The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Fifteen - Congruity

Jeon Jungkook

I sit bolt upright in bed. Someone's crying. I look to my right and, as expected, Taehyung is rocking himself back and forth once again, sniffling.

"Tae?" I croak, voice struggling from disuse.

"S-Sorry, did I wake you again?" He looks up worriedly.

I shrug and heave myself out of my comfortingly warm sheets into the bitterly cold air of the dorm room. I perch on the side of the faerie's bed and wrap an arm around his shoulders. "Was it about your brother again?"

He nods, leaning into me and letting all four limbs drop onto the bed. "I don't get why they've come back so suddenly!" I hold him to my shoulder, hand on the back of his neck.

"I don't know, hyung. I'm sorry." I nibble at the side of my lip. I feel so helpless. I was so caught up in everything that was wrong with Brynn and I that I let so much about the rest of my pack slip from one ear to the other, paying it no mind. I'm such a shitty alpha. Now, Jimin can only visit Yoongi once a month because he's in jail, and Taehyung has nightmares about his dead brother every night. I can't help Jimin, that's way out of my control now. But maybe I could help Taehyung? At least, a little...

***

I run up behind my girlfriend and wrap my arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground easily. She squeals and giggles, leaning into me.

"Yah. Stop doing that." She pouts as I turn her around in my arms.

"You love it really.." I kiss the tip of her nose and she blushes, crossing her arms with a stubborn hurumph. "Brynn, I need to ask you something..." I bite my lip, suddenly serious.

She frowns, immediately worried. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! It's..." I look around, guiding the witch into the alleyway between Asto and Stide. "It's about Tae."

Her eyes widen. "What's going on with him?. He's been struggling so much and he doesn't talk to anyone about it! Not even Nova!! You know how we're roommates now? Well, she cries herself to sleep some night, Kookie! She thinks she's failing him! And he's like my brother, I don't get why he can't trust me with whatever it is. We've never had secrets before!! And then you somehow manage to create a mental fridging block for the first time ever and now the only time I can never tell what you're thinking is when you're looking at Tae! An-"

I press my lips to hers, silencing her before she can work herself up any more than she already has. "Baby, shut up and listen."

She nods and bites the inside of her lip, watching me intently.

"You have to swear not to mention this to a soul. Especially Nova." I raise my eyebrows warningly. "That's coming from me as your alpha, okay? I shouldn't even be telling you, but I need your help..."

I watch the mental battle, and even hear some of it, as she fights between consoling her friend and obeying her alpha. Obviously, the latter wins. She nods and calms herself as best she can.

"Tae had a brother. A step-brother. He was half faerie and half demon. Nova's mum and Jimin's dad teamed up to kidnap and kill him when Tae was around nine or ten years old. I think his brother was five or six." I watch her eyes flick between my own as she tries to process this.

"A-Are you sure?.." She's clearly taken aback. If I'd known Tae since I was barely double digits and he hadn't mentioned a brother at all, I would be too.