Untamed (Namkook)

5. The Crimson Bond

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The banquet hall in the Jeon mansion was softly lit, glowing in the gentle golden light of countless candles that cast warm shadows across the large space. The only sounds heard were the quiet pattering of rain outside. Every corner of the room was decorated in traditional colors of white and red—white representing peace and happiness and red symbolizing strength and fresh beginnings. Drapes of delicate fabrics and beautiful arrangements of flowers filled each corner of the old room and the subtle aroma of fresh blossoms and sacred herbs hung in the air.

Family members of both the grooms stood silently on either side of the hall. On one side was the Jeon family...Jungkook's omega mother, seated in a wheelchair and his father beside her..he was silent ,his gaze fixed on the ground as if he was carrying a hidden weight of guilt or regret. His siblings and their mates and children surrounded them and among them Youngseok stood tall and proud, proud of finally saving his family from an impending disaster. And across them, Jin was alone...the only representative from the Kim's family..his gaze was distant, lost in thoughts.

Namjoon stood at the center of the hall, positioned on a ceremonial rug made of fur, dressed in the regal black and gold robes that alphas wore for such an occasion. Outside, he was every bit the calm and commanding figure expected of a leader like him , but inside, him and his alpha were restless...This was the moment he had been waiting for, the one he had envisioned countless times...a final step in securing his family's legacy, honoring tradition and finally accepting his destined mate, a rite considered the ultimate duty of any alpha. In his dreams, he had always imagined his family beside him during this day, his appa offering words of wisdom to his new mate...his father's pride shining through as he looked at his eldest fulfilling the family legacy and his brother and his family and the rest of his pack beside them...Yet fate had brought him here with only Jin by his side. Still, despite all the racing thoughts and regrets...Namjoon took pride in his choice of mate...finding his true fated mate was a happy accident and deep down, he felt certain that wherever they were, his parents would be proud of him.

A thin curtain separated Namjoon from the spot where Jungkook would soon stand..it was an old tradition that concealed the omega's face until the right moment. Yet even through the fabric, he sensed Jungkook's presence drawing near. The air suddenly became fragrant with the delicate scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla, intoxicating his senses and he watched the silhouette of the omega slowly walking towards him. He was clad in flowing robes of silver and white and a soft veil resting over his head. Jungkook's hands were nervously clasped in front and with each step he took, Namjoon felt his heartbeat resonate with Jungkook's..as if an invisible force was already intertwining their destinies in that sacred space.

The Elder of the old Nightfall Pack, esteemed for her role in officiating such sacred ceremonies, stepped forward between Namjoon and Jungkook. Dressed in her ceremonial attire, she raised her hands high.. commanding attention as she began to speak the ancient words passed down through generations.

"Today, we witness the union of Alpha and Omega, the binding of souls through an age old rite. This is not merely a bond..it is a promise sealed in blood and spirit!" she declared, her voice echoing through the large hall

She chanted a few verses that praised the moon goddess, honoring her choices and the fates she had woven for her children. Then, she motioned for Jungkook's family to lift the veil covering his head and his father stepped forward, slowly raising the veil from Jungkook's face, allowing the fabric to pool at his feet. And he quickly backed away without meeting Jungkook's gaze. Jin followed suit, carefully lowering the thin fabric that had separated Namjoon and Jungkook.

As the cloth fell away, Namjoon and Jungkook came face-to-face for the first time. In that moment, beneath Jungkook's delicate features and ethereal beauty, Namjoon noticed the flicker of sadness and anger in the omega's eyes and the way his sweet cherry blossom scent shifted to something tinged with fear, anticipation and anger . And a tightening sensation gripped Namjoon's heart, stirring feelings he didn't fully understand.