Hope & Perseverance | ym

I

Jimin wanted to cringe at the sound of liquid hitting the ground, but couldn't as he retched again, more vomit joining the growing puddle on the floor. He spat out what was still lingering in his mouth, staying in his current position on his hands and knees for a few minutes to make sure he was done getting sick before finally sitting back against the wall. He used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth as he glanced over at Seokjin, who was lying on his side on the cold ground, curled in on himself as his whole body shook.

The older omega had been in that exact position since his warning to Jimin, not having said another word as the shock from being away from his pup finally consumed him. Jimin looked at him in sadness, subconsciously rubbing his still flat stomach. He couldn't even imagine what Seokjin was currently going through and hoped he never would.

The door to the dungeon opened, the healer beta stepping in with a tray of food. She first set a plate of food next to Seokjin, who didn't even so much as give her a glance in acknowledgement, before walking over to Jimin and trying to hand him a cup with steam coming out of it. "This should help with the nausea." She informed him, but Jimin didn't bother to take it. The healer sighed before holding it out to him again. "You'll need it to keep yourself strong for your pup."

Jimin's defiant nature wanted to refuse, but he knew it was important to stay strong for his pup. He wordlessly took the warm beverage, inhaling the scent of ginger before taking a sip. After a few sips he felt his stomach settle, and a part of him hated that because it meant he would have to actually rely on the enemy to get this tea.

"You'll need three servings of that a day, I'll bring you one with each meal." The healer informed him, setting his plate of food on the ground next to him. She looked over at Seokjin and sighed deeply. "I'll bring some valerian for him so he can calm down. Try to get him to eat something, he needs to keep his strength up to for his exposé."

Jimin's eyes widened and he nearly spat out his tea. "Exposé?" An exposé was a more old-fashioned tradition, but still happened on occasion in the pack. Whenever there was a highly sought out omega, the parents, or he guessed in this case the pack heir, would arrange an exposé for eligible and interested alphas to observe and determine if the omega was suitable for them. Then the omega would go to the alpha who either had the highest status or offered the most to the parents, or again in this case the pack heir. "No, you can't do that!" Jimin continued to yell after the beta, but was ignored as she exited the dungeon, locking the door behind her. He looked back over at his friend and packmate. "Don't worry, Seokjin, I won't let them do that to you."

~*~

The early morning air was filled with a pup's cries. The agitated pup was lying on her back on the forest floor as a frantic alpha attempted to start a fire next to her. "Come on~" He muttered under his breath, sighing in relief when a spark finally caught. He quickly stoked the fire to build up to a decent size, placing one of the two bowls of water he had gathered from the nearby river on top. As the water heated up, he crushed up the hemp seeds he'd collected, letting the powder fall into the hot water before stirring it with a stick to make sure it was mixed up.

The pup's sobs increased in volume, her face turning bright red from the force of her screams. The alpha scrambled to remove the bowl from the fire, mixing a bit of cool water into it so it wouldn't be too hot. "It's okay, Soyoung~" The alpha cooed to his pup, picking her up and holding her close to her chest. "Don't cry, Appa's here~" Namjoon placed the edge of the bowl to her lips, pouring a small amount of the hemp milk into her mouth, waiting until she swallowed it before giving her some more. Her cries decreased as she fed, disappearing completely once her tummy was full. Satisfied, she fell asleep in her father's arms as he set the near empty bowl down.