The Rejected |Taekook|

Chapter 48🪷

🪷 The day before Kihyun faced Namjoon~

The wind howled a mournful song around Miyeon's cottage, mirroring the despair churning in Hira's gut. Tomorrow, Kihyun would face Namjoon, Junseo's nephew and one of the strongest alphas in Obsidian. Victory without Miyeon's potion felt impossible, a cruel joke whispered by fate.

Hira trudged through the overgrown path that led to the cottage. The invisible wall shimmered faintly in the fading light, acting as a frustrating and terrifying prison.

She knocked, the sound muffled and insufficient against the wind. "Miyeon? It's Hira. Are you alright?"

A voice, strained but familiar, echoed from within. "Hira? I… I'm fine."

Hira pressed her hand against the wall, feeling the tingling resistance. "Miyeon, the barrier is still here. Is there any progress? Any clue on how to break it?"

"Nothing," Miyeon admitted, her voice laced with frustration. "I've tried everything. Every counter-spell, every ritual I know. It's… impenetrable. Luna's power is formidable and deeply-rooted."

Despair threatened to drown Hira as she leaned against the shimmering wall, exhaustion weighing her down. "I've asked around discreetly within Obsidian, but no one seems to know of any reliable witches or warlocks who could craft a potion of strength in time."

A long silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the wind's lament. Finally, Miyeon spoke, her voice softer and laced with regret. "Hira, I am so sorry. This is my fault. If I hadn't been so careless and arrogant…"

"Don't," Hira interrupted, her voice sharp. "This isn't your fault. You didn't know that Luna is already here and bonded with Taehyung. Who would have thought that Selene's wolf would choose him, an infertile, pathetic human? We need to focus on the present. On Kihyun."

"But what can he do?" Miyeon wailed, her voice cracking. "Namjoon is… he is beyond anything Kihyun has ever faced. His strength alone won't be enough. He needs an advantage."

Hira closed her eyes, her frustration evident. "I know. That's why I'm here. I… I need to ask you again, Miyeon. Is there anything? Any forgotten ingredient, any half-remembered incantation, anything at all that could help him, even without a potion?"

Miyeon was silent for a long time. Hira waited, holding her breath, clinging to the faintest sliver of hope.

"There… there is something," Miyeon finally said, her voice hesitant. "But it's dangerous. Extremely dangerous."

Hira's heart leaped. "What is it? Tell me!"

"My late brother was a powerful warlock and he had possession of Lycaon's blood."

Hira blinked, feeling her heart skip a beat. Lycaon, the legendary figure. The king cursed by Zeus, transformed into a wolf. The origin of cannibal werewolves. "The blood… the actual blood?"

Miyeon nodded, her expression grim. "Yes, my brother showed it to me once when he was still alive. He said it's Lycaon's blood."

"Lycaon's blood," Hira breathed, the name a forbidden whisper against the wind. "Miyeon, you know the stories. It's… unpredictable. It can corrupt. It can turn Kihyun into a cannibal."

"I know," Miyeon said, her voice heavy. "But it's the only thing I can think of. It's a vial, carefully sealed, buried under the white oak tree at the foot of the mountain where our cottage was.”

“Where can I find that white oak tree?” Hira asked, her voice betraying the turmoil within her.

“It's in my old pack, the Evergreen Pack," Miyeon replied. “Don't let Head Alpha Min or his son, Yoongi, see you. They will suspect that you and I know each other. They will never allow you to take anything from our former land, or worse, they will imprison you. Being the Luna of Obsidian will not spare you from their wrath if they were to find out that you know me."