Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down | TK

20 | Join me

Chapter twenty

The sun was low in the sky when Taehyung finally got back in his tent and took off the heavy armor he was bound to wear every day since his arrival. His tent was more spacious than the others, perhaps a bit bare, but he didn't need much. As the officer in the camp and the man officially tasked with training the new soldiers, he got the largest quarters. His tent sat alone behind the largest one, which housed the storage space, the strategizing room, and Jungkook's quarters.

Taehyung felt better about training today, but Jungkook's father had been particularly pester some this evening, squawking on and on that they were moving ever closer to the soldiers needing to be ready and that they would be doomed if they didn't improve soon, and Taehyung needed to whip them into shape and whatever else he found the breath to complain about. The omega was close to wringing that man's skinny chicken neck when he finally flounced away from the strategy table with a huff, alpha or not.

Taehyung wasn't worried, not yet. A bit surprised perhaps at the lack of progress of his soldiers, but it'd only been two weeks. They had time, and he would rather see the wolves struggle and therefore push themselves a hundred times harder to succeed than be given a bunch of hard-headed, already perfectly trained soldiers. These ones were malleable, untrained, receptive to his methods.

Just when he was about to take off his tunic, a shuffling was heard from behind, causing him to stop in the middle of taking off his clothes and turn around.

"Pardon me, omega Kim." It was a young omega girl from Jungkook's pack. Usually everyone was allowed to visit the training camp, but the sun was soon going to dip down the horizon, and there was a strict rule for omegas not to go out at night. She dipped her head in greeting and parted her thin-lined lips to speak up again. "I've been instructed to tell you that alpha Jeon awaits you by the river. I can lead you there if you wish."

Taehyung was somewhat surprised to hear that Jungkook awaited him by the river. Considering the odd ways, he had been acting for the last few days, the omega shouldn't be questioning his abrupt decisions by now.

First was the scenting part (Jungkook made sure to scent Taehyung at least three times a week), then the occasional gifts he would give him every once in a while, and lastly this. It was weird, foreign in so many ways, but at the same time so pleasantly good that Taehyung didn't have the heart to stop him from doing what was on his mind. His inner wolf didn't want any of this to stop, which was strange considering the fact he'd lost connection with him long time ago.

After weighing it up for a moment, Taehyung said, "Of course. Lead the way." He hadn't had a proper bathe since he left his home. The omega was eager to feel fresh, despite knowing Jungkook, in all his intensity, awaited him there.

The river was gentle when they arrived, flowing and ebbing a steady pace. The late afternoon sun glimmered on the surface, a bright, white reflection. The place consisted of a quiet pool in one part of the river, with a small clearing in the trees and smooth rocks on its bank.