Namjoon POV
I had forgotten how nice it was to have a home.
Waking up every day in a bed, safe and with a roof over our heads, it just felt like a dream. We had been on the streets for so long that I'd almost forgotten how much I craved to be taken care of.
After the owners that we'd had, and the monsters that hurt Jungkook, it was easy to think that all humans are the same. It was difficult to trust, but also difficult to be alone. It was like one half of your soul wanted to be independent and free from cruel humans, but the other half was just dying for a person that would take care of you.
And now we had that person.
As amazing as this home was, and as welcoming as they had been, we couldn't get too comfortable here. Sure, Y/N offered us to stay, but we weren't adopted. We weren't her pack, weren't her hybrids.
Over the last few weeks though, I felt myself slipping more and more into complacency, I let myself see this as my home. I was cautious of Y/N at first, but she was clearly nothing like the people we've dealt with in the past.
She was the owner that every hybrid dreamed of having. Granted, with the 6 of us living on her one salary, we weren't exactly rolling in money, but we had a house, we had food, and we had our health.
Jungkook craved affection dearly, and he did get it sometimes, but I knew Y/N didn't want to upset her own pack. I understood that she didn't want to show us too much attention, in fear of hurting her hybrids. He was at least getting more human affection than he'd had in years, so it was better than nothing.
I knew he tried to be strong, but Jin craved affection almost as much as Jungkook did, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the same. If Y/N was going to give out any ear scratches at all though, it was going to go to Jungkook. He'd been through a lot, he was permanently disfigured, and he needed all the love he could get.
I'd always been a bit weary of Yoongi, not really understanding why he was so okay with us being here. But living with him these last few weeks, and hearing bits and pieces from the guys, it was clear that he had a good heart.
I couldn't believe my eyes when Yoongi brought the snake home. At first I thought my nose was playing tricks on me, muddled up by the smells of the food we were cooking, but seeing that pale, white snake wrapped around Yoongi's torso, I knew it was Taehyung.
After all these years, we were finally under the same roof again. I wonder if he remembers me?
Maybe it was a good thing that Y/N had taken him to her room, and left the others to sleep in here. I did feel really bad for them, they probably felt replaced, but it also meant that Jungkook got to be surrounded by more of his friends, feeling secure and safe.
I rolled my head over to the side, staring at the panther curled up on the floor. We offered to adjust our sleeping arrangements, considering all of us except him and I were small-ish animals. But he insisted he was fine on the floor.
Yoongi looked rough after Y/N walked out with Taehyung. I couldn't really pick out exactly he was feeling, but I could tell at least he felt guilty, the scent of sadness and anger also seeping from him. At least the smell didn't affect my packmates, rather, they were actually sleeping quite well with the addition of the fox and cat in our bed.
I wondered if Y/N let Taehyung sleep in her bed with her. Jungkook would probably be super upset about that, considering he's been here for weeks and wanted nothing more than to sleep with her. Maybe I should go check on her, he was a venomous snake after all.
Jungkook didn't even seem to notice me shuffling away from him, rolling over to nestle himself against Jin, so I managed to get out of the room fairly easily. I closed the door behind me and quietly walked over to Y/N's room.
Pushing open the door, I was surprised to find only Taehyung curled up in the bed. He was tucked in on one side of the bed, curled into a ball. I looked around the room, but Y/N's scent wasn't very strong, it didn't seem like she was in here.
Leaving the snake hybrid to sleep, I closed the door again and went to the living room. There was nowhere else to sleep in this house besides the couches, and just as suspected, there she was.
Her face was squished into the cushion, a thin blanket covering her body. I wasn't sure why she didn't just make Taehyung sleep on the couch, but maybe she wanted him to feel comfortable after he was practically screamed at.
I felt bad watching her sleep uncomfortably on the couch, while 7 hybrids took up the beds in her own house. I couldn't bring myself to leave her, she looked cold and the blanket didn't even cover her feet.
Watching a shiver run through her, I made the decision to at least keep her company. It was dark enough that I wouldn't have to worry about her waking up while I took off my clothes. I'd probably have to be more worried about one of her hybrids walking in on me. Once I was naked I shifted into my wolf form, carefully hopping up onto the end of the couch and curling around her feet.
They were like icicles, and if it weren't for the thick fur protecting me, she probably would have frozen the skin on my stomach. At least she could be a little warmer now, and to be honest, this simple touch satiated my craving for human affection ever so slightly.
It was comfortable enough for me on the couch, and soon enough, I felt myself drifting off to sleep.
I wasn't sure how long I slept, but a sharp kick to my belly woke me up like a bucket of ice water over the head. A quiet yelp escaped me and I looked up to face the offender. Y/N was sitting upright now, blanket held protectively over her as she tried to recognise me in the darkness.
Oh, she hasn't seen me as a wolf yet, maybe this wasn't the best way to introduce her to my animal form. I let out a soft whimper and tapped one of her feet with my nose. Hopefully that would calm her down a little.
"N-Namjoon?" she whispered, still squinting through the dark.
I tried my best to nod my head, and she let out a sigh of relief. She shuffled around on the couch, muttering about how she thought she was going to die and she nearly had a heart attack and all that dramatic stuff. Eventually she managed to turn herself around, laying back down and resting her head against my body.
"Sorry for kicking you... I felt something tickling my feet and then I saw a lump at the end of the couch... You scared me!" she lightly slapped my paw, letting out a dramatic huff.
I licked her forehead in apology, and that seemed to work well enough.
"I think I fucked up..." she whispered into my fur after a little while. "I feel terrible for getting mad at Yoongi... I didn't even let him speak."
It was now that I could pick up the faint smell of guilt coming from her.
"I was just so angry that I wanted to scream, I couldn't believe he did this again. But then... what if he was going to tell me tonight? But I... I-I was just so mad"
Her scent was overpowering now, so many negative emotions flooding the room.
"And he just looked so sad, a-and then... then I couldn't see him in bed with you and I-I thought..."
She still sounded upset, but her voice was laced with sadness and I was honestly a bit confused. I thought she would be annoyed that there was yet another hybrid dumped on her, but she was also feeling guilty?
"I just feel so lost, everything is just... just so much" Y/N's voice cracked and all I could do was cuddle myself tighter around her head. "I just wanted them to have a good home, they needed a good home..."
We weren't that close, so I didn't know if any advice would be warranted. I did want to get closer with her, but my own fear of getting too attached was keeping me from making much effort.
She sniffled into my fur for a little while, letting herself cry when she needed to, and eventually she calmed down. All that could be heard was the sound of her shallow breathing.
"Hey... I haven't given you any ear scratches since... well, since ever..." she said softly, talking mostly to herself.
Her hand slowly lifted from under the blanket and came to rest on the top of my head, before she started scratching gently around my ears. When I made no moves of protest, she scratched more firmly.
I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.
I don't remember the last time I had felt this, the last time a human had touched me like this - so gently and lovingly. My entire body felt like it was melting, and I never wanted her to stop. Her little giggles were the only thing keeping me present in this world, my mind was off in the clouds.
It must have been a few minutes of this, before the scratching slowed down. She must be falling asleep. As much as I wanted her to continue, she definitely needed rest. Her breathing evened out, and just as I thought she was about to pass out, a deep growl made her jolt.
I lifted my head up and saw Yoongi at the entrance of the living room, still in panther form. This probably didn't look too good. First Y/N leaves him and his pack to take care of Taehyung. Now he finds her cuddled up to another hybrid that's living in his house.
"Yoongi?" Y/N croaked out, lifting her head up to try and see him, despite the lack of light.
He let out a little huff, but made no move to come any closer. His scent was strong, it smelt of sadness and anger. His scent was almost matched by Y/N's. At first it spiked with a heavy bitter smell, slowly mellowing out to sour one, a guilty one.
"Y-Yoongi..." she rolled herself off the couch, landing on the floor with a thud. Out of instinct Yoongi took a few steps towards his person, checking to make sure she was okay.
"I'm so fucking mad at you, but... but..." I heard her sniffle, pausing like she was trying to find the right words, before throwing herself at the big cat and hugging around his neck.
Yoongi didn't budge, simply letting her sit there and sniffle into his fur. I knew she felt bad, but I didn't realise she felt this bad. Yoongi also seemed a little confused, but he finally made a move, pulling Y/N down to lie on the floor while he tucked herself tightly into him.
I decided to give the two of them some privacy, it seemed like they needed to talk about some things. While Y/N's face was tucked into Yoongi's fur, I quickly shifted and lay the blanket over them, leaving the two of them alone as I picked up my clothes and walked back to our room.
"What happened?" Jungkook croaked out as I climbed back into the bed. "Why was Y/N sad?"
He sounded concerned, and I couldn't blame him. He had grown quite fond of her lately.
"Everything's ok, Kook." He didn't need to worry about this kind of thing right now. He'd been through enough, he just needed to feel safe now.
I hugged him tightly, feeling Jimin move to lie between us, and tried to fall asleep.
Yoongi POV
Y/N's soft breaths hit my chest. She was finally asleep and I had decided to shift, leaving myself naked under the blanket with her.
Hobi and Jimin do this all the time, it'd be fine for me to do it too, right?
I was honestly still a bit confused. I had noticed Namjoon missing, and Y/N wasn't in her bed, and of course when I saw them cuddled together on the couch I was angry.
I was angry that she let the snake sleep in our bed.
I was angry that she had taken it upon herself to sleep on the couch.
I was angry that Namjoon was cosying up to her.
I was angry that I had made her upset. Again.
It did hurt a little, the way she looked at me after discovering him in the spare bed. But at the same time, what else could I expect? This was the second time I'd gone behind her back.
I assumed she had spoken to Taehyung, and he would have told her everything... I hope. Hopefully that would clear things up, maybe this could all work out.
The floor dug into my hip and I tried to shuffle around to get more comfortable. We were lying on the living room rug but it hardly did anything to cushion the hard floorboards underneath.
My shuffling was obviously not discreet enough, and Y/N started to rouse from her sleep.
"Yoongi?" her fingers traced along my chest, her eyes widening a little in realisation.
"Can I move us onto the couch?" I whispered to her, not wanting to start any serious conversation while we were on the floor.
She nodded against my neck, and I lifted her up from our lying position. I held her tightly against my body as I stood and lay down on the couch on my back, letting Y/N lie on top of me. My tail wrapped around her leg, and my arms squeezed her torso over the blanket.
"I got so angry at you without letting you speak... I'm sorry" she whispered.
"Me too" I kissed her forehead gently, giving her another squeeze.
"I just... why don't you want to speak to me? Do you not feel comfortable with me yet? Or trust me?" She sounded hurt.
"N-no! Of course we are comfortable and trust you. It's just... I knew I did something wrong. I stole Taehyung from the centre and I didn't know what to say" I told her honestly.
"I was scared of what you'd think... I didn't even think it through properly myself... I just wanted to get him out"
"So Lucas was forcing him to breed..." Y/N mused.
"I'm sorry, I know I should have said something earlier, in the car even. But all I could think about was getting him away from there-"
"Why?"
Her question stumped me.
Why was I so desperate to help the snake hybrid? He wasn't one of my own, hell he wasn't even my friend! We just met! Deep down I knew why, but I just ignored that nagging part of my brain.
"I-I" How could I tell her the real reason? She would be disgusted.
"He just made me so sad. He seemed too innocent to be forced into that, and also... I hate Lucas." I stuttered out.
What I said was technically true. I hated Lucas, and Taehyung's situation did make me very sad.
"Yoongi..." Y/N spoke quietly, she sounded sad and tired.
"Yeah?" My heart cracked, she just sounded so disappointed.
"Please don't hide things from me." Her hand splayed out over my chest, resting above my heart. "It breaks my heart to watch you do things behind my back... I know I can't expect you to completely trust me right away, but I want you to rely on me, to ask me for help."
My throat closed up and my eyes felt hot. I was letting her down. I didn't mean for things to turn out like this, I didn't mean to make her upset. I didn't purposely try to avoid asking her for help. But I guess that's how it turned out.
"I know that sounds rich coming from me, I try to hide my financial problems all the time" she laughed bitterly.
"How about we both try our best to be honest from now on? I guess we won't get anywhere by just hiding things from each other..."
"Yeah, let's do that." I agreed.
She did bring up a good point, she was also hiding how stressed she was about money.
No, Yoongi, now is not the time to play the blame game.
Y/N hummed at this, sounding significantly less negative now.
"I don't want to go to work tomorrow. I just want to stay here... with you" she spoke into my chest, her fingers tracing my skin.
"But it might look suspicious if Lucas' hybrid has gone missing, and then I don't show up to work."
She chuckled dryly, as if accepting her fate of having to get up in a few hours despite the god-awful night she'd had.
"It probably would look suspicious," I agreed. "I'm sorry... I didn't even think about that when I took him."
"No, I'm glad that you did it. I would have felt sick if I knew what was happening to Taehyung and I couldn't do anything about it. Especially since it's Lucas that's doing it to him."
"You can still take me to the centre tomorrow, we definitely need the money" it was my turn to laugh now.
Y/N laughed too, but it faded out and ended with a sad sigh. I knew she didn't want me to do this. She felt like it was her responsibility to provide for all of us, but we both knew full well that there was no chance of that happening on her current wage.
Once again, her breathing slowly evened out, soft breaths hitting my chest. It felt so right to be like this. Y/N fit perfectly against me and sudden rage washed over me as I thought about her being like this with anyone else. I never wanted to see her with any other man. I wanted her to myself.
My thoughts came to a stop as I realised what was happening. I was falling in love with my owner. I had only known her for a few months and I already wanted her to be mine. Would that be so bad though? What if we were together? What would be wrong with that?
Human-hybrid relationships weren't exactly considered the norm, but it wasn't illegal or anything. It was possible for us to be together. Does she feel that way about me though? Would she ever even consider dating a hybrid? Or does the thought repulse her?
Sure, she treats us like family, but that's just it. Family. You love and take care of your family, but the thought of dating them would be disgusting. What if that's how she feels.
The way she held tightly onto me told me otherwise, though. I was literally naked underneath her and she didn't bat an eye. Surely that meant something...
A/N: Sorry for the wait!
I'm lowkey struggling because I keep coming up with ideas but this book is already getting so long but idk if I could do a whole second book?
Also I feel like we just need a happy ending!
Anyway that's my issues for you. Have a nice day!
(Also Yoongi has a cat???)