Replaced | Taekook AU 18+

Chapter 4

*

"How much longer?"  

"He will be here in another ten minutes."

"Are you sure?"

"I made sure he knew about the deadline, Jungkook. He'll be here soon."

Jungkook didn't say anything. Instead he stared at the photo in his hand, wondering how things had come to this...how things had changed for the worse?

Two weeks ago, he was some place else, hanging out with his inner circle, drinking and relaxing his mind. And now...

A low growl slipped past his lips, and the rest of his pack members stiffened in his presence.

Why? Why did this have to happen? He crumpled the photo in his fist, digging his nails into the soft skin of his palm, before flinging it across the room, where it hit the opposite wall and fell to the ground.

He hated that face. He hated that smile. He hated that lithe frame, boyish features and chest where his brother's heart resided.

He hated that the leader of their pack was no more, that his brother was no more.

And the cause of it all - was that guy, who held the last piece of his brother.

He had never, not even once in his life, imagined that there would come a day when Jungkook would become the next leader and have to take care of their pack instead of his brother. He hadn't known that his role as the carefree younger brother would come to an end, so suddenly, his freedom stripped from him, and his mind thrown into chaos that came after his brother's death.

Jungkook hadn't known that he wouldn't get to say his last goodbyes to his brother.

He hadn't known...

"Kim Taehyung..." The name burned on his tongue like acid. And Jungkook swallowed the bile that rose to his throat, closing his eyes as the image of the killer fleeted through his mind.

He hated Taehyung so much.

He hated that this man had taken away the one happy thing in his life. He had robed Jungkook of the person most important to him.

Jungkook lived to see his brother's dimpled smile. He lived to spend his free time, trying to teach his clumsy brother to cook a decent meal, and feed his mate, once in a while...and sometimes fail at that simple task too.

He lived to see his brother take care of their pack, making wise decisions and sometimes chiding Jungkook for his recklessness.

The only person whose advice and decisions Jungkook took into consideration - the wise alpha, his brother. And the only one who could control the youngster's rage when it got out of control.

With him gone, who was going to be there for Jungkook?

What about Namjoon's mate? What about their future?

He couldn't erase the memory of how patiently Namjoon had been waited for news on the new pup in their pack.

Pain stabbed at his heart, just thinking about what his hyung must be going through. Jungkook had lost his brother, and he wasn't able to bare the agony. His sweet, kind hyung had lost his other half, his mate to this Taehyung. What kind of hell must he be going through?

How was his hyung ever going to recover from losing Namjoon hyung?

He had to pay for their suffering. Taehyung had to pay for the grief he had brought on Jungkook's family.

He took away Jungkook's chance at leading a peaceful life, and now, Taehyung would go through the same. If Jungkook couldn't be free, then Taehyung couldn't either.