1091.

Pack Trial - Part 2:

⚠️Mentions of past abuse, derogatory language etc.,⚠️

Minhyuk's thoughts raced at the speed of a bullet train. Several occasions flitted through his mind, and finally, something clicked in Minhyuk's head. This must be because of the attack. Jimin must have filed a formal complaint. That would make sense. He'd set up men to beat him up, and recently, Jimin even confronted him, warning he won't let it go.

He relaxed further. That wasn't a big deal. What other connection did he have with Jimin?

Worst possible outcome would be a prison sentence. He might have to issue a public apology and pay a fine, or maybe he would be sentenced to community service at the maximum for planning to attack another pack wolf. The punishment might be slightly severe since Jimin was the son of Park Head Alpha.

However, nothing explained why he was here in the Jeon Pack HQ and sitting on a chair that didn't belong to him. Jimin must be a fool even to do something like that. Did he think his friendship with Jinwan gave him authority to use his chair?

"What is going on? This is Jeon Pack HeadQuarters. You're a Park pack wolf sitting on our Head Alpha's chair," Minseok spoke first, breaking the tense silence. "Is this some sort of joke? A prank?" He glanced around.

Minhyuk didn't think it was a prank. If it was, it was an elaborate one. No doubt.

Jimin casually flicked his gaze to Minseok. He reclined further in his chair, making himself comfortable. For someone, sitting on a chair that didn't belong to him, he looked so calm, composed and in his element.

"The correct question should be why you're here," Jimin said.

"That too." Minseok stood his ground. Minhyuk was proud of his brother for hiding his fear and standing up to the future head alpha of the Park pack. "Our family has been loyal to the Jeon pack for generations. We don't understand why we are here and why we were locked up for three days like criminals. Also, why, a Park pack wolf here, questioning us?"

Jimin hummed, drumming his fingers on his thigh. There was a knock on the door, and Minhyuk turned to notice the real Head Alpha walking inside.

Ha!

One shouldn't casually sit on a Head Alpha's chair. No matter how close they were to each other. And fucking the Head Omega definitely did not give him the rights by default. Does Jinwan even know what this wolf was doing with his precious son? Would he react the same way if he found out?

They all stood immediately, watching Jeon Jinwan expectantly. Now he couldn't wait to see what Jinwan had to say to this Park pack's intruder. Even in that state, excitement thrummed through his veins. He couldn't wait for the Head Alpha to put Jimin in his place.

Jinwan, however, didn't even spare a glance.

"Hey, Dad," Jimin greeted with a smile, leaning in the chair and gesturing at the guard. Jinwan beamed at the sight of him and Minhyuk felt like someone threw a bucket of ice water on him. "Stopping by?"

"Yeah," Jinwan replied, gripping Jimin's extended hand in a tight handshake that revealed their tight bond.

What surprised Minhyuk was the lack of animosity between the two purebred alphas and how Jimin addressed him as Dad. A guard placed another leather chair beside Jimin, bowing deeply, and Jinwan plopped on it and kicked his feet on the table. His black shoes glistened under the lights.

"Did I miss too much?" Head Alpha Jeon asked, unbuttoning his suit jacket.

"Nope." Jimin grinned. "We're just getting started," he replied, glancing at Minhyuk. "Aren't we?"

"Head Alpha Jeon, why are we here?" Namgil asked, holding his trembling wife in his hands. "Our family has always served the Jeon family with the utmost respect. We never committed a grave crime that required us to be locked up for the past three days."

Jinwan cocked a brow. "Former Head Alpha," he corrected. "Park Jimin is the ruling Head Alpha of the Jeon pack as my only son's mate and my grandson's father."

Minhyuk sucked in a sharp breath. "You're lying."

Impossible.

That was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard in his entire life. Jimin was mated to Jungkook? What a joke!

They were surely fucking, but there was no way they were already mated. Jimin had a grown-up pup. That definitely can't be Jungkook's.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. What if it was true? How did they meet? How long were they together? Does this mean Jungkook immediately moved on after their break up? No, this was all a huge misunderstanding. Jimin was the future head alpha of the Park pack, wasn't he? How could he become the Head alpha of the Jeon pack?

Jimin's scent thickened, bursting out of him in waves. It was authoritative, threatening and fear inducing. If he inhaled after pushing aside the fear clogging his chest, he could smell the familiar scent of berries and something with a milky undernote.

"What does it have anything to do with us?" he asked instead. "Why are we locked up here for three days without any explanation? Even if we have committed a crime, we deserve an explanation and a chance to defend ourselves." Minhyuk was proud of himself when he finished.

His voice didn't waver, and his scent didn't betray his emotions. They could bullshit all they wanted, but that still didn't explain why his entire family was here. He didn't know he was mated to Jungkook when it happened.

Didn't that pup come from his ex? At least that's what the rumors said. Even Sohee did everything with Yuna's help to prove that Haneul was the biological mother.

Alpha Jeon beckoned a guard forward. "The pack trial against the Kang family commences now. The trial is to be conducted by the Head Alpha Park Jimin and I'm here as a witness to the entire proceedings."

"Yes, Alpha Jeon." The guard took a seat and started typing everything on his laptop. There were four guards in the room with them apart from the Kang family and the two purebred alphas.

"Where do I start? Treason, disloyalty, betrayal, mutiny, presumptuous behavior...." Jimin counted with his fingers."

Then he snapped his fingers, and one of the guards stepped forward. He powered the TV screen on the adjacent wall and played CCTV footage. All color drained from Minhyuk's face when he saw himself and the goons talking outside the convenience store.

He didn't even think about checking for CCTV around that area, and it belatedly dawned on him that most of the commercial places had CCTV installed. What an amateur move?

This was why Sohee called him useless and mostly resorted to doing things herself. He has always been impulsive and this time he was reckless. It showed Jimin approaching the store with his pup and the goons stirring up trouble.

I should have left the country when I had the chance. He warned me and I took him for granted. Once again, I underestimated Jimin.

He watched the TV without blinking for even a second as Jimin kicked their asses without even breaking a sweat. That day, he even thought it was only a fluke, but rewatching the footage told him otherwise.

The footage ended showing Minhyuk from two different cams. One showed him tripping over garbage on his way out, and the other showed him entering his car and driving away.

"How about that, for starters?" Jimin questioned. "You arranged four men to harm your Head Alpha and the future heir to the Jeon pack, Park Minjun." He gestured at one of the guards, and four men were led inside. "They already confessed and they all belong to the local gang."

Minhyuk paled. "I-I already apologized. I was furious that you slapped me in front of everyone at the office, and I was impulsive. I just wanted to teach you a lesson. No one was hurt, and I didn't know you were the Head Alpha."

Jimin hummed. "Right. A lesson. I've heard that one before. So you wouldn't have attacked me if you had known I'm your Head Alpha. Is that right, Minhyuk?"

He waved a dismissive hand and the guards took the four men away.

"Yes," Minhyuk answered confidently. "Head Alpha," he added as an afterthought. "I'd have bowed to you and accepted anything you threw at me humbly. I was drunk and wasn't thinking clearly." He fell on his knees and bowed until his forehead touched the floor. "I apologize, and I'm willing to accept any suitable punishment for my ignorance."

Once again, Minhyuk was proud of himself. He sounded too sincere, and his ability to adapt to the circumstances really helped. Right now, it was better to submit in front of the alpha even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. Sometimes one just has to take a few steps back in order to survive.

Jimin glanced at Jinwan. "He's convincing," he said. "Don't you agree, Dad? I have to give it to him. He's good." He pointed his index finger at Minhyuk. "I have no doubt he would easily get selected for a movie role."

Minhyuk swallowed. Jimin didn't sound as if he was convinced. His eyes bored into him as if he could read his soul. Fuck.

Jinwan chuckled light heartedly, looking so much at ease.

Jimin smiled, but for some reason, it stirred fear in his guts. He continued drumming his fingers on the table, which sounded so ominous in the otherwise silent room.

"Alright, I'll let this incident slide," he said, gesturing at the guard recording the trial. He noted down something. "How about the other crimes then?" the Head Alpha drawled. "Let's start with the most recent ones." He once again gestured at the guard.

The guard Minhyuk had grown to despise in these past three days stepped forward with a document.

"Kang Minhyuk, age twenty-seven, son of Kang Namgil and Kang Yeon-jin, engaged in malicious activities to expose Head Omega Jeon's private life. According to the reports, he mailed CDs and documents containing non-consensual photos and videos of our Head Omega from the past, which he shot in compromising positions without Head Omega's knowledge, to thirty-three different media outlets nationwide. This was intentionally done to sabotage Head Omega Jeon's reputation and ruin his public image," the guard read.

Minhyuk's parents gasped, and their brother blanched beside him. Minhyuk stood kneeling, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"We have his confiscated phone," the guard continued. "From this, we have retrieved his chats with his fiancé Kim Sohee and her mother, Kim Seoyeon. Evidently, they have planned this several prior and aimed to use it against Head Omega Jeon."

"What do you think, Dad?" Jimin asked, rolling his neck to the side lazily. He was so calm and that demeanor unsettled Minhyuk.

"It's an unforgivable offense to taint an unmated omega's name. It's an immediate death sentence to go after a mated omega," Alpha Jeon said. "In this case, the victim is a Head Omega. Any crime committed against the Head Omega is the crime committed against the pack. For this, you will be charged on the grounds of treason, libel and slander. Furthermore, the Head Alpha will decide a suitable punishment to be carried out. As the Head Omega's mate, the Head Alpha also has the right to demand retribution as he sees fit," Jinwan replied.

The guard, who doubled as a record taker, typed everything carefully. The only sounds in the room were the loud heartbeats of four wolves going through trial and the clicking sound of the keyboard.

Minhyuk's mom let out a muffled cry, her knees weakening as she slid to the floor. His dad immediately crouched beside her and held her, looking torn. She covered her mouth, body shaking with every sob.

Minhyuk's heart raced, and his head reeled. How? How did he find out? That Nightmare. The answer was right in front of him. All this time. This was what Nightmare mentioned.

The one who was chasing him wasn't Jeon Jinwan, but Jungkook's mate Park Jimin. Those photos Nightmare shared with him now made sense. The reason was simple. Minhyuk touched something dear to Jimin.

Fuck!

Those weren't random hookups or fooling around. They were together for years. Jimin wasn't taking advantage of Jungkook for this position. It was the opposite.

Jimin sat upright, leaning forward on his elbows. "You and your fiancé tried to ruin his reputation and put our unborn pup in danger by subjecting him to your vile plans. You were fully aware of his status as your Head Omega and still did this with the only intention to bring harm to him," Jimin said. "I might forgive you for touching me, but I'll never forget that shit you pulled with my mate."

Unborn pup? Minhyuk's throat closed up. So Minjun wasn't the only pup?

"Kim Namgil," Jimin addressed Minhyuk's father next. "Do you know why you're here?"

The man shook his head.

"Okay. Answer this. Is it right for a regular, ordinary wolf with no rank or status to pursue the future head omega of the pack? Especially a purebred one at that? What have your elders taught you?"

The man blanched and stuttered. "I-It's wrong." He bowed. "It was wrong. We were mere servants, but my son was blinded by love."

"Was he?" Jimin snarled and jumped to his feet. "Is it because of love that he abused my mate and tried to manipulate him? Is that the reason he two-timed my mate and went behind his back to fuck his cousin, knowing well what his actions meant?"

Namgil hung his head. When he slanted a glance at Minhyuk, he looked ashamed. It was true; his parents never once told him to stop pursuing Jungkook. In fact, they encouraged it.

"You knew it was wrong for Minhyuk to pursue Jungkook, yet instead of stopping him, you encouraged him to do just that. It only proves that his intentions weren't pure and he has always had a hidden motive. You never stopped him or chastised his wrongdoings. You were all keen to climb the ladder using him."

Once again, Minhyuk blanched. How did he know?

"T-That's not true," Namgil trembled. "He wouldn't do that. He knows his place."

"Yeah? We have evidence. Jungkook was his shortcut to a luxurious life and the power this seat holds. He joined hands with Sohee because if they could get rid of Jungkook then as the only blood related descendant of the former Head Alpha, Sohee would become the next Head Omega. Just like Sun-young, who is useless but was given that seat just because there was no one else."

Namgil hung his head, pursing his lips. Minhyuk tried to swallow the bile rising from the pit of his stomach.

"And you, Kang Minseok, you used Minhyuk's relationship with Sohee for your personal gain. Last year, you borrowed a huge sum from Seoyeon to invest in your business. That wasn't the first time. You borrowed money from Sohee, Minhyuk, and even Seoyeon on multiple occasions."

Dread filled him, and a ball dropped in his stomach. This wasn't how he imagined the pack trial to go. How did Jimin even know about all this?

Minhyuk failed to articulate a suitable answer. All those rehearsed answers went down the drain. He was prepared to answer anything related to Sohee, but how was he going to reply to this?

As the Head Alpha and Jungkook's mate, Jimin had every right to kill him then and there. Minhyuk was convinced he wouldn't walk out of the room alive if he spoke the wrong word. He suppressed a whimper and clamped his mouth tight.

"T-That's not true," Minseok stuttered. "S-She's o-one of the sleeping partners."

"Is that so?" Jimin sang. "But the transactions have always been one way, and I didn't find any legal document connecting her to your business."

"T-That's because the business wasn't going well."

Jimin scoffed. "Excuses," he murmured. "I'll deal with you later. Now to Kang Namgil. Do you realize where this leads to?"

His father didn't reply. Instead, he hung his head as if he was ashamed. His mother was silent. Except for a few soft whimpers, she didn't let out a sound.

"Whenever someone committed a crime against the Head Alpha's family, our ancestors punished their entire family. As a result, their future generations lost all pack privileges," Jimin continued. "This was done to set an example for anyone who dreams of betraying their pack and the leaders."

"No." Namgil dropped to his knees, his body shaking. "We were wrong. Please show mercy."

"Mercy?" Jimin looked thoughtful; hands pushed into his pockets. "Your son didn't spare my mate's emotions while they were together or after they parted ways. He betrayed his trust and took advantage of his kindness. Moreover, he went after a married omega, not to mention a pup's father. I don't think I have any mercy to spare. Not sorry."

"I didn't know he was mated," Minhyuk said. "I just...I was wrong." He kowtowed. "Please forgive me. Let my parents go. They know nothing."

"Really? I don't think they complained when they basked in the luxury this relationship brought. Your mother bought expensive jewelry eight months ago and demanded a special discount because her son was going to marry the granddaughter of their Head Omega. I don't think your dad had any complaints accepting the special privileges given to you by your workplace colleagues because you're connected to the Head Omega's family." Jimin pivoted on his heel, circling the table, and leaned over it, planting both his palms on the surface. "What does that tell you, Minhyuk?"

"Please...it wasn't intentional. We only accepted the kindness they gave us," Namgil said.

"Still, you accepted something you didn't earn," Jimin countered.

"What's the verdict, Head Alpha Park?" Jinwan asked.

"A hundred whiplashes to each," Jimin announced, and Minhyuk's knees gave out. "Since Namgil and Yeon-jin are old, their sons will bear that on their behalf."

"Two hundred each," Jinwan murmured. "Wow. We're really going back."

Two hundred whiplashes? I'll die.

Cold sweat broke out of his skin. "Y-You can't do this. T-That punishment isn't executed anymore. T-They stopped doing that long ago."

"It's not removed either," Jimin casually replied. "I even have a special whip crafted for you, Minhyuk." He snapped his fingers again, and a guard bought something on a tray.

Minhyuk turned his head to see what it was, but it was covered with a white cotton cloth. Trepidation filled him, and fear gripped his heart. He couldn't tell if Jimin was joking or if he meant every word. No one gave that sort of punishment anymore. He should be locked in prison or levied with hefty fines. He must be kidding, right?

That must be it. Jimin just wanted to see his reaction. His legs trembled. His scent was turning bitter, and he couldn't control it any longer.

"Lock me in jail. Let me rot there," Minhyuk demanded.

"What's the point in locking you there? You will be given good protection, a bed to sleep in and three meals. How is that a punishment for the pain you put my mate through?" Jimin asked, tilting his head to the side. "This is my right. Your family will work for the Jeon pack until we recover every penny you guys garbled up," he added, plucking out the white cloth that covered the tray, and Minhyuk almost fainted when he realized what it was.

Silver spiked whip.

"It took a while, but it's beautiful, isn't it?" Jimin smiled, and his eyes glinted with malice. He picked up the whip, revealing the monstrous weapon.

Minhyuk's throat went dry. This was a nightmare. This couldn't be real. There was no way Jimin would whip him with that. It would definitely skin him, leaving his flesh mangled. It would leave a permanent scar and in history, the people subjected to similar punishments had trouble walking.

Jimin whisked his hand as if on cue. The whip came alive, producing a cracking sound. The sound was so powerful that Minhyuk jerked back in fear. The Head Alpha smiled viciously, running his fingertips over the spikes with an amused look on his face.

"Beautiful, isn't it? There are only three left. I had to bring it from the Busan museum specifically for this trial," he explained.

"Y-You can't do this. No one uses whipping as a form of punishment anymore," Minseok said. "Our crimes don't warrant whipping. I'll give back all the money. I'll pay back."

"Oh, don't worry about the money, Minseok. I've already arranged for your business to be liquidated. As for the money, what good can it do? I have more than you could ever dream of. What I want is for you to suffer for everything you did to my mate and his family."

"I never hurt Jungkook," Minseok's voice rose. "I never even met him in person. How could I have hurt him?"

Jimin growled, "You think the only way you can hurt someone is by doing it directly?" He took a step toward him. "You knew exactly what your brother was doing. Yet, you did nothing to stop him," Jimin responded. "Tell me, Minseok, did you ever stop once to think how this would affect Jungkook when you told your dear brother here that he wasn't an alpha if he stuck to just one hole?" he growled.

Minhyuk shook like a leaf caught in a storm as another growl cut through the thick atmosphere of the room. The swirling dominant alpha pheromones were too much for him to handle. He automatically bared his neck in submission, letting out a pitiful whine. Jinwan looked furious beyond belief and shaking in his seat, eyes red as his wolf fully surfaced, but fortunately, by some miracle, he stayed put.

Memories from the day Jinwan went for his throat surfaced in his memory. He made it out alive only because of Sohee, who jumped in front of him.

"Standing by and doing nothing when you're aware something terribly wrong is going on; encouraging the person who is doing the act by providing ideas makes you an accomplice by default. You're guilty as charged on all accounts, and in my eyes, you're a filthy piece of shit that needs to be cleaned," Jimin continued.

He stalked toward him, and Minseok cowered, shrinking back to look small and defenseless. It was a tactic to appeal to the alpha and show himself as less threatening and weak as possible so the wolf didn't attack him.

"T-That was...ah...h-how did you know?" Minseok paled, taking a step back.

For every step he took back, Jimin took a step forward. "You're a pathetic alpha. You encouraged your brother and cheered him whenever he got laid. What more? You both had a sick habit of keeping a head count for every omega you fucked. You even had a sick rating system for each fuck. Bonus points if you ended up fucking the same omega. You were jealous that he was winning, weren't you?"

Minseok swallowed. His Adam's apple bobbed, and Minhyuk felt ready to faint. How? It didn't make sense. No one knew about it. It was something they did for fun.

Namgil and Yeon-jin looked sick. His mother covered her ears. A steady stream of tears rolled down her already wet cheeks.

"You wanted to add Jungkook to that list too. What was it again?" Jimin rubbed his temple. "Right. You wanted a taste of a purebred omega too. You said you jerked off several nights, imagining it was Jungkook. And Minhyuk gave 4/10 because he didn't get wet at the drop of the hat, sloppy blow job and was boring in bed. That four was for his purebred status and mouth watering scent."

Minhyuk's stomach churned. That happened two months ago, and Minseok was drunk. Minseok's back hit the wall. He pressed his back to the wall with no space to retreat, shaking on the spot. Because he knew the context of those chats. Jimin wasn't telling everything. He'd described Jungkook's body parts and reminisced how it felt to fuck a purebred omega. I told him about the sounds Jungkook would make every time.

Jimin gripped Minseok's neck, lifting him off the ground, and slowly crushed his windpipes. "I don't like the way you spoke about my mate," he growled. "He is your Head Omega, yet, you dared to talk about him disrespectfully and made sexual innuendos, disregarding his status."

Minseok struggled for breath. He kicked his legs in the air. Jimin and Minseok were the same height, yet, his brother was no match for the strength of a purebred alpha.

"He's the maternal figure of the Jeon pack, the embodiment of the moon by our ancestor's law. You're a disgrace to your mother and this pack," Jimin spat. "I promised I'll protect him at any cost. All of him. And now I promise you. You both won't know the word freedom as long as I live. If what Minhyuk did is wrong, your crimes are worse." He dropped him, and Minseok crumbled to the floor.

Minhyuk's chest heaved as he fought a wave of nausea. This can't be real, yet it painfully was. His faux sense of pride and ego deflated like a balloon. He had nothing to lose but his dear life. He was afraid of pain. Did he mention that? And Jimin promised endless pain.

"If you must know something, Jungkook is a 100/10 in bed. It's you, a pathetic loser with a five-inch dick, who is incompetent. You need a real alpha to get a purebred omega wet, and most importantly, if the omega isn't willing, you can't do shit." Jimin's face tightened with something indecipherable. "When you get back into society, you will never even have the pleasure of jerking off to porn, let alone fulfilling your fantasies of fucking a purebred omega. I'll make sure of that."

Jimin stepped back, hands fisted by his sides.

"Jong-Su," he called, and the guard stepped forward. "The parents will remain locked until I decide what to do with them. Terminate all their privileges. The Kang family is now banned from the Jeon pack and marks their family as traitors to the pack. As for the sons, deliver ten whiplashes every day. If they faint, treat them, wait until they're healed, and repeat."

"Yes, Head Alpha Park." He bowed.

"W-What?" Minhyuk's soul left the body, and he sagged to the floor. He must be dreaming. Yes. This was all a dream. This couldn't be happening.

"As for Minhyuk, I'll personally deliver his punishments."

"Yes, Head Alpha Park."

"We have a lot to catch up on," Jimin said. "I'd have loved to play a bit more, but unfortunately, I don't have much time." He glanced at his watch. "I want to solve this before our second pup is born." He approached Minhyuk. "It pains me to see that you don't even have the backbone to face me. I don't fight weaker alphas. You're a dead man walking. But that's not gonna stop me from punishing you." He snapped his fingers again. "Take them away."

"Yes, Head Alpha Park."

More guards filled inside, and soon they were all dragged outside.

"No, no, no. Please stop! Hear us out."

"Alpha Park, show mercy."

"Alpha Jeon! Please..."

"Help!"

"Somebody help!"

Their pleas were disregarded as Minhyuk found himself trapped alone inside another cell, much smaller than the first. With the cold floor as his only companion, he banged the locked door until his hands ached. His cries went unheard by another and echoed around him.

He was truly busted, and there was no way out. The funniest part of it all, he had walked into the trap willingly.

***

A/N: There's more to come he he. Next part isn't ready yet. My work trip is coming up. I'll be with limited internet while traveling. I got a busy week ahead, so next update might be delayed. I'm trying to finish it before my travel date but let's see.