"You were talking about me."
Wolves scuttled quietly around the lit campfire, all gazing frightfully at the largest, tallest male sitting against the stump in front of the fire. A smaller, more petite male sat in front of him, his top bare, covered in bleeding marks.
Two weeks had passed ever since Jimin and Namjoon had had a picnic out in the forest, too close to their camp.
The moon was nearly full, the night still frigid. The only sound of the night that could be heard was that of labored breathing from the pained boy sitting submissively in front of the alpha, and the alpha's little growls of annoyance.
"Y-yes, b-but not-not in a b-bad way!"
The smaller male shrieked the last part as the whip-like object landed on the back of the silvery-haired male. At the edge of the circle of wolves, a tall male wolf with a white-and-grey dappled coat flinched at the sound of the smaller boy's scream of pain, followed by whimpers and pleads for the torture to stop. His green eyes were wide with mental pain upon seeing his mate being punished this badly, but if he stepped in, the Alpha would most likely kill him.
But no one around the circle of wolves said anything. No one dared to move as the alpha, his eyes a glittering gold, as he brought down the whip again several times. "I told you"—whip—"several times not to speak to my human unless it's in school"—whip—"did I not?" By the time the alpha stopped, his breathing harsh and ragged, the silver-haired male was limp and simply curled up on the floor in front of him, unmoving. His voice was unnervingly calm and collected, that was, until the alpha wolf broke into a fit of crazed laughs. The pack visibly flinched and backed away, and Seokjin stopped abruptly. "Get up."
The small male whimpered and struggled to stand.
"Seokjin," A petite wolf leaned over Seokjin's shoulder and lapped his hands as a mother would to her pups and she nudged him up. He dropped the weapon and collapsed backwards as if he had just broken from a trance. "Snap out of it. Look at what you've done."
Seokjin stared, blankly down at the boy that he had just recently sworn to protect a couple of weeks ago. Pained breaths escaped his lips and Seokjin stumbled back, landing with a thump on the dusty forest floor, mouth agape with shock.
Why is he so bloody? Why is he on the verge of fainting and why is he in pain—?
"J-Jimin...-"
The female wolf padded up and sniffed Jimin before moving over to lick Seokjin's ear and she sighed. "The prophecy's coming true. Claim your mate, Alpha, before you lose him to yourself."
"I-I didn't," Seokjin stared up in alarm at Taehyung, Jimin's future mate. The white-and-grey wolf hung his head, not meeting Seokjin's gaze, "I didn't do this!" He spun around and locked gazes with Jisoo. "Don't tell me I did this!"
Jisoo nudged Jimin up, who had shifted back into his wolf form with a soft little sigh, eyes closed. "I cannot tell you anything, Alpha." She lapped at the fresh wounds and Jimin let out a whine, the sound just so painfully similar to a puppy that had been run over. "Get ahold of yourself, that's all I can say. You don't want to follow in your father's footsteps, would you?"
Seokjin swallowed hard, not responding. He couldn't have done this. Not to Jimin. He was too young, innocent and...he was Jimin, for God's sake! He took another look at Jimin, gagged, stood, and ran off into the woods, retching almost everything he had eaten the past days.
-
Jimin flinched as he felt Taehyung's soft, warm hands rest against his hips. The two were residing in Taehyung's cave, with both of them in their human forms. Jisoo was crushing herbs against two stones, pressing the residue up against the open wounds on his back. The door to the cave was closed, and Jimin allowed the softest bit of a whimper to escape his lips. Taehyung's eyes glittered green and Jimin arched his back in pain.
"He p-promised n-not to hurt me a-any—more." Jimin hiccuped, gasping as Jisoo wrapped some sort of bandage around the wounds. "B-but he broke it."
"You know what days near the full moon is like." Jisoo interrupted with a soft growl. She landed her gaze on Taehyung and raised an eyebrow accusingly. "I told you to keep him away during this time."
Taehyung flinched. "All wolves must be present with the pack with the Alpha during the full moon. How else will you be able to communicate freely? It's the one time during the month that you are allowed to speak directly with them. To get answers."
"I have spoken with them long ago, Taehyung." She responded, "and they told me to keep our Alpha away from the pack until he finds his mate." She sighed and skillfully added some more bandages around Jimin's wounds. Jisoo looked away and pressed the bandages against his wound tighter. "And I still haven't figured out a way to keep us safe from him."
"But why?" Taehyung asked. "Is it necessary for us to run from our own Alpha? He was given the strength of the moon and the responsibility of the stars and swore to protect us. Why is he acting like this?" Taehyung looked desperate. "I do not have the ability to defy him...but is there anything that I can do?"
Jisoo looked disgruntled and she could only shrug as she leaned down to place a cloth under Jimin's head, her petite body curling up beside Jimin, their skin against skin. "Come. We must keep him warm and it's too late to light a fire."
Taehyung sighed, remaining in his human form to curl up beside Jimin's empty side and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Jimin's blue eyes met Taehyung's, tears welling up and falling down his cheeks. "M'sorry, Tae," He whispered and Taehyung only kissed him harder. Jimin whimpered and bunched up tighter, his small hands lacing with Taehyung's.
"Don't be sorry, my beautiful mate." Taehyung murmured. "Soon, spring will bring baby flower buds and sweet fruit for our pups to eat, warm sunshine and we will be happy."
Jimin smiled weakly, nodding. "I hope so."
