders? What kind of intruders were they?

Not the point, the point is Alpha makes the Empress wear his own cloak and remain bare while fighting.

Moon goddess, we will die single.

Squeeze your lips shut and speak for yourself lady, I'm still in my prime.

You are over 22.

~

The omega didn't lift his head from where he buried it as the Alpha navigated the path of their chamber. He ignored the loud howling and cheers of the drunk soldiers when they walked past them. He heard the gentle voice of the Royal omega wishing him a peaceful night and the groggy voice of his hyung, asking his whereabouts.

He didn't raise his head, didn't wish to see anyone or be seen by them. He kept curling on the Alpha's chest when the cold air touched his sweaty body, discarding his shoes not knowing where. His eyes were hurting, his neck, his shoulders, his heart everything was hurting. The only solace in these surroundings was the ambiance of his Alpha so no matter what collides him on the way, he won't raise his head and leave his comfort place.

He recognised the scent of their chamber when the Alpha stepped inside it. But he didn't stop beside the mattress as the omega assumed, he walked through the chamber till he reached the gates of the bathhouse and entered after removing his shoes.

The sound of boiling water filled the air when the door of the bathhouse opened. From the tilted glances, Jungkook noticed that the bathhouse of this chamber was much larger than his previous one. In the left corner, a furnace was continuously boiling water and from time to time the same water was landing in the plunge pool that was situated in the middle of the bathhouse.

His arms tightened around the Alpha's shoulders when the Alpha started to descend the stairs of the pool. His cold feet touched the hot water first, exhibiting a low gasp of intrusion. His body turned into a stone, a lump of weight against the Alpha's chest when the hot water consumed him.

His feet touched the bottom of the grey marble when the Alpha loosened his grip on his body. He blinked his eyes fully open when their bodies pulled away, the Alpha was staring down at him. He stepped closer to him and soon his numb cheeks bloomed when the warm hands covered them entirely, “Close your eyes.”

It wasn't a plea, it wasn't an order either but before he could recognise the urgency of that tone, his eyelids fell closed. The Royal Alpha diminished the distance between them and wiped the traces of tears till the cheeks returned to their full bloom, “Of all the things in this world that could break me, it’s your tears that do it every time.”

His words landed heavily in the omega's chest, making his lips part to fill the gaps of his hollow lungs. Jungkook didn't open his eyes and let those fingers wander around freely. Taehyung brushed aside the tresses from his forehead and unclasped the hairpin that had fought the ruins the entire night.

The half attended hairs fell open entirely, fingers threading in between the locks to touch the scalp and then they disappeared. A trail of warm water fell on the omega's head, pushing his hands to make a grip on the Alpha's chest. The water kept falling, calming the whimpers of the omega with each trail. The water cured the burden of his head that he was feeling since the conversation with Ella. The motions of the water penetrated the thick hairs to pick up the bundle of nerves and left him floaty.

It was when those same hands plucked out the strings of cloak around his  aak, aak   his eyes to look at the Alpha. The Alpha's eyes were filled with concern, an ache that he so wanted to wash away but it only thickened when their eyes met in the middle, “What did you want to know?”

Jungkook stepped closer, head shaking in denial, “Nothing, nothing. I wanted to know nothing.” His hands pulled away, waving to deny any possibility.

Taehyung collected that cloak and flapped it on the wall of the pool, “There must be something that worried you enough to get lured by Ella.” He removed his own cloak and kept it right above the Luna's.

Those beautiful eyes of the omega, those gorgeous lashes that fluttered with each movement, fell down in shame and made a hole in the Alpha's chest. The omega remained silent as if saving the hurt for both so the Alpha asked, “I can either become upset and torment us both or I can try and uncover the root of your fears. Knowing me well, Your Grace, which path do you think I have chosen?”

The walls of the pool were made with marbles and the hot water was condensing when it touched the walls, making the entire bathhouse misty. Jungkook's hands remained abandoned in the water, flowing with the ripples till they rested beside his waist. He felt so ashamed to even mention that name, “I wanted to know if- what happened with Hwan afterwards. If he returns and-”

Incomplete words hung in the air but they were enough to make a bridge for the Alpha. The pool water covered their bodies up to their armpits so when Taehyung pulled away to circle the omega, half of the water got splashed on omega's face.

Don't go.

Don't leave me here.

I won't speak about him.

Don't.

The thoughts were loud in Omega's mind when he wiped his face and looked up. He wanted to turn around and stop the Alpha from leaving but then he felt the warm hands brushing his hairs on his back. Taehyung collected the long tresses and coiled them up in a loose bun so he could start working on the omega's back.

“And?” He asked the omega to continue his words while his hands went forward and started to untie the upper robe of the hanfu. His bare chest remained half feet away when he peeled away the upper layer, leaving the omega's porcelain arm bathed in hot water.

He discarded the robe on the wall and when he found the silence in Omega's words, he decided to talk, “I can't say that I can deny my link that formed with him centuries ago. But in the wildest fate, if Hwan walked inside Western land, for me he wouldn't be any different from other folks.”

His hand now went for the omega’s waist, where the ties of the inner robe were clasped, “He is a ghost from a life that I no longer live while you are the heartbeat of the one I’m fighting for.” The words landed roughly on Jungkook's skin, jolting him awake from his clouded thoughts. His eyelids brimmed with the tears again but the reason wasn't his guilt this time.

Immersed in the hot water from chest to toes, Jungkook shivered when fingers dug into his stomach while untying the strings of his inner  robe. He tilted his head as the Alpha's face touched the junction of his shoulder, body plain and inviting the words under his ear, “You are not a second choice to me. You are the only one who has chosen me, to make our home.”

When the inner robe stripped away from his body, his shoulder got exposed to the hovering breaths of the Alpha. His hands came up to protect the inner cloth that was sticking on his chest like a second skin but the Alpha's words were making him weak, leaving his heart bewitched and body tingling in water.

The back of his fingers caressed the trembling waist of the omega as he closed the distance between their bodies. He saw the scratch marks that dared to cover his love bites, “That wretch!” His dark voice dripped with malice that made the omega flinch in his arms, “She will remember to not touch you now.”

When the fiery lips moved on his shoulder, Jungkook rested his body against the Alpha’s chest completely. The tongue covered the scratches slowly, lavishing the glint of saliva all around the skin. The touches erupted the scent of pines and that's how the hidden wolf made an appearance in the omega's mind.

“What made your wolf hide like that?” Taehyung asked when he nudged the resting cheek of the omega.

“Those touches reminded me of my mother's presence.” The roaming hands stilled over his waist when he completed, “Kookie is trained to hide in her presence, I never wanted him to see me falling weak in front of her.”

“You are not weak. Forcing someone's submission due to their rank is disgusting.” The hands run slowly down to his abdomen, caressing the tight skin of his stomach, “She deserved all the happenings to her fate and I'll promise you to strengthen her miseries till she asks for her death.”

Jungkook rolled himself in those bulky arms, wet skin gliding effortlessly when he faced the Royal Alpha, “Why are you forgiving me? I deserve these miseries too.”

“Shh, never. I can only protect you from the external forces, not from the ones that you brew internally. I will burn myself if that's what it takes you to share your fears with me. So beware of what you are asking me, because If you ask for a wound, I will take the blade first. And I'll bleed ten times more than you ever could.”

The innocent soul, the one who never felt other than empathy for everyone, shook his head in haste, spilling tears in the hot water, “I don't want to hurt you.”

Taehyung wiped the treacherous tears again, “Then you must promise to share these fears with me before they become a medium to hurt me.”

Jungkook doesn't get to open his lips because they already parted around a gasp when the strings of his skirt get pulled by the Alpha. The heavy folds gathered around his feet that he had to step away when Taehyung dived and collected it himself. The melody of water falling off the skirt filled the bathhouse as it dried on the wall. The omega stood in the middle, garments reduced to his inner clothes and loose pants when the Alpha looked around his back once again.

“Moreover, I think you need to change the trajectory of your fears.”

The water had turned foggy, making it hard to see what it hides under its surface. Jungkook's hands came to cover his chest when the strings of his inner clothes started to loosen under his armpits. The hands that were working to complete this lewd act belonged to the Alpha who were watching the water droplets rolling down on his skin too intensely.

“Instead of worrying about another omega's presence, you need to think about making me yours?”

The omega's ear burnt, lodging the same heat down to cheeks when the fabric of his inner cloth fell apart under the water. The Alpha moved away with a float, body gliding like an effortless ripple till he reached the stairs of the pool. His hand remained under the water, working on not knowing at what but his gaze was turning dark, fumed by the fog that was covering the entire bathhouse.

The omega became breathless when his dripping skirt on the wall got joined by the soaked pants of the Alpha. He averted his gaze when the pants followed by the Alpha's inner braies, his legs buckled on the marble as he steady himself on his feet.

The Alpha moved on three stairs and sat on the fourth one while facing the omega. His gaze remained attached to the omega as the wall behind him supported his resting arms, “In the peak of my rut, you abandoned my nest and preferred to host the soldiers. Isn't it what you should be upset about?”

There wasn't a place on the marble where Jungkook would step and didn't trip in the water. His mouth fell open around nothing as he kept his body rooted in one position. The bare torso of the Alpha was glinting with water drops, consuming his body entirely before falling down the pool. His arms held the weight of his body on the stairs, supporting his head in between the shoulders. His one knee was probed on the third stair while the other leg was stretched till the ground of the pool.

The surface was too foggy to look under and Jungkook swore to not let his gaze wander but his curling toes slipped, making his arms flap on the surface. His inner fabric that he was clutching on his chest floated away, leaving him bare under the intense orbs of the Alpha. He was grateful that the surface of water splashed over his shoulders and hid his bare chest from the filthy expose.

His tongue vibrated on the upper palate when he found the answer, “Jimin Hyungnim showed up to invite me, How would I turn him down?” He reasoned the obvious but wasn't ready for the animosity that appeared on the Alpha's face.

“Jimin is yet to experience the severity of upholding the pain of a mate's rut. But you aren't unknown to it, are you?” The rich voice held an accusation and it made Jungkook disappear in his own feet.

“You knew I would need you the second I wake up from my slumber yet you choose to leave me. If the reason held your moral obligation towards soldiers then I can let it slide but if it's something else-”

“What could it be if not serving the tired but victorious soldiers? Nothing could have pulled me away from you if not the Royal Highness reminded me of feast.” Jungkook took one step closer towards the stairs, eager to explain his part just so the intensity of that gaze tone down a bit.

“But your fears did? Didn't they? You hid away from me till I came to collect you in the cookhouse. Why? If someone has done something wrong, which you didn't, they probably go to their people and ask them to be understanding or the farthest they can ask for forgiveness but the habit of yours hiding from me, burns me to no end.”

The bitten lips of the omega lowered the Alpha's anger, the way his doe eyes bored clouds in his chest could be a subject of study for the future scholars. He admired the patterns of breaths when it became uneven on the omega's lips as he heard, “I hide because I thought I hurt you. You were disappointed when you read me on the ground, I couldn't handle that look of disappointment on your face.”

“It wasn't for you.” The Alpha stated the fact, eyeing the shoulders of the omega when he moved one more step towards him.

“I know now.”

The Alpha stared at the flushed face of the omega, noticing the fallen tresses finding home on his shoulders, noticing the tilted glances on his chest, noticing the movement of those lips that wanted to say more but stop the words at the edge of his tongue, “My fears exist differently than yours.”

The wide eyes matched his gaze with concern, “Alpha has fears?”

The abbreviation played with his heart in the worst ways as he delivered a deliberate nod to the omega, “Too many and they all revolve around you.”

Jungkook’s feet reached the bottom of the stairs when he realised that he was standing close to the Alpha, “Me?”

The veins in the Alpha's arms flexed tightly when his grip on the marbles increased, “The amount of fluids you lose in basic hours scares me. It makes me wonder how you would survive my proximity without passing out. My fears run like that from the day you placed your mark on my wrist.”

The voice touched Jungkook in a way that left him a slave to the Alpha sitting in his front. The gaze lured him forward when the surface of water slid down to his armpit as he ascended his first stair, “I’m afraid of myself now. What if one moment, I couldn't hold myself back and disrespect your dignity. I would be ruined.”

The omega stumbled on his second stair but Taehyung had his hands trained on the wall and didn't reach out when the omega squeaked while placing his both feet in between the Alpha's legs.

The water was touching them equally from one skin to another, it kept floating in between their hazy eyes and uneven breaths. One pair of eyes was begging the omega to not ascend that last stair while the other pair was submitted to the words.

“I don't want your hands on me.” Taehyung whispered his fear that was present in front of him in the form of submitted omega.

“I won't touch you.” The omega agreed and still his feet crossed the last stair. The level of the water decreased, Jungkook breathed when the water fell down to his waist, making him stand bare in front of the Alpha whose jarring expressions changed his heart to beat differently.

The yearning of those eyes followed the drop of water that started to descend from the omega's eyes, sliding down the bridge of his nose and and catching his lower lip. With a lungful gulp of the omega, it slid past those lips and joined the collarbones where some handfuls of them were sloshing against the skin.

The streak of water travels down, following the harsh breathing of lungs. It created a path on the right side where the line of water drenched the porcelain skin till it arrived on the swelled mass of omega's chest. It travelled to the peak and kept latching on the bud as if sucking away the nectar till its death arrived.

And it arrived.

In the form of another streak, he waited for his turn and pushed the previous one down to the pool.

His nail bled against the marble when Taehyung pulled his gaze away from the omega's chest. His raging eyes found the omega's pleading ones and demanded, “Leave. I don't want to touch you in the middle of nowhere. I need to worship you somewhere safe, where no one could hear your soft keens.”

Jungkook was staring at those lips with longing eyes. He understands the Alpha's fear, he knows that he won't be himself once those bleeding hands land on his skin. But how could he leave without the Alpha's scent on him.

“I want-”

“I will.” Taehyung closed his eyes, brow furrowing as if the proximity was physically hurting him, “I want to kiss you, drench you in my scent.”

But not here, where his patience reached the height of its solitude.

The unsaid words were heard by the omega when he started to move and stepped away on the next stair. His loose pants were now sticking to his thighs, creating creases on the cotton cloth. Taehyung didn't open his eyes till the omega changed his clothes in a fresh robe and tied his hair in a dry towel.

Jungkook clutched the door in his hand when his feet betrayed him the umpteenth time. He looked at the Alpha who had thrown his head on the wall, “I will be waiting for you.”

The sentence floated in the air and made Taehyung groan when the door fell shut in silence. The ache in between his legs reached its peak when the swaying water made him hiss. The aroused slick in the discarded clothes of the omega tore apart his last thread of patience.

He eyed the soiled pants and wrapped his fingers around the thick girth of his cock. He needs to relieve himself before being able to stand in front of the omega, to kiss him. Those lips, the pleading doe eyes and the porcelain skin of his chest, tight buds. He bit his lips and threw his head to the ceiling when the images behind his eyes slid past the dignity of souls.

The knot swelled in his fist and Taehyung grunted when the first bead slipped out of the slit. His chest thrived on the stairs, ribs rising and falling with uncounted breaths. His blurry eyes stared at the ceiling till the black dots disappeared and retained their light.

I will be waiting for you.

Everything is yours.

He pushed his hair behind his forehead and sighed in pain, “He doesn't know what he is doing to me.” His arms bulged out as he rested his head on the crisscrossed palms. He knows the remnants of tonight's memories will keep swirling in his mind till the sun cools and the ocean dries. And he will keep wanting to touch the omega again and again.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜.

I have completed this work after taking two days off from my work.

I hope it turned out well and you enjoyed the chapter.

Good night, lovely readers.

Now I need to wash my clothes, change my sheets, clean my room and eat dinner and prep for tomorrow.

You take care as well, I love you all💜.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜.