Sorry for not updating last week. Like I said, life is a bit hectic right now. Mom is recovering well. I might not be home again this weekend. So updating early. Take care of you all.

***

Jimin never thought he was capable of being possessive or obsessed with someone or something. Then it was natural for him to feel this way, wasn't it?

He stood in front of the bathroom mirror after a quick shower, taking in his slender form. There was a natural glow to his skin now and he appeared healthy. His bones were no longer protruding, but he wasn't fat either. Just healthy.

Perhaps it had to do with his healthy mental state. Despite giving up the strict diet, he stayed fit. Thanks to his new exercise regimen. His smile faltered when his fingers fluttered over the thin, fading scars on his hips and thighs. It always made him conscious. He looked away from the mirror and grabbed the bathrobe.

The omega by nature was soft-spoken with a warm personality. Despite his shitty life that threw huge ass rocks at him at every turn, he always had a smile on his face before it was forcefully ripped away from him. It had taken him years and countless therapies to reach here. His life had demanded he take a few ugly turns and forced him to be ruthless when the situation called for it.

For years, he had traveled with Taehyung, living under all sorts of conditions. There was never a permanent place in his life that he could call home. Taehyung was his safe place and home.

There was never a moment of safety when Taehyung wasn't around and Jimin had gotten used to being always on guard. But then these past months had been heaven. He finally felt safe and protected. He now had a place to call home. A place to build his nest and possibly a family.

Jungkook was his future mate. The alpha was a pleasant surprise he didn't account for. Desperate times called for desperate measures and he had agreed to ease the burden off Taehyung and to protect their lives. Minhyuk wasn't giving up going to extreme measures to take him while Taehyung was ready to end his life if it came to that, seeing it as the final choice.

Then came Jungkook like spring after winter, an oasis in the middle of a hopeless desert. Though Jimin agreed to be his mate only to escape the worst fate that awaited him, he didn't expect Jungkook to commit to him fully.

The alpha was far too honest and loyal, always forthcoming with his intentions. They have come far and their relationship was at a stage where both knew what they wanted. Jungkook had vocalized his intentions several times and there was never any doubt in Jimin's mind. He wanted the alpha as much as the alpha wanted him.

The omega never thought falling in love was an option in his life. It was a luxury he could never afford. He always thought he was broken, but for Taehyung's sake, he wanted to try and be good. Only he hadn't expected an outcome where everything naturally fell into place.

He had been scared shitless when Jungkook punched Taehyung that day before announcing that he was his pack alpha from now and not Taehyung. He had been shaking like a leaf when he put himself between Jungkook and Taehyung.

At that time, Jimin always thought he would have to put up with whatever the alpha sprung on him. Jungkook seemed intimidating. Even when he trusted Taehyung, there was always this fear deep inside him. Then Jungkook had surprised him at every turn.

Their dates were limited, but Jimin thought every time they got to spend together was special. The alpha's undivided attention on him and the way he took care of his needs even before he voiced them out was heartwarming.

There was a side to Jungkook no one knew. A side that longed to be loved and held. A vulnerable side he only let the omega see. A side that he would cherish forever.

If Jimin had any fear about getting intimate with the alpha, it had been wiped away last night. His cheeks stung at the memory. Jungkook had been so gentle and caring, mindful of his reservations. He was careful about his boundaries, never pushing and never asking for anything he wasn't ready to give.

In those moments of intimacy, his love and care were the only thing Jimin felt apart from the immense pleasure. It was important for his omega, something he never realized that mattered until that moment. His trust in Jungkook had grown like a mountain.

His therapist would be proud that he had taken that step, finally. He was able to trust someone to take care of him. He could already imagine the omega therapist telling him they were proud of him.

The omega took a moment to analyze everything and realized there was no regret or fear, only satisfaction and a feeling of comfort. He traced the chain that was wrapped around his neck. Jungkook gave it to him two weeks ago after dinner. It held a cute dragon pendant and a moon. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror before securing the robe around his body.

Maybe one day, he would be able to be less conscious about his scars and bare himself in front of Jungkook. Deep down he knew the alpha would cherish him no matter what, but he needed a bit more time.

Soon, alpha. Please wait for me a bit more.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, Jungkook's wolf was in front of the door, waiting patiently. It sat up from its previous position, tail wagging and ears pushing back in a greeting. Jimin smiled. He knew how it felt to lose control of his wolf.

Jimin was often stuck in his wolf form during his heats too or when he felt threatened. His wolf wouldn't give him back control easily and sometimes it took days. Now Mama Kim had taught him how to control his animal side.

He didn't think Jungkook's little trouble was bothersome. This was the first time he met his wolf. It was natural for the animal side to want to spend more time with its mate. He was endeared with the knowledge but also prepared to put up with him if he went all alpha on him. After all, the wolf was possessive.

Taehyung was already dressed and ready to leave. However, one look at their vanity table told him what his friend had in his mind. He lifted a brow when he noticed the clothes he set out of his bed. It still surprised him sometimes how his soulmate always read his mind.

He didn't want to go overboard with his attire or show he tried hard, but he didn't want to look shabby either. The outfit included a turtleneck sweater and black slacks, pairing it with a burgundy varsity jacket. It looked casual yet elegant.

Taehyung dragged him to the stool, wordlessly starting with his hair and makeup, which were kept simple. His silver hair was parted to the side, a simple silver hoop adorning his ears. With a little bit of eyeshadow to highlight his eyes and a dab of his favorite lip gloss on his plump lips, he was done.

"Jungkook, close your eyes," he said as he padded toward the bed. When he glanced back, the wolf was sitting with his back facing him, eyes closed. He chuckled, dropping the bathrobe to change into the clothes quickly. He checked his appearance, satisfied with his looks. Jimin turned to the wolf. "You can look now."

The wolf obeyed instantly and came up to him, rubbing its body over his legs. He bent to cup its head, scratching behind its ears before brushing his cheeks with the wolf, effectively spreading Jungkook's sandalwood scent on him. This seemed to satisfy the wolf because it yipped, pulling away and heading toward the door with a swish of its tail.

"You ready?" Taehyung came to stand beside him.

"Ready to protect what's mine? Yes." Jimin's eyes narrowed.

***

"Show me to my room. How dare you keep me waiting like this?"

The woman was loud. Even before he entered the huge living room, he heard her. His nose scrunched upon smelling the sour Vanilla scent filling the place. The hall was crowded. His two brothers and Yoongi were there with Isabella and two other men he didn't recognize.

Isabella was beautiful with naturally wavy brunette hair and delicate features that were a gift of her Italian ancestors. Her eyes were a beautiful blue that reminded him of clear skies. She was dressed in the latest fashion and if she wasn't someone who wasn't trying to steal his mate, he would have appreciated her style. She had two bags with her, all red and matching her red stilettos. The woman had a taste.

"What's going on?" The sound stopped at Jimin's question. The wolf walked in front of them and all attention was on them at once.

Right on cue, she turned, eyes boring into him. Her nostrils flared and he recognized the moment realization dawned on her features. A smirk tugged at his lips.

So you know.

"You!" she sneered. "Where is Jungkook? Bring him to me right this instant!"

The black wolf barked once, a soft growl rumbling off his chest. Her eyes flicked to the wolf and the next moment she let out a terrifying scream.

"Take that thing away!" she screeched. "Eww who allows a fucking wolf inside their home?!" She jumped back when the wolf let out a growl. "Get that thing away from me!"

Jimin let out an amused chuckle and he thought the wolf Jungkook scoffed too. Because it bumped into his hip once, strutted to the chair he often sat and hopped on it before settling his massive wolf form as comfortably as he could within the given space.

"Who are you?" Jimin asked. "Why are you here?"

"Stop pretending you don't know me. Where the hell is Jungkook? I'm not talking to the slut who stole him from me!"

Namjoon growled, his eyes dangerously flashing red. "That's my brother you're talking to and our pack omega if I may add. Call him that again, I'll rip your tongue off. La Costa Nostra can go and fuck themselves."

She cowered, swallowing audibly. "That's fucking rude!" She turned to the guys. "You're allowing him to do this to me?"

The men looked uncomfortable, eying each other. One cleared his throat only to be cut off by Seokjin. "Save it. Don't forget you're in our home. You barged into our home and if you think we will let this slide then you're wrong."

"Seokjin-ssi, we apologize. Ms. Isabella didn't know he is your pack omega."

"Should I remind you of the etiquette, Yong-Rae-ssi?" Jimin's dad came out with his mom. "You might not have known that Jimin is our pack omega, but she should know better than to disrespect my son in his own home."

Jimin felt the warmth flood his chest as his brothers and father stood up for him. He smiled inwardly as he glared at the omega.

The woman shook with anger, her scent was too sour and he suppressed the urge to gag. "Control your scent, Isabella," he said, staring at her pointedly. "I do not appreciate foreign scents in my den."

Her features darkened. "You expect me to obey?" She gritted her teeth. "This might be your home, but Jungkook is my alpha. You are the intruder here. It's not the other way around. I'm here to talk to him. If he isn't here, then I'll wait. Like I said, show me to his room."

"And I said you cannot stay here," Namjoon growled. "Leave this instant if you know what's best for you."

"Namjoon-ssi, you cannot dismiss her like that," the second councilman spoke. "She has a leather bracelet Jungkook-ssi gave her as a courting gift." He gestured at her and she lifted her hand, proudly showcasing the bracelet.

Jimin growled involuntarily but Yoongi stepped forward this time. "So you were the one who stole that from him? He was searching that everywhere after that party."

That was news to Jimin, but it wasn't surprising.

"Liar!" she growled. "Call him and he will tell you the truth."

Jimin exhaled. He was growing tired of her attitude. "My alpha is otherwise indisposed," he said, going to sit on the three-seater couch that was beside Jungkook. He took a seat, crossing his legs at the knee as Taehyung went to sit on the arm of the chair Jungkook was lounging.

"I said I don't want to talk to you, asshole!" Her fists clenched by her side. "Where is my alpha?"

Jimin momentarily closed his eyes to suppress his anger. "You're in my home. I want you to remember that while you're here and if I were you I'd be very careful of my words."

"Your home? I know you weren't born into this family. You call them family when they're blood." Isabella scoffed. "I saw him first. I sent him the courting proposal first." She pointed at her chest. "We were happy together and suddenly I hear there is another omega in his life." She clenched her jaw. "It is in my right to be here and take back what rightfully belongs to me."

Jimin sniffed, reclining in his seat as he reached with one hand to scratch the wolf's neck. "Are you telling me that you were dating my alpha?"

One of the men who was standing with her stepped forward. "Yes. That's what we heard," he said. "Mr. Park, I know Alpha Jeon claimed you as his mate to our fellow council members. As you might know, the situation is a bit complicated. We already have a pending petition from Kang Minhyuk claiming that you're his intended. Now we have Ms. Isabella here claiming the same thing. We also have evidence to prove that Mr. Jeon has indeed received a courting proposal and if I'm not wrong a courting gift."

"Alpha Jeon rejected the courting proposal," Yoongi intervened. "The courting gift that followed after the rejection was returned with a nice reminder."

Jimin scoffed. "You said Jungkook gave you a leather bracelet as a courting gift, then contradicted that statement by saying you sent him a courting gift first. Which one is true? I'm aware that he rejected your proposal and explained the reason to your father."

"Stop lying. Jungkook never rejected me. I have proof that we are together." She fumbled inside her bag and grabbed something. When she lifted it, he saw it was a set of photographs of them together at some party. "He told me to keep it between us until we could make it official. This was our last public appearance. Jungkook promised to finalize our mating once he was back home. Everyone who saw us that night knew we were courting."

"That was one of the corporate galas," Yoongi said. "I was there with Alpha Jeon and you came up to him first. He accepted your offer to dance since he didn't want you to lose face in front of the others."

"Whatever happened between us that night after the party happened in the privacy of his suit. Alpha Jeon doesn't have to update his associate about his whereabouts, does he?" She smirked.

Jimin hummed. "Then why don't you tell me his scent?" he asked, his fingers digging deep into the wolf's fur. "What does he smell like?"

Isabella blinked. "I-I...um...he, ah...he was using scent blockers." She swallowed.

"What is the color of his wolf?"

She chuckled. "What kind of question is that? We didn't talk about his wolf. If you're wondering, we were busy." She smirked. "Doing other things." She inspected her nails as the wolf let out a rumble of growl that vibrated along the floor.

A visible shudder ran through her body and the smugness left her face. She stepped back, eyes boring into the wolf.

"I wouldn't challenge an alpha like that," Jimin said in a smooth voice. "For someone who is terrified of a wolf, you're too brave to look in the eye." He inhaled with a hum that was laced with a smile. "Do you know alphas are territorial beings? They don't like it when some random wolf trespasses their territories and spreads their wretched pheromones like a bitch in heat. They sure don't like it when they disrespect their omega right in front of them."

"I wasn't challenging an alpha!" Her eyes went wide. "I'm merely staring at a mutt that shouldn't be here." She pointed at the wolf. "He's getting his hair all over the furniture."

The growl Jimin let out didn't have enough time to warn her because he crowded her space, fingers enclosing her tender neck, body twisting to slam her against the nearest wall. The wall was at least ten feet away so she hung like a rag doll when he dragged her at the speed of light.

"Call him a mutt one more time. I dare you," he hissed at her face. "If you were really dating Jungkook, then how could you not tell who that wolf is? How did you not know his scent? If you were as intimate with him as you claimed, you would have known it already, wouldn't you?" His grip tightened around her neck. "I already warned you once, didn't I? I returned that jacket to you. What did you not understand? Are you perhaps here, hoping to seduce him?" He chuckled. "Good luck with that. Listen to me and listen well. Jungkook is mine. Stay away from him and my family. If you know what is good for you, that is."

Something brushed against his hip and he turned his head to see the wolf standing there. He let go of the woman, watching her clutch her throat with a cough.

The council members shifted from one foot to the other. "Do you need more proof?" Jimin asked nonchalantly. "This woman not only lied about courting my alpha but also disrespected him in his own home. She couldn't even recognize his wolf. Punishment for such disrespect in Jeon's household is death."

"Please..." The councilmen stepped forward. "We apologize for the trouble. I'm sure there is a misunderstanding somewhere."

"What is there to misunderstand when someone says 'no'?" Jimin folded his hands in front of him. "The word holds only one meaning, which is 'no.' I don't owe Minhyuk an explanation as to why I rejected his advances. He is an asshole. I'm not inclined to accept his courting proposals just because that motherfucker didn't know how to respect someone's personal boundaries. Same way, Jungkook doesn't owe an explanation as to why he rejected her proposal. As far as the council is concerned, we are courting each other with mating in mind. As you can see, I live with my alpha and this is my home now. I've been a part of the Kim family for several years. Even before Minhyuk or Isabella was ever in the picture. Jungkook is not only my mate but the alpha of our pack. If you have any concern regarding me, then it should be addressed to him directly."

The councilman nodded. "We apologize again. The La Cosa Nostra—"

"Doesn't have the power to get in between two lovers just because they want to marry off their only omega to a most eligible bachelor in the country," Jimin cut him off. "Jungkook was never available. You keep pushing your boundaries with my alpha. Last night, Minhyuk's men tried to take me away from the hotel where I performed. If you were concerned, you would take action against that asshole. But you're here, working on a different agenda with this woman who has no self-respect. Don't think my alpha would be lenient for too long."

The others tried to remove Isabella from the room but she refused, digging her heels into the floor with a growl. "You're not even that beautiful. You smell like shit. What does he—"

The wolf pounced, cutting her shriek off. She fell backward with the wolf hovering above her with a massive paw on her chest, snarling at her face.

"Jungkook, don't." Jimin dug his fingers into his scruff, gently pulling him toward him. "Come here, alpha. Listen to your omega."

The wolf straightened but didn't move. Its chest heaved, growls rumbling out.

"My alpha says I'm the most beautiful omega in his eyes and he loves my scent a bit too much that he sometimes refuses to shower." He chuckled. "And what my alpha thinks about me is absolutely between me and him."

He stepped back, tugging at Jungkook again, who listened and moved away this time.

"Yoongi hyung, throw her out please," Jimin said and blacklist her from all our properties. "My alpha will deal with her father and the gang-related stuff later." With that he spun on his heel, dismissing them with a wave of his hand when he tried to say something. "I'm hungry, alpha. I'm sure you're too," he said to Jungkook instead. "Let's eat and hang out together with Taehyung."

He didn't bother to look behind even when she screeched like a banshee. He was done with her and he didn't want her ass anywhere near him. Jungkook would handle the rest of the things. The bitchy omega didn't deserve the time of his day.

While Jimin didn't think this was someone who could be reasoned with, he knew she wouldn't be able to do anything further. Not without risking her father's position with the dragons. He made a note to have a word with Jungkook later.

For now, he wanted to relax and spend his time with the alpha. He would worry about the other things later.