Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Just before the first sunray kisses the earth, right during the time when the grey of the night slowly melts away to make place for the greens and warm browns of the day, that’s when the deer come out to forage. They move slowly and gracefully around the area where the forest transitions into the open field of the clearing, nibbling the greenery here and there as they go, lifting their heads at the slightest noise, looking around in high alert, tilting their ears. 

Sometimes, Jimin watches them for a while. Just because he needs to eat, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy this art of creation the Forest Goddess has blessed them with. 

When he was only a pup, it was his mother who explained to him the beauty of the forest and the importance of being sensitive to its balance and needs.

“A wolf must be a creature of peace, who honors the divine creator by also honoring all of her creations. If a wolf favors destruction and greed, it is doomed, because all our future is joint with that of the forest and every creature living in it.”

She taught him many things – things he will forever remember – before she died, before she was ripped away from him. Just like they all were, on that day, when their spirits became one with the forest and the sea. 

Jimin has never forgotten her words, has lived by them ever since.

Her words are the reason why he approaches slowly through the thicket, carefully putting one big paw in front of the other, almost invisible and so silent, hat the deer don’t even have time to be afraid. When he finally pounces, he tries to make it as quick and easy for his prey as possible.

He turns back to his human form right after and sinks to his knees next to the one he just killed, its companions scattering away in the distance. It’s quiet around him, the morning birds startled into silence by what just happened.

With his fingers he collects some soil from the ground, damp from last night’s rain, exuding a deep earthy scent, and uses it to draw the familiar runes that his mother taught him right onto the deer’s ribcage, before putting both of his hands on top of it, the short fur still warm beneath his palms. He closes his eyes to whisper his prayer, thanking the Forest Goddess, asking her to let the deer’s spirit move on, so it can become one with nature.

When he’s done, he shoulders the heavy body and makes his way back to where he left his bag and clothes.

A while later, when he steps out of the forest, fully clothed and his stomach full of the roasted nuts and mushrooms that he had during a short rest, the sun has already risen high in the sky, its warmth making him sweat in his nape and on his shoulder, beneath the deer’s heavy body.

The birds are back at it now, calling to each other in that beautiful way they do, the songs coming from everywhere and nowhere, making Jimin feel at peace, even though his body is aching with the familiar post-hunt feeling.

“Jimin!”

He looks up into the direction of Taehyung’s voice, his best friend jogging down the hill behind which their village lies, his brown fluffy hair bouncing up and down with each step.

“Do you need help carrying it?” The other alpha asks when he reaches him, nodding towards the deer on Jimin’s shoulder.

Jimin shakes his head. “I’m good. What are you doing out of bed this early?”

Taehyung purses his lips. “It’s not that early for me.” Then his pursed lips curve into a smile, his eyes sparkling when he leans closer, so close that his nose is almost touching Jimin’s neck, before he inhales deeply.

“Stop sniffing me!”

“Can’t help it,” Taehyung sighs before taking another deep breath through his nose. “You always smell so good when you come back from the forest.”

Jimin huffs, because he gets that all the time.

There is a part of his scent that he loves. Because it reminds him of his childhood and his family.

Of the home, so far away from here, that doesn’t exist anymore.

He smells of the warm sand at the beach, of the sun glittering on the water, of the ocean breeze…

He still remembers them: The long summer days, playing in the sand with his friends, collecting seashells and pretty pebbles, showing them off to his parents later. The times when his father would take him out to the sea with their small wooden boat, where they would wait for hours to catch a handful of fish, which Jimin and his mother would then cook for dinner later, with herbs from the little garden behind their log cabin.

He really doesn’t mind this warm ocean note of his scent, even though it is a bit too subtle for an alpha. He likes it because he feels comfortable being surrounded by it. 

There is another part of his scent however, that he is indeed a little embarrassed about. Whenever he is very content and happy, or when he gets really excited, an underlying note of his scent turns sweeter and warmer. Just like right now.

His happiness smells like honey.

Honey, of all things. One of the sweetest scents on earth.

Back then, everyone had been sure, if Jimin presented as an alpha, his scent would drastically change. But it didn’t. Not at all. And Jimin is glad that he got to keep the ocean breeze, the smell of his family and his home, with him. He just wishes the honey would’ve disappeared. Even if it’s rather subtle, it’s so un-alphalike, that it doesn’t mix well with his alpha pheromones, always sticks out like a sore thumb. At least to his own nose.

The good thing is: Most wolves seem to like his scent.

Omegas, because it’s pleasantly unobtrusive and gentle compared to other alphas’ scents and other alphas, because it doesn’t pose a threat to their senses. It’s a subconscious thing, something that’s deeply embedded into their brains from back then, hundreds of summers ago, when alphas in packs had to fight for their ranks. Another alpha’s scent, especially if it was a stranger, would set an alpha on edge, make them look out for potential threats, make them get ready for potential fights. Even though that’s not the case anymore, most alphas subconsciously still don’t find the scents of other alphas very pleasant and being around many alphas you don’t know can be quite exhausting after a while.

But not when it comes to Jimin. Even alphas he doesn’t know very well don’t mind being around him.

“I’m on my way to the fields,” Taehyung interrupts Jimin’s thoughts. “Seokjin brought me apple pie this morning and invited me to go berry picking with him and some of the omegas.”

“Ah,” Jimin laughs. “He’s courting you. Since you don’t have the balls to do so.”

The other alpha throws him a scandalized look and splutters. “Excuse me? I brought him flowers the other day!”

“Those were from your mother.”

“Yes, but I delivered them.”

Jimin raises an eyebrow and Taehyung ducks his head.

“Ah… I really need to step up my game, don’t I?” He rubs his neck, looking embarrassed.

“Yep.”

“I’m just… nervous.”

Jimin lets go of the deer’s hind legs, to land a hard punch against Taehyung’s shoulder, making the other grunt in pain.

“What are you nervous for, you big baby? Everyone can see you two are made for each other.”

A shy smile creeps on Taehyung’s face, while he rubs the sore spot. “Yeah, people keep telling me that… But- oh.”

Taehyung drifts off, looking past Jimin, his eyes fixating on something behind him.

Jimin turns to follow his line of sight.

Emerging from the forest is a familiar figure, with big careful strides. Even from here, Jimin can see the faint sheen of sweat on his naked chest, glowing in the hot morning sun, the muscles in his arms bulging from the way he’s carrying two dead boars on his shoulders. Two. 

Taehyung shoots him a worried look.

“He really went all out today, huh?” Jimin mutters between clenched teeth and feels a muscle in his jaw twitch when his eyes land on the three dead rabbits dangling from the approaching alpha’s belt.

Two boars. Three rabbits. Five dead animals. Five.

He takes a step forward.

“Jimin,” Taehyung warns. “Come on, it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!” Jimin hisses but his best friend’s hand on his back makes him stop in his tracks.

“Please,” Taehyung’s eyes carry a pleading look. “Not today. It’s Lunar.”

Jimin huffs and wets his lips, before taking a deep breath. Taehyung is right of course. It’s Lunar and whatever he would say or do wouldn’t change anything anyway, would probably just ruin his day.

“Fine,” he mumbles. 

Taehyung shoots him a quick smile, before turning around.

“Jungkook,” he greets. “Do you need help with that?”

Jungkook comes to a halt in front of them, his eyes grazing Jimin only fleetingly, before he looks at Taehyung. His black hair is tousled, some strands wet with sweat, sticking to his forehead.

He shakes his head. “No, I-“

“Nonsense,” Taehyung interrupts. “Give me one.”

Jungkook chuckles. “Alright.” He lowers himself to his knees, letting the two boars slip from his back with a grunt, before getting back to his feet, massaging his shoulder.

“Holy- fucking- How did you carry two of those all the way here?” Taehyung groans when he loads one of the boars onto his shoulders, staggering. “You’re a beast. What the-“

Jungkook snorts in amusement as Taehyung crashes into his side, the knots on Jungkook’s belt coming loose, resulting in one of the dead rabbits flopping to the ground.

“Careful.”

“Sorry,” Taehyung says, when he has found his balance again. “Going to bring this to the kitchen real quick before heading to the fields.” He turns to Jimin. “You coming?”

Jimin stares at Jungkook.

He knows he shouldn’t. He told Taehyung that he wouldn’t.

But the words are burning right at the back of his throat, the urge to let them out relentlessly pounding inside his head.

“Why did you kill so many?” It comes out tighter than intended.

“Jimin,” Taehyung throws him a pleading look, before his gaze briefly flickers to Jungkook, who has loosened the other knots as well and is squatting down now to retie them around the rabbits’ legs, ignoring Jimin’s question.

“Come, let’s go.” Please, Taehyung mouths.

Jimin shakes his head, making the other sigh silently and close his eyes for a moment. 

“Okay,” he then murmurs, before looking back at Jimin with a small smile. “Come by the fields if you have time?”

“I will.” 

“See you later, Jungkook.”

“Yep.” Is all the other says, before Taehyung turns around and makes his way up the hill, staggering under the weight of the boar.

Jimin waits a moment longer, until Taehyung is out of earshot, before he repeats his question.

“Why did you kill so many?”  

“Get off my back, Jimin.”

“It’s a waste of resources. A waste of life.”

Jimin watches Jungkook’s naked shoulders stiffen. “Leave me alone.” 

“We don’t need that much.” Jimin has trouble keeping his voice calm while gesturing towards the pile of dead animals. “Not even for the celebration tonight. All of us hunters went out this morning, we still have plenty of mushrooms, the hens had a lot of eggs yesterday and the day before, the berries are ripe, you didn’t have to-“

“We can bury what doesn’t get eaten tonight, to keep it fresh until next month.” There is an edge to Jungkook’s voice, the underlying annoyance more than clear in his tone.

“Jungkook, it’s summer. The soil is way too warm and wet for that.”

Jungkook should know that. Even pups know that. 

The other alpha rolls his eyes, Jimin can clearly see it, even though Jungkook isn’t looking at him, still squatting down and fastening the rabbits’ legs together.

“We can pickle or dry it, it’ll be fine.” 

Jimin grinds his teeth. “We don’t need that much.”

Jungkook pulls the last knot particularly tight with a jerk and a huff, before getting up and turning to look at him, his eyes narrow, his gaze sharp, the rabbits dangling from his hold.

“Well, but now we have it, Jimin,” he says with a tone that has the muscles in Jimin’s back tense. “I can’t un-kill them, can I?”

Jimin lifts his chin up high, makes himself bigger—or at least tries to do so.

“Exactly and that’s why you should be more mindful. Just— use your brain for once.”

Jungkook scoffs and takes a step forward. There’s an edge to his scent now, something challenging, that has Jimin’s alpha, that’s always lurking right at the back of his mind whenever Jungkook is involved, trying to push itself to the forefront, squaring up, trying to make itself bigger.

Jungkook’s size doesn’t help.

Technically he’s not that much taller, but there is a bulk to him, muscles that he seems to build annoyingly effortlessly and that Jimin could only dream of having. They make him look bigger, stronger and more intimidating. 

“You’re just mad that you didn’t catch as much as I did.” 

Jimin grinds his teeth, before he takes a step forward, getting right in Jungkook’s face, a low growl vibrating in his throat. He watches the muscles in Jungkook’s jaw clench at the sound.

“I don’t give a shit about stuff like that. I’m not like you.”

Jungkook’s laugh sounds dry. “Yeah. So different. So special,” he spits, before looking Jimin up and down. “So much better than everyone else, right?”

“I didn’t say that,” Jimin snatches the bundle of rabbits out of Jungkook’s hand, holding it up between them. “I just said we don’t need-”

The words die in his throat, coming to a raspy halt, when his eyes land on something. Something familiar. He hasn’t seen it before for some reason, probably blinded by the annoyance pulsing through his mind. 

Familiar patterns on the dead animals’ fur.

He sees them on the rabbits but also, when he lets his eyes travel, on the dead boar, lying on the ground next to them. He assumes the boar Taehyung was carrying earlier had them too.

They’re clumsily drawn, some lines too long where others are too short, the curves not quite right in many places, but there is no doubt: It’s the very same runes Jimin draws on his prey after killing. The same runes that he drew on the deer this morning, that’s still resting on his shoulders.

The runes of their late pack, honoring the Forest Goddess and her gifts.

He has never seen Jungkook use them before and wonders when he started doing it. And why. He has never honored their old pack’s ways.

Never.

And this isn’t right. This is not how it’s supposed to be. Not at all.

Jimin’s eyes keep flickering from one dead animal to another and suddenly there’s hot anger forming in the pit of his stomach. It’s tiny at first, like a small seed, but then it grows and grows, getting bigger, burning hotter, making his heart race, making his mouth taste of ash and iron.

This is wrong.

He can smell the bitterness seeping from his own pores, as his eyes flicker back to Jungkook. The other alpha is staring at him, his shoulders and fingers tense, his scent on the verge of something… unsure?

“Don’t you dare,” Jimin hears himself hiss, watches Jungkook’s finger twitch, as if he’s holding himself back. The sudden fury that’s clutching Jimin’s chest at the movement brings a tremor to his voice that he tries and fails to mask with a shuddering intake of breath. “Don’t you dare use my ancestors’ symbols, that are honoring what the forest is providing us, for your greedy slaughter-fests.”

Jungkook keeps staring at him, the sudden silence around them so heavy that it hurts Jimin’s ears. Something flickers across his face that Jimin can’t decipher, before the look in his eyes turns cold and hard. His huff is the first thing that breaks the silence, before he rolls his eyes, yanking the rabbits from Jimin’s hold.

“I can do whatever I want,” he says, as he fastens the rabbits to his belt, before turning around to shoulder the boar. “They are my ancestors too.”

Jimin barks out a bitter laugh, just as bitter on his tongue as the words that tumble from his lips next.

“Then fucking act like it.”

Jungkook stops in his movements. Just for a moment. And then he does something Jimin hasn’t seen him do in a long time: He walks away. Without even trying to have the last word.

The anger inside Jimin rises to a new boil and it mixes with bitter sadness. A familiar type of sadness, he hasn’t felt in a long time either. 

“Why now?” He rasps.

When the other alpha doesn’t even react, he growls and stomps after him.

“Jungkook.” 

He doesn’t get far. Right before he reaches him, Jungkook turns around so fast, that the dead rabbits on his belt almost whip Jimin in the stomach.

“Can you, for once in your fucking life, shut up?”

It’s not the words that make Jimin stop and clamp his mouth shut.

It’s also not Jungkook’s eyes, that are now blood red, glowing with hot anger.

It’s the fact, that for a short moment, Jimin’s nose catches a bitter whiff of disappointment in Jungkook’s scent.

It’s gone so quickly, that Jimin isn’t sure if it was even real, replaced by Jungkook’s usual scent of amber and pine, his eyes turning back to their usual brown color just as fast. Only Jungkook’s lips, pressed into a thin line, show that it’s a cover to hide whatever is going on inside of him.

When Jungkook turns around this time, every word has died in Jimin’s throat. He can only watch as Jungkook makes his way up the hill, as the muscles in his back and calves keep tensing with every step under the weight of his catch. Jimin can’t help but feel confused. Annoyed, on edge and confused. And sad. And disappointed too. 

He feels many things when it comes to Jungkook.

It wasn’t always like… this between them.

With both of them growing up all the way down in the South, right by the sea, as part of the same pack, they’ve known each other for almost all their lives. 

Back then, they weren’t close or anything. Jungkook was quite a few summers younger than Jimin, they didn’t really hang out, didn’t have any common friends and their families didn’t know each other that well either. Jimin knew Jungkook’s name and face and that was it, their paths rarely crossed when they were children.

But when their families were ripped from them, when their whole pack was slaughtered in front of their eyes by the hands of humans, and when they – ten summers old Jimin and seven summers old Jungkook – were the only ones left, Jungkook clung to Jimin’s arm, as if Jimin was the most important thing in the whole world to him.

And Jimin is sure, back then, for a short while, he was.

He still remembers the feeling of Jungkook’s wet face in the crook of his neck when he cried himself to sleep in Jimin’s bed the first few nights after their arrival at the Kim pack, still remembers the feeling of Jungkook’s trembling body in his arms, every time the younger woke up from another nightmare.

He also remembers the sharp jab of rejection when, after about two summers, from one day to the next, Jungkook suddenly didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore.

Jungkook has never been a big talker, has never really shared his feelings, not even with Jimin. Not vocally at least. But he shared them silently.

So when Jungkook suddenly left Jimin’s side– after two summers of silently crying together, silently holding each other when the pain of their loss became unbearable and, later, sharing small moments of careful happiness – Jimin was confused.

“Come by my cabin later?” He asked Jungkook almost every day. “We haven’t hung out in a while.”

“Sure,” Jungkook said and smiled but the smile didn’t reach his eyes, and he never came to Jimin’s cabin either.

The few times Jimin got him to hang out with him, Jungkook was tense, always seemed on edge.

“Jungkook, what’s wrong?” Jimin asked, not just once, not just twice, but about a hundred times whenever he got the chance to talk to Jungkook alone. Which got increasingly harder, given the fact that Jungkook went out of his way to avoid him.

“Nothing is wrong, I’m fine.”

“Why are you avoiding me? I miss you.”

When Jungkook looked at him, for a moment, he looked like he was about to cry. But when Jimin took a step forward and reached out to him, he flinched back. And Jimin’s heart broke.

“I’m not avoiding you,” Jungkook said but he didn’t sound convinced himself.

“Jungkook…” Jimin took another step forward. “Did I do something?”

“No…”

“Then please tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong, it’s just— maybe we should start hanging out with other people too? Not just the two of us.”

Jungkook’s eyes were big when he was saying it.

Jimin blinked. That was all? Jungkook wanted to make other friends?

“Of course,” he exclaimed. “That—yeah, we should do that, but— that doesn’t mean we have to stop hanging out, does it?”

Jungkook worried his lower lip. “It’s just… can we maybe… just for a little bit, can you maybe leave me alone?”

Jimin swallows hard. So it was something he had done. He had done something and now Jungkook didn’t want to be his friend anymore.

“Can you just tell me what I did?”

Jungkook shook his head. “You didn’t do anything. I promise.”

He sounded so serious, so earnest in his words, that Jimin almost believed him. And how could he refuse Jungkook’s request, when the younger looked so… utterly lost and utterly determined at the same time.

“Okay,” he whispered.

Maybe, Jungkook just needed some time away from him. Maybe he needed to figure out this new life, that they both stumbled into against their will only two summers ago. Maybe he wanted to find himself. That was understandable of course.

So Jimin did what Jungkook asked him to do. He left him alone.

Whenever their eyes met from afar, they would smile at each other, but Jimin couldn’t help but notice how tight-lipped Jungkook’s smile looked.

And in no time, Jungkook wasn’t smiling at him anymore. Wasn’t looking at him anymore, not even in his general direction.

At that point, of course, everyone knew that something was wrong.

Jimin and Jungkook, the two young wolves from the slaughtered pack who sought rescue at theirs, who used to be so close, suddenly didn’t look at each other anymore. The change didn’t make sense to anyone, especially not to Jimin. And it hurt. Goodness did it hurt.

Before, Jimin hadn’t been aware how precious Jungkook and what they shared had been to him. But from that point on he was. He realized that Jungkook, his only connection to what’s once been his home, what’s once been his life, was the most important thing in the world to him.

“Give him time,” Namjoon’s mother, the Kim pack’s Head Alpha, said, when she found him brooding over it again one day. “He’s so young and probably overwhelmed… confused. He’ll come around.”

But Jungkook didn’t come around.

Jungkook started to talk more. To others, not to Jimin.

He found friends. Friends that were not Jimin. Something that he apparently always wanted. And he still didn’t look at Jimin.

Jimin found friends too, friends that were not Jungkook. But he always thought about Jungkook, his eyes always searching for him, his mouth always wanting to talk to him.

It was shortly before Jimin’s eighteenth birthday, when he tried to talk to Jungkook for the first time again. He’d sworn to himself that he would never do it again if Jungkook rejected him, but he had to try. It was eating him up from the inside, the question where he went wrong.

It was a cold and stormy day, the sky was grey, and small raindrops found their way down to the ground. Jimin listened to the wind rustling through the leaves behind him and kept his eyes closed, enjoying the rain landing softly on his face. Above, he heard the cawing of a crow. He opened his eyes to watch the black bird passing and disappearing, being swallowed by dark clouds, which announced an upcoming thunderstorm.

With a sigh he reached out to the headstone in front of him, caressing it carefully, sliding his fingers over the rough surface.

The memorial, which the Kim pack had built in honor of Jimin’s and Jungkook’s pack, was located on top of the highest hill, right next to the forest.

There hadn’t been any bodies to bury. Back then, many days had passed by the time Jimin and Jungkook had finally made it to the Kim pack – which had always been good friends with theirs – Jungkook riding on the back of Jimin’s wolf because he was still too young to stay in his wolf form for too long.

The Kim alphas got ready right away, traveled to the small settlement by the sea to see if there were any more survivors, even though Jimin, choked by violent tears, assured them that everyone was dead, that he only found Jungkook in the rubbles of their homes.

By the time they got there, the humans had already started tearing the remnants of their homes down, building their own on the burned ground. No wolf was left.

They had granted Jimin his wish of a natural memorial stone for their pack, without any decoration.

Now that Jimin was standing in front of it, he once again thought that they would’ve liked it. The simpleness of the headstone, with the runes carved into it, honoring their Forest Goddess, the wild way in which the grass was covering the earth around the area where they had dug a hole in the ground to lower the stone into it. Even after all those many summers it still looked slightly different than the ground around it, like a deep scar in the landscape, which had not entirely healed yet.

Just like the scar inside Jimin’s chest, that hasn’t entirely healed yet either. Every time he thought about them, about their pack, about his parents, about his friends, it felt as if his heart was about to be swallowed by a dark hole and he wanted nothing more than to cry and cry and cry, but he always told himself that he had to be strong. They wouldn’t want him to be swallowed by darkness, they would want him to live a bright and happy life.

The faint scent of amber and pine hit his nose only a moment before he heard the rustling behind him. 

When he turned around, Jungkook was standing there, looking a bit taken aback at seeing Jimin, maybe slightly worried.

Jimin couldn’t blame him, he usually didn’t come here this early in the day, knew it was Jungkook’s time to visit the memorial.

He did it on purpose, had waited for Jungkook, wanting to try and talk to him one last time. About why they grew apart, why Jungkook pushed him away, about what the fuck he had done to make Jungkook hate him.

He let his eyes wander over Jungkook’s form, who was Jimin’s height now, even though he was younger, taking in the furs he was wearing. New ones, that Jimin had never seen on him before. New ones, again.

Jimin felt his jaw clench.

It wasn’t new to him, that Jungkook started adapting to the Kim pack’s ways. Ways that were highly wasteful in Jimin’s eyes, ways that would’ve been highly wasteful in their old pack’s eyes too, in the eyes of the Forest Goddess. Jimin didn’t blame the Kim pack of course, they grew up this way, didn’t know any better, but Jungkook… Jungkook should know better.

He let his gaze wander lower, stopping at Jungkook’s hand, where a single rose, deep red, was held by long fingers.

Another spike of anger rushed through him. Wolves from their old pack would’ve never plucked flowers for aesthetic reasons. He almost felt offended that Jungkook brought one to decorate their memorial.

“I’ll come back later,” Jungkook mumbled, before turning.

“You can stay,” Jimin said quietly. “I’m done.”

Jungkook turned back around.

“But…” Jimin knew the shuddering intake of breath gave away how nervous he was. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Jungkook’s slightly confused expression turned into something defensive right away.

At that, the anger inside Jimin boiled even higher.

Anger came easily to him these days. Namjoon’s mother said it might be, because he was about to present as an alpha soon.

Being that angry all the time was new to Jimin and he hoped it wouldn’t get any worse if he really presented as an alpha. He didn’t like being angry, it wasn’t in his nature. But right now, he couldn’t help it. Jungkook’s behavior, the way he changed, it all made him so fucking furious.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jimin couldn’t help but hiss, the bitterness of his words spreading in his mouth, seeping from his pores, tainting the fresh air around them. “We used to do that all the time, remember? Talking.”

Jungkook, for a moment, seemed shocked by Jimin’s unusually harsh words, maybe also by his bitter scent. But then he caught himself and straightened his back, his expression turning hard.

“Well, what is it? I’m in a hurry, we’re going on a hunt.”

Jimin almost choked on his own spit. A hunt. Again?

It was something the young unpresented wolves started doing a while ago: Trying to contribute by helping the alphas hunting, training for the day they would present as alphas too. At least most of them hoped they would.

“You guys went hunting yesterday,” Jimin said between clenched teeth, his fingers flexing.

“And?”

“And a couple of days ago too, you’re taking too much!”

Jungkook’s eyes turned dark at that.

“Taking too much from whom exactly?”

“The Forest Goddess!”

For a moment, Jungkook pressed his lips together, as if he was trying to hold himself back. 

“We’re not taking too much. The pack needs to eat.”

“We have enough to eat!”

“Well, if you’re satisfied with only the bare minimum in life, just to make your Forest Goddess happy, you can keep doing that. Nobody’s stopping you. But leave us alone.”

Jimin swallowed hard at the fact that Jungkook singled him out like that, not seeing Jimin as part of the… us.

“My Forest Goddess?” He whispered. “She’s your Forest Goddess too, Jungkook.”

Jungkook’s eyes held something so incredibly cold that his next words sent a shiver down Jimin’s spine.

“I don’t care about her.”

Something hard formed in Jimin’s throat and he was almost scared to open his mouth, because he knew his voice would be quivering. He felt his hands shake too.

“She… she used to be the center of our lives back then. How can you say you don’t care about her? How can you be so…” He looked Jungkook up and down. “Like this?”

“Like what?”

At Jungkook’s defensive tone, as if Jimin was falsely accusing him of something, as if Jungkook had no idea what the fuck Jimin was talking about, the hot anger inside Jimin’s gut exploded.

“Exploiting the forest! Exploiting nature!” He took a couple of steps forward. “This!” He gestured at Jungkook’s pelts. “New clothes all the time, going hunting way too often!” He pointed at the rose in Jungkook’s hand. “Cutting flowers!” He knew he should stop, but it almost felt like the boiling heat inside him would make his brain explode if he wouldn’t let it out. “How can you betray our families’ believes like that?”

There was a spike in Jungkook’s scent, something that Jimin had never smelled before and that he couldn’t place, but for one heartbeat it made him absolutely sure that Jungkook would definitely present as an alpha.

“Because they’re not my believes.” His tone was hard and the words made Jimin’s heart sink but before he could retort, Jungkook went on. “And why are you even keeping track of what I do?” His voice sounded strangely arrogant now, with a ring to it that Jimin had never heard from him before. “You really need to stop being so obsessed with me.”

Something big and ugly exploded inside Jimin, something so rotten that it made his lungs constrict and then collapse. He didn’t know where it came from, but it ripped a noise from his throat that hurt his vocal cords and made him lunge, giving Jungkook a hard shove, who stumbled back with a grunt.

“They would hate you,” Jimin spat, before he could stop himself, giving the younger another shove. “They would fucking hate you!” A third shove. “Our pack,” a fourth. “Your parents,” and a fifth. “They would all fucking hate you!”

Jimin could feel Jungkook’s low growl in the air around them, the rumble traveling through his entire body. It was the only warning he got before the impact of Jungkook’s hands against his shoulders made him lose balance and he fell to the ground.

Then it was a blurry mix of Jungkook on top of him, of Jungkook under him, of his fist making contact with Jungkook’s cheek, of Jungkook’s fist making contact with his face, a blurry mix of rage and pain and blood, a blurry mix of them rolling around, throwing and blocking punches, shoving and kicking.

The air around them was thick with anger and fury and it made Jimin’s heart race, made him sweat profusely, clogging his nose and his mind.

A strangled sound left him when Jungkook put his entire body weight on top of him, grabbing Jimin’s throat with both hands, squeezing hard.

“They won’t ever know what I’m doing,” Jungkook hissed, tiny droplets of blood splattering from his mouth on Jimin’s face, from where one of Jimin’s punches had made him bleed. “Because they’re dead!”

He leaned closer, his ragged breath fanning over Jimin’s heated face, that’s wet with sweat and blood, the pungent stink of rage heavy in the air around them.

“They’re dead, you hear me?!” There was a quiver in Jungkook’s voice and his grip around Jimin’s throat tightened even more. “They’re fucking dead! And no fucking Forest Goddess is going to bring them back! They’re gone!”

At his words, all strength left Jimin. He could only lie there, taking in Jungkook’s face and the pain in his eyes, that was obscured by a thick veil of anger, but still unmistakably there.

Jungkook’s grip around his throat loosened.

“They’re dead,” the younger repeated, quieter this time, his voice trembling violently, before he took in a shuddering breath, almost like a gasp. Then again and again, almost as if he was suffocating, his eyes wide. Then he got up to his feet, staggering a couple of steps backwards, disappearing from Jimin’s sight.

It took Jimin a couple of moments to calm down and collect himself. When he sat up and looked around, Jungkook was gone. All that was left, was the single red rose on the ground, where Jungkook must have dropped it.

Jimin swallowed hard. His throat hurt, where Jungkook had gripped him so hard, and something deep inside his chest hurt too.

He staggered to his feet, picking the red rose up from the ground.

He caressed the petals carefully, sliding his fingers over the leaves and the thorns, before turning around and placing it on top of the memorial stone.

On his way back home, he cried.

That night, both Jimin and Jungkook presented as alphas.

From what Jimin heard, Jungkook, who was way too young to present, had an extremely rough time.

The rest of the pack wondered, of course, how the two could present on the exact same day. Jimin knew it must’ve been their fight that triggered it, but he didn’t tell anyone. And apparently Jungkook didn’t tell anyone either, because soon the others shrugged it off as coincidence or maybe the fact that they came from the same pack and, even though they weren’t close anymore, had some kind of deeper connection.

You would think their inner alphas being awake now and thrown into the mix, made their relationship even more complicated. But to Jimin, it almost made it easier.

Easier, because being angry with Jungkook came almost naturally to him now, his inner alpha latching onto the tiniest spark of irritation to blow it up into complete and utter fury.

In the beginning, they butted heads almost every day, their arguments turning into physical fights within the blink of an eye, if nobody was present to keep them apart. For most of their first summer as alphas, both Jimin and Jungkook constantly walked the grounds with at least a split lip or a bruised cheekbone.

Jimin hated himself for the sick satisfaction he felt each time his fist connected with Jungkook’s face, each time he heard Jungkook’s pained grunts or the crack of bones.

And the same seemed true for Jungkook, judging from his grin, every time he beat Jimin in a fight.

As time passed, as they got used to their inner alphas and learned how to control them, they were able to stay more grounded and the physical fights eventually stopped.

That didn’t change the fact, that they kept getting angry at each other.

And even though Jimin never wanted to be the angry type of alpha, when it came to Jungkook, he didn’t mind. Not at all.

Anger was easier than sadness after all.

Inevitably, Jimin runs into Jungkook again, only half an hour later in their community kitchen, where those who are on cooking duty are already in the midst of the preparations for tonight’s Lunar festivities.

There is a heavy mix of delicious smells hanging in the big room, the sizzling sound of things being cooked and fried filling the air, omegas, betas and alphas talking and laughing loudly, some of them rushing from one end of the kitchen to another, to help out wherever they can.

“Morning, Jimin,” a voice says next to him and Jimin turns to look at Hoseok, who is currently hands deep in a bucket with water, washing a thick layer of dirt off of some potatoes.

“Morning,” Jimin greets back before his eyes wander through the room to search for Hoseok’s mate.

“Morning, Yoongs,” he says when he spots the omega.

“Hey,” Yoongi smiles from where he’s mixing some kind of dough with a thick wooden spoon.

Jimin makes his way through the room, the deer heavy on his shoulder, and his eyes find Jungkook’s, who is standing at the far end of the long table, both boars placed on top of it, working on skinning one of them with a big knife. He throws him a look that has Jimin’s inner wolf back at the verge of anger within a heartbeat.

He knows he shouldn’t do it, but their encounter earlier already has him in a mood. So he audibly huffs when he lets his eyes roam over the table while approaching, where there is no space left because Jungkook’s boars are taking up the whole of it.

“Move,” Jimin says, eyes snapping towards Jungkook and holds his chin up high. “You’re taking up too much space.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Wait until I’m done,” he says and turns around to keep working on his boar.

Jimin feels his alpha-pheromones spike in an attempt to intimidate the other.

“I said move.”

“And what if I don’t?” Jungkook scoffs. “You going to stand there and whine about it the whole time?”

“No, but I’m going to take that boar and shove it-“

“Jimin and Jungkook.”

Jimin turns to look at Yoongi, who’s eyes flicker back and forth between them for a moment, his voice soft but firm.

“Either stop it or leave. Both of you. You’re making some of us uncomfortable.”

Jimin looks around the room that has become awfully quiet, and his gaze lands on a young omega boy – freshly presented, judging from his overly sweet scent – whose face is bright red, his fingers twitching nervously, while he’s separating sunflower seeds from their shells.

Jimin feels bad. And a little ashamed. Their aggressive alpha pheromones must be unbearable for him.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, the omega boy giving him a weak smile. “I’ll go. Can someone…” He gestures at the deer on his shoulders that still needs skinning.

“I’ll take care of it,” Hoseok says, stepping up behind him to take it from him, before putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“Thank you.”

Jimin leaves without sparing Jungkook another glance.

Jimin decides to join Taehyung, Seokjin and the others, who are still out on the fields, to distract himself.

Picking berries isn’t a task that many alphas spend their time with, but Jimin doesn’t mind it. He finds it pleasant to be outside in the sun, ambling and chatting with the others.

The berries sit there like splashes of color in the green bushes, reds and blues and purples, chubby and juicy, their sweet scent tickling Jimin’s nose when he plucks them, their juices covering his fingers. He can’t wait to eat some of the pies the omegas will make with them for the festivities later.

“You’re stressed.” Taehyung’s deep voice is gentle as he steps up next to him.

Jimin sighs, before he mutters: “I know, I know. You told me.”  

“Mhm.”

“He told you what?” Seokjin asks, approaching them with careful steps to avoid knocking over any of the buckets on the ground, his raspberry scent blending in with the scent of the fruit around them almost seamlessly.

Jimin sighs. “Nothing.”

“Did you fight with Jungkookie again?” He asks, talking quietly so the others don’t overhear them. 

Jimin sighs again. He doesn’t meet the omega’s eyes and can’t help the defensive tone when he answers.

“It wasn’t a bad fight.”

He’s a bit embarrassed sometimes at the fact that he just can’t seem to control his temper when it comes to Jungkook. He’s the older one, should be more mature. He also prides himself on being in close communion with nature, on being gentle and kind, not obsessing over competing with other alphas, not obsessing over being bigger, stronger, faster... Not obsessing over getting his way at all cost. Except when it comes to Jungkook.

Jungkook just totally throws him off balance. And it annoys him.

Seokjin chuckles softly, before raising his hand and flicking Jimin’s forehead.

“Ouch!”

“Stop brooding like that on Lunar.”

“I’m not brooding,” Jimin mumbles. “I’m just not in the best mood.”

“Well, I hope your mood is going to lighten up before the party tonight. Can’t have you there all gloomy like that. No omega would want you.”

“I think he’ll be fine,” Taehyung interjects, before Jimin can answers that he’s not even looking for an omega tonight. “Many omegas like the gloomy type of alphas. That’s how Jungkook gets so many.”

Jimin grinds his teeth and rolls his eyes.

“Hm…” Seokjin taps his chin. “I guess you’re right. Although… I for my part like alphas with a bubbly personality better.” He throws Taehyung a blinding smile, which has the alpha’s ears bright red in the matter of just a heartbeat.

“Oh, really?” Taehyung clears his throat when his voice comes out rather high-pitched. “I mean… thank you. Wait! I mean…” He laughs loudly. “Are you talking about me?”

When the second-hand embarrassment gets too much to bear, Jimin squats down to escape the situation and sorts through the berries in his basket, putting those that have been burned by the sun to the side.

It’s true what Taehyung said. Jungkook is insanely popular. Not just among omegas, even betas are courting him.

As far as Jimin knows, Jungkook is not courting any of them back, seems uninterested in courting and mating in general. Not uninterested in sex though. Many unmated omegas and betas their age are more than ready, lining up even, to spend Jungkook’s ruts with him, or even to keep him company in bed outside of his rut.

Jimin would lie if he would say he isn’t jealous.

It’s not that he’s lonely. And he’s not particularly unpopular among omegas and betas either. There are quite a few gorgeous wolves he has spent the nights with.

It’s just annoying how unfairly easy it seems for Jungkook. That he doesn’t even try and still gets everyone and everything.

Jimin wishes he could say he doesn’t understand what others see in the alpha but honestly, it’s not surprising. Jungkook is a very good-looking wolf and on top of that one of the strongest alphas in the pack, even at his age. He’s young and vital. An alpha in his prime and perfect mating material. Jimin does get why so many wolves feel drawn to him, on an instinctual level but also on an interpersonal level, because, when it’s not Jimin, Jungkook doesn’t seem the worst guy to be around.

And the fact that he gets it, annoys Jimin even more.

He wonders, if Jungkook will bed an omega tonight yet again. He probably will, considering that he always does during Lunar. Not that Jimin keeps track…

Suddenly, memories of that day, that specific Lunar night, flash through his mind.

He swallows thickly, stealing a glance at Taehyung and Seokjin, who are still attempting to flirt like the idiots they are, and makes sure to suppress the bitter note of shame that’s immediately seeping into his scent.

Not even Taehyung knows about them. About the thoughts Jimin had that night. 

It was almost exactly five summers ago, during a Lunar night in early fall.

That specific Lunar celebration five summers ago, their pack wasn’t celebrating alone.

It’s tradition in every wolf pack to celebrate the time when the Moon Goddess created the very first wolf from a spec of lunar dust during full moon. And sometimes, packs celebrate together.

That night, another pack, which they had been friends with for a long time, travelled from quite far to join them. They didn’t get to see each other often because of the many mountains between their homes and the excitement was palpable in the air even days before.

Very early into the festivities, the older wolves were already conversing and laughing loudly, arms around each other, some already swaying from the alcohol… Just how it always is when you meet old friends you haven’t seen in a while.

And even though Jimin didn’t really know any of the wolves from the other pack, the atmosphere, which was vibrating with positivity and joy, made him feel good. He was tipsy, the melodic music and the beat of the drums loud in his ears, and he was dancing with an omega from the other pack. A beauty, with long red hair. She was small and smelled good, like a peach, obediently grinding back at him, leaning against his shoulder. She turned her head a bit, kissing his cheek, then his ear, then she whispered:

“You’re scent… it’s so different.”

Yeah, Jimin got that a lot.

“Not very alpha-like, hm?” Jimin chuckled, because that’s what people always told him. That his scent is so subtle for an alpha, that they’ve never met someone smelling of the ocean breeze and warm sun before, and that’s even before they know that his happiness smells of honey.

“Well, I like it,” the omega smiles against his cheek. “And I know someone else who would like it too.”

It took a while for Jimin to answer, too enthralled in how good her ass felt rubbing against his crotch.

“Yeah?” he asked, looking down at her sparkling eyes, grinning and lowering his head a little, so that his lips were almost touching hers. 

“Yes, my mate.”

Jimin brain stuttered to a halt and he stuttered in his movements too, stopped dancing immediately and took a step back, not touching her anymore.

“I… What?!”

She grinned and cocked her head to the side a little, showing off a very faint mating mark. Jimin heard himself gasps audibly even over music, panic starting to rise inside him, his hazy mind trying to make sense of the situation. How did he miss that fucking mark? What the fuck did he do?

He opened his mouth to say something, to apologize, or explain himself but she shut him up by trailing a long finger down his neck, to the collar of his shirt and tugs a little.

“It’s going to be fine, come on.”

And it was fine.

It was a threesome.

A threesome.

Somehow Jimin was a little nervous. He couldn’t say he’d been lucky enough to be offered a threesome before, it was a first for him and he said as much when the redhead omega, whose name he had forgotten already, introduced him to her mate, a beta guy. Which explained why he couldn’t really smell him on her.

Jimin’s pants tightened embarrassingly fast when the guy gave his mate a longing kiss and then proceeded to do the same to Jimin, without even waiting for his reaction. Jimin had no complaints of course. The guy was hot, with his dark hair and tan skin, and smelling faintly of the omega’s peach scent.

The pair didn’t mind him being inexperienced in the realm of multiple partners. They said it was cute, that he was cute.

They had another cup of wine which they shared, until they all found themselves sitting in a spot in the grass, close to the fire, close together, Jimin in the middle.

And they were getting bold, kissing and touching relentlessly, not caring about where they were and who could see them. Jimin’s mind was blank and his body was buzzing from alcohol and arousal and the undivided attention he had on him from two hot wolves. His alpha was so content, that he could almost hear it purring inside his head.

It was when his nostrils got a whiff of amber and pine that the comfortable buzzing stopped. He broke the kiss he and the girl were currently exchanging and turned his head into the general direction of the scent.

Jungkook was sitting on the other side of the fire, facing them, an omega girl with short blond hair on his lap, who must’ve been from the other pack too, because Jimin had never seen her before.

Jimin had no idea when exactly they got there but he felt his cheeks heat up a little at being stared at by him in that kind of situation.

The omega next to Jungkook was trailing kisses alongside his neck, then proceeded to suck on his earlobe, but all the while he kept looking directly at Jimin, his sharp gaze burning into him. Then his hand wandered up, gripping into the omega’s hair tightly, making her gasp, still looking at Jimin. Something about it had a hot shiver run down Jimin’s spine.

Suddenly, the warm scent of amber and pine seemed to overshadow the one of peach, coming from either side of him. Jimin’s breath hitched. He bit his tongue when the scent got stronger, when heat kept unfurling inside of him.

Jungkook’s eyes darkened. For a moment, Jimin was afraid he might’ve heard him gasp, but then he watched as Jungkook’s gaze zoned in on the wolves on either side of Jimin, flickering between them.

And then realization hit Jimin.

He had two pretty wolves on either side of him, both of them running their hands along his thighs, his arms and through his hair.

Jungkook only had one.

Jimin was winning here.

He was outperforming Jungkook, the most popular alpha of the pack.

Jimin’s wolf immediately felt victorious and without any further hesitation, he lifted his chin, raising his eyebrows at the other. Jungkook’s eyes narrowed but Jimin couldn’t catch more of his reaction because the girl next to him grabbed his chin to make him look at her.

“Who is that?” She whispered against his lips, only for him and her mate to hear.

“Doesn’t matter,” her mate murmured, trailing kisses alongside Jimin’s neck. “We can do this better than them.”

And before Jimin could even contribute to the short conversation he cupped Jimin’s crotch.

He didn’t remember much after that, not even how they got to his cabin, his mind remaining hazy.

All he remembered was Jungkook’s dark eyes on him, when they left.

He also remembers the beta thrusting into him up from behind, while Jimin was balls deep inside the omega, and his hot breath against his ear when he whispered: “You can pretend I’m the alpha from earlier, if you want.”

And for some reason, Jimin did.

In his mind, he pretended it was Jungkook fucking him.

And he almost, just almost, popped a knot when he came.

The thing is, Jimin wasn’t one of those alphas who refuse to take things up their asses. He didn’t mind having betas, sometimes even omegas, fuck him every once in a while. He was sexually very open minded and convinced it’s healthy to try out new things.

But what did seem weird, even to him, was having someone’s cock up his ass and pretending it’s another alpha fucking him. And enjoying it. That’s just not… right. Especially not when the alpha was Jungkook of all people.

Jimin’s inner wolf was on edge the next day, almost as if it was angry at Jimin.

And Jimin was angry at himself too.

Tonight, about five summers later, there is no other pack joining them, it’s just their usual get together among themselves.

And still, when Jimin and Taehyung arrive at the meadow, it’s already crowded, the mood merry, the people drinking and laughing. 

The area is richly decorated and there are several bonfires placed here and there, with adults sitting around them in the soft grass nursing their drinks, while the pups are playing at a little playground, which their pack had built quite a while ago. It’s still early, so they’re still up, but later their parents will usher them home and make them go to bed, even though they will complain about wanting to stay up, while yawning loudly at the same time.

It’s a clear night, the full moon illuminating the grounds, and it smells of a variety of roasted meats and mushrooms, of elderberry wine and nuts. The sound of people chattering and laughing is filling the air.

Even over all that noise, Jimin can hear his stomach growl, so the first thing him and Taehyung decide to do, is making their way to the long line of tables, set up with a variety of drinks and foods.

Taehyung is animatedly telling him the story of how his little sister face planted into the mud earlier today, acting out the way she flailed her arms around, and Jimin, watching him and giggling along, doesn’t really pay attention where he’s going, which inevitably leads to him colliding with a hard body.

Immediately he opens his lips to apologize, but only a heartbeat later he clamps them shut again, when the scent of pine and amber invades his senses and he realizes whom he’s just ran into.

“What the fuck,” he mutters and takes a step back. “Stop standing in the way.”

Jungkook looks down at him with an annoyed expression. “Are you blind? This is the line for food, dumb bitch.”

Jimin, who was just about to walk past him, stops in his tracks.

“What did you just call me?”

“Jimin,” Taehyung pleads next to him, grabbing his wrist. 

“No. What did you just call me?” Jimin’s inner wolf is on edge already, ready to pounce.

“I called you a dumb bitch and now stop annoying me.”

“Ah, Jungkook, here you are,” a voice behind Jimin exclaims and from the pleasantly sweet magnolia scent, Jimin can already tell who it is, even before the person squeezes past him, stepping next to Jungkook, linking arms with him. A quite familiar sight to everyone in the pack.

“Hi, you two!” Leyah smiles at him and Taehyung, her long brown wavy hair shimmering in the low flickering light of the fire, her eyes, that are the exact color of walnuts, sparkling almost mischievously. Which is also a quite familiar sight.

Leyah, being the same age as Jungkook, has always been a rather rebellious wolf, always causing trouble when she was younger. Even after presenting as an omega, she kept having that playful and easy-going aura around her. An aura that makes her liked by many. By omegas for being fierce, by betas and alphas because she’s interesting, loud and vivacious, somehow different from your typical omega. She’s easy to be around, fun to talk to and extremely pretty. The very tip of her left pinky is missing, where once a muskie bit it off when she tried to catch it with bare hands as a child, but that just adds to her uniqueness.

Jimin knows for a fact that Leyah and Jungkook are getting it on every now and then.

It’s of course no secret that Jungkook is getting it on a lot in general. Not just with Leyah. But Leyah seems to be one of his favorites.

Jimin sometimes wonders if it is because Jungkook genuinely likes her, or because of the way she’s so indifferent about everything, because she doesn’t want Jungkook to court her like many of the other omegas want him to, because she just wants to have a good time.

He shoots Jungkook another glare, who stares back at him with a similar expression. 

“Hi, Leyah,” he then mutters, before turning around to Taehyung. “Let’s go, Tae.”

It’s later that night – after Jimin has taken a seat in the soft grass, breathless and a little sweaty from dancing non-stop  – that Leyah slides next to him, a cup with sweet smelling wine in her hand.

“How are you doing, Jimin? Having fun?”

Jimin blinks and looks around. Jungkook is nowhere to be seen.

“Um… yeah. And you?”

The omega sighs, swirling the wine in her cup around. “A bit bored to be honest.” She pauses and grins at Jimin. “But watching you dance… that wasn’t boring at all. Always a sight for sore eyes.”

Jimin cocks his head to the side. “You like dancing?”

“I mean, I’m not the best at it myself but I like watching pretty people do it.”

Her cheeks are a bit pink, and she shuffles closer, her leg pressing against Jimin’s now.

Oh. This is new.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.

“So you think I’m pretty?”

Leyah snorts, her arm suddenly around Jimin’s shoulder. “Of course. Everyone does. You must know that, Jiminie.”

When Jimin just stares at her, she leans closer.

“I love your scent by the way. It’s so different.”

“Thank you.” Yeah, he really gets that a lot.

“So, this is what the ocean smells like? I’ve never been.”

Jimin hums. Most people in their pack, most people he meets in general these days, have never been to the ocean. The beaches are human-owned now. Jimin’s and Jungkook’s late pack being one of the last to be eradicated by them.

The ocean, the beach… they’re like a myth among wolves and whenever Jimin tells someone his ‘different’ scent is the scent of a warm sunny day on the beach, each time they visibly hold back not to lean in too far to sniff him, curious and intrigued.

“Yep, that’s it.”

Leyah hums, then she leans her head against his shoulder. “Smells delicious.”

He looks down at her. Yeah, this is new. And weird.

“Leyah, what is this?”

She makes a questioning sound and lifts her head to look at him.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“This.” Jimin gestures between them. “What are you doing?”

“Well,” she sits up tall, flicking a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I’m obviously flirting with you.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you’re hot.”

Jimin chuckles. “Thank you. You’re hot too.”

“A perfect match, don’t you think?” Leyah grins. “We’re both hot and both unoccupied tonight…”

That’s when Jimin catches the way her gaze flickers to something behind him.

He turns around, his eyes scanning the area, before landing on two people, sitting under a tree in the distance, half obscured by the darkness.

Jungkook and another omega.

Ah. Jimin chuckles. Maybe Leyah isn’t as indifferent about Jungkook as he thought she was.

“I see,” he smiles and turns back around. “You want to make Jungkook jealous?”

A pout forms on Leyah’s lips, her eyes flickering over to where Jungkook and the other omega are sitting closely together. She mutters something under her breath that Jimin can’t hear, before looking at him.

“Is that a problem for you?”

Jimin hums. “Not at all.”

He would actually love to see Jungkook’s face, when he sees Jimin with one of ‘his’ omegas.

Jimin really doesn’t mind Leyah’s scent. He lets the soft clouds of magnolia engulf him, when they, a while later, enter the bedroom of her cabin, which is located not far from where the festivities take place.

He didn’t necessarily plan to sleep with her, but after more wine, more conversations and a lot more dancing, they ended up where they are now.

He’s drunk. She is too.

They kiss and undress each other rather quickly, as if they’re in a hurry, her pheromones and the scent of her slick clouding Jimin’s mind, muffling his thoughts. The only thing very much clear in his head, while she pulls him towards the bed, is his alpha’s voice:

Jungkook’s omega, you’re about to fuck Jungkook’s omega, Jungkook’s omega, Jungkook…

The thought has Jimin rock hard in the matter of only a few moments, something hot and dangerous unfurling inside him.

There is no talking when Leyah hands him a vial of contraception medicine while giving him a ‘better safe than sorry look’. He takes it between his teeth and tips his head back, swallowing the flavorless liquid in one quick gulp, she doing the same with hers.

There is no talking when she pushes him onto the bed until he’s lying on his back and climbs on top of him. There is no talking, when she sinks down on him with a moan. She’s tight, dripping wet, and her scent turns sweeter and sweeter when she starts moving her hips.

Jungkook’s omega. Jimin’s drunk brain provides.

A growl forms inside his throat. He brings his hands to her hips to fuck up into her and closes his eyes.

Jungkook’s omega.

He feels like he’s losing his mind, the alcohol making him feel hot and hazy.

Jungkook’s omega.

Jungkook.

Jungkook.

“Jungkook—"

Jimin halts in his movements and for a very short and very scary moment he thinks it was him who said it.

But it wasn’t him, it was Leyah. 

Jimin doesn’t know if he should be offended that she said another alpha’s name or if he should feel bad for her. 

But then his senses are being invaded by amber and pine and he realizes he got it all wrong.

It takes a moment for his brain to catch on.

When his eyes follow Leyah’s gaze to the doorway, they find Jungkook’s immediately. They’re dark and sharp, pinning Jimin down from where he’s standing in the threshold of the room, a glowing red color bleeding into his irises.

Even with his mind clouded by alcohol, Jimin knows Jungkook’s alpha must be furious. Even with his mind clouded by alcohol, there is one thought very clear in his head: Fuck.

A growl echoes through the room and immediately, adrenaline surges through Jimin’s body. First it stems from a place of underlying fear and the prospect of a fight, but in his intoxicated state of mind, it only adds to his high. He feels alive. His wolf does too, it’s almost jubilant, happy with the fact that he's outdone Jungkook.

Without even realizing it, Jimin starts moving his hips again, just to make a point. Leyah moans out loud and when the unmistakable smell of raw anger reaches him, he feels a grin spread on his face. A grin that he knows says I win.

Jungkook’s eyes are fully red now and he’s looking at Jimin almost predatory, as if he wants to rip him apart and Jimin… Jimin knows he probably could and for some reason it makes his whole body shudder and his belly tighten.

When the scent of arousal in the room spikes, Jimin first thinks it’s his own.

But then he notices it’s laced with the warm scent of amber, that it’s interwoven with the scent of pine.

It’s Jungkook’s.

And it shakes Jimin’s instincts to the core.

Jungkook isn’t just angry. Jungkook is aroused.

Jimin swallows thickly and he watches as Jungkook steps further into the room, eyes never leaving Jimin’s, slamming the door shut.

Jimin doesn’t know if he should feel threatened or not, his thoughts muddled, his alpha is loud in his head, gnawing on his insides, telling him to get up and fight.

His fingers tighten on Leyah’s hips, trying to snap himself out of it, but he can’t stop staring at Jungkook, who’s still staring back at him, who steps closer and closer to the bed, slowly, who’s fingers are flexing, who’s jaw is working, his nostrils flaring. And closer. And closer. His scent getting stronger and stronger. His scent of arousal.

Maybe he imagines it because he’s drunk but suddenly Jimin thinks maybe it’s because of him. Jungkook has been looking only at him. Only at Jimin, not the omega on top of him, just Jimin.

His face feels hot, blood rushing through his head. He tries to calm down, to collect his thoughts...

“Alpha—"

His eyes fly to Leyah on top of him at the tone of her breathless voice and it takes a moment for him to understand that she’s addressing Jungkook, looking over her shoulder at the other. Jimin doesn’t even have it in him to be annoyed at the realization, his mind too fuzzy.

“Need you too—" She reaches behind herself, spreading her butt cheeks apart, collecting some of her slick from where Jimin is already buried inside her, slicking herself up with it. “You can have me too… here...” 

There is another low growl rumbling through the room and Jimin’s breath catches inside his throat when the Jungkook moves, when he pulls his clothes off with quick movements, eyes not leaving Jimin’s even once, his red gaze boring into him, making his heart race.

His drunk brain tries to make sense of what is happening.

Are they really doing this?

His gaze immediately flicker to Jungkook’s cock, already fully hard, when the other is completely naked. It whips up and down when Jungkook walks towards the bed, the muscles beneath his tan skin visibly tensing when he climbs on top of it, coming up behind Leyah.

The whole time, he keeps looking at Jimin. And Jimin stills his hips when he feels Jungkook’s thighs against the back of his own, forcing him to spread his legs more, to make room for him. Something about it makes Jimin’s cock throb, which has Leyah moan into his neck while she lowers herself flat on her stomach, her breasts pressing against his front.

Her moans turn even louder, when Jungkook slowly pushes inside her, the movement forcing Jimin’s legs even further apart.

Jimin realizes they must’ve done this before. Many times, for her to take Jungkook this easily. And it fucking bothers Jimin, makes a weird kind of jealousy spike inside him and suddenly, he feels unbearably hot.

And he can’t stop staring, up at Jungkook, who keeps staring back. He knows his own eyes must be glowing red now too, can see the thin red veil in the corner of his vision. His alpha is pushing him to take the challenge, but Jimin isn’t even sure if this is a competition or not, he’s too drunk to make sense of what’s happening in general.

All he knows is that, even when Jungkook starts moving, he can’t stop looking at him. He feels the slap of Jungkook’s thighs against his own, feels Jungkook’s thrusts in the way they move Leyah up and down on his cock. He’s being engulfed by alpha and omega pheromones, by the scent of arousal and slick, by the scent of magnolia and by the scent of amber and pine.

Everything feels tight and he's still being pinned down by Jungkook’s gaze. A shudder runs through him, when the tension inside him builds and builds. He knows he can’t hold back the moan, even before he parts his lips, even before he lets it slip out.

The sound is loud in the room.

Something flashes through Jungkook’s eyes.

Suddenly Jimin is grabbed by his wrists, his hands from Leyah’s hips, pushed into the mattress on either side of his head.

Jungkook leans closer, his thrusts quicker now, his breath hot on Jimin’s lips, the grip he has on Jimin’s wrists hot too.

Something about the display of dominance has Jimin’s inner alpha spike in a way that he has never felt before, the delicious mix of danger and arousal shooting a dark thrill up his spine, making his belly tighten more and more.

They’re still staring at each other, the sizzling heat between them multiplying with each heartbeat. Jimin’s pulse is racing, his alpha trashing inside him, bringing an edge to… this. An edge that has his cock throb violently.

And suddenly, everything is too much. Jungkook’s scent, his eyes on him. The hot tension pulls and pulls between Jimin’s legs, pulls him slowly towards the edge.

His eyes flicker to Jungkook’s lips. He can’t stop himself and Jungkook catches it, clamps his mouth shut, his jaw working, another low growl rippling through the air.

And then Jungkook leans in. Maybe Jimin leans in too.

When their lips and tongues slide together, it’s wet and warm and so soft, that it’s almost hard to believe the touch is coming from Jungkook, that Jungkook is capable of kissing him with such sweetness. And while their mouths are locked together, while their tongues are moving and exploring, there is heat, white, hot and ever-growing, curling in Jimin’s stomach and traveling downwards. He breathes heavily, gasping into Jungkook’s mouth and suddenly he can’t control his hips anymore. Everything is hot and his abdomen is tightening even more and then, with the sudden pain of Jungkook’s teeth nipping at his lower lip, the torturous heat explodes.

His vision goes white, his toes are curling, his cock pulsing in the tight heat around him and it feels so good, that it’s ripping a loud high-pitched moan from his throat, swallowed by Jungkook’s mouth on his.

When it’s over, Jimin pulls back, gasping for air, his lips tingling just like the rest of his body.

It takes a moment for him to realize that Leyah has come too. It smells of omega orgasm and she’s quivering on top of him.

“Fuck,” she gasps into his neck. “Fuck, I need…” She pushes herself up, before reaching behind herself to shove at Jungkook. “Sorry, I can’t….” She moves to let them both slip out of her, rolling off of Jimin and to the side, collapsing into the mattress, lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, still gasping for air. “Holy shit…”

Jimin can’t focus on her much longer because on top of him, Jungkook moves. Jimin watches, as he starts stroking himself with one hand, his cock flushed and heavy, the slick sound of his strokes loud in the room. Jimin’s fingers are twitching and suddenly he’s moving too, reaching out for Jungkook’s cock, almost… almost touching it. He can feel the heat right there at front of his fingertips, but then Jungkook’s free hand catches him by his wrist, yanking his hand to the side and pinning it down into the mattress next to his head again.

Jimin swallows thickly when Jungkook shuffles forward, closer to Jimin’s face, planting his knees on either side of his ribcage. The scent of pure alpha arousal hits Jimin like a slap, making white spots dance in front of his eyes and for one terrifying moment he thinks he might gag, and then, for another terrifying moment, he thinks he’ll get hard again and then he thinks he might lift his head and open his mouth to lick at Jungkook’s cock, to taste it.

The mess inside his mind is interrupted by a sound that has Jimin tear his eyes away from Jungkook’s cock, snapping them up to his face.

Jungkook’s lips are parted, still wet and red from kissing, his black hair slightly mussed, his eyes glowing red. He makes that sound again. A mix of a growl and a moan, a sound seeming to come from deep inside his chest. His fingers around Jimin’s wrist are tightening their grip, it’s almost painful now, but Jimin can only stare.

At Jungkook’s face and at the intensity written all over it.

At Jungkook’s red eyes that are clearly zeroing in on Jimin’s throat, that are staring right at the juncture between Jimin’s shoulder and his neck. 

Out of the corner of his vision, Jimin sees Jungkook’s hand speed up.

Something sharp and boiling hot ripples through him, when he realizes what is happening.

Jungkook wants to cum mark him.

Something, that usually only mates do, and even then it’s considered lewd: Coming on your partner’s scent glands to make them smell like you for days, to mark them as yours. 

How dare he.

How fucking dare he.

Jimin should be furious.

His alpha is furious. Trashing inside him, raging, clawing on Jimin’s mind.

But instead of stopping Jungkook from whatever he’s doing, the feeling is edging Jimin on, something unfurling inside him that he can’t decipher. It makes him slide his free hand between Jungkook’s thigh and his own body, to take hold of himself. It makes him suck his lower lip between his teeth to stop himself from moaning when he finds himself growing hard faster than expected, his fingers curling tightly around his cock, still covered in cum and slick. He doesn’t have much room to move, Jungkook’s thigh trapping his arm against his body, but it’s enough to stroke himself with short and quick movements, the feeling making him twitch, making his toes curl.

There’s a low growl rumbling through the room and when Jimin looks up, he finds Jungkook’s eyes still fixated on his neck, his pupils blown wide now, so wide that they’re swallowing up almost all of the glowing red around them.

Jimin feels breathless and somewhat out of his mind. Heavy tension pulls inside his head and inside his lower stomach. It’s the tension of his rapidly approaching orgasm as well as the tension between himself and his wolf. It’s as if he’s fighting a fight, as if he’s fighting his wolf to allow him to come. To come like this. With another alpha on top of them. Because of another alpha on top of them.

He watches as a bead of sweat rolls down Jungkook’s temple, feels sweat collecting on his own forehead too and on his arm and torso where Jungkook’s legs are pressing against him, the warm skin on skin contact suddenly turning into an unbearable heat.

Jungkook leans forward, putting more weight on where he’s holding Jimin’s wrist, his blunt nails burying into the delicate skin, while he jerks himself off quicker, harder. His breathing is labored now, little gasps tumbling from his parted lips, growing louder and more erratic. The sounds have Jimin’s legs twitch, a tingle spreading from his toes to his feet up the length of his body until he can feel it in his fingertips too.

He ignores his inner wolf, ignores his instincts, ignores the fact that he must’ve lost his mind.

A dark thrill shoots through him and his eyes don’t leave Jungkook’s face when he turns his head to the side, when he lifts his chin, when he bares his throat.

Jungkook falters in his movement, something hazy flickering through his eyes, before his eyebrows pull together and is mouth falls open. A moan leaves his throat that breaks around the edges, that turns airier and higher towards the end, almost like a whimper.

And then Jimin feels the hot wetness of Jungkook’s release on his skin, landing on his chest and his neck, trickling down his shoulder. It smells of arousal and cum and Jungkook.

Jimin’s second orgasm rolls over him so suddenly, that it takes his breath away. It explodes inside him. Fast. Intense. Choking him. Spilling out of him, covering his fingers. Making his entire body tremble and quiver, white spots dancing in front of his eyes.

He must’ve blacked out for a moment, because when he comes to, Jungkook’s nose is digging into one side of his neck, while his long fingers are spreading his cum on the other side, rubbing the wetness right into Jimin’s scent glands.

The audacity.

Jimin should be fucking furious but for some reason, his body and mind feel heavy and calm, his inner wolf suddenly quiet, almost content.

It takes a few moments for Jimin’s brain to catch on to what his wolf has long realized, even through the heavy smell of pheromones and orgasms.

A scent is hitting his nose, soft and gentle, curling around him.

He feels his mind slipping.

Home.

Jungkook’s scent of amber and pine, the scent of the forest, mixed with Jimin’s scent of the sun and the ocean.

Jimin’s inner wolf is purring inside his head.

It smells exactly what Jimin remembers their home used to smell like. The forest he used to run in when he was young, the cliff on the edge of the forest he used to sit on, overlooking the body of water below, that was glittering in the hot sun, that seemed to stretch endlessly…

Jimin turns his head to bury his face in Jungkook’s damp neck, where the scent of the forest is the strongest.

His cheeks are burning. His eyes too.

He feels safe.

Home.

He brings his cum-coated fingers up to press them against the side of Jungkook’s neck, rubbing the soft spot where he knows his scent glands are, spreading his own release there until the cloud of home around them turns even heavier, almost suffocating, but in the best way.

Jimin feels fuzzy and when Jungkook pulls back to look at him, he knows the other feels the same, because his eyes, that are back to their brown color, are clouded, his cheeks dusted red.

When Jungkook’s wet fingers travel from Jimin’s neck towards his face, Jimin lets him. Breathing in the scent of Jungkook’s cum.

When Jungkook’s wet fingers press against Jimin’s lips, Jimin parts them, letting them slip inside.

The moment the bitterness spreads on his tongue feels like the hit of an ice-cold wave.

Something shatters in Jimin’s mind and wakes his wolf from its stupor. Immediately it’s throwing itself against the forefront of his mind, snarling, raging with fury.

Red flickers in front of the eyes and he tastes the blood even before he realizes he’s bitten Jungkook’s hand.

He hears the other swear and then a loud growl, the air around them shifting, a bitter scent, something dangerous and hostile, seeping from both of their pores and suddenly Jimin feels sick.

He pushes Jungkook off of him, landing a hard kick to his stomach, before jumping off the bed, turning around and pressing himself with his back into the corner of the room.

The snarl coming from between his teeth is something he has never heard from himself before. Through the red veil of sudden anger, he sees Jungkook kneeling on the bed, clutching his bleeding hand to his naked chest, his eyes back to a glowing red, his teeth bared as well.

There’s an uncomfortable buzz in Jimin’s head, the bitterness in the air making his throat clog up, the sudden anger pulsing against his temples rippling all the way down to his jaw, hurting in his gums and teeth. When he takes a step forward, ready to pounce, the taste of blood still heavy on his tongue but not enough, Jungkook’s muscles tense.

“Stop!”

Jimin freezes.

“Alpha, look at me." Suddenly, Leyah is right in front of him, her warms hands cupping his cheeks, making him take a step back. She follows him.

“Alpha,” she repeats and the sound of his status from her mouth makes the trashing of Jimin’s inner wolf come to a halt. “It’s okay, alpha.” Her calming omega pheromones are tickling his nose, easing the ache in his head and making his shoulders relax. When he looks at her, she makes herself smaller and dips her head to the side, bearing her neck.

Jimin closes his eyes, takes a deep breath. Then another one.

His wolf latches on to the omega pheromones surrounding him, soaking them up like a sponge. A desperate attempt to convince himself that everything is okay, that he’s the alpha in the room.

It takes a while for the headache to slowly disappear until there’s only a dull feeling left behind and for him to be able to swallow down the bitter nauseousness.

When he opens his eyes again, Leyah is still holding his face, still bearing her throat, still submitting to him. Somewhere in her scent, hidden by the desperate waves of calming pheromones, Jimin can smell fear.

“Sorry,” he croaks, prying her hands from his cheeks. “I’m okay. Sorry… for this.”

Leyah takes a step back, exhaling with a shudder. “No need to apologize.” Then she turns around.

“Jungkook-“

But Jungkook is already up on his feet, collecting his clothes.

“Jungkook,” Leyah reaches out for him. “Are you okay?”

The alpha doesn’t answer, dressing in a hurry.

“Jungk-“

“Shut up.”

Leyah clamps her mouth shut.

“What happened tonight will stay in this room,” Jungkook’s tone is hard, but there is an underlying tremble in his voice and when he looks at her, his eyes are big. The stress in his scent is so pungent, mixing with all the other confusing scents around them in such a disgusting way, that it makes Jimin's stomach churn. 

Leyah nods sharply and Jungkook’s gaze only fleetingly grazes Jimin, before he turns around and makes his way to the door with quick steps.

When the door has fallen shut behind him, Jimin can finally breathe again.

He feels awfully sober and dizzy at the same time and his fingers are trembling just like his legs, when he stumbles through the room to collect his own clothes from the floor, throwing them on in a hurry. There is a heavy silence hanging over them.

When he's finally dressed he makes his way to the door without another word.

“I’m sorry, Jimin,” Leyah whispers, just when he puts his hand on the door handle.

A sudden thought makes him halt.

“Did you plan this?” He rasps and turns to look over his shoulder.

Leyah’s eyes are big as she shakes her head.

“No! I mean…” She blinks, a mix of guilt and confusion written all over her face. “I thought Jungkook might interrupt us but I didn’t think... I thought he would get jealous or whatever but…” She swallows audibly. “Whatever just happened between the two of you wasn’t supposed to happen.” 

From her scent Jimin can tell that she's telling the truth. But that doesn't keep the pulsating pain in his head from flaring back up.

“Are you okay?” He asks, even though the need inside him to just run is growing by a tenfold with each heartbeat. He knows witnessing and being in the midst of such primal alpha pheromones, especially the hostile kind, isn’t easy for omegas.

Leyah just nods, even though her lips are still a little pale.

“I am. And if you ever – I don’t know – need to talk? I’ll be there.”

Jimin averts his eyes.

“Thank you,” he mumbles, before stepping out into the cool night air.