Scentless

THE UNSEEN

"I woke up from my sweet dream and close my eyes" – Outro:Tear – BTS

Namjoon steers the beta, Seokjin, into the living room, his large hand never leaving the wolf's shoulder. Jimin snatches a blanket from the chest under the window, and Taehyung rushes to the kitchen, returning moments later with a glass of water.

Jimin drapes the blanket over Seokjin's shoulders, the beta drawing it close before sinking into what is typically Namjoon's chair and accepting the water from Taehyung, drinking deeply. Namjoon, canines still poking past his lips, stands mere inches away with his arms crossed, glaring at the beta with unguarded suspicion.

"Explain," Namjoon orders as soon as Taehyung and Jimin are huddled together on the couch.

Seokjin looks between the three wolves, his expression unfazed as he assesses the situation he's landed himself in.

"I'm Seokjin," he begins, reintroducing himself, "and I'm a beta who formerly belonged to what most of the world refers to as a gypsy clan."

Jimin's eyes widen. He's heard of the gypsies, but never met one. Gypsy is a general term, used to describe any clan of wolves, usually nomadic, who possess powers of foresight. They are feared in some territories and persecuted in others, so they generally kept away from modernized society, preferring the safety of their own small packs.

So why is this one here, alone?

"Why formerly?" Namjoon asks.

Seokjin's expression hardens. "I was cast out many years ago."

"Why?" Namjoon's tone is edged with warning now.

"Because I was powerless. They feared I would contaminate the bloodlines should I be allowed to stay."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Namjoon replies, the growl gone from his voice. "But that doesn't explain why you are here, speaking of a pack that does not exist."

"Yet," Seokjin corrects. "A pack that does not exist yet."

Jimin is intrigued, and he can feel that Taehyung is just as curious.

"I was powerless," Seokjin repeats, "until the night I met Yoongi."

"You know him?" Jimin asks, his tone desperate. "Have you seen him recently?"

Seokjin casts him a consoling look, his fingers tightening where they grip the blanket over his shoulders. "I haven't seen him since he left here."

"How long have you been lurking in my forest?" Namjoon demands.

Seokjin bows his head to the alpha but shows no other sign of submission. "Since Yoongi arrived with the omegas. I meant no harm, only to keep up my vigil, guarding him as I waited for the signs."

"Signs?" Taehyung asks.

Seokjin nods. "As I said, I was once powerless. It cost me my home. But the night I met Yoongi, that changed. He... he saved me. Nearly lost his life doing so, but he lived. I touched him that night, and the moment I did, I saw. All the signs I'd heard about as a child but never had the ability to read, suddenly made sense. The universe, the stars, spoke to me. And they told me of a great journey, and many trials, that would lead me to my pack. To our pack. Seven beings, born of the same star. Individually powerless, but infinitely powerful together. A pack that will defy the very nature of wolves as we know it."

"And we're that pack?" Namjoon asks.

Seokjin nods.

"Then why not find us sooner? If you've been with Yoongi this whole time, why wouldn't you have told him before he left. We could have saved a lot of trouble if we'd just formed our pack then."