A Pack's Price

Chapter 20: Apart

"All right Jin, we can't stall any longer. You ate and slept enough?" Namjoon asked him as they stepped out of the den's entrance.

Jin sniffled, refusing to let go of Namjoon's hand. He had been holding it ever since the early morning. "Y-yeah..." He answered, his voice nearly a whisper.

"Just follow this river downstream. You should be okay. Your scent will be masked and it should be safe enough." Namjoon told him as he helped him step into the water. He wanted Jin to leave quickly, since the scent of his old pack was getting stronger and stronger. He needed Jin to be as far away from Junho as possible.

"N-Namjoon..." Jin murmured, his voice tight. His head was lowered as he clung to Namjoon's arm. He didn't want to part from him. His eyelids fluttered shut when Namjoon reached out with his other hand, gently touching the bite mark on his neck.

"I love you, Jin."

As reluctant as he was, he released the alpha's hand. He was terrified, sad, and angry. Tears ran down his face and he quickly tried to wipe them. "Nn... L-love you too..." He mumbled, wanting nothing more than to be in Namjoon's arms again. But he knew he needed to listen to the alpha. If being apart would help him stay alive, Jin would do it.

He was surprised when his chin was tilted up and he met the alpha's gaze. Namjoon cupped Jin's tear-soaked cheeks and kissed him deeply.

"Everything will be okay." Namjoon whispered against his lips.

Jin wanted so desperately to tell Namjoon to kiss him again. He had only just started to raise his arms to wrap them around Namjoon's shoulders, but then the warmth was leaving him and he whimpered.
He could only watch as Namjoon shifted and began running in the direction of the forest, where they had come from. The alpha paused just before he was out of sight, turning to look at Jin. He took in all of his mate, wanting to burn the image of Jin into his brain before they parted.

He'd come to love Jin more than he's ever thought possible. The omega had such a deep hold on him, and he knew that this was for the best. In all honesty, he didn't know if he'd be able to live without him anymore. He studied Jin, hesitating to leave.

Jin's hair was getting longer, and now framed his face. His bangs were swept to the side so as not to get into his eyes. His bottom lip was red from being chewed on and his expression was somber. Namjoon wanted nothing more than to take him into his arms again. He wanted to comfort the omega, to make him feel safe as he'd always done.

An ominous howl in the distance snapped him out of his thoughts, and he growled at the omega, telling him to hurry, before disappearing into the forest.

Jin stood in the river, feeling empty and worried. He let more tears fall freely down his face when Junho's howl rang throughout the forest. He saw the way Namjoon tensed. He knew the alpha hadn't used his alpha voice, but it seemed as if he had. Automatically, Jin's feet began moving. He tried uselessly to wipe away his incessant tears, stumbling a bit on the slippery rock just below the water.

With each step away from Namjoon, Jin grew increasingly worried. How could he be sure that Namjoon would be able to defeat Junho? Plus, Junho liked to play dirty. His mind was racing with possible outcomes and he knew that for Namjoon's sake, he needed to make a decision.

He glanced behind him once more, somehow hoping that Namjoon would come back to him and tell him he could stay. When no such thing occurred, he shifted and picked up his pace. He wanted to be good for Namjoon, but what good would that do if the alpha was dead?

As he got further and further away, even he could tell that his scent was washing away. Even if Namjoon wasn't able to defeat Junho, he wouldn't be able to track Jin by his scent. But the thought didn't bring him relief in the slightest.