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"Oh, look at those berries!"
"Since we got here, you've discovered nine piles of berries in a row…"
"And we arrived yesterday," Yoongi added, tossing his backpack next to Hoseok's on the ground.
Taehyung shrugged and ate a raspberry off the pile. It was as sweet as the others had been. Before collecting them in what he now referred to as his "berry bag," he offered the others some. "I suppose I'm just lucky,"
"No, the berries are usually close to your belongings," Jimin groaned, "It's almost as if nature prefers you."
Taehyung chuckled, "Perhaps that's genuinely the case." He was the last one to emerge from his sleeping bag, and he hastened to pack things while still laughing with the others. Safe to say, he was just as confused as the rest about where all the additional food came from, but he also didn't mind it at all. It was a nice little thing to wake up to and a lovely way to start the day.
"Perhaps it's an animal like a squirrel that has developed an interest in you; after all, they are well renowned for being excellent collectors," Namjoon remarked loudly, which of course sparked an entirely new discussion because it made no sense why a random squirrel would like him.
"If you ask me, I think we should move ahead." Jimin said as he glanced over their map "If we move quickly, we can get quite a distance before night falls again."
"Right, we need to start moving." Taehyung agreed, adding that this would allow them to experience a lot of things while they were in the woods.
Taehyung had no idea one of those things would be running into a wolf.
"Taehyung! Keep still! Do not move!" As he turned his head, he made an effort to remain calm. "Hold your breath! Do not approach any further!" He returned his friend's gaze and noticed Seokjin's terrified expression. They had gotten quite far away from the lake and into the woods when they began to hear strange sounds coming from the bushes. Taehyung and Seokjin had been walking in the back as they had trailed behind Yoongi and Hoseok. Taehyung had been chatting when he had caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Dark fur had moved from one tree to another so quickly that Taehyung had questioned whether he had seen it correctly.
He felt Seokjin's arm around his shoulder as his friend had undoubtedly noticed his reaction. "What's the problem? What did you notice?" In response to Taehyung's silence, Seokjin drew him closer to him. "It was an animal, right?"
And just as Taehyung was about to respond a wolf had unexpectedly jumped in front of them, leaving him with no time to even consider what kind of animal it might have been.
Front and center, leading the way ahead, were Jimin and Namjoon. Taehyung could hardly see them as they moved, and at this moment he sincerely wishes they were closer. They should have seen this.
A giant wolf was standing in front of them. In contrast to the surrounding green, its dark gray fur stood striking. Its pale yellow eyes remained fixed on them. However, as he made eye contact with the animal, he sensed that the eyes were staring at him. He imitated the slow blinking motion that it made and he did so while simultaneously tilting his head. Its eyes were filled with so many expressions that for a brief moment, Taehyung overlooked the fact that it was a wild animal. He took a step forward unconsciously.
"Tae omg! Hold still! Stay back here, please."
He didn't want to look away from the wolf, but he did so when he heard Seokjin's frightened voice.
He tried to reassure him by saying, "It's fine, Hyung; I don't think we're in any danger." but he wasn't even sure of his own reason for being so composed.
Probably thinking he was crazy, Seokjin also took a step closer to reach out and grab his arm.
"Not in danger? Exactly how insane are you?!" he whisper-shouted as he tried to pull him back. The wolf in front of them immediately growled as a response. Seokjin took a step back, startled, but Taehyung remained where he was. He reclaimed his arm from Seokjin's hold and decided to sit down on the ground.
"What on earth are you doing, Tae?"
"I'm trying to show that we are not a threat," he replied, not breaking eye contact with the wolf this time. It had taken a seat and was looking between them like it was listening to what they were saying. Its eyes reflected interest and curiosity as well as another emotion, that Taehyung couldn't read. In an effort to be friendly, he took the opportunity to smile at it.
He wondered if that had been a horrible decision as the wolf abruptly rose to its feet and headed in his direction.
"Keep your distance!" Seokjin yelled. However, the wolf disregarded him and came to a halt directly in front of Taehyung. As the wolf began licking his palm, the breath he had been holding unconsciously escaped in a sudden gasp. "Hello," he whispered, remaining still and letting the wolf do its thing. He was thoroughly sniffed over, with the back of his neck receiving the most attention. Taehyung stretched his neck to provide the wolf with easier access, not knowing if it was a risky move.
He exhaled a sigh of relief when the wolf seemed to appreciate it.
Finally, clearly satisfied with what it had accomplished, it placed its head on top of Taehyung. His face was pressed against the soft fur, and he hesitantly attempted to pet it. He began caressing the wolf with one hand, then switched to both when it seemed that the wolf didn't mind.
"Avoid getting any closer!!"
"Don't you think that's a little difficult right now?" Taehyung sighed as he struggled to turn his head to face his friend. However, Seokjin was not staring at them; instead, he was looking straight ahead. Following his gaze, Taehyung saw the rest of their group approaching them.
Yoongi was the first to come to a halt, his eyes wide with shock.
Someone gasped, "Is that a wolf?!"
"Does that look like a dog to you? Obviously, it's a wolf." Jimin groaned in frustration.
Taehyung petted the wolf in an effort to calm it down after hearing the wolf growl more loudly due to the noise. "Guys, it's clearly friendly." Taehyung also made an effort to speak.
The wolf gazed down at him as he whispered, "Hey." Its bright eyes fixed intently on him.
"It was wonderful meeting you, but my friends are starting to worry, so I think we should say goodbye now, okay?"
Instead of growling in a warning manner like before, this time it seemed more dissatisfied. Taehyung had no idea how he recognized the difference, but he was certain there was no danger. It sounded more like a growl from a puppy whose favorite toy had been taken away.
"See you later, wolfie," he grinned as he scratched the animal under the chin.
Surprisingly, the wolf got the message and got up. It gave him one final lick on the neck, before turning and walking away. It disappeared between the trees.
He had just managed to wipe the saliva off with his shirt when he was embraced by all of his friends.
"Are you all right?" They all began to check, but when Taehyung assured them he was fine, they decided to scold him instead. "Never repeat that mistake," Jimin said, and Taehyung could tell by the way he looked him in the eyes that the fear was still there. In addition to nodding, he offered his friend's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't ever scare me like that again Tae." He received a blow to the shoulder by Seokjin.
"What would you have done if things had gone horribly wrong? Do we look like a rescue crew?" Yoongi asked wryly. "We only have tiny plasters; they're for cuts not for getting your leg chewed off by a wolf you know," Hoseok added
"Tae you're truly very lucky," Namjoon began speaking, but Taehyung interrupted him, saying, "Okay, I get it. You all can stop now."
"We're not done yet, in my opinion." Seokjin rolled his eyes.
"Well, then I'd have to call back my new wolf mate." Taehyung shrugged as if it weren't a big deal. "And you were all afraid of him, right?"
Taehyung laughed in satisfaction as Seokjin snorted and the others groaned.
He was unaware that a little deeper into the woods, concealed behind some bushes, a pair of yellow eyes that had never left him was watching him.
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Taehyung was a heavy sleeper, so it wasn't shocking that being carried didn't cause him to wake up. It wasn't until he felt a hand run up and down his cheek that he realized he was no longer dreaming. As he attempted to turn his head away, he murmured, "Jiminie leave me alone."
The hand briefly paused before going into his hair. "Wait that's really good, keep doing that." Taehyung smiled, rubbing his eyes.
It still seemed dark and he wondered why his friend was already awake. He eventually opened his eyes, expecting to see Jimin's blonde hair and soft eyes.
Instead, he was greeted by a stranger with dark hair and big eyes who stared at him in fascination. Taehyung was so shocked that he didn't even move. Thoughts of it still being a dream quickly crossed his mind, but he already knew the answer to that. He was certain the other could hear his racing heart because it was thumping so loudly. Their noses nearly touched as the man leaned closer to him.
Taehyung would have admired his handsome face and attractive features if he hadn't been a total stranger who had likely abducted him in the dead of night in a forest.
"She was right about you," the stranger murmured, "You are very gorgeous."
"Thank you…" Taehyung blinked surprised before asking "Who is the she you're referring to?"
The stranger grinned and said, "The moon, of course; she's never wrong."
At that reply, Taehyung's heart sunk; this stranger was obviously insane. He sat up in his sleeping bag. With his arms and legs tucked beneath the blanket, he felt like a burrito. Total defenseless. He also had trouble pulling the zipper down. The guy smiled as he watched, saying, "You are so cute, here, let me help."
Once Taehyung's arms were free, he exhaled with a sense of relief. "Okay…well, what's your name?"
"My name is Jungkook, mate," the guy said while tilting his head in a cute manner. Jungkook seemed charming despite the terrifying circumstance. Taehyung wasn't blind to his attractive and visibly muscular appearance. Jungkook was his type, and Taehyung would have tried his luck if Jungkook hadn't been a madman.
"Yeah, okay, mate. Could you kindly tell me where we are?"
Jungkook's looked pleased as he grabbed his hand "We are at our den"
The word "we" was used, which Taehyung noticed, but he decided to ignore it. "Is that far away from where my friends are?"
He exhaled in relief as Jungkook shook his head. "Why?"
"I would like you to return me back to my friends, Jungkook." He made an effort to sound as polite as he could, adding a please at the end. Jungkook didn't seem convinced so Taehyung came up with a different approach when realized that. "The moon wants you to return me,"
Jungkook looked surprised, before suddenly laughing, "You are so silly, mate." He shook his head "We are going to bond so that we can share the rest of our lives together."
"What?!"
"What did you think mating was?"
Taehyung remained silent, and Jungkook's hand, which was still holding his, gently caressed it. "I believe humans refer to it as marriage."
"Humans?" The world appeared to be spinning around him.
He became dizzy.
"Jungkook?"
"Yes, Tae?"
He ignored the fact that Jungkook somehow knew not only his name but also his nickname.
"Explain everything to me, please."
⋆｡˚
"So you are wolfie?"
A nod.
"And the moon has arranged a marriage for us?"
He received another nod.
"And I accepted it?"
"You agreed to our courtship, yes," Jungkook said with a cheerful nod. "You accepted the food and allowed me to scent you,"
"I see…"
"You already refer to me as mate, too." Taehyung was unable to contain his smile as Jungkook proudly raised his head. It was endearing. He also had no intention of explaining to Jungkook that he had used the word "mate" in a different manner.
He signed, "What now?"
Jungkook moved closer, grasping both of Taehyung's hands in his. "We get mated," he smiled as he gave both of his hands a kiss. Taehyung felt butterflies in his stomach and averted his gaze. "Okay, Jungkook—".
If Jungkook had been in wolf form, his tail would undoubtedly be wagging. He gave him such a loving and blissful stare that Taehyung knew he was making the right decision. "But let's do it my way," Taehyung continued while grinning." The human way"
Jungkook enthusiastically nodded "Of course! Anything you want, mate." Then he tilted his head and said, "What's the human way?" with a dumbfounded expression.
"First we have to get to know one another, then we fall in love, and then you can court me again."
"And after that, we can get mated or married, or however you want to put it?" Jungkook's excited expression made Taehyung smile, and he nodded. He planted a kiss on his cheek "We can look into that in the future, okay?"
Jungkook nodded, his cheeks painted a vibrant shade of scarlet. "Let's return to our pack," he said flashing a joyful smile.
"Our pack?"
"Your friends" Jungkook explained. He extended a helping hand, which Taehyung gladly accepted. "Which direction?" he asked, taking a step forward.
Jungkook didn't respond instead he wrapped one arm around Taehyung's back and the other around the knee bend, grabbing hold of both of Taehyung's thighs, and lifting him up in bridal style. Jungkook held him close once he was in his arms to maintain balance, which increased the intimacy of the moment. "Is it really that far away?" Taehyung gulped in shock.
Jungkook shook his head, "No, I simply wanted to hold you." This time, Taehyung was the one who blushed.
The idea of explaining this to the others nearly gave him a headache. He wondered how he was going to explain to his friends that he was apparently engaged to a werewolf.
And an extremely attractive werewolf at that.