Chapter Text
The flickering of torches and oil lamps casts the village in an eerie light, the effect enhanced by the fact that the moon is notably absent, making the shadows where their light doesn't reach even darker.
Which is fitting in a way, Yoongi thinks, because what they're doing here tonight is pretty scary.
As he casts a look around him, taking in the row of people tied up on the floor in front of him and the sounds of crying and yelling echoing through the air from where the last people are being captured, it's hard to remember that they're the good ones here.
Or well, maybe they're actually not anymore, and they lost that bit of innocence when they decided to execute this plan. Because without a doubt there will be lives lost tonight – actually, several alpha's who tried to fight back had already been killed -, families will be broken up, people will lose their homes.
And all because Yoongi decided that it will benefit the greater good, or rather, his envisioned greater good. Regardless of the moral valence of what they're doing though, he's at least sure of one thing: his own innocence will definitely be tainted after tonight.
Putting his face in an impassive expression, he keeps his voice level as he asks his companion: "Shall we get it over with?"
Because although Yoongi is the younger pack leader from them two by far, he's also the one who came up with this plan, who contacted the Choi pack asking for their help, and although he's already feeling nauseous at the idea of what he's about to do, he therefore feels like it's his duty to take the lead.
The man next to him grunts his affirmation, before adding: "I say we just kill them all. Motherfuckers like them will never adapt to a new pack, and none of us can afford to spend extra time and effort keeping an eye on our new pack members to keep them in line, especially with the harsh winters we've recently had… The betas and omegas, sure, but these testosterone bombs? Not a chance in hell that I'd let any of them close to my pack".
Casting another gaze at their prisoners, Yoongi considers Choi's words, and although he hates to admit it he knows he's probably right. The whole reason that they're here tonight is because this pack kept stealing from them – not only supplies but also omegas, most of which were children –, and it would be naïve to think that they can be reformed.
But still, this implies that they'll have to kill defenceless people, who are tied up, and that just feels wrong on so many levels.
And so, although he knows it might decrease the other's opinion of him, he can't help but give their prisoners a chance.
"You're right, the chances are small that they'd be of any use… Still, my pack has lost a few capable alphas in their last attack, and it would be useful to recruit some fresh blood. Therefore can't hurt to do a quick check, right? It will be easy to sense if there's any hope of redemption from their scent and behaviour…"
As expected, the other pack leader just snorts, before replying: "Hey, it's your party, do what you want… Just make it quick, we have enough other work ahead of us".
Which means that it's time for Yoongi to start moving, so he does his best to keep his voice impassive as he grunts out a "Right…" and hides his shaking hands from view as he moves towards the line of prisoners.
Fuck, how he hates having to do this.
It's just as bad as he thought it would be. The first alpha he approaches stares up at him with pure hate in his eyes, spitting out profanities and struggling against his restraints, which makes the choice on whether he should be killed pretty easy, but still Yoongi has to fight all his instincts as he grips his spear tightly and stabs him through the heart.
He has never killed someone before, and the sight of life leaving the man's eyes, of blood starting to pool around him, is enough to almost make him drop his spear to go retch in a bush somewhere, regardless of how right the decision to kill him might have been.
Almost, because while the Choi pack is on his side for now, the peace between them is also not as sturdy as he'd like it to be, and any sign of weakness therefore means a risk to his pack's future safety.
God, how he wishes his father hadn't died, that he hadn't had to take his place at only 21 years old, feeling completely unprepared for the harsh life of a pack leader. But well, the fact that his father died in the first place is because he was killed by these assholes, and keeping that in mind does strengthen his resolve as he pulls out his spear and walks over to his next victim.
The next alpha is even worse. By now, the tied-up alphas have realised their fate, and hateful slurs get transformed into pleading, promises of behaving, stories of mates and children that will be left behind.
Which is why Yoongi at this point is extremely glad to be a werewolf: sure, the alphas can morph their expressions into something less aggressive and angry, but their scents betray their real feelings, and therefore also the second alpha meets Yoongi's spear.
This time, there's a splash of blood squirting onto his clothes, the scent of the dead werewolf still on it, and Yoongi needs to cast his eyes up to the sky for a bit, swallowing heavily, to keep himself from puking before he dares to continue on.
Which is when he sees a sudden flurry of movement on his left. That is, further along the line of prisoners an alpha is bold enough to actually roll over his neighbour, ending up pressed against the alpha that lays next to that woman.
Of course their guards instantly spring forward, obviously suspecting some sort of escape attempt, and also Yoongi strides over with big steps.
Only to find an alpha curled protectively around a younger one, the fact that his hands are tied behind his back making it impossible to properly embrace him, but still clearly being determined to protect the younger boy with his life.
And, what's even more striking: the younger one is not only crying – no, sobbing – into the other's lap, but also smells very distinctly of pre-rut.
Yoongi can just make out a string of murmured assurances uttered by the older alpha, although the man's voice sounds teared up and broken too. "It's okay Kookie, shh, just focus on my smell, focus on me, you'll be okay, I love you…"
The scene is so unlike what anyone expected that also the guards pause their plan to pull them apart, and Yoongi stares on for a few moments, feeling guilt rise up in him.
Oh god, they're just kids. Even the older one can't be much older than Yoongi is himself, and from both he gets no hints of anger or aggression, just sadness, hopelessness, and well, pre-rut.
It's only when Choi speaks up that Yoongi startles from his daze. "Well, are we going to watch a pair of pathetic alphas sob for the rest of the night or do you want to finish the job, Min?"
It's at that moment that the older boy looks up at him, and that's when Yoongi knows: he can't kill these two. Because the boy's gaze is purely sad, broken, just like his scent, and Yoongi's instinct tells him that there's no way that he's one of the alphas who had been terrorizing their packs.
So, despite that he knows that it's politically a bad move, he squats in front of the pair.
"What's your name?", he asks the older one, keeping his voice gruff but looking at him with what he hopes is a non-threatening expression.
"H-Hoseok, sir", the boy says, casting his eyes down for a second as a sign of respect, before lifting them up to meet Yoongi's again.
Before Yoongi can continue on, the boy adds: "A-and this is Jungkook, he's just a pup, please don't kill him! Kill us all if you must – ", here he's interrupted by a loud whimper followed by even louder sobs from the young one, " – but spare him, please".
God, of course he had to get himself involved in something like this. Casting a quick glance at the other pack leader to find him looking on impatiently, Yoongi quickly comes to a decision.
"You want to save both your lives instead?", he asks, being unsurprised by the direct desperate affirmation Hoseok gives him, the grime in which he's covered by lying on the floor making him look extra young and vulnerable as he gazes back at Yoongi, eyes big with hope.
"Okay, then I'll need you to do three things. First, swear fealty to me and my pack. From this day onwards you'll do as I say, will follow my orders, and will do anything you can to assimilate into my pack. Can you do that?"
Again, Hoseok obliges before Yoongi has even properly finished speaking, scent spiking with hope.
"Good. Now, as you know, I can't let insubordinate alphas into my pack. Is there anyone else in this group – ", he gestures his hands to all the other alphas, "- that we should save, in your opinion?"
It's maybe a bit weak of him, but using the other boy as guidance makes Yoongi feel a bit less like a merciless killer, and he's glad to be proven right in his earlier assessment of the other alphas when Hoseok's expression turns cold – despite the sudden pleading coming from the alphas around them – and he replies: "No. Kill them all".
The words are spoken so emotionlessly that they almost make Yoongi chuckle at the completely crazy situation they're finding themselves in, but he restrains himself, and instead casts his gaze up at the guards standing around them.
"Well, men, you've heard the boy, go ahead".
Horrible, disgusting sounds of people being killed echo through the air for a few minutes while the other alphas are killed, making Yoongi involuntarily shiver and turn his gaze down in horror, and when the sound dies down he breathes out deeply to regain control over himself before addressing Hoseok once more.
He's proud that his voice comes out unaffected again as he says: "Third task. You're mated, right?"
The mating bite had been pretty clearly visible in Hoseok's neck, and he watches on as the boy nods, eyes going wide with a new surge of fear.
His voice comes out shaky when he says: "Yes, Taehyung, a b-beta, he was taken somewhere else, h-he's pregnant, please – "
"Yeah, yeah", Yoongi interrupts, "I won't hurt him, don't worry. I know you won't like it, but you'll have to leave him behind – "
Now it's Yoongi's turn to be interrupted by another broken "No, please", accompanied by fresh tears dropping down the boy's cheeks, and Yoongi sighs before carrying on: "As I was saying, you'll have to leave him behind for now. This one –",
he points at the younger alpha, who is still hiding his face in Hoseok's lap, shivering and whining softly without reacting to anything around him anymore, as if he's completely lost to panic,
"- is a ticking time bomb, which means he needs to be taken to a heat room as soon as possible. A group of my people are about to go back to our camp with the first load of supplies, and you'll both join them. Your mate will stay behind while we sort out the rest of the mess here, and can gather your personal belongings before following after with the rest of us. Does that sound like something you can live with?"
Instantly, tension leaves Hoseok's body while he thanks Yoongi profusely, bowing his head in respect multiple times while tears of relief flow down his cheeks, and Yoongi gets a first glimpse of what Hoseok might look like when he isn’t thinking he's about to die, because a broad smile breaks through on his face as the realisation dawns that they are actually getting saved.
Hm, of course time will need to tell, but he's pretty sure he got himself a loyal new pack mate.
He startles both boys for a second by leaning forward while grabbing his pocket knife and cutting Hoseok's ties, leading to the other instantly wrapping his arms around the younger boy, hugging him close to his body while rocking him gently – god these two are cute, he wonders how they even survived in this otherwise aggressive pack.
Yoongi apologizes for having to keep Jungkook tied up due to his condition though: no way he's going to let a spooked teenager in rut run wild.
Which sounds like an even better decision when Hoseok tells him that it's the boy's first rut, triggered by the events of tonight: yeah, better to get him locked away in a secluded space as soon as possible – even the four-hour trek to their village might already become a problem. But well, that's one thing that is not for him but for his guards to deal with, luckily.
Looking up to find one of his own men amongst the mix of guards from both collaborating packs, he calls him over: "Seokjin, escort these two to our camp; probably best to throw the young one on the cart. Move fast, he needs – well, you get it".
He's just about to think that he can finally move on to the next group of captives (god, he's already exhausted, and Choi's clear impatience and disapproval definitely don't help), when Jungkook seems to start panicking even more, frantically whispering something at Hoseok, before the older boy pets his hair soothingly and looks up at Yoongi once more, keeping his stance submissive as he addresses him.
"I know that it's not my place to say anything, but the unmated omega – Jimin –, he's our friend, and – ", he seems to search for words before sighing, voice sadder when he continues: "- he has already been through a lot, just – if you can, please be gentle on him, he's worth it, I swear…"
Too tired to give the boy a proper response, Yoongi just nods at him curtly before turning around to head to their next destination: god, this is turning out to be an exhausting night.