The young omega, just as skinny as the other but much more alive despite the many wounds marring his entire body shifted into his human form and suddenly, he was attacking Yoongi with fervour, inhumane snarls leaving his lips with each hit.

“Don’t hurt him!” was what he seemed to be repeating, shaking wildly. It was easy to guess within moments that he was far from being merely angry – he was also petrified.

“Stop!” at the gasp of the barely-awake wolf on the floor, they all halted. He was sitting now, looking almost as if he was ready to try and stand – even though it was clear that was too weak to even stay awake for too much longer. “Taehyungie, look.” and it was clear that he wanted to say something more, but his breath hitched suddenly.

Yoongi saw it before anyone else. He could see the moment his beautiful omega paled, his eyes growing wide as pain hit him. He could almost taste the fear and anguish that coursed through him with a soft cry of pain.

And suddenly there was blood everyone.

It was not supposed to happen, they all knew. Even Seokjin was shocked, for he was sure he had cleaned the poor thing up as much as he could. But the scent was heavy and clear in the air, and he could see as the furs around the stolen one were coloured a bright crimson rapidly. He didn’t even know where it was coming from…

But he had seen this happen. Once.

Another omega, one he had been so sure she would pull through. She was getting better with each day, and they had already managed to get in contact with her birth pack – it was a little further up North near the ocean, a beautiful little place where even thieves rarely dared to visit for it was so hard to get there. She was skittish and didn’t speak, but her wounds were healing.

It was a memory Seokjin didn’t want to remember.

He shook as he remembered walking into his hut when he smelled blood and… it was everyone. Just like with Jimin.

He never figured out where it came from, but it was as if all of the wounds of the poor girl had been torn open by an invisible force.

The healer was frantic, even though he had suspected this would happen, he had almost let himself hope for his mate’s sake, for his brother’s, for the woman’s that he loved as much as his own mother…

“Ice.” Taehyung whispered, his eyes wide, however, there was an odd certainty around him as he commanded despite being a mere omega – and one that had been stolen  (Seokjin knew because he was a pup that he knew as well, although he was a mere babe when he was stolen with his eyes still sealed shut. He hadn’t been from the same pack, although they all considered him to be for many reasons,(his mother had brought him to the healer of those years for he was the runt of his litter but… the night of their arrival, the babe was stolen.).  It was the scent that gave it away – and the fondness from Jimin who was attracted to the teeny tiny pup even when he was so young. He was broken when the small thing was taken and the pack mourned him as if he had been born to one of their omegas. His mother had stayed with them for a long time, terrified of heading back to her alpha alone. It was a sad, heart-breaking story the elders spoke about around the bonfire on chilly nights.)” You need ice to seal his wounds. And maybe salt. What sort of herbs do you have?

It was odd. He was so different – he didn’t seem broken, if a little rough around the edges, but so different. And while Taehyung bore many injuries, he seemed to be ignoring them by ease. But it was the alphas that rushed to help – almost as if guided by a spell, running to the coldest chamber they held water almost as cold as ice. It was the summer and finding the real thing was impossible – but they had to try, right?

“What’s going on?” Seokjin whispered finally, watching the youngest omega wipe sweaty hair out of the shivering little thing’s face.

“It’s wasn’t our time yet. But we… we had a plan. To escape.  Because it was getting too hard. But he… he was stupid, okay? I mean, I never knew what he wanted to do. Jimin told me to run and that he would follow but he only did once he knew that they wouldn’t be able to catch me. I think he was hunted down by those damn…” he growled loud there, once more reminding them all of how different he seemed.” We are… we were okay. It was hard, but many had it much worse than us. But I think his wounds are grave. We… We used to just soak in cold water or lie on ice in our wolf forms until the bleeding stopped and it worked. It’s risky, we could die from being cold but…”

“It’s worth a try. But why ice? Why the cold? I mean, it can help seal some wounds shut but…”

“Hard to explain. Some of us had been looking for an opening for a long time, and we just figured that they didn’t actually want us to die so early. I think they don’t see the fun in that.”

Something wasn’t adding up.  Seokjin looked at the omega with mistrust, but he still laid Jimin, shaking and crying into a tub full of the coldest water he had found before adding salt – they had gotten it from nearby cities, usually using it for food that they would try to salvage for the winter – pouring it in with shaking hands.

And then, the screaming started.

He had never heard such yells of absolute terror. The omega shook and trembled, tossing and turning, trying to crawl out of the water, but they held him still for at least a few moments. And suddenly, he went completely slack in his alpha’s hold.

They all feared the worst.

“Let him sleep.” Taehyung whispered.” We had done this many times. They, they change us a little, I think. Maybe it’s magic, maybe it’s something else, but I don’t think that we are normal anymore. But… he will be okay, I think. He has to be…”

“You don’t know either, do you, pup?” whispered the suffering omega’s mother, cradling the little one she could still remember. “You’re in a barely better shape and yet you struggle to stay strong for him. I appreciate your efforts. Your mother would be so proud of you.”

Taehyung finally crumbled. It was true – he had been trying his hardest to keep strong, at first trying to protect the only soul he considered family, and then, trying to help him but soon… He grew tired as well. He was too far away from the place he had been raised in, and a heaviness settled in his form. He knew why, but he didn’t dare explain, for even he wasn’t sure if he was right.

It had been a long time since he had slept, but for one, he allowed himself to fall into a deep slumber. Even if he was to never wake again, he knew that he would see all of his friends on the other side.

When Jimin woke, he was still feverish, but his wounds had been sealed shut. It had been a shot in the dark, but Seokjin knew that the other omega probably understood the situation more than he ever could. He was starting to suspect that something else was given those that were tossed out. Was it a poison to make sure they would die? He hoped it wasn’t, but every sign pointed against it. Maybe there was something in the salt that helped absorb whatever it was pushing all the blood out through already healing wounds?

It was making his head hurt.

He had left his hut, looking up at the sky with heavy, tired eyes. Namjoon came to crouch by him, and he mirrored his gaze – so sad, so lost.

“I don’t think I can save them, Joonie.” the healer whispered finally.” Taehyung hadn’t woken since he passed out, and he’s much weaker than we thought. Maybe, he was trying to fight on his last legs, fuelled for only a few more hours but now… Now, he’s going to wither as well. And everything he says makes no sense. It’s almost like… like there’s something we should know and understand but we just don’t.”

“I understand, my love. I can feel them slipping away. It hurts me, and I know it pains my mother, and oh, your brother as well. But I think I’m ready to allow them to rest if they need. We don’t even know if they could ever… ever live the way we do, you know?” the alpha was so odd like this, quiet and uncertain as he spoke in a hushed whisper – for Yoongi was in the hut, guarding the omegas with ferocious growls each time someone even dared passed by. He cared little for Taehyung, but his love seemed to be important to the other wolf and thus, he decided that he should hold his protection as well.

“I wish we knew what we’re missing. The one thing we just don’t understand. I… it almost feels like we are in the dark, blind and deaf. We just don’t know what’s really wrong. They are so hurt, so ready to just… die. Even if they wouldn’t say…”

“I just wish it wasn’t so easy to give up on them. But I’ve always known that my baby brother is lost, love. I think I was happy to have him back, if only for just today.” the alpha hummed and peeked inside the open entrance, eyes filling with love – but also with sorrow. His brother was still, paler than before and so obviously worn out. It was clear that he was hanging onto the last thread, and Namjoon was nearly sure that by morning, he would let go, allowing himself to slip away.” I wish we were stupid enough to try and look for them, Jinnie. Because, Taehyung said, they are different, right? Maybe if we saved them, we could have helped them. If we were there, they wouldn’t have been so hurt, so… so weak. I just don’t understand why it’s out pack that has to suffer… My mother is going to break once more. She is crushed for each soul that is stolen from us, but now she’s forced to watch her own perish. I… I would do anything to save them. But there’s no way, is there?”

They were interrupted by an odd sound – a soft cough coming from the ground near them. And Taehyung was there, sitting still close to Jimin, but very awake, glancing back with wary eyes as if Yoongi could snap any moment.

“If you give up on us, we will truly perish. But I think… I think if you don’t, we both might have a chance…” he was interrupted by a whine, his own. His eyes widened and the mated pair watched in horror as bruises bloomed on his pale skin.” They can still hurt me,” he whispered and yelped once more, but there was determination in his voice as he tried to keep himself up. ”But not for long.”