Chapter Text
Jimin’s legs and feet were throbbing in pain. He had been walking with the other omegas in his pack for nearly 7 hours by foot. They had another 8 hours to go before they reached the border of the Jeon Pack. The omega glanced up, looking amongst the other omega wolves around them. In his moment of distraction, his foot digs right into a stray twig that pierces his heel. He winces, hand flying up to his mouth to conceal the sound. A few omegas turn to him in pity, eyes worrying, but they make no move to help. Jimin couldn't blame them, they were fighting for themselves after all.
He sucks in a sharp, pained breath, before readjusting the straps of the goods he was carrying on his back. The omega tries and tries not to dwell over how painful everything was. His back sore from the weight of the pack supplies, which may have been even heavier than he was. His arms shaking from the cold night, his feet a sight to see with several cuts and bruises. But he can’t-- can’t complain, not unless he wanted to be beheaded right there.
A rowdy sound of cheers and laughs come from ahead. Jimin snaps up, hoping they were nearing their destination despite knowing they were barely halfway. He instead spots the alphas of his pack speaking comically to one another, riding in the comfort of their steeds. Things have always been like this, the balance of their pack dynamics never equal. Everything was always decided with prejudice, even a single grain of rice.
Park Jimin is a member of the Lee Pack. The ever ruthless Lee pack, where the alphas were always at the top of the pyramid, followed by betas, then of course; omegas. He whimpers over how unfair life has been for them, memories ingrained in his mind of how many of his dear packmates have died over the unruly treatment. Jimin shakes his head, trying his hardest to rid himself of the images forever in him. The screams in the night, the blood on the snow, the pain, everything.
Jimin grunts as the heavy weight of his cargo slows him down significantly. He glances up to see the other omegas a few meters ahead of him. He breathes out, noting how the air puffs out in smoke from the cold. He hadn’t even noticed the drastic change in the weather. He didn’t have time to think about that, prioritizing catching up to his pack before the alphas could take note of his disappearance.
The omega catches up, barely. But he’s made it in time just as one of the alphas turns to eye their group with a sneer. Despite being a healthy distance away, Jimin can smell the distinct and foul odor radiating off the male who sat proudly on his horse. He reeked of dirt and a mix of alcohol, and something else the omega refused to acknowledge. But Jimin simply continues on, head bowed towards the front, following the footsteps left in the snow.
A break, Jimin needs a break. He felt his spine protruding his back, painfully bearing the weight of several bottles of liquor he was tasked to carry. They clank loudly against one another when he moves to readjust it further up his back. In response to the loud noise, the alpha ahead who Jimin can distinguish as Sang-hoon pipes up.
“Too heavy for an omega eh? You’re dragging us slower.” He hisses, pulling his horse to ride right behind Jimin. The omega wants to cry, why did he have to adjust his cargo? Why couldn’t he have endured the pain instead?
The omega’s hair stands behind his neck as the older alpha, Sang-hoon, leaves his horse. A loud crunching noise of the snow beneath his boots told Jimin enough. He was being threatened by a drunk, old, and much taller alpha.
Jimin desperately looks among the other omegas for help, for someone to stand up for him. But they continue on their own journeys, leaving the omega heaving for breath as the alpha stands directly behind him.
He whimpers as a hand comes to grab his butt for a squeeze. “Run along omega. It’d be a shame if I brought the Jeon Pack an impure omega.” Sang-hoon chuckles into his ear. Shoving the omega forward to catch up with the rest of their pack, but the alpha remained right behind him for the rest of the journey, overseeing all of his movements.
Jimin tries not to relive all the memories he has tied to the alpha. Sang-hoon, around 40 years old, was a large alpha with an equally large beer belly. He’d started ogling Jimin the moment he turned 13 years old. The omega didn’t pay it much mind at first, innocent stares he could bare. But then the stares from the much older alpha turned into something darker. And the moment Jimin had turned 18, the alpha was sure to let Jimin know he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Jiminie, do you need help my darling?” An older omega, Hyemi, offered to him with a pitying smile. She could probably smell the discomfort, disgust, and sadness radiating off of the omega. Jimin wants to cry, his throat clogging up at the elder’s selfless offer. But Jimin didn’t want to be any more of a burden than he already had felt.
He shakes his head, unable to speak as tears cascade down his face and onto the snow. Hyemi looks at him with saddened eyes, “Alright dear. If you need any help just tug on my arm, okay?” She whispers to him before looking behind him to glance at Sang-hoon, then continuing on forward.
Jimin can’t reply, opting to offer her a small nod as he kept his face down. A few more hours. Just a few more. And it’d all be over, he hoped. He wouldn’t have to be near Sang-hoon, he wouldn’t have to be a slave, he wouldn’t have to be scared anymore.
It took another painful 9 hours for their small pack to reach the border of the Northern Jeon lands. But Jimin could tell the shift in the air just 2 hours in. The air became colder, less breathable. He was shivering, teeth clattering, and he briefly wondered if he’d still make it. The omegas were wrapped in only one layer of clothing, pants, and slippers. Nothing built for the cold compared to the alphas who were graced with heavy fur coats, mittens, and heavy boots.
Jimin couldn’t feel his feet anymore, seeing new gashes and bruises begin to bloom all over his legs over how he often ran into stones and tree trunks. He was sure his back wasn’t far from looking the same, he could feel the tenderness near his spine, how even a slight touch across his back would hurt a thousand times more than it already did.
But he could finally smell it, the border--they were near. He could see the torches up ahead, the only thing illuminating their path aside from the moon. He could smell the pack scent of the Jeon’s, something fierce but oddly homey.
“Just a little more.” He whispers to himself, “Just a little more .”
___
Head Alpha Jeon Jungkook stood at the border that evening, anticipating the arrival of their latest conquered pack; the Lee Pack. He made sure to bring half his army of wolves to help with whatever goods the Lee pack had brought with them. Although he knew the wolves were only around 100, he wanted to eliminate any threat and discomfort as they were soon to be their family as well. Jungkook saw their slowly weakening pack, the decrease in numbers being threatening to them especially since winter was only half a year away. The former Head of the Lee Pack, Chusok, had given his pack up to him without arguments. Jungkook however, couldn’t fight back the curiosity over how the sudden decrease in their numbers had come to be. Within the span of the last 6 months, around 20 wolves of the Lee pack had perished, and that was something Jungkook wanted to be wary of.
“They’re near.” Hoseok, the head of his army, states as he sniffs across the air. “Alphas, around 50 maybe.” He adds, eyes looking towards the darkness of the forest.
Jungkook snapped towards him, “And omegas?” He raises his eyebrow, watching as Hoseok shifts to get a better hint of the oncoming scents. He raises back to his human form, shaking his head. “Can’t smell them.”
The Head Alpha had something pinching his gut, an ugly feeling rearing its head as a group of alphas emerge from the forest and towards them. He sends a cautionary glance to his second-in-command, Kim Namjoon, then to the army waiting behind him patiently. Something was very very wrong. How could a pack survive with no omegas? No wolves to reproduce?
As the group of rowdy alphas came to a halt in front of them, Jungkook immediately frowned at the obvious lack of omega scents and comfort in the pack. But he quickly tamed his expression as the alphas came off their steeds to bow at him, he nodded stiffly, still not liking the aura of superiority radiating off of several wolves.
“Good evening, Head Alpha Jeon.” Chusok went on his knee to bow to the alpha, Jungkook sent him a strained smile and a small bow of his head in return.
“Good evening,” Jungkook straightens his back, eyeing the wolves who stood near their horses. And indeed, he couldn’t spot a single omega, nor could he smell them. “I have brought a portion of my army to aid in the move.” He offers, gesturing towards the group of wolves that stood proudly behind him. Jungkook could tell how tense they were, probably sensing his discomfort from the lack of omegas and sub-gender equality in the other pack.
“Ah that’s no need, Head Alpha Jeon.” Chusok guffaws loudly, as a few other alphas of the Lee pack nod in support. “Our omegas are trained to do all the chores needed. You will encounter no problems with them.”
Something was terribly wrong. Jungkook’s stance visibly broadened, towering over the rest of the alphas menacingly. His scent was a dead giveaway over how limited his patience was drawing, obviously warning. “Omegas, you say.” The alpha squints his eyes at Chusok, who didn’t seem to take his hint.
“Where might your dear omegas be, Chusok?” He crosses his arms, eyes scanning over the small group in front of him. They seemed to take it as encouragement to part and reveal their most prized possession and offering; their omegas.
Kim Namjoon flinches from beside Jungkook, and the Head Alpha could sense a shift in the atmosphere from his packmates. “ Gods ,” Hoseok winces. But he was having none of it, absolutely none of it. His eyes narrowed down on Chusok, offering a tight smile before turning to Namjoon.
“We will escort the alphas to a secluded set of cabins. They will not be allowed to interact with our wolves until we eliminate all threats.” Jungkook says firmly to him and Hoseok, turning to his army to receive any acknowledgement of understanding. “For the omegas, we will carry them back to our village and bring them immediately to the healers quarters. Understood?”
He receives several nods from the group of his military, and an especially urgent one from Namjoon and Hoseok. “Don’t let them notice something’s wrong.” He adds in a warning tone.
Head Alpha Jeon turns back to the wolves who were now eyeing their omegas with grimaces, and it takes absolutely everything in Jungkook not to kill every wolf present.
“I believe you are tired from your trip from the East. We shall have all alphas escorted to your private cabins, a temporary home until you are further acquainted with our pack. As for your omegas, we shall take care of them.” His voice booms with finality, leaving no room for argument from the group of newcomers.
Chusok has the sheer audacity to pat him roughly on the back and whisper, “Our omegas are trained to serve. Enjoy our offering, Head Alpha.”
Jungkook watches with burning eyes as the alphas are escorted out of his sight. He takes a moment to tame his scent, giving off nothing but the storm that was taking place within him. His wolf was enraged, ready to kill the alphas who had the audacity to treat their omegas with no respect.
But his anger cools down as he spots the omegas of the Lee pack bundled together, heavy loads up on their backs and shoulders, with only thin fabric to shield them from the winter. Hoseok hisses from beside him, clearly displeased at the sight.
Jungkook is the first to approach, taking tentative steps as he ordered his packmates to stay where they were. “Good evening.” He says softly to them, a stark contrast to how he had spoken to the alphas minutes ago.
“I am Head Alpha Jeon.” He adds, seeing a few surprised eyes turn to him, almost weary of his presence. “You are safe now, okay? Let us take you to our mainlands, you don’t have to walk any further.” He offers a small smile, hoping it would help alleviate the anxious scents of the omegas.
“I will ask a few of my men to carry those for you, okay? Is that okay?” He looks upon each face he could see, looking for any signs of discomfort
An elderly woman finally meets his eyes, “That would be great, Head Alpha Jeon.” Her voice is scratchy, proof of her dehydration from the long trip. Jungkook wants to let out a pained noise, but holds it in, not waiting to break the thin layer of ice they were already on.
“Okay. Thank you for letting us.” He bows lowly to the omegas before signalling for Namjoon and Hoseok to approach him.
“This is Kim Namjoon, my second-in-command. And this is Jung Hoseok, the pack’s head of the military. They will help you. They aren’t here to hurt you. Okay?” He receives a few soft nods, and Hoseok quickly gets to work lifting the heavy load up and off the omegas.
There were only 30 omegas, maybe 40 at most. A small group of tired, hurt, and thin omegas who shivered from the cold. Jungkook’s heart was shattered to pieces at the sight.
“Good , is that better?” Jungkook sighs in satisfaction as the weight is lifted off of the omega’s and onto his pack’s more capable shoulders. The elderly omega nods, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Thank you, Head Alpha Jeon.” She bows at him.
Jungkook swallows the lump that grows in his throat as he scans their legs. There were a myriad of cuts and bruises, some open wounds, and he wonders what they must have gone through. They couldn’t have possibly walked for 9 hours, could they ?
“Anything.” He whispers, voice strained in his attempt not to cry. “Is it okay if I order some of our wolves to shift? So they can carry you back to the camp? Will that be okay with all of you?” Jungkook asks once again, noticing the longer they stood, the colder the air got.
They all seem to nod in agreement, although weary, they seemed to know that it was the better option than walking through the cold. Jungkook watched with strict eyes as each of his wolves came to approach an omega, turning to shift and bow in their wolf form, to show that they weren’t a threat.
Jungkook smiles in approval, nodding to Namjoon and Hoseok. He felt a heavy burden settle on his chest lighten by a fraction, satisfaction settled in his bones. The Head Alpha watched one by one as each omega climbed up one of his wolves, noting the sigh of relief that came as their weight was carried for them.
It wasn’t until the last three omegas were left that Jungkook’s eyes narrowed again. There came a smell of an overwhelming alpha, more like a stench than anything. Reeking of alcohol, bitterness, and soil. Jungkook’s gaze narrows, seeing that it radiated off of one of the omegas in particular. A male omega.
The elderly woman steps in front, sensing the sharp turn in his scent, “Head Alpha Jeon, this is Jimin. The last remaining male omega of our pack.” She smiles, a soft hand coming to caress the omega he had his eyes trained on. Among all the omegas, he had the thinnest clothes, the most run down slippers, and the most gashes on his feet and legs. He was also notably the smallest.
Jungkook feels tears brim his eyes, and he needs to remove the omega from his sight for a moment. He turns to the sky, eyes closed as he prays a soft chant to the Moon Goddess. And he swallows thickly, clearing his throat as he meets the elder’s soft eyes of understanding.
He turns back to Jimin, who looked up at him from behind the hair that cascaded on his forehead. Jungkook smiles at him, bowing, almost as if he were apologizing. “Hello, Jimin.”
The omega’s eyes flash in surprise at the acknowledgement, looking to the older woman for reassurance. Upon her nod, he looks back at Jungkook with caution, and that breaks his heart. But Jimin manages a small timid, almost shy smile. “Hello, Head Alpha Jeon.” He does a small bow, and Jungkook easily spots the discomfort from his back. Jungkook’s alpha roars at the soft voice, sounding so sweet but tired and defeated.
Jungkook turns to Namjoon impulsively, “Lead the way back to the village.” The other looks at him in question, but nods in agreement. The Head Alpha waits until the other two omegas have found their seats on other wolves before turning back to Jimin who was playing with his fingers, patiently waiting his turn.
“Hi Jimin. Would it be okay if I am the one to escort you back?” Jungkook looks into the omega’s eyes, not knowing what exactly he was looking for, but he was searching for something. It takes a tense moment, but the omega nods with hopeful eyes, and Jungkook feels his shoulders sag in relief, releasing the breath he was unknowingly holding. He was going to keep this omega safe.
“Okay. I’m not going to hurt you, okay? I promise.”