Chapter Text
For as long as Jungkook could remember, his mother had told him to follow the Moon to find his true mate. He never believed in such things until he grew older and heard the distant sounds of his mate calling out to him.
From a young age, Jungkook had been different. His mother always told him he was special and that the Moon had a plan for him. But after she passed away, the villagers’ whispers grew louder. They saw him as an outcast, a reminder of something they didn’t understand. He was treated with disdain as if he were a freak of nature.
Hidden on his back was a prominent birthmark, a curse carved into his skin from birth that marked him as different from the others. Alone, he and his mother lived on the outskirts of the village. Even though they shared the same blood, the people didn't see it that way.
In their eyes, he was a strange little boy with a mother who betrayed her home and mated with an outsider.
The first thing Jungkook feels as he awakens is the warmth of the bond pooling in his chest, then the heat of the sun that pales in comparison to the feeling blooming within his. He’d started to feel the irresistible, gentle pull towards something distant after he presented.
A feverish sensation would be correct, a heat that couldn’t be quelled and grew stronger each year, an itch deep in his skin that couldn’t be sated. His mother’s reminder still echoed deep in his mind each time he felt the call of his mate, distant, so far away, yet it still reached him.
The alpha touches his chest and smiles gently. He couldn’t even count the days he spent fantasizing about who his mate was, and if they could feel this too. Jungkook sighs aloud, “Wherever you are, my only hope is you’re happy.”
The rooster’s cry is what gets Jungkook up and moving. He had to get all his chores done before too many people woke up and noticed him. When he presented as an alpha, their looks of resentment turned to those of fear. The laborious work he did daily toned and shaped him well, making him bigger than their strongest alphas.
However, this made it so harsher work was pushed onto him, the work that others didn’t want to do. Today, his main task was collecting lumber for the upcoming festival that everyone had been anticipating all year. The inner city would be loud with music, celebration, food, dancing, and worship to the Moon for a bountiful harvest and one next year as well.
Jungkook takes his rusty axe to another tree out of several he’d chopped down. He had to venture further to find fresh trees. The lazy alphas liked to cut the ones close to the inner city, making more work for Jungkook, who had to sometimes walk miles to find good lumber, and then haul it back. He chopped with little to no thoughts in his mind, the mundane task he did daily soothing him in some way.
Jungkook tied up the numerous bundles he’d gathered, tying them up so they were easier to carry on his back. He whistles a gentle tune with the wind and drops the bundles off in the collection spot where he was always told to leave his wood. They didn’t like seeing him in the inner city; he wasn’t allowed to and would be punished severely if he were seen.
He hears footsteps behind him, his ears perk up and he dashes to hide behind a nearby tree. He wondered how long he’d been at it chopping wood if the villagers were up and about already. He crouches and peeks behind the tree, his big eyes wide with wonder at the paper lanterns being carried into the inner city in preparation for the festival tonight.
The alphas chatted about with smiles and jokes. One day, Jungkook would always tell himself he would feel that happiness again. When his mother died when he was about 13 from a simple sickness that the village could have cured, he lost everything. He was alone.
The only thing keeping Jungkook breathing was the knowledge that he knew someone was out there for him, his mate, they could feel each other. Knowing that one day he could meet his one true love made this torment worth it for now. He would endure it for just a little longer.
After the alphas passed, he deemed it safe enough to venture back to his hut. Jungkook’s stomach churned, empty since he had nothing for breakfast this morning. The woods were bustling to life now that early morning was gone. The chittering creatures and singing of birds eased Jungkook’s solitude.
Something glittering in the corner of his eye catches his attention. A trap had been laid to catch food for the festival. There’s quiet whimpering from the cage and he investigates the sound to see what had been caught. Jungkook knows he shouldn’t, but the way the rabbit is practically begging for mercy with its leg trapped makes his heart sting. He mostly stuck to eating fish and eggs if he could help it. He hated killing things even if it made him survive.
“Shit,” he looked around to ensure no one was near before undoing the trap and freeing the rabbit from its doom. “Go on, get.” He encourages the creature staring back at him with wide, grateful eyes. The rabbit limps away, the alpha wonders if he’d sent it off to a worse fate than what was in store for it prior.
“What are you doing, boy?” Jungkook’s soul leaps from his skin at the sound of a voice behind him. He turns to face one of the elder alphas with a deep frown on his wrinkled face. “Trying to steal from us, boy?” he accuses.
Jungkook steps away from the trap, “I uh, it wasn’t set up correctly, so I fixed it.” He lies.
Still, the man doesn’t believe him. The alpha yanks him up by his shabby collar to make him stand and face him. Even though Jungkook is twice his size, they both knew he couldn’t do anything. The elder alpha eyes him suspiciously, “Greedy bastard, I better not catch you with anything of ours, you hear?” he hisses through gritted teeth.
Jungkook gulps, “Y–Yes sir.” He murmurs. The man shoves him away before stomping off to continue festival preparations. He grumbles swears and complains under his breath the entire time, leaving Jungkook alone again. He makes it back to his hut with no further issues. The energy had been stolen from chopping wood all morning, but he had to go out and hunt. He was starving, and getting something in his belly was now his top priority.
The sun was beginning to retreat now, Jungkook had done so much work during the morning it was getting late again. His body ached, crying out for any reprieve from the labor he endured daily. There was no such thing as an off day for him. Work, work, work until he eventually dropped, the village hoped.
The first crack of a firework made Jungkook jump, the festivities were in full swing. He looks up at the sky where the moon illuminated him in his solitude. He was so far away from them, but their laughter stretched out here, further taunting him.
Jungkook skewered his fish to grill and eat. The fire kept him warm whenever a particularly strong gust of wind tickled his skin like a soft breath. The alpha starts collecting stones and rocks of various sizes, stacking them atop one another into a tower. His hands moved with precision despite his fatigue and the tower grew in height. With one last small stone, he placed it on top and his work was complete.
His knees touch the soft grass, kneeling before the structure he created. He gazes up the Moon, her glow bathing him like a spotlight. He cups his hands, lowers his head, and begins to pray. He whispers a silent prayer into the night, hoping the Moon will hear his pleas for mercy.
‘Come home.’
Jungkook’s eyes shoot open in shock. Frantically, he looks around for the source of the voice but finds no one. All the townsfolk were off enjoying the festivities and Jungkook was the last thing on their minds. Was he losing it?
Jungkook falls back and the wind is knocked out of him by a strong pull as if someone grabbed him and was trying to drag him away. The sensation of his mate's call was stronger than it had ever been before, it almost hurt and he struggled to get in a proper breath.
‘Find your mate, come home.’
He hears again, deep in his mind. Jungkook stares back up at the Moon. It was time she’d decided for him. It was time for him to take action, no more enduring this hell. Jungkook knew that he couldn’t ignore it any longer. The time has come to find his mate.
He rose to his feet despite his body demanding rest. His resolve was unwavering and his mind had been made up. Whatever life was ahead of him was going to be better than this, especially if he was with his mate. Jungkook feels the tug even stronger now, had his mate felt his decision and known he was going to find them?
“Thank you.” He whispers aloud, knowing this was what he was supposed to do all along. The alpha takes what little belongings he has from his hut. It’s not like he had much to begin with. His mother, unlike him, was allowed to go to the inner city. She made garments when she was alive, sewing intricate patterns into clothing and blankets. She sold what she could at the markets.
It hurt to leave so many of her creations behind, but he had to carry light. Her skills and knowledge wouldn’t be completely lost though as she taught him plenty before she passed. He folds up what he can in his sack and takes some clothing with him too.
This was it, the place he was forced to call home his entire life was about to be put behind him. He takes in a deep breath and reflects on the life he had. At least 13 years of his miserable life was spent happily with his mother. He realised now as he was older she hid her pain and suffering well to keep him smiling.
Jungkook fixes his eyes on the forest ahead, knowing the journey he was about to face wasn’t going to be the most difficult thing he’s gone through. He lived through this, so this would be a cakewalk. He took one final look towards the pack’s territory and the fireworks lighting the sky. He turned his back as they’d done to him all these years and decided never to come back.
The forest was dark and foreboding, the trees towering above him like a silent jury watching him on his voyage. Jungkook’s heart pounded in his chest, but he pressed on. He’d passed the markers of their territory long ago and was in an unfamiliar land, who knows what or who he’d run into out here. The night stretched on and he craved some rest. He pauses for the night and finds an abandoned den to hide out in for the night.
Jungkook felt the call of his mate growing stronger now that he was closer. He wondered if this feeling would eventually go away once he found them. The light from the Moon crawls into the den with him and he feels warmth all over, “I’m coming to find you.” He whispers into the darkness, praying his lover has somehow gotten his message.
Jungkook hunts when he can, ignoring his guilt to instead satiate himself. He had to keep his energy up for this since he had no clue how long it would take to reach his destination. The only way to keep track of his time was whenever morning came to replace the night sky.
When a week had passed he still didn’t know where he was. The landscape had changed to something a bit rougher with hills that left him gasping for breath once he reached the top of them. He didn’t know where the Moon was taking him, but he wasn’t going to stop.
As he walked, memories of his mother’s stories filled his mind and kept him company. She had always spoken of soulmates with such reverence, describing the bond as something unbreakable, a connection that some were blessed with by the Moon. He wasn’t going to take what he had been given for granted, he was going to see this to the end.
Jungkook had kept his guard up for the entirety of this trip of course, but as he entered this new forest, he felt uneasy. The feeling of being watched grew stronger with each step, sending shivers down his spine. He couldn’t shake the sensation that something—or someone —was following him. He felt like prey watching to be snatched up at a moment's notice.
Had he finally been spotted by someone in a new territory?
Suddenly, a rustle in the bushes made him stop in his tracks. Before he could react, a figure lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. Jungkook struggled to catch his breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked up to see a man with blonde hair and sapphire eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. The man’s grip was strong, but there was no malice in his gaze—only a desperate intensity in his eyes.
The stranger began to speak in a language Jungkook didn’t understand, his words tumbling out in a frantic rush. Jungkook’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. The only thing he could comprehend was one word repeated over and over again in his jumble of foreign words:
“Mate… Mate…!”