Third person pov

Oberon stared at Taehyung's unconscious form which was covered with a white blanket, laying on a hospital bed with a calm peaceful expression on his face.

He lowered his eyes and fixed them on the floor. Jungkook was in a bad state after being hit, but he was completely fine.

The suit he was wearing was covered in blood. His head was still bleeding too. He still refused to let himself be treated.

He had already ended up punching Hoseok when the elder tried to drag him to a doctor. 

It wasn't his fault. He had already told them to stay away, not just now but many times in the past, but they'd come back again and annoy him. 

He stayed back in Taehyung's room, not letting anyone come near Taehyung. He growled at the people who even knocked at the door. 

He was patiently waiting for Taehyung to wake up.

He had behaved way too protectively earlier while bringing Taehyung to the hospital, handling the omega in the most delicate way, but his actions weren't made to satisfy himself. He wasn't doing these things for himself. 

He thought about everything that has been happening.

What he had done to Taehyung due to his illness--which seems nothing more than a stupid excuse--was still vividly remembered by him.

He knew what he did partially, some parts forgotten because of his illness. 

Did he feel sorry? After Jungkook fell for Taehyung, he did. Very much. 

But he didn't know if he would feel sorry if Jungkook didn't feel for him. Of course, he knew it wasn't right and did feel guilty, but he felt regret only because his human form loved the omega.

He knew the truth since he met the boy. 

He knew that Hyejin wasn't his mate, Taehyung was. 

And he hated it. He hated how his fate made him go away from Hyejin just because he had to be with Taehyung. 

If it wasn't for him, Hyejin would be with him. 

If it wasn't for his fate, Hyejin would still be here. 

His sickness, his mental health and everything back then were at their worst state. All he thought about was Hyejin. All he felt was anger at everyone who came close to him because Hyejin was the only one who had the right to do so.

It's wrong. 

He couldn't do anything about it.

Everything he went through made him like this. The sickness made him like this even if it felt like a lie. 

The fated mates could go to hell for all he cared. He only desired to get back Hyejin. The disease made him want to wish for something so impossible. 

Taehyung had become just one of those people who tried to get close to him, like Hoseok and Yoongi. 

The only thing which crossed his mind after realizing who his actual mate is was that Hyejin had died because of him being fated to Taehyung.

In every other normal situation, he would have instantly forgotten about the dead woman and given his heart and soul to loving his actual mate because that's how it's supposed to be, but the sick wolf was suffering because he had lost someone who he considered an actual mate, so accepting that she wasn't his mate was really hard. 

She is the person he loved.

Nothing could change his feelings. Neither the fact that he met his actual mate, nor Jungkook's feeling for Taehyung. 

The bond didn't have any effect before his illness and it wouldn't have any effect unless he completely took Taehyung as his lover and Hyejin as an ex. 

She's dead, and he was supposed to move on already because it was a given fact that she wasn't someone who he was meant to be with.

But he was ready to give everything to go against his fate.

His desires may be cruel and unjust to Taehyung, but the universe was cruel to him too.

How could he let himself suffer more than he already was so someone else could be happy? How will he be happy then? Should he have killed himself more to accept what his fate had for him? 

Should he have killed his desire and his inner self so he could go according to what destiny wanted him to? 

He didn't even know Taehyung so how it could be expected of him to move on and accept someone because that's how it's supposed to be? 

Moving on wasn't an option because he lost his mind, soul, and heart when he lost Hyejin. 

Truebloods always remember the ones who mended their broken heart.

In his case, Taehyung wasn't the one who fixed him. It was Hyejin. It will remain Hyejin as he wanted it to be that way.

And he failed to give Taehyung a chance to take her place. He couldn't do it, not because he didn't want to but because he couldn't. 

The heartbroken disease, as people claim, is something that snatches the ability to think properly from a trueblood and makes them heartless and cruel. 

It makes them lose all forms of sanity and behave like their world revolves around a dead person. 

This disease affected him in the worst way too.

He took the whole impact of it and never let his human form experience the pain of this disease.

It was always the same for him. Jungkook, his other half, meant more than anything and anyone. He was Jungkook's protector since childhood, after all.

Since he was a child, he had protected Jungkook. And Jungkook, along with Hayoon, were the ones who meant more than Hyejin to him. 

Oberon and Jungkook shared the same heart and mind, but their feelings and thoughts were different. He was impulsive and stone-hearted, but Jungkook was the complete opposite of it.

After meeting Taehyung... Jungkook seemed much more in relief. The scent of the omega calmed him down, pulled his thoughts away from the harsher ones and forced him to feel moments of happiness. 

He noticed how the human would be enraged at him whenever he hurt the omega. 

It hurt him in a way. 

Jungkook himself didn't understand him. Jungkook himself didn't know that he had become a puppet in the hands of his sickness. 

But even if Jungkook didn't care about his emotions anymore, he did care for Jungkook and his feelings. 

They were completely ununited now. Their feelings and everything had made them two halves, dividing them. 

And Oberon hated it. He hated how he was getting farther away from his own other half. 

Taehyung was their mate, so it was understandable for Jungkook to feel this way. Jungkook wasn't sick, after all, but until his sickness is treated, Hyejin will be the only one for him. 

After Hyejin's death, Jungkook had suffered a lot. He seemed depressed and sad. The hallucinations made him cry, and his state often angered Oberon.

 It infuriated the wolf to see Jungkook in pain with him not being able to "protect" him like always. 

Jungkook used to cry and cry, feeling only pain. 

That was until Taehyung became someone so important in his life and took all his pain away. 

Oberon never tried to keep Jungkook from feeling the mate bond. He didn't intend to do so but just because he wasn't accepting Taehyung as his mate--as he considered Hyejin as his only one--Jungkook didn't feel the bond too.

Months and months have passed already since he had last seen this omega who had enthralled Jungkook.

Since Jungkook started feeling for Taehyung, he stopped hurting Taehyung. Why? Because his actions would indirectly hurt Jungkook too.

Again, nothing mattered more than Jungkook. 

He wouldn't let Jungkook get hurt unless the situation was like today. He hadn't known that there was something wrong--as he couldn't feel Jungkook's pain--until Jimin called him and screamed at him to be responsible. Only then had he realized that Jungkook was hurt and Taehyung was being beaten up. 

Again, it was just the sickness that would make him lose contact with everything for some time, occasionally for a long time too, without him realizing it. 

Keeping today's events aside, he always wished to not hurt Jungkook in any way.  

He held his anger back whenever it was related to Taehyung after Jungkook started feeling for him.

Moreover, Hayoon had also moved back to their mansion, and he didn't want his own child to hate him like everyone else does.

The whole world could go against him, not his pup. He wouldn't be able to tolerate that. The only thing holding him back from breaking was her. 

His nightmare came true when Jungkook fell for the omega without even feeling the mate bond.

What people said about mates being inseparable, their fate and life together being planned before their birth was so true.

He was no one to stop Jungkook from moving on. He was no one to tell his other half to remain in the past, in darkness like he is.

He let it happen.

He decided that he'll do whatever he could to let Jungkook live a happy life.

And about loving Taehyung...

He snapped his head up when he heard a tiny groan. His heart stilled for a split second before it began beating at a fast pace.

He cursed himself because he was never good at handling his emotions. He managed to maintain a stern and confident demeanour even when he was shaking in anxiousness from inside.

Taehyung made a sound of discomfort. His eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the harsh light in the room.

When the image of Jungkook's wrecked state lying on the floor, in a bloodied mess, came to his mind, he jerked to a sitting position, hands shooting to his head which began spinning.

"J-Jungkook," he whimpered. Black spots appeared in his vision. He heard a voice but couldn't decipher what was being said and who was saying it.

"Taehyung?"

He took deep breaths in, holding his chest to feel the bond and find out Jungkook's current state. He was more than just relieved when he could feel calmness from the bond and could feel Jungkook's heartbeat.

"Taehyung?" He heard the voice again, and this time he looked up. His mind went blank when he saw a pair of red eyes staring at him.

"Y-you..." he whimpered, covering himself with the blanket. "Jiminie. I want Jimin."

He wanted to get away from the wolf. No. He couldn't face him. He didn't want to think about him nor did he want to talk to him.

Nothing related to Oberon's because he was already very distressed.

His eyes teared up when he saw the blood which was staining the elder's clothes and skin.

He shuddered as the scene of Jungkook being hit replayed in his mind. His chest felt so heavy that he began crying again.

That would be the worst punishment he could ever get. Seeing his Jungkookie being hit with rods, the older groaning and losing consciousness while trying his level best to stay awake to assure him that he is alright... It hurt more than any other pain he felt when he was being hit himself.

His mouth fell open and he cried like a child, eyes scrunched close and cheeks and nose turning red. The trueblood tensed, gulping.

Why is he crying? I haven't done anything to him... Or have I? Did I say something wrong? I just called him by his name. Perhaps he doesn't want me to call him like that. 

Was my voice too harsh? Did I behave too rudely? 

What am I supposed to do now?

He exhaled, wetting his dry lips. He tried to calm his sudden raging heart.

What would Jungkook do in this situation? He thinks and the answer his mind gave him was something he couldn't do.

No. What the fuck? He couldn't really go and hug the omega out of nowhere, could he?

Fuck this.

He walked to the crying omega with slow, hesitant steps so the boy could immediately stop him if he was crossing his line. Also, he didn't want the omega to get started by his sudden actions.

Taehyung noticed him advance but didn't stop him. He was too distressed and worried about his Jungkookie to think about anything else.

His mate was right beside him, standing on his feet, but he knew that Jungkook had felt a lot of pain and wasn't as powerful as his Oberon.

"M-my Kookie," he cried, pushing away Oberon's hand which was reaching out to hold him. "Want my bunny."

Oberon finally realized what the baby like boy was wailing for. He signed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Bunny? I don't look like a fucking rabbit. He exhaled deeply, unamused.

"He's alright," Oberon said, coughing because his voice sounded like a growl. He needed to learn to speak properly first.

"I can feel him for now," the wolf spoke in an uncomfortably soft tone. "I know he is okay."

"No, you don't!" Taehyung yelled, glaring at him with his teary eyes. "I know more. My boyfriend isn't alright!"

Oberon clenched his hand, shutting his eyes because he hated it when someone yelled at him or spoke to him in such a tone. He wouldn't think twice before choking the person to death if it was someone else, but Taehyung...

Hell, no. No way. He should and would keep his hands to himself. Even though he didn't love him, he will have to protect him because Jungkook loved him.

"Calm down," he said, voice oddly calm and collected. "He's okay."

Taehyung sniffled and whimpered. Oberon gave up on the idea of hugging the male to comfort him. 

He would rather jump off the window and kill himself than do such a thing.

The omega calmed down by himself. His eyes and lips were drooped down in sadness, and his tears made his cheeks glisten.

Oberon smiled at his cuteness for crying so hard just because Jungkook was hurt. 

Jungkook chose someone good for himself. There was never a need to protect me and my other half from him.

This omega is really crying because Jungkook was hit a couple of times... he does seem to care for him a lot.

I'm happy for Jungkook. I'm happy he succeeded to move on and find love again. 

"Why won't you let me see Jungkook?" Taehyung said, lower lip wobbling as he looked up at Oberon. "I want to see him."

He was basically asking for Oberon to go the fuck away so he could get back Jungkook. 

Oberon felt a pang of hurt in his chest. He ignored it. Ignored the fact that no one liked his presence even when he wasn't being rude or harsh.

Well, he was the one who hated having someone give him attention anyway.

And Taehyung had a right to be like this.

He wondered why he was even here still. 

Oh, yeah. It was to apologize to the boy and tell him that he was ready to accept him so Jungkook could have a proper relationship with his mate and feel the bond too.

"I want to say sorry," Oberon starts, watching the expression of the omega turn sour, pained and disgusted. "I have to let you know that I feel guilty for what I did in the past."

"You're faking it up," Taehyung spat, clenching the sheets in his hand, keeping his protection up as he was still scared of Oberon. "A person like you wouldn't change for the world! Why would you suddenly feel guilty?"

The trueblood knew that what the omega said was anything but false. It was true. His decision and feelings wouldn't ever change for anybody.

But he did feel guilty. He didn't feel like this when he hit anyone who did something to anger him but he did feel bad that he did it to a person who was innocent and was also his fated mate. 

"You're right, Taehyung," the trueblood starts, surprised at himself for not losing his mind yet. "Whatever you know about me is right. You know about my disease, about my harshness, my destructive side and everything. What you think of me isn't wrong at all. I am like this, and I wouldn't change myself for anyone."

Taehyung looked away and scoffed. He let his guard down slightly because he knew that the wolf meant no harm to him after listening to his calmness. 

He wanted to let his wolf out because it was hard to communicate with other wolves in human form. 

But before anything, he wanted Oberon to explain everything to him first.

He was finally in the mood to listen to the wolf speak and tell him what he feels. 

He wanted to remove the anger in him and behave softly with Oberon so he could get to understand what he's trying to say. 

He needed to know all the sides of the story. He needed Oberon to understand his opinions too. 

He removed the fear from him forcefully, believing that the wolf will not hurt him. 

He needed to know what the wolf felt and thought. 

"I am like this. It's wrong, I know. Hurting myself and someone else for no reason wasn't something I was supposed to do even in really bad situations. I've lost my mind. I'm mentally sick. No therapy can help. No medicine would help. I'm going to remain like this forever."

"Are you trying to say that you'll abuse me again?" Taehyung snapped. "Is this a way of trying to get rid of me? You want to tell me all this so I leave Jungkook?"

"Listen to me completely," the wolf growled and was glad that Taehyung wasn't taken aback by his harshness. 

He clenched his hand and teeth to keep his anger in.

Fuck his stupid anger issues. 

"I'm trying to say that in the future, I'll remain the way I am, but I won't hurt you in any way because Jungkook loves you."

Taehyung snickered, looking away. His reaction confused the wolf. 

He had thought that Taehyung would be somehow convinced to hear him say this. 

Taehyung forcefully tried to make his irritation die within himself. He wanted to have a conversation, not an argument. 

"What?" Oberon asks, frowning.

"You're saying that you regret what you did but will continue to do it to others. I think you are seriously sick to think like this. When you know that you're wrong, you need to change, not blame it on the disease and continue doing it because it pleases you."

Taehyung hated how this wolf had the guts to speak like this after abusing him in the past, but he tried to calm down. 

Calming down when your inners are churning in anger is also a talent, and Taehyung was sure that he was patient enough to handle the situation. 

Just keep calm. 

Just think about Jungkook's sleeping face and keep calm. 

Oberon was left speechless. His throat became dry again, face turning pale.

What was he hearing? Was Taehyung trying to say that he is fine, and his mentality and way of thinking and behaving wasn't affected by his disease? 

How could it be true? Even doctors say that the disease affects the wolf in every way. 

How could it be true? 

Was that true?

It made his chest constrict. Thinking about it, he was improving in his anger issues and was learning to hold his anger back when he was irritated by Taehyung. 

He's been managing to hold back his anger for months now. 

He managed to hold himself back from doing something out of furiousness when it was related to Taehyung but didn't put any effort when he was dealing with someone else.

Just like the way he hit Hoseok a few hours ago. 

could he have stopped that just like the way he held himself back from hurting Taehyung all this while? 

"What a-are you saying?" He asks, feeling scared and confused at what Taehyung was stating. 

He understood everything but still tried to deny what he has been doing all this while.

"You are sick, it's obvious, but you aren't putting any effort into making yourself better. You concluded that you are sick and are doing what you please because you know that even if you do anything wrong, you can blame it on your disease," Taehyung said monotonously, looking at him with serious and strict emotion. 

Oberon looked away, shaking his head in denial.

"I was never in the right state of my mind when I hurt someone."

"That may be true," Taehyung said, his rough voice getting slightly softer as he explained everything to the wolf who seemed to be fazed and scared at the things he was saying.

 "I don't know what you felt. I don't know what was going on with you when you did whatever you did, but I do know that you didn't put any effort into improving your condition."

"My condition couldn't be helped!" The wolf yelled. "Nothing could help my condition. Nothing could make my condition better."

"Really?" Taehyung asks, unfazed by Oberon's outburst. "Then how are you getting better now?"

"What do you mean?" Oberon growled.

Seeing his state somehow calmed the omega who was now focusing more on explaining everything rather than lashing out at him for the past.

 A smile spread Taehyung's face as he said the next words,

"Even though you don't love me, and I don't love you, my presence and my connection with Jungkook, his love for me and everything between me and him made your condition better without you realizing it. You were forced to behave well and you did so. You didn't need any treatment, just a small force to hold you back which you had to muster from yourself, and you did it to hold back from hurting me."

Oberon shook his head again, denying every truthful word that left the lips of the omega.

"Nothing has changed. I'm just the way I was."

"That isn't true," Taehyung stated, softly, sweetly, like he was trying to make a child understand something.

 "You wouldn't be speaking to me if you weren't getting better. You love Jungkook, surely, but you wouldn't apologize to me if it wasn't for your mental health getting better."

"You act like you know everything," the wolf spat. "Stop behaving like this."

"Open your eyes and see the truth, Oberon. You're here, in front of me, because you're getting better. You aren't hitting me, yelling at me or taking your lover's name in every situation because you're getting better. When you did hurt me, you were ill, but now you're not in the same state as before."

Oberon closed his eyes, taking in the words forcefully. He wanted to believe otherwise. 

He genuinely wanted to continue being harsh and rude, so he understood that what Taehyung said was right.

He really was doing what pleased him. Not in the past, but in the present, he was doing only what he wanted. 

He understood the reason for his want to be like this too. 

He didn't want the past to repeat itself. He didn't want to fall for someone and feel immortal feelings for a mortal being.

He wanted to push everyone away and show them his cruel side so they hated him. 

He wanted to do so as he wanted to be alone.

After all, being alone and heartless was better than feeling such strong and deep emotions for someone who wouldn't stay with him forever. 

It was always better to stay strong and harsh rather than breaking down.

His previous heartless actions could be blamed on his disease, but what he was doing now... wasn't right.

He's proved to himself that he can hold it back. 

What has he been doing all this while? 

Hyejin would hate him for doing such things. 

"I'm sorry," he looked away, tears forming in his eyes. Taehyung gasped, looking at him with worry because he hadn't heard his voice in such a broken way before.

"Oberon?" He calls, brows creasing.

"I'm sorry," the wolf sniffled, close to breaking down visibly. He hadn't ever cried in his life to ease put pain. When he did shed tears, it was just a reaction of his body towards the imaginary blinding light and the ringing sound in his ears.

The whole of his life, he had ordered Jungkook to stay strong and not cry. It made him look weak; he hated feeling like that.

And now, here he was, breaking down himself for the first time in his life. His mom's death, Hyejin's death had affected him oh, so much, but he hadn't cried.

He was crying now. Rethinking all the saddest moments of his life when he had stayed strong made him feel much more pain now.

He hadn't ever taken the pain out. He hadn't cried to his heart's content until his chest felt lighter. He hadn't let himself show any emotion.

Thinking about all that now made him comprehend his own wrong actions.

Staying strong and seeming heartless didn't lessen the pain of anyone. It rather made them want to put on a facade to look good in the eyes of others.

But letting it out--letting his emotions flow in the way they want to and reacting to his emotions by smiling, laughing, crying--was what made people feel alive and connected them to the world.

The only time he ever let emotions flow was when he met and began living with Hyejin. Unknowingly, he had loved how it felt to be himself.

He could be himself only in front of Hyejin. That made him feel special. 

That made him so attached that he couldn't let go of her and the moments of emotional freedom that he felt.

He had enthralled--enslaved--his emotions himself. He enslaved his own feelings and made himself feel only in the way he wanted to. 

He wanted to feel in his ideal way--he wanted to feel anger, frustration and hatred and act like a real trueblood--not his real feelings.

But now...

He broke out in sobs which made Taehyung panic. He hid his face behind his palms and cried for the first time in his life.

He refused to look at Taehyung even when the omega pleaded with him to tell him what's wrong.

He muffled his sobs and held them back by pressing his hands on his mouth. It was so embarrassing for him to break down like this before the omega.

He was behaving so weakly. 

But everyone had a right to be weak and vulnerable.

"I-I--" his sobs cut him off. He wanted to speak but he couldn't let out anything but squeaks and sobs.

He wondered whether Taehyung was enjoying this. He wondered whether his crying made the omega, who he has hurt immensely in the past, happy.

He felt a small hand being placed on his back, rubbing softly and comfortingly.

"It's okay," Taehyung cooed at him. "Cry your pain out. You'll feel better."

That's all the wolf needed to set his emotions completely free. He turned around abruptly, making Taehyung flinch, and took the omega into his embrace.

He buried his face on Taehyung's shoulder. 

The boy froze at the sudden actions, heart halting before beating again as the sudden actions made him think that Oberon was going to hit him.

But what the wolf was doing right now was completely different. He was trying to seek comfort from him, not hit him.

He smiled, cradling the elder to his shoulder and holding him delicately.

The sobs the elder let out made both their chests feel lighter. The cries were nothing but genuine, being the most genuine thing that the wolf had ever done, which made them feel at ease.

He cried for way too long--until both his eyes were swollen and throat becoming hoarse, getting harder to cry any further--before he broke away and looked down sheepishly.

Seeing him in this vulnerable state made Taehyung realize that even he felt emotions and pain. 

It removed the fear from his heart. When he sees the red eyes now, he was sure that he wouldn't remember the stern and harsh ones but the ones filled with tears and pain. 

Oberon had feelings too. 

And he was sure that this wolf wouldn't dare to hurt him again. 

Taehyung cupped his cheeks, grinning.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Oberon nodded, not being able to meet his eyes. Hell, he was sure that his cheeks and ears were red.

"Talk to my wolf then," Taehyung said, patting his tears off. "He's been wanting to see you."

Oberon looked up with horror in his eyes and shook his head a 'no'.

"Why not? Venus just wants to tell you something," Taehyung asks, jutting his lips out. 

The Trueblood wolf shook his head again, looking down in dejection.

"He must be mad at me," he says, shaking his head again, denying to meet Venus.

"Don't run away from problems," Taehyung suggested, ruffling the wolf's hair, and the elder let him do what he wants.

He had decided to try to become better now. He was going to stop using this stupid disease as an excuse to behave rudely.

"Just a small talk, yeah?"

Taehyung got no response. He shrugged it off and gave control to his wolf, warning his wolf to not be harsh or rude as Oberon was too vulnerable at the moment.

Venus' appearance was clear when the soft face of the omega turned into a strict, stern expression. 

When he opened his eyes, they weren't brown anymore. They were navy blue.

Oberon shrunk when Venus continued to glare at him with his scrutinizing eyes. His shoulders slumped down, and he gulped.

"Oberon," was the first thing Venus said to the male who stiffened at his stern voice. He stayed quiet and looked up when silence followed after his call.

Biting down on his lip, the trueblood wolf looked at Venus with hesitant and examining eyes, trying to study his emotions.

"I'm sorry," he spoke after a while, apologizing first to the omega wolf. "I'm really sorry for what I did."

"I heard you saying that to Taehyung already." Venus shrugged it off. "You were forgiven by us long ago."

The wolf looked at him with wide, thanking and gleeful eyes. Before he could say anything, Venus shut up with his still strict eyes.

"We forgiving you doesn't mean that all of this would make us forget about the pain we felt. You weren't in the right state of mind so it isn't right to remain angry, but the pain you gave us couldn't be ignored too."

"What can I do?" Oberon sighed, frowning. "What can I do to make your pain less?"

"Nothing. All of it was in the past so you can't do anything to change it. Looking at you, being with you and speaking to you still makes Taehyung anxious and scared because you're past actions are engraved in our heart."

"I'm really so, so sorry," the wolf heaved out a sigh, looking down with a deep and sad frown. 

Venus pressed his lips into a thin line and looked away from Oberon. He thought for a while, wondering what was happening and what he should be doing.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do," Venus admitted. "With whatever is going on, I can't understand what's right and what's wrong."

"I'll accept whatever you say. Just tell me what's in your heart."

Venus closed his eyes. What does he want? What does he feel?

The answers were unclear in his mind. His emotions were a complete tangled mess and thoughts were all over the place.

They were mates. Mates are supposed to remain together always and love each other. They had to remain by each other's side through every problem.

He wasn't lovesick. Never was. Taehyung was the one who strived to be with his mate and be loved by his mate, not him.

He never cared. Being a wolf made him want to see his mate, of course. Maybe once in a while, he would've imagined what loving Oberon like a mate would feel like, but whenever he imagined it, he felt disgusted at himself.

Oberon was the same person who abused him in the past. What he did was worse than what Jungho did, and unlike Jungkook, he knew that Taehyung was his mate.

He was mentally sick. He was suffering and had lost his mind and control over his actions.

But all this doesn't mean that Taehyung hadn't suffered because of him.

However harsh it was, he could never forget what Oberon had done to him. He couldn't erase memories from his mind.

And above all, he saw no love in Oberon's eyes for him. It was a sure thing for two mates to love each other, but whatever they had gone through and their current situation made them feel nothing for each other.

They were complete strangers right now. Venus could just glance at Oberon and tell that he wasn't genuinely interested in having a relationship with him. 

"Tell me what's in your heart," Venus pleaded. 

He knew if Oberon was told that they had to remain like mates do then Oberon would love him because it was his responsibility.

He didn't need such love. He didn't want to love him like that.

"What's in my heart doesn't matter, Venus," Oberon said softly.

"It does," the younger claimed. "We're in this together. We're both feeling the mate bond. We both need to take this decision together."

The trueblood wolf seemed to hesitate as he spoke without thinking twice, like what he wanted and needed was clear in his mind.

"There is a bond between us, we're mates... But I don't think I love you. I'm still fully stuck to my past. I don't want to fall for anyone again after what happened."

"Do you still love Hyejin?" Venus asked, making sure to not seem harsh or rude when he took the girl's name as he didn't want to hurt the elder.

Oberon didn't reply. He just looked back down at his lap.

"Just say what you actually think about it. Don't think about what I feel and what I'm thinking about. I know how it feels to not be able to get rid of the past and remove past feelings from my heart."

This seemed to convince the wolf enough into speaking. "I do. I still love her even though she's gone forever. I don't wish to move on. But Jungkook and you would--"

"Jungkook and Taehyung loving each other doesn't mean anything to you. Your feelings are different from your human form's, isn't it?"

The wolf nodded. Venus smiled at that and placed his hand on the centre of Oberon's chest.

"You don't love me. You love Hyejin, and nothing can change that until you yourself want it to change. Trust me, even if she is your past and has passed away, you don't have to force yourself to move on if it means that you're hurting yourself."

"She shared the same bond with me as you do now. What I feel and my past actions shouldn't affect anything you feel for Jungkook," Oberon pleaded.

The omega wolf nodded at that, his blue eyes softening and the fire in them dying down.

"I'm supposed to love my mate," Oberon said, sighing. "It's my responsibility. I shouldn't be telling you that I can't love you because I love Hyejin."

"You have many reasons not to love me, but I...."

"I still have to learn to love myself, Venus. Only after that can I even love anyone else."

Venus nodded thoughtfully and placed his hand on the other's shoulder to calm him down.

"Your reason is lack of self-love, and my reason is my self-respect."

They looked at each other for a while before smiling a light and happy smile.

"We are still strangers now. In future, we can form a beautiful and deep relationship and love each other."

"Love?" Oberon seems taken aback by that word. "Are you saying that you may love me later on? Will you accept me even after what I have done?"

"Yes, I would," Venus says, laughing at Oberon's nervous expression, knowing that the elder was anxious at the thought of having him love him. 

 "Love doesn't exist only between mates and lovers. Love in friendship is much purer, sweeter and more selfless than between mates. I accept you completely and will love all of you but my feelings for you and Jungkook will be different. My relation will be sweeter, purer."

Oberon visibly calmed at that and grinned, nodding his head.

"I'm looking forward to helping you out through your problems and disease--not as a mate but a friend--and develop a beautiful friendship with you."

"Me too," Oberon said, a dreamy expression on his face. "Me too."

Oberon bit his lip when he felt a blast of sudden emotions in him as soon as he accepted Venus and Taehyung. 

He could feel the mate bond now. 

Suddenly, he was remembered of something. 

"C-Can I..." he hesitantly started. "mark you? Jungkook will be happy if he feels the bond suddenly." 

Venus immediately nodded, pulling the shirt to his side, smiling and urging Oberon to mark him. Even though marking was a very intimate thing done between mates and they had just refused to love each other like that, this was just a gift they were giving to Taehyung and Jungkook to let both of them know that everything was fine now. 

Venus bit lip, relaxing completely when the elder pushed his canines at the nook of his throat and shoulder. He sighed, feeling the bond get stronger. 

Oberon handled him softly, pulling his canines out to lick on the bleeding skin and aiding it to heal. 

"What?' he heard Jungkook's genuinely confused voice as he had just gained consciousness and had started feeling the deep bond.  

Looking at Venus' happy expression proved to him that even Taehyung was happy and perplexed at the same time. 

Before he could try to reach Jungkook back and tell him anything, he heard a knock on the door.  

The trueblood alpha snapped his head towards the door, baring his teeth and growling protectively.

The elder got up from the hospital bed and stood in a protective stance.

"Calm the fuck down," Jimin's voice was heard. It only made the wolf get angrier.

"Hey, calm down. You promised me to try to get better," it was Taehyung's speaking now. Taehyung forcefully took back control from his wolf after hearing his bestfriend's voice.

"Taetae, Hayoon is here," Jimin announced in a soft tone. He was dying to see Taehyung. His heart kept sinking whenever he thought back to the time he was getting hit.

Oberon immediately strode to the door to open it, desperate to see his baby girl.

"Daddy!" The five-year-old yelled with longing and happiness. She was taken away from Jimin's arms as the trueblood tucked her into his embrace. "I missed you!"

The trueblood pecked her cheeks and forehead and she giggled at him, completely unaffected by his red eyes. She cupped his cheeks with her tiny hands and gave him a big, firm kiss on his right cheek.

"Puppy," Oberon called with longing, nuzzling his nose on her hair, growling because she smelt of someone else-- Jimin. His instincts kick in and he scented her.

She seemed to like it a lot.

"Tae—" Jimin was cut off by Oberon who closed the door at his face.

The alpha groaned and punched the door before grumbling something about wanting to be with Taehyung.

The omega's focus was completely on his daughter. He grinned the sweetest, widest grin when she squealed and extended her arms towards him.

Oberon took her to the omega and placed her on the bed, feeling the warmth spread his chest when she threw herself on her mommy.

Oberon quickly grabbed a few tissues and poured a little water on them before wiping away the blood from his neck, hair and face, glad that his excited pup hadn't noticed the blood on him yet.

When he looked back to the mother-daughter duo, he was left in a complete daze because both of them had the hugest smiles on their face as they spoke to each other and hugged each other, longing in their eyes.

Looking at their happiness made him feel so happy.

He decided that even if the situation seemed complicated—with half of them being in a relationship while the other halves deciding to remain friends—he would do what makes him happy.

If staying alone, giving friendship more meaning than love, means happiness to him, then whatever the rules which mates had to follow me, he will do what makes him happy.

This makes him happy. Being forgiven and filled with a want to get better life made him feel good.

He knew that even if Hyejin, his love, had gone far away from him, he will receive love from Venus as a friend.

That's what he wanted.

He didn't care if he got love as a lover or not but this mattered more to him.

For now—for his will to start a journey to understand what feeling feels like and for Venus and Taehyung to maintain their dignity—this was the best thing they could do.

Friends.

The word left a sweet taste in his mouth.

They're his family. His everything.

A grin forms on his face when his daughter burst out laughing at being tickled. The omega tackled her to a huge hug and kissed her all over her face.

Family.

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