Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down | TK

14 | The final meeting

Chapter fourteen

Jungkook had witnessed all the significant highs and lows of his pack. As a little pup whose favorite game was to play pretend soldier, he used to follow his father, the head alpha of the pack, around the house with a butter knife in a scabbard hunched on his belt to emulate his father's sword. Jogging with his little legs to somehow catch up to the speed with which his father strode.

His entire disposition had bathed in essence of a warrior. Giving or witnessing the announcement of punishments was a child's play for him, something he had been accustomed to before he even learnt to count.

But things changed, and so did Jungkook. The smile on his father's face faltered with every year, the wrinkles on his face became more visible as he got older, and the silky raven strands of his hair started to turn into silvern white. However, the immense power and dominant aura remained still, even after so many years.

Jeon Jungsunk was a strong alpha, respected by his people and feared by his enemies. He had never shown his weak sides to anyone, not even to his family, until now...

When the news about that true blood reached their pack, something just snapped in him. Never in his life had Jungkook seen his father showing any signs of fear. That significant day, when they were attacked for the first time, he lost one of his most trusted soldiers.

And that was when things slowly started to change for the bad. More and more warriors died out, until they were left with barely any wolves to protect the pack and provide food for their families.

Jungkook couldn't watch his father slowly turning into a ghost, he couldn't watch him doubting his own abilities as a head alpha. So, he decided to do the second-best thing - find the legendary true blood who lived a lonely life as a rogue, lost and pack-ridden.

Things didn't turn out as he had expected them to, in fact, nothing went as he had planned. The true blood turned out to be a mateless omega, the lowest and most vulnerable rank of their kind. But he saw something in Taehyung. He wasn't like the rest of his kin - he was brave, smart, strong in many ways, and more worthy to be called a real warrior.

And Jungkook really, really hoped his father could see this in Taehyung, to look through the weak figure and low rank, because without his help, they were all goners.

***

When Jungkook neared the doors, the sentries saluted him and uncrossed their weapons, one of them dutifully stepping forward to open the doors for him and his soldiers.

Taehyung stood beside him, his expression was plain and calm, seemingly unbothered by the fact he was about to face the head alpha of the pack. Not only that, but it was Jungkook's father the one to tell what was going to happen with him. He could throw Taehyung out of the pack, refuse to believe in his words, or even kill him for spreading lies.