Biasrekkers Collaboration - Tumblr Posts

Dream of Red [1]

For the BTS Fabled Collaboration Project sponsored by @ksmutclub and @whipped-kpop-creators​.

Plot: A vain and jealous Queen sets in motion a series of events that will change the Land of Fae and its citizens forever.

Rating: 18+ // NSFW

Genre: dark fantasy | angst | romance/fluff | smut | dark fable/fairy tale

Pairings: Unseelie!Jimin x Seelie Queen! Saoirse [The Spring Queen], Unseelie!Jungkook x Unseelie Queen! Greeva [The Winter Queen]

Warnings: Blood, violence, orgies, seelie/unseelie dislike, ritual offerings, fae court drama, manipulation, mild depictions of gore

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 10.8k

AN: This work is by Admin E and Admin T - we are coming out the woodwork, ladies and gentleman. There are 2 parts and this is the “prequel” to the main story/concept that was originally thought up. Admin E would like to blame the length on Admin T and Admin T will plead the fifth! Please enjoy!

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E & Admin T). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

“Saoirse.”

Two women sat across from each other at a long elegant table. Their beauty was unmatched, but there was much power in a name. And among the courts, one name trumped all.

“Titania.” The Queen of the Summer Court smiled brightly at the mention of her name. The Spring Court Queen remained cordial. “May I ask what brings you in so early?” Because it was very early for the Summer Queen to start snooping. 

Hair like spun threads of actual gold laid on the shoulders, the fairest of skin. The fairest of their kind, Titania - the most cunning and conniving of them all. She smiled, the sound of bells tinkling with the softest of laughs. “Oh, come now, little sister. Why can’t I come to see how you are? How are things going, hmm?” The Summer Queen let her finger swirl in a glass of nectar. 

Saoirse wasn’t buying it. She might be the youngest, but she was just as sly as her older sisters. She knew Titania’s presence meant the older queen’s patience was running thin. While the other queens chose not to pursue what some considered “loose ends”, Titania treated it like a pastime. It was like the Summer Games, and it was the grandest spectacle of them all.

Titania would, with a sadistic fervor, send her best out to hunt halflings. She sought to pad her Court with more servants. She made a mockery of the Lords and Ladies who seeded the human realm with their progeny. As if to teach the rest of the Court a lesson in dealing with humans. Humans were good for sport. Nothing more. The humans began to notice how strange it was that people would go missing in the summer season. They would blame the severe heat, causing people to wander and hallucinate.

They would wander into the land of Fae and remain lost in a maze. It was all a part of Titania’s brutal form of entertainment. Few would stand against Titania - and they too would disappear. But there was only one who escaped; a brave soul who chose the human realm over her home. This made Titania seethe with rage. It was a stain on her reputation, on her very name - and one she sought to rectify with each coming of the summer season.

“Deirfiúr, please.” Saoirse reached across the table, holding Titania’s hand in her own. “I beg you. Let it go. Let this go.” The sadness, and lines of worry, grew with every season. “I beg of you. Every year your games become more and more dangerous. You grow ever more vicious in your pursuits. And when the season ends? You seem to have lost more of who you are - who you were.” 

Titania, momentarily, considered her sister’s words. But she couldn’t help it, couldn’t let that disrespect slide. She had a reputation, a name to protect. “I am the same as I ever was, deirfiúr bheag.” The Summer Queen let her fingers gently slide across her sister’s face. “It’s all in good fun, my love.” She stood, letting their hands fall apart. A flurry of pixies fluttered in her wake. “I bid you good day. We will have time again.” And with that, Titania exited the room.

Saoirse frowned once Titania’s scent began to fade. She hated being lied to - and Titania told the biggest lie yet. She turned to the stone dial in the middle of the room. There wasn’t much time left until she had no power to protect anyone. She wanted to believe Titania but knew that it would be foolish to do so. 

Saoirse stood as the scent of clover and lavender filled the room. “Aithne.” 

The cait-sidhe moved to her Queen’s side. 

“Even now, the veil weakens against our attempts to keep the village hidden.” The feline leaned into Saoirse’s fingers. “What shall we do?” 

The Spring Queen frowned as she moved toward a scrying bowl. “The one thing I had hoped I wouldn’t have to do.” The cait-sidhe rumbled disapproval. “I’ll have to warn the Unseelie Queens that Titania will bloody the equinox.” 

The gravest of crimes amongst the Court. When one Queen acts above their station, it is a disrespect to the Gods and Goddesses. It was one edict never questioned between the Seelie and Unseelie Court. 

“You know you will owe a debt, My Queen.” Aithne moved around the queen, her tail brushing against the woman’s hip. “It is dangerous. Foolish, even. Are they worth it?” The cait-sidhe felt a pang of guilt even asking that question. 

“They all are, Aithne. We are no better than humankind if Titania isn’t stopped. It’s not just about the Wolf and the Child. It’s about the human realm remaining untouched, so they may live as if we were still a myth. That’s the way it should always be.” Saoirse reached for a jeweled athame, the tip pricking her pinkie until a shimmery bead formed. 

“We are magic and shadow. A fever dream when a soul loses hope.” She turned to the cait-sidhe. “Titania would make us more of a nightmare than the Dark Court. She must be stopped.” And with that conviction, she swirled her finger into the liquid.

Darkness filled the bowl until a face with sharp features stared back at her. There was shock in the face staring back at her. “Jimin, I promise you - I have a good reason for this.” The silver-haired Unseelie gave a stern look, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“I’m listening, Saoirse.” 

At the moment, that was all she could hope for.

“Eamon.” The Summer Queen had settled back in her domain.  Her hand lifted for greeting, a tall, robust Fae taking that hand. His lips barely touched her skin. “What news do you have for me?” 

The Knight took a knee. “There are but a few more areas that we can search, My Queen. We seem to be making headway as if the maze of that forest is slowly unravelling.” 

She smiled with wicked glee. “I knew you wouldn’t fail me, Eamon.“ She settled back in the throne, the stone dial slowly inching toward her time. “Remember, you must remain unseen. No mortals must spy you in their drunken haze. And that witch should not see you coming. I don’t want to arouse suspicion, understand?” A gentle brow lifted as she looked down to her most trusted knight. 

“As you command, My Queen.” Eamon stood with a flourish before turning on his heel to leave the throne room. 

Titania smiled, her head leaned back against the throne. “Soon. Very soon, witch. I will have you - and you will pay.” 

In the land of Fae, there was a place where Dusk and Dawn lived side by side. For members to cross over before their season, or without invitation, was to risk certain doom. Expulsion from an appointed Court being the worst. The Unseelie were not keen on the Seelie’s exuberant displays. But at this tree, where their worlds were split in half, a different kind of magic existed. 

And this was why Jimin waited anxiously at the appointed time. He felt the air stir as Saoirse appeared in the distance, the cait-sidhe Aithne at her side. He tucked the silver strands of hair behind his ear as she drew closer. “Saoirse, what could be so important -...”

The Spring Queen held up a hand, bade him quiet as she interrupted. “I’m so sorry, Jimin - I...I didn’t know what else to do. It’s Titania.” 

Jimin's face began to contort in protest before he heard that name. His lips flattened as he nodded, allowing her to finish.  Saoirse relayed everything to him. 

The reason why Titania’s brutality grew with each season. The so-called slight against her. The constant search for the member of her court. She twisted her fingers in her own anxiety, turning to Aithne to fill in the rest of the story.

Aithne turned to the Unseelie and levelled him with a heavy gaze. “She had a child with a human.” 

Jimin’s eyes widened. A halfling?

“...she’s WHAT?!” He couldn’t help the volume of his voice.

It had been too many years since any court produced a halfling. They used to find them in droves long ago. But what Aithne said next had Jimin ready to step over the line that separated their worlds.

“That halfling is the mate of a Wolf,” Aithne said with no hint of hesitation or deceit. The cait-sidhe wasn’t lying because Jimin would know. 

He had to take a step away from the boundary - then he began to pace. “That child cannot be brought here.” 

“For more than one reason,” Saoirse added. “Titania would torture them both. We already know that she killed Cardia’s lover. The father of that child. She would do plenty worse if they were both brought here.”

“I have no doubts she would kill Cardia and keep the child in her service, horribly so, until her life expired,” Aithne added solemnly.

“We seem to be skipping over the part where a halfling is the mate of a Wolf,” Jimin spoke between clenched teeth. “Wolves are the most ancient of beings; their magic may surpass ours. We have an agreement with them. We don’t interfere in their affairs. Ever.” 

While the wolves moved about the world like any normal creature, they were busier during the end seasons. The spring and summer were bringing out the pups, shifting their living locations. But their older ancestors, those who’d been around long before? They were harder to find by anyone, let alone each other. Jimin knew of one Wolf in their area, and if his suspicions were correct, Titania was going to start a war on the other side of the veil.

Jimin turned a mercurial gaze toward the cait-sidhe. “It’s Taehyung, isn’t it?”

Aithne’s mouth tilted downward, her gaze lifting toward Saoirse, whose eyes began to widen at the thought. “Aithne, tell me it isn’t?” The cait-sidhe looked toward the ground. “Oh, Aithne. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Saoirse knelt down, framing the creature's face with her hands. 

“I’m sorry, My Lady. I...” Aithne’s nose twitched softly as the Queen rubbed along her nose and around an ear. “...after what happened? I thought we had it under control. I thought Titania would have been sated with the mortals. They were so young when…” 

Jimin felt his heart thunder against his ribcage. Everyone knew of Titania’s last hunt - a score of mortals found themselves in the land of the Fae. One of them was the lover of a court member. He was made an example of  - simply because Titania could.  He shared a long look with Saoirse as she comforted the cait-sidhe. 

“Saoirse, I-” Jimin shivered violently before spinning around behind him. Saoirse stood up abruptly, pulling Aithne with her. 

“I thought I said you two could only tryst during Samhain?” A voice seemed to echo from beyond the brush.  “And yet, here you are again.” The Autumn Queen, Fiadh, stood behind him with a look of extreme displeasure. 

Jimin dropped to his knees, head bowed immediately. “My Lady, it’s not what you think!” 

Saoirse’s lips flattened into a straight line. “I would not risk your ire, Fiadh. I was to have Jimin deliver a message to you.” 

“I’m glad of this, little sister.” Fiadh tilted her head with an amused smile. “Because I would hate to have my finest Knight lost from my court.” She tilted her gaze to the top of Jimin’s bowed head. She exhaled heavily as she approached the borderline between their realms. “So, if I heard this sordid tale correctly…” 

Jimin looked up as the confusion caused his brow to crease. Even Saoirse tilted her head slightly. Fiadh looked between the two of them, further amused. “I hear everything, cinn bheaga.” She couldn’t help but chuckle. “When you’re Queen for as long as I have been, you learn a thing or two.” A flick of her wrist had Jimin on his feet. 

“Now, if I heard you correctly,” she continued, “a former member of Titania’s court fell for and bore a child with a human. That human was taken by Titania, and that member escaped. Now, that member and her halfling child are in the human world. And that halfling is the mate of a Wolf?” Fiadh looked between the two of them. 

She then turned her gaze to the cait-sidhe. “That sounds about right, yes?” The creature nodded softly. Fiadh sighed. “Saoirse, I appreciate you coming to warn us. But this puts all the Court in a spot. We cannot interfere with the Summer Court. But, the Court must not involve themselves in the human world for too long a time. We don’t care for Titania’s games, but they have long been entertainment for all. I will admit that lately…” 

“...she’s gone too far, My Lady,” Jimin spoke up. “Her brutality grows, and now we know why. But she won’t care about the halfling being wolf-chosen. That is a fight we cannot afford.” Both Fiadh and Saoirse shared a grave look. 

“No, it is not.” The Autumn Queen’s fingers slid against the point of her chin. “You know the Wolf then, I take it?” This to Jimin, who nodded softly. There was a long moment of silence before she spoke again. “Quietly. The moment Titania’s games go overboard, you contact me immediately.” 

Without saying anything more, Jimin bowed and disappeared. Fiadh turned to Saoirse, “Fear not, little sister. There will not be war…” 

This time.

The heavy silence seemed as if the autumn queen measured her words. “I will handle this, Saoirse. I want you to interfere no further.” She turned to the creature at the side of the Spring Queen. “Aithne, you have permission to see me. I don’t want Titania to make a mockery of Saoirse because of her worry.” 

Aithne bowed her head. “I understand, My Lady.” 

Saoirse frowned, but Fiadh was right in her assumption. They knew that Titania was becoming unstable and just as unpredictable. When Titania took the throne, Saoirse would be nothing more than a High Lady of the Court. 

“Thank you, Fiadh.” She felt her shoulders relax just slightly as the Autumn Queen spun on her heel, an errant wave of her hand as she disappeared. 

Even with all these fail-safes in place, with all these contingencies - why did Saoirse still have a terrible feeling bubbling in the pit of her gut? She turned to make her way back to her own throne. 

Because her time on it was almost up.

Two Human Realm Weeks Later

“All Hail! The Summer Queen, Titania!”

The Seelie gathered en masse, kneeling down as the new queen stood before the throne. Her smile was radiant as the transfer of power concluded. Saoirse knelt before the older queen. “May her reign be glorious and bountiful.” 

Titania smirked softly as she settled back into the grand throne. Her eyes scanned those gathered. Old pawns, new pawns, and those who were willing to do anything to curry her favor. A brow ticked upward as she spotted two Unseelie fae from the dark court. Ah, right - they needed to bear witness to the transition of seasons. Meticulously annoying that lot. She couldn’t help the irritation causing a slight dip in her forehead. 

No matter, they would be long gone before any of her schemes began. 

It was worth noting that Eamon and her knight entourage were missing. She was convincing enough that no one questioned their disappearance. The way time passed in the human realm gave them a needed advantage. 

Mere days would have passed by the time they crossed in the Land of Fae. A cheshire smile spread across her face, her eyes pinching in the corners with the depth of her smile. “My children, it is time to welcome a new season. Little Sister, you have guided us well to this point. Please rest now.” 

Saoirse stood, offering the slightest dip of her head. “Thank you, My Queen. I will now take my rest with your blessing.” The Spring entourage stood bowing to Titania as they departed. 

The crowd parted, heads still bowed, as the two Unseelie Fae moved to the front of the throne. They wouldn’t kneel before a queen that was not their own. Titania sighed softly, if only they weren’t Unseelie. She could see calling on them to warm her pillows. A subtle brow arched as they swept an arm across their chest. 

The silver-haired one, she recognized him, stood with a neutral smile. Ah right. Jimin. Her smile widened. Was that the one that Saoirse fancied? Oh, little sister! You have such good taste. Titania knew better because Fiadh wouldn’t part with her own knights. 

“Your Highness, may your reign be glorious and bountiful.” Jimin bowed his head just slightly. She watched as he could feel Titania’s leering gaze. Amusement danced within herself as she saw him fight to keep the disgust from his face. 

“Ah, Jimin. It’s been so long,” Titania drawled, her voice sickly sweet, “I thank Fiadh’s most precious knight for his blessing on behalf of the Autumn Court.” 

Jimin stepped back so the next representative could step forward. The change in Titania’s face was too quick to hide. She was caught completely off guard by the knight that stepped forward. The Winter Court seldom switched representatives, so this was an interesting development. There were secret glances stolen at the pair from the Unseelie courts. Their physical prowess and stamina were things of legend. It was part of the reason they never participated in Titania’s Summer Games. A few centuries being bested by the opposing court was embarrassing, to say the least. The Unseelie court was fine leaving the Seelie court to their revelry.

Titania rose from her throne, her pupils blown wide with obvious lust as the Winter Court knight stepped forward. “Your Highness, may your reign be glorious and bountiful.” The stranger bowed his head slightly, a dark gaze lifted to the golden queen of summer. 

“My, my, my,” Titania practically drooled as she stepped forward, “and who might you be?” 

The man rose to his full height, his frame impressive. It was easy to see his physique under the light leather attire. The muscles in his chest and thighs seemed to push the limits of the material - and yet it seemed to slide against his skin. Her gaze slid over him from head to toe. 

When he crossed his arms, the sound of the leather groaned in protest. The man was the fairest in her presence. His ears were delicately pointed, the lobes adorned with black rings. His jet-black hair shimmered with blue undertones. She could see them because he tilted his head slightly while she ate him with her eyes.

“Your Highness.” There was something almost curt, a chastise, in his voice. “Forgive my rudeness. I am Jungkook. First Knight of Queen Greeva’s Court.” The way he spoke snapped her out of her visual assault. 

Titania gave a slight cant of her head. “Jungkook, well met.” 

Titania hadn’t lusted after another for quite some time. There was a reason for that; because her jealousy knew no bounds. Once she set her eyes on an individual, they needed to attend to her every whim and wish. To be her plaything was an honor. Or a horror, should she be displeased.

There was one time where someone denied Titania - and no one denied the Summer queen. 

“Please give Greeva my most sincere thanks for sending her most precious to my ceremony.” Jungkook wasn’t one to stand on ceremony with the other Queens. His fealty was to Greeva, she knew this. But she also couldn’t help but to test him. So when Titania started to eye-fuck him, he didn’t hide his displeasure.

“My Queen will receive this blessing, Your Highness.” Jungkook stepped back to join Jimin. They gave their slight bows and departed the throne room. 

Titania’s gaze was hot on their heels.

The Rift at the Fae Wylds

“You’re insane, Jimin.” Jungkook couldn’t keep his disgust at bay. They finally reached the divide between their worlds. “How can you stand being in her presence for so long?” He spat while pacing a path into the grass.

Jimin frowned softly. “It’s a skill I’m not excited to have developed, little brother.” 

He could feel Jungkook’s rage the entire trip back to the rift. Then again, it seemed a strange energy had possessed the area. The wylds were never a place to take lightly. But there was something more dangerous in the land. It was as if the whole realm was on edge - on both sides of the rift.

Jungkook found no humor in Jimin’s response. He respected the Autumn Court Knight for his candor. But his reasons left a bad taste in his mouth. Jungkook, like the rest of the Unseelie, didn't care to bed or mingle with the Seelie Court. He turned as the sound of footsteps broke the silence. 

Ever respectful, Jungkook bowed to the High Lady of the Spring Court. “Saoirse.” His tone had a slight bite, but she graciously brushed it off.

“I apologize for my older sister, Jungkook. I’m sure you’re aware of her...penchant for believing everyone wants her.” She offered an apologetic smile as some of the tension eased from his shoulders.

“We will not speak of this to Greeva.” Jungkook crossed his arms, a stern set to his face. “She would sooner declare war on that harlot and replace her as Queen.” He didn’t care for the look on Saoirse’s face - but he spoke blunt and truthfully. 

Titania’s reputation was known across all the courts. Her flirtatious and loose behavior was a thing of legend. Tales of orgies held in both the court and human lands turned into stories told around fires and at taverns and day-long carriage rides alike. 

Jungkook spat at the ground. “I wouldn’t lay with her if you held hot irons to my balls. Then again, that would be a mercy!” 

Jimin’s shoulders shook as he held back laughter. Saoirse’s mouth fell open at the analogy. “I-I, uhm, again - please pay Titania no mind. She’ll have plenty of bodies to warm her multiple beds. Enough that she can simply dream of you while she -”

“Okay, that’s enough of that!” Jimin put a hand over Saoirse’s mouth to stop the next phrase from leaving her mouth. “I don’t want that image in my head.” Jungkook visibly shuddered with a shake of his head. 

A sharp breeze whipped across the plains, causing the trio to check their surroundings. 

“It feels like the land is on guard.” Saoirse shivered from a sudden chill in the wind.

“It’s been like this for a few days now.” Jimin turned to look at the field that continued on into the realm of the Unseelie. 

“It’s not been this unstable for quite some time.” Jungkook spun around as well, his brow furrowed. “We should leave.” He turned to see the matching concern on Jimin’s face. “We need to report all this anyway. Saoirse, be well.” He offered that slight bow before stepping through the rift. 

Jimin turned to frame Saoirse’s face with gentle hands. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright? You know the games will be afoot shortly.” 

Saoirse smiled, a hand raising to settle atop his own. “Of course, àlainn.” Their fingers interlocked for a moment before another breeze whipped across their faces. “It’s as if we’re not welcome here.” This said absently as she let their hands fall to their sides.

“Return to the city, Saoirse. This is unusual and I’m beginning to think it's unsafe as well.” Jimin took a step away from her, one last look, before he stepped through the rift. 

Saoirse turned to make her way back to the city, the wind kicking up the closer she got to home. When the path leading into the city was more visible, the wind became almost violent. She hiked up her skirts to walk faster because for just a moment, she could have sworn she heard a growl. Intermixed in those violent winds, there was a warning.

There was a sudden silence as she entered the city proper. Just the sounds of people going about their daily lives. Saoirse felt her heartbeat against her ribcage as she turned to look down the road.  An unusual shadow seemed to linger around the road before disappearing. 

The First Knight of her court reached her side, quietly taking her by the elbow. “My Lady?”

She offered a weak smile. “How ill of an omen, Cormac. How ill of an omen.” Leaning on the Knight’s shoulder, she moved almost listlessly as he escorted her to the nearest inn. The land seemed angry, viciously so. They settled at a table as he presented her with a cup of tea.

“My Lady, what omen?” Cormac frowned as he whispered. Even for them to speak ill things when the new queen took the throne is blasphemous. 

“The land, Cormac. The land is angry. So very angry.” Her wrinkles in her brow deepened as she reached for the cup with shaking fingers. “I heard...something. I heard something in the wind.” She had to use both of her hands to hold the cup steady.

Cormac frowned. “My Lady, please... What did you hear? Just tell me what you heard that has you so shaken.”

“I heard a growl, Cormac.” The cup was raised to her lips as she stared at the dark liquid. “I heard the land give a warning.” The knight frowned as she remained transfixed on the cup. “It was for all of us, Seelie and Unseelie alike.” 

The smatterings of light bounced off the surface of her drink causing her to tilt her head oddly. “I saw a shadow, heard a rumbling like a great beast and then nothing.” She took a sip of the bitter liquid.

“My Lady, I-” He offered a deep sigh. “I don’t want to say you’re mistaken. I mean no disrespect, but you’re absolutely sure of what you heard?” Saoirse put the cup down softly. 

“I heard it, Cormac. Real as you and I both. The land is on edge.” She frowned, lifting her gaze to meet his own as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “Do you remember the last time the land was on edge?”

Cormac had been in the service of the Spring court for many millennia. He was as fierce a warrior as any in all the courts. He didn’t spook easily either. But right now, at that very moment, he looked white as a sheet. There was only one time in all his years that the land rebelled.

And it was in the middle of the Summer Games while Titania was on the throne.

“How could I forget? How could anyone forget?” He grimaced. “So it is truly an ill omen, indeed.” His gaze lowered to the top of the table. “What are we going to do?” 

Saoirse looked out the small window nearby. “Tell everyone to stay out of the wylds. Jungkook and Jimin will report to their queens.”

“And the games? What of those in our court who were to participate?” Cormac couldn’t hide his disappointment, because he knew the answer to that.

“I’m sorry, Cormac,” was all she offered, “if what I know now is true, then it will be dangerous for everyone. We will have to standby until…” Her fingers clasped as she left the rest to hang in the air.

Little did Saoirse realize just how dangerous it would be. 

In Heart of the Fae Wylds

The Wylds were vast and green for as far as the eye could see. There was a large clearing of trees just over the field several hundred yards away. Normally the Fae Wyld was teeming with life; animals were making noise and the wind swept over the valley gently. It was hardly this quiet. The only sound that could be heard in that moment was how harshly the wind blew every handful of minutes - causing a sharp chill to tear through the air in a way that was both swift and foreboding.

And the occasional scream.

Cardia’s eyes narrowed as blood rained from the skies, staining the green canvas of the landscape. It was fresh, along with the other spatters of crimson lining the field. A death knell keened over the area, reverberating along the trees and causing the branches to shudder with the final calls of her kin.

Limbs and lumps of flesh tumbled to the ground unceremoniously and the Fae didn’t bat a single eyelash. Instead, she let her arms hang limply at her side as her dark blue mantle whipped around her shoulders and back. She wondered if the onslaught would continue or would the people attempting to capture her would gain some wisdom and cease their pursuit. It would be a fruitless endeavor so long as she remained exactly where she was.

Exactly where she had been for the last several days.

The Fae wasn’t foolish enough to enter the Wylds without paying her due tribute. Yoongi always warned her that the Fae Wylds wasn’t a place for any commoner or noble alike to trek through. Not without paying a price. They would pay it in blood, one way or the other. The Wylds didn’t discriminate.

Not with its tribute and not with its victims.

But the Wylds slept for many centuries. Tamed by time itself. Until she woke it up, that is.

“Cardia!” a voice called from within the trees. She peered out, hoping to match a face to the voice but she already had an idea of who it might’ve belonged to. “Cease this madness!”

She chuckled, brushing her dark hair bangs from her forehead. “I should be saying that to you, Sir Eamon!” 

Her fingers traced the frame of her face, moving to rest on her lips as she continued to smirk at those in the woods beckoning her to stop. The irony was that she hadn’t made a single move against them. Not yet.

The tension in the air was palpable as the Wylds prepared to lash out against any who dared to move against the one who’d paid their tribute. Cardia wasn’t a wicked person by nature. Enough warriors lost their lives and their dismembered carcasses were proof of that. Titania was Queen and there was no sense in her turning her ire toward her or toward the Wylds. A smarter Fae would have remained hidden for as long as possible. A compliant Fae would have returned and their halfling child up to be the servant of their Queen without hesitation.

Cardia was neither a genius nor obedient.

But she was crafty and a strategist. She knew exactly where to hit her enemy in a way that would not only hurt, but would leave a lasting impression. Turning the neutral grounds of Fae territory into an ally was one of said ways to accomplish this.

Regardless of her past discretions against the current Queen, it was clear she had the upper hand.

“If you no longer wish to lose any of your men, Sir Eamon, I would advise you to return to the Queen and deliver my wish to parley.” Cardia sighed as she pivoted on her heels, making her way back to the small cottage she’d built for herself shortly after arriving in the Wylds. “Collect your men and return to the kingdom. Relay my wishes. I will be entering the city in two days’ time.”

Removing a knife from the small bag at her hip, she ran the blade over her palm and let her blood drip into the grass and earth. She closed her eyes, pushing the pain back while squeezing her hand into a fist. They are to collect their people. If they pass this marker I leave on the land, rip them asunder.

The wind howled, whirling through the skies and causing the branches of the trees to flutter against the strength of the gale. The Wylds heard her plea, accepted her blood, and would cease their assault on any trespassers who hadn’t paid their own price.

None would pass Cardia’s marker, lest they lose more than their heads.

The scent of sex seemed to ooze from the windows and openings of the castle. It made him sick to his stomach. Eamon made no attempt to clean the stench of blood and gore from his hands and armor. So when the sudden gust of wind blew open the doors, everyone was taken off guard. Bodies that clung and writhed against others suddenly stopped, and the sound of violent retching could be heard as he walked through the castle hallways. Even some of the lower ranked knights weren’t prepared as he picked up speed. An evenly paced walk turned to a violent stalk toward the queen’s chambers. 

They even had the audacity to remind him - HIM of all people, that the queen’s orgies weren’t to be disturbed by outside matters. 

He leveled a glare that had them shrinking away from him. Just to see the knight that enraged was enough for anybody else he passed to simply get out of his way. People smelled him before he appeared, causing them to scatter as their stomachs churned.

Eamon made it to the archway of the queen’s bedroom. The queen’s moans reverberated through the bedchamber. Bodies moved all over each other in various states of dress. The common link was a half-empty bowl of shimmery golden liquid, on a pedestal, in the middle of the room. 

“EVERYBODY. GET. OUT.”

There was some random lord with his face between the queen’s legs. Moist noises as he dined at her altar, pushing her legs wider to get deeper inside the most hallowed of places. It was an honor to pleasure the queen - it was a privilege to service the queen. 

One should see it as their duty to make sure that her happiness comes first and foremost. Two lady’s groped at her breasts, whispering words of devotion. There were tongues tangled in kisses as Titania threw her head back. Her fingers clutching at the lord’s scalp as he moaned into her sex. Her hips lifted as she tumbled over the precipice of ecstasy. 

Her eyeballs rolled as the two ladies bit and nibbled at her skin. 

“Yes! Yes, Ye-” The endorphin rush was cut short by a booming voice and the smell of blood. 

Her orgasm was ruined. 

Eamon’s face was contorted in dark rage. Even with their status as nobles, no one questioned the Queen’s Knight. The haze of golden nectar disappeared with the smell of blood and innards. They quickly gathered their belongings, rushing and stumbling out of the room. The man looked up the length of Titania’s body, scared to move for fear of disappointing her. But he saw the dramatic change on her face and thought it would behoove him to exit the premises. 

Titania didn’t bother covering herself. She didn’t care if he heard the sound of slick heavy between her legs. Her eyes were a dark cobalt as they remained locked in a visual standoff. It was clear he wanted to speak with The Summer Queen. Not Titania. 

Her voice had lost that light, airy, tinkle she reserved for court. “Eamon. Do you truly dare to interrupt my fun? Even for you, that is a grave crime. I hope you have a goo-” 

Splgorshsplat!

The sound, the sight, and the smell made her eyes go wide and she instantly was sick.

Eamon opened a space right at the foot of her bed. From it fell the body parts of his finest men. Some limbs were broken and tangled in the most odd ways. There was little that could be used to identify who they belonged to. The mass of flesh, rock, dirt and sticks soaked into her bed. She pushed back against the wall at the head of her bed. 

“Cardia wishes to parley. She will enter the city in two days.” Eamon’s face didn’t change. “The Wylds shield her.” He opened a space below that pile of flesh, leaving only the stain on her bed. “I am going to tell everyone to stay out of the Wylds until she enters the city.” 

Titania’s face contorted with rage as she lifted her gaze to him. 

“Your games cost more than what you are willing to see, Your Highness.” There was bitterness in the clench of teeth between words. “No more, I tell you. No. More.” He turned and left her bedroom.

He didn’t look back as he felt the rise of power emanate behind him. He didn’t even blink as he heard a sound of rage and disappointment pouring from Titania’s room. By the time he was at the end of the halls, he could barely make out the sound of a sob. 

He wouldn’t cry for her disappointment, no. He was going to save his tears for those mated to his men. The ones who now would have to figure how, or if, they would live without their life mates. He would even save a little for himself.

So he could mourn the once noble queen he loved - and somehow lost throughout these years. He would mourn the person he should have saved.

And pray someone will be able to save her.

Because he knew it wouldn’t be him.

The Unseelie Court Lands

The world seemed to be tumultuous for everyone in it. Jungkook’s displeasure was apparent with deep creases in his forehead. A shimmer of light flickered across his face as he looked out into the world beyond the city. The shadow that danced in the sky seemed to roll toward them. His fingers dug marks into the merlons at the top of the castle. His arms bulged as he tried to not tear the stone from it’s setting.

“You know that look doesn’t suit you.” A warm-honeyed voice washed over him. “...I never like to see you so vexed.”  

Jungkook’s expression straightened as he turned to drop to a knee, “My Lady. I apologize for showing such a side in your presence.” 

Greeva’s lips tilted up in the corner, briefly, as she emerged from the shadow of an archway. “I wondered where you had disappeared to for such a long time.” The Winter Queen looked out over the expanse of the land. Her gaze lifted skyward to see the same rolling shadow that Jungkook had reported days ago. Her fingers danced across his shoulder causing him to stand. “Has there been any change?”

Jungkook took an extra moment before finally rising. He towered over the diminutive Queen. She wore her casual garb cotton breeches, boots, and layered light tunics. Even in their section of the land, they too were afforded a slight reprieve from the harsh winters. 

“Yes.” A muscle ticked in his jaw before he turned to Greeva. She was small enough to sit on the edge of the grenel, where he was too wide.

Greeva gave him a sidelong glance before turning to look out over the land again. “It’s moving toward the royal city, isn’t it?” There was a shuffle of sound as he leaned against the top most part of the merlon. 

“From what Jimin told me, yes.” His gaze remained on his Queen. “Cardia gave a two day warning, saying she would enter the city of her own volition.” He watched Greeva nod softly.

“So now it's following her right to Titania’s front door.” Her tone was sad, almost melancholy. “Do we know more of her men?” 

Jungkook shook his head, “I’m afraid not. Word spreads that Eamon brought them back in pieces.” Greeva’s face never changed as he continued. “Then he interrupted one of her orgies and dumped those pieces at the end of her bed.”

“She’s always so wrapped up in the power of the throne and her games. She couldn’t even tell, could she?” Greeva’s gaze darkened as their skies returned to normal. It had been a few days since Jungkook returned from the coronation of the Summer Queen. He was frazzled, upset, and concerned at the things he saw in the Seelie lands. 

“No,” he answered softly. Titania couldn’t even tell that Jungkook was already mated. It was a  grave offense for anyone to disregard a mate bond, let alone a Queen to show that level of disrespect.

The quiet rage ate at him for more time than he cared for. But it was Jimin and Fiadh coming to see them that forced him to push it aside. Bringing news from Saoirse that Cardia was in the land of Fae. Giving them the answer to the strange presence that seemed to push at them days ago. Eamon's best men were torn to shreds while the land protected her. 

A slow, satisfied, smile spread across her face. What she would have given to have been a firefly in their midst. The queen tried to hide a chuckle behind the back of her hand. Not for the lost men, no. But for Eamon’s bold and brash tactics. It was a known fact that he loved Titania with all his being. It was strange, yet welcome, to know that even The First Knight of the Summer court could take his queen to task.

“My Queen?” Jungkook watched her compose herself, remaining quiet for a few more moments.

“Would you do that to me, Jungkook?” Greeva turned to ask her Knight. “Could you bring reality to my feet, in hopes I don’t steer our people wrong?” A subtle brow arch as her arm draped across a raised knee. 

“I wouldn’t be worthy of my title if I couldn’t, My Queen.” Jungkook moved closer, obscuring her shadow with his own. “I would take any punishment afterwards - but I would have you see reason. No matter how extreme my display.” 

Greeva felt the warmth of his body trapping her in place, her smile changed. There was a glitter of dusk in her gaze as she turned to him. “Would that be as First Knight? Or as my mate?” Her head rested against a stone setting. 

“Both.” There was no hesitation. There was never a hidden emotion between them. “I’d get through to you, somehow.” They both turned to the sky as the blight moved toward the Seelie royal city. 

“Saoirse said she would reach out with further developments.” Jungkook found himself rubbing against Greeva’s arm, letting the action soothe his irritation. “We are going to have to step in, aren’t we?” 

Greeva watched the nightfall over them. “Yes, Jungkook. I’m afraid so.” 

He frowned watching her turn away from him again. It had been so long since the Land had been given an offering. So long, in fact, they forgot how it felt to be rejected by it. It had been too long since they had felt unwelcome. The tale of Eamon’s small regiment spread like wildfire through the courts and people would remember once again. 

And with thanks to Cardia - the people would never, ever forget.

“Your Majesty,” a knight took a knee before The Queen and the Court, “she’s here.”

Titania smiled gleefully, a dainty wave of her hand bid the knight to rise. “Bring her straight to the dungeons! She will not get a chance to prance through these halls.” 

Eamon, Cormac, and Saoirse managed to keep their faces neutral. The Queen clapped her hands rapidly. “My faithful subjects, prepare yourselves! For we are to celebrate the return of one of our dear sisters!”  

The Fae had long lives and long memories to boot. So when the rumor spread that Cardia had been spotted in the city walls, the city came alive with gossip. As Cardia’s name spread from one end of the city to the other, a crowd began to muster. Because some could scarce believe she had returned. Let alone remain unescorted on the way to the royal court.

Eamon shifted from Titania’s side, a glum look on his face. A sharp snap of fingers had him turn around, confused. “No, Eamon. You will stay with me.” The Queen decreed.

He looked ready to protest, but a barely perceptible nod from Cormac changed his mind. Titania stood, letting her fingers danced along his arm. “I have special preparations for her. You have lost enough. I have entrusted one of our finest to handle this task.” 

She did a whirling dervish down the short steps to from the throne. “Everyone stay here! Drink, drink! For soon, I will return to bring our sister back into our ranks.”

Titania smiled at the sad look on Saorise's face. “Little sister, fear not! All will be made right! I must go prepare myself!” The chimes of giddy laughter followed Titania out of the throne room.

She sped through the archways to her rooms. “Come to your Queen!” Titania laughed as she stripped herself of clothing. The half-fae contingent of men and women that were her servants gathered quickly.

“Take your time, my pets. Tonight shall be for revelry,” she declared as she licked her lips while a heated bath of flower petals was pushed into the room.

Titania’s servants spent eight agonizing hours seeing to her needs. They rubbed her body and stroked her ego until the throes of her orgasms could be heard through the castle. 

By the time she was actually dressed, adorned, and sparkling to her satisfaction  - a young knight eager for approval sought her out.

The exhausted servants, cleaned up quickly, began moving the tub and soiled linens from her room.

“Speak,” Titania stared down at the knight who was tasked with Cardia's special accommodations.

“My Queen,” He huffed softly, exhaustion apparent in the drop of his head. “As you commanded. She was taken to the dungeons. She was stripped, lashed until she lay weakened. Then we tossed the water upon her. The brands were threatened but never used. Thicker leather straps were used until she seemed weakened again.”

Titania listened to every sordid detail, biting into her lip as her arousal peaked again. Her lashes fluttered as she savored everything.

“…she fought hard not to pass out.” The knight finally finished.

“She what?” Titania’s mood changed immediately. “Never mind. It’s fine. You’ve done splendid work.” She placed a fingertip under the knight's chin.

She leaned down and kissed him thoroughly. He would have thought she was his mate by how much heat seared between their lips. “You will receive a full reward later.” 

The promise in her eyes made his knees weak. So much so that he stayed on them well after she left her room.

Titania made quick pace to the dungeons, too excited to even use her magic. Every step was savored for this grand finale. It played out in her mind: Cardia beaten, desperate for her forgiveness. She licked her lips again as the guards stepped aside.

“Caaarrrddiia! My darling! Are you ready to return to me? Are you ready to be at my side?” she spoke cheerily, her hands clasped behind her back.

She began dancing toward the battered, bruised, and bloodied form of a woman dangling from the chains.

“Tell me, sister. Fill my ears with the words I have so longed to hear.” Titania tilted her head, just so. A Cheshire smile on those glossy lips, but malice in her eyes.

What she hadn’t expected, however, was the clear look of defiance sparkling within the depths of the former Summer Court Lady’s eyes. She may have been physically beaten and battered, but it was clear that her spirit was anything but. The Fae lifted her head a little higher, her glare giving Titania pause.

“I refused you once many years ago. In retaliation, you bewitched my mortal husband and sent him to his death in the Wylds. My family was hunted down and tortured - some ending their own lives for having their magic stripped from them. Despite all the pain and anguish you brought on my household, I was fortunate enough to be blessed with a child, our child, growing within my womb.” Cardia’s eyes narrowed a measure. “I fled the Seelie Court and survived in the Human World. I sacrificed everything to raise my beautiful daughter so that she could live her life on her own terms. I swore that I would protect her and her choice to live the way that she wished, whatever wish that may be.”

And then Titania saw it. A smile. Her smile. It was radiant and borderline deadly. The Seelie Court’s current queen wasn’t sure what to make of this sudden expression. She should’ve been outraged but it was clear that Cardia would be unhindered by the elder Fae’s ire.

“So if you believe, even for a second, that I would return to this place only to give up my daughter to a life of servitude as some scullery maid and bow my head in remorse or ask for your forgiveness, then you are sadly mistaken.” Cardia’s grin grew wider. “I came back to tell you that you will leave both my daughter and me alone. You will forget I ever existed as a member of this court and if you ever entertain the thought of forcing either me or my daughter into these lands against our wills, I will burn this place to the ground! And if you kill me where I stand, I will make sure the Wylds themselves spread into this realm...AND CHOKE THE VERY LIFE OUT OF THIS KINGDOM!”

No! No, no, no! NO! This wasn’t what was supposed to happen! This was nothing like she planned?! Titania stared with mouth agape at Cardia’s unflinching rage. Her hands balled at her hips and she considered it. She, for just a hot second, actually considered killing Cardia. It would be over quickly, and she would have that daughter at her feet within the span of a day.

But, Titania’s fate was sealed with her words. Because the strongest sacrifice one can make was their own life. So if Titania were to strike Cardia down, the whole kingdom could be destroyed; wiped from the lands of Fae with but a whisper. 

Titania’s eyes were suddenly a gold-flecked crimson. If she could end it quickly? Yes, if she could end it quickly! “How dare you! I offer you everything and still, STILL you deny me!” She could end it quickly, she was sure of it. Cardia wouldn’t have a moment but to blink! 

Titania surged forward as if she was going to call the other woman’s bluff. The Summer Queen was fully prepared to risk the entire kingdom. She raised her hand and suddenly felt weightless. The room spun in all directions before she connected with the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the world to right itself. There was a soft groan as she slid down to the floor.

At the same time, Cardia’s chains snapped - but there were two sets of hands gently lowering her to the ground. Jimin and Saoirse each stepped under an arm, letting the woman lean her weight on them. They frowned deeply as they looked over her injuries.

“I’m surprised she’s not dead,” Jimin spoke curtly, turning a glare at Titania struggling on the ground. He shifted to Saoirse who seemed just as anxious over Cardia’s injuries. 

“That makes two of us,” a husky voice responded. 

That voice made Titania’s blood run cold. She pushed the hair from her face, ignoring the pain running through every muscle in her body. “Greeva.” The Winter Queen’s displeasure was palpable. “W-where are my manners, Older Sister. It’s always a pl-”

“SAVE IT!” The Unseelie Queen hissed vehemently, causing Titania to flinch. “You were really ready to risk your entire kingdom? For VANITY? YOUR EGO?” The tallest of the queens loomed over Titania and she had never felt smaller.

“I-I wouldn’t! You don’t know what she --” 

“DO NOT LIE!” This time it was Fiadh whose voice rose. “We know everything, Titania. You are lucky you are still breathing right now.” 

Ruined. Ruined. Everything was ruined?! Titania kept her gaze lowered to the ground. She feared if they felt she was scheming that things would be made worse for her. The Unseelie Queens waited for Titania to rise. She took her time, smoothing the grime and dust from her skirts. There was a soft sniff as she clasped her hands in front of her. She kept her eyes on the ground. “I would make amends.” 

“Would you?” It was Greeva who spoke. It was Greeva’s malice crawling along her skin. She felt a fingernail under her chin, raising her gaze to the Unseelie Queen. Her head was turned to the man leaning in the archway. Her brow creased with confusion before the Older Fae filled her vision again. “He’s my mate, Titania.” 

Titania’s gaze flew from Jungkook back to Greeva, her lip quivering. “I didn’t know! I --” Her teeth clicked with the grip on her jaw. 

“It is because of him you still walk. Because I would have stripped you of your powers and left you in the human realm to age and rot.” The grip on her face was released as Greeva stepped away. Titania lowered her gaze faster this time. 

The Unseelie Queens approached Jimin and Saoirse, remorse and disappointment etched in the lines of their foreheads. 

“Cardia,” Fiadh spoke softly, “Saoirse and Jimin will see to your carry. We are so sorry that we did not foresee the lengths Titania would go. She has broken the most sacred of all our laws in multitude against you and yours.” 

“You are welcome to change your court, should you choose. You would be welcome among them all,” Greeva added. “We extend the offer to your kin, Yoongi.” They each looked at each other before the Winter Queen continued. “We also offer our condolences. Aithne has reported that Briarden was murdered in the Wylds. Though not by Titania but by events that occurred due to her actions.” 

Greeva stepped back as Fiadh placed a gentle hand on Cardia’s shoulder. “You are welcome in Fae, without the need of anyone’s permission. But if you are here for any reason other than your will or an express invitation…?” The accent on the last two words caused Titania to flinch again. “Then we’ll need to find a new queen.” 

“We should start getting her healed as soon as possible,” Jimin grunted, shifting the weight of the woman on his shoulders. 

“Come Titania. It’s time to make amends.” Greeva pointed toward the stairs, and Titania had no choice but to move. 

Every step that had been savored going down suddenly felt like a weight from her neck. It caused her body to slump, steps shuffling as she wound her way through the halls. Her knights were shaking in the presence of the Unseelie brigade. Their eyes seemed to fill with something that made her sick. 

Pity. 

They pitied their radiant queen chastised and paraded through the royal grounds. They reached the archway to the throne room. A crowd of people waited quietly, unnerved by the prolonged presence of the Unseelie Court. The Queens moved to stand before the throne. Saoirse gave a look to Jimin who nodded to her to join the rest. He took up Cardia’s full weight, standing off to the side.

“You are not a faeling, Titania. Your transgressions are grave.” Greeva spoke for all to hear. The Winter Queen spoke, her gaze dark as she beheld the gathered populace. “Tell them what you’ve done. Tell them what it will cost them. What it will cost all of us.” 

Titania was shoved forward, her arms pinwheeling as she fought for balance. Their eyes were full of questions and accusations. She swallowed thickly, her voice failing her as she spoke. 

“Louder! So that no one can say they never heard you.” This came from Saoirse, who experienced first-hand the way their home will be forever changed.

Titania looked prepared to say something, but the swelling aura behind her gave her pause. She cleared her throat, her eyes found a spot on the wall. 

And she spoke in earnest, “I, Titania, have failed the Court. I have, in my pursuit of someone – who made known they did not want to be pursued, damaged the land of the fae.”

A collective gasp rose as she continued, “I have broken the most sacred of Court tenets. I..I have at a time when I was not on the throne, sent vassals to the human realm to search for Cardia, against her wishes. I am…responsible for her kin taking their own lives.” Titania could feel the tears of embarrassment welling in her eyes. “And most grievous of all, I have attempted to entice the chosen of another.” 

Her face was hot and flush, wishing to be a speck in the wind, as she finished. “Because of these actions, Cardia was forced to defend herself. And because of my actions, the Land lives once again.” The sound of fear and anger caused her focus to shift. Titania started to back away from the faces that used to adore her. 

Now they called for her flesh to be used to set things right. 

The Autumn Queen stepped forward, and silence washed over the room. “We have heard Cardia’s words. She has again declined Titania’s advances. We hereby declare this matter resolved. Titania knows that Cardia would soon have the Land consume this kingdom than risk the rest of her kin.”

The Winter Queen stepped forward. “So let this be a warning to you all. The land is alive – and it hungers. Resume making your offers in earnest, lest the beast is the least of your worries. And pray that it doesn’t take more than one hundred years for it to sleep once again. This will be your first and only warning.” 

Titania wasn’t sure if that was for the Court, or for her. The other queen’s turned to offer a nod to Saoirse. The Winter Queen turned back to The Summer Queen, “If another person is hurt because of your schemes? We will find a new queen.” 

Titania’s eyes were wide, looking up at Greeva. The utterance of those words, in front of eager noble Ladies wanting a taste, would make things difficult. 

And Greeva knew this. 

The Unseelie Queen’s moved to exit the throne room, their knights and The Spring Queen in tow. Titania felt sick as she flopped on the throne. She felt exposed to the eyes suddenly on her. She knew those looks, each of them filled with a scheme and a lust…for the opportunity.

“Guards! Clear the throne room!” Her voice breaking as she shrieked. It took them a moment too long before Eamon appeared. The knights hurried the onlookers out of the throne room. They closed the doors leaving Titania alone. Eamon’s silent glare was enough to keep any tongues wagging. Not a soul would repeat the crash of dishes and screaming that went on well into the night.

The Hall of the Spring Court

Saoirse closed the door to the suite where Cardia rested. Jimin grunted as he wiped his brow. She let her fingers dance across the width of his shoulders. “I couldn’t have done this without you.” He smirked at her, “I mean it, Jimin. None of this would have been possible if you hadn’t heard me out.” 

He leaned into her, letting their foreheads touch. This was the longest they had been in each other's presence for some time. Although she wished he would press her into the nearest wall – the healing space was a sacred space. 

“You’re a brave woman, Saoirse. Titania could have made things difficult for you.” His hand brushed the hair from her face, causing her to smile softly.

“She still could.” Her smile was slight, reaching up to intertwine their fingers. “One day.”

 Saoirse’s gaze lingered on their hands. Jimin gave a sad smile in return. It had been too long since the last time a Seelie and Unseelie had been mated. 

Yet here they were, breathing in each other’s atmosphere. Jimin’s soft sigh made her frown. “I know,” she said, “you should probably go. Fiadh has been gracious letting you stay as long as you have.” 

He nodded, taking a step back from the Spring Queen. “I’ll be back in three days to escort Cardia toward the crossing point.” Jimin’s hand slid across her waist, pulling her flush against him. The kiss was quick, hard, and done as he turned away abruptly.

Because he couldn’t stay but had he lingered for a moment longer...

Saoirse tongue slid across her bottom lip with a frown. She sighed, patting her face before opening the door to Cardia’s room once again.

As she entered, she saw Cardia starting to sit up. Before she was able to put all of her weight onto her arms, Saoirse was quickly at her side to help her. The former Lady of the Summer Court gave a tight-lipped smile as she allowed her to administer aid.

“You needn’t push yourself so hard, Cardia,” she urged while fluffing a few more pillows against her back, “take all the time you need to rest.”

Cardia shook her head, her complexion a shade lighter than when she’d previously remembered seeing her. “No. I mustn’t linger here. I need to return home.”

“In time, you stubborn Fae,” Saoirse said while smiling, “you nearly died.”

“And I would’ve taken this kingdom with me.”

The grave tone in Cardia’s voice gave Saoirse pause. It was frightening to know the lengths this woman was willing to go to protect her child. It was even more terrifying to think that Titania actually considered bringing this into reality for her own ego. Unimaginable is what it was.

Saoirse rested her hand on Cardia’s shoulder, giving her fellow Fae a squeeze of comfort to reassure her that all would be well. “Rest a little bit longer. I’ll have someone send Jimin a message that you will be leaving for the Veil at dusk.”

“Thank you, Saoirse,” Cardia replied, placing her own hand over hers, “thank you for everything.”

The Wylds were alive again. All thanks to Cardia’s sacrifice. No court, Seelie or Unseelie alike, would dare question her devotion to her daughter ever again. Not if they knew what was good for them.

The Veil Between Fae and Human Realms

Cardia’s steps were ginger and measured as Jimin and his small regiment escorted her through the Fae Wylds. Blood was tossed to the expanse of flora and fauna to satiate its hunger and it recognized the one who made the pact with it originally. A part of her felt a small ounce of remorse for having reawakened that unforgiving landscape. But there was no sacrifice she wasn’t willing to make to ensure her daughter’s well-being. In time, the land would quiet itself and return to its peaceful slumber.

She could only pray that there would not be another need for such a heavy sacrifice in the future.

“You almost doomed us all, you daft woman,” Jimin said suddenly, his voice slicing through her thoughts as he held her up by her waist.

Despite the heavy meaning behind his jab, Cardia let out a weak chuckle. “Yes, well, I believe there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect the one that is most precious to me.”

“You know,” he began, making sure to help her over a fallen branch on the pathway, “you could always return to the Fae lands. Your brother and your daughter are welcome. You would have your choice of courts to be a part of. You don’t have to continue to live in squalor in the Human Realm.”

“Is that what you think it is? Living in squalor?” Cardia scoffed. “I would much rather do that than return home only to have my daughter subjected to a life of servitude.”

“She wouldn’t --”

“She would, Jimin. Don’t patronize me.” Her tone was sharp. “Our laws are also part of a long standing tradition. I knew the price I would have to pay when I chose a human as my mate. I won’t allow my daughter to live like that because of my choices.”

She heard him sigh and knew that the discussion was over. Cardia had made her choice. She would have to live with it for the rest of her life. Her beautiful daughter, however, would be free to live her life on her own terms. As penance, Cardia would never fall in love again. She chose to live alone, mateless, for the rest of her days. 

Because in her heart of hearts, the loss of her beloved husband was still a fresh scar on her very being.

“Well, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. You’re still one of us.” She looked up to see the warm expression now settled over Jimin’s face. “You and your kin.”

“Thank you, Jimin.” Her eyes turned back to the path ahead of them and she realized that they were very close to reaching the veil. “I will remember your words.”

“Farewell, Lady Cardia.” Jimin offered a smile as she crossed the veil. 

For those who are curious about the terminology being used in the story, it is a form of Irish/Gaelic, and their meanings are as follows: Deirfiúr - Sister deirfiúr bheag - Little Sister cinn beag - Little Ones àlainn - beautiful

Dream of Red [2]

For the BTS Fabled Collaboration Project sponsored by @ksmutclub and @whipped-kpop-creators.

Plot: A vain and jealous Queen sets in motion a series of events that will force two lovers to face what they mean to each other.

Rating: 18+ // NSFW

Genre: established relationship | dark fantasy | angst | romance/fluff | smut | dark fable/fairy tale

Pairings: Wolf!Taehyung x OC [Red]

Featuring: BigBadWolf!Namjoon, Blacksmith!Yoongi/FormerSeelie!Yoongi, Unseelie!Jimin

Warnings: Blood, violence, wolf fight, minor character death, unprotected sex (wrap it up, kids), mentions of ‘claiming’, biting/marking, oral sex

Previous Part: Prequel

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 18.6k

AN: This work is by Admin E and Admin T - we are coming out the woodwork, ladies and gentleman. This is the second and final part to the main story/concept that was originally thought up. Admin E would like to blame the length on Admin T and Admin T will plead the fifth! Please enjoy!

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E & Admin T). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

The sun filtered through trees playing along the skin, kissing more color into the owner’s pores. He couldn’t help but marvel at the form close to him. She was so at home amongst the leaves and foliage. Their naked bodies were supported by loam and moss, as if the forest acted to help keep their secret.

Taehyung’s pupils were blown outward as the scent of her reached him again. Fortunately, his willpower won as he was simply content to be in her presence. How he wished he could have her this way at night. How would she look with the blessing of Luna dancing through her eyes? His gaze narrowed, breath still, as she turned to snuggle further into his chest. 

There was the self-satisfied smirk that barely lifted the corner of his mouth. “I wish I could let you sleep, little Red.” A grunt of dissatisfaction under the whisper before he placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “...but we know you have little time to return to your village.”

She kept sleeping as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Taehyung wished that was the case, “Red, you must wake now. The sun is high and you move too slow.” He knew the tease would rifle her enough to get her moving. 

The Wolf knew that he needed to play along - for now. Because it was the only way they could have their moments together.

A pout formed on her lips, the latter remark being the nudge needed to finally push her to being fully awake. She opened one umber eye and glared at him through her dark curls. “Who is slow?” Slowly, the other eye opened. “I know it is not me whom you speak of.”

Taehyung’s laugh rumbled in the air as he pushed an errant curl behind her ear. “Ah, she wakes at last.” A brow ticked upward as she glared at him. “Now, now - I cannot help that you have to keep up these airs around the town folk. Unfortunately, it does make you relatively slow.” He leaned down to brush his lips across her forehead. “We all have our shortcomings, little Red.” 

She huffed, unappreciative to his continued jabs on her speed. It was unfair, of course, seeing as how she was restricted to human movements. But that didn’t mean Taehyung would tease her less about it. Red shoved her hand in his face, pushing him away from her as she rolled over in the lush grass. Finally, she sat up, her dark tresses falling about her bare shoulders and back. Taehyung laughed softly, unable to take his eyes off every elegant curve that made up her entire being.

Red reached for her dress and began slipping her arms and head through the openings, refusing to say anything to him. She then snatched at the crimson mantle that apparently got blown a few feet away during their lovemaking. 

He still smiled, head braced on an upturned palm as she gave him the silent treatment. Taehyung’s hungry gaze lingered on every dip and dimple. He was so focused - that he didn’t realize he was growling. It was something akin to a chuff, a vocalization of low sound. Something he did right before he’d threaten to shred every piece of fabric from her body. “What I wouldn’t give to see you bathed in moonlight.” 

She laughed. It resembled that of a bell tinkling in the distance, reminding him that while Red was human - she wasn’t all human. There was that touch of Fae in her that lingered on the surface of her brown skin. It was that very same blood that allowed her to see him, touch him, and even converse with him in the manner they had for so many years now.

“That’s impossible,” she murmured, pulling the crimson mantle over her shoulders. Red continued to look away from him as a soft breeze threw her curls off to the side - further hiding her from his view. “You already know the reason why.”

“It won’t stop me from wanting it, Red.” He stood, pulling on his pants while she dropped that crimson cloak over her shoulders. He couldn’t help the bitter tone in his voice. The time didn’t matter to their kind, those touched by magicks and blessed by deities long thought gone; her scent on the breeze as her hair tousled on the wind. “I’ll always want that. I--” His teeth snapped shut as he gripped the shirt in his hands. “...I know why.” 

Humans. 

Humans were scared of things they didn’t understand. Humans and their fear of the unknown so lost from the old ways they couldn’t connect with the miracles around them. Taehyung shrugged into the shirt carelessly, buttons flying in his irritation. “We can leave, you know? We could just…” He didn’t finish - he wouldn’t finish that thought. 

Because they went through that once before - and it didn’t end well.

Her shoulders visibly stiffened at the suggestion. A handful of seconds and he watched them relax. It was a tender subject, one he tried not to bring to light repeatedly. He knew Red wasn’t ignorant to his concerns, his wishes - because they mirrored her own.

Finally, she twisted her upper body so that she was now facing him. Her umber tones gave away no secrets as she lifted her hands to reach for the hood of her cloak. Smiling, she slid the hood over her dark curls and he noticed that it was a smile that did not reach her eyes. 

“Greed is destructive, Tahyung,” Red said, her voice soft and heavy in the same breath, “it destroys everything.”

And no one knew that destruction better than him. So he tried hard to keep the vow made. Never would he put them - put her in that danger ever again. Longer fingers danced over her shoulders, his nostrils flaring against that crimson prison hiding her from him. “I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. A man in love who longs to love his person can say selfish things.” Taehyung molded himself against her back.

He could feel her breathing. He could smell the faint salt in the air. Red was trying not to cry. Instead, he heard her take another breath as her heartbeat rang in his ears. “Taehyung…”

“I know, one day, this will all be over for us—the secrecy.” This forest. This village. One day, it would be behind them. He held her tighter as if he wanted more than anything just to steal her away. It hurt his soul to let her go. “Until tomorrow.” Tae found his voice, willing himself to release her, to step back before the creature inside him gave in to the urge.

Red tilted her head forward slightly. “Until tomorrow.” 

Reaching down, she scooped up the small wicker basket and straightened her posture. He watched her gaze linger a moment longer before Red turned and walked away - disappearing into the thick, dense forest and being swallowed by the shadows within. 

Tae waited with bated breath until the sound of her footsteps no longer echoed in the air. He waited until she crossed that thin veil that kept them safe. He knew then that she was gone, and his world was cold again. He let out a long sigh as another sound, faint, tickled his ears. 

“You can stop hiding, Aithne.” He grumbled as a black cat with a fiery red patch on its chest lounged on a branch above him. You could swear the cait-sidhe was smiling. 

“Tsk, Tsk, Wolf. You surprise me. Surely I thought the two of you would have ensconced yourselves on the other side of the veil by now.” The feline seemed to admire its claws. “It’s almost time for the courts to change. And if I recall…” The cat tilted its head in Taehyung’s direction. 

The Wolf’s claws tore at the bark of the tree. “I know what it means, you nosy feline.” His head tilted up the length of the tree. “It’s not exactly an easy feat to manage as long as we have.” They held each other’s gaze in a long, heavy silence.

“Taehyung, the humans are becoming a nuisance. She becomes more and more radiant with each change of the season. They’re going to notice sooner or later that she is more than.” The creature spoke with an almost sibilant hiss. “The veil around the forest needs to be stronger and stronger each time you two are together.” Taehyung finally looked away, focusing on tucking his shirt into his pants. “Especially when you two are together.” 

“I know, Aithne! I know.” He tousled the dark, disheveled strands from his face. “I can’t…” His fingers dug into his waist, eyes closed, teeth grinding in his frustration. “I can’t just steal her away! Especially if they are catching on to her. That would put her in even more danger.” His brow furrowed as he looked up to the feline. “You know how close they came to stumbling into the land of Fae.” 

The cait-sidhe sighed as it stretched its hindquarters. “I know well, Wolf. There was a heavy toll paid to keep them away.” The feline hopped down, landing perfectly on its feet. The creature was nigh on three feet in height without its glamour. The dark green of its eyes seemed to glimmer with regret. 

The girl was too young at the time, and so was he. No one had heard of such a thing!  A halfling being a wolf’s mate. But humans were stupid, vapid things. Always willing to destroy something instead of trying to coexist. 

The cait-sidhe’s gaze fell to the forest floor. “Be careful, Taehyung. It’s not just the humans you need to watch out for this time.” 

The lines in Taehyung’s forehead deepened. 

The Summer Court was almost in session. Which meant that the Fae would be on the prowl on the human side. Red was well over the age to be swept away. But he knew what life would be like for a halfling in the most arrogant of the Court. It’s why her mother disappeared. No. Why her mother chose to turn her back on everything she’d ever known.

“Thank you, Aithne. I understand.” Taehyung tilted his head toward the direction of the trail Red used. 

“I hope you do, Taehyung.” The cait-sidhe turned in that direction as well. “For all of our sakes.” 

Red sighed, her heart heavy with some unnamable feeling. She couldn’t call it sadness. She wouldn’t dare label it as longing. Perhaps it was remorse. Part of her was both sincere and full of guile, all in the same instance. It was inescapable. Her life was full of intricately woven lies, both for safety and selfishness. Some lies were harmless, and others should tear many hearts asunder should they ever come to light. Her own would not be exempt.

“Little Red!”

Her brooding thoughts were immediately knocked from her head momentarily. Looking around, she spied the village baker, Victor, waving her down. Smiling, she approached him as he held out a bundle wrapped in hempen cloth. Just as she was about to fish out some coin from within her basket, the baker shook his head and placed a hand atop the basket’s handle.

“Your mother has already paid for the goods, Red,” he said while smiling, “I was just a little busier than normal this morning, so I had no bread ready to give when she happened upon me. I promised to have it delivered later.”

Red smiled as she removed her hand from the basket. “Then I suppose it is good fortune that I happened to return to the village when I did.”

Was it luck that she was always at the right place and at the right time? Perhaps. Or perhaps it was something otherworldly altogether.

“You’re such a good girl, Red. Going off every morning to fetch herbs for your mother.”

“Mother is always so busy with house calls.” A warm feeling reached her cheeks. “It’s the least I can do.”

Victor chuckled. “Well, I won’t keep you. Run along, dear.”

She waved farewell to him, making sure she held onto the bread and that it didn’t mix in with the herbs tucked away in the basket. If her mother was still attending to patients in the village, she needed to hurry home to prepare a good meal for her when she returned. Red was doing her best to study medicine under her mother’s tutelage, but during the harsher seasons, it was challenging to balance work and study. Red knew that her mother’s apothecary skills were needed more than ever during the colder months. With summer’s approach, she also knew there would be a little more time to assist her mother and focus on her studies.

It didn’t take long for Red to reach their home - a modest cottage just on the outskirts of the village. They were close enough to be considered part of the community but sequestered away so they could maintain a level of privacy. People in the town found it to be unusual in the beginning. But after a time, they came to accept it as part of Red’s mother’s slightly eccentric nature. 

Birds chirped happily as she pushed her way inside, closing the wooden door behind her so the latch would catch. She set the basket and carefully wrapped bread on the table, her hands moving to her cloak. Red swept the mantle off her shoulders with a swift motion and hung it up on a wooden rung near the door - rolling up her sleeves to begin her work around the kitchen.

After preparing the kettle for tea and the cauldron with water, Red settled to chop vegetables by the window. Her mind wandered to the conversation she had with Taehyung just moments ago. For him to bring up the issue again worried her. It wasn’t like him to get swept up in his emotions in that manner. The Wolf wasn’t one to reveal fear or doubt to her or any other creature that dared to cross his path. 

Something is wrong…

It was the only thought she could dredge up that made sense. Something was wrong. The Wolf was a creature of old magic, part of an even older race that was now scattered across the four corners of the realm. She recalled Taehyung once telling her that it would take the lifetimes of dozens of humans to pass before he ever saw another of his kind. Sometimes longer.

She remembered thinking how lonely that must have been upon reaching such a revelation.

Regardless of his worries or their shared wants, Red knew she could never leave her mother. She would never entertain the idea, no matter how many thousands of times it was suggested to her. Red knew the sacrifices her mother made to raise her all alone. She never knew her father and only assumed he was dead. Her mother rarely spoke of him, but when she did, there was a sort of sadness in her eyes that sank into Red’s core, causing her pain.

“Mother…”

There was a soft rapping at her door, causing Red to almost drop the knife in her hand. When she looked up, she saw a red fox pawing at the window. His golden eyes peered at her curiously, the canine’s head canting slightly to the side as it waited for her to grant him entrance. Red half sighed, half laughed as a wave of relief washed over her. Reaching forward, she unlatched the window and pushed it open - watching the fox leap inside without a second glance.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Briarden?”

The fox flicked his ears back and forth, prancing around the kitchen before leaping onto the kitchen table. He sat on his haunches, a black socked paw lifting to point in her direction. “Do not play the fool, Red. You know why I have come.” The fox - no, the reynard set his paw down on the wooden surface. “You grow bolder by the day.”

Huffing air through her nostrils, she turned away from the fox and resumed chopping the vegetables. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know what I am referring to.” The reynard suddenly appeared on the counter to her left. “Either that or the Wolf is growing stupid in his old age.”

Red smothered down the urge to roll her eyes. “According to him, he is still in his prime - young, in fact.”

“That makes him even more of a fool.”

A harsh sound echoed throughout the kitchen as she slammed her knife down on the cutting board. “Why are you here, Briarden?”

The fox’s tail swished back and forth in annoyance. “To warn you.” 

What displeasure she felt with Briarden’s unannounced visit was quickly doused with concern. “...warn me of what?”

“This tryst cannot continue. It is taking everything we have in the lower courts to hide it. The thicker the veil, the more it will be seen.” Red took note of the worry furrowing over the red and white muzzle marks just over the fox’s eyes. “It is practically a beacon!”

There was a heavy thump near Red’s chest, echoing down to her ribcage. She’d feared this would come to pass, but she believed that she had more time. More time to explain to her mother what was happening and more time to understand just what she was. She’d chastised Taehyung for being greedy earlier, but had it, in fact, been her own greed instead?

“Briarden, I-”

“The courts are going to change soon.”

Red felt the knife slip from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Was it already time? Surely not.

Watching the reynard leap onto the windowsill, he chanced a glance over his shoulder. “...you and your mother might still have a chance. A small one, but a chance just the same.” 

Red could only imagine what kind of look was on her face at that moment. 

“Iron clothes.” The fox sighed, shaking his fur a measure before looking out across the forest. “Relay my words to your mother.”

And before Red could ask for the reynard to further explain his cryptic words, he dashed off into the forest as silent and swiftly as he’d come.

The look of turmoil that painted over her daughter’s face was hard to miss. But Cardia could not afford to entertain it. Birariden’s message was clear. There was little time, especially if the courts were scheduled to switch to who was in power. And if her timing was as accurate as it always was, then she already knew who would be in the seat of power next.

Titania, she thought, her eyes darting over her work desk hurriedly, the games will be afoot soon.

Her arm swept over the surface, knocking all of her books and documents into the empty sack off to the side. Red’s voice was a distant echo around her ears, muffled and concerned. But Cardia quickly set about moving around the house. She would need to leave before sunset. The sooner she disappeared into the forest, the safer her daughter would be.

“Mother, please!” 

Cardia was stopped as her arm was wrenched back by her daughter, gripping onto it, halting her movements altogether. When she looked over her shoulder, her eyes widened slightly as tears began to stream down Red’s cheeks. There was clear desperation dancing in the child’s umber and hazel tones, which gave Cardia a well-needed pause in her manic movements.

Slowly, she turned and grasped onto Red’s wrist, gently removing her hand away from her. “Red, listen to me…”

“Where are you going?!” Red all but pleaded with her, and the broken sound in her daughter’s voice, a voice that was usually so vibrant, caused Cardia to sigh. 

“I have to go, my daughter.” Cardia reached up to cup her daughter’s cheeks in her palms. “I have to leave.”

“But why? Why must you leave?” Red pressed her hands against the backs of Cardia’s. “Please, take me with you!”

The former Fae of the Summer Court shook her head. “No, I’m afraid I cannot let you accompany me. It is far too dangerous in the forests. There are things that lurk in the shadows, ready to claim you for their own.”

Red seemed dissatisfied with this answer. Cardia already knew why. After all, hadn’t she traversed in the woods countless times to retrieve herbs for her? She was not ignorant of the forests or their winding paths. But Cardia knew the truth. She knew that the forest Red knew was the forest where she would be travelling to. To protect her daughter, she would have to return to that place. To that world.

To the land of the Fae.

“Do not leave me alone, Mother!”

Cardia stroked her hand through her daughter’s dark tresses before pulling her into a hug. “You won’t be alone. Your uncle will be here to look after you.”

Red stiffened against her chest. It wasn’t hard to discern where her concerns were stemming from. As far as her daughter knew, they only had each other. There were no others. So who was this “family” that she was speaking of now?

Pulling away from Red, Cardia swiftly resumed packing all of her belongings. Every single trace in the home that connected her would come with her. Only Red would be left behind. It was safer that way. It was the only way that this would work.

Because her daughter was half-Fae. Her human side would keep her safe just a little bit longer.

Making her way to the door, she threw the last of the items she had into the back of the wooden cart hooked to a mule. Cardia rushed forward and collected her daughter into her arms once more. It would be some time before she was able to see her again. If fortune smiled on them, it would be sooner rather than later. Either way, Red would be safe from the clutches of the Summer Court for just a little while longer.

“Farewell, my sweet daughter...my Little Red.” Tears brimmed her eyes, and she pulled her daughter just a little closer. “...until we meet again, stay safe.”

And before her daughter could further pull at the strings of her heart, Cardia rushed to the front of the cart and urged the mule down the winding path into the forest. The sun was beginning to sink over the canopy of trees. It wouldn’t be long before twilight kissed its lover, disappearing in a glow covered in darkness.

 “Uncle, please let me go!”

The man said nothing, causing Red to sob softly. He moved throughout the cottage methodically, picking up tools here and there. The sun had long since set, and yet he began to stoke the fires outside, his leather apron tied around his waist and his thick leather gloves slid over his hands. Her uncle was a blacksmith by trade, and upon his arrival, he immediately ordered Red to prepare the furnace so he could work.

This was madness. She didn’t know what was happening and it was happening far too quickly. Even if it was a desperate situation, she still wanted to know what was happening. What was going to happen? And, above all, Red knew she had to find a way to let Taehyung know what was transpiring. If something were amiss, he would sense it immediately. The wolf would search for answers, and he would do so regardless of the obstacles in his way.

As gentle as he was with her, Red knew what he was capable of. She knew the fire and rage that lay dormant behind those golden eyes in his true form. Because there was a time, long ago, when she almost fell prey to those very same flames. Red was but a child back then, and the wolf was lost, wounded, and very very hungry.

Just as he passed her for the dozenth time, Red grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt. She didn’t bother hiding the tears. She was afraid. She was terrified of what was about to happen and the ominous words left by Briarden and her mother.

“Uncle Yoongi, please tell me what is happening! I must know!”

“Foolish girl,” he grunted, shaking her off so hard that she fell to the floor, “be still and let me work!”

But Red would not be brushed aside. Like a petulant child, she clung to the leg of her uncle’s pants - refusing to let him take another step. “T-Then please let me go to the forest and retrieve the herbs needed to tend to the patients in the village! I beg of you!” Her grip tightened on his trousers. “Mother wouldn’t want me abandoning them!”

She watched her uncle turn slowly around, shifting his weight so that he was now down on his haunches in front of her. There was a moment of silence as she saw his eyes studying her closely. Then a knowing smirk pulled at the corners of his lips.

“When morning comes, you will not be allowed to set one foot outside of this place.”

It was like Red had been punched straight in the gut. What air remained in her lungs quickly expelled through her lips, forcing her to gasp for more oxygen. She didn’t hear that correctly, did she? There must have been some kind of mistake.

“W-What do you mean by -”

Suddenly, her uncle grabbed her chin harshly - forcing her to lift her head up, and she cried out involuntarily from the unexpected action. Red tried to pull away from his grip, but it merely tightened to the point of it being painful. This time, tears leaked from her eyes as she was forced to stare into the harsh gaze of her uncle.

“There is a chance that your mother will die. She is risking her life by leaving you here and going into the forest alone.”

Red’s lower lip trembled as she recalled the sad look that painted over her mother’s features moments before she was pulled into her embrace. “M-Mother is-”

“And it’s all because of your foolishness.” His eyes narrowed. “You...and that wolf.”

This time, a gurgling noise of horror bubbled inside of Red’s throat. How could he have known that? How did he know?! 

...does that mean Mother knew as well?

But who would be there to answer that question? No one. Clearly, her uncle would provide her with no relief to the queries that continued to plague and mount her thoughts with each passing second.

Without another word, he shoved her away and resumed heading to the back of the cottage. Red was left stunned, still on the floor, wondering just what was about to transpire. And yet, the tears continued to fall in waves until she was left with no choice but to sob openly into her palms. As the hours pressed on well into the night, Red’s sobs were silenced as she drifted in and out of consciousness on the floor.

Only the sound of her uncle’s hammer hitting the anvil remained constant as all else was shrouded in shadow.

The moon shimmered fat and full on the surface of a lake. The forest was alive and busy as the seasonal change was upon them. Taehyung’s anxiety only seemed to grow since Red left him that afternoon. Maybe it was Aithne’s appearance that caused the sensation to fill his stomach. So much so that he had barely eaten his meal. 

“That’s unlike you, old friend.” Taehyung scoffed softly at the sound of the Unseelie Fae’s presence. “You could decimate the forest should you choose.” 

Jimin stepped into the light of the moon. Taehyung’s gaze shifted to the edge of the brush. 

Now he had indeed lost his appetite.

“To what do I owe the honor, Jimin?” He wanted so badly to smile for one of the few people he called a friend. But Taehyung didn’t believe in coincidences. Not like this. “It has been too long indeed, my friend. I fear I cannot offer you a more jovial welcome. Because you make for the third ill omen and the day has yet to end.” His brow furrowed as Jimin stood silently.

“Ever astute, Wolf.” Jimin stepped forward, dropping down next to Taehyung at the lake’s rim. “Gods, I missed being out here.” The Unseelie knight took a deep inhale of air. His gaze lowered to the ground as he spoke. “Tae, the Summer Court will be in session soon.” 

“I know, Jimin.” 

“Titania still has not given up on finding Cardia.” Jimin offered a sidelong glance, enough to catch the muscle ticking in Tae’s jaw. “...Saoirse came to speak to Fiadh.” 

Tae’s spine straightened with shocking quickness. “Sh-she what?” 

“Saoirse contacted me, and we met, and - Fiadh caught us.” Jimin looked to the ground, avoiding the sorrow in Taehyung’s eyes. “It’s fine. We will have Samhain as we always have. We agreed to never repeat our mistakes. Fiadh was more concerned for the consequences should we have been caught.” The wolf let his gaze settle on the ground as well. 

“But, Tae, everyone has worked to keep you and Red hidden from Titania. I fear as the child has grown older, so too has her aura. She has yet to discover, let alone understand, her heritage.” Jimin let an arm drape over a bent knee. “We did this at Cardia’s behest. Titania is starting the games as soon as she’s on the throne. We fear she may run them the entire season.” 

That’s when Taehyung pushed up to his feet, his golden eyes ablaze. “The WHOLE SEASON? Jimin, please tell me this is hearsay? Because this is far from a joke. You’re telling me she means to run her hunt the entire time she’s on the throne? Not just one week to usher in the Summer season?” He didn’t realise he was opening and closing his fists.

He failed to notice the feral sounds tucking their way into his speech. He didn’t note his fangs brushing his bottom lip. He could only hear his heart thundering in his ears. Jimin’s eyes grew wide as Taehyung lingered in a state of half-changed. 

“I wouldn’t joke about this.” Jimin’s eyes hardened as he stood. “Everyone knows about you and the child now. Everyone has done their part to help keep you two safe. It’s becoming too much, and the veil is warping. It’s been heard that Titania has had her knights searching for some clues throughout the seasons.”

“She can’t do that! That’s against the Court edicts!” Tae threw a massive hand in the air.

“I know. We all know. But, we didn’t know about them until the thaw. The activity ceased during the Spring season because Saoirse is prone to keeping a closer eye on Titania.” Jimin rubbed at the back of his neck idly. “Look, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but...you may need to stay away from the child for a while.” 

A deep growl vibrated the air, stilling the entire forest. Taehyung realized what he’d done. He closed his eyes, willing his emotions to temper. Jimin wouldn’t admit he’d considered reaching for his weapon and that the wolf also sensed this motion. 

“Taehyung, please. Titania means to go to war over Cardia and the child. We will do what we can to throw them off your tracks. But, for the moment? You have to stay away from Red - else it’s not just her you’ll be putting in danger.” 

Taehyung’s hand balled into fists with bone crackling intensity. 

Jimin reached out, bravely, to put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We have people watching her. But you need to watch the forest, now more than ever.” The Unseelie looked toward the moon’s position, his lips tempting a frown. “The next moonrise starts the Summer Season.”

The Wolf looked up at his beloved goddess, basking him in a warm glow. As if to tell him to take comfort in her blessing. The golden fire dissipated from his eyes, and the world was suddenly blurry. He felt like she was already too far away from him. She was farther than she had ever been before, and this time? This time he couldn’t go running to save her. 

Everything he could possibly think of would have her dead, or worse - captured by the Court. The tears in his eyes never fell. Even as Jimin bid him a quiet goodnight and returned to the shadows. 

Taehyung now understood Aithne’s words from earlier that day. Titania wasn’t just bringing Summer Games this season. She could possibly start a war.

He couldn’t remember the last time there had been war. But he knew what would bring one on sooner than later. Taehyung turned to the thick brush across from him. He was suddenly filled with dark rage - and tearing sneaky Seelie limb from limb? Well, that, he was sure, would calm him right the hell down.

He never imagined it would come to this.

Cradling the iron chest piece in his hands, Yoongi frowned. In a few more hours, dawn would kiss the skies and welcome a new day. The sacrifice he’d made on the night prior would pale in comparison to the sacrifice his dear sister made. Cardia was as smart as she was beautiful. Anyone in the Seelie Court knew this. While she had no desire for the throne or to be a consort in the royal harem, Cardia’s power was well-known throughout both the Seelie and Unseelie courts.

Yoongi’s body ached from phantom scars and wounds, even years after Cardia fled the Fae Courts. He was her older brother, and while he was not one to deny his sister anything, he warned her the dangers of falling for a human and what it would mean for her future. For the future of their family.

But she was as stubborn as she was beautiful, determined to have her way, regardless of the price. And that price she was willing to pay was also thrust upon her family. Their family.

He was a Fae in name only, a mere husk of who he used to be. Now he was no better than a human once Titania managed to get her hands on him and the rest of the family. There were days he often entertained the idea of ending it all. His remaining family had. But when he’d first held Red in his arms, he knew he couldn’t. He just couldn’t afford to abandon his sister when she needed him more than anyone else. Yoongi was all Cardia had, and no amount of words or lengths of denial would change that.

But he couldn’t stay with his sister. He had to part ways with her for her own safety. Because a powerless Fae was still tethered to the land of their origins. He was a beacon and, as such, a danger to his beloved Cardia.

Yoongi travelled for years learning the blacksmith arts. There were some boons with being a Fae that no longer had powers. He could touch iron. He could craft and hone the tools of man and utilise them for himself. In time, he knew that his talents would be called upon. He knew it the moment Cardia decided to hide away after losing the man she loved.

It was time.

As he entered through the back door of the cottage, he saw Red hunched over by the kitchen table. Somewhere during the night, she passed out. Something twisted in Yoongi’s heart. He knew the poor girl was uncomfortable. He knew that she was sad and afraid. While most people would have found her obedience to staying inside astonishing, he didn’t question it.

His niece was truly good.

Which made what he was about to do that much harder for him to go through with.

Setting the iron chest piece on the kitchen table, he knelt down by Red’s side and shook her. He did this three more times before she groggily pulled herself from her sleeping state. Guilt ripped through his chest as he watched her sleepily rub at her eyes.

“Uncle Yoongi?”

Yoongi said nothing. Instead, he hoisted her up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom. He then carefully deposited her onto her bed, pivoting on his heels and returning to the kitchen to retrieve the item he’d been working on all night and well into the morning.

“Uncle?”

Again, Red called to him, but he knew he had to remain focused. If he wavered now, there was nothing to hope for beyond this moment. Yoongi had to be strong and resolute, or else there would be no saving his niece from the path of destruction.

He entered her chambers once more and quickly closed the distance between them, his free hand reaching out to snatch at her blouse. Red sharply inhaled, clutching at the front of her garments, but Yoongi would not be stopped. The sound of fabric tearing almost screamed out in the room as Red, too, yelled out in horror at what was happening.

“Uncle, what are you doing?!” She did her best to fight him, but he was determined. Her tears fell as she screamed while he ripped one of the sleeves clean from her arm. “PLEASE STOP!”

Tossing the chest piece open onto the bed, he pulled Red up onto her feet and tore at what little remained of her blouse until only her chemise remained. He threw her face-first back on the mattress, making sure that her upper body hit the iron piece first. Bracing his knees along the edge of the bed, he grabbed Red's wrists and pulled her arms back and out until they were placed just where he needed them. Flinging her arms away, he quickly slammed the back of the chest piece closed - locking the side securely with a single key. 

As he tucked the key away, he watched Red rolling back onto her side - her arms flailing wildly in an attempt to pry the metal shirt off of her. She pulled and tugged until her fingers were red, and then she continued to pull. But it was hopeless.

It would take her days, if not weeks, to break free without the key.

Red whirled around, half on the bed and half off, glaring daggers up at Yoongi. Internally, he was burdened with guilt. On the outside, he was as cold as ice.

“W-What have you done?” She reached up to tug at the collar of the iron shirt. “Why have you done this?!”

“Until you are able to break those clothes of iron, you will not be able to step out into the light.” He watched Red’s eyes grow large and fearful as her hands fell into her lap. Yoongi swallowed the lump in his throat and continued. “You will not see your mother again, and the wolf will never find you so long as you wear that.”

“I don’t understand,” she murmured sadly, “I just...I don’t understand why this is happening…”

“No, I suppose you don’t.” Sighing, Yoongi turned and moved for the door. “But one thing you must understand is this. That Wolf is not of your world. You are not of his.” He placed his hand on the doorframe. “You may think you love him, but know this, Little Red. He is not a man dressed up as some dog. He is a wolf...disguised as a man.”

Before his niece could say another word, Yoongi exited the room and shut the door behind him - locking Little Red in her chambers. Pressing his back against the door, he slid to the ground and covered his face with his hands - silently mourning the sweet light that was being snuffed out forcefully by his own hands for the foreseeable future.

While it may have been for her safety and for the safety of all realms, it didn’t ease the pang of guilt weighing heavily on Yoongi’s heart.

Cardia, please… he prayed, clasping his hands together, you have to finish this before it’s too late.

There was a slight whimper that escaped Cardia’s lips as she collapsed onto soft undergrowth beneath her feet. She was tired. Tired and yet she could not help but press forward. Her mind was going a mile a minute and there was nothing she could do but keep going forward. If she didn’t press onward past this hill, her entire journey would have been for nothing.

With trembling hands, she grasped the hempen rope of the only bag that managed to survive her trek through the Fae Wylds. The items in the cart, the cart itself, and even the mule were lost - possessions that now belonged to the Wylds. They were mercilessly claimed, but she’d accounted for that. It was the very reason she brought them with her despite how arduous the journey would be.

Clearly, she was rusty. Then again, it had been some time since she last meandered through those woods. Being a single mother and maintaining her relationships with the lower courts to help keep the veil over the village took up most of her time. She hadn’t been able to enter the Fae Wylds in some time.

These woods were dangerous.

Not even nobles of the Fae Court would enter the Wylds because the flora and fauna would devour any arrogant being foolish enough to enter. Cardia would thank her older brother, Yoongi, for teaching her the skills necessary to overcome such a cumbersome venture.

It was why she knew that Red would be safe with him. Yoongi was the only one she could trust to keep her daughter safe while she was not there.

Mustering what strength she had, Cardia pulled the sack onto her shoulders and climbed the hill. There was a clearing just over said hill and once she managed to get there, it would be the safety boundary away from the madness of the wylds. She could build a shelter and prepare herself for what was to come in just a few short days. Using her magic, however, would be like releasing a meteor shower onto her location. But Cardia had no choice. Titania would preside over the other courts as ruler for the season and the games would begin. The hunt for the humans to satisfy her boredom would commence and her daughter would continue to be freed from Titania’s grasp.

I hope you were able to do it, Brother…

Just as she was thinking about it, a shock rippled through her system. It was so sudden and so violent, Cardia cried out in pain before tumbling down the hill. Pain covered her from head to toe and by the time she reached the bottom of the hill, it felt like someone managed to pour ice cold water over her body. However, despite the pain she was in, Cardia could only smile as tears leaked from her eyes.

Her daughter was safe. Trapped in irons, but safe.

Closing her eyes, she sighed softly to herself as her tears continued to stream down her cheeks. “...the Wolf will not be pleased when he discovers her missing.” Slowly, she sat up and wiped at her eyes with the back of her wrist. “But I have no choice. Come what may, this is the only path open to me.”

Fueled with determination, the former Fae Lady of the Summer Court pushed herself onto her feet and entered the wide open field. I will not make it easy for you, Titania.

Her magic billowed around her like a pulsating aura as the Wylds hearkened to her commands - to her requests for protection.

Numb.

Everything was numb.

Her hands. Her feet. Her arms and legs. 

Her entire body was absolutely numb.

The only thing Red could feel was the cold bite of iron touching her skin, jolting her awake in the middle of the night. Reminding her of what was happening. Forcing her to acknowledge the predicament she was in. But there was no answer as to why it was happening in the first place.

So she was left with no choice. Red only had one option open to her. She had to free herself from her shackles and obtain the answers for herself.

With a roar, Red flung her body across the room and slammed her chest against the wall. Wood and dirt chipped and fell to the ground around her feet as she smashed her fists repeatedly over the iron chest piece. She’d lost feeling in both her hands weeks ago and splatters of crimson decorated the floor of her room as blood seeped from her body.

Her uncle came to her twice a day, bringing her food and water. The first week she’d been too miserable to eat; too confused. After the second week, she gorged on her food like a wild beast. It was clear that both her uncle and her mother had this planned and she would not be left in the dark any longer. She needed answers and if she was going to fight, Red needed nourishment.

At the precipice of her thoughts was Taehyung. She wondered how he was doing and if he’d gone into a mad frenzy without seeing her. The last time they saw each other, they made the promise of seeing one another on the morrow. 

Dozens of days had passed since then.

A darker thought meandered through her brain, causing Red to scream as she threw herself onto the floor. The groan of metal matched the groan in her heart as she dared to wonder if the Wolf simply moved on without her. If he’d reconnected with his kin during the time she’d been away and was now off to be with his people. Tears leaked from her eyes and Red mustered the strength to throw herself along the wall and floor, looking like a mad woman.

And then...she heard it.

It was the sound of something snapping. The metal chest piece seemed to crack. Pushing herself up on shaking arms, Red watched with wonder as the iron shirt crashed to the floor in several pieces. Bloodied fingers reached out to pick up the pieces and her vision blurred momentarily. A desperate laugh escaped her throat as she cradled the broken shirt against her chest. Red heard the door to her room open slowly and she lifted her face up to peer at her uncle. He was holding a wooden wash basin and soap out to her, then placed it on the floor.

There were no words shared between them as Red cleaned herself. After she was clean, he tended to her wounded hands. Somewhere along the way, she felt her body collapse against his and she took great comfort in feeling his warm arms wrapping around her.

“Uncle Yoongi,” she whispered, surprised at the sound of her own voice, “am I allowed to leave now?”

He petted her head gently as a soft weight fell onto the crown of her head. “Yes, Little Red. You are allowed to leave.”

It didn’t take her long to get dressed. Her uncle wrapped her red cloak over her shoulders, pulling the hood up and over her wavy hair. He then held out a golden basket for her which, from what she could tell, contained food for her journey. Red smiled, her bandaged hands grasping the handle of the wicker basket.

After giving her a kiss on her forehead, her uncle led her to the front door and opened it. There Briarden sat, his tail moving back and forth as his ears swiveled in excitement. Red held her arms out as the reynard leaped into them. It felt like ages since she’d last seen him.

“She will need to take the Path of Needles, Briarden.” Uncle Yoongi’s face was stern. “She must not stray to the Path of Pins.”

The fox creature hopped out of Red’s arms and stood at her feet. He gave a deep bow of acknowledgement. “Of course. I will make sure she takes the correct way.”

Red was confused and did not bother hiding it from her features. “Where is it I am supposed to go?”

Her uncle smiled, pressing a hand to her cheek. “To your mother, of course.”

As much as she wanted to see Taehyung, Red needed to see her mother more. She would have the answers she was so desperately seeking. Truth be told, Red was far more worried about her mother than of the wolf. Taehyung could take care of himself but Red always looked after her mother when she was old enough to do so. Being alone in the woods couldn’t have been good for her delicate mother.

Red kissed her uncle’s cheek and bid him farewell, setting off on her journey.

Golden eyes peered across the land as an insatiable hunger thundered across a broad chest. Saliva pooled from grinning lips as those same golden eyes watched a crimson cloaked figure make their way through the forest. And they were being led by one of those traitors of the lower courts. Teeth poked out from a set of lips, curling into a sneer as the fox talked happily with the young girl. His hunger would not be satisfied by that fox.

But the girl? Well, that was a different matter altogether. 

He sniffed the air once more. There was blood, salt, flora, and something a little...familiar?

...what is that?

Again, he sniffed the air.

Feeling the fire ignite behind his eyes, he jumped from his perch in the trees and dashed across the air. With an elegant flourish, he landed directly in front of the pair of travelers, causing the girl to fall to the ground in fright as the fox immediately took up an aggressive stance against him. Flashing a pleasant smile, he took the opportunity to inhale the air and the girl’s scent once more.

It was unmistakable. That was the smell of a wolf lingering on her.

The girl smelled of his kind.

Leaning forward, he lowered his head in apology - a motion of grace. “Oh, do forgive me. I did not mean to frighten you, Little One.”

The girl slowly sat up and he bit back a growl of irritation as the reynard positioned himself between them. She reached out with a bandaged hand and stroked the fox’s orange back in an attempt to calm him. He would have been blind not to see the radiant glow of fae teeming from her person. But it wasn’t full fae. He’d been around his fair share of those flighty individuals and, dare he say, he could hardly stomach their company for long.

He could, however, stomach their bodies. He could stomach them very well. Many a fae were digested in his stomach.

“He’s not to be trusted, Red,” snapped the fox, “he’s a wolf!”

A hearty laugh burst from his chest, revealing rows of sharp canines. He saw the fox’s ears flatten as he took a step back but still maintained his position in front of the girl. 

“That isn’t a nice thing to say! We wolves aren’t all bad, you know.”

The girl, Red, nodded. Again, she petted the fox to calm him. “He is right, Briarden. It’s not fair for us to judge him because he is a wolf.” 

Her umber eyes lifted to meet his own, causing the wolf to pause momentarily. They sparkled with life and empathy and for a moment, the wolf almost forgot his reason for revealing himself in the first place. Shaking his pelt, he shifted back a measure and forced his body to transform into his humanoid form. Clad in a simple green linen shirt tucked into a pair of black trousers and black leather boots, he waited until all the fur disappeared before speaking again.

“Does this appearance frighten you less?”

Red smiled. “I was never frightened to begin with.”

“Well, it was more for your furry companion there. He and his kind don’t really see eye-to-eye with mine.” The wolf chuckled, his gaze shifting to the reynard in her company. “We wolves were never in the business of being servants to those we view as lesser beings.”

The fox’s lips pulled back, revealing his smaller fangs in hostility. “How dare you?!”

A smug look tugged at the wolf’s lips before he turned his eyes to Red. “Allow me to erase my earlier rudeness by introducing myself.” He pressed a hand to his chest and bowed. “I am Namjoon, the wolf.” Lifting his head, he held his hand out to her. “And you are?”

The girl rose to her feet, dusted off her skirts and held her hand out to his in return. “I’m Red.” 

Grasping her fingers in his, he internally frowned at the texture of the bandages in preventing him from actually touching her. Now that he was closer, he could definitely smell it. The scent of one of his kin was attached to her; faint, but still present. Had she escaped from being devoured? Surely not. The girl didn’t appear to exude any kind of immense power. In regards to Fae, she appeared weaker - no better than a commoner in the kingdoms.

Yet there was definitely...something about her.

After pressing a kiss to her bandaged knuckles, he released her hand and took a step back out of politeness. “Might I ask where you are off to on such a pretty day?”

“I’m going to meet with my mother. She’s been gone for some time and I miss her terribly.”

Namjoon quipped a brow, then craned his neck to look deep into the woods. He knew this was the direction of the Fae Wylds. Was this girl willingly heading into danger? What was her mother doing in the wylds? And if her mother did, in fact, head into the wylds, there was a chance she was dead. 

He looked back at Red who, in turn, flashed him a curious expression. He smirked. Which means this girl, too, is heading to Death’s Door. Ah, what a shame and what a waste…

“And which path were you planning to take, my dear?”

“I was told by my uncle to take the Path of Needles.”

It took everything Namjoon had not to smile menacingly. This girl truly was going into the wylds. If she knew of the Path of Needles, then she also knew of the Path of Pins. These were not commonly named paths and anyone who didn’t have knowledge of the Fae Wylds would never refer to those paths as such. Indeed, the child was going to Death’s Door. 

Far be it from Namjoon to allow such a waste to occur before his very eyes.

“You know,” he began as he pressed his hands together, “you would get to your mother faster if you took the Path of Pins.”

Red looked a little perplexed, her brows furrowing slightly. “I don’t know… My uncle said to-”

“I am a wolf, Red, and I know both ways very well. Both paths lead to the same place but you look so desperate to see your mother again.” He shrugged. “I simply wished for you to be reunited faster. But I suppose it is rude for me to insert myself into your affairs as such.”

The fox huffed at their feet. “As though you needed to voice it aloud.”

Namjoon glared at the reynard, watching him shrink back slightly. The fox would die long before he could ever set foot outside of these woods. The wolf would make sure of it.

Red bowed her head slightly. “I meant no disrespect! Thank you, Sir Namjoon.” She lifted her head and smiled, making Namjoon’s heart thunder across his chest momentarily. “Who would know these woods better than a wolf? I shall take your advice and go by way of the Path of Pins.” He watched her lean down to scoop up the reynard in her arms, her body shifting to the left side of the fork in the road. Before she continued down the path, Namjoon watched her turn to wave at him. “Thank you again!”

For a moment, all Namjoon could do was stare at the red cloak slowly being devoured by shadows. He was both mesmerized and confused. But the low growl in his stomach quickly reminded him of his purpose - his true desires - and he quickly reverted back to his original form. He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted.

Namjoon made haste down the Path of Needles. He would get to the wylds before Red and he would satisfy his hunger with a taste of both her flesh and the meat of her mother’s.

The scent of death and decay was in the air. He was so tired. So much pain.

So much...h u n g e r.

Hungry. So very hungry.

Must not stop. Must keep going.

He ate up the ground trying to find fresh air. There was something in the air, a heat of life that would feel wonderful beneath his teeth. It was a small something, but it was something. A deer? A rabbit? It wasn’t strong enough to best him. It wasn’t strong enough to evade him.

So hungry. So much pain. Make it stop.

When was the last time he had water? Parched. Dry.

HUNGRY.

He saw red.

He saw this little thing in red.

He saw red.

It wasn’t watching. He saw red.

So much pain. He saw red.

The war was over but all he saw was red.

He saw red  - and he charged.

He saw red. All he saw was red.

He saw his breath in the air. He saw red.

He opened his mouth. He charged. He saw red.

He heard a scream as he opened his mouth…

RED. RED. RED. RED. RED. rEd.

“RED?!”

Taehyung scrambled in the tangle of his sheets as he sat up. He clawed at the burning sensation in his chest. Pushing back wet strands of hair from his face, eyes wide, as he looked around his room. The early summer heat was sweltering. Taehyung saw the feathers and torn fabric of his pillows. The moist outline of his body imprint caused him to frown. 

It was strange how deliberate his movements were suddenly. Like he had become hyper aware of his own existence. He moved to the bathroom, splashing his face with water from the basin. He looked at his reflection, noticed the stubble setting in on his chin. His fingers reached up, in disbelief, rubbing at the dark hairs. 

He tried to remember what he was even doing the night before - and it hurt to think too deeply about it. It was as if a chunk of time was suddenly missing from his memory bank. The heel of his palm dug into his eye sockets as if he could rub the stabbing pain away. 

There was an emptiness inside of him, it was hunger. But for what? How long had he been asleep? He stomped to the kitchen, poured a glass of water. Greedily gulping, choking, and still it remained. 

WHY?

WHY?! 

What is it? What was it? What was missing? What was he forgetting? 

He choked another glass of water down, tearing off a piece of stale bread at the table. His face screwed up as he spat the mass on the floor. Taehyung wretched at the powdery foulness clinging to his tongue. He finally looked at the loaf of bread to see ...mold? Disgust twisted his features as he dropped the bread on the table. 

The sweet sour smell of rotting fruit hit him next. The bowl in front of him was full of the darkened remains of ignored produce. But he would never, right? He would never just leave food to go to waste. 

So, what in the hell was going on?

...hyung!

Tae’s hands began to shake as he tried to piece together the last few days.

...ehyung!

Why was he so hungry? Why did he have facial hair?

...aehyung?!

What was that incessant buzzing in his brain?! 

TAEHYUNG?!

“WHAT?!” His voice bellowed off the walls, vibrating the modest structure of his home. Who was calling him!!? 

He stepped outside searching for the source of the voice. His eyes went wide at the sight. The grass was tall, overgrown, with dandelions as far as the eye could see. The path that led from his door toward the forest was gone .

“Taehyung!?” A breathless voice called from above. Aithne’s eyes were large at the state of him as she dropped from a branch. “Oh thank the spirits! I’ve been looking for you for over two-moons! It’s nearly high-summer!” 

The Wolf stared at the cait-sidhe in confusion as she stared at him. It was worse than she thought. They weren’t fast enough before Titania’s guard came through, altering the landscape of the forest. She watched them lay magickal traps throughout the forest. Animals found themselves in different  places or lost altogether. Whole sections of the forest inverted and flipped on a loop, leaving a chance for something or someone to inadvertently get tossed into the wylds. What Aithne had not planned for was Taehyung’s section of the forest to be caught in that loop. 

“A-Aithne.” He spoke her name as if he was starting to remember something. “Aithne, wait! Did you say it’s HIGH-SUMMER?!” The cait-sidhe shifted uneasily. “The Games? Titania? But, Red-” 

Red.

“Red.” He turned in every direction, frantic, his heart racing. And he didn’t feel her. He couldn’t sense her. He couldn’t sense her presence at all. That’s when it hit him. The emptiness, the thirst, the hunger. 

The dream. 

Aithne knew that her kind was a long lived race. She knew that they had served courts and queens at whim. They were highly respected, prized, because of their high intelligence and loyalty. It was very seldom you found a reason to want to kill a cait-sidhe. Those more mischievous of her kin were simply never allowed at court. At the worst, they were banished. 

But, there were the rare occasions they could run afoul of a beast. 

Aithne’s form shrank away from the beast in front of her. When Taehyung turned around his eyes were black. In the middle of eyes as black as the void were a pair of golden irises. Blazing like the midday sun. His every breath was sibilant behind clenched teeth. His shoulders rose and fell heavily as if he was pumping up his very stature. 

“Aithne.” The Wolf growled low. “Where is she?” 

“W-we don’t know.” Aithne answered quickly, lest she be the focus of his ire. “...we suddenly couldn’t sense her at next dawn’s light. The forest...changed somehow. We couldn’t find you! Titania’s men laid traps. It was like being in the wylds! I swear we tried looking for you both.” The cait-sidhe braved taking a step forward. “We had feared the worst, Taehyung! We thought they had found you both and swept her away.” 

Taehyung fought to keep a tight leash on his rage. He knew that the other Queens didn’t believe in interfering on this side of the veil. They also didn’t believe in interfering with his kind. His lips quivered around a mouth full of teeth that felt too big. He turned away from the cait-sidhe, trying hard to regain his composure. “How long did you say you were looking?” 

Aithne replied, the sadness apparent now that he’d calmed down. “It’s been just over two moons now.”

“And it's now high-summer?” he croaked out weakly.

“Yes. We haven’t been able to figure out the forest or where Red is since Titania took the throne.” Aithne’s tail swished anxiously. “Her men flooded the forest, and just like that, they were gone. The traps have weakened and that’s probably how we found you.” 

Taehyung looked over his shoulder, the black faded from the whites of his eyes, confused. “What do you mean just like that?” Standing, he ran his fingers through his hair. He made a face as he caught a whiff of himself.

Aithne was, obviously, being extremely polite in that regard. “They flooded the forest from early dawn on the switch. They stayed in the forest, camped even, until about ten suns ago. They were in a hurry, too.” 

The Wolf rubbed his chin, pacing, as this new information was processed. They lost track of Red the very next day, but there was still time before the season switched. Which meant Titania’s men were looking for something before she took the throne. 

There was only one thing that came to his mind at that moment.

“Cardia.” He turned to Aithne. “Do you know where Cardia is?” 

Aithne tilted her head, momentarily confused, “Actually? N-no. We were in such a frantic rush to find you that we-” The cait-sidhe turned in a full circle, trying to see if that essence that was Cardia was anywhere near them. 

It wasn’t. 

And for that, he guessed that she, too, feared the absolute worst. “I don’t sense her at all.” Aithne began to pace as well. What to do? What to do!? Her head lifted as she turned to Taehyung, “I...I have to go. I’ll be back. Take a bath for god’s sake! And eat, Taehyung! You do not go hungry a day longer. I will return!” 

Taehyung gave an incredulous look, reaching out to say something more, but it was too late. The cait-sidhe vanished from his sight. 

Fine. It was perfectly fine. He would bathe. Then he would eat. He would ease his frustration by cleaning the mess left by Titania’s meddling. He leaned against a tree, his claws digging deep into the bark. “Red, please be safe.” 

That violent rage bubbled under the surface once again. And this time he wasn’t sure it could be quelled - especially if the worst of his fears came true. 

He closed his hand, snapping the young tree in half. No. He wasn’t willing to dream of it. He wouldn’t let those thoughts bleed into the ether. Because there was only one truth and one truth only.

There was no world for him without her in it.

If the world turned its back on him, if it dared to take what was his, he would make sure there was no world for him - or anyone else.

Hot puffs of air pushed from Namjoon’s maw as his feral eyes surveyed the lush green valley of the Fae Wylds. The forest was loud with the voices of the old ones, warning him of his trespass. He would not be able to take another step further unless he paid a tribute. That was unsurprising as it was tradition to pay the price in blood. It had to be something of value.

What was an eye to a full meal to a wolf? The choice was easy; simple, even. Namjoon didn’t hesitate to pluck his right eye out of its socket so he could give it to the Wylds. What they chose to do with it was of no consequence to him. If he was charming and convincing enough, he would simply have someone summon his eye back to him.

No harm, no foul.

His large paws pressed into the grass as he reached the clearing. The smell of blood was thick in the area, causing him to both drool and gag all in the same breath. Carnage clung to the fields and overwhelmed his senses. Namjoon growled in response, unsure of why he was feeling such trepidation and yet he knew his own hunger couldn’t be ignored. In a few moments, his nose would adjust to the stench and he would prepare himself for the feast ahead. 

He looked around, spying the makeshift cottage that was just over the small hill. This must be where the girl’s mother chose to take refuge , he thought, unable to hide the grin tugging at his dark lips. 

There was a sudden shift to his right and Namjoon raised his hackles, preparing to strike out at anyone who dared to interfere with his plans for a meal. Crouching down low to the ground, his hulking form disappeared beneath the brush as his one remaining eye trained on the line of trees a few yards away. Relief washed over him as he saw it was the meddlesome reynard, Briarden, sniffing out over the land. A sick sort of glee began building inside of Namjoon’s chest as he saw the fox resist the urge to retch from the stench of blood.

A snack wouldn’t hurt, he thought, moving forward in a predatory fashion, but I also would prefer my eye returned to me.

Lunging forward, Namjoon didn’t hesitate to make his presence known. The fool of a fox wouldn’t have time to react. He wouldn’t give him any quarter to make any attempts to flee and warn his little meal-to-be of what was approaching the moment she crossed the hills and into that valley.

Like a dark shadow of death, Namjoon threw himself on top of Briarden - his jaws and fangs finding the fox’s neck. The reynard could only manage a small squeak before the wolf crunched his throat between his massive teeth. The sweet tang of blood soaked his tongue and the wolf had to resist the urge to indulge himself in a selfish drink. This was to be his tribute to the Wyld. Despite not being his blood, reynard were still close kin to wolf-kind. Namjoon may as well have killed his own relative.

A suitable sacrifice in exchange for his eye.

Namjoon tossed Briarden’s body off to the wayside, the fox’s blood still fresh on his maw. With a gluttonous lavish of his tongue over his chops, the wolf waited for the Wylds to accept his payment. After a handful of minutes, a strange sensation returned to his right socket until he was able to see again. The tribute was accepted and his eye returned.

The wolf belted a hearty laugh, pivoting on his paws as he made his way toward the cottage. Namjoon may have ignored his base urges for a moment, but the ultimate reward would be much sweeter.

Fae flesh, even a halfling like Red, was a far better meal in the end. Especially for his kind.

Please.

Taehyung followed the cait-sidhe out of the forest on the human side of the veil. The whole forest was in chaos with untriggered traps. It took them a few days to figure out the path to Red’s village. He found her ease around the humans interesting; she claimed to know plenty of ‘bad people’. The cait-sidhe made assurances that none of those bad people resided in the village. 

And now she hoped The Wolf’s distrust would hold as they made it to Red’s house. Because it wasn’t Red who met him at the door - it was Yoongi. They found him sitting outside the door - but Taehyung couldn’t hear or smell her nearby.

“Where is she?” he growled while stalking toward Yoongi. 

The blacksmith looked up nonplussed by the Wolf’s aggression. “You’re late. She’s gone.” Yoongi answered in a gruff tone. 

Aithne stepped around Taehyung, attempting to keep the distance between the two men. “Titania’s knights set traps in the forest. I’m guessing when Cardia crossed over they left. But they never undid their spells. It took time to find him, Yoongi.“ The cait-sidhe flicked her tail in irritation.

Yoongi sighed quietly at the cait-sidhe’s explanation. “That bitch just can’t leave well enough alone.” It was clear the Summer Queen had even less fans on this side of the veil. “And Cardia decided to just go over there, trying to keep Red safe.” He balled his hands before releasing the fist. “Red went to find her mother. Aithne knows the way, and the path.” 

Taehyung’s gaze lowered to the cait-sidhe. “I have to get to her, Aithne.”

She nodded, turning to head down the road that would take them to the other side. He didn’t spare Yoongi another glance, but Taehyung stopped at the sound of his voice calling out to him.

“She knows nothing of that place, Taehyung. You know how the Wylds can be.” Yoongi sat down, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Find her. Protect her. Keep her away from Titania.” 

The Wolf nodded and ran to catch up with Aithne.

Please.

And he didn’t stop - hadn’t stopped running since. Even when the scent of blood filled the air, he didn’t stop running. Even when fear gripped his heart as the scent grew in intensity. Even when Aithne, who couldn’t keep up, decided to ride on his back. He wasn’t going to stop until he reached that cabin.

Please.

Taehyung felt a certain kind of freedom loping through the Fae Wylds. He needed to use all of his power to traverse two different realms. The shift of the atmosphere caused an errant shake of his head. The Wolf paused warily as he crossed the veil. How many years had it been? He could barely remember much of this side of the world. 

He didn’t make it a point to visit the place where he had lost so much. Where he could stand to lose more.

Please.

That was until there was a rumble in the air. Like the sound of a predator satisfied with a big meal. Taehyung came to a hard stop, his ears twitching toward the direction of sound. He was interrupted by Aithne’s sudden gasp.  “What is it?” 

“I-I don’t know? It’s as if the land has consumed something a bit…” Her brow furrowed as she looked around. “But it feels like something is missing.” Taehyung watched her quietly for a moment.

“I think you need to rest.” He grumbled softly. “We’re almost there, right?” The cait-sidhe nodded quietly. “Good.” He shook off the sudden discomfort and ran once again. Because he didn't want to admit he felt it too. That something more had definitely been gained. 

Please, Red. Please be alright.

Red felt a pang of anxiousness creeping up her spine. She was worried not because she was in the Fae Wylds of legends. It wasn’t because she was far from home and worried about her own safety. Despite the newness of the world around her, the Wylds seemed to almost recognize her in a way that was both strange and comforting. There were soft whispers in the trees and songs in the wind that told her a little bit about herself but also questioned her existence all in the same breath.

But these were things that she wasn’t concerned with. It was Briarden’s absence that troubled her. 

While it was only for a little while, the two of them separated for a moment. The reynard told Red that he was going to go ahead of her to make sure that they were safe. He also mentioned a peculiar stench in the air that he needed to identify. If it was safe, he would return. If it wasn’t, then Red needed to flee.

It was almost laughable. How was she supposed to flee if she didn’t know where she was? Most importantly, without a guide, how would she return? And if there was danger, how could she knowingly leave her mother in the thick of it?

No. Red was determined to reach her mother and to make sure that everything was alright. She needed to bring her back home. She didn’t care about rules or what was taboo or not. What was or wasn’t allowed. She just wanted to go back to how things were before she was locked up and forced to wear iron clothes. 

Red wanted to see Taehyung again. She wanted to hold him in her arms and tell him that she loved him. Over and over again. Because she knew now, more than ever, that she most certainly hadn’t told him enough.

Clutching at the front of her mantle, Red sighed and continued walking forward. Briarden hadn’t returned and she had no choice but to keep going. It was going to be nightfall soon. She couldn’t afford to be lost in the woods, let alone in the dark. The wind pushed her toward a certain direction and she continued down the path until she broke through a line of trees that opened up to a clearing.

An odd smell reached her nose, but Red wasn’t quite sure what it was. It wasn’t pleasant but it wasn’t awful either. A strange gray area she couldn’t identify. Searching the clearing, she took a soft breath and sighed with relief as she spied a cottage off in the distance. Smoke billowed from the small chimney and there was a light glowing from one of the windows. Red gathered up her skirts and tore off down the hill, the basket bouncing against her hip as she ran. 

Within minutes, she was at the door. Delight and excitement rushed through Red’s entire body as she made small attempts to catch her breath. After taking a moment to calm her racing heart, she knocked on the door three times.

“Mother, unbar the door!” she called, hoping her mother was there.

A cooing and sweet voice replied. “Just push on it. It’s not locked, My Dear.”

Red entered the cottage, her eyes having to adjust to the semi-darkness that seemed to blanket the space. There was only a single candle on a nightstand by the bed and a lantern in the kitchen. Everything else was covered in shadow. This worried Red as her mother was usually the sort who always kept their home well-lit until it was time to sleep. She immediately was concerned that her mother had taken ill and was about to address this when a sudden pang hit her stomach.

Hunger.

Feeling a soft warmth touch her cheeks, she peered into the area where she seemed to hear her mother breathing. “Mother, I know I just arrived but I’m hungry. Do you have anything to eat or shall I prepare something for us?”

“There is food and drink on the kitchen table already. Go ahead and help yourself.”

Red spied the dish of food and the glass of red wine, her stomach reminding her again of her own hunger. Not bothering to remove her mantle, she placed the basket on the counter and sat down to begin her meal. She didn’t realize how hungry she actually was until she cut into the meat and ate it. But just as she swallowed the food, a bird flew to the window and began tapping on it wildly. This startled Red, but not as much as the words the bird spoke.

“Your friend! Your friend! You are eating the flesh of your friend, Briarden!”

Gasping, she whirled around to peer into the dark room where her mother was. “M-Mother...there is a bird at the window and he says that...he says that I’m eating my friend!”

“Throw your cloak at that nasty bird! He tells you lies!”

But when Red looked back at the window, the bird had already flown off. Deciding that the Wylds were trying to play tricks on her, she picked up the glass of wine and began to drink. Just as she was about to drain the glass, a mouse scuttled along the counter and squeaked at her.

“Your friend! Your friend! You are drinking the blood of your friend, Briarden!”

Dropping the glass, Red stood from the kitchen table and, again, peered into the room where her mother was. “Mother! There is a mouse that says I’m drinking my friend’s blood! Birarden’s blood!”

“Throw your shoe at that old mouse. He’s wretched and good for nothing anyway.”

When Red looked to the counter where the mouse was, she felt her heart sink to see that it was gone. Perhaps she was just tired. Red was stressed and maybe the journey finally was beginning to take its toll on her. Fatigue weighed heavily on her shoulders.

“You look tired, Little Red,” her mother called to her, “you’ve had a long journey. Come and sleep.”

Red nodded, obediently removing her cloak and traveling clothes. Dressed in only her undergarments, she made her way to the bed where her mother was sitting. But it was at this instance when Red felt a shift in the air. A deep-seeded hunger filled space between her mother and herself, giving her a slight pause. She’d just finished eating so there was no reason for her to sense this in the room.

Slowly, Red looked in the direction of where her mother was and took note of the hungry eyes that looked back at her in the dark. It was a look that she recognized from many years ago. It was voracious; ravenous.

Taking a step forward, Red clutched at the front of her chemise. “Mother...look how big your eyes are.”

“Without them, I could not see you, My Dear.”

“Mother,” Red said while taking another step forward, “look how big your ears are.”

“Without them, I could not hear you so well, My Dear.”

An ache began to form around her ribs from how hard her heart was thrumming inside of her. “Mother...look how big your hands are.” Fear started to churn in her stomach as she took note of the claws.

“Without them, I could not reach out and touch you, My Dear.”

As she lifted her eyes up, she saw a flash of white and tears began to stream down her cheeks. Red realized what was happening. She knew and yet she couldn’t bring herself to run away. Because she’d encountered this sort of hunger before. Running was futile. She’d be dead before she could even reach the door.

“M-Mother...look how big your teeth are.”

The figure in the dark stood up, removing the night gown from their person. Red already knew this wasn’t her mother. She’d sensed it too late and what sickened her more was that there was a chance that those creatures were telling the truth.

Briarden was dead and she’d eaten his flesh and drank his blood. Red could only take comfort in knowing that the reynard would be a part of her forever. Or for as long as this moment she existed would allow. Because her end would come soon.

At the hands of this predator. 

At the hands of this wolf.

Red closed her eyes, prepared to accept her fate. A loud growl and gnashing of teeth erupted through the silence. She prayed that her mother was safe. She silently asked for her uncle’s forgiveness for being so foolish. Just as a puff of hot air brushed over her entire body, she whispered one thing before it would come to an end.

“...Taehyung.”

Glass shattering and wood splintering caused Red to jump back - her eyes frantically searching in every direction. Loud and ferocious snarls and howls tore through the small space inside the cottage and she gasped when her eyes spied not one, but two wolves tearing through the small room - fangs flashing and claws ripping through one another. Spying the pelt that belonged to the other wolf, an overwhelming sense of dread seemed to swallow Red completely.

“TAEHYUNG!”

The scent of blood rushed through Taehyung’s nostrils. The sign of a messy kill, a show of force. He could feel the ground pulsating under his paws. The question lingered in the air, spoken in hissing whispers: There’s another?

You must go faster! Quickly.

Aithne’s claws dug into Taehyung’s back at the sound of the voice that urged them both to go faster. “Briarden?” The cait-sidhe spun, clinging to the Wolf’s form. The tears welled in her eyes as the wisps of the reynards spirit fluttered like ashes in the wind.

Please. Faster. Danger.

Taehyung couldn’t hold the growl rumbling in his throat. The Wylds vibrated with energy because wolves now walked the lands. Aithne gulped air as she realized what she had lost. When she realized whom she had lost. 

The Wolf’s form began to change; the scent of fear was a sweet tang in the air. Aithne held herself together as they closed in on the cabin. The whispers turned into a cacophony of sound. 

There’s another.

This energy was familiar because it was kin. The cait-sidhe leapt from his back as Taehyung charged the cabin. He didn’t bother calling her name, didn’t bother worrying about the door. He could smell her fear, taste it in the air - and he knew it well.

Because he was, at one time, the reason for it. It 

was a flavor he had promised not to experience again. There was another Wolf? After all this time - there was another.

It was too bad he would most likely have to kill him. Taehyung heard the small utter of his name as he barreled through the window. Mouth open, he went immediately for the other Wolf’s vital spots. 

He heard Red’s voice as she screamed for him. He felt the drag of claws against his side. He didn’t care as he snapped his fangs at the other creature’s neck. His own nails dug into the opposite creature’s flank. Shards of glass embedded in his skin, and he didn’t care. All Taehyung cared about in that moment was ripping the other wolf to shreds for entertaining the idea of devouring what was his.

A spray of blood of fur splattered across the wooden floor. The other Wolf whirled around, giving Taehyung space to place himself in front of Red. Blood dripped from pear fangs as the Wolf laughed, his lips spreading out as the Wylds were visible behind him.

“Ah, so it’s true then,” the Wolf spoke, raising his hackles a measure, “another of my kin. I detected your scent on her, but was curious as to why you let her escape with her life.” The Wolf’s grin grew. “You would claim a creature such as this as your own, Brother? She is food and nothing more. You know this.”

Taehyung was vibrating with rage as the other Wolf spoke. "The actual question, Brother, is why would you go after something that isn't yours?" He could feel his claws digging into the floor. It took every ounce of willpower to keep from charging the intruder.

"This one isn't food." He gnashed his teeth between deep snarls. His tongue held steady for fear of endangering her further. "And you know nothing." There was a barbarous aura filling the air as Taehyung moved backward toward Red. The kind of feeling that had once been familiar to him. That time from long ago where the kills were indiscriminate; for the sake of survival. 

The Wolf laughed again. “If you claimed her as something more than food, then perhaps I would’ve abstained. But you haven’t marked her, Brother. Not properly.” He lowered himself down slightly, rolling his shoulders back as his tail swished back and forth. “And since she isn’t properly marked, then she is also free game.”

Before Taehyung could throw out another rebuttal, the other Wolf launched himself clear across the room. He knew he would have no choice but to take the hit. If he moved, Red would be caught in the thick of everything and would get hurt in the middle of their scuffle. No, he had to remain rooted where he was and then grasp for an opportunity to throw him out of their enclosure and out into the open where there was more breathing room.

Not properly. He hasn’t claimed her properly. The other Wolf spoke the truth, and yet he felt pangs of guilt striking at the edge of his rage. The other Wolf went airborne crashing into him. Taehyung howled as claws dug into his skin. 

“Aithne, get her out of here!” Taehyung roared a combination of pain and rage as he drove the other wolf out the destroyed side of the cottage, cracking out the frame as he fought to create distance. Enough distance to create some sort of advantage.  And hopefully enough distance for Red and the cait-sidhe to escape.

Taehyung felt his anger rise as the other wolf laughed as he rolled on the grass on his side. Even though he was far from what people would consider “young”, he could feel the age difference between the two of them. The level of experience was evident in how this other wolf refused to take him seriously. 

He watched the other male wolf slowly get up to his feet, shaking the grass from his fur. “Well, I suppose if we’re going to do this properly, then I should introduce myself. After all, we’re not savages.” The wolf lowered his head but kept his hazel eyes locked on Taehyung. “I am Namjoon, Young One.”

Biting back the urge to snarl an insult in his direction, Taehyung reigned his anger back to reciprocate the gesture. “Taehyung.”

“If this is to be the end for either of us, I think it fitting that we at least be entreated to carry the burden of the other’s calling, hm?” Namjoon grinned, revealing rows of fangs, before lifting his head to the sky and allowing a howl to rip through the vast expanse. 

Taehyung sensed movement from the cottage, but he dared not move a muscle. He didn’t want to even risk answering the wolf’s call. Namjoon was kin, yes, but this was also clearly a fight that had a prize at the end. He couldn’t afford to lose. He couldn’t afford to lose her.

A swift blur of crimson tore through the front door of the cottage. He didn’t have to look to know it was Red being guided by Aithne. If the feline was smart, they would beeline for the forest and not look back. They would not stop until they were back at the village where it was safe. 

At least, that was his hope. 

Taehyung looked back just as Namjoon sprinted forward, tearing through the field and kicking up sprigs of grass. The older wolf released a primal roar before jumping into the air in the attempt to maul Taehyung to the ground. Finally, he belted out his own call in response to the challenge.

He wouldn’t die here. He couldn’t die here.

A familiar sensation flooded his bones at the sound of Namjoon’s approach. The sounds of battle, of kin bleeding and dying, fighting each other over something neither side could remember. Taehyung let loose another roar of challenge. He pivoted to the side, barely dodging the snap of Namjoon’s jaws. He chomped down on the other Wolf’s foreleg with a wild shake of his head. Namjoon yelped in surprise, turning to try and snap his jaws at Taehyung’s face. 

Taehyung fought to keep his hold, twisting and turning to keep his neck far from Namjoon’s teeth. It was his turn to yelp when Namjoon crunched down on jowls near his ear. The motion caused him to bite harder through the foreleg in his mouth. There was a satisfying snap before they both gave each other a wide berth of space.

There was blood oozing down the side of his face from the tip of a missing ear. They circled each other, haphazard and bloody; saliva dripping and fangs bared.

“I don’t want to kill you,” Taeyhung bellowed, “do you not remember?! If we are what’s truly left, why are we doing this?” 

“Of course I remember!” Namjoon snarled as he tried to bear weight on his front leg. “You think I’ve lived as long as I have, not to remember the war?” His frame swelled with a raise of his head. “We are devourers, Taehyung. We consume - we feast. It is our right!” 

“We don’t have to consume everything! That’s why we fought! We must leave something behind, Namjoon!” Taehyung’s eyes shifted between the other Wolf’ gaze and his leg. A wounded creature is an even bigger threat and Namjoon was already a threat enough. “Have you ever wondered why it is you hadn’t found your mate? Why any of us couldn’t find our mates?”

Namjoon clearly enjoyed being the top of the food chain. He was the sort of wolf who enjoyed the power, the rush and the thrill of the hunt. He, like many others, had given up on finding their other halves. So they relied on terrorizing those below them. Taehyung was sure that the older wolf had relied on his bloodlust for so long he didn’t think he could discern physical lust from bloodlust. 

“What does it matter, huh?! I’ve probably eaten them already!” There was something suddenly bitter in his tone. 

The scintilla of hope that Namjoon would see reason was gone in a flash. Namjoon lashed out in that small window of consideration. Taehyung’s howl ricocheted through the forest as teeth dug into his shoulder. He bit into the bottom of Namjoon’s jaw as he attempted to shake the leg from it’s socket. They were a mass of fur and snarls, each biting down with crushing pressure before needing to separate once more. 

Now both wolves limped with bloodied faces. Taehyung forced weight on his sore leg with a vigorous shake of his head. Namjoon’s tongue flicked along the partly-mauled portion of his lower jaw. Taehyung charged him. The other reared up on his back legs, one clawed paw raised to slice him open. 

But Taehyung pulled a feint at the last minute as Namjoon swiped at him. By the time Namjoon realized his error, Taehyung managed a clean swipe of claws across his stomach. The searing pain caused the other Wolf to put a greater distance between them. The grievous wound knocked Namjoon out of his shift. 

Naked, bleeding and clutching his side. The wolf could not continue. Namjoon’s growl, even in the form of man, was startling. Taehyung watched him warily, a chuff of air pushed through his nose. “I’m not going to kill you, Namjoon,” Taehyung growled in warning, “not now. But if you ever appear in front of her again?” 

He watched Namjoon spit a gob of red from the corner of his mouth. He could swear he saw the opaque hint of bone beneath the other Wolf’s hand. Taehyung didn’t pity the other Wolf for one moment.  But he waited to see if his hand would be forced.

“Don’t worry, Young One,” Namjoon smirked, “we’ll see each other again soon enough.”

Taehyung watched Namjoon turn, shift, and loped off into the distance. He turned to view the destruction of the small cabin. He shifted anxiously before moving toward the path that Aithne ran with Red. He would just have to apologize to Cardia later. 

There was an agonizing few minutes more he waited before sprinting down the path. Full strides as he ate the ground beneath his paws. The trip home seemed quicker than the initial trip into the wylds. One thought, one person, consumed his mind as he crossed out of the land of Fae. He didn’t pay attention to the change in the sky. The change in the weight of the very air. 

He bypassed the village in the dead of night. His forest home seemed to welcome him. For a moment he pondered the change in the forest atmosphere. But there was a scent that filled his nostrils and drove him forward. He could smell home as the forest grew thick and tall around him. The village, and its residents, were far behind him; the song of night and stars so familiar to him.

Taehyung felt his muscles burn as he closed in on his house. He skid to a stop at the vision in front of him. Red, with Aithne, sniffling while wringing knots into that crimson cloak. They turned to see the Wolf as he began to limp. The pain of nonstop travel, the wounds of battle, all came crashing down on him. He shifted, naked, just feet from them; his hand stretched outward. “R-Red.” 

“Taehyung!” Red and Aithne cried his name in unison. 

It was so good to hear her voice. Did she know he loved her? How long had it been since he told her? One step, two, maybe three steps before he tried to speak. He wanted to tell her everything inside of him. It seemed like the world was moving in slow motion. 

Taehyung was so very tired and Red’s voice was like a dream. Everything started to grow black when she laced her fingers through his. 

The world fell in a raw tilt and his body stopped abruptly, as if some force were holding him up. Red’s scent filled his nostrils, pulling him from the dream-like haze his body was attempting to place him in. His mind grew a little less foggy as Red’s sobs seemed to shred through the muffled noises of the forest in his ears.

“I love you!” she sobbed, wrapping her arms around every part of him she could reach. “I love you so much, Taehyung!” 

Red carded her fingers through his hair and he leaned into her touch despite gravity forcing them to the ground. His own arms weakly encircled her waist as she continued to cling onto  him in what he could assume was desperation. 

“R-Red, I--”

“I never told you I loved you when I left that morning. That was the biggest regret I’ve had in my entire life.” He felt her pull back, causing him to lift his face up to peer at hers. Her brown cheeks were streaked with the trails of her tears. “And so, to make up for that mistake, I will tell you I love you until there is no longer breath in my body to do so.” Red leaned forward and he felt her lips brushing against his forehead. “I love you, Taehyung. So very much.”

“I love you. I always have.” His fingers slid through her hair as she brushed her lips against his skin. “Red? Did you know that wolves mate for life?” Taehyung thumbed away the streaks on her face. “Our meeting wasn't a coincidence. It was providence.” 

He pressed his lips against the flutter of her eyelids. “Red, you are my mate. You are my fated, my chosen. You are mine, as I am yours.” Even as his body screamed for rest and sustenance, her proclamation sent fire through his blood. “Will you really be mine? Can I have you as I have always desired?” His gums burned with the sudden glint of fags. 

“Yes. Yes! Taehyung, make me yours.” 

She pulled him down again, fingers carding through his hair. She could feel the warmth of his breath against the column of her neck. He licked a path from her shoulder to ear. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he set his teeth into her shoulder.

There was a tense moment where the world seemed to go silent. As if the world gave them solatium for all they had suffered. For the years of secrecy, as if this moment was truly for them. Red pulled Taehyung tighter against her body, her legs sliding against his hips. She turned her head to the side to give him better access, to yield to him. 

Taehyung bit down into her shoulder, fingers digging into the meat of her thighs as he pulled her legs around his waist. He felt Red shudder at what he assumed was the fire racing through her veins. They clung to each other, skin aflame, burning together in the eternal vow of the wolf’s claim to his mate. He was so hard suddenly and it hurt, his hips undulating against the thin barrier of her undergarments.

Red’s eyes rolled around as he clawed at his back. He couldn’t decide whether to let her run or arch further into her body. Her heart beat erratically, skin clammy as she reached between their bodies. Taehyung shuddered as she got one hand around the throbbing width of his cock. “Tae. Please.” 

He ran his tongue across the bite mark, sending her into convulsions. Red’s grip on him tightened and he shook from head to toe. He could swear every vein in his body protruded at the moment. He growled, moving back slightly to tear the wispy fabric from her body.  She held up her other hand, jamming her fingers into his mouth. There was a lewd sound as his tongue swirled around and between those digits. 

“Good boy,” she crooned. 

Red took those wet fingers and reached down to part her folds, while the other hand lined him up. Taehyung’s mind went blank as she pulled him forward. He clawed into the ground, mouth open in something between agony and ecstasy at the slow pace that her body consumed him. He was burning for her in that half way point of the mating ceremony.  “Red, love, please...I-I can’t..” 

“You can, and you will,” she hissed. 

He heard her make a sound of wonderment. It wasn’t her imagination. He was somehow bigger than she remembered. She controlled the meshing of their bodies with fine precision. Red was wet enough that the pool of slick against her thighs made the task easier. 

Taehyung was enraptured watching her play his body like a symphony. They echoed their pleasure once he was inside of her to the hilt. He could feel her pulsing around him. A flutter of motion whirled through hun as she undulated her hips in torturously slow circles. Those slow circles grew shallow as she pulled against the length of his cock. Letting that throbbing fat head pull against that spongy spot inside of her. The one that made her toes curl, the one that had him gasping for breath and sanity. 

The squelching noises seemed to echo in the deep silence around them. Red had her hands on his shoulders. He remained absolutely still, letting her take what was hers. His mouth fell open with a quake of his thighs. He could feel that sensation, could see that glassy far away look in her eyes. A hitch in her breathing, the slight intake of air through pursed lips - the faint whisper of his name. The beast inside of him demanded its due. 

“Taehyung!” Red’s lower half began to shake uncontrollably as the orgasm threatened to explode out of her body. He pulled out completely dragging the head of his cock against that secret spot. She dug her fingers into his biceps as he pulled her lower half up to his mouth. He sealed her doom with the flick of his tongue on that slick covered bundle of nerves. 

He swore his life flashed before his eyes as she came. Tears slid down the corner of her eyes as he feasted, tongue sliding between the folds of her pussy. Making sure that every single drop went nowhere but down his throat. She grabbed her breasts as her body went rigid with pleasure. 

He was a fool to not have claimed her earlier. But he wouldn’t suffer that mistake again. Taehyung lowered her body, lining himself up with that vibrating hole again. He pulled her against his cock, and it was so easy. “Look at you, love. You can take me so well now,” hee spoke in a growl as he continued to pull her against him. 

Red’s moans grew in crescendo as he continued those deep paced thrusts. “That’s right, made for me. Just for me. Only for me.” The thought of claiming her had kept him depleted at night when she wasn’t around. He had planned it all out at one point. Where he would do it, how long he would spend making love to her after it. 

There would be time for that, soon. But for now? He pulled her up so she settled into his lap. “You have to finish it, Red.” His breath began to hitch, he was already running on fumes. He tilted his head to the side. “I-I won’t last much longer. Finish it.” Those golden eyes focused on her. “Make me yours.” 

He pulled her harder, faster, until she dug more half-moon indentations into his shoulder. He could sense she felt the itch in her gums, pulling her gaze to the length of his neck. To that part of the shoulder just above his clavicle. Her body bounced, nipples erect and sliding against his skin, as she leaned forward. 

“Red, please, can’t hold it.” Taehyung sounded desperate as his fingers dug into the flesh of her ass. Lewd squelching noises, their combined moans, the world was just for them. Red opened her mouth and bit down hard on his shoulder. 

The sound that left Taehyung was triumphant. He clung to her in fierce desperation as he exploded inside of her. She tumbled off a third orgasm, clinging to him just the same. He couldn’t understand the reason for the tears filling his eyes. She ran her tongue across the bite and he felt it. The tingling sensation of completion that had him ready to hold her down again. He fell to the side, bracing her with an outstretched arm. 

Suddenly, the night seemed alive with sound. Taehyung looked at the woman in his arms. She smiled for him and then everything went dark.

Sweat dripped from Yoongi’s chin as he continued to slave away in front of the furnace. His arm pumped the large bellow up and down as he focused on forging something in the orange and red flames. It was the one thing he knew would keep his mind from drowning in the dark thoughts that continued to plague him since his sister left to travel through the Fae Wylds. It was the only act that kept him rooted to the spot as he sent his niece away to chase after her mother. 

Forging iron kept him from taking up the sword to assist Taehyung in the conflict that he knew awaited the wolf on the other side. The Wylds were not kind. Not anymore. Because he was aware of the pact Cardia was planning to make with the forest. She was intent on rousing the wylds to be her protector and now the woods would be perilous with the hunger for blood and meat; a tribute that no longer was required for centuries.

It would take a long time for the Wylds to fall back into a peaceful slumber. A very long time.

Orange sparks flew in various directions as his hammer fell on the hot iron resting on the anvil. The loud clang of the hammer melded with Yoongi’s grunts with each strike. He was almost lost to the melody and rhythm of his swings until the distinct rustling of grass and snapping of twigs pulled him from the raucous orchestra he was creating. A loud hiss issued as he set the slab of iron into a nearby pool of water, the steam rising in waves and washing over his shoulders and back.

Gripping onto the hammer, he waited for the person to reveal themselves. When they did, Yoongi dropped it immediately and all but ran to their side.

“Cardia!” 

His sister flashed him a weak smile before stumbling against him. He felt her grip tighten as she curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt. Yoongi tucked a few stray hairs from her face and behind her ear, framing her cheeks in his hands as he lifted her chin a measure so he could look into her eyes. The weariness was clear in her eyes and while there were no physical injuries on her person, it was clear that she’d been roughed up a bit and haphazardly patched together before being sent home.

“So,” he began, his tone as soft as he could manage so as to mask his mounting anger, “how did it go?”

“They said that you could return if you wished.” Cardia smiled, tears leaking from her eyes just seconds before she closed them. “You’re welcome at one of the other courts. You don’t have to go back to the Summer Court and your powers would be given back to you.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes, letting out a scoff. “I’d never dare dream of it.” He carded his fingers through her hair. “Besides, I’ve lived the last few decades on this side of the Veil. I’m content to stay.”

“B-Brother,” Cardia stammered out, her eyes widening a measure, “does that mean that…?”

“Of course. Someone has to stay and make sure you’re taken care of.” Reaching down, he grasped her hand in his own and began to pull her toward the house. “Especially if we wind up adding another member to this household who may need a bit of acclimating to village life.”

His sister laughed, nodding her head as they entered the house. “Yes, you’re right.” 

Indeed, it was going to get a little bit more crowded and louder in the home. But it would be filled with the noise of laughter. As a home should.

Red focused all of her energy on tending to Taehyung’s injuries. The last of the bandages were wrapped around his biceps and wrists. Thankfully, his head wound healed the fastest and was no longer weeping blood. It would take a little time for the rest of his injuries to heal, but she had faith that there would no longer be any other form of conflict to enter their lives for a very long time. 

It was her eternal wish for the future she longed for with the wolf.

Taehyung’s calloused fingers rested over her knuckles, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him, seeing the confusion settle over his brows and she smiled. But she didn’t know what words to speak so she abstained from speaking altogether.

“Does something trouble you, Love?”

Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and took comfort in the warmth and security his arms brought her each and every time. Had she taken these arms for granted for so long? She would not make the same mistake again in this lifetime.

“Not at all.” Red pulled away from him a measure, resting a hand against his cheek. “But we should probably get going.”

Taehyung canted his head slightly, his bewilderment remaining etched on his features. “Where are we going?”

She smiled. “Home.”

It wasn’t hard for Red to understand why he was lost. But it was past time for Taehyung to make his home in a place that wasn’t temporary. Wolves often roamed because they didn’t have a pack. They continued to wander until that sense of community was forged. Then they could serve as the protectors of that realm, of that community, and would no longer seek out a purpose for their existence. 

Red realized, now, that the reason Taehyung always wanted to leave and wanted to leave with her was because he felt like he belonged with her. He yearned for that feeling of belonging. Now Red knew the means in which to give him that purpose and it wouldn’t just involve her.

“Let’s go back to the village, Taehyung.” Clasping his fingers in her own, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Let’s go home.”

Just as Taehyung’s lips parted, Aithne appeared in the windowsill and meowed in their direction. “Are you two ready to go?” The cait-sidhe gave the two of them a knowing feline grin. “Your family is waiting for you.”

Red lifted Taehyung out of the chair and laughed, a sound she hadn’t heard coming from herself in what felt like a very long time. There was a content expression now painted over Taehyung’s face just before he pulled her into his arms. 

“Yes, you’re right,” he whispered into her ear, “let’s go home. Together.”

Now it was time for them to truly start living their lives. They would have their own adventures. They would always be together from that moment forward.

Because that would be their happily ever after.

F I N