Chapter Text
Hunter’s Moon
It was early afternoon when Kim Taehyung went to do his almost-daily chore of chopping firewood. He had gone hunting earlier and done well, bringing back a deer and several rabbits. He dropped the deer off at the kitchen and took a few of the rabbits for his sister.
The weather was decent for mid-Autumn, sun shining, a cool breeze blowing. The Full Moon celebration was still a day off, but they needed plenty of wood for the bonfire they always had as well as for the pack kitchens and huts.
He greeted the alpha, Hyoshin, who was hauling the wood in to be chopped.
“Did you hear?”
“About what? I was out hunting earlier and then I had to clean up.”
“Minho.”
“What about him?”
“He tried to kidnap the Rose Moon omega and got his ass kicked. He’s come back to lick his wounds so he can try again.”
“He has an omega. Why get another one? And why the Rose Moon omega? They are the biggest pack around. He got a death wish?”
“Quite possibly. He went by himself. The omega apparently was the one to beat him up.” Hyoshin smirked. Most people didn’t like Minho but as the son of the pack alpha, there was little anyone could do about it.
“The omega is trained to fight?” Taehyung was shocked. Black Moon omegas did not know how to fight at all. He tried to picture any of them fighting and couldn’t.
“Guess so. Rose Moon is more progressive than we are. Omegas fight and alphas cook. I’ve thought before about seeing if they have room for an old wolf like me,” he said. Hyoshin was only a few years older than Taehyung. He had mated but his omega died in childbirth, along with their child. “And as for the why, he probably thought kidnapping the omega would give him a bartering piece with the pack alpha. Thought he could take over that pack, maybe. Fool’s errand, that. The pack alpha is tough, and his alpha heir is a regular chip off the old block.”
Taehyung didn’t know that information about Rose Moon. He filed it away for when Jiyoung was a year older, though he wanted out of this pack sooner than that. Maybe in the spring they would leave, find a new home. Jiyoung would love a pack where she wasn’t limited in what she could do.
Taehyung waited for Hyoshin to finish unloading the cart, then picked up the axe. As he did so, they heard giggles from the trees.
“Sounds like your fan club is here,” Hyoshin laughed.
Taehyung rolled his eyes. “They only like my appearance. And only when I am doing some kind of physical activity. Otherwise, they can’t stand me.”
Hyoshin smirked. “Well then, give them a show.” He clapped Taehyung on the shoulder. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
The pile of wood slowly dwindled into neatly stacked cut logs as Taehyung worked steadily. He knew he could probably find someone to help him stack the logs, but he liked working alone. He had been in this pack his entire life, but after his parents died when he was thirteen, he felt out of place. Thank the goddess for his sister and grandmother. After his grandmother died, he felt the call to leave, but Jiyoung was too young. But that call kept getting stronger, like something—or someone—was beckoning him.
He took a break when he was almost done, getting a drink from his pouch.
Just then, Moonbyul approached him. She was Minho’s to-be mate, but that didn’t stop her from trying to flirt with Taehyung. Minho already hated Taehyung. His omega throwing herself at him didn’t help.
“Hello, Tae,” she simpered.
“Taehyung,” he corrected. Tae was for his sister and maybe his own future omega, but not her. “What do you need, Moonbyul?”
Moonbyul knew she was pretty, with her petite frame, long black hair, and big dark eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she giggled. “You’ve been working so hard, Tae. I brought you some water.” She held up a pouch.
“Still Taehyung and I have my own. You know Minho doesn’t like you talking to me.”
She scoffed. “Please. Like he can tell me who to talk to, especially when he tried to kidnap another omega to bring here. Who knows? I might be single soon if he is successful.” She stepped forward and touched Taehyung’s bicep. He quickly took a step back.
“Well, you are not, and I still have the rest of the wood to chop. You’ll want to move out of the way so I can finish.” He hefted the axe in his hand again.
Moonbyul looked appraisingly at him. “All right. I’ll see you at dinner.”
She flounced off, and by the sound, the rest of her flock followed.
Taehyung made short work of the rest of the wood, cleaning up and putting the axe away safely in the tool shed.
He was heading back to his hut to clean up for dinner when Minho stepped into his path, flanked by two of his fellow idiot alpha friends.
“Minho, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Taehyung sighed.
Minho was almost the same height as Taehyung, but slimmer and lither than the other. He was sporting a black eye and a few other bruises, apparently courtesy of the Rose Moon omega.
Taehyung knew, if properly challenged, he could take the pack alpha’s son, but Minho was a sneaky, sly asshole.
“I thought I told you to stay away from Moonbyul.” He said, trying to look tough.
“I was chopping the wood. She came up to offer water. That’s all. I didn’t take it as I had my own.” Taehyung knew Minho was easy to anger, especially when it came to him, so he always spoke as calmly as possible. He wasn’t going to be blamed for escalating anything.
“I don’t believe you. I’ve seen how you look at her. I know you want her.”
Taehyung thought maybe the fight with the omega left Minho’s brain rattled. He had never looked at Moonbyul with anything other than disdain.
“You need to stay away from all our omegas. Stop putting on a show for them. Doyun told me how you were showing off today.”
That was the last straw for Taehyung. He had just been trying to get his chore done. He certainly wasn’t putting on a show for anyone, especially stuck-up omegas who didn’t care about the trouble they caused for other people.
“I can’t help if your omega likes how I look.” He smirked.
Minho hauled off and punched him in the mouth, sending him back. “Hold him,” he snarled to one of his friends. The other grabbed Taehyung by the arms just in time for Minho to punch him in the stomach. He hit him in the face once more and Taehyung sagged. The alpha punched him again in the stomach and Taehyung fell, where the alpha proceeded to kick him in the ribs, the legs, and wherever else he could reach.
“No one, except maybe your sister, will care if you died.” he growled, stepping on his arm, as he bent over Taehyung and held his head up. Then the alpha shrugged and dropped Taehyung’s head back in the dirt, kicking him twice more for good measure.
In the distance, Taehyung heard screaming, then the last thing he heard was “Take him to the cells.”
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“They have dungeons? Are you kidding me?”
Taehyung slowly came to, realizing he was lying on the dirt floor. His head hurt. His body hurt. Taking a breath, he realized that asshole had probably cracked a rib and broken a few bones. He could hardly focus. Staying conscious was difficult. He had no idea how much time had passed and where his sister was. He couldn’t leave her alone.
“Let’s go check them out, then go back and raise the pack alpha from the dead so I can kill him again.”
He heard voices in the distance that didn’t sound like they belonged to pack members. Flickering lights accompanied them. Sounds of dismay were heard as wolf after wolf was found. Omegas. Betas. Alphas. It didn’t matter.
Taehyung tried to hold on until they got to him, trying to speak, to say anything, but his mouth was full of sawdust. He had enough energy to scuttle back a little as he heard his door being opened.
A soothing voice came out of the darkness. “Hey, little wolf. It’s okay. I’m Namjoon from Rose Moon. This is my mate, Seokjin. We’re here to help.”
Two wolves stood over him as Taehyung looked up weakly. For some reason, probably the calming pheromones they were both releasing, he felt like he was safe. And that allowed him to go back under again. He would be taken care of.
As they watched the badly beaten wolf lose consciousness, Namjoon looked at Seokjin. “He’s so close to death. Look at all those wounds and bruises. He’s lost a lot of blood. Should we help him?”
Seokjin looked affronted. “I am a healer. I will not allow someone to die without trying to save them.”
A commotion caught their attention as a young girl came flying into the cell.
“Taehyung! Taehyung!” she sobbed uncontrollably. She dropped to the ground next to him, grabbing onto his arm. “Tae Tae, can you hear me? You can’t leave me here. You’re all I have.”
Seokjin gazed at the girl—who looked all of eight—and then at Namjoon, Namjoon nodded and went back out to find help in getting the wolf named Taehyung out of the cell safely. Seokjin bent down and touched the young girl lightly on the arm, who started.
Her upturned face was streaked with tears. Seokjin’s heart went out to her.
“Hey sweetie. I’m Seokjin from the Rose Moon pack. We’re here to rescue you and your brother. Are you okay to come with me?”
She nodded.
Seokjin took her by the hand as Namjoon came back in with Yoongi and Hoseok, a stretcher in between them. They silently loaded Taehyung onto it, as whimpers of pain came from the unconscious wolf.
“Gently,” Seokjin scolded. Once Taehyung was on and they were carrying him out, he turned to the little girl.
“Will he be all right?” she asked.
Seokjin looked kindly at her. “I don’t know but I will do my best to make sure he is. Shall we go get your belongings?”
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Taehyung opened his eyes. Blue skies with puffy white clouds greeted him. The day was a perfect one – the kind where the sun is shining, and the wind is blowing gently, and it is just the right temperature. The kind of day that makes you feel glad you’re alive.
He rolled over and discovered he had shifted at some point during his nap.
That was interesting, he thought. He rarely shifted involuntarily.
He stood up on his four legs and looked around.
He was in a meadow he had never seen before, surrounded by trees. He caught a glimpse of a small pond in one corner.
Flowers were everywhere in a riot of color. Pink phlox. Yellow sansuyu and brassica. Purple azalea. Blue and white japonica. Purple and white fawnlily. White star jasmine. Cherry blossoms blooming on the trees. There was even more than Taehyung could recognize.
Where was he? This was nowhere near his pack.
Am I dreaming, he thought.
He heard a noise and turned. Off in the distance stood four wolves. Two black. One brown. One gray. Just like his parents and grandparents looked. But it couldn’t be them. They were dead.
Was he dead? If so, what would happen to Jiyoung?
The four wolves raced over to him, yipping joyously as they surrounded him. They were so happy to see him, scenting him. The gray one who looked like his mom groomed him.
The five wolves ran and chased each other for hours until dusk.
The four wolves turned to leave, after scenting him one last time. He tried to follow, but the black one he recognized as his father put a paw on his chest, shaking his furry head.
Your path is not with us, son. You must go back.
Taehyung sat down and watched his family leave him.
When they disappeared, he turned his snout to the sky and howled in the most hauntingly beautiful, heartbroken way.