♟ But you can't believe it ♟

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- What are you going to do? -

Taehyung's POV

"Fuck!" I roared, eyes shifting through the forest, eyes glowing a deep blue color, resembling the deep dark ocean water. My ears twitched, the sound of running footsteps heard throughout the forest, the scents of my friends hitting my nose.

Within seconds, my friends stood before me in their wolf forms, eyes blood red, teeth bared as the anger radiated off them. "The fuck is your deal? Huh? What happened to don't leave without one of us, V?" I let out a venomous growl, hearing it echo throughout the silent forest.

"Watch your fucking tone, Park." He growled lowly, eyes glowing this dangerous red color, claws digging into the soil. "I'm done playing these fucking games, V! Tell us, you pussy! What the fuck was that about?!" My wolf threatened to shut off the connection between him and I, the anger growing within us.

"I said, watch your tone, Park." He just laughed, shaking his head, growling once more. "Or what, bitch? What are you going to do about it, run off like a weak little shit? Running from your fucking problems?" I snapped, charging at Jimin, teeth digging right into his shoulder and tearing apart the flesh.

"I am your alpha, you listen when I give an order, understood, mutt?" I roared into the mind-link, anger radiating off my wolf, both Namjoon and Jimin falling to the ground, whining loudly. "You want to run your mouth? Be my fucking guest. Since it seems you know everything about me and this world, go off on your own and see if you last a goddamn day!"

I raised my front paws off the ground, slamming them back down with force, sitting out a deadly growl. "Remember who kept you alive when you were on the verge of death, you little shit. Remember who saved your life when you were about to die to the enemy."

Jimin whined, blood seeping from the wound, falling onto the soil below, painting it red. "Remember who you're talking to, Park. Test my patience once last time and you'll end up like the rest, understood?" With the closing of his eyes, a whine, and a slow nod, Jimin answered in the mind-link.

"Yes, Alpha."

I turned away, walking deeper into the forest, trying to let nature's treasures take away my anger and replace it with the calming sense I longed for. Yet, it didn't seem to happen, my anger remaining the same, eyes as blue as the dark ocean water.

"What do you want?" I asked within the mind-link, stopping in my tracks, awaiting the voice of RM to ring throughout my ears. "I want to know what happened out there, V. That's not like you, to give an order then completely go against it." I rolled my eyes, clawing at the soil.

"Nothing fucking happened," I spat emotionlessly, eyes glued to the semi-green grass, narrowed in annoyance and frustration. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" I growled, snapping my head around to meet his familiar red eyes. "I'm not here to stir shit up with you, Alpha."

"But something obviously happened." With a sigh, I regained control, pushing V down, letting him focus on the anger that radiated throughout him. "You're right." I laughed, walking past him, heading right back to where our backpacks were placed on the ground.

I sat down, glancing at my bag, my eyes closing. "Something did happen, and truthfully, I wish it didn't." Jimin glanced at me, eyes no longer that deadly blood red, instead, returning to their usual shade of brown. "What might that be?"

I let out a humorless laugh within the mind-link, taking a deep breath. "The thing I wished to never come true." Jimin's eyes widened, mouth parting open, head shooting up from his paws. "Don't tell me you're saying what I think you're saying." I rolled my eyes, laying on the ground.

"You're not wrong, Jimin. I found them." Namjoon gasped, sitting beside me, eyes widened with shock. "You did? You found them?" I nodded, taking yet another deep breath, the anger I felt beginning to subside. "I found my mate."

"Who? Was it that guy you were talking to?!" I growled lowly, glancing at them both, eyes flashing blue. "Does it fucking matter?" They nodded slowly, laying on the grass near me, eyes glued onto me. "Actually, yeah, it kind of does, Tae."

"Fine, it was him. His name's Jungkook." They glanced at one another then back at me, nodding slowly as they seemed to comprehend what I said. "So, what are you going to do about this?" I sighed, shifting out of my wolf form and grabbing clothes from my bag.

"What can I do?" I groaned, changing into a muscle shirt and some shorts, sitting on the cool dirt below me. "Well, you can always just accept him, you know?" I laughed bitterly, rummaging through my bag some more. "Funny," I teased, pulling out a brush for my hair.

"We're serious, Taehyung." I met their eyes, scoffing loudly, brushing my hair and stuffing the brush back into my bag, "No, you idiots. That's the last thing that can happen. Do you want our secret being exposed so others look at us like some goddamn freaks?"

"You don't even know the kid, Tae! Maybe you should give him a chance, learn things about him! It can't hurt!" I shook my head, strands of hair falling over my eyes, fists clenching up. "It can hurt. I cannot do it." Jimin growled, standing up and walking towards me. "And why can't you?"

"Because I can't put our lives in danger again!" I roared, the echo heard within the woods, my knuckles turning white. I looked away, growling lowly, eyes flashing blue again. "Taehyung, you have to realize that we're in this together with you. We're willing to put our lives on the line if it means we can spend it with you, Tae."

"You don't get it. As an alpha, my goal in life is to protect my pack members and those who fall under my rank," I spat, refusing to meet their gaze, my emotions running all over the place. "Yet I seem to be doing the fucking opposite of what my rank says I need to do."

"I'm supposed to be protecting you, yet tell me why I keep putting you in danger." I finally met their eyes, seeing them stare at the ground, heads resting on their paws. They whined softly, my anger returning. "We're in this mess because of me, and don't even think about denying it."

"I was the one who started everything with Swiftcrest, not you. Yet, just because you're my friends, you tagged along. You stuck with me, were there for me, and supported me, and here I am, continuing to put your lives in danger for my problems." I laughed, punching the dirt, my bones cracking.

"I don't want to hear it. I made us flee our home, our country, just so we could live. And you two have the audacity to tell me to do something that'll put your lives in danger, again?" I continued to punch the dirt, emotions all over the place, anger coursing through my veins.

"I made us flee Korea so that we could have a shot at living, making it to at least our twenties. I couldn't live with myself knowing I was putting not one, but two lives on the line alongside my own! I couldn't live knowing that, as an alpha, I was risking your lives instead of protecting them!" I was beginning to shout, my eyes shutting tightly.

"I made us flee so that I could give you two the life you fucking deserve, one with happiness and fun, not one where we're running, escaping those who want us dead. I made us flee so that we could fucking be teens, grow up, love life!" My knuckles turned bloody, bruises beginning to form.

"So don't fucking tell me to do something that'll put your lives on the line again! Don't tell me to do something that'll risk our true identities!" I felt tears brim in my eyes, snapping them open and staring at the dirt below me, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip.

"Taehyung..." I growled, shaking my head, tears threatening to fall. "Shut up! Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" I roared, snapping my head around to meet their gazes, my eyes flashing blue yet again. "Don't fucking tell me that you're in this together with me. Don't fucking say that you'll risk your lives for me."

"Don't fucking say it!"

They kept quiet, staring at me with wide eyes, heads off their paws. "I am not, and I mean it, am not putting your lives in danger again!" My arms grew weak, my eyes remaining glossy, tears still threatening to fall down my face. "I just... I just can't do it!"

"You're all I have in this world!"

Tears streamed down my face, my body falling forward. My friends shifted out of their wolf forms, catching me, Jimin's arms wrapping around my back. I buried my face in his shoulder, letting the tears fall, my body shaking violently as the cries were heard throughout the forest.

"I made us lose our home..." I whispered brokenly, my voice cracking. "Don't make me lose you too." They hugged me tightly, letting me cry, the tears wetting Jimin's skin. He shushed me, whispering some calming words, holding me in his arms.

"We understand, Taehyung. What you did with Swiftcrest, starting all these problems, it was the right thing to do. You know that. You know that what we fought for was the good thing to fight for, the right thing." I let Jimin speak, my sobs dying down. He rubbed my back, continuing.

"So what? We have to pay the price for starting trouble with the alpha of the biggest pack, but we did it with reason, not just because we were young teens. We support you, Taehyung. We supported your decision to do what you did with Swiftcrest." Namjoon hummed in agreement, running his fingers through my hair.

"Just because our lives were put on the line day after day doesn't mean you're failing as an alpha. Taehyung, we fled with nothing. You managed to keep us three alive, strong, and healthy for three years! You gave us a home to look after, money, clothes. You did all of that for us, you did it by yourself."

"You're not failing as an alpha, you're succeeding as one. Taehyung, we understand that you don't want something happening to us, but you have to remember that no matter what, we're a pack." Namjoon laughed softly, nodding too. "A united one, remember that. We're strong, stronger than Swiftcrest."

"I can't lose you two," I mumbled softly, slowly lifting my head up from Jimin's shoulder, eyes glossy while I looked them both in the eyes. "And you won't, trust us. We get it, our identity here isn't one to share, but as you said, you want us to live our lives, right?"

I nodded, feeling Jimin grab my hand and squeeze it tightly. "And part of living our lives is appreciating the fact that we were given mates. So, Taehyung, don't live in fear and accept the one the moon goddess chose for you." I sighed, letting his words run through my mind. My heart said yes, but my mind said no.

"I-" I paused, looking down. "I can't. I can't risk it." They frowned, squeezing my hands again. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you making yourself miserable for us?" I flashed a small smile, continuing to look at the ground. "Because my best friends matter more than a mate does."

"So, what's your plan then? How are you going to get out of this situation?" Namjoon asked, changing into a new outfit, sighing softly as he sat beside me. I gulped, looking at my hands and finally managing to flash a sad smile their way.

"Simple. I'll reject him."

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Uh oh. You've learned a little bit about the whole mess involving Swiftcrest. What made these two alphas enemies, and why?

Regarding Jungkook and Taehyung, what'll happen with them? Will Taehyung run into Jungkook and manage to reject him?

Or does he not have the guts to do it?

I purple you 💜

~Pisanthrophobia.