Strings of Fate

29 - Let's Play a Game

You felt embarrassed and disheartened. You only had two experiences with people outside of the seven men you were now living with and both were negative. At first you had been pleasantly surprised when the three young women approached you.

"What's your name?" One of them had asked. She was petite with dark brown hair and light brown eyes, in fact all three of them looked very similar. You wondered if they were sisters.

"It's Y/N." You took time to assess them and quickly understood by their body language and expressions that they meant harm.

"Why in the world did Jin take in a stray like you?" Another one spoke up.

"Jin seems to take in all the strays!" Their laughs were harsh to your ears. You had never once thought yourself a stray, but now it was like biting your cheek, you only had to do it once to do it over and over again.

You wanted your mate, you wanted Jungkook.

Once inside the pack house, Hoseok sat you on the couch and knelt in front of you, holding your hands and you appreciated the gesture, but it wasn't the same as being with your mate. Even though you would be mates with Hoseok, your soul was calling out for Jungkook. You could reach out to him through the link, but you held back for some reason. He was asking if you were ok, but you didn't have the desire to answer.

"Are you ok, honey?" Hoseok gently kissed your hands.

"I'm used to everyone ignoring me, they weren't allowed to talk to me," You replied despondently.

"Why weren't they allowed to talk to you?"

"I don't know, my alphas never told me. But they were punished if they paid me any attention, good or bad."

You felt a sudden chill as you remembered their punishment. It was always more like an experiment for your alphas. They would physically harm them in different ways and see to what degree you could heal the injury.

"Y/N, are you okay?" Hoseok touched your face and you involuntarily flinched. He swallowed hard and retracted his hand.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," You said in a small voice, blinking back tears. Hoseok opened his arms and you immediately sought refuge there. He pressed his nose into your hairline and breathed you in. The action was endearing and made you feel safe. You tucked yourself more firmly into his chest, seeking comfort in his touch.

He situated the two of you so that he was now sitting on the couch and you were in his lap. It was missing the bond and the link, but you were comforted by his scent, his patience, and his endless affection. He rubbed your thigh soothingly and pressed gentle kisses into your hair, but you wanted more.

You burrowed into his neck, basking in his scent. It was minty with a fresh tint of citrus. It made you wonder if his skin would taste the same. You licked at the area around his scent gland experimentally. He grunted and his fingers dug into your thigh.

"Hoseok, are you nervous about mating me?" Your voice was more timid than you intended. He pulled you back so he could see your face.

"Call me Hobi, sweetheart. Why would I be nervous?" His sweet smile was heartbreaking. You felt awkward having to explain.

"You know, because of what happened with Jungkook..." You trailed off. 

Y/N? What happened? Are you alright? You could hear Jungkook's voice in your head but you weren't sure how to answer him back, it felt different than it had yesterday when he was right beside you.

Hoseok hummed as his hand laced in the hair at the back of your neck and he brought you in for a kiss. This wasn't your first kiss, in fact you had already lost count with Hobi. He seemed to love kissing. He had woken you up several times last night to make out. Luckily Jungkook was a hard sleeper. His kisses were playful and fun, and you didn't mind missing out on sleep for that.