♟ Before it came in waves ♟

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- Explaining -

Taehyung's POV

"You... you love me too?" I asked, my eyes widening. I felt a wave of relief hit my body, flowing through every vein and muscle within me. He loved me. He loved me just like I loved him. A howl formed in my throat, nothing able to stop it from releasing. I looked up at the sky, letting it fly into the air.

And two other howls came right after mine.

"Get on. We can't talk here, it's not safe." I saw him gulp, glancing at my back as I lowered myself to the ground. "I won't fall?" His voice was shaky and a little uncertain, my head moving back and forth in a nod. "I won't let you fall. Do you trust me?" My eyes met his, and I desperately tried to search for the answer within them.

"You have a lot of explaining to do... but yes, I trust you." I sighed out of relief, feeling his legs get thrown over my back, his fingers running through my fur, and gripping onto it. Another howl built up within me but I found the control to push it down. "Hold on tight, Angel. This ride is bound to be a wild one."

I was off before he could respond, his chest pressing down to my back as he held on tightly. I sprinted through the woods, dodging the trees and jumping over a hole in the ground. I glanced behind me, only to find Jungkook smiling, this look of awe within his eyes. Pride and happiness welled up inside of me, my eyes focusing on the forest ahead of me.

When I neared the packhouse, Jimin was walking around the building, shirtless and blood staining his knuckles. His eyes met mine, a nod sent my way as he jogged into the building we called our home. Clothes were thrown into the air from the open door, my front paws lifting off the ground as I grabbed the clothes in my mouth.

"Stay here. Let me shift." He got off my back, looking at me. A frown replaced a smile, his head shaking back and forth. "Just shift in front of me." I tilted my head to the side, my eyes narrowing on him. "You want me to shift? Here? Right in front of you?" A nod made my jaw fall open, my wolf howling into the connection.

"Suit yourself, but don't get all flustered." This time, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the cracking of bones heard in the woods. I closed my eyes, letting my fur disappear, my body returning to its original state. My toes hit the dirt, my palms placed flat on the ground. I opened my eyes to meet his now widened ones that were filled with shock.

"Oh my god. Why didn't you tell me?!" He shouted, clamping his hands over his mouth and turning his head. I stood, sliding on my boxers, a pair of jeans and throwing a shirt over my head to cover my bare chest. "You can look now," I said, messing with my hair and tying a bandana around my forehead.

"Why didn't you tell me you would be naked when you shifted?!" He asked, a red color tinting his cheeks as I walked up to him. I winced, glancing down at my side, the bullet wound seen. God, if that leaves a scar, Hoseok will never hear the end of it. "You didn't ask me. Plus, you said you wanted to know everything, didn't you?"

He looked away, arms crossed over his chest. I held my side, moving my head as a motion to head inside the building. "Come on, let's head inside." He followed me, grabbing onto my free hand. When I walked inside, Namjoon was sitting on the torn couch, feet propped up on the armrest and hands behind his head.

Jimin, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth, blood-stained knuckles practically white from how hard he was making a fist. Screams were heard from another room over, muffled by what I assumed was rope or clothes. Jimin turned to meet my gaze, his fists opening up. "Took you a while, Alpha."

I nodded, letting go of Jungkook's hand and grabbing a chair. I pulled the chair towards the middle of the room, spinning it around and extending my hand, "Take a seat, you'll be here a while." I spat, turning around and walking towards Jimin. "Got any meds?" He shook his head, pulling my hand off my side and yanking my shirt up.

"You got hit, huh?" I nodded, turning away and letting him examine the wound. "Doesn't look too deep, should be fine," He said, letting my shirt fall, his hand placed itself on my shoulder. "I know I'll be fine but doesn't mean it doesn't fucking hurt." Namjoon was the one to speak up this time, his eyes opening.

"Shouldn't we focus on what we gotta do before cussing one another out? Pretty sure we've got some explaining to do." I turned to look at Jungkook, seeing his wide doe eyes scan the building. With a sigh, I nodded, turning around and leaning against the wall.

"In case it wasn't clear, we're werewolves," I announced, closing my eyes and leaning my head on the wall.

"What does that mean exactly? You're half-wolf half-human?" Namjoon answered that question, glancing behind the couch and nodding. "That's exactly what it means. We have the hearing, vision, and sense of smell of wolves. We have the instinct to hunt our prey and work together in packs. We contain every attribute that a wolf may have, as well as human characteristics."

"So, you three hunt?" Jungkook asked with a tinge of fear heard within his voice. I shrugged, glancing at my friends. "Depends. We can, and will, but only if we find it necessary." He raised an eyebrow but nodded. "When do you find it necessary?" Jimin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a wall as well, opening his mouth to speak.

"When we're in danger or low on food. For the most part, we don't eat raw meat, as wolves do. We eat regular human food, whatever you wish to call it, but in desperate measures, we will just eat something raw." Jungkook didn't seem as freaked out by that answer as I expected, a nod sent our way.

"You mentioned packs. What's that?" I raised my head, meeting his gaze. "Ever seen a group of wolves together when they hunt?" He nodded. "That's a pack. It's a group of wolves made to have one another's backs, whether in hunting or just trying to stay alive." His mouth formed an o shape, eyes focusing on mine.

"Guess it's time to fully explain where we come from, huh?" Park smirked, punching my shoulder gently. "We were born in South Korea," I announced, glancing at my friends, "and we three were born into a pack." Jungkook nodded, crossing his legs over one another and watching me as I spoke.

"See, in North and South Korea, werewolves are very common. More than half of the population is made up of werewolves. Several packs roam the land, ones that are small, and ones that are big and powerful." Again, he nodded, listening carefully. "Namjoon, Jimin, and I were born into a medium-sized pack. We weren't extremely powerful but we weren't weak."

"Maybe we should clarify rankings before you continue," Namjoon said, finally sitting up on the couch, his legs resting on the armrest. I hummed, nodding in agreement. "In werewolf packs, there's a series of rankings. Starting from the bottom, there are rogues, which are wolves kicked out from packs or just don't have a pack."

"Usually," Jimin spoke up, looking at my mate, "they're hostile. Most rogues aim to kill anyone and anything, regardless of ranks. Rogues hardly submit to higher-ups, which, in a normal pack, they would. They form their own unofficial packs and aim to just take over whatever they can."

"So, all in all, they're dangerous?" Jungkook asked, standing up from the chair, his head tilting to the side a bit. Jimin and Namjoon nodded, a snicker leaving my lips as I opened my eyes and met my mate's. "Very," Jimin said, glancing at me.

"And we just so happen to be rogues, Angel."

"You're rogues...?" Jimin's and Namjoon's eyes flashed red, smirks placed on their faces as we each nodded slowly. "Pretty much. We fled our pack at a young age and have been on the run since." I met Jungkook's eyes, finding a little bit of fear flash through them.

"Next on the ranking list is omegas. They're the mothers of the pack. Usually, their role is to have pups, take care of them, raise them, do the chores, and always listen to what the higher-ups say." Namjoon nodded, turning to Jungkook. "Omegas are the most submissive wolves in the pack. It's just their nature."

"Regular pack wolves are what make up the rest of the pack. They're often warriors or the first to charge in wars, just because the leaders are far too valuable to charge first," I spat, rolling my eyes as I recalled Chanyeol's words. "Warriors are self-explanatory. They guard the territory. They make sure no intruders cross onto the land."

"Deltas are third in command that are training to become second in commands. Any rank lower than a delta will be forced to submit to them." Jungkook nodded, looking a little more interested now. "Betas are second in commands, usually known as the leader's right-hand men." I used both hands and pointed at my friends.

"Both Jimin and Namjoon are betas."

"So, they're second in command? Meaning, if you three were in a pack, they'd be considered a part of a leadership team?" I nodded, watching as my friends flashing some bright smiles my way. "Precisely. If we were a part of a pack, they'd be my right-hand men in the leadership team."

"Yours? So that means... wait..." I nodded, letting my eyes flash blue, a smirk twitching up onto my features. When my eyes returned to their normal color, I spoke. "The highest rank in a pack is the alpha rank. Alphas are the leaders. They're in charge and they carry the dominance. They make the decisions for the pack and determine what's best for the wolves."

"That is if you're a good alpha," I snickered, turning away and glancing at the ground. "Besides that, alphas are usually the protectors of the pack. They're born to make sure every wolf is safe and happy." His eyes met mine, his lips parting open in shock.

"I am an alpha."

"So... is that why Jimin and Namjoon are able to submit to you?" I smirked even wider, nodding as an answer. "Yes, actually. Any rank under the alpha rank is born to submit. My commands will force them to back down and submit, even if they don't like it. That's why alphas are always abusing their power."

"Alphas can get away with anything," Jimin said, an eyebrow cocked and arms crossed over his chest, "and they know it. Their commands prevent any wolf below them from speaking out. Only another alpha can disobey and truly challenge an alpha." I snickered, outstretching my arms.

"And yours truly challenged an alpha."

"What did you do?" Jungkook asked, his tone filled to the brim with shock. I shrugged, my eyes sparkling with mischief. "My father was the alpha of the pack I was born into. Around age ten or eleven, we were invaded by a bigger and much more powerful pack. They threatened to kill my brothers and sisters, even our whole pack. My dad backed down, surrendered, and our pack became a part of theirs."

"Good news, right?" I snickered, shaking my head. "No. They treated us like shit. My brothers and sisters were separated from my father and I, my mother was killed. I don't know what happened to them. Jimin and Namjoon, who have been my best friends since our pup ages, were ripped apart from their families too."

"I was tired of being treated terribly and put down when I myself was an alpha too. Lower ranks were disobeying me and my father, so one day I snapped." With a shrug, I continued. "I barged into the alphas headquarters and beat him, hard. I bruised his face, made his lips and nose bleed out. I managed to leave a scar across his eye."

"As punishment, he killed my father."

"And in return, I challenged him. I was thirteen when I lost my father, and I had just shifted for the first time, yet my anger for what he did was enough to make me fight, hard." Jungkook's eyes were wide, his mouth open in shock. "What happened?"

"For a thirteen-year-old, I really beat him up good. I tore his leg, ripped apart some of his skin, and broke a few bones. The pack never intervened in the fight, not until Jimin and Namjoon finally joined in. We knocked him down," I explained, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

"Then after, we fled. We cussed out the pack and its leaders and we ran away. From that day forward, we've been on the alpha's wanted list and they've been hunting us down." With a chuckle, I glanced at my friends. "And they've failed to pin us to this day."

"What was the pack that you left? I mean... I would assume they have names?" Jimin nodded, taking a seat on the ground and leaning his head against the wall. "Swiftcrest. It's the pack we're running from." Jungkook frowned but nodded, his eyes seeming to widen in realization.

"That email... it was from them, wasn't it? The email you read in the library?" I nodded, letting my arms fall to my side. "Yes, it was from the alpha. They've apparently found our location." Jungkook's eyes scanned over my friends and I, his features filled with shock and sympathy.

"How did they find out?" With a growl, I pointed to the room down the hall, grunting and groans heard from within it if we were all quiet. "Seems your mafia friend got himself involved with the wrong crowd," I spat, growling again.

"Hoseok."

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Part two of the explaining comes out soon! The secret behind why Swiftcrest is hunting down the trio has been revealed! Will Chanyeol be successful in hunting them down and capturing them?

Or will he fail yet again?

Guess what's coming up with Taehyung? (;

I purple you 💜

~Pisanthrophobia.