♟ Remember the days of innocence ♟

-·=»‡«=·-

- Please give me another chance -

Taehyung's POV

Time slowed down, the sound of the gun going off ringing through my ears. My eyes narrowed, fur beginning to sprout from every inch of my body. I launched myself off the ground, dirt flying up as I flew, letting my bones crack and body transform.

"Dodge!" I commanded into the mind-link between Jungkook and I. Everything happened so fast yet so slow at the same time. The gun was fired and the bullet was aimed straight for Jungkook, yet he fell to the floor milliseconds before it could hit him.

Allowing it to hit me instead.

It grazed my left shoulder, planting itself in my side. Pain flooded my body, but the anger felt deep within my veins was enough to overpower it. My paws hit the ground, my wolf towering over both my mate and my enemy. With bared teeth and a look that was made to kill, I released a venomous and low growl, opening my mouth.

"Drop the gun!" I roared, letting my eyes change from their normal shade of brown to dark blue. Hoseok's fingers pried off the trigger, the gun falling to the floor with a click as it hit the ground. By now, both Namjoon and Jimin were shifted too, walking up behind me, growls leaving their mouths.

"You're going to do exactly as I say, am I understood?" Like the weakling he was, Hoseok nodded, visibly gulping. He took a step back, Park's growl making him freeze, his back straightening up. My body was positioned over Jungkook's, in a stance that screamed protective.

"Who sent you?" He grits his teeth, clenching his hands into fists, so tightly that his knuckles turned from their normal skin color to white. "Answer me! Who sent you? I know you aren't working alone!" He fell to his knees, screaming out from the pain of him disobeying my command.

"Someone from Korea! I just took the job! I needed the money and it was too easy, too simple!" He shouted, his pained cry echoing throughout the once silent forest. I growled, watching as Namjoon began to circle the man on the floor, his teeth bared and saliva falling from his canines.

"That doesn't answer my question! What's his name? Who fucking sent you?!" Another scream left his lips, his back arching off the ground as his nails dug into the soil. "Chanyeol! Someone named Chanyeol! I don't know him personally! The job was easy and I-"

"Silence!" I commanded, seeing him mouth clamp shut and his back fall back against the dirt. I nodded at Park, watching as he pounced onto Hoseok, shifting into his human form and knocking him out cold. He was back in his wolf form quickly after, both Namjoon and Jimin dragging him towards the house we called ours.

I looked around the forest, picking up the sound of my mate's racing heartbeat. His breathing was out of control, his heart racing faster than needed. I turned around, my gaze falling onto him. He pushed himself away, eyes wide with fear and shock.

"Jungkook I- I'm sorry..." He shook his head, pushing himself away from me with his feet, causing the dirt to lift from the ground. His lips were parted but nothing came out from his mouth. He just backed away from me, my mind racing as my wolf whined a bit.

"Stay away from me! Stay away!" He shouted, tears pooling in his eyes. "What are you? Who are you?!" My ears fell to my head, a whine finally escaping my body. "It's me, Jungkook... I'm sorry. Let me explain everything! Just give me another chance I-"

"You lied to me! You kept this a secret? How could you?!" I took a step towards him, hearing him scream out. "I said stay the hell away from me! Don't get any closer! I'll call the cops, I swear!" I stopped, lowering myself to the ground, putting my head on my paws and whining.

"You're a fucking wolf? More specially, you're the wolf I've been talking to?! You fucking knew all along!" I didn't say anything, I just stared, my heart beginning to hurt. His anger was flooding my veins but I remained calm, trying to get him to calm down a bit.

I needed him to give me another chance.

"How could you fucking do this to me?! You could have said something! Anything, Taehyung! You fucking knew! You just let me ramble my problems away and everything and you fucking... you didn't say shit to me! You kept it hidden! I said that shit because I didn't want anyone to hear it!" He shouted, tears beginning to stream down his face, hitting his cheeks.

"Why did you do it? Huh? Was it fun? Was it for entertainment? Why didn't you fucking tell me?!" He roared, slamming his fist into the soil, his anger overpowering any other emotion within him. I stood up, letting my eyes change back to brown, my ears perking up a bit.

"I didn't say anything because I knew you needed to vent, Jeon. If I told you, you'd react the same way you're acting now," I deadpanned, baring my teeth a bit, allowing the anger to invade my body. "Tell me, was I wrong to let you vent? Especially when it made you feel better?"

This shut him up, his eyes widening in shock. "The first day I found you here, almost raped and killed in this forest, I saved you. I saved you, not because I felt bad, but because you mean the world to me! Tell me, could I tell you that I was the wolf who saved you? Could I just straight up shift in front of you while you were in that state of shock?"

He bit his bottom lip, turning his head away and staring at the ground. "How about the time you vented about those friends of yours, huh? What did you want me to do? Shift and say, stop fucking venting? I let you ramble and complain and vent because you needed it, Jungkook!" I roared, seeing him shudder.

"And how about just a few days ago? I couldn't tell you because I've been busy trying to make sure this secret, this whole fucking secret about me being what I am wasn't going to kill you!" I was seething with anger, my eyes changing from blue to brown. He stared at me with wide eyes, his heart picking up pace again.

"Did you not just see what almost happened to you? You could have fucking died, Jungkook! And why? Because of me! I fucking told you I was putting you in danger! That's why I kept this from you! Because of what I am, it's caused a sea of trouble!" He whimpered, laying on the ground, hugging his knees to his chest.

I was breathing heavily, feeling blood run down my side and legs. I growled, glancing at my legs, watching as the blood ran down my side at stained my fur, finally falling on my paw. The pain was there but I didn't care, not when my bond with my mate was on the line.

"You got hit..." He whispered, my gaze shifting onto him. His eyes met mine, the fear that sparkled in them long gone. He shakily pushed himself closer to me, big doe eyes staring up to meet mine. "You... you took the bullet for me..." I nodded, seeing his tears fall faster.

"Why? Why didn't you let me die?"

I growled, lowering my body onto his, letting my head rest on his chest. "Because if you died, I would have died with you." His eyes widened even more, lips parting open in shock. His fingers ran through my fur, sliding over the bullet wound in my side, my eyes shutting.

It didn't hurt, his touch made it feel better.

He pulled his hand away, the blood staining his fingertips. "You saved my life... again..." I met his gaze, watching as he cried harder. "Why? Why do you keep saving my life? Why do you save me just to hurt me?" I whined, licking his chin.

"Give me another chance. Please. Let me make things right this time. Let me tell you everything you want to know. Let me tell the story from the beginning until the end... just, please... don't walk away from me..." He shook his head, sobbing into his hands, my blood remaining on his hands.

"How can I trust you? You've kept this a secret from me for how long now? You... you knew all along that I was talking to you and you still didn't tell me anything. You've kept this a secret from me. How can I trust that you won't keep more secrets from me?" I whined, closing my eyes and feeling my heart begin to hurt again.

"Please. I'll do anything. Please, Jungkook. I can't live without you..." His arms wrapped around my neck, surprising me. His face pressed against my fur, tear-stained cheeks wetting my dry, warm fur. I let him hug me, closing my eyes and letting out a low, soft growl.

"How can I trust you?" He whispered, his voice laced with sadness. I sighed, releasing another growl. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. Just give me another chance. I'll earn your trust, even if it takes me decades," I whispered into the mind-link, humming softly.

"Please... I love you..."

He cried into my fur, his head moving up and down in a nod. "Okay... I'll grant you that second chance, Taehyung..." I wanted to howl, happiness flooding my being and overpowering any other emotion. I nodded, pressing myself closer against him.

"But... I want the truth and only the truth. If you can't give me that, then we can't be together. I'll call off the bond, I'll reject you. I'll leave, you'll never see me again." I froze, growling as I shook my head, my eyes finally meeting his. "No... no, please, I won't let you..."

"Then tell me everything. Answer every question I have and only tell me the truth."

I nodded, desperately wanting him to forgive me and to stay with me. I couldn't risk losing him, not when I've finally discovered what it's like to have a soulmate. I couldn't risk our bond ending and that indescribable pain that would come from it.

"I'll tell you everything. Just the truth. I promise. I swear. I swear on my father's grave! I swear to the moon goddess. I promise, just please, don't leave me. Forgive me..." His saddened eyes met mine, a frown stretched upon his face.

"I can give you another chance, but I can't forgive you. Not yet." I whined but I nodded, understanding that this is what he needed. He needed time, and I'm willing to grant him it. "I'm sorry. Really I am... you have to see it from my perspective... I had to make sure that I wouldn't get you killed..."

I sighed, standing up and looking away. "But in the end, does it even matter? You almost died today. You could have died. You were held at gunpoint and that bullet was milliseconds away from hitting your heart." He stood up, his legs wobbling and he held onto me.

"But you saved me. You were here..." I nodded, still refusing to meet his eyes. "But what good did that do me? Sure, I saved you, but now you hate me. You can't forgive me. I made a mistake... I should have just told you. I thought... I thought keeping it a secret would keep you safe.."

"But in the end, it just put you in more danger." Jungkook frowned, wrapping his arms around my neck again. "I don't hate you... I'm just not happy with you right now. I... I'm giving you another chance, one to makes things right but only if you tell me the truth this time." When he pulled away, I finally looked into his eyes.

"You could break this bond between us. You could run away, scream and hate me, despise me. You could disappear and never let me see you again, but instead, you're staying and offering me another chance. Why?" He flashed a sad smile, running his hands through my fur.

"Because I love you too."

-·=»‡«=·-

Truth is out. What happens now?

I purple you 💜

~Pisanthrophobia.