The whistling wind did its work to bring you the howling. Again. It lingered in the air while your eyes perked up to watch curiously at the distance; the horizon was full of unexplored riches and myths, those you adored spending time fantasizing about.
"____, look!" The four-year-old boy marveles, catching your attention. "Papa, papa! Look!" Carefully, he stood up and made sure to keep his index finger outstretched where a white butterfly had touched down and - "Oh!"
With hands joined behind his back, the King joined you in the royal gardens where you had spent half of the afternoon. Jungkook was still pouting when his father reached him after the insect had flown away.
"What have you two been doing here ?" He asked, sitting beside where you were sprawled on the freshly mown lawn and gazing fascinated at some bugs.
"We're looking for animals in the grass!" Squealed the boy happily, running back to you to fling himself back on to the ground.
You snorted, "They're insects, Jungkook."
"Yes, insects!" He corrected himself looking up at his father. "Papa, when I'm tall I will be a buwerfly!"
"When I'm this tall," You suddenly jumped on your feet smiling at the King with your hand high towards the sky, "I will travel everywhere so that I can see all the insects in the world."
Jungkook beamed at the idea he found even much better than his,"me too, me too!"
"No, you can't." You said in a serious tone, shaking your head once as you look down at him.
With a frown and a childlike pout painting itself on his lips, Jungkook whined, "why?"
"Because I'm older and you're still small," you stated simply, crossing your arms on your chest.
Pursing his mouth, he raised onto his feet and accusingly exclaimed with a pointing finger,"you'we small too."
The King chuckled, amused by the playful banter and ran his hands through your hair. "You both will... When the right time comes."
"Togewer?" Your brother chortled excitedly while taking your hand in his tiny one.
"Yes, together." Smiled the man, observing his children's eyes holding stardust which spiralled through the galaxy and whose hands remained interlocked as if an alliance had been made, and he couldn't be more pleased.
(20 years later)
The castle was silent that late afternoon. It had always felt too empty ever since Jungkook's departure to a foreign country, one his mother had urged him to go for the sake of his education and training as a future king. Meanwhile, your father had gone on a visit with the Queen to a neighboring sovereign earlier that day, leaving you alone with the personnel.
The sun was slowly setting behind the clouds, rose and orange hues bathed the inside of the buildings through the arches as you walked toward your chambers.
You were right around the corner to the staircase leading to your room, when a hand suddenly wrapped around your face. Your heart skipped a beat. You instinctively gave them a jab of your elbow in their ribs, hard, and sent them hitting the floor with a kick in between their legs.
A male voice grunted in pain and you ran away the fastest you could. You went for the narrow corridors, but before you could reach them, something grasped onto the back of your long dress, bringing you to a halt. You whimpered as you tried to get yourself out of his grip, however, the assailant was much heavier and stronger than you, easily reclaiming the upper hand, and held your wrists together to prevent you from striking again.
A feeling of disgust overwhelmed you as he pressed his body against yours, his hot breath fanning down your neck. You wanted to scream with all your might, yet you were unable to find an ounce of strength altogether as you stared at the man's face. He reached down between the two of you to take a small cloth out of his pocket which he proceeded to smother around your nostrils, and the last thing you remembered was that same old howling, echoing in your dizzy mind.
You woke up in a sudden jerk and panic flooded your mind when you didn't recognize your surroundings, only clear darkness.
"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down," You heard an unknown voice trying to soothe you as hands grabbed onto your arms.
You settled a little when you were sure the person meant no harm. Curled up in the corner you were sitting against, you trembled, "Wh-what is happening? Where am I?"
"I don't know." The voice sounded feminine, "I guess they put us in a wain."
The more you blinked, the more you could make out her scared and exhausted features.
"Where are they taking us?"
"I don't know." She hunched her shoulders and crossed her arms to her chest. "None of us knows."
You frowned when you noticed the others she was referring to, fifteen or so, young men and woman, crammed and just as frightened and disoriented as you.
What is happening?
The road the wain followed through was steep and often made it jump abruptly, eliciting hissed winces to escape you every time your head would bang against the hardwood you lent on.
The tremors ceased suddenly, indicating a stop, and you and the others waited anxiously as steps and people talking could be heard from the outside.
The noise of a key turning inside the lock was caught next, followed by the creaking door that opened suddenly. The night had fallen, and lights emanating from torches blinded your vision while an impressive shadow appeared and lead the captives to huddle.
You could make out the wild looks of the man who proceeded to unchain all of you: his clothes reminded you of the intruder who had attacked. He roughly got all of you out to the ground, and other men and women present aligned you in order. You decided not to struggle, opting to wait and grasp the situation, before attempting any risky try.
The strangers shared words and a heavy man groaned an order to move forward, harshly pushing the last of you in line, which caused you to trip over one another. The men and women surrounded you entirely and you took some time to look, noticing that no weapons bedecked their belts.
You entered what you recognized to be an encampment that seemed well maintained. A wide path led to smaller ones further ahead, everywhere around you were tents set up irregularly nearby what looked like a large stone fountain. The men, women, and children watched you and the other ones as you walked in front of them.
The person walking in front you came to a halt, causing you to lightly bump into their back. When you looked up, you noticed a wooden frame, which seemed to be set temporarily, quite high with worn stairs that led towards it. It reminded you of gallows used to hang people. In a trice, all you were able to feel was the thudding of your heart, beating so hard and quickly in your chest, your ears became numb to any other sound.
Another rough hand pushed you on your back, prompting you to go back walking to your indisputable death. People gathered closely around and in front of the scaffold, following the captives' every move as you all aligned yourself once again.
You dared to look down and even meet some of those strange people's eyes that appeared so amused and happy at your alarmed figures displayed so openly as their pleased features distorted frighteningly underneath the glow of the fire. A man and a woman stood further in the back, seated on chairs, apparently placed on a pedestal.
You began to wonder if they were some sort of savages, cannibals that set you ready for some rituals of theirs before they would lay their hands on you. You averted your gaze to your sides after you heard a whimper coming from your left. A girl was crying, distraught, she probably ended up to the same conclusion as you. The sole reason behind you not crying still was simply because all of this seemed too unreal, it happened too quickly you had not been able to let sink in the preposterous situation.
A man climbed up the stairs with something white in his arms. He threw carelessly a pack of clothes, one to each of you, a pair of pants for the men and a thin semi-long dress for the women. You dared a glimpse at the other captives and you noticed you shared nothing in particular except your young age. The man ordered for you to change, which you all did reluctantly, considering the increasing number of people at your feet.
No one dared to cross the bearded man or any of them, even your dress that usually was intricate to take off proved to be really simple to get rid of and the following minute, you were all wearing your new clothes. They took and gathered the ones you removed, probably to throw in the fire since they would be of no use anymore.
A moment of silence followed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Taehyung glanced at the gathering a few meters from his tent. He never gave much thought to those. He turned his back, but something made him hesitate. He gave another glimpse over his shoulder and eventually decided to join his kin where the ceremony was held. He walked slowly and chose to stand behind the crowd, agitated, that shouted cries now and then.
His feline-like gaze swept the captives until his eyes fell on you. A shiver coursed his body instantly, making his hair stand on end peculiarly. It was as if his vision had turned blind to anything but you, blurring his surroundings and focusing his attention solely on you. He could feel a comforting warmth gradually spreading everywhere inside him and his body buzz with an agreeable sensation, the one that had his heart suddenly jolting with happiness, endearment and deep attachment out of nowhere, making each and every one of his cells spasm with a sudden need to be by your side and never leave you. Consequently, as simply as that, in that insignificant period of time, a reality without you — an utter stranger — became inconceivable to him.
Taehyung kept gazing at you meanwhile the Old Wolf, the oldest member of their pack, proceeded with the opening of the ceremony. She climbed up on the frame, holding a bowl containing a mixture only known to her and began pronouncing ancient words as she shook her charm, dipping it in the strange liquid, before spattering it on you and the others.
A group of people standing in front of Taehyung caught his attention when he heard them suddenly laughing loudly.
"I like the one in the middle, with the short hair. He'd make a cute companion," exclaimed a young woman smiling a devilish grin.
"Too thin," commented another one. "The crying girl would suit me. I like them fragile. They taste better."
"What about you?" Inquired the second man, nudging his friend who peered the line of captives.
He smirked, "maybe the one at the far-right end. A perfect mix of innocence and... boldness. I think she'll give me the run-around."
Taehyung's jaw clenched. He did not need to hear any further to know that man was talking about you.
"Tae?" Chirped Roman, his close friend. "What are you doing?" Taehyung folded his arms on his chest without looking at the newcomer. "I never see you during red moons. Do you plan to take part this time around?"
Taehyung's eyes narrowed as he watched the group of friends walking away to enroll for the hunt. He leered, "count me in."
Loud cheering roared in the air at the announcement of the beginning of the hunt and people scurried around underneath the crimson moon that slowly revealed itself behind misty clouds.
You were roughly flung onto the ground, wetness uncomfortably strapping the warmth of your legs. You heard some commotion coming from behind and suddenly yelped as someone tugged on your arms in the wrong way.
The rope was unsparingly cut off your hand, the fabric rubbing painfully against your bruised skin, and then silence fell once again. You remained still, muted, making sure you were on your own and remaining wary to avoid any sort of reprimands. You quietly raised your hand to bunch the stingy bag they previously put on your head blinding you and removed it entirely when it seemed all clear.
You blinked and squinted, your vision still fuzzy. You guessed you were in a forest from the tall trees surrounding you. The encampment seemed nowhere close. When you looked up, you saw the moon through the branches, perfectly round and quite impressive in size as well. Wonder overcame you as you gazed up at its blood red color.
A gust of wind snapped you out of your reverie, chilling you and you slowly raised onto your feet. You gasped at the sudden sound of a wolf howling and immediately you began thinking of ways to get you out of here. You ran, you ran as fast as you could, as far you could possibly get. The scenery did not seem to change, everything appeared as endless copies of where you were put in the first place. It seemed like you trapped in a dream, your efforts remaining futile. Very quickly, and as you were dreading it, you grew tired and breathless.
You staggered and found purchase on one of the trunks, panting heavily as you caught your breath. Breathing was painful, each intake feeling like small stakes pricking you in your lungs. Your throat became dry and swallowing was uncomfortable as well. You knew that if you sat down you would not be able to get back up and at that moment there was no room for giving up.
You leaned your back against the tree, tilting your head upwards, and closed your eyes, only for a few seconds you said to yourself. You did not know whether it was paranoia or something else, but even with your lids shut, you felt observed. You needed to keep going.
You looked through small slits and you swore the second you stared straight ahead you thought your eyes were playing you tricks. You blinked once, twice, thrice, enough times to conclude that what you were fixing was real, those white clouds being huffed and slowly disappearing as quickly as they appeared were real. Your eyes were wide open and, this time you did not allow yourself anymore blinking.
Very slowly, the two brownish dots became clearer and you could, then, distinguish them. It was fixing you, single golden dots that previously seemed to be levitating in the complete darkness took the form of eyes.
They lowered in the air as they moved forward, gradually revealing a bestial, wolf-like face. Its paws continued to draw closer, soundlessly and progressively it revealed itself entirely to you.
Though the distance between the two of you was quite significant, and you would not have it another way, it was close enough for you to testify of its unreal proportions. Entirely exposed to your frightened look, you could easily make out the animalistic creature facing you and, quickly, you realized you would not live through the end of the night.
It stilled, beneath the pure, jet black hair, that suddenly stood on end and doubled its already imposing stature, powerful muscles in its legs and arms tensed under the red hue of the moon as it took a stance ready to pounce on you at any second.
Its impressive head tilted downwards and sharp teeth showed, its thin lips quivering as growls resonated lowly. Your blood turned to ice. It felt impossible to take your eyes from the beast, turning your back to it would sound the death knell for you yet something deep within you encouraged you to try your luck if you could name it as such.
You, very gently, shuffled your naked soles across the wet earth, still staring back at the animal and pushed your body so it followed your legs, sliding very, very slowly sideways against the trunk. You watched its eyes squinting, its frown deepening as you continued to move cautiously, walking backward and the next second, you leaped further inside the forest, running for your life.
You heard it growling loudly behind you but forced yourself not to look and focused on avoiding straight paths, opting for ways that you hoped would slow the beast down. The part of the woods you were getting in seemed old and deserted of life. Old and fragile trunks lying on top of each other underneath layers of gathered moss. The ground was not ideal for escaping an extraordinary creature as you nearly slipped several times or got attached to hooked branches that ripped your already flimsy dress every time a little more.
Your body was exhausted and your muscles felt like burning, you whimpered after each step you took that made it feel as if your bones were piercing through them and thus slowing you down. Another howling, seemingly coming from ahead of you reached your ears, sounding frighteningly close.
Inattentive, and desperately willing to get away from the claws of the monster, your foot tripped over an embedded trunk and, with all your weight, you fell down, twisting your ankle in the process. You cried out. You felt the adrenaline pumping through your veins, heard your heartbeat resonating in your ears, saw your life passing before your eyes.
You slowly rose your body with the strength left in your arms to watch the creature coming close to you. All of it almost seemed like a game to it. There was no point to this, you thought as you relied on a tree to help yourself standing up.
With your injured leg, you kept moving to feel the hot puffs of air exhaled by the thing warming your back and sending cold shivers down your spine as it hit the thin coat of perspiration glistening on your skin. Breathing heavily, you felt like you could faint at any given moment, the pain in your ankle seared through your limb and disabled you greatly. You fell down again and when you looked back, the animal had stilled a few inches from your body.
You frowned when you noticed it was staring at something ahead. It suddenly raised onto its hind legs, towering over you, terrifying. You heard it then, very quick steps hitting against the soil, getting nearer and nearer. When you craned your neck to see what might have caught its attention, you only had the time to register it was another creature, similar to your tracker and it was running fast.
You naturally curled up on yourself, believing it would harm you but only a sudden breath of air blew on you as it leaped over you to land violently on the other creature. The two beasts rolled further away from you and parted, shaking their fur. They both raised at the same time and you watched, in horror, as they fought together. Sounds of barking and growls as teeth clang together and claws dragged through the skin.
You felt pinned on the spot, unable to get feeling back in your body. The altercation did not last very long and you could not help the gasp from escaping you as you watched the second creature's paw powerfully hit the black one in its head, banging it against the ground with a thud and stared down, dominant. It then leaned over to bite at the juncture between the neck and the shoulder, stilling until your persecutor let out a mewl, surrendering.
Keeping its crouched position between the two of you, the second creature's mouth opened and the subjugated one walked away, head hanging low. You gazed up watching the animal's upper body heaving up and down rapidly beneath a warm chestnut fur.
It slowly turned around, chocolate brown eyes meeting yours over his shoulder. It faced you and showed the will to come near you but it whimpered. A clawed paw covered its side and you watched in awe as the scratch healed miraculously, the bloodied tissues magically mixing as one and the skin once injured was left flawless.
The creature looked down at you again, suddenly moving forward to stand on all fours and suddenly the thought of you quite possibly getting your head bitten off was enough to shake your limbs out of their torpor. You leaned back on the floor as it slowly lowered his head and you closed your eyes tight, ready to be killed.
The creature drew his muzzle closer to your body and proceeded to sniff you. You could feel its high temperature and its smell similar to a dog.
Nothing happened and when you squinted one eye open the animal had leaned back up, intimidating.
You weakly began to crawl away from it. You had not moved three inches that you froze when you heard a muffled groan. Your curiosity got the better of you and slowly looked back. What you saw knocked the wind out of you.
There was no more creature, nothing looking close to a wild beast, nothing except one man. Mother-naked, he looked right back at you, underneath a long mop of dark hair that hid half of his face, sporting an unfazed expression. The skin of his arms and thighs sparkled with sweat and his chest heaved with each calm intake of air he was inspiring.
You frowned as you studied him quickly, both him and your surroundings. You cautiously stared at the trees, looking for an eight feet tall wolf-like creature yet nothing, except you and the strange man, seemed to be living beings in the premises.
He stepped forward and you pulled your body away. He opened his arms as if to show you he did not mean any harm but you were having none of that. Now, that the surreal creature was not around, or so you thought, your ideas cleared a bit more.
You turned your back at the man to very slowly try to lift yourself up. With no support at hand, you could not ease the pain stabbing your ankle and you bit your lip to keep your whimpers at bay. Water quickly brimmed your eyes with your first attempt and your staggered and fell on your knees. You leaned on your healthy leg, supporting yourself with your hands and suddenly palms comforted your forearms with their warm touch, holding firmly yet gently their inner sides to help you straightening.
Although the stranger's warmth seeping out his body felt soothing against your cold skin, you yanked yourself violently, stumbling, and he raised his arms to be able to you catch but you raised your hand.
"Le-leave me alone-" you warned, trying to sound stern but your tears threatening to spill down at any given moment gave you away and his eyes softened.
He pitied you and showed a deaf ear as he gently took you by the arm to shorten the distance between you. You complained, attempting at twisting your arm in his hand and his slender fingers tightened slightly their hold around your frail wrist, caging it entirely.
He calmly stated in a hoarse voice, "you're hurt. Let me help you."
"I don't want your help." You retorted, staring down at your arm as you tried to unwind his fingers with your other hand, to no avail. "Let me go."
He pressed your captive limb to his chest and you eventually indulged him and looked up, "If I let you go someone or something will harm you before you get the chance to find somewhere where to shelter. Come with me. Please."
As you stared back into his eyes, you recognized those same chocolate brown eyes you saw when that creature met your eyes. It simply did not make sense.
You frowned back again and shook your limb out of his grasp, "no, I- I don't want to go with you. Let me go. Now."
"I can't!" He suddenly growled and you flinched when you heard the animalistic sound.
You looked up at him frowning in fear and confusion. The man regretted his move and clenched his jaw as a way to get a grip on himself. His voice went back to normal, "Just- Come with me. The time it'll take for your injury to mend..."
You shook your head, still unconvinced. Suddenly, the bushes behind you rustled with the wind and another creature slowly walked out of them. It was as tall as the two others and was calmly moving on its four legs, circling and watching the two of you curiously. It blinked once at you and then stared at the man an instant before it disappeared again somewhere behind him.
You felt the man's eyes back on you and you gazed up at him. "What are you?" You wondered in a small voice.
You gradually grew aware of the effort you were pulling to keep yourself standing on one leg; verily, you did not know how you were still holding yourself up and each time you blinked it felt as if darkness wanted to shut you in a tight sleep, the kind you would not awake from before long hours.
Looking up at the stranger became grueling and so you focused your eyes on his plump rosy lips. His thumb gently wiped the single tear that had leaked down your cheek and he whispered softly, "Someone that means you well. I promise."
He had already let go of your arm and was welcoming you in his embrace as you let yourself lean on him. You did not object when he nimbly slid his arm down your body to hook it underneath your thighs while his other held your back to lift you against him.
His walking back through the forest lulled you and subconsciously, you dropped your guard, nuzzling yourself into his hot, comforting touch. He tightened his arms around your body and pressed his nose affectionately into your hair and eventually, you were overcome by sleep, the dreamless kind.