Jongho didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he opened his eyes and took in the strange room. He was alone... His wolf started to panic as he slipped off the bed and looked for his clothes.

Then he smelled vanilla and his head snapped up to see San walking into the room holding a tray of food. "Hey." The beta said, a smile so wide on his face that it creased his eyes.

Jongho could feel the pleasure rolling off the older and his eyes focused in on the mark on his neck. "No..." He said, taking a step back.

San paused and bit his lip. "Jongho... I'll keep it hidden. I promise. But I..."

"Fuck! How could I be so stupid?!" The alpha fisted his hair and turned to face the wall. "Did you?" His hand flew to his neck and he practically collapsed in relief when he didn't feel a mark.

"You wouldn't let me..." San set the tray down and looked at the ground.

"At least part of me was thinking." Jongho grumbled as he pulled his clothes on.

Then he felt pain coming from he beta and he turned to see tears in San's eyes. "Why are you acting like this?"

"It's complicated... You know who my father is, right?" Jongho said.

"Well that's a stupid question..." San mumbled, looking away.

"Then you know he is boing to be livid when he finds out about this!" Jongho snapped.

But he had a link with the beta now so he couldn't stay mad at him. And it broke his heart to see San hugging himself and crying. So he walked over and gently pulled San into a hug. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"I w-wanted it t-t-to. You c-can't take all the b-blame." San wrapped his arms around Jongho and buried his face in the alpha's neck. Jongho sighed, he knows the... No, HIS beta was right. He had messed up... And now he had to take responsibility. Somehow...

They stood there for a long moment as San worked to calm himself down. "I'll hide it. I promise I will." San said. "We can just meet in secret. I don't mind. As long as I still get to be with you."

Jongho closed his eyes. He had never meant for this to happen. He wasn't interested in emotional attachments. That's why he hadn't done anything with Yunho either. It was all just fun and games to him. A way to defy his father.

And he'd keep doing that.

They could hide this. They just needed to be careful.

••••••••

"Jongho, honey?" Kennedy said, walking into Jongho's room in his hut and shaking him gently. The alpha jolted awake, but relaxed instantly when he saw his mom. The beta gave him a tense smile. "Your father has asked for you. He's gathering all the hunters so I think he's getting ready to send a group out. It's about time, we are getting low on food."

"Why does he want me?" Jongho grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Maybe he's going to give you a group to lead!" Kennedy's eyes lit up at the thought. "He's been talking about trying to give you more responsibility."

"He has?" Jongho cocked an eyebrow. He doubted that, but he also couldn't help but hope it was true...

The alpha worked on getting dressed and making sure he looked presentable for his father before making his way to the main hall. Kennedy wasn't kidding. Almost all of the hunters were there. He's eyes found San right away. The beta had taken to wearing turtlenecks or jackets and spent as much time doing border patrols as possible so he could be in wolf form.

The beta gave him a shy but happy smile and Jongho felt his wolf churn. It hated having to hide its beta, but Jongho always forced it aside. It surged forward again when he noticed Yunho standing a little further down the hall. He looked a little anxious, but the beta had never done well in large crowds. He locked eyes with Jongho for a moment, then looked down.

Since claiming San, Jongho had been seeing Yunho a little less...

His father was standing at the end of the hall with his hands clasped behind his back. Primrose was nowhere to be seen, but she wasn't a hunter so she wasn't needed for something like this. The Luna was most likely working in the gardens.

Jongho walked forward and bowed in respect. "Father."

Valentine walked forward slowly. "Son." His voice was hard. Now that he had been acknowledged, Jongho stood up straight. The air was tense in the hall as everyone waited to see what happened.

His head suddenly snapped to the side as the sound of skin slapping skin seemed to echo in the hall. Several gasps could be heard while Jongho pressed a hand to his stinging cheek and his wolf reeled inside him.

"YOU ARE A DISGRACE." Valentine roared. Jongho was stunned and he felt himself submitting. "YOU HAVE BROUGHT DISHONOR TO ME, AFTER ALL I HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" The young alpha sank to his knees and whimpered at the power of his father's voice.

"Valentine! What is the meaning of this?!" Kennedy's voice came from behind him and his footsteps could be heard coming closer.

Murmurs came from the hall at Kennedy's informal tone with their alpha.

Valentine growled. "Your son-"

"He is your son too! A fact that you seem to have forgotten!" Kennedy snapped, his voice remaining strong.
Jongho bowed his head as he sank lower to the ground.

"Don't test me Kennie." Valentine continued to growl, although it was obvious that his tone had softened a little as the beta got closer. There was a reason he had chosen to have a pup with Kennedy...

"Then why don't you explain what the hell is going on?" Kennedy challenged while crouching next to Jongho and placing a hand on his son's shoulder. Valentine snapped his fingers once.

"Hey!" Jongho's heart sank. "Let go of me! What are you doing?!" San cried out.

Then he was forced to kneel next to Jongho with a whimper. The alpha glanced at his beta, trying to relay just how sorry he was as Valentine stepped forward.

"You should be ashamed of yourself too. You're parents were proud members of this pack. I would have given you a worthy mate." The head alpha said, his voice low and rumbling.

Time seemed to slow as Jongh watched his father lean forward and rip the top of San's shirt open, revealing his mark for all to see.

Almost everyone gasped or growled.

"YOU CLAIMED A BETA WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! YOU BOTH BROKE THE ONE RULE I SET IN THIS PACK."

Jongho's heart broke when Kennedy withdrew his hand and stood up. "Is this true?" He asked quietly.

All the young alpha could do was nod.
Which earned him a kick in the jaw from his father.

Jongho flew backward and rolled across the hall. He let himself roll away, not bothering to try and fight back. San ran to his side and cupped his face as he examined his alpha.

He thought he heard a whimper from somewhere else in the room too.

"And there is all the proof we need." Valentine sneered.

Jongho glanced up to see Kennedy covering his mouth with his hand. Besides the humiliation this was causing San, seeing his mom look at him with utter shock and disappointment made it so Jongho could only look at the floor.

"You are no son of mine. GET OUT OF THIS PACK. BOTH OF YOU. YOU ARE BANISHED. IF I EVER SEE YOU IN MY TERRITORY AGAIN YOU WILL BE KILLED ON THE SPOT." The order from their head alpha pressed them into the floor.

Jongho felt like part of him had shattered at his father's words. He was no longer viewed as his son... He was a disgrace... A pathetic excuse of an alpha...

He felt San's shaking hands help him off the floor and pull him toward the exit. Jongho chanced one glance over his shoulder and saw Kennedy with his arms around his alpha and face buried in his neck.

Valentine's red eyes bore hole's into Jongho as he comforted his beta by keeping one hand on the back of his head and rubbing his back on the other. "Jongho, come on. We need to go..." San said, pulling on his arm.

He turned to look at his beta and nodded, trying to ignore the glares from the rest of the pack. Accepting their fate, both he and San fled from the hall and out the front gate where they stripped and shifted. Their pack bond broke the instant the crossed the border.

Jongho was suddenly grateful that he could feel San, otherwise he didn't know if he'd have the will to go on... He had no idea what he was going to do now.

All he could think about was running far away, because he knew his father's death threat would come true if he stayed to close to what used to be his home.

••••••••

Written by flamewhipper