The Missing Piece

Chapter 34

"Tell me why you haven't bonded with me yet."

Narae's words hit Namjoon like a ton of bricks. She was angrier than he'd expected her to be, and her reaction, which was still causing her to breathe shallowly and rapidly had come on so suddenly, it was like she hadn't known before. Hadn't she realised? Hadn't she felt it? Or rather, not felt it?

Namjoon, who's mouth was hanging open like a cod fish, was about to start speaking but they were all saved by Jimin's phone which started ringing insistently from his pocket. He, Jimin and Narae knew who it would be. There was a frisson of fear across all their bonds. Their other five mates would be calling to find out what was happening. Jimin picked up.

"It's okay. It's alright." Jimin said over and over to what sounded like a chorus of panicked partners. Narae and Namjoon kept their eyes locked on each other.

"No, you don't need to come back. It's all under control. I promise, I won't leave her unless she's alright."

Jimin continued to reassure them all while the doctor tried to give some quiet instruction to Narae and tentatively took her breathing mask from her to replace on the stand. Narae nodded every now and again but her eyes were tracking Namjoon across the room like a tiger watching their prey. He felt more than a little intimidated by her.

"He's okay, just looks like he's seen a ghost, but he'll be alright." Jimin was finishing, his tone more relaxed, his answers less quickfire.

The doctor crossed over to Namjoon and caught his eye, breaking him away from the intense glare of his mate.

"She'll be okay. Just a little relapse. She hadn't realised you weren't bonded yet. She must have felt it when you came in. We should have taken more care to be clear with her. It can be difficult when you're overloaded with new bonds to separate it all out. Not your fault, okay?"

Namjoon gulped. Easier for her to say than for him to accept. Still, he gave her a little nod. She was nice. She'd checked him over for any broken ribs after Seokjin had stopped beating on him the day of their bonding. She patted his shoulder gently and made her way out of the room. Jimin was rounding up the call, settling himself behind Narae so he could keep the contact between his chest and her back.

"How are you?" Jimin asked delicately once he'd hung up the call.

"I'm okay." She muttered, turning her head away, back towards Jimin to look at him properly. "Sorry, I didn't know that would happen again."

Jimin shook his head reassuringly. "It's okay, you have nothing to be sorry for. Let's just hope it's the last time, for your sake."

Narae nodded. Surprising both of the men in the room, she reached up and pulled Jimin into her for a deep kiss, which he granted her straight away.

As had been the case all week, Namjoon felt a rush of jealously when he saw Narae being so freely touched by the others when he still felt restrained. They both belonged to him, he should be over there with them.

Narae enjoyed a few seconds of revitalising kisses from her mate before pulling back and smiling at his bewildered face in spite of the sting in her throat.

"Thank you." She managed, her voice a little husky for the time being. "I'm okay now. But I need to speak to Namjoon."

Jimin smiled, nuzzling into her neck for a moment before he started to extract himself from behind her.

"I'm going to wait just outside okay. Just shout." He told her firmly as he climbed down from the side of the bed. "Listen to him okay, trust him. He loves you."

Jimin threw Namjoon a loving look, which buoyed him, in spite of how bad he felt.

As Jimin left the room, Namjoon looked up, back into Narae's piercing eyes and began to walk steadily forward, back into the light. As sick as she was, she looked both terrifying and beautiful.