Omega's Bond [Taekook]

Chapter Three

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The carriage moved steadily through the forest, the rhythmic sound of wheels cutting through the quiet wilderness. The forest, vast and wild, carried an air of mystery and danger for those who didn't belong.

Taehyung sat inside, his eyes fixed on the trees rushing past the window, trying to mask his racing thoughts and the emotions stirring within him. Beside him was the small boy—the child he couldn't leave behind in the burned wreckage of his once-powerful pack.

An hour earlier, Taehyung had knelt before the boy, his heart heavy with the weight of what had happened.

"My mama promised me too," the boy had whispered, his voice soft, trembling.

Taehyung had shared a look with Jimin, understanding settling between them like a silent ache.

"She didn't come to pick me up," the boy added, his tiny voice breaking Taehyung's heart. His face, smudged with dirt and marked by scratches, bore the kind of grief and loss no child should ever carry.

"Can you come out?" Taehyung had asked softly, extending his hand to the boy, trying to make his presence as gentle as possible. "I promise to never hurt you."

The boy's large, innocent eyes had flickered with hesitation before slowly placing his small hand in Taehyung's. In that moment, Taehyung's heart raced uncontrollably, an unexplainable pull forming between him and this fragile child.

And then,— he felt it —a stirring deep within him that he hadn't expected, something primal and overwhelming.

Mate.

His wolf's voice echoed through his mind the moment the boy's hand touched his own. Taehyung's breath hitched. His mate? A six-year-old boy? Taehyung could barely fathom the reality sinking into his bones. This couldn't be right. How could the Moon Goddess have chosen a child, someone fourteen years younger than him, as his mate? The world around him spun in disbelief. What would people say? How would he even explain this to anyone?

Taehyung had immediately let go of the boy's hand and walked away, his mind reeling. He stood by the carriage, struggling to breathe as the weight of it all crashed down on him.

"I can't believe it," he muttered to himself, feeling the world crumble beneath his feet. His chest felt tight, his heart aching from the impossible situation he was suddenly thrust into.

Jimin, still bewildered by Taehyung's sudden reaction, had knelt beside the boy and gently asked, "Can you walk?"

The boy—Jeongguk nodded quietly. His small hand was trembling as Jimin helped him up, his eyes glancing once more at the ruins of his pack. It was clear he knew—there was no one left, no one waiting for him anymore.

Now, back in the carriage, Taehyung couldn't bring himself to look at the boy. Every time his eyes flickered in the child's direction, his heart raced with a mixture of sorrow and confusion. How could fate be so cruel? The moment they had left the pack's charred remains, Taehyung had caught the scent—a scent so undeniably alpha, so strong and commanding, rich and earthy like the deep forest, laced with cedar and a touch of spice. It had taken his breath away. But it wasn't coming from a powerful warrior or an older alpha like he'd imagined. No, it was coming from this small, fragile boy. His mate.

The weight of the truth bore down on him like an unshakable burden. He glanced at Jeongguk's innocent face—the soft curves of his cheeks, his tiny nose, his long lashes wet with unshed tears. His pouty lips quivered slightly, his small body too quiet, too still for a child who had just lost everything.

Jimin's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "He looks uncomfortable, tae. You should lay his head on your lap, make him feel safe."

Taehyung hesitated for a moment, his emotions a tangled mess, but then he nodded. Carefully, as if the boy were made of glass, he lifted Jeongguk's head and placed it on his lap. The boy tensed for a moment, but then, slowly, he relaxed into the touch. His tiny form curled up, seeking comfort even though he didn't trust it fully yet.

Taehyung's hands hovered above Jeongguk for a moment before he rested one on the boy's back, gently stroking, trying to offer what little solace he could. His eyes stared out of the carriage window again, but his mind was elsewhere—filled with questions, doubts, and the overwhelming responsibility that had just been placed on him.

Taehyung gazed down at the small, sleeping figure resting in his lap, a storm of emotions crashing through him—emotions so overwhelming and tangled, he didn't even know where to begin. His heart ached in a way he'd never felt before, torn between the primal pull of the mate bond and the deep, tender protectiveness that welled up every time he looked at Jeongguk. How was he supposed to carry the weight of this? How was he meant to protect someone so innocent, so fragile, not just from the dangers lurking outside but from the terrifying force of the bond that tied them together?

He didn't know how to feel. His wolf had claimed Jeongguk the moment their skin touched, recognizing him with absolute certainty as their mate. But how could Taehyung reconcile that truth when Jeongguk was still so small, so vulnerable, his entire life shattered by tragedy before it had even truly begun? The boy didn't know, couldn't possibly know what they were to each other. He couldn't understand what it meant to be a mate, to have a bond as deep and unbreakable as theirs.

And Taehyung wasn't sure he was ready for it either.

He sighed, turning his gaze toward the carriage window. The darkened forest passed by in a blur of shadows, the trees like silent sentinels watching over them. The road stretched out before them, long and uncertain, much like the path he would have to walk with Jeongguk. Nothing about this was simple. It wasn't the way he had imagined meeting his mate, and it wasn't a bond he could fully embrace yet. Not when the boy beside him needed time—years, maybe—to understand, to heal, to grow into the person he would become.

Taehyung's heart tightened as he thought about what lay ahead. He couldn't act on the bond, couldn't let his feelings consume him or drive him to take what Jeongguk wasn't ready to give. This would have to be slow, an agonizingly slow burn that might test his patience, his strength, and everything he thought he knew about himself. But Taehyung would wait. He would hold himself back, give Jeongguk the space and safety he needed. He had no choice—because the thought of breaking Jeongguk's trust, of pushing him too soon, was a risk Taehyung could never take.

Jeongguk deserved so much more. He deserved to be cared for, nurtured, protected from the world that had already shown him so much cruelty. And Taehyung would give him that—he would be the one to shelter him, to guide him, to make sure he never had to face the kind of heartbreak he had already experienced. He would stay by his side, through the darkest nights and the longest days, until Jeongguk was ready to understand the depth of their connection.

For now, Taehyung would watch over him, his hand gently resting against Jeongguk's soft hair, feeling the rise and fall of his small chest as he slept. He would carry the weight of their bond silently, a secret he would guard with his life until the time was right. And when that time came, when Jeongguk was ready to see him not just as a protector but as something more, Taehyung would be there—waiting.

Because love wasn't something that could be rushed. And if anyone deserved love in its purest, most patient form, it was Jeongguk.

The boy stirred slightly, his small hand unconsciously clutching Taehyung's shirt in his sleep, and Taehyung's heart softened even more, a slow warmth spreading through his chest. He was afraid—afraid of what this bond meant, afraid of what the future held. But more than anything, he was determined.

No matter how long it took, no matter how slow the burn, Taehyung would wait for Jeongguk to be ready.

For now, he would protect him, and that was enough.

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Am I updating so fast????

in my book the werewolfs will get to know about their mate when they turn 22 years old. But Taehyung is future luna he got to know about his mate at 20