Chapter Text
The tawny wolf pressed deeper into the forest, running ceaselessly, a journey that had already lasted days and was far from over. The first snowflakes of winter settled on his muzzle; he watched them with wonder and curiosity until, hours later, the snow had coated his golden fur and begun to lower his body temperature. The surrounding pine trees were alien to him, and he studied the vegetation, so unlike that of his homeland, with keen attention.
But weeks later, as he drew ever closer to his destination, Taehyung’s mood shifted drastically. His animal instincts sharpened, warning him to be cautious; every turn felt perilous, and every pause to eat or rest left him on high alert. His golden eyes scanned the sky as the full moon guided him through the freezing night. Taehyung anxiously weighed the risks of his situation. No pack welcomed a stranger like this with open arms, even when an important message had to be delivered, let alone when the messenger carried an item linked to a political conspiracy with an enemy pack during wartime, sent by a lone, unmated wolf of lower rank.
Taehyung was essentially a sacrificial pawn, deemed necessary by his people for whatever political agenda lay within the package he carried in his jaws. And despite having accepted the mission, he was terrified.
The wolf ran on for several more hours; the forest closed in around him, and the already biting cold intensified as a snowstorm approached. Solitude enveloped him, and his chest ached with anguish at having been chosen for a near-suicidal mission, especially after all the effort he had poured into gaining recognition as a soldier within his pack and proving his loyalty. An involuntary growl rose in his throat at the memories, and it took all his self-control to mask the sound so as not to draw the attention of animals or other wolves that might be nearby. He glanced around the forest, noting how the shadows and the darkness of night now embraced the trees; how, even with his keen, trained vision, he could see only a few meters ahead through the punishing snowstorm, with no sign of animals or movement anywhere around him.
There was only silence. Until the feeling that he was no longer alone washed over him.
Taehyung stopped running and crouched low against the undergrowth to scent the air, catching only the distant odors of animals he didn't recognize. The only distinct aroma was his own, filling his nostrils, heavy with barely concealed fear and anxiety. Entering enemy territory was always like this: he was completely in the dark about potential dangers, with no way to prepare or predict what might happen. It was a shot in the dark, and there was no one there to help him.
Regret consumed him entirely now; memories of his final moments with family and friends were the only thing keeping him from giving up.
But Taehyung possessed courage and a thirst for justice that fear could not extinguish. He would prove to his pack that he was right and that he could make it back home. From behind the bush he had chosen for cover, he heard the faint snap of a twig; the breath left his lungs as he caught the scent of a wolf nearby, far too close for safety.
Taehyung froze for a few seconds, focusing on the movements of the wolf, which seemed unaware of his presence, and decided to huddle lower against the snow-covered ground, hoping to bury himself enough to mask his golden fur. He waited. The other wolf appeared to be alone, unusual for a pack defending its territorial borders, and was intently sniffing the path Taehyung had taken to reach his current spot.
Taehyung realized that, by sheer luck, the wolf seemed young and inexperienced, having lost his scent trail in the snow.
So Taehyung waited, alert for any sign of danger or the young sentry’s approach, the wolf remained oblivious to him, until a new scent reached his nose: thick smoke, signaling that something dire was happening nearby. Glancing skyward, he saw his theory confirmed; a massive plume of smoke was rising above the treetops, warning of a fire close by. A howl pierced the forest silence, and the young sentry raced toward the danger, leaving Taehyung alone once more. Taehyung resumes his run to escape the area, heading in the opposite direction of the fire; he is skilled at moving stealthily and masking his scent to avoid being tracked or detected by whoever was attacking the small village. He no longer recalls the details of his journey; he cannot recognize the forest landmarks meant to guide his path, so he simply hopes that by heading straight in the indicated direction, he will reach his destination safely and manage to find his way back later.
It is only when the first rays of sunlight appear the following morning that he finally manages to get his bearings in this unfamiliar territory. From a hilltop, Taehyung spots the large frozen lake that serves as the meeting point for the messenger awaiting him. Further south of the lake, he can see the heart of the territory, the city's most populous and heavily guarded area, a place he knows he must avoid at all costs.
He inhales the freezing air deeply through his snout, closing his eyes peacefully as the first rays of sun gently warm his skin, and allows himself to take in the breathtaking view of the sunrise over the valley, forgetting his duties for a few moments before moving on.
☾ ☾ ☾
"Jeongguk, the leader wants to speak with you."
Hearing those words at 4 a.m., during his rest period right after returning from a territory patrol, felt like a nightmare. The voice calling him belonged to his friend Jimin, who had been assigned as his night patrol partner for the week and should have been out doing exactly that at that moment. For him to have gone to speak with the leader and then woken Jeongguk up like this, something very serious must have happened.
Jeongguk sighs and rubs his eyes, trying to shake off the sleep and fully wake up.
"Alright, I'm coming."
Only after the blond man leaves his quarters does Jeongguk get out of bed and walk to the bathroom to wash his face. Dark circles now rim his eyes; the week's work had been intense, draining every ounce of his energy. His role used to be limited to hunting and fighting, but now he took on whatever task was required: farming, construction, hunting, or tracking. Work that once brought him satisfaction had become an exhausting grind; his nights were reduced to a few hours of sleep, with the rest spent in insomnia and worry.
It was no wonder he was in such a foul mood after being woken up just as he’d finally drifted off.
The Winter Fangs pack had never known as much turmoil as it had in recent years, the result of countless attacks by neighboring wolves or lone strays prowling the territory's perimeter, watching them, waiting for a chance to break in. The vast expanse of their marked territory was often difficult to defend properly due to its sheer size; it boasted a high concentration of wildlife and fertile soil capable of making any tree species flourish. They were renowned for their ancient lineage, their ruthlessness, even in the dead of winter, and the sheer number of wolves living together within the pack. At least, that was the pack's image and status. Following the last war in their territory, the scars of desperation had shaped everything the inhabitants believed about themselves; for a Winter Fang wolf, daily life meant living in a constant state of alertness and anxiety. The pack’s former glory was no longer viewed in the same light, soldier training was not as effective as it once had been, and food was beginning to run scarce for the first time in their history.
At just twenty-four years of age, Jeongguk had experienced both the pack's bygone era of peace and its former glory, just as he had actively lived through the war. The front lines had tested his physical and mental limits, forcing him to witness death and the loss of loved ones firsthand. The last two years of peace, while a massive relief, had brought little stability to his life. As a Lupus alpha, he couldn't refuse a duty or assignment, and inevitably, the toughest tasks fell to him.
It was exhausting.
Jeongguk quickly changed clothes to ward off the chill, opting for comfortable garments and a coat to keep warm before stepping outside. A gloomy fog blanketed the streets, and the ground was covered in a layer of wet snow; the city lay silent as its inhabitants slept—a stark contrast to the usual daily bustle.
His home was located in the town center, where he was most needed at the moment, hunting and helping organize winter supplies for the population. It had been a comfortable size back when he lived with his mother and siblings, but now the place felt excessively large for just one person.
As he opened the door and stepped outside, the alpha felt the biting cold wind freeze his face. Winter was approaching, bringing with it painful reminders of his responsibilities and the looming fear of starvation. He walked thoughtfully toward the leader's house, noticing that every light was on and there was a flurry of activity inside. Jeongguk quickened his pace to enter, briefly greeting a few colleagues while straining to catch snippets of the conversations taking place, hoping to glean some information before heading upstairs.
The ground floor served as a hub where patrols and warriors logged their actions in reports, checked the weekly schedule and patrol routes, and reviewed the individual tasks each wolf was assigned to complete throughout the week. The upper floor, where Jeongguk was headed, was reserved for private conversations and matters that were far from routine, such as serious guidance from the pack leader, and only the most experienced hunters and trackers were summoned there.
At the top of the stairs, the office door at the end of the hallway stood open; Jeongguk entered and greeted the leader, Mr. Hoon. The man was gray-haired and looked aged, not by the passage of time, but by the battles he had fought since early in his life.
"Good evening, sir." He bowed respectfully to the man seated in the chair, and the elder nodded, as if the gesture were unnecessary.
"Good evening, Jeongguk. Have a seat." Jeongguk sits in the chair across from the man and notices how serious his expression is; serious just as it was last year when the attacks on the territory began and he had to ask him for help; serious like someone bearing bad news who isn't quite sure how to start.
"I’ll get straight to the point, Jeongguk." The dark-haired man stiffens in his chair; the lingering traces of sleep and fatigue vanish, replaced by sudden anxiety. "The pack needs you for a different assignment right now, so you won't be on patrol or hunting duty starting next week."
"Really? But... so suddenly?" The alpha’s thoughts race as he considers the possible reasons. This isn't normal for the pack. Since the end of the war, they’ve maintained a steady, rigid routine regarding task assignments, and he can't recall ever switching roles so abruptly. "What happened that makes me needed elsewhere?" Hoon exhales heavily and pauses before answering, as if searching for the right words.
"There was another attempted attack on the northern border, at the Village of the Sun, resulting in six injuries so far. The enemy has already been taken in for questioning and is under investigation."
"An attack of that scale? Tonight?" The man nods slowly while pulling a pack of cigarettes from his desk drawer; he picks one out, lights it, and puts it to his lips. He offers one to Jeongguk, but the alpha declines.
"And what have they found out so far?"
"That’s where you come in, Jeongguk. So far, we know nothing." A shiver runs down his spine. Participating in the investigation? Jeongguk isn't sure he’s the right person for the job; it makes no sense at all. Jeongguk fought and hunted; he was skilled at hand-to-hand combat and tracking, and that was all.
"I need you to take charge of security for the North starting today. Gather your things and move them to house number 174 in the village; I’ve already instructed Hoseok to help you with the move."
A move?
"Sir, I—" Jeongguk tries to ask, bewildered, but the leader gives him no opening and cuts him off.
"You are also to continue night patrols with Jimin through the end of this week, but during the day, you’ll keep watch over the village to familiarize yourself with the area. No information is to leave that place, and you will be responsible for ensuring the plan succeeds. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir. But is it really necessary for me to move? I could just head to work early and—"
“I am giving you an order.” His voice is stern, leaving no room for debate or questioning, as always. The smell of cigarettes fills the space explosively and abruptly, the man’s hierarchical authority looming over and intimidating Jeongguk. “You will do as I ask. And, as I was saying before you interrupted me, I need you to join Hoseok in the local investigation.”
The weight of the conversation and the order pressed down on his shoulders. The vivid memory of his pack standing united was slipping further from his mind, and his resolve to keep fighting to be a good alpha to his pack was weakening.
“News of the attack needs to be suppressed. We simply cannot cause a panic now that we’ve finally regained some peace.” But Jeongguk didn’t agree with any of that. In his view, uniting the pack and keeping everyone alert was the best course of action; keeping the information contained and investigating in the shadows, covering up the facts from the others? That didn't sound at all like something the old Hoon, the one Jeongguk used to know, would do.
“Anything unusual you see or hear during this time must be reported that same day. Tell the villagers the intruders were duly punished, but as far as the rest of the pack is concerned, none of this ever happened. Do you understand?” He finally finished his explanation, yet Jeongguk was left with doubts. The conversation hadn't clarified anything, it had only complicated matters, and he knew he couldn't ask questions or even make sense of the answers. His hands were tied, and all he could say in response was:
"I’ll do my best, sir." Jeongguk nodded, his energy completely drained by the conversation and the intimidation.
"Good." The alpha rises from his chair and bows respectfully to the man once more, noticing how shadows marred his features, with traces of exhaustion etched into the dark circles beneath his eyes and his weary gaze. There wasn't much left of the man he used to be, Jeongguk thinks, lamenting his inability to change that.
After packing his belongings into a few boxes and loading up his friend’s pickup truck for the move, Jeongguk and Hoseok set off for Sun Village. Hoseok was driving, cheerful as ever, and sharing stories about his home and the memories he’d made there. But Jeongguk wasn't really in the mood to listen; he was seething, feeling insulted by the way he had been treated.
Jeongguk lived in the city center for a reason; he had moved there during the war to stay alert and protect as many inhabitants as possible, knowing and feeling that he would be most useful there. His wolf couldn't quite grasp this move, being so accustomed to the city routine, and Jeongguk felt restless as his primal instincts kicked in. His home was a sacred, safe space for him, and he was so protective of his personal territory that he wasn't sure he could handle the change so easily.
“Hey! Can you hear me?” Hoseok asks, waving his hand in front of Jeongguk’s distracted face to get his attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. He sees his friend’s face contort, his nose scrunching up into a grimace. “Control your scent, for God’s sake!”
“Sorry, I’m a bit distracted,” Jeongguk explains, rolling down the window to try and rein in his alpha side. The icy wind tousles his hair, and he feels his bitter scent dissipating out of the truck.
“Oh, it’s alright. If I were in your shoes, I’d be the same way.” Jeongguk feels apprehensive at the reply, a sense of anguish returning to his chest as he continues to battle his alpha instincts to keep from flying into a rage over the whole situation.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, if the leader had asked me to leave my home like that, I wouldn't like it one bit either. Especially after…” The beta doesn't need to finish his thought for Jeongguk to understand. He takes a deep breath in and out, trying to calm himself.
“It’s fine. Really.”
“But there are a lot of things in the village you’re going to like. You know, ever since I moved here, it’s like I feel better and stronger than I used to be,” the beta confesses, his voice taking on a more serious, controlled tone than his usual outgoing manner.
“Really? How?” The alpha questions this, neither believing nor taking his friend's words seriously, assuming it was just another attempt to comfort or distract him.
“It’s as if being closer to the hill country changes something inside me. Maybe it’ll help you, too,” Hoseok adds.
It was an old story passed down by the pack’s elders, one Jeongguk remembered his mother telling him and his siblings when they were children. The tale held that in the place where the ancient lupines had fought and conquered the region, back when they were more beast than man, ruled solely by the power of the moon, lupine senses would sharpen, hearts would beat with greater intensity and solidarity, and the human mind would find its peace.
Jeongguk knew those wolf spirits were still there, in the heart of the forest, serving as guides whenever humans needed them. But his memories weren't helping him at the moment; the field brought back recollections of suffering. He took another deep breath, trying his best to hold back the emotions stirred by the beautiful story, which reminded him of his mother and siblings, and to hang on until the journey ended.
“Maybe.” The alpha replied, thoughtful about the mementos. His friend didn't press the subject, and a comfortable silence settled in; he was mentally grateful for that.
As they neared the village, they could already see signs of fire and destruction from a distance, with the two outlying houses partially ruined. The Sun Village sat at the foot of one of the territory's great hills, named for the beautiful sunrise visible from the hilltop. Stone-paved dirt roads guided them into the village. The welcoming, hospitable residents greeted them upon their arrival, happy to see newcomers, and Hoseok led them to his house. Along the way, the alpha noticed the scars of the recent attack: patches of forest scorched by flames and reduced to ash, two partially destroyed houses, and a large group of people salvaging materials from the wreckage.
Hoseok parked the vehicle in front of what would be his new home, and they stepped out of the car.
“This cottage is great, Jeongguk! And it’s just one street away from where I live,” the beta said excitedly. Jeongguk grabbed his backpack containing his personal belongings and took the house key the leader had given him out of his pocket. The cabin he had been given was just as good, materially speaking, as his other home: it was built from the wood of the local pine trees and featured a large bedroom, two bathrooms, and an open-plan kitchen and living area, with the added bonus of a luxurious fireplace, since the rest of the house lacked winter heating. The décor was decidedly rustic, yet featured the refined finish that appealed to the alpha's tastes.
Jeongguk knew he needed to get used to the place for the sake of the residents and find a way to be comfortable there, but he simply didn't want to.
Hoseok helped him unload his bags and stayed for lunch; after they ate together, he left for work, leaving Jeongguk alone to settle in. Jeongguk appreciated the kindness, but being alone there was a bit more painful than he had expected. For the rest of the day, he followed the leader's instructions to the letter regarding getting to know the area: he scouted the territory by scent, met his neighbors and introduced himself to each of them, and carefully explored the surrounding forest.
On his first night in the new house, Jeongguk didn't close his eyes for even a second. His wolf wanted to break free and take control, to burn off all its energy running through the forest in search of balance, and perhaps even return to his old home, but he knew now wasn't the time for that. The alpha had never felt his wolf so restless, and he couldn't understand why. Jeongguk spent the night awake on his small porch, watching the dark village; only as dawn approached did he feel sleepy enough to retreat to his bed and get a few hours of rest.
The next day, the alpha woke up after only a few hours of rest to the irritating sound of his alarm, still feeling exhausted and unwell. He quickly got out of bed and sent a message to Jimin, letting him know where they would meet. His beta friend had been overly worried about him since learning of the move and had offered to stay by his side during those first few days; despite Jeongguk’s initial stubbornness, he had to admit that any help was welcome. He got up, put on simple clothes, and brewed a strong black coffee before leaving the house.
The path to the location Hoseok had assigned him to investigate that morning was shrouded in the mist typical of a winter morning, but within minutes, the area transformed as the first rays of sunrise broke through. The alpha still refused to admit that, much as he didn't want to be there, the region was vastly calmer and more beautiful than the place he had owned in the city. The dark green of the pine trees contrasted with the white snow, creating a natural, radiant atmosphere in the morning light.
It was while approaching a small stream, located near the large frozen lake and along his route, that Jeongguk spotted the first oddity within the village, which until then had been quiet and trouble-free. Standing by the water was a strange wolf. The wolf was drinking nonchalantly from the stream, and the sunlight illuminated its light-brown fur, clearly belonging to someone outside his pack, making it glow with a golden hue amidst the white forest, ensuring it was impossible to miss, even from a distance. An overwhelming territorial instinct consumed him; the pulsating rage born of the frustration over failing to protect his packmates during the last attack blinded and overpowered him. It took mere seconds for Jeongguk to shed his clothes and fully transform into a massive black wolf. His paws slammed into the ground, and the alpha used the momentum of the shift to launch himself into a sprint toward the other wolf. An enraged roar tore from his throat, and only then did the stranger realize the attack was coming; he narrowly dodged what could have been a fatal bite to the neck, rolling across the ground to escape.
Jeongguk hadn't expected to miss, and he had to struggle to check his speed before plunging into the freezing water. The golden wolf seized the moment to leap across the narrow stream, scrambling onto a rock to gain the high ground and roaring back with his head held high. They stood frozen for a moment, poised to strike, saliva dripping from their bared fangs. Jeongguk was taken aback by this hostility; he wasn't used to opponents who challenged him as an equal, who didn't bow down before the fight even began. Years as the pack's lead hunter had instilled a deep sense of pride in him.
Instead of fleeing, leaving his territory and returning to wherever he came from, the stranger had stayed to challenge him, to insult him right in his own home.
“How dare you!” Jeongguk snarled, his lupine voice emerging instinctively, blinded by rage. His eyes had turned a pure, burning red, and his stance grew even more arched and menacing as he prepared to strike again.
“No, how dare you!”
That voice…?
His eyes widened in surprise; the intruder had heard his lupine voice. Before he could process this, the caramel-colored wolf seized the moment of distraction to lunge forward, clamping his jaws onto Jeongguk’s shoulder with full force and knocking him into the snow. Pinning the large black wolf down, he sank his teeth ever deeper into the shoulder. Jeongguk shoved him off after a series of kicks to the belly, and the wolf whined as he was sent tumbling backward. Within seconds, however, the alpha had regained his footing and was charging at the other once more, growling fiercely.
Blood stained the ground as the two engaged in an intense struggle for dominance. They traded blows, attacking and defending in equal measure, roaring ferociously as they bit and yelping in pain when bitten, bleeding into the snow from the countless wounds sustained in such a short time.
They vied for dominance, evenly matched, and the earth seemed to tremble with the intensity of the fight.
Jeongguk realized they were moving in perfect sync, and a look of amusement crossed his face. No one in his pack had ever understood him when he spoke of needing a challenge, a worthy sparring partner to blow off steam after the pack's repetitive daily tasks. Jeongguk had quickly become the best fighter among the hunters, and even his closest comrades refused to spar with him, even in jest.
The wolf seemed to sense his amusement, for a new sound, a growl, rose from his throat.
“Having fun? Find this funny?”
Ah, that voice again.
It was true: the wolf could hear him and communicate with him as if they were kin, yet he was nothing of the sort. He was an enemy, a stranger with an unusual coat who appeared to hail from very, very far away, and he must have taken part in the previous night's attack.
Yet, why did Jeongguk’s wolf listen to him?
Perhaps blinded by rage, or by the mental exhaustion caused by his inner wolf’s suffering, Jeongguk hadn't noticed, nor even thought to pay attention to, his opponent's scent, which was extremely faint, almost non-existent.
The soft, sweet aroma of caramel and honey now filled his nostrils; his body instantly shed the tension it had carried for hours, visibly going slack. The anguish his wolf had been feeling was replaced by an ambiguous sensation, a mix of understanding and a different kind of agitation he couldn't yet name.
Without realizing it, Jeongguk had been fighting a fierce battle against an omega. The golden wolf was a male lupus, an extremely rare type, almost unheard of in his territory, and he was furious, fighting and snarling with a level of courage Jeongguk had never witnessed in all his years of combat. Jeongguk’s heart leapt in his chest; his anger vanished, replaced by admiration for his opponent. The omega sensed the shift in Jeongguk’s demeanor and grew even more alert and nervous than before; saliva dripped between his teeth, and his sharp fangs were fully bared in a snarl.
"What is it? Given up the fight? Am I not worthy of your attacks?" the omega snarled aggressively, stepping closer with narrowed eyes. Only then, with a clearer head, did Jeongguk realize how badly he had wounded him.
One of the omega's paws was bleeding, staining his golden fur a deep, dark red. Now more relaxed and observant of the details, the alpha noticed how frail and exhausted the other looked, so thin that some ribs were visible even beneath the thick fur.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
The omega then lunged forward, more furious than ever, throwing himself at Jeongguk’s neck in an attempt to sink his teeth in and deliver a fatal blow. Jeongguk barely managed to dodge the strike aimed at his throat, only to be hit again on the shoulder already injured from the fight; the omega clamped his teeth down on it. The pain was so intense that, despite all his training and years of hand-to-hand combat, the alpha let out a sharp yelp, his eyes squeezing shut in agony.
For a few moments, Jeongguk thinks he is going to lose. The alpha tries to break free from the teeth and thrashes violently until he hears a loud snap of bone and a sharp yelp of pain; suddenly, the teeth that had been sunk into his flesh release their grip. He whips his head around, bracing for another bite, only to see the omega collapsed on the ground. The omega’s already injured foreleg had given way at the most critical moment of the fight, snapping under the strain, and he was writhing in agony.
This was it, the opening he needed. Jeongguk wastes no time moving over the other wolf, pinning him down with his large paws. He feels his shoulder burning and throbbing, his heart racing faster than ever, but the omega’s condition is far worse than his own. The lupus is clearly in extreme agony; his position is pressing his broken leg against the ground, intensifying the pain. The caramel-colored wolf writhes and trembles, his body losing control. Jeongguk notices the small muscle spasms and the desperation in the other’s eyes, yet sees how he still tries to appear determined to regain control of the fight and strike back.
“Come on, kill me.” The deep voice snaps him out of his thoughts, reminding him of what he needs to do.
“I told you, I don’t want to hurt you.” The omega lets out a sound that resembles a laugh, if such a thing were even possible under the circumstances, and the alpha realizes the other is struggling for breath as well.
“Then what did you want when you attacked me?” His gaze seems to pierce right through Jeongguk, his eyes glowing a brilliant gold. “Kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you. I only attacked because I thought you were a danger to the pack.”
“And what made you think I’m not?” And… There is silence. Jeongguk knew the omega was definitely dangerous, but for some reason, his animal instinct couldn't conceive that he might intend to cause harm there. His alpha was captivated by the intense flare of anger in the golden eyes beneath him, completely distracted by this creature, and he didn't hesitate to ask.
“What are you doing here? Why did you come from so far away, hmm?” Jeongguk pressed, curious and unable to resist trying to figure out where this kind came from. The alpha knew the neighboring packs well, and the omega’s coat didn't resemble that of any of the packs that had attacked the previous night. He was definitely from somewhere in the north, a place where, as he’d always heard, wolves had reddish or dark-brown coats, unlike the cooler colorations found in the south.
But the omega remained silent, choosing to reveal nothing. Despite the circumstances, Jeongguk already knew he wasn't involved in the attack on the northern village. No, he sensed something bigger was going on. A foreign omega, unattached, and a lupus to boot, traveling all the way here?
This had to be the most unusual thing to happen to him in a very, very long time.
“Answer me.” His alpha insisted, curious, moving his muzzle closer to the other’s neck to catch the scent again. Jeongguk realized the faintness of the smell was linked to the omega’s physical weakness and poor health, yet he could still detect the bitter undertones of pain and anguish. But it was the sweet notes of caramel that captivated him amidst the jumble of scents. His alpha was enchanted, unable to resist drawing closer to the wolf’s fragile neck.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Listen.” The alpha begins, his tone more serious. “I attacked you because you’re an intruder, but I don’t want to hurt you. You’re bleeding and your paw is broken; I need you to let me at least set the bone back in place, okay?” He explains, finally pulling his muzzle away from the omega’s neck to look him in the eye again.
“After that, once we’ve tended to the injury, I need you to answer a few questions. My pack won’t be so kind to you if they find us like this, so cooperating with me is in your best interest. Do you understand?” He explains, trying his best to be direct yet gentle. The omega neither nods nor answers, but he allows Jeongguk to approach his injuries when he tries again, letting him draw closer to the broken paw.
Jeongguk hadn’t wanted things to reach this point; he hadn’t wanted to hear the omega’s whimpering, and he regretted how it had all unfolded. Without thinking, he licks the paw gently, releasing his scent to soothe the caramel-colored wolf and show his sincerity. The omega gasps and squeezes his eyes shut against the pain, fighting the urge to pull his paw away, fighting the instinct to recoil from the violent wolf who had defeated him as that wolf licked his most painful wound, while the alpha waits patiently for the tension to subside.
The entire interaction was silent, yet charged with an overwhelming intimacy.
They gazed into each other’s eyes, shimmering with shades of red and gold, as the silence held. The wolf beneath him was intense, stubborn, and resilient, refusing to easily yield to his approach, yet Jeongguk was committed to helping him. At some point, after his breathing calmed and the alpha released more of his scent, the omega finally relaxed; the alpha continued his ministrations, first bringing his muzzle and nose close to the paw to sniff it and understand how the bone had broken. After checking once more that the omega was calm, he went back to licking him, more gently this time. His saliva would soothe the wound, his scent would cling to the golden-brown fur, and the skin would heal more easily.
Suddenly, the forest echoed with the snap of bone as the alpha set the fracture back in place with his mouth, followed immediately by a howl of surprise from the omega.
“I’m sorry about that.” The alpha looked up, seeking out those golden eyes, and checked the wolf’s condition once more. His chest was heaving and his breathing ragged, yet he was visibly calmer than before. After this silent confirmation, the alpha continued cleaning all the wounds. If the tender care was having an effect on the omega, he didn't show it; he simply accepted it in silence, allowing Jeongguk to tend to him. The alpha’s actions were steeped in sorrow and regret, his wolf instincts taking full control to drive him toward redemption in the omega's eyes.
Jeongguk realized his wolf wanted to hear the golden wolf’s voice again. He wanted to get to know him, to scent him once more and try to understand how he was feeling. He wanted to keep him safe, to protect him.
A howl rang out from nearby in the forest.
One of his packmates had noticed his absence and was calling him back. Hoseok had likely alerted the group that Jeongguk was running late, and he could no longer stay there for long. Knowing his pack, his friends would find him within minutes and wouldn't take kindly to what was happening between him and the omega.
The omega’s eyes widen at the sound, his earlier calm shattered.
“Let me go, please.” Jeongguk saw the distress in his eyes and was moved. For a few moments, he actually considered agreeing and letting him go, but he couldn't. Letting him leave injured with a wound like that would be like sending him to his death; the scent of blood in the forest would attract hunters or neighboring wolves, and his paw wouldn't even hold up for a walk.
“I can't, I'm sorry,” he replied, and the omega whimpered, struggling to get up as he writhed on the ground. “You’re hurt and need to stay here; I won’t let you die or get hurt.”
The lupus growled, and Jeongguk had to press his paw against the other's chest, using a good portion of his body weight to hold him securely in place. He brought his face close to the omega’s, focusing on his eyes and releasing more of his calming scent.
“I’ll die if I stay here too; if I go, at least I’ll have a chance,” he whimpered.
“I won’t let anything happen to you if you stay.” It was his alpha voice speaking, without the rational and human Jeongguk even realizing it, and all the omega’s tension drained away. His body went limp at the words; his growl vanished, and his breathing returned to normal. Their muzzles were almost touching, yet neither pulled away. Their inner wolves were finally recognizing each other, and both could feel their animal spirits stirring within them.
It is only when footsteps in the forest draw closer that Jeongguk is forced to break the connection, realizing another wolf is nearby.
“Jeongguk! I finally found you.” His friend and colleague, Namjoon, emerges from behind a tree in human form, calling out to him. “What…?”
All the sense of safety the alpha had worked so hard to establish for the caramel-scented wolf vanishes. The omega writhes beneath him, angry once more, and summons the strength to shove Jungkook away with his hind legs and scramble up, scratching him in the process.
But Jeongguk doesn’t want to force the issue, nor does he want to cause a fight or add tension for the already highly stressed omega. He yields, stepping back while keeping a close watch on the wolf’s movements. Namjoon moves forward abruptly, still in human form, though ready to shift if necessary.
“Holy shit, Jeongguk!”
In the blink of an eye and before the alpha could even react, the golden wolf had vanished into the trees.
☾ ☾ ☾
The wound on his shoulder throbbed with pain as it was cleaned; the sharp scent of antiseptic irritated his nose, causing his face to twist into a grimace. Namjoon chuckles at his friend’s reaction and continues treating the injury, feeling not a shred of pity for the alpha. Both had returned to the village after hours spent hunting the runaway omega, defeated by their inability to catch or even locate him, despite his fragile and weakened state, and were now in the infirmary. Jeongguk, with his fear of doctors, had refused to let anyone other than his trusted friend touch the wound.
“Care to explain what happened now?” Namjoon asks, dropping the gauze onto the tray beside him and preparing some ointment to apply to the area.
“You saw it all.” The dark-haired man replies, too exhausted to elaborate.
“See you lose? I don’t think so,” Namjoon teases, laughing at his friend’s predicament as he applies the ointment with a piece of cotton. The sensation was soothing, finally allowing the alpha to uncoil his muscles and relax in the chair; the pain subsided, and his mind cleared.
“I didn’t lose! I had him beaten, you saw it.” His stubborn tone makes his friend burst into laughter this time, and Jeongguk pouts in frustration at the insinuation. The loss stung all the more because it wasn't him, Jeongguk, the flawed and sensitive human side who had lost, but rather his alpha and his wolf spirit, which had never lost a confrontation before. He’d had the other pinned, finally docile, accepting the scent-marking, surrendered one moment and gone the next.
Jeongguk never would have expected such an escape under those circumstances, such an abrupt shift in behavior, and it seemed nearly impossible given the omega's critical health.
“Yeah, I think he really played you.” That is his friend’s conclusion, and Jeongguk falls silent, having no counter-argument this time.
Namjoon finally finishes the dressing, and the alpha moves his arm slowly, rotating his shoulder to test its condition. He knew he would heal quickly thanks to his wolf genes, so he wasn't too worried about the recovery itself. But if his own body ached all over, leaving him feeling fragile despite the medical care, he couldn't help but wonder how the omega must be feeling at this very moment.
“So, what do we do now?” he asks his friend, who is beginning to put away the medical equipment and dispose of the blood-stained materials.
“I have no idea, Jeongguk. But you should talk to Jimin about what happened. I mean, he’s the one who sent me to find you; if you wait much longer, he might just report it to Hoon.” That was the last thing he needed.
“So, have you decided what happens next?”
“What do you mean, ‘what happens next’?”
“Jeez, Jeongguk! Did he hit you on the head, too?” His friend lightly slapped the back of the alpha’s neck, laughing and teasing him for being slow on the uptake.
“We chased after them but couldn't find him; he simply vanished right in front of us. He must know an escape route that even we aren't aware of to have pulled that off,” Namjoon explained, his tone turning serious. “We need to organize a search party.”
As he reaches this conclusion, the ground seems to drop out from under Jeongguk once more. His earlier restlessness returns, now recognized as possessiveness, leaving him agitated and on edge. A battalion would draw too much attention, sparking comments and stares throughout the village, and he wouldn't be able to protect the omega the way he had promised.
Above all, Jeongguk didn't want anyone but himself going after the omega.
His eyes flash red at the thought, and his scent shifts. His voice is deep and menacing when he replies.
“That’s not happening.” Namjoon turns back to face the dark-haired man, who is shocked by his sudden reaction.
“Jeongguk, it’s not up to you—”
“Yes, it is.” His voice is firm as he cuts him off. “Hoon put me in charge of protecting the village and keeping information about the intruders under wraps, didn't he?”
“So, no. I’m not calling in the battalion, nor asking other wolves to handle it. My village team will take action, and we’ll do it in confidence.”
“But there’s no way you can hide this from him.”
The implication was clear, and Jeongguk knew full well the consequences of hiding anything from Hoon. The leader was undeniably strict about the pack's principles, and the alpha understood perfectly that what he was proposing amounted to direct betrayal.
The friends stare at each other in tense silence for a few moments. But Jeongguk is too stubborn to back down.
“Jimin and Hoseok will help me.” That is his final answer; he stands up and turns to leave, unwilling to prolong the situation.
“You know the risks, right?”
“I know them very well.”
“Is it really worth doing this for that wolf?” The question stops him in his tracks, leaving Jeongguk without an answer for the first time in the entire conversation.
Was it worth it? He wasn't an idiot; he knew he was being impulsive, stubborn, ignorant, and disrespectful toward Namjoon by acting that way. But Jeongguk didn't understand why he felt so protective and so determined to do everything in his power for the omega, and he simply couldn't control whatever that instinct was.
Rationally, it made no sense to act this way over the omega who had nearly torn his arm off, an omega whose name he didn't even know, and if he were in Namjoon’s shoes, he’d likely think the same thing. But he wasn't; Jeongguk was, in fact, deeply drawn to the lupus with the sweet scent and vibrant coat, and defending him felt so right that he couldn't resist the urge.
Because of all this, he chooses not to reply to his friend, leaving the infirmary without a word or a goodbye. He needed distance and time to process everything, and he felt he had to do it alone.
The walk to his new home is short but lonely. When he arrives, the lack of scent in the place frustrates him. Even though he had unpacked, organized, and cleaned, he missed the feeling of a home, of truly belonging somewhere. The memories of his old house in the city might have been stifling, but they still held immense emotional value for him.
The cottage irritates him; everything irritates him. And it is far easier to turn his grief into anger, just as it is easier to grab a pack of cigarettes and smoke until he forgets his emotions, which is exactly what he does. Jeongguk sits at the kitchen counter, a cigarette between his fingers, allowing himself a few minutes of distraction from everything that had just happened.
It is only at nightfall, when Jeongguk knows Jimin is finishing work for the day, that he decides to call his friend. The alpha picks up his phone, finds his friend's contact, hits call, and paces back and forth in the living room until the call connects.
"Hello!" The beta’s voice is soft as he answers, and some of the weight the alpha had been carrying lifts upon hearing his friend's familiar, cheerful tone.
"Hey, Jimin. It’s Jeongguk." “Argh, finally! What the hell got into you today?” His friend’s usual tone returns once he recognizes him. He must have been annoyed by Jeongguk’s absence from the patrol; the alpha knew how hard it was to do all the work alone.
“Oh, well… some things came up.” The alpha scratches his head slightly as he answers, unsure how to explain everything that had happened over the last few hours.
“I heard there was a new intruder over there, is that true?”
And that catches him off guard.
“What do you mean, you heard?”
“Yeah, it seems that about an hour ago, the Northern scouts found someone injured, and apparently, he’s connected to last night’s attack.” Jeongguk falls silent, in shock. How had he not heard about this yet, given how close he’d been to the situation? How had he let this slip by?
“Jimin, listen to me.” His voice is serious, catching the beta off guard. “I need you to cover for me regarding today’s report and say I was with you all day.” The beta listens in apprehensive silence, and Jeongguk can almost hear his friend’s thoughts piecing the information together like a puzzle.
“Jeongguk, what actually happened today?” His tone is low and serious as he asks.
“Promise me you’ll do this for me!”
“Yeah, okay. You’ve covered for me plenty of times too, so of course I’ll help. But what’s the reason for this?” He sighs, trying to find the right words to describe the situation without making Jimin an accomplice should he get caught.
“The wolf they found has nothing to do with last night’s attack. I found him before all that, but then things happened and he ran off.”
“Wait, you aren’t involved in any of this, are you?” The seriousness of the question catches Jeongguk off guard. Was he really acting as strangely and suspiciously as Namjoon had told him earlier that afternoon?
“What? You know I’m not!”
“I’ll put you in the report, but you’re still going to have to explain this whole story to me properly!”
“Thanks, seriously.”
After that, Jimin launches into a somewhat tedious conversation about his day and the tasks he had to complete, and how Jeongguk’s absence had disrupted the workflow. And even though the alpha knew he needed to know what he was supposed to have done, he couldn't bring himself to focus. His thoughts drifted back to more unasked questions, to further doubts and concerns about what he should do.
“And where is he now?” the alpha asks, not realizing how he had strayed from the topic regarding his friend.
“Who?” the beta asks, having already forgotten the previous conversation.
“The omega,” the alpha replies, quick and impatient.
“He was an omega?” The surprise is evident, Jimin’s voice rising in pitch and volume, and Jeongguk sighs with relief. After all, the fact that Jimin hadn’t known this detail until now could only be a good sign; it meant no one had spread the word about the intruder’s gender yet.
If that news got out, the wolf would face serious trouble around there.
“Just explain everything you know,” he replies.
“Right… a foreign wolf was found hiding deep within the hills. No one knows how he got in, but they found him in a rocky crevice,” Jimin explains, and the wolf’s sudden disappearance that morning begins to make more sense. “They brought him here, and he’s waiting to be interrogated.”
“Which prison?”
“The main one.”
“Thanks a lot, Jimin. I promise to explain more when we meet up, but I might need a few more days,” the alpha says, balancing the phone between his ear and his uninjured shoulder as he grabs his coat and slips on his shoes, preparing to rush out the door.
“I’ve got you covered for as long as you need, Gguk. What would you do without me?” his friend jokes, and for the first time all afternoon, the alpha smiles.
“Oh, and Jimin, could you pass a message to Yoongi for me?”
☾ ☾ ☾
When Taehyung wakes up, the first thing he notices is how cold the floor is. He stretches his arms against the solid stone ground beneath him and shifts uncomfortably, trying to get up. The second thing he realizes, and this is certainly more concerning, is that he is somehow in his human form and dressed in clothes that aren't his. He is wearing sweatpants and a gray sweater that carry a mix of scents completely unfamiliar to him, and he wonders which member of that hostile group could have done this for him. Taehyung blinks a few times and rubs his eyes, then lightly slaps his face to try and regain his senses and remember what the hell had happened. His last memories were hazy, running through the forest in his wolf form with the message still held in his jaws, the moon his only guide on that nocturnal journey. He couldn't recall how he’d arrived there, who he was with, or even where he was, but he knew he needed to get up and head back as soon as possible.
His disorientation only worsens when he tries to push himself up to a standing position; he fails miserably, landing hard on his backside. Even though the impact is minor, it’s enough to make him gasp in pain; every muscle in his body is burning, but the agony is sharpest in his left arm and abdomen.
Taehyung looks toward the source of that nagging pain, searching for the cause of the sensation, and what he finds brings everything flooding back. Despair washes over him, and the pain from his injuries seems to intensify alongside his mounting anxiety. He feels over the parts of his body where he remembers taking hits during the brutal fight; he now realizes that, beyond the broken arm resting in a sling, his entire body is covered in various marks and bruises. Some areas, the most severe injuries causing him the most pain, are carefully bandaged, while minor scratches remain visible on his skin.
The omega looks around desperately and inhales deeply to sense if anyone else is nearby, only to discover he is alone. He is trapped, confined by himself in a cold, damp stone chamber featuring a large metal door. On the bright side, although the small cell has chains attached to the walls, he hasn't been shackled; his wrists and ankles are free, allowing him to move around the space.
Taehyung pulls himself up using the wall for support, the pain in his abdomen stabbing at him with the exertion. Once upright, he approaches the large metal door and tries to force it open with sharp, frantic movements. If he could shift again, he might be able to break it down, but his body is too weak and sore for such an effort. He understands all too well what they’ve done to him: in his wolf form, he would heal in just a few days, but as a human, he lacks the strength to recover quickly, and the process will take weeks. It would even be dangerous to attempt shifting with a broken bone, as the fracture could worsen and wouldn't withstand the pressure before fully healing.
Taehyung gives up struggling against the door and rests his head against the cold metal to think and keep trying to remember. His mind was spinning and he felt dizzy; emotions came flooding back as if he were still in danger and needed to flee immediately.
But that image would be forever etched in his mind: the figure of the animal suddenly appearing and attacking him in earnest, hunting him down as if he were nothing more than prey to be taken down. Taehyung remembered fighting tooth and claw until his paw snapped and he lost miserably. And then, he had been showered with care by the wolf, as if the creature were genuinely worried. It had all been so confusing, so unexpected, that Taehyung’s wolf had allowed itself to accept the care and let its guard down.
And, God, even though he hadn't believed the alpha when he warned him how his pack would treat him if they found him, Taehyung regretted that disbelief the moment a group of scouts discovered him after his escape. The alpha had been careful with him, not wanting to cause real harm, but the small group of scouts who found him hours later were cruel. After managing to flee from the black wolf and the other man helping him, Taehyung had hidden in a rocky crevice on a nearby hill, across the frozen lake. He had thought it would be a safe spot, since it was where he’d found the easiest food when he first encroached on their territory, but he was discovered hours later. Somehow, a small group of three wolves found and pinned him down in seconds; and although it didn't hurt that much, he knew his face must be bruised from the kicks he’d received.
Two distant voices drift down the hallway, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps, pulling Taehyung from his thoughts. He moves away from the door, backing up across his cell until he hits the wall, and...
“Do you think he’s awake yet?”
“There’s no way to know, but it’s been hours since we were last here. He must be awake.”
The footsteps draw closer, stopping just inches from the door. The screech of metal scraping against the rough stone floor as the door opens makes him jump in alarm, and he sees two men entering the room. The intense light shining from the hallway behind them stings his eyes, which had grown accustomed to the room's darkness, and he tries to shield them with one hand.
Only when the door finally closes behind them is Taehyung able to make out the two figures. Their scents alone made it obvious: they were clearly alphas. The taller, dark-haired man, who looks him up and down with thinly veiled curiosity, is stunningly handsome. His physique is sculpted, built through effort and hard work. He wears a leather jacket and loose-fitting trousers; his hair, grown a bit too long, falls over his forehead, and what Taehyung realizes is the glint of a lip piercing holds his gaze a few seconds too long to be accidental. The man's scent now fills the room, seeming to want to mark him, and Taehyung recognizes it instantly: this is undoubtedly the black wolf he fought in the forest, the pheromones making him feel vulnerable and submissive.
There is a certain reassurance in the fact that his eyes are now a dark brown, lacking the terrifying red glow from the other day.
The other alpha, slightly shorter and with a more serious expression, is dressed more casually: slim-framed glasses that accentuate his facial angles, a gray sweater similar to the one Taehyung is wearing, and sweatpants. He leans against the wall facing Taehyung, arms crossed, and glances at the other man.
“Make yourself at home,” he says in a low voice, with a gesture of permission.
The dark-haired man nods, shifting into a more relaxed posture, and takes a few steps further into the cell. Even though his demeanor was calm and his movements slow and cautious, it still managed to startle Taehyung, causing his scent to turn sour with fear.
“No.” His voice trembled as he spoke, yet his tone was loud and clear. The alpha stopped the instant he heard the word, keeping a safe distance while fixing that worried gaze on him once more. The ease with which that sense of safety and calm had shattered again frustrated the alpha.
“So, you’re the omega I fought yesterday, right?” It sounded more like a statement than a question, but Taehyung gave a slight nod of agreement.
“What’s your name?”
“Kim Taehyung.”
“Yesterday, Taehyung, you remember me saying I’d need you to answer a few questions, don’t you?” The blond nodded slowly. “Yoongi usually handles that part, but I explained that it might be better if I did it myself,” he explained, while Taehyung remained silent.
“Why are you here?”
“I… was forced to be,” he replied initially, unsure of how much he could say without incriminating himself. Both alphas kept watching him in silence, and he realized they were waiting for him to go on. “My group needed to deliver a package, and I dropped it off here. When you attacked me yesterday, I was on my way out; I hadn’t planned on staying a second longer in these lands,” he explained.
“Where are you from?” The alpha’s voice was sharp now, though tinged with curiosity. His eyes gleamed as he studied him, and Taehyung sensed there was a reason for that look that went beyond the question itself.
“I’m from the northern lands,” he replied, offering no further details.
“What’s the name of your pack?”
“My pack doesn’t have a name.” Shit! Taehyung knew he’d messed up his answer the moment the alphas locked eyes in silence, as if communicating without words. Nameless packs, or renegades, as some groups called them, likely didn’t have the best reputation around here.
“What was in the package?”
“I don’t know; I wasn’t allowed to open it.” That was his first lie so far; Taehyung knew perfectly well what it was, and if he happened to survive this, he couldn’t just hand his group’s plan over on a silver platter like that. If Jeongguk suspected the answer was a lie, he didn’t show it.
“Who was it for?”
“I don’t know. It was night when I arrived, and I couldn’t see him clearly.” Another lie. The alpha he’d been waiting for was a regular informant for renegade groups like his, selling information that helped them steal supplies. This time, however, the mission was riskier than that. “But he was a beta; I didn’t catch any scent,” he added.
“Well, how convenient.” The sarcasm came from Yoongi, sitting in the corner of the cell, and Taehyung nervously bit his lip as he realized it.
“What was the meeting point?” The alpha resumed questioning after a pause, and at least regarding this, Taehyung could tell the truth.
“The big tree to the left of the frozen lake.” It was close to where Jeongguk had found him, so he knew they’d at least believe that part.
“Who is your group’s leader?”
“When I left, it was He-joon.”
“How long have you been out?”
“What day is it?” Taehyung asked. He’d lost track of time, partly due to exhaustion and partly because he’d blacked out.
“It’s December 5th.”
“Then it’s been forty-two days.” The shock in the alpha’s reaction was comical, and rightly so. No wolf in their right mind would take a route like that, in this weather, and completely alone, with a package to carry and protect the entire way.
“What route did you take?” Taehyung laughs. His group didn't understand a thing about the routes the southern wolf was referring to.
“I just followed the path of the sunset.” He answers simply, shrugging, and Jeongguk gives a slight nod, seemingly grasping the situation.
“And why did they send you alone?” The stranger’s voice, calm and measured though it was, startles him, interrupting his thoughts once again. Taehyung shifts his gaze to the shorter man, slowly sizing him up; he refuses to be intimidated by the strong alpha scent radiating from him, a scent now filling the cell in a blatant attempt at intimidation.
Jeongguk, who had been standing a bit further back, steps closer to his companion; visibly unsettled by the shift in the cell’s atmosphere, he moves in to make the other man stop. If the concern was about how that tense, menacing scent might affect the omega, it was wasted effort. The attempt to provoke fear or intimidate was futile, and Taehyung shifts his posture to project confidence, pushing off the wall and stepping closer to the alpha.
“Because I’m expendable.” The blond’s reply is dry and cutting, serious enough to catch both alphas off guard. “Let’s be honest: coming here was a suicide mission. And who better to send than an infertile male omega?”
Jeongguk freezes, his eyes widening instinctively as he regards the other man with a new expression. To Taehyung’s surprise, the shift in the other’s gaze isn't one of pity or disgust, but something else entirely, something he can’t quite recognize or understand. Those brown eyes remain fixed on him, traveling down his body before settling once more on the sling supporting his arm and his other injuries.
The atmosphere in the cell shifts again, and Yoongi’s scent is masked by the aromas of caramel and leather. The alpha takes a few steps closer, but this time the omega doesn't startle or ask him to stay back; he is curious about what the alpha intends to do and attentive to his demeanor. Jeongguk, completely oblivious to the situation unfolding, continues to close the distance and is about to speak, perhaps to answer or ask something else, but his counterpart acts again, stopping him.
“That’s enough for today.” The dark-haired alpha turns his head; his scent, previously a delightful blend of pine and leather, now turns bitter, foul, and furious, mirroring what Taehyung had sensed in the forest during the attack.
Yet, this time, the aroma doesn't intimidate him the way it did the day they fought. Now, the intense scent triggers a series of unprecedented reactions in him; Taehyung feels a sense of pride knowing the alpha dislikes the idea of pulling away like this, and his sense of smell sharpens to detect nuances within that bitter odor, searching for the emotions behind the reaction.
The two alphas stare each other down, looking as though a fight could break out at any second amidst the absolute silence of the cell, until Jeongguk is the first to back away, taking slow steps in retreat. Despite the tension, Taehyung noticed a genuine and mutual respect in their behavior, the kind he had always heard existed within large, populous packs. The shorter alpha pushes off the wall and quietly acknowledges Jeongguk’s decision to step back; his intimidating scent fades as they both walk toward the cell’s metal door and open it.
And Taehyung… feels sad.
He didn’t want to be left alone there, cold and in pain in his human form and pathetic state. He didn’t know when they would return, or even if it would be them coming back, rather than the cruel wolves who had tortured him the day he was captured, nor did he know how close he was to facing punishment or a final sentence. Taehyung knew nothing of that pack’s culture; he recalled only vague details from before his journey regarding the many wars they had fought and the sheer strength of their wolves. All he knew about the treatment of captives in such situations was what his own group did, or used to do, when they caught an infiltrating outsider: execution.
Taehyung felt lost, helpless, and… utterly expendable. He opened his mouth on impulse, wanting to ask a question and glean some information, but the words died in his throat. He crossed his uninjured arm over his chest, hugging himself against the cold draft blowing in through the doorway, and watched as the alphas walked out, preparing to lock him in once more.
His gaze met Jeongguk’s again, and he caught a flash of red in the other’s eyes just before Yoongi quickly shut the door, cutting off any further interaction between them.
☾ ☾ ☾
The sound of their footsteps rang out loudly against the dark stone corridor, creating an echo. Prisoners confined in the cells lining the hallway thrashed against the metal doors upon sensing their presence, clamoring for food or water, or simply hurling insults, while the stench of blood was unbearable, clinging to the walls in the damp underground air. Jeongguk knew that most of the wolves held there were in a nearly feral state, often injuring themselves in their cells as they failed to quell their aggressive instincts, but he hadn't realized the situation was so... much worse than it appeared. He shuddered, goosebumps rising at the mere thought of what it must be like for a wolf with a keen, sensitive sense of smell to be confined in a place like this.
He thought of Taehyung, battered and bruised, enduring all those odors and the prisoners' ceaseless howling. The alpha was furious with Yoongi for interrupting just as the omega had reached the part he was most interested in hearing. As their footsteps took them away from the cells and closer to the bottom of the stairs leading to the exit, Jeongguk could no longer hold back and turned to his friend.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you interrupt me?”
“I didn't interrupt anything; I’m the one conducting the interrogation. I let you take over when you said you’d cooperate, but you weren't asking him the right questions.”
“But I was!” he retorted, impatient and stubborn, watching his friend unlock the exit door without paying any heed to his words.
“You were being useless.” The remark was cold and cruel, and Jeongguk fell silent, at a loss for what to say next.
“He lies, Jeongguk, you know that.” Yoongi’s voice was sharp as they stepped out of the confinement area, leaving no room for doubt. The cold air sent a shiver down his spine, even through his coat, and Jeongguk suddenly found himself worrying whether the imprisoned omega would be freezing in his cell overnight, too.
The alpha looked at his friend's stern gaze, shocked by the coldness.
"You can't be that sure."
His heart told him that the omega truly didn't want to cause harm there and that he only reacted that way because he felt lost and scared in unfamiliar territory, and every inch of his body wanted to protect him from the fury he would have to face if he were marked as an enemy of war. But Jeongguk also understood that the pack's interrogator was right, and although he didn't sense any changes in scent or traces of pheromones in the cell while asking the questions, the lupus's answers weren't concrete and only created more doubts.
Jeongguk was frustrated, once again, trying to understand the little creature.
Taehyung was clever, agile, and brave, but he hadn't tried even a little to improve his situation or show any kind of remorse. And what's worse, he himself had called himself an omega who had been discarded and wouldn't be sought after by his former group, which put him in a position of extreme risk and surrender there. If there was any alpha with malicious intent towards him, he was sure they could hurt him, and Taehyung gave this information without even showing fear. It almost seemed like he had given up, that the strength he had on the day they fought in the forest had been exhausted, and the alpha felt his heart break in two at the thought.
“But I just know, Jeongguk, I see it every day. He's hiding something, he could very well be a spy or an enemy scout, we have no way of knowing.”
“Yoongi, listen to me. I need him here. I—” He pleads, nervous and unsure how to put into words everything he was feeling. “My alpha needs him here.” He continues, finally getting his friend's full attention when he turns to look him in the eyes, and he continues.
“Ever since I saw him, my heart tells me he needs to stay, and I’ve never been so sure in my life.” His voice is calm as he declares, and he himself is surprised by his choice of words, as if he hadn’t even foreseen the outburst. Jeongguk continues to stare at Yoongi, now with a pleading look full of unspoken emotions, knowing that he seemed ridiculous and too impulsive.
Suddenly, there is only silence.
Yoongi stared at him seriously, perplexed by his friend’s sudden declaration, who had always been very rational and had never allowed himself to become emotionally involved with anyone. The alpha simply couldn’t understand the irony of fate, which had placed the best hunter in the pack and prodigy in the position of falling in love and almost losing control of his scents upon hearing the omega’s sad story, as if he were an out-of-control teenager. It seemed Jeongguk didn't even realize what he had almost done in the cell.
Jeongguk, who had never grown fond of anyone, losing his head over an omega? He almost laughed at the situation. Yoongi had watched Jeongguk grow up in the war, losing the only people he had of his family and helping him live without them. How could he say no to something like that? How could he deny Jeongguk's love, if it could change the course of his life for the better?
Yoongi pondered the circumstances in silence, analyzing the risks of Jeongguk's request and everything that could happen if he helped, when the alpha spoke again.
"If he's lying and knows something, we'll find out. But he's not a danger to us," he tried to justify.
“By the Moon! Look at the state he left you in, Jeongguk. He could easily kill you!” The interrogator retorts, irritated and surprised by his friend’s stubbornness. “Don’t underestimate him because of his class; he’s still incredibly dangerous.”
“Leave him in the cell, then. We’ll try interrogating him again, but without violence.” The other alpha shakes his head, crossing his arms and looking away; he is clearly unsettled by the situation he’s found himself in and unsure of how to resolve it.
Hoon wouldn’t like this one bit. To pull it off, they’d have to be clever enough to cover everything up, and Yoongi would need to get other officers involved to protect the omega inside until they could come up with a story that convinced Hoon that Taehyung wasn’t a threat.
Yoongi knew that if he couldn’t manage this, the omega would be killed. This was his only chance of getting out of there.
“Just give me more time to sort this out. Please, Yoongi.”
“I’ll try, but a few more weeks is all I can get you. If you want to clear his name, go blackmail someone else, got it?” His voice is sharp and his tone brusque, yet Jeongguk breaks into a wide grin at the permission anyway.
That was just how Yoongi was, and it was why Jeongguk trusted him so much. Despite wanting to maintain a firm, neutral stance, he was kind and capable of understanding any difficult situation that arose. He knew he could always count on his pack-brother and friend, and he knew Yoongi would understand better than anyone.
“Thanks, Yoongi. I… I know this won’t be easy for you to pull off.”
“It’s alright, Jeongguk,” the smaller alpha says, stopping abruptly and looking him in the eye. “But just know that, at some point, I’m going to call in a favor.”