Archive of Our Own ^beta

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The Mountain

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When he arrived at the edge of his village, Jimin looked at the contents of his basket, wondering if he had gathered enough plants for the rest of the week.

He was just coming back from the river where he had found plenty of coneflowers, but he was unsure about the aconite.

His father had always told him that the aconite was the key ingredient of the suppressing tea. It was what pushed his omega back.

It was necessary. All the other ingredients eased the pain that was caused by overriding his true nature.

He pushed the other plants he had gathered in his basket, focusing on the aconite. He sighed when he realized that he was short. He had been doing this tea for years now, he knew exactly how much a harvest would make and this particular one would give him enough to make his suppressing tea for four days at most.

And he couldn’t cut his dose.

If he was careless about how much aconite he put in his drink, his omega scent would start to come out.

Being an omega in the Park pack was awful, but people discovering that he was an omega after passing as a beta all of these years would be a death sentence.

Jimin sighed once again. Starting from tomorrow, he would be on kitchen duty for the whole week. Adding from the pain of having to be close to his other pack members, it also meant that he wouldn’t be able to go out and gather his herbs.

He had to go back and gather more of the flowers now, which meant that he would be late for dinner in the Village Hall. Usually, he would prefer to skip dinner than to appear late and raise questions, but tonight was the full moon and he needed the energy.

He turned around and went back into the forest.

When he had presented as an omega five years ago, his father had made a decision. His son would not live the same life he had lived; mated against his will to an alpha that just wanted a pup and someone to spend his ruts with.

Jimin barely remembered his alpha father; just the looming shape of a tall man and the screams that made him run and hide under his bed. He just knew that after a bear took out the alpha on a winter hunt, his omega father had been the one to raise him.

Their lives had been calm after that. Jimin’s father couldn’t be mated anymore and was mostly considered useless to the pack, but it suited them both very well. They did their chores, helped in the kitchens when needed, but other than that, they lived on their own.

When Jimin had woken up one day, sweating and smelling sweeter than usual, his father looked at him in the eyes and asked, “Is this what you want?”

Jimin had thought about one of his classmates, Soomin, twelve and promised to an alpha twice her age. He had thought about omegas submitting in the middle of the village when an angry alpha was having a bad day, or of their Head Alpha’s mates having to sit on their knees next to the alpha’s chair.

He had shaken his head. That was not the life he wanted.

His father had gone up and disappeared for a few hours, reappearing with his arms full of plants. Jimin watched, his whole body shaking as he had prepared his now familiar tea.

The effect had been immediate. Jimin’s fever had gone down and his new scent disappeared.

Jimin had been annoyed at first, feeling like his senses had been dulled. Scents around him were toned down, his own completely nonexistent. Betas barely had any scent, but he didn’t have any at all .

From this moment, people started being disgusted by him.

He didn’t care, as long as the Head Alpha didn’t force him to mate an alpha that would make him submit without any consideration for his own feelings. It was the price he had to pay and he’d accepted it. After that, his father had planted patches of aconite all over the forest. Far away from each other to not bring attention to them, but enough that Jimin would always have some at his disposal.

Jimin had also learned how to use plants to make medicinal balms and he liked it very much. Gathering herbs, finding out which could be mixed together, and turning them into something useful was one of his rare pleasures. He liked spending time in the forest, away from the other members of the Park pack. Their territory was small, but mostly free from danger. The bears were more likely to be in the mountains and their neighboring packs left them alone. 

It wasn’t always easy. During winter, he had to use the dried leaves, which were less potent and meant that he had to drink his tea twice a day to keep his omega from resurfacing. But his father had been dead for years now. Jimin knew how to take care of himself.

After a bit of walking, he arrived at one of the aconite patches. He smiled when he realized how well this particular patch had grown. For some reason, the fields near the village were all giving less and less food every year but his plants kept growing stronger.

The Park wolves had to work harder and water more often to get crops. All Jimin did was put some seeds in a hole and sent a prayer to the Moon Goddess.

He gathered all he needed and even a bit more to dry. It was only the beginning of summer, but he liked starting his stock early in the year. He smiled as he got up, seeing how many were still left. He sent another thank you to the Moon Goddess and went back to the village, his basket full.

His cabin was on the outskirts of the pack, which meant that he was alone and had no close neighbors. As a child, he hadn’t minded, liking the proximity of the forest. It didn’t scare him now either, preferring distance from the rest of the pack.

He decided to hide his basket under the steps leading up to the porch, wanting to be on his way to dinner as quickly as possible.

The Park clan was pretty ordinary, at least that’s what he had been told since he’d never traveled himself, with cabins scattered all around the Village Hall. That was where they had dinner, but also where they held feasts and official ceremonies.

Jimin winced when he entered the opened doors. There were so many wolves inside already he wasn’t sure there would be enough food left for him. People were still sitting at the tables, eating, but many were also playing games and drinking mead, showing how late he was.

When he got in line, he was glad to see that some meat was left. He waited, trying not to look too much at the others or make himself seen. The other wolves didn’t like his lack of scent, and he preferred to be forgotten rather than seeing their sneers of disgust.

When it was his turn to get food, two alphas cut the line and stood in front of him. He stayed silent and let them; alphas had the right to eat first and more than betas and omegas.

But it didn’t matter, he still ended up sitting at the end of a table with his half-filled bowl of stew. It tasted great actually and felt even better after his day of walking around the forest.

No one took a seat next to him and he thought he could have had a peaceful dinner when he heard two wolves, a girl and a boy, from the table behind him.

“Why did he choose to sit there?”

“Be happy that he didn’t sit next to us!”

Jimin closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

It didn’t matter. They didn’t matter.

“Is it true he never scented anyone since his father passed?” the girl asked, and Jimin could tell that she was trying to keep her voice down.

But where his sense of smell was terrible, he had an excellent hearing.

“Worse. Yeona told me he hasn’t even touched anyone since the old omega died.”

Jimin’s breath caught in his throat.

The memory of his father kissing his forehead a few days before passing away still haunted him.

“No way that’s true!” the girl gasped, “That’s four years of not touching anyone, I would die.”

“He’s practically a ghost, so he might as well be dead,” the boy shrugged.

He might as well be dead…

Jimin tried to keep his breathing steady as a few tears escaped from his eyes. He lowered his head, trying to make himself smaller.

It was true that Jimin hadn’t been touched since his father had disappeared. No one had comforted him, no one had been there to dry his tears and hold him when he had realized that his house would be empty forever.

“Yury, Sangwo! We’re starting a game of Maw, wanna come?”

Jimin heard the two wolves rise with barely concealed laughter.

He rubbed the back of his right hand with his fingers, something he often did when he was missing the contact of another wolf.

He didn’t want their touch anyway. He had been holding up pretty well these past four years and didn’t need it.

Jimin wiped his tears, ashamed of crying in a public place. At least his lack of scent had kept his emotions hidden. He often shuddered at the thought of being an actual omega, his feelings known to anyone at the slight change of scent

He glanced around to see if someone had caught his moment of weakness, but he didn’t meet anyone’s gaze. His chest hurt. He truly was invisible to his pack.

It was fine.

He didn’t know why it bothered him tonight. Perhaps the full moon was making him more emotional. It was usually a time of bonding between wolves and Jimin always spent it alone.

He quickly finished his bowl and rose from his seat. He tried to make himself as small as possible as he walked through the Hall.

For a fleeting moment, he thought about pretending to stumble. Maybe he would touch someone - that would prove the others wrong.

But he pushed the thought away, feeling stupid.

Outside, a few wolves were starting the bonfire where everyone would dance around later before shifting into their wolf forms and howling at the Moon Goddess. Jimin walked past them with his head bowed. It had been years since he had participated with everyone else. He preferred honoring the Goddess in his own way.

He didn’t meet anyone on his way home and grabbed his hidden basket of herbs before entering his cabin.

The interior was pretty simple. There was a table that Jimin used to prepare his teas and balms, a bed by the wall, and a small basin where he could wash himself. The fireplace was the only element made out of stone, and he mainly used it to make his daily tea.  For the longest time, it had been cramped, with him and his father living in it. There used to be a second bed, near the fireplace, which took all the space but Jimin had preferred it that way.

He felt lost now that the second bed was gone; like he had too much space.

He put the basket on the table and removed his coat. Going up to the small basin, he was glad to see that he had still kept some fresh water in a bucket on the floor and he used it to wash himself. It would have been better and easier to wash in the river, but the night had fallen and he couldn’t risk running into anyone else. He was starting to feel jittery. His skin was buzzing and when he walked to the window, he saw that the clouds had parted to let the full moon shine in its entirety.

Outside, he heard the howls of the other wolves.

It was time to go.

He removed his clothes and put them on the chair by the foot of his bed. Naked, he opened the front door of his cabin and stepped outside. The summer breeze made his skin shiver, but he didn’t feel cold. Looking at the moon, he breathed deeply, letting himself be filled with serenity. Pushing the howls away from his mind, he focused all of his attention on the celestial body.

He could almost feel Her, kindly watching over him. The moonlight felt like a caressing blanket over his skin. It was the only touch that he welcomed. His body started to shift, teeth becoming fangs and smooth skin turning to fur.

Jimin felt disoriented for a moment. It always happened when he shifted, as if his wolf knew that his omega was missing. But he calmly waited and after a few moments, opened his eyes.

He let out a yip of joy and jumped on his legs. It felt so good to be in his wolf form. He felt the urge to join the rest of the pack and run inside the forest, but he stopped himself.

No one wanted him there.

So he did as usual, and started by running a few times around his cabin, letting himself wander around, but close enough that he could still see it. He then rubbed himself over the house. He knew he wasn’t letting any scent on it but it soothed him. He knew that it was his home and that was enough.

Jimin didn’t let himself shift too often. It wasn’t the most practical form to gather plants and it was frowned upon for betas and omegas to shift in the village. So, full moons were always a time of letting his instincts take over. He ran around, jumped on trees and rolled on the ground, letting himself feel the energy of the full moon.

When he felt better and a bit more spent, he climbed on a tree behind his cabin. He liked going up there, feeling like he was getting closer to the moon.  

Far away in the distance, he could still hear the howls of his pack. He never let himself howl, in fear of making any unwanted wolf come close, so he laid down on his branch, sighing as he watched the moon in wonder.

He could hear the despair in his packmates’ howls, asking for more crops, wondering why their reserve of food was withering with each passing year.

And Jimin did pray with them.

Maybe he didn’t like his pack, but he never wanted to see anyone suffer. And he knew the first ones to hurt from this lack of food would be the pups, the omegas, and the elders. He asked the Moon Goddess to bring them healthier crops and more game from the hunts.

He also sent love towards his father and asked Her to take care of him as well.

In the end, Jimin did save a prayer for himself.

He was now realizing that the conversation he had overheard in the Hall had hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

He didn’t wish for it often, but he was hoping that soon he would find someone that would touch him. Not with ill intent. Perhaps a handshake, or maybe even playing with his hair.

Just a well-meaning touch.

He licked his own paws in a self-comforting gesture, sending his wishes to Her. He knew She couldn’t listen to every wolf, but it still filled him with serenity. He barely talked to anyone, so the Moon Goddess was his only escape.

One day, he hoped he could let out his omega.

He wondered what his scent would be like.

That terrible thought crossed his mind before he could stop it. Jimin felt so ashamed that he stumbled and fell down from the branch, onto the ground. He landed on his feet but his body was trembling.

He couldn’t be wishing for this, he just couldn’t.

Letting his omega out would be the worst thing that could happen to him. Maybe he wanted to be scented and maybe he wanted to actually feel something for once, but he couldn’t.

He looked at the moon, feeling shame and a loneliness that was harder to bear with each passing day.

He stayed in his wolf form as he went back inside his cabin.

The hole in his chest felt never-ending when he lay down on top of his covers and was reminded that they didn’t smell of anything.

For hours, he didn’t sleep, unable to stop himself from nosing at his sheets, hoping to find something in there to comfort him.

It took Jimin a few days to get back to his normal self.

Moments of intense loneliness were expected, but this time had felt different from the others he had experienced before.

Today, he was working in the kitchens along with a dozen other betas and omegas. Alphas never had to do any cooking duty, and even though it was unfair, Jimin liked them to be as far away as possible.

Most of the others were working on the big table in the center of the kitchen, peeling and cutting for their meager dinner. They hadn’t put a seat out for Jimin, who was sitting by the fire, watching over the soup simmering in huge cauldrons.

He was capable of doing more - he sometimes cooked his own food when he was lucky enough to catch something in the forest - but he had learned that a heavy silence usually accompanied his moments at the main table.

Still, he liked listening to the usual gossip.

“I’ve been told that Head Alpha will give Minsu to Lee,” Kyungmi, the head cook, was saying.

That made everyone gasp.

“But Minsu and Jisoo are soulmates,” one of the omegas cried out, “He can’t force them apart!”

Kyungmi shrugged, “Lee told me himself. Apparently, Head Alpha pushed it as a reward for bringing back two stags by himself. It’s going to feed us for a while.”

“Still…we shouldn’t separate soulmates,” another omega mumbled, “The Moon Goddess linked them, She won’t like that.”

“The Moon Goddess isn’t bringing food at the moment, so Lee gets to have who he wants,” Kyungmi said with a hard edge to her voice.

It silenced everyone else, but Jimin could feel their disapproval. Minsu and Jisoo weren’t mated yet – omegas couldn’t mate without the Head Alpha’s authorization – but they probably had thought that their soulmate status would protect them from a loveless mating. They would have been able to choose, for once.

But even that was taken away from them.

The silence was broken when someone suddenly opened the kitchen door and stumbled inside. Jimin recognized Hyunsoo, a beta his own age. It was clear that he had been running and everyone was watching him with worry.

“Speak!” Kyungmi ordered, “Why do you come running here as if the Goddess Herself was on your tail?”

“It’s… There’s…” Hyunsoo was panting, “There’s a rogue pack in the village.”

His announcement was met with a bewildered silence.

“Have you lost your mind, boy?” Kyungmi barked, “Rogues are packless, they can’t – “

“It’s true,” the beta panted, and everyone’s eyes widened at the fact that he had just interrupted the head cook.

But he continued, “There’s fifteen of them and they arrived from the south west. When Head Alpha asked them which pack they were from, they said they didn’t belong to any pack.”

Jimin was trying to process the news. Fifteen rogues? Jimin had wondered why they had been allowed inside their territory but it was clear that the Head Alpha couldn’t win against a group this size unannounced.

“We’re been called to the Hall, Head Alpha says that the rogues have something to tell us.”

No one made a move, still watching Hyunsoo with wide eyes. The beta cleared his throat, fidgeting under the scrutiny.

“They want to say it to all of us ,” he clarified.

That made Kyungmi come out of her astonished silence and she said what Jimin was thinking, “You mean, us omegas and betas too? Why can’t the alphas deal with this?”

“Head Alpha wanted to, but the rogues insisted that they need to see us all .”

It was as if something snapped at that moment. Jimin got up from his chair by the fireplace at the same time that everyone else rose from the table.

“Put out the fire and hurry!”

Jimin didn’t want to miss this and as the others ran out the door, he quickly threw a bucket of water on the fire and covered the cauldrons. He’d get a scolding when Kyungmi would return to see her fire drenched out, but he didn’t care.

Something new was happening and inside him, he knew it was important.

He had to be there.

He closed the kitchen door behind him and ran across the village. He saw a few others on his way and when the Hall came into view, he slowed down and entered. It was so crowded that it felt like a new Head Alpha had been chosen, the only time when the whole pack was required to come to the Hall.

Even with all the crowd, Jimin forged himself a path through the other wolves without touching anyone until he got to his spot among the other betas. He kneeled on the ground and for once, didn’t even feel bad when the person next to him moved away in disgust.

He was practically vibrating with excitement.

The Head Alpha wasn’t there yet, his wooden chair empty at the end of the Hall. At the opposite side of the betas, omegas were also kneeling, aligned by the wall. Only the alphas were standing up, facing the Head Alpha’s chair, the Hall entry behind them.

They were all waiting but suddenly, Jimin felt a wave of agitation. It took him a few moments to understand what it was. His sense of smell was dulled because of the suppressing tea, but he was starting to detect the foreign scents.

He had never left the frontiers of his pack and they barely received any visitors.

These new scents were… extraordinary.

He inhaled deeply, trying to get more of them. These scents were so different from the ones in his pack.

They didn’t smell hostile to him and his wolf wanted more .

For a moment, he got frustrated at his inability to clearly smell but then, the Park alphas separated and the Head Alpha entered the room.

But Jimin’s eyes were only for those who were following him.

Hyunsoo had said they were more than fifteen but only five of them were walking behind the Head Alpha.

The first one was also an alpha, clearly the head of his group, but Jimin and the others around him gasped when they saw the omega walking alongside him.

How could this omega be on the same level? Jimin saw how he was looking at them, kneeling on the floor, with a disgusted expression.

For a moment, he felt ashamed.

He wanted to be this omega, proud and standing with his pack.

Jimin barely registered his Head Alpha coming up to sit in his chair, drinking in every tiny detail of the foreigners.

The rogues were wearing furs, just like him, but theirs were from animals they didn’t often find in his pack’s territory. Boars, foxes and even a bear fur, these rogues were good hunters.

Behind the first alpha and omega, there were two alphas and a beta. By the way, two of them were holding hands, they were clearly mated.

The last alpha was standing alone, tall and proud. He was wearing the fur of a grizzly bear and Jimin noticed the dagger by his side. Out of the five, he was the only one carrying a weapon.

Jimin noticed how the Park alphas were watching the rogues suspiciously, but Jimin was drinking in the sight, feeling that something important was happening inside him.

They all smelled so good to him, that even with his weak nose, he felt dizzy.

Something in him, that he had kept under control for years, was trying to claw its way out. The yearning he had taught himself not to feel was coming in waves, and he wanted . 

His Head Alpha was talking but Jimin wasn’t even paying attention. Even the hostile scents around couldn’t distract him.

But the first alpha started talking and Jimin’s eyes went back to him.

“We’ll repeat what we said to you, Head Alpha Park. We’re just passing through and wanted to tell you our goal.

“Which you’ve yet to tell me ,” the Head Alpha quipped.

The alpha turned his back to him, which made a few people gasp, and he addressed the whole pack.

“My name is Kim Namjoon and this is my mate, Kim Seokjin.”

The omega standing next to him remained unwavering under the disgusted stares of the alphas.

“We come from the northwest of this continent and we’ve been walking for many months now, stopping in packs such as yours to invite those who wants to join us.”

“Join you?” Head Alpha spoke, seemingly annoyed at Namjoon for showing him his back, “Why would anyone want to leave their pack for a life of wandering?”

“We’re not wandering,” Seokjin answered him, and Jimin swore he could see a smile on the omega’s face at the fact that he was responding for his alpha, “Our goal is to climb the mountain of the Moon Goddess.”

The silence that, until then, had been respected was broken by the murmurs of the crowd.

What kind of idea was this?

“Be quiet, all of you!” the Head Alpha screamed, bringing the silence back. He spoke only to Namjoon when he bellowed, “What kind of blasphemy is this?! Her mountain shouldn’t be walked on by wolves. Do you wish to bring Her wrath upon all of us?!”

Jimin shivered. The mountain of the Moon Goddess was known to all of them. When an alpha presented, he had to travel to Her temple, leaving the pack for many moons to ask for Her blessing. Omegas and betas weren’t allowed too, obviously. Their presentation wasn’t something to celebrate.

But no one could climb the mountain. It was forbidden. The mountain was Her territory and a sacred place.

“Isn’t Her wrath upon us already?” Namjoon retorted. “We left our pack on the brink of death, ravaged by an illness that was killing even the strongest alphas. And during our travels, all we have seen is misery and devastation. It’s been years now and the rivers that were once tamed now overflow; the lands that were filled with prey are emptying and our fields are bare. Tell me, is your pack exempt from Her anger? Have you been living a plentiful life these past years under Her watchful gaze?”

Jimin didn’t realize that he had been holding his breath.

Their pack was isolated, so they didn’t get much news from the rest of the world, especially betas and omegas. He knew that his pack was struggling but to hear that the rest of their world was also suffering…

The Head Alpha’s face was red in a mix of shock and anger.

He tried to regain control of the conversation, “And what do you expect, going up Her mountain? You’ll accomplish nothing!”

“We will have tried!” Seokjin bit back, “Instead of letting our loved ones die.”

The Head Alpha’s face turned to hatred and every other alpha in the room growled at the omega talking back. The three rogues behind Namjoon and Seokjin tensed, on high alert.

The fifth wolf put a hand on his dagger and the other two touched their chest. They were probably also carrying some type of weapon beneath their furs and Jimin tensed.

He didn’t want anything to happen to them.

But Namjoon started letting out such a strong scent that even Jimin was hit by it. His presence felt so commanding that the growls stopped.

“As I said,” he continued in a soft voice that contrasted with his scent, “We’re just passing through. If some people in your pack want to join us, we’ll gladly take them in. Otherwise, we’ll be on our way.”

Jimin felt his heart beating impossibly fast in his chest.

“No one from my clan will join you!

Jimin had never thought of leaving his pack before.

Where would he go? What would he do?

“They are forbidden to do so!”

He’d always been told that an omega alone in the world was a dead omega.

“Now leave my pack’s territory!”

But what if.

What if?

“And if any of you come back here, we’ll kill you!”

Namjoon nodded tersely, but his eyes scanned the crowd.

Jimin couldn’t move.

Goddess, he thought , please let me have this. I don’t ask for much but let me have this.

The silence in the Hall felt deafening and Namjoon let out a sigh of disappointment.

He turned his head to the others and nodded.

They turned back towards the entry.

And Jimin rose from the ground.

The rogues were walking away.

“Beta, sit back down!” the Head Alpha ordered.

That made the rogues stop.

They turned their heads back and their gaze fell on Jimin.

Everyone else was also watching him, but the five rogues were all Jimin could see. The alpha with the dagger was looking at him with such an intense gaze that Jimin’s legs shook.

The smile on Namjoon’s face pushed him to take a step forward.

“Beta! Stop right there!”

He continued walking as if in a dream, the betas around him parting to let him through.

But the alphas started growling and Jimin stopped, shrinking on himself.

That’s when the alpha with the dagger moved. Putting himself in front of Jimin, he raised his weapon. Above his shoulder, Jimin could see that the Park alphas got more hesitant. He didn’t know if it was because of the blade or because of the warning growl coming from the rogue, but they didn’t seem willing to fight against him. Jimin wondered if he was going to shift as a wolf in the middle of the Hall.

“He’s free to do as he wishes,” Namjoon said over the noise, “Or are you as much of a tyrant as you already seem to be?”

The Head Alpha looked at Namjoon. Then, his gaze fell on Jimin.

Jimin lowered his gaze, unable to hold it.

A long silence followed, during which Jimin felt like he was going to faint. He clung onto the scent of the alpha in front of him, finding safety in it.

Finally, the Head Alpha barked an ugly laugh, “You know what, take him! We already thought of him as a ghost, it’ll be like he wasn’t even here in the first place.”

Jimin felt ashamed.

Not for being talked about in this way in front of his pack members, but he didn’t want the rogues to think badly of him.

He wanted them to see him.

Namjoon replied, “And yet, to me, he’s the most courageous one.”

He then turned towards the alpha in front of Jimin and said, “Jungkook, lead the way outside.”

The alpha started walking and Jimin stayed in his shadow. The alphas parted before them and Jimin could feel their hatred. But he stayed focused on the man in front of him, watching how his black hair was tied up in a small ponytail.

The more Jimin stayed near his scent, the more he knew he was making the right decision.

But they arrived outside and Jimin suddenly felt a rush of uncertainty.

What to do now?

The man in front of him, Jungkook, turned around and Jimin felt struck. The other was clearly a strong wolf but his face had a softness to it that made Jimin want to trust him immediately.

“Hoseok, Yoongi.”

Jimin turned his head to Namjoon who said in a tensed voice, “Go warn the others. We’re leaving now.”

The two wolves nodded and left towards the north.

Jimin was feeling vulnerable. He could hear the Head Alpha screaming inside the Hall and he was starting to panic.

He didn’t know these wolves.

“What’s your name?”

He looked at the omega - Seokjin. His face was kind and inviting, and even if Jimin couldn’t fully smell him, he knew that his scent was warm.

“I’m Park Jimin,” he said, pushing the words out with difficulty. He didn’t speak much, he realized that now.

“I’m happy to meet you, Jimin,” Seokjin replied with a smile, “We’ll accompany you to your cabin, if you don’t mind.”

For a moment, Jimin didn’t understand. He thought they were going to leave now.

But then, reality slapped him in the face. He was going to leave . He needed his clothes and his knife.

Goddess, he needed his tea .

“I don’t mind,” he nodded, “It’s… it’s this way.”

He felt their gaze on him and quickly started walking, feeling like he was going to explode under the attention.

Namjoon had called him “courageous” and yet, right at this moment, he wanted to shift and run away in the forest.

“Do you need to say goodbye to anyone before we leave?” Namjoon asked behind him and Jimin felt a shiver run down his spine.

If his omega were out, they would have been able to smell his shame.

“No.”

He waited for the questions, the mockery, but Namjoon simply responded, “We’ll be able to leave the village quickly then. Please, prepare a pack that you can carry as a wolf. We mostly travel this way.”

Jimin couldn’t stop himself.

“I’m… not used to traveling long distances. Are you sure I can come with you?”

“We have elders in our midst,” Seokjin replied, “Traveling as wolves allows us to navigate the forest and the scented frontiers better.”

For the first time, Jungkook spoke out. His eyes were big and focused entirely on Jimin.

“You have a place among us.”

The alpha seemed young, younger than him, yet his voice was deep and assured.

Jimin wanted to believe him.

He nodded and continued to walk towards his house. They arrived at his cabin and Jimin turned to them, embarrassed.

“We’ll let you make your bag alone,” Namjoon said, sensing his worry.

Jimin nodded in relief, “I’ll be fast,” he said, running inside his house and closing the door behind him.

Quickly, he thought about what he would need and put it on his table. A wooden bowl, his chopsticks and his knife were joined by the few clothes he had sewed himself. He snatched his father’s comb on the bedside table and a blanket, in case the nights got too cold.

And then, he started worrying about his herbs. He took all of the ones that were drying, hanging on strings nailed to the ceiling. He already had bags for each plant and he filled them with everything he had. That would last him for at least a month, and he could still gather more during their travels.

He finally grabbed his healing balms, took out his father’s bag, and put all of it inside.

It felt so light that Jimin wondered if this was really it .

He looked around his small cabin to see if he had forgotten anything.

But no.

His whole world had been pretty small after all.

And no matter what would arise from following the rogue pack, he knew that he wouldn’t regret it.

With a last look at the small place he had called ‘home’ all his life, he closed the door.

Namjoon and Seokjin were watching him with a smile and Jungkook looked at him with something that almost resembled pride.

“We don’t know each other yet, Jimin,” Seokjin said, “But we’re glad to have you with us.”

Jimin felt a tightness in his chest. He was so afraid and yet, nothing could have made him change his mind.

From the moment he had seen the rogues, he had wanted to follow them.

“Now let’s hurry, before your pack decides to keep you.”

Jimin knew there was no chance of that, but they might want to attack the rogues just for the insult, and so he followed them.  

The rest of the group was right outside the village and they were on high alert.

Some were young and others old, alphas, betas, and omegas all sharing the same space. They were all looking at Jimin with welcoming expressions and his heart jumped, not used to being the center of attention.

Namjoon spoke up.

“Everyone, meet Jimin. He will be the only one joining us today.”

He turned to Jimin with an apologetic smile, “Unfortunately, we need to leave quickly, but I’ll introduce you better tonight when we set up camp outside this territory.”

Jimin nodded in a daze.

He was a part of them now. He was going to leave his territory.

And they were smiling at him.

He was feeling overwhelmed and he felt grateful when Seokjin announced, “Let’s all shift and go!”

Incredulous, Jimin watched as the rogues started undressing. It was normal for wolves, they had to remove their clothes to shift if they didn’t want to tear them apart, but it had been years since Jimin had shifted in front of other people. He didn’t know if he wanted to undress in front of all of them.

As if he had sensed his uneasiness, Jungkook placed himself in front of him. He was facing the others, not looking at Jimin and thus, he blocked their view. Jimin had no scent, so Jungkook couldn’t possibly have smelled his discomfort, but he still felt a wave of gratitude.

Jungkook was only a bit taller than him, but he was much broader and even if he didn’t hide him entirely, Jimin still tried to make himself as small as possible behind his frame when he removed his clothes.

 He put them carefully in his satchel and wondered if he would be able to shift with this many people around him.

But the scents, so different from his packmates’, and especially Jungkook’s, made him feel safe.

Shifting had never been this easy.

Around him, wolves were now looking at him with even more curiosity. It took a few seconds to Jimin to realize that they were looking for his scent. Even betas had one, and even though it didn’t come out much when they were in human form, their wolves were more recognizable.

But Jimin didn’t have that. At most, he could be considered as a newborn pup, with no scent of his own yet.

One of the rogues, a small grey wolf, approached him, nosing the air. Jimin took a step back, not wanting to be touched.

A low growl came from Jungkook, now standing naked, his back still turned to Jimin. He shifted into a huge black wolf and huffed in the direction of the curious grey wolf. The other yipped and ran back to a friend, hiding his face in their neck.

Jimin heard Jungkook puff next to him, as if he were laughing, and Jimin took his time to observe him. Like in their human forms, Jungkook was a bit taller, but much, much broader than him. His dark eyes were also looking at him but he didn’t try to make a move, standing still.

Namjoon howled, cutting through the moment.

It was time to leave.

Jimin took the strap of his bag between his teeth. He couldn’t go back now and he didn’t want to. Whatever the future held for him, he had made a choice.

Without any regret, Jimin followed the others and started running.

Hours later, he sat down by the campfire with a groan.

Next to him, Seokjin laughed.

“I’m sorry. I feel like we lied to you when we said the pace would be easy. We just thought it better to put as much distance as possible between the Park pack and us.”

Around them, people were sitting in groups around a few other campfires, cooking the food some of them had hunted during the day. Jimin hadn’t caught anything, too focused on following the rest of the group.

Jimin shook his head, “It’s fine. I’ll get used to running.”

“We’ll take it slower during the next few days,” Seokjin promised him, “We’re not in anyone’s territory right now.”

“I felt it, when we left my pack’s frontiers. I’ve never smelled the forest like that…pack free.”

Seokjin smiled, checking the state of their food.

“Feels good, right? Just the forest in its purest form.” He used his knife to poke at the meat and nodded. “I think it’s done. Guys, come here!”

It had only been the two of them around the fire, but then Namjoon and Jungkook arrived, accompanied by the two mates that had been inside the Hall. Seokjin, who had kept talking during the cooking process, had presented him to every member of the pack and Jimin had learned that the petite alpha was Yoongi and his mate, a seemingly always smiling beta, was named Hoseok.

Seokjin hadn’t said anything more than names and statuses, saying that he’d have to talk to everyone himself to get their own life stories.

Namjoon sat down next to Seokjin, putting a hand on his shoulder, “We were looking at the map again. We should be in the Kim pack’s territory the day after tomorrow.”

Yoongi, who was taking a bowl out of his bag, scoffed, “Isn’t that the third Kim pack we’re crossing since we joined you?”

“The fourth,” Seokjin corrected, “This one’s Head Alpha is actually related to our own, so we should be received much better than usual.”

“Thank the Goddess, that will be a nice change,” Yoongi said.

Hoseok smiled, “We keep going through terrible packs, I really don’t see why you all lived in one before.”

Jimin looked at the mated pair with curiosity and Hoseok caught him.

“Yeah, rogues in a pack of rogues, pretty silly, right?” he laughed.

“Oh, no!” Jimin put his hands forward, “It’s not silly, I just thought everyone here came from a pack!”

He felt ashamed when he realized that his faulty sense of smell had stopped him from understanding that they were actual rogues.

“Don’t worry, it is weird,” Yoongi said. “One day we’re sitting in our cabin, wondering what the hell we’d do if prey kept on leaving. The next, these two arrive, fresh as flowers, and proposing something so crazy it was like…we didn’t have a choice.”

Hoseok laughed, “Yoongi was furious at first, ready to attack them. And then, ten minutes later, Namjoon and Seokjin were drinking tea on our porch, telling us about the fate of the entire continent. We thought them crazy.”

Jimin couldn’t really smell the beta, but he liked his easy-going presence. It had been a long time since he had tried to make conversation, but he wanted to know more.

“So, you were the first ones to join?” Jimin asked, completely intrigued by how this whole thing had started.

He got his own bowl and served himself from the cauldron, eating with the others.

“Yes, and thank the Goddess that we found them!” Namjoon laughed, “We got attacked by a wild boar the week after and without you two, our travel would have been cut very short!”

“That was three… no four moons ago!” Hoseok exclaimed, “We’ve taught you well since then, I’m sure you could survive without us now.”

“Yeah, now you’re the ones who got used to the pack life,” Seokjin teased.

“Well, none of us knew how to cook this kind of stew,” Hoseok smiled, showing his bowl, “I’m not giving that up now that I’ve tasted it!”

They laughed and Jimin couldn’t help but join in. It was an exhilarating feeling, to take part in a friendly conversation and to have no one look at him as if he was interrupting.

He wondered if he needed to speak more; if they would think him odd if he didn’t. But opposite him, Jungkook was staying silent and the others didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

 “I mean, we’re a pack of rogues,” Yoongi said, “So I guess it’s not too bad.”

Jimin woke up with a jolt when someone burst out laughing.

He got up in an instant, head turning back and forth.

It took him a few moments to realize that he wasn’t in his cabin anymore.

The sun was up and the others had already started to wake up around him. Two of them, a beta and an omega, were talking next to him and had been responsible for startling him awake.

“You were pretty tired, you slept through the whole night.”

Jimin turned to see Hoseok sitting on his pelt, a bowl from last night’s stew in his hands.

“Yes,” Jimin replied, still feeling a bit lost.

How could he have slept so soundly in the middle of a whole group? There were scents everywhere and yet, they didn’t bother him at all.

Hoseok saw him eyeing the food and smiled, “Want some? You’ll need energy for today! We still have a lot of walking to do and we need to hunt this afternoon. Namjoon wants to get offerings for the Kim pack tomorrow.”

Jimin nodded and helped himself to some food.

“Is it always like this?” he asked, “Walking all day, hunting and sleeping by the fires? Not that it’s a bad thing!” he immediately apologized.

But Hoseok didn’t seem to take offense.

“It’s mostly like that. There are also the days in the packs where we get mocked and chased away,” he replied with a face, “But otherwise, we travel all the time. I like it though; I didn’t think the world would be so big!”

Jimin could see how much he liked it and he couldn’t wait to see it for himself.

The beta then clapped his hands, “Alright, Head Alpha Namjoon, do we need to lift camp?”

Jimin turned his head and saw that Namjoon was there, putting his furs back in his bag.

“I’ve told you to not call me that,” the alpha sighed, but to Jimin, it felt like an old joke between them, “And yes, we’re leaving soon. You still have time to finish eating.”

Jimin’s eyes had widened.

He hadn’t prepared his tea yet.

Quickly, he reached out to his satchel and got out his pouches of herbs.

“Oh! I love tea!” Hoseok smiled, interested in the content of Jimin’s bag, “Are you making some? I’d love to try it.”

Jimin stayed silent for a moment, dumbfounded.

What could he tell Hoseok? He didn’t want to tell him about the suppressing tea and the fact that he was an omega.

The rogues surely wouldn’t like the fact that he had lied to them.

“Yes… Sure, I can make you something.”

If he removed the aconite and used some of the other plants, he could make something harmless, and even tasty.

“Great! Heejin always boils water in the morning, I’ll ask her for some.”

And with that, he was gone towards another group of people around the next campfire.

Jimin took a long breath. He would have to wake up earlier to prepare his tea now. Quickly, he mixed the right herbs and put them into his own bowl. He was barely hiding the aconite that Hoseok was coming back with a small pot full of steaming water.

Jimin drank his tea while listening to Hoseok talk about life as a rogue. Jimin was in awe of their independence and of the way they had managed to survive without a pack.

If he thought about it, he had kind of been living as a rogue in his own pack and he liked that he could relate to some of what Hoseok was telling him.

But around them, the group was starting to put out the fires and some of them were already shifting.

“Oh, Goddess, let’s go or I’ll never stop talking. I’ve taken all of your time!”

“I don’t mind,” Jimin smiled, “It’s good to learn more about the outside world.”

The beta had a small smile, “I’m sure it is. You’ll see, I know you’ll love it.”

They prepared their bags and Jimin almost felt sad that they had to shift once again. He wanted to speak more with Hoseok, but he also wanted to talk to the others. How was life in the other packs? He had always been told that rogues were cold-blooded killers who didn’t care about anything but themselves. Now, he was realizing that he had been fed lies all his life and he wanted to know everything .

He hid behind a tree to remove his clothes and shifted. He was eager and trusted them to be good people, but he still wasn’t feeling comfortable enough to shift in front of everyone.

Once again, the pack was on its way, following Namjoon and Seokjin.

Jimin wondered how they knew so much about the location of the other packs and reminded himself to ask later.

They walked for hours, sometimes stopping to drink when they passed by a river. Everything felt new to Jimin. His pack’s territory was mostly in the forest; they had some clearings here and there, and a few caves. They even had two rivers on each side of the village, but other than that, there were trees everywhere.

During the second day of walking, they passed by some waterfalls, which fascinated more wolves than just Jimin. Then, they walked through a huge grass field with nothing in it and it made Jimin feel lost with no trees around him.

In the afternoon, Namjoon made them stop in front of a huge body of water. Jimin knew that it was a lake because his father had told him that if it was an ocean, you couldn’t see the other side. It was still bigger than anything he had ever seen and after hours of walking, he longed to dive inside and clean himself.

Namjoon shifted in front of them and announced that they would stop here for the night.

“Those of you who wish to come and hunt are welcome. The others can start making camp.”

Jimin wondered if he had understood correctly, but when he saw some omegas join Namjoon, he knew he had heard right.

He hadn’t really realized it the day before, probably too tired from all the walking, but anyone could hunt.

He forgot the weariness in his body and felt a wave of excitement.

For the first time in his life, he was allowed to hunt.

As a group of a dozen wolves started to form, Jimin found within himself a streak of competition he didn’t know he possessed. He wanted to catch something and impress the others.

He wanted to show them that he wasn’t a burden and that he could help the rogues.

Namjoon, who had now shifted into a wolf, led them back into the forest surrounding the lake. Yoongi, Hoseok, and Seokjin had stayed behind, but Jungkook was there.

Jimin knew he would bring something back and that made Jimin even more eager to start hunting.

Wolves separated into smaller groups and went their own way. Jimin was left on his own and started walking as lightly as he could. His sense of smell wasn’t the best, but his hearing and sight were excellent and made up for it.

He could hear some small animals, a squirrel in the branches above his head, a mouse climbing a tree. But only when he saw a hare did he decide to attack.

He waited, crouched on the ground, for the hare to approach a bit closer and then dived upon it, catching it in his mouth. He bit just enough to kill it and not damage the meat. It might not be much but it was a clean and quick kill. He could still hunt some more.

He continued a bit further and left his catch at the base of a tree. He remembered when he was younger and the forest was filled with so many animals that even in winter, they didn’t get hungry. The years had passed and it had become more and more difficult to hunt, prey had become scarce for no apparent reason. Jimin thought it had been because his pack was too greedy, but he was realizing now that it was the same everywhere, just as Namjoon and Seokjin had said.

Right then, he heard a stumble and the rapid breathing of a scared animal. It was a small red deer that was running his way, not even realizing that Jimin was there. With no scent, Jimin had realized years ago that he was less visible to others and at this moment, it allowed him to let the deer continue his run towards him.

He saw the moment the deer realized his presence but it was too late. He jumped and plunged his teeth inside the animal’s neck. The deer fell on the ground and Jimin felt a rush of pride. The others would be so impressed when he’d bring it back to them.

But then, he heard the steps of another wolf.

He turned his head and froze when he saw Jungkook come his way, a hare of his own in his mouth.

With horror, Jimin realized that Jungkook had been chasing the deer and that he had stolen his kill.

He bowed his head and took a few steps backwards, letting Jungkook get close to the deer’s body.

He was feeling so ashamed.

Not only had he taken the alpha’s prey, but the pride he had felt had been misplaced. He had no right to boast.

He waited, eyes on the ground and shame burning through him.

Jungkook let out a small bark, as if to call his attention. Jimin slowly raised his eyes and looked at him. Jungkook was crouching next to the deer and with his snout, pushed it towards Jimin.

Jimin looked at him with wide eyes.

The alpha didn’t seem mad that he had taken his kill. Jungkook even stepped away from the deer and walked around him to get closer to Jimin.

Jimin took another step back, but not for the same reason.

No one touched him. Ever.

Immediately, Jungkook stopped and Jimin realized what he had done. He whined, not knowing what to do. He felt safe with Jungkook, he had from the very beginning, and if he was honest, he knew he wanted it.

But he hadn’t been touched in so long that the movement had scared him. His thoughts were running everywhere and he got scared that he had upset the alpha, for real this time.

But Jungkook just calmly walked back without a sign of anger in his posture or scent. Foolishly, Jimin wanted him to come back and try again.

But the distance between them calmed him.

He watched as Jungkook walked up to the hare Jimin had caught before. The alpha then looked at him and tilted his head. He wanted to carry it for Jimin.

Which meant that Jimin would get to carry the deer back to camp.

Jimin couldn’t believe it. He wanted to get closer to Jungkook and nuzzle his neck to thank him. But Jungkook took a few steps back towards the camp and Jimin understood. Quickly, he took the deer’s neck in his mouth and started to pull. It wasn’t too big, so Jimin moved it with ease, but it still made him slower.

All the way back, Jungkook walked alongside him with the two hares in his mouth, although never close enough that he would be able to touch Jimin.

They arrived back to camp and all the wolves who had stayed behind came up to see them.

“Oh, that’s so nice!” Seokjin exclaimed, examining the deer, “That would make a nice gift for the Kim pack tomorrow, the fur would make a beautiful pelt. Only if you’re alright with giving it, Jimin.”

Jimin, still in his wolf form, didn’t know how to answer.

He was more than ok with sharing his kill. It made him feel like part of the pack. But he looked at Jungkook, wondering if the other would agree. It was also his choice.

Jungkook huffed in what seemed to be amusement and nodded. Jimin turned back to Seokjin and barked excitedly. 

Seokjin looked between the two of them, “Wait, you two hunted together?”

By the looks of it, this was a surprise. Before Jimin could respond, Jungkook nodded once again and walked away to drop the two hares by the fire.

Seokjin let out a small incredulous laugh and said to Jimin, “How about you change back and we can prepare the deer? I’ll go get the knives while you shift.”

Jimin went behind some trees with his satchel and put his clothes back on. He had noticed that Seokjin knew to give him time and space to change and that he hadn’t questioned him about it.

He joined the omega by one of the fires that had been lit for cooking and started helping him cut the deer. Around them, the wolves that had gone on the hunt were starting to come back, some empty-handed and others not, but none with a catch as big as Jimin and Jungkook.

Seokjin thanked every one of them but said to Jimin in a lower voice, “At first, we thought the situation would be better closer to Her mountain but it’s the same everywhere. Far or close, there is no game to hunt anymore.”

“This is still more than what our alphas hunt,” Jimin replied.

“Yeah, you can see that we’re in a pack-free land.” And then Seokjin smiled, “But also, it’s probably because your alphas were shit at hunting. They should have left you to do it instead.”

Jimin laughed and a few heads turned toward them, including Jungkook, who was skinning the hares by the next fire.

“I’m just saying,” Seokjin said, seemingly proud of having made him laugh, “You should join every hunt from now on.”

Jimin felt a blush form on his cheeks and he nodded, trying to stay focused on his task.

Suddenly, they heard cries of joy coming from the lake, followed by splashing sounds.

“I see Hoseok and Yoongi are back from gathering wood,” Seokjin sighed, “Do you want to join them? I’ll finish this, don’t worry.”

Jimin watched as others walked to the edge of the lake, drawn by the laughter. Some were entering the water as humans, others shifted before jumping in.

“Alright, I can see how much you want it. Go,” Seokjin ordered with a smile.

Jimin put the knife down and went back to hide to shift.

Jumping in the water had never felt so exhilarating. The river’s current back home was pretty dangerous, so he had to be careful when swimming. Here, the water was calm but also very clean, and Jimin felt the urge to play when he watched the other wolves chase each other in the water.

He stayed on the side but jumped and swam happily. Hoseok came up near him, although at a distance, and for a while, they splashed each other playfully. Yoongi joined them and after a moment, Hoseok tried to wrestle him and push him underwater. Although he didn’t join them, Jimin was amused by their game.

They stayed in the water for more than an hour and were the last ones to exit. The sun was setting on the other side of the lake and everyone was back from hunting.

A few of them were watching over the cooking food but most of the wolves were sitting by the lake, some discussing as humans and others grooming each other as wolves.

Jimin watched over the whole scene for a moment. He was feeling so many conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, he was feeling happier than he had in a long time. Even when his father had been alive, they had been outcasts.

This was what living in a good pack felt like, he was sure of it.

But he also couldn’t smell them well. And when he saw the wolves grooming each other, he knew he couldn’t do the same, not right now, and the loneliness he felt in that moment was different from what he was used to.

Because he wanted to be a part of them, but he was still scared of being touched.

As he was watching the pack, he met Jungkook’s eyes.

The alpha was lying on the ground as a wolf, a bit away from the rest of the group. He was also alone but didn’t seem to be bothered by it. Jimin didn’t feel judged by the way he was looking at him. On the contrary, Jungkook started licking his own paw and Jimin made his decision.

He walked up to him and sat down just a few meters away. Close enough for it to be voluntary, but far enough that they wouldn’t touch by accident.

It should have been nothing, to sit beside the other, but Jimin’s heart was beating fast and if his omega were here, he would have let out pheromones that would have surely embarrassed him. Jimin pushed the thought away and after a moment, started grooming himself.

He usually didn’t do it as a wolf, because there were too many spots he couldn’t reach alone, but he really wanted to do it now. Sometimes, he raised his eyes and saw that Jungkook was also grooming himself. A few times, their eyes met and Jungkook waited. Maybe he was waiting for Jimin to ask for some help, but his gaze never felt forceful and he didn’t ask for help either.

Jimin felt safe. He liked Jungkook’s scent and for a second, he entertained the idea of asking the alpha to groom the back of his neck. He shook his head, knowing that if he had been a human, he would have blushed at his own thought.

“Everyone, it’s time for dinner!” Seokjin screamed from the fires.

Jimin and Jungkook rose from the ground and after one last look, Jimin went on his way to shift.

He wished he had a scent to let out. He would have been able to show his thankfulness to the alpha for allowing them to bond on his own terms.

The rest of the night felt the same as the one before, laughing around the campfire and talking with the others until it was time to sleep.

Before closing his eyes, Jimin looked at the moon above him. Silently, he thanked the Moon Goddess for giving him this opportunity and asked Her for the courage to go even beyond in truly joining them.

Whatever that meant.

“Oh Goddess, this is delicious! I’m warning you, I’m going to come back every morning to ask for a bowl now.”

Jimin blushed at the compliment.

Once again, Hoseok had asked for a cup of tea when they had woken up. This time though, Jimin had not been surprised and he made his own tea without feeling anxious. Heejin, the alpha who had given them hot water the day before, had even joined them.

But they had to leave quickly. Jimin could feel the anticipation of arriving in a friendly pack from the others. Along with his bag, Jimin also carried the pelt of the red deer he had killed the day before.

They ran alongside the edge of the lake and then followed a large river that branched off of it. The sun was shining brightly above them, but Jimin was starting to feel anxiety in his chest. What if the Kim pack was the same as his own? They might treat him badly because of who he was. He knew Namjoon and Seokjin wouldn’t let that happen but irrational fears started forming in his head as they got closer to the new pack.

Soon after, he felt a shift among the rogues. They had probably smelled that they were entering a marked territory and were careful upon moving forward.

Namjoon stopped and everyone stood in place.

“We’ll go as a small group to greet them,” he said after shifting, “Seokjin and Jungkook will come with me. Jimin, I would like you to join as well, if you want to.”

Jimin’s ears turned red and Namjoon sensed his unease.

“You’re the one who caught the gift, it is yours to give.”

Jimin stayed silent for a moment but then, he caught Jungkook’s eyes. The alpha nodded and Jimin took a deep breath.

He could do this.

He asked the Moon Goddess for courage. He wanted Her to be proud of him.

For the first time, he shifted back in front of the others.

Seokjin and Jungkook did the same but Jimin was the first one fully dressed. The fact that he had shifted in front of everyone didn’t mean he felt comfortable being naked in his human form yet.

He grabbed the red deer skin and followed them, walking between Namjoon and Jungkook.

When they got far away from the others, Namjoon told him, “I also wanted you to come for another reason. Before we left, our Head Alpha warned us about the different packs and their customs. We knew to bring Yoongi, Hoseok and Jungkook to your old pack to intimidate them. Here, we need a softer approach, we don’t want to appear aggressive.”

“But…”

Jimin felt lost and didn’t know where to start asking questions, “Why did you want to intimidate my pack?”

“We knew they wouldn’t be… receptive,” Namjoon explained, “But from the beginning, we told ourselves we’d give a chance to every single pack we’d cross. And we were right, since it brought you to us,” he added with a warm smile.

“Oh,” Jimin let out, processing the words, “But you were expecting my Head Alpha to attack you, so you chose to come in with warriors.”

“Exactly, the Park Head Alpha has a reputation. We also made the whole group approach closer to the village to show our numbers.”

“That’s smart,” Jimin remarked.

That made Namjoon and Seokjin laugh.

“Thank you,” the omega said, “It’s the eleventh pack we’ve visited. I’d like to think that we have developed a good strategy over the months.”

Jimin looked at Jungkook and addressed him directly, “What was the strategy for your pack?”

He waited, feeling restless under the alpha’s gaze. He felt how Seokjin and Namjoon were staying silent and he wondered if he had made a mistake by asking this question.

But Jungkook gave him a small smile and replied, “I was the first to join after Hoseok and Yoongi. Let’s say that they didn’t have a strategy at that point.”

Jimin could feel that there was more to it, the continued silence of the other two was telling, but Jungkook’s expression felt open and warm, so Jimin didn’t feel bad about asking.

He actually wanted to know more but they heard footsteps and stopped walking.

Wolves started to appear from behind the trees, walking up to them until the small group had five wolves circling around them - four alphas and one beta.

Jimin took a step closer to Jungkook.

Namjoon raised his hands and said, “My name is Namjoon and this is my mate, Seokjin. We’re from the Kim pack by the Western Sea. We have a group of fifteen people on the edge of your territory and we’d like to speak to your Head Alpha.”

One of the alphas came forward and turned his head to Jimin and Jungkook.

“This is Jungkook, formerly of the Jeon pack, and Jimin, formerly of the Park pack.”

The wolf let out a huff that felt mocking but they didn’t move, waiting for its reply.

The alpha turned around and with a shake of his head, indicated that they could follow. They all stayed silent during the walk to the village, wolves still on either side of them.

Jimin was feeling oppressed, yet he couldn’t stop from observing the way this pack was different from his own. The houses were taller, some even seemed to have more than one floor, and they were made of a lighter shade of wood.

The deeper they went into the village, the fewer trees there were, until there weren’t any more, leaving the center of the village out in the open. They did have a Hall and Jimin’s eyes were drawn to the tall alpha standing in front of it, talking to others around him. Immediately, he knew this was the Head Alpha.

The man must have smelled the visitors because he raised his head and walked up to them. He didn’t carry a weapon and his posture wasn’t aggressive.

Still, Jimin didn’t like it.

“You smell like Kim wolves,” the Head Alpha said as a greeting.

“We are. We’re from the western Kim pack. I’m the son of the Head Alpha there,” Namjoon replied, which left Jimin surprised. He had never mentioned that before. Although it wasn’t surprising, considering how everyone in the rogue pack treated him as their Head Alpha.

“Then we are cousins,” the other formally nodded, “But I’ll be blunt, I’m afraid I cannot show you the hospitality you deserve. Food is scarce and we cannot feed you.”

“We come bearing food as a gift for your pack,” Namjoon said. “All we ask for is a place to sleep tonight and a moment to speak to all of you.”

The Head Alpha’s expression turned careful, “Things aren’t going well in the Kim pack?”

“Things aren’t going well everywhere,” Namjoon gave as a non-reply. “We’d rather talk about it in front of the whole pack.”

He then turned his head to Jimin, who understood what he had to do.

With his heart beating fast, Jimin took a step forward and presented the red deer skin. “We’ve also kept its meat as a gift,” he said, trying to hide the trembling in his voice. “It’s being kept by the rest of us, back at the edge of your territory.”

The alpha took the skin and immediately, Jimin moved back next to Jungkook.

“I thank you for this most welcome gift,” the alpha said with the first smile since he had greeted them. “Your group can come here, we’ll cook the meat together for the night. Namjoon, I want to speak to you in private while your pack settles for the night. We have a few empty cabins if you’d like.”

Namjoon nodded and gave one last look to the three of them. “I’ll see you all later,” he said, before following the Head Alpha.

Jimin took a deep breath, feeling relieved that he hadn’t messed up.

“I hate it when alphas think they need to speak privately for things that concern everyone,” Seokjin groaned, “but it doesn’t matter. You did good, Jimin, thank you.”

Jimin shyly smiled and looked at Jungkook. “It was our kill, so thank you as well.”

He expected the alpha to protest but to his surprise, the alpha nodded. Fleeing the warm gaze, Jimin looked around. The members of the Kim pack were looking at them with interest but not outright hostility. The wolves that had escorted them had gone back inside the forest, probably to get the rest of their group here.

“Is every pack like this one?” Jimin suddenly wondered, looking at the others, “Is my pack different from everyone else’s or is this pack different?”

It was Jungkook that responded first.

“Your pack is not the only one living inside the forest, but it is very isolated. Usually, people at least know their neighboring packs, but yours is almost cut off completely.” 

“And let’s not talk about the omega and beta treatment from your alphas…,” Seokjin scoffed.

“Many other packs still hold this mentality,” Jungkook countered, before pausing to look at Jimin with a look of horror, “Not that I support it!”

“I know,” Jimin reassured him with a smile. “You’re quite different from the alphas of my pack.”

And he was. They had only met a few days ago but so far, Jungkook had been quiet, attentive, and supportive of him, something none of the Park alphas had ever been.

That seemed to greatly please the other, as his scent grew more noticeable and he smiled a bit wider than he had before.

For a second, the desire to let out his own scent in response was overwhelming.

But then, a woman came up to them.

“Your group will be here shortly. Come, we’ll show you where you’ll stay.”

They followed her to the eastern part of the village, where they met with the rest of the rogues. There, they were told that they could sleep in three different cabins. The woman apologized if they felt cramped, it was all they had available.

But after two nights in the forest, Jimin loved putting his bag in a wooden cabin, even if he had to share with six other people. He liked seeing the house filled with people talking and laughing, and he didn’t hesitate to join them in a card game.

They soon got tired of Yoongi winning every single game and after that, Heejin’s mate, Nari, taught them some card tricks while others took a nap. Sanghoon, a beta and one of the oldest among them, spent some time telling them about his travels around the southern part of the continent and Jimin listened to him, enraptured.

When the afternoon started to get long, they asked if they could go outside. They couldn’t possibly hunt on the Kim territory, but they asked if they had a river so they could wash themselves for the evening feast.

They were shown to a small stream and like the day before, played in the water for a few hours. The Kim wolves seemed to stay at a respectful distance from them, which Jimin appreciated. He was barely starting to get to know every member of the rogue group, and that was draining enough.

And just like the day before, he decided to lay down next to Jungkook to groom himself.

The alpha looked at him and Jimin knew that they would have smiled at each other if they had been in their human form.

This time though, Seokjin was sitting next to them.

Jimin was fine with it, he liked the omega a lot. That was until Seokjin started huffing because he couldn’t reach his ears, and Namjoon wasn’t there to do it for him. So, he moved forward until he could be reached by Jungkook, who started to lick behind the top of his head.

Jimin didn’t feel angry at Seokjin; grooming a wolf of the same pack was the most normal thing, even if Jimin hadn’t experienced it before.

But he wanted to be in his place so much . He wanted to be brave enough to move until he could be reached; he wanted this contact.

He wanted it so much that he felt a wave of shame.

It was like a piece of him was missing. Why couldn’t he ask for it? It looked simple enough when Seokjin did it!

He didn’t know how to reach out. He didn’t have the words to ask for comfort and he didn’t have a scent to fill this void either.

No one could know how lonely he was feeling and it was his fault .

He had chosen to push his omega away; he had chosen to stay in his pack all these years.

He turned his head away from the others.

He was angry now, but at himself.

How could he complain about feeling lonely if he didn’t do anything about it?

He was starting to feel overwhelmed and rose up from the ground. Without a look backwards, he left the group and moved down the river until he couldn’t see them anymore. There, he shifted back and sat down on the ground, rubbing his hands to feel the contact of his own skin.

Why couldn’t he let the others touch him?

“Hello?”

Jimin jumped, pulling his legs against his chest.

An omega from the Kim pack was slowly walking up to him.

“Don’t come closer, please,” Jimin asked, making himself smaller.

The omega stopped and sat down where he was. Jimin felt a bit better now that they were at the same level.

“I’m Kim Taehyung,” the other said.

“And I’m Jimin.”

He didn’t feel like adding Park right now.

Taehyung was looking calm, but Jimin could tell he was nervous. His leg was slightly shaking and he was biting his lower lip.

“People say that you’re here to ask us to join you,” the omega let out, “Is that true?”

Jimin didn’t know If he could reveal anything, so he shrugged.

“Do you have pups in your group?” Taehyung continued.

“No. Our youngest, Jihye, is fifteen.”

“Would you accept pups?”

Jimin didn’t answer.

Would they? He didn’t know but he was starting to hear the despair in the other omega’s voice.

“You would have to ask them, I’ve only joined four days ago. But… they’re nice. Really.”

Suddenly, the shame of leaving Seokjin and Jungkook without a word hit him. They had been so nice to him and he couldn’t even repay the kindness.

“That’s good,” Taehyung replied, but he didn’t look completely satisfied with Jimin’s answer. It took him a few seconds to finally add, “During these four days, did you regret leaving your pack?”

That stopped Jimin.

Not once, during the last days, had he thought of his pack with any amount of regret.

No, not his pack anymore. His old pack. That’s what Seokjin and Namjoon had called it.

“I don’t miss it and I don’t think I ever will.”

Taehyung nodded and this time, Jimin could see that it was with a lot more conviction. The Kim wolf rose from the ground.

“Thank you, Jimin. I hope to see you soon.”

At any other time, Jimin would have asked him more questions, it was clear that Taehyung was thinking of joining their group, but for now, he needed to be alone.

He needed to think.

He waited a few minutes after Taehyung had gone, wanting to be sure that he was completely alone. And for the first time, he allowed himself to the thoughts he had kept locked up inside.

He needed to be honest with himself.

He wanted to be an omega.

He thought back to the day he had presented. He had woken up in their small cabin, ready for his day’s tasks. They needed wood for the upcoming winter and his dad had wanted to teach him how to build a chair since one of theirs had broken the day before.

But he had taken a step out of bed and fallen on the ground, waking up his dad. He was burning up and every smell felt too strong, even the reassuring scent of his dad.

Jimin couldn’t forget the look of fear on his dad’s face and how he had been put back to bed and told to wait.

Jimin didn’t regret suppressing his omega. He couldn’t.

That day, he had taken the suppressing tea and felt a wave of relief. The pack believed him to be a beta and that gave him freedom. Not much, but more than being an omega.

But now, he was getting to experience true freedom.

He could be an omega and hunt, speak for himself, and choose his mate. And he wanted that.

Jimin took a deep breath, feeling the certainty growing within him.

His father had always told him that he was brave and strong when he was younger, but Jimin had started to believe that it was a lie after his death. He had stayed stuck in a pack that hated him, alone and hidden.

But he was courageous.

He had followed Namjoon and the other rogues. He was travelling with them and hunting for them.

He was strong.

Jimin felt tears run down his cheeks and he started laughing. He was feeling so silly, yet an immense joy overtook him.

He had made his decision.

He was going to let his omega out.

When he walked back to the village, an hour later and dressed up, he was feeling like everything and nothing had changed at the same time.

He entered their cabin and saw the others getting ready for the feast. Even with his recent decision, he still felt shame when he saw Seokjin and Jungkook, especially when the alpha sent him a look of concern.

Jungkook approached him and Jimin noticed how he was keeping a distance between them. He had seen that everyone else was doing the same thing, giving him space every time they were speaking to him.

“Are you alright?” the alpha asked.

Jimin smiled apologetically, “Yes, I’m sorry for leaving like that.”

Jungkook shook his head, “It’s fine. You must be tired.”

But Hoseok entered the room and interrupted their discussion.

“Let’s go!” he told them. “Namjoon said to come now. He’s gonna make the announcement!”

Jimin looked at Jungkook and had a small smile when he saw the annoyance in the alpha’s face.

“Let’s go,” he offered and felt glad when Jungkook’s warm gaze fell back on him.

They joined the others as they walked back towards the Hall. There, they were told to stand in the corner while Seokjin joined Namjoon in front of the Kim pack.

They presented their journey the same way they had in front of the Park pack. Jimin could see now how used they were to explaining their goal.

But sadly, the response stayed the same. The moment Namjoon talked about climbing the mountain of the Moon Goddess, cries of shock were heard all over the Hall.

The Kim wolves were less aggressive about it, but their response was clear: they wouldn’t follow either. Yes, they were hungry. Yes, illnesses were becoming more and more frequent, but they would live through it without being blasphemous, as the Kim Head Alpha said in a stiff voice.

The fact that they didn’t get kicked out was a surprise, but the following feast certainly showed the wolves’ disgust of the rogues. They stayed far away from them all night long, even Taehyung, who Jimin saw through the crowd.

The others, especially Namjoon, looked a bit dejected about the reception but Jimin didn’t mind as much. Maybe it was selfish, but he was just glad to be eating inside with the others, staying close to them during the whole evening.

He was still tired, especially after his earlier breakdown. The energy he had felt about letting out his omega was starting to wane.

His mind was set and it wouldn’t change, but for now, he needed to sleep on it.

He bit his lip when he saw Jungkook hide a yawn and he gathered the courage to speak.

“Do you want to go back to the cabins?” he asked in a low voice. “I’m tired. I was thinking of leaving soon.”

Jungkook looked surprised at his request but immediately nodded.

They exited under the gaze of not only the Kim pack, but also the rogues.

Outside, the night was clear and they could see the last quarter of the moon.

Jimin suddenly felt stupid. He had asked Jungkook to accompany him, but what should he say now? He would feel so awkward if their walk back was just spent in silence.

“You must be feeling tired, after four days of travelling.”

Jimin felt a wave of relief and thankfulness towards the alpha for starting up the conversation.

“I am. But…less than I expected, considering I never left my old pack’s territory before.

Jungkook smiled. “This is the first time you’ve called it your ‘old’ pack.”

Jimin paused. “I know…that part of my life is behind me.”

Jungkook let out a sad laugh. “You’re much faster than I was. It still happens to me when I don’t think about it.”

“It’s pretty scary to leave everything behind and start a new life,” Jimin agreed, “But… It’s only been days and I already feel like this is where I belong. In a pack of rogues,” he laughed in disbelief.

Jimin looked at the alpha, who had his head turned towards the night sky. A few strands of his hair had escaped from his ponytail and fallen over his eyes. He seemed peaceful.

“Every pack has to start from somewhere, I guess,” he finally said, “I’m glad our own allows us so much freedom.”

Jimin's steps faltered and his heart jumped.

Their pack, that was what Jungkook had called it.

He loved it so very much, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

“I like it as well…”

This time, the silence that accompanied their walk back was comfortable. They were walking so close that Jimin could have just moved his hand to take Jungkook’s arm. The rogues were so comfortable with each other, he was sure that the alpha wouldn’t even bat an eye.

Jungkook’s tunic was up to his elbow and Jimin imagined himself touching the skin, putting his hand on it and leaning against the alpha for the rest of their walk.

But he didn’t do it.

He frowned. He had told himself that he was strong earlier, yet he was still unable to touch.

And then, Jimin’s eyes moved up to Jungkook’s face for the second time.

An idea crossed his mind.

Maybe he wanted to touch the alpha, not because he missed physical contact but… because he wanted to touch Jungkook .

He tried to hide his blush.

Maybe tonight wasn’t the right moment, too many things had already happened today.

But Jimin knew that very soon, he would find the strength to do it.

They left the village in the early morning without any escort.

Namjoon had told them that Head Alpha Kim had requested that they leave without talking to anyone.

“So much for the friendship of related packs…,” the alpha had scoffed, showing anger for the first time.

But they were almost on the edge of the Kim pack’s borders when they stopped. Jimin raised his head to see why they weren’t walking anymore.

Taehyung was there, holding in his arms a pup that couldn’t be older than two years old. He had a bag over his shoulder and a fierce expression on his face.

“My name is Kim Taehyung and I would like to join you,” he said. “I’ve been telling everyone that something is wrong for years, but they’ve mocked me and no one listened to me. I want to climb the mountain with you.”

They all stayed silent. They could feel the strength and determination of the omega and Jimin admired him.

Namjoon shifted and asked with a serious tone, “I have to ask about the other parent of the pup. Are we going to see them running after us because you fled?”

Taehyung firmly replied. “He passed two years ago from an unknown illness that took twenty of our own.”

Everyone could see that his tone wasn’t out of anger, but from a pain that was still very present.

Namjoon felt it as well and nodded. “You’re welcome to join us, Taehyung. You and your little one.”

Jimin saw a crack in his façade and Taehyung nodded.

“Thank you. I won’t be a burden.”

“There are no burdens among us, only people who need to be helped.”

That stuck to Jimin even later, when they were far away from the Kim pack and Taehyung was now carrying his pup by the back of his neck.

Taehyung wasn’t a burden for joining them with a young pup and Jimin wasn’t a burden either, even if he sometimes felt like one.

This morning, he had removed a pinch of aconite from his tea.

Barely anything but enough that it would have made him anxious in the past. He knew he had to take it slow, he wasn’t sure how his body would react after years of being suppressed.

But now, more and more, he started to feel that even if he were to react badly and needed help, the others wouldn’t think of him as a burden. They would most likely try to help him and that was a comforting thought.

Now, he was actually starting to think that he would have to talk about it soon.

Not to everyone, but at least to Namjoon and Seokjin so they could be warned about the potential problems to come. Jimin knew he could trust them.

The image of Jungkook crossed his mind and Jimin almost tripped. Next to him, Hoseok laughed once he realized that Jimin was fine.

When they stopped for the night next to a small river, everyone was fussing over the small pup.

“His name is Minjun,” Taehyung told them, letting the small pup wander around him in his wolf form. “He’ll be two in a month.”

Jimin smiled. Minjun was coming up to the different members of the pack and always looked back at Taehyung before smelling a new person. The way he waited for his father’s permission was absolutely adorable in Jimin’s eyes.

For a moment, he was reminded of his own father. Jimin didn’t remember his life as a pup, but he knew that his father had loved him dearly. Seeing Taehyung look at his son with such warmth was making him happy.

After a few minutes, Jimin got a bit worried when the pup got closer to him, but Minjun seemed to take a liking to Yoongi and settled in the alpha’s lap.

“He likes strong and calm scents,” Taehyung fondly smiled.

“He’s very friendly,” Jimin noticed.

“Yes, that’s also why I decided to join your group,” Taehyung said. “ I knew Minjun would adapt well.”

Jimin didn’t know if he would have had the strength to leave his pack if he’d also had a pup to take care of.

“That’s very courageous of you,” he said.

Taehyung sent him a bright smile.

“Thank you.”

They continued to talk and look at the pup until Jungkook came up next to him.

“Do you want to go hunt?” he asked, looking at Jimin. “I smelled the trail of a boar earlier, I thought you might want to come with me…”

Jimin was on his feet before Jungkook could even finish, making the alpha grin.

“I guess that’s a yes.”

“Of course! I’ll be quick.”

It only took a few moments for Jimin to hide behind a few trees, put his clothes next to his bag and shift.

He joined Jungkook. Together, they ran between the trees.

It felt so exhilarating. Jimin was even a bit faster than Jungkook and teased him about it, running around him. The alpha bit the air every time Jimin got too close and he would flee with a huff of amusement. 

Too busy playing with each other, they stumbled upon the boar without even realizing it, making them and the animal jump at the same time.

Yet, they were faster at recovering from the surprise. Jimin ran to the other side of the boar, cutting off its path and Jungkook jumped on its front. The boar tried to defend itself, hitting Jungkook’s front leg with its head but the alpha bit his neck and ended the fight there.

Jimin couldn’t believe how quick their hunt had been; he felt a wave of pride at their ability to hunt together, even if it was a small boar and they stumbled upon it by surprise.

They took turns dragging the boar back to camp and were greeted with cheers when the others saw them arrive. Now more than ever, Jimin noticed how the whole pack would go and touch Jungkook, either with a pat on the head or a nuzzle, yet they gave Jimin the distance he needed.

The feeling of happiness and pride didn’t leave all evening, especially when they got to eat their own catch and everyone congratulated them once again.

They were now sitting around the fire, Jimin next to Jungkook.

Hoseok rubbed his stomach, “A full belly, good company and the cutest pup in the world, what more can you ask for, except a massage from my mate, maybe?”

He looked at Yoongi, wiggling his eyebrows and everyone laughed at the other’s nonplussed expression.

“Is it like this all the time?” Taehyung asked, Minjun already sleeping in his arms.

Namjoon answered. “We hit a low two months ago, barely finding any prey, but Jungkook is an amazing hunter and he got us through it.”

“And now that we have Jimin,” Seokjin added, “We’ll never be hungry again!”

Jimin blushed under the attention and lowered his eyes.

That’s when he saw the bruise on Jungkook’s arm.

The others kept on talking and Jimin asked in a low voice. “Are you alright? Is that from the boar earlier?”

Jungkook looked at his forearm as if he hadn’t realized that the injury was there. “I guess so. It stings a bit, but I heal fast.”

Jimin frowned. He went to his bed and took one of the balms from his bag. He came back and Jungkook seemed more interested in the cream than by being healed.

“Did you make that yourself?” he asked.

“Yes, my father taught me a lot about plants,” Jimin replied, omitting to say that he knew so much because of his tea. “This will make you heal even faster, you won’t feel a thing.”

But as he was about to pass the balm to Jungkook, Jimin paused.

Maybe… He could do it.

With a small prayer for the Moon Goddess, he unscrewed the lid himself.

Next to him, Jungkook tensed.

Jimin immediately backpedaled, “Do you want to do it yourse – ”

“No!” Jungkook stopped him, making the both of them jump.

Jimin looked around and saw that the others were too busy talking with each other to pay any mind to them.

“No, you can do it,” Jungkook repeated in a lower voice.

Even though it was unnecessary, he pushed the sleeve of his shirt even further up his arm.

Jimin bit his lower lip.

It was stupid; it was just a touch.

It should have been easy.

“I can do it if you prefer,” Jungkook assured.

But Jimin shook his head and took some balm on his fingers.

Carefully, he brought it to Jungkook’s arm and started putting it on the bruise.

And that felt so good.

Jungkook’s skin was warmer than his. It was smooth and Jimin’s fingers glided over it, pushing the cream deeper.

His throat closed and he felt tears in his eyes.

He was touching someone for the first time in years. And that someone was the most gentle and kind alpha he had ever met. He felt silly when a few tears rolled over his cheeks but he continued rubbing the balm in until it fully disappeared, which happened way too early for his liking.

He was thankful that Jungkook didn’t say anything when he discreetly wiped the tears from his face.

Instead, he waited for Jimin to regain his composure before whispering, “Thank you, Jimin. Truly.”

Jimin let out a small laugh, still unable to meet the other’s eyes. “It’s just balm,” he said, putting the lid back on and placing it on the ground.

“Thank you,” Jungkook repeated, and Jimin knew that he wasn’t talking about the cream.

His arm was still there, a bit shiny from the balm, and Jimin wondered if…

He looked at Jungkook’s face. The alpha was watching him with such care in his eyes that Jimin’s heart missed a beat.

Then, Jungkook moved his arms, putting it slightly closer to Jimin.

And he caved.

He scooted a bit closer and wrapped his arm around Jungkook’s biceps, still careful of not leaning too much against him. Then, he placed his other hand on Jungkook’s forearm and felt the same overwhelming feeling.

He couldn’t stop his fingers from twitching. Jungkook’s skin felt so soft under his touch.

Jungkook raised his other hand and brought it over Jimin’s, hovering above it.

“Can I?” the alpha asked.

Jimin nodded, throat too closed to respond with words.

Jungkook’s hand was so much bigger that it engulfed his own, which would have been funny if he wasn’t trying to stop himself from sobbing.  

“How long has it been?” Jungkook murmured.

Jimin wanted to tell him. About the loneliness and the rejection. He wanted to tell him about how much this moment meant to him.

He simply whispered, “Four years.”

He felt Jungkook let out a breath, “Goddess, Jimin…”

But Jimin stopped him, tightening the grip he had on his arm, “It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”

Jungkook nodded and started moving his thumb on the back of Jimin’s hand, slowly caressing it.

Jimin closed his eyes and smiled.

It would be fine.

Over the next couple of days, Jimin lowered the amount of aconite in his tea. He wasn’t really feeling anything, which led him to believe that he had been putting way too much of the plant in his tea.

The day before, he had managed to speak to Namjoon and Seokjin alone, telling them about what he was doing. He told them he didn’t know how his body would respond and with a blush, spoke about maybe getting into heat once his omega started to come out.

Without truly saying it, Seokjin had implied that a lot of them had guessed his omega status.

“And Heejin came up to me to say that you were taking aconite, that she was worried about you,” he had said.

Another important moment came when Seokjin had asked for Jimin’s permission to hold his hand.

“We really want to comfort you and be there for you.”

And Jimin had nodded, giving him his hand to hold. Namjoon had then told him not to worry about his heat.

“It will come when your body is ready. It will not crash on you if your wolf doesn’t want it.”

This conversation had made him so happy that he had spent the rest of the evening chatting up with everyone and touching Jungkook every time he could. Small touches, like a hand on his arm or their shoulders leaning against each other, but it always got a happy smile out of the alpha.

He hadn’t told him about his status yet, but he felt like Jungkook already knew. Nonetheless, Jimin wanted him to know his whole story.

Every day, he was feeling closer to the others. Not only Namjoon and Seokjin, but also Hoseok and Heejin, who came to drink tea with him each morning. Yoongi had also been interested in his plants but mostly the medicinal ones, and Jimin taught him how to make a simple yet effective healing balm.

Jimin also really liked Taehyung. He and the other omega had in common their curiosity of the outside world, which they knew very little about compared to the others. They loved looking at Namjoon’s map, which showed their entire continent and the location of each pack. Their journey was shown by a line, which went from the northwest to the mountain of the Moon Goddess, which was surrounded by the ocean in the eastern part of the land.

Jimin and Taehyung spent a lot of time asking questions to the others about what life in the other packs was like. Sanghoon, ever the story-teller, answered every question they had.

But out of everyone, Jungkook was the one he spent the most time with.

They went out to hunt every day, and even if they didn’t always catch something, it was the moment that Jimin waited for the most.

That day, they had been gone for an hour and hadn’t found anything except for a rabbit so small they had let it run away.

Jimin was starting to get bored, running beside Jungkook. They were still a week away from the next pack and this part of the forest was completely empty of animals.

On a whim, he pushed Jungkook and jumped to the side to see his reaction.

The black wolf looked at him, puzzled, until he saw Jimin’s stance, crouched on the ground and ready to fly away.

Even in his wolf form, Jimin was getting used to touching the alpha. And right now, he wanted to play.

Jungkook took a step forward and Jimin jumped. He ran around the alpha and lightly bit him. This time, Jungkook growled and ran after him. Jimin took off between the trees, hearing the alpha going after him.

He felt him get closer and took a sharp turn to lose him. He wanted to laugh when he heard Jungkook stumble and went on, feeling exhilarated. But Jungkook was fast and apparently extremely motivated. The next time Jimin heard him, he didn’t have time to evade until the alpha was on him.

Jimin slipped and Jungkook climbed on him, lightly biting his ear. The omega huffed and pushed him away, and Jungkook immediately followed the movement, getting off of him. 

But Jimin didn’t want him to think that he was uncomfortable.

He laid down next to Jungkook again and let his head fall on his front legs.

Jungkook got the message and for the first time, laid down as well.

But Jimin wanted more. He huffed and pushed his head towards Jungkook until the alpha got the message, and started to groom him.

Everyday, Jimin was getting more and more comfortable touching. Now that he had started, he felt like he always wanted more. As each day passed, he would push his boundaries further. He was glad that he had touched Seokjin now and he knew that soon enough, he would try with Hoseok and Taehyung as well.

But no one made him feel as safe as Jungkook.

Jimin let out a sigh of contentment. He had wanted to be groomed from the beginning and the alpha was taking the task to heart.

The alpha’s scent was all around them, but Jimin would have liked it better if his own had been there as well.

He raised his head and started cleaning Jungkook himself, wishing he could scent the other.

Soon, he swore to himself, he would have a scent of his own.

He wondered if the alpha would like it.

Jungkook probably sensed that Jimin was lost in his thoughts and he hit their foreheads together. Soon enough, they were back to playing, bumping the other on purpose. If he had been in his human form, Jimin would have been laughing so much he knew his cheeks would have hurt.

They immediately stopped when they heard footsteps.

Thankfully, it was only Heejin and her mate, Nari, who were also out hunting. The two women barked at them and Jimin could absolutely hear the teasing.

Jungkook rose from the ground and the mates fled. Jimin followed him and they bumped heads one last time before starting the walk back to camp.

Although he’d had fun, he was a bit worried about not bringing anything back. They still had a bit of meat left from the boar but if they didn’t kill anything tomorrow, they would have to solely survive on the plants and berries they could find.

But at camp, the others didn’t seem too worried. After all, they had all gotten used to surviving on very little for years.

Jimin couldn’t understand how more people didn’t join their pack. Food was so obviously scarce, how could they not see the urgency of their situation?

Taehyung echoed his feelings at night around the campfire.

“I was so frustrated,” he told them, “because it’s clear that something is wrong, but the Head Alpha constantly refused to hear me out. He said he didn’t have time for it, but we’re talking about the potential death of our land and people! How could he not have the time?”

“I don’t think most people are ready to face how bad it has become,” Jimin agreed. “Maybe they hope it will go away.”

But Yoongi seemed skeptical. “I don’t know if most of them even realize that something is off. To Hoseok and I, it just felt like we were having bad years. It was only when Namjoon and Seokjin told us about all the things that were happening across multiple packs that we started to see the problem.”

He was sitting across from them with Hoseok as a wolf laying his head on his legs. The beta huffed and as if Yoongi understood his mate, he added, “But yes, when we take the time to explain and they still refuse to see the truth… Then they’re blinding themselves.”

Next to him, Jungkook spoke up.

“My pack knew about what was going on. We have an old beta who lived in the forest near us; she was something of a witch for us. For years, she told us that the Moon Goddess was leaving. That the earth was failing for a reason. We found her dead, about a year ago and the Head Alpha never really hid the fact that he had been the one to kill her. Admitting that something was off would have undermined his power. He’d rather have everyone dead than have a wolf leave his pack.”

Jimin shivered and thought back to his own old Head Alpha. How he had forbidden them to leave, only letting Jimin go because he knew that no one would follow him.

“How could they favor power over their pack?” he sighed. “Your Head Alpha was just as bad as mine.”

Jungkook bit his lip.

“I won’t hide it from you, the Head Alpha was my father.”

Jimin opened his mouth to apologize but Jungkook offered him a sad smile.

“Don’t feel bad, I’ve left my pack for this exact reason. When I suggested listening to Namjoon and Seokjin, he and my mother told me that they would let me go only because they couldn’t kill their own son.”

They were all listening with horror. Jimin took Jungkook’s hand in his own and laid his head on the other’s shoulder, trying to comfort them both. He couldn’t imagine being in that situation.

“So far, the only wolves that have followed us are the ones that were already outcasts in their own pack,” Jungkook said, caressing the back of Jimin’s hand, “and I don’t think we’ll find any pack willing to listen to us, only individual wolves who are ready to risk it all.”

They all stayed silent, pondering on the alpha’s words.

From the very beginning, Namjoon and Seokjin had only listened to them, laying as wolves next to each other, but Namjoon rose from the ground, coming up to Jungkook and bumping the younger’s head with affection.

“Am I wrong?” Jungkook laughed, briefly burrowing his face in Namjoon’s fur.

“No, on the contrary, I think you’re right,” Taehyung sighed, “It’s just kind of…”

“Dreadful?” Yoongi filled in for him.

“Yeah… I mean, why bother talking to every pack we meet then?” the omega wondered.

“Because we might save another wolf,” Jimin replied. “Just thinking that you could have decided not to stop by the Park pack makes me nervous. I’m glad that you did, even if you didn’t convince the rest of them. You gave me my life back.”

Jimin knew they all had their stories and that they could understand. He felt Jungkook’s nose against his hair and closed his eyes, feeling content.

Taehyung squinted.

“Are you trying to make me cry?” the omega asked, “because it’s late, I’m tired and I will do it.”

That made everyone laugh, cutting through the heavy atmosphere like a breath of fresh air.

“Wipe your tears, Taehyung,” Yoongi smiled, “And let’s all go to sleep.”

They all went to lay on their beds, which most of them made by laying their furs on the ground and keeping the warmest to put on top of them.

Jimin was laying next to Jungkook, even if they kept a small distance between them.

As the silence fell over their group, Jungkook whispered, “You know, I also feel like my life has only just started now.”

Jimin turned to lay on his side so that he could look at the alpha, whose gaze was already on him.

He hesitated a little before asking, “You don’t miss your pack?”

The reply was laced with a heavy sadness. “I miss my parents. I like to think that they loved me, even with… the way we parted, but otherwise, I don’t regret it.”

Jimin admired the way he could be so honest about his feelings.

Jungkook continued. “What about you? Don’t you miss at least something… or someone?”

Jimin shook his head.

“No, I’ve been alone since my father died and… people didn’t like me much.”

“They were stupid then. Everyone here likes you.”

Jimin could see the anger in the alpha’s eyes and he smiled.

“I like everyone as well. I feel safe here.”

He heard Jungkook take a deep breath, as if he wanted to say more, but after a moment of silence, the alpha looked for his hand and once he found it, laced their fingers together.

“You’re safe,” Jungkook whispered. “I promise.”

“Hoseok, what are you going to do with this much wood?”

Jimin and Heejin were looking at the beta with curiosity. He was carrying so many branches on his back that he had to bend over in order to hold them.

“If we need to stay in the same place for more than a night, I’m going to make me and Yoongi a tiny cabin. It’ll be made out of sticks but I don’t care, I’m not the only one who’s going to get some couple time.”

That made Heejin laugh.

Earlier during the day, she had come to Namjoon to say that Nari was going into heat and that they would need to stop for a few days.

Since they had seen a few animals and a river recently, they had all decided to stop for a few days. Heejin and Nari would go away and hole up in a small empty cave they had found, while the others would stay put and try to hunt as much as possible.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love travelling with you and I gladly call you my pack,” Hoseok continued, “but I need some time alone with Yoongi.”

“I completely understand,” Heejin smiled, picking up wood as well for the fire she would keep in their cave. “We were getting tired of slipping out at night. This heat is coming up at the perfect time.”

Jimin was listening to them, fascinated. He knew about sex, heats, and ruts but never had any experience with it. All his life, his father had also been drinking a tea that prevented heats, so he didn’t even have that as a reference.

He was supposed to get wood as well for the fires, but he didn’t want to miss any word of the conversation.

“Ok but, I have to ask,” Hoseok said, “is soulmate sex really that different?”

Jimin opened his mouth in shock, but Heejin didn’t seem too bothered by the question, laughing loudly instead.

“I have no idea. I’ve always known she was my soulmate, so she’s the only one I’ve ever had!” the alpha replied. “But I don’t think it’s too different. Being soulmates just means that you know you won’t make the wrong choice when mating.”

“I like that,” Hoseok nodded, “I think Yoongi has always been a bit bothered that we’re not soulmates. I like to tell him that we are but that we just escaped the Moon Goddess’s blessing by being rogues. And honestly, I wouldn’t believe you if you told me that sex could be any better than that…”

He wiggled his eyebrows and even Jimin joined in their laughter.

“But…,” he asked, not wanting to cross any boundaries. “Isn’t Nari bothered that you’re not with her and that you’re picking up wood with us?”

Heejin shook her head. “We’ve known each other our whole lives. I know when she needs me and she knows that she can trust me. She can get jealous, but Hoseok is mated and you have – “

She faltered and Hoseok loudly asked, “Can you help me carry some wood?!”

Puzzled, Jimin nodded and helped him relieve some weight off his back.

In order to do so, he had to touch Hoseok but he was finding out that it was getting easier with each passing day. This morning, it had been Namjoon who had ruffled his hair, which had made him smile for a few hours and crave more contact.

They continued to gather wood until they couldn’t physically carry any more and turned around.

When they got back to camp, they realized how different it looked from usual. Everyone had started making small shelters out of wood and furs, spreading themselves far away from the cooking fires.

Hoseok and Heejin both left to find their mates and Jimin was left to wonder where he would sleep now. He didn’t really want to make a tent for himself and sleep in it alone, not now that he had gotten used to being with other people.

But then, he saw that Jungkook was walking around the campfire with his belongings in hand, seemingly looking for something. Seokjin and Sanghoon were sitting nearby, watching him with amusement.

Jimin came up to him and the alpha tensed.

“Hey! I was… looking for a place to put all of this,” he explained, not really looking at Jimin in the eye.

“You didn’t build a shelter for yourself?” Jimin asked, feeling a bit nervous.

“No... I mean, I wasn’t sure if I should?”

Now he was looking at Jimin, as if he were trying to find an answer on his face.

Jimin felt that something was expected of him, but he didn’t know what.

“If you’re missing wood, I’ve gathered some,” he tried, “but I’m not sure it’ll be enough…”

“We can share!” Jungkook offered before stopping himself. “I mean, I already have some wood as well, so if we put it together, we can make a tent? If you want to, of course…”

Jimin heard Sanghoon snort but when he turned to the old beta, him and Seokjin seemed to be very interested in the cooking fire.

Jungkook was glaring at them but stopped when Jimin turned back to him.

“Can I help you build it?” he simply asked.

Jungkook’s mouth opened in shock and he nodded earnestly. “Sure! I’ve seen a spot that would be good. I can show you.”

Jungkook led him to a set of nearby trees. From there, they could still see the campfires, which Jimin liked.

“See, we can put the branches against those trees and sleep in the middle. We could even use our pelts to make a roof. What do you think?”

“I like it a lot,” Jimin nodded, already imagining the shelter.

“You don’t think it’ll be too small?”

Jimin shuffled in place. He was used to having the alpha's attention but right now, with the way Jungkook’s eyes were drilling into him, he felt a bit intimidated.

“No, I think it’s fine,” he replied, which seemed to greatly please Jungkook.

“Alright, let’s make it then.”

They spent the next few hours of the day building their shelter, putting together the wood they had gathered and the furs from their bags. At some point, Seokjin came up to see their progress with an amused smile, but Jungkook shooed him away, telling him that he was distracting them.

The space inside was bigger than Jimin expected and they put the rest of their pelts on the ground.

“We can even sleep as wolves in here if we’re too cold,” he said after they were done, standing in front of their new shelter.

“Or we can hunt and make more furs,” Jungkook suggested.

Jimin liked that very much. Not only the idea of hunting again with Jungkook, but all of it. Building a tent, sharing their things, and planning to make it better together. He felt a stir within him and wondered if it was his omega starting to appear. He had been feeling this for a few days now and even though his scent still wasn’t there, he knew it would be very soon.

He looked up to Jungkook and laughed. The alpha was looking so proud of their tent that he was puffing his chest out a bit.

“What? What?!” Jungkook asked, but Jimin didn’t reply, too busy laughing.

They played around for a while, Jimin calling him a proud puppy and Jungkook grumbling as he straightened the walls of their shelters.

That first night together felt incredible. Even if they were flimsy, the walls around them made Jimin feel safe, although not as much as the presence of Jungkook by his side.

The day after, Jimin decided that he needed answers.

He asked Seokjin and Taehyung to accompany him in the forest to pick berries, something they could only do as humans. Minjun was walking with them as a pup, closely following behind Taehyung.

That was the perfect setup. Jimin needed omegas and the ability to speak.

However, they had barely gotten out of camp that he was the one being interrogated.

“So, how was your tent?” Seokjin asked with a sly smile.

“Good,” Jimin replied suspiciously.

“What he meant to say was ‘Did Jungkook keep you warm?'” Taehyung continued.

Jimin knew what they were talking about. He would have been blind not to see why they were making these insinuations.

But he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. He didn’t even dare to think about it himself, too afraid of being wrong.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Jimin honestly answered. “But I do have some questions.”

“I knew it!” Seokjin said triumphantly. “Three omegas in the forest, this is bound to be interesting.”

“Do you ask because your scent is starting to come out?” Taehyung asked.

Jimin froze.

“What do you mean?”

He hadn’t smelled anything different about himself.

“I feel like there’s something?” Taehyung said, almost as a question. “There’s not much, but I think that there’s something new about you.”

“I don’t smell it,” Seokjin said, “but Namjoon always says that my sense of smell is terrible.”

Jimin didn’t know what to think about that. He had wondered about his scent a lot , but he had never thought about not smelling it himself.

“It’ll definitely get stronger,” Seokjin reassured him, “if that’s what you were wondering about.”

“Actually no,” Jimin blurted, still shocked to learn that his scent was coming out. “I wanted to know about heats.”

“Oh. I see,” Seokjin beamed. “Well then, we shall be your omega tutors. You will know everything, from amazing to awful.”

Jimin frowned. “Can it truly be awful? I’ve never experienced a heat before and I’ve never been told about them in detail.”

Taehyung shook his head. “They can be a lot. What do you want to know?”

Jimin opened his mouth, but realized that he didn't know where to start.

“From the beginning then,” Seokjin nodded.

And they told him everything.

From the symptoms of pre-heat to how he would feel by the end of it, they told him about slick and the importance of scenting, and how he would just be overcome with a need that would be hard to control.

“Can I spend it alone?” he wondered.

“You know you could ask – ” Taehyung tried.

“Can I stay alone through it?” he insisted.

Taehyung nodded, “Of course, I’ve been doing that for the past two years.”

Jimin opened his mouth in shock. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot…”

Taehyung smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I know it’s scary but when you’re alone, your omega will know. The heats become less frequent and intense.”

It was clear that Taehyung wasn’t going to expand on the subject of his deceased mate but Jimin was grateful that he had opened up to reassure him.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Just remember,” Taehyung added. “You can always choose what to do with your body. When the heat comes, you can spend it alone, but you can also give yourself the pleasure of spending it with someone else. It doesn’t have to mean too much.”

But Jimin knew he wouldn’t be able to do that, he would definitely get attached.

Especially with the only person he could think of spending his heat with.

“And also remember that we’re here,” Seokjin said. “If anyone bothers you, we’ll be there to help you kick their ass.”

Jimin laughed but inside he felt extremely happy to have them both.

“I’ll remember that,” he smiled.

They continued their walk and although they didn’t find many berries, Jimin considered it extremely productive. They took turns carrying Minjun when the pup got too tired and they told  Jimin everything he needed to know about being an omega.

That night, Jimin kept moving under the furs, unable to sleep.

He knew what he wanted to say but he didn’t know where to start. Plus, since Taehyung had told him about his scent, he had thought about it all day long. What if Jungkook was able to smell him as well?

He turned once more and bumped into the alpha again. Maybe their tent was a bit too small.

The silence was starting to become unbearable.

After what seemed to be forever, Jungkook sighed.

“Jimin…please, tell me what’s wrong.”

The omega sat up, unable to lie down anymore.

He couldn’t see Jungkook’s face and it was unnerving. From the inside, he moved the furs off the roof to create an opening. The full moon was still a week away, but its light was enough for Jimin to finally see the other's worried face.

“I…I want to tell you something,” he started, unsure of how to say it. “It’s personal but I trust you.”

Jungkook immediately sat up as well, looking worried.

“You don’t have to tell me anything if you’re uncomfortable.”

Jimin shook his head. “I want to tell you. I want you to know but… it’s hard. You’re important and I don’t want you to… think less of me.”

He felt a weight in his chest at the idea of Jungkook rejecting him.

But Jungkook looked even more distraught. His scent spiked so much that Jimin felt it instantly.

“I swear, Jimin, I promise that nothing you will say can change what I think of you. Please, I want to be here for you. Let me be there for you,” he added, looking desperately at Jimin.

He wanted to burrow his face in the alpha’s neck. He wanted to hide there, away from the rest of the world, with Jungkook holding him and telling him these same words over and over again.

He shuffled and ended up sitting cross-legged in front of Jungkook, who mirrored his position. They probably looked a bit silly but Jimin didn’t care. He reached out a hesitant hand and put it over Jungkook’s, just like he had done on the first night they had touched.

“I told you it had been four years, that night, do you remember?”

Jungkook silently nodded and Jimin continued. “I don’t know if you understood, but touching someone was… it meant a lot to me.”

Jungkook started to rub his hand with his thumb and Jimin could guess that he was trying to comfort him with his scent by how much the tent smelled of him right now.

“The last person that touched me was my dad,” Jimin explained with a shaky voice. “We were very close and no one liked us very much in the pack. He died of an illness that took him in three days. Although I don’t remember much of this period, I can recall every hug and every kiss he gave me.”

The feelings that he had managed to keep inside him were resurfacing and tears started running down his face.

“We tried every remedy or healing balm that we could think of, but nothing worked… eventually, we both knew he wasn’t going to make it.”

Jungkook took both of his hands in his own and brought them to his face, kissing his knuckles.

“I’m so sorry it happened to you,” he whispered with a heavy voice. “He seemed like he loved you a lot.”

Jimin nodded, vision blurry. “He did. He taught me everything, and he wanted what was best for me.”

He paused for a moment, trying to stop the sobs. Jungkook let go of one of his hands so Jimin could wipe his tears.

Jimin could feel how much Jungkook was restraining himself from comforting him more.

“He… he didn’t want me to have the same life he had. He didn’t want the Head Alpha to choose my mate for me and so when I presented, he helped me hide that I was an omega.”

He paused.

There. He had said it.

He waited, afraid of looking at Jungkook’s reaction.

But the alpha didn’t say anything.

The silence made Jimin panic and he started rambling anxiously, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, or everyone at first, but I’ve never let out my omega before, so it was like it didn’t even exist.”

“Jimin, please,” Jungkook finally stopped him.

The alpha touched his chin and made him look at him in the eyes.

“You know... this is not a surprise for me, I knew it already. But I’m not mad at you.”

Jimin was trying to see if Jungkook was sincere but as always, the alpha looked nothing but completely open and kind.

“To be honest,” Jungkook continued, “it doesn’t change anything. You’re still Jimin to me. I’m just glad that you decided to tell me but… I don’t see you any differently.”

Jimin let out a shaky breath, “You don’t?”

“Of course not. You don’t owe us anything and if you didn’t feel comfortable talking about it before, then you had every right to keep it to yourself.” Jungkook had intertwined their fingers and was holding their hands against his chest. “I’m just very happy that you wanted to share this with me. Thank you.”

Jimin could feel the beating of Jungkook’s heart on the back of his hand.

“I wanted to tell you because I’ve decided to stop suppressing my omega,” he revealed. “I’m going to get a scent soon and I wanted you to know before it actually happened. Taehyung said he could smell something today…”

Jimin stopped.

But he couldn’t help himself from asking.

“Did you?”

Jungkook straightened with a frown.

“What do you mean, ‘you’re getting a scent’? You’ve always had one.”

Jimin looked at him.

He had to have misunderstood. Jungkook couldn’t be saying that.

“I…no, I don’t,” he was struggling to find his words. “The suppressing tea that I drink, it... makes me unable to smell correctly. I was unable to develop a scent." He was almost stuttering. "Everyone found me odd in the Park pack, unnatural, because I had no scent.”

It was Jungkook’s turn to freeze.

“You can’t smell?” he breathed out.

Jimin shook his head.

“Not well. I guess I can, if the scent is strong enough, but I could never associate any feelings to it like everyone else does. When I was a child, I was able to smell when my dad was angry, but not after I started to hide my omega.”

Jungkook seemed to have lost focus and Jimin tugged on his hands, panicking, “See, right now I know that your smell is getting stronger but I don’t know what it means! Did I do something wrong?”

That jolted Jungkook out of his shock.

He jumped and leaned forward, closer to Jimin.

“No! Never, Jimin, you’ve done nothing wrong.”

But his voice was shaking and Jimin couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Then what is it?” he asked with a small voice.

Jungkook seemed to get a hold of himself.

“It’s just that I’m shocked. I’ve always been able to smell you. It’s not too strong but I can smell the jasmine and… pears, maybe?”

Jimin looked at the sky, trying to hold back tears.

"You can..." He put a hand over his chest, letting a sob escape. "What? Jasmine and pears?"

"Yes." The alpha lightly touched his cheek and their eyes locked. "It’s good. I like it a lot."

Jimin fell right in Jungkook's arms, sobbing.

It was just too much.

“I’ve always felt like I was lacking,” he cried in Jungkook’s neck. “That I wasn’t really a person because I had no scent.”

Jungkook’s voice felt pained when he said, “Oh, no, please don’t think that. You’ve always been important, now and before. You deserve to be loved.”

The alpha held him for a very long time, reassuring Jimin with sweet words as the omega broke down. Every single thing that Jungkook told him felt more powerful than any healing balm on his soul.

Jungkook was right. He deserved to be loved.

They didn’t talk much after that but hours later, when Jungkook was sleeping and Jimin was still looking at the night sky, he was left with a lightness that he couldn’t even explain.

He had a scent.

He couldn’t smell it yet, but Jungkook could and he liked that very much.

He couldn’t wait to smell it himself.

The next day, Jimin felt on top of the world.

He woke up alone but outside, Hoseok was waiting for his morning tea. Next to him, Jungkook was laying on the ground as a wolf and Jimin leaned up against him to prepare their drinks, animatedly chatting with the beta. Jimin kept petting Jungkook behind his ears and it was clear that the alpha was enjoying it, letting out a deep purr that reverberated between them.

"Look at this big puppy," Hoseok teased him, but Jungkook huffed, clearly unbothered.

Soon after, the three of them went out to hunt, accompanied by Taehyung who had left Minjun with Namjoon and Seokjin.

"It's been so long since I've truly hunted," the omega said, "I hope you won't mind me scaring off every prey that comes your way."

But instead, they managed to find a herd of elks and deer. By the time they were done, they had managed to kill two big elks and three deer. It took them quite some time and effort to bring all of it back to camp, but the pride of knowing they were going to feed their pack for weeks was enough to carry them forward.

And now, they were all washing the blood away in the river and Jimin was playing with everyone. He bit Hoseok, but Taehyung jumped on him and made him stumble into the river. Jimin then sided with Namjoon and the both of them managed to bring the omega underwater.

He wasn't scared of touching anymore and it felt absolutely liberating.

Playfully, he jumped on Jungkook as well. It was ridiculous how easily the alpha played along, letting himself fall under his weight. Jimin bit his ear and Jungkook turn them around to bite at the side of his neck. Jimin tried to growl, but the sound that came out of Jungkook’s chest clearly showed his amusement.

The omega got out of the water and lied on the ground, head purposefully not looking at the alpha.

His fake pouting didn't last very long. Jungkook came up to him and let himself fall down on him with a high-pitched whine. Jimin huffed under the weight and after fighting a bit more, they ended up grooming each other. 

Taehyung came up to lie down next to them and started cleaning Minjun, sometimes having to bring him back by the neck when the pup ventured too far away.

Jimin let out a sigh. He could feel it.

They were all a pack.

But this feeling of happiness was unearthing darker thoughts. He was starting to get worried about getting to the mountain of the Moon Goddess.

What would happen there? What if they got what they wanted and food came back to the forest? Would the others go back to their original pack?

And what if they failed? What if the other packs were right and climbing the mountain was so blasphemous that the Moon Goddess would unleash Her rage upon them?

He couldn't lose them.

Jungkook felt his change of mood and whined, this time more genuinely, as he nuzzled Jimin's face.

Jimin responded by baring his neck. Maybe he couldn't smell himself yet, but Jungkook could and the alpha rubbed his face on his scent gland with a satisfied growl.

For now, the only thing he could do was send a prayer to the Moon Goddess; that whatever happened to them on that mountain, he would still get to be by Jungkook's side.

They were both sleeping intertwined when the earth started to tremble.

Jimin woke up in a panic. He tried to hold onto the ground but it was shaking so hard that he felt lost.

"Jungkook?" he cried out.

He felt the alpha climb on him and bring him into his arms. The moment he did that, the walls of their tent dropped on the ground and the furs of the roof fell on them.

They heard a loud crack and then a tree falling on the ground. Jungkook tightened his grip on him. 

The sounds were the worst. It was like the earth was roaring and tearing itself apart. The others were waking up as well, and their cries of fear were chilling.

Eventually, it all stopped.

It took them a few moments to move again.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

"Yes," Jungkook replied, slowly releasing his hold on him and pushing away the pelts. Jimin was glad that they had been under them. He wasn't sure his wooden cabin would have held. Being under an actual roof would have been quite different.

Around them, all of the other tents had also collapsed and others were getting out of them with difficulty. They surged to help them. Jungkook went to help Sanghoon, who was the closest, while Jimin jumped over the fallen tree to go check on Taehyung.

The omega was sitting in the middle of his furs, cradling a crying Minjun.

"What in the world was that?" he whisper-yelled as to not scare the pup. "What just happened?!"

Jimin shook his head and helped him remove the mess around.

What had it been? Even though the earth had stopped, he was still trembling.

Was that a sign from the Moon Goddess? Were they being punished for their folly, as he had been thinking earlier?

He helped Taehyung get up and they went back to the fires but they quickly stopped.

Almost in the middle of the camp, there was a tear on the ground.

It wasn't too big, maybe the length of a hand, but it was deep and they couldn't see the bottom of it.

Instinctively, Jimin took a step back.

"What's that?" he whispered with fear.

It was the middle of the night, yet the darkness of this tear felt more frightening than anything he had ever seen.

Others were observing the hole and all recoiled as well.

He tried to rub his arms but he couldn't help himself from trembling. He looked around him and saw Jungkook coming back with Hoseok and Yoongi with him.

Jimin opened his arms and Jungkook hugged him fiercely.

"It's fine, Jimin," the alpha whispered against his ear. "We're all fine."

"What happened? Do you think it'll start again?"

He couldn't help himself and burrowed his nose in Jungkook's neck, trying to scent the alpha. The other growled and brought him even closer with a hand behind his head. He bent down and started scenting him as well.

And even though he couldn't smell him very well, Jimin felt himself calm down.

He muttered, "I was so afraid, I thought we were going to die."

"We're not dead. We're here,” Jungkook reassured him, nose rubbing against his scent gland. “I am here.”

They saw a flash of light. Namjoon had lightened a torch and was calling them, “Gather around here, let’s make more fires.”

It was clear that he was trying to get them away from the tear on the ground.

Together, they gathered enough wood to lit up a tall fire and they all stood around. No one wanted to sit down, too shaken up by what had happened.

“Are you all here?” Seokjin asked, looking around. “Is everyone fine?”

“There’s a tree that fell right next to our tent,” Yuna exclaimed, still holding her mate Jihoon close to her. “We almost died!”

“I know, it must have been scary,” Namjoon replied in a calm tone, wanting to reassure the alpha. “But no one got hurt, which is the most important thing,”

“Has anyone ever seen something like this before?” Yoongi asked.

People looked around until Sanghoon took a step forward. “I have but it was a long time ago, in the mountains of the east.”

“You mean, the ones surrounding the Moon Goddess mountain?” Hoseok asked in shock, “So this… this is Her?”

Everyone was starting to panic, and Jimin realized they had all been thinking the same things.

But Sanghoon cut them off, “No, this is not the Goddess. The wolves who lived there explained that sometimes, the mountains would shift. It is simply how nature works.”

He left a moment of silence. Clearly, something was still bothering him. “I’ll admit, though, what I don’t understand is that we’re not in the mountains yet. This tear on the ground shouldn’t be here.”

“So, it may be the Moon Goddess,” Taehyung spoke up, “but it doesn’t mean that She’s trying to punish us!”

“Then what could it be?” Yuna asked. “We’re the ones trying to reach Her. Maybe she’s warning us to go back.”

Taehyung shook his head. “Are we truly that threatening to Her? Let’s ask the next pack we cross. If they felt the earth shake as well, then we know it wasn’t meant just for us.”

From the safety of Jungkook’s arms, Jimin added, “It may be another one of the signs that the earth is failing. You said that there are floods where there shouldn’t be, maybe this is another of these disasters.”

“Exactly,” Seokjin agreed. “I understand that everyone is afraid, but I don’t want us to panic. We shouldn’t see this as a sign to go back but on the contrary, as a sign to move forward. Our lands are getting worse, we need to continue!”

Jimin could feel the shift in the wolves and the resolve that came with it.

At this moment, they heard sounds from the forest. They all turned their heads to see Heejin and Nari running to them and shifting once they got near.

It turned out that the fear had pushed Nari out of her heat early and that they had run back  to camp as fast as possible.

Namjoon told them everything that they knew, which wasn’t much.

But even if they had managed to calm down, the general ambiance was still nervous and unsure.

They wanted to get away from this place.

Together, they decided to leave. They quickly packed their belongings, everyone staying away from the tear in the ground.

As he rummaged through the fallen walls to gather his belongings, Jimin felt anger.

He had built this tent with Jungkook, as flimsy as it had been, and he hated to see it on the ground.

Next to him, he could feel that Jungkook was tense as well and as he got his bag out of the mess, Jimin asked, “Do you think we’ll ever be able to settle? If the world is falling apart, are we ever going to be able to build something?”

He was using “we” to talk about the pack, but deep inside, he knew he was also talking about the two of them.

Jungkook frowned, as if Jimin had precisely touched a sore spot.

Eventually, the alpha groaned. “I don’t want to lie to you, but I can promise you that I’ll try. We’ll get to build something, one day.”

When they left, the sun had barely started to appear behind the trees. It felt like they were running away. Jimin truly hoped that Jungkook was right and that they would get to settle someday.

It took them three days of walking before they arrived at the next pack. They were tired and still nervous from the earthquake.

More than that, tonight was the night of the full moon.

They wanted to stop.

“I know we said we’d always give a chance to every pack,” Namjoon told them as they were about to enter the Choi pack’s territory, “but we all need some rest. Not just from walking but from worrying all the time. If the Choi will have us, let’s celebrate the full moon with them tonight and not tell them about our journey yet.”

Jimin knew it went against what they believed in, but Namjoon was right. He just wanted to spend a night without feeling anxious. He had been waking up in the middle of the night, afraid that the earth was still shaking again and tonight, he wanted to forget about his worries.

Plus, it would be his first full moon with the rogues, and he couldn’t wait to spend it with them.

Unsurprisingly, they all agreed.

From what Namjoon and Seokjin knew, the Choi Head Alpha was a strong headed man who only respected other alphas. So this time, they decided to send Namjoon, Yoongi, Jungkook, Yuna, and Heejin to meet the pack first.

Jimin watched them all go anxiously.

“What if something happens to them?” he asked Seokjin.

His friend put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “The worst case is that they reject our demand and we have to go around their territory, but they’ll come back, don’t worry.”

Jimin didn’t reply, still not too happy about letting the others out of his sight. But he trusted them and had to admit that Seokjin was right.

Gently, the omega started to play with his hair.

“Your scent is definitely starting to come out,” the older said with a smile. “It’s lovely.”

“Thank you,” Jimin replied with genuine happiness. “I still can’t smell it myself but I’ve noticed others trying to smell me more and more.”

“You don’t have to let everyone scent you,” Seokjin assured him, “but I’m glad that you’re feeling more comfortable with us. Jungkook is one lucky guy.”

Jimin dropped his head, trying to hide his smile, “He says he can smell me,” he said in a low tone of voice.

“I don’t doubt that. He keeps you close and you may not realize it, but your scents are always on each other,” Seokjin teased.

Jimin's smile grew larger.

“See? I can smell how happy that makes you right now!” Seokjin said triumphantly. “I’m really proud of you.”

The words made Jimin’s heart jump and without thinking about it, he threw his arms around the older. Seokjin returned his hug with a laugh, yet didn’t try to scent him, which Jimin was grateful for.

Jimin took a step back with a delighted grin.

“Wait, I feel like my sense of smell is getting better. You smell like oranges and… lilac?”

“Yes, exactly! The lilac is from Namjoon actually, but you smelled right.”

They spent the time waiting for the others testing Jimin’s sense of smell. He couldn’t really smell Hoseok, who smelled a lot like the forest they were in.

“It’s because I smell like pines,” the beta laughed.

Taehyung and Minjun shared the same lovely cherry scent, which was normal for a pup his age. Nari was a bit more difficult and Jimin couldn’t quite give a name to what he was smelling.

“It’s because you’ve never smelled the ocean,” the woman smiled, “but if we go there one day, you’ll know that this is what I smell like.”

“What does Jungkook smell like?” Taehyung asked with a teasing smile.

Jimin tilted his head, thinking.

“I don’t know,” he eventually said, “but he smells really good.”

The others laughed around him and he blushed, not knowing where this boldness was coming from.

Finally, Heejin came back alone and they all rose from the ground.

“Did they agree to have us?” Seokjin asked her.

Heejin looked a bit hesitant when she replied. “They did, actually...with open arms. They even proposed to share their food with us.”

“Oh. That is… surprising,” Seokjin frowned. “Did they say why?”

“No. But there’s something about their pack that I find unsettling. None of us knows why.”

The others looked at each other, uncertain.

“Let’s go,” Jimin tried. “It’s only for the night and maybe they’re genuinely a good pack.”

They all gathered their stuff but warily followed Heejin.

She also told them that the Choi pack had felt the earthquake, which reassured them all. They hadn’t been targeted by the Moon Goddess. 

Once they arrived in the village, they could see that the members of the Choi pack were waiting for them with excitement.

Jimin and Taehyung looked at each other.

It was so obvious, they wanted to laugh.

How did the others not notice what was wrong?

Seokjin had obviously felt it as well and when they arrived in front of the Choi Head Alpha, who was wearing a welcoming smile, he greeted him.

“Thank you for having us in your pack, Head Alpha Choi. It’s a lovely village you have here. Very big, for so few people,” Seokjin added.

Next to the Head Alpha, Namjoon looked at him with panic in his eyes.

But he continued, “Aren’t your omegas allowed to greet us as well?”

Jimin looked at the crowd. They were only alphas and betas and he felt like he was being watched like a piece of meat.

“You have keen eyes,” the Choi Head Alpha graciously conceded, not showing any remorse. “A few years back, most of our omegas died because of a disease. We still feel their absence to this day.”

Seokjin’s face fell down.

“Oh, I’m really sorry to hear that. You must miss them deeply.”

The Head Alpha’s expression was genuine when he replied. “Thank you. I know how it must seem, but we’re just glad to have new people over. We have no ulterior motive, although yes, if some of you wanted to stay with us, they would be most welcomed.”

Jimin looked around and noticed that not only were there no omegas, but there weren’t any pups as well.

This village was eventually going to die without a new generation of wolves to take care of it.

They were shown to empty cabins and there were many more of them than in the Kim pack. So many, in fact, that Jimin found himself alone in an empty shack. Jungkook had stayed behind with Namjoon and hadn’t been here when they had chosen a place.

Jimin put his bag on the floor and when he got out, realized that a few alphas were standing outside. He felt a shiver run down his spine and hurried to the cabin next to his own, where Taehyung was staying with Sujin.

The omega was one of the only unmated omegas from the pack, along with Jimin and another boy named Daehyun.

“I’m sure they would even want me at this point,” Taehyung scoffed as he looked outside the window. “I don’t like this at all.”

“Please, you’re a catch,” Jimin said, and Taehyung winked at him.

“The Head Alpha seems truthful,” Sujin noticed, “but I don’t trust all of his alphas to obey.”

“They’ve been spending their ruts alone for years now. Look at how they’re staying by our cabins,” Taehyung added. “I’m not approaching any of them.”

This time, they stayed in the cabin while waiting for the evening to arrive. Jimin had planned to wash himself in the river before the full moon, but instead Sanghoon brought them water and they washed inside.  

Still, Jimin decided to dress himself with the best clothes he owned. If he was honest with himself, it had a lot to do with the fact that this would be his first full moon with Jungkook. Maybe the other wouldn’t notice, but he wanted to appear in his best light.

Nari and Jihoon came to meet them, carrying in their hands a tall mirror made of polished metal. Jimin had seen one before as a pup, when a travelling merchant had passed through his pack.

“We found it abandoned in our cabin. The alphas outside wanted to help us carry it inside,” Nari spat as they put it against the wall. “Heejin managed to get them away from here; she challenged them to a race, of all things!”

They took turns looking at themselves in the mirror and Jimin felt like he was looking at a stranger. Obviously, he had seen himself reflected in water or in his windows but never quite like this, clearly from head to toe.

His dark hair was getting a bit long but he knew he had the eyes and mouth of his father. He had to admit that his clothes did look nice on him but maybe it was because they were the cleanest he owned.

Taehyung came up next to him, putting an arm around his shoulder.

“Not bad, Jimin,” he smiled.

“You think so?” he asked, frowning at his reflection.

 Taehyung and him locked eyes in the mirror.

“I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but you’re gorgeous. And we may not have known each other for long, but I can see that you’ve gained confidence. I remember seeing you cry in that forest the first time I met you.”

Jimin grumbled, “To be fair, that wasn’t my highest point.”

“Just accept the compliment,” Taehyung laughed, “and be ready to have Jungkook all over you tonight.”

Jimin elbowed him and they started play fighting.

Hoseok pushed them on the side so he could look at himself and they fell on the ground next to a laughing Minjun.

There was an air of excitement as they exited the cabin to go to the Village Hall. The alphas from before had disappeared and the full moon was watching over them. Jimin smiled; he could feel Her presence with him.

When they entered the Hall, all eyes turned to them.

However, Jimin only cared about one person. He quickly reached Jungkook and they smiled at each other as he sat down next to him. The alpha nuzzled his hair and said in a low voice, “You look nice tonight.”

Jimin suddenly realized that he wasn’t the only one getting bolder. For every step forward that he was taking, Jungkook was there to match him. A shiver ran through him. Maybe it was the full moon, or the way Jungkook was looking at him, but he could feel a thrumming all over his body.

They started eating and it was clear that the Choi pack were trying to show off. There were boars on the table, as well as multiple hares and deer.

Hoseok, sitting on his other side, leaned down to whisper, “Clearly, it’s all alphas here. Lots of meat from hunting but not a single vegetable in sight.”

Jimin snorted and even Jungkook smiled.

“I can’t believe you didn’t see that there were no omegas,” he told Jungkook with a judging look.

“I’m… Yeah, there’s no excuse,” the alpha smiled self-consciously. “I’m sure you would have done the same with an all-omega village!”

“I’m sure I would notice the perfect village,” Jimin teased, and laughed when Jungkook put on an infuriated expression.

“Would I not be accepted in this village?”

“Of course you would, it wouldn’t be the perfect village otherwise,” Jimin smiled.

He couldn’t quite believe he had said that, but Jungkook’s reaction didn’t disappoint. The alpha immediately shut up and tried to drink from his cup before choking on it.

Jimin laughed again and patted his back before moving the conversation to safer grounds. Still, he could feel Jungkook’s leg twitching under the table and he put a hand over it. It immediately stopped moving and Jungkook grabbed it. It made eating a bit more difficult but they still managed.

Until, finally, it was time to go outside. By then, Jimin was already shivering from the attention Jungkook was giving him.

The bonfire was huge, its flames seemingly touching the moon. A few wolves from the Choi pack brought out drums which fascinated Jimin. His old pack never played music. They sang but never like this, over the loud and energetic rhythm of the drum beat.

It was incredible.

Wolves started inviting each other and going up closer to the fire to dance. In the Park pack, you could only dance with your mate or the person you were courting but here, everyone was dancing together, whether they knew each other or not. They all seemed to have fun and Jimin found himself wanting to join them.

“Come here!”

Taehyung came up next to him and grabbed his hand, bringing him close enough to the fire to make his skin turn hot. Althought he felt dissapointed about leaving Jungkook behind, he still gladly joined his friend. They started to dance to the fast rhythm of the drums as around them, more and more people joined.

It was so electrifying. At first, he followed Taehyung’s lead but the more he grew comfortable with the beat, the more he started to lose himself. He moved his hips and threw his head back with a smile, thrilled. He and Taehyung laughed for no reason other that they were having fun.

Jimin saw Jungkook dance with Namjoon, which he found immensely charming, and some of the rogues even started to join the Choi wolves. Taehyung left to join Heejin and Hoseok grabbed Jimin by the waist, making them dance together.

There were scents everywhere and Jimin closed his eyes for a moment, leaning on the beta.

It felt overwhelming, but in the best way possible. The thrumming in his body was now like fire in his veins and he could feel the vibrations of everyone jumping on the earth.

The rhythm changed, faster, headier, and he danced for a while with Nari. He was starting to feel light-headed and took a few stumbling steps back, putting some distance between himself and the heat of the dancers.

He was missing something.

He wanted to cry out for it but his eyes couldn’t focus.

Everyone dancing in front of the fire created fast shadows that made him unable to look for the one person he was searching for.

And all the scents were making him so dizzy.

“Do you want to dance?” he heard next to him.

An alpha from the Choi pack was smiling at him. Jimin took a step back.

That wasn’t who he wanted.

“No,” he replied. The smells around him were so powerful that he put a hand over his nose.

“Are you ok?” the alpha asked, putting a hand on his arm, “You don’t look well.”

Jimin immediately removed the hand, making the alpha frown.

But none of them got the time to say anything else.

Arms wrapped around Jimin’s waist and he felt a wave of relief when the most incredible scent surrounded him.

He closed his eyes and let himself fall against the hard chest behind him.

“Is everything alright?” Jungkook asked against his ear.

Jimin nodded with a blissful smile, feeling like he had drunk liquor, his head deliciously heavy.

He turned around, the Choi alpha forgotten, and wrapped his arms around Jungkook’s neck.

“Dance with me,” he asked.

He could feel the vibrations of Jungkook’s chest when the alpha growled, and let himself be led back to the fire.

There wasn’t any space left between their bodies and Jimin’s nose rubbed against the alpha’s neck as the other grabbed his hips, making them sway to the rhythm.

All the other smells didn’t matter anymore; only a background to the heavenly scent of the alpha. He tightened his grip on Jungkook’s shoulder, pushing his hand up until he could grab the black hair. He pushed until Jungkook got the message and lowered his face in the crook of Jimin’s neck.

Jungkook’s mouth opened and when he started to lick at his scent gland, Jimin let out a cry that got drowned in the music.

He wanted so much more, his whole body was taut towards Jungkook and the alpha’s arms held him so close that he felt himself lift up from the ground, rubbing their fronts together.

“Jungkook,” he gasped in the other’s ear. “Jungkook, please.”

He didn’t know what he wanted precisely. Just that this wasn’t enough.

How could he have not realized how perfect Jungkook’s scent was?

He just couldn’t get enough of it.

Jungkook was panting in his neck and Jimin felt him slow down just as the drums changed to a slower rhythm.

“No,” the omega whined. “Don’t stop.”

“Shh, I’ve got you,” the alpha whispered, caressing his sides. His smell took a less spicy note and he continued to scent him. “I’m here, Jimin, I’m not stopping.”

The omega nodded, clinging to him. 

“You’re so amazing, Jimin,” Jungkook whispered, rubbing his nose over his collarbone. “I am the luckiest alpha in the world to be able to hold you like this.”

“Only you,” Jimin breathed out, still feeling in a trance. “You’re the only one who can have me.”

Jungkook moved back and took Jimin’s face between his hands, making their eyes meet.

His gaze felt so intense, watching Jimin like he wanted to devour him. Instinctively, Jimin opened his lips, following Jungkook’s eyes as they fell on them.

“Say that again,” the alpha asked, his thumbs caressing Jimin’s cheek. “Tell me.”

Jimin took a trembling breath. He felt so desirable under the heavy stare. “You’re everything, Jungkook. I’ve never been more certain of anything. You’re the only one that will ever get to have me like this.”

He whined, but this time from pain.

He was feeling too much. Now that he wasn't burrowed in Jungkook's neck anymore, the surrounding smells were coming back full force, and he didn’t know how to process them.

He tried focusing back on Jungkook, but a headache was quickly forming behind his eyes and he closed them.

“Jimin? Are you ok?” the alpha asked, suddenly worried.

Jimin shook his head, “The smells… It’s too much. It hurts.”

Jungkook brought his head back into the crook of his neck and Jimin held onto the only scent that mattered, trying to block out the others.

“Is he alright?” he heard Namjoon ask.

“I think his sense of smell is awakening, I’ll take him back,” Jungkook replied, and his voice felt distant.

Jimin followed his movements when the alpha bent down to carry him in his arms, and he continued to hold onto his shoulders.

“I wanted to shift and run…” he managed to say.

“Shh, we’ll get to do it next time, don’t worry,” Jungkook replied, carrying him away from the crowd. “Jimin?” the alpha called in the lowest voice, “I need you to show me which one is your cabin.”

“Our cabin,” Jimin corrected with a whimper. “It’s the one with… the pine tree behind it.”

The words were coming out with difficulty.

Even Jungkook’s scent felt too strong now. But he could finally understand all the emotions behind it; the worry, the concern and most of all, the care and love he was feeling towards Jimin.

He could barely comprehend what was happening around him. He could smell the stale tang of the cabin and the aroma of every single plant in his satchel.

It was too much all at once and he lost consciousness.

Strangely, he woke up with just as many scents around him, if not more, but his head wasn’t hurting anymore.

It was like, finally, he knew how to understand them.

He opened his eyes and when he realized that he was alone, sat up on the bed. It smelled old and unused, and Jimin could have sworn the scent of its old owner was still there, but it didn’t give him a headache like the night before.

Jimin could see that the sun was up and he wondered where Jungkook was.

He wasn’t worried.

The alpha’s scent was all over the room and he hadn’t left too long ago. Jimin got up and put on Jungkook’s coat from the chair next to the bed.

He felt like the night before had been a fever dream.

He was now feeling… curious.

Jimin opened the door, took a few steps forward, and let out an incredulous laugh.

He could smell everything .

He knew that Taehyung, Minjun, and Sujin were still sleeping next door, and that the omegas had left their shoes outside. Towards the village, he sniffed remnants of last night’s fire and all around, a general smell that he could only identify as the forest waking up.

Among all of them, distinctively standing out, was Jungkook.

Jimin started following the trail, something he couldn’t do before, and exited the village. He could guess where everyone was sleeping and continued on.

The sun was hitting his face and he could sense all the small animals waking up.

He knew he was getting closer when he heard the sounds of running water. He stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the river.

Down by the riverbank, laying on a rock, Jungkook’s eyes were closed, seemingly enjoying the first rays of sunshine.

Jimin took a deep breath and continued to walk.

He wasn’t afraid, but his heart was pounding in his chest.

Jungkook sensed his approach and opened his eyes. Slowly, he sat up as Jimin got closer.

The omega stopped in front of the rock. They looked at each other for a moment.

“Did you – “

“Are you – “

They closed their mouths at the same time and Jimin put a hand in front of his face to hide a smile.

“Please,” he said. “You first.”

Jungkook cleared his throat. “Is... your head feeling better?”

Jimin nodded. “Much better, really. Everything… I hadn’t realized how much I was missing out on. It’s like a veil has been lifted and I can finally see the world.”

Jungkook smiled with such fondness that it cut Jimin’s breath for a moment.

He had to ask.

“Jungkook?”

His voice was tight and he took his own hand to give himself courage.

“I… Are…”

The alpha immediately rose from his spot and stood up, still leaving a little bit of space between them.

“Yes? What is it?”

His tone was patient but Jimin could feel the worry behind it.

He took another deep breath.

“Are we soulmates?”

A silence.

Jimin looked at every expression crossing Jungkook’s face.

He couldn’t be wrong.

It had to be real.

From the very beginning, he had felt… something. But ever since yesterday, Jungkook’s scent called to him like nothing had ever before.

“Jungkook?” he repeated in a small voice, rubbing the back of his own hand.

The alpha was visibly breathing fast and Jimin watched in horror as he wiped a tear with the palm of his hand.

Jimin couldn’t move, frozen in place.

Why was Jungkook crying? Wasn’t he happy that they had found each other?

“We are,” Jungkook blurted out. “We absolutely are.”

Jimin didn’t know what to feel.

His omega felt overjoyed. They had found their soulmates, something not a lot of people got to have.

But he was also panicking.

“Then… What’s wrong?”

He teared up himself, not bearing to see the other sob.

Jungkook hid his face behind his hands and Jimin’s heart broke.

The alpha wasn’t happy.

“I’ve known, from… from the moment I saw you,” Jungkook cried out. “I’ve always known we were soulmates!”

Jimin couldn’t bear it anymore. He jumped forward and took the other in his arms.

For the first time, he actually understood what to do.

He started letting out his scent in comforting waves, brushing the alpha’s hair. He could smell the jasmine and the pears now, and Jimin loved how well it mixed with Jungkook's muskier scent. He brushed his nose over the alpha's scent gland, scenting him for the first time. Jungkook burrowed his nose in his neck with a sigh of content. Jimin couldn't believe that he was finally able to do that and he bit his lower lip, trying to only focus on the man in his arms. 

It took a few minutes for the alpha to calm down but then, he raised his head and wiped away his tears.

“Tell me everything,” Jimin softly asked, his hands still in the other’s hair.

“The moment we entered the Park clan, I knew something was off,” Jungkook explained with a hoarse voice. “And when I entered the Hall, I didn’t know where you were, but your scent was driving me crazy.”

Jimin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Jungkook had said that he could smell him from the beginning but this…this was something else.

“And then, you volunteered to go with us,” Jungkook continued, “and you looked so fierce and courageous, I knew it had to be you.”

“But I was so afraid,” Jimin breathed out.

“I could sense that, but you were also determined,” Jungkook smiled, his hands coming up around Jimin’s waist. “But… but you didn’t react to me. You didn’t say anything and I couldn’t understand why!”

The pain was coming back in the alpha’s voice and Jimin caressed his cheek. He was starting to understand and he couldn’t believe that Jungkook had to go through that.

“I’ve always been told that soulmates recognize each other immediately,” the alpha continued, “but you didn’t . And… at first, I thought that you had noticed, but maybe you already had a mate. And then, you said you had no one and there was only one possibility left… You didn’t want me and you rejected our bond.”

Jimin opened his mouth in shock.

How much pain must Jungkook have endured? He couldn’t imagine being ignored, now that he knew that they were soulmates.

“And I accepted it because there was nothing else I could say,” Jungkook painfully went on. “And we could all feel that you’d had a difficult life. Then… on the second night, when you were gone, Yuna asked about your lack of scent and that’s when I understood that something was… different. Eventually, you told me, but even then, a part of me still believed that you didn’t like who the Moon Goddess had chosen as your soulmate.” The alpha scoffed, “I even thought that maybe you were coming to the mountain with us to ask Her for someone else…”

Jimin gasped and immediately frowned in anger.

“Never! Never… don’t, don’t say that, please.”

He couldn’t bear to hear this, even if he knew it was coming from Jungkook’s insecurities. “You’ve made me feel so safe, and happy and… important! I’ve prayed so much to the Goddess and yet, all my hopes and dreams fall short when I see that you ’re the one that I get to have.”

Jungkook nodded with emotion and this time, it was Jimin that wiped the alpha’s tears.

“And I’m sorry for not realizing sooner and causing you this much pain.”

Jungkook opened his mouth to deny it but Jimin put a finger on his lips to stop him.

“But Jungkook…all along, I may not have known that you were my soulmates but I’ve learned to love you all the same. Me realizing it now doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been yours from the beginning.”

Jungkook’s smile matched the sun that was shining behind him.

Jimin could also physically feel it, this bond between them.

“I love you too,” the alpha replied. “And I am yours.”

Jimin pulled him by the neck and brought them together for a long-awaited kiss.

His lips pressed against Jungkook’s and his heart rate picked up. Emotions exploded in his chest and he felt the urge to smile. Jungkook licked his lower lip, hands tightly holding his hips, and the omega sighed. He opened his mouth, inviting Jungkook’s tongue in. It was their first kiss and Jimin was discovering the sweet taste of his alpha, but he knew that from now on, he could never get enough of it. Jimin responded to the kiss with fervor, inconsciously letting out his scent even more. Jungkook moaned and the sound made Jimin shiver.

He couldn’t believe that it was real. That he was kissing his soulmate. His alpha. Jungkook.

The alpha left his mouth and kissed his jawline and neck, leaving traces of spit on Jimin’s skin.

“I love you,” he whispered heatedly against his scent gland. “You’re so amazing, I can’t believe I get to be your alpha."

Jimin smiled as he pushed his head back, giving Jungkook full access to kiss across his neck.

“I can’t believe I get to have you either,” he sighed. “That my soulmate is the best alpha.”

He let out a cry when Jungkook lightly bit into his skin and gripped the broad shoulders, mimicking their position from the night before, when they had been dancing together.

They kissed for a long time and gradually, the heat and passion gave place to tenderness and slow kisses. Jimin kept nosing at the curve of Jungkook's neck as often as he could, when the other wasn’t placing a myriad of kisses onto his lips.

With his lips tingling, Jimin drew back and looked Jungkook in the eye. The joy he felt at this moment was indescribable.

“I’ve never told you this,” he smiled, “but you’re very handsome.”

Caught off guard, Jungkook opened his mouth. After a beat, he laughed and they fell into each other, Jimin giggling in his arms.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jungkook replied against his cheek. “Coming from the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes upon.”

Jimin’s smile was so wide that he couldn’t even see Jungkook anymore and when he told him that, they once again laughed out loud, tightly holding onto each other.

When they came back to the village, everyone was busy preparing to leave. Jimin saw the pack’s wide grins when they greeted the pair. No one asked outwardly, but Jimin knew that their combined scents completely gave them away.

“They all know we kissed, right?” Jimin whispered as they climbed the steps to their cabin.

Jungkook turned and put an arm around his waist, bringing him close to put a chaste kiss on his lips.

“Now they do,” the alpha replied, looking smug.

Jimin opened his mouth in shock but Jungkook was already bringing him inside. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a lot of time to themselves; they needed to tell the Choi pack about why they were on a journey.

This time only felt like a repeat of the others.

They were not interested in following them in a “ridiculous and pointless quest that would get them all killed.”

Jimin could now truly smell the disappointment in the rogues’ scents. He wondered how he would feel himself if he had been through so many other rejections like this one. Jimin couldn’t say he really wanted anyone from the alpha pack to join them, but he felt bad for his packmates.

When they left the Choi territory, his hand holding Jungkook's, he asked.

“How many packs did you ask to join you?”

Jungkook seemed to count in his head and replied, “I’ve left my pack three moons ago, and I think we’ve seen twelve packs. The best one was the Shim pack, that’s when Yuna, Jihoon and Daehyun joined.”

“You don’t seem too bothered by the Choi response,” Jimin noticed. “Your scent isn’t as sour as the others.”

Jungkook leaned forward with a glint in his eyes until their foreheads were almost touching.

“Is it bad to say that I’m only thinking about the next time I’ll be able to be alone with you?”

Jimin let out a laugh and shook his head. He couldn't stop looking at the other's lips, wanting to taste them again. "No, it’s definitely not a bad thing.”

“We’re out, let’s shift!”

Namjoon’s voice made them both jump and they backed away from one another with a blush.

Jimin had gotten used to undressing in front of the others. Shifting was, after all, the most normal thing to do. Everyone was concerned about their own shifting and it was considered rude to observe someone too closely.

But when Jimin tried to take a peek at Jungkook, and realized that the other was already looking at him, they both turned away with a flustered laugh.

Jimin shifted and saw that Seokjin and Hoseok were giving him a teasing side-eye. He acted as if nothing was happening and followed them as they left the Choi territory behind.

The day passed too slowly for Jimin's liking, and he kept thinking back to their kiss. At least, this part of the forest was pleasant and they found a nice place to stop for the night, near a calm river. As they settled for the night, he felt jittery.

They hunted for a little while, but when the others went to wash themselves in the river, Jimin pushed Jungkook further upstream. They didn’t go too far, just enough that they couldn’t hear their packmates anymore. They were still in their wolf form and maybe Jimin was imagining it, but Jungkook seemed amused.

They stopped in a nice spot, with grass and an easy way into the water. Jungkook shifted and stood there for a moment, tall and proud. 

“Do you want to wash up here? You don’t have to shift. I just wanted to swim for a bit.”

Jimin didn’t even hesitate, full of excitement, and shifted as well. But standing there, naked and in front of Jungkook, made him shiver.

He stopped himself from covering his lower parts, knowing that it would only draw attention to it. But at the same time, he was proud. He wanted to show everything to the alpha, whose gaze was now devouring his body.

As a result of his internal struggle, his scent thickened.

A lot.

A low growl came from Jungkook’s chest and Jimin’s heart jumped.

“Let’s get inside!” he blurted out, almost running to the water.

The river was warmer than he had thought and he walked until he had water up to his waist.

He took a deep breath, trying to settle his scent.

Jungkook was his soulmate, it should have been easy, but behind the excitement, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit worried.

He felt Jungkook come up behind him and put a light hand over Jimin’s shoulder.

“Can I?” the alpha asked in a voice that made him tremble.

Jimin turned around to look at him in the eyes. He wanted to be courageous.

“You know touching doesn’t scare me anymore.” he replied in a low voice.

He took Jungkook’s other hand and placed it on his shoulder.

“I’ve noticed,” Jungkook warmly smiled, taking a step forward until their chests were touching. “You’ve become more comfortable with everyone.”

Jimin slowly put his arms around the alpha’s waist. “I’m the most comfortable around you,” he confessed, his chest beating loudly. “I’m giving you permission to touch me, Jungkook. I don’t want to go back to being afraid.”

The alpha put a hand on his nape and with the other, pushed Jimin’s head back to make him present his neck. He did all of this gently, giving him the opportunity to refuse, but Jimin gladly bared his neck.

Jungkook placed a light kiss against his throat. “You’re not going back to that, Jimin,” he said, putting another kiss under his ear. “You’ll always have my touch.”

Jimin sighed in pleasure and Jungkook brought his head back until he could catch his lips in a loving kiss.

Their fronts were touching and these sensations, added to their kiss, made Jimin shiver. There was so much to focus on; from Jungkook’s tongue in his mouth, to the feeling of the alpha's hands over his back, lowering until they were touching his ass. Their scents were so good mixed together and when Jimin moaned, he realized another sensation down between his legs.

He gasped and Jungkook stopped their kissing. “What is it?”

Jimin knew what it was.

He had never experienced it before but Seokjin and Taehyung had told him everything about slick.

He burrowed his face in his alpha’s neck and whined. From his scent, Jungkook knew that there wasn’t anything wrong and he laughed. “Why are you embarrassed, love? Tell me.”

Love.

Oh, Jimin liked that very much.

So much in fact, that another gush of slick escaped his hole and made him moan even louder, body shaking.

Jungkook laughed again, bringing him close in a hug.

“Do you not like being called that?” the alpha teased.

Jimin shook his head, rubbing his cheek against Jungkook’s scent gland.

“I like it a lot,” he mumbled. “It’s just my omega body waking up for the first time. I'm not used to it.”

He felt how Jungkook tensed in his arms immediately, his scent taking on a muskier note.

“Jungkook?” he breathed out. “Can we go sit on the grass?”

It took a few seconds for the alpha to be able to move away and even then, he kept an arm around Jimin’s waist as they got out of the water to lie on the ground.

Jimin felt extremely exposed when he lied down; Jungkook’s eyes were following his every move. The alpha laid down next to him, propping himself up on his elbow, his other hand resting on Jimin’s stomach.

“I… This is very new to me,” Jimin admitted, heart beating fast. “I’m not sure…I don’t want to do everything at once.”

Jungkook leaned down to rub his nose against his cheek.

“Of course, I only want you to feel good,” he whispered, moving to kiss him. “Do you want me to caress you?”

The words felt innocent, yet heat spreaded in Jimin's body like wildfire. He nodded, gripping unto the other’s shoulders.

Jungkook rearranged himself, placing his elbow near Jimin’s head. He leaned in and at first, simply kissed his lips, his free hand resting on his naked waist.

Then, slowly, Jungkook started to move over Jimin’s stomach first, which contracted under the touch and made him laugh.

“I see you are ticklish,” Jungkook teased. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He continued to kiss him, alternating between licking his lips and nipping at them. His hand had gone up and Jimin gasped when he felt a thumb play with his nipple. He moaned and Jungkook used the opening to enter his mouth.

He kept caressing him, sometimes rolling a nipple between his fingers, making Jimin's breath stutter.

“How are you feeling, love?”

The touches, kisses, and pet name had the omega in a daze. He nodded but Jungkook lightly bit his lower lip. “Tell me with words, please.”

Jimin smiled, eyes closed. “It feels good.”

He couldn’t see but he felt Jungkook’s satisfied growl and heavy scent. Between his legs, he could feel the slick running down, leaving his ass wet. His cock was now hard on his stomach and he shuddered. He had obviously touched himself before, and he knew he would be frustrated if they didn’t do anything about it.

As if he could sense his thoughts, Jungkook lowered his hand until it rested near his erection.

“Do you want me to do something about it?” the alpha asked.

Jimin nodded so fast that Jungkook laughed.

They kissed passionately, Jimin feeling more and more comfortable kissing back. He moaned when Jungkook’s hand gripped his cock and his hips stuttered.

“Shhh, that’s right, let go,” Jungkook breathed out, carefully watching his expression. He spit in his hand, bringing it back around Jimin’s cock and the smoother glide made the omega cry out in pleasure.

Jungkook peppered his face with kisses until once again, he used Jimin’s open mouth to push his tongue back inside. Jimin was panting and moaning. This was nothing like the times he had touched himself. Jungkook’s touch felt so good. The fact that someone else was touching him like this, someone that loved him and that he loved, was dizzying.

“Jungkook!” he cried out, knowing that he was close.

He was starting to shake and his breath was getting more erratic. Jungkook felt it and increased his rhythm, letting out a scent so heady that Jimin felt his eyes roll back.

“You’re so beautiful,” Jungkook whispered, nosing behind his ear and kissing his neck.

Jimin’s heart missed a beat at the adoration in the alpha’s voice. His moans got closer and closer until he couldn’t take it anymore.

His orgasm felt so powerful that he screamed, hips raising up from the ground as he unloaded over his stomach and Jungkook’s hand, humping the air.

“Jungkook,” he called once again and immediately he felt two arms bring him against the strong chest. He kissed the alpha’s scent gland and felt a wave of relief when the other started to scent him as well. A few minutes passed before his heart rate slowed down.

“How are you feeling?” Jungkook asked.

Jimin pushed his hair away from his face with a small laugh. “Absolutely perfect and very messy…slick is awful.”

“We’ll agree to disagree,” Jungkook bit back with a smile. 

“Do you want me to take care of you?” Jimin asked, eyeing Jungkook’s erect cock resting on his side.

Jungkook shook his head, “No. But I’ll need to cool down in the river I think,” he added with a funny expression.

The walk to the water was short but difficult since Jimin refused to be away from his soulmate. Jungkook ended up carrying him in his arms, Jimin scenting him to his heart’s content.

“You know,” the omega said once they were inside the water. “I mostly feel relieved. I knew I could trust you, but I just… Now, I’m sure there’s no way I’ll get hurt physically, not with you as my alpha.”

Jungkook’s stricken expression made him smile fondly. He grabbed the alpha’s chin and winked. “I’m not afraid anymore. My big and strong alpha will take care of me well, right?”

Jungkook squinted.

“You like playing with my emotions, don’t you?”

And when Jimin laughed, Jungkook brought them both under water as retaliation.

Days passed and things slowly changed.

There were fewer trees, the forest slowly giving place to rocks and barren lands.

The first time Jimin spotted the mountains on the horizon, he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. If they looked so tall from far away, how could they even climb them?

“Wait until you see Her mountain,” Namjoon had smiled. “Then you can start complaining.”

Out of all of them, only the alphas and Sanghoon had seen it before.

“We didn’t go farther than the temple that’s at the base of the mountain, of course,” the old beta had said. “At the time, the trip there was easier. We’d run all the way, barely stopping to hunt because there was so much prey it would practically fall under our claws as we ran.”

“Aren’t we going to be stopped at the temple?” Taehyung had asked him.

Sanghoon smiled. “Maybe the monks will try to stop us, but they’re fundamentally peaceful, so they’ll probably let us pass.”

Jimin was curious to see these monks. A month ago, pledging himself to the Moon Goddess wouldn’t have seemed such a bad idea, but now, he was certain that it couldn’t have been his life. Especially since he wouldn’t have wanted to take a vow of celibacy.

Because things were also changing between him and Jungkook.

They were always trying to find a reason to spend time together. They went hunting almost every day, prey getting even shyer now that the forest was getting scarce.

The pack was following a river which was becoming larger. Jimin and Jungkook used the time when the others were bathing to get away. They still spent most of their night by the fires, which was more comfortable and less dangerous, but it didn’t stop them from sneaking out some nights, kissing and touching each other, laying on the grass.

Jimin was learning fast.

He had soon gotten tired of only receiving from Jungkook and quickly learned how to give back. From the moment he had put his smaller hands around the alpha’s cock, he’d become addicted to his moans of pleasure.

Jungkook liked to tell him that he was a good student. When the alpha had taken his cock in his mouth, getting him off faster than he had before, Jimin had put his new knowledge to use, letting out a satisfied whine when the alpha had released his pleasure in his mouth.

He was getting used to his slick, especially since Jungkook seemed to love it so much.

Jimin felt ashamed at first when the alpha had started lapping at his hole, but it put Jungkook in an almost feral state, the alpha covering his thighs with bites, and Jimin learned not to be embarrassed.

They had yet to go all the way, even if Jimin was feeling the growing need to have Jungkook inside him.

But the alpha had whispered one night that they had all the time in the world and that he wanted them to discover everything at their own pace. Jimin had whined that he could take it and to stop him, Jungkook had fingered him so well that he hadn’t been able to complain anymore.

They were now touching all the time.

Not just in these moments of pleasure, but constant small touches; Jungkook’s hand on the small of his back, Jimin’s head on his shoulder when they were by the fire… The omega couldn’t believe how right it felt to be touching his soulmate .

The others knew, obviously. Their scents were always mixed together, and Jimin and Jungkook had told them, not wanting to keep it a secret.

Apart from a bit of teasing, the others were nothing but supportive.

Sometimes, Jimin couldn’t quite believe that this was his life now.

On these days, he would send a prayer to the Moon Goddess, hoping that She could tell his father of his happiness.

Jimin knew that he would be very proud.

One day, a few weeks after the full moon, Jimin caught a glimpse of a deer behind some trees.

They already had meat, and only had a few days left before they arrived at the mountain, but it would be nice to have fresh meat.

Jimin sprinted until he was at the front next to Namjoon. He huffed and motioned towards the trees. His scent was excited enough to tell the alpha what his intentions were. He needed to hunt.

Namjoon nodded and Jimin gave him the bag he was carrying in his mouth. He flew back and already, Jungkook was waiting for him. He hadn’t seen the deer, but he had definitely felt Jimin’s emotions. They were feeling so much of each other; it was a constant reminder of the strength of their bond.

The two of them left the rest of the rogues, who kept on walking. They would join them after their hunt since there was no point in stopping everyone in the middle of the day for a deer that might be long gone.

They ran side by side, loving the feel of hunting together, until they saw fresh marks on the grounds. It was near.

Jimin took a right and Jungkook went the other way to have a better chance of cornering the animal.

After another minute of running, Jimin finally found the scent of the deer, but something smelled off.

He didn’t stop to think about it. He could hear the panicked steps of the deer coming his way.

Jungkook had probably found it already and sent it towards him. They often hunted this way, reminding them of their first hunt together, and Jimin knew what he had to do.

He crouched on the ground and waited until the deer passed in front of him with wide eyes. Jumping and getting it was a child’s play and Jimin took care of not damaging any of the meat. He wanted to keep the fur for them.

Jimin waited by the deer for Jungkook to arrive until he smelled it again.

The odd smell.

And Jungkook wasn’t coming.

He didn’t want to let the deer out of sight. It was possible that Jungkook had found another one and gone after it.

Jimin was standing on high alert, ears raised.

After a few seconds, he abandoned the deer. He needed to know that Jungkook was safe.

He took off in the direction where the deer had come from. The foreign smell was getting stronger.

At that moment, from a distance, Jungkook howled.

Jimin’s heart missed a beat. In this howl, he could hear anger and most of all, pain.

He ran. Jimin had never run faster in his life, jumping over fallen trees.

He smelled what was happening before he could see it.

There were two strange wolves, both alphas, and Jungkook. The metallic smell of blood made Jimin bare his teeth.

Finally, he saw them. Jungkook was against a tree, his left hind leg bleeding so much it matted his fur and the ground. In front of him, the two wolves were snapping their maws, trying to get close. But they were smaller than him, clearly younger wolves and one of them was bleeding from his rear.

Jimin saw red. His alpha was hurt and he had to protect him.

They didn’t even see him arrive from the side. The omega jumped on the wolf that was uninjured, using the element of surprise to climb on him and grab his neck between his fangs. He wasn’t even thinking anymore. They had hurt Jungkook.

The alpha under him howled in pain. Jimin tightened his jaw, pushing his teeth deep enough that he felt blood rush into his mouth. The alpha was still taller than him and when he reared back, Jimin slipped and fell on the ground.

The young alpha was about to jump on him when Jungkook plowed in his side, making him fall on the ground. Jimin immediately got back on his feet and put himself in front of Jungkook.

He had never done this before, but he was letting out the most intimidating scent he could. He could feel that Jungkook was truly hurt, and he would not hesitate to kill both of the alphas to protect him.

In front of them, the young alphas were now injured and bleeding. The wolf still standing up was growling menacingly, but the other’s scent was starting to get scared.

The odds had shifted with the arrival of Jimin, who was now the only uninjured wolf.

Jimin growled so loud the wolves took a step back.

But then, he heard Jungkook fall on the ground and didn’t care anymore. He took a step forward, ready to kill them.

That was the moment Namjoon and Yoongi howled.

They all turned their heads to the sound. A second after, the two rogues were coming in at lightning speed, placing themselves in front of Jimin and Jungkook.

The young alphas knew they couldn’t win anymore. They tried to turn back but then, the rest of the rogue pack came up from every direction, encircling them.

All around, they let out growls and aggressive pheromones, no one making a move to kill the alphas but all slowly closing in on them.

The two alphas did the only sane thing.

They turned back into humans.

The one Jimin had hurt was still on the ground, unable to hold himself.

The rogues stopped. Wolves couldn’t kill humans; it wasn’t fair or honorable.

Now that the threat was gone, Jimin turned back and was instantly at Jungkook’s side.

The alpha was breathing rapidly, but the moment Jimin got near, he raised his head and bumped their foreheads together. Jimin nosed all over his face with a whine. He was fretting so much he couldn’t stay still, trying to lick over Jungkook’s neck.

Behind him, one of the alphas screamed in anger, “You’re in our territory! You’ll die for trespassing!”

Jimin turned his face with a growl.

How could he threaten them again in his position? He wanted to jump on them and tear their heads apart for attacking Jungkook.

The man, a boy truly, still had blood over his face, probably from biting Jungkook, and Jimin’s anger increased tenfold. But before he could do anything, Jungkook grabbed him by the neck and forced him to lie down next to him. With a whimper, Jimin followed the movement and the alpha started to scent him, which calmed him enough to be able to see Namjoon turn into a human.

“We’re in no one’s territory,” his friend claimed with a sure voice. “Not one that’s been properly claimed at least.”

But the other alpha didn’t seem too scared. “We are the Kang pack and we’ve been tracking a deer for days now. You took what’s ours!”

Even as a human, Namjoon’s change of scent was chilling.

“You better change your tone, pup. This part of the land is not scent marked, therefore, its animals belong to the wolf that has the ability to catch it.”

The other was about to scream again when the wolf on the ground raised his hands.

“Please, we’re sorry! Our pack is dying and our Head Alpha tasked us to bring food back. We needed to get something so we went beyond our borders. Everyone does that nowadays, there’s nothing left in our forests.”

But his packmate didn’t seem to agree. “It is our right to expand! Every wolf has the right to feed himself.”

But the downed wolf was now looking at Namjoon with pleading eyes. “We’re hungry as well, please don’t kill us.”

After a moment, Namjoon’s coldness turned into something more serious.

“Are you even trained hunters?”

The standing wolf didn’t reply but the other shook his head. “No, but even pups are hunting nowadays. It’s that or dying of hunger.”

The desperate description made Namjoon’s scent settle down to a less aggressive tone. He looked at the two young men for a moment. Jungkook still had his face over Jimin’s, keeping him in place.

Namjoon finally sighed. “The deer is ours. I will not offer you to join us, not after you hurt one of our own...but we’ll let you go. The Kang pack is far away from here, go back home.”

The alpha on the ground nodded, but the other boy didn’t seem to like the idea.

He looked all around for a moment, at the circle of rogue wolves surrounding them and bit his lips. He would be ripped apart if he chose to fight.

He spat. “I’ll let our Head Alpha know about you. We’ll come back to hunt you.”

“And what will you do, eat us?” Namjoon bit back. “Are you really that desperate?”

The idea was absurd, but it still made all of them deeply uncomfortable.   

Jimin was so angry.

So that was it?

These wolves would not pay for hurting Jungkook? A part of him knew that Namjoon was making the right choice, but his omega was furious.

The young wolves changed back and the rogues made an opening for them to pass.

They ran away without looking back.

Namjoon gave a small moment of silence before annoucing, “We need to keep moving. The Kangs could come back here. Jungkook needs to stay as a wolf to heal faster, so I’ll carry him on my back.”

But Jimin started to fret when Namjoon shifted back and came closer to them.

He didn’t want anyone touching Jungkook.

What if they inadvertently hurt him?

He could carry him on his back. The alpha was his soulmate, that was his task.

He put himself above Jungkook and let out a warning growl. He had never defied Namjoon before but he didn’t care. He wanted everyone else to be gone.

Under him, Jungkook whined. He was calling him and Jimin turned his head down. It was almost like he could feel the burning pain in his own leg.

Jimin felt desperate, not knowing what to do to help. Jungkook’s scent was trying to wrap around him, to comfort him, but Jimin shouldn’t have been the one being comforted right now.

Jungkook calmly looked at him, patiently waiting, and Jimin closed his eyes.

He moved back, carefully not touching Jungkook’s leg, and bowed his head to Namjoon. Yoongi took a step forward but Jimin was quicker. He helped Jungkook climb sideways on Namjoon’s back, pushing him as softly as he could.

The other rogues waited until Namjoon could walk before following him.

The powerlessness made Jimin feel sick.

During the following hours, he walked by Namjoon’s side, eyes watching Jungkook like a hawk. The slash on his leg had stopped bleeding and was already looking much better, but Jimin still didn’t feel settled.

He had barely just found Jungkook. All of his life, he had dreamed of finding someone who would love him and who he could love in return. He couldn’t be deprived of him now. He had a whole life to live alongside the alpha, he just knew it.

But today had been a reminder that life wouldn’t always be easy, especially with a goal as big as theirs.

And Jimin hated it. He hated that something, anything, could come and hurt his soulmate.

That night, they made camp in a cave that was deep enough to fit them all. Jimin could see that Hoseok and Seokjin had carried the deer with them, but his attention was focused on Jungkook.

Namjoon laid him on the ground against one of the rocky walls. The alpha took a step back and left some space for Jimin to come forward. Jungkook seemed to be exhausted and he simply watched as Jimin nosed at his injury. There was no putrid smell of infection and the gash was now fully closed. By tomorrow, Jungkook would be fine.

Jimin shifted to human and without a care about his nakedness, he went to Taehyung, who had been the one carrying his and Jungkook’s bags. He took them with a nod of thankfulness for the omega and went back to Jungkook.

The others were starting to enter the cave and Jimin saw their looks of worry and that they were trying to see if Jungkook was fine.

But they didn’t approach, giving them some privacy, and Jimin came back to sit by the alpha.

Jungkook had now closed his eyes but Jimin saw his ears move when he took water from his bag. Slowly, he poured some over the wound and with the most careful gestures, started washing the dried blood from the fur around it.

He couldn’t believe someone had tried to hurt him. Jungkook was the kindest person he knew, and even if the Kang wolves had been desperate, Jimin hated to see his mate suffer.

“How does it feel?” he murmured, “Do you still feel pain?”

Jungkook huffed and shook his head. He opened and closed his eyes once again, and Jimin understood that he was mostly sleepy.

He wanted to say it all. The fear that had paralyzed him, the anger followed by the drive to kill the other wolves, the helplessness…

He was starting to realize how tired he was himself and he felt the urge to cry.

Instead, he took out his healing balm and put some over the scar. It wouldn’t do much, especially now that the wound had closed, but it soothed Jimin.

After that, he shifted back and started grooming Jungkook. It was the only thing he could think of right now that would satisfy his need to take care of his mate. The alpha tried to reciprocate but after a few minutes, he fell asleep with his head hidden under Jimin’s.

Later, Taehyung came up to them with food but Jimin turned him down. They could eat tomorrow.

His heart was finally starting to settle. Jungkook was now in a deep sleep and he smelled only of Jimin.

Slowly, he was starting to feel safe again.

He put his head next to Jungkook’s and closed his eyes.

Jimin woke up in the exact same position, except that Jungkook now had his eyes open.

He raised his head, worried, but the alpha looked perfectly fine. Around them, everyone was still asleep.

The omega turned his head to the wound and found out that it was now gone.

The alpha rose to his feet, completely stable, and Jimin followed him outside the cave. They walked to the large river they had been following and Jungkook jumped into it.

Jimin waited for him. And when Jungkook came out of the clear water as a human, Jimin shifted and ran into his arms.

“I’m fine, love,” Jungkook reassured him. “My wound has healed. You took care of me well. Your balm worked wonders.”

Jimin knew that he could trust Jungkook, but he couldn’t help taking a look at his human leg, only finding smooth skin.

Still, he wrapped his arms around Jungkook’s waist and left a kiss on the side of his neck.

“I hate those wolves for hurting you,” he admitted. “I couldn’t hold myself back when I saw what they did to you.”

Jungkook sighed and kissed his cheek. “I know and I can’t blame you, I would have done the same. In fact, when I smelled them, my only thought was that I had to keep them away from you.”

Jimin pulled his head back with a look of displeasure.

“You know we are better hunters together. You shouldn’t have tried to take them alone.”

Jungkook caressed his cheek with a soft look.

“You would have done the same and I would have been the one angry at you fighting on your own. Let’s not blame each other for wanting to protect our mate.”

That made Jimin deflate.

Jungkook was right, he would have tried to get the alphas as far away as possible.

He huffed. “I just… I never want to see you hurt.”

He felt frustrated that he couldn’t explain it in words, but when he had seen Jungkook being attacked and bleeding, he had felt as if the most sacred part of himself was under attack. No one had the right to hurt Jungkook. It had felt so unnatural , like it just couldn’t happen.

Jungkook pushed his fingers through his hair.

“I understand. In the days after you joined, you were still so wary of us, flinching away at anyone approaching and I was so angry . I knew you were my soulmate, but more than that, I could see how kind and smart you were, and I hated the fact that you were suffering.”

Jungkook looked at him with a gravity that Jimin had rarely seen. “I kept telling myself that if I could, I would have taken all of your pain and your insecurities away because I hated seeing you like this.”

Jimin thought back to this time, where he had still refused any contact. In his mind, he had loved the rogue pack from the very first day, but looking back on it, he must have been so withdrawn, refusing to let anyone scent, groom, or even touch him. He thought he had hidden it well, but now he realized that it had been extremely obvious, especially now that he was comfortable with all of those things.

“I like that,” he finally said. “I like that even then, I was…important to you.”

Jungkook let out a soft laugh, “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Are we feeling like this because we are soulmates?” Jimin wondered.

“I think it’s just love,” Jungkook shrugged. “It’s normal to want to protect each other.”

“Oh,” Jimin breathed out.

Jungkook gently smiled and put a hand behind Jimin’s neck to slowly bring them closer, until they were softly kissing. They were still naked from shifting, but there was no heat in this kiss.

Jimin was trying to put as much love as he could into each press of their lips. The way Jungkook held his face made him feel so precious and loved. He closed his eyes in contentment.

“Let’s try to keep each other out of harm’s way then,” he sighed against Jungkook’s lips.

Jungkook withdrew with a curious look. “Do you want to keep on going? We are heading towards a probably dangerous path. Have you ever thought of going back?”

His questions were without judgment and Jimin didn’t feel any pressure to respond.

“No. We are mates and I want to protect you, but the others, they are our pack. I want to see this through and come what may, we’re getting an answer. I trust the Moon Goddess to lead us to Her safely.”

“You have more faith in Her than me. I feel like She has become… irritable,” Jungkook said with a tilt of the head.

“She kept me company during my lonely years, and then, She gave me a good pack and the best mate in all the continent. I’m not afraid of meeting Her,” Jimin smiled.

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “The best mate, you say? A little bold of you, considering we haven't bitten each other yet.”

Jimin imitated him, raising his eyebrow to mirror his teasing. “A little bold of you to think that I won’t bite you the moment I get the chance.”

Jungkook let out a laugh of surprise at the quip and playfully nuzzled his neck to bite him lightly.

“You know,” he said, “you make me laugh a lot. I didn’t laugh very often in my old pack, but I find myself smiling every day around you.”

Jimin blushed at the compliment and laughed out loud when Jungkook lifted him from the ground to take him in his arms.

Although Jungkook’s injury was now completely gone, it had made the whole group wary.

After their night in the cave, they fled even faster towards the east, leaving the forest behind them entirely.

They were now moving across a gigantic grass field where the only prey to be found were foxes, rabbits, and the occasional bird that rested on the ground.

Jimin was glad that they had put as much distance as possible between them and the Kang pack, but he didn’t like not having the forest around. It had been cloudy these past few days, and all he could see was a vast plain. More than that, there were no hiding spots for him and Jungkook to have some privacy.

He knew the other couples were feeling the same. Around the fires, Hoseok looked a bit cranky after Yoongi stopped their kissing from going too far, and even Namjoon and Seokjin, who had always been very private, were giving each other unmistakable glances.

Being cut off from this source of intimacy felt even more frustrating because he still wanted to do so much more with Jungkook.

One night, around the campfire, Sanghoon looked at all of them with a glint in his eyes.

“The Moon Goddess’s temple should have private accommodations for everyone,” he said.

“Is it really that big?” Jimin asked the older beta, who chuckled.

“Oh, you have no idea. Its front has been carved into the mountain and it’s taller than the tallest of trees. But don’t let it fool you, the inside goes even deeper into the mountain. It could easily host every pack on this continent.”

“The Goddess’s monks had told me that it was the temple’s purpose, long ago,” Namjoon chimed in. “Packs could go there to settle their differences, since it is forbidden to spill blood inside.”

Sanghoon nodded. “There is a whole city under the mountain. It used to be the center of the land for alphas, betas, and omegas alike. Now, it is only a shadow of its former self, barely kept by the monks who pray all day.”

“I made the journey when I presented,” Jungkook said. “It’s extraordinary.” He turned to Jimin and smiled. “I can promise you that whatever you’re imagining, it will be bigger.”

And Jimin’s curiosity grew even more when the clouds parted the day after and they finally saw Her mountain.

They couldn’t possibly be thinking of climbing that.

Even if he was still in his wolf form, he couldn’t help but jump around Jungkook, hitting the other's side with childlike excitement.

Something in him felt absolutely delighted. They were crazy, all of them, to attempt to climb this mountain.

Its peak seemed so far away that Jimin was sure it would have touched the moon if it were night. This was insane, but at the same time, he could feel Her overpowering presence all over the mountain. He knew that She had to be there, waiting for them at the top of it.

Jungkook looked at him with fondness and bit his ear.

The whole pack seemed to gain a boost of energy as well, starting to run a little faster, as if they couldn’t wait to arrive.

During the day, they managed to almost reach the base, and Jimin was disappointed when Seokjin and Namjoon halted, especially now that they were in its shadow.

While the others prepared the fires for the night, he sat on the ground, not able to avert his eyes from the glorious sight.

“I can’t believe we’re attempting to climb that,” he said to Jungkook, who was sitting behind him. “We’re fools.”

“You say that with the biggest smile on your face,” Jungkook laughed, holding him around the waist. “Are you happy to be a fool yourself?”

Jimin let his head fall on Jungkook's shoulder with a happy sigh.

“Absolutely. Now that I see it, I’m convinced that She’s there. I can feel it. But I do understand the other packs now; it almost feels blasphemous to try and enter Her kingdom.”

“You’re lucky you found the biggest pack of fools then,” Jungkook said, lightly scenting him.

Jimin looked at the mountain in silence, letting himself enjoy the scent of his alpha.

“You know,” he said after a while, “I take back what I’ve said; we aren’t fools.” He heard Jungkook’s questioning sound and continued. “We are all here, safe and fed. She’s protecting us. She’ll be there.”

Jungkook left a kiss on his cheek and Jimin smiled at the soft gesture.

“I trust your judgment,” Jungkook replied. “If anything, I believe that the Moon Goddess favors you .”

That rendered Jimin silent. He wanted to believe it, especially now that he was so close to Her, but these words, more than what they were about to do, truly felt blasphemous.

“I’m not special,” he muttered, hiding his face in the crook of Jungkook’s neck and seeking the reassuring scent.

“I beg to differ,” Jungkook laughed, hugging him tightly.

That night, around the campfires, everyone was talking loudly and excitedly. The sun took a long time to set and the energy was still high deep into the night. The rogues were feeling closer to their goal than ever before.

Soon, they would start climbing the mountain.

“I cannot believe the sea is behind all of… this.”

Taehyung was walking in front of Jimin, holding Minjun close against his chest. They were now in the mountains, walking on a path that would have been too small for their wolves. Namjoon had told them that it meant they were close to the temple.

“It feels like there can be nothing after this mountain,” Taehyung went on, “just…the end of the world.”

“Have you ever seen the sea?” Jimin asked him. He was carrying Taehyung’s bag on his shoulder, so the other could focus on holding his son.

“Nope, but my omega mom used to say that it couldn’t be much different than a big pond. That always made my alpha mom laugh.”

The hours passed and the path became narrower. The cliff on the other side wasn’t too deep – they were still pretty much at the bottom of the mountain - but it looked dangerous enough that they walked at a slower pace.

Jimin was looking at his feet, careful not to slip, when he heard cries up ahead. The first ones on the line had taken a sharp turn and they were now gasping excitedly, which made Jimin walk faster.

He turned at the corner of the mountain and his eyes widened.

A long and narrow stone bridge crossed the gap that separated them from the other side of the mountain and on the other end of it, stood the most incredible building Jimin had ever seen.

It was made entirely out of stone and Jimin was sure it was at least ten times the height of his old wooden cabin. It was covering the entire length of the mountain, probably bigger than the Park’s village. The tallest waterfall he had ever seen was falling from the right part of the temple.

He knew that the temple of the Moon Goddess had to be big, the others had warned him, but to see it was something else entirely and Jimin felt something in his chest soar.

“It’s so beautiful,” he gasped.

“Imagine how it must have looked hundreds of years ago,” Taehyung said.

Jimin could see how old the structure was. A few walls had caved and the stones were covered in moss in some places. To Jimin, it only made the temple look even more part of the mountain. You couldn’t see where one began and the other ended.

They crossed the bridge to the temple, which had no railings but was still larger than the path they had previously been on. Everyone was now walking faster, even the alphas who had been here before.

They arrived at the bottom of a flight of stairs that cut the temple in half. The stairs themselves were so large that their whole pack could probably climb them all side by side.

Now that they had more space, Jimin went up to Jungkook and grabbed his arm excitedly.

“This is not a temple, this is a whole city! You didn’t warn me about how beautiful it is!”

Jungkook smiled. “Words wouldn’t have made it justice.”

“Shouldn’t the monks be there, waiting for us?” Jimin asked, looking around.

“They should,” Namjoon replied next to them. He was frowning, and after a moment of silence, started climbing the stairs. “Usually, we can’t enter without a monk, but since there is no one...”

Jimin looked at Jungkook worriedly and the alpha kissed the frown on his forehead, “Don’t worry, it’s just out of politeness, we’re not doing anything bad.”

Jimin still held his hand while they started the long climb. He was in awe of what he was seeing.

On both sides of the stairs, each level held something new. On the lower levels, gardens were full of vegetables, even though it seemed that they hadn’t been cared for in a while. Some levels had fruit trees, with abandoned baskets on the ground, probably for gathering.

“There used to be goats here,” Jungkook told him when they passed fences with nothing behind them. “We would go here each morning to get milk and we could see the monks laughing at our clumsiness. Some alphas didn’t like being mocked, but monks are untouchable.”

He went on to tell him about everything that he knew, from the gardens that were used to teaching lessons to the stone pools where they could wash their clothes.

Jimin couldn’t help but grow annoyed.

“I always knew that alphas got to live richer lives than betas and omegas, but this…I could have spent my whole life not seeing all of this.”

Jungkook didn’t respond, biting his lips.

“I’m not mad at you,” Jimin told him. “It’s just that once again, I’m reminded of how miserable I was before. And even if I’m happy now, I know many won’t be as lucky as me.”

Jungkook let out a comforting scent and tightened the grip on his hand. “I know you’re not mad at me. I’m thinking that there’s something inside the temple I need to show you.”

They were almost out of breath when they came to a halt at the top of the stairs. Everyone was panting from the climb, but now that they were at the top, they had to face reality.

The monks were gone.

“And where are the newly-presented alphas?” Seokjin asked, frustrated.

“Remember the ones that attacked Jungkook?” Yoongi reminded, making Jimin tense, “They were new alphas, but they were already used as hunters by their packs.”

“You think that packs aren’t sending their alphas anymore?” Namjoon asked, pondering on it. “You could be onto something. In our pack, we’re so far from the mountain that young alphas can ask to not go.” 

“Maybe alphas aren’t coming anymore, but the monks should be here at least,” Seokjin insisted.

The open room at the top of the stairs was even more impressive. Bigger than any Hall, there were giant columns on each side to hold the stone roof. From the looks of it, everything had been carved out from the mountain itself.

There were torches on the columns, but none were lit. Thankfully, the sunlight still came up till the end of the room and lit their way up to the back wall.

There, two huge blocks of black granite stood. The drawing of a full moon was carved on top of it and underneath, lines and lines of silver writing.

The alphas, who knew the place, started looking around for the monks but Jimin and many others felt drawn to the stones.

“Do you want me to read it for you?” Jungkook whispered next to him.

Jimin shook his head. “My father taught me when I was young. I’m not a fast reader but I want to try.”

He got closer and Jungkook followed him, but the black slabs of stone were much taller than both of them.

“Wolves… shouldn’t kill… wolves,” he read, before turning to Jungkook. “Are these the Goddess’ rules?”

The alpha nodded. “The monks told us that when the first wolves arrived on this continent, through the sea, the Moon Goddess showed them this place and the rules they had to follow. They swore to uphold them and scattered to form their own pack, each following Her rules.

“No way…,” Jimin gasped in wonder, “this is amazing.”

Suddenly, he wanted to know them all . What had the Moon Goddess wanted for them?

“Please, read it to me,” he asked Jungkook. “I’m not fast enough.”

Jungkook nodded. “ This temple will be a place of haven. Wolves will be educated here and will pass on their knowledge to their children. Wait, Jimin, I need to skip some…”

“I want to know everything,” Jimin protested.

“Trust me, I just need to find one first – ah! There it is: Every alpha, beta, and omega will be treated equally. Every pack should have a Head Alpha, Head Beta, and Head Omega to ensure that everyone’s interests are taken care of .”

Jimin turned to him with a gasp. “No way! That can’t be written.”

Taehyung, who had been listening, said, “Head Omega? These words are marked on the stones? Are you sure?”

Jungkook had a sad smile. “Yeah, I was shocked as well when I saw the rules, but it’s all written here: Every pup will learn how to read and count, wolves will take care of their young and eldest, they will respect the forest and hunt wisely …”

Jimin realized now that every wolf that hadn’t gone to find the monks were hanging unto Jungkook’s words.

“Nowadays, a lot of alphas don’t know how to read, so when we first arrive, the monks would gather us and read the rules, but no one cared, they were meeting each other for the first time and were all trying to posture in front of everyone else,” Jungkook explained. “I do remember a few laughs when the Head Omega and Head Beta rule came up, but no more than that.”

Taehyung scoffed and Jimin could feel the same anger inside him.

“You know,” Seokjin said and everyone turned to him. “Namjoon told me about this a long time ago, when he came back from the temple. I didn’t believe him at first but when we searched in his father’s cabin, we found papers, from generations before, who talked about the mating of the Head Omega to a beta from another pack. It did exist, up to a point.”

At this moment, Namjoon came back to them from a corridor on their left.

The alpha immediately understood their stern faces when he saw them in front of the stone slabs. For once, Jimin saw him embarrassed and at a loss for words.

What was there to say in a moment like this?

It was Seokjin that raised his voice, “They’re all gone, right?”

Namjoon nodded. “They took their belongings and left. Heejin found the door leading to the top of the mountain open. We think that they must have made the climb themselves.”

There was a moment of silence, before Seokjin let out, “Huh…well, at least we were right. Things are definitely wrong with the Goddess.”

Of course, they had all been thinking that from the beginning. It was the whole point of their journey. But to know that the monks that had lived here for generations were gone was irrefutable proof. Every pack had dismissed their worries, but there was something wrong.

Jimin suddenly felt exhausted. Finding the temple, which Jimin still couldn’t believe the size and beauty, had made him go through so many emotions. Climbing the stairs had been difficult, but with their newfound knowledge of the Goddess’ rules, plus the fact that everyone had left…he just wanted to rest for a while.

Jungkook must have sensed it from his scent because he put a hand on his lower back and said, “The monks probably left some time ago, we’re not in a hurry to chase after them. Let’s settle here for the night at least and continue tomorrow.”

Everyone seemed to agree with the sentiment. It was too much for one day.

“Alright, let’s do that. The closest chambers are a few corridors down this path,” Namjoon said, motioning towards a door on the left wall of the room. “I’m sure some of you will want to explore, but try to stay with someone who knows the place already, you could easily get lost.”

But as the others started following Namjoon, Jungkook pulled Jimin by the hand.

“Come with me,” he whispered, and Jimin went after him, feeling curious once again.

Jungkook led them through the opposite door. Jimin had thought that they would be in the dark but the sunlight still came in through small openings on the ceiling.

“Aren’t we under the mountain?” he asked, as they were descending a flight of stairs.

“We are. But there are mirrors at the surface that have been placed to bring the sunlight to even the lowest parts of the temple.”

Jimin couldn’t believe the ingenuity of it and looked all around, full of awe. They walked quite far away from the main Hall, crossing many empty corridors, but Jimin trusted Jungkook to know his way.

Jungkook made them stop in front of a door that looked completely normal.

“This was my room when I first came here,” the alpha smiled, opening the door. “This side of the temple has a serious advantage.”

At first, the room looked normal to Jimin. Even though it was entirely made out of stone, it felt comfortable with a table in a corner and a wide bed in the middle. But then, he turned his head and yelled, “No way! This place cannot be real.”

From a hole in the wall, a steaming stream of water was falling inside a stone bath.

“How is this possible?!” Jimin asked, taking a few steps forwards and putting his hand inside. It was hot, but not scalding. “Is every room like this? I feel like only a Head Alpha could have access to such luxury!”

Jungkook laughed, putting his hand inside the water as well. “The water comes directly from the mountain. Every room in this aisle has it. I think the monks put me there because I listened well and obeyed them.”

Jimin laughed. “Of course you did, I always say you’re a good alpha.” He removed his bag from his shoulders and put it on the ground. His smile widened when he saw Jungkook’s red face. “How do you feel about a bath, right now?”

Jungkook took his shirt off.

“I say the last one in the bath has to rub the other’s back!”

Jimin’s laugh slowed him down and by the time he had removed his clothes, Jungkook was already inside.

Even though the water only came up to their waist, Jimin hissed, the temperature almost too hot. 

He sat down between Jungkook’s legs, his back against the alpha’s chest.

“I won,” the other pouted. “You’re supposed to rub my back.”

Jimin smiled and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back on Jungkook’s shoulders.

“I’ll do it later. I’m so tired right now.”

Immediately, Jungkook wrapped his arms around him and put his nose against Jimin’s scent gland.

“I know, today has been a lot.”

The heat surrounding them, combined with the amazing smell of his soulmate, made Jimin sigh in pleasure.

“It has, even if it’s barely midday. This place…it’s extraordinary. I cannot believe people built this.”

Jungkook kissed the side of his jaw. “I wish we had more time here,” he said. “I want to show you the low gardens. I’m sure you could recognize every plant in there. The monks used it for their medicinal herbs, you would love it. Or the library, it has so many books, I remember spending hours there.”

Jimin closed his eyes with a smile.

“I really want to see the gardens. I could teach you how to make healing balms.”

He said it in a low voice, starting to feel heavy. His whole body felt so tired and now that he was safe and scented, he could finally let go.

“Are you going to fall asleep here?” Jungkook smiled against his temple.

Jimin barely nodded.

“Then I’ll carry you to bed. I’ll try to take you to my favorite spots after we’ve slept.”

Jimin didn’t even hear the last part of the sentence, already asleep.

Jungkook woke him up a few hours later and, true to his promise, brought him to the places he remembered.

They first stopped to tell the rest of the pack where they were. They told them about the baths and got something to eat before heading down into the mountain.

Then, Jungkook took him to the gardens. Since the monks were gone, Jimin had expected dried plants and flowers but instead, the most intricate watering system had kept them all alive. He even found a bag especially made for carrying and organizing herbs, which made him almost squeal in happiness.  

“If they left without it, they didn’t need it. I do,” he said with a fierce expression, taking it with him, as well as a book about medicinal balms.

Jungkook watched him fondly.

“All of this treasure,” Jimin mourned as they left the place, “lost under the mountain.”

After that, they entered the library, which had clearly been Jungkook’s favorite place.

Excitedly, the alpha showed him what his favorite books had been and Jimin listened with a smile, amazed to discover his soulmate’s fascination with made up stories.

“There are stories about everything,” Jungkook explained, “romance about soulmates, tragedies about lost pups and so many stories about battles. I love them the most, but I also love the soulmate stuff. My wolf must have known that I had one waiting for me,” he added with a wink.

Amused, Jimin told him to take his favorite books with him. No one would find them again, not among these seemingly infinite rows of books. It took Jungkook quite some time to find the ones he wanted to take and Jimin took the time to organize his new collections of herbs.

The light was starting to dim when Jungkook came back to where he was seated.

“Usually, the monks would start lighting the torches, but since we only have the sunlight, it’ll be dark soon. Come, I wanted to show you one last place.”

They had their arms full when they exited the library. Jungkook took them back near their room but went just a bit farther.

There, standing in an alcove, was the statue of a woman.

Jimin immediately knew who this was supposed to represent.

“That’s Her, right?” he breathed out, mouth opened.

Jungkook hummed. “There are a few of these statues all over the temple. They’re all like this, our size and made out of grey stone.”

Jimin observed the statue in silence. The woman had her hair running down over her shoulders and she was wearing a flowing gown. She had a silver band around her head and a serene smile.

“I…” Jimin tilted his head and tsked. “This is not what I was imagining.”

Jungkook seemed amused by his response.

“What were you imagining?”

“Well… I don’t know, I’ve never tried to picture Her face, really, but I’d imagine a Goddess to be prettier than that.”

That made Jungkook laugh out loud.

“Oh, don’t pout,” the alpha said. “The monks told me that these statues could never begin to capture Her actual beauty, so you don’t need to look so disappointed.”

Jimin had to admit that he was, and he gladly followed Jungkook back to their room.

The sun had almost set, which was throwing him off since they were under a mountain, and Jungkook used the wood near the fireplace to light a fire. The warm glow instantly made the room even more comfortable and Jimin placed his new belongings on the table.

Jungkook did the same, trying to fit all of his new books in his bag. Jimin could hear him mutter under his breath and smiled.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and when he opened it, Hoseok was there as a wolf, holding a basket in his mouth. It looked like it was filled with different types of food that Jimin had never seen before.

“Oh, I should have thought of going to the pantries,” Jungkook said from behind. “Thank you for bringing us some.”

Hoseok nudged Jimin’s belly and the omega rubbed his ears before he returned to the dark hallways.

“I’m telling you, you’ve never had cheese like that,” Jungkook said animatedly.

They ate around the table and Jungkook watched with excitement as Jimin tasted the food.

Jimin laughed, “Come on, I can’t eat with you watching me this way!”

There were a few dried meats, like beef, which Jimin had never tasted before and very much liked. He had only tasted cheese once in his life and he hummed in pleasure when Jungkook fed him some.

“This day keeps getting better,” he smiled, taking a bite for himself before feeding some to Jungkook.

They finished eating but still kept some leftovers for the morning. As Jimin was putting more wood in the fire, Jungkook asked, “Do you want to take another bath?”

“Not really. I wanted to look a bit more at my recipe book.”

He prepared the bed, which was a straw mattress covered in a soft cloth, by putting all of their furs on it. When he lied down on it, he let out a sigh of content. For a moment, he wished they could just stay there a bit longer. He definitely could see himself getting used to the beauty and luxury of this place.

He realized that he had forgotten his book and was about to go get it when he glanced at the pool.

Jungkook was turning his back to him but the view was still… something.

Jimin knew his alpha’s body well now. Jungkook’s hair had gotten longer and although it was usually tied, they were now almost touching his broad shoulders.

The muscles of his back were well-defined and in comparison, his waist was pretty narrow. Jimin had joked once that it was just so he could hug him.

His legs were strong and Jimin bit his lips at the sight of his sculpted cheeks.

He was just so beautiful.

Of course, because he could detect the smallest change in his scent, Jungkook turned his head to look at him.

Jimin froze and waited.

Finally, the alpha gave him a smug smile and raised an eyebrow.

“Did you just realize that you still owed me a back rub?”

Jimin felt the heat burn his cheeks. With a burst of courage, he got out of bed and walked towards the pool.

He took the washcloth that had been left on the edge of the basin and smelled the shift in Jungkook’s scent when he applied it to his back.

Jimin realized that the pool’s floor was slightly lower than the room and for the first time, he was just as tall as the other. But Jungkook still had his back turned to him, unnaturally standing still, while Jimin rubbed the cloth over his skin.

“You can relax, you know,” Jimin said, trying to hide his laughter. “That was the point of asking for a back rub, right?”

Jungkook mumbled something and Jimin bit his lips. “What did you say?”

“How am I supposed to relax with you smelling like that?” Jungkook huffed.

Jimin smiled, washing the other’s shoulders with care. He was making no effort to hide the arousal in his scent, but he was now comfortable enough with Jungkook that it didn’t make him feel embarrassed.

“Shouldn’t you be used to my scent, by now?” he teased, rubbing the nape of the alpha’s neck.

Jungkook jumped when the cloth rubbed over his scent gland.

“Oops,” Jimin chuckled.

Jungkook tried to turn around but Jimin gripped his shoulders and forced him to stay still. “I still have to wash your back,” he said, lowering his hands.

Under his palms, he could feel the growl building in Jungkook’s chest.

“I can smell how pleased with yourself you are right now,” the alpha grumbled. “Do you enjoy making me suffer?”

This time, Jimin couldn’t contain his laughter and he let his head fall on Jungkook’s shoulder, putting his arm around the small waist to hold himself.

“Oh, my poor alpha,” he grinned, kissing the wet skin of his neck. “I wouldn’t say that you’re suffering.”

Jungkook’s scent was intoxicating and he kissed his neck again, letting his lips rub against the scent gland.

The alpha hissed and Jimin took a step forward, flushing his front to the other’s naked back. The cloth fell inside the pool, forgotten.

“Remove your clothes,” Jungkook requested with a groan.

Jimin didn’t remove his face from the alpha’s neck, simply leaving enough space to take off his clothing. When he flushed his body against Jungkook again, both of them let out a sigh of pleasure.

Jimin wrapped both of his arms around Jungkook’s waist and immediately felt the hardening erection. He took it in his hands, kissing the alpha’s neck.

“Jimin…,” Jungkook sighed, letting some of his weight rest against the omega’s chest.

This felt different from what they had done before. Jungkook was pliant under his touch and when he raised his head, Jimin liked that he could see the pleasure he was causing on Jungkook’s face.

He focused on stroking his cock, looking at the way his alpha closed his eyes and let out a whine.

“Do you like it?” Jimin whispered against his ear.

Jungkook nodded, barring his neck even more, “Feels good…”

Jimin felt a rush of exhilaration and his hand quickened its pace. He had so much power over Jungkook right now and the trust he could read on his mate’s face made him feel heady.

He could feel slick starting to trickle down his thighs and moaned when his own erection rubbed against Jungkook’s lower back.

Jungkook’s hips were starting to stutter, humping his hands faster.

But Jimin didn’t want it to stop there.

“I want you inside me,” he admitted with a whisper.

Jungkook stopped moving entirely and his scent became so strong that it was like a punch to the gut. It felt raw and so powerful that another gush of slick escaped him.

The alpha turned in his arms. His face was flushed but his eyes were so fierce that Jimin wanted to hide in his neck.

But Jungkook held him by the chin, forcing their eyes to lock.

“Say that again,” he demanded, a growl in his voice.

At first, Jimin shook his head, refusing to answer. They had always stopped before, Jimin never wanting to go all the way.

But tonight, they were alone, in a safe place and Jimin knew from the bottom of his heart that he could trust his mate. He had never felt pressured, Jungkook had always been patient with him.

He knew that tonight would be filled with nothing but pleasure.

“I want you inside me,” he repeated, feeling naked in in more ways than one, as he looked at his soulmate. “I love you and I want to feel you.”

Jungkook kissed him with such passion that his heart threatened to come out of his chest. The alpha was caressing his sides and their erections were now rubbing against each other.

“I love you so much,” Jungkook moaned in his mouth, before sucking Jimin’s tongue. "Can't believe I get to have you." Their bodies were burning hot against each other and Jimin felt like he was being devoured.

The alpha stepped out of the pool and made them walk backwards until they reached the bed. He placed kisses all over Jimin’s neck which made him extremely needy. He wanted Jungkook’s weight on him, wanted to be opened by the alpha’s fingers.

They climbed on the bed, which proved to be difficult with Jimin refusing to let go, and finally laid down on their furs. He let out a whine of embarrassment when he felt his slick run down on them.

“Shhh,” Jungkook reassured him between kisses, “We can wash them in the bath after. You can let go.”

He put a hand on the inside of Jimin’s thigh and the omega opened his legs, letting the alpha lower himself in between them.

Perhaps he could smell it in his scent, but Jungkook knew that Jimin didn’t want to be teased tonight. Jimin cried out when the alpha took his cock in his mouth, his other hand going towards his hole.

“Jungkook, ah!” he tangled his fingers in the alpha’s hair when he felt an intrusion in his body. They had done this a few times now and Jimin loved it, especially with Jungkook sucking the tip of his cock.

“Does it feel good, love?” the alpha asked, carefully watching him.

“Yes! Yes, please continue!”

He got lost in the pleasure and Jungkook soon had to stop sucking him because it just felt too much. “I want you inside,” Jimin begged, feeling sweat run down his forehead. The room was already hot thanks to the fire, but Jungkook’s fingers opening him up made him burn.

Jungkook raised himself on his knees and put a hand on Jimin’s stomach, pushing down as he fingered him harder. Jimin felt a tear run out the corner of his eyes, “Ah, Jungkook, do it, do it, please!”

The growl that ripped out Jungkook’s chest made his omega sing. Jungkook removed his fingers and bowed down enough to devour Jimin’s mouth.

“Say it again,” he groaned with urgency. “Tell me what you want.”

“Inside,” Jimin sobbed, feeling empty, “Jungkook don’t make me wait.”

The moment his cock breached his rim, they both cried out in pleasure. Jimin felt delirious. He had wanted to feel this for so long; the connection between them was now tangible.

Jungkook's arms came up around him and held him tight as he started thrusting. Jimin felt powerless, completely overcome by the pleasure. Every time Jungkook would bottom out he gasped, mouth wide open. Jungkook saw it and pushed his tongue inside, mimicking what he was doing with his cock.

Jimin was not going to be able to hold on.

He curled his toes, feeling his body start to shake uncontrollably. He couldn’t even call Jungkook’s name anymore, his mind too muddled by the pleasure. But once again, Jungkook was so attuned to him that he started slamming into him even faster. He left Jimin’s mouth and turned towards his neck, finding his scent gland and biting it. Hard.

Jimin’s whole body tensed and he screamed as his orgasm ripped through his body. His hole clamped around Jungkook’s cock, who growled so loud around his bite that Jimin whimpered, eyes closed.

He felt the moment Jungkook came, his cock pulsing, and his scent heightened to a point he knew this room would smell like them forever. The fact that the alpha was releasing waves of cum inside him made him smile lazily. “This feels so good,” he breathed out, holding Jungkook’s body close.

The alpha let go of his neck but immediately started to scent him even more.

“Yeah? You liked it?”

Jimin happily sighed, feeling his heartbeat starting to slow down. “Yes, thank you.”

Jungkook let out a tired laugh and finally removed himself from his neck to kiss him softly, “You’re very much welcome, I’ll gladly do it again.”

Jimin couldn’t stop his eyes from roaming over the beautifully exhausted face of his soulmate. His hair was still wet from his bath and from the exertion, and his smile was radiant.

“I love you,” Jimin smiled, feeling the overwhelming happiness inside him.

Jungkook leaned down to press a kiss on his cheek and whispered, “And I love you.”

Carefully, he removed his cock and Jimin winced.

“You want me to carry you to the pool?” Jungkook asked with a sheepish smile.

Jimin nodded and threw his arms around the alpha’s neck, using the closeness to scent him to his heart’s content.

“I can’t wait to mate you,” he sighed, when the only thing he could smell was Jungkook.

The alpha lowered them in the warm water, keeping him wrapped in his arms.

“Me too, love. Me too.”

Jimin was the last one in line.

The other wolves had all started climbing the mountain, exiting through the tall double doors at the top of the temple, but Jimin kept looking behind him.

He sighed. He had loved this place, not only for its beauty and the safety it had provided, but also for the memories he had made there.

Most of all, he knew they were leaving behind so much of their History.

Something in him knew that he would never come back, and that alphas wouldn’t be coming here anymore either. In the morning, he and Jungkook had gone back to the library and Jimin had taken one last book, one written by a monk about the History of the continent.

But leaving the place had been harder than Jimin had thought. He couldn’t believe that this treasure would stay buried, forgotten.

He turned his head when he heard a wolf bark. Taehyung was looking at him expectantly, holding Minjun by the fur of his neck.

Jimin turned his back to the temple. They had a goal. 

He came up to his friend, nosed a little at the wriggling pup and together, they followed the rest of the rogue pack.

For the first few hours, the climb was fairly easy. The road was steep but it was large and comfortable to walk on.

But as the day progressed, the path got less defined and they ended up having to walk on sharp rocks. It wasn’t always safe: the stones would roll under their paws, tumbling down the side of the mountain. The height also wasn’t reassuring, especially for wolves who were used to the forests.

Jungkook had chosen to walk behind him and Jimin could smell the anxiety in his scent. In front of them, Namjoon and Seokjin were also making sure that Taehyung and Minjun were fine.

One thing that made the wolves even more nervous were the tears on the ground. More and more often, there would be cracks in the mountain. Jimin tried to remind himself that they were a natural occurrence, Sanghoon had told them so, but it still reminded him of the earthquake that had shaken them a few weeks ago.

Finally, they found a small cave on the side of the mountain, just as the sun was starting to set on the horizon.

It was barely big enough for them, but they were glad to rest after such a difficult day of walking. They shifted to eat but there weren’t many discussions, everyone was too tired. Most of them chose to sleep as wolves since the weather was becoming colder.

That night, Jungkook practically slept on top of Jimin, as if to stop him from falling down the mountain.

It took some time for Jimin to fall asleep.

From the opening of the cave, he could see the crescent moon and it felt like it was shining brighter than usual. Maybe it was because they were getting closer but Jimin wanted to believe that She was waiting for them.

He sent Her a prayer, asking that they could climb to the top without any injury.

After that, he closed his eyes and let the reassuring weight of Jungkook lull him to sleep.

The day after felt like a repeat of the first, except the slope was becoming even steeper, making them walk at a slower pace. The cold was now seeping into their furs, especially with the clouds hiding the sun.

Soon, the real problem became the snow. It was unpleasant for them, but it also hid the holes in the ground, slowing them down even more.

They would never have been able to climb the mountain as humans. Their endurance and strength as wolves were the only thing that made it possible for them to go forward.

The wolves were walking in a tight line, almost always touching each other in case one of them slipped and had to be held back. They also took turns carrying Minjun so that Taehyung could rest.

At some point, they passed in front of another cave, where the residual smells indicated that the monks had slept there, probably a few weeks ago.

They were on the right track.

Jimin was almost glad that the clouds hid the sides of the mountain; he couldn’t see how far up they were and if he had to be honest, he hated it.

And then, without a warning and after going around yet another boulder, they arrived at the top.

It didn’t feel real.

The clouds were hiding the edges so the only indication that they were finally at the top was that there was nowhere else to go.

That and the small huts.

They were still standing but were covered in snow, which was a clear sign that the monks had slept there for some time.

All the rogues were now standing, ears perked on their heads. 

Expecting.

Jungkook came up to stand next to him and Jimin burrowed his muzzle in the alpha’s neck.

Where was She?

Everyone knew the stories. The Moon Goddess lived at the top of Her mountain and from there, She could see every wolf and give them Her love and protection.

But no one was there.

The place was grey, empty and desolate, with its abandoned huts already starting to disappear under the snow.

They waited for what felt like hours, some of them getting impatient and nosing inside the tents.

But there was no one.

No, Jimin thought, She had to be there.

He pulled his head back and howled.

They couldn’t be alone, She had guided them all the way up here. They couldn’t go back without seeing Her.

The wolves joined his cries, howling at the sky.

Jimin could hear the concern and the despair in the howls, but also the anger.

Why wasn’t She responding?!

Until it all died down.

The deafening silence was unbearable.

What now?

Namjoon put himself in front of them. He couldn’t shift back, not now in the middle of the wind and snow but he barked at them, showing with his head the small huts.

Let’s rest. We need some time to think.

They clearly didn’t want to move, but little by little, they started to separate to go inside the huts.

Jungkook had to nibble at Jimin’s neck to get him to move, leading them to one of the shelters. They were made out of branches and leather but they had to change back to to be able to enter.

The cold made Jimin gasp when he shifted and he quickly entered the small space, glad to see that the furs also protected the ground from the snow. It was still very cold and he and Jungkook immediately got their clothes and furs from the bags.

They couldn’t make any fire, not with the wooden wall so close to them, so Jungkook opened his furs and called Jimin.

“Come here, love.”

Jimin sat down against his chest and Jungkook closed the furs around them. The heat made his body melt but he was far from alright.

“Jungkook, where is She?” he whispered, hiding his face inside the alpha’s neck and scenting him.

“I don’t know…,” Jungkook admitted, hugging him close.

“She was supposed to be here! There’s nowhere else to go,” he continued. “What do we do?”

He was feeling desperate but the tightness in his chest started to ease when Jungkook returned his scenting, rubbing his nose against his scent gland.

“For the moment, we wait,” Jungkook said against his neck. “We need to eat and sleep, the climb has worn us out.”

Jimin nodded, choosing to let go and trust Jungkook. He was so tired and he knew that if he didn’t focus on something else, he would start to panic.

They took some food from the temple in their bags and slowly fed each other. The water from their flask had frozen and they kept it in between them until it was melted enough that they could drink it.

There was no real light to guide them, the leathered walls blocking the already dim light from outside, and they could only rely on their sense of smell.

They stayed in each other’s embrace for a long time, barely speaking. They immediately felt a wave of cold air when Namjoon entered their hut. The alpha closed the entrance as quickly as possible, pulling his own fur around him.

“Hey, Seokjin and I are coming up to see everyone,” he said, looking at them fondly. “How are you two holding up?”

“Not very well,” Jimin replied truthfully.

“How is everyone else?” Jungkook asked.

Namjoon let out a sad smile. “Everyone is… worried, but at least we’re all protected from the cold. I guess we were all expecting something else. And the clouds aren’t helping. I think we need to stay here until the view gets clearer.”

“You think it’ll clear our minds as well?” Jimin asked with a sad smile.

“Something like that,” Namjoon huffed. “I don’t… I can’t imagine going back without actually seeing what this place looks like.”

“Me neither,” Jimin nodded. “I don’t want to go back. Not yet.”

Jimin felt Jungkook’s nod.

“Our journey doesn’t end here, I can feel it,” Namjoon confirmed. “Well, I’ll go back now. Night is falling and you were the last ones I needed to see. I trust you two take care of each other,” he added affectionately before pulling off his cloak and disappearing outside.

Jimin closed the tent behind him, realizing that the sky was indeed getting darker.

After that, he and Jungkook took some time arranging their furs, until they had a bed that felt warm and comfortable. They laid inside it, face to face.

“What do you think we should do, if the sky clears out and She’s still not there?” Jimin asked, his fingers gently combing through Jungkook’s hair.

“I don’t know… Maybe we missed something back at the temple. That would be the most obvious place to go back to.”

Jimin frowned. “That’s the thing, I don’t want to ‘go back’ anywhere. We’ve traveled so far… I can’t imagine going back.”

“Well, we can’t really go up anymore,” Jungkook smiled, putting a kiss on his nose. “Unless the Goddess gives us a magical ladder that will make us go to the Moon itself.”

Jimin let out a genuine laugh and kissed him.

“Why don’t you seem angry?” he asked, curious. “Or even sad? You don’t look too troubled by the fact that She’s not here.”

Jungkook caressed his cheek.

“I told you before, I wasn’t sure that the Moon Goddess would respond to us,” he said, “And…I do not fear the future. Even if we have to go back, you’ll be by my side. Maybe the Goddess will never respond to us and it will bother me because I know how much you love Her, but to be honest…you’re the only thing that matters to me. You and the pack. As long as we stay together, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Jimin listened to him, mesmerized.

“But what if we’re stuck here? What if we have to settle in this place, where the food is getting scarce?”

“I’m not saying it’ll be easy,” Jungkook countered, “but I know that I will fight to make our lives better, no matter where it is.”

Jimin could feel that Jungkook wanted to say something else but the alpha stayed quiet.

He pondered over the words in silence for a moment.

“You know,” the omega finally sighed. “I guess you’re right. I still believe in Her, but in the end, you and this pack are all I need. You’ve helped me grow and change so much.”

“You did that yourself,” Jungkook smiled. “We were just here to witness it and give you support. You should see yourself, love, you look so happy now.”

Jimin couldn’t help a tear of joy from running down his cheek. He laughed, “How could I not be happy, when I love you so much?”

Jungkook brought him against his chest and they kissed with fervor, trying to get as close as possible to each other.

Jimin felt so warm and loved, each kiss making him heady and crave for more. Jungkook was right, they were the only things that mattered. The darkest night couldn’t stop him from feeling happy, not when he had Jungkook to hold him like he was the most precious thing in the world.

He could feel that the alpha had something else to tell him. He knew it from the intakes of breath in between their kisses and from the way his smell grew more and more intense.

“Say it,” he whispered, before gently biting at Jungkook’s lower lip. “Tell me.”

Jungkook whimpered, maybe from the bite or from nerves, and Jimin licked his lips one last time before moving back.

His eyes were used to the dark now and he could see the stars in Jungkook’s eyes.

“Let’s mate,” the alpha whispered.

Jimin smiled.

“Here and now,” Jungkook continued. “Maybe this is crazy, but I want us to mate.”

The joy in Jimin’s chest felt immeasurable.

“It’s not crazy,” he replied with the biggest smile. “And I want us to mate as well. On the contrary, I believe that this is the perfect place.”

“You do?” Jungkook asked, surprised. “Mating at the temple would have been the wisest choice.”

Jimin laughed. “And the warmest, no doubt! But no… We’re at the end of the world and I know that we’re about to start the next part of our lives. I want us to be mated for this. I’m yours, Jungkook.”

The alpha’s breath seemed to be caught up in his throat.

“I’m yours as well.”

Jimin leaned until his lips were grazing Jungkook’s.

“Then what are we waiting for?”

Both of their scents were thickening already, combining and making the tent smell incredible.

Jungkook did not take his mouth at first. Instead, he held Jimin’s face with a hand and left a loving kiss on his cheek.

“I love you,” the alpha whispered, before kissing his temple, “and I’ve never been more sure of anything,” another kiss on his forehead, “Let’s go through life together.”

Jimin closed his eyes in bliss. Between their scents, the soft kisses, and Jungkook’s words, his heart was filled with love.

He put an arm around Jungkook’s neck, the other around his waist and brought them closer together, mouths melting into each other.

Outside, the wind was blowing more and more, howling and making the walls of their cabins shake.

But they didn’t care anymore. Jungkook was sucking on his tongue, making him sigh in pleasure, and Jimin threw his leg over Jungkook’s waist.

The alpha stopped their kiss. “Let’s remove our clothes, I want to feel you.”

Careful of not messing up their bed, they slowly removed their furs and placed them against the walls, trying to stop the cold and wind from seeping inside.

When they laid down again, their naked bodies against each other, they sighed. It felt perfect.

Jimin’s soft hands caressed the hard muscles of Jungkook’s back, his legs around the tiny waist. The alpha was holding his weight on his forearm, next to Jimin’s head, and continued to ravage his mouth, a hand holding his jaw.

Jungkook left his mouth and tilted his head up to reveal his neck. He gently brought his nose against the scent gland, scenting him and making him sigh. When he started to use his mouth and licked it, the omega’s hips stuttered, rubbing their now hard cocks together. 

Jungkook sucked on his neck harder, his hips slowly starting to roll down. Jimin whimpered and mirrored him, licking the alpha’s scent gland and moving his hips to the slow rhythm. The rubbing of their cocks was a delicious torture and it was making his skin burn hot.

Slick started trickling down his thighs and he felt the moment Jungkook smelled it, making him growl and pressed his hips down harder.

“Do you feel good, love?” he groaned, grazing his teeth around where the mating bite would soon be.

“I do,” Jimin breathed out, “I feel so good.”

He couldn’t say it into words but everything felt so incredible. While the elements were raging outside, he was completely engulfed by Jungkook, his alpha – his soulmate – and he loved it all.

From the softness of their naked skin to their scents that were meant to be one and finally, to the pleasure between his legs.

“I want you inside me,” he continued, lowering his hands to rest on Jungkook’s ass. He tried pushing him closer, wanting to show his intentions.

Jungkook’s head came up from his neck and Jimin couldn’t help but admire the vision of his alpha’s blissed out expression.

“You smell so good, I can’t believe it,” Jungkook sighed, coming up to kiss him. “Let me prepare you, I don’t want to hurt you.”

But when he pushed two fingers inside Jimin’s slicked hole without much resistance, Jimin whimpered.

“You won’t hurt me, please do it.”

He was glad that the wind was howling so hard that it covered his moans.

But Jungkook still took a few minutes opening him up more. “I’ll knot you tonight, love,” the alpha groaned against his cheek. “This will be different from last time.”

Jimin didn’t care, the fingers weren’t enough, he wanted his mate inside him.

“Alpha,” he sighed, “you know I can take you.”

He buried his head in Jungkook’s neck when the other growled even louder.

“Please,” he begged, feeling how worked up Jungkook was getting.

Finally, Jungkook’s cock slowly entered him and Jimin let his head fall down, mouth opened.

They both sighed of relief. Without kissing him, the alpha put their lips together. “Tell me how you feel.”

Jimin nodded, eyes closed. “Good… I want more…”

This time, Jungkook licked at his lips, panting. “Goddess, you are beautiful.”

He was still carefully thrusting, leaving soft kisses all over Jimin’s face, peppering his cheeks, temples and forehead.

The omega let out a breathy laugh. “Are you a butterfly, flying all over me?”

Jungkook pushed a bit deeper and made Jimin moan.

“I’ll take care of you the way I want to,” Jungkook smiled, pecking his lips once again.

Jimin responded to his smile and their eyes locked, bodies slowly moving against each other. Jimin felt a stir in his soul. It was difficult to hold the alpha’s intense gaze. He could see the same vulnerability reflected back from Jungkook.

They were about to share their souls. Jimin knew that no one else could take care of his soul as well as Jungkook could. 

Suddenly, the alpha hid his face in Jimin’s neck, not stopping his hips for one second.

“You’re making me soft,” he moaned over Jimin’s scent gland.

“I hope not, I need you to finish so we can bite each other,” Jimin teased him, biting his ear. 

He loved that the build up to their mating felt like them ; full of love, fondness, and gentle teasing.

“My heart! You’re making my heart soft!” Jungkook whined.

He put his arms around Jimin and pulled until they were seated, still buried inside him.

“You don’t feel close enough,” the alpha groaned, taking his time to pull the furs around their shoulders, even if the temperature inside the tent was now warmer.

Jimin loved this new position, facing Jungkook. He put an arm around his shoulder and his other hand over the alpha’s heart. He used his thighs to push himself up and down Jungkook’s cock.

Jungkook had a hand on his lower back and was looking at him as if he had hung the stars in the sky.

Already, Jimin felt his fangs wanting to come out and willed them away. His cock was trapped in between their bodies and was rubbing over the alpha’s hard stomach with each movement.

Jungkook held his waist tighter and moved his hips to meet him halfway, making them both gasp. Jimin took a sharp inhale when the rhythm picked up and Jungkook started hitting a place inside him that made him jolt.

He couldn’t get enough of Jungkook’s moans, loving that the alpha was losing his mind just as much as he was.

Jimin whimpered when he felt the knot at the base of Jungkook’s cock swell. He wanted to have it locked in his body. His thighs were starting to hurt but he pushed forward.

“Do it,” he panted, trying to sink deeper on it.

Jungkook snapped and brought their bodies together, not leaving any space between them, and thrust at a powerful pace. Jimin let himself go lax in his arms, muffling his screams in the alpha’s neck. The knot was catching on his rim, making his breath stop every time.

He couldn’t help himself and bit Jungkook’s shoulder. It wasn’t the mating bite yet, but it made a growl so loud come from the alpha’s chest that Jimin felt the vibrations all over his body.

Jungkook took his hips firmly and thrust harder until finally, he pushed his knot inside.

Jimin’s breath was knocked out of him and his eyes rolled back.

Its size made him feel so full in a way that was overwhelming. This time, he couldn’t stop his fangs from coming out.

“Now, now!” he pleaded, his fingers burrowing inside Jungkook’s shoulders.

The alpha wasn’t faring any better. He was rutting erratically and Jimin felt like they were about to explode.

“Bite me now, please!” he begged once again.

He needed to mark .

When he felt Jungkook’s sharp teeth graze the skin between his neck and shoulder, he did not hesitate. 

He plunged his own fangs in the tender skin.

He blacked out for a second.

From the blood spilling in his mouth, to the sharp pain of Jungkook’s bite, to the bond that was created between them linking their souls together, Jimin came without a thought; his whole body shaking and his mind full of Jungkook .

He could feel Jungkook’s knot holding him in place while the alpha came in long bursts, filling him and making his own orgasm last even longer.

He was trembling all over and the bites were the only thing keeping him sane.

Jungkook’s presence was all-encompassing. He wasn’t just in his body but also in his mind. Jimin could feel him, his alpha in its rawest form. He felt a wave of love and it took him a few seconds to realize that it was coming from Jungkook.

He wanted to laugh and cry.

Was that what Jungkook felt for him? This immense and warm feeling, could it truly all be for Jimin?

He tried doing the same thing, opening up to show Jungkook just how much he loved him, this incredible alpha, strong, selfless and kind. He heard Jungkook whimper in his neck and Jimin smiled.

They stayed locked for what seemed to be hours, but was probably only just minutes. After a while, Jimin was starting to fret; his jaw was starting to hurt and he wanted to see his mate’s face. 

Slowly, he released his hold on the neck and immediately started licking all over the mating bite. They were now tied forever and his soul chanted as he took care of the physical manifestation of their bond. 

He felt Jungkook doing the same, lapping at his bite, and Jimin was relieved that even with their fangs removed, the link between them was still strong. Unbreakable. 

“Jimin…”

The omega left his spot and blindly took Jungkook’s mouth in a searing kiss.

“I’m here,” he whispered against his lips, heart full of happiness. “Can you feel us? Can you feel how much I love you?”

They were still two individual persons, but it would now be impossible for them to be separated. They would always know where to find the other. It made them two parts of a whole.

“I feel it,” Jungkook replied, still in a daze. “I feel your soul connected to mine. Can we stay like this forever?”

Jimin gently laughed. His whole body was completely relaxed, as if it knew that finally, it could rest. He leaned back for a moment, looking at his alpha’s face, his shiny eyes and his loving smile.

Everything was perfect.

The scent permeating the tent was now theirs . Jungkook’s arms and knot still held them together in a warm embrace and the bites on their necks were already starting to heal, leaving behind a mark that would stay there forever.

“We can stay a while longer,” he replied, and Jungkook took his mouth in another loving kiss.

Jimin woke up a few hours later to an eerie silence.

He was naked, laying in between Jungkook’s protective arms, the mating bite still throbbing on his neck. 

It was still night but the wind had stopped, leaving behind a strange silence.

Jimin needed to go outside.

Careful to not wake Jungkook, he removed himself from their bed and grabbed his clothes and furs. He didn’t know why, but he felt jittery.

The wolf in him was feeling cornered, restless.

He got out of the tent and took a few steps forward. He realized that the wind from earlier had been an actual storm, covering the whole place with a fresh layer of snow.

It was now completely quiet. There weren’t any clouds in the sky and the moonlight was reflecting on the white snow, making it look impossibly beautiful.

He looked all around. He could hear a few snores but other than that, the whole place felt… otherworldly.

“Hello Jimin.”

The omega jumped and turned around.

That wasn’t possible.

She didn’t even look real.

She seemed to be floating above the snow, Her skin glowing under the moonlight.

The statue from the temple had been right to give Her a flowing gown and long hair but the resemblance stopped there. 

Her actual beauty was indescribable.

“Is this real?” Jimin whispered.

The Moon Goddess gave him a smile that he couldn’t quite understand. It was amused and yet, Jimin could feel the sadness in it.

“Did you not come here to see me?” She asked, and Her voice sounded as clear and crisp as the cold night.

Jimin nodded. “We did. We have… we wanted –“

But words were failing him.

What did they want? How could he explain in a few words their months of travel? They had been looking for an answer but also for a solution, a new goal.

Selfishly, Jimin had also just wanted to see Her.

“I know why you are here,” the Goddess said, as if She knew what thoughts She was interrupting. “And… I do have some answers for you.”

“Why show yourself now? To me?”

Jimin closed his mouth.

He couldn’t believe he had almost interrupted Her.

She didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m not really here anymore,” She explained. “The monks took me with them when they left. A small part of me stayed behind because I knew you were coming and I wanted to wait for you. This part of my soul will leave with you, when you decide to move on.”

“Where?” Jimin breathed out.

Once again, Her smile felt impossibly sad.

“You can’t stay here anymore. This land is dying. It has been for a very long time.”

“Why is it dying? Why did you – “

She raised a hand and Jimin stopped.

“You give me more power than I actually hold, Jimin,” She said in a calm, yet firm voice. “I don’t control illnesses, animals or even the earth. Least of all, I don’t control wolves. I have often felt powerless, watching you from up here destroy your lands and yourselves. I can only bring guidance and hope.”

Jimin frowned. “So… You’re not responsible for the earth dying? This is… all our fault?”

For a moment, he was afraid that She would be angry, but instead, She shook her head.

“Do you think you are personally responsible? No, it’s generations upon generations of war, of hunting too much and giving back too little, that made the earth what it is now. I’ve tried to warn you but too few listened. Your pack did.”

Jimin immediately understood that She was talking about them, the rogues. Their pack.

“Which is why I was simply waiting for you,” She continued. “There’s nothing else I can do for this place. We need to go.”

“Where?” Jimin asked for the second time, not understanding.

She pointed Her hand towards the clear night.

Jimin looked at the dark sky, not knowing what to look for.

It took him a few seconds to realize that they weren’t any stars.

This wasn’t the sky.

That was the ocean.

How could it be so vast? In the night, the line between sky and sea felt almost nonexistent.

“Are we…we can’t leave this continent. Right?” he asked, looking back at the Goddess.

“This place isn’t the only one in the world,” She replied. “The first wolves came here and called this place home. I was with them when it happened. The cycle is only repeating itself.”

The immensity of what She was saying made Jimin tremble. He couldn’t imagine being this old and seeing so much.

He couldn’t imagine the world being bigger than… this.

“Are you afraid?” She asked, almost with curiosity.

Jimin stayed silent for a moment.

He could only think about Jungkook’s words.

I do not fear the future. As long as we stay together, I’m not afraid of anything.

“I’m not,” he said, yet he couldn’t stop his voice from shaking.

Her smile grew fonder.

“I’ve mingled less and less with wolves’ affairs over the years, but I think I made the right choice when I joined your souls.”

Jimin opened his mouth in shock, his hand coming up to the mark on his neck.

“Go back to him, Jimin,” She said. “I’ll guide you over the sea to a place where your pack will be able to settle down.”

“Why?” Jimin’s voice shook. “Why would you do that? And what will happen to everyone who stays here?”

“Nothing will happen to them,” She reassured him. “I will just be gone and they will continue to live their lives. As to why I’m doing it…I’m the Goddess of the Moon Jimin, how could I not?”

She seemed so assured, calm and serene that Jimin could only nod.

“The others will never believe me,” he said.

“Trust me, they will,” the Goddess replied with a glint in Her eyes. “I’ll show you the path down the mountain tomorrow. You will find the boats I’ve asked the monks to leave behind. Now go. He is starting to wake up.”

Jimin turned his head towards the tent. He could indeed feel their bond stir, as if Jungkook was coming out of sleep.

He turned back to the Goddess.

She was gone.

But Jimin didn’t panic. She wasn’t too far away; he could feel it.

He let out a long breath and got back to the tent. He entered, making sure not to bring any snow inside.

From under the pile of furs, he heard a tired voice.

“Min? Where were you?”

Jimin smiled widely. Their bond was so incredibly strong, he couldn’t believe he would get to feel it for the rest of their lives. 

He promptly got rid of his clothes and reentered the bed.

Jungkook hissed, “You are so cold! Are you alright?”

Jimin didn’t know where to begin.

He felt a strange mix of giddiness and serenity.

“Love?”

Jungkook almost seemed worried and he put his arms around Jimin to bring him closer.

Jimin kissed his lips with all the love we could muster, before looking at him with shining eyes.

“Jungkook, we’re crossing the ocean.”