Chapter 31

Y/n Pov.

My hands mindlessly knead through the old scarf thrown across my lap. A simple distraction to keep my mind off of things. If anything, I need a distraction right now. Somebody to tell me this place is not real. That what I saw—was not real.

The cool crisp wind flutters into my room, the shutters of the window slightly rocking to the side. Getting up from the side of the bed, I press my hands against the shutters, pausing for a second to watch the people on the castle grounds.

They move quickly and surely on their paths, not stopping to chat with one another nor to take a break, like worker bees following the instructions of the queen bee.

I press my palms flat against the shutters feeling them click in place beneath my fingers, the air turning stale and dead. From behind, I hear the door open as two familiar faces step in.

"We're back," Jungkook nearly crashes down on a chair while Yoongi softly locks the door shut.

"Did you find anything?" I ask quietly, my eyes fixed on the floor.

A hand reaches up to press my forehead, I nearly shiver from the coldness, "Did you even sleep while we were gone? You look absolutely worn out," Yoongi scolds.

I move his arm away from me, "I needed some time to think."

Yoongi clicks his tongue but does not say anything. I recognize his concern for me, but I doubt I could have slept after meeting with the Alpha.

"We overheard some servants behind the palace kitchen," Jungkook begins, "There is a public execution going on in a few days."

"What does that mean for us?" My arms fold over my chest.

Yoongi leans back against the wall, "They haven't executed anybody publicly for years. All of a sudden they want to hang some criminals and rogues? It is a scare tactic. The royals want to send a warning."

"To the rebels in the Outer Districts," Jungkook clarifies.

I huff while my wolf sneers internally, "Of course."

It's a stupid move. They hope to incite fear and control the wolves who live on the outside, but if anything they will become angrier. You cannot fight fire with fire nor can you fight fear with fear.

"Who are they executing? You said, rogues and petty criminals?" My voice laced with a bit of hunger.

"Not just petty criminals. Traitors to the pack. People who fought the Alpha lineage and the royals," Yoongi tenses while thinking about the wolves that are going to die soon.

My eyes lift up, thinking through a sudden idea. Jungkook eyes me from the side.

"You're thinking about something," He comments.

"It's a crazy idea," I look to the both of them, "and certainly risky."

Yoongi shrugs, "It's not like we haven't done anything risky before."

"We need to find a prisoner willing to talk to us. Someone who knows about the Alpha and Luna."

Silence. None of them respond to my proposition. Jungkook squirms a little from the uneasiness in the room.

"You're right," Yoongi finally says, "That is crazy," He furrows his eyebrows. 

"They would be the only people willing to speak to us. Especially if it has something to do with the Alpha lineage."

Jungkook raises his voice beside us, "Maybe it's best we stay out of this. We've seen too much—you have seen too much, Y/n."

"He's right," says Yoongi, "This isn't our pack. We would be overstepping our boundaries. If things go wrong, it could lead to war."

My teeth grind in frustration, a low growl rumbling in my chest.

"There are people out there suffering and dying. I agree this is not our pack, but whether we ignore it or not, a rebellion will happen. We are going to have to decide which side we will stand for sooner or later."

Jungkook lowers his eyes thinking deeply to himself. However, Yoongi's gaze remains locked with mine, trying to understand what I'm saying.

"If anybody could turn the tides here it would be us. Three foreign wolves from a neighboring pack, a direct connection to resources and wolves who can fight. It's up to us to do the right thing. To pick the right side."

Yoongi's gaze shifts between my eyes, "What if we pick the right side and we lose."

"Would you rather pick the wrong side and win? Could you live with yourself knowing that?"

He doesn't say a word, still thinking through the decision we have to make. His lips press into a fine line while carefully calculating our odds.

Jungkook speaks up, "I'm with you, Y/n. We have to do the right thing. For our pack."

I nod my head in response replying with a small thank you. Yoongi opens his mouth for a second before closing it. I shift my eyes back to him, almost pleading for him to agree with me.

"This could cost us everything," he says carefully.

"It won't," I reply firmly, "You trust me?"

Yoongi sighs a little, "Always. You know that."

The candle lights seem to dim in the dark, the wax flattening to an end. I hurry to the closet opening the thick doors swollen by the cold. A faint waft of cherries hits my nostrils catching me off guard. I shake the feeling out of my head before grabbing a dark hooded jacket.

"Jungkook."

His eyes lift up attentively watching me stride toward the door.

"Come with me. We're going to survey the dungeons." Jungkook nods his head, getting up from his seat and waiting at the door.

I look towards Yoongi hesitantly standing near the back. He appears to be torn by the decision we have to make.

"Think over it, Yoongi. We'll be back soon."

He huffs in amusement, "You're crazy, you know that?"

My lips lift a little as I stand by the doorway, lifting the hood over my head.

"Always."

———

We bow to the servants and wolves who pass us in the palace. Most people are about to settle for the night and eventually, we see fewer wolves wandering the palace.

Only a few candle lights remain lit in the darkness. Perhaps it is better to shift to our wolves to see better. No, we would look too suspicious in our wolf forms out here. Through the towering glass windows and golden arches, the moon rises casting its soft glow on the floor of the palace.

All that can be heard is the faint tapping of our shoes against the marble floors.

"The dungeons are around the back of the palace. There'll be more wolves stationed there and materials being moved in and out." Jungkook mind links.

I nod in understanding, "The more movement, the easier it will be for us to slip in past the guards."

Jungkook turns to me carefully watching my expression. His teeth show slightly before shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Just a survey, huh?"

We walk out the doors of the palace and along the sides, keeping our heads low and hidden.

"We cannot afford to lose time. This is our only chance, Jungkook." I reply through the link.

Jungkook only nods his head in response, sticking close to my pace and watching for any onlookers.

We slow around the corner carefully watching the entrance to the dungeons. Placing our hands on the wide pillar, we observe the wolves going in and out of the wooden doors. With the number of people walking through the large doors, we could maybe slip past the guards.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I look at Jungkook beside me.

His eyes trail from one of the wolves struggling to roll in a cart.

"Keep close," he tells me while taking the lead.

We shuffle around the concrete pillar carefully keeping our eyes on the people moving stuff in and out of the dungeon. Jungkook jogs up to one of the servants pulling out another cart.

I stay far enough while trying to listen to what they're discussing. Although it is difficult to hear, I manage to pick up on Jungkook offering his help to the wolves.

His voice fades away for a few seconds, and I panic, worrying that left me waiting here.

"Y/n."

I flip my head around seeing him come up around the other side.

"Hurry, get in the cart." He opens the flaps revealing a dusty old box filled with a few cobwebs and spiders.

I scrunch my nose in disgust but climb into the cart nonetheless. He closes the flaps above me as I squeeze into the tight space, realizing there are limited gaps to breathe through.

"I think I ate a spider in here."

"You'll be fine. I heard they are rich in protein,"

The cart rumbles underneath me, my eyes widening hoping that I do not end up tumbling down a hill or something.

My knees press firmly into my chest, trying to make myself smaller in the box. I place a hand near the back of my head to prevent myself from hitting my head against the walls. The jolting and shaking refuses to stop, most likely due to a faulty wheel refusing to turn properly.

The cart takes a sharp turn to the left and my forehead smacks straight into the wooden planks.

"Goddammit, Jungkook!" I whisper-yell out of the cart.

"sOrRy, sOrRy." He apologies, however, I manage to hear him snickering from outside the box.

I grumble silently to myself while trying to protect my head from both sides of the crate, anticipating more sharp turns.

The light peeking through the cracks of the crate becomes dimmer and dimmer until the space feels entirely pitch black. A glimpse of a torchlight passes by us every few strides.

The cart finally slides to a stop, my feet slamming forward against the front of the box. The latches above me rattle open as Jungkook offers his hand.

"You will pay for that," I mutter as I grab his hand and pull myself out of the cart.

"Oh, but it was so worth it, Y/n," He teases.

I threaten to smack him right there, but time is running out fast. We have to leave this place before anybody notices how long Jungkook has been in here.

"Where would traitors be kept in this place?" My eyes surveying the dark and grim cells, held together by rusted metal bars and most likely coated by the disgusting wolfsbane.

Jungkook pulls me further down the dungeon until we find ourselves racing down the stairs.

"They'll be kept in the deepest part. Far away from others and any chance of revealing something that the royals might not want the pack to know," He reasons.

The faint torch lights guide our path spiraling down into the abyss. Every so often chilling growls can be heard from a few of the cells, wolves who are conscious enough to notice our movement, and a dripping noise can be heard through the walls and into the cells, repetitive enough for me to wonder what is causing it.

My senses start to feel muddled like my thoughts are stuck in a haze. Jungkook's breaths turn harsh, nearly gasping for air only to slightly recoil beside me.

"The damn wolfsbane. Are you okay?"

He shudders before speaking, "I'm okay. It's not too bad yet. How about you?"

It seems as though more wolfsbane is needed to subdue an Alpha compared to a lower rank. My throat threatens to constrict but it is not enough yet.

"The sooner we find someone. The sooner we can leave this place."

Eventually, we slow down to look into the cells of the lower floors. I nervously gulp as I peer into each cell. Some appear dead, others are silent as the stone bricks enclosing us. They are not as vocal as the other prisoners above, which only makes my heart beat harder against my chest.

I fear for what they could be thinking. Wishing upon us something far greater than death. Perhaps to be tortured and locked up like they are, their jet-black eyes tracing our steps through the forgotten halls.

A weak voice echoes from between the solemn bars.

"You're..an Alpha."

The wolf beckons us to stay, to listen to what he has to say. I observe his sickly old body tied up in chains, his voice low and guttural, not used for years.

"How do you know I am an Alpha?" I ask carefully, watching the frail wolf.

He shifts in his chains, straining to come closer to the bars. Jungkook pushes me back slightly, in a stance ready to defend. I feel thankful that I have him along with me.

The gray-haired wolf leans forward, "I know an Alpha if I see one. I've lived my entire life with one."

"Alpha Namjoon?" Jungkook asks curiously. The old wolf's eyes flicker for a moment.

"Not just him," The old man shudders, "His father too."

The past Alpha of the Blood Pack. I try to recollect what I've learned about the ruthless and violent Alpha before my time. My father expressed disdain towards the Blood Pack Alpha, often furious by his frequent attacks at the borders.

"Why are you here?" I ask.

The wolf shakes his head, "You have to make a deal with me first before I can answer any more of your questions."

Jungkook bares his teeth at the gray-haired wolf.

"Y/n, let's get out of here. He's not trustworthy."

I look at the old man carefully. His eyes don't seem to be filled with anything except sorrow and numbness. He even lowers his head showing his submission to my rank.

"What do you demand of us?"

"I need you guys to kill me." 

AU Fact: Many believe it is the Alpha who holds together a pack. While that may be true in some social aspects, it is the Luna who serves as the direct connection between all members of a pack. 

Thank you for reading!