Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Forty-Nine

The girl scurried along, and the rest followed at an equally hastened pace. Minho peered over his shoulder at Jisung who ran behind the rest of them, carrying Changbin securely over his shoulder. Memories flashed behind the human's eyes as he remembered that this had happened to him, once, too, but he still did not understand it.

From the panicked look in Jisung's eyes, even when he tried to keep his face schooled, was enough indication that this was not supposed to happen. Most of the other Riverock wolves were too busy staring at their frantic Alpha to notice him, which he was almost guiltily grateful for.

She opened a door and they all followed her down stone steps that seemed much too old for such a modern packhouse. They continued to descend further and further in the damp, dark staircase, and the hairs on the back of his neck picked up; something about this place didn't feel right. He shuddered.

As they finally emerged from the stairs and into a new room, a bigger room, he heard Jeongin gasp softly. He turned to face him, eyes wide, slightly confused as they stared at the carriage the werewolf council had told them about. It was a carriage, there was no doubt about it, but there were no horses.

No, wolves were strapped to the strange contraption. White wolves.

Jeongin's face had grown incredibly pale as they stared at the carriage, and even Jisung had stilled. One of the wolves – the one who'd left to get it ready for them stood, his sad eyes lingering on the forms of the white wolves.

"What is... what is this?" Jisung questioned, his voice as airy and shocked as they all felt. Leather straps of all kinds were wrapped around them to form a harness, holding their muzzles in place, straps going up along their heads... It was atrocious.

The wolf – Minho had never learnt his name, which was a shame – knelt to the ground, staring up at his new Alpha pleadingly. "Please, Alpha. Please, don't kill them." There was a blinding fear in his eyes, and Minho turned to look at Jisung questioningly.

He didn't know what was wrong with the white wolves; though, wasn't Jeongin a white wolf? Jisung seemed startled by the man's request. Minho's eyebrows drew together in concern as he gnawed on his bottom lip, heart erratic. He kept looking between the white wolves and Jisung; he wouldn't kill them. He knew he wouldn't... would he?

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Jisung passed Changbin over to Jeongin before he took a handful of steps forward, kneeling down in front of the man so they could be at eye-level and resting his hands on his shoulders.

"I will not kill them; that is not what I meant. I have a hybrid in my party, too. I meant... what is this?" He gestured to the carriage attached to the wolves, eyes narrowed slightly in disgust.

Relief washed over the man's face as tears welled in his eyes; he bowed his head. "This is... it is the carriage, Alpha. They use their magic to transport those within it to places in mere moments." Hatred flared in his eyes. "Alpha Yejun used them for the smallest, most insignificant things. He was cruel to them." Venom dripped from his words before he bowed his head in apology for his outburst.

Jisung's lips pressed in a thin line. "I would not use them if the circumstances were not quite so dire. I will repay them all for their troubles. After this mission, they will be... free from whatever binds them." The man's eyes snapped up to meet his; he could only assume that they'd been kept against their will, to be tied up like that.

"You... do you swear it, Alpha?" There was hope in the man's eyes.

"I swear it. This..." He could not withhold his grimace. "This is wrong; wolves, regardless of colour or strength should not be forced to be chained up like slaves." He could only imagine how awful it had been; wolves were born to be wild and free, not constrained in an old stone basement.