Chapter Text
Moon Village wasn’t much to look at, just another pack settlement tucked between dense woodlands and hills that seemed to roll on forever.
Maybe eight hundred and fifty wolves called it home, though nobody bothered with exact counts anymore. People came and went, pups were born, elders passed on, and the numbers shifted like the seasons.
The Clearwater Rivers cut through the territory, splitting the land into uneven pieces that somehow still managed to fit together in a way that made sense if you'd lived here long enough.
Most of the houses looked like they had grown straight from the earth itself, built of rough-hewn timber and fieldstone, clustered in small groups wherever the ground felt solid enough to hold them.
Come evening, smoke would curl up from a dozen chimneys at once, carrying the scent of whatever the hunters had managed to bring back that day. Venison, rabbit, sometimes wild boar if the pack got lucky.
You couldn't walk anywhere without hearing life happening all around you. Pups shrieked with laughter as they tumbled through the dirt, only to get scolded by mothers who'd given up on keeping them clean hours ago.
Hunters trudged home with deer slung across their shoulders, their boots caked in mud that tracked patterns across the dirt roads. The elderly sat posted like sentries on their front porches, their sharp eyes judging every single bit of village drama that unfolded before them.
"That boy's gonna eat us out of house and home," muttered Runjin from his usual spot on the porch steps. The old omega's joints creaked louder than his rocking chair these days, but his tongue had stayed sharp as ever over the years.
Kayla didn’t bother looking up from his mending. The village tailor had heard this exact complaint before, probably about every single growing pup in Moon Village at one point or another.
“Growing boys are like that. Remember when my Jihoon shot up six inches in one summer? I thought I’d have to hunt elk every day just to keep him fed.”
Runjin gave a sharp huff, rocking back harder until the porch boards made sound again. “Back in my day, pups knew better than to ask for seconds.”
“And back in your day, there wasn’t enough food for seconds,” Kayla said, already used to hearing the same complaint from her neighbor day after day.
At the heart of it all stood the packhouse, three stories of weathered stone and dark wood rising above the rest, looming like a watchful giant standing guard.
It wasn’t just that the packhouse stood taller than the rest. There was a gravity to it that the other homes didn’t have.
Standing near it made people quieter, as if the place itself demanded a certain respect and everyone obeyed without quite realizing why.
Only the Pack Alpha and his Luna lived there, though the building could have easily housed twenty families without anyone feeling cramped.
These days, that meant it was mostly empty. Rooms that should have echoed with life sat silent and unused.
The Pack Alpha was Jeon Jungkook, and at twenty-four, he was the youngest leader Moon Village had ever known. So young that it made the elders mutter about inexperience and rash decisions whenever they thought he couldn't hear them.
But nobody said it too loud, because they'd all seen what happened to the last person who'd been foolish enough to challenge him directly.
Jungkook hadn’t come into power through bloodline or tradition. He hadn’t waited patiently for his turn, nor earned it through years of loyalty to the pack.
He’d claimed it the old way, with blood still fresh beneath his fingernails and death trailing close behind him.
Everyone had expected Jungwon to step into his father's role when old Alpha Hyungwon finally died.
That was how it usually worked. A son followed his father. The same pattern has been repeated for generations. But when Hyungwon called for challengers in his final days, it wasn’t his own blood who stepped forward first.
It was the boy he'd rescued from the forest twenty years ago. The one who'd been found crying on a flat rock, abandoned and barely four years old, with no family and no pack to call his own.
The one Hyungwon had raised alongside his own son, loved like his own blood, treated like he belonged.
The same boy who'd grown up to rip his throat out in front of the entire pack.
The challenge lasted maybe three minutes, if you were being generous with the counting. It was long enough for half the pack to gather around the fighting circle, but not nearly long enough for anyone to really process what they were watching unfold.
Jungkook's wolf was bigger than anyone had expected it to be, faster than seemed physically possible for something that size. When it was over, when the dust settled and the last breath left Hyungwon's body, his blood had soaked so deep into the fighting circle's dirt that the stain was still visible months later, no matter how much rain fell.
Simple as that. The strongest led. It was wolf law, older than anything, older even than the village itself.
But people had long memories for other things, things that mattered more to them than ancient laws. Some still looked at Jungkook and saw the orphaned pup who'd murdered his way to power, who'd betrayed the only father he'd ever known.
Others whispered that Hyungwon had been the kindest Alpha they’d known in generations, and they couldn’t understand how his adopted son could have done something like that.
The man had saved him from certain death, raised him from childhood, loved him like his own flesh and blood.
Over their morning tea, they’d fall into the same tired complaints, shaking their heads as they talked about how he was far too young, far too wild, and far too dangerous, carrying anger that never seemed to sit still.
Then there were those who said strength was exactly what the pack needed.
That wolves required fire in their leaders, not gentle hearts that got them killed by the next ambitious challenger who came along.
Jungkook ignored all of it with the same stone-faced silence he'd perfected over the years. He'd learned early that people would find reasons to doubt him no matter what he did, no matter how well he led or how fair his judgments were.
It was better to focus on keeping order and protecting the pack than waste time worrying about gossip that would never stop.
And tonight, keeping order meant enduring the whole damn Claiming Moon Festival without letting anyone see how much he hated it.
The gathering ground was already buzzing with restless energy when Jungkook arrived just after sunset. Bonfires crackled around the central clearing, throwing dancing shadows across faces flushed with excitement or dread, depending on which side of the mating ritual you happened to be standing on.
Families spread blankets over the trampled grass. Mated couples sat close with their arms around each other, while pups bounced on their toes, barely able to hold in their excitement.
For the children, it was better than any holiday they celebrated throughout the year. For the unmated wolves waiting at the edge of the clearing... well, that was something else entirely. Something that sat heavy in the stomach like stones.
A cluster of pups had gathered near one of the larger fires, their debate carrying clearly across the evening air over the general noise of the crowd.
"My dad says omegas always try to climb the really tall trees," announced a little girl with dirt streaked across her cheek and leaves caught in her braids.
"But the alphas can smell them anyway, no matter how high they go!"
"Nuh-uh!" protested a boy who couldn't have been more than six, puffing his chest out importantly like he had all the answers.
"My brother Minho says the smart ones go to the river instead. The water washes their scent away so nobody can track them."
A third pup with two front teeth missing shook her head, utterly certain in the way only children ever were.
“You’re both wrong. The clever ones don’t run far. They hide right under the alphas’ noses, where nobody looks because it’s too obvious.”
Their mothers smiled indulgently at the serious discussion of hunting strategy, finding it sweet rather than concerning.
One reached over to ruffle her son's hair affectionately. "You'll understand better when you're older, sweetheart."
The boy wrinkled his nose in frustration. "But I want to understand now. Why do I have to wait?"
The lady just rolled her eyes, already tired from answering the pups since morning.
The Claiming Moon happened once a year, following traditions so old that nobody could remember who'd started them or why they'd seemed like a good idea at the time.
Every unmated omega would be sent into the forest with fifteen minutes to find whatever hiding spot they could manage. Then the unmated alphas would be released to hunt them down like prey. If an alpha caught an omega, they'd be dragged back to the circle and mated right there in front of the entire pack, whether they wanted it or not.
Claimed. Knotted. Owned.
It was tradition, they said. It made Jungkook's skin crawl every single time.
The ritual had been going on for centuries, maybe even longer, reaching back to a time when wolves were more animal than human.
One man had tried to speak against it once, years before Jungkook was even born. He'd stood up in front of the council and called it barbaric and wrong. He'd been banished from the pack within a week and never seen again.
People claimed he'd been killed by rogues while wandering alone, but Jungkook suspected the truth was uglier than that. The council didn't like being challenged, didn't like their traditions being questioned.
These people called themselves civilized when it suited them. They taught their children to be kind, to share, to help their neighbors in times of need.
Then once a year they'd gather around fires to watch terrified omegas get hunted down like rabbits while they cheered and celebrated.At least they had the decency to put the pups to bed before the actual mating began, as if that somehow made it any less barbaric or any less wrong.
Jungkook wanted to burn the entire tradition to ash and salt the earth where it had grown. But being Pack Alpha didn't mean he could simply tear down centuries of custom without the council's approval.
And those old bastards weren't ready to listen to him about anything yet, especially not about changing traditions they'd grown up with.
So he stood there with his arms crossed and his jaw clenched tight enough to ache, watching his pack work themselves into a frenzy over something that disgusted him down to his bones.
Near the edge of the crowd, some of the younger alphas had clustered together in their usual group, already posturing and bragging about tonight's hunt like it was some kind of competition.
“This is my year, I can feel it,” Myul announced, flexing his arms like there had never been a doubt. “Been working out all season just for tonight. No omega’s outrunning me this time.”
Jungkook glanced at Myul, probably the closest thing he had to a friend in the pack. That alone said enough. At least Myul talked to him like a person, not something dangerous that might bite if provoked.
Most of the pack still looked at him and saw the orphan who'd killed his adopted father in cold blood. These days they were afraid of him, sure, but fear and respect weren't the same thing.
Fear was just fear, and it made for a lonely existence.
"Yeah? Well I've been tracking scents in the forest for months," Haejin shot back, not about to be outdone by anyone.“I know every inch of these woods. No omegas are getting past me this year.”
"You guys are dreaming," laughed a third alpha whose name Jungkook couldn't be bothered to remember.
"I've got my eye on that sweet little omega with the dark hair. What's his name... Taehyung? He's been dodging everyone for six years running, but not tonight. Tonight he's mine."
Jungkook's attention snapped to the conversation like a wolf catching scent of blood on the wind.
"Good luck with that," Myul snorted, shaking his head. “Half the pack’s tried to catch him over the years. He’s like smoke in those woods, there one second and gone the next. Nobody even knows where he hides.”
"Smoke can't run forever," the nameless alpha replied with smug certainty that made Jungkook's hands curl slowly into fists at his sides. "And neither can he. Everyone's luck runs out eventually."
Jungkook forced himself to look away before he did something that would require explanation later, something that would reveal too much about what he wanted.
Elder Namjin stepped into the center of the circle. His hair was white with age, his voice worn smooth by years of ritual. He raised a gnarled hand, and the crowd slowly went silent.
"Tonight, the moon witnesses us," he began.
"Tonight, our unmated omegas will enter the forest. They will have fifteen minutes to conceal themselves as best they can. After that time passes, the alphas will hunt. Should an alpha find an omega, that omega will be claimed and mated here before us all. This is our way. This has always been our way."
The pups clapped and cheered like they were watching a parade or some kind of celebration instead of what it really was. The young alphas grinned and rolled their shoulders, already half-drunk on anticipation and the promise of a mate.
But at the edge of the circle, the omegas who'd be running tonight shifted nervously from foot to foot. Jungkook could smell the sharp chemical tang of scent blockers thick in the air around them, so strong it almost made his eyes water.
For some, this night meant joy, the chance to find their mate, their other half. For others, love didn’t always turn out the way the stories promised.
Sometimes the alpha who loved you couldn't find you fast enough, and someone else would drag you back to the circle instead. Someone you didn't want. Someone you'd spend the rest of your life bound to.
At the very back of the omega line stood Taehyung.
His head was bowed low, dark hair falling like a curtain over his face, hands clasped in front of him like he was trying to make himself invisible through sheer force of will. Quiet as always.
Untouchable as always.
For six years straight he'd stood in this exact spot, and for six years straight he'd vanished into those woods like he'd never existed at all.
Some people whispered that the moon goddess herself protected him, that there was something special about him. Others said he was cursed, too pure for any alpha to claim, too perfect to ever be caught.
Every year, more alphas set their sights on being the one to finally drag him back to the circle, to be the one who succeeded where everyone else had failed.
Jungkook stared at him like a dying man staring at salvation, like Taehyung was water and he was dying of thirst.
Three years. That's how long he'd been chasing Taehyung through those trees, running himself ragged every Claiming Moon, following traces of scent that always led nowhere in the end.
But sometimes, when Jungkook walked alone in the woods to clear his head and escape the suffocating weight of leadership, he'd catch glimpses of him.
A white wolf picking its way through the underbrush, chasing rabbits with playful joy, splashing through shallow streams. Free as the wind. Beautiful as moonlight reflecting on water.
He'd wanted Taehyung longer and more desperately than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life.
"Alpha Jeon!"
One of the younger alphas, Lucas maybe, turned to face him with a shit-eating grin. Jungkook didn’t bother remembering his name. That look meant trouble.
"Think you'll finally catch someone this year?" the kid asked with just enough mockery threaded through his tone to make it sting. "Or are you gonna come back empty-handed again like always?"
A few others snickered quietly, trying not to be too obvious about it. Jungkook's eyes didn't move from Taehyung's bowed head.
Let them think he was incompetent at this.
Let them believe he couldn't catch an omega when the truth was he could probably track down any of them blindfolded and with one arm tied behind his back.
He’d had dozens of them practically throw themselves at his feet over the years. “Oh, Alpha, you found me. Guess I’m yours now.”
Every time, he’d just turn around and walk away without a word.
They weren't what he wanted. Only one omega had ever been what he wanted, and that omega was standing thirty feet away, trying to disappear into the shadows.
"We'll see," Jungkook said quietly, his voice carrying no emotion at all.
Namjin raised his staff again, holding it high above his head. The crowd fell silent so abruptly it felt like the world was holding its breath, waiting.
"Run."
The omegas scattered like startled deer into the darkness beyond the firelight, disappearing into the forest within seconds.
The circle erupted into noise the moment the omegas vanished into the treeline. Pups squealed and clapped their hands while parents laughed and tried to hush them without much success.
To the kids, it was just a big game of hide-and-seek, a tradition older than their grandparents. They didn’t need to understand it to enjoy it. It was exciting, dramatic, and they got to stay up late watching it all happen.
The unmated alphas waited behind the central fire like caged animals pacing their enclosures.
Their shoulders were tense, muscles coiled tight, and some were already letting their wolves creep closer to the surface, eyes beginning to glow with a predatory light as their teeth slowly sharpened.
The younger ones whispered among themselves, placing bets and making boasts about how easy tonight would be.
"I'm thinking Minji," someone muttered. "Girl's not that fast, and her scent's always been strong. Should be an easy catch."
"Nah, go for Seoyun," his friend whispered back eagerly. "Heard she's close to heat. Won't be thinking straight, probably won't even run that far."
"You're both aiming too low," a third voice joined in with poorly concealed arrogance. "Everyone knows the real prize is Taehyung. Tonight's the night someone finally gets him. Might as well be me."
Just hearing the name spoken that way, like Taehyung was some kind of trophy to be won, made Jungkook's wolf pace restlessly under his skin. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, but he kept his expression carefully neutral, giving away nothing.
On the other side of the fire, the elders were trying to settle the increasingly rowdy crowd. Namjin banged his walking stick against the ground hard enough to make the nearest pups jump in surprise.
"Silence!" His voice cut through the noise. Slowly and reluctantly, the pack quieted down. Even the youngest children stopped giggling.
"The rules remain unchanged," Namjin announced, sweeping his gaze across the gathered wolves with authority.
"The omegas run. Fifteen minutes to lose themselves in the forest. When the horns sound, the alphas give chase. Fail to catch one before sunrise, and you wait another year. Succeed..." his lips curved in a smile that held no warmth, no kindness, "and the moon goddess herself has blessed your union."
The crowd roared their approval like this was something sacred instead of something sick, instead of something that should have been left behind centuries ago.
Jungkook's stomach turned. Blessed. That's what they all loved to call it. He saw no blessing in dragging terrified omegas from their hiding spots and forcing them to submit in the dirt while everyone cheered and celebrated.
All he saw was cruelty dressed up in pretty words and ancient traditions that should have died long ago.
But he didn't have a choice.
Not yet.
The council still saw him as too young and dangerous to trust with major changes to pack law. They were waiting for him to prove himself, waiting for years to pass, waiting for him to age into the kind of Alpha they could respect instead of simply fear.
Until then, he had to play along with their games.
His gaze found the other alphas in the lineup. His brother Jungwon stood near the front. Tall, smug, already licking his lips like victory was guaranteed.
His adoptive brother, though neither of them had called it that in years. They barely spoke anymore unless pack business demanded it.
The bastard had grown up expecting leadership to fall into his lap like ripe fruit, had spent his whole life preparing for a role that never came. Every time he looked at Jungkook now, resentment burned in his eyes like coals that refused to die, hot and bitter.
Let him burn. Jungkook had killed one Alpha to get where he was. He wasn't above doing it again if someone pushed him too far.
A low, mournful horn sounded deep in the forest and echoed back through the trees toward the village. Five minutes had passed.
The crowd began to chant, voices rising in encouragement that sounded more like bloodlust than support. Mothers pulled their pups closer, telling them to watch carefully because someday they'd be running or chasing too.
Someone started beating drums, joined by wooden flutes, and soon mated pairs were singing along with ancient chants that rolled through the trees like thunder.
Jungkook tilted his head back, staring past the firelight into the black wall of forest that surrounded them on all sides. Somewhere out there, Taehyung was hiding.
Patient as a shadow.
Clever as a fox.
Probably already miles away from where anyone would think to look.
"Ten minutes remaining!" Namjin called out.
Some of the younger alphas laughed, shifting their weight like their muscles couldn't hold still anymore, like they needed to move or they'd explode. Several were already partway through their shift, teeth extending past their lips, claws pushing through their fingertips, eyes beginning to glow with a predatory light that made them look more animal than human.
Jungkook remained perfectly motionless. He was simply breathing, letting his wolf press against the cage of his ribs like a storm waiting to break loose.
He despised this festival. Despised everything it represented.
But if it brought him to Taehyung, if it gave him even a chance to find the omega he'd been dreaming about for years, he'd run until his feet bled and his lungs collapsed.
He'd chase Taehyung to the ends of the earth if that's what it took.
Taehyung had thought that maybe this year he could skip the festival. Maybe he could claim illness, fake an injury, find some excuse that would let him avoid this whole nightmare.
But no. The council had made it clear years ago that all unmated omegas were required to participate. No exceptions. Not even for him, no matter how many times he had escaped.The forest swallowed the omegas like a hungry mouth every damn fucking time.
But Taehyung moved differently than others did.
Six years of this ritual had taught him something important.
Panic got you caught.
He didn't run far because distance meant nothing if the alphas could still track your scent through the trees. Running fast just burned the energy you'd need later, and it made your breathing loud enough for sharp ears to catch from half a mile away. Surviving this wasn't about speed or strength or even courage.
It was about becoming invisible.
So he walked instead of ran. Barefoot and careful, picking his way between the trees until he found what he was looking for.
An ancient oak near the stream, its trunk thick enough to hide behind and its branches heavy with late-summer leaves. He climbed slowly, using old knowledge of which branches would hold his weight without snapping, pulling himself up until he reached a natural fork hidden deep in the canopy where the moonlight couldn't quite reach.
There, pressed against rough bark like he was trying to merge with the tree itself, Taehyung curled into the smallest shape possible.
The scent blockers coating his skin made his nose burn. They were strong enough to overpower even the rich smell of earth and growing things, so bitter and chemical that made his eyes water. They'd kept him safe for six years running. They'd work tonight too.
They had to.
But his hands wouldn't stop trembling no matter how tightly he pressed them together.
Taehyung pulled his knees to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm the rabbit-fast beating of his heart. God, how he hated this night.
He hated the way people looked at him all year long, like he was the quiet boy, the sweet one, the omega nobody had managed to claim yet.
He hated the way some alphas would smirk when they passed him on the village paths, their eyes trailing over him like he was just prey that hadn't been caught yet, like it was only a matter of time.
He wasn't prey. He wasn't weak just because he was an omega.
But he also wasn't stupid enough to think he had any real choice in this. Every omega was required to take part in the Claiming Moon. There were no exceptions and no excuses. Refusal meant banishment from the pack.
And banishment meant death in these mountains, whether it came from starvation or rogues or just the bitter cold of winter.
Taehyung had nowhere else to go. This place was home, thanks to Alpha Hyungwon taking him in six years ago when he'd had nothing and no one.
Even if Jungkook had killed the man who saved him. Even if things were different now, more dangerous than they'd ever been before.
Fuck, Taehyung was terrified of their current Pack Alpha.
How could someone kill such a good man, someone who'd opened his home and his heart to strangers?
Taehyung had actually liked Jungkook once, back when he was just the quiet boy who taught pups how to hunt and track, who never seemed to want anything from anyone. Now he was just ruthless and cold, a killer who'd taken everything he wanted by force.
When the second horn sounded and the drums grew louder in the distance, Taehyung curled even smaller against the bark, wrapping his arms around his knees as if he could disappear completely through sheer force of will.
Taehyung had thought he'd be safe tonight, just like the other years. But something felt different this time. The air itself seemed charged with danger, heavy with something he couldn't quite name.
Back in the clearing, the alphas were getting restless.
Eyes glowing red, teeth sharpening into fangs, claws beginning to show through fingertips that were no longer quite human. The younger ones kept elbowing each other and laughing, placing bets on who'd drag back an omega first. Jungkook stood among them like a statue carved from stone. Silent as death itself.
Every year he'd enter that forest. Every year he'd returned empty-handed, his face blank and expressionless while the other alphas celebrated their claims.
Not because he lacked the strength or speed, everyone knew he had both in spades.
It was because Taehyung was clever enough to vanish like morning mist, leaving no trace behind except the fading ghost of scent blockers which never gave away where he went.
This year would be different.
The third horn rang out across the night and somehow more ominous than the others. Ten minutes gone, five remaining.
The crowd went wild, stamping their feet and calling out the names of alphas they hoped would succeed. The music grew faster, drums pounding in time with wolfish hearts. Some elders swayed, lost in memories of their own claiming nights.
Jungkook closed his eyes and let himself imagine it. Taehyung's face, pale and beautiful in moonlight, those dark eyes wide with something between fear and defiance.
The way his white wolf looked when it ran free through the woods on ordinary days, chasing rabbits and splashing through streams with pure joy instead of terror. He'd watched Taehyung from afar more times than he could count, memorizing every detail like a prayer he couldn't stop repeating.
Taehyung wasn't prey to be conquered, no matter what the ritual implied.
But he was Jungkook's.
Had been since the first moment Jungkook laid eyes on him years ago, even if Taehyung didn't know it yet. Even if Taehyung would probably hate him for it.
Namjin raised his staff one final time. The entire gathering held its breath, waiting for the moment that would change everything.
The last horn split .
The crowd exploded in cheers. Even the trees shook and sent birds screaming from their roosts. The alphas surged forward as one, a wave of muscle and hunger and desperate need.
Some shifted mid-stride, bodies contorting as they dropped to four legs, snarls ripping from their throats as claws found purchase in the dirt. Others stayed human, sprinting on bare feet with eyes blazing red in the darkness, their breathing already coming hard and fast.
The hunt had begun.
Jungkook held back for just a heartbeat, watching the others disappear into the forest like demons unleashed from hell itself.
Then he let go of everything human inside him, every civilized thought and careful control he'd maintained for the past three years.
His body cracked and reformed, bones lengthening with sounds like breaking branches, muscles expanding as his wolf burst free with a growl that rolled across the entire clearing. His paws hit the earth running, dirt spraying behind him in great arcs as he bounded toward the treeline.
The cheers faded away behind him, swallowed by distance and forest. All he could hear now was his own rough breathing, the thunder of blood in his ears, the steady rhythm of earth beneath his claws with each powerful stride.
Scents hit him immediately. Blockers and sweat and terror, every omega trail sharp and distinct even through the tangle of forest smells. Other alphas howled somewhere ahead, crashing through bushes without care or stealth, chasing whatever smell they could latch onto first.
The sounds of pursuit echoed through the trees, accompanied by the occasional shriek of an omega who'd been found.
Jungkook ignored them all.
He wasn't here for just anyone.
He ran deeper into the woods, leaping fallen logs and splashing through shallow streams, his nose working constantly as he searched through the chemical stink for one specific scent. The one that haunted his dreams and drove him half-mad with wanting.
He was coming for Taehyung. And this time, nothing would stop him from claiming what was his.
In his tree, Taehyung shifted uncomfortably, pulling his thin jacket tighter around his shoulders even though it did nothing against the cold that seemed to seep into his bones.
His chest ached from how hard his heart was beating, each pulse painful and too fast. The forest had exploded with noise all around him.
Howls echoing between the trees, claws scraping against bark, heavy footsteps crashing through undergrowth as alphas searched for omegas to claim. Somewhere not far away, he heard a scream cut short, followed by a triumphant howl that made his stomach turn.
He pressed his eyes shut and tried to control his breathing, counting slowly the way Alpha Hyungwon had taught him years ago.
Just had to wait it out. Two hours, maybe less if the alphas gave up early or if all the other omegas got claimed first. He'd done this six times before. He could manage it again. He always managed it.
Then he heard something that made his blood turn to ice water in his veins.
Thunder rumbling in from the west.. And with it, the first drops of rain beginning to fall through the canopy above.
His eyes flew open in pure horror.
Rain.
No. No, no, no.
It soaked through the leaves above him, dampened the branches until they were slick under his hands, and worst of all, it began washing across his skin.
The blockers he'd covered himself in started to thin and run, mixing with the water that dripped down his arms and face in cold rivulets. He could feel them dissolving, feel his protection washing away drop by drop.
Already he could smell it. His own scent bleeding through, faint but getting stronger with every passing second. Sweet and distinctive and utterly unmistakable.
Terror grabbed him by the throat and squeezed until he couldn't breathe.
Taehyung had thought the blockers would last. He'd thought he'd be safe up here, hidden in his tree like all the other years. But the rain was ruining everything, stripping away his only defense and leaving him exposed.
Somewhere in the forest, Jungkook froze mid-stride.
There.
He lifted his massive wolf head, nostrils flaring wide, ears twitching toward something only he could detect. Under the storm, under the wet earth and heavy pine scent, under everything else, something cut through the air like honey mixed with lightning.
Sweet. Delicate. Unmistakable.
Taehyung.
The scent hit his system like fire in his veins, like electricity straight to his brain. His wolf's chest rumbled with a growl that shook raindrops from nearby leaves.
He turned sharply toward the source, claws digging deeper into the muddy ground as he ran faster than he'd ever run in his life. Trees blurred past, rain soaking his dark fur until it was plastered to his body.
Found you, he thought, lips pulling back from razor-sharp teeth in something that wasn't quite a smile.
But then another howl rose behind him. Close. Too close for comfort.
Jungwon.
His brother had caught the same trail, of course he had.
Jungwon had always coveted everything Jungkook showed interest in, from childhood toys to hunting grounds to omegas.
Even at thirty-four, the man couldn't develop an original thought if his life depended on it. He was a shadow, always following, always trying to take what wasn't his.
Rain turned the forest floor slick and treacherous, mud sucking at everything that touched it. Jungkook tore through the undergrowth anyway, his paws finding purchase even in the mud, leaving deep gouges with every stride.
The scent was getting stronger with each passing second, so sweet and trembling and so close he could almost taste it on his tongue.
But heavy footsteps pounded behind him, gaining ground.
Another howl cut through the storm, sharp and arrogant and full of challenge. Jungwon. The bastard actually thought he could steal what Jungkook had been hunting for three years.
Jungkook's wolf snarled and pushed harder, crashing through a wall of wet ferns until he skidded to a stop beneath a massive oak. His nose pointed upward, twitching frantically as he sorted through the layers of scent.
There. Above him, faint and fragile, was the source of that incredible scent. Taehyung. Curled tight on a branch twenty feet up, breathing fast and scared, his scent spilling down through the rain like a secret that could no longer be kept.
Victory roared through Jungkook's chest. After three years of chasing shadows and coming back empty-handed, after three years of watching Taehyung slip away like smoke, he'd finally found him.
Then claws scraped against wet bark somewhere behind him.
Jungwon stepped out of the darkness, caught between human and wolf form. Broad shoulders, thick muscle, teeth bared in a grin that had nothing to do with happiness.
Water ran down his face and chest, but his eyes burned with hunger and triumph, like he'd already won something.
"Back off," he growled, voice rough and barely recognizable in his half-shifted state. "I found him first."
Jungkook's wolf form turned slowly, golden eyes blazing with light that could have melted steel. His lips peeled back from fangs white as bone, and the growl that rolled from his chest made the entire tree shudder, made the leaves rain down around them.
Mine.
The word thundered through his skull, louder than the rain, louder than his own heartbeat, louder than anything else in the world.
Up in the branches, Taehyung pressed himself against the bark, eyes darting between the two alphas with terror written across every line of his face.
His whole body shook like a leaf about to fall, and for a moment he thought about trying to climb higher, to run again even though there was nowhere left to go.
He knew what was coming. Everyone in the pack knew the laws that governed the Claiming Moon.
When two alphas wanted the same omega, there was only one way to settle it.
A challenge to the death.
And there was no running from it now.
Jungwon struck first.
His claws slashed through the rain-soaked air, aiming for Jungkook's throat with the intention to kill.
Jungkook twisted away at the last second, jaws snapping shut on Jungwon's shoulder instead with enough force to crack bone.
Blood burst hot and metallic, mixing with rainwater as it ran down both their bodies in dark streams. Jungwon roared and spun, slamming his full weight into Jungkook's ribs hard enough to crack bone, hard enough to drive the air from his lungs in a pained wheeze.
They went down together, rolling through mud and rotting leaves, snarls tearing from both throats like chainsaws through wood.
Every bite was meant to kill. Every claw swipe aimed for something vital, for arteries and organs and anything that would end this quickly.
Jungkook's wolf fought with three years of frustrated longing burning in his chest like a furnace. He hadn't clawed his way to Alpha just to let this spoiled bastard take the one thing he'd ever truly wanted.
Not Taehyung.
Never Taehyung.
He'd kill Jungwon before he let that happen, would tear him apart with his bare hands if necessary.
His teeth found Jungwon's throat and bit down hard, shaking his head like he was trying to snap a branch in half. Jungwon howled and drove his claws into Jungkook's flank, opening gashes that bled freely into the rain.
The pain only fed the fire inside him, made him bite harder, made him want to win more.
They broke apart and circled each other, both breathing hard, both bleeding from multiple wounds. The storm poured down like the sky was weeping for what was about to happen.
"You don't deserve him," Jungwon spat, blood streaming from his mouth and dripping off his chin.
"You're nothing but a murderer who stole what wasn't yours. You killed our father, the man who saved your pathetic life when you had nothing."
Jungkook's answering growl could have split the stone in half.
Jungwon lunged again, but this time Jungkook was ready for him. He met the attack head-on, jaws clashing, claws tearing through fur and flesh like paper.
They rolled again through the mud, but Jungkook used his superior size to force himself on top, pinning Jungwon down with his full weight. His teeth closed around Jungwon's throat, and this time he didn't let go, didn't give him any chance to escape.
Jungwon thrashed and clawed, fighting with everything he had left, tearing new wounds into Jungkook's sides and chest. But Jungkook was stronger.
His wolf was bigger, his need ran deeper than anything Jungwon could understand.
He bit down harder and harder until the thrashing slowed, until the claws stopped tearing at him, until the forest went quiet except for rain and the wet sound of choking that finally, mercifully, stopped altogether.
When Jungkook released his grip, Jungwon's body went limp in the mud. Blood spread dark around his torn neck, mixing with rainwater until the puddle beneath him looked black in the darkness.
The fight was over. Jungkook didn't know if his brother was dead or just unconscious, and he found he didn't particularly care either way.
The Pack Alpha had won.
Jungkook shifted back to human form, chest heaving like he'd run a marathon. Blood covered his mouth and torso, streaming down his arms in pink rivulets as the rain tried to wash it away.
His voice was strangely gentle when he looked up at the figure trembling in the branches above.
"Found you, sweetheart."
"Three years I've been chasing you through these woods. Three years of watching you run and hide like you could escape this forever. Now I've finally got you."
Taehyung's fingers dug into the bark hard enough to draw blood from his own palms. His whole body shook like he might simply fall apart, like his bones had turned to water.
The sight of Jungwon's motionless form, all that blood, the raw brutality of what he'd just witnessed right in front of him, it froze every rational thought in his head.
He won’t come down no matter what.
"Stay hidden, pup," Jungkook growls up at the trembling omega, his voice dropping lower, more dangerous, "and I'll fuck you bloody the moment I drag you down from there."
Taehyung's breath hitches, fingers gripping the branch so hard his knuckles turn white. "Y-you wouldn't dare—"
"Try me."
Jungkook didn't wait for a response.
He started climbing, muscles flexing under blood-streaked skin as he pulled himself up the rain-slicked tree like it was nothing, like the bark wasn't slippery and treacherous.
Water dripped from his dark hair, but his eyes never left Taehyung's face, never wavered from their target.
In seconds, he was crouched on the same branch, close enough that Taehyung could feel heat radiating from his skin despite the cold rain.
Close enough to see the way Jungkook's pupils had blown wide, the way his nostrils flared as he breathed in Taehyung's scent like it was the sweetest thing he'd ever smelled.
"You can't hide anymore," Jungkook whispered, voice soft but somehow more dangerous for its gentleness.
His hand reached out slowly, fingers impossibly warm against Taehyung's ice-cold cheek.
"It's time to come with me, omega. It's time to stop running."
Taehyung's breath caught in his throat, his heart hammering so hard he thought it might break through his ribs. Below them, rain continued to fall on Jungwon's still form, and somewhere in the distance, other alphas were still hunting through the night, their howls echoing between the trees.
But here, in this tree, there was only the two of them. The Alpha who had finally found his mate after three years of searching.
And the omega who had nowhere left to run.