Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Forty-Seven

The Riverock Elders and representatives all gathered around him, scrutinizing him with their gazes, though he could tell that they were glad to have him rather than Yejun as their Alpha. He tried not to shift from foot to foot or fidget, despite how antsy he was getting. This was taking too long, and they had a limited amount of time to get to Felix.

He was still the perfect picture of strength and severity – just as Dongwook had been. He remembered how the man always looked so serious in front of the pack, but whenever they got home he was all hearty laughter and jokes. A lump formed in his throat as he quickly shook the thought off.

Now was not the time to think about him.

Though, really... he was always there, a role-model in his mind that only he could see, and one he could only hope to live up to. He kept Minho in his line of sight; it kept him calm. At first, he might have doubted that they were Mates. But with every moment he spent with him, every glance they shared and smile they exchanged, the feeling only got stronger.

But Minho was a human; he couldn't Mate a human, it just didn't happen. The bond was too strong for them. He shook that thought off, too. Maybe he didn't need to Mate Minho, per se. Again, he shook it off. Stop thinking about this.

He tried to push the heat that crept up his neck down, but that was when the other wolves backed away, nodding in approval. He would have let his shoulders slump if he did not have to keep up that image of strength. The moment he let it fall was the moment he'd lose.

"I used to watch you when you were a child," one of the elderly women said, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips. "You really have grown, little Han Jisung." He grinned sheepishly and bowed his head. It still felt strange to be here – this was not his home, even if they believed it was. The Sun pack was his home, now.

"When we heard that you'd died... we were devastated." Another Elder said, his eyes downcast and sad. "We thought we'd be able to save you, at least, but Yejun was quicker. We will be forever grateful to the Sun pack for rescuing you when we could not."

"It's alright. But, I'm afraid I cannot stay for long." They all looked at him quizzically, and this time he did shift his weight to his other foot. "We," he gestured to his small party, "are on a rescue mission. We only have... three days remaining."

"To get to where?" The male Elder questioned.

"The Crimson Castle."

The Council gasped. "No, no, you cannot go there, Alpha!" Jisung shook his head.

"I must. They hold my friend captive, and as his friend and Alpha it is my duty to return him safely." When they continued to protest, advising him against it, his lips pressed into a thin line, his expression stern now. "I will not compromise my loyalty for my own safety. An Alpha belongs with his people on the battlefield, not hiding in an office somewhere."

His tone left no room for compromise, and they all piped down as he nodded at them. "At the rate we're going..." he started hesitantly, sighing. "We won't be able to reach the Crimson Castle in time. Do you know of any faster routes?"

They all shared a glance when the female Elder spoke. "Yes, Alpha. One of our Council can take you." They must have seen the hesitation on his face. "It's a... carriage, Alpha. They only listen to him." She nodded towards one of the Council's younger members.

He exchanged looks with both Changbin and Jeongin, who nodded. "Very well. Thank you for your time. When we return, we'll settle the more official affairs related to my position here. We simply do not have the time to spare." They all nodded and smiled.

"We will wait for you, Alpha." He bowed his head to them.

Minho shuffled awkwardly in the center of the room, and one of the wolves growled under his breath. "If it is not too much to ask, Alpha, but may we ask why you have brought a human with you?" There was a certain hesitancy in those words, and Jisung tried not to wince; they must have been treated terribly by his uncle. He didn't even want to call the man his uncle.

"We should just kill him and be done with it, it's not safe to have a human lurking about," one of the wolves muttered, glaring at Minho.

Jisung's eyes flashed golden, and a low growl tore from his throat. They all whirled towards him with wide eyes. His voice was deeper when he spoke, more serious. "No one will touch him." He met eyes with each person on the Council to ensure that they understood what going against that order would mean.

He was not a cruel tyrant of an Alpha. But the thought of any of them hurting Minho...

When his eyes faded to their original colour and his anger had subsided, he hardly believed he'd growled at them. It really did feel like the bond was strengthening day by day.

Minho looked very ill-at-ease, fidgeting constantly; Jisung knew he had to get out of the room, he could tell just by looking at his face. "Come on, Minho," he said softly, and the human boy looked up, eyes wide as they darted from person to person, but he quickly shuffled over towards him.

Jisung grabbed his hand, nodding his head to the Council as he passed. Jeongin and Changbin filed in behind him, and once they were down the hall, he let out the sigh he'd been holding. That had been ridiculously stressful. He quickly let go of Minho's hand, his cheeks growing red.

"Let's wash up, and pack more clothes while they get the... carriage... ready."

Everyone nodded, and soon enough a young pack woman approached, a pleasant smile on her face. "I'll show you to the washrooms, follow me." They all nodded and followed behind the girl; they really didn't have much time for this, but they couldn't simply turn down every offer the Riverock pack made.

He was really starting to hate being an Alpha.

A/N: My vacation is officially over -- I have a weekend and a PD day (for Labour Day) left before school starts. I'm kinda excited, but I'm also kinda... not...

I'm gonna try to keep daily updates up as long as possible, but eventually, things are gonna get busy and I'm gonna have to slow down a lil'.

Q: What strange, technically inedible things have you eaten?

A: Grass, sand... I was a weird, curious kid, okay-

Lots of love,

~Junnie

P.S: Thank you for 9k!!!