The chains rattled around Jungkook's wrists, the sound echoing through the dark forest. Namjoon was sitting on the hood of his car, leaning on his arms, a few feet away from the beta. "Jungkook", he sighed, "I don't want to leave you here."

"You have to," Jungkook heaved. The moon had been feeding his power for the past three hours. It was well past one am at this point, and Jungkook was already struggling to keep some semblance of control. His heart was pounding, and the beta was sure he could hear each thundering beat, feel it pulse through his very being. The claws on his fingers had protruded from his skin long ago. Drops of hot red blood trickled down his palm, from where his claws had dug into the palm of his hand, an instinctive attempt to ground himself.

"I don't have to", Namjoon slid off of the hood, stepping closer to the younger wolf, "I can easily stay here and go another time." The alpha frowned, staring at his beta with clear concern in his eyes, the familiar scent of worry emanating from him in waves.

"Hyung, it's okay." Jungkook's voice sounded strained, and there was a certain low growl to it that was reminiscent of his wolf. "I don't want you to miss this one opportunity. You said there's a chance your cousin's pack will pass through town tonight, right? You should go. Don't let me hold you back." He really didn't want Namjoon to miss out on things, just because he hadn't learned control yet.

"But what if you get out?"

"Then I'll be joining you in town as a murderous wolf anyway. We'll meet there," Jungkook returned, trying to joke. A moment later, he doubled over, as a new surge of power got too much for him to handle. "It's okay, really."

"If something happens just growl alright? I'll always be able to find you that way."

As Namjoon's beta, Jungkook was connected to the alpha in a special way. He was part of his pack. Because of that, whenever Namjoon let out an alpha growl, Jungkook would be pulled to growl back. His body would even transform whenever Namjoon wanted it to. Fortunately, Namjoon was a kind and selfless alpha, one who wouldn't use Jungkook's powers like that.

"I'll only be gone for only a few hours," Namjoon promised, and Jungkook tried to nod, tried to give some indication of understanding. The alpha slipped off of the car bonnet, entered the car, and drove away in the direction of the meetup he had planned.

And then he was alone.

Above his head, the leaves of the tree above rustled in the wind. The moon peered between the openings, her pale, round face gazing down at him from above. Jungkook grabbed onto the chains, letting the blood from his palms stain the steel, in a futile attempt to calm himself down, hoping the pain would bring him back to himself.

He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, chained to the tree in utmost silence, when his feet began to ache from the lack of activity As Jungkook tried to sit down, to relieve the strain on his legs, he froze at a sudden noise. Not too far from where he was standing, a twig had snapped underneath the pressure of a footstep.

Jungkook held in his breath, unsure if it had been a big animal or a human.

Then he heard the all-too-familiar click of a gun being cocked.

Jungkook froze, his heart beginning to pound, adrenaline rushing through his veins. The familiar scent of wolfsbane was just on the edge of his awareness. The panic made him move again, and he began to fight against the chains.

He had to get out of there.

The footsteps were running now, closer. The human scent of whoever was nearing him got stronger. A twig snapped.

He shouldn't have let Namjoon leave. He shouldn't have trusted the forest this much. He shouldn't have split from his alpha.

Jungkook tugged and roared, his body going into a blind panic.

No Jungkook, this is your time to show you are his beta. You have to face this fight alone. You can do this. Just get control.

Jungkook stilled and focused on his erratic breathing. He just had to shift, but stay in control as well. He could break those chains. He could do it.

He had to do it.

His wrists were bleeding, hot red liquid dripping down onto his hands, making the steel damp against his skin. He pulled, and tugged, but no matter how much he struggled, the metal only bent to let an extra millimeter of air rush through.

Everything hurt at that moment. His palms were burning, the wounds bleeding profusely against the shiny steel. The canines bursting through his gums had always been a tad too big for him, making his jaw lock out of place. Every pore in his body was flooding with a hot seething pain that overloaded his senses.

The footsteps arrived.

From the corner of his vision, he could see an arm being lifted, before a gun was pointing at him. The smooth barrel of a shotgun, aimed straight at Jungkook's head was a sight that was all too familiar to him. The barrel was only a few feet away, glinting in the bright light of a full moon. A face smirked from behind the weapon, the expression feral in an oddly human way.

"What do we have here?"

It was a woman's voice, raspy and low, filled with a familiar hatred that made his blood run cold. Jungkook looked up, and saw a woman in her mid-thirties, her blonde hair held back in a long braid that snapped like a whip as she turned around. Her outfit was typical for a hunter: all black, and decked out with too many pockets, which undoubtedly contained several hidden weapons.

She smiled at the young beta, from behind her gun. "Did someone leave me a present?"

Jungkook growled at her, the sound scraping painfully in his throat.. She merely tilted her head at him, mockingly, unphased. "Such a cute little beta. I'm sure you're not alone, are you?"

He pulled against his restraints, feeling the chains give in a little. A spark of hope lit up in his heart. Slowly, he was getting there.

He might even manage to break them.

The woman smiled, as the young wolf struggled, enjoying the slow build-up of panic that she could see rising within him as she approached. The way that his rising hopes were snuffed out, as he kept fighting, kept trying to move, without success.

Every breath was ragged, desperate. Jungkook was sure that the bullet inside that gun would kill him. He braced himself against the tree, trying to think of something, anything, that could get him out of this.

There was one thing he hadn't tried yet. One last chance.

He took a deep breath, stilled his senses, and gave in to his instincts. With the loudest voice he could muster, he roared. He roared for his alpha to rescue him. He roared for Namjoon to come to protect his beta.

When he was done, his arms fell limp against the chains as the effort had taken every bit of energy out of his body. The woman watched, the smirk on her face only growing. Jungkook's head lolled to the left, as the cold metal of a gun barrel was pressed to the side of his head.

"Yes, roar little beta, lead your alpha to me. I have a special bullet handmade for him."

"Fuck," Jungkook spat, breathing hard, "you."

The woman chuckled, pushing the gun harder against his head. Jungkook strained against the chains, highly aware of the bullets that were about to blast his brain out.

"Unfortunately he won't arrive in time to see his beta die."

Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut, hands curling around the chains to hold onto something, anything, as he waited, just waited for the gun to end his life.

But no shot was fired.

The woman stepped back, and Jungkook let out a sobbing breath, one he didn't know he'd been holding. He opened his eyes, and the gun that had originally been pointed at him, was now pointed at its next target.

"What are you?"

Jungkook couldn't see what she was looking at, but the hunter's eyes were wide, almost glossy with something that looked like fear. The creature, whatever she was pointing at, stepped closer. Jungkook gasped, recognition flashing through him in an instant.

"Do I really need to tell a hunter what I am? Shouldn't the pages of your bestiary be filled with information about me?"

"A borderwalker," the woman said, her grip faltering, and the gun dropped. It clattered to the ground. She didn't seem to think about the gun slipping out of her hand and scrambled towards it. The borderwalker didn't look too impressed.

Jungkook, just for a second, dropped his guard, confused at the extreme reaction. Why did she look like she gave up the fight? Did she know he was dangerous? How dangerous was he, then? Jungkook was dangerous too, he supposed. But she'd attacked him with so much confidence, and yet she was petrified of the borderwalker.

What did this creature have that he didn't?

The borderwalker stepped closer as calm as ever. "Leave," he repeated lowly, some sort of gravelly quality entering his voice. The hunter clicked her tongue, her confidence slowly returning.

"What reason do you have to show up here? You only come when women are in need, and as you can see, I'm not in need of your help right now."

The creature kept walking forward, his gaze trained directly on the hunter. "Leave." Jungkook noticed how the woman started to take steps back, the hand around the gun that she had only just picked up, trembling.

"This is none of your business-"

"Leave!" He bellowed, and it was enough to make the woman flee. Jungkook watched her almost trip over a branch, before dropping her gun in a whirlwind of blind panic and confusion. While Jungkook was still struck by the sudden change of events - he did almost get killed, before being saved by this newly familiar supernatural creature - the borderwalker got closer.

Jungkook gasped involuntarily, as the borderwalker pulled at the chains, breaking them in seconds. For a moment, Jungkook could only stare at the borderwalker, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He had broken the chains without breaking a sweat and the beta cowered at the thought of what would have happened if the creature hadn't been so welcome the first time they met. He could have snapped Jungkook in two in a matter of seconds.

The beta looked right into the usually empty eyes of the borderwalker, and swore he could see something close to worry flicker in them. "I do not know who your alpha is supposed to be, but he does not seem to take his role very seriously."

Jungkook's hand flew to his wrist, which was still smarting from the wounds that had been caused by the chains, and rubbed it. The skin was already starting to heal. "My alpha cares for me," Jungkook retorted defensively, "I told him to go."

The male trailed his hands to Jungkook's hands as well, whose palms were bruised and bloody. "Then you do not take your life very seriously."

"Jungkook!"

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Namjoon was there, in a flurry of blazing red eyes, and fangs, and worry, and anger. The alpha stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of the borderwalker, who had his fingers curled around his beta's wrist, and Jungkook, for some reason, seemed to think it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Get away from him." In the back of his mind, Jungkook thought that Namjoon's protective growl in that moment must have been the most attractive thing he'd ever heard. But then again, this really wasn't the time to get his panties wet for the alpha.

The borderwalker tilted his head to the side, and let Jungkook's hand go. The beta felt like grabbing onto his hand again, wanting the borderwalker to ground him with his touch. The full moon was still in full effect, after all, and Jungkook wished he could have focused on what was being said without his wolf trying to mess with his brain.

"The alpha," the creature said as he examined the other, "The one caring for this particular boy." For a person whose facial expression was almost always neutral, he was letting the others see his immediate distrust against the alpha. He clearly didn't think highly of Namjoon, and Jungkook guessed that it was because of the alpha leaving his beta alone.

Namjoon bared his teeth at him. Jungkook thought that was a very brave thing to do, because a lady with a gun had just pathetically stumbled away, simply because she recognized what the creature was, and didn't dare to mess with him.. "What do you want with him?"

"Hyung, it's okay", Jungkook interrupted, trying to break the growing tension between them, "he saved my life."

"Borderwalkers don't save lives." Jungkook felt an invisible force push him back against the tree and he identified it as Namjoon's alpha powers trying to protect him from the creature standing right beside him. Jungkook didn't need that protection though, and tried his hardest to stay steady, fighting against that force. Namjoon glared at him.

The border walker glared right back."What do you know about us?"

"Enough to know that you shouldn't be here." Jungkook shrunk at those words when Namjoon's heavy gaze landed on him again. The beta could really feel the other's power now. Namjoon didn't seem to be doing anything in particular, but something deep within Jungkook was making him want to run away at full speed. Maybe it was just his instincts, strengthened by the presence of the full moon beaming down on him, making his alpha's powers hit him with full force. Jungkook could tell Namjoon felt threatened by the borderwalker, a powerful creature who could even overpower an alpha if needed.

"Don't be mean to him hyung," Jungkook said instead, pushing one hand against the tree to ground himself, the rough bark digging into his skin. "He did just save my brain from getting pulverized by a wolfsbane bullet, if he did mean harm, he wouldn't have saved me. He could have just let me die." He glanced at the borderwalker, but why didn't you?

Namjoon seemed to hesitate for a second, "Wolfsbane?"

"A hunter, I suppose," the borderwalker cut in, "I was walking about and heard the little one's roar. When I arrived, she had her gun pressed against his head. I do not know your beta very well, but I can tell he did not deserve that fate."

"You know my beta?"

Jungkook silently begged the borderwalker to shut up at that moment, but the creature didn't notice the panicked expression on his face, too busy focusing on the furious alpha.

"He has visited me twice at night these past couple of days," the male replied, and Jungkook began cowering already, even before Namjoon had the time to react himself. "He brought me food."

Namjoon's eyes widened and Jungkook could see his face turn red, that one scary vein on his neck beginning to pulsate. "Jungkook."

"You can't scold me for it now," the beta interjected, pushing himself off the tree, but he was blasted back by the sheer force of Namjoon's anger. He gritted his teeth and was able to spit out, "When the sole reason I am alive right now is standing right beside me. If I had not talked to him before, he would not have saved me."

"That is true", the borderwalker added, "I do not care for others."

Jungkook was able to smell the feelings coming off Namjoon: a complex cocktail of anger, confusion, hurt, and disappointment. But there was also a sense of relief, hiding somewhere in that mix. "But you care for Jungkook?" Namjoon asked him.

"Your beta did me a favor," the creature replied, nodding at the pale Jungkook who seemed as if he'd either cry or empty his stomach on the spot, "He gave me food, and in return, I did him a favor."

When Jungkook made eye contact with the border walker, the creature continued, "We are even now." If the full moon wasn't making Jungkook feel as if he wanted to pierce this man's neck with his teeth, he would have smiled.

"Potato chips do not amount to you saving my life," Jungkook croaked out. Maybe he was going to puke. He absolutely hated disappointing Namjoon, up until the point it would make him physically sick. His stomach would squeeze together and bile would rise to his throat at the sheer thought of disappointing his alpha. He was supposed to be good.

"You fed him potato chips?" Namjoon turned to stare at Jungkook, wide-eyed. He was completely flummoxed, and the beta could smell the confusion coming off him in waves.

"He liked them," Jungkook whispered, shrinking into himself. He knew he fucked up, but he hadn't expected Namjoon to find about him fucking up. He thought he'd get away with it, as he'd managed to do so far. Clearly, fate had another plan for him.

The alpha pinched his nose and let out a deep, pained, sigh. He then spoke to the borderwalker. "I am really sorry for his disturbance. I wasn't aware he was this bold." he turned again to glare at his beta. "Or this stupid."

The creature shook his head, "No need for excuses, alpha. Your beta is not the worst company in the world."

Though Jungkook's stomach was feeling weak and queasy, his eyes lit up at those words. The borderwalker had enjoyed their time together? Maybe he hadn't said that with so many words, but hey, he wasn't the worst company in the world! Maybe that meant he had permission to hang out with the borderwalker again. Jungkook gasped. It had sparked an idea, a really bold one.

"Hyung! Can't he come live with us?"

Namjoon seemed taken aback by the question, jaw dropping in sheer shock and Jungkook could hear the other's heart stop for just a second. He probably thought that Jungkook's idea was horrible. The alpha glanced at the creature, his jaw clenching now and Jungkook saw the vein stick out of his neck before the alpha locked eyes with him. "Borderwalkers tend to be alone."

"But why should he be?" Jungkook demanded, in his usual stubborn and strong-willed way. He turned to the borderwalker, who had been listening in to their conversation in silence. "Please, come with us! You can get all the potato chips you want! I can't let you just leave like this, after you saved my life."

Namjoon looked as if he wanted to either smack his own face against the tree, or make Jungkook do it. He kept quiet though, as the creature replied. "You live in a cottage nearby I believe? Not too close to the humans?" He turned to look at Namjoon. Jungkook was hopeful.

Namjoon seemed quite hesitant to reply but finally spoke, "Yes, we don't like to mingle with them too often."

"Is it okay if I stay with your kind for the next couple of days? I did really enjoy the food I was given." The borderwalker then turned to look at Jungkook, who had grabbed onto the creature's shirt, lightly tugging at the material.

The beta's big doe eyes sparkled, as they met the blank ones of the creature in front of him. "It's really okay if you want to come live with us." He glanced at the alpha, "Right hyung?"

"Yes, it's fine", Namjoon sounded as if he had to practically vomit the words out of his mouth, but he finally managed to say it. Jungkook silently cheered to himself. "Let's go before it turns to morning. Will you be okay, Jungkook?"

Jungkook nodded, though he really wanted to go home and be chained to the pipes in the basement, before he'd go after anyone nearby. "The chains are useless now," he commented, grabbing the heavy broken chains, and presenting them to the alpha. "But I do think they're still necessary."

"I'll lock you in the basement for the remainder of the night," Namjoon told him after a few seconds' consideration, taking the chains so that the beta wouldn't have to carry them. "Let's go."

Extra long update for y'all <3 hope you enjoyed it! I sure did