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Jimin was waiting by the door when Jaehyun walked in.
Out of habit, the guard looked at the window first. It was Jimin’s favorite spot. From there, he could see parts of the village from there. Jimin had known that Jaehyun was coming, so he had already prepared himself, and was silently waiting for his guard to notice him.
When he did, Jaehyun jumped back a little. It wasn’t much, but Jimin held back a smile.
“Hate when you do that,” the guard mumbled.
Jimin stayed silent. Better that, than having his every word reported to the elders so they could see if he’d had another vision.
“The Head Alpha wants to see you,” Jaehyun said. “Didn’t look very happy. Any idea why?”
Jimin frowned. He did not, and that never boded well.
He’d had a few visions today. One of the Park omegas would give birth this evening. An alpha child, after four omega pups. Jimin had seen her thanking the Gods, and especially the Mother. Finally, her alpha would be proud of her.
He had seen a fire, next full moon, starting in the forge. This one he could tell the Head Alpha about. Despite what his life had become, Jimin still shared some of his visions. A life saved was always worth it.
And then, he had seen Jaehyun, walking up the stairs of his lonely tower. The only stone building in the village. As if Jimin was a dangerous and feral beast that couldn’t be contained.
He was dangerous, in his own way, but nothing that warranted such a prison. This was a show, something to humiliate and separate him from the rest of the pack.
As if he wasn’t different enough already.
“Better do what he says,” Jaehyun said as they walked down the stairs. He took out a large key and opened the only way out of the tower. “Sure you don’t know anything? He looked pissed.”
Jimin shook his head…
…and faltered.
Multiple paths suddenly laid in front of him.
Jimin telling his Head Alpha about the forge fire. The fire happening anyway, because the man was too busy with… something. Jimin couldn’t see what.
Jimin telling his Head Alpha about the forge fire tomorrow… No. That possibility was already gone. The fire happening anyway, killing three, hurting twelve.
Jimin looked at all the possibilities. Who to tell, when to tell… The fire was always happening.
And then, a possibility. A future where the forge was kept under surveillance, and the fire was extinguished before it could cause any harm.
“Jimin?” Jaehyun was looking at him.
The visions always stretched for what seemed to be an infinite amount of time for Jimin, but they were extremely short. No one ever noticed when they happened, except Taehyung, but only because he knew him so well.
Jimin looked at the guard and said, “In ten days, Nari will get hurt. She’ll get burned when making a dagger. She’ll drop the dagger next to the wood for the fire. The fire will kill her, and more.”
He closed his mouth and felt it, the futures rearranging themselves around his decision. It wasn’t always so easy, Jimin was glad for the small victory.
Jaehyun nodded. Out of all the guards that watched over him, he was one of the few that never doubted his ability. His curse.
“I’ll bring that to the elders,” he said. “Still need to take you to the Head Alpha first.”
Jimin nodded, and they went on. It was early afternoon. Hunters were gone, pups were taking their naps, and the village seemed mostly empty, but Jimin knew what to listen to. He could hear the guards grunting on the training ground, the smith’s hammer falling repeatedly, and the cooks laughing in the kitchens.
The Park pack was strong and vibrant. Its only dark spot was Jimin. The one thing stopping it from achieving a ‘glory like no one had seen before’, was how the Head Alpha usually put it.
Jaehyun stopped in front of the largest cabin in the village, and posted himself at the door.
“Go directly to him,” was the last thing he said before the door opened.
Jimin knew better than to disobey.
The first floor was reserved to the elders, and some of them were there, watching him like hawks, perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of Jimin’s visions. They had tried to take his powers in the past, but had never been able to find a witch strong enough to do so. The last Park witch had been killed, long before his birth, and Jimin knew that they regretted it dearly.
He ignored them and climbed the stairs. Just like its owner, the office of the Park Head Alpha was cold and austere. There was a large table in the middle, showcasing a map of all the surrounding packs. Some crossed in dark ink, previous victories, and some circled in blood red, which Jimin purposefully ignored. He had spent too much time in this room already, trying to avoid the never-ending questions about these packs in particular. How do we beat them? What are their weaknesses? Jimin knew some of the answers, and it was hard to refuse the commands of his Head Alpha, but he tried his best to give away as little as possible.
He wondered if this was what this summoning was about. One of these packs gaining the advantage over them, because Jimin had refused to give away his visions. It would have explained the Head Alpha’s dark stare.
He wasn’t the tallest alpha of their pack, but he had a darkest aura around him, and a mouth that was perpetually pinched in a thin line, with eyes always looking for a weakness to exploit.
Jimin looked down and waited for him to speak. The Head Alpha never needed incentives to give orders or threats, and he loved the sound of his own voice too much to shut up for long.
However, for the first time since Jimin could remember, they both stayed silent.
The silence felt like a weight over Jimin’s head. It was important, and not just for the rest of Jimin’s day.
No, this was… a turning point. The beginning of futures Jimin had only seen the shape of.
“You truly don’t know.”
Jimin raised his eyes and looked at the Head Alpha, his face not showing anything. The Head Alpha’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you see for the future of this pack?”
That, at least, was part of their routine. The first question Head Alpha always asked, and the one Jimin always ignored.
What could he have said? He’d seen a Park pack reigning in terror over its neighbors. A Park pack burned to the ground because it had gone too far.
He had tried shaping it in his younger years, but hope had been beaten out of him long ago.
“As always, you seek nothing but our destruction,” the Head Alpha coldly said. “Every day I ask you to come here, and every day you give me nothing!”
The last word was a scream, and Jimin flinched. For all of his failings, the Head Alpha wasn’t a violent man.
That scream… it was also different.
Futures kept narrowing down.
“We’ve taken care of you!” Head Alpha went on. “We raised you, fed you, and gave you everything despite the power you carry.”
It wasn’t how Jimin remembered his childhood in the Pack’s orphanage, but he wasn’t about to say that.
He could only see the paths narrowing down ahead of them.
Something was missing. There were still too many possible futures for Jimin to make a guess.
“You give us nothing, leaving us to make choices that might lead us to our downfall. What could have been a gift, you turned into a curse.”
Head Alpha stopped, smiling for the first time.
Dread filled Jimin.
“No, I don’t think you saw this one coming…” He scoffed and added, nonchalant, “Taehyung left last night. His room is empty. He left nothing behind.”
That wasn’t true. Taehyung had left something. Jimin could see the envelope with his name on it, hidden under the creaking plank of his friend’s bedroom.
Jimin would never get to read it.
In every future, Jimin’s life would change. Tonight.
Taehyung’s departure was the beginning of everything.
It was too many paths to consider at once, too many doors opening at the same time, and Jimin couldn’t deal with the visions while keeping a straight face.
His shock worked in his favor.
“So, you didn’t know he would leave,” the Head Alpha said, nodding to himself, “But perhaps you know where he’s going. Taehyung was of no consequence, beside the bond he shared with you, but we can’t have our own people leave to other packs.”
Jimin needed to go back to his room, to process the possibilities laying in front of him, and to prepare.
Tonight…
“I never had a vision concerning Taehyung, Head Alpha. I don’t know what the future holds for him.”
It was a half-truth, something Jimin had mastered over the years. He didn’t know what Taehyung’s future held, but he could feel his friend’s presence in every path.
For now, Taehyung would be safe.
The Head Alpha hummed.
“You might be telling the truth, but you’ve lied to me before…”
Jimin knew that the next few words would seal all of their fates.
“You will spend the next week in isolation. When it is over, perhaps you’ll have more to say.”
With a hand gesture, Head Alpha ordered him to leave.
Jimin had been young when this Head Alpha had come into power. He remembered then, seeing the futures where the man could have become a father to him. At six years old, Jimin had been blindsided, refusing to see all the other futures. He had done everything to please the new Head Alpha. He had given visions, answered questions he didn’t understand, and obeyed the man’s every order, hoping for the bond he had seen to finally form.
He had understood, too late, that he had made the alpha too powerful, and in doing so, had destroyed the very future he had sought.
Still, to this day, looking at his Head Alpha made him sad. He had seen the caring alpha that could have been, and this hard shell of a man was almost… pitiful.
Jimin knew with certainty that this was the last time they would see each other again. He almost said ‘goodbye’, but that would have alerted the man.
He turned around, and left without a word.
The elders stared again, and Jimin continued to ignore them. If they suspected anything, tonight’s events wouldn’t come to pass. It wasn’t perfectly clear yet, but tonight needed to happen. Jimin would have to be careful, missteps would cause deaths, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Jaehyun looked surprised when he saw him.
“Already?”
Jimin looked at the village. This would be the last time he’d see it in daylight.
“A week of isolation.”
Jaehyun whistled. “That bad… Wait, do I have to prepare your meals again? I have other things to do today.”
“Seokjin will be the one preparing them,” Jimin said.
That wasn’t true. In some futures, Jaehyun was the one preparing him enough meals to last for a week, but Jimin felt this path leading to disaster.
Jaehyun didn’t know that, and smiled, “Great. I’ll bring you back and tell Seokjin.”
Jimin followed him. Part of him was dying to ask Jaehyun to take him to Taehyung’s cabin, before being forced back in the tower. He wished they could have taken a walk around the village, one last time. Despite everything, this had been Jimin’s home.
But he stayed silent, and the tower came into view. That, at least, Jimin wouldn’t miss.
“Well,” Jaehyun said, opening the door, “See you in a week then.”
Jimin saw him, tonight, walking with Inari along the river. Sometimes taking her hand, sometimes lacking the courage.
Jaehyun wasn’t a friend, but he had always treated Jimin with respect, which was more than what others had done over the years.
“You should take her hand, tonight.”
Jaehyun blinked, then blushed.
“Oh. Do you know if…”
“I don’t. Just take her hand.”
The guard nodded.
Jimin went inside, and listened to the key turning in the lock.
Later tonight, clever hands would open it again. Perhaps. If things went right.
Jimin ran to the top and closed the door of the bedroom. He knew that he had time, hours even, but there was still a sense of urgency rushing through him. He didn’t know what to take with him and what to leave behind. He didn’t have much to begin with – he didn’t even possess a backpack – but there were still choices to be made.
He tried narrowing down the possible futures, but found it harder than usual. He could see himself waiting on his bed, he could see the door opening…
But he couldn’t see who would come through that door.
Jimin’s fate depended on who would be the one to… save him? Capture him? Jimin couldn’t tell himself.
He pushed his fingers through his hair, frustrated. He wanted more, needed to know what was going to happen, but the curse was unresponsive.
Instead, it was giving him infinite possibilities.
Tattooed figures killing everyone they met or…
Armies burning down the village or…
A witch flying up to him or…
Three men running silently to his tower or…
It was too much. Jimin was losing himself to the visions.
The curse was a constant threat, something that he could have lost himself in, if he wasn’t careful. Every future held so many information, created so many branches, that he could gave spent a lifetime trying to see them all, and only seeing a fraction.
He opened his eyes.
“Focus,” he muttered to himself. “You are getting out. You are getting out!”
He took one of the covers on the bed and laid it out. On it, he placed his warmest fur, the only bowl he had, and the knife Taehyung had secretly gifted him last winter.
He also took his diary, the one given by the Head Alpha to write down his visions. Jimin had never used it for its intended purpose, preferring to draw instead. The drawings had been analyzed, at first, before his Head Alpha and the elders had understood that Jimin was only drawing things from his imagination. He could feel that he wouldn’t be drawing again for a long time, but he didn’t want to abandon it here.
Then, he took some clothes, as many as he could fit in the blanket, and still be able to fold it into a makeshift backpack. He didn’t know what the weather would be like, but fall was giving place to winter, and he couldn’t risk getting sick on the road.
It wasn’t much, especially for an omega his age. There were no courting gifts in there, no heirloom from his parents, and certainly nothing of value. But it was his.
He wrapped the blanket around his belongings, and tied a few knots here and there, and ended up with the sorriest backpack he’d ever seen, but it would have to do. He hid it under the bed.
For now, all that was left to do was wait.
He sat at the window, suddenly tired. Sleep was a good idea, he wouldn’t be getting much of it tonight. He looked at the possible futures and saw himself sleeping, while Seokjin quietly put the food on his table. Sleeping meant that Jimin wouldn’t be able to talk to him. Death would occur.
He had to stay awake then. For the next few hours, he observed the little part of the village he could see from the window. It was nothing new, and Jimin knew exactly who he would see and when, and not because of his power. He had been watching the village from up here for so long that he could tell exactly when the hunters came back, or when the two omega elders would take their afternoon walk…
Every day, at the same time, Taehyung would walk in front of the tower. Not too close, but enough to give Jimin a small wave. It wasn’t much, but Jimin was always there to wave back. They could still see each other, although under supervision, but Jimin never missed this daily routine. Taehyung had never given up on him, passing on letters and small gifts through his brother. Seokjin was a respected guard in the Park pack, something he’d work hard for, but he’d never been able to refuse Taehyung anything.
Jimin wondered if Seokjin had known about Taehyung leaving the village.
He startled when the door opened downstairs.
“Jimin?”
He smiled. As if anyone else could be here.
“You can come up,” he called, not bothering to stand up.
His backpack was well hidden, and nothing looked out of the ordinary. When Seokjin came inside the room, carrying a full basket, Jimin could feel that they was on the right path.
“Here,” the alpha said, putting it all on the table, “I asked for the rice cakes and even got some dried fruits.” He then turned to look at Jimin and shook his head. “What was it this time? He already had you in isolation for your birthday, and now again?”
That’s when Jimin realized. Seokjin didn’t know that his brother was gone.
He opened his mouth…
Telling him about Taehyung leaving. Seokjin panicking, running out of the tower. Tonight going wrong, or…
Not telling him. Acting normal. Night coming, and the door silently opening to reveal…
“The Head Alpha was in a bad mood.”
Seokjin scoffed. “Surprising. He said we had to be on double shifts tonight. I haven’t been home in a week, and I’m getting tired of the guards’ tent.”
So that’s why he didn’t know. That, and the Head Alpha was probably keeping it from him.
“About tonight…” Jimin paused, waiting for Seokjin’s attention.
The alpha straightened his back, alert.
“The tower should be left alone.”
Seokjin frowned. This was why it had to be him. Jimin couldn’t have asked this of anyone else.
“I don’t know how but… there shouldn’t be anyone in front of the door tonight.”
“What happens if there is?”
Jimin looked at the window. “It depends. Sometimes death. Sometimes not.”
It was getting darker. Jimin looked behind the village, and wondered who was hiding behind the trees.
“What about you?”
Jimin looked back at Seokjin. The alpha was smart, and the path leading to a successful night was slim.
“No matter what happens, I’m alive. But the pack suffers,” He paused, Seokjin still on edge, and then, “I’m asking a lot, but you have to trust me. This is the easiest way.”
Seokjin’s eyes darkened. “You know what happened the last time you lied.”
“The only time I really lied,” Jimin snapped, opening his arms to show the room around him, “And I’ve been the paying the price ever since. I am not lying. Anyone guarding the tower tonight will die.”
“Because someone else is coming.”
Jimin saw his opening there. “Yes. I don’t know who, or how many, but the Head Alpha is right to double the guards. The village needs protecting. I don’t.” Seokjin opened his mouth but Jimin stopped him, “And yes, I’m not telling you the whole truth because if I do, it will all go wrong. I don’t want anyone to die, you of all people should know that.”
Seokjin looked guilty. “I know, but, Jimin…”
“I won’t say anything else.” He looked back at the window, praying that he hadn’t ruined everything. “There is a way to protect the pack, and I gave it to you. You should go now.”
Seokjin looked at him, and something changed in his gaze.
The alpha clenched his jaw, and left the room without a word.
Jimin closed his eyes and let his head fall against his knees. As much as he could sense Taehyung’s presence in his futures, he wasn’t sure that he would ever see Seokjin again.
Seokjin was Taehyung’s brother, but in every way that mattered, he had been the same to Jimin. Jimin and Taehyung had been born months apart, both of their mothers dying giving birth in a devastatingly cold winter. The three of them had been kept by the pack as orphans, and Seokjin had taken care of them as best as he could have at his young age, until the new Head Alpha had realized Jimin’s potential.
Jimin saw the alpha’s figure walk away from the tower. With a hole in his chest, he realized that he’d never really thanked Seokjin for taking care of him.
Night was fully upon the village now. A moonless night. Easier to go unnoticed.
Jimin stayed at the window. He was being watched, from whomever was waiting outside the village. He didn’t care. He wanted the door to open. To see who would be the one to get him out. Then, he’d have a better understand of what the future would look like.
And so, he waited. Lanterns were lit around the village, giving it a warm glow. Jimin thought that it would lull him to sleep but as the hours passed, he couldn’t stop the tremor in his leg. No vision was coming to him, and Jimin wasn’t used to the curse being so eerily silent. His powers had only quieted a few times in his life, and Jimin had never enjoyed what had come out of them.
His heart missed a beat, and he gripped his chest.
Right after, he heard the door open downstairs.
Then, light steps climbing the cobblestones.
Jimin’s mind was blank. No visions, no guessing… Only fear, paralyzing his body.
The door to his bedroom was unlocked, and it got silently pushed open.
Jimin stopped breathing.
A single man.
Alpha.
Face hidden under a cloak, a dagger in his hand.
The curse came back to life. Thousands of doors closed, a single one remained open.
From this door, an endless array of possibilities. All of them had the same person in them.
“Jungkook.”
The alpha’s grip tightened on the dagger.
“Not a word, witch.”
Jimin jumped down and took the backpack from under the bed, hands shaking with excitement.
“I don’t have space for this,” he said, pointing at the basket on the table. “But there’s food for a week in there. We’ll need it.”
The alpha didn’t reply, standing in place. He wasn’t afraid, but Jimin could smell the distaste exuding out of him.
“I’ll take it,” he said, grabbing the basket himself.
He wanted to leave the room, but Jungkook was blocking the way out, unmoving.
“Guards will be coming this way soon,” Jimin urged him, heart beating in his throat.
“There’s no one.”
“Because I cleared the path for you.” Because Seokjin had trusted him. “But they’ll come back.”
“You knew I was coming.”
Jimin tried to contain his annoyance. Now wasn’t the time for a talk about his powers.
“I knew someone was coming. Just like I know we will be found if we don’t move quickly.”
“I don’t mind being found out.”
That was true. Jimin saw those paths, with Jungkook killing the Park guards, but there was something else there. Something he could use.
“If we don’t leave now, Yoongi will receive an arrow. In the shoulder, or maybe the side.”
“What – ”
Jimin walked up to the alpha, uncaring about the dagger. There was no future in which Jungkook used it against him.
He stopped in front of the other man, head raised high. He could see the other’s face now, young, but hardened. He despised what Jimin was, Jimin had seen the look enough times to recognize it.
“I will be coming with you, but no one dies. I’ll find us a way out of the pack’s territory, and then you can take me wherever you want.”
Jungkook stared, searching for a sign that Jimin was lying.
“You don’t know where we’re going?” the alpha grunted.
“I can’t look so far,” he replied, “and we don’t have time.”
Jimin pushing him out of the way never ended well, but there were losing precious time, and…
Jungkook took a step to the side and nodded towards the door. “You go first.”
Jimin didn’t wait, quickly going down the stairs with Jungkook right behind him. It was dark, but Jimin knew these steps too well, and knowing that this was the last time he’d be taking them made him feel like he was flying.
The first breath he took from the night air felt like freedom. Intoxicated by the feeling, he turned to his other captors, each of them with a dagger of their own, and smiled.
“What the…”
That one was Hoseok, the name already on Jimin’s tongue.
But Jungkook was there, and Jimin saw the searching look he gave to the last one, Yoongi. No arrows yet.
“Lead the way,” the alpha ordered him.
The other two turned towards him.
“Wait, are you serious?” Hoseok asked.
“That’s not the plan.”
Jungkook closed the door, eyes never leaving Jimin. “No funny tricks.” He raised the dagger. “I don’t need this to kill you.”
Jimin didn’t reply, turning his back to them and running towards the forest. He heard the sound of surprise from Hoseok, probably thinking he was trying to run away from them, but Jungkook was already behind him.
The three alphas were stealthier than he was, clearly used to walking around undetected, but they didn’t know the lay of the land like Jimin did. He led them away from the village, making sure that they wouldn’t come too close to a few cabins that were on the outskirts of the pack.
They came close to the barracks, and Jimin smelled how tense his captors were, but he wasn’t afraid. Just like Seokjin had said, the guards had been doubled tonight, and there was barely anyone left at the barracks.
However, as they were almost out of danger, Jimin froze.
“Stop,” he whispered. Crouching was difficult with the basket he had to carry, but he tried to make himself as small as possible behind a tree.
There was no one around, and he feared that the others would question his action, but it was as if the three alphas had disappeared. Even their scents were muted, unnoticeable amongst all of the smells the forest held.
They waited until a light appeared. The torch was at a safe distance, but Jimin still held his breath.
It was Jaehyun, making his round with Inari. The two guards were talking, clearly not caring much about making sure that no one was coming in or out. Why would they? The Park pack was strong and secure.
As they were leaving out of sight again, Jimin noticed that they were holding hands. Perhaps it was the nerves, or the euphoric sense of freedom, but he held back a hysterical laugh.
He waited a while longer, just to make sure, then turned back, eyes immediately finding Jungkook’s.
“I’ve done my part,” he whispered. “Now I’ll follow you.”
They didn’t stop for the rest of the night. Jimin had thought that Jungkook would be the one to lead the group but Yoongi was first in line. Jimin was behind him, with Jungkook and Hoseok closing the formation, watching him like hawks.
It was unnecessary. Jimin’s backpack was heavy on his back, and the basket now felt like it held a month worth of food. The lack of sleep was also catching up to him, and Jimin couldn’t think of anything, other than putting one foot in front of the other without tripping. At least it wasn’t snowing yet, and his power was mostly silent.
Most of the glimpses Jimin got were of trees, sometimes covered in snow, sometimes not, but it was hard to differentiate these visions from real life. All trees looked the same, at least to him, and he was getting so tired that by the time dawn came, everything was blurred.
It took him slipping over a branch for the others to finally stop.
Jimin rubbed his knee with a hiss, and Yoongi turned around.
“Are you hurt?”
“No,” he replied. “But I’m tired.”
He got back on his feet and saw that Yoongi was looking at the others. The three of them were silent, but Hoseok tilted his head, and Jungkook pointed to their right.
“We’re too close,” he said. “You get a few hours and then we walk again.”
Jimin nodded, and followed them to a copse of trees that hadn’t lost all of their leaves yet. He would have taken any amount of sleep the alphas would have given him.
For the first time, he saw himself as he truly was, a prisoner. He’d been so focused on getting out of the Park pack that he had blurred the line between captors and liberators.
He didn’t have time to ponder over the thought. The moment he lied down, he was asleep.
He was startled awake when a backpack landed in front of his face.
Above him, Hoseok grinned. “I put your stuff in there, it’ll be easier to travel. We’ve split up the food in all of our bags.”
Jimin examined the new backpack. He wasn’t being fooled, they hadn’t done this out of pure kindness.
“Did you take anything?” he asked.
Someone scoffed. He turned his head to see Jungkook and Yoongi sitting against the trees surrounding them. Now that it was day, Jimin could see their faces clearly now. They couldn’t be much older than him, especially Jungkook, but they still looked like the kind of people Jimin didn’t want to cross. Whatever pack they were from, they had to be some of its strongest warriors.
“There wasn’t anything of value to take,” Yoongi replied. “Expect this.”
He took Taehyung’s knife from his pocket and put it on the tip of his finger. Jimin’s jaw clenched, even though he knew that the three alphas were carefully watching his reaction. He should have known that he wouldn’t be allowed to keep it, but it still hurt to have one of his only belongings be taken from him.
He shouldn’t be antagonizing them, and yet he couldn’t help but open his mouth.
“Hoseok should have it. You’re going to hurt yourself with it.”
His captors tensed. Hoseok took a step back, Jungkook straightened his back, and Yoongi… lost control of the knife. It fell on the ground, but not before giving him a small cut. Barely enough to draw blood, but enough to make the alpha snarl.
“You did this!”
Jimin frowned. “I did? I warned you, there’s a difference.”
“You witch…”
“Quiet. All of you.”
Jungkook stood up, immediately followed by Yoongi, who took Jimin’s knife with a look of disgust.
Jimin silently stood up as well. There was no doubt that Jungkook was their leader, and even though he could see kindness in some paths, Jimin preferred to followed his orders.
“Hoseok, you take the knife.” Then to Jimin, “We don’t stop until nightfall. If you need to relieve yourself, now’s the time.”
Jimin couldn’t say that he had seen this one coming, but he accepted the offer with a nod. He walked away, but soon realized that Hoseok was following him.
“Can you at least look away?” Jimin sighed.
Everything about this reminded him of the times his Head Alpha used to take him to the battlefield. They would be gone for months at a time, and when Jimin wasn’t at his side, answering questions, he’d be under the constant surveillance of two guards. He had learned not to care, but he would take any privacy these alphas would give him.
Hoseok let him put some space between them, and turned to the side so he could still see him from the corner of his eyes. This was all he was going to get.
When they came back, Jungkook and Yoongi were waiting for them, ready to leave. Apart from their scents, which would be gone in a few hours, there was no trace of them stopping here.
Yoongi gave Jimin a dark look and turned away.
“Let’s go.”
It was easier to walk now that he didn’t have to hold his basket. The backpack was also an improvement, and despite how short it had been, the sleep helped.
Since there was nothing else to look at but the forest and Yoongi’s back, Jimin’s focused on the latter. The clothes the alpha was wearing didn’t give any indications of where they could come from, and the Park pack had too many enemies to guess which one of them would send warriors for Jimin.
The surroundings didn’t give him much information either. The clouds made it hard to say which way was north, and they weren’t walking on any path. The leaves on the ground were decomposing, and they barely saw any animals, save for a crow who flew right above them.
The only thing left to do, now that he was feeling less anxious, was to focus on the paths laying ahead.
The possibilities were infinite, but most of them agreed on the fact that they would be walking this way for at least another few days. After that, the futures started diverging too greatly to be certain of anything. Still, Jimin tried…
The Park pack finding them, Jimin escaping with Hoseok or…
Yoongi attacking him, Jimin hurting and being carried or…
Other wolves surrounding them, snarling, Jungkook being hurt or…
He stumbled, barely holding himself on a tree next to him.
The others stayed quiet, even though Jimin could smell that they had tensed again. He kept walking, as if nothing had happened. Searching inside his endless visions would lead to nowhere.
For now, he simply had to walk.
By the end of the day, he couldn’t feel his legs anymore, and welcomed the night with grateful sigh. Jungkook was in front of the line now, looking around. Jimin prodded, curious, and saw the four of them spending the night in a small cave, sitting around a fire, eating from Seokjin’s provisions.
He couldn’t help a sigh of relief. However, he should have known better than to startle his captors so terribly.
Jungkook turned towards him with a hard look, and Jimin almost rolled out his eyes.
He thought about giving him the directions to the cave but held out his tongue. The others would then suspect that he knew where they were going, and wouldn’t want to spent the night there, just in case the Park pack would them come to ‘deliver’ him.
Jungkook found the cave just as the moon was rising. It wasn’t deep but the entrance was well hidden, and they settled inside just like in Jimin’s vision. The fire was built, and water placed on top of it to boil.
Jimin would have fallen asleep, if not for his rumbling stomach.
“Look in your bag,” Hoseok told him.
He was clearly the only one who didn’t mind speaking to him, and Jimin thanked him when he saw the food in his backpack. Going through the rest, he confirmed that the others had only taken his knife.
“Don’t eat everything tonight,” Hoseok warned him, sitting across the fire.
Jimin only realized now that they were all sitting on the other side of the fire, putting some distance between them and him, but also effectively blocking any potential escape.
As if Jimin would haven been able to survive as a packless omega.
He said nothing and ate, ignoring the stares. Hoseok was wary, but curious. Yoongi’s distaste was plain, and Jungkook… He was harder to read. In a way, he reminded Jimin of his Head Alpha, trying to determine if Jimin was telling the truth before even asking a question.
They were going to question him, there was no doubt around that. He might as well be the one to start it.
“You can ask,” he said, biting into his bread.
“Why? So you can lie to us?” Yoongi asked.
Jimin’s eyes rolled. “You sound like my Head Alpha.”
Yoongi was about to reply when Jungkook’s hard voice beat him to it. “Why would your Head Alpha accuse you of lying?”
Jimin didn’t immediately reply. First, because he was still eating, but mostly because he didn’t want to say too much about his past. The future always interested him more.
He finished his bite and looked at Jungkook. “He didn’t always like my answers. Something tells me you won’t either.”
“Why?”
“Because more often than not, I don’t have an answer.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “So you don’t know the future?”
Jimin tilted his head to the side, thinking. It had been a while since he’d had to explain his power to someone else, if it could be explained at all. Even Jimin didn’t think he fully understood how it worked himself.
“You assume that there’s only one future,” he said.
For the first time, a hint of emotion crossed Jungkook’s face.
“Fate is written by the Gods,” the alpha replied. “Just because you get to see it, doesn’t give you the right to control it.”
The assumption was so fundamentally wrong that Jimin laughed.
“You think I have any control over this?” he asked, opening his arms to show his surroundings. “One would think I’d choose better for himself.”
Jungkook didn’t seem fazed by his amusement. “You made Yoongi hurt himself with the knife earlier.”
“No. I saw that if I made a comment about it, he’d lose control over the knife and let it fall.” He begrudgingly added, “Which yes, could be seen as me controlling the future, but I was merely choosing a future. If I had said nothing, Yoongi wouldn’t have hurt himself.”
“So there are… multiple futures?” Hoseok asked, leaning forward.
“Hoseok.”
Jungkook’s voice felt like a whip, and the other alpha fell silent.
Still, Jimin nodded. “Exactly. I don’t see one path, I see hundreds, thousands... Too many to be sure of anything.”
“You knew my name.”
Jungkook’s face had been hidden under his cloak, but Jimin had known nonetheless.
“Yes, I knew your name. It’s… hard to explain. The moment I saw you, I knew which paths ‘the Gods’ had put me on.”
Again, Jungkook showed some emotion. “You talk as if you don’t believe in them.”
Jimin paused. That was a loaded question, something he had pondered over a lot throughout his life.
“They might exist,” he said, choosing the safest answer. “And perhaps they have some control over big events, but they’re not the ones choosing our day-to-day life. We are.”
It was clear that Hoseok wanted to ask more questions, but didn’t want to break Jungkook’s pondering silence.
“So,” the alpha said after a while, “You chose to follow us? You chose to safely guide us out of your pack?”
“I chose the path that led to you not killing anyone,” Jimin replied, hiding the part where he had wanted to escape with them.
“Or perhaps you saw that your pack is doomed,” Jungkook scoffed, “And chose to take the winning side before it was too late.”
Jimin passed a hand over his face, frustrated.
“Again, you sound like my Head Alpha. He also thought himself clever by ‘deducing’ things from my choices. I didn’t follow you because I think your pack will win, I don’t even know which pack you’re from! This isn’t…”
“You can see the future,” Yoongi interrupted.
“Yes, and – ” Jimin paused and groaned, because he couldn’t find the right words.
Angry, he got his notebook and charcoal out of his backpack. He opened it on a blank page and drew a dot at the bottom.
“This is now,” he said, showing the page to the others. Then, he drew a dozen lines from this dot and raised the drawing again. “This is what could happen in the very near future, say a few hours.” He then added, from each of these new lines, another dozen lines. “From there, each futures had different continuations, and so on…” The page was a mess, but Jimin needed the others to understand that the future itself was a mess to untangle.
“What you see here is a small fraction of what is given to me,” he emphasized. “So no, I don’t know which pack you’re from, because I’m seeing paths leading to different packs, depending on when we’re attacked, and by whom.”
He left the open notebook on the ground, where Jungkook could see it. There was a moment of silence, and Jimin knew that finally, the others were starting to understand.
Even more when Jungkook asked, “Then how can you be sure of anything at all?”
“The closer it gets, the easier it is to see. There are also times when I’m almost sure that something will happen, just because it appears in a lot of different futures.” He hesitated, and added, “Then there are certain moments, like last night. I just know these will come to pass. Everything was leading up to me being… captured.”
He didn’t want to use the word ‘free’ in front of them.
“You said ‘when we’re attacked’,” Jungkook pointed at, not reacting to anything Jimin had just said.
“Yes. Because I see a lot of paths where we are attacked.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate.
Jimin shrugged, “I told you, it’s too far away. It could be the bear, or the two rogue hunters, or the soldiers. Sometimes from my own pack, they find me,” his voice was getting more distant. He was pushing it, looking too far ahead, getting lost in the paths. He continued, “Sometimes it’s soldiers from other packs. They heard you have me. There’s a Head Alpha leading them. There’s a time… soldiers from your own pack. They think you betrayed them. They take me…”
A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.
Jimin raised his head to see Hoseok hovering above him, worried. He could smell Jungkook’s anger but didn’t pay it attention. He blinked and said, “You’re from the Kim pack. They… don’t know you came for me? That part wasn’t clear.”
Hoseok turned away and went back to sit down. Yoongi and Jungkook shared a glance.
“You were gone for a while,” Jungkook said, ignoring what he had just said. “Does that happen often?”
“When I was younger. Now, I should know better than to try and see what’s too far away.” He pinched the bridge of this nose, feeling a headache grow behind his forehead. “I’m done for tonight. I know you’ll take guard anyway, but I don’t see anything happening to us.”
He turned around and laid on the ground, head on his backpack. He didn’t bother taking his pelt out of it, knowing that the fire would be going all night long.
Part of him wanted to stay awake, to hear what the others had to say about him. He needed to know more about them, and could feel that Hoseok would be the first one to open to him.
He heard their voices, ushered over the fire, and instead of listening, too tired by the day’s walk and by the use of his power, he let them lull him to sleep.
The following day looked a lot like the first, with the four of them silently walking. The fact that they weren’t on a path slowed them down, but Yoongi never seemed to falter when guiding them throughout the forest. The trees were getting scarce, and they encountered more steep hills as the day went on, leaving no doubts that they were going north, where the Kim pack lived.
For now, Jimin had no energy to search for more answers. The others were clearly used to these harsh conditions, Jimin had been used to a very different life. He’d traveled a lot as a child and teenager but since becoming a prisoner, Jimin didn’t walk much or exercise, and the fact that he was an omega didn’t help. He stumbled more than once, and his belly growled constantly, but the others didn’t stop until the sun started to set.
There was no cave this time, and they settled against the rocky side of a hill. Jimin expected more questions, but the alphas ate in silence, and he didn’t mind being left alone. Yoongi and Hoseok were simply ignoring him, but he caught Jungkook staring a few times.
Out of the three, Jungkook was the more intriguing. If he had more energy, Jimin would have tried to look more closely into him, to see what his intentions were, to understand what he was trying to do… The moment they had met, up in Jimin’s tower, had felt so charged, so important, that it had felt like something else had been at play then.
But Jimin was tired, and he fell asleep just as easily as the day before.
It took two more days of this for something to happen.
The forest was a lot more mountainous now, and they were mostly large pine trees around them. The Park pack was far behind – which Jimin wasn’t too sad about – but other threats were getting closer.
They were following a small river and Jimin’s eyes fell on a strange looking rock, looking something like a small rabbit. He frowned, the silence in their little group suddenly more oppressive. Then, a sparrow landed on a branch nearby, happily singing.
Jimin stopped.
Jungkook had to be closely looking at him because almost immediately, Jimin heard the metallic sound of his dagger.
“What’s wrong?” the alpha whispered.
At the question, Yoongi stopped and crouched. Nothing had happened, and the sparrow was still singing, yet they were all waiting for Jimin to speak.
Jimin closed his eyes. It was close, and he would have seen it much sooner if he hadn’t been so tired.
“There’s a group ahead. Five – six? – of them, setting camp by the river.”
“Do they know we’re here?”
Jungkook’s voice was close. He had to be standing right behind him. Stopping him from escaping, or protecting his prize, Jimin couldn’t tell.
“They don’t. But… when they see us, they attack.”
Jimin was now surrounded by the three alphas.
“Five or six?” Jungkook whispered.
“Five will attack,” Jimin frowned, then gasped. “The sixth is an omega. They… they’re dying?”
“Five then,” Jungkook said, as if that last detail meant nothing to him. “If we attack, do we win?”
Jimin looked at him, at the set jaw, at the unwavering eyes… He didn’t want the other group to die, but he had seen them too late. If they tried to go around now, the group inevitably smelled them, and attacked. This path led to Jungkook being…
Jimin nodded at the alpha. “If we attack, we win.”
“What if one of us stays behind to guard you?”
For the first time, Jimin gave Jungkook a perplexed look.
“You really think two against five is better than three? I’ll stay behind, but you all have to fight.” He then frowned, and looked at Hoseok. “You might get hurt. Not always but… often enough. Protect your left side.”
Hoseok nodded.
“If you try to escape…” Jungkook started.
“And go where?” Jimin stopped him. “Do you think I could survive out here, on my own?”
Jungkook pressed his lips together, eyes boring into Jimin.
“You stay close.”
The alpha turned around, not waiting for a response. Without a word, the alphas let their backpacks fell on the ground and took out their weapons. Jungkook had his dagger, but Hoseok had a longer sword, and Yoongi had a both a dagger at his side, and a bow in his hand.
In one of the backpacks, a glint caught Jimin’s attention.
“Yoongi, you take this side, Hoseok, this one,” Jungkook was whispering to the others. “I’ll give you the signal when we’re all set.”
And then, Jimin was surprised when Jungkook closed the distance between the three of them, putting his hands around Yoongi’s and Hoseok’s necks. It was easy to see that the three alphas were close, but Jimin had never seen them show any affection until now. Jungkook was speaking too low for Jimin to understand anything, but Yoongi and Hoseok left after a last look at each other.
“Leave you bag and follow me.”
Jungkook was already walking away, and Jimin quickly obeyed, putting his backpack with the others and not hesitating one second before taking what had had caught his attention a moment ago.
He walked one step behind Jungkook, shadowing his every move. The alpha was much larger than Yoongi, Jimin would be well hidden behind him. Perhaps this was the intent, to keep him out of danger’s way, but Jimin wasn’t afraid. He didn’t see death coming for him anytime soon.
At the top of a hill, Jungkook crouched. Jimin imitated him, but was surprised when Jungkook motioned him to come closer. He obeyed, though he already knew what Jungkook was looking at.
Down by the river, five alphas were eating around a small fire. They were perfectly normal, and looked like a family travelling between packs. There were no signs of any weapons, and Jimin would have felt bad for attacking them, if he hadn’t seen the path where the tallest one put his sword in between Jungkook’s ribs.
“You said there would be an omega,” Jungkook whispered.
“She’s under the furs, right next to the fire.”
Jungkook squinted. “Do we kill her?”
Jimin paused, wondering for a second if Jungkook was asking permission, or asking what the future held.
“She…” He paused, suddenly submerged by emotion.
“Jimin?”
“Don’t ask,” he breathed out. “You need to be focused.” Telling Jungkook would only bring more questions, and they needed to act soon.
“Do we kill her then?” Jungkook asked again, without emotion.
“No. Just…” he paused again, trying to focus. “Yoongi always kills the one with the bear furs first. Hoseok will take the one with the braids.”
“What do I do?”
“Kill the tallest one before he has time to draw his weapon.”
Jungkook looked at him, showing surprise for the first time. “Do you see him killing me?”
Jimin refused to return his gaze, eyes locked on the group. “Just kill him.”
Jungkook opened his mouth, but was stopped by a bird singing on their right. Then, another on their left.
Jungkook’s grip tightened on his dagger.
“Stay behind me.”
Jimin thought about what he was hiding underneath his shirt.
“Yes.”
Jungkook imitated the song of a sparrow, and jumped out from behind the hill.
He didn’t scream, and it took the group a few seconds to see him. By then, an arrow had lodged itself in the neck of the alpha wearing bear furs and Hoseok, who had been closer, was already plunging his sword in another alpha’s back.
Jimin’s eyes were on the tallest alpha. His hand coming up to his dagger as he was rising up, his eyes falling on Jungkook, enraged…
Jungkook’s dagger flew directly into his forehead.
Futures rearranged themselves. The tallest alpha was on the ground, dead, but another rose. A shorter man, the tall alpha’s mate. He had no weapons, but Jungkook didn’t either. What he had, however, was the desperation of a man who had nothing left to lose.
Jungkook stumbled under the weight of that other alpha, and blocked a fist from connecting to his head, but not the one aiming for his stomach. He fell on the ground, breath knocked out of him. Hoseok was struggling with the fourth alpha, and Yoongi was running towards them, but he would be too late.
Futures pressed behind Jimin’s eyes, but he pushed them away. He didn’t need powers to know what was about to happen.
He took the dagger, the one Taehyung had given him, from under his shirt, and plunged it in the alpha’s shoulder. It didn’t do much. Jimin had no idea where to hit, and didn’t have enough strength to push it past the shoulder blade. But it caused enough pain to distract the alpha.
In one swoop, Jungkook reversed their positions, taking Jimin’s dagger in the process, and plunged it into the man’s chest.
And just like that, the fight was over.
Jungkook rose with a groan, and turned his head towards Hoseok.
“I smell blood on you.”
Hoseok pushed his fur to the side, revealing a blood stain on his shirt. Yoongi immediately ran to him but Hoseok raised a hand.
“I’m fine, Yoongi, look…” He moved the shirt aside, showing the thin gash. “See, it will heal in no time.”
Still, Yoongi nuzzled the side of his face, and Hoseok let him without a word.
“I’m fine,” he repeated, eyes falling on Jimin. “If I hadn’t protected my side, things would have been very different. Thank you Jimin.”
Jimin quickly nodded, but looked away, taken aback by the strength of Yoongi and Hoseok’s bond, something he couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen. Perhaps the hints had been there, but he had been too busy looking at the future.
His eyes fell on Jungkook, who was now holding Taehyung’s dagger with a pointed look.
Jimin clenched his jaw. “You’re welcome.”
He hid his shaky hands behind his back. The dead alpha was lying on the ground. His death had been inevitable and yet, Jimin felt the urge the throw up.
Jungkook took a few steps towards him, hiding the body from Jimin’s view.
“Thank you.”
His scent was calm, despite the fight that had just taken place. Jimin nodded, not knowing what to say. Jungkook wasn’t supposed to die, and he had done what had been necessary, even though he didn’t think he would ever be able to forget the feeling of plunging a dagger into someone else.
But he said nothing, because a sound caught all of their attention.
A moan, coming from the pile of furs Jimin had noticed before. The three alphas turned to face it, weapons raised.
“Don’t,” Jimin stopped them. His heart picked up again, knowing what was about to happen.
This too, was inevitable.
Yoongi hesitated, but Hoseok put a hand on his forearm, and Jungkook lowered the dagger, eyes on Jimin. Always watching.
Jimin ignored it, and kneeled next to the furs. They were clean and beautiful. The alphas had been careful of the sixth member of their party. Jimin pushed them to the side, revealing the pale face of an omega that, despite probably being his age, looked weary and bone-tired.
And yet, the omega was smiling.
“You found me.”
Jimin tried to smile back, placing a hand over the other’s forehead. It was burning. The omega sighed, eyes filling up with tears.
“We were looking for you,” he sighed, voice weak and barely audible.
The three alphas still heard it, tensing at the admission that people were looking for them. The omega didn’t even seem to realize that they were there, focused only on Jimin.
“We heard you’d been… taken… We saw our chance.”
Every word was a struggle, but the omega couldn’t stop. He was looking at Jimin as he would have looked at the Moon herself. It was terrifying.
“And it worked. You’re here…”
Along with the bodies of the five alphas that had accompanied him. He must have been important in his pack, but Jimin couldn’t know anything about that.
He only saw what was left of his future.
Jimin felt like he was standing outside of his body. This omega was looking at him with pure faith, and Jimin could only see the one and only future in front of them.
“You’ll save me now,” the omega sighed. “You know what to do.”
Jimin could have killed his Head Alpha. What had he told the rest of the world, for everyone to believe that Jimin could control anything?
He placed his palm on the omega’s cheek. He could have asked his name, could have asked where he was from, what illness he possessed… It would have only served to delay the inevitable.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered. “I’m here.”
The omega obeyed, and the pure faith he put in Jimin made him want to hurl.
Jimin looked at Jungkook. Angry, afraid, and impossibly heart-broken. It was a plea for help.
The alpha didn’t hesitate. Kneeling at the omega’s head, he pulled his dagger, and paused.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered, an echo to what Jimin had just asked.
The omega didn’t hear him, too far gone already. And just as he had trusted Jimin, Jimin decided to trust Jungkook.
He closed his own eyes.
It was the same forest, the same noises. The same sparrow happily singing.
Jimin still felt the moment when the omega’s life left his body.
He wondered if a part of his own didn’t leave with it as well.
He stopped thinking after that. His head was between his knees, curled up with tears streaming on his face. The others were moving. The scents of the alphas barely noticeable under the scent of death. Their words didn’t make sense.
He didn’t protest when he was lifted off the ground. Futures tried to show themselves to him, but he refused to see any of it.
The only thing that managed to pass through the fog was the scent of the alpha holding him. With his head against his chest, Jimin could smell it more clearly than usual.
And Jungkook felt guilty. He had a strong scent, confident, unwavering, but the sliver of guilt was there. Perhaps because he had killed an omega without even knowing why. Just because Jimin had asked.
That sick omega had trusted Jimin, Jimin had trusted Jungkook.
And Jungkook had trusted him back.
He woke up to the smell of a rabbit cooking over the fire. It couldn’t have been more than an hour since the fight, with the sun still high above them, but Jimin felt as if he had already spent the day walking.
Jungkook was nowhere to be seen, but Yoongi was tending to the fire, while Hoseok was sitting shirtless, examining the cut on his side.
Jimin held back a groan as he sat down. A headache was knocking at his temples, most probably from the tears.
“How are you?”
Jimin looked at Hoseok.
“I should be the one asking you that.”
The alpha shrugged with a smile. “It’s only a scratch.”
“I still need to sew it,” Yoongi said, turning the rabbit over.
Hoseok threw him a look. “Focus on the fire and don’t burn anything.”
Yoongi scoffed. “You won’t get out of it. The quicker I sew this, the faster we’ll be on our way.”
It was then that Jimin saw the new backpacks near Hoseok. It made sense, for them to have taken as many supplies as possible from their victory, but it made the sight of the sick omega come back to Jimin’s mind.
Hoseok noticed and gave him a small smile.
“One of them kept a journal,” he said, “Apparently, your Head Alpha started attacking the packs around him, searching for a group of three alphas travelling with an omega. This group quickly guessed that you’d been the one taken, and set out to find us first.”
Jimin let out a long breathe. That omega… He had been sure that Jimin could cure him. Had this group been searching for Jimin for that sole purpose?
“Tell me,” he asked, “What is being said about me? What do people think I’m… capable of?”
It was Yoongi who answered. “The Park pack has always been violent, seeking to expend on other’s territories, but it’s been a lot more successful for the past… twenty years?”
Jimin looked away, ashamed of what he could remember from his early childhood, telling his Head Alpha everything he’d wanted to know. He had helped so many of those ‘victories’, unaware of all the pain he was causing at the time.
“At first, the rumor was that the Park pack had a powerful witch,” Yoongi said.
“They burned her,” Jimin stopped him. “Before I was even born.”
The alpha nodded. “And then, we started to hear about a child, one that was able to bend Fate to his will.”
“You know that’s not true,” Jimin sighed.
“But everyone else believes it.”
They all turned to look at Jungkook, coming back to their small camp with a small iron pot filled with water that he placed over the fire.
“This’ll clean your wounds,” he told Hoseok, before looking back at Jimin.
Jimin held his gaze, wanting for thank him for earlier, but also needing him to kept talking.
“People say all sorts of things about the Park ‘seer’,” Jungkook said, sitting next to the fire. “That he can kill you with his eyes, that he can heal without even touching you, that he’s more powerful than a witch…” He raised a hand when he saw that Jimin was about to protest. “My point is, no one knows anything about you. We didn’t either. We didn’t know you’d be a man, or an omega. The Park Head Alpha has kept you an ‘almost’ secret, because it’s better for him if people know just enough to fear you.”
“You know I can’t do all of that…”
He couldn’t get rid of the look of faith the omega had given him. He’d truly believed that Jimin would be able to heal him, and Jimin had never felt so useless in his life.
“We know that now,” Jungkook nodded, “Although, I’m still not sure I understand it entirely.”
The water was now boiling, and Yoongi put a clean rag inside it, then taking it to Hoseok. He batted Hoseok’s hand away, cleaning the wound himself.
“What we know doesn’t matter,” he said. “The rumor will only grow, and everyone will be looking for a group of three alphas travelling with an omega.”
“You said it yourself,” Jungkook continued, “You see a lot of ‘paths’, where we’re attacked.”
Yoongi came back to the fire and took out a needle that he dipped inside the boiling water. Jimin’s eyes stopped on the bubbles for a moment, frowning because of the glimpses that were being shown to him.
“No,” he said, voice a little more distant. “It’s changed. You’ve made a decision.”
“We were discreet,” Hoseok said, “But the journal said that they were able to track the scents of a group of four… Ouch!”
“Don’t move,” Yoongi warned him, the needle quickly going in and out.
“Easy for you to say,” Hoseok groaned, before looking at Jimin again. “People won’t be looking as much at two people travelling together.”
“But… if we separate, we won’t be able to defend ourselves like we did this morning,” Jimin said.
Yoongi hummed, focused on the wound, “That’s what I said.”
“We wouldn’t have had to fight if they hadn’t been able to track us down in the first place,” Hoseok countered. “And Jimin just said that things have changed, right?”
It was true. Jimin didn’t want to look too hard, not with his head still pounding, but the futures he saw were almost all devoid of any other attacks for the next few days. And they were all spent –
“Do you see how we’ll separate?” Hoseok asked. “With who it is safer for you to travel?”
Jimin didn’t think anyone needed his power to know this.
He looked at Jungkook, and the alpha nodded.
“We shouldn’t stay here long. Once we’re finished with your wound, we’ll eat, and go our own way.”
“Hoseok and I will take the longest route,” Yoongi said.
“We should stay in the area another day or two,” Hoseok proposed, “Tell the people we meet that we also smelled a group of four, going west. Keep the rumors going.”
“What if you’re attacked again?” Jimin gasped.
Hoseok winked. “Nothing suspicious about two alphas from the Kim pack travelling to see their relatives. Might even get invited to eat over a fire if we’re lucky. This will buy you some time.”
Jimin turned to Jungkook again.
“And what if people find us?”
Jungkook kept his gaze on Yoongi sewing Hoseok’s wound. “If that happens, we’ll say that I’m bringing you back to my pack as my future mate.”
Something warm clenched inside Jimin, even though the only thing he could see was Jungkook and him silently travelling.
“You already smell like us anyway,” the alpha added, almost as an afterthought. “We should share our rations equally before we separate.”
“Take some of ours,” Hoseok said. “We can stop to hunt, but you should travel as fast as possible.”
Jimin expected Jungkook to protest, but the alpha accepted and opened their backpacks to see what they had left.
“Here,” he said, handing some of it to Jimin, “You need to carry some of it, in case we lose one of our backpacks.”
They worked in silence, except for Hoseok who couldn’t help a few groans as Yoongi finished sewing his wound.
They would leave very soon, which created some sort of paradox within Jimin. The two alphas were still there, in front of him, but they were already gone from his visions. Without realizing it, his omega latched onto Jungkook, knowing that he was the only one left now.
Like most of the past few days, their parting was done in silence. Jimin wasn’t surprised this time, when Jungkook put his foreheads against the others’ again, letting out a comforting scent that even Jimin picked up on.
Hoseok gave him a smile as well, and even Yoongi nodded in his direction. Jimin hadn’t anticipated it, but saving Hoseok had had the merit of gaining the other alpha’s respect.
“We’ll see each other soon,” Yoongi promised to Jungkook.
“We will,” the alpha replied.
Jimin and him stood by the campfire and watched as the other two walked away. Futures rearranged themselves. It wasn’t chaotic, feeling instead like puzzles pieces falling into place. Staying with Jungkook had been the right choice.
He turned his head, but Jungkook was already looking at him.
The alpha hadn’t opened his mouth yet but Jimin knew it was coming nonetheless.
“It’s you and me now. I hope I’m right to trust you.”
He nodded, replying to something that hadn’t even been said. Jungkook looked puzzled for a second, and to Jimin’s chagrin, ended up not saying the words.
He stood up and handed Jimin his bag.
“Will you be able to walk?”
He didn’t want to. The fight with the other group was still too close, but they had no other choice. No good would come if they stayed in place.
He followed Jungkook, walking a few steps behind, just like he’d done with Yoongi. On top of their height difference, the two alphas carried themselves differently. Where Yoongi had been stealthy, blending in with the forest, Jungkook's steps were determined, almost making himself look bigger on purpose.
They stayed silent for the rest of the day, and even the birds seemed to have left. They settled for the night in a small cave, and Jimin appreciated the warm food and water more than any other day. Soon after, he was lying down under his furs. Next to him, Jungkook was sitting up straight against the wall, eyes on the darkness outside.
“You should rest,” Jimin murmured. “I don’t see anything happening to us.”
Jungkook didn’t move, and Jimin wondered for a second if he had spoken loud enough.
“Earlier, you wanted to say that you hoped you were right to trust me,” he added, then pausing to find the right words. “You can. Trust me. At least to tell you the truth when it comes to what I see.”
“How can you see that nothing happens, if you’re asleep?”
“I see me waking up tomorrow. Half the time, you have shadows under your eyes. The other half, you look well rested. There’s nothing else.”
“So I get to choose which half I prefer…” Jungkook hummed. “Then I get to choose the future.”
The image of the sick omega raising a hand towards him came back to Jimin. He closed his eyes.
“This is one of the easy choices. It’s not always so simple.”
“I’m starting to see that.”
They didn’t say anything else. Jimin wouldn’t fault the alpha for not trusting him.
They could both makes their own choices.
The next morning, Jungkook didn’t have any dark circles under his eyes.
Still, he was frowning, and Jimin quickly understood why when he sat down, leaving the warmth of his furs.
“Winter is catching up to us,” Jungkook muttered, his breath forming a small cloud. “You should keep your furs on you.”
Jimin wasn’t about to protest, not with the cold biting every inch of skin it could find. They covered themselves as best as possible and set off. It wasn’t snowing yet, but Jimin knew that the forest would be covered in white sooner than later. They removed any trace of their night, and Jimin prepared for another day of silent walking.
However, it wasn’t long after they set off that Jungkook’s voice startled him.
“Could you see the future of someone you’ve never met?”
“Futures,” Jimin corrected him, “And no.” He thought about it some more, wondering if Jungkook would really be interested, then explained, “It used to make my Head Alpha angry. He had to bring me close to the ones he wanted information on, and he didn’t like putting me near to danger.”
“He cared about you?”
Jimin held back a bitter laugh.
“He cared about keeping me alive. That didn’t last long, I couldn’t see much when I was so afraid of the battle going on around. He then started bringing me to the prisoners he’d already caught, and it worked a little better.”
Jungkook turned his head to give him a quick look. “Only a little better?”
“By now, you’ve certainly seen how… unreliable my power is. If it worked, it was because the prisoners were so afraid when they saw me that they started talking on their own. My visions didn’t matter. Most of the time, I would simply see that my Head Alpha would kill them right after our questioning.”
He heard a low growl. Jimin raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“How old were you?”
Ah.
“The first time he took me with him, I had to be five or six?”
He spoke plainly, without emotion. There was no need for it. He’d put it all behind him, even though he’d still sometimes wake up to the memory of the first time he had met with a man he knew would die moments later.
Jungkook didn’t bother hiding his own emotion.
“And your parents didn’t try to stop it?” he growled again, scent thickening.
“I was raised by the pack, until the Head Alpha realized what I could do. He took care of me after that, but I kept living in the orphan’s cabin.”
The Park Head Alpha had tried to get him to live with him, but Jimin had begged to stay with Taehyung and Seokjin.
“The tower where we found you wasn’t the orphan’s cabin.”
It wasn’t a question, but Jimin could feel the prodding nonetheless.
“It wasn’t.” He simply replied.
Jungkook must have felt the change in his voice because he kept walking in silence. Still, Jimin could feel that he wasn’t done. He didn’t know why Jungkook had waited all this time to finally ask questions, but he was glad that there wasn’t just silence between them anymore.
Still, it took until their midday pause for Jungkook to speak again. They were sitting by a large river, eating a piece of bread, and Jimin was simply glad to be able to rest his legs. He had gotten better at walking uninterrupted for hours, but today’s cold was making it harder.
He held back a smile, because although Jungkook looked perfectly still and calm, Jimin knew that he had too many questions. Perhaps he didn’t dare, or simply didn’t know where to start, but it seemed that the alpha finally had enough.
“You said you need to be with someone to know their… futures,” he suddenly said.
Jimin finished his bread. “I said that it could happen. It only works if it’s something that I’ll get to see for myself. I only realized that you were from the Kim pack because I’ll get to see it for myself. I don’t know when, but it’s a reassuring thought.”
Jungkook pondered a while longer, then quickly asked, as if nervous, “Do you see anything about me?”
Jimin smiled. All throughout his life, it had been the first thing most people had asked. It had to be a record that Jungkook had waited more than a week.
“Many ask, but only few truly want to know,” he said, amused. “Do you really want me to try and look?”
Jungkook looked conflicted.
“Will it hurt you?” he asked, as if it were the only thing holding him back. “You said looking too far ahead wasn’t good for you.”
Something stirred inside Jimin. Perhaps because Jungkook seemed ready to drop it, if it meant hurting him.
“I can try.”
He couldn’t deny to himself that he was curious about the alpha. Eyes still on Jungkook, he let his mind wander ahead. The next few days were inevitably the same, the snow and the furs and the cold seeping through his shoes…
The pack village was also pretty certain and for the first time, Jimin saw their Head Alpha, tall and engulfing Jungkook in his arms. A brother, perhaps. At least a friend. Things got blurry then, too much depending on that Head Alpha’s decisions.
Jimin winced, overwhelmed by the amount of people he could see in the village. He tried to focus on Jungkook, and the alpha was there, in every future, never far. Jimin felt like he had missed something and pushed, and…
There was Jungkook, smiling at him, more open than he’d ever seen him or,
Jungkook turning away, looking at someone with a frown, or,
The two of them, by the –
“Jimin!”
Jungkook was standing in front of him, a hand on his shoulder. He seemed both worried and angered.
“Are you alright?”
The touch, even with the layers of fur, grounded him. The headache he’d expected only a dull throb.
“I’m fine,” he replied. “I never know when to stop.”
Jungkook shook his head, moving back.
“I shouldn’t have asked,” he simply replied. “Let’s go, you’re shivering.”
Jimin watched him, dumbfounded that the alpha wasn’t even asking what he had seen. But Jungkook was already handing him his backpack.
“We shouldn’t stop so long with this weather,” the alpha said. “We’ll have to find a more protected place for the night.”
Jungkook’s curiosity seemed to have waned after seeing Jimin losing himself again. On the other hand, Jimin’s own interest had grown tenfold. He spent the afternoon in his own head, rather than looking around, trying to figure out what he’d missed. He had to be careful and mind where he stepped, or Jungkook would notice that he was still looking, but Jimin carefully looked into a few different paths, feeling like something was evading him.
The only certainty with Jungkook, was that Jimin had never seen someone with so many possible paths. Most people ended up making the same decisions, save for a few pivotal moments. When it came to Jungkook, it seemed that every future Jimin looked into had the alpha making wildly different choices. He didn’t dare look too far, but it’d been a long time since Jimin had been so eager to look at all.
When they settled into a larger cave, just before nightfall, Jimin used the time Jungkook left to gather wood to lay down and close his eyes. His feet were sore and his headache was steadily growing, but something wasn’t making sense, and he wanted to be sure before taking it to the alpha.
When he opened his eyes, Jungkook was watching him from across the fire with a frown.
“Tell me you weren’t looking again.”
Jimin sat down. The cave entrance wasn’t too wide, but a cold wind still came inside, making him pull his fur higher against his neck. He took the bowl filled with stew that Jungkook handed him, grateful for the warmth.
“I thought you wanted to know.”
“I don’t want you hurting yourself for something so trivial.”
Jimin threw him a look. “No one’s life is trivial. Besides, it wasn’t hard to see you. I can see you in my futures, even when we’ll be in your pack.”
Jimin paused to eat. It more warm than good, but it was enough. Jungkook waited, silently eating, for Jimin to speak again.
“The problem is that I can’t really tell you… anything? I don’t know how to explain it, but you’re all over the place.”
Jungkook’s eyebrows shot up. “I don’t think anyone’s ever said that about me.”
Jimin looked at him, the strong alpha sitting straight, confidently reaching his goal and leading Jimin to his people.
“I’m not saying that you’re… unstable,” he smiled, looking for the right words. “But I can see that you have a lot of decisions to make, important ones, and I tried to look at different paths, to see what you would choose and… It’s always different. It seems to me that you haven’t made your mind about… Well, about anything.”
Jungkook clearly didn’t like what he was hearing, and Jimin thought about using an example. The thing he was most curious about, if he were honest with himself.
“I see someone. An… arranged mate? But I don’t see her all the time,” he quickly said, as Jungkook’s face grew darker, “And I don’t understand how you can be in an arranged mating in some futures, but not in others?”
He wondered if he had made a mistake, Jungkook’s staring right at him without any clear emotion.
“You don’t always see her?” Was what he asked.
Jimin shook his head. “No. I think I see her but then… sometimes she completely disappears. Other times…”
He looked away from Jungkook’s gaze. He didn’t know why these paths had left him the most uncomfortable.
“What?” the alpha pressed.
“There’s a path where I see you mating,” Jimin admitted. He had hated this path the most, not knowing why. “Almost immediately after our arrival.”
“Why would I even do that…” Jungkook paused. His eyes hadn’t left Jimin and the omega was starting to fret. “What happens more often?”
“Are you arranged to mate her or not?” Jimin asked back, needing to know.
“I made no promise,” Jungkook grunted. “But I kept the possibility open. It was…”
Jimin could feel it. Jungkook didn’t have anyone, and wasn’t interested. But as an alpha in power, certain things were expected of him. And that omega, she was…
“The easiest solution,” Jimin finished for him.
Jungkook huffed, slightly annoyed. “What happens more often then?” He asked again. “Do I mate her or not?”
An answer came to Jimin’s lips, tempting, but he didn’t let it pass. He had learned the hard way that trying to prevent a future was sometimes the deciding factor leading up to it.
“It depends on you,” he said instead. “You’re the one who’ll end up making the final decision.”
Jungkook snorted, putting his empty bowl to the side. “I don’t accept that answer. Just you telling me that there’s a possibility I could refuse could influence me. It’s not just up to me!”
Jimin looked down guiltily. This was exactly why he had stopped giving people any clue about their futures. Jungkook had been too tempting.
“You’re right. I’m sorry to have made you doubt.”
Jungkook sighed. “It’s not that. I already had doubts and this just confirms them, but…”
He passed a hand through his hair, looking less like the confident alpha he showed to the world, and more like the person Jimin saw in his visions, torn between different paths.
“I don’t like this!” he suddenly exclaimed, surprising Jimin. “I believed in Fate, in the seven Gods. That everyone has a single path, a purpose.” He looked back at Jimin, looking a lot younger with his emotions on full display. “I liked the idea of fate, because how can you make mistakes, when you’re simply following what the Gods chose for you?”
Jimin silently opened his mouth. He’d never heard the alpha speak so much, but he was clearly passionate about this.
“And now, you’re telling me that each of my decision will lead to a completely different future. That there is such a thing as a wrong choice. But… How do I know, then? How does anyone know? We’re not like you, we don’t have your power. Gods, even you don’t seem to know the right path.”
Jimin understood his frustration, but was still astonished by the fact that Jungkook seemed to hate this.
“You preferred the idea of your life being controlled by the Gods?” he asked. “Don’t you see how much freedom this gives you?”
Jungkook let out a baffled laugh.
“Freedom? Is that what you were? Free, locked in your stone tower?
This stunned him into silence, and he felt almost sick. What could he possibly say to that? When he’d been living in his tower for years, alone and only allowed to leave at certain times.
“When we came to your village,” Jungkook continued, “We thought we’d have to fight you, to force you out of a pack that worshipped you. And instead… You were just standing there, ready to go with your backpack. You wanted to leave.”
“I… I saw that you were coming,” Jimin stuttered, “I was going to leave anyway.”
“You could have warned your Head Alpha,” Jungkook countered. “You could have made it infinitely more difficult for us. But you wanted to come with me. How can you talk to me about freedom?”
He was right. Of course he was.
Jimin clenched his jaw. “I chose to be a prisoner in my own pack,” he bit back, anger rising in his throat, “Just like I chose to become your prisoner.” He should have felt some satisfaction when Jungkook jerked back, shocked, but it only riled him up further. “You would have killed my packmates if I hadn’t left with you. I didn’t want blood to be spilled for me, so yes, I chose to follow you.”
It wasn’t only that. He wanted to leave for a long time. Years of solitude had taken their toll on him, and something in Jungkook’s eyes…
“My Head Alpha imprisoned me,” he said, pushing the thought away. “Because I chose to lead our pack into defeat.” He heard Jungkook’s gasp and continued, “He wanted to push our warriors into an open field. It was against the Bom pack, seven years ago. And my Head Alpha was right, we would have won this way. He is a good tactician, that’s why he wins so many fights. But he also doesn’t care for human lives, and I saw how many deaths this particular fight would bring.”
“So you lied.”
“So I lied. I betrayed my pack. I told my Head Alpha that we’d lose, that we had fight in the forest. I… I wasn’t sure that we would win this way, but I knew we wouldn’t lose as many.”
He remembered the Head Alpha’s trust, at the time. Then the anger, the fury, when it turned out that Jimin had played him. The hits had been nothing, compared to the sight of his Head Alpha’s hatred directed at him for the first time.
“The Gods don’t choose the path you walk on,” he rasped, “They bless, or curse, and then leave you to deal with the consequences. I was the one who decided to save my packmates, knowing where it would lead me. It might not be the freedom you’ve been afforded in life, but it’s the one I’ve taken for myself.”
Jungkook didn’t reply, but he looked like he had been struck. They were both raw with emotion, on the verge of something new and…
“Go, then.”
Jimin put a hand over his chest. A myriad of new paths opened in front of him, dark and leading to certain death. He opened his mouth in silent cry.
He hadn’t realized just how much a single decision from Jungkook could change things.
The alpha moved to the side, leaving the opening of the cave unguarded. He looked resolved, and certainly didn’t understand what he was doing to Jimin.
“You say that I can make my own decisions, the alpha said, not realizing that he was shaking up everything Jimin had seen up to this point. “Then I’ll make this choice. You’re free. You don’t have any obligations to your pack, or to me, you can choose whatever you want.”
Even though he was sitting, Jimin almost fell to the ground, dizzy from the chaos Jungkook had unknowingly created. Every single path was muddled, uncertain.
For the first time in his life, it was truly up to Jimin to decide.
“You…” he gasped, “You can’t do that.”
Jungkook snorted. “You said that I was free to do whatever I wanted.”
“Not like that!” Jimin was breathing too fast, needing something to hold onto. Not thinking, he reached out a hand towards Jungkook. The next moment, the alpha was holding his arm, finally seeing how pale he was.
“This isn’t freedom,” he sighed, thoughts settling a little. “You still have obligations, to your pack, to your Head Alpha…”
“I’ll say that you escaped,” the alpha countered, as if it was the easiest thing to say. “That you saw an opportunity. It wouldn’t be hard to believe, everyone thinks you’re powerful.”
“But… Why?” Jimin finally blurted out. “Why would you let me go?”
Jungkook didn’t immediately answer. He left his hand on Jimin, and the paths settled around them. Jimin couldn’t make sense of them yet, but they weren’t threatening to overcome him anymore.
“You might think I’m an idiot, after everything you said,” Jungkook said, “But I think it’s the right thing to do. I still believe that this is the right path for me.”
Jimin couldn’t help a tired laugh. “You’re not an idiot. It’s just… If you could only see all the new paths you just created.”
“I’d say the same thing. Out of all of them, only one is right.”
Jungkook was determined, steadily holding his gaze. Jimin let out a long sigh.
“I’m not going to leave. I can’t survive out there on my own, and I…”
Alternatives were starting to appear. Him being found by a group of travelers, or…
Stumbling into a pack, claiming that he’d been attacked, or…
Following Jungkook’s tall figure through the woods. Only this time, he could see himself speaking out more, unafraid of the consequences. He could demand more breaks, and saw that he was walking alongside Jungkook, and not just behind him...
“I’ll stay with you,” he said.
“But not as a prisoner,” Jungkook pushed.
Jimin half-smiled, “You’ll come to regret that.”
“I don’t think so.”
He still needed to make sure of something.
“You know there’s a high chance that I won’t be able to help your pack.”
Jungkook nodded. “This is also why I’m letting you go. You’re not who we thought you were. My mission was to bring back the ‘powerful being’ helping the Park pack and, don’t get me wrong, you’re powerful, just…”
“Useless?” Jimin said, self-deprecating.
Jungkook didn’t seem amused. “No, not useless.” He paused, and for the first time, gave Jimin a small smile. “Impractical, perhaps.”
Jimin couldn’t help a laugh. “I’ll take it.”
There was an awkward pause.
What now? Jimin hadn’t really thought of himself as a prisoner before, but he realized now just how wrong he’d been. The change between them was tangible. He could do what he wanted, and speak his mind without fearing any consequence.
He pointed at Jungkook’s backpack.
“I know you’re not using all of your furs,” he said. “Can I have one for tonight?”
It was bold, but Jimin had passed the point of caring, especially now that he had free range to do whatever he wanted.
If anything, Jungkook seemed amused by the request. “You could have told me before if you were cold,” he said, taking out all the furs he had left. “I would have shared.”
“The cold only really started today. Are you sure you don’t want them?”
“I run hot.”
Jimin didn’t argue further, and shuffled close to the fire, lying down and pulling the news furs over him. He sighed, immediately feeling better. Already drifting away, he probed ahead into their near futures. A bear would pass by the cave, in the middle of the night, but smell them and turn around.
“You don’t have to keep guard,” he whispered, “We’re safe.”
He wasn’t naïve enough to think that he was feeling so good just because of the warmth. Jungkook’s scent was a comforting weight. Another reassurance that he could sleep without fear. He let the feeling take over, and closed his eyes.
Over the next few days, Jimin found himself smiling more than he’d ever done before. Jungkook probably regretted his offer now, because he was now making full use of his new freedom.
It was getting colder, and after that first night, snow had started falling. They were traveling slower now, and Jimin wasn’t afraid to ask for breaks anymore, enjoying the view when they came on top of a high cliff, or as they walked along a beautiful river. The Park pack didn’t see a lot of snow, but he remembered one winter in particular, where he and Taehyung had played outside until they had gotten not only a cold, but also a well-deserved scolding by Seokjin.
Jimin knew that if Taehyung had been with them, he would have loved these sights.
He had asked Jungkook if he could teach him how to hunt, but it didn’t take long for them to realize just how terrible Jimin was at it. His power hindered him, because he’d see the animals come his way and reveal his position too early, making them all run away before he could catch them.
It had been decided, mostly by Jungkook, that Jimin would simply warn him if he saw an animal come their way, and let Jungkook do the rest. The alpha mostly used his dagger, which he threw with exceptional precision. He had tried to teach Jimin, throwing it against a tree trunk, but Jimin had been shaking too much, preferring to keep his hands inside his furs when they were outside.
He had also kept Jungkook’s furs, wrapping them around him at all times. Jungkook had smiled at first, telling him that they’d better not cross anyone’s path, or they’d take Jimin for a fantastical animal and try to hunt him.
“From afar, I’d say you look like a small bear,” Jungkook had smiled.
“And from up close?”
Jungkook had subtly stepped away before replying, “A very strange looking mountain goat.”
He’d easily evaded Jimin’s kick. Jimin wasn’t the only one smiling more since his so-called release.
They were still very much on the lookout for strangers. Jimin made them change course a few times, and Jungkook never doubted his advice. Two nights before, after they had found a nice place and Jungkook was ready to lit the fire, Jimin had stopped, pale. He could see a group of alphas, on a hunt to prepare for the winter. There was a small chance that they’d see them, and the moment Jimin had told Jungkook, they had packed and moved away.
The next spot hadn’t been so nice, but it was getting dark so they’d had little choice. Still, Jimin could see Jungkook shivering, laying as close to the fire as possible. This had been the first night that they’d laid under the same furs, sharing warmth to get through it.
It was now midday, and Jimin was already craving sleep. The night had been warm, but he hadn’t slept much. He couldn’t remember much of it, expect for the fact that Jungkook’s arm had brushed against his every time he’d try to move, and that he thought he’d suffocate from trying to not smell Jungkook from so close.
The furs, which had started to lose their scent before, being on Jimin for almost a week, now smelled entirely like the alpha again.
Jungkook didn’t look well rested either. They had barely spoken that day, and Jimin was starting to get antsy.
“I see an infirmary,” he suddenly said. “It’s pretty clean, and there are a lot of glass bottles on the shelves.”
They’d been playing this ‘game’ for the past few days. As Jimin saw more and more glimpses of the Kim pack, he’d give them to Jungkook, and the alpha would give him information in return.
Jungkook lowered his pace until Jimin caught up to him.
“The infirmary is right in the center of our village," he explained, then adding, "Hoseok is a hunter, but he often helps there."
“He doesn’t seem like a typical alpha," Jimin observed.
“He’s not. It’s not just the healing, or his relationship with Yoongi,” Jungkook said, “He’s just… open, and trusting.”
“He was kind to me,” Jimin nodded. “From the first day.”
Jungkook didn’t reply to that. Hoseok had been kind when he and Yoongi hadn’t. Jimin didn’t hold a grudge, he would have been wary too had the roles been reversed, but he was thankful that Hoseok had been there.
After a few minutes, Jungkook chimed up again.
“Why do you think you see the infirmary so clearly? Do you yourself getting injured?”
Jimin didn’t mind telling the truth. “Yes. Myself, others, you… It’s too far away to be sure of anything, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end going there. As a visitor or a convalescent… Time will tell.”
“That’s reassuring,” Jungkook grunted.
“There’s already too much to worry about.” Jimin shrugged. “I prefer to focus on what’s almost certain, like…” He paused, and gave Jungkook a prying side-glance. “What is it that I’m starting to see for tonight?”
Jungkook smiled, as if he’d been holding it back for a while.
“I was wondering how long I could keep it secret.”
An underground cave. Warm – hot, actually – with steam rising in a large room. There was a hot spring, and Jimin almost moaned when he saw himself submerging in hot water.
“Oh, yes,” he sighed. “Thank the Gods.”
Jungkook snorted. “I thought you didn’t believe in them.”
“I also didn’t believe I’d be clean ever again,” Jimin retorted, “But miracles apparently do exist. How far is it?”
“We should get there before nightfall,” Jungkook said. “If you stop talking and walk faster.”
Jimin laughed. “You underestimate me.” He fastened his pace, overtaking the alpha. “I can talk and walk at the same time.”
“You don’t even know where you’re going.” He could hear the smile in Jungkook’s voice.
“Then you stop talking and walk faster,” Jimin replied. “I have a bath to take.”
They got there before nightfall. Jimin wouldn’t have seen the entrance of the cave if Jungkook hadn’t shown it to him, but it was apparently a well-known spot in the surrounding packs. Which meant that they had waited for Jimin to look ahead to see if it would be safe for them to sleep in. It was hard to focus, when he was surrounded by snow and knew what waited for them inside, but the moment he gave the go-ahead, Jungkook walked in, looking just as excited as he was.
The cave was actually two separate rooms, the first one already warm and cozy, with steam filtering from a small opening at the back. They both had to hold their backpacks in front of them to slip through, and Jimin let his fall on the ground as soon as they entered the second room.
It was one thing to see it in his mind, but another to truly feel the warmth seep into his muscles. He hadn’t realized just how tensed he had been since his escape, now that he felt ready to melt onto the floor.
He let the furs fall from his shoulders, uncaring that Jungkook was doing the same.
“I’m…” The alpha suddenly paused. “You don’t mind sharing the pool, right?”
Jimin looked at him, shirt already removed. A dozen people could easily fit in the steaming water, the two of them would be more than –
“I can wait if it makes you embarrassed,” Jungkook clarified.
Jimin raised an eyebrow, throwing his shirt next to the furs. “You took turns with Hoseok to follow me every time I had to relieve myself.”
He enjoyed Jungkook’s outraged expression. “We didn’t watch you!”
“My point is that I don’t care,” Jimin said, removing his pants, and Jungkook turned away at that. “Do what you want, I’m going in.”
“Be careful though,” Jungkook warned him. “Too fast and you might faint.”
He was right, of course, and Jimin sat by the pool, only putting his legs in at first. He hissed. This was definitely warmer than any bath he’d ever took before.
“Are you alright?” Jungkook asked, apparently still looking away.
It took a minute for his legs to get used to the heat. Jungkook had been right to warn him, Jimin would have definitely fainted if he’d jumped inside like he had wanted to. While he waited, he started to scrub his legs from the sweat and grim he’d accumulated over the past two weeks of walking and sleeping in the forest. He regretted not bringing soap, as he rinsed his arms and front, but the water was hot enough to remove the dirt and the smell of travelling.
After a few minutes, he slowly lowered himself in the water, and would have happily died right there. He realized with a smile that he’d been so taken by the present that he hadn’t even thought about his visions once. The water came up to his waist, and he sat down and closed his eyes, wishing for this moment to never end.
When he heard Jungkook come up to the water, he kept his eyes closed. He listened, mind mellow. He heard the sigh of relief, the hands scrubbing the skin, just like he’d done, and finally, Jungkook’s whole body entering the pool. Jimin felt the ripples on his chest, warmth gliding up and down his skin.
“We should arrive in two days,” Jungkook said. There was almost an edge to his voice.
“No future,” Jimin sighed, leaning his head back. “This cave is making me unable to use my powers.”
Jungkook stayed silent for a minute.
“That’s not actually true, is it?”
Jimin smiled. “The only thing I see is my skin getting all wrinkled because I stayed too long inside.”
He heard Jungkook’s laugh. “Is this your first time in a hot spring?”
“If we had this in my pack, I would have told my Head Alpha that it was a magical place and that it enhanced my powers.”
“Did you ever lie to your Head Alpha?”
Jimin opened his eyes and tried to keep a straight face. It was hard, seeing that Jungkook was closer than expected, his torso and large shoulders out of the water.
“You know I did.” He said, keeping his eyes from wandering away. “I told you why I was being kept prisoner.”
Jungkook had already realized his mistake, and raised his hands in surrender.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I was just wondering if you ever lied for smaller things, like a larger bed, or better food…”
A memory immediately came up to Jimin, one that he and Taehyung often liked to reminisce about.
“I told you I had no parents,” he started to explain, “But I did grow up with Taehyung and Seokjin. The three of us were raised together by some of the elders. I was often with our Head Alpha, but the rest of my childhood was spent with them. Seokjin was older than us, and he was better at following the rules. Taehyung and I… not so much.” Jimin chuckled. “I liked being with him, because my powers felt less like a curse, and more like something we could actually use. We got away with so many things then, just because I would find the way that led to us not being found out. I knew exactly when to sneak into the kitchens, or where our keeper would hide the key of our cabin, so we could sneak out at night.”
“Really? You were so terrible?”
“Does that surprise you?” Jimin brightly smiled.
“I knew that you had a… temper.” They both smirked. “From the very first night. But not to this degree. You sound like a menace.”
Jimin laughed. “I told you, I followed you because I wanted to. It wasn’t ideal, but I had more freedom than what you believed – even though yes, I much prefer the way you treat me now.”
Jungkook looked away, guilt crossing his face.
“And as I said, I don’t hold it against you.”
“I…” Jungkook sighed. “I don’t like to think of myself as a violent alpha, but I’ve done things in my life that I’m not proud of. Because I was ordered to, or because I was trying to defend my pack…” He frowned, “I came to your pack fully ready to hurt you, if necessary, and it… It makes me wonder. How many times have I hurt someone, when it could have been avoided?”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Jimin said, “while I don’t know anything about your past, I don’t see anything that makes me afraid of you in your futures.”
Jungkook scoffed. “How would you know? You said you didn’t see the future in here,” he said, clearly trying to stir the conversation back to safer grounds.
Jimin closed his eyes again with a happy sigh. “You’re right, I don’t see anything. The only thing I do see is warm water. I might sleep there, actually.”
“You would be fully cooked by morning.”
Jimin laughed, and then stayed quiet for a while, enjoying how his body completely loosened. But even though he’d just said the opposite, his mind was still…restless. No doubts because he could just feel Jungkook’s presence close. Not just his body, even though that was distraction enough, but also his… everything. The way he fit inside Jimin’s futures more and more, the way any one of his actions seemed to tip their paths in completely different directions…
He quickly opened one eye and closed it again. Jungkook had pushed his head back to rest against the pool’s edge, revealing his neck, and Jimin felt the urge to say something, before his mind could wander away any further.
“You know,” his loud voice surprised even himself, and he lowered it, “I’m not lying when I say that I don’t see anything that makes me afraid of you. You have a lot of possible futures, but I never saw a bad man in any of them.”
Jungkook stayed silent, and Jimin wanted nothing more than to open his eyes and see his reaction.
“Do I really have so many different futures?” Jungkook asked, voice strained.
It was the safer path. Perhaps.
“You have no idea,” Jimin said. “You’re so… unpredictable.”
“Coming from you, I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”
“It…” Jimin paused. “I don’t know either. You change your mind so rapidly, and it impacts your paths so much… It’s disorienting. But also fascinating and – ”
The water moved and he opened his eyes.
Jungkook was in front of him, at his level.
Jimin silently opened his mouth, at a loss for words. Perhaps he should have seen it, but his body was warm, warmer than the water could have made it, and his mind was fuzzy.
Jungkook leaned towards him and pressed a kiss against his lips. It was light, but soft, and the alpha moved back slightly, gaging his reaction.
“Did you see this coming?” he asked, with a small smile.
Jimin thought he’d never seen Jungkook shy before.
He shook his head. He couldn’t say that he had. Or perhaps, in a future he hadn’t dared inspect closer.
He wanted nothing more than to do it again. The thought of their skin touching making something clench in his stomach, and…
Jungkook was going to do it again.
His heart missed a beat and he gasped. He put a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder, stopping him from coming closer.
His head was thrumming, and it felt like the ground had slipped beneath his feet.
“Jimin?”
Jungkook sounded worried, and his hands came up to hold him straight. Jimin didn’t push him back, but the touch made the visions even worse.
It was too much, too many paths, everything changing, and so, so much darkness. More paths ending far too quickly, meaning only one thing.
Jungkook called his name once again, and Jimin shook his head.
“You need to breathe,” Jungkook still urged him. “Please, breathe.”
Jimin listened, trying to come back to his body, each breath something he had to think about, or he’d be back inside the visions, terrified of what he was seeing.
“I’m sorry,” Jungkook whispered. “I should have asked.”
Jimin put a hand over Jungkook’s wrist and squeezed. “You can’t.”
“I know,” Jungkook nodded, looking pained, “I’m sorry I didn’t ask.”
Jimin shook his head. “You can’t do it again. It… You…”
Jungkook frowned, not understanding. Of course he didn’t, how could he know that a simple kiss – not simple, he corrected himself – would change so much.
“You didn’t want me to kiss you?” he asked.
Again, Jimin shook his head. “It’s all… different. I thought I knew what would happen in your village but… I don’t anymore.”
He wanted Jungkook to hold him. He wanted to push his face against the crook of his neck, to breath, and not think about what was flashing behind his eyes.
“You’re saying that everything changed… because I kissed you?” Jungkook’s eyes were always piercing. “How?”
“It’s… I don’t know.”
He knew. Jungkook had made a decision, and everything would be different. He could see some of it.
Jungkook fighting against his Head Alpha, face distorted by fear or,
Jungkook falling on the ground, beaten by a hunter from….
“Jimin, stay with me!”
Jimin blinked. There was a safer choice. One he didn’t want to make. But in these futures, Jungkook was still alive.
“Can we go to sleep?” he asked, “Please?”
Jungkook looked at him. He always was.
After a moment, he nodded.
“Do you want me to help?”
His hands were still on Jimin’s shoulder.
“No. I should… I’m fine.”
The alpha’s hand fell, and Jimin was alone.
Jimin didn’t look when Jungkook got out of the water. They didn’t look at each other after, eating and preparing to sleep. But later, as he laid under his furs, he heard Jungkook’s soft voice.
“I’m sorry.”
Jimin shivered, even with the warmth surrounding him.
“I’m sorry too,” he whispered back.
Two days later, they arrived in the Kim pack.
They hadn’t talked to each other since that night in the hot spring, at least not in any meaningful way. Jungkook didn’t seem angry, or heartbroken. He still looked at Jimin over the fire as intensely as before, and still had shared his furs the next day.
Jimin had said that they couldn’t do anything more, and Jungkook had listened. It almost made it worse, in a way. Seeing Jungkook respect his choice only served as a reminder that the alpha was a good person, and that Jimin would have kissed him back, if not for his visions.
And now, walking in a pack he knew only through flashes and Jungkook’s words, he felt alone.
The village had been built at the base of a mountain, surrounded by the forest on one side, and rocky cliffs on the other. This protected it from the harsh winds, and Jungkook had told him about the many hot springs that could be found all over the village.
Jimin’s body felt warmer as they came closer, but the tension in his belly kept growing. Their arrival hadn’t been noticed yet, but he heard the voices from inside the village.
He had spent his life in the Park pack, surrounded by people he knew and had seen at least once in his visions. The forest had also been manageable, especially with Jungkook. Less people meant less possibilities. But here…There were too many unknowns, too many people, and too many paths to know exactly what was waiting for him.
Jungkook stopped and turned around. For a moment, under his scrutiny, Jimin felt like the alpha was the one with the power of foresight.
“I know that we…” He frowned, searching for the right words. “I don’t care about what happened at the hot spring. I want you to know that I have your back.”
Jimin tightened the furs around him. “This is your pack,” he faintly replied.
“And I had a mission, which I saw to the end,” Jungkook nodded. “But what my Head Alpha believes – what I believed – isn’t the whole truth. I’ll make him understand that his plan needs to change.”
Jimin stayed silent, throat too tight to get a word out. Jungkook seemed to hesitate, his hand raising involuntarily, before he brought it back to his side.
“I know you’ll have a lot to say,” Jungkook said, turning his back to him again, “But you should let me speak to Namjoon.”
Jimin could see him, this tall alpha, but he rarely smiled in Jimin’s visions. He didn’t mind letting Jungkook speak for him.
They passed the first cabins, all of them made out of wood and stone. It was different from what he knew, but Jimin couldn’t see anything that wasn’t Jungkook’s back. He was afraid, there was no denying that, and the alpha was the only thing he could hold onto.
There were quickly noticed, and he heard the gasps and the cries of joy, but hid inside his furs and kept his head low. Thankfully, no one tried to get close.
“I need to see Namjoon first,” Jimin heard Jungkook say. “Is he in the great hall?”
He was, and they left the small crowd that had started to gather around them.
“Stay close,” was whispered to Jimin, even though he was close enough already that he could have touched the alpha’s back with his forehead.
He shouldn’t have been surprised when Jungkook made them walk inside the mountain through two large doors. He’d seen them before. But what his visions couldn’t have provided was the sheer size of the room they found themselves in, or how warm it actually was. Jungkook had tried to explain, hot springs being redirected to bring heat inside the ‘great hall’. This was where they ate together, geld the feasts, and when a snow storm descended upon the village, it could keep the whole pack safe. Jimin would have admired it more, if he wasn’t focused on not tripping on the stone floor, now profusely sweating under his pile of furs.
There were even more people inside the hall, hailing Jungkook, waving at him. Jimin followed, head down, until Jungkook stopped.
And then, there was silence.
At least, it appeared to be. Jimin could still hear the whispers of the crowd gathering around them. He couldn’t imagine his Head Alpha ever dealing with such an important matter in front of the whole pack.
“Yoongi and Hoseok?”
The voice was deep, echoing throughout the hall. Jimin took a deep breath, trying to focus on the man and what he could see of their interaction.
“They took a different path,” Jungkook replied. “The rumor of three alphas travelling with an omega made it more dangerous for us. They should be here in a few days.”
“So, he’s an omega then?”
They all waited. Jungkook stepped aside, letting Jimin come up next to him. Jimin pushed away the furs, ignoring everyone else to look at the man in front of him.
Namjoon was sitting on a stone chair covered in the largest white fur he’d ever seen. Meeting his eyes made something inside Jimin fall into place. The paths were more visible, and not all of them were terrible. Namjoon cared about his people, and that was something Jimin could respect.
The knot in his stomach unraveled a little. He could do this.
“My name is Jimin,” he said. “I’m the person you’ve been looking for.”
If the Head Alpha was surprised by his boldness, he didn’t show it.
“You’re the person I wanted captured and brought to me,” he said. “And here you are.”
Jimin didn’t want to take the paths where he told Namjoon that he was here because he’d chosen to. Furthermore, Jungkook had asked Jimin to let him speak, and he agreed that it was the best idea.
He looked at Jungkook, waiting for him to continue. Everyone else, even Namjoon, was too far away to see the small smile Jungkook gave him.
“If you’ll allow me,” he told his Head Alpha. “I can give you a full account of what happened.”
“Do it,” Namjoon nodded, eyes still on Jimin.
Jungkook recounted it all. It was a complete and detailed report, starting from the night where Jimin had followed them, making them swear to not kill anyone. Then, the days of walking, until they found the group following them, and the sick omega. Them going their separate ways, safe every night because Jimin predicted it. Every time, Jungkook would emphasize Jimin’s willingness to follow him, and the fact that his powers weren’t what they had believed to be in the first place.
Everyone listened to his voice, enthralled. They gasped, whispered, and scoffed at some part of the tale. Jungkook’s account wouldn’t change their minds, Jimin knew that.
Part of him was distracted. He could hear what Jungkook was saying, but it was what he kept to himself that made his heart beat faster. Jungkook didn’t say anything about letting Jimin go free. He didn’t mention sharing his furs, or sleeping together under them. He didn’t tell them about the hot spring, and the kiss that had haunted Jimin ever since.
He was glad for it. He could feel that Jungkook would tell some of it later to Namjoon, but the rawest part of it, all of the emotions they had felt… It was theirs only.
For the first time, when Jungkook stopped talking, a true silence fell upon the stone hall.
Jimin could feel it. This was the tipping point.
And despite everything Jungkook had said, despite the fact that everyone now knew that Jimin wasn’t the all-powerful seer they had imagined, Namjoon had made up his mind.
Jimin had let Jungkook speak. It was his turn now.
“You can take it.”
His voice brought out surprised gasps. Namjoon leaned forward. Even though he hid his emotions better than Yoongi, it was obvious that the alpha disliked him.
“I can take what?” He wanted Jimin to say it.
“My power. You want your witch to take it from me.”
The offer caused quite a stir, surprise turning to shock. Despite every pack having a witch – except for Jimin’s –they were still kept hidden away, like a shameful secret that nobody was allowed to openly talk about. Jimin held his head high, uncaring. If they wanted his power, they couldn’t keep on pretending to hate magic.
Part of him wondered if it could work. He wasn’t seeing any witch in his paths, but what if she could do something to him? If there was a way for him to be free of his curse…
“Our witch isn’t currently on pack grounds at the moment.” Namjoon said after a while.
Which explained the lack of visions.
However, something cold pressed against his mind. He looked at Jungkook, but the ominous feeling didn’t come from him.
“You’ll be kept under surveillance while she comes back,” Namjoon continued, unaware of Jimin’s growing distress. Jungkook, however, had picked up on it, glancing back at Jimin with a spike in his scent.
“I’ve been watching him for the past two weeks,” he said. “I can…”
“No,” Namjoon stopped him. “You deserve some rest.” And he seemed to genuinely care for Jungkook’s wellbeing, which Jimin would have appreciated more, if didn’t the imminent threat wasn’t barreling closer and…
“Hyunjoong and Jisoo will take you to your room.”
Two alphas came out of the crowd. They weren’t carrying any weapon, but their stature was imposing enough that they didn’t need one, especially with Jimin.
His eyes glossed over Jisoo, ignoring her in favor of the man following her.
“Jungkook,” he whispered. “You can let him take me.”
There was a dark room and a darker smile and,
A scream, bone broken and laughter and,
Tears, unwilling to stop even though they only probed the alpha to keep hurting and…
“Namjoon,” Jungkook said, stepping in front of him. “Let me take care of this.”
“I told you, get some rest.”
Jimin couldn’t see him, hidden again, but his voice was hard.
“Please,” he whispered, only for Jungkook.
“This is my mission, I want to see it to the – ”
“Jungkook!” the voice was laced with a command, one impossible to ignore. “Move back from the seer and come with me.”
A hole opened in Jimin’s chest when Jungkook walked away. He could smell his anger, he could see how tight his shoulders were, but he was still walking away with his Head Alpha.
Leaving Jimin to the two guards.
More than once, Jimin had hoped for his visions to be wrong. He had begged, prayed even, for something he’d seen not to come to pass. He should have known better, because the visions, especially the bad ones, always came to pass.
And yet, as he followed Jisoo and Hyunjoong deeper into the mountain, he found himself praying again.
The present and the futures blurred, one feeding into the other. Visions flooded his mind and because of them, Jimin walked slowly, swaying from side to side to shake off the dark thoughts. As a result, his guards, and especially Hyunjoong, got angrier, pushing him to walk straight. This turned into more visions.
The angrier the alpha was, the more scared Jimin became, and the loop kept growing darker until they got to his new ‘bedroom’. A crude opening in the rock, with a door made of strong iron bars. There was no privacy to be found here, but Jimin preferred it this way. He knew what could happen if his guards were to put him in the rooms further down the long hallway. This room meant that it would be easier to be heard if he were to scream. When he would.
He immediately walked inside and sat on the ground as far away as he possibly could. There was a pallet near him, but the straw was damp, and he wasn’t planning on sleeping in here. He had to find the right path, the one that would lead him out of this cell, and back to Jungkook.
“Why is he like that?” he heard Jisoo mutter. “You saw how he talked to Head Alpha earlier.”
“He probably knows we’re not as nice as Namjoon,” the other one said, and Jimin tensed.
He knew. He knew he had power over Jimin, and he let his forehead fall against his knees, silently begging the two alphas to lock the door and leave him be.
“Don’t be an idiot,” Jisoo replied, “He should be more worried about Namjoon.”
Jimin froze. Her, Jisoo. She could help. Jimin couldn’t ask, of course, but her simple presence could change things.
He tried looking further, searching for the paths where she stayed with them, never leaving Jimin alone with Hyunjoong. These paths existed, but they were shadowed by the others. He’d never had his power act up this way, his fear so strong that he couldn’t focus on anything but the wrong paths.
He was sweating under the furs, even though the air was cold and damp this far inside the mountain. He was also reeking, his scent harsh and sour, making it harder for him to breath. He was panicking for something that hadn’t even happened yet, and perhaps wouldn’t happen, and he could do nothing to stop it.
“Maybe he’s pretending to be weak to lower our guard.”
“I don’t care,” Jisoo replied. “We’ll just ignore him if he speaks.”
She seemed to be moving away, and Jimin’s fear flared up. He then heard the sound of a chair being pulled up.
“Stop looking at him. Do you have your deck of cards?”
The other alpha sighed, and finally closed and locked the doors. They were a poor shield, especially with the keys in this alpha’s pocket
“Aren’t you curious though? About what he can see?”
“You heard Jungkook? Only possibilities, nothing certain.”
Jimin heard Hyunjoong’s spit on the floor, and cards being shuffled.
“Jungkook could have lied. Maybe this thing told him exactly the way to become Head Alpha.”
That seemed to greatly amuse Jisoo.
“Yeah, as if he’d be interested. He’s the second. That means power, but less responsibilities. And he wouldn’t kill his best friend anyway.”
It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Jungkook was the second of the Jeon pack. He was strong, smart and loyal. Jimin wondered if Jungkook hadn’t told him because he thought that Jimin had known from the beginning. The panic was moving back, enough for him to feel like he could breathe again. As long as the two guards kept talking and playing, nothing would happen to him.
“Maybe he’s not himself,” Hyunjoong was insisting. “Maybe he fucked the omega. That would give him ideas.”
“You’re being an ass… And you’re losing,” Jisoo added with glee. Then, after a pause, “You’re thinking about this too much. Let it go, if that omega was as powerful as you think, he wouldn’t let himself be kept here.”
“Maybe that’s part of his plan…” was the muttered reply, before a loud curse broke this train of thought. Jisoo laughed, having probably won again, and they kept playing, changing the subject and seemingly forgetting about Jimin.
Still, he didn’t move. He stayed hidden inside his furs, refusing to move to a more comfortable position. He tried looking ahead but was too tired to get anything clear. He was still seeing the terrifying smile and the cold hands on his skin, but Jisoo’s dismissal had cleared a lot of paths.
He kept trying, over and over again, not feeling when his visions became dreams.
He dreamt of Namjoon coming to see him, eyes filled with disdain, and of a shriveled hand coming up to his forehead, full of strange magic.
He also dreamt of Jungkook, standing in front of the cell. Opening the door and walking inside, until he was kneeling in front of Jimin. It was hard to see his expression, the torch on the wall had almost entirely burned, but Jimin couldn’t imagine Jungkook looking at him with a malicious smile.
And yet, it was real.
Jimin, as if coming out of the water, woke from his dream with a gasp.
“Now, what exactly are you?”
It wasn’t Jungkook’s voice, nor his eyes. It was the smile he had seen, curious and wicked.
“What do you know about me?”
Nothing. Only that he was capable of a cruelty Jimin hadn’t known yet in his life.
The alpha tore the furs from his shoulders.
“HELP!” Jimin screamed, kicking Hyunjoong’s back with a surprising force.
The alpha quickly came back, hands aiming for his mouth.
“Jisoo!” Jimin yelled, voice breaking with fear. “Jungkook!”
That made the alpha laugh, and he finally managed to shut him up with one hand over the mouth, pining his head against the wall. Jimin wiggled and kicked as much as he could before Hyunjoong put a knee over his legs, immobilizing them as well.
If he’d been able to think straight, he could have looked for a weak spot, but he was struggling to breathe, the alpha’s weight almost crushing him, shivering with terror, and mind paralyzed.
“You have to know something,” the alpha grunted, trying his best to make him stop moving. He was growing frustrated with Jimin’s attempts to escape and with a growl, turned him around to lie face down against the floor.
“HELP!!” Jimin screamed again, until a heavy blow against his temple made his eyes roll back and the world a blur.
“You fucking…”
His left arm was taken behind his back and twisted. Hyunjoong’s weight was fully on him now, and after a terrifying moment of silence, the alpha leaned over. Jimin heaved when he felt a foul breath hit his cheek.
“Did you see this coming?”
Did you see this coming? Jungkook had asked after their kiss. This was a disgusting perversion of an important moment, but before Jimin could thrash with rage, Hyunjoong broke his arm.
Even with all the weight on him, Jimin’s scream of pain echoed throughout the corridor.
He had fought as well as he could have, but the pain won.
He fell unconscious, not knowing what would happen next.
Jimin had never really known what to make of his dreams. As a child, his Head Alpha and the elders had pressed him, every morning, asking what had filled his nights. Had he seen where their enemies were? Did he know if anyone in their pack would betray them?
Even then, Jimin had been embarrassed. He dreamt of squirrels hiding nuts in his socks, of a three-eyed monster living under his bed, and sometimes, of comforting arms hugging him against a neck that smelled like home.
The elders had tried to interpret those dreams. What if the monster was proof of a traitor living amongst them? What if the squirrels were the Jeon pack, amassing strength to fight back? No one had speculated about the hugs, though he had seen the pity in the elders’ stares.
The Head Alpha had stopped asking, and Jimin had kept dreaming. He was already seeing too much during the day, it was nice to know that his nights were only fantasies.
For the entire day and night following Hyunjoong’s attack, Jimin dreamt. He didn’t remember much, going in and out of sleep, the pain in his arm waking him up when it was time for another numbing potion.
Even if he couldn’t remember, he was glad for the dreams. Sometimes, he’d see the forest again, and the shape of Jungkook’s back walking in front of him. Others, warmth would surround him, and he’d wonder if he was back in the hot spring.
Most of all, he didn’t get any visions during this time.
Reality only came back when he fully woke up again, and realized that he was in the infirmary.
He didn’t move for a few seconds, letting it all wash over him. Then, he sighed.
He knew, with the most absolute certainty, that things would be fine. At least, for the next few days.
He looked around while he waited, strangely peaceful. He’d been placed in a small room, but it was warm and the furs he was laying on were soft. One of them smelled like Jungkook, and he closed his eyes with a sigh. He would need a confirmation, but he couldn’t see Hyunjoong in his future, and knew that Jungkook had no small part in that.
Jimin didn’t want to give Hyunjoong too much of his thoughts. Not while he was alone anyway. So he looked down at his arm. It had been placed in between splints and wrapped with linen. It would heal well, he knew that, but he still foresaw the next couple of weeks, struggling to even dress himself up. Thankfully, he knew that he’d be able to ask for help.
He heard the steps coming up behind the door, then hesitating.
“You can come in,” he called.
The door opened, and he was faced with his new Head Alpha. This was very different from their first confrontation. The first Namjoon had been cold and distrustful, sitting atop his throne, and ordering his capture without an ounce of remorse.
This Namjoon was a very different one. Instead of towering over Jimin, he sat on the chair next to the bed. He seemed tired, with dark circles under his eyes, and the way he was looking at Jimin now was more… curious, than anything.
“Before I say anything else,” he started, his voice still deep, but low and weary, “I want to apologize for what Hyunjoong did to you. Jisoo was sleeping nearby, and she heard you before… anything else could happen. What to do with Hyunjoong has been the subject of many discussions…” he tried to hide his frustration, but his scent was too strong in the small space. “You’re not one of ours, so it’s been decided that Hyunjoong would be sent to the Bom pack, where he has some family, while we decide what to do with you.”
He looked at Jimin, waiting for a rebuttal.
Instead, Jimin looked at the fire, pensive.
“He’ll never come back to the Kim pack,” he said.
He smelled Namjoon’s unease, and part of him reveled in this small revenge. He knew how unnerving his powers could be, but he didn’t think Namjoon needed to be coddled.
“Perhaps you know better than me,” the alpha finally sighed, giving him this small victory. “Maybe then you know what happened during the past few days?”
Jimin looked at him. “I can’t know the past, only what could be ahead.”
Namjoon hummed. “So I’ve been told. Repeatedly, I might say.”
Suddenly, Jimin smiled. “Hoseok and Yoongi came back,” he realized.
Namjoon seemed torn between sharing his pleasure, and the distrust he still felt towards Jimin.
“They’re back,” he nodded. “And now, my three closest friends and advisors are telling me that I should allow you to stay in my pack, as a guest.”
“If it’s any consolation,” Jimin said, “Yoongi was more rude with me than you ever were. Jungkook was wary as well. Only Hoseok was kind from the beginning.”
Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose, but Jimin saw the fleeting smile cross his face.
“That’s just who Hoseok is,” the alpha replied. “They told me everything since the night they took you… or I guess I should say since the night you left with them.” He waited for a comment, but Jimin only stared, so he continued, “I know Hoseok would give his trust to anyone, and Yoongi… Well, you saved Hoseok. But that you had managed to gain the trust of Jungkook, that was harder to believe.”
“Jungkook is smart,” Jimin said, not bothering to hide his smile.
Namjoon’s frustration was more visible now, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. “I know that. He told me everything else that happened, the parts he didn’t say in front of the others, but how do I know that you’re not exercising some kind of spell on him? That you’re not making him worry about you so that you can… I don’t even know! What do you want?”
A flash of warm lips in a hot spring crossed Jimin’s mind.
“I… don’t know? To not be kept a prisoner when I voluntarily chose to come to your pack, that would be a good first step. And I wasn’t lying about your witch. She can try to take my visions. Living without it in my mind would be something that I’d very much like to try.”
Namjoon’s eyebrows shot up. “You’d truly give your powers away?”
“I don’t know if it will work, but I’m willing to try.”
Namjoon frowned. “Can’t you see if it will work or not? You seem sure about Hyunjoong not coming back.”
“If my powers were a blessing, then I’d be able to make sense of what I do and do not know,” Jimin replied. “But they’re not, and while Hyunjoong’s is a certainty, this witch of yours… I don’t even see her in any of my visions yet.”
Namjoon sighed. “I send her on a mission, and she… does what she wants, really. Witches are more powerful when tied to a pack, or so I’ve heard, but ours comes and goes as she pleases. I usually don’t mind, but right now… I have no way of knowing when she will come back.”
He straightened his back, looking more like the Head Alpha Jimin had met under the mountain.
“Now, the question is, what do I do with you, while we wait for her to come back?”
Jimin furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a flash of anger for the first time since the beginning of their conversation.
“I’m here of my own free will, offering you powers that no one else has, and you’re still thinking about treating me as your prisoner? You’re not who Jungkook painted you as.”
“What I want doesn’t matter here,” Namjoon retorted. “I need to think about my pack, and what they will think if they see you treated as a guest of honor, when for decades they’ve heard about the monster of the Park pack.”
Jimin wasn’t about to have this conversation now. He could feel a presence behind the door, and wanted this conversation to be over.
“Then say that I’m staying under Jungkook’s supervision. That he has been able to keep me under control me all the way here, and that it is safer if he keeps doing it for the time being.”
Namjoon was about to reply when knocks on the door stopped him.
Jungkook came through the door, face blank.
“Perfect,” Namjoon rolled out his eyes. “I suppose you’ve heard all of that?”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been able to control him much.”
Namjoon scoffed and stood, eyes sending daggers to the both of them.
“You better act like you do,” he said, pushing a finger against Jungkook’s chest. “You are now responsible for him. Anything he does will be put on you. And I expect you to report to me every single day.”
He was out of the room before Jungkook could reply.
The door was still open, and Jimin could hear some faint sounds coming from the infirmary, but Jungkook’s silence and blank expression unnerved him.
“Told you I’d get to see the infirmary,” he tried to smile. “Didn’t think I’d get to visit so soon.”
Jungkook wasn’t amused, lips pressed in a thin line as he took the seat next to the bed. Jimin felt smaller on the bed, the front he had put on for Namjoon slowly fading. Jungkook’s scent was reassuring, but it also lowered the barriers he had put around himself.
He only realized that he had opened his hand at his side when Jungkook took it in his own. He let a shaky sigh, looking down as his lap.
“Did Namjoon tell you about Hyunjoong?”
Jimin nodded. If his grip was too tight around Jungkook’s fingers, the alpha didn’t say.
“He will never come back to the pack,” he said.
“Good.” And Jungkook meant it. “I am… I will never forgive myself for not listening to you.”
“You had no choice,” Jimin replied, although it sounded weak, even to his own ears. “Namjoon gave you an order that you couldn’t refuse.”
He could feel Jungkook’s stare, but couldn’t get himself to hold it.
“Jimin…” It was a sigh, and Jimin knew that he wouldn’t like Jungkook’s next question. “If you hadn’t… rejected me, back in the hot spring, things would have gone differently, right?”
“It’s over. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
This didn’t deter the alpha. “I almost disobeyed Namjoon”, he pressed. “My own Head Alpha, my best friend… I thought about fighting him in front of the entire pack. But I didn’t, I hesitated, and then… I don’t know. I think that I wouldn’t have hesitated, if you had kissed me back that night.” He paused, his own fingers gripping tightly over Jimin’s. “Is that why you refused me? You knew that I would have disobeyed Namjoon?”
“It’s not…” Jimin took a deep breath. He was still raw from what had been done to him, and he could feel the walls he’d put around him erode even further. “I didn’t see anything so clearly, but I knew that it would lead to dark paths. But think about it, if you had disobeyed Namjoon, you would have lost your place in this pack, and your best friend.”
Jungkook sighed, defeated. “And you wouldn’t have been hurt.”
“I know. But now, Namjoon has warmed up to me, and you still have his trust. My arm will heal, this is… probably the best outcome.”
“Jimin,” Jungkook sounded pained, “You can’t honestly believe that. Jisoo wasn’t there when it happened, but even she seemed troubled by how cruel Hyunjoong had been…” He stopped, probably seeing Jimin’s paleness. “I’m sorry. Gods, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I wish that I…”
“Jungkook,” Jimin stopped him. “I meant it. It’s over. I won’t forget what happened, but I will heal. And I’ll take comfort in what it brought us, because I need to find something good to hold unto.”
He blinked the tears away, and Jungkook deflated.
“All right.” There was a pause, but Jimin preferred this silence to the earlier one. He would move on. He couldn’t see it yet, but he had to believe it.
“Do you…” Jungkook hesitated. His hand was warm. “Do you still see dark things for us?”
The words hung in between them, heavy with meaning. Jimin wished he had a simple answer to that.
“I don’t know. I’m too tired to look ahead right now.”
Jungkook accepted the answer. Or perhaps he didn’t, because his leg was jittery, and he took a deep breath, as if to give himself courage.
“I know what Namjoon has said, that I’m responsible for you now, but we have a few empty cabins that I could prepare for you.”
“What’s the alternative?”
“I have my own house. One I think you would like. There’s more than enough space for the both of us there.”
Jimin knew what it was like to live alone. He had left his lonely tower for a reason.
“I’ll come with you. If you’ll have me.”
Jungkook’s smile was bright and contagious, and despite everything, Jimin found himself answering it.
It had taken another few days in the infirmary before he had been allowed to leave. It was better this way, letting the whole affair with Hyunjoong settle down before showing himself again. The people working at the infirmary had soon stopped looking afraid, and had even started to treat him like any other patient.
Namjoon came every day, sitting straight in his chair and asking questions that Jimin tried to answer as best as he could. He didn’t mind telling the Head Alpha how he had been brought up by the Park pack. Namjoon wasn’t fully trusting him yet, but at least he wasn’t pushing Jimin with his questions, unlike his old Head Alpha used to.
Jungkook had asked to assist to these meetings, but had quickly been asked by Namjoon and Jimin to leave, because he kept insisting that Jimin didn’t have to answer and berated Namjoon for his too personal questions. Since he was kept away during these talks, Jungkook made up for it by spending as much time with Jimin as possible. He’d tell him about the most notable people in the pack, the head cook, the carpenter, the miners working inside the mountain… Jimin listened well, eager to know as much as possible about this place.
Yoongi and Hoseok came to visit as well. Save for a snow storm that had kept them holed up for three entire days, the two alphas had had no problems coming back home. Hoseok had gasped, seeing Jimin’s wrapped arm, fussing over him as if Jungkook wasn’t doing it enough already. Yoongi had surprised him, nodding with cold approval when Jimin had told them that Hyunjoong would never be back. It gave him a warm feeling, to see them care for him in such a way.
His arm was healing, but nights were hard. As soon as the lights went out, he’d start to sweat, the room filling with malicious shadows and a vile scent. He had asked Jungkook to bring him more candles to keep them at bay, and the alpha had brought enough to last all winter, as well as four furs covered in his scent. Jimin had sent back most of the candles with a laugh. The furs he had kept, wrapping himself in them to be able to fall asleep.
On the morning of the third day, he had been allowed to leave.
Hoseok had asked if he could be of any help, but Jungkook was more than enough to carry Jimin’s simple backpack. He was fidgeting, overly cautious when Jimin got out of the infirmary, perhaps fearing that he was going to slip on the snow that covered the village.
Jimin was simply happy to be outside. People were watching, but he didn’t find as much animosity in their eyes as he had feared. Caution and curiosity, however, they had plenty of, and it was only Jungkook’s dark stares that kept all of them from approaching him.
The walk to Jungkook’s house was short, and Jimin’s own curiosity grew. For all the informations he had given him about the village, the alpha had refused to describe his house in any detail. Jimin would like it, he’d kept repeating.
And how right he was. Jungkook’s cabin was built against the side of the mountain, and Jimin could see that if the main part was outside, it kept on going under the stone.
His suspicions were confirmed when they walked inside, and a delicious warmth made him sigh with pleasure. Jungkook was looking at him, immensely pleased with himself.
“Show it to me,” Jimin demanded, unable to stop smiling.
The main room had armchairs covered in furs, and a rather large bookshelf that he’d want to examine later. It was fascinating, how seamlessly the walls turned from timber to carved stone. At the back, there was a kitchen, as well as three closed doors.
“This one leads to my room,” Jungkook said, pointing at the one on the right, then on the left, “This one is yours. It was a storage room, but I transformed it while you were in the infirmary.”
Jimin didn’t ask when he had the time to, seeing that how often he’d been with him.
“And this?” he asked, pointing at the middle one.
Jungkook made a gesture, inviting him to open it, and Jimin stepped in front of him.
It wasn’t as big as the pool they had found in the forest, but it was still steaming, and wide enough to comfortably lie in.
He gave Jungkook a wide smile.
“You should still be careful, with your arm,” the alpha said, smiling because he knew he was fighting a lost battle.
“I’m seeing myself bathing here every single day,” Jimin sweetly replied.
Jungkook raised his hands. “Who am I to argue against the future?”
Jimin nodded. “I’m glad that we agree.”
He was still careful, of course, and every time he bathed during the following days, he made sure to keep his arm outside the water. The warmth still worked wonders on his body, and surprisingly, on his mind as well. He was calmer in the water, the shadows bothering him less when he was so relaxed.
Jungkook had done wonderful work with the little time he’d had on his bedroom. He’d had brought a simple, but comfortable bed against the wall, and covered it in furs. There was also a small table and a chair, where Jimin put the belongings he’d brought with him.
He spent the first few days holed up inside, still unsure about how he would be received by the other members of the pack. He and Jungkook would go out every single night to eat in the hall under the mountain, but the alpha spent a lot of his days with Namjoon, and Jimin didn’t feel safe going outside on his own.
Which is why he panicked a little when he heard someone knocking on Jungkook’s door. Namjoon, which he was still seeing every day, had assured Jimin that he was under his protection now, and that no one would hurt him, but Jimin’s breath got shorter as he imagined who could be on the other side.
“Jimin, I know you’re not a hermit, come outside!”
He let out a sigh, and opened the door to see an excited Hoseok.
“Take a warm fur,” the alpha said, “I’m taking you on a walk.”
Jimin took one of his own furs. They weren’t as warm as Jungkook’s, but he didn’t know how others would react to him wearing the alpha’s furs. Jungkook hadn’t hinted at anything more since the infirmary, but it was between them every time they were together. When they smiled to each other, or shared a laugh, there was this ‘what if?’ floating in between them.
Hoseok didn’t say anything about the fur, and led him to a path following the side of the mountain.
“Jungkook didn’t show you around much, right?”
“He’s been busy with Namjoon.”
“And Yoongi. If I wasn’t there to disrupt their meetings, they wouldn’t even come out to eat.”
“You don’t take part in their discussions?”
Hoseok snorted. “No. They like to plan and organize, which is why our pack is so prosperous, even with the harsh conditions. My parents were hunters. I’m more at ease in the forest.”
"There’s not much hunting to do this time of year,” Jimin noted. “What do you do then?”
“Oh, there’s always something to be done,” Hoseok smiled. “I help in the infirmary, but there's also repairing, mining, tanning, raising the pups… There’s something for everybody.”
“I… I don’t know what will happen, after your witch comes, but I’d like to do help. If I’m allowed to stay here.”
Hoseok led them unto a small path going up the mountain.
“You don’t see anything about what’s coming?” He asked.
Jimin shook his head. “No. But if I’m honest, I’m not trying very hard to look. Maybe I’ll see the witch when she’s closer, but for now, I only see the village.” He hesitated, not wanting to impose himself, but then felt that Hoseok would want to hear it, “Actually, I also see us walking around more often.”
As expected, the alpha smiled brightly. “Then it is settled. When our alphas will be too busy with their very serious matters, I’ll take you out and show you everything around here.”
Jimin smiled back, even though the mention of “their” alphas made him look away for a second.
“You and Yoongi…” he threw a look at Hoseok, and saw there an invitation to continue, “Are you mated?”
“We are,” Hoseok nodded. “The first mated pair of alphas since… ever, really. No one thought it would work, but Yoongi and I didn’t even think for a second that the Gods wouldn’t bless us. The bites took well, and it’s been… almost four years now.”
“And your pack members never… I don’t know, judged you?”
They were panting now, the path increasingly steeper. Jimin walked closer to the mountain, careful of not slipping on the snow.
“Namjoon and Jungkook never treated us any differently, which helped set the example,” Hoseok explained. “And really, everyone knew this would happen eventually. They didn’t need any powers to know that we weren’t going to choose anyone else.”
“I could see that sometimes,” Jimin said. “I don’t see often see far away, but sometimes, I just knew that some people would end up together. It took years, for some of them, but it was just… meant to be.”
Hoseok threw him a look. “Did you ever see that for yourself?”
He suddenly regretted saying anything. Because ever since that night in the hot spring, the paths were there, ready to be walked on. Every day, Jimin could see the opportunities. If he said the right words, or reacted a certain way, it would be so easy to push them in this direction.
He realized that he’d let the silence draw out for too long.
“My path isn’t so easy,” he replied. “I used to believe that these matters simply weren’t for me.”
“And now?”
He could hear the curiosity, and an almost-smile in the alpha’s voice, and honestly didn’t know how to answer the question. His relief came when the path abruptly ended, leaving them no choice but to enter a cave leading inside the mountain. At first, it was a corridor lit on both sides with torches, and Jimin sighed when the air got warmer as they walked further inside.
In the end, the corridor opened to a large room.
“Oh Gods…” Jimin whispered, in awe.
There were countless candles burning on the floor, similar to the starry sky on a cloudless night, but what drew Jimin’s eyes were the tall statues they cast their lights unto.
“You could say that,” Hoseok smiled.
There were seven statues, at least four times the size of them, depicting the Gods. Jimin’s Head Alpha hadn’t been a believer, putting his faith in the strength of his men and in Jimin’s power, but he had still allowed a small shrine to be built outside of the village. It was a modest stone temple, where seven statues had been carved out of wood. Nothing close to this magnificence.
Jimin didn’t have much faith either, although not for the same reasons as his old Head Alpha, but Taehyung was, and they would often go together, under supervision. Jimin wished he could have shared this place with his friend. Even he was in awe of the beauty of the statues, carved directly in the mountain, and felt a wave of joy fill his chest.
“I’m glad that you like it,” Hoseok said, kneeling in front of the statue of the Lover. Neither man nor woman, alpha or omega, the Lover was pure beauty, hiding a giddy smile behind a beautifully carved hand.
“Yoongi made us come here every single day,” Hoseok chuckled. “But I knew we had the Lover’s favor already. I still give them my gratitude every time I come up here.”
He put a hand on the statue’s foot and bowed his head.
Jimin stumbled. A flash of skin against skin jumped at the front of his mind, the echo of a sigh came to his ear, and he could have sworn that he felt fingers intertwine with his own. The smell that came to his nose was unmistakable.
This wasn’t one of Jimin’s visions, but the other option was far too scary to consider.
At last, Hoseok removed his hand from the statue and stood back up. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice Jimin’s flush.
“Do you have a favorite?” he asked.
A cold feeling put out whatever the Lover had awakened. There was only one statue that Jimin had refused to look at since they’d come inside the room, and with what he’d just experienced, he didn’t want to take any risks.
“No,” he replied. “The Gods have played with me since I was a child, so I never learned to love any of them.”
Hoseok looked at the statue further on their left, but Jimin didn’t dare cross the eyes of the Trickster.
“I’m sorry. If I had known, I would have shown you something else.”
Jimin shook his head. “I’m glad you brought me here. It’s beautiful, regardless of my feelings.”
“Then come,” Hoseok said, bringing him back outside. Jimin gladly followed, a weight he hadn’t realized had been there lifting from his shoulders. “I still have so much to show you. You have to see the deep caves, where they mine the glowing stones. Or the lake! I could teach you how to skate. Oh, and there’s the hot spring in the Seorak mountain. There are dozens of streams feeding it, and you can even slide on some of the rocks. It’s often full of children during the day, but we could go later in the afternoon.”
Jimin’s expression spoke for itself, and Hoseok laughed. “The hot spring then.”
Thanks to his expeditions with Hoseok, Jimin began to know the village better. He learned to navigate the streets on his own, even though he still preferred not to. The villagers were getting used to seeing him, but there was still a lot of mistrust in their eyes.
Which was exactly why he had agreed to Namjoon’s latest proposal.
“You don’t have to do this.”
Jimin turned around. Truly, it was a good thing that he knew where he was going, because Jungkook wasn’t being a useful guide at the moment, trailing behind him with a sour look on his face.
“I told you, I want to.”
“Most of them have already made up their mind about you. They’ll be questioning you until they see something they don’t like.”
“I don’t believe that these people are the majority,” he replied. “You should have more faith in your own pack.”
“I have faith in them… Most of them. But I don’t like the idea of you being alone in front of them.”
Jimin stopped walking long enough for Jungkook to catch up.
“I won’t be alone,” he said. “Namjoon will oversee the questioning, and you will be there as well.”
Jungkook threw him a look. “You said I’m not allowed to talk.”
“Not if you stop everyone from asking questions.”
“What if they push too far?”
“Then I’ll stop them. Or Namjoon. I’m allowing you to glare.”
Jungkook scoffed. “How gracious of you.”
They were almost at Namjoon’s cabin. Jimin could see that the elders were already there, as well as the other people Namjoon had asked to come. This special meeting had been Yoongi’s idea. There were so many rumors circulating about Jimin in the pack, and the fact that he had kept to himself and only a few people had only fueled them. This would be the occasion to clear things up, and give Jimin a chance to explain himself to the Kim pack, and prove that he wasn’t lying when he said that he was ready to give away his power.
“You know,” he suddenly said, knowing they were still out of earshot. “I’m glad that you will be here. I don’t need you to defend me, but it will make it easier to know that someone… trusts me, in the room.”
He knew Jungkook wanted to say more, but they were now close enough that everyone had turned their head to look at them.
Before they walked inside, he felt Jungkook’s hand low on his back for a short moment, giving him a silent support that he was grateful for.
Despite his determination, it was overwhelming. The meeting room had been moved, so that Jimin was sitting beside Namjoon and facing everyone else.
Before they began, Namjoon set out the main rules. Civility was in order, and he would intervene as little as possible to give everyone the chance to form their own opinion of Jimin. Jimin would speak first, telling his own story, before answering the questions they would still have.
These people may not have known Jimin yet, but they trusted their Head Alpha, and the room fell silent. Jimin almost faltered. He had rehearsed what he would say, to himself, to Jungkook, even to Hoseok. He knew the words, it was his story, but he found himself looking at the full room, mouth empty.
His eyes locked with Jungkook’s, and he couldn’t have said which of them felt more powerless. The alpha wanted to get him out of there, but was bound to the promise he had made. Instead, he nodded, showing Jimin that he was there. That he was listening.
Jimin wanted to deserve that kindness.
So he spoke. He started with his childhood, and everything else flowed out of him. From his travels with the Park Head Alpha, to the first night he had spent in his tower. He went over their travels to the pack, even though they had already heard it from Jungkook on the day of his arrival.
Some things he kept to himself, too personal to share with these strangers, but he talked about all the things he thought were necessary to understand why he was here, today, asking to be accepted into their pack. He hadn’t decided if being part of the Kim pack was what he truly wished, but he wanted to be able to stay for a while, away from the Park pack, and maybe try to lead a normal life. And a normal life wouldn’t be achieved with the powers he had. He wanted to know what it was like, to live without seeing what the future could bring.
This is where he stopped his story. No one had interrupted, and the assembly took a long moment to process what they had just heard, before the first hands were raised.
Could he know someone’s secrets just by looking at them? No, Jimin answered, because secrets were in the past. The person who had asked seemed relieved, and the one sitting next to her gave her a suspicious look.
Could he heal people? He had been able to save some by preventing accidents before they could happen, or when he had seen a wound getting infected, if it wasn’t tended to. But a magical healing, similar to what a witch could do, no.
If Jimin wasn’t as powerful as everyone believed, then how was the Park pack so strong? This question gave him pause, and he had to admit that some of his old Head Alpha’s first successes could be attributed to his help. But more than that, it was the way the Park pack was run that made it what was today. Alphas and omegas were trained to use swords and bow, and nothing was dishonorable if it meant victory. The Head Alpha ruled his pack with an iron fist, and had always believed that the strongest defense was to attack first.
And then, from an omega who sat in the first row.
“If you’re not powerful, then why should we keep you?” She spoke plainly, her eyes piercing. “We thought you could make our pack stronger, but you say that you cannot. If you stay here, you’re not just another mouth to feed, you could also bring the wrath of the Park pack upon us.”
For the first time since the beginning of the meeting, Jungkook took a step forward, ready to intervene.
Namjoon spoke first.
“Shall I remind you that we’re the ones who kidnapped him?”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t he say that he followed willingly? That he wanted to come here?”
“I wanted to escape my pack,” Jimin corrected. “I didn’t know where I was going at first.”
“But you do now, and you want to stay. What do we get in return?”
“Me risking my life when your witch comes back,” he replied, matching her cold tone. “This power in my hands has never done me any good, perhaps she will know what to do with it.”
“And if she doesn’t? Will you want to stay here?”
He didn’t know why, but her question felt pointed. He tried looking ahead, but couldn’t see anything coming from this omega in the paths ahead.
“I will need to live somewhere,” he simply said.
“And if the Park pack discovers that you’re here?” she insisted.
“Then we’ll deal with them,” Namjoon answered in his stead. “They’re too far away to have ever been real threats to us, but we’re not like the enemies they’re used to in the warmer regions. We’re not weak.”
The omega wasn’t convinced, but this got a murmur of approval from the rest of the room. The Kim pack was proud, Jimin had come to realize, and Namjoon was right, if anyone could have been a match for the Park pack, it would be them.
There were a few questions after that, but no one put any doubt over Jimin’s presence anymore. Save from the disapproving omega, it seemed that Namjoon’s meeting had been a success, and that the people representing this pack were more than ready to welcome Jimin in their stead.
Jimin left the room, his heart much lighter. Hoseok winked at him before following Yoongi, and even Namjoon gave him a smile. Outside, Jimin thought for a second that the omega who had criticized his presence wanted to talk to him, taking a step towards him, before turning around and leaving quickly.
Jimin ignored her, too proud of what he’d just done, but was shocked to see that Jungkook was already walking back to his cabin, not waiting for him.
“Jungkook!” he called, running after him.
The alpha slowed his pace, but there was a shadow over his face.
“What’s wrong?” Jimin asked. “This went exactly how we wanted it to.”
“They weren’t all convinced,” Jungkook growled. His scent was angry, more than it should have been.
“You mean the omega in the first row? Her concern was harsh, but understandable. And no one seemed to share her opinion.”
“One is more than enough, especially one as skilled as her when it comes to spreading rumors.”
Jimin frowned. “You know her?”
Jungkook raised a hand. “Not here.” He seemed angrier than before, puzzling Jimin even more, but they were almost at his cabin, and he could wait a little more.
However, when they walked inside the house and closed the door behind them, Jungkook ignored him, removing his furs without fully looking at him.
And Jimin might have been smaller, but he didn’t mind planting himself in front of the alpha, eyes demanding an answer.
“You said not outside,” he pointed out. “Now we’re here, so what is it? Who was she?”
Jungkook looked frustrated, but held his gaze.
“You didn’t have any visions?” he asked, which puzzled Jimin even more.
“No. I tried to look, but there was nothing. She won’t be the one to make me leave this pack, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
This apparently didn’t help, and Jungkook was even more disgruntled.
“You didn’t recognize her face?” he pressed.
“No!”
Jungkook didn’t seem like he believed him. After a pause, he said, “You told me once that you had seen her, in some futures.”
It suddenly hit him.
Jimin gasped, eyebrows shooting up.
“She’s your intended mate,” he blurted out.
Jungkook rolled out his eyes.
“Is she? You just said that you don’t see her anyone.”
Jimin’s mouth opened and closed. He wasn’t seeing her, and although he wouldn’t say it out loud, Jungkook had taken such an important place in his life that he didn’t think he could have missed something so big.
Jungkook understood what the silence meant.
“So I don’t mate her,” he said. “And you know what, I didn’t need your powers to know that, and she didn’t either. Actually, I think that she was able to see more than you today.”
Jimin took a step back, dumbfounded. “I’m sorry?”
He regretted asking. She didn’t matter, or he would have seen her. They could have just ignored her cold questions and moved on.
“Why am I not mating her anymore?” Jungkook suddenly asked. “Go on, look ahead.”
He was taunting him, and Jimin felt the urge to rise against him.
“You seem to already know,” he fought back. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“You won’t hear it,” Jungkook replied, taking a step towards him. “Just look! Why am I not mating her?”
Jimin squared his shoulders, wanting to refuse the order.
The vision came without being prompted. A vision he’d seen countless times since their arrival, and one that he had kept pushing away.
His shoulders dropped, and Jungkook knew that he had won, even though he didn’t look victorious.
“I’ll ask again,” he said, almost desperate, “I’ll ask you once last time, and if you don’t want it, then I’ll never ask again.”
Jimin shook his head, not wanting him to continue. But Jungkook was set, and all futures agreed on his next words, which Jimin heard before they were even spoken.
“I want you,” were the words, “Because you’re smart, and strange, and you make it impossible for me not to think about you. I know you feel the same because I have eyes, and I see you looking at me the same way I look at you, and my nose tells me that you enjoy my presence as much as I enjoy yours.”
Jimin couldn’t only listen, eyes wide. Jungkook was too close, their chests almost touching.
“I’m asking for a chance,” Jungkook said, “That’s all.”
Jimin’s heart was in his throat. The paths were there, waiting for them. Could he honestly say that all of them were dark, if he took this chance, he didn’t know. But it was darker than what would happen if he closed his mind to it, just as he’d done so far.
“You have no idea the risk we’d be taking…”
“I’ll take my chances,” the alpha replied, mouth set. “You told me that we could make our own fates, and I think that we’re stubborn enough to make a path that could be good to us.”
Jungkook made it sound so easy, and Jimin was drawn to the certainty he let out. He’d never had much faith in the Gods, but the way Jungkook burned for him made him want to believe.
“You can refuse. We’ll go back to how things were, and I’ll never speak of it again.”
Jimin could refuse. But he could see it less and less, and the more he looked into Jungkook’s eyes, the more paths led to the same outcome.
Jungkook was right. He wanted it.
A shaky “yes” escaped his lips, trembling with want, and Jungkook was already there to take it from his lips.
They fell into each other, Jungkook starving for his mouth, and Jimin just as eager now that he wasn’t holding back. They tried to wrap their arms around each other, and the furs, which were in the way, quickly ended up on the floor. It wasn’t graceful, hands pulling too roughly and teeth biting too hard, but they were too impatient to care.
Jimin knew exactly when Jungkook would carry him to his bedroom, so he braced himself for it. Visions kept flooding him with images that overlapped with the present. They stopped against the door, and Jungkook pushing him against it didn’t even phase him. He could feel the alpha’s tongue before it was even in his mouth, and he opened it without a care of how he looked.
Once in bed, Jimin raised his arms to let Jungkook remove his shirt, and climbed his lap before the alpha could even ask, foreseeing what was going to happen. He had thought about doing this often – lying with someone else – but if anyone had ever tried to spend the night with him in the Park pack, his old Head Alpha would have had their head. Until now, Jimin had only been able to imagine.
It all fell short of reality.
Never could he have imagined the feel of Jungkook’s fingers running over his skin, or how playful his tongue would be on his chest, then lower, until the alpha disappeared under the covers.
He couldn’t have pictured how his own body would react to it, opening up with abandon, sighing with each kiss, and moaning when Jungkook’s pushed inside him. It knocked the breath out of him, but he wasn’t afraid. He held on tighter, nails digging in the shoulders hovering above him.
Everything was written. Jungkook pushing in and out, and kissing him as if he’d been starved. Jimin moving under him, hands gripping his hair to keep him close.
There were no other paths for them but this one.
When pleasure sent him over the edge, time stopped for a moment, the bliss from his visions and from the present melting into each other, making his mouth open in a silent cry.
He couldn’t regret his decision. The paths ahead of them were darker, he had no doubt about that now, but they would face them together.
He said so to Jungkook, who hugged him tighter. For now, there was nothing for them to do but hold each other close, and whisper their hopes and promises to each other.
Because Jungkook’s bedroom had no window, Jimin couldn’t tell what time it was, but the candles were almost out, and he felt well rested. Sore, but well rested. He wasn’t ready to get out of bed though, the warmth he got from staying under Jungkook’s furs and wrapped in his arms was even more delicious than what the hot spring could provide.
Jungkook wasn’t awake yet, face half pressed against his pillow in an expression that wasn’t very flattering, but that Jimin still ended up looking at for a long time. His mouth was red, overused with kisses, and his hair was all over the place from Jimin, who had discovered how much he loved running his fingers in the dark strands while they kissed.
He dozed off again, lulled by the sight of Jungkook slowly breathing.
Until a vision sprung in his mind, right before he could fully fall asleep.
He sat on the bed with a gasp.
“Gods!”
“What is it?”
Jungkook slowly propped himself on his elbows but Jimin was already out of the bed, frantically putting his clothes on.
“He’s here! I have to see him,” Jimin exclaimed, turning around until he found his shirt and put it on.
Jungkook sat up, alarmed. “Who’s here? Your Head Alpha?”
Jimin leaned forwards and cupped Jungkook’s cheeks, planting a long kiss on his lips. He moved back, took a fur from the bed, and ran out of the room.
“No. Taehyung!”
Outside, it was clear that the rumors had travelled fast, because the looks Jimin got were less disgusted than before, and more curious about as to why he was running, looking so disheveled.
He ignored them all. On the edge of the forest, speaking to Namjoon and a few others, was Taehyung.
They saw each other at the same time, and both smiled, the world narrowing down to just them. Taehyung completely ignored Namjoon and ran to him.
They collided, and fell untangled on the snowy ground, laughing like children.
“I knew it!” Taehyung yelled, holding on to him. “I knew I’d find you here!”
Jimin laughed again, teary-eyed. He didn’t know how Taehyung could have known, but right now, all he cared about was that he had his friend back, and that their smell together reminded him of home.
Taehyung didn’t seem to agree, pushing him with an open mouth.
“You reek of alpha!” he exclaimed. “I leave for a few weeks and you already got yourself a – ”
“Oh gods, Taehyung!” Jimin stopped him, “This can wait. And you left more than a month ago.”
“I know,” Taehyung replied, sheepish, “I owe you an explanation.”
Namjoon was standing next to them now, handing out a hand that Jimin took.
“Explanations are in order,” he agreed, helping Taehyung up as well. “Come with me. We’ll have lunch together, and you can tell us about your travels.”
Taehyung bowed his head, although he was still fretting, hands desperate to hold Jimin again.
“I didn’t abandon you,” he made sure to say, as they walked behind the Head Alpha. “I wanted to tell you, but…”
“I know,” Jimin reassured him, holding hands with him. “And I knew that we would see each other again.”
Taehyung sighed with relief, slumping against him. “Oh, that’s good. I didn’t know what would happen to you, only that I would find you here. I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been through. I hope it wasn’t too bad.”
He looked to the side, and Jimin saw that Jungkook was walking up to them. He had taken a little time to look more presentable than Jimin, but there was no way to hide their combined scents without taking a full bath first.
Jimin couldn’t see Namjoon’s expression, but saw Jungkook roll out his eyes in response.
Taehyung had let go of his hand, and Jimin didn’t hesitate before going to the alpha. He didn’t want Jungkook to get the wrong impression, and think that his hasty exit meant that he regretted what had happened the night before.
His nose easily found Jungkook’s neck, and he let himself breath in their scent.
“We’re going with Namjoon to hear what Taehyung has to say,” he said.
The others were continuing on, giving them some privacy.
“I gathered that,” Jungkook replied, nosing at his temple. He smelled relieved to have Jimin for himself, even if it was for a short time. “Are you alright?”
Jimin looked up with a smile. “Absolutely.” With Taehyung and Jungkook at his side, something in him felt settled. “I only wish that I had taken a bath before coming here.”
Jungkook’s nose twitched. “You do smell… delicious.”
Jimin scoffed. “You would say that. I don’t know about the others.”
Jungkook took his hand and led them towards Namjoon’s house. “Better stay close then. We wouldn’t want to bother anyone with our scent.”
“That’s not knowing Taehyung,” Jimin replied. “He’ll rub himself all over me.”
“He is your family,” Jungkook said. “His scent won’t be a problem.”
Jimin held his hand tighter. No matter what his power had tried to show him, he didn’t regret giving them a chance.
Namjoon sent away almost everyone, and only Jungkook, Jimin, Yoongi and Hoseok were allowed to stay. It was odd, Jimin thought, that only a day ago, he had been the one interrogated by the whole village. Now, he had been mostly accepted, was smelling like Jungkook, and had Taehyung back in his life. All very important changes, and he couldn’t tell yet if this was a good combination for the future, or a terrible omen.
Namjoon spoke. “So, Taehyung, Jimin’s story began on the day that you left your own pack. Where does your story begin?”
“The night before,” Taehyung said. “But you might find it hard to believe what I’m about to say.”
“We fully believe in the existence of Jimin’s powers,” Namjoon replied, “We’re not closed to the idea of a human possessing abilities usually meant for the witches.”
Taehyung shook his head. “No, this is something else. I wouldn’t have left Jimin, nor my brother, if I’d just had a vision.” He sighed, and took a deep breath in. “Every night, after my visits to Jimin, I stop by the altar in the woods. It’s a bit away from the village, but the path is lit by a few lanterns, and I like to say my prayers before going to bed. Thank the Mother for the family I have, ask the Lover for a tall alpha, and…”
He paused and look at Jimin with a hint of guilt. “And a small prayer for the Trickster. He’s… I know we disagree on that but in my mind, he’s always been Jimin’s God.”
Jimin’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t interrupt. It wasn’t that he disagreed with Taehyung, but that he didn’t see the point in praying to the God who was the most probable cause for his curse.
“I do this every night,” Taehyung repeated, “And then I go back to my cabin. Except that I didn’t. That night, the moment I looked at the statue of the Trickster, I felt a cold hand on the back of my neck. I couldn’t move, so I didn’t look behind me, but my eyes were forced to look at the statue, and I heard his voice, inside and outside of my head.”
Taehyung paused, almost waiting for the others to accuse him of lying. They were all silent, and Jimin’s arms was covered in goosebumps.
“It knew things. About me, about Jimin… And then it showed me these visions, like the ones Jimin had described to me all of our life. Images, of people I didn’t know, but felt like I’d met before. I saw many villages, and different Head Alphas, as well as the forest. The Trickster was showing me what he wanted me to do, and I was afraid that I couldn’t remember it all, but with every image, I could hear him think about the Kim pack.” He looked at Jungkook and continued, “It showed me your face, beside Jimin’s. And you,” he told Namjoon, “I knew I had to find you.”
“Did the God tell you why?”
Taehyung made a face, as if he still didn’t really understand what had happened himself.
“It wanted me to leave my pack, that’s all.”
“I don’t know if I would have left with Jungkook,” Jimin said, “If it had meant abandoning you. The Trickster probably sent you away so I could follow them.”
“I think so too,” Taehyung nodded. “I’ve travelled exactly the way he had told me to, through the same packs, the same parts of the forest. Every time I thought that I was lost, I would find my way to another village that would offer me a place to rest for the night, before I was on my way again. But the moment I saw you,” he told Namjoon, “I knew that I had reached my destination. I don’t feel him guiding me anymore.” His shoulders dropped with a sigh, and he looked at Jimin. “I don’t think I could ever understand what you’ve been through, but now that I’ve had my own small experience of it… I couldn’t even say if I was blessed or cursed. I’m just happy that it’s over.”
Jimin couldn’t help it, and crossed the distance between them to hug his friend again. He could hear the others talking but didn’t pay they any mind.
“I think,” Taehyung said between them, “that whatever the Trickster has given you will be over soon.”
“I know,” Jimin whispered back. “I feel it too. I just hope that I’ll survive it.”
Taehyung put him at arm’s length with a seriousness Jimin had seldom seen on his face. “You will. I won’t accept anything else.”
They hugged again. Jimin only wished that Seokjin could have been here with them, or at least known that his family was safe.
The food that Namjoon had asked for arrived shortly after, and Taehyung told his own month of travelling in detail while they ate. He hadn’t taken the shortest route, but his path had led him through the safest packs of the region, where he had been received with respect. He had pretended to be on a religious pilgrimage to explain the fact that he was alone, which wasn’t unheard of, and close enough to the truth that he hadn’t been bothered.
Still, traveling so far north during the winter had tired him, and he asked to stay in the Kim pack for the foreseeable future. The request surprised everyone, and even Namjoon was dumbfounded.
“I wouldn’t have thought of refusing my welcome. Jimin was… special, and I apologized for the way we treated him, but I’ve come to trust him. As his friend, you will be treated well.”
This made Taehyung frown. “The way you treated him?” he repeated.
Jimin put a hand over his shoulder. “You should go with Namjoon, and let him show you around the village. Rest, we’ll meet again tonight. I’ll tell you my own story then.”
They separated with another hug, although a less desperate one now that they knew they would see each other again.
“Let’s go,” he told Jungkook. “We need to bathe.”
He had a strange feeling, one that he couldn’t shake, about what would come. Now that he knew the Trickster was behind all of this, his visions were different.
Jungkook sensed that something was off. Without a word, when they entered the hot spring, he brought Jimin into his arms and leaned down to scent the skin under his ear. This eased the tensions in Jimin’s body, but his mind wasn’t fully there yet.
He kept trying to look further away, following paths here and there, but they were all becoming blurry, frustratingly evading his grasp. He could see the evening he’d spend with Taehyung, and the night sleeping in Jungkook’s bed. There were variations, like how late they would go back to sleep, or how exactly he and Jungkook would spend their night together, which did make it hard to concentrate. However, anything after that was a blur. He could see parts of the village, or the vague shape of other people, but nothing that could give him any real information.
A hand ran through his hair.
“You shouldn’t look for too long, you said so yourself.”
Jungkook was right. The moment Jimin came back to himself, he realized how tired his body was.
“I’m afraid,” he admitted, rubbing his nose against Jungkook’s neck. “I thought I was ready to give up my power, to see your witch, but…”
He faltered, and Jungkook pressed a kiss against his jawline. Jimin couldn’t have put into words how grateful he was for the care the alpha was giving him.
“We’re now talking about a God,” Jungkook hummed. “Of course you are scared. I am too.”
Jimin raised his head with difficulty, perhaps not helped by how heavy the steam made his body feel.
“Oh no, you can’t be afraid. You’re not supposed to be.”
Jungkook smiled. “What, should I hide my emotions? You would prefer a big alpha who does whatever he wants?”
Jimin wanted to forget about all the rest. He and Jungkook had just started something new, they deserved some time to themselves before it all went awry.
He pretended to think it over. “Maybe. Under very specific circumstances.”
Jungkook was perplexed. “Really? You would like me acting as if I didn’t care?”
Jimin gently flicked his forehead. “Not that. The big alpha who takes whatever he wants part.”
“Oh, that,” Jungkook smirked, and Jimin couldn’t help but kiss him.
He could see the different paths.
Jungkook pushing inside him from behind, Jimin’s body folded in half against the side of the pool, or…
Jimin, slowly riding him, still sited on his hips, or…
Gliding against each other, panting in each other’s mouth…
It reassured him to see that his powers were still there, acting the way he was used to.
It also aroused him, something he hadn’t realized his powers could do. For the first time, he wished that all paths could happen at the same time, so that they would all come to pass.
He moved back to look at Jungkook’s face, eyes clouded and mouth red, mirroring his own desire.
Jimin thought that it was up to them, to see how many paths they could try before they’d have to go to dinner.
They came out of the hot spring hours later, having tried their best.
They stayed up late that night. Jimin told his own adventures to Taehyung, sometimes helped by Jungkook, or Hoseok, when they didn’t quite remember things the same way. “Jimin was terrifying, on those first few days,” Hoseok had said. And Taehyung, the traitor, had laughed and nodded.
Yoongi and Namjoon, who joined them later at the table, threw an amused look when Jimin said that they had spent a night at the hot springs. Jimin learned then that this was a popular spot to bring someone you were courting, even though Jungkook insisted that he had simply been looking for a warm place to spend the night.
Later, they all stayed silent when Jimin recounted the night he had spent in the mountain’s dungeon. Jungkook was gripping his hand under the table, and regret could be smelled on Namjoon. Taehyung was pale, looking outraged even when Jimin reassured him, saying that his arm was now fully healed.
“And what about your mind?” Taehyung asked. “Is it also healed?”
Of course, they all knew that it would take longer than a few weeks before he’d be able to put it all behind him.
“What matters is that I don’t see it happening again. And that I feel safe.”
That answer hadn’t satisfied Taehyung, and even Jungkook had smelled angry next to him, but they both knew better than to argue with him. Jungkook had tried, on the days after he’d left the infirmary, until Jimin had sat him down, and told him that what he needed wasn’t to constantly recall what had happened, but to feel safe in his day-to-day life.
Their discussion moved on after that, everyone seeing that Jimin wasn’t going to say more. Instead, they moved to safer grounds, like how life was like in the Kim pack. Jimin learned, alongside Taehyung, but he was happy to see that he already knew most of it. That he had already gotten used to this life.
They stayed up late, and when they came back, he and Jungkook were too tired to do anything but lie down and close their eyes, hands finding each other in the dark. He hadn’t lied to Taehyung. When he was with Jungkook, he wasn’t afraid of the dark. There was no place here for frightening eyes and dark smiles.
This feeling of safety lasted until the next morning.
They were tired, and he was pretty much crushing Jungkook by sleeping over his chest, but someone was knocking on the door.
“It’s probably Taehyung,” he groaned, hiding his face in Jungkook’s neck. “He’ll go away.”
They heard it again, but something felt wrong. Taehyung would have knocked enthusiastically, banging until Jimin gave up and came to the door.
This knock was loud and slow. Four times, then a pause, until it started again.
Jungkook’s scent completely changed, and Jimin’s felt a cold weight fall in his stomach.
“Do you see who this is?” he asked, raising up as if Jimin weighted nothing.
Four knocks again. Visions were blurry, and Jimin panicked.
“No, this… It’s hiding it.”
“It can’t be bad,” Jungkook grunted, “Or the village would have been alerted.”
“What if it’s…”
Jimin couldn’t say it. Jungkook got out of the bed with a courage Jimin couldn’t feel.
“Can’t say I’ve ever spoken to a God,” the alpha said, clearing his throat as he opened the bedroom door.
Jimin put on furs arounds his body, and followed with trembling steps. He took his dagger, but Jungkook stopped him from coming too close to the entrance.
“Who’s there?” he yelled.
The knocks stopped. Then a hiss, cold like the night wind, grating his bones.
“Open the door.”
Jungkook immediately relaxed, but Jimin took a step back. He didn’t know this voice, had never heard it in his visions. What if it was forcing Jungkook?
But the alpha opened the door, and outside, with the barely rising sun behind her, stood the witch of the Kim pack.
Her back was unnaturally straight, and her eyes were fixed on Jimin, unwavering.
“Leave.”
Her mouth wasn’t moving, but Jimin could her nonetheless. She was talking to Jungkook.
“No. And don’t ask again.”
Jungkook was firm, but not aggressive. Jimin didn’t understand how he could stay calm, when his own legs felt like they were about to give up on him. He had only seen a witch once, on the other end of a battlefield, and even then, he had felt the indescribable aura of magic and darkness surrounding them.
He faltered, unsure that he wanted to give his powers away to this creature. It didn’t help when she came inside the cabin, almost floating because her legs didn’t seem to be moving. Her whole presence was a blur, not just to his visions, but to his eyes as well.
He didn’t realize Jungkook coming up to him, but he felt some relief when the alpha put a hand over the nape of his neck.
“It’s fine,” he said, scent wrapping protectively around him. “It might be better to do this here and not in the hall, in front of everyone.”
The witch came closer again, and everything in Jimin screamed at him to run. He would have, if not for Jungkook. Whatever promise he had made to Namjoon felt futile, when he was the sole focus of her interest. Her face was human, in the way that she had a nose and a mouth, but it was also blank and ageless. Did she want his power? Did she know what it would entail?
“Did you speak with Namjoon before coming here?”
“We knew what would happen once you’d bring him back,” her low rasp floating in between them.
“Things have changed,” Jungkook replied, not only unaffected, but also commanding. “He’s our guest. He agreed to give up his ability, but you may not hurt him.”
For the first time, her eyes flickered between them. She was scared of Jungkook, Jimin realized.
“The God. It might not let him go so easily.”
“Try,” Jungkook ordered. “But do not hurt him.”
Jimin closed his eyes, but the futures refused to show themselves anymore. There was nothing left, only a void he couldn’t see. He feared that this meant the end of his own life, but refused to believe that Jungkook would let the witch hurt him.
This void, then, had to mean the end of his powers.
“Do it.”
He couldn’t say more, throat too tight with fear, but he raised a hand towards her.
For the first time, a flash of something crossed her face. Perhaps greed, or maybe fear, Jimin wasn’t in the right mind to tell.
She raised her own hand, and the tip of her fingers were as dark as the night sky.
They touched, and Jimin’s body convulsed, only held up by Jungkook’s grip. Something was flowing away from his mind and his chest, pouring out towards their linked hands. It was bright, and beautiful in a way Jimin had never thought of before. This magic that had been inside him all of his life was now finally revealed to his senses, only for it to travel to the witch.
Her eyes were glowing now, not dark, but bright and terrifyingly beautiful. Had Namjoon even though about what he was doing, by giving such powers to her?
He thought he heard a laugh, echoing in the cabin, and let his head fall down as the last of his power left him.
Jungkook effortlessly lifted him in his arms, keeping him close to his chest.
“Go to Namjoon immediately. Tell him what happened.”
Jimin wanted to know if it had worked. Wanted to ask her what she could see. But his breathing was still erratic, and he couldn’t even open his eyes to see her go, the door closing on its own behind her.
“Gods, you’re so cold,” Jungkook muttered, bringing him back to his bed.
There, he sat against the headboard with Jimin between his legs, and put every fur on the bed over them. He rubbed his arms and chest, trying to make the blood flow, and kept smelling his neck, whispering words of encouragement.
Jimin was warm, but his whole being was still reeling with the fact that a part of it was gone. He had thought his power a curse, something to get rid of, but he hadn’t realized just how intertwined they had been.
He didn’t realize that he had gone back to sleep until he opened his eyes, still in the same position but with Jungkook humming against his shoulders, one of his hands unconsciously caressing his arm.
He didn’t know if hours had passed, or simply minutes, but the tempest of emotions had calmed down, leaving only a serenity he’d never felt before.
“This is so strange,” he whispered.
Jungkook stopped humming and smelled him.
Jimin felt infinitely better now, his body getting used to the feeling of not having to… share anymore.
“How so?” Jungkook asked.
“I… It’s hard to say. My eyes are… just seeing.” He raised his hands in front of him. “I’m so used to seeing what is and what could be on top of each other. Now it’s just, there. There’s only this moment.”
Jungkook pressed a kiss on his shoulder. “Welcome to our world.”
“It’s… What happens if I decide to get up and leave the cabin?”
“You would get strange looks, if you didn’t dress up first.”
Jimin smiled, new emotions rushing through him. “I feel so light. It was empty at first, but now… I can breathe. I thought that it was all in my mind but, but… it was also a weight on my body.”
“You do smell healthier,” Jungkook nodded, unable to stop peppering his skin with kisses.
Jimin laughed. There was no real reason to it, but something told him that without Jungkook’s arms around him, he would have floated away with how light he felt.
“I don’t know what happens next!” he exclaimed. “Gods I really don’t know.”
“I’m glad that it makes you happy,” Jungkook sighed, relieved. “I thought you’d hate it.”
“No.” He was sure of himself. “I thought I would too, but I… It may be selfish, but it was such a burden, to know what could happen and worry all the time.” He turned around in Jungkook’s arms, leaning against his chest. “It is terrifying, to think that something could happen to us, and I wouldn’t be able to see it, but at the same time… You do it, everyone does it!”
Jungkook looked radiant, and Jimin kissed him.
“I can do this, and not know how you’ll react.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “You sure you don’t know how I would react to that?”
Jimin laughed, because he could imagine that Jungkook would want to kiss him back, but he didn’t know how it would happen.
Jungkook leaned closer, enough that their nose touched, but their lips were a breath apart.
“I could feel it the other times,” the alpha whispered, “You were anticipating everything I did.”
Jimin smiled, grazing their lips together, their heavy scents making his head turn. “That won’t happen anymore.”
Jungkook’s hands lowered down his arms and moved under the furs.
“So I can do anything I want to you now?”
Jimin realized a second later the mischief in Jungkook’s eyes, and burst out with laughter when the alpha tickled his sides. Jungkook used it to turn them around, so that he was lying in between Jimin’s legs, looking down at him with adoration. Jimin wrapped his arms around his shoulders, bringing him closer and whispering against his lips.
“You can do anything you want to me.”
And Jungkook followed the order with the utmost dedication. Jimin had loved their first night together, but this was different, liberating. He gasped, surprised, when the alpha disappeared under the furs, and yelled at the warmth engulfing him. He could only see and feel what was happening in the moment, making every move from Jungkook infinitely more intense.
Jungkook was more playful now, purposefully surprising him so that Jimin would gasp and moan of both pleasure and surprise. Jimin laughed more than he thought he should, in such a moment, with Jungkook fully inside him, but the alpha loved it, fiercely kissing him when it happened.
Long after, with Jungkook’s head in his neck, placing lazy kisses against his skin, the feeling of euphoria didn’t leave. Jungkook could have let his hands wander again, or Jimin could ask to be carried to the hot spring, or they could simply lay in bed all day…
He had thought that he had been free before, because he could have chosen whatever path suited him best, but this was infinitely more freeing. More dangerous as well, he knew that, but he was coming to realize that taking a chance was part of the thrill.
It was well past midday, judging by the sounds made by their stomach, when someone knocked on the door.
As a reflex, Jungkook turned to look at him, wondering who it could be. Jimin had been terrified, earlier, when he hadn’t seen the witch behind the door. Now, he couldn’t help but smile when he shrugged.
“My guess is as good as yours,” he said. “Namjoon? Or maybe Taehyung?”
“Whoever it is,” Jungkook sighed, standing to dress up, “We better answer.”
Jimin stayed in the bedroom, but he heard Hoseok’s voice in the other room.
“Gods, you reek! I’m guessing Jimin is fine.”
“He is!” Jimin yelled from the bedroom.
“He definitely is,” Jungkook repeated, and Jimin could hear the smile in his voice. Then, he got more serious. “The witch?”
“With Namjoon. She’s seeing things, but nothing clear like Jimin. She says she’ll need some time to understand how it works.”
Jimin scoffed. It was no wonder he was feeling so light and free, when even a magical creature was having a hard time with what he had carried all of his life.
“Does he need us there?” he asked. He didn’t want to see the witch again, but he’d do it if it meant helping the pack.
“Not yet. We just hadn’t heard from you two, and he was beginning to worry.”
Jimin chuckled. Hoseok heard him and sighed. “I’ll tell him you’re fine. Taehyung also asked for you by the way.”
“Tell him that we’ll come out to eat soon,” Jungkook answered.
Jimin waited until Hoseok left, and exited the room without any clothes on. Jungkook raised an eyebrow, his eyes immediately checking if the main door had been closed.
Jimin opened the door to the hot spring, paused, and threw a look behind his shoulder.
“Didn’t you say something about eating?” Jungkook asked, voice tight.
“I might have lied about it being ‘soon’.”
Jimin smiled, satisfied, when he heard Jungkook follow after him.
They came to great hall much later than even Jimin had anticipated, but he couldn’t get himself to feel guilty about it. Taehyung wasn’t too upset either, having found a friend in Hoseok, which Jimin should have seen coming.
The two of them overwhelmed him with questions, until Jimin reassured them that he was fine, and that they should let him explain everything that had happened. Yoongi joined them, after Jimin finished the part with the witch, and the three of them looked confused by how happy Jimin was about his lack of power.
Once again, Jimin tried to explain how good it was, to feel like a normal person for once. To see only what his eyes could see, to not worry about the futures…
“But we all worry,” Taehyung stopped him. “I worry about what’s going to happen to us.”
“I worry about what the witch’s going to do,” Hoseok added, somber.
“I don’t think there’s a day that I haven’t been worried about the future,” Yoongi nodded, drinking from his cup.
“Not in the way that I have,” Jimin said, knowing that they could never understand. He was glad for it, because he would have never wished it on anyone else. “I’ll start worrying like you soon, but I’m just too happy right now.”
“You sure you’re only happy because of that?” Taehyung asked, eyeing the alpha sitting next to Jimin.
“I’m taking at least half of the responsibility for Jimin’s good mood today,” Jungkook casually replied, and Jimin had to nod his agreement.
The others groaned, and they steered the conversation away. At some point, they started debating about what would be better, between seeing the past, the future, or ‘everywhere’ in the present moment. It made no sense to Jimin, but Yoongi apparently liked arguing as much as Taehyung, and Jimin was simply happy that Seokjin wasn’t there to fuel their silly reasoning.
He was only half-listening, leaning against Jungkook and letting the night’s atmosphere wash over him. He could feel that Jungkook was a bit tense, probably because Namjoon still hadn’t come to eat, but Jimin could understand why he didn’t want to leave the witch for now. She would need time to master the Trickster’s power, although surely less than Jimin.
Which is why everyone froze when she entered the hall on her own.
She still wasn’t really touching the ground but she was leaning, her body not able to support the weight of her head. It was lolling from side to side, aimless, until a thought brought terror to Jimin’s heart.
She was looking for him.
“Everyone, hide under the tables!”
Namjoon came running from the outside towards her, arms reaching out. At the same time, Jungkook pushed Jimin behind his back.
It was too late.
Their eyes met each other for the briefest moment. Jimin’s wide and afraid, hers dark and full of unknown horror.
Flames burst out of those eyes, her hair immediately catching fire, as a piercing screech tore its way out of her throat, so loud they all instinctively put their hands over their ears.
She writhed, trying to put out the fire by scratching her own face but it was taking over, unnaturally so. It moved down to her arms, her chest, until she was brighter than all of the fires in the hall, her screams echoing throughout the room, all the way, it seemed, to the depths of the mountain.
She fell on the ground, lifeless.
The moment she became silent, it was Jimin’s turn to scream.
It hadn’t been so long that he had forgotten what his power felt like. He remembered the weight, the double vision…
This was a hundred times worst.
The present completely disappeared, buried under all the futures that showed themselves to him at once.
The visions he’d had before were incomparable to the fully fledged futures that he was experiencing. He was living them, smelling the forest burning, despite the snow, hearing the screams of the pack members being attacked, retching with fear because his old Head Alpha was here, leading an army, focused on his mission.
Bringing Jimin back to the Park pack.
It was Taehyung that had led them here. Would lead them here. The rumors of a Park omega travelling alone towards the Kim pack had gone back to the man who had been frantically searching for Jimin. The Kim pack was far away, but it was fierce. A good pack to crush. Burning it to the ground would mean being feared by everyone. And he would get his omega. Useless, but a symbol of his power.
Jimin couldn’t even tell where he began and his Head Alpha ended. The futures led to him, invariably, Jimin going back under his control.
Unless –
“-min! You come back! Come BACK!”
He gasped, as if he’d been drowning. His eyes couldn’t see, but his nose could smell the sour desperation, and his ears heard the pleas that we’re begging him to stay.
“Jungkook…” he panted. “I…”
Others were screaming around him. There was Namjoon’s voice, trying to calm them, as well as Hoseok and Yoongi’s. Taehyung’s smell was also close, terrified.
Jungkook was the most grounding presence. The futures kept trying to take over, but the alpha wouldn’t let them, invading Jimin’s other senses. He was holding him tight, perhaps too tight, but Jimin actually found that the weight helped him breathe, as if it were stopping his mind from leaving his body again.
“You stay with me,” Jungkook was repeating over and over right against his ear. “You stay with me.”
“There’s… Jungkook, there’s…”
His hands were desperately searching something to hold onto, scratching the alpha in the process.
“Breathe, I have you,” Jungkook replied, caging him against his chest to stop his thrashing. “You’re safe…”
“There’s a way.” He gasped, fearing that saying it out loud would stop it from being true, would make it disappear under all other futures. “There’s a path.”
Neither Jimin nor Jungkook slept that night.
They brought him back to Jungkook’s bedroom, where he felt most comfortable, but he couldn’t stop the visions from assailing him. The others stayed in the main room, taking turns sleeping in the guest bedroom, and helping Jungkook take care of a delirious Jimin.
One moment, he could open his eyes and see Jungkook’s worried expression. The next, he would be assailed by the face of his Head Alpha, coming here to take him away and kill everyone standing in his path.
The next day wasn’t better, but he managed to stay present long enough to warn Namjoon about what was coming. He didn’t know if he was making any sense, but the Head Alpha left soon after, and no one asked him questions after that.
Only Jungkook and Taehyung stayed, taking care of him one after the other. Their scent helped, keeping him grounded to the present. Taehyung kept talking to him, even though he barely understood any of it, and that too helped.
Jungkook fed him, hands always gently touching. He was a reassuring presence, one that Jimin didn’t mind being vulnerable with. He washed the sweat from his forehead, and hummed song after song to remind him where he was.
Little by little, Jimin was able to discern the present from all the futures begging to enter his mind. It was easier when he kept his eyes close, and on the morning of the second day, he asked Jungkook to gather the others. The alpha didn’t ask him to reconsider, trusting Jimin to make his own decision.
Jimin could feel that something was wrong when they all arrived in the room.
“We need seven,” he breathed out. Every word was exhausting.
“There are only six of us,” he heard Hoseok say. “Who are we missing.”
He didn’t reply. Taehyung had the answer.
“Is it Seokjin? Do we need Seokjin with us?”
“Your brother? Jimin said he was a warrior, he should be coming with your Head Alpha.”
“Not my Head Alpha anymore,” Taehyung countered, “But yes, if he’s attacking, Seokjin will be there, but – ”
“He’s bathing at the lake,” Jimin interrupted. “The one that has a small island in the middle.”
“That’s a day’s away, south of here,” Yoongi said.
“When is he there?” Namjoon asked.
When? Tomorrow. In a month. Right now… In his state, time meant nothing.
“Yoongi and I can go and wait around the lake,” Hoseok said. “What does he look like?”
“Namjoon and Taehyung,” Jimin interrupted again. “They go. Bring him back here.” He was breathing hard, pushing away the futures he didn’t want to focus on the only path that could lead them forward. “We need to be seven.”
He heard them talking but couldn’t follow anymore. It had to be Taehyung, because Seokjin wouldn’t lower his guard for anyone but his brother, and it had to be Namjoon, whose natural authority would give weight to what they would have to ask.
Hoseok would take care of Jimin, because Yoongi and Jungkook had to be the ones leading the pack in the Head Alpha’s absence. The other pack members would be scared. They wouldn’t understand what was going to happen, and the two alphas could handle the responsibility.
“I’ll call for a gathering,” Namjoon decided, voice louder than the others. “We’ll leave this afternoon. Jimin, do we need to know anything else?”
“Take food. Don’t hunt. You’ll get caught.”
“That’s all? We can’t just say that to your friend.”
“The Trickster…” The name made him wince, still feeling like he could hear a laugh echoing in his head. “There’s a path he wants me to take. I’ll tell you when Seokjin is here.”
He had spent too much energy, and didn’t listen for the rest of the conversation, swallowed again by what could come.
The worst futures weren’t the ones where he died. It wasn’t like before, where some paths ended in darkness. Now, he could see himself die, over and over again, burned, impaled, tortured… The futures weren’t shying away from the details, and Jimin saw himself in these last moments, eyes dimming as if he were outside his own body.
No. The worst paths were the ones where he was alive. Where he survived the attack, and was forced to watch the others go. Forced to see Taehyung punished, forced to see Namjoon fall on his knees. Forced to see Jungkook tortured, because his Head Alpha had seen the weakness there, and would stop at nothing to make Jimin talk now.
He watched himself refuse, and scream as Jungkook fell on the ground. He watched himself accept, and his Head Alpha burn through every pack in the continent, stronger with the Trickster’s power on his side.
There was a future, one in which Jimin stayed longer than the others. In this one, he and Jungkook fled from the pack in the middle of the night. The Kim pack would be destroyed, but the Park Head Alpha wouldn’t find Jimin. Without his power, he would soon be overpowered by other packs, rallying to stop him. There was a small cabin in this future, hidden in a valley further north. It was cold, but the fireplace was lit, and he was learning to hunt alongside Jungkook. Jimin watched them from afar, envious, until he saw the guilt eating them from within, and the hate festering between them, resentment deeply rooted.
It was, perhaps, the saddest path.
As Jungkook held him, later on the same day, or perhaps the next, he had no doubt that he wanted to fight.
So, when he heard the door open, and felt six other people sit around him, he took a deep breath, and told them how, together, they would make it happen.
It happened four days later. It was Taehyung who told him, right before he had to leave.
“If you’re wrong, I’ll come back to haunt you,” he said, holding him tight.
“I’ll be happy for the company,” Jimin replied, hugging him back.
They let go of each other and he opened his eyes, just a few seconds, to see his friend’s worried look.
“My plan will work,” he repeated, closing his eyes before it became too much again.
“That’s what worries me. You said that it was the only one that led to darkness.”
Jimin stayed silent. Darkness didn’t always mean death, he had repeated this, over and over again, unsure, in the end, of who he was trying to convince.
But darkness was infinitely better than the alternatives, of that he had no doubt.
“You remember what you – ”
“Yes, rub myself over a few trees, then hide in a cave while everyone else is fighting. I know.”
He didn’t mind Taehyung’s dejected tone. This was for the best.
“Not just a few trees. As many as possible.”
With a last hug, Taehyung stood up from the bed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make them stink of annoyance and disappointment.”
Jimin weakly smiled. “You do that. Good luck.”
“Keep the luck, you’ll need it more than me.” Taehyung left the room with the door open, so Jimin could hear him on his way out.
“I’ll haunt you too if anything happens, and not in the nice way.”
Jungkook grunted, and the main door closed.
“Can you help me out of bed?” Jimin called.
There was movement in the other room, until he smelled Jungkook. He was annoyed, and Jimin understood why. He was the only one who hadn’t been told what to do.
The truth was that Jimin didn’t know either.
He had seen Taehyung putting his scent all around the Kim territory, misleading the Park warriors when they’d approach, later that day. The Park Head Alpha would send different teams after these trails, not caring about separating his numbers. They still had the advantage of surprise, Seokjin would remind him, and the scent was recent. It would be wise to send people after Jimin, before he could escape.
He had also seen Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok leading their own groups of warriors around the Park warriors, surrounding them on all sides. The rest of the pack had already left this morning, taking a path inside the mountain only they knew of. It led all the way across the mountain range, giving them an escape route in case things went awry.
The village was empty now, save for Jimin and Jungkook.
For them, he had seen very little.
Jungkook was still careful with him when he helped him dress up. Jimin could open his eyes for longer periods of time, but he preferred to keep his strength.
“I wish we had time for the hot spring before going,” he sighed.
“If you start talking about ‘last wishes’, I’ll drown you in it,” Jungkook grunted, before letting out a sigh. “Sorry. We’ll go to the hot spring when we’re done with all this.”
Jimin opened his mouth, but Jungkook continued, “I know you don’t see the happy endings, but I’m telling you, I have plans for the two of us.”
Jimin thought that he could let himself dream. He hadn’t had that luxury during the past week.
“Really?”
Jungkook hummed, putting furs over his shoulders. “Yes. Baths so long your skin will prune. I’m thinking of a feast as well. I can’t tell you everything, though, it would ruin the surprise.”
That made Jimin smile. “I’d like to be surprised.”
“Then let’s get it over with,” Jungkook said, determined. “Do you want to walk, or should I carry you?”
“I’ll walk to the mountain. Then, you can carry me.”
They both left the cabin, and Jimin disliked the final sound the door made when it closed on them.
He held on to Jungkook’s arm, finding it odd to not hear any sound around them. No villagers talking, not children laughing, only the sound of distant birds and the crunch of the snow under their feet.
When they got to the small path leading up the mountain, he got on Jungkook’s back. There was a strange serenity to the moment, and not just because of Jungkook’s scent. He had followed everything to the latter, and led everyone to where they were supposed to be.
All that was left to do, was to enter the sanctuary.
Jungkook placed him back on the ground when they got to the tall doors, and side by side, they walked through the long corridor.
Finally, they were standing in front of the gigantic statues, lit by candlelight.
The path ended there.
Suddenly, the weight that had plagued his mind for the last week evaporated. It wasn’t the lightness he had felt when the witch had taken his power, but the other futures simply ceased to exist. Only this one was left.
Jimin opened his eyes, immediately landing on the statue further to the left.
“You can have it back,” he spat. “I don’t want it anymore.”
Jungkook took his hand, silently asking him to be careful, but for a while, nothing happened.
They both took a step back when another statue lit up.
At first it was the Father, to the right, whose stone eyes suddenly shone brightly, as if the sun itself was coming from behind.
Then, the Moon, with a softer glow giving life to her features.
Jimin held back a scream when a spectral form came out of the Mother, flying fast around them. It turned around the room, right next to the Messenger, where a glowing light also flew away from. It was one thing to hear from the stories that the Mother was a dragon, or that the Messenger travelled on shooting stars. It was another to see the two Gods flying around the room.
The Lover also came to life, although they were barely noticeable, draped in a cloaked shadow that emanated from the statue of Death.
Only the Trickster stayed in the stone.
“Did you wake us up?”
The voice made Jimin stumble. It came from the Father, bright as the sun, and wasn’t meant to be heard by humans.
“He brought us all here,” Jungkook replied, pointing at the Trickster, still lifeless.
The alpha, like Jimin, wasn’t trying to look at them, keeping his eyes on the ground. They were struggling to breathe. From the power exploding in the room, or because of the fear, they couldn’t tell.
“Him?” The Mother roared, and she flew around the Trickster’s statue, too fast for Jimin to truly grasp her dragon form. “Shouldn’t he be weak?”
“We released him centuries ago,” the Lover sighed, leaning back against their shadowy cloak. “He should have his powers back.”
“He’s making us wait on purpose,” the Moon said, her voice by far the easiest on human ears. “Make him speak.”
At her order, the wisp of light that was the Messenger flew in such rapid circles around the Trickster that Jimin thought he was hallucinating.
But the Trickster’s eyes opened, and unlike the other Gods, he made the stone move.
The statue shrank, and with a deafening noise, unstuck itself from the mountain, making the whole room dangerously shake. The Trickster continued to decrease in size, until it was walking around Jimin and Jungkook, still two heads taller than them.
“Stop your tricks,” the Father ordered, burning with wrath. “Why did you call us?”
“For this,” the Trickster replied, stopping behind Jimin and Jungkook.
They couldn’t do anything about it, although Jimin’s hair was raised. The Trickster’s voice wasn’t soft like the Moon’s. It was almost…
“Human,” the Mother growled. “You spend too much time with them.”
“It’s not difficult. Any amount of time with them is more than you six combined. You ignore them.”
“The world is as we made it,” the Father said. “There’s nothing more for us to do.”
“Lies!” The Trickster had made himself smaller than the other Gods, but his voice made the walls shake again. “You used to care for them. Not you,” he said to the Father, “You were always too self-centered, but the others cared.”
He pointed at the Lover, “You used to bless them with everlasting bonds.” Then at the Moon, “And you! They were your favorites. They used to transform and sing for you when you were at your fullest. And look at them now, a shell of what they used to be.”
Jimin and Jungkook were being completely ignored, but it was for the better. The energy in the room was unlike anything he’d ever felt, the anger tangible, tasting like iron, and the scents harsh on his nose.
The Moon’s face didn’t change, but her power wrapped around them, making him want to bare his neck.
“They were beasts then, and they’re the ones who stopped howling for me.”
The Lover’s sigh was lower, but no less powerful. “That bond was a curse, forcing them to die just to follow the other.”
“They’re the ones who stopped wanting our attention,” the Moon continued, unwavering, “But nobody has ever prayed to you, so you couldn’t tell the difference.”
“I couldn’t tell, because you imprisoned me for a thousand years.” Jimin and Jungkook held each other as the ground shook. “And when I come back, I found you all but gone from this world. Mother and Father, hiding in the sky during the day, Moon and Messenger during the night,” he was mocking them, then looking at the Lover wrapped in their cloak. “Only you stayed, just buried so far underground no one could find you anymore. What Gods you are.”
It suddenly became apparent to Jimin why he was here. Why he had been called.
“Yes, all of us in pairs,” The Moon said, unkind, “With only you left, stranded with the humans.”
“Is that what it is?” The Lover asked. “You tried to make yourself an equal?”
All eyes fell upon Jimin. Even the dragon and the sprite flew slower for a moment. Their stares were heavy, and he would have stumbled, if not for Jungkook’s arm wrapping around his waist.
“He has a spark,” The Mother grunted, flying closer and closer, until Jimin thought she was about to devour him. “What did you do to him?”
“You may not use it anymore, but we still have some power over them,” the Trickster boasted. “There used to be more of us, so I only had to search for some remnants of power, and place it into one of them.”
The temperature dropped so fast that Jimin gasped, even with all of his furs. The candles all went out, and now the room was only lit that the fiery glow of the Gods.
“You what?” The Moon asked, soft and infinitely more terrifying. “Whose power did you use?”
“One who came before us all,” the Trickster crooned. “One who wouldn’t have let you all hide like rabbits – ”
“Foresight.”
They all froze. This was the first word Jimin had spoken, not daring to interrupt the Gods before. It had to change.
“Foresight is what he gave me,” he said, voice only confident because he wasn’t facing them alone. “And I do not want it.”
The storm he unleashed pushed them both back towards the exit. Jungkook planted his feet on the ground, keeping them inside the room.
“Foresight!” The Father yelled, a rock falling from the ceiling and rolling to their feet. “Are you mad?”
“It took everyone to bring it down,” the Lover cried out, “And even then, only the seven of us were left.”
“Even you wanted him gone,” the Moon added. “You were his favorite because he liked your unpredictability, but even you betrayed him in the end.”
The Trickster fought back. “He had foreseen your downfall. He knew that you’d become shadows of your former selves. And he had been right.”
Jimin felt their rage flare up at the insult. The room shook even more, rocks detaching themselves from the walls.
“They’ll kill us,” Jungkook whispered in his ear.
They needed to do something, but Jimin couldn’t think all of the power raging around him. These Gods weren’t going to kill one of their own again, he could feel it.
“You’re weak,” the Trickster kept saying, uncaring that the room was about to fall on their heads. “And he had felt it. I should have helped him then.”
“That God of Foresight,” Jungkook whispered again, “They fear it.”
An idea hit Jimin. He could say if this was the right one, but he had to do something.
“He’s awakening!” he screamed over the rubble.
The Gods stopped at once. More rocks fell, then the silence.
“He’s getting stronger.”
Jimin let himself fall against Jungkook, as if he couldn’t bear the weight of his power anymore, and the alpha immediately caught on.
“Jimin?” he cried out in concern. “What’s happening to you?”
The Gods were all watching, and Jimin deepened his voice.
“He’s angry. He wants revenge.”
The effect was immediate.
The Lover’s cried out, retreating inside the shadow. The Mother and the Father screamed, their energies threatening to burn Jimin. The Trickster bared his teeth at him.
“Liar! He never wanted us Gods to die. He warned us, and we didn’t listen.”
“He doesn’t care anymore.” Jimin grabbed the side of his face, as if possessed by a vision. “He will come for the humans, but he wants you first.”
The power inside him jumped and for a second, Jimin choked, afraid that he was truly awakening the God whose power he held.
He regained controlled a moment later, and gasped, “He’ll come and destroy any trace of you. He doesn’t mind putting the world in an endless night, one where the moon and stars have no place. He doesn’t mind destroying it all, if it means revenge.”
Jungkook called out his name again, not having to pretend too much that he was worried.
“I’m the Trickster, I’m won’t be fooled by your deceit!” the God cried out.
He suddenly stopped.
The shadow that had been wrapped around the Lover slowly descended from the statue. First spilling on the ground, a fog deeper than void, then slowly wrapping around the Trickster, whose expression of terror seemed set in the stone of his face.
Death hadn’t yet spoken.
It didn’t have a voice, none of them had, but Jimin and Jungkook had been able to hear the others in their heads.
He could hear Death, but from somewhere in his chest. A place that felt ready to snap if a wrong word was uttered.
“You brought Him on us,” it whispered, words wrapping around them like the shadows that made it.
“I didn’t!” The Trickster defended himself. “The human’s lying! And even if he was coming back, he couldn’t kill you.”
The shadow tightened its hold around the God. He didn’t speak, but they could all feel it. Death didn’t only care about itself. It had held the Trickster prisoner in its grip for a millennia, and would do it again if he dared to go against its will.
“Release the human.”
The Trickster had no choice.
“I… I can’t. Even if I did, the power would still be there.”
“Not without a vessel to hold onto,” the Moon said. “You knew that, when you spent centuries gathering it. We’ll make sure to spread it far enough that it can never reform.”
The Trickster opened his mouth, but the fog around him thickened, heavy with horror and corruption.
“Fine!” he screamed. “I’ll do it!”
The shadow didn’t retreat, moving just enough to make a path towards Jimin. Jungkook was plastered against his back. Whatever happened, they would face it together.
Suddenly, the Trickster was facing them, holding Jimin’s face in between his hands, stone face distorted by rage.
“He’s not there,” he seethed.
Jimin didn’t know how he withstood it. If the power inside was, in a way, protecting him.
He felt Jungkook growl against his back, and found the strength to bare his own teeth at the God.
“He would keep you alive,” he snarled. “Because he knows that you would find the loneliness unbearable.”
“Do it,” Death pressed, threatening the both of them.
The Trickster let out a scream and for a moment, Jimin thought that he would kill him. That he had pushed the God too far.
But he only felt the heavy weight in his mind lift again.
Suddenly, without a warning, the power evaporated, as if it’d never existed in the first place.
The Messenger and the Mother flew around them, as if gathering it, and flew up, right inside their stone statues.
That’s when he heard Jungkook’s strangled breath behind him.
The Trickster’s eyes weren’t on him anymore, but over his shoulder, an angry pleasure lighting his face. Jimin only realized what was happening when Jungkook’s grip on him loosened.
He opened his mouth to beg, uncaring, when the Lover cried out first.
“Stop this!”
The Trickster didn’t. But the Lover wasn’t talking to him.
Death, again, wrapped its thousand hands around the God. Jimin could have cried with relief when Jungkook coughed against his back.
“Why not?!” the Trickster roared, releasing Jimin’s face and taking a few steps back to look at the others. “He’s just a human. I deserve some revenge!
“You already gave him a miserable life,” the Moon stated. “The human has paid enough.”
The Trickster let out a dejected laugh. “What about me? Shouldn’t I be punished?”
“You want our attention, as always,” The Father’s voice was more distant than angry. “Leaving you alone again, and refusing to see you should be punishment enough.”
Death had already retreated back to the Lover’s statue again, wrapping around the magnificent God and settling around their neck.
“I don’t want you to torment these two,” the Lover sighed, comfortable again. “We forbid it.”
“We forbid you any form of revenge,” the Moon added. “And you will leave this place immediately. For at least ten generations…”
Something odd was happening. Jimin could hear the words less and less, as if muffled by a wall. The statues were moving more slowly too, losing the light that was shining from within. The Trickster himself was fading, still turned towards the other Gods, until he disappeared completely.
The oppressive energy slowly lifted from their shoulders, and Jimin’s ears popped.
“They’ve dismissed us,” Jungkook rasped.
He wasn’t panting anymore, but his grip on Jimin was stronger than before.
That’s when Jimin realized that he wasn’t holding himself on his legs anymore. He was completely spent, Jungkook was carrying his weight entirely, and slowly walking them backwards through the corridor.
The Gods were still there, Jimin had no doubts about that, but they had pushed the humans away from them, insignificant again.
Jimin couldn’t have been more glad for it.
There was something stunted about his emotions, he realized later.
Even when Taehyung came back to the village, covered in sweat after running so much, but crying tears of joy when they had told him about their success. They had hugged each other, but something cold had settled in Jimin’s chest.
Even when Hoseok, Yoongi and Namjoon came back, victorious. They had not only successfully driven the Park pack away, but Namjoon had been the one to find the other Head Alpha, just like Jimin had predicted. Namjoon hadn’t even proposed a fair duel. The Park Head Alpha had been killed, and along with it, any idea of expansion from the rest of his pack. Namjoon had promised Jimin and Taehyung that they were a part of his pack now, and Jimin couldn’t have hoped for a better Head Alpha. Still, part of him felt numb to it.
Even when Seokjin came out of the forest, alone, and asking for the right to stay. Namjoon had immediately accepted, and Taehyung had cried with joy again.
Even when the members of the pack had emerged from the mountain, happy and relieved, and they had all celebrated throughout the rest of the night.
Even then, Jimin kept thinking that he wasn’t really there. He was lost in his thoughts, and didn’t hear the others speak to him, letting his body go through the motions without having to think about it.
The first emotion that came back to him, after this unreal day, was surprise.
He and Jungkook were walking back towards the house. The feast was still going on in the mountain hall, but Jungkook had taken his hand, and Jimin had gratefully accepted the offer.
However, as they came closer to the cabin, Jungkook stopped to clean the snow from a bench under his window, before sitting on it.
“What are you doing?” Jimin asked. He had come to recognize some of Jungkook’s expressions over the past month, just because of how often he watched him. Right now, the alpha had a strange quietness to him. It wasn’t somber, or sulking, but almost meditative.
Jungkook handed out his hand again. Jimin took it and sat next to him, emotions starting to ripple from underneath whatever had covered them throughout the day.
The silence that stretched after made it worse. He was trying to take in the beautiful night, but the moon was nagging him. Was she watching? Were any of the others? Jimin’s leg started to shake, and his breath became more erratic.
Before he could stop it, tears escaped the corner of his eyes.
“You are afraid.”
Jungkook’s voice was calm, but it ripped through what Jimin had tried to control. He accepted the arm that wrapped around his shoulders and leaned against the alpha, body shaken with sobs. Neither of them spoke for a while, giving space for Jimin’s pent up feelings to spill into the night.
After a while, only a simply truth was left.
“I am afraid,” he nodded, repeating Jungkook’s words. He sat with them, with this new reality. “I thought… I was so happy when the witch took my powers from me. Why does it feel so different this time?”
“Your powers weren’t gone then, they were with the witch.” Jungkook’s voice was soft, but he sounded sure of himself. “With her, the future could still be known. We would have been able to foresee other dangers, and protect ourselves from it.”
The fear that flared up inside him only proved the truth in what Jungkook was saying.
“Now… Any certainty we had is gone.” Jungkook placed a kiss on his temple. “Even I regret it, the relief if offered, to know that we were on the somewhat right path… I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.”
“I hate it,” Jimin confessed. “What if something happens to us? My power is completely gone, and we don’t even have a witch anymore. Even the Gods don’t care for us.”
“At least they won’t come after us,” Jungkook said. “And after what we saw today, I’m glad that they left. I much prefer being in charge of my own future than let them decide.” Jimin snorted, and even Jungkook let out an amused huff. “I know, a far cry from what I used to believe. But we make our own future, you were right about that.”
“It was easy for me to say then,” Jimin retorted. “Now that I’m blind, what if I choose wrong?”
“You definitely will,” Jungkook said. “I don’t need foresight to tell you that we will face hardships, some of them of our own making. I don’t even need it to tell you that it will end with death… Although, now that I’ve met ‘it’, I don’t know how to feel about the whole thing.”
Jimin groaned. “That’s not exactly helping.”
But it was. Jungkook’s laugh felt like a balm to his heart, chasing away some of his fears.
“My point is that we’ll keep trying,” Jungkook said, holding him closer. “We don’t need the Gods, or any power. We’ll make our own path, as imperfect as it may be. I’m curious to see where it will lead us.”
“To a hot spring, hopefully,” Jimin sighed, the weight of the day finally catching up to him.
The fear was still there. He supposed that it would always be. That it came with being fully human again. The Trickster had given him a strange life, and Jimin would have to spend the rest of it learning to live like everyone else had.
He was willing to try, especially with the people surrounding him.
He yawned, and Jungkook stood up with a laugh.
“We’ll keep the hot spring for tomorrow. Let’s go to bed.”
Jimin followed him inside their house.
With a last look at the moon, he closed the door behind them.