“RUN!”

Bang!

Taeyong swiftly hid behind the huge bulging roots spreading around the thick and enormous trunk of its own origin, a giant Sequoia tree. He hisses slightly in pain as the gash on his side slowly starts to soil his already worn out shirt in a shade of dirty dark red. He earned it from a bullet that grazed him earlier – which had fortunately, before him, went into contact with a bunch of pointed leaves that spared him for worst.

A loud howl of pain – his ears twitches at that. A rustle of leaves to his right jolted him a bit in his spot as he shakily lifts his make-shift, stone carved, knife in front of him in a defensive stance. Despite the wavering emotions in his eyes, he was ready to jab at whoever was causing such noise when two wolves – black and white, emerged between the shadows of the greenery.

He sighed in relief, dropping his hands to his sides and tense shoulders relaxing a bit as he realized it was just his parents.

Yes, two wolves, his parents.

“Yongie..” The wolf with silky white fur and majestic icy blue eyes, Taeyong’s mother, called out softly as she approached the frail boy. She nuzzled her warm snout onto the boy’s cold trembling hands.

Taeyong flinched a bit at the contact, a tear immediately rolling off his dirt stained cheek as the crunching of leaves got louder – an early indication that the nasty hunters that were chasing them for days now are getting closer to their fleeting location.

He could feel the hairs on the outer layer of his skin standing, shrilling in fright. He shivered at the thought of countless gruesome and bloody things those hunters would do once they get their filthy hands on him and his entire pack.

They’ll slaughter them in one sitting.

“Yongie.”

Taeyong snapped out of his unkempt thoughts immediately. He glanced at the white wolf in front of him, biting his lower lip.

“S-Seulgi noona-“

The white wolf let out a small chuckle.

“I thought we were past that, Yong.” The wolf mumbled, looking at him sharply with her pair of cold blue. “I told you to call me mother. This is where we part and you still call me noona? You little brat.”

Taeyong started to sniffle at that.

The wolf sighed and glanced at her other half – the other wolf who was observing the emotional interaction between the two for a while. A wolf which has fur as black as the night sky and a pair of intimidating golden sunny eyes, it was Taeyong’s father.

“Yong.” The black wolf called as he approached them. “Listen to me carefully. It is my great duty and responsibility as the leader of the pack to protect every single one of my members in times of great peril.” He paused for a while, watching as Taeyong’s face twisted into devastation at the thought of being apart from everyone. “I assume that you understand the situation, or is there a need for me to say more?"

Bang!

Taeyong will miss his mother’s soft whispers of nagging – yet comforting assurance. He will miss his mother’s soft fur that warmed him throughout the long and cold nights. He will miss looking at his father’s gratifying stance as he sat, perched among the rocks – looking over to his huge pack, his huge family with pride in those golden hues of sunshine that are reflected upon his eyes. He will most definitely miss the constant questioning, yapping, of the small pups as they surround him in circles during late afternoons, putting out their small paws to play with the–

Bang!

The white wolf named Seulgi looked at the black wolf, who nodded back at her firmly.

“D-don’t go..” Taeyong whispers,, voice cracking as he talks in the language only he and the animals share.

Seulgi closed her eyes, heart breaking at the sight of her child looking so confused and dejected. She fully knows that Taeyong right now probably may not know where to go, or what to do next after this for that matter, but he has to leave, now. He has to run away, and quickly.

It was all for the young boy’s sake.

Bang, bang!

“Go.” The black wolf growled with his deep voice.

“Kris h-hyung..” Taeyong shakes his head, lips curling into a tight frown. His fist is currently clenching and unclenching around the hilt of his small knife.

Taeyong is having hesitations, and Kris can see it clearly.

But in a time of peril, there is no room left for hesitations.

“I said GO!” The black wolf snarled. He can already sense the increasing presence of around six men nearby. They have to make haste with their actions before it’s all too late.

Taeyong staggered a few steps backward at his father’s terrifying snarl. He clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth in frustration as he furrowed his brows at his parents who were so persistent for him to leave.

He doesn’t understand why there is a need for him to do so. They could just opt to run away with the pack together, or he could stay and help the other wolves fight against the hunters. He won’t cause any troubles either way. He may be a handful, but Taeyong is pretty sure that he is quite useful too.

He just doesn’t understand why.

Taeyong opens his mouth to retaliate.

“I don’t have to lea-“

“YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!” Seulgi yelled at him, having enough. The white wolf’s blue eyes are visibly teary already.

Taeyong’s eyes widened in shock as his noona, his mother who never shouted at him - not even once in his life with them, just yelled at him. He could feel all of his frustrations cease away.

All he felt right now was nothing but hurt.

It hurt because Seulgi was right, he didn’t belong there. It hit that spot, that little monstrous truth, inside him that he desperately buried all throughout those years. Those words seemed to slap an ounce of reality into his face.

All because it was true.

“We are wolves… A wild pack of wolves.” Seulgi, more calm this time, approached Taeyong again. “and you… you arehuman, my Yongie.”

Taeyong looked down with sullen eyes, suddenly hating his self at the moment for simply not being one of them.

Who was he then? Where does he belong? Where should he go now?

Seeing that Taeyong was too shaken up to respond, Seulgi continued. “Baby, you don’t have to stay in a life running away from every hunter there is in the world out there. You don’t have to get dragged in our mess. As much as I love you, as much as we love you, we don’t want to see you getting hurt because of us.” Seulgi spoke softly. “You can have a better life out there, a thriving and beautiful life… life as a human and not as a wolf.”

“B-but I don’t wanna be a human.” Taeyong peered at Seulgi with equally teary eyes, reaching out to wrap his thin arms around the expanse of the white wolf’s neck in a tight hug. He doesn't wanna let go. “I wanna stay with all of you..” He whispered in a broken tone.

Seulgi closed her eyes, savoring the ephemeral moment with her – son. “I know... I don’t want to leave my pup alone but you have to understand.”

Taeyong closed his eyes and moved to rest his forehead on the wolf’s forehead.

“You need to understand.”

They both opened their eyes and looked into each other’s soul for a moment. Taeyong nodded slowly.

Bang!

“Seulgi...” Kris started, jaws slightly curved upward – ready to snap anytime now.

Seulgi sighed. She Taeyong’s cheek affectionately for the last time.

“Now go.” She says as she nudged the unwilling boy with her snout towards the opposite direction of where Kris was currently facing at.

Taeyong reluctantly let go of his mother, wiping the tears that are threatening to come out from the corner of his eyes. He needed to be strong. He glanced at Kris who just nodded at him while looking at him with piercing eyes.

No words were exchanged, Taeyong understands.

“Aha, so this is where you lot where hiding.” An unwanted voice spoke from behind the shrubs, and from where the voice came from emerged three of the nasty – bearded old looking hunters, each with a shot gun resting on their arms. Their dirt stricken clothes were torn at some parts with claw marks. Blood stains are visibly seen from here and there. But worst of all, they all looked at the wolves as if they were prize money.

“Disgusting.” Taeyong thought angrily.

Both Kris and Seulgi jumped in front Taeyong in a defensive stance, baring their sharp fangs and growling deeply at the sight of imminent danger before them. Seulgi didn't look back at his son - afraid that she might changed her mind if she did so. She nudged Taeyong with her hind paw, signaling him to take off already.

“Run.”

Bang!

Taeyong never ran so much in his life before.

 

Bang.

The doves fluttered away with their wings in a flee. The sound of the enormous and heavy white mahogany front door being slammed shut resonated throughout the thick and high walls of the palace of the Jung estate.

A charming young man, around his early twenties, was striding down the rows of marble stairs with his long legs. Said man of a nonchalant expression is currently wearing a tailored emerald green suit. Whoever made it must had gone through a lot as it was visibly made with the rarest and finest materials throughout the land. Though, its matching tie was missing around the collar and a few buttons were loosened.

Not that Jung Jaehyun cared anyways.

Jung Jaehyun is the eldest son and the third child of the rich and powerful Jung royal family – of which is the one and only noble house ruling over the vast and prosperous modern day Kingdom of Czen.

The eldest and the second child, Jung Jessica and Jung Krystal respectively, are lasses and the youngest son, his younger brother, Jung Mark, had no plans in vying for the crown. Thus, following birth right traditions, the eldest son has to take all the responsibilities of the kingdom one day.

In short, he was the heir to the royal family’s riches. He was the crowned prince, the next ruler of the Kingdom of Czen – the one who will take his seat as the future leader and most importantly become the father of the most dominant nation in the Northern Region.

His reputation alone will have one down to their knees in a second, cowering in fear, but what actually stood out the most from the young prince were his handsome facial features.

His jawline was defined, his nose was ideal, his cheeks were sufficiently stuffed with the right amount of fat and muscles, his jet black hair was slicked to the side neatly and he had that Jung trademark – piercing onyx black eyes. He is classically what fits everyone's description of an ideal modern-day prince.

If perfection was human, then it was Jung Jaehyun.

But Jung Jaehyun was from far from perfect all right.

In fact, he is known for being rebellious.

And this small daunting fact worried the entire kingdom because who would want a rebellious ruler?

What would become of their kingdom once the current king steps down?

No one knows, and the future seemed bleak.

Not that Jung Jaehyun cared anyways.

Jaehyun hastily grabbed the keys to his classic white convertible Porsche from the valet boy and hopped inside. He whipped his hair by moving his head up and down, lifting his right hand to mess the neat style to a wilder and casual laid back look. With his left arm draped on the window sill, he looked at his reflection on the rear-view mirror – smirking deliberately.

The valet boy looked over to him nervously, eyes raking back and forth between Jaehyun and the front door of the palace. Soon enough, the wide doors opened and stepped out a dignified beautiful woman with piercing onyx black eyes, just like Jaehyun’s., but softer in comparison. She had ebony black hair which was elegantly tied into a neat high bun wrapped around braids. She was wearing an olive green Victorian dress that complimented her pale white skin that was partly wrinkled.

Even at her forties the Queen, Jung Serin, looked magnificent.

“Y-your majesty.” The valet boy quickly knelt and bo