By Winter's Protection and Dragon's Affection

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/51836107.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: M/M, Multi
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Jung Hoseok/Kim Namjoon/Kim Seokjin/Kim
Taehyung/Min Yoongi/Park Jimin, Kim Seokjin | Jin/Everyone
Characters: Kim Seokjin | Jin, Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim
Namjoon | RM, Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook
Additional Tags: Dragon Kim Seokjin | Jin, Beta Min Yoongi | Suga, Beta Jung Hoseok |
J-Hope, Beta Kim Namjoon | RM, Beta Park Jimin (BTS), Beta Kim
Taehyung | V, Beta Jeon Jungkook, Established Relationship, Wolf Pack,
Werewolves Turn Into Actual Wolves, Slow Burn, Kinda, Protective Kim
Seokjin | Jin, Magical Kim Seokjin | Jin, Getting to Know Each Other,
Courting Rituals, Misunderstandings, minor tho - Freeform, established
ot6, Minor Injuries, Everyone is Whipped For Kim Seokjin | Jin,
Caretaking, Explicit Language, Blood and Injury
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-12-19 Updated: 2024-01-20 Words: 21,360 Chapters:
2/3
 By Winter's Protection and Dragon's Affection
by shenannagations

Summary

When they're kicked out of their birth pack for being a group of six mated betas, they
migrated northward into the mountains. Their thick wolfen fur was a powerful source of
protection against the bitter cold they came upon.

As they scale the mighty peak known as Clouded Reach, they are met with the realization
that the mountain isn't as uninhabited as they had imagined. Now they have to make nice
with the dragon, Seokjin, in order to find the peace they long to establish for themselves.

Or,

The story of how The Bangtan Pack met the fabled mountain dragon and earned a place
under his wing. (Also Seokjin is a protective dragon ready to summon blizzards at a
moment's notice.)
 Departure From the Past At the Behest of the Future
Chapter Notes

This was a super spontaneous idea that I came up with. I had no idea, at the time, that it
would become this large of a project ^^; But apparently this story and its characters had
a lot to say.

Also this is entirely unbeta'd and I have no regrets. Yolo.

Anyways, please enjoy the first part of this wintery offering.

The (entirely instrumental) Playlist

See the end of the chapter for more notes

As betas, they were considered a pack necessity.

Their birth pack had long relied on the patience and peacekeeping abilities of betas to keep a
sense of balance. Alphas and omegas were far too instinct driven to handle such a task, after
all. They couldn't be bothered to learn the practices of leading group discussions and
diplomacy. Such a thing was a beta's duty to their pack, mated or not. They were obligated
and expected to fulfill their duties to the pack whether they liked it or not.

Which was why it was such an issue when the six of them mated one another and declared
their 'beta services' exclusive to their mates. It felt petty of them to do but in reality, the move
had been born from their irritation from having to play peacekeeper so much for people they
didn't really care about.

A pack that relied on the levelheadedness of one subgender was destined to fail. They had all
known that. They had seen their once great pack become a broken shell of itself as they made
it into adulthood.

Betas were not meant to be replacements for the behavioral issues of Alphas and Omegas.
The lack of interpersonal relationships was not their job to fix.

The first time they had been forced into acting as Betas on the collective pack’s behalf, they
had held a meeting and realized they all wanted to leave.

Their own bond would not flourish in that kind of environment. They would never be granted
peace to exist as mates amongst people that relied on their neutral scents. Their love would
never bloom to its full potential if they had to stifle so much of themselves for the sake of a
pack that didn’t validate their mating bond.
As their makeshift leader, Yoongi had been the one to convince them all to begin actual
preparation for the day they would leave.

They worked hard during the summer to make themselves new clothing and a whole bundle
of blanket furs for both their future den and for warmth. They dried meat and bundled up
packets of seeds. They made themselves packs to carry what belongings they could,
including the courting gifts they had given to one another. Each of them made sure to get
their hands on a set of flint and steel to make fire.

Then of course, they all had individual projects that they handled as well.

Yoongi had taken it upon himself to study maps of the area and scout out potential routes
they could take. He wanted to find a place that they would be able to settle and make a
homestead, without the threat of their birth pack, or anyone else, coming to find them. He
wanted to make sure his pack would be safe.

Hoseok had been hard at work on a set of tools they would need to craft their new den, as
well as survive on their own. His skills with both wood and metal working meant that the
work was easy if time consuming. He prepared a few hatchets, a saw, a hammer, a fishing
pole, a few spears, and a knife for each of them. If nothing else, they'd have all the tools
needed to survive.

Namjoon, not confident in his abilities to craft any kind of physical good for their eventual
journey, had elected to play the role of the dutiful beta tending to their birth pack's needs. It
exhausted him to the point of tears most days. Though his choice to do so meant that the rest
of them could dedicate more time to their preparations.

Jimin had dedicated his efforts into preparing a thorough medical kit. He collected and dried
herbs, made strips of linen for bandages, and mixed up a few different salves that would aid
in healing. He prepared needles and thread in case any of them needed stitching up. He
ground up poppy seeds and made them into an edible paste that would abate pain. He was
determined to be ready for all sorts of potential medical needs.

Taehyung focused his attentions on repairing travel packs, knitting scarves and hats for the
impending winter, and adding layers to their winter furs. He was good at handing a needle
and thread. It was one of the reasons his five mates had taken to entrusting clothing and
fabric repairs to him. They knew that he would ensure a thorough job had been done and that
the stitching would hold.

Jungkook had gone an entirely different route with his preparation. As he saw their
belongings pile up, and their packs get heavier and heavier, he had decided that they'd need a
travel wagon. It wasn't anything substantial, just enough to hold a bundle of wood, a few
packs and their travel tents. But he figured it would aid their journey in more ways than one.
He also ensured that the wheels could be removed and sleds put in their place if they
encountered snow before they could settle.

With the six of them working in tandem, doing their best to have a few months of supplies
worth before they even left, the pack found themselves ready to leave by the time the first
snowfall coated the land. They watched with careful gazes as the ground disappeared beneath
several layers of powder. Their plan was to leave in the night during a substantial snowfall. If
they managed to do that, then the chances that their tracks could be followed decreased quite
a bit. Plus the onslaught of winter weather would deter any immediate reaction.

"I think we can leave by the next snow," Yoongi said to them one night. "We have done as
much preparation as we can, and we're starting to stagnate here. Joonie especially deserves to
be free from this place."

Namjoon ducked his head and tucked his face into Hoseok's neck. "It's not so bad," he
muttered. "It was worth it to give you guys time to hammer out details."

Hobi kissed his face in different spots in a show of silent gratitude.

"Have you decided where we're gonna go, Yoonie?" Jimin asked. Jungkook and Taehyung
were curled up on either of his sides and leaning against him with droopy eyes.

Yoongi grabbed a map and unrolled it to show them the path he had marked. "It took me
awhile to decide, and it wasn't a choice easily made but.. I think our best bet would be to
settle within the embrace of the mountain."

They took the news rather well, all things considered.

The mountain in question was known by the name Clouded Reach. The mountain was so
colossal that most of the time, the upper heights of it were concealed by the clouds. Clouded
Reach was a fearsome entity that loomed high above most other peaks in the area. Even in
the height of summer when the clouds had cleared away, a blanket of snow was seen over the
top half of the mountain. Their birth pack had legends about those that had attempted to scale
its peaks. All of whom had met a mysterious fate, or had been lost to the frightful cold.
Though there were also rumors that the mountain housed a much more sinister power in its
clutches.

Not many animals could thrive in an environment that heralded winter year-round. Which
was why the stories had arisen that only a winter dragon could flourish within Clouded
Reach's embrace. Their snow white scales would surely disappear amongst the clouds and
constant snow cover. Their body would be well suited to the blizzards and ice storms that
ruled over the peaks.

This thought was only further fueled by the claims from those that had returned from the
mountain. They'd share tales of a hidden creature with gigantic wings and eyes that seemed to
shift colors. They never remembered much, but their stories always bore similarities in the
creature's characteristics.

For Yoongi to choose to face Clouded Reach head on was a definite risk. There was a lot at
stake and no guarantee that they'd be able to settle in such a tumultuous climate. Yet doing so
also decreased the possibility that they'd be followed or found if they didn't wish to be.

"It'll be a tough journey," Hoseok said, "but I think one worthwhile to find peace for
ourselves."
"As long as we're together, we can do anything," Taehyung grumbled from his spot.

Yoongi's face crinkled up with a fond little smile. "Yeah. Together."

It was decided.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

As their chance to leave their birth pack behind crept closer and closer, the six of them took
the time to spend more time together. They took full advantage of the pack's established
nature and indulged in the facilities and meals that came with.

They didn't tend to the rest of the pack as betas were meant to. They didn't give anyone but
their mates any of their attention. It was the most bliss they had known since the week they
had taken away from their surroundings to focus on mating one another. It was glimpse into
the future they were going to seek out.

The six of them bided their time. Another heavy snowfall would come and it would spell the
beginning of their freedom.

In their excitement, they had failed to consider the rising anger of their birth pack. More and
more disputes cropped up with less betas to deal with the situation. Relationships were
crumbling at their rickety foundations. Any good will from neighboring packs was sinking
due to poor negotiations. The pack was splintering apart.

This led to bitterness which led to fury.

One morning they awakened to angry pounding on their front door. The raging voices of their
birth pack could be heard from the other side.

Yoongi woke his mates and urged them to get dressed and grab their packs. Such direct action
was a threat if he had ever seen one. "Up, up," he said in a hurried whisper. "I have a bad
feeling about this."

Little known to their birth pack, the six of them had built themselves a secondary entrance to
their cabin as an emergency escape. It blended in seamlessly with the exterior of their home
and was latched from the inside. So if anyone was to go looking for it they were sure to
overlook it. Which was the designed intent.

Jungkook hooked up the harness that Taehyung had made for him and attached it to the
packed sled. He then shifted into wolf form and shimmed it over his head and stamped his
paws in place. Anxious.
Namjoon helped his mates slide their packs on atop their winter jackets and then hefted his
own on, coming to stand behind Yoongi. “Is it the whole pack y’think?”

Yoongi allowed his mate to help him with his travel bag, just holding in a growl when the
door was slammed again. “It has to be. They’ve been pissed at us shirking our bullshit duties
for awhile now.”

“Their loss,” Hoseok muttered. “Because now instead of intimidating us, they’re losing our
presence altogether.”

One of their glass windows broke and the sounds of the gathered mob increased.

“I think that may be their new intent,” Yoongi said.

Taehyung looked three seconds from freaking out. He had Jimin’s hand clutched in his own
as his other scratched at Jungkook’s furred head.

“Will we be able to get away from them do you think?” Jimin asked. His voice was pitched
high with fear but his gaze held determination. He seemed ready to fight if the need arose.

Yoongi offered his mates a sharp smile. “This is what we’ve been preparing for, dearhearts. I
have no doubt we’ll be able to outrun these mongrels.”

Jungkook barked, paws tapping on the floor.

Just like that, their spirits were refreshed. The uncertainty ebbed away and left determination
in its wake.

“Let’s do this.”

Jimin undid the latch to the back door and pulled it open slow, peering out to see if anyone
was there. “It’s clear.”

They helped Jungkook clear the door and made sure the sled feet caught on top of the snow
that had fallen. Once their pup was out, the rest of them followed.

Yoongi tossed a lingering glance to their home and bowed his head as he closed the door. It
was his way of thanking the property for having cared for them and offered a safe place to
live and grow their love. No matter what came next, they would never forget this house as the
starting point to their love story.

They moved as a unit, trying to get as much distance from the village as they could before
their disappearance was noticed.

Despite the deep snow, their feet trudged through it with ease. They were running for
freedom.

“THEY’VE LEFT! INTO THE WOODS AFTER THEM!”

Yoongi heard those words and knew they had to jump into action. “Pick it up!” He ordered.
“We have to get out of range!”

Jungkook barked a few times and threw his weight into hauling the sled behind him. It was a
lot for only one of them to handle and they all knew it.

Jimin shrugged his pack off and handed it to Taehyung. In seconds, he transformed into his
wolf form and wiggled himself into the harness alongside Jungkook. The two of them made
eye contact and pulled with their combined might.

They had anticipated Jungkook needing help and had given Jimin the lightest pack for that
reason. If their pup needed the help, Jimin would be the one to shed his load and aid him.

Taehyung hooked the straps over his arms, now loaded with a pack on front and back. It
balanced out his haul in a roundabout way and made it easier to run.

Pulling up the rear of the group, Namjoon and Yoongi kept an ear out on the pursuing mob.
Despite their speed, it was clear that they were being gained on.

“We might have to fight them, jagi,” Namjoon huffed.

Yoongi didn’t want to even consider it but he knew he would do anything to protect his
mates. Even if it meant striking out against his birth packmates. “If it comes to that, Joon, I
need you to keep pushing the group in my stead. You know the route I planned out as well as
I do.”

“Yoon-” Namjoon met his gaze with pure fear written on his face. “Jagi, you can’t!”

“Only as a necessity,” Yoongi replied.

His attitude changed when an arrow flew past his face and wedged into a nearby tree.

“Arrows! Watch yourselves!”

Hoseok snarled, the sound more wolf than human. He wrestled his bow from his shoulder
and grabbed up a few arrows from his quiver. He paused for only a moment to fire one back
in the direction the arrow had come from.

The sound of a yelp echoed in the air and told of a direct hit.

“Well done, love, now go! Go!”

More arrows flew in their direction, each aimed for haphazardly than the last.

Namjoon stumbled in the snow at one point, but Yoongi quickly yanked him back up and
forward. They were at the cusp of escape now. If they stopped pushing themselves now,
they’d lose the lead they had made.

It was a difficult balance. The higher they got into the hills, the deeper the snow became. The
further in they went, the further back their chasers fell.
By the time they crested the first true climb that freed them from the territory of their birth
pack, they were all winded.

The immediate danger seemed to have passed but they still felt uncertain and kept pushing
onward.

As they crossed out of the official boundary, their escape was interrupted by a loud intrusion.

“You are never welcomed back among us!” The screamed words echoed in the forest around
them. “If you ever return! We will kill you on sight!”

They allowed themselves to slow to a halt. It felt like they had done it. They had gotten past
the hard part.

“Did… Did we do it?” Taehyung asked through heaving breaths.

“I think we did…” Hobi replied.

Jungkook and Jimin sniffed the air and offered small yaps, a confirmation that there was no
one in their vicinity.

Namjoon collapsed into the snow with a low groan. “I need help.” He struggled to hold
himself up, arms shaking as he did his best to keep from faceplanting.

Yoongi’s head whipped to face his mate, eyes drawn the dark stain of red on his left leg.
“What the fuck?! Did you get hit, Namjoon?”

The younger beta hung his head. “I wasn’t sure, it just hurt a lot. I thought I pulled a muscle
or something..”

A closer examination revealed a broken arrow shaft lodged in his mate’s leg. Yoongi felt like
crying. How had this escaped his notice? How had he not seen the hit?

Taehyung rushed over, already having opened Jimin’s pack that held the medical kit. “Good
thing we came prepared for this kind of thing.”

Jimin and Jungkook got themselves out of the sled harnesses and bellied over to distract
Namjoon.

Hoseok and Taehyung worked to extract the shaft and bandage the wound in a tight band of
linen.

Yoongi kept watch, anxiety not letting him do anything else. Not while his mates were
distracted and vulnerable. He would almost prefer to be in wolf form but didn’t want to
saddle any of his mates with his pack.

“Sorry, Yoonie,” Namjoon murmured. “I should’ve been more aware.”

Yoongi shook his head. “It’s not your fault, darling. It was a difficult situation and we were
running on adrenaline. I feel bad that I didn’t notice sooner.”
Or maybe he had. Had it happened when Namjoon stumbled? That must have been the
moment. Fuck.

Now there was a new thing to consider. Namjoon shouldn’t walk on that leg, not with an
injury like that. They would need to clear room for him on the sled. Which meant a couple of
added packs for the rest of them. They could trade out along the way but it was an
unexpected hit to their plan.

By the height of the sun in the sky, it was a bit before midday. It had been early morning
when they were run out of their home.

“Did we manage to grab all of our packs before we left? I doubt they’ll give us a chance to
sneak back in and salvage it.” Yoongi was nervous that they may have left something in their
rush to leave. Though it felt like they had been pretty thorough at the time.

Taehyung seemed to take a visual count. “I think the only thing we left were the older furs
that we were debating on taking or not. Everything else important is here with us.”

Hoseok let out a breathless laugh as he reached out to pat their shifted mates on the head.
“Yeah, including all of us. Even if our Joonie got a little hurt in the process.”

Namjoon echoed his laughter as he sat up from his hunched position. “Guess that means I’ll
get to be doted on when we find a place to settle.”

Taehyung kissed him full on the mouth. “Yes. Yes indeed. We’ll take very good care of you,
baby.”

They all chuckled when Namjoon’s cheeks went red at the attention.

“We’ll need to put you on the sled, Namjoonie,” Yoongi said with a commiserating pat to his
shoulder. “I don’t want to risk that injury becoming worse.”

“Okay, jagi.” He seemed reluctant but knew better than to try and argue with a protectively
charged Yoongi.

There was a long journey ahead of them, but at least they were free. Now their future could
begin.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

When he had crafted the route that would take them to the foot of Clouded Reach, Yoongi
had estimated that it’d take them at least a day and a half to reach its mighty base.
So it came as quite the surprise when they managed to reach the foot of the mountain by the
end of the first day.

Clouded Reach was just as intimidating and beautiful up close. It disappeared into the low
hanging clouds, only a faint silhouette visible from where they stood. There were hundreds of
of trees within their vicinity that bore snow on their boughs. Between that and the heavy
clouds overhead, Yoongi knew they were in for a winter storm in the near future.

As he peered up along the path they would take, Yoongi found himself falling in love with
the quiet of the area. Their birth pack had always been so loud and busy all the time. There
was hardly time nor opportunity for them to embrace that sort of thing unless they had left
the village. Which had been hard to do when there were so many eyes watching for people to
sneak out, especially if they happened to be betas.

The icy stillness was refreshing. Yoongi really hoped they would be able to make a home for
themselves within the mountain's embrace.

"Wow," Hoseok breathed. "I've never seen it so close before. I'm kind of intimidated."

Namjoon hummed in agreement, gaze full of awe. "Yeah, it's beautiful but kind of terrifying
too."

Taehyung helped Jimin and Jungkook shimmy out of their harnesses before they shifted.

Jungkook stretched his arms behind his head. "That was a good run. I don't think we're gonna
be able to do that pace up this thing though."

"Definitely not," Yoongi agreed. "We'll go for a much more leisurely pace now that we're not
being pursued."

Jimin took the opportunity to check on their mate's injury. He seemed pleased with things for
now. He pressed a kiss to Namjoon's lips and ruffled his hair. "Good job taking it easy, love.
I'm not seeing any early signs of infection so I think it was just a regular hunting arrow. It'll
take some time to heal but as long as we keep you rested up, it should heal without issue."

Namjoon huffed in response. "It's just a nuisance until then. Bad timing."

”Life rarely offers good timing even when you plan for it,” Hobi pointed out. “Try not to
linger on it.”

“Hmph.”

Taehyung grinned, always endeared when one of them got huffy. “It’ll be okay, Joonie. Lots
of coddling for you once we settle in our camp for the night.”

Even though that had been preparing to leave and had planned it all out, there was an element
of discord to their current circumstances. They were ready and had made sure of such before
anything could come to pass, yet being faced with the reality of no longer having a sturdy
roof over their heads was rather sobering.
They had a lot of work ahead of them. There was a lot to be done, a significant hike ahead of
them, and a new home to be built.

Their days of freedom had begun. But it had brought a whole slew of logistics with it that
they’d need to hammer out.

The thoughts of everything that they’d need to do and work on whirred in Yoongi’s mind but
he did his best to push it to the side. For now, they should focus on settling a camp for the
night. The rest could come after a good sleep.

”We should see how far we can get up the mountain tomorrow, and then we’ll settle
somewhere once day fades into afternoon. If all goes well, we’ll be able to reach the halfway
point by then.”

Namjoon slumped a bit on the sled. “Sorry for causing more work for the rest of you.”

Taehyung leaned down to scent him. “Hush, baby. It’s our privilege to take care of you.”

“So are we setting up here? Or do we want to find somewhere a bit more protected for the
night?" Jimin asked as he stretched his limbs.

They all took a moment to check their surroundings, surveying. It was kind of out in the open
but protected by the large evergreens overhead. It wasn’t perfect, but they were going to be
living out a tent until they had the opportunity to build themselves a new cabin. So it would
do.

“Do we want to take watches as a precaution?” Jungkook asked.

Yoongi hummed in consideration. “I would say yes but I think we’ll be in for a storm tonight.
I don’t want to risk any of us to the elements, even in wolf form. I think we’ll all be on high
alert tonight anyways. Let’s all try and get as much sleep as possible tonight.”

Plan of action decided, they could start to set up their camp.

Jungkook and Yoongi focused on clearing away the snow to make a base for their fire pit, and
collecting wood from downed trees in the area.

Jimin and Hoseok focused on setting up the large tent they had made for themselves and all
the bedding they’d need for the night.

Taehyung and Namjoon (who had been ordered by Jimin to stay seated) were preparing some
food for them all. Their first meal as free betas.

Within an hour, their respective tasks were finished. A warm fire roared before them, food
filled their bellies, and their tent was ready to receive them for a good sleep. They were a
team. A team driven by their unified love for one another and the desire to bask in the
freedom of their new lives.

They had escaped the oppressive atmosphere of their birth pack. They had survived and
persevered their way straight to freedom. The long wait to get to that point had been worth
every moment.

“I am so in love with every single one of you,” Taehyung breathed after they had finished
their meal. “And I am so excited for where our lives will go from here.”

His statement was met with fond sounds and smiles as the others offered similar sentiments
in return.

They settled in for rest not long after, with the warmth of the fire surrounding them within the
confines of the tent. They grouped up around a snoring Namjoon and bid each other
goodnight.

Tomorrow, they’d begin their journey up the mountain.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

When the first breath of morning came, the quiet of the forest had transformed into a howling
winter storm.

The walls of their tent rippled and flapped furiously, the heat of the fire had long since been
snuffed out. It was a tough reminder of their circumstances. They were only as protected
from the bitter cold as their clothing and blankets could offer.

Even with their conjoined warmth, there was a frightful chill in the air. The moderate
coldness of the day previous had spiraled down into frigidity.

“This is gonna be a rough hike, isn’t it?” Hobi asked, voice rough with sleep.

Yoongi didn’t want to dignify that with a response, though his thoughts were much the same.
It was sure to be difficult with the added stress and complications of such a strong storm.

“Mmmngh, don’t think about it yet,” Taehyung grumbled, rolling to flop his leg over
Hoseok’s hip. “More sleep first.”

Yoongi couldn’t help a fond smile as he watched his love buckle under the younger’s
insistent pout.

“Okay, jagi. Let’s sleep a little more.”

There was no rush. They had all the time in the world to scale the mountain. Clouded Reach
wouldn’t be going anywhere.
If the storm refused to relent from its current state? They could take an extra day to rest
before setting out.

Yoongi settled back in to the warmth of his mates and let loose a long sigh. Contentment
soothed him inside and out. More sleep was in order. Everything else could wait.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

It was nearly midday by the time they had gotten themselves together and the camp packed
up.

They had taken the time to indulge in a slow morning, trading lazy kisses and cuddles with
one another without worry of being interrupted by someone in their birth pack in need of a
beta. It was a moment of pure bliss that they’d hold near and dear to them for a long time to
come.

They bundled Joonie up in a few blankets on the sled since he wasn’t allowed to shift just yet.
(Jimin had told him that he would be able to in a couple of weeks once they started getting
him to walk again.)

The rest of them elected to shift into their wolf forms in an effort to keep as much body heat
as possible.

While the storm had gotten better come full daylight, it was still bitter cold from the
whipping winds. Yoongi took comfort in the heavy snowfall though, knowing it would cover
any tracks that they left behind.

Clouded Reach was offering its first trial to them. It was up to them to answer with their own
tenacity.

When they were ready, Yoongi headed off the pack and led his mates up into the covered
trails of the mountain.

Their spirits were high despite the fearsome weather billowing about. It was one of the first
times in a long time that they had gotten the chance to enjoy the unique beauty of winter.

The towering trees held onto the snow falling from the sky, cradling it on their branches like
a powdery blanket. The needles of every evergreen pine danced on the winds in a way that
mimicked the flakes falling from the sky.

It was a beautiful display. Winter called to all wolves in the way that spring called to the bees.
The cold came as a warm welcome. Almost like the embrace of an old friend.
As their hike continued, Jungkook took a chance to embrace the storm in the way only a wolf
could. He tilted his head back and let out a sweet howl.

Namjoon laughed from the sled.

Jimin and Taehyung were quick to join in, one pitched low and one pitched high.

Hoseok and Yoongi shared an amused glance before they too joined in.

Their five voices intertwined in beautiful harmony, swept away in the winds and carried
around the mountain.

When their song came to a close, they noticed that Namjoon was in tears.

Hobi whined and padded over to lick at his cheeks.

“Mm’okay,” he said through a chuckle. “I just love how pretty that sounded. It’s been a long
time since we got to howl like that.”

Yoongi realized then just how true that sentiment was.

Their birth pack had been stifling in more ways than one. Their entire existence had felt
heavy with the expectations of the others. Each day was a bit stilted as they tried to navigate
their lives without being pulled into a building conflict between an alpha and omega. Their
every move was tracked. Their every meal was interrupted. Their every moment of bonding
was regarded with disdain. Their very existence as a mated beta pack was seen as a slight
against the others.

They had gotten used to it, had been forced to accept it as normal. Even though they had
known, in their hearts, how backwards it all was.

Never again, Yoongi decided then and there. Never again would his mates be forced to give
up their comfort in order to cohabitate with others. Never again would they allow their lives
to be intruded upon in that way.

This new beginning would be their chance to renew the strength of their bond. It would be a
chance for them to embrace the the joys of being mates without the derisive glances from
their kin.

Clouded Reach was hopefully going to be a source of salvation for them.

All that was left, was to make the climb.

As they got higher up the storm reawakened with a newfound fury. Where it had been
bordering on calm, it turned on head and presented them with all of its might. Their field of
vision narrowed to a sparse few feet in front of them. The trees creaked and groaned as the
snow fell in a torrent. Ice began to build in their fur and atop the furred blankets that bundled
their mate on the sled.
Yoongi barked every few minutes to ensure his mates were still behind him. The tension in
his bones was only soothed when he heard them call back. He could only hope that the storm
would break and offer them another reprieve from its might.

For now, they would push on. Clouded Reach would not break them so easily.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Something had changed. The mountain felt different all of a sudden.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head.

Somehow, an entity or entities had made it past the worst of his wintry storm. Someone was
on the mountain and moving deeper into his domain.

He raised himself from his nest and crept forward through his cave.

It was time to find out the intentions of the newest intruders.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

For how fearsome the winter storm had been up until that point, they had anticipated a
upward battle ahead of them. It would only make sense that the weather would worsen as
they climbed higher up.

Yet as they crested up into what they believed to the middle portion of Clouded Reach's
height, the storm died away and left only an overcast sky in its wake. The whipping winds
fell away and left the area feeling a bit warmer than it had been the entire climb up thus far.

Yoongi looked to his mates in confusion. Their body language gave away the fact that they
felt the same.

Jungkook sniffed the air and barked.

“Yeah, that’s a really weird change up,” Namjoon commented. “I feel like we just stepped
over a threshold or something.”

It made Yoongi feel nervous, unsettled. There was no discernable reason for the storm to
have faded so abruptly. Unless it was a warning of what was to come. His ears picked up no
threatening sounds of compounding snow drifts, which might suggest an avalanche. His nose
couldn’t pick up on any lingering creature in their immediate vicinity. His eyes couldn’t see
any obvious cause for the storm’s pause.

It was almost exactly as Joonie has suggested. It was almost… magical in nature.

Wolves weren’t removed from the concept of magic, but they also couldn’t wield it in an
active form. Their was a natural magic that blended into their blood and allowed them the
ability to shift.

Betas were said to have the most direct engagement with their inner magic as their dynamic
was the epitome of balanced and controlled. There were no ‘distractions’ from their root. Or
so their birth pack had claimed, though it was perhaps another method of guilt and peer
pressure to have access to their help.

Yoongi liked to think that their fables and beliefs had stemmed from something much more
ancient than their modern ideals, one uninhibited by the concepts that had become
commonplace within their society.

There was so much more to life than their simple ability to keep the peace. That much he was
sure of.

Still, the prospect of magic being involved? It would make sense, given the reputation that
Clouded Reach carried. He just dreaded it.

If there was something upon the mountain that could bear and control magic? They might be
in for quite the rude encounter.

Yoongi shifted back into his human form and strode over to Namjoon, brushing away the
snow on top of his blankets. “I have to say that I agree. Something felt different as soon as we
got to this plateau.”

Namjoon bit at his lip. “What does that mean for us, jagi?”

He could sense his mates shifting as well. It seemed the change up had left them all as uneasy
as he.

Hoseok came up and grabbed his hand. “I guess we just keep pushing forward and see what
happens?”

Taehyung nodded. “We might as well. It could’ve been a bit of grace from nature. Maybe it
decided to cut us some slack.”

Jimin laughed and tousled Tae’s hair with a fond grin on his face. “I like that thought, Tete.
We’ll hope that’s the case.”
Jungkook had elected to remain shifted but he strode over and brushed against their legs,
large eyes staring up at them in silent question.

“Okay,” Yoongi agreed. “We’ll keep moving forward. Let’s hope it was a weird fluke of
some kind.”

And maybe that was the case. They were still new to Clouded Reach. There was no telling
what the normal was for weather patterns and the like.

Yoongi just knew what his gut was feeling. He'd keep the optimism in mind, but he was
realistic. Something was up. He could only hope it would reveal itself in time.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

It had been quite some time since the last travelers had dared attempt to scale the mountain.
As it had been his home for the last few hundred years, he always kept an eye on travelers to
ensure that their passage was a peaceful one. If they encroached too close to his home, or
harmed the environment, he would make his presence known.

There were simple rules that he wanted visitors to adhere to. Seokjin just never expected
them to do so. Common courtesy was a dying art, or so it seemed.

He surfaced from the opening of his home and surveyed his immediate surroundings. There
was nothing out of the ordinary to be found. No sounds carried over the winds or disturbed
the quiet of the mountain.

Seokjin stretched his wings and took a moment to soak in the crisp air and the slightly
warmth from the sun overhead.

Living at one of the highest points of the mountain came with a degree of solitude and silence
that he had gotten used to over the years. Trees were fewer but monstrous, animals were
scarce but calm, trespassers were rare and usually turned back around before they could
become a problem for him.

It was the kind of life he had hoped to find after living in the dragonic capital of Dagenyeon
during his youth. The roaring bustle of the city was nonstop and was hard for a dragon.
Seokjin had always had more sensitive ears than many of his kin, so life there had been
borderline torture for his senses.

But here? Above the clouds, above the standard living level for humans of all sorts, there was
peace.
Seokjin’s eyes flickered open at the sound of wing beats.

A few crows flew overhead, scouting out the ridges for any pickings. They were unlikely to
find something easy to feast on.

He stretched his wings once more and made his way out along the path. The journey to a
nearby peak was familiar and well worn despite the thick covering of snow that concealed the
actual pathway from view.

His presence upon the mountain worked in symbiosis with the natural ecosystem. His magic
fueled the snowstorms and allowed him to control them from time to time. His magic also
worked to protect the cycle of frosting and defrosting along the mountain’s peaks. The
summer sun would melt some of the snow and ice but not enough to eradicate it completely.

There were only a couple months out of the year that showed the earthen ground beneath all
of the snow. It was one of the few times that he could allow his plants and crops to see the
actual sun. Most of the animals that managed to live atop the mountain alongside him also
took those months to embrace the warmth of a much lower altitude.

This was the way of the mountain. As it had been for all the years Seokjin had lived upon it.

The issue arose with the continuous meddling from humans and humanoids. Though wolf
shifters seemed to be the most pressing presence.

Seokjin didn’t mind visitors. That was to be expected. Humanoids and animals alike would
seek out the mountain in a bout of curiosity if nothing else. Most of which had the
wherewithal to respect their surroundings when they appeared.

The wolves, however, seemed intent on claiming the mountain rather than visiting it.

He had done so a few centuries before. He understood the desire. The mountain was a
beautiful piece of natural beauty that towered above even the clouds. His heart had longed to
make it home as soon as he had laid eyes upon its glistening peaks.

The difference was that his presence upon the mountain was not a hindrance to the natural
cycling of the seasons, nor the existing ecosystem. He grew his own food or flew down to the
nearby forest to hunt for meat if he was in need. The most he had ever done was fell a few
trees that were mostly dead already for his cavernous home. Even then, he had gathered seeds
from the nearby trees and planted them in the height of summer.

Seokjin loved the mountain, and it loved him in return in its own way. The symbiosis was a
sacred thing for him, and something he refused to see broken for the greed of creatures with
much shorter life spans.

He reached his take off area and swept a careful gaze over the visible landscape. No
movement caught his eye, except for the calculated hops from a few mountain goats as they
navigated a gulley.
Still, he could feel the presence of life forms that were unfamiliar to him. He needed to
investigate their intentions. It was his self imposed duty on behalf of the mountain and its
creatures.

With a quick stretch of his limbs, Seokjin leapt into the sky and pulled himself into the air
with his mighty wings. The icy air felt pleasant over his scales. He rumbled in appreciation,
allowing himself to coast over the winds for a bit.

To be a dragon was to take the utmost pleasure and pride in one's flight. It was this united
sense of freedom that came from dancing with the winds and clouds that gave dragons joy
that only other winged creatures could understand.

After getting his fill, he drew his wings into his sides and dove down to the level of the
mountain closer to the disturbance.

It was time to confront those that had managed to bypass his storm.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Yoongi heard the mighty wingbeats before he ever saw the source of the sound. He froze in
place, whipping around to face his mates with a look of terror.

There was no bird alive that could make a sound so thunderous just by flying. There was no
way those were the sounds of an avian.

"Group up!" He hissed.

The six of them huddled in closer to one another in a protective formation over Namjoon. As
the injured one, he was thus the weakest at the moment. Their instincts didn't much like the
idea of leaving his wellbeing up to chance.

The flapping sound grew closer and closer as the trees around them began to dance from the
massive waves of air.

Four massive clawed feet dug into the snow as the dragon landed before them.

None of them could quite believe the sight that lay before them. There had always been tales
and rumors, sure, but no proof of the mountain's dragon had ever been brought forth. It was
as though no one ever got close enough to steal away anything of the sort.

As they stared down the colossal beast, they realized why that was. It was the much saner
thing to turn tail and run.
The dragon stared them down with eyes that seemed to be a myriad of colors. The skin
around their eyes and mouth seemed to sparkle silver and gold, like the dragon's skin
underneath was made of precious metal. Their scales were a mix of shining white and pale
blue and allowed them to blend in well to the snow surrounding them. The creature's head
was made up of a bunch of spikes and pointed scales, though it did not make them appear as
fearsome as they might have otherwise imagined.

It was the size of the dragon that made it a frightful visage. Far taller than four men standing
atop one another's shoulders, it seemed to match the large mountain trees.

The dragon seemed to survey them as it stood before them. Its gaze flickered over all of them
but gave nothing away.

"What do we do?" Taehyung whispered. "We are so fucked if it decides to attack."

Jungkook, crouched in front of them in wolf form, growled.

The dragon's attention shifted to their youngest mate, its large jaw parting to offer a bone
chilling hiss in reply.

Namjoon grabbed a handful of Jungkook's fur and tugged him back half a step in warning.
The last thing they needed to do was piss off a dragon of all things.

"We mean no harm, Dragon of Clouded Reach," Yoongi called out with fear in his tone. "We
have fled our birth pack and only seek to find shelter within this hallowed peak. We will not
cause you trouble, I swear it."

It was a desperate thing to try. There was no guarantee the dragon would ever understand
their words. Nor was there any assurance that his plea would be heard. Yet it was all he could
offer in that moment. Yoongi just wanted to find peace for he and his mates, he didn't want to
battle a dragon.

The dragon huffed, it sounded a bit like a sound of disbelief. Its tailed whipped through the
snow in a show of agitation.

Hoseok sucked in a breath and tightened his hold on Taehyung's arm. "Please, please,
please," he said in an under breath mantra.

”I can’t speak for others that have scaled the mountain, Dragon,” Yoongi tried. “I don’t know
if they’ve wronged you, or if they’ve harmed Clouded Reach in some way, but we are not the
same.”

Again the dragon expressed skepticism. Another puff of snow erupted from behind it with
another sweep of its tail.

Jungkook didn’t try and growl again but his hackles were raised and his posture tensed up.
He was ready to fight if the need arose.

”What are the odds it can actually speak our language?” Jimin asked in a low murmur.
None of them wanted to consider that question for too long. It was too frightening.

The dragon watched them got a moment more before it straightened up and closed its eyes. A
bright flash of light enveloped the creature, so vibrant that it was blinding.

The six of them shielded their eyes on instinct.

When the light faded, a tall human stood in the dragon’s place.

They were dressed in a blue gray cloak that was lined with a fluffy blue fur material around
the top. Their eyes were the same mix of colors, pupils still slit. Their hair was white as snow,
but spiky in a way that was reminiscent of icicles or the spikes of their dragon form. A long
strand of hair fell on either side of their face and framed their smooth jawline. Objectively,
they were beautiful. The kind of beauty that royals would chase after.

Yoongi was baffled, and could smell similar reactions in the scents of his mates.

It was common knowledge for there to be wolf shifters. They were both numerous and
ordinary in their ability to shift forms. Such could almost be considered their legacy in the
world.

Other creatures also bore this ability but they were more secretive about it. For some, it was
even a danger to their species if the secret was unveiled.

They could only imagine that was the case for dragons. For they had just bore witness of the
ability with their own eyes.

“Your kin always scale this mountain with selfish endeavors in mind,” the dragon said. Their
voice was lighter than any of them had anticipated. “They mean no harm and yet trudge
through this quiet refuge with the audible cacophony of a herd of elk. They hunt the creatures
and tear down the trees without offering anything in return for their grievances.”

Yoongi had no doubt it was true. It had become a thing worthy of bragging rights if one was
to brave the fearsome cold and jagged heights of Clouded Reach. With that intent in mind, he
was sure that none of them had cared about the environment as they climbed.

”Your praises of the mountain mean nothing in the wake of so much angst caused from your
wolven kin.”

”Then let us prove to you that we are different,” Hoseok pleaded. “We will be kind to our
surroundings and replant the seeds that fall from any trees we fell! We just ask for a chance to
show you that we are not our kin.”

The dragon narrowed its eyes at Hoseok, head tilting slightly as though considering.

”Please, Dragon,” Jimin tried.

”My name is not ‘dragon’, I am Seokjin. I am the caretaker of this mountain and I do not
welcome blatant intrusions into my home.”
”We won’t intrude at all if we can help it,” Taehyung murmured. “We’ll steer clear of your
dwelling if that is what you want of us.”

“What I want,” Seokjin hissed, “is for you to leave. I do not trust the words of wolves who
have so often tread back on the words they conveyed to me in a desperate vie for sympathy.”

Yoongi felt a bit miffed by those sentiments. He straightened up and decided to attempt a
different approach. “Well then, who are we to trust the word of a dragon? We don’t know
much of your kind, but don’t we also have reason to be wary?”

Maybe it was foolish to try and offer a challenge. Maybe it was foolish to continue trying
anything when the dragon was so adamant to keep them away. But he had to try. Clouded
Reach was the safest option for them.

The dragon matched his energy and rumbled a warning growl. “The difference here, wolf, is
that this is my home that you’re intruding upon. I have not done the same to you nor do I
intend to."

Yoongi would be a liar to say the growl hadn’t done the trick. A shiver of terror rolled down
his spine. Even though the dragon was in human form, there was the distinctive feeling of
smallness that came with facing down a much stronger predator.

He was realistic about their position in this matter. He was hyperaware of it, in fact. If
Seokjin decided to attack, there was a scary high chance that they’d be killed without even
getting a fighting chance.

So was it bold to verbally fight back against a dragon? Yes. Did it increase the potential of a
physical altercation? Also yes. Were his instincts offended over the skepticism directed
towards his mates? Also, also yes.

Sometimes you did stupid things in the name of love. Yoongi traded a glance with his mates
and knew that they were with him.

“My name isn’t ‘wolf’,” he snapped, “I am Yoongi, leader of this pack, and I do not welcome
hostility towards my mates.”

Seokjin visibly paused at that. Their head tilted. “Mates?”

Yoongi was baffled by the switch up.

The dragon’s gaze swept over all of them again. Some of the tension fell away from their
shoulders. “You are mated, all of you to one another?”

“Yes,” Hoseok said, tone full of confusion. “…Is that a problem?”

It wouldn’t be the first time they had been faced with criticism over their statuses in
conjunction with their mating bond. So many of their fellow wolves thought it was selfish of
them, or wrong in some way.
It happened so often that they had begun to accept it as a part of their life. Which sucked the
joy out of their days when they thought about it for too long.

They were happy as a pack. They were secure in their bonds with one another. They loved
each other. They didn’t need external validation. But sometimes, it would be nice to have
someone actually on their side. To have someone that didn’t need an explanation from them.
They had yet to find someone like that.

None of them would have ever expected a dragon of all things to question them too.

Seokjin made a peculiar grumbling sound in their throat. “It matters not to me, though it does
change the circumstances of our meeting.”

“It does?” Jimin asked under his breath, heard only by his mates.

“Mates are protected under dragonic laws, especially if one of them is injured upon initial
contact.” Seokjin huffed, a small burst of smoke escaping their lips. It was plain to see the
disgruntlement they felt over that revelation.

None of them dared to speak, scared that any minor slip of the tongue would work against
them.

The dragon scowled at them. “If you are to stay upon the mountain, you must prove your
claims to me. I will not allow dishonesty to fuel destruction within my home.”

It was a tentative thing, but they allowed themselves to relax somewhat at that declaration.

“So you’ll permit us to make camp, and potentially settle upon Clouded Reach?” Yoongi
asked, still uncertain. He was reluctant to trust the dragon so easily after such a tense
interaction.

“For now,” the dragon said. “Though I will be watching and ensuring the safety of this
mountain by whatever means I see fit.”

Jungkook allowed the tension to bleed from his stiff shoulders. He turned back towards them
and licked Namjoon’s cheek.

“That sounds agreeable, Seokjin. We will do our best to earn your trust.”

Seokjin watched them for a moment more before shifting back into their winged form and
leaping into the sky with a mighty beat of their wings.

Yoongi dropped into a squat as soon as the dragon was out of the area and a fair distance
from their location. He raked his hands through his hair as the stress of that moment settled in
fully. He breathed in and out a few times, feeling shaky. “Holy fuck.”

Jungkook bellied up to him and licked at his hands, grumbling and whining as he did.

Namjoon rubbed an arm over his back in comfort.

“You handled that a lot better than we might have,” Hobi laughed, a bit breathless.

Jimin said nothing but kissed his head.

Taehyung surveyed their surroundings. “So uhh, would it be okay with everyone if we just
settled here for the night? I think I’m a little too wired to think about heading up any further.”

They all managed to share a laugh at that and came to a mutual agreement over the matter.

What a day it had been. Who’d have thought that the legends of a dragon making its home on
Clouded Reach were true.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

The trespassers were… strange. Seokjin kept watch from a ridge that crept out just enough
from the mountainside for him to view the clearing they had chosen to settle in. It was a hasty
structure that consisted of a fire pit for cooking, their large tent that all six seemed to retire
into for the night, and a small work station on an uncovered rock for food preparation.

He found himself studying their interactions as he kept vigil. There were a few things that
perplexed him about the group of mates.

Perhaps most of all, he was bewildered by how they managed to balance out a six sided
relationship.

Dragons only ever existed in pairs, for the number of two was a sacred number to them - two
eyes, two ears, two lips, two hearts, two forms, two souls. To have a pairing was to abide by
their sacred number and thus was regarded as the proper arrangement.

Seokjin had never really given it much consideration because he never had interest in taking a
mate. Though he had always known that if he were to do so, there would only ever be one
that would house his heart within their protective grasp.

It had been his understanding, up until the initial confrontation with the trespassers, that other
creatures abided by the same regulation in regards to mating practices. He was aware that
wolven packs were a long standing tradition, but he hadn’t known that more than two would
mate one another.

And then he had seen the six identical mating marks on the necks of the wolves. It had been a
bit of a shock.
Dragons would never dare to stray from the way of two. But then, dragonic rules didn’t apply
to wolves.

So he watched. He learned. He studied.

From what he could see and gather, it was just as straightforward as it sounded. The six of
them were very much in love with one another and were unafraid to show it. It was rather
fascinating the way that adoring bond went six different ways at an even measure. There was
not one among them that seemed to be less cherished than the others. There was not any that
shied away from the affectionate touches and shared kisses. They were just… six. Six wolves
with a bunch of love to share.

Seokjin was intrigued.

They interacted in the typical way that mates would, but it was just multiplied.

His tail flipped through the snow behind him a few times as he contemplated the new
information.

How strange these wolves were turning out to be. Asking for a chance to prove themselves as
trustworthy, asking for a place to call a new home. How strange they were for having a six
way bond between them that seemed to have little to no contention within its existence.

Even as heavy storms rolled through and covered the land in a fresh blanket of snow, they
showed joy. Even when their tent caved in on them one afternoon from a surplus of powder
built up on the roof, they shared laughter and helped set it back up. They shared intimate
conversations at dusk, surrounding the warm fire with handmade ceramic plates in hand.

Every moment of their every day was spent in the company of one another. Sometimes in
sets, sometimes in pairs, sometimes as a whole collective. There was no tension to be seen
between any set of mates, just peace and a well formed romance with a foundation set in
stone.

Seokjin had never seen anything like it firsthand. A deep buried part of him found it
endearing. They were like frolicking puppies with hearts as large as their bodies, spreading
love like flowers between one another. He could only imagine the six of them would laugh in
the face of the dragonic ideology of the sacred two.

He kept returning to that ridge, day after day. He caught glimpses of the pack's love in action
and found himself enraptured by all of it. They made their bond look so natural. As he
watched them, he could only think of how perfectly they fit together. How each mate made
up for the faults or lack of skill of the others in their own way.

There was a larger wolf among them with charcoal hair that brushed against the base of his
neck, he had a deep but squeaky laugh and prominent dimples that popped out of his cheeks.
He seemed to be the one they looked after the most. They'd pat his head, ruffle his hair, scent
him multiple times a day, and spend extra care to comfort him if he dropped something. He'd
see them crooning to him while they squished his cheeks and tucking blankets over his
shoulders as he sat by the fire. It was interesting how the other five seemed to have the same
mentality about this wolf in particular. Plus they seemed to genuinely enjoy taking care of
him in that extra careful manner.

The one that had identified himself as the leader of the pack, Yoongi, seemed to live up to his
role well. He coordinated his mates, offered praises for jobs well done, and spent a lot of his
time tucking their hands into his own. He was organized and firm, but also tender and soft in
his actions. His mates seemed to do anything and everything in their power in an effort to
coax a smile onto the leader's face.

Amongst the group was a duo that seemed to have a case of joint wing syndrome, as dragons
called it; they stuck to one another's side as though their bodies were made of one entity. One
seemed inclined towards healing and salves, while the other was always stitching or knitting
on some project or other. Both of them took time out of their day to sit in front of one another
and fall into a meditative state, with their hands joined halfway between.

Seokjin didn't know the reasoning for their closeness, but it was a prominent bond that
seemed to shine just as brightly as the collective one.

There were two others that seemed more inclined to keep up with the physical needs of their
mates. They were always hauling things this way and that, bringing in lumber for the fire,
dragging in any kills they may have made, sharpening tools and guarding their makeshift
settlement. They were both strong wolves, that much was plain. Though they also each had a
soft side that was palpable when their mates would give them praise. The one with long dark
haired seemed most receptive to the dimpled one's praises for whatever reason. The other
favored Yoongi's kind words or he'd launch himself over the joint wing duo and soak in
cuddles for a while.

They were so strange, and intriguing. So different from anything he had ever known before.

As he continued his daily check ins, Seokjin found them to be worthy of his trust. They
salvaged wood from any fallen trees in the area before ever cutting one down, and even then
they collected seeds and leaves in a visible effort to replant them when the chance arose.
They hunted small prey but were respectful to the animals and used as much of the organic
material as possible. Sometimes they would just sit and watch the native wildlife exist on the
mountain with fond smiles on their faces.

So, so strange. But the good kind of strange.

Even Seokjin's magic had settled with their continuing presence. It no longer rose up in an
attempt to summon a storm to drive them off the mountain. Instead it sought out their
combined energy and beheld it in a protective manner. His magic had accepted them as part
of the ecosystem now.

He didn't quite know what to do with that information as of yet.

Instead he continued to observe the pack as they went about their days, fascinated and
admiring.
•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Seokjin had decided to indulge in a long sleep the day the wolf pack vanished from their
established camp.

Dragons sometimes needed to enter a state of deep sleep that was a close match to their
annual hibernation period. This process allowed them to rebuild the stores of their inner fire
and also created equilibrium for their magic. It was a vital part of their year, something that
all dragons knew to partake in. Though it was also one of their most guarded secrets. If
outsiders caught wind of the fact that all the dragons went into a despondent state to
recuperate their magic, it would spell catastrophe for them. To take a deep sleep was to
entrust themselves to their surroundings. As once they slipped into one, it was difficult to pull
themselves out of it.

The older the dragon, the more times they needed to have a deep sleep to recuperate their
strength. Younger dragons were more the type to skip their deep sleeps and instead take a
longer hibernation sleep. Though even they could not escape their body's need for that
regenerative rest altogether.

Seokjin had always been an oddity to his flock for the amount of deep sleeps he indulged in.
It was not necessary per se but it left him feeling healthier in the long run. Once he had found
his way to the mountain and integrated himself into its ecosystem, he had felt safe enough to
luxuriate in one a few times a year outside of the hibernation period.

When he had awakened from this particular deep sleep, he had felt as though something were
different.

He blinked himself into wakefulness and allowed his senses to widen in scope. The wolven
pack was still upon the mountain but something had changed about their energy. It felt more
prominent than before. Closer, perhaps?

Seokjin grumbled to himself and pushed his body to a stand. Under normal circumstances, he
would have allowed himself to wake up a big slower. It was a gradual process to come out of
a deep sleep. Sometimes his body took its sweet old time to catch up to his mind.

He felt sluggish. Heavy. He was not meant to be moving so soon after waking. Even the
darkness of his cave felt too bright to his sensitive eyes.

Seokjin dragged himself over to a nearby pool of melting ice and pressed his face beneath its
frigid surface. The shock of icy water was enough to startle him into full wakefulness. He
blew a blast of pale blue fire out as he shook the water from his scales. Even with ice being
his base element of magic, the glacial temperatures never got easier to handle.
Now that the blurred edge of his deep sleep had faded, however unpleasant the sensation was,
he could focus on the more pressing matter at hand.

The pack had moved from the place he had become to distinguish as 'theirs'. The same
clearing that had seen their first meeting had more or less become their new home placement.
Until now, it seemed.

Seokjin galloped out of his cave and burst into the air with a quick snap of his wings.

There was nothing in the air that suggested anything born of malice had come to pass. There
was no blimp of energy as they passed through his magical field of energy into the lower
reaches of the mountain either. Whatever had changed, they had not left the mountain. They
also had not met an ill fate upon its height.

He broke through the clouds that hung over his home and scoured the crags and lower peaks
of the mountain. After only a few minutes of searching, he found them.

Seokjin dove down and landed atop a tree that was far enough to leave him undiscovered but
close enough that he could see what the pack of wolves was doing.

It seemed as though that they had elected to settle themselves higher on the mountain. Their
tent was already pitched, a fire pit set before it, and a rope line hung to hold any drying game
hides.

He tilted his head as he studied them bustle about their new camp with surprising ease. They
must've made the move at some point during his deep sleep. He wanted to be miffed that they
had decided to move closer to his home without consulting him first, but there was not a
defensive note to be found within him.

Seokjin knew that they were doing similar to himself. They were trying to make a home on
the mountain, escaping whatever home they had left behind. Could he fault them for
intruding when they hadn't even seemed sure that he existed?

He knew he couldn't. It was unfair to judge them so harshly when he did not know their
characters.

Jin watched them for a while more before flying back to his cave.

It had only been a few weeks since they had appeared in his life, but he already found himself
looking out for them. As though they were just more creatures for him to protect. More
creatures of the mountain, of his home.

How strange indeed.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•
"Okay so I'm just gonna come out and say it. The dragon has been watching us like a
confused pup for weeks now and I am endeared by them."

Silence filled their camp.

Taehyung shrugged his shoulders when his mates looked at him in befuddlement. "I can't
help it. I love cute things and the dragon is being cute."

Today marked their sixth week on Clouded Reach. They had toughed the storms and the
terrain. They had braved the cold nights and thinned mountain air. They had even made it
through their first round of a pack-wide cold that had left them all miserable for a few days. It
was a small triumph but one that felt noteworthy.

"Tae, they're watching us to make sure we don't fuck up their home," Yoongi pointed out.
"They gave clear warning upon on our initial meeting. Remember?"

He made a hasty few stitches on the pair of pants in his grasp. They were Jimin's favorite
pair. They had split at the leg during a hunting excursion and had been turned over to him
with a saddened pout. Jimin had been giving him a pleading gaze the entire morning until he
had finally taken the hint and begun work on repairing the torn fabric. He had even gotten his
colored threads out to embroider some flowers along the tear.

"I know," Taehyung sighed. "I just think there's more to them than the obvious fact of them
being a big scary dragon."

Hoseok let out a fond sound and plopped down next to him. "Ahh that's our Tete. Giving
everyone the benefit of the doubt."

Taehyung whined as he ducked his head into his mate's neck and nipped at his scent gland.
"No patronizing."

Hobi giggled and ruffled his hair. "Not patronizing, dearheart. Just audibly adoring you. I
love your big old heart. It's a very special part of you."

Jimin made a sound of agreement from nearby. "It's one of your best qualities, jagi. Never
change."

Yoongi put down the parchment in his hand and walked over to the younger with a small
smile. "Okay, Tae, I hear you. I'll try to give the dragon the benefit of the doubt too. I'm just
not as... convinced as you are at the moment."

"You haven't been paying attention then," Taehyung teased him. He glanced off towards the
trees with a wistful smile. "They have the same energy as Koo when he doesn't understand
something. I've seen them tilting their head and everything."
Namjoon perked up. "Oh. So maybe they're more curious and cautious of us than actually
fearful and defensive of our presence? That would be a nice thing to find out to be honest."

Jungkook flopped over onto Jimin's lap, wiggling when the older wolf groaned at the sudden
impact. "I've been kinda worried about the dragon. I'll be relieved if it turns out their presence
won't be a source of danger for us."

"To their credit," Jimin spoke up, "they have been observing but not doing much else. Maybe
we've earned their trust by this point? We have been nice to our surroundings. Maybe they
just thought that we didn't share their respect of nature."

Yoongi grimaced as he considered what may have become of their surroundings if any of
their birth packmates had been present. It was an understandable grievance for the dragon to
have. It was only through their ongoing positive reinforcement that they'd be able to convince
them that they meant no harm. He would have gone about the situation in a similar manner
had the roles been reversed.

Hoseok studied his mates with a careful eye. "So.. we can at least agree the dragon hasn't
made any aggressive ventures towards us or our presence. It very well could have been just a
defensively charged encounter. Especially if they've had bad experiences previously."

"It's not like we've had great experiences with wolves either," Taehyung grumbled.

Which was also a fair point to make. From the dragon's words, there had been more than a
few unsavory visitors prior to their arrival. Which had then tainted their interaction from the
start. Perhaps both parties had been influenced by past beliefs.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when they heard a pair of mighty wings breaking
through the air overhead. A heavy cloud cover had formed in the morning and left most of
their surroundings hazy and difficult to see. Although they could hear the dragon's
movement, it was difficult to place their location.

"Group up," Yoongi called.

It was their go-to defense. If there was potential danger afoot, they were stronger altogether.

The ground shook as a loud thud echoed from off to the side of their camp. Then a piercing
light broke through the fog. The same white haired human crept from the haze with intent in
their step.

Yoongi watched their movements like a hawk. No weapon was to be seen, nor an expression
of contempt on their face. A social visit, then? Unlikely.

There was a long moment of tense silence before the dragon spoke.

"Tonight there will be a blizzard that forms, and I suspect it will last a good while." Their
voice was just as light as before, unhindered by any kind of malicious inflection. "The
mountain means to drop a large amount of snow in the coming nights. I do not believe your
temporary dwelling will be enough to protect you."
"How do you know there will be a storm?" Jungkook asked, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

The dragon huffed. "The mountain and I work, exist, and function as one. I feed my magic
into its peak through my home, and it offers me insight into its existence in return. That
includes any storms that may form, whether of my will or the mountain's."

"That's kinda cool, I'm not gonna lie," Namjoon mumbled under his breath.

"Dragon-"

"Seokjin," they corrected. "I am not one to hide himself behind the mystery of a name, as you
will recall from our first meeting."

Yoongi held up a hand in wordless placation. "Seokjin, then, what would you have us do
about the storm? Was your coming here to serve as a warning? Or was it merely out of hope
that we would leave?"

Seokjin met his eyes and watched him silently. There was contemplation on his features,
apparent in the slight furrow of his brow. "I came with an offer for shelter, as your pack has
not yet managed to build one that will provide you with the appropriate amount of
protection."

That was a surprise for all of them.

This was the same dragon that had been rather resistant to their presence on the mountain at
all. And yet now he was offering them shelter? It almost felt too good to be true.

"Why help us?" Hoseok asked.

The dragon appeared amused by his question. "Despite my protective nature of my home, I
bear no wish to see any living creature injured. It is simply not in my nature to wish harm
upon others. I protect what is mine and fight only if the moment necessitates my action."

"Where would this shelter be?" Taehyung asked. His eyes were wide with barely restrained
excitement. It was almost rolling off of him.

Yoongi wondered if the dragon could see it on his mate.

"There is no safer place to hide from a storm on this mountain than my nest," Seokjin said.
He offered a small smile as he said it, revealing pointed canines that stuck over his lip.

The air filled with a few anxious scents. This was a risky choice to make. Not much was
known of dragons, but everyone knew that to follow one into its nest was to accept death. No
one followed them there if they had any intent to live to see another day. It was seen by many
to be the same as putting one's leg into a dragon's gaping maw and awaiting for the crunch of
sharp teeth.

Yet, the weather had been growing worse throughout the course of the day and told of a
building storm. Their tent had several repairs to it already, which meant that the fabric was
weakened despite Taehyung's corrective efforts. Their food stores, while enough, would not
last them long enough to see out a lengthy blizzard.

Yoongi bit at his lip until the familiar tang of blood danced over his taste buds. "If we are to
follow you there, do we have your word that no harm will come to us? I may be of smaller
stature but I assure you I will fight for my mates, dragon."

Seokjin gave a rumbling sound in reply. It seemed to echo up from his chest and into his
throat. It was a definitive dragonic sound. He approached at a broadcasted pace and offered
out his arm.

He glanced down at the offered appendage with a modicum of confusion. Yoongi wasn't quite
sure what the dragon wanted of him.

"I am not well versed in the ways of other creatures," Seokjin murmured, "but to my kind,
this is an offering of promise. My weapon hand bears no weapon, nor transformed talons. I
mean you and your mates no harm."

Yoongi knew it should have been an obvious thing, such was a common practice after
leadership duels to show no ill will towards one another. Still, Yoongi felt better with the
dragon's explanation in hand. He reached his own hand out and clasped Seokjin's forearm.
"I'll hold you to your word."

"I would expect nothing less of the pack's leader."

Acknowledgement of his position within their group also came as a comfort. It gave him
reassurance that the dragon was taking his concern with all of the severity it deserved.

Seokjin clasped his forearm in a quick squeeze before withdrawing. "Pack what you need,
and what you do not wish to lose. I will wait nearby and show you the path to my nest."

Despite their understanding, Yoongi couldn't believe they were doing this.

"Jagi, are you sure this is a good idea?" Hoseok whispered to him in a frantic tone.

Yoongi shrugged. "I have no idea. But if the clouds and falling temperature are any indication
of the coming storm, I think we're better off giving trust a try."

"He won't hurt us," Taehyung declared. There was a small smile on his face. "I just have a
good feeling about it all."

Jimin relaxed a bit at his mate's words. "I'll take a Tete feeling right now. That's the kind of
hope I need."

Jungkook matched gazes with Yoongi for a moment, before nodding. The two of them would
keep on guard the whole time. Trust could only be carried so far when they were walking into
so many unknowns. They had to be ready for anything.

"I can't believe we're going to a dragon's nest," Namjoon whisper yelled. His cheeks were
bunched up with the force of his grin. "This is bonkers but I can't wait!"
 When they had packed up as much as they could, they approached the waiting dragon.
Trepidation colored their every step as the uncertain future tensed their shoulders.

"Lead us, Seokjin."

Chapter End Notes

This ends the first part of our tale! The second part will be up on or before my birthday
come the end of January. There may also end up being a third part depending on how
things happen in the second half. We'll see.

See ya then 💜
Edit Dec 29, 2023: I have updated to three chapters, this story wanted to expand!

(Please don't stop talking about Gaza)

 Building Trust as a Bridge Between
Chapter Notes

Hello and welcome. I try and make it a yearly thing where I release or update something
around my birthday as kind of a nod to my readers. A thank you for hanging out with
me and taking a read over my brain creations.

Thank you for all the love so far! I appreciate you all! Les geddit.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Dragons were reclusive at the best of times. They had an innate sense of keeping their
personal lives separate from all else. As a dragon's home was their nest and where they
usually kept their hoard. A dragon's home was their most sacred place. To be invited into a
dragon's home was a great show of trust. For dragons were protective of that which was
theirs.

Which had not stemmed from mere instinct. For many years, dragons had been the victim of
malicious home invasions by other species. Most of whom had sought out their hoards in the
hopes that they'd find a treasury of gems and coins to rob and thus make themselves a
fortune. What they had failed to consider was the fact that not all dragons hoarded the same.
Some kept prim and proper collections of tiny items that bore no wealth to their existence.
Some kept knowledge in the form of books and manuscripts, tempted by the concept of
knowing as much as possible. Some considered their partner and hatchlings as their hoard,
and swore a vow of protection to the included parties.

The wariness of those days had become a traumatic stain for dragons. They had carried it
with them for generations, warning of those that meant them harm or hoped to find
something of value in their hoards. It had come to a point that most dragons that became
parents told their hatchlings to avoid partnering with any species besides their own.

Seokjin could remember the serious talk that he had had with his parents as a fledgling about
the matter.

Be wary of all who are not dragons, they had told him. Only dragons know of the sanctity of
our ways, and only dragons can be trusted.

He had grown up with the desire to behold the world with his own eyes. He had refused to
allow the suspicions of his parents taint his view of others. He hadn't ignored their words, so
much as he had put them aside.

Which was probably how, a century or two later, he found himself leading the six wolves into
his most sacred place.
Seokjin tried to hide the fact that his nerves were acting up. He didn't want to scare his guests
when they were already nervous themselves. It was just the fact that he had never before
welcomed someone into his nest. To do so was to bare his vulnerabilities to them. It was to
reveal his life in a way that he knew they'd be able to observe and scrutinize. Even though his
cause for inviting them was of noble intent, it was a difficult feeling to wrestle with.

The wolves were shifty, eyes snapping to every shadow, each of them pressed together in sets
of two.

He was no fool. He acknowledged that he was a much larger predator with more potential for
malintent. Seokjin understood their hesitation. He could not fault them for being cautious.

Given the circumstances and his current level of sensitivity, however, it hurt to see such open
distrust on their faces. Even though he knew that it logically made sense. His instincts were
downtrodden.

Perhaps one day he’d be able to explain it to them if he discovered that wolves had an
equivalent term that meant just as much to their kin. Until then, he didn’t need to
overcomplicate the matter.

The cave system he had made into his home was vast and extended its grasp all over the
mountain. Seokjin had explored it all in his younger days. It had been easy to make the three
massive chambers here atop the mountain his home. They were spacious without being
ostentatious, and provided everything he needed without him feeling greedy. He had laid eyes
on the consecutive rooms back then and only seen the potential to make a safe place for
himself.

The tunnel leading to the first chamber had been worn down to a smooth path by his form
walking its length for so many years. Ever-burning torches of his fire illuminated the
darkness with a warm glow, and encouraged twinkles of light from the crystals imbedded in
the walls. It was a lovely sight that always made tension flee from his bones.

A quick glance behind him to the wolf pack revealed six awed faces. He turned back around
and smiled to himself. Jin was glad to see they were also taken by the beauty of the mountain.
Not many got to see the inner sanctum of the mighty peak, especially since he had made it his
home.

The entry tunnel gave way to the first chamber, two hand carved beacons lit up the room with
magicked fire and illuminated everything a warm amber glow. Hundreds of stalactites
reached down from the ceiling at varying lengths, while stalagmites grew from the floor and
stretched up towards their counterparts. A few columns had even formed in a few places
where the two pieces had met and joined. Raw crystal broke through the walls here and there,
scattering and filtering the fire light along the walls.

Seokjin breathed in the familiar scent of home.

"This is incredible," one of the wolves breathed. "You live here?"

He turned, feeling a bit surprised by the outburst. He hadn't expected any of them to talk to
him unless out of necessity.

The wolf in question had honey gold skin and fluffy dark hair, his eyes glittered beneath his
bangs as he took in the cave. He had a slight bounce to his step that betray the excitement he
was feeling.

Seokjin nodded, offering a quick smile. "This has been my home for many years. Though I
have tried to leave as much of the natural beauty intact as possible."

"I can see that," the wolf said with a boxy grin. "You've dressed it up and made it your own
but also worked with the cave formations rather than against them."

His heart warmed at the compliments. He had to fight down the warmth that threatened to
bloom on his cheeks. Though he could feel the tips of his ears grow hot. They were still
strangers but the show of kindness felt extra meaningful as they officially entered his nest. "I
have done my best," he replied, sheepish.

"I'm Taehyung by the way," the wolf announced, sidling up beside him. "Can you tell me
your name again so I don't keep calling you as dragon?"

The familiarity Taehyung showed to him was sudden but not unwelcome. Seokjin didn't
really know what to do with the development. "I am Seokjin."

"Oh that's right! I'm sorry I forgot. I think I was more scared upon our first meeting than
anything. It totally slipped my mind."

"Tae-" one of the other's said in a warning tone.

Seokjin took the slight jab in stride. "I have not had good experiences with wolves on this
mountain. I did not trust that you would be kind to your surroundings."

Taehyung watched him with a careful eye. "And now?"

He hummed. "Now I have seen the proof that this is not the case with your grouping. You
have been kind to the mountain and its inhabitants. So long as this remains true, I will not be
a figure you need fear." It was only then that he realized the others were listening in to their
conversation with rapt attention. His reassurance seemed to do the trick for all of them.

"I do apologize if you worried me to be a looming adversary," Seokjin murmured, meeting

each one's gaze. "As I said before, the mountain and I are one in that share a symbiotic
existence. To harm the mountain is to harm my home, which is to harm me."

"You were just defending your home, we get it," the pack leader said. Yoongi was more
relaxed than before, some of the visible tension gone from his posture.

Taehyung nodded, enthusiastic. "Yeah. There's no shame in looking out for you home. It's
really admirable! You must love Clouded Reach a lot."
They had used that name before in reference to the mountain. Perhaps it was a name they had
given it? "Clouded Reach?"

"Oh! Yeah I guess you wouldn't know that name. It's what our birth pack knew this mountain
as. Since the peaks are usually in the clouds, it made sense to call it that!"

Seokjin made a sound of agreement. It did make a lot of sense.

"Do you have a name for the mountain?" Taehyung asked.

He was quite the talkative soul, wasn't he? Seokjin was glad that at least one of them was
inclined to converse. "I am not sure that I do. I just call it home."

They had progressed through the cave to the point of the second chamber. It was in this room
that the biting cold of the outside faded away to a cool sort of warmth that most caves bore. It
was just as large as the first, though there was more open room. His kitchen area took up a
spot along one wall. It was there that his handcrafted buttumak and agungi - his firebox and
hearth - found a home. Any fire lit underneath was altered by his magic to contain the smoke
that might otherwise pollute the air of the cave. He had several holes in the top for his various
sized gamasot. All of which were heirlooms from his parents. He loved cooking in them.

The dining table, made of heat tempered glass that he had constructed with his own fire, was
placed nearby. The base of which was melded with a broken stalagmite. It had been one of
his first projects when making the cave his home, and he remained proud of its construction.
It had been a true joy to form the molten glass into something beautiful. He had found and
smoothened down broken stalactite pieces to serve as seats, having a total of six even though
there was only ever one in use.

On the opposite side of the chamber were his bookshelves. He had carved out each shelf with
his claws and then placed his collected books upon them. The natural floor of the cave at the
foot of the shelves was softened by the cushions and rug he had made. The brightly colored
fabrics were also a taste of his old life, reminding him of the loud vivacity he had left behind.
An ever-burning torch kept light at the edge of the rug, held up by stalagmites. The walls on
this side were decorated by gifted tapestries. The vibrant threads depicted the bustling life
that was found in Dagenyeon and served as a window into his past.

There were pieces of him and his story in every crevice of his home. Which meant he was
even more nervous about having the pack make themselves at home within it. They would be
respectful - or so he hoped - but it was still a big deal to have anyone in his nest.

He turned to watch as they studied their surroundings with varying degrees of interest and
awe. Seokjin was glad that there at least was no visible wariness to be found anymore. He
was sure their instincts were still on edge, however.

"I can't believe you're letting us stay with you in here," Taehyung breathed. "It's so stunning. I
could look at these walls forever."

He smiled, pride curling in his stomach. "The storm in the coming days will be a dangerous
one. I wouldn't have been able to rest well if I knew you were out in it without any proper
shelter."

“That’s… disarmingly kind of you,” one of the others commented.

“Jungkook..”

This wolf had long black hair and large eyes, though they were narrowed with heavy
suspicion in that moment. “It’s a valid comment to make, Tae. He’s a dragon.”

Seokjin tilted his head with silent contemplation. “It is a valid worry to have, yes. We are still
strangers to one another. Though I will reassure you, as many times as you require, that this
has been done out of concern and nothing more. We may be of different species but I would
hope that you are able to recognize the concept of kindness without expectations attached to
it, regardless of that fact.”

That silenced the others as each of their faces showed open surprise.

Perhaps further reassurance was indeed needed of him. Seokjin mentally prepared himself to
offer it each time he caught a sign of doubt from one of the wolves. But not too much. He
didn’t want to garner their suspicion if he overdid it. What a tricky spot he had worked
himself into.

"That seals the deal for me," one of them proclaimed, offering him a large smile that made
their eyes crinkle. "I don't think I've introduced myself, but I'm Jimin. Thank you for
allowing us to stay here during the storm."

He bowed his head in acknowledgement. None of the others said anything as they peered
around their surroundings.

"It is no problem. I am happy to be able." Seokjin eyed their packs and recognized a few bed
rolls. "Shall I show you where you can rest?"

Taehyung was quick to nod, eyes shining with excitement.

It was easy to be endeared by the wolf's buoyant attitude. Seokjin smiled and moved towards
the back of his living chamber to a break in the wall.

The third chamber of his cave home was perhaps his favorite, hence why Seokjin had chosen
it as his nesting room. Although it wasn't a typical chamber like the other two. It was a
massive agate geode that had been eroded away to allow some of the natural cave formations
in. Wherever the stalactites or stalagmites were not, thousands of amethysts covered every
surface. A natural flowing waterfall cascaded down from the far wall, and had formed an
underground lake at its base that took up about half of the room. He had a few ever-burning
torches scattered around the room that would dim upon a wave of his hand.

When Seokjin had first discovered what exactly lay in wait in the third chamber, he'd cried in
face of the raw beauty.

In the far left corner, he had set up his nesting area beneath a massive amethyst gem that
protruded from the wall. It was surrounded by a few large stalagmites, and a few other large
amethysts. It felt just tucked away enough for him to feel protected, but open enough that he
never felt stifled.

"My nesting area is over there," he said with a point. "But you are welcome to take the other
corner. It should have enough space for the seven of you to fit comfortably." Jin imagined
they'd even be able to set up their travel tent if they wanted visual privacy from him.

”Wait..seven?”

Seokjin tilted his head as he surveyed the pack. “I assumed that your tiny seventh would also
be staying with your group.”

The mates all looked at each other in question. One of them shuffled and laughed nervously.

”So, to my credit, I didn’t know if it was alive or not.”

”What does that mean, Hoseok?” Yoongi asked in a tired tone of voice.

The other wolf flushed. “So… perhaps, while we were making the trip up here, I saw
something in the snow? It looked half dead and I thought maybe warmth would help it..?”

Taehyung scampered over to his mate with a curious sniff. “You found a friend and you
didn’t tell us?? Rude. Show me, show me!"

Hoseok carefully pulled open his jacket to reveal a tiny black body with a long fluffy tail. Its
little form was shivering as it lay curled up at the wolf's collar. "Jiminie, will you check over
them?"

Jimin nodded and grabbed the tiny squirrel with careful hands. "I think heat is doing it well.
It looks like it's a mere baby, so we'll have to figure out what we can feed it later. I also
believe that if we keep warming it up, signs of hunger will show themselves."

Seokjin thought it cute how concerned they were over the wellbeing of such a tiny creature.
Such compassion revealed a lot about their characters.

"What are you gonna name them?" Taehyung asked, petting a single finger over the squirrel's
back.

Hoseok smiled and replied: "Soot."

A fitting name for such a dark colored animal.

While half of the pack was distracted by their new tiny companion, one of the wolves snuck
over to him.

"Do you sleep in dragon form, or this form?" The wolf asked him.

Seokjin recognized him as the prized one of the group, the one they all insisted on doting
over. Namjoon, perhaps?
"I do both," he replied. "Though the space is more fitted for my human form." He had to
consider that fact for a moment. Would they be scared if he slept in his dragonic form? Would
they be unable to find rest if they could hear his breath so clearly? Perhaps he should address
that matter with the pack.

"Yoongi," he called. "Would you and your mates prefer that I stay in this form for the
duration of your stay? Would if make your instincts settle somewhat?"

Again his question seemed to stun the six of them. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad
thing.

Yoongi met eyes with each of his mates before responding. "It seems... unfair to ask that of
you, Seokjin. We are shifters ourselves, and we understand the need to shift on a regular
basis. Though it is kind of you to ask." He reached up to scratch at the back of his neck.
"Though I have to wonder, in return, if our shifting will bother you while we stay here?"

He shook his head. "As you have expressed, we are the both of us shifters. It would not
bother me whether you stay here on two legs or four. Though some translation may be
necessary if all of you elect to stay in wolven form. I do not believe you capable of speech in
your four legged forms."

Yoongi graced him with a contented smile. "We thank you for that extension of kindness.
And yeah.. I suppose that will be a point of consideration for us. We will do our best to
convey meaning if none of us are in this form."

Their presence in his nest was bound to raise all sorts of compromises. Seokjin just hoped he
wouldn't give too much of his own comfort away for the sake of his temporary cohabitators.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

The blizzard had well and truly encased the mountain by the next day. The icy chill had
reached itself into the cavern and given the seven of them (eight including Soot) a glimpse of
its power.

Part of Seokjin reveled in the glacial temperatures. Ice was his element and thus what he felt
most comfortable around. Though the dragonic side of him refused to accept being cold. So
he lit some extra torches with his warmest fire in hopes of chasing the chill from his home.
He also had to mind the others in his home that might be more sensitive to the frigid
temperatures.

As he was doing so, one of the wolves - Jimin? - came up to him. “So…wait. I thought that
you’re an ice dragon. How come you can breathe fire?”
Seokjin tossed a confused expression at him. “Because I am a dragon. We are the living
spirits of flame. Without our inner fire, we do not exist. Though my element is ice, which
means I thrive within the quiet and cold of winter. I left my home to properly embrace my
magic. Thus settling the discomfort I was feeling within the city."

“So it’s not like flaming ice, or icy flame or something like that?” Taehyung asked from
nearby. He was looking at one of the torches with scrutiny, almost as though he wanted to
reach out and touch the dancing flames.

These wolves asked the most perplexing questions. “…No.”

“Where was your home?” Namjoon piped in, face full of curiosity.

Seokjin settled at the table and looked over towards his bookshelves. ”I lived many of my
younger years in the dragonic capital, Daganyeon. You can see depictions of it on my
tapestries."

He saw their heads turn to survey the walls.

"It was warm and welcoming to many of my kin. It was bustling, as all cities are, and held
abundant signs of life no matter the time of day. It was pleasant to walk down streets filled
with fellow dragons, though it was no place for an ice elemental to flourish. I knew from a
very young age that I would not linger within the city limits once I came of age. There was
no place nearby for me to find peace with my magic. So I came here.”

It had been a torment to his senses as he had grown. So loud and warm. His magic had never
settled, never grown past the basic developmental stage. That had changed the second he had
flown into the mountains and taken his first few icy breaths of the elevated air. It was only
then that he had found a place for him to feel as though he belonged. The mountain had
welcomed him in with its cold embrace and been his home ever since.

"I've only ever heard stories about dragon settlements," Namjoon said, awe in his voice. "It
looks like a wonderful place to live. How many dragons would you say lived in Daganyeon?"

Jin hummed. "Easily in the thousands. Daganyeon isn't the capital for our kind for nothing.
Many who were born outside of the city made a trip once a year to see the development and
visit any family that might have stayed there."

Taehyung's brow furrowed as he looked to his mate. "What would our equivalent be, jagi?
Lunis? Crecentia?"

Namjoon tapped at his chin in thought. "Hmm. I think I would choose Woyuvi actually. It is
home to the oldest wolves and also the gathering city for Grand Council meetings."

"Why are we talking about Woyuvi?"

Seokjin glanced up to find Yoongi and Hoseok emerging from the nesting chamber with
rumpled hair, apparently freshly awakened.
"They were trying to figure out which city had the most wolves, since Seokjin had talked
about the dragonic capital," the other wolf supplied.

"Thank you for context, Jiminie." Yoongi grumbled.

Hoseok plopped down in a seat at the table across from him with a small wave. "I agree.
Woyuvi would be the solid bet in that regard. Lunis is probably a close second."

He was kind of glad there was no audible stiltedness to their conversation. Seokjin had
worried that there might be some hesitation on the pack's part. It was good to see that things
were to the contrary.

It was their first official day in his nest. The realization that he wasn't alone when he had
awakened that morning had been a comforting one. He was loathe to even think of getting
attached to the wolf pack but he couldn't deny the way his instincts had been soothed by their
presence. His cave had been devoid of all other life safe himself for as long as he had been on
the mountain. Having company was a new and kind of exciting experience.

Seokjin realized that he had been rather lonely. The animals of the mountain were used to his
presence but he would always be the larger predator that they feared, so none dared linger too
close. Passing wolf shifters were usually terrified and ran from him, humans tended to shriek
and collapse in their horror. There was not really a reliable source of conversation or
companionship to be found. And yet, here he sat with six wolves in his nest, warmed by their
presence.

Though they were still strangers to him, he enjoyed their company. He had watched over
them for weeks; he had seen their six way bond in action. He had seen the way they held each
other or picked up on a subtle body language shift in one of their mates. He had seen the way
they laughed around the evening fire and fed each other with all the tenderness one could
ever dream of. He had gotten a solid view into their lives and it made him feel... endeared.

Any remaining doubt that he may have had about the pack was well and truly gone by that
point. They were just a group of mates looking for their corner of peace. Their place to exist
without the expectations of others. Seokjin could respect and appreciate that.

"Where's Kookie? S'he still sleeping?" Taehyung asked.

Yoongi nodded, looking only part of the way awake himself. "Last I checked, yeah. He
couldn't get to sleep last night."

Seokjin knew that was due to the fact that the youngest of the group had been sitting in the
mouth of their tent in wolf form, standing watch. He had shared a brief stare down with him
in the wee hours of morning, until he had shifted position and hidden his face under the bow
of his wing. Even though he could understand the suspicion, he hated the guilt that it made
him feel. His initial aggression had left a mark on the fragile trust he was building between
himself and the wolves.

With enough patience, he hoped that they would be able to build a more stable form of trust
between them. Winning Jungkook over would prove to be the hardest challenge set before
him.

Who'd have thought that he'd be so driven to form a connection to these wolves. What a
marvel his life had become in such short order. But if they were to remain habitants of the
mountain, there needed to be clear communication and some degree of trust. He to them and
them to himself.

"I hate to seem like an ungrateful guest," Hoseok said to him, "but do you have plans of a
morning meal? Or shall we make one for ourselves. I'm afraid I know very little about
dragonic eating habits."

Seokjin chuckled. "It was my intent to prepare a sweetened porridge from grains and milk
that I have. Would that suffice?"

"Oh! For all of us?"

He nodded. "You are my guests, why would I leave you to go hungry?"

Yoongi huffed from the end of the table, the corner of his lips quirked up in a sideways grin.
"Hospitality from the dragon of Clouded Reach. Our birth pack would never believe us if we
ever told them."

Seokjin wasn't sure why he said it like it was a source of absurdity, but it made him wonder if
wolves viewed dragons with a specific tone. Perhaps they saw them all as possessive
hoarders that would spit fire at the first opportunity. He was not guiltless for having a
tarnished view of wolves, but he did regret allowing those past experiences taint the initial
meeting with the pack. Maybe at some point they would feel the same?

There was so much to learn of one another. He hoped this period of cohabitation would allow
them to garner a firmer understanding of each other.

For now, there was a morning meal to attend to.

"Would one of you mind to assist in meal preparation? I do not wish to make anyone ill from
my use of ingredients."

Yoongi raised himself from the table. "I'll help."

Hoseok took this as his opportunity to cuddle the others, or so it seemed. He launched
himself over to the three others with an excited little squawk and giggled as they bemoaned
his arrival.

He had to make himself turn away. Though the ongoing demonstration of their bond
remained fascinating to him. Such ease, such overwhelming love, such comfort. The more he
watched of them, the more he became convinced that dragons were missing out on potential
bonds by believing in the sanctity of two's.

It was a testament to their mating bond that it was strong enough to make him question
everything.
•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

The blizzard continued to rage beyond the safe confines of the nest.

Yoongi had gone closer to the entrance of their temporary living quarters the night previous
and had been shocked by the bitter blast of cold that snuck into the entrance, howling like
some sort of bloodthirsty creature not on this world. All at once, he had felt grateful beyond
measure for the dragon's kindness to let them stay here.

They were, all of his mates, unseasoned to the weather of Clouded Reach. They would have
had no idea how serious this storm was going to be if they had neglected the offer of safety.
They might've been lost to the inclement weather if they had stayed outside.

There was a sense of debt that Yoongi felt they now owed to the dragon, though he wasn't
sure Seokjin was familiar with the concept that wolves tended to live by. To protect or save a
life was to be protected and saved in return. A favor given is a favor owed. He wanted to
make sure they were able to repay the dragon in some form or other.

If this had been their nest, Yoongi wasn't sure that they would have let in a stranger, let alone
six of them. The fact that Seokjin had been so willing to open his home to them spoke loudly
of his character. He was still a stranger to them, but a veritably kind one.

Yoongi had been skeptical upon their initial meeting. Though now he could look back upon
that moment and find understanding. The dragon must have suffered quite a few distasteful
run-ins with wolves to give him such a jaded view of them before they had taken any sort of
action. Where likewise, they had never faced down such a fearsome predator before. How
were they to know that they were merely protective of their territory and home?

But then, perhaps he should have kept that in consideration. Every race in the world had their
limitations and cultural rules. Every creature had boundaries and traditions they adhered to. It
should not have come as a surprise that Seokjin had them.

Now they were getting an up close and personal view of the dragon's character. Yoongi would
be a liar to say he wasn't intrigued by everything they'd learned just in a couple of days.

Seokjin was kind, and polite. He ensured each of them had a full plate at every meal before
he would fill his own. He allowed them to all but take over the bedding near his bookshelves
as they built themselves a make-shift nest to lounge in. He answered any questions they
posed about dragons, or his past. If they requested a takeover of the nesting chamber to bathe,
he would merely nod and pick up a book to gorge himself in. He had even offered to brave
the storm to fetch them fresh game if they wished it of him.
Seokjin was also quiet, but observant. Yoongi had noticed that when he wasn't being
questioned or spoken to directly, that he tended to sweep his gaze over all of them with a
minute furrow to his brow. Almost as though he was studying their interactions. If they used
a phase or word he wasn't familiar with, his head would tilt in silent question. Sometimes he
voiced his question but other times he did not. (Like the time one of them had mentioned that
they had left their birth pack due to being mated betas, Seokjin had been curious and
confused about that. Turns out, dragons did not have secondary genders like wolves.)

Yet he also noticed little things about each of them through his silent observation. Like how
Hobi and Jimin preferred their morning grains to be sweeter than the rest of them. Or the way
Namjoon wanted to read every single book on his shelf but had yet to find the bravery to take
one for himself, so Seokjin laid some in his hands without a word. Or the way Jungkook
didn't trust him at all, and he respected the distance between them and made sure to project
his movements to their youngest. Or the way he himself didn't wake up well in the mornings,
and Seokjin had begun offering him a spiced herbal tea to help him transition into
wakefulness.

There was such gentle attentiveness in his actions. There was care laced into his offerings.
There was a genuine sense of hospitality to Seokjin as he allowed them to live in his nest.

Yoongi was baffled, but also curious about it all. Such mannerisms did not appear from
nothing. Was that a sign of how the dragon had been raised? Was it merely a show of
dragonic culture?

He wasn't sure. But he wanted to know. He wanted to learn the little things about Seokjin in
the way that he had for them. He wanted to offer the same brand of kindness back to him.
Yoongi just had no idea how to do so.

As the pack leader, he was no stranger to doting of people. His mates all needed a regular
dosage of love from him in order to regulate their emotions and refresh their group dynamics.
It was second nature by now. He was in tune with the needs and wants of his mates. Most
times, he didn't even have to ask if they needed something of him. He just knew.

He was nowhere near that stage of familiarity with Seokjin, yet something in his instincts
longed to be. There was a heart of gold beneath those tough dragon scales. There was
something in him that begged for him to pay attention.

There is something special about this one, the voice in him urged. Keep your eyes open.

Yoongi watched with soft eyes as Seokjin related another story of his past to an attentive
Taehyung and Namjoon. Hoseok and Jimin seemed to be listening as well as they lay curled
up together in wolf form, ears pricked forward with interest. Even Jungkook was
eavesdropping from where he was peeling vegetables for dinner, though his pup would never
admit to it.

He couldn't help but think of how right it felt to have his mates here, altogether in this warm
cave as they listened to Seokjin tell a tale of competitive flying he had done in his youth. It
was a foreign feeling of rightness, but one he couldn't deny.
There was something very special about Seokjin. Yoongi was sure of it now.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

One of the evenings, when all of them were curled up in the nesting chamber and trying to
sleep through the worst of the blizzard, Seokjin was awakened.

Desperate yelps and cries came from one of the wolves, the sound making him think of
danger.

Seokjin, having elected to rest in dragon form that night, shot to his feet with a sharp scan of
the room to see what the problem was.

It was only when he heard the other wolves soothing their mate that he realized what must
have come to pass.

He was no stranger to the gripping terror of a nightmare. When he had first moved to the
mountain and made it his home, he would startle awake on a nightly basis as his internalized
fears were given macabre life within the scape of his thoughts. Fears of landslides, fears of
the cave collapsing, fears of the mountain rejecting his presence. Such things had plagued his
early days with a vengeance.

The air filled with comforting murmurs and choked cries.

Seokjin felt as though his heart had broken in his chest. He settled back into his own nest
with a small sigh, wondering what he could do to offer his own bit of comfort. The only thing
that came to mind was one of the lullabies his mother would hum to him whenever he had
trouble sleeping.

He sent a glance to the pack's tent and considered his options for a moment. When he had
come to a decision, he let his eyes fall shut as he sucked in a lungful of air.

The hum was low as it escaped him. It bended like the edges of a river, and flowed just the
same. It went as low as ocean depths, but as high as mountain peaks. It was a song of
soothing, a song of comfort, a song of assurance, a promise that you were not alone.

Seokjin allowed his sentiments to fuel the song in hopes that it might be transmitted to the
troubled wolf that needed it.

As he hummed, the amethyst crystals tinkled and reverberated the rich tones. The chamber
carried his notes and filled the entirety of the area.
He only brought the lullaby to a close when he could hear the distinctive sounds of soft
snores coming from a couple of the mates.

He was glad that his act of comfort had been received. He was glad they hadn't asked him to
stop.

Jin smiled and lowered his head down, ready to rest. He hoped that there would be no more
nightmares that night.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

The aftermath of the blizzard was sure to last a month or more. There had been so much snow
at the entrance of his cave, that Seokjin had been forced to melt it with his fire in order for
any of them to leave. The air outside had been crisp and burned the lungs as it was breathed
in. But the mounds of untouched fresh powder were stunning to behold. The wind would take
a bit of snow from the tree boughs and make the air sparkle as the tiny snowflakes danced in
the sunlight. It was sights like this that made him fall in love with his mountain home all over
again.

Now that the storm had come to a close, the wolf pack had elected to go back down to their
work in progress home. They anticipated having to dig out their settlement site and wanted to
get a head start on doing so while the weather was clear.

Though he had only let them go with a mutual promise that his cave was open to them if they
couldn't make a warm shelter for themselves. Instead of surprise, he had been met only with
five thankful smiles (and one distrustful glower from Jungkook).

He was certain that their shared time in his nest had done them all good. They had gotten to
see that he meant them no harm, and he had gotten to witness their peaceful nature on a much
more intimate level. They wouldn't bring any intentional harm to his mountain. There was a
foundation of mutual trust now. Which could be broken or used to build from depending on
how each party made went about things.

Seokjin was optimistic, however. Five of the six had warmed up to him - six of the seven if
they included the tiny squirrel kit - which was a mark of great pride for him.

He had shifted once the pack had left his line of sight, and settled in the mouth of his cave.
The muffled stillness of the world around him was calming. Every icy breath made his inner
magic swell and settle all at once. Ice and snow - his perfect elements.

The sun overhead was bright but did little to warm the mountain air. Still, the downcast rays
eased a bit of warmth into his scales. It was a nice switch up from the darkness of his case.
A pleased rumbly purr crept up from the depths of his chest as he stretched himself out and
enjoyed the sunbeams.

His day passed much the same, though he stepped outside of his cave in order to follow the
trail of the sun over the mountain's ridge.

But as was par the course, nothing stayed calm upon the mountain.

Seokjin raised his head when he heard the first snaps of ice from higher up. He could feel the
shudder of the snow around him. The feeling of which alarmed his instincts. He had
experienced this sensation many times before, always preceding an avalanche.

His thoughts jumped to the wolf pack further down the way. He needed to warn them.
Depending on the trajectory of the avalanche, it was possible that their half built cabin would
be caught as a casualty in the torrent of cascading snow.

He growled low in his throat. He didn't want to even imagine that kind of harm coming to the
pack. They had managed to worm their way into his heart. He would protect them as
creatures of the mountain.

Seokjin took a running start and then leaped into the air. Once he got high enough, he used
his momentum to swoop down towards the cabin site. Hopefully they would all be there and
he could warn them as one. As he dove, he could hear the first rumble as a shelf of snow gave
away to gravity's treacherous pull.

The severity of the situation had his blood pumping in his veins. He had to warn the wolves.

The foundation of their cabin came into view, and five of the wolves shortly thereafter.

"THERE IS AN AVALANCHE UPON US," He bellowed to them. "FIND SOMETHING TO

SHELTER BEHIND!"

Yoongi barked out an order to his mates in response and pulled them over to a sharp jut of
rock.

From only a glimpse, Seokjin couldn't tell if it would be enough to protect them or not.

"But what about Jungkookie?!" One of them cried.

Seokjin's sharp eyes swept over the landscape, but he saw nothing of the youngest wolf.
"What is he?"

"He went hunting," Yoongi called up to him. "Do you see him coming back?"

He shot up into the air to get a better scope of the area, and yet he still saw nothing. The
mountain was slowly being engulfed in a cloud of kicked up snow powder as the avalanche
picked up speed.

"JUNGKOOK!"
The scream caught his attention. Seokjin dove down once more and swept his keen eyes over
the area once more. Then he saw it.

Right in the cleft of the mountainside, where the avalanche was sure to fall to, was their
missing mate.

“JUNGKOOK! GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

Seokjin’s gaze snapped to where the others were looking. Jungkook had caught a deer and
was trying to haul it back. It was only when the youngest fell in the direct path of the looming
snowfall that he realized the danger he was in.

He didn’t stop to think in that moment. His instincts seized control of his body and urged him
onward. He couldn't let their youngest be swept away, he refused to sit idly by when he had
the power to do something.

With his heartbeat thundering in his ears, Seokjin leapt forward with a mighty beat of his
wings and yanked Jungkook’s wolven form into the protection of his wings.

They were engulfed in a rush of snow and ice before they could catch a breath.

He did his best to find footing so that he could escape the pull of the avalanche but it was
futile. Jin snarled in frustration, holding Jungkook close to his belly.

His body collided with a tree and he let out a roar of pain. He hit another as they continued to
tumble. Each hit from tree or rocky crag sent a roil of fiery agony through his body.

Over the cacophony of sound that was the avalanche, he thought he could hear the distressed
yelps and whines of his protected cargo. At least Jungkook was safe from the external
onslaught. That was all that mattered to him.

It had been ages since he had been caught in a snow slide. He had forgotten how terrifying it
was to lose control of directionality. He had forgotten how helpless it felt to be dragged along
by the endless torrents of packed snow and ice.

Seokjin had no idea how far down the mountain they tumbled before he was able to snap his
jaws around a sturdy tree and hold them there while the avalanche continued. His sense of
direction and time was gone from his mind.

When the snow settled, he let his quivering body go limp. He panted as he lay there, in
absolute misery and exhaustion.

One of his wings was broken. It pulsed and flared with red hot agony, letting him know of its
plight. Some of his talons and spines from his back had snapped off. But the worst pain was
radiating from his chest where he had collided with one of the trees. There was a sticky
warmth pooling over his scales - it was most assuredly his blood. Though he couldn't find the
energy to open his eyes, he knew the feeling of impalement. He had experienced it a few
times before from vengeful icicles.
Something moved beneath his damaged wing and he couldn't hold back a miserable whine at
the feeling.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

Seokjin managed to pull his eyes open enough to catch a glimpse of his wayward passenger.

Jungkook seemed to be unharmed, just shaken. His hair and clothes were a mess, his eyes
wide and body shaking.

"Are you-" The wolf shuddered. "Oh fuck. You're not okay. Fuck!" He shifted in the blink of
an eye and raised his furred head to howl.

After a long moment, a few responding howls returned.

Jungkook howled again and then shifted back. "Okay, that should give them direction to us."
He bit his lip as he hovered. "Y-You're a mess, I'm so sorry."

"Not.. your fault," Seokjin wheezed. "Should've warned soon'r..."

The youngest's eyes grew shiny. "I should have been paying attention to shit like that. It's my
fault that I got caught in the path. I wasn't thinking."

He wanted to further placate the wolf but he found himself too exhausted. He slumped into
the disheveled snow and groaned.

"Fuck. How bad is it?"

"B-Bad," Jin replied, voice catching. He was scared. The leftover adrenaline left him shaky
and out of focus. He was now injured to a severe extent, in a rather precarious location. Just
because the snow around them had settled didn't mean that it wouldn't avalanche again if the
correct conditions arose.

They needed to get to safety. But Seokjin just wanted to drag his broken body up to his cave
and fall into a deep sleep while his wounds healed.

He tried to move only once, falling back as soon as the first bolts of pain shot through him. A
high pitched keen warbled in his throat. It was a dragonic sound of distress that he hadn't
made since he was a fledgling.

"Shh, it'll be okay," Jungkook tried to placate him. "They're coming for us. We'll be alright."

"Hurts," he cried, eyed squeezed shut.

The wolf didn't say anything more, but ran a soothing hand down his snout. It was almost
enough to keep his mind off of the delirious agony his body felt.

It had been a long time since he had found himself in a position as bad as this. Seokjin felt
helpless. He should have tried to get out of the avalanche and into the air. If he had, then
maybe he might have been spared from such injury.
Exhaustion was a crawling blanket, covering and encasing his body in its tempting hold. It
beckoned him and wrapped him in its welcoming embrace.

"M's'rry Jungkoo'.. can't st'y awake 'nymore," he managed to say before exhaustion pulled
him under its grasp.

"What...? No! Hyung-"

Darkness took him. The pain fled from his senses. There was peace.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

There was heat in his bones, not of his own fire.

Seokjin felt like his scales would melt off of him.

Too hot, it hurt.

Something pressed hard against his pulsing wound and sent a bolt of pain through him.

He barely had the energy to cry out.

"Shh, it's alright. We're here."

A voice. Voices. Floating through the darkness.

Waves of misery, pain, sick, hurt.

"Be still. I know it hurts, but you must be still. We will help you."

Jin knew those voices but the names were lost amidst the fire consuming him from the inside
out.

It was too hot.

Help.

Hurts.

Aching heaviness in his limbs, weighing down his weary body.

Something cold smoothed over the fiery wound. Cold, good, cooling, soothing, healing.
 "Rest, hyung," a soft voice whispered to him.

He obliged.

Chapter End Notes

Sooo I'm not entirely sure when the final chapter will be up. I want to optimistically say
the end of February. But I am also trying to be realistic about the fest fic I have to write
in between, and also the nature of my writing muse. So we'll say if not by the end of
Feb, then DEFINITELY by the mid to end of March. I am very much in love with this
story and writing has been rather easy but there will be a lot to cover in the final.

Until then, I have a lot of other stories you can check out! I want to try and update my
other OT7 WIP here soon as well. Lots of content being worked on behind the scenes!

Thank you for reading. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.

(Maybe you're tired of hearing it, but please keep talking about Gaza!)
Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!