Chapter 8: The Storm Inside

Rain poured outside their small cabin — the only shelter they’d found since leaving the Capital. The exile had stripped Jungkook of his power, his title, his home — everything except the bond he had refused to break.

But the Alpha who once stood proud before kings now sat in silence, fists clenched, jaw tight with unspoken rage.

Jimin moved quietly around the room, trying not to disturb him. Every sound — the soft clink of a cup, the creak of the floor — felt like it might shatter the fragile air between them.

Finally, Jungkook’s voice broke the silence. Low. Sharp. “Do you even understand what you’ve done, Jimin?”

Jimin froze. “I—”

“You cost me everything,” Jungkook snapped, standing abruptly. His voice grew louder with every word. “My name, my rank, my home—gone! All because I couldn’t control myself around you!”

Jimin’s head lowered. His fingers twisted in the hem of his shirt. “I know,” he whispered. “It’s my fault too.”

Jungkook’s eyes flashed. “Then why are you standing there like nothing happened?”

“I’m not,” Jimin said softly, but his voice trembled.

The Alpha’s anger spilled out — frustration at the world, the council, and himself. He didn’t mean to be cruel, but the words cut anyway.

And Jimin just stood there, silent, taking it all. Because he knew. He understood.

After a long pause, Jungkook turned away, breathing heavily, guilt flickering in his chest. But before he could speak again, he felt arms wrap around him from behind.

“Alpha… sorry, please,” Jimin whispered, his voice breaking. “I didn’t want this to happen either. But you’re changing. You used to be calm, collected… now you shout, you break things… and I know why.”

Jungkook froze.

“When you’re angry and frustrated,” Jimin continued softly, “you shout. You take it out on what’s closest to you — that’s your way of releasing the pain. But afterward, you always regret it.”

The rain outside grew heavier. The Alpha’s shoulders trembled, the fight in him slowly fading.

“Jimin…” Jungkook muttered, his voice low, raw. “You shouldn’t be the one comforting me.”

Jimin smiled faintly against his back. “Then who else will? The council took everything, but they can’t take us.”

For a long time, Jungkook didn’t move. Then, slowly, he turned and placed a hand on Jimin’s head, his expression softer — tired, but human again.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

And for the first time since exile began, the storm inside him finally started to calm.