•Chapter twenty four•

Don't stop her from saying what she feels.

Taehyung brought Jungkook's face closer to his chest when he heard a few distant noises in his sleepy state. He let a crease form between his eyebrows as he squinted his eyes open.

He just got more protective of his troubled alpha and held him closer when he found two people in his room, looking right at them.

He had completely wrapped himself around Jungkook. Her arms around Jungkook's neck, legs around his waist while Jungkook's head was buried deeply into his chest.

Even with the sound, the alpha slept peacefully without any problem because he was surrounded by a sweet scent, slightly sweeter than usual.

Which man wouldn't be able to sleep carelessly while being held so protectively by their loved one?

Taehyung just glared at a teary eyed Mira who stood beside Youngmi--who had a strict expression on her face, looking upset--while she held her stomach.

Taehyung raised his hand and pointed towards the door, asking both to leave. He didn't want Jungkook to wake up and face problems instantly, right after opening his eyes.

Taehyung wanted Jungkook to avoid facing Mira. At least, for now.

"L-look, mom, he had been here. He ran out of our room when I told him that I was pregnant. He even told me that he couldn't accept his own child." Mira began crying and sobbing.

Youngmi just looked dejected and disappointed.

Jungkook stirred against Taehyung. The omega hissed, eyes sparking deep yellow. He rudely growled at them.

"Get out," Taehyung kept his voice low and demanding. He got more angry when they didn't listen to him.

"Jungkook, wake up," Youngmi said, sounding rather stern and not calm. "Wake up right now."

Mira took a few steps closer when Jungkook doesn't respond to his mother's words. She froze when Taehyung growled at her threateningly.

"Taehyung, stop behaving like this!" Youngmi yelled, and that was enough for Jungkook to finally open his eyes and face the soft chest before him.

He wouldn't ever wish to push himself away from Taehyung and would wish to remain buried in his body forever.

But he didn't have that choice.

He held Taehyung's waist, not ready to let go. He turned around with a frown, knowing quite well what had happened last night.

"Jungkook!" Mira sobbed. "Why did you leave me and come here?! I was waiting for you to return all night and accept our child, come to your senses, but you didn't return! Instead, you were here with Taehyung oppa!"

The alpha was this close to snapping. He fucking wished to grab a glass of water and throw it right at her for doing all this drama and involving his mom in these matters.

He pushed himself away from Taehyung who instantly held onto his shirt, refusing to lose all contact with him.

He focused on Youngmi; it wasn't the time to get all warm for Taehyung's actions.

Youngmi glared at Jungkook. "What am I hearing, son?"

Jungkook doesn't reply. He rubs his hand down his tired face, glancing towards Taehyung and feeling genuinely glad that Taehyung was feeling the exact same anger as he was, wearing a piercing glare on his face.

At least, he knew that he wasn't wrong for being angry.

"I am asking you something," Youngmi demanded an answer. "Stand up. We have a lot of things to talk about, and it will happen right now."

Jungkook didn't bother to go against her. He huffed out, setting down his hair with his fingers before standing up. Taehyung held on to him, frowning.

"Come," Youngmi said, ready to turn around and leave the room but froze in her place when Taehyung denied to let them do so.

"If you have to speak, speak right here. I can't let this bitch get away with her lies and have Jungkook suffer--"

"You didn't care about Jungkook suffering when he was suffering because of you," Youngmi deadpanned. "What are you both doing? Do you think this is a stupid game or what?"

Jungkook ducked his head down, but he didn't look guilty. It irked Youngmi.

She knew he never looks at her in her eyes when he doesn't agree with what she's saying. If he did feel guilty, he would have apologized by now.

"Jungkook, I don't expect you to behave like this. You're being much more immature than how you were when you were younger. Even after I had told you to chose your words wisely, you said that you'd marry this poor girl in the courtroom. You married her, mated with her, impregnated her, and now you're disrespecting her too."

"I had never wanted to do any of those--"

Jungkook calm words were cut off when Youngmi grunted in irritation.

"Look, Jungkook. I know that you love Taehyung. I suppose Mira knows this too. And I was right beside your side, ready to help you back then. But it is wrong now."

Taehyung shook his head, corners of his lips dipped down. "It wasn't his fault--"

"Because it was yours!" Youngmi didn't attempt to hold back her annoyance anymore. "It was your fault for telling him that you hate him and trying to end all his feelings when you were also wanting to accept that you loved him."

Taehyung scoffed, smirking. "You always acted like you knew everything, your highness. Whether it was the time when you thought that being a sacrifice would be something I'd love and even now when you think that I had developed feelings for him."

I haven't even admitted it to myself; how can she think that I loved him back then?

"Then remain like that. Remain having no feelings because none of us will accept or respect it now."

Mira glared at Taehyung, wondering why he was even trying to support Jungkook in the first place. She felt like she was wrong for going against Jungkook now.

She didn't want to be the villainess in this.

She walked to Jungkook and took the alpha info her embrace, feeling displeased when Jungkook didn't even hug her back.

It only upset Youngmi further. "I don't understand what you want, Jungkook. Move on from your reckless love already! You can't be so mean to your wife and disrespect her like this!"

Jungkook just slowly pushed her away and took a step back, disliking every touch of hers. It made him uncomfortable.

Neither could he forget that she raped him nor that she slapped him.

"This is so disappointing, Jungkook," Youngmi sighed. "I didn't expect you to be so harsh and immature. Seems like this isn't even Jungkook who's standing before me now."

She noticed Taehyung clutching his shirt. "Perhaps that is the truth. Taehyung made you like this, didn't he?"

"Mom!" Jungkook groaned. He knew her words had hurt Taehyung immensely. He didn't have to look at Taehyung for that because Taehyung's hands went limp, and he let go of his shirt.

"What are you saying?" Taehyung asks, voice not stern or strong but just plain hurt. "I made him turn bad is what you're trying to say? Keeping aside the fact that he is completely like how he was, are you trying to say that I make people do things that are bad?"

"You do," Youngmi blamed mindlessly. "You are the reason a couple is fighting. You're the one coming between them and causing problems in their life now. Why would a person ever be sad when given a news of fatherhood?"

"How can I control his feelings--"

Youngmi was too angry to filter her words. She couldn't accept how her daughter-in-law and her future heir was having to face problems.

She didn't hate Taehyung but couldn't help but blame him for these problems.

"You did! You first made Jungkook want to move on. You were the reason Jungkook thought that he could marry someone else because you had clearly refused to be with him. And now?! Now you come back to him and show his dreams of being with him. How do you expect his feelings to not change?!"

Taehyung's lower lip wobbled. "Is it all about only his feelings and thoughts now?"

Youngmi rolled her eyes. "If you could be clear with your feelings, you could complain about me not thinking about you, Tae. You've always been selfish, so it's just dumb for you to not know what you want."

When tears broke out in his eyes, Jungkook couldn't help but feel guilty. He scooted closer to him, looking at him soft eyes.

"You don't know everything, mom," Jungkook said with a stern voice. "You will only feel guilt and regret after knowing what's going on."

"I won't," she dismissed. "Taehyung deserves to know when he is wrong. I forgave every mistake of his, but he's spoiling your life now and I cannot let that happen. My priority is my son and my grandchild now--"

"When was I ever your priority, great ex-queen?" Taehyung asks, too hurt to stop the sniffle that left his lips.

"You brought me to satisfy your need of having an omega child. You didn't care to call me a sacrifice. You didn't go against ministers when they bullied me or made fun of me. You didn't try to see my emotions ever and you say that I'm selfish? What would a person do when there was no one to think of them?"

Youngmi just scoffed and looked away, muttering, "The things I have done for you is much more than the things anyone could do for an orphan. You haven't learnt to be satisfied--"

"Stop!" Jungkook requested. "Just stop, mom!"

"No," Taehyung shook his head. "Why stop her from saying what she actually feels? I was always no one important to her. She never showed me motherly love, and I only now realize why I never felt that love. It was because she just saw me as an outsider."

"I gave you whatever you need, Taehyung," Youngmi said, voice softer now. "I gave you everything a royal requires only for you to look at me as no one. You're blaming me for not thinking that you're important right? But do you realize that you've also been harsh to me several times?"

Taehyung blamed it on his pregnancy hormones for making him so sensitive all of a sudden.

"You know what, mom? Yoongi hyung always used to say how he was when you came and took us from a hut to the palace and gave me all the things we needed. I asked him how my real mother was, and he never said anything because he didn't want me to think of her as my mom and only see you, but I could see it myself. My mom was to us the way you were to Jungkook."

"What did I ever do for you to think that you're any less than Jungkook--"

Taehyung smirked, crossing his hands before his chest and glaring right at her.

"A few minutes ago, you claimed yourself that your son and his family is your priority. It always was, but you verbally expressed it now."

"That's how low you think of me?" Youngmi asked. "You think I always looked at you as just a sacrifice?"

"I will only feel guilty if I tell you what I've been feeling all this while, mom. since the time Hoseok hyung brought home Jimin, I realized that you never came to either of us to ask us how we're doing. You knew how Jungkook was and could tell when he's going through some problem, but you knew nothing about the rest of us. That's why... That's why you didn't ever know when Yoongi hyung joined Hoseok and Jimin and loved them."

"None of you trusted me enough to come and tell me anything too!" Youngmi exclaimed, hating the pricks in her heart as Taehyung spoke more.

"You blame us for that? You blame us for not feeling comfortable with you to trust you?"

Youngmi gulped harshly, saying the next words by keeping aside her own emotions and thinking about her son, "My guardianship period for all you three was until you grew into adults. all three of you are adults now, and both your brother have left..."

Taehyung got the hint.

It shattered his heart.

He had been living here thinking that Youngmi was his family and he shouldn't act heartless by just leaving her like she didn't matter. He even needed his brother to have enough time with his husbands.

Enough of this now.

Taehyung just smiled at her in response. He walked forward, kneeling down before her and folding his hands like the way every commoner does to show gratitude to something a royal does.

And Youngmi didn't even stop him.

"Thank you for your generosity, your highness," Taehyung uttered. "I'm thankful for the pains you took to provide for someone who was nothing before you."

"T-Tae..." Jungkook closed his eyes and looked away, breathing out shakily. He didn't even know what the fuck he was supposed to stop these things now.

Why did Mira have to do this? Why did she have to make things worse?

He hated her so much.

She was just standing there and watching Taehyung with teary eyes, managing to act like she actually cared for him.

but she wasn't acting to be sad. she knew just how it felt when parents abandon their child, and she felt so hurt for Taehyung.

She hadn't even expected this to happen. she thought Youngmi would just scold Jungkook.

"I won't burden you any further," Taehyung said. "Living in this palace for any longer would be disrespecting myself. I would like to leave, if I have your permission to do so."

Youngmi held back her sobs. Her chest hurt so bad. She just understood how harsh her words had been.

Yet, she had to go along with it because her son's marriage was in danger.

She could continue to live in pain and try to take care of her omega child from afar rather than stop what's happening now.

"Very well," she whispered. "I'd let your brother know that you left."

"No!" It was Mira who spoke up before Jungkook himself could do anything himself. "You can't do this to him!"

Youngmi frowned through her tears.

Taehyung didn't bother even looking up at her.

No matter what she says--no matter who tells him to stop--he will leave.

His respect mattered to him more than anything, and he wasn't going to live like a sacrifice anymore. More than the pain he felt for going away from Jungkook, he felt warmth for standing for himself and saving himself from any more humiliation.

He will leave. The bond would be a problem, but there were many things he could do to stop the effect.

He promised himself that he will come back here as the queen, Jungkook's mate, or not come back here.

He'll go back to the hut he was born in because that one place held more meaning as that was the place where his real parents lived in.

This palace could never give him what that place could just like how Youngmi could never love him more than his actual parents.

He'd surely go through a lot of suffering for earning the little money he needs for food--in this pregnant state--but he'd fucking prove that he wasn't living just because someone wished to make themselves satisficed by taking care of him.

He will live alone.

He'd been too much of a problem to everyone he knows, and he just found out that the person who he respected and saw as a selfless mother had agreed to throw him out too.

She had never seen him as his.

And he had thought that he had the right to yell at her, hug her to cry and talk his problems to her.

When he did fight with her, he did it out of authority, thinking that he had a right to do so as a son, even though he never completely accepted her as a mother.

Slowly... Everyone was leaving his problematic self. Of course, he only ever hurt them or caused pain to them.

It was fine if everyone left.

It was easier to end things that way.

He'd fucking be there for himself. Why does someone else need to be there for him or make a reason for him to live? He could be his own reason to live.

He had always been trouble to them.

Youngmi also understood that he was good for no use. Jungkook and Yoongi would soon understand it too.

So he really was all alone now? Even if the anger in him wanted to believe that he could be alright all alone, it hurt to have everyone leave.

Taehyung let out a sob which he couldn't hold back for any longer. Jungkook forgot whatever was going on and crouched down beside Taehyung and brought him to his embrace.

Taehyung tried to push him away, but eventually, he melted into Jungkook's arms and cried and cried.

Youngmi also wanted to cry seeing Taehyung's state but decided to see her family before others.

"May this be the last time you hug him, Jungkook. After this, I will not tolerate seeing you anywhere away from Mira, your wife, mate. Taehyung will be allowed to live here because the queen wants him to. But no relation between both of you will be tolerated. Jungkook, you will take care of your child and mate from now."

She didn't get a a proper response. Her heart ordered her to bring her omega son to her embrace and apologize genuinely to him.

She broke his heart. She was seeing Taehyung cry after so long that it made her feel sad because she knows that Taehyung hated to show people vulnerability.

Jungkook held Taehyung as dearly and sweetly as he could.

Pain surged in him with every sob Taehyung let out. Taehyung's sobs made sadness ripple to the hearts of the other people in the room.

Youngmi left.

"Oppa..." Mira's lips drooped towards the end, knowing Taehyung would have a bad headache later on if he continued crying like this. She was worried of his health.

Jungkook just held Taehyung as tightly as possible, soul leaving his body when Taehyung fell limp against him, falling unconscious.

Before he could freak out completely, Mira had already held Taehyung and began dragging him to the bed while showing all the softness she could.

She put him on the bed carefully, sitting down beside him and looking at him with worry. "Oppa?" she called, exhaling shakily. She tapped his face and tried to wake him up. "Oppa, get up."

"It happened because of you!" Jungkook yelled, earing Mira's attention. He grabbed her arm, not strong enough to bruise her, and pulled her away. "He's in that state because of you!"

"No," Mira shook her head. "You brought it upon yourself by ignoring your wife and disregarding my pregnancy. I didn't even intend for Taehyung to be hurt by all this but you made it so by coming here to him. What your mom said can't be blamed on me."

"You're so cruel," Jungkook harshly wiped away his tears. "Don't forget that if you can do things like this, I can too. And the person I say your wrong deeds to wouldn't be my mom but the entire kingdom."

Mira shivered at his comment, gulping to clear her suddenly dry throat.

"Be careful," Jungkook warned. "If you do anything... anything..."

She had had enough of listening to him. She left with a guilty heart, sorry that Taehyung had to go through all that.

No, she had never wished for Youngmi to get separated from her son because she knew how bad a child feels when they lose their mother. Her own mom died too, and she had been the only one who took care of her in Cyrus.

Jungkook shifted his focus on Taehyung and sighed when he understood that he had a fever.

He knew Taehyung would not stand living in this place for any longer. Even if the queen said him to stay back, he will go away.

Who would like to continue living in a house with no self-respect when the owner had already asked them to leave so rudely?

Taehyung had been brought up like a prince, and royals could have a lot of patience which also breaks when their respect is posed a threat.

But Taehyung had more of a pride and ego than the king itself.

Jungkook could imagine how hurt he would be if all this happened to him. There were quite a few chances of him staying back to face more of this type of treatment,

It was sure that he couldn't take all of whatever happened well. He was hurt as he was stripped of his respect.

And anyone would feel devastated when the person they see as a parent would turn their back at them and say such words which break their heart.

Youngmi called him a manipulator, someone who was bad himself and wanted others to become like him, and even degraded him by calling him someone coming between a relationship.

It must have broken his heart.

And he wasn't going to just sit and let himself be degraded.

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