Laika's P.O.V
It's now the following evening. I've been using the day to rest up and plan things out. Now I am currently in a small convenience store, searching through all the shelves for the essentials. I thought I had everything when I got to the till but realised something may be missing. Thankfully the cashier was kind enough to put everything in a bag on the side for me. So now I am looking through the shelves, I try to go over everything I have already so I can work out what is missing and what I can afford. Instant noodles, rice, bottled water, protein bars, first aid kit...what else...? I ponder and Zira is quick to chime in. "Meat! We need meat!" "No. We'll get that later when we go hunting." "Fine...but what about some Jerky for now?" "Fine. Which flavour? Spicey beef, regular beef or honey-glazed BBQ beef?"
I can almost feel Zira rolling her eyes at the question. "What sort of question is that?! Honey glazed BBQ beef! DUH!" Huffing in response, I pick up a packet of jerky. "Ooh! Get some pork cracklings too!" Hearing, Zira's demand I reluctantly pick up a pack of cracklings, keeping tabs on how much I'm spending. "Okay, but nothing else. We only have a small amount of money and still have to carry everything, remember?" "Fine. Fine." Zira responds and she keeps quiet as I double-check once more to see if I have everything and count the money I have left.
I let out a small sigh in realisation and begin putting stuff back. "We barely can afford all this so it looks like we're sleeping rough still." "At least we somehow manage to afford-" Zira suddenly cuts herself off, instantly going silent. I frown. "Zira, why did you go quiet?" "Do you smell that?" She asks in response. Furrowing my eyebrows, I try to figure out what she is referring to and take a small sniff of the air. Instantly my nose is filled with the scent of warm cinnamon buns, fresh out of the oven and dripping in sweet icing. The scent sends something stirring within me. Something strange and new. Something comforting but exciting and almost...alluring? Why can i smell freshly baked cinnamon buns? There's not even a bakery in this shop, it's just a small corner shop. And nor is there one nearby. "It's him! It's him!!!" Zira suddenly yaps energetically, making me even more confused. I can even sense her rolling about in excitement. "What the heck are you talking about?!"
"Excuse me?"
My whole body freezes at the sound of the person speaking and I gulp nervously. Slowly I turn to face the person and my eyes grow in shock. There he stands in a casual hoodie and jeans and a pair of dark timberlands. His dark hair falls gracefully on the soft skin of his face and his bunny-like smile makes my heart start beating rapidly. "Mate! Mate!" Zira yaps, like a little puppy having its first playtime and I roll my eyes in response. "Aish! Calm down will you?!" I hiss under my breath and the guy in front of me chuckles. Immediately I respond to his laughter with a harsh glare. "The frick you laughing at?!" Instantly he jumps in shock, with widened eyes as he gulps. "Uh...n-nothing..." I roll my eyes at him, "Anyway, what do you want?" He bites his lip, looking away nervously. "I...uh...just wanted to say hi." Scoffing, I fold my arms and raise an eyebrow, not buying. "Mhmm, sureee." I then shrug, "Well...bye!" Turning on my heel, I begin to walk away but suddenly...
*THUD*
Staring up at the young man who just grabbed me and pulled me back to him, I narrow my eyes. "What the heck dude! What do you think you're doing?! Let me go!" I snap, fighting back a growl. I try to wriggle free but this guy has me firmly in his hold. Damn, he's strong! "I wanna talk to you." He simply says. "Well, I don't want to talk to you!" I retort. "Now get your damn hands off me!" "Nooooo! His arms are so warm! And oh so muscular!" Zira suddenly purrs and I let out an internal groan at this sheer ridiculous. Choosing to ignore her, I turn my attention back to the guy, "You have three seconds to get your hands off me or-" "Or what?" He says smugly, cutting me off. I snort in response. "Trust me, buddy, you don't want to know." He then smirks, leaning forward a little, almost as if he's challenging me. "Try me!" Fine, we do this the hard way!
Swiftly I bring my knee up, sharply elbowing him in the gut and administering a quick left hook to the face, knocking him back. He recoils in pain and now freed, I run, grabbing my bag of items from the till as I go.
"HEY! YOU NEED TO PAY FOR THAT!"
No one's P.O.V
Recovering from the sudden attack, Jungkook turns towards the girl only to see her bolt out of the shop door.
"HEY YOU NEED TO PAY FOR THAT!" The cashier yells.
Jungkook rapidly makes his way to the checkout and hands a wad full of cash into the cashier's hands. "This should cover it right?" The cashier nods. "Yes but-" "Okay. Good!" Jungkook interrupts before bolting out of the store in pursuit of the girl. Once outside, he looks down the busy streets. Where did she go?! Looks like talking to her won't be as easy as I thought... At first, he isn't certain of the right direction, but with her scent still in the air a small smirk grows on his face. I guess the chase is on!
*Timeskip brought to you by Jin's World Wide shoulders*
Down a random secluded street, Jungkook is hidden behind the wall of one of the buildings. He watches as the girl he has been following turns to go down an alleyway. Wow, she is fast. He thinks to himself. "But not as fast as me!" He then warps himself into the alleyway the girl just turned into. With a whoosh, he appears there with a big grin on his face.
"BOOOOO!"
With a lack of a response, Jungkook looks around in confusion. Huh?! Why isn't she here? Shouldn't she be- He is jolted from his thoughts when he suddenly finds himself being shoved up against a wall. The white-haired girl has him firmly pinned in place, her piercing glare boring into him. Jungkook gulps nervously realising he has severely underestimated this girl.
Laika's P.O.V
I'm unable to hold back a loud, angry growl as I pin this guy forcefully up against the crumbling wall of the alleyway. "WHY THE HECK ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?!" This guy is getting on my last nerve, I swear. What a creep! The guy gulps nervously, "I-i...." I glare at him, "ANSWER ME YOU CREEP! WHY WERE YOU FOLLOWING ME?!" "I'm not a creep!" He protests. "Really? So following a random girl around the entire city doesn't make you a creep?" He bites his lip nervously, "Well w-when you say it like...." "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT WITH ME?!"
"Calm down!"
"But he-!"
Zira interrupts me, "Shhh calm down!" (A/N - Calm down, calm down my daughter! XD) Reluctantly I concede, taking a deep breath and allowing my darkened eyes to return to their normal colour. But my grip on the guy remains. He is currently giving me an apologetic look. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to come across that way. I...I just wanted to talk to you." I scoff, "I already told you to leave me alone! How the heck do you keep finding me?!" "Your scent." He says plainly. I raise an eyebrow and he continues. "I first noticed it earlier. I was wandering around the streets. I wanted to find you and talk to you. But had no clue where to start." "Go on..." I say and he bites his lip. "Well... when I went past that store...I picked up this strange scent and it was drawing me in so I followed it. I went in the store and it got stronger so I kept following and..." He looks at me shyly. "It...it kinda lead me to you." I furrow my brows pondering over this information. "Scent? My scent?" I mumble. "It smelled kinda like a salted caramel chocolate." "Aw, this is so cute! You two both discovered each other's unique mate scents. It's a way for two people who share a special bond to find each other." The guy's eyes widen hearing Zira explain. "R-really?!" He asks in disbelief. "That's right!" I feel Zira once again almost purring. "So what's your name handsome?" "Zira!! Shut up!!!" exclaim, embarrassed by her carefree attitude.
"WHOA! YOUR EYES!"
Turning back to the guy I narrow my eyes, "What about them?!" I snap. "They changed!" He gasps. "One keeps turning blue!" "Ah, you cutie! That happens when I talk!"
(A/N- What Laika's eyes look like when Zira is present in the conversation)
"So...you're Zira? Her inner wolf?" The guy asks and Zira immediately responds. "Correct! Ooh! Beauty and Brains I see!" Rolling my eyes for what must be the hundredth time I frown. "Wait! How the heck do you know about wolf stuff?!" I snarl. "What do you want from me?!" The guy looks at me calmly with his warm doe eyes, no longer affected by my attempts to intimidate him. "I want to get to know you." He says simply, "And learn more about this mate bond?" But this makes me scoff. "Why? You gonna sell the information off to the highest bidder?!" My defensiveness appears to be turning more to the irrational side but right now I don't care. I need to protect myself no matter what.
"No! Why would i do that? I'm supposed to be your mate.....aren't I?"
I tilt my head slightly in confusion at his response. "That still doesn't mean you deserve any trust." "Oh leave the poor guy alone will you?!" Zira growls, clearly frustrated. "This is giving me a headache!" "Whatever Zee! We still have no reason to trust him!" I retort and I can hear her sarcastic laugh. "He's our mate! Our perfect match! There's no reason not to trust him!" Becoming more agitated, I can't help but shake my head in frustration. "YAH! You know damn well there is every reason not to! And you know bloody well why!" I then rest my head against a firm surface, letting out a groan in annoyance. "We've been over this so many times!" I whine and I feel Zira rolling her eyes for once. "Yada, yada, yada. BOOORING!" But I quickly sense i swift change in her. It's almost like she's....Zee, what are you up to? "Ooh, I must say, you got us in an interesting position here. Didn't know you had it in you." This statement makes me furrow my brows. Position? What is she talking about? What...? It's only then do I realise. The surface I rested my forehead against.....was this guy's chest.
I realise just how close we are to each other, the space between our bodies almost non-existent. His warm breath brushes my face. My cheeks rapidly begin to burn, so swiftly I move my head away and back up slightly with a gulp. But it seems Zira isn't done messing with me. "Hey...did you notice he has a mole on his neck? Seems kinda hot, right?" Her nonchalance in her words disturbs my curiosity and I end up glancing at this guy's neck. Sure enough, there is a mole. But my eyes get fixed on it for some unknown reason. That area of his neck starting to look more and more inviting. What is happening to me? Why is it so tempting?!
Without realising it, my wolf instincts kick in and I find myself burying my face in his neck. As i inhale his sweet scent fills my lungs and my body starts to relax. Mmm...warm cinnamon buns...sweet and warm....like being in his arms... I start rubbing my face gently against his neck, unable to resist the alluring pull. But suddenly my eyes dart open and my body stiffens. WAIT! IN HIS ARMS?!?!?!?! A small gasp escapes my lips as I finally notice his arms around me in an embrace. W-what...?! Why is he...? "Ah, you sweet child! Like you, he is also affected by the pull of the mate bond. When in such close proximity to one's mate, it's almost impossible to resist. And it's also why he wasn't taken back by your actions either." Zira purrs knowingly as my body automatically relaxes in his hold. It's almost like me and this guy are in some kind of trance, neither of us wanting to pull away yet. I, myself am unable to focus on what Zira was saying as I am too concentrated on gently nuzzling into the guy's neck.
At this moment, everything feels so peaceful...so serene. The only thing I can hear is the sound of this guy's heart racing. These feelings running through me right now seem so foreign, so new, but yet feel so blissful. "Please may I know your name?" The young man asks softly. "Laika," I murmur in response. "Laika..." He whispers, "That's pretty..." "And you, what's your name?" I ask gently. "Jungkook." He responds quietly. A small smile finds its way onto my face. "Hello... Jungkook." I whisper and he chuckles softly. "Hi...Laika."
We both stay like this for a while, enjoying these strange new feelings and basking in each other's warm embrace. My mate... A few pur-like growls leave my lips as I continue nuzzling into Jungkook. Not alone. My companion. Without a single thought, I absentmindedly give that spot on his neck a few small, delicate licks, my wolf side desperate to show affection. "Hey! That tickles!" Jungkook giggles. "Sorry..." I sigh, "My wolf side kicked in, I couldn't resist. Your scent smells so good!" "What does it smell like?" He asks. "Warm cinnamon buns! Iced ones!" I breathe out. Letting out a soft growl, I give Jungkook one more, slightly longer lick on his neck."
"MARK HIM!!!"
Zira's voice suddenly barks out loudly in my head, making me frown. "Huh?!" "START THE BONDING RITUAL!!! MARK HIM!!" Zira's loud yap breaks me out of my trance and I back off abruptly, my eyes widening in horror. "NO!!!!!" I cry out, pushing Jungkook away from me. His eyes widen in shock as he stares at me in concern. "I-I'm sorry...I..." I stammer before turning on my heels and darting out of the alleyway.
"I-I have to go!"
Jungkook's P.O.V
I watch as Laika bolts out of the alleyway, completely bewildered as to what just happened. What...what was that?! Frowning, I begin to ponder over what to do next. So now what? Do I go after her again? A part of me wants to but realising the time, I shake my head and sigh. "Guess not. I need to head home, my brothers are going to start asking way too many questions otherwise. With that decision made, I warp swiftly to the front porch of my house and after fumbling with my keys, head inside.
As I walk into the sitting room, my brain is running at what feels like a 1000mph. I stop in my tracks trying to process my interaction with Laika. As i think about her, my heart starts to pound and i rest my hand over it, feeling it racing. My heart is beating so fast! But strangely it almost feels...light. And...happy! I don't remember the last time I felt like this. My mind starts to wander back to those last few moments. The way she felt in my arms. The ticklish feeling of her nuzzling into my neck. The coolness of her tongue as it dabbed little wet marks on me. My skin starts flushing at the thought. I don't know what that moment was...I don't understand that strange pull to her. But...well, whatever it was...I liked it! I bite my life, smiling a little to myself. But the whole thing is so bizarre. It was the first proper conversation with her...and yet it affects me like this?! So unreal.
"Well, well! Look who's back!"
"YAH!"
I jolt suddenly at my hyung's voice and spin around to see both Jimin and Hobi hyung sitting in armchairs next to each other, legs crossed. They both get to their feet and approach me. "H-hyung?!" I stammer and Hobi frowns, "Where have you been, Kook, it's late." I rub the back of my neck sheepishly, "I...I just went out for a walk..." I mumble. "Well, next time let us know, okay? You've been gone all day!" Hobi says and I nod, "I know. I'm sorry hyung." Jimin smirks at me, giving me a rather peculiar look. "So Jaykay... wanna explain why you were just daydreaming when you walked in? And why your cheeks are so red?" I gulp nervously. "I-i um.. I'm not blushing!" I whine. "So...who is she?" Hobi smirks, joining in with Jimin's tirade. My eyes widen and I stare at them, mouth agape. How did he know?! Did he use his telepathy on me?!
"Did Jaykay finally get himself a girlfriend?!" Jimin coos teasingly. Hobi gives me adoring eyes, "Aw! Is our baby bro in love?!" "YAH!" I protest, "It's not like that! I just met her!" Hobi grins, "But there is a she! You did meet someone!" He squeals in excitement and Jimin follows suit. "Aw! You got your first crush!" "NO! I-" The two of them cut me off, giggling like a pair of schoolgirls. "Stop denying it JK! We know when you're lying!" Jimin says smugly. "Yeah! Your whole face is red! And your ears!" Hobi laughs. "YAH! Just stop okay?!" I exclaim, "YES, I did meet someone! And maybe she may've made my heart flutter. ARE YOU SATISFIED NOW?! Please leave me now!" I burst out in frustration and in response they both cheer in satisfaction. "Awwww!" They both coo at me and I shake my head at them in disbelief. "Alright we'll leave you alone but one last question." Jimin smirks. "What's her name?"
As her name enters my mind once again, I bite my lip, unable to hide the smile that is playing on my face as I let the information slip from my lips.
"Laika."
To be continued.....