GYEOM POV:

(Y/N) has finally managed to down some breakfast, I had seen the still-full and barely picked at dosiraks Jin hyung sent over tied up with silk scarves and notes to eat well sitting in the fridge, the silk scarves all reverently folded and placed away and the notes adding to the large pile she had already amassed. And I'd left her curled up on the couch under a blanket as I'd gone to shower; warning her not to budge a single inch. She was deteriorating, the haunted look in her eyes and the pain that wore away at her body attested to that.

After I showered I was going to ask JB hyung to contact the Bangtan coven; enough had been enough, if hyung refused then there was nothing holding me back either. But I knew that the coven had been growing more and more worried; Jinyoung hyung was beginning to stress make batches of potions, stocking up on an already filled store, Mark hyung was beginning to grow silent and sombre everytime she was brought up and in general the ambience had become thick with worry.

I couldn't bear to see her suffering and even though I had cornered Jungkook and pointedly told him that he better get his mates in line before I intervened, it was clear that Jimin hadn't made amends. And when I'd dared to bring him a few times; (Y/N) would either turn away with hurt flashing through her eyes or silently allow the tears to fall- but she had confessed that she seemed to be running into him more, seen his more around the nest; but to avoid further heartache, she avoided him.

Clearly he wasn't trying hard enough, and even as I showered all my thoughts were centralised around her, trying to think of ways of restoring my bubbly blood mate back to her exuberant, sweet self.

And over the rushing flow of water coming out of the showerhead and hitting against the glass and the floor of the shower, I could've sworn I heard a knock at the door. It could've been something I was mishearing but hearing the slight pained groan as (Y/N) shifted, feet padding slowly out into the hallway was definitely not a mistake. Fuming I grabbed the towel and dried myself off, hastily pulling on clothes as I exited the bathroom.

I told her not to move! If it had been one of my mates, they knew the passcode; anyone else could either wait or go back home.

It wasn't a good enough reason.

"Yah (Y/N)! I told you specifically not to move!" I shout, voice reverberating through the apartment, allowing my displeasure to make itself known as I stormed towards her, to hastily usher her back in and glare at whoever had disturbed her rest; she didn't get enough these days to begin with.

But what I didn't expect was to turn the corner, hearing the whisper of a soft pained voice. What shocked me down to the core was to turn to see (Y/N)'s body crumple lifelessly towards the ground, world jolting and floor rushing out from under my feet at the sight.

My blood froze at the sight and my bond screamed.

And when I saw who had been in the doorway, they both boiled with anger. Bright red, vicious and unhindered anger.

JIMIN POV:

It's desperation laced with a weary soul that drives me to (Y/N)'s apartment. Of days passing by with failures at communicating, of getting close. Every time I shifted closer or opened my mouth to speak, to plead for a chance; she flinched or turned away but not quick enough that I didn't see the pain in her eyes. I saw her soul wither away, the toll it was taking on her physically- quicker than it was for me. Because I had six mates whose presences soothed the tear in my soul, she didn't have any of us with her constantly.

The palpable tension and fear was stifling and cloying in the nest. I saw the worry as the five of them tried to get her to eat, wheedle her into taking naps, urging her to just rest when she wavered on her feet; saw the exhaustion lining her eyes and the face that no longer glowed. And I had done that. The knowledge and acceptance of my actions was like a poisoned knife, twisting itself into my flesh, deeply buried to the hilt and a burning sting that only spread outwards.

And I hoped that if I went to her apartment that she didn't shut me out, didn't slam the door to both me and any hopes I held onto.

But when I stood in front of the door, my fears and worries threatened to stand in front of me- posing as an impenetrable wall. But I couldn't keep allowing my fears to hold me back, control my actions. I had to correct the wrongs I'd done and this was the first step. If I had to beg for her to hear me out, I was willing. I was putting myself on the line because what I had been doing, who I'd been hurting was a part of my soul- and I felt the wound on it as it screamed in agony and drove me here.

I tap at the door, the sound weak to my own ears; a reflection of my frazzled nerves, but soon I pick up the sound of soft feet treading inside. Footsteps I had heard in my own nest and had once ignored, footsteps I now yearned to hear. But they were slow and unsteady and nausea welled up inside thinking how weak she might be.

And when the door swung open to reveal her, her name slips off my tongue as a prayer and a plea, but also in shock and horror for the fatigue lining her every feature, the way her body seems to droop, the way her eyes have lost that sparkle that had initially intrigued me. Her chest heaves with heavy breaths but the sound comes out laborious, strained- it's taking her effort to breathe, my brain whispers horrified.

And then her hand slips off the door, body crumpling as her knees buckle. A sharp cry of alarm tears out of my throat at the sight, at the way her body falls, eyes shut. I bolt forward, spurred on by desperation and my instincts flaring out uncontrollably as I intercept her body from meeting the ground with a sickening thud, cradling her close as I sink to the ground staring with pure, sheer grief and agony as I see her motionless figure in my arms.

I'm staring at her with shock, the tether that was bound with her weak and barely pulsating; as if slipping away through my fingers, I hold her closer to me and when I do, a deep, pained snarl rips through the air- cutting through the numbing realisation that I'm holding my unresponsive soulmate in my arms when it's a bitter irony that I had pushed her to that state.

My head flies to the source of sound, body hunching protectively over her, eyes bleeding red with the primal need to protect my own, eyes meeting with Yugyeom's. My mind does whisper that it's her blood mate, and I try and try not to perceive him as a threat but the way his eyes flash dangerously; and only serve to rile my instincts up even further and I feel my fangs slipping free, the suddenness as they emerge only made aware by the way they pierce my bottom lip.

"Step. Away. From. Her. Right now." He hisses, words punctuated with a thick venom that seeps into his posture, the tightness in his jaw, the narrowing of his eyes. He's taking careful yet deliberate steps closer, closer to where I am. But right now I have a defensive mate in my arms who needs me to protect- and his behaviour is radiating hostility and as a threat to me right now.

I bare my teeth, arms curling around her defensively.

"Stay away from my mate." I grit out.

"Mate?! What mate?! You've done nothing but hurt her, it's your fault she's like this, now let go." He says incredulously and his words become more forcefully punctuated and spat out, control slipping through his fingers. Even as he continues to advance forward, steps purposeful and determined.

I cradle her head against my shoulder, gently position her more comfortably in my arms- trying to ignore the predatory threat that advances, every part of me screaming to get her away from here. Fail to fight the itch beneath my skin, instincts preparing me for an inevitable confrontation.

And just as his hand darts out, to pull me away, to pull (Y/N) away from me- a sharp, authoritative tone that demands attention.

"Stop." One single word that halts our actions and turns my eyes darting to the open door where I see a familiar figure filling the doorway.

Yugyeom stiffens.

"Hyung he—" he breathes, voice pained and vulnerable, eyes flashing red.

"Jimin move away from her." JB hyung says, voice tight.

I shake my head, the notion of his words sending a bolt of fear through me, at the thought of parting from her.

"She's hurt. She's my mate." I whisper, both soothed and troubled by her sweet scent. Reminding me of how vulnerable she is right now.

"I know that. But lying on the floor won't be ideal for her. I'm not asking Jimin...move away." He reiterates, voice deep with the force of his words.

But I can't. Even if I wanted to, which I didn't, I couldn't part from her.

"No. You can't make me. She needs me. I did this and only I can fix this." I say, hurt and anger in my voice- trying to convey just how much I couldn't leave her, how much I needed her too.

He sighs, a sound that's weary and pushed to its limit.

"Gyeom-ah, take them to her room." He says, voice infinitely softer and tender as he turns to his mate.

"But hyung you can't let him in." he protests, hurt and betrayal in his voice.

"I know you're upset; I am too. But right now we need to focus on (Y/N). Even if it means letting him in." he replies, pained and yet still soft, considerate of the bristling boy who's shaking with the force of his anger.

"Fine. Give her to me." he spits, stalking over that last distance between us and hunching down, arms outstretched as he tries to gently pry her from my arms.

I hold on, struggling.

"I'm not taking her away, now move." He spits out and with one more glare, scoops her out of my arms- his eyes soft and caring as they turn on her, looking at her with a fondness and shared history beyond anything I could currently hope for.

He stalks off, I scrabble behind him- unwilling to let her vanish from sight, instincts screaming that if she did, who knew when I'd find her again. I dart through the open bedroom door and am almost knocked back with the potency of her scent in here- this is hers. Solely hers.

I can't marvel in the sight of my surroundings, learn the little details and trinkets that make her room so special and personalised. Right now my eyes are glued to the way Yugyeom peels back the blankets, gently setting her down and cupping her face with such an intimate, profound look of understanding and grief that it makes me bristle.

I hurry forward, darting around the vacant side to clamber in beside her, setting down on top of the blankets that she's swaddled into by tender hands. That should be me. Could've been if I hadn't been so corrosive and hurtful.

I look down with sorrowful, grieving eyes at the way her body seems unnaturally still, and if my ears hadn't been able to pick up on the thumping of her heart, which is scarily slow, I'd have believed she wasn't alive.

But the slow thumping gives me a tiny fraction of comfort that I can help her back.

JB hyung enters, eyes scanning the room and I see a tick in his jaw as they land on where I'm seated but his eyes land on where Yugyeom has taken residence on her other end, hand resting on hers lightly, ignoring me completely as his gaze remains fixed on her.

"I've called MJ, the coven and Hoseok." He mutters, but it's clear it's not intended for me, not with the way he comes to rest a protective, comforting hand on the back of Yugyeom's nape; who curves into the touch.

There's a tension in the room, my presence ignored completely as the two of them focus on her.

And when the others arrive, it's in full force and when Hobi hyung's eyes land on me, sorrowful and understanding, they trigger the overflowing sorrow and pain I've been trying to hold back. And burst into tears.

HOBI POV:

Jimin's absence from the nest is ominous enough- sending the coven into a tizzy trying to find him, but his calls aren't getting answered and there's only so much the maknaes can do to try and distract the others with bringing their attention to themselves. They're currently sitting pliant and dazed in Yoongi hyung's and Joon-ah's lap, Jin hyung having just deposited Kookie there, with freshly pierced skin- having been providing the three with the comfort and slight relaxation that comes with the intimacy of feeding. But they're still all tightly wound and Jin hyung's pacing is going to wear the house out.

But when a phone call comes from Jaebum nonetheless- a harsh flurry of words telling me to get to (Y/N)'s apartment, a deep sense of foreboding sinks into my veins and I rush out, Jin hyung sending me off with a squeezing hug and a quick peck- worried but staying behind at my request. Staying with the others stay to manage the maknaes- to stay with them during that vulnerable moment post-feed.

"Something's deeply wrong." I mutter, pressing into his core as if it could ease the pain or discomfort. My soul is twisting in unease, something shifting and (Y/N)'s part can't be felt- there's just a horrifying blankness that comes from her and grief so immense it makes my body shake.

I rush after the others, seeing the Ims and MJ there too- knowing that he too is a healer, shifts something in me. If he's been called too- then it's a blatant screaming sign that something is so horrifyingly wrong.

I dart inside her apartment, the welcoming inviting promise that came with it banished for favour of following the scents of my two mates into her bedroom. The first time I'd been in there and under such horrible circumstances because my eyes land on Jimin who's sitting on her bed, curled towards her- her who is terrifyingly pale, still, and small. And when my eyes meet Jimin's, see his grief that floods them- there's nothing else before he bursts into heart-breaking tears.

I rush to the two of them, hand reaching out to cup his face to assure he's fine, he nestles into it-palm wet with the tears pouring out and then I reach my other hand out to settle across her brow and recoil.

There's such a weak, fragile, tormented wave of hurt that floods out of her- I can sense the sheer agony her soul is in, slowly tearing her apart physically, heart thudding too slowly as it tries to overcome it, tries to survive it.

There's sorrow and hurt swirling around, tightly intertwined, and knotted- her physical pain comes from the ache of her soul.

I try to blink back tears at how weak her presence is coming out as, this isn't the beautiful mate I was falling so deeply for- this was a husk, a shadow of the vibrant life she was.

There was such a wrongness with how she was, my soul screamed- that this wasn't it. She was meant to have a strongly beating heart that felt and lived so fully. Not this. Never this.

MJ's hand comes out to brush against her cheek and it takes every inch of my willpower not to snap with how close he is to my vulnerable, hurting mate and even then I can't stop the deep growl, the way my eyes snap red to his. But he just smiles understandingly, sadly before withdrawing his hand- a clear gesture of retreat.

"It's her soul revolting against the incomplete bond with Jimin." MJ utters what we all feared, all doubted. And when the Ims turn hostilely with hurting, pained eyes- he doesn't duck from sight, he bears the brunt of it as he continues to sob, hand reaching out to rest on hers.

"I'm so, so sorry (Y/N)...you can't leave me. You have to get better so you can make me suffer and repent and atone." He sobs desperately pleading with her, head tilting to hover over her- expression so raw that I want to cover him up and shield him from the eyes of those not in our coven. He's only so fragile and vulnerable around us, but his hurt is so immense that he's shattering.

Jinyoung steps forward and holds out a tonic- clearly not threatening or stirring any protective instincts because he holds it to me and nods to her sadly.

"So she can rest without pain." He whispers, tears rolling down- yearning to go to her but somehow holding back.

But before I can unstopper the glass bottle, gently pour it into her mouth, Jiminie shifts slightly- hand shifting off of hers for a few seconds and even in her unconscious state- a pained whimper slips out of her throat, body shaking with exertion and pain as she writhes restlessly, tears slipping out from under shut eyelids. The whole room thickens with worry, cries of alarm as the others crowd close- struggling against the need to stay back at the moment. Jimin balks in alarm and is quick to set his hand back, tears flowing anew because of the agony she is in. I bite my lip hard enough to taste blood, fingers trembling as I uncork the bottle and pour out an amount into a small beaker. 

The liquid is a cloudy blur of blue and grey and I inch the beaker towards her lips, pouring the tonic down when her mouth parts in a pained gasp- fighting against the tears as I gently lift her head up so it can flow down easily. Once I remove the empty beaker, MJ intercepting it to put it down, I murmur a few healing spells that'll help her body rest, that'll help heal the pounding agony in her head so she can sleep without pain.

My fingers linger against the side of her temple, lingering as I whisper to her.

"Wake up soon sweet mate." As I lean down to kiss her forehead, tears falling onto her pale skin.

I turn to the others.

"Jaebum, you should send your coven home- there's not much that they can do." I start but the furious protests cut me off.

And then I see how there eyes linger not only on her but also on their mate who's curled up on her other side, eyes flashing furiously as he glares at Jimin's hand.

"Remove it and you'll lose it." He bites out harshly, ire in his tone for Jimin.

And then MJ speaks up.

"I think skin-to-skin contact will help the best. And speed up her healing. Her soul needs Jimin." He says sorrowfully, hand squeezing Eunwoo's who clutches at him worried.

Yugyeom snarls at this. There's nothing but primal anger in the sound, raging and vehement, laced with crackling pent-up energy.

JB rushes to soothe his frazzled, distraught mate, his fingers rubbing against the newly healed mating bite on his neck- the touch loosening his tightly strung body.

"Gyeomie...even if you hate it, you want (Y/N) to wake up soon don't you?" he asks softly. And I know much the words hurt. That to help his blood mate he has to go everything he stands for, has to allow the one he wants to keep her safe from into her closest, most vulnerable state.

"How will that work though?" Jinyoung asks, eyes lingering on (Y/N).

Skin-to-skin contact. 

Whilst it'll be easier for Jimin to remove clothes, I don't want to expose (Y/N) and make her physically more vulnerable, nor cross barriers that we hadn't even dared to broach yet, to make her feel unsafe when she'd awoken.

"Jimin remove your shirt. And very, very chastely touch her back- keep a hand against it, or just any other way of very chastely touching her." MJ says, eyes narrowing and his sweet countenance melting when it comes to protecting (Y/N)- someone he holds a clearly visible soft spot for.

Jiminie starts unbuttoning his shirt with fumbling fingers, one hand still touching her but then he fumbles and I turn to do it for him, helping him slip the shirt off, and helping the blanket to go under him as he slides under the covers next to her. His eyes are hesitant and shying away from invading her space but when I nudge him gently, his hand comes to slide against the bottom off her back, a muted sigh of bliss escaping at the wholeness the touch provides.

But he worries his lips between his teeth, leaving a safe space between them even as MJ urges him closer with a stern, formidable face.

Yugyeom's eyes peer over her shoulder, narrowing onto where Jimin's hand delves under the shirt, at the way the closeness is being bridged. The threat is clear in his eyes- a promise of hurt if she gets bothered.

And when the others step out of her room to give them space, murmuring about waiting in the living room. I stay seated behind Jimin, keeping an eye on the two of them. Watching as the pinch between her brows eases out from his touch, the tonic helping her sleep and rest and recover.

"Will she be fine hyung?" Jiminie asks without turning.

I glance back at her weak, fragile state. At the still frightfully shallow rise and fall of her chest, the still too slow thud of her heart.

"She has to be. For herself and then for everyone else." I say back.

(THIS CHAPTER IS WAY LONGER THAN USUAL BUT I LOVE THAT IT IS- THE ANGST CANNOT BE SHORTENED MY LOVES! SO HOW WAS IT? I'M ALWAYS EAGER TO READ YOUR RESPONSES TO THE CHAPTER- HIGHLIGHT OF WRITING I'D SAY! AND HERE YOU GO- AND ANYONE WHO'S WONDERING HOW JB KNEW HOW TO COME. WHEN GYEOMIE SAW (Y/N)- HE UNKNOWINGLY EMITTED A DISTRESSED RESPONSE THROUGH THE BOND AND JB AS COVEN LEADER SENSED IT AND...ZOOM! HOPEFULLY OUR BABY (Y/N) WAKES UP IN THE NEXT CHAPTER- GYEOMIE IS FAR FROM APPEASED, THERE'S ANGER R A G I N G TO GET OUT AND WHEN IT DOES- TAKE COVER! WE ARE BACK AT NUMBER ONE FOR BTSXREADER MY LOVES!! THANK YOU!! FOR EVERYTHING. STAY SAFE AND TAKE CARE!)

Our souls are unique, beautiful, and special. Without them we just exist- our souls are what shape us, define us, make our experiences fuller. A person without a soul is a husk- so live your lives as the full bright versions of you!

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3