Archive of Our Own

Your love should never be offered 
To the mouth of a Stranger, 
Only to someone 
Who has the valour and daring 
To cut pieces of their soul off 
With a knife, 
Then weave them into a blanket 
To protect you.
~ Hafez 

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“You have to do it Jeongguk.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“It’s either mate her or face exile.”

“And you know what happens to wolves who are exiled.”

“Do you want that Jeongguk?”

“Do you want to be exiled?”

“Do you want to go mad?”

“Do you?”

“Do you?”

“Do you?”

But he’s already halfway to insanity from how his alpha rebels against the mere thought of mating the pack leader's omega daughter. Manipulative, cruel, demeaning, demanding, nothing like what he craved for in a mate, nothing like what he wanted. He wanted someone kind, someone honest, someone bright and wild and sweet and adventurous.

So he couldn’t, even though he knew what the alternative was.

He couldn’t, because somewhere out there was the one he was supposed to be with.

He couldn’t, because if he did, he’d break himself to pieces and would never be whole again.

He risked madness with exile, yes, but at least out there he had a chance of finding the one his wolf sang for, his compass star, his destined, his true north.

Jeongguk wakes with a start, chest heaving, massive body shaking, confused by his wolf body when he had dreamed of being a man.

He hadn’t been a man in three moons, and feralness creeps closer with every passing night.

He knows he’ll lose himself soon, if he doesn’t find the one his wolf calls for.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Jimin sits on the roof of the hovel he calls home, looking down at the woods as they shift and stir from the wind that blows from the south. Birds flutter and skitter across the moss-covered shingles, made bold by his presence, and completely uncaring for the five cats that sleep or sit in patches of sunlight around them. It will snow soon, he can sense it coming. The sky right now is clear but there is a promise in the air, and Jimin knows it’s only a matter of time before the first storm.

With a heavy sigh he heads back through the little window of his bedroom, he’s tired, dreaming strange dreams of running through the woods, of watching the moon, of losing himself slowly but steadily.

He does not like those dreams.

With a pout on his lips he works to prepare for the storm, gathering what he can from the woods and hoping to avoid making the long trek into town for supplies. He rarely makes the journey, does his best to avoid it in fact, and one might say it is because he is antisocial, and they would be right. Jimin is not a fan of many things, including humans, trolls, wizards, and wolves.

Especially wolves.

He spends the rest of the day and the evening foraging and preparing, he will be safe and secure in his treehouse, so long as he has what he needs to last the storm, but for the life of him he cannot shake the sense that he is missing something, forgetting something, and though he falls into bed that night with everything that needed to be done, he still gets the feeling that he is unprepared.

He convinces himself he is wrong.

But a witch is rarely wrong.

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It’s not until the fourth moon that Jeongguk becomes feral.

By then he is too far gone to even notice.

By then it is too late.

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Jimin wakes to the sound of a low growl.

He blinks his eyes open, sees it’s still night, and grumbles into his pillows, “Yoongi, why are you growling?”

“There’s a wolf outside,” Taehyung meows in response.

“And why do we care about that?” Jimin asks, “It is the middle of the night, there are wolves in this wood, I am sleeping.”

“Tae left out a very important part of all this,” Seokjin purrs from where he is curled up against Jimin’s back, “the “were” part.”

“Where what?” Jimin mutters, desperate to get back to sleep but knowing it’s futile when his familiars all have something to say.

“Not where, but were,” Namjoon says from where he’s sitting beside Hoseok on top of Jimin’s wardrobe, his green eyes reflecting the dim glow of the phosphorescent mushrooms that grow from the walls on that side of the room.

“I’ll disown you all,” Jimin groans, “get a familiar, they said, it’ll be great, they said.”

“No one said that,” Taehyung meows, “because you don’t talk to anyone.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Jimin it’s a werewolf,” Yoongi says, “and he’s feral.”

Jimin goes very still as realization washes over him— the were, the wolf, the feral all coming together to make sense in his sleep-addled mind.

He pushes himself up slowly and looks out the window, and there, sure enough, is a massive, black furred werewolf.

He falls back down immediately, as though the wolf might spy him from the heights of his home. His mind races, because yes, there are wolves in the woods, but those wolves don’t bother him, he respects them and they leave him alone and it’s fine, it’s good, so who the hell is outside his home right now? His heart hammers away in his chest, eyes wide in the darkness, at a loss for what to do.

“Hopefully it will go away soon,” Hoseok offers, ever the optimist.

“He actually just laid down in front of the porch,” Yoongi replies.

Jimin closes his eyes, forces himself to breathe, because he’s safe in here, of that he’s sure. The hovel might look decrepit (it is) but it’s warded and secure enough to have kept him safe so far, and the wolf doesn’t seem to be actively trying to get inside, so he thinks (hopes) that he’ll be fine.

“I’m going back to sleep,” he says.

“That’s funny, because with a heart rate like you have right now, I don’t see that happening any time soon,” Yoongi replies.

“Whatever, Joon, will you come cuddle me?”

Joon, a massive forest cat, is by far Jimin’s favorite to cuddle, though Taehyung, a ragdoll is not too far behind. Namjoon makes Jimin feel safe though, they have been together the longest, and are naturally the closest, and it shows as Joon pours himself down from the wardrobe and settles against Jimin’s chest. Bookended by two cats, he feels his heart settle a little, and it’s not long before the other three join them, arranging themselves around their witch in a display of affection, albeit not protection.

A witch’s magic does not affect werewolves, after all.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

He wakes in the morning to bright skies and a shifting wind, and when he lifts himself up to peek out the window, a wolf is still asleep at the base of his tree.

He falls back into bed with a sigh.

Five pairs of eyes blink up at him from the doorway, “We are hungry,” Hoseok says.

“You are always hungry,” Jimin replies.

“You have to feed us,” Seokjin meows.

With another heavier sigh, he pushes himself back up, snapping his fingers to ignite the little fireplace, which triggers a cascade of firelight throughout his home, every stove and hearth bursting into warm flame that never needs to be fed, never smokes, and never harms the tree. A half an hour later and the cats are fed and so is Jimin and the wolf is awake and sitting outside, nose lifted to the wind, scenting the air, smelling a witch nearby.

Smelling Jimin.

He’s relieved that he did so much foraging the day before, because there’s no way in the nine hells he’s going out today. He settles in with a book and a blanket and keeps himself occupied for the rest of the day with spellwork and stories, but through it all, the feral wolf's presence sits like a stone in the back of his thoughts. He can feel him down there, pacing and circling the tree, occasionally being so bold as to put his forepaws on the trunk and reaching far too high up for Jimin’s peace of mind.

What does he want? He knows there’s a pack that lives not far from him, but they’ve never bothered him in the past, and the few times he’s encountered anyone from it there has always been more than one, and none of them were feral. Did this one come from their pack? If so, why is he here now, instead of with them? Jimin has no answers, so he resigns himself to being stuck indoors and distracting himself from its presence. 

And it works for the first couple of days.

But the thing is, the wolf isn’t leaving, not even to hunt, and that can’t be good.

He can hear it down there now, whimpering and crying, and it’s probably hungry, so why won’t it hunt? Jimin watches from his windows, and he seems uninjured, so why is he just sitting there, sounding lost despite the feral gleam in his eyes? Jimin is many things, but he is not cruel, he doesn’t want to watch someone suffer, but he truly doesn’t know what to do in this situation.

He spends the day poring over his books, desperate to find something that could help him understand the wolf’s predicament. He does find some information, such as how werewolves go feral under a few circumstances, an unreturned mating bite, for instance, or having spent too much time in their wolf form. He can’t be sure where his uninvited guest falls in terms of cause, but either one makes him even more sympathetic. The book, “Magicka Animalia” goes on to explain that while a feral wolf would never harm someone they consider to be their mate, they will lash out at anyone else who tries to approach.

Well, Jimin is at least certain he’s not the wolf’s mate.

The problem is, and Jimin really doesn't like to think about this, is that he’s cursed.

Literally cursed.

It’s the reason he lives out here by himself with only his five cats for company. It’s the reason he shuns the village he was born in, because everyone there is aware of his curse and more often than not they either “forget” about it, or use it against him. It’s the reason why, three days after the wolf appears and it still hasn’t left to hunt, he begins to panic, the compulsion growing stronger with every passing day.

“You won’t be able to fight it much longer,” Yoongi points out, “the question is, how are you going to go about dealing with it?”

Jimin scowls down at the feline, who blinks up at him serenely before stalking towards his favorite spot for a nap, on top of Namjoon.

Jimin sighs, he knows the cat is right, there’s no denying the curse, and it’s only a matter of time before it overwhelms him completely. He sits by the window and looks down at the wolf, who lays there, apparently sleeping, and he comes to a decision, he’ll go down there tomorrow, and try to figure out what he can do.

Fate has different plans.

It’s the middle of the night when it happens, all darkness and bats and a bright, bold winter moon. He’s fast asleep, surrounded by his cats, dreaming of soft brown eyes he doesn’t know, when his slumber is interrupted by snarling, growling, barking, howling. Wolf, wolves, furious and fighting. He wakes with a start, eyes wide and wild, searching for the source of the sound until his sleep-addled brain puts two and two together. He’s out of bed a moment later, looking out the window and down at the earth below and what he sees makes him gasp.

Five wolves circle one, all of them massive, all of them snarling and snapping, and the wolf, his wolf at the center, doing his best to defend himself. Except he’s obviously struggling, weak from lack of food and failing fast. The hostile wolves don’t seem feral, their eyes aren’t red and their attacks are coordinated. They seem to understand they have the upper hand, and are using it to wear the other wolf down, weaken him and then… Jimin doesn’t stop to think about that.

The curse activates almost instantly.

Without thinking he descends, confused cats left in his wake, and though he knows his magic won’t work directly on the wolves, he is too compulsion driven to do anything except leave his cottage and do what he can to help.

His magic blossoms and billows within him, a storm, a gale, a squall, and after a moment of it swirling within it bursts forth. There is a bright flash of light, a roar like thunder, and the ground trembles with power, causing the strange wolves to scatter into the night, leaving Jimin alone with the feral alpha.

But the curse doesn’t let him retreat like he wishes to, instead it carries him to the wolf’s side, who lays on the ground trembling and growling faintly, red eyes fixed on the witch’s approach, and though Jimin’s heart thunders and his hand shakes, he is compelled to act. He creeps closer and in the back of his mind he wonders if this is it, if this is when the curse finally comes back to bite him in a way that is far more finite and painful than the myriad of instances that have come before.

But then the wind shifts, coming from his back to dance around him; he sees the wolves nostrils flare and slowly the growling subsides into silence. Red eyes stare up at him, blinking slowly, and the last remaining vestiges of tension bleed away from the wolf until he lays there, limp and unmoving. Jimin stands there in the darkness, watching the wolf and feeling something he cannot decipher. Magic, yes, moons, yes— starshine and auroras, first snow falls and spring rain. He furrows his brow, but the curse compels him to stop dwelling on distraction and to instead focus on giving what aid he can, not an easy task out here in the cold night.

Luckily for the wolf, and not so much for Jimin, he can use his magic to move the beast's massive body, lifting it up in the air and maneuvering it towards the base of his home. The wolf is quiet throughout, and at first Jimin thinks it’s because he’s lost consciousness, but then he sees those eyes watching him, still calm and quiet, and he wonders just what he’s gotten himself into.

“Jimin,” Namjoon asks from the top of the stairs, “do you think this is wise?”

“As if he has a choice,” Taehyung says, tail lashing, “that damn curse, making him do things he doesn’t want to, if I ever meet that Fae—“

“You’d do nothing, because they are far too powerful,” Yoongi interrupts as he trots alongside Jimin, “all of you be quiet, he’s having a hard enough time as it is.”

Jimin would throw a thankful look at the feline if he weren’t currently preoccupied trying to navigate the narrow halls of his home. He opens the door of the guest bedroom with a glance, and waits for a moment for the room to shift and settle into a new arrangement, a larger bed replacing the original, the knick-knacks on the shelf morphing into medicinal ointments and salves and bandages, and the hearth bursting into ready flame the moment he crosses the threshold. He carefully lowers the wolf onto the bed, and it settles easily, but there’s no time for relief as he gets to work, grabbing all he’ll need to treat the extensive wounds that decorate the wolf’s body.

Three hours later and the wolf is slumbering still, aided by a concoction meant to reduce pain, and his wounds are cleaned and bandaged to the best of Jimin’s ability. He knows from his reading that werewolves have a naturally rapid recovery time, and he hopes that means he can be done with this entire situation sooner, rather than later. With a heavy sigh he stands from where he has been hunched over the bed and winces a little at the pain that races its way down his back, glad to be done with his work so he can bathe and feed himself.

An hour later and he has done those things, and all he wants to do is go to bed. But there’s a faint pull towards the room with the wolf, and he knows that if he ignores it, it will grow stronger. So with a sigh he checks on the alpha again and finds no problems, but when he goes to leave the room, he can’t.

“Oh for god’s sake,” he groans at no one, or at a specific someone, a Fae who could care less that Jimin is now trapped in a room with a feral wolf, all because it had decided that it didn’t like Jimin, for whatever strange, mercurial motivations the Fae make their choices by.

He shakes his head and checks the wounds one more time. He’s nearly done when he notices a pair of eyes watching him, wolf eyes, not cat eyes. He stumbles back from the bed with a gasp, fear overtaking him, and he turns to flee, only to not be able to cross the threshold of the room again , an almost physical pull causing him to stumble backwards and fall, catching himself painfully on the hard, wood floor. His cats are nowhere in sight,and he can’t blame them, they’re probably just as afraid of the massive beast as he is, if not more so, and if he could flee here, he would.

Except he can’t.

He stares at the open door in frustration, wanting nothing more than to leave and eat and get some rest and pretend that there isn’t a wolf the size of a small horse in his home. Tears gather in the corners of his eyes, and he sniffles, just slightly, unable to hold back due to his frustration and exhaustion. He hasn’t been sleeping well since the wolf appeared, and tonight it is truly catching up with him. He closes his eyes, but not in time to stop the first tears from falling, this is why he moved out here, this is why he’s alone except for five relatively self-sufficient felines.

His eyes fly open at the sound of the wolf shifting around in the bed, and before he realizes what’s happening it is up and moving, not quick by any means, it favors one paw, holding it off the ground and limping towards him, and he is frozen, unable to move or make a sound as the massive beast draws nearer. 

The wolf stops to watch him, head tilted to the side, ears out at an odd angle, and after what feels like an eternity, he settles at Jimin’s side with a long sigh and rests its massive head on his chest, eyes drifting shut almost immediately.

Jimin lays there, unmoving, heart hammering in his chest with such a concussive beat that he can feel it lifting his sternum with every pulse. He doesn’t blink, doesn’t speak, barely even dares to breathe because this is his worst nightmare and it is so, so painfully real.

Then the wolf begins to snore.

Everything he read about feral wolves implied that this thing was dangerous, he’d fully expected to be faced with an aggressive, angry beast when the wolf woke, instead he got… this; the wolf whining and pushing closer, one leg kicking his side as it shifts, more like an overgrown puppy than an alpha gone mad, and Jimin is at a loss.

“I suppose it’s better than the alternative,” he says to the ceiling, “though I’d really prefer sleeping in my own bed, and eating food…”

The snoring stops, and one red eye opens. Jimin holds his breath, but all the wolf does is stare at him, and Jimin stares back. They stay like that for awhile, neither of them moving, Jimin too scared to move despite the wolves lack of hostility, “I don’t know if you can understand me,” Jimin says after what feels like an eternity, “but I bet you’re hungry too, and if you let me up and out of this room, I can get us both food.”

The wolf doesn’t respond at first, but then after several long moments it lifts its massive head and nudges him in the side, “Wow, amazing,” Jimin whispers, “I didn’t think that would work.”

He wastes no time in leaving the room, closing the door firmly behind him and dashing for the kitchen, only to hear a series of low whines come from the shut off room, “You made it out,” Seokjin says from his perch above the stove, “wasn’t sure if we’d ever see you again.”

“Thanks,” Jimin replies, “You’re the worst.”

“Indeed,” the cat agrees, “are you making food?”

“I am, and you can’t have any,” Jimin replies.

“But what if…”

“What if nothing, go away.”

Seokjin does not go away, and it’s not long before the other four pour themselves in from various corners of the house, eyes wide and whiskers forward. Jimin ends up giving in under the pressure of five pairs of cat eyes and makes them something as well, and then because he is cursed (literally) and weak (figuratively), he takes his food into the room to share it with the wolf.

Admittedly the wolf's meal is a fair amount different from his, in that it’s a large bowl of uncooked venison. The alpha backs off as soon as he opens the door, giving the impression that he was sitting directly in front of it the entire time, and gods but he is so massive , well above waist height on all fours, and who knows how tall when he rears back. But despite the red tint to his eyes he’s still calm, still watches Jimin with interest and not aggression, and after a moment's hesitation, Jimin places the bowl of meat on the ground and  takes his own over to a chair by the fire. It takes a frighteningly small amount of time for the wolf to finish its food, the witch not even halfway done with his own by the time the shifter is licking the remains of blood from his bowl, and looking up at Jimin, tail wagging.

“Yah, imagine a world where you’d hunted for yourself,” Jimin says, “instead of loitering outside my home for days and then getting attacked. What are you doing out there, anyway?”

The wolf watches him as he speaks, and Jimin is once again left to wonder if he understands anything that’s being said to him. The books he read didn’t say anything about it, but there’s an obvious light of intelligence in those scarlet eyes, and Jimin can’t help but wonder, “What got you to this point, hm? And what brought you to my door, I didn’t make this an easy place to find…” he trails off and sighs before going back to his food. His fear has dwindled in the face of his exhaustion, though the memories of what caused it would never truly disappear. Still, it’s evident that the alpha doesn’t want to harm him, and now Jimin is free to come and go from his house as he pleases, “You should get some rest, I know your wounds will heal quickly regardless, but moving around too much isn’t going to help.”

He’s not sure what he expects to happen, but the wolf just slumps down on the floor where he is, and is seemingly asleep within moments. Jimin envies him, even though he quietly mutters, “There’s a bed right there,” before going back to his meal. He finishes it just as dawn is starting to tint the eastern horizon with gray, glad at least that he has no traditional schedule to keep so that he can sleep the day away if he so desires. He stands up from his seat with a sigh, intending on slipping out of the room and to his own, but the moment he moves, the wolf is awake and watching.

“It’s my turn to get some rest,” he tells it, “maybe you don’t care if you sleep in a bed, but I do.”

Twenty minutes later and the wolf is in Jimin’s bed, sprawled out and fast asleep, occupying far too much space, and leaving Jimin staring at the ceiling with a frown.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Jimin’s house is special, of course it’s special, he’s a witch, after all.

There are many things he likes about it, up to and including how secluded it is, but it’s not just that because the woods he lives in are enchanted, and enchanted woods are particularly fond of witches, so not only is he tucked away, but it will also provide for him, the land treating him better than it would the average person

Why it let the alpha find him is beyond Jimin’s understanding, but at least the wolf isn’t a wizard.

He really fucking hates wizards.

There are other things about his house that are special, for instance—the guest room and its magically accommodating ability to shift its size and the interior to be what he needs it to be for his guest. He is currently regretting having not done the same enchantment on his own bed, because right now there’s not a lot of room considering his usual five bedmates have been joined (not replaced) by a massive black wolf.

A wolf who is very much cuddled up against Jimin.

In fact he’s surrounded on all sides by warm furry bodies, and considering the season, it’s rather cozy, but there is massive jaw just inches away from his face, and with it comes memories of being backed into a corner, of being small, of knowing his magic, no matter how big and powerful and grand it could be, can do nothing to save him. The memory brings fear, the fear brings panic, and he recalls from his reading that werewolves can pick up on emotions through scent (especially those of their mates, his brain supplies unhelpfully, he really hates his brain), and a moment later that seems to be proven true when the wolf wakes with a snarl, eyes flashing as he surges to his feet and stands over Jimin, eyes searching the room for a threat that isn’t there.

And it makes Jimin’s fear spike, the cats scatter, startled out of their slumber, and he curls into a little ball, caged in on all sides by the wolf, who towers above him, a growl like thunder rumbling from his massive chest. Jimin hides his face in his arms, tears prickling the corners of his eyes again as he tries desperately to get himself to breathe, to relax, to release a decades worth of trauma because this moment is only making it worse.

He doesn't notice when the growling subsides, too caught up trying to regulate his heart to pay attention, but he does notice when a cold, wet nose is pressed into his cheek, and warm dog breath huffs against his cheek. The alpha whimpers and whines before flopping down directly on top of him, it’s enormous weight pinning him in place. It takes him a while to muster the bravery needed to look up at the wolf, and when he finally does, tears still in his eyes, the wolf whimpers even more, nudging his cheeks and chin with his snout as if to say, “Don’t cry.”

It makes him want to cry harder.

“Why are you here?” He asks pleadingly, “Why me? I—” he cuts himself off and bites his lower lip, almost sick from nerves, “Why is it always me?”

Because that’s what it boils down to, he’s feeling overwhelmed and scared and frustrated, existing alongside this constant reminder of his past and his curse. He closes his eyes and whispers, “I wish, at least, that you could speak, I want answers… but I don’t think you’re ready yet.”

The book said it took time for a feral wolf to come back to themselves, if they did at all. He got the feeling this alpha would eventually, given his acceptance of Jimin, but how long would it take, how long would he have to share the same space as a beast? At least in human form, Jimin could pretend he wasn’t living with a werewolf, but right now, with red eyes watching his every move, he had no chance of forgetting. He’s literally in bed with it,  barely any space between them, and nothing Jimn can do to stop the wolf from hurting him if he really wanted to.

But he doesn’t, he doesn’t, and Jimin has to take solace in the fact it seems the wolf likes him, trusts him. He can’t begin to guess why, and wishes desperately to go back to a time before the wolf appeared, but wishes about the past are pointless, so instead he wishes for something else, that he will be okay, that he will stop being afraid, and that whatever brought the wolf to his door will not spell disaster in the end.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

He has to get out of bed eventually, there’s no getting around that, and the wolf lets him do it without protest, but now he has a six furry shadows following him down the hall to the kitchen, and he thinks he’s getting a little stir crazy, “I’m going out this morning,” he says to all of them, “since apparently you don’t intend to hurt me.” He shoots a pointed look at the wolf, who just sits on his haunches and starts to chew on one of his bandaged wounds, “Hey!” Jimin says sharply, “What are you doing?”

The wolf looks up and Jimin swears, he swears , there is guilt in those red eyes, and from the way the ears flick down and out to the side, maybe he’s right, “Don’t chew on those,” he says, “I’ll check them after breakfast, just be patient.”

The cats are all milling about, apparently completely at ease in the presence of the massive shifter, and for that Jimin is grateful. If the curse is going to force him to take care of something he’s afraid of, at least he doesn’t have to worry about all his friends suffering as well. They take up their usual places in the kitchen and watch him prepare breakfast, all of them quiet except for Taehyung.

“I want fish,” he meows.

“Mm-hm,” Jimin hums.

“That’s not fish,” Taehyung points out.

“Brilliant observation, baby,” Jimin praises, “if you find some let me know, I’ll prepare it for you.”

“I wish conjuring didn’t work the way it does,” Seokjin adds with a sigh, “think of the things we could eat if you could just magically manifest anything.”

“It would be nice,” Jimin agrees, “but let’s be happy for what we have, no?”

They finish their food, or at least the animals all do, seeming to have some sort of unspoken competition to inhale their meal the fastest. The wolf wins by a long shot, despite his larger portion, and Jimin watches in amusement as he finishes, delicately picks up his bowl with his front teeth, and deposits it into the sink before looking over his shoulder at Jimin proudly.

“Yes, you did that, thank you,” Jimin says begrudgingly, though secretly he’s a little charmed.

An hour later and he’s bundled in a cloak, hood drawn up against the cold, and slipping into his boots. The cats have all disappeared, no doubt horrified by the very thought of going out into the frost and wind, but the werewolf is right there, bandages removed, wounds healed, and tail thumping happily on the ground.

Jimin sighs, “Time for walkies, huh boy?”

The wolf gives a low yip of agreement and practically dances to the front door, it makes Jimin smile, just a little, because what sort of human is there, waiting underneath this terrifying form? But then his smile drops as he recalls the night before, “Do you think the wolves who attacked you will be out there still?” He asks, because it’s one thing to deal with a very obviously feral wolf that seems to like and trust him, it’s quite another to deal with ones who wanted to rip him to shreds.

But the wolf just paws at the door and whines, and Jimin decides after a moment's hesitation to take his broom, because at least he can fly away if they do get attacked again, so with that and his bag of holding, he heads out into the cold winter woods, a massive wolf at his side.

The forest welcomes him as it always does, happy to see him out and about after so long. It provides extra well, and he is thankful, making sure to murmur his gratitude to every plant he harvests from. He’s so busy with his work that it takes him some time to notice the wolf, who had been bounding in and out of sight for the last two hours, has disappeared completely.

He straightens from the winter berry bush he had been hunched over and peers into the narrow spaces between the trees, but the woods are darkly shaded and he can’t see any movement from where he stands. It’s for the best, he tells himself, he didn’t really want the wolf around anyway, and a few days outside his door and one night spent together was not enough to truly endear Jimin to the alpha.

And yet…

He goes slow on the way home, keeps searching the forest for any sign of the shifter, but there’s nothing. Just the quiet wood and him, and he can’t help but wonder why the wolf found him, why the woods showed him the way, only for him to disappear once more. He’s almost home when he hears a twig snap in the distance, followed by the sound of something moving towards him, growing louder by the moment, and there the wolf is, dragging a deer carcass proudly across the forest floor.

Jimin stands there, astonished, as the alpha drops it proudly at his feet and backs off a few steps before sitting down and looking up at him expectantly.

“Uh, wow,” Jimin says as another passage from his werewolf books flits unbidden through his mind, “Proving themself to be a good provider is important to alphas, and one of the earliest steps of courting it for them to offer food to their intended mate.”

He looks back and forth from the deer to the wolf for so long that eventually the steady thump of the shifter's tail stops and he starts to whine, obviously distraught that his gift is not appreciated. Except it really is, because Jimin hadn’t set any traps the last time he’d foraged, and while he can make due without meat, the cats shouldn’t have to, and neither should the wolf. He shakes himself out of his stupor and kneels in front of the deer, whispers a few words of thanks and then looks up to meet red eyes, “Thank you,” he says, and he finds he means it, “I really appreciate this.”

The wolf's tail starts to wag once more, and Jimin can’t hold back his smile as the alpha leaps to his feet and starts to drag the deer once more, headed back towards Jimin’s home without a care in the world, head high and ears forward, obviously very pleased with himself. Jimin just shakes his head and follows, annoyed with himself for being as endeared to the wolf as he is, but unable to stop himself.

Surely the wolf isn’t courting him, surely this is just his way of saying thank you to Jimin for helping him.

The next couple of days continue in much the same vein, the wolf and he wander the woods every day and in the afternoon return home with a good stock of food and supplies to help them last through the coming winter. The shifter is silly and sweet, and after a while Jimin begins to forget that he’s feral at all, until their little bubble is popped by an uninvited guest.

They’re heading home, the afternoon sun actually lending some warmth with its light for once, and the alpha is loping ahead of him, as proud as ever. Jimin watches him run, shaking his head at the boundless energy the shifter always seems to have, when he comes to an abrupt halt, because the wolf has stopped moving, and faintly he can hear the deep bass sound of his growl.

Cautiously, Jimin approaches, but the alpha’s focus is not on him, instead he’s looking straight ahead through the trees, where Jimin can see someone standing at the edge of the small clearing where his home sits. A tall, imposing figure, dressed in furs and leather, with his shoulders thrown back and his head high and he knows immediately he is looking at another wolf.

And he’s staring right at them.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

It takes him a moment, but through his fear he realizes that the growl is rapidly becoming a snarl, and without thinking he lunges forward, falling to his knees behind the alpha and wraps both arms around his massive chest, holding him tight, though he knows he can’t actually stop the wolf from going after the stranger if that’s what he really wants. Still, he hopes that it will be enough to keep him calm, and from the way the growling quiets, he thinks he’s successful.

“Can I help you?” He calls, doing his best to keep his tone polite.

He watches the way the man's nostrils flare, the way he postures as he scents the wind, it’s all wolf things, he recognizes them from his book, and he wonders just what he got himself caught up in.

“We’ve never interacted before, witch,” the wolf says, “there’s been no need, but this—” he jerks his chin towards the alpha in Jimin’s arms, “is a stranger from a rival pack, and we do not take kindly to intruders like him.” The man pauses, seeming to wait for Jimin to respond, but he would rather listen right now, so instead he waits, and the other wolf continues, “I came to give you a warning, cure his feral state, or we will return to take matters into our own hands.”

“Like you tried three nights ago?” Jimin asked, incredulous, “When he fought despite being outnumbered and starving.”

The stranger's eyes flash, and his lips pull back into a slight snarl, “That wasn’t us.”

“What do you mean it wasn’t—oh,” Jimin whispers as realization washes over him, “it was his pack, wasn’t it.”

“They’ve been dealt with, and it is… unlikely that you will see them again.” The alpha flashes a grin completely devoid of humor, “We have given leeway to this one because he is with you, but we were not as forgiving to those who came here with violent intent.”

Jimin doesn’t need to ask to know what he means.

“Well you don’t need to worry about him,” Jimin replies, “he’s staying with me.” Of course Jimin didn’t know that for sure, but the alpha certainly seemed happy at his side, and Jimin has come to accept that this is going to be his life from now and into the foreseeable future.

The stranger looks at him for a long time, then nods, “Good, he needs your help.”

Jimin flinches, but the curse doesn’t flare up, perhaps because he already is helping the wolf.

“Do you… do you know how to help him stop being feral?” Jimin asks, “I’ve learned a lot these last few days, but I’m still not sure how to get him to be fully himself again.”

“He bears no mating mark, so my guess is that he has spent too much time in his wolf form, so much so that he has forgotten what it’s like to be human, but being with you should assist him in remembering.”

“Why me?” Jimin whispers, though he doesn’t expect the man to have an answer, and he doesn’t, not really.

“He’ll tell you when he is ready,” the alpha says, and then he leaves, just like that— no goodbyes, no further acknowledgement, just strides into the forest and disappears.

Jimin sighs and slowly releases his hold on the wolf, who quickly spins in place and noses along Jimin’s cheeks and neck, huffing a little when he apparently doesn’t find what he’s looking for there, and proceeds to knock Jimin to the ground and flop directly on top of him. Jimin lays there, lets the alpha do as he pleases, and wonders just what god he angered to be punished in such a ridiculous manner.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

The storm finally hits the next day.

Jimin feels comfortable in his little home, watching as the drifts pile up in the clearing outside and a fire blazes in every hearth. His larders are well stocked, thanks in no small part to the wolf and his willingness to gift Jimin with his kills. His fear is largely forgotten now, replaced by a sort of fond exasperation that comes with living side by side with a massive beast in a tiny home. But he does find himself wishing that the alpha would take human form, if only so they could talk.

He gets his wish granted on the second morning of snow.

He’s curled up in bed, surrounded as he usually is by the cats, his back nearly draped in wolf, blinking awake to the gray light of a late dawn when he realizes something feels different. It takes his sleep-addled brain a moment to process what it is, but when he does, he can’t help but freeze.

There’s an arm around his waist, holding on to him tightly, like he might slip away during the night.

He is immediately far more awake than he was moments ago, and though he knows logically he’s been letting a complete stranger sleep with him this entire time, it feels very different now that said stranger is in human form instead of wolf.

He forces himself to take a calming breath, then slowly, carefully, he rolls over…

To come face to face with some of the most beautiful eyes he’s ever seen.

They’re big and dark, sparkling even in the faint light, framed by black lashes and full of wonder as they look back at Jimin. They’re so pretty that it takes him a moment to move past looking into them and to take in the rest of the alpha’s features, but once he does he realizes that he’s in bed with an incredibly devastatingly handsome man.

“Good morning,” Jimin whispers.

The man's expression shifts from wide-eyed surprise to something calm and soft. There’s still red laced through the deep brown of his irises, but not much, and though he’s in human form he doesn’t seem inclined to speak. Instead he draws Jimin in closer and buries his face in his neck, brushing the tip of his nose up and down the column of Jimin’s throat, a low, pleased rumble emerging from his chest.

Okay, so maybe he’s not fully human yet.

Jimin lays there as the alpha scents him, and while he knows he’s not getting the full experience due to his lack of wolf blood, it is still a nice way to wake up in the morning. Life is strange, he reflects as he lets the other man do what he wants, a couple weeks ago and he would have balked at the very idea of this, but now he’s here, just letting it happen.

Still, he can imagine worse things.

The alpha’s movements slow after a while, and then stop completely. Jimin watches as he pulls away, looking down at him, all sleep-tousled and soft and he can’t help but smile, “Hey puppy,” he says, “do you want some breakfast?”

A slow smile spreads over the shifter's face and he nods, his long hair a tangled mess as he sits up, and then Jimin’s attention is brought to a problem that has not been a problem until this very moment.

The alpha is very naked.

He  squeaks a little and looks away, a blush high on his cheeks as the other man stands up without a hint of shame and heads for the kitchen, “Oh gods,” Jimin mutters, eyes wide and staring at nothing, “oh gods .”

“Big, isn’t he?” Yoongi asks.

“Don’t talk to me right now, I’m having a crisis,” Jimin replies numbly.

He deals with the crisis by digging out a hanbok from his closet, a dark gray thing of silk, embroidered with scarlet flowers. The alpha stares at it in confusion while Jimin stoically maintains eye contact with the floor and repeats over and over, “You have to wear it or I will die.”

Eventually the wolf whines and slips into the robe, and Jimin can breathe once more.

Now if only he could get the alpha to speak.

He makes attempts all day, carrying on a one-sided conversation while the wolf listens intently but never responds. His cats offer no help, of course, though they do offer an occasional reply to Jimin’s unanswered questions towards the alpha, who watches Jimin with rapt focus, and trails after him from room to room, just like he did before. Still, the fact that he does it as a man must mean something, so eventually Jimin gives up on hoping for a response and accepts he has a silent companion to keep him company as the snow continues to fall.

And fall.

And fall.

By the second day it’s nearly blocking the door despite Jimin’s occasional attempts to clear it, and finally he gives up, tired of opening it to the freezing wind. He decides to spend the rest of the day curled up in front of the hearth, a pillow under his head, a book in his hand, and his feet pointed toward the fire. The alpha looks at him for a few seconds as he settles, then with a huff, stalks off down the hall. It’s the first time outside of when he hunts that the shifter willingly leaves his side, and Jimin can’t help but listen to the sound of rustling fabric with interest, curious to see what the wolf has decided to do. He emerges shortly after, arms loaded with blankets and pillows and unceremoniously dumps them on Jimin, who splutters out a confused laugh and pushes them aside to look up at the alpha, who sits down beside him and pulls one of the blankets off of the witch so he can rub it on his neck.

He does that with everything, and though Jimin’s nose can’t pick up the scent, he knows from his books what the wolf is doing, “You know I’m not an omega, right?” Jimin questions softly, “I can’t really smell you, and I don’t have the same instincts that you do.”

The wolf narrows his eyes at him and huffs out an annoyed little sigh, as if Jimin is being ridiculous, and then he finally speaks, “Not an omega, but still my omega.”

Jimin’s eyes, which had been half closed from sleepiness, shoot fully open and he sits up immediately, “You spoke!” He says, unable to hold back his grin, “Hello! Hi! You said something.”

The wolf grunts yet doesn’t indicate a need to say more, but Jimin is too elated to care, “What’s your name?” He asks, hopeful that if he keeps going the alpha will too, “Please, I want to know so badly, I’m tired of just thinking of you as a wolf in my head, or alpha.”

The other man's eyes flash at the title, and he makes a low rumbling sound that Jimin is coming to associate with him being happy or content, “Alpha is good,” he says quietly.

“But your name ,” Jimin practically begs, “Please.”

They stare at each other, the room growing dark now that afternoon is settling in, and the warm amber light of the fire fights the shadows as best it’s able, dancing bright in the wolf's eyes while he stares back at Jimin before finally whispering, “Jeongguk.”

“Jeongguk? Jeongguk!” Jimin grins, a thrill running through him at the sudden progress, “Hello Jeongguk, I’m Jimin!”

“I know,” he grunts.

“Yes, well, forgive me for not being sure how much you’ve retained while being in your wolf form,” he says, though he’s still smiling through his sass, too excited to be bothered by short replies. He bounces a little in elation, and in response the wolf– Jeongguk’s lips tug up ever so slightly at the corners. Then, with little thought to boundaries, Jimin throws himself forward and into the alpha’s arms. He catches him easily, strong arms wrapping around his waist like it’s second nature, and Jimin is just so excited he doesn’t care about propriety or social norms. His wolf is returning to himself, and now Jimin has a friend.

Aside from the cats, he’s never had a real friend before.

He can’t get much out of him for the rest of the day, it’s all grunts and humming and the occasional yes or no response, but the witch doesn’t care. He’s just happy to have made so much progress, and finds himself excited to wake up the next morning to see how much further things would progress.

But there is the problem of sleeping arrangements.

It’s specifically a problem for him though, because Jeongguk has no issue continuing to do exactly what they’ve been doing every night since the first. Jimin sighs as he sinks into bed and the considerably larger man follows right after, ignoring his half hearted attempts to dissuade him, “Yeah, no I guess it’s fine,” Jimin mutters, “maybe you could… stick to your side of the bed a little… more than you have been?”

The alpha blinks down at him from where he’s arranging the blankets so that Jimin is completely covered, “Why?”

“Um, well, it’s not exactly… comfortable for me?”

Jeongguk frowns, “I could smell how much you liked waking up this morning,” he points out, “you were happy.”

“Ah,” Jimin says, processing the fact that he apparently has a scent that Jeongguk can detect, “well, I mean–”

Jeongguk flops down beside him in such a decisive manner that Jimin cuts off before he can really make any attempts to explain himself, then proceeds to wrap an arm around his waist and pull him close, nuzzling into his shoulder and falling asleep within minutes.

“This is hilarious, I don’t think I’ve ever been more entertained in my life,” Seokjin meows.

“You always did enjoy watching other people suffer,” Yoongi says.

“He’s the worst,” Hoseok agrees.

“You’re all the worst,” Jimin says, “every single one of you.”

It takes him a long time to fall asleep that night.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

The next morning dawns with no sign of the storm abating, snow falls steadily, dancing down from the matte gray skies with a heaviness that hints at no break on the horizon. Jimin does what he always does on days like this, he reads and does small magics to keep himself entertained, bakes some bread, writes in his grimoire and plays with the cats.

But now there is the added distraction that is Jeongguk.

Jeongguk who doesn’t understand personal space, Jeongguk who gives monosyllabic replies if he replies at all, Jeongguk who has to be reminded to wear the robe Jimin gave him, then to belt said robe. Jeongguk who is very, very strong and handsome and handsy . Jeongguk who seems to think Jimin is his . The cats have a field day with it, because of course they do, and Jimin does his best to ignore their quiet laughter when he goes to sit on the sofa and Jeongguk tugs him down, practically into his lap, and wraps an arm around his waist.

There will be no reading getting done like this, Jimin thinks tiredly.

He sets his book aside and turns to face the alpha, who regards him with calm, scarlet laced eyes, and he asks the question that has been plaguing his thoughts since the wolf first arrived, “What brought you to my door, Jeongguk?”

The wolf frowns, and instead of responding, tugs Jimin closer, large hands pulling until he has no choice but to straddle the others lap, and then Jeongguk just… hugs him. Jimin sits there for a moment, unable to react, but eventually he gives in to the instinctual need to comfort and hugs him back. He rests his chin on one broad shoulder and they sit there in the quiet until finally Jeongguk says, ever so softly, “They were forcing me to mate someone.”

Jimin goes to pull back, but Jeongguk tightens his hold on him, so Jimin stays and listens as the alpha continues, “Me… my wolf… we hated it, we knew you were out here somewhere, waiting for us, and they wanted to take that away… I ran… I shifted and I ran and I knew that… I risked much in doing so, but in the end the risk was worth it, because I found you.”

“That’s… a lot to digest,” Jimin admits, “though I do appreciate your honesty.”

“I will try to always be honest with you,” Jeongguk replies.

Jimin nods, “That’s certainly a good foundation for a relationship, which we aren’t diving into, by the way! Just so we’re clear! On that!” He shakes his head, because he can hear at least three cats laughing behind him, “Can I please sit normally now?”

Jeongguk frowns but releases his hold on Jimin’s waist, who proceeds to scramble off and sit at a sane distance from the alpha, he can’t help but notice how his eyes narrow slightly at the distance, but he makes no move to breach the divide, so Jimin counts it as a win. He also notes there is still a hint of red lacing the other’s eyes, but it’s barely there, Jeongguk slowly becoming more and more himself and less an instinct-driven wolf. Maybe, Jimin thinks, with the full receding of the red Jeongguk will be willing to respect his personal space.

It's only a very small part of Jimin that doesn’t want that at all.

“So, we’re basically strangers,” Jimin points out, “We’ve spent some time together but you were a huge wolf then so there wasn’t a lot of communicating going on. Congratulations on finding me, by the way, that seems like it was pretty important to your story line, but I’m going to need time to decide if I’m interested in pursuing a relationship with you. Please ignore that I’ve been letting you sleep in my bed.”

Jeongguk nods seriously, “I assumed I would need to court you, that’s why I’ve been bringing you food.”

Jimin blinks, “Ah, well I was a bit suspicious of that, if I’m honest.” He taps his lower lip in thought and tries his best to be pragmatic about all this, because what else can he do? There’s the option of rejecting the alpha outright, of course, his sixth sense— to which he is highly attuned and inclined to listen to, says he shouldn’t, and maybe this is when he realizes that his sixth sense might also be a stupid romantic, but still… he’s been alone for a long time, and Jeongguk is very handsome…

He shakes his head and forces himself to focus, though he does reach across the space between them and tug Jeongguk’s robe more closed over his chest so he can actually accomplish that, “So, let’s see how winter goes, okay? Let’s… uh, take our time to get to know each other and see how we feel come spring.”

Jeongguk nods, dark eyes so serious and determined, “Can I court you in the meantime?”

“What exactly does that entail?” Jimin asks delicately, because sure he’s done some research, but that doesn’t mean the books he’s read were correct, or that Jeongguk wasn’t raised with different traditions.

“I provide for you to show you I’m a good mate and to prove that I’ll be able to take care of you,” Jeongguk replies as his shoulders roll back and his chest puffs out, and Jimin would be lying to himself if he didn’t find it strangely endearing, “I will hunt and forage, make sure you are always warm and fed, and gift you things, like furs, that I can make using my own two hands.”

Back at the village courting entailed a lot of loitering in one place hoping to catch sight of your intended, followed by saying stupid things that you would later regret, so Jimin is pretty impressed by the work Jeongguk is willing to put forth to show he’s make a good mate, and it’s not every day one is approached by an incredibly handsome, muscular alpha shifter who risked madness just to be by their chosen person’s side. Maybe it’s impulsive (it absolutely is), but Jimin finds himself inclined to agree, if only because he’s very lonely and aside from a chance at a relationship, Jeongguk doesn’t actively want anything from him.

There’s just one thing Jimin is worried about, and maybe there should be more than one, but this is the first thing that comes to mind, birthed from a long list of insecurities and people being interested in him because they thought the curse meant they could control him, “Are you sure though, about me?” He asks, quieter than he intended because he’s very uncertain, “I’m not an omega, I’m just a cursed witch in the wood, I don’t have a lot going for me, and I’m sure you could do better, I mean look at—”

He hears a low, rumbling growl come from the alpha and he looks up from where he’d been nervously picking at the edge of his sleeve to meet a very fierce gaze, “Do not,” Jeongguk says, voice low, “speak badly of yourself again,” he pauses, swallows back his growl, “please.” He adds softly.

Jimin is ruined in the best possible sense of the word.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Getting courted is actually really nice, Jimin realizes a day or so later.

It’s extra amazing because he’s never had anyone who wanted to take care of him before this. His mother and father weren’t really present most of the time, having no idea what to do with a witch child birthed by some throw-back genetics. His grandmothers had been better, but they were elderly when he was born, and both of them had passed by the time he was eleven. As for the rest of their village… they had either shunned him or taken advantage of him, sometimes both, depending on if they wanted anything from him.

He mentions it off handedly one afternoon to Jeongguk, who growls low in his throat before biting it back with a frown, “You should always be taken care of Jimin,” he says, “and it was wrong of those people to take advantage of you.”

Jimin blinks, because while he’s often thought that himself, hearing it come from someone else has more impact than he realized it would. He blinks again and a moment later realizes he’s actually blinking back tears and the next thing he knows he’s in Jeongguk’s arms, being hugged, just hugged, and it just makes him cry harder. He hates crying, but he can’t seem to stop, sobbing and hiccuping a little in the circle of the other man’s arms.

And Jeongguk just keeps holding him.

Eventually his tears give way to quiet, and the alpha steps back and tilts his face up with one large hand, “Better?” He asks.

Jimin shrugs, then nods, then sighs, “Yes, a little, maybe… I don’t know.”

“That’s fine,” Jeongguk assures him, “you don’t have to know.”

Jimin is sort of amazed by how wise he is.

Their conversations slowly become more detailed as Jeongguk recovers more and more of himself. He tells stories of pack life, little things that hint at a much more complicated way of living than Jimin had read about in his books. Pack dynamics sound convoluted and strange to him, a hierarchy based on mating and subgenders and blood relations that seems annoying at best and downright archaic at worst. He doesn’t voice his opinion of that to Jeongguk, at least until he understands a bit more about the arranged mating the alpha had fled from, then he has trouble holding back.

“So, because she was born with a higher standing in the pack she could choose whoever she wanted to mate? But what about you? Didn’t you get a choice?”

“I was only a hunter, a common alpha with little social standing,” Jeongguk replies with a shrug, “what I wanted didn’t matter.”

“But it did,” Jimin says, crawling across the sofa to kneel at Jeongguk’s side, little hands poking his leg, “it did matter because you ran.”

Jeongguk looks at him with so much fondness, captures his hands in his and plays with his fingers, “Once I sensed that you were out here, I knew I couldn’t give myself to anyone else.”

He says it like it’s the easiest thing in the world, like he doesn’t mind at all that he had to abandon his entire life and risk permanent madness just to find Jimin. Guilt gnaws at him, even though there was nothing he could do to change what occurred, and Jeongguk seems to sense his feelings because he gives his hands a gentle squeeze, “I promise that if you let us build a life together, I will show you how worthy and worth it what I did was.”

Jimin laughs, but it’s a broken sounding little thing, “Are you certain? I am cursed, you know, and a loner, and—”

“Jimin,” Jeongguk says gently, “what matters is you, not the state of you.”

That shouldn’t shock Jimin to the core of his soul, and yet somehow it does.

Things get easier after that.

Jeongguk is gently affectionate, but not overbearing, his gaze lingers just as his hands do on the occasion that they touch, but he lets Jimin initiate things, doesn’t rush or push or take more than is offered. He still sleeps in the same bed each night, but more often than not it is Jimin who crosses the divide between them, tentative but hungry for his warmth, desperate to feel contact with someone who doesn’t want anything from him except for him to be himself.

The courting is a nice bonus, Jeongguk is good at providing, hunting and foraging even in the cold, though he is careful now to stay close to the cottage, not wanting to anger the local pack or cause any more trouble, and it’s not just food he brings back. He gathers all sorts of things, pretty stones from the river bank, interesting fallen wood, one time he even came back with a box of tea he traded from a passing merchant when he’d gotten close to the road.

Then one day he comes back with a cold.

Werewolf colds are terrible, Jimin very quickly learns.

Jeongguk already runs warm, but now he has a fever and it’s frankly terrifying every time Jimin touches him. Then there’s the sneezing, and the deep, rumbling cough that sends the cats scattering every time it erupts from his chest. The alpha tries to play it off as nothing serious, but Jimin is not a fool and is not afraid to bully him into laying on the couch and accepting that he simply cannot push himself any more than he already has.

“Are all alphas stubborn like you?” Jimin asks as he shoves Jeongguk back down for the umpteenth time that day. “Or did I get one that is just particularly stubborn?”

Jeongguk smiles tiredly, then sneezes, then smiles again, “My grandma always said my stubbornness was one of my best qualities.”

“And I suppose she often took care of you when you got yourself sick,” Jimin teases as he steps back from the sofa with narrowed eyes, “try to stay still for at least a little while, you need to rest.”

“I won’t be sick for long,” Jeongguk assures him.

“And you’ll be sick for even less time if you let me take care of you,” Jimin says firmly.

The half-smile falls from Jeongguk’s lips and he looks up at Jimin with wide eyes, “You aren’t doing this because you’re compelled to… right?”

Jimin pauses with a frown, because it honestly hadn’t even crossed his mind, “Um… no?” He replies, though he sounds uncertain even to his own ears, “It doesn’t feel like it anyway, it just feels normal, like it’s something I want to do because I care.”

“Oh, well then,” Jeongguk falls back into the cushions with a sigh, “that’s okay.”

Jimin studies the handsome alpha’s face for some time after his eyes flutter shut, still a little amazed by how kind and good he is. Maybe he’s bitter from his years in the village, but Jeongguk never stops surprising him with his kindness. He goes to the kitchen and makes some soup, gives the broth to the cats for dinner and takes two bowls out into the sitting area for them to enjoy. Jeongguk props himself up and goes to shift enough to allow Jimin to sit next to him, but the witch shakes his head and settles on the floor with his back to the couch and cradles his bowl in one hand.

“You know,” Jeongguk says quietly over the crackle of the fire and sound of five cats eating dinner, “you didn’t have to agree to let me court you.”

Jimin thinks about his response for a while, but eventually decides that honesty is the best approach to this situation, “I didn’t,” he agrees, “but… I was curious and you… intrigued me.”

“Oh, is that all?” Jeongguk asks, sounding more amused than anything.

“Okay, well, at first you were terrifying and you can’t blame me for thinking so.” Jimin says defensively, “But then you weren’t frightening and I realized you were actually a big puppy.”

There’s a playful growl from behind him, followed by a quiet sneeze, and then they sit in comfortable silence for a while, and Jimin thinks to himself that he could very easily get used to this.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Jeongguk’s cold only lasts a day or so, and when Jimin asks him about it, he puffs his chest out and jokes about alpha healing abilities to the point where Jimin is rolling his eyes and laughing, which makes Jeongguk look even more smug and proud, grinning as he lifts Jimin up by his hips, as if needing to prove just how healed he is.

The snow stops eventually too, giving way to glaringly bright sunlit days where the trees drip so much it is like walking in the rain as they wonder the woods together, Jeongguk in his wolf form, Jimin wrapped in a cloak made by the alpha himself, and Namjoon has chosen to brave the elements at his side, having gotten tired of being trapped indoors.

Spring is on its way and Jimin couldn’t be more excited. It’s his favorite season, especially now that he lives out in the woods and gets to watch the world come alive day by day around him. But with the melting of the snow and the warming of the days comes the risk of visitors, and soon their peace is shattered by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

Jimin freezes where he stands, eyes wide as he looks at Jeongguk, whose eyes flash red at the sound. It’s been so long since he’d shown any sign of feralness that Jimin had forgotten it had been there at all. He goes to answer the door, but before he can the wolf is in front of him, barring his path, “Jeongguk?” He whispers, small hands coming up to cradle the alpha’s face, “Are you okay?”

Jeongguk blinks, and then frowns— scowls even, lips half twisted into a snarl, “Don’t answer it,” he says and though he looks angry his tone is pleading, “let me.”

Now it’s Jimin’s turn to frown, “But why?”

More knocking, another flash of red in the depths of Jeongguk’s gaze.

“Because,” the wolf almost growls, “I don’t want anyone to take advantage of you.”

Jimin freezes and his eyes go wide, but he gathers his thoughts enough to say, “Okay, but whoever is out there, don’t attack them outright? Just… find out what they want, and um… I guess let me know what they say?”

“Or I could just pretend you don’t live here anymore and growl at them until they leave.”

Jimin thinks about that offer, how if it was a villager they’d no doubt return home with stories of the feral wolf man now occupying the witches cottage, and maybe, just maybe Jimin would get some peace and quiet for once, “You know what?” He says, “That actually sounds amazing, I’m going to go upstairs so I don’t overhear the conversation, come up when it’s over and let me know how it goes.” Then, in a rush of sudden impulsiveness, he stands on his tiptoes and presses a kiss to Jeongguk’s cheek before fleeing to the back of the cottage and up the stairwell.

He closes himself in his bedroom and sinks onto the bed, fidgeting with the sleeves of his tunic as he does his best to not listen to the conversation. Luckily the wooden walls are thick and he can barely discern the faintest of rumblings, which he guesses is Jeongguk lower tone. Curiosity gets the better of him after a moment though, and he can’t resist tip-toeing over to the window to peer down at the little porch, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever came calling.

A couple minutes pass and Jimin’s honestly amazed that the visitor has lasted this long, but then he hears a sharp snarl come from out of his line of sight, and his heart clenches in his chest as worry consumes him. A moment later he sees a figure cut across the grass and away from the door, one he recognizes as Ryung, a young man from the village, and one who had often made Jimin’s life a living hell before he’d fled into the forest.

He’s rushing down the steps a moment later to find Jeongguk standing there with the door still open, one hand clutching the frame so hard that the wood has begun to warp and splinter beneath his grasp, “Jeongguk?” He asks, taking a tentative step closer, watching the way the alpha’s shoulders heave from heavy breathing, and how the faintest whisper of a growl still seems to linger in his chest.

Jeongguk spins on his heel and looks at Jimin, eyes wide and red and fangs a little elongated. He looks wild and fierce and beautiful, and Jimin can’t help the way his breath catches a little at the sight, at the way his heart stutters and stops and then flutters to life once more. He doesn’t hesitate anymore, not an ounce of fear in his body as he rushes forward and wraps both arms around Jeongguk, holding him close as he shoves his face into his neck and scents him as best as his human body will allow.

Slowly the growling subsides and Jeongguk’s breathing quiets, both arms coming up to wrap around Jimin securely, as he bares his neck and lets Jimin do as he pleases. The witch knows it’s not exactly the same, how could it be, but he still does what he can, dragging his nose up and down the strong column of Jeongguk’s throat until the tension has bled from his body and he is half supporting the alphas weight in his arms. Carefully, gently, he presses the softest of kisses to his scent gland and then pulls back to look up into clear, gentle brown eyes.

“Are you alright?” Jimin whispers.

Jeongguk tucks a loose strand of hair behind Jimin’s ear and smiles, “I am now, thank you for letting me answer the door.”

Jimin nods and thinks about stepping back, but decides against it, comfortable in the circle of Jungkook's arms, “What did he want?”

But the alpha only shakes his head, “I’d rather not talk about it, let’s just say that I’m glad I was the one to answer and leave it at that.”

Jimin frowns, but decides not to press for more information, not wanting to upset Jeongguk again, “Okay,” he agrees softly, “thank you for… for keeping me safe.”

Jeongguk sighs and presses a kiss to the top of Jimin’s head, “Always, little one, always.”

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Winter is passing and spring is arriving and to Jimin it feels as though a weight has been lifted from his shoulders every time he stands in warm sunlight and takes in the sight of the forest slowly waking. The days are still short and the nights cold, but there are little whispers of green on the tips of bare tree limbs and birds have begun to migrate from the south up into the northern reaches of the land. His magic hums and sings inside of him, his power always waxing as a solstice or equinox approaches, and occasionally it gets out of hand, simply too excited to stay properly contained.

“Oh! Oh no!” Jimin laughs, delighted by the sudden burst of bubbles that erupt from the sink full of dishes in front of him, they fly everywhere, large and rainbow hued in the shafts of sunlight that lance through the window. Taehyung and Hoseok are on full alert, chasing and leaping at any bubbles that get within paws reach, and Jimin can’t help but spin in place, the bubbles spiraling around him happily as he throws his head back, giddy with delight.

When he stops spinning he sees Jeongguk leaning up against the doorway into the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest and a small smile on his face, his hair pulled back into a little knot and a few loose tendrils framing his handsome features and oh…

Oh.

Jimin’s magic sings at the sight of him, flying out unsummoned to ruffle the pages of open books and set the silver to chiming, it dances through the room and leaves in its wake little paths of glitter and gold and bubbles and spins itself around the alpha, as drawn to him as Jimin finds himself to be. A happy victim to the charms of this wolf who has made a home of this place in every sense of the word.

Jimin is done being afraid, he thinks.

Jeongguk has been diligent in his courting, Jimin has never spent a winter so well-fed and warm, and not only that, but he is so gentle, so kind and considerate. Gone is the feral beast, replaced by a tall, imposing figure that hides a heart of gold and a gorgeous smile.

Typically the return of warmer weather brings an influx of visitors from the village, but so far this year there are none, and Jimin suspects it is because word has spread of the feral alpha who now resides in the cottage. Jimin is grateful, and more determined than ever to never return to its haphazard streets and its leering citizens ever again. He feels safe and content in a way he doesn’t recall ever feeling before, cared for, maybe even loved.

He follows the flow of his magic across the kitchen and into Jeongguks arms, spread wide to receive him, and maybe the wolf feels it too, this thrumming of magic and shifting of seasons that makes his blood sing bright in his veins. Strong hands reach down to pull him up, and a moment later he is being held aloft, legs wrapped around the alpha’s waist and arms draped over broad shoulders, laughing as Jeongguk growls playfully and presses kisses to his chest and stomach, nipping at the shirt as though he wants it gone.

“Hello.” Jimin whispers once they have both calmed down, though magic still sparkles in the air around them.

“Hello.” Jeongguk whispers back, and his eyes are warm and brown and Jimin is drowning happily in their depths.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“Do you have anything in the way of tools lying about?” Jeongguk asks one morning over breakfast.

“What kind of tools do you need?” Jimin asks, smiling a little when the alpha picks up a spoonful of food and deposits it on Jimin’s plate. He’s long since stopped attempting to dissuade him from doing it, understanding now that it’s just one of the myriad of ways that the shifter’s instincts tell him to take care of Jimin, and considering the massive portion already on Jeongguk’s plate, he doesn’t worry that the other man might be hungry by the end of the meal.

It turns out Jeongguk needs a lot of things, many of which Jimin doesn’t have, things that they would have to get from town, and the thought leaves a sour taste in his mouth that lingers no matter how much he eats.

“I’ll go alone,” Jeongguk assures him, “it will be fine.”

“Will it?” Jimin wonders morosely, “Are you sure… you don’t think the pack will give you any trouble, right?”

“I’m sure it will be fine if I stay on the main path, and they’ve allowed me to hunt around the cottage, it seems like a simple trek into town is fine.”

“And what about…” Jimin trails off and bites his lower lip, unsure how to bring up the chance that Jeongguk might go feral again, but it’s as though the alpha can sense his unease (and he probably can in his scent), so it’s only a moment later that a strong hand is tugging Jimin's chair over and a low voice is rumbling in his ear.

“Trust me, Jimin, I’ll be okay.”

Jimin swallows and nods, at a loss for how to respond because his insides are too busy twisting themselves into knots, “I trust you but…” He can feel the blush spreading across his cheeks, bright like firelight and just as warm as he ducks his head a little, “just come home safe, okay?”

A low rumbling sound comes out of Jeongguk, akin to a growl but somehow softer and much more gentle. It sounds… content, and for the first time, Jimin wonders what it would be like to be able to smell Jeongguk’s scent like the alpha can his, to know his moods from the shifting of it, to never have to ask because his instincts tell him exactly what he needs to know.

It makes him a little sad, to know they will never have that sort of connection, that he’ll never quite know what Jeongguk needs, despite the wolf telling him otherwise.

“Your scent is off,” the alpha murmurs, “what’s wrong, little witch?”

“It’s nothing, just me being silly,” Jimin assures him.

“Hmm… are you sure?” Jeongguk asks, and he’s so gentle, so kind and patient, the least Jimin can do is be honest with him.

“I’m just sad that I can’t smell you the way you do me, that I…” he swallows, because suddenly he feels a little sad and lost, his voice wavering once he rallies himself enough to continue, “I want to be able to scent you, to be scented by you, to have the same instincts and to experience the sort of connection we’d have if I were a wolf too.” He traces the patterns of the worn table with one hand, “I wish I was better for you.”

“Jimin, you don’t need to be better because you are already perfect for me.” Jeongguk assures him, “And I’ll keep telling you that over and over until you believe me.”

Jimin ducks his head to hide his blush, but long fingers coax him to look back up and then there is a gentle kiss being pressed to the tip of his nose, followed by those same fingers booping it lightly. It coaxes a smile and a laugh from him, his cheeks warm like they always are whenever the alpha does things like this, and he asks on impulse, “What do I smell like, exactly?”

Jeongguk cocks his head to the side, a thoughtful expression on his face, “Sweet, like wildflowers and raspberries.”

Jimin nods, lips pushed out in a pout, “And what about you?” He asks, “What is your scent?”

Jeongguk smiles, “You should be able to pick it up if you go right to the source.”

The witch raises a single eyebrow, “Is that your way of tricking me into scenting you?”

Jeongguk laughs, all low and mellow, “Jimin, you already scented me once, remember?”

Jimin doesn’t know if he can blush any harder at this point, “I… I guess I wasn’t paying attention, but…” his words fade as he swallows, “it feels very intimate to do something like that.”

“It is,” Jeongguk agrees.

This does nothing to ease his embarrassment, but then Jeongguk is bearing his neck to Jimin, and he knows, he knows that an alpha rarely does that to anyone, that it goes against their instincts completely, unless there is trust and love involved. He leans in, not wanting Jeongguk to feel like his trust is misplaced, presses his nose to his scent gland and takes a deep breath.

It’s faint, but he can detect little notes of freshly turned earth, of green and growing things, of spring, “Oh,” he whispers, awed that one of his favorite scents is there, embedded into the skin of Jeongguk, “oh wow.”

“You like it?” Jeongguk asks, voice deeper than ever, rich and smooth and warm.

“Yes,” Jimin breathes, “it’s… it’s perfect.”

“I think it compliments yours really well,” the alpha says gently.

And it does, it really does.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Jimin reluctantly agrees to Jeongguk going to the village, not that he would ever actually stop the wolf from doing what he wants, but he can’t help but hate the fact that he’s just… leaving. Never mind that he’ll be back, it’s been weeks since he was alone here and he’s not looking forward to it. He pouts all the way through breakfast, and Jeongguk seems to find it wildly endearing, laughing afterward as he picks Jimin up and spins him around, obviously pleased that the witch is reluctant to let him go.

“I’ll be back by sunset,” he promises, “now let me scent you so my wolf will calm down, and promise you won’t go into the woods without me.”

“I lived here alone for years you know, walked the forest by myself too,” Jimin points out, still pouting even in the alphas arms, “I’m very capable.”

“I have no doubt that you are, but allow me my concern please,” Jeongguk whispers, “I am my wolf, remember, and he is not a rational beast when it comes to you.”

Jimin gives him a begrudging smile, endeared in spite of his annoyance, “I will be good,” he says softly, and the words light a faint fire in Jeongguk’s eyes.

“How good, little witch?” He asks lowly.

Jimin wishes he could stop blushing forever, because surely it can’t be healthy for so much of his blood to be rushing to his cheeks every day, “Very good,” he whispers.

“For me?” The alpha prompts.

“For you,” Jimin agrees.

Jeongguk growls and grins, wolf and man and wild and beautiful and Jimin might be cursed but he realizes now that he also might be blessed, “Let me scent you before I leave?” The alpha asks, and Jimin is pretty certain he would do anything for this man, that his heart has melted along with the last of winter's snow, and he is blooming just the same as the forest outside.

“Okay,” he agrees.

Jeongguk doesn’t hesitate to hoist him a little higher in his arms and then march with determination to the bedroom, cats scattering before him as he stomps towards the stairs and up to the second story. A moment later and he is kicking the door further open and laying Jimin in bed, following close behind to drape himself over Jimin’s body, his weight more comforting than crushing, and Jimin can’t help but wrap both arms around his narrow waist, bearing his neck happily to the alpha, who dives in without hesitation, obviously happy from the way he rumbles and purrs.

He takes his time scenting Jimin, careful and slow, mapping every bit of his skin with his nose before returning to trace the same paths with his lips, his breath warm and a little ragged against Jimin’s flesh. He feels heat pool in his stomach, unable to hold back the little whimper that escapes when Jeongguk nips lightly at his shoulder before soothing the bite with a flurry of kisses. He switches to the other side, hands gently urging Jimin to tilt his head in the other direction, and continues his work there, slow and careful and thorough, and a stray thought wanders into Jimin’s rapidly quieting thoughts.

Is this how he makes love, too?

The thought sends a thrill through his body, the idea of Jeongguk taking his time with him like this while they’re both naked and hard sparks something inside of him, and a soft moan slips past his lips unbidden as his eyes flutter shut, only to open again a moment later when Jeongguk pulls away. He feels lost without his attention, whining a little at the lack of contact, but when he opens his eyes he quiets immediately. Jeongguk towers over him, his breath ragged in his throat, pupils blown wide and black, and his irises laced with scarlet. His lips are red and plush from the work of kissing Jimin, and his robe has slipped from one shoulder, exposing his muscular chest to Jimin’s devouring eyes.

Wolf, his mind whispers.

My wolf, his heart claims.

They stare at each other for a breathless handful of heartbeats, but then Jeongguk is leaning down and for a moment Jimin thinks he’s going to kiss him, and he does, but it’s just to the corner of his lips, a there and gone again instant that still leaves something burning within him, something desperate and hungry for more, “Jeongguk,” he whispers, not sure where he’s going with his words, “Jeongguk.”

“Shh, I know,” the alpha whispers, but then he’s climbing off of Jimin and leaving the bed and he is fairly certain that the wolf does not, in fact, know.

Either that or he has much more self control than Jimin does.

He leaves not too long after, cupping Jimin’s cheek with one large hand and pressing a kiss to his forehead, “Be back sooner than you think, little witch,” and then he’s gone, striding off into the woods like some wandering god, barefoot and robed and glorious, and Jimin aches with a need he’s rapidly becoming accustomed to.

“You like him,” Yoongi says from his feet.

“Am I that obvious?” Jimin muses as he crouches down and scratches behind the cat's ears.

“You know as well as I do the answer to that,” Yoongi replies, making lazy biscuits on the worn floor.

“I like him too!” Hoseok meows from on top of a cupboard, “Now that he’s not scary.”

Jimin chuckles as he steps back inside and locks the door, content to do just what Jeongguk asked, stay inside and wait for his return. He imagines what it will be like at the village, its citizens always willing to stare and gawk and speculate about any visitors they might receive. What will they think of Jeongguk, Jimin wonders, all tall and proud and beautiful, barefoot and robed and glorious. He imagines the teenage girls who will point and laugh behind raised hands, making jokes about things they don’t understand. And he can practically see the way the young men of the town will posture and glare, pretending as best they can that they are not intimidated by the towering alpha.

It’s funny, but there is a spark of possessiveness in him, but no jealousy, he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has Jeongguk’s heart, and he is fairly certain that the alpha will have his, if he doesn’t already.

Jimin decides about an hour into Jeongguk being gone that he does not like it one bit. He paces and scowls out the window at the forest as though it personally offended him. He pouts on the sofa before stomping up the stairs to pout in bed, face pushed into Jeongguk’s pillow, then pouts in the kitchen when he begrudgingly makes lunch for one instead of two.

He’s being silly, he knows he is, but he really has become attached to the alpha in ways he’s never felt for anyone else. He’d be a bit embarrassed (the cats, independent creatures that they are, seem to think he should be), if he felt like his feelings were one-sided, but they’re not, so why bother being ashamed.

Instead he chooses grumpy.

It’s late evening when he sees the first flicker of movement from his place on the roof. It’s a little chilly, and his bare feet are cold where they’re pressed against the shingles, but the wind feels good and the first stars are blinking awake overhead and the woods have been whispering about a wanderer returning.

Jimin knows exactly who that is.

He stands on steady legs and waits until he sees a tall, broad figure emerge from the treeline, and without a moment's hesitation, he takes a few steps back and sprints towards the edge of the roof, leaping into the air and letting the wind and his magic carry him, arms open wide as he flies.

He hears a startled exclamation from Jeongguk, who drops the things he’s carrying without hesitation and opens his arms to catch Jimin, who lands softly and safely, a beaming smile on his lips as he looks up at the alpha, “Hello, I missed you,” he says.

Jeongguk stares down at him, wide eyed, then huffs out an amused sigh, “Yes, I can see that,” he replies before bending down to press a soft kiss to his forehead, “next time try not to frighten me as much though.”

Jimin pouts (again) at the thought of there being a next time at all, “Just don’t leave and I won’t have to miss you,” he points out, well aware that he sounds a bit petulant. 

But Jeongguk doesn’t call him out on it, he just smiles, “I missed you too, little witch.”

He lowers Jimin to the ground, and as curious as ever, Jimin can’t help but investigate what he brought with him. It’s an array of tools —well made and sturdy, “What is all this for?” he asks, “Are you planning on building a house?”

“No,” the alpha replies, “I’m planning on repairing ours.”

“Oh,” Jimin says lamely, mind spiraling around the word “ours” because when did that happen and how does he feel so okay with it, “do you want help?”

Jeongguk looks at him with so much fondness that Jimin can’t even maintain eye contact for more than a moment, blush rising when he hears a low chuckle and a hand cards gently through his hair, “Let me do this for you,” the alpha says gently, “it will be my final gift to you.”

That gets Jimin to look up, eyes a little wide, “You don’t have to do that, it’s a lot— so much, I mean… the whole cottage?”

Jeongguk grins, “In our pack it was traditional to build an entire house for your mate, but that doesn’t seem necessary here.” He glances around the room and nods, “The bones of it are good, solid, it would be a waste to abandon it for something new. Besides, it feels like you in here, I can’t really imagine making you live somewhere else.”

They spend the day outside, Jimin tends to his garden, turning the earth and readying the soil for the seedlings that sprout on warm window sills inside, but it’s hard to concentrate with Jeongguk working nearby, especially as the sun rises higher and the alpha decides to work shirtless, his muscles prominent under the zeniths light, shining with a light sheen of sweat and gloriously distracting.

They break for lunch, taking it outside in the new green grass, and Jeongguk watches with shining eyes as birds flutter around Jimin, landing on the ground around him and fluttering their wings excitedly, drawn in by the sweet song of his magic as it resonates with spring and the wolf himself, all tangled and twisted like new vines, and Jimin’s laughter mingles with the sound of their delicate calls.

Jeongguk scoots closer, disturbing the birds momentarily as he fusses with Jimin’s food, giving him a bigger portion than he does for himself, and grinning in response to Jimin’s question, “Why do you always make sure I have more food than you?”

“Ah, I guess it’s instinct more than anything, to make sure a ma— someone we care for is fed.” Jeongguk corrects himself swiftly, ducking his head a little at the end of the sentence, but rallying quickly enough in order to pick up a morsel of food and press it gently to Jimin’s lips. He opens them automatically, and they brush over Jeongguk’s fingertips, gentle and soft, and the alpha's eyes grow dark and full of wanting.

He realizes very suddenly that he is tired of all this waiting, this tension, something in him ready to snap if he has to go much longer without touching Jeongguk, kissing him and worshiping him like he so deserves.

Except he really has no idea what to expect from Jeongguk in bed, and if there is one thing he doesn’t like, it’s going into something unprepared. So that night, he curls up in front of the fire after being chased from the kitchen (again) while Jeongguk makes them dinner.

Surely his books will explain what to expect from being intimate with an alpha, and while they do, he finds himself a blushing mess the entire time he’s reading. Eyes a little wide and lips pushed out in concentration as he learns about things like knots and slick and pheromones and it’s a lot for a little witch in the woods to take in, so he tucks the book away after a handful of pages and instead stares at the fire, once more filled with doubt over whether or not he’s the right fit for the alpha.

He doesn’t have the anatomy of an omega, there are just no two ways about it. He’s human and there’s not a thing he can do to change that, or at least that’s what logic tells him. Still logic and magic have little connection to one another, and he wonders suddenly if there isn’t a way for him to replicate at least some of the attributes an omega would have.

Fueled by this newfound desire, he grabs his books once more and begins to page through them, looking for anything that might suggest that it’s possible to replicate at least some omega characteristics.

Eventually he finds a short chapter at the end of one of his books titled, “Human and Wolf Relationships” and he reads through it excitedly for the first couple of paragraphs before becoming disheartened, because whoever wrote this is obviously not in favor of the pairing.

“Anatomically and culturally wolves and humans are dissimilar in enough ways that a pairing between the two rarely happens, and even if both parties are willing participants, the chances of them staying together are slim to none.”

Jimin closes the book with a decisive snap and throws it aside; if that was only the first paragraph he can’t imagine what the rest of the chapter will be about. And besides, he’s never been inclined to listen when someone tells him no.

He’ll have to figure out something on his own, he decides.

So that night, long after Jeongguk is asleep and snoring softly, he carefully disentangles himself from the alpha and locks himself in his spell room, away from the curious eyes of his cats.

“What are you doing?” Seokjin asks before he can close the door.

“None of your business,” Jimin replies before shutting the door firmly and locking it for good measure.

An hour later he leaves the room flushed, disoriented, but successful, only to be met by a worried looking Jeongguk sitting at the bottom of the stairs.

“What were you—” Jeongguk cuts his words off and his eyes grow wide as his nostrils flare. Without another word he stands and draws closer, seemingly entranced by Jimin, who has not had a chance to clean himself up, so he knows he must look like a disheveled mess.

Plus he smells a lot like raspberries.

He had absolutely no say in the scent but he’s pretty happy with it regardless, and Jeongguk…

Jeongguk looks mesmerized.

“Why do you…” the alpha takes a step closer, eyes raking up and down Jimin’s body, taking in his flushed cheeks and his disheveled hair, “What were you doing in there?” He asks, and his voice is low, rumbling, somewhere between a growl and a murmur, heady like sweet summer wine, and Jimin, still flush with want but unsatisfied, feels a fire start to blaze inside of him.

“Figuring out if I could be good for you,” Jimin replies, voice just as low. He doesn’t explain himself further, they both know what he’s implying.

Jeongguk’s eyes flare red for just a second and his tongue darts out to trace his lips, “I can’t imagine a world where you aren’t,” he breathes, “but I’m still curious, did you figure it out? Can you be good for me?”

He steps closer, close enough that Jimin can feel the heat of him, and he finds that in his heightened state, magic thrumming through him and affecting his body, he can pick up Jeongguk’s scent much easier as well.

“I can,” Jimin whispers, chin tilted up proudly, “I can be very, very good for you…” he smiles, a little lopsided thing, “would you like me to prove it?”

The only response he gets is a growl, then his whole world tilts sideways as Jeongguk sweeps him up in his arms and carries him up the stairs and into the bedroom so quickly that the world becomes a blur.

“What did you do in there?” Jeongguk growls, though his tone is belied by the gentleness with which he lowers Jimin onto the bed.

Jimin blushes and looks away, more than a little embarrassed by the question, and having not really been prepared to talk about it so soon. A gentle touch coaxes him into meeting Jeongguk’s weighted gaze and he reminds himself that this man, this wolf, utterly adores him. That he risked madness and death to find him.

There’s really no reason to be ashamed.

“I like you,” Jimin admits softly, “so much, and I know that’s probably really obvious at this point but I just… I just want to make sure I can be good in all the ways you’ll need me to be, that I know when we…” he trails off and wets his lips nervously, shyly, eyes flickering to the side then back again, where he is met with a patient and gentle gaze, “when we make love, I want to know that I can be the best for you.”

“Jimin,” Jeongguk says, and there’s so much adoration in his tone that it makes something in Jimin swell up and threaten to burst, “you were made for me, of course you will be the best.”

“No, but…” Jimin takes a deep breath and forces himself to get the rest out, “I was reading, and there are… things about omegas that are different, things that my body isn’t equipped to do naturally, but I have magic and honestly there aren’t a lot of hard and fast rules as to how it works so I sort of… gods this is so hard to talk about!” He laughs at himself and drags a hand down his face, his cheeks so hot underneath his touch. He closes his eyes and finds it a little easier to finish without looking at Jeongguk, so he rushes the rest of his explanation out in a whisper, “I want to be able to take all of you, including your knot, and uh… slick seemed pretty convenient so I um… maybe figured that out too.”

Silence.

He slowly opens one eye then the other, nervous in spite of himself, and peers up at Jeongguk, who is looking at him with something between hunger and wonder, “Jimin,” he sighs with a shake of his head, “you really are perfect already, you didn’t have to do that.”

Jimin frowns, because that is certainly not the reaction he was expecting, “But I wanted to,” he protests, “I want to experience as much of you as I can, and I want you and your wolf to be satisfied.”

“We would be no matter what,” Jeongguk says gently. Jimin looks away, hot shame replacing his embarrassment, but a large hand on his cheek stops him from looking away, “but I’m still very grateful for what you did. You didn’t have to… but I’m happy that intimacy with me is something you want, and that you went as far as to make sure to understand what that entails.”

His shame retreats with Jeongguk’s words, and he presses a hand over the one cradling his face, “Can I… can we test out just how good I am for you… alpha?”

Jeongguk gives a low, rumbling growl and is on him with a speed he’s yet to witness from the wolf. He straddles Jimin’s waist and bends down, pressing heated kisses to his neck while one hand tangles in his hair, tugging his head to the side for better access. Jimin doesn’t fight it, happy to comply with the alpha as he begins to scent him more vigorously than he ever has before, teeth nipping and tongue dancing across his skin and the power in him resonates in that strange way it does now with Jeongguk, like a connection burns between them, as bright as falling stars and full moons.

“Did you touch yourself, little witch?” Jeongguk growls into his skin, “It smells like you did, I can almost taste your arousal. Tell me, did you touch yourself here?” One hand trails down to touch his growing erection before slipping to the side and cupping one of his ass cheeks, “Or was it here?”

Jimin nods, “There, there— I touched myself there.”

“Mmm,” Jeongguk murmurs, “did it feel good, did you think about me filling you up, think about what it would be like to take my knot?”

“Yes,” he whispers, “thought about how big you are, how good it would feel to take all of you.”

He feels delirious and they haven’t even started yet, maybe it’s the magic, maybe it’s the connection he shares with Jeongguk, but everything feels different. His senses heightened and his world narrowed down to just the alpha, his weight, his scent, the feel of him pressed to every part of Jimin’s body. He reaches up and wraps both arms around Jeongguk, holds him even though he knows the other isn’t going anywhere. The muscles of his back are hard underneath Jimin’s hands, flexing as he moves lower, now pressing kisses to the exposed vee of Jimin’s chest, pushing aside the robes with an impatient growl so he can lick one nipple hungrily before moving to the other and worshiping it just the same.

It’s been so long since he’s laid with anyone, and no one he was with before could ever compare to Jeongguk, that much is already obvious. It’s as though his own pleasure is irrelevant, his focus is entirely on Jimin and making him feel good, but Jimin doesn’t want it to be just about him, he wants the alpha to feel just as good as he does.

“Kiss me,” he pleads breathily, reaching up to tangle both hands in Jeongguk’s black curls and gently urging him to listen. The alpha does willingly, surging toward him to capture Jimin’s lips in a devouring kiss, pressing hard and fierce as if to mark him there as well. And Jimin returns it, just as fierce and hungry, his magic surging through him all bright and soft and searching for a connection.

The work he did earlier allows him to channel it, and after a moment, he feels the first hint of something wet and warm leaking from him. It’s a little strange, something he’ll have to get used to, but from the way Jeongguk pulls back and stares at him wide eyed, he thinks it will most certainly be well worth it.

“Gods, Jimin,” Jeongguk moans, “too think you made yourself even better for me, when I already thought you were perfect.”

Jimin whimpers softly, loving the praise more than he realized he would. The smell of raspberries is thick in the air, and it mingles with Jeongguk’s own scent, which Jimin realizes through the haze of his thoughts that he can actually pick up on now, it’s thick in the air, so prominent he can almost taste it, and he can’t help but pull Jeongguk back down and start to kiss and bite at his scent gland, hungry to release more.

Jeongguk growls, one strong arm coming around Jimin’s back to support him, his neck craned to the side to allow the witch better access as he sucks marks into the alphas tan skin, wanting to mark him as he has been marked, wanting the world to know that they are each others, even if there is no one out here to witness the bruises that decorate their skin.

It’s like he can’t get enough of the other, everything he does is so good but also not enough, he needs more, needs everything, but right now what he really needs is for them to both be naked.

“Off, off,” he says in a rush, pulling back from Jeongguk to tug at his robes, “wanna see you.”

Jeongguk rears back onto his knees and tugs his robe off swiftly, before immediately stripping Jimin of his clothing as well. The witch lies there, skyclad and panting while the alpha looms over him, his eyes dark and hungry and touched with scarlet.

“Mine,” Jeongguk growls, “mine.”

“Gods, yes,” Jimin whispers, “as you are mine.”

“Are you prepped enough for me?” The alpha asks.

“Touch me and find out,” Jimin replies.

Jeongguk gives him a wolfish grin, and the next thing he knows, Jimin is being flipped easily onto his stomach, but instead of hands and fingers like he is expecting, Jeongguk instead licks down the cleft of his ass, his tongue hot and hungry, and what he finds there seems to drive him wild.

Jimin blushes prettily, face pressed into the pillows because no one has ever done anything like this to him before, not that he’s wildly experienced, but he thought the few trysts he’s had in the past were fine, not great, but not terrible. Now, as he lays here with Jeongguk’s full attention on pleasuring him, he thinks no one else will ever compare.

He’s fine with that, actually—has the sneaking suspicion that there will be no one except Jeongguk in his bed ever again, and that alone sounds amazing, magical, literally life changing. Jeongguk’s tongue is doing amazing things to him, his large hands cupping and massaging his ass, and there are stars bursting behind his eyes as hot lust burns within him. It’s wonderful until a finger joins the tongue and then it become amazing, distantly Jimin can hear himself making little noises, whimpers and mindless begging, “more” and “please” and “yes” and “alpha” and when the final one slips passed his lips, Jeongguk growls and pulls away.

“I think you’re ready for me,” he says, and his voice is so low and rough; his lips shining with slick and the whole room smells like raspberries, and sex, and them, and the magic coursing through Jimin’s blood makes him feel more alive and attuned to everything, hyper aware of the connection that is forging itself between them, and the arousal they both feel, “roll over, I want to see you.”

Jimin obliges willingly, because he wants to see Jeongguk too, wants to study every nuance of his features when he sinks inside of Jimin. His cock is large, but not frighteningly so, and Jimin’s mouth waters at just the sight of it, but there will be time to taste it later, right now all he can think about is how much he wants it inside of him.

Carefully Jeongguk starts to ease in, gentle and slow and so obviously attentive to any shift in Jimin’s demeanor, “Breathe for me,” he whispers, and Jimin realizes that he has indeed stopped breathing, too enraptured by the sight in front of him, the muscles and beauty of Jeongguk that he was unconsciously holding his breath. It rushes out of him a moment later, and with the next inhale Jeongguk begins to ease inward, but it soon becomes obvious that he will need less caution than he assumed.

It feels like they were made for each other with the way Jeongguk fits so perfectly inside of him, filling Jimin up like a key finding home in its lock. He leans forward and there is scarlet laced in his eyes and it is both wolf and man who asks, “Do you like being full of me, Jimin?”

He nods, fervent, hungry, worshipful, “I do,” he whispers back, “like it so much, you feel so good…” he trails off into an incoherent moan as Jeongguk begins to move with aching slowness, easing nearly all the way out before pushing back in with just as much care.

“You can move faster,” Jimin urges, “it’s okay, it’s okay—you feel so good, please, please… I—”

Jeongguk interrupts him with a kiss, surging forward to capture Jimin’s mouth in his, kissing like a man possessed, like he’s going to devour Jimin whole, “Your wish is my command,” he whispers.

And then Jimin’s world turns upside down, his stars realign, his future reconfigures, hells—the very fabric of his soul might be torn and reformed.

Jeongguk fucks into him with a purpose, hips finding a steady rhythm as Jimin whimpers and pushes into him, everything feels so distant and hazy, pleasure coursing through him like waves lapping on the shore, cresting every time Jeongguk pushes forward, but never fully receding. One large hand touches him, caresses every part of his naked body that he can reach, as though the alpha can’t get enough contact to satiate him, and Jimin’s body reacts to every touch, his magic singing an aria through his veins as they chase their release.

Jeongguk pounds into him with abandon now that he is assured of Jimin’s comfort, and it’s like nothing he’s ever experienced before. Not only does he feel wanted, desired, but also loved and cherished, and then Jeongguk starts to talk, “Feel so fucking good and tight,” he gasps, “could fuck you like this for hours, stay hard and fill you up again and again, cum and then fuck my cum back into you, pull out and paint you with it, make sure you smell like me and only me.”

Jimin keens, Jeongguks words are filthy and beautiful, because he wants that, wants to be fucked over and over until it’s all he can think about, all he can feel. He’s never experienced pleasure like this, like every part of his body is alight and alive and coursing with it, a river in flood threatening to spill over its edges with how amazing he feels.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Jeongguk growls, “Can smell it on you, how much you’d like it.” He leans forward, snaps at the air beside Jimin’s ear, but it’s not frightening, not in the slightest, it’s animalistic, yes, but thrilling, sending heat coursing through his entire body, “Answer me, Jimin, tell me how much you’d like it.”

Jimin gasps, arching upward as Jeongguk finds his prostate and just… grinds against it, and Jimin can’t think, can barely speak, words dragged out of him as his whole body shudders with over-stimulation, “Would like it so much, so much—want you in me all the time, feels so good, please, please, please…”

His words dissolve into incoherency, the need to come growing so powerful that it’s all he can think about, and Jeongguk, endlessly attuned to him and his needs, gives him exactly what he wants, one large hand curling around Jimin’s cock and tugging in time with his own movements, bringing them close to the edge until he growls out a deep, demanding, “Come,” and that’s all it takes to have Jimin spilling into his hand, his body arching off the bed as his orgasm washes over him, his vision going white as Jeongguk climaxes as well, pulling out at the last possible moment to send his release across the toned planes of Jimin’s stomach, and even through the aftershocks of pleasure that still shake his body, Jimin can’t help but wonder why.

He bites his tongue though, not wishing to ruin the moment and finding words a distant, unreachable challenge. He stares up at Jeongguk, who stares right back, eyes slowly shifting from scarlet-laced to their regular warm brown, and Jimin begins to realize that it’s far more than simple attraction he feels for him, far more than friendship, in fact, it feels very much like love.

He watches through half-lidded eyes as Jeongguk slowly rises and crosses the room to the little washbasin of ever-warm, ever-clean water that Jimin keeps by the window, and wets a hand towel before returning to the bed and cleaning Jimin with so much care and affection that it makes him melt all over again. When he’s done, he tosses the rag aside carelessly and climbs promptly back into bed, pulling Jimin up against him and holding him close.

They lay like that in the stillness, no sound to interrupt them save their heartbeats and the quiet whisper of their breathing. Jimin wants to sleep, but he can’t help but ask, “Why did you pull out?”

Jeongguk grumbles a little, nuzzles into his nape and presses a few kisses to it before answering, “Didn’t want to knot you.”

Something a little sad uncoils within Jimin, “But why?”

“Can’t risk hurting you, ever.”

Jimin rolls over and takes Jeongguks face between his palms, making sure the other is looking at him when he replies, “You wouldn’t, you won’t, why do you think I used my magic to attune my body? It’s so that I could take your knot, so that I could be what you need biologically, as well as in every other way.”

“Jimin… I…” Jeongguk looks up at him, and for the first time he can’t help but wonder how old the alpha is, because right now he seems young, wide-eyed and soft, “I would never forgive myself if I hurt you.”

Jimin sighs and scoots close enough to press their foreheads together, “You would never,” he whispers, “I trust you completely, so trust me to know what I can take.” He presses a gentle kiss to the tip of Jeongguk’s nose, “Promise me?” He asks as he pulls back and meets the alpha's eyes.

The other searches his gaze for a few moments, the silence stretching between them all heavy with unsaid things, but then he sighs and pulls Jimin against his chest, “I will, I promise,” he whispers.

“Good,” Jimin replies, “see that you do.”

“And there’s my sassy little witch,” Jeongguk chuckles sleepily, “he came back.”

“He never left,” Jimin says with a little smile, “he was just on standby until I could form coherent sentences again.”

Jeongguk laughs and kisses his cheeks and they fall asleep all tangled together and content as spring inches forward and embraces the woods with the promise of new beginnings.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

The next morning dawns slowly, low clouds hang over the forest and the sun behind them paints the world in shades of cream and gold. Jimin wakes up in Jeongguk’s arms, the alpha’s breath tickling the back of his neck with every exhale. He feels deliciously stretched and tired in the best sense of the word, every part of him singing with the joy of last night.

The air lacks the bitterness of cold, the chill further staved off from having Jeongguk pressed against him. He feels comfortable; content in a way he’s never known, at peace with himself and his life. It’s strange after having been alone for so long (aside from the cats) to feel this way, and Jimin wonders if it’s too good to be true. It feels as though it is, years of having been the bearer of a curse he didn’t deserve has left him jaded and bitter, but with Jeongguk beside him he feels like maybe the rest of his life won’t be so bad after all.

He can hear the alpha outside right now, working on the cottage like he usually is when Jimin isn’t bullying him into resting. The steady repetition of the hammer is mostly background noise to him now, though the cats typically disappear as soon as it starts. He muffles the sound slightly with his magic, but likes to keep it loud enough to hear, it’s a reminder that Jeongguk is nearby, that even though he’s out of sight, he’s still there caring for Jimin in every way he can.

The sounds of work grow quiet and a minute later Jeongguk is in the kitchen, cheeks flushed from the brisk wind and his hair curling from sweat. Jimin pretends to be upset when the alpha crowds his space and presses a kiss to his cheek, shooing him towards the washroom with a teasing roll of his eyes that earns him a grin and a wink before Jeongguk retreats.

That night, he begins to notice a subtle shift in the alpha’s behavior. While Jeongguk had originally been very physical with his affection at first, he’s drawn back just a little, not enough to make Jimin worry that the alpha is losing interest in him, but enough that the witch could tell he was trying to respect boundaries and personal space. That seems to have gone out the window as the sun dips below the horizon and Jimin sits across from Jeongguk at their little kitchen table, and watches, bemused as the alpha piles a ridiculous amount of food on Jimin’s plate, far more than he can eat in one sitting.

“That’s a lot,” he points out gently, “you’ve worked really hard today, and I’m sure you’re far hungrier than I am.”

Jeongguk shakes his head, “Want you to eat well.”

“I will,” Jimin says gently, “I just don’t need this much.”

He’s not expecting to hear a faint growl from Jeongguk, so when he does he looks up with an arched eyebrow, only to see the alpha duck his head in embarrassment, “Are you okay?” He asks gently, noting the barest hint of scarlet lacing the other’s eyes with a frown.

“I’m fine,” Jeongguk says.

His short replies only serve to make Jimin more concerned, because it somehow feels like they’re regressing back to when Jeongguk was still recovering, and the red tinge to his irises isn’t helping, “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.” Jimin says, and goes to move some of the food on his plate to Jeongguk, only to have the alpha’s frown grow deeper when he does. He ignores it however, not willing to make himself sick just because the shifter wants him to eat everything on his plate, but compromise is found when he drags his chair around to Jeongguk’s side and sits so they’re pressed together, “Feed me, alpha?” He asks sweetly.

That seems to cheer Jeongguk up, but he becomes so single-minded in his focus that he appears to forget to feed himself, so Jimin alternates each bite taken with an offering of his own to Jeongguk, making sure each mouthful is substantially larger than the ones he takes, and feeling torn between amusement and concern. The meal takes twice as long as it usually would this way, but by the end of it Jimin has eaten a reasonable amount of food and Jeongguk has gotten the amount he should have for how hard he worked during the day, so the witch counts it as a win and lets it go.

The night does not go quiet as typically as it usually does from there; Jimin clears the table with Jeongguk’s help, but when he goes to wash the dishes the alpha stays close, caging Jimin against the sink with his body and nuzzling into his shoulder despite the inconvenience it causes the witch. Jimin doesn’t protest though, he’d be lying if he told Jeongguk he didn’t like it, even if it’s a little bit odd. The clinginess continues once they’re back in the living room, Jeongguk tugs and pulls at Jimin until they’re pressed together, and then he asks in a furtive voice, “Can I scent you, please?”

Their morning routine typically involves scenting, and it’s always been enough for the alpha up until now, but he’s looking at Jimin with wide, shining eyes like he’ll cry if Jimin says no, so Jimin bares his neck and a moment later he hears a low growl and Jeongguk starts to scent him. His magic resonates like it always does now, letting Jimin’s senses become flooded with Jeongguk and everything that entails. His thoughts become a little quieter and his body more relaxed, but he can’t help but notice how frantic Jeongguk is with his scenting, growling and even whining as he noses against Jimin’s neck, nipping at the skin over and over until Jimin can’t help but flinch a little at the pain of a particular sharp bite. Jeongguk doesn’t seem to notice, which is also unexpected, usually he’s so attuned to every little nuance of Jimin’s behavior and reaction that the witch can’t even sigh without getting a concerned look, but right now Jeongguk’s thought seem to be elsewhere, or at least so focused on making sure Jimin is drenched in his scent that he doesn’t notice the discomfort he’s causing.

Minutes pass with the alpha showing no signs of stopping, he is straddling Jimin’s lap now, caging him in and pressing him against the back of the sofa so securely that Jimin can barely move. Both large hands come up to tangle in Jimin’s hair, and he can feel Jeongguk growing hard against him, “Hey,” Jimin says gently, trying to get Jeongguk’s attention, but it doesn’t work, the alpha continues to nuzzle and nip until a particularly sharp bite makes Jimin jerk back, unable to stop the reaction.

Jeongguk notices and immediately stops, pulling back with a dismayed look in his eyes, “Sorry,” he whispers, “didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s okay,” Jimin says, “you just got a little carried away, is everything alright?”

Jeongguk nods, but he looks distracted, eyes dancing from the front door to the windows then back again to the door, like he’s concerned about their safety. Considering no one comes out to the cottage anymore, Jimin isn’t sure where the worry stems from, and adds to the small list of out of character things that Jeongguk is exhibiting tonight, “Are you sure?” Jimin asks, “You know you can tell me if something’s wrong.”

But instead of responding, Jeongguk huffs and pulls away, getting off of Jimin in one swift movement and crossing the room to lock the doors and latch the windows. Jimin watches it all silently, not wanting to interfere with whatever it is the alpha is doing, but when the other man turns away with a muttered, “I’m going to bed,” his heart sinks and he can’t help but feel a little dejected. It must show up in his scent, because he sees Jeongguk falter at the base of the stairs, but then he shakes his head and squares his shoulders and heads up to the second floor anyway, throwing a murmured, “good night,” over his shoulder before he disappears.

“Well that was odd,” Namjoon says when the sound of the bedroom door being closed carries down to them.

“Very,” Yoongi agrees, leaping from the floor to Jimin’s lap in one smooth movement, “I honestly couldn’t tell if he was upset with you or somehow achieved a new level of adoration.”

Jimin groans, “I feel like I’m missing something here and I have no idea what it is,” he admits.

“Time to consult a book?” Hoseok suggests.

“Probably,” Jimin mutters, and with a flick of his wrist a book sails from the study to hover before him. He plucks it from the air, careful to not disturb Yoongi and begins to read. It doesn’t take him long to put the pieces together though, one of the earlier chapters he’s read goes into details about heats and ruts, and everything that happens beforehand.

“Most wolves will experience this twice a year, at the onset of spring and autumn, and can become more territorial and aggressive. If mated or courting, they often exhibit increased need for close proximity as well as a strong desire to scent their partner. This behavior typically lasts anywhere from three days to a little over a week, followed immediately by their rut.

Ruts themselves can vary in intensity and length, though the average seems to be about forty eight hours. How intense it is can change depending on different factors including but not limited to whether or not the alpha is mated. If their mate or partner is not there with them during it, ruts can be painful, putting incredible stress on the alpha both physically and emotionally.”

He goes on to read about the ruts themselves and it all sounds very… intense. He’s not entirely sure his human body could even keep up with Jeongguk’s in that situation, but he also assumes the alpha will bring it up at some point, probably tomorrow, and ask Jimin to help him through it. So he sets the book aside, picks Yoongi up and drapes him over his shoulder, and heads into the work room. Jeongguk retired early, so there’s plenty of time for Jimin to work without interruption. He’s not sure if what he’s trying to create is even possible, but he wants to try. Jeongguk has done so much for him, the least Jimin feels he can do is help him with his rut.

He doesn’t want Jeongguk to suffer through it alone, especially if there’s a chance that Jimin not being present could cause the alpha to suffer. He’ll figure something out, some way to make sure he can be exactly what the other needs, some way to show how much he cares, and how grateful he is for all that Jeongguk has done.

Besides, a couple days of sex sounds like a lot of fun.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

He expects to wake up with Jeongguk tangled around him like he does every other morning, but the familiar weight and heat is missing and the other side of the bed is cool to the touch. He sits up with a frown, drags his fingers through his hair and peers around the room, his frown deepening into a scowl when the alpha is nowhere in sight.

“He’s outside,” Seokjin meows from the windowsill, “talking to that other wolf who was here before.”

Jimin untangles himself from the bedding and stumbles over to the window, and sure enough, Jeongguk is down there talking to the same alpha who had been waiting at the cottage weeks ago. They both appear serious, but not aggressive, though there is a considerable distance between them. His magic could help him eavesdrop if he wanted to, but that feels intrusive and wrong, and he trusts Jeongguk to tell him what’s happening once the conversation is over. So instead of worrying he gets dressed, tames his hair, and heads down into the kitchen, trailed by the cats.

A few minutes later he hears the sound of the front door opening, no longer dragging across the stones on old hinges since Jeongguk has begun his repairs. It swings open almost silently, but Jeongguk’s footsteps are heavy as he approaches and when he rounds the corner he looks more tired and haggard than Jimin has yet to see him. It feels like a knife to the heart to look at him like this, and without hesitation Jimin stops what he’s doing and rushes forward to pull the alpha into a hug. Jeongguk stiffens at the contact, and for a moment Jimin is terrified he’s overstepped, but then the other man relaxes, going almost boneless as he lets his weight fall into Jimin. The witch bears it easily, bracing himself a little so he can offer as much support as his smaller body will allow.

“Missed you in bed this morning,” Jimin murmurs.

“Sorry,” Jeongguk replies, just as quiet, “needed to speak with Chan.”

“Is that the other alpha’s name?” Jimin asks, and feels Jeongguk nod against him, “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Jeongguk replies quickly, far too quickly in Jimin’s opinion, “everything is fine.”

Jimin pulls back to make eye contact with the alpha, but all he sees are wide brown eyes that speak of sincerity, and though he’s doubtful, he decides that it’s best to trust Jeongguk and not demand answers the other might not want to give. So he presses a kiss to the tip of that beautiful nose, and pulls away, but not before taking Jeongguk’s hands in his and tugging him towards the kitchen, “Come on,” he coaxes, “I’ll make us breakfast.”

The rest of the day goes by much like any other, Jeongguk is a little less clingy, but Jimin notices him staring at Jimin often, as though he’s afraid to let him out of his sight. He stays close regardless, not wishing to make the alpha’s pre-rut any harder than it already must be, but by midday he’s run out of things to do in the yard and is itching to go back to his work room and finish perfecting the work he’d started the night before.

He lets Jeongguk know, making sure to press about a dozen or so kisses to his lips and cheeks, which makes the alpha huff and grumble and blush in a very cute manner that Jimin now knows is in complete contrast to how he is in bed. It makes him grin, though he holds himself back from getting the other man too riled up, knowing it’s not fair to tease this much this close to his rut.

He sings to himself as he works, hips swaying absently as he measures out ingredients, but it’s not long before he feels eyes upon him, and it’s not the judgemental stare of his cats.

His instincts guide him to look toward the window, open and unshuttered to let in the warm spring air, and he sees Jeongguk standing stock still before it, bare chested and breathtaking, watching Jimin with a hooded gaze. Jimin giggles and waves, excited by the surprise he is working on, and fully expects Jeongguk to smile and wave back in return. Instead the alpha takes a deep, shuddering breath, turns around, and stomps off.

“He’s moody,” Namjoon observes.

Jimin sighs, feeling a little deflated at the lack of response from the other, “So it would seem,” he replies, “all of this should be ready by tomorrow at least, then I can sit him down and talk to him about it, explain that I want to help him.” He finishes the dishes, still feeling a little dejected but now even more determined to get things together in time.

He spends the rest of the afternoon in the work room, and when Jeongguk comes back inside to clean up before dinner, he flashes Jimin a grin and things almost feel normal when he comes back downstairs to immediately swoop in and give Jimin a kiss. But the witch doesn’t get a chance to bring up his idea because Jeongguk practically inhales his meal and then disappears upstairs, claiming exhaustion and an early morning.

Jimin scowls, “Are all alpha’s this ridiculous or did I just get particularly lucky?”

He stomps up to bed a little later, fully intending to speak to Jeongguk about his intentions, only to find the alpha fast asleep already. Jimin thinks about waking him, but the idea melts away when he climbs into bed and Jeongguk nuzzles into his side without waking, driven by instinct and a need to have Jimin close. He falls back into deeper slumber with his face pressed to Jimin's skin and a low, rumbling growl coming from his chest.

“In the morning,” Jimin whispers to the ceiling as he uses his magic to quell the lights and draw the curtains shut, “in the morning we will talk.”

But they don’t, because when Jimin wakes up to the soft dawn light, Jeongguk is gone, and it somehow feels more ominous than the previous morning.

Jimin checks every room with a growing sense of unease, but they are all empty. He rushes outside, cats trailing behind him, but the alpha is nowhere to be seen. His confusion turns to worry when he summons his magic and tries to sense Jeongguk’s presence in the woods around the clearing, but there is nothing. He turns back to the house, at a loss, and that’s when he sees it, a note tacked to one of the porch railings.

My Jimin,

I know you’ll be furious when you read this, but with the onset of my rut, I’ve realized that I cannot trust myself or my wolf to not hurt you during the course of it. I know you’re probably certain you can take care of me, but it’s a burden I don’t wish to place upon you, and I would never forgive myself were I to bring you harm. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me, if I trusted myself more I would happily spend it with you. I promise I will return to you once it’s run its course.

-Jeongguk

Jimin glares down at the parchment for several long seconds, then in a decisive move he rips it from the post, shoves it in his pocket, and stomps back into the house, “Stupid alphas, stupid wolves, stupid Jeongguk thinking he has to go through his stupid rut alone,” he grabs his cloak from the hook on the wall and a rucksack from the floor and stomps around the house, still muttering to himself as he goes, “when I see him I’m going to fight him—no, I’ll kiss him, yell at him, take care of him, and then I’ll fight him, and I will win .”

“I take it you’re leaving,” Namjoon meows from his feet.

“I am, might be gone for a couple days,” Jimin replies, “please don’t let Seokjin try and cook this time, he has no thumbs, it will go badly.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

“Yes, I know, you’re a cat,” Jimin sighs and bends down to scratch Joon’s ears gently, “tell everyone I said goodbye and I’ll see them shortly, or longly, I’ll see them at some point.”

“Good luck!” Namjoon calls as Jimin retreats back down the steps and out the door.

But Jimin doesn’t need luck, he needs people to be less stupid.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

He is of course clueless as to where Jeongguk might have retreated to, but he recalls the conversation he’d seen between the alpha and the pack leader, Chan, and decides the pack will be as good a place as any for him to find information. He’s never been near their home before, but he can sense the concentration of life force and moon magic that is a tell-tale sign of where they’ve settled, so he follows that through the woods, using his own power to travel faster than he normally would.

He’ll be tired when he finds Jeongguk, but he’s planned for that. Planned for everything really, though he’s had to make a couple of last second alterations because he had intended to deal with this in the comfort of his (their) home. Who knows where Jeongguk has sought refuge, but he doubts it’s as comfortable as their bedroom. He formulates a plan to deal with that when it’s time, and the plan will annoy the cats, but everything annoys them, so Jimin doesn’t see an issue with it.

Even traveling as quickly as he is, it takes time to reach the pack grounds, and when he does, he knows better than to just stomp right in and demand answers. He waits at the borders, hands folded politely in front of him, until a couple of wolves approach from between the trees, one a fully turned, beautiful russet wolf, the other in his human body, dark hair pushed away from his face and a scowl on his lips.

“Greetings, witch,” the human looking one says, “what brings you here today?”

“I wish to speak to you about the location of my alpha, I have reason to believe that you or the pack leader might know where the damned fool ran off too.”

His response gets him a raised eyebrow from the human and what sounds a lot like a laugh from the turned wolf, but Jimin isn’t amused, even if it’s absolutely ridiculous that he has to run around the forest looking for Jeongguk just so they can have the sex they both want to have with each other, “Is your alpha Jeon, by any chance?”

“He is,” Jimin replies, “can you tell me where he went?”

“I can’t, but Chan knows, since it’s his permission that was needed for Jeon to relocate in our territory.”

“Okay, then I would like to speak to him, please.” Jimin replies.

The wolf and the man glance at each other, the wolf shrugs and the man grimaces and then shrugs as well, “Very well, follow us,” he says, then without a backward glance he turns around and leads Jimin towards the village. It’s picturesque in nature, the buildings sturdy and stone, draped heavily with moss with little footpaths that run between them. It’s beautiful, and it makes Jimin wonder what the village Jeongguk left behind was like, were the houses just as sturdy, was the light from the windows just as warm?

No one seems unhappy here, no one seems oppressed. Perhaps pack dynamics vary from group to group, maybe this would be a better place then where Jeongguk came from, maybe he would be happier—

Jimin cuts off that line of thought with a shake of his head, he trusts Jeongguk enough now to take his words at face value. From what he’s learned about the alpha, about the hardships he’s willing to face and the trials he’s overcome, he thinks he would be happy anywhere, as long as he had Jimin at his side.

He’s distracted from his thoughts by a small, gray fur ball, barely bigger than his cats, running right for him and immediately tangling in his feet. He stumbles, only his quick reflexes saving him from landing face first in the path, and while he’s bent over he comes face to face with a wolf pup. It snuffles around his ankles, entire body wriggling in excitement, little tail a blur as he investigates Jimin.

“Sunwoo,” the alpha who is guiding them sighs and bends down to scoop up the rambunctious pup, “where are your manners?”

The pup responds by licking every inch of available skin he can reach on the other wolf, whining and huffing excitedly, and it reminds Jimin so much of Jeongguk that he can’t help but smile fondly, reaching out to let the pup sniff his fingers.

“It’s because you smell so unique,” the alpha replies, holding the pup a little tighter as it tries to wiggle out of his arms and launch himself at Jimin.

“How do I smell?” Jimin wonders, chuckling as the pup gives his fingers the gentles of nibbles.

The alpha frowns, “Like a witch… but also like…” he trails off and looks Jimin up and down, “Also like an omega.”

Jimin gives himself a mental pat on the back, “But not like a human, I’m guessing.”

The other man shakes his head, “No, not like a human.”

They reach a building that is larger than the rest, the double doors thrown wide open to reveal a large room full of long tables and two massive hearths on either side, as well as a fire pit in the middle. Some kind of communal space, Jimin guesses as they enter, though it’s mostly empty save for a couple of people near the front, seated at a large table that stands on a slightly raised dais. Jimin recognizes one of them as the alpha that came to the cottage, Chan, but the other is a delicate, pretty omega with wide eyes and a dusting of freckles across his cheeks and nose, who looks up and smiles as soon as he sees them approaching.

“Changbin!” He greets with a wave, “You’ve brought company!”

“He asked to meet with Chan,” the alpha in question says with a shrug, still cradling the pup in his arms. He’s calmed down considerably, though his tail is still wagging so rapidly it is little more than a blur, “you knew this was bound to happen.”

Jimin steps forward and bows, “Thank you for allowing me a chance to speak with you.”

Chan, who is bigger than Jimin remembers, and boasting a fresh scar across his chest that he bears with pride, tilts his head in acknowledgement, “Why are you here, witch?”

“Because Jeongguk is a well-intentioned fool and I love him too much to let him go through his rut alone.” Jimin says, deciding that honesty would be the best approach. His blunt admission makes the omega laugh, and even Changbin seems amused, his shoulder shaking with suppressed laughter, “I’m grateful that you were willing to tolerate him in your territory, but he’s underestimated me and there are few things that make me more annoyed than that. If you could just point me in his direction, I’ll be out of here shortly.”

“He told me you’d probably try to find him,” Chan replies, his expression unreadable.

“And did you promise that you wouldn’t disclose his location?” Jimin asks, “Because I’ll understand if you did, but I’m going to find him one way or another, this is just going to make my life a little easier.”

“You’re both very stubborn.”

“Well, we are meant to be,” Jimin says, “Jeongguk just hasn’t learned that I’m just as bad as he is when it comes to these sorts of things.”

“You really want to spend his rut with him?” Chan asks, “Human bodies—”

“Have nothing to do with me, because I’m not human,” Jimin points out. Chan looks taken aback at being interrupted, but the omega at his side laughs happily.

“Just tell him, love,” he coaxes, “imagine if someone tried to stop me from getting to you at a time like this.” He grimaces and shakes his head, “He’s being fairly civil, all things considered.”

Chan glances at the other wolf with so much fondness in his gaze that Jimin can only assume that they are mates. The gentleness fades a little when he looks back at Jimin, but after a moment he nods, “There’s a cave to the west of here, used by other unmated alphas to pass their ruts in.”

“A cave?” Jimin says, incredulous and a little offended, “Like a stone hollow with a dirt floor and no amenities.”

“It serves its purpose,” Chan says with the shrug of someone who hasn’t had to worry about an unmated rut in a long time.

“It serves its purpose,” Jimin mutters on his breath with a shake of his head, “Okay, well, thank you, I’ll be going then.”

“Wait! Do you need someone to guide you?” The omega asks as he trots down from the dais and approaches Jimin, “I’m Yongbok, by the way.”

“A pleasure,” Jimin says, “and thank you, but I’ll be fine, I just needed the direction narrowed down, my magic will do the rest.”

The omega nods and leans in, whispering, “A word of advice, alphas like to pretend they are big and scary and strong, and they are certainly two of those things,” he says with a wink, “but they are also pups forever.”

Jimin smiles as the other two wolves shift their weight back and forth, having obviously heard Yongbok’s declaration, “Yes, “Jimin replies, “I’m starting to understand that more and more every day.”

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Once he’s on the outskirts of the village, Jimin lets his power flow west; it starts out slow and tentative, creeping through the undergrowth with him following in its wake. It picks up speed after a while and so does he, both of them sensing something at the borders of their reach, growing stronger with every step he takes, until it’s beacon-bright and burning in his mind's eye, a growing flame, a siren call, Jeongguk’s life force a wildfire that Jimin wants to be consumed by. He runs as fast as his feet will carry him, the forest welcoming his steps because he is a witch and is as one with the woods as any wolf, and it occurs to Jimin that he and Jeongguk are not so different after all.

Both fled their homes and all they knew so they could live a life free of the control others wished to force upon them. Both risked isolation and the unknown in the hopes of finding something better, and in the end they did.

In the end they found each other.

Gone is his fear, left behind somewhere in the midst of cuddles and kisses and pure devotion. He doesn’t feel obligated to help Jeongguk so much as he feels privileged, it’s an honor that the alpha risked so much to be with Jimin, it’s an honor to be the one he chose above all others.

He runs as fast as his feet will allow, picking up speed until he practically flies, his magic carrying him towards his destination, his alpha, his Jeongguk.

The cave entrance is narrow, a little hidden behind some boulders and a tangle of sweet jessamine, and already he can smell Jeongguk over the scent of the flowers. He must be close to full rut now, and as excited as Jimin is to see him, he decides that sprinting into the cave at top speed might not be the wisest choice. So he stops at the entrance, his eyes adjusting to the shadows within and calls, “Jeongguk, did you honestly think for a moment that you could hide from a witch in love?”

He hears the sound of someone moving and something akin to a faint growl before a figure emerges from the depths of the cave, tall and imposing and all Jimin’s.

“Hello,” he says conversationally, “you’re an absolute ass, did you know that?”

“Jimin,” Jeongguk says, voice strained, “what are you doing here?”

“Honestly I could ask you the same thing,” Jimin replies, hands clasped behind his back as he rocks onto his tiptoes and back, “because I’m fairly certain I told you not to underestimate me, yet here you are doing just that.”

“Jimin,” Jeongguk says, and he sounds tired and wrecked, like he’s holding himself back, and all Jimin wants is for him to let go, to fall trusting into Jimin’s waiting arms, because he is always, always ready to catch him.

He dares to take a step closer, eyes adjusted enough to recognize the hints of scarlet that laces Jeongguk’s eyes, and he wonders if the alpha was never feral in the first place, if it was just his wolf rising to the surface in a desperate attempt to keep Jeongguk safe, and to bring them both to a place where they would find the peace and acceptance they so badly needed.

“You forget, Jeongguk,” Jimin says softly as he reaches across the small distance to tuck a stray lock of hair behind the alpha’s ear, “I’ve spent a lot of time with the wolf in you already,” he stands up on tips toes to kiss his forehead, “we know each other well,” he kisses the tip of his gorgeous nose, “and I am not afraid of him because he is you.” He finishes with a lingering kiss on the lips before pulling back with a smile.

“He—you, were silly and sweet and charming, and the only time you got aggressive was when you felt the need to protect me. And I wonder, knowing what I know of your past, if the alpha in you was just trying to protect you back then, from those who wished to hurt you.”

“So let me help you with your rut.” Jimin’s says, and the pleased growl he hears from Jeongguk makes him smile, “Trust me when I say that I want this, that I want you, and I am prepared for every aspect of what being here with you entails.”

He snaps his fingers and their bed, covered in blankets and pillows appears out of nowhere, he snaps them again and the vines hanging over the entrance grow thick and tangled, effectively shielding them from intrusion or being seen. He turns to see Jeongguk, looking wide-eyed at him, hands shaking slightly at his side, and he can’t help but smile, “Did you miss me, alpha?”

A moment later he is in Jeongguk’s arms, held against his broad chest as the alpha nuzzles into his neck, breathes him in over and over like he’s trying to commit it to memory. His lips follow soon after, kissing and dragging down the column of Jimin’s throat, making him throw his head back with a breathy gasp that turns into a moan when Jeongguk bites, none too gently, and starts to grind against him.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.” Jimin says, reaching up to tangle his fingers in Jeongguk’s hair and tugs him back gently, “Down boy,” he teases before letting his smile fall away and taking a serious tone. “Is this still Jeongguk I’m talking to? Or have you gone full alpha on me?”

“I’m still in pre-rut,” Jeongguk admits, though his voice is so low and rough it sounds more like a growl than anything, “but it’s close, maybe just an hour or two left before I’m fully in it. Jimin, are you sure? You aren’t just doing this because of the curse, right?”

Jimin hadn’t even thought about the curse during any of this, but it’s easy for him to see that there is no compulsion driving him right now. He feels completely in control and entirely at ease, so he shakes his head and offers Jeongguk a reassuring smile, “No,this is just me wanting to help you,” he promises, “So… Will you let me?”

“I’m terrified of hurting you,” Jeongguk admits.

“And I promise you that you won’t,” Jimin replies as he swings the rucksack from his shoulder, “let me explain why.” He proceeds to tell Jeongguk about all the work he’s been doing, about how ready he is for everything the next couple of days might entail, and hopes it’s enough to allay any fears the other might still have.

“There’s one, final thing,” Jimin adds after he’s done showing off his array of potions, “if you mate me during this, the bite will take.”

Jeongguk groans, both hands coming up to rub at his face, “Jimin, you can’t just say things like that.”

Jimin laughs and shrugs, “But here I am, saying it. I’m ready, I’m not scared, I’m not worried, I love you and I want this, as long as it’s what you want too.” He leans forward and nuzzles into Jeongguk’s neck, so glad that he can smell him, and that the alpha can smell him as well, “I told you I wanted to be perfect for you, didn’t I?” He purrs, pressing a kiss to the scent gland already so tantalizingly close to his lips. “So what do you say? Can I be with you for this?”

“It would be rude of me to say no at this point,” Jeongguk replies.

“You’ve already been rude,” Jimin replies, though there’s a teasing smile on his lips, “you’ve got a lot of making up to do after the whole disappearing act this morning.”

“I’m sorry,” Jeongguk replies softly, “I just wanted to keep you safe."

“You will, you do,” Jimin says, “now, let’s get some food and water in us before you get too distracted by my fabulous body to think about anything else.”

Jeongguk’s pupils are already blown and his gaze is a bit hazy, but Jimin manages to coax him into eating by allowing the alpha to feed him. He reciprocates each offered bite with one of his own until they are both full, then with a wave of his hand he clears away their mess and turns towards his collection of potions. One for stamina, one for healing, and the final one a little vial of golden liquid that will act as a powerful aphrodisiac. One sip of it will be enough for several hours, and then he’ll be cognizant again and able to take care of Jeongguk in a more practical sense before he takes another dose and goes right back to bed.

He glances back at Jeongguk and sees the alpha is watching him hungrily, gaze raking up and down his body like he wants to tear his clothes off, and he probably does. So he takes his doses hastily then sets them all within arms reach. It’ll take a few minutes for them to start affecting him, but for now he uses this time to strip, Jeongguk joining him a moment later when he realizes what’s happening.

“Come here,” Jimin coaxes as he sits on the edge of the bed, and that’s all it takes for Jeongguk to launch himself across the divide and onto Jimin, who falls back with a laugh, heat already beginning to course through his body.

“Need… need to,” Jeongguk mutters as he presses Jimin into the mattress and lays on top of him, nose already dragging up and down the column of Jimin’s throat, “you smell so good, gods, how do you—” he bites gently at the exposed skin of his shoulder, and it sends a full body shiver through Jimin, his neck arching to expose more of himself to the alpha, who leans in like a man drowning, taking deep gulps of air as he presses his body to Jimin’s, his cock already hard and pressed to his thigh.

“Take what you need,” Jimin whispers, an answering heat coiling low in his stomach as he reaches up to tangle his fingers in Jeongguk’s black curls, “I’m yours, alpha.”

Jeongguk groans and presses impossibly closer, rutting against Jimin’s thigh as he scatters innumerable kisses to every bit of skin he can reach, “I might… I might forget some things soon,” the alpha whispers, voice so deep and rough from want, “might call you omega during this, m’sorry if I do, it’s just…” he trails off, and Jimin replies by pressing a kiss to his temple.

“That’s fine, love,” he replies, “I can be your end, it’s only fair after all, since you are my beginning.”

Jeongguk whimpers and surges forward to capture Jimin’s lips with his own, kissing him slow and languid, like he’s savoring the taste of him on his tongue, like he’s preparing to devour him whole. The droughts Jimin drank are starting to take effect, and he feels every part of his body begin to sing with want and need and love. His own cock is hard, straining against Jeongguk abdomen as the alpha begins to move lower, kisses trailing from his neck to his chest to his nipples, where he licks and sucks and bites until both are hard and Jimin is gasping.

“Want to make you feel good,” Jeongguk whispers, and his voice is so deep, dark like the forest at night, but somehow as warm as a hearth fire, “want you to feel so good you can’t even think about anything except me, my mouth, my fingers, my cock.”

Jimin nods, already losing himself a little as the alpha’s words hit him in a rush, he wants that too, wants the only thing he thinks about is Jeongguk and how fucking good he makes him feel. He groans as lips connect with the hollows of his hips, suck bruises into the valleys as large hands massage his waist and thighs before that same mouth dips down and licks along his hard and leaking cock.

Jimin groans, tries to arch into the sensation, but those same hands keep him down, and the lack of control makes his thoughts fade slightly more, body going limp and pliant as everything in him whispers to give up control and let Jeongguk do whatever he wants. He twitches and shifts as the alpha takes the tip of his cock in his mouth, sucking and licking like a man starved before taking the rest of him in one smooth movement, the stifled moan he emits making Jimin’s entire body shudder with pleasure as the vibrations send shock waves through him.

One hand slips away from his hips to slide beneath him, a long finger tracing the cleft of his ass as Jeongguk pulls away from his cock and grins up at Jimin, lips all swollen and red, “Wet for me already?” He whispers, pulling the hand back to reveal fingers coated with slick. Jimin watches through heavy lidded eyes as Jeongguk brings those fingers to his lips and licks them, eyelashes fluttering like he’s just had a taste of heaven. Unconsciously Jimin opens his own mouth, wanting something in it too, wanting to taste what Jeongguk tastes, wanting to share everything with him, “Want some?” Jeongguk asks, and his eyes are so dark, so blown, so beautiful, darkening even more when his question is answered with a frantic nod and a needy whimper, so he gathers more slick and traces Jimin’s lips with it before his fingers slip deeper and Jimin's senses are flooded with the taste of himself, sweet raspberries and wildflowers burst on his tongue, and it makes him even more desperate, leaning in to take all of what is offered, plush lips closing around Jeongguk’s fingers as he licks and sucks, an instant addict to the taste of himself, wet for Jeongguk and Jeongguk only.

“Tastes good, doesn’t it?” Jeongguk whispers, “Love how wet you get for me, love how you taste on my tongue.” He pulls his fingers from Jimin’s mouth, and immediately Jimin feels bereft, wanting some part of the alpha to be in him at all times. He can’t hold back the needy whimper that falls from his lips at the loss, but his alpha is a kind wolf and it’s only a moment more before he’s being fed again, licking ravenously at the offering, desperate for whatever it is he’s offered. Jimin nods around his mouthful, because it does taste good, so good he already feels like he’s lost himself and it’s exactly what he wanted when he first decided to help Jeongguk.

Eventually the flavor is lost, but Jimin can’t get enough of having his mouth full, he grabs Jeongguk’s wrist before the alpha can pull away, holding him there as he leans up and takes those two long fingers as deeply as he can, “Like having your mouth full, don’t you?” Jeongguk says.

Jimin nods, tears of pleasure gathering at the corners of his eyes because Jeongguk understands, his wolf understands, as much as they want to be good for Jimin, Jimin is just as desperate to be good for him. But Jeongguk’s need is growing, he pulls his hand away and this time ignores Jimin’s soft cry of dismay. Instead he flips him over with ease so that Jimin is lying face down, then he’s grabbing his hips and lifting them so that Jimin is ass up and exposed, but the position doesn’t feel vulnerable, it feels good, it feels right.

The first sensation of Jeongguk tongue on him feels perfect.

Jimin sighs, hips still raised but body loose and floating as Jeongguk kisses and teases his hole, licking at the mess of slick as one hand comes around to hold Jimin’s neglected cock. He doesn’t move his hand, just holds him, but the heat and pressure of it alone feels amazing, like nothing Jimin has ever experienced, and he’s content to just let him cock warm him while the alpha eats him out, too gone already to think about anything, and glad he’s here so alpha can use him like he’s meant to be used.

A finger joins the tongue later, Jimin isn’t sure how much later, all coherency gone, any awareness of time abandoned, the only things he feels is pleasure and desire as he grinds back on that finger, cock still warm and held, tears leaking from his eyes as he stares blankly, too busy feeling good to see the world around him.

Eventually, maybe minutes later, maybe hours, Jeongguk stops his administration and rises to his knees. He grabs his cock and traces the head of it up and down the cleft of Jimin’s ass, wetting it with the slick that continues to pour from his hole, using one hand to coat the length of it, “Gonna fuck you full of me,” he groans as he starts to press forward, “gonna fill you up with my cum, gonna make you take my knot.”

“Yes,” Jimin moans, the words alone enough to send a wave of pleasure through him, “yes, want it so bad alpha, please, want your cum, want your knot, want to make you feel good.”

He presses back against Jeongguk’s cock, the head of it teasing his hole and Jimin needs more, needs it all, the entirety of it, his knot and his cum, or he thinks he’ll go mad. And then he has it, Jeongguk pushing in with one smooth movement, and stars burst behind Jimin’s closed eyes, a fireworks display born of pleasure because he feels so full and it feels so right.

He throws his head back, arms trembling as he holds himself up, he’s never felt this good in his life, and it’s all because of Jeongguk, because of the way he fills him impossibly full, of the way his hands massage Jimin’s hips, sending little earthquakes of pleasure through his very soul, and just when he thinks it can’t feel any better, Jeongguk begins to move, and everything else, already distant and hazy, disappears completely.

It’s only Jeongguk, it’s only his cock, it’s only Jimin being used and loving every moment of it. He rocks back into each thrust forward, and distantly he thinks he’s babbling, saying words he can’t comprehend because he feels so good and content and complete.

Jeongguk fucks into him slow and hard, every thrust taking him as deep as he can go, until his hips are flush to Jimin’s skin, “Feels good, doesn’t it?” He says as he rolls his hips forward again and again, “Feels so good to be full of alpha.”

Jimin nods, not even aware of the drool that slips from his lips, too far gone to care anyway. All he can think about is Jeongguk, all he can feel is Jeongguk, and he never wants to feel anything else ever again. But that’s not enough for Jeongguk, who leans down and growls into his ear, “Tell me you feel good, wanna hear you tell me.”

Jimin whimpers, words feeling so distant and useless, like they could never convey just how good Jimin feels right now, but he tries because that’s what alpha wants, and alpha deserves everything for making him feel this good, “Yes,” he stutters out, “I feel so good, you feel so good, I can’t—I can’t.”

“Gonna make you cum over and over on my cock,” Jeongguk promises, “gonna fill you up until it’s spilling out of you, then do it again and again and you’re going to like it, every single time.”

Jimin nods frantically, “Yes, yes, m’gonna love it, promise alpha, need your to fill me up, want to cum for you, please.”

Jeongguk groans, “Feel so tight and good for me,” he says through clenched teeth, “so perfect for me, Jimin.”

“Call me yours,” Jimin begs, not sure where the words are coming from, “call me your omega.”

Jeongguk’s movements grow erratic, and the growl he lets lose at Jimin’s words is so low and fierce that the witch can feel it in his bones, “Fuck,” he mutters, “fuck so good for me, my omega, my perfect fucking omega.”

Jimin cums a moment later, moaning and gasping as his release spills across the sheets, and he can feel the pressure of Jeongguk’s growing knot, the way it presses against his hole with each thrust before finally locking in place and everything turns into white hot pleasure and euphoria as Jimin’s body shudders through the remains of his climax and Jeongguk spills inside of him, locked in place and pumping Jimin full of his cum, just like he promised.

Something about the feel of it makes Jimin cum again, body trembling as a dry orgasm washes over him, and then he’s being eased down onto the bed, a massive hand guiding him to lay on his side as Jeongguk spoons him.

“S’good?” Jimin slurs, heat still rolling through him, but muted, sated, at least for now.

He feels Jeongguk press a kiss to the back of head, “So, so good,” the alpha whispers, “perfect.”

Jimin falls asleep with a smile on his lips, glad he could be perfect for the one person that matters the most.

He wakes up to the sensation of Jeongguk growing hard and still buried in him. He doesn’t have any idea how much time has passed, but he knows from the growls and grunts behind him that Jeongguk is deep in his rut now. Not a word is spoken as he begins to move inside of Jimin, and Jimin’s body blooms under his touch, lightning shooting through his limbs as every nerve ignites with electric pleasure. He arches back into the thrusts, enough potion in him still that he’s ready within moments of waking for everything Jeongguk is giving him.

He feels Jeongguk nuzzle into his neck, scenting him desperately, the air smells of forests and flowers and raspberries and sex, and Jimin doesn’t even try to think as Jeongguk cums again, his own body shaking with release as they climax together.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

He wakes again a little later, more coherent now that the aphrodisiac has left his system. He’s hungry, but not sore or tired, and for that he’s thankful. He shifts slightly and finds that Jeongguk is not buried in him any longer, though he is pinned in place by the heavy weight of one arm. He lifts it as gingerly as he can, trying hard not to wake Jeongguk, but to no avail because a moment later he is looking into fierce, scarlet-laced eyes.

“Omega,” Jeongguk growls, a low warning in his tone, but Jimin just smiles sweetly and reaches up to cradle one cheek in his hand.

“Hello alpha," he says, feeling so much love for this wolf, “I just need some water, is that okay?”

Jeongguk stares at him for a moment before making a grumbling sound and pulling back enough to let Jimin sit up. He does, stretching long and lithe like a cat before rising to pad over to his rucksack. He’s ready for another dose of aphrodisiac, assuming that whatever happens next will overshadow their first couple of rounds, but for now he’s coherent and Jeongguk, though nonverbal, seems coherent enough that he hopes he can coax some water and food into him.

He manages to get the alpha to drink half the water offered, but the food is met with a snarl and a look of disdain, so he sets that aside and decides not to fight it. He trusts Jeongguk’s wolf enough to not push for more, if the alpha decides he needs food he’ll feed him, but for now it’s obvious that there is only one thing Jeongguk wants.

Jimin takes another sip of the golden potion and falls back into bed with a content sigh, giggling when Jeongguk immediately crowds his space. Scenting him like the few fleeting moments he’d left bed have washed his scent from Jimin’s skin.

He knows it will take a few moments for the potion to take effect, so he lays on his back and tugs at Jeongguk, pulling on both hands until the alpha gets the point and straddles his chest, his hard, heavy cock hanging tantalizingly close to Jimin’s lips. He wants it, wants it in his mouth and then in him, so he parts his lips and closes his eyes and waits for Jeongguk to move. It doesn’t take long before he’s feeling the heavy weight of his tip dragging against his lips, smearing them with precum before Jeongguk presses forward, letting the head of his cock rest on Jimin’s tongue and he tastes so good, feels so good. Jimin moans and licks the underside of him, presses hot, open-mouthed kisses to the length of it, worshiping every inch of him like he deserves.

He already feels himself begin to drift, content in ways he’s never known before Jeongguk, loving being pinned in place and used, loving how good it makes him feel. He reaches up and begins to stroke Jeongguk, hoping to get him off so he can taste him, but Jeongguk has other plans, and after a few moments of that he’s pulling back and lifting Jimin’s legs so that both ankles rest on one broad shoulder, before he’s pushing inside once more and oh—

He feels so much bigger in this position, massive and hard as he drags against Jimin’s walls and finds his prostate with every fierce thrust, and it’s all Jimin can do to hold himself together, at least for a few minutes, before he’s falling apart completely. Tears slipping down his cheeks as he comes untouched, clenching hard around Jeongguk until the alpha spills inside of him once again.

They do this over and over, positions changing, but pleasure always the same. Jimin manages to coax Jeongguk into drinking water on occasion, and even manages to get some food in him at one point, but mostly they just make love, mostly they just touch and kiss and worship each other, and Jimin finds himself idly wishing that they could do this at least once a month, because this is the closest to heaven he’s ever been.

Jeongguk barely speaks during the duration of it, his only words limited to praising Jimin, telling him he’s perfect, the most beautiful omega, and Jimin, flushed and needy, lets the praise wash over him like a sun shower, tearful because he feels so good, tearful because he loves making Jeongguk feel good as well.

But then, sometime near the end of the second day, Jeongguk says something new, “Mate,” he whispers as he pushes into Jimin. “Mate,” he says as he begins to move, and Jimin thinks he understands.

“Yes, please,” he begs softly, because he wants it, wants to bear the marks he saw on the wolves of the pack when he walked through the village, wants to be marked by Jeongguk in a way that will let everyone know that he is the one this perfect alpha chose, “Mark me, let me show everyone I’m yours.”

“Mate,” Jeongguk says again, but this time it sounds less like a question, and more like a declaration. Jimin turns his head to the side as Jeongguk leans forward, but his eyes flutter open when he feels a question whispered against the shell of his ear, “Omega, mate me as well.”

Jimin could cry, adoration filling him because his alpha wants to bear his mark just as much as Jimin wants to bear his. He has no idea if the bite will take, but he wants to try, has to try, the very thought of denying Jeongguk anything makes him feel a hollow ache in his chest that threatens to drown him in pain, “Okay,” he whispers, “I will.”

He doesn’t know how, but he will.

He calls on his magic, a power he now thinks was born inside of him to help transcend the boundaries of their biologies, and it answers immediately, rushing like sunlight through his veins as Jeongguk leans down, his knot pushing against Jimin’s rim. Jimin presses kiss after kiss to Jeongguk’s shoulder as he waits for the telltale pressure of fang and tooth, and when he feels it, his magic surges and he feels his own canines growing sharp in response.

Jeongguk bites down just as his knot locks them together, and Jimin would cry out if instinct hadn’t made him sink his teeth into warm flesh as well. Their orgasms crash over them like ocean waves and winter gales, the pleasure amplified tenfold by the marks they left on each other. If they were connected before, now they are even more so bound. Jimin feels Jeongguk’s own pleasure like it’s his own, and from the way Jeongguk shakes he seems to feel the same. His cock throbbing with release as Jimin clenches around him, taking it all, just like he promised. The taste of blood is iron and thick on his tongue, but it also tastes like power, like moonlight and singing in the night woods, it tastes like a promise, a prayer, a wild clarion call to the world that declares them whole and home.

The fear Jimin once felt is long forgotten, replaced by euphoric certainty that he was made for Jeongguk, and Jeongguk was made for him.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“Hello beautiful,” are the first words that greet him when he opens his eyes to what he can only assume is the third day. He meets clear brown eyes and smiles, already reaching up to pull Jeongguk into his arms, still deliciously tired but sated in every sense of the word.

“Hello yourself,” he whispers, voice a little hoarse from overuse, but he doesn’t care, isn’t bothered at all by anything because the only thing that matters is Jeongguk and the bond he feels through their mating mark. Jeongguk falls happily into his arms, his laughter low and rumbling as they hold each other, and knows the joy he feels now will stay with him throughout the rest of this lifetime and into the next.

It takes them another day to fully recover, eating and drinking their fill before slipping out of the cave to bathe in a nearby stream. Everything feels a bit brighter and more vibrant with the mark he now proudly wears, and Jeongguk cannot seem to get enough of him. He keeps him within sight constantly, preferably within reach, touching and holding whenever he can. Insistent on helping Jimin with every little thing, from cleaning himself to feeding him, and Jimin is happy to comply.

By the fourth morning they are ready to go back home, and with a couple snaps of his fingers the cave is empty and they are stepping back into the bright arms of the forest.

He reaches across the space between them and tangles his fingers with Jeongguk’s, “Come home with me, alpha?” He asks sweetly.

Jeongguk looks down at him, eyes soft and warm, “Of course, little witch, of course.”

Jimin never thought he’d get a happy ending, after all, a witch in the woods often meets their demise at the hands of a hero, but here he is, the hero of his own story. The curse that once bound him tattered and shredded by love and devotion, the fear that once held him only a memory that will soon fade into nothing, as though it had never been.

Theirs is a story of destiny, of fate, of taking what life tried to hand them and making it better, making it theirs. Jimin might not know what the future holds for them both, but he knows that no matter what, he’ll be okay, they’ll be okay.

“You better never run off again,” Jimin says as they get back to the little clearing and the hovel that is now a home.

“I won’t,” Jeongguk promises, “I’ve done enough running.”

And Jimin knows he’s telling the truth.