Tales of a Wounded Heart | Jikook/ Taegi

Chapter - 16 🔞

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Hoseok and his warriors have been riding through the uneven terrains of the forest. They left the common lands this afternoon, entering the enemy's territory that stretched far and beyond.

A dark, ominous aura enveloped the lands accompanied with an unnatural chill that resonated with the darkness tainting their enemy's soul. He could smell a hint of death and decay in the air as if the land's very soul was tarnished. There was no hesitation from his warriors as their horses galloped through the unknown lands.

Fortunately, they didn't come across any rogues or bandits. Because Hoseok had no time to waste. He had to get to his mate and pup before it was too late.

The wind howled ominously, whipping at his face and ruffled his wavy hair. The red tail hawk, a gift from his sister, rested on his shoulder, talons digging in on his shoulder pad and wings outstretched as he rode against the wind with unwavering focus and one singular thought plaguing his mind—Jeongseon and their unborn pup.

The Northern territory was known for its unpredictable nature and the dangerous terrains like steep slopes and deep ravines. If they weren't careful enough they could plunge to their very death in a blink of an eye. Not to mention the cold wilderness as if the Goddess herself cursed the land. It was no surprise the land lacked any hint of warmth unlike their pack lands.

The winter was just around the corner, but Hoseok could already feel the cold chill in the winds beating relentlessly on him. It hinted at the oncoming unforgiving winter. Their priest has already warned them of the hardest winter this year and it only increased the sense of urgency.

Their time was very limited and they had to get to Jeongseon before nature made it impossible to travel. He has been through this path a few times already in search of his mate with no sense of direction whatsoever. The aimless search fueled with desperation and anguish led to nothing but dead ends.

Now that he knew where to head to, they strode without any rest. His horse was growing exhausted. The alpha sensed its exhaustion by how its speed kept reducing but it still exerted all its strength to push forward.

Hoseok knew they had to stop at some point to rest for the night, but he couldn't bring himself to do it just yet. There was no rest for the damned. Life without his mate was hell and after walking through the hellfire and almost losing himself, he'd had just one purpose in this life.

His second in command rode up to him twice, requesting him to stop. But Hoseok rode like a demon into the darkening forest. His wolf snarled within him. It clawed in his chest to be unleashed, but Hoseok knew what would happen if he did. It wasn't going to help their cause. Iseul had specifically warned him against it and he always listened to her.

The sunlight will entirely fade in an hour or so and after that they would have to tread slowly. Last night, they stopped to water their horses and rode through the night with the help of fire torches. Many slept on their horses, but Hoseok and a few others stayed vigil.

Sleep has evaded him on the day his mate was taken. His wolf was restless inside him. He failed her as a mate and a father. He failed as a Head Alpha. The shame was a constant weight on his entire being. It pressed down on him to the point of suffocation.

No one had a clue how the Northerners were able to infiltrate this far into the territory without notice until after the attack. They discovered a burrow dug deep into the earth that had stretched for miles that led the Northerners directly into the pack lands. From there, they snuck into the village.

While one group acted as a decoy, the other group discreetly abducted their unsuspecting and surprised omegas and children. None of the wolves on patrol had a clue the earth was being dug right beneath their feet.