Flower

CHAPTER 8

They were in the middle of an important discussion when Eunwoo felt his throat go dry. He looked around and spotted no waiters. So he turned to his husband and asked him to get a glass of water. Taehyung made his way to the table where they were placed, extending his hand to pick the last filled glass when he stopped as another hand grabbed it. He withdrew his hand, looking up at the stranger and he froze. Hoseok stood opposite him, wide-eyed, with an unreadable expression on his face.

Taehyung felt his heart speed up, tears involuntarily filling his eyes, lips quivering. It had been so long since he had seen the alpha that he almost forgot the things he made him feel. "Hello Taehyung" the alpha said with a sad smile, extending the glass in his hand towards him, "You can have this. I'm not too thirsty". Words had died long back so he quietly took it, breath faltering at the slightest brush of fingers. What was he doing here? If any of Taehyung's family saw him standing near this alpha, there would be chaos.

Even while thinking so, Taehyung's feet stayed rooted on his spot, eyes everywhere but at Hoseok. The alpha eyed the mating mark on the other's neck with dismay, shaking himself out of sadness. Taehyung was a married and mated omega now, he had to let go. Yet when the other finally looked at him, the feeling of longingness washed over him like a wave, arms itching to wrap around the other, to pull him close and keep him there for the rest of his life.

"What's taking so long?" Eunwoo called out, drawing attention to them. "I should get going" Taehyung said, bowing. The alpha swallowed as he walked away, cursing himself for being a coward. Where did it all go wrong?

Dinner was thankfully uneventful for Seokjin. And yes, he did eat more than what he was supposed to only because the alpha sitting beside him was paying close attention. Seokjin was afraid that if he ate less, the man would literally feed him with his own hands. He was stuck between the alpha and his mother glaring at him from the other side of the table. When it was finally time, he bid everyone goodbye, becoming teary eyed when his father held him close after so long. "Take care of my child Kim Namjoon. Make sure that he is not deprive of anything and love him unconditionally". "I will Sir" the alpha said, bowing to them.

The carriage that was to take him to his new home was decorated beautifully. There were around four of them, one meant for the married couple only, one for the family members and the other two for the servants. Before Seokjin knew it, he was on his way, the jittery feeling for what was to come next would not go away. The atmosphere in the carriage was awkward, the couple sitting well apart from each other, both looking out the windows. Namjoon wanted to say something, maybe break the silence between them but the omega did not look like he wanted to have a conversation, eyes still red from all the crying he had done back at the hall. The last thing he wanted to do was to overwhelm him.

Seokjin on the other hand was looking at the dense tree covered road they were on. Namjoon's house lay at the outskirts of the city rather than on the elite side. He had barely ever left his city, maybe only one or twice which made the road unfamiliar to him. The lamp that hung outside the carriage made it capable for him to see the road side but that was all. Yet it did not stop him from gazing out, trying to forget his anxiety.

"How much longer?" he asked softly, staring his fingers on his lap. They had been travelling for about an hour now, and Seokjin was starting to be hot and uncomfortable in the outfit he wore. "We should be reaching any moment now" came the answer before they fell silent again.

The carriage left the main road and proceeded deeper into the woods. Seokjin poked his head out to see lights at a distance and assumed that there were there. He closed the blinds, making sure that his face would not be seen from outside. According to the custom, the groom or bride will always be introduced to the mate's family by their alpha. So he waited patiently, repressing the urge to glance outside again. Their carriage came to an halt, yet Namjoon remained seated.