Protectors

2

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Author POV

The wolf pup let out a pitiful whine. Jimin slowly approached it, twigs snapping under his trainers. He wasn't as silent as the predator infront of him.

He could see the mechanism that would unlock the trap. He reached for it while trying to relax the shifter that he wasn't going to hurt him. He turned the locking mechanism, the clamp opened and the shifter bolted free.

It stood on 3 legs with one limp leg. It held it up, unable to put the leg down due to the bleeding. The wound was deep, the wolf pup looked at him once more with its yellow-green eyes then it took off running.

Jimin watched it disappear into the undergrowth. He felt a sense of longing for the creature. It didn't even turn around, only limped away. It must have escaped from one of the camps the shifters were kept in, at least until they earned the rank of Protector and lived alongside their human.

A shifter had 2 collar colours in their life time. A black collar, signalling they were still underage, not yet reaching adulthood. And then when they do come of age their collar gets exchanged for a white one. This means that the shifter is available to be bonded and for the trials to get them there.

Jimin trudged out of the forest and back onto the path he realised that he was going to be late for school when he checked his watch. He took off running unaware the shifter had moved to edge of the woods to watch him go, before it disappeared blending into the forest that it was built to blend into.

~*~

Jimin continued to school only arriving 5 minutes late as he had sprinted. He could see the headmistress ushering the last late comers into their areas of the school. Her Protector was perched on one of the benches located along the sides of the building. It was a giant hawk, sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for anything that posed as a danger to their human.

Jimin slipped into the doors and headed down the empty corridor to his classroom. He entered the room the teacher scowled at him for being late but said nothing indicating for him to sit down. Her Protector, a stoat was sat on her desk.

She began the lesson, and Jimin found himself dragged into completing maths, a subject that wasn't his finest area. He struggled through the math worksheet, too many scribbling outs and not as many answers.

He ended the maths lesson and headed to music lessons. It was an optional subject but Jimin loved it so much that his Dad had signed him up for them. Piano was his favourite instrument to play, and his voice had been compared to an angel's. He listened to the music teacher more intently than he did the maths teacher.

He played the piano when the teacher instructed them to practice their instrument skills. The class was only made up of 5 people including Jimin. So there was no fight for instruments. His hands glided over the keys just as his father had taught him. He played the piece he almost knew by heart. He wanted to perfect it one day.

~*~

Jimin always ate lunch outside, aside from when it rained. He pulled out his bento box he and his father made with care each night before school. Jaymin saw it as important to teach Jimin basic skills from a young age, teaching him to cook and have an enthusiastic approach to it would help him in the future.

Jimin thought his Dad was the best, he stood out in all the best ways possible. Rin too. He saw the shifter almost a second parental figure though he had never entirely voiced that. Jimkn never had to say anything to Rin but he always understood and knew how to act to lift his spirits. Whether it was allowing Jimin to lay against him, stroke his fur or simply cuddle up next to him letting Jimin explain what had gotten him down.

Jaymin and Rin were the best duo that Jimin knew. And he loved them both.

From where Jimin sat for lunch he could see the forest that borderlined the edge of one of the school fences. He could see the yellow-green eyes watching him. The wolf pup.

But unfortunately the headmistress saw it. Her Protector shrieked and flew over head circling around the wolf pup.

Jimin saw that she pulled out her phone. Jimin ran to the fence.

"Run!" He shouted at the wolf pup. The wolf's eyes seemed to understand his instruction and it ran. Jimin just didn't know why it hurt so much to see it run from him.

Jimin could see the headmistress on the phone. So he pretended that he was playing hopscotch in the area, pretending to be oblivious to the situation at hand. Those his eyes trailed to look at the forest every now and again. He knew the headmistress' Protector could go no further. Once bound to their human a shifter can go no further than 3 metres from their human without excruciating pain.

Jimin just hoped that the Shifter got far enough away not to be tracked. But then again it was injured.

~*~

The rest of the school day passed without much action other than some kids getting detention for throwing paint around the art classroom.

"Dad!" Jimin exclaimed when he saw his father across the school playground.

He ran up to him and was immediately encased in a hug.

"Are you alright?" Jaymin began to check his son all over for any sign of injury.

"Yeah why?" Jimin asked puzzled.

"I heard a shifter was sighted near the school. I wanted to make sure you were safe" Jaymin explained.

"I'm fine. It was only a wolf pup" Jimin told him.

"Only a wolf pup? How do you know that Jimin?" Jaymin enquired.

Jimin being an 8 year old child didn't notice his father was questioning him.

"I found it on the way to school, its leg was caught in a trap so I freed it." Jimin told him, excited.

"You did what?" Jaymin tried to keep his voice down.

"Did I do something wrong. It was seriously hurt Dad. Was it wrong to help it?" Jimin looked uncertainly at his Dad.

Rin looked concerned as well as he walked up to Jimin and butted him gently to try and reassure the 8 year old.

"No, of course you did the right thing?" Jaymin reassured his son.

Before taking his hand and pulling him home, Rin trailing behind them.

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Another chapter. I hope you liked it.

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Bye,
Winter