•Chapter twenty one•

Do me a favor.

Taehyung was taken aback by her demand. Why would she ask him not to take the medicine.

By... Any chance, did she think that Taehyung had slept with someone else. It was a stupid thought though. Why would she care if he was taking medicine to not get pregnant with someone's pups?

But she definitely doesn't wish for him to hold Jungkook's...

No, that doesn't make sense.

Either way, he wasn't going to do just anything she asks from him. By forcing Jungkook, she had proved that just because she had been a victim of abuse, it doesn't make her hold all innocent and good wishes.

She is surely desperate. 

It was the situation that made her like this.

Yet, he would be a fool to make himself suffer for her satisfaction. He fucking suffered enough. 

"Oppa, what are you doing?" Mira asks, walking closer and staring at the medicines. She bit her lower lip when she saw those poisonous herbs in his hand. 

She tried not to make it suspicious by making it seem like she had ran all the way here because that's exactly what she did. 

She slept with another alpha last night. She didn't do it for fun or for pleasure.

She had to get pregnant, but Jungkook hadn't released in her their wedding night. The main reason she even forced Jungkook was because she had to get pregnant, but he just didn't knot her or make her pregnant.

She just wouldn't do another sin by forcing him again. Rather, Jungkook wouldn't do it again. 

Her constant tries of making him do it was useless when there were already so less chances of giving birth. she was only pushing Jungkook more away and was getting to no where in trying to make Jungkook mate her. 

This was the only other option she was left with.

She mated with another man to carry pups in her.

Now, she would have to make Taehyung agree to do something for her. That's the next step.

"Mira?" Taehyung tried not to panic, wondering if she knows that the strong, almost poisonous of used in high amount plant in his hand is used for controlling birth. He couldn't understand why she asked her not to take the medicine.

"W-why are you up so early?" 

"I couldn't even sleep because my mate was with someone else, and the thought kept burning me." 

These words made color drain from Taehyung's face. He gulped, wetting his suddenly dry and sore throat by gulping.

He had never wondered what would go through her while he was doing the things.

Well, she did a crime by raping Jungkook in her obsession. It was alright if she sees the truth, right?

Jungkook loves him. Jungkook only thinks of him.

She has a troubled past, but that doesn't give her a access to trouble others.

"Mira, it is not what you think--" 

He didn't know why, he couldn't seem to just admit everything to her. Even if Jungkook didn't like her, they were married.

That is, he doesn't know that the marriage is fake.

He felt guilt for coming in between but it was just an exterior feeling. From within, he was still happy that Jungkook chose him and not her.

"You don't need to explain anything, oppa. It isn't your fault that the bond was forced on you and the marriage was forced on Jungkook. I let him go to you so it's okay." 

Her words only made Taehyung more aware of the entire situation. So she already knew of the imprinting bond between them? Then why did she want to marry Jungkook? She could've stopped this by just saying that she didn't want to marry him.

She clearly knew that Jungkook likes her... Still she...

"I love Jungkook," she whimpered, looking down and sniffling softly. She brought her hand up to wipe away a stray tear that passed her lids. "He--he refused to accept me as his wife before the marriage."

"Then why did you let all this happen?" Taehyung asked, slightly furious. She had basically brought her problems upon herself and also made his life worse. 

He considers Jungkook's tears more than hers now.

It was harsh of them to treat Mira like this after whatever she's been through, but it wasn't possible to do anything else.

"I love him!" she exclaimed. "H-he saved me from my father and also held me-- held me like no one else did ever before on that day." 

"So, in return, you decide to increase his problems?" Taehyung growled, getting selfish now because he so fucking wished that things could be better. 

He wished that he was spending time to make his relationship with Jungkook better than being here, upset because he was supporting toxicity by making Jungkook sleep with him and feeling guilty for feeling no remorse over last night's events. 

"No," she wiped away her tears. "His love for you is one-sided like mine for him. I knew there is a huge chance of us coming together because you won't accept him, and he would then come to me, oppa." 

"You're out of your mind." 

Taehyung threw the bowl, which he was holding, on the table and turned around. He was highly frustrated and disappointed. 

He ran his hands down his face and exhales shakily. 

"Do you understand that feelings of a person doesn't change easily?" I hope... I hope his love for me doesn't change. 

If he stops loving me, this bond will end and so will one of the huge push which is making me live.

I don't want that.

"My feelings won't change too, oppa. I really love him and want to have him as my own." 

Taehyung growled. "Stop trying to be as toxic as your father, Mira! You forcing him into things won't help at all! You won't ever manage to--"

"I will!" she said quickly, holding his elbow. "An alpha has pride. Jungkook's attraction towards you will end soon when it dawns on him that you don't want to be his. He will love me then." 

"And what about the bond?" Taehyung seethed, harshly pulling his hand away from her hold.

"If he forgets me and moves on, you and he may be happy, but what about me? You don't give a shit whether I die because of this bond or not, do you?" 

"I do." Mira slowly wrapped her hands around his torso, bringing him to a hug, and sighed. "I can't let the person I see as an older brother suffer. I was never jealous of you, Taehyung. I have faith that things can turn right." 

Her embrace only put Taehyung  to a uncomfortable state where he was forced to forget about his own feelings and think about her and accept her words. 

Her frail self just needed love.

No, he said sternly. Jungkook did a mistake by letting her rape him just because she managed to seem like a suffering person to him.

I'm not letting her do wrong things. She had suffered. Had. She has everything in the fucking world now, so there's no need for her to be greedy and grab things out of her reach.

Jungkook cannot be hers.

I don't need him any more than she does, but our needs shouldn't be what decides the faith of an alpha.

All of us take advantage of him because of how caring and sweet he is, and that's not right.

But if she actually did manage to do something--her means not being harsh or rude--and Jungkook does fall in love with her...

Then it's alright.

It should be okay.

Keeping aside Taehyung's devastation that would come when Jungkook moves on, everything else will be alright.

Jungkook could make a family with this girl who was like his younger sister. He could finally be happy and free from this never-ending chain of choosing between two omegas. 

Taehyung would be free of the bone too, though he didn't even need that freedom anymore. 

That will be the end of their miseries. 

But Taehyung feel like all of these things only seem more darker than sadness itself? His liking for Jungkook made him conclude that going away means asking for pain. 

It made his heart drop so hard even when it wasn't in control of the bond or the imprinting. He could =go on to love any one he wished and live happily, but his heart seemed to only feel more in pain at this thought.

He didn't know what she needed from him.

He made sure to take a decision which ensures no pain to Jungkook. 

"You won't have to live with the bond, oppa. We can put an end to all this." 

Taehyung's eyebrows furrowed together as he heard these words. He pushed her away from the embrace to look at her face with his questioning eyes. 

"What?" he asks, ignoring his wolf was was growling in furiousness at her for telling such a thing; how could she ask him to end their relationship with his alpha? 

"Jungkook..." she starts, smiling right after as she thought about how good it would be for the next things she is going to say to come true. "If Jungkook moves on from you and accepts me as his mate, the bond will end as the imprinter itself doesn't want a relationship with you." 

"I know how this works," Taehyung said, shrugging like she wasn't making any proper point.

Mira nodded, grinning as she continued to say what she wants to, 

"If Jungkook moves on, you will be free. It is Jungkook's love that formed this bond, and his wolf's possessiveness that  caused this. If these feelings for you end, the bond will also end." 

Taehyung just squinted his eyes suspiciously. He didn't like where she was heading. 

She forced him to turn around and look at her when he didn't respond. "Oppa, I'm pregnant with Jungkook's child." 

Taehyung gasped, hands flying to his mouth. He couldn't hold back his shocked reaction as he began to tear up. No! This can't be happening! J-Jungkook is mine! He is mine! She--she can't be holding his child! 

No, this just couldn't be true. He bit his lips to hold back sobs. She... she's holding Jungkook's child? 

"What are you saying?!" he yelled, not toning down his voice even when she flinched. "This can't be true!" 

There was absolutely no hope for them now.

Nothing could be done to save the bond or their relationship that wasn't even fully formed. 

They were too deep n to come out now. 

"Oppa," she frowned. "Why are you crying?" 

Ever second that passed, he felt the pricks and pinches grow stronger until they felt like a stab to his chest. He had been so happy last night that Jungkook came to him and didn't go to her, but she was already pregnant? 

His eyes raked over her stomach and he looked away quickly. It was unbelievably painful. 

He admitted it. He had seen and hoped for a future with Jungkook in the past days. He thought that Jungkook would sort this matter, leave Mira, and come to him. 

But he was going to be the father of her child now. 

God, it hurt so bad. 

"Nothing," he dismissed quickly, sobbing pathetically as he just could wrap his head around the revelation. "I'm just happy that y-you a-are pregnant." 

It was a stupid lie. He could never be happy that she was just so close... so close to getting Jungkook all to herself because the alpha would sure forget the entire world after knowing that his child is in Mira. 

She embraced him again and began sniffling to hold back the guilt she felt for lying. 
She told herself that it is okay. she was doing this just for happiness. It was wrong, but once she gets what she wants, it will be okay. 

Jungkook hadn't even knotted in her in the first place. She wasn't pregnant, at least not with Jungkook's child. She will not be holding her mate's child. 

But she had to do this. 

This was the only way Jungkook would be forced to love her, but the universe had much more problems kept in hold for her as she couldn't even do something an omega should do. 

She couldn't give birth to a healthy child. The chances of her giving birth was too low. 

She would come off as a failure to the kingdom people and to her mate. If she let him know that she can't hold his children, she'd only give him just another reason to hate him. 

She had to use Taehyung.  

"O-oppa," she sniffled softly and held him tighter before pulling away and pulling her gown up to show Taehyung her bruised stomach, the scars formed due to an incident from long ago. 

A huge scar ran down her torso, like it had been stitched up long ago after a major injury. 

"Y-you know my father abused me, right?" she cried softly as she traced the bruise in the stomach that Taehyung was now staring at with pain, wondering why she was doing this. 

Just by the wound he could tell that Daesong had been so damn harsh with her. It was only understandable that she has lost her mind like this and is obsessed with Jungkook and wants to feel his love. 

"I w-was thirteen when he threw me the the floor and kicked my stomach s-so hard that before stabbing me with his dagger in his drunk state--"

She couldn't speak without crying any further. She sobbed pitifully. 

"The doctor said... I won't be able to give birth because it had damaged my organs and had affected m-my--" 

She cried even more. Taehyung fell on his knees and cried along with her, feeling so fucking bad and sad for her. She had been living with a fucking devil all this while. Her state was so much worse than anyone could even imagine. 

She was just being strong by trying to move forward and make someone hers and not thinking about the past. 

Her methods were wrong, and the person she chose couldn't be hers. Intentions weren't. 

The entire world was so selfish to her. 

How could they do this to her? The scar was so big, running along her lower abdomen. He felt his heart shatter. 

She had gone through so much already. 

He felt deep sorrow and pain for her. He hadn't ever pitied anyone as much as he did for her. He didn't have a strong connection with her because of her trying to have Jungkook, but she deserved all the love in this world. 

"I w-won't ever be able to give birth to Jungkook's child, o-oppa," she sobbed, kneeling down and folding her hands before herself to beg for help. "P-please, help me. I'll do everything for you if you help me. Please, do this for me!" 

The past couldn't be erased but the future could be changed. And no matter what, she shouldn't and wouldn't suffer any more. 

If it was something he could do, he will do it. 

Still, he wasn't supporting her in anything that was wrong. 

"Please don't take these medicines," Mira said, grabbing the herbs and plants from the table and showing it to him while shaking her head. "Don't take them." 

Taehyung didn't understand why she was just increasing her own pain by doing this. It was unreasonable. Keeping aside the million reasons he has to refuse to all of these things, Taehyung just didn't understand what she will get from this. 

He looked at her with utter confusion and was taken aback when he saw the determination she held. 

"Don't kill it. Let it grow, give birth to it." 

Give birth to mine and Jungkook's child? His heart began feeling warm. He thought of Jungkook being near him all the time, taking care of him and loving him and their child after it is born. 

But that is not what Mira wanted, of course. She needed something else. 

Taehyung partially understood what she needed.

But he needed confirmation to see if she was so heartless to ask him to do such a disgusting thing. He just couldn't understand how she could happy by wanting to just do anything to force Jungkook into loving her. 

"I don't understand why you want me to--" 

"I'll accept it as my child. It will be mine and Jungkook's after it's birth. I will be it's mom, and Jungkook, it's dad." 

Taehyung growled inaudibly at that. There is no fucking way he was giving off his baby to this to let her satisfy her stupid needs. 

Taehyung would maybe even make a sacrifice of his happiness for hers, but he wasn't going to sacrifice a life. No. She is ruthless to even think this is possible. 

"You make no sense," Taehyung shook his head in denial, trying not to blast out at her for even thinking that he would do such things. 

Did she things pups were objects that she can take and give so she could fulfil her stupid desires? 

She was young, immature, but still held a brain and a heart to know that no one in the world would do such things for her or for anyone. They would never give birth to a baby and give it off just because they held sympathy for them. 

Taehyung wouldn't too. 

It seemed like a pathetic nightmare to him. He didn't want to give birth to a child who wouldn't even have a proper family formed before it's birth.

He couldn't give birth to a child who would cause the separation of its biological parents and have an adopted mother even when its biological mother is alive. 

It didn't make sense. 

He didn't have any fucking reason for doing such huge and devastating things when he didn't even feel so desperate to end the bond. 

"I can't give birth, so your child could be mine." 

"Do you have a fucking brain?" he seethes. "Why do you think I'll do that? Look, I would understand if you asked me to stay away from Jungkook or do things like that, but you're asking me to give birth to a child so you can get him?! Are you out of your mind?!" 

"I am!" Mira yelled, holding her tummy. "I am going mad! I can't give Jungkook a child, and you will never understand how painful a feeling of not being able to be a proper omega is!" 

"I don't care," Taehyung deadpanned. "I'm not sacrificing mine, my child's and Jungkook's life for you. Don't you have any dignity to be obsessed with someone who has told you several times that he doesn't need you? You deserve to feel love, so go love someone else who would actually love you!"

"Who would do that?" she sounded lifeless. "Who would love a broken person like me?"

"There isn't just one alpha in this world--" 

"And there isn't just one child in the world, is it? Why won't you give birth to a child and give it to me?" 

"Because the child will matter to me!" Taehyung yelled, turning red. 

"And Jungkook matters to me too!" Taehyung grew so frustrated. He turned around, ignoring her as he grabbed the herbs and got to work of making the medicine. 

"I'd rather let the baby die before it is born than give it to you and make it actually see pain and sufferance," he was adamant on not listening to her. 

 She could make her emotional blackmail run with someone else, not him. 

His decision was final. He wasn't doing it. 

Mira grabbed his hand and pulled the herbs away from the herbs. Taehyung frowned at the wetness of her hands, a liquid dripping down from her shaking palms as she took the herbs into her hand. 

"What's in your hand--" 

"You have to listen to me, oppa!" she cried, throwing the herb after she was done sneakily rubbing the liquid on her hands on it. 

"Watch me go against you," he growled, pushing her away and mashing up the herbs and drinking the bitter liquid. 

He looked at her, smirked. "Now what? You'll ask Jungkook to come make love with me again? Do that. I'll enjoy all night with him, come here, drink these medicines, and you can Jungkook to me again after that too. Let's see how long you can try to separate us." 

Mira glared at him, tearing up. "I thought you loved me..." 

"I don't anymore." 

He didn't want to be rude, but he was like this by nature to all those who got to his nerves. He hated how she still had the audacity to stand there and stare at him. 

"Jungkook wouldn't love you anyway. He will love me even if you give him a child." He wasn't sure of it, but he just needed her to believe that she had no chance with Jungkook. 

"He will." Her will just wouldn't falter. She gritted her teeth as she hated how Taehyung was confident about Jungkook not loving. 

Taehyung seemed proud about Jungkook's love for him too. 

She couldn't stand it. 

"You shouldn't fall for someone who doesn't belong to you, oppa. You will be left with a broken heart." 

Taehyung laughed, rolling his eyes. "You should tell that to yourself, child. Learn your lesson and leave. I'm not someone who would do anything just by seeing your puppy eyes."  

*-*-*-*

"Hey," Mira mumbled, entering the room after a tiring day of trying to learn the expenses of the royal family so she could remember how much money and in what. 

Jungkook, laying on the floor, trying to sleep, had merely given her a glance between closing them again. 

She pitied him. "You could sleep on the bed, Jungkook. I'll sleep on the floor today." 

She was ignored again. Sighing, she asked, "So I'm not allowed to speak to you within doors too? Is everything you do with me outside this room--that holding hands or feeding me food--only an act?" 

"It is." 

Mira was tired of him and his curt answers. 

Why... 

Why is it that the stranger she was with last night treated him better than Jungkook was doing after their marriage? 

She wasn't asking for Jungkook to be like that unknown alpha who was around her age. She just wanted more attention from her husband. 

Why was everything an act? 

The boy she met yesterday, name unknown too, had held her more delicately than Jungkook did when they did the deed. He was soft even when he was supposed to lose his mind and showed utter softness, sweetness, and kept praising her. 

She loved all of it. 

She wanted Jungkook to show softness and sweetness too.

It will happen.  It will happen because of the child she holds. 

She would lie to Jungkook that the child was his, wait for nine months as Jungkook's love for her grows, then after the baby in her dies, she will take Taehyung's child and make it her own. 

Jungkook would feel connection to Taehyung's child because of being it's father, so Mira had to make sure of a lot of things, like Taehyung's belly that will grow, his scent change, the unborn's heartbeat. 

Taehyung would be pregnant for sure. She had killed the medicinal effect and the poisonous effect of the herbs by applying that liquid on it which was just a antidote to the poison that kills the baby. 

She really does care for Taehyung, but if he comes in her way, she'd have to push him away. 

Now he would have no chance but to give birth to her child. 

Jungkook just needs a push. He will fall for her if he opens his eyes and sees the reality. 

That's what this baby will be: a force to bring Jungkook to care and love her as she will be the mother of it. Once he understands that she is the one, everything will be okay. 

She, Jungkook, and the child could be a perfect family, and Taehyung could go do whatever he wished to after giving the child to her because the bond will break. 

The bond will have to break. 

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