"So....nice place you guys have here? Very erm, woodsy." Noah squeezed his eyes shut.

Woodsy? Fucking woodsy? What kind of a moronic observation was that?

He needed to say something though, the atmosphere was so fucking tense.

The moment they arrived at the pack house Noah knew something wasn't right, the way Jax tensed up the moment they stepped out of the car was the first indication that something majorly fucked up was about to happen.

"Dude, you okay?" Noah had asked, carefully observing the older warlock as he gave a nod and followed after Jisoo.

"Yo Ji, you sure these guys won't mind us showing up here unannounced?" Noah questioned, his nerves shot as the witch reached the porch and rapped her knuckles against the door.

"They know me, they'll understand my reasons for bringing you here."

The door flew open seconds later, a shorter male standing in the doorway.

"Mate." The word came tumbling from his lips, brow furrowed.

"Kindred." Jax replied from beside Noah.

"KINDRED?! This guy is the one you were talking about?!" Noah recalled his conversation with Jax before leaving to visit Jisoo, the older warlock mentioning how he felt a strong pull to the location and how it was entirely possible the reason for this could be his kindred but Noah definitely wasn't expecting this! A wolf and a warlock?! That doesn't happen often, it's incredibly rare in fact.

"Jimin! Now isn't the time!"

A second man appeared behind the first, much taller and broader.

"Jisoo please wait for me in the kitchen, you'll find Y/N in the yard with Yoongi."

Noah could only watch, still in a state of shock as the taller male presumably the alpha led the first back through the house.

The hour that followed was probably the most bizarre experience of his life.

Jisoo lead them through to the kitchen, five pack members had already assembled around a large rectangular table plus a younger female around Jisoo's age who he assumed was Y/N.

"I'm sorry about Jimin." Jisoo was the first to speak, acknowledging each member in turn before pulling the other female in for a hug.

"I had a sense my kindred lived locally, wasn't expecting it to be a member of your pack though. I'm truly sorry for causing this disruption, it wasn't my intention." Jax bowed, showing incredible restraint.

It wasn't easy for a witch or warlock to be away from their kindred once they had made that initial first contact, his body must be aching with the desire to complete the bond.

The five pack members seemed to understand, each sending Jax a sympathetic smile.

"I'm Hoseok." The pack member standing beside Noah was the first to introduce himself. "This is Yoongi, Seokjin, Jungkook and Taehyung." The other wolves gave a nod once their names were called, Taehyung speaking up next as he addressed Jax.

"I'm sorry we had to separate you from Jimin, when we first scent our mate we tend to shift a few times and that can make us dangerous. Namjoon is simply making sure Jimin gets through the worst of this before allowing him to be in the same room as you."

"It's okay, I understand how werewolf physiology works. I've always been fascinated by your kind, now it makes sense why."

Taehyung gives a nod, pulling the female Noah assumes is Y/N closer to his side.

"Oh, this is Y/N by the way." Hoseok finally adds, confirming Noah's assumption. "The most recent member of our pack and Taehyung's mate."

"Nice to meet you guys, sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances." Y/N smiles, giving a little wave to which Noah returns.

Jax gives a nod, letting out a whispered "likewise."

Then the awkward silence descended, the ragtag group sitting around the table as they awaited Namjoon's return.

Noah tried to keep quiet he honestly did but he simply can't stand tension and so he opened his big mouth and called their home woodsy. Fucking woodsy.

"So." Noah adds, looking to Jisoo in desperation. 'Help me the fuck out here' he mouths to which she shrugs, her attention returning to Jax as she senses his anxiety spiking again.

There's a giggle from the couch opposite and Noah glances across as Y/N covers her mouth.

"I thought that too."

Finally! Finally someone speaks.

He honestly wants to kiss her but maybe with the way Taehyung is currently looking at him he should immediately banish those thoughts.

"Glad I'm not the only one." Noah smirks, not missing the way Taehyung tightens his hold around her waist.

"You're Noah right? Jisoo told me about you guys, never imagined we would meet like this though."

Noah gives a nod. "Yeah I'm Noah, that's Jax." He motions to the older warlock.

"You guys are like Jisoo then? You both have powers?"

"Yeah, we're warlocks....once your alpha returns we can explain more."

Y/N gives a nod, seemingly lost in her own thoughts for a brief moment. "What's going to happen between Jimin and Jax?" She cocks a brow inquisitively.

"Well Jax will need to bond with him eventually, just not in the way that wolves do."

"How is it different?"

Noah felt everyone shift their attention to him, suddenly just as intrigued to hear the answer as Y/N was.

Maybe they weren't familiar with warlock/witch bonding rituals.

"Well I'm not sure how much you know about our kind but our bond doesn't need to be of the romantic kind, for example take your bond with Jisoo."

Taehyung growls, a simple warning for the warlock to be careful with his wording.

Typical wolf, so damn possessive.

"Your bond with Jisoo is platonic, think of it as a sisterhood type bond."

"You said a ritual needs to be completed in order for the bond to be made, I can't ever remember doing anything like that with Jisoo." Y/N looks over at her friend who suddenly seems incredibly sheepish.

"I wasn't permitted to tell you about my true identity so had to improvise."

"Improvise how?" Y/N asked, tone curious.

"I was staying over at your place so it was simple really, just waited for you to fall asleep then quickly completed the ritual. It doesn't take long, a witch or warlock needs to be in close proximity to their kindred, we need to connect with your spiritual energy as that's the way the link his formed."

"Link?" Y/N asks, gently caressing the nape of Taehyung's neck to keep the wolf calm.

It's pretty obvious to Noah that the two are recently mated as Taehyung is still struggling to keep his wolf in check. Give it a few more years and that urge to be so fiercely protective of his mate will be easier to control.

"Warlocks and witches have what we call links, spiritual links that keep those important to us connected. I've got my family, Jax and Jisoo in mine. It's kind of like our own pack link so to speak, we can tap into the link energy whenever we want. I can feel what they feel, can track them if needs be."

"Wait, you can feel what they do? Like you can just tap into that whenever you want?" Y/N looks over at Jisoo, eyes wide.

"I only ever tap into your energy when I get a bad feeling....like if you're angry or upset, never used it when there's no need for me to do so."

Y/N visibly relaxes at this, elbowing her mate gently in the side as he chuckles.

"Yeah no....gross. I've never tapped into the link we share when you've been doing that....seriously Y/N why would I even want to do that." Jisoo shakes her head, repulsed by the very idea which only makes Taehyung laugh harder.

"Behave." Y/N attempts to bite back her own laugh as she chastises Taehyung.

"So Jax will have to perform this ritual with Jimin?" Y/N finally asks once Taehyung has calmed down.

Jax speaks up this time, Jisoo still using her magic to keep him settled. "I can't bond with him, not until we decide on that nature of that bond. Jisoo knew instantly that her bond with you was a platonic one so that's the kind of link she formed with you, so......"

"You and Jimin need to decide if you're going to have a platonic bond or a romantic one?" Y/N asks.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"How long do you have to decide?"

"The longer the bond remains open the weaker Jax will become, it's wise for a witch or warlock to complete the ritual as soon as possible after first contact." Jisoo responds.

"Wolves don't work like that though? When they mate, it's for life and incredibly intimate. If you decide that your bond with Jimin should be platonic, what happens to him? What happens if he can't mate with you?"

"He will suffer through the rejection, it won't kill him but sometimes he'll wish it would. Jax can't decide for himself if the bond is platonic or romantic, his magic...the connection between his soul and his kindred will decide that for him and if his magic decides his connection to Jimin is platonic then there's nothing anyone can do. Jimin won't be able to mate with him which means he will have to suffer the consequences of that." Jin refused to look at anyone as he responded, tone sharp.

"If the bond is platonic Jimin will grow incredibly weak as he deals with the rejection which means as a pack we're left to pick up the pieces.....all in all this screws everything up for us and gives Hunter and his pack a clear advantage."

Shit.

This isn't good, this isn't good at all.