Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

PART I

|| run to you ||

:: Lívstræðrir ::

Jimin is seven years old when his father really looks at him for the first time. His father’s hard and intense eyes stare him down from where he stands tall and proud in front of the small entrance of the healer’s cabin, and Jimin feels for the first time in his life that he has finally won his father’s approval and love. He might not be the fearless and strong-willed son his father wanted him to be, but maybe now he could be that.

He watched the man he barely even knew with big, innocent brown eyes thinking that maybe now that he has the power within him to grow stronger each day, he can be what his father had always wanted.

He was foolish to ever think so.

No amount of magic running through his very being would make his father love him as he should. The realization almost makes his small and fragile body fall to the ground right in front of his judging eyes that night. Because no matter how much power Jimin will come to hold, no matter how important he would soon become for their small clan, his father will always turn his back on him.

Jimin is seven years old when the old and smelly woman that his mother had taken him to in a rush after burning the sensitive skin of his palms with the fire he had created himself, tells him he has been blessed. Blessed with a power that, if trained, could protect them all. He’s seven years old when his mother holds him tightly in her arms, crying in relief that they have been saved, that God has finally looked their way. But despite all of that, his father still turns his back on him. He’s seven years old when he understands that if this couldn’t make his father love him, nothing ever will.

Jimin lets himself be held by his mother. Lets himself stare at the now-closed door his father had stood in front of. Lets himself be held together only by the will of God because he’s tired. He’s tired of wishing for a love he will never receive.

His eyes are blurry, and his small body goes numb in his mother’s arms, but his mind is clear as day.

If his only purpose in this life is to become a protector for his clan, he would become that. He would forget his needs and desires. He would leave his childhood behind and become what they all needed. He would shape himself into whatever it was they ever asked of him. He would become their weapon and shield.

Jimin forgot most of what happened that night- so many years ago. But what never stopped chasing his peaceful dreams away was the crimson red in his father’s eyes as he left him behind with no goodbye.

It’s summer, and Jimin hates it with a passion.

The sun shines down on him with the power of a thousand fires, or so it feels. Jimin can barely breathe, his vision is blurry from the sweat that constantly trails down his forehead directly into his eyes, making him feel dirty. He had already passed out from the heat three times today and by the way his body sways when he tries to stand still, he’s well on his way for a fourth time.

He grits his teeth, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

He can’t give up now. Not now when he’s so close. Jimin feels his whole body buzzing with energy, his breathing slowing down- the beating of his heart almost nonexistent. It’s dangerous, he knows it. He knows he was never able to repair the invisible shield that protected their small clan by himself, but he can’t bear to see another person suffer because of him. He can’t hear another mother’s cry in disrepair when their son has to lend Jimin their beating heart, only if for a minute. The consequences are always the same. Weeks on the healer’s bed unable to even blink their eyes open. Because no matter how powerful Jimin’s magic is, it means nothing when he’s unable to access it all on his own.

But he still tries. He always does. It’s always better if he’s the one being hurt and not any of the people he’s supposed to protect.

Repairing a small broken part of the shield is something he’s accustomed to doing. Rogue wolves try their luck with his shield all the time. Maybe they can smell the easy prey that ventures outside of it from time to time, or maybe they’re driven mad to the point where they just want to kill and eat whatever they stumble upon. Whatever it is, Jimin hates them the same. He hates that his kin will always be prey to those beasts. He hates that God had to create something like him to make humans believe that some kind of balance between species still existed. He hated it because it was an illusion. Humans would always be weaker than wolves and they knew that. Even with their clans being protected by mages, they wouldn’t stand a chance if wolves ever truly wanted to conquer the whole land.

They hadn’t stood a chance during the Great Fall so why would he ever bother to believe they stood any chance now.

And by the whispers being carried with the harsh wind from the west, a wolf was already on his way of doing just that.

Every day more and more helpless human children that managed to somehow outrun the beasts stumbled upon Jimin’s clan. And every day the terror that fell upon those fallen human clans was getting closer and closer to his.

He couldn’t bear the thought of not being strong enough to protect them. After fourteen years of training- after fourteen long years of living in the shadows, constantly trying to improve himself, he couldn’t let it end like that. Not at the hands of a power-starved wolf. All of those years would be for nothing.

So Jimin pushes himself to the limit every day to strengthen the shield by himself. He pushes himself to the limit to make sure that when the day comes that the wolves of the Yen clan come with their red eyes and hungry claws to kill them all, they will not be easy prey. He swore to himself and his mother that as long as he was here, they would live in peace. That the terror of the wolves will never loom over their lives. Jimin can’t fail her.

He takes a shaky breath before his eyes fall shut and his fists clench.

The shield piecing itself back together under his intense concentration is the only thing he’s able to see before he lets out one last struggling breath and his body drops on the dry earth beneath him.

His last coherent thought is that he finally gets to rest for a few hours.

::Winter Is Here::

“Please do something” a woman cries out next to Jimin as he feels his senses return to him. He smells the room he’s in, his nose picking up on the spices hung up to dry all around him. He knows this place by heart, he doesn’t need to open his eyes to know where he is. Jimin also doesn’t need to open his eyes to know that the woman crying next to him, gripping his hand in her slender one- is his mother.

He had made her worry again. No matter how much Jimin tries to keep her happy, he always manages to make her cry.

“Give him more tea, or-or a paste, a dry paste would help with his fever,” she pleads with the healer again and Jimin’s heart breaks hearing her voice crack after each word.

“The boy will wake up soon,” a gruff voice states from somewhere in the room. The old woman walks around her cabin, picking up different herbs and dropping them into the boiling water by the fire. “He’s just being stubborn.”

So he’s been caught.

“Stubborn?!” Before his mother can do something rash, blinded by the want to keep her son safe, Jimin lets his eyes blink open. It’s already dark outside. The only source of light in the tiny cabin coming from the small fire on his right.

“Mom,” he whispers, shifting his hand to gently caress hers, “I’m fine.” She looks down at him with wide and concerned eyes. No matter how much she lies to Jimin that she’s not affected by what’s going on with him, her expression always gives it away. A stray tear falls down her face and she quickly turns to hide herself. Jimin wishes he was strong enough to never have to make her feel like this.

“Mom,” he tries to coerce her into looking at him.

“You were gone for more than twelve hours this time,” she lets out in a rushed breath. Her words make Jimin’s hands freeze over his lap.

Twelve hours.

It wasn’t just late in the evening, he had slept through the whole night. The sun would soon come up. He had never blacked out for so long before and the realization scares him to the bones.

“You’re playing with fire, boy,” the healer snaps at him from the corner of the cabin and Jimin has half the mind to not cuss her out. He knows she’s right, but he doesn’t want her to be. He really doesn’t. “I told you when you were old enough to understand, that your magic will consume you if you don’t find a strong life force to bond yourself to.”

“You also told me I would be strong enough to deal with it on my own if I trained hard enough,” he lets out through clenched teeth and his mother finally turns to face him again. But Jimin doesn’t want to look into her worried eyes again. Not when he still feels so weak and can’t reassure her that he’s fine, that this is not a big deal.

“Don’t turn my words into lies, boy. Your magic will consume you, and I made it clear to you since you were a child. You could only train your mind into the weapon you so strongly wish to become, but your body will always be too weak.” He knew. Fuck he knew it. But it still drove a knife right into his heart to hear those words again.

The old healer had lived enough lives to train Jimin and the mage that protected the clan before him. She knew better than anyone what Jimin’s strong magic was capable of. After all, she was the only one that truly saw how the previous mage had been consumed by his own.

He was only thirty years old when he died, and Jimin really didn’t want to follow the same path.

He sighs and closes his eyes, blocking out his mother’s fearful gaze and the healer’s scrutinizing scowl. He needs to think. But he’s scared. He needs to come up with a plan. But he’s so scared.

He was gone, as his mother likes to call Jimin’s blackout periods, for twelve hours. Ten hours more than any other time before and he doesn’t know what had caused such a big gap. He had sucked his body dry of every last drop of power before and he always came back to his senses within two hours, so why was this time any different? Truth be told, he’s too scared to find out.

Jimin is only twenty-one, but he’s never quick to admit that all these years of pushing himself to the limit are finally starting to leave a mark on his body. He’s strong. He might be slender and small, but he’s not weak by any means. His muscles are well defined, but that means nothing at all when his magic weakens him from within before he can even do something significant with it.

He had never entertained the thought of bonding before because the only breathing and living being on the land that could be strong enough to be his bond would be a wolf. Jimin would rather die protecting his clan alone than bond with a wolf. Or so that’s what he’s been saying to himself. But now, watching his mother hide her tears away once again, he might have to bury his hatred for the other kinin order to save his own.

But where would he find a wolf willing to bond their life to a human? Where would he find a wolf he doesn’t want to instantly turn into ashes when he lays his eyes on it?

The Great Fall had left only three old-blood wolf clans alive. Two of which are the same ones that had turned on all humans when the war had ended. The same ones that killed more than 70% of the humans in cold blood. The same ones that brought upon Jimin’s kin 400 years of sorrow and constant fear.

Humans were never able to regain their strength after the war. Wolves never offered them the chance to.

Jimin is reluctant to forget years of hatred and pain in order to protect his clan. But he will do it. The danger looming over their heads from the west was far too great to ignore. Even if the Yen clan would never be the feared power they were before the Great Fall, they still had the Mad Wolf’s blood running through their veins to revive their thirst to conquer the whole land.

The Yen clan was the smallest in size, land, and people. But they were the most vicious. Killing any outsider not strong enough to help grow their power. And they were as proud as they were dangerous- courtesy of being direct descendants of the first and only dragon riders.

Humans that are fortunate enough to never hear about their own history believe that’s just a horror story their leader decided to spread around 400 years ago to save his clan from extinction by making the other wolf clans too scared to attack them in fear of waking up the rage of the dragons. The truth was far more frightening. The Mad Wolf never hid from the other clans, he was the one that attacked them all. He was the one with the power of the dragons by his side. And even when the human mages and army united forces with the wolf clans to fight back, the Mad Wolf never backed down. He thought himself invincible and immortal with the fire-wielding creatures by his side. He thought himself the ruler of the entire land until he was no longer.

Jimin had never found out how the Mad Wolf was defeated, or how his dragons were killed. And he’s not sure he ever wishes to know.

The Min clan to the far North was, however, the total opposite of the Yen clan. There’s very little said about them and even less written. All humans and wolves really talk about is the current Head Alpha, Min Yoongi. A strong warrior whose only goal in life was to keep his clan safely tucked in the mountains where they retreated after the Great Fall. The complete opposite of his father, the former Head Alpha that had died ten years ago at the hands of a teenage wolf. Nobody knows who the wolf is, or at least Jimin never found out his name from the stories some of the children his age used to recite word for word every single night. Humans don’t really care about how wolves choose to control their territories and packs if it doesn’t concern their safety, and despite their history, every human clan living close to the border with the Min clan knows they’re safe under the new Head Alpha’s rule, even after their betrayal in the war. And that’s really the only wish a human could have in a world controlled by wolves.

Then there was the Jeon clan. The largest clan in numbers and territory. The Jeon clan was blessed by the moon to follow the path of the First Wolf, their bloodline being the most powerful. Even more powerful than the first dragon riders. Their wolves are mighty warriors trained in mind and body to overcome any obstacle. And although the Jeon clan was the first to strike against the human regal bloodline during the war, a Jeon warrior is exactly what Jimin needs now.

That’s the only bond he’s willing to make. A Jeon warrior is the only life force he needs. But how can he expect them to just hand Jimin one of their own? And what would he do? Take him to his clan and force him to live and protect it with him? No Jeon would ever do that. He would go mad surrounded by humans.

Mad with the desire to kill them all.

::Ragnakamp::

A week passes like this, with Jimin recovering his strength and trying to come up with a good enough plan to protect his clan. It’s on one particularly calm and quiet afternoon when the inevitable happens and Jimin feels the earth split apart under his numb feet.

He sees the crying boy running for his life towards him before he’s even able to understand the strong wind and loud rumble that suddenly makes his blood run cold.

He breaks the shield for a second- with a sharp move of his hand, to let the boy run through and when he falls on his knees to hug the child, he sees it. He freezes on the spot, his body locking up in terror.

Any other time, Jimin would think the creature looks majestic, flying so freely in the blue sky. But the sheer horror creeping up his body can’t let him think anything past death.

Because that’s all the black beast would bring to them all.

It lands on callosal feet right in front of him, spreading its wings and stretching its neck high towards the sky. Jimin wants to scream, to run or even try to burn it alive. End the bloodshed right here and now. But he can’t move an inch, can’t even breathe properly. Only his eyes move, following the dragon in front of him.

The shield is still intact between them, Jimin had somehow managed to piece it back together after the boy had run through. The beast doesn’t seem to want to step forward. There are no wolves around. No crying children or howling rogues. It’s so quiet Jimin can hear the birds sing around them, unmoved by Jimin’s terror and the giant dragon only a couple of feet away.

With one guttural sound, the beast suddenly shifts its head down, its nostrils flaring like it only now realized an insignificant human was trembling in fear in front of it. Jimin stares right into its yellow eyes and his breathing stops altogether. He starts crying silently from shock because what he feels looking at the dragon is not fear. And that scares him more than the terror he initially felt. The dragon looks at him like he sees right into his soul and Jimin feels his magic tingle beneath his skin.

No.

“LEAVE!” He screams through his tears and fear. He doesn’t know why. The beast wouldn’t understand him anyway. But he still does it. He screams over and over again, his gaze still locked with the dragon. And when his voice finally breaks and he can no longer let out a sound, the beast stands on its legs and flies away with one last look at the petrified human.

Jimin stays unmoved on the ground with the crying boy in his arms until his legs go numb.

A dragon.

He had just seen a dragon. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t hear anything around him.

A dragon.

“Everything was on fire!” The child suddenly wails and Jimin snaps out of his daze. He shifts to look at him and lifts his hands to the boy’s cheeks to wipe his tears away. A useless gesture because in two seconds the boy has his cheeks full of tears again. But it keeps Jimin’s trembling hands occupied. “F-Fire! Every-everywhere fire- fire!”.

Jimin tries to shush the boy when he chokes on his own breath, full-body gasps leaving his small frame. Jimin’s heart almost breaks for him. It’s clear the dragon had just turned into ashes his entire family. Jimin doesn’t know how he was able to escape the beast. Doesn’t even know if the boy still finds life worth living after today. But he still whispers reassuring words into the child’s ear to calm him down. Despite his own fear, Jimin still tries to make everything better.

With one gentle kiss on the child’s temple, Jimin lulls him to sleep.

He takes the child straight to the healer the moment he’s able to feel his body again. Puts him gently on the bed. When he turns around to leave, he feels a tiny hand grip one of his fingers and he turns around to see the boy looking up at him in horror. “Please don’t leave me alone!”.

“I won’t,” Jimin quickly assures the boy. He bends down to embrace the child’s upper body in a tight embrace and the boy closes his eyes again. “Close your eyes. You need to rest. I’ll be here with you all night.”

It’s in that moment Jimin understands he has to act now. Screw having a plan. Screw trying to come up with a good excuse to ask for a good bond from the Jeon clan. He had just seen a dragon. Right in front of him. If he doesn’t find a good bond as soon as possible, he knows the Yen clan will send the dragon right back to finish what he had started. The boy’s dead clan was a warning Jimin will not ignore.

::Noble Maiden Fair::

“I’ll let him in your care until I come back.”

“Will you ever come back?” His mother asks with a defeated expression from her spot next to the child. Jimin spares her one glance and nods. He can’t do anything more than that or he will break down. He will fall on his knees in front of her and ask her to fix this for him, to hug him tightly like she always did when he was a child and tell him everything will be alright. But Jimin can’t afford such luxury now. Now he’s the one with enough power to protect them.

He closes his small backpack and walks to his bed to take his fur coat. It’s more of a formality at this point, he can keep himself warm enough with his magic, but he knows it will ease his mother to see him take it, nonetheless. But Jimin hates wearing it. It reminds him too much of a man he would rather believe dead.

“Is this truly the only way?” Jimin turns to face his mother fully. Her petite frame was hidden under her own coat. She ran cold no matter the season, and no matter how hard Jimin tried to use his magic on her, she would always refuse him.

“He’s the fifteenth child I found in the last two seasons. I can’t let this go on any longer.”

“You’ve sacrificed enough, my son. Let the Queen-“

“The Queen?” Jimin narrows his eyes. His mother couldn’t possibly be so foolish as to believe the Queen would help them with this. “The Queen is protected by the strongest mages still alive, safely hidden in her golden cage. She will not lift a finger to protect any of the humans left. You know this, mother. She will stay in Althea for as long as she can in order to protect the bloodline.”

But his mother can’t see reason when her soul already cries for her son. “Take Woonsok with you at least. Don’t go alone.” she tries again, her heart and mind running to come up with reasons to keep him safe.

“He wouldn’t be of any help to me. Why take him? Only to become a burden when I have to look out for him, too? When I need to keep him warm and fed as well?” Jimin won’t risk another life other than his own.

His mother stands up abruptly and in three fast steps, she’s in front of Jimin. Her arms circle his waist, and she stays there, hugging him with all of her power.

Jimin wishes he could make this easier for her. But aside from keeping the fact that he had seen a dragon to himself, there’s nothing else he can do. His mother knows as well as he does that there’s no other way.

“I’ve always known you were destined for more,” she whispers after a while. “You were so strong even when you were only a child, even before you discovered your magic. Your father-“ Jimin wants to stop her. Wants to keep this last moment he has with her as far away from the memories of his father, but he lets her speak her mind. “Your father didn’t see your wit and emotions as strength and that was his own fault,” she lifts her head up, teary eyes looking at Jimin. “You were never what he expected you to be, but that doesn’t make you any less. You are still my child and I never lost faith in you. It pains me to let you go like this, but I know it in my heart you will save us all.”

Save us all.

Jimin feels like crying.

He’s strong. He knows he is. But his mother putting so much faith in him makes him doubtful. What if he fails? What if he comes back alone just as he had left? What if he doesn’t even make it to the Jeon clan alive? So many things could go wrong. Jimin has never gone into the forest too far from the clan. He was always too afraid. Even with all of his power, he was always afraid of the beasts lurking around. That’s why the first thing he did when he was strong enough was to build the shield around their small land. It would stay intact while he’s gone, but if anything happens to it, he will not be here to piece it together.

So many things could go wrong. So many things will go wrong. Jimin is sure he will not make it out of this unscarred. Maybe not even alive.

“Snap out of it,” his mother grabs his face with both of her palms and Jimin finally feels the tears falling down his cheeks. She guides Jimin’s head down to look at her. “Forget whatever thoughts haunt your mind now. Don’t worry about us. Don’t worry about what will happen when you’re not here. Don’t do this only for us. There are still so many clans with no protectors, do it for them, too. If you come back and we’re gone-“

Jimin’s eyebrows knit in pain. “Mother-“

“If you come back and we’re not here,” Jimin lets himself cry freely at her words. He couldn’t go on if she’s gone. She can’t expect him to risk his life for strangers if she’s not here. “Don’t stop. Listen to me, Jimin. Don’t stop. That tyrant needs to be stopped. You can’t let him use that dragon to burn us all. You can’t let history repeat itself.”

Jimin’s eyes open wide. “How do you know?” he whispers.

“A dragon’s roar is not something you simply don’t hear when it’s so close to your home.” Her lips tremble, but she keeps herself steady on her legs. “So listen to me, my sweet son. Do this for all of them, not just us- not just me.”

Jimin falls down on his knees in front of her. He hugs her legs and lays his head right on her stomach. He cries and holds her tight like he knows this will be the last time he will feel his mother’s warm skin against his own. He cries like a child for the last time before he has to keep it all bottled up for the rest of his life. He cries and begs for her blessing because no matter what God gifted him his magic, Jimin wouldn’t use it if he didn’t have his mother to protect.

“Let me braid your hair,” she pleads gently when Jimin’s tears stop falling.

“I don’t have time. The sun will rise in a few minutes.”

“You have more than enough time.”

She tugs Jimin towards his bed and grabs the wooden brush from the table beside it along with one thin thread of leather. Jimin stays unmoved as his mother’s experienced fingers braid his long hair. They don’t speak anymore. The only sound around them coming from the wild birds outside. And for five minutes Jimin feels at peace.

When she’s done, she kneels in front of Jimin. She kisses both of his hands gently and then stands up. Jimin watches her lift her hands to her ears and he knows what she wants to do before her fingers reach the earrings.

“It may be foolish of me to think they will be able to protect you,” she lets out in a whisper, gazing at the small jewel in her palms. They were a gift from her grandmother, passed down to her mother, then her. Jimin had never seen her wearing anything else than that pair of earrings all his life. Not even her engagement ring. They were made of pure gold, in the shape of a tear, and at the end of it, a small red diamond hung by a tiny thread of gold. Jimin had never seen another human wear anything quite as beautiful as his mother’s earrings and he had been always too afraid to ask her how they ever had the means to buy such a beautiful piece of work.

She makes quick work of discarding Jimin’s wooden earrings and putting the gold ones in.

“My beautiful, son.” She starts crying right after and Jimin lets her. He can stay in his bed, holding his mother’s quivering body for five more minutes before he‘s gone. He can do as much for her.

Jimin leaves as soon as her breathing evens out. He stands up and bends down to let his mother kiss his temple and stroke his hair one last time before he turns around and steps out of the small cabin.

::Ginnung::

The same God his mother praised for blessing her son must hate Jimin’s guts. There was no reason for such a strong storm to fall over the forest as soon as Jimin is deep enough in it to not see anything past the thick trees in front of him.

“It’s fine, Jimin. You’re just fine.”

He keeps walking, barely able to clearly see two feet in front of him due to the heavy rain. He’s soaked to the bone, the black coat hanging heavy on his shoulders, and he once again curses his father. He should have left the damn thing behind. He had no use for it, his magic kept him warm enough, but not dry enough.

But he keeps walking. Keeps pushing himself to take one step after the other over the muddy earth. He knows exactly where he needs to go. He can sense every big or small settlement where humans or wolves have their clans over a big enough radius, and he knows exactly what energy pull to follow to reach the Jeon clan.

It would be a fairly easy journey to enter the Jeon land through their western border, it’s the closest to Jimin. Only seven days away. But he can’t do that. He needs to keep himself hidden until he reaches the heart of the clan where the Jeon Head Alpha lives with his family.

He can’t risk being found by the wolves patrolling their borders and rushed away before he has any real chance of meeting the Head Alpha. He will walk as close as he can along the border. Close enough to keep away from rogue wolves that might attack him, but far enough not to be seen by the Jeon clan wolves.

His plan is simple, and Jimin is quite proud of it. But a week into the forest, he’s harshly slapped back to reality when he runs right into five rogue wolves skinning apart their dinner.

He’s beyond tired from walking and barely eating all day and night for seven days straight. So when he sees one of the men change into his wolf form, Jimin doesn’t run. Although instinct tells him to do so. By now, he’s used to seeing the ugly beasts, but it’s always frightening at first to make eye contact with them. Wolves, in their most primal form, are enormous animals with strong claws and jaws that could snap a human in half without even blinking.

But Jimin doesn’t try to explain he doesn’t want any trouble so they could let him leave unharmed. Instead, he burns their whole bear right in front of their eyes.

He does it because he’s angry. He does it because he’s hungry and if he doesn’t get to eat it, neither do they.

The healer had always told him his short temper will someday be his undoing, and maybe Jimin starts to finally believe her.

“Ya’ skinny little witch!” one of the men curses at him, jumping away from the burning animal.

“ ‘m gonna eat ya’ alive, little boy,” one particularly big man on his far-right says. Jimin drops his backpack and stares right at them.

When he lifts his hands straight in front of him, one man- dressed in only dirty, half-ripped apart pants, flinches and hides behind the man on the right.

Their leader, perhaps.

“We were gonna let ya’ leave if ya’ played nice. But ya’ want trouble with us. We’ll give it to ya’, human”.

He spits the word out like it leaves a sour taste in his mouth. Like Jimin is not worth more than the dust under his dirty feet just because he’s human. And Jimin hates him. Hates him even without knowing one thing about him.

They get closer together, leaving the animal behind. It’s still burning, and the smell almost makes Jimin puke. But he doesn’t back away, he doesn’t take his eyes from the five men.

The one that changed circles around his friends, like he’s waiting for one of them to give him a command to kill Jimin.

“Get’im!” Jimin hears the leader scream, and all hell breaks loose.

Before any of them get close enough to touch him, Jimin invokes a ring of fire around himself. High enough to reach his chin and strong enough to keep them from trying to jump through it.

But they still try.

The wolf jumps right through the fire. Red eyes fixed on Jimin in utter hatred and disgust. And Jimin’s not ready for it. He never expected to see a rogue run through fire only to kill him. But the wolf howls in pain, his whole body twisting and turning on the ground when his fur inevitably starts burning. And Jimin realizes he’s as good as dead.

He turns his attention back to the others, their fearful and angry expressions fueling his own rage. He wants them all dead.

They try to find space in the fire to help the burning wolf, but they can’t. And while they fumble around like lost puppies, Jimin concentrates on building a small shield around them to block out the sounds. He can’t risk any other wolves hearing the fight. He can take on four of them, but not more than that. Not when he’s already so exhausted.

When he feels the shield snap in place above them, he moves his attention back on the wolves. They’re still in their human forms. None of them chose to follow their dead friend into the fire.

“How long do I have to wait for you to finally kill me?” he taunts, smirking at the leader. He has to make them snap; he can feel himself slowly lose consciousness.

“You will blackout at some point. We just have to wait,” the small one that hid behind the leader speaks. His words clear. A clan wolf?

“You’re not a rogue,” Jimin decides to say, lowering the fire a bit to see the wolf clearly.

“I am now. There’s no use to dwell on the past.”

“Then we won’t dwell anymore,” Jimin says with finality, and in a matter of seconds, he has them all gasping for breath. Controlling so many of them at the same time makes him dizzy. His hands tremble in concentration, but his grip on their throats doesn’t loosen, not even for a moment.

They fall to the ground, clawing at the skin on their necks. Their wide eyes stare at the starless sky above and when the first one trashes on the mud for the last time in his life, Jimin gasps with him. He can’t take his eyes off of their bodies. Can’t look away from the hideous way their eyes start bleeding from the lack of air. They’re ugly. Death is ugly. But he doesn’t look away.

He sees them struggle under his hold. Hears them scratch their skin and gasp for life. But he doesn’t feel a thing. His magic is a part of him and while he usually feels its power buzzing through his whole body when he uses it- he blocks it out now. He can’t feel their cold skin or the strength he kills them with. Jimin can only see it. It’s not a personal kill. And he doesn’t know if it’s for the best or not.

He burns their bodies along with his black coat before he lowers the shield. His shoulders feel light without the dead weight on them. And then he runs.

Jimin runs as fast as he can from the smell, but it follows him for miles. It’s all over his clothes and mind. Their smell, their faces. He blinks once and sees the whole scene play over and over again in front of his eyes.

Jimin is not scared of one haunting memory. He’s not scared of nameless faces.

But he’s absolutely terrified of the exhaustion that creeps down on him like a nightmare. His vision goes black before he feels his body hit the ground.

::A Howling Wilderness::

The calming song of a mourning dove welcomes him when his eyes finally open again. But they shut closed under the strong morning light.

Morning

Jimin jumps to his feet, mortified. Had he slept through the whole night?

His head hurts and his whole body is numb from laying on the cold hard ground for hours.

He had passed out from using his magic too much.

He had passed out for hours again.

weak

What did he expect? That sheer will alone would make him stronger?

weak

He’s weak.

What was his magic worth if he could only use it to fight against five wolves? He would have been dead if only one survived and followed him to find him unconscious on the ground.

He would have been dead before he even got the chance to fight for a strong bond.

Jimin was reckless. Adrenaline had got the better of him. He can’t risk another fight like that. Not now.

Tears burn in his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall.

He’s not strong enough to face a Head Alpha with a dragon at his feet. Not strong enough to kill him on his own before the dragon burns more clans to the ground. 

But he will be, soon.

He runs and runs and runs. His body moving forward only by sheer will.

He stops for ten minutes once every twelve hours to eat a few bites of bread his mother had packed for him and drink water. Then Jimin’s back on his feet.

He doesn’t know for how long he runs. Warm days turn into cold nights over and over again and he pushes his body to keep moving through each of them. It doesn’t matter how many times he falls and stumbles on the ground- his feet are too weak to move properly. It doesn’t matter there are moments in which his vision almost leaves him completely due to exhaustion. It doesn’t matter what he has to endure to keep moving. He won’t stop.

At some point, when he’s two days away from his destination he finds a small lake, tucked away behind a ruin. Convincing the Jeon clan to help him will be the hardest thing he’ll have to do. Why make it harder on himself by showing up at the border of their territory smelling like burning wolves?

Jimin decides to stop for an hour to wash all the grime away. He takes the time to also wash his shirt but forgoes the pants. They would take too long to dry.

When he’s clean and his shirt is dry enough to not cling to his body, he packs his remaining food and starts running again.

The sun shines bright in the sky the day he decides to make himself known at the border of the Jeon clan. From then, there was only one more day of walking to the Head Alpha’s grounds. Or so he hopes. Jimin had never actually been there, and nor had he ever talked to anybody that knew the ins and outs of the Jeon clan territory. But he trusts his magic. And it is guiding him in that direction.

For the first few hours, he doesn’t see any wolves or cabins. Jimin thinks he’s silly when the tension leaves his body, thinking he’s safe. The wildflowers and blooming trees make him calmer, now that he’s finally so close to his destination.

A branch snaps behind him, and all sense of calmness is gone. Jimin sharply turns around.

He’s ready for this. He expected to be found at some point. He would be disappointed if the wolves he thought to be the strongest wouldn’t feel a human pass right through their border.

He senses the wolf hiding behind a huge rock in front of him, but he decides to let him be. If he doesn’t want to make himself known, Jimin will let him think he succeeded.

He keeps walking, aware of the light steps following his.

Why would he hide? Why wouldn’t he restrain Jimin at least? What was the point of just following him?

It is only when Jimin can see the first traces of life in the form of a few cabins scattered around patches of land, that the wolf jumps right in front of him. Blocking the path that leads to the cabins down a small hill from his view.

His mind goes blank in front of the massive man. His instinct is telling him to kill, but he knows that’s the last thing he should be doing.

“My name is Park Jimin.” He couldn’t go wrong with introducing himself, right? He tries to smile and look non-threatening, but the bulk man doesn’t even blink.

He’s tall. Taller than any man Jimin is used to interacting with back home. Charcoal covers his eyes, making them look blacker than they would probably be under the afternoon sun. He stands with his back straight, feet spread wide. The lack of a shirt is the last thing Jimin notices, and he tries to not stare at the scars covering his entire torso and arms. But he does notice the arrow tattooed on his neck and the eye of an eagle right under his own black-painted one.

“I’m not here to harm anyone,” Jimin tries to get his attention again. He takes a tentative step forward, but stops in a heartbeat when the wolf sharply pulls out a small knife from his belt. “I know you’ve been following me, I sensed you a while back when you hid behind the rock.” If there’s one thing Jimin knows about clan wolves, is that they don’t kill mages without a good reason. Not out of respect for their human lives, but for the power they can provide to the wolves if they can make them work for them. Maybe God was cruel when he decided wolves would never hold such powers, or maybe he finally gave humans the upper hand. “I’m here to see Head Alpha Jeon.”

The man snorts. Falling to the ground, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Jimin blinks perplexed. What was he doing?

He waits for the wolf to say something, make a move or at least let out a howl to maybe call for back-up. But nothing happens and Jimin feels irritation creeping up his body.

“I want to see the Head Alpha,” he says again, louder this time.

“No,” the man growls.

Jimin wants to burn him alive.

“Why not?”

He doesn’t answer, and only stares past Jimin into the forest behind.

“I need to see him. I told you I’m not here to harm anybody. I’m a mage, you know I can hurt you, but I didn’t. Not when I knew you were hiding from me, and not now when you refuse to even look at me.”

Minutes pass like this, and Jimin slowly loses all sense of patience. He tries to walk past the wolf but one look from him makes the mage back down. He doesn’t want to fight this man. He can’t start this on the wrong foot, he needs to remain as calm as possible. But the wolf sure tries his hardest to make it almost impossible for him to keep his composure.

When Jimin is almost ready to at least burn one flower in front of the wolf as a warning, he suddenly stands up. Hard eyes set behind Jimin. He should have sensed the new wolf, but he was so focused on making the one in front of him listen to him that he had let his guard down.

He turns around to see a fully dressed man walk to them. Just as tall as the wolf behind him, or even taller. But Jimin notices one important thing that makes his knees tremble. The Jeon Clan crest.

The silver pendant shines under the strong sun and Jimin is momentarily struck by how beautiful but haunting the design inside was. Jimin had seen it countless times in the old books the healer had tried to hide away from him, but it was nothing like seeing one in real life.

The engraving on it was simple but striking. A dark moon overlooking a black wolf with blood dripping from his fangs. On each side of the wolf, an arrow and the eye of an eagle were carved.

Protection and power.

When he’s close enough to hear the wolf’s feet crush the grass under every step, the wolf behind Jimin rushes to step beside him. He bends his head with one murmured Alpha and the new man nods at him.

“He’s a mage traveling from the west. As I’ve reported a week ago, he followed the border until he decided to cross it today.” The man informs the alpha and Jimin takes a step away from them. Shocked.

A week? He’s been following him for a week.

How could he not have sensed him at all? He was sure to keep his magic spread all around him before he decided to cross the border. If the man had really followed Jimin for a week that means he saw him sleep, and wash. He was vulnerable while the wolf was around him and he never sensed it. His skin burns.

“Thank you, Seojun. You may return to your post now,” the alpha commands in a calm and strong voice.

“Understood, Alpha.”

The wolf leaves right after that, without a single glance at Jimin. What was he supposed to do now?

Jimin lifts his gaze to the man in front of him, trying to understand the gravity of the situation from his expression. But the man is as stoic as the one before.

Jimin is not scared of the wolf. But his aura is unsettling. He almost jumps back in shock when he lets his magic feel the wolf’s energy, and coldness, like he’s never felt before, makes his skin crawl. They stare at each other for a second. The wolf shifts his eyes all over Jimin’s face. Big, clear eyes taking him in. He was such a stark contrast to the wolf that followed Jimin here. From his beautiful and clean clothes to his unpainted eyes.

“You look very pale,” the wolf notes after a while.

“W-what?”

“I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself. My name is Jeon Namjoon.”

oh

Jimin was expecting a cousin, or any other relative of the Head Alpha when he had seen the crest. But not his son.

“I can feel you’re quite shocked to see me, but I don’t intend to harm you in any way,” he takes a step closer to Jimin, and out of nowhere, he extends his hand in front of him. A big, red apple resting in the palm of his hand.

Jimin takes it without breaking eye contact but doesn’t eat it. If the alpha thinks he’s rude, he doesn’t say it. He just smiles, two dimples adorning his cheeks and gestures for Jimin to follow him down the narrow path.

“Why don’t you tell me why you traveled such a long way to us, Jimin?”

They fall in a nice rhythm with Namjoon walking slightly ahead of him. Jimin prefers it that way anyway. He doesn’t know what to think of the man yet. He doesn’t seem to harbor any hatred towards the mage. He smiles and talks so elegantly that Jimin almost forgets why he’s here. He never expected a Jeon wolf to be so eloquent.

“You can keep quiet until we meet with my father if you wish to. But I would like to know your intentions now, while I’m not pressured to make decisions based on my pack’s expectations.”

Jimin doesn’t have to be told twice.

“The Yen clan has been terrorizing the human clans from the west for over two seasons now. I’m here to ask for help.”

“What kind of help would a mage need from a wolf clan?”

“The kind that makes me strong enough to kill a dragon,” he replies in a steady voice. The wolf stops dead in front of Jimin, and his words travel around them like a curse for a few moments.

When Namjoon turns to face Jimin, he doesn’t expect the hard gaze the wolf pins him down with. “Are you taking me for a fool?” he asks through gritted teeth.

“Why would I risk my life to come into your territory just to make fun of you?” He takes a step forward, matching the alpha’s sharp gaze. “You know well what I mean to my clan, would I leave them unprotected for so long if I didn’t have a good reason?”

“And what exactly are you looking for here, Park Jimin?”

His pleasant mask cracks and Jimin finally sees him for the powerful and unforgiving wolf that he is.

“I wish to make sure I’m allowed to speak with the Head Alpha before I say more.”

“And what if I decide I don’t believe a word of what you just said and send you away right now?”

“Then I will also decide to turn you away when the rage of the dragon falls down on your entire clan and your only hope of survival are the few mages that are still alive on this land.”

“You seem to think very highly of yourself,” the alpha whispers. And Jimin understands then that his welcoming and calm façade was just that, a trap to lead Jimin into a false sense of safety.

He takes a few steps towards Namjoon, keeping his head high when he’s close enough to almost feel his body heat. “I’m not a fool, Namjoon,” the alpha growls at Jimin’s casual way of addressing him. Respect was something wolves held very high amongst themselves, and they demanded respect from outsiders as well. But Jimin was not going to let anyone walk over him, he needed to show his strength if he hoped for any kind of collaboration with the wolves. “And I am no ordinary mage either. Your Head Alpha will want to hear me. I promise you won’t regret it if you decide to trust me.”

The Alpha takes a step back. Exhaling and inhaling sharply through his nose. He probably wants to rip Jimin’s head right off his neck because he had disrespected his rank, but he holds back. For whatever reason.

“Whatever it is that you want. It won’t come at a small price.”

“I’m prepared to sacrifice my own life for this. Let me talk to your Head Alpha.”

He studies Jimin’s eyes for a second, and whatever he sees in them- Jimin’s desperation mingled with foolish courage, he decides to give in.

They fall into a faster pace this time. The Alpha keeps his shoulder raised and eyebrows drawn together as they walk on the path. Jimin’s words probably kept his mind occupied. He didn’t want to reveal too much, but he thought it was for the best to cut right to the chase. A dragon was everybody’s problem to deal with and he’s sure the man in front of him is slowly coming to the same conclusion. This is bigger than what Jimin is here to ask for, and he’s probably not sure if their clan is ready for another repeat of history.

They walk under the scorching sun for hours. Passing dozens of cabins and wolves. And all Jimin sees around him are calm and serene faces. From mothers comforting screaming pups after they fall on the harsh ground to fathers tending the gardens almost every cabin seemed to have. No scary-looking wolves around to protect them from danger, because there was none.

Jimin hears boisterous laughter all around him the closer they get to the more populated areas of the territory, and it almost makes his eyes water. Pups run around, picking at each other and making a fuss of deciding who’s stronger among them. Jimin watches every child he passes by with a heavy heart.

It pains him to see them so happy when human children never really had the chance to live so carelessly. They don’t have huge plains where they can roll around in the grass and laugh. They always have to be around an adult in case a rogue wolf breaches their small territory. Life was cruel like that.

Wolves created that problem in the first place- their own worst killers being thrown into the woods to become rogues and torture humans, while they live in their highly protected piece of heaven. Jimin wants to burn a portion of that heaven to the ground. Make them see how cruel and horrifying life was outside these protective borders.

Namjoon has to nudge him forward when Jimin stops to stare for longer than intended at a small girl picking flowers on her knees. She was probably collecting them for her mother. That’s all Jimin thinks about for the rest of the hours that follow. When was the last time he had picked up a flower for his mother? Probably fourteen years.

When Namjoon informs him they’re getting closer, Jimin tries to keep his head low. He sticks out like a sour thumb with his long, almost white hair in the sea of dark heads. But now that they’re approaching the Head Alpha’s grounds, he doesn’t want to attract any unwanted attention.

More and more warriors make themselves known, sparring with swords around random corners of different stone structures or full-out battling in their wolf form in improvised circles with young children watching. Future warriors in training, Jimin guesses. But each wolf they pass by stops sharply to bow to the alpha in front of him, before turning to their task.

Jimin’s blown away by the number of stone houses he sees the closer they get. He had never seen stone structures before. From small, cabin-like ones to fully built houses with intricate carvings on the outside walls.

Namjoon stops abruptly in front of him, and Jimin almost bumps into his back. But he catches himself just in time. He steps around the wolf to look in front of them and his breathing stops.

Everything about the construction in front of him spoke of power and strength. Jimin had never tried to imagine how the strongest of the wolves live. Had never wondered about something as simple as where they lay their head at night or ate their meals. But now that he sees it, he’s taken completely by surprise.

The Jeon Head Alpha’s home stood tall and proud at the end of a red stone path. It was massive, with big windows and intricate symbols scattered all over the outside walls. Jimin’s mother used to tell him all about the beautiful churches and homes humans in Althea lived in. She used to draw them in the sand with a small cherry branch, promising to show them to Jimin in real life one day. He forgot all about it when he grew up and started training. But now that he sees one such home in front of his eyes, hatred fills him.

The world was truly a cruel place.

He’s rushed through one immense door by two new wolves. Both of them had appeared out of nowhere, bowing in front of Namjoon and quickly restraining Jimin. Each one of them holding one of his arms in a vice grip.

“Let go-“

He tries to free himself without using his magic. And when he realizes they’re only laughing at his pathetic attempt, he gives up.

He takes one deep breath through his nose. It’s better if he keeps himself calm. This was it. He was going to finally do what he came here for.

::Light of the Seven::

They walk through a long corridor, with Namjoon leading the way. Jimin counts over twenty doors scattered around each side of the corridor. How many wolves did live here?

They reach the end of it and Namjoon opens two double doors to reveal the biggest room Jimin had ever walked into.

And right in the middle, seated at a massive stone table stood Head Alpha Jeon. Bigger than any man Jimin had ever seen. Massive arms resting on the table, holding a big glass of alcohol. His red eyes land directly on Jimin, and he takes an instinctive step back.

Jimin had never heard any descriptions of the wolf in front of him, and maybe it was for the better because he’s sure any other human would describe him as a monster. A deadly weapon that crawled its heavy body right from the depths of hell itself. But with a face that could probably break a woman’s heart.

“Alpha,” Namjoon and the two wolves holding Jimin let out in unison, bowing. Jimin doesn’t know if he should greet the man in the same manner or just wait for his turn to speak.

His little battle is put to rest when Namjoon speaks again. “Father, the patrol team found this mage walking too close to our territory a week ago. The beta that found him only followed him at my order but stopped him as soon as he got too close to the outer village by the lake. He demanded a meeting with you.”

The wooden chair scraps loudly on the ground as the Alpha stands up. Jimin flinches, trying to free himself again instinctively. But the wolves are fast to tighten their hold.

“His name,” the Alpha’s voice travels around the room like a rumble of thunder.

“Park Jimin,” Namjoon responds.

Jimin wants to snap at him. Tell them that he’s right in the room with them and very much capable of speaking. But his instinct tells him it’s better to keep silent.

“He traveled alone the whole way?”

“Yes.”

The Alpha nods. He looks at Jimin again. Shifting his eyes from the mage’s face to his clothes. If he’s displeased in any way, he doesn’t show it. Nor does he let any kind of emotion show in his eyes. He sits back down without another word. Takes a big gulp of alcohol and then gives Namjoon one small nod.

The younger Alpha turns around and with another nod towards the two wolves holding Jimin, they let him go and leave the room quietly.

Jimin doesn’t move. Doesn’t even breathe. Just watches as Namjoon walks in steady and sure steps to the table and takes his place on his father’s right side.

“Speak.”

He wants to run. Jimin wants to run away as soon as the Head Alpha’s undivided attention is on him. Instead, he takes a deep breath and bows.

“My name is Park Jimin and I am a human mage from the west..” he stands straight, looking the wolf right in the eyes, and adds “..Head Alpha Jeon”

A flicker of amusement flashes in the alpha’s red eyes.

“And want brings you to me, human Park Jimin?”

He shifts from one foot to another, feeling small under their gazes. “I come with a rather daring demand in mind, but if you give me the time to explain myself, I know you will understand me.”

The alpha takes another gulp from his drink but doesn’t say anything. And Jimin has no idea if he can just cut to the chase or wait for a reply.

Namjoon seems to read his mind. “Speak, Jimin,” he says sharply. And Jimin is quick to comply.

“My mother found out that I was blessed when I was only seven years old. Our clan’s healer had told me back then that I harbored more magic than she had ever felt in a single mage in her life before. I didn’t believe her at that time. But as the years passed, and the harder I trained, it became more obvious.”

“Obvious how?” Namjoon asks.

“Mages can’t use their powers without giving something in return. But I can. Most of the time,” he adds meekly. ”I never had to draw power from living things that surrounded me when I used my magic for small tasks. And I’ve trained like this for fourteen years with the guide of my healer. But..” he stops, studying their expressions.

The Head Alpha looks at him, red eyes still focused on Jimin’s brown and fearful ones. Namjoon clears his throat to catch his attention, and gestures for Jimin to continue.

“My magic has its limits. I can control it freely for a short period of time, but if something requires more of it, I need a life source to help me. I was able to build an invisible barrier around my clan’s territory by using small animals. But I could still feel restrained. Over time, I realized using another person was a better choice. Stronger than a small animal, yet still not strong enough.”

“Did you kill the humans you used?” Namjoon asks. Out of curiosity, not concern. He probably wouldn’t blink twice if Jimin burned a human right in from of him.

“No. Never. They faint very quickly and recover very slowly. I used another human only twice. When I was forced to remake the shield to be stronger.”

“And what do you want from my clan?” the Head Alpha speaks suddenly. Jimin shifts his gaze to him again.

“I want to bond with your strongest warrior.”

The alpha’s eyes sharpen.

“Two weeks ago, a dragon landed right in front of my eyes. I cried and trembled in fear for hours after I saw it,” he allows himself to be vulnerable to gain their trust. “I need to bond with your strongest warrior in order to kill the dragon.”

He expects the man to call him mad, laugh in his face, and scream at him to leave his territory. But he does none of those things. He doesn’t even blink when Jimin reveals his worst nightmare.

“And what proof do you have of this dragon being real?” he asks calmly.

“Myself. Isn’t my presence proof enough? I wouldn’t be here, at your mercy, if I wasn’t desperate.”

When Jimin sees the alpha look away unfazed, he falls to his knees in a desperate attempt at keeping the man hooked on his words.

“I will give you anything you want. My power will increase ten-fold if you allow this bond. I can be of use to you and your clan, Head Alpha.” The words feel like pure agony on his tongue, but he still lets them slip past his lips.

The alpha stands up and his heavy steps carry him right in front of Jimin. The human doesn’t lift his gaze, nor does he say anything more.

“Is the dragon flying from the west?”

“Yes. I believe the Yen clan has somehow managed to bring one to life again. They have been killing human clans for over two seasons now. At first, only using their powers, but now they have set the dragon free.”

“Namjoon,” the alpha turns to face his son. “Where is Jungkook?”

“Father!” Namjoon whispers through clenched teeth, “You don’t intend to-“

“Where is he?”

“He went to patrol the northern border along with the young recruits. He should return by nightfall.”

The alpha nods. “We will hold a meeting as soon as he’s back. Gather the men.”

He leaves as soon as the words leave his mouth. Passing like the wind right past Jimin. He stands there- still on his knees, lost.

“W-who is Jungkook?” He decides to ask after a few seconds. His legs are too weak to stand.

Namjoon lifts himself up from the chair with slow movements, as if the past thirty minutes left a bigger toll on him than he would like to admit. “My younger brother.”

“And why do we have to wait for him?”

“You will find out soon enough,” he whispers, passing Jimin on his way out. He stops when he’s one foot away from the door. “Wait here.”

Jimin doesn’t even dream of going outside alone. The wolves scare him. If he truly wants to make the Head Alpha trust him, he can’t harm any of his men, and Jimin really can’t protect himself without using deadly magic. So he stands there in the middle of the room.

His heart beats steadily in his chest and for the first time in a really long time, he feels like he’s doing something right. He has hope.

The door behind him opens with a soft creaking sound and Jimin jumps to his feet. His eyes quickly find warm, brown ones.

He stands unmoving, staring at the new wolf. He’s tall but not taller than Namjoon. Long black hair frames his slender face all the way to his waist. He stands tall and proud in front of Jimin. Like a man that knows his power. He smiles gently at Jimin and takes a step forward.

“Am I frightening you?” He asks softly, his voice drifting to Jimin in calming waves.

“W-what?” He stutters out.

“You haven’t blinked since I stepped in the room and you’re clutching your pants for dear life with your right hand.”

Jimin let’s go instantly. He hadn’t even noticed he was doing it.

“I- I’m not scared, I just…I just wasn’t expecting anybody to come in.”

“My mate asked me to come and check your condition. I heard you’ve traveled for a very long time.”

His mate?

“Namjoon-ssi?”

“Yes,” he smiles again. “Would you like to take a warm bath and eat something, Jimin-ssi? I can look at you after that.”

“I’m not sure if I’m allowed to leave this room. Your mate told me to wait here.”

“He meant for you to wait here until I arrive. Don’t worry. You can come with me.”

He shifts his body to show Jimin the open door, his brown robe moving gently around him. Jimin takes one tentative step forward, and when the wolf only gives him a small nod, he keeps going.

They walk side by side, the man gently guiding Jimin through the long corridors. They make a right turn somewhere along the way and then he’s ushered into another room. Less spacious than the hall, but still beautiful.

He spots a wooden basin placed right next to a small bed, but other than that the room doesn’t hold much.

“It should still be warm enough for you to enjoy it for a few minutes. You can find clean clothes in the red chest and when you’re done, you can return to the dining hall. You remember the way, right?” The wolf asks right after Jimin steps into the room.

“Uh, I think I do,” he says, embarrassed. He wasn’t really paying attention to where they were walking.

“Good, I’ll be there waiting for you.”

He turns to leave but stops when Jimin asks him for his name.

“I haven’t told you? Oh my- I forgot,” he lets out a laugh, and it sounds so beautiful coming from him. Genuine. “My name is Seokjin. It’s nice meeting you, Jimin. Now enjoy your bath.”

He leaves without another word.

Jimin makes quick work of his clothes, wincing when the rough material of his pants grazes small and big splinters he has all over his legs. He had fallen countless times while running. He was fast but far too clumsy for his own good.

He moans softly out loud when his toes touch the warm, clean water. In a few seconds, he submerges his whole body under.

That’s when exhaustion kicks in. He rests his head on the back of the basin, closing his eyes. He’s so tired he wants to sleep for hours. He’s also very, very hungry. But above all else, he’s worried. He worried for his mother.

He had kept his thoughts about her safely locked away until now, focused only on making it in one piece here. And now that he’s past that, now that he has a moment to just sit and think, his brain brings forward every little fear and doubt.

If we’re not here when you come back, keep fighting.

He closes his eyes tightly. He doesn’t want to. Jimin doesn’t want to protect a world his mother is not in. He’s here for her. He’s begging on his knees for her. He’s ready to spend every living, breathing moment next to the men he used to kill, to protect her.

He sighs and shakes his head. His hair, now untied, falls gently around him. He washes it quickly with a bar of soap he had found on the small table next to the tub. And then cleans himself, too.

He wants to soak in the warm water more, but he also doesn’t want to make Seokjin wait for long. If he truly was Namjoon’s mate, he had power and position in the pack and Jimin didn’t want to offend him in any way.

After he’s dry, he rushes to the red chest to look for a pair of pants and a shirt and quickly dresses.

The pants fit him like a glove, but the white shirt hangs loosely around his small frame. He has to constantly lift it over his shoulder as he makes his way back to the hall.

The corridors are empty and he’s grateful for it. Jimin is not sure he could handle being polite right now.

The door to the hall is guarded by one wolf that opens the door for him and steps aside to let Jimin pass.

“Jimin-ssi,” Seokjin welcomes him with a smile. “Come, come-“ he stands from his chair to guide Jimin to the table. “I didn’t know what you would like to eat, so I kind of made the cook prepare a little bit of everything,” he explains and then sits down in front of Jimin.

“Thank you,“ Jimin takes one look at the food in front of him and his eyes swell up with tears. He hadn’t eaten like this in years. So many fruits, vegetables, and meat. All in front of him, so close he can smell each one.

He takes one bite of broth and sighs. His mother would have loved this.

“You didn’t have to prepare all of this.”

“It’s my pleasure, Jimin.”

They eat in silence for a few minutes. Seokjin takes his time with every bite of food he takes, while Jimin tries to be as elegant as him, but fails. Seokjin has to hand him a napkin to clean his face on more than one occasion. He never laughs or makes fun of Jimin. He just gently reaches his hand out with the napkin and gestures to Jimin’s lips with a soft smile.

“Can I ask you a question?” The wolf asks tentatively while pouring Jimin a glass of water.

“Of course.”

“Have you ever bonded yourself to another before?”

“I-“ Jimin gulps, he hadn’t expected that. “No, I haven’t.”

“But you know how to do it?”

“I do.”

“Hmm,” Seokjin shifts his gaze from Jimin to his glass of water and back. “I heard the Head Alpha wants to offer you a bonding with his younger son, Jungkook.”

Jimin blinks, stunned. “I wasn’t told that.”

Was Seokjin telling him the truth? Did the Head Alpha really want Jimin to bond with his son? The thought of bonding with a direct member of the leading family had never actually crossed his mind. The best he had hoped for was a high-ranked warrior.

“Then let this be our little secret,” he winks, but Jimin is too shocked to provide a reaction.

“How should I address you? I’m not too familiar with wolf customs.”

“So formal-“ The wolf jokes. “You can call me as you wish, Jimin-ssi. But simply Seokjin is enough. Although I’m Namjoon’s mate, omegas aren’t very respected.”

His eyes drop to his lap, sadness overtaking his body. Jimin doesn’t have to read dozens of books to understand that, at least. He knows omegas are considered less than alphas.

“I was supposed to check your condition but I’m just keeping you here, I apologize.”

“There’s no need for that, I’m unharmed. I just need to sleep for a few hours.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, please don’t worry.”

They don’t talk much after that and Seokjin doesn’t seem to mind it. Jimin had always been quiet and shy, even around the people he had grown up with. But he tries to make small talk with the wolf. He praises the taste of the food, and asks about his role in the pack.

Seokjin beams at the question and is quick to give Jimin a detailed answer. Jimin finds out that he and Seokjin might have something in common. Seokjin had trained from a very young age to become a healer in the pack. He was born to a rather poor family and had worked his way up to become the Head Alpha’s healer.

He blushes when he recalls the day he and Namjoon had first interacted and Jimin feels a twinge of jealousy hearing the way he describes his mate. He had never thought about finding love, but looking at Seokjin, being so happy only by talking about his mate, makes him doubt himself briefly.

Finding love was a foolish thought when he was on a mission to kill a dragon.

Jimin excuses himself after that, and heads straight to the bedroom Seokjin had shown him earlier to lie down for a few hours. Seokjin had assured him that the meeting wouldn’t take place in the following five hours.

He falls asleep as soon as he rests his heavy body on the rigid bed.

::Runatal::

Jimin can’t see anything for a few seconds after he wakes up, and he panics. Jumping from the bed, he falls right next to it on his ass when the sheets tangle in his legs.

“Crap.”

“Jimin-ssi?” a soft voice asks from behind the door, “Are you alright? Can I come in?”

“Yes!” Jimin calls out, slowly rising to his feet.

Seokjin enters the room holding a candle, the soft glow providing enough light to lighten up most of the room. “Head Alpha Jeon is waiting for you in the Great Hall.”

Jimin tries to hold his nerves back, but as soon as he hears Seokjin’s words his hands start to tremble.

This was it.

“Can I know how many people are going to be present?” He asks on their way there, walking as slowly as possible next to the omega.

“Aside from Head Alpha Jeon and his sons, four more people will be there. The Head Guard, Head Healer, and two more guards.”

“Guards?” Jimin lets out a soft laugh. “Why do they think they need guards?”

“Head Alpha Jeon has two guards that shadow him everywhere he goes. It is required.”

Jimin can’t imagine the powerful wolf needing any guards.

“I didn’t notice any guards when we talked earlier,” he mumbles more to himself. But Seokjin hears him and smirks.

“That doesn’t mean they weren’t there.”

oh

When they arrive, the same wolf that opened the door for Jimin when he had come to eat with Seokjin, waits for them. He nods briefly at the omega, ignoring Jimin, and then opens the double doors.

The first thing Jimin senses when he walks into the room behind Seokjin, is the overwhelming energy that almost knocks the breath out of him. He quickly regrets reaching out to feel the room with his magic. He contains it to only a small protective barrier around him.

“Head Alpha Jeon,” the omega bows, and Jimin follows suit.

“Omega Seokjin, you can leave,” Head Alpha Jeon says and Jimin turns sharply to face Seokjin. He begs the omega with his eyes not to leave him alone, but it’s not something Seokjin can control.

He gives Jimin one tentative, gentle smile before he leaves the room. Jimin remains frozen in place, watching the empty spot the healer had left behind.

“Human Jimin,” the alpha calls to him, and Jimin turns to face him. He tries to calm down, tries to remember that everything had gone well the first time Jimin talked with the alpha. But his mind goes blank when his eyes land on the dark figure shadowing the Head Alpha.

He sees the older man talk, sees his eyebrows furrowing when Jimin doesn’t respond. But his eyes look right through him at the wolf standing behind his chair.

The man has his eyes trained on Jimin, muscular arms resting on his chest. A black, loose shirt covers his upper body, stretching over wide shoulders and around a much slender waist, down into a black pair of leather pants. A black belt holds his sword safely tucked behind his back, and the crest of the Jeon clan rests on a patch of naked skin on his chest.

“Jimin!” Namjoon calls out, his voice breaking through Jimin’s foggy mind.

“I apologize,” he says quickly, bowing again. ”It seems like my mind is still a little slow from the road,” the excuse rolls off his tongue in one breath.

The Head Alpha sighs, and gestures for Jimin to come closer. He really doesn’t want to, but he complies.

He walks until he’s only a few feet away from the table. The room is illuminated on each side by a good number of torches hanging on the walls. Jimin looks right at Head Alpha Jeon as he sits on the same chair at the center of the table with Namjoon to his right and the looming man at his back. On his left side, Jimin sees two more new faces. But the Head Alpha doesn’t introduce them, so Jimin tries to act like they’re not there.

“I wanted to know if omega Seokjin took care of you as I ordered him to,” the alpha says, obviously not happy that he has to repeat himself.

“Yes, he was very attentive. Thank you for your kindness.”

The alpha nods. Then, with one short gesture of his hand, he calls the wolf behind him closer.

“This is my youngest- Jungkook,” Jimin refuses to look at the wolf, keeping his gaze on the Head Alpha. “He’s the one I’m offering for the bond,” the alpha reveals and Jimin feels his knees weaken. “You asked me for my strongest warrior- here he is. My son,” the alpha clarifies, and Jimin nods numbly at his words.

“Your condition?” Jimin whispers, looking at Jungkook briefly. The wolf watches him, too and Jimin thinks he should feel scared under his intense gaze, but he only feels relief. Relief that the man he came looking for is finally in front of him.

“Once you complete the bond you become part of our pack. That means you will abide by my rules.”

Jimin’s eyes narrow suspiciously. “What does that actually mean?”

“It means you will do as I decide in this war. It means that if I say you have to stay here and protect the clan, you will do so-“

“No-” Jimin interrupts him, and audible gasps echo around the room. Jungkook lifts one dark eyebrow at him. “I won’t do that.”

He wouldn’t become a pawn like the mages in the Great Fall ended up being.

The Head Alpha narrows his eyes and leans forward on the table and his energy threatens to break through Jimin’s will to keep his magic from feeling the energies around him. “You promised me, on your knees, you will do anything if I give you a strong bond. Will you tun back on your word?” The alpha challenges.

“I will not”, Jimin says calmly. “I asked you for a bond to fight, not guard your clan. I asked for a bond to kill a dragon, not play protector with my magic.”

“Jimin, no matter how strong you are, we can’t just march to the West and-“

“That’s not what I want to do. You just assumed that Alpha Namjoon,” Jimin looks around the room at the wolves watching him with clear dislike in their eyes, then focuses on the most important one of them again. “Nobody here asked me if I have a plan. I might be young and inexperienced in the matters of war and ruling over a clan, but I can offer you what no other warrior can. You want me by your side when the day comes that your whole clan is in danger. The Yen clan might terrorize only humans for now, but what will happen after he burns all of them down? What happens after he gains enough power to challenge your position? Or worse, end your bloodline? You need me as your ally.”

After ten excruciating seconds of silence, Jungkook speaks for the first time.

“I will be the one to decide if we need you.” His voice booms in the room. A shiver runs down Jimin’s spine and he quickly realizes that if the wolf dared to intervene like this over the Head Alpha, he clearly held enough power in the clan to speak freely.

The alpha walks around the table, his eyes trained on Jimin. He ignores Namjoon’s voice telling him to calm down. With each step Jungkook takes towards Jimin, the mage has to lift his head higher to maintain eye contact.

How is he so freaking tall?

“Your plan?” The warrior asks, starring Jimin down. His right hand rests on the heft of his sword.

“Jungkook-“

“What’s your plan?” Jungkook says louder, ignoring Namjoon once again.

Jimin tries his hardest not to take a single step back from the wolf.

“I intend to travel to Althea first,” he reveals through clenched teeth.

“To the Queen? Jimin, you can’t be foolish enough to believe she would get involved,” Namjoon argues from his seat at the table. But Jimin doesn’t mind him, he keeps looking at the alpha in front of him whose eyes match his own intensity.

“I don’t plan to involve the Queen. I only want the knowledge she keeps hidden away in Althea. The regal bloodline is protected by the strongest mages. I want to learn from them.”

“That means you would have to stay there for a while. What about your clan? You were very vocal about the danger the humans are in, now you have time to travel and learn?” Jungkook asks him.

Jimin blinks up at him, trying to look unperturbed. His heartbeat echoes through his ears. “I won’t have to worry about them because I plan to bring them here.”

The room bursts in disarray at his words, the other wolves present calling him mad for daring to say that. They all fall silent when the Head Alpha’s hand lands on the table, making all the glasses resting in front of them tremble at the impact.

“Jungkook, step aside.”

The warrior takes one step to Jimin’s right so the Head Alpha can see the mage, but then he stops. When it’s clear he won’t move another step, Jimin shifts his eyes from the wolf to look in front of him.

“Head Alpha Jeon,” Jimin starts, voice much gentler this time. ”After bonding, I intend to travel to the west to bring back here as many humans as I can save. Every day they spend there is a day closer to death. You must understand that by now. I don’t ask you to welcome them into your villages. Even living next to your border can provide enough protection for them. As for how much time I want to stay in Althea,” he throws Jungkook one look, finding the alpha still watching him. “A week will be enough. No more than that.”

“Do you understand what you’re asking here, boy?” A sturdy woman asks. She sits proudly next to Namjoon. Her hair is short and dark and Jimin recognizes the tattoos on her neck and face as the same ones the wolf that had followed him had. “Why would we risk the protection of our borders for your kin?”

She turns to face the Head Alpha, head held high and proud. “Alpha, with the attacks happening around our northern border, we don’t have any guards to spare and send to the west. The risk is too high.”

“The numbers of injured wolves have also increased terribly in the last few weeks,” another wolf says, his eyes focused on the alpha. He’s petite, the smallest wolf Jimin has seen so far. He looks old enough to be his grandfather, but he moves with the sturdiness of a warrior.

“Healer Minho is right; the risk is too great for us, and we have no certitude he’s capable of helping. He’s a mage yes,” she shifts her eyes to focus on Jimin and he stares at her with the same fierceness. “But we have no proof his magic is as strong as he states it is. Alpha, we all know the strongest mages are born in the regal bloodline. He’s just a poor boy from a poor clan, we have no reason to trust him.”

Jimin watches her with hard eyes. His blood boiling from anger, and frustration. He watches her move her tight lips as she continues to badmouth his clan. Watches her spew insult after insult at him and his family. Watches the other wolves sit and listen. Watches the Head Alpha slowly start to agree with her.

He watches like he watched humans die at the hands of the monsters he now tries to make his allies. He watches as he realizes he’s slowly losing this battle.

He can’t let that happen.

He clenches his fists, and with little more effort than he anticipated, he silences her.

She struggles against the tight, invisible grip Jimin has on her throat, and she almost fights him off. But contrary to popular belief, he is at least strong enough to silence one wolf.

Her face goes red and the wolves around her jump in action.

The guards that had kept their presence unknown until now, quickly make their way to shield their leader. The healer jumps to help the woman. But there’s really nothing he can do against Jimin’s invisible hold on her.

Jimin hears Namjoon screaming Jungkook’s name before he feels the sharp blade of a sword at his neck.

The mage hadn’t even noticed when Jungkook had stepped behind him. The warrior has him pinned in place by a tight grip on his waist and the sharp blade pressed strongly over his skin. Jimin winces when he feels blood trickle down his neck.

“Let go,” Jungkook commands right in his ear, calmly. A shiver runs down Jimin’s spine, but he keeps his ground.

“No,” he rasps out, still watching the woman struggle. She was lying on the floor in front of them now. Red eyes that had watched him with superiority before, twisted in pain and fear. Everybody feared death in the end. Even the proudest and strongest warriors.

The pressure Jungkook applies on his waist almost makes him fall to the ground, but the sharp blade of the sword keeps him in place.

“I can make you let go of me in a second,” Jimin says firmly, his eyes watching the Head Alpha rise to his feet with Namjoon following suit.

“Try me, little mage,” the warrior challenges, his lips grazing Jimin’s ear as he speaks. He presses the blade harder on Jimin’s skin.

“Enough!” Head Alpha Jeon roars looking straight at Jimin.

Jimin looks down at the struggling wolf. Her face is almost purple now and can’t even blink her eyes. Jimin wants to kill her.

Pain shoots down his neck when Jungkook drives the blade harder into his skin, and he finally unclenches his fist.

The wolf can’t even gasp for air when Jimin lets her go, but the healer is quick to drag her into the corner of the room and help her.

“Do you trust my powers now?” He asks the Head Alpha loudly over the woman’s gasps of air. They watch each other. The alpha’s red eyes pierce his soul, but Jimin doesn’t back down. “Or do you need more proof?”

“My offer still stands,” the alpha says calmly.

“But at what cost? I will not be kept here by force.”

“Jungkook, step aside.”

The warrior listens to his father. He puts his sword away and takes a step back from Jimin. He sways on the spot when Jungkook’s arm no longer supports him. He lifts his hand to touch his neck and winces when his finger makes contact with the small cut. It doesn’t bleed anymore, but it stings.

Jimin’s used to feeling tired all the time. To feel his body cave from within from exhaustion. What he’s not used to is physical pain. He had always protected his body from harm with his magic. He can’t believe he held back when Jungkook had held the sharp blade against his neck.

He stares at the red blood on his fingers, wondering how it had come to this. Was it his fault? Was he too impulsive? Had the wolf deserved Jimin’s backlash? He can’t take it back now.

He looks at the blood on his fingers one last time before he speaks again.

“I swear to protect your clan until my last breath if you let me be free once we bond until the Yen clan is defeated,” he says fiercely, watching the Head Alpha. “I need to fight; I can’t sit here while that dragon is out there day and night killing my people!”

“What path will you take after Althea?” The Head Alpha’s voice rings loudly in the room, but Jimin hears him like he’s underwater. The adrenaline in his veins slowly drifting away.

He shakes his head after a second and blinks once “I- I don’t know,” he admits, tired eye falling shut.

Jungkook steps in front of him then “Father, we have no other choice.” he says and Jimin snaps his eyes open.

What?

“Jungkook, we don’t have the men to-“

“We don’t need them,” the wolf interrupts his brother. “We will follow his plan until we leave Althea, then we will go to the north.”

“To the Min Clan,” Namjoon says, understanding what Jungkook was hinting at.

Jimin doesn’t say anything, listening closely.

“But I sent three messengers since the first attack and not one of them has returned.”

“You can keep trying while we’re away, but if it’s still to no avail, we will go there without notice.”

He reaches out to take a hold of Jungkook’s hand and turns him to look at him. “What attacks?” he asks the alpha, but Namjoon is the one to answer him.

“Jungkook has been protecting the northern border for a season now due to numerous rogue attacks on our northern border,” he explains.

“Let go of me before I make you,” Jungkook says and Jimin lets his hand drop.

“ ‘m sorry,” he mumbles, but Jungkook doesn’t seem to hear him. He turns back to face the table.

“Is that why you want to keep me here?” Jimin asks the Head Alpha. He seems reluctant to admit it, but he still nods. “I’m not asking for an army. I’m not even asking for five men when I leave. All I need is Jungkook and the bond. The two of us can deal with everything else while you keep your warriors here.”

“I’ve trained my men well, Father. We’ve discussed this earlier.”

Jungkook stands tall in front of his father. His back straight and chin held high. He respected his father, but Jimin can see he also knew he possessed enough power to persuade the man.

“And do you approve of him?” The alpha asks, his eyes landing on Jimin.

Approve of him?

Jungkook doesn’t turn to face him as he responds. “He’s fierce and sure of himself, but still weak. I understand why he needs me.”

Jimin feels his face burn in humiliation. It’s one thing to know that he’s lacking, and another to hear it being said by such a strong wolf.

“Then it’s done,” The Head Alpha says suddenly. He leaves the room with no other word and his guards follow.

Two other wolves come running in to help the healer carry the passed-out wolf outside.

Jungkook turns to face him when they’re left alone with only his brother.

“When do you want to perform the bonding?” he asks.

“As soon as possible. Tonight.”

Jungkook nods, and without another word, leaves the room.

Jimin stares at the stone walls when he’s finally the last one in the room. Eyes burning. He shakes his head violently and his hands come up to rest over his heart.

Tomorrow. Finally.