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Jimin ran. Faster than he had ever before. The trees whipped past him, a few branches snagging at his clothes and leaving faint, stinging scratches on his face. Yet, he made himself keep up the pace, the heavy footfalls behind him pushing him to think further than the pain in his heaving lungs.
He heard it then.
The howls.
Jimin pumped his legs and resisted the urge to look behind him, to see how close they really were. The sunlight dappled through the leaves, but he saw one spot brighter than the rest; a break in the trees.
He whipped into the clearing, an almost perfectly circular meadow filled with the most gorgeous of wildflowers. And only once he was in the center did he let himself fall to his knees, heaving. He raised his head as he heard the footsteps following his entrance.
From the forest, emerged three monstrous beasts. Stalking forward in the center and demanding the most attention, was a snowy white monstrosity. The wolf could easily tower over Jimin even while standing and its mouth was formed into a snarl as its eyes pinned Jimin into stillness. The other two wolves (one a brownish-russet color and the other tan) were equally as terrifying even if they didn’t tower as the white one did.
Above Jimin, a bird circled, crying out melodiously as its red and golden plumage shimmered in the afternoon light.
“Okay, okay, I give, I give!” Jimin cried out, holding his hands up in surrender.
The wolves’ expressions, before horrifying enough to make Jimin’s hair raise, immediately relaxed and the brown colored one’s tongue lolled out of his mouth into a goofy grin.
Jimin collapsed into the grass, gasping for breath, wildflowers shielding him from looking as he heard the disgusting cracking of bones rearranging as they shifted.
“How did Hoseok convince me this was the best way to train?” Jimin groaned, raising an arm over his eyes.
“Come on, a chase was the exact motivation you needed,” a voice teased him from somewhere to his left. Jimin used his other hand to flip Jungkook off, raising a chuckle from him and two others.
A loud squawk made him finally lower his arm and sit upright, just in time to see the phoenix that had flown above him a few moments earlier shift into a handsome man.
“I agree,” Jin smirked as he walked over. “I’ve never seen you run that fast before, Jimjam.” Jimin sneered at the nickname.
He sent a glance to his left to see his two friends and enemy, now all clothed again after having shifted back to their human forms. Jungkook was snickering, muttering “Jimjam” to himself, while Namjoon was trying to conceal his smile. All of this riled Jimin up, but there was nothing worse than the smirk on Min Yoongi’s face.
Yoongi’s hair was the same startling white as his wolf’s pelt, even his complexion was pale to boot. He resembled his wolf form more than Jungkook or Namjoon did theirs.
Yoongi took the few steps separating them and lowered his hand to offer Jimin some help up. It was only after a few seconds of Jimin staring at it reproachfully that Yoongi dropped it, his smug smile fading from his face.
“Spare your pity, Min Yoongi. This lowly human can get up all by himself,” Jimin spit out, pushing against the forest floor to heave himself up.
“I called you that once,” Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Can you please get over yourself?”
Jimin had a retort ready when he heard an exasperated sigh as Namjoon whispered, “Here we go again.”
He didn’t want to give Yoongi the satisfaction of starting another fight so he stomped past him to Jungkook.
“Carry me home please?” He pleaded, jutting his bottom lip out in a way that the pack had a hard time to refuse. It worked once again, because Jungkook immediately bowed over for Jimin to climb onto his back.
“Whipped!” Jin crowed. He and Hoseok were the only ones immune to Jimin’s charms (and perhaps a certain Min Yoongi too).
The sound of torn clothing echoed through the meadow as Yoongi shifted again and both Namjoon and Seokjin groaned at the loss of clothes, but they would never say anything untoward to their alpha, at least not to his face.
‘Cowards’ Jimin thought.
Yoongi raced past them and they all followed at a slower pace, bar Jin who had shifted into his phoenix form and darted into the sky. No one knew why Jin could keep his clothes on when he shifted and have them reappear once he was human again. Jin once said it was because his form was elegant and subtle while the wolves were brutal and made for destruction. Namjoon had agreed partially, thinking that a phoenix’s ability to heal could also influence it. Jungkook had not taken kindly to being called brutal, but he hadn’t fought Jin on it. It was rare when someone fought Jin on anything.
Jungkook was fast as he ran through the woods, tracing their path back. Jimin couldn’t detect even a hint of exhaustion from his friend, even with him on his back. It was clear to Jimin that the wolves had been toying with him, that they could’ve caught him within seconds if they had really wanted to.
‘Hoseok and his stupid ideas,’ Jimin sulked as he tucked his head into Jungkook’s shoulder to shield him from the icy wind whipping past them. It had been the Fae’s plan to increase Jimin’s stamina since he was now living with the pack.
The pack.
A family that Jimin was proud to be a member of.
It happened about a year ago.
Jimin had been eighteen years of age when he had been kicked out of his former village, along with his half-brother Taehyung. Kicked out because his brother had refused to accept one of the village’s most handsome bachelor’s hand-in-marriage. He and Taehyung had lost their parents at a young age and even though Taehyung had been the older one, Jimin had taken lead in taking care of the both of them. So he hunted, gathered, did everything he could to keep his brother alive.
It had been one snowy winter night, both of them starving and tumbling through the snow in search of a nearby town that they could take shelter in. A wolf had emerged from the snow in front of them, much the same color as its surroundings, and then two more from behind them.
Jimin had grabbed a stick ready to defend himself and his brother to his death, but the figures had shifted and formed into three young men who, with barely any convincing needed, took Jimin and Taehyung back to their house.
Just then, the house in question popped up from the darkness, startling Jimin from his memories. He hadn’t realized that it had gotten so dark.
He let himself feel what he had felt that day that Yoongi and his pack took in him and his brother: grateful, relieved and exhausted.
He had later learned that the pack consisted of the three wolves (Yoongi, Jungkook and Namjoon) as well as a phoenix (Jin). They were in charge of a large village nearby, protecting its residents and keeping the peace, and they accepted Jimin and Taehyung into their trusted pack without hesitation.
The reason for that, well, was Jungkook and Taehyung’s bond.
Not only was the world filled with all sorts of creatures and magic - although there were plenty of humans such as Jimin and Taehyung too - there was also the little matter of the Red Tattoo of Fate.
No one knew the origin of the Red Tattoo, although legends abound. All that was clear was that when you touched the other half to your soul, just a single touch, be it fleeting or intentional, you were fated to be together forever. Not only did a red tattoo form on one’s body, one would find oneself with the ability to talk to one’s other with only one’s mind. As if that wasn’t enough, your heartbeats would sync until death came as well. Jimin had dreamt of his Red Tattoo when he had been but a babe, but as his priorities had shifted to taking care of his brother, so had his hope for such a bond.
Jungkook had only brushed his hand against Taehyung’s lower back that one fated night a year ago and their bond had snapped into place. The reason why Taehyung had refused that handsome bachelor from their previous village had been for that exact moment. Taehyung had never given up on searching for his Red Tattoo and his mate.
Jungkook barged through the front door, already open since Yoongi had probably returned ages ago.
The pack house was huge. A fortress in the middle of the woods, close enough to the village to help when it was needed, but far enough to give the pack space to roam. The village consisted of mostly humans with the occasional non-human, but Yoongi’s pack were the only wolves in the immediate vicinity.
“We’re back!” Jungkook sing-songed as he made his way to the den. He unceremoniously dumped Jimin at the door’s eave. Evidently Jimin’s charm had worn off.
“Took you long enough,” Yoongi drawled from where he was sprawled nonchalantly on an armchair in front of lit fireplace. It was nearing winter again and Jimin shivered as he moved closer to the heat. He tried to give Yoongi a wide berth.
For a year now, the alpha had gotten under his skin with his laid-back, sneering and arrogant attitude. Jimin was the only one who thought Yoongi was a colossal prick - to the amusement of the others. Some of the pack seemed to think it was his way of flirting with the alpha; a laughable idea.
“Not all of us can run like the wind, oh mighty alpha,” Jimin rolled his eyes as he warmed his hands by the fire.
“Jungkookie!” Taehyung shouted as he leapt up from the couch, startling Jimin. Jimin cursed at himself for not being more aware of the room. Taehyung and Jungkook embraced, looking at each other lovingly as they communicated through the bond. On another couch laid Jung Hoseok, the traitor who had suggested Jimin’s training for the day. Why Taehyung hadn’t needed the training, only Merlin knew.
Hoseok was a bit of an unknown. There were only a handful of Fae in the entirety of Korea, as far as everyone knew. Fae were dangerous creatures, with untold powers and immortality. Hoseok never shared his real age, but he had to be nearing at least a thousand years. He never joined the pack officially, but he liked to hang around and make a nuisance of himself more often than not.
Namjoon and Jin soon made their way into the den as well, holding hands. Another couple bearing the mark of the Red Tattoo. Theirs were visible, a red ring around each of their arms, whereas Taehyung and Jungkook preferred not to tell anyone where theirs were. Jimin secretly thought it must be somewhere embarrassing, like their bottoms.
“Thank you, Hoseok, for the inspiring idea for my training today,” Jimin snarked. It had taken him awhile to get used to the pure power that Hoseok emanated. It had been terrifying at first, however in a year’s time, he had learned that Hoseok was more bark than bite - although Jimin was certain he could still bite if he had to.
Hoseok bared his teeth in a grin and merely shrugged, “You’re welcome.” Jimin rolled his eyes. “So was fear enough of a motivation for you, dearest Jiminie? Did these brutes scare you sufficiently?” The whole room tittered, as Jimin bristled.
“Ha, you think I was scared?” Jimin lied smoothly, hoping his heartbeat didn’t betray him.
Yoongi snorted, only raising an eyebrow as Jimin made a vulgar gesture at him. They were too close to comfort as Jimin was still standing in front of the fire, but he didn’t want to move further away from the warmth as he was still lightly shivering.
“Not scary enough, huh?” Hoseok asked with another mischievous grin.
‘Oh’ Jimin gulped.
Then Hoseok pounced. In one lithe, strong movement he darted towards Jimin, who in his fright fell backward and onto none other than Min Yoongi.
Yoongi grabbed at Jimin’s arms in alarm and his hand brushed against Jimin’s own. Flesh meeting flesh for the first time.
Then the floor, Yoongi, everything securing Jimin to the ground, was swept away.
And Jimin was in the stars, lost, floating aimlessly until a red tether reached out from nowhere and curled around his ribs. No, not from nowhere. That red thread was coming from a light so blinding that Jimin’s head spun when he looked at it.
Yet it was familiar, warm and protective.
‘Mate’ a voice echoed in the void, that deep, growling voice that he had come to know and despise.
And then everything faded to black.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Some years later:
Jimin grunted as he focused on the pile of firewood in front of him. It was spring, but the air in the forest was getting increasingly hot and stifling. He felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face. Jimin tried to roll up the sleeves of his shirt, but they could only go up so far.
“Remember, you need to believe it will happen. Really believe in it,” spoke a voice from behind him. He wanted to punch Seojoon in his face.
It had almost been five years since that fateful night of his bonding with Yoongi.
He had woken from the bonding to exclamations of delight from the pack and even a small smile from Yoongi himself. As if they hadn’t realized that Jimin was devastated, that he couldn’t understand why the universe had given him a soulmate that he so adamantly didn’t want.
So for almost five years, Jimin and Yoongi continued to despise one another. Jimin was quick to build a wall in his mind to stop any kind of psychic connection between the two and he had been glad that their heartbeats hadn’t synced up, like maybe the universe knew it had made a mistake.
And yet, the most surprising part of that night hadn’t, in fact, been the beginning of the bond, but something even more inexplicable.
Something had unlocked in Jimin that night.
Both Taehyung and Jimin - although they shared different mothers - had been sure that they were normal humans. They never showed any signs of being something more.
Until that night. When Jimin, in his rage at being bonded to Yoongi, believed so strongly that the man should be set alight, that Yoongi did. His arm engulfed in flames to the panic of the pack who fortunately acted quickly and doused the fire.
At first, they wondered if Jimin was a mage, but witches and mages could only summon their powers through spoken spells.
It was Hoseok who figured it out, with his infinite knowledge.
Jimin was a Spark.
Sparks were rare, so extremely rare that in the entire village (and Yoongi’s village was big, bigger than most in Korea) there was only one other with the same power.
Sparks were also highly coveted. You see, a Spark could do so much more than any witch or mage. It took only a belief (albeit a very strong belief) and a Spark could conjure anything that they could imagine into being. Not only did this mean great power, but Sparks were known to be the best emissaries for packs - as most others wouldn’t dare to try attack a pack with a strong emissary.
Yoongi’s emissary had been Namjoon for several years as they had been training the one other Spark in the village to take over the role when he was strong enough. His name was Seojoon, a man similar in age who had taken Jimin under his wing to train.
Seojoon seemed unbothered by the fact that his position as the Min pack emissary was now threatened by Jimin’s power and connections, merely shrugging when Jimin asked him about it and telling him that he would make a plan.
That is, if Jimin was ever ready to take over the role of emissary. Thus far, he had been struggling horribly with his Spark. It was as if he could feel the power, that warm glow inside him, but when he tried to channel it, it came out weak and unsteady.
“Are you even trying?” Seojoon sighed from behind him. The man gently pushed Jimin to the side and evened his gaze to the pile of firewood that immediately burst into flames.
“I’m sorry,” Jimin muttered, casting his gaze to the ground as shame threatened to swallow him. It was just his luck that he was blessed with some of the strongest powers in the universe, and yet he couldn’t use them.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Seojoon murmured, using a finger to tilt Jimin’s head up. He was a handsome man, Jimin could admit that. With long black hair styled in a braid and warm brown eyes twinkling at Jimin. “You’ll get it. You just need to focus more.” Seojoon tucked a piece of Jimin’s own golden hair behind his ear.
Jimin knew that Seojoon liked him. The other man made it clear enough with his words and flirtatious touching. And there was a part of Jimin that wanted to lean into it. Being surrounded by loving couples such as Taehyung and Jungkook, and Namjoon and Seokjin made him lonely at times.
But however much he disliked the bond he had with Yoongi, there was still a part of him that twisted when he thought of being with another man.
So he gently pulled his head away from Seojoon’s touch and said, “Thank you for helping me. Even if I’m a giant mess.” He picked up his satchel from where it was lying on the forest floor. “I have to get over to Yuna’s shop before she closes, so I’ll see you later, Seojoon.”
Seojoon just raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Getting another one already?”
“You know they’re supposed to help,” Jimin pouted. He nodded his head to the fire, “You’ll put that out, won’t you?” And then he left to head into the village.
The trek to Yuna was easy. In the five years living with the pack, Jimin had learned the forest like the back of his hand. Of course, if he had been a better Spark, he could get himself there in a few seconds, but he didn’t want to risk transporting to the wrong place.
Yuna’s shop was in the village center, so Jimin had to pass through the Main Street that was bustling with people as they prepared for spring. Jimin knew most of the residents as he often charmed himself into getting some free pastries at the bakery or some flowers for the house from the florist. Jimin sometimes wondered if his charm was his real power.
“Hello, Minji,” Jimin beamed at a woman carrying a sack of flour in one hand and an adorable baby in the other. “Let me help with that!” He leaped forward to take the flour but another set of hands beat him to it.
“Thanks, Jimin,” a man grinned as he hoisted the sack onto his shoulder. “But I can’t have you stealing my wife’s attention with those charms of yours.”
Jimin giggled, and bowed his head. “Of course not, Minho. Have a nice day, you two.” The baby gurgled and Jimin gasped as he leaned forward with a silly face. “And you too, lovely Jiho.”
They parted ways with friendly waves and Jimin finally made his way to Yuna’s shop. It was a tiny one, squished between two town houses. Once Jimin entered he could immediately feel his Spark soothing.
The little shop was dark, save for the beams of light coming from the front windows, making the dust motes dance around. There were plants, herbs and roots hanging from the walls and jars of different potions on the shelves.
Yuna was the local witch. She mostly made her money from the many potions she made, but there was one other craft that Jimin was there for.
He found Yuna on a rocking chair behind the counter, head tilted back and snoring. So Jimin unceremoniously rung the little bell on the counter to wake her up.
“Wh-Who’s there?” Yuna startled awake. She was physically old, but refused to let her spirit whither along with her body. Her face scowled as she looked at Jimin. “You again, you great nuisance.” She snorted as she heaved herself up with some difficulty. “I told you, I don’t know anymore that I can give you!” Jimin sighed.
Over the past five years Jimin’s body had changed significantly. Gone was the too skinny figure he had when he and his brother had been exiled. Now his form was still lithe, but stronger, fuller and you could also see the muscles corded under his skin from all his training. After all, an emissary had to be fully rounded.
Another thing that had changed were the tattoos. Tattoos held power. Perhaps it heralded back to the power of the Red Tattoo. Either way, Sparks were known to be riddled with tattoos as they helped them channel their energy, that force within their very soul. In desperation to get better at his magic, Jimin had gone to Yuna’s to get several tattoos over the past couple of years. If he had to count, he had about twenty two already decorating his body - he stubbornly refused to think about the red ink on his ribs.
Every tattoo given by a person of magic needed to be done with a purposeful design in order to channel the magic through it. And it seemed Yuna had already given Jimin every tattoo she knew of.
“I just thought you might have done some more research,” Jimin batted his eyelashes. “Found some more designs for little old me.”
Yuna snorted again, “You think I would waste my precious time on something like that? I have a business to run, Jimin. So run along please.” She disappeared into the back and Jimin let himself round the counter and collapse into the rocking chair.
Once Yuna returned with a handful of herbs, she only gave him a side eye before sighing, exasperated.
“You can’t expect the tattoos to do all the work for you, you know,” she said, placatingly. Jimin felt himself become petulant, denial running through his body.
“I just don’t know what to do, Yuna. I’ve barely improved at all since I got my powers.”
“And how you got them, you still haven’t explained to me,” Yuna glared.
It was a well-kept secret that Jimin had bonded with Min Yoongi. The town would probably be beside themselves to know their great alpha had a mate, but Jimin had begged Yoongi to keep it a secret and the alpha had agreed, albeit begrudgingly.
Hoseok and Namjoon had thrown themselves into research, trying to find out why Jimin’s Spark had only manifested after the bond snapped in place. Neither have found anything of note however.
“Oh, would you look at the time,” Jimin grinned. “Seems I have to part with you so soon, Yuna dearest.” He jumped up from the chair and neatly dodged Yuna’s attempt to smack him with some mint.
He walked backwards towards the door and shouted out a parting “Please find me some new tattoos,” and then he fled from the shop before Yuna could swear at him.
***
The walk home wasn’t long, not nearly long enough for Jimin to stop brooding about his failures of the day. But entering that house that he had come to call home was enough to soothe his spirits somewhat.
He could hear Namjoon and Jin bickering in the kitchen - most likely about Namjoon’s banishment from said room since he was known to break anything he touched, including Jin’s favorite appliances.
And in the den, he heard Taehyung’s deep laugh and Jungkook’s accompanying giggle.
He decided then that he wasn’t in the mood to be around the loving couples, so he made his way upstairs. His bedroom was to the right, almost at the end of a long hallway and placed suspiciously close to Yoongi’s bedroom which was right across from his.
He also didn’t want to face the alpha, so he quickly slipped into his room and shut the door as quiet as he could.
His room was the second largest, given to him after he bonded to Yoongi. A perk of becoming the alpha’s mate (much to his chagrin). It was so spacious in fact, that Jimin didn’t even know what to do with all of the extra space.
There was a large, four poster bed in the middle of the room with big windows facing east that let in the sun rays early in the morning. In addition to that was a nice and cozy reading nook right by the biggest window overlooking the forest and a river running behind the house. A door on the left hand side led to his own private en-suite and it even had a little alcove for all his clothing.
When he and Taehyung had first arrived at the pack house, they had barely anything, but over the years both of them have built a solid wardrobe.
Taehyung had begun selling the paintings he created and had become one of the most sought after artists in the village. Jimin took it upon himself to help with most of the household chores, which Yoongi had insisted he would be paid for - any of Jimin’s protests falling on deaf ears. So, both of them had become self-sufficient enough to buy their own belongings.
However, Jimin had to admit that most of his clothing came from his secret benefactor. About a few weeks after he and his half-brother moved in, it started, A beautiful piece had laid delicately on his bed. At first, it was a vest, light purple with flowers embroidered onto the sides and gold trimmings. Then a few weeks later, a matching pair of pants.
It had to be from someone in the pack, but no one ever came forward to claim responsibility. Jimin secretly thought it might be Seokjin’s handiwork, since the phoenix was so fond of doting over the younger ones in the pack. But he never spoke to him about it.
So, it was to no surprise that Jimin turned around in his room to find another gift on his bed. This time, a flowing white shirt, slightly see-through that would undoubtedly make him look ethereal (maybe he would even rival Hoseok’s otherworldly Fae-ness).
He walked over and trailed his fingers over the material. It felt like water on his skin and he couldn’t help the small smile from gracing his lips. ‘Oh, Jin,” he let himself think, wondering if he should thank the man in person this time.
A knock on his door startled Jimin enough that he gave a small jump. He clutched at his pounding heart as he walked over and opened it, only to be met with cold eyes.
“Yoongi,” Jimin nodded his head, doing his best not to let his mouth twist into a sneer.
Yoongi smirked as if he knew he was crawling under Jimin’s skin. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.
Yoongi was about as tall as Jimin, but he was considerably more muscled and his broad shoulders filled the doorway. It used to be menacing, his physical size, however Jimin thought it was his ego that made Yoongi seem bigger than he actually was.
“How was training?” Yoongi finally asked, mouth twisted as if he knew that it had gone terribly. Jimin crossed his arms as well, wanting some kind of barrier between him and the alpha.
“It was fine,” he sniffed. He turned back into his room, hoping it would dismiss Yoongi, but the alpha just sauntered in as if he owned the place, which Jimin supposed he did. “You don’t have to keep checking up on me,” Jimin continued as he picked up the shirt from his bed and walked over to his walk-in closet. “I’m improving. So, don’t worry, you’ll get your emissary soon enough.” He hoped Yoongi couldn’t sense the blatant lie.
Surprisingly, Yoongi kept silent, so Jimin glanced at him from out the corner of his eye only to see the alpha frowning.
“I’m not pressuring you, I just wanted-“ the older began, only to have Jimin cut him off.
“No, I get it. Sparks are important. They create a balance in a pack. Blah blah blah, I’ve heard it all from Seojoon and Hoseok before.” Jimin grit his teeth and focused on hanging his new blouse up.
More silence.
Then, “And how is Seojoon? Is he helping?”
Jimin spun around to level Yoongi with a glare. ‘What is his problem?’ He thought.
“Seojoon’s fine. Great even!” Jimin’s voice rose. Yoongi’s nostrils flared in response and Jimin could see his fists clenching. “Listen, you were the one who didn’t want to send me to another village with more Sparks whom I could learn from, so we’re stuck with Seojoon.”
“Jimin-ah,” Yoongi began, only to back track when he saw Jimin’s visible displeasure at the nickname. “Jimin, we’ve had this conversation before. We can’t protect you if you’re living in another village.”
Jimin grit his teeth again.
“And what if I didn’t need protection? Is that too much for you to consider? That I don’t need you or your pack?” Another blatant lie. The pack was Jimin’s family now. He needed them as much as they needed him.
Yoongi regarded him, warily. There was something in his eyes that Jimin couldn’t place and he didn’t dare to think that it might be hurt. That Yoongi wanted him around. Not with how often they fought.
“You know you could leave anytime you want, Jimin,” Yoongi said in a low voice his eyes downcast before he perked up again. “But not now.”
Jimin was ready to continue their argument but stopped at the slight panic in the alpha’s voice.
“What do you mean, not now?”
Yoongi sighed, his shoulders slumping.
“Come on, I’ll explain it downstairs. I came up here to fetch you. We’re having a pack meeting.”
The pack was already in the den, varying degrees of worry painted on their faces. Even Hoseok was there, perched on the edge of one of the sofas. His expression was the bleakest.
“Hoseok,” Yoongi gestured towards the Fae as he made his way to the front of the room to address the others. Jimin took a seat next to Taehyung who immediately grabbed at his hand.
Jimin felt a nervousness creep in that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since their previous village had come together to kick him and Taehyung out.
Hoseok leapt up from his seat and took his place next to Yoongi to face all of them.
“There’s something wrong in the village,” the Fae began. “I’ve noticed a strange energy the past couple of months and I’ve been trying to track it.”
Jimin wondered why the pack hadn’t been notified of this earlier, but a quick glance told him that most of the others seemed to already know - at least Namjoon, Seokjin and Jungkook did. He couldn’t help but feel a slight sting at him and Taehyung being the only ones left out. Weren’t they considered pack yet? Taehyung’s own expression seemed to mirror Jimin’s thoughts.
“This afternoon, I finally found something,” Hoseok continued, face grim. “Park Soomin.”
Soomin was a teacher at one of village schools.
“What about Soomin?” Jimin asked, voice tight.
Hoseok paused, “I found her body.”
The entire pack, bar Yoongi, exclaimed this time.
Jimin himself kept silent. His body froze as fear and grief overwhelmed him. He clutched at Taehyung’s hand and tried to will away the burning in his eyes.
Park Soomin. Dead? That kind woman who always had a piece of candy for Jimin and whose eyes would crinkle in the same way his did when she smiled.
Yoongi stepped forward at that point, his eyes cold again, just as they had been when he had knocked on Jimin’s door a few minutes prior.
“Hoseok and I tracked the energy and scents around the body, but we couldn’t find a lead. Jungkook, I need you to come and see if you smell anything else,” he ordered. Jungkook had the best nose out of all of them. “Namjoon, you and I are going to take the body over to Yuna’s to see if she has a spell to reveal more information. Seokjin, Taehyung I need you to go over to Soomin’s house.”
That forced Jimin out of his downwards spiral.
“What about me?”
Yoongi glanced at him, “Stay put for now, Jimin-ah.”
A fire flickered alight in Jimin’s body, driving away the icy fear.
The others started disappearing, throwing concerned glances at the two of them.
“Stay put?” Jimin seethed.
“It’s dangerous,” Yoongi countered.
“Dangerous?!” Jimin screeched. “You’re sending out all of them, even Taehyung, who I suppose is the only ‘lowly human’ now.” He threw out his arms. “So why? What possible thought process did you go through, to think that side-lining me -
me
- is a good idea?”
Yoongi opened and shut his mouth a couple of times and if Jimin hadn’t felt so wholly aggravated he would’ve likened the alpha to a gold fish.
“Jimin, your Spark isn’t stable yet,” Yoongi finally spoke, walking forward with his arms outstretched as if to calm a wild animal.
And boy did Jimin feel wild.
“Stable? Stable?!” He shouted. There was a storm brewing inside him. Raging and ruining any type of rational thought he could have at that moment. He wanted to throw something at the alpha. He wanted to hurt him as much as those words he spoke had hurt Jimin. So he believed, believed that he could.
And then, that storm inside Jimin moved out of his body. Objects started rising into the air, swirling around Yoongi and Jimin as if they were in the eye of the storm. A lamp swung past Yoongi’s head, close enough for the alpha to jerk away with wide eyes. The wind swirled faster and it was closing in on Yoongi, ready to hit him at the first thought from Jimin.
A hand clasped Jimin’s shoulder.
“Jimin-ah, that’s enough,” the voice was a calm bass that belonged to the greatest anchor in his life. The only person who could reach him when he felt like this.
Taehyung.
Realization hit Jimin as hard as everything hit the floor, including the sofas which Jimin hadn’t realized had begun floating as well.
“I’m sorry,” he choked out as his eyes started blurring.
He saw Yoongi take a step forward in his peripheral vision, so he turned around and fled out of the front door.
He started to run, past his friends who were all still loitering outside, clearly having eavesdropped on the conversation. He ignored their calls and when Jungkook and Namjoon started running after him, he let that wild, uncontrolled storm within him take over. He believed that he could be somewhere where no one could find him.
It was easy this time. Like his Spark was finally willing to listen to him.
So, the next second, he found himself miles into the forest, far away from any members of the pack. He ran for a few more minutes, just in case and only stopped when he saw a grove appear in front of him.
Rising only a few feet from the ground, right in the middle, was a tree stump. It had to be the oldest tree in the forest, and Jimin was sure that before it had been cut down, it would’ve towered over the entirety of the woods, a beacon that could have been seen from neighboring villages.
The storm within Jimin quietened down enough to make room for the curiosity. Who had cut down this tree and for what reason?
He made his way over to the stump and lifted himself to sit on top of it. Then he laid back and sprawled his entire body out. The stump was so big, he couldn’t touch the sides even with his arms and legs outstretched like a starfish.
As he lay there, he could feel his Spark reacting, coiling and uncoiling as if it was restlessly caught in a cage. The energy traveled to his arms and legs. The closest he could equate the feeling was an army of ants burrowing under his skin and crawling through his veins. He shook out his limbs, hoping to shake out the energy, but the feeling spread.
‘Use me,’ he could feel his Spark whispering to him. ‘Use me, use me, use me.’
Jimin sat up and looked around. It was eerily quiet in that grove. Not a peep from an animal or a whisper of a wind.
His Spark had never spoken to him before.
‘Use me!’ It demanded.
Jimin’s head pounded, the crawling under his skin relentless. So he did the only thing he could think of doing; he cried.
“I don’t know how!” He shouted into the void, his voice echoing through the forest. “Tell me how!” He closed his eyes and curled into himself.
‘You know how, darling.’
Jimin’s head whipped up. He knew that voice. It had been years since he last heard it, but he knew it. That soft, lilting voice that always playfully chided him and Taehyung as children.
“Mom,” Jimin sniffled. But she was nowhere to be seen.
‘Believe,’ her voice sang in his head again.
There was an overwhelming pressure in his head, as if something was going to explode if he didn’t release the power soon. He thought of the one thing he truly wanted at that moment. That he truly longed for. Then he believed.
The Spark inside him surged, locking onto that belief and letting itself be pulled out of Jimin. It wasn’t easy. Not all of the energy wanted to come out, but it was enough to do something.
Jimin watched as roots crawled up from the ground, as leaves and branches and flowers all twisted and grew, taller and taller. As nature took shape.
Soon, a planted amalgamation in the shape of Jimin’s mother stood in front of him. She wasn’t perfect, her features not exact, but it was the most he had been able to do with his Spark over the past five years and he couldn’t keep himself from bursting into tears. He leaned over and two gnarled and knotted branches teeming with plants and flowers curled around his frame in a hug.
“Mom,” Jimin cried again.
Jimin’s Spark could only do so much, so even though the figure moved and comforted Jimin, it could not speak. But that didn’t stop Jimin from speaking.
It grew dark as Jimin told the facsimile of his mom everything that he had endured since she had passed away. How his and Taehyung’s father had kicked them out of the house. How they had to survive alone going from village to village until they found one to stay in, only to be kicked out once Taehyung rejected that village idiot. How they had found the pack and Taehyung found his soulmate. How Jimin did as well. He then went on to explain how he thought the universe made a mistake in making Yoongi his soulmate. How they loathed each other. He explained his inexplicable powers, his Spark. How he struggled to use it. How he felt like a failure in all aspects of his life.
And then he finally admitted his greatest fear. That he was unnecessary. That he didn’t contribute anything to the pack and that they would be better off without him. Yoongi hadn’t thought he was useful enough to help with the investigation into Soomin’s death, in fact he had outright stated that Jimin was dangerous. That his Spark was too unstable. Too much of a liability.
By the time Jimin finished speaking, his hand clutching the brambles on his mother’s, it was well into the night. He quickly wiped away his tears and forced a smile onto his face.
“I’ll be fine though,” Jimin said, his voice quivering. “I’m always fine, so don’t go worrying about me.”
The twigs shaping his mother’s gentle mouth curved upward in a sad smile. It hurt Jimin to see, so he closed his eyes and willed it away.
When he opened his eyes again, his mother was gone.
***
Jimin tried to use his Spark to help him back home again, and even though he was able to transport himself, he ended up a mile away from the village instead. So, he trekked his way through Main Street, feeling particularly exhausted. It was late enough that there wasn’t a single soul loitering the streets.
“Jimin!” A voice whisper-shouted into the night. “Jimin is that you?” Yuna appeared from the dark with a lantern swinging from her hand. “Good lord, boy. We’ve been going crazy trying to find you.”
Jimin was too tired to give an explanation, though he assumed Yuna knew what he had done back at the pack house, what he had almost done to Yoongi.
Yuna waddled back into her shop, Jimin following at a sedate pace. He was glad to see that none of the pack were there. He wasn’t sure he could handle any of them at that moment - wasn’t sure if he would start crying again as the shame overwhelmed him.
Yuna ushered him into the rocking chair behind the counter, draping a wooly blanket over his legs before muttering something about tea and disappearing into the back.
Jimin despondently looked around the store, lit by a few candles. He let his eyes roam over the bookshelf next to him, idly skimming the titles. One jumped out at him almost immediately. He sat up quickly, the rocking chair almost throwing him off.
It was a small book, bound with light blue faded material.
‘How to Make and Break Bonds’ the title read.