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Jungkook, Taehyung and Jimin are at the beach. They've had such a fun day; splashing in the sea, building sandcastles, and eating plenty of ice cream.
As the sun sets, Jimin starts packing their stuff up. Jungkook decides he wants to build one more sandcastle, and knocks one of his current ones over, so he can use the damp sand.
But when he looks up, he sees Taehyung approaching the water, hands over his eyes as the waves lick his ankles. He looks like a statue as he faces the golden horizon.
A loud crash makes Jungkook jump, and suddenly, the water bursts up in an explosion. He screams when Taehyung is suddenly swept up by the water.
Sire is gone!
The sky turns black, and Jungkook stands up, desperately looking around for Jimin. But he's gone too, and Jungkook is all alone on the beach by himself. He pants, rushing towards the sea; he can see Taehyung being carried off by the waves, drowning.
Before he can take another step, Jungkook is swept up too, the water climbing up his legs, up his body...
He starts awake, breathing quickly. His whole body is covered in sweat.
He's also very aware of the dampness underneath him. Thankfully, he's wearing a diaper.
Jimin stirs awake next to him. "What's up, little one?" the omega yawns, rubbing Jungkook's neck. "Need a change? C'mere."
Jungkook whimpers as he's laid down in the middle of the nest. Jimin grabs a towel from nearby and gets it settled underneath Jungkook's legs before stripping the alpha.
When he blinks awake and sees how Jungkook's shirt is drenched in sweat, he decides to take the younger's shirt off too, leaving Jungkook nude.
It's at that moment Taehyung's eyes blink open. The older alpha lets out a loud exhale before rolling over, sitting up and propping his chin on his palm, gazing at his omega and pup.
Jungkook squirms and kicks around fussily as Jimin changes him, sticking his thumb in his mouth and whining when the omega gently removes it.
Jimin gives his whole body a wipe down and redresses Jungkook in a light, legless onesie.
"Tae, can you get him some water, please?" Jimin asks, but when Taehyung stands up, Jungkook loses it.
He can't let Sire leave! He needs to be in Jungkook's sight at all times, where it's safe. The nightmare comes rushing back at him, causing Jungkook to break out in loud, throaty sobs; arms reaching out to Taehyung frantically.
"Oh shh, baby, shh. I'm not going anywhere," Taehyung coos, placing Jungkook in his lap. He doesn't even grimace when Jungkook rubs his runny nose against his bare chest; his main priority is to calm the younger alpha down.
But when Jimin goes to leave the room, that gets another terrified scream from Jungkook. Because even though Jungkook had watched Taehyung get swept away in his nightmare, Jimin had disappeared; he can't let Dam do that again.
Both Taehyung and Jimin are worried, especially as it doesn't seem like Jungkook's ready to calm down anytime soon. Eventually, Jimin shifts Jungkook into his lap and encourages him to nurse. Jungkook does so fervently, while Taehyung gently wipes the alpha down with a towel. The towel's not wet, but at least Jungkook isn't too damp with sweat anymore.
The whole time Jungkook nursed, he made sure one hand was touching Taehyung. Even when the alpha wiped him, he'd made sure to brush his fingers against Taehyung's hand. Once he's finished, he doesn't pull off Jimin's breast, and continues to suckle slowly while keeping his hand wrapped around three of Taehyung's fingers.
"Here, baby, how about a pacifier?" Jimin tries, gently trying to ease Jungkook off his teat, but the alpha growls before sucking rigorously.
Jimin looks at Taehyung in confusion, who quirks an eyebrow up, flinching very slightly at how hard Jungkook clenches his fingers; the pup's alpha strength is still very much intact.
"Maybe...he's trying to be as close to us as he can?" he guesses. Anytime he gently tries to ease the younger alpha's hand off him, Jungkook growls and grips harder.
It seems that Jimin accepts the conclusion, for he looks at his baby worriedly as Jungkook continues to dry nurse. Soon, however, he gasps in pain.
"Alright baby, I'm getting sore now. No more," he says softly, cupping the back of Jungkook's head and beginning to gently ease him off.
When Jungkook growls again, Jimin lets out his own stern growl in return, before very delicately pinching Jungkook's scruff.
Surprisingly, the alpha doesn't let go straight away, but he can't fight against the instinctual need to relax his own body. When he feels himself go boneless, held up only by Jimin's two fingers, he bursts into tears once more in defeat.
Very quickly, Taehyung slips a pacifier between Jungkook's lips. The pup's wails dissolve into little sniffles, and though he sucks the pacifier furiously, it's clear he's not very happy with it, kicking his legs and pounding his fists in what is one fussy tantrum.
Then, he starts frantically pulling at his onesie, trying with all his might to yank it off but not sure how; it buttons at the crotch, and he doesn't realise that right now in his headspace, which is wavering between pup and alpha. He growls angrily while Jimin and Taehyung just watch in concern.
Taehyung figures it out soon enough. "But why don't you want your pajamas on, baby?" he wonders.
"Probably too hot," Jimin says sheepishly, leaning over to help Jungkook get undressed once again. As soon as he's in just his diaper, Jungkook spits out his pacifier and launches himself at Taehyung's chest, pressing his body as close to the older alpha's as he can.
That's when they understand. "Oh, he wants...skin to skin," Jimin says. He feels like a bit of an idiot; wolves especially rely on their senses of smell and touch - some very traditional packs don't even wear clothes, as they view them as a mere inconvenience.
"Okay, okay - nope, no biting," Taehyung scolds gently as Jungkook tries to nibble on his neck. Young pups did nibble their sires and dams' scent glands as a show of affection and desire for comfort, but Jungkook's rut isn't too far off, and his teeth are feeling sharper than usual. No wonder poor Jimin was feeling sore.
But Jungkook is angry at the fact Sire and Dam are being so dense; how can they not see that Jungkook needs them? Why did they try and leave? Why won't Jimin let him be close to him?
When Taehyung pulls him away, Jungkook growls and sinks his teeth into the alpha's neck. Before he can properly bite, however, he's quickly flipped over Taehyung's thighs and bared once again to be smacked.
"Don't - you - ever - try - to - bite - me - again," the older alpha seethes, punctuating each word with a slap.
He's not going too hard, as he's aware Jungkook's headspace must be confused, but he cannot let something this big go unpunished. The fact is, Jungkook is still an alpha, and if he accidentally marks Taehyung with a claiming bite, it would undoubtedly cause a lot of problems.
Jimin understands it too, but he's still biting his lip, gazing at Jungkook worriedly.
But Jungkook isn't submitting at all. He's furious, kicking his legs and growling. He slides sideways on Taehyung's lap and before Taehyung realises what he's doing, he feels teeth scraping at his bare thigh.
"He's trying to bite me again!" Taehyung roars. Jimin gasps and scruffs Jungkook quickly, dragging the naked alpha into his lap. But when he feels Jungkook's head diving for his own neck, he panics and shoves him off.
That's enough to push Taehyung over the edge. With a thunderous rumble, he drags Jungkook over so they're both chest-to-chest before sinking his own teeth into the alpha's soft neck.
"Taehyung, no!" Jimin cries out, but it's too late.
Jungkook thrashes around and smacks at the alpha's shoulders, quickly letting out a piercing shriek as blood trickles down his chest. Taehyung's teeth dig in, making Jungkook cry more, and the older alpha is pushed to the side by Jimin. Suddenly, Taehyung is sprawled out on the floor, clutching his cheek after Jimin clawed it with his nails, the omega's nails covered in blood.
This wasn't supposed to happen, Jungkook thinks as he sobs. He's all too aware of the sound of the door to the den being slammed open. The scents of his hyungs are tinged with fear, followed by their shocked gasps.
Jimin doesn't even bother to get Jungkook rediapered as he swaddles him up with one of the blankets, pressing another blanket against the pup's bleeding neck.
Pure terror is written over Taehyung's face as he stares at his mate and pup, horrorstruck at what he's just done. He tries to get to them, but Namjoon holds the alpha back by his shoulders firmly, warning him to stay still.
"We need to be far away from him," Jimin points at Taehyung and Seokjin nods, helping them stand up. He tries to take Jungkook, as Jimin is the smallest, but Jimin growls at him and pulls the pup away.
But no, this is wrong. All's Jungkook was trying to do was make Sire and Dam claim him. He thought that by 'attempting' to bite them, they'd realise that Jungkook was actually the one they needed to claim - as their own pup.
Of course they'll always be his Sire and Dam, but to have a mark to show they're all connected, that Jungkook is theirs - that would mean Sire and Dam couldn't disappear like in his nightmare.
Yet now, the nightmare is coming true. He's being carried away from Sire.
A pup distress signal has them all shrieking in pain, covering their ears. The screech causes Jimin to nearly drop Jungkook, who has managed to wriggle his arms free from the swaddle, reaching out in Taehyung's direction.
But...why? After he's just tried to hurt Taehyung? After Taehyung has just hurt him...
Taehyung manages to escape Namjoon's grasp and runs over to his pup. Seokjin hisses and steps in-front of Jimin and Jungkook protectively, but Taehyung dodges him, scooping the pup into his arms and holding Jungkook impossibly close to him.
"I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean it," he begs tearfully, hugging Jungkook as tight as he can. Because he really hadn't meant it; any alpha would react aggressively to another alpha or beta trying to 'claim' their omega.
Jungkook cries too, burying his face in Taehyung's chest, clutching whatever bit of the alpha he can. Jimin sighs and places his hand on Jungkook's head, which has Jungkook letting out little chirps along with his cries. Jimin and Taehyung stare into each other's bloodshot eyes painfully.
The rest of the pack watch the 'family' with concerned expressions, not knowing what to do.
XxX
"And you say there's absolutely nothing that could have brought this on?" Chanyeol asks Taehyung and Jimin.
Jungkook is sat up in the nest, sniffling and wriggling around as the he has a torch shone in his eye. Nurse Chanyeol is patient, as usual, but Jungkook hates how his big hands mean he can't escape at all. Sure, Taehyung and Jimin wouldn't let him leave, either, but they probably wouldn't shine a horrible light in his eye.
"I mean, the only thing I could think of is his rut," Taehyung sighs. "It's due in two weeks. But...why would he try and claim me? We haven't had any dominance challenges for ages."
Chanyeol nods, and then looks at Jimin, who is letting out soothing trills to comfort his fussy pup. Jungkook's headspace has been fluctuating all morning; he's still little, but his big headspace is still very much there. He'd fought them over having a diaper on for the nurse's visit, and had only compromised when Taehyung slid a large, oversized hoodie over his head that reached his thighs.
"Jimin," Chanyeol addresses the omega. Jimin jumps, having been focusing his attention on Jungkook. "Your heat is due soon, right?"
Jimin says: "Well, the calendar says it's in three days, but you know how inaccurate they can be."
Chanyeol nods. "But still, you've had all the symptoms of preheat. I apologise if this is a little embarrassing, but your slick production levels are normal, right?"
Jimin blushes and covers his eyes, groaning in embarrassment when Taehyung says: "They are, yes. In-fact, maybe even more than usual. On Monday-"
"Taehyung!" Jimin squeaks, smacking the alpha lightly on the shoulder. "He doesn't need to know all that!"
With a smile, Chanyeol nods. "I thought so. In that case, it doesn't seem to me like Jungkook's attempts to bite the two of you were related to dominance or him trying to claim either one of you," he hypothesises.
Both Taehyung and Jimin stare at Chanyeol in confusion then, while Jungkook just whines. Both Sire and Dam raise their eyebrows when Jungkook is plucked up by Chanyeol's huge hands and delicately placed over the nurse's lap. Jungkook squeaks indignantly at the position; there's no way he's going to be spanked, is there?!
He attempts to intimidate Chanyeol by pumping out his alpha scent, but it's no use; his scent is all over the place, mixed with both pup and alpha pheromones.
"As you can see," Chanyeol says, not at all bothered by Jungkook's kicking. "You bit Jungkook here, so there'd be no possibility of accidentally claiming him, correct?"
He brushes Jungkook's hair out of the way and gently grazes the bite mark, which is an angry, dark red and has some dried blood around it. Nobody pays attention to Jungkook's attempt at an intimidating growl; both Taehyung and Jimin wince as they look at the bite, the former nodding his head.
"Jimin, look at Taehyung's neck for me, please. I know Jungkook managed to pierce his skin; did he try and do it on the claiming mark you gave to Taehyung when you mated?"
Jimin's eyebrows furrow as he looks at Taehyung's neck. Indeed, there is the claiming mark he'd given Taehyung, signifying their bond. And next to it are two circular bite marks which Jungkook had caused yesterday.
"No. It's...it's in the exact same spot where Taehyung bit Jungkook!" the omega gasps in realisation.
Chanyeol nods, taking out a cotton pad from his bag and dousing it with some strange-smelling liquid. He lightly swipes it across the bite mark on Jungkook's neck, who cries out in pain, only to calm down when Chanyeol pumps out his own calming omega scent.
Jungkook whimpers in humiliation as the nurse continues to talk to Taehyung and Jimin as if he's not there. Chanyeol lets out soothing coos every now and then, stroking Jungkook's hair while he takes care of the alpha's bite. The fact Jungkook's still over Chanyeol's knee, being treated like an infant pup by an omega who doesn't even belong to his pack would be a blow to any alpha's pride - little or not.
"It seems to me," Chanyeol says. "That Jungkook was actually trying to bait you, Taehyung. You said he tried to bite your thighs as well, right?"
Taehyung nods. "Yeah, while I was sp...um, 'scolding' him," he stops himself, not wanting to embarrass his pup for no reason.
Jungkook groans, burying his face in Chanyeol's thigh. He has half a mind to bite the nurse for causing this situation, but he's not taking the chance of getting punished in-front of him, thank you very much.
"This all sounds to me like a very, very fussy puppy who is trying to get Sire and Dam's attention no matter the cost. The only time an alpha would attempt to bite another alpha below the waist to 'dominate' them would be to...'deknot' them, so to speak, which I highly doubt Jungkook was doing," Chanyeol explains.
Wincing, Taehyung covers his crotch with his hands protectively for a second, the very thought sending shivers down his spine. Jimin pouts in sympathy and rubs the alpha's back.
Even Jungkook, who is feeling more pup than alpha at the moment, pulls a squeamish face, clenching his thighs together as if his knot's going to fly off.
"But...we haven't been neglecting him," Jimin murmurs. "I don't see why he'd feel the need to go to such measures. Though...he did wake up quite upset last night." As soon as he's said it, realisation dawns on Jimin's face.
Chanyeol nods. "Ah, okay. Could you tell me what happened?" he asks, only to croon when Jungkook whines, the pup stretching his arms out for Jimin and Taehyung. Chanyeol lifts Jungkook up and passes him over to Jimin. "We can take a quick break so you can change the little one."
Jungkook huffs, hating how the nurse knows he's wet. He's relieved when Jimin goes to carry him out of the room, but when Taehyung's scent begins fading, he lets out a high pitched scream, very close to a pup distress signal.
He ends up being changed while Chanyeol is still in the den; the nurse doesn't care at all as he chats to Taehyung, though he does give Jungkook a warm smile every now and then when Jungkook peeks up at him, which has the alpha sucking his thumb furiously. Being with both Sire and Dam together though is worth it - as long as they're here with him, safe, nothing else matters.
"Is there a chance the pup could have had a nightmare?" Chanyeol asks softly as Jungkook makes grabby hands for Taehyung, whining. The alpha takes him without a second thought. "In his eyes, you're his parents - the first people a pup would usually go to."
Huh, neither Jimin or Taehyung had thought about that, but it clicks in their minds that it's the most obvious conclusion.
"Well, he did wake up covered in sweat," Jimin nods. "And he wouldn't let either of us go. He tried nursing from me even when he was full and screamed when Taehyung tried to leave."
"Mmm," Chanyeol says thoughtfully. "Comfort nursing. Does he do that often; continue suckling even when he's done feeding?"
Jimin shakes his head. "Not really. Only when he's really distressed." More realisation crosses Jimin's features. "Oh...no wonder he was growling when I made him unlatch. Am I the reason he got so mad?"
Taehyung croons and noses against his mate's scent gland, pressing gentle kisses to his neck to soothe him.
Jungkook whines and crawls between them, trying to shove his face between Jimin's neck and Taehyung's lips, halting their scenting session.
"No, I think your pup was just trying to do whatever he could to make his Sire and Dam stay. He sure got his daddy's attention by pretending to bite the two of you," Chanyeol says, acting as if he doesn't notice how all three of them flush bright pink at the term. "And even though he got hurt, I don't think you biting him was a mistake. I think he intended for that to happen."
Wait...Chanyeol's saying Jungkook wanted to be bitten?! But why? The pup screamed and fought as soon as Taehyung's teeth pierced his skin - surely it couldn't have been intentional...
"Perhaps you didn't give him the bite he was hoping for," Chanyeol adds when Taehyung and Jimin don't say anything.
"What?"
"I think Jungkook wanted you to claim him."
XxX
"I dunno what was going through my mind," Jungkook tells Taehyung and Jimin later on in the den, his whole face scarlet as he thinks of the previous night's actions.
A fluffy bandage is wrapped around his neck, making him feel even more ridiculous as he sits in-front of his worried hyungs.
"It's okay, Kookie. You can take all the time you need," Jimin prompts softly, rubbing Jungkook's knee.
The alpha sighs. Now that he feels his age again, he realises how stupid he'd acted. Seriously, a grown alpha trying to get his two bonded packmates to claim him?!
Parents 'claimed' their pups when they were born, so that everyone knew the pup was not an orphan. The practice had been introduced centuries ago to stop other packs from taking pups who they'd found wandering around alone. Although in the modern day, pups should not be out by themselves, the marks told other wolves to back off, and that if their pup was stolen, there'd be trouble.
Each parent gave their pup a mark; one from the sire, and one from the dam.
When a wolf presents and progresses to adulthood, the familial marks become dormant. They're still faint on the skin, however they no long hold power over a wolf. The next claiming mark will be from their mate, and once a wolf is claimed, they no longer 'belong' to their sire and dam, but to their mate.
The other prominent mark a wolf has on their neck is their pack bond. All wolves engage in an initation to welcome a new packmate by marking them as their own.
Now that Jungkook thinks of it, he remembers being passed around everyone's laps for them to mark him at his initiation. As he was the last packmate to join (up until now, at least), he'd only ever been present at his own welcoming ceremony.
Therefore, he just nipped at his own packmate's bond marks after they bit him, which they all found adorable. Once all the bites were done, there was a burst of light in Jungkook's vision, before all the bites joined to form one singular mark.
For Taehyung and Jimin to claim him, they'd each have to mark him; Jimin giving him a dam mark and Taehyung giving him a sire mark. Last night, in his pup-hazed mind, Jungkook was so sure he'd needed it, but...
"You do know if we marked you, you wouldn't be able to have a mate, a family?" Taehyung asks softly. Jungkook peers up at the alpha with wide eyes. "Dams and sires...they're very protective of their young. If we marked you, our wolves wouldn't be able to differentiate between you and a real pup."
That's why the familial marks fade. They stay in the background, showing that the wolf still has a family, but the mark doesn't have 'control' of them anymore. The pup has 'flown the nest', so to speak, once it fades.
"And we don't know how long it would stay active," Jimin points out. "At the end of the day, you're an adult, Kook. Yet our wolves might not be able to understand that. Most pups are marked a few hours after they've been born; my omega would probably think you're fresh out of the womb even though you're 24 years old."
That gets a chuckle from both Taehyung and Jungkook, the latter blushing slightly.
"So that's why I couldn't have a mate? Because your wolf sides would think I'm a baby?" he questions.
Taehyung nods. "Precisely. Even though we can see you're an adult right now in-front of us, we'd always be looking at you from the perspective as your sire or dam. We'd end up chasing off every potential mate you have. And this mark would mean nothing escapes us; if we smelled an outsider on you, we'd be tracking them down straight away."
The more Jungkook thinks about it, he knows it's a terrible idea. To be honest, the thought had never even crossed his mind until last night; curse his little pup self for not applying logic to such a life-altering decision.
"I get it, hyungs," he says sheepishly. "I'm sorry about last night. For what it's worth, I don't wanna be claimed. I love the relationship we have right now; we don't need a familial mark to make you my...sire and dam."
Both Jimin and Taehyung's faces brighten considerably, and they all end up snuggled in the nest, Jungkook between them as they nuzzle at his neck.
"Besides, I don't need the two of you scaring off any potential mates," Jungkook giggles. "I need a rest from the two of you every once in a while. My ruts would never be the same."
Jimin jolts up then. "Hold on, you always spend your ruts here! And what do you mean you 'need a rest' from the two of us - it had better not be with any omegas we don't know!"
Jungkook just laughs at his hyung's furious expression while Taehyung shakes his head, pretending to 'scold' Jungkook for teasing his dam.
The truth is, no matter if Jungkook is formally claimed by them or not, he'll always be theirs. Just like they will always be his.