Safe With You | Yoonmin

Chapter 19: Kim Namjoon

| Namjoon |

RYU OKGYUN AND NAMJOON'S FATHER, KIM RYUN, had been very close friends in their younger days. It was the reason Ryun had been appointed as second in command. But gradually over the years, the two alphas had grown apart. The more Okgyun confided in Ryun, the more the later grew concerned about his leadership. Out of respect for their history of friendship, Ryun refused to make a direct challenge for the throne. Challenging the throne meant a fight to the death, and Ryun felt honor-bound to protect his Alpha.

Manipulating the succession, however... Kim Ryun had no qualms about that.

There were quite a few elders in the pack who doubted Ryu Sejin as a potential leader. The Alpha's son was brash, arrogant, and had little respect for tradition. But Namjoon was a favorite - both a warrior and a scholar. When Okgyun had proposed a union between Namjoon and the omega Jimin, Ryun had jumped on the opportunity. It would be seen as an alliance between the Kim and Ryu clans, and would only increase his second son's favor in the elders' eyes. It might be enough to sway Okgyun to name Namjoon as his successor, when the time came.

This was Kim Ryun's plan, not Namjoon's.

Namjoon didn't want to be pack Alpha.

In fact, he dreaded the very idea of it.

As the son of the pack Beta, Namjoon had grown up privileged, but privilege came with its own price. Every time someone deferred to Namjoon, or offered him a favor, he had to wonder if the act was genuine or if he was being manipulated for his family's power and influence. Every time someone agreed with his decisions, he had to question he was truly correct or just being pandered to. He could only imagine how much greater the struggle would be if he had real power. How would he know who to trust?

And what if, like Ryu Okgyun, he became tainted by power? What if it was too tempting to protect his own interests rather than the good of the pack? When everyone wants something from you, it's easy to become defensive... or greedy.

No, he didn't want to become Alpha. Not ever.

But he loathed Sejin, and feared the heir-apparent's rise to power more than his own possible corruption. It was the primary reason why Namjoon couldn't hate his father for this -- tearing him away from his intended, Mi Cha, and forcing him into this arrangement. He knew the Beta was only trying to protect the pack's future.

And Namjoon couldn't refuse his father. Kim Ryun had raised each of his sons with care, giving them every opportunity and ensuring that they wanted for nothing. If Namjoon refused to respect his father's wishes now, it would not only prove him to be extremely ungrateful but it would bring dishonor to his whole family.

So now he stood before Alpha Okgyun, Beta Ryun and a great crowd of elders, listening as Alpha declared the 'joyous betrothal' of his right-hand's son and his precious ward.

The omega Jimin stood next to Namjoon. His otherworldly silver hair, fine robes and gold jewels made him a delight to behold. But Namjoon was close enough to detect the omega's weak, distressed scent beneath the heavy perfumes.

He felt a stab of guilt.

For the entire day, Namjoon and his wolf had wrestled with the loss of the kind and beautiful Mi Cha. It had been harder for his wolf, who had already begun to bond with the beta. His wolf was angry and confused now.

So they had spent the morning out in the woods, sulking like pups. It was justifiable to wrestle with such a drastic turn of events, to be angry or frustrated.

But not once had Namjoon stopped to imagine how Jimin might be coping, not until he laid eyes on the omega in the royal hall and saw the frightened, dazed look on the younger's face. Namjoon immediately pitied him. There was no doubt in his mind that the omega had been given no say in this matter either.