Moonlit Shadows

The Voice In Your Head

Jungkook stood with Hoseok in his arms for quite a long time. The Alpha wept and sobbed until all of his remaining energy was spent. Jungkook moved over towards the sofa and helped Hoseok collapse onto it.

The Alpha curled onto his side and stared beyond the walls of the cabin. "I can't...She's gone...It's too quiet..."

Many other short spurts of sad statements came from him at varying intervals. Jungkook's heart was breaking as his friend and Alpha mourned. He knelt on the floor beside the sofa and rested on his heels, waiting for the right moment to speak.

But what would that moment look like? Nothing he thought to say seemed like it would be of any comfort to Hoseok. It all either sounded too harsh or too patronizing. And there was never a right time to be either of those things.

Jungkook's chest hurt with repressed grief as he allowed the Alpha time to pour out his heart and come to some semblance of acceptance. Though if he were to be perfectly honest, that acceptance could be days or even weeks away.

Hoseok's eyes had fluttered shut and his breathing was ragged and uneven. Jungkook reached out and pushed a lock of black hair back from Hoseok's damp cheeks. He wasn't sure if the Alpha was even in a state of mind to listen, but he licked his lips and took a deep breath. He needed to say his piece.

"Hyung," he said gently, resting his hands onto his knees. "Your mate was an amazing woman. I'm so sorry she's gone, but you have to wake up and be the father she believed you to be. Her children, your children, are suffering. Your pack is suffering."

Hoseok's dark, puffy eyes slowly opened and locked onto Jungkook.

"I am suffering," murmured Jungkook. He lowered his head and sighed towards the floor.

"We need our Alpha to help us navigate this tragedy. We need you to help guide us on how we avenge her death. Hyung, I know your grief is heavy and suffocating, but you can't slip away from us. We are all waiting for you. We need you. Your kids need their dad to explain to them why their mother isn't tucking them in at night anymore."

Jungkook dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. He drew in a long breath and slowly lowered his head to look back at Hoseok's piercing gaze. "I'm going to be blunt, Hyung. Your grief isn't just yours. It's the entire packs'. We lost our Luna. We are all grieving that loss. You can't just lay in here and wallow in your own heartache. Let us help you bear that burden, Hyung. We want to help you, and need you to help us."

Hoseok's gaze drifted away to look somewhere beyond Jungkook's kneeling form.

"Also, I won't allow you to banish me from the pack because I felt an insane instinct to protect someone. Luna was gone, there was nothing else we could do for her. Yes, we need a time of mourning, but first we have to protect the ones that remain, Hyung. It's our duty. Luna would have understood that and wanted it. She wouldn't want you to leave your children unguarded. She wouldn't -"

"Enough, Jungkook," said Hoseok, his voice painfully raspy.

Jungkook's mouth clamped shut and he listened for Hoseok to say more.

"I still think you're an ass for leaving Jimin and I to carry Ga-Eun's body home alone," he mumbled, his heavy eyelids fighting to stay open.

"But I know I can't fault you for protecting your own mate."

Jungkook's eyes popped open wide at Hoseok's statement. Everyone seemed to believe Jaci was his mate. And while it was obvious some kind of bond was blooming, Jungkook refused to hold out untethered hope. A fated mate was his greatest dream. If Jaci was indeed his fated mate, the Moon sure had a strange and curious way of bringing them together.