The Monster

4

Jungkook watched from the safety of his tree as the men below him began to pack away their gear and tents.

"They are leaving." His wolf growled.

"No, they are coming after us." Jungkook muttered.

"We need to take out the rest if the men. We can't let them all come to the cave, just him." His wolf stated as his eyes flickered to the man that smelled like spring.

"Hmmm." Jungkook was deep in thought. "We can do this, but we have to be careful and sneaky."

His wolf barked a laugh.

"We can do sneaky."

Jungkook kept his distance as he kept track of the king's men's progress. He wondered idly if his mate was someone of importance as he always seemed to be either up front or at least flanked by two other men as if they were protecting him.

It was easy keeping track of the men in his current form. As his wolf now allowed equal control Jungkook was able to shift back into the more traditional wolf form and this is how he followed the king's men padding lightly through the under growth of the forest. It was a lot easier than being a lumbering 7ft tall werewolf, that form being more for outright aggression.

His black fur ruffled in the cool breeze of the early evening, it felt nice being able to calm down and appreciate the woodland around them, not that he was really paying attention to it but more on the sweet-smelling man.

"There! That one has broken off from the rest."

Jungkook stayed on all fours even as the change took him and slowly snuck up on the one guard that had cut off from the rest.

The guard had no chance when a large hand curled over his mouth and a long arm wrapped around his torso, pinning is arms to his side.

It's one of those times that Jungkook is thankful that he's agile enough not to need his arms for balance, as he bounds deeper into the forest towards his cave.

The two guards already in the cave stared wide eyed as Jungkook entered with the other and dropped him to his feet inside the cave.

He kept his hand over the guard's mouth.

"Keep quiet and you won't die." Jungkook mutters into his ear.

The guard nods furiously as Jungkook unties the belt holding his weapons, throwing knives and sword to the side out of reach.

"Sit."

The guard drops to the floor without hesitation.

"Bring your knees up and touch your feet."

When the guard complied Jungkook tied his wrists to his ankles and as he had done with the others, and a strip of cloth to gag him.

"Three down, six to go."

Jungkook left the cave in search of the party and his mate.

Jimin blames being the lead man on him not noticing something was up until there was only 4 of them left, also this monster was freakily quiet.

They were getting close to the base of the mountain and as they set up camp Jimin again began to wonder what sort of monster this was.

Although that train of thought didn't last long once he was alone in his tent. He thoughts turn to the wolf and man he'd seen in his dreams and wonders if they are one in the same.

Jimin has heard of wolves with a human form but has never seen one himself. He thought they were things of legend, wiped out long before he was born.

He remembers his father saying he had met one long before Jimin was born but never elaborated on that.

Jimin had spent endless hours in the castle library trying to find out all he could about these wolves, but the material was very limited and after a while Jimin gave up.

He had tried to get his father to open up about his meeting one, but he shut Jimin down every time.

He knew they had been more prolific around the top of the mountains, and it had once or twice crossed his mind that this could be a wolf they were after and part of Jimin felt loath to kill it, especially if it is the last of its kind.

The wolf part had a mind of its own and Jimin often wondered what it was like to have an internal voice, that was very real, talking inside your head, hearing your thoughts and feeling everything, you felt.

He knew they mated, and it was for life and the wolves believed it was pre-determined.

It was nice thought to know there was someone for everyone and that they would love you unconditionally, flaws and all.

Jimin hadn't found anyone to love, not anyone who wasn't moved by the fact that he was the crown prince. It was amazing how many claimed to love you when money and fame were involved.

Jimin grabbed his water bottle and poured a little into his hands, rubbing them roughly over his face, his mind still full of wolves and the like.

When he finally tucks himself into his cot, his mind is a whirl of wolves, humans and monsters, but his heavy eyes didn't care, and they slowly close as sleep takes him.

Jimin wakes with a start what feels like minutes later, but the darkness outside gives away the passing of time.

He's not sure what wakes him until he sees a pair of red eyes staring at him from the door of his tent.

Jimin sleepily wonders why they are wonky, one eye higher than the other and his brain then slowly supplies that the head that belongs to those eyes is cocked to the side.

He can't bring himself to move as he feels himself get lost in the red of the eyes.