Echoes Of The Moon 🔞ll Jikook ll

Chapter 1: Wolf's Realm

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Chirp. Chirp.

The sound of birds echoed faintly as Jimin's eyelids fluttered open. He blinked once, then twice, staring blankly at the snowy ground beneath him. His body felt heavy, chilled by the cool air, but something far more unsettling tugged at his thoughts.

Wasn't there... a wolf?

His mind fumbled over the memory-massive, dark fur, eyes glowing like embers. A wolf the size of a car. He sat up, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Snow covered everything-trees, the ground, the riverbank in the distance. The landscape looked very, very ancient, as if he had stepped into a forgotten world untouched by time. The cold bit at his skin, but it wasn't the chill that made his heart race.

Where am I?

He looked around, confusion swirling in his chest. The place felt dreamlike, but in the way where nothing quite made sense. Like a fairytale he vaguely remembered from childhood.

Then, there was a movement. He caught sight of someone-a figure approaching through the mist. The man was tall, walking confidently, water dripping from his hands. His dark hair shone slightly as he came closer. But Jimin's gaze wandered to something else.

What... what is he wearing?

For a second, Jimin couldn't help it-he laughed. Out loud. Does he think he's a king? He stifled his chuckles, shaking his head. People really go all out these days with fashion trends. First a wolf, now a prince. Seriously?

The man-no, scratch that-the handsome man, with his overly regal clothes, stopped in his tracks, visibly confused by Jimin's outburst. But Jimin didn't care. He yawned, ignoring the cold, closing his eyes again.

"Definitely dreaming," he muttered, curling up tighter on the snowy ground. From wolves to princely guys? Yeah, no way any of this is real.

The cold crept in, biting at his skin again, but Jimin ignored it. In his dream logic, it made perfect sense to just sleep through it.

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Hours had passed since they crossed through the portal, and Jungkook was getting increasingly frustrated. His mate-this strange, unconscious human-hadn't stirred even once. The snow was light, the first of the season, but it was still bitterly cold. Yet Jimin just lay there, face slack in peaceful oblivion, as if the freezing temperature was nothing.

Jungkook's wolf growled in his mind, pacing restlessly. * Take him to the castle before he freezes. Do something!*

Jungkook let out a low huff, the mist from his breath visible against the frosty air. "Yeah, because dragging an unconscious human into a den of wolves is exactly how I want to introduce him," he muttered under his breath, sarcasm thick in his voice. His wolf's impatience wasn't helping. "He needs to wake up first", Jungkook thought.

Shaking his head, Jungkook casts another glance at the limp figure lying in the snow, his scowl intensifying.

Doesn't he feel the cold?

Even he, who held wolf in his veins, felt the creeping chill up his spine. He yanked the collar of his regal coat and shook his head in disbelief. This guy hadn't even shivered.

"Unbelievable," Jungkook muttered, rising to his feet. The human clearly wasn't waking up anytime soon, so he needed to improvise. Without much thought, he strode toward the river nearby. His plan was simple: splash him with some freezing water. That would surely do the trick.

As he crouched by the riverbank, the freezing water rushed over his hands, sending a shock of cold up his arms. He splashed his face for good measure, the cold waking him fully, even though his wolf senses were always sharp. Alright, let's get this over with, he thought.

Carrying a handful of dripping water, he made his way back to where Jimin lay. But as he approached, he stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing in confusion. Jimin was no longer sprawled out like a dead weight. His eyes were open.

Finally.

Jungkook quickened his pace, hoping that now the real conversation could start. But then-Jimin laughed. Not just a chuckle, but a full-on, out-loud laugh that echoed through the snow-draped woods.

Jungkook blinked, taken aback.

What's so funny?

His confusion deepened when Jimin's gaze landed on him and the laugh only grew louder. "Does he... think I'm a joke?" Jungkook muttered under his breath, his wolf growling low in response, clearly not amused.

Then Jimin shook his head, muttering something Jungkook couldn't quite catch, but he definitely heard prince and trends. And just like that, as if none of this was serious, Jimin yawned and curled up on the cold ground, mumbling something about dreams.

Jungkook froze, water falling from his fingers, his brow furrowing deeper by the second. His jaw clenched as he gazed down at his mate, who had just woken up, laughed at him, and then like nothing happened, gone back to sleep.

*You've got to be kidding me.*

Jungkook's wolf growled again, urging him to take control, but he remained still for a moment, blinking at the absurdity of it all. He was Jungkook, Alpha of the most powerful pack, on the verge of becoming Alpha King, and here he was, being laughed at by a human who thought this was all some kind of dream.

*Wake him up again,* his wolf demanded, impatient now.

Jungkook let out a long sigh, letting the frustration roll off his shoulders. "Fine. Let's see if a little more water changes his mind."

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🧐 You...you tell me? How was it?