A Pack's Price

Chapter 62: You'll hurt me again

It was going on the third day without the others. Yesterday, after Jin woke up from being affected by Jungkook's alpha voice, he distanced himself further from Namjoon, refusing to even so much as look at him. Taehyung was caught in the middle of the whole thing. He wanted attention from the pack alpha, but he couldn't do it without feeling guilty since Jin wasn't getting along with him.

The two were sitting by the fire. Namjoon had left with the promise of staying close by since no one else was there with them. The furs were draped around their shoulders since the weather had been growing colder and colder. It was nearing sunset and the sky was cloudy and dark. It seemed like such a depressing day, to add to Jin's mood.

Jin was thinking about Namjoon, how annoyed and angry the other had looked at him while they were fighting. Were they not good for each other? Mates don't fight the way they did. He was conflicted, had he been in the wrong after all? Did he deserve this?

"I wonder when their ruts will be over." Taehyung pondered, his cheeks were becoming rosy from the heat of the flames and he snuggled into the furs more. "It's so quiet without the others."

Jin gave a simple nod, too lost in his own thoughts to really communicate with the younger. He didn't realize how lonely he would feel without his mate. Taehyung sent him a pout, but otherwise didn't try continuing the conversation. They waited like that for another twenty minutes, until Namjoon returned with food.

Taehyung had been hungry and eagerly ate the meal as soon as Namjoon put it down, but Jin kept his gaze on the fire, refusing to move an inch. Namjoon was in his wolf form sitting feet away from him, his tongue lolled out as he panted.

Jin understood that Namjoon was trying to give him space. He probably wanted to be forgiven, but Jin wasn't ready to do that yet. He wanted to be held by his mate more than anything, but he was scared. Namjoon's words had sounded like Junho and he felt like his trust in him has somewhat been damaged.

"You're not gonna eat?" Taehyung asked with wide eyes.

Jin forced a smile and shook his head. "I'm tired, I think I'll take a nap." He noticed the way Namjoon's ears flickered. The alpha wasn't looking at him, instead focusing his gaze on Taehyung. Jin felt his throat tighten and he figured he wouldn't be able to eat even if he wanted to.

Taehyung nodded with a frown.

With that, Jin laid himself down and did his best to force himself to sleep. Taehyung and Namjoon could probably both smell how upset he was, but he couldn't care less. Tears slipped down the sides of his face and he dug his face into the fur more.

Back in his old pack, he didn't think there were kind alphas. All he's ever experienced with them was being trapped and abused.

His mother had been the one that had taken care of him. She dried his tears and comforted him when he needed it. It was his mother that taught him to tie the flower stems together to create the flower crowns. Jin had kept it with him since he was young.

After she died, Jin continued making the flower crowns. He wasn't allowed to visit her grave, so he made them believing she was with him somehow, in some small way.

He was still a child when he decided to give one of the flower crowns to someone else. He remembered everything so clearly. It was Spring, the flowers were just blooming and the weather was becoming warmer. He was sitting by himself, an unpresented pup that wasn't allowed to make friends or interact with other wolves.

He was busying himself with tying the stems together when he heard shouting. He froze and ducked low to the ground when he saw an alpha dragging an omega out of the den and shoving her to the ground.