UNTILL I MET YOU || JIKOOK

43

JIMIN POV

He woke coughing, bringing up what felt like a lungful of water.

He surged upright, the world a confusing mirage of sea and sky.

His vision swam, and he slipped backward, his head banging painfully against the hard surface he was lying on. What...?

It took a moment for his memory to catch up. The battle, the boat, the shield. Jungkook.

He tried to sit up again but pain laced down his body, forcing him to lie still until it settled.

Carefully, he took a look around him, trying to work out just how bad a situation he was in.

He lay on a piece of broken wood floating on the ocean.

It was daylight, endless blue sky above him But he was cold and shivering, a cool sweat covering his body. His clothes were damp with seawater and blood.

A quick survey found a few deep cuts and something more concerning a piece of wood had pierced his thigh, sticking out from the flesh.

There was some evidence of healing, but not enough.

How long had he been out here?

And where, exactly, was here?

With care, he sat up and glanced around, trying to spot something familiar. There were no boats in sight and no land.

How far from home had he drifted?

The amulet was still on his neck, and he felt it pulse against his chest.

He pressed his hand to it, hoping to send a message in return, but it felt wrong.

Damaged, maybe?

He could feel a crack running through the silver inlay.

His last memories came back to him in broken pieces.

He'd boarded an armada ship in his bear form, intending to sink it with brute force, tearing into its hull with teeth and claws.

Yoong had launched one of Jungkook's weapons at the ship next to it.

It had broken right through the hull and there was a series of bangs.

The last thing he remembered was flying through the air.

His best guess was that the other ship had contained some sort of explosives and Yoongi's weapon had triggered them.

That explained how but it didn't do much to help his current situation.

He eyed his thigh again, wondering if he should pull out the wood or if that would make things worse.

If he'd been out there as long as he suspected, he was running out of time. Lying there waiting for rescue was a bad plan.

He needed a better one.

Daylight was already fading, so he turned his eyes to the sky as the stars appeared. He could tell he wasn't far from home but he couldn't be sure of the direction.

The amulet pulsed again, and he laid his hand on it, surprised when it jumped beneath his touch. What was that?

He tugged it off his neck, held the leather string in his fist, and stared at it.

The charm swung back and forth for a moment and then listed in one direction. Huh.

Experimentally he twisted his wrist, spinning the amulet in a circle.

Once again, it didn't settle like it should, pulling in that same direction.

Jimin put it back around his neck and still it tugged at him, pointing toward the east.

Pointing toward Jungkook?

Toward home?

It was the best chance he had, so he was going to take it.

He left the wood in his leg alone, pushing himself upright.

If he was right, the charm would guide him home. His injuries could be tended to then.

He had a better chance of dying from blood loss than infection right at that moment.

Especially in his shifter form.

And that was the only way he was going to get home.

The effort it took to shift, and the pain that followed, pulled a bellow from him.

But then he was in the water, big, strong, and determined.

He could still feel the pull of the amulet, tugging him onward.

It was time to go.

His trek through the water was long and grueling. Daylight was just sneaking up on him again when he spotted the armada ships.

He took a detour around them, distracted by the shimmering blue of the sky above his kingdom.

That had to be the shield.

It still stood, even days later, keeping them safe. He couldn't have been prouder of his mate.

Despite his fears of being trapped outside, he crossed the shield boundary without difficulty.

The last mile to shore was the hardest, his body close to giving up.

He felt sand under his paws but was unable to drag himself onto the shore as his strength gave out.

He shifted back to human form, coughing and spluttering as a wave crashed over him, pushing him closer to the strand.

He heard shouts and saw movement out of the corner of his eye. And then Jungkook was by his side, crying and laughing, wrapping his arms around him.

"You're alive. I knew you were alive."

Jimin was too out of breath to speak, holding onto the omega for dear life.

If he hadn't felt so wretched, he might have believed he was dreaming.

Yoongi appeared beside his mate and helped carry him to shore.

"It's good to see you, We were beginning to think the worst."

"So was I," he admitted.

"I've never been so happy to see this cold lump of rock."

"It's all thanks to jungkook.

"And this damned amulet."

"I called you home," Jungkook murmured as they both collapsed onto the sand.

"And it brought you back to me."

Jimin's energy faded away, his vision going dark.

The last thing he saw was his mate's tear stained, smiling face.

He was safe.

He was home.

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