TYSM for 200 views!! :)

Jeongguk POV

When I woke up the next morning, sunlight was already streaming in through the cave entrance, its brilliant rays casting dappled shadows across the hollow floor. The first thing I noticed was that Taehyung was gone, and his side of the nest was cold. I didn't know why I felt a little disappointed by his lack of presence, but shook the feeling off. It wasn't right to have these feelings for an Alpha, especially an Alpha I didn't plan on meeting after today.

Yawning, I got up from my sleeping place, making sure to adjust the sash on my tunic so that it at least didn't look like I had slept in my clothes. I only succeeded in making it look more rumpled, so after a few more tries, I finally gave up.

When I stepped outside, I saw Taehyung tending the fire about 10 feet away from the hollow, with two freshly caught hares beside him. I unknowingly smiled at the sight, glad to see that he hadn't gone off on his own. Just because of the wild beasts that roamed the forest, I told myself, not because I wanted him to stay by my side.

As I watched, he took a small cutting knife from his pocket, and started skinning the hares, expertly separating the meat from the fur. The fur could be later used for coats or fur-lined tunics, because it was a good material to keep out the cold. After cutting the meat into generous chunks, he put them on the fire, which had simmered down to hot coals in the meantime.

When I approached the fire, he looked up for a moment from his work, and nodded in my direction.

"Breakfast," he said simply, nudging the hares closer to the red hot coals. I noticed that he didn't quite meet my eyes as he talked, and his normally happy aura was somewhat subdued. Trying not to pay much attention to this sudden change in mood, I nodded, plopping myself down beside him and watching him cook. After a few minutes of tense silence, I spoke. "It's impressive that you caught two hares. They're pretty secretive creatures, and don't come out of their burrows that much. You don't see them that often in this forest."

He shrugged, still not meeting my eyes. "I've had practice. My pack is famous for its skill with bow and arrows, so shooting is like second nature for me. And if you follow the river north about 10 miles, there's many of them in the thickets." He didn't seem inclined to talk more, so I let him be. It was only with his Alpha wolf speed that he could run 10 miles and be back in less than an hour. It seemed that I would have to stick with squirrels and birds for the time being, until I could possibly find a closer place to hunt hares.

A few more minutes ticked by, and I fidgeted in my seat. It seemed weird to simply sit with Taehyung and not have any conversation, especially after I was so used to my mate talking a mile a minute. I decided that something must be wrong.

"Taehyung?" He hummed in response, still intent on cooking the hares. "Are you okay? You seem... I don't know... sadder than usual. Did anything happen?" He turned to look at me, and even his crimson eyes seemed duller than before. But then he smiled brightly, even if I could tell that it was forced. "No, nothing happened. Just some random thoughts. I'm sorry if I worried you."

I scoffed, folding my arms across my chest. "I wasn't worried about you. I was simply wondering if something happened."

"Sure you were," he teased. "Jeongguk, for you, asking if I'm alright is the equivalent of running all the way to the Metal Village to ask for a healer. But still, thanks for asking, even if you weren't truly worried."

But I was, my inner wolf cried, and it took all my efforts to make him dormant again. Sometimes, he showed up at the most annoying of times. At least, it seemed that Taehyung had gotten over whatever was bothering him, and was now humming a song under his breath. I smiled at the sight, glad to see that he was more or less back to normal... even if I would never admit it to myself. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something.

"Jeongguk, where's Lupa?" I looked around, to find that Lupa was gone, which meant that she must have gone hunting early in the morning. I shrugged. "She sometimes leaves early and doesn't come back until moonrise. I think she goes hunting, but I never really asked her about it."

Taehyung nodded, and started taking the now-cooked bits of hare off the fire, handing one to me. I gladly accepted it, savoring the freshly caught taste on my tongue. Even I had to admit that it was very good; Taehyung really was an accomplished hunter.

After we were done, and Taehyung had put the rest of the unfinished meat in a jar for later, I went to wash my hands in the river. Taehyung soon joined me.

"So, what are we doing today?" Taehyung asked, washing the blood from his hands. I looked up in surprise. "We're not doing anything together. You're going back home, and I'm going to gather herbs. End of story."

"No, not end of story," Taehyung said stubbornly. "I'm leaving the Metal Village in two days, and after that, you can forget about me if you want. But while I'm here, at least try and warm up to me. We're mates after all. So if you're going herb gathering," he hefted his bow. "I'm coming with you."

I raised an eyebrow, searching for an excuse. "But don't you have people waiting for you back at the village? Just go home, Taehyung. You shouldn't keep them waiting." Even as I said those words, my wolf was cursing at me, not wanting to let go of our mate. And this time, I didn't have the heart to keep him down.

"If you're trying to get rid of me, you're not succeeding," Taehyung commented, a smile tugging at his lips. "I've already gone over the situation with them, and they're totally fine with it. Yoongi wanted to check out the metalworking area in the village anyway. Now, let's go gather some herbs!"

There's no getting rid of him, my wolf said smugly, and I sighed. Motioning for him to follow me, I stalked out of the hollow, making sure to tie the leather gathering bag to my right foot. Once outside under the safety of the towering trees, I took a deep breath, and changed into my wolf form. Excruciating pain shot through my muscles as they contracted and burned, slowly forming into hind legs, a snout, ears, and a tail.

Shaking my now white fur to get rid of the last remnants of pain, I turned back to see if Taehyung had followed, only to find myself standing nose to nose with a huge pitch-black wolf with glowing red eyes. Apart from Lupa, he was the largest wolf I had ever seen, as well as the most menacing looking. Long, hooked claws protruded from his paws, digging into the tough soil with ease. His glossy black coat was shining in the sunlight, and his blood red eyes seemed to be scanning the forest for any potential threat. I suddenly felt small and vulnerable standing next to such a massive wolf, who looked like he could claw me to pieces in a heartbeat. I was stupid, I realized, thinking that Taehyung was in any danger being out alone during the night. For all I knew, he was the most dangerous creature this forest had to offer.

Taehyung's muzzle twitched, as though amused, and I heard his voice through the mindlink. I can hear everything you're thinking, pup. And though I'm flattered, don't worry; I would never try and hurt you.

Pup? I asked, not knowing whether to be offended or not. Why pup? His eyes twinkled, and for a moment, I saw the carefree Taehyung I was used to seeing, instead of this scary beast in front of me. Because you're staring up at me with such beautiful wide eyes, like a pup would stare at his mother.

I was not staring up at you, I objected, even though I knew it was true. Taehyung's wolf was such a majestic animal that it was hard not to stare at him. Whatever. Come on, we're wasting daylight, and we need to gather yarrow and coltsfoot before it gets dark.

I led the way through the thicket, pausing once in a while to see if I could scent the familiar tang of the earthy herbs. Nothing. Lupa had told me before that yarrow grew well in the dry soil of meadows, but all around me was only wet, marshy ground. Stifling I sigh, I was about to try someplace else, when I felt a light touch on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Taehyung flick his ears towards a high outcrop of rock, where I could just barely see the white flowers of yarrow blossoming.

That's yarrow, right? He asked, and I nodded. But the ledge seemed pretty high up, and I wasn't sure if I could make the jump. It would probably be easier to look for it on the ground. While I was pondering the thought, Taehyung crouched down and sprang, powerful hind legs easily propelling him towards the ledge. Digging his hooked claws into the rock, he landed a good five feet away from the edge, and turned to look back at me.

Come on, it's easy! I hesitated. I didn't have nearly as much power in my legs as Taehyung, and my balance wasn't all that good. Truthfully, I would have rather looked someplace else for the herb, but now that Taehyung had made the jump, I had no choice but to follow. Almost as if sensing my discomfort, Taehyung padded back to the edge of the rock. Don't worry, I'll catch you. I promise.

Steadying my breath, I crouched down, making sure to judge my position before I leaped. For one horrible instant, I thought I had jumped short. My body slammed into the edge of the rock, and my front paws scrabbled frantically for a grip among the loose stones. A heartbeat later, I felt myself getting pulled up by the scruff of my neck, and my paws landed on solid ground. I quickly sank my claws into the soil, for fear of falling again.

Shaking, I breathed erratically, heart thumping in my chest. I was sure that my tail was fluffed up to twice its size out of terror. I thought I was having a full blown panic attack... until I felt a rough tongue lick between my ears. Glancing up, I saw Taehyung nuzzling my ears, gently licking between them every so often. His larger body was wrapped protectively around mine, as if to prevent me from falling. I didn't know why, but the action soothed me, and a feeling of warmth enveloped my body.

His rhythmic licking soon calmed me down enough for my fur to lie flat, and my breathing to become normal. I shakily looked up once more, just to find crimson eyes staring into mine, a look of worry on my mate's face. I did my best to look less shaken up than I actually was, so as not to worry Taehyung.

Thanks for catching me, I said, as soon as I was calm enough to speak. I honestly thought I was going to fall.

Taehyung's muzzle twitched, and he leaned in closer to me so that our noses were touching. Sparks flew between us. I already told you pup, he whispered through the link. I'll never let you fall.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, I broke eye contact with him, turning my attention instead to the clump of yarrow growing at the base of the ledge. Here's the yarrow we've been looking for!

Padding over to the flowering plant, I sniffed at it, making sure that it was nice and fresh. Looking back, I saw Taehyung eyeing the yarrow with annoyed eyes, but he soon came over to inspect the herb.

Right now, we just need the leaves, I instructed him. The petals and roots can be used for some medicines too, but we don't need them right now. We can come and collect the petals later when they're in full bloom.

Taehyung nodded, then started to nip at the green leaves with surprising care, considering that his jaw was full of needle sharp teeth. When he had a whole pile of yarrow leaves, he turned back to me, and I almost snorted at how comical he looked.

His huge jaws were now filled with the soft green leaves, teeth carefully biting down so as not to ruin them. He seemed so out of place in this quiet and serene forest with a mouthful of yarrow, when his wolf looked like the type who should be out on the battlefield, maiming his enemies.

But when I glanced at him, all I saw in his expression was gentleness and love as he gazed at me. He then looked questioningly at the yarrow, as if he was unsure what to do with it. I quickly untied the collecting bag from my forepaw with my teeth, and handed it to him, into which he gently dropped the leaves.

Opening and closing his mouth a few times to get rid of the tangy taste, Taehyung grimaced. Yarrow may be a helpful herb, but it tastes awful! I nodded in agreement, tying the sack back onto my leg.

I then gulped when I realized that now I had the problem of getting back down.

You're going to be fine, I heard Taehyung's voice in my head. It's really not that far. I looked down at the ground, and thought that it was pretty far, but made no comment. But that still didn't stop my paws from trembling so hard that I was afraid they would shake me right off the edge.

It's okay. I heard my mate's voice again. Going back down is always easier than coming up. Well, at least that was probably true. You go first, I said, trying to sound confident. Are you sure? He asked. I don't want to leave you on this narrow strip of rock alone. I shook my head, indicating for him to go.

Padding over to the edge, Taehyung gave me one last affectionate lick between the ears, which I gladly accepted. Bunching his muscles, he jumped down, forepaws extended to steady his balance. He landed easily, the carpet of leaves muffling the thud of his footsteps. He then turned to look back at me.

My turn.

Bending my legs just like Taehyung had done, I took a deep breath, then propelled myself off the edge. For a moment, I seemed to hang in the air like a bird, and then the ground came hurtling towards me. Closing my eyes, I landed in a skid that made my paws sting... but at least I had landed safely. I silently vowed to myself that I would never do something like this again; it was too scary.

In an instant, Taehyung was beside me, licking my ears and touching his muzzle to mine. Good job, he praised. I knew you could do it. I smiled at his words, briefly letting him entwine our tails together, before turning and padding away. I heard him sigh quietly, and tried to ignore the stinging pain in my heart.

All this cuddling and affection would only hurt us in the end.

So it would be easier for both of us if I cut him off early.

But why?

Why do I feel so sad by only doing what I was meant to do?

What are you doing to me, Kim Taehyung?

What yarrow looks like:

Until next time! - xghostin'x