Run

26. Finding Shelter

3rd person's pov

The group moved through the woods, hoping to reach somewhere to take shelter as the weather was becoming too dangerous. Namjoon worried about Jae's current state, her body might not be able to tolerate the amount of cold even if they wrapped her up in so many layers. Hoseok was currently carrying Jae on his back, she had buried her face in the scarf that Jin had wrapped around her neck and hid in it as the wind blew. She clung to Hoseok tightly, hoping that nothing would happen while they were on the move. She worried about the fact that her father's men were still out looking for her, hopefully, they could reach Suho's place without much trouble. From what she understood, this trip would take at least a week to get there since they didn't necessarily have a vehicle to use. Hoseok kept a firm grip on Seo-jae, not bothered by her weight or the cold. He knew that everyone else was not in the best mood, they had to uproot themselves from their home because of the men roaming the area looking for Seo-jae. They needed a safe place for her, where she wasn't constantly in danger because of her father's men. Knowing that nobody was in a good mood, he decided to stay optimistic about their journey even in such dangerous weather conditions. Everyone in the mate bond could feel Hoseok's optimism, which Namjoon and Jin greatly appreciated. Jin could feel his worries slightly melt away with the warm feeling that Hoseok's optimism was resonating in their bond, he felt grateful towards his mate and let him know that with a simple smile and nod. Hoseok smiled at him back, knowing that he was able to cheer at least one person up because of his happy attitude. Taehyung and Yoongi kept their ears and eyes alert for any signs of the men or any other hybrids that could be following them, there was no telling what was waiting for them. Jungkook worried that Hyunjin was also starting to get tired, after all, they had been walking for more than six hours now. Before long it would get dark, so they needed to find shelter and fast. 

The only person in the group who remotely even knew the surroundings this far away from the cabin was Hyunjin, he had been in these forests for a while so he learned the area he had been trapped in. Hyunjin had also kept his wits about him, he was worried that those men might come looking for him. He looked at Seo-Jae, who had somehow fallen asleep during all this bad weather. He worried that she wouldn't make it long, especially since she was still sick and running a slight fever. He looked at Namjoon, knowing that he didn't trust him but he felt grateful to Namjoon for allowing him to travel with them. Jimin sighed, sucking his teeth as he smelled a hybrid nearby. He wasn't the only one who had sniffed out the wild hybrid, Taehyung and Yoongi had also sniffed it out but there seemed to be more than one. Taehyung let out a deep growl, giving a warning to the wild hybrid watching them. Namjoon sensing the tense atmosphere, decided they needed to find shelter for the night. Since they were far from any cabins or establishments, he needed to find somewhere like a cave of some kind. They wouldn't be able to make a shelter with the weather so bad, they wouldn't be able to use any of the wood from the trees as they were soaked from the falling snow. "Jin hyung, do you have the map?" He asked, "Yeah," Jin dug in his jacket pocket, pulled out the folded map, and opened it up. He knew that they needed to find shelter, so he looked at the map and looked up at Namjoon. 

"We can't sleep out in the open with this weather, it's too dangerous and Jae can't stay out in the cold like this." Namjoon said loudly, he needed everyone to hear him over the wind.

"Where are we going to go? There are no hotels, inns, or cabins around here." Jimin asked, looking at Namjoon and Jin. 

"Can I take a look at the map?" Hyunjin asked, Jin and Namjoon shared a look and then looked at Hyunjin. 

Jin handed him the map with no hesitancy but was curious about what Hyunjin wanted to look at, Hyunjin gave him a small thanks as he took the map. When he looked at it, he pinpointed where they were standing and then followed a path on the map. Jungkook looked over Hyunjin's shoulder, his eyes landing on the spot where Hyunjin's finger had landed. Jimin looked at Hyunjin, smiling softly as he knew that Hyunjin was trying his best to help them. 

"There's a cave not too far from here. It's about a five-minute walk from here going North, we can set up camp in that cave for the night. The snowstorm should calm down by the early morning tomorrow." Hyunjin said, pointing in the direction where to go. 

Namjoon looked at Jungkook, who had been looking down at the map and scanning the surrounding area. Jungkook looked up at Namjoon, giving him a nod that told him to trust Hyunjin. "I know you're still skeptical of me being around... You don't know me as well as Jimin hyung and Jungkook do but I promise you, I will not harm or betray any of you. Nor will I harm Seo-Jae. After all, she saved my life when she didn't need to." Hyunjin spoke, Yoongi looked at Hyunjin for a brief moment and then at Seo-jae who had fallen asleep despite the cold weather. "Thanks, Hyunjin." Jin said, "It may take a while for me to completely trust and rely on you but for now, I know that when you say you won't harm Seo-jae, I know you're telling the truth. Lead the way." Namjoon spoke up, "I get it. Thank you, hyung." With that, Hyunjin started leading the group away from their current spot, toward the cave where they could sleep for the night. The one thing they didn't need to worry about was food, they had packed so many supplies that Yoongi, Jungkook, and Taehyung were all carrying something.