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chimcess · 8 months

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→ Chapter Four: Litha Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Werewolf!Jimin, Witch!Reader, Shifter!Reader, Shifter!Jimin, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!Jimin Genre: Supernatural!AU, Werewolf!AU, Angst, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Smut, Word Count: 18.8k+ Synopsis: Within the four realms of Lustra lay the Bangtan forest home to the Foxglove pack of the south and known as the “land of magic.” It is also home to the Bridd, a powerful witch from a cursed bloodline who is one of the sacred guardians of the forest. Y/N is the newest Bridd, a young girl who was given her position too early. Now a woman, Y/N is revered amongst the wolves as the most powerful witch they have ever known, but hiding under the surface is a woman who has to battle between her duty and her heart. Warnings: Blood, strong language, Yule Cat slander, Pagan themes, Angst, THE TALK, cuddling, kissing, talks about sex, virgin reader alert, crying, guilt, emotional turmoil, PTSD, possession, depression, making out, a lot of feels, alcohol consumption (Very, very light), deception, confessions, there’s a lot of stuff going on but it’s pretty PG, let me know if I missed anything A/N: Enjoy <3

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Looking around the cellar, I found myself unable to move. My brain was still recovering from the shock. Jimin had kissed me. Jimin wanted to kiss me. Where had that come from? What happened? Staring down at the blood-soaked floor, I hopped around and fought to break free from the nightgown pooled around me. I needed to see him.

Flying up the stairs, I was disappointed to see the door had been shut. I assumed Jimin had closed it in order to keep Taehyung from waking up. I squawked loudly, flapped my wings, and waited. The door swung open and Jimin quickly came back into the cellar. Surprised, I flew up and jumped back. Jimin shut the cellar door behind him and stared at me from the top of the steps.

I was frustrated. I would never be able to speak with him in this form and it made this all the more difficult. My fears from earlier reared their ugly head at me and I was once again faced with every reason why this should not happen. Whatever high I had been on was lost and replaced with a gut-wrenching realization. My feelings were wrong and no matter what Jimin thought was happening could not.

Flying back to the desk, I sat on top of the stack of spell books and waited for the alpha to join me. After a few more seconds of looking at me in silence, Jimin slowly made his way towards me. Sitting in the chair across from me, he took a deep breath before speaking.

“I need to tell you something.”

I continued to stare at him. He looked nervous. I felt sad that his earlier passions were gone once more. Whatever had happened was truly over and I wanted to cry. Everything was going to shit, and it was all my fault. If I had just pushed him away, we could have avoided whatever this was about to become.

“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” Jimin said.

My heart raced in my tiny chest. It was surreal just how different he could look from second to second. Now, he seemed stoic again. His features were perfectly trained and flat making him seem cold. I braced myself and waited.

He was nervous again. His eyebrows were scrunched together, and he nursed his bottom lip between his teeth. Standing, he rubbed his hands on his pants before holding one out for me. I sat on it with ease.

He took us outside and placed me on the grass gently. This was the first night I had not gone out with Patto since the wolves had arrived. I looked around for the little bird, but he was nowhere to be found. Brushing off my worries, I looked at Jimin. He was probably with Morla and the rest of the loud mouths. Shiloh had to be there as well.

“First, I would like to apologize for withholding this from you for so long,” Jimin began. “I never knew how to bring it up and you seemed to be happy with how things were going. I never wanted to lie to you.”

Great, I thought, I was getting broken up with before things had even begun. His strange behavior was becoming unsettling. I was not used to seeing Jimin pacing around and rambling. I wanted to reach for him but willed myself to stay where he had left me.

“Okay,” He whispered to himself. “I’m just going to get this over with.”

That stung. Had it taken a kiss for him to realize he was not attracted to me? Did playing with my heart set things into perspective? My thoughts began to spiral once more until I noticed Jimin take a few steps back.

Taking a small breath, he ran for two steps before jumping up. Watching him shift left me awestruck. There was no pain or screams, within one fluid motion he went from a man to a wolf. His clothes shredded around him and I winced. Now he would have no choice but to let me make him something. The thought filled me with a small ounce of joy. Standing before me now was a large, silver wolf.

I was almost giddy with my joy. I had always loved the little wolf that ran around my home from time-to-time and knowing it had been the alpha all along was comforting. He had allowed me to touch him, play with him, and laugh with him. If he had not told me that they were one in the same, I doubt I would have ever made the connection. Jimin was stern where the white wolf was carefree.

Looking into his brown eyes, I was upset to see the man reflecting back at me. I had grown used to the wolf being a beacon of light that it was unsettling to find anything but pure joy looking down at me. Not knowing how to help if, if he wanted me to, I stayed put and waited. My patience was lacking but I bit my tongue and watched.

“I want to start by saying I’m sorry for not telling you,” Jimin said, his voice ringing out in my head.

“I forgive you,” I replied, though I had no idea what he was talking about.

This seemed to further annoy the wolf who huffed and puffed. I tried to tell him that I was confused, that I just wanted to understand what this was about, but nothing came out. It was like I was stuck in some sort of limbo waiting for him to make up his mind. Then again, hadn’t that always been my place within his life? The girl who uselessly pined after a boy who never looked at her, who was adored by all who knew him, and learning how to live with my unreturned feelings? Hoping that someday, somehow, he would look at me and say he loved me. Stupid fool.

“You seem angry.” I shook my head.

“I’m not angry. I’m rather confused, actually.”

Jimin took a few steps toward me. He was slow and deliberate in his moves and I had a feeling he was afraid of scaring me off. I stayed rooted in my spot and tried to calm down. We would speak about this like adults. I refused to run away. Everything had changed and I needed to know what this meant. Why had he kissed me?

“I’m sorry,” He said.

Jimin curled his large body around mine and sighed. The gentle breeze caused my feathers to ruffle awkwardly. Using my beak, I smoothed them out in an attempt to keep myself distracted. I was feeling fidgety.

I looked at him. It was odd how much of him I could see in his eyes. It was times like this where I wished I could stay mad at him, scream and yell, but I knew it would be impossible. He was so sincere and genuine and while it did not make anything that happened okay, I could at the very least move past this. Taking a small breath, I hopped closer to his massive head and nuzzled his nose with the top of my head.

“What are you sorry for, alpha?” I replied, my patience finally wearing thin. “I can’t figure it out. Was kissing me truly that horrible?”

He cringed away from me, “No, of course not-”

“Then why are you behaving this way?” I interrupted. “You’re being so vague and insincere right now.”

Jimin groaned, “I am having a difficult time explaining myself, Y/N. It had nothing to do with you- you’re perfect.”

The both of us got quiet for a while. I enjoyed his warmth and the way his fur tickled my wings. He seemed content to stay like this, but I could tell a storm was raging behind his eyes. He was so easy to read when he let his guard down, or had I become so accustomed to him that it was easy? Thinking about the night he cried in my kitchen; I snuggled closer to him. I would rather us talk things out then to see him like that again.

“I…” Jimin said before going silent again.

I waited and tried to reign in my growing annoyance. My eyes were beginning to close. His warmth and the beating of his heart were the perfect lullaby to lull me to sleep. He smelled so good.

“I want to be completely honest from now on,” He finally said.

I nodded into his chest. Jimin purred at the sensation and curled his body closer to mine. I urged him to keep talking.

“I’ve known for some time now that you mean more to me than anybody else.”

I opened my eyes.

“I felt it for the first time in the forest. Do you remember that? The two of us wandering around trying to get you back home? I had this strange feeling at the time. Of course, now I know it was me wanting to be close to you. I brushed it off. I told myself you were a girl I’d never seen before and that’s why I liked you so much.”

He snorted while shaking his head. The long hairs on his chin got in my eye and I backed away annoyed. Knowing this would be a continued issue, I gave up on the snuggles and perched myself on the top of his head. Jimin did not seem to mind at all.

“During my present ceremony I knew for sure. I felt everything in my body yearning for you and I could do nothing. When I spoke to Hoseok about it, he said it was normal, that all of our wolves had the same reaction at first, but when it never went away, I knew. I didn’t want to accept it, but I knew you were my mate.”

Hearing the word mate made my heart drop. Jimin and I? Mates? The idea was only a fantasy and I worried if I pinched myself, I’d wake up and realize I had been dreaming. Hope began to blossom inside of my chest and spread throughout my body. Thank you, Freyja, thank you. I felt the breeze gently caress my head and my eyes prickled with tears.

“Coming here has been purely selfish,” Jimin proclaimed. “Sure, Taehyung needs someone in his corner, but truthfully, I just used it as an excuse to stay as close to you as I possibly could. After watching Namjoon shift and charge you I was beside myself in fear of what could happen if I left.

“For so long I worried myself over the politics of a relationship like ours. I was so worried that you and I would not work. I mean, Ahn would never understand it and I know your fears about the future.

“However, I realized, sitting in that cellar, how little I care about any of that. As long as I have you none of it matters anymore. I’d pick you a million times over, and I’m sorry that I ever felt any shame about you and I.”

It was bizarre hearing him speak honestly. Every time I had seen him, except the rare moments when we were alone, he had been so cut off from me. Our world hardly collided and I saw myself as some girl pining over a man who she could never have. I was fine with that. That was something I could live with. This, however, opened up my world to so many possibilities I had never thought could be mine. Imagining my cottage warm and bright, Jimin bringing home our Yule tree with the small children we would have helping him decorate it filled my heart with so much joy. Then I thought of everything we would have to endure in order to make it that far and saddened. That was a future I had no business thinking about when this was so fresh and brand new.

“Was it shame or fear?” I choked out.

Jimin paused thoughtfully.

“When I was younger, I would have to admit it was more shameful. I was shallow and vain then. The more that time went on it had transformed into fear. How could I watch you tear yourself apart for my people and feel anything but pride in you? I’m afraid of what the elders might do to you if they found out.”

“It worries me as well, but they can’t hurt me.” I reasoned.

Jimin scoffed, “You see what they’ve done to Taehyung. Ahn has known him since he was born. If any of them so much as thought of laying a finger on you I’d kill them. I can’t rip my family apart any more than it already is.”

The small ripple of pleasure that ran through me at the thought of Jimin protecting me was overshadowed by the grief building within me. He said nothing mattered to him, that it would always be me, but I could never ask that of him. He loved his family more than life itself. Our affections were instinctual and second nature, but truly we had hardly known one another. I could not tell you his favorite color or what his dreams were just as he could not pick up my favorite book off of the shelf. We cared for one another, but we were practically strangers. I would never in my life give him an ultimatum. Life has too many nuances to get clarity at times.

“I’d never ask you to do that,” I conceded.

“I know,” Jimin whispered in reply. “I just need time to figure out what to do.”

I clicked in response before hopping down his back. Jimin laughed, his body squirming and twitching when my talons grazed his skin. Playfully, I pinched his side gently before floating to the ground below. Jimin let out a high-pitched whine of discomfort before shooting me a glare.

“I’ll get you back for that,” He threatened.

“I’m looking forward to it,” I replied.

Hopping around in the grass, I began to think about Litha and how many wonderful things we could do together. If he celebrated Yule, he more than likely celebrated the summer Equinox as well, but I could not be certain. I wondered how differently it might be with my friends and I. It had been a long time since I threw a big party, and it would be nice to change the dreary mood around here. Jimin could even meet Wendy and Enver. Looking up at the wolf, he stared down at me gently. Deciding I needed to be frank, I stopped my party planning to focus on the two of us.

“I’d like for us to take things slowly,” I started. “There’s a lot happening right now, and I’d like to get to know you better. Like you said, you have a family and friends to think about and I need some time to be less… insecure. It may not seem like it, but I can’t fathom you having feelings for me after keeping mine hidden for so long.”

Jimin’s eyes lit up. “You’re giving me a chance?”

I laughed, “Why do you sound so surprised?”

“It’s just that-” He shook his head in disbelief, “-after everything I thought…”

“Thought what?” I joked. “I’d run away screaming? I don’t just let anybody kiss me; you know.”

Jimin ducked his head bashfully.

“I’m deeply sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me.”

I rolled my eyes, “I never said I didn’t like it.”

Jimin huffed, his happiness rolling off of him like waves, before setting his head on his paws.

“Tell me,” He squinted his eyes. “Which would you prefer? Peaches or strawberries?”

Sitting on the ground, I felt my heart swelling. He would truly try and that made whatever hell we would go through later worth it. Looking into his eyes, I was happy to find nothing but care in them. No more heavily guarded stares or coldness. It was just Jimin and that was enough for me.

“I’d have to say peaches,” I replied.

“Why?”

Amused, I looked toward the empty bushes along the side of the cottage. A few weeks ago, they had huge, juicy strawberries growing on every vine. I made countless deserts and sent so many to my friends and yet still had too many to use. Jimin followed my eyes and hummed in recognition.

“Peaches aren’t as available to me. Seokjin always begs me to make him this convoluted, extremely difficult to make cake whenever he finds them at the market.”

“I’m not a fan of either,” Jimin giggled. “Well, they’re not my favorite, I should say. I’m more of a blueberry man.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” I looked at him. “You know, I make a great blueberry cake.”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” He joked.

And the two of us sat up talking about our favorite fruits, desserts, and foods. It was different, talking about such mundane things with Jimin. It was also strange to find out that we had very little in common when it came to most things. He loved sweet food while I was a big fan of sour candies, and I loved vanilla while he craved chocolate and caramel more than anybody else, he knew. The more he spoke the more he reminded me of Seokjin, and I liked it more than I thought I would. He was playful and funny, but unlike the witch, he never took it overboard. It was nice talking with him. Almost as easy as breathing.

“You should never doubt how I feel for you,” He was suddenly serious again. “You said you felt insecure, and I will respect that, but I would like for you to know that I will make it my life’s work to make your doubts disappear.”

And even though I wanted nothing more than to tell him that I loved him, I kept quiet. Afterall, we were taking this slowly. Instead, I hopped to his chest and made myself comfortable in the warmth. He continued his story about the first time he ever had a blackberry while I clicked a strange melody into his fur.

The cottage felt lighter now. Jimin spoke more often and laughed with Taehyung, and he liked helping me cook even if he had no idea what he was doing. Vegan cooking was a far cry from his typical diet, and I knew he was struggling to keep up. I enjoyed our mornings going over my various cookbooks together. Taehyung never helped but he always ate plenty to make up for it. Life seemed to be going forward even with the threat of Foxglove looming over our heads.

Delinah had come to tell me she heard dark whispers going around the forest. The pack had grown impatient with their runaway and wanted to come and collect him themselves. Morla had said Chief Ahn alluded to coming along with the rest of the elders and the battle happening in my clearing. Taehyung and Jimin had not reacted well to the news, and their time at the cottage had slowly become less and less. Despite Taehyung’s faith in his older cousin’s heart, I was keen on his dedication to learn from Jimin. Washing mushrooms for dinner, I worried over what could happen if they decided to come here.

The wolves had no idea what they were doing if they brought this fight to my front door. Things lurked in these woods, things far more dangerous than them, and it was concerning how little any of them seemed to care about it. The Bridd had kept them at bay for the most part, and Aldara had all but scared the creatures that once roamed freely into hiding, but the forest knew things had changed. I was not my aunt, and my magic was fickle. There was no telling what could happen if a group of wolves were out in the open and vulnerable. There would be nothing I could do to help them either. My magic was too weak, and help would never arrive fast enough.

I did not want to talk with the boys about this. It was a fear that only plagued my mind and the Quietus had been gone for so long I doubted they were truly a threat. Still, I had learned to rely on my instincts after the fire. Something within me refused to let the thought go and that meant something. It always did.

Shiloh read off the next step of the recipe, but I hardly heard her. I did not need her help to make this mushroom stew. I had done it more times than I could count but the owl enjoyed feeling helpful. Taking out a baking sheet, I began tearing apart the mushrooms and laid them out on the pan. Sprinkling them with oil, I placed them on my stove. Flicking my wrist, I asked the wall clock to remind me to take them out in 35 minutes. The clock chimed in reply.

“Where’s your mind?” Shiloh asked.

Dazed, I shook my head. “What?”

“You’re not here today. What’s going on? Is it about what Delinah said?”

I nodded.

“Don’t worry your pretty head about that,” Shiloh sighed. Flying onto my shoulder, the barn owl rubbed her head against my cheek. I pet her back in reply. I appreciated her comfort. “Everything is going to be alright.”

But I knew they weren’t. The knot twisting in my stomach told me that nothing was going to be alright. My fears for Taehyung grew. This forest was frightful, yes, but the only threat here would be Ahn and his council. My heart broke at the thought that I was feeling grief for him before he had been hurt. Oh, God, Taehyung…

Clutching my chest, I allowed a few tears slip out before a chill creeped up my spine. Gasping loudly, I flinched away. Shiloh flew up, my jerking causing her to lose balance. I heard my name being called but I was already far away.

“Y/N!” The wind screamed.

“What’s going on? What’s happening?” I cried.

“Listen to me,” I had never spoken to this spirit before. “You’ll have to make a choice. You’ll know what to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t have enough time. Please, just listen!”

I felt hands grabbing my face and holding it. It was numbingly cold, and my senses were overwhelmed with the smell of mint. My knees had given out, but I did not feel the impact. It was as if I were underwater.

“A sacrifice will be made, and you will be the judge,” The wind whispered. “Your choices are important, Y/N-”

I could feel the warmth returning to my fingertips and my breathing became more normal. The dazed I had been trapped in was gone and I was aware of the cottage again. I could make out Shiloh’s silhouette on the kitchen island and smell the mushrooms cooking.

“I’m sorry,” The spirit whispered and then it was gone.

Gasping, I shot up and looked around. I had fallen. The clock was ringing loudly, and Shiloh called my name wearily. It was something we had both grown used to over the years, but it still caught us off guard. It had been a long time since I had zoned out like that. Shaking, I began to stand. The wolves were still not back. I told the clock to stop, and the ringing ceased. I could feel the tears staining my cheeks but ignored them. Taking a large breath, I took the mushrooms out of the oven and went back to making the stew.

“Are you alright?” Shiloh asked.

I nodded but chose not to speak. I did not trust my voice not to waver. Whatever that was, I would keep it to myself. No one needed to know about the voice or its warnings. It was clear that this was my battle, and I would have to figure it out by myself. Silently crying to myself, I placed a large pot over the open flame of my stove and added oil, sauteing onions, and throwing in the seasons and garlic I had to the side after they had gone translucent. On autopilot, I kept to myself while Shiloh hesitantly restarted telling me the recipe. This time, I appreciated it and listened carefully. My brain was far too scrambled to think about anything properly.

The wolves made it back just as I was adding the cornstarch to begin creating the gravy for the stew. This was one of my favorite recipes and Aldara made it often. Thinking of her only made my heart ache even more. I wish she were here and could tell me what to do. Why had she never come to me? Taehyung’s boisterous laughter lightened up the house and Shiloh flew to him. They were unable to speak but she loved his energy. I had to admit having Kim Taehyung around was a blessing in disguise. He never failed to make things not as bad as they seemed. Plastering on a smile, I turned to my friends.

“Just in time. Dinner’s almost ready.”

Glancing at Jimin, I could tell he knew something was wrong. He always did. Still, I smiled at him. I saw his eyebrows scrunch up and he came to my side. Ignoring him, I made myself busy by getting bowls and silverware ready. The stew bubbled and thickened. Shiloh reminded me to add miso to the broth and I thanked her under my breath. Placing a large dollop in the pot, I stirred until it dissolved and went back to setting the table. Jimin watched me from beside the stove wordlessly. Taehyung continued to talk vibrantly about what they had done today.

“Jimin’s impossible to train with,” Taehyung complained jokingly. “He’s too good.”

Forcing a laugh, I grabbed bread that was going stale and placed it on the center of the table. I preferred something chewy with this stew and it needed to be used.

“Or you’re just that bad,” I replied.

“Whose side are you on?” Taehyung whined, coming to sit at the table.

“Jimin’s, of course.”

Taehyung had noticed our relationship. While he never explicitly said it, I could see it in his eyes. He was far more observant than I had originally given him credit for, and I stopped trying to hide my affections. No one ever commented on it, not even Shiloh, but we were all aware something was happening. Neither of us had said the truth and I planned to keep it that way until we were both ready for that step. Stealing a look at Shiloh, I knew I would need to tell her soon.

“Not even trying to hide your bias anymore, huh?” Taehyung jokes, a wicked grin on his face.

Flustered, I scoffed and ran a hand down my apron. Taehyung’s grin grew even wider, and I turned my back to him. Jimin had not moved from his spot. Picking up the heavy pot, I carried it to the table and scooped bowls for the three of us. Jimin slowly made his way over and sat down. His eyes stayed trained on my face, but I continued ignoring him. It would be nearly impossible to lie if he asked me what was bothering me, and I did not have the heart to tell him. We had never even discussed this part of my life and it would be difficult to explain.

“Stop being such a baby and eat.”

The three of us ate in relative silence. Taehyung still spoke and I engaged, but he knew something was off. Jimin did not utter a single word the entire time we sat there. My mind continued to wander, and I hardly registered Shiloh’s voice telling me she was going out for the night. I appreciated her giving me the space I so desperately wanted. I finished first, cleaned off my plate, and locked myself in my room until sunset.

I had locked myself away for days before Jimin came knocking on my door. I did not want to leave my bed. I knew things were escalating, just as I knew I could do nothing to stop it, but the spirit’s voice never left my head. Things rested on my shoulder, things I had no control over or idea what they could be, and I would have to make a choice. A sacrifice. Head aching, I rolled over and closed my eyes. I wished I was alone with no one else here, but I could hear laughing and talking in the other room and knew that was not possible.

I had been thinking of Sol a lot during this time. She had to be in agony in Foxglove, and though Taehyung tried his best to stay bright and positive, every now and then I could see his eyes gloss over. They could feel one another. After they bonded, they would be able to speak without opening their mouths. It was an incredible thing, a wolf’s love, but it did nothing but rip my heart in two. I haven't felt this powerless in a long time.

The knock was light, gentle, and Jimin was soft when he asked if he could come in. Perking my ears, I could hear nothing else in the cottage. Still, I did not open my mouth. I did not deserve Park Jimin’s condolences right now. In fact, I was not sure if I even wanted them. He spoke again and reassured me that we were alone, that Taehyung had gone out for a walk and Shiloh had gone with him. It would be just the two of us. Finally, after a few minutes of begging, I told him to come in.

I stayed wrapped up in my blankets with my back facing the door. I felt small and thoughts of Aldara kept invading my train of thought. Shiloh had always said I would live with what happened that night for the rest of my life, but I never believed her. I was 13 and believed I knew the way the world worked, but in my grief, I thought I would die from the pain and sorrow. Nothing felt right anymore, and I did not know how to pick up the pieces. However, time heals most, and I was able to get back to living. Now, I could tell her she was right. That unbridled pain was something I would never forget, and it seems everything would lead back to it. Even now, the thought of Sol had Aldara’s face popping in my head. The bed dipped and a warm hand touched my shoulder.

“I know something is bothering you,” Jimin started. “I won’t ask what or why it’s got you like this but know I’m here for you.”

I said nothing. What was there to say? We were closer than we had been in days and yet he still felt so far away. Everybody did. I had stopped responding to Yoongi’s letters and had not even written Wendy telling her I was happy she was home. My world was at a standstill, and I was the one who had to kick it back into orbit. The only problem was I had no idea how. What choice? What sacrifice?

“Bridd,” Jimin called. When I did not respond after a few minutes, he spoke again. “Y/N. Look at me.”

Unable to stop myself, I rolled over and faced him. I loved the way he said my name and I wanted him to say it again. Jimin looked as worried as I thought he would, and his fingers came up to graze my swollen cheeks. Everything was going to fall apart soon, and I hoped he would make it out of the carnage. A sacrifice…

Eyes widening, I quickly unwrapped my hand and placed it on his. He caressed my cheek and I allowed myself to lean into it. What if he would be my sacrifice? Would I have to let him go? In doing so would that save everyone? My eyes watered as I looked at his beautiful face and I found myself reaching out for him. If that would be what I had to do, then I would make sure I held him for as long as I could.

Jimin reached me in the middle and hugged me tightly. Violent sobs wracked through my body, and I held onto him for dear life. Sniffling, I leaned back and smashed our lips together. I needed to feel him all over me. Jimin kissed me back with the same passion and pressed me closer to him. My heart pounded and I ran my hands through his hair. Jimin held me by the nape of my neck and nibbled on my bottom lip.

Whimpering, I continued to cry and chase after him. If the world ended tomorrow, then we only had tonight. With this single thought guiding me, my hands slid down his back and back up his front. My fingers twisted his shirt and yanked him forward. Jimin did not budge but laid me back down. Towering over me, he sucked my tongue into his mouth before kissing my chin and jawline. Shaking, I started to pull at the buttons on the shirt that I had made him. Jimin’s large hand engulfed mine, stopping my movement. I looked up at him and was surprised to see concern.

“We’re not doing that,” He said, voice husky and strained. “You’re far too upset.”

Opening my mouth to protest, I stopped when I realized he was right. I could still feel myself crying, the hole in my chest just as large as when he first walked in, and nothing was going to stop it. I was doing this in a rushed panic instead of love. Nodding, I buried my head in his neck and sighed.

“I’m sorry,” My voice cracked.

“Don’t be,” He cooed, scooping me in his arms and lying beside me.

I was grateful to have him. He was everything I could ever want and more, and he proved once again why I loved him. Snuggling closer to him, I sighed in relief and let myself cry. Jimin whispered sweet nothings into the air and held me closely waiting for me to calm down.

“I’m afraid,” I finally said.

“I know, amica,” He replied. “So am I.”

He did not understand what frightened me, but I knew we were both scared, so did it really matter? The need to tell him was on the tip of my tongue but I kept my mouth shut. Every decision I made now would affect everyone and dragging Jimin into it would only further complicate matters. When the forest speaks to me, I listen, something I never did as a child. Fresh tears came to my eyes and soaked through Jimin’s shirt.

“Tell me a story,” Jimin suddenly demanded.

Laughing, I rubbed my face and held him tighter. I was thankful he was trying to get my mind off things. Still, something in me told me I should tell him a particular story. A story that on one but Shiloh, the Gods, and myself knew. Sobering up, I got very quiet as I thought. Now was not a good time for that one. We were both in desperate need of a pick-me-up.

“You first,” I finally landed on.

Jimin rarely talked about himself. He always said it was because there was not much to say but I found it hard to believe. Everyone had their own story, and this was one that fascinated me the most. Fully expecting him to deflect, I began searching my own mind for a fun story to tell even if I was not in the mood for it.

“When I was around eighteen, or nineteen,” Jimin started. Caught off guard, I looked up at his face. From this angle, I could not see him very well but still kept my eyes on his chin and neck. “-I got into a fight with my little brother.”

I smiled, “What for?”

“He had told our mother that I had gotten into a fight. It was the truth, I had, indeed, fought with Hoseok that morning, but we agreed not to tell mom. Well, he had anyway. So, I got in trouble and ended up beating him up late that night while our mom was in bed.”

He paused and started again.

“I didn’t feel bad at the time but Ji-Hyun did not speak to me much after that. He always avoided me and never liked to spend time with me. It took a few months but I finally realized that I had hurt his feelings, and he only spoke to our mom because she already knew. Hoseok’s older sister had gone to her furious about the whole thing.

“Still, I was too prideful to just apologize. I made up with Hoseok before my own brother,” Jimin stopped speaking and took a deep breath. It must be emotional to talk about his family right now. I rubbed gentle circles on his chest. “I thought we’d never be close again. Then, the moon festival started and Ji-Hyun had told one of his friends that he was interested in a girl but no one really knew who it was. I found him later that night blindfolded and sitting by a large rock by the town gates.

“We spoke for the first time in forever and he told me it was one of the human girls that lived on the farmland right outside of the village. I was surprised but then I thought of you and it was less strange. He’s the first person I ever told about you- the only person, in fact.”

“Where’s the fun part?” I whispered, enthralled.

Jimin’s brother knew about us? It was a strange thought but one that filled me with deep pleasure. I could only hope he had kept that information to himself during these trying times. Then again, if he were anything like his brother then it was not something I needed to worry about.

“I’m getting to that,” He laughed. “Well, after our talk I convinced him to take off the blindfold. It’s a tradition that boys wear a blindfold and wait for the girls to find them. I never did it and told him if he knew he liked someone then it was pointless. We snuck off to the farms to find the girl he liked. He knew exactly which house was hers and we threw rocks at her window to get her attention.

“She wasn’t really prepared to see us standing there. After a lot of convincing, we managed to talk her into sneaking out with us to enjoy the festival. I’d never seen Ji-Hyun like that before and I knew they would get together in the end. After that night, my brother and I were closer than before and I helped our mother except Callisto after my brother’s present ceremony. They’re good together and our family is large and happy.”

Jimin turned to his side and gazed down at me. His eyes looked lighter today and it brought me joy. I could hear Taehyung’s loud voice beginning to approach the cottage and smiled despite myself. That boy was something else.

“I know my family will love you no matter what. My brother and his wife will fight for us, as will my mother, and my friends. Hoseok would rip Foxglove apart if he thought you were in trouble. You are loved, little bird. We will make it through this- together.”

Sealing his promise with a kiss, I found it easier to breathe again. I would not sacrifice him for the world. Even if the Gods asked me to- I would rather watch the world burn than to live in one without him in it. I had been too good to the forest for the Gods to treat me that way. Still, the warnings of the wind stuck with me. If it was not Jimin it would be somebody else. That thought alone kept my smile from reaching my eyes as the guilt coursing through me made it nearly impossible to meet his soft gaze.

The sun was high in the sky, its rays warming my face as I stood by the window and laughed. Outside my friends had been tending my small garden while I sat inside and made dolls with the children. Litha has always been one of my favorite sabbots to celebrate even if I could only enjoy it looking out a window. Beside me, Mariana showed off her pretty doll covered in flower petals and colorful yarn. With a large grin on my face I told her how beautiful it was.

The sea coven had come over to celebrate along with Seokjin and Yoongi. Wendy had attacked me the second she saw me, her hug knocking all the air from my chest, and I knew we were alright. She and Seokjin had spoken and smiled with one another and warmth spread throughout my chest. I was glad to see they were able to be friendly with one another. I was even happier when she hardly acknowledged Yoongi’s presence outside of a greeting. The kitchen witch seemed happier about it than Jin.

I heard Cordelia’s boisterous laugh from outside as she began telling Taehyung the story of a “little thief.” Rolling my eyes, I laughed to myself. I would never live down taking from her garden it seems. I heard Yoongi brush her off, his deep voice smooth and monotone, and Wendy’s shrill laugh followed. Everyone was in high spirits today. Looking out the window again, I caught sight of Jimin and Yoona talking. Yoongi’s mother had moved out of Bangtan after Aldara’s death, as did Hoji, Heji, and Tae-jin, and I had not seen her much since. I was happy everyone had decided to come today. It had been a very long time since we were all together like this. Feeling my eyes on him, Jimin looked my way and grinned.

I smiled back at him shyly before holding up my own doll. They were a very common thing to make during the sabbots. Normally, you would use whatever you had lying around and sticks. This morning everyone had gone out to collect sticks, twigs, leaves, and flowers for the kids to get started with. I had gone out of my way to gather up my crafting supplies so they could have extra options. My doll was a simple bundle of twigs wearing a skirt of leaves and wildflowers. Jimin’s smile grew and he gave me a thumbs up. Giggling, I went back to helping the kids make the doll bodies.

“Snatcher!” Cordelia yelled, her voice thick with amusement. “Why haven’t you told these gentlemen about the fae incident?”

Knocking my head back, I laughed loudly and clutched my stomach. It had been so long since I had felt this carefree. Leave it to Cordelia to bring up one of our most embarrassing childhood stories and the even more ridiculous nickname.

“It never came up,” I got out, wiping the tears from my eyes.

I could hear my trio of friends all protesting, their laughter just as bright as mine. Wendy begged Cordelia to not speak a word while Seokjin threatened to never send her another shipment of honey again. Putting my doll down, I leaned against the windowsill and chuckled.

“When we were about nine, well except for the boys,” I started. Cordelia laughed as their insults were not being weighed at me. “Yoon, Jin, Wen, and I were all out in the forest playing. We were very serious about our games then and tag was the most ruthless game of them all. We played dirty, too.”

I laughed to myself at the memory. We had gone way too far into the forest and up into Moland. While I was allowed to explore everywhere I wanted to go, Wendy was forbidden from going out of the forest and her aunt would be very angry with her if she had. We had not noticed how far away we had gone until Seokjin had found himself falling into the swamp.

“Well, while we were in Moland,” I continued, “We had gotten really scared. We always heard the story of the three-eyed alligator from Thelma, she’s a swamp witch who is good friends with everyone, and we thought we were going to get eaten up. Instead, Seokjin fell, sprained his ankle, and got stuck in a fairy circle.

“Or, at least that’s what we thought. We made such a fuss over him and how he was going to be lost forever that we disturbed an actual forest fairy. They’re called Ghillie Dhus and they’re very nice fairies. Well, all of us thought that it was about to steal Seokjin so we tried to fight it. Instead, it just laughed at us and said he had just fallen into a mushroom patch.”

Wendy laughed, “And then Seokjin started crying because it was getting dark!”

I nodded, struggling to catch my breath. “And then you begged the fairy to take us home.”

Yoongi finally cut in, a large smile on his face. “Thelma ended up finding us cause we were being so loud and got us all in trouble.”

“Except for B,” Seokjin pouted. “Aldara always let her get away with stuff like that.”

I scoffed, “You try being trapped inside for eighty years and telling someone else they can’t explore.”

A kid tapped my shoulder and the conversation was dropped. Taking the bundle of twigs, I wrapped them tightly with cord before taking another bundle and tying them with an ‘x’ to create the arms. It looked like a cross before you added the legs. Adding another set of twigs to the bottom, the doll could stand up by itself and I glued a puffy ball to the top of the neck. The child, Mysie, thanked me and started decorating. That would be her fourth doll. Mariana still had the most of them all.

The house began to smell of bread and I smiled. Everyone had brought something to eat with them. We always made focaccia here so I kept the tradition alive. Cordelia made sure to cook lots of fish while Yoongi made a delicious soup. Seokjin, like always, brought nothing except honey. Yoona had brought homemade lilac wine with her and the Kims made a delicious tofu stir fry. Later today I would have the kids help me make my famous lilac and lemon shortbread cookies. Seokjin had gotten so excited when I told him I was planning on making them and got Taehyung to join in on his begging, so I felt obligated to entertain them just this once.

“When are we getting cookies?” Seokjin whined, his timing creeping me out.

I hated when that happened.

“Whenever I get around to making them,” I replied snarkily. “If you want them so badly you can make them yourself.”

Still, despite my remarks I stood up and went over to my recipe book. They were extremely easy to make but I was not sure if I had enough butter to make them. I had not made any nut butters in a few weeks, but looking over the recipe again I was not as worried. I only needed two sticks or 16 tablespoons. Poking the inside of my cheek, I nodded and took out a few bowls and spoons.

“Who wants to help?” I asked.

All five of the children jumped at the idea and I had my hands full keeping them all under control. Mariana only agreed to let me zest the lemons if I let her cream the butter and sugar together by herself. Mysie and her sister Nerissa fought over who would add the lemon juice and who would roll the dough. I told Mysie she could pour the lemon juice but Nerissa would be able to put the arrowroot powder. Everyone would get the chance to cut out the cookies.

“What’s in the sugar?” Cordelia’s daughter, Amaya, asked.

Chuckling, I shook my head and told the kids to step away from the cookies. Capturing their attention was simple enough, and once they noticed the sugar had a slight purple hue and flowers in it they were climbing all over me to get a closer look. I had to admit, infused sugars always looked beautiful. Lilac sugar was the prettiest of them all.

“It’s infused sugar,” I explained. I got a large round of ego boosting “oh’s” and grinned. “Those purple things are lilacs. They’re delicious when you add them to the sugar.”

“Thither did êow leornian sê?” Mysie asked.

My smile fell slightly, “My aunt.”

“Woah,” Nerissa exclaimed overdramatically. “She must have been the greatest, best cook ever in the world.”

Laughing, I shooed them away and went back to making the cookies. It was strange having children so young running around the cottage. The thoughts of Jimin and the Yule tree came to my mind again and I shook my head in frustration. I needed to pay attention. I would not put anything about this mischievous bunch.

“All of you,” I demanded, “Outside. Now. I have to turn the stove on and none of you are allowed around the fire. Understand?”

“Yes, cousin B,” Amaya sing-songed before they all ran out the front door.

Striking up the fire, I laughed to myself at the title. Since when did I become cousin B? I would have to speak to Wendy about that. Listening to the conversations outside, I felt giddy as I finished putting the cookies in the oven. I began to make a simple glaze icing and hummed along to the melody in my head.

“May I ask you something, Jimin?” My ears pricked at the sound of Yoona’s voice.

“Yes, ma’am,” He replied.

He sounded slightly out of breath and I put the icing to the side for a moment. The sun was high in the sky now and they had to be thirsty. Taking out a few glasses, I placed them on a small tray.

“Can I trust you to take care of Y/N for me?” The older witch asked, her voice earnest.

Embarrassed, I bucked my head slightly as I grabbed my large decanter of smreka. It was nice to hear her still looking after me even though I was a woman now. I felt guilty for not keeping up with her as often as I should have. Aldara would be furious with me if she were here.

“She’s very important to me,” Jimin replied, his voice dropping slightly. I could not hear if he said anything more after that since Taehyung’s loudness echoed through my meadow. Gritting my teeth, I focused harder. “I’ll be sure she’s taken care of.”

Yoona sighed, “Thank goodness. I worry about her so much. It might sound silly but after the wolf situation I’ve been on pins and needles.”

My entire body froze and all of the conversations around me stopped. It was an honest mistake, a slip up, but that did not stop my anger from flaring. The betrayal hit me like a truck and the fondness for Yoona I had felt moments before evaporated. How dare she?

“What are you talking about?” Seokjin asked.

I squeezed my eyes shut and slammed the decanter on the island. The bowl of icing shook with the force. Focusing on my breathing, I knew I would have to play this off as best I could and hoped to God that Yoona would do the same. Fortunately, she bounced back from her mistake with ease.

“Don’t you remember that giant wolf that used to run around the forest a few years ago? It was massive and used to scare Y/N when she was a little girl.”

Hoji laughed, “Oh! Aldara used to giggle about it with me over tea sometimes.”

“Afraid of wolves, B?” Taehyung teased.

He had gotten comfortable with the nickname after overhearing Seokjin use it.

“Watch your mouth, freeloader,” I shot back, my wits still about. “It would be a shame if you had nowhere to sleep tonight.”

He laughed, “Please! Seokjin would take me in.”

The witch snorted in reply. “As if!”

Breathing easier, I went back to pouring. Filling them halfway, I used magic to lift small balls of the drink out of the decanter. Twirling them around in the air, I sang softly to myself and froze them all. I placed them in each of the glasses, having to redo the spell multiple times in order to chill each of them, before lifting the tray.

“What’s that?” Cordelia asked, taking the tray from me.

“Smreka,” I explained. “It’s fermented alcohol made from juniper and water. I like to sweeten it with agave nectar, but honey is fine, too.”

The witch took a hefty sip before smiling. She liked it. Happy with my work, I took the glass I had made for myself and Cordelia passed around glasses to the others. Taehyung was not as happy with it but he was not a fan of alcohol. Frowning, I asked if he wanted lemonade instead.

Shaking his head he replied, “It’s fine. Good actually. Just strong.”

Tae-jin snorted, “You think this is strong? I can’t think of anything lighter.”

Hoji shoved his shoulder.

“Leave the boy alone. He’s just a lightweight is all.”

Taehyung seemed excited by the notion. I shook my head and sipped on my drink. Tae-jin was right. This was hardly considered alcohol and would take more than a few jars to have any effect. However, I was happy my friend liked it. I would have to let him try the lilac wine I would make this year. It was a very big hit.

After finishing my drink, I knew it was time to take the cookies out. I was very happy with the result and left them to cool for several minutes. The garden looked beautiful this year and I was immensely grateful to everyone who came. Grabbing two fistfuls of lilacs from my pantry, I placed them to the side so I could candy them.

“You eat rabbit food,” Cordelia joked.

“I’ve seen rabbits with better diets,” Heji chimed.

I ignored their taunts. Yoongi and I always received the most flack for our lifestyles. The kitchen witch less so than I. He would not avoid meat altogether and often feasted during holidays. I was far more conscious of my diet. The last cheat I had allowed myself was honey in my tea on the occasion. It was usually out of convenience or lack of other options, still I would never say I was perfect. I had even drank tea with honey at Jimin’s home. The memory brought a fresh set of butterflies to my stomach.

I still could not believe he had kept that stupid piece of paper.

“Did you know red meat isn’t good for you?” Yoongi mocked.

Taking the lilacs off the stove, I began icing the cookies and putting the flowers on the top of them. They would need to sit for a few more minutes. Lifting my hands, the dirty dishes around me started floating. Putting them in the sick, I charmed a sponge and soap to begin cleaning. The sponge bowed to me before turning on the water.

“Lettuce has no nutritional value,” Wendy bit back.

Laughing I poked my head out of the window.

“Enough. Come in and wash up. We have cookies to eat.”

Seokjin was inside before I could finish my sentence.

Jimin sat down beside me on the floor. The afternoon had settled everyone down and spread us around the house. The rose bushes in front of the house had been trimmed back beautifully and not a single thorn had been left behind. Yoongi had fallen asleep on my big, red chair and the other witches were talking quietly at the dining table. Cordelia had left earlier to bring the kids home. Smiling at the wolf, I rested my head on his shoulder.

“Thank you for helping with the garden,” I said.

He wrapped his arm around my waist. “Anytime.”

He pulled away and left me feeling cold. Wanting to frown, I scooted closer to him and sighed heavily. Everything felt right when we were this close but still the dangers coming were hard to push away. I could only hope that we would make it through whatever it may be before it was too late.

Kissing the top of my head, Jimin hummed.

“What’s going through that mind of yours?”

I smiled bashfully, “How nice this feels.”

That pulled a large, toothy grin out of the wolf. He was always ready and waiting for compliments like that. Shaking my head, I scoffed.

“Don’t let that get to your head now,” I mumbled.

“Too late for that,” Jimin teased. “Come on. Indulge me.”

Pushing his chest, I scowled playfully. Jimin’s eyes lit up and I smiled back at him. If only I could stay in his orbit… If only…

“You’re very handsome, though I’m sure you already know that. Have I ever told you how lovely your dimple is? I can’t remember-”

“Alright, alright,” He laughed, cradling my face in his hands. “I get it. Thank you. You’re embarrassing me.”

I laughed. He was somehow worse with compliments than I was. I heard Taehyung laughing from somewhere in the house and grew even more amused. If there was one person who enjoyed how flustered I could make Jimin it would have to be Taehyung. Jimin groaned, obviously hearing the laughter even more clearly than I could, and hid his face in my hair.

“Now you’ve done it,” He complained. “I won’t hear the end of this for at least another week.”

The sadness weighing on my heart deepened. I did not think we had another week for Taehyung to tease Jimin. We would be lucky if we lasted a few days. I do not know why I felt that way, or how I could possibly know it, but I did. I stopped questioning it a long time ago.

“Poor thing,” I mocked.

I did not want to sour his good mood. Jimin had been radiant today and I would hate to take the happiness out of his eyes. Even if a part of me felt selfish for doing so, I wanted to keep him this way until the bitter end. I would always want to remember us this way. Twisting my head up, I kissed his jawline and curled into his side ever so slightly more.

“Oh, B!” Wendy exclaimed. “I’m so happy you’re finally together.”

“Same,” Yoongi deadpanned. “Still. A warning would have been nice. We are friends, aren’t we?”

I laughed, “ Of course! I just didn’t know how to bring it up.”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about your invitation to the party,” Seokjin replied, his tone condescending and filled with sarcasm. “We came here for Litha not a PDA show. Haven’t you heard it’s bad luck to show off like this?”

“And you’re just the expert at love,” I replied, snarkily.

Seokjin laughed. We both knew the teasing was in good nature and rarely got upset with one another. Jimin leaned into me. I had not felt the need to hide our relationship anymore and after talking to Shiloh, I had felt even less inclined to remain subtle. My familiar had not been surprised but was hurt I had not told her sooner. She was even more dramatic when she learned that Wendy had known more than she did. It took a long night of talking to calm her down but she was happy for me. She could not remember the last time I had seemed so certain. Neither had I.

“Son,” Hoji warned, waving her finger at Seokjin. “Don’t go picking fights you can’t win.”

“Your mother’s right,” Tae-jin added. “Crow would snap you in half.”

This made everyone laugh. It was no secret my fighting magic was lacking and we had formed many inside jokes around it by now. If anything, I should stop picking jokes before the Solar witch blinded me. He was fierce when he wanted to be.

“She does run with wolves, Seokjinnie,” Yoona mocked. “Big, bad, scary wolves.”

“Enough teasing,” I chuckled. “Especially if you can’t perform a simple levitation spell.”

Yoongi snickered at his mother’s scandalized expression. Yoona was a formidable witch, one of the best potionists I had ever met, but outside of that she was laughably horrible. Aldara had told me a story about her before. They had been fourteen and my aunt had been trying to show the kitchen witch an invisibility spell she had made. Yoona had accidentally teleported herself into Moland, and Thelma had to fish her out of the bogs and take her home. Hwasa, her mother, had been so angry with her she did nothing but polish and clean for a week.

“That was a low blow,” Yoona stood up and waved her hands dramatically. “And it was an invisibility spell! What practical use does that have?”

“Ma,” Yoongi drawled. “It’s okay if your magic is a little lacking. We can’t all be great at everything like me.”

“You better stop picking on your mother, young man!” Yoona shouted, unable to keep the laughter out of her tone. “You better pray at your altar ten times tonight and beg Loki for forgiveness!”

“And if I don’t?”

Yoona had to stop herself from smiling. Biting her lip and flaring her nostrils, Yoona held her head up high.

“Then Krampus is going to gobble you up come Yule!”

Unable to stop herself, Yoona burst. Our loud laughs bounced off the walls of the cottage and I wiped the tears from my face. I had not realized just how much I had missed this. It made me hope for a bright future all the more and the ache in my chest to grow ever larger. My love for these people was overflowing and I hid my tears behind laughter. No one needed to know just how torn up I was. No one needed to know the only reason I had gone through with this party was so I could have one last good memory of us together. No one needed to know just how much I wanted to reach out and hold them for dear life. No one needed to know a thing.

“Oh no!” Yoongi jumped out of his seat, holding his face, with a mock look of horror. “Not Krampus! What ever will I do?”

“What if-” Wendy joined in on the little charade and gasped. “What if it’s not Krampus? What if it’s-” She stopped herself suddenly, faking emotion.

“The Yule cat,” Seokjin whispered, menacingly.

I let out a loud, belly laugh and fell even deeper into Jimin’s arms. Everyone was laughing right along with me, but I managed to pull myself together long enough to join in on the fun.

“I swear to you, I will make you a brand new outfit before then. Don't worry about anything, Yoonie.”

“And I’ll do all my chores,” He replied, with an over the top eye roll.

After a beat, we cracked up again. It was a common pastime to make fun of the Yule Cat in our circle. Yoona’s family was originally from a place called Kaltain. Instead of Yule Goats they had the Yule Cat. It is a huge, vicious cat that ate children who did not get new clothes for Yule. Apparently, children who did all of their chores got them while lazy children did not. It was always something we found silly but refrained from mentioning around Hwasa. She would have our heads if we ever made fun of the legend.

“What are you talking about,” Taehyung interrupted, popping his head in from outside.

“I’ll tell you later,” I promised.

The conversation continued to babble on but I just wanted to be close to him again. He reached out for me and sat me down beside him. Holding onto my hand, Jimin tilted his head at me. He looked skinnier than he had when he first arrived. The stress must be getting to him more than he let on. Still, he looked right out of a dream. His cheeks were dusted in pink and his eyes twinkled. I raised an eyebrow.

“When will I have you all to myself?” He asked, feigning innocence.

My heart rate sped up.

“Not today, I’m afraid.”

He smirked, “But tomorrow?”

I looked down and felt my ears growing hot. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“On you,” I whispered.

Sex had been something relatively off the table for Jimin. He had said he thought I was not ready for that just yet, and I was not confident enough to fight him about it. He seemed even more wary of it after our conversation in my room a few weeks ago. Still, he often alluded to it and enjoyed seeing how flustered I could get. An eye for an eye he called it.

Jimin softened. “Soon.”

It sounded like a promise. I wondered what he saw in me that I could not notice. I knew how observant Taehyung was but Jimin’s emotions were harder to gauge. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and kiss him, to tell him I was fine, and take claim on him. Part of me wondered if my virginity had something to do with his hesitance, or if it was all about my mood swings. Knowing Jimin it was more than likely both.

I hummed but said nothing else. I was appreciative of how careful he was trying to be. I knew it was not easy and his wolf was probably having a hard time keeping at bay. Then again, I could not be so sure. I knew the pull that wolves had for one another but would that still transfer over to us? Glancing at Jimin, I hoped that we were just as strong as a pair of wolves.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. Confused, I stood and made my way to the door. The conversation behind me ceased. Checking through the window, I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar, unexpected face. I rushed to open the door and beamed at Thelma.

When I was young I had disliked the witch. She had come around the least and always ratted us out when we got into trouble in Moland. After Aldara’s death, though, she had become something more to me. Her and Enver were important people in my life and helped me figure out how to rebuild. She was very reclusive and had not told me that she was coming over. Whatever it was, it had to be important.

“Thelma!” Yoona’s voice gave away her excitement. “Long time no see, stranger.”

The swamp witch smiled and let herself in. She had always been extremely petite, small in stature, with skin the color of taupe that was offset by a scattering of thick, large umber freckles that dusted her face. Her hair was dense and coarse like cashmere. When I was young, it had been a rich, ebony, but with her age it had gray streaks beginning to take root. She looked every bit as lovely as she had last I had seen her.

“Nice to see everyone,” Her voice had always been husky and soft. It was a comfort to me and I was over the moon she had come. I was confused by her son’s absence but did not read too much into it. Enver was even more reclusive than his mother. “I was hoping to speak with Bridd alone for a bit. I have something for her that I think would be best to share privately.”

Yoona flipped her inky black hair over her shoulder and nodded. She and Yoongi were identical. Yoongi had never met his father, so I had no point of reference for what the man looked like, but he was missing from all of Yoongi’s features. Seokjin’s family left without a hitch, Jin pouted like a kicked puppy for being left out, and the Min’s followed suit. Jimin seemed hesitant to leave but Taehyung called for him before I had to ask him to go myself. The alpha looked displeased but left without a fight. Wendy was the last to go and gave Thelma a hug on her way out.

Walking to the kitchen, I grabbed my kettle out of habit. Tea was an important part of any conversation, but Thelma stopped me before I filled it with water. Nodding, I could not stop myself from grabbing another bottle of smreka. Thelma sighed and shook her head but did not comment any further. My manners were getting the best of me. Grabbing two glasses, I poured us each a cup before sitting at the dining table. Thelma sat across from me and took a sip and two cookies from the tray beside her.

“Thank you,” She mumbled.

“Of course. You’re welcome anytime.”

She smiled at me sadly. Scooting the glass over, Thelma placed her hands out in front of her and linked her hands. A pit began to form in my stomach as I waited for her to say something. The expression on her face told me that whatever it was I would not be happy to hear about it.

“There’s something happening in the forest,” Thelma said, her voice very low. I leaned closer to her and listened carefully. “Moland is dark. Darker than usual. People are going missing. Enver had a vision this morning that put him to bed for hours. He still won’t speak to me. He’s like Aldara in that way. I’m worried, Y/N.”

All of my fears were beginning to come true. Whatever was happening around us had nothing to do with the wolf pack. They were mere child’s play to the sinister forces working around us. The image of the injured wolf came back to me and I felt my breath picking up. If a wolf had not hurt Taehyung then what had?

“I haven’t seen something like this since the quietus still roamed the forest freely,” Thelma whispered. My blood ran cold. “I spoke with Ranvir, Enver’s rat, and he said his friends have been saying the same thing. Our home is filled with pets and familiars who have been abandoned. Their owners went out and never came back.”

I closed my eyes and felt tears stinging them. My anger and frustration were palpable. All of this was happening, people were getting hurt and going missing, and yet here I was safe and sound from the outside world. I wanted so desperately to get out there and help. Yanking my leg, the silver chain dug into my skin and made me wince. I had never hated my confinement more than I did at this moment.

“You are not safe in this house. You need protection spells and you need to make sure everyone else gets them. I brought some that Aldara gave me right before she got locked away. She wanted to make sure we had them in case things changed.”

Thelma pulled out a small, leatherbound notebook. It could be no more than twenty pages long and had the same height as my palm. In the swamp witch’s small hands it looked huge. Taking it from her, I began to skim through the pages.

“Have you told them?” Thelma asked, her voice knowing.

I shook my head. “No. I don’t need them worrying about this right now. I need to figure out what the forest has been trying to tell me.”

“What has it said?” She asked.

I closed the book with a sigh and fell back into my chair. Where do I even begin? Breaking down the vision and what the spirit had said to me, my lip wobbled and I fought back my tears. I wished I was strong and brave like Aldara, but I was just me. I thought of the wolf and I cried harder. I felt pathetic.

“We’ll keep things between us. I will tell my son. I suggest you tell Sasithorn and Yoongi. Maybe even the man you’re in love with.”

I blanched. “Wh-”

“I saw you from the window before I knocked.”

I hung my head in shame and apologized. I was supposed to put my duty before everything, and yet here I was snuggling up to Jimin like my life was not falling apart. Thelma placed a hand over mine.

“Aldara had someone many years ago that you never knew about. You’re not wrong for wanting more than this life, Y/N.”

Thrown, I simply shook my head. This was all beginning to be too much. First a possible Quietus invasion on the horizon, and now I get to hear about a secret lover I never knew about? Overwhelmed, I buried my head in my hands and continued to shake my head. Rocking back and forth in my seat, I counted my breaths and tried to calm myself down.

“Onfindan me,” Thelma said gently.

Peeking at her through my fingers, I tried catching my breath. I tried to focus on the way the orange of her top looked so lovely against her skin. Failing to concentrate on that, I went back to counting in my head.

“Hey,” Grabbing a hold of my hand, Thelma squeezed my hand and brought me back to her. “We need to stay strong right now. You’ll have time to cry later, but right now we need to get ready for the worst and hope for the best.”

Nodding, I sniffled and wiped my face. My hands shook and my body rocked but I forced myself to breathe. In and out. In and out. One, two, three, four, five; exhale. Thelma held my hand while I calmed myself.

“I’m not telling Jimin anything,” I finally managed to choke out.

Thelma nodded, “It may be for the best. He could get himself hurt trying to fight one of those things, and we need more information.”

I had to remind myself to exhale at the thought of that. Jimin would surely die if he went up against one of the quietuses, but his pride would not let him see that. I thought of Taehyung and grew even more frantic. That boy would die trying to prove himself.

“The younger one,” Thelma quickly added. “Is he their alpha?”

I nodded. “They’ve rejected him. His mate is being kept from him back at the village. They don’t trust him at all. His cousin claims his challenge was only to make sure Taehyung is safe here, but we are preparing for the worst. Delinah has said they are planning on coming here.”

The witch hummed in response. She was thinking. Thelma always tried to choose her words carefully, but I knew she was going to say something that upset me. There was no way to put things lightly in a situation like this.

“They’ll need him more than ever,” She started wearily. “I can only hope whatever’s coming strikes before they do. If they lost any numbers…”

She trailed off. I did not need to hear the rest to understand what she meant. If any of them fell, even someone as inexperienced as Taehyung, the pack would be hit very harshly during the fallout. Sol would be lost without her mate, and I doubt she would fight on either side. Taehyung’s family would never forgive me, but I would be damned if I did anything to help Ahn after what happened. Still, even with my own personal feelings I had a duty to protect this forest. Foxglove could burn but Bangtan was my home. Jimin was my mate, and I would protect him as well, and I knew no matter what happened, on some level, he would be there for his people. I would have to push aside whatever anger I felt and help them. For Jimin’s sake if nothing else.

“I’ll talk with Yoongi and Shiloh,” I started, voice low. “I’ll try to trick Seokjin into training with us. Say I couldn’t figure out how the spells worked and needed him to guide me through them- something. Jin is smart but takes things at face value for the most part. Wendy and her coven are a different fish to fry, though, I’m afraid.”

“I can handle that,” Thelma assured me. “Cordelia knows how to defend herself against these things just as well as the rest of us. Yoona and the Kims may not seem like it but they’re ruthless when the going gets tough. How do you think they managed to live in Bangtan all those years they were here?”

I sighed deeply, “So it’s decided then?”

“It has to be,” She resigned. “I’m sorry.”

Taking my hand away from Thelma, I rubbed my face roughly and began the hard task of composing myself. After several minutes, I felt ready enough to stand and check my appearance in the mirror in my room. I could hear Thelma calling out to the others. She had probably used some charm on her voice to make it travel further. It did not really matter to me. Taking a deep breath, I went back into the main room and collected the spell book from the table. They were quicker than I had anticipated.

“You’re awfully quick,” Thelma grunted.

“Thank Tae-jin for that,” Hoji threw over her shoulder, already halfway in the house.

“Should’ve guessed,” The swamp witch rolled her eyes with a smirk.

It was strange to see them all interacting as friends. I had known they were all close friends, but I had never been able to see them outside of Aldara’s position. All of them had gone off with their own lives, had children, and were growing together. Witches had long lifespans, Thelma was the oldest, but Cordelia was only a few months behind her.

I tried to imagine all of them playing together before Aldara had become a Bridd but found it difficult. None of them looked the well-over 100 they were, but their age showed in other ways. Yoona was still the youngest at heart, but I was no fool. Her eyes told stories and the faint streaks of silver beginning to collect in her hairline were telling. Aldara had once told me she was the only person who ever scared her, and with all of them being seasoned fighters it was not surprising.

“What was all the melodramatics about?” Yoona drawled, arms folded and leaning against the doorway.

“I found some old spells of Aldara’s,” Thelma explained, her acting convincing. “I thought Y/N would like to have them.”

Yoona’s expression softened immediately and turned to me. I was not sure how good my poker face was, but she dropped the question immediately. Hoji wrapped her arms around me and gave a quick kiss to my cheek before stealing another cookie.

“You know,” Heji joked, her booming voice misplaced in my little cottage. “I’m tired of the two of you keeping to yourselves out here. First you steal Aldara from us and now Y/N? You’re a greedy little minx, huh, Thelma?”

Cracking a smile, I laughed quietly. I had gotten used to those types of jokes. I had never asked Thelma or Aldara when or why they started in the first place, but I guessed they had some sort of relationship in the past. However, from what Thelma just told me that was not possible. Aldara had someone else, and they had never been more than friends. Unless, I thought, my aunt was seeing both of them. That, however, was not possible given Thelma’s possessive streak.

“I belong to no one,” I mocked.

A round of groans went around the room and I laughed harder. Clutching the spell book to my chest, I tried my best to keep a clear mind. The wolves had not come back yet, and Tae-jin had said they had gone for a stroll. Taehyung was tired of being human all the time. I rolled my eyes. Yes, that was definitely something Taehyung would say. Walking into my room, I put the spell book into my dresser’s underwear drawer.

“What’s that?”

Jumping, I clutched my chest and blanched. Shiloh’s head was poked out of her nest. Looking around, I placed my finger over my mouth and made my way to the door. Before I could close it, I made eye contact with Yoongi and made the rash decision to gesture him over. I did not want to have this conversation twice. I didn't even want to have it once. The witch nodded and started the grueling process of sneaking away.

Tip toeing, I sat on my bed and waited. Shiloh got out of her nest and perched on the windowsill across from me. Yoongi was in the room a few minutes later and shut the door behind him. The witches were still talking loudly with one another in the next room. Someone had brought up Heji’s horrible cooking and she was not happy about it.

“What’s going on?” Yoongi demanded, sitting next to me. “I could tell something’s been bothering you all day.”

I could always count on Yoongi to cut straight to the point. It was one of his many great qualities. Right now, it does nothing but give me more anxiety. I was not sure how to talk about this or where to even begin. I knew I had to speak soon. Shiloh looked annoyed with me already and I knew she was still upset about how secretive I had been lately. Rubbing my thighs, I steeled myself and began to tell them everything from my fainting spell a few weeks ago to the conversation I just had with Thelma. I was proud of myself for not crying.

“Where’s the book?” Yoongi asked, his voice hard.

“Top drawer to the left.”

A large silence took over the room. Every fear, every nightmare, I ever had was coming back to haunt me. I recalled a time when I was maybe 7 or 8, Auntie had told me my first story of a quietus. They were horrifying, shadow creatures that hid behind a human facade. They wanted to eat the souls of those they felt wronged them. I had trouble falling asleep that night and when I finally had, I had been so afraid when I woke up that Aldara had to sit with me for the rest of the night. It was always a comfort that we shared a bed, but I had never appreciated it as much as I had that night.

“Remember this, Y/N,” She had said, cradling me close to her side. “They were people who hurt people because of their own hurting. It doesn’t make it right, but they aren’t monsters. Never forget that.”

Blinking back my tears, I reached for Yoongi’s hand. It was a difficult thing to remember. I was glad that I was not having to be brave alone anymore. Yoongi squeezed my fingers and gave me a small smile.

“We’re going to be okay,” He whispered.

And I threw my arms around his neck. Oh, I hope so, I said to myself. I prayed to Odin that everything would be alright though I doubted there was anything he could do to help me.

Staring at the paper on my desk, I struggled to find the words to say. There was so much that I needed to convey and yet nothing came to me. My diary had always been a safe haven and now it was just a reminder of my own inadequacies up until now. If I was smarter, stronger, then maybe I would not be so reliant on the people around me. Maybe I could find the courage to look Jimin in the eye and tell him what had been plaguing my thoughts. Instead, I sat in the cellar and tried to wax poetically about my own pain. What a fucking joke.

Giving up, I put my pen down and walked over to the shelves along the back wall. My curiosity about Aldara’s lover had grown in the last few days and I had tried to keep my eyes away from her inner thoughts. It felt too personal and raw to look at, but I had stopped caring about that. Afterall, maybe I could find something helpful in her diaries. Auntie was always boastful about her adventures.

I heard the cellar door opening but I paid it no mind. I was not in the mood to talk or thinking about what I should or should not say. Listening to their steps, it sounded like Jimin. He would be harder to ignore if he approached me, but he was more aware of my feelings than Taehyung and would likely leave me be. He just enjoyed being in my presence. We say nothing as I walk right past him and back to my desk.

Putting away my own journal, I opened up the one titled simple “One” and began to read. I had at least attempted to create original names and chapter titles for all my journals. I could only imagine Griselda telling the young adventurer to keep it classy. That made me smile.

My 10th Summer,

I shook my head in disbelief. Even at such a young age she spoke in riddles. All she had to say was the date. Holding in my laughter, I continued reading the passage.

Griselda has finally allowed me my own journal. While this may seem mundane- it is simply monumentous. Finally, I can speak casually and drop all of this “manners” nonsense she continues to ramble on about. I just want to run through the wildflowers in the front but she’s more concerned about my apron getting dirty. Stupid elders and their stupid woes.

I laughed out loud then. Nice job sticking it to her, kid. I knew Aldara would never say anything like this to her mentor’s face. Griselda would have rung her up by her neck.

She always speaks of monsters. As if I’m afraid of some shadows! Well, she can sit inside and hide. Me? I’m going to go and beat one up so I can show her I can go wherever I want. That’ll show her.

Or not.

I love Griselda but she’s a bit dim witted.

-Ari

Ari? She had been called Ari? The affectionate name made my heart swell. God, she was a piece of work. I almost felt bad for Griselda, but I knew she was more than capable of handling the young witch. Ari would start changing her tune all too soon. Grinning, I flipped a few pages.

My 13th Spring,

I met a girl today. Grieselda was angry with me for talking to her and said that I had no idea what could happen to me if I spoke to strangers. I think she’s still feeling antsy after a girl from Syrena went missing. I had only visited the coven to help. Cordelia was nice to me and older. All we did was speak normally and I told her I would help her look. Griselda did not seem amused by my back talking today.

It was strange to talk to someone else. I knew that our families were aware of one another, and the girl had said that Heidi had been really close with her grandmother, but Auntie was not as welcoming. I told her she was just shy but really, I know she’s afraid. So am I. The forest looks dark right now and I know it’s more than the fog blanketing everything.

I still haven’t told her about my trip to Moland. She would freak out if she knew I had left the forest. She just did not understand me at all. She never tried either. We had respect for one another, but she was timid, meek, and frightened of everything she did not understand. I wanted adventure. I wanted to live life to the fullest before I became locked up forever. I don’t know how she can stand it.

Maybe one day I could introduce her to Thelma. Maybe then she would understand why I keep going back. Once she sees what we can do to defend ourselves. Once she sees what I can do. Until then, I will keep playing dress up and learning the same water healing spells I’ve been practicing since last year.

One day.

-Ari

It was nice to see how different she had become over the years. The woman that I had met had taken many years to come into her own. From fighting Quietus in secret with her friends to arguing with Griselda over who knew best. The thirteen-year-old rebel was still so deeply ingrained within her that it was shocking to see just how far she had gone in order to get around Griselda’s iron-tight control. I felt for both of them but was happy that my aunt had done what she had. I doubted I would be who I was without her.

My 15th Winter,

I saw my first hybrid today. She wasn’t from Foxglove. I have done so many rounds there, fought off Qs from their doorsteps, and tracked down pups too many times to have confused her. Her ears gave her away. They were large, jet black, and fluffy with off-white tufts sticking out of the middle of them. Her eyes were strange, too. She even had a tail.

I did not approach her. Just looked. She was chasing a butterfly and picking flowers as she went. Griselda would be livid if she found out anyone like her was around. I did not really know what to make of her. I had thought the hybrids dead. Still, I just watched. Even though I wanted to talk to her, to ask her where she came from, and to see if she had seen Qs anywhere else… I hadn’t. She looked too happy for me to burst that bubble.

I’ll look for her again tomorrow. Maybe I’ll ask her then.

-Ari

Feeling drowsy, I finally shut the book. Auntie had not seen the hybrid girl again for several days and had stopped looking. She had been disappointed but knew they were probably just passing through. The forest was too dangerous for any permanent settlement.

Placing the book back on the shelf, I pulled down the next one and placed it on my desk for later. Picking up my own journal, I looked around for Jimin. He was hiding in between some shelves in the middle of the room. He smiled when he noticed me.

“Ready for bed?”

I looked down, “I hope I’ll sleep tonight. I hate sleeping in my bird form.”

He nodded in understanding. “I can’t imagine it being very comfortable.”

“It isn’t. I can’t use my blanket.”

The quilt was too heavy and uncomfortable when I was a bird. Jimin walked over to me and wrapped me in his arms.

“I’ll keep you warm.”

Yawning, I nodded in his chest. That would be nice. The two of us went up the stairs together and I turned out of lights with a flick of my wrist.

Taehyung was reading by the fireplace. He smiled at us as we walked by. I gave him a light bow and walked into my room. I heard the wolves giving one another quick goodnights and Jimin was back by my side before I made it into my room.

“Is Shiloh in?” He asked.

I shook my head. “No. She’s out with Morla and the rest of them.”

I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from explaining why. The barn owl had gone to them to warn everyone about the things happening in Moland. They needed to get out of the area as soon as possible. She was also going to fly by Thelma’s to speak with Rory. Ranvir, or Rory, was Enver familiar. He would have a lot of information that would be helpful for us. Shiloh and I would talk about it in the morning so I could write Yoongi. We were going to be putting our Seokjin plan into action soon.

“I hadn’t known people in the forest were so nosey.”

I chuckled, “You’ve been scaring away the forest since you were young, alpha.”

Taking a nightgown out of my drawer, I placed it on the bed while I took off my jewelry. I had worn Aldara’s skull ring every day since my fainting spell. My own ring had not left my finger at all. It was a comfort for me to fiddle and play with it. Remembering the hours upon hours my aunt had spent making it for me with love and care meant more than one would think. Flicking my wrist, I took my clothes off and put the nightgown on. I was only waiting for the sun to fully set. I would have no need for clothes after that.

Jimin’s arms wrapped around my midsection, and I hummed in content. Leaning into his chest, I let his warmth envelop me. I was happy to stay like this all day but knew it was coming. Stepping out of his arms, I motioned for him to turn around as I walked further into my little room.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered as the sky turned purple.

As I screamed, I realized I could not figure out what I was really apologizing for.

Staring at the pages in front of me, I sent a silent prayer to Loki. I could only hope that Seokjin would find it believable. I had written it like I would any other letter, casual and to the point, but it held weight in my hands. The last thing I needed was a Seokjin interrogation and the entire forest finding out about our little problem. Enver had promised we would be fine, but I still had my doubts. Yes, the Solar witch took things at face value, but he was not stupid. With shaky breaths, I sent out the letter and watched as the embers danced in the air as it went.

Beside me Yoongi groaned. He had been frustrated but understanding as to my decision to keep Seokjin in the dark as much as possible. He only needed the means to defend himself if the time came. Yoongi still thought we should tell him. He had the right to know. I was not so sure I was making the right call either, but Thelma had been reassuring.

“Why are we acting like they’re strangers?” He asked.

I shook my head, “I don’t really know either.”

Yoongi breathed through his nose but said nothing more. His hair had gotten longer, the inky black strands making his skin look paler than normal as it framed his face. I jumped when I heard a tap at my window but breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the envelope waving back at me. That was very quick. Rushing to open the window, I took the letter and sat back down.

Well, well, well, the day has finally come. Maybe I should ask you to beg a bit more. Wouldn’t that be something? Ha! I couldn’t imagine it even if I tried. I’ll stop teasing. I can be over momentarily. Tell Yoongi I said he’s really got to work on his defensive magic more. Yoona should be ashamed of herself for not teaching him things as basic as this. You, I understand. Him? It tickles me.

Be sure to have some tea ready for me. I’m bringing my own honey so don’t bother with those other things you use. They’re good but I’m wanting some of that dandelion tea you like. Won’t you have a cup with me? I know you and Jimin broke your little rules. Rude by the way. Boyfriend or not, I’ve been your longest friend outside of Yoongi. Will Wendy be joining us as well?

See you soon,

KSJ

Yoongi snorted, “KSJ? Since when has he signed with that?”

I shrugged. “No telling. It’s the first of it I’ve seen.”

“That girl at the market is infecting his brain.”

That made me laugh. Seokjin had a friend from Moland that we had never met before. Apparently, she was shy and disliked being around others for long periods of time. She and Seokjin had been penning since Wendy’s return and I hoped it would help him move on with his life. He deserved to be happy. Still, I had to correct Yoongi just once.

“Enver signs like that, actually.”

This gave Yoongi pause.

“He’s 13.”

“Believe me,” I laughed, moving to start the kettle. “I’m aware.”

It was hard to fathom just how young Enver was. He was ten years younger than I was and yet the most powerful witch I had ever met. He was the stuff of legends in the forest and at such a young age. Thelma was proud of her son, adoptive or not, and bragged about him all of the time. I still worried for him. This was a lot for anyone to deal with let alone a child.

“I hope he’s doing alright,” Yoongi mumbled.

I nodded in agreement. From what Thelma had been writing though it was not looking well for the young witch. He slept all of the time and hardly spoke. He did not play with his friends or leave the house anymore either. She was growing increasingly concerned for his mental state. Enver and Aldara had foresight. Of course, Enver’s was far greater and more complex than my aunt’s, but it was similar enough for me to have a general understanding of what she must be going through. We also had no clue what he could be seeing. He did not want to talk about it.

When the kettle began whistling, Seokjin had walked through the door. He was wearing loose, white linen clothes with a brown sack on his back. A honey jar was in his hand. With a large smile he waltzed over to Yoongi and stuck his tongue out.

“You’re such a child,” The kitchen witch chastised.

“Tough talk for a man who needs my help,” Seokjin sing-songed mockingly.

“I don’t need-”

I cut him off by placing two cups down in front of him. Yoongi bit his tongue and took a sip of his tea. He preferred things plain. Seokjin looked smug as he added honey to his portion. They would go all day if I let them. Deciding to forgo the sweetener today, I sipped on my tea and fought back a wince. I did not like bitter things.

“No, Wendy isn’t coming,” I started. “I’m also not really interested in honey. We have a lot to do today.”

Seokjin pouted but nodded. “Why are you so determined to learn these spells anyway? You’ve got hundreds of them in the cellar you gave up on ages ago.”

Yoongi gave me a look. He wanted me to tell so badly but I knew Seokjin was the worst person to confide in. I would have to talk to both Jimin and Taehyung first in order for that to even be on the table, and Thelma said telling either boy could be a bad idea. Still, I could not deny the urge was strong. I hated lying.

“Thelma gave them to me so they must be important,” I wanted to pat myself on the back.

Withholding some truth was not as horrible as making something up. At least I hoped it was not. From the dirty look I got, I knew it was.

“True,” The sun witch pursed his lips. “I wonder if Enver saw something.”

Yes, I thought, draw your own conclusions. Figure something out in your own head. Just, please keep the interrogation to a minimum.

“I don’t think she would have come here if not,” Yoongi agreed, his eyes on my face.

We were playing a dangerous game. We both knew Seokjin and his big mouth could get us into serious trouble, but he was too careful to go blabbering a theory. It would only be an issue if he had concrete information. Yoongi and I had a silent conversation, both of us coming to the same conclusion, and I was sure we were on the same page. Walk him to the realm of possibility without pushing him over the edge.

“Then we do have things to get done,” Seokjin replied, suddenly very serious.

The three of us stood and began to look over the spells together. Looking at Seokjin, I felt another wave of fear go through me. If anything ever happened to either one of them, I had no idea what I would do. Determined to push past my limits, I listened to Seokjin intensely and hoped information would come to me in time.

Sitting in my bed, I watched the sun rise. It was always calming to know my nights were over. I enjoyed my human body far more than my raven. Jimin was awake, hardly but he could reply to simple questions, and waited eagerly for me to join him. He had started sleeping in my bed a few nights ago. He said he missed me when I was out and enjoyed having my scent surrounding him. I would be lying if I said that having someone here made the room seem brighter.

Acutely aware of my nakedness, I quickly stumbled my way to my dressers. My ankle was firmly enclosed in its chain, so I used magic to throw on a gown. Jimin was still laying down, his eyes slipping closed, before he quickly jumped in an attempt to keep himself awake.

Climbing into bed, I tried my best to keep the cool metal away from his skin. My chain never stopped feeling cool and untouched, and it was quite uncomfortable. Jimin sighed happily and wrapped his arms around me tightly. Allowing myself to relax, I smiled and wrapped my leg around his waist. With a gentle kiss on my head, Jimin finally let his eyes close, and he was asleep.

I was exhausted. I had spent my night in Moland going over spells with Thelma. While I was unable to use magic, I could pay attention and learn. My lessons with Yoongi and Seokjin had been helpful, but Thelma had a way of explaining things that the others did not. Frater-Seokjin had been quiet, more so than usual, and kept mostly to himself. I worried, but I knew in time he would start to talk more.

Turning over, Jimin’s arm tightened around me as I got more comfortable. These were the hardest times. Keeping things from everyone was hard enough, but when we were like this it felt impossible. Still, I tried my hardest to keep my mouth shut. I had no idea what was truly coming, but I knew I would have to tell someone something. Closing my eyes, I tried to relax and fall asleep.

Placing breakfast on the table, I smiled fondly at Taehyung. He was radiant today. A letter had come from his mother. He had not told me what it had said, but Shiloh seemed content. She had gone out this morning to stretch her wings and ran into the wolf. Apparently, she had been watching the owl’s flight patterns and knew where to find her. Handing Shiloh three envelopes, one from her and his two siblings, the woman had quickly left the forest to make it back to the village.

Jimin had been happy for Taehyung, but I could tell it had brought about some feelings of his own. Jimin had not heard from any of his family since he had been here. I tried to imagine how it would feel but was at a loss. I was used to loneliness, but my friends and I managed to talk often enough to forget about it. I had never been placed in a situation entirely by myself- even in my early days of isolation. I hoped the pancakes would lighten his mood a little bit.

“My mom said she’s been looking after yours,” Taehyung said to the older man, pancakes stuffed in his mouth. “Your brother is pissed.”

Jimin cracked a smile, “Tell her I said, ‘thank you.’”

Taehyung nodded and scooped up another large bite.

“If I had to guess, Callisto is raising hell right alongside him.”

Jimin laughed at that, “Oh, you know it. My mom is probably staying quiet but isn’t stopping them either.”

A small smile was on my face. Neither one of them spoke about their families with me very often, Taehyung even less than Jimin, but I knew they were loved. Taehyung spoke about his baby sister more than anybody else, and Jimin enjoyed bragging about how cool his sister-in-law is. It made me sad. For them to be taken away from that was inexcusable. A loud shout made all of us freeze.

“Fâcian duguð fuck framweardes hêo!”

I knew that voice anywhere. Sliding my chair back, I quickly stood up. Running to the window, I threw open the shutters to find Seokjin screaming at a large, russet wolf. Namjoon. Angry, I went to the front door and swung it open.

“You have no right to be here!” Seokjin roared, face red and contorted.

Namjoon ignored him once he noticed me. Squaring my shoulders, I decided to go about this differently than last time. Whatever the reason was, it did not seem like he was here for a fight. In fact, he looked tired and worn. His eyes were dull, and his head hung lower than I was accustomed to.

“Sê is crêas Seokjin,” I called out to my friend. “If he wants to talk then we’ll talk.”

Namjoon’s head lifted a fraction before he continued to walk towards the house. Seokjin was hot on his tail, his temper still flared. Out of everyone, Seokjin was normally the first person to come to my aid. Yoongi might be my best friend, but Seokjin was my most loyal. Sharp eyes trained on Namjoon, Seokjin slipped inside and stood next to me. I could hear the others getting closer as well.

“Are you here to cause trouble?” I asked, arms crossed over my chest.

The wolf shook his huge head.

“Apologize?”

He nodded.

Relaxing, I told him to go shift in the woods. The wolf ran to the tree line quickly while I asked Shiloh to bring him a set of clothes I had sewn for Taehyung. I really hadn’t wanted to make him something special. He had not gotten back into my good graces just yet. Turning around, I was not at all surprised to see both wolves on guard. Taehyung looked more hopeful than Jimin, but that was to be expected.

A few minutes later, Namjoon was walking up the small steps into the cottage. Shiloh was hovering just above him. She was not happy about him being here. I doubted there would be anything Namjoon could do or say to get back on her good side. Nothing would ever make up for the sun incident. Looking at my hands, it was not hard to understand why. I was covered in head to toe with large, light slashes from the feathers forcing their way out of my skin. Namjoon seemed unable to take his eyes off of me.

“State your business,” Jimin said, breaking the silence.

Namjoon finally looked away.

“I’m here on… personal matters,” He replied. “The elders are unaware of it.”

Taehyung scoffed, “Get to the point, cousin.”

My surprise was swift, and I knew it had shown on my face. I was not accustomed to Taehyung’s anger, so its presence was startling. His voice dripped with acid that I was sure he did not feel. Out of all of us, he was the most apologetic for how that morning played out. It was strange to think it had been almost two months since he arrived on my doorstep, but I could not say I regretted keeping him around. I regarded Taehyung as one of my closest friends.

“I wanted to apologize,” Namjoon started. “I know it is long overdue, but after everything I had no idea where to start. If you even wanted an apology in the first place.”

“Wait,” I held a hand up before Taehyung could answer him. “I wrote to you weeks ago. Did you ever receive my letter?”

Namjoon shook his head vigorously.

“I swear I never saw it. I didn’t know anything about a letter. If I had, then I would have come as soon as possible. I want to apologize to you the most! You look this way because of my actions. I almost got you killed.”

Taehyung stepped in front of me.

“Stop. I’m the one who shoved her into the sun. This entire situation has been blown widely out of proportion. Don’t you think you owe me the biggest apology in this room? What about Jimin? He’s thrown himself into exile in order to defend me because of your poor decision making.”

Jimin stood at Taehyung’s side. Shiloh sat on the kitchen island, her large eyes never leaving Namjoon’s body. She would gauge his eyes out if he tried anything. Seokjin was standing by the door frame in a defensive position. The last thing I wanted was another fight, but I moved to stand at Taehyung’s other side. We were a team, and I would be sure Namjoon knew that.

“Don’t you understand? I have never wanted this!” Namjoon exclaimed. “I did not come here to fight with you Taehyung, I came here to stand with you as best as I could. I realize that I did not go about things properly, that I should have spoken to you prior to making that choice, but I’m here now. I want to be at peace with all of you.”

“You sold me out, Joon,” Taehyung scowled. “I needed you to stand with me and instead you added fuel to the fire. What do you think everyone thought when your challenge was announced?”

“They thought me a fool and weak,” Namjoon glanced at me. “I thought I was right, but I know I wasn’t. People are talking and they want you to come home. Ahn has been acting strangely and keeping Sol locked away. They’re angry and want someone to stop this. They’re starting to rethink everything.”

Looking up at Taehyung, I could see hesitation. He seemed unsure what to make of this. I was still unsure, but I also had a feeling the man was telling the truth. Namjoon was many things, a pig-headed nitwit for starters, but never a liar. Deciding to take action, I stepped forward.

“Will he be able to return home civilly?” I asked, looking the wolf in the eye.

“I can’t promise the elders will be happy, especially Ahn, but the others will be glad to see he’s well. Sol has been screaming so loudly at night that no one can sleep. She needs him there and I want my friends back home.”

“We’re not friends,” Jimin said, coolly.

Namjoon nodded sadly. I had never seen his confidence shaken before and it was an odd sight. I wondered if Hoseok was here and felt myself growing excited. I had missed his visits dearly. I desperately needed his sunshine back in my world right now.

“But,” Jimin continued, softening his tone, “I can admit when I am wrong. I’m sorry for fighting with you, Namjoon.”

“And I’m sorry for starting the fight,” I mumbled, embarrassed to admit I was wrong out loud.

Turning my head, Taehyung still seemed confused. I could not blame him. Reaching out, I took his hand in mine and looked back at Namjoon. Taehyung squeezed the flesh in thanks.

“We can return home right now,” Namjoon scratched the back of his neck. “If you would like to. Truly, I mean no harm. Besides, it would be nice if Callisto stopped calling me an idiot every time she saw me.”

Taehyung snorted, “She’s creative.”

“Oh, trust me,” Namjoon grinned. “I know. Just this morning she said I had a ‘room temperature IQ.’”

Catching me off guard, I laughed. I needed to meet this woman. She sounded like a real hoot. Locking eyes with Shiloh, I sobered up. I should keep my guard up just in case. The last thing I needed was Shiloh giving me hell about getting so friendly. Looking over at Seokjin, he was not amused either.

“Definitely my sister,” Jimin said fondly.

Stepping closer to Namjoon, Jimin looked him up and down before gesturing his head to Taehyung.

“I will come only if Taehyung wants to.”

The youngest alpha let go of my hand and gently tapped my shoulder. Taking the cue, I stepped out of his way. Taehyung stared at Namjoon, eyes searching for something before coming to whatever conclusion he decided to draw. Smiling, he offered Namjoon his hand.

“Let's go home.”

Namjoon took it easily, a smile on his own face before shaking Jimin’s own outstretched hand.

Translations:

Thither did êow leornian sê - Where did you learn that?

Onfindan me. - Look at me.

Fâcian duguð fuck framweardes hêo! - Get the fuck away from her!

Sê is crêas Seokjin. - It is fine Seokjin.

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