In the living room, the lights turned out and the glow of the TV casting a blue glow over the small space, Jughead remains in the same spot he had been in when FP left nearly three hours ago. He's spent those three hours dozing in and out of a restless sleep, being awakened every time by the lingering threat of a monster finding his Luna.
Luna.
At just the thought of her, his wolf whines in his head, an aching need to be close to her making his empty trailer feel far lonelier than it ever has. Now that they're bonded, the draw he feels to her is stronger than ever, almost magnetic like he's being physically pulled towards her. Every second he spends away from her urges his wolf to become more and more restless. Unable to take the aching in his chest any longer, he forces himself up from the couch to lazily strip off his clothes.
Outside, he sucks in a deep lungful of the crisp winter air, feeling it burn through his nostrils, against the back of his throat and settle heavy in his chest. He looks up at the clear sky, the stars twinkling and only reminding him of the sparkle of Betty's emerald gaze. Upon his exhale he breaks into a run, darting into the tree line and emerging a wolf on the other side.
With the knowledge of a monster on the loose, he remains within the protected barrier of the forest surrounding Sunnyside. Some thousand years ago, the last witch in Riverdale, until Betty of course, had provided the wolves with a barrier spell in turn for their protecting the town of Riverdale with their lives. It's a deal that's been upheld and enforced to this day. So long as they keep their word, the barrier spell will remain.
As he reaches the edge of the spelled land, Jughead catches the scent of blood in the air. It's still fresh and pungently familiar. Warily, he steps just outside of the barriers protection, sniffing heavily at the air. He remains still, his ears perked up, listening for any signs of something nearby. When he picks up nothing but the low and slow thrum of a distant heartbeat, he begins a careful approach in its direction. The scent of blood gets stronger as he walks, tingling like copper on his tongue, until he finds a thick patch of crimson snow. The trail of blood continues on, Jughead following red spatters littering the glistening white snow under the light of the moon. Every so often, he pauses, listening for movement within the surrounding forest, but hears nothing but silence and that ever present heartbeat, growing louder with each step.
A deeply pained groan brings the hair on the back of his neck to stand upright from his skin, sending a chill down his spine, straight through to the tip of his tail. With urgency, he runs towards it, recognizing the tone. He skids to a stop at the base of a tree, finding his father's Beta, Tall Boy, nailed against it's trunk by his hands and feet. His body is slumped forward, the weight of it drawing a river of blood from the holes in his extremities as his head hangs limply towards his chest, where the words eye for an eye have been jaggedly carved into his skin. The pool of blood at the base of the tree is substantial, leading him to believe he's been hanging here a while. Aside from the singular groan that lead Jughead to him, he's deadly silent. If it weren't for the barely there beat of his heart, Jughead would assume him dead.
Shifting to get a closer look, Jughead steps closer, his bare feet catching a chill in the ankle deep snow. Though his feet are nailed against the tree, Tall Boy is only a few inches of the ground, leveling his shoulders with the top of Jughead's head. A sticky string of blood drips from his down turned face, snapping like an elastic before falling to paint the snow at Jughead's feet. Hesitantly, he places a hand against Tall Boys forehead, gently urging his head upward.
"Fuck," he curses under his breath, backing away to force the contents of his stomach back down.
Tall Boys eyes have been gouged from their sockets, leaving him a mutilated bloody mess. So much blood, just raining down like waterfalls over the rounds of his cheeks. After swallowing down the bile in his throat, Jughead hurries to pry at the nails with his bare hands. Try as he might, the metal driven deep into the wood of the tree won't budge. Unable to help on his own, he shifts quickly, bolting in the direction of the Whyte Wyrm.
As he nears the Wyrm, the old, partially illuminated sign coming into view, he lets out a loud howl, signaling a state of emergency. By the time he reaches the parking lot, every wolf in the place has assembled outside, his father at the head of the pack as a few stragglers make their way out the door. He shifts before them, his toes curling against the icy pavement as FP steps forward.
"It's Tall Boy," he pants, his hands on his bare knees as he tries to catch his breath.
"Tall Boy," his father questions, taking a look around as if he hadn't noticed he was missing.
"He's- I was in the woods- and, the tree, and so much blood," he stammers, his head spinning with the horror of what he's just seen. "I couldn't get him down," he admits ashamedly."
"Christ boy," FP says with concern, "Couldn't get him down from where?"
"He's nailed to a tree," he says under his breath, "and his eyes-" he gestures with his hands, making a grabbing motion towards his own eyes, "They're," he swallows hard, looking his father dead in the eye, "They're gone."
"Jesus," FP huffs under his breath before barking orders for someone to collect a med kit.
"And a hammer," Jughead calls out, "We're gonna need a hammer."
FP nods, affirming the need for said hammer and lays a reassuring hand on his sons back.
In a matter of moments, their supplies have been collected and the lot of them have shifted to follow Jughead into the forest. A couple of the older wolves took off in FP's truck, following the directions Jughead had quickly rattled off as best they are able.
Low growls can be heard all around, mingled with gasps as the group returns to their human state. Tall Boy has slowly begun to gain consciousness in Jughead's absence, groaning horribly as his head waivers from side to side. They work quickly, Jughead and FP holding Tall Boys weight as two others pry at the nails in his hands and feet. He wails horribly with every tug of the metal biting into his raw skin, the crunching sounds of his bones shifting urging a widespread cringe among the group. Once he's freed, they drop him to the ground as carefully as possible, a few of the younger wolves losing their stomachs as his gouged sockets come into clear view. With some effort, they get Tall Boy hauled up into the bed of FP's truck as he weaves in and out of consciousness. Jughead, FP, and Mustang ride in the back, with Tall Boy, keeping him as still as possible as he begins to thrash and scream in pain.
Back at the Wyrm, they work together to haul Tall Boy inside, laying him on his back on the nearest pool table. Jughead helps Mustang and his father hold him down as he thrashes, keeping him steady while Hogeye injects him with a syringe of wolfsbane. He quickly becomes lethargic, his thrashing dulling to minor trembles before they finally release him from their strong armed hold. FP and Mustang take the opportunity to clothe themselves, FP nodding for Jughead to grab a set of clothes for himself from the apartment upstairs.
Jughead returns quickly, finding Tall Boy conscious and speaking slowly. He catches the end of his conversation, reiterating that he had been out for a run and caught the scent of something sweet. He stupidly followed it and found himself in a clearing, where his memory comes to an abrupt halt. It's all just a blur of sheer agony, remembering the gut retching pop of his own eyes being torn from their sockets and the whisperings of a woman assuring, "You're all going to pay."
Leaning over towards his father's ear, he whispers, "You don't think it could be a witch, do you?"
FP turns his head, giving his son a curious glance, his arms remain crossed over his chest as he mulls over the possibility.
"There hasn't been a witch in Riverdale since the end of the 1800's," he tells him with doubt, "Unless you know something I don't."
Under the pointed gaze of his father, he only shakes his head, unwilling to start a witch hunt that will end on his mate's doorstep.
After enduring an unexpectedly long night, Jughead steps into the shower, allowing the hot water to ease the stress of the evening. He doesn't stay in long, feeling drained yet restless somehow. After throwing on a pair of boxers, he slumps down on the couch with a bottle of water, sipping it periodically as he stares blankly at the wall. The horror of what he'd seen tonight will forever be burned into the back of his eyelids and he can't even fathom going to sleep right now. FP stayed behind at the Wrym to tend to his Beta, as any good Alpha should, leaving Jughead to process everything alone. He's sure it's a witch they're after, he knows the scent Tall Boy spoke of all too well. A part of him fears that Betty could be their target, but he knows her, she just wouldn't be capable of something so heinous. Or so he hopes.
As he grows more restless with the weight of his eyelids, Jughead forces himself up from the couch. He's never going to be able to sleep and the endless whine of his Alpha, pleading for the comfort of its Luna is nearly unbearable.
Outside the Cooper home, Jughead paces on the doormat, settling and resettling as he tries to comfort himself within proximity of his Luna. It's worse now, in wolf form, so near to her yet still so far away. A pitchy whimper sounds in his throat, as he stares at the locked door in front of him. He contemplates for a long while, his head tilting to the side as he mulls over what he's about to do. In a moment of weakness, he scratches his claws lightly at the door, whimpering more pathetically than he ever thought himself capable. He gives up after a few tries, knowing that both Betty and Alice are surely asleep given it's almost two in the morning. With a saddened whine, he curls himself up on the doormat, keeping his ears perked to listen for the barely audible sound of Betty's shallow breathing. He's not sure how long he's laid there when he picks up the sound of footsteps on the stairs inside. Perking up immediately, he gets to his feet, stretching his paws up onto the door and again whining like the pathetic beast that he is. With the click of the lock sliding from its place, Jughead sits back on his haunches, patiently awaiting the door to be opened.
"Have you been out here all night boy," Alice coos, crouching down to gently cup his muzzle in her hands.
Jughead lets a sad whimper, restlessly rocking back on his hind legs as she returns to standing.
"Well, come in then," Alice grins, chuckling lightly as he moves to pace in the foyer. After relocking the door, Alice nods her head in the direction of the stairs and Jughead bolts up them, pacing circles outside Betty's door as Alice trails behind. She opens Betty's door for him, watching as Jughead hops up on the bed to settle his head on Betty's chest, before closing the door with a smile.
With the latch of her Bedroom door, Jughead sniffs at her, nudging his cold wet nose into her cheek as he whines lowly.
"Jug," she questions sleepily, her eyes prying open to look at him through slits.
Jughead whines again, pawing at her hand until she pats him lovingly on the head.
"Are you going to shift or am I sleeping with a dog tonight," she teases, grinning lazily as she tugs his ear.
With a wet tongue, he licks the side of her face, earning a disgusted giggle before he hops down from the bed, rising as her very handsome and very naked boyfriend.
"You know we've had sex, right," she teases, motioning to where he's cupping his groin in his hands, with her eyes.
"I know," he nods sheepishly, "I just still feel kind of, awkward, I guess."
"Come on," she grins, holding the blankets open for him to join her in bed.
He doesn't even hesitate for a second, grateful for the decency of the blankets over his naked skin. He knows he shouldn't feel weird about it. Like she said, they've had sex, twice even, but without his Alpha's guidance, he just feels like an inexperienced sixteen year old boy, uncomfortable with being naked in front of the girl who's always disliked him.
"Is something wrong," Betty questions, rolling onto her side to face him with her hands tucked under her cheek.
"I just can't believe you're mine," he mutters softly.
Offering a gentle grin in understanding, Betty kisses him softly on the cheek before scooting herself closer to him, their knees touching beneath the blankets. They lay silent for a while, just gazing at on another. Betty is certain something is bothering him and she thinks, perhaps it's time she apologize to him.
"Hey Jug," she says in a hushed tone, her eyes dropping to the sheets between them.
"Yea Betts," he mutters in reply.
"I'm sorry," she says with sincerity, chancing a look at his face.
Lifting his head from the pillow, he looks down at her with concern and confusion.
"Why are you sorry," he questions nervously, fearing she's changed her mind about him. He's heard horror stories of mates not working out romantically and it would absolutely destroy him to have to spend all of eternity beside her platonically.
"I'm so sorry you had to watch me pine after Archie. That must have been awful for you." She shakes her head. "And I'm sorry that I didn't listen when you basically begged me not to date him. I've been a terrible friend to you." She feels horribly guilty for putting him through such torture over the years. It's no wonder he's so territorial.
Jughead chuckles softly, settling back down on the pillow with the relief that she still loves him.
"It's ok," he shrugs, "It's my own fault. I just didn't know how to tell you without scaring you off or making you think I was crazier than you already did."
"I never thought you were crazy," she laughs. "Like I said before, I've always loved you Jughead. It just took me a while to realize it, and I'm sorry for that."
"Let's just put it behind us," he nods. "You're mine now and that's all that matters." With her smile, he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest. With a gentle hand, he brushes her hair away from her neck and brings his lips to caress his mark on her skin. "We're bonded for life," he whispers against her skin, causing her to shiver against him.
A low growl vibrates in his chest with the scent of her arousal filling the air. "Fuck, you get me so hard," he admits through a shaky breath, pressing his rising erection forward into the skin of her thigh.
"I want you Juggy," she whispers against his ear, capturing his lobe between her teeth.
Jughead growls again, this time deeper as he becomes one with his Alpha. In an instant, he has her flipped onto her stomach, yanking her sleep shorts down to hike her ass up into the air. Betty whimpers softly as his tip nudges her entrance, teasing her as she waits patiently for the fullness only he can provide. With a grunt, Jughead sinks himself inside her, collapsing his weight over her back and biting his extended fangs into the surface of the sweet skin at her shoulder to keep himself quiet. Growing impatient, Betty begins to rock her hips, drawing a stifled moan from Jughead's lips.
"You feel so good baby," he whimpers as she fucks herself with his cock.
"Fuck me Juggy," she whines, needing more than she can take by herself.
Lifting himself back up on his knees, he gives her exactly what she wants, thrusting into her at a punishing rate. Betty muffles her cries of pure ecstasy into her pillows as her walls squeeze tight around his swollen cock.
"Fuck," he chokes out under his breath as she falls apart, clenching like a vice all around him. "Can I cum baby? Oh fuck I need to cum."
"Cum for me Juggy," she pants breathlessly.
With one final thrust, he explodes within her walls, coating her insides with his milky white seed. He again collapses over her back, this time to catch his breath as he throbs within her quivering walls. Slowly, he pulls out, shivering as his sensitive tip slips from her folds.
"We've got to stop doing that," he chuckles nervously as he sits back on his heels.
"I don't want to," Betty pouts as she rolls to her back to face him.
"Me neither," he agrees, "But I'm very fertile Betts. We can't be parents. Not yet."
Betty nods regretfully, sitting up on her knees to kiss his lips tenderly. Scooping her up in his arms, he settles them both beneath her comforter, nuzzling his nose against his mark on her skin.
"I love you," he whispers.
"And I love you," she assures him, kissing his jaw before making herself comfortable in his arms.
They lie together for a while, listening to one another's gentle breathing. Jughead can't help but let his mind wander back to what happened with Tall Boy and he's itching to ask Betty if she might know anything.
"Hey Betts," he mutters sheepishly.
"What is it Juggy," she replies sleepily, her eyes remaining closed as she nuzzles into his chest.
"Are there other witches in Riverdale," he questions, glancing down at her to gauge her reaction.
"None that I've come across," she shrugs, tilting her head to look up at him. "Why?"
Swallowing nervously, he meets her gaze, before dropping it to where his fingers are tugging at the hem of the sheets at his side.
"One of our pack mates was attacked tonight. My dad's Beta actually." He glances over at her, finding her staring intently before again dropping his gaze. "We think it was a witch, but if you and your mom are the only witches in town then-"
"Do you really think I would do something like that," she questions, sounding the slightest bit offended.
"No," he shakes his head, his eyes flying up to meet hers, "Of course not. I just- Maybe Alice?"
"No way," she shakes her head, her brow settling heavy over her features. "What motive would she have?"
"I don't know," he shrugs. "Can we just pretend I didn't bring it up?"
"Jug," she coos, a hint of a chuckle in her tone, "If there's another witch in Riverdale, we'll find them. Right now, let's just get some sleep."
Jughead nods, accepting her goodnight kiss and settles in for what will surely be another short night's sleep.
