9
They say there's always a calm before the storm and Jungkook shouldn't have forgotten that. Things have just been too good lately, too silent, and maybe he let himself enjoy it a little too much because in the end, it all comes crashing down in the worst way possible.
He's lazing around with Taehyung and Jimin, watching as the two omegas play some lame card game in the safety of Jimin's room, when they hear a crash coming from downstairs. It's quickly followed by loud voices and the strong scent of at least four alphas.
Jungkook's body tenses right away and Jimin, who was resting between his legs with his head tucked under Jungkook's chin, shrinks into himself.
The cozy atmosphere that surrounded them is gone. Jimin's sweet honeysuckle scent turns a little rotten from his fear and Taehyung's strawberry scent is sour, the silver head's anxiousness clear in the air.
"I'm going to check it out", Jungkook mumbles after it becomes obvious that no one's coming upstairs. He gently pushes Jimin into Taehyung's arms and gets up, heading for the door. "You two stay here."
His best friend sends him a scared look. "Jungkook, wait—"
But he's already going, feet quickly leading him down the stairs and right into something he most likely should've stayed clear of.
There are five alphas with Jiwoo, all gathered around one of the beds. He recognizes Namjoon and Yoongi quickly, followed by Jaehwan, the guy who gave him a nice new scar on his shoulder some time ago, and Jaebum. The next thing he notices, is the blood on their clothes and the slightly familiar scent lingering in the air.
The scent he smelled on Jimin the first time he met him.
"What happened?" he asks quietly, a little scared to barge in.
Yoongi seems to be the only one who heard him as no one else reacts, not even Namjoon. The older alpha turns to look at Jungkook with lips pressed into a tight line, a frown on his face. He looks exhausted and the worry in his eyes is unsettling.
"There was an attack."
Jungkook's heart drops into his stomach and something cold crawls under his skin. Yoongi moves out of the way, so he can see who's lying on the bed and Jungkook can barely stop the agitated sound from escaping his mouth. There's a young alpha, much younger than Jungkook himself, on the bed with blood all around him. He's shirtless, obviously struggling to breathe, and the sight is gruesome—it seems like whoever attacked him was trying to claw out his insides and nearly succeeded.
He recognizes the boy as Seungkwan a few seconds later, the pack's youngest alpha. He presented just three months ago.
He's still just sixteen.
The cold, wintery scent in the air is suddenly sickeningly familiar and he feels a little like he can't breathe.
Jimin can't see this, the brunette knows, swallowing as he tears his gaze away from Seungkwan's bloodied form. And they can't see him.
But as if on cue, he hears a soft voice call his name.
He spins around at the same time the other alphas and Jiwoo finally turn their attention towards their direction as well. Taehyung is standing behind him but he's looking past Jungkook, straight at Seungkwan. His mouth is open in shock.
Jimin's smaller form peeks out from behind him. Jungkook almost tells him to run back upstairs but the other's sweet honeysuckle scent is already prominent in the air—by now, the rest are aware of his presence.
The blonde omega hasn't yet looked at Seungkwan and Jungkook steps quickly on the way, successfully blocking Jimin's vision. He doesn't look pleased at that, frowning and trying to look past the alpha, but Jungkook doesn't allow him.
"Don't look", he pleads quietly, only loud enough for Taehyung and Jimin to hear. "Both of you, just don't look. Go back upstairs, I'll handle this—"
A loud growl reverberates through the house, cutting him off mid-sentence, and Jungkook lets out a heavy sigh. They're all fucked, especially Jimin.
When he turns back towards the others, still standing fully in front of Jimin, Jaehwan is already coming towards him.
"What are you hiding there, alpha Jeon?" the other alpha asks in a low, mocking tone, eyes shining in crimson red. He looks like he's just seconds away from changing forms. "Could it be the lost little lamb...?"
"Jaehwan", Namjoon calls, tone just as low and warning. "Do not start—"
"Why not? We all know who did this!" Jaehwan sends Namjoon a pointed glare, which is brave considering the difference in their ranks, but he's never been good at controlling his anger.
Dark crimson eyes turn back to Jungkook and the brunette alpha can't help but growl when Jaehwan crowds his space.
"This is your fault", the other says, ignoring the warning shards of gold forming in Jungkook's eyes. "If you hadn't brought that bitch here, none of this would have happened."
Jungkook is about to counterattack him when suddenly he's yanked aside, and Jimin pushes his way in front of him before Taehyung can even react and pull him back.
"Why don't you say that to my face?" the blonde omega growls, cold eyes unwavering even under Jaehwan's accusing stare. "Or do you not have the balls for that, alpha?"
Taehyung actually snorts and in any other situation, Jungkook might've laughed. There's just something weirdly thrilling in seeing how Jimin, injured and barely reaching Jaehwan's nose, dares to step up to him as if he was the alpha and not the other way around.
For a second, he wonders if that's how they do things in the mountains, challenging their own natures, or if it's just Jimin.
"You little—"
Jaehwan raises his hand but before he manages to do anything, Jaebum grabs him by the neck and yanks him back.
"Behave, Jaehwan, or we'll throw you out. No fighting allowed in the infirmary."
"You think I'm going to let this piece of shit get away with mocking me? And are you going to let him get away with what he has done?" The alpha rips himself away from Jaebum but doesn't come back to Jimin. Jungkook uses it as a chance to put himself between the blonde and the other's again.
"What did I do?" Jimin asks, frowning. He sends a questioning look at Jungkook before finally, despite the alpha's attempt to stop him, he finds Seungkwan's bloodied form.
"Who—" the omega chokes on his own words, hands coming to cover his mouth and nose but it's too late. Jungkook knows he has already picked up the same scent as he did, but the alpha begs to differ.
Dear mother nature, he really is ready to beg.
"Who?" Jaehwan snorts. "Your pack of course. Who else?"
Jungkook hates the silence that follows. It tells him that Namjoon, Jaebum and Yoongi all believe the same and even Jiwoo, who's silently treating Seungkwan's wounds, doesn't seem to think any different.
But does he? Does Jimin?
"H-hey now, do we have any proof?" Taehyung is the one who breaks the silence in the end. Jimin lets out a sound that could both be a laugh or a sob. It's enough to make Taehyung close his mouth.
"Mountain wolf", Namjoon speaks up, motioning Jimin to come forward. "Come closer. I want you to confirm that it's your pack's doings." The older alpha glances at Jungkook but his amber eyes are unfamiliar and cold, filled by only the desire to protect what is his—the pack.
Jungkook knows he should have the same desire, but he's torn. When Jimin moves towards Seungkwan, all he wants to do is yank him back to him and hide him from the hatred of others. But he also wants that confirmation, wants to know who he can take his anger out on because Seungkwan is just a kid, a good kid who didn't deserve this.
He hates to agree with Jaehwan, but there's a very big chance that this is his fault. And yet it's going to be Jimin paying the price.
"Don't even think about lying", Namjoon warns.
If Jaehwan seemed big in front of the omega, then Namjoon is a whole fucking giant and Jimin seems to quickly catch on that he isn't just some random alpha, as he keeps his gaze down and just nods. It's not quite submitting, but it's wise to show at least some respect to an alpha of Namjoon's caliber, and Jimin isn't stupid despite his stubbornness.
Jungkook can feel his body twitch with the need to do something, just anything, because the rotten scent of honeysuckles is unbearable for his wolf. He bets his agitation is clear in the air as well, if the looks he gets from Yoongi and Jaebum are anything to go by. But Taehyung grabs him by his arm before he manages to do anything stupid, a warning look in his brown eyes.
Don't, the silver head mouths. They both know that Jungkook is now on extremely thin ice—one wrong move and he might be labelled as a traitor.
Jimin stands next to Seungkwan's bed and his eyes are filled by something incredibly sad. Then he takes one deep breath in and goes still. There are tears in his eyes.
"Well?" Yoongi prompts him.
The omega's face twists with agony and his head turns to Jungkook. The tears spill over, fat salty pearls running down his slightly sunken cheeks. He can practically see Jimin's heart breaking through his sad eyes.
"I'm sorry", Jimin whispers, and while his words are directed at Namjoon, his gaze is completely focused on Jungkook. "I'm so sorry."
For the first time ever, Jungkook wishes he could get away from the sweet scent of honeysuckles.
"It's my pack."
The silence that follows is deafening. Jimin's eyes stay on him but Jungkook can't bring himself to look back. Instead, he focuses his eyes on Seungkwan and the blood trickling down his chest, covering the white sheets in red flowers.
"Your pack, as in...?"
"The Park pack", Jimin answers Namjoon's question. "I'm from the Park pack."
Of fucking course. If the atmosphere was tense before, it's ten times worse now. Jungkook pinches the bridge of his nose and the nausea in his stomach grows. Of course Jimin has to be from the Park pack of all packs.
The forest wolves don't interact with the mountain wolves a lot, but a little over twenty years ago, there was some kind of an alliance between their pack and the Park pack from the north. Jungkook doesn't know the details of what went down, but there's a rumor that the previous pack-leader, Namjoon's grandfather, shattered that alliance because one of his children was killed by the Park wolves.
However, not even the pack's elders know if it's true or not, but no one is interested in finding out. It's much easier to just hate and blame someone, than to know nothing.
The current pack-leader, Chaerin, doesn't seem to hold the same anger towards them—perhaps she doesn't even believe that her sibling was killed by the Park pack—but she hasn't done anything to reconcile their alliance either.
"The Park pack", Jaehwan spits out in rage. "Of course it's the fucking Park pack, we should've known – they've always been out for our blood."
Jimin doesn't say anything. Jungkook wonders if he's even aware of the hatred between their packs or if his pack has buried everything deep under layers of snow, like it's nothing but a dirty little secret.
"So", Jaebum mumbles in a tired tone, the look in his eyes just as lost as Jungkook feels. "What do we do now?"
"Now we hold a pack meeting", Namjoon sighs with his arms crossed over his chest—an obvious sign of his rising anxiousness. His eyes linger on Seungkwan and Jimin for a second before he turns to look at the fireplace, flames dancing in his amber orbs.
"And?"
"And, if the pack-leader decides so, we'll start preparing for war."
"Jungkook..."
The brunette alpha lifts his head when he hears Taehyung calling his name, meeting his friend's worried eyes. He's been sitting next to Seungkwan's bed ever since the others left to gather everyone to the hunter's hut, wordless and completely numb.
"You know that it's not Jimin's fault, right?" Taehyung says, glancing around as if making sure that no one else is listening.
Jungkook doesn't quite understand his worry. Seungkwan is dead to the world thanks to whatever medicine Jiwoo had given him and she had headed out as soon as the boy was stable, which was over fifteen minutes ago. Jimin hasn't been anywhere in sight since the other alphas left.
"Do I?" he mutters in an almost inaudible tone. "Do I really know that, Taehyung?"
"He's been here for two months! He couldn't have—"
"What if it's all just part of the plan?" Jungkook interrupts the silver-haired omega rather rudely. He hates how defensive, yet unsure, he sounds to even his own ears. "What if they planned this all and Jimin is here to destroy us from the inside?"
Taehyung gives him an incredulous look. "A single omega? I really doubt that."
"Jimin isn't just a normal omega."
In the eyes of his wolf, Jimin is anything but a normal omega.
"Okay, then tell me what makes him so special? What makes you actually think that he's here to destroy us? Does he look like someone who would hurt anyone from our pack? Would he hurt me or Jiwoo? Seokjin-hyung?" Taehyung pokes Jungkook on the forehead, his gaze both fond and cold at the same time. In a way, he almost looks apologetic.
"Tell me, Jungkook, would Jimin hurt you?"
The wolf within Jungkook says no in a blink of an eye. But what comes out of his mouth is a pathetic whisper of: "I don't know."
Taehyung actually rolls his eyes at him with a shake of head. "Yes, you do. You just don't want to say it aloud."
There's a moment of silence and the atmosphere is tense. Taehyung's words are too heavy, too meaningful, and Jungkook hates it. What he hates more, however, is the way his wolf agrees with everything his friend just said.
"Don't forget the Lee pack", Taehyung suddenly breaks the silence. Jungkook turns his gaze on him in confusion.
"What?"
"That's what Jimin said to me. Or, he told me to say it to you. And more specifically, he told not to forget the pack from across the road, since he doesn't know who they are."
"But why would he—"
"Did you already forget the reason why he ended up here?" Taehyung tilts his head. There's sadness lingering in his dark brown eyes. "The reason why your family grave is suddenly a little bigger."
The Lee pack.
Jungkook licks his dry lips and tries to swallow down the lump forming in his throat. He hadn't forgotten, of course not, but the fact that the mountain wolves attacked them and nearly killed one of their youngest alphas did successfully direct his attention elsewhere.
"Fuck", he suddenly realizes, jumping up. Taehyung stumbles backwards, surprised by the sudden change in Jungkook's demeanor. "Fuck, Taehyung, that's – what if that's exactly what they want?"
The omega seems to have fallen off the trails. "Who wants what?"
"The Lee pack! What if they want us to declare war against the Park pack, and then, when most of the pack's alphas and betas are fighting, they'll just use it as a chance to destroy the village?"
"Jungkook", there's an unmistakable layer of fear in Taehyung's tone. "Are you suggesting that the Lee pack and Park pack have made an alliance to bring us down?"
"Well, no – I mean, I don't know. I'm not sure. But don't you think it's possible?"
The Lee pack has never liked them and the feelings are mutual. There's just something nerve-racking about having another pack so close to theirs, especially when they're very aware that the Lee pack isn't the friendliest of them all. Not that Jungkook's pack is either, to be honest.
"But they hate working with others", Taehyung says but his tone is weak. "And how would they have even created an alliance with the Park pack? Forest wolves don't go to the mountains, and isn't there like that other pack to go through before even reaching the Park territory?"
There is, at least according to what Jungkook has learned from Jimin. But hey, if they once had an alliance with the Park pack, it should be possible for the Lee pack as well.
"And what about Jimin? What does he have to do with all this?" Now his friend just sounds downright heartbroken, reluctant to believe Jungkook's theory because they both know that if he's right, they're doomed.
It's winter, their weakest season. There's no way they could win against two packs, especially with one being a pack that excels in the cold. And if he ends up being right, Jimin won't be spared. No, the blonde omega will be the first one killed.
Jungkook thinks that both he and Taehyung fear that the most.
"He's here to start the war", the brunette alpha says quietly. "An excuse for the Park pack to attack us."
"Jungkook, that means that they set up their own packmates", Taehyung cries in disbelief. "They killed their own packmate and left Jimin to die. Would they do that? Do you believe the Park pack would do that to their own?"
Would any pack do that to their own?
"Yeah", Jungkook still nods, although he'd rather not believe it.
He glances at the stairs, Jimin's honeysuckle scent weak in the air, and thinks about how reluctant the omega is when it comes to returning back home. He thinks about the fear and sadness in those mismatching eyes, the agony Jimin tries his best to hide, and knows, Jungkook just knows, that yes, his pack would do it.
"They would do it."
"Then we can't let him go. Jungkook, we can't be the same as them. We can't send Jimin back to die—"
"And we won't. If I'm right – which I still hope I'm not – we won't send Jimin back. Hell, I'll take him to the human city if I have to, but not back to the mountains." Never back to the mountains.
"Even if he is involved in this?" Even if he really is here to hurt us? is what Taehyung really means to ask.
"Even if he is involved in this."
There's a beat of silence before the silver-haired omega continues.
"Jungkook, I really don't think that Jimin knows."
"I—" he doesn't, he doesn't, he doesn't "—don't know. We'll see. We can't even be sure that I'm right."
They can't, but the more Jungkook thinks about it, the more reasonable it sounds. In a way, it almost makes sense, although he still hates to think that a pack would just send their own to die in the hands of their ally. He doesn't even think there's anything for the Park pack to gain from this, unless they have some old grudge against his pack.
"I'm going to go and talk with the pack-leader", he mumbles, heading for the door.
The pack meeting has most likely ended already, but if he's quick enough, he'll catch the head alpha before she manages to retreat into her own hut. Jungkook thinks that this isn't something she should hear from Namjoon or Yoongi. Especially when he wants to emphasize that it's just a theory, a possibility, and nothing more.
"What if she doesn't believe you?" Taehyung asks quietly from behind him.
Jungkook thinks about the way the head alpha had spoken about the Lee pack when he last spoke with her. For some reason, he believes that if anyone, she will be the one to believe him.
"Don't worry", Jungkook sends Taehyung a small smile as he opens the door, ready to head out. "We'll figure out something."
He catches the head alpha just as she's leaving the hunter's hut. Namjoon is with her, as suspected, and so is Jiwoo, but otherwise it seems like everyone has already left.
Good, Jungkook nods to himself. It's better if his pack doesn't know about his batshit crazy, yet somehow completely reasonable, theory. At least not yet.
"Oh", the pack-leader notices Jungkook first, her warm amber eyes twinkling with interest. "Alpha Jeon. I was just wondering why you weren't at the meeting. Were you with the mountain wolf, perhaps?"
She doesn't sound angry or particularly disapproving—if anything, she sounds amused and something in her tone makes Jungkook's cheeks turn red. He's just glad he can blame it on the cold wind if anyone asks.
"Ah, no – I stayed with Seungkwan and Taehyung..."
Chaerin's smile disappears slowly, her amber eyes saddening at the mention of the injured boy. "That was nice of you." She glances at the direction where the infirmary is. "His parents must be on their way there now. I hope omega Kim understands to keep the mountain wolf out of their sight."
"Jimin understands to stay away on his own." He had fled upstairs as soon as he could, a cloud of sadness surrounding him, and Jungkook wishes that he had followed. He could practically feel the omega's hurt and yet, he had turned a blind eye on it to soothe his own hurt. That's not a very good way for an alpha to behave towards their omega but—
Wait no.
Jungkook chokes on his own spit and tries to cover it with a cough. He's a little embarrassed when his head alpha gives him a funny look, but even more so, Jungkook's embarrassed of his own thoughts.
He really needs to control his wolf better.
"Well", Chaerin ignores Jungkook's reddening cheeks. "Namjoon can brief you on what we discussed at the meeting. That's what you came here for, right?"
The glimmer in her eyes tells Jungkook that she knows he came there for something else. Being the pack-leader, she is capable of sensing their emotions almost scarily well.
"No, actually I..." He swallows nervously, the head alpha's gaze heavy on him. "I came here to talk about something else."
"With me?" Chaerin asks.
"Yes, head alpha Kim."
Maybe it's the seriousness that suddenly appears in Jungkook's tone, or the look in his eyes, but the head alpha gives a somewhat nervous look around before motioning for them to get back inside the hunter's hut. "I suppose this isn't something you want the whole pack to hear, is it now?"
Jungkook shakes his head. "No." Hell no.
"Do you mind if Namjoon and Jiwoo stay with us?"
"That's fine. Actually, it's probably better that way."
The head alpha gives him a curious look but doesn't say a thing more as she leads them inside. The hunter's hut is still warm and filled by all kinds of scents, but Chaerin's strong scent of lilac and spices quickly overpowers the rest.
"So", she says as soon as she has sat down by the still warm fireplace. "Tell me what's bothering you, alpha Jeon."
Chaerin is patient. She listens to him without interruptions until Jungkook is done, all the way from his suspicion towards the Lee pack to the possibility of Jimin being nothing but an excuse for the Park pack to attack them.
When he finishes, the head alpha is silent for a long moment. That's all it takes for Jungkook to know that she's actually considering it—that she doesn't think he's crazy or stupid for coming up with something like this.
"If I can start", Namjoon says when his mother stays quiet. "Personally, I think there's a very low chance of the Lee pack and Park pack being allies."
Jungkook opens his mouth to argue back, but the other silences him with a raise of hand.
"Let me finish, Jungkook-ah. I do think there's some truth to your words, mainly the fact that the mountain wolf is innocent or simply a disposable piece to his pack."
Ouch. Jungkook can't help but grimace at that, happy that Jimin isn't there to hear this.
"But it's still quite far fetched to say that the Lee pack would have made an alliance with the Park pack. It's no secret that they are... well, very uncooperative", Namjoon continues, brushing off the hurt look on Jungkook's face. "But it's possible that they're aware of the Park pack's situation and took advantage of that. If the Park pack wants to start a war, it is a good chance for the Lee pack to jump in—"
"And steal the prize", the head alpha finishes with a sigh. "In this case, our territory."
Jungkook hadn't thought about it that way but it does make sense too. At least now the Park pack wouldn't have sent Jimin and his companion to be killed by their own allies.
"But we're not going to war, are we?" Jungkook then remembers to ask. That's why the pack meeting was held in the first place—for the pack-leader and elders to decide whether they want to revenge Seungkwan.
"No", Chaerin shakes her head, and the young alpha can let out a breath of relief. "Not now, at least. Over half of us agreed that it would be too dangerous to start a bigger battle when the weather is only getting colder. We have enough work in keeping everyone warm and well-fed, it would be foolish to attack the mountain wolves now. However, things might change."
The head alpha runs a hand through her black hair and Jungkook notices the leather bracelet around her left wrist. It looks familiar, like the matching leather bracelets he has seen Jimin playing with occasionally. But he could be wrong, it's not very bright in the hunter's hut.
"If we lose a wolf, then I won't be able to stop the war from happening, winter or not. Not that I'd even want to, if we are to be completely honest", Chaerin says with a sad smile. "For now, I've just decided to heighten the patrols in the northern borders, and no one is allowed to leave the village alone. That applies to you as well, alpha Jeon. Whenever you go out, take a friend or two with you. There's safety in numbers."
That's not too bad, considering how things could've have turned out. Jungkook is quick to agree to her terms—not that he even has a choice—but there is something he would still like to add.
And of course Chaerin notices. When she notes Jungkook's nervous fidgeting, her smile turns amused but the look in her amber eyes is gentle. "Something more to say, little one?"
"I just – I think we shouldn't forget the western borders by the road. They need to be watched over just as much as the northern borders", Jungkook answers.
"Mm, that is true, but I'm not sure we have enough people for that. I'd have to double almost everyone's duties—"
"They're willing, Chaerin dear", Jiwoo gently cuts in. "We are all willing to do anything for the pack."
The head alpha lets out a laugh, shaking her head in amusement. "If the healer says so", she chuckles before turning to Namjoon.
"Make sure to spread the workload equally between all capable alphas. I need most of the betas and omegas here in the village but remember that many of them are also willing to hunt, so make use of that. However, omegas stay out of patrols."
"Yes, mother", Namjoon nods dutifully. "I'll arrange that right away."
"Take alpha Jeon with you." The head alpha turns her gaze back on Jungkook and offers him an apologetic smile. "From Jiwoo, I've heard that you have helped the mountain wolf to make a speedy recovery, but it's time for you to return to your duties."
It feels a little like a warning, like she would be trying to remind him of where his loyalties lie, so Jungkook just nods along. The idea of pulling away from Jimin doesn't please his wolf, but it's for the better. The blonde omega said it himself, too.
"Do not even think about putting me ahead of your pack."
So perhaps a little time away from Jimin won't hurt. In the past two weeks, he has regained his energy and is capable of moving around on his own, so Jungkook isn't too worried. He'll be fine.
They will be fine, and maybe a few days without Jimin's intoxicating scent making his head spin will help his wolf to set its priorities right as well.
Maybe. Hopefully.
He's already half out of the door, tailing after Namjoon, when he turns back to ask one more thing.
"Head alpha Kim... if Jimin is innocent, could it be possible for me to take him to the human city?"
There's one fairly close to their area, a few hours ride with the old car the pack owns. It's a safe place and it's not that uncommon for rogue wolves to live amongst humans—Jungkook thinks Jimin would like it. And he must've been there, considering where he came from before being attacked.
"If he's innocent, why not just send him back to the mountains?" Chaerin asks back. For some reason though, Jungkook feels like she knows the answer already.
"I don't think he's happy there. He seems like he's been mistreated and I just... honestly, I feel like I owe him that much."
The head alpha's eyes are unreadable when she looks back at him. Jungkook can't help but notice how she's fiddling with her bracelet.
"I'll think about it", is all she says in the end in a dismissive tone. There's no space for protests, so Jungkook just nods with a short bow and hurries after Namjoon.
"Are you going to let him go?"
"If it's the right thing to do."
Jiwoo lets out a soft sigh. "And how will you determine that? By asking him?"
Chaerin lets out an amused laugh, one of the most genuine ones Jiwoo has heard in a long time. "Jiwoo dear, if that boy is anything like his parents, asking won't do much good. Only time will tell us how to proceed when it comes to him."
"Do you think he's going to stay long enough for that?"
"Oh, he will. Neither of them might've noticed just yet, but he has a reason to stay." Chaerin smooths a finger over her leather bracelet and smiles softly.
"Perhaps I'll pay him a visit soon."
The four days he spends away from Jimin are hell.
Although, Jungkook didn't plan on not visiting the omega even once, with the heavier workload it's been pretty much impossible to do anything else. As soon as he's done for the day, he wants nothing but to sleep and usually it's Taehyung or Yugyeom dragging him back home where Seokjin is waiting with warm food and scolding.
But even when he's dead on his feet sleep doesn't come easily. His wolf is about to go berserk, craving the familiar honeysuckle scent and Jungkook is moments away from giving up and running back to Jimin's arms.
He hates to admit it, but it seems like he can only truly relax in Jimin's presence. He really hates to admit it, but he misses Jimin.
And it's only been four fucking days. He's actually going to die when the omega finally leaves.
"Jungkook", someone pokes his cheek and the brunette alpha flinches back rather harshly, accidentally slamming into another alpha. Yoongi gives him an unimpressed look when Jungkook apologizes to the other before turning his tired eyes on him.
"Oh hyung, hi. I didn't notice you."
"I've been calling your name for the past two minutes but I figured", Yoongi says. Before Jungkook manages to apologize to him too, the older man continues: "You look like you're about to collapse, Jungkook. I think it's time to go home."
"But hyung, it's barely midday and I have a lot of things to do—"
"Changmin gave you the rest of the day off. We don't need you here if you can barely stand."
"Thanks", Jungkook says dryly and Yoongi grins in an almost gentle matter.
"Don't get me wrong, you've been great help – not just right now. If you don't take a break soon, you'll get sick and we can't have that. So c'mon, I'm taking you home where you can eat and sleep. Your eyebags are worse than mine."
"Just wait until your pup is born."
The black-haired alpha groans under his breath. "Don't remind me."
He lets Yoongi lead him back home without protests. Jungkook does feel like he's seconds away from collapsing but there's also energy coursing through his system, hot and barely contained. His wolf grows more and more restless with every passing second.
Seokjin is with Namjoon when they arrive, the two of them quietly chatting around the kitchen table. Jungkook tries his best to ignore their disheveled looks and the red of his brother's cheeks when he and Yoongi burst in.
"Kookie! What are you doing home already? Did something happen?" His brother gets up immediately, fretting over him like a true mother hen would.
But for some reason, Seokjin's usually welcomed caramel-like scent and warm touch make Jungkook recoil like he'd been hit. His wolf growls deep within him, sounding upset because Jungkook let another omega touch him, and there's a strong, uncomfortable tug in his stomach.
"Jungkook?" Seokjin doesn't try to touch him again but his concern grows when his younger brother presses himself flat against the cool fridge and stays unmoving. "What's wrong?"
"I-I'm sorry – I just... I don't feel that good right now", Jungkook mutters, pressing his eyes shut. The tugging in his stomach grows stronger and more insistent.
"You smell weird too", Namjoon comments, earning a glare from Seokjin.
"What?" the alpha whines at his soon-to-be mate. "It's just the truth – he smells... a little hostile, to be honest."
"Yeah", Yoongi agrees, but his voice is a lot quieter and entirely too serious. Then suddenly, the black-haired alpha walks up to Jungkook and grabs him by the arm. The younger alpha only opens his eyes in confusion but doesn't pull back.
Inside, his wolf isn't happy, but they can recognize another alpha. Jimin won't get upset with him if it's just an alpha.
Wait...
"Shit", Jungkook mutters out at the same time something in Yoongi's eyes changes.
"You didn't tell me you got yourself an omega", the shorter alpha says before turning to Seokjin. "Did you know he found an omega? And you didn't even bother to tell me?"
Seokjin's eyes are wide in shock. "I-I didn't – we didn't know..."
Yoongi frowns. "But..."
"I don't have an omega", Jungkook says but his wolf strongly disagrees. He feels like his head is being split apart with his human and wolf side fighting and the tugging is getting unbearable. "Hyung, I really don't have an omega."
"But you're acting as if your omega would be going in he—"
Suddenly the front door is slammed open, cutting Yoongi off. Everyone's gazes snap towards the kitchen doorway and Taehyung's familiar strawberry scent reaches Jungkook's nose before the said omega makes his appearance. The sourness of it tells him that he's feeling quite anxious.
"J-Jimin", the silver head gasps, stumbling over his own words. He looks like he has ran for miles, hair a mess and panting, and coat and shoes barely on. By the looks of it, he must've also tripped a few times. "Jimin, he's—"
There's a bad taste in Jungkook's mouth and something almost... possessive washes over him at the mention of the other omega. "Taehyung—"
"Jimin is going in heat", Taehyung cuts him off. "And he's asking for you, Jungkook."
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