Beast, Blood, & Soul

* 43 *

The forest flies past me as I run. My flashlight bounces adding to the shadows that hide every tree limb that tries to trip me. Howls of pain and rage sound behind me. I don't know what's going on back there, but I have no interest in finding out.

I hear maniacal laughter and some sort of scuffle then all I hear is my footsteps running. Howls sound behind me spurring me on any faster. What am I doing? I can't escape these guys. I don't want to get bitten to death either.

Do I think they'd knowingly hurt me? No.

Do I think they are currently in their right minds? Hell no.

I'm starting to breathe hard as I continue to run. My heart feels like it wants to burst. I glare at the full moon, damn stupid magic. I hear my name cry into the night, longing fills that voice.

"Jungkook," I pant. "Don't give in. Please, guys, don't give in" In the fever of the hunt and need to mate, accidents can happen. I hope I'm actually immune or the witch will succeed in killing me.

I trip over a root and nearly land on my face, my backpack sliding over my head and sliding off my arms. I scratch my cheek on another tree root and scuff my clothes, my hands stinging as I try to catch my fall. I don't bother picking my fallen backpack back up in my haste to keep moving. I leave it behind.

I keep running.

BTS POV

Jungkook watches his mate run away and he turns to look at the witch with hatred filling in his eyes. His heart broke watching his mate be afraid of him. He'd seen that look once before in his spouse and he swore never to go through it again, but here he is. He will punish the witch for her schemes.

"One way or another, we will kill you," He threatens. He feels the pull that the witch is initiating and unlike Y/N's gentle caresses, this feels sick and ugly. Instead of joy and light, there is jealousy and darkness in its pull.

"Oh, my funny rabbit." The witch coos. "You should have come to me when you had the chance. Now, you'll be mine whether you like it or not."

"Never," Jin breaths, trying to control the instinct to run after his mate and keep her safe. To make her his so that the witch can never take her from them. He shudders against the darkness that coats her touch of the strands. He feels an overwhelming need to clean the strands of her taint. His strand is tight and strong, the bond almost complete, so the need to finish it is overwhelming. Only the need to protect her from this threat is stronger.

"Those bonds belong to me and I'll rip them from her cold dead heart," The witch laughs maniacally, and the seven of them lunge for her only to have her disappear right in front of their eyes.

Jungkook, Yoongi, and Hobi all howl and scream in frustration that she has once again illuded their grasp.

"We must secure our mate before the witch can harm her," Namjoon growls. He closes his eyes, searching for the direction the strands indicate. The sludge of possession and evil that coats the strands after the witch pulled on them makes it hard to locate her immediately.

"Y/N!!!" Jungkook yells with all the longing he can muster, trying to call his mate back to his side. He needs her to be safe. He needs her in his arms. He needs to feel her beneath him and around him. Needs the taste of her on his lips. He needs to bond with her so that he will never lose her. He needs to feel the bond with her clean and healthy once again not sick and coated with the vileness that stems from the witch's manipulation.

"Namjoon, take to the sky," Jin orders. Namjoon wastes no time jumping into the sky and taking flight, widening his search for his running mate. Jin transforms into his wolf so he can smell her trail.