Collision

Chapter 56

The Beta's ear twitches, but he makes no move to answer. Instead, he backs up, tail curling. Jeongguk snarls louder, salvia dripping from his jowls.

"I asked you who are you?"

The Beta's lips curled, teeth shining, but not aggressively. Amusement burned at the peppermint and fern scent, which had become a fraction heavier.

Before Jeongguk realized the Beta's plan, the wolf turned on a dime and sprinted at wolf speed in the opposite direction. Jeongguk balked, limbs freezing in disbelief.

Snapping back into himself, Jeongguk leapt over the creek and gave chase. The cinnamon wolf was fast. Its large body was nimble, shoulders slender, and his legs long.

The Beta ran headlong into the snow, fur pushed down and legs stretched long in front of him. Jeongguk scrambled to keep him, pushing himself to the point that everything was burning, skin on fire.

Jeongguk was still weak from his heat, his legs trembling at the force of which he tried to use them, and the Beta seemed to be playing with him. He leapt over roots, running in circles, and even going so far as to leap onto tree trunks and push himself to gain momentum and put more space between them.

Jeongguk snarls, breathing harshly and fast, and quickly diverts his path. He corners right, dodging the trees and leaping over a bush and landing back in the snow.

The Beta looked startled when he was suddenly closer to his left flank. His eyes widened and his scent soured as he abruptly shifted direction, snow flying from under his paws, and scrambling directly to the right.

Jeongguk yelped as he slipped when he tried to change directions, landing heavily onto his gut and the air whooshing from his lungs at the hard fall.

The Beta chuffed, sneezing in laughter, and loped further into the forest. Jeongguk staggered to his feet, but his legs gave out beneath him and his lungs caused him to cough and suck in as much air as he could master.

Stumbling into the snow, Jeongguk growled in frustration as the Beta disappeared completely from sight and leaving Jeongguk frantically trying to suck in air.

The Beta was smart and older, basing on the damage done to his body. He was a lone wolf, that much was obvious, but he didn't seem aggressive. It confused Jeongguk endlessly. If the Beta was just passing through, he would have said so, but instead he ran.

He made no attacks, though Jeongguk had a pit in his stomach to know that he easily could have won. Jeongguk was too weak to really put up a fight, and if he made a run for it, the Beta could have captured him without even breaking a sweat.

This Beta was odd, that was for sure, and it set Jeongguk on edge. He wasn't sure why the Beta bothered at all and hung around so close to the cabin.

He even seemed surprised that Jeongguk was out there, as if he thought it was safe to be so careless and to wonder around. Did he know that Seokjin was gone? Obviously, the Beta could tell he was just out of heat. He hadn't even showered yet, so the scent of heat would be clinging to his fur.

After almost ten minutes of heaving, coughs emerging from his throat and nearly dry heaving from the force of them, Jeongguk managed to get to his feet.

Air was coming easier to his lungs, and he trudged his way back to the creek. He was more than exhausted now, but his mind was racing as he shook out his inky fur and trotted carefully back in the direction of the cabin.

Luckily, the Beta's scent leads further away. He didn't go near the cabin this time around, but Jeongguk knew that he needed to talk to Seokjin. The older Omega needed to hear about the little... meeting.

Hopping onto the porch, Jeongguk stood on his hind legs and gripping the door handle with his jaws and carefully turned it. The door gave way and Jeongguk shoved it open his nose, and then closed it with his back leg.

Shaking out the rest of his fur, Jeongguk hurried into the kitchen where Yoongi was standing over the stove. The scent of spices instantly assaulted his nose and he sneezed.

Yoongi glances up, ten grins. "Been awhile since I have seen you in your wolf form in the house."

Jeongguk pads over, leaning his frame against Yoongi's legs. The human instantly scowls, shoving him.

"Jeongguk-ah! You are literally fucking freezing! The hell did you do? Go tromping in a creek?"

Jeongguk flicked his ear in denial, but pointedly looked away because it wasn't a creek, but he was running enough that the snow melted and weighed down his fur enough to know that he was probably more than a little damp.

Yoongi snorted, shaking his head, then paused. His eyes narrowed on Jeongguk's head and the wolf pulled both his ears back and then forwards again, chuffing curiously.

"What- in your ear," Yoongi says after a moment, then reaches out a hand to touch his ears. Yoongi startled at the feeling of cold metal, eyes widening when he connected the dots. "Jeongguk-ah, your silver hoops! They just- oh my god. Your wolf ears are pierced too."

Jeongguk cocked his head, confused, before he stood and trotted over to the bedroom with Yoongi at his heels. He nosed his way into the bedroom and stood on hind legs with his paws against the cool mirror.

It was almost odd to see himself clearly in wolf form. Sure, he had seen flashes of himself in the rivers and creeks that ran along the mountain. Even in the ice during winter, he had never clearly seen what he looks like as a wolf, always a distorted image of himself.

Now, though, he saw himself clearly. His dark nose that blended eerily in with his midnight colored fur, thick and wavy due to winter. He saw his amber eyes that peered out, large and burning.

He looked intimidating. He wasn't like Seokjin who looked sweet within his wolf form, all long, fluffy fur and light colors. Or Jimin who was tiny and a speck of bright orange like the setting sun, pretty russets that almost seemed to glow.

Jeongguk was pitch black, the only colors breaking past the colorless fur being his amber eyes and white teeth when he lifted his lips. His tail curled under him, touching his belly, and his ears flicked.

Silver caught his attention at the movement. Raising his eyes, he yipped in surprise at seeing the silver hoops nestled at the base of his wolf ears. They broke through the layers of black fur, and he snorted.

He never imagined that the earrings would stay in when in his wolf form, but he wasn't disappointed. His tail wagged, pushing himself off the mirror and settling back down on all fours.

Jeongguk caught Yoongi's gaze within the mirror. "Your fur is really pretty. This pretty raven color and it's just- the first time I saw it I thought you were like some hellhound or something coming to collect me."

Jeongguk snorted, shaking his head as he turned around and raised his head to meet Yoongi's dark, hazy gaze and small smile. He looked relaxed.

"Now I know you're just this cute, big, puppy. My Omega."

Jeongguk stepped forward, bones rippling as he straightened. Yoongi gasped, surprise coloring his face as Jeongguk grinned.

"Most Omega's don't have dark colored fur," Jeongguk admitted quietly, tilting his head. Yoongi blinks. "It's actually a rarity. They usually have colors like Jin. Lighter. Softer. It's why everyone thought I was going to be an Alpha, other than my defiance."

Yoongi chortles. "You mean your stubbornness. It seems to be an Omega trait."

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. "We are quite stubborn, now that I think about it." He sighs, stepping forwards. "I found the Beta."

Yoongi's expression drops. "You what?"

"The Beta. I was running out by the creek, and then he was just there."