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Jeongguk knew his decision of taking a sword with himself was correct when he saw how Nymphaea tried to scare him away yet once again.

Luckily though, this time she was far less aggressive than last time.

“Don't you dare try to bite me again, big girl.” Jeongguk growled, his sword pointed at her as he slowly walked towards Taehyung’s main door.

Nymphaea hissed at him, showing off her teeths as if taunting him.

“You really like showing off, huh? Show it to someone else,” Jeongguk grumbles as he knocks at the door while making sure the tigress knows he's still keeping an eye on her. He doesn't trust her, at all.

The alpha takes a sigh of relief when the door opens and Taehyung emerges from within. “My Lord— Oh Nymphie No! Didn't I tell you, he’s a friend?”

Nymphaea grumbles at him but backs away. She looks at Taehyung as if he has just denied her play time.

“I really apologise on her behalf, my Lord. Please come in!”

Jeongguk lowers his sword as he walks in. Taehyung quickly closes the door after giving a light glare to the tigress.

“Are you sure she’s not a hell hound or something? Why is she so out for my blood?“ Jeongguk grumbles, glaring at the closed door as he puts the sword back in the scabbard.

Taehyung’s little smile falls at his comment, “I really apologise on her behalf, my Lord. She’s just extremely protective of me and her cubs and hence doesn't trust people easily.”

Jeongguk shakes his head, “Alright,”

“Thank you for your understanding, my Lord. How may I serve you?”

“Didn't you say I shall come in the evening so you could check up on my wounds?”

Taehyung’s eyes widened, “Oh yes, of course. I just didn't think my Lord would actually…“

“Well, you shouldn't think on my behalf, then.” Jeongguk grumbles, putting the scabbard aside.

He stares at the omega who remains unmoving, “Will you be standing and staring all day or would you actually prefer to attend to your patient.”

“Yes, yes of course, my Lord! Please sit down, I’ll bring my remedies right this instance.”

Jeongguk sits down on a wooden chair as he watches the omega go into the room the alpha was sleeping in the previous night. Jeongguk assumes that’s his work room considering all the dried up herbs hanging around.

“I was wondering one thing…” Jeongguk started when the omega came back with a tray. The tray had a scissor, vial with remedies, and a straw box filled with cotton and bandages.

“Yes, my Lord,” Taehyung mumbles, taking a scissor to cut the old dressing.

“Why is she still here? It's way past the mating season. Actually, where is her mate? The cubs are too young, why is she all alone?” Jeongguk questions, unable to stop himself.

It's a ridiculous thing to ponder upon, it's none of Jeongguk’s business. He could care less about such trivial things and truthfully, Jeongguk truly doesn't care about it. But he wants to talk to Taehyung, and wants to hear his sweet, sweet voice.

He wants to wrap inside himself in his deep, baritone voice. Jeongguk doesn't seem to get over it. The whole afternoon while resting, Jeongguk has done nothing but repeat Taehyung’s words over and over, no matter how irrelevant the conversation was.

He just loves hearing the omega speak.

“My Lord.. Uhm.. She was abandoned after she gave birth.” Taehyung bites his lips. It still pains him to think about how the male tiger abandoned her and their cubs so easily.

“Why?” Jeongguk asked, stretching his hand so Taehyung could remove the old bandage and clean up the previous paste.

“After the mating season, most tigress give birth and with the cubs, they have to immigrate. if any tigress gives birth to any weak cub, they abandon the cub and move along… All the cubs Nymphie gave birth to were born weak.. She refused to abandon all of her cubs so her mate abandoned her.” Jeongguk took the information in. He wasn't a big of an empath person but right now, the alpha couldn't help but sympathise with her.

Survival of the fittest.

It's the rule of nature and Jeongguk understands that it's an essential part of how things work, it can't be changed but… Just because it couldn't be changed didn't mean people didn't suffer because of it.

“I found her when the cubs were only five weeks old. It was over a month since the mating season was over so I was allowed to live here. Nymphie was at the verge of death. She couldn't hunt when she had recently given birth and had four cubs to look after. She was deeply injured so I took care of her and nursed the cubs and got her back to health.” Taehyung goes on all while working on reapplying the medicine on Jeongguk injuries.

“They're healing well. I think you'll be nursed back to health within a couple of days.” Taehyung mumbles, poking the skin to inspect properly.

“mhm.. Yeah I've been told so.” Jeongguk mumbles off-handedly.

“Is that why she's so protective of you?” Jeongguk questions while Taehyung takes pieces of cotton to press it against the paste and then tie with the bandage roll.

“Huh?... oh, yeah, I suppose. My Lord wouldn't believe but when I found her, she couldn't even move when I went near her pups. She's fiercely protective of her cubs and I suppose….” Taehyung chuckles at his own thoughts. “She views me as one of her cubs.”

Jeongguk nods, that's quite a possibility. Taehyung has that sharp yet soft features to pass as a little tiger. A cute little cub.

Though he'll never say it out loud.

“Is it done?” Jeongguk questions once Taehyung ties up the bandage and starts to put everything back on the tray.

“Yes, My Lord,” Jeongguk nods, standing up.

“Then, I'll take my leave.”

Taehyung nods, giving a light bow.

“When should I drop by for my next dressing?” Jeongguk asked, taking his sword and taking out a small pouch which was kept within his hanfu.

“Those freshly made remedies last normally around sixteen to twenty four hours. I suppose my Lord should get it changed by tomorrow afternoon.”

Jeongguk nods before he hands over the little velvety pouch to the omega, “Here, consider this as your payment.”

Taehyung frowns from the sound of the jingling of the pouch. His eyes widened when he found gold coins inside the pouch.

“My L-lord.. I— I didn't do it for this.”

Jeongguk rolls his eyes, “Just keep it, I wouldn't subject myself to your service for free.”

“But my Lord—”

“It's an order.” Taehyung shuts his mouth at that. He gives a 90° bow to the alpha. “My Lord is generous, thank you.”

Jeongguk hums, telling him to stand up straight.

“I'll take my leave now. I wouldn't need this while going out, would I?” Jeongguk asked, giving a little shake to the scabbard in his hand.

Taehyung shakes his head, “I hope not, though I'll accompany his Lord for safety measures.” Jeongguk just nods as he follows the omega out of the home

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The next time Jeongguk visits Taehyung, he's determined to befriend the tigress and her little cubs.

Since it was clear that Jeongguk had to visit him for the next couple of days, the least he could hope for is not to get jumped at each and every time.

And he had the perfect plan to befriend them or, at least stop her thirst for his blood.

Jeongguk looked down at the bag of meat he was carrying with himself towards Taehyung’s cabin. There was no way the baby cubs could resist him now that he was coming with treats for them.

Surely, the tigress would refrain herself from attacking him now, right?

Wrong.

The effects were actually quite the opposite.

When the alpha had finally reached Taehyung’s home, he had found the omega cleaning up the outside windows of the home.

“I need to get my dressing changed.”

“Yes of course, my Lord.” Taehyung had immediately said, putting the rag down as he moved to wash his hands from a jug kept at the wooden table on his porch.

“Uhm.. What is my Lord carrying?” Taehyung asked, eyeing the black bag with confusion.

“Oh this…” Jeongguk glanced at the bag before shrugging his shoulders in a casual dismissal. “I just bought some treats for the cubs. Since their mother seems to have a liking for biting me. I thought I could bribe her through this.”

Taehyung couldn't help but giggle at that. He really didn't quite understand this alpha. He was adorable one second and an asshole right the next. It was confusing just as much as it was entertaining.

“That’s very considerate of you, my Lord. Thank you!” Taehyung bowed slightly.

Jeongguk nodded absentmindedly, looking for the chaos of the cubs. “Well, where are they?”

Taehyung bites his lips, “I believe they are on a run along with their mother, my Lord. Perhaps, my Lord should come in so I could change the dressing by then. I’m sure they will be back by the time I'm done.”

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Turns out the omega was right.

By the time he was done with the change of his dressing, the cubs were back with their mother.

Jeongguk ignored the way she hissed in anger when she noticed him. The alpha rather focused on feeding the cubs while Taehyung stood right beside him.

Instructing him on which cub likes which part of the mutton. Even bringing a knife to cut them into smaller pieces so they could eat it better. Not once did Taehyung try to give them the food himself though.

When Jeongguk offered it, Taehyung declined with a polite smile. His justification was that the cubs needed to get familiar with Jeongguk and it was his time to bond with them. Surprisingly, even Nymphie seemed to be fine with Jeongguk feeding her cubs.

Everything was going well.

Well, until Jeongguk tried to offer a big piece to Nymphie. She attacked him. Nothing happened, luckily. Though Jeongguk is sure if it wasn't for Taehyung, the tigress would have gone for his neck.

Truthfully, The alpha was genuinely confused as to why she attacked him when he only wanted to feed her a little. Taehyung explained that apparently, tigers take a lot of pride in hunting their own food. They do not like being fed by someone else. The only reason she sometimes accepts food from Taehyung is because he was there with her in her lowest points.

If anyone else tried to do the same, then she could take it as an attack to her pride and ability to hunt for food herself.

Jeongguk could only curse at himself for not knowing this beforehand. Here he was trying to befriend but it seems like the world is not on his side, at least today.

What a way to impress her, Jeongguk grumbled to himself internally.

Well, at least the cubs were happy with him. Zeena had even licked his hand and asked for pets. So Jeongguk would take it as a win.

And for the next couple of days whenever Jeongguk had to visit, he would bring treats for the cubs.

And if Jeongguk read books on the nature of tigers and how to befriend one grumpy tigress, no one needs to know.

In his defence, since he was going to drop by for quite a while, he might as well befriend her right?

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Love you, mwah!