Underwater: Brave - Taekook

1 - The Mark

Of Monsters and Men ~ Wolves Without Teeth

*

It was early summer morning. Birds either had yet to awake or they were just warming up for the day's singing. It was quiet and tranquil in the village. Just three residents of a particular hut were awake, earlier than the sun itself.

One of them was Jungkook. Like the other two, he was a werewolf, an alpha. He had a pack and many friends whom he cherished. He wanted to stay in the village with them, yet... He couldn't.

"Do you really have to do this?" Yugyeom asked for the hundredth time since hearing Jungkook's plan. The man in question was currently packing for the journey.

"Yes, I already told you I won't be in peace otherwise. I have to find him."

"The elders won't appreciate it if you leave our territory like this."

"Then come with", Jungkook looked up to Yugyeom who looked back helplessly. He was conflicted.

"I can't really leave my family... I may be the youngest but I'm also the strongest. I should stay and protect them..."

It was yesterday, just one day after Jungkook had marked Taehyung when they heard from the vampires. They were warning the werewolf pack of an oncoming war between the species. The elders weren't even told why the vampires were declaring a war. It supposedly had something to do with their crown prince who was pretty much the king already.

There was no way Jungkook could fight on the opposite side of his mate. Well, truth to be told, they weren't exactly mates and Taehyung had never even consented to be marked but still. Right now when the bond was still in place, he was like a mate to the young alpha. Jungkook liked to use the strange bonding mechanics as an excuse to care about the older. That's how he could avoid the most profound question.

"What if I go in your place?" Bambam suggested to Yugyeom. He knew how much the younger wanted to go with Jungkook and how dangerous it would be to wander alone in times like this when a war was nearing.

"Just decide quickly, you did say I only have a minimum of five days left to find Tae before the mark fades", Jungkook said. He was trying his best to not sound distressed.

"Bambam..." Yugyeom was thinking hard, you could almost hear his thoughts.

"It's fine. I don't want him to go alone either. I only have my dad and he will be fine even if I didn't come back."

Jungkook looked at Yugyeom knowingly. "You have me" was probably what he wanted to say but wouldn't. He hadn't really talked about it with Yugyeom yet but someday he would. He would encourage his friend to sort out his feelings towards Bambam. Seeing that his friend didn't know what to say, Jungkook chose to intervene.

"In the same way that Bambam will protect me, I will also protect him. We'll both come back, I promise", he said and smiled as Yugyeom pulled him into a hug.

"I'm gonna hold you to that one."

"Good. Bam?"

"I know, I know. I promise too", Bambam joined the hug with a smile.

"I don't want you to promise. You never keep your promises", Yugyeom pouted and Bambam's eyes widened.

The comment was a bit ominous but Jungkook laughed it off nonetheless. He was going to make sure that Bambam would keep his promise this time. Jungkook would bring him back so that he and Yugyeom can finally, finally make some progress.

***

The sun was still rising as two wolves were running north-west. One had black fur and another dark brown. The brown wolf, Bambam, was little bigger in size but their strength was about the same. Since Jungkook wasn't a werewolf by birth, he didn't have as great sense of smell as the other. But that wasn't really needed in finding Taehyung. What they needed was the temporary bond, the incomplete mating mark. One should still keep in mind that the mark was done by a strong alpha during his rut. It wouldn't fade away as fast as normal biting marks. Still, they had to hurry.

Taehyung was a human and the mark shouldn't affect him at all. But how it did affect the wolf! He was in some kind of pain constantly ever since he woke up after the marking. Sometimes he barely felt it, other times it consumed him so that there was nothing else left. There was something wrong in the other end of the bond, something wrong with Taehyung. It made Jungkook restless beyond belief.

And then there was the war. After decades of frail peace, the vampires announced they were preparing for a war. Earlier Jungkook had said he didn't want to return to his world but he wasn't so sure anymore. The idea of escaping the battle by leaving this world sounded extremely tempting. But he wasn't leaving without Taehyung.

Taehyung.

He was all Jungkook could think of, really. Everything, every thin string of thought eventually led him back to the boy who had helped him despite them not even really being friends. What were they? Jungkook preferred not to think about such confusing things.

But those confusing things were spreading inside his head like poisonous smoke, corrupting his lungs until he fell apart. They would not let him go for the whole day and he knew they'd make their way in his dreams at night, tear down the wall between his conscious and the subliminal.

Back when he felt pain in his chest for the first time, he even feared that Taehyung might be dying. But the bond was still there, assuring him that the boy was still alive. He was suffering, but alive, breathing. Jungkook didn't want the bond to break without him finding Taehyung first. He wouldn't know if the mark had just faded or if something irreversible had happened. Or maybe he would know the difference but was just too scared to think about the possibility.

***

A/N: Let's get it! I'm excited! ^^