Chapter Text
Standing with his eyes closed, Jimin takes a long, slow inhale.
He focuses on the sounds around him, the wind in the trees, the cries of the birds, the hens clucking, and the babbling of the nearby stream. He basks in the gentle warmth of the early Spring sun. He smiles at the soothing coolness of the morning air in his lungs. Fluttering his eyes open, he shifts his basket further up his arm and enters the chicken coop.
“Hello, ladies,” he greets them softly, throwing down generous amounts of feed. They cluck at his feet, brushing their soft feathers against his ankles. Jimin collects their eggs and whispers his gratitude for their hard work. His next task is feeding Ara, his impatient mother goat, and her silly little kid, Bo. Someday, someone from Jimin’s pack will take Bo away for…reasons…but until that day, Jimin will take great care of him, and talk to him in a silly baby voice, even though Ara always stares at him with judgement when he does that.
After a breakfast of eggs, rice, and kimchi in the warmth of his wood cabin, Jimin heads back out to tend to his garden. Now that it is Spring, and his crops are growing well, he will not have to make the journey to the pack dining hall so much anymore. Several sprouts and shoots are poking their heads out of the ground, something that never fails to delight him. He has lived in this cabin for three years, and in terms of seasonal crop growth, well, that is really not so long at all.
“Grow well, my pretties. Be strong and big and tasty,” he sings to the cabbages. He chuckles to himself as he plucks aphids one by one off the leaves. “Let’s hope my future alpha is the same.” The more time he spends alone, the more he talks to himself. Even worse, his thoughts keep straying to embarrassing things such as alphas and pups and romance. It is his twenty-eighth year on this earth and there has been no alpha to speak of, let alone pups. Perhaps moving out here to the outskirts of his pack was not so good for his prospects of finding love, but Jimin simply could not resist. The last owner of the cabin was a young family who wanted to move closer to the pack. No one showed interest in the little cabin except for Jimin, so using his earnings he made as a farm-hand, he bought the cabin for a fortunately very low price and began moving out of his childhood home that same day. He was also able to give up his farm work and begin his own small vegetable plot, something he is thankful for everyday.
His parents did not quite understand, and still don’t, but Jimin has always been a home-bird, desperate for his own space, desperate for peace. They let him go, understanding that their son wasn’t like the other omegas of the pack. The other omegas are all living and working near the pack centre, getting mated, having pups, normal things. There seems to be a mating ceremony every second day now. Jimin knows the number of eligible alphas in his pack is dwindling, but he’s far too scared to pursue anyone himself. Some alphas have tried to court him, coming to his cabin and leaving him gifts, and Jimin, oh, how he tries so hard every time to make it work. He accepts their gifts, he asks them questions, he smiles, he nods, he goes to town with them to drink tea in Missus Gaeum’s teashop, he tries to ignore his instincts, screaming at him that this is not the right alpha. He hears his mother's voice in his head, ‘Just give them a chance Jimin, looks aren’t everything, scent isn’t everything, personality isn’t everything….’ But no alpha ever lasts long. Jimin winces and shrinks away when they try to scent him. Jimin cringes when they talk of moving him to a fancy new build in the town centre. Jimin recoils at the thought of leaving his precious home, even more so at mating and having pups with these alphas. None have been right for Jimin’s omega, and there is nothing he can do about that except continue to wait for the right one to come along.
After tending to his garden, he presses his hands into his lower back and stretches. A soft breeze rustles his long, dark hair, messy strands flying everywhere. What will he do today? Make kimchi? Read a book? He probably should go inspect his small section of the communal rice paddy, but he trusts that Mister Lee and his farm-hands have it covered. Perhaps he should do some sewing, his robes and jeogoris are looking a little worse for wear. He sighs, his eyes catching on Bo drinking greedily from his mother before bounding away, as innocent as can be.
Jimin does hope his alpha comes along soon, because he is not getting any younger, and sometimes, yes sometimes he maybe feels a little bit, just a tiny bit, well, lonely.
ੈ🌑˳
It’s an eerily quiet night.
Not an owl hoots, not a puff of wind rustles the trees. The chickens are tucked away in their coop, the goats are fast asleep, curled up together. Jimin should be settling in for a cosy evening by the fire, but his instincts will not let him rest. Is there a wolf nearby? Has Yoongi come to visit him? His fellow omega hyung visits often, but rarely at nighttime, understandably not wanting to travel back to the pack centre in the dark. Whatever is out there probably is not a friend. Against all logic, Jimin shrugs a fur around his shoulders, doing up the tie at the waist, and tugs on his boots. He creaks open the door and pokes his head out. The silence is unnerving, but what is worse is the anticipation. Jimin will always swear he heard her cry before she even opened her little mouth. Jimin’s wolf felt her presence instantly.
A heartbreaking sob.
Jimin gasps and takes off running, the sound of his own panicked breathing loud in his ears. There is a pup out there, somewhere in the forest, in their packlands, but worryingly near the border. It is certainly concerning. What if she’s not alone? What if Jimin is running headfirst into a rogue pack? What keeps him going, however, is the lack of alpha scents. He catches her scent as soon as he runs beyond the tree line.
Soft, milky, ever so slightly sweet.
A tiny pup, all alone in the big, dark forest, sitting on the floor with a brown, stuffed rabbit in her arms. Tears stream down her flushed, chubby cheeks. Her tiny fist curls tightly around one floppy ear of the rabbit. The toy is clearly well-loved. She cannot be older than two, maybe three years old. Jimin isn’t so familiar with pups. While he does not know the pups of his pack very well, he knows enough to clearly see that she is not from the Moon pack. Her scent is ever so slightly unfamiliar, and her footprints come from entirely the wrong direction.
The child’s cries stop abruptly as she catches sight of Jimin. She flinches, her huge eyes drinking Jimin in. He slows down, coming to stop in front of her. Ever so slowly, he crouches down, one hand raised to placate her.
“Little one. Where is your pack?” he asks softly, pushing out his soft floral pheromones to show that he is an omega. Maybe it’s unnecessary, Jimin could hardly be mistaken for an alpha, what with his soft features and omegan robes, but he would do anything in this moment to make the pup feel safer.
She takes a shaky breath in order to speak, but only another sob slips out.
“Oh pup, are you lost?” Jimin’s heart breaks. What if she has been abandoned? What if her parents have died somehow? Gracious, what if they were killed and their murderers are on their way to finish the job?
The pup nods, pressing her trembling lips together. She is a little dirty, yes, with mud on her boots and leaves in her hair, but she does not look like she has been out for long, maybe a couple of hours. Jimin inches forward, not wanting to terrify her.
“My home is right over there.” He points over his shoulder. “I live alone. Do you want to wait there with me? For your pack to come find you? I - I have food and water and the fire is lit.”
She nods quickly at this, stumbling to her feet. Good, this confirms two things. Not only does the pup have a pack…somewhere…but she also trusts Jimin. The relief is so huge, it is only now, when he has calmed down a little, that he realises how hard his heart was pounding. Exhaling deeply, he takes the child by the hand and leads her slowly to his cabin. She is exhausted, stumbling over nothing. Only a few steps in, Jimin crouches down and ever so gently picks her up, holding her securely in his arms. She goes easily, resting her head on his shoulder. He is hit with the overwhelming soft scent of her, and something much richer and muskier - possibly a hint of her alpha parent - making his omega roar to life in a way it never has before. Now is not the time for his omega to get excited, Goddess above.
He sets her down in his cabin and watches with endeared eyes as she looks around, curious even though she must be half-asleep. Perhaps the little pup feels as though she is dreaming. The cabin is perfectly normal, but it is all brand new to her. Beside the door lies Jimin’s shoe rack. His furs hang up on the wall. A small desk and wooden chair sit across from her. The tiny kitchen, the table and chairs, the couch, and the fireplace all lie to the right, squished in together. A door leads to Jimin’s bedroom. A tiny hall leads to the back garden where the outhouse sits. Jimin does not blame the old owners for wanting a larger home. But for him, it’s perfect. At least for now.
“Let me get you some water,” he hushes, rushing to fill a cup for her.
She plops down on the floor in the middle of the cabin, clearly overwhelmed, the bunny splayed out on her lap. Jimin crouches down at her side and brings the cup to her lips. She drinks quickly, her tiny hands coming up to rest over Jimin’s.
“Easy, don’t choke,” Jimin whispers.
When she is finished, Jimin hurries to make her some rice porridge. It’s a bit of a struggle, watching the pot and the pup at the same time. She doesn’t move all that much though, just inches closer to the fire. She struggles out of her boots and stretches her sock-clad feet out. She is so precious, Jimin could die.
He sits down on the floor and spoon-feeds her, even though he is sure she could do it herself, but she seems eager to be cared for, probably traumatised by the separation from her parents. Jimin is just glad she is not so terrified anymore.
“Do you want more?” he offers when the bowl is scraped clean. “It is yummy, isn’t it?” he coos, unable to stop himself from smiling.
She nods her head in agreement, but mumbles, “I’m full.”
“Alright, well let me know if you get hungry again.” Jimin hurries to put the bowl and spoon in the wash basin, before returning to her spot by the fire. He tucks his legs under him and frowns in concern. “Pup, this is the Moon pack. Do you know which pack you come from?” She does not seem like a rogue pup, her clothing is far too nice. It is admittedly far nicer than Jimin’s, telling him a lot about this mysterious child. Her coat is lined with sheep’s wool. The stitching is beautiful. Her boots are of the finest quality. It is all very odd. How could a child so well looked after get separated from her family?
Her eyes fill with tears once more. “Yum pack,” she announces, watching carefully for Jimin’s reaction.
“Yum?” Jimin repeats in confusion. “Let’s see… Do you mean the Yun pack?” He tilts his head.
She shakes her head in disagreement, a small frown forming between her eyes. “Yum pack,” she insists, her overflowing eyes filled with desperation for Jimin to understand.
He has half a mind to start crying himself. He has never heard of a ‘Yum’ pack. He only vaguely knows of the faraway ‘Yun’ pack, and there is no way the pup travelled that distance.
“How did you get lost?” he tries, stretching one hand down to hold her hand. She squeezes his hand surprisingly tightly, melting Jimin's heart.
“I saw a bunny,” she whimpers, a wail escaping her as though she just confessed to a terrible crime.
“Oh, pup,” Jimin cannot help but chuckle softly. “You followed the bunny?” he asks softly, swiping away a tear on her cheek and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. He’ll have to do something about her hair. Her black hair is wispy yet long, falling in messy strands around her shoulders.
She hiccups and nods. “I g-got lost. I followed the moon to get home.”
“The moon?” Jimin asks, eyes widening. Oh dear. Who on the Goddess's green earth told this innocent pup that the moon can guide you home? Jimin just wants to have a few words with them… Although, to be fair, it did bring her to the Moon pack, something Jimin would find amusing under different circumstances.
“The moon brings you h-home,” she insists, something not unlike stubbornness in her eyes.
“But the moon moves, honey,” Jimin tentatively explains.
She doesn’t seem to understand, just stares at Jimin in despair, lips trembling. At least she is not wailing anymore. Jimin’s heart wouldn’t be able to take it.
“Oh well, it doesn’t matter. The moon brought you to me, hm?” Jimin smiles. “And your pack will be able to follow your scent, pup. I’m sure they will be here very soon. Did you get lost today?”
She nods. “I was playing with the other pups and then I saw the bunny. The sun was h-high in the sky when - when I got lost,” she explains, her voice small and nervous. It is a joy to hear her speak more than a few words, even if her story is heartbreaking. Knowing pups, it is unlikely that her friends even noticed she was gone.
“Was there an adult with you?” Jimin asks, soothingly caressing her head.
“Miss Sooyun looks after us,” she whispers.
Well, Jimin inwardly scoffs, it is clear that Miss Sooyun was not doing her job too well.
“Pup, what is your name?” he suddenly gasps, annoyed with himself for not asking sooner.
“Yum Bomi,” she replies forlornly, unable to crack a smile. Jimin doesn’t blame her.
Bomi.
Spring.
It feels right that the little girl is named after the budding season. Everything about her is new and hopeful and lovely, even if there is snot running down her face. Jimin wipes it away with his handkerchief he keeps in his pocket.
“There you go,” he whispers. “Hello Bomi, it is very nice to meet you. My name is Park Jimin, but you can call me…Oppa,” he decides.
“Oppa,” she repeats, staring up at him as if he holds all the secrets of the universe. “I - I want Appa.”
Jimin’s face falls. He feels totally crushed by this pup’s plight. He sure hopes ‘Appa’ shows up sometime soon. He is almost certain that Bomi was part of a travelling pack, perhaps moving to higher ground since it is Spring. It is not unheard of for packs to migrate, but Jimin’s pack has always been stationary. Bomi’s pack can’t have gotten far, surely they will notice the missing pup soon? A search party may already be out looking for her. Jimin can only hope they don’t travel further away. Afterall, the faint pup scent won’t linger forever in the forest.
Jimin opens his arms and she comes barrelling forward, smushing her face against his chest. She nuzzles her little nose against him, scenting him in her innocent pup-like manner. Jimin cannot resist leaning down to nose at her soft hair, dousing her in sweet almond blossom. She doesn’t seem to mind being scented, her nose greedily inhaling his scent. Jimin does not smell any omega scent on her, only her father's scent. He cannot help but wonder about her mother, particularly if the omega is even around anymore.
“Let us try to get some sleep, Bomi. Your appa will still be able to find you, I promise.” If this alpha truly cares about his daughter, Jimin would not be surprised if his door is broken down any moment now. It is a very good thing that Yoongi-hyung happens to be a carpenter.
Lifting the pup into his arms, he brings her into his bedroom where another fire is burning low in the hearth. He sits Bomi down on the edge of his bed and helps her out of her coat, her bunny perched on her lap as always.
“Can I comb your hair, Bomi-ah?” he asks, crouching down in front of her. He reaches over to his nightstand and shows her his wooden comb.
Bomi gives a small nod and turns around, as if this is something she is very much used to doing. It feels oddly sacred, combing this young pup’s hair. There are a few tangles, so Jimin goes as gently as possible so as not to hurt her. He sometimes braids his own hair, but never with this much care. He wishes he had pretty ribbons for her, but brown string will have to do.
“Oppa,” Bomi whispers when he’s done, “I need the ow-house.”
It takes Jimin a second to understand what she said.
“O-of course!” Jimin scolds himself for forgetting such an obvious thing. He takes her by the hand and leads her out the back of the cabin, suddenly feeling a little unsure of himself. Luckily, the little one can handle her own business, but Jimin lingers nervously outside.
Helping her wash her hands in the nearby stream is even more terrifying. It is pitch black out, only the moon and stars to guide them. Jimin clings onto her, his arm fully wrapped around her body, his other hand guiding her tiny hands into the water. The stream is shallow, but Jimin’s omega won’t let him relax. In fact, he grows more and more nervous the longer they stay out in the open. He needs the little pup to be tucked up safe in his nest, now.
He seriously needs to calm down. But can he be blamed? It is as though the Moon Goddess has dropped this pup in his lap. As if she was born from a magical flower in the forest, destined to stumble onto Jimin’s land. But no, she is not his and will most likely be gone by tomorrow, if not sometime in the dead of night. Jimin cannot say he is looking forward to that encounter with the so called 'Yum' pack.
Bomi is asleep in Jimin’s arms by the time they return to the safety of his bedroom. Slowly, he places her down on the side closest to the wall and tucks her and her bunny in. His abundance of pillows ensure that she will not hurt herself or fall down the gap. Jimin is suddenly hit by the realisation that nests serve a greater purpose than just being cosy and comfortable. They are clearly very effective at protecting pups too. Huh.
He takes this moment to calm himself. He changes into his soft cotton sleepwear before slipping out to the outhouse himself. He moves fast, the thought of being away from Bomi for too long unbearable. With the fire in the living room put out, he closes his bedroom door behind him and slides into bed beside Bomi as slowly as possible, only the embers of the fire in his room to guide him. He lies on his side and stares at her peacefully sleeping face, eyes trailing over her eyebrows, her eyelashes, her chubby cheeks, and the bridge of her nose. She’s beautiful, clearly blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. It is utterly heartbreaking that she is experiencing this turmoil at such a young age. Even though Jimin is nervous about being ambushed by strange, unknown wolves, he truly does hope that they are somewhere out there now, desperately trying to find her.
ੈ🌑˳
The light seeps under his curtains, making Jimin wince and curl away from the window.
He pulls the warm lump beside him closer and nuzzles against its head, a violent purr escaping his throat. Goodness. His eyes blast open. The pup.
“Oh, Bomi,” he whispers, heart aching that she is still here. The night has long since passed, and the pup’s pack have evidently not found her. Bomi sighs sleepily against his chest. What on earth is Jimin going to do? What if her pack never finds her? Reluctantly, Jimin sits up and ruffles his hair, smiling to himself. There is no question of what he will do if they don’t come for her. It is ridiculous that he even needs to think about it. He will take care of her for life, if she will have him.
With that thought, Jimin quietly slips out of bed and lights the fire in the main room. Upon opening the backdoor to head to the outhouse and collect water from the stream, he immediately notices the problem. It rained sometime in the night, washing away Bomi’s scent. Jimin looks around in horror at the dew on the grass and the dripping trees. In the distance, the stream is slightly louder and faster flowing than usual. The wood of the outhouse is dark. It must have poured.
Jimin moves quickly, finishing up his morning routine as fast as possible. He likes to take his time when feeding the hens and the goats usually, but there is a pup sleeping peacefully inside his nest who could wake up alone any moment now. She has probably had enough of being alone.
Practically running, Jimin enters his bedroom to check on her, pleased to see that she is still asleep.
“Poor darling,” Jimin coos quietly. “So exhausted.” It is enough to bring tears to his eyes. He is being irrationally emotional this morning, he knows, but he can’t help it.
He decides he has enough time to take an extremely fast hot bath. A huge bucket of water from the stream has been heating over the fire for a while now. Slipping into his bedroom, he quietly grabs some white robes and a towel. In the main room, he lugs his copper bath out from under the desk and pours in the water, the steam rising into his face. He ties his hair up before dropping his clothes to the floor and settling into the tiny bath, his knees up to his chest. He’s got to be quick for several reasons. The water loses heat quickly, Bomi could be up any second now, and her pack could barge in here at any moment.
Ironically, a wolf does come to visit Jimin right at this inopportune moment.
“Yoo hoo,” Yoongi calls.
Jimin knows it’s him, but it still nearly gives him a heart attack.
“Come in!” he shouts, cringing only afterwards about the volume of his voice.
Yoongi barges in, all flowing black robes and silky black hair, and doesn’t bat an eye at Jimin being in the bath. No, instead he narrows his eyes and takes a very obvious sniff.
“Jimin,” he states bluntly, setting down the heavy pail of water on the floor. He often brings Jimin fresh water from a well, so he’s not drinking stream water all the time.
“Yes, hyung?” he replies innocently.
“Why is there a pup scent in here?” he folds his arms, his citrus scent spiking.
Jimin sinks lower in the water. “I found her last night,” he answers meekly. “She was lost in the forest, hyung. I think - I think she is from a travelling pack.”
Yoongi stares at him in shock, his eyes wider than Jimin’s ever seen them. His arms fall to his side.
“Have - have you ever heard of the ‘Yum’ pack?” Jimin asks.
“No,” Yoongi answers, clearly struggling to wrap his head around this shocking turn of events.
Just then, the door to Jimin’s bedroom slowly pushes open and Bomi shyly pokes her head out. Jimin frantically turns to face her, water sloshing precariously.
“Bomi, honey, this is my friend Yoongi. He - he will help you find your pack too.” He turns back to stare daggers at Yoongi. “Won’t you?”
“Yes, of course I will,” he nods, face glum. “A lost pup…” He catches Jimin’s eye. “Surely her pack will arrive soon?”
Both their scents wilt. They know the rain has greatly complicated matters.
“Yes, they will,” Jimin whispers. Oh, how he desperately hopes it is true.
Yoongi sets about cooking them some breakfast while Jimin hurriedly washes and dries himself before donning his robes. All the while, Bomi sits on the floor by the fire and plays with her bunny, her sweet little voice making unintelligible noises. Both he and Yoongi’s scents soften, helplessly endeared by her. Just like Jimin, Yoongi does not have an alpha. He is open about hating the alphas of their pack. None of them took too kindly to him being a carpenter, as it is traditionally an alpha profession. Yoongi vows to never mate, but Jimin knows the truth. Yoongi would like an alpha and a family just as much as Jimin.
It is unspoken, how much they both enjoy their morning, doting on Bomi. She sits at the table beside Jimin and opens her mouth, waiting to be fed by him. Jimin does it willingly, praising her with every spoonful. He cannot help himself, the way he tucks her now very messy braid behind her ears, pats her back, and hugs her close to his chest. After breakfast, he picks her up, spinning her around the room to make her giggle, before setting her down on the couch where she can continue to play with her bunny, all while staying warm by the fire. Yoongi watches this whole show from the table with a bemused smile.
“Let me make us some tea,” Jimin says hurriedly, cheeks burning at his overly affectionate actions.
“Mm,” Yoongi agrees easily. This is their usual routine, having some tea and a chat, but it’s certainly been waylaid by Bomi.
Jimin gets to work, heating some of the well water in a kettle over the stove.
“I’ll need to go to the market soon. I need more coal for the stove. And herbal tea, it seems,” Jimin says forlornly into his almost empty tea container. “Oh, and some clothes for Bomi,” he says excitedly looking up with a smile.
“Jimin…,” Yoongi scolds quietly, giving a quick look over his shoulder. “She is not staying here forever, you know that right?” he hisses. “Her pack will come for her soon.”
Jimin says nothing to this, just looks down and steadily fills two mugs with tea leaves, his shoulders tense.
“Scent is not the only way to find someone,” Yoongi continues quietly. “They can track her footprints too. They can follow the clearest paths with the least amount of undergrowth, the routes she was most likely to take. She cannot have even gotten that far. With a big enough search party, they will find her. And this will look really bad, Jimin. She’s alone here with you, covered in your scent.”
“I know,” Jimin says lowly, eyes burning with tears. “I am being ridiculous, I know.” He turns around and hands Yoongi a steaming mug of tea. Jimin collapses into his chair across from him and cups his mug with both hands. “I just - I just cannot stop thinking about what it would be like to have my own daughter,” he hushes.
Yoongi nods, reaching over to pat his hand.
“And I’m worried, you know?” Jimin shrugs one shoulder. “It has been half a day already,” he whispers.
He gets an awful fright when he notices that Bomi is standing beside his chair, her bunny clutched to her chest. She stares up at him, stars in her eyes as though Jimin is the most dazzling creature she has ever seen.
“Oh! Hello, little one.” Jimin leans down and smiles. “Are you alright?” He gently caresses her cheek, in awe at the softness of her skin.
Bomi nods. “Oppa,” she whispers into his ear. “You smell pretty.” She leans back, her cheeks burning red at her confession.
“I do?” Jimin sits up straight and laughs. “Why thank you, Bomi!”
Yoongi chuckles, shoulders shaking. “What a flirt!”
“Stop it,” Jimin scoffs. “She’s just…she’s just naturally inclined to like omega scents. It is just a safety thing, right? A natural instinct.”
“Mm.” Yoongi narrows his eyes. “That might be worse.”
“Huh?” Jimin tilts his head. He wraps an arm around Bomi, who is snuggling against his side.
Yoongi rises to his feet, not meeting Jimin’s eyes. “Well, this has been lovely. It was nice to meet you, Miss Bomi.” He rounds the table and bows to her, receiving a dainty little bow in return. “I hope you find your pack soon, hm?”
Bomi nods shyly, pressing herself impossibly closer to Jimin’s side.
Yoongi tuts at Jimin. “You know what I am going to say to you, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes, don’t get attached,” he mumbles, pouting like a scolded pup.
Yoongi heaves a long suffering sigh before heading out, closing the front door behind him. Jimin smiles down at Bomi. “He is scary, but he loves me, I promise. He is my oldest friend,” he reassures her. She doesn’t respond, just clings to him tightly.
“Come on pup, there is plenty to do today.” Jimin gently detaches himself from her, pushing back his chair to stand up. She looks so forlorn at the separation that he cannot resist leaning down to pick her up and place her on his hip, a groan escaping him.
“Up we go,” he beams and walks to the centre of the cabin. “Maybe I can make you some new clothes. I can throw something together, hm? I have some pink fabric. Oh, honey, you’d look so precious in pink!” He boops her nose, making her scrunch it up. She looks like a bunny, making Jimin laugh. “You would look like a perfect little flower, wouldn’t you? Hm? And then we can play with the goats, hm? I have a baby goat, Bo, who would just love to play with you.” Bomi looks genuinely excited at this, smiling up at Jimin.
Goddess, Jimin does not know how much more time he has left with Bomi, but he vows to make sure she stays smiling for the remainder.
ੈ🌑˳
One day earlier.
Jungkook keeps his head down and watches his boot-clad feet take each step.
The old, the young, and the weak are in carriages or on horseback, but as pack alpha, Jungkook always takes the trip by foot. He does not dare look up, he would only be blinded by the midday sun, or worse, make eye contact with one of the several pack members who linger around him, desperate to make their requests. It is truly remarkable that some people continue to pester him even on an exhausting journey such as this. They have been walking uphill the entire time, and it is only going to get harder. However, Jungkook understands the importance of returning to their ancestral lands for the Spring and Summer. Not only is it cooler up in the highlands, but there is a wealth of resources in the nearby mountains that their pack can use to their advantage. Namjoon, however, would argue in favour of keeping the tradition alive for tradition’s sake. The Jeon pack is a travelling pack, and therefore they must travel. Jungkook gets what his advisor means, but he would never let Namjoon know that.
In fact, Jungkook has four advisors, one omega and three alphas, each with their own opinions that they certainly are not shy about sharing. Seokjin, his omega-hyung, thoroughly enjoys getting out into the open air and celebrating the turning of the seasons. Hoseok agrees wholeheartedly with Seokjin - no surprises there, the man is loopy with love. It is a shame Seokjin cannot see it. Maybe one day, Jungkook will bluntly tell Seokjin the truth, but for now, he gets a kick out of watching Hoseok suffer. Taehyung enjoys the adventure of it all, finding no greater joy than sleeping under the stars at night and talking Jungkook’s ear off all day. Namjoon is often silent, completely in awe at the pack’s ability to upsticks and seamlessly move to land four days away from their Winter land, all three hundred of them making the journey together. Other times, the alpha cannot stop talking, rambling about history and mythology and pack politics. Jungkook loves them, he truly does. If the pack elders poke at him for electing his best friends as his advisors, Jungkook refutes this profusely, insisting that they were best qualified for the job. In reality, Jungkook truly did just want his friends by his side.
He has suffered enough in this life.
Bomi came to be on a hot night in June. The mid-summer festival was still raging on, the entire pack drinking themselves stupid and dancing around the bonfire. It was not difficult to find a willing partner to sneak away with to some far off cave for the night. Miyeon was pretty, yes, but she was also elegant, smart, and mature. She was twenty-seven, and to Jungkook’s twenty-four, she was intimidatingly older and far more experienced than him. She was enticing, her smile kind but her eyes daring. Jungkook had no idea omegas could fall pregnant outside of heat. He learned that lesson the hard way when she broke the news to him a few weeks later. Hence why Jungkook implemented proper sexual education for the older pups very soon after becoming pack alpha.
Bomi was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Although it was utterly scandalous that the future pack leader would be born to two unmated wolves, the shock quickly wore off. Under the guidance of his father, Jungkook gave vague reassurances to the pack that he and Miyeon were getting to know each other, with the hopes of one day mating.
But Miyeon died in childbirth, plunging the entire pack into a period of mourning they had not seen the likes of since Jungkook’s mother died from illness many years before. Miyeon’s passing saved him from the fate of mating someone he wasn’t sure about, but even worse, much worse, it meant that Miyeon never got to meet her daughter, and it forever cursed Bomi to not ever know her omega parent. Not her scent, not her touch, not her love.
Jungkook tries his best, he truly does. He dotes on her, puts her to bed and wakes her up in the morning, plays with her, holds her, asks her about her day. As a young pup, he made sure she never got too used to a wet nurse so she would not imprint on any omegas. Only when he was sure she wouldn’t get attached to anyone but him did he allow the pack nursery owner, Miss Sooyun, to take over a part of her care. This was particularly needed when Jungkook became the pack alpha.
Jungkook’s mother passed suddenly when he was nine years old, nearly killing Jungkook himself. Alpha Jeon followed her on a quiet day last Summer from a long-term illness. By that point, Jungkook had already been acting as pack alpha for several months, so the official role wasn’t such a shock. Still though, he needed his friends by his side if he was going to survive. Once again, with the pack alpha's passing, the pack was hit by another tragedy. The Winter was long and difficult. Hopefully, things will finally start looking up, now that it is Spring.
He infinitesimally tilts his head to the left and mutters to Seokjin, “We will stop for lunch.”
Seokjin immediately turns back to look down at the mass of people following behind them.
“Alright, let us stop for lunch here,” he bellows, making everyone around him cringe away. There is a reason Jungkook nicknames him his ‘lungs’.
Lunch is always rather joyful. Good progress has been made, and now it is time for a well deserved meal and some rest. They will reach their Summer land by nightfall tomorrow, something all of them are beginning to be antsy for. Bomi must be with the other pups now, having her midday meal, that bedraggled stuffed bunny on her lap.
After another few hours of walking, night falls and it is time for another meal. Jungkook pushed them hard today, eager to travel as much distance as possible before they stopped for the night. It is dark out already, the moon beginning her descent. Jungkook has not yet finished his meal when Miss Sooyun wanders up to him and his friends. A sea of pack warriors have to shuffle out of the way to let her through. It is not because Jungkook feels the need to surround himself with warriors, it is more so that most alphas in the Jeon pack are in fact warriors on top of their normal professions.
Sooyun is old and experienced. She is kind to the pups, picking them up when they fall and brushing the dirt from their scraped knees. She scolds them quite a lot in order to keep them in line, but Jungkook supposes it’s for their safety, especially on a journey such as this. He is not overly concerned about rogues, they would be foolish to approach a group as large as this, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
“Sooyun,” Seokjin beams up at her. “Are the pups eating dinner?”
“Yes, they are. My helper, Nina, is with them,” she replies somewhat absentmindedly. “Is Bomi with you?” she asks, eyes wandering around the area.
Jungkook’s focus narrows in on her. “No. I thought she was with you?” he questions.
Sooyun freezes, her face growing pale. “She was with me this morning but I have not seen her in quite some time. I assumed she went to you.”
It isn’t unheard of for Bomi to slip away from Sooyun to hang out with her father, but Jungkook has not seen her since she was sleeping beside him in their tent this morning. He rises to his feet at the same time his friends do. A hush of voices rise, the wolves in the vicinity peering around as if Bomi is merely hiding behind someone’s legs.
“She must be around here somewhere,” Taehyung insists, voice firm and reassuring. He walks quickly downhill. “I’ll spread the word.”
“Sooyun, where is my daughter?” Jungkook asks coldly, his heart pounding violently in his chest.
His line of vision is taken over by Hoseok who grabs him by the shoulders and tries to meet his eyes. “Jungkook, we will find her, alright? She can’t have gone far.”
Jungkook appreciates the sentiment, but knows that he cannot, will not relax until Bomi is back in his arms. Could she have been taken by rogues? Stolen in the blink of an eye by bandits? What if she fell down a ravine or stumbled into a bear trap? Oh Goddess. His daughter, his pup.
“You need to breathe, Kook,” Seokjin rests a firm hand on his arm.
“I need to fucking find her,” he gasps, one hand squeezing the hilt of his sword at his waist, the other clasping at his chest as if he can physically hold his heart together.
By this point, Namjoon had already split the warriors into small groups and sent them out in every direction. Jungkook runs into the deep, dark forest, vision going black in his panic. He relies entirely on his nose to guide him, his inhales frequent and desperate. It is no use trying to find her scent here, they have travelled much too far a distance. Jungkook does the maths in his head. Bomi could be anywhere in the region between where they woke up and where they stopped for lunch. This is going to take hours. He can only hope he reaches her before it is too late.
He vaguely registers that his friends are close behind him. Taehyung is shouting something about sending several of the warrior groups back to guard the rest of the pack. Jungkook wants to growl at this. The entirety of his pack cannot possibly mean more than his Bomi. A bad pack alpha moment, perhaps, but he cannot feel guilty now.
By the time they reach the clearing in which they had lunch, it is past midnight and the rain has begun to fall. With each droplet, Jungkook’s despair grows. He will not be able to find her scent like this, and it is too dark to see her footprints. He curses his ancestors for losing the ability to shift into wolf form. Shifting is just a tale passed down through the generations, but Jungkook does not care right now. He wishes he was stronger, more powerful, less helpless. He can smell the lingering scents of three hundred pack members all right, but he certainly cannot pick out his baby’s ever so soft scent. His friends all come to a stop, their hands clasping at his arms, at his robes.
“We cannot stop,” he heaves. “We need to keep going.”
“Kook, we might ruin her track marks. We should wait until morning. We need light,” Seokjin reasons.
“I can’t,” Jungkook gasps. “I can’t just leave her out there in the wilderness.” He falls to his knees, his friends going down with him. “I cannot bear it.”
The despair in everyone’s scents tinges his nostrils like fire. He dreads to think what his own scent is like.
They crowd around him, scenting him like he is the lost pup, like he is the one who needs comforting. It is pitch black, the light of the moon hardly able to break through the trees. Jungkook lies on his back on the forest floor, his friends all around him, their limbs intertwining in order to stay warm. They lie under an ancient, gnarled oak tree, her thick branches offering protection from the rain. Jungkook watches the moon all night, unable to tear his eyes away as it goes down. At some point he must fall asleep because he has strange dreams of his maternal grandmother, thankfully still alive, though very old. The dreams are hazy around the edges, the vibrant red of her robes taking up his vision. Her bracelets jangle, her voice is low and slow.
The moon will guide you home.
Jungkook awakens with a gasp. The sky is burning crimson with the rising sun. Sitting bolt upright, he snaps his neck to the side to stare at where the moon has long since drifted below the horizon. Could it be? Has his grandmother ever told Bomi that ridiculous saying? It is supposed to be a figure of speech, a reminder to trust and worship the Moon Goddess, but what if Bomi took it seriously?
He takes off without warning his friends. Confused and groggy, they run after him, stumbling in the mud. It rained heavily in the night. Jungkook knows it, because he helplessly watched it pour down, imagining his pup out in it, cold and damp and alone. But that is preferable to being dead. Positive thinking, ey?
When Jungkook finally spots what must be her tiny footprints, the relief is so sharp he momentarily feels lightheaded. He powers through, charging ahead with his eyes glued to the ground. The route she took is remarkably straight and it goes on for hours. He grows more and more confident about his moon theory with each step. Bomi must be so, so exhausted.
“Jungkook,” Hoseok abruptly hisses. It is the first word anyone has spoken in hours. “We are heading straight towards a pack.”
“I know,” he growls. It is a lie. He had completely forgotten where he was. It’s a sobering realisation. Entering unfamiliar packlands is at best awkward, and at worst a death sentence. He visualises the map of the land in his head and nearly barks out a laugh when he realises where they are headed.
The Moon pack.
There is something a little strange and unfamiliar in the air when he lifts his head and takes a deep inhale. The scents are not recent, but there must have been Moon pack wolves in the area long ago, perhaps out patrolling, maybe hunting. He knows very little about the pack, other than the fact that they are much, much larger than his own, and that they do not migrate. If Bomi has been taken in by this pack, Jungkook can only hope they will willingly give her back. If not, well, he’s going to have to kill everyone in sight.
The faint floral scent of an omega hits his lungs like wolfsbane, weakening his knees and threatening to keel him over. It must be the anger running through his veins, making him overreact to the first wolf he comes across, surely. He almost slows his pace as they spot a clearing up ahead, but more scents suddenly reach him. Most importantly, Bomi’s scent is definitely here, faint yet undeniably hers. The citrus scent of an omega is so strong, Jungkook wonders how he did not smell them first. He almost takes off in a sprint, but Namjoon stops him.
“Kook.” Namjoon roughly clasps his shoulder. “Let me approach first. I cannot trust you to behave yourself.”
Jungkook snarls lowly at him, and immediately understands that Namjoon has a point. Reluctantly, he falls behind and lets him go first. Namjoon moves cautiously out of the tree line, almost tip-toeing towards the shocked male omega standing outside a small cabin. Peculiarly, both the omega and Namjoon’s scents spike, warm pheromones unfurling from their scent glands, probably intertwining in a sort of strange dance in the middle of the clearing.
“We do not mean any harm. We are simply looking for a missing pup. We lost her yesterday,” Namjoon politely explains.
The omega nods, his mouth dumbly hanging open. Jungkook cracks his neck to one side. He can smell his pup from inside that cabin. And that…that insanely strong yet delicate omega scent. But most importantly, his pup is in that fucking cabin.
“Y-yes, Jimin found her.” The omega weakly lifts a finger to point at the cabin, as if they need any guidance. “She is safe, I swear.”
Namjoon takes a step closer to the omega, who doesn’t flinch. The omega’s scent seems to only grow stronger.
“Which pack are you?” the omega asks, immense curiosity in his eyes.
“The Jeon pack,” Namjoon explains. Jungkook swears he sees the side of the omega’s mouth quirk up in an amused smile.
“Ah.” The omega looks down. “Bomi is inside. Allow me to go and get her.”
“Thank you,” Namjoon says reverently, seemingly seconds away from kissing this strange omega’s hand.
Jungkook would scoff and perhaps laugh if he weren’t seconds away from going feral. He does not feel Hoseok and Taehyung’s grip on his arms. It is easy to tear himself away from them. The wolves in the clearing can only watch in horror as Jungkook charges at the cabin. A growl rips from his throat as he violently pushes the door open and storms inside.
The floral scented omega is terrified, standing in the middle of the cabin with Bomi in his arms. It does not matter how sweet he smells or how harmless he looks, the omega is holding his pup, keeping his pup from him.
“Appa!” Bomi cries, turning to face him and reaching one tiny hand out.
Jungkook doesn’t know what comes over him, he just sees red. He rushes towards the omega, making him whimper in fear and stumble backwards. One second the omega is standing, the next he is pushed roughly to the floor, Bomi snatched out of his arms. Bomi is crying into Jungkook’s neck, most likely overwhelmed and relieved to be found. Jungkook squeezes her to his chest, growling helplessly into her soft hair. He scents her on every inch of her head, desperate to claim her and protect her from the big, bad world. She reeks of the omega, causing fire to burn through his loins. She is his pup, no one else's.
The omega stumbles to his feet, one hand gripping the counter behind him, the other holding his white robes tightly. Tears are flowing down his face. He stares only at Bomi, breaths catching in his throat. The devastating scent of terrified omega clogs Jungkook’s lungs as though there are physical almond blossoms forced down his throat.
If Jungkook were able to stop growling, perhaps he might ask this omega a question or two. How come Bomi ended up here? Did the omega take care of her and treat her nicely? Was she well fed and well looked after? Why…why is this omega crying so much? A spark of indignation threatens to light Jungkook’s heart on fire. Did this omega want to keep his Bomi?
“Go,” the omega croaks, his voice hardly above a whisper.
It is then that Jungkook notices that Bomi is staring at the omega, her eyes wide and scared. She has stopped crying. It is odd, her silence and her staring.
The omega finally breaks eye contact with Bomi, instead studying the floor beneath him.
“Go,” he begs, fresh tears streaming down his face.
Jungkook obeys, turning around and striding straight out of the cabin and back towards the tree line.
Almost reluctantly, his friends follow after him.
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