13
Jungkook wakes up with an empty feeling in his chest in an even emptier bed.
It's the first thing he realizes – the fact that there is no other body pressed against him, no blonde locks tickling his chin or small hands wrapped around his shirt. Jimin's place next to him is empty and cold, the scent of honeysuckles weak in the air.
The panic hits him a few seconds later, his wolf rousing from its slumber at the realization that the omega is gone. It takes a few seconds more for everything to settles in and Jungkook almost screams in pain when waves of anger and fear wash over him. His alpha is livid.
He's gone, the wolf within him seethes. He's gone, my omega is gone.
Their omega is gone.
Gone, gone, gone.
And it's ripping him apart, ripping his mind apart, his wolf trying to claw its way out and onto the surface – to be the one in control. It has never been this upset before and Jungkook feels terrified suddenly, knowing fully well that if he doesn't find Jimin, his wolf will never calm down.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jungkook thinks he should've seen this coming. Jimin had been acting strange for the past few days, quiet and sad in a way that made his heart ache too. The longing in those mismatching eyes shone brighter than any star in the night sky, and Jungkook hates how he couldn't make it better – how he doesn't even know what Jimin so desperately wants.
He doesn't have much to give but whatever Jimin would've asked for, he would've tried. Jungkook would've tried his everything to make the omega smile. He doesn't want to deny that anymore.
But, in the end, he supposes that it's freedom what Jimin yearns for the most. Freedom he'd never have here in the Kim pack.
But I can't let him go just yet. He just can't.
The alpha is selfish like that.
Jungkook is up and running out of the room before he can even fully comprehend it, his wolf desperate to follow the trails of the sweet honeysuckle scent while they're still there. Otherwise they'll never find Jimin.
"Jiwoo!" the alpha calls out for the healer as he searches every room possible, having hoped that Jimin had only gone to get food or water – that he hadn't actually just left. But all the rooms are empty and when Jiwoo comes downstairs with confusion written all over her face, Jungkook realizes that she has no idea where Jimin is, too.
"He's gone", Jungkook chokes out, hands trembling. He's standing in the kitchen, ready to flip the table over, and Jiwoo eyes him cautiously. "Jimin, he's – he's gone, Jiwoo, he's gone, and I don't know why or where—"
"Jungkook", the healer cuts him off, tone soft and gentle. Neutral. It's more than obvious that she's trying to calm him down but her subtle scent of herbs and daisies only angers Jungkook's alpha more because she isn't Jimin, she isn't his omega and he has no interest in her.
She's wasting our time, his alpha growls, and Jungkook holds onto the kitchen table hard enough to make the wood break a little, trying to tame his anger.
"You have to calm down, your scent, it's – it's getting unbearable. And your eyes—" Jiwoo hesitates, the look in her eyes turning from worried to scared. "Your eyes are turning red, Jungkook. You're letting your alpha control you—"
"But he's gone!"
His words come off as a loud, angry growl, almost incomprehensive, and Jungkook is just as shocked as Jiwoo. But his shock fades quickly, making way to anger and panic. He feels a little like he's about to change forms and it's completely out of his control.
He's scared – scared of how much power Jimin has over his alpha.
And, ultimately, over his very being.
"I-I have to find him, Jiwoo, I have to. My alpha, i-it needs him, I need him", Jungkook pleads, trying to swallow down the anger bubbling in his throat. "I feel like I'm going to l-lose it if I don't get him back, I'm not – I'm not ready to let him go, my alpha can't let him go—"
"I know", Jiwoo whispers, silencing Jungkook. "I know, Jungkook-ah. And I understand." Her tone is so awfully soft, so awfully gentle, and the alpha feels even worse for acting so out of control. But he can't help it – the only clear thought in Jungkook's mind is 'I need to find Jimin' and all this is just wasting his precious time.
"But before you run after him, we should talk", Jiwoo continues, taking a tentative step forward. Jungkook takes one back and growls lowly, trying to make it clear that he doesn't want to be touched or worse, cornered. That would fucking finally make his wolf snap.
Luckily, the healer takes the hint and freezes, hands raised in surrender. "We need to talk about you and Jimin. I should've told you two sooner, I know I should have, but with how things have been lately, there just never was any right moment – but you need to know—"
She's cut off by a loud howl. Jungkook's head perks up and his eyes zoom on the door, heart caught in his throat. It's not Jimin, he recognizes, but...
The howl is followed by more noises, sounds of growling and whimpering – a fight, his wolf grumbles, they're fighting. Through his pack bond, Jungkook can feel his packmates anger and fear, so something bad must be going on, but through something else, something deeper and much more powerful, he can only feel sorrow.
Suddenly his mind is filled by the memories of Jimin sitting under a tree, bloodied and scared, covered only by a flimsy coat, a dead wolf at his feet. Suddenly his mind is filled by the possibility of Jimin lying on the white snow, nothing but a pool of dark blood under him, cold blue lips having long taken their last breath.
Jungkook feels like throwing up.
He knows that it won't just be a possibility if he's late. It's going to turn into reality, his reality, and Jungkook doesn't want that.
He can't be late again.
"I-I have to go." The alpha pushes Jiwoo out of his way and hurries towards the door, his heart heavy in his chest.
"Wait!" Jiwoo calls after him. "Wait, Jungkook, you have to hear me out first – I finally know why you and Jimin are so infatuated with each other, why you were capable of healing him. Jungkook, it's because he's your destined ma—"
Jungkook slams the door shut behind him and runs. Whatever the healer wanted to say to him can wait. If she kept it from them this long, Jungkook doesn't think it's that big of a deal if it stays hidden for a moment longer.
His feet take him to the village center in no time, fear and confusion written all over his features as he notices the crowd gathering around. He spots Taehyung, the omega's mother, and Hoseok amongst the people but before he can go to them, he hears a familiar voice.
Jimin.
"No! I didn't – I didn't try to kill anyone! Please, you're not listening—"
Another voice cuts in, mocking and disgusting words thrown around, and Jungkook's blood runs cold. It's Jaehwan.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. The brunette alpha pushes his way through the others and into the front, but he can't help but freeze as soon as he sees the sight before him.
It smells like honeysuckles and iron in the air. There are splotches of red all over the white snow and he's pretty sure there's some grey wolf being held down by his packmates somewhere close by, but his attention is quickly drawn to the small, curled up figure in front of him.
His alpha whines pathetically within him. We found him.
Wide, scared heterochromic eyes find him almost right away and Jungkook thinks he might see a flash of hope in them, but it's gone quickly, replaced by nothing but sorrow. He swears he can see Jimin's heart breaking through those clear, mismatching orbs.
The omega is reaching for him and Jungkook can't move.
"Ah, alpha Jeon. Just on time, aren't we?" Jaehwan has noticed him as well, snapping the alpha's attention to him for a moment. The other's eyes are almost completely red and smile mocking, the look on his face knowing. "I was just wondering what way we should let this little one out of his misery. Would snapping his neck be too nice?"
Stop. Please stop.
His legs twitch with the need to move, but suddenly someone grabs his hand from behind. If it wasn't for Yugyeom's familiar coffee-like scent quickly wrapping around him in reassurance, Jungkook might've lashed out.
"Don't do anything", his friend hisses warningly into his ear. "Everyone's watching, Jungkook, You'll be accused of betrayal if you defend him."
But what did Jimin do to us? Jungkook wants to ask, but he can't find his voice. His eyes follow Jaehwan's hands as they wrap around Jimin's neck.
Jungkook can feel his own heart breaking when Jimin lets out a quiet sob, his mismatching eyes filled by tears and fear, regret.
And longing. He can still see that longing in Jimin's eyes. Eyes that are watching him.
He yearns for you, his wolf whispers. For us.
Because he's ours. Mine, my omega.
"P-please", Jimin's weak voice cuts through his thoughts like a knife. "Please, I didn't – J-Jungkook, I didn't—"
The omega screams in pain when Jaehwan's hands begin to twist his neck, and something dark begins to worm its way out of Jungkook's heart. The edges of his vision are blurring, and the angry growls of his wolf become louder in his mind.
He can't feel anything but numbing anger anymore. He can't hear anything but the growls of his wolf and the rapid beat of his heart anymore. He can't see anyone but Jimin anymore.
There's only one thought in his mind.
Jimin, his Jimin, is dying.
When he loses sight of the familiar mismatching eyes, loses his universe and home, a strangled whisper of no escapes his lips. He can't leave us – he can't leave me.
His wolf howls in rage and Jungkook sees red.
Jimin has seen a wolf go feral only once before in his life, and it ended in a complete slaughter.
He doesn't want to see that ever again, but Jimin doesn't know how to deal with feral wolves. No one in his pack taught him what to do when someone goes that far, when someone loses control, because in their minds, there's only one solution – kill them.
But Jimin could never even hope to kill Jungkook. But at the same time, he can't let the alpha hurt his own packmates.
"J-Jungkook...?" he whispers the alpha's name again, softer this time, looking for something, anything familiar in those crimson red eyes. But he sees nothing.
The eyes staring straight back at him are the eyes of a wild wolf completely consumed by its anger. Jimin can't see any signs of the Jungkook he knows. He can't address him as the alpha he cares for because this isn't him.
It's just a wolf, a stranger. Not his alpha.
With a shaking hand, he reaches towards the wolf but he's quick to yank his hand back when it growls and bares its teeth at him. A wave of pure fear washes over him and Jimin presses himself flat against the cold snow, trying to seem as unthreatening as possible.
Jimin swallows nervously and waits for the wolf to make its decision – to decide whether he's a threat or not. He stays still although he's cold and uncomfortable, although his mind is still reeling and he's utterly fucking lost.
What the hell is he supposed to do now? How can he fix something like this?
Jungkook went fucking feral – possibly because of him, for him. His pack will never let the alpha out of this without punishment and that's Jimin's fault, again.
The blonde glances at Hyunwoo's unmoving form, a few tears running down his nose and onto the snow. He thinks he has never hated the alpha more, not even when they turned against his family, not even when they took away his brother and tormented him for years. If it wasn't for him, Jimin could've left without any trouble – Jungkook wouldn't be like this, then.
A hot buff of air against his cheek makes Jimin turn his gaze away from Hyunwoo and he can't help but flinch when he notices that the wolf – Jungkook, it's still Jungkook, your alpha, he's still yours – has moved closer to him, glowing red eyes watching him closely. Jimin whimpers in fear, quickly turning his eyes away to make sure the alpha doesn't think he's challenging him and after a moment of silent observing, it moves a few steps away.
It has deemed Jimin harmless. The omega lets out a breath of relief.
"W-what the fuck?" a voice cuts in and Jimin doesn't even need to look to know that it's the earlier alpha, the one that had almost killed him. "Is he – did he really go feral?"
Shocked gasps and murmurs begin to travel through the crowd surrounding them, and Jimin curses in his mind when he notices a few alphas changing their forms. Do they not know better than to corner an agitated wolf? It's like they'd be asking for a beating.
"Jungkook", another voice comes. Seokjin. "Jungkook, Kookie... a-are you...?"
The wolf next to Jimin turns its head towards the tall omega and growls. It doesn't recognize Seokjin, and the blonde feels all hope drain from himself. A small part of him had hoped that maybe Jungkook's brother could snap the brunette out of it but obviously he was wrong about that. He had imagined that blood relatives came first. And if Seokjin can't help, Taehyung probably can't either.
His last hope is the pack-leader, Kim Chaerin. Head alphas have some control over all pack members, maybe she can forcefully turn Jungkook back.
"We have to kill him", someone suddenly says, and Jimin's mind goes blank.
What?
"He's not turning back and a feral wolf is a threat to the pack, we don't have any other choice but to kill him—"
"What do you mean kill him?" Taehyung interrupts. "Just leave him fucking be, if you didn't agitate him so much he could still turn back!"
"Taehyung's right, there's no way we're going to kill one of our best alphas", another young man Jimin thinks he has seen around Jungkook before, agrees. "We should wait for head alpha Kim to arrive."
"But what if he attacks us?"
"Yeah, he already attacked Jaehwan!"
"That's because the idiot was about to kill Jimin!" Seokjin yells back, furiously defending his younger sibling. "You're not fucking touching my brother, feral or not – and if you want him to calm down, then you better stay the fuck away from Jimin too."
There are some agreeing hums, some disgruntled noises. Jimin just can't believe that there are people considering to kill Jungkook for this. The alpha hasn't actually hurt anyone yet; Jaehwan seems fine and if no one approaches them, nothing should happen. If Jungkook had any intentions of hurting his packmates, he would've done something already.
Jimin looks at the red-eyed wolf again and finds it already staring at him. His eyes widen when he notices the small fragments of gold swimming in the crimson orbs and hope lights up in his heart. Somewhere under the anger and fear, is Jungkook – he's still there and Jimin has to find a way to get him back.
"A-alpha..." he cries softly, hoping to wake something in the wolf. "Alpha, please – Jungkook, come back—"
The wolf takes a step towards, releasing a silent sound almost like a sad whine, and Jimin swears he can see more gold start to seep into his eyes. But then suddenly there's a new growl and the gold dissolves from the wolf's eyes.
"Jaehwan!" Seokjin's desperate cry comes. "Don't attack him!"
Jimin tilts his head the best he can in his awkward position on the snow without agitating the wolf. He grimaces when he notices that the other alpha, Jaehwan, has changed forms and is now growling at them with a few other alphas behind him.
"D-don't—" the omega tries, shaking his head at the other alpha but he doesn't get any further when rough fur presses against him and his head is pressed down by a heavy paw. Jimin lets out a scared sob, wanting nothing more than to push the wolf now standing over him away, but the omega within him tells him not to.
Trust him, trust your alpha, his wolf hisses but they're nothing but whispers of false reassurance in his mind.
Because Jimin can't. He can't trust a feral wolf, and it doesn't help that this feral wolf is someone he cares for so dearly, someone he wouldn't defend himself from even if he could. Someone his whole body is screaming at him to trust. What he hates even more, is how the wolf smells like Jungkook, like cedarwood, spices and jasmine, like safety – yet still isn't him.
Jimin doesn't even know if he'll ever get him back.
The wolf growls into his ear and snaps its jaw at him but other than that, it doesn't harm him. Instead, it positions itself so it's directly above Jimin, big paws on both sides of the omega's head, throws its head back and lets out a warning howl that echoes in the silent night. It's telling everyone else to back off, Jimin doesn't need to be in his wolf form to understand that.
It takes a few heartbeats for his frightened mind to realize that the alpha is trying to protect him.
His omega preens at the realization, happy that Jungkook's need to take care of him is so primal it even controls his wolf. But Jimin can only feel guilt and dread, because this means that Jungkook has chosen him over his pack – his wolf has chosen him over his own.
He chose Jimin, and perhaps the omega should be happy – and deep within, Jimin knows he is – but it's overcome by sorrow and fear.
This is why he should never have let Jungkook close, should never have allowed himself to find safety in the alpha's arms. Because in their world, they can never be them. They can never be Jungkook and Jimin, together.
And Jimin will never be brave enough to ask for the alpha to leave with him.
He can't allow Jungkook to make the same mistake as his father did when he decided to trust his mother.
The omega is about to push himself up from the ground to change forms in the hopes of knocking some sense back into Jungkook– maybe forcefully, maybe desperately begging, he doesn't fucking know –, but before he even manages to move a muscle, a new strong scent knocks the air out of his lungs and Jimin's body stops working completely.
Alarm bells go off in his mind.
It's her, it's her, it's her.
A wave of quiet murmurs washes past the crowd again. Jimin picks up the worlds 'head alpha' all over again and he digs his hands into the cold snow, trying to ground himself from the fear coursing through his veins like dry ice. The wolf on top of him lets out a low growl and brushes its nose against Jimin's neck, a weak attempt to get the omega to calm down.
All it really does is make Jimin fear even more.
If the pack-leader sees them like this, what will she do? Will she cut Jungkook's pack bond and banish him? Kill him? Jimin doesn't know – he doesn't know what kind of a person she is, can't really remember what his father used to tell him about her.
Kind was one word, he thinks. But will she be kind to a feral wolf trying to protect a mountain wolf?
Even if the said mountain wolf loves the said feral wolf and would gladly give his own happiness and life to protect him.
"Well now."
Everyone falls quiet. Even the wolf on Jimin stops growling.
The voice speaking is strong and calm, and for a moment there, Jimin is sure he hears a hint of amusement in it. He takes a few calming breaths before tilting his head towards the voice, mismatching eyes searching for the source. He sees Jiwoo first, standing next to Namjoon and that black-haired alpha, Yoongi – but Jimin's eyes are quick to find the one he was looking for.
The voice belongs to a tall woman, who stands proud amongst her people, her light brown hair long enough to reach her waist, her lips curled upwards in a gentle smile. Her name is on the tip of Jimin's tongue and the somewhat familiar looking amber eyes are already locked on him.
The fire burning in them distantly reminds Jimin of the man he used to call his father.
"It's nice to finally meet the mountain wolf everyone has been talking about lately, although I would've loved to meet you in other circumstances." The woman's gaze moves from Jimin to the wolf and her eyes darken. "But I'll take what I can get."
Jimin can't find any words to say. The wolf stays silent, too.
Kim Chaerin takes in a deep breath, her amber eyes back on the blonde omega, but before she can say another word, a high-pitched scream stops her.
"Wait!"
All heads turn around to look at the small girl standing in front of his omega father with hands balled into tight little fists and both fear and defiance glimmering in her bright brown eyes.
"Auntie, you have to listen to me first!" Chaeyoung continues, staring straight at the head alpha without an ounce of hesitation in her tone. Jimin feels his mouth run dry when he comprehends her words and realizes that she if she's really the head alpha's niece, then that means she's also...
"The mountain wolf hasn't done anything wrong – neither has Jungkookie. They're good people, auntie—"
"Chaeyoung", the omega standing behind her hushes, grabbing his child's shoulders but Chaerin stops him.
"Let her talk, Minseok. Children speak the truth more often than adults. I want to hear all aspects of this situation before deciding how to proceed." Her eyes turn steely and she looks around the rest of the pack. "I thought we knew better than to judge one without knowing the truth, but it seems like we still have to work on that."
"With all due respect", someone speaks up from the crowd. "Jaehwan saw the mountain wolf attack Chaeyoung and alpha Jeon turned feral to obviously protect him. Isn't that betrayal?"
"Is it betrayal to help one of your own?" Chaerin simply asks back, cocking her head with a cold look on her face.
Eerie silence settles down, and Jimin swallows nervously.
"And he didn't attack me, he just threw me out of the way", Chaeyoung adds after a moment, her tone turning a little more powerful after hearing that the pack-leader is willing to listen her. "That other wolf was the one who tried to kill me!" She points at Hyunwoo accusingly before turning to point at Jimin.
"The mountain wolf was only trying to help. He carried me back to the village and fought to protect me, he hasn't done anything wrong and Jungkookie must've known that."
Her voice is sincere and something warm blooms in Jimin's chest. He's happy to know that, in the end, there's someone's heart he could touch – that there's someone's approval he could gain without needing to be anything else but himself.
And that's more than enough for him.
You can stop now, Jimin thinks, catching Chaeyoung's gaze. There's a small, thankful smile making his lips curve up. He wishes the child could see his gratitude, that he could somehow express it better, so she could now just stop because it's enough. She's done enough.
But Jimin can finally remember what his father used to say about Kim Chaerin and the Kim family in general.
Loyal to a fault.
And Chaeyoung is definitely a part of this family – and unfortunately, quick on her feet.
"I'm going to get Jungkookie back!" She runs away from her omega father before the small male can even react, dashing through the snow towards Jimin and the wolf quietly growling on top of him.
"Chaeyoung!" Her father runs after her but a gentle shake of head from Chaerin stops him. It seems like she truly has a lot of authority in the pack, although the dismay is obvious on the omega male's face and he doesn't stray too far away from his pup.
"Perhaps a child's plea will help to awaken his consciousness", the head alpha says in a soothing voice but Jimin knows she's wrong. She shouldn't let Chaeyoung anywhere close to them.
A child's plea could work, Jimin knows that, but only if it's the wolf's own. Protecting its pups is the priority of even the most aggressive wolves and always in the mind of a parent – but Chaeyoung isn't even related to Jungkook, her chances of reaching the human within the wolf are as low as Jimin's.
"Don't", he whispers, voice barely reaching the child. "Don't come any closer, he doesn't recognize you—"
As if on cue, the wolf on top of him snaps its head towards Chaeyoung, takes one sniff of the pup's scent and growls lowly. Jimin can feel how its body goes rigid, red eyes narrowing and white teeth flashing in the moonlight.
Fuck, the omega thinks, shivering in both cold and fear when he notices how the wolf begins to move off him.
"J-Jungkookie..." Chaeyoung's confident tone has turned into nothing but a whisper, a shadow of what it was just moments ago. "A-are you t-there...?"
A louder growl resonates through the quiet night and Jimin lets out a sob. He doesn't think he has the power to protect Chaeyoung anymore. At the same time, he knows he can't let Jungkook hurt the child because if the alpha ever comes back to his senses, he'd live the rest of his life in regret.
And if there's anything Jimin wants, it's for Jungkook to be able to live a better life than he ever did.
As soon as the alpha is completely off him, slowly itching towards Chaeyoung with its head lowered and low growls vibrating in its chest, Jimin wrestles himself on his knees, gritting his teeth together when the cold snow burns against his bare skin, burns on his wounds – but he doesn't let the pain distract him, can't let it distract him, and calls out for his omega.
After all, it was his wolf who first chose Jungkook. It was Jungkook's alpha who first answered.
It makes Jimin wonder if they should've just followed their instincts from the very beginning and perhaps, had that been the case, if they'd be in a better place right now.
Perhaps then, Jimin wouldn't need to stand here now, growling and baring his teeth at the wolf, the man, he wants to call his. Perhaps then, instead of crimson red eyes filled with bloodlust and anger, he'd be looking at familiar golden orbs of someone, who became his safe haven and made him want to experience life for the first time in years.
And perhaps, in a whole another universe, Jimin could kiss him goodnight without fearing the morning.
Just let go. Call for him. He's our alpha, he'll listen, the wolf inside of him coaxes. You're allowed to desire things as well.
There has never been anything Jimin has desired more than Jungkook.
His omega lets out a low whine that turns into a growl, the white wolf bristling in order to seem more threatening, to attract the other's attention and give Chaeyoung the chance to get away unharmed.
It works, because as soon as Jimin becomes something other than a harmless, injured omega, the red-eyed alpha turns back to him, the familiar scent of cedarwood and spices becoming heavier, more dominating. It takes everything of Jimin to force his omega not to submit. Instead, he lets out sweeter scent, hoping to even further attract the alpha's interest, hopefully in a little less murderous way.
Hoping to awaken any spark of recognition in the other, because there's nothing else he can do.
His feet are locked in place and all of his energy goes into posing, trying to seem something he's not – strong, brave, angry – so Jimin knows he can't run, can't dodge if the alpha decides to attack.
"Come back", the small omega pleads, but his answers are nothing but growls he can't understand. "Alpha, Jungkook please – just come back to me—"
The wolf howls in a way that could be seen as threatening. To Jimin, it only sounds like a cry for help.
It turns its body fully towards him, completely forgetting Chaeyoung even though the child lets out a sound of protest, and Jimin notices how its muscles tense again, unmistakably preparing for an attack. He can only growl back, looking straight at the crimson orbs to rile up the alpha even more, and for once, his omega is on his side.
For once, they both have just one goal, and that is to get Jungkook back. Even if he doesn't know how.
At least, when it was his mother, she came to her senses because she couldn't bear the thought of hurting her own child.
Jungkook is different.
With him, Jimin doesn't know where he stands. All he can do is trust his omega, when it says that they'll be fine – that Jungkook, their alpha, will never ever hurt them.
He said he wouldn't.
Jimin turns back into his human form. He's sitting on the cold snow, surrounded by his own blood, arms wrapped around his knees, gaze never leaving the alpha. It starts moving towards him, head lowered and crimson eyes gleaming in the dark, and he should be afraid – he is afraid, so fucking afraid – but Jimin can only sit there and wait.
"You always kept saying how much you hate it when I cry", the omega whispers, tone wavering and barely audible. He doesn't even know if he's talking to himself or Jungkook.
Jimin closes his eyes. A hot tear runs down his cold cheek.
"If you don't want me to cry anymore, then you have to stop being the reason for it, puppy." Stop breaking my heart.
"And if you want me to never cry again, then you have to promise to never leave me."
The wolf comes to a stop in front of him. Jimin keeps his eyes closed, waiting for it to attack him, to do something, but all he feels is the wolf's warm breath against his icy skin. He can't even hear growling anymore.
Suddenly someone behind him gasps.
"H-his eyes, t-they're—"
Jimin snaps his head up and opens his mismatching eyes. The ones staring back at him are a familiar shade of warm gold. There are only small fragments of crimson red swimming in them and slowly, they're beginning to fade away as well.
His heart feels like it's about to climb out of his chest.
He's back.
The soothing scent of cedarwood surrounds him quickly and the wolf – no, Jungkook, lets out a quiet whine, almost as if asking for forgiveness. Tears spring into Jimin's eyes, but this time they're the ones of shock and relief, and before he even knows, he's reaching towards the other with shaking hands.
The alpha leans into his touch, nuzzling against Jimin's hand and a small sob escapes the omega's lips.
I got him back. He came back – he came back to me.
Soon enough, one sob turns into another and then he's crying with no end in sight, hands pressed against his face to try and quieten his cries. But like times before, warmer, bigger hands come to pry them away and cup his face gently, forcing Jimin to look up.
"Baby..." Jungkook murmurs, voice soft and an octave lower than normally. "No crying anymore, remember?"
Jimin can only nod through his tears before he reaches over again, taking a hold of Jungkook's face the same way the alpha is holding him. He wants to pull him forward and kiss him, kiss him like it would be the goddamn last time, but instead he just leans against him and breathes in the familiar scent, momentarily basking in Jungkook's presence.
The alpha smiles weakly and nuzzles their noses together, scenting him the best he can in this position. He can't bring himself to care about all the people watching them, not anymore – not when all that matters is that he has Jimin in his arms again.
The smaller man is quiet for a long moment, his sobbing having turned into nothing but weak hiccups. His small fingers feel cold against Jungkook's cheeks, his forehead too hot, and the alpha can feel him sway a little, so he quickly pulls Jimin to rest against his chest, curling protectively around the omega. This position also gives him access to Jimin's neck and the more sensitive scent glands there, the alpha happily covering Jimin's honeysuckle scent in his own.
The omega hums in contentment and for the first time, bares his neck for him. Jungkook wants nothing more than to bite the white skin and leave it marked forever.
"One thing we have to get straight, though", he whispers, absently wiping the last of Jimin's tears away. "'m not a puppy."
Jimin laughs wetly and he sounds more than a little pained, but it's a laugh. It's definitely a laugh.
"Of course not", the omega answers a heartbeat later. He sounds distant and he needs to be taken to Jiwoo right away, but for a moment longer, Jungkook just needs to hold him. He feels a little like he might lose it again if someone takes Jimin away from. Not that he'd allow it.
"Not a puppy", Jimin mumbles, words becoming slurred. Still, Jungkook has no problem understanding them.
"Alpha. My alpha."
There's something sad in the way Jimin's mismatching eyes look at him, but his smile is content, and Jungkook feels like his heart is about to burst because the way the omega looks at him can't be anything but fond. Anything but loving.
"Yours", he agrees easily. "Yours completely."
Jungkook has never seen Jimin smile so happily.
"Put him down on the bed", Jiwoo says, guiding Jungkook into the warm room with a gentle hold on his shoulder. The alpha would rather not have anyone touch him – or Jimin – right now but he can sense Jiwoo's worry, especially over the omega, so he ignores her warm hand and does as said.
"I'll tie his sprained ankle", the healer mutters as she opens the coat Jungkook had wrapped around Jimin's trembling form seconds after the omega had lost consciousness outside. "But everything else... I believe I can leave them to you." Jiwoo gives him a questioning look, and the alpha answers with a sharp nod.
"I'll take care of him."
There's a smile tugging at the healer's lips. "Oh, I know you will. Just promise me that you'll rest too after you're done. The head alpha gave you a few hours to calm down and heal Jimin, you know what's going to happen next—"
"Yes, I know", Jungkook cuts her off, eyes darkening.
The head alpha had decided not to punish him or Jimin, but only because she has yet to hear the complete story. The other mountain wolf is being watched over in one of their abandoned storage buildings, but Kim Chaerin will include him in the upcoming meeting in a few hours – which both Jungkook and Jimin also need to be a part of, even Chaeyoung's presence is requested.
He dreads it, of course. The last time someone went completely feral, her punishment was being kicked out of the pack. Jungkook fears he might be facing the same penalty, but it's Jimin faith he really is scared to hear.
Although, Chaerin seemed anything but angry at the omega. And Jungkook puts his trust in that.
"You're a good alpha", Jiwoo suddenly says, yanking Jungkook back to reality. "Not many are willing to go to lengths like these to stay with the one they love."
"I—"
"Don't", it's the healer's turn to cut him off, her smile turning amused. "Don't deny it. You'll only hurt yourself and him even more. Despite—" Jiwoo reaches to brush some stray locks behind Jungkook's ear "—there's nothing wrong with loving someone."
"Even if they're—"
"Even if they're from a different pack. It has happened before." Jiwoo's gaze moves from Jungkook to Jimin and her smile turns softer, sadder. "It will happen again, too. And don't you think that there's something... beautiful in being a little mismatching?"
Jungkook cards his fingers though Jimin's soft hair and smiles when the omega leans into his touch.
"Yeah. Beautiful."
Jiwoo chuckles. "Well, anyways. I'm done here, so I'm going to leave you two alone. I'll come and wake you up when it's time to go, so just relax."
He only hums as an answer, the wolf within him elated when they're finally left alone with their omega.
Jungkook gets to work right away, bringing Jimin's other hand up to his lips to kiss away the cuts on his pale skin, earning a quiet sigh of relief from the omega. He keeps it up for a half an hour or so, hating the taste of Jimin's blood on his tongue but the sight of the clean, smooth skin he leaves behind makes it better.
By the time he's done, Jimin's consciousness has started to return and he seems to be somewhere in between awake and asleep, mumbling incoherently and grasping onto Jungkook's arms as if he'd be afraid to lose him forever if he lets go.
The alpha doesn't blame him. He's not about to loosen his hold on Jimin ever again.
"Don't wanna..." the omega murmurs, scowling in an unsettling way. "Don't wanna stay... I can't, not here—"
"Shh", Jungkook hushes him and shakes him awake gently, a little afraid that Jimin might work himself up into a panic attack in his sleep. He doesn't want to experience that ever again, even if it brought them closer the first time.
Jimin's mismatching eyes snap open and he gasps for air, gaze bouncing around the room in obvious distress.
"J-Jungkook, alpha please—"
"I'm here." He settles down next to Jimin and pulls the omega into his arms, letting the smaller bury his nose against his neck and rub along his scent glands. "I'm right here. You're not going anywhere without me."
The omega only whimpers quietly, a heartbreaking sound, before settling back down with his scowl easing a little. He falls asleep in less than a minute, but Jungkook continues to run his fingers up and down his back to soothe himself for a little longer until his own eyes begin to droop as well.
"I promise", the alpha then mumbles in a sleepy tone, resting his chin on top of Jimin's head, breathing in the scent of honeysuckles. "I promise to never leave you." So don't ever cry because of me again.
In his sleep, Jimin intertwines their pinkies.
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