winter of orphic love | ot7 poly |

Chapter 8 Your Crime and Punishment

"Time to wake up, baby," I whisper into Jin's ear as I comb his hair back.

There is a soft blush coloring his smooth cheeks and a concentrated peace that causes him to furrow his brows. His head rests on my lap and his body curled around my outstretched legs. I sit against the wall with pillows tucked around me.

I look up at the window and watch as sunlight fills through the fabric in thin lines. I watch as the golden light paints down the opposite wall and illuminates the warm bedroom. In the morning light, I clearly see the others spread across the bed.

Yoongi is sleeping on the other side of my legs. He is tucked into a large blanket and his legs are pulled to his chest. He sleeps like a rock and his black hair comes over his face, shielding it from view.

Hoseok, Jimin, and Taehyung are sleeping on the farthest bed. Hoseok has hidden himself in a pile of blankets but I can hear his soft breaths and quiet mumbles. Jimin sleeps on his stomach, burying his face in his pillow, while Taehyung's leg is tightly curled around his waist. Every once in a while, Taehyung would use his leg as a hook and drag Jimin an inch closer. Now Taehyung has captured Jimin and holds him like a body pillow, effectively using his leg to keep him close.

Jin moans quietly in response and turns his head towards my stomach. He adjusts his body and moves closer to me. He mumbles but I don't understand him. It might not be words at all and simply morning nothings.

My stomach aches with hunger and I shift uncomfortably as the growling persists. "I'm hungry," I complain quietly as I observe the bedroom again.

It feels unnatural that Namjoon and Jungkook aren't home. They told us that they would stay in Valentine for the night and be provided with lodging, courtesy of Valentine himself. Namjoon explained that it would be rude to reject their offer and promised to return home in the morning.

I know they are safe but that doesn't mean I'm completely at ease.

Concerning news on the three teenagers and their punishment, Jungkook told us that Valentine was absolutely furious. They called their parents and established guardians, the girl did not have parents, and discussed their punishment immediately. The parents of the first boy, who also serve as one of the colony's main suppliers, set up a list of punishments, most of which included intense farm work and hunting. The parent of the second boy and the guardians of the girl weren't sure what to do with them so Valentine offered another punishment.

They would come back to the cabin and do chores for as long as we needed them. Namjoon agreed to this punishment and explained that they would bring Tanner and Evey when they returned. They will probably help fix the garden they ruined and replace the window.

We don't have time to deal with this. We have two days before our meeting with the Nightwalkers. We should be strengthening our borders and checking the solar panels, not babysitting.

I think back to last night and specifically, remember the girl. She looked wild, almost savage-like with her long hair and dirt-stained face. There was ferocity in her eyes, but I could smell fear leaking from her body. There was no bravery in her when she argued with us. It's hardly impressive. What interested me was that she called me a witch. In a world filled with werewolves, real witches are entirely possible but I am not one of them. I wonder why she called me that and mentioned a spell.

It could be a weird metaphor for being a Luna.

Regular humans don't understand the inner workings of packs, at least most of them don't. Some don't bother to acknowledge our existence as a coping mechanism, others decide to blame us for the fall of humanity. A strange and small number of humans think we're ancient creatures who require human sacrifices for peace, but I have no idea where they are getting their mythology from.