Chapter Text
If it hadn't been for that gust of wind then your day - no..strike that...your entire life - would have been different.
On the morning in question you stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally forcing yourself out of bed. You laced up the pair of scuffed and beaten Doc Martens you'd acquired years earlier from the last chance rack at a second hand store you frequented, slipped on your father's battered old military surplus backpack and shut the weathered cabin door behind you.
You took three steps away from the building, stopped and then stood there, just...waiting.
The current, unfamiliar lack of purpose and direction in your life once again hit you like a pile of bricks and for a split second you seemed utterly incapable of making even the simplest of decisions.
You gazed helplessly around before you took a deep breath, knelt down and plucked a few blades of grass. You shut your eyes tight and whispered, "Okay, Grandpa. You never let me down before so tell me. Which way should I go?"
With that you stood, opened your eyes and let the grass fall from your hand. As soon as you did so a sudden breeze blew the blades sharply to the right, straight towards the deepest portion of the woods surrounding the cabin you now called home.
You couldn't help but smile as you adjusted your pack and winked towards the heavens.
"Alright, then. I can't argue with that. Looks like I'll let you lead the way."
And so you began striding purposefully towards the tree line, ready to face whatever the day brought you.
Your mind started to clear as you made your way through the woods. The deeper into the forest you went the more peaceful you became and with each step you took you could feel the weight of recent events lifting from your shoulders.
You reached the banks of the stream you'd love to play in as a child, still swollen with the rains of two days ago. You jumped across, just managing to keep your footing when you landed in the muddy bank on the other side, secretly proud of yourself that you hadn't landed flat on your ass, as had often been the case when you'd attempted that maneuver in the past.
Maybe, just maybe - you thought - things were beginning to look up.
With a renewed sense of optimism, you clambered up the small hill then stopped and took a deep breath, letting the calm and tranquility of the surroundings seep into your soul.
It was as close to being at peace as you had felt in .... you thought for a moment before shaking your head. You honestly couldn't remember the last time you'd felt this level of contentment.
Unfortunately it didn't last long.
You kept wandering with no particular destination in mind, letting your thoughts drift aimlessly until you suddenly realized that something in your surroundings had changed. It took almost a full minute before you realized the difference. The entire time you'd been out you'd been surrounded by the familiar background sounds of the forest - the birds singing, the crickets chirping, the scurrying feet of tiny creatures rustling through the carpet of fallen leaves.
But now the air around you had gone utterly, deathly quiet. And only one thing caused that to happen.
There was a predator around and the inhabitants of these woods obviously thought whatever it was ranked higher on the food chain that you did.
You ran through a mental checklist and cursed under your breath when you remembered the one item you didn't bother to pack before leaving that morning was your father's service revolver, which was still wrapped inside one of your grandfather's bandanas in the top left hand drawer of his desk back at the cabin.
Your initial instinct was to head back home, knowing that the wisest course of action would be to avoid unnecessary entanglements with any potentially dangerous forms of wildlife. You had just taken the first step back in the direction you'd came when you heard the noise that sealed your fate.
The sound of an animal in pain.
You held your breath, hoping against hope that you were wrong, that fate wouldn't be that spiteful, that you wouldn't....
You heard it again. This time the whimper ended in a weak, mournful cry filled with desperation.
You hung your head and quietly recited every swear word in your extensive vocabulary before glaring upwards to the heavens.
"I swear, Grandpa.... If you had anything to do with this..."
You stopped short of committing the sin of ancestral insult, opting instead for a half-hearted threat.
"If I die because of what I'm about to do, I am so smacking you upside the head as soon as I enter the afterlife."
You gripped the shoulder straps of your pack before turning in the direction the noise had come from. You carefully pushed your way through the thick underbrush to see the origin of the cry.
It was a wolf.
A big, beautiful grey wolf whose striking beauty was marred only by the fact that his front left paw was caught in what appeared to be a rusty trap. His piercing blue eyes stared, laser focused on you as you stepped into the clearing, a low warning rumbling through his chest.
You stood very still, glancing from side to side to see if he was alone or if he had pack mates on hand to defend him.
"Hello, friend." You fought to keep your voice soft and steady. "Got your paw caught, did you? That's gotta hurt."
You paused and once you were reasonably sure that he was by himself, you began to approach warily, causing the wolf to arch his back and snarl.
"Shh....It's okay, buddy. I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise."
You slipped off your pack, laying it on the ground beside you.
"Today is actually your lucky day."
The wolf's lip pulled back, exposing a set of impressive looking canines as he snarled again.
"Okay. Okay. You're right," you conceded. "The whole getting your paw caught in a rusty trap thing obviously sucks but I happen to have veterinary training, not to mention that I have a first aid kit with me so you've got that going for you at least."
You raised your hands in what you hoped was a non-threatening gesture and took a tentative step forward.
"I'd hoped to have my own practice by now but...well...that's a long and complicated story that you probably aren't in the mood to hear at the moment."
The wolf's hackles raised as you edged closer.
"You know what? You're absolutely right. I hate it when people start bitching about their problems when I've obviously dealing with my own shit, so I'll keep my personal issues to myself for the time being, agreed?"
You kept your eyes focused on his chest. This enabled you to stay aware of his movements while at the same time avoiding direct eye contact so as to not antagonize him further than necessary.
"Of course, before I can treat your wound I'm going to have to spring the trap and to do that I'm going to have to get closer to you, okay?"
You took another step. This time the wolf tried to lunge forwards but the motion caused the trap to tear at his paw, quickly turning his growl into a yelp of pain.
"Please, buddy..." You pleaded, fighting back the tears that now threatened to fall. "Please let me help you. Please... I...I can't bear to watch anything suffer like this. Please."
To your great surprise the wolf seemed to react to the tone in your voice. He became quiet and tilted his head as if evaluating your sincerity.
You took a deep breath as you struggled to keep your emotions in check. Now was not the time to let your past get the better of you.
"I promise I won't hurt you. I swear it..."
You took another step and for the first time the action did not result in a corresponding snarl from the wounded animal in front of you.
"Now, in return for my assistance all I ask is that you not tear my throat out. I think that's a pretty reasonable request, don't you?"
You were now close enough to get a good look at the trap and you quickly realized that you weren't going to be open it with just your bare hands. You scanned the surrounding area and noticed a discarded metal fence post half buried under a pile of leaves a few feet away. You moved towards it, causing the wolf to growl softly.
"Easy, big fella. I'm just going to try and use this piece of metal to open that contraption you're caught in."
The wolf looked you up and down, as if assessing your physical condition and then he actually seemed to scoff at the notion of you accomplishing the task in question. Something about this action made you irrationally cross.
"Yah! There's no need to be rude. I may not look like much but I'll have you know that I'm capable of lifting all kinds of small livestock."
The wolf once again cocked his head in a questioning manner but he remained silent as you pulled the metal post loose and took another step in his direction.
"Why am I lifting livestock, you ask? That's an excellent question."
You continued talking to him as if he could understand you, a fact that you were beginning to wonder about.
"You see, besides wayward wolves, I also take care of a wide variety of other creatures. I can hoist newborn lambs, colts and calves. "
By this time you were close enough to reach the trap with the pole. You paused and when the wolf remained still you gently began working the piece of metal into the small gap left between the teeth of the trap, trying to avoid causing the wolf any additional pain in the process.
" I've even been known to manhandle a good sized sheep and even the occasional cranky hog, however there are certain situations where I think it's important to recognize one's limitations and utilize assistance when necessary."
You managed to maneuver bar through the teeth to the point where it was pressed against the release mechanism.
"So while I may not possess a great deal of brute strength, I did pay attention when we learned about simple machines in school. You see an implement like this allows me to amplify the input force utilized so as to increase the output force gained. In other words...."
You adjusted your grip on the pole then began pressing your full weight on the other end.
"You see...this piece of metal..." you grunted through clenched teeth"... has the potential to make me much stronger than I actually am, which should allow me..."
With one final push the trap opened just far enough for the wolf to extract his wounded limb.
"Open this bad boy right up."
You dropped the pole, smiling triumphantly as wiped your hands on your pants leg.
"See? What did I tell you? Easy peasy..."
The wolf hopped back and whined when he tried to put weight on the injured paw.
"Yeah, I'm sure it hurts." You nodded in agreement, still panting from the exertion. "So ... That's step one accomplished....On to step two..."
You knelt down in an effort to appear less of a threat.
"Are you going to let me help you with that paw?"
The animal stared intensely at you as if he were weighing his options. At this point you were almost convinced he was reacting to more than your tone. It was if he actually understood the words you were saying.
"Please?"
The wolf began shifting his weight, obviously trying to determine whether to trust you or not.
You glanced around the clearing as if someone might see you before releasing a resigned sigh.
"Oh, what the hell," you muttered. "I've made stupider decisions for much worse reasons."
You lowered yourself even further so the wolf was now taller than you. You then bowed your head and extended an open hand in his direction. You held your breath and stayed very still, hoping for the best whilst simultaneously bracing for the worst. There was a tense moment of silence until you heard a soft, rustling in the leaves. A moment later you felt the warm and wet muzzle of the wolf gently sniffing your palm.
You looked up into the wolf's incredible eyes and smiled.
"Hello there, handsome. Is it alright if I sit up now?"
The wolf hesitated then nudged your hand again, this time with slightly more confidence.
You moved slowly and deliberately until you were sitting upright, cross legged in front of him, setting your hand, palm up, on your knee.
"Right. Can you give me that paw?"
The wolf tentatively hopped forward. He once again eyed you carefully before cautiously resting his wounded paw on your thigh.
"Thank you... "
You tried to keep your heart rate under control as you began digging around in your pack.
"Now, you may be asking..."
You located the first aid kit and laid it on the ground in front of you.
"...Why do I have all this stuff with me if I only planned a short hike?"
You opened the kit, glad you had restocked it with fresh supplies last week.
"Well, you see...Grandpa said to always be prepared because you never know what life might throw at you. Not sure that he had this particular scenario in mind but I suppose that's what makes it good advice. It works no matter what the situation."
You pulled out the necessary items, including a clean cloth and bottle of rubbing alcohol.
"Now...fair warning. I'm sorry but this is going to sting a little bit. Please don't rip my hand off, okay?"
You could've sworn the wolf nodded at you but you pushed that notion aside to focus on the task at hand. You poured alcohol onto the cloth then dabbed it on the open wound, causing the wolf to flinch and yelp.
"I know...I know..." you whispered. "It sucks but we can't have it getting infected now, can we? We don't know how long that nasty old trap has been sitting out here. If you hadn't died of starvation you could very well have succumbed to tetanus or staphylococcus or something equally slow and painful."
The wolf whimpered but allowed you to continue your work.
"Shh....I'm sorry but the hard part is almost done, okay?"
You finished cleaning the injured area, blowing on the wound afterwards to help with the sting.
"I'll take care of the rest as quick as I can. I promise."
The wolf continued to gaze thoughtfully at you as you produced a tube of antibiotic cream that you began rubbing gently on the wound. Slowly, the wolf started to relax, lowering his body down until he was resting his snout on your leg. Gradually you stopped thinking of him as a predator, instead regarding him as a sweet natured, overgrown puppy.
Perhaps it was this shift in thinking that caused you to begin speaking so freely.
"Ahem...In the interest of full disclosure, I suppose I ought to tell you that I haven't actually finished vet school...or if I ever will at this point."
At this admission, the wolf's head popped up and his eyes flew open, as if he'd just learned that he was the passenger on a plane whose pilot wasn't licensed to fly.
"Oh...Calm down..." you tutted as you continued treating his wounded paw. "I completed three years of the four year program plus I have LOADS of practical experience, I just ran out of money and had to leave."
His eyes narrowed but he didn't pull his leg away from you.
"I applied for a scholarship so I could finish but it came down to me and one other student and while my grades and test scores were all considerably higher, the committee - comprised entirely of elderly men, by the way - deemed the other candidate 'more qualified'...which is code for he was a male and I wasn't."
The wolf let out what could only be described as indignant huff which made you chuckle.
"If that translates into human as 'fuck the patriarchy' then I couldn't agree more, friend."
You winked at him as you reached back into the first aid kit to produce a roll of adhesive gauze.
"Now, I'm sure your next question is, what happened to my original source of funding that caused me to run out of money before completing my degree?"
You began wrapping the bandage gently around his paw.
"That, my furry friend, is a long and complicated tale of woe that I'm sure you don't want to hear anymore than I want to revisit right now."
He studied you for a moment then gave your leg a firm nudge with his snout, as if he were pushing you for more detail.
"Oh, well. If you insist then I'll give you the condensed version of the story. Bottom line is that I made the mistake of trusting the wrong person with both my heart and my finances...a blunder I am determined never to repeat...."
You finished wrapping the bandage, hoping that it would hold long enough for the medicine to at least begin to take effect.
"But in the meantime, here I am... wandering in the woods, broke and unemployed. But on the bright side...at least I'm not homeless. I've been staying in my grandfather's cabin about a mile back that way."
You tipped your head back in the direction you'd come from.
"So...I'm not completely useless, I suppose. I was able to help a big, beautiful guy like you. That's a day well spent in my book."
You smiled fondly at him and you could've sworn he did the same in return.
"Speaking of books, you remind me of a character in one of my favorites from when I was a kid."
You returned the gauze to the kit as the wolf settled back in beside you, his head in your lap, his eyes staring up at you in such a way that encouraged you to keep talking.
"It's called "The Jungle Book" and it was written by a man named Rudyard Kipling. His family was British but he grew up in India and he wrote a collection of stories using the animals that fascinated him as a child as his main characters."
Instinctively you began scratching the wolf behind his ears and were pleasantly surprised when he leaned into your touch.
"There's Baloo - he's a bear and Bagheera - he's a panther. There's even an evil tiger by the name of Shere Khan."
At that moment your stomach rumbled, reminding you that you hadn't eaten anything more than a granola bar since leaving the cabin hours ago. You reached into the outside pocket of your pack and pulled out the sandwich you'd made for lunch. You began unwrapping it as you continued relating the tale to your rapt audience.
"The only human character of any note is a little boy named Mowgli who's abandoned in the wilderness when he was very young and gets adopted and raised by a pack of wolves. They're the good guys by the way...well... for the most part, anyways..."
You tore off a piece of your sandwich and laid it on the ground next to the wolf, who sniffed it then wrinkled his nose.
"Oi! Pretty picky for someone in your position. Maybe next time I'll just walk on by and you can wait around until a cordon bleu chef comes by to patch you up."
The wolf dipped his head as if offering an apology before tentatively nibbling at the sandwich.
"That's what I thought," you huffed. "Now where was I? Oh, right...so in The Jungle Book there's a female wolf called Raksha - her name means 'protection'. She's the one who finds Mowgli, takes him in and raises him as if he were one of her own. Her pack is led by a wolf named Akela. His name means 'alone'."
You brushed a crumb off your pants leg with a heavy sigh.
"I always thought that was a sad name, you know? I mean, it's bad enough to be all alone in the world. You don't need everyone calling you that on a daily basis as a reminder."
The wolf whined softly in agreement and it hurt your heart to think of a creature this strong and beautiful ever feeling alone.
"Anyway, Kipling describes Akela as a great grey wolf who leads his pack with strength, honor and intelligence. It's due to his kindness and compassion that the pack allows Raksha to raise Mowgli alongside the other pups."
The wolf let out a deep contented rumble as you rubbed one of his ears with one hand as you finished your sandwich with the other.
"So, that's who you remind me of - Akela - the beautiful, smart wolf who certainly doesn't deserve to be out here, all alone in the world."
The wolf's tail began wagging slowly and he snuggled even further into your lap before licking your hand.
"Aish!" You snorted. "Don't flirt with me, Akela. I don't take kindly to having my affections trifled with. I don't even know what your intentions are."
Akela considered you with soft eyes before deliberately licking your hand again.
"Hey...stop it," You giggled in a way that hadn't in a very long time. "For all I know, you're a player who acts like this with all the girls who free you from traps and bandage your paws."
The wolf huffed in indignation, shaking his head firmly as he plopped his other front paw on your leg as if to emphasize his point.
"No?" You laughed. "So now I suppose you're going to try and make me think I'm special, huh?"
He nodded decisively as he lifted his head up far enough to place a big, slobbery kiss on your cheek, almost knocking you over in the process.
"Whoa! Hold on there, buddy!" You were now laughing so hard you could barely catch your breath. "I'm not that easy. If a fella wants that kind of action from me then I insist they at least buy me dinner first."
Akela's tail was now wagging vigorously and you could tell he was just about lick you again when he suddenly froze. He sniffed the air briefly then his head whipped around to his right. His ears pricked up and a low rumble began emanating from his broad chest.
You peered off in the direction he was staring but you couldn't see or hear anything suspicious.
"What is it, Akela?" you whispered. "What's out there?"
The wolf rose unsteadily to his feet, his sharp eyes never wavering from a spot partially obscured by dense undergrowth.
Your heart began to race at your furry companion's sudden change in demeanor. Whatever had caught his attention was certainly not a friend.
Neither of you moved for almost a full minute until without warning a scrawny, mottled wolf with a dull matted coat and sickly yellow eyes came creeping out of the forest.
This new wolf had a chunk missing from one ear and his menacing snarl revealed a mouth full of badly discolored teeth. The vet student in you made the subconscious note that he could benefit from an extensive dental cleaning before your rational brain reminded you that you had more pressing concerns at the moment.
It then occurred to you that even in his weakened state Akela was making a deliberate effort to position himself between you and the other wolf. For some reason this simple action brought forth a wave of emotion and it took everything you had to push through it and concentrate on the danger at hand.
The interloper began slowly circling you both. Akela kept his eyes trained on hostile intruder, who slowly started testing the waters by occasionally lunging and snarling at you.
As large as Akela was his strength had been significantly depleted by his recent trauma and you knew that even though the other wolf was physically smaller that your patient wouldn't be able to hold him off for long without assistance. Your mind raced furiously, trying to think of what to do when your eyes fell on the pole you'd used to pry open the trap.
While the wolves were distracting each other you made a grab for it. You tightened your trembling hands as you choked up on it like a baseball bat, then you leapt forward, swinging it in the direction of your attacker while simultaneously releasing a deep, guttural yell.
The smaller wolf jumped back but instead of running away as you'd hoped he continued warily circling the pair of you, taking care to maintain a safe a safe distance between himself and the weapon you were now wielding.
For some reason Akela seemed unhappy with your actions. He snapped in your direction in way that seemed oddly reminiscent of your late father when he was frustrated with you for doing something he considered unsafe.
"Hey," you muttered. "In case you didn't notice this is my fight too, you know? 'Cuz I don't think Gmork over there is going to let me saunter away unharmed if something happens to you."
Akela grunted and you responded by explaining, "Nah...Gmork is from a different book. When we make it out of this, I tell you all about that one. It's another one of my favorites."
You were on the verge of pointing out that you'd deliberately used the word 'when' instead of 'if' in regards to your situation when a rustle off to your left caught your attention and two seconds later another scraggly looking wolf slid into the clearing.
This one was roughly the same size as the first but this one was slightly lighter in color and sported a nasty looking scar under his right eye.
"I hate to tell you this, Akela but I think Gmork has invited his friends and relations to this party."
You instinctively pivoted around so you and Akela were now standing back to back in an effort to protect both of your flanks.
Feeling a bit more confident now that the odds were roughly even, the pair of hostile wolves became bolder, circling closer and lunging nearer each time.
You and Akela managed to stand your ground, one of your swings coming close enough to just miss the snarling muzzle of the one with the damaged ear.
You thought that you still had a chance to get out of this unscathed when two more wolves, both as mangy and scrawny as the first, appeared.
The resulting shift in numbers emboldened your attackers, who suddenly decided to rush you all at once. You took aim at the largest of the group as he charged towards you but as you were preparing to swing you felt a set of sharp teeth tearing into your leg, pulling you to the ground and causing you to momentarily lose your grip on your weapon.
You scrambled to reach it again but before you could grab hold of it, one of your assailants leapt forward and pinned you to the ground. His hot, stinky breath almost overwhelmed you as your eyes focused on his razor sharp fangs. You were certain that he was seconds away from sinking them into your neck when out of the corner of your eye you spotted something large and dark barreling in your direction before it slammed into the side of the wolf on top of you, knocking him off.
Then seemingly out of nowhere a second group of wolves burst into the clearing and the air around you erupted into a cacophony of yips, growls, squeaks and whines.
Unsure of whether this new group were friends or yet another foe, you decided to focus on the one ally you knew you could rely on - Akela.
It took a moment for you to regain your bearings through the frenzy that now surrounded you but finally you caught sight of him. He'd managed to push himself back against a tree so his rear was protected but he was panting heavily and you could tell that he was about to collapse from the effort.
You grabbed the pole and tried to stand but your injured leg buckled as soon as you put weight on it. You fought back a yelp of pain as you hit the ground then gritted your teeth and took a couple of deep breaths before you began crawling as fast as you could in Akela's direction. You were just a couple of feet away when the wolf with the scar under its eye pounced on your lower back and sunk his teeth into your arm.
This time you were unable to hold back your anguished cry but once again you were saved when another wolf - this one almost pure white - grabbed your attacker's rear leg and literally tore him off of you.
By now Akela was lying on his side, tongue hanging out, eyes rolling back into his head. You dug deep and fought through your own pain to close the remaining distance between you.
Using a final burst of adrenaline fueled energy you threw yourself forward and wrapped your body around his in an attempt to protect his vulnerable throat and underbelly from attack.
The moment your arms were in place you started to feel dizzy. The ground beneath you seemed to begin spinning violently as darkness seeped into your vision. Before losing consciousness, the last thing you remembered was the sound of one set of wolves being chased away as the others howled in triumph and warning.
Seconds later, just before everything went black, you heard a panicked voice cry out:
"Jin-hyung! Get over here! We need you! NOW!"
xoxo
You weren't sure how long you floated in that vast ocean of emptiness. Eventually though, sounds - voices maybe? - begin filtering into the void.
At the same time you became aware of the sensation of being covered with something large, soft and comforting, as if you were snuggled under a furry, weighted blanket.
It felt nice. Really nice.
The first voice you could hear clearly was calm and soothing but you detected hint of urgency lurking underneath it.
"Joonie? I need to treat her injuries but I can't if you don't move okay?"
In response you heard a familiar low growling sound.
"I know Joon-ah but you're both safe now. We've got all the doors and windows locked and Hob-ah, Yoongi-ah and Kookie are patrolling outside. Hyung promises that no one's going to get to either of you. I swear it. I know you want to protect her but right now the greatest danger she's facing is from those bite wounds. If you don't move then you'll be the one hurting her, and I don't think you don't want now, do you?"
There was a soft whimper before the weight above you shifted and the warmth slowly moved away.
You just had time to miss it before you slid back into the silent sea of unconsciousness.
xxx
So that's the beginning! Please let me know if you're interested in what happens next...
Side note: The Gmork is a character in Michael Ende's "The Neverending Story". If you are only familiar with the movie I highly recommend you check out the original since the film only covers the first half of the book! :)