Jimin POV:
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I ran a hand down Taehyung's hair, trying to soothe the pain that was so evident in his face. "It's okay babe. It's going to be okay. I'm going to figure this out. Get some sleep." I kissed his forehead gently and he gave me a soft smile. As he closed his eyes, I couldn't stop the shiver that passed through my body. The nights were getting colder and I knew we were going to get hit with winter soon. Worried, I wondered how we would make it through another cold year. For now, we were relatively safe and as I looked around the alley we were currently hiding in, I hoped that no one would bother us here
As Taehyung dozed off in my arms, I tried to think of what to do. My mate and I had been living on the streets for the last two years. I had run away from my previous owners, needing to get away from the horrible humans when I had been attacked by a group of leopard hybrids. I was no match for the stronger hybrids, but was saved when a tall golden eagle hybrid came in like an avenging angel. As soon as he was close to me, the scent of strawberry shortcake filled my nose and I knew that this handsome hybrid was my mate. We had been together ever since, living on the streets and doing whatever we could to survive.
The time with Taehyung hadn't been too bad, but two days ago he was in a shop purchasing food for us with money he got from selling a painting. As he was leaving the shop he was attacked by a group of humans. They had stabbed him in the leg with a piece of metal fencing and damaged one of his golden wings, ripping out the feathers until they fell around his feet like a puddle of glittering water. Now my mate was injured and there was nothing I could do about it. I leaned down kissing his forehead again, worrying when the temperature was much higher than normal. As hybrids, our temperatures normally ran high, but his was much higher than it should be and it scared the shit out of me.
Leaning my head against the brick building, I closed my eyes, trying not to let my frustration show. With my mate injured, I needed to be calm, needed to keep a clear head about me. The sound of footsteps had my eyes popping open and I eyed the hybrid that was standing in front of me. He had spotted ears and a long spotted tail, so I could tell he was some kind of cat. He stopped a few feet away and I could see he was trying to decide if he should approach me or not.
"Please. Please don't hurt us. My... my mate is already injured. Please don't hurt him." I couldn't stop the tears that filled my eyes or the pleas that burst from my lips. "Please don't hurt him."
The man took a step towards me and kneeled down in front of Taehyung. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a doctor. I can help your mate. Is... is it okay if I take a look at him?"
I hesitated but I knew Taehyung needed medical care. "Please be careful. He's all I have and he is everything to me."
The doctor nodded. "My car is parked at the end of the alley. I'm going to go and get a couple of things and I will be right back." At my slight nod, he stood and hurried to a black car I could see a short distance away. Within moments, the doctor was back with a small black bag and a blanket. He kneeled next to Taehyung again and laid the back of his hand against Taehyung's forehead. "He has a slight fever. Do you know where he was injured?"
"Yes. He was... he was stabbed in the leg a couple of days ago and they... damaged his wing." I gestured towards Taehyung's right leg at the bloodstain on his blue jeans then pointed towards the bare patch on his wing, the spot that was red from irritation.
Grabbing a pair of scissors from his bag, the doctor cut the leg of Taehyung's pants and I gasped at the sight. I hadn't seen the wound after I tried to take care of it the first time and I could tell right away it was badly infected. The doctor pulled a bottle of clear liquid from the bag and poured it over Taehyung's leg, the wound bubbling and fizzing at the contact. Taehyung didn't flinch and I realized he must have passed out from the pain. It made me understand that it was much worse than I originally thought.
As I watched, the doctor cleaned the wound then smeared a cream over it, something he explained would help fight the infection. After wrapping up Taehyung's leg, the doctor gave him an injection of something in his arm, an antibiotic that would also help. He wiped the wounds on his wings then rubbed something else over it, explaining that it would help with the pain and stimulate his feathers to regrow.
"Listen to me. I'm going to be very frank with you. Your mate's condition is not good. I've given him some antibiotics to help with the infection, but he needs to be monitored and you both need some good meals and a shower. My name is Sehun. I am a doctor at Cherry Blossom Sanctuary. I want you and your mate to come with me. We can take care of the both of you then when he is healed, we can help you find a place to live and a job." Sehun's eyes were serious as he spoke and I could immediately see he was telling the truth.
"Do we have to stay? Can you just heal him and then we can leave? You won't make us stay there?" I wasn't willing to trust this doctor so easily, but my mate was my priority and I knew I needed to get him taken care of.
Sehun nodded. "Of course. You can stay as long as you want or leave as soon as you want. It's all up to you."
"Okay. We'll go with you." Although it sounded too good to be true, I made the decision to trust this kind doctor.
Standing up, Sehun wrapped Taehyung in the blanket and lifted him easily from my arms. I was surprised at the doctor's strength but grateful at the same time. I held Taehyung's hand as he carried him down the alley and when I opened the back door of his car, he gently slid Taehyung inside. I climbed in next to him, thankful to be out of the cold. If nothing else, I could get Taehyung and me a good meal and a place to sleep for the night. If it were as terrible as I assumed it would be then we would leave first thing in the morning.
The warm temperature in the car, along with the soft music playing on the radio was enough to relax me and I dozed off, trusting the man in the front seat to take care of us.
In what seemed like only moments, we pulled to a stop in front of a large pretty building with a large sign that read Cherry Blossom Sanctuary. At least Sehun was telling the truth about where he was from. He stopped in front of the emergency entrance and asked me to wait a moment. He returned quickly with two other men, both hybrids. One with long ears, similar to my own and the other with emerald green scales on his face and neck. They helped Sehun take Taehyung out of the car and load him onto a bed with wheels.
I followed behind, feeling helpless, as they rolled him into the building. Knowing that there were other hybrids here reassured me a little until I caught a scent that made my mouth water and my cock harden in my pants. The scent, which was so different from Taehyung, but still so appealing, filled my nose and I looked around for the source, knowing it was a mate. My eyes searched for the scent of chocolate covered cherries until it landed on a human female. NO! ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY NOT! There was no way a human was my mate! No way! I don't accept it! The human woman startled at the glare I sent her way and I could feel the sense of pride that I had made her flinch that way. There was no way I would accept her. I hated humans and this one could go to Hell with the rest of them, where she belonged, where they all belonged.
Taehyung POV:
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the lack of pain in my leg and damaged wing. My gaze darted around and I noticed Jimin asleep in the chair next to the bed I was laying on, his hand holding mine tightly and his long rabbit ears drooping over his face. Knowing he needed the sleep and not wanting to wake him, I stayed quiet and looked around the room. I could immediately tell I was in some kind of hospital from the plain white walls and the clean, almost chemical smell. The bed was fairly comfortable and I was covered with a pale blue sheet.
There was a small bedside table and it had a tray on it with a couple of empty plates and I smiled, knowing Jimin finally got a good meal in him. Over the last couple days, he had been giving every bit of food we had to me, telling me he wasn't hungry and that I needed the food more than he did. It made me worry, but my mate was much more stubborn than me and there was no way I was going to win the argument against him.
I shifted in the bed and Jimin's eyes snapped open at the movement. His bleary eyes focused on me, clearing immediately and he hopped from the chair, leaning over me, pressing his forehead to mine. "Oh Tae. I was so worried about you. God babe, you scared me so bad." He kissed my lips gently and I returned the kiss happily. "How are you feeling?"
His question made me think and I gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay Minnie. I promise." Looking around the room again, I directed my gaze back to my mate. "Where are we?"
Jimin sighed and I could see the frustration in his frame as he sat back down, gripping my hand tightly. "We're at Cherry Blossom Sanctuary. I met a doctor last night and he brought us here. Said he would take care of you. Help us get back on our feet." Jimin looked down at our hands and I could see the guilt in his eyes. When he lifted his face back to me, his eyes were teary. "I'm so sorry babe. I thought I'd be able to take care of you."
I squeezed his hands. "Stop it right now. You've done an amazing job of taking care of both of us. It's... it's just sometimes we all need help. I love you Minnie."
Jimin brought my hand to his lips, kissing my fingers. "I love you too my Tae. Things are going to get better. I promise you. Once we leave here, our life is going to be better." Jimin wiped his eyes then grinned at me. "Are you hungry? The doctor said he would send someone in with a plate for you when you woke up."
I nodded my head just as my stomach grumbled making us both laugh. I lay there for a second, enjoying the fact that we were warm and going to be fed, but then the smell of peppermint candy canes filled my nose and I looked toward the door as it opened. Jimin's mouth dropped open and I could see he was thinking the same thing. The man walking in the room was a handsome hybrid, with small ears and a bushy tail. He had plump lips, almost fuller than Jimin's and was tall, probably my height. He stopped short when he came in the room and I could see he had figured out the same thing Jimin and I had. This handsome hybrid was our mate. He set the tray down then shut the door behind him.
We studied each other for a moment but then he grinned, the smile dazzling me. "I'm Seokjin, but please call me Jin. I'm one of the nurses here at Cherry Blossom Sanctuary."
I couldn't help but return the smile. "I'm Taehyung. This is my mate, Jimin."
Jin nodded at the both of us. I could see he wanted to say something but seemed to be taking his cue from us. "It is nice to meet you both. I've brought you a breakfast tray so please eat up. You definitely need your strength."
Unable to tear my eyes away from him, I nodded. Jin went to leave the room and I stopped him with a quick "wait." Jin turned, questioning eyes on me. "You... you can smell it too. You know... you know who we are to you."
Jin sighed and nodded. "Yes. I noticed the scents as soon as I walked in. I wasn't sure if it was this room in particular, but as soon as I opened the door, it hit me." Jin hesitated and I could see he wanted to say something else.
Jimin broke in, his eyes confused. "You don't seem too happy about it."
"I am but it is complicated. You two are clearly bonded and I have two other mates at home." Jin's words surprised me and I couldn't help the flash of hurt that washed over me at the fact that he didn't sound excited about the fact that we were his mates.
"Do you... do you think they would be our mates too?" I couldn't stop the question that spilled from my lips. "Are they as handsome as you?"
Jin blushed at my question. "Well Kookie, Jungkook, is certainly handsome, but I don't know if you can call Y/N handsome. Beautiful would be more like it."
Our other mate is female? This was not something I was expecting. It didn't surprise me that there was more mates since groups were extremely common. I turned to Jimin and could see the uncomfortable look on his face. Was there something he knew that I didn't? "Can you tell me about them?"
A small smile broke across Jin's face and I could see the clear adoration for the other mates, adoration that I hoped he would eventually show us too. "Kookie is an otter hybrid. We met a few weeks ago when he came in injured. He works as a personal trainer at a gym not far from here. Y/N is a nurse here. I've known her for twenty years, but didn't realize she was my mate until after I graduated high school and she came home from college to visit me."
So the female mate was older than us? "What kind of hybrid is she?" I was curious to know more about this Y/N.
Jimin scoffed and I looked over at him. "She's a fucking human. Not a hybrid. A fucking human."
"Minnie? What... what aren't you telling me?" I asked, the concern obvious on my face.
Jimin rolled his eyes, an action I had seen too often. "I saw her last night. Our other mate is a fucking human."
I could sense the anger in his frame and squeezed his hand. "Calm down Minnie. I'm sure... I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems." However, I could see it was exactly as bad as it seemed. Jimin had a hatred for humans unlike any other hybrid I had ever seen and to know our other mate was human was going to be a mess. He would never accept her, never want her.
"Yes it is as bad as it seems. We're in this position, you in a hospital bed, because of a human. So yes it is as bad as it seems. Humans are nothing but monsters, worthless abusive people who do nothing but hurt us all." Jimin's voice was filled with rage and his face was flushed in anger as he spoke and I knew that this conversation would get nowhere.
"You don't know Y/N. I've known her for twenty years. She and her family have shown me nothing but kindness since the day they brought me into their family. Without them, I would be probably living on the street or even worse." Jin's eyes were narrowed and his voice quiet, but I could hear the irritation in his voice as he spoke.
Jimin shrugged his shoulders. "No thank you. I would rather live on the street than be subjected to one of those disgusting filthy creatures. I think I'll pass."
Jin's fists clenched at his sides and I could tell he was close to knocking Jimin out, nurse or not. "That disgusting filthy creature, as you so eloquently put it, is my mate. So I suggest you watch your tone."
Shrugging again, Jimin studied his fingernails as though he were bored with the conversation. "Whatever. As long as we don't have to deal with her," Jimin replied, gesturing towards him and myself. "As long as she stays away from us."
Although I wanted to disagree with him, I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to meet my other mates, both the hybrid and the human, but Jimin had been with me for the last two years. I didn't want to push him aside for someone who might not even like me. He was too important to me, too special to me.
Jin sighed, but said nothing else about the human female. "I'll bring Kookie in to meet you. I'm sure he will want to." Without another word, Jin turned around and left. Part of me wanted to call out to him to stay, but I couldn't.
I turned to Jimin who was still seething in rage. "It's going to be okay Minnie."
Jimin turned to me, his eyes softening and he stood up, coming to press a gentle kiss to my lips. "Yes it will be babe. I will keep you safe from everyone. We have each other. We don't need anyone else."
Giving him a reassuring smile, I stayed quiet. As much as he wanted to deny it, the mate bond would be too hard to resist. It was already hard enough knowing Jin was nearby. Hopefully I would be able to resist when Y/N was here. Hopefully I could be strong enough.