When Taehyung awoke, he had no idea where he was. It was an empty room that was completely grey. Grey walls, grey floor, grey ceiling, and one grey door. There were no windows, just one very small ventilation duct and a single dim light in the center of the ceiling. The only thing that gave Taehyung any sort of relief was that he wasn't alone. Lying on the floor, he discovered that his head was resting on Hoseok's lap. Taehyung sat up and looked at his boyfriend with much concern."Seokie-hyung, where are we?"

Hoseok looked at Taehyung and sighed."We're on their ship, Taetae." There was no point in trying to play dumb about their location."You shouldn't have followed me. You should have just gone home when I told you to."

"Their ship? The alien ship?" To say that Taehyung was confused and freaked out would be an understatement."We need to get out of here, Seokie-hyung, but...I'm scared."

"I know, baby." Gently cupping Taehyung's cheek, Hoseok leaned in close and gave the tip of his nose a comforting peck."We'll be okay."

This was definitely a scary situation for Taehyung because he knew nothing about what was happening. He was clueless about this ship and the ones who inhabited it. Was the ship still on Earth, or had he and Hoseok been taken far away? He had no idea."But why have they taken us? Why are we here? What do they want?"

Hoseok didn't know if he should answer those questions. The answers would just scare Taehyung even more than he already was."Tae, listen to me. Everything is going to be okay. Just try to stay calm."

Staying calm would have been easier if the door didn't open at that moment, someone Taehyung didn't recognize stepping into the room."Who are you?" Taehyung asked with a shaky voice."What do you want?" He didn't get an answer though. The tall man simply ignored him.

"He doesn't understand you, Tae." Hoseok stood and frowned."These things don't need to happen, Seokjin." He glanced down at his boyfriend before turning his gaze back to the other man."Emperor Minseok's ways are wrong. I know you can see that."

"We're just following orders, Hoseok." Seokjin stated very factually."You know, the orders you disobeyed when you ran away."

Now Taehyung was very confused."Orders?" This was making no sense to him. He didn't know which was deceiving him right now, his ears or his brain. Hoseok and the one called Seokjin were clearly speaking another language that Taehyung had never heard before in his life. So how could he understand what they were saying?"Hyung, what orders? You know them? How is that possible?"

It was at this moment that Hoseok knew that things between him and Taehyung would never be the same as before."Seokjin, please. You don't have to keep doing this."

"You can discuss this with Namjoon." Seokjin was not in the position to be making decisions. He wasn't in charge of this mission. Reaching out, he grabbed Hoseok's wrist."Come."

Hoseok resisted though, jerking his wrist out of Seokjin's grasp."No. I won't leave my mate."

Letting out a soft groan, Seokjin grabbed Hoseok's wrist again, tighter this time."He'll be fine alone."

Taehyung quickly stood and grabbed Hoseok's other wrist."Hoseokie!" He didn't want his boyfriend to be taken away from him. He didn't know what would happen if they were separated. However, he wasn't strong enough. Hoseok was easily pulled away from him and out of the room. Taehyung flinched when the door was closed rather hard, hearing it lock.

Hoseok narrowed his eyes at Seokjin as he was being pulled along."Why are you being so mean?"

"This is really important, Hoseok." Seokjin kept pulling Hoseok along by his wrist. He didn't want to let go and risk him running back to his mate and causing issues."You know the types of orders we get from the emperor. You know what you were supposed to become."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I left." Hoseok hated the ways of their emperor and just couldn't stand to follow his orders anymore. He wanted to get as far away from the emperor as possible.

Stopping abruptly, Seokjin turned to fully face Hoseok."Do you remember Jungkook?" When Hoseok nodded simply, he continued."Shortly after you left, Emperor Minseok ordered Namjoon to start training Jungkook to be your replacement. He doesn't understand it yet, but he'll become a collector."

"Little Jungkook will become a collector?" Hoseok really didn't like the sound of that.

That actually made Seokjin crack a tiny smile."He's not so little anymore. After all his training, he's become a powerful incubus. Though, he has yet to obtain his first mate." He was also troubled by this deep down."He doesn't know it yet, but Emperor Minseok ordered Namjoon to mate with him. Namjoon was supposed to do it by now, but he's been putting it off. He really doesn't want to."

"I guess that makes sense to get him started on being a collector. A shared bond gives us shared knowledge." Hoseok hated that so much."But it shouldn't be done. Can't you see that Emperor Minseok just wants to conquer every world he can find? We can't let it continue."

"Discuss it with Namjoon." Seokjin couldn't deny that he agreed with Hoseok, but he was not in charge and couldn't make the decision. Taking Hoseok further to another room, he opened the door to reveal that Namjoon and Jungkook seemed to be discussing something very seriously."Namjoon."

Namjoon glanced over and cleared his throat quietly when he saw Hoseok."We'll talk more about this later, Jungkook."

"Fine." In a seemingly terrible mood, Jungkook stormed out of the room, not even giving a single glance at Hoseok or Seokjin.

"Namjoon, we need to have a serious conversation about your mission here." Hoseok didn't want to beat around the bush. He wanted to get straight to the point."Does Emperor Minseok know I'm here?"

Namjoon gently shook his head."No. I have not told the emperor that we've found you. He doesn't even know where we are."

That confused Hoseok."He doesn't? How are you out here on a mission without his knowledge?"

"We've conquered all of the worlds of which he knows." Namjoon stated."He sent us out to search for more worlds." Looking toward Seokjin, he frowned."Give us privacy." he commanded. When Seokjin obeyed and left the room, Namjoon stepped closer to Hoseok."You were a very important part of the emperor's plans."

"I know. That's why I had to leave." Hoseok lowered his gaze to the floor. He knew where this conversation was going, and he dreaded it.

Namjoon felt the need to say this though."You and I were supposed to mate. I thought you wanted that, but you rejected my advances then fled from our world."

Just remembering that made Hoseok's chest ache."I wanted to mate with you, Namjoon, but not for such a purpose. I loved you. I still do, but now, I love another."

"As I have always loved you, Hoseok." Namjoon placed his hands onto Hoseok's shoulders and frowned deeply."Now that I've finally found you, your mate is the only obstacle."