2
Jimin should have never trusted his grandmother's word. And they should have never trusted the forest wolves.
There are other routes than the one that cuts through the forest too, behind the mountain. Safer routes. And Jimin should have forced her to drive all the way there, no matter how long it would have taken, because at least then she'd be alive. At least they'd be home then, even if another route would have meant driving and walking quite a lot of extra miles—but at least she would be here, with him.
Or maybe Jimin should have been able to fight better. He's no stranger to an alpha's aggression and he's more than used to defending himself in fights—verbal or physical, Jimin mostly won.
It just had to be this one fight he lost. The one that actually matters.
He knows he could have done better—he could have saved her, even if that meant sacrificing himself. But his pack needed his grandmother, she was one of the eldest and always knew the best what to do, especially in winter—he should have put her far, far ahead of his own health.
The pack needs her and now, thanks to Jimin, she's gone.
He doesn't need anyone to say it to him, Jimin can feel it.
When he escaped to the territory of an another pack, just to get away from those wolves clawing on his back, biting on his neck and growling in his ear—even before all that, Jimin was well aware that they wouldn't make it. The blood running down his legs and arms when he changed forms—he knew, then, that he was fighting a losing battle. And next to him, he knew Sohyeon, his loving grandmother, was already gone.
He didn't need to check, then, and doesn't need to ask now—he feels it, deep in his bones, in his heart and in his soul. She's gone.
And all that is left for Jimin to do is wonder why he isn't gone. The least he could have done, was to follow after her.
But instead of sinking into everlasting darkness, he sinks into nightmares and pain, followed by a scent so peculiar—like cedarwood, some spice and musk, unlike any other scent Jimin has ever smelled. It stays, surrounding him even when he's back there, knee deep in cold snow, screaming into the wind with blood in his hands.
It stays through the nightmares and through the pain, clouding his mind but at the same time, reminding him how he is still alive.
He wakes up, several times, at least he thinks so. Consciousness flashes by him like bright lights in the human cities, like summer flashes by in the mountains. He picks up scents that are not familiar, that are too warm to be his pack's, sees blurry figures he doesn't recognize.
The only thing Jimin does recognize—dimly so but still—are the pair of golden eyes boring into his very soul.
Those cursed eyes, that cursed scent—it's all coming from him.
"...away."
That goddamn alpha.
"...g-go a-way", he grist through clenched teeth, pain flowing through his body like rivers flow when spring comes. It feels almost too much, and Jimin knows he's in the brink of losing consciousness again. Everything is blurry and there are tears of pain in his eyes.
"Seokjin-hyung! I think he's waking up!" someone's voice says, someone Jimin doesn't recognize at all. All he registers, is that it's a deep voice, calming in a strange way but alarming at the same time.
"No, Taehyung—h-hold him down, he's moving too much", another voice comes, sounding as alarmed as Jimin feels. "He's going to open all his wounds if he continues moving like this."
Jimin can feel hands touching him and he screams, both in pain and anger, trying to drive the unfamiliar people away from him. Cursing and growling, the omega continues to trash around for a moment longer—maybe just seconds longer—until all his muscles give out and he falls back down on the surface he's lying on, feeling heavy.
There's simply too much pain for Jimin to continue fighting. He doesn't want to continue fighting.
Let me die, let me die, please just let me die.
"Hush now."
It takes a moment for Jimin to comprehend that he just possibly said his plea aloud.
Now instead of sounding alarmed, the second voice that spoke sounds almost apologetic. "Sleep. You'll feel better soon. And Jungkook—I think you should go."
"B-but hyung—" a third voice speaks up now, a voice Jimin does finally recognize, but all it does is make him feel angry all over again.
"Jungkook. Go, now."
That's the last thing Jimin hears before drifting back into nightmares, the scent of cedarwood and spice following right along.
The pack doesn't take it very well.
Of course, Jungkook never expected them to welcome the outsider and just happily let him stay—but he didn't expect this either.
He didn't expect his packmates to start avoiding him too, to avoid anyone who's helping the mountain wolf, to whisper things behind his back, and some other alphas start to even publicly challenge him and his position as a high-ranked hunter. Because only a traitor would bring an outsider to the heart of their territory.
And while Jungkook is nothing but prepared to answer to each and every challenge, neither Namjoon or Yoongi let him.
Fighting within the pack when winter is right behind the corner isn't allowed and yet Jungkook has practically made everyone break that rule.
Maybe he was being fucking ridiculous like Yoongi said, maybe he didn't think things through—but what was he supposed to do? They were tricked and even if Jungkook hadn't brought the white wolf back with him, they'd still be at fault. The mountain wolves would still be coming for them.
At least now they have the chance to prove their innocence, and maybe things could even end well for them, for if things are cleared, the pack across the road will be a mutual enemy of Jungkook's and the white omega's pack. They could get rid of those untrustworthy bastards for good.
But that'll only happen if the omega pulls through, which has been nothing but a big question mark ever since Jungkook brought him to the village three days ago. The mountain wolf has been swaying between life and death ever since, battling not with only grave wounds but also a high-fever.
And the lack of will, like his older brother said.
Jungkook heard it too. He was there, just minutes ago, when the omega woke up for a moment and only begged them to let him die. Of course, only after telling Jungkook to fuck off because obviously that was his top priority.
Well, would you trust an enemy alpha? his wolf chuckles inside his mind and the brunette can't understand why it's picking the omega's side.
It can't simply be because of that damn honeysuckle scent, now can it? Because it doesn't even smell that good. Jungkook was only shocked when he first met the omega, but now he has grown over it, and he's definitely not walking straight back to the infirmary although he just left like, five minutes ago.
"Jungkook", his older brother sighs even without turning to look at him when the brunette alpha steps inside the infirmary again, and closer to the two omegas he knows and the omega he doesn't know. "Didn't I just tell you to leave?"
The younger out of the two flinches at the tired and annoyed tone Seokjin is using with him, feeling ashamed suddenly. He should have better control of himself.
"I'm sorry, hyung... but I just—"
"He's just smitten, Seokjin-hyung", Taehyung interrupts cheekily, sending Jungkook a shit-eating grin. "It's not usual for omegas like him—" The other nods towards the blonde lying on the bed, unconscious. "—to come around. Jungkook has probably never seen anyone so pretty."
Seokjin snorts. "To me it sounds like you are the smitten one here."
But even the eldest omega present can't deny it—the small blonde omega on the bed is nothing but beautiful, even though he's a little too skinny and covered in a thin layer of sweat and still sporting ugly bruises. Not to even mention the bigger wounds hidden under the bandages.
He's still beautiful and so young. Although he's technically an enemy wolf, Seokjin can't help but feel bad for the little one. He knows the blonde omega shouldn't be there.
"I'm not smitten", Jungkook growls at Taehyung, his eyes flashing gold in annoyance. "I'm just pretty sure that my position in the pack depends on whether this omega survives or not."
"You're being overdramatic. It's not like Namjoon will take away your ranking", his brother says, shaking his head softly at the same time he presses a wet cloth on the blonde omega's forehead. "He knows better than that. I'm sure had someone else been in your position, they would have made the same decision."
"No, they wouldn't have", both Jungkook and Taehyung disagree at the same time. "They would have killed him", the omega out of the two then continues and Jungkook is quick to nod along. He knows how his pack works—had he not been the one to find the white wolf and his companion, Yoongi would have most likely killed them both.
And in a way, Jungkook is sure that would have been merciful too. At least Yoongi would have made it as painless as possible—but now he has doomed the blonde in much worse suffering. Now he'll have to face the hate of Jungkook's pack, full on, until he's healed well-enough to head back home.
And even then, they will have to trust that the omega will speak the truth and tell that Jungkook's pack isn't at fault. He's ready to trust into that—he's sure the white wolf has his pride and wouldn't fuck them over like that—but how many others are?
He doubts any.
Seokjin lets out a deep sigh. "You're probably right about that."
Before they manage to continue any further, the actual healer of the pack, Jiwoo, makes her appearance. She comes down the stairs from the second floor which is her private area of the infirmary, moving elegantly despite her old age.
"Ah, I can see that the young alpha has returned", the healer chuckles as soon as she spots Jungkook standing a few meters away from the bed the sick omega is currently occupying. "Did you miss me that much already?"
Jungkook has known Jiwoo for a long time already, as his father was a brother of hers, and ever since that one winter—the winter that cost them all a little too much—she's been nothing but loving and supportive towards Jungkook's family. He appreciates all the things she sacrificed for them and visits her regularly, of course, but today he isn't there for her.
And Jiwoo seems to know that as well, as she playfully swats Jungkook on the arm as she walks past him and towards the blonde omega.
"I was just kidding, Jungkook-ah. I know exactly what you're here for."
Jungkook can feel his cheeks heat up at the suggestive tone the healer is using and both Taehyung and Seokjin snicker at him, only further embarrassing the young alpha. He's glad the blonde omega isn't awake right now.
Jiwoo settles down on the chair next to the omega's bed, gently taking a hold of one of the boy's frail arms, checking his pulse or whatever healer's do—Jungkook doesn't know and frankly, he doesn't care. (In this his wolf disagrees with him, once again, because there is certainly something uncomfortable coiling in his stomach. He just doesn't know—doesn't want to know—exactly what it is.)
"You've been here every day since you brought him to the village", Jiwoo then says, her tone still gentle and lacking the earlier cheekiness. Her long fingers continue to hold the boy's hand, as if that alone would be able to heal him—and maybe it helps. Jiwoo has always been an extremely talented healer so who knows, maybe there's some magic in her touch as well.
"I'm the one responsible of him, right now. So naturally I have to keep an eye on him", Jungkook tries to refute.
"Indeed you are, but do you really think he's going anywhere? Jungkook dear, the boy can barely stay awake long enough for us to give him medicine and the nutrition his body needs. He's not going anywhere anytime soon." Jiwoo sends him a look the young alpha can't read at all, before turning her sad brown eyes back on the omega.
"There's not much I can do anymore. His wounds have been treated as well as we can here in the forest and I have given him as much as medicine as I possibly can. All that is left for us to do, is to wait and see whether he decides to stay or not."
Jungkook nods, understanding everything Jiwoo says, but it doesn't make the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach go away.
"But you know, Jungkook-ah, there is something you could do", the healer then suddenly continues after a tense moment of silence. "Something that could speed up the healing process."
"Jiwoo", Seokjin starts, hesitation obvious in his tone as he looks at the healer. "You don't mean—"
"An alpha's presence is always calming to a submissive wolf", Jiwoo cuts Jungkook's elder brother off with a wave of hand. "None of us are alphas here and I'm pretty sure no other alpha will come close to this place until the omega is awake, so Jungkook is our only choice." The woman turns to look at the brunette alpha and smiles softly.
"Do you want to help, Jungkook-ah?" she asks.
For some reason, Seokjin shakes his head behind the healer, an alarmed look on his face—while Taehyung is nodding along eagerly, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. From that alone Jungkook knows it's going to be anything but enjoyable and he should say no, simply because it's his hyung telling him so, but then he looks at the blonde omega.
And something strong tugs at his heart, tugs him towards the boy on the bed—calls for him—and Jungkook finds himself nodding before even fully processing the situation.
"That's wonderful!" Jiwoo says cheerfully while Seokjin groans in annoyance and Taehyung laughs out loud. "I know you've been wanting to get closer, and now you have the permission. Because that's exactly what I want you to do—I want you to stay close to him, as much as possible, and preferably touch him."
Jungkook, who has been tentatively walking closer, halts. "T-touch h-him...?"
Jiwoo snorts, her eyes glimmering with the same mischief as Taehyung's. "Holding his hand is quite enough, Jungkook-ah, so don't let your hopes high."
Now the two other omegas snort as well, although Seokjin's shoulders are still noticeably tense. Jungkook just turns red once again, grumbling under his breath—the omegas of his pack are seriously too much.
"Come over here now, we don't have the whole day", Jiwoo then continues, motioning the alpha to just drag his sorry ass to the bed. And once Jungkook is standing there, she takes his left hand and then the omega's, slipping that pale hand into Jungkook's own only a second later.
Cold, is what Jungkook first thinks when his tanned skin meets with the boy's pale. The second thought that runs through his mind is soft—because that's exactly what the hand in his feels like, cold and soft, small.
And so frail.
(He also tries his very best to ignore how his wolf howls in satisfaction at the contact because that is just fucked up. Jungkook doesn't even know this omega and yet, his wolf is acting like it's their best friend. And okay, maybe his wolf does definitely not see the omega as a friend, goddammit.)
"Try to keep it down, Jungkook, and let out calming pheromones", Seokjin is surprisingly the one to advise him, giving his younger brother a tight smile. "See? His breathing is already steadying."
Jungkook turns his gaze back on the blonde omega, who indeed, is breathing a little easier than just moments ago. The pain written all over his soft features starts to fade, the raspy breaths turning a lot calmer and silent, his tense muscles relaxing—and Jungkook, when noticing that, lets out a loud exhale of relief.
Jiwoo observes them closely, her eyes flickering between the brunette alpha and the blonde omega, a curious glimmering in those brown orbs. "Now, this is interesting..." she mumbles after a moment.
"What is?" Seokjin asks, and Jungkook doesn't miss the slight panic laced in his tone. He wonders what's going on in his brother's mind right now, for usually Seokjin is the last one to lose his composure—is Jungkook, perhaps, doing something wrong? Or is it just because he's so willing to help an enemy wolf?
"It's working much better than I thought it would", the healer explains quietly, the brown of her eyes turning to warm honey as she stares at the alpha's and omega's linked hands. "I was hoping that you could calm him down enough to get proper sleep, at best—but it seems like you're also actually helping him to heal."
Jungkook doesn't quite understand it, but his brother seems to get what Jiwoo is saying.
"Jiwoo, please, this isn't—"
"Hush, child", the woman brushes Seokjin off, her eyes returning to their usual brown. "It doesn't necessarily mean anything, we should just be glad that Jungkook-ah is capable of helping us. Now, I think we should leave the two of them alone, so the little one can get some rest."
"What are the two of you talking about?" Jungkook tries to interfere, but both Jiwoo and Seokjin seem pretty adamant to not let him in, as his brother practically flees the infirmary and the older woman starts to make her way back towards the stairs. "Jiwoo, what did Seokjin-hyung mean?"
"It's nothing for you to worry about", Jiwoo sighs as she reaches the stairs, turning to offer Jungkook a small smile. "Just stay with him for a couple of hours, so he gets enough sleep. And if you'd like to help again, please do come by more often."
The healer says nothing more—explains nothing more—and Jungkook is left to dumbly stand by the blonde's bed, hand still tightly holding onto the smaller one.
"You should take a seat", his best friend pipes up suddenly, successfully scaring Jungkook who had already forgotten that Taehyung is there as well. When he turns to look at the other omega, confusion still written all over his face, his friend just offers him an unsure smile and nods towards the free stool next to the bed.
"Sit down, Kookie", Taehyung urges again, nudging the stool with his foot.
"It's going to be a long night."
It takes two days for the blonde omega to open his eyes again, this time managing to stay conscious for a good ten minutes before slipping back to darkness. Jiwoo says that it's progress, progress they need, because it seems that the omega has finally decided to fight against the darkness and stay with them.
Jungkook can't help but feel extremely relieved by these news. He comes to visit at the infirmary as many times as he can despite still being an active hunter, and each time he stays for hours, just holding the omega's hand and hoping that it helps.
Jiwoo is there with him every day, reassuring that what he's doing helps more than anything else. But when Jungkook asks why—why is that he is able to help when no one else is—the healer always changes subject or says something about alphas being naturally able to make omegas feel better.
It's not wrong, Jungkook knows that, but he also knows that it can't be only because he's an alpha, that he's able to help the blonde omega. But Jiwoo and Seokjin aren't willing to explain, Taehyung doesn't seem to know the answer either and Jungkook's not about to go and ask from someone else, since the pack already looks at him with contempt.
Namjoon held a meeting about the mountain wolf last night, explaining to the rest of the pack why there's a stranger in their home—explaining why Jungkook brought him there. The young alpha appreciates the pack leader's son's attempt to ease things, but even with the explanation out there, no one seems any more accepting than before.
Not even when Jungkook is literally trying to stop a war between forest wolves and mountain wolves from happening.
Because he knows it's going to end like that if the blonde omega dies here. If the mountain wolfpacks value their own the same way Jungkook's pack does, then they won't hesitate to revenge—and it's Jungkook's pack they'll come after. So, if they want to dodge that, especially before winter, the omega needs to survive and heal so he can go back to his pack to speak the truth.
The brunette alpha doesn't know how many times he must explain this, how many times he must try and beat some sense into the minds of others—only to end up at the starting point, the point where all the blame is on him and the hate on the mountain wolf.
And after another week, he gets fed up with it, for a reason too Taehyung reassures him.
To dodge all the scorn thrown at him, Jungkook starts spending more time at the infirmary. The mornings and most of the day he spends hunting (pack always comes first, after all), but when he's not at the forest, he's by the mountain wolf's side.
Jungkook does everything he can to help Jiwoo nurse the omega back to health, changes his bandages, washes him clean clothes and keeps the infirmary warm. Occasionally Jungkook even brings Jiwoo a hare or two just to make sure the healer and her patient get as much food as they need. Despite, the blonde omega is a little skinny, so extra food wouldn't hurt.
"You're doing so much work here", Jiwoo says when Jungkook once again comes knocking on the infirmary door with a fresh kill in his hands. "It's making me wonder which of us is the actual healer here."
The brunette alpha just smiles softly at her, not sure whether it's a praise or not, before coming into the warm cottage. And right away, he's hit by the strong scent of honeysuckles.
"Jiwoo—" Jungkook takes in a deep breath, the sweet scent clouding his mind. "Is he—"
"Oh yes", the healer nods, walking towards the currently only occupied bed in the infirmary. "He woke up and managed to even sit up on his own. His scent has got a lot stronger too, as you can probably notice. That's a good sign."
Tentatively, the young alpha comes further inside but unlike before, he doesn't go to the omega right away.
"Is there something wrong, Jungkook-ah?" Jiwoo notices his hesitance right away, frowning as the alpha keeps a lot of space between him and the bed where the mountain wolf is lying on.
"I-I..." Jungkook hesitates, swallowing thickly. The sweet honeysuckle scent is making him feel lightheaded and the more he breathes it in, the weaker his legs feel and for a moment, the alpha is afraid he'll lose control. "I j-just need... air—"
He moves towards the small kitchen as quick as his feet can carry, dropping the dead hare on the table before practically ripping the window open. As soon as the crisp air of an October night reaches his nose, Jungkook feels like he can breathe again. The trembling of his arms and legs stop when he can no longer smell the honeysuckles so strongly and his muscles relax a little, making the alpha sigh in relief.
"Jungkook", Jiwoo's voice comes from behind him, tight and unfamiliarly cold. The young alpha turns around right away, golden eyes meeting with warm honey yellow.
"Jungkook", the healer repeats, her tone turning warning now. "You have to calm down, you're letting your scent run free."
Sucking in another deep breath of clear air, Jungkook nods a couple of times before pulling himself back together and commanding his wolf to settle down. When Jiwoo's tense shoulders relax he knows that everything's fine again.
"C-can we keep the window open?" the brunette alpha asks, turning his eyes on the floor. "For a moment, at least?"
"Sure." Jiwoo's tone is pitying at the same time it's understanding. "Keep it open as long as you need, we needed a little fresh air anyway. And once you've calmed down enough, why don't you start preparing the meat? I'll change the little one's bandages today."
Jungkook agrees, easily so, because he doesn't think he can control himself if he goes anywhere closer to the omega right now.
He doesn't even know what he'd do—all Jungkook does know is that he can't let himself loose, can't let his wolf take control, or he'll regret it for the rest of his life.
It's later that night when Jiwoo leaves to take some medicine to the sick pack leader, that Jungkook is left alone with the blonde omega. The young alpha isn't sure he should be left alone right now, but the healer reassures him that she can see that he has calmed down enough and that she won't even be gone for more than ten minutes.
So, she leaves and Jungkook swears to stay in the kitchen close by the window.
But it's maybe a minute or two after Jiwoo has left when he hears something shatter from the main area of the infirmary and of course Jungkook gets up right away, fearing that someone might've come in without him noticing.
But it's not that—it's him. The blonde omega has stood up, accidentally knocking over the water glass that was on the stool next to his bed.
As soon as Jungkook sees him, the scent of honeysuckles also comes crashing back, almost knocking him down in the process. And it doesn't take long for the omega to notice him too, mismatching eyes boring into Jungkook's very soul.
The alpha can see a dozen thoughts running through the other's mind on that very second their eyes meet, but the clearest of them all is fear. And fear leads to two things—fight or flight.
The blonde omega makes his decision quickly, despite still being groggy and hurt, running towards the door—but Jungkook is faster, managing to firmly place himself between the mountain wolf and the door outside, outside where there's nothing but hate waiting the both of them.
Small hands come to clutch the material of Jungkook's shirt tightly, eyes burning with defiance as the omega looks up at him.
"Move—"
"No", the brunette alpha stops him even before the other can really start. "Get back to bed. You'll open up your wounds otherwise."
All he gets as an answer is growling. "Y-you don't get to boss me—"
Jungkook doesn't want to cut him off again, not when that melodious voice sounds so good, but he knows that Jiwoo will kill him if the omega hurts himself now. "Listen, you have every right to be scared and angry, but that's not going to help you in any way right now. Get back to bed, wait until you're fully healed, and then let's talk again."
The blonde's heterochromic eyes flash in annoyance, the navy blue changing to shocking electric blue for a split second. Alongside with that his scent spikes up again and Jungkook has to stop breathing for a moment, the scent of honeysuckles invading his senses from all directions.
He can feel the omega's warmth against him, the heat seeping through his palms onto Jungkook's chest, and he knows that he's losing control again, knows that his eyes must be glowing gold again and his scent alarmingly strong.
But exhaustion comes back to the omega's features quickly despite how awake and on guard Jungkook is now, the electric blue of his eye turning back to the color of the night sky in the winter. His hold on Jungkook's shirt falters and he stumbles forward a little bit, the alpha automatically reaching to catch him—only to be rather roughly pushed away.
"Tsk..." Jungkook lets out an annoyed sound, turning to glare at the blonde who glares straight back despite his lack of strength. "Why can't you see that I'm trying to help?" I'm the only one on your side right now!
"Don't... talk s-shit", the mountain wolf grits through clenched teeth. "You're all... l-liars..."
Jungkook supposes that the blonde omega has the right to be so untrusting and angry, but it still annoys him. He's been trying to do nothing but help, to keep this little shit safe, despite how much it makes his own pack hate him—and all he gets as a thanks is more anger thrown at him.
But still, he can't find it in himself to grow angry. He's annoyed, yes, but the familiar bubbles of anger never rise in him, because beyond his irritation, all he feels towards the blonde omega is pity.
Jungkook knows the mountain wolf has just lost his companion, is on unfamiliar land and in the hands of a rivaling pack, all alone.
"You need to heal", the brunette alpha tries again, trying to put down even his annoyance, giving the blonde omega a somewhat pleading look. "You need to heal so you can go back home and stop needless slaughter. So, I'm asking you, please, get back to bed."
It's not usual for an alpha to show such submission towards an omega, an unknown one no less, but Jungkook is tired and just a little bit desperate. He needs to reclaim his position in his pack, his pride, at the same time he needs to keep the said pack safe from harm—and this little being standing in front of him is his key. So, he's willing to show a little submission if it means calming down the omega.
And in a way, it does work.
The blonde's mismatching eyes widen in surprise and he stops trying to push past Jungkook, his arms dropping down. The alpha can see, once again, a dozen thoughts running through the other's mind—confusion, sadness, pain—but none are voiced.
They stand there, in silence, Jungkook with his head lowered and the omega too shocked to move. For a second all they can hear is each other's breathing and for that fleeting moment, Jungkook even wonders if he can hear the omega's heartbeat, rapid but strong.
Then suddenly, the blonde's legs give out and he slumps forward, and this time when Jungkook reaches to catch him he's met with zero resistance.
"Ugh..." the smaller male groans in discomfort, heterochromic eyes squeezed shut tightly as his body falls against Jungkook's hard chest, the alpha's arms quickly around him. For a very short moment he tries to push back up, but it becomes quickly apparent to the both of them, that the mountain wolf is still in no condition to leave.
"Shh, it's alright..." Jungkook hushes, trying to let out calming pheromones despite how much he's actually panicking from inside.
The blonde's head comes to rest right by his neck, his hot breath ghosting over the sensitive skin, and that's when Jungkook realizes that the other could kill him, right now. With his most vulnerable part completely exposed, caught off guard, he could really die if the omega tried.
But he doesn't.
Instead, the blonde just curls into himself, whining softly under his breath, and the sweet scent of honeysuckles is all Jungkook can think of, again. He doesn't really even realize to worry about his own vulnerability as he carries the omega back to bed, trying to be as gentle as possible.
The other is still conscious, barely so but still, his mismatching eyes opening just the slightest to gaze at Jungkook with confusion and something else the alpha can't quite comprehend—but what could be gratefulness—as he's put back down on the bed.
"...her."
It takes a second for Jungkook to realize that the other is talking, his melodious voice weak and almost as soft as powder snow.
He leans down right away, pressing his ear closer to hear better.
"...b-bury her." The words come out shaky and the omega's tone has changed into almost begging. "P-please... bury h-her... f-for me."
Jungkook leans away to look into the other's eyes, swallowing nervously at the request. He knows his pack doesn't have any place where to bury outsiders, but can he say that to the blonde omega? That would just cause more worry for him and Jungkook knows that any more stress and the other might break for good.
So, all he can do is say yes.
"Sure", he nods, reaching over to touch the blonde's cheek before he can even stop himself, fingers trailing over the fading bruise on it. "Sure—I mean y-yeah... I'll bury her for you."
The mismatching eyes close, the mountain wolf releasing a deep sigh before his lips quirk up in a weak attempt to smile.
"Thank you."
Jungkook can only nod dumbly a couple of times, taken aback by the genuinely thankful tone, before realizing that the other can't even see. "It's—" the least I can do "—nothing. You just stay in bed."
And then the young alpha straightens himself, preparing to leave to solve this new problem. He grabs his coat and opens the infirmary door, only to find Jiwoo standing there, a shocked look on her face.
"Ah, I've got something to do now", Jungkook says to her, not even noticing the strange way she looks at him and then towards the occupied bed. "I'll come by tomorrow again, okay?"
"Y-yes, of course", the healer nods absently, her wide eyes meeting Jungkook's own for a moment. And as the infirmary door closes after her, the alpha can't help but wonder how long she had stood there—if she heard their conversation or not. And if it's a bad thing if she did.
They don't have a graveyard, only family graves, so Jungkook is a little nervous about going home to ask his brother the permission.
The permission to bury the mountain wolf in their family grave.
He feels so guilty, so sick, at the thought of the blonde omega who is forced to bear through all this pain and sorrow, that Jungkook is more than willing to allow the omega's companion to rest by his family. In a way, he feels at fault, like he's responsible, and that's what he says to Seokjin when his hyung starts yelling at him how absurd the idea even is.
It takes him on his knees in their kitchen, head pressed down against the floor, to get the older agree. And in the end, Seokjin makes it clear that he's not doing it to help the mountain wolf feel better—he's doing it to make Jungkook feel better.
"Because I can't take it when you cry", is what the omega says, pain evident in his tone, and Jungkook wonders if he's disappointed.
The young alpha says thank you a dozen times, almost crying from pure relief, and the weight on his heart feels a little lighter right away. Right after dinner, when the sun has long set, Jungkook leaves the house to keep his promise.
Maybe two hours later he's kneeling by a familiar grave, smelling like fresh soil and crisp night air, his brown hair dancing in the wind, hands dirty and cold. Jungkook's only light are the weak rays of moonlight that seep through the dark clouds, coloring the honeysuckles he found and placed on the grave in beautiful silver.
"He says hi", Jungkook weakly says, hoping that the scent of honeysuckles could reach the omega's companion even to the other side.
Slowly he starts getting up from the ground. The night is chilly and he still needs to wash up before going to bed, so he should start heading home. And he'll definitely need all the energy he can get tomorrow, when he'll be forced to face the blonde omega again.
"Don't worry", Jungkook adds just before he goes, bowing his head respectively once more. "I'll make sure he gets back home alive."
Only a moment later it starts snowing.
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