"Alpha.." Taehyung inaudibly whispers, eyes slowly fluttering open.

Jeongguk gasps, his previous wave of sadness long forgotten.

"Taehyung!" He quickly shoots up to get a fresh glass of water, handing it to him. Grabbing it, the omega soothes his abnormally sore throat, gulping all of it down.

"It hurts.." He voiced, hissing in pain.

"I know it does, pup. But you'll be okay. I promise. The healer said once you'd wake up, you'll be alright."

Taehyung softly nods, inhaling the alpha's calming scent.

"How'd you manage to find a healer?" The omega wonders quietly, no idea what happened after he passed out against that tree in the middle of nowhere.

Jeongguk pulls him impossibly closer.

"I used a scent-blocker and went to your old pack. I found Jimin and told him what happened, he spoke to the healer for me. God, Taehyung, when I found you there you made me so worried. I was so scared of losing you again."

Taehyung smiles sadly, coughing when the burn in his throat reoccurs.

The alpha refilled the glass and pats Taehyung's hair softly, watching as he takes another few sips.

"Thank you.."

Jeongguk grins, "No need to thank me, darling. 'M just trying to be a good alpha for you."

Taehyung looks up, staring into the male's caring eyes filled with adoration and hope now that he's awake again.

"You are a good alpha, Jeongguk. The best."

The alpha averts his gaze, not sure how to respond and the words of the two wolves lingering in his mind. His wolf wants to bask in pride at the compliment, but his own conscious was haunting him.

He isn't.

Taehyung frowns seeing his reaction, noticing the scent of his that turned sour.

He lays back a little more comfortably, letting his wolf do his job and heal him the quickest he can. He assumes it'll take around three days, before he feels a bit better than decent again.

"Alpha, talk to me. What's on your mind?"

Jeongguk glances over, biting on his tongue. He's conflicted. Does he tell the truth? Of course he wants to, but what if the omega wants to get away from him once he does? He wouldn't even blame him. But considering the shape he's in─

"It's alright, pup. I can tell you some other time." He smiles faintly.

Taehyung shakes his head, determined.

"No, tell me, please. I want to be there for you the best I can. You've done so much for me. Please let me be there for you."

The alpha sighs, shutting his eyes close, not even sure where to start. He holds onto Taehyung's hand again, his thumb softly tracing patterns on it.

"Remember when we had that conversation about the rumour about me?"

Taehyung nods, biting his lip, not sure what to expect.

"Well.. I─ I lied to you, pup," He admits quietly, for once not daring to meet a submissive's eyes.

Taehyung's breath hitches, eyes slightly widening. He suspected it, but he was actually right?

Not wanting to judge too soon after all that has happened, he listens intently as the other continues. He must have a good reason, right?

"Basically, I haven't always been all alone. Actually, I did know my parents. However they eventually abandoned me, at the age of twelve. I've been living here alone ever since,"

He swallows the lump away in his throat, solely staring at Taehyung's hand in his.

"My parents were in debt with this one pack. They owed it something, and so a deal was made so they could repay them. I was little, so I didn't pick up on a lot that was happening. I only know so much,"

He takes a shaky inhale.

"Those two wolves that took you with them and harmed you, belong to that pack. Those two wolves are the ones my parents made the deal with. Unfortunately, they never managed to succeed with it and ended up getting murdered by that same pack, leaving the deal tied to me.."

Taehyung has a deep frown on his face, worry taking over him. His heart made a few flips, ever so often skipping a beat purely out of anxiety.

"Those two wolves, Namjoon and Seokjin, are mates. They have a daughter, named Eun-Sook. The said girl was taken by your pack a long time ago due to a chaos that was going on. The deal was that my parents retrieved her, but they failed. Now it's up to me to do so.."

The omega furrows his brows. Is that all? That wasn't that bad. He feels unbelievably sad for the other that his parents abandoned him. He was about to speak up, when the alpha beat him to it.

"In order to get her back, I must enter your pack, even going farther than those Hunting grounds. I'd be violating a big law. I already did that once when getting that healer, but in the most secrecy as possible. The thing is, Eun-Sook doesn't want to return. Getting her back is going to be difficult, as she will put up a fight. Obviously people would notice,"

He sighs, preparing himself to tell the worst part.

"I didn't only participate in The Hunt to find my mate. Stumbling upon you is the best thing that has ever happened to me, truly. However, another aspect of the deal was that I had to join the event to figure out how many wolves approximately walk around there, trying to get as much as information as possible. But obviously submissives couldn't go back to tell everyone that there is a pure blood on their territory who joined in, so.."

Taehyung gasps softly.

"So you had to kill them." He finishes for him, trembling when the alpha nods.

Jeongguk swore he could feel his heart break, feeling and seeing Taehyung's hand slip out of his. He tried to hold onto it again, but like he feared, Taehyung kept his distance.

"Please let me explain further, pup. I never wanted to kill anyone. I hate it. I truly do. I never wanted to be involved in that stupid deal, but I had no other choice. Seokjin and Namjoon also want me to kill as many wolves as possible, purely blinded by their own rage. I never wanted to do it, but I had no other option, I─"

Taehyung scoffs, tears jumping in his eyes.

"Doll, please listen to me─"

"No, don't.." Taehyung whispers, closing his eyes.

"I had to make a choice. It was either eight submissives, or hundreds of wolves if they got to know what I was doing, or if I refused to keep my part of the deal as Namjoon and Seokjin would send their pack at war with me. I don't want to be a killer.. But I dont want to die, either. I'm trapped, and I don't know what to do.."

Jeongguk glances into the opposite direction again as his voice breaks, tears threatening to spill.

Taehyung stares at his frame, feeling his own heart pulse.

Now after hearing the entire story, he felt even worse for him. It doesn't justify his actions, the lives he took, but his words made sense.

Either eight submissives, or hundreds of wolves if he got at war with two packs. And being a pure blood, he could have entire packs at his feet.

But Jeongguk doesn't want that. And Taehyung respects him for not wanting such power, for not misusing his strength. Heads would've rolled and his wouldn't have been one of them, purely out of self-defense. The omega can't blame him for not wanting to die.

He knows what that feels like. And it's not like Jeongguk created himself, either. He never asked for any of it.

Taehyung sighs, causing Jeongguk's heart to drop to his stomach.

"I understand if you've changed your mind about me. I respect that. B─but please let me take care of you until you're better, at least. Want to finish my job before you reject me. I couldn't possibly let you leave like this."

A tear drips from Taehyung's eye. And another, and another, and another─

The alpha is simply too kind for his own good. He tries to do what's right, even in the worst situations possible. He'd really give up his own happiness if it meant Taehyung would be happier without him.

But the omega couldn't live without him. His wolf fully submitted to him, and as it's the eighth day, he's banned from his pack.
He'd have nowhere to go, that is if he even wanted to leave in the first place.

But that, he doesn't.

Because─

"Alpha, I love you."