"Step forward please, both of you." Elder Hae-Seong says.
He gentle takes Taehyung's hand raising it across from Jungkook and ask him to hold it at chest level and turns and does the same with Jungkook. Then with a swift motion he connects them with a blue thread. Jungkook looks across him to meet Taehyung's eyes. He links their minds and reassures Taehyung that everything will be fine. Taehyung's breathes are shaky and uneven since the returned to the small cabin.
"I need both of you to focus on each other and only each other. Don't think about your fears or worries, nothing that is outside of this moment. Your minds must be clear." The Elder said.
Jungkook was still connected telepathically to Taehyung speaking to him softly trying to calm him.
"Tae. Remember focus on just me. Everything else outside of us right now does not exist. Just look at me, only me." Jungkook repeated those words until Taehyung finally relaxed.
"Step closer and take each other's hands." The Elder said motioning with his hands. "Breathe slowly. You will feel a rush of energy right away, but do not let go of your connection. The energy you will share is powerful, and you need to withstand any discomfort as much as possible until enough energy is transferred to Taehyung. Are you ready?" The Elder asks.
Taehyung and Jungkook both nod and the Elder steps closer them. He closes his eyes and begins speaking, repeating the same phrase over and over again in a language that Jungkook doesn't recognize. Jungkook tries to focus all his thoughts on Taehyung and he can feel a small shock between them. Almost like static electricity that shocked against their hands. It surprised him but was not painful. As the Elder continues his chanting the feeling grew, and it felt warm along Jungkook's arms and his whole body felt weightless. He felt a tingling sensation run up the side of his neck and cover his whole body, and then a surge pulling at him in waves. He opened his eyes to meet Taehyung's, but Taehyung still had his eyes closed and the sight of him left Jungkook breathless.
Like what he had seen at the bonding ceremony, Taehyung was glowing. Only a light glow surrounded him at first, but the longer they held onto each other the more the glow surrounding Taehyung grew brighter. Soon the energy between them felt like electricity and traveled between them over and over. Jungkook felt no pain, just warmth and surrounding him. Taehyung now looked as if he was made of pure light, and the radiance he displayed was too bright to look at. He started to rise from the floor and a intense wave surrounded him and his grip on Jungkook was lost connecting them only by the string tied to their wrists. One more blinding burst of light came from Taehyung shooting in every direction before disappearing and leaving Taehyung weak. As his feet touched the floor again, he collapsed into Jungkook's arms.
"Tae? Are you ok?" Jungkook said panicking holding Taehyung in his arms. "What happened? Is he ok? Why is he not waking up?"
"His body has gone through an intense experience, and he does not have the ability of rapid healing like you Jungkook. He will need time to heal from the energy transfer, but I promise you he will be fine in a few hours. Take him to your rental and let him rest for now, once he awakens, we will know if we have succeeded." The Elder says calmly.
Jungkook carried Taehyung into their room at the rental house as soon as they returned and laid him down on the bed gently. He gently removed Taehyung's shoes and covered him with the blanket. He looked down at Taehyung feeling his protective instincts going into overdrive. He wanted to hear Taehyung's voice to be sure he was ok, but he continued to lay there unconscious. Jungkook sat on the floor next to the bed with his knees pulled to his chest holding on to Taehyung's hand. He stroked the top of Taehyung's hand softly with his thumb, feeling his soft skin under his touch. Jungkook laid his head against the bed lifting his eyes and kept them fixed on Taehyung. He examined every feature of his sleeping face; he really was beautiful.
Jungkook was exhausted himself, but he didn't want to sleep. He couldn't, not until he knew Taehyung was ok. So, for hours he sat on the ground holding Taehyung's hand, not leaving for less than a few minutes. The Elder came in and checked on Taehyung every couple of hours, but still there had been no change. Taehyung was lying so still that the only indication that he was still alive were soft shallow breathes that left his mouth, and the warmth Jungkook felt in his hand. The hours went on as Jungkook sat and watched Taehyung and waiting for him to wake. It wasn't until the morning sunlight had been high in the sky for a couple of hours that Taehyung let out a groan and started moving.
Jungkook stood instantly. "Tae?"
"Jungkook? What happened?" Taehyung asked trying to sit up.
"You were weak after the energy transfer and collapsed. You have been asleep for 12 hours.��� Jungkook told him, helping him sit up.
"Oh. So, did it work?" Taehyung asked.
"You tell me!" Jungkook said with a smile.
Taehyung closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his mind and focus on his power. He opened his eyes and they had changed into a golden color and he focused his thoughts on Jungkook. Jungkook's gaze was trapped by the sight of Taehyung's golden irises, he felt like he was in a trance. Before he knew what he was doing he was kissing Taehyung, and pulled back surprised.
"what?" Jungkook said not sure what happened.
"I wanted you to kiss me, and I made you." Taehyung said with a smile.
Jungkook laughed and picked Taehyung up in a tight hug. "I am so glad you are ok Tae!" He said relieved.
"I'm fine. Better than fine!" Taehyung said burring his face into Jungkook's neck.
They went back to visit Elder Hae-Seong again later that day, so he could see how Taehyung was recovering.
"I feel fine, but I am worried about one thing. What about my other injections? Won't my powers just be suppressed again?" Taehyung asked.
"When we did the ritual, I added a counter measure. Your body will reject the suppressant and allow it to simply leave your system a few hours after the injection. No one will know that your powers have retuned if you are careful." The Elder explained.
"What about his eyes? They change colors when he uses his powers, that won't go unnoticed." Jungkook said.
"You may have to make use of some colored contact lenses when you plan on using your powers while in council chambers. You will need to train hard Taehyung, so you can influence someone without them realizing it. You don't want to go too far and lose control. You are very powerful and you need to be careful. You need to find something to anchor yourself to, a thought that will keep you grounded. As long as you focus on your anchor, you will stay in control." The Elder advised.
"I will continue to help train you as well Taehyung as part of our lessons." Elder Jun-Ha added.
While they discussed the plans for how Taehyung was going to use his powers to get information, Jungkook stood from his seat next to Taehyung and looked toward the window. No one noticed him at first but he slowly started moving toward the door and caught Taehyung's attention.
"Jungkookie what is it?" Taehyung asks.
"Someone is coming." Jungkook said with a serious look. "An alpha."
Taehyung was a little confused but remained behind Jungkook as the walked toward the door opening it.
"Stay here all of you." Jungkook said.
He stepped out into the cold, and waited for the one whose sent he had picked up showed themselves. From the tree line came a wolf, a deep grey wolf with a white patch around one eye. Jungkook knew who it was as soon as he saw him walking out from the trees.
"Yoongi." He said turning to Taehyung.
Taehyung sighed in relief knowing who the visitor was, but why was Yoongi here? How did he know where they were?
Jungkook walked toward Yoongi and reached out his hand lowering his head, so that Yoongi knew he was not a threat. Although the man and wolf work together, basic instincts kick in when a werewolf takes on wolf form. Sensing another male alpha can come off as a threat, so Jungkook showed a submissive gesture to keep Yoongi from viewing him as a threat. This allowed Yoongi to relax and transform into his human form again, and Taehyung ran out with a blanket to cover himself with.
"Yoongi, what are you doing here?" Jungkook asks with a deep serious tone.
"Something has happened." Yoongi answered.
Jungkook felt his throat tighten as anxiety filled him, he was sensing anxiety from Yoongi and it was overwhelming. Something very bad must have happened for Yoongi to be in this state. Jungkook lead Yoongi inside and closed the door behind them.
They placed a chair close to the fire and offered Yoongi a cup of hot tea to warm himself.
"Yoongi-hyung what happened? Why did you run all the way here in wolf form?" Taehyung asked. "Is Jimin ok?"
Yoongi's eyes grew at the sound of Jimin's name, and his chest grew tight. His voice came out weak and shaking.
"J-jimin is gone." He says, his voice cracking.
Jungkook turns to Taehyung to see him drop to the couch in shock and sadness. Jungkook rushes to sit beside him and wrapped his arms around him.
"What do you mean he is gone?" Jungkook asks.
"Some one had called him asking him to report to the Council Chambers, and he left soon after the call. He didn't come back; it's been two days." Yoongi choked out.
"Did he say what they wanted from him?" Jungkook asked.
Yoongi shook his head. "He didn't tell me, he just told me he had to go and would be back in a few hours. But he didn't come back. I called him many times and his phone was turned off, so I went there to find him. The person I talked to said he was never there. They claimed no one there had seen him. Me and the rest of the pack have been searching for him since then, but we have not found anything. It's like he disappeared into thin air. I didn't know what else to do, so I came looking for you guys. I followed Jungkook's scent here. I need help." Yoongi said defeated.
Jungkook nodded and agreed to help.
"Jungkook…" Taehyung said softly and paused. "Two days ago. That's when me and Elder came here."
Jungkook looked to the Elder with a serious look. "Someone waited for you both to leave before calling Jimin and then he goes missing. That can't be a coincidence." Jungkook says with a sigh.
"Do think someone knows we are looking into things involving the council?" Taehyung asks.
"How could they? We were the only ones who knew." The Elder replied.
"What do you mean?" Asked Yoongi.
Taehyung remembered then that they had not spoke to Yoongi and Jimin about their plans yet, or about what they suspected.
"Yoongi-hyung, there are some things we should tell you." Jungkook said calmly.
Yoongi looked around at the other in the room feeling like the only one who had no idea what was going on.
"Yoongi-hyung there are a few things we should talk about." Jungkook said.
He started telling Yoongi everything, and with both elders present they were able t explain everything the council had done. Yoongi was in shock, and angry. He had always fought for the freedom of all creatures, and to know the council had been using their power to manipulate the system made him beyond angry.
"So this plan you all are talking about, what exactly is it?" Yoongi asks ready to spring into action and take down the whole system.
"We had planned to take things slow and gather information first. Try and to figure out the bigger picture before storming the castle, but it seems like that may not be an option anymore. It looks our timetable has been shortened, so we need to figure out what we can do right now." Jungkook admitted.
"So what do we do? Everyone Yoongi spoke to at the council chambers says they hadn't seen Jimin there." Taehyung said.
"Yes, but it is probably because they have manipulated in some way." The Elder chimed in. "You are right, he couldn't have just disappeared into thin air. Someone had to have seen him."
"So how do we find out what they know, if they have undergone mental manipulation, Taehyung you should be able to break through." Elder Hae-Seong said after staying quiet for some time.
"How? I am not like my mother; I can't manipulate their minds and make them remember what they were forced to forget." Taehyung said frustrated.
"In a way you can. The mind is a complex thing. If the person who made them forget is inexperienced, they may have only suppressed the memories and not erased them. If that is the case, the memories still exist, we just have to find a way to make them remember." Elder Hae-Seong explained.
"What could trigger them to remember?" Yoongi asks.
"Fear. Fear is one of the most basic emotions, and it can drop any walls in a person's mind as their instincts tell them into the state of fight or flight. If we can trigger this, Taehyung can reach into their mind and push them to access their memories." Elder Hae-Seong said.
Taehyung looked at him like he just grew three heads. "That sounds impossible. I have barely learned to use my abilities and you want me to map some one's mind and help them access a specific memory? I can't! I wouldn't even know how to." Taehyung said defensively.
"I can walk you through it, but if you can not control your own fear you will not be able to keep your thoughts focused and controlled. It will make it difficult to use your powers if you are afraid. You need to relax your mind, and believe in what you can do" Elder Hae-Seong said firmly.
"Tae, this is Jimin we are talking about. Now me and Yoongi can try tracking him again, but if an entire pack has not been able to find him one more wolf will make little difference. He needs you!" Jungkook said rubbing Taehyung's back trying to keep him calm.
"What if I lose control and hurt someone?" Taehyung asks almost in tears. "Jimin would not want me to hurt someone to find him."
"Maybe not, but he also has a ton of faith in you and trusts you more than anyone. He would tell you the same thing we are telling you. You can do this, focus on Jimin. Focus on only him and finding him, let that be your anchor." Jungkook coached.
Taehyung took in a deep breathe and tried to relax. He closed his eyes tight trying to control his breathing and imagine Jimin in his mind, a memory of him. Anything that he can focus on and hold on to. He takes another breathe in and releases it and does this several times. He feels his body relax and his mind clear, and in his mind is his first memory of Jimin when they had first met. This person who would become the closest friend in his life, the one who helped him through all the hard times growing up, who always had his back no matter what. When the memory was clear in his mind, he felt it, the power spreading through ever cell of his body and everything faded away. It was quiet and he opened his eyes, and his eyes burned with a golden glow.
"Let's go." He said with a commanding voice.
The others stood and followed him to the door.
"Jungkook we can run ahead and meet with the pack. You remember what is showed you? Do you think you can shift?" Yoongi asks.
"I can do it." Jungkook says tuning to Taehyung giving him a quick look.
Taehyung had not seen Jungkook in wolf form before and watched in amazement as the man he loved quickly shifted into a large wolf. It took his breathe away to see Jungkook in wolf form. He was bigger than Yoongi with fur as dark as night, he was beautiful. Taehyung watched as Jungkook and Yoongi ran into the trees and turned to the car near by and climbed inside.
Jungkook had only shifted a handful of times before and had never stayed in his wolf form for long. Growing up he was taught that shifting into wolf form was no longer needed since there was no need for his kind to protect a pack. As he later discovered, the suppressants in his body would not have allowed him to shift anyway. It wasn't until he had bonded with Taehyung and the energy from them had pushed his body to fight the suppressants and release him. When during one of his training sessions he had worked himself to the point his heart was racing, that day he shifted for the first time.
Yoongi later trained him to control the shift, but he had not needed to shift not until today. Because in wolf form they were one of the fastest creatures on earth. He had never run at this speed before, and he let out a howl of excitement as he picked up speed leaving Yoongi to catch up. In a little over an hour they had made I back to the city and stood on a hill looking over Yoongi's pack. Yoongi finally caught up and stood beside Jungkook as they raised their heads howling in unison. Their howl could be heard from miles around and it caused the others of the pack to shift instantly and howled in response to the two alphas.
They had their army, and now it was time to strike fear into the council. To let them know that someone was ready to fight back.