Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

please excuse any small typos i wrote most of this on my phone

this chapter does have a lil bit of smut but its so poorly written so—enjoy <33

CH. 1

After being chased through the forest by a rogue, Jimin offers to mate him as a means of survival. 

Rubatosis

Fuck.

Jimin’s vulgar thoughts repeated themselves throughout the hours as he continued to misstep, landing on his butt or tumbling forward. He had worn the wrong shoes for the occasion but then again, it was a spontaneous one. All he had were a few shillings, his tribal necklace, and a box of matches in his pocket that rattled with every movement. 

He ruffled his light hair and huffed as he began to hike again. He was wearing a large beige tunic sewn in the front with long sleeves, his fur boots and ash green pants. The cold wind cut through the thin clothes and pierced his skin like needles. 

That particular day, he was stealing loaves of bread from his clan or now his ex-clan. Coming from a poor family, theft was really the only way to survive and make it. He had been chased across town before he managed to scale a wall and avoid any arrows shot at him before shifting and sprinting into the darkness of the forest. They chased him down and shot him with a wolfsbane dart. The amount of wolfsbane was so minimal that all it did was made Jimin’s omega stutter for a few hours. 

Ten years of theft and he was finally caught. 

Luckily, the Head Omega took “pity” on him and chose to send him to the outer walls rather than throw him into a dungeon. But she knew how dangerous it was to be alone outside the walls. Various scouting missions had gone wrong in the past and so the council decided not to venture more than a few miles. 

So this was possibly an even worse fate. 

But Jimin didn’t have time to consider everything. 

The walls of the Park clan were armed with guards and arrows upon the Head Alpha and elder’s request. Citizens didn’t often buy weapons for protection because it wasn’t needed on the inside. He had never been in such a dangerous situation. 

And now, he was a lone omega left wandering the forest at night, searching for food, shelter, anywhere he could sleep without becoming ill really. 

But shelter and food aside, Jimin was especially worried about heats.

Heats would come and go monthly, while ruts for alphas happened every two to three months. Sometimes, he managed to go through a heat without needing a voluntary alpha from Alpha Services in the town. He tried his best not to since renting an alpha was expensive, nearly thirty shillings a day and his father barely made fifteen. 

Alpha services were not supposed to feel good either. They were only to keep the omega alive. 

If an omega wasn’t stimulated during the heat either by a toy or an alpha, they could overheat and get severely sick. 

If a mated omega wasn’t bred by their mate during a heat, they would die. 

He remembered one incident where he couldn’t afford an alpha and locked himself in his room with furs and water. It was hell. He was sweating, yet freezing all over and a fever rushed over his forehead. He tried using his fingers, but they didn’t reach as far as he wanted. Slick and sweat stained the furs obscenely and he eventually managed with a makeshift toy. 

He started taking silphium seeds after that. 

Even then, going back to his clan wasn’t an option as he knew he wouldn’t be welcomed in the slightest. He couldn’t fake being a lone wolf either since he knew how the council was. They didn’t like a single extra wolf who wasn’t their own. It would mean another ration and more to work for. 

His father was already burdened by their situation and had to take care of himself. He was a weapons smith and in other clans, it was a satisfactory job. But the Parks were also above average wealth in most parts. Stealing was one of the higher offenses in the Park clan and would result in his hands being brutally hacked off and fed to the pigs. 

But it wasn’t like he and his father were even close anymore.

In all honesty, having to leave him wasn’t the worst part about being banished. He just tried to be as grateful as he could and repay for the amount of time his father did tend to him. He might have been around fifteen when he was left on his own. 

His sister died with she was two due to sickness and his mother was drowned when he was eleven after being accused of witchcraft. 

Astronomy was not witchcraft. 

One day, his parents scraped up enough money to buy a brand-new telescope because Jimin had always been fascinated by the stars and wanted to see them up close. The way they hovered so far yet so bright mesmerized him like hypnosis. The velvety sheet of blue sparkled like glitter falling from the sky.

The sky itself was a realm of spirits and magic, parading patterns of legends and the gods who once walked the earth. 

He even had his own star that shimmered with the faintest hint of red. It was right under the constellation of a great alpha wolf known to all as Hades, renamed after the Greek God himself but serving as the god of tyranny. 

As a child, he learnt that the man in the moon was a proclaimed leader of an army and that the stars were the warriors of Lady Elinor. They were sent out in the night to keep the dark god of Rokeed under control.

Centuries ago, Lady Elinor created the Land of Alanuar and the world cherished her. They played and laughed under the sun while at night, they slept peacefully. The spirits of the skies would hold the hands of young and old souls alike, guiding them along the stars to live another alternate reality. 

Some woke up, delighted with the dreams and hoping that they were a sign. 

Others were carried by the angels of the afterlife and never woke up.

Her brother, Rokeed, grew angry and jealous as the world was unable to celebrate his darkness in the night. Legend says he lifted his bow, sending a black arrow straight into the heart of Lady Elinor and swore to bring upon an eternal night. 

The tears of Lady Elinor brought upon the tall trees in the soil, a kind reminder of who she was she returned to the skies in the form of a comet that dragged by the earth once a century. 

Rokeed was overthrown by the man in the moon’s warriors and was banished into the shadows, befitting into a symbol of death. The man in the moon was a truly mysterious spirit. But the stories told that he created the moon with the ashes of his fallen brothers and sisters in the battle with the dark gods who fought alongside Rokeed.

Jimin was now 24. He could still remember the strokes of his mother’s hands in his hair as she told him the tales of her childhood. The way her voice carried through the air like a graceful wind in winter. Winter was always her favorite season despite the bitter cold and so it became Jimin’s favorite. 

He missed her dearly. He missed her affection, her eyes, and her touch. 

After all his family had been through, his ignorance and cockiness would only make life worse for his father. 

He might not have been able to return home under any circumstances. 

However, he did have a plan: the Kim clan. 

The Kim clan were some of the most hospitable wolves on the planet. They often took in those who weren’t their own and gave plenty to wolves in need. 

Jimin held onto the bark of a tree as he tried to wriggle his way through the mess. He had taken a bad path and the area was too confined for him to shift without injuring himself further. He could just barely see the end of the jumble of fallen trees and branches which were probably caused by strong winds or a clumsy pack walking by.

He climbed a few steps up higher into the tree and was about to step over when the thin and unstable branch under his left foot snapped. He cried out as his body hit the surrounding trees, branches scratching at his arms and face as he tumbled onto the ground and down a slope. 

When he came to a stop on the dry grass, his breath hitched. 

He was in the middle of a wolfsbane field.

Now, he was definitely going to the Kim clan, that was a set plan.

But they were far away. Across the Alanuar and even worse, past the Jeon clan.  

The Jeon Clan was his biggest threat. 

Whenever Park members left the city walls, they had to hide from Jeon members. In the possibility of trespassing or wandering into unclaimed land, being kidnapped or killed by a Jeon wasn’t unusual. Sometimes, wolfsbane was an advantage. 

But from then on, he knew he wouldn’t be able to shift and that would be a problem when the time came for him to pass through. The only true benefit of wolfsbane was the sour scent.

He tried his best not to let any of his bare skin rub against the purple petals. The only skin that was out was his collarbones, hands, and partially his ankles. 

He took short and calculated breaths to not inhale the pollen. When he began to aggressively cough and tear up, he knew he had already inhaled some and quickly but carefully stood up and climbed out the sides of the small ditch to higher ground. And if a wolf was exposed to wolfsbane for too long, it could begin to hallucinate. 

Wolfsbane was a dangerous toxin. He needed to be more careful. 

Water. I need water. 

Jimin walked for another ten or so minutes(he honestly couldn’t tell)glancing up at the moon sporadically, asking for guidance. 

When his calves began to burn, heels aching and body tired, he stood up on a rock to try and see above the treeline ahead. He looked up at the full moon, glowing in the sky and painted with blue and white.

“C’mon…” he mumbled. “Help me out here. Please?”

At that moment, the clouds began to float faster beyond the moon and the light emitted down. It was directed ahead of him at an opening in the woods. Past it, he could see a sliver of sapphire. The light then draped over him and gleamed like a spotlight. He was in awe, lips parting as he looked back up at the moon.

He heard me.

He silently thanked the man in the moon, jumping down the rock and rushing towards the sapphire patch. He let out a cry of relief as he fell to his knees in front of the body of water. It was a freshwater lake, gently splashing against the wet gravel of the shore from the wind. The moment his hands touched the water, the clouds once again covered the moon and the light was gone just as fast as it manifested.

He cupped his hands and the water dripped off the sides of his fingers as he closed his eyes to drink. The cold water was refreshing on his dry tongue and the first thing he did was swish his mouth of any remains of wolfsbane. He spat it out to his side to avoid getting any trace of wolfsbane in the water. He also splashed some of it onto his exposed skin which was beginning to rash. Then, he continued to replenish his body. 

The cuts on his face and arm burned under the cold of the water. It was early May and winter was far, but the nights were always chill.

From his basic knowledge, the Kim clan was quite a ways west while he was in the far east. In between and far south was the Jeon clan. But the Jeons owned a large part of territory that sat between him and the Kim Clan. 

It would take weeks to go around. He would die from dehydration by that time if there were no water sources and he didn’t know the land well enough. As far as he was aware, there were not many nearby. There were a few major rivers, one behind the Jeon clan and another closer to the Kim clan. He wasn’t aware of the others. 

He drank as much as he could and washed his face and neck once more for closure. He ran his wet through his hair and sighed, casually looking up at the treeline surrounding the lake. 

That’s when he saw it.

A wolf.

A massive—wolf. 

Where did he come from—

His breath halted and he felt his knees press together in fear, hands gripping at his shirt as he remained as still as a field mouse under a soaring hawk. 

The wolf was black as night, larger than average, and one of the biggest wolves Jimin had seen in his life.

Perhaps a non-shifter? Terrifying folklore spread to children to lure them inside when dusk turned dark. 

“Careful! Otherwise, Mortuus will get you!” the parents would yell. 

Legends of great pack leaders who were so corrupted by the greed to rule that they turned into dangerous wolves, losing the inner light of the man in the moon to shift back. Non-shifters were stripped of any identity after a while, turning into the epitome of pure animalistic rage. 

Jimin never believed in those stories. 

But he could now. 

It walked to Jimin's right with purpose, paws hitting the gravel roughly and head down as its tail swayed along. Even from across the lake, Jimin could see the large muscles moving under thick skin like rocks under a fur. 

Alpha. 

He was no doubt a male.

A necklace with different varieties of teeth hanging on a thick string sat around its neck.

A string of teeth.

Jeon clan.

Cannibals. 

Rumors were that they ate their own.

That was all he knew.

His breath released in a shudder when he realized the wolf wasn’t a non-shifter. 

Being a member of the Jeon clan didn’t necessarily make him feel any safer. 

He actually felt worse.

Jimin tried to remain as still as he could.

His heart dropped when the wolf froze into a sharp stance, just directly across the lake. His tale slowly lowered down like a lever and his nose stretched into the air. Wolves still tried to sniff out wolfsbane to avoid falling into any(which Jimin stupidly didn’t).

So he could smell Jimin, or more accurately smell the wolfsbane. 

He can smell me.

Maybe even hear his panicked heartbeat. With a build like that , Jimin didn’t doubt his other senses were just as powerful.

But his nose lowered back down and he sneezed in disapproval, walking towards the treeline in front of him. 

Jimin was relieved that he wasn’t coming his way.

He released a huff of air.

Then the wolf snapped his head with a growl in Jimin’s direction, eyes glowing white amongst the moonlight with the darkness looming behind him. There was a prominent scar on the left side of his face that wasn’t visible before, leaving his image even more horrifying. 

Jimin scrambled to his feet and took off in a sprint.

The alpha howled, shooting forward and charging along the lake. His paws slapped against the water and it splashed up into his fur, leaving his lower half damp. 

Jimin didn’t look back after that.

He tried to shift, he really did. But after falling into the wolfsbane, all he could feel were his nails morphing into claws before stuttering and turning back into human nails.

Even then, his claws would be useless against the beast behind him. 

The Jeon wolf was huge. He had to be at least six feet. 

Jimin used his arms to shove small branches out of the way. He could hear distant but growing snarls of the wolf behind him as he dashed through the uneven and rocky forest. Getting through the terrain quickly was a struggle. His feet kept slipping on rocks and he kept getting caught in branches. 

But his adrenaline was racing.

He was moving faster than he ever had before, faster than when he avoided guards in the city. But this was different. 

Much, much different. 

He ignored the debris that flew into his eye, shutting it for a few seconds before catching something in his other eye. When both eyes protectively shut against his will, he was unlucky enough to get his foot caught in between two rocks. His body went taut and he fell to his side, ankle twisting harshly as a cry left his lips. He grunted and tumbled down onto packed dirt and stone while his fingers struggled to find purchase.

The omega had fallen maybe ten feet before his back hit the ground below him. 

He quickly rubbed his eyes and looked around at the cave he was in. It was a small stalagmite. Sharp rocks that resembled icicles hung from the ceilings and jutted out the floor behind him.

Thank Lady Elinor he didn’t fall on one of those. 

He looked down at his ankle which was bright red and hissed when he tried to move it. For a split moment, he forgot why he was running. 

He remained still for a few minutes, hoping if he were quiet enough that the alpha would run by. 

When nothing happened, he deemed it safe and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the box of matchsticks and lit one up. The light blinded him from seeing too far beyond and he glanced around for a few seconds to see what his options were. 

Memories flooded back when the silhouette of a wolf appeared at the entrance he fell in, covering the extra light flowing in. He gasped, hands shaking violently. 

The alpha was here. 

What was he supposed to do? 

Run on an injured leg? 

Fight back without shifting? 

Beg for his life? 

What choice did he really have? 

“P-please…” he whispered. 

The wolf strode down the slope with ease, strong paws planting in the dirt as he huffed and puffed. Jimin still couldn’t see very clearly in the dark and glanced at a patch of dry grass to his left. He tossed the match, still keeping his eyes on the wolf and lighting a fire. 

The wolf snarled, jumping back from the fire and growling deeply at it.

The cave was flooded with golden light, as was the wolf’s face, including the dry, red scar on his face where the fur had burnt off. The necklace of teeth close up was old and tattered with parts of it chipping away. 

His scent was faint, musky, floral and wet, but mostly disguised by the stench of the forest. 

Jimin’s own scent was sweet, cherries and vanilla. He was an omega after all. 

The wolf inched closer to Jimin before sniffing the air and retreating back. He then scrunched his nose at him. 

“Wolfsbane. Don’t like it?” Jimin asked sarcastically. 

The wolf sneezed, sitting back on his heels and looking down at Jimin with his glittering eyes. 

This wolf—besides being a Jeon—was beautiful. 

His right eye was a deep golden, although reflecting the eyes of the devil, crazed and evil. But his left eye was half shut from the injury. Jimin wasn't even sure he could see through it. His fur was matted and dirty and his claws looked to be an uncomfortable length, twisting and turning in all directions. 

But the fear was real. Jimin’s blood turned cold. It boiled in his stomach and tried sending a bile up his throat but he kept it in.

The wolf snarled, ears twitching and feet pounding impatiently at the floor. 

He wanted to eat Jimin. It was obvious he was hangry. He would tear Jimin apart, limb by limb, maybe even wait for Jimin to shift so that he had more meat. But that would take a while and before the effects of the wolfsbane wore off he would lose it and eat Jimin human. It was terrifying. 

“Please let me go…” Jimin whispered, voice small and pleading. “I had a plan. I was going to get to the Kim clan! Please!” 

The wolf continued to stare, not giving a fuck. 

“Come on. Don’t do this. You can walk away, you can walk…” he trailed off. 

A sudden realization flew across Jimin. 

The full moon, the twitching ears, the impatient pounding of his paws and crazed eyes. 

He wasn’t just hangry. 

“Oh my god. You’re out here because—because you’re rogue. You’re going feral.” 

Or you just look like that because you have fleas and ticks. 

The wolf shook his head roughly in irritation and turned to the side, almost in shame before standing up and stomping towards Jimin. He towered six feet tall while Jimin sat on the ground. His teeth bared once more. 

Jimin gulped and his head swirled with multiple ideas for his survival but none that would for sure have a favorable outcome. 

“Where’s your mate? Do-do you have one?” 

He didn’t answer but most likely didn’t have one. 

Upon learning this new information, his options narrowed once again. 

Feral wolves were triggered by traumatizing events. Even omegas go feral from time to time but when alphas go feral, all hell breaks loose on the third day. Jimin wanted to assume this wolf had been feral for a few days, the full moon only making it worse. 

They were often banished until the phase ends. But some never return and become rogue. They don’t mate either and continue to go feral throughout their lives. It was sad. 

Jimin inhaled, fingers grilling at his pants as he avoided eye contact while trying to keep his chin up. “Mate me.” 

The wolf went silent. 

Jimin felt such shame that he had to give away something so special and personal to a soon-to-be feral rogue for his survival. 

“It’s… It's the only way I can get out of this alive. And the only way you can go back to normal. And then you can go home too. That’s why they kicked you out right?”

The wolf stared down at him, eyes hard and narrowed. 

“I just lost my home. Let me find a new one…” Jimin whispered. 

No answer. 

“Y-you help me, I help you. How does that sound?” Jimin babbled. “Don’t you want to go home too?!”

Jimin knew for a fact this wolf had to be exiled for a reason and had never returned, even if his feral phase had ended at some point. He just looked too—dirty. 

Another twenty hours and the wolf would be on another violent spree until he mated. Since Jimin didn’t know this wolf, he didn’t know his intentions or strength. He might as well have planned on saving Jimin for the full outbreak to maul. 

“Mate me. I don’t wanna’ die. Please, please, please —“ Jimin’s voice cracked, tearing up from fear and stress. 

Was that it? 

Was he going to die soon?

All his life he just wanted something more than what he had. And maybe he was selfish but he needed something more. Just a little more. 

And now because of his futile attempts, he was going to die, alone, and by the teeth of a rogue. 

“Please…” he whispered once more, eyes blurring as tears began to spill. 

A minute of silence passed and the wolf’s breathing had increased, paws digging into the stone. 

Jimin glanced up when the wolf huffed, licking its nose and walking towards him. He cried out when the wolf’s nose touched his neck, sniffing firmly and sneezing with impatience. 

The omega let out a sob, wiping his eyes and cheeks as he began to undress and sniffle, mumbling multiple phrases of gratitude and apologies.

What do I fucking have to apologize for?  

Jimin scrambled up and kept his weight off of his damaged ankle as he began to unbutton his pants. Once he was naked, he tried to silently cover himself. He turned his body to the side and lifted his knee up as a chill ran down his skin. 

He was confused when the wolf didn’t shift into human form. 

“A-alpha?”

The wolf made eye contact. 

“Alpha, please shift…” The wolf stepped towards him, nosing at his neck once again and Jimin curled his body the other way and stumbled to the ground with a grunt.

“I want you in human form. You understand me right?” he frantically asked. 

The unknown alpha didn’t say a word and turned Jimin into his stomach. He was then bent over a slab of rock in front of him. It was about four feet tall, his abdomen resting a little before the peak of the rock and his ass up and presented, toes grazing over the ground. His body was in a v-like shape as he felt a strong paw on his lower back. He whimpered softly. 

His cock hung against the cold and clammy rock between his legs, stretching away from his body uncomfortably and pointing towards his feet. He yelped when he felt the large and very wolf-like tongue lick all the way up from his tip to his puckering hole. The entire time he was twitching, his body shaking left and right to try and avoid the stimulation. But the rough hold on his lower back kept him trapped down for the wolf to do as he wished.  

Jimin may have done a lot of things to get food and money in the past. But one thing he never did was exploit himself. Fornication was strictly taboo and those who participated were looked down upon. That was another reason Alpha Services did the bare minimum.

Meaning he was a virgin, untouched by anyone. 

Only his own hands had ever grazed himself and even then, he never actually put anything inside him. He stuck to the typical jacking off with his hands. 

Then, he felt the tongue of the alpha curl around his tight hole and he gasped when it forced its way inside. 

It was soft and warm and unlike anything he had ever felt before. 

But instead of trying to pull away, he started subconsciously pushing his hips back to meet the alpha’s thrusts. The tongue grazed at his walls like a velvet sheet and his body spasmed, ass raising up and thumping back down sporadically while he gripped the stone. His toes struggled to stay on the ground and it only left him even more helpless without any sort of leverage.

“Hhh…”

A gentle moan left his lips and he slapped a hand over his mouth with wide eyes. The wolf only went deeper and harder, trying to bring out more moans and whimpers. His legs swung in the air pitifully and his cock was only stimulated further along the stone.  

Whatever slick he was creating was being greedily slurped up by the alpha.

Jimin didn’t want to stop and for that, he felt shameful. 

But years of pent-up sexual tension had caught up to him and he realized he was making up for all the missed orgasms from his chubby fingers. All the missed opportunities with the suppressed heats and pointless alphas. 

However, his omega pushed away those feelings away and continued to allow the wolf to tongue-fuck him while he submitted and rolled his ass back. 

At that point, he decided to screw being quiet. The fact that he was pushing himself back was shameful enough. 

What was a little more?

He grunted, grabbing the stone with his left hand and scooting up. He reached behind with his right hand and pulled one of his ass cheeks to the side to give the wolf more room to work with. The wolf rested a paw up on the rock, lifting Jimin’s left leg from under his knee. 

Jimin moaned in a high-pitched tone, dropping his cheek to the stone.

It felt so good.

Next, the wolf began to furiously lick at his cock. The rough, yet smooth tongue licked in spurts from the head up to his base like a desert place. 

The texture was something else that he couldn’t begin to describe.

He propped himself up on his elbows, back arching and neck falling back with a moan. He lifted his knees up, wishing he could just turn onto his back and let the alpha eat away at him.

But that would be a little too inviting in the current state the wolf was in. 

“P-please…” he whispered, not knowing what he was asking for. 

Then, everything stopped. 

He let out a small whimper, nearly turning around to ask why he had pulled away. 

That’s when he felt something warm, hard, and much larger than a tongue nuzzle between his cheeks.

“O-oh— oh !” 

Now he was panicking. 

As an omega, he was ready to please the alpha in need and willing to spare his life. 

But the logical side of him was slamming his face on the ground and screaming at him to get it together and figure a way out of this.

“Please shift,” he tried again. 

When he heard nothing, he began to regret his decision. While there was consent, he didn’t think he'd survive if he was taken by an alpha wolf of this size. He knew it would break him.

And when he felt the slick pool in his body before slowly gushing out, he whimpered and buried his face in his arms in embarrassment now that the pleasure was gone. His body was giving out all the signs that he wanted to be bred and mated. 

Deep down, his omega truly did. 

But the thought of being split into two caused his cock to twitch and another gush of slick to slide out and down the back of his perineum.

The raw scent of the alpha behind his naked body whiffed through the mud and dirt and he knew that this male had been a wolf for a long time and had been feral possibly longer. 

Humans couldn’t survive being out in the wild alone without the protection of a pack or family. 

He would be aggressive and rough with his omega and there would be no affection.

But maybe he wanted it like that. 

How long have you been out here alone that you’d have to stay a wolf? 

Do you remember what it’s like to be a human?  

He gasped when the wolf pressed down on his lower back, a calloused paw on his delicate skin.

“Alpha, please change. Please, please, please …”

The wolf backed away and for a minute or so, all Jimin could hear was a hushed growl and grunting. 

That’s when he felt the gentle, hesitant hand of a human on his shoulder and a human nose nuzzle his nape, breath fanning his sweaty skin. 

He almost cried out in gratitude. 

“Thank you, Alpha. Thank you, thank you …” 

A grunt in response. 

Jimin could barely take in the scent, masked by his own sour, wolfsbane-tinted aroma and dirt. But it was strong as his scent glands were tasting air for the first time in weeks.

Roses and rainwater.

He tried to turn his head back to see who he’d be mating with in hopes it could be more intimate. 

Lady of Elinor, what kind of thought is that.  

The alpha fisted his hair, slamming his left cheek on the rock, fingers settling on his scalp like a rein. He squirmed, trying again before hearing a low growl. He winced and closed his eyes, wriggling to feel the friction of the stone on his cock. 

The alpha rested a hand on his hip, gently caressing his soft skin before squeezing and pulling the other along his back after applying a tough, warning squeeze to his nape. 

Stay. 

He set both hands to Jimin’s lower back and his large hands almost wrapped around the sides of his waist. He then pressed down for leverage as his tip gently touched Jimin’s rim, not being able to fully push in with little force. 

Jimin could tell that even in human form he was huge. 

The unmated and virgin omega gulped. 

“Please be gentle…” 

────

Jimin exhaled in a shaky breath as the sunlight from the entrance of the cave beat down on him. His skin tingled under a tiny breeze and his gaze landed on the lone butterfly fluttering around him. 

It was orange in color, black around the fringe of its wings with little dots.  

He lifted a finger, attempting to befriend the only form of life he had seen aside from Jungkook since he left. It hovered for a few minutes before quivering away into the light of the golden morning. 

Chills ran up his spine when he turned over and felt a weight in the pit of his distended stomach. He groaned, placing a hand on his belly and wincing at the rough stone beneath him. His normally flat and averagely toned abdomen was bulging in an unnatural way that kept his skin taut. 

He didn’t have to think twice to know what it was. 

Behind him, the wolf was curled over him with his tail across Jimin’s legs. Jimin didn't even notice and turned to avoid eye contact. 

He was awake, staring up at the cave entrance as the light poured in and the birds chirped in their dusk tones. Jimin was looking at his “good side”. His profile was strong and toned. 

He was definitely feral the previous night because now, his look and demeanor had completely changed. 

Although he was still unkempt, his eyes looked gentler and his fur naturally seemed to fall in a consistent direction. 

His eyes squinted, blinking softly as he licked his nose and turned his face into the darkness with a small grunt. 

He sneezed, standing up and shaking himself off. His tail lightly brushed over Jimin’s skin and he looked down at his swollen ankle. 

Shit , he thought to himself. That’s not good. 

The wolf walked towards the cave entrance and Jimin called out, “Wait!” 

Jimin struggled to stand since his entire body was sore and he was definitely heavier. But he managed and started putting his clothes on. He was incredibly embarrassed when the tunic, normally a loose fit, was a little tighter around his stomach. 

He was even more so embarrassed when he realized he didn’t want to get rid of it either. 

But the night had been too intense and he couldn’t remember much as he was overtaken by pain, pleasure and the scent of roses and rain. 

And dirt. 

He could faintly recall a name he picked up over the night.

Jungkook. 

It must’ve been his name. 

He wondered if he had been screaming it. 

Jimin felt a quiet throb on his neck just over his scent glands and ran over it with his fingers. He hissed at the sting. 

His mark. 

He was claimed. 

Jimin held back the urge to scream as he grabbed the dirt under him. 

He felt like a pup about to throw a tantrum when he couldn’t sleep or get something right. 

Of course, it was his suggestion, a means for survival. 

But he was also deeply devastated. 

Due to his desperation to live, he had given up one of the most important aspects of an adolescent wolf. 

Freedom. 

With the mark, he would now be seen as mated and the only alpha who’ll ever want him—

—was Jungkook. 

But Jungkook surely wouldn’t be around. 

And without him, as a newly mated wolf, he would suffer a slow death. Jimin however, couldn’t mate him back even if he wanted to. 

As he tried to shift, his senses were blocked, paralyzed. And the only thing that could change were the claws peeking out of his fingertips. 

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. 

He was screwed. 

The fact that he would never see his mate ever again hadn’t quite dawned on him. He was still in shock.

The light coming down on him was covered by a shadow and Jimin looked up to see Jungkook standing at the entrance of the cave with something in his mouth. The glaring light of the sun engulfed the wolf, casting only a silhouette with soft edges. 

But luckily, he probably wouldn’t have to think about abandonment just yet. His mate was here. 

Jungkook jumped down and Jimin watched as his strong muscles kept him rooted and steady on the loose dirt once more. 

His shoulders rolled with the movement and his tail swung lightly behind him. 

In his mouth was a limp squirrel, gray in color and he stood tall in front of Jimin before plopping it down. Jimin took another look and realized that it was a dead rabbit with deep teeth marks on its skin. 

As an alpha, Jungkook was already starting to take care of Jimin by instinct whether he knew it or not. But his bond wasn't like Jimin’s since he wasn’t mated yet. He wouldn’t die if they were to be separated but his alpha wouldn’t let that happen so easily. 

Jimin cringed and looked up at Jungkook. 

“I can’t eat that.” 

Jungkook tilted his head as if asking “why not?” 

“Well, for starters it’s uncooked and still twitching. Second, I can’t shift for only Elinor knows how long.” 

Jungkook then lifted a paw and slammed it down on the skull of the rabbit. It cracked in a gross manner and Jimin winced. 

But just in time, his stomach grumbled and he sighed, rubbing his neck. Jungkook glanced at his stomach and then back up to his eyes. His nose was a mere four inches from Jimin’s as it gently sniffed the surrounding air. 

His right eye was a gorgeous pigment of golds and browns. There was the faint illusion that they were magically enhanced and swirling around like marble. His left eye was a dull white and grey, likely not working anymore and the thick scar ran down his face and behind his chin. It was so bad that it stretched out towards his ear which had a painful-looking tear in it. 

Jungkook then snorted and laid down with his tail excitedly swinging whilst he used both paws to hold the rabbit down and happily eat. 

In the meantime, Jimin attempted to climb out of the cave. He held into a rock and looked for a place to firmly step and haul himself up. It was not too far a climb but the wall was steep and a very flat slope. 

Jimin grunted as he lifted himself up and listened to the loose rock and debris under him. He searched for another ledge and when he thought he found one, put his weight on it and cried out when the rock gave out, giving his injured ankle a shock. He held onto a root jutting out from the dirt and found another footing. 

His breath became fast and he used his upper arm strength to get him a few more feet higher. Then he felt Jungkook’s head against his ass and let out a startled yelp. Jungkook propelled him up and Jimin grunted as he did a somersault over onto his stomach in the dust. 

He groaned and lifted his sore neck as Jungkook pranced past him like an oblivious buffoon. He looked down at his ankle and held his breath as he tried to circle it around. But it was stiff and painful. He groaned again and his head fell back down on the ground. 

The footsteps stopped for a moment before growing louder and Jimin felt Jungkook's snout at his side. 

“I’m fine. I’m fine…” he grunted. 

He stood up and held onto Jungkook’s shoulder as he hobbled along. When they made it back to the lake, Jimin once again discarded his clothes before getting into the cool water, carefully dipping his ankle in. The Park tribal necklace sat on his collarbone and he brushed his fingers over it.

Behind him, Jungkook sat down and watched him with a gentle gaze but Jimin couldn't care less. He had seen more of Jimin than anybody else. 

It wasn’t as cold as the previous night and was in fact a steady temperature. It got warmer as Jimin began to splash his body and clean up. He sat down on the shore and then rubbed his belly, cleaning up so the swelling could go down. He forced himself not to look at the creamy white liquids that left his body, waving his hand in the water and moving to another spot. 

A few yards away, Jungkook was also wading in the water to clean up. 

Once Jimin’s finished, he shook himself off a little and let the wind dry him off as best as it could. Then he put his clothes back on and set his ankle back into the water to try and numb it. Although it hurt, it didn’t seem to be too bad. But because of the wolfsbane, healing would take a little longer than a day. 

He could hear Jungkook’s paws stomping the gravel and looked behind to see him walking towards the forest hurriedly before his protective instincts could kick in again. 

Jimin felt a dread rush through him as he imagined what might happen to him if his mate left. 

No, no no, Alpha! his omega cried. 

“Wait! Come back!”

Jungkook continued on. 

“You said you’d help me?! Jungkook!”

Upon hearing his name, he stopped and stood still. 

“I… My ankle… It hurts. I can't walk.”

Jungkook turned around and snorted. Not my problem, he must be thinking. 

“I can’t walk ,” he repeated. “Let alone run if one of your brothers were to find me.” 

Jungkook’s head tilted down, eyes hardening with anger. 

The Jeon clan often referred to one another as “brothers”. It was like a fraternity for cannibals. 

Jimin himself was shy to ask, but what else could he do? He needed protection. 

“And on top of that, I can’t shift! I have no way of telling when the wolfsbane will wear off!” 

Jungkook scoffed and turned away once more. Jimin growled, fingers gripping the wet gravel below him until his skin burned and dented. 

He began to use the guilt card.

But under that, his omega was crying, desperately pleading for Jimin to figure out some way for his mate to stay. 

“You… You’re the one who wanted to eat me?!” he accused. “Half of this is your fault! I will not sit here and let an oaf like you walk away after mating me of all things! Get your fucking tail back here!” Jimin screeched. 

The wolf looked over his shoulder with a snarl before stomping back towards Jimin. Within a second, he was in front of the omega, leaning down with his nose inches from his face as he bared his teeth in a growl.

 Jimin gulped, instantly regretting his decision as he darted his eyes down. He could feel Jungkook’s warm breath fanning his skin and tried his best to calm himself.

Then, Jungkook huffed once more, stood straight and turned around with a grunt before getting down on his belly. He looked over with another murmur. 

Jimin inhaled, exhaled, then got up on his one foot and hopped over. He cleared his throat, hands hovering over Jungkook as he wasn’t too sure on what to do. He settled for swinging his foot over while holding onto Jungkook’s shoulders. 

Once he was on, Jungkook quickly stood up and began walking in a direction Jimin assumed was northeast, judging by the direction of the sun. 

He didn’t have the energy to tell the stubborn wolf that he needed to go west. Assuming he would figure things out later, Jimin leaned down to hug Jungkook’s neck. He buried his face in his warm fur, inhaling his scent. 

My mate, his omega was subconsciously whispering to him. 

He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he felt dangerously comforted by Jungkook. 

Home. 

Well, fuck. 

────

Jimin sat like that for maybe an hour, though it could have been a lot longer. The gentle ray of the sun warmed his body just enough while the breeze kept his skin from itching. The rocking of Jungkook’s walking also relaxed his muscles as he began to feel held. 

He was close to falling asleep on his alpha. 

So, so close… 

Since Jungkook started walking, they had not spoken a word to each other but they wouldn’t have gotten far. Jimin’s senses were still blurred but that didn’t stop him from occasionally trying, but like the night before, only his claws would sprout out for a minute or so. 

When he tried getting into the mindset to shift, Jungkook tried to communicate. But it was warped and distorted, and nothing was being reciprocated back. He must have figured out that it wasn’t really getting to Jimin’s head because at some point he stopped trying. 

Jimin didn’t even know what his mate’s voice sounded like yet.

His eyes were now closed and numb, not opening and then, his mind started to wander into a dreamy state. 

That’s when Jungkook halted and got back down on his stomach before bucking Jimin off to the side. 

“Gah!” Jimin landed with a thump. He opened his eyes and squinted at the harsh light, lifting a hand to shield the sun as he sat up groggily. “I’m never going to get used to you…” he mumbled, smacking Jungkook’s shoulder in irritation. 

Jimin rubbed his eyes and froze when he heard a shout behind him. As he began to listen, he heard the sounds of wheels and a crowd of people. He rushed to look behind him and felt his body tense at the echo of voices. He slowly turned around, still on his knees and kept low on his stomach as he peered over the cliff they stood at. 

Humans. 

Down below was a small village. So small that Jimin could see from one end to the other. There was moderately tall but embarrassingly weak wooden fencing all around the village and at the entrance stood two guards with swords in their belts. But their armor was in gold, the worst material to ever be used for protection. 

Jimin glanced back at Jungkook, hands hanging over the cliff and Jungkook looked back and nodded over to the village with a grunt, hinting for Jimin to stock up.

“S-so you’re taking me to the Kims?”

Jungkook nodded.

Alpha duties.

Assist your mate and protect them at all costs.

Jimin wondered if he pushed the instinct down and forced himself to come off as unbothered or if he was this grumpy simply by nature. 

Jungkook grunted softly and curled both paws under his chest as if he were a dainty little thing and not standing taller than Jimin. His eyes then began to shut close as his tail huddled around his legs. 

Jimin stood up and dusted himself off, trying to make himself look more presentable as he walked down the hill to his right and hobbled towards the entrance, keeping as little weight on his ankle as possible. 

Jimin completely forgot that human villages would be scattered along the unclaimed lands. This meant they were probably already out of Park territory. 

Jungkook must have walked farther than Jimin thought. 

Jimin reached back into his pockets and fondled the few shillings in his pocket. He was lucky he had them but they wouldn’t be enough to buy much. The thought of stealing sickened him once again, mostly now because he knew the consequences of doing so. 

But this time he had Jungkook to be the getaway cart. 

He took a deep breath as he approached the two guards standing by the entrance and tried to act casual. He avoided eye contact with them but his heart stopped when the guard on the left spoke. 

“Toll?”

When Jimin registered what he said, he was appalled. 

He scoffed. 

“Toll? Since when did one have to pay to enter a village?”

The two guards looked behind them to the great hall in the village's center. It was a grand palace with tall white columns holding up the roof and was in much better condition than the rest of the village. “New rules.” 

Jimin frowned. He didn’t know a lot but he did know how unfair the system could be. People in the village probably didn’t make more than a few copper shillings a day. 

But these guards were dressed in fancy, gold-lined armor. They must have been from a bigger kingdom, meaning the village was under control. 

With a sigh, he pulled out a shilling and settled for a dishonorable method once again. 

He handed it to the guard and he took it, dropping it into a little bag and pulling out a list from his pocket and a feather. 

“Name?”

Jimin stuttered. “Uh— Jung… Leemin.” 

He internally slapped himself. 

The guard glanced up, knowing Jimin was lying. But he didn’t seem to care. 

The other guard then looked at Jimin’s collarbones and grabbed the other and motioned for him to look as well. 

Jimin lifted his hands to conceal the beaded tribal necklace in his shirt and he clenched his jaw with a gulp. 

“You’re a demon !” The guard yelled. 

Jimin furrowed his eyebrows as he wasn’t expecting that . “What? No! I’m a werewolf!”

Stop talking. Stop talking.

“What’s the difference?” 

“Back off or we’ll attack!” 

A quick survey of their body language and it became obvious that these “guards” had no idea what they were doing. 

Their legs were both too close to each other, knees facing inward and the spears loosely held in their hands. And their arms were outstretched too far and too stiff. It would hurt to land an impact

“With that stance?” Jimin teased.

The two guards looked at each other. “Are you truanting us?!” 

Jimin raised both hands to show that he was harmless and they gasped, pushing the spears in his face. He grimaced and pushed them to the side with his knuckles. 

“Look, I’m not here to do harm. I promise. I just need to buy some things.” 

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” 

Jimin shrugged. There really wasn’t any other way he could convince them. And what human would trust a wolf?

“How about two more shillings and you forget I was here?”

The guards looked at each other and then back to Jimin. 

Within a second, the shillings were ripped out of Jimin’s little hands. They then stepped aside, looking at the ground with shame. 

These two guards hung the safety of the people in a mere promise. All for a few shillings. 

Greedy bastards. 

Jimin walked past them and through the gate, looking to his left to see a velvet bag of coins on a table. It had the symbol of a horse on it with brown drawstrings. It probably belonged to one of the rich guards. 

He grabbed the bag and tossed it up in his hand, smirking slightly. 

They were awful at their job. 

────

The first thing Jimin did was sit down in a small restaurant and fill himself up with what would probably be his last good meal for the next six months. His plate was adorned with cherry tomatoes, some fried greens and a large turkey leg. He didn’t waste a single bite.

Then, he went to the market to buy a saddle so that Jungkook could also help carry some necessities. There were two bags attached and they were quite large. But Jungkook was larger too and the weight would be nothing. 

Jimin himself wasn’t so weak as a human but carrying all the luggage on his own would make him a liability. 

He bought some wrapped bread that would last, a coat to keep him warm, a fur and more matches. The bag was also filled with a small medical kit, a double-sided knife, and a few jugs of water. Inside the medical kit was a large roll of medical cloth and a small bottle of fermented juices to clean a wound.

Jimin proudly walked back to Jungkook whose chin was resting on his paws, eyes shut but ears tuned to listen to every crack and crunch.  

When he began to explain that the saddlebag was for Jungkook, he furrowed his eyes and snorted. And then Jimin tossed it over Jungkook’s back, somehow thinking the werewolf would genuinely like the donkey item. 

“So?” 

Jungkook gripped the end of it with his teeth and slid it off, dropping it in front of Jimin. 

The omega sighed. “What was I expecting. I didn’t bring you anything since you can eat rabbits and squirrels. And you seem rather content with that.”

The alpha grunted in response and Jimin looked past the village at the hundreds of miles ahead of them. The sun was up high but leaning towards the west, meaning it was a little past noon. 

“We have to walk at least 1000 miles…” Jimin mumbled. “It’s going to take us weeks.” 

At first, just the plain thought itself made him feel tired and exhausted. 

But then he remembered that as far as he knew, he wasn’t going to be alone. 

His mate was going to be there. And his mate would protect him until he could start shifting again.  

He snapped the loving thought out of his head with a quick shake. 

Jungkook wasn’t going to last. He was going to simply drop Jimin off and then be on his way as a rogue for the rest of his life. 

The idea of being without his mate clawed at his chest and he physically felt it ache. That pure feeling of loneliness when a mate is gone… Jimin had heard stories of alphas alike fighting in the many battles between man and wolf. And then when they never returned, some omegas died on the spot of heartbreak. Others lost themselves and died shortly after. 

But one thing was for certain: whether two mated genuinely loved each other, one couldn’t live without the other. And Jungkook wasn’t mated to him so technically, Jimin couldn’t live without Jungkook. 

The phantom pain in his chest vanished when he felt Jungkook’s cold nose nuzzling at his neck. Sighs of pleasure and relaxation slipped through his lips, his neck falling to the side to reveal more room. 

But instead, Jungkook swiftly pulled away and he shook his body, tail nearly whipping Jimin in the face. He frowned, wanting his mate to scent him. 

Jungkook began to walk up ahead at a regular pace. But a six-foot wolf’s regular pace was almost a jog for Jimin in his human form. He struggled to keep up or to at least keep Jungkook in his sight . 

The terrain didn’t make it any easier either. The roots were jutting from the ground and the tree branches hung very low. They were low enough for Jungkook to hop open but high enough where Jimin had to duck under. Some vines hanging down brushed uncomfortably against his face. Then there were the rocks, settled deep in the dirt and poking out just enough for him to trip but he would catch himself. 

He wasn’t sure how long he would last before he accidentally fell down a cliff. 

After just fifteen minutes of hauling himself along, Jimin dropped the saddlebags and took large breaths. He leaned his hands on his knees and fanned himself with his shirt. 

While he was a brilliant thief with a surprising knowledge of secret alleys and quick shortcuts in the city, he had built up a lot of stamina. 

But he wasn’t supposed to run and jump over gates while dragging bags of this size.

It didn’t help that his ankle forced him to shift most of his weight onto his other leg.

Up ahead, Jungkook continued without end. 

“Why… Why can’t you carry some weight?!” he yelled out. “Whew… I need a break…” he heaved out. 

Jimin fell on his butt, trying to steadily breathe in and out through his nose. But it wasn’t helping so he gave up and exhaled through his mouth instead. He swallowed his dry throat, falling back on the dirt and closing his eyes. 

Jungkook snorted, rushing back with worry and nosing at his neck. Jimin’s eyes opened and a grin formed across his face. The alpha hummed in confusion when Jimin began to giggle. 

“Hehe… You were worried,” he teased, waving his finger in little circles around Jungkook’s nose. 

He growled, teeth opening to snap down on air just in time as Jimin pulled away with a gasp. “Hey!”

Jungkook grabbed the back of Jimin’s shirt with his claws and dragged him a few feet before nodding back to the path. Then, he stood in front of the saddlebags and picked them up with a sigh, effortlessly carrying them in his jaw. 

“Ohhh, thank you…” Jimin mumbled, standing up with a grunt.

Jungkook was still going quite fast and Jimin gasped, jogging to get back in pace. He jogged alongside Jungkook with a limp, being able to brush the branches and twigs away now that his hands were free. 

The hindered omega looked up at his mate inquisitively, tilting his head. Jungkook’s eyes were forward, snapping his head up to get a better grip on the saddle. The flashes of light through the covering of the trees set a gentle inconsistent glow upon his face, the shadows dancing over him like smoke. 

Jimin furrowed his eyebrows with a little hum as he studied the wolf’s features, along with the tribal necklace. Closeup, he could see that the teeth stringed along were different types. There were molars, incisors, and even canines. Jimin glanced back up at Jungkook’s mouth and saw that his teeth were all much larger. 

Not only the size of the knot, but the size of the canines also display an alpha’s power, he thought to himself. 

He also thought back to last night, and the way Jungkook’s knot tugged at his hole as he bred Jimin, cock nestled deep in his body and poking at his tummy.

Jimin ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head to keep his mind from thinking about it so he didn’t get aroused. He didn’t feel like pathetically asking the alpha to take him again. 

Alongside the teeth were also delicate, handcrafted marbles and beads. Some of them were blue. Some were green while others were red or a dull yellow. There were a few black ones but Jimin couldn’t seem to find any specific pattern. He looked down at his tribal necklace, gently taking it in his hand and caressing it with his thumb. 

The park tribal necklace was made with turquoise stones that were smoothed and polished. The biggest one was in the center and on either side, fanned out into smaller and smaller beads exchanging between a lighter blue or white. 

“So…” Jimin started, trying to speak while jogging. “You’re a rogue,” he stared. 

Jungkook side-eyed him and grunted.

“Can I ask how? Or—or why?”

The wolf looked at him again, narrowing his eyes. 

Then Jimin realized that there was no verbal or telepathic way of communication. 

How is he going to answer that?

“Okay, okay. Two grunts for yes, one for no.” 

Jungkook skittered to a stop, dropping the saddlebags and letting out a single, and very loud growl.

No. 

Jimin pursed his lips, rolling his eyes as he turned back to the path and kept walking. Jungkook picked the saddles back up, this time going at a more relaxed pace behind Jimin. 

The omega set his hands inside his and looked behind him. 

He admired his mate for being so… Handsome. 

His strong build, beautiful eyes—or well, eye —his muscles and even his canines. 

His omega was screaming at him, wanting to bring the alpha into his arms while taking his knot at the same time as a good mate should. 

Getting so attached so quickly was not a good idea in the slightest. 

But he knew it was inevitable. 

“Are you going to eat me?” he asked.

Jungkook’s head snapped in his direction with a questioning sound, as if he were offended that Jimin would think such a thing. 

Jimin, being the one with the mating mark, picked up his tone easily. “You know, the Jeon clan and all.”

The alpha didn’t acknowledge him. 

Jimin felt a small tug at his heart, his omega connecting to Jungkook’s feelings. Something was wrong but he wasn’t going to say anything yet. 

Anyone else would not have noticed the change in Jungkook’s gaze, gone from a hard but inviting look to one of thought and sadness. 

Jimin frowned. “What’s wrong? Did I offend you?” he asked, getting worried at the idea of hurting his mate. 

Or maybe he’s ashamed of the fact that his pack follows cannibalism. 

Jungkook didn’t say anything and began to jog ahead of Jimin once more. 

────

The sun went down after a few hours and Jimin knew he probably wouldn’t survive in the cold of the night. 

He picked up some dry kindle and sat down on a log with his matchbox. Once the fire was lit, he tried to get warm and snuggled into the fur he bought. 

I should have bought another one. 

His arms shivered and even as he rubbed them up and down, the icy air pierced his face and slithered down his back. 

Jungkook looked at him before sitting down and scanning the area. His night vision must have been making it easier to see past the light of the moon. Then, he stood up and walked past Jimin into the darkness. 

Jimin looked behind him at Jungkook rustling with something in the bushes. 

“What are you doing? Hey! Where are you going?!” Jimin called as he began to walk away farther. 

Jungkook ducked his head down and picked something up. He turned around swiftly, lifting a paw up to show Jimin. In his jaw was a larger log that Jimin would not have been able to carry by himself. 

He walked back and dropped it on the ground before backing up quickly. Jimin watched as the flames grew and the wind fanned the fire. It roared up and Jungkook howled in shock, hopping up onto his hind legs and jumping back.

Jimin looked up at him with a smile and he laid down a good six feet away on the dirt. Jungkook sat straight, eyes and ears darting around like a telescope.

Aside from fire, Jimin noticed that physical touch wasn’t his favorite thing in the world.

Clearly, he didn’t want to cuddle and he didn’t look like he’d be sleeping anytime soon. 

Feeling a little warmer, Jimin kept his eyes on the moon and stars as the spirits of the sky, with their delicate fingers, pulled him into a slumber. 

────

The second day went the same. 

They would walk, rest and maybe Jungkook would carry him a little before they’d settle for the night. 

His ankle was getting better and he could walk normally and roll it around. But Jungkook still didn’t let him walk on it for too long and he still had to be careful.

Jungkook also helped Jimin carry the items he brought from the village. But upon sorting it out, he realized that all he really needed were the furs, his water sack, the bread, the medicine kit and his backpack to carry it all. 

He left everything else behind including the saddle. If they needed anything, Jimin would waltz into a village with the bag of coins jingling at the bottom of his pocket. 

Both nights, Jimin kept his back to Jungkook. He didn’t have the best sleep since he was so cold and Jungkook was reluctant to scoot closer. He was incredibly awkward and most of the time, Jimin felt as though he was simply talking to himself. It wasn’t like Jungkook wasn’t listening, he just refused to interact back. 

But Jungkook was also very protective. He walked with paranoia, his eyes and ears focusing on every crack and crunch all at the same time. When a flock of birds flew out of the tree and towards them, Jungkook threw himself over Jimin, keeping him covered.

Jimin peeked his head out from under the wolf’s chest with a grin, knowing that his alpha was going to keep him safe. He didn’t think he had to worry about any danger which didn’t mean he was going to be careless. It just meant he could take it a little easier. 

But when they were walking through unclaimed territory, seeing more and much less reasonable rogues was a high possibility. 

Rogues were quite common, Jimin’s clan having sent a few wolves out every year. 

The Jeon Clan likely sent more for various reasons. 

He still didn’t know what had happened to Jungkook to make him a rogue but he wasn’t about to pry into it. Besides, Jungkook couldn’t verbally communicate with him.

At least his scent was beginning to turn back to normal though. It started to smell like cherries and vanilla again, only a nominal undertone of sourness. 

But nothing else came back. 

────

It was the fourth night.

On the third night, they settled behind a rock to keep from the wind and continued their trek in the morning time. 

Most of Alanuar was adorned with various forest biomes so they had been walking under trees the entire day. 

It seemed endless. 

They had taken minimal breaks under the shade of the trees. Jimin would drink some water and take a nap, letting the cool breeze cool him down while Jungkook would sit awake. 

In fact, he probably didn’t sleep for the last three nights and wouldn’t for the upcoming one either. He would let his mind go numb for just a few minutes, closing his eyes before flinching awake and looking back at Jimin. Then the cycle would repeat until they moved on.

He refused to take his eye off his omega.

So far, they hadn’t run into anyone they didn’t want to see. 

They were nearing the borders of the Park territory and that’s when Jimin knew they had a long way to go. 

Hours later when the sun went down, Jimin yawned, looking up at the low rising moon. The roof of the tall pines blocked his view ever so slightly, the mist making the moon a blurry outline.  

Behind him, Jungkook hummed softly, searching for a place where they could reside. 

“Should we just…” Another yawn, his hand clamping over his mouth. “Make camp here?” Jimin asked.

Jungkook huffed, obviously not thrilled at the idea of dropping everything in this particular area. There was too much dry grass and a fire would be risky. He didn’t want Jimin to sleep cold. 

He narrowed his eyes as Jimin sat down on a log, rubbing his eyes and reaching into the backpack for a sip of water. In the distance, he could see a large outline blocking his view of the trees. He squinted again and when he realized what it was, he stood straight and looked back at Jimin with a murmur. 

But the omega was half asleep, his head lolling down for his chin to touch his chest. Jungkook titled his head, leaning down and using his nose to lift Jimin’s water sack up to drizzle over his face. 

Jimin flinched awake, blinking and rubbing the water from his eyes with a gasp. “I—Jungkook what the fu—”

He didn’t have time to protest when Jungkook tugged on the sleeve of his coat, skipping forward a few steps and grunting for Jimin to follow. 

Jungkook turned to look at the cabin and Jimin’s gaze followed. When he laid eyes on it, he felt his body swarm with excitement at the prospect of sleeping under a roof. 

“Do you think it’s empty?” Jimin asked quietly, looking up at Jungkook.

No response. 

As per fucking usual. 

They both walked towards the cabin and the more Jimin thought about it, the stranger it seemed. 

People usually never built alone so far out in unclaimed lands.

Neither did wolves. 

The cabin was small, made with rough dark oak and reinforced in a few areas with thin, steel plates. The windows were thin and weak and the porch looked old. There was a small stable to the left of the porch, encased with a rather tall fence and a root overhanging. 

Jimin wondered if it would support his own weight let alone a full-grown alpha. 

He walked around the front and opened the door to the stables. It creaked open loudly and he cringed, peering inside. The packed hay on the ground had risen back up and the tin of water against the side was empty and rusted. He could faintly see spiderwebs attached around the corners of the ceilings. He stepped inside and groaned when his shoe slushed in the mud and quickly backed away. 

He looked over his shoulder at Jungkook, sniffing the ground and staying back with suspicion.

“Don’t look at it like that. You’re the one who found it. Besides, it doesn’t seem like anyone has been here. They’ve been gone a while.” Jungkook huffed, sneezing and sitting down stubbornly. Jimin sighed. “The water buckets are empty and there isn’t any excrement anywhere. C’mon, just for one night.” 

Jungkook grunted and turned away. 

Obviously, something made him change his mind. 

“Jungkook, you haven’t slept properly in two days! Here, we won’t be out in the open and you don’t have to feel like you need to protect me. We’ll be fine. You need sleep. Now come,” Jimin ordered, walking up the steps. 

The alpha hummed softly with a low whine, dragging himself up the porch. 

Jimin hesitantly held the door handle and twisted it, grunting when it didn’t budge. He tried again harder and this time, he popped it to the side with a dry click. 

As he pushed the door open, the raw wood of the door rubbed against the frame of the cabin and against the floor. 

Before he could step in, Jungkook grabbed the back of his coat and murmured, sneaking his head through the door first and peeking around. 

He nudged it open further, his strong paws putting more weight than the wooden floors expected and they creaked loudly, bending down and near close to snapping. Jungkook rushed to release the pressure. 

Jimin followed him inside and coughed at the dust in the air. He waved his hand in his face and brushed off his chest and legs from any debris. 

“S-see? Empty for ages.”

All the way on the far left of the room was an old, chipping hearth with some coal. Through the moonlight shining through the windows, Jimin could see the dust particles flying around. 

He set his bag down on a rug by the wall and sat crisscross, looking at his mate and patting the ground beside him. 

Jungkook sat down and sank to his belly, throwing his legs out beside him until he was in an arch around Jimin. He put his chin on the ground between his paws. 

This was the closest he had chosen to sleep so far. 

He curled up, his puffy tail blocking the view of his face. Jimin turned onto his side and reached up to touch Jungkook’s fur. Before his hands could even touch him, Jungkook’s tail lifted and his head snapped in his direction with a hum. 

Jimin retracted silently, pretending as though he wasn’t about to pet him. Jungkook stood up and took a few strides to settle down against a wall, further away this time. 

The omega frowned, turning his back to his mate once more. He reluctantly closed his eyes.

But not without trying to communicate.  

Goodnight, Alpha.

Behind him, Jungkook’s eyes opened again as he looked towards his omega, a mumble ringing in the back of his head. 

────

Jimin wasn’t sure how long it had been since he fell asleep. But he was now on the other side of the rug, his body angled differently than before. 

He woke up to Jungkook, growling loudly and he sat up to see what the problem was. Jungkook was in the same position, head down but now his ears were perked up and his eyes started ahead at a window. 

Jimin gasped and shot his gaze over his shoulder.

He could hear noises outside the walls of the cabin.

The shuffling of feet over leaves and the hooves and snorts of a horse. The horse neighed and Jimin recognized it as discomfort and fear before it was silenced. 

Listen to your animal and walk away for just a few moments. 

It seemed as though the unknown entity outside was trying to remain quiet—like they knew there was something going on in their home. In a split second, a flash of darkness covered the window, blocking the light momentarily and Jimin went brittle.

Jungkook slowly stood up, stalking the area around Jimin. He walked as lightly as he could, making sure his weight didn’t cause too much pressure on the creaky floorboards. Jimin stayed quiet on the rug, his breath increasing nervously as he turned his body to face the shadow outside. 

He stood up slowly, reaching for the double-sided knife in his back pocket. He used his thumb to flick off the cover and it fell on the rug with a quiet clatter. 

Jimin slowly stepped forward towards the window, small creaks emitting under his feet as he did his best to keep his breath steady. He peered around the window frame and saw a tall, older man in furs, holding the reins of his horse and looking at the open stable door in confusion. 

How could he have possibly known that we were here? 

The man led the horse into the stable and shut the door, rubbing his neck. Then he furrowed his eyebrows and turned to the window. Jimin gasped, flinching away and turning his back to the wall. He shut his eyes and let out a sigh. 

“Fuck me…” he whispered, holding the knife tightly.

Jungkook huffed and motioned to his side with his head, asking for Jimin to back away. 

But he couldn’t back away now at the risk of being seen.

He knew deep down that confrontation was coming. But he hoped that maybe he could delay it in the hope either he or Jungkook find a way to escape. Or maybe the man will flee and they could slip out. 

A small click and rattle echoed through the room and Jimin’s eyes trailed down to the doorknob. It was wiggling. He held his breath and lifted his hand over the knob, getting ready to hold it steady to try and block the door.   

What use would that have been? 

The doorknob twisted a little more and Jimin could hear the heavy breathing of the man behind the door. He could hear his own heartbeat in his head, just above his labored exhales. 

It stopped moving and after a moment, the footsteps sunk away, off the porch and back onto the grass. 

Jimin sighed in relief, standing back and locking his hands on his waist. 

At that moment, the silence was broken by the loud scream of the man outside. Then, the sound of glass breaking shot through Jimin’s ears as something large and metal few through the window. He screamed and ducked down, covering his head from the shards of glass raining down on him.

Jungkook let out a bark, pouncing forward and pushing Jimin out of the way just as the man barged in through the door with another terrifying scream. Jimin stumbled to the ground and grabbed his backpack, his sweaty hands holding the knife handle. In front of him was a large axe, etched deep into the wall. 

The werewolf barked again and tackled the man to the ground, snarling in his face with his ears tilted back so far that Jungkook could see the white of his unburnt eye. Jimin grabbed the handle of the axe and began to pull desperately, trying to get a weapon of his own because the puny knife was not going to be of use. He lifted his left leg to add more first and wriggle the axe out but it wasn’t working. 

It finally pulled loose and he fell to the floor as the axe slid across the floor towards the pair struggling on the ground. 

The man’s fingers brushed along it and he grabbed the handle to lift it up over Jungkook’s head. 

Oh, no. Please, god, no. 

His heart stopped pumping blood to the rest of his body and his mind went stiff. 

He was in shock. 

Jimin let out a horrified gasp. “NO!” he screamed when the axe came down. 

Jungkook whimpered, a dull thud resonating through the room. Jimin removed his clamped hands from his mouth as the axe fell to the floor. Jungkook had his jaws wrapped around the man’s forearm as a cry of pain escaped his lips. 

It took him a moment to realize that the man hit him with the wrong side of the axe. 

Thank the heavens. 

He tried to recover as fast as he could and help Jungkook. 

Searching for his knife, Jimin got on his hands and knees to look for it. But it was hard when his hands wouldn’t stop fucking shaking. 

He could have died. He almost died. 

He heard another scream and looked back to see Jungkook sinking his claws into the man’s shoulder before opening his jaw to bite down on his head. Jungkook lifted the man up, his arms clawing at Jungkook’s body but doing no damage. He shook his limp body from side to side with a growl as if the human was a toy. 

Jimin’s eyes widened, fingers gripping at the rug beneath him as Jungkook’s jaw stilled for a moment. 

Then the man’s head caved in and Jungkook’s jaw pressed shut. 

Jimin covered his mouth with his fist and turned his face away. He listened to the blood splatter on the floor, followed by the man’s thrashing limbs falling with a thump. Jungkook dropped his limp body and Jimin grabbed his backpack as Jungkook tossed him onto his back. 

The alpha sprinted out the front door and jumped down the porch stairs. His feet slid on the mud and he crashed into a tree, angling his body to make sure Jimin didn’t take any of the impact.

“Woah! S-slow down!” 

Behind them, there was a dirt path leading into the forest and the orange glow of fire deep inside the mist.  

Jimin could hear panicked voices and no doubt heard them too. 

“What was that?” someone asked. 

“It came from Borg’s cabin!” another replied. 

The panicked voices grew louder and the glow of the torch tread closer. 

Jungkook took off. 

Just as he did, Jimin saw a crowd of humans walk out of the mist and point in their direction. 

Jimin gripped Jungkook tightly, burying his face in his fur as the wind blew his hair back and kept his eyes shut.

The alpha jumped over trees and flew over the dirt as fast as he could, determined to protect his omega. 

But the mist was thick and Jungkook couldn’t see more than ten feet in front of him which made it hard to maneuver safely. 

His body twisted and turned easily under the branches as he scattered into the darkness. 

Once they were a good mile away, Jungkook finally slowed down. But Jimin held onto him tightly, still trembling in shock. 

For a moment, he thought Jungkook was about to die. 

But by a stroke of bad luck on the human’s part, he was okay and unscathed. 

That still didn’t mean Jimin was okay. 

He slowly got off, knees still shaking from the sudden rush of adrenaline. He sat down on the ground, leaning his elbows on his thighs as Jungkook leaned down to take a drink from a small pond. 

His lips and teeth were still stained with blood, some of it under his chin too. 

“You didn’t have to kill him,” Jimin said.

He was exhausted. 

Jungkook lifted his head, blinking at him with those dragon eyes. He sneezed, walking past Jimin and jumping up a mound of dirt. 

“Jungkook!” Jimin called. 

He didn’t receive any sign of acknowledgment and Jungkook continued to climb the mound. His body disappeared and Jimin couldn’t figure out where he might have gone. He tried to join him, looking for somewhere he could grip. But it was too steep and he slipped, his still swollen ankle not being able to take the pressure. 

Jimin cried out, feeling abandoned while his omega whined. Then, he noticed something bright in his peripheral vision and looked up above him to see the moon. 

Sleeping on the cold ground was one thing. 

But a mated wolf sleeping alone and so early in the mating stage hurt.  

Especially after what just happened, Jimin needed to be with him. 

Having Jungkook by his side even without physical touch was comforting. 

He felt his neck burn and winced, reaching up to press on the still fresh mark. He leaned back against the mound, fiddling with his fingers as he tried to get comfortable any way possible. 

He felt like crying. 

Then, he felt something cold at the back of his neck and a tug on his coat. Jungkook pulled him up with a grunt, setting Jimin down next to him on the stone.

Jungkook had brought him up into a small cave without any additional tunnels. It was just a plain, empty space engraved into the side of the cliff maybe eight or nine feet tall. 

Outside, the layer of mist thickened until all was visible were the tops of the tall pines and the mountains in the far distance. 

A sheepish smile formed its way across Jimin’s face, his omega swelling with the affection from his alpha. 

Jungkook curled his big tail around him, pressing his nose into Jimin’s nape with a huff. Jimin giggled and laid down, warmth spreading over his body as Jungkook stared outside the cave, watching over. 

The previous situation must have spooked him too. 

An alpha protects his own, Jimin thought. Maybe he was worried that something would have happened to his mate.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a parchment of paper. As he stared at the map, he changed the angle and eyed the drawing symbolizing the Kim Clan. 

It was a sparrow. Small wings, a stubby head and a black stripe running from behind its eye down to the curve of its neck.

Jimin couldn’t wait to finally be there. 

“I wonder if we need to go through Raven’s Ravine…” he mumbled. 

The map itself was a very vague outline of Alanuar, only marking down major cities, rivers and lakes. Most of the smaller villages—like the one they had stopped at in the beginning of their trip—weren’t on it. 

“Okay, so… It’s May and winter will start in late November. We have to try and get there before the first snowfall—”

He closed his eyes with a hiss when an ache snuck through his eyes and settled. He pinched at his nose bridge with his fingers and the map fell out of his hands when Jungkook sniffed his forehead. 

“ ‘S okay… I’m okay…” he said quietly.

He rolled the map back up and shoved it in his backpack, telling himself to just deal with everything on the way. 

Jungkook who was still staring out the cave in a daze, chest moving up and down with every breath as his tongue flicked out to lick his lips.

“You’re not going to sleep, are you,” Jimin said, stretching his hand to stroke Jungkook’s head.

This time though, Jungkook let him and his hand fully rested against the back of his head. Jimin ran his hand down slowly in the direction of his fur and Jungkook’s eyes began to squint shut. 

How long had it been since he was touched like this? 

Jimin's palm grazed the dried-up burn and Jungkook grabbed his hand with his teeth gently, almost playfully. He chewed on it a few times, tongue flicking out to lick his lips and nose as he looked down at it. Jimin chuckled when Jungkook turned away with a sneeze.

“Sorry…” he mumbled, half yawning.

Jungkook set his head back down and Jimin snuggled up against him, his cheek pressing into Jungkook’s shoulder.

So warm…

Jimin closed his eyes and finally, a peaceful seep draped over him like a blanket.

Or maybe it was Jungkook’s tail. 

Either way, he was safe, warm and comfortable with Jungkook’s chin resting above his head. 

The journey would be long and difficult and he already knew that the hardest part was going to be separating from Jungkook at the end of it. 

But he chose to think about it when the time came. 

For now, he was just going to enjoy it. 

────

|TBC|

this should not have taken as long as it did 

but while proofreading, i added 3k and a third of that was the smut so… *shrug*

twt: @roses_for_mnnie