When I walk into the training room, it is silent, except for a voice—Changgeon's. I hear him reading, and when I make my way nearer, I realise he is reading off a script.

"This script is proof that Taehyung's former pack is the cause of his defect."

Defect? What defect?

Cold creeps up my spine. Jimin who is standing in one corner, looks over his shoulder and spots me. He frowns, and mouths 'I'm sorry.' But I can't process this; I can't move.

"According to Chanjoon, a fellow pack member of Dusk Angel Pack, suggests that an abusive upbringing, and being mistreated might be the reason Taehyung left his old pack. I quote, 'I heard him talking to himself in the locker room once, he was telling his parents to stop whatever abuse and damage they were doing to him. Apparently his past haunts him so much, he starts to hallucinate things that aren't real." Changgeon finishes off with a clap of his hands, and the crowd erupts into cheers and laughter.

So this must be Changgeon's revenge after I beat his ranking in the games.

Now, I have fire coursing through my veins instead of blood. How dare they speak of my parents like that. I clench my fist, and push past the crowd to get to the center. Changgeon folds his arms across his chest triumphantly.

"Hand me over that paper, now," I demand. I am surprised when my voice comes out strong, unwavering, and loud.

"But I'm not done reading," He says, and waves the piece of paper in his hand. I want to try to reach for it, but he is much taller than me; I'm not going to embarrass myself further.

"However, there is also another conspiracy theory. Pack members from both Dusk Light Pack and Dusk Angel Pack have agreed on the fact that Kim Taehyung, an illegitimate child, was not the reason why his parents were been forced to leave his old pack."

My mind seems to have stop working. My father and my mother, they're attacking them now instead of me.

Changgeon lets out a sad and disappointed sigh, and continues, "Perhaps the answer does not lie in a morally bereft family. Perhaps the answer is that he came from a pack that does not know how to lead their werewolves out of corruption, and into prosperity and harmony." That's it, that's all it takes for me to snap. My fist collides with Changgeon's jaw, causing Changgeon to stumble as he rubs the spot I just punched. I deliver another blow to this abdomen, and the piece of paper goes flying out of his hands as he clutches his stomach in pain. My eyes shift to the paper on the ground, and I quickly snatch it, ready to tear it into pieces. Just as I'm about to deliver another hard blow, warm pair of arms wrap themselves around my waist, their cold fingers squeezes my waist as the pads of their fingers presses into my skin, preventing me from launching myself toward Changgeon.

"Taehyung, don't," A deep voice says. I whip my head, and I am meet with hard and stern eyes. "Let me go," I say, but Jeongguk just shakes his head in disagreement.

"Let me go," I demand, and this time, I start trashing against his hold. Jeongguk growls in pain when I kick his shin on accident, and carries me away from the crowd. The piece of paper slips out of my hands, and I struggle to get it. Like a wild animal, I bite, scream, and trash as I try to grab the paper before Changgeon or anyone reads another word of it; I have to tear it; I have to burn it; I have to destroy it; I have to.

"Taehyung, stop!" Jeongguk shouts over my loud cries once we're out of the room and in the hallway where it is deserted. His grip on my waist loosens and I shove him away as hard as I can, even though I admit—I am reluctant to escape his comforting hold.

"Did you think I couldn't defeat that cowardly piece of trash?"

"That's not it," He says. His arms are crossed. "It was something I didn't want you to regret doing—starting a fight with those cowards."

Hysteria bubbles in me. A sarcastic laugh slips past my lips and rings in the empty hallway. "Did you think I couldn't win against those cowards? Did you? That's my family, my pack they're talking about!"

"It's not," He pauses, his eyes darkens, "Your pack is Dusk Angel Pack. The pack you're talking about was your pack."

I am suddenly reminded that Scarlet Night Pack no longer exists.

"Jeongguk," I say weakly, "You know about my family history, and you know I didn't have a choice—"

He presses his hands over my mouth, cutting me short.

"Not here, not now," He warns darkly. I can hear footsteps nearing, so I push his hand off my mouth.

"Let's just go to the arena." He grabs my hand. I try to calm myself down, as well as convince myself that I am no longer from Scarlet Night Pack.

I breathe in through my nose. In, out, in, out. In.

Jeongguk is right—Scarlet Night Pack is no longer my pack. This is where I belong; I belong in Dusk Angel Pack.

+++

Jeongguk and I walk away from the hallway and into the arena. I see Changgeon standing in one corner, and I am about to hurl insults at him, but I remember but Jeongguk said—it was something I didn't want you to regret doing—starting a fight with those cowards—so I decide to keep quiet and swallow down my words.

Jiyeong strides in with a whiteboard in his hand. I strain my eyes to see what is written on the whiteboards, and my eyes catches Jeongguk and my name.

"Good evening, class, I hope you had a eventful morning, even though school was obviously boring," He jokes, and the class bursts into laughter. I bite my lips to distract myself from wondering what is so funny about Jiyeong's statement. I am in no mood for jokes right now, especially not parents were dismissed so shamefully.
"Settle down, settle down." The laughter dies down, and the class is silent. Jiyeong thanks us before speaking, "As most of you know, it is a tradition for packs to combine with another pack for their training, and this year, your batch is undergoing this tradition. During every combined training period, partners that are being paired up are expected to live together in a dormitory." Jiyeong pauses. "This means, you and your partner will be moving in together for three months. And in case you have forgotten who your partner is, here are your pairings."

My heart leaps. I am going to have to share with Jeongguk a dorm. The class erupts into groans, and cheers.

"However, all mated wolves are allowed to go back home on weekends, and are excused from training on weekends. Provided your mate comes to fetch you," Jiyeong adds. I see Jimin cheering from my side vision.

Changgeon strides over to me with a confident, mocking smile on his ass of a face.

"So you're going to be staying with Jeongguk, huh," Changgeon says cockily, "Make sure you don't repeat the same mistake your parents—having an illegitimate child."

Changgeon chortles at his own sentence, and walks off.

My face flushes beet red, not in anger, but in embarrassment. I am embarrassed of what Changgeon said. The thought of staying in the same room as Jeongguk makes me dizzy, light, and . . . shy.

"Taehyung?"

"Oh, Jeongguk." I tense up when I see him.

"Are you walking home?"

"Yeah," I reply.

"Okay, come on, I'll give you a ride home."

√a.n.

Sorry for all the shit on this book