"Omega Kim will be here shortly," announced the messenger before disappearing from his view.

Taehyung perked from where he had been seated for over fifteen minutes, biting his nails anxiously and bouncing his knee. Someone had come to fetch him earlier and bring him over to the Head Alpha's house. The omega was clueless why he was invited to the pack house suddenly. Still, he assured Seokjin it was nothing before following the messenger here.

If Jimin was here, he would have held his knee down, hissing at him to get his shit together. Sadly, he wasn't, so Taehyung had to be a strong wolf and make his friend proud. If he concentrated enough, he could hear Jimin hissing in his ear.

"Who's the bitch!"

"Me."

If he closed his eyes, he could definitely feel his grip tightening on his thigh, fingers digging into his flesh to leave an indent in his nails.

"One again. Who's the bitch?"

"Me. I'm the bitch."

He could feel the following clap and hear the proud growl emanating from his chest.

"Good. Show them what you're made of."

And Taehyung nodded as if he was heading for war. When he opened his eyes, he was still alone.

Several questions stormed his mind. Did he overstep his boundaries yesterday when he met Jungkook? Or was it his mating proposal to Yoongi? Did they call him to reprimand him?

He didn't think his chat with Jungkook broke any boundaries. Taehyung was respectful and said only things that had to be said. Maybe he was too straightforward. He pouted unconsciously. The alpha would have scolded him if he didn't like his behavior. He didn't look like the type to snitch. Either way, he would have to face it.

His thoughts turned to Jungkook. At first, he was worried like everyone else. However, the moment he realized the wolf that stopped his pack mate from hitting him was the same one they were here for, he knew this was someone he'd like to see his best friend with. The alpha was not only respectful but also honorable.

Taehyung's respect for the alpha increased by several folds when Jungkook refused the monthly rations from the Park pack. Jimin could hunt just fine and could take care of them both if needed. The omega was here to ensure the alpha his best friend was arranged to marry wasn't an asshole.

Honestly, Taehyung didn't even realize he was blind until he recognized the alpha as the second son of the head alpha. Jimin would have a better life with him. No doubts. So with the powers vested in him as Jimin's soulmate, ride or die, and everything else in this world that cannot describe their bond, Taehyung had chosen Jungkook as a mate for the beta.

So that left him with only other matters in hand. Perhaps he was too impulsive yesterday. Taehyung only thought of ways to migrate to the Kim pack along with his best friend. It'd be an added bonus to find a mate here to marry and start a family with. Also, Jimin definitely needed him by his side. They were a package deal.

Hence this was definitely regarding his mating proposal to Yoongi. But he didn't know what it had to do with the omega Kim here.

"Heard that you wanted to court my brother," a voice said from the doorway.

He jumped to his feet, eying the pregnant omega that seemed to size him up. She was on the shorter side but had flawless skin and long, dark hair. She wore a simple, pastel green gown, but Taehyung thought it really complimented her soft features.

Taehyung tried to place a name on that face and failed. He vaguely remembered seeing her through the window on the day Jungkook took down three wolves from his pack. She radiated warmth and a calm aura.

Did she say, my brother?

Now that he noticed, he thought there were indeed some similarities between them though it was hard to notice at first glance. They had similar eyes—intense and sharp—the kind of eyes that could stare through your soul and force you to reveal all your secrets.

"Aera?" he asked, and the answering smile on her face was everything.

"So you know me."

She walked toward him or, more like, waddled. Aera was beautiful. Not strikingly beautiful but a conventional beauty that would grow on a person. She had a warm aura radiating off her. Or it could be her pregnancy that gave her a soft, approachable appearance. He couldn't decide yet.

Taehyung shrugged. Suddenly the visit to the pack house didn't feel so ominous. So Yoongi's sister and Jungkook's childhood friend, Aera, was actually married to someone in the pack house, which could possibly be his elder brother. Because there were no other alphas of their age in their home. It would make sense since Yoongi also said Namjoon was his best friend. He quickly made a calculation in his head and deduced he couldn't have guessed wrong.

"Not really." He shrugged. "Yoongi said you're Jungkook's best friend and that you're his younger sister. You asked me if I wanted to court your brother, so I connected the dots."

"Clever." She clapped slowly while regarding him from head to toe. Fortunately, she looked more curious than intimidating. Her gaze didn't hold that judgemental haze people often sported in his birth pack, which was a plus. "Then come on in, Taehyung. There's something you and I need to talk about."

"Okay?" He followed her inside with a puzzled look. "Is it some kind of evaluation to see if I'm a suitable match for your brother?"

"Maybe. But first, tell me why you want to mate my brother." She led him to a small room that appeared to be a dining room and made him sit before pouring him a cup of tea and sliding a plate of cookies toward him. The similar ones Jungkook offered him. "Why him?"

Taehyung took the tea. "It's convenient," he confessed. "Jimin and I grew up together. I was always going to follow him wherever he went after marriage." He lifted a hand, stopping her from saying something. "I'm a part of Jungkook's dowry. Whether or not you approve, we are a package deal."

Her jaw went slack, and her eyes wide. "You're just like Jungkook said."

Taehyung's eyes twinkled with interest. "He talked about me?" He scooted to the edge of the chair with a beaming smile. "Only good things, I hope. I always make a good first impression." He rubbed his hands in glee.

Aera leaned back, lips pursing with a smile. "That you do."

"So, here's the thing. I'm really a good asset to you and the pack. I can hunt, and I'm a really good fighter. Back in my pack—"

"You're in charge of training juvenile wolves. I know." She waved a dismissive hand.

Taehyung's grin split his entire face. "Yoongi told you that?"

Aera's lips twitched. "No. Jungkook did."

"Awww...Jiminie's future husband is sure a talker," he gushed.

"We don't hide anything from each other," she clarified with an amused glint in her eyes.

"It's the same with us," Taehyung quickly agreed and scooted even closer until their knees were touching. "Aera, I'd be a great addition to your family, don't you think? Jungkook is your best friend and I'm Jimin's best friend. We would make a great team."

"You don't have any other selling points, do you?" she asked with the same amused smile.

Taehyung huffed. "Listen, I can't cook even if my life depended on it. Jimin can manage, but he almost burned down the kitchen when we last tried. Is it bad we have to rely on some capable alphas for our survival?" He pulled his best puppy eyes. "I swear we would rather jump off the cliff than choose a wolf from the Park pack. Or maybe get exiled to the Northern lands. They're just knot-heads."

This time Aera burst into laughter. She threw her head back and laughed. Her merry sound filled the space between them, and Taehyung pouted. He couldn't tell whether it was positive or negative.

"Did I pass the test?" Taehyung asked. "Don't ask me anything more than I have mentioned. I suck at everything else. That should go without saying."

Aera stopped smiling and stared at him for a long moment. A shadow fell on her face. "You remind me so much of her," she whispered. "So full of life."

"Who?" Taehyung sat back, tilting his head.

"Mina." A shadow fell on her face.

"Who is Mina?"

"Yoongi's mate."

Taehyung felt as if someone poured a bucket of snow on him. "M-Mate?" He gasped, all color draining from his face. "B-But he said..."

"She's dead," Aera immediately clarified.

"Oh." Taehyung's heart was constricted. "T-That's horrible." He didn't know.

Losing a mate was the hardest thing for a wolf since they mated for life. Many wolves preferred to live with the memory of their mate. Those wolves slowly withered away with time because no wolf survived such grief for longer.

Some tried to move on with the others. But Taehyung thought they all deserved another chance at love and family. Moving on wasn't easy, but not impossible either. It took a lot of patience and effort on both sides to forge another bond.

"Mina was a beautiful wolf, and their love was magical from the start. She was his first love, you know?" Aera exhaled. "They were the same age. It's like we all knew those two were going to end up together since we were children, and they did." A soft smile played on her lips as she reminisced. "They mated and were expecting their first child."

Foreboding churned his gut, but he couldn't bring himself to say something.

"Yoongi was out on a hunting trip. It was the last one before the winter hit us hard, and we were low on rations. So he didn't have a choice. She was at home. We don't know how it happened, but she slipped in the bathroom and fell. Hit her head pretty hard. No one knew. When we found her the next morning, it was too late to save her or the child."

"Oh, God!" His body shuddered with the revelation.

"No one could have known. It happened at night while everyone was asleep." Aera looked sad. "Mom found her in the morning when she was taking breakfast to her. My family was devastated, and Yoongi had never been the same. He blames himself for leaving her alone. She took a piece of him with her."

"It's not his fault," Taehyung croaked, fresh tears flowing down his cheek like a stream. "Oh, Goddess, I can only imagine how painful that must have been. No one could predict such a thing."

Aera sighed. "Yeah."

Taehyung, however, couldn't control his tears. His heart ached for Yoongi and his mate, who passed away. It explained the hollow look in his eyes and the lack of emotions on his face. Yoongi was too young to waste his life like this. He deserved to be loved and cherished.

"He must be hurting still," he sniffled.

Aera cleared her throat. "Ah, yeah. Um... It happened long ago." She patted his knee with a concerned look. "But yeah."

"He must be so lonely." His body shook with soft sobs. He couldn't imagine the pain the alpha must have gone through. To lose his mate and pup on the same night and cursed to live with that pain and burden. He was sure the alpha still blamed himself for it.

"Huh?"

Taehyung's shoulders were shaking with more sobs, and he didn't know what else to do. Yoongi's face surfaced in his memory. Oh, you poor alpha. It had been years, and you're still living in her memory. She was one fortunate omega to have experienced your love. He'd also heard how their ruts were harder and how their wolves sometimes went feral when they were ridden with too much grief.

"Taehyung." Aera shook him.

"I promise I'll love him more," he vowed, feeling more determined than ever. No wolf should be cursed to live alone with so much pain. "I won't let him go feral or wither away like this."

"What?" Aera blinked.

"What is he doing here?" Yoongi's voice interrupted them. Taehyung whipped around to see him, and Yoongi frowned. "Why is he crying? What did you tell him?"

"Oh, Yoongi," Taehyung sobbed before throwing himself onto Yoongi, circling his arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry for yesterday."

The alpha stiffened. His olives and white wine scent was a bit perplexed, as if he was at a loss of words. "Ah...yesterday?" Yoongi patted his back awkwardly.

"I didn't know," he continued to cry.

"I'm sorry, brother. I told him about Mina," Aera said from behind him. "He had to know."

He felt Yoongi's shoulder sag a little at the mention of his mate. "It's alright," he replied. "Taehyung, you can let go of me now. You didn't know."

Taehyung smelled the bitter tang swallowing the pleasant notes of olives and white wine. His heart ached more. Oh, to be loved like that.

I knew I had chosen the right alpha. Even if he will never love me back, it'd be an honor to love a loyal wolf like him.

"No, it's not alright," Taehyung refused to move. His hold around him tightened. "You were hurting all this time. I'm sorry I came so late."

"What?" Yoongi sounded baffled, and the hands trying to pry him away paused.

Taehyung pulled back and put a hand over his heart. "I swear on Moon Goddess, I'll love you more than anything in this world. Second to Jimin, of course. But you won't even feel it. You don't even have to love me back. My love would be enough for the both of us."

Yoongi's jaw went slack.

"I promise I'll put more effort into courting you." He bowed and straightened with a determined look before turning to face Aera. "Thank you for inviting me, future sister-in-law. I'll work hard to make your brother happy again. I may not be able to fill the void she left, but I'll surely create more space for me in his heart someday. You and your family can be rest assured. He's in good hands now." He patted Yoongi's chest before removing the dagger from his belt and effectively securing it on the alpha's belt. "I'll see you later, alpha."

With that said, he skipped out of the home with a determination to win this alpha's love at any cost.

***

It was a bit of an adjustment for Jungkook. He'd been isolated so much from the pack and pack affairs that he felt suddenly thrust back into his old life without any warning.

"You're doing the right thing, son," his father squeezed his shoulder right before he left their family home. "The pack might not understand now, but this is going to benefit them in the long run. They will be grateful."

"I'm not sure about the pack, and I don't care," Namjoon had drunkenly intervened. Something he would never do if he was sober. He could imagine their father glaring at him but let it slide. "But you know what I think? This Park Jimin is exactly the character our Jungkook needs in his life. Mark my words. Jimin is gonna paint your life in all colors."

Jungkook wasn't too sure about it, but Jimin did sound so interesting. He just didn't know how he would fit into his monochromatic life. Why would a guy so vibrant and full of life like Jimin would even agree to marry a wolf like him?

The alpha didn't dwell too much on that. He had too much work to do and did some repairs around his home. Jungkook was used to living alone, and he didn't think his house wasn't ready to accommodate another individual.

He had to prepare it for Jimin's arrival. So he set out to the market to fetch some things. On the way, he picked up Taehyung from his family home, who readily agreed to accompany him when he said he needed help with a few things.

The weather was great, but he could feel the impending rain and hear the sounds of distant thunder occasionally. He could also feel several stares thrown in his direction as he walked through the narrow streets.

The news of his marriage to the Park Pack's beta had spread like wildfire. Everywhere Jungkook went, he could hear whispers—some in favor and some in pity. Some mocking and teasing, while some wondering how it would even work out.

The alpha ignored them and tuned them out as he always did. However, it did stir his insecurities once again. He had requested Seokjin to extend their stay for two more days and decided it'd be better to travel with them to the Park pack.

In the meantime, he set out to prepare the courting gifts for Jimin. Jungkook had once hunted a bear and hoped someday it'd make a great winter coat for his mate. It wasn't the only thing he owned. He was a great hunter, and he gathered a lot of fur and other materials during his prime time of hunting.

After losing his vision, he once took the bear fur to Aera and tried to give it to her. But his sister-in-law not only refused but also scolded him for giving up hope so soon. "A wolf shouldn't be lonely, Jungkook. One day you will find your light," she had told him. "Save this for your mate."

"That's not gonna happen anymore." He had hung his head to hide his vulnerability, but Aera had read him like an open book. The incident didn't just take his vision but his entire life ahead. To the other pack members, he was as good as dead.

"You don't know that." Her tone was soft, and her fingers stroking his hair even softer.

"Alright. What if I don't?"

"Then you make fur coats for your niece or nephew." She patted his arm. "Trust me, will you?"

"Okay." Jungkook knew he had lost the argument with her. She was just too overprotective of him, and there was no winning against his childhood best friend, who knew him like the back of her hand.

"Mark my words. You will thank me someday for this foresight."

Even today, it was Aera who reminded him of the fur. She even called for Taehyung to help him out since Jungkook didn't know the size of his clothes. He was on his way to the seamstress with the omega in tow.

"Jungkook, a word, please." Someone stopped him.

Jungkook straightened immediately. He felt the other wolf step on his path. "Dae-jung," he greeted. Tall, dark features with small but scrutinizing eyes surfaced in his memory.

The other alpha laughed. "You remembered."

Jungkook held his impassive expression. He didn't smile nor relax his guard. They used to hunt together, but after the accident, they just drifted apart. Dae-Jung wasn't a friend, but they got along well as a team.

"I'm blind, but my ears and nose work just fine," he reminded the other.

"Ah, right. So, I hoped to talk to you about these things we've been hearing for the past few days." Dae-Jung shuffled on his feet, and Jungkook heard the rustling sound of his clothes. "Is it true that you're gonna mate a beta from the Park pack?"

The alpha was expecting a confrontation, just not this soon. "Yes," Jungkook replied monotonously.

"Why?"

Jungkook didn't think it was anyone's place to question him. Still, he didn't want to start a fight over this issue. Disagreements were common. "It's my father's wish, and now it's my wish too."

"I get it. No omega from our pack wants to mate with you. But that shouldn't be the reason to mate a beta from our enemy pack," Dae-jung argued. "If you want, there are betas in our pack too."

"Park pack isn't our enemy. The northern wolves are." Jungkook clenched his jaw.

"They never helped us," Dae-Jung growled. "And you're taking this omega through the pack lands for a stroll. He could be a spy."

Now he was really getting on his nerves. "That's enough, Dae-Jung. My father has chosen to trust them, and so shall I."

Dae-jung scoffed. "What a measly excuse! That's lame, Jungkook. You could do better. If a mate is what you badly crave, I'll convince someone to consider you as their mate. There are omegas in our pack that lost their mates. Some even have pups. You could surely court one of them. I'm sure they will let this little inconvenience slide."

A growl rumbled out from behind him, and Jungkook tensed immediately. Taehyung struck him as an impulsive wolf. He shouldn't start a fight with his pack wolves now, but he could sense his anger. If this were in the past, one would think twice before even stopping him for the so-called talk.

"My mating is none of your business, Dae-Jung. Let's end the conversation here. I do not want your pity or a word of advice that I didn't ask for. We're not friends."

"Come on, Jungkook. We've fought together and hunted together since our juvenile years. I only mean well. You're our head alpha's son. What good do you think is gonna come out of this? This, whoever beta he is, can't even give you a pup."

"That's why they have me." Taehyung rushed past him, and Jungkook caught his elbow in time to stop him from doing something irreversible. "His name is Park Jimin, and he's the youngest son of our head alpha," he growled. "I'll be the one to carry their babies, and you can kindly fuck off. Stop wasting our time."

"You—"

Jungkook stepped between Dae-Jung and Taehyung. He put his palm flat on Dae-jung's chest. "Don't," he warned. "I can take you down in a fight, and you know it. I wouldn't do whatever you were going to do if I were you."

Dae-jung's body tensed under his palm, the scent growing bitter with an intensity that sent a stinging sensation to his nostrils. After a few tense moments of silence, he backed down without a word.

"This way, please." Jungkook brushed past Dae-Jung, clenching his jaw tighter as he extended his hand for the omega, who took it without questioning his intention. His shoulder bumped with Dae-Jung, who refused to move out of his way, but the impact caused the other alpha to stagger a bit.

Taehyung snorted beside him. "I like you for Jimin," he announced once they were out of earshot. "He's gonna be super excited." The omega released his hand to clap enthusiastically.

Jungkook didn't respond to that. Was Jimin's character similar to this omega? Did he like to talk a lot? He knew nothing except his name.

"Are you wondering about Jimin?" Taehyung asked in a playful tone. "I can assure you he's the most stunning beta in our entire pack. Do you know people often mistake him for an omega? Because he's that beautiful."

Jungkook grunted. What was beauty anyway? His elders would say it was in the eyes of the beholder. But how could he judge someone's beauty with their physical appearance when he couldn't even see? To Jungkook, the word held a different meaning.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said instead, hoping to change the topic even though there were a hundred questions at the tip of his tongue. What was Jimin like? What did he like to do? What was his favorite color?

"Why are you sorry? You weren't the one talking shit." Jungkook felt a gust of air brushing his arm and guessed Taehyung must have waved his hand. "Jimin loves all shades of blue," Taehyung continued. That's the color of your eyes. The first time we met, it looked like a dark, cloudy sky. Now it's clear ocean blue."

Jungkook paused. He didn't say that out loud, did he? Besides, blue was the color of his wolf's eyes. He was born with natural brown eyes like most of his pack members. But no one ever mentioned his eyes after the incident. Now hearing Taehyung talk about it so normally brought a sense of relief. Maybe his disability really didn't matter to them. Or they just had huge hearts.

"Jimin is a disaster in the kitchen. Guess I already told you that. And don't worry about it earlier. I've marked that bitchy alpha. I'll break his jaw once I marry Yoongi and become your pack member," he announced in a determined voice that almost caused Jungkook to lose footing.

The alpha didn't know how to deal with this wolf. He was strange, yet he didn't get any threatening vibes from him. His wolf deemed this omega was safe and trustworthy. The omega had an air of ease around him, and his voice was always light and cheery. Even when he threatened to breakDae-jung's jaw, it sounded more like a complaint than a threat. Still, it was such an atrocious claim to make when one was in another territory.

"Hey, do you mind if I hold your hand," Taehyung asked, unaware of his predicament.

They left the village road to take the nearest forest path to avoid further run-ins with the other wolves. The paths were slippery due to last night's rain.

Jungkook blinked. Was it okay? The omegas didn't initiate physical contact with other wolves outside their family and friends. He was still a stranger. Was it even appropriate to ask that?

"These paths are slippery," Taehyung continued."I don't wanna fall and break my ankle. Jimin would be furious if I got hurt again."

Jungkook wordlessly extended his hand. He knew he had lost the fight before it had even begun. There was no reasoning with this wolf. The omega appeared to be well-equipped to handle any situation. This definitely wasn't his first impression of him. Taehyung came off as calm and composed. The only sensible wolf in the room. Right now, that wouldn't be the words he would use to describe him.

Taehyung took hold of his elbow and continued to chirp,"Don't worry, happily. I have Jimin's permission to touch you."

"Huh?" Jungkook tripped on something, catching himself at the last moment.

"Careful," Taehyung sang.

"You got his permission for what?" Jungkook hissed.

"Ah, to touch you?" Taehyung clarified nonchalantly. "You will be my brother-in-law if you marry Jimin. That makes us family. Since we weren't blood-related, I asked for his permission, and he told me it was okay. And he has my permission to touch my mate. Appropriate and respectful touching, of course. Like this." He squeezed his elbow from where he was gripping. "Oh, I meant what I said about pups. I'm sure Yoongi wouldn't mind. When the time comes, I wanna be your surrogate omega. It'd be an honor to carry my godchild."

Jungkook has experienced a lot of emotions in his lifetime, but what he was forced to face right now was something he never expected. He was literally dumbfounded and was left to search for words from his vocabulary. For a moment, his brain went blank.

"Oh, I'll give you both beautiful puppies to spoil rotten. And I'll be the Godfather by default, of course. One pup for you and one pup for Jiminie."

Jungkook choked on his saliva because he still didn't know how that was even possible. When the Park pack proposed that idea, he expected it to be some older omega helping them out. Never in his wildest imagination did he suspect something like this? Was it even okay? Taehyung was an unmated omega. No alpha would ever want him if he did something like this.

Beside him, however, Taehyung continued as if he hadn't just dropped a fireball on him and left him to put up with its heat. "How far is this place? Ugh! I haven't walked so much in my entire twenty -four winters like I did after coming to this pack. Is this how my future is going to be? I'm bringing Monalisa."

"Monalisa?"

"My donkey?" Taehyung replied. "Isn't it a cute name for her? I heard that name from one of the traders from the East. I liked it, so I named her that."

Jungkook coughed to mask the awkward sound he almost let out. "So you have a donkey." Horses and donkeys were used for long-distance traveling. Jungkook, too, had a black stallion he hadn't ridden in ages.

"Jimin has one too. Her name is Nutcracker."

"Nutcracker?" Jungkook didn't know if he wanted to know why she was named that.

"She's good at kicking knot-head alpha's balls."

Jungkook choked on his saliva. This time when he tripped, Taehyung was there to catch him.

"I'm sorry. I should have watched the floor." The alpha could hear the pout in Taehyung's voice. "I'll be more careful from now." The grip on his elbow tightened, and then he breezed through the next conversation as if Jungkook wasn't wheezing for his next breath. "It's my responsibility to take you safely to my soulmate."

Jungkook and his wolf were too stunned to even speak.

"Jiminie loves pretty things." Taehyung's footsteps were loud and carefree. The wet squelch of the forest floor and dry leaves accompanied told him exactly where he was stepping. "Flowers, butterflies, stars, and nature. Our favorite thing to do on a full moon night is to sleep in a meadow after our night runs. He rides my wolf, and we would watch stars all night, listening to wolves howling. Oh, he could ride you too. He's really good at it."

Jungkook's entire face flared, and he was sure he must look red. Taehyung's words supplied images that weren't innocent at all. His treacherous wolf, that was excited to finally have a companion, was already supplying questioning thoughts and images to his brain.

"Wanna know how Jimin looks? Not that it matters, but...are you curious?"

Jungkook found himself nodding, too immersed in the conversation to even notice what he just did.

"He's just so pretty," Taehyung gushed. "His face is so small, and he's got a cute button nose. His eyes are deep brown, and he can't see when he's laughing. You'll understand when you meet him. Oh, his lips..." Taehyung described, and Jungkook had to suppress the urge to growl at him because of the strange sense of possessiveness that washed over him. "It's so pink and plump. His cheeks are so squishy. In short, he's just too cute when he wants to be."

Jungkook committed everything he heard into his memory, picturing the beta he was going to marry.

"He's a head shorter than me and hates it when someone criticizes his height," Taehyung listed. "He has a slender frame and lean muscles and a small waist that will fit perfectly in your hands."

The omega lifted his hand and examined his fingers as if to verify his observation. Jungkook pursed his lips and swallowed the embarrassed whine. Damn. He hasn't whined since his childhood. This omega was crazy. He wanted to pull away, but Taehyung's grip was tight.

"Oh, and his ass," the omega picked up from where he left without expecting his response. "See it for yourself." He bumped into his shoulders with a playful shove. "He's got the best ass, and I swear most alphas in my pack dislike him because they can't have him."

And that's how Jungkook knew he wasn't going to make it out of this harmless shopping trip unharmed.

Soon they arrived at the seamstress's shop, and Jungkook let out a breath of relief, which didn't last long.

"Oh, this place is beautiful." Taehyung's grip left him, and he felt a rush of air as the omega flitter around him, admiring the shop. The omega let out a soft 'ooh' and 'ah' every time he found something interesting.

"Hello, Jungkook," Ah-Yeong greeted. "Your brother told me you would stop by."

"Hello." Jungkook inclined his head, looking apologetic for the unexpected company he brought with him. "Um...this is Taehyung. He's an emissary from the Park pack. Taehyung, this is—"

"She's the one who's going to make beautiful courting gifts for my soulmate. Hi!" Taehyung brushed past his shoulders. "I'm Park Jimin's aka his future husband's best friend," he introduced. "Jimin would love this place."

"Thank you, dear. I'm glad you find my place appealing to your taste. What would you like to order?" Jungkook felt her expectant gaze on him.

He lifted his leather satchel over his head before putting it on the table in front of him. "I'd like a fur coat for my betrothed. Possibly a pair of gloves and winter boots if you could. We're leaving in two days."

"Of course. It's for your mate. I'll get everything ready on time." He heard the rustling sound followed by her gasp. "Wow! This is a brown bear. Heard rumors about it but never thought I'd see it in person."

"That's exactly the color of Jimin's hair color," Taehyung squealed. "Oh, my God! It looks so majestic."

"It's at least ten feet," the seamstress agreed. "I still remember this day. It was the heaviest bear ever to be taken down by our pack member. It fed our pack for weeks."

"And my last hunt," Jungkook added sullenly. They all gave him too much credit for something he did in the past, which wasn't relevant anymore.

"You can now hunt with Jimin," Taehyung replied nonchalantly. "He'd love to join you. Do you know we're known as the moose hunters back in the pack? Gosh, imagine all those couple hunts we could do." The omega clapped. "We could go on a double hunt. You and Jimin. Me and Yoongi. It'd be fantastic. We can have each other's back. Bet we'd bring the best game among all the hunting parties."

The seamstress coughed awkwardly while Jungkook had already resigned to his fate. However, his wolf perked eagerly when Taehyung mentioned hunting with Jimin. Jungkook loved to hunt. If Jimin enjoyed it...the omega did mention Jimin loved to ride on wolves. What if—

"Oh, that's fox fur!" Taehyung exclaimed. "A brown fox. Whoa! Did you have a foresight or something that Jimin would be your mate?"

Jungkook cleared his throat. Well...

"Is that rabbit fur? Damn. Jimin is gonna love you so much, bro. You're literally his wet dream right now!"

Damn. He did it again.

Jungkook's entire face flared, and he felt the heat spreading faster down his neck. This omega was shameless. Yoongi was going to have his hands full with this one.

***

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Park Jaehyun's voice boomed, echoing off the walls, and his ginger scent flared with anger and irritation. His eyes flashed amber with his wolf surging forward.

His mother jumped in front of his father, blocking his path with outstretched hands. She bared her neck in submission when he growled and tried to push her out of the way. Jimin barely flinched. This was an everyday scene in their household. There was nothing new.

"Move out of my way, omega!" his father thundered. "Don't come in between when I'm disciplining your pup."

"Our pup." She lifted her head to look him in the eye. "He's betrothed. Alpha, please. Appease your anger." She bowed. "Take it out on me instead. The Kim pack will arrive here in two days' time. Please, don't punish him now. It's his only chance to secure a good mate."

"Tell him that!" he bellowed and whirled around, furiously running a hand through his hair. They kept saying he was ill, but Jimin didn't think he was. His illness barely had any effect on that temper. "I told you to keep him inside the home until this mating ceremony is over. No one wants a cultureless, rowdy beta who can't go out and come back without a fight or two. Does he even care for our reputation anymore? His brother still hasn't mated. Who would even send their omega to this home with him here?"

"That's not my fault. Brother wanted to find someone he could fall in love with," Jimin reasoned.

He refused to take the blame for that too. It wasn't his fault that Jin refused every proposal that came his way. Perhaps he still fancied the Eastern pack omega he met once several years ago. Why would his father put everything on his head? How was that his mistake?

"They started it." Jimin knew he should keep quiet, but when had he ever listened to logic? Wasn't it unfair to him? Besides, why did he have to take blame when it wasn't even his fault in the first place? Why would his father take the other's side every time? If only he could listen for once.

"Shut the fuck up!" his father yelled. "You're nothing but a nuisance to this family. We finally convinced those Kims to take you in. His face is the only good thing about him, and now he looks! He looks like a rabid dog. Who would even want to mate with an unruly wolf like him?"

"They shouldn't have mocked my alpha and kept mentioning his disability," Jimin growled. "I have every right to challenge them for their disrespect."

"What? Your alpha? You aren't mated yet."

"He accepted our proposal."

"Jimin, keep quiet," his mother pleaded. "Go to your room. Right now."

"Why would I?" Jimin stood his ground. It might be time to change his tactics. Yelling into the void wasn't going to change his fate. He had to play this carefully. "I might be a useless beta in your eyes, but I'm still the Head Alpha's son. They don't have to respect me, but what about father?" he pointed at the alpha. "Father chose the alpha for me, and they dare to question his choices." The beta knew exactly how to stroke the fire and divert his father's anger. "I was furious, yes. I didn't attack until they took it too far. I wanted to teach them a lesson."

"A lesson?" his mother cried. "Four against one. How is that teaching a lesson? Look at you. They would have mauled you if your father hadn't arrived on time."

"You should have looked at the damage I caused, Mom." Jimin smirked. He knew what he did. They might have outnumbered him, but they weren't good at a fight. "They laughed and mocked our upcoming mating ceremony and the mating night. They said things they shouldn't. Doesn't it go against everything Father has said? Isn't it disrespectful to him? I'll rip their tongues out if they mock my alpha again."

His father continued to glare at him, fists clenching and unclenching by his sides. But Jimin knew he had won the argument this time. His father had too much pride. Those idiots had it coming.

"You heard him." His mother looked at his father. "They started the fight. What are you gonna do about it? Why is it that you always scold our son? Why don't you take his side for once? Are you going to allow some good-for-nothing pups to mock your choices of a mate for our son? If they're mocking our future son-in-law now, do you think they will respect him after their mating?"

His father's breathing was erratic, but his anger had been successfully diverted. Jimin could see the way his expression changed. The alpha wolf didn't want to accept his words, but his pride intervened and got the best out of him.

After a few tense moments, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyes were clear brown when he opened them again.

"They will get their punishment in due time. Ground your son. He isn't supposed to leave the home until the mating ceremony. Take him to the healer." Then he looked at Jimin. "I swear I'll exile you and that omega friend of yours to the Northern Lands if this mating ceremony doesn't happen. I won't have another complaint until you're mated and gone."

Of course, you can't wait to get rid of me.

Jimin watched him storming out of their home with a smug smile. He wouldn't settle until those wolves were whipped publicly. How dare they talk like that?

"Jimin, promise me." His mother stepped into his vision, looking worried. "You won't sneak out of our home and get into fights again."

Jimin just shrugged. If there's one thing he despised, it was being cooped up in one place for a long time. The winters were the hardest and drove him nuts. Now without Taehyung to accompany him, he was bored out of his mind.

"Promise me," his mother demanded. "Tonight, he somehow listened. There won't be a repeat."

Jimin still hasn't decided how he felt about this mating proposal. He trusted his brother and Taehyung, but was he willing to accept a stranger as his mate? What if they weren't comfortable? He also knew nothing about wolves with disabilities and wondered how it would affect their daily life. What kind of adjustments would be expected of him?

It was still a surprise the Kim pack readily accepted their proposal. He didn't expect it to go this smoothly. Maybe his father's offers were too tempting.

It was already tiring to think about how the Park pack would talk once this news was officially confirmed. They would talk about how his father had convinced the alpha's family to take him in because no one else would accept him.

This alliance was only useful to the Kim pack. The Park pack didn't need their help to survive. It was so obvious why they even initiated the peace talks, but Jimin supposed it was something he would have to live with.

"I won't cause trouble," he replied half-heartedly. "But I can't promise if they start something again."

"That isn't enough," his mother said exasperatedly. "Your brother sent a word. Taehyung approved this alpha for you."

"What?" Jimin's wolf perked, and he felt it shift inside him restlessly. Betas couldn't transform, but they were all born with the spirit of the wolf. His mother had his entire attention. This changed several things for him. If Taehyung approved the alpha for him, it only meant one thing. This alpha must be really good.

His mother turned him around and led him to his room. She sat him down and brought him some water to drink. He was bruised and battered. The bleeding had stopped, but he hadn't had the chance to stop by the healer to assess the damage. Everywhere hurt, but he was used to it by now. He wouldn't be getting into fights if he couldn't bear a little pain.

"They're staying back because the alpha needed help in preparing your courting gifts," his mother continued. "Just stay in and focus on getting healed, alright? Don't let it scar." She said something under her breath that sounded so much like a curse. "Why do they always go for your face?"

Jimin bit his tongue to hold in the remark about scars. It wasn't like it would make any difference. Besides, he thought scars added to one's appeal. It proved their strength and revealed how they had survived something worse and lived to tell the tale.

Just like our alpha, his wolf chirped. Right. It could be why his wolf admired this alpha even before they met. He thought that Jungkook must be a strong wolf, and that brought a sense of respect. As for if Jungkook would be a good mate, only time would tell.

"Because I'm gorgeous." He rolled his eyes. "Tell me what my brother said first."

His mother sighed. "Hyuntae's three friends ran into trouble. They sought after the Head Omega inappropriately, and your betrothed put them in their place. The Kim pack took them under custody, and they're being punished as per the Kim pack laws."

Jimin gasped, eyes widening upon hearing the news. "What is their punishment?"

"They're going to strip and whip them a hundred times before leaving them in the village square for everyone to see," his mother replied with a grin. "I also heard he stopped Hyuntae from hitting Taehyung. Your betrothed broke his arm for raising it against your best friend."

Jimin's wolf jumped in absolute joy. "My betrothed did that?" He could now understand why Taehyung approved of him so quickly.

I take everything back. He is husband material. Alpha him up!

Jimin shushed his wolf but couldn't help the heat creeping onto his cheeks. He was impressed, and he wasn't easily impressed.

A tiny smile played on her lips. "And he refused the rations your father generously offered as a part of your dowry. The messenger said he almost killed Dong-hyun for even suggesting that."

Jimin gasped. A spark shot through his heart. "He did?"

Dong-Hyun has been a pain in his butt ever since they were children. He believed the alpha were supreme beings. Their relationship had always been stormy, with lots of thunder and lightning. After Jimin presented, it only worsened and often ended in a fight.

"He threw a knife and purposefully missed the target. They said it nicked his ears at first, but you know how Dong-hyun never listens and always runs his mouth. So he threw another dagger at his shoulder. Dong-Hyun is on his way back to the Park pack."

Best courting gift ever. Let's alpha him up.

Jimin shushed his wolf again. However, he was in awe. "Whoa! How did you learn all this?" This Jungkook was fearless to pull a stunt like that. Throwing a knife at a rival pack member during negotiation talks? That took a lot of guts.

There was a glint in her eyes, and she chuckled. "I might have overheard a few things." She winked. "I've been told my hearing is better than most wolves in the pack."

"Mom, you know you're the best, right?" Jimin gushed.

"I do." She notched her chin. "Either way, Jimin, this wolf is absolutely strong. Our messenger was terrified of speaking about him. He used to be a celebrated warrior before he lost his sight. You wanna know exactly what he said about you?"

Jimin eagerly nodded and leaned forward with wide eyes.

She stepped back and cleared her throat. Squaring her shoulder, she said, "Park Jimin won't have to worry about food, cloth, or any necessity while being married to me. I know how to care for my mate and protect him with my life. If you doubt this marriage isn't a good idea, you should rethink your decision. As for the Northern wolves, our pack will do what it takes. An alliance such as this doesn't require a marriage to solidify when we have a common goal."

That's it. Let's alpha him up. He's our alpha.

Jimin covered his mouth with a soft gasp. Something fluttered in his stomach, and he didn't know what it meant. "He said that?" he asked in breathless wonder.

His mother's features softened. "I worried so much about you, my little lily. Jungkook sounds like a wonderful alpha. Please don't screw this over, okay? Stay home and recuperate. You need to win his heart no matter what."

Jimin scoffed. "I don't screw things. People just don't know how to respect my boundaries."

"Won't you listen to your mother, sweetheart?" She cupped his face. "The messenger also said Alpha Kim's both sons are handsome. Just be on your best behavior until this mating ceremony is over."

"You don't want me to behave after that?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I know you're a good wolf." He sagged against her chest and wrapped his hands around her middle from his sitting position. "Who knows? He's everything you're looking for in a mate. Didn't you want your mate to not depend on your father? He's all that and more. Why don't you give this a chance?"

"When did I ever have a chance?" Jimin pulled back with a sigh. "Even this mating is the father's choice."

"Taehyung approved of him, didn't he? You know how picky he is. It's not that easy to impress him," his mother argued. "This place isn't good for you. The Kim pack is closer, and I'll be able to meet you often. Also, this alpha sounds like someone who would treat you right."

Jimin agreed. His mother had a valid point. "Fine." He gave in. "But I'm breaking their noses if they talk bad about my alpha."

His mother smiled. "I think we can come to an agreement. Come on, and you didn't eat anything all day. Now don't you think you gotta look the best for your alpha?"

Jimin grinned. "If he's Taehyung approved, I think we can come to an agreement."

His chest was warm despite the pain exploding in his body. The healer might be already on their way to their cabin. He didn't have to bother looking for them. For now, he'd focus on healing. This alpha made him curious and sounded like a pleasant surprise waiting for him to unwrap. He couldn't wait.

Maybe it won't be bad at all.

***

Courting gifts:

(Disclaimer: No bears, foxes, moose or rabbits were harmed in the making of this story)