The Scent of Miracles [ Jikook ]

Chapter 20

Despite having mentally prepared themselves for several days, their walk to the other pack was still a nerve wrecking affair.
Yoongi and Joon took the lead, both discussing how they should handle the situation whileTaehyung, who followed closely behind them, was unusually quiet and seemingly lost in his thoughts.
Finally, with some distance between them, Jungkook and Jimin formed the end of their group. The injured Alpha used a thick, long stick for stability but Jimin still wouldn't dare leave his side, not while they walked on such unstable terrain. The wet earth beneath their feet constantly seemed to slip and give way to a dangerous slide.

A trail of smoke was the first sign of life that appeared on the horizon, followed by endless grain fields and finally wooden village walls. All in all, the scene could only be described as serene but Jimin's stomach still clenched uncomfortably as they got closer.
It was familiar, that view. It was the same when he returned to his own pack only to find his life had been burnt to ashes.

Noticing how pale Jimin had become, Jungkook laced their fingers and squeezed his hand harder. His tone was a soft mix of his own and his Alpha voice when he mumbled, "Don't worry. It's just a campfire."

Jimin flinched, embarrassed to be read so easily, but then swallowed hard and nodded slowly.
"Yes… I hope so."

"I know so. I can smell the food they're roasting."

True. Distracted by the rising panic, Jimin hadn't noticed the delicious smells that filled the air but now that he did, he was finally able to breathe. His clenched muscles relaxed.
The rest of the way was a breeze, mostly thanks to the man-made paths that made walking so much easier, even for the handicapped wolf who released a very audible sigh of relief. When Jimin supportively bumped against his side to praise him for doing so well, everyone around them chuckled as their youngest shyly ducked his head, clearly very happy to get a compliment from the Omega he adored so much.

As soon as they came to a halt in front of the huge wooden gates, the entrance magically opened and two friendly looking guards waved them inside where the whole pack seemed to instantly stop whatever they're doing in favor of staring curiously at what's going on.
Even though he knew the brown wolves were supposed to be a rather docile bunch, Jimin still couldn't help but be surprised at the lack of hostility they were greeted with, especially after seeing how Hoseok reacted in the past.
Sure, some of the older ones looked a bit irritated upon seeing their black counterparts, but even those glares soon changed into shocked surprise when seeing Tae and smelling his scent.

They were quickly ushered towards the center of the village and into a huge house where a very old man with white hair and a long beard sat on a wooden stool with a bunch of pups playing around him. Hoseok was just about to chase the kids around a table when Jin grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

"Those are the strangers we found in the woods, Leader-nim" The healer explained.
The old Alpha lifted a huge stone cup, a bright smile on his face when he yelled, "How wonderful! Let's celebrate the excitement of meeting new people!"

"But sir!" Hoseok cut in. "Don't you want to make sure they don't plan to hurt us?!"
The old man paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Oh… Do you plan to attack us?"
"No." Yoongi replied and again, the old man's face lit up like a light.
"Wonderful! Let's celebrate their good intentions!"

Hoseok and Jin shared a glance, then they sighed and shook their heads before positioning themselves on both sides of their leader and pointing at Tae.
"Sir." Hoseok tried once again. "Do you remember the Kim family? We lost them during the riots but, apparently, their child survived. It's Kim Taehyung."

"The Kims…." their leader repeated slowly, eyes moving from left to right as if he mentally returned to the old days but struggled to do so with the horrible pain that was connected to it. But then, suddenly, all eye movements stopped. His expression filled with anguish.
"Oh…but of course. I remember your parents well, child. I worried a lot about them when they were young since they kept distracting each other and they would always run around with their heads in the clouds, thinking of nothing but each other. I even warned them that I wouldn't allow them to mate if they didn't focus on their tasks."
He chuckled.
"But then again, what can you do when two children are so infatuated with each other? It was impossible to keep them apart. And well, we always get the most attached to the biggest troublemakers. Losing them was a huge loss. I'm sorry you had to grow up like this, pup. It must've been rough."