Safe With You | Yoonmin

Chapter 36: The Duel

| Yoongi |

THE ROOM ERUPTED into protests.

A terrible, wounded sound escaped Jimin and his knees buckled. Only Yoongi's grip kept the omega upright.

“No! Joon, you don't know what you're asking!” Taehyung exclaimed. The beta moved forward, placing himself between his friends and his brothers. “It could kill him.”

At the same time Yoongi snarled, “Get out.” pulling Jimin behind himself, using his body as a shield. “I suspected you were a snake, Kim Namjoon, but now you’ve proven yourself a coward as well. Asking Jimin to fight your battles for you? I should have never let you cross my threshold.”

Namjoon held up his hands in surrender, “None of this happens unless Jimin wishes it. I merely came to offer him a choice.”

“You came to prey on his soft heart,” Yoongi bit out. “Jin! Take your brother and get him out before I–”

“Let me spell it out for you another way,” Namjoon insisted, taking a nervous step back. “If I had never come here, if I fought and lost tomorrow without having told you any of this, how would that be fair to Jimin?”

Yoongi could see what Namjoon was trying to say. He didn't like it, but he could understand it. Still, Jimin was in no condition to be brought before the elders.

“If Jimin refuses,” he asked cooly, “You won't try to persuade him otherwise?”

“I swear it.” Namjoon looked earnestly at each of them. “I’ve already made peace with what may happen tomorrow. If I must fight, then I’ll do everything in my power to take Sejin down with me. I’ll be outmatched, but I believe I can take him by surprise. He won't be expecting me to fall on his sword in order to strike back where it counts. I'll do anything to keep Sejin from victory.”

Jin gasped in horror, reaching out and putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. “Wait, Namjoon, this isn't what you told father.”

Namjoon shook him off without looking. “So you see, Min Yoongi, I am not asking Jimin to sacrifice himself for my sake. I am merely asking who’s hands he would rather entrust his fate to. Mine,” he pointed to his chest. “Or his own.”

“No,” Taehyung cried, “I won't allow either of you to risk your lives so recklessly. We’ll think of something else. We’ll… we’ll just have to run away. Yoongi and I will take Jimin away from here. If we leave now we can reach the nearest pack before snow falls. We’ll come back in a year, when it's safe.”

Yoongi didn’t doubt for a second that the beta was serious, but, “The mountainside will still be teaming with rogues, Tae. They’ll be wounded and desperate. It’s far too dangerous,” he said.

“Then what are we going to do?” Taehyung begged.

He didn’t have an answer for the beta. The situation seemed impossible. Maybe there was nothing to do but pray for Namjoon’s victory, unlikely as it was. And if the worst happened, Sejin would have to get through both Yoongi and Jungkook before he got to Jimin. He had no doubt that Sejin would die in the attempt, but at what cost?

Hopeless silence filled the room. Hobi took a seat by the fire, looking dazed. Jimin was quiet from where he remained tucked behind Yoongi, fists wound tightly into the alpha’s shirt, breathing in the citrus scent like his life depended on it. And then–

“I can kill him,” Jungkook said.

Namjoon frowned. “What?”

Jungkook shrugged again, “I can beat Ryu Sejin in combat. I’m sure of it.” His tone was ice cold. Dead.