Echoes Of The Moon 🔞ll Jikook ll

CHAPTER 3: Fate

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TWO DAYS BEFORE

Jungkook stood at the edge of his balcony, arms resting on the stone railing, his sharp gaze fixed on the endless stretch of forest beneath the silver glow of the moon. A cold breeze swept through the mountains, ruffling his thick, black royal coat trimmed with fur, but he didn't move an inch. His wolf stirred beneath his skin, pacing restlessly, aligning with his thoughts, their frustration building in perfect sync.

Behind him, the grand doors to his room swung open, and the unmistakable scent of Alpha Namjoon drifted in-a calm, grounding scent like cedarwood and rain, one Jungkook hated at the moment. He heard the slow, deliberate footsteps approach, followed by Namjoon's easy, unbothered sigh.

"Still sulking?" Namjoon's voice came smooth, teasing but with an undertone that suggested he'd been expecting this sulking.

Jungkook's jaw tightened. The glass in his hand cracked under the pressure of his grip. He let it drop, shattering against the marble floor. He didn't care. If Namjoon cared, he certainly didn't show it.

"You know what you need," Namjoon continued lazily, leaning his tall frame against the railing beside Jungkook. "A mate."

Jungkook's wolf growled, a low rumble vibrating in his chest, and Jungkook bared his teeth in a silent warning. His raging scent-wild, untamed like a storm-thickened in the air, suffocating everything around them. Namjoon scrunched his nose.

"Easy there, tiger. You're giving me a headache," Namjoon said, waving a hand as if to fan the air. "Seriously, Jungkook, tone it down. You smell like a murder scene."

"Then leave," Jungkook muttered coldly.

Namjoon chuckled. "I would. But Jin said I have to check in on you."

Jungkook snorted, the sound sharp and derisive. "Jin needs to mind his own business." His elder brother's overly protective streak annoyed him to no end, especially when it involved using Namjoon to babysit him.

"Believe me, I tried telling him that," Namjoon said, stretching his arms lazily over his head. His long coat shifted with the movement, the hem trailing along the marble. "But he gets fussy when you ignore every mating proposal thrown at you."

Jungkook's wolf snarled in his mind, mirroring his distaste. Over the past year, proposals from every pack within the region-and even some from distant clans-had flooded in. He'd seen omegas paraded in front of him, one after another, all delicate and obedient, their wide eyes full of fear. None of them interested him. None of them made him feel anything other than disgust.

"I don't want an omega," Jungkook growled. His wolf rumbled in agreement, radiating disdain through their bond. "They're weak. Fragile."

Namjoon gave a dramatic sigh. "You've said that a hundred times. And I've told you-if you don't choose a mate, the elders will."

"They can try," Jungkook muttered darkly.

The scent in the room thickened again, warningly sharp, but Namjoon didn't flinch. In fact, he smiled, infuriatingly calm, as if he were enjoying poking at Jungkook's temper.

"You're forgetting the curse," Namjoon reminded him with an arch of his brow. "The Moon Goddess marked you. You can't escape it."

Jungkook clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. His wolf prowled beneath his skin, he was irritated and impatient. The curse was the reason he was being forced into this mess. His fated mate-the one destined by the Moon Goddess-was supposed to break the curse that had bound him since birth. But there was a catch. His fated mate wasn't from this world.