Archive of Our Own

jungkook couldn’t remember the last time anyone looked at him kindly. 

maybe his dam had when he was young, but she had passed years ago and left him with nothing but his sire and brother and their traditional pack to bring him up. 

he was sure his sire looked upon his brother kindly. jonghyun was an alpha, and a good one at that - strong and commanding, level-headed and fearsome, trained from a young age to be the next leader of the jeon pack.

but jungkook was an omega, a disappointment from birth. even with jeon blood, as his father chided him time and time again, he was like all other omegas - weak-willed, impressionable, a docile weakling who would do nothing useful except tidy his future mate’s den and bear his pups, praying to the gods that they would not take after their dam.

he tried to be a good omega his whole life. he tried to be quiet and calm, tried to keep his head down, tried to please his alpha father and brother, but he always fell short. he would get a little too excited about happy things, he would be a little too eager to learn about the world, he would try to learn lessons meant for smart alphas and not silly things like himself.

he would be a little too weak, even for an omega.

he hadn’t been taught to fight - he hadn’t been taught to want to fight, had only been taught how to sit still and obey orders and try to be better than he was - but when his father saw an alpha fuck into him as he screamed, cornered in a hallway, terrified and in pain, that did not matter.

jungkook was pushed outside the den doors in his ripped clothing, sobbing, his pleads going unheaded. the entire pack was witness to his shame. he passed by the lesser dens, hugging himself tightly like he could hold himself together if he tried hard enough. people watched him pass, none inviting him in, even though he had been raised with them, by them - he was cast aside. most averted their eyes when he glanced up and met them. some glared back at him, spat on the ground at his indiscretion.

i didn’t want it, he wanted to cry out, but he knew it was no use.

he walked silently to the the edge of their village and turned back only once. the alpha who had done this to him - who let his father yank him away and throw him aside, meeting no repercussions of his own - watched him passively. as if he were something moderately interesting would be forgotten the moment he went past the tree line.

at that moment, jungkook wanted to be forgotten.

he spent the night in the forest, shivering against a tree the whole night. his omegan clothing was already too light for the season, and the rips took away what warmth they might have given him. no one came to find him. he hadn’t thought that they would, not really, but his heart had held out sillyhope. that hope had been the only thing that kept his heart from breaking, apparently, because as he turned away once and for all, it shattered.

-

jungkook learned early into his exile that he was not at all prepared for what had been thrown at him. 

he knew little about how to find warmth or shelter or clean water, and even less about how to find something to eat. it was a horrible, cold, hungry struggle, one that his human body had little tolerance for. he had spent very little time shifted since it was improper for omegas to do so outside of a full moon, but he soon realized that everything in the wild was easier as a wolf.

as a wolf, he was able to sleep curled around himself at night, finding hollowed trees and hideaway bushes as he ventured farther and farther out of the jeon pack territory. he couldn’t yet stomach eating as a wolf, though, and scavenged what edible nuts and berries he could find, catching the occasional fish with his bare hands. 

but that was not enough, not by a long shot. he needed sustenance if he wanted to live - and he did. he had learned that quickly. he wanted to live. even alone, he wanted to keep living.

it was easier to eat as a wolf after that, and he made the deaths of his small catches as quick as possible. raw meat was definitely an acquired taste, even shifted, but it made staying alive much easier. 

it was easier to travel as a wolf, too. he had been barefoot when he was cast out and his feet were easily damaged by rocks and thorns. the pads of his paws were stronger, and he was able to go much farther. he was able to hear better, too, allowing him to avoid wild boar and to find prey.

it was even easier to think as a wolf. though he was still a shifter, still part human, his wolf took over his primary thoughts, keeping him focused on food and shelter and safety and pushing emotions to the back of his mind. it was harder to feel sadness or betrayal or regret or empty loneliness as a wolf. it was just easier.

he stayed shifted longer and longer each day - he didn’t need to shift back to human to eat after he stopped needing to cook his meat. he didn’t need to bathe, either; it wasn’t like he needed to be presentable, and it didn’t make much of a difference anyway. he was able to sleep warmly and safely as a wolf much more than he was able to as a human.

eventually, a month after his excommunication, he just - didn’t shift back.

it was a gradual process. he could still think clearly for quite a while, beyond the basic survival instincts of his wolf, could still marvel at the sky and listen to pretty sounds and watch baby deer play without scaring them. he could still feel sharp pangs of loneliness if he let his mind wander late at night. he could still shift back at will, even if he didn’t want to, even if he didn’t try.

but months after he had been chased away, dismissed, abandoned - he couldn’t.

jungkook was still there; even shifted, jungkook was there, because his wolf was jungkook. but jungkook was in the very back of his mind, nothing but an occasional whisper as his wolf took over, protecting him from the world.

he was there, but barely. in one rare moment of full lucidity, jungkook realized: he was feral.

feral wolves was something of a legend - a scary story told to pups so they would behave, so they would stay supervised and out of the woods alone, so they would fear disappointing the pack and being cast out, reviled and shamed. shifters were pack animals by nature - they shouldn’t be able to survive like this, and yet, ferals did, going against the laws of nature as well as those of their packs.

even if jungkook tried to find a homeplace - if he went into a village, if he found himself on pack territory, if he tried to survive in a city - he would be rejected once again. he would be turned away, chased off, as he had been with his familial pack. rural packs didn’t want a vulnerability like feral wolves in their packs, cities had no place for those who could not shift between forms, and there was nowhere he could belong.

not that he thought any pack would want him. a useless omega who had been ruined like he was? no alpha would want him. no pack would let him close to their own omegas, wouldn’t want him to spoil the lot.

feral wolves didn’t need a pack - it was their nature, a developed abomination, because there was no other option.

jungkook wasn’t sure how long he had been alone, but he knew he had seen at least twelve full moons. he'd experienced both the heat of summer and brisk nights of fall twice now, and knew he would soon have to remember how to live in the horrible frost. 

he didn’t know how far he had traveled, either, but he did know he never stopped moving, only staying in the same place for a few nights before going further and further from what had been his home.

maybe his human instincts were pushing him, trying to find a sense of belonging he knew he’d never have. he had accepted that he would never find it, though. he had accepted that he would survive, yes, but he would survive alone.

-

the moon was full and high above him, filling him with a sense of rightness that he clung onto. he reveled in the bright light, feeling strong and comfortable, finally at home in his body.

even though the full moon was when werewolves felt most connected to their wolves, jungkook felt more coherent and clear than he had for months - his human brain was louder, letting him appreciate the world for what it was. that didn’t mean his wolf wasn’t standing at attention. 

his hackles raised before he even heard the rustling, instincts too attuned to what was around him to ignore. he growled warningly at the creature behind the bushes - he didn’t need to eat, it was better to scare potential prey off instead of allowing a predator to catch him unaware.

jungkook’s hackles raised, but he froze when a wolf emerged. he felt a sudden buzz of gratitude rush through him because finally, after so long, there was something like him, he wasn’t alone. except - he was alone. he was abandoned and feral and unkempt and altogether unworthy of claiming this wolf was anything like him.

the other wolf was a pretty russet thing with a curious face. he sat still, watching jungkook, making himself intentionally nonthreatening but certainly not submissive. he wasn’t a threat, he was trying to tell jungkook, but he wasn’t someone to attack either.

jungkook allowed himself to sniff the air. he was an omega, that was obvious, and there was an overarching smell of pack on him even though he was out alone. jungkook wondered what he smelled like. the scent of his sired pack had never been strong to begin with, it must have been erased within the first week of exile. when he took a step closer, the wolf’s tail wagged, the thump making jungkook startle and growl warningly. though he didn’t wag it more, he did cock his head to the side again, encouraging jungkook’s curiosity.

the wolf made a little sound to let jungkook know he would move before standing. he raised one paw then another, looking playful. he had to be around the same age as jungkook, maybe even a little older, but he somehow looked like the alpha and beta pups jungkook had envied in his childhood; those allowed to run and play and pounce, roughhousing while the omega pups played house and modeled their dams doing den chores. they were allowed to shift whenever they wanted, even when the moon wasn’t full.

and yet, this was an omega, a grown omega, shifting his weight paw to paw. he looked at jungkook with a hopeful glint in his eye when he made no further warning growls before pouncing in place, like a fox in the snow. when jungkook just stared, he did it again.

he clearly wanted jungkook to do the same for whatever reason, and he was confused and curious enough that he tried, timidly and inelegantly. the wolf yapped enthusiastically, wriggling, tail wagging in the air as he did it again, exuding like this! like this! jungkook followed his lead, still timid, unused to playing, even though most of his pack customs had taken a backseat to feral instincts.

all at once, the omega turned and ran, baiting a chase, looking back at jungkook every few steps. for whatever reason, jungkook followed. he felt like a pup all at once as he started to leap after him, across fallen trees and streams, the wolf doubling back to find him when he wasn’t fast enough. he played with him - truly played, catching him with a light nip even as his feral mind thought food threat enemy.

when a twig snapped behind him, he sprung away, any small amount of joy ripped from his chest. a beta, huge and gray and angry, bared his fangs as jungkook backed away from his packmate.

jungkook cowered as he took in the situation. he was caught unaware and defenseless, playing with an omega in a way that surely looked like it could be fighting. he was alone, packless and without protection, on the edge of pack territory. the beta in front of him - his growl shaking jungkook’s chest, teeth bared, angry and defensive to the point where his mouth was nearly foaming - could tear him apart, and no one would care.

with a burst of adrenaline, jungkook sprinted. he ran in some aimless direction for hours until his body refused to move anymore, buckling under him painfully. he didn’t hear the wolf behind him his entire run, but that didn’t stop the fear from coursing through him. he could barely move, had to drag himself to a muddy stream to drink, and yet, he couldn’t let himself sleep. every small sound - and there were many small sounds in the forest - put him on edge, even when it was the familiar hoot of an owl or croak of a toad.

he recovered there for nearly a week, and his body seemed to move of its own accord when it was able to do so. over the course of a few days (which stood to show how far jungkook had ran that night), he found himself back on the edge of the pack’s territory. the scent was faint, but any shifter would be able to tell it was there.

he stayed on high alert, though the only sign of life was the scent. he wasn’t sure where their den was, but it had to be at least a mile or two away, far enough that they hadn’t come to kill him sooner. for all that jungkook wanted to live, he seemed to invite death with his stupid curiousity.

he heard a laugh in the distance and he froze,  hackles raising. it was coming from beyond the tree line, still far enough that they wouldn’t be able to see him too easily if he hid. he could stay still, wait for them to leave before he inspected or for them to come closer before he ran, and yet - his body moved of its own accord once more, carrying him to the edge of the forest.

there were two people in the stream ahead, ostensibly helping each other bathe, though it seemed that they weren’t doing much other than dumping water over each other’s heads in turn. they looked so happy, enjoying the company as they laughed and kicked at each other, unworried about the world. 

jungkook felt almost enchanted by it all. slowly and carefully, step by step, he wandered closer. he wanted to see more, he wanted to hear their voices because he thought they’d be nice voices to hear. a branch cracked under his paw and he froze in horror.

both of the shifters snapped to attention at the sound - one looked at jungkook with wide-eyed familiarity. “friend!”

jungkook ran back the way he came, pausing after a mile to figure out if he was being followed. if he had been, he might have left forever. but he returned a few days later to see if the two werewolves were there, to see if he could watch their happiness without being caught.

there was someone at the river, but it was neither of the two from before. it was a small man relaxing on a sunny rock, making something from a knife and a piece of wood as he hummed to himself. even from that distance, jungkook could smell that he was an omega, and he could never imagine anyone giving an omega anything like a knife. but there he was, carving and humming and looking peaceful.

jungkook watched him for nearly an hour, mesmerized by - well. nothing specific, really. the omega was just nice, and jungkook felt nice watching him. he slowly, quietly backed away when the omega sighed and started gathering his things, and managed to get away unseen.

-

even though he’d gotten better at hunting over the long, lonely months, jungkook was never able to put on actual weight; granted, he wasn’t big enough to go after anything but small game. he was all scrappy muscle. it would be a problem when the cold started settling in, but feral wolves and lone omegas alike were unhealthy and unkempt, and he was no different.

it wasn’t that cold yet, though, at least not during the day. he curled up under the oak tree he’d adopted as his own at night, one with a patch of moss at the trunk that acted as a bed. if he tucked his nose under his tail, it wasn’t too bad. it was the most comfortable he’d been since he’d become an outcast, for sure - and he was able to relax more than he ever had, too, now that he knew the area, the threats, most of the sounds.

he was a fool for it.

someone snuck up on him and cleared their throat, catching him unaware. he was such so stupid to have relaxed like that, to let his guard down, to let his senses relax. he tried to growl at the intruder - well. he was the intruder, what right did he have to think otherwise - but fear overtook him quickly. he let out a pathetic rumble as he pressed himself against the trunk of the tree.

the tall man stared at him, his expression serious and threatening, stance strong and unshakeable. even in this form, maybe especially in this form, jungkook had no hope of taking him. 

jungkook recognized the scent; it was the beta from days before, the one who came to protect his omega. he looked just as intimidating in human form and jungkook felt at a loss. he had no fight-or-flight reaction. his only option was to freeze.

the man looked unimpressed. he wasn’t actively threatening, didn’t seem ready to attack, but his entire aura screamed warning. “what’s your purpose here, wolf?”

jungkook wasn’t sure what he expected. he trembled, giving no response. not that he could.

the man huffed and stood taller, or maybe jungkook just shrank into himself even more. “i demand to know what you’ve been doing on my pack’s territory.”

jungkook couldn’t have told him even if he could shift. he could do nothing but stare and wait for retribution.

but the beta just kept staring at him, meeting his eyes - jungkook wondered if they were more animal than human at this point. he could see realization dawn on him. “you’re feral.”

jungkook ran. he didn’t think about it, sudden adrenaline surging through him enough that he was able to sprint away, going as fast and as far as his body could take him, terrified that the beta would follow him. his body gave out eventually, unable to carry him any farther.

days later, though jungkook felt absolutely insane for doing so, he began the journey back.

he didn’t even consider turning tail again, though he knew that he should have. but he couldn’t stop himself. he reached his tree late into the night. there was something under it, not covering the moss but placed nearby - it wasn’t moving, didn’t smell threatening, so jungkook walked forward cautiously, sniffing as he went.

it was a blanket, he discovered. it had been there for days, it seemed, covered in dew and a little bit of dirt. it was clearly from that same pack, carrying their scent even after days out of their den. though he hadn’t met their pack alpha, their scent was the most prominent. it was nice, jungkook thought. something musky, maybe a little floral. he’d met alphas who smelled a lot worse. he liked it.

he curled up with his snout near the blanket, though he was careful to not touch it. it felt too inappropriate, even if it had been left for him. he wasn’t sure if it had been left for him. he had no idea why it would have been. but - he had dreams of running with the omega again, of the beta growling off to the side but not trying to kill him, of a faceless alpha watching from a distance. it was the nicest dream he’d had in a long time.

-

jungkook went off each day, frightened of being found again. he came back each night, though, sleeping with his nose close to the blanket.

a few night later, he came back to his tree after nightfall, nose twitching as soon as he got close - there was a bowl of food, a bowl of actual cooked beef set out. he didn’t even think to hold back and inspect it - he went wild as he ate, being messier and more animalistic than he ever had, even if he had eaten raw kills. somehow, blessedly, he felt more human than he’d felt in months.

he kept going away each day and coming back each night, and every other day or so he would find a bowl of food or another blanket or even a shiny trinket that he would take carefully in his mouth and place in the crook of a low branch so he could look without fear of breaking them.

he went miles and miles away the night of the full moon, walking until nothing smelled familiar in the slightest. he came back one night later to the lingering smell of pack, again, the strongest scent that of the alpha who had to be the pack leader.

he settled down in his moss bed when he was sure no one was coming again that night. he slept better than he had since he left his home, surrounded by the smells of this unfamiliar pack. he knew he shouldn’t feel so complacent and safe, but he did.

after another few days of leaving to hunt and coming back to sleep, he did something - inadvisable.

he didn’t leave.

he stayed a good distance away from his tree, hidden by the bushes enough to feel at least slightly concealed. he sat quietly, ears twitching towards each sound. eventually it wasn’t the call of an owl of a twig he heard, though - he heard paws on the ground, crunching leaves underfoot. they turned to human footsteps as the wolf transformed, transferring a basket from his mouth to his hand. the shifter didn’t pay much attention until his instincts kicked in and his eyes snapped to jungkook’s.

jungkook pressed his ears against his head, clearly frightened. he shifted like he had to keep himself from running, but he stayed put.

it was one of the wolves he saw playing in the stream that first time. he was lithe and pretty, smelled of beta and pack.

“hi, friend,” he said, voice soft and lilting. “i’m jimin.”

jungkook didn’t reply because he couldn’t. he wasn’t even sure what he would say if he could. 

he felt a sudden, unexpected pang of don’t touch nest! as jimin got closer to his tree and could have winced about how stupid that was. he didn’t have a nest and didn’t deserve one after everything he had done. still, jimin seemed to understand his quiet whine and gave him a placating smile, stopping just short of the blanket at the edge.

“i brought you a few things,” he said. “we made bread this morning. it doesn’t taste as good shifted, but we wanted to share.”

he knelt on the ground to unpack the basket, placing things close to the nest without breaching it too badly.

jimin smiled, looking up at him. “i wish i knew your name. we sound a bit crazy talking about you, i think. ‘ah, do you think friend would like this?’ or ‘i made this for friend! i hope it goes in his tree.’”

jungkook was perplexed. he moved a little, shifting his weight. it wasn’t like he was trying to run this time, though. it was almost like he wanted to get closer.

“this is what taehyung was talking about, by the way—” jimin held up a carefully-folded flower, made of colorful paper that looked so prettily out of place against the earthy forest. “one of our hyungs brought him some fancy paper the other day. these are all over the den.” jimin grinned, his half-moon eyes soft and pretty. “i’m afraid i might have steered him in your direction, friend. your tree might be just as overloaded soon enough.”

jungkook did step forward then, just a few creeping inches but enough that jimin glanced up, still smiling, encouraging.

“i know words are nothing without action behind them, but i promise that we mean you no harm. it pains us to see someone hurting and alone, and we’d like to do what we can to fix it.”

he sat back on his heels, placing his hands on his knees, looking every bit like the proper betas jungkook had been raised under. he shirked back without really meaning to.

jimin bowed his head, standing slowly as he tried to not spook him. “i’ll leave you in peace. eat well, please. if our pack alpha sees you so thin, he might think we’re keeping your food for ourselves.”

the thought of the pack leader doing something to jimin, administering a punishment or ostracizing him or leaving him out in the cold, made jungkook growl.

jimin looked startled at the noise and bowed his head once more in apology, though he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. “goodnight, friend. may the moon keep you safe.”

jungkook dreamt of jimin that night, now that he had a name. and taehyung, some faceless figure just as pleasant as jimin, making flowers out of paper. the protective beta, standing guard. the pack alpha, lurking in the background.

jimin came the next night, as well, walking to jungkook with the same basket in hand and a thick blanket over his shoulders. jungkook stayed back as he had done the night before, watching him cautiously. his ears weren’t quite so pinned back, though. his muscles not quite as tense and poised to run.

“hello, friend!” jimin smiled at him kindly, like he wasn’t surprised to see him there. he knelt near his nest - his bed, jungkook corrected, not his nest - as he had last time, not breaking the wall jungkook had made with the blanket from so many nights before. jimin took the new one from around his shoulders. “hyung says there will be a chill tonight. i’ve brought something that will hopefully keep it at bay.”

jungkook hoped - hoped - that it smelled like the pack. he would feel warm forever if it did. he took a few small steps forward, even though he doubted he’d be able to smell it from so far away.

“though,” jimin continued, glancing up as jungkook moved closer, “there’s a spot outside our den that stays warm at night. namjoonie hyung says it’s something to do with the placement of the fire and heat carrying better through certain rocks or something. i love hearing his voice. i’ll listen to him say anything, even if i don’t remember it.”

he looked up again, tilting his head a little as jungkook took another step closer.

“you’ve met him, actually. he’s our pack beta.”

jungkook froze. the pack beta - the growling silver wolf, the tall scowling man.

jimin noticed his reaction but still smiled. “he told us about your meeting. he didn’t know you were—” he stopped himself before he said feral, but jungkook heard it anyway. he wondered if the word tasted sour on jimin’s tongue. “he was protecting his pack so he’s not sorry, but he’s also the one who asked me to invite you there. you’re welcome to visit it tonight. we’ll be able to tell you’re there, but i promise we’ll leave you be.”

jungkook couldn’t imagine taking him up on that offer. he also couldn’t imagine any alpha or beta allowing an intruder onto their territory, especially one so close to their den, and not eliminating the threat entirely.

“it was one of our alphas who told me to bring this with me, too. it was my idea,” he insisted with a pout, “he just found a thicker blanket to give you. he’s more of an omega than hyung and tae sometimes, especially when it gets close to winter. always worrying about if we’re cold or getting sick—i think he just wants an excuse to cuddle us more. he’s not content unless we’re all in sight, and where better to be than tucked under his arms?”

jimin sounded so fond and wistful of what had to be some absurd dream. no alpha jungkook knew would ever treat anyone that way. no alpha would ever hear themselves be insulted so harshly, to be compared to an omega, without an incredibly harsh punishment. but. it did sound like a nice dream.

jimin glanced at him, fiddling with the edge of the quilt. “may i put this in your nest, friend?”

jungkook felt a pang of humiliation at his pitiful bed being called a nest, though that was what his omega insisted it was. when jungkook didn’t growl or object, jimin spread it out over the moss, adjusting it carefully to fit over the now-indented shape of jungkook’s wolf.

“i’ll leave you in peace, friend,” he smiled, bowing his head as he stood. “eat well, sleep warmly. and please—we’ll leave a light on for you, find warmth near the den. goodnight, friend. may the moon keep you safe."

-

jungkook didn’t go to the den that night, and stayed out of sight the next day when he heard jimin come down the path. jimin looked almost disappointed to not see him, though jungkook saw his nose twitch and knew he had to know he was there. he waited til nightfall before he crept up the path jimin took, following his smell until he reached the edge of a meadowy clearing, a hanok barely visible against the new moon sky.

there was a lit lantern hanging near one of the doors. jimin had said they’d leave a light on for him, that they knew if he was there - of course they would, they’d be able to smell him, an outsider, an intruder. but it was cold, even though winter months were still a few weeks away. the blanket jimin had given him helped tremendously, but he still had to keep his nose tucked under his tail, his too-thin body shivering throughout the night.

he found the warm spot easily. there was heat radiating slightly from the rock of the foundation; the fire must be right behind it, heating the hanok. if the fire was there, so was the pack, snug in the safe den. he wondered how true jimin’s alpha dream was - if he was tucked under someone’s arm, if the pack was around him, if they were actually touching instead of just existing in the same room without any real skinship. he settled against the foundation, huffing a relieved breath through his nose as he pressed against it, muscles relaxing slightly as the cold left his bones.

he couldn’t truly relax, knowing they were on the other side of the wall, knowing that they knew he was there, but - he did sleep, somehow waking up well-rested even though he had stirred with every slight noise. he was gone before the sun rose over the mountains, before he heard anything from inside the den.

-

jungkook soon developed a new routine. 

during the day, he went off, hunting and exploring and doing whatever else to keep out of their sight. he came back to his moss patch at sunset, curled up on the blanket that had lost the scent of pack. he went to the den when the moon was high and he was sure everyone was asleep, pressed himself against the warm foundation and allowed himself to rest.

he thought about dragging his blanket up from his nest - his bed - for extra warmth, but he was too attached to his spot, couldn’t bear the thought of destroying it. he almost regretted not doing so now, though. it was unusually cold, the chilly wind blowing in his direction. even nestled as close as possible against the warm rock, he was still shivering.

there was the creak of a door opening and jungkook tensed. footsteps followed - they seemed deliberate, almost, like they were making sure each step was clear. the sound of paws replaced it as the werewolf shifted just before rounding the corner.

it was the wolf he had first met, the russet omega who had played with him, who had been his introduction to the pack. he was tugging a blanket, one bulky enough that he was having some trouble. it was an odd sight - and it was made odder when jungkook realized he didn’t feel the need to run. he didn’t even want to, not really, even though he was frightened, even though he was an intruder on their territory, touching their den.

he just sat stiffly, watching the wolf get the blanket close enough for him to let out a satisfied huff, sitting back and looking at jungkook proudly.

after a long moment of deliberation, jungkook slowly moved forward, sniffing and lowering his head the whole time. he took the blanket between his own teeth, staring at the wolf as he pulled it experimentally. the wolf’s tail thumped against the ground in approval. jungkook hunkered against the wall with the blanket near enough to provide some protection.

the wolf made an inquisitive noise before coming closer. jungkook watched cautiously but made no move to pounce. encouraged, the wolf nudged the blanket with his nose, helping him cover up like he was tucking in a pup. jungkook whined when his nose was close enough to touch. even though he didn’t deserve it and lost his chance to have closeness, he still missed it, craved it, yearned for it with his whole being.

the wolf paused for just a moment before nosing his way under the blanket, too, tugging it over the both of them expertly. their bodies were pressed against each other only a tiny bit, but it was so much more than jungkook had felt in so, so long. he let out a pathetic omega keen unintentionally, and the wolf rumbled a little, letting their bodies touch a little more. jungkook could feel him trying to exude calm and comfort. ferals couldn’t sense it as much as they should be able to, and the thought of not being affected by something so strong and kind made him cry out a little bit harder.

he was so endlessly thankful when the other omega didn’t pull away. jungkook was overwhelmed and shivering, and could do nothing but hope that his pack didn’t come to rip him away. there were sounds of movement from inside the hanok, but no one came out take him back inside where he belonged.

an hour later, the wolf was still there, still tucked up to jungkook’s side, letting out huffs in his sleep. jungkook didn’t fall asleep because he wasn’t stupid, but he was admittedly drifting off when the wolf moved. warmth escaped as the wolf slipped out of the blankets.

he shifted right there - he was the boy who’d been playing with jimin in the creek, even more beautiful up close.

“sleep well, friend,” he said quietly. “i hope we see you in the morning.

-

they did not see him in the morning, but he was there again that night, and so was the omega.

just as he had the night before, he curled up with jungkook under the blanket for an hour or so before going inside, leaving jungkook to sleep soundly but alone. he was there the next night as well, following the same routine.

the night after, jimin followed him in human form, wrapped in furs to protect him against the chill. the wolf wagged his tail happily, nosing his way under the blanket with jungkook. jimin settled in beside them, laughing as the wolf wriggled excitedly, nipping at jimin’s fingers until he reached over to give jungkook a gentle pet on his head.

jungkook was unable to do anything but stare at him in shock as he gave his ears scritches. “taehyung thought it would be nice to have more company,” jimin explained.

taehyung. it was nice to have a name. jungkook glanced at him. taehyung was the one who made him the flowers that now adorned jungkook’s tree. he would have given him his thanks if he didn’t feel frozen to the spot, not wanting jimin to stop petting him.

jimin didn’t stop until taehyung clambered into his lap. jimin squawked indignantly but still wrapped his arms around him, laying down and cuddling up to jungkook’s side.

jungkook was overwhelmed once more. he was sure that he hadn’t had this much affection at once since puphood, and doubted that he’d had so much then. taehyung came over to jungkook’s other side, pressing himself as closely as he always did. jimin put an arm over jungkook’s back, threading his fingers through taehyung’s fur comfortably. 

they went back into the den a couple hours later, longer than taehyung usually stayed. jimin gave him another few sleepy pets before they left.

somehow that became the routine - he would go off during the day, go to his tree in the evening, and sneak to the den at night. though he still felt like an intruder as he went deeper into their territory, he arrived at the den earlier and earlier. taehyung was always there, usually in wolf form but sometimes human, cuddling up with him for a few hours either way. jimin often accompanied him, doing the same. even their pack beta namjoon came to visit sometimes - though jungkook’s scared whine at his first arrival meant that he stayed farther back, usually in human form, and only for a few moments.

he didn’t expect them to keep him company when winter truly arrived. the cold fall nights were already unpleasant, especially to those used to a warm den, and jungkook would never think to ask them to stay. it started sleeting on his way to the den, and jungkook hunkered down onto the warm spot that had become his own, ready for a lonely night.

but then someone unfamiliar turned the corner. taehyung slinking behind the stranger guiltily, nosing at the alpha’s hand with his snout.

“i’m seokjin,” the man said. “pack alpha. would you come inside so my pups stop sleeping out in the cold?”

jungkook’s ears went down, lowering himself to his tummy in terrified apology. he was wracked with sudden horror about being a burden on their pack, inconveniencing jimin and taehyung, an inconsiderate parasite that caused them undue harm.

seokjin softened a little. “i don’t want you to be cold either, pup.”

jungkook whined at the endearment, though it was nothing but generic and unfamiliar.

the pack alpha straightened, looking at him with a serious expression, though his eyes were still kind. “i welcome you to our den.”

the words were meaningful and formal and so much kinder than jungkook thought he deserved. he couldn’t ignore what amounted to a command from a pack leader. he kept himself deferentially low as he followed him, terrified even with taehyung now bounding beside him excitedly, guilt erased. 

as soon as the den door was opened, jungkook was hit with a wave of the pack smell he’d experienced through the blankets and treats, this time in full force. there were so many comfortable things around, large stores of food for winter along one wall, a lit fireplace against another. there were doors that were likely to bedrooms but they were all closed - jungkook wondered if they were ever even used with a common room so nice.

jimin had been lounging on one of the sofas but shot up when they came through the door, a wide-eyed look of delight on his face. “i didn’t think you’d come in!”

he rushed over and dropped to his knees in front of jungkook, cupping his face between his hands and doing his best to squish jungkook’s thin cheeks. jungkook couldn’t help but lick at his hands a little, his tail wagging timidly at jimin’s giggle.

“welcome to our den,” namjoon greeted him from the kitchen area, smiling at him like it was a normal thing to invite a feral wolf into their home.

“ah, our friend!” said an unshifted wolf, a lithe and pretty alpha who smiled so brightly at jungkook that he was too perplexed to be scared. he bowed at jungkook, the most human thing that had happened to him since his excommunication. “we haven’t met but jimin and taehyungie talk about you enough that i feel we have. i’m hoseok.”

jungkook bowed his head, hoping the alpha would feel that it was respectful enough.

hoseok just smiled, nudging jin. “hyung’s going to get attached.”

jin sighed, shrugging. “it was bound to happen eventually.”

jungkook didn’t know what they were talking about, but he wasn’t able to pay much attention to try to figure it out. jimin scratched him behind his ears, taehyung rubbed against his side and kept almost falling over. it was almost like he was scenting him, but really, he seemed to be rolling over him with the ambiguous result of scenting. jungkook felt dizzy with it all.

jimin had said there were six of them. the last of their pack emerged from one of the bedrooms, a heavy fur draped over his shoulders - it was the wolf he’d seen weeks before, the one who’d been weaving a basket at the creek. now that he was close enough to smell him, he was sure that his scent had been on one of the small wood carvings jimin had brought to him.

he looked small and sleep and rumpled, and had the undeniable scent of an impending heat.

wariness crept over him. omegas in heat were shameful, meant to be hidden away. but they were necessary for pack survival and that meant that they were protected rather than cast aside. even if jungkook was a fellow omega, he was a feral wolf, not one of their pack or any pack at all. he was a threat and there was no way in hell that the alphas and betas would allow him nearby.

and yet, the betas paid the scene no mind. namjoon was checking the pot that was over the kitchen fire, and jimin was chastising taehyung for knocking something over with his tail. the alphas were watching, both with some sort of amused expression that jungkook couldn’t parse.

hoseok grinned, leaning on the wall and looking at their omega fondly. “our friend is joining us tonight.”

“if that’s alright with you, yoongi,” jin added.

yoongi blinked slowly before squinting at jungkook, ignoring jimin and taehyung casting pleading can we keep him, hyung? looks up at him. jungkook shrunk in on himself - somehow it was this omega who was deciding his fate. jungkook’s familial pack would have never stood for it; they didn’t let omegas talk without permission in the home, much less when it came to any decisions. but the alphas didn’t seem like they were tricking him, the betas didn’t seem ready to pounce, taehyung wasn’t bothered, and yoongi - just blinked at him again before glancing between jin and hoseok.

“that’s a pup,” he said.

“a pup that’s been outdoors for weeks, hyung!” jimin whined. hoseok tugged jimin’s hair, a teasing hush, as taehyung whimpered his agreement.

yoongi didn’t shift but he did breathe in deeply through his nose, taking jungkook in. jungkook felt horribly seen and scared. if this omega, who the pack seemed to actually place stock in, finds him unworthy, he would never see any of them again. after so much painful loneliness, so many long months starving on his own - he finally felt a kind touch, heard kind words, felt not good but okay, and it would kill him to leave it.

yoongi sighed, offering jungkook his hand. he sniffed at it cautiously before giving it a tiny apologetic lick. “come.”

jungkook slinked shyly behind yoongi as he led him to a space near the fire that was clearly a nest. jungkook lingered near the edge as yoongi sat, patting the space beside him and looking at him insistently until jungkook breached the nest with a tentative paw. yoongi waited patiently for him to crawl in and jungkook, who had met him minutes ago, felt that yoongi would help him avoid any of the pack’s anger at his boldness.

as soon as jungkook sat down, yoongi put his hand on his head. it was such a simple gesture, but it sent so much comfort through jungkook’s entire body that he whined quietly, looking up at him with big brown eyes.

yoongi gave him a steady, assessing look, but didn’t do anything but pet him softly. it only took a few moments for everyone to start puttering around again. hoseok leaned on the counter as he talked to namjoon, giving him occasional cooking assistance; jin stretched out on one of the plush sofas, throwing his arm comfortably over his eyes; jimin and taehyung flopped in front of the fire nearby, with taehyung shifting to human form, seemingly for the sole purpose of holding onto one of jungkook’s paws.

jungkook almost startled when yoongi scritched the nape of his neck but managed to keep himself from jumping. he glanced up and met yoongi’s watchful eyes, felt him move slowly and deliberately, and, when jungkook didn’t move away, gave him a quick, soft scruff, squeezing the back of his neck. like a young pup. one someone actually wanted around.

when yoongi muttered “relax, sweetheart,” jungkook melted, going lax and leaning into yoongi’s touch. though he stopped scruffing him, yoongi left his hand on his neck, giving his ears the occasional comforting squeeze. he sighed, giving him a warm, sleepy smile. “cuddle with hyung, pup, come here.”

jungkook cuddled as close as he could without moving his paw, not wanting to loosen taehyung’s hold because being held was nice. yoongi standing was not nice, and he only gave a little smile at jungkook’s helpless whine. he couldn’t even be embarrassed about it - he wanted the omega back, he didn’t want to be without him. 

he didn’t have to wait long for yoongi to come back into the nest. he watched as yoongi shifted into a beautiful, fluffy, soft black merle wolf before crawling back beside him. he curled around jungkook fully, managing to encompass jungkook’s thin body even though jungkook was bigger than him as a human. maybe. jungkook couldn’t quite remember. but no matter what, it was nice.

yoongi let out a content huff as he settled. he groomed jungkook’s face with lazy focus as taehyung massaged his paw and jimin’s pretty voice washed over him as he read aloud. he felt - overwhelmed, in the best way possible, so hyperfocused on the good feelings and smells and touch and everything that he couldn’t find the will to be scared anymore. 

jimin put his book down after a while, turning to pout at yoongi. “hyungie?”

yoongi huffed into jungkook’s fur but wagged his tail once, and that was all the permission jimin needed to shift and climb over to jungkook’s over side. taehyung stayed in human form but still joined their pile. he laid half on top of jimin, managing to throw a comfortable arm over jungkook’s back.

jungkook was slightly crushed between the two of them but hearing the sleet outside made the fire seem even warmer, and jungkook had never felt so calm in his entire life. he didn’t even notice himself falling asleep. 

he was the first one to wake the next morning. taehyung and jimin had moved around in their sleep and were now curled around each other, a tangle of wolf and man. yoongi was still wrapped around him, warm and calming and protective.

though it took all of his willpower to do so, he crawled away from the nest, trying his best to not wake anyone. despite his best efforts, yoongi blinked his eyes open wearily, making a discontent, inquisitive huff. jungkook startled as jin pushed himself up, his mussed hair and sleep-puffy face making the alpha seem less intimidating than in the moonlight.

“come back to us, pup,” he mumbled. he watched as jungkook left, but made no effort to stop him.

-

once again, jungkook’s routine evolved into something that became more comfortable than he expected it to. he left the den in the morning, wandered during the day, and came back when the sun started to set. he would be met at the door by one or two or all of the pack, eagerly escorting him in and feeding him, petting him, tucking him in close to the warm fire.

he’d always end up with yoongi pressed against him.

yoongi was quickly nearing his heat; jungkook could smell it on him. it was a nice smell, like blooming honeysuckles or warm vanilla, and jungkook fell asleep so easily with his nose pressed into yoongi’s fur or side, depending on which form he had taken that night. three days into his new routine, jungkook could tell that it was starting.

he didn’t meet them at the den that night, staying at his mossy patch and trying to not think about how the cold felt so, so much colder after days in a warm home. he missed the den, the pack, the rock outside - but he knew better than to get close to an omega in heat even if he was an omega himself.

he settled down, shivering in the bitter wind. his display of trinkets in his tree was comforting, though. little declarations of care, though they had long lost the scent of their makers. he was just starting to be numb enough to the cold to sleep when he heard jin’s voice in the distance.

“friend?” he shouted. jungkook shot up, staring into the dark. quick steps came closer, his voice growing louder. “pup!”

he emerged from the trees looking frantic and frazzled, but relief washed over his face as soon as he spotted jungkook.

“oh, thank the gods,” he breathed out. “yoongi’s been asking for you and threatened to come find you himself, would you come back to the den, baby? please?”

jungkook was astounded, but followed him anyway. he walked a few steps behind him until jin reached for him, putting a gentle hand on jungkook’s head as they made their way to the den.

the den smelled like sex, even from the outside, and jungkook almost turned away again. jin opened the door before he could. yoongi snapped to look at him, eyes going from panic to determination in one blink. he shifted on his way to them, peering at him suspiciously, like he though jungkook would run off.

jungkook let out a yap of surprise when yoongi bit the nape of his neck, dragging him by his scruff towards the nest like an overgrown pup. the nest had grown dramatically during the night as yoongi’s preheat reached its peak, and the spot that had become jungkook’s had effectively disappeared. yoongi didn’t seem satisfied until jungkook was fully in his nest, allowing yoongi to nudge him around.

yoongi let out a loud huff before settling down, laying over jungkook heavily, protectively.

“there, you big baby,” jin said fondly, “are you satisfied?”

yoongi huffed again but jungkook could smell contentment pouring from him, happy, for some unfathomable reason, to have a feral wolf in his nest.

yoongi kept him in the nest for the entirety of his heat, even when he shifted to human and dragged one or two of his packmates off to a bedroom with him. he came back immediately after he was sated, just to cuddle jungkook up.

-

after that, jungkook didn’t leave.

even during the day, he would always be near one of the pack, always keeping an eye and ear out for any sign that they didn’t want him there but never finding one.

they talked to him, like he was a valid being and not just a feral unwanted creature. it was confusing and heartwarming at the same time, and jungkook couldn’t help the hope that sprang from it all - though he wasn’t sure what he was hoping for. he shouldn’t hope for anything, but there was no way he could stop himself.

they learned his favorite foods just by watching his reactions. they learned that he loved his tummy rubbed but was always too shy to let it happen without coaxing. they learned that he loved scenting and being scented but was too terrified to initiate, so they did all of the initiation for him.

the next full moon was one of the best nights of jungkook’s life, before and after he was excommunicated from his familial pack. jin’s pack was so beautiful together, each of their wolves so pretty and different but still clearly belonging together. he felt like he was part of something that night, for the first time in his life. he ran with them, played with taehyung and wrestled with jimin, had more and more meat pushed towards him by hoseok and had his messy face groomed by namjoon afterwards, was scruffed by yoongi when he felt too restless and was put snug in between him and jin when it was time for them to rest.

he felt more free and more loved than he ever had before.

he fell asleep easily, tucked between two of the people who now treated him like one of their own. he even snuggled closer to the pack leader, tucked his nose into his side while pushing himself back into yoongi, not willing to sacrifice one to have more of the other.

he woke up like that, face in jin’s side, back pressed against yoongi. jin had shifted back sometime during the night as he often did. he claimed sleeping in a human body was more comfortable. he was still warm, though, still soft, and jungkook -

jungkook’s fingers were touching jin’s chest. his toes were touching yoongi’s fur. there were more colors in the den than there had been the night before, and those that had been there already were more vibrant. he was dizzy when he pushed himself up, only able to look around for a brief moment before swaying.

jin caught him before he couple topple over.

jin looked at him for a long moment, confusion quickly changing to awe. he opened his arms and jungkook fell into his chest, taking in a shuddering breath as he was held for the first time in years. years.

jungkook’s hands roamed over jin’s arms, his own legs, the fur rug beneath them. everything felt so different, so much more different than he remembered. jin let him explore for a few long moments before pressing a kiss to his hair.

“what’s your name, dear one?” he asked quietly.

his voice was hoarse from disuse, quiet by nature. “jungkook.”

jin kissed his hair again before holding him even closer, swaying them a little. “it’s nice to meet you, jungkook. do i need to ask you to stay?”

jungkook shook his head. he wouldn’t leave until they forced him.

“good,” jin said. he pulled away, cupping jungkook’s face in his hand. jungkook was too overwhelmed to cry, even though every single movement felt monumental. “go back to sleep, jungkookie. everyone will be all over you once they wake, and you’ll need your rest to deal with them.”

jungkook nodded, letting himself be guided down and tucked in under a blanket. jin rubbed his back as he drifted off - he had tired from only those few moments, his body exhausted and sore after using different muscles for so long. jin shushed him softly, soothingly, and jungkook fell asleep tucked close to his side.

sure enough, he woke once more to loud squawking as the pack realized that he’d shifted. he blinked up at them with bleary eyes before yawning widely and hiding his face against jin’s chest.

“let the baby sleep!” jin scolded, clicking his tongue and cuddling jungkook closer.

he was held by everyone in turn, though he was asleep for most of it. when his body decided it had had enough sleep, he woke up with his cheek on yoongi’s chest, taehyung laying heavy over his legs and jimin’s arm slung around his waist.

yoongi brushed his hair back, giving him a soft smile. “good morning, my little pup. welcome home.”