Chapter Text
"Now, behave like the bitch you are." The human spits at Jimin.
The cat hybrid lies on the cold concrete floor after being beaten by the guard. He grimaces as he clutches his side; his ribs feel bruised, hell, they may even be broken. His breathing is ragged as the man leaves, but once he's gone, Jimin pulls himself together and stands.
The human had not taken kindly to the news of Jimin's latest breeding, or rather, the lack thereof, but that doesn't matter now. The day was coming to an end, and that meant it was almost time for the transition of guards. The hallways would be near empty for just a few crucial moments.
Jimin looks over to the dirty mattress in the corner of the dark room. Taehyung is asleep, breathing shallowly as he battles a nameless illness.
Taehyung is his cellmate, but at this point, it would be easier to describe their relationship as a bonded pair. They have been through too much together to be anything else. They've held each other after breedings, cleaned each other's wounds after beatings, and soothed each other after their pups were taken. Taehyung is everything to Jimin, and watching the omega deteriorate before his eyes with sickness is agonizing.
They weren't even sure what was wrong with him. The severity of the illness was unknown, but it kept getting worse day by day, and the guards refused to get the outside medical attention Taehyung so desperately needed. But that only fueled Jimin's determination to get him out of this place as soon as possible.
That, and the pup that would arrive any day now.
Jimin goes to the sleeping tiger hybrid, trying to be quiet so he doesn't alert any of the guards, "Tae, Taehyungie, wake up." He whispers as he shakes his friend gently, careful of his round belly.
Taehyung lifts his head slightly and squints, "Jimin?" He asks before he's cut off with a cough.
"Tae, we're getting out of here. Now. We have to go. Can you stand?" He whispers with urgency, knowing the window of time they have is rapidly closing.
Taehyung groans as he tries to stand, his round stomach getting in the way, "I- I think so. But why now? You've always been so against trying."
Jimin takes his friend by the arm and helps him stand, "Come on, hold onto me. Gotta get going now."
"Wait, wait!" Taehyung pulls away from him, confused, "Jimin, what's going on? Why now?"
"Because I'm not losing you to some preventable illness, Taehyung!" Jimin had lost people before. His mother, his baby brother, his first cellmate. He couldn't take another. Couldn't take losing Taehyung, too.
Taehyung takes a deep, gravelly breath before finally nodding, "Ok. Ok, let's go."
Jimin maneuvers Taehyung so his arm is wrapped around his shoulders, "Come on, this way."
Taehyung whines softly and lets the smaller man all but drag him out of the dirty room. Jimin can't help but send a quiet thank you to the universe that there aren't any humans in the hallways yet.
The younger hybrid whispers loudly, "Jimin, where are we going? Do you even know your way around this place?"
Jimin keeps looking forward, all of his senses on high alert. "Been here for almost a decade, Tae. You're just gonna have to trust me when I say I'll figure it out."
They round a corner, and Jimin spots a guard. He rushes them both back and finds a dark corner to squeeze into. He puts a finger to his lips, instructing Taehyung to stay quiet, which the tiger hybrid nods in response to.
They stay there for what feels like several hellish hours, but could only have been a few minutes. The footsteps grow louder and louder, and eventually, the guard is in sight. Jimin holds his breath as he begs the universe to keep them hidden.
The guard simply walks right past them, not noticing the hybrids.
When he is out of sight and the coast is clear again, they continue on their path to freedom.
"What if they catch us?" Taehyung keeps his free hand on his belly as he whispers.
Jimin scoffs quietly, "What could they do that's worse than what they've already done, Tae? Kill us? That would be mercy at this point. Rather be dead than force bred and give birth to another pup that's just gonna be ripped away from me." He says the last bit with anger, but Taehyung knows the amount of pain hidden beneath it.
They keep walking along the poorly illuminated hallway as Jimin huffs, "Besides, you're pregnant; they won't kill you. Even after you give birth, you'll be fine. You've never given them any real problems, and you can still breed. I'll take the fall. I haven't taken to breeding the last three times. They're probably planning to dispose of me soon anyway."
Taehyung shakes his head, trying to hold back a cough, "N- No-" he chokes out, "No, I could be on death's door as it is, been sick for weeks. Let me take the blame. Say I forced you to come along. I don't care; you aren't dying for me."
Jimin shakes his head but doesn't argue. He knew what he would do in the end. He would do anything for Taehyung, for his friend.
Jimin nods to a door that says fire exit, "Come on, we can go down that way."
"Won't it cause an alarm to go off?"
Jimin shrugs, "Who knows if the alarm is still active? Besides, it's our only option. Maybe the diversion will help us."
Taehyung nods before Jimin pushes through the door. As soon as it opens, a blaring high-pitched alarm begins ringing through the air, but they can't focus on the noise. Instead, they start down the countless metal stairs, attacked by the cold and brittle night wind.
They're two flights of stairs down when a voice from above shouts, "HEY!"
Jimin looks up and sees one of the humans only a few levels above them. He recognizes him as one of the men from the countless beatings. He looks back at Taehyung, "Come on, we gotta move faster."
The voice shouts again, "Stop! We see you, STOP!"
Jimin's heart hammers against his chest. His bare feet burn against the cold metal, and his teeth chatter, but he has to get Taehyung out. Get him to some kind of safety.
They are down another two flights of stairs when suddenly a bullet whizzes past them, grazing Jimin's arm. His adrenaline barely lets him process it as he starts pushing Taehyung forward, trying to shield him from the gunfire.
When they are only one level from the ground, the stairs end. Jimin only has a second to think as he can hear that more people have joined in the chase.
He hears yelling from above, "Don't shoot the pregnant one!"
"Get them! The boss will be mad!"
"Shoot!"
He looks at Taehyung, knowing their lead will only last so much longer if they don't act now, "I'm going to jump and then help you down, ok? Sit on the stairs and scooch yourself off. Just be careful."
Taehyung nods and is already getting down on the edge of the metal landing. Jimin looks below and takes a breath before jumping.
He lets out a yelp as he lands on his ankle wrong. His brain prevents him from hearing the popping sound, a noise that would surely make him sick. He looks up at Taehyung and tries to hold himself steady, arms reaching up as his ankle throbs.
Taehyung scoots off the edge of the landing, and Jimin is able to grab him somewhat to cushion his fall. Taehyung looks at him, "Can you still run?"
Another bullet is shot, followed closely by a third and fourth. "Doesn't matter, just have to do it. Come on."
He takes the hybrid's hand, and they begin running. Each step brings the older hybrid more mind-numbing pain. They can hear several more bullets fly past them. One suddenly goes through the white cat ear on Jimin’s head. He hisses as his hand flies to his ear. When he brings his hand down, it’s covered in fresh blood. But he can't focus on it for long as they leave the deteriorating building and run into the neon lights of the city.
Although the bullets begin to lessen, the new territory doesn't necessarily bring safety. The city is dangerous, especially for hybrids. Jimin is hit with memories of the last time he was in this city. Young, alone, and frightened, a human cornered and kidnapped him.
He shakes his head; that doesn't matter now. The city would offer some kind of hideaway from the humans they were running from. Some kind of protection. It's all they had.
They run as fast as they can, cutting down alleyways and turning corners, but it’s not enough. They are in a secluded part of the city when Jimin feels Taehyung being tugged back away from him. He looks behind him and sees one of the men grabbing Taehyung's arm.
The young omega sobs out, "Jimin! Just go! Get out of here!"
Jimin shakes his head. He could never leave his friend. He looks around to find something, anything, that could aid him in getting the man away from Taehyung. Finally, he looks down at his hands. His claws were long and scraggly from improper care. It's the only thing he could think to do. He lunges forward and claws at the man's face. The human shouts, and his grasp on Taehyung fails.
Jimin tackles him to the ground and claws at his face over and over, shredding his skin as hot tears flow from his eyes and rage boils within him. He looks over and sees a discarded piece of glass. He grabs it and drives it into the man's neck. The human stops moving, but Jimin doesn't. He pulls the shard of glass out and drives it back in over and over and over again. His breathing is as ragged and unsteady as his heartbeat.
The only thing that snaps Jimin out of his rage is a deep, low groan. He looks behind him and sees Taehyung's hand on his stomach and a puddle at his feet. Taehyung looks at Jimin, panicked, "Jimin, I- I think-"
Jimin stands and takes Taehyung's hand in his bloody one. They couldn't be out in the open like this. Surely, someone has seen them and already called the authorities, or worse, a lab.
"Let's go over here," Jimin nods his head in the direction of a dark alley, "Can't go to the hospital; they'll just send us to a lab. We need to hide, too. They're probably still looking for us."
Jimin could hear his blood rushing in his ears as he guided Taehyung to the dark alley. He takes his thin jacket off and lays it on the concrete before helping Taehyung down onto it. He gets between the omega's legs, "Ok, we've done this before, Tae. We know how this goes. We can do this." He speaks more to himself as he watches Taehyung grit his teeth in pain and push.
It's not even half an hour later when Jimin catches a new scent, one that is strong enough to penetrate the smell of Taehyung's birth. His head snaps away from his friend and down to the opening of the alley. He sees three figures standing there, illuminated by only the various streetlights.
Jimin gets in front of his friend, creating a barrier between the newcomers and Taehyung, "Get away!" He screams, voice shrill and panicked, "Leave!"
They step forward, and Jimin can smell at least one human, "We won't hurt you, please let u-"
"One more step, and- and I'll fucking kill you!" Jimin holds up the glass from before, clutching it with his two violently shaking hands.
Only one step forward this time. A man, by the sound of it, "Please, we're not gonna-"
Jimin shrieks as the man gets closer, "Get away! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!" He feels like a wild animal. Fear turns him feral as he struggles to breathe, to think, to move.
As the man gets closer, Jimin smells a strong scent of mint and blueberries laced with the undeniable twinge of omega. Once he can see his face, he notices the man has big, round eyes and soft pink lips, hair falling down just above his shoulders. But what catches Jimin’s attention the most are the long, floppy ears on either side of the man's head. "Please, I'm a hybrid too, let me help you."
Jimin falters for a moment, and he hears a groan from behind him. His head snaps back to Taehyung, and that's when the newcomer reaches into his pocket. Jimin doesn't see it coming, but he definitely feels it when a needle is driven into his neck and something is injected into him.
He looks forward and sees the omega with the big eyes looking at him sadly, "I- I'm so sooorrrr-"
Darkness
When Jimin wakes, he's in a room that smells of hay and whiskey with a twinge of ginger. It's nice, but the unmistakable notes of alpha make Jimin's skin crawl. He wishes he could stop breathing, the scent causing anxiety to run through his veins as instinctual alarm bells ring in his head. The memories that come from an alpha scent are smothering.
Jimin tries to force the memories away by looking around the room he is in. It wasn't very personalized, just the basics of a bedroom. A full-size bed, a dresser with a broken mirror to the side, and a desk with a wooden chair. It felt almost too sterile to be a bedroom, like it wasn't very lived in. Other than the scent, there was no evidence that the room was even used.
Jimin sighs as he stands on shaky legs. He looks down and realizes there's some sort of wrap on his foot. He looks at his hands, remembering the state they were in last. His claws have been trimmed and cleaned of any blood from the man he killed. He looks at his palms. There are fresh-looking scars, probably from the glass, but other than that, his hands are clear of all dirt. Granted, his hands are the only parts of him that are clean, but it's still odd seeing his skin without the grime of the puppy mill.
His eyebrows furrow as he thinks of how they got that way, but he can't focus on it for long. The memories of that night, of Taehyung, come flooding back to him, and panic rises in his throat.
He looks around the room for anything he could use to protect himself. Then he sees a pencil lying on the desk. He grabs it before walking to the door and trying the handle. He's shocked when it opens.
Jimin steps out of the room, and he can hear several voices coming from his right. He looks over and doesn't see anyone, so he starts towards the noise. He keeps the pencil gripped firmly in his fist, ready to use it at a moment's notice.
He peeks around the door frame and into what appears to be a large kitchen. The room was lit up with bright sunlight filtering in through a large window straight ahead on the opposite wall. In the center of the room, at the kitchen island, four men are talking amongst themselves.
His breathing picks up as he can catch the scent of two hybrids, one alpha, one omega, and two humans. Jimin looks at the table of men, unsure of what to do. Their scents are all mixed together, but the alpha scent stands out to him. It is unlike the one in the room he woke up in. It was warm, like an old book. It had hints of mint and blueberries. His eyes wander to a man with tanned skin and shaved black hair with what looks like bear ears on the top of his head. He can't help it as his eyes narrow at the alpha, hate filling his being.
Then notices a skinny man standing with his back to him, and he takes a deep breath before deciding to do something reckless.
In a quick move, Jimin runs over and wraps an arm around the man's body, pressing the sharpened end of the pencil to his neck as he looks at the rest of them with wild eyes, "What did you do with Taehyung?! Where is he?!"
The three men in the room all look at him with wide eyes before one of them, a human with thick lips, speaks calmly, "Let go of Hoba, and we'll tell you, ok? No need to hurt anyone, Jimin."
Jimin shakes his head, "No! Where is Taehyung?!" He doesn't move away from the man he's holding. He needs an answer. Needs to know where his friend is. Needs to know if he's even alive.
Before anyone can answer, Taehyung's scent fills the room, paired with a softer milky scent. He looks over and sees his friend with a small baby in his arms, bouncing softly on the balls of his feet, "Mimi, don't worry. I'm ok. We are ok."
Jimin’s eyes land on the baby in Taehyung's arms, and he immediately lets the man go, dropping the pencil to the floor. He rushes to Taehyung. His eyes go wide as his heart swells; he can't take his eyes off the baby. "I- It's beautiful, Tae. Such a pretty pup." He feels his eyes water. He can't remember the last time he saw a pup like this. In the arms of a loving omega and not being ripped away from a sobbing parent.
Taehyung looks up at Jimin, "Her name is Heran." Tears slowly fall from his eyes, "Isn't she just perfect, Mimi?"
Jimin nods as he gently reaches out to the baby, an audible cry leaving his lips as the little girl wraps her little hand around his finger, "Prettiest thing I've ever seen, Tae Tae. Sh- She's not-" He looks up at Taehyung, "She's not going anywhere, you hear me? She's yours. Not going to be taken like the others."
Taehyung nods as tears are falling down his cheeks more rapidly now, "Th- Thank you, Jimin, thank you so much." With a free arm, he grabs Jimin by the shoulder and hugs him tightly.
When he pulls away, Jimin opens his mouth to speak, but another voice fills the air, "Taehyung, you need to get back to bed. Rest more. You're still recovering."
Taehyung nods to the same plump-lipped human as before, "Can Jimin come with me?"
The man looks wary, "I don't know. Jimin, let me look at your wounds and make sure you're ok before you go."
Jimin narrows his eyes at the man, "And who exactly are you to tell me if I can go or not? I can go wherever the fuck I want now. You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do!" He had just escaped from a prison that decided everything about his life; he couldn't bear another second of not being in control.
"I'm Jin. I own this house along with Hoseok," Jin gestures to the man Jimin threatened with the pencil, "And we have been taking care of your wounds for four days now. I know it’s easier said than done, but I promise, you can trust us."
Jimin barks out a laugh, "Trust a human?! You all are the very reason we are in this mess!"
Jimin hears a sigh come from Taehyung, "Mimi, it's ok. They aren't going to hurt us. They've taken good care of me since we got here. Cleared my sickness right up. Good care of you, too. How do you think you got those wraps and bandages?" Taehyung presses his lips together for a moment before speaking again, "Why don't you take a shower and then let Jin check your wounds? After you can come to my room and we'll talk, ok?"
Jimin calms considerably at Taehyung's words, or maybe it's the soothing pheromones the omega is emitting. He takes a deep breath and nods, "I-I could take a shower. Haven't had one in a while," he laughs weakly.
Taehyung smiles, but it's riddled with sadness, "Yeah, go take a nice hot shower, my love. I'm sure Jin will be more than happy to show you to the bathroom."
Jin nods, "I can do that."
Jimin nods too, "Ok. Lead the way."
Jin leads Jimin to a decent-sized bathroom with a large bathtub.
"Wait here, and I'll grab you a change of clothes." Jin leaves the room, leaving Jimin alone.
The omega looks at the tub and sees several different shampoos and conditioners. Some for hybrids, others for humans. He looks around the bathroom, avoiding the mirror because he can't bear to know how he looks, not yet. He sits down on the closed toilet once he's had a look around. Everything felt so strange. So surreal. Just yesterday, he was in that cold, decaying building with no one but Taehyung.
Taehyung.
God, how far they've come. He still remembers when he first met the hybrid three years ago.
-three years prior-
Jimin was sitting on the old dingy mattress, hand on his swollen belly. His shirt didn't fit him properly, so his stomach was revealed. He was about eight months along if he kept up with the days correctly. He sighed as he traced shapes over his stretched skin.
"When you get out of here, you're gonna go to a big fancy house," Jimin whispered his wishes for the child he was growing, "Your family will be kind. The kindest, actually. You'll have a big brother or sister who will protect you from harm. You'll get your own bed and your own toys. Your new mama," Jimin choked up a bit but only sighed as his eyes watered, "Your new mama will read you stories and clean your ears and take care of your tail, if you have one, of course. Everything will be ok and you will-"
"Congratulations, mutt, you got a new roommate." One of the guards walked into the room holding a young tiger hybrid by the back of the shirt.
The hybrid was small and skinny. He had to be from the streets. A stray. Makes the most sense. The life of a hybrid not adopted by a family was lived one of three ways: be a stray, live in an overcrowded shelter, or get caught by a lab. Most, if not all of them, here in the puppy mill were strays. It's easier to kidnap someone who doesn't have anyone looking for them.
The hybrid had cuffs on his wrists, so when the human threw him down, he couldn't catch himself. He looked up at the man, face full of rage, "Fuck you!" He spat out, "Let me go, you fucker!"
The man leaned down to the hybrid's level and sneered, "If you try to run, I'll break both of your legs so bad you'll never walk again." He uncuffed the hybrid.
The hybrid gulped.
The guard straightened up with a smirk on his lips, "That's what I thought, fleabag." With that, the man left the room.
The hybrid scoffed as he got to his feet. He walked over to the door and was about to leave when Jimin stopped him.
"You know he's serious."
The hybrid turned around, a smirk of his own on his lips, "Don't worry, kitten. I've gotten out of situations worse than this. All I gotta do is get on my knees."
Jimin laughed, "Yeah, no. You haven't been in a worse situation than this. These guys don't give a shit about a blow. They'll come in here at any time of day and force you to give them that and more. This ain't the streets. You won't get a thing from it. Well, other than maybe a beating."
The hybrid huffed, arms crossing over his chest, "And who the fuck are you?" He threw his hands up, "And where the fuck even am I?!"
Jimin sighed. He remembered when he had all that fight in him.
"I'm Jimin, and this is a puppy mill. Look, I've been here a long time. All of us have. Before you, the last person they brought in was two years ago. They only bring in a new omega when one dies. That being said, if there was a way out of here, someone would have already taken it."
Taehyung's face lost its attitude and grew serious, "A puppy mill? But that's illegal."
Jimin scoffed, "Yeah, and so is kidnapping. What makes you think these guys are playing by the rules?"
"If this is a puppy mill, then..." he trailed off before his face turned to horror, "I've got to get out of here."
He went to the door again, but Jimin's shout stopped him, "Stop!" The hybrid looked back, "Look, you don't get it. There is no leaving this."
"I- I-I've gotta try." He went for the door once more.
"If you're going to be reckless, then at least wait until next shift. The one that brought you in here is the most violent one. He'll paralyze you. Wait until they swap out, so at least you'll only get solitary. Maybe a beating since it's your first time." Jimin scoffs under his breath, "Everyone tries to escape their first time." He says to himself.
The hybrid rolled his eyes and sighed as he turned and stepped more into the room. He walked over and sat next to Jimin on the mattress. "Fine."
Jimin turned his head and looked at him, "So, what's your name?"
"Taehyung."
Later that night, the feisty omega tried to run and was brought back to their room, kicking and screaming. The guard on duty really laid into him. The human had gotten on top of Taehyung and beaten his face to a bloody pulp.
Jimin walked over to him and dragged his unconscious body to the bed.
The cat hybrid sighed as he took an old rag and wiped off some of the blood, "Silly tiger, there is no escaping this place."
After that night, the tiger hybrid seemed to understand the severity of the situation they were in. But of course, when it happened, the rest of the hope in the young omega died.
The two of them were cuddled up on the mattress. Taehyung had arrived five days ago, and the two were becoming friends. Their scents began intermingling in the room, and, although they didn't have the proper nesting items, they made a nest with each other.
Jimin was nearly asleep when the guard came in, "On your feet, tiger."
Taehyung looked at the man, eyebrows knit together in confusion, "What's going on?"
Jimin blanched. He knew what was happening, "Taehyung, it-"
"It's time for your breeding, stripes. Up, on your feet."
Jimin takes his arm in panic, "Taehyung, don't fight it. Don't make the alpha angry. God, please, please just take it. There's no other way."
The guard came and grabbed Taehyung's other arm and pulled him up. He grabbed his wrists and cuffed them.
"What?! Breeding?! An alpha?!" Taehyung felt panic rise in his throat as he was pushed forward.
Jimin got up to his feet and followed them to the door, "Just do what the alpha wants. Don't fight Taehyung, please God don't fight."
The guard dragged Taehyung from the room, and Jimin could hear his yelling get fainter and fainter.
When Taehyung was brought back into their room, it was two days later. His arms had bruises, and he had a black eye. He was quiet. Staring off at some spot on the floor.
Jimin immediately went to the hybrid and took him into his arms, "It's ok now," Jimin whispered to the omega, "It's ok. Come on. Let's lie down."
Taehyung nodded quietly and let Jimin lead him to the mattress. Jimin sat down with his legs out, and Taehyung lay curled on his side with his head in Jimin's lap.
Jimin played with Taehyung's hair as he spoke, "I know you fought. You don't leave a breeding with that many bruises if you didn't fight." Jimin sighed sadly, "You must not fight against them. No matter how much you don't want it. My last roommate was killed during a breeding because she fought. Just-" his voice cracks a little, he can't believe he has to say this, has to tell Taehyung to take the abuse, "Just squeeze your eyes shut and go somewhere else. Don't look at the alpha and certainly don't look at the humans watching."
Taehyung nods slowly.
The two sit there like that for the rest of the night. When it came time to sleep, Jimin held Taehyung the best he could around his pregnant stomach, scenting him and sending out the calmest pheromones he could.
It was nine months later when Taehyung gave birth for the first time in the mill.
They were lying on the mattress, talking about the lives they had before the puppy mill. Taehyung held his right hand as his left lay on his seven-month-pregnant belly.
"I had a little brother." Jimin told the tiger hybrid after he asked, "We were on the streets together. He was two years younger than me. When I was 15, about a year before they brought me here, he was taken. He had said he was going to be with some friends, and he didn't come back. I went and asked around. His friends said that one of the labs got him. That their van just came and plucked him right out of the street." Jimin sighed. He hated thinking about this, but it was the first time he ever spoke about it, "I didn't know the full cruelty of the labs when it happened. I hoped that maybe they would take care of him. At least he would be fed. Then one day I found a newspaper that had his face on it next to a body bag." Jimin closed his eyes as he paused before speaking again, "They had killed him with their experiments and dumped his body with a needle sticking out of his arm. He was just 13 years old, and they made it seem like he was just some druggie hybrid."
Taehyung squeezed his hand tightly as they both stared up at the ceiling, "I had siblings too. Things were a bit different, though, because we were from a purebred breeder. I was in a litter of cubs. I'm not sure if you know this, but if the hybrid is well taken care of and receives little stress throughout their life, they can have litter sizes closer to what their animal has. So my omega was taken care of very well in order for her to have a bigger litter. A Sumatran tiger, which is my breed, can have up to six cubs at once, so my litter was five. We stayed with the breeders for the legal amount of time, until we were a year old. Then we were all sold off to the highest bidders. The man I ended up with groomed me since day one to be his mate. He had a weird fetish for hybrids, which really made me play into my animal side. Fuck, even wanted a mating bite. I never thought it made sense. We can't mate with humans. The bond just isn't there, you know?" Jimin nods, and Taehyung continues, "I ended up escaping the night before our big mating ceremony. I was 14. Been on the streets ever since."
Jimin's lip quirked up in a smile, "I wonder if we ever-"
There was a sudden wetness on the mattress below the boys.
Taehyung sits up, "I- Jimin?!" He asks, fear obvious in his voice.
Jimin sits up too. His hands go to Taehyung's arms, "Taehyung, it's ok. It's just time, is all." He tries to calm the hybrid.
"I-I'm not read- Ah!" He doubles over in pain.
Jimin kept his breathing even. He had to stay calm for Taehyung, "It's ok. It's just a contraction. You can do this. We're never ready until it's time to be ready."
Taehyung looks up at the cat hybrid, "What do we do? Is there a doctor?"
Jimin’s face twists into pity for just a split second, "No, my love. There's no doctor. The reason there are two hybrids in a cell is so we can help each other."
"You're going to deliver my pup?!" Taehyung almost screamed as another contraction hit him. He had been in solitary for trying to escape when Jimin had his pup eight months ago. A guard had been forced to help him through his birth.
Two guards came running into the room. They stood in the doorway as they watched over it all.
Jimin nodded as he got Taehyung to stand, "I've done this nearly 10 times, Taehyung. It'll be ok. Now," Jimin leaves the omega's side for only a moment to lay down an old ratty blanket, "Lay on this. If you give birth on the mattress, they won't replace it." He recites the same advice he heard from his first cellmate 7 years ago.
Taehyung nodded, and Jimin helped him down onto the floor.
Jimin helped Taehyung out of his bottoms and got in between his legs. He looked up at the omega, "Now, push!"
Labor lasted 22 hours, according to the phone call one of the guards made. The pup was a deer hybrid with small horns and a small tail. As soon as the pup was out, a guard came over and cut the umbilical cord with a pocket knife and took the pup.
"MY PUP!" Taehyung screamed as he tried to crawl after the human.
Jimin sat back on his knees. He hated this part. Both sides of it. He hated it when he was the one giving birth and delivering. He always felt helpless. Because he was. If he went after the pup, it would only bring him beatings.
Jimin grabbed Taehyung and pulled him back, "Taehyung! Taehyung, my love! There's nothing you can do. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jimin's own eyes got misty as he cried with the tiger hybrid.
Taehyung turned and wrapped himself around Jimin in a bone-breaking hug. "My pup!" was all he could say as sobs wracked his body.
PRESENT DAY
Now he is in a warm house with other hybrids and two humans, whom he's been told to trust. So much has changed, and yet it hasn't caught up with him.
Jin walks back into the room, "Here are some clothes you can change into." He lays a stack of clothes down on the counter, "The towels are in the cabinet there." He points to the cabinet over the toilet before gesturing to the tub, "To turn the hot water on, you twist the left knob, and for cold water, you twist the right. We have a big cat shampoo and conditioner since Yoongi is a panther hybrid. I would think since you're a feline, it would be ok for you as well. As for your ankle, you can take the wrap off and just try to keep pressure off of it. When you’re out, I can rewrap it. Be mindful of your wounds. If you don't get them totally clean, that's ok. I have some disinfectant gel that I'll use regardless." The human looks around, making sure he got everything, "I think that's all. Will you be alright in here?"
Jimin nods.
"Alright. If you need anything, just yell." That's all he says before leaving.
Jimin takes a deep breath. It's been so long since he's had a proper shower. Even before he was in the puppy mill, when he was a stray on the streets, he rarely got to clean himself properly. He would have to sneak into the local community showers that were for humans only.
Back in the puppy mill, they just made them sit in their own filth for months on end. The only time they were hosed down was after a birth. It was like some sick reward, but it never got them fully clean.
Jimin stands and walks to the tub.
Which one was the hot water again? The right?
Jimin twists the knob, and cold water comes rushing out. He jerks his arm away as his heartbeat speeds up. His chest rises and falls rapidly as he sees the faces of the humans watching him as he strips naked in front of them. He feels the cold water blast his skin raw. Hears the water smacking against the wall behind him.
Jimin falls back and crawls away from the shower until his back hits a wall. He stays like that for several minutes, unable to move as he remembers every "bath time" he had in the mill.
But he eventually comes to. Jimin puts his hands to his cheeks and takes deep breaths.
"It's ok, Jimin. It's just water. Y- You need this. You need a shower. It's just a shower." He repeats the last sentence over and over again as he stands and goes to the tub.
"It's just a shower."
He turns the cold water off.
"It's just a shower."
He turns the hot water all the way on.
"It's just a shower."
He strips himself of his clothes.
"It's just a shower."
He steps into the bathtub.
The hot water burns his skin, but it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the cold water did. Jimin breathes deeply as the water runs down his body. He closes his eyes and turns to face the showerhead. The drops of water feel like heaven to him, even as they get in his eyes. He opens his mouth and tastes the liquid before letting out a laugh.
He can't help as the laughter escapes his body. Everything, all of it, was too much. Too hard to believe. How had he gone through all of that for so long? How had he made it out? How was he still alive?
His laughter quickly turns into choking sobs as he kneels down and sits in the tub. He lets the water continue to cascade over him as he cries.
How had everything changed so suddenly? He couldn't even process it.
He wanted to escape; that was obvious. Who wants to be bred like cattle for nearly a decade?! But he hadn't tried in years, thought it futile. That he would get caught no matter how many times he tried. Running meant beatings. He had heard whispers of other imprisoned omegas being paralyzed for running. Had nightmares of being dismembered after attempting to escape.
He had been broken three times over. Mind, body, and spirit.
And yet he still somehow found it in him to try. Sure, not for himself but for Taehyung. Because in the end, he cared more for the other omega than himself.
And then what he did after they escaped. It was all such a blur. When he thought about it, his feet stung and his skin burned, but there was something missing. Something his brain wouldn't let him know.
He opens his eyes, takes a deep breath, and sees blood on his hands. He squeezes them shut again.
Oh God.
He had killed someone.
He had clawed and stabbed until his own blood was shed.
His breathing grew unsteady as the realization hit him.
Murder.
No.
Self-defense.
But it was still wrong!
Or was it?
Everything felt so confusing.
He isn't the person who did that. He couldn't have been. The person who killed that man was feral. Was out of their mind. Was terrified. Was... was...
It was him. He was that person.
And he would have to live with that.
But it didn't mean he had to be weighed down by it.
He takes a deep breath and stands.
He did what he had to do. Did what anyone else in that situation would do.
His mind stays quiet as he continues with the rest of his shower.
When he's finished, his skin is bright red from scrubbing, but he doesn't care. The pain was well worth it as he feels clean for the first time in over a decade.
He grabs the clothes Jin had left for him and pauses. The scent on the clothes was the same as the one in the room he woke up in. He shakes his head, pushing aside the slight panic but odd comfort he found in the scent, and puts the clothes on. He grabs the wrap his ankle was in before the shower and hobbles out of the bathroom.
He goes back to the kitchen and finds it empty. He looks to an archway that leads into what he can only assume is the dining room and sees Jin sitting alone at the table with an expensive-looking first aid kit.
Before he can do or say anything, Jin looks up at him and motions for him to come sit next to him, "Come on, let's get those wounds cleaned so you can go see Taehyung."
Jimin is hesitant at first, but remembers what Taehyung said. Trust them.
He sits in the chair Jin motioned to.
Jin sighs as he begins looking through the first aid kit.
.
"A lot has changed in the last few days for you. I'm sure you have some questions. I can try to answer them if you'd like."
Jimin has so many questions, yet he doesn't know how to form any of them. He takes a deep breath before finally just asking one, "Who are you people?"
Jin pulls out multiple bandages and gauze before speaking, "We're just a few farmers who don't want to cause any harm. We live out here in hopes no one will bother the little haven we've made for ourselves, is all."
"Then why were you in the city?"
Jin looked at a nasty gash on Jimin's knee and applied a gel. Jimin couldn't help the way he clenched his jaw at the stinging, "We went to the city to get supplies. You can't always make everything on your own. Sometimes you need certain things that are just easier to buy. While Namjoon and I were in a store, Yoongi, the hybrid whose bedroom you woke up in, heard your friend screaming. He's a panther hybrid, so he has pretty good hearing. He went running to you, and Hoseok and Jungkook followed. He said we couldn't leave you behind. That we had to help you." Jin moves his focus to the other cuts littering Jimin's body.
Jimin scoffs, "Just trying to help me? Why the fuck would you want to help me? What's in it for you? Gonna make me into a fucking sex toy? Or maybe another puppy mill?" Jimin scoffs as his blood boils, "Farmers, my ass. Why would a farmer have a syringe that could knock someone out? Why would humans want to help a hybrid?"
Jin stops what he's doing and looks at Jimin seriously, "We had picked up some tranquilizers earlier from the vet for our farm animals. You wouldn't stop. You were hopped up on adrenaline, and Jungkook knew if he didn't do something, you could've hurt one of us or yourself. We knew we needed to get Taehyung out of there, and we certainly weren't going to be able to do that with you waving that glass around. He made a call, and I agree with it." He takes a breath, "and not all humans agree with the discrimination of hybrids. We would never do what those monsters did to you, Jimin. What happened to you was terrible. Taehyung told us what you two have been through. We think that it's deplorable." He goes back to Jimin's wounds, "There's nothing in it for us. You can leave whenever you want, but I don't think it's a good idea in your state."
Jimin shrinks into himself, "What all did Tae tell you?"
Jin moved to the omega's arms before answering, "He told us you escaped from an underground puppy mill ring. You were forced to breed with random alphas hyped up on rut drugs, and then, after you gave birth, your pups would be taken from you and sold on the black market to humans by the gang in control of you. Told us that he was only there for three years and that he had given birth to five pups, but you had been there for much, much longer. He couldn't tell us how many times you had been bred. Said that h-"
"Stop." Jimin croaks out, voice straining around the lump in his throat, "Just stop."
Jin stops and decides that silence would be best right now. He finishes cleaning the various wounds covering Jimin's body and wraps his ankle again before standing, "I know you don't trust us, you have no reason to, but I say this genuinely, if you decide to stay, we will not hurt you."
Jimin nods, but he can't get himself to look up at the human. He speaks quietly, "C- Can I go see Taehyung now?"
Jin holds out his hand, "I'll take you to him."
"So what do you know about these people? You've got to have learned a little bit while I was out." Jimin asks his friend as he holds the new pup in his arms, his eyes never leaving the girl's rosy cheeks.
Taehyung chews his lip for a moment, watching his pup snore softly in Jimin's arms before speaking, "They seem nice. There are two alphas, two humans, and an omega. The omega, Jungkook, is younger than us. He was really worried about us when we first got here. He's helped me a lot with Heran. Has taken good care of her while I've rested up. Jin told me last night that he escaped from a lab when he was younger. Was one of the lucky ones that escaped before they could run too many experiments on him."
"And what about Jin? What's his deal?"
Taehyung sighed, "Jin is nice. He's with Hoseok, the other human. They've been together for a long time. He's 12 years older than us, 38 years old. He was a lab doctor before things got really bad, and then he quit after the labs started force breeding. He's the one who bought this farm." Taehyung mindlessly reaches over and brushes Heran's hair with his fingers, "Namjoon is one of the alphas, a bear hybrid. He's just a year older. He's dating Jungkook, and it seems like they have plans to mate one day. He's really, really nice. Gives gentle giant vibes. It's really sweet to watch him interact with Jungkook. Always stumbling over himself, which only makes Jungkook giggle. They're cute."
"What about the other human? Hoseok?" Jimin asks.
"He's good. He's 35. He's been with Jin long before they bought the farm and was all in when he suggested it. If I remember right, he might have grown up on a farm, so he knew all the ins and outs of farm life. But even if he didn't, it seems like he would have done it just because Jin asked him to. Would do whatever Jin wanted to do. He's also very nice. Like, abnormally nice. Kinda freaked me out at first." Taehyung couldn't get his eyes to leave Heran.
Jimin hums, "And the other alpha?"
"I don't know much about him other than what the others have said. He's 32. He came here about five, maybe six years ago. He's apparently a really hard worker. Works a lot on the farm and takes good care of the animals. He left pretty much as soon as we got here. I asked why, and they said that sometimes he just needs to be alone. He's the one who carried you back here. I think his room is the one you have been sleeping in." Taehyung explains.
Jimin nodded, "Yeah, that's what Jin said."
"I think if we stay, they will take care of us. Or at least give us a better life than the one we had."
"You want to stay?"
"Only if you do."
Jimin sighs as he looks up at Taehyung, "What do you want? You're the one with the pup; what do you think is best for her?"
Taehyung is quiet for a moment, contemplating what their options are. Finally, he says, "I think we should stay. They seem nice, and like they know what they're doing. If we went out on our own, I fear we would eventually get taken again, whether it be by another gang or by a lab, but this way we have a couple of humans who can say they own us if things boil down to it."
Jimin hadn't thought of it that way. Even if he hates the thought of someone saying they owned him, he understands the importance of it. He nods, "Yeah, that's a good point." He takes a breath, "OK, we'll stay."
Before Taehyung can say much else, the little pup in Jimin's arms face scrunches up, and she begins crying. Jimin looks at the pup softly as he bounces her, "Oh my dear, what is wrong?" He asks softly.
Taehyung can't help his smile, "She's probably hungry. Keep holding her for a sec while I make her bottle. I'll be right back."
Jimin nods as Taehyung leaves the room. He looks down at the little pup in his arms. She really was beautiful. She had the skin markings of a tiger like her father, and her little ears barely poked out of her curly hair. Even while she was crying, she was somehow absolutely perfect.
She reminded him of one of his own pups. It had to have been over seven years ago now. The breeding was a brutal one with a cheetah hybrid, but the little pup wasn't the one to blame for that. It was back when the mill allowed the omegas to keep their pups for the first few weeks while they found a home for them. Things were harder back then. He always developed an attachment to the pups during that time. Always fell in love with them. Though he always fell in love with his pups through pregnancy, it was different when he got to hold them and care for them.
It wasn't long after the cheetah pup was born that the gang stopped letting the omegas have time with their pups. Instead of finding homes after the pup was born, they went ahead and sold them off during the pregnancy, so once they arrived, they would be taken straight over to the humans who bought them. Jimin had given birth to many pups that he never got to hold, but he still thought about them. Still hoped they were given a good life. That a nice, rich family had gotten them, and they were given their own bedroom in a big, beautiful house. But he always dreamed of a life where he never had to give his pups away. A dream where all of his pups were with him, and they were together as one family. It was a dream that often left him broken-hearted, but it was one he could never quite let go of.
"Jimin? Love?" Taehyung places a hand gently on the older omega's shoulder.
Jimin is snapped back to reality and realizes that he's crying, again, "Oh God, I-I'm sorry. I need to-" he hands the baby back to Taehyung, "I need to go. I'm sure you need to rest, as do I." He quickly swipes his hand under his cheeks, getting rid of the tears.
Taehyung reaches out, "Mimi, it's ok, you can stay. We can talk ab-"
"No, no. It's ok, Taehyung. I- I just need to be alone."
Taehyung looks at him hard but eventually nods, "Ok. Just be easy on yourself. Please."
Jimin nods as he finally leaves. He quickly walks down the hallway and back to the room that he originally woke up in.
He gets into the bed, wishing there were more blankets and pillows he could make a nest with, and curls up in on himself. He can't help the gasping sobs he lets out. Can't help it as his heart breaks for the umpteenth time.
This world was cruel, and Jimin would never forgive it for the fate it had given him.