Tiger Lilies in the Snow

16 - The talk you have to have

Jungkook wanted to leave the kitchen. He had helped his mother clean the table after their Sunday breakfast and now he wanted nothing more than to go back to his room to escape this awkward tension that had been hovering over the table all morning long. He wanted to return to his computer and probably spend the next two to three hours gaming before he would get out the script that he was supposed to read to prepare this week's business and art lectures.

"Jungkook, could you please join us for a moment?" he heard his father demand and instantly knew what was awaiting him. Of course, his parents had had decided to confront their son after what his mother must have heard at the supermarket yesterday.

With a sigh he looked at his father and nodded in return. Then he followed him to the living room and sat down on the couch. It was a beautiful place to spend your free time: light brown sofas, a small wooden coffee table, a beige carpet. Open shelves that homed some figurines, books and pictures surrounded them while the big panorama window presented you with an impressive view over the city. Of course, their flat was big enough to not only provide the members of the family with big rooms to live in and separate bathrooms but also held space for studies for each of his parents and a guest room and naturally it was the only flat that was located on the top floor of the apartment building. It was worthy the Alpha and his Luna of the Tiger Lily Pack.

Now Jungkook took seat opposite of his parents with an uneasy feeling. He chewed on his lip and fidgeted with his fingers.

Daehee cleared his throat: "Ok son. Let's make it short. Is there anything that we should know about?"

"Is there?" The words came out higher than Jungkook had intended, and he sounded so insecure no matter how he listened to them. Why on earth did his voice decide to betray him right now? He still had not made up his mind on how to tell his parents that he had found his mate but that they would not bond for some years. Was he ok with it? Yes, he was. Even his wolf accepted it. Was he sure he would find support in his parents? Well, maybe. And it was exactly this 'maybe' that made him hesitant. What if they did not understand? What if they demanded that they bonded soon?

Now he got himself a stern look by his mother that told him without words how much she disapproved of this answer and his father furrowed his brows. "You have no clue what we would like to talk about?" he inquired again.

"No, not really." Thank God his voice was back to normal now. He would not have been able to live with it if it even had decided to crack mid-sentence.

"Let me give you a keyword: Mate." His father's voice was still all businesslike, and this unnerved the young real alpha even more. But now there was no denying the facts anymore.

After nibbling on his bottom lip while is focus wandered around the room for a little longer he looked out of the big panorama window. He could not hold any eye contact with his parents now. "You already know so there is no need to talk about it anymore."

"But we would have liked to hear it from you first hand." It made the younger even more uncomfortable to hear this. It was not really a reproach, but it stung just as much. "It's not how I had expected to learn that my son has found his mate. From gossip. And I do not only mean what your mother overheard at the supermarket yesterday." Daehee continued with a little emphasis in his voice as Jungkook wanted to reply to it.

"I am sorry, Dad." The real alpha just hung his head in shame. He knew his parents were right but still he did not know how to tell them what was to await them. Years of waiting and accepting. Supporting what they probably would not understand and maybe not approve of. The decision he had made from love.

"Kook, look at us." Daehee's gentle words tore him from his thoughts that were running wild. "We don't want to scold you and we are not angry with you. I cannot deny that we are a little disappointed, but we will overcome that eventually." He smiled at his son. "Maybe now would be the time you start telling us about your mate?"