On-Way Passage || ᴠᴍɪɴ

Chapter 35

In that moment, all Jimin registered was a pain so intense that he let out a blood-curdling scream and even squeezed out a few tears from the corners of his eyes. After the excruciating pain subsided, he felt the flesh on his nape begin to swell. He wasn't sure why, but he was palpably aware of Taehyung injecting his pheromones into his body. Despite lacking glands, the alpha pheromones seeped into his muscles and blood vessels, and he could feel his heart racing faster and faster, his head swelling within seconds.

This sensation terrified Jimin. Although he knew that betas would not react to alpha pheromones, he hadn't had any prior experience with them either. Under the powerful oppressive feeling, he couldn't keep his panic at bay. Lying face down on the carpet, he tried to crawl forwards, fearing Taehyung's next move.

But he didn't expect that, after Taehyung bit him, there was no next move.

Taehyung had fallen asleep.

Jimin shoved Taehyung off of him, rolled over, and sat on the floor, his pulse racing as he gasped for air. He lifted a hand to feel his nape, and when he spread his palm in front of him, he was greeted by a handful of blood. He wiped his blood-stained palm on the carpet in reflex.

Taehyung lay on the floor, stock-still save for the slight rise and fall of his body that showed that he was asleep.

The fright from the pheromone injection faded and was replaced by anger as Jimin calmed down. He kicked Taehyung's waist with his foot, yet Taehyung didn't move a single inch.

Jimin got to his feet, shoved his arms under Taehyung's arms, and struggled to haul him off the ground and onto the sofa. He collected his phone and called Taehyung's driver as he bent down to lift Taehyung's legs onto the sofa.

A while later, the driver came in and asked Jimin to help him lift Taehyung onto his back, then made his way out of the establishment.

Jimin didn't encounter Hyunjin nor Seungmin a second time. Two attendants respectfully followed behind him, escorting them all the way outside and lending an arm to help Taehyung into the car.

For a brief moment, Jimin stood by Taehyung's bedside, then resignedly stripped the man of his coat, shoes, and socks before covering him with a blanket.

When Jimin returned to his room, he carefully wiped his nape with a wet towel. The bleeding had stopped, and all he had to wipe away were dried-up bloodstains, but the place where he'd been bitten was still aching. Despite the fact that he couldn't see it, he knew it was deep.

When he lay on his bed, Jimin was already dead tired. He sank into the mattress, unable to turn over as if all the strength had left his body. However, despite his obvious exhaustion, he couldn't fall asleep for a short time, his thoughts running wild through his fatigue, the events of the evening replaying in his mind.

That wasn't all. There was one more thing that bothered him: all he could smell were Taehyung's pheromones. The scent was weak, but he couldn't shake it for even a second.

Above all, when he wrapped the blanket around his entire body, he felt like bok choy marinating in Taehyung's pheromones; the scent had already seeped into his flesh and blood. It didn't smell unpleasant, really, but with Jimin's sensitive sense of smell, it didn't take long for him to feel light-headed.

Jimin didn't know how much time had passed as he lay in bed, but his exhaustion eventually won out and he fell asleep. His slumber, however, lasted only until dawn. Turning over groggily, he smelled that faint fragrance again and was jolted awake.

He ripped away the blanket and sat up, holding his head in pain.

Taehyung awoke an hour later than Jimin. He appeared to be in pain, possibly from the effects of a hangover. When he opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling for several seconds before turning to lie on his side, where his gaze met a hardened glare.