Time seemed to stop around him as his father's words echoed in his head.

His mother.

A werewolf?

His hyungs looked up in shock, panting heavily, their bodies trembling.

Namjoon tried to push himself up but Mr. Jeon kicked him in the side, causing the wolf to cry out in pain and shift back into a human. Namjoon's arm was bleeding from the knife wound Mr Jeon had given him and Jungkook felt a lump in his throat.

"Your mother was a pathetic little werewolf. She was just like you. Naive. She fell in love with me, showed me her pack mark, and I married her to gain her trust. I even gave that monster a baby so that she would reveal something...anything about her pack. But she didn't. Everytime I asked, she'd laugh it off. The day you were born, I killed her. She was weak after giving birth to you and I took advantage of that," Mr. Jeon explained and Jungkook's eyes were wide as he listened to his father in disbelief, "I told the police that she went savage and tried to kill you so in order to save you, I had to kill the werewolf. And oh my, I was rewarded for my 'bravery.' A handsome ransome!"

Jin growled, "You fucking monster!"

Taehyung shifted back to human, body still trembling as he threw a disgusted look in the man's direction. Yoongi's eyes turned red, teeth bared.

Jungkook felt the energy drain out of him.

His father never loved his mother.

His mother was killed by his father.

His mother was a werewolf.

"People congratulated me for 'saving' you. Then, I thought, if one werewolf could get me such a handsome reward, imagine how rich I'd be if I managed to take down an entire pack," Jungkook's father explained proudly.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"Because you were human. If I did, they'd know I murdered you and I would be thrown in prison. But people are afraid of werewolves or anything that's supernatural. So, killing a werewolf just got me a reward. I told people tales of a savage werewolf and how I fought to protect you," Mr. Jeon explained, and Yoongi snarled, "I was happy when you ran away. I thought finally I don't have to bother about you. But then I ran into you at the store. When I realised you were a part of the pack, I knew I had a chance to make my dream a reality."

"So you're going to kill them and get rewarded for it?" Jungkook cried, fear gripping his heart.

"Exactly! I'll kill you too after you watch your hyungs die."

"You'll get thrown in prison for that!"

"I won't. I have a whole story ready. I tried to save you but I was too late. I managed to kill them but unfortunately, I lost you," Mr Jeon laughed, "A perfect sob story. All thanks to you, Jungkook, my dream shall come true."

Yoongi growled and Mr. Jeon signalled for the masked man to play the whistle. He immediately obeyed. Once again, the pain-filled screams of his hyungs reached Jungkook's ears.

"Say goodbye to your hyungs," Jungkook's father mocked as he advanced towards a writhing Namjoon, silver knife at ready.

Jungkook's only family was being snatched away from him from right under his nose by a monster that abused him and raised him for fourteen years.

The monster that killed his mother.

The monster that would now kill his hyungs.

His hyungs who always comforted him, always protected him. His hyungs who showed him what love truly was. His hyungs who gave him a home and a family. His hyungs who were now convulsing on the floor in pain, screaming themselves raw.

A multitude of emotions ran through Jungkook.

Anger. Frustration. Sadness.

He was overcome by a sense of desperation. He had to save them. No one else would. He tugged on the handcuffs.

He had to save them.

As his father aimed the knife at Namjoon's chest, something in Jungkook snapped.

An animalistic growl escaped his throat, his eyes glowed golden, and before anyone could understand what was happening, Jungkook had ripped the handcuffs clean off and tackled the older man to the ground.

14 March, 2023