A Pack's Price

Chapter 18: Worry and comfort

Hoseok had always taken care of Taehyung. He glanced at Jungkook, who was staring intently at the den entrance and he felt a spark of anger in his chest. What gave him the right to be with Taehyung? What had he sacrificed for him? To Hoseok, he hadn't proved that he loved Taehyung enough to be with him.

He was sitting by himself. He didn't feel like interacting with the others. In fact, he felt like absolute shit. It was like Taehyung had been ripped away from him. He was out of reach, yet he was just right there. Hoseok felt he had lost all reason to even be here. Taehyung meant the world to him.

When had they drifted apart? What happened that made them this way, and since when did Jungkook become Taehyung's most important person? Hoseok sighed and leaned against the tree. These were questions he's tried not to think about. He knew it was his fault that it turned out this way.

When they had first joined Namjoon's pack, he was very preoccupied with Taehyung, and was wary of letting Namjoon, Yoongi or Jungkook when he presented, approach him. Namjoon had told him that if they wanted to form a functional pack and be a part of it, he needed to stop being so overprotective of Taehyung. He needed to care about the wellbeing of the others too.

So Hoseok ultimately decided that it would be best if he listened, and began to interact and open up to the others. He liked Namjoon's philosophy on life. He liked that he had put Taehyung as a higher priority than themselves as an omega, and he liked the way he ran the pack, so he never bothered to fight for pack alpha status.

Yoongi had been quiet, and at first it was hard to get along with him. The two butted heads regularly about how to take care of the omega's, and it wasn't until Taehyung and Jimin had cried to them that they wanted the two to get along, that they finally resolved their differences. He found that Yoongi was actually a very interesting and reasonable person. He would rant endlessly about Namjoon, his words having no actual venom in them, and it was very entertaining to Hoseok. Yoongi was actually a very silly and sarcastic person that was hidden underneath a shield of indifference.

He had thought Jimin was cute the second he saw him. Taehyung had been worried that he would be the only omega in the pack and was scared, but when they found Jimin, the two became instant friends. Hoseok was admittedly jealous that they acted like they've known each other forever. Jimin was kind and gentle, and it surprised Hoseok that an omega could be so very submissive. He wasn't exactly use to it, since Taehyung had always been so adventurous and daring.

Then there was Jungkook.

They had always had a rocky relationship. When he first presented, his eyes had been on Taehyung. Of course it had angered Hoseok. He could understand why Jungkook liked him, but he felt that he didn't deserve him.

That is, until Taehyung started returning his feelings. Hoseok could only watch as the two became closer, and Hoseok was booted to the side. What was he supposed to do? He loved Taehyung too much to tear him away from Jungkook. Taehyung was someone precious to him, and he just wanted him to be happy.

In return, Hoseok sacrificed his own happiness.

He could hear Yoongi talking to Jungkook, probably trying to ground him so that he'll be more capable of helping discuss what they should do now. They still needed to cross the break in the forest. After all, there was bound to be more places that could serve as a home to them once they were in the mountains. He only wondered if there were aggressive packs that would be a threat.

He hated to admit it, but he had originally planned on leaving with Taehyung if anything were to happen. Of course, he would've done his best to save Jimin, but if worse came to worst, he was fully prepared to do anything to protect Taehyung.