Late bloomer

The hunt

The third week into their journey, warlord Jeon ordered a hunting expedition to gather more food. They were running out of dried meat. When Jimin was dressing himself in the morning, Jungkook barged into his shed without indicating his presence prior to entering, as usual. He was disappointed to see that Jimin was fully dressed.

“I just missed the show, didn’t I?” He commented with disappointment. “Anyways, you are going on a hunting expedition, omega. So get ready.”

“I have never been hunting before; I told you before that I can’t turn myself into a wolf yet since I’m a late bloomer.”

“But you said you have been to the jungle before, right?”. Alpha questioned, and Jimin nodded, reluctantly.

“Perfect, you can gather some berries while we hunt; don’t worry, there will be other omegas to keep you company.” Then he turned to the maids. “Dress him for hunting,” he ordered the maids and left.

Jimin had to put on a pair of high boots up to his knees, fastened with hooks and eyelets, keeping his legs safe from burrs and twigs. They also made him wear a cloak with a hood over his tunic. Extra clothes felt a bit heavy, but he didn’t feel cold, and they also protected him from insect bites.

Maids took him to a small gathering of Alders; there were about fifteen alphas. They all looked strong and well-built, with a great physique. Most of them, including Jungkook, were not covering their upper bodies. They only had some shabby trousers on. It was useless for them to dress since they were going to shift into their wolf forms soon. Jimin recognized the man from the night of the feast, whom Jungkook addressed as Yoongi. Yoongi bowed at Jimin, and Jimin returned the gesture. There were two omegas hanging around Jungkook like flies; one had two baskets in her hands. Probably for collecting berries.

“Here comes the master of our hunt.” Jungkook was delighted by Jimin’s presence. He looked excited and happy to see him. His doe eyes twinkled at Jimin.

“The master of the hunt can’t even turn into a wolf,” one omega with red hair said mockingly. Jimin sighed. He knew this would happen. Jungkook’s omegas clearly despised Jimin. They envied the special treatments Jimin received, and most of all, they could sense the attraction Jungkook had for Jimin even when Jimin was boldly refusing his every advance. As a result, Jimin had to bear with the insults of Jungkook’s harlots. There were many instances where they passed hints at Jimin.



“Watch your mouth unless you want to be sold alone with the rest of your family, Omega." Jungkook said, glaring at the omega. She went silent immediately. Then he looked at Jimin.

“Shall we then?” he offered his hand to Jimin.

“I can manage on my own.” Jimin ignored him and walked ahead. He could hear the omegas scoffing in disbelief.
Jungkook didn’t bother him after that. They walked by foot for about an hour into the forest. On his way, Yoongi approached Jimin and greeted him.

“How are you holding up, kid?” he asked kindly.

“I really don’t know; no one talks to me or approaches me; even my maids ignore me, so I’m pretty lonely, but they do tend to my every need,” Jimin answered.

“Why don’t you try and talk with him?" He was gesturing at Jungkook. “I’m sure he is eager to do so.”

“I’m sure he is, but I’m not. I'd rather be alone than spend time with him and his  whor....” Jimin stopped himself from saying the word.
Yoongi smiled. “I know how you feel about him, kid, but I can tell you one thing: he has never been like this towards any other omega. Most of the time, it’s them who approach him and seduce him. So he plays with them. Just the instincts.”

“Maybe he just finds it amusing since I don’t crave his attention like the rest.” Jimin said

“Maybe.” Yoongi said thoughtfully. “Or maybe he truly feels some special connection with you. Since your omega is still suppressed inside, you can’t feel it yet.”

“I hardly believe it will make any difference.” Jimin said dismissively, “I don’t know how you feel about this, but this isn’t a mating that is to be done based on love or understanding. He took me as a hostage to mate against my will. So, I don’t think my feelings will change towards him, even after I present ”

“Only time will tell, Omega. I hope it will be soon, considering how impatient and restless he is getting by the day.” Yoongi said. “Don’t be too hostile towards him, kid. I’m telling this for your own sake. Jungkook used to be such a different person, but now he gets really unpredictable at times.”

“Okay, we are ready to shift and move now, unless you want to stay here and keep him company, Yoongi!” Jungkook’s irritated voice interrupted their conversation.

Alpha stood ahead of their retinue, watching them, his hands crossed over his chest. He poked his cheek with his tongue with a visible scowl. They had come to a certain area in the forest. Yoongi bid farewell to Jimin and went on to approach a frowning Jungkook. He patted his shoulder and said something while smiling. Jungkook ignored him and disappeared into the trees.

Except for Jimin and one omega, the rest shifted into wolves behind trees and disappeared into the jungle. Jimin couldn’t figure out which one was Jungkook. Some of them were huge, and some were average.

The omega who remained with him was tall. He had dark hair and dark skin, like Jungkook. So, Jimin guessed he was one of the Alders. He was gorgeous, but his features looked closer to an alpha than an omega. He turned to Jimin and threw one of the baskets he was holding at Jimin.

“Make yourself useful and pick some berries, pup.” Omega said  mockingly.

Jimin dismissed the omega’s hostility and picked up the basket silently. “Why didn’t you join them?” he asked.

“Because Jungkook ordered me to stand guard and protect you while they hunt, I don’t even know why he wanted you here; you are of no use to a hunting expedition.”

“I’m sorry that you couldn’t join them because of me. Just to be clear, I didn’t want to be here either,” Jimin said.

“Of course you didn’t, but he wants to take you everywhere he goes. What witchcraft did you use to seduce him? You and your whole clan are just a bunch of white-haired witches and wizards. I knew it from the beginning.” Omega accused.

“What!!!!” Jimin lifted his eyebrows, surprised by what the omega thought of him.

“It’s a joke to be an unpresented omega at your age. And it’s totally unlike Jungkook that he picked a late bloomer to marry and mate so randomly. You are of no use to him; you can’t please him; you can’t mate with him, so why? He kept going.

“I often wonder about that myself.” Jimin said it genuinely. “Also, what makes you think I want to be of any use to him or please him?”

Omega scoffed, muttering something under his breath.

Jimin continued. “Please hear me out; I have no interest in Jungkook. I am here as a hostage, not a mate. I came here only because I wanted to save my clan from the dreadful fate of those slaves back there in chains. So please don’t envy me.”
“But he is so eager to mate you; he gets so excited and happy when you are around, even when you keep disregarding him.”

“Maybe, but I’m not eager to do anything with him—anything at all.” Jimin answered genuinely. “You know what? If you can get him to mate with you, do it. I wouldn’t mind. We are not mated yet.” Jimin continued knowing his secret of staying a late bloomer. “What I don’t understand is how you bring yourself to like him when he openly goes whoring around with so many others.”

“I have never been with him like one of them,” Omega answered. “Even if he strays, I don’t really mind as long as he mates with me. I could have gotten him to mate with me unless you showed up and ruined everything. We were close with each other ever since we were just pups. I was always there for him.” Omega said it aggressively. Jimin could sense the pain in his voice. He felt sympathetic towards the omega.

“I didn’t ruin anything for you, Omega; if it wasn’t me, then he would have mated my brother. It was a war fair and a business deal. I was exchanged like an object for the freedom of my clan.” Jimin answered, irritated.

“I love him. I always did.” omega said in a slow voice, “Why can’t he just choose me? He was not like this before; you know, before all these raids started, he was a very different person.”

Jimin sighed, not knowing how to answer that question. If Jungkook never slept with this omega, then he must be important to him in a different way, but Jimin doubted if the alpha felt the same way the omega felt towards him. It sounded like one-sided love.

“I’m pretty sure you are very important to him in some special way.” Jimin said, “But the question here is, does he love you? Does he want to mate you? Because you and I both know what matters is: what he wants, what he likes, or what he loves. What we want or how we feel will never be important to him. I never wanted any of this. If I had a choice, I would never be here,” Jimin answered. His heart felt heavy because he was reminded of his family and friends at home. If he had a choice, he would be there with his family.

“I will be fine on my own; I’m quite used to forest expeditions back at my clan. So, you can go join the rest. Just tell Jungkook I didn’t listen to you”

He abandoned the omega and walked ahead without waiting for an answer. Jimin felt sorry for the omega, who was clearly having feelings for Jungkook.
Jimin’s target was to find some wild strawberries. He knew that they grew in open woodlands. So he kept walking until he entered an open area in the jungle. Omega felt delighted when he saw the small bushes filled with strawberries. He wasn’t completely useless after all.

Jimin looked back to check if the other omega had followed him, but there was no sign of him. So he sat in the middle of the strawberry patch and started plucking. He stuffed them in his mouth continuously while filling the basket as well. He loved strawberry pies, but here he didn’t know if he’d get a chance to make them. The delicious taste of strawberries took him to his past, where Jin, Taehyung, and he were just kids. Silver Moons had a special festival during this season. They made different jams, pies, toffees, drinks, and cakes using strawberries and shared them with each other. Jimin and his siblings would wait eagerly as their mother made her special strawberry pies.

Jimin felt dizzy. He had a sugar rush as he had way too many of them. It was still noon since the sun was right above his head. Omega laid down among the bushes and stared at the blue sky. He felt happy that he came with the hunters. It was still way too early to head back. He could easily find his way to the camp if he wanted. Jimin always loved nature, all the plants and animals. He often wandered in the jungle by himself, gathering herbs and berries back in his clan’s territory.
Since it was too early to head back, Jimin decided to rest for a while. It felt good to be by himself rather than among a hostile and naive bunch who thought of him as a witch. Jimin recalled how everyone in the Alders clan tried to avoid him. Even his maids didn’t want to be friendly with him. Now he realized why. To them, he was a witch who seduced their next head Alpha.

“I’m a witch.” He chuckled at the thought, closing his eyes. “I wish I were.” He mumbled to himself.

Jimin didn’t know how long it had been when he suddenly felt a presence above him, panting heavily. Something cold and sticky dropped on his cheek. He opened his eyes to see a ferocious black wolf hovering over him. The wolf snarled, its saliva dripping from either side of its mouth. Jimin’s hand went to his cheek instinctively; the wetness he felt earlier was the saliva of the wolf. Jimin’s breath got stuck in his throat. He went paralyzed with fear and disgust. The wolf stared at him with demonic red eyes. It was definitely a feral wolf. Jimin looked around, trying to find something to defend himself, and he noticed the strawberry basket. He got hold of it quickly and hit the wolf in the head.

The unexpected strike distracted the wolf enough for Jimin to get on his feet and run like a wild horse into the trees. He could hear the wolf growling behind him, getting closer and closer. Then suddenly, it stopped. Jimin stood still and listened carefully to every sound, but it was only the sound of fluttering leaves in the wind. He bent down and picked up a twig to defend himself. Omega kept turning round and round, holding the twig over his chest, trying to keep his eyes on every direction. Then he heard the wolf growling from behind a tree. He immediately turned to that side, but then he heard it from another direction. Jimin knew what was happening. Feral wolves always played with their prey before killing. It was more like a sport to them. Right now, the wolf was playing with Jimin, hiding in the shadows.

In the next instant, the wolf jumped towards him. Its fur was as dark as the night. It bared its canines, growling. The wolf was gigantic, standing almost as tall as Jimin on all fours. It started lingering towards the omega, slowly.

“Don’t show fear; don’t show fear,” he mumbled to himself, walking backwards.

Jimin tripped on a stem and stumbled, hitting his head on the floor. He gasped in pain. Then he turned to his stomach and tried to crawl away, but the wolf pulled him back from his leg. Jimin still had the twig in his hand, so he struck at its head with the twig as hard as possible; it was his last attempt to escape. The twig broke in half, but the wolf didn’t budge. It snarled maniacally and snapped right by his face. Jimin closed his eyes, giving up. It was the end. There was no way he could fight this beast.

“Why didn’t you cry for help?” Jimin opened his eyes to Jungkook’s voice. The wolf was gone, and instead, Jungkook was sitting there, looking at Jimin with amusement.

“Was that just you?” Jimin questioned; he couldn’t believe that it was Jungkook because he didn’t notice the black wolf among the others when they shifted in the morning before going on hunting.

“Yeah, it was me. Now answer my question, Why didn’t you cry for help,  Omega? “He questioned Jimin again.
Jimin felt a wave of anger rush through his blood. He stood up, arms clenched into a fist.

“You psychotic bustard! Why would you play such a horrible prank on me? What the hell is wrong with you? He yelled at the alpha, throwing his hand in the air. The outburst of anger made his eyes teary.

“It was just a joke; I would have stopped earlier if you had cried for help, but you just ran, so I just had to chase you and see how brave you are,” Alpha answered nonchalantly. He didn’t appear regretful at all. Jimin fumed with fury and started walking away. Alpha followed him silently.

“The hunt was a real success, by the way. You are really a good luck charm, Pearl! Alpha said.

“We finished early, then Liam told me you went into the jungle by yourself without listening to him. I looked for you everywhere. Others already went to the camp.” He continued.

They reached the strawberry patch where Jimin left his basket; it had flipped over, and strawberries were scattered everywhere. He felt even more furious at the site; he picked up the basket and threw it at the alpha, hitting his head.

“Ouch! Why would you be so furious over a prank? You hit me with that and a twig earlier too,” he complained, pouting. Jimin looked at him with disappointment. Does this idiot of an alpha not understand how terrible his prank was?

“ Oh! I apologise for trying to save myself from a mad wolf!”

“Stop being so dramatic over a joke. Did I get mad at you for wandering into the jungle by yourself?

“Didn’t he tell you anything else?” Jimin asked

“No, why? What happened? Did he do anything to you?”

“No, he just accused me of being a witch and seducing their precious Alpha.” Jimin said mockingly, looking at Jungkook.

“Well, witch or not, you seduced me. So, he wasn’t completely wrong,” Alpha said mischievously. Jimin glared at him, even more irritated.

“There it is!” Jungkook said. “the glare of seduction!” Alpha flashed a smile.

Jimin scoffed. He kept walking, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Fine, I’m sorry. I’ll take you to the strawberry patch again before we leave this site,” Jungkook tried.

“No thanks; I have lost my appetite for strawberries.” Jimin answered.

“You should have just cried for help,” he said again.

“Yeah, then who would have come to help me? Certainly not you, since you’re the one attacking me.” Jimin said it sarcastically.

“Well, Yoongi may have.” Jimin stopped in his tracks and looked at the alpha. He remembered the little encounter in the morning. Is this psycho jealous or something? Why would he be? He is the one flaunting a bunch of omegas all the time. Besides, Jimin only had a friendly chat with Yoongi. He was the only person to treat him with some respect so far. Jimin didn’t know what to say, so he stayed silent.
“What did he tell you?” He asked.

“Nothing,” Jimin replied shortly, and he started walking again.

“Well, it can’t be nothing.” Jungkook said. “Why can’t you talk with me like that?” he questioned.

“Well, for starters, you always have enough company around you.” Jimin answered.

“I prefer your company over theirs, ”Jungkook said .

“I don’t.” Jimin said. It was harsh, but he didn’t care. Alpha didn’t say anything afterwards. They kept walking silently. It was getting darker. Jimin felt exhausted from all the trauma. His legs felt like they would give up any minute now. He was sweating and breathing heavily. But he kept walking at a steady pace.

“It’s getting darker; I’m going to shift; get on my back; we have a long way to go.” Jungkook said with a flicker of irritation in his voice.

“No thanks; I can walk,” Jimin answered shortly.

“It wasn’t a request, omega; get on my back once I shift; you are too exhausted to walk.” Alpha ordered.
The next minute, the giant black wolf pressed its head against Jimin’s side, signalling him to get on its back. Jimin ignored it and walked ahead. The wolf pulled Jimin from his hood; he fell to the ground, and then the wolf started dragging him. Jimin didn’t give up; he lifted his hands and grabbed onto its snout, scratching the nose. Wolf howled and sneezed, releasing his hood from its grip. They both glared at each other for a minute, engaging in a silent battle. Then the wolf turned to the side and knelt down, signalling Jimin to get on its back again.

This time, Jimin obeyed the wolf. He truly was exhausted. So he got on it’s back. He made sure to pull its fur as hard as possible in the process, intentionally. Wolf snarled. Jimin grinned, satisfied, then grabbed onto its neck, holding tightly. When Jimin was steady, Wolf started walking slowly. Jimin liked the way its fur felt against his hands. They were silky smooth and as dark as the night. Jimin controlled his urge to stoke them. It was strange. Not before long, Jimin feared the wolf; then he wanted to pull its fur and hurt the alpha just a minute ago, and now he wanted to stroke its fur. Desire, fear, disgust—those feelings seemed to go hand in hand.