Chapter Text
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"What if my mate doesn't love me back?"
The day Taehyung formed this thought was the day he fell into the dark mindless fear of not wanting to find his mate, for fear he or she would reject him.
He can't recall who or what had made him think so, ten years ago. It was a crazy and stupid thought. But it stayed with him, and still had control over his heart.
"I can't believe you never actually searched for your mate." A face filled his line of sight.
"Go away, Jimin. You know very well why I did what I did. I don't want to be rejected."
"Honestly, have you seen anyone reject their mates after that day?" He asked, and Taehyung's answer was the same.
"No. But it doesn't mean it can't happen." Jimin let out a frustrated groan and kicked back the chair he was sitting on. He banged his palms on the coffee table and stared at Taehyung, a mixture of anger and disbelief on his face.
The light pouring in through the window behind him, cast a red-yellow light on his hair, painting it the color of wild fire. He looked like an avenging angel and Taehyung thought it was the most fitting for the work Jimin did under him.
He kept his wolves in check.
He took care of the local business and overseas, though he never got his hands dirty. The work that needed some roughening up, was carried out by Yoongi, his mate.
They couldn't have been a better fit of the puzzle.
Taehyung chuckled at the thought. To think, the scary dude his father had taken under his wing and trained to be a solider, would turn out to be Jimin's mate. For all intents and purposes, Jimin was your average werewolf, with moderate fighting skills. But on the inside he was a fairy, a literal obnoxiously sweet and caring and sunshine filled fairy. He was no monster.
There wasn't a lick of temptation or want in him. Whereas Yoongi was everything Jimin was not.
His smiled dropped when his thoughts returned back to present.
"I won't search for him or her, ever..." Taehyung whispered.
Jimin plopped down on the chair, resigned and worry written all over his face. "You know this isn't the way things work. You can't chose this. The choice was already made when you were born. If you stay away from your mate after your eighteenth birthday, the separation will drive you mad."
"I know."
"Do you also know -" Jimin took on a threatening tone. "If you don't survive the break of your bond with your mate at that time, you'll die. And we'll have lost our only Alpha because of his stupidity."
"I have heard the rumors, Jiminnie." Taehyung patted his hand but Jimin still glared at him. "We won't know if I die or not, unless we go through with it? Right?"
Jimin shook his head. "You're insane, Taetae. You're really insane if you think we'll allow you to go through with it."
"If you don't listen to me, I'll seek help from Uncle Greg."
"No, you're not -" Taehyung started, a bit of panic tickling into his mind. Jimin seeking his father's help would mean a earful of disdain and speech about how Taehyung had disappointed him.
And his mother would be strung up, having to be the buffer between the father and son duo. He didn't want another episode, not now.
Jimin ignored him and turned away. "Try me-" he muttered and Taehyung almost didn't catch him.
The angry set of his shoulder and curled fists made Taehyung sigh. Jimin wasn't going to let this go.
"Hear me out -" Taehyung said.
But Jimin shook his head and got up. He was about to walk out when the door at the back of the kitchen swung open.
"What's got you angry, this early in the morning?"
"Namjoon, please talk some sense into your little brother. He still won't find his mate. We only have a couple months left until his eighteenth birthday." Jimin said, his tone whiny and high pitched. It made Taehyung laugh.
Wolves being whiny didn't sit well with him. But on Jimin it looked adorable, maybe because he was cuter and smaller then the rest.
Namjoon took one look at Taehyung's face and shrugged. "I have tried to change his mind for years. It did nothing and I ended up wasting my energy." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"You found the wrong person to change my mind, Jimin-ah. My brother has given up on me. I'm a lost cause, as he likes to put it."
Taehyung smiled at Namjoon, which only infuriated Jimin further.
"Damn you!" Grumbling and shooting glares at Taehyung, Jimin walked out through the back door and -
"Woah! What the hell?"
Surprise and a hint of panic laced his voice. It raised the hair at the back of his neck, and with three long strides Taehyung was at the door, pulling it open.
"What? What happened?"
Jimin shuffled from one foot to the other and rubbed at his temple. In front of him, a man crouched, slightly out of breath.
Taehyung couldn't see his face. But he felt familiar.
"Leo? What's wrong?" Namjoon asked from over his shoulder.
Leo... Of course he knew the wolf, Taehyung thought.
He had assigned Leo to work alongside Yoongi to handle the case of rogue wolves in the neighborhood. Their allies of the Armand clan had complained about rogues wrecking havoc on their side of the woods. They had reached out to Taehyung, hoping he could lend a hand.
To keep up with the appearance and position, Taehyung had agreed to help out.
His father always advised him to keep himself surrounded by as many allies as possible, so that he might lean on them in times of emergencies. On the personal front Taehyung wasn't a fan of the Alpha of Armand clan. But this once, he went along with the plan.
The Alpha would owe Taehyung a debt in near future.
"Alpha?" Leo gasped.
Taehyung stepped forward and kneeled in front of Leo.
The wolf shrunk back and stared at him.
Taehyung frowned. It still unsettled a lot of his men, to see him act so friendly and on same level with his pack. When he had asked Namjoon, his brotherhad explained that the Alpha of most packs drew a line between himself and his fellow wolves. They weren't meant to be friends. To this, Taehyung had replied that he disagreed.
If he couldn't be friends with his pack how was he supposed to guide them to a better future? Understanding their worries and problems on a personal level was the only way Taehyung could help his pack, and he couldn't do that if he was just an Alpha for namesake.
He wanted to be the Alpha everybody could reach out to and share their sadness and happiness with him. They were his family and nothing else could replace it, not even his position as Alpha.
"Leo? What's going on? Talk to me." Taehyung said, keeping his voice soft and soothing.
The guy was covered in sweat and Taehyung noticed a ghastly cut on his side.
Had he and Yoongi encountered a fight while working on the case of rogue wolves?
"It's Yoongi... A-alpha, h-he's injured." Leo spoke, stuttering and stopping before forcing out the words. "B-badly injured."
Taehyung sensed more then heard Jimin stubble back.
"Where is he?" Taehyung asked and Leo didn't meet his eyes. The smell of fear clung to Leo's skin, mixed with anger and desperation.
Taehyung grabbed the wolf by his shoulder. "Leo? Where is he?" He asked again, using his Alpha tone. And the guy whimpered under the power in his command.
"At the safe house... he's at the safe house."
The first question that rose in Taehyung's mind, was why hadn't Leo brought him back home? But it was a question for another day.
Right now, he needed to get to Yoongi and see for himself how bad his Beta was.
"Take me to him."
"Yes, Alpha."
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