LOVE MAZE | VKOOK

➴ two.

Taehyung's wolf was screaming in glee, his heart beating erratically from how his mate stare at him, both a bit hesitant.

The wolf in Jeongguk snarled, angered at how the young alpha was holding himself back for his omega. Jeongguk grumbled, pulling himself to walk closer.

For a moment he was dazed, thrilled for his omega to claim, but then he remembered, that the pull and outburst of his emotions were nothing but the effect of mate magic. It wasn't love.

Taehyung could not understand, how his alpha was not being protective and territorial as soon as he saw him. He wasn't like Namjoon when he met Jin, wasn't like Eun Woo when he met Chung ha. He wasn't like any other alpha when they met their mates. He was unhappy. Taehyung's wolf was mewling in distress.

"Alpha," Taehyung spoke, as Jeongguk stood infront of him, eyes empty. It's breaking the omega, he was desperate for a contact but it seems like his mate wasn't going to give that. "Mate," he whispered.

Oh no no. Please. Taehyung's wolf pleads. Moon, oh goddess. Tell me he would claim me.

"You're my mate," Jeongguk spoke and for a moment, Taehyung could feel his heart again. The omega nodded his head slowly, sight never leaving the emotionless eyes of the alpha.

But then Jeongguk get on his one knee and held the omega's hand, bringing it close to his lips. The little omega could only stare at the alpha in surprise and in pain.

It was the gesture of rejection.

The wolf in Taehyung cried as they watch how their alpha slowly kissed Taehyung's hand and put it back to his lap, now looking at their eyes.

"No..please.." Taehyung whispered, feeling his heart shattering, literally. His wolf screaming for his alpha to stop the gesture. "I-I've waited for this all my life..d-don't-"

"I, Jeon Jeongguk," Jeongguk spoke, watching how his omega cry and beg for him to stop. Jeongguk's wolf was howling in anger and pain, as he watch his omega suffer in distress. He continued. "Reject you, my omega, as my mate."

Taehyung screamed in pain and agony, feeling his heart being torn apart and burned. He had thrown the basket of red roses as it turns dry, the water in the fountain stopped running, all seemed to be crying for the omega.

Jeongguk's wolf could not take how his omega cried, forcing Jeongguk's human form to shift. The black wolf stood there, howling for the moon to help his mate. But Jeongguk's human form was stronger, controlling the wolf to run into his room and leave the crying omega.

It was that last thing he saw before he ran back home. His omega, crying in agony that he caused.

***

Taehyung felt like dying. His whole being is crying for his mate. He could feel burns all over his body and thorns in his neck, felt his arms and legs going limp, as he lay their in the pavement of the fountain, almost lifeless, crying his eyes out as he stare at the moon engraved in the fountain.

He asked the moon. Why. Why did you do this to me, moon?

He cried harder, his cries making the birds in the trees fly away. His agony rumbling throughout the forest. It didn't fail to reach his brother's senses.

Namjoon, who's in the middle of the talk with Jeongguk's father, ran down the halls as he felt his brother's immense pain. It sends horror to everyone in the hall, following the Moon Blaze' alpha and halting as they watch an omega cry, clutching his heart in his hand.

"Taehyung," Namjoon growled, anger swollowing him as he watch his brother writhes in pain. He held his brother's burning hands. "Who did this to you."

The poor omega could not utter a word, as he only know one thing. Pain. That felt like endless. The words stuck in his throat, from the thorns he felt suffocating every words trying to escape. The alpha growled.

"WHO DID THIS TO MY BROTHER." Namjoon raged, his terrifying scream sending shivers to everyone in the garden. The alpha of the Dark Hound looked everywhere, noticing his son wasn't there.

"Mate." A witch spoke and everyone turned their heads. Namjoon's eyes flashed red as he clenched his fist. Taehyung's mate? Is behind of all of this?  "What he's experiencing..is the pain of rejection from a mate. "

Namjoon snarled, holding his brother's hand. The others could only watch the poor omega in pity. Thinking how ungreatful he is to have a mate only to reject him.

"H-home.." Taehyung squeaked, whispering his words as he clench his fists tight in his chest. "Please..home.."

Namjoon run his fingers in his brothers hair and nodded, worry and anger all over his face. He turned around and faced Jeon Jeoun, who was quiet and observing. Namjoon looked up and nodded. "I'm afraid we would have to continue our talk for some other time."

"I understand, Young Alpha. Your brother seemed to be in deep pain." Jeoun spoke. "Allow me to let one of our pack's healer to help your brother."

Jeoun called for the healer and then a woman in a white cloak came forward. "You called for me, alpha."

"Accompany Namjoon's brother for awhile. He's experiencing a pain from mate rejection."

"Wait!" The witch spoke. "His mate belongs here, he must stay here."

"What?" Namjoon snarled. "Why does he need to stay?"

"I will explain later, alpha Namjoon. For now, we need to bring him inside to have a comfortable place to sleep."

Namjoon, who's still a bit confused, let go of his brother's hand and let the betas bring Taehyung inside the pack house. They proceeded to a guest room and lay the omega. Alpha Jeoun immediately called for Mina, the pack witch, who approached Taehyung and again put her hand on his forehead. They could only watch as the witch prayed in her own and made Taehyung sleep.

"My powers are no use for his pain to stop. I could only make him sleep for him to feel better." Mina spoke. "The only one who can stop the pain is his mate who rejected him. They needed to be together. The closer they are, the better he'll feel."

"Is that the reason why he must stay?"

"Yes." The witch spoke. "The rejection pain starts when one rejected their mate. However, the only one who will experience the pain is the rejected one. It will get worse when their mate refuses to be close to them, since the rejected one's body need their mate to be physically close for the pain to stop."

Namjoon grumbled and looked at his brother. "Is there any other way for the pain to stop?"

"They have to break the soul bond." Mina spoke. "It can only be done in full moon, at the mountain called blood moon peak. There, the mates who will break the soul bond must say the vow of separation for their soul bond to break. Once the bond is broken, the rejected one will no longer feel the pain and both will be mateless, free to choose their partner."

Mateless. Namjoon looked at his brother.

"He had waited for his mate all of his life.." Namjoon said. "He'll be fucking devastated."

"Then his mate will have to claim him." The witch spoke. "If not, and if they won't break the soul bond, he will die from the rejection pain."

"Mina," Alpha Jeoun spoke and the witch looked at him. "Find his mate."

***