The gang met at the mansion when the parents left Cratorlin to prepare for another meeting.
"What?... That's not fair at all!" Hudson pulled his hair in anguish.
"Hudson, chill. There's not much they can do to stop it." Wren took the bottle of beer to her lips. Ann stirred her cocktail with a straw as she watched her brother's downcast look.
Wren: "Cheer up, Jin. Being with an alpha like Zhen Knox is not entirely a bad thing."
Ann: "Wren, brother is not only hurt because of Zhen... In an attempt to stop the union, he tried something stupid."
The Snows and Hudson paid rapt attention. Ann looked at Bolin, hoping he would complete her statement.
"This idiot tried to seduce Heil and got rejected," Bolin dropped the gist. Everyone else went silent for a while, including Jin, who poured another shot for himself and gulped it down.
"He... He did what? Jin, what were you thinking?" Hudson asked with a more confused look. "Why try that when you got into this mess because of it in the first place."
Bolin: "Apparently, our idiot thought getting a temporal marking from another alpha could solve the problem. As if he does not know who our mother is and what she could do to him for that."
Wren: "Jin, everyone knows you can only succeed with that plan if you get knotted or bond with your mate. Were you really planning to seal your fate with Heil? Do you have feelings for him?"
"I don't know, okay! I just wanted to be with him because I...but that doesn't matter now. He made it clear he didn't want me that way. Heil got close to me because I reminded him of himself. What does that freaking mean?" Jin shot up and kicked the chair next to him.
"Anyway, we met the Knox Dragons two days ago to make a deal. If we're going to be tied to them now, we need to be sure they won't have the upper hand." Bolin massaged his temple.
Wren crossed her arms and leaned into her chair. "And how did it go?"
Bolin: "Well..."
(Flashback...)
"Just say what you have to." Zhen lifted his eyes.
"It's about the arranged marriage," Bolin replied. He gave Jin a soft smile and then turned back to the Knox brothers with a frown. "We want to propose a deal."
The alphas exchanged glances before giving them the go-ahead. At that, Bolin darkened his face to show how serious he was. "I'll go straight to the point. We hate your guts and don't want to have anything to do with you. If we're going to let this charade happen, we need to set some ground rules. We don't want a grand wedding. We are not going to be your baby factories, and we won't be a part of the 'Real Housewives of Cratorlin'... We want separate houses and different rooms when we share the same building."
Xander pursed his lips, unsure of how those demands would be possible.
"My brother gets to do whatever he wants with his tribe, and you don't dare use the 'I'm the alpha' tone with us. You can fuck around, just not in our house or in public; honestly, I don't give a rat's ass what you do with your thing as long as you keep it away from me... And you, Ice Knox, yours is simple. You'll terminate the marriage with my brother after two years. Make up a flimsy excuse. Do it, or I swear I'll poison your food and watch you spill your guts till your body turns cold."
"Master Bolin, I understand if you're upset with my brother, but why am I included in your proposal?" Xander felt the omega was too intense.
"Because you're both the same! You protected knowing very well the things he did to my brother. Does that not make you his accomplice? So that's it... If you agree, we will do our best not to make your lives miserable," Bolin scoffed.
All the while, Zhen stole glances at his mate-to-be. Jin kept his head low the whole time; the light in his eyes was dim. Zhen longed for Jin to say something, but Bolin layered everything down.
"Jin, have you got nothing to add?" Zhen thought out loud. He wanted to be punished, but only by the one he had hurt most with his actions. The place went quiet again, waiting for the omega's response.
Zhen: "I'm not agreeing to anything if you don't talk to me. I know the situation is not in our favour, but I think..."
"If you don't agree, I'll drag you to hell with me when that video gets out." Jin faced Zhen with a cold gaze. "Bolin, I think we're done here." Calm as he got out of his seat, Jin did not wish to make eye contact with Zhen Knox. His brother did as told and followed him but not without throwing the alphas one last glare.
(Flashback ended...)
"Wow!" Hudson exclaimed.
Ann concentrated on her drink. "Mnn, Sage, you should teach me how to make this."
"Really, Ann? Are you seriously enjoying your drink when I'm in a bad mood?! Give me that!" Jin snatched the glass. He wanted to throw it away but thought he'd take a sip first. "You know what, make me one!" He threw the straw away and gulped everything down. "And add extra rum!" Jin yelled at Sage.
Ann: "Jin, you need to calm down. Maybe if you let it go, you'd actually find love with Master Zhen. Face it, the Knox brothers are quite a catch in all the tribes. Others would die for your place."
Jin: "I don't care about getting tied down. Not with a man or woman. How am I supposed to travel the world, become an infamous Hunter, and build the world's most complicated buildings if I have to stay home and take care of that asshole? I'm not a plushie or a teddy bear meant to be locked up."
Jin slumped back into his seat and took the drink Sage made. "If Zhen was someone like our Sage or Heil, I wouldn't need to worry... But I'm gonna be stuck with a younger version of Master Quinton."
The gang tried hard not to laugh at that comparison, but at least they now understood Jin's frustration.
"What about me?" Wren winked at him, but Jin rolled his eyes and enjoyed his drink.
"You're a bad bitch with needles; no I'll pass," Jin answered. The others cracked up, laughing their butts off.
"How about a slumber party? Sage could make more cocktails, and I'll help you drink it." Hudson went behind Jin, wrapping his arms around the wild tiger's neck, pecking his cheeks like a little puppy.
"Careful, Hudson, Zhen might feel that wherever he is," An mocked, making the others snigger.
Jin only shook his head and smiled. That day, they all stayed at the Lee Mansion, having a small party to cheer him up.
Meanwhile at Dragon Rock...
Zhen could not sleep. Since the meeting with the omegas, he'd been a little restless. He slipped downstairs in the middle of the night to get a glass of water but found his brother drinking a cold glass of milk in the kitchen.
"Can't sleep?" Xander asked. Zhen nodded. He sat beside his brother, staring at the glass. "What do you think? Are you okay with their one-sided deal?" Xander picked up the conversation.
Zhen was a little hesitant. "No...but if that's what Jin wants, then it's alright."
Xander: "Why don't you just tell him how you feel about him?... Explaining how your pheromones went berserk around Jin could clear things up."
Zhen: "Doesn't matter. He hates me."
Xander: "That's because you let your pheromones do the talking. Acting like you feel nothing will only make it worse. Maybe if you try courting Lee Jin before the union, he'll warm up to you. I can help if you want."
Zhen's face was as blank as it could be but the pause in his breath made his brother feel sorry for him. When Zhen first told Xander about the omega who kept making their Uncle's blood pressure go up, Xander could tell there was something different about this person.
Zhen never spoke about any of his coursemates. The effort this person put in to annoy his brother during lessons was not something Xander believed in until he became Quinton Knox's teaching assistant.
Had Zhen not readily accepted the marriage, Xander would still be deducing theories on why his brother lost his cool around Lee Jin.
Zhen: "No need. It's just a phase. It will pass."
Xander smiled at how naive his brother could be. He understood that Zhen's stubbornness and denial of what he felt for the omega affected his bodily function. How would he put it? It was like the mind saying 'no' when the heart and soul kept saying 'yes'.
He was surprised his brother had not lost all his marbles after that many encounters with Lee Jin.
'If you keep this attitude up, you might end up with a painful rut in addition to that broken heart.' Xander's thoughts were silent. "Fine. I'll call the Tigers and let them know we're okay with the arrangement." Xander emptied his glass and stood up.
Zhen turned his neck in shock. "You're going to agree as well?"
"Why not? My future mate gave me a hall pass to sleep with whomever I wanted as long as I'm not in his business. I'd better take the deal before he changes his mind." Xander tapped Zhen on the shoulder before leaving. He laughed, thinking about their predicament as he climbed the stairs.