[JIMINIE]
"No. They are not going anywhere. Tell them we decline the invite. Also, this could be all the more reason that woman made a show here, to warn me against coming close to her Agust," Jiminie said angrily as he ran a finger through his hair.
He was frustrated by the way things were getting. He hated that he had met the woman, and he despised the fact that she was pretty. Way too pretty that she made him feel insecure for a moment there.
If he was being honest with himself, Jiminie wasn't rational at all. If he had been, he would have never declined a courtesy call by the Lycan king, he had been in the Lycan king's bed, and he more than anyone already knew that Agust would burn the world for him.
Agust would ruin everything and everyone if that was what it meant for Jiminie to be happy. Agust would never hesitate and no matter what the world came to, there was only one way for peace with Agust.
And that was to never touch his Jiminie.
But then again, maybe Jiminie wasn't so sure anymore and he was thinking rationally after all, right?
"Jiminie… Maybe this is our chance to end the war with the Lycans. Maybe this will give our people a chance at a better life. Surely you more than anyone know how dangerous the war with the Lycans has been," Lee Tang tried to reason with his alpha.
He had realized how Jiminie always found it hard to stay on the same page whenever it came to Agust. Sure, it had never been a problem for them before but with what was happening, there was a chance that Jiminie could be a liability.
That was too cruel a reality for any of the Kiyoto wolves to endure. It was a cruel fact that lay bare, one that reminded them of the fact that life was indeed a mess beyond everything else.
The pack needed their strong alpha, but then they had also played for the day Jiminie would be humane. Lee Tang just didn't expect that it would be like this.
Over the years, Jiminie had been a cold alpha. He lived and breathed his work. The only thing he ever did was work like a slave to protect Kiyoto. He never had a choice, or maybe he had, but never relented.
Jiminie had trained himself to the point that he was way too good at war and powerful. All the times he went out to defend the borders, there were always Lycans falling. The heads rolled and he would always send them back.
Oh, how alpha Park Jimin was brutal.
He was cruel to everyone else, but to his people, he was the best alpha there was. He was the difference between life and everything in between and hells be damned, Lee Tang wasn't going to let his friend and alpha be reduced to this emotional wreck.
But wasn't this also an answered prayer for the Kiyoto pack members? Hadn't they always hoped that Jiminie would find a mate who would keep him away from work even for some time?
Funny how the mate bond just forced him and the devil of the realm together. Perhaps the fates were really high on the day they paired in both of them, right?
"If he wanted to end the war, he wouldn't have had me prisoner in his walls for an entire week. If he wanted an alliance he wouldn't have spent the entire time torturing me like it was the only thing he could do.
"If he wanted to end the war, there are so many things he could have done. When I escaped from the damned palace, which I'm now starting to think he intentionally let me leave, there was nothing in his eyes.
"There was no apology for what he had done. There was no mention of a war that was to be ended. There was no ransom demand and it was like the world was just revolving around him. And now suddenly there's a mating ball? Fuck that and fuck him!"
Jiminie was frustrated and Lee Tang knew that so well. He had seen his best friend in pain one too many times, but this had to be on another level. Granted, Lee Tang had been thinking this was simply about jealousy, but then he could see that his alpha was burnt out.
"What did he do to you in his palace, Jiminie?" Lee Tang asked and Jiminie just sighed. How the fuck was he supposed to explain that he was assaulted and molested more than once?
How would he explain that after the third day he didn't try to fight and actually stayed in the Lycan palace willingly despite the way that Agust treated him? What the fuck was he to tell Lee Tam who was staring at him hoping to understand his troubles?
Oh, Jiminie wasn't sure what to do anymore. He needed to clear his head, even when he was worried that Agust would pop up in his head and try to make a mess of him. It was always something he couldn't put past Agust anyway.
"That doesn't matter. No one is leaving Kiyoto for the damned mating ball. If they want to leave they will only leave for the human lands which are psychologically safe for them.
"Other than that, I won't sit back and watch my people be pawns in a game by the devil himself. Besides, who's to say that we won't be slaughtered once we are there? I can hold my own, but I can't protect three thousand people at once, Tang-ah.
"There are just some things that won't work and the sooner we realize that, the easier it will be for us to find a way to work through the constant messes. Not a word about this invite to anyone in the pack, because that will cause panic.
"I can't have my people stressed out all the time because of a damned Lycan king who thinks everything is about him. You're dismissed," Jiminie ranted before adding the last but firmly, making his best friend stare at him worriedly.
However, Lee Tang was never one to question command, so he did as his alpha wanted. After all, it seemed like the alpha had more things to worry about than he knew of. Lee Tang could only hope that Jiminie was alright. But would he ever be?
"Alright. I'll be available if you need me, Jiminie. You need to talk to someone, even if it's not me. Just find someone to talk to, because whatever happened to you in the cyan kingdom, fucked you up more than you're willing to admit to.
"I will always be by your side and supporting you no matter what war we have to go to, alright?" Lee Tang said to Jiminie, before he bowed respectfully.
He was not sure what this meant, but then he could hope that there were going to be better days for the alpha who never once had a break from protecting his people.
"You also deserve to be loved, even if it comes from the devil himself. Who knows, maybe your love is the only thing needed to put an end to the war, Jiminie," Lee Tang added softly when he got to the door, before leaving.