Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

La Luna Blanca Trailer:

The cloak Minho’s mother had put on him felt too big for his little body. His feet kept getting entangled in the long piece of fabric and the hood kept sliding over his fear filled eyes as he was hurriedly pulled through the woods, his little hand clamped firmly in his mother's. His little brother bounced up and down her other arm with a similar cloak covering the 4 year old, his tear stained cheeks occasionally illuminated by the scarse light of the crescent moon that broke through the trees while he kept his short arms locked firmly around their mother’s neck.

Minho didn’t understand what was going on, he was scared and tired and above all else: confused. One moment his mother had been singing him and his brother to sleep and the next he was being hauled out of bed in the middle of the night, the room softly illuminated with orange hues carried in through the small window. But Minho was too lethargic to notice the oddity of this fact as his mother lifted him out of bed and into a seated position.
“We’re going for a little walk, my beautiful moonbunny” is all she had said, her voice light and calm as she draped the cloak over the dazed 7 year old pup. Minho just nodded as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes and silently watched her move to wake Felix. After making sure the cloaks were firmly secured around her two children, she lifted Felix into her arms and firmly grabbed onto Minho’s hand before leading them through the small hallway and out of the back of the cottage.

And once they stepped through the door, Minho felt panic rise up his spine almost instantaneously as his ears finally registered the outside world.
“Appa?” Felix’s fear-laced voice shakily cut through the chaos that seemed to be raging around them, his misty eyes tiredly looking around as their mother carried them along the back of the garden.
“Be still my pup, appa will be here soon…” Aurora tried to hush her son, her voice still containing the same level of lightness and calmness as it had when she had awoken them from their slumber.

But the hellish uproar around them had not gone unnoticed by the two little pups. Felix apprehensively nodded at his mother’s words, his trembling bottom lip pushed out into a pout as tears started running down his cheeks. And Minho tried looking around at his surroundings, but the cursed cloak kept obscuring his view. The only thing it allowed him to see were the shadows of the three of them casted on the ground as their mother led them out of the garden. Though, unfortunately, the cloak did not drown out the sounds as well as it did his vision.

The hamlet the Lee clan lived in had always been peaceful. Silent and almost heavenly even, where it lay in a small clearing surrounded by flowery meadows, deep outstretched forests and mountains on the near horizon that separated them from other clans. The tranquil chirping of the crickets and low creaking of the nearby watermill were now completely drowned out by blood curdling screams and loud menacing snarls as they ran through what was supposed to be the dark of the night. The only thing louder to Minho than his surroundings was the sound of his own heartbeat that was pounding in his ears as he finally realized that the hamlet was illuminated in deep amber hues when it wasn't supposed to be.

The glances he managed to steal from under the rim of his hood whilst his mother continued to pull him along, revealed several cottages in the area ablaze. People and wolves alike running and trying to flee the sea of flames but being hindered by what seemed to be other wolves. Wolves that were attacking. The fear he had been feeling ten folded and his eyes clouded over with tears as he watched the scenes behind them unfold in terror. His eyes caught the moment that the silhouette of a huge wolf launched itself towards a few smaller wolves who were desperately trying to get away. And right before the wolf reached their target, a tug on his hand shielded him from a sound he would never forget.

“Minho, my love, hurry” his mother had pulled on his hand a little harder, the hood falling over his eyes yet again and causing the hamlet and the scene to be torn from his view. But the pained voices of wolf cries and the sound of flesh being violently shredded still reached his young ears, sending a terrible chill down his spine.

It was horrifying.

“Eomma, what’s happening?” Minho’s voice trembled as he followed obediently and tried to quicken his steps, but his little legs could only do so much. His foot caught on a branched root and he felt his hand being ripped away from his mother’s grip as he tumbled to the ground. He caught the impact of the fall on his hands and quickly tried to get back up onto his feet when he felt his mother’s hand on his cheek, the worry radiating through her touch.
“I’m okay Eomma” Minho sniffled and quickly wiped away the tears threatening to overflow from his eyes before he looked up in determination and grabbed hold of her hand again.

Aurora apologetically smiled at her son and tightened her grip on his hand.
“I’m sorry, moonbunny. It will be over soon” she promised as ran a gentle thumb over his cheek before pulling away and continuing her walk, her pace akin to a slow run this time. The gruelling sounds of the hamlet slowly faded away the deeper they ventured into the forest, though it failed to calm Minho’s fears. But he also knew not to ask questions now. Whatever this was, his mother was trying to get them as far away from it as wolfly possible. And somewhere, nestled within those fear, his curiosity decided to hide its face.

After what felt like an eternity, Aurora finally slowed her pace before coming to a complete stop and turning to look into the direction they had come from, her face no longer relaxed.
Minho knew that look. She was concentrating, listening. This was the same face she always made shortly before Felix got himself into trouble. Minho also tried to concentrate, his little face scrunching up in the process with no idea what he was trying to listen for. And all his little ears were able to pick up on was the hooting of the owls high above their heads and the slow rushing of water of the nearby river. Granted he was also very much aware of the fact that his wolf hearing was nowhere near fully developed yet.

It took a few seconds before his mother suddenly turned back around again and continued their way deeper into the forest, a lot faster than they had before. Felix had buried his head into the crook of her neck, nose resting on her scent gland and his thumb tucked snugly into his mouth. And if either of the pups did not have their view compromised by their cloaks, they would have noticed the slight panic that had now taken over the gentle features of their mother’s face.

After a while Aurora felt like they had come far enough and slowly came to a stop near a cluster of large trees, one of which had fallen over what seemed like years ago. It's massive roots were sticking out of the ground, creating little makeshift caves between them and the unlevelled ground. And Minho panted softly while he tried to catch his breath, his mother hurriedly pulling him along towards the grove before manoeuvring him into one of the makeshift caves and crouching down to lower Felix on the ground next to him.

“Eomma...” Felix tried to climb back into his mother’s arms, tears starting to run freely again after he was ripped away from his source of comfort. But his mother gently untangled his arms from her neck and placed him back into the cave with Minho.
“Shhh, my little one” she shushed softly and held onto his cheek before turning her eyes to Minho, her face calm and gentle again as she smiled encouragingly.

“We’re going to play a little game, okay?” she nodded towards them both, waiting until both pups nodded slowly in reply. Minho felt Felix’s tiny hand slip into his and he held onto it firmly, hoping it would make the younger’s tears stop flowing.
Aurora smiled gently and lifted her other hand to caress Minho’s cheek as well.
“For this game Eomma needs you to stay really, really quiet” she lightly scrunched up her face, emphasizing the word 'really' as she spoke.
“Do you think you can do that for me?” Her voice was light and almost playful, but Minho did not miss the glint of seriousness in her gaze as she spoke to them. He nodded slowly and in the corner of his eyes he saw Felix follow his example, thumb back in his mouth as he sniffled while tears continued to flood his eyes.

Aurora’s eyes shifted back to Minho as she addressed him directly this time.
“Next, you will count to 200. Can you do that for me, my smart little Moonbunny?” she asked as her eyes quickly glanced up and over the tree trunk.
“Like hide and go seek?” Minho’s voice quivered as Aurora smiled gently and nodded.
“A little like that” she encouraged. And when Minho nodded again she continued “But this time Minho, when you get to 200 I need you to take Felix and go farther into the forest. Do not stop moving until you reach the mountains and no matter what happens, do not turn back. And never, ever, show anybody your wolf form. Do you understand?”
Minho nodded slowly, his brows furrowed together as he felt panic start to bubble up in his stomach again. He didn’t like this game.
“I know you are tired, my loves, but I know you can do this” Aurora continued before Minho’s hand reached up and grabbed his mother’s cloak. And his eyes must have spoken the words his mouth could not because Aurora grabbed his hand and squeezed lightly.

“Eomma will be right behind you, I’ll find you, okay? Like hide and go seek”
Minho wanted to protest but his throat was clamped shut so tightly that no words were able to come out. So he settled on nodding obediently, Felix following his lead again. Aurora smiled one last time before taking her hands back and unclasping the moon jade necklace that adorned her neck. She leaned over and secured it around Minho’s small neck and tucked it away under his tunic before leaning back in and firmly planting a kiss on both of her son’s foreheads. Her soothing chamomile scent briefly engulfed the trembling pups, allowing them to calm down ever so lightly.

“Eomma loves you. So, so, so much” she said. And, this time, she was unable to hide the light crack in her voice. She inhaled deeply, pulled back and looked at Felix again “Very quiet, okay Moonshine?"
After he nodded in reply, her thumb caressed over their cheeks proudly. Her smile was so full of love, reaching her eyes in the way that Minho adored so much, before she lowered the pups deeper into the little cave and made sure they were out of sight and out of the wind completely.

Aurora moved back and the pups watched while she lowered her hood, her long white wavy hair catching in the wind as the soft rays of the moon made the freckles across her face look like stars. Within seconds, their mother’s beautiful form had made way for a ferocious yet enchanting wolf the size of a horse. Fur white as snow and eyes blue as ice. But when those eyes landed on the two boys that were hidden in the shadows, they held all the love on the planet and the universe that lay beyond it. Her eyes lingered for a few seconds and then Aurora tore her gaze away from her pups and picked up the ripped pieces of clothing that had fallen off of her with her muzzle and leaped up, taking off into a sprint.

Felix whimpered when their mother disappeared into the night and Minho shushed him quickly, holding onto his hand firmly so the boy wouldn’t take off running after their mother.
“Very quiet or we lose the game, remember?” he whispered. Felix looked at his brother and after a few seconds he nodded slowly. With tears still streaming down his face, he leaned into his brother and buried his head into Minho’s chest. The elder held onto him and slowly started counting in his head like his mother had instructed him to do.

He had never wanted to stop playing hide and go seek this badly.

With a start Minho opened his eyes, panting heavily into the quiet of the morning. His hair was sticking to his face and neck and he felt clammy all over. He closed his eyes with a sigh and wiped his forehead with the palm of his hand before removing the thin sheets that were covering his body and moving to sit at the edge of the bed.

He looked up at the small window in the room and noticed that the sun was yet to come up, but the slight discoloration of the sky was enough to tell him it wouldn’t be long. He ran a hand through his hair before it found its way to the moon jade pendant around his neck. It had been ages since he had last dreamt of his mother.

She had not joined them at the foot of mountain as she had promised, no matter how long they waited or how much Felix cried. Eventually Minho knew that he had to go, hunger had settled in his stomach and he knew that he was going to need to find a way to feed Felix as well as himself. ‘ Do not turn back ’ His mother’s words had echoed in his ears before taking Felix and continuing their path past the mountains.

Being as young as they were, getting food was hard at first but eventually he managed. Moving farther and farther away from the place they used to call home, Minho spent endless months fending for Felix and himself. Until the winter after Minho’s 10th birth month celebration, when they were found wandering by an elderly beta wolf who had been on a hunt.

Due to the harsh winter, they had not eaten in days and Felix had fallen ill. And unbeknownst to them, they had ventured into the territory the elderly beta and his mate resided in. The wolf had taken the two malnourished boys home and there they remained. That was 12 years ago. And to this day, Minho still liked to believe that their mother had guided them here through the rays of the moon.

Minho let go of the pendant and stretched, a yawn rolling over his lips before he got up and made his way downstairs to start the day.

The sun had risen substantially by the time Minho’s muddied wolf form strutted back into the clearing a couple of hours later, two small hares dangling from his muzzle. Felix, who had been helping Seungmin tend to the garden, looked up when the familiar soft smell of white roses hit his nose.
“Hyung!” The omega shot up and cheerfully ran over towards his brother before reaching up and taking the two hares from his muzzle.
“Thanks” Minho pushed his snout against Felix’s cheek. Felix giggled softly, gently pushing the omega’s muzzle away and started making his way back towards the cottage, Minho following right behind as his eyes routinely scanned the clearing.

Morning dew still glittered the ground, making it seem like pieces of glass lay scattered across the clearing. It was quite beautiful as the sun reflected off the drops and casted dazzling lights in soft silver and warm golden across the clearing. His eyes paused on their young beta still crouched in the garden, wrestling with what seemed to be a stubborn piece of weed before the plant came loose from the ground with a loud pop and Seungmin landed on his ass in a huff. Minho held back a chuckle when he heard the beta chant out a series of colorful curses in retaliation and quickly brought his attention back to the omega in front of him.

Once the pair reached the front door, Minho shifted back to his human form and rolled his neck in an attempt to stretch out his muscles. With the restless night and the early hunt, the man was sore all over.
“I think Innie was heating up some water for you hyung” Felix hummed while making his way towards the kitchen. Minho nodded a quick thanks in response and started heading towards the back of the cottage where the bathroom was located.
“What do you want me to do with the hares today?” Felix called after him as he rounded the corner.
“Just clean them as usual. Maybe a stew for dinner?” It came out sounding more like a statement than a question though.

He heard Felix give him a quick ‘okay!’ before walking into the bathroom where he indeed found the caramel haired omega depositing warm water into the barrel that was situated next to the small wooden tub. Jeongin turned his head at the sound of the door opening and made a face when his eyes landed on the man approaching him.
“You’re a mess” he joked and Minho shrugged with a smirk.

It’s not like Minho had much choice in the matter.
Shortly after their arrival at the old beta couple’s cottage, Minho had learned of the downfall of their clan. By that time it had been old news how a renowned alpha clan had wiped out the Lee clan in its entirety on the night that frequently haunted Minho’s dreams. After this, Miyoung, the beta mate, taught Minho how to color his and Felix’s hair with beetroots and coffee beans in order to hide the distinctive Lee clan trait: their snow white hair. It was only then that his mother’s words had finally made sense to him. They started coloring their hair and if ever outside, they would roll in the mud or dirt to hide the white fur as best as they could. It had become a standard practice in their life.

Looking like a mess was the safest way to go out.

Which is why both Minho and Felix preferred the frosty and snowy winters during which the landscape would hide their white fur for them. For a couple of months a year they were allowed to be free.

“Thank you for the water Innie” Minho said and ruffled Jeongin’s hair, eliciting a yelp from the younger.
“Hyung!” Jeongin grimaced and fled out of the bathroom, empty wooden pails in hand. Minho snickered and stepped into the empty tub, grabbing the ladle that was in the barrel of water before splashing himself a few times.

A couple of years ago, Minho would have lost his hand if he had tried to ruffle Jeongin’s hair like that. He had been so scared and so small back then, a shadow of the young man he had grown up to become.

Minho had been 15 at the time he had found him and Seungmin in their woods, a couple of months after Miyoung and Kangdae’s passing. And just like how when he and Felix had been found, it had been during the heart of winter and snow had been covering the land like a glittering fluffy blanket.

“Repeat it.” He huffed tiredly at his brother with a stern look on his face, his hand resting on the handle of the front door.
“Run, howl and hide” Felix rolled his eyes “I know, Hyung. Stop nagging me every time”
Minho’s lips were pursed into a frown, his unamused eyes resting on the 12 year old pup. Felix’s attitude had reached new heights recently, worsening ever since their grandparents had passed, and Minho was growing more tired of it with each passing day.
He closed his eyes and let out a long breath he had been holding, shaking his head once and reminding himself that he loved his brother.

Sometimes wanted to smother him, but loved him nonetheless.

“Lock the door, I’ll--”
“Be back before I know it, yeah yeah” Felix finished his sentence for him with a loud groan as he all but pushed the older omega out of the door.
Minho blinked as icy specs of snow landed on his bare frame and before he could process what had just happened and turn to pull the pup’s ear, he felt a pair of lips plant a kiss on his cheek.
“Please be safe Hyung” Felix’s voice was soft and sweet and as quickly as he had appeared he also had disappeared and locked the door behind him. Minho stared at the door a couple of moments and sighed.
“The death of me…” he chuckled and quickly moved away from the door before shifting. The frigid winter air was not as unrelenting while protected by his thick wolf fur and Minho inhaled the fresh air deeply, shaking out his fur before leaping forward and disappearing into the surrounding woods.

If the sun had been out, he would have been able to tell the time by how far the sun had moved. But due to the thick and dark clouds that threateningly swirled above the land, minutes felt like hours and so far he had yet to pick up the scent of anything worth hunting. He continued along the edges of the territory, his nose zeroing in on every little thing he could find. And when the clouds started rumbling in warning of what seemed to be an impending snowstorm, he decided to call it a day when his nose picked up on something unusual.
Blood.

The smell of blood itself was not what was alarming though. The fact that it smelled like human blood, or rather wolfsblood, is what had his senses screaming at him in alarm and his hairs on end in an instant. Foreign wolves never trekked into their territory. At least not since him and Felix.

Minho lowered his snout and started following the scent, his senses alert for any sound or movement around him and before long he stumbled upon a trail in the snow leading deeper into their woods. Due to the height of the snow, the trail was dragged and unclear, but the smell of blood was strong even though there was no visual proof of it anywhere. Had the snowfall covered it already?

He furrowed his brows and lowered himself a little more into the snow as he carefully started following the trail, trying to sniff for any wolf pheromones along the way. But to no avail. All he was able to pick up on was the blood. If anything, this was probably the most alarming thing. Had the scent been carried away by the wind? That would mean that whoever this blood belonged to, was already way deeper into the territory then he thought.

Felix.

He allowed panic to course through his veins momentarily and was about to spin and rush home before his brain stopped him. Better yet, his instincts did. The snowfall and wind had started to pick up rapidly and Minho turned his head back around to regard the tracks carefully. It had been snowing all morning. Hell, it had been snowing all week. If this wolf had been here for a while, even for an hour, those tracks would have been partially hidden already. But this trail was new.

Which meant only one thing: it was close.
And the rapidly worsening weather told him that he needed to head back home sooner rather than later. However, with Felix back at the cottage alone, the threat of a possible wolf in their woods was too important to ignore. Plus, the nagging feeling in his whole being that he needed to find this wolf despite the threat was encompassing. His instincts were screaming at him but he couldn’t pinpoint why or what it was. One of the downsides of growing up without any other adult omegas around, without his mother, was having to figure out all of these things on his own. If anything, only so he could teach Felix. And more often than not, it had him pulling his hair out. But now he was just on high alert, the feeling in his stomach gnawing at him to hurry up.

So he did.

He looked around briefly and shook out his fur, the accumulated snow flying off him, before he decided to continue to follow the trail.
After a couple of minutes, Minho noticed the smell getting more prominent. His icy blue eyes carefully scanned through the snow and around the area as he moved along the rapidly disappearing trail until they landed on what seemed the end of it.

There was something, presumably hiding from the intensifying wind and snow, near a couple of big boulders. He approached slowly with his body low to the ground, the snow working to his advantage as it camouflaged him into near invisibility. But when he got close enough to finally notice what it was the blood trail had led him to, he reeled back in shock, his white rose scent wilting with worry.

In the shadows of the boulder, trembling violently in the cold, sat a small wolf curled up into himself. When Minho’s scent spiked, the wolf lifted his head off the ground and looked up, causing Minho’s heart to drop to new levels. The wolf hadn’t been curled in on himself, he was curled around a small boy who seemed to be asleep. Which was not good.

When the wolf’s confused and scared black eyes met Minho’s blue ones through the falling snow, he immediately moved himself to cover the smaller boy protectively and started snarling, his tiny fangs on full display. Now the fact that he had not been able to pick up any pheromones hit Minho like a truck as it became dreadfully evident what he was dealing with.

The two boys were still pups. What in the world were they doing all the way out here in this horrid weather in the middle of winter? And one of them asleep and in human form, of all things. It was almost like looking into an old mirror which ran a cold shiver down his spine.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you” he said softly as he slowly moved closer, trying his best to keep his scent warm and soothing in an attempt to reassure the snarling pup. The small wolf’s eyes were filled with an impossible amount of fear. Not a trace of anger present anywhere. He was terrified.

The snarling got louder and Minho’s fears and worries reached a new high when the movement of the small wolf caused the pup he was trying to protect to shift. His head lolled to the side and a trail of blood that ran along the side of his face and down his neck presented itself to the worried omega. And from the looks of the stained clothes the pup was wearing, it wasn’t the only source. What happened to them?

“I am not going to hurt you” Minho tried again, his instincts screaming at him to help the pups “I promise”
A few seconds went by and Minho could see the resolve and determination in the wolf’s demeanour crack ever so lightly.
“I promise” Minho tried again, letting out the softest of mewls to try and reassure the pup.
And much to his relief, it worked.

The snarling slowly shifted into a low whimper as the small wolf lowered his head, looking from Minho to the boy safely tucked away against his fur and back again. Minho had carefully taken the opportunity to move closer and when the small wolf locked eyes with him again, the omega gently pressed his snout against the pup’s cheek before looking over to the small boy.

The caramel haired boy was shivering so hard that it even made the small wolf tremble. And if the blood wasn’t alarming enough, his skin was almost akin to the snow with how pale he was. And worse of all, his lips were a faint hint of blue.

“Help us, please? He’s hurt…” the small wolf whimpered desperately and looked back at his friend, carefully moving to lick at the blood that had run down his face “Please”
Minho’s heart broke at how broken and small he sounded. He nodded quickly and released some more of his pheromones, his white rose warm despite the cutting icy wind.
“What’s your name?” Minho asked him carefully and the small wolf looked up at him, his eyes big and threatening to spill over.
“S-Seungmin” he whimpered before looking at the small boy “And t-this is Jeo-Jeongin”
“My name is Minho” Minho introduced himself, hoping that it would make the pup feel a little safer before moving on to repeat the exact words that Kangdae had used on him so many years ago “And I live not far from here, so I’m going to take you home where I can take care of your friend better, okay? I’ve got you”

Luckily, the small wolf quickly nodded in agreement, desperation laced in every inch of himself as he moved to get up. But Minho stopped him before completely lowering himself into the snow.
“Okay Seungmin, I’m going to need you to shift” He said as he looked up at the small wolf with alarming urgency “I know it’s cold, but I need you to shift and get onto my back. We’ll be faster like that. And keep yourself as close to my fur as possible, you can pull on me all you want, don’t worry about hurting me okay? Just hold on as tightly as you can because I will be going as fast as I can, do you understand?”

The boy hesitated for a few seconds as he searched Minho’s eyes but nodded determinedly before doing as told and shifting, his small form instantly attacked by the ruthless reality around them. Minho felt a pang shoot through his heart as he watched Seungmin violently tremble while the boy turned to help Jeongin up. The pup was a lot younger than he had thought, if anything he didn’t seem much older than Jeongin looked. But what horrified him most wasn’t his age, it was the state the young boy was in.

Minho could easily count every single one of Seungmin’s vertebrae that were protruding from his back. Atleast, he would have had it not been for the countless bruises that were littered all over his small frame. Some older than others as they were already starting to fade and some very recent judging by the angry red color. What the hell had happened to them?

“Innie?” Seungmin spoke softly but firmly, his shaking arms supporting Jeongin as best as he could. “Innie, you have to get up”
He eventually managed to help the boy up by sheer will power alone because Jeongin was completely unresponsive.
Minho needed to get them home and fast.

It took a few minutes for the pups to get onto Minho’s back, the omega assisting as best as he could by offering his head and muzzle as support. After climbing onto the wolf’s back, Seungmin secured Jeongin firmly in front of him before entangling his hands in Minho’s fur and lowering himself as instructed. At this point the snowstorm had picked up immensely and Minho wanted to get these pups out of here as soon as possible. He huffed gently when he felt the boys settle on his back, checking to see if they were ready and when he received confirmation, he got up carefully and took off.

His heart was dangerously hammering in his chest all the way home, he knew the wind and snow must be feeling like shards of glass for the pups on his back as he sped through the woods and he felt horrible for it. And to make matters worse, it felt like the way home was taking longer than usual.

When he found that he was close enough to the cottage he let out a small whine so as to not completely alarm Seungmin before he lifted his muzzle and howled out into the air. He needed to alert Felix that he was coming and something was up. As he howled he felt Seungmin tighten his grip on his fur, not even having noticed that the grip had loosened ever so lightly before.
Not good.

He picked up his pace a little, his legs burning as his heartbeat continued to thunder in his ears. But he was still able to hear Felix’s responding howl, loud and clear. He howled back and just when he started feeling Seungmin’s grip loosening a little again, his eyes landed on the clearing and the cottage. It was hard to see through the storm but due to the lit fireplace inside the cottage, Minho was able to make out the tiny silhouette of Felix standing in the door frame.

“Felix! Bring me a fur cloak now!” He all but barked at his brother, his voice firm and full of urgency and Felix didn’t hesitate to jump into action. The poor boy had no idea what was going on but disappeared into the cottage immediately. Minho came to a halt in front of the door and lowered himself so Seungmin could get off. Not a few seconds later, Felix came running out of the cottage fur cloak clutched firmly in his hands. But when his eyes landed on the boys on his brother’s back he skidded to a halt.

“Hyung?” His voice was uncertain and Minho could hear the hint of fear mixed in with concern.
“Felix, I need you to help them down. I’ll explain everything once we get inside” He spoke firmly, his calming scent filling the area. But Felix didn’t move. He was frozen in place, seemingly lost in a memory so Minho was left with no choice but to use force.
“Felix! Now!”

The growl caused Felix to jump, the boy looking at his brother and back at the boys on his back and before Minho could address him again, he ran forward.
Minho felt Seungmin let go of his fur and begin to climb down when Felix reached them and once he knew both of the boys were off of him, he shifted.

A distraught Felix kept trying to place the fur cloak around Seungmin but the latter frantically was attempting to wrap it around Jeongin instead, tears running down his face. Minho quickly reached over and secured the cloak around the boy, forcing him to look up at him.
“I’ve got him” he assured and within seconds he had picked Jeongin up as he instructed Felix to help Seungmin inside and towards the fireplace.

Once inside, it didn’t take long for the adrenaline Minho rightly assumed had been running through Seungmin’s veins to settle down, causing him to succumb to shock. Both pups developed a dangerous fever, Seungmin bouncing back relatively quickly much to Minho’s relief.
Jeongin, on the other hand, was a different story. His fever lasted so long that Minho even feared for the worst at one point as the boy showed no signs of improvement.

But luckily, the pup had proven to be a lot more resilient than he looked.

In all honesty neither of them, especially Jeongin, should have survived being out there for days in the first place. Because that is what had been the case, according to what Seungmin had said when he explained their situation after he recovered. They had been wandering around for almost 2 days when Minho had found them. But when the topic of both his and Jeongin’s injuries and how they had sustained them would come up, the boy would shut down completely. So Minho knew better than to press on the matter.

The two brothers quickly learned that Seungmin was 13 years old at the time, much to Minho’s shock. The pup was so small and fragile that he never would have guessed him to be older than 10. Let alone Jeongin being around Felix’s age with how tiny he was. But Minho soon learned that despite his smaller frame, Jeongin was a force to be reckoned with. And when the pup finally opened his eyes after being down for over two weeks, Minho felt glad and relieved that he had listened to his instincts.

“Hyung?” Jeongin poked his head into the bathroom, knocking Minho back into the present. He smiled softly and when he hummed in response, Jeongin continued.
“Lixie is asking if it’s okay if we go out and check for tangerines and such?” His caramel scent slightly sweetening in anticipation “Please?”
An airy chuckle escaped Minho’s lips at the request.
“Are the hares done?” he asked
“Yes, cleaned and salted. Minnie washed the furs in the river and hung them to dry” Jeongin answered promptly.
“And who is ‘we’?”
“Lix and I” Jeongin bit his lip “I’ll be shifting because Lixie is not in the mood to mud”
Silence fell over them for a couple of seconds before Jeongin continued.
“and yes, he’s bringing his bow and arrow” he added quickly asif to try and seal the deal with that information.
Minho hummed in feigned amazement before lifting the ladle and letting the water wash the soap out of his hair, glancing back at the boy standing in the doorway. He always had a hard time saying no to those fox-like eyes.
“Sure” he tried to stifle a smirk at the sight of Jeongin’s blinding smile and eyed him seriously “Just be careful, please?” he warned “And--”

“Don’t get close to the border! We know, thank you Hyung!” Jeongin darted away happily and made his way back to the kitchen where his friend was waiting for him, bottom lip caught between his teeth and leg bouncing up and down from where he leaned against the kitchen table.
“Hyung said yes” he beamed when Felix came into view and lifted his hand up.
“Nice! Let’s go” Felix smiled and met the boy halfway, high fiving him before he grabbed his woven quiver and bow and slung them over his shoulder.
Jeongin quickly stripped down and folded his clothes, placing them on one of the benches in front of the fireplace before heading out the door with his best friend in tow.

Once outside, he shifted into his caramel white spotted wolf form, yipping happily towards Seungmin who was back at ploughing the field in the garden.
The brown haired beta looked up and grimaced as he watched Felix secure the wicker basket around Jeongin’s middle.
“What happened to helping me in the garden?” he grumbled and wiped the back of his hand over his forehead, sweat dripping down to the blond underside of his hair. Despite the cold of winter, working under the sun the way he was had the boy nearly sweating out of his skin.
“Two words Minnie hyung” Felix smiled smugly as he held up his hand and put down one finger with each following word “citrus desserts”
At that, Seungmin’s face changed into something somewhat pleased and he nodded in contemplation as he watched Felix climb onto Jeongin’s back. It had been a while since they had fresh fruit desserts and Seungmin was not going to deny himself that pleasure. Felix was the best when it came to sweets.

Jeongin had already taken a few steps to head out when Felix pulled him back by his scruff in an afterthought. He snapped his fangs back at the boy on his back in frustration before shaking out his fur, almost causing Felix to slide off and eliciting a smack on the back from the omega.
“Impatient” Felix frowned before quickly turning back around to face Seungmin.
“Hyung, do you think you could make me some milk to bake with?” Felix asked hopefully, his icy blue eyes resting on the beta “Do we still have soybeans left?”

Seungmin stood up and nodded, wiping his hands on his tunic.
“Yeah, we do” he answered, the corners of his mouth curling up into a smirk “What’s in it for me? Aside from the sweets, they don’t count”
Jeongin rolled his eyes and huffed at the usual boldness of the beta as Felix chuckled and pondered for a bit, his lips pursed.
“How about… I bring you back the prettiest tangerine I find?” he decided with a smile and the best baby chick face he could conjure up.
“Deal” Seungmin answered as he started towards the cottage, hiding the satisfied grin adorning his face.
He would have made the milk either way.

“Thank you!” Felix beamed happily before turning his attention forward and firmly entangling his hands into Jeongin’s scruff “Okay, Innie, let’s go”

The forest area where the citrus orchard was situated, was a little under 30 minutes away. But Jeongin was, besides Minho, the fastest in their pack which is something he took much pride in and liked to show off. Much like now as he launched forward and disappeared into the forest.
Felix kept his body pressed into Jeongin’s back in order to avoid the cutting wind as much as possible, his fading pink hair resembling cotton candy as it fluttered behind him while the wolf swiftly manoeuvred through the trees.

And as expected, it didn’t take more than around 20 minutes for them to arrive at their destination. Once their senses were engulfed by the intoxicating citrus scent that hung in the area, Jeongin skidded to a stop and lowered himself so Felix could jump down, the latter instantly disappearing between the fruit trees.

“There are a lot more ripe ones than I thought!” he chanted happily as he tossed a tangerine he had plucked up into the air towards Jeongin.
The wolf yipped and leaped into the air, catching the tangerine in his muzzle. He chewed on the fruit happily, following a humming Felix through the trees as the pink haired omega started harvesting anything that looked ripe.

Half a basket full of fruit later and a little deeper into the orchard, Felix’s brows furrowed together as he carefully deposited a couple of tangerines and lemons into the wicker basket on Jeongin’s middle. He looked around curiously, nose twitching ever so lightly as he sniffed the air around them.
“Did it rain last night? Why does it smell like petrichor so much?” he asked, looking down at the ground as his nose twitched lightly. Apart from the remnants of the morning dew, the ground was not wet enough. It didn’t seem like it had rained. If anything, the winter had been relatively dry apart from the snow.

Jeongin huffed with a light shrug. He had been wondering the same thing since he picked up the scent a little while ago. Somehow the area smelled strongly like rain yet the ground seemed dry. And the deeper they ventured into the orchard the more potent it seemed to get.
“Maybe it was a stray cloud that only passed over part of the orchard?” the mumble came out more as a statement than a question when he looked over towards Felix’s tiny form standing tiptoe trying to reach a very pretty ripe tangerine that hung a little higher. The wolf lowered his snout under Felix’s butt and pushed him up so his friend could reach more easily.
“Thanks” Felix muttered after getting down and putting the big tangerine in the basket “I think our puppy will like that one”

The omega beamed proudly at the find and nodded happily before moving deeper into the orchard. Jeongin rolled his eyes playfully and followed at a slow pace. As they moved, the petrichor around them continued to grow stronger, much to their confusion. Though it was a soft and pleasant scent, almost calming and peaceful.
Jeongin frowned and pressed his snout into Felix’s side before nodding his head towards the sky.
“Or what if the smell is indicating approaching rain?” he asked curiously.
Felix tilted his head to look up before frowning and shaking his head in disagreement.
“The sky is too clear for that Innie--”

But before Felix could finish his train of thought, Jeongin suddenly whipped his head around, his ears alert and caramel scent spiking dangerously.
“W-what?” Felix blinked and looked back into the direction Jeongin had turned to “What’s--”
But the wolf cut him off when he suddenly moved to hover over Felix instinctively, his hairs upright and ears flattened back against his head. His scent changing from soft caramel to burned sugar and intensifying by the second, a low growl rumbling in his chest dangerously.
Immediately Felix reacted, sliding his bow off his shoulder and drawing an arrow before pointing it in the direction Jeongin’s eyes were fixed. His breathing quickened nervously as his own jasmine scent bittered.

“Who’s there!? Show yourself!” He carefully stepped along Jeongin’s side, his eyes scanning the area carefully. Simultaneously, he noticed the petrichor intensifying and turning slightly stormy and Felix felt like smacking himself over the head.
It wasn’t rain they’d been smelling. It had been pheromones.
There was a wolf in their territory.
A foreign wolf.
And since this one seemed to smell like rain and not pine, Felix knew for a fact that it was not the wolf Minho had been warning them about for the past 3 years.
“I said, show yourself!” he yelled out into the orchard again, fingers slightly trembling around the arrow. Felix squeezed his eyes and shook his head quickly in an attempt to shake off the nerves and fear that were invading his system. He reminded himself that this time he wasn’t alone. This time, Jeongin was right there. He was going to be fine. 

Run, howl and hide.

A few seconds passed before there was movement in between the trees in front of them, and from the shadows emerged a wolf they had indeed never seen before. And instantly the urge to indeed run, howl and hide tripled within Felix at the sight.

The wolf was huge. If anything, he looked like he was bigger than Minho. But for the tiniest millisecond moment, Felix found himself mesmerized by him. His fur resembled what the omega imagined the ocean to look like, the aegean color almost gleaming in the sunlight. He had never seen anything like it.
The wolf moved slowly and to Felix’s bewilderment, his muzzle opened into a huge yawn before he stretched his front paws leisurely in front of him, a soft crack following the movement shortly after.
Felix’s mouth fell agape, his face twisting in disbelief and confusion as he tightened the grip on his arrow.
Did he just…crack his back? Had he been sleeping? Here? Surely not.
He inhaled deeply and straightened his back, his arrow pointed directly at the wolf’s chest.
“Who are you and what are you doing in our territory?” he growled.

The aegean wolf turned his head towards them and Jeongin bared his teeth, the growl now fully turned into menacing snarls. But this did not seem to phase the stranger in the slightest.
His groggy gaze shifted from Jeongin to Felix, his midnight black eyes catching the latter's threatening glare.

And the moment their eyes met, Felix felt his breath catch in his throat.

Chapter Text

The rule was simple: get in, get out.
That’s how they had been living since they settled down near the area 3 years ago. Or atleast, this was the rule when it came to the territory that closely bordered their own. But Changbin was never much for the rules, especially when they ripped them away from some well deserved peace much like the one he was enjoying right now.
During spring and summer, the orchard that lay in enemy territory was the best place to take a nap in, in his opinion at least. The fresh scents of the fruits were soothing, mouth watering and not to mention delicious. And even though technically it wasn’t really spring yet, it was just around the corner and the weather was nice, so who was he to deprive himself of peace? 

The alpha let out a satisfied sigh and rolled over, the fallen tree branches softly snapping underneath his large wolf form as the rays of the sun that peeked through the trees warmed his exposed belly, causing him to drift in and out of sleep.
Such bliss.
Changbin knew he needed to start making his way home sooner rather than later but the amount of sugar in his system was making it hard for him to get moving. That and the fact that he simply did not want to. His alpha killing him was a problem for future Changbin, not present Changbin.

He let himself doze off again, the tip of his snout softly brushing against one of the low hanging fruits in the tree he was sleeping under. Almost instantly the image of caramelized oranges graced his mind's eye, accompanied by a nice steaming cup of soothing Jasmine tea.
‘Oddly specific’ Changbin thought. But it looked delicious. And he could literally almost smell it, saliva dripping down his tongue that hung lazily out of his muzzle. Maybe he could convince Hyunjin to make him some tea when he got back. And maybe he could bag some extra oranges too, he was pretty sure they still had some sap left to actually make some caramelized orange slices. Changbin let out a low elated grunt at the thought and suddenly the idea of rushing home became a lot more attractive to the aegean wolf. Just a few more minutes and he would force himself away from his peace.

However, said peace was much shorter lived than he had hoped.
“Who’s there!? Show yourself!”
In his slumber, the words went completely unnoticed by the alpha. But the changing image of his dream was something he couldn’t have missed even if he wanted too. Rapidly, the sweet smell of the caramelized oranges started burning and the tea bittered substantially which left Changbin unamused at best. With a soft grunt, he turned his head sideways and when the burning scent intensified, his eyebrows furrowed together.
“I said, show yourself!”

This time, the words penetrated his ears like a bee sting, hearing them loud and clear.
“Oh crap…” he huffed softly, that was most definitely not in his dream. Chan was going to kill him twice over, if he even made it home at all. At this point, fate was as uncertain as his future.
Frustrated, he squinted open one of his eyes and sighed deeply before slowly rolling over and getting up on his paws. It was better to get this over with as soon as he could, but him being so rudely awakened didn’t help his mood and would most probably also not help his case either if he would have to beg for his life. Though somewhere he believed that the wolf he would have to beg, would have most likely killed him in his sleep in the first place. So there was that. The alpha slowly moved out from under the tree, unable to hold back the yawn that escaped his muzzle as he stretched his front paws out in front of him lacklustre until a satisfying crack released the tension in his spine from lying down for so long.

“Who are you and what are you doing in our territory?” the deep voice spoke again and Changbin turned his head into the direction of the sound.
The first thing he saw was the caramel spotted wolf, from whom he suspected the burning caramel scent was coming from. Mainly due to the fact that the wolf looked livid and about ready to pounce if Changbin even moved one toe out of line.
He blinked tiredly and briefly sniffed the air. Apart from the intense burning caramel, he was also able to pick up on a faint hint of bitter jasmine. And suddenly the images in his dream made a lot of sense. Chan would have had his head on a platter and then some. How was he out here mistaking pheromones for food?
But the fact that he was only able to smell two scents meant one thing, there were two wolves. And none of them was roses.

Because they had been warned about the white roses. Jisung had almost had a stroke the day Chan came home in the condition that he had been in.

It’s always the moments that are the nicest and most unassuming that you have to look out for, because that’s always when something goes wrong. And Changbin knew better. Even with the uneventful life he had lived, he knew that peace was never free. And today was no exception.
It had been a couple of months since they had found their new home, the small clearing perfect for their tiny, 4 man pack. The cottage was coming along very nicely, but unfortunately due to the winter they had been forced to put a pin in the building process.

It was an early morning, the air inside the cottage frigid as Changbin hurried past Hyunjin who was busying himself in the kitchen. The relief the small fireplace brought was instantaneous when the alpha finally managed to light the few pieces of firewood moments later. He quickly moved to sit next to Jisung who had been curled up on the bench, the fur pelt almost swallowing him whole. And the young alpha didn’t waste a breath when Changbin sat down. He didn’t even wait for the man to get comfortable before he was already invading his space and all but climbing into his lap.
“You cold, puppy?” Changbin chuckled lightly and carefully wrapped his arms around the boy, adjusting the pelt a little bit as it had partially slid off him when he had moved.

“I’m not a pup, I’m 17” Jisung grumbled lightly but nodded nonetheless.
“As long as your scent does not come in, you are a pup” Hyunjin mused the fact as he walked over towards them, juggling 3 mugs of steaming tea in his hands “And the fact that you’re our youngest will not help your case either. Just enjoy the pampering while it lasts”
He placed the mugs on the low table in front of the bench and reached over to gently ruffle Jisung’s hair.
Jisung let out an unamused huff, but Hyunjin didn’t miss how the pup leaned into the touch. He stifled a smile and took one of the mugs before holding it out for the young alpha.
“What if my scent never develops though?” Jisung asked carefully, his voice soft and cautious as he straightened up and carefully took the mug from the beta.
“Then it doesn’t develop” Changbin shrugged before leaning over and grabbing his own mug, revelling in the warmth that it caused to spread on his palms. “You’ll still be our Jisung. Only means we get to spoil you rotten forever”

Jisung looked up at Changbin happily, a low and steady rumble vibrating through his chest as he moved to lean back into his comfortable position against the sturdy alpha. But he was a fool to think that that would be the end of the topic.
“Yah yah” Hyunjin deadpanned “Scent or not, I will be revoking your pup title and hanging a bell around your neck once you turn 20. If we can’t smell you at least we’ll be able to hear you”
Jisung gaped at the blonde and slow blinked in shock.
“Excuse you? Do I look like a cow to you?” he exclaimed in disbelief at the audacity, his tea sloshing dangerously within the confines of his mug as he sat up quickly. And just in time.
Changbin’s timing to take a sip of his tea to warm himself had been most unfortunate as the man snorted at the exchange of words, causing him to choke violently as the tea squirted out of his nose.

“Hyung! Oh my god…” Jisung scurried away across the bench and watched in semi disgust as the aegean alpha tried to regain his composure, coughing and trying to catch his breath simultaneously.
On the other bench, Hyunjin wasn’t faring much better either. The beta was doubled over in hysterics, tears gleaming at the corner of his eyes as his high pitched cackle bounced off the walls around them.
“I don’t see what’s so funny” Jisung deadpanned as he watched his two hyungs almost turn red with glee “You’re a mess. Not very sexy, Binnie hyung”

At that Changbin paused and looked up at the scarlet haired alpha as he tried his best to hold back his laughter, his eyes mischievous and predatory.
“W-what?” Jisung shifted nervously where he sat when he caught the alpha’s gaze. His biggest mistake was blinking at that time because he found himself locked in Changbin’s grasp a second later, the alpha’s hand holding his chin and turning his face.
“Mess? I’ll show you ‘mess’!” Changbin grunted, his voice airy and playful as he leaned in towards the squirming pup.
“AH NO! Unhand me, you beast! You’ve got tea running out of your nose!” Jisung cried out but was unsuccessful in containing the laugh that escaped him when he felt the elder press his wet nose against his cheek.

It wasn’t until Hyunjin suddenly stiffened that the two looked up from their wrestling match, Jisung losing terribly as he wiped his cheek against Changbin’s tunic with his face scrunched up in feigned disgust.
“You okay Jinnie?” Changbin asked as he released the younger and regarded Hyunjin carefully.
“Hyung’s back…” Hyunjin answered slowly. But his face was twisted into slight confusion. Or at least that’s what Changbin thought it was until his nose picked up on the reason Hyunjin’s scent had bittered, his own demeanour instantly alert as his eyes moved to the front door.
Jisung, however, had missed the exchange between the two in his excitement at the mention of their alpha. He happily jumped up from the bench and sped towards the door, leaving the fur pelt to fall and bundle into a forgotten heap on the floor.
“Jisung wait--”

Changbin had reached out to try and stop him but in that same moment, the door swung open. And as expected, Jisung skidded to an immediate halt, smile dropping as fast as the pelt had and eyes going wide in shock.
Chan stumbled into the cottage, his pine scent burning in rage as he struggled to keep himself standing. Both Changbin and Hyunjin looked at their alpha in horror, not having expected the scent of blood they had both picked up on prior to his arrival to be from what they were witnessing. Streams of blood were running down the alpha’s face like a waterfall and words to begin to describe the injury that was the cause of it fell nothing short of horrendous.

Changbin and Hyunin both leaped into action as they hurried over to their alpha, getting to him just before the man’s legs gave out.
“Fuck” Chan hissed as he spit some of the blood out of his mouth, his hand gripping onto Changbin’s arm firmly as he let out an unstable breath.
“Hyung…” Jisung had been frozen in place, his eyes now glassed over as he watched his alpha struggle to stand.
“Sungie, heat up some water, grab me a clean cloth and bring it to hyung’s room please” Hyunjin addressed the boy, his voice as calm as possible as to not scare him more than he already was “Can you do that for me Sungie?”
At the sound of his name, Jisung tore his eyes away from Chan’s mangled face and locked eyes with Hyunjin, his hands closing into fists to stop the violent tremor that had been coursing through them.
“Warm water and a clean cloth” The beta repeated gently when he noticed the boy had not fully heard him. And when Jisung gave a determined and shaky nod, he sent him a small smile as thank you before shifting his attention back to Chan.

“What the fuck happened to you hyung?” Changbin's face twisted painfully as he looked over his alpha worriedly before he and Hyunjin started walking him over to his room.
Chan let out a light chuckle and shook his head, the blood splattering on the floor as they walked.
“I ran into a demon” He grimaced, the grip on Changbin’s arm tightening a bit as he tried to bite away the pain. The pair frowned at the words as they exchanged confused and worried glances. Chan was a beast of a wolf so the fact that he would come home with even a scratch was already much of a stretch, let alone with what seemed to be half his face gone. They needed to get him cleaned up so they could actually see the extent of the injuries, because the blood was making it look worse than it probably was. Or so they hoped.

Once they had sat him down on the bed, Hyunjin dropped to his knees infront of him and carefully traced his hand along the left side of Chan’s face. Chan hissed at the touch, his face contorting in pain.
“I’m sorry” Hyunjin whispered apologetically before looking up at Changbin who had positioned himself next to their alpha “Binnie hyung, can you bring me the medicinal herbs and bandages please? You know where we keep them right?”
Changbin tore his worried eyes away from his best friend’s face and looked at Hyunjin. “The bandages? Uhm. yeah…”
“I need you to focus, hyung” Hyunjin said sharply “I can’t have two alphas freaking out on me right now. Do you know where we keep them?”
Changbin inhaled deeply and nodded firmly before quickly getting up and hurrying out of the room just when Jisung came in carrying a bowl with the water Hyunjin had asked for, a few clean cloths slinging from his arm. He placed the bowl down on the floor next to the beta and handed him the cloths, Hyunjin quickly nodding a thanks before the young alpha was moving to sit down next to Chan.

“You ran into a demon?” Hyunjin frowned up at his alpha as he dipped the cloth into the warm water and wrung it out before carefully starting to clean the blood on the man’s face. Chan chuckled lightly and hissed at the touch, letting out a frustrated sigh and gripping onto the sheet on the bed.
“That’s an understatement” he said, his hand balling into a fist at another pang of pain when Hyunjin brushed over his wound “You think you can save my eye?”
The blonde pursed his lips at the vague words and deliberately pressed against Chan’s eyebrow a little harder, eliciting a yelp from the elder.
“What the hell was that for?” He whined softly, his bottom lip protruding in a small pout.
“Because you’re being vague as always is what” Hyunjin shook his head lightly and sighed “But I’ll see what I can do. Let me get this blood out of the way first so I can actually see what we’re dealing with” 

It took a while for him to clean most of the blood away, though due to the freshness of the wound, it kept bleeding as he wiped. But at least now he was able to properly see what the issue was, and luckily it hadn’t been as bad as it had seemed when the man had stumbled into the cottage. Though it wasn't good by any means. Chan’s previous comment about his eye now made a lot more sense to the beta as his eyes scanned over the extent of the injury, his jaw tensed at the phantom feeling it gave him.
3 deep claw gashes ran along the alpha’s face, starting at his forehead and ending all the way down at the side of his left cheek. And from the looks of it, one of the claws had just missed his eye by a hair, though due to the excessive swelling, Hyunjin would not be able to tell the condition Chan's eye was in anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Changbin had already returned with the supplies that Hyunjin would need to dress the wounds and the beta moved as quickly as he could in order to try and stop the bleeding and keep any infection from taking root.
Applying the herb pastes and medicine was the worst part. The big bad black haired alpha but a small little pup at the mercy of his beta’s hands as he let out small whines and yelps as Hyunjin did what Hyunjin did best: Be the level headed one.
Jisung hadn’t moved from his spot next to Chan, his hand holding the elder’s firmly as he watched the beta work with bated breath. He visibly relaxed a little when Hyunjin started the bandaging process, squeezing Chan’s hand ever so gently in the hopes to bring some comfort.

“Thanks pup” Chan squeezed his hand back lightly, a soft smile appearing on his face but disappearing just as fast as he was unable to suppress another pained hiss.
“I’m not a pup” Jisung huffed, a small pout on his lips.
“No, you’re a cow” Changbin chuckled “or better yet, a calf--ACK!”
He had been so deep in his roast that he had missed the moment Jisung had leaned down, the boy’s woven slipper hitting him square in the face seconds later.
“YAH!” Changbin lurched forward and ripped the young alpha away from Chan, Jisung letting out a loud yelp as he tried to get away, but to no avail.
“You’ve been really bold lately” the aegean haired grumbled as he held Jisung down in a head lock and ruffled his hair roughly, the young alpha chuckling and rumbling playfully as he tried to free himself from Changbin’s clutches.

And with that, the tension that had been hanging in the cottage since Chan’s arrival dissipated completely. Hyunjin chuckled as he finished up bandaging a very confused Chan and when he caught the alpha’s questioning gaze he just shook his head lightly with a fond smile, signaling the man to not worry about it.
“Now” He said in a much more serious tone as he moved the bowl of bloody water aside and sat back down on the floor, instantly catching the attention of the two entangled alphas on the bed “are you going to tell us what the hell this is about”
The blonde motioned his hand towards Chan’s bandaged face while Chan moved to lean up against the wall, his good eye closing tiredly as he rested his head back against it. Changbin and Jisung sat up, the scarlet snugly tucked in between the elder’s legs and resting against his chest as they too were beyond curious and about 5 lightyears overdue for an explanation.

“Remember how the territory next to ours always smells like white roses and I’ve always been saying that I wanted to meet the carrier of the scent?” Chan started, his face slightly contorting in pain as he let the words hang in the room for a few seconds. “Well, I met him. Or better yet, I met his wrath”
He opened his eye and looked over each of his pack members, his gaze serious and dangerous as he addressed the trio.
“Neither of you is to set a toe in the direction of that territory for the time being. Do I make myself clear?”
He watched how all of them squirmed nervously at his tone and hard stare before they all nodded obediently, not daring to fight him on the matter.
“And in the future, If you value your life and you catch even the slightest whiff of  white roses at all, haul your ass back home immediately. No. Exceptions.”
The trio nodded again and Chan’s eye paused on Jisung who seemed to want to say something but obviously was holding himself back, his gaze softening at the sight.
“What’s wrong pup?” he asked gently.
Jisung bit his lip, his eyebrows furrowing together in thought before finally addressing what had bothered him about Chan’s explanation.
“An alpha that smells like white roses? I didn’t know that was a thing?” He looked back up and met Chan’s gaze, gulping at how the alpha’s usual bright amber eyes, or eye in this case, had darkened at his words.

“Who said anything about him being an alpha?” Chan had exclaimed seriously. And the tension in his voice had pulled the air in the room so thin that it became hard to breathe as the trio listened to him recount what had happened on his hunt.

Leave it to Changbin to be disappointed that there was no hint of white rose anywhere right now. To say that he was curious about the omega who had been responsible for the scars on his pack alpha’s face, was an understatement. Especially since, in the time that they had been here, none of them had ever actually seen the omega. Or any other wolf for that matter. Only the occasional remnants of said white rose scent circling the borders of the territory. In the end, maybe that was a good thing based on the memory of that day.

But, right now, the thing that caught Changbin’s attention more than the absence of the white rose or the enraged wolf in front of him, was the person the latter seemed to be hovering over protectively. He shifted his gaze towards him and when he locked eyes with the pink haired boy, the world seemed to stop spinning for a split second. Even the arrow that was pointed at his head went unnoticed as he stared at the boy in awe.
Never in his 22 years of existence had he ever seen anyone so extraordinarily beautiful before, the eyes of the boy sucking all the air out of his lungs in mere seconds.
Instinctively, and completely forgetting about the situation he was currently in, Changbin tried to take a step forward. But this proved to be a big miscalculation on his part. Because the moment his paw inched off the floor, an arrow flew past his head, grazing his cheek and causing the alpha to blink. That was one hell of a shot.
“The next one won’t miss” the pink haired boy spoke and Changbin did a double take. What the hell was that? How was a voice that deep coming out of a face that looked like it belonged in fairy tales?
He blinked, struggling to keep his mind on earth as he was not able to look away from the boy. And if looks could kill, Changbin would have been slaughtered ten times over by now based on the murderous glare the boy was sending his way.

“Who are you?” The boy spoke again with a tone that was dripping with ice, another arrow already pointed in the alpha’s direction.
Changbin knew he was not going to be able to communicate with him in his wolf form so he reluctantly tore his eyes away from the blue orbs he had lost himself in and turned his attention back to the caramel spotted wolf.
“I’m sorry” he said gently “I fell asleep, I didn’t mean to trespass”
Lies. Even though the falling asleep part wasn’t, Changbin knew exactly where he was and what he was doing here. He was indeed nothing more than a trespasser and a stealing one at that. But they didn’t need to know that. However, the wolf didn’t reply and instead snarled louder and in reaction the fairy-like boy tightened his grip on the arrow.
“Wow wow wow” Changbin growled softly, his scent spiking in alarm. He was not excited about the idea of an arrow stuck in the middle of his forehead, how the hell would he explain that back home? “Look, I don’t want to hurt you okay. I’ll go--”
“Tsk. Hurt us? What makes you think I’ll even give you the chance” The young wolf cut him off with a scoff “Minho hyung was right, alphas really are arrogant”
Changbin muzzle fell agape as he slowly blinked in astonishment. Excuse me? Arrogant? And who the hell was Minho?

He was so taken aback by the attitude that it took him a couple of seconds to compose himself before he addressed the rude wolf, his mood soured substantially. Regardless of the situation, this wolf could tone it down a notch.
“Listen, I’m trying to tell you this is a misunderstanding” He countered, the growl coming out a little harsher than he had intended to, his alpha voice instinctively having mixed into it.
And immediately, he regretted it.
The caramel spotted wolf faltered and the snarl was momentarily replaced with a soft whine, his head lowering and exposing his neck in submission. But it lasted only a split second before he had straightened himself up and composed himself, obvious confusion written all over his demeanour.
“Innie…?” The boy looked at his friend, his eyes wide with worry and confusion too as the grip on the arrow loosened ever so lightly.

The sound of the distressed tone the boy held in his voice caused Changbin’s insides to twist. This was absolutely the last thing he had wanted.
“I’m sorry…” he spoke towards the young wolf “I-I didn’t mean to do that” and he meant every word of that. He had never intended to let his alpha voice slip out like that. He disliked using his alpha voice on anyone when it was unwarranted. If anything he hated it. Especially when they were trying to defend themselves and something that belonged to them.  Because fact remained, he was trespassing. And stealing to make matters worse. To them, he was the threat so who was he to even dare to try and make them submit? It left a bitter taste in his mouth because it reminded him too much of his father.
“I’ll just leave” He quickly spoke again, his voice gentler this time when the young wolf had looked back at him, his eyes a mixture of confusion, shock and anger.

“What did you do to Jeongin!?” The fairy-like boy shouted as he stepped forward, the arrow dangerously shaking in his tight grip as he pointed it back at Changbin “What the hell was that!?”

Changbin frowned at the words as his eyes landed on the boy again. What did he mean by that? But what struck the alpha as odd was the way that both of them seemed so shocked at the submission? It was almost as if--
The aegean wolf felt his eyes go wide when a grim realization hit him, with the words Jeongin had so rudely uttered earlier suddenly making sense. But how was that even a possibility? Was this their first time meeting an alpha? Surely that could not be the case, right?
Changbin let out a sigh as he noticed that he was going to get nowhere like this. So, feeling conflicted and at wits’ end, he carefully lowered his head, desperately trying to show the pair that he was not a threat. And once down, he shifted, the cold air instantly causing the hairs on his skin to stand up. And not for a second did he let himself break eye contact with the icy blue orbs that yet again held him in a grip. He wanted nothing more than to soften the glare currently aimed at him.
“I’m sorry” he said again, his voice gentle as he put his hands up in front of him. “I really didn’t mean to scare you. I swear, I mean no harm”

And to his relief, he noticed the boy’s stance falter and when Jeongin moved to hover over him again, albeit less aggressive than he had been before, he finally lowered his bow. And with the threat of the arrow gone, Changbin felt himself let out a breath he did not know he had been holding.
“W-who are you?” The boy asked him, his gaze apprehensive and his hand rising to rest on Jeongin’s shoulder and stroking the fur in a soothing manner.
“My name is Changbin”
“And?”
Changbin blinked at that.
“Wha-- and?”
The boy huffed, slightly exasperated as his eyes darted around the orchard nervously and then back to Changbin. If anything, the alpha felt that the boy looked like he had been in the sun a little too long. His complexion seemed to have turned a light shade of pink, making the freckles adorning his face stand out. Changbin swallowed at the sight. It almost looked like his face was decorated by stars that had fallen out of his eyes. He truly was so very beautiful.

And a lot more fiery than he seemed despite the obvious nerves that riddled his demeanour.

“Your name is not magically going to tell me what you are doing here” The omega retorted curtly and Changbin struggled to stifle a smirk at the fire the boy held before answering.
“Like I told your friend-- Jeongin-ssi?” He gestured towards the caramel spotted wolf who let out a low and annoyed growl at the mention of his name “I didn’t mean to trespass. It just smelled so nice here and then I fell asleep before I knew it” he lied again and internally grimaced. He really needed to stop doing that.
“You’re lying” The boy countered matter-of-factly and Changbin staggered back lightly, feeling called out. Deserved.
“And why do you think that?” the alpha was unsuccessful in hiding the way the corners of his lips turned downward in a small smirk, the boy intriguing him with every passing second.
“Because there is no way that you’re not a friend, or pack member- I don’t know” the boy shook his head quickly before continuing “-of the alpha my brother has been warning us about”
Changbin tilted his head in question. Brother? Could this possibly be roses? He opened his mouth to answer but no words came to mind as all he did was inhale sharply. And before he could gather his thoughts, a cold shiver ran over his spine, effectively shutting him up. It was too cold to be in his human form without coverage for too long.

The fairy-like boy kept looking at him with a gaze Changbin couldn’t quite figure out. And again it felt like all the air was being sucked out of his lungs as he found it too hard to look away from the boy’s enchanting eyes. Time seemed to have slowed down as he continued to look at him, searching Changbin’s eyes for a brief moment before he nodded once, like he had made up his mind.
“J-just… G-get out of here”
Changbin blinked and furrowed his brows together.
“What?”

“Get out of here. We never saw you” The boy spoke again, determination present in both his eyes and voice. But his words didn’t make any sense to the alpha at all. And it looked like he was not the only one that had thought so. Jeongin seemed to be just as thrown as he was, judging by the way the wolf whipped his head back towards his friend so quickly that Changbin could have sworn he heard a vertebrae pop. He turned his attention back to the boy and tilted his head to the side in question.
“I’m sorry, I don’t unders--”
“Just go.” The boy said again “and…” he hesitated for a couple of seconds, his bottom lip catching in between his teeth and his hand closing into a small fist in Jeongin's fur as he stared intently into Changbin’s eyes before continuing.
“And d-don’t come back here again”

Changbin blinked, confused as to why he was letting him go but nodded slowly nonetheless, not wanting to gamble away this chance. Even though something inside of him oddly enough didn’t want to leave. Not while the fairy-like boy was looking at him the way that he was. But he knew that he had to.
“Okay, thank you” he bowed his head to show his gratitude and after a few seconds of palpable silence, he finally tore his eyes away from the beautiful boy and shifted back into his wolf form. He gave them one last look, noticing Jeongin looked about ready to explode at the unfolding scene, obviously not understanding why he was being let go so easily. He gave them one last nod before slipping away through the orchard, stealthily picking up his leather sack that still lay in the shadows of the tree he had been napping under.

Changbin’s brain was in shambles. What had just happened? Also why now? This was not the first time he had napped in this orchard and never before had he encountered any other wolves.
But at least he had gained some information while at it. Or did he? He had learned a name, Jeongin. And Minho. Which might or might not be the name of the fairy’s brother. Who also might or might not be roses.
Who was he kidding? The only thing he was sure of was the name of the caramel spotted wolf. And, since they had claimed it was their territory, that there were at least 2 wolves that belonged to roses’ pack.

One of who was keeping Changbin in a chokehold, not able to get his brains to shut up about him. From the soft pink hair to the adorable freckled cheeks and lord those eyes, those endlessly hypnotizing eyes. He felt his lungs constrict and swallowed thickly. What was wrong with him? He needed to get this boy off his mind, for all obvious reasons. The biggest one being that he was part of roses’ pack. And if roses turned out to be the brother he was talking about…well. A shiver ran down his spine as the thought crossed his mind and the alpha decided to try and focus on the road home instead.
After a while his nose picked up on the tell tale warm pine scent of his pack alpha, letting him know he had entered their territory and picked up his pace. And it wasn’t long before he found himself in the clearing where their cottage was located.

“Took you long enough” Hyunjin side-eyed him from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter when he finally entered the cottage. Changbin scowled at the blonde and dropped the sack on the countertop before turning on his heel and heading towards the bathroom to clean himself up.
“You need me to heat you up some water?” Hyunjin asked as he watched the alpha shuffle past him, but Changbin waved his hand and disappeared without as much as a peep.
“Okay, grumpy” Hyunjin shrugged and grabbed a tangerine out of the leather pouch and started peeling it as he shuffled over to the log bench in front of the fireplace “Who in their right mind takes a cold shower in the winter?” he mumbled before stretching out on the bench and munching on a slice of tangerine, the sweetness and freshness of it making his face scrunch up in content.

“Who were you talking to?” Jisung asked as he hopped down the stairs a couple of moments later, his nose sniffing around.
“Changbin” the beta answered tiredly, another piece of tangerine in his mouth.
Jisung frowned and looked around as he approached the beta, his mouth watering at the sight of the tangerine “Where’d he go?”
“Bathroom” Hyunjin answered before sitting up and giving a slice to the young alpha “But he seems to be in a mood”
“A mood? Why?” the scarlet tilted his head in question as he chewed on the piece of fruit happily.
“Hell if I know” Hyunjin smirked and gestured towards the kitchen. Jisung followed the gesture and beamed when he noticed the sack of fruits. He quickly made his way over to grab his own when the front door opened again and the soft fresh scent of pine filled the cottage, instantly mellowing out the two that were in the room.

“I see Bin has finally returned” Chan sighed softly as he ruffled Jisung’s hair who smiled happily at the affection of his alpha, something he never failed to seek out, before he moved to sit by Hyunjin.
“I think he fell asleep again” the beta snickered, settling back into the armrest to let the young alpha snuggle up to his own taller frame before wrapping his arms around his waist.
“Where is he?” Chan asked, leaning against the kitchen table. The slight edge in his voice was not missed by the pair on the couch and it made them hesitant to answer, but luckily they did not have to.

“Where is who?” speaking of the devil. Changbin walked back into the room, rubbing a towel on his wet hair in an attempt to dry it before plopping down next to Hyunjin and Jisung. Chan eyed him carefully, running a hand through his jet black curls before crossing his arms over his chest.
Jisung shifted uncomfortably where he sat with his back resting snugly against Hyunjin’s chest, his hazel eyes carefully going back and forth between Changbin and their pack alpha while the beta behind him brushed a thumb over his side in an attempt to calm the younger wolf down. And when the hint of slightly soggy sandalwood hit Chan’s nose, his features softened immediately.
“I’m not mad, squirrel” he said quickly, his amber eyes resting gently on the younger’s anxious form, Jisung relaxing instantly at the words.
“I just…” he sighed tiredly before turning his attention back to Changbin “What happened?”
“I fell asleep” Changbin didn’t waste a beat.
“Called it” Hyunjin grinned before munching down on the tangerine slice Jisung had fed him over his shoulder, nuzzling his nose into the younger’s scent gland as a thank you, the scarlet letting out a content low rumble.

“Don’t worry hyung” Changbin continued, his gaze subtly resting on the scars on Chan’s face. “No white roses, just the peaceful bliss of citrus” and jasmine. Beautiful, magical, ethereal jasmine. He inhaled deeply, fighting the heavy urge to close his eyes and drift back into memory.
Chan frowned lightly and let out an exasperated sigh as he leaned his hands back on the table, the muscles in his arms flexing and the veins jutting out ever so lightly with the movement. These wolves would be the end of him one day, that is if roses didn’t get to him first.
“I know you’re not much of a rule keeper Bin but for the love of everything that is good and moonlit” he pinched the bridge of his nose “Just be careful, that’s all I ask. I’d rather not find your decapitated head impaled on the horns of that… that maniac one day” he grimaced and Jisung snickered lightly. But he quickly bit the inside of his top lip when Chan shot him a look.
“Not funny, no” the young alpha mumbled as he shook his head rapidly and averted his gaze nervously “Sorry”

Chan’s gaze lingered on the boy for a few seconds, finding it hard not to smile at the alpha’s adorable mannerisms, before closing his eyes and dropping his chin to his chest, shaking his head lightly and inhaling deeply.
“Anyway” He turned his attention back to the group on the bench “I was able to get my hands on three pheasants today, so Jinnie if you could please cut some more firewood”
Hyunjin nodded and quickly ruffled Jisung’s hair and got up, his green eyes briefly resting on Changbin before heading outside towards the shed.
“Jisungie, can I leave you in charge of preparing the vegetables?” Chan continued, his voice gentle as he addressed the boy.
“Yes!” The scarlet haired boy got up happily and then wiggled his eyebrows at the elder “are we making skewers?”
“You’re gonna have to collect some sticks if that’s what you want to eat” Chan chuckled, his arms crossing over his chest again.
Jisung beamed and nodded before heading towards the kitchen to get started when Chan turned back to face Changbin.
“Bin with me” he spoke firmly “We’re cleaning the pheasants”
Changbin grunted but got up nonetheless to follow Chan outside.

“Were you really planning on making skewers?” the aegean haired questioned as he picked up one of the pheasants before sitting down on one of the logs near the extinguished stone campfire. Chan chuckled in response and shrugged.
“Did you see the look on his face? Try and say no to that”
“You coddle him too much” Changbin smirked in response and Chan smiled before nodding slowly, knowing that denying it would get him nowhere. When it came to their youngest, they were all whipped. And he knew that. Ever since he had found the boy wandering alone as a pup almost 4 years ago, they had all grown to harbor an intergalactic soft spot for the young alpha who was as sweet and mellow as honey as could be.
“I’m going to get some water to put the plucked birds in” he said before making his way towards the shed in front of which Hyunjin was already busy swinging away at the small logs, small beads of sweat accentuating the refined lines of the muscles protruding on his back as his tunic lay a couple of feet away on the ground.

At the campfire Changbin started to pluck the feathers off the birds silently, his mind drifting off into space. Even the cold shower had not helped him to stop thinking of the majestic fairy-like boy. The piercing ice blue eyes that somehow seemed to hold so much warmth, even in that situation, continued to make his breath feel heavy. The calming scent of jasmine, the flush of pink on his cheeks, the freckles. God those freckles. A light sigh escaped Changbin's lips as he wondered what the boy would look like smiling. The idea alone graced his face with a small smile of his own, his hands mindlessly defeathering the pheasant in his hands.
“Bin…?”
He wanted to see him again. He needed to know his name.
“Changbin-ah”
Startled, Changbin blinked and looked up. Chan was sitting across from him, eyeing him with a light frown on his face.
“Are you okay…?” he asked and Changbin nodded slowly.
“Yeah. Yeah sorry” He cleared his throat before placing the bald pheasant in the small tub of water Chan had brought over, not noticing the pair of green eyes lingering on him from a few yards away.

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing dinner and doing post winter chores around the cottage as they prepared for spring. And when Jisung finally had gone out to collect suitable sticks to skewer the meat and vegetables on, Hyunjin had opted to join him. He locked hands with the younger as they slowly made their way through the nearby woods.
“I’m not a child, you know” Jisung looked up at the blonde as he intertwined their fingers “I can find sticks by myself” but the little stifled smile on his face did not hide the fact that he was happy for the company.
“Who said I’m here for you?” Hyunjin smirked jokingly.
Jisung gasped and looked up at the beta in feigned shock, his free hand grasping at his heart dramatically “Then give me my hand back” He chuckled as he pretended to try and shake his hand out of the elder’s hold.

Hyunjin smiled widely and grasped onto Jisung’s hand firmly until he stopped resisting, his gaze shifting down to their interlocked hands after a few seconds  “I just wanted to stretch my legs” he said and he felt Jisung’s thumb caress his hand softly shortly after.
“You okay?” the younger asked, giving Hyunjin’s hand a light squeeze.
“Yeah” Hyunjin lied, not wanting to worry the young alpha. But his mind was running in circles. He felt like something was off but he could not quite place his finger on what that something was, and it was gnawing away at him. He lightly squeezed Jisung’s hand back, his gentle eyes resting on the young wolf in a reassuring manner. But Jisung was no fool. Their gazes met for a brief moment and the next thing Hyunjin knew, his senses were being all but shut down by the soothing and calming sandalwood Jisung was releasing.

They stopped walking and Jisung gently tugged on their intertwined hands, pulling Hyunjin closer towards him. The beta let himself be moved, a small smile on his face as he leaned down and rested his forehead on the alpha’s shoulder, his eyes fluttering shut as he felt his worries ebb away slowly. He felt Jisung reach up to gently stroke his hair, but the scarlet remained silent, not asking any questions Hyunjin knew he wouldn’t be able to answer.
“Thank you alpha…” Hyunjin pouted lightly, his voice just above a whisper. Jisung patted his head softly and when Hyunjin leaned back he gave him an encouraging smile, sliding some loose blonde strands behind the beta’s ear.
“You’re not alone, you know” he said and caressed his cheek lightly.
“Wahh” Hyunjin smiled and shook his head, feeling a lot more relaxed now “The omega that snags you is going to be so lucky”
“Who needs an omega when I have you guys?” Jisung winked playfully and Hyunjin’s jaw fell open at the brazen proclamation.

“You did not just say that” he grimaced jokingly as he stared at the alpha in disbelief. Jisung just laughed and started moving again, pulling the shocked beta long with him.
“Let’s hurry up and find those sticks, I want skewers” He exclaimed excitedly and Hyunjin just chuckled, letting himself get dragged along.
The pair quickly searched the woods for the sticks they would need and by the time they had collected enough and made their way back to the cottage, Changbin and Chan had already finished cleaning and cutting up the pheasants.

“Sungie! Bin broke one of the knives again!” Chan called out playfully the moment he noticed the two walking into the clearing, eyes glinting with mischief like a little child. Changbin’s eyes went wide as he looked up at his alpha, the latter sticking his tongue out at him out of Jisung’s line of sight.
“Yah! No I didn’t!” he shrieked, his face offended before he turned to the young scarlet wolf who was looking at them with a tired look on his face.
“It wasn’t me!” he tried to defend himself, his hands up in the air like he was being held at arrowpoint for the second time today “I swear, Jisung, this time it was not me!” Though his track record would not bode well for him. Out of all of them, he would be the one to overestimate his strength the most.
“Did too!” Chan chuckled and just in time ducked out of the way to avoid the pebble Changbin had flung in his direction, his mouth pressed into an upside down smirk as he tried to stifle a smile. Brat.

“And we’re supposed to be the youngest ones” Hyunjin mumbled within Jisung’s earshot and the younger rolled his eyes. Ignoring the escalating scene in front of them, the blonde quickly turned to leave a soft kiss on Jisung’s temple before heading towards the shed to get the tools needed to prepare and clean the sticks. Jisung watched him walk off and then turned his attention back to the bickering alphas near the campfire.
“Binnie hyung” Jisung sighed, his eyes resting on the incredulous scene his eyes were met with and he crossed his arms over his chest tiredly. But the two children, for lack of better words, were so busy with their little ‘fight’ that the young alpha went completely unnoticed.
“Hyung!” Jisung called out get Changbin's attention, accidentally growling in the process.

Instantly he felt his blood run cold when his growl caught the attention of the two alphas and Changbin looked up from where he was trying desperately to get out of Chan’s headlock, both their faces a light shade of pink as they fought to catch their breath. Chan’s eyes were wide as he regarded Jisung where he stood before he let go of the alpha in his arms. Within seconds he was standing in front of the young alpha, his hand clamped firmly around the nape of the younger’s neck.
“Regardless of the reason” Chan spoke firmly, his voice strict and authoritative as he tightened his grip on the boy’s neck, the latter flinching lightly “You don’t ever growl at us, Han Jisung. You know this”
“I’m s-sorry alpha” Jisung swallowed, his bottom lip trembling lightly “I didn't mean to. I’m sorry”
Chan looked at him for a few seconds before his features softened and he released his grip on the boy’s neck and gently stroked his nape. Jisung relaxed under the touch and looked up at him, giving him a soft smile to let him know he was okay. Chan gave him a gentle smile and patted his head and Jisung found himself leaning into the touch.

“Now” Chan said as he looked down at the young alpha “What did you want?”
“Oh right!” Jisung jumped back into the situation at hand and looked over at the other alpha in the clearing “Changbin hyung”
Changbin raised his eyebrows and pointed at himself with a downturned smirk. But being cute wasn’t going to get him out of trouble this time, Jisung sighed, trying his best to stay serious.
“First thing tomorrow, I’m expecting you to go out and find me some flint so I can replace the knife”
“What!?” Changbin exclaimed as he looked at the scarlet boy incredulously “Yah! That’s not fair! I didn’t break the--” he paused mid sentence and blinked a couple of times, reconsidering his options before nodding slowly.
“Okay” he decided “I’ll go” he nodded one last time and sat down on one of the logs silently, tending to the campfire that they had started earlier.

Jisung and Chan both looked at each other with their eyebrows furrowed together before looking back at the alpha at the campfire, a little surprised at the lack of fight and change of attitude he had suddenly displayed. Changbin always fought back like a child when he didn’t get his way, so this was a little unnerving. They both headed over towards the fire and sat down, Chan opposite of Changbin as he eyed him carefully.
“Who died?” Hyunjin joked when he returned from the shed seconds later and sat down next to Jisung, looking between the 3 silent wolves sitting around the fire. Chan bit his tongue and looked over at Changbin again, feeling slightly guilty thinking he might have upset the younger.
“I’m sorry, Bin” He spoke after a few seconds “I’ll go out for the flint tomorrow”
Changbin frowned at the sudden apology and shook his head.
“No no, it’s fine hyung. I’m happy to go” Changbin countered quickly “I don’t know why you’re apologizing for that” he sent the alpha a quick confused smile wondering what had brought this on.

“No really, I’m the one who broke the knife. It’s only fair” Chan insisted.
“Seriously?” Jisung deadpanned at the confession.
“No, it’s fine” Changbin cut in with a soft smile as he nodded towards them both “I really don’t mind going, besides I’m the one who’s always breaking something so I might as well”
Chan sighed softly, not fully convinced.
“I’m sorry if I upset you--”
“Hyung. Please, you’re fine” Changbin chuckled lightly “You have nothing to apologize for because I’m not upset. We were just playing”
Chan gave him a grateful smile and nodded before reaching down and grabbing a stick to start cleaning. The aegean haired alpha nodded contently as he turned back towards the fire, poking at it gently and revelling in the heat of the flames when he felt a pair of eyes burning into his skull. He looked up and was met with Hyunjin’s lingering gaze, unable to read his expression. Changbin was about tired of not being able to read expressions today. He needed a break.
‘What?’ he mouthed towards the beta and after a few seconds the younger shrugged before shifting his attention back to the dinner preparations.

Changbin shrugged as well and returned to tending to the fire again, his mind quickly wandering off to the orchard and the fairy-like boy. Which was the reason he was so adamant on taking the fall for the knife and going out to find flint. The river he needed to go to for the flint, ran not far from the orchard that lay in roses’ territory. A little detour wouldn’t hurt, would it? It wasn’t rule breaking per se. Just a detour. And if he could bring back some extra fruit, all would be well. Especially with how much the 4 of them ate.
Chan would never allow him to go back there though, the wolf would do anything to make sure that his pack was safe and protected, even from themselves sometimes. And the rules about roses’ territory, and what was allowed there, were basically set in stone. One of which stated that under no circumstances were they ever allowed to go deeper than the orchard and the corners that Chan deemed safe, as that would be too dangerous because of roses. And none of them had ever even dared, they knew better than to disobey Chan. Their pack alpha wasn’t a wolf one would want to aggravate. And if there was something that made the man furious, it was his pack members being exposed to danger. Especially if they placed themselves in that situation after specifically being told not to.

And though Changbin knew that the chances of running into the pink haired omega again were basically non-existent, especially since he was told not to go back by the person in question. He still wanted to try. Something inside of him was pushing him to insanity, maybe it was greed, Changbin had no idea. On top of that, he needed to be in the area and was not going to go any further than the orchard anyway, and he wouldn't stay long. So technically he wouldn’t be breaking any rules.

So when the next morning rolled around, Changbin prepared himself for the flint collecting, carefully adding a pair of pants and a tunic into the leather pouch so he wouldn't near damn freeze his balls off like yesterday. The snow and frost may have cleared but that didn’t make it beach weather.
Once outside, he shifted and strutted over towards the shed where Jisung was already preparing a couple of wooden handles for the new knives. The young alpha noticed the soft calming scent of rain approaching and turned to face the source.
“Hyung…” he pouted and stepped out of the shed as he wiped his hands on his pants and made his way towards the giant aegean wolf.
“You should’ve just let Chan hyung go” he said sternly, lifting his hand to pet the elder’s head.

“Drop it, Sungie. I’m happy to go” Changbin said gently and pressed his snout against Jisung’s chest. The scarlet haired boy nodded hesitantly, his hand gingerly resting on Changbin’s snout.
“Okay, just be careful, and don’t take too long please” he warned “It looks like it’s going to rain today and I don’t want you to get caught in the middle of it”
“I’ll try and be fast but I can’t promise anything” Changbin rolled his eyes playfully and nudged the boy back under the roof of the shed with his muzzle, eliciting a light chuckle from the younger. He then turned and headed into the woods, his nose alert for any lingering hints of white roses. However, all he was able to pick up on were the remnants of Hyunjin’s soft coffee scent within the borders of their own territory. The blonde wolf had taken it upon himself to go hunting this morning in order to let their overworked pack alpha rest a little longer.

As the sun occasionally peeked through the thick clouds, Changbin sprinted through the woods as fast as he could, arriving at the orchard within 40 minutes. He kept himself low to the ground, hiding his dark form in the shadows of the fruit trees before he shifted. He quietly changed into the clothes he had brought with him and plucked a nearby juicy looking orange to bide the time with before sitting down under the tree. Taking a piece of the orange peel, he placed it about a foot away from the disappearing shadow of the tree trunk. It would be a great measure on time and he decided that he would cut his losses and leave when the shadow hit the peel. Hopefully the clouds wouldn’t have swallowed the sun in its entirety by then.
Changbin let out a soft sigh and rested his head against the trunk, popping an orange slice into his mouth. He tried to keep his scent as low and unnoticeable as possible, the time passing by agonizingly slow.

After what felt like an eternity, Changbin's nerves had dripped away together with time and eventually the sun had become but a memory of the early morning, making the peel useless. But he knew that it had been long enough. And he had yet to collect the flint for Jisung.
He undressed and carefully placed his clothes into the pouch he had filled with a couple of fruits along the way before getting out from under the tree and shifting. He knew it had been a longshot. Longshot being an understatement at best, but still couldn’t shake the slight disappointment that had settled in the pit of his stomach. He stomped his paw on some of the twigs on the floor, snapping them as he tried to not internally pout like a disappointed child before he finally turned to make his way out of the orchard and towards the river.

“I thought I told you yesterday not to come back here.”

Chapter Text

“Have you lost the entirety of your mind Lix!?”
Jeongin shrieked as he watched the aegean wolf disappear beyond the orchard, his burned caramel scent penetrating the air dangerously after he quickly shifted and faced his friend to give him an unfiltered earful.
“Why would you just let him go like that Felix!? What part of that did you think was a good idea? We should call for Minho hyung!”
Felix let out a deep sigh, his nostrils flaring and eyes closing as he listened to the incessant yapping of his exasperated friend.
“Innie, calm down. He’s gone. Let it go” Felix said, his voice low as he looked back into the direction the wolf had disappeared in “Minho wouldn’t have hesitated to try and kill him, and you know that.”
“Isn’t that the POINT!?” Jeongin threw his hands up in the air.
“What good would that have done?” Felix asked tiredly. He could still feel his heartbeat beating in his ears, the dull beat almost painful as he tried his best to take even breaths through his nose.
“You know the rules, Lix!” Jeongin tried again, his eyes desperate for some solace “If hyung finds out--”
“But he’s not going to find out.” Felix interrupted him calmly as he looked back at Jeongin and held his gaze for a couple of seconds.

Jeongin frowned and opened his mouth to argue when a light breeze reminded him of the fact he had shifted in the height of his fury and was standing butt naked in the middle of an orchard. The cold air felt like ice on his skin and a shiver rattled him out of his words.
Felix sighed and shook his head lightly as he removed his cloak to drape over the young wolf’s shoulder before moving to gather the basket that had toppled to the ground when Jeongin had suddenly shifted.
“Look” Felix continued as he dropped to his knees to pick up the fruits that now lay splayed on the ground “I understand you’re worried but you know how my brother gets” he looked back at the caramel haired boy who had squatted down to help clean up the mess he had made “Whoever this Changbin guy was, seemed to be genuine. I really don’t think he meant any harm. If he did, he surely would have.”

Jeongin sat back on his heels, an orange in his hand as he deadpanned at Felix and scoffed in disbelief. “Seriously, sometimes I wonder how you and hyung are even related”
“Rude” Felix gaped up at the young wolf and launched the lemon he had been holding into the boy’s direction.
“Seriously Lix, think about it” Jeongin sighed as he caught the lemon with ease and dropped it back into the basket “This wasn’t the black wolf Minho warned us about. What if he’s not even from that guy’s pack at all huh? And on top of that, he’s an alpha for crying out loud!” he pleaded desperately as he got up again.
“So was my dad” Felix said quickly, his voice sharp as he followed Jeongin up and gave him a warning look “Just because he’s an alpha doesn't automatically mean he’s the spawn of evil”

“That’s not what I meant, Lix” Jeongin countered defensively “Did you not see what just happened, what he did? It felt like…” He paused as he tried to find his words, another shiver running down his spine at the memory “It felt like how Minho hyung sounds when he gets serious. I almost yielded, Felix. Didn’t you feel that?”
“And he apologized for it, Innie. Whatever that was, he never meant to do it” Felix swallowed thickly, exhaling softly through his nose. He had noticed how Jeongin had reacted to the alpha, something indeed akin to how they all get when Minho got mad and scolded them. But the truth was that he had not understood why as he himself hadn’t felt a thing. Maybe he had been too distracted, or maybe his fear had already been so overwhelming that it didn’t register the way that it probably should have, but he knew that whatever it was had indeed caused Jeongin to submit. Or at least had made him want to. And the thought of that was terrifying at best.

“And you believe that?” Jeongin countered incredulously as he threw the lemon in the basked a little roughly.
“I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt” The pink haired omega sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose “Please be careful with the fruit--”
“The benefit of the doubt will get you killed!” Jeongin yelled, tears lining the corner of his eyes as he ignored his friend’s request.
“For the love of god. Jeongin! Just…” Felix inhaled deeply with gritted teeth, trying to calm himself down. Yelling at each other was going to get neither of them anywhere “Just let it go. Please”
Jeongin stared at Felix for a few seconds, the cold no longer bothering him as the anger in his veins made it feel like his skin was on fire.

“Why are you defending him?” He scoffed in disbelief, his jaw tense as he stared Felix down.
“I’m not defending him , Jeongin. I am trying to protect us! ” Felix cried out “Don’t you see? Think about it for a second. I mean really think about it. We weren’t in danger, Innie. He didn’t attack us or even tried to. If we had called for Minho, Minho would have killed him and then what? What if he has a pack, huh? And they come looking for him and find him dead in our territory. What do you think happens then? Are you really willing to take that risk?”
And as he spoke he noticed Jeongin’s resolve faltering, the tension in his body bleeding out of him ever so lightly.
“Please, just this once. Let it go” Felix tried again, his voice soft and gentle this time as he raised his hand to brush a few stray hairs out of Jeongin’s face and tuck them behind his ear.

“Fine” Jeongin sighed defeatedly, earning a smile from Felix that rivalled all the suns and stars in the universe.
“Thank you. Now can you please shift back before you catch a cold. Because if you get sick, you’ll still be able to see hyung kill a wolf” Felix pointed at himself with a grimace.
Jeongin let out a frustrated huff, his eyes judgingly resting on Felix for a few seconds as he wondered if that option would make his life a lot less stressful before deciding that it was not worth the headache and took off his cloak to hand back to his friend. He quickly shifted and shook out his fur before picking up one of the stray tangerines and munching on it.
“Come here, let me fix this” Felix motioned for the wolf to get down so he could secure the basket back onto his middle. Jeongin complied and it wasn’t long before the two of them were back at doing what they had initially come for, collecting fruits. Though Jeongin remained in a mood. The young wolf was not happy with the decision his friend had made for them and in all honestly he feared for his life if Minho were to ever find out that they hid what had transpired. And even though he knew Felix was right with his reasoning, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth to let an alpha get away like that.

“Innie please” Felix groaned with a scrunched up nose after a while and looked back at the caramel spotted wolf judgingly “You’re kinda suffocating me here. At this rate your scent will give away something happened way before we even reach the cottage. Hyung will smell you from 10 miles away”
“Sorry” Jeongin grumbled as he tried to calm himself down. As much as he hated to admit it, Felix was right. If the omega was so dead set on not telling Minho anything, then there would be no way for him to find out.
But what worried the young wolf the most, was that their fears of there being more than just one trespassing wolf had just been confirmed. Since Minho had first encountered the black wolf 3 years ago, there had never been any other sightings except that one. And it had changed everything for them.

Minho had always been protective when it came to his pack, but after that day, he had become increasingly adamant about the rules. None of them, especially Felix, were ever allowed to go near the territory borders except Minho. And Felix and himself were absolutely forbidden from going out alone. The fact that Minho allowed the two to come fruit picking without Seungmin was something that had taken years of convincing and reassuring that they could handle themselves.
Jeongin never quite understood the reason for Minho’s overprotective behaviour as the man didn’t share much, but he did understand the love their pack leader held for the 3 of them was so profoundly deep that he would always do everything in his power to keep them safe. Which is why this situation bothered Jeongin so much. This wasn’t just about their territory anymore, this was about their safety. The information of there being a second wolf was detrimental and keeping it a secret just felt wrong on so many levels.

“You’re thinking too much” Felix’s voice interrupted his thought spiral and Jeongin huffed softly, his eyes finding the ground.
“You don’t want to lie to the person that saved your life, especially since he never stops looking out for us” Felix spoke again, reading the young omega’s heart and mind almost perfectly. Jeongin blinked and looked back up at the pink haired boy in front of him, nodding slowly.
Felix nodded in understanding and stepped closer to gently brush his hand over the young wolf’s snout, his jasmine scent warm and soothing in an attempt to calm the boy’s heart.
“I get it” he continued as he looked up into the beautiful mismatched blue and brown eyes that he adored so very much “Neither do I. But you have to think about it this way. What is telling him going to do? It’s only going to stress him out, Innie. He will start worrying about us to no end and he’s not going to be able to do anything about it because we don’t even know if this wolf belongs to the pack of black one. And even if he does, we haven’t the slightest clue as to where their home is. And I don’t think Minho knows either since he never leaves our territory. Plus, do you not remember what happened 3 years ago?”
Jeongin swallowed thickly and nodded his head, his shoulders slumping dejectedly.

“We weren’t allowed to set foot out of the clearing for months…” he said softly, his caramel scent souring at the memory.
“And hyung was so exhausted from having to do everything himself on such high-stressed alert that he almost collapsed” Felix added, his voice breaking at the memory “I don’t want that to happen again, Innie. You know how he gets when it comes to us”
“Felix…” Jeongin whined softly and rubbed his snout against Felix’s cheek, wiping away a tear that had run down his face. Felix sniffled and let out a soft chuckle at the ticklish feeling before he rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hands, surprised at the fact that he had let his emotions get the better of him.
He would give anything to lessen the burden on his brother’s shoulders, and for now, this aegean wolf showing up was just one of those things he believed would be best left unsaid. He decided that he himself would keep an eye out for it this time. Because he wasn’t that scared 4 year old boy anymore.

Though in this particular case, there was also something else driving the young omega to his decision. As someone who hadn’t had the best experiences meeting other wolves, Felix was intrigued by the aegean alpha. He had seemed genuinely kind, or dare he say even a little soft. His fur had been beautiful, resembling what he imagined a calm ocean on a cloudy day to be like. And then those bottomless, endless midnight sky black eyes. Felix felt his throat constrict remembering how those eyes had sucked all air out of his lungs. And if he had to admit, it both excited and scared him a little bit.
And then there was the way that the wolf had apologized and even shifted to make himself seem less threatening. It’s what had made Felix decide to let him go, his instincts almost gnawing at him to give the wolf a sliver of a chance.
But he also knew better than to be stupid. Contrary to what he said to Jeongin, Felix knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Changbin had been lying through his teeth. The lackluster and laid back mannerisms he had portrayed when he had stalked out from under the trees led Felix to believe this could not have been his first time here. Which also meant that it most probably wouldn’t be his last either.

Felix had been so far away in his thoughts that he didn’t pay attention to his surroundings when his foot stepped on an uneven little dent in the ground. And if it hadn't been for Jeongin’s sharp reflexes, the boy would have sent himself flying to the ground. The caramel spotted wolf had been fast enough to reach out and hold Felix back with his muzzle, his fangs gripping into the boy’s tunic lightly.
“Ah, sorry” Felix mumbled as he straightened himself up quickly.
“You’re telling me that I’m the one who’s thinking too much and yet here you are” Jeongin chuckled “where were you?”

Felix just shook his head in response, a soft smile on his face before quickly moving over to Jeongin’s side.
“Lix--”
“I’m fine, Innie. I was just thinking about hyung, that’s all. Don’t worry” Felix said quickly, giving the wolf a reassuring look. And that was all Jeongin needed to know not to press on the matter.
“Don’t you think we have enough for now?” Felix redirected their attention to the filled basket as he dusted off his hands before rubbing them clean on his pants. Jeongin looked back and yipped in agreement before leaning in and sweetly rubbing his cheek against the side of Felix’s face, scenting him ever so lightly. The pink haired boy giggled as he tried to push the wolf’s face away, happy that his friend seemed to have calmed down after the whole ordeal before he moved to pick up his bow and sling it over his shoulder.
“Let’s go home then, I’m about ready for a bath” He said happily, motioning for Jeongin to get down so he could climb onto his back.

Unlike the way to the orchard, the way back was taking them longer due to the heavy basket as Jeongin carefully sprinted through the woods. Both omegas kept their senses alert on their way back home, not letting a single noise or scent go undetected as they did not want to make the same mistake they had with Changbin. Though the chances of that happening were damn near impossible now, because that would just be preposterous. Felix let out a soft sigh at the thought of the aegean wolf and gripped onto Jeongin’s fur tightly as he started noticing the familiar surroundings near their clearing. And by the time they made it back to the cottage, the sun had started lowering towards the other side of the woods, indicating that it was already afternoon. Much to Felix’s chagrin, Changbin had caused them to take a lot longer than they had initially planned.

Jeongin slowed his pace when the cottage came into view in between the trees, the white rose scent that surrounded the area slightly intensifying as they got closer. From where they approached, the duo was greeted by the sight of Seungmin’s brown wolf on the ground, the blonde underside of his body turned towards the sky with Minho’s giant white form towering over him dangerously. The elder had the beta trapped in between his paws, his muzzle lightly locked around the younger’s throat. He held on for a few seconds before jumping up and moving away to give the young wolf his space back. When Minho let go, Seungmin shook his head lightly before quickly scrambling back up onto his paws and turning to face the omega. He lowered his body low to the ground instantly, making himself ready to attack and Minho mirrored his movements seamlessly, his ice blue eyes unrelenting in concentration.

“Ah crap” Jeongin whispered after he stopped walking and instinctively lowered his body into the shadows as Felix followed, pressing his body down into Jeongin’s back quickly.
“Do you think that if we turn back now, we’ll be able to get out of this?” Felix asked, his voice so low and strained that it almost hurt as he kept his eyes trained on his brother and Seungmin.
The two wolves in the clearing stood unmoving for a few seconds, ears pressed back and air pulled so thin that one could easily cut it with a leaf. But something had pulled Seungmin out of his concentration and for less than a fraction of a second, the beta made the mistake of looking away from Minho. Within seconds, the image of the treeline behind the omega had been replaced with the blue of the sky. Minho had pounced so fast that Seungmin didn’t even have the time to blink before he had been flipped upside down again.
“Dead. Again” Minho growled softly, his muzzle gingerly locked on the younger’s throat again.
“Not fair hyung” Seungmin complained “Lix and Innie just got back” He let out a defeated huff trying to wiggle himself free, his cinnamon scent bittering as Minho wasn’t showing him any mercy.
“And you were supposed to have sniffed them out about 2 rounds ago” Minho retorted sternly before letting go of the younger and looking back towards the tree line where the two young omegas had let out a defeated sigh “Took you two long enough”

Jeongin fought the urge to let out a groan before he decided to move out from under the shadows and make his way towards Minho slowly.
“Yeah, there was a lot more produce than we had expected” Jeongin answered quickly. But Minho’s gaze had stirred up the nerves in his gut again and he tried his best to not let it reflect in his scent. Felix noticed how the younger had tensed under his touch and looked up at his brother, deciding to try and shift the topic off of the orchard.
“Were you guys training?” He smiled sweetly as he nudged Jeongin to let him down.
“More or less” Minho huffed amused, making his way towards them. He lowered his head and rested his forehead against Felix’s, the younger smiling contently before reaching up to hug the elder’s snout lovingly and allowing the warm white rose scent to envelop him for a few seconds.

“Don’t be so mean to him, hyung” Felix pulled back and looked past Minho to Seungmin’s disgruntled form that was making his way towards them “We have only one of him and can’t afford to lose him”
“Not being mean” Minho said overly innocently as he pushed his snout against Felix’s chest “Just being thorough”
The white wolf turned around and started heading back to where Seungmin had been, the beta’s shoulders instantly slumping when he saw his leader make his way back to him. Minho let out a soft snort at the sight and shook his head lightly, amusement glinting in his eyes before he turned his head to the side and addressed the wolf behind him.
“Don’t bother shifting, Innie. You’re next”

“Noooooooo! Whyyyyy?” Jeongin whined and stomped his paws on the ground in frustration “I wanna help Lix make snacks”
“Seungmin can go help Fe. You’re mine” Minho sighed when he reached the middle of the clearing and turned back to face the young omega. At the mention of his name, the beta yipped happily, finally being freed from torture as he hopped towards the cottage with his tail wagging enthusiastically. Felix knew better than to stall and quickly removed the basket from Jeongin’s middle before giving him an encouraging and apologetic smile and following Seungmin inside.
“Hyung, I’m tired” Jeongin whined again. This morning had been draining enough and he was not in the mood to add this to the list too “I just got back from--”
“Yang Jeongin.”
Jeongin stiffened, his tail shooting betweens his legs at the sound of Minho’s stern growl and his head lowering submissively.
“Fine…” He internally pouted as he started dragging himself towards where Minho was waiting for him, his eyes quickly casting a longing glance towards the cottage door behind which Seungmin and Felix had disappeared.

Inside of the cottage, Felix had managed to heave the heavy basket towards the kitchen table with Seungmin’s help, the young omega marveling at it triumphantly. They really had managed to bring back a lot despite everything and the idea of all the baking he could do with the fruits, sent a warm buzz coursing through his veins.
“Give me a few minutes, I’ll go clean up and come help you” Seungmin said happily before making his way towards the bathroom promptly.
“Take your time” Felix called after him while he finished depositing a mixture of fruits into the wooden bowl on the kitchen table. He picked out a few oranges he deemed pretty enough and placed them on the kitchen counter together with the tangerine he had brought back for Seungmin before attempting to haul the fruit towards the pantry. He traded the fruit basket in for an empty little wicker basket and made his way out of the cottage in an attempt to collect some eggs.

Yet again he was met with the sight of a pack member being held hostage on the ground by his brother. And Felix would have found it funny, the way Jeongin’s hair stuck out all over the place, if it hadn’t been for the knowledge that he was next in line for training torture. He silently watched them for a couple of minutes before turning his attention back to his task, rounding the corner of the cottage towards the shed and the chicken coop. The coop had been here since long before he and Minho had moved in, and after Miyoung and Kangdae had deemed it safe enough for them to approach the chickens, Felix had quickly befriended them. The young omega had given every single hen and rooster in the coop a name and every morning he would insist on helping Miyoung with collecting eggs. Until one day one of the chickens had been territorial and chased a crying Felix out of the coop whilst pecking him in every place its little beak could reach. It had taken the boy months to get over the shock. And the chicken soup they ate that following winter was the most delicious thing he ate that year.

Felix opened the door to the coop and smiled happily when his eyes landed on his favorite hen.
“Bbokari, how is my beautiful girl?” He cooed softly “Did you leave me something nice today?”
The omega took his time to check the entire coop for any eggs, the chickens happily clucking as they moved around him. After he had deposited all the eggs into his small basket, he crouched down to gently pat Bbokari who had approached him for some well deserved cuddles.
“Thank you for your hard work, such a good girl” he placed a soft kiss on top of her head before getting up and heading back towards the cottage to finally start working on his dessert.

When Felix walked back into the kitchen, he found Seungmin already waiting for him sitting at the table, his cheeks stuffed with fruit. Felix’s eyes instantly flitted towards the kitchen counter and was relieved to see that he at least had had the sense to not grab one of the ones the omega had set aside for baking. His eyes then shifted to the bottle of milk that had appeared on the kitchen counter, causing him to smile happily.
“You’re the best Minnie” Felix beamed at the beta.
“I know” Seungmin shrugged as he popped another orange wedge into his mouth. But the light shade of pink that took over the features of his face wasn’t fooling anyone. Felix rolled his eyes playfully as he placed the basket of eggs on the counter and grabbed the tangerine before tossing it over to the beta at the table “For your hard work”
“Sweet! Thank Lix.” Seungmin smiled happily as he placed the tangerine on the table before getting up. He discarded the peels of the orange he had eaten into the compost bin and turned to Felix, rolling the sleeves of his tunic up “Okay, so what do you need me to do?”

It didn’t take the pair long to prepare the pie Felix had in mind, the two of them working together like well greased gears. Not that Seunmin was left with any choice. When it came to baking, or the kitchen in general, Felix would be on them like black on wild rice.
They quickly finished making the pie crust and when Jeongin’s exhausted frame sauntered into the cottage an hour or so later, they were as good as done as they finished filling the crust with the orange cream filling.
Felix noticed the brooding aura of the young omega behind him and when his eyes landed on the boy, he hurriedly wiped his hands on his tunic so he could make his way over to him.
“Minnie, can you please bring this out to the oven for me? And please remember to not add too much firewood, the oven can’t be too hot” He quickly added, planting a quick kiss on the beta’s cheek “Thank you so much for the help”
Seungmin feigned a grimace at the kiss and carefully picked up the pie as he  was asked, passing the two omegas on his way out.

“Are you okay Innie?” Felix asked worriedly, his hand gently cupping the caramel haired boy’s cheek. But Jeongin just waved him off tiredly, feeling himself lean into the soft touch with a light purr.
“Hyung is waiting for you” he said as he moved to stretch himself out and cracked his neck before heading towards the bathroom. Felix sighed as he watched Jeongin disappear in the hallway before slowly removing his clothes and making his way outside. He found his brother lazily lying down in the grass, his head resting on his paws. He looked so peaceful and unbothered that it almost made Felix want to dump a basket of rocks on him. The man just spent half the afternoon throwing his pack members upside down but he looked like he had just come back from a nice stroll through the fields while everybody else was left battered and exhausted.
Minho’s snout and ears twitched lightly and he opened one of his eyes, watching the other white wolf walk towards him slowly.
“You smell nice” He huffed before getting up and shaking out his fur.
“Minnie and I made orange pie” Felix replied with a fond smile as he started circling his brother carefully, his form low to the ground.
“I can already taste it” Minho smirked, his fangs glittering in the sunlight before he pushed himself off to attack.

Minho was strict in their training, relentless even. The young ones were always left battered and spent at the end of their sessions but they complied and cooperated even through gritted teeth. Minho had insisted on the training shortly after he had encountered the black wolf. The clash with the latter had left the omega anxious, and he may not have been an expert himself but every little bit of knowledge would be better than nothing.
He did not like the idea of the others fighting, ever. But he needed them to be able to protect themselves if, god forbid, they ever found themselves in a situation where this was needed. And much to his satisfaction, all of them were faring quite well. Seungmin was strong and witty however the beta got distracted easily, something Minho was struggling to knock out of him but at least the boy was learning by the day. Jeongin was fast and surprisingly strong for his age, but the young omega would let his emotions get the better of him which often worked to his disadvantage.

And then there was Felix.
Felix who, despite being quite capable, worried Minho the most. He was the smallest in their pack and therefore unfortunately also the weakest. But what the omega missed in strength, he made up for in incredible stealth. He was light and quick on his feet and out of all of them, he was best at keeping his scent at bay. So when Felix had insisted on learning how to use a bow and arrow, Minho had quickly agreed. Not just because he believed it would be good for the boy, but mainly because the interest in the skill was something Minho knew he inherited from their father. The man had excelled in it, so he knew Felix would too. Which, in the end, he had been absolutely right about.

And when it came to Minho himself, his love for his brother would forever be his greatest weakness. Felix was his lifeline. He would burn down the whole world and everything that lay beyond it just to make sure that the younger was kept safe. Even if that meant torturing him for a couple of hours a week to make sure he would be okay if Minho wasn’t around. So when the young omega was a panting mess on the ground in front of him, Minho knew it was time to call it a day. He knew the boy had had a long day and therefore wasn’t going to get much out of him anymore.
“You’re getting better” He pushed his snout against the younger’s scruff gently.
“In what universe?” Felix huffed tiredly and slowly got up to follow Minho towards the cottage.
“In mine” Minho answered, his voice but above a whisper.
“What?” Felix asked, his face scrunched up in question when he shifted.
“Nothing” Minho smiled and patted his head lovingly before opening the door to the cottage “Now go bathe, you stink”

The next morning the skies seemed to be worse for wear, dark clouds swirling dangerously about and giving the early morning sun only glimpses of the world below. Minho had gotten up a little later to go hunting as the wolf had been completely drained from the day before. He had woken up to find Felix clung to his back like a little bear cub so, as silently as he could, he freed himself from the young omega’s grip and leaned back to look at him. He gently pressed his nose against the younger’s cheek and lingered for a few seconds before taking his mother’s necklace off and carefully securing it around Felix’s neck. He softly threaded his fingers through the boy’s soft pink hair, a small fond smile on his lips before he finally pulled himself away from the soothing Jasmine scent and got undressed to make his way out.

His soft footsteps thudded on the wooden floor as he walked down the stairs and out of the cottage. And when the front door softly closed behind him, Felix carefully cracked one of his eyes open. He strained his ears, listening for a bit to make sure that Minho had actually left and would not be coming back before opening his other eye and sitting up. He looked around the room for a few seconds, his hand instinctively finding the pendant on his neck and swallowing thickly as he swirled the moon jade around in his fingers. After a few minutes of absolute silence, he inhaled deeply before swinging himself off of Minho’s bed and quietly tiptoeing out of the room to check on the others. Luckily for him, his trip was cut short when he carefully opened Seungmin’s door and found both him and Jeongin entangled on his bed.

Felix smiled lovingly as he regarded the two for a few seconds before quietly closing the door again and heading over towards his own room. Quickly, he collected a quill and some berry ink from the corner of the little table under the window before searching around his room for a piece of birch bark. After a few minutes, he grew frustrated when he wasn’t able to locate any all the while knowing for a fact that he usually had some lying around somewhere.
“Seriously?” He whispered to himself as he clicked his tongue exasperatedly before opting to see if he could find any in Jeongin’s room. But as he turned to leave, his eye fell on something sticking out from under his bed. He dropped to his knees to check and had to fight to not cry out in relief when, low and behold, he found a small bundle of birch bark hidden away in the shadows.
Felix quickly grabbed a piece, ignoring the burning question as to why they were under his bed in the first place before moving to his desk and picking up his quill.
‘ Out- to stretch- my legs. Don’t worry- Won’t- be long. Love, Fe ’ he whispered the words with a light tremble in his voice as he scribbled messily, the blood red berry ink glistening on the piece of bark before he abandoned the quill on the desk and moved to get himself dressed. He wrapped his cloak around himself and slung his quiver and bow over his shoulders before heading downstairs with the little note tightly gripped in his trembling hands.

Down in the kitchen, he carefully placed the note near the fruit bowl and decided to place a small lemon on top of it so it wouldn’t be missed and then he took a deep breath to calm his heart as he stared at the note.
Everything about this was wrong. All of it, Felix was very much aware of that. And he was probably about to get himself killed. If not, he’d still end up dead because Minho would be the one to finish the job. But it was almost asif his body was moving on its own as he pulled open the front door and stepped outside.
His eyes found the clouds, a grimace taking over the features of his face as he bit the inside of his cheeks. He hoped viciously that the sky would have mercy on him and that it wouldn’t start raining soon as he flipped the hood of his cloak over his head. He gripped the strap of his quiver tightly before finally willing his legs to move and quickly made his way towards the treeline of the forest. He could still smell the lingering white rose his brother left behind just moments ago, but the more he moved away from the cottage, the more it dissipated. The way he needed to take lay in the opposite direction Minho usually hunted in, which is the only reason Felix had found the willpower to even attempt what he was doing right now. And he knew that both Seungmin and Jeongin wouldn’t be up for a while, based on how Minho had drained them of all energy yesterday.

Or at least, that’s what he was desperately hoping for since Felix was breaking almost every rule in his brother’s book right now. But every cell in his body was making him move almost automatically, even with his brain screaming bloody murder for him to turn back around. He knew that the note was not going to do anything in his favour as he knew he was not allowed out of the clearing on his own. But he would deal with the consequences later, if there was a later. Right now he was just hoping that this stunt wouldn’t be for nothing, that him making his way to the orchard on his own would at least bring him something other than death.
His heart pounded thickly in his throat with every step he took, and the closer to the orchard he got, the more his nerves intensified. Never in his life had he done something this dangerous, this stupid. But for once he just wanted to trust his gut.
If Changbin had been as laid back as he had seemed, maybe he would not have heeded Felix’s warnings. Maybe he would come back to take another nap. Maybe.
“In this weather?” Felix mentally facepalmed himself.

But then what if he did? What if he had indeed come back? That would mean he directly disrespected Felix’s request which would then again be contradictory to his ‘he’s genuine’ theory. Oh my god. What if it had all been an act?
Felix abruptly stopped in his tracks and blinked a couple of times before inhaling deeply, his eyebrows furrowed together in thought.
No. If that was the case, what would the alpha even have to gain from that? The wolf had been huge. If anything, he seemed to have been about Minho’s size, which was saying something as his brother was the biggest wolf in their pack. And with the way he had caused Jeongin to back down with just a simple growl, chances were that they would not have stood a chance if he had indeed wanted to harm them.
Felix shook his head lightly and forced himself back down to earth, his breathing resounding loud within the silence of the forest as he subconsciously brought his hand up to his neck and swallowed thickly. He knew he was overthinking the situation. This wasn’t like back then. Changbin was nothing like that monster . And on top of that, in all these years of them coming to the orchard, yesterday had been the first and only time they had even seen the wolf. The chances of him being back today were basically less than zilch.

He nodded determinedly and and dropped his hand back to the strap of his quiver before continuing on his way, his eyes glancing up at the sky as he walked. The sun was no longer peeking through the clouds, making the forest look almost as gloomy and grey as the clouds were. It was somewhat peaceful to witness at this hour, though it didn’t help the pounding in Felix’s head as his legs carried him through the woods.
And it wasn’t before long that the fruit trees of the orchard came into view.
Felix silently skidded to a stop when he broke out of the forest and tried to steady his breath, inhaling deeply in the hopes that his heart would slow down. Once he felt it was okay to move, he fixed his hood and crouched down before moving into the shadows of the fruit trees. He made sure to keep his own scent as low and undetectable as possible as he quietly and slowly crept deeper into the orchard, his nose twitching ever so lightly as he tried to see if he could pick up on what he was looking for. Unfortunately though, the soft smell of rain had been infiltrating his senses from the moment he had stepped out of the cottage, the impending threat of rain thick in the air as it accompanied the rumbling clouds above. And this made it that much harder for him to sniff out the alpha, if he had even showed up. The weather was a perfect cover for the man to move about undetected, which in turn also meant that he would be able to ambush Felix and the omega would never even see it coming…

He was a bleeding lamb in a lions den. This had been a horrible idea, what was he thinking?

Felix stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide as he felt a blinding panic settle down at the pit of his stomach and all logic flew out the window. No wonder Minho never allowed him to leave the clearing alone. He was too scaredy-cat to hold himself together when it mattered and to dumb to think things through like an actual Lee. Jeongin was right, sometimes Felix wondered how Minho and he were even related at all.
He spun on his heel, deciding that heading back home now would still be safe enough for him to slip in without anyone ever noticing he had been gone in the first place.
But as he took his first step, the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches caused his body to freeze in place and the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. His breath caught in his throat and his heartbeat started pounding so loudly in his ears that it became hard to hear himself think. After a couple of seconds, he finally managed to forcefully will some feeling back into his legs and swiftly moved to make sure he was hidden well enough in the shadows before turning back to see where the sounds had come from.

He waited with bated breath, his eyes flitting around the area the rustling sounds were in as he carefully drew an arrow with trembling hands and crouched down.
Time seemed to be moving so slow that for a moment Felix started believing that he was imagining the sounds, that paranoia had gotten to him or that maybe it was a rodent who was feasting on the fruit. His eyebrows furrowed together, the tension in his shoulders melting away as he let out a soft shuddering breath.
There was nobody here.
He released the death grip he had on his arrow and made moves to stand up when right in the middle of two rows of trees, a figure emerged. Eyes black as night, short but built like a mountain and hair the colour of the distant ocean.
Changbin.

The sudden movement sent a jolt of electricity shooting through Felix’s veins, his heart dropping so quickly that he thought it had fallen out of his ass. But when his eyes landed on the alpha, for a split second it felt like the world had stopped spinning, his heartbeat now a distant echo in the back of his mind and his fear but a flutter in his stomach. Felix swallowed thickly as he regarded the alpha carefully, his eyes shamelessly roaming over Changbin’s every inch before the man shifted into his giant aegean wolf form. The alpha was sculpted like an actual god. He had actually come back? And so soon after Felix had told him not to? A sliver of frustration trickled down Felix’s face and his lip momentarily quivered up into a silent snarl. Regardless of the fact that this is what he had been hoping for, the blatant disrespect of his wishes was something that was rubbing the omega very wrong.
However, as soon as the frustration had come it had also dissipated when he watched the alpha make moves to leave. But Felix didn’t want him to leave. At least not yet, or else all of this would have been for nothing.

Before his brain could catch up with his actions, his body had already moved. Felix quickly tightened the grip on his arrow and pointed it towards the wolf as he stepped out from under the trees and into the open.
“I thought I told you yesterday not to come back here.” He spoke, trying to keep his voice low and threatening. Not that he was succeeding much, the tremble in his voice was probably even picked up on by the creatures living in the core of the sun. He internally cussed himself out for being such a nervous wreck and swallowed again before letting out a shuddering breath, his eyes never leaving the aegean wolf.

When Felix spoke, Changbin turned around so quickly that it made the omega flinch ever so lightly, but his grip on the arrow never faltered. He locked eyes with the wolf and just like last time Felix felt his lungs lose all function. The alpha was mesmerizing, to say the least, and Felix absolutely hated how it was messing with his senses.
A glimmer of something passed through Changbin’s eyes and if Felix hadn't had his own eyes being sucked into the depths of the black orbs, he would have missed it. He watched as the alpha lowered himself towards the ground slowly, following every movement with his arrow, before he saw him shift back into his human form and look back up to meet his gaze.

“For a second there, I thought you wouldn’t be coming back” Changbin spoke softly, his eyes traveling down Felix’s form and back up to his eyes, causing Felix to nervously shift his weight from one foot to another. The pink haired omega frowned at the words, trying his best to ignore the violent twist that had pulled on his insides. But the tone the alpha had held in his voice threw Felix for a confusing loop. If he hadn’t been high on adrenaline right now, he could have sworn that the alpha sounded almost…happy? He ran his tongue over his bottom lip nervously and tilted his head in question.
“So you thought that you could?” He asked viciously and pulled the arrow back a little, causing Changbin to shift uncomfortably.
“No no. I’m sorry, I just--” a violent shiver cut off Changbin’s words and he sighed lightly “Look, I really want to talk to you, I do. That’s what I came here for. But it’s kind of cold. Is it okay if I at least put on my clothes? I really don’t want to make you even more uncomfortable by adding to the fire and freezing to death”

Talk? He came here to talk? Why? Felix swallowed lightly and quickly glanced down at the pouch that had dropped down on the floor after Changbin had shifted, his eyes lingering on the alpha’s broad chest for a split second. Instantly he felt blood rush up to his face and nodded quickly, this time averting his eyes and missing the way Changbin bit his lip to stifle a smile at the omega’s cute reaction.
“Where I can see you” Felix said as he bit the inside of his lip and looked back, his eyes trained on the alpha’s face and tightening the grip on his arrow.
“Sir, yes sir” Changbin’s lips fleetingly pressed into an upside down smirk and nodded a quick thanks. Felix felt his stomach flip at the sight and switched to bite his tongue in annoyance. It had been less than 5 minutes and already, Felix was tired. He very much disapproved of how every cell in his body seemed to be reacting to the alpha. This was not on his agenda, he did not come here to be distracted. He had questions that needed answering.

Changbin quickly took his clothes out of his pouch and got dressed before turning back to face Felix, giving the omega a light smile.
“Thanks” he said before motioning toward the base of the tree where his pouch now lay “Mind if I sit?”
Felix blinked “What?” he gaped at the alpha, confusion taking over his features as he watched the other man move slowly.
“I really mean no harm” Changbin said with a gentle smile on his face as he carefully moved to sit next to his pouch, Felix’s arrow following his every move “I swear. And I know I’m breaking a ton of rules because I’m trespassing, you made that very clear yesterday. But I’m not here to hurt you or your friends. I would never”
“Then why did you come back here?” Felix asked carefully.
“Why did you?” Changbin answered, the corner of his lip lifting up into a teasing smirk.
Excuse me? Felix blinked a couple of times, his mouth slightly agape at the cheek he was receiving. But what irked him more was the fact that he could not, for the life of him, come up with a response. It’s like the man’s mannerisms were rendering the omega incompetent.

Changbin eyed the boy for a few moments before continuing.
“Where’s your friend? Jeongin was it? If I remember correctly”
“Answer my question. And don’t act so friendly” Felix retorted curtly. How dare he even say Jeongin’s name so freely.
“I’m not acting” the alpha smiled gently, sending Felix’s heart rate shooting right out of the top of his head and into space. God, this man was vexing.
“Y-you said you wanted to talk” Felix urged as he internally tried to shake his head back onto his shoulders and focused on keeping his breathing steady “What did you mean by that?”
Changbin tilted his head lightly and let out a soft sigh, his hand coming up to run through his hair.
“I would love to, you know, talk. But it’s a little hard to do that with a weapon pointed at my chest” he answered after a few seconds, nodding his head towards the drawn arrow in Felix’s hands.
“Sucks to be you then” Felix retorted quickly.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I promise” Changbin tried again, his eyes gentle as he held Felix’s distrustful gaze “Besides. I don’t even have anything to hurt you with. The only wolf capable of hurting anyone right now, is you”
“You can still attack me” Felix countered.
“And something tells me that even if I tried, I would find an arrow stuck in my chest before I could even reach you” Changbin responded quickly.
And maybe it was the way his voice had sounded so gentle and genuine, or the way his eyes were seemingly staring right through his whole being, but Felix felt his resolve sway at the words. He pondered for a bit before hesitantly and slowly lowering his bow, the grip on the arrow loosening as he moved a few steps backwards until his back made contact with the tree opposite from the alpha. He gently leaned against it, the tension in his body slowly bleeding away and into the tree.

“Thank you” Changbin smiled and visibly relaxed when Felix let his bow rest against his legs “now, isn’t that a lot better?”
“Why did you come back here?” Felix asked again, his nostrils flaring in frustration.
“Because I was hoping to see you again”
“Why?” the omega raised an eyebrow.
“Because I think you’re beautiful” Changbin didn’t skip a beat.
The directness hit Felix in the face like a ton of bricks, making him lose his grip and sending his bow tumbling to the ground near his feet. He tore his eyes away from the alpha clumsily and quickly bent down to grab his bow, this in turn causing all of his arrows to slide out of the quiver on his back and landing on the ground as well. Felix cursed up a storm under his breath as he stumbled to collect the arrows, his teeth threatening to snap under the pressure of the tension in his jaw. Somewhere far away he could vaguely hear Changbin snicker silently but the alpha didn’t seem to make any attempts to approach him in his distraction, not that the pink haired omega would have noticed anyway. The speed in which the blood had rushed to his face and head had rendered him completely off guard as it felt like someone had lit his head on fire, his heartbeat now thumping so loudly that it was starting to hurt his ears.

When he finished putting the arrows back in his quiver, he quickly straightened himself back up and slung the quiver and bow over his shoulder. He looked back into the direction of Changbin who had remained unmoved, his eyes glinting playfully as he watched Felix try to regain his composure. Felix cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a puff of air, his eyes darting around nervously as words failed to come to him yet again. Vexing was an intergalactic understatement to describe the effect the alpha had on him.
Changbin watched him for a few seconds, his gaze making Felix feel like he was the size of an ant. The omega was about to snap at the alpha for the inappropriate remark and the staring, but was cut off before he could even open his mouth.
“Also” Changbin smiled apologetically “I really wanted to apologize for using my alpha voice on you yesterday”
The words pulled Felix out of his embarrassment and he blinked, his eyebrows furrowing together as he listened to the alpha speak.
“It was uncalled for and I’m really sorry. I never meant to use it, it just came out because I felt cornered and… your friend was being kind of rude. I snapped, and shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.” Changbin’s eyes fell and he started fumbling with his hands and fingers, making him appear extremely small and harmless for a split second and Felix caught himself pouting lightly at the sight.

“How was he rude?” He frowned, trying to recall what Jeongin had said yesterday and internally smacking himself for the involuntary pout.
“He called me arrogant, for literally no reason” Changbin answered as he looked back up to meet the omega’s eyes, instantly causing Felix’s heart to skip a beat which only resulted to add to the boy’s rapidly growing frustration. He vaguely remembered Jeongin saying something like that, but the problem was that he did not know what Changbin had said to earn him that type of response.
“You were trespassing, we’re not going to apologize for making you feel cornered” he stated matter-of-factly as he eyed the alpha defiantly, his heartbeat still ringing in his ears.
“And I already apologized plenty for that” Changbin countered, quickly holding up his hand to silence Felix when he saw the boy open his mouth to speak again “And yes. I know, okay? I know I’m doing it again. Not my proudest moment”
But unbeknownst to Felix, this wasn’t entirely true.

Felix closed his mouth and sighed lightly. He held Changbin’s gaze for a few silent seconds, his brain stuck on something else the alpha had said that had left the boy confused and with more questions than he had when he left the cottage.
“What do you mean with ‘alpha voice’?” he asked after a while, his head slightly tilting to the side as he searched the alpha’s eyes.
Changbin did a small double take, his eyebrows furrowing together as he looked up at the omega in disbelief. His reaction to the question left Felix feeling a little self conscious, his bottom lip subconsciously protruding into a small pout.
“W-what?” He asked as he nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other again when Changbin continued to stare at him in silence. He could almost see and hear the gears turning behind those midnight sky eyes until it seemed like the alpha landed on a thought.

“Yesterday, your friend Jeongin. He said something that had struck me as odd” Changbin said, thinking through his words carefully “And then you both seemed confused after I--” he paused for a second like he was piecing puzzle pieces together before looking back up at the omega “Have you never met any alphas before?”
Felix blinked, feeling a little offended at the sudden and not entirely true accusation. Though, it wasn’t as much of an accusation as it was a question but for some reason it almost felt like a personal attack.
“M-my father was an alpha” He countered hesitantly, his hands subconsciously curling around the hem of his cloak.
“And he never used his alpha voice on you?” Changbin asked with a slight tilt of the head.
“I…” A lump formed in Felix’s throat as he felt his lungs constrict. He had not expected the conversation to take this type of turn, and neither did he want it to. But Changbin must have noticed the change in the young omega’s demeanor as he quickly spoke again, pulling Felix out of his own head.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume anything” he said, his voice apologetic before he continued “Alpha voice is basically a tone of voice alphas use to make other subgenders submit. And pack alphas also use it to keep their pack members in check regardless of subgender”
Submit? Felix tilted his head in confusion as his mind traveled back in time to the conversation he had held with the caramel spotted wolf after the alpha had left. Is that what Jeongin had meant when he said that he had almost yielded? Because that’s what the alpha voice does? Had Felix really been that distracted yesterday?
“Can one also not hear or register the alpha voice when it’s used on them?” He asked absentmindedly, his brain still far away in thought as his eyes found the alpha’s again. And as if on que, the man's reaction yet again made Felix shrink into himself. Changbin’s eyebrows furrowed together as the two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before the aegean haired alpha finally shook his head slowly.
“It’s not so much of a hearing thing as it is a feelings thing. It’s instincts” he explained as he regarded the omega carefully “Even if you don’t hear it, your instincts will feel it and react automatically. It’s absolute. Which is why I hate it because, quite frankly, I find it rude when it’s used if it’s not needed”

Felix nodded slowly as he subconsciously slid down the trunk and sat down, still facing the alpha. The concept that Changbin was explaining was not foreign to him at all, if anything it was so familiar that it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at the thought.
‘It felt like how Minho hyung sounds when he gets serious’ Jeongin had said to him. And the omega was right. Based on how Changbin was describing it, that’s exactly what it sounded like. Which again raised another question in Felix’s brain.

Why was Changbin calling it ‘alpha voice’? Minho most definitely wasn’t an alpha.

“So, only alphas can do this? Since it’s called alpha voice?” he decided to ask carefully, his eyes finding their way back to the black orbs in front of him.
“Yeah” Changbin nodded in response and Felix mirrored him slowly, indicating that he understood. But he didn’t. And he also knew better than to voice this to the alpha at this moment. Felix could be a fool sometimes but he wasn’t that stupid.
“I honestly hate using it, especially when it’s unwarranted like it was yesterday” Changbin continued after a few seconds of silence “I felt horrible, still do. You two were only defending what’s yours. I had no right. Sometimes it just comes out instinctively. Again, I’m really sorry”
Felix felt his face soften at how small the alpha’s voice came out. He genuinely sounded and looked remorseful at the situation. It was almost endearing.
“Thank you” His mouth had spoken before his mind was even given the chance to form the words but when Changbin flashed him the sweetest and most grateful smile, all internal protests were suppressed. His smile was extraordinarily gorgeous. And the longer Felix looked at it, the more he felt the nerves that had clung to him since last night bleed away into nothingness.

They sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a little bit, Changbin playing with a small twig as he seemed to think of what to say next. But this time, Felix beat him to the punch.
“How long have you been coming here to nap?” He air quoted the word ‘nap’, hinting to the alpha that he knew he was full of shit.
Changbin let out an embarrassed chuckle, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck “Picked up on that huh?”
“I wasn’t born yesterday” Felix snorted, a little surprised at how amused he was. Was he actually having a civilized conversation with this stranger and enjoying it? He bit the corner of his lip, suppressing a smile that threatened to creep up as he felt his heartbeat quicken again when the alpha looked at him with a goofy smile.
“Just so you know” he continued, his eyes playfully squinting into the alpha’s direction “If my brother ever catches you here, you’re as good as dead”
“I reckon you didn’t tell him I was here yesterday then?” The grin on Changbin’s face made Felix want to throw a rock at his head. Cocky bastard.

Felix bit his tongue, again trying hard not to smile at the man’s mannerisms and averted his gaze shyly. It was only then that he noticed that it had lightly started to drizzle and quickly pulled his legs up to take cover under the tree. He wrapped his arms around them and rested his chin on his knees, the bow and arrow long forgotten on the ground next to him.
Felix knew that he needed to start heading back home, especially now that it was raining. Minho wouldn’t be out hunting for much longer. And regardless of the note, if Felix could minimize the amount of time between Minho being home and Felix not being home, maybe he could play it off with something that could possibly spare his life.
But as he looked back up at the alpha and lost himself in the endless black gems that were staring right back at him, for reasons he couldn’t quite comprehend, Felix didn’t want to leave. All feeling in his legs had vanished, much like his sanity.

“If it’s any consolation” Changbin’s voice broke the omega out of the trance he had been in, causing him to let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding as he blinked himself back into the world of the living.
“If my pack alpha were to find out that I was here right now, he would beat your brother to the punch” Changbin chuckled cutely and Felix tilted his head in confusion, eliciting a smile and a guilty shrug from the alpha.
“We’re not allowed to trespass unless it’s really necessary” he tried to clarify, but this just caused more confusion for the young omega.
“I don’t understand” Felix asked “Why would it be necessary for you to come here?”
Changbin bit his lip lightly as he pondered his answer for a few moments, his gaze slowly examining the features of Felix's face before landing back on his eyes.
“You sure ask a lot for a stranger” He joked with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he scoped out the omega’s reaction carefully.
“I’m not the one who’s out here stealing” Felix countered without a breath to spare as he nodded in the direction of the fruit filled leather pouch that lay beside the alpha. Changbin struggled to hide a chuckle at the witty response, licking his lips playfully as he too brought his legs up to hide them from the rapidly increasing rain.

They sat in silence for a while, the tension strung so thinly that it seemed like even the raindrops would slice in half on contact as the two continued to look at each other. But unlike the nerves and frustration he had felt before, now all Felix was feeling was a sense of calmness. Dare he say amusement too, evident by the small smile on his face as he regarded the alpha.
The veil of rain that separated them had increased in thickness, intensifying the petrichor scent in the area and making Felix feel oddly warm despite the chilling breeze that the weather had carried along through the orchard. Though he wondered how much of it was the actual rain and how much was coming from the alpha he couldn’t quite tear his eyes away from.
He inhaled deeply and bit the inside of his lip for a couple of seconds before making up his mind. At this point, what did he have to lose?
“Fe--”
Felix abruptly halted his words, his stomach dropping to his feet and heartbeat skyrocketing in panic. He snapped his head in the direction of the forest and shot up from where he was sitting, causing the alpha across from him to flinch lightly.
“A-are you okay?” Changbin asked carefully, his hand resting on the floor as he wasn’t sure if he should follow the omega up or not. But his words fell on deaf ears. All Felix’s senses were zeroed in on something else, his breath caught in his throat and nose on alert.
A whiff is all it had taken, the hint of it faint but definitely there and rapidly increasing.

In the distance, mixed in with the rain and making its way towards the orchard at the speed of light, drifted the scent of burned caramel.

Chapter Text

With no second to spare and without thinking, Felix dove towards the alpha and yanked him up to his feet. Which proved to be a lot easier in his brain than in reality. The man was built like a brick wall. But the adrenaline coursing through Felix’s veins had numbed the feeling in his muscles as he pulled a very confused Changbin off of the ground.
“You have to leave, now!” Felix urged dangerously, his voice barely above a whisper as he tried to push the alpha to grab his things and leave. This was the last thing Felix had expected to happen, and he felt stupid for letting himself drift away in the eyes of the alpha for him to completely ignore the alarm bells in his head that had tried to tell him it was time to head back.
“What--” Changbin tried to speak, his eyebrows furrowed together. But Felix instantly used his hand to cover the alpha’s mouth and keep him from speaking out loud. Felix could bet every orange in the orchard that the approaching wolf had his ears on high alert, making it so much easier for them to be heard even through the loud rain that was soaking them both.

Changbin’s eyes went wide as he looked at Felix whose face was but inches away from his own, his jasmine scent so bitter that it caused a shiver to run up the alpha’s spine. But his confusion was quickly wiped off his face when the jasmine was diluted by something much, much stronger. And based on the reaction it was drawing out of the omega, Changbin had a feeling that this time the caramel spotted wolf would be a lot less forgiving than he had been yesterday.
He nodded quickly and moved away from Felix before reaching down to remove his tunic but a small hand wrapped around his wrist and stopped him.
“No time! Run first, shift later. Go!” Felix whispered, panic laced in his voice as the boy felt like he was on the verge of tears. They were out of time.
He watched as the alpha bent down and grabbed the leather pouch he had brought with him before looking back up to meet Felix’s gaze, his eyes hesitant as his fingers curled around the straps of the pouch firmly.
And against all better judgment, the hesitation was shared by the omega as, for a split second, time seemed to slow down when their eyes met.

Felix didn’t want Changbin to leave, he wasn’t done with him yet. He still had questions that he wanted answers to, and he knew that there was no way in hell that he was ever going to get this lucky once more. What if he never saw him again? Regardless of the fact that the man slightly aggravated him with his antics, the mere idea of that happening sent something melancholy to buzz in a very distant corner of his being.
But the burned caramel was starting to come so dangerously close that it became almost numbing and Felix knew that if Jeongin was to find them here together, this time there would be nothing he could do to stop him from telling Minho.
He internally cursed, frustrated at the situation and frustrated that it had to end so abruptly. And it seemed like he wasn’t the only one who shared the sentiment.

“For what it’s worth” Changbin moved in a little closer as he whispered “It was really nice meeting you” the soft words were almost drowned out by the rain as they came out hastily, but Felix could still hear the sincerity that was laced in them. And when the alpha turned to leave, a sudden and violent tug in his stomach pulled Felix forward, his hand shooting out and his fingers wrapping themselves around Changbin’s wrist before he could stop himself. He looked back at Changbin, his eyes meeting the alpha’s black orbs almost desperately. For what exactly, Felix did not know as he did not quite comprehend what he was trying to achieve by holding the alpha back.

But before his mind could catch up with his own actions, Changbin had already taken one of his own. The aegean haired alpha had moved so quickly that Felix was barely even given the time to blink before he found the man’s face mere inches away from his own, causing his heart to stop. And it should have been alarming, the way the alpha had moved so effortlessly swift and had entered his personal space. It should have sent all his senses screaming at him to get away, to get to safety. It should have scared him.
But it didn’t.
“Meet me here. On the next clear night, when the moon is at its highest” the alpha spoke quickly, his eyes searching Felix’s for a fraction of a second before he gently yet firmly removed his wrist from the omega’s grip and disappeared into the shadows of the orchard.

Felix inhaled sharply when the warmth that the close proximity had brought was ripped away from him, his heartbeat ringing in his ears so loudly that it drowned out the sound of the rain as his brain failed to grasp what had just happened. And unfortunately, he wasn’t granted the time to either.
In the same second the alpha’s form had vanished in front of him, a furious red hot looming presence emerged behind him and towered over him like a lion closing in on their prey. Felix spun around with a start, his eyes instantly locking on the seething caramel spotted wolf who stood a few feet away from him. The wolf was panting heavily, his mismatched eyes almost crimson with rage as wisps of steam wafted up from his warm body into the chilling air.

Felix swallowed thickly and lifted his hand to place over his chest as he feigned innocence and let out an airy chuckle.
“You nearly scared the cra--”
“WHAT THE FUCK, FELIX!?” Jeongin barked, effectively shutting the omega up and making him shrink into himself with a small high pitched yelp.
Jeongin never barked. Hell, they weren’t even allowed to so much as growl at each other inside the pack. Barking was beyond forbidden. Which meant Jeongin was livid. Never in his life had Felix ever seen the young omega this shaken before.
“Leaving the clearing on your own!?” Jeongin continued, his lips curled up into a venomous snarl that rumbled along with the clouds “And all the way to the fucking orchard, Felix! What the hell is wrong with you!? You’re lucky that I woke up before Minnie did! Before hyung came home!”

“Innie, stop snarling so loudly!” Felix yelled back at him, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists “I’m not a child, I don’t need constant supervision! I can walk to the orchard to retrieve something I drop--”
“Bullshit Felix!” Jeongin cried out at the pink haired boy after he had shifted in his fit of rage, closing the distance between them and jabbing his finger into Felix’s chest “This isn’t you! You don’t break rules like this, Lix!”
The tone in Jeongin’s voice changed from angry to almost pleading as he continued to rage and stare Felix down, his eyes round and desperate. And if it hadn't been for him standing so close, the latter would have missed the way the caramel haired boy’s voice had cracked ever so lightly.
“If you had dropped something, you would have come to one of us. The Felix I know, wouldn’t have sneaked out like that…”

And it was at this moment that Felix realized that the anger Jeongin was being driven by, had been accompanied by something else. The young omega had been worried about him. And Felix didn’t blame him because why wouldn’t he be? If the roles had been reversed, Felix wouldn’t have been so nice. In that aspect, he was too much like his brother for his own good.
He swallowed the clump that had formed in his throat as he eyed the boy’s bare form worriedly. In the short time Jeongin had been standing in front of him in his human form, the rain had soaked the boy completely to the bone. And he knew that the chilling wind couldn’t be anything short of painful.
“Jeongin please” he pleaded, his shaking hands finding their way onto the omega’s arms “It’s too cold, please shift back. You can yell at me all you want but please just shift back, Innie”

“Why did you come here?” Jeongin asked, his voice low and accusatory as he ignored the pleas of his friend and yanked his arms away from his touch.
“Innie…” Felix tried again.
“Why did you come here!?”
“I wanted to make sure that he hadn’t come back!” Felix cried out defeatedly. And the moment the words left his mouth, Jeongin let out a loud and frustrated groan, his hands grabbing at his hair.
“Felix!”
“I’m sorry! Okay?” Felix's lips trembled violently, his wet clothes and cloak so drenched that they were doing nothing to help keep him warm at this point “I was just going to quickly check and go back”
He felt horrible for lying like that. But Changbin was gone and there was no need for him to tell Jeongin the truth at this point. Because what good would that do? But Jeongin wasn’t born yesterday. The young omega turned to look at him with wide and furious eyes, his arm shooting out and pointing to the side.
“If you came here ‘just to check’, then what is that doing there?”

Felix’s eyebrows furrowed together as he followed to look into the direction Jeongin was pointing at. And when his eyes landed on his bow and arrow that still lay forgotten at the base of the tree he had been sitting under, he felt his stomach drop.
“I don’t know who the hell you think you’re talking to, Lix. But I’m not the one” Jeongin added, his voice coming out venomous as he watched the blood drain out of Felix’s face. The pink haired omega tried to wrack his brain for a somewhat believable answer but he knew that whatever he said now was going to fall on deaf ears.
“I was tired” He said quickly as the shiver that ran over his whole body caused the words to come out shakily “Is it so bad for me to want to take a break after such a long walk?”
Jeongin blinked and the look on his face was enough to completely shatter Felix’s heart. He looked betrayed and heartbroken.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Lix--”
“Jeongin, enough!” Felix spoke firmly as he cut the boy off, his voice coming out a lot harsher than he had initially wanted it to which caused the younger to flinch ever so lightly “I don’t know what else you want me to tell you. I am tired and wet, it’s cold and I want to go home. Now shift. Before you get yourself sick!”
And with that order he promptly put an end to the conversation, leaving behind a trembling Jeongin as he turned on his heel to collect his bow and arrow. When he turned back, the young omega had already shifted as told and lowered himself to the ground so Felix could climb on. But his eyes were starkly fixed into the distance as he refused to meet Felix’s eyes, his burning caramel scent now significantly soured and milky. Felix clenched his jaw and internally cussed himself out for lying to his best friend and causing him such grief. This was not at all how he had expected any of this to go. He was okay with Minho getting mad at him, he was used to a lifetime of that. What he was not okay with, was his best friend not even being able to bear to look at him.

He climbed onto Jeongin’s back and grabbed onto his wet fur, his hands trembling so violently that it took him a few tries for the fur to stop slipping out of his hands. Felix was freezing, and they still had the whole way back to go. And from the looks of it, the weather seemed to only be progressing by the second.
They rode home in absolute silence, the only noises that surrounded them being the heavy rainfall and the slowly approaching rumbling of thunder. It was as if the weather was mirroring the turmoil that was taking place within the two omegas as they made their way home. And as he sprinted through the woods, Jeongin’s scent remained sour and intense, so much so that it almost suffocated the boy on his back. But Felix decided it would be better to just put up with it as he knew that talking to the omega would fruit no result. Besides, the main reason he was keeping him in the dark was because he wanted to lower the chances of getting him into trouble with Minho. The only person to blame for any of this was Felix and he sure as hell was determined to keep it that way. The less Jeongin knew, the better.

Especially with the words that now continued to loop through Felix’s mind like a water mill in stormy weather.
‘When the moon is at its highest’
The omega internally scoffed, his hand gripping onto Jeongin’s fur a little tighter as Changbin’s voice echoed in his ears. Did the man even have the slightest of clues what it was that he was asking of him? Sneaking out? And in the middle of the night no least.
Felix swallowed thickly at the idea. This whole morning had already given him enough stress to last a lifetime, and if his hair hadn’t already been naturally white, it would have been after today. The suggestion was beyond preposterous. Felix shook his head lightly as he tried to rid himself of the idea. But soon both the suggestion and the alpha were knocked clean out of his mind when they neared the clearing and the intense and thick scent of bitter white rose engulfed the both of them, making the omega’s blood run colder than it already was. Jeongin’s scent was completely overpowered within the span of seconds and Felix let out a shaky breath, bracing himself for the onslaught of hell that was about to rain down on him. Minho was furious.

Asif on que, they were met with a pair of deadly ice blue eyes that instantly locked in on them when they stepped into the clearing, immediately knocking all air out of both their lungs. The pack omega had been leaning cross armed against one of the front porch poles, and beside the murderous scent and look in his eyes, his face was calm. Which probably was the scariest thing of all.
He didn’t say a word when the two omegas approached, he even kept silent when his eyes followed Jeongin as the wolf lowered himself to let Felix off. And when Jeongin quickly shifted and walked towards the front door, Felix expected him to stop the younger but all he did was watch. The man’s eyes followed the caramel haired omega as he passed him and disappeared through the front door before his eyes flashed back towards Felix. The younger cowered under the hard stare before slowly moving towards the omega, his body shaking dangerously. And at this point he was no longer sure if it was because he was freezing and wet or if it was because he was terrified.
Minho’s eyes looked him up and down as the younger approached him and when their eyes met again, he motioned towards the door with his head. Felix didn’t have to be told twice. He lowered his head as he shrunk into himself before he picked up his pace and sped past his brother and into the cottage, missing the long and shaky breath Minho had let out before silently following him inside.

Felix made a beeline towards the bathroom and found Jeongin already submerged in the tub with Seungmin kneeled down on the floor next to it and gently ladling the warm water over the boy’s hair, a small frown adorning his forehead. The beta’s eyes flitted toward the two omegas entering the bathroom and when their eyes met, Felix quickly looked down at the floor. He bit the inside of his lip to keep himself from pouting as he started shedding the drenched clothes of his body. Right about now he wished desperately that he could stop trembling so intensely, the tremors making it hard for his fingers to take hold of the strings on his clothes. A few seconds went by before he felt two warm hands wrap around his and gently pull them down before they moved to undo the strings for him and help him undress. Felix inhaled deeply, letting the now warm and soothing white rose scent envelop him as he closed his hands into fists and swallowed thickly.
When Minho finally discarded all of his clothes onto the floor, Felix moved to join Jeongin in the tub as he carefully eyed the young omega and sat down in the calming warm water. The caramel haired boy had his legs up, his arms wrapped around them and his chin resting on his knees while his eyes were averted to the side. He was obviously still upset, if his demeanour didn’t give that away, his scent most definitely did. And Felix hated himself for being the reason why.

“Minnie, can you go heat up some extra water for the tub please?” Minho asked softly before taking the ladle over from him and kneeling down next to the tub. The beta nodded, his eyes moving between the three omegas before getting up slowly and leaving them alone in the bathroom.
Minho dipped the ladle into the tub and started scooping the warm water over the heads of the two young omegas gently, his eyes scanning over them carefully as he let silence fall over the room.
Felix closed his eyes at the feeling of the water that was rapidly heating him up, the tremble under his skin slowly subsiding as he too pulled his knees up towards his chest and wrapped his arms around them. After a while he finally decided to open his eyes and found the courage to look back at his brother carefully. Minho’s eyes met his for a brief second, the man’s hand coming up to run over Felix’s hair gently before he continued to ladle the water over their heads. It was then that the young omega noticed that the initial rage that had inhabited Minho’s eyes when they arrived home, had now made way for something soft and warm which in turn caused the nerves in the boy’s body to dissipate slowly.

He continued to examine the features of his brother’s face, his chin now also coming to rest on his knees when Seungmin walked back into the bathroom moments later. The beta walked over to them and deposited the extra water into the tub, the heat of it causing another violent tremble to take over Felix’s body. He felt Seungmin pat his hand on the top of his head gently and leaned into the touch for a few seconds before he lowered himself a little deeper into the water and glanced over at Jeongin whose eyes were still stubbornly trained on the water surface.
“I’ll go start lunch…” Seungmin spoke up after a while, deciding that the silence in the room was too thick to breathe in. Minho nodded a quick thanks and watched as the beta placed the pail down in one of the corners of the bathroom before exiting, the door silently closing behind him.
The silence yet again overtook the room, the pitter patter of the raindrops on the outside of the cottage coming through loud and clear. And if it wasn’t for the situation, it would have been rather calming to listen to. But Felix was growing anxious the longer they were seated in silence. He had expected Minho to yell at him, not whatever this was. It was unnerving.

“So…” Minho’s voice cut through the silence after a few minutes, causing both omegas to instantly tense up. The pack omega tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, much like his scent was. But the edge of something dark that was laced in the tone could not be hidden. He continued to gently ladle the warm water over the heads of the two young omegas in the tub, a soft sigh rolling over his lips before he spoke again.
“Imagine my surprise when I come home from hunting this morning to find my two omegas missing. No information, no note, no nothing.”
Felix’s eyebrows furrowed together lightly, confusion taking over his whole being at the spoken words. No note? But he did in fact leave a note. He even made sure to place a lemon on top of it so it wouldn’t be missed.

‘You’re lucky that I woke up before Minnie did! Before hyung came home!’

Jeongin’s snarls suddenly echoed through his mind and he quickly glanced up towards the omega across from him, the boy still refusing to even acknowledge that Felix was in the tub with him. Had Jeongin taken the note?
And that’s when it dawned on him.
How had Jeongin even known where to find him in the first place? Following his scent in this weather should have been nearly impossible with how Felix had done his best to keep it hidden. And yet Jeongin knew exactly where to find him, asif he knew where Felix had gone without even a doubt in his mind.
He felt his heart drop to his stomach and swallowed thickly as he looked back towards Jeongin. The omega had known. He had known where to find him because he knew Felix like he knew the back of his own hand. Jeongin had known that Felix had stood there and had continued to lie to him even after his suspicions had proven him right after finding his friend at the orchard.
Felix felt his bottom lip tremble and sucked it in between his teeth, the guilt gnawing away at his insides as another scoop of water trickled down the side of his face.

“And not to mention a beta who was so beside himself that I couldn’t even leave him alone to go looking for said omegas” Minho’s words cut through his thoughts and caused another load of guilt to be dumped on top of him. His selfishness and curiosity had caused so many problems that it made Felix want to disappear under the surface of the water and never come back. But what made it worse was, regardless of the guilt, the burning curiosity remained like an annoying little voice that whispered in his ear. And it caused him to feel like he was the worst wolf on the planet.
His eyes dropped back down to the surface of the water, the inside of his cheek now almost bitten completely raw as he let out a shaky breath through his nose.
“So, is anyone going to explain to me exactly why my two omegas were missing?” Minho asked as he put down the ladle, his eyes carefully moving between the two who both sat in the water with a small pout visible on their lips.

Felix looked up and met his brother’s gaze for a few seconds before the pressure made him look away and down again.
“I’m sorry hyung…” He mumbled as he started pulling at his fingers under water “I found out that I was missing some of my arrows and figured I probably dropped them while fruit picking…” The blatant lie was quickly forming knots in the boy's stomach, making him feel sick as he felt Minho’s eyes burning on his skin. He also felt Jeongin stir lightly, causing the water to ripple into his direction which did not help with the violent churns his stomach was now making.
“And they’re my favourite arrows, hyung. The ones that Minnie hyung gave me for my birth month celebration. I just wanted to go get them back”
Minho watched him in silence for a few seconds before he nodded slowly and inhaled deeply before speaking.
“And you thought that doing this in this weather, in the rain at the end of winter, would be a good idea how exactly?”
The tone in his brother’s voice made Felix flinch ever so lightly, his bottom lip pushed out into a small pout as he curled back into himself. His brother didn’t sound mad or angry, in fact he continued to remain very calm as he addressed the young omegas. But the way he spoke made the warm water feel like ice. Felix loved Minho to bits and pieces but god, the man was scary when he would get like this.
He struggled to find a response that would satisfy his brother but no words came to mind, and when he finally opened his mouth to apologize again, he was cut off before his throat could make a sound.

“We didn’t expect it to start raining so soon, we thought we would be back by then”

Felix blinked, his eyes shooting up into Jeongin’s direction in shock. His voice had come out so small and so low that both Felix and Minho would have missed it if the room hadn’t been so quiet. And the way he had sounded so hesitant broke Felix’s heart. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He didn’t want to drag Jeongin into this more than he already had.
His eyes shifted to Minho when he saw the man move to reach for the bar of soap next on the edge of the tub. He silently lathered his hands with it before gently rubbing it into Jeongin’s wet hair and massaging it in.
“And why, for the life of me, didn’t you tell Seungmin where you were going?” Minho asked after he finished washing Jeongin’s hair and gently started ladling the soap out with water. But this time, the young omega remained silent, his eyes yet again trained on the surface of the water.
“Hyung was still sleeping, and you were out hunting. I didn’t want to wake him because I knew he was exhausted from yesterday…” Felix decided to answer instead, his hand carefully finding Jeongin’s underwater. The younger instantly held on and laced their fingers together almost desperately, his lip protruding in a small pout.
“I’m really sorry” He added quietly, the words directed to both Minho and Jeongin as he gently squeezed the younger’s hand.

Minho sighed tiredly before scooting over to sit behind Felix, lathering his hands with soap again before massaging it into the younger’s hair. The young omega’s eyes fluttered shut and he lightly leaned into the touch, letting the warm white rose scent envelop him once again. Minho worked on Felix’s hair in silence and when he finally started rinsing out the soap, he let out a deep sigh.
“Will you be pulling this type of foolish stunt ever again?” he asked as he carefully placed the ladle down next to the tub and eyed the two omegas.
“No sir” The duo answered simultaneously.
“Good” Minho nodded happily as he moved to stand up before stretching himself out and drying his hands “Because next time, you won't live to tell the tale”
It was as if someone had dumped acid into the tub. Minho’s voice had been gentle but the venom in his tone had wrapped around both Felix and Jeongin’s throat like a snake, causing both of them to flinch lightly as their hearts stopped beating for a second.
“Yes sir…” they said softly, Felix looking up to meet his brother’s gaze with a small pout. The elder gave them another glance, shaking his head tiredly before leaving them alone and heading out to help Seungmin in the kitchen.

The silence returned once again, the unrelenting rain outside starting to become so annoying to the point that it was causing Felix to feel a headache coming on. Placing his chin back onto his knees, he looked over at Jeongin and started rubbing his thumb over the back of the hand that was still locked firmly in his. But the young omega’s eyes refused to budge. It wasn’t until another cold shiver caused Felix to tense up that he finally looked up and met the pink haired boy’s gaze, his eyes riddled with worry.
“Why do you keep shaking like that?” he asked quietly and Felix shrugged, his eyes still locked onto Jeongin’s.
“What did you do with my note?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. And this time Jeongin was the one that shrugged, pulling his eyes away from Felix and back down towards the water.
“Innie…” Felix tugged on the boy’s hand lightly.

“Burned it” the young omega finally said after a few seconds.
Felix let out a soft sigh and lowered his eyes as he tugged on Jeongin’s hand once more before he started playing with the younger’s fingers.
“You shouldn’t have done that” He swallowed thickly and sniffled “I’m sorry”
Jeongin’s eyebrows furrowed together, his eyes shooting back up to look at Felix as he shook his head stubbornly.
“You’re my best friend Lix…” he said softly as his eyes finally glazed over with pent up frustration. And when Felix met his gaze, his heart constricted at the sight. He slid over towards Jeongin quickly and pulled the young omega into his side who instantly complied and snuggled into him, his nose nuzzling into Felix’s scent gland.

Jeongin inhaled deeply and relaxed into Felix completely, the jasmine scent warming him more than the water had.
“No more lying” He breathed after a few seconds “And if you are dead set on being stupid, at least have the decency and respect to let me be stupid with you”
“Innie--” Felix wanted to protest but he was quickly cut off.
“No. Let me finish” Jeongin sniffled and moved back to look into Felix’s eyes sternly as she squeezed the life out of his hand “I may not agree with whatever it is that is driving you to be this stupid , and I hate that it is forcing me to lie to hyung. But…”
He hesitated for a few seconds to find the right words, his bottom lip catching in between his teeth before he inhaled deeply and looked back.
“I trust you. And if whatever this is, is worth it to you. Then at least let me help you. I am stronger than you, Lix. Let me protect you, please. Just… no more lying. Not to me” Jeongin’s voice broke and finally the tears that he had desperately been trying to hold back started running over his cheeks.

Felix reached up to desperately try and wipe the tears away from the boy’s face, his heart hurting at how small Jeongin had sounded. But with his hands wet, it was no use so he leaned in and placed his forehead against Jeongin’s instead, his hand now resting on the boy’s cheek and his thumb caressing it softly.
“Okay. Okay” he tried to hush him silently “No more lying…”
Jeongin nodded slowly and let out a long stuttering breath before moving back in to nuzzle his head back into the crook of Felix’s neck, the latter lifting his hand to gently stroke his hair as the rain outside continued to clatter against the cottage walls relentlessly.

The caramel haired boy had refused to leave Felix’s side after their bath and evidently had clung on to him the remainder of the day, receiving both questioning and fond looks from their pack omega and Seungmin. And that night, the two young omegas slept soundly, physically and emotionally exhausted from their morning and not wanting to separate from one another as they lay snugly squished together on Jeongin’s bed.
That was until Jeongin woke up in the nightly hours of the morning, feeling as if he was being broiled alive by an open flame. He grimaced at the heat and let out a long yawn, noticing the weight of Felix pressing down on his chest where the omega lay cosily curled up on top of him.
“Lix…” He groaned lightly as he nudged the omega gently and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes with his free hand “Lix, you’re suffocating me”
He waited a few seconds before nudging again when there was no response.

“Lix” He sighed. Even for winter, this heat was too much for Jeongin to bear. He tried to carefully free himself from the weight, seeing if he could scoot himself out from under Felix. And after a couple of strained seconds and some grunts, he finally managed to push him off, causing the young omega to roll off him like a rag doll.
He let out an airy chuckle at the way Felix seemed to be blissfully unaware of all the commotion as the boy continued to sleep soundly. He turned onto his side to face him, breathing a lot easier now that he was no longer feeling like the sun had melted into his skin.
But the fond smile he had on his face as he watched Felix sleep, was quickly replaced by a frown when he heard the latter breathing. Or rather, panting.

Propping himself up on to his elbow and moving a little closer, he held his own breath and listened intently. Felix was indeed panting, and heavily so, his breath raspy and strained asif it was hurting him to even breath.
“Lix?” The younger called out softly and reached over to stroke Felix’s hair out of his face. But when his fingers traced over the boy’s skin, he instantly retracted his hand and shot up into a seating position.
“Felix?” Panic and worry laced his voice as he quickly scooted closer and carefully placed his hand over Felix’s forehead. The omega was basically boiling, skin clammy as his hair stuck to his face in patches. Even for a heat, this was abnormal. And now Jeongin finally understood why he had felt so hot. It wasn’t because of Felix, it was Felix.
Jeongin’s scent spiked alarmingly before he hurriedly scrambled out of bed, his heart in his throat and stumbling over his own feet as he ran out of his room and towards Minho’s.

“Hyung!” He cried out as he sped over to the side of Minho’s bed.
The pack leader shot up immediately at the distressed sound, his own scent also spiking in alarm. He quickly rubbed his face, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes as he moved his head around into the direction of the noise.
“What, w-what’s going on?” Minho squinted up at Jeongin’s silhouette, reaching out to grab at him as he moved to the side of the bed. It was hard to see the boy in the dark like this, the sky outside still dangerously clouded over while the rain continued to pour down. But the sniffle that came out of Jeongin had the omega out of bed within the fraction of a second, all sleep but a distant memory as all his senses went into overdrive.
“Innie. What happened?” Minho grabbed onto both Jeongin’s arms and tried to look him over to see if he was injured or worse, millions of things speeding through his head.
“L-lixie” Jeongin hiccupped “Lixie is--” he had barely gotten the words out before he found himself being dragged by the hand back towards his room at high speed, Minho’s scent instantly wilting in worry.

Once in the room, Minho carefully sat down on the edge of the bed next to Felix and moved the blanket out of the way. He instantly noticed the younger’s ragged breathing and closed his eyes as he let out a sigh.
“Innie, can you light a candle for me please?” He said, his voice soft as he placed his hand on Felix’s forehead and carefully moved the omega’s bangs out of the way. Jeongin didn’t have to be told twice and moved instantly, hurrying out the door to fetch some flint downstairs.
“Fe, baby, can you hear me?” Minho said softly as he stroked the boy’s hair gently, his eyebrows furrowing together at the heat that was radiating off the omega’s body.
“H-hyung” Felix whimpered softly, his eyes fluttering open and weakly landing on his brother’s silhouette in the dark.
“Shhh, it’s okay” Minho hushed him, making his scent as warm and mellow as possible to soothe the omega “You’re going to be okay”
This is exactly what Minho had been afraid of. Them going out on their own yesterday was one thing but what had worried and angered Minho the most, was the weather that they had run off into. Felix was fragile enough as it was, putting himself in that position was reckless at best. And somewhere, Minho had desperately hoped that the warm bath would have prevented this, but the omega had no idea how long the two had been out there in the first place.
He let out another soft sigh and leaned in to place a soft kiss on the younger’s temple when the soft scent of cinnamon infiltrated his senses.

“Hyung?” Minho looked back to find a dishevelled Seungmin at the door, his hair sticking out in to all directions but the right one. And if Minho’s body hadn’t been riddled with worry, he would have laughed at the endearing sight.
“Minnie, what are you doing up?”
“I smelled Innie” the beta said groggily before clearing his throat and moving into the room “What’s going on?”
But his question was soon answered when Jeongin followed him in with a lit candle in hand and walked over to place it on the table under the window. His eyes widened for a split second when they landed on Felix, his cinnamon scent becoming soggy with worry before he let out a tired sigh and ran his hand through his hair.
“I fucking knew this was going to happen” he frowned and crossed his arms as he looked over the trembling omega on the bed.
“Seungmin, please…” Minho sighed and gave the beta a reprimanding look. He was not in the mood for the beta’s usual sass.
“Sorry, I’ll go get you some water” Seungmin said softly before turning to leave the room, a jittery Jeongin close on his heels.

Minho turned his attention back to Felix, his hand still gently stroking the younger’s hair. The boy was completely soaked, the soft flickering light of the candle illuminating the sweat on his skin. Felix let out a small whine and Minho’s heart broke as guilt washed over him. He should have paid better attention to Felix after the two had come back. The boy had never stopped trembling after him and Jeongin had come out of their bath and now Minho understood why. If he had listened to himself when he had found this odd, if he had tried to warm him up more, maybe this could have been avoided. What type of pack leader was he?
When Seungmin walked back into the room carrying a small wooden bowl with water, he was knocked out of his thoughts as he looked up at the brown haired beta.
“Jeongin is beside himself” The taller said as he placed the bowl onto the small bedside table together with a small clean cloth “He keeps saying it’s his fault”
‘Well, that makes two out of 4’ Minho swallowed thickly as he felt a headache creep up behind his eyes before grabbing the cloth and submerging it into the water. He shook his head as he wrung out the cloth and gently started dabbing away the sweat drops sliding down Felix’s face, eliciting another pained whine from the omega.

“I’m right here” Minho hushed him gently before looking back up at Seungmin, exhaustion already clear on his features. The beta gave him a small encouraging smile and patted his shoulder as he started towards the door.
“I’m going to help Innie make tea, he was insisting on making some for both of you”
“Please” Minho nodded with a grateful smile “And can you please check on Innie’s condition while you’re at it? I know he’s stressed right now and I want to make sure that he isn’t running a temperature as well”
Seungmin nodded and turned to walk out when Minho’s voice halted his steps.
“Oh and Minnie, I know it’s a lot to ask but can you also see if you can manage to juice some oranges for the both of them? They need the vitamins, I don’t want to take any chances”
“On it hyung. And that’s never too much to ask” Seungmin nodded firmly with a gentle smile on his face before finally turning to join Jeongin in the kitchen.

Minho watched the tall figure disappear into the hallway before turning his attention back to his brother, dipping the cloth into the water again before placing it on Felix’s forehead.
“I’m s-sorry” Felix whispered softly as he looked up at his brother, his eyes glazed over and bottom lip protruding in a small pout. Minho shook his head and stroked his hair gently.
“I’m the one who should be sorry” Minho said softly as he tucked a strand of hair behind the boy’s ear.
Felix’s eyes widened at the words and he shook his head viciously, instantly draining all of the energy out of his body and letting out a few small coughs. Minho’s eyebrows knitted together as he tried to calm his brother down, his heart yet again breaking at the sight.
“N-no hyung…” Felix swallowed thickly as he struggled to get the words out, his breathing now worse than it had been a few minutes ago “I’m the one who snuck out… You should be mad at me” He coughed again and the tears that had lined his eyes finally trickled down his temple and mixed in with the sweat in his hair.

“Don’t talk” Minho said sternly “You’re only hurting yourself more”
And Felix nodded slowly, his trembling hand locking on Minho’s tunic and holding on as tightly as he could. The elder ran his hand up the boy’s arm soothingly before moving to change the cloth on his forehead.
“And I’m not mad” He said after a few moments in silence before leaning down and gingerly pressing his nose against the younger’s cheek “But what were you thinking, going out in that weather yesterday Fe? I raised you better than that. You are smarter than that”
He leaned back to lock eyes with the young omega and reached up to wipe away the tears that had run down the boy’s face.
“You’re all I have…”

And it was true. While there was no question that he loved Seungmin and Jeongin dearly, they were his family too. But without a doubt, Felix would always be his number one priority. As he had been ever since they were separated from their clan. Everything Minho did, every sacrifice, every decision and even every breath he took was for Felix. And not just because he feared to face his mother’s wrath in the afterlife if he were to ever let anything happen to him.
“Look at you” He said after refreshing the cloth again and wiping away some new sweat beads that had formed.
“And all because of what? A few arrows? Arrows are replaceable, Fe. You are not” he gently stroked the back of his fingers over Felix’s cheek, the boy leaning into the touch ever so lightly “What am I going to do with you, huh? You want mom to kill me?”
Felix snorted weakly, his eyes fluttering shut as he let Minho tend to him. The elder smiled down at him fondly, watching how the young omega’s face glistened in the soft candle light that illuminated the room.
“When you finish your tea, I’m getting you out of these clothes and into a warm bath again. You won’t like it but we have too”
Felix nodded weakly and leaned into the hand that had gone back to stroking his hair, his lip quivering as another soft whine sounded in the back of his throat.
“I love you hyung” he said softly after letting out a long shaky breath.
“I love you more” Minho whispered just before Jeongin walked back in with a little mug of steaming chamomile tea in hand, Minho’s heart momentarily twisting painfully at the scent.

The rain relentlessly continued to pour all day, making it futile to go hunting. Though it hadn’t been for lack of trying. Seungmin had offered, seeing that Minho was not going to leave the sick omega’s side, but the elder had refused profusely.
The weather would make it so much harder for them to find any prey out and about. Plus, with Felix down, the pack omega did not want to risk sending Seungmin out into the rain only for him to return in the same condition. Granted, their wolf form protected them from most natural phenomena. And from what he had understood, Felix yet again hadn’t shifted when he had gone out yesterday which was probably why he had been the only one to get sick in the first place. But the anxiety of the situation had Minho’s guard stretched thin and he wasn’t going to take any chances.
Besides, they still had the pheasant bones left from yesterday’s dinner in order to make some broth, which Felix would most definitely need. And if push came to shove, they had enough chickens right now to spare one in an emergency.

“Min, do you think you’ll be able to prepare some soup?” Minho asked softly after carefully changing the cloth again on Felix’s forehead who had, much to Minho’s relief, finally managed to fall asleep.
“What type of soup?” Seungmin asked from where he sat cross legged on the floor next to the bed as he absentmindedly traced patterns on the elder’s calf.
“Just broth would be best. I’m scared that he won’t be able to keep anything heavier down” Minho answered as he glanced at the tangerine he had unsuccessfully tried to feed the young omega after his bath, a soft sigh rolling over his lips as he gently caressed Felix’s face. The boy seemed to be even hotter now than he had been when Minho had entered the room, his breathing heavy and strained.
“Innie, can you come help me with making dinner please?” Seungmin said as he slowly got up from the floor, dusting his pants off before turning to face Jeongin. The boy looked up from where he had been lying next to his friend, their hands locked firmly together as he shook his head slowly with a small pout visible on his lips. He had refused to leave Felix’s side all day, helping Minho tend to him wherever he could.
The pack omega had been eying him carefully from where he was sitting, his eyes tracing over the deep dark circles that had nestled under the boy’s eyes. Maybe if Jeongin tired himself out just enough, he would finally let himself fall asleep and stop worrying the elder.
“Go, Innie” Minho spoke with a soft and reassuring smile on his face “I won’t let anything happen to your other half, don’t worry”
Jeongin’s eyebrows furrowed together as he wanted to protest but he felt too exhausted to even try. So with a soft grunt, he finally dislodged himself from Felix after a few seconds and followed Seungmin out the door.

“I already boiled some water this afternoon” Seungmin said as he walked down the stairs with Jeongin in tow “I figured hyung would want to try and feed Lix something light. And it should have cooled down enough by now to use.”
Jeongin absentmindedly nodded along with the words and when Seungmin stopped walking he looked up, finding that they had already reached the kitchen.
“W-what can I do?” He asked hesitantly, his hands folding into each other as he tried to keep the nervous tremors from taking over.
“If you can melt some lard so we can heat up the spices first?” Seungmin asked carefully, his hand coming up tuck a few stray hairs out of Jeongin’s eyes and behind his ear. The younger slightly leaned into the touch and nodded slowly, a low purr resounding in the back of his throat.
“What spices will be best for Lixie?” he asked before moving away from the beta and making his way to the pantry.
“The usual” Seungmin answered while walking over to the stove in search of some flint “Oh, but make sure to grab some extra ginger”
He quickly lit the firewood before moving to start preparing the utensils needed to cut the vegetables, Jeongin returning a few moments later with a small basket filled with all the ingredients needed.

The omega placed the large and battered soup pot onto the stove and got to work, Seungmin watching him silently from where he stood. And his sweet cinnamon scent sogged ever so lightly the longer he continued to examine him. Jeongin looked like a walking ghost, the exhaustion of the day and worry for Felix visibly starting to wear him down.
“You know it’s not your fault that he’s sick right?” Seungmin said carefully as he dried his hands and leaned his hip against the counter, the younger instantly tensing at the words and halting his movements “You need to stop blaming yourself for this, you’re not the one who asked for the rain”
Jeongin chewed on his tongue as he listened to Seungmin talk, his eyes trained on the sizzling garlic and ginger in the pot.
“Guess it’s not my fault either that I left him standing in said rain instead of pulling him home as soon as it started?” he said, his nostrils flaring as he went back to stirring and bit back the lump that had started to form in his throat “I should have paid more attention to him, hyung. He is always looking out for me, always worried about me getting sick. But instead of extending the same courtesy, all I do is argue with him…”

Seungmin slightly reeled back in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing together at the words before he stepped closer to the tense omega.
“Argue? What do you mean ‘argue’, Innie? Did something happen?” He raised his hand and cupped the younger’s chin in an attempt to make him look at him. Jeongin let his face be turned by the beta but his eyes remained facing down, his tongue almost raw from the way his small fangs kept dinging into it.
“Jeongin. Did you two have a fight? Is that why you were so upset when you got back home yesterday?” Seungmin asked again, his voice taking a slightly sterner tone as he addressed the younger. Jeongin pulled his chin away from the beta’s hand and focused his attention back towards the pot, his caramel scent now completely milky.
“Innie…” Seungmin urged, his hand now coming up to stroke the omega’s head softly.

“Are the vegetables ready? I want to add the water soon” Jeongin sniffled in the attempt to deflect the conversation, signalling that he was done with it.
“Jeongin” Seungmin tried again, feeling a little desperate at the boy’s stubborn demeanour.
“I don’t want to talk about it hyung!” Jeongin finally snapped, a thick tear rolling down his cheek as he looked up at the beta causing the elder to feel like someone had punctured his heart “Please…”
“Okay. Okay” Seungmin hushed him quickly as he moved to pull the younger into his arms “I’m sorry, baby bread. I’m sorry”
Jeongin pressed his nose into the beta’s scent gland and tried to even out his breathing as he let Seungmin hold him, his jaw gently rubbing against the top of the omega’s head in an attempt to scent him.
It took a few moments for Jeongin to finally calm down and when he did, they resumed their individual tasks for the soup in absolute silence. And apart from the few worried sidelong glances Seungmin sent into the direction of the omega, the situation seemed to defuse on its own as they worked.

The day slowly shifted over into night while the rain continued to rage and rattle against the rooftop and walls of the cottage. And the weather, very much like Felix’s fever, did not let up. If anything, in the following few days, both the raging storm outside and Felix’s condition worsened significantly. And if Jeongin had been struggling with his friend being sick before, him not seeming to get any better at all had caused the boy to fall into an inconsolable downward spiral. It had even escalated to the point that Minho had been forced to ask Seungmin to keep him away from the other omega for his own good.

And when Felix’s fever finally broke, a little over a week had gone by.

The unrelenting rainstorm that had terrorized them during this time had also passed and gone back to a mere drizzle here and there, putting hunting back on the table at last. And Seungmin had wasted not a single minute to go out while Jeongin had jumped at his chance to take his place next to Felix again, nearly squeezing the life out of his arm in the process. But the weak omega was more than glad to let him, allowing the younger to snuggle up to him and placing small kisses on the top of his head when Jeongin buried his face into the crook of his neck.
“Be gentle Innie” Minho warned him sternly “He still needs to rest, he’s not out of the woods yet”
“Hyung” Felix pouted up at his brother after letting out a long sigh “You’re the one to talk? You are the one who needs to rest. I can’t remember the last time you slept”

Minho chuckled and smiled down at Felix fondly, his hand moving to stroke the latter’s fading pink hair out of his face before repeating the same movement with Jeongin.
“Can I leave him to you?” he jokingly asked and Jeongin nodded firmly.
“Promise you’ll be careful?” He added as he leaned down to plant a lingering kiss on both of their temples, knowing full well that Jeongin would be the last person to do anything to cause Felix to relapse. He slowly got up, feeling all the joints and muscles in his body scream at him as the exhaustion from the past week hit him full force.
“I promise” Jeongin said sweetly before Minho finally turned to leave, stretching out his back in the process and softly closing the door behind him.

After a couple of seconds the young omega let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back in order to look at Felix. He was met by a pair of very tired yet extremely playful eyes smiling back at him. And if Jeongin hadn’t witnessed the boy’s condition the past week, he never would have believed that Felix had been fencing with the grim reaper just a few days prior, the sunshine in his eyes devoid of any trace of the battle he had just fought. He smiled at the sight and raised his free hand to rest on the omega’s cheek, the boy instantly melting at the touch as the sounds of his soft purrs filled the room.
“You have no idea how much I missed hearing that” Jeongin chuckled “What are you so happy about?”
“I’m relieved” Felix answered, looking at the young omega affectionately.
“That you got better?” Jeongin asked, his thumb gently tracing lines over Felix’s freckles “Believe me, I can guarantee you that everyone is”
Felix smiled sweetly and shook his head before leaning in to rub his nose against Jeongin’s softly.
“No silly” He whispered softly “I’m relieved that you didn’t get sick”

Jeongin felt his heart stop at the words. Felix had been the one who had basically been at death's door. And yet, after all the pain his body had been through in the past few days, here he was worrying about Jeongin instead. Like he always did.
The young omega bit his lip to keep it from trembling, swallowing thickly as he felt his eyes glaze over. Felix sighed lightly as he watched Jeongin’s expression change, his hand coming up to cup the younger’s cheek.
“I got sick because I was stubborn, Innie. You were right to yell at me” He continued and wiped at the tear that had escaped the young omega’s eyes.
“But if I’d just listened instead of yelling at you--”
“No. None of that” Felix frowned and flicked Jeongin’s forehead lightly “I don’t want to hear you blaming yourself for something I did to myself”
“But--”
“I said no” Felix playfully snapped his fangs at the Jeongin’s nose, eliciting a teary giggle from the young omega who took his chance to snuggle back into Felix’s side.

A comfortable silence fell over them and Felix found himself wanting to drift back to sleep with how content he felt with Jeongin safely tucked into his side. His eyes tiredly found the window in the room and as he watched the rain drops compete in their race down the glass, his exhaustion slowly made way for something else.
According to Minho, The rainstorm that had locked them inside all week, had done a real number on the outside world. It had even gotten so bad that the nearby river had almost overflowed. But Felix had been so out of it that he barely noticed anything that had been taking place around him, the only thing worth remembering was the peace and warmth Minho had continued to provide with his presence. And now, being able to finally look out of the window, all Felix could feel was this odd sense of relief that had washed over him when he found out the weather had been so bad.
No clear skies for over a week.

‘On the next clear night, when the moon is at its highest’

The velvety voice echoed through his mind and Felix let out a soft sigh, his eyes following a particularly small raindrop fight its way down the window until it merged with a bigger one that seemed to have been waiting for it before they quickly trickled out of sight.
Jeongin noticed the slight change in Felix’s jasmine scent and leaned back to look up at the omega.
“Are you okay? Do you need some space” he asked worriedly as he tried to lean away some more. But Felix stopped him before he lost the comfort the young omega provided him, his eyes searching Jeongin’s for a few seconds.
“Innie?”
“Hmm?” Jeongin hummed gently
“Do you trust me?”
Jeongin furrowed his eyebrows together at the question but nodded slowly nonetheless, his hand coming up to move Felix’s hair out of his face.
“Always”
Felix carefully mirrored the young omega’s nod and bit the inside of his lip before swallowing thickly, his eyes briefly glancing back up at the window.

‘No more lying’

Chapter Text

Changbin could hear the vicious bark from where he undressed himself at the edge of the orchard, causing a shiver to run down his spine. Jeongin must have been livid and it made him feel horrible, he never wanted the fairy omega to get in trouble. And from the sounds of his snarls and if both yesterday and now were any indication, Jeongin seemed to be a force to be reckoned with. The caramel spotted wolf was no joke, and it made him wonder if their whole pack was like that as he listened to the wolf’s voice echo through the raindrops in the air.
And regardless of the fact that their meeting came to an end so abruptly, he was glad that he at least had been granted some time with the omega. But he was left even more confused than how he had been before their talk.

He was glad to have found out that his suspicions about them not knowing any alphas seemed to be right on the money. There is no way the omega would not know what an alpha voice was, to the extent that he did, if he had known any growing up. Regardless of an alpha wanting to use their voice or not, sometimes it was unavoidable, Changbin knew that first hand.
But it did leave him with a bunch of other questions, one of which came from the fact that the fairy omega had stated that his father had been an alpha. Did he grow up without his father? If so, what happened? Of course he was very much aware that it wasn’t any of his business in the first place but he couldn’t help the budding curiosity, and melancholy, that the idea caused to bloom within his stomach.
Changbin silently pondered over their conversation as he quickly stuffed his soaked clothes into his pouch before slinging the extended strap over his shoulder and shifting.

He pushed off and left the orchard behind him, which had now fallen silent under the approaching rumbling clouds, and started making his way towards the river. The increasing rain was making it hard to see, the drops obstructing his sight as he sped through the trees. More than anything, he just wanted to go home and take a bath, but he knew he would not be able to return home without any flint after spending hours away. If anything, he already knew he was going to be smacked upside down for yet again taking longer than needed for such a simple task and he knew he would be soaked by the time he would get home. So much for his attempted promise to Jisung to try and stay ahead of the rain.
In all honesty, the alpha was sure that if Jeongin hadn’t shown up in the manner that he had, Changbin would not have left the orchard at all. The conversation with the fairy omega had finally eased into something comfortable after a lot of trial and error. Plus Changbin also just enjoyed looking at him, the omega was adorable when he got flustered.

As he sprinted through the woods towards the river, he internally smiled at the memory of the way the boy had fumbled with his arrows when he had called him beautiful. Though the alpha had no idea where exactly he summoned the courage from to even say that in the first place. It had come out of his mouth before he could stop himself. But in the end it had been more than worth it as it had helped to lower the omega’s guard tremendously. Though it had pulled at his heartstrings to just sit there and watch him collect his thing. Changbin had dug his nails so deep into his hands to keep himself from getting up and helping him, that he was surprised that he hadn't drawn blood in his palms. Because he knew that if he had attempted to help, he would have burned down all the bridges then and there because the omega would have most probably thought that Changbin was trying to attack him in his distraction.
He sighed to himself as he skidded to a stop at the riverbank. It was unnerving how weary these wolves were of alphas, and it made Changbin wonder what could have caused that if they had never met any. There had to be more to the story, and he wanted to know every crumble of information the omega would spare him. So at this point he just furiously hoped that the omega would understand his request and meet him again.
But for now he needed to focus on the task at hand and get their tiny alpha his flint before the pack shunned him for good. He made quick work of finding a couple of stones big enough for Jisung to work with, collecting them with his muzzle and placing them on a small pile before shifting and stuffing them into the pouch hurriedly.

The way back took way too long for his liking, the rain starting to annoy him greatly as his wolf form too was now soaked to the bone, his fur no longer protecting him from the sheer amount of heavy rainfall. It made his mind wander off to the two omegas, worried if they had made it back to their pack already or if they were still in the middle of this weather much like himself. He hadn’t the slightest clue of how long they would have to travel and he had been sharp enough to pick up on the fact that the fairy omega hadn’t carried a sack or pouch of any sort. Which probably meant that he hadn’t planned on shifting at all, for reasons Changbin couldn’t quite comprehend. Of course he didn't want to jump to conclusions but for some reason the idea left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The boy was beyond mysterious and it was slowly eating away at his sanity.
With the fairy omega running circles through his mind, he finally found himself close to their home, Hyunjin’s soft coffee scent still seeped into the area. He walked into the clearing and when the scent of slightly burned sandalwood hit his nose he turned his head into the direction it was coming from, surprised to find Jisung still in the workshop where he had left him earlier this morning.
The young alpha turned around when he heard Changbin approaching and walked towards the door hurriedly, his scent instantly mellowing out at the sight of the aegean wolf.

“You better have ventured off into a different country and brought me back obsidian, considering the fact you took about 45 moon cycles to go to the river and back” He tilted his head and eyed the dripping aegean wolf sceptically, the hint of worry in his tone not missed by the alpha.
Changbin deadpanned at the boy, grunting in feigned annoyance as he moved closer in order to give him the pouch. He stepped under the roof of the shed so Jisung wouldn’t have to come out into the pouring rain and the young alpha fiddled with the straps until he managed to get the pouch off of the wolf’s body.
“Couldn’t you have taken a different pouch, hyung?” He asked with grimace as he took the flint out of the dripping leather pouch “And why are your clothes also so wet? What the hell did you do? Dive for flint?”

“That’s enough out of you, smartass” Changbin snapped his fangs at the younger “What’s with the attitude?”
“Sorry” Jisung pouted guiltily “Go inside, I’ll take care of these”
He shook the leather pouch and Changbin huffed, pushing his snout against the younger’s cheek affectionately before heading towards the cottage.
The rain had been so unrelenting that even in his wolf form it felt like his bones were being stabbed by glass shards. He quickly shifted and hurried inside, a violent shiver running over his body when the heat of the fireplace hit him full force.
His mind had wandered back to two omegas as his feet automatically carried him towards the bathroom. He hoped furiously that the two of them would have safely made it back by now, and that the fairy omega hadn’t gotten himself in too much trouble with Jeongin. Or with anyone else in his pack for that matter.

“Hyung?”
Hyunjin’s voice startled him out of his thoughts abruptly and Changbin halted in his steps, finding the beta standing a few feet away from him. He was eyeing the alpha with a mixture of confusion and worry, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Are you okay?” The blonde asked him, his eyebrows furrowed together as his eyes examined him carefully.
Changbin blinked absentmindedly and nodded slowly.
“Sorry. Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just a little tired. And cold” he answered, his hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck “Did you say something?”
“I asked if you need me to heat up some water for you?” Hyunjin answered slowly after a few seconds “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. And yeah that would actually be great, thank you Jinnie” Changbin answered with a grateful smile before pushing himself through the bathroom door, so deep in his own mind that he missed the way Hyunjin’s green eyes followed him as he went.

The beta shook his head lightly and started moving towards the kitchen, the frown never leaving his face as he worked to get Changbin his water. The alpha had been acting weird. Ever since he had come back from fruit collecting yesterday, he had been off in his own world. And it made him nervous. What if Changbin had come to find out that he was unhappy here? What if he was thinking of leaving the pack? Or worse, what if he found that maybe he wanted to go back to his old pack… No, that was ridiculous. The only way Changbin would ever go back to his old pack, to his clan, was if they carried him there in a body bag.
He let out a frustrated sigh, the idea of there being something up with one of his alphas eating away at him. But who was Hyunjin to even pry? He trusted all 3 of his pack members with his life. And if Changbin said he was fine, he was fine. Right? So why couldn’t he shake this feeling in the back of his stomach that something was definitely not, in fact, fine? He let out another exasperated sigh and ran his hand through his hair tiredly when a hand on his shoulder caused him to jump out of his skin. He whipped around and was greeted by a pair of hazel eyes that were looking up at him worriedly.
“Hyung, what’s going on?” Jisung asked softly “I called out to you a couple times but you completely ignored me”
“Oh no, Sungie I’m sorry” Hyunjin pouted lightly as he pulled the scarlet alpha in for a hug “I was lost in my own head, I didn’t hear you”

Jisung relaxed into the hug and smiled lightly, his hand coming up to pat the taller’s hair who had nuzzled his nose into his scent gland. The soft and crisp sandalwood instantly drifted Hyunjin away from his spiralling thoughts as a wave of calm washed over him.
“What did you say when you came in?” He asked softly as he leaned back and locked eyes with the alpha.
“Nothing important, I just asked how you were doing,” Jisung smiled happily.
“I’m good now that you are here” Hyunjin wiggled his eyebrows playfully, eliciting an amused scoff from the younger.
“What can I say, I’m magic” he grinned happily before glancing behind the beta “Are you heating up water for Changbin hyung?”
“Oh fuck” Hyunjin ripped himself away from Jisung’s arms and turned around, his attention quickly back on the forgotten water. He needed to get it to Changbin sooner rather than later, the man had been shivering up a storm when he had walked into the cottage.
“Yeah, shit” He chuckled as he deposited the water into the two pails on the ground “Sorry Sungie, I need to get this to hyung before he eats me alive”
“You need help?” Jisung asked as he watched the beta frantically pick up the pails.
“Thank you, squirrel. But I’ll be fine” Hyunjin shot the alpha a quick sweet smile before hurrying off towards the bathroom.

“Thanks Jinnie” Changbin muttered absentmindedly when Hyunjin finally returned with the water and dumped it into the tub the alpha was sitting in, earning a satisfied sigh from the man “You’re the best”
“I know that” Hyunjin smiled as he placed the pails down in the corner of the bathroom before eying the alpha for a few seconds. He had his hand on the door, ready to leave but the sight of Changbin staring out of the window like a lost puppy had him spinning on his heel and walking back. He silently sat down on the floor facing the tub and leaned back against the wall, his eyes resting on the alpha in the tub.
“Like what you see?” Changbin playfully smirked after a couple of silent minutes before opening his eyes and looking over at the blonde with a raised brow.
“Ew” Hyunjin grimaced.
“Try and repeat that next time I have a rut” Changbin chuckled as he leaned over to grab the bar of soap.
“You want your privilege to be revoked?” Hyunjin deadpanned.
Changbin narrowed his eyes at the blonde suspiciously as he started soaping himself up.
“You wouldn’t dare” He said carefully.
“Hehe, wanna bet?” Hyunjin tilted his head and raised his eyebrows in a playful threat, instantly making the alpha cower and shake his head in response as he muttered a small apology.

Changbin definitely did not want to lose that part of their little deal. A deal Hyunjin had come up with not long after he had joined the pack. And though it was a little unconventional, it worked for them as long as boundaries and wishes were respected. Which was something Chan had learned the hard way after Hyunjin had given him an earful about it.
The blonde beta had joined them about a year after he and Chan had formed their two man alpha pack and left their respective clans. They had basically picked up the orphan off of the streets and taken him in, Chan hadn’t hesitated for a second. Or better yet, the sweet and loving beta had charmed his way into their hearts so quickly that they didn’t really stand a chance.

Hyunjin had grown up in an orphanage which he had been forced to leave when his scent developed at 15. And it wasn’t that they didn’t want him. According to the beta, the orphanage he had grown up in luckily had been a good one and they had loved him dearly. But him having to leave was something that was common practice due to scents being hard to control in the beginning and thus would be disruptive for the balance in the orphanages.
After this, he had spent the better part of a year as a lone wolf before meeting and joining the two alphas.
And what an addition he had been. The beta was like a breath of fresh air. Due to the loving environment of the orphanage, the wolf was so full of warmth, love and life that he balanced the the both of them out. And at first they had believed that Hyunjin had been alone for so long due to the fact that he was a beta, seeing that betas were unfortunately treated like the social underdogs of society. But they were very soon to learn that as big as his heart was, so was his attitude and he was not someone to cross or take lightly.
His pack mark had been only a few months old when he had come up with his ridiculous proposal.

“What if I help you guys?” He had casually said one day in between bites during dinner when Changbin had been grumpily moaning about his upcoming rut, catching the attention of the two alphas as they looked up from their food with furrowed brows.
“Help?” Chan asked as he took another bite of his chicken “With what, exactly?”
“Your ruts” Hyunjin answered matter-of-factly, the two alphas blinking in confusion at the words and shooting each other a wary glance.
“I’m sorry, what?” Changbin asked as he placed his spoon back onto his plate.
“Yeah. I mean, win-win no? I can’t have pups anyway so why not” Hyunjin continued happily with a light shrug “It hurts me to watch you two struggle every time. Besides--”
“Absolutely not” Chan interrupted him, immediately shooting down the idea as he turned his attention back to his food with a huff. Hyunjin flared his nostrils at the sudden cut off and glared at the elder.
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s a good idea Jinnie” Changbin added carefully when he noticed the change in the beta’s demeanour.
“Why not?” Hyunjin countered defiantly, his arms crossing over his chest in the process as he leaned back into his chair. Chan paused for a second, inhaling deeply before turning towards his beta, a frown still creasing his forehead as he spoke.

“Because, Hyunjin. I didn't add you to my pack to be sexual relief. You are better than that”
“I know that, hyung” the blonde rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated huff “Which is exactly why I am offering. Because I get to”
“I said no, end of discussion” Chan said sharply before turning back to his food “We’ve managed without you and we will continue to do so”
“No, not end of discussion. How dare you shut me down like that?” Hyunjin spat, his coffee scent bittering with every passing second “What about my needs?”
Both Chan and Changbin’s eyes widened at the sudden change in tension in the air, the latter uncomfortably lowering himself a little deeper into his chair at the impending storm as Chan slowly turned to face the beta, disbelief plastered all over his features.

“Excuse me?”
“My needs? You ever stop to think that your ruts, or in this case your rut scents, affect me too?” Hyunjin spoke quickly, his words coming out clear and sharp “Of course you didn’t, the audacity. Big almighty alpha over here has no idea how betas are built yet wants to tell me what to do with my own body? I think the fuck not”
“Language” Chan gaped at the younger, a low growl vibrating in the back of his throat.
“No, and I’m also not done. Since you like to parade around like you know so much” Hyunjin snapped.
“I didn’t--”
“I said that I wasn’t done. Didn’t your mother teach you not to interrupt people when they are speaking?”
Both alpha’s jaws dropped at that, Changbin’s wide eyes snapping over towards Hyunjin who almost seemed to be fuming as he sat up straight in his chair shaking with frustration.
“Us betas may not experience ruts or heats but that doesn’t mean the scents of others don’t affect us. Just because we’re infertile doesn’t mean we don’t have reproductive organs, you ignorant dumbass” The beta continued “How about, instead of deciding for me and trying to tell me what’s best for me, you ask first and educate yourself. It’s the least you can do now that you have a beta in your pack”

The room fell deadly silent after that, only Hyunjin’s rapid breathing breaking through the silence as he tried to calm himself down.
“You may be my alpha now but that doesn’t mean you own me, Chan. You don’t get to dictate what I can or can not do with my own body” He added after a couple of seconds, his voice a lot calmer “Now, If you just don’t want my help, that’s fine. Because it’s a two way street and I will respect your personal wishes. But if you are shutting me down just because you think that’s what’s best for me, you’ve got another thing coming”
And at the words, Chan visibly flinched which caused a pang of guilt to wash over Hyunjin when he saw hurt flash through the elder’s eyes.
“I… I’m sorry…” the alpha spoke softly, his eyes cast down remorsefully “I’m sorry, I honestly didn’t mean to imply that at all. I would never… You’re right, I should have asked instead of deciding for you like that. I don’t ever want to make you feel unheard or like you are… owned”
The last word rolled over his lips so strained that Hyunjin’s heart broke, his eyes closing as he mellowed out his scent and let out a soft sigh.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you like that, hyung” he said softly “I didn’t mean to accuse you of any of that. I know that you’re not actually like that”
He locked eyes with the alpha and gave him an apologetic smile.
“The year after my scent came in hadn’t been the kindest to me. Being released into the world like that, so to speak, was a harsh reality check for me after leaving the orphanage. People always approached me with mal intentions” he continued after a couple of seconds “But not you, you took a beta in when you didn’t have too, and you’ve treated me like an equal ever since. I don’t think I could ever express to you how grateful I am for that. Which is exactly why I am even offering what I’m offering in the first place, because it’s my own choice. Because I know that you would never even dare ask me even if your rut threatened to kill you. Because I know, hyung, that you would actually rather die than make me feel uncomfortable”

“But you don’t have to do that, Jinnie” Chan said with desperation laced in his voice “And I also don’t want you to feel like you have to”
“I know that I don't, that’s what I’m saying hyung” Hyunjin huffed with a soft whine “We can discuss what everyone would need in order to make it work, but I want to do this, hyung. Can you please at least consider it? And when you do, can you keep in mind what I said?”
“What part? The almighty alpha part or the ignorant dumbass part” Changbin spoke up, his lips desperately fighting against the smirk that wanted to take over his features.
“Oh now you chime in?” Hyunjin shot him a look which effectively shut the alpha up, the latter puffing up his cheeks as he continued to eat his food silently.

Hyunjin deadpanned at him for a couple of seconds before looking back at Chan, relief washing over him when he saw that the elder was smiling lightly as he poked at his food. He looked up at the beta and nodded gently, indicating that he had heard the blonde loud and clear.
“I’ll think about it” He said with a reassuring smile.
“Me too” Changbin added quickly with the same smile and Hyunjin beamed at the pair in response, his hands clapping together lightly.
“Thank you”
“But was the name calling really necessary?” Chan pouted with a light huff.
“Sorry” Hyunjin bit his lip guiltily “You just really pissed me off. But I shouldn’t have cussed you out like that, I’m sorry”
“It’s okay, at least I know you’re not afraid to speak your mind” Chan chuckled as he took another bite from his food “But call me by my first name so casually again and I’ll send you to the nearest star in the neighbouring galaxy”
The beta gulped at poise in which the words were spoken and nodded slowly before turning his attention back to his food.

In the end the platonic arrangement worked for them perfectly fine and both of them learned not to cross Hyunjin ever again if they wished to stay out of trouble.
Changbin smiled at the memory and sighed lightly as he looked out the window and watched as the rain continued to rage over the land, his mind falling back on the fairy omega. And even though he knew it was none of his business, the memory of Hyunjin’s fiery words made him wonder if the omega was okay during his own heats. Because he vividly remembered how it had been for his mother during the times that his father would be away, and the thought of that made him worry for the pink haired boy. For reasons unbeknownst to him, the idea of the omega in any type of pain wasn’t something he liked at all.

A frown had subconsciously made its way onto the alpha’s face as he drifted away in thought, completely oblivious of the beta who was still in the room and was silently examining him.
“Hyung?” Hyunjin called out to him carefully, breaking Changbin out of his spell and causing the man to turn and look at him before he hummed for the beta to continue.
“Are you okay?” the beta asked, his tone soft and scent mellow.
Changbin tilted his head at the question and nodded slowly in response, a little confused as to why he was being asked the same thing again.
“Yeah, why? Do I look that tired?” he chuckled lightly before splashing his face with water.
“You always look tired, that’s nothing new” Hyunjiin smirked. But the smirk was quickly replaced by a loud yelp as he got splashed with water in retaliation.
“I can do worse than that” Changbin deadpanned at him.
“Sorry” Hyunjin chuckled as he wiped the drops of water off him before looking back up “but seriously, hyung. Are you?”

“I’m great, Jinnie” The alpha crossed his arms on the edge of the wooden tub and rested his chin on top of them “Seriously, why? You keep asking me the same thing”
Hyunjin watched him in silence for a couple of seconds, biting the inside of his cheek as he pondered his words carefully.
“You’re acting weird” he spoke softly, not wanting to alarm the alpha.
“Weird how?” Changbin frowned.
“Like you’re not here” Hyunjin said again, waving his hands through the air.
“But I’m sitting right in front of you” Changbin said again, his downturned smirk making Hyunjin want to claw his eyes out. The man was impossible.

“That’s not what I mean” The beta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose “You seem so… I don’t know, out of it? Did something happen?”
Changbin eyed the beta silently. Had he really been so lost in thought that Hyunjin had picked up on it? Then again, there was not much the blond wolf missed, ever. The beta was as sharp as a knife.
“Honestly, Jinnie. Thank you for your concern, but really, I’m good” He smiled reassuringly “I just… I’ve been craving jasmine tea like crazy lately. Do we still have dried jasmine left?”
Hyunjin slow-blinked at the alpha incredulously. Jasmine tea?
“Seriously?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing in suspicion “You’ve been moping around like you lost your platoon over jasmine tea? You never even drink jasmine tea”
“Yes I do” Changbin countered with a pout “Can you go check for me? Please?”

Changbin was deflecting and Hyunjin knew it, but he also knew better than to fight him over it or push for answers when he didn’t even know what the answer was that he was looking for. And on top of that, the alpha’s pout was something he could not resist. And he hated that fact more than anything.
They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds. And when Changbin let out a small pleading whine, Hyunjin finally closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh.
“Fine” He grimaced and slowly got up from the floor to make his way out of the bathroom. But before he walked through the door he hesitated and turned back towards the alpha, his fang dinging into the corner of his lip.

“You know, hyung…” He said softly before locking eyes with the black orbs looking at him from the tub “If anything is going on, you know u can talk to me, right?”
Changbin smiled sweetly and nodded at him, his scent soft and dewy as he regarded the beta at the door fondly.
“Of course I know that, silly” He said before puckering his lips cutely “Love ya”
“Ew” Hyunjin made a face in feigned disgust and shot him a side-eye before finally heading out of the bathroom, though not before Changbin had the chance to catch a glimpse of the smile he tried so hard to hide when he turned away. The alpha chuckled and turned back around to look out the window again, letting his body sink a little deeper into the warm water as he let out a soft sigh. His eyes longingly followed the raindrops going down the window, again hoping the rain would let up sooner rather than later.

--

Despite the temperature slowly rising during the day as spring approached, the last days of winter were still just as bad as mid-winter at this hour, Felix’s breath condensing the moment he stepped out of the cottage. He looked up at the sky and had to fight the biggest urge to howl into the night. It felt like it had been ages since he had last laid eyes on the moon, especially with the full moon just having passed.
When Felix’s fever finally broke, the initial storm that had terrorized them had passed with it but the gloomy clouds and rain had stubbornly held on for at least another two weeks. The only reason they had even noticed the full moon was because both he and Minho had woken up a couple of days ago with their hair white as snow and completely devoid of their usual dye.
The omega never fully understood how that exactly worked, all Minho had ever told him was that it had to do with their bloodline. Something about the full moon giving them strength or what not. No amount of dye or mud would hide their hair or their fur those 24 hours.

‘ The powers of the moon neutralize the dye ’ is what Minho had tried to explain to him once. And naturally, neither of them would set even a toe outside of the cottage on the nights the full moon would shine down on the earth, the only exceptions being the birth month celebrations here and there. And when they did, he always had a hard time looking away from Minho. The effect of the moon light on the elder was something that always mesmerized him for as long as he could remember.
He found that it always made Minho look somewhat magical, his hair and eyes almost glowing in the night. Asif the moon had a favorite wolf and showed it by reflecting its light off of his features. He also knew that the light had the same effect on him, but he had never been able to see it as he had never been allowed out in order to take a look at his own reflection.

So, today, he was counting his lucky stars that the first rainless and mostly cloudless night did not fall during a full moon, because he wouldn’t be able to explain that and it would most probably also thwart any future chances.
He let out a shaky breath and lifted the hood of his fur cloak over his head before turning to look behind him when he felt something press against his back gently. He instantly locked eyes with a huge pair of mismatched brown and blue eyes as the caramel spotted wolf towered over him. Jeongin nodded once and looked out towards the woods, his eyes scanning the endless night before he lowered himself so Felix could climb onto his back.
Once Felix was safely secured with his hands tangled into the younger’s fur, they quietly moved across the clearing as they tried to stay hidden in the shadows as much as possible whilst heading towards the woods. Once they finally exited the clearing, Jeongin instantly picked up his pace, the waning gibbous moon illuminating their way towards their destination.

“Are you really sure about this, Lix?” the wolf asked after a little bit, his low voice cutting through the silence of the night.
“Yes…” Felix answered after a few seconds, but the hesitation was clear in his voice and Jeongin stopped in his tracks.
“Look if you are unsure, even just a little--”
“No.” the pink haired omega gripped Jeongin’s fur tightly to try and ease his nerves “I’m fine. I want to go. I have to”

Felix had too many questions he wanted answers to, and his gut told him the same was true for the subject of his interest or else the alpha would not have come up with this ridiculous plan. But that didn’t shake the fear and the nerves. Again he was breaking every rule under the sun behind his brother’s back, and in the middle of the night no less. On top of that, he was now dragging Jeongin into it as well which was probably the worst part for him.
“Thank you for doing this, Innie” Felix said softly “I’m sorry for putting you in this position”
“I told you, Lix. If you plan on being stupid, I’m going to try to at least protect you where I can” The wolf huffed gently “I just hope you know what you’re doing”
“I told you, he really seems like a decent guy” Felix answered as he looked up towards the moon, recalling their conversation from two weeks ago.

“I need to tell you something…” Felix whispered, his voice shaky and nervous as he held onto the young omega’s hand tightly.
Jeongin propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at his friend, brushing the soft pink hair out of his face gently and nodding for him to continue.
“No more lying” Felix made eye contact with Jeongin as he repeated the words they had shared in the tub that day “I’m sorry Innie, I lied to you that day in the orchard”
“What do you mean?” Jeongin asked softly, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration. He didn’t seem confused or shocked at the confession at all, which only confirmed that Felix had been right. Jeongin knew that he had been lying, but Felix wondered if he knew to what extent.

“I didn’t sit down to rest because of the walk” Felix continued, hesitating for a few seconds. “I sat down because…”
He bit the inside of his cheek, worried for the reaction he was going to receive from the caramel haired boy. His heart thrummed away in his chest and he searched the younger’s eyes for a few moment’s as Jeongin let out a soft sigh at the prolonged pause.
“Lix, I told you. I’m with you… Whatever it is, you can tell me” He reassured him gently.

“I sat down because Changbin was there”
Instantly Jeongin shot up into a seated position, eyes wide as he gaped down at his friend. But before he could open his mouth to say anything, he got distracted by Felix trying to push himself up to sit as well, the omega looking absolutely spent and out of breath by the simplest of movements. He quickly moved to help him sit up properly, his heart breaking at how weak his friend had become due to the horrible fever he had suffered through. Jeongin gently helped him lean against the wall, the pink haired omega letting out a tired sigh and resting his head against the wall as well.
“God lix, please don’t push yourself” he said softly as he eyed his friend worriedly.
“Please, Please don’t freak out” Felix pleaded with a light pant once he was facing Jeongin, holding onto his hands firmly “Just let me finish first, then you can decide if you want to yell at me or not”
Jeongin searched Felix’s eyes for a few seconds, a frown glued to his face before finally nodding.

So Felix told him everything. The conversation he had had with the alpha, the things he had said, the apology. And finally the outrageous request. He had talked quickly, keeping his voice as low and soft as he could to make sure the wolf ears in the rest of the house would not pick up on the conversation. And when he was done Jeongin just stared at him, dumbfounded. Out of everything, the young omega had not expected that to come out of the word vomit.
“And I want to go” Felix added after a few seconds of silence “and you told me that if I wanted to be stupid, you--”
“Yeah yeah, I know what I said” Jeongin grumbled an exasperated sigh as he remembered the words he had used that day in the tub and pinched the bridge of his nose “I know what I fucking said” he added in a frustrated whisper, more so to himself than anyone else.

“You’re mad…” Felix shrunk into himself a little as he watched Jeongin fight against his own words.
“Of course I’m mad, Lix” Jeongin turned to look at him with desperation in his eyes “I mean, again, have you lost your mind? First of all, what were you even thinking, going there at all? Oh wait, I know, You weren’t!” he hissed and huffed in frustration.
“He could have killed you, or kidnapped you, or who knows what else” The omega shivered as he continued to speak, his voice still just bordering a whisper “and now you actually want to go and meet him? In the middle of the night, for crying out loud? It’s like everything your brother has ever taught you, taught us, has bled right out of your brain. And for what?”
Felix listened to the omega rant on with a pout on his face, knowing damn well that he had not expected this to go any different. Jeongin usually was his voice of reason regardless of all the trouble they always got themselves in with Minho. The young omega kept looking at him and for a second Felix was unsure if he wanted him to reply or just listen.

“I am asking you, Felix. For what?”
Oh.
“I d-don’t know” Felix admitted quickly and Jeongin’s mouth fell open.
“Felix”
“I know! I know, okay?” Felix heatedly whispered as he squeezed the younger’s hands “I know that this is insane, okay? And believe me you, I almost bolted out of there when I realized what I was doing. But then I saw him… and, I don’t know. I just wanted information”
“And he gave you so much of that” Jeongin countered sarcastically and rolled his eyes.
“Yeah because you showed up all smelling like murder and shit!” Felix hissed and let out a tired sigh as he slumped a little where he sat, exhaustion hitting him full force. Jeongin eyed him carefully, his face still contorted in disapproval as he moved to help Felix back down.

“You need to rest”
“And you need to stop being so mad at me” Felix whined “You wanted the truth, well you got it”
He rested his head against the pillow and when Jeongin lay down next to him he pouted up at him before moving closer and snuggling into his side.
“I’m going. It’s up to you if you want to join me or not, I’m not going to force you because I don’t want to get you in trouble with Minho if he were to find out”
Jeongin’s eyes rolled so far back into his head that he almost felt a headache come on, though he wasn’t sure if it was because of that or if it was because of all of the information he had just received. But no matter how foolish he thought all of this was, for him there was only one answer. And as he heard Felix’s deep breaths indicating that the omega had fallen asleep, he let out a long and soft sigh.
“You’re lucky you’re my favourite…”

And even though the young omega had been adamant about coming along for ‘protection’, it didn’t take away the fact that the whole thing made him extremely uneasy. If Felix sneaking out on his own during the day had been stupid, both of them sneaking out in the middle of the night was absolutely deranged. And the closer they got to the orchard, the more he believed that to be true.
“Do you think he’ll tell us what we want to know?” Felix wondered out loud, his hands gripping onto Jeongin’s fur a little tighter as they slowly edged closer to their destination.
“Probably only if we tell him what he wants to know” Jeongin replied “He must have his own agenda or else he wouldn't have asked you to come here. Which is exactly why I insist on staying in my wolf form for the whole thing”
Felix nodded slowly but Jeongin’s words immediately made his thoughts catapult back to what the alpha had so brazenly told him the last time Felix asked him why he had returned.  And all of the sudden, his fur cloak was feeling awfully warm as he felt the blood rush to his face. He flipped his hood back, letting the midnight air instantly cool him down, grateful that he had opted to tie half his hair up that night.

When the two omegas neared the edge of the orchard, Jeongin slowed his pace. His ears had shot up and turned forwards, his snout sniffing around the area.
“I think I smell him” he huffed and Felix nodded. He had picked up on the faint rain scent as well, his own scent instantly spiking nervously as they finally broke out of the woods and into the orchard. The calming rain scent got stronger as Jeongin slowly made his way through the fruit trees, his paws stepping into the many fallen fruits that hadn’t survived the storm.
He lowered his snout towards the ground as he followed the scent of the alpha and Felix gripped the strap of his quiver tightly, his eyes scanning the grounds for any movement. They walked around for a couple of minutes, trying to pinpoint the owner of the scent as it was too dark for either of them to actually see him if he was hidden, which they assumed he would be.

“You came…”

The voice that spoke out towards them in the darkness after a couple of minutes had startled both of them, the hair on Felix’s skin instantly standing upright. The aegean alpha had been sitting under one of the trees, hidden in the shadows and out of the direct moonlight. He got up and stepped into the open slowly, the moon making his hair look even more mystical than it did during the day.
And there it was again, Felix’s breath catching in his throat like time stood still for a second. He didn’t know what it was or how it happened but the omega was about tired of it and he needed it to stop. But did he want it to? He swallowed thickly and pated Jeongin on the side, silently asking him to let him down.
“So did you” Felix answered cautiously as he stepped onto the ground and gently patted Jeongin’s scruff in an attempt to ease him. The wolf had had a low growl bubbling in his chest from the moment the alpha had spoken, his ears pressed back against his head.

“I see you brought your bodyguard” Changbin joked with a light smirk as he greeted the caramel spotted wolf with a small bow of the head “He’s not going to bite my head off is he?”
Felix chuckled lightly and shook his head, ignoring the incredulous look Jeongin had shot him when the wolf heard the boy laugh at the very accurate ‘joke’.
“He won’t bite. As long as you behave, that is” Felix answered and crossed his arms, the corner of his lip turning up into a playful smirk as well.
“I promise, I’ll be a good boy” Changbin smiled, his canines glistening in the moonlight and causing Felix’s stomach to catapult into space. For fucks sake, Felix internally cursed at himself. What the hell was wrong with him?

“Why did you ask me to come here?” He asked as he shook himself out of his stupor, his voice coming out a little more apprehensive than he had wished for. But it had not phased the alpha one bit, if anything he seemed to like it.
“Why did you come?” Changbin countered, his lips pressed down into a small teasing smirk. Felix narrowed his eyes at him and sighed, already tired of the alpha’s mannerisms and games.
“Are you always like this?” he asked.
“Like what?” The alpha licked his lips, clearly amused with the exchange. Felix’s eyes subconsciously moved down to them and he swallowed.
‘This attractive…’
The omega blinked in horror. ‘I’m sorry, what!?’. He internally smacked himself for the words that flashed through his mind before letting out another exasperated sigh and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“What’s up with this guy?” Jeongin asked, a little confused at the exchange happening in front of him. No, confused wasn’t even the correct word for what he was feeling as he watched the two of them bicker like children when the opening to the exchange had been nothing but giggles. He remembered what Felix had told him about the conversation he had had with the alpha prior to Jeongin interrupting them, but this was not at all what he had expected.
Felix shrugged at the question and looked back in Changbin’s direction, his hand gingerly coming to rest on Jeongin’s shoulder which had relaxed ever so lightly. At least the growling was no longer vibrating through his skin.
“Why did you ask me to come back here? Handing out an invitation to a location that does not even belong to you? Bold. What do you want?” Felix repeated his question. They had no time for games as the duo needed to be back in bed before Minho woke up to go hunting.

“I would assume my answer to that is pretty similar to yours” Changbin said before slowly moving back down to sit against the tree he had been waiting under “I felt like our conversation was cut short a little too abruptly last time, don’t you?”
His eyes briefly flicked towards Jeongin when he spoke the words, the young wolf letting out a light huff at the gaze “I hope you didn’t get in too much trouble because of me?”
Felix tilted his head, a frown creeping onto his face as he watched the alpha sit down. Trouble? Why would he even care about that in the first place, instead of worrying for himself and if they had ratted him out to Minho? He swallowed lightly before shaking his head at the question.

“Not that it’s any of your concern, but I handled it. Why? Were you worried about me?” He joked with a feigned sympathetic look on his face as he too moved to sit down, Jeongin lowering himself to lie down behind him until his massive body curled around him like a barrier.
“Of course I was.” Changbin answered matter-of-factly, his eyebrows furrowing together making it seem like Felix was stupid for even implying otherwise. And his bluntness caught both omegas off guard, Felix feeling his stomach make that annoying flip again and Jeongin blinking in confusion.
“No offense, but you seemed to be royally pissed that day” Changbin continued, his eyes briefly resting on Jeongin before looking back at the pink haired omega “Besides, I don’t know if you remember but the weather had been downright horrid…”

And maybe Felix was imagining it, but the way Changbin was looking at him made him want to believe his words. Because he knew that compared to last time they met, Felix looked like he had been pulled through a wringer. He knew because he had seen his own reflection in the river near the house this afternoon and almost opted to not come at all. His cheeks hadn’t fully bounced back yet and there were still remnants of stark bags under his eyes. The way that something had completely wrecked him wouldn’t even be missed by the people on a planet two galaxies over. But he didn’t quite understand why it would make the alpha look at him like that, nor why it made him feel so nervous.

“Oh I remember” Felix huffed after a few seconds as he looked up at the moon longingly “We were stuck inside for weeks”
“Same here” Changbin rolled his eyes at the playfully “I love my pack but 3 alphas and a beta locked in one cottage with no way out for that long is a little much, even for our standards”
Jeongin lifted his head off of the ground to stare at the alpha in shock and Felix’s eyebrows shot up into his fringe. 3 alphas? And a beta? So, just like them, a 4 man pack? But…
“Holy crap” Jeongin exclaimed, voicing the exact thing his brain had also gotten stuck on “They have 3 alphas? Felix, that is so much worse than we thought it would be...”
Felix could feel that the omega had tensed up behind him after Changbin had spoken and he lifted his hand up to gently pet him over his scruff, his jasmine scent coming out soft and warm trying to ease the tension before he looked back at the alpha.

And the latter must have noticed the change in their demeanour, his face slightly scrunched up in worry before his eyes went wide. He quickly held up his hand in front of him and waved them side to side as he spoke.
“Oh no. Please, don’t be alarmed” He said quickly, his tone reassuring and gentle much like his dewy rain scent which instantly managed to turn Felix’s insides to mud “My guys are harmless, I promise. If anything I’m the biggest rulebreaker in the bunch who comes into your territory, or more specifically your orchard, the most”
Felix looked back at the alpha, their eyes locking in the dark of the night as he gave him a small appreciative smile. The soft scent the alpha had released reminded him of spring dew on an early sunny morning after a rainy day. It was warm, calm and soothing and the fact that he felt Jeongin noticeably relax against his back proved to him that Changbin had done it to reassure them. But why?

“Why are you so nice to us?” The words had slipped out before he could stop himself but in all honesty, he wanted to know. Why was this stranger, basically, so kind? He had no reason to be and yet here he was.
Changbin frowned at the question and tilted his head, his eyes shifting between the two omegas for a few seconds.
“Because I have no reason not to be” He answered after a while, his gaze locking back on Felix’s ice blue orbs that were being illuminated by the rays of the moonlight “Besides, you are nice to me too, so…”
The alpha shrugged and smiled sweetly. And without warning, Felix suddenly felt something tug inside of him, for a brief moment feeling like he was being pulled in by the waves of the ocean that was Changbin and blissfully drowning him in the process.

“S-so, your pack” Felix swallowed thickly as he shook himself back to sanity, snuggling a little deeper into the warm caramel spotted fur surrounding him “You said last time that you only trespass into our land if it’s necessary. What did you mean by that?”
Changbin eyed him for a few seconds, the gaze making Felix shift uncomfortably where he sat. Yet, when he saw a small smile playing at the corners of the alpha’s lips, he felt his lip quiver with frustration as he already anticipated he was about to say something stupid.
“What’s the information to you?”
Of course.
“He realizes the position he’s in, right?” Jeongin let out a low growl and rolled his eyes.
“Innie, please” Felix reprimanded him before turning back to Changbin whose eyes were darting between them amusedly. And any other moment he would have found it endearing but right now all he wanted was answers. So far, every time he asked something, the alpha would cleverly deflect with something else and Felix was growing tired of it.
“I know I ask a lot of you but, you have to understand our point of view Changbin-ssi”

And when he spoke the alpha’s name, Felix could have sworn he saw something flash through the midnight black eyes before the man nodded slowly.
“I want to, so help me understand then” Changbin’s voice was gentle and encouraging, his eyes never leaving the pink haired omega. Felix pushed his tongue against the inside of his lip, frustrated at how the alpha had yet again wormed his way out from under a question. But the difference in tone and look in his eyes pushed Felix to believe that this time, it wasn’t because he was teasing them. He seemed to genuinely want to know.
So, ignoring the vibrations in his back from where Jeongin was trying to suppress a growl, the wolf obviously also growing tired of the alpha’s antics, he decided to humor him.
“Going out on a limb here and assuming that your pack alpha is the black wolf that smells like pine?”
Changbin did a double take at the sudden yet correct assumption.
“How did you--” he started to ask but abruptly pressed his lips together when Felix held up his hand to shut him up. And the way the alpha had complied so easily, made the omega internally reel is satisfaction.

“My brother ran into him for the first time 3 years ago” the omega continued after having his suspicions finally confirmed after all of these weeks “and ever since, our lives have been on constant high alert”
Felix gently stroked Jeongin’s scruff, making sure the young omega was okay before he continued.
“Our… grandparents, they owned this land before we came to live with them. And they informed us that no other wolves ever came here since it is too far from civilization”
A lump in his throat threatened his explanation and he paused for a few seconds. Both Jeongin and Changbin picked up on the wilting jasmine scent and Jeongin gently moved to press his snout against Felix's cheek to soothe him.

And at that exact moment, Changbin wondered what part of the story was causing the omega such grief. But as he watched the sweet exchange of affection between the two omegas, he came to understand at least one thing: that the caramel spotted wolf was a lot more caring than he let on. At least towards his pack he was. And it warmed his heart because it reminded him of a certain beta back home.

“Anyway” Felix continued after collecting himself and snuggling into Jeongin’s scruff “We also noticed that even after we moved into the territory, there have been no other wolves around here, ever.”
Except for Jeongin and Seungmin, but the alpha did not need to know that.
At least not yet.
“And 9 plus years is a very long time, so imagine our surprise when your pack alpha suddenly appeared out of thin air? And now you too? Having you guys here, repeatedly might I add, feels almost like a threat to us. And if there is anything my brother won't stand for, then it’s his family being threatened or put in any type of danger” he sighed lightly as he drove his point home, revelling in the way the alpha’s expression changed.

“So I ask you again, Changbin-ssi. What did you mean by you only trespass when it’s necessary?”

Chapter Text

Out of everything the fairy omega could have said, Changbin had not expected it to be that. A threat? They seriously thought they were a threat? That they were trying to take their territory from them? That was preposterous. Even after what happened to Chan, not once did they ever even contemplate trying to do something like that. Because they had their own home, what would they even gain from that? With every new thing he learned about the omega, confusion continued to build up within his mind. What could have possibly happened for them to ever think that that is what they were after?
Changbin’s eyebrows furrowed together at his own thoughts.

He was assuming that what happened to their pack leader had something to do with them, when in fact, he had never confirmed his suspicions in the first place. He let out a soft sigh and looked up at the two omegas in front of him, his eyes zeroing in on the pink haired boy as he decided to lay one of his questions to rest once and for all.
“By any chance, does your brother smell like white roses?”

“Changbin-ssi” the pink haired boy let out a frustrated sigh and Changbin realized that he had yet again avoided answering his question. But before he could, he just wanted and needed to know this one thing.
“I’m sorry” He said quickly and leaned forward “But you said that your brother ran into my pack alpha. You also know what he smells like and what he looks like. Meanwhile, all I know is what my suspicions want me to believe. And the more I listen to you the more I think they are right. But in order for me to understand and in order for me to put your mind at ease as well, I need to know”
He paused as he searched the endless blue eyes that were looking at him with a hint of confusion before he continued with an edge of urgency in his voice “Is your brother the salt and pepper wolf that smells like white roses, yes or no?”

The pink haired omega looked at him and Changbin could see that the boy’s mind was turning a million miles an hour as those endless blue eyes regarded him for a few seconds before giving Changbin a curt nod.
“I assumed that you were aware of this, didn’t your pack alpha already have this information?”
Changbin’s eyes closed as he released a long breath he didn’t know he had been holding and let out a light chuckle. Roses hadn’t just been territorial when Chan had run into him that day, he had been protecting his people. His family. And suddenly, the maniac image they all had put on him after that day started to crumble. The alpha’s eyes shifted from the pink haired omega to the wolf behind him and back before he decided to speak again.

“God, that explains so much” He said as he locked eyes with the fairy omega “Yes, because he told us everything that day. But for one, we didn’t know that he had a pack since his scent is the only one we have ever been able to pick up on since we moved here. And two, you only kept mentioning your brother but never said anything about his scent. And if your brother did not have said scent, how was I going to tell you about there being another wolf around after you so adamantly claimed that there never have been?”

The pink haired omega blinked, the apprehensive look in his eyes slightly shifting to something the alpha couldn’t quite read so Changbin shot him a reassuring smile and tilted his head lightly.
“Look. I really think your brother might have the wrong idea about all of this” he said softly “My pack is not out to steal any part of your territory, I swear. We have our own and even though it’s small, it’s perfectly fine for us because we manage as best as be can. Which also leads to the answer to your question”

He paused for a couple of seconds as he continued to hold eye contact with the boy, quite liking the feeling that was slowly spreading in his chest.
“Chan doesn’t allow us into your side of the forest unless hunting on our side turns up empty or if there is something we really need. If anything, since he ran into your brother he basically forbade us to come here unless it was strictly needed. He would kill me dead if he knew where I was right now, probably would fly me up the highest tree on the highest mountain. And something tells me that he and your brother are very similar in that aspect” He finished with a light chuckle, his tongue lightly running over his bottom lip. But in all honesty, the idea alone scared the crap out of him.

“Chan?” The fairy haired omega asked cautiously, his frame still snugly tucked into the caramel spotted wolf’s fur “also, how are oranges that important?”
Changbin couldn't help but smile at the adorable look on the boy’s face as he asked the question, he seemed genuinely confused. And who would blame him?
“When you don’t have that many fruit options on your own side, they definitely are. Especially since, according to our beta, they are full of vitamins and we need a lot of those. And since I’m the oldest beside Chan and the orchard is a bit deeper into your territory, I’m always the one tasked with stealing your produce. Which, from the looks of this,” He motioned to the countless fallen fruits scattered around them, lying forgotten and rotten in the aftermath of the storm. “is not necessarily the worst thing that could happen. I mean, I’m not saying stealing is a good thing but isn’t it better to know that at least they are being eaten and enjoyed instead of dying such a sad death?”
He tilted his head in question and the fairy omega nodded silently, his eyes scanning the ground around them.
“And Chan is our pack alpha” He added gently “I’m assuming, your brother’s name is this Minho you’ve mentioned a couple of times before?”

The boy’s eyes met his again, the hesitation clear on his features as he shifted uncomfortably where he sat. Changbin’s eyes flitted down to the boy’s mouth where he had his bottom lip tucked in between his teeth and that was enough for him to know that he was right. Another mystery solved.
“You’re not sure if you can trust me with that type of information. I understand, really.” he said softly, his voice gentle and friendly as he searched the omega’s eyes in an attempt to reassure him “It’s okay, you don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable”
Changbin watched him carefully for a few seconds, the boy sending him a small smile and visibly relaxing into the wolf’s body.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, the silence again just as comfortable as it had been the last time the two had met. Jeongin had his head lazily resting on the ground, his eyes still fixed on the alpha in front of them as he continued to be wary of his presence. And Felix couldn’t blame him. Regardless of all the kind words and the reassuring smiles, his brother's voice continued to pick at his brain that wolves were not to be so easily trusted. Especially alphas.
Felix, for one, knew this first hand, the memory of it burning around his throat like phantom pain. And Minho’s reasons aside, he knew Jeongin and Seungmin had suffered their own fair share of trauma by the hands of other wolves.

But sitting here, now, looking into the black orbs that had completely drowned out the noises of the world around them, Felix couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was hope yet. Maybe, like their father who he only remembered through Minho’s stories, not all alphas were bad. Just like how he had been so adamant about that day with Jeongin after their first encounter with Changbin. Because for some reason, the man in front of him seemed so genuine that it nipped away at his heartstrings, trying to hush the voice in the back of his mind. He wanted to know so much more about him, so many questions but his mind was drawing a blank.
“Does it happen often?” He decided on after a while, internally cursing at himself for the stupidity of the useless question.
“Does what happen often?” Changbin asked cutely.
“That you are not able to hunt properly, or find food” Felix said as his fang worried the corner of his bottom lip again. If he continued like this, he would start tasting his own blood soon.

Changbin pursed his lips in thought for a few seconds before slowly nodding in reply.
“It depends. We have our own little garden where we grow produce but in the end, our territory is quite small. We make due but sometimes, especially during the colder months, we find ourselves crossing into your territory more often unfortunately. You see, we are bordered by the mountains and plains which don’t have much except the occasional wild horse or buffalo. But more often than not, they are quite hard to hunt alone as they too often travel in groups. Despite our sizes, they are quite fierce. Our youngest got kicked in the face by a horse once, it wasn’t pretty” He explained, a grimace taking over his face as he recounted the memory of their young alpha.
“And the part of the woods in our territory is just too small most of the time. So we try our best but sometimes it’s just not enough. And please believe me when I say that Chan is not one to take advantage at all, quite the opposite. But his pack and their wellbeing are his number one priority. I can’t tell you the amount of times he has gone without food just to make sure we were fed…”

The two omegas felt their throat constrict at the words the alpha had spoken, as it reminded them both of Minho who had more often than not done the exact same thing. Always putting them above himself and never ever complaining about it, always with a content smile on his face at the happiness of his pack.
“My brother is like that too” Felix smiled fondly thinking about him, his heart yet again breaking at the fact that he was actively lying and sneaking out behind his back like an ungrateful child “You think it’s a pack leader thing?”
He asked with a light chuckle as he looked back up to meet the alpha’s eyes who was smiling sweetly at him, the sight making his stomach flip violently.
“I don’t think you’ve been around a lot of pack leaders then?” Changbin joked airly as he shifted where he sat and made himself a little more comfortable.

“I’ve only ever known my brother as my leader, my everything honestly, so I wouldn’t know what to compare him to” Felix answered truthfully with a shy smile on his face, surprised at the fact that the words had come out so easily.
Changbin nodded slowly, his eyes examining every inch of the omega’s face, marveling at the smile that graced the boy's features. Their eyes met and they held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Felix looked away shyly.
“You’re really beautiful, you know that?”
The words had come out of Changbin so softly and barely above a whisper, yet through the silence of the night they were heard loud and clear. The alpha hadn’t even realized he had said them out loud until he caught the look on the omega’s face.

Felix felt his breath catch in his throat, his heartbeat skyrocketing and beating against his ribcage so hard that he was afraid his ribs were going to break from the sheer force of it. Meanwhile Jeongin had lifted his head off the ground in a speed that seemed wolfly impossible, his muzzle slightly agape as he stared at the alpha incredulously.
“Did he just…?” the wolf blinked and shifted his gaze towards the omega next to him, and at the sight of Felix’s furiously dark ears he internally cursed. Finally, a candle being set alight in his brain at the missing yet vital puzzle piece to Felix’s insane antics from the past weeks falling into the picture.
“W-wha…” Felix spluttered, his breath coming out shaky and uneven as he stared at the alpha. This was the second time Changbin had said this and in all honesty, the first time Felix had thought it was because the man had joked to try and get a rise out of him. Which had embarrassingly worked, the memory adding to more heat rising to his face. But now, the omega didn’t know what to think anymore and at this point he just wished the earth beneath him would swallow him whole.

“I-I’m sorry, that came out wrong” Changbin smiled awkwardly as he rubbed at the nape of his neck “Sorry…”
Felix blinked at the stutter and inhaled a sharp short breath, his lungs reveling at the oxygen he had deprived them off for the past few seconds. Was the alpha… embarrassed? Surely, there was no way… For the first time today, Felix both hated and thanked the spirits that it was night time and thus dark out. Changbin would not be able to see how beet red his face had become but at the same time he wished he could properly see Changbin’s face instead. Just for a second, he wished, because of how the man had sounded so adorable and embarrassed. Felix looked down and bit his lip nervously, trying to think of something to say. But Jeongin’s smart mouth beat him to the punch, causing his head to nearly explode.

“Oh my god. You’re into him!?” The wolf huffed loudly, his eyes wide and slightly horrified as he turned to look at his friend in disbelief.
“What!? What the hell?” Felix snapped his head towards Jeongin and smacked him on the shoulder. But the omega just chuckled at the futile attempts, amusement now swirling in his eyes.
At Felix’s sudden exclamation, Changbin jumped ever so lightly. Then, as his eyes flitted between the two omegas, a playful smirk took over his features and he bit his lip before addressing the pink haired omega.
“What? Did he insult me?” He joked “And, aww, you took it upon yourself to defend me? How sweet”

Felix whipped his head around to look at the alpha, the grin on the man’s face making him want to bash his head into a tree. God, this man was vexing .
“W-what? N-no!” Felix tried to defend himself desperately. Probably a little too desperately, eliciting a snort from the wolf that lay curled around him.
“You are SO into him. This is unbelievable” The caramel spotted wolf was having too much fun with his new found information. And he knew that he should be frowning upon it but Felix’s mannerisms were too funny to ignore at that moment.
“JEONGIN!” Felix let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed his hands over his face “For the love of everything that is good and green, can you behave?”

Despite not being able to understand the Jeongin, Changbin watched the two go at each other with an amused smile on his face. The pink haired omega was truly beyond adorable when flustered. He pursed his lips to try and hide his smile when the boy had looked back up at him, his eyebrows raising in playful question to indicate that the boy had his attention. And even in the dark of the night with only the moon illuminating the area as it happily shined down on the earth on this cloudless night, he could almost swear that the boy’s face had changed color ever so lightly.
“I’m curious about something” The alpha tried to deflect the situation, hoping that maybe it would quell what he had caused with his inappropriate outburst.
“No, he’s not mated” Jeongin huffed smugly, earning an exceptionally hard ear pull from infuriated the boy next to him. He whined in pain and pouted internally, laying his head back down in defeat “Okay, I’m sorry…”
“About what?” Felix turned his attention back to Changbin, trying very hard to bring his heart rate down as he motioned for the alpha to continue.

“Again, I understand if I’m prying a little too much so feel free to decide what to answer and what not. Last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable” Changbin added quickly when he got the go ahead “But you said that you moved in with your grandparents quite a few years ago. If you don’t mind me asking, what about your parents? Where are they?”
The words had come out extremely carefully, worried about whether or not he was crossing a line by asking something like this. But it was something he had been curious about ever since the omega had mentioned the fact that his father was an alpha. Changbin had not been able to shake the word ‘was’ from his mind the whole time they had been apart. And yet, despite this, the omega had not known what an alpha voice was.
However, the instant the alpha asked the question, he regretted it.
The soft jasmine scent had wilted so abruptly and so deeply that he felt his own heart break at the distress, every cell in his body wanting to leap up and hold the boy close. And the fact that he couldn’t, ate away at his sanity and his wolf.

The boy’s eyes fell to the ground, obviously caught off guard by the question and Jeongin had moved almost on autopilot, his big body curling around Felix defensively as he shot Changbin a deathly glare while a low growl rumbled in the back of his throat. And with that, the alpha knew he had struck a bigger nerve that he had intended to.
“Innie, that’s enough. It’s okay” The boy hushed his friend as he gently stroked his the wolf’s scruff “I’m okay”
“I’m so sorry, please forget that I asked” Changbin said quickly as he eyed him worriedly “Last thing I wanted to do was upset you”
“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to apologize for being curious. God knows I am” The fairy omega answered quickly, a small melancholy smile on his face “It’s just… It’s complicated?”
Changbin nodded slowly and shot him an understanding smile and watched how the omega looked up at the sky. He followed his gaze and scrunched up his nose when he noticed how the moon had moved substantially from where it had been when he first arrived at the orchard. How long had they been sitting here?
“And we should probably be going anyway, we have to be home before my brother wakes up”
Changbin felt his heart drop when the omega spoke but he nodded in response anyway, not wanting to stall them more than necessary.
“Right, yeah” he chuckled dejectedly and moved to stand up as the two omegas in front of him did the same “I should probably go too. I don’t want to become the next hunting bait”

Felix snorted lightly at the joke, his lip again becoming victim of his teeth as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
“Same” he tried to give the alpha the best smile he could muster up but he wasn’t really feeling it. Part of him didn’t want to leave yet. For some reason it felt like they had only arrived at the orchard minutes ago yet at the same time it was like they had been here for an eternity. He wanted to talk more, even though Changbin seemed to have the remarkable ability to make his mind draw complete blanks. He wanted to know more about him, and at the same time he wanted to be able to share more about himself too. But why? The man was still a stranger, an alpha, someone who was supposed to be a threat.
And yet, he wasn’t feeling even the least bit threatened.
If anything, talking with him had been almost comfortable. All nerves and heart attacks caused by the man’s vexing antics aside, the alpha was kind. And even though Felix didn’t want to admit it so easily, he was funny too. He was intriguing in the most infuriating way and Felix wanted to figure out why it seemed like the alpha had him gasping for more. Why it was that every cell in his body seemed to react to him in ways Felix couldn't quite comprehend.

Jeongin shook out his fur and stretched before lowering himself for Felix to climb onto his back. And once seated, Felix turned to face Changbin as Jeongin prepared himself to leave. But he halted when he felt Felix tugging at his scruff lightly and turned to look at the alpha as well, confused as to why they were stalling when time was of the essence.
“Thanks for coming” Changbin spoke softly, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck again in that way that made him seem so small. And Felix found that the sight was kind of endearing.
“It was really nice seeing you again. Both of you” Changbin added quickly as he nodded a short bow towards Jeongin and hesitated before he continued “I feel like time went a little too fast. To be honest, there was so much more I wanted to ask”
Silence fell over them for a couple of tense seconds. And when Changbin’s mouth opened again to say something else, Felix cut him off before he could stop himself.

“Ask me on the next clear night…”

The words had taken all three of the wolves in the orchard by surprise. Jeongin whipping his head around so fast that the motion almost threw Felix off of him, Felix’s jaw falling slightly agape at the realization of what his words implied and Changbin blinking in surprise as he looked up at the omega in sock.
“A-are you sure?” the alpha asked after a few seconds, the hopeful look in his eyes drowning out all the protests in Felix’s head.
“Yeah…” He nodded gently, a shy smile on his face as his hands gripped Jeongin’s fur tightly. He knew this was a terrible idea, and the slight dip in Jeongin’s scent told him that he was not the only one that believed this. He could feel that the omega had tensed up under his touch after he had offered to come back, but he hadn’t come this far to just walk away now. Especially not with how he felt like he was being pulled in by the alpha in ways that he couldn’t quite explain. And it terrified him.

“I’ll be here” Changbin answered determinedly, the blinding smile on his face rendering Felix’s lungs useless for an extended second.
Felix smiled back and gave him a small nod before tearing his eyes away from the alpha and held onto Jeongin’s fur tightly. He was about to tell the younger to go when something in the back of his mind pulled him back and he quickly turned around to face the alpha again.
“Felix…” He said softly.
Changbin looked back up at him, his head tilted slightly in confusion.
“My name” the omega added shyly with a light nod “It’s Felix.”
And with that he turned around, not giving the alpha the chance to reply as he patted Jeongin’s side and the wolf leaped forward, quickly disappearing into the night and leaving behind a giddy Changbin.

“Nice to meet you Felix…”
The whisper was carried away by the wind as the alpha stood stuck in time, his heart beating a thousand miles a minute as he stared into the direction the two wolves had vanished in.

--

Heat. Unbearable heat.
Minho woke up feeling like someone had thrown him into a fire pit, a tired groan sounding in the back of his throat as he tried to get away from the flames. But when the soft scent of caramel jasmine invaded his senses, he froze and felt his eyebrows furrow together lightly. He slowly squinted his eyes open, letting them adjust to the darkness that still flooded his room before shifting his gaze down to find the source of his discomfort. But the discomfort quickly made way for fondness when his eyes landed on the two omegas wrapped around him like little baby sloths. Felix and Jeongin were both snuggled into Minho’s chest, mouths slightly agape and their breaths slow and deep as they seemed to be lost in endless dreams. Minho let out a soft sigh and gently brushed a couple of strands out of the snoring pink haired omega’s face, his nose coming to rest atop of the boy's head. When did they even get here, and why? His bed was too small for three people and the way Jeongin was being held up on the bed by the sheer force of magic alone, was evident of that.

“What am I going to do with the two of you…?” He whispered fondly, his lips planting a soft kiss on both their heads before moving to pry their arms off of himself as slowly and gently as he could in an attempt to not wake his two little sleeping princes, making sure that he wouldn’t knock Jeongin off of the bed in the process. With some trial and error he managed to maneuver himself out from between the two, eliciting a little disapproving whine from the omegas after he had freed himself. They instantly closed the cold gap in between themselves and melted into each other seamlessly, making Minho’s heart inflate with cuteness-aggression. He shook his head lightly and fought the insatiable urge to smother them both with kisses before he quickly turned around to get himself undressed, placing his mother’s necklace on the table under the window and looking out over the clearing.

Minho let out a small satisfied huff as he looked up at the sky, extremely glad that the weather had finally settled down and the rain had stopped terrorizing them. In the weeks after the storm, they hadn’t had much luck bringing in any meat aside from the occasional small rodent. Though it had been enough for them to survive off of, especially since they also had their own harvest to eat from. But a meatless diet for wolves was simply not sustainable, and Felix had needed all the protein they could find in order to bring the boy back to his usual strength after that hellish week.
Though, despite the fruitles hunts, they luckily hadn’t come to the point where one of their chickens needed to be sacrificed. Much to Felix’s relief. But Minho had been extremely close. If the rain had not let up, no matter the protest, he wouldn’t have been left a choice. Going the majority of the month without fresh prey had done a number on them, especially on Felix in the condition he had been in.
And to make matters worse, due to the full moon passing in such horrid weather, Minho felt like they had been unable to properly celebrate Jeongin’s birth month. So today he was hoping for a little extra luck to make up for that.

He shot a quick glance towards the sleeping pair on his bed, moving to tuck them in properly before he slipped his way out of his room and down the stairs. He stretched himself out on his way outside, stopping in his tracks when his eyes landed on the giant brown wolf lazily lounging a few feet away from the porch, cinnamon scent faint and mellow.
When the door shut behind Minho, the beta opened one of his pitch black eyes and rested it on the light brown haired omega.
“Took you long enough” Seungmin yawned and got up, stretching out his front paws as he shook out his fur.
“You were waiting for me?” Minho chuckled when he shifted and walked into the clearing “How chivalrous”

“No. I was waiting for Jack Frost actually, but you’ll do” Seungmin deadpanned, but the wagging tail and sweetened scent couldn’t fool anyone even on his best days. Despite his sometimes overly sarcastic personality, he could be too cute for his own good at times. Minho snorted lightly and shook his fur out.
“You’re about 2 months too late for him” He chuckled as he started making his way to the small and shallow stretch of river that ran behind the cottage. He quickly splashed around in the water, making sure his fur was wet enough to make the mud stick before he rolled into the sand to coat his snow white fur.
Seungmin patiently waited, watching the omega carefully as he diligently went over his outing routine. And when his leader finally finished, the beta quietly stayed close on his tail as they headed into the woods.

Minho quite enjoyed having the young beta join him on hunts. More often than not, he would just hunt alone, as he did not like the idea of having any of his pack members getting too close to the territory border. But on occasion he would find Seungmin quite like today, eager to join him and he would have no heart to tell the boy no. And only on rare occasions did he allow Seungmin to go on his own with strict instruction to not stray too far from the clearing. The pack leader refused to take any chances. Especially with the knowledge of that pine jackass lurking close by.
The mere idea of the black wolf made Minho’s hair stand on end. Minho remembered the day he first encountered the foreign wolf like it had been yesterday. And again, it had been winter. And at this point, Minho was inclined to believe that maybe winter was cursed for them as it often brought forth one thing or another.

Snow had not yet bared its fangs, but this season was promising to be a harsh one. And it made Minho anxious to no end.
Winter was the hardest season for him to hunt in and this year, the temperatures had already dropped so low that the calm end of the river had slowly started to freeze over. Most birds from the area had already migrated south and the majority of the other animals had gone into hibernation, making it near impossible for them to be sniffed out.
This morning had been no different as Minho carefully made his way through the woods at a steady pace, going a different route along the borders than he most often did, in the hopes of finding something good to feed his pack.

Early morning mist hung low over the ground as the sun, that had just broken over the horizon, painted the forest in deep vermillion and indigo hues. It was one of Minho’s preferred hunting hours, mainly due to the fact that the scenery always reminded him of home way back when.
Of how, after Felix’s first shift shortly after the boy’s 4th birth month, Minho used to take him and sneak out to try and hunt for squirrels and bunnies. Of how they would fail miserably and would end up rolling around in whatever puddle or pile of leaves they could find. Of how clumsy little Felix would always manage to end up hurting himself one way or another. And of how their exasperated mother would then find them and drag them back home by their scruffs as their father watched them from a distance, amusement dancing in his crimson eyes as he knew better than to interfere when his wife reprimanded their pups.
Minho internally smiled at the memories, ones of the few that he still had, a painful sting echoing through his heart as he continued his hunt.

He shook his attention back to the task at hand and kept his nose alert for anything of value, frowning at the fact that he had picked up on a faint yet fresh hint of pine scent that gingerly hung in the area. Which struck him as odd. Minho did not remember it being particularly windy last night for the scent to have been carried all the way here from the pine forest, which evidently lay miles away and just outside of their territory. And maybe it was because he had grown comfortable inside of their territory or maybe it was because he found the scent to be oddly soothing in a way. But Minho shrugged off his initial findings in favor of focusing on the hunt instead. Which had been his first mistake.
And before his brain was given the chance to backtrack, his attention was instantly pulled elsewhere when his nose picked up on something way more important than pine.
Prey.
His heart rate quickened and he carefully started following the trail in which the scent dispersed to, his muzzle salivating with every step he took. He knew that what he was smelling wasn't big but at least it was something. And if there was one, maybe he would be lucky enough if it wasn’t alone.

He kept his steps light and scent as undetectable as possible whilst following his nose, anything that was needed to make sure that his target wouldn’t get spooked. And when he reached the end of the trail, he lowered his body towards the ground before sneaking in between some bare bushes and rocks. His icy blue eyes scanned the area carefully before he finally zeroed in on the sizable hare he had been looking for.
The hare was innocently munching on one of the plants, unaware of the danger that was lurking in the shadows. And Minho had been so focused on it that he had brushed off the strange fact that the pine scent had intensified ever so lightly. His second mistake.
Minho bared his fangs, saliva dangerously dripping down them as he positioned himself to jump. And the second the hare was distracted enough, he launched himself forward.

And two seconds is all it had taken before it all turned to shit.

Minho had just locked his fangs around the hare’s neck, not wasting a single breath to swiftly snap it with a soft pop until the hare was nothing but a limp bundle hanging from his muzzle, when the omega was knocked off of his paws by a big black mass that had rammed into him in that exact second. The force had been so unexpected, that it had knocked all air out of his lungs and simultaneously had sent the hare in his muzzle flying. It skidded across the ground like a ragdoll, drops of blood that came from the puncture wounds in its neck splattering the nearby rocks before it skidded to a stop a few feet away from where Minho lay. ‘What the fuck was that!?’ The omega scrambled back onto his paws and tried to shake the daze out of his eyes that had been inflicted on impact.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry”

That was all it took for every single blood cell running through Minho’s veins to freeze over, his scent spiking and burning dangerously as his ears pressed so far back into his head that they almost disappeared into his fur.
There was someone here.
His fur stood on end as he looked up into the direction the voice had come from and was greeted by a pair of bright amber eyes staring right back at him. The wolf was huge, fur so black that it almost made him blend into the shadows of the surroundings. And his scent, crisp and evergreen.
Pine.
Minho could hit himself over the head with a piece of wood. How could he have been so absolutely stupid to ignore something so obvious. It hadn't been windy and it wasn’t the pine forest he had been smelling, the scent he had picked up on had been trying to alert him of an intruder. The same intruder that had just managed to knock Minho clean off his feet in a matter of seconds.

“Oh, you must be the owner of this territory… I’ve picked up on remnants of your scent a couple of times in the area” The alpha spoke again, a playful and amused glint in his eyes “You are really good at hiding it though, I didn’t even notice you until it was too late. Sorry about that”
Minho blinked and gaped at the black wolf, utterly dumbfounded at the lackluster attitude displayed in front of him. What the hell was this? He had been here a couple of times? What the hell had Minho been doing that he never noticed this? Irrefutable rage started burning through his veins as he regarded the world, his shoulders tensing and lip curling upwards as he exposed his fangs.
His fur bristled as the rumble that had been bubbling in the pits of his stomach, now made its way to the surface as a menacing snarl.
A warning.

“Wow” The black wolf reeled back as his scent shifted from fresh to slightly burned at Minho’s hostile demeanour “I said I was sorry. Calm down”
The growl had been low and almost authoritative. Minho instantly recognized it from when his parents used to get angry with him and Felix.
Calm down? Was this dude seriously trying to get Minho to yield? In his own territory? Who in the world did this wolf think he was, strutting in here like he owned the place? And where in hell had he even come from in the first place?
This was their territory, their hunting area, their home. As it had been for the past 9 years at the very least. Besides Seungmin and Jeongin, never had there been any other wolf to breach their borders, ever. This land was theirs and he was not about to let that change. And he sure as hell was not going to yield to a pompous alpha of all things.

Minho would rather die.

“I don’t want to fight you… Please, just calm down and let’s talk” the alpha tried to ease the wolf in front of him but it fell on deaf ears. Minho had too much at stake, too much he needed to protect. And if there was one thing he knew for sure, it’s that alphas could not be trusted.
Minho watched as the black wolf’s ears pressed back into his head, his lip curling upward in the process and revealing a set of fangs that even left Minho impressed. The black wolf had quickly mirrored Minho’s stance, when he noticed his words fruited no results with the omega in front of him. And Minho did not miss the hint of confusion that flashed through the wolf’s eyes when he in fact did not calm down.
‘I’ll show you calm’
Without wasting a single breath, Minho launched himself forward as fast as his legs could push him. He barrelled into the black wolf who, despite looking ready for an attack, was not expecting the omega to actually challenge him like this. The two fell to the ground with a loud thud and he heard the alpha curse, but the black wolf was not going to back down without a fight.

Minho lunged forward, his jaw snapping at the wolf’s neck viciously but he was quickly countered when a set of strong paws pushed against his chest with a force so hard that it sent him flying backwards and onto the ground. He felt the air being pushed out of his lungs again but wasted no time to scramble back up, forcefully ignoring the sharp pain that had shot up one of his legs when he did.
He propelled himself back into the direction of the alpha, loud barks and menacing snarls echoing between the trees as the two collided with each other once again. He managed to give him a good shove against a tree and dove forward, only just missing the other’s neck with his fangs by inches.
The alpha barked loudly, drops of saliva dripping along his fangs as he snapped them towards Minho to try and get him to back off. He lowered himself down and away from the omega’s muzzle before swiping Minho’s paws away from underneath him, causing him to yelp lightly when he hit the ground, the pain in his leg now burning at a steady constant.
Minho quickly tried rolling over so he could get up again but found himself pinned down within seconds, the black wolf hovering over him with his fangs exposed dangerously and eyes glowing with a mixture of anger and what seemed to be hesitation.

And that hesitation is all Minho needed.

“I told you to calm down, at least give me the chance to expl--”
Before the alpha could finish with yet another attempt at a plea, Minho had managed to wiggle himself loose before lashing out viciously. He felt his claws connect with flesh before a deafening and high pitched whine sounded through the area. The wolf staggered backwards, his head shaking from side to side as he kept letting out short pained whines.
As he moved, he left behind a trail of blood that ritually dripped onto the floor and when Minho looked up and saw the damage he had done, a rush of satisfaction washed over him. The alpha had one of his eyes glued shut, the deep gashes on his face causing blood to run down it in streams.

“You’re fucking insane” The black wolf barked angrily, his pine scent so burnt that it was almost suffocating. But Minho refused to let it distract him. His snarling reached a new high as he launched himself forward again, not giving the alpha any chance to compose himself. Though unfortunately for Minho, he was sharp enough to still see him coming and quickly moved out of the way.
The black wolf whipped around and bolted, knowing that this was a fight he was not going to win with his injuries and with Minho not willing to listen to him. The omega quickly set chase behind the wolf, close on his tail as they sped through the woods. But the alpha was fast, and when Minho noticed that they were getting closer and closer to the territory borders, a small trickle of panic and fear sneaked up his spine.
The wolf was too fast for him, evident by how they kept inching further away from each other with each step they took, and Minho was desperate not to let him get away. And it wasn’t because the black wolf had seen his fur. The way Minho had carefully made sure to mud himself as per usual, made that the least of his concerns. It was the kids back home that he worried about, especially with Jeongin still being a pup. He couldn’t afford to have a stranger roaming around so freely when the only line of defence his small pack had was Minho himself.

They had already exited Minho’s territory, the scent of pine quickly increasing when the omega noticed that this is what he had been talking about when the black wolf mentioned that he had smelled Minho on separate occasions.
The bastard had established a territory of his own just a few small miles away from Minho’s. And at the realization he stopped in his tracks, his eyes watching the black wolf now completely disappear between the trees.
In his hanger and fear, Minho had followed the wolf so far down that he had left his own territory behind him, something he knew was both dangerous and stupid. As much as he wanted to take this wolf down, now that they were in his territory, he knew that he wouldn’t stand a chance if there were more of them.
And then something else important flashed through his mind's eye.

The hare.

Fuck. He looked into the direction the black wolf had disappeared into and let out a frustrated huff before promptly spinning around and making haste back towards his own territory.
If only he had been more aware of his surroundings, if he hadn’t let his guard down, maybe then he would have noticed in time. Maybe then he might have been able to ambush the alpha and eradicate the threat. And now he had accomplished nothing but the severe anxiety that came with the knowledge of them now having an alpha as ‘neighbour’ which was concerning and alarming in so many more ways than just one.
And Minho knew, deep down he knew, that not all alphas were bad. Not all alphas were like that clan. And not all alphas were like that peppermint smelling bastard or many of the others they had encountered through the years before settling down here with the beta couple.
But Minho would not and could not take any chances. Not after losing his family at the hands of insecure pieces of shits and definitely not after almost losing the one thing he had left on the day he almost lost Felix.
It may not have been all of them, but somehow, it was always alphas.

“Hyung, I smell something”
Seungmin’s voice snapped Minho back into the present causing him to abruptly skid to a halt as he considered the boy’s words, the soft and warm cinnamon calming his heart in the process. He sniffed around and picked up on the scent the beta had mentioned and internally smirked at the swell it caused within his chest. It seemed like the moon spirits had granted him some grace and that they were going to be able to celebrate Jeongin’s birth month royally after all.
“Good job, Puppy” He nuzzled his snout against the younger’s scruff proudly before nodding into the direction the trail seemed to be leading to “Let’s go”
Seungmin yipped happily at the praise, a soft purr that he had tried so hard to suppress making its way to the surface. He quickly followed Minho as they both made their way towards their prey, happy that he had been able to be of help to his pack leader as the boy had noticed that the wolf had been far away in thought during their scope of the area.

It didn’t take them long to track down their target and within a couple of hours they slowly stumbled back into the clearing of their home, Seungmin carrying a small deer in his muzzle with his tail wagging happily back and forth at their catch. Minho followed close behind, his scent warm and proud as he regarded the happy Beta. Seungmin truly was just too cute to be real sometimes.
He shifted his attention back to the clearing, the lack of scents striking him as odd when a small frown took over his wolf features when he noticed that neither of his omegas were outside, which often they were whenever he would return home from hunting.
And then he remembered the insane stunt the two had pulled just a few weeks ago and he internally cursed at himself for letting Seungmin join him on the hunt at all.

He let out a low howl, calling for the two of them to see if maybe they were still inside. But when nobody responded, he quickly made his way past Seungmin before turning to face the younger.
“Can you take care of this? I’ll go check on tweedle dee and tweedle dumb and send you some help, okay?” He said hastily, trying his best to keep the instant worry that had made its way into his stomach at bay.
“Sure, hyung. Take your time” Seungmin exclaimed, and he could see in the younger’s eyes that he already understood the situation. Minho nodded a quick thanks and made his way towards the cottage, quickly shifting once he reached the porch before heading inside. And when he met the intertwined scents of caramel and jasmine that were obviously coming from up the stairs, he visibly relaxed as the tension instantly bled out of his shoulders.
“Fe?” He called out carefully “Innie?”
He made his way towards his room, and low and behold, the two lazy butts hadn’t moved from where he had left them behind this morning. They were still curled up together, their soft breathing and occasional light snores filling the room as they slept soundly with not a single care in the world.

With a fond smile on his face and a small shake of the head, Minho leaned against the doorframe and watched the two sleeping omegas silently for a few seconds.
“Yah” He called out after a while before making his way towards the bed slowly “do you two have any idea how late it is?”
He ripped the sheets clean off of them, instantly eliciting displeased groans from the two as they snuggled closer into each other. A little more and they would merge into one person. The pack leader tried to suppress a smile at the sight and let out a soft sigh.

“Come on, up you two!” he tried again, mindful of the fact that he was still dirty as he tried to not get any of the dirt onto the bed before continuing with a teasing tone “or else Minnie and I will barbeque by ourselves tonight and leave you nothing”
Like magic, the two omegas instantly sat up in bed like the food spirits had pulled them out of their sleep as they started to vigorously rub at their eyes.
“Up, we up bakyu too” Felix strung his words along in a groggy mumble while Jeongin just licked his lips as he tried to fight his eyes open to look up at their leader, failing miserably. Minho chuckled at the tired attempts and carefully reached his hand out to gently ruffle Jeongin’s hair before moving towards the door.
“I want you two to go help Minnie with preparing the meat please” he said before looking back at them once he reached the door, only to find that the both of them had slumped back into the mattress like two sacks of potatoes.
“Now!”

--

Changbin slowly munched on a tangerine wedge where he lay in the middle of the orchard staring up at the moon as he slowly counted away the seconds until his nose would pick up the warm jasmine scent that he so longed for. It had only been a couple of days since they had parted, overly clouded skies and rain that had been a little slow in following the storm spoiling the reunion. And yet, to Changbin, it felt like it was too long. If it had been up to him, if he could control the weather as he pleased, he would get to see Felix every night.
The alpha didn’t quite understand why he was reacting so strongly to the omega, but he also didn’t complain. Felix confused him, but in a good way. The way the boy would make his stomach flip every time they locked eyes, the way all oxygen would be sucked out of his lungs when he addressed him and the way it drove Changbin mad that he couldn’t reach out to console him when he was sad. It was infuriating. But at the same time it was so exciting that every cell in his body was asking for more.

“Felix” He exhaled softly. He loved how the name sounded, so much so that he had spent the majority of the past few days resounding it in his head. Even the scent had been blissfully torturing him. Everywhere he turned, jasmine would infiltrate his senses for 0.1 seconds and then disappear with the wind. Much like it was now, barely there and mixed in with the fresh citrus scent hanging in the air.
And it didn’t help that Hyunjin had actually found some leftover tea leaves and had insisted on brewing it for him after the alpha had asked him for it so adamantly. But in the end it had driven Changbin insane with a longing that slowly ate away at pieces of his soul. The omega had him under a spell and he did not know how he was going to break it. He didn’t even know if he wanted to break it at all.

“Yes, Changbin-ssi?”

Ah, and the way his name sounded in that buttery sweet and deep voice, he could almost hear it. Changbin smiled lightly and sighed longingly before opening his eyes, only for him to be greeted by the most earth shattering adorable smile in the history of the universe staring down at him. And for a few seconds, Changbin thought his heart had decided that this was the end of his journey on earth and that the smile would be the last thing he ever saw. What a beautiful way to go.
But he wasn’t, in fact, dead. And that smile wasn’t a figment of his imagination either. Felix was standing over him, his eyes amused and playful as he regarded the alpha on the ground with what seemed to be no worry in the world.
“I see that you weren’t lying about liking to nap here” the pink omega joked and Changbin sat up so fast that he felt his head spin. He pinched the bridge of his nose and blinked a couple of times before looking up at the boy.

“Hey” he breathed hoarsely, embarrassed by how he fumbled to regain his composure.
“Were you waiting long?” Felix asked as he removed the quiver and bow from his shoulder and moved to sit within the bounds of Jeongin’s wolf form who had already curled up across from where Changbin was sitting.
“No, not at all” He smiled at the caramel spotted wolf, who nodded back softly in acknowledgement “How are you?”
“We’re good” Felix smiled again “How about you?”

“I’m great” now that you are here , Changbin smiled. He had been so lost in his own little Felix bubble that he hadn’t smelled the two approaching him. Or that’s what he thought it was. Even now, he barely noticed the jasmine over the caramel. If anything, the omega’s scent kind of resembled the scents surrounding them in the orchard, which would explain why he had not noticed him in the first place. Or better yet, had thought that it had been his mind playing tricks on him once again.
“You smell really nice” He commented as he moved to rest his back against the tree “Like lemon or something?”

“Oh” Felix smiled and shyly bit the corner of his lip “Right. I uhm, I was baking today”
“You bake?” The words had come out a lot louder and more baffled than he had intended to. But to his relief, it caused Felix to chuckle after his initial flinch of the sudden raise in volume of the man’s voice.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you” Changbin mumbled quickly as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly “I’m just surprised… you really bake?”
He looked back up at the omega and met his eyes, those endless eyes that instantly made it seem like the world around them did not exist. And Felix was still chuckling lightly, the smile reaching his eyes in the most carefree way and making them crinkle cutely.
Changbin tilted his head at the boy, an amused and slightly confused upside down smirk playing on the corners of his lips. Was it his imagination or was Felix a lot more relaxed today than he had been last time? Did something good happen? Whatever it was, seeing the boy like this made his heart feel so warm and fuzzy that it almost hurt. He had to resist the urge to pinch his freckled little cheeks.

“Yeah” the omega nodded, his eyes shifting down and his demeanour suddenly changing as he nervously started playing with the hem of his cloak.
“Do you, uhm” Felix glanced back up at the alpha shyly, the corner of his bottom lip falling victim to his fang once again “Do you want to try some?”
Changbin blinked. The words had reached his ears but they did not make a lot of sense. And the confusion must have been evident on his face because Felix quickly moved to pull at the pouch that hung around Jeongin’s neck. He opened it and pulled out something small.
“Since you enjoy hanging around here so much” The omega swiftly got up, leaving Changbin impressed with how he managed to do that without using his hands, and made his way towards him. Felix crouched down in front of him and held out his hand “I f-figured, maybe you liked lemon. Or citrus in general. So I thought I’d bring you some”

Changbin’s lips parted slightly as he stared at the boy as if someone had reached into the alpha’s chest and lit his heart aflame with fireworks. What the hell was happening to him? He looked from Felix down to the wrapped little bundle in disbelief, his breath caught in his throat before he carefully took the small wrapped package from the omega’s hand.
“Is this your way of trying to kill me?” He narrowed his eyes at the omega suspiciously with a playful hint to his voice “By charming me and poisoning me with baked goods?”
Felix chuckled again and shook his head as she shuffled back towards Jeongin and snuggled back into the caramel spotted wolf’s side.
“If we wanted to do that, we would have done that while you were sleeping” he said, the cheer in eyes illuminated by the moonlight and making them look like small stars.

“Thank you… y-you didn’t have to do this” Changbin was at a loss for words. Felix had been baking today and at that time, the omega had thought of him. Felix had been thinking of him . And the alpha quite liked the fuzzy feeling the thought of that left lingering inside of him. He looked back down at the small package in his hand and smiled at it fondly. It smelled amazing, indeed much like very very sweet lemon. And he had half a heart to just rip it open and devour whatever was in it but he didn’t want to seem like a glutton in front of the one person who’s, he oddly found, opinion of him somehow mattered.
“I wanted to” Felix replied softly as his hand gently stroked Jeongin’s fur “you were very nice to us last time and I…”

He paused for a few seconds and met Changbin’s gaze, the world coming to a stop yet again as Changbin gulped, not able to take his eyes away from the omega as he spoke.
“I felt like maybe I’ve been a little too hostile towards you. You know, trespassing stranger danger aside and all” he chuckled again. And the alpha decided at that moment that he could listen to that sound all day, every day for the rest of his life. He would happily sacrifice a limb to be granted that privilege.
“And even though you can be kind of infuriating sometimes” The omega shot him a playful reprimanding glare “You’ve been nothing but nice. So I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt and… thank you, I guess”

“This is really sweet of you, thank you” Changbin smiled gently, trying to ignore the painful arrow that shot through him at the words. Thank him for being nice? For being a decent wolfbeing? It was heartbreaking at best and it yet again made him wonder why. What these boys could have possibly experienced for them to be so distrusting of strangers, and of alphas in particular as they had previously made abundantly clear.
Changbin moved to fiddle at the little package, trying to open it to see what deliciousness it held inside. But before he had the chance to even reach for the string, he was knocked out of his actions. It happened within less than a second. Jeongin had launched himself off the ground, a dangerous growl on his lips as he all but pushed a startled Felix into Changbin’s direction.

The alpha frowned and scrambled up onto his feet quickly, the package now forgotten on the ground next to the tree as both he and Felix looked at the wolf in confusion. They both realized that the growl had not been directed towards the alpha as the wolf had his eyes trained on a spot in between the trees.
“Innie?” Felix tried to move back so he could reach for his bow and quiver that still lay where they had been previously seated but Jeongin wouldn’t let him move away from the defensive stance the wolf had over him.
The burning caramel quickly filled the area and Changbin looked into the direction the wolf was staring at, and a second later he felt his throat run dry as frustration crept up his spine like a snake.
He had been so hypnotized and distracted by Felix, that he had not noticed when a fourth scent had joined them in the orchard.

“Craving jasmine tea, huh?” a voice asked teasingly as the fourth wolf walked out into the open, his fur gleaming in the soft moonlight and his eyes trained on the trio in front of him.

Chapter Text

Timing. That’s all everything eventually boiled down to. Freaking timing.
Why did it have to be now? No, why did it have to be ever? Everything seemed to have been going so well for him. Felix had arrived at the orchard with a completely different attitude than the last few times, finally seeming to understand that Changbin meant it when he said that he wasn’t going to hurt them. The sugar sweet omega even brought him a snack, for crying out loud. And now all of that was threatening to go to hell all because the alpha hadn’t been careful enough.
If he hadn’t been so distracted and focused on seeing Felix again, maybe he would have noticed the presence that apparently had been looming close behind ever since he left the clearing. To make matters worse, Changbin had arrived at the orchard long before Felix and Jeoning did. Which only meant that he had been waiting, scent at bay and far away enough in the shadows just listening in on the rendezvous until the right opportunity to interrupt them arose from where exactly? Hell? Because that's where the wolf would be residing from now on once Changbin was done with him.
Frustration bubbled in his stomach as he eyed the wolf for a few seconds, his hand coming up to run through his hair as an annoyed sigh escaped his lips.
“Are you fucking serious? You seriously followed me!? Why? For the love of everything that is good and green, why?” He grumbled as he took a step forward until he was no longer hidden by Jeongin. As he moved, he noticed in the corner of his eye that Felix whipped his head around to look at him, the fear on the boy’s face now completely overtaken by what seemed to be confusion and shock. And who blamed him? Changbin was sure that this was going to make him look suspicious as all high hell.

“You can count your lucky stars that I didn’t wake Chan instead” The blonde wolf huffed and ripped his amused gaze away from the two omegas “I knew something was up with you, you’ve been acting off for weeks. But seriously hyung, out of all the stupid things I could have imagined you scheming, this one was far from my list. Fraternizing with the enemy?”
“They are not the enemy!” Changbin exclaimed with an exasperated sigh and stepped out to carefully stand in front of Jeongin, grateful that the caramel spotted omega had felt compelled to include him behind the safety of his body and forcefully ignoring the whisper of small fingers that brushed past his arm as they hesitantly tried to reach out to him “And I’m not scheming anything either. Whatever it is that you’re thinking, drop it”
“Are they or are they not part of roses’ pack?” Hyunjin asked with a tilt of the head, the amused glint in his eyes never leaving as he regarded his alpha carefully. And when Changbin failed to answer, his lips parting in hesitation as he stared at the blond wolf in front of him, Hyunjin knew he had hit the nail right on the head.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So if they are not the enemy, pray tell, what are they?” He asked, a tired sigh escaping him as he too took a step forward. But he miscalculated the seriousness of the burning caramel that instantly spiked as Jeongin ignored Changbin and lowered himself into an attacking stance, his fangs on full display and snarls so deep that it almost made the ground tremble.

“Wait! wait!” The alpha instantly spun himself around to face the enraged omega and quickly shot his hands up in defense as he carefully stepped backwards to where Hyunjin had frozen in place, his green eyes carefully watching the caramel spotted wolf in anticipation.
“Please, Jeongin-ssi” Changbin tried to get through to the wolf who’s eyes were glued on Hyunjin, his body trembling asif he was waiting for the slightest movement before he launched himself on to the beta “This is a huge misunderstanding. This idiot behind me means no harm. I promise”
“Excuse you, rude. Also, how do you know that?” Hyunjin mused, instantly eliciting another snarl from Jeongin.
“How about you shut your face?” Changbin hissed at the wolf behind him “Have you no shame? Can you not see that you are scaring them? This isn’t funny, Hyunjin. Don’t think he won't rip your throat to shreds just because he’s an omega. And quite frankly, I have half a heart to actually just let him”
“Again, rude!” Hyunjin let out an exaggerated gasp and shifted his gaze to the alpha in front of him.
“And how dare you even insinuate that I would think something like that?” He huffed “Mind you, one of the ladies that took care of me was an omega and she was very strong. Omegas are fucking awesome.”

At the words, Changbin could see a sliver of resolve falter within the mismatched brown and blue eyes in front of him and the alpha swallowed lightly. His eyes were pulled towards Felix when the omega had stepped forward as well, his hand gently coming to rest behind one of Jeongin’s ears and his eyes still holding that same hint of confusion as before.
“Changbin-ssi, what’s going on?” The boy’s velvet voice carried into the air like music and Changbin instantly felt all the tension leave his body.
“I know this seems bad, but I swear, he’s a good kid.” He said with a reassuring tone of voice “And he’s not here to hurt you. He just has a hard time minding his own business”
“Refer to me as a kid again and watch what happens” Hyunjin deadpanned.
“Hyunjin, I swear to god…” Changbin let out a tired sigh and looked back at his friend “Can you please behave. That’s all I’m asking”
“Yeah yeah” Hyunjin mused as he pressed his nose against the elder’s cheek gently, not missing the way the movement caused the boy next to the caramel spotted wolf to tense up ever so lightly. He turned his attention towards the duo and tilted his head lightly, his nose picking up the two distressed scents before making eye contact with the enraged wolf.
“Don’t worry, he’s right. I would never even dream of trying to hurt you. I’m just here to bust our little rulebreaker here” He motioned his head towards the alpha “So, I’m going to lie down now. Because it seems like I interrupted something precious ” he said, the tone in his voice almost mockingly sweet as his eyes flitted between the pink haired omega and Changbin.
“It would be much appreciated if you would allow me to do so without gouging my eyes out” he added gently.

A few moments passed in silence as they all looked between one another, Felix’s fingers lightly scratching behind the caramel spotted wolf’s ear as he waited with bated breath until someone would clue him in on what Hyunjin was saying. The look on his face almost made the beta feel slightly guilty, but he had not brought any clothes on this 007 mission so shifting was not an option. And Hyunjin hated the cold.
“I promise, he means no harm” Changbin cut through the silence carefully “He couldn’t hurt a fly even if he wanted to. Unless it’s with words, he can be really mean sometimes… but that’s beside the point”
At the words, Hyunjin aimlessly snapped his fangs in the alpha’s direction and let out a soft amused huff. And then the sound of a soft giggle reached Changbin’s ears and he looked up to find Felix looking at him with amusement glittering in his eyes. He felt his face flushing red at his rambles and watched as the omega turned his attention towards Jeongin, nodding slowly before letting his eyes rest on both Changbin and Hyunjin again. After a few seconds he shook his head, a light frown adorning his cute little face while he continued to hold eye contact with the newest addition to the orchard.
“I don’t think so, Innie” He said softly “Give them a chance to explain. Benefit of the doubt, remember? Let’s just sit down and talk?” he offered, motioning for the beta that it was okay for him to indeed lie down and Hyunjin didn’t waste a second. He huffed and lowered himself down to the ground and crossed his paws leisurely in front of him, his eyes following Changbin as the alpha moved to sit down next to him.

“I knew something was up with you” Hyunjin chuckled lightly “Jasmine tea. Okay”
“Hyunjin, please” Changbin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. Everything had been going so well. Why did this headache have to follow him? Why today? It almost felt as if the beta’s random appearance was threatening to burn all the bridges he had tried to build as his gaze shifted towards Felix who was gently trying to get Jeongin down to sit with him, his jasmine scent soothing and sweet as he continued to scratch behind the omega’s ear.
The wolf had stopped snarling but was still on high alert, his caramel scent burning dangerously as his eyes continued to stare down Hyunjin while he allowed himself to finally plop down onto the ground before having Felix snuggle up against him.
The pink haired omega locked eyes with Changbin seconds later and as the alpha searched his gaze he noticed that, even though he seemed to be fairly composed, the tension in his demeanor remained so thinly strung that Changbin would be able to cut it with a knife.

He pursed his lips and turned to yank on one of Hyunjin’s ears, the younger letting out a soft pained yelp at the sudden punishment.
“What the hell was that for!?” he whined as he looked over at his alpha, betrayal clear in his eyes.
“Look what you did! You scared the crap out of them!” Changbin reprimanded the wolf sternly as he motioned towards the omega duo.
“I didn’t mean to scare them” Hyunjin whined and snapped his fangs at the alpha before continuing with a soft and pouty mumble “Besides, none of this would have happened if you’d just confided in me like I told you you could”
“Apologize” The alpha all but ordered as he looked back at Hyunjin, ignoring the beta’s whining.
“Why me? I’m not the one who put us here in the first place because I'm not the one who told you to sneak out in the middle of the night! Not my fault I got curious” the beta mumbled again in the same pouty tone.
“Hwang Hyunjin.”

The tone in Changbin’s voice caused Hyunjin to flinch ever so lightly. The man wasn’t joking and the beta knew better than to try and fight him over it or else he would actually end up in trouble, and he also couldn’t deny the fact that he did feel guilty for causing the two strangers such distress with his sudden appearance. Hyunjin huffed and looked over at the caramel spotted wolf, their eyes meeting briefly before the beta looked down in defeat.
“I’m sorry. It was never my intention to scare you” He huffed dejectedly before looking back up “I just… I was worried about my alpha. Hyung is right. I mean no harm, to either of you”
Despite the stubborn protests, Hyunjin’s voice came out sincere and his guilt was reflected in his soggy coffee scent as Jeongin watched him for a few silent seconds before letting out a soft grunt.
The caramel spotted wolf turned towards Felix and after a few seconds the pink haired omega smiled gently at the blonde beta, and Changbin instantly felt the tension bleed out of the wolf’s body beside him.
“I’m really sorry about all of this” the alpha spoke gently, his scent mellow and dewy as he addressed the omegas in front of him “Please allow me to explain?”

Felix held his gaze for a few seconds before looking over at Jeongin and when the caramel spotted wolf finally gave in and rested his head on the floor, eyes still alert and glued on Hyunjin, the pink haired omega let out a content sigh and nodded softly into the alpha’s direction with a gentle smile on his face.
Changbin sent the omega a grateful smile back and opened his mouth to speak but his brain backtracked to something else when his eye fell on his pouch, which was almost hidden behind Jeongin at this point, and the package that Felix had brought him which still lay untouched near the base of the tree.
He hesitated for a few seconds before slowly getting up off the ground and approached the two carefully, not missing the low growl that started to rumble within Jeongin as the wolf’s eyes followed his every move.
“I left your gift under the tree” Changbin spoke with a reassuring tone and Jeongin instantly stopped growling, his eyes flitting back to Hyunjin and ignoring the alpha. But Felix perked up at the man’s words and spun around, his own eyes landing on the package as he quickly scrambled to his feet to go grab it. The movements were adorable and Changbin had to fight the urge not to coo at the boy due to the cuteness aggression that started coursing through his veins.
He watched as the omega smiled sweetly and walked up to him with the package in hand before taking it over from him with a soft bow of the head.
“Thank you, Felix” he said softly before moving back to sit down next to Hyunjin who was watching the short interaction with so much confusion in his eyes that it was almost comical.

“I’m sorry? Did you say gift?” the wolf asked, his nose twitching in Changbin’s direction vigorously “How long has this been going on for you to be receiving gifts?”
“How about you stick your nose into your own hole instead of my business?” Changbin said softly, his face heating up by the second.
“Your business is my business, hyung. Especially this one” Hyunjin stated matter-of-factly “They are comfortable enough around you to bring you something like a gift? Seriously, how well do you know these people?”
Changbin closed his eyes and tilted his head upwards, slightly shaking his head towards the sky before letting out a long sigh. Not well, not at all actually because when it was all finally starting to simmer down, you had to come along and throw soot into the fire . He shot the beta a judging side glance before looking back towards the omegas, only to find the both of them watching the interaction in front of them carefully. Jeongin seemed to be unimpressed, yet the glint of confusion in his eyes could not be missed, and Felix had his head slightly tilted as he tried his best not to seem amused at what was happening.
He locked eyes with the pink haired omega for a brief second and felt himself choke on air, coughing lightly as he averted his gaze to the package in his hand. This omega was going to be the death of him one day, and he would go willingly.

He heard Jeongin huff lightly and looked back up to find that the wolf had laid his head back down again, Felix gently scratching behind his ear with a soft smile on his face.
“It seems like your friend is just as confused as we are?” He spoke softly as his eyes shifted from Jeongin to Hyunjin before landing on Changbin with a questioning gaze.
Changbin let out an airy chuckle and nodded slowly.
“Remember how I said that I’m not allowed to come here without reason?” He said and motioned his hand towards the beta, trying to make a point “This is Hyunjin, the beta of our pack who is too smart for his own good. Apparently, he felt the need to follow me here today knowing that something wasn’t right”
He added the last part shooting an empty glare into the beta’s direction, the younger looking up at him with innocent eyes.
“And yes, Hyunjin. They are indeed part of roses’ pack. That’s actually his brother.”
Both Felix and Jeongin bowed their heads into Hyunjin’s direction and the wolf returned the gesture before his eyes went wide when Changbin’s words finally registered in his brain and he whipped his head into the alpha’s direction, almost whacking him in the face.

“I’m sorry, he’s what now?” He breathed out in disbelief, his ears perked up into Changbin's direction like he was hoping that he had misheard the information as his eyes darted between him and the pink haired omega like he was putting two and two together “Oh… you have got to be kidding me. All this time you’ve been whining about wanting to drink jasmine tea, come to find out that jasmine tea is roses’ brother!? You must have lost your mind…”
“Hyunjin, I swear to god” Changbin hissed and elbowed the blonde wolf’s side as he felt the blood rush to his face once again “Were you placed on this planet to find me and make my life miserable, is that what this is about? Am I being punished?”
“Am I succeeding?” Hyunjin huffed in annoyance and rested his head on his crossed legs, his eyes now carefully eyeing over the pink haired omega and examining his every feature, noticing how the boy shifted uncomfortably at the prolonged stare and finding the sight strangely endearing.

“Yeah, no. I refuse to believe that this cute little elf is even remotely related to someone who bested Chan of all people” he said curtly and looked over at Changbin.
“You say that as if we know what roses looks like outside of his wolf form” Changbin countered.
“That’s entirely beside the point” Hyunjin mused, the glint in his eyes now turning mischievous as he glanced back at Felix again “But I totally understand now why you haven’t been able to shut up about jasmine tea”
Changbin instinctively shot out his hand and smacked the wolf on top of his head before opening his mouth to scold him again when Felix’s voice pulled him out of his growing embarrassment.
“You call my brother roses …?”
The alpha looked up to meet the boy’s amused gaze and nodded softly, ignoring how Hyunjin had bumped his head against his shoulder in retaliation to the slap he’d received.
“Oh, yeah. We started calling him that ever since… you know” He said bashfully, his hand rubbing his arm and pushing Hyunjin’s head back down dismissively “It was the only thing we knew about him, so that’s how we’ve been referring to him”

Felix nodded along slowly with the words, seemingly pondering something when Changbin heard Jeongin huff lightly and within seconds he saw the boy’s face change colours. Felix looked up at the alpha with wide eyes before looking down and staring at the ground, his hands coming up to fiddle with the hem of his cloak. Changbin blinked and felt his eyebrows furrow together lightly as he regarded the boy and mentally backtracked to his words. Had he said something to upset him? But when Hyunjin’s voice brought him back out of his confused mind, his stomach dropped so far that it felt as if someone had sucked it out of him.
“Hehe, I like that wolf. He just totally ratted you out and repeated what I said to your beloved” Hyunjin chuckled.
Changbin stared at him for a few seconds before looking back at the two omegas in horror, swallowing thickly when he met Jeongin’s knowing gaze on him before the wolf laid his head back down on the ground.
“Anyway” Changbin tried to desperately defuse the awkwardness that hung in the air as he turned back to the subject that actually mattered “Hyunjin is harmless. And I swear, I did not tell him about you if that’s what you’re thinking. This was not some weird type of trap, I would never.”
“Good to know where your loyalties lie” Hyunjin deadpanned at him, receiving the same unimpressed glare back.

When Changbin had finished speaking, Jeongin huffed again and the alpha flinched when Felix had quickly smacked the wolf on the snout. Jeongin let out a small yelp and although he could not see it, Changbnin could almost hear the pout through the omega’s demeanor.
Next to him, Hyunjin let out a soft understanding humm and chuckled as he gave Changbin a suspicious sidelong glance, the smugness dripping off of him so thickly that the alpha had to fight the urge not to drown the wolf in the nearest river. The beta’s coffee scent had turned sweet and light, which now made Changbin burn with curiosity. What had Jeongin said that would pull such a reaction out of both Felix and Hyunjin like that? The blonde was enjoying this situation a little too much in Changbin’s opinion. But before he could ask him anything, a small voice pulled him out of his thoughts almost immediately.
“It’s okay Changbin-ssi” Felix said shyly “We don’t think so, Innie seems to be very convinced about that now…”
Changbin felt the blood rush to the top of his head as he listened to the boy talk and decided in that moment that Hyunjin and his big mouth were going to have to lose their lives when they got home.
“I’m Felix” the omega continued with a small smile, his attention redirected towards Hyunjin now “and this is Jeongin. He’s a lot nicer than he seems, I swear. He’s just a little protective”
A little? Changbin tried to suppress a smile, the corners of his lips turning down in the attempt. A little was the understatement of the century. But then again, Minho was probably responsible for that.

Hyunjin lifted his head and bowed politely before looking back at his alpha.
“And you know them how, exactly?” he asked with a raised brow and Changbin let out a soft and tired sigh, knowing that the answer was probably going to receive some type of Hyunjin-esque reaction.
“Remember a few weeks ago when hyung had sent me out here to get some fruits?”
“When you ‘fell asleep’? Yeah” Hyunjin narrowed his eyes at the aegean haired alpha.
“I did fall asleep” Changbin deadpanned “and because of that, I got busted by these two. Nearly got my head torn off by Jeongin here”
Hyunjin looked back at the omega with an impressed look on his face.
“Balsy. Binnie hyung is not an easy opponent, he’s the strongest in our pack beside our pack alpha”
“You say that like I would ever even lay a finger on them” Changbin frowned at the beta “This is their territory, they had every right to be pissed”
Jeongin huffed lightly with a slight tilt in his head, his eyes on Hyunjin.
“Oh! No, Binnie is our nickname for him” Hyunjin chuckled “Because in human form he’s so tiny”
His answer was quickly followed by a pained yelp when Changbin pulled on his ear again. The man was about done with the beta’s shenanigans.
“You’re skating on thin ice today, Hwang” the alpha hissed at him, the sound of the soft chuckle Felix let out reaching his ears and elevating his heart instantly.
“You’re never this mean to me” Hyunjin pouted and decided to push his snout into the elder’s lap, sniffing at the sweets that yet again lay forgotten amidst conversation.

“Yah!” Changbin grabbed the package and held it at arms length and away from the wolf’s prying snout “This is mine. And I’m not mean, you’re just royally pissing me off today. First you follow me, then you scare my friends and now you want to steal my snacks? You’re going to have to bury me first if this is your aim”
“Didn’t hyung teach you how to share?” Hyunjin huffed.
“Make your own friends and get your own gifts” The alpha stuck his tongue out, not noticing that Felix’s eyes were locked on him as the omega enjoyed the cute banter between the two and turned pink at the mention of the word ‘friends’.
Changbin slowly unwrapped the package to find two yellow, lemon smelling square shaped pastry inside. It smelled so sweet and looked so soft that he almost didn’t want to eat it. The alpha felt his heart swell up two sizes in euphoria. Felix had made this? By hand? How?
“It looks really pretty, what is it?” He asked as he looked up at Felix, the happiness clear in his eyes as he felt his mouth watering at the delicious scent that invaded his senses.
“I like to call them lemon squares, because that’s basically just what they are” Felix shrugged lightly with a soft smile on his face “Sometimes I make them with orange too, but I prefer the lemon ones because they’re a bit tangy”
Changbin nodded slowly and looked back down at the treat in his hands before lifting one up and finally sinking his teeth into it.

The flavor that exploded on his tongue in contact with the square was instantaneous and almost gave the man whiplash. His eyes widened in shock as he chewed and he allowed himself to be completely taken over by the sweet and soft lemon that suddenly surrounded every cell in his body.
“Holy crap” he exclaimed and looked up at Felix in awe with wide eyes and the omega looked at him with adorable anticipation, eagerly waiting for what Changbin had to say. And the moment the alpha spoke again, the boy beamed and looked down at the ground shyly, his teeth worrying his bottom lip gently.
“Felix, this is delicious” Changbin took another bite and felt his eyes flutter shut with a soft groan. But the pouty little whine next to him could not be ignored even within the dome of his euphoria. He side-eyed the beta again before looking up at Felix, asif asking for permission and when the omega nodded sweetly, Changbin held out his hand with the remainder of the piece he had been enjoying. Hyunjin yipped happily and carefully accepted it before munching on it happily.
The alpha snorted and shook his head as he fondly watched the beta eagerly chew on the treat. He finished the other piece slowly, savoring every bite of the heavenly delight and when it was finished he pouted, letting out a sad sigh before looking back up at the two omegas. How he wished he could just eat this every day.

“I very much enjoyed that” he smiled happily followed by a cheery yip from the beta beside him.
“and so did he” he motioned towards Hyunjin with a light chuckle.
“I’m glad you did” Felix said gently as he locked eyes with the alpha. The way the soft rays of the moon illuminated the boy’s face was magical and Changbin found himself at a loss. He could stare at him forever if the choice was up to him.
“Do you bake stuff like this often?” he asked with a tilt of the head as he carefully placed the remnants of the package on the ground next to him.
“Yeah, it’s one of my hobbies” Felix nodded as he answered “My…uhm, my grandmother taught me”
“Oh, right. You mentioned her last time” Changbin said, trying to be careful with his words as he remembered that the topic had upset both of the omegas the previous time it had been brought up “You all live with her?”
Felix shook his head, a soft and solemn smile on his face.
“Not exactly, my grandparents passed away almost 8 years ago now” he explained as his hand found Jeongin’s scruff in solace and started carding his fingers through the fur “Innie hadn’t joined our pack yet”
“I’m so sorry to hear that” Changbin gave the omega a mournful look and then shifted his attention to Jeongin in contemplation “so then, you two aren’t related?”
Felix shook his head quickly, a fond smile on his face as he looked over at the wolf beside him.
“Not by blood anyway, only Minho and I are. Jeongin and Seungmin, our beta-” his eyes briefly shifted to Hyunjin as the mention of their own beta instantly caught the blonde’s attention “-joined us not long after they passed.”

So they also had a beta pack member, somehow that made Changbin’s heart feel a lot lighter as it yet again slightly changed the conception he had of roses. Taking in a beta wasn’t something that society took lightly and yet, much like Chan, Minho had done just that. And this new information also grew roses’ pack to 4, much like their own, and he wondered if that was all or if there possibly were more. But his brain was pulled back towards the words Felix had spoken, the glaring contradiction with previous information that he had received the last time they had met and his eyebrows subconsciously furrowed in confusion.
“You said last time that ever since you came to live here with your grandparents, and even before that, that you had never encountered any foreign wolves until Chan…” He said carefully with a tilt to his head as he looked between the two omegas questioningly “If you don’t mind me asking, how then did Jeongin and Seungmin-?- end up joining your pack?”
Felix blinked, obviously not realizing he had made the slip up and looked over at Jeongin nervously. But the tension in his body completely bled out of him when the caramel spotted wolf looked back at him and pushed his snout against the boy’s cheek affectionately and Felix smiled lightly before turning his attention back towards the alpha.

“Actually… that wasn’t entirely the truth, I’m sorry.” He started to explain, a hint of guilt present in his eyes “7 years ago, during winter, Minho found them in our woods while on a hunt himself. But they were still pups and it was never a trespassing situation, they just happened to accidentally breach the borders. They were just lost.”
Changbin nodded in understanding as he pondered the boy’s words, another set of questions arising in his mind at the newly acquired information. But before he could open his mouth to ask any, Hyunjin beat him to the punch with one that he too had landed on.
“How in hell did two pups end up all the way over here? And in winter too? It’s not like this place is near any hamlets, it’s super remote” Changbin could hear the clear confusion in his voice but the instant souring of Jeongin’s usual sweet caramel caused the man to jerk his head towards the omega. The wolf had become unsettled. And the insatiable urge to protect started gnawing away at his insides mercilessly.
“You don’t have to answer that” Changbin said quickly as he looked at the caramel spotted wolf who gave him a short and grateful nod before laying his head back down on the ground. Hyunjin had also noticed the change in scent and instinctively released some of his own pheromones, keeping his coffee scent soft and deciding that it was best not to press on the matter, though the curiosity remained.

Again, another sore topic had been discovered. Whatever it was that this pack had gone through, be it together or apart, it was becoming more and more glaringly clear as to why they were so defensive and protective. And for the first time in his life, Changbin started to believe that maybe Chan was wrong. Wrong about roses and wrong about them.
Changbin did not doubt for a second about how his pack leader had almost lost his eye to the omega, that much was obvious. But maybe the reason he had been attacked that day lay deeper than what they initially assumed based on Chan’s recounting of the situation.
“So your pack, it’s just 4 people? Just like us?” He asked carefully, trying to connect one of the puzzle pieces in his head.

Felix hesitated for a few seconds and swallowed as he continued to look at Changbin, his eyes searching the alpha’s gaze for a moment before finally nodding cautiously. And Changbin felt his heart swell at the motion, because somehow it felt like the omega was opening up to him, trusting him even if it was just a little. But the confirmation also answered his suspicions. He knew that roses was an omega and that Felix had referred to him as their leader before. And it always struck him as odd, because how was it possible that an omega was the leader of a pack?
He only used to hear snippets of fairy tales about it when he was a kid. Fairy tales and legends of a clan of omegas that were born to lead the same way alphas did. But that is all it was, stories that he heard whispers of when out and about. Because he knew it was not in an omegas nature to ever lead, especially since they were the submissive sub gender. A pack could not survive if not led by a pack alpha because the alpha voice was absolute and kept the order.
Atleast, that is what his father always hammered into him as a child growing up.
But then again, his father’s existence and beliefs were not something Changbin ever agreed with in the first place. The man made him sick to his stomach in more ways than just one.
And here Minho was, the omega leader of a pack, seemingly doing a great job at his role protecting and taking care of his family. But then again, his pack did not have a single alpha at all, which in retrospect would make things easier to deal with, no clashing subgender that would try to fight him for authority. Maybe that was part of the reason they were so careful and weary around alphas? And from everything that he had learned so far, it seemed like Minho was also the oldest. So when Chan had quite literally stumbled into the man, roses had been responsible for 3 wolves who might or might not have all still been pups at the time. Of course he was going to attack, he was trying to protect his family from what he thought was a threat.

“How old are you?” the question came out so autonomously and bluntly that it took all of them by surprise, including Changbin who blinked at his own words. He had been so deep in thought that he had zoned out almost completely.
“I’m sorry, uhm, I’m just trying to make sense of something” he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and looked over at Hyunjin who was looking at him with confusion swirling around in his green eyes.
“Hmm, how old are you?” Felix countered, the corners of his lips curled up slightly as he tried to stiffen a smile. And Changbin reveled in the air of defiance the boy held that had caught his attention so many weeks ago. It was endearing and it made him so intriguing. Everything about the omega was intriguing and it was driving Changbin all but crazy. He chuckled and nodded softly as he held the boy’s gaze teasingly.
“Fair” he admitted “I’m 22, and Jinnie here will be turning 21 with the next full moon. He’s our spring baby”
Hyunjin let out an unamused huff at the nickname, shooting the alpha an unimpressed look.
Felix formed a pondering ‘o’ with his lips, nodding slowly as he looked back and forth between the alpha and beta before he smiled lightly at the wolf’s cute reaction to Changbin’s words.
“And what is it that you are trying to make sense of that requires me telling you our age?” he asked again, tilting his head to the side. And for a second it felt as if the omega was seeing right through him, his eyes piercing and direct yet the warmth they held were like fresh honey on a summer day. Changbin blinked, inhaling deeply as he tried his best not to lose himself in the endless universe that was Felix.

“Well, a couple of years ago your brother injured our pack alpha. Which I’m sure you’re aware of, but we’ve always known only one side of the story” he talked fast, gesturing with his hands as he tried to get his point across “and now I think I’m starting to see why that happened the way it did? But in order for me to actually understand, it would help if I--”
Changbin paused when he looked back up at the duo, only to find that he was being stared at with utter confusion by the both of them.
“W-what…?” he stuttered at the looks he was receiving and felt Hyunjin lift his head up off the ground to also look at the two infront of them.
“What do you mean with injured ?” Felix frowned, causing Changbin to do a double take at the boy’s question.
“You don’t…” he swallowed and rearranged his words as he inhaled deeply before continuing “When your brother encountered Chan that day, he injured him really badly” he explained carefully.
“It took months for Chan’s eye to heal. For a while we even feared he would lose it. Quite frankly we still don’t understand how he is still able to see with it. I mean wolf healing aside, it was really bad”
At the information, the omegas visibly recoiled and looked at each other with their eyes widened in shock.
“You didn’t know this?” he continued, glancing at Hyunjin for a second. The blonde seemed just as confused as he was that they were unaware of this.

“No, Minho never told us anything” Felix exclaimed earnestly “My brother, he uhm… he’s very protective. And we were so young too, Innie was still a pup and I had only just developed my scent. He doesn’t tell us things that he thinks might scare us”
He played with the hem of his cloak, smiling down at it fondly and Changbin could see the unconditional love the boy held for his brother by the way he spoke of him. It almost seeped out of the omega’s pores as he continued, but the hint of melancholy mixed into his demeanor was also clear as day.
“He told us about him, that he had seen him. But that’s all” Felix looked up and locked eyes with Changbin again “and we knew better than to ask any questions. All we noticed is that he had been hurt too. He had a limp for a while but never said anything about it. But after that whole incident, he basically banned us from leaving the cottage for months”

Changbin was at a loss for words. He’d been right about them being pups at the time, or at the very least one of them. And the more he heard about roses, the more he indeed believed that he was not as much of a maniac as they all believed him to be.
He turned his attention back to the two omegas and smiled gently.
“Thank you for telling us that. We also did not know that your brother had been injured” he looked down at his hands solemnly “Chan is not one to hurt others, he doesn’t know his own strength and because of that he hates fighting. He’s a good person, honestly” Changbin would go down swinging for his pack alpha. And it broke his heart that something that could have maybe started off as a friendship or a camaraderie of some sorts, started off as something so ugly because of what seemed to be a misunderstanding the more he learned about it.
“So is my brother” Felix countered quickly, the air around him changing into something almost defencive. And Changbin looked at him before nodding reassuringly as he tried to make sure that the boy understood that he was not trying to imply otherwise.
“I know, I believe you” he said and Felix deflated a little bit.
“I’m sorry” the omega said with a small pout, making Changbin’s heart explode in his chest. Felix was too cute to be real.
“Don’t be, you’re fine” the alpha smiled brightly before moving back to his previous question, his voice playful as he sent the boy a quick wink.

“But, you still haven’t told me how old you are though”

--

The first month of spring was always a calm one for the pack. With the temperature gradually rising, animals started returning to the area which made hunting a lot easier for them in their own territory. And for today, Chan could not have wished for more as he carried the boar that was hanging limp from his muzzle into the clearing happily. He dropped the boar near the fireplace and looked around, finding both Hyunjin and Changbin working in their little vegetable garden. He slowly stalked over towards them, his nose sniffing around the area in an attempt to locate his last pack member but the scarlet haired alpha didn’t seem to be anywhere in the vicinity.
“Hey you two” he said as stopped right outside the wooden fences encompassing the small garden, Changbin and Hyunjin both looking up from where they were vigorously working the soil when they smelled him coming. The beta instantly dropped what he was doing and ran over to him, a beaming smile plastered on his features and Chan snorted at the strips of dirt that littered the beta’s face.
“Channie hyung!” Hyunjin hugged his alpha’s head happily, resting his forehead against the elder’s briefly before moving back to look at him “How was the hunt?”

Chan pressed his snout against the younger’s cheek lovingly before roughly attempting to lick the dirt of the boy’s face, eliciting a loud yelp from the beta as he jumped backwards at the grooming attempts the started wiping his face which simultaneously made the dirt streaks worse and Chan chuckled lightly at the sight.
“What was the reason hyung!?” Hyunjin grimaced in horror and gagged “your breath smells like death!”
Chan blinked at the insult and he could hear Changbin’s laughter rising up from where stood in the garden.
“Yah, I can also just bring that back and you can go find your own gift” He warned playfully and when Hyunjin followed the man’s line of sight, the beta yipped happily and skipped over towards his alpha.
“Gift?” He asked anticipatingly, and Chan felt his heart swell at the sight of the twinkle in the boy’s eyes. A sight something Chan would forever be weak for.
“Happy birth month, Jinnie” he said gently and Hyunjin jumped happily.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, I love you hyung!” He cheered as he ran over towards the boar, quickly leaving behind his two alphas in his excitement.

“Now that’s one hell of a gift” Changbin chuckled as he approached his alpha, wiping his dirty hands off on his tunic as he spoke.
“I got lucky, honestly” Chan huffed tiredly before tearing his eyes away from the giddy beta to look at Changbin “Where’s Sungie?”
“Ah, he said he needed to finish his gift” the aegean haired alpha answered, his voice just above a whisper as he glanced over into Hyunjin’s direction who was too occupied with examining their dinner to pay the two alphas any mind “But he said he couldn't do that here or something”
“Did he go there ?” Chas asked in a similarly hushed voice.
“I’m assuming he did, yeah” Changbin answered with a soft nod “Go, I’ll stay with Jinnie”
Chan nodded and watched as Changbin made his way over towards their beta, offering his help to clean the boar in preparation for their celebration tonight. He continued to observe how the two fussed over the boar for a few seconds, letting out an amused little huff before silently retreating back into the woods to look for their youngest.

It wasn’t news to the world that Chan coddled Jisung, admittedly sometimes he did it a little too much. And to be very honest, all of them did. But then again, what type of pack leader would he be if he didn’t make sure that all of his pack members were at least okay? And Jisung wasn’t a pup anymore, Chan was very much aware of that fact. As was he aware that Jisung was more than capable of looking after himself, the young alpha wasn’t weak by any means. If anything, despite his timid demeanor, Jisung was surprisingly strong when he needed to be. But Chan wouldn’t be Chan if he didn’t still worry about him, especially when the younger retreated back to his island . And Chan knew from Changbin’s explanation that today the boy wasn’t there for himself but for something else, so the worry remained on a low burner. But he nonetheless would feel a lot more at ease if he could at least see him.
It wasn’t long after the pack had migrated into this area and claimed the piece of land as their territory, when Chan had come up with the idea to build Jisung his own little hut. More so for the young alpha to withdraw to whenever he felt overwhelmed or just needed some time to himself. With the tumultuous childhood he’d had, it was something the younger desperately needed and Chan was more than willing to comply and help him in whichever way he desired. And in the past few years, it helped the boy immensely. The island was his safe space away from home.
Or in this case, his ‘secret’ little hideout to work on birth month gifts in peace.

The hut was located in one of the most peaceful parts of their territory near the plains that seemingly stretched out for eons, yet only a mere 15 minutes away from the cottage. Far enough to provide the boy with his much needed quiet and close enough to his family for anything else. All it would need was a soft howl and any of them would turn the 15 minutes into 15 seconds if need be.
Chan calmly made his way through the trees, the soft spring sun spreading warmth over his back as he allowed his mind to bleed into the quiet of the forest. And it didn’t take him long to finally reach the small area where the hut was located, the plains visible in the distance in between the trees. The tell tale scent of fresh and crisp sandalwood hit his senses and Chan felt the sliver of worry he had been holding onto quickly evaporate up into the air as he walked. Jisung was happy. If his scent wasn’t a glaring indication of that, the soft melodic sounds the boy was making which filled the air definitely were.
The young alpha was sitting cross legged on the ground in front of the hut, so deeply concentrated on what he was working on that his tongue was slightly jutted out between his lips. Chan fondly watched him for a few seconds from where he stood at the edge of the forest before he decided to insert himself into the alluring and harmonious bubble that Jisung had created.

“Whatcha working on, squirrel?” He nosed the younger’s cheek gently before lying down on the ground next to him, watching the scarlet as he worked diligently.
“Hi, hyung” Jisung giggled softly at the wet sensation of Chan’s snout against his cheek before smiling happily and holding out his hand, revealing a small black stick of some sort. And looking down, Chan noticed a few more of the same sticks in a small wicker basket. Though unlike the ones in the basket, one end of the one Jisung was holding had been sharpened with the small knife the boy had in his hand. So that’s what had the boy in such concentrated stupor. Though what exactly that was, was information nobody would even be able to torture out of Chan. The pack alpha stared at the contents in the basket for a couple of seconds, trying to figure out what he was looking at but Jisung quickly noticed the dumbfounded look in the wolf’s eyes and chuckled.
“They’re graphite sticks” he explained asif it was the most obvious thing in the world. Chan just blinked at him and Jisung rolled his eyes as he scrambled up to his feet before making his way into the hut. He came out seconds later with a tiny piece of birch bark clutched in his small hand, a happy skip in his step as he was eager to show his pack leader the gift he had been working on.
“Look” he said before sitting back down and snuggling into Chan’s side with a content sigh. He grabbed the piece of graphite he’d been sharpening and ran it across the piece of bark. Instantly, a black line showed up on it and Chan blinked again as his eyes looked over the bark and the stick in Jisung’s hand.
“Wait. How did you do that? You didn’t even dip it in ink, where is the ink?” He sniffed at the bark, making Jisung chuckle lightly.

“You don’t need ink for this” Jisung answered matter-of-factly “I just happened to stumble on graphite whilst out on one of my walks in the mountains last spring. And I remembered my grandma once telling me about it--”
He paused for a couple of seconds, his hand coming up to run the graphite over the bark again and creating more of the same lines in various directions. Chan watched him carefully, noticing the boy tense up after subconsciously mentioning part of his past and the wolf bumped the young alpha’s shoulder with his cheek, his pine scent soft and soothing as he encouraged the boy to continue.
“I… I remembered what can be done with it” Jisung spoke again after a while, allowing himself to relax into his leader’s fur that was curled around him and reminding him that he was okay and that he was safe and loved “So I collected a few, went and gathered as much clay as I could find and then after grinding up the graphite and mixing them together, I got this”
He beamed at his creation as he again ran it along the bark, Chan listening intently and eyes following the boy’s every movement.
“It was a process but they turned out really well. All that is left for me to do is to sharpen all of them like I did with this one” he held up the piece in his hand “and then Hyunjin will be able to draw with this instead of ink, it’s a lot easier to to control in my opinion. And you know how much he loves to draw all the time”

Chan looked at the boy in awe after he finished speaking and stared at the birch bark.
“Jeez, squirrel” he exhaled softly, his eyes filled with wonder and respect for the intellect resting against his side “You did all of that on your own? What the hell”
Jisung chuckled bashfully, a shy smile on his face as he placed the sharpened piece of graphite down into the basket with the rest.
“Yeah, it was a bit of trial and error, which is why it took me so long. But in the end I’m really happy with how they turned out” He said happily as he looked up and met Chan’s bright amber eyes that were marveling at him “and I managed to collect a bunch of birch bark this past autumn. That’s why I’ve been down here so much, not because I’m not okay or anything. I just really want to surprise Jinnie. Though he’s more often than not the one who comes to check on me, I became a master at hiding everything the second I smell his coffee coming”
The young alpha’s soft laughter was like music to Chan’s ears as the man continued to look at him in awe. He was speechless. And Jisung was so cute that the urge to smother the boy in cuddles was so suffocating that it burned his chest like a wildfire.
“I’m jealous” he joked after a couple of silent minutes before he moved to envelop the young alpha with butterfly nibbles and licks, causing Jisung to erupt into a fit of giggles “I want you to make me something to Sungie, you favour Jinnie too much!”

“Hyung!” the younger shrieked as he tried to fight like hell to swat the alpha off and away from him “You stink! Get OFF”
Chan leaned back and let out a dramatic gasp as  he dove on top of the younger before he was given the chance to scurry away from his impending doom. He locked Jisung underneath his massive body and relentlessly started licking his face and nibbling at his neck and scent gland.
The scarlet haired alpha bellowed in uncontrolled laughter, tears running down his temples as he tried to escape Chan’s clutches, but to no avail.
“Give me love too!” Chan chuckled as he revelled in the younger's carefree laughs “Bin and I are your family too you know!”
Jisung’s scent spiked playfully, the sandalwood almost creamy and warm as it quickly filled the area around them. No matter how hard he fought against Chan’s little affection attack, his joy filled scent gave him away instantly. And it was the reason Chan did in fact not stop his ministrations. Hearing the boy laugh like this, so freely and so safely, had become one of the reasons he had come to live for after the young alpha had joined their pack.

They rolled around in the grass for a few minutes before Chan finally decided to have mercy on the young alpha and let him go, the boy instantly slumping down and panting for air as he attempted to rub the tears away from his eyes with his hands. Chan looked over at him and chuckled in defeat, leaning back in to lick at his face gently before a hand was pushing him away again.
“Seriously, stop” Jisung tried to pull his face away from Chan’s muzzle “My face is going to be all red because of you.
“Stop moving, I’m doing you a favour” Chan huffed gently “Better red than whatever this is. You rubbed that graphite stuff all over your face, you look like a sleep deprived raccoon”
“Fine…” Jisung pouted defeatedly and dropped his arms as he surrendered to Chan’s gentle grooming, his scent still holding the same creaminess and warmness as he let out a long content sigh.
“Your breath smells like death”

Chapter Text

“You think Binnie and Jinnie will like these?” Felix asked as he tossed the cooled orange peels through the sugar.
“If they don’t, I will” Jeongin said as he munched on one of the candied lemon peels Felix had finished earlier “These are absolutely amazing Lix, even better than last time”
“Thanks” Felix smiled happily before moving to mix the finished candied orange peels in with the lemon peels. He separated about a quarter of the mixture and grabbed the little whicker container he had prepared and packaged the sweets in it tightly before smacking Jeongin’s hand when the young omega had reached over to grab another peel.
“Can you stop that?” He quipped sternly “Leave some for Minho and Min too”
“But they’re so good” Jeongin huffed with a small pout as he quickly snuck another peel into his mouth “I can’t help it that you make the best sweets in the whole wide world, Lix. You are the king and I am but your humble servant”

Felix snorted and shook his head lightly as he listened to Jeongin ramble on, his sickly sweet caramel so thick that Felix could almost taste it. He pinched the younger’s cheek with a soft coo and moved to grab the small package he had prepared before.
“I’m going to hide these in my room before hyung comes back” He said as he made his way around the kitchen table “and reel down your scent a little, caramel is starting to drip off the walls. I know you’re excited for the orchard tonight but you don’t have to suffocate us in the process”
Jeongin merely shrugged and happily stuffed another peel into his mouth as he defiantly watched the white haired omega back up towards the stairs, his mismatched eyes twinkling with so much glee that it was almost hard for Felix to look away.

He chuckled at the sight and finally tore his gaze from Jeongin before heading up, silently agreeing with Jeongin’s state of mind as he too was beyond excited to head out tonight.
Almost a whole moon cycle had passed since they had been ambushed by Hyunjin at the orchard. And ever since, the secret get-togethers had become a regular thing for them. So much so that sneaking out had become almost second nature for the two of them. And as if the moon spirits had decided that this occurrence was worth fighting for, Felix felt like they were being smiled down upon by them as almost every night for the past month the sky would be nearly spotles, no sight compromising clouds in sight.
Which meant that, every night whenever the moon was out and bright enough to serve as some sort of light source for them, they would meet their new friends in the orchard and would spend almost the whole night just talking about everything and nothing.

One day they had lost track of time so badly, Felix having a particularly hard time tearing his eyes away from Changbin who had recently cut his hair, that they were met with Minho in the clearing. The man had been on his way out to go hunting and the two young omegas had scrambled to pretend to be working in the garden, Jeongin hiding his bare behind in the chicken coop ‘collecting eggs’. And as by the grace of the moon, Minho had not suspected a thing.
That day, Felix and Jeongin did not get a single wink of sleep.
Where they had found the surge of energy to meet with the alpha and beta again that same night, remained a mystery. Though somehow, when faced with the two, all exhaustion would waft up into the air and be replaced with something akin to restlessness and excitement.

And so, their nightly rendezvous continued in a similar fashion.
Sure, Jeongin and he would be exhausted during the day, often being hauled out of bed by either Minho or Seungmin on the days that they slept for too long. But Felix would find himself looking forward to their nights hidden away in the shadows, the idea of seeing Changbin always leaving him with a fluttering feeling in his stomach. And this feeling always came accompanied by small sharp tugs in his chest, like something was constricting the core of his very being at the idea of the alpha. And it was something he could not get used to no matter how many times they met. The alpha made him nervous. Happy.

And Felix couldn’t get enough of it.

They had grown substantially closer to the duo in the time that had passed, as short as that time may have been. The two made it so easy for the omegas to be around them. There was not a single ounce of danger or tension, not a single instinct that told them that they needed to be carefull. If anything, their instincts were the ones that allowed them to relax. Even the always careful Jeongin had been extremely quick to drop his guard completely in the light of Hyunjin and Changbin’s harmless personas. They were like a breath of fresh air in a world that was easily filled with the thick and suffocating dust that came with distrust.

But when it came to the alpha, there was something there that Felix couldn’t quite grasp or comprehend.
Every single time their eyes would meet, he would feel like his heart would stop for the briefest second. When Changbin would say his name, his knees would go weak and his body would feel inexplicably heavy. Every smile that the man would send Felix’s way, would leave the omega losing his breath. And whenever they were apart, Felix would find himself missing him. That strange and dull tug in his chest becoming a consistent thing, a feeling as foreign to him as the alpha had been in the beginning. And truth be told, it was terrifying because Felix had no idea what all of it meant.

One thing he did know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, was that the alpha had him under some type of spell. His smile, his cheeks, his voice, those godforsaken arms. For the past few weeks, every Changbin detail Felix had been able to soak up had been one of the only things occupying his mind. No amount of baking or sparring with his pack members would redirect his thoughts away from the alpha. And Jeongin didn’t make it any easier either by teasing him about it.
Plus, Hyunjin and Changbin being so likable had left Felix wondering why his brother was always so adamant about Chan. The more he was told about their pack leader, the more Felix had to fight the urge to just cross the territory borders to meet the man. And if meeting the two foreign wolves didn’t leave the omega feeling guilty enough, the mere thought of wanting to meet the alpha his brother had demonized made the guilt about a thousand times worse.
So to say that the past month had been a confusing turmoil of emotions and feelings, would be the understatement of the century.

Felix reached his room, a soft and distant sigh escaping him as he made his way towards the trunk at the foot of his bed. The trunk had become their go-to hiding spot for anything they wished to bring to the orchard at night as neither Minho or Seungmin were ones to snoop through their rooms. He carefully placed the little package of sweets under some of his garments, making sure it was safely hidden next to the little gift Jeongin had prepared for Hyunjin’s birth month, before closing the trunk and tiredly dropping his forehead onto the surface of the lid.
Felix was exhausted, all the sneaking around had taken a toll on his mind, body and soul. He lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, stretching it out until a satisfying crack echoed off the walls before he finally heaved himself off the floor to make his way back down to the kitchen.

As expected, Jeongin was still seated at the table, stuffing his face with the candied peels. And despite Felix’s request, the room was now completely engulfed in the boy’s sweet caramel as he purred happily before shooting Felix a cheeky grin when the white haired omega walked into the room.
“Innie, stop eating those. You’re going to make yourself sick” Felix frowned and pulled the peels away from Jeongin, the younger letting out a soft whine as his eyes followed the small basket until it stopped at the other end of the table. He stretched out his arms and plopped himself out on the table making grabby hands at the peels with a pout on his face.

“Seriously…Such a baby” Felix chuckled and gently flicked the young omega’s nose “Come help me with my hair instead, I need to dye it or else we can’t go tonight”
The words were all it took for Jeongin to jump up from where he had been sitting, his eyes landing on Felix as if the boy had personally scorched him by even joking about not going.
“Like you would be able to stay away” He said and a small, satisfied smirk made its way to his face as he watched the color rise up to Felix’s cheeks. The white haired omega dismissed him and quickly headed over to the pantry to fetch a couple of beets for his hair, his nostrils flared in embarrassment and missing how a snickering Jeongin secretly sneaked a few more peels into his mouth before leaning his hip against the kitchen counter.

Felix came back with the beets, his face still an off shade of pink, before dropping them on the counter and handing Jeongin a knife.
“How was your walk with Binnie hyung by the way?” The caramel haired omega smirked as he bumped Felix’s shoulder with his own “You never said anything about it”
“It was fun” Felix said shyly, his jasmine scent sweetening and mixing in with the caramel that hung in the room “Hyung’s really funny”
“So I’ve noticed” Jeongin chuckled “Did he talk your ear off?”
Felix chuckled and shook his head “Actually, he was surprisingly quiet. But he did tell me some cute stories”
“Let me guess, about Jisung?” Jeongin asked as he popped a piece of beet into his mouth.
“About all of them” Felix smiled fondly before hesitating and placing the knife in his hand down “Innie?”
“Hmm?” the young omega turned to face his friend with a questioning gaze, another piece of beet disappearing between his lips.
“First of all” Felix reached over and smacked the younger’s hand when he saw him reach for another piece “Can you stop that!?”
Jeongin pouted and rubbed the spot Felix had smacked like a little puppy that had been scolded and sighed “Fine…”

“Anyway” Felix continued as he leaned against the counter, the corner of his bottom lip being caught under his fang “I was wondering if you also… keep having this feeling of wanting to meet the rest of their pack?”
The words had come out extremely carefully, almost a whisper as he was afraid of what Jeongin would say, but what came out of the boy’s mouth was the last thing he would have expected.
“They make me want to hug Chan…” The young omega said softly, his voice so tender and full of longing that Felix had to do a double take. But Felix agreed with the words whole heartedly.

“Yes! Oh my god, I thought I was the only one” Felix exhaled as he grabbed onto Jeongin’s arm “And the way they talk about Jisung too. He sounds so sweet. But then again, maybe they only tell us the good things? I mean I know I would, and we all know how Minho hyung is probably the scariest wolf on the planet regardless of how sweet he is”
Jeongin nodded and the both of them shuddered at the thought.
“But if Hyunjin and Bin are anything to go by, I think it’s safe to say that they are as great as they make them out to be”
And again, Felix blinked at Jeongin’s words. It was so weird to hear the caramel haired omega speak of them like this when only a month ago he wanted to skin them for their fur. He nodded silently as the both of them turned their attention back to the beets.
“You think that hyung had a nice birth month celebration?” Jeongin asked absentmindedly as he continued to cut the beets, a soft sigh rolling over his lips.
“Well, hyung did say that they were planning on doing something for him.” Felix smiled softly “I just hope that they were able to catch something nice on the hunt”

“We did!”

The door to the cottage swung open and the two omegas at the counter jumped, the color draining out of their faces and both gripping onto their knives as they fought not to shit themselves at the sudden interruption.
Seungmin walked in carrying a woven basket with Minho following suit and closing the door behind him.
“We brought food!” The beta beamed happily, his eyes resting on Jeongin and Felix felt like someone had reached into his mouth and clamped shut his throat. How long had they been back? They couldn’t have possibly heard their conversation, right? His heart hammered against his ribcage as he tried his best to keep his composure and his eyes flitted over to the woven basket.
“Went fishing instead?” He chuckled nervously as he moved over to examine the contents of the basket.
“Innie mentioned craving maeuntang yesterday” Seungmin said as he placed the basked down before moving over towards Jeongin and patting the omega’s head lovingly “Which means only one thing”

“You’re the best, hyung” Jeongin beamed up at the brunette as he moved to snuggle into his frame and rub his cheek and jawline on the elder’s shoulder lovingly, his sweet and creamy caramel scent spiking briefly. And as Felix watched the boy scent their hyung, a sliver of dread settled into his stomach.
The white haired omega had smelled it on him all morning but had been hoping and wishing that maybe he was wrong, that maybe Jeongin was just super excited because he was going to be able to give Hyunjin the gift that he had worked so hard on. Especially because he had been so eager to do so.
And now he was not going to be able to.

“Is that why you ate half the bowl of candy?” Felix sighed tiredly “You’re in pre-heat?” Now, of all times?
Jeongin just pouted in response, both of them knowing damn well what this meant. If Jeongin was in pre-heat, Seungmin was not going to leave the omega’s side for at least the coming two weeks at the very least. Mainly because Jeongin always sought out the comfort but also due to the fact that the beta’s nose would pick up on every-single-thing . Jeongin leaving the house with his pre-heat scent would be mission impossible. And on top of that, Felix did not know how good of an idea it would be to bring that scent anywhere near an alpha.

“It already started coming in last night” Minho said simply as he popped one of the candied peels into his mouth, snapping Felix’s attention back into the cottage “These are delicious Fe”
Felix blinked as he watched his brother eat another peel, his nose scrunching up in disgust.
“Yeah, that’s great and all. But can you two get your stinking, naked butts out of my kitchen?” He quipped and grimaced when Minho moved to lock his arms around him with a devilish grin on his face.
“Your kitchen, huh?”
“Hyung, please, you smell like fish” Felix rolled his eyes as he placed his hands on Minho’s face, struggling to push the man away from him. At the kitchen counter, Seungmin shook his head as he watched the two omega’s wrestle, Jeongin now comfortably melted into his side with a low purr resounding from his chest.

“He’s right, you know” The boy yawned softly “You stink”
Seungmin scoffed, trying to hide the amused smile on his face as he pushed himself away from the counter and walked over to the two white haired omegas, simultaneously leaving a pouting Jeongin behind who let out a small whine in complaint at the loss of warmth when the beta separated himself from him.
“What? I thought you said that I stink? I’m simply removing the problem, your highness” Seungmin stuck his tongue out playfully as he grabbed Minho by the forearm and untangled him from his brother. Jeongin returned the gesture, the pout still on his lips as he watched the beta drag Minho along towards the bathroom.
“If one of you can heat us up some water, that would be great!” Seungmin called out from the hallway and Jeongin instantly pushed himself away from the counter, moving to grab the pail and heading outside to the well.

Meanwhile, Felix placed the cut up beets aside and decided to start cleaning the fish instead, his heart long settled down and his mind already back on Changbin and Hyunjin. And with it, on the issue of what to do tonight.
Was he going to have to go alone? Truth be told, the idea of that scared him a bit. Sneaking out on his own during the day had been a lot easier because he didn’t have to worry about the dark, and after that, Jeongin had always been with him. Granted, the full moon just passed so it would be quite bright out. But that didn’t take away the fact that it was still night time.
He could do a quick up and down, or even leave a scented note that could inform the two of the situation if he arrived before they did. Though the chances of that happening were close to zero as the two were always already there and waiting for them, without fail. Plus, Felix really wanted to see Changbin, even if it was just for a few minutes. Just to try and see if he could get the stupid tugging in his chest to stop.

He continued to gut and scale the fish carefully, his thoughts running a hundred miles an hour as he absentmindedly deposited the cleaned fish into a separate bowl.
“I’ll tell Minnie that I want to stay with you tonight,” Jeongin’s voice whispered in his ear and snapped him out of his daze. Felix had not noticed him come back and nearly sent the fish in his hand flying across the room.
“Jesus fuck, Innie” Felix turned to look at him with wide eyes “are you trying to kill me?”
“Sorry” Jeongin chuckled softly “But I know what you’re thinking Lix, I still want to go. I promised hyung”
The young omega pouted and bounced up and down desperately.

“He’ll live. And so will you.” The white haired omega interrupted him, his voice hushed “Your scent is only going to intensify, Innie. You know that. And you know how Minnie gets. He smells us from a mile away when there is something up with our scents. He’s going to notice the moment you set foot outside of this house”
“So what now?” Jeongin continued to pout and adjusted the heavy pail in his arms “I want to give hyung his gift and if we don’t go now and suddenly stop showing up, they will think that we hate them…or worse”
The young omega’s scent shifted and soured slightly as he addressed Felix, the idea of causing sadness to their new friends unsettling him greatly.
“I’ll figure something out. I won’t let them think that we just stopped showing up, I promise.” Felix smiled gently at him before leaning in and pressing his nose against the younger’s cheek “now please, bring the water to the bathroom before you spill it”
He quickly pecked the caramel omega on the same cheek before going back to salting the fish, hands trembling lightly as Jeongin left for the bathroom.
Felix would figure something out for tonight. He had to.

That something, however, turned out to be the most nerve wracking one, his heart pounding louder in his ears the further away he got from the cottage. He had decided to keep from shifting, as per usual, his hands gripping the strap of the quiver around his shoulders firmly. Being out in the forest without Jeongin at this hour was a lot more terrifying than he would have expected. Especially since it was his first time alone.
Every single sound around him seemed to be magnified. Though Felix did not quite comprehend how he was able to hear the symphony of crickets and owls over the drumming of his heart that beat in anticipation of seeing the alpha and in fear of the unknown lurking in the shadows around him.
He kept his nose and eyes alert for anything that might pose a danger to him as he quickly hurried through the forest. Without shifting and without Jeongin the journey to the orchard took a bit longer too, which in turn did not at all help the small humm of fear buzzing at the top of his lungs.

And after what felt like an agonizing eternity, both the nerves and fear left his body the second his nose picked up on the soothing rain scent he had come to adore so much. The moment he broke out of the forest and into the orchard, he found the aegean haired wolf waiting for him at their usual meeting spot. And as per usual he looked magnificent, the moon light making him look like he was made out of pieces of seaglass.
Changbin had raised his head off the ground when he had heard the omega approach and when Felix came into his line of sight he lifted himself up onto his paws and made his way to him, pressing his snout against the younger’s chest in greeting.
Felix smiled shyly and gently stroked his hand over the alpha’s muzzle and moved to scratch behind his ear.
“Hi stranger” He said sweetly as he fought the insatiable urge to lean in and press his forehead against the alpha’s. And when Changbin lifted his head to look past Felix and into the forest with a questioning gaze, Felix shook his head softly.
“I’m alone today” he explained as he started making his way into the orchard “Let’s go to Jinnie hyung and I’ll explain everything”
And with that promise, Changbin followed quietly.

The alpha stayed close to Felix’s side, the younger’s hand resting on the wolf’s scruff as they walked. And once they reached where Hyunjin had been waiting for them, he shifted and moved to get himself dressed quickly.
“Lixie!” Hyunjin jumped up when they came into view and ran to hug the omega closely before letting him go and looking him up and down “Are you okay? Where is Innie?”
The blonde looked around worriedly before looking back at Felix who nodded softly as he ushered the elder to sit down with him.

“I’m fine, Innie is fine. Just…” He moved to lean back against one of the trees, his quiver, bow and pouch coming to rest on the ground next to him before he continued when he saw Changbin take his place next to Hyunjin.
“Innie hit his pre-heat, apparently last night already” he explained “And Seungmin is on him like bees on sugar whenever he starts his heat”
“Bees on sugar?” Changbin chuckled as he relaxed against the tree behind him, seemingly relieved now that he knew everything was okay.
“Minnie hyung picks up on scents extremely easily whenever there is something going on” Felix explained “ So having Innie leave the house now that his scent is so extreme was too risky. On top of that, Innie just needs him when he’s like this. He becomes extremely clingy, and that is saying something”

Felix let the information settle for the two sitting across from him, the alpha nodding softly in understanding and Hyunjin seemingly pondering something.
“I didn’t know Innie and Seungmin were mated?” Hyunjin asked carefully and Felix blinked.
“Mated?” he frowned, confused at the words “Who said anything about mated? They’re not mated”
“They’re not?” the beta asked and if it hadn’t been so dark, Felix would have picked up on how the blonde visibly and positively inflated a little at the information.
“No, none of us are mated” Felix tilted his head lightly as he tried to explain “It’s just that, whenever we are in heat, he doesn’t leave our side. He gets very protective. More so than he already is”
“We?” Hyunjin asked again and Felix felt like he had shot himself in the foot with an arrow. He nervously glanced between the blonde and Changbin before looking down shyly.
“Oh, uhm…” he started pulling invisible threads off of the hem of his cloak, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. “Y-yeah. He h-helps us through our heats, Innie and I”
Felix felt Changbin’s eyes on him, and for some reason, the boy could not find it in himself to look up and meet his gaze. He swallowed thickly, not understanding why he was feeling like this. Because it was normal, nothing to be embarrassed about. Though Felix found that this was easier said than done with how his heart started pounding in his head and how his breath suddenly felt heavy.

But before his brain could allow him to spiral within his own thoughts, he felt a firm yet soft hand come to rest on top of his head gently. And when he looked up, he was met with Changbin’s warm and sweet eyes which instantly caused the younger to relax as the soft and dewy rain scent infiltrated his senses.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about, Lix” The alpha said with a soft smile. And perhaps hearing the words in somebody else’s voice but his own was the trick as Felix felt a sense of relief wash over him that he couldn’t quite place. But it was just as quickly washed away when Hyunjin spoke up next.
“Yeah, Lix. If you think Seungmin is protective, you should see these guys on their ruts. Or better yet, stay away” the beta chuckled “Jisungie once made the mistake to come too close to me when I was with Binnie hyung and he almost lost an arm”
Felix felt his heart sink when the words registered in his brain. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t that. And quite frankly, he felt stupid for being so surprised in the first place. Of course the alpha was also going to need help, it was natural.
However, him getting said help wasn’t the piece of information that seemed to bother Felix at this moment. It was the fact that it was the 5.9 sugarsweet blonde super model that left him feeling downcast for some inexplicable reason. But why was that even getting to him at all? It was none of his business.

Felix was pulled out of his thoughts when Hyunjin placed a hand on his knee.
“You okay Lixie?” the blonde asked worriedly and the urge that overcame Felix to slap the hand away, left him feeling sick to his stomach. Hyunjin was a sweetheart. If anything, he was probably the biggest sweetheart he had ever met in his life, and Felix genuinely liked him.
He swallowed thickly, forcing the ugly thoughts away before placing his hand on the beta’s and smiling gently with a soft nod before attempting to change the subject.

“Anyway, we’ve gone too much off topic” He said and quickly moved to grab his pouch “Happy birth month, Jinnie hyung. Both Innie and I were hoping you had a good celebration yesterday. And he asked me to give you this”
Felix reached into his pouch and took out a small folded leaf package before handing it over to the beta with a glittering smile, completely oblivious to how Changbin was marverling at him in silence.
Hyunjin looked at the small package in shock, not having expected it, before he eagerly started opening it, revealing a small ribbon with some pretty feathers and pebbles woven into it. It was quite beautiful, and Jeongin had carefully colored the piece specifically to fit the beta’s blonde locks. And now that he was holding the ribbon up, Felix was impressed at how Jeongin had managed to make something this beautiful in the first place. It really did fit the blonde perfectly, it was just as beautiful as he was.

“He made it for you” Felix smiled happily “He said that you’re supposed to tie it in your hair”
“Felix this… this is beautiful” Hyunjin’s voice was just above a whisper as he held the ribbon up in the moonlight, twirling it around in his fingers “It’s absolutely gorgeous, thank you. Please make sure to tell him that I love it?”
Hyunjin beamed happily, his eyes twinkling with glee and appreciation as he tried to tie the piece into his hair.
“I’m glad you like it. And he’ll be too” Felix smiled sweetly.

“It suits you” Changbin said as he moved to help Hyunjin with the hair piece, taking it out of the beta’s hands and gently carding his finger’s through the blonde locks and pulling part of it back.
And there it was again, that uncomfortable and ugly feeling that started gnawing at him. Which was weird because it wasn’t the first time that he had seen them be close, so why now? He watched Changbin care for Hyunjin’s hair with such delicate hands and in that exact moment, just for a split second, Felix suddenly wished that he and Hyunjin could switch places.
And that’s when it hit him, like a bolt of lightning on a clear cloudless day.
He had felt like this before, only once. Right when Jeongin and Seungmin had joined their pack. At the time, he had struggled with having to share his brother, and it had shown Felix a very ugly side of himself that he’d rather never meet again.

The boy was jealous. He was jealous and for a brief second, he absolutely hated himself for it.

Felix quickly shook himself out of his thoughts and dove into his pouch again, taking out the package that contained the candied peels.
“I also brought you this” He held out the package towards the two and smiled shyly “I made these today and thought that maybe you would like to try some. They’re very popular back home”
Changbin took the package with a smile that made Felix feel like his insides had been set on fire and then dipped in a soft cloud of sugar. He watched with bated breath as the alpha unwrapped the sweets, feeling a little self conscious about them since he was not sure if they looked presentable enough. Felix had always loved baking and was used to making snacks and sweets, but recently, he had found himself putting in a lot more effort than he used to. And he had not quite understood why until Changbin popped one of the peels in his mouth and seemingly melted on the spot.

“Lix oh my god” The alpha looked up at him with wide eyes “These are delicious!”
Felix let out a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and smiled happily before looking down, back to playing with the hem of his cloak like the nervous wreck that he was.
“Seriously, Lix, can I kidnap you and just take you home with me?” Hyunjin whined longingly as he slowly chewed on the piece of candy he’d popped into his mouth “Having an omega around would really be nice, especially if it was you. And Innie”
The beta beamed as he stared off into space thinking about the possibilities and Felix marveled at him. How was there someone in existence that could be so genuinely sweet, kind and beautiful inside and out all at the same time? It almost seemed a little unfair. And yet Felix had been given the opportunity and blessing to call this man his friend. And the thought of that made something glow within the boy’s heart.

“Absolutely not” Changbin interrupted, and Felix blinked at the sudden seriousness. Hyunjin looked at the alpha with a confused frown.
“Why not!?” He asked, smacking  the alpha on the shoulder.
“Because I don’t want him around any other alphas” Changbin said matter of factly “Felix is way too pretty for anyone else’s eyes”
“Oho. Jealousy is not a good look on you, hyung” Hyunjin chuckled with an amused smirk on his face as he indulged in another piece of candy “Other than Chan and Sungie, I think it’s me you should be most worried about stealing your precious jasmine”
At that, Changbin grabbed a couple of peels and stuffed them into the beta’s mouth forcefully, making the latter choke and smack him away as he tried not to laugh and suffocate.

But Felix was no longer paying any attention to anything. He had barely even heard Hyunjin speak at all.

The alpha’s words had made the blood rush to his face so fast that he felt like steam had started puffing out of his ears. And the annoying part was that Changbin had a habit of doing this. Out of nowhere, he would say the sweetest things and it always took Felix by surprise, sending the boy’s heart into overdrive and making him feel like his time on this earth had come to an end.
He swallowed thickly and scrunched his nose, trying his best to compose himself.
“Do I get a say in this?” he said defiantly “I don’t want to be kidnapped, thank you very much. Plus, I would like to see you try and take us away from hyung”
Hyunjin chuckled and shook his head playfully.
“I will fight your brother for you” He joked “for you and Innie”

Felix laughed at the bold statement. Hyunjin versus Minho was a fight he wouldn’t even pay to see because the outcome was too obvious.
“He would skin you alive and wear your fur as a cloak if you tried” He chuckled when the smile on Hyunjin’s face was wiped off at the words “I like you too much to let that happen so let’s keep the kidnapping ideas to a minimum, shall we?”
“Everytime you mention roses, it makes me want to meet him even more” Changbin chuckled.
“I think he would love the taste of you” Felix joked and winked. Where he got the audacity to wink, was beyond him. But the reaction it pulled out of the alpha was more than worth it as it made his skin tremble ever so lightly.
“I’m sorry” Hyunjin placed his hand on Felix’s arm, his face serious as he made sure that Felix was looking at him before he continued “Excuse my friend here. He’s clinically insane”
Felix giggled and gently took Hyunjin’s hand in his own before he started playing with the blonde’s fingers absentmindedly, a longing smile plastered on his features.

“I really wish Minho hyung and Chan could just get along…” He said after a couple of seconds “I hate having to keep sneaking around like this. And I hate that he’s this big antagonist in your story, when he’s the biggest hero in mine”
“He’s not an antagonist” Changbin stated with a downturned smile “he’s just… this mysterious, mythical being that we’ve only heard scary things about”
Felix chuckled and bit his bottom lip, looking up at the alpha guiltily.
“And yet every time you talk about him, we can see how much you love him” Hyunjin said as he softly squeezed Felix’s hand “It’s confusing because you make him seem like he is the best person in the world to you”

“He is…” Felix said softly as he fondly looked down at the elder's hand enveloping his.
“I can’t help but get a little jealous” Hyunjin jokingly added, his hand squeezing Felix’s again and the latter smiling up at him as he fought the urge to pull the beta into a hug.
“I would give my life for my brother” the omega said firmly, causing both Hyunjin and Changbin’s gazes to soften as they eyed the young omega “Honestly, I am sure every single one of us would. Hyung gave up everything for me. For us.”
Felix looked up to meet Changbin’s eyes, his heart melting away into nothingness as he finally decided to touch on the subject the alpha had asked about so many weeks ago.

“The truth is… actually uhm. Minho and I, we lost our parents when we were pups. Children really, we were 4 and 7” He continued, feeling a small lump form in his throat “he’s basically been the one taking care of me since”
“What? Oh my god, Lix…” Hyunjin’s voice sounded so small and full of sorrow that Felix almost felt bad for bringing the topic up in the first place, but he wanted them to understand. He wanted to share this piece of himself after everything they had shared with him.
He felt Hyunjin squeeze his hand and Felix smiled at him reassuringly, but even he could not hide the fact that his jasmine scent had wilted significantly at the sore topic and both Hyunjin and Changbin had picked up on it.
“Wait, what?” Changbin frowned, his eyes overcome with melancholy as he briefly searched the omega’s eyes “Felix…”
And the omega quickly felt both the alpha and the beta’s scent engulf him like a warm hug. Like a sweet cup of coffee on a sunny, dewy morning after the rain and it was almost overwhelming, to receive such comfort from people he had only known for such a short period of time. He swallowed and quickly moved his hand to wipe away a tear that had escaped at the corner of his eye.
“But what about your grandparents?” Hyunjin asked after a couple of seconds, his head tilted in light confusion “I thought you said you grew up with them?”

Felix nodded slowly as he tried to find the words to explain.
“They took us in, almost three years after we lost our parents. It was just us before that.” He explained as he gently played with Hyunjin’s fingers, letting himself relax as he held Changbin’s gaze, the alpha’s eyes bringing down his heartbeat and grounding his thoughts.
“We had gotten lost and they found us in the woods of their territory. Much like how Minho found Innie and Minnie… eerily so even, it had been winter too.” he continued “We didn’t know them, yet they still treated us like family. But they were very old. They passed away a few years later.”
And he could see the gears turning in the man’s eyes, the math not adding up.
“You were alone before that and after that? You were pups. How come you and roses did not end up in an orphanage?” Changbin asked incredulously and Felix shook his head before inhaling deeply.
“We couldn’t, it’s complicated” He said softly “So, in the end, Minho is the one who has been taking care of me basically all my life. When I try to picture my parents, all I see is him. He gave his life to raise me. And I would do the same in a heartbeat to save his”
“He’s your hero” Hyunjin concluded, his voice soft and understanding as he repeated Felix’s earlier words with a squeeze of the boy’s hand and Felix looked up at him and nodded softly.

“I’m really sorry about your parents, Lix” Changbin said with an empathetic sigh as he moved to gently push a strand of Felix’s pink hair out of his face and behind his ear, causing Felix to melt and lose himself in the alpha’s eyes as the world around them fell away.
“Thank you for confiding in us” Changbin added and smiled gently, briefly caressing Felix’s face.
The omega’s breath caught in his throat as he instinctively leaned his face into the alpha’s palm. But the touch lasted as long as the blink of an eye, the omega having to dig his own nails into his palm so as to not follow the hand that left him. Though even after Changbin had taken his hand back, the feeling had lingered. A warm, calming and slightly tingling ghost of the touch on his skin. He maintained eye contact with the alpha, his heart suddenly feeling extremely heavy knowing that he was not going to be able to see him for a while. And again, the tug constricted in his chest for the briefest moment.
“It would be nice if the two stubborn leaders could put their differences aside” Hyunjin added slowly before looking up at Felix with a warm smile “You know, for what it’s worth, I think Chan would absolutely love you”
And Felix blushed lightly at the words, the idea definitely something he found he didn't quite mind.
“Chan loves everybody” Changbin countered with a light chuckle.

“Not roses” Hyunjin pointed out “and definitely not his father”
“Hwang Hyunjin.” Changbin’s tone of voice had changed so quickly that, besides the beta, it also made Felix flinch. The omega blinked at the sudden change in atmosphere, holding onto Hyunjin’s hand tightly as he looked at the alpha with wide eyes.
“I’m sorry” Hyunjin quickly said as he bit the corner of his lip softly and looked down at their intertwined hands, and Felix noticed the slight tremble that raked through the blonde’s body and transferred over into Felix’s hand.
What the hell just happened? Felix blinked rapidly as he looked from Changbin to Hyunjin and back. He could see that the alpha’s usual gentle black eyes had turned dark in a way that felt foreign to Felix and his scent had also briefly become almost stormy. When in turn Hyunjin had shrunk into himself ever so lightly, his eyes averted and locked onto their intertwined hands. He did not understand what had just happened. Everything had been fine and then the atmosphere had made a 360 within the span of half a second.
What had Hyunjin said that hand angered the alpha so suddenly?

“Oh, Lix... I’m so, so sorry” Changbin sighed softly as he lifted his hand to pat the younger’s head “I didn’t mean to scare you”
“I’m sorry Lixie” Hyunjin said softly before squeezing his hand.
“No, no it’s okay” Felix said quickly, feeling himself relax at the alpha’s touch “What was that about?”
He looked over at Changbin who licked his lips, pondering for a second before shaking his head and giving the omega a gentle smile.
“Nothing” he said, his voice soft and scent soothing again as he tried to reassure the boy. And Felix knew better than to try and press on the topic. Though the curiosity remained. But with the way that his senses started to mellow out and cloud over, he couldn’t dwindle on it even if he wanted to. Changbin’s scent was so intoxicating that the omega felt his mind starting to haze over and he felt his body almost slump, every cell in his body wanting to climb into the man’s lap just so he could be closer to his scent gland. And he wasn’t the only one the scent was having this effect on.
“Hyung” Hyunjin mumbled after a few seconds as he leaned into the alpha and buried his nose into his scent gland, his eyes closed “Calm your scent down, we’re about to pass out over here”

And there it was again. That pang of jealousy that Felix didn’t want any part of. Especially since there was nothing to be jealous of. Not when it came to the sugar sweet beta. He tried to shake the feeling and decided to get up instead, knowing he had already spent too long at the orchard.
Hyunjin and Changbin frowned as they watched him stand and quickly followed, eyeing the omega worriedly.
“Are you okay?” Changbin asked and Felix felt his insides turn to mush at the tone of voice. He wanted nothing more than to stay, honestly he wanted to crawl on the alpha’s lap and stay there forever together with Hyunjin but he had already stayed longer than he initially wanted to. He really needed to get back to Jeongin and most importantly, he needed to cool his head. Too many emotions and thoughts for one night. And as much as he wanted Changbin to be the one to soothe him, right now he knew he needed his brother. He needed to go home.
“Yeah, I’m good, I promise. I just really need to start heading back” He said as he slung his arsenal of items over his shoulder. “I want to be close to Innie. His nests are literally the best”

And if he hadn’t been so occupied with trying to fix his bow comfortably on his shoulder, he would have noticed the way Hyunjin slightly tensed up at the words, his coffee scent sweetening ever so lightly.
“Oh right” Changbin nodded quickly “sorry that we kept you so long”
“No, no. I honestly wish I could have stayed longer” Felix smiled.
“Do you want me to walk you for a little bit, since you’re alone” The alpha offered.
“Uhm, just to the edge of the orchard is fine” Felix smiled sweetly “any further than that would pose too much of a risk”
Hyunjin pouted and stepped closer, his arms tightly wrapping around Felix’s small frame and the omega melted into the touch. He hugged him back just as tightly, burying his nose into the blonde’s scent gland discreetly and inhaling deeply.

It’s funny how it was so easy for him to be so close with Hyunjin and yet the idea of hugging Changbin sent his senses into overdrive. Hyunjin was so easy to like, so easy to be around. The beta was sweet and loving, almost as if his heart was too big for the whole world. He was patient and caring and had been so very careful in the first month with approaching the omegas, not wanting to alarm them. And it wasn’t until Jeongin had one day layed down and rested his head on Hyunjin’s lap out of the blue that he had let go of the caution and allowed himself to get closer every time they met.
The boy lived off of physical contact and closeness and Felix thoroughly enjoyed every second of it when he was gifted some of it. On top of all of that, the beta smelled extremely nice, his coffee scent always so soothing and welcoming that it made Felix feel all fuzzy inside. Which is why he was hating himself for even feeling the slightest shred of any form of jealousy towards him. Because who wouldn’t want to be engulfed in the perfection that was Hyunjin.

After a couple of blissful seconds, the beta leaned back and pressed his cheek against Felix’s and sighed.
“So when can we see eachother again? I am assuming you won’t be coming back until at least Innie is up and running again?” He asked as he rubbed their cheeks together, his eyes on Changbin pleadingly as he already knew the answer that would follow.
“Which won’t be for another two weeks at the very least I expect” Felix nodded “And by then we will have to wait for the new moon to be bright enough for us to see anything”
“Hyung, I beg you. Can we put kidnapping back on the table?” Hyunjin asked with a pout “I don’t wanna let him go, he’s so soft”
“Sit down” The alpha deadpanned at him “I’ll be back in a bit. Try not to eat all my candy”
“It’s not yours” Hyunjin huffed as he finally and begrudgingly let go of Felix before moving to sit down as told, popping a peel into his mouth and sticking out his tongue at the alpha before smiling sweetly at Felix “Bye Lixie, make sure to give Innie a big hug from me”
“I will” Felix smiled sweetly and waved at the beta.

But before he could turn and start walking, he felt a hand slip into his, pulling him along gently and instantly a warm feeling bloomed from the point of contact and up his arm. He felt his face heat up and looked down at the alpha’s hand in his shyly, biting his lip to hide the smile that wanted to creep up his face. His hand felt so small in Changbin’s that it sent his heart into overdrive and made him wonder how he would fit in the man’s arms. The alpha’s hand was warm and sturdy and, just as his presence, it made Felix feel safe. He squeezed his hand lightly, slowly allowing himself to walk a little closer and inhaling the soft dewy rain scent. And in response, Changbin carefully intertwined their fingers, a small smile on his face.
“I really don’t like the idea of not being able to see you for so long” He spoke after walking in comfortable silence for a bit “I’ve gotten used to you, Lix. You’ve spoiled me. You’ve spoiled us”
He chuckled and glanced over to the omega who smiled and looked back at him.
“I like spoiling you” Felix confessed shyly and as he felt Changbin squeeze his hand he blushed lightly, blood rushing to his face instantly.
This was the first time that he had ever held his hand, for Jeongin would usually be with them, and Felix found that he quite liked being alone with the alpha. Much like the walk around the orchard they had together a couple of nights ago. It was comfortable and warm and, in an odd way, extremely calming despite the turmoil of emotions that the alpha always managed to elicit within the younger.

They reached the edge of the orchard after a couple of minutes and stopped walking, but even then, Changbin didn’t let go of Felix’s hand. He turned to face the omega and tilted his head lightly, his gaze searching Felix’s eyes briefly.
“Can I ask you something?” He asked as he gently stroked another strand of hair behind Felix’s ear.
“You can ask me anything” The omega said, his voice but above a whisper as he found himself lost in the alpha’s eyes yet again “whether or not I can answer is a different story”
“I’ll take that” Changbin chuckled, his eyes twinkling as he looked over Felix’s features. “Uhm. So… I’ve noticed that you never shift, it’s always Innie. Even now, you came out here all alone but you’re still not shifting. Is everything alright?”

Felix nodded slowly, his eyes averting and looking down at their intertwined hands as he inhaled deeply. He knew this topic would come up sooner or later, and he also knew that he would not be able to explain it. He couldn’t. Because this was not just about him.
“I don’t want to pry, and there is absolutely no judgment I promise. So just know that you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to” Changbin added quickly “I’m just curious, is all. Everything about you makes me curious, Lix.”
And the words had been so sincere that it almost brought the omega to tears. He looked up at Changbin and again, the urge to close the distance between them and just melt into him was almost painful. Add to that the way the alpha was looking at him, his dark filled with so much honesty. Any longer and Felix would actually succumb.

“I can shift… But it’s complicated” Felix settled on after a few seconds with an apologetic smile “and it’s hard to explain, I’m sorry”
“No Lix, please don’t apologize” Changbin said quickly as he rested his palm on the younger’s cheek “Like I said, you don’t have to answer”
“I want to” Felix melted into the alpha’s hand, his voice trembling “But I can’t”
“That’s okay” Changbin smiled and pulled his hand back, the younger swallowing down a whine when the warmth left him.
“Felix?”
“Yeah” Felix answered eagerly, his heart stopping for a second as he continued to fight the need to take a step forward.
Changbin hesitated and searched the omega’s eyes for a few seconds before eventually smiling and shaking his head ever so lightly.
“It was really nice seeing you again” he said softly, letting go of Felix’s hand “Have a safe trip home and please be careful”
Felix bit the corner of his bottom lip dejectedly and nodded, his heart pounding against his ribcage uncontrollably.
“Thanks for walking me again, and I’ll be fine. I’m used to the route” He smiled  gently and stepped back “You two also, get home safe”
Changbin let out an airy chuckle and nodded reassuringly.

The omega turned on his heel and started making his way into the forest, feeling Chanbgin’s eyes on his back as he moved farther away from him. And that’s when he felt it again, that now familiar dull tug in his chest, painful and ruthless as it started pulling at him. And with every step he took, the tug echoed a little louder.
Felix frowned, his already slow steps slowing down before he came to a halt. He looked back, his eyes meeting the alpha’s for a brief moment. And he found that every cell in his body was telling him to go back, to dive into the alpha and just drown. But his feet were refusing to cooperate as his mind was very much aware that he needed to go home.
He smiled and waved quickly, Changbin returning the gesture and waving him off gently with a smile on his face, before Felix finally turned back around and disappeared into the forest. He quickened his step and sped through the trees, his pace just below a run as his heart hammered in his chest and his heartbeat pounded in his ears so loudly that it hurt.
“Shit! Shit shit shit” he let out a shaky breath, his hand gripping the strap of the pouch hanging over his shoulder so tightly that his knuckles turned white as a wave of continental regret washed over him like someone had pushed him under an ice cold waterfall. “Shit, Felix…”

He never should have come back here that day the storm started. And he never should have come back on that first night with Jeongin.
“Fuck me” Felix cursed and, with an unsteady hand, quickly wiped away the tears that had run down his face. For he now understood why he had felt so jealous and that he was royally screwed.

Felix had fallen in love with Changbin, an alpha.

Chapter Text

A shiver ran down Felix’s spine, rudely waking him from the deep sleep he had been enjoying as he blinked open his eyes slowly. He was unable to stop the yawn that escaped him when he groggily rubbed at his eyes before letting them adjust to his surroundings. He was still lying next to the fire, or at least what was left of it. Which meant Minho had been gone for a while since he always made sure the fire was still on before leaving his brother alone to go hunting.
The small flame flickered solemnly as its light danced off the walls in the cave, the heat not high enough to keep the omega pup warm anymore. Felix slowly sat up, letting out another yawn as the fur pelt that had been covering him, bundled up in his lap.

Just as every winter night, Felix had fallen asleep safely tucked away into Minho’s side, his little hands gripping onto his brother's white fur like his life depended on it. And waking up alone was still something he didn’t quite enjoy. It always left him feeling a little anxious, but Minho was adamant on Felix staying within the safety of the cave. He was still too young to help the elder hunt, and Felix knew this. Even in his wolf form he was far too slow and the boy understood that he would only slow Minho down. His hand absentmindedly found his brother’s necklace that had been secured around his neck and he lightly squeezed it between his tiny fingers before finally moving to get up. 

He grabbed the pelt off of the floor and draped it over his shoulders in the hopes that it would warm him up as he looked around tiredly. He regarded the fire for a couple of seconds, deciding that he would need to grab an extra log to keep the fire going and keep the cold that was raging outside from taking over the cave completely. He looked over into the direction of the cave entrance and noticed the faint morning light already lighting up the area substantially before he started shuffling over, holding onto the pelt tightly.
The cold winter air already chilled his face before he even reached the entrance and when he stopped right where the snow started, he found his brother’s pawprints leading directly into the forest the cave was situated in.

Felix sniffled lightly and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his tunic, a light shiver taking over his limbs as he stood there with his eyes locked in the direction of the pawprints. Snow had been falling religiously for the past few weeks, making this winter one of the harshest they had encountered ever since they had been separated from their mother. Luckily for them, shortly after his 10th birth month a few months ago, Minho had found the current cave they were sheltering in. A simple cave on the mountainside of the forest, deep enough to keep the two pups safe from the rapidly declining weather.
The area that they had found refuge in, was a couple of miles away from a small hamlet, which worked to their advantage in certain aspects. Regrettably, the only way for Minho to come by clothes for them, that wasn’t made out of fur pelts, was by stealing them from clotheslines. Minho wasn’t proud of it, but when it came to keeping Felix safe and warm, the young omega would stop at nothing to get him the things he needed.

They had lived strictly by the warning their mother had given them, staying as far away from others as possible and making sure that nobody would see their fur. Minho would always make sure that they never appeared on anyone’s radar. It was for this reason that Minho didn’t allow Felix out of the cave, or at least, the boy was not allowed past the border of trees that surrounded the cave. And Felix knew better than to try. For as much as he loved his brother, the boy scared him sometimes.
Felix’s eyes searched the area for a few seconds before stepping out and walking over to the small snow heap Minho had created just to the side of the cave. They used the heap to store fish Minho would catch for the days he was unable to catch anything else and for Felix to eat if he woke up feeling hungry.

The white haired boy grabbed two of the fish and headed inside, happily humming to himself. Once inside, he quickly rekindled the fire that was threatening to extinguish by heaving a piece of firewood over in his little arms, the pelt falling onto the ground as he worked. It took a few minutes for the fire to flicker back to life and in the meantime Felix had quickly rewrapped himself in the pelt, hurrying outside to find two sticks to skewer the fish on. And with the fish ready to be cooked over the open fire, he settled himself down next to the comfortable heat before sticking the fish into the flames.
He continued to hum happily as his eyes, now devoid of any trace of sleep, watched the fish sizzle in the fire. He had been over the moon when Minho had finally taught him how to cook the fish by himself, especially since usually Minho wouldn’t allow him to do anything that he deemed as dangerous. And an open fire wasn’t safe by any means. But Felix knew better, and his brother trusted him.
“You’re a big boy now” Felix mumbled to himself, nodding determinedly before pulling the fish out of the fire and inspecting it, his stomach growling angrily at the smell of the food.

After he deemed the fish completely cooked, he happily and carefully moved to set one of them aside against the wall.
“For hyung” He hummed and bit his bottom lip in concentration as he made sure that the stick was secured enough for it not to topple over. He then moved back to the fire and took his own fish to start eating, making sure to remove all the grates the way his brother had shown him how and kept his eyes trained in the direction of the cave entrance in hopes of seeing his brother emerge around the corner.

The omega pup was about halfway through his fish when he finally heard some shuffling outside, his ears perking up at the sound. He stopped eating and concentrated on the noises and when he heard the shuffling again, closer this time, a wide smile spread along the features on his face. He quickly scrambled up to his feet and grabbed the stick with the fish he had set aside for his brother and excitedly ran to the entrance of the cave.
He let out a happy giggle as he rounded the corner, his little footsteps echoing off the walls. But when his eyes landed on the figure outside of the cave, he stopped in his tracks and froze as the food in his hands clattered onto the cold floor near his feet. The excitement he had felt was instantly replaced by an all encompassing fear as he stared into a pair of golden eyes, the sharp scent of peppermint hitting his nose full force.

“Well well well, what do we have here?”

Felix had stopped breathing, his heartbeat silencing all of his other senses as he stared up at the stranger outside the cave. The man’s voice was paralyzing, almost as if someone had dropped him into a frozen lake. He felt sick.
“I think I might have just solved the mystery of the missing clothes” The man spoke again, eyeing Felix up and down with an eerie smirk plastered on his face as he stepped forward.
The sudden movement caused Felix to instinctively want to take a step back, but his legs refused to cooperate and gave out from under him, making him fall backwards with a small thud.
“Oho…” The man let out an amused hum and paused, his eyes briefly resting on Felix’s snow white hair “I thought Dantae wiped the lot of you out years ago?”
Felix heard the man speaking but it was almost as if he had been underwater, his ears ringing with the thumping of his heart. His eyes briefly shifted to the treeline outside of the cave and he swallowed thickly. Every fibre in his body was telling him that he needed to get away. He needed to run. Run, howl for Minho and hide. One of the things his brother always told him to do if anything were to happen. But he couldn’t feel his legs.

The man stepped towards him as he entered the cave and crouched down in front of the paralyzed pup, his eyes dark and dangerous.
“You’re coming with me” and before Felix could even try to react, the man had grabbed his arm and yanked him off the floor, his grubby fingers digging so hard into Felix’s arm that the boy felt like the bone was going to snap. The pup let out a loud yelp when the grip caused a wave of pain to shoot up and down his arm, momentarily flaring at his shoulder.
“You’ll fetch a good price” The man smirked as he dragged Felix outside with him, not bothering with the pained whines coming from the omega pup.
When the cold winter air hit Felix’s face and his feet stepped into the snow, he finally started feeling his limbs again, the pain in his arm relentlessly throbbing along with his heartbeat. He needed to get away from this stranger. Now.

‘Run, howl and hide’ his brother’s voice echoed through his head.

“No! Let me go!” He yelled out desperately and started thrashing violently, trying to free his arm out of the firm grip. But the man was a lot bigger and stronger than him. No matter how hard he pulled, his arm wouldn’t budge.
The man let out an annoyed growl and pulled on Felix’s arm harshly, causing the pup to cry out in pain.
“Be quiet” the man growled again and Felix whimpered. The boy didn’t understand why this was happening, he hadn’t done anything for this man to treat him like this. He was terrified. But the fear of not seeing his brother again was far greater, so he knew he had to fight regardless of the pain. He started snarling like his life depended on it, his vision blurring with tears as he continued to desperately try and free himself, pulling on his arm harshly.
“I. Said. Be. Quiet!” The man turned around and when the back of his hand collided with Felix’s cheek, a white hot flash of pain nearly knocked all air out of the pup’s lungs. Instantly, the sensation of being underwater returned as his ears started ringing and his vision blurred momentarily. He could taste the metallic tang of blood spread in his mouth as the tears now streamed freely down his face.
“The luna gene in you sure is a pain in the ass” he spoke as he glared down at the pup, jostling the boy’s arm as he spoke “Be a good little omega and shut the fuck up”

Felix did not register a word the man was saying. His head was throbbing so badly that it felt like it was going to split in two and his tears burned on his rapidly swelling cheek. But he wasn’t going to give up. He was Lee Minho’s little brother, damn it, and Minho did not raise a weakling.
He sniffled, his bottom lip quivering as he tried his best to muster up his courage and looked up at the man through his tears. And before the man could turn back around, Felix spit, the saliva hitting the man square in the face. It caused him to flinch and Felix felt the grip on his arm loosen for a fraction of a second. And that was all he needed.

He turned toward the hand that was holding him and sunk his small fangs into the arm as deeply as he could, ignoring the violent lurch in his stomach when he tasted the man’s blood mixing in with his own on his tongue. The man let out a loud, pained and furious snarl and when Felix felt the grip on his arm loosen yet again, kicked the man in the shin and pulled as hard as he could.
He heard a loud pop in his shoulder as his arm slipped out of the man’s hand a lot faster than he had expected and the whiplash caused him to stumble backwards and sent him falling into the snow with a loud thud, the adrenaline coursing through his veins not allowing him to understand what that noise had been.
“Why you little--” the man snarled as he looked at his bleeding arm before slowly looking back at Felix, his eyes black with rage and the peppermint burning with murderous intent. Felix felt his heart stop and he rapidly started scrambling backwards, trying to force himself onto his feet and away from the man as he felt his stomach lurch again at the blinding pain in his limp arm. But the second he found his balance, he bolted. He started running into the forest like his life depended on it, with something in his brain constantly reminding him that it did as the cold air quickly burned in his lungs before he lifted his cooperating hand up to his mouth.

‘Run, howl and hide’

He gathered every shred of voice he could find and howled into the air for his brother. Once, twice. Minho never told him how many times to howl and when he reached his third, the cold air caught in his throat painfully and caused him to choke, making it impossible for him to make any more noise. What if that wasn’t enough? What if Minho hadn’t heard him? He wanted to try again but it hurt, everything hurt. Tears continued to stream down his face as he ran, his little feet carrying him as far as they could take him as he cradled his burning and limp left arm close to his chest. Next on the list was hiding, he needed to find a place to hide. Somewhere the man would not be able to follow him. But the looming presence behind him was closing in on him too quickly, the burning peppermint nearly suffocating the omega. In the end Felix was but a small pup trying to outrun a fully grown wolf.

He didn’t stand a chance.

He felt a hand grab onto his hair and yank him backward, a loud pained cry echoing through the trees as he shot his hand up and gripped onto the man’s wrist, crying for him to let go of his hair.
“You should have just listened and stayed quiet” The man snarled as he let go of Felix’s hair with a shove, the boy landing harshly on his knees.
“I don’t have time to play cat and mouse, your head alone will be enough for Dantae” his voice dripped venom as Felix felt the man’s breath hot on his ear. And before he could even find ground to get up again, the man had wrapped his large hand around his throat, cutting off all airflow to the pup’s lungs as he lifted him up off the ground.

Felix thrashed and kicked his feet around in the air aimlessly, his hand now clawing desperately at the hand wrapped around his throat as he tried to scream. But to no avail. It felt like someone had lit his lungs on fire, the pain blinding. His vision started blurring as the strength slowly drained out of his body, tears still flowing down his face in endless streams.
There was no use, who was he kidding. He was just a pup. The man was too strong.
“Eo-eom..ma…” Felix mouthed breathlessly when his hand finally lost the fight of trying to free himself and went limp, his hand gingerly brushing past the moon jade pendant around his neck on its way down.

And then, he was on the ground.

A blur of white had flashed over his head, causing the hand to suddenly and violently release its grip around Felix’s throat and sending the boy tumbling into the blanket of snow on the ground. Felix erupted into a violent coughing fit and fought to gasp for all the air his lungs had been deprived of as his hand weakly and desperately found their way to his burning throat.
He looked up, squeezing the black spots and blur out of his eyes to see what had knocked him to the ground. And when his eyes finally focused enough on the scene in front of him, he let out a strangled cry.

A few feet away from him, the man lay jerking in the snow. And right in front of the man stood a wolf, fur white as snow and a dangerous snarl on its lips.
“Eom…ma…” he whimpered weakly, hot tears leaving drop marks in the snow under him. But when Felix saw the wolf turn and hurry towards him, he realized that it was far too small to be his Mother. And how could it ever have been at all?
“Felix!” Minho shifted and dropped down to his knees next to his brother, picking him up gently, careful not to jostle him too much “Felix! Felix, can you hear me?”
Felix whined softly, unable to reply as it felt like someone had shoved needles down his throat and across every inch of his body while the adrenaline now slowly started to subside where he lay safely in his brother’s arms.
“I’m so sorry, Fe I’m sorry” Minho’s voice broke as he gently stroked the younger’s hair and frantically looked him over for any injuries, rocking him back and forth gently “I’ll never leave you alone again. I’m so sorry, Fe”

Hearing Minho apologize for something that wasn’t his fault, broke the younger’s heart into a million pieces. He wanted to crawl into his arms and tell him this more than anything but everything hurt. His body refused to listen to him and all he could do was look up at him as he felt his body grow weak in his brother’s hold, tears continuing to stream down his face.
Suddenly, an electric shock reminded him that they were not alone and his eyes quickly shifted to where the man now lay motionless in the snow. The fear coursing through his blood was half expecting the man to get up again and kill them both but then he noticed the blooming crimson in the snow underneath the man. And shortly after, he let out another small whimper when his eyes landed on the thick tree branch piercing out the middle of the man’s chest.

It was over. It was finally over.

“Felix? Felix, stay with me please” Somewhere far away, he faintly heard Minho’s cries as the elder continued to talk to him and stroke his hair when Felix finally let himself succumb to the pain, the world around him going black at last.

Felix’s eyes shot open, his breathing laboured and his heart hammering out of his chest as he shot up from where he was lying.
“Hyung…” He cried out softly as he desperately tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness, looking around frantically as his arms wrapped around himself protectively. It wasn’t until the silhouettes of his bedroom took shape that the panic in his veins started to dissipate. He slowly let go of himself when his eyes found the small window in his room as he fought to calm down his breathing, a trembling hand finding its way to his throat making him notice that his neck was wet. And along with it, his face.
He’d been crying. And the knots in his stomach threatened to make the tears flow again as the images of his nightmare flashed through his mind mercilessly. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shake them out, his bottom lip trembling lightly.

Minho hadn’t returned to the cave that day. By the time Felix had come to, his brother had taken him so far away from the area that not a single thing seemed familiar anymore, his arm no longer limp but wrapped securely as to not allow it to move to much. And it was a couple of weeks later, that they were found by Miyoung and Kangdae.

So that’s all it was, Felix tried to remind himself, just an ugly memory. A thing of the past. Both Minho and he were older now, stronger. And that man and his horrid scent were no longer a thing of this earth, Minho had made very sure of that.
He opened his eyes and let out a shaky breath before wiping his face with the bedsheet. But he could not for the life of him make his hands stop trembling. He lifted his legs up and locked his arms under his knees, resting his forehead on them before closing his eyes again.
After coming home from the meeting with Changbin and Hyunjin about a week ago, the omega had been suffering from sleepless nights and if he wasn’t waking up soaked in his own sweat after a nightmare, he’d be tossing and turning until the sun came up. He was exhausted and to make matters worse, he was missing the alpha, the tug in his chest as consistent and painful as it had been a week ago.
Falling in love with someone who he felt he couldn’t have, and yet wanted so badly, was torture. It felt like someone had wrapped a thorny vine around his heart and was pulling on it just to get a rise out of him. And, right now, he couldn’t really talk to anyone about it either.

“Eomma….” He lifted his head and looked up at the ceiling, swallowing thickly as he tried to blink away the tears that had filled his eyes yet again. The emotional turmoil and exhaustion of the past week had left him missing his mother immensely. And he didn’t know if it was the fact that he knew he couldn’t talk to Minho about Changbin or if it was because it was often the same dream that plagued him because that day, for just a few seconds, he could have sworn that it had been his mother when it hadn’t. And both reasons always left the young omega riddled with guilt. Because somewhere, he felt that she would understand all of what he was dealing with, maybe even be able to help him through it. And that was unfair to Minho. All of this was unfair. This life was unfair.

Why couldn’t they have just been born normal?

A strangled and silent sob escaped his throat as he dipped his head back into his knees and allowed himself to cry.
The shadows in his room shifted as time ticked on with Felix unable to move out of the position he was in, and after what felt like hours, the omega finally managed to take a couple of deep breaths before hauling himself out of bed and slowly making his way out of his room. He felt drained and in the end there was only one person who would be able to calm his aching heart.

“Hyung?”
Felix’s soft and trembling voice startled Minho out of his sleep, the elder immediately sitting up in his bed as his eyes scanned the room for the younger. Felix was standing at the door, his bottom lip caught between teeth nervously.
“Fe, what’s going on?” Minho’s raspy voice cut through the night as he tiredly rubbed at his eyes and cleared his throat.
“I can’t sleep…” as Felix spoke the words, the wilted scent of jasmine enveloped Minho instantly and he frowned worriedly. He scooted over a few inches and lifted the bedsheet, the empty space beside him quickly replaced by the pink haired omega.
“Bad dream again?” Minho asked gently as he let Felix snuggle into his side, his arms securely wrapping around the boy’s frame as he held him close and started stroking his hair gently. Felix nodded his head lightly and nuzzled his nose into Minho’s scent gland, inhaling deeply as the elder released his warm and soothing white rose scent. Felix sniffled lightly as he let himself relax in Minho’s arms before finally deciding to speak.

“I miss Eomma…”
Minho felt his heart shatter at how small Felix sounded. He had noticed that the boy had been distant lately, which was odd because Felix had been so above and beyond his spiritual happy self the past month that the sudden switch had left Minho worried. Not to mention the way his screams would sometimes wake up the house in the middle of the night. The omega had believed that Felix’s nightmares were a thing of the past, it had been years since Felix had woken up in hysterics. And now that it was back, it left a bitter taste in the pack leader’s mouth.
“Is that why you’ve been so down lately?” He asked as he stroked the younger’s hair softly. But when there was no reply he carefully leaned back to look down at him, the dim moonlight in the room illuminating Felix’s tear stained face.
“Oh Fe…” Minho pressed their foreheads together, his thumb caressing the younger’s cheek lovingly.

“I keep seeing her, but I can’t remember her” Felix said, his voice breaking “Hyung, I can’t remember her”
“Shhh” Minho shushed lightly as he tried to sooth his brother, gently wiping the flowing tears on the younger's face before he pressed his lips against his forehead for a couple of seconds until he felt the younger stop shaking.
“Fe” He leaned back and held onto his cheek “Felix, look at me”
Felix sniffled and hiccupped lightly before looking up at his brother, their blue eyes meeting and instantly comforting the young omega.
“Do you know why it is that I remember what Eomma looked like so well?” Minho asked, a small smile on his face as he searched the younger’s eyes.
“Because you’re older” Felix sniffled.
Minho chuckled lightly and shook his head.
“No, it’s because I see her every single day” He wiped another tear off of the bridge of Felix’s nose “Because every day, I get to look at you”
Felix sniffled again and stared at Minho, his bottom lip quivering lightly at the words.

“From your eyebrows,” Minho gingerly traced his finger along Felix’s features as he spoke “to your eyes, your nose and lips. Even those moon blessed freckles” He poked the boy’s cheek lightly and Felix chuckled tearily.
“The way you smile and how your eyes light up like you hold the whole galaxy in them” Minho smiled gently and rested his forehead on Felix’s again “Eomma created a copy of herself when she made you, Fe. If you want to see her, just look at your own reflection”
Felix didn’t know if it was the words or the tone in which they were spoken, but for the first time in days he felt the thorns around his heart loosen a little bit. And for a split second, he almost wanted to tell him everything. For a split second he wanted to tell him that it wasn’t just missing his mother that was causing him such anguish.

But he didn’t.

He let out a long sigh and melted into Minho, his nose again finding the elder’s scent gland and inhaling deeply. As unfair as his life was and even though it wasn’t always sunshine and butterflies between them, there was one thing in his life that occasionally made him feel like the luckiest wolf in the world.
“Thank you, hyung” He sniffled lightly, feeling his eyelids finally grow heavy “Thank you for being born as my brother…”
Minho let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding as he felt his heart inflate. With a small smile on his face, he gently stroked the young omega’s hair and closed his eyes.
“I love you, moonshine” he whispered softly, but from the sounds of the deep and steady breaths coming from Felix, he knew the boy was long gone. He rested his forehead against the younger’s again and closed his eyes, feeling content before he let sleep overcome him as well.

That morning, Minho skipped the hunt as he refused to let go of the boy who was the reason that he woke up every day.

--

He felt stupid. No, stupid was an understatement. Changbin felt like an intergalactic moron. He let out an exasperated sigh after turning in his bed for the umpteenth time and rubbed his face with his hands. Why did he have to be such a coward? Why couldn’t he just look Felix in the eyes and tell him the truth? The opportunity was right there and he fumbled it like he does everything else in his life.
Problem was that even if he had told him, then what? The fact remained that Felix was still Minho’s brother which basically made him ‘forbidden fruit’. Hell, their secret little night outings were more than enough proof of that. But that didn’t make it any of this any easier. Quite frankly, the opposite was true.
“Omega…” he breathed out into the night longingly, feeling the now familiar dull tug in his chest constrict. For some reason, this night the tug had been exceptionally painful. Every cell in his body was crying for the Felix, almost as if it was the omega himself who was calling for Changbin.
If only. But a wolf could dream, couldn’t he?

It was a weird sensation. Not something he had ever experienced before and for the first time since he had noticed the feeling, it was driving him up the wall. Every last shred of his instincts were telling him to go and find Felix. But beside the fact that this would be a suicide mission, Changbin didn’t even know where to start looking.
So why was it that the tug making him believe that he would know exactly where to find him?
He closed his eyes and rubbed his face with a grunt before promptly swinging his legs over the side of his bed, his eyes tiredly landing on the waning crescent moon outside his bedroom window. Instantly Felix’s smiling face came into his mind’s eye, the moon outside but a shadow in comparison to the boy’s eyes when he smiled so happily.

Changbin shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply. He lowered himself onto the floor and started doing push-ups, hoping the exercise would still his thoughts a little. But when he lost count of the rounds and his hair started sticking to the back of his neck, he let himself collapse onto the floor with a soft grunt. He rested his forehead on the cold and rough wooden surface and sighed, Felix’s face once again popping up in his minds eye.
He needed air.
After a few seconds he lifted himself up from the floor and ran a hand through his now damp hair before he slowly started making his way downstairs, his feet light so as to not wake any of the others. Something both Hyunjin and himself had come to master now that sneaking out had somewhat become second nature for him. Granted, the beta had always been eerily light on his feet with the way he moved around so easily.

Changbin swiped an orange out of the wooden bowl as he passed through the kitchen and headed outside, stopping dead in his tracks when the door silently clicked into place behind him and his eyes met a pair of almost glowing amber ones staring right at him from the campfire. He involuntarily gulped and blinked nervously when the signature pine scent was finally allowed to hit his nose, almost as if the pack alpha had kept it at bay on purpose until Changbin stepped outside, his scent soft but his eyes sharp as he continued to look at Changbin silently.
And for a split second Changbin felt like he had been busted, his stomach suddenly rejecting the idea of the orange now tightly clamped between his fingers. What the hell was he doing here? He was never out here at this hour.

“Going somewhere?” Chan asked calmly, his eyes briefly resting on the orange being strangled in Changbin’s hand before he locked eyes with him again, the simple action sending ice down the younger’s spine.
Shit.
He needed to move and not just stand there like a startled possum and give himself away before even being accused of anything. The aegean haired alpha inhaled deeply, not having noticed that he had stopped breathing and swallowed before smirking lightly. Fake it until you break it, right? Or whatever the saying was. What was he nervous for anyway? It wasn’t like he was planning on going out today. He was just coming outside for air. That’s all.

But why did it feel like Chan thought differently?

“Are you?” Changbin answered with a feigned chuckle as he tried to keep his breathing even, making sure that his scent wouldn’t change and give his distress away. He willed his legs to move and made his way over to the campfire before lowering himself on the trunk opposite from Chan and started peeling his orange.
“Couldn’t sleep” Chan answered after a few seconds, his head tilting slightly as his eyes lingered on Changbin’s form, his eyebrows furrowing together slowly “Why are you wet?”

Changbin frowned at the odd question before remembering that he was covered in sweat, a hand absentmindedly reaching up and wiping at his neck. He was a lot wetter than he had initially thought. How many push-ups had he even done?
“Uh. I couldn’t sleep so I worked out a little” Changbin let out an involuntary yawn and popped an orange wedge into his mouth, his stomach instantly protesting against the sweet juices of the fruit. He offered half the orange to his pack alpha who accepted it with a sweet smile, his amber eyes still as sharp as they had been when Changbin had stepped out of the cottage.
The younger would give everything to read the man’s thoughts right about now. His gaze made him nervous. It was making him feel like a pup who had been caught in a lie. But why? Hyunjin and he had been extremely careful, and again: it wasn’t like he was on his way out now.

No. He was overthinking things. What was making him nervous were his own thoughts, not Chan. There was no reason to be nervous. And yet, for the first time in a week, he was relieved at the fact that they would not be meeting Felix and Jeongin for a while.
“What’s plaguing you?” Chan’s soft voice snapped Changbin out of his trance and he blinked up at his alpha.
“Huh?”
“An orange slice does not take that long to chew Bin, what’s up?”
Changbin hadn’t even noticed he had still been chewing on his slice. But it felt like he was chewing on sawdust. He swallowed thickly and grimaced lightly before placing the remaining orange down on the trunk next to him slowly, wracking his brain for an excuse of any kind.

And as if the heavens and moon spirits were on his side, at that exact moment the aegean alpha heard the door to the cottage opening and closing behind him. Though the relief was short lived when, for a horrifying split second, he could have sworn that he saw the corner of Chan’s lip twitch upward and his eyes darken when the soft scent of coffee reached the both of them. But when Changbin had blinked, it was gone and he thought that maybe he had imagined it. He hoped that he had imagined it.
He turned to look at the beta who had come outside, finding him frozen in place much like he himself had been mere moments earlier as he looked between the two alphas illuminated by the small fire.

“Oho. Jinnie, what brings you out at this hour?” Chan asked, his voice playful and airy as he regarded the blonde carefully, his eyes momentarily shifting between his two pack members.
Hyunjin seemed to have composed himself rather quickly as he moved to join the two at the campfire, deciding to sit down next to Changbin and curling into his side after catching the latter by surprise as he planted an overly sweet kiss on his cheek. Changbin wrapped his arms around the taller, feeling a little confused at the sudden public display of affection towards him. Was it because of Jisung’s rut?
“I heard Binnie get up, so I came to check on him” He said and smiled at both of his alphas before his face contorted as he leaned back to look Changbin up and down “ew, why are you wet?”
“Don’t ‘ew’ me” the alpha scowled, his hand flicking the younger’s nose softly “Rude”
Hyunjin wiped at his nose with a small pout before leaning back in, much to Changbin’s surprise.
“Why are you awake?” Hyunjin asked as he absentmindedly snuggled a little deeper into Changbin side, his head nuzzling in to the crook of the alpha's neck.
“We both seem to be suffering from a bad case of insomnia tonight” Chan smiled fondly at the scene in front of him “But what about Jisung? Is he okay?”

Hyunjin nodded and smiled “He’s passed out cold. And I’m sore all over. So before he wakes up again, a little break would be very much appreciated”
The two alphas chuckled and Changbin patted the blonde’s hair gently. The first two days of rut were always the worst, every single one of them losing all sense of self for most part of the day. It kind of made him feel bad for the beta to have to shoulder all of that on his own. But surprisingly, Hyunjin handled it like the king that he was.
“Aren’t you worried he’s going to smell Bin on you?” Chan raised an eyebrow in question and when Hyunjin smirked darkly he let out an amused scoff and shook his head.
“I’m counting on it” Hyunjin answered playfully “Jealous Jisung is one for the books”
“Yah yah please, spare us the details” Changbin gagged, the corners of his lips pressed into a crooked downward smirk.

Hyunjin shrugged, a mischievous smile on his face as he reached over and snatched the orange half that lay abandoned next to Changbin before lying down, his head snuggling into the alpha’s lap comfortably. The elder started running his hand through Hyunjin’s blonde locks softly as the trio sat silently around the small fire, enjoying the fresh spring midnight air.
Changbin looked down at the beta, only to be met by a pair of intense green eyes that glowed in the light flickering of the fire and the alpha blinked.
‘What?’ he mouthed softly, feeling a little attacked by the gaze. Hyunjin just continued to give him a hard stare. It was almost as if the words ‘You’re a dumbass’ were being looped inside of them and shooting up at Changbin like arrows. Hyunjin let out a tired sigh and turned his head towards Chan, blinking when he found the alpha studying the both of them with an unreadable look on his face.

“What are you staring at, hyung?” Hyunjin frowned.
“You look pretty, the moonlight becomes you” Chan smirked playfully, though the look in his eyes never faltered. It was unnerving. He felt Changbin shift beneath him ever so lightly, making the younger believe that he was not the only one who noticed it. What had transpired here before he had come outside? He pursed his lips as he continued his staring match with their pack alpha.
“Draw a picture, it’ll last longer” he shot back with feigned indifference.
“There he is” Chan chuckled and shook his head lightly at the bite, making the beta reel in satisfaction.

“I’ve been here the whole time, hyung, which I think you would know with how you’ve been staring at me. Get with the program”
Chan chuckled again and let his tongue run over his bottom lip before he bit it, his eyes glistening with amusement. Silence befell them again as the two continued to look at each other, the air around them shifted to something playful and light. Even Changbin had relaxed under Hyunjin's head, his hand back in the beta’s hair as Hyunjin absentmindedly felt himself lean into the grounding touch. As much as they bickered, Hyunjin adored the cuddle hungry alpha to pieces.
He let his eyes flutter shut as he softly let out a satisfied sigh before turning his attention towards his pack alpha once again. He was happy to see that their little banter had distracted the man from whatever he had been thinking for the time being as the alpha had his eyes trained on the night sky, the stars reflected in his ‘wise beyond his years’ amber eyes.

“Have you ever been in love?”
The question took a while to register, both alphas blinking slowly before Hyunjin found himself under the confused stares of the both of them not moments later. He sighed and lifted himself off of Changbin’s lap, diving under his arm and curling up against him again to soak up his heat before returning his attention back to Chan whom he had directed the question to.
“Where is this coming from?” Changbin asked, his eyebrows furrowed together.
“I’m just curious” Hyunjin answered “I mean, ever since I’ve been part of this pack, it’s never come up. And I’m just curious”
And he was. Though it wasn’t the real reason he had asked. Hyunjin wasn’t an idiot. He knew Changbin had been struggling lately, being at odds with his feelings concerning Felix and not knowing what to do with them. He also knew that ‘feelings’ was not something the man had particularly grown up with considering his relationship with his parents, or his dad in particular.  So all Hyunjin wanted was to help him. A soft nudge in the right direction, if you may. Because alphas couldn’t tell their heads from their asses sometimes, even when something stared them right in the face. Much like Felix’s continental crush on Changbin, if that’s all it was at least.

But the beta was also aware of how sensitive the topic was considering the fact that Felix wasn’t just any omega. He was basically the enemy. Even though Chan knew better than anyone else ‘not to blame the child for a parent’s faults’, the beta wondered if he would be as understanding when it came to Minho and his family. So what other way to bring part of the topic up but using himself as a mediator?
“Are you trying to tell us something?” Chan squinted his eyes at the beta, choosing his words carefully as to not upset him with any type of loaded question. But he forgot he was dealing with Hwang Hyunjin.
“No, I am trying to ask you something. Did I speak alien?” The beta deadpanned at him and Chan gave up, his eyes finding Changbin who was trying to look anywhere but at him with a face that was failing miserably at trying not to laugh. Chan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment before looking back at Hyunjin with a soft smile.
“You know the type of life I’ve lived, Hyune” He said after a few moments of silence “Love is not something that was written into the blueprint of my life”

Hyunjin eyed him for a few seconds as he shifted in Changbin’s arms, his eyes narrowing at the pack alpha.
“So you don’t love us?”
“Wha-- Of course I love you!” Chan all but snapped at the preposterous accusation, eyes wide as he looked at the beta in disbelief “How could you even ask that?”
“Then why would you say that love is not in your blueprint?” Hyunjin countered again. And as he and Chan went back and forth, he could feel Changbin hanging on to every word like a pup on milk.
“That's different” Chan rubbed at his temples as he tried to find the words to corroborate his explanation “You asked me if I had ever been in love. There is a substantial difference between being in love and loving a pack member, Hyune”
“How can you know that?” Hyunjin asked, challenging the alpha a little.
“Because, Hyunjin. Being in love with someone is so much more complicated” Chan sighed lightly, his eyes soft as he addressed the beta “The type of love one has like I have for you is the type of love that never ends. It's the type of love that you share with those around you, and it’s meant for anyone if you so wish it. That type of love doesn't rely on someone to love you back, as it lives only within you with no desire to complete itself because it’s already completed.”

“But being in love with someone? Finding your mate? That’s an open end. It’s often only directed to that one specific person and will rely on said person to love you back. That love will seek to complete itself, and if it fails to do so, it will leave you with an emptiness that can not be filled by anything else. And that emptiness can…” he bit his lip for a second and sighed “It does something to a person”
Hyunjin and Changbin were both staring at their alpha as the man basically turned into a philosophical love guru with his explanation. Hyunjin shot Changbin a confused glance, but was met with a pair of eyes that held a swirl of different emotions, including guilt. And this only confused the beta further as he looked back towards Chan, examining the man for a brief second.

If Chan had never been in love before as he claimed, how did he know all of this? And how did he know to explain it in such detail? The way the alpha was talking was almost as if he knew first hand what it felt like. Add to that the look in Changbin’s eyes, he knew something had been left unspoken.
“For someone who claims to not have love in their blueprint, hyung, you know an awful lot about it” Hyunjin said with a raised eyebrow “Are you sure you’ve never been in love before?”
“What is this? An interrogation?” Chan chuckled lightly, instantly being met with an unimpressed scowl from the blonde.
“Hyung, I swear to god.”
“I haven't…” Chan answered quickly but softly, pausing his words when he met Changbin’s knowing gaze.

The beta could see the sadness take over his eyes and instantly regretted pushing so hard. This isn’t what he had wanted. He hadn't meant to cause Chan distress like this. He leaned away from Changbin, his coffee scent sogging ever so lightly and his eyes moving around the area and Chan nervously. But when he opened his mouth to try and apologize for being a brat, Chan held up his hand with a gentle smile to stop him.
“I haven't, but I had a childhood friend who did” the alpha continued, smiling solemnly “and for her, being raised in our clan, her love was left incomplete. And I watched it destroy her from the inside out. What was worse was that it wasn’t for lack of trying, and it wasn’t because her love didn’t love her back. She did. They had fallen in love with each other so deeply that they had even bonded. But the girl was…”
Chan paused and swallowed, locking eyes with the beta apologetically as he didn’t know how to say the next words without it possibly hurting the blonde. Hyunjin noticed the hesitation and inhaled deeply, a nagging feeling in the back of his neck making him feel like he already knew what Chan was trying not to say. But he wanted to know.
“The girl was what?” he asked carefully, his hand gripping onto Changbin’s thigh as he waited for an answer with bated breath, noticing how Changbin’s arm tensed around his waist.
Chan searched Hyunjin’s eyes for a few seconds before closing his eyes and sighing.

“She was an orphaned beta”

The words hung thick in the air as Hyunjin bit his tongue, his heart breaking at the cruel reality as he leaned back into Changbin. The elder placed a soft, lingering kiss on his temple before rubbing his jaw against the younger's head gently and scenting him, the soft and dewy rain scent allowing Hyunjin to relax in his arms before his eyes found Chan’s again.
“What happened to your friend?” Hyunjin asked softly, not really liking the turn this story was taking “You said that her love wasn’t completed but they both loved each other enough to bond, whatever that is. So what happened?”
“Hyunjin..” Changbin tried to intervene, knowing the ending to this story better than anyone else. But Chan simply shook his head at him reassuringly so the young alpha pressed his lips together and looked down.

Chan pursed his lip, his bottom lip catching in between his teeth as he wracked his brain to find the words, but there was no sugar coating this story. There was no happy end, no running into the sunset together and no happily ever after.
“Well. You know the gist of what my clan is like” he started as he watched the light of the fire bounce off of Hyunjin’s hair when he nodded.
“When her parents found out about the beta girl, they hunted her down” He continued, his hands rubbing together nervously “and then, in order to force their daughter into agreeing with the arranged match they had had for her since birth, they threatened her life. My friend was beyond herself, but the thought of losing the love of her life was worse than the thought of being sold off, so she agreed”
“That’s horrible…” Hyunjin grimaced, his scent angry “What type of parent would do that to their own child?”
Chan nodded softly, swallowing thickly as he looked down at the fire, his foot gently nudging one of the logs.
“And?”
Chan’s eyes flitted up towards Hyunjin when he spoke again, the younger looking at him with a knowing look in his eyes. “And?” Chan asked, knowing exactly what the boy was asking for.
“I know you, hyung. I know that’s not the end of this” the beta said softly. And again Changbin’s arm tightened around his waist for a brief second.

Chan smiled softly, his eyes falling back down to the ground as he nodded slowly.
“After she got mated to her husband, an alpha too obviously, her bond with her love broke. And back then she had believed that it was due to the mating mark but…”
His jaw tensed as he balled his hands into fists, the memory of it so fresh like it had all been yesterday. And that’s when it dawned on him that, after he left his clan, he had never brought up or talked about her again, not even with Changbin who had been there and had seen the whole thing unfold. It was something he always felt ashamed of. Like he could have done more to stop all that had happened being that he was the son of the clan leader. Being that he had been responsible for her, he had wanted to help her. But he never would have imagined the lengths her parents had been willing to go through.

He inhaled deeply and looked back up at the two across from him, his eyes lingering on Hyunjin as a pang of guilt and anger ran over his spine.
“Her parents didn’t leave anything up to chance. They were scared that she would try and run away and bring shame to the family, and therefore to the clan as well. Which would in turn incur the wrath of my father, naturally. So in order to keep that from happening, the next day they gifted their daughter her lover’s head”
He saw all the blood drain out of Hyunjin’s face, his already pale complexion growing even paler under the light of the fire as Changbin closed his eyes, his jaw tensed and nostrils flared.
“They had killed her the night before, after the mating ceremony, which was what had caused the bond to break in the first place. But all of it backfired on them because, as per usual, they had underestimated what love is. My friend lost herself after that. I tried, with all my might to help her but she disappeared and a few weeks later, they found her body hanging in her lover’s cottage”

After he finished speaking, the air around them went silent as a cold chill ran up his spine. He watched the two across from him carefully, Hyunjin looking like he was about to break out and flame down his clan and Changbin just looking heartbroken at the memory.
“Respectfully hyung, what the hell is wrong with your clan?” Hyunjin’s voice cut rough the silence and Chan snorted lightly, the guilt and anger still bubbling deep in his stomach.
“If only I knew” Chan sighed and leaned back on his palms, lightly stretching out his back “If it’s any consolation, it was when I lost my friend that I learned about the darkness within my father’s reign and decided to leave it all behind and never look back. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone” His eyes lingered on the alpha in front of him gratefully as he heard Hyunjin sigh lightly, his eyes sad as he continued to look at Chan.

“You’re not like them, you know” Changbin said sternly after a couple of minutes “I can see you, sitting there and brooding with guilt. What happened to Mila was not your fault and you could not have done anything to stop it. You were a teen.”
“I was old enough, Bin. I should have tried harder when I saw that she was struggling. I should have known that her parents would stoop so low. I should have helped her escape sooner or something. Anything” Chan shook his head lightly “I should have made a difference but I was too much of a coward to stand up against my father”
“Chan.” Hyunjin moved away from where he was leaning against Changbin and straightened himself out, his scent bitter as he stared Chan down. At the mention of his name, the alpha’s eyebrows shot so far up his forehead that they disappeared behind the curtain of black curls on top of his head.

“Excuse--”
“If one of us were to date someone outside of this pack, would you hinder them?” Hyunjin cut him off sternly, holding up his hand to shut him up.
Both alphas blinked at the sudden question, not understanding where it had come from.
“Wha--”
“Answer me”
“Of course I wouldn’t” Chan bit at the beta, his face scrunched up in a frown “Hyunjin, I swear t--”
“And what if that someone was a person you did not approve of, would you hinder them then?”
Chan deadpanned at the beta for having cut him off again and sighed, his nostrils flared as he felt frustration creep up his spine.
“No. I would probably voice my opinion about it, but who am I to stand in the way of their happiness?”

If Hyunjin’s leg hadn't been resting against Changbin’s, he would have missed the way the tension bleeded out of the alpha’s body ever so lightly after Chan had spoken. He glanced over at him, his hand gently coming to rest on the man’s thigh again as he squeezed and smiled before turning his attention back to Chan.
“What are you ge--” Chan started to ask but Hyunjin was way to deep into his train of thought to hear him.
“Look, the thing is--”
“Hwang Hyunjin.” Chan warned, a low growl in the back of his throat and scent momentarily spiking dangerously, eliciting a tiny whine from the beta as he lowered his head submissively and swallowed.
“I’m sorry. But just hear me out, please” Hyunjin said softly, a small pout on his lips.
“Cut me off again and we’ll see who’ll be hearing who out” Chan’s eyes were dark as he warned the blonde again before he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees with an exasperated sigh and nodded for him to continue.

Hyunjin bit his lip lightly and inhaled deeply before continuing his rant, his hand still resting on Changbin’s thigh.
“The thing is… You say that love is not in your blueprint but that couldn’t be farther from the truth, hyung”
The beta slowly got up from where he was sitting and made his way around the fire towards Chan.
“If you didn’t have love in your blueprint, you would not have taken Jisung, and especially me, off the streets and given us a home. If love was not in your blueprint, you wouldn’t be this pained by the most unfortunate fate of your friend. And if love was not in your blueprint, you wouldn't be fighting everyday to keep us safe and happy”
He moved down and kneeled in front of his alpha and placed his hand on the elder’s cheek, his thumb lightly grazing over the scars as his gaze zeroed in on the bright amber eyes that were staring at him in silence.

“Hyung. If love wasn’t in your blueprint… you wouldn’t be you. And you, by far, are the most lovable wolf I know to have ever graced planet earth. You are not your clan. So please don’t sell yourself so short. Your blueprint was built on love and, oh my god, when the day comes for you to meet your destined mate, that wolf will be one of the luckiest wolves on the planet.”
Hyunjin lightly tilted his head to the side as he searched the alpha’s eyes for a few seconds, a fond smile resting on his lips.
“And I’m really, really sorry about what happened to your friend” He added softly “I know you would have done everything in your power to save both of them if you would have been given the chance. And I bet you anything that she is so proud of you for having been able to save me instead. So please… Please stop blaming yourself for something so out of your control, hyung”

Chan sat frozen in place when Hyunjin finished talking, his throat feeling heavily thick as he tried to swallow the emotions that had settled there. He dropped his head down in front of him, his eyes clouding over as he tried to keep his breath even.
“Fuck, Jin” He let out a breathy chuckle, the younger’s hand hot on his cheek “You didn’t have to attack me like that”
“I’m sorry for having asked all these questions, I really didn’t mean to upset you” Hyunjin pouted lightly as he moved closer to Chan and snaked his arms around the elder’s neck, pulling him into a soft embrace “I never expected it to take such a dark turn, seriously. But thank you for telling us”

Chan swallowed thickly and wrapped his own arms around Hyunjin’s waist, pulling him into his chest as he buried his nose into the beta’s scent gland before inhaling deeply. Changbin watched them from across the fire with a fond smile on his face as he leaned back on his palms, the mellow sound of Hyunjin’s content purring filling the air around them.
“What would I do without you Jinnie” Chan said softly after leaning back and patting the younger on the head.
“You’d shrivel up and die for I am the water that runs through your veins” Hyunjin smiled up at him smugly, receiving a flick on the forehead as response. He grimaced and slowly got up, stretching out lazily as a long yawn escaped him.

“Yeah, I think it’s about high time we try and catch some sleep” Chan chuckled as he watched the beta, amusement glinting in his eyes before getting up and stretching himself out too, a loud crack in his shoulder resounding through the air and relieving the tension in his back.
“Do we leave the fire on?” Changbin asked as he got up and regarded the small fire that by now seemed to be fighting for its life.
“Yeah, it’ll die out soon enough so just leave it” Chan said as he started moving towards the cottage, Hyunjin and Changbin following close behind.

“By the way, Jinnie” Chan spoke as he entered the cottage, holding the door open for the two to enter “Whatever it was, be it curiosity or what, that prompted this conversation. Just know you can always talk to me. And that goes for you too, Bin.”
His eyes shifted between the two, his pointed gaze lingering on each of them for a few seconds before closing the door. And instantly, Changbin noticed how Chan picked up on how the air minutely tensed around them as he spoke, the pack leader visibly fighting the urge to let out a tired sigh.

“I’m here for you. I love you and I trust you, so whatever it is that has been going on between the two of you, whatever it is that you have been up to…” he paused, allowing the words hang heavily in the air “-just know that you can always come find me if you so feel the need”
Changbin blinked at the statement, feeling as if someone had cut all oxygen flow to the room as a chill ran down his spine that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.
“So sentimental” He feigned a chuckle and swallowed nervously as he started making his way up the stairs. Chan smiled and followed the aegean haired alpha up, waving the two goodnight and disappearing into his room at the beginning of the hall. And when the man was out of sight, Changbin gripped onto the handle of the door to his own room, the skin around his knuckles turning white as he looked back at Hyunjin who was standing right outside of Jisung’s room with a similar look on his face.

From the moment Changbin had stepped outside, he thought he'd been imagining it. He thought, that it was all in his head. But it wasn’t.

Chan knew.

Chapter Text

“I don’t know if this is such a good idea”

Felix worried his bottom lip as he stared warily at the reflection of the waxing crescent moon ripple on the river surface. Regardless of the fact that the second month of spring was already in motion, the omega knew damn well that the river most probably would still be freezing cold considering the winter they’d had. And he wasn’t really eager to spend another week in bed like he had almost 2 months ago. Not if he could help it.
“Besides, we just ate--”
A blonde flash that sped past him in the corner of his eye cut off his words when it proceeded to launch itself into the water and simultaneously splash water everywhere, including into Felix’s direction where he thought he had been safely standing a few feet away from the edge of the river.
The omega shrieked and jumped backwards, sending him crashing into a pair of strong and gentle arms that had seemingly anticipated the movement.
“Are you okay?” Changbin’s velvety voice chuckled lightly in his ear, sending the hairs on the back of his neck to stand upright and Felix had to fight the all-consuming urge not to melt into the man’s arms and disappear into his chest for all eternity. He quickly straightened himself up and turned around with a light bow of the head, apologizing for his clumsiness.

“S-sorry” he said softly but when his eyes landed on the alpha’s bare chest, his brain short-circuited and exploded which in turn caused an involuntary hiccup to embarrassingly escape him. And it wasn’t as if he had never seen the man like this before, he had plenty of times. And it also wasn’t that seeing naked wolves was a problem or anything to be shy about at all, because it wasn’t.
But this wasn’t just any wolf. This was Changbin. And when it came to the aegean haired alpha, Felix would lose all sensible train of thought and his lungs would start failing him much like every other body part he needed in order to sustain life. Adding to the fact that Felix had not seen him for so long, everything was heightened. Every reaction, every emotion, every single effect the alpha pulled out of Felix felt like it had been slapped on tenfold.
He found his eyes darting off into the forest behind the alpha and towards the sky, anywhere other than the bare heavenly mountain of muscle in front of him as he felt his face start to burn red hot. Maybe the river was not such a bad idea after all.
How had he even ended up here?

Jeongin was positively buzzing with anticipation as he and Felix routinely tiptoed their way out of the cottage. It had been almost two weeks since the young omega’s heat had ended and it had been downright torture for the both of them to wait out the final waning phase of the moon. But especially for Felix.
In the time that had passed, the tug in his heart had continued to plague him relentlessly. The only thing that had managed to ease the pain and longing were the moments that he would sit out on the front porch on the days that it would rain. And sometimes he would sit there for hours, wrapped cozily into a fur pelt and just stare out into the clearing as he tried his best to push back the burning in his eyes from the tears that wanted to drown him. He found that the petrichor scent the occasional rain clouds carried along with them, would calm him down and for those few blissful moments, all would be well. The vine of thorns around his heart would let go ever so lightly and the tug would be but a dull ache in the back of his existence, still there but no longer suffocating him.

But once the clouds would move away from the area and take the scent with them, Felix would crash right back to where he had been, cursing at himself for allowing the feeling to take root and roam free in the first place.
It hadn’t taken Jeongin long to figure out what was happening with his friend with the way he would seek out the rain for comfort. And when he had found Felix curled up in bed one night, his jasmine scent distressed and tear streaks staining his small face, Felix had finally uttered the words he hadn’t dared to say out loud yet.

Though speaking them into existence and allowing his best friend to know how he felt about the alpha, had lifted a tremendous weight off of his chest. The only issue now was trying to figure out what he was going to do with them. It wasn’t like he could waltz up to Changbin and enlighten him with the information. Especially considering the fact that, even if by the grace of the moon his feelings were reciprocated, they still were from two different packs. Packs with leaders who would probably kill each other on sight, especially if it was up to Minho.

And even though he had been relentlessly afflicted by these recurring thoughts all week, today his mind had been free from any worry. The painful feeling that usually accompanied the tug in his chest had been replaced by a warm and almost giddy feeling today, asif it was aware of the fact that there hadn’t been a single cloud in the sky. And with spring now in full bloom, a different variety of fruits were available for them. So in order to calm his excitement he decided that he wanted to make Changbin sweets. Thus Felix had spent the most part of the afternoon baking, the three other wolves in the house often wrapping themselves around him just to bask in his sweet jasmine scent which was finally reflecting his happiness after two weeks of sorrow.

So, as he carefully climbed onto Jeongin’s back, he firmly held onto the strawberry pie he had stashed away in one of the slightly larger pouches, praying to the moon that it wouldn’t get smushed on the way to the orchard.
He entangled his free hand on Jeongin’s back before gently using his heel to tap on the younger’s side to signal him that it was okay to move. And if he hadn’t been so hyperfocused on seeing Changbin again, he would have felt almost ashamed at how good they had become at sneaking out at this hour. The two would exchange no words, not even whispers, before they made it out of the clearing and they knew exactly what steps and planks to avoid in the cottage that would give away the fact that they were out of bed.
Minho would have a field day if he ever found out. So they had to do everything in their power to not let that happen.
The thought sent an involuntary shiver up Felix’s spine and he held onto the pie a little bit tighter as Jeongin skipped out of the clearing and into the surrounding woods, picking up his pace to make their way to the orchard and their friends.

But the closer to the orchard they got, the more Felix felt the nerves creep up his windpipe. The thought of seeing Changbin again effectively left him half breathless as his hand subconsciously tightened around the pouch.
But when the orchard came into view and the breezy scent of rain hugged around him like a blanket, all nerves wafted up into the air to be left forgotten in the forest they emerged from. The giant aegean wolf had been waiting for them in the same spot as three weeks ago and Felix had to physically force the urge to jump off of Jeongin to fly towards him, down.
Not that he would have had the guts to even attempt that in the first place, but the idea was nice.
“Hyung!” Jeongin yipped happily as the alpha looked up from where he had been lazily lying in the grass at the base of an orange tree when the two came into view. He quickly scrambled up to his paws to greet the two omegas, his scent taking a softer and lighter tone as he approached them.
Jeongin huffed happily and leaned in to rub his cheek against the side of the elder’s scruff, Changbin returning the gesture almost instantly.

Felix watched them with his hand still gripped tightly around the pouch, the tug in his chest making his heart pound so hard against his ribcage that he wouldn’t be surprised if Minho had heard it in his sleep. But when Changbin finally looked up and locked eyes with him, the tug abruptly stopped and a warm and content feeling erupted from where the tug had been and seeped into his whole being. He swallowed thickly and beamed down at the wolf, his hand reaching out to gently pat his head when the alpha had lifted his snout to poke the younger’s side.
“Hi stranger” Felix chuckled at the ticklish feeling of Changbin’s snout and gently pushed him away. The alpha snapped his fangs at the omega playfully before he turned around and started leading them deeper into the orchard.

Felix felt his heart buzzing as they walked, his eyes trained on the aegean wolf’s fur that was illuminated by the soft moonlight. How he wished he could just curl up against him and drown in the petrichor for eternity. The world would be a better place if he was given permission to do that…
‘For the love of… get a grip’ the omega shook his head lightly and swallowed away the lump in his throat. He could feel how his ears had started to burn at the thoughts and inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm his heart just when the subtle hint of fresh ground coffee started to mix in with the scents that hung freely in the air.
They found Hyunjin lying on the ground, his arms crossed under his head as he gazed up at the sky. And the moment the trio approached, his nose twitched and he quickly sat up, a blinding smile on his face.
The beta truly was so beautiful it hurt to look at him sometimes.
“Took you long enough!” he whined as he got up quickly and skipped towards them, his arms wrapping around Jeongin’s muzzle and hugging him close.
Felix noticed the beta had half his hair tied up and in the soft light of the moon he spotted the small feathers that adorned the ribbon Jeongin had made for him. Instantly he noticed the change in the younger’s scent, the caramel so sweet that he could almost taste it.

When Hyunjin let go, Jeongin quickly lowered himself to the ground so Felix could climb off of him. But the young omega had been so eager to return Hyunjin’s hug that he was a little too fast with shifting, causing Felix to lose his footing and stumble forward.
Felix let out a small yelp as he fell, his hands desperately wrapping around the pouch with the pie when he landed face first into a soft and warm surface. The impact had been so gentle that it allowed Felix to refind his balance, his feet planted firmly on the ground as he reached one of his hands up to push himself back a little to see what he had landed on.
He gulped when he leaned back and was greeted by a pair of midnight sky black eyes looking down at him playfully.
“S-sor-Sorry” Felix stumbled over his words as he felt the blood shoot to his head, almost convinced that steam had started puffing out of his ears as he straightened himself up, instantly missing the soft and warm feeling of Changbin’s fur.

The aegean wolf let out an amused huff and gingerly pressed his snout against Felix’s cheek, the knot in Felix’s stomach instantly dissipating and making the boy relax at the touch. His eyes followed the alpha as he strutted into the shadows so he could shift and change, so dazed at the warm feeling in his chest that he didn’t feel someone pulling on his arm.
“Lix” Jeongin’s voice cut through his stupor and Felix looked back at him with a distracted little humm. The boy was staring at him with a knowing smirk plastered on his face as he pointed at the pouch in Felix’s hands. The pink haired boy blinked and looked at the forgotten pouch before looking back up at Jeongin.
“Can I have my clothes please?” Jeongin chuckled lightly.
Felix flared his nostrils, annoyance bubbling in his stomach at the face Jeongin was making and handed him the pouch reluctantly.

He opened his mouth to snap at the omega but what came out was a small yelp when a pair of arms snaked around his waist and a face buried itself into his neck.
“You’ve had Lix to yourself for 3 weeks, Innie. It’s my turn now” Hyunjin hummed as he buried his nose into the pink haired omega’s scent gland. Jeongin chuckled and waved them off as he too moved to get himself dressed.
“Careful with the pie!” Felix called after him as his hand came up to pat Hyunjin’s head who was now subconsciously rubbing his jaw on the boy’s shoulder “If you scent me like that hyung, I’ll be fishfood by morning. And so will you”
He felt Hyunjin tense at the words and lifted his head, a soft sigh rolling over his lips and tickling Felix’s ear.
“Did someone say pie?” Changbin beamed as he stepped out from under the shadows “what pie?”
“Forget pie, hyung. We seriously need to go ahead and move along with the kidnapping plan. I’m tired of not being able to scent them freely” Hyunjin interrupted the alpha with a grimace. Felix chuckled and rolled his eyes at the statement before locking his sights on the alpha in front of him.

“We had strawberries growing so I was able to bake a pie with them. It’s fresh. I thought maybe you two would like to try so I brought one” He shrugged shyly as he felt Hyunjin finally let him go.
“Feeeliiiix” Changbin whined lightly as he followed the two over to sit down in their usual spot “If you keep bringing us sweets like this, I might just have to marry you”
It was a joke. Felix knew it was a joke, because that’s how it was now. They joked around like there was no care in the world, like they weren’t from ‘enemy packs’. But that didn’t make the comment any less unexpected as he felt a fuse snap in his brain and he lost all sense of reality for a second before biting his tongue and snapping his arm out towards the alpha, hitting him right in the middle of his chest with the back of his hand causing the latter to chuckle playfully before winking at the omega.

For the love of… Of all things he could pick from, why did the alpha always feel the need to come up with words that sent Felix for a trip around the moon? In the beginning, his antics would frustrate the omega to no end, then it became endearing and then it started making his body react in ways he did not understand until he agonizingly put one and two together. Was this how his life was going to look like now? Him turning beet red everytime Changbin opened his mouth?
“No hyung. We can just kidnap them and all will be well” Hyunjin cut through again as he leaned back against one of the tree trunks. Felix exhaled through his flared nostrils as he turned to look at the beta, one of his eyebrows raised into his fringe.
“Can you quit it with the kidnap talk” Jeongin deadpanned as he finally walked out from under the shadows and joined them, instantly lying down and making himself comfortable with his head in Hyunjin’s lap “You’re starting to sound like a sociopath”
Hyunjin chuckled, his hand finding his way into Jeongin’s hair almost automatically as he gently started combing his slender fingers through the caramel colored locks which elicited a satisfied pur from the omega.

Felix shook his head lightly as he watched the two melt into each other with a fond smile on his face, the sounds of Jeongin’s soft purrs enveloping him like a warm blanket. Jeongin could be so cute sometimes, it hurt to watch.
His eyes absentmindedly fell on the pouch Jeongin had carried back with him and the thought of his pie came back to mind and the fact that Changbin had asked about it earlier, and he was very eager to have the alpha taste it. But right before attempting to move to go and grab it, he felt a small tug in his chest hold him back. It was in the exact same place as the one he had grown accustomed to. However, unlike the painful thornlike tug that had been slowly eating away at pieces of his sanity the past few weeks and which had seemingly and mysteriously vanished after arriving at the orchard, this one was warm and soft. Dare he even say that it felt pleasant, like something his heart wanted was gently calling out for him.
Instinctively, he tore his eyes away from the pouch and looked up, only to be greeted by a pair of endless black eyes that were carefully examining him from a few feet away. And just like when he arrived at the orchard, the second his eyes locked with Changbin's, the tug vanished.
He blinked and swallowed thickly, a shaky breath rolling over his lips as everything around him seemed to fade into nothingness. All that remained was Changbin.

“I missed you” The alpha said softly, causing Felix to drop out of his daze like someone had knocked all air back into him with brute force. The words sent a shiver down his spine and he willed his eyebrows to knit together playfully. One of these days, this man was going to be the death of him, and he was ashamed to find that he didn’t mind the idea.
“You missed me or you missed my snacks?” Felix eyed him suspiciously, trying his best to keep the emotional turmoil out of his scent.
“Oehh” Changbin smirked “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to, Lix. I don’t think you can handle such brutal truth”
Felix scoffed lightly and chucked a small twig into the alpha’s direction, his tongue playfully running over one of his small fangs.

“Okay well, in that case I take it that you don’t want pie?” Felix concluded matter of factly as he moved to finally stand up to grab the pouch, trying his best to stifle a smile when his words were met with a loud and over exaggerated gasp from the alpha.
“You wouldn’t dare” Changbin challenged with a downturned smirk and narrowed eyes.
“Wanna bet?” Felix turned around and stuck his tongue out towards the alpha playfully, ignoring how his heartbeat started pounding in his fingertips as they dove into the pouch to grab the pie. He glanced over at Hyunjin and Jeongin again to try and get their attention only to find the two lost in their own little world, the beta’s hand still gently combing through the younger’s hair. And Felix didn’t miss the twinkle in the omega’s eyes as he lay there gazing up at Hyunjin. It was heartwarming to watch.

Felix turned towards Changbin to get him to hold the pie, almost dropping it when he found the alpha had scooched over closer, his nose twitching lightly at the smell of the food. He bit the inside of his lip to keep from cooing at the adorable sight and huffed lightly, catching the alpha’s attention who looked up and locked eyes with him. Changbin tilted his head questioningly, a soft smile on his face as his eyes continued to suck all the air out of the omega’s lungs.
“Ca-..can you hold this for me please?” Felix forced himself to look down at the pie in his hands and internally facepalmed himself for stuttering like that. But the answer to his request was not the one he had been expecting.

“Nope” Changbin’s smirked and leaned back on his palms.
Felix blinked at him from where he sat awkwardly on his heels, his mouth slightly agape.
“You said I can’t have pie” The alpha shrugged, the same smirk still plastered on his face and Felix felt his eyebrow twitch. Vexing. Absolutely, utterly, undeniably vexing. He bit his tongue before running it over his lips in an attempt to soften them. The alpha was looking for a response, he was asking for Felix to give him attention. And if Felix hadn’t been so devastatingly taken by the alpha, he probably would have. But he also knew that two could play this game.

“Okay” He shrugged lightly and turned to wipe a few twigs away from a spot on the ground in order to place the pie down, missing the fact that the smirk on Changbin’s face dropped. But he knew, if the slight shift in the alpha scent was anything to go by, and he internally smiled to himself. Felix had won this very short round of cat and mouse.
A couple of seconds in silence went by before a small and pouty voice closed in from behind him so quickly that it almost made him lose his balance again. Felix leaned on his hand and looked back, finding that the pouty tone in the alpha’s voice had come to life on his face as he looked at the pie longingly.

“I’m sorry, please don’t take this away from me? I’ll be good I promise” The alpha looked so cute that it was hard for Felix to contain his face and after a few seconds he finally let out a long sigh and shook his head. As aggravating as Changbin could be, he was also annoyingly endearing. And the thing that was throwing Felix the most was that everything in his being was screaming at him to just give in. And not for the pie because he was being asked so cutely. But because, now that Felix had finally come to terms with his own feelings and wants, he realized he was selfish. The idea of seeing the alpha happy is what was driving him to even breathe these days. Which is why he had baked the pie in the first place.

“Fine” he caved and subconsciously lifted his hand to pat the elder’s hair. But when he felt Changbin tense under his touch, he realized what he had done and froze. He had never initiated contact like that on his own before, he was always too shy to even try with the alpha. Changbin was usually the one to do it, and everytime it would send his heart rate soaring.
He quickly pulled his hand back but was halted before he could get far by a gentle hand taking hold of his wrist. He looked back up and locked eyes with Changbin, who slowly guided his hand back to the top of his head and gave him a small encouraging smile. The playfulness had completely bled out of the alpha’s eyes, making way for something so raw and so sweet that Felix felt the world pull away from him. He started moving his hand over the elder’s head ever so lightly, allowing for him to lean into the touch.

And that’s when he noticed a soft rumbling sound coming from the alpha who’s eyes had now fluttered shut, a content smile on his face and his soft rain scent turning crisp and fresh like morning dew. The omega had never heard anything like it before. It was so sweet and so mellow that it sent a buzz resonating through his veins. And before he could stop himself Felix purred in response, so lost in the alpha in front of him that he forgot to breathe for a brief second.
The involuntary action caused the omega to flinch and he pulled his hand back, heat infiltrating his face within a matter of seconds as the world around him fell back into place almost uncomfortably fast.
“S-sorry…” He mumbled shyly and focused his attention on the pouch, quickly scrambling to grab the few utensils they had brought with them to eat the pie with.

“Lix”
Felix snapped his head back up in the direction of the alpha, the inside of his lip raw from biting down on it. The alpha was looking at him with such kind eyes that the nerves and embarrassment that had taken over his body slowly ebbed away the longer he held his gaze.
“You don’t have to apologize” The alpha continued, his tone tender and soft “I’m the one who should be sorry. If I made you uncomfortable, I really didn’t mean to. I’m sorry”
Felix blinked and he felt his eyes go wide at the words. Why was Changbin apologizing? He hadn’t done anything wrong, at least not in Felix’s eyes.
“What? No” He countered quickly “I just…”

He let out a soft huff and slowly moved to sit down, feeling that his legs were starting to grow numb from squatting on his heels for so long. He noticed the alpha mirror his movements and sent him an apologetic smile.
“What was that sound you made?” he asked carefully as he absentmindedly took the utensils out of the pouch and held them firmly in his hand that came to rest on his lap.
“Oh, did it scare you?” Felix’s felt his heart drop at the slightly worried tone in the alpha’s voice and he quickly shook his head.
“No no, not at all” He smiled shyly “It was very cute actually…”

Where he had found the courage to call Changbin cute to his face was a mystery only the moon spirits could solve. He bit the corner of his lip and looked down at the utensils he was strangling in his lap, quickly loosening his deathgrip when he noticed one of the wooden spoons was threatening to snap.
When another wave of soft and dewy petrichor hit his nose, he looked up to find Changbin beaming at him. And maybe he was imagining it but it looked almost as if his face had turned a shade darker in the dim moonlight. He looked downright magical and Felix felt his lungs deflate as he breathlessly marveled at the alpha.

“You’re the one that’s cute” the alpha’s blinding smile softened as he tilted his head, his eyes searching Felix’s for a brief second before he quickly averted his eyes and looked at the pie.
“But I am starving and that pie smells delicious, how long are you going to torture us with the wait?”
The switch in topic had been so swift that Felix barely had time to process everything that had been said, even his question had been erased from his memory when he noticed his hands were trembling as he tried to compose himself and get his heart rate back to earth after it had skyrocketed right out of his body. He quickly scrambled towards the pie and held up the utensils. But when he turned, a jolt caused him to freeze when his eyes landed on Hyunjin and Jeongin.
He had completely forgotten about their existence.
The pair were sitting shoulder to shoulder and staring at the two infront of them, both supporting the same shit eating grin on their face as their eyes glided from Felix to Changbin and back.

“Nice to see you two back in the world of the living again” Hyunjin said, his tongue pushing on the inside of his bottom lip in an attempt to keep from laughing and Felix had to resist the urge to hurl the utensils at his head.
“But I would also very much like some pie, Lixie” The beta beamed, his eyes turning into the cutest crescents and again Felix felt his front crack as his heart melted at how adorable the blonde was. Honestly, the chaos these two wolves had brought into his life was unbearable. But at least Hyunjin had managed to distract him from his previous Changbin panic, and for that he was grateful.
He let out a sigh and handed a spoon to the alpha behind him before extending his hand with the two last spoons for Hyunjin and Jeongin to take.
“I did not want to bring too many things, so I thought maybe we could just eat it out of the pan as is” He said as he slid the pie a little closer and watched as Hyunjin and Jeongin moved to sit in front of him.
“Honestly, the best way to eat Lixie’s pies.” Jeongin said happily, his tongue running over his lips as he hungrily eyed the desert.

They all stared at the treat in front of them, or at least that’s what Felix thought was happening. But when nobody moved to eat, he looked up with a light frown on his face, only to find that both Changbin and Hyunjin were staring at Jeongin.
“W-what…?” The caramel haired omega shifted uncomfortably where he sat as he looked between the two and then towards Felix who was just as confused as he was.
“You don’t like strawberries?” Felix asked carefully, his scent slightly dipping at the thought of having made something they could not eat. But Hyunjin was quick to ease his heart.
“No, oh no no, not at all. We love strawberries! But…” his eyes flitted towards Jeongin again with a soft smile on his face.

“In our pack, the youngest always eats first” Changbin filled in the rest and both Felix and Jeongin’s eyebrows shot up behind their bangs.
“Something Chan’s always been adamant about” the alpha shrugged lightly and smiled.
“You’re joking?” Felix found himself saying incredulously.
“We also had to get used to it” Changbin chuckled shyly, his hand coming up to rub the nape of his neck “because none of us grew up like that, so it was kind of a cultural reset. But if it makes you uncomfortable, we totally understand.”

“No, it’s not that…” Felix said quickly as he waved his hands from side to side, his eyes flitting back to meet Jeongin’s gaze who had the same bewildered look on his face. In all truth, the reason neither of them had moved to eat first is because they knew that the custom was for the eldest to always take the first bite. That’s what Miyoung and Kangdae had tried to instill in them, and for as long as they had been alive, that’s the rule they lived under. But that’s not how Felix had been raised.
“It’s just that” he continued as his face contorted into amused confusion “It’s the same in our pack too. Minho has always been very strict about that for as long as I can remember. He always made sure I ate first before he did and it just continued in the same fashion after Jeongin and Seungmin joined us”

As expected, the information came as much as a shock to Hyunjin and Changbin as it had for the two omega’s. Because yet again, they found similarities in their two pack leaders which made the whole ‘enemy pack’ situation seem like the biggest joke.
“How can two people be so much alike and yet hate one another so much?” Hyunjin sighed lightly, his eyebrows furrowed together in an unpleasant frown.
“Because my brother is stubborn”
“Because Chan is stubborn”
Changbin and Felix simultaneously stated rather matter of factly, both letting out a small chuckle at each other's words.
“Maybe we should come up with a plan to get them to meet, but amicably?” Felix said softly, the idea sounding a lot more ridiculous out loud than it had in his head.
“Maybe we should eat” Jeongin huffed as he stuck his spoon into the pie, tired of waiting for what was right in front of him.

Hyunjin snorted lightly at the omega’s cute mannerisms and followed his movements after the younger had happily stuffed his cheeks with a spoonful of pie.
“How do you suppose we go about that? I’m pretty sure that if you bring it up with your brother, he will lock you all up in a dungeon until he’s burned our home down” Changbin chuckled as he too reached out to dip his spoon into the pie.
“Yah!” Felix deadpanned at him “Can you stop making Minho out to be some kind of raging lunatic?”
Changbin chuckled at the outburst and shook his head playfully as he put the spoon in his mouth. But the sight of the alpha’s eyes going wide and instantly melting, shot all of Felix’s thoughts out of the window and sent a jolt of euphoria coursing over his skin as he held his breath anticipatingly.

“For the love of… Lix!” Changbin chewed furiously before he dove to grab another spoon full of the strawberry pie “This is fucking amazing!”
“Yeah Lix, you’ve outdone yourself” Hyunjin chimed in as he too stuffed his face happily, and Felix could swear that he heard the beta purring as he ate. He felt his face turn red hot and bit his bottom lip happily, ecstatic that his efforts were well received by the people he had worked so hard for. Especially Changbin.
“I’m really glad you like it” He said shyly as his eyes flitted back towards the alpha. The man was downright beaming as he happily munched on the food, a few crumbs of strawberry coated pie coating the corners of his lips and Felix felt his heart swell so big that it felt like it was going to burst and combust him from the inside out. His hand twitched, the urge to reach over and wipe the crumbs from the man’s mouth eating away at him like acid.
It was too much, these feelings were too much.
Why? For the love of everything that was good and green, why did he have to fall in love with him of all people. The alpha was sitting so close to him that he could almost count the man’s lashes even in the dark. And yet he felt so out of reach that it tore at his chest.

He hesitantly tore his eyes away from the alpha, his heart going fifty thousand miles an hour as he also dipped his spoon into the pie and started eating quietly, missing the way Jeongin was silently watching him from where he was sitting.
But as he stuck the spoon into his mouth, he felt like his stomach rejected the idea of food. There was too much going on in his head for him to actually enjoy what he had made. Though he agreed that it tasted great, he wasn’t feeling the need to eat it. So after he reluctantly swallowed the bite in his mouth, he placed his spoon down quietly and happily watched as the others ate.
The pie was finished within minutes, sounds of content sighs filling the air as everybody dropped their spoons in the pan and leaned back on their hands to bask in the moonlight before letting idle conversation about their past 3 weeks fill the content silence around them.

The conversation about nothing and everything stretched out effortlessly for what felt like forever, the moon slowly creeping across the sky until they shifted into a comfortable silence as they all came down from the sugar rush that had accompanied the sweet pie.
“I want to play a game” Jeongin suddenly cut through the silence after a while. Somewhere along the way, he had moved to lie in between Felix’s legs, resting his shoulders and head against the omega’s chest comfortably. Felix had his nose pressed on the crown of the younger’s head, basking in his sweet caramel when he had spoken.
“What kind of game?” Changbin asked from where he had Hyunjin's head tucked snugly in his lap, the elder’s fingers treading carefully through the younger’s hair. And Felix wished furiously that he could switch places with the beta right about now.
He locked eyes with the alpha and his heart skipped a beat when Changbin smiled sweetly at him. He returned the smile shyly before looking away and burying his nose back into Jeongin’s hair and allowing the sweet caramel to slow down his heart rate.

“I don’t know” Jeongin shrugged lightly. “We always sit and talk or just hang out. Which is fun, don’t get me wrong, especially since it’s been cold up until now. But I wanna play. Do something. Anything”
“We could play hide and seek?” Felix said as he lifted his head up and looked over at Changbin and Hyunjin.
“Hide and seek was fun when we were pups, but now we can just sniff each other out. Plus, you are good at hiding your scent, there’s no game in that” Jeongin stated with a soft huff as he slowly sat up and looked back at his friend.
“Well excuse me, your highness” Felix mumbled at the cheek he received, not noticing an amused pair of black eyes watching him fondly as the two started bickering back and forth.

“What if we go swimming?” Hyunjin cut through the pissing match with the cutest hopeful smile on his face as he looked back and forth between the two omegas who instantly turned to look at him.
“Swimming?” Jeongin frowned as he leaned back in to Felix “We just ate”
“Yeah, Like an hour ago! Also, it helps with digestion… I think” Hyunjin chuckled and sat up “Come onnnn~ It’ll be fun!”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Felix said softly, his eyebrows lightly furrowed together as he regarded the beta carefully “Also, where would you even want to go swimming?”
“In the river” Hyunjin answered happily as he bounced up and down on the spot “It’s not far from here”

“Hmmm…” Felix contemplated hesitantly, his fang digging into the side of his lip “Innie and I are not allowed to go past the orchard, Jinnie. Besides, it’s mid spring, it’s not really swimming weather”
“You’re not allowed out in the middle of the night to meet us here either, yet here we are” Changbin smirked teasingly as he sat up and stretched himself out “What’s an extra mile going to hurt at this point?”
“Exactly, and it’s warm enough. The river here always heats up pretty quickly” Hyunjin added determindly as he pushed himself off the ground and moved to pull Jeongin up as well, his arms snaking around the younger’s waist from behind the moment he had access and resting his chin on his shoulder.
Felix wanted to protest, but the realization that he couldn’t actually argue with the stated facts was not boding well for him. His eyes met Jeongin’s, who seemed to have gone completely pliant in Hyunjin’s arms. And when the other gave him a small shrug, Felix knew that the battle was lost before it had even started.

And that’s how their peaceful night of long awaited reunion went to whatever chaos this was. Not that he much minded. Hearing Jeongin laugh so freely from where he too followed the blonde into the river without a second thought, was like music to Felix’s ears.
He averted his gaze from Changbin to follow the sound and chuckled when he saw the two splashing around each other like two pups in summer. If anyone had told Felix that this is how his future would have looked like, he would have laughed in their face. Two months ago, Jeongin had been ready to rip the throats out of both of these ‘foreign wolves’. And now these two strangers had become a comfortable and almost desired constant in their lives that it seemed almost impossible to imagine it without them.

And as he stood there, looking at Jeongin jump on Hyunjin’s back happily and without a care in the world, he felt a little envious of the relationship these two had created. They made it look so easy, the way they were so comfortable with each other. Though, to be fair, Hyunjin made it easy for them. The beta was so easy going and so full of love and affection that it was hard not to be so close with him. And that only within the span of two months? It sounded like something out of the fairy tales Minho used to tell him when he was still a pup.
But somewhere he wished he could be like that with Changbin too. The mere idea of being wrapped around the alpha like that sent jitters flying through his stomach and blood heating up his face once again. Granted, the two had grown closer as well. But the stark contrast of how Hyunjin was with the both of them versus how Felix and Changbin acted around each other was so high that it was almost blinding.

A gentle hand on his shoulder snapped the omega back into reality and he looked back at the alpha who was looking at him with an encouraging smile.
“Come on” he said playfully “we can dry off in our wolf forms later”
“I--” Felix hesitated. Drying off in his wolf form was absolutely not an option for him. All the rule breaking from the past couple of months aside, parading his white fur around outside of his pack was something he knew was so far out of the question that the question was invisible at this angle. Regardless of how much he felt he could trust these two, this was something that could never happen. For his own safety and Minho’s.
“Lix!” Felix snapped his head back towards the river, instantly meeting Jeongin’s eyes that were locked in on him.

“You can use me to dry off later” The young omega smiled “The water is really nice. It’s not as cold as it looks, I promise”
“Or that” Changbin chuckled “whatever makes you feel most comfortable, Lix. If you really don’t want to, you can also sit on one of the boulders on the side. As long as we can see you so we know you’re okay”
The words and tone in the alpha’s voice made Felix’s inside melt into a puddle of goo. They had been so simple yet for some reason, it made him feel safe. Feel seen. He nodded a shy thanks and inhaled deeply when the alpha patted him on his shoulder before moving past him and heading towards the riverbank.

Felix’s eyes followed him as he moved and when Changbin submerged himself in the water, he let out a soft sigh. He wanted to join them, regardless of how hesitant he was he wanted nothing more than to play too. Especially as he stood there listening to their laughs echoing through the sky.
Changbin’s laugh was adorable, another one of those things that just made Felix’s heart skip a beat. Was there nothing this man had or could do that would make Felix want to rethink his feelings. Not that there was much to ‘rethink’ in the first place. If he could choose how he felt he never would have allowed himself to fall in the first place.
The tug had returned, still not painful but definitely longing as he watched the alpha carry Hyunjin through the water on his shoulders. And if the night hadn’t been so dark, if the moon light hadn’t been so mellow and dim. Then maybe he would have been able to see the alpha stealing glances at him, praying to the moon that Felix would decide to join them.
“Felix!” Jeongin’s voice cut through Felix’s daze and he tore his eyes away from the alpha to look at his friend. He realized that he had been rooted in the exact same place Changbin had left him at and he blinked, quickly stepping forwards and crouching down where the water met the riverbank.

“You alright, baby bread?” He asked gently, his hand reaching out to stroke the younger’s wet hair out of his face.
“Come play with us, we’re missing one person and it’s no fun without you” Jeongin pouted, his eyes doing that thing that rendered everybody and their dead ancestors immobile. The cute aggression that washed over Felix was devastating and he ruffled the boy’s hair roughly.
“Can you stop being so adorable?” He chuckled as his eyes quickly glanced over towards the alpha and beta in the water.
“No, I was born this way. What are you gonna do about it?” Jeongin shrugged with a goofy smile and Felix let out an amused scoff at the remark, his gaze back on the mismatched brown and blue eyes of the omega in front of him. Rascal.
He let out a stuttering breath, his longing eyes again finding Changbin in the water.
“Lix.” Jeongin’s voice was barely above a whisper, his tone gentle and understanding as he addressed the omega on the riverbank “I know you want to, just let go and live a little. We always swim at the river near the cottage, this is no different. It’s so unlike you to be this timid. Just be yourself, Lix. Anybody who only loves you for less does not deserve you anyway”

Felix blinked at the accusation but felt shame creep up his spine at how right Jeongin was. His shy behavior was very unlike him, and he was trying his best not to let his heart interfere with who he was but it was proving to be a lot more difficult when the alpha was within his vicinity.
A cold wet hand on his cheek pulled him out of his own head and he shivered at the touch.
“Show him who you are, Lix.” Jeongin whispered sweetly before pulling away and heading back over towards the pair in the water.

Felix felt like crying. How had he ever, even for a moment, thought that going about this without Jeongin was ever even an option? He watched the tree splash around and when his eyes briefly met Changbin’s again, he decided that he wanted to take Jeongin’s advise. There was no reason for him to be this nervous, all of this was one sided anyways. Or at least he thought it was. The alpha was hard to read, and his actions and words even harder because he had seen him treat Hyunjin with the same type of lightheartedness. Of course that was to be expected based on how long they had known each other, just like Felix and his pack. So if at least he wanted his friendship with Changbin to be like that, he was going to have to get a grip and fast.

He walked over towards the little pile of clothes that the others had compiled next to one of the boulders and carefully started undoing the strings of his tunic. Once he had added his clothes to to pile, he nervously made his way towards the river, hoping viciously that Hyunjin was right about the water. The splashes from earlier had not been very convincing.
“Lixie!” Hyunjin called out to him happily and he looked up at the trio, all 3 of them beaming into his direction. He met Changbin’s gaze who was looking at him with a look in his eyes that he couldn’t quite figure out, instantly feeling the blood rush to his face as he suddenly felt very self aware about his body. Out of the 4 of them, he was the only one who had never undressed near the pair before due to him never having to shift.

Which was stupid because who even cared? He had never in his life cared before, why now? But the way Changbin was looking at him was not helping him believe his own words. He quickly submerged himself into the water, pleasantly surprised by the temperature of it, before looking up and finding that Changbin had waded closer towards him with the most blinding smile on his face. Asif on que, there was a soft tug in his chest again, crying out for the alpha as he watched him edge closer and closer.

He felt his insides turn to mush and found the courage to extend his hand towards the aegean haired man shyly, instantly being hit with a wave of crisp and fresh rain scent as Changbin quickly moved in closer and wrapped his own hand around Felix’s. The tug in his chest disappeared on contact and just like the last time Changbin had held his hand, he felt a soft fluttering warmth bloom up his arm from the touch and settle in his chest contently.
“Thank you” he said softly with a sweet smile on his face as he finally stood face to face with the alpha, the temperature of the water feeling like silk against his skin as he found himself getting lost into the black orbs in front of him again.
“Is the water okay for you?” Changbin asked as he gently moved his hand up to tuck a stray hair behind the omega’s ear.

“Yes, but wait” Felix gripped Changbin’s other hand tightly as well and looked down at the water before inhaling deeply and dropping himself down until his head was completely submerged under the surface of the water.
He pulled himself back up with Changbin’s help and gasped for air. That had been a lot colder than he had expected and he could hear the alpha laughing at his antics, the sound of his voice coating the omega with waves of joy by the second. He felt Changbin let go of him and quickly ran his hands through his hair, small chuckles escaping him before he felt Changbin help him with getting his hair out of his face. He probably resembled a wet cat at this point.
“There, now I’m okay” He chuckled up at the alpha when he had rubbed the water out of his eyes. And when Changbin’s hand moved down to rest on the omega’s cheek, a sense of calmness and safety overtook him and he felt himself lean into the touch ever so lightly, actively seeking out the sliver of affection.

Changbin’s scent spiked again and Felix could feel his heart pounding in his ears, the scent was so intoxicating that he had to fight himself to not dive forward and bury his nose into the alpha’s scent gland. The urge to have him be scented by the delicious petrichor was excruciating. He felt Changbin’s thumb caress over his cheek and suddenly the omega felt all caution fly into the wind, his nerves but a distant memory as he parted his lips determinedly.
“Hyung, I--”
“Felix-- oh”
The pair chuckled at each other’s timing and Felix bit his lip shyly before looking back up at the alpha.
“You go first” he said softly.

“No please, you go” Changbin chuckled, and it was hard for the pink haired boy to keep his eyes from zeroing in on how the alpha’s fang was digging into the corner of his plump lip so he swallowed thickly and averted his gaze shyly.
“I, uhm…”
“Yah! Enough dillydallying, let’s play!” Hyunjin’s voice popped through the bubble the pair had found themselves in, sending Felix’s hairs to stand on end as yet again he had completely forgotten about Hyunjin and Jeongin’s existence.
“Hyunjin, I swear to god…” Changbin grumbled as he turned to face the beta. And when he pulled his hand back so he could start walking back, Felix suppressed the urge to let out a whine at the loss of warmth. But it was quickly quelled when the alpha’s hand slipped into his before he started moving, effectively pulling the omega along. He let out a shaky breath, his heart thumping happily against his ribcage before he looked over towards the beta as well, his eyebrows shooting up when he found Jeongin propped up on the blonde’s shoulders.

“What are you two even doing?” He asked with furrowed brows as they waded closer to the pair.
“Jinnie hyung was telling me about a game he used to play when he was younger” Jeongin smiled happily “I wanna try it, it sounds like fun!”
“The chicken game!” Changbin beamed happily as he quickly turned to Felix “May I?”
Felix blinked back at the alpha in confusion as he looked from him to Hyunjin and back.
“May you what?” he asked warily.

“Do you trust me?” Changbin asked.
“Yes?” Felix answered hesitantly. Not because he questioned whether or not he did, but because he definitely questioned the mischievous look on the alpha’s face. But before he could understand what was being asked of him, Changbin had moved around him and disappeared under water. Felix frowned at the actions and was about to turn around when a loud squeal escaped his lips.
The alpha had grabbed onto his legs and seconds later, Felix found himself being lifted into the air on the elder’s shoulders in a similar fashion as Jeongin. His hand’s automatically tangled into Changbin’s aegean hair to keep himself from tumbling backwards but his brain had fogged over at the position they were in. Changbin’s head was squeezed in between his thighs, and the way Felix’s stomach churned at the butterflies, made him want to throw up. He knew for a fact that his face was beet red at this point and he wouldn’t be surprised if steam was actually puffing out of his ears.
“Hold on tight okay, sunshine?”

And flatline.
The nickname had been so unexpected that it sent Felix’s heart into overdrive. Screw stupid Jeongin and his stupid wise words. There was no way that Felix was going to be able to survive this, he was too weak for the alpha and if this continued he knew for a fact that his days were numbered.
But as the alpha approached Hyunjin and Jeongin who had been eagerly waiting for them, all the previous nerves and embarrassment completely bled out of his body and made way for playful fear. The hungry look in Jeongin’s eyes when he lifted his hands to try and push Felix off of Changbin’s shoulders was terrifying. And if this is what the ‘chicken game’ was all about, Felix would be damned if he let himself lose. He was way too competitive for that. That and the fact that he realized that he didn’t want to leave Changbin’s shoulders at all. For as much as it made his heart race, he found that he quite enjoyed being held onto in the way the alpha was doing.
“You’re a cheat Innie!” Felix squealed gleefully when he and Jeongin locked hands as they both tried to push each other off of their respective teammates “At least you had an explanation of the rules!”
“And what are you going to do about it?” Jeongin laughed mischievously. And when Felix’s hand slipped, the boy found his opening and sent both the pink haired omega and Changbin flying backwards.

“Oh, it’s on now” Felix spluttered after coming back up for air and looked up at a very proud Jeongin before shifting his gaze towards Changbin determinedly and lifting his arms up in his direction “Hyung!”
And Changbin didn’t waste a breath as he quickly dove underwater to lift the omega back up, the air around them quickly filling with laughter and screams as the moon illuminated their games and the rest of the world below.

--

Minho felt like he was losing his mind. He knew he was getting old, maybe mentally and physically more so than in number but there was no way that his memory was starting to fail him at the tender age of 22 already.
“I could have sworn…” He mumbled to nobody in particular as he opened the cabinets in the kitchen before resting his hands on his hips with a huff and looking around the kitchen exasperatedly.
“Hyung, you okay?” Felix asked from the bench where he was tucked away in between Seungmin’s legs, his back resting against the elder’s chest snugly.
“Hmm?” Minho turned his head into the direction of where the two were sitting but his eyes kept looking around the kitchen, his eyebrows furrowed together in light confusion.
“What are you looking for?” Felix asked as he shifted in his seat.
“Your pie” Minho answered absentmindedly.

“It’s on the counter” Felix frowned and Seungmin snickered into his neck before the beta lifted his nose away from the omega’s scent gland and rested his chin on the younger’s shoulder.
“Hyung is too old, Lix. His eyesight is starting to deteriorate” he chuckled.
“You’re lifespan is about to deteriorate” Minho shot him a sweet smile, his eyes murderous and causing Seungmin and Felix to erupt in a fit of giggles. Minho rolled his eyes as he tried to stifle a smile and turned his attention back to Felix.
“But this is not the one I mean, I don’t want lemon” he continued as he looked over at the lemon cream pie “What happened to the other pie you made yesterday?”

“Ah, yeah I ate it” Felix said quickly, but due to being so occupied by trying to find his pie, Minho had missed how the pink haired had uncomfortably shifted in the beta’s hold. The pack omega hummed in response but when his brain finally processed the words that had come out of his brother’s mouth, he snapped his head back and stared at him with a frown on his face.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I ate it?”
“What do you mean ‘you ate it’?” Minho gaped at the boy, refusing to believe what he was hearing right now. That strawberry pie had been made just the evening before. Hell, it had still been warm when they went to bed which had caused Minho to shamelessly dream about it.
“Uhm. That I ate it…” Felix said, his eyebrows furrowing together again.

“You… ate it?”
“Are you deaf?” Felix huffed in frustration, his usual sweet and soft jasmine scent now quickly bittering by the second. And at the words, or rather the tone that went paired with them, both the pack omega and Seungmin reeled back lightly at the audacity.
“Lee Felix” Minho warned, his lip quivering.
“What?” Felix countered as he rolled his eyes “You keep asking me the same question, hyung. And I already answered it, what else do you want me to say?”

Minho gaped at the younger, his eyebrows disappearing into his fringe in shock.
“Oh I know for a fact you’re not talking to me in that tone” He said, his nostrils flared as he moved away from the kitchen counter and rested his hands on the backrest of one of the benches “What’s up with you?”
“Nothing” Felix all but snapped as he pulled himself away from Seungmin and got up “I’m going to find Innie”
“Felix, come back here” Minho called out after him. But Felix ignored him and disappeared up the stairs, leaving an uncomfortable Seungmin and confused Minho behind in the living area.
“What in the everloving fuck was that?” the elder asked with bewildered pitch in his voice as he looked back at the beta on the bench.

“You were kind of on him, hyung” Seungmin said timidly.
“Not enough for whatever the fuck that was” Minho exclaimed as his hand motioned into the direction that Felix had walked off to “What in the world has gotten into him lately?”
Seungmin shrugged lightly and let out a soft sigh before patting the empty spot between his legs and looking up at his pack omega encouragingly. Minho knew his irritation was seeping through in his scent and swallowed thickly, trying to calm himself down before he let out a soft grunt and walked over towards the bench. He plopped himself down where Felix had been previously sitting and the moment his back rested against the beta’s back, Seungmin gently started rubbing his jaw against the elder’s neck and shoulder.

Minho instantly felt himself calm down as the beta’s sweet cinnamon invaded his senses and he closed his eyes, letting his head loll back onto Seungmin’s shoulder.
“Am I really that in the wrong here?” He said after a couple of minutes, his eyes slowly opening and staring up at the wooden ceiling.
“Hmm” Seungmin contemplated his answer for a few seconds as he leaned back against the armrest and pulled Minho with him “I’m not saying you’re right. You both could have handled that very differently. But you’re also not entirely wrong either?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well” Seungmin continued gently “You were kind of annoyingly repetitive in your question which he had indeed already answered”
“But he--!”
“Let me finish!” Seungmin scolded as he poked his finger into Minho’s side, sending the elder to jolt up and letting out a reprimanding huff towards the beta “As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted me. While you could have maybe reeled in your questions, Felix’s reaction was way too out of pocket. Maybe it’s best if you have a talk with him later because like you said, something’s definitely up. And quite frankly, I’ve noticed that it’s been up for a while now. And that is apart from how he’s been so… out of it, the past 3 weeks”

Minho nodded slowly as he let the words sink in and then he frowned.
“Wait. Before all of that?” He sat up and turned to look back at the beta. But Seungmin blinked at him nervously as if he had never meant to say what he said in the first place.
“Minnie” Minho straightened himself up and moved out from between the younger’s legs to properly face him, his hand gingerly wrapping around his wrist “Talk to me”
He watched as Seungmin nervously looked around the room before closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh.

“I wasn’t going to tell you because I didn’t think much of it at first” He started carefully, his voice low “I had shrugged it off, but then…”
Minho allowed the younger to reposition himself so he was sitting more comfortably, his eyes not leaving him for a second.
“Do you remember when Felix got sick a few months ago?” Seungmin asked and Minho nodded with a frown adorning his forehead. How could he forget? It was the day his two idiots of omegas decided to cause both him and Seungmin to suffer a heart attack.
“And remember how I told you that Innie kept blaming himself? Well, later that day when he was helping make dinner, he said something that struck me as odd. And I tried asking him about it but he shut me down pretty fiercely”

“What did he say?” Minho asked, also keeping his voice low so as to not disturb the two omegas upstairs. He was not looking forward to another load of Felixttitude.
“He said something along the lines of arguing with Felix” Seungmin continued with his eyebrows furrowed together, uncertainty swirling around in his galaxy like jet black eyes.
“So I asked him if he and Felix had fought that day, but he refused to talk about it. And when Felix got better they seemed fine, so I figured that whatever it was hadn’t been important because they went right back to being glued to the hip as always” the beta shrugged lightly as he tried to make his point “But then, when Innie’s heat hit, Felix started acting… I don’t know, I don’t wanna say weird but… he was off. And at first I thought maybe something had happened between them again but that seemed to not be the case at all. So I don’t know what to think hyung. I tried asking Jeongin but according to him, everything is fine. But I don’t believe it, because Felix has been everything but fine lately”

Minho nodded slowly as he listened to the beta explain his thoughts. The way Felix had been but a shadow of his usual self was something that hadn’t gone unnoticed to the pack omega. The boy’s fluctuating moods worried him immensely. And when Felix had crawled into bed with him that night, asking about their mother, he had assumed that this might have been the cause for the sudden change.
But now, he wasn’t so sure anymore. He didn’t know what to think.

“Thanks for telling me, puppy” He lifted his hand and patted Seungmin’s head gently, the latter scrunching up his nose at the affection but Minho didn’t miss how his cinnamon scent momentarily spiked sweetly. He snorted lightly and ruffled the younger’s hair before getting up.
“Would you be a doll and check the coop for eggs? I want to try and make Gyeranjjim for dinner. Fe usually likes that”

He waited for Seungmin’s reply before making his way over to the stairs in order to go check on his brother, hoping furiously that Jeongin had managed to calm him down somewhat.
He found them huddled up together on the floor of Felix’s room, bending over what seemed to be a bunch of birch bark scattered all over the floor. He slowly opened the door and leaned against the doorpost as he watched them with a small fond smile on his face. He knew they had noticed him because Jeongin quickly glanced over Felix’s head to look at him the second he had pushed the door open. But Felix remained focused on his birch bark and Minho could almost smell the ‘stubborn’ wafting off of him.

He pushed himself away from the doorpost and walked into the room before sitting down on the floor and leaning back against the foot of the bed, his eyes still trained on his brother.
They sat in silence for a while, the two omega’s scribbling nothings on a piece of bark as Felix continued to dismiss Minho’s existence and before long he noticed Jeongin's caramel scent shift nervously. The boy looked up from his scribbles, his eyes flitting between Minho and felix for a couple of seconds before he lifted himself up from the ground with a soft huff.
“I’m gonna see if Minnie hyung needs my help with… life” He mumbled quickly before stepping over Felix’s body and hurrying out the door.
Minho sighed and watched him leave before shifting his eyes back to his brother.

“Whatcha makin?” Minho asked with a tilt to the head as he tried to get his brother to acknowledge him, and he did.
“Are you going to ask me what I’m making 15 times now too?” The sharp edge in Felix’s voice cut like a knife and Minho closed his eyes with a shake of his head, a headache slowly creeping up the back of his neck before he looked back at Felix again.
“Fe…” Minho sighed dejectedly as he watched how the young omega looked up at him with a small pout on his face, much resembling an angry kitten like that. The pack omega stretched out his arm and motioned for the younger to come closer, his face and voice gentle “Come here”

Felix huffed annoyingly but slowly got up to crawl towards his brother nonetheless, the angry pout never leaving his face. He climbed into Minho’s lap and rested his head on the elder’s shoulder, his nose close to his scent gland.
“Honey what is going on with you, hmm?” Minho asked as he started caressing the younger’s arm, keeping his scent as calm and mellow as possible.
“Nothing” Felix shrugged.
“Yeah, so you said. But you see…” Minho inhaled deeply and ran his fingers through the omega’s pink locks softly “I want to believe you, but your behavior is not allowing me to. What is going on with you?”

Minho felt Felix nuzzle his face into his neck, the younger’s nose tickling his scent gland lightly. But the boy remained silent and after a couple of minutes Minho decided to speak again, his cheek coming to rest on top of the young omega’s head.
“I was out of line for hounding on you like that earlier” Minho said softly “I’m sorry, Moonshine”
Felix shifted in his arms, his nose turning away from his scent gland as he started playing with his fingers.
“I’m sorry I lashed out…” his voice came out so small, his jasmine scent mellowing out with the words, that it made Minho’s heart constrict “I just…I’m tired”
The pack omega frowned lightly as he brushed his fingers over Felix’s cheek lovingly.
“Are the nightmares still plaguing you?” He asked softly as he felt the younger snuggle into him a little more. But he didn’t answer.

Silence fell over them as Minho continued to gently card his fingers through Felix’s hair, and it didn’t take long until he heard the young omega start purring ever so lightly. He decided it would be best to drop the subject for now, maybe asking him when he was in a better mood or after a good night’s sleep would be a better option if he actually wanted to try and get answers out of him.
Minho allowed a bit more of his scent to come out in another attempt to soothe the boy, hoping that maybe it would help him fall asleep or atleast relax enough so he could regain some energy. But not long after, the smell of soft caramel entered the room and Minho looked up from where he had his nose pressed on the top of his brother’s head. He found his other omega standing in the doorway, fidgeting with his tunic as he watched Felix intently. And that’s when Minho noticed the younger adorned the same dark circles under his eyes as Felix did.
Seungmin had been right. Something was definitely going on.

He held out his arm toward the caramel haired boy and within seconds he had joined Felix on Minho’s lap, his head curling into the crook of the elder’s neck. Instantly, Felix’s purrs intensified as he grabbed Jeongin’s hands and snuggled up against him.
The position Minho was in, made him believe that he was bound to get out of this with cracking joints and sore muscles. But when Jeongin’s purrs mixed in with Felix’s, he felt his body melt into the feeling that spread through his body. It was so sweet and innocent that he decided then and there that he wouldn't move even if it killed him.
“You two will be the death of me one day” he sighed softly after a couple of silent moments. But his words wafted up into the ear and out of existence, the two omegas in his arms lulled to sleep within seconds as their soft purrs continued to fill the small room.

--

The nap hadn’t taken very long, but it had been exactly what Jeongin and Felix needed as they had woken up in Minho’s arms feeling a lot more rejuvenated than before. The midnight swimming party from the night before had left them completely drained and to make matters worse, they had been hauled out of bed by Minho very early that morning so they could help Seungmin in the garden.
Not that they minded much, but they were left exhausted for the remainder of the day. And as much as Felix had wanted to bake something extra to bring to Changbin and Hyunjin tonight, he just hadn’t found the energy to bring himself to lift more than a finger after most of the day had passed.
So the nap had been more than welcome, as the exhaustion had now completely made way for the same soft thrum of excitement as he quietly dressed himself up in the dark of the night. The moonlight shining through his window was still quite dim, as the waxing moon continued to grow with each passing day, and Felix was grateful that the clouds had decided to stay at bay today.

He silently draped his cloak over his shoulders before hoisting his quiver up and grabbing his bow. He knew he wouldn’t need it, but it was routine. His bow was like an extension of his arm and it always made him feel safer.
His heart quietly drummed melodic patterns against his ribcage as he exited his room and tiptoed his way down the hall, his hand gripping the strap of his quiver tightly as his breath remained halted in his throat. Again something that had become such a routine for him that it was almost second nature at this point.

He could smell his brother’s soft white rose carrying out of his room when he passed his door, the deep breaths indicating that the man was fast asleep reaching Felix’s strained ears as he checked him off of his mental list before making his way downstairs.
The caramel spotted wolf was already waiting for him outside, his head resting lazily on his front paws as he lay on the ground in front of the porch. His ears twitched when he heard Felix slip outside and he lifted his head to face him, mirroring the same excited glimmer within his eyes as the one Felix had as the boy beamed down at him.
He quickly got up and shook out his fur before pressing his snout against the pink haired omega’s cheek softly. Felix tried his best to stifle the airy giggle that escaped him and moved to secure the pouch that held Jeongin’s clothes, and a set of small towels just in case, around the wolf’s neck. 

He noticed how he was unable to shake the goofy smile that was stuck on his face, his heart still beating the same patterns against his ribcage as the tug in his chest warmed his heart with every second that passed. It was almost like it was aware of what they were doing and where they were going. But then again, the aegean haired alpha had been one of the only things on his mind all day, the longing to see him being unbearable even after just one day. And it made him wonder how he had even managed to not completely lose his mind in the weeks that had preceded their reunion.

But something was different now. Felix had braced himself yesterday to be honest to the alpha and if it hadn’t been for the interruption, he would have. And they had lost themselves in the time during their water shenanigans for there to be any time left to actually finish said conversation afterwards. So Felix had made up his mind that today would be the day. And again, it caused his hands to become clammy at the mere thought as he gripped onto Jeongin’s fur after carefully climbing on.
But the whisper of Changbin’s hand on his cheek had him floating on air, the resolve in his stomach tightening once again at the memory. Though he did not know what lay ahead, and he did not know what would happen if he told Changbin what he felt, nor if the man would even reciprocate the feeling, he still needed to get this weight off of his chest. And at least, if he was rejected he would be able to move on. Though naturally, he would rather not.

As Jeongin approached the edge of the clearing, a cold shiver raked down Felix’s spine and he instinctively turned his head to cast a final glance onto the cottage before quickly turning back around and pressing himself into Jeongin’s back as they finally reached the woods. The wind was strong tonight, and the sounds it produced within the forest caused the hairs on the back of Felix's neck to stand on end as he cast a quick glance into the darkness before swallowing the sliver of unease in his throat down and turning his attention back to Jeongin.
He gently patted the young omega on his side, indicating that he could move, the tug in his chest pulling eagerly at the anticipation of seeing Changbin again. And Jeongin, being just as eager to get to the orchard as Felix was, didn’t waste another second before he leaped forward and picked up his pace, the duo blissfully unaware of the ice blue eyes in one of the bedroom windows of the cottage silently watching them disappear beyond the treeline.

Chapter Text

The sun had started to set and the anticipation of the night ran like electricity under the surface of his skin as Changbin sat leaning his back against the cottage, watching Hyunjin and Jisung roll around together in their wolf forms not far from the garden. Chan lay splayed on the ground, his head lazily resting on Changbin’s lap as his eyes too were fondly trained on the two wolves as they played like two pups in summer. And even though Changbin chuckled lightly when the young alpha managed to topple Hyunjin over and dive on top of him, his mind was far away from the actual playful chaos that was on display in front of them.

As per usual, his mind refused to let go of the images of Felix. And after last night, for some inexplicable reason, something felt different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, but it was beyond confusing. The way the tugging in his chest had become so bad that it had almost crushed his heart in the 3 weeks that he had been away from the omega, only for it to just disappear the second their eyes met yesterday. The way that the tug had yet again resurfaced after they all returned back home but that it had been at ease since. Nothing crazy, nothing painful. Just content warmth.
Except for one moment in the afternoon where the tug had become uncomfortable, uneasy almost, when Changbin had been helping Chan tend to the garden. It had been sudden, like a spike of discomfort that had just come out of nowhere and the urge the alpha had felt in that moment to go and find Felix had taken him by surprise.

He didn’t understand what was happening in regards to those tugs, but what he did understand was that he wanted to tell Felix about how he had been feeling. In all honesty, he had almost done it yesterday. But the distraction of the chicken game and the fact that Felix had been wanting to talk to him too had completely thrown that idea out of the window. So he decided that today would be the day.
Though he didn’t know what sharing the information with the boy was going to bring him, the idea of at least getting it off his chest was somewhat relieving. He subconsciously let out a soft sigh, Felix’s blinding smile flashing through his mind’s eye again which in turn caused the corner of his lips to turn up into a gentle smile.

“Are you okay?” The wind carried Chan’s voice into his ears like a soft whisper and he blinked, his head tilting down to look at the alpha.
“What?”
“If you’re okay?” Chan asked again, his amber eyes piercing right through Changbin’s soul “What’s on your mind?”
Changbin just stared at the man in silence for a few seconds before letting out another soft sigh and shaking his head.
“I’m fine hyung, it’s nothing…” He settled on, his head coming back to rest against the cottage and his eyes finding the two wolves in the clearing again.
“Bin” Chan’s finger poked the young alpha in his stomach “I’ve known you since before we could shift. Talk to me”

Changbin chuckled lightly and looked down, his hand coming up to flick the pack alpha on the forehead in retaliation for the poke.
“I’m fine, hyung” he said softly as he moved his hand to stroke Chan’s bangs out of his face “How are you?”
“I’m worried about my best friend” Chan said honestly, his eyes still piercing through Changbin. It was almost like he wanted to say more but he didn’t and Changbin was grateful for it.
Ever since that night where Chan had told Hyunjin about Mila at the campfire and the pack alpha had basically called them out for sneaking around, the man had not brought up the subject any more. Life continued as normal, and neither of them had found him down at the campfire at night again since. Which had been probably the most nerve wracking thing. Sneaking out yesterday had been a strain on both of their sanity.

Instead of mentioning any of his suspicions again, the pack alpha had turned to occasionally asking them if they were okay. Much like he was doing now. And Changbin would be lying if he said that he didn’t want to come clean and tell him everything. But the fact remained that he and Hyunjin hadn’t quite figured out what it was that Chan knew, exactly, but they knew that he was aware of something . So it pained him to not just confide in him after Chan had placed his trust in the two.
Though, before he could do that, he would have to talk to Felix, and Jeongin, first.

“I’m just in my own head about some things, hyung” Changbin relinquished softly “I promise I’ll tell you once I sort out my thoughts”
Chan pursed his lips for a few seconds before nodding and smiling up at the young alpha encouragingly.
“I’ll be here” he said gently, the twinkle in his eyes genuine and hopeful.
Chan truly was the best pack alpha. Changbin marvelled at him for a moment, a lump in the back of his throat heavy with emotion. But the moment was short-lived when a huge blond mass crashed right down on top of the two of them, nearly crushing the life right out of them in the process.

“HYUNJIN” Chan cried out, his screams and attempts to breathe muffled by the wolf’s fur.
“JISUNG!” Hyunjin whined as he tried to scramble back onto his paws, effectively smothering the two alphas that were trapped under him. Changbin tried to push the wolf away from himself, blinking the black spots out of his eyes after his head had smashed into the cottage wall on impact. He could feel Chan wiggling desperately in his lap, his hands violently slapping the wolf’s sides until Hyunjin finally managed to get his composure and roll off of them.
Chan instantly shot up and grabbed at his chest, heaving heavily as he tried to catch his breath before whipping his head over towards the beta who instantly cowered under the fiery glare.

“Jisung pushed me!” Hyunjin attempted, his huge green eyes wide and his ears pressed down to his head. But his coffee scent was sweet and fresh, which indicated the beta was obviously happy despite his outward demeanour.
And Jisung was in no better condition. The scarlet wolf was rolling around on the ground, barely able to contain his booming laughter and Changbin couldn’t bring it in himself to even get angry. And from the looks of it, so couldn’t Chan. He saw the way the pack alpha was trying his best at stifling a smile, and failing miserably at that.

“Sorry, hyung” Jisung laughed and Changbin could swear he saw tears in the wolf’s eyes after he had rolled over onto his stomach so he could face the trio at the cottage. Changbin chuckled lightly, a painful smile on his face as he reached up to rub at the back of his head. A small hiss escaped his lips when his finger traced over the sore spot and he shook his head to try and clear the pain away.
“Near damn knocked the life right out of me, Jin”
“Not my fault!” Hyunjin whined as he moved to lick the back of Changbin’s head “Scold him, not me. I’m not the one who doesn’t know my own strength”
“Yeah, ye-- ack! Careful…” Changbin winced at the touch.
“Sorry… just sit still” Hyunjin huffed before Changbin finally surrendered himself to his grooming, the pain slowly starting to dissipate at the gentle ministrations and the two of them oblivious to the fond yet watchful amber eyes that were resting on them for a few seconds before he turned his gaze into Jisung’s direction.

“That’s enough out of the two of you” Chan sighed and moved to stand up, his popping joints echoing around the clearing as he stretched himself out lazily “We need to start dinner anyway and today it’s you and Jisung in the kitchen, so get moving”
Jisung lifted himself off the ground and shifted, a devastating pout on his face as he looked over at his pack alpha. But before he could even protest, Chan had lifted his hand and Jisung snapped his mouth shut. The ‘I don’t want to hear it’ look on Chan’s face was more than enough warning so he groaned and started making his way towards the cottage, gently tugging on Hyunjin’s fur as he passed the wolf who was still tending to Changbin.

Hyunjin let himself be pulled away before shifting and jumping on Jisung’s back happily, the two of them disappearing behind the door and leaving Chan and Changbin behind.
The pack alpha moved to pat Changbin on the shoulder, shooting him a warm and reassuring smile before walking past him and into the cottage as well. Changbin watched him go, an inexplicable unease now swirling around in his stomach like it had found its new forever home. He let out a soft sigh as he ran his hand through his hair tiredly, wincing again as he passed the sore spot and cursing under his breath before looking up at the sky. It had been eerily windy today, but the heavens were as clear as ever, no cloud to be spotted within an x mile radius.
He prayed to the moon spirits that the night would fall soon so he could let go of all of the tension in his body and focus on the one thing he actually wanted to focus on again, letting out another sigh before finally heading towards the cottage.

“I wonder why he hasn’t said anything yet…” Hyunjin pondered out loud later that night as the duo slowly made their way towards the orchard “the constant ‘are you okay’ s are starting to grind the guilt into a permanent pattern on my soul, hyung”
“He asked me again today” Changbin answered, silently agreeing to the statement.
“Of course he did” Hyunjin rolled his eyes as they leaped over a fallen tree trunk “I can’t tell if he’s just worried, genuinely interested in our wellbeing or just curious as to what we’re up to. I know he knows we’re sneaking out, so why hasn’t he followed us yet?”

“Based on the fact that it’s Chan we’re talking about, I would say all of the above” Changbin stated “but it’s making me uneasy, and I want to tell Lix and Innie about it today”
At the words, Hyunjin skidded to an abrupt stop and stared at the alpha in shock.
“Why?” he stammered nervously “What if you scare them off?”
“Give them a little bit more credit, Jinnie” Changbin said as he looked back at the blonde, his black eyes shining in the moonlight “Maybe they will decide that they would want to meet Chan, who knows?”
“But what if this isn’t what Chan is thinking, hyung?” Hyunjin said, his voice tense “What if he’s thinking something else entirely and we ruin it by putting this out into the open?”

Changbin regarded Hyunjin for a few silent moments and let out a soft huff before turning and continuing his way.
“We also need to give Chan a lot more credit” He said softly when he felt Hyunjin follow him as they picked up their pace.
“Maybe…” Hyunjin said after a few seconds before sending Changbin a sidelong glance “But either way, hyung. I thought you were prioritising telling Felix how you feel first?”
Changbin felt his heartbeat speed up at the mention of the young omega and the heat instantly rushed to his face, his ears twitching in embarrassment.
“That’s got nothing to do with this”
“So you say, but you and I both know that’s not true hyung. You want this to work out because you can’t stand the idea of being away from him” Hyunjin pointed out matter-of-factly “But the glaring problem in this equation isn't Chan. It’s Minho”

“You say that as if you’re not over here melting for a certain caramel scented omega…” Changbin grumbled lightly and Hyunjin bumped his shoulder into the alpha’s side, his coffee scent spiking momentarily and causing Changbin to chuckle at the beta’s lack of verbal response.
“I know you, Hyunjin” Changbin said, his voice soft and warm “Which is exactly why I know why you are so scared of them running off and never coming back. And I don’t blame you. I’m terrified too, but we need to give them more credit. We’ve known them long enough for them to earn the benefit of the doubt. The same benefit, mind you, they extended to the both of us in the beginning.”

Changbin was well aware of the glaring issue in the situation. That in the end, Minho would seemingly be the biggest hurdle they would have to get over when it came to getting the two pack leaders to possibly reconcile and maybe start a friendship of some sorts. Though, the way Felix always talked about the man had Changbin thinking that hope was not completely lost yet. Minho was Felix’s world and vice versa. So what was the harm in hoping for the best possible outcome?

And maybe it was wishful thinking. Maybe Chan wouldn’t be as easy as they were hoping him to be or maybe Minho would take Felix away from the area all together. Which was probably the thought that scared Changbin the most. Because that was something he would not be willing to risk, and he vowed to not let that happen either. There had to be a way to appeal to the omega before anything were to ever escalate that far.
But none of his hopes, wishes or vows helped shake the unsettling feeling that had made a nest in his stomach, one that had been persistent all day. And the heavy winds that plagued the lands didn’t help with it at all.

“It’s not like I don’t want to tell him” Hyunjin admitted quietly “I just want our packs to get along first. I don’t want to create something just for me to lose it, hyung…”
And the voice in which he had spoken, broke Changbin’s heart. Because the beta was right, it would be devastating to allow something to happen only for it to be taken from them. Which is why they needed to figure something out, sooner rather than later because the sneaking around at night had been going on for so long that he was sure that all parties involved were starting to grow grey hairs due to lack of rest.
“You’re right…” Changbin said quietly as they slowed their pace and entered the well known orchard. Maybe telling Felix about how he felt was not that much of a good idea yet after all. Maybe the priority lay in getting Minho and Chan to meet amicably first?
“It’s been half a day and I’m already sick of this wind” Hyujnin grumbled as he shifted and got himself dressed “It’s not cold but it’s so annoying, and it’s creepy”

“Creepy how?” Changbin frowned as he looked back at the blonde.
“I don’t know…” Hyunjin said as he plopped himself down within their usual little clearing “It’s so ominous, asif there are ghosts hiding in the shadows. It’s creepy. And unsettling. And it’s messing up my hair!”
The last part was added with a frustrated hand running through his dishevelled blonde locks, Jeongin’s gift tied tightly in a few of his strands and whipping around dangerously in the wind.
And maybe Hyunjin’s vague explanation should have sent the alarms to ring within Changbin’s mind, maybe it should have warned him that something wasn’t quite right as his stomach had been trying to tell him all evening. And, maybe, when he noticed his beloved Felix and Jeongin appearing within the line of trees long before he noticed their scents, he should have realised that the moon spirits were trying to tell him something important.

But he didn’t.

Because all of his worries and underlying gut feelings were instantly squashed when his eyes landed on the pink haired omega and the blinding smile that riddled the boy’s face. The crinkle of his eyes, the way his blue irises caught the light of the moon in the most enchanting way, the curve of his lips as his teeth twinkled and finally his intoxicating Jasmine scent when the alpha reached up to press his nose into the younger’s side.
He didn’t even notice when the familiar tug had abruptly stopped the moment their gazes met again, the only thing occupying every fibre of his being now consumed by the omega named Felix.
“Hi stranger” Felix chuckled shyly, and in the dim light of the moon, Changbin could have sworn that he boy’s cheeks were dusted pink. The idea of that sent him back to the first day they had met those few months ago and what Changbin wouldn’t give to see him in the light of day one more time. It made the idea of just jumping in and surrendering to Minho almost worth it.
“Hey Binnie hyung” Jeongin said sweetly as he rubbed the side of his cheek against Changbin’s in greeting, the alpha returning the gesture before they started their way back to where Changbin had left the last member of their party.

The beta didn’t waste a second when they came into view, getting up and hugging Jeongin’s head tightly before the younger lowered himself down to let Felix off.
“Thank you, hyung” Felix smiled after Changbin allowed him to use his muzzle as leverage and the alpha quickly pressed his snout against the younger’s cheek, revelling in how Felix leaned into the touch ever so lightly. It sent butterflies erupting through his stomach instantly, so he quickly removed himself from the situation and opted to shift and get dressed instead in an attempt to calm his heart down.

How Felix managed to pull all of these reactions out of him remained a mystery to the alpha. All the boy had to do was look at him and Changbin would be willing to go to war. He was pretty sure that if Felix told him to jump, Changbin would reply with ‘how high?’. Because that was the power the boy held over him, by simply existing.
Ever since the day Changbin started realising how he felt about the boy, he started wondering how he could have been both so lucky and so cursed to be born in the same lifetime as this magical omega. The omega who was way too good for him in the first place. Or at least, that’s what he believed. Nobody on the face of planet earth was good enough for Felix. The boy looked like he was born directly from the moon spirits, placed on this earth to bless the eyes and souls of everyone who was fortunate enough to cross paths with him. Too good, too kind, too sweet and too beautiful to be hidden away.

But Changbin was selfish. And despite how little he thought of himself in regards to Felix, he still wanted him for himself in a sense. He still allowed himself to believe in the one odd chance that maybe Felix would be okay with Changbin’s feelings. Even if he didn’t reciprocate them.
But the way the omega would look at him at those rare times, would send Changbin’s delusional mind swirling for opportunities and scenarios he knew were too good to be true. Too perfect for the lifetime he lived in.
Yet, he was still selfish.
He wanted Chan to meet Felix. To meet Jeongin. He wanted Minho to get his head out of his overprotective ass so he could see that none of them, not even Chan, would ever mean any harm. He wanted to be able to see Felix every day, without the fear of him being taken away from him. He wanted to know what Felix looked like when he woke up in the morning, what he looked like with the sun shining down on him on a relaxed day, what he looked like hunting.

What he looked like in his wolf form.
‘I can shift… But it’s complicated’ Felix had said that day when Changbin had asked him about said fact. And a nagging feeling told him that Felix never having shifted in front of Hyunjin and he had less to do with it being complicated and everything to do with Minho. But what did he know aside from speculations conjured up in his own mind? And regardless of how curious he was, he would not press the topic either until the younger was ready to tell him on his own time. There was not a sliver of doubt about that in Changbin’s mind, because he would do anything in his power to make sure the omega felt comfortable and safe around him at any time.

Changbin had been so lost within his own mind, that he had not noticed how slow he had been getting dressed until a small voice and soft hand on his shoulder dropped him back to the present.
He whirled around, pulling his tunic over the rest of his chest, only to be greeted by the subject of his affection and thoughts smiling back at him worriedly.
“Are you okay, hyung?” Felix asked gently. And he looked so cute, so soft and so genuine that it made Changbin’s heart stop for millipoint of a second “Hyunjin said you probably fell in a hole somewhere because you were taking a while”
The soft chuckle that followed was like music to Changbin’s ears and before he could stop himself, he smiled back shyly, the corners of his lips turning down as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Yeah, I’m good Lix” He said with a nod and when Felix pulled his hand back he had to fight not to reach out and grab it. Especially since he had no reason to.
They continued to look at each other for a couple of seconds, the same type of tension building as it had yesterday in the river.
Which reminded him.
“Felix--”
“Hyung--”
Changbin blinked and chuckled with a light shake of the head “We need to stop doing that”
Felix snorted, the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth as he looked down at his feet awkwardly.
“I actually…” the omega said after another beat of silence, his Jasmine scent so sweet and crisp that it made Changbin’s mouth water and made him wish he could drown in it. And before the alpha realised his body had moved, he had subconsciously closed the distance between them within the beat of a heart.

“I wanted-- oh…” Felix breath hitched when Chanbin wrapped his hands around his waist, the alpha absentmindedly nuzzling his nose into the younger’s scent gland and it only took the feeling of Felix going almost pliant in his arms for Changbin to realise what the hell he was doing.
“Oh, fuck. I’m sorry” He blinked and moved to step back but Felix instantly locked his fists into Changbin’s tunic and held him in place, a shaky breath tickling Changbin’s ear.
“No!” Felix breathed quickly, and if Changbin hadn’t been stunned enough already, he would have heard the hint of desperate relief in the younger’s voice as he stumbled through his words “Y-you’re fine. You can hug me, I’m… it’s nice”

The alpha blinked a couple of times before moving his arms back around the younger’s waist, pulling him a little closer and resting his chin on his shoulder.
“Sorry…” Changbin said shyly, feeling all the blood in his body rush to his head and ring in his ears. “You just smell really nice”
“So do you” Felix smiled and when Changbin felt the boy snuggle closer and press his nose into his scent gland, every brain cell left in his head exploded until all he could see was stars. His petrichor scent spiked momentarily and he felt Felix relax into his arms ever so lightly, a satisfied sigh escaping the boy’s lips and gliding over the exposed skin of his neck.

They stayed like that for a couple of seconds, the world around them but an illusion as Changbin basked in the feeling that was Felix safely tucked away in his arms. And until he felt the younger move, he had been fully convinced that he had died and the moon spirits had carried him off to heaven.
“Hyung, I… uhm” Felix stammered softly and Changbin quickly willed himself to pull away and looked up at the pink haired omega, feeling almost scent drunk as he tried to grasp the fact that Felix had allowed him to hug him like that.
“I’m sorry” He cleared his throat, his arms retreating and falling back to his sides awkwardly “That was not--”

“No, hyung” Felix stopped him quickly, his eyes wide and shining “That’s not it. I uhm…”
He bit the corner of his lip nervously before finally finding the words he needed to continue.
“I was just wondering, if maybe… you want to go take a walk again? Like last time?” He asked carefully, his fingers playing with the hem of his tunic “There is actually something I wanted to talk to you about”
“Oh, yeah of course” Changbin said with a reassuring smile and a soft nod “want to go now?”
Felix nodded happily and Changbin noticed the boy’s hands nervously wringing in the hem of his tunic, not able to stop himself when he reached out and grabbed onto his hands before giving them a gentle squeeze.

“Is everything okay?” Changbin asked carefully with a tilt to the head.
“Yes” Felix answered with a quick nod, his fang still worrying the corner of his bottom lips and the unrelenting wind sending his hair flying everywhere. Changbin smiled and tried pushing some of the strands of pink hair out of his face but to no avail, the wind was too strong to keep them in place.
“I look like a mess don’t I?” Felix chuckled as he pulled his hands back and tried to smoothen his hair down.
“You look beautiful, the wind becomes you. Like a stressed little chicken” Changbin chuckled before receiving a smack to the chest from he pouting omega, a stifled smile on his lips.
“Let’s go tell double trouble that we’re going for a walk” Felix chuckled and spun on his heel, walking back to where they had left Hyunjin and Jeongin, Changbin following close behind with a goofy grin on his face.

His skin was on fire. From where the lingering ghost of Felix’s nose had pressed into his neck to where the feeling of the omega’s warm hands had been tucked in his own. But he was quickly knocked out of his dreamy daze when Hyunjin’s voice grinded into his ear.
“What the hell were you two up to?” the beta asked from where he leaned against one of the trees, Jeongin comfortably tucked between his legs and snuggled up to his chest and the both of them sporting the same shit eating grin on their faces. But before Changbin could shut him down, Felix beat him to the punch.

“Probably the same thing you two were doing” The omega shot with a raised eyebrow, the attitude sending Changbin’s head spinning. If he could, he would have spun him around and kissed him just for that.
He blinked and shook the impure thoughts out of his brain, his face heating up again at the mere idea. But much to his satisfaction, and pride in Felix, he noticed that both Hyunjin and Jeongin’s face had changed colour in the dim light of the moon after Felix’s comment. Serves them right for being so smug.
“Yeah that’s what I thought” Felix deadpanned before turning to motion in Changbin’s direction “Hyung and I are going on a walk around the orchard for a bit. We’ll be back soon”
Hyunjin hummed and pulled Jeongin a little closer, his green eyes studying Changbin for a few seconds before nodding slowly.
‘What?’ Changbin mouthed challengingly into his direction and all Hyunjin did was stifle a smirk and bury his face in Jeongin’s hair, and Changbin didn’t miss the split second of longing that passed over the beta’s face as he did.
“Okay. Be care--” Jeongin had started to speak when a gust of wind rudely interrupted him. Though it wasn’t the wind that was what had caught the young omega’s, and everyone else’s, attention just a fraction too late.

And everything that followed, almost happened in what seemed like both intergalactic speed and simultaneous slow motion when the realisation hit that the gust of wind had carried along the dangerously suffocating scent…

…of burning white rose.

One second, Changbin was watching Jeongin’s words halt mid sentence, the young omega’s head whirling into the direction the wind had come from as he had been the first to notice. And the next, the giant caramel spotted wolf had ripped out of the clothes he had been sitting in, knocking Hyunjin over and throwing himself in front of Changbin when the alpha had been too late to notice the giant fangs that had been seconds away from ending his life before he could even blink.
A loud yelp echoed through the air when a caramel blur was sent flying off to the side, his interference causing him to be the recipient of the heat of the attack that had been meant for the alpha and somewhere far away he could hear both Hyunjin and Felix screaming. But everything was so warped that it almost felt like someone had pushed his head underwater. His brain struggled to process what had happened until his eyes finally locked on the ice blue ones which were almost glowing red from where they were looming over him just a few feet away. And in that moment it felt like someone had locked his kneecaps.

Changbin felt a hand wrap around his wrist and pull harshly, the image of Felix quickly moving in front of him vaguely registering in his mind and when he turned, he found Hyunjin’s terror filled face tugging on his arm desperately “Hyung! Snap out of it! We have to go!”
The alpha blinked at the words, the feeling returning to his body as he whipped himself around to look how Felix was standing between him and the salt and pepper wolf with his arms spread wide. And the boy’s frame was shaking so violently, his jasmine scent burning as it clashed with the white rose, that it ignited something within the alpha that he had never felt before.
“Hyung, please. Wait!” Felix’s voice trembled as he addressed his brother. But his voice was almost drowned out by the murderous snarls that filled the air around them and sent vibrations through Changbin’s bones.
“Lix” the alpha breathed, his hand coming up to reach for the boy. But he was quickly cut off when the young omega’s face turned to look at him, his eyes desperate.

“Get out of here! Now!” Changbin had never heard the boy’s voice so panicked before, so scared. And it was unnerving. For as much as he always talked about his brother like the man hung the stars and moon in the sky by hand, such devotion and love in his eyes, the fear he simultaneously held for the elder was so palpable that if he reached out, Changbin was convinced he could wrap his fingers around it.
Knowing better than to question Felix, especially with the red hot rage that was basically steaming off of the giant salt and pepper wolf in front of them, Changbin immediately turned on his heel to grab his leather pouch off the ground. But before he could even set one step into its direction, a murderous bark echoed through the sky, instantly sending an electrifying shockwave through his whole being and immobilising him. His knees buckled and gave out from underneath him and caused him to fall to his knees, the ground suddenly cold as ice as he struggled to inhale any semblance of air.
An invisible set of ironclad claws had slowly wrapped around his throat, cutting off his airway as he subconsciously tilted his head and bared his neck submissively. He may have not understood the words the bark had carried within but every fibre in his body and every last bit of instinct that flowed through his veins were telling him to ‘ stay down ’. It was horrifying.
And as he struggled to breathe, his mind fell on Hyunjin. But he couldn’t even turn his head to find him, his body refused to listen to him under whatever order it was being held under. Until another voice, one he had grown so accustomed to and so fond off, finally broke through his daze.

“CHANGBIN! TAKE HYUNJIN AND LEAVE! NOW!”
The tone of voice in which Felix had yelled out the order had been so dangerous and urgent that the violent tug that followed yanked Changbin out of his paralyzed stupor, the grip around his throat instantly loosening and causing him to fall forward onto his hands and desperately gasp for air. But before his brain had time to catch up with his actions and the situation, he had already scrambled up to his feet and ran over to Hyunjin to try and get him up.
But the beta refused to move.

He was frozen in place, his frame trembling so violently that it travelled into the grip the alpha had on his arm. Hyunjin’s eyes were wide in fear, his neck exposed in submission as small whimpers sounded through his slightly parted lips.
What the fuck was going on? Never in the years that he had known Hyunjin had he ever seen the beta like this before. Hell never had he himself been brought down like that before. It was unnerving.
But his instincts were screaming at him to do what Felix had told him to do. So, without a second to spare, he shifted out of his clothes and locked his jaw carefully yet quickly around the beta’s waist before bolting away from the escalating situation behind him. He had no idea what had happened to Jeongin and the dangerous snarls that grew louder as he moved away, threatened to almost take him down again. But he clung to Felix’s voice and didn’t dare look back. His body wouldn’t let him, even though he could feel the tug in his chest screaming out for his omega who he had been forced to leave behind.

--

“Hyung. Please. Please calm down. Okay? I can explain everything. But please--”
“SILENCE” Minho barked dangerously and Felix cowered, a soft whimper rolling over his lips as the tears that had been rimming his eyes finally fell “I don’t want to hear another word out of you. Now move”
“No!” Felix snapped back, his bottom lip trembling as he straightened himself back up with every scrap of courage he could find and refused to move out of the way. Never in his life had he ever seen Minho this angry before, especially not with that anger directed towards him. But above all the anger, the thing that caused a crack to tear through Felix’s heart in this moment, was the crushing disappointment that had taken home in his brother’s eyes.
“Hyung. I’m sorry. But please--”
“Felix enough!” Minho growled, his eyes almost glowing red with rage “Let me trough or so help me god…”
Felix let out another whimper as the tears started falling down his face freely, the tug in his chest burning him like a wildfire the farther away Changbin got from the orchard. The pain was almost paralysing. But he couldn’t move away even when his instincts were screaming at him to listen. He wouldn’t. Not yet, not now. Not until he was sure they were safe. And not when Jeongin was still… Jeongin?

Felix’s head snapped to the side and when his eyes finally found the caramel spotted wolf laying motionless near the base of the tree he had been knocked into, a sob tore through his throat.
“Jeongin!” Felix called out to him “Innie are you okay!?”
And it was only at these words that Minho’s rage dissipated almost instantly, his head whipping into the direction Felix had called out to and his veins filling with dread. Jeongin had been the one to jump in front of them. Minho had been so caught up in his hunt for the alpha that he hadn’t even realised this glaring fact. His heart dropped and he leaped towards the young omega lying on the ground.
“Innie…” he whispered as he nudged Jeongin's side with his snout “Innie, can you hear me?”

Jeongin let out a soft pained whimper at the touch and Minho sighed.
“Baby why would you jump in front of me like that…?” Minho whispered again and he licked over the young omega’s snout worriedly.
“I c-couldn’t… let you…” Jeongin breathed out weakly, a tear rolling over his fur and dripping onto the ground below “I’m s-sorry hyung”
Minho let out a soft sigh, his white rose scent now a mix between burnt and wilted as his worry for his youngest omega overpowered his anger. He moved down to lick Jeongin’s snout again, his snout moving along his cheek and towards his ear.
“I’m sorry Innie…” He said softly as he nosed Jeongin’s scruff before looking up and turning his face to find Felix.
“Felix, I need you to help Innie onto my back. Now”

Felix, who had finally deemed it safe enough to move, had quickly decided to pick up their belongings, tears still streaming down his face freely. He was stuffing everything into their pouch when Minho’s voice reached his ears and he flinched, his fingers curling tightly around the bag in his hands before he turned to face them.
The disappointment and anger in his brother’s voice and eyes was quickly sucking out all of the air from the pink haired omega’s body, his lungs constricting at the sight and screaming for oxygen.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and hurried towards the two wolves before kneeling down next to Jeongin and letting his eyes roam over the wolf’s form, his hand coming up to gently rest on the boy’s side.

“Innie, you have to shift so I can help you up” He spoke softly in between wet hiccups “We need to get you home so we can see what’s wrong, so we can help you”
Jeongin let out another soft whimper, his eyes solemnly locked on Minho before he finally complied and shifted, his small human form replacing the giant wolf instantly.
The boy was sweating profusely and both Felix and Minho could see the deep discoloration that had already started happening on Jeongin’s side as Felix gingerly traced his fingers over the area.
“Quickly” Minho dropped down to the floor and Felix secured the pouch around his shoulder before leaning down to help Jeongin up.

The younger braced himself, wincing at the instant flare of pain that shot up his body when Felix carefully wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him up. His feet staggered under him as they made their way over to Minho who eyed them carefully. And in that instance, amongst the lingering anger and worry, Felix could smell the guilt that mixed in with his brother’s scent which in turn flared the guilt with himself.
Minho was not to blame for Jeongin acting so rash and throwing himself in the path of Minho’s blind wrath. Minho wasn’t to blame for Felix and Jeongin choosing to lie and sneak out. He was not to blame for any of this because Felix knew that Minho’s actions were all rooted in his will to protect, his trauma and his decade old fears. He could not have expected Jeongin to put himself in harm's way to protect an alpha. Because Minho would never hurt him on purpose, never.

Felix assisted Jeongin on to Minho’s back, making sure the younger was lying down on the side that wasn’t hurting before he himself climbed on and held onto the young omega carefully.
“You okay, Innie?” He asked as he entangled his hands into his brother’s fur.
“Yeah” Jeongin panted with lopsided smile “Did they…?”
“They’re gone” Felix reassured him softly with a soft nod “they should be out of the territory soon”
And at the words, Felix felt Minho tense under his touch, a low and soft growl shaking through his frame which prompted the young omega to press his lips together and lower his head.

Minho carefully got up from the ground, looking back to make sure if the two were secured on his back. His eye lingered on his little brother for a few seconds, the latter looking up at him guiltily.
“I’m sorry, hyung…” Felix spoke softly, his head still down and his bottom lip worried between his teeth.
“Not. Now.” Minho shut him down curtly as he turned back around and shook his head tiredly before starting his way back towards their home.
The pack leader tried to be as fast as he could without jostling the two on his back too much, Felix’s hands curled into his fur as he continued to make sure that Jeongin was safely secured.
“Are you okay Innie?” He asked softly as he examined the younger’s face.

“I’m fine” Jeongin said softly, but the way his features were scrunched up in pain proved otherwise “It doesn’t hurt that much anymore. Thank the wolf blood I guess”
“Innie…” Felix pouted tearily as his eyes travelled down to the quickly forming bruise on Jeongin’s chest.
“How… how are you?” Jeongin asked carefully as he nudged Felix’s face with his own gently, the wilted scent of Felix’s jasmine overpowering the wind due to their close proximity. But the pink haired omega didn’t answer. He remained silent, his bottom lip quivering before he shook his head quickly as the tears spilled from his eyes yet again.

Felix was not okay.
Far from it, to be very honest. He felt stupid. Stupid for thinking they could have continued sneaking around without Minho ever finding out. Stupid for not realising their behaviour at home would eventually catch up to them and alert not only Minho but probably Seungmin too. Stupid for allowing himself to let his guard down so much in the presence of Changbin who made it so easy for him to forget about everything else. Everything that he should have deemed important. Everything that he should have kept thinking about even in the relaxed atmosphere of their nightly meetings.
And because of his stupidity, Minho had almost been successful in permanently removing the one thing his heart was currently beating for, from the face of the earth.

Felix felt a shudder run up his spine at the idea of what could have happened if Jeongin hadn’t intervened, tears still streaming down his face as he couldn’t find the means to stop crying. The turmoil of emotions coursing through his veins was making it near impossible to reign in the waterworks.
He was scared, because his brother was rightfully furious and he had no idea what was yet to come because he knew that right now Jeongin was Minho’s top priority. He was tired, because the exhaustion of the day had now started to settle into his bones in the wake of the adrenaline now gradually starting to bleed out of his body.

And above all else he was heartbroken. Heartbroken because he had never been on the receiving end of Minho’s rage and disappointment like he had been today. Heartbroken because he knew that, underneath the anger, Minho was hurt above all else after finding out that Felix had been sneaking around and lying to him. Heartbroken because Jeongin had literally thrown himself into harm's way just to protect something Felix loved, something they had both come to love. A friendship that had bloomed and blossomed into something beautiful.
Only for it to be ripped away from their hands because they weren’t careful enough.
And despite all of the harm he felt he had done, the worst one was that it had almost led to the demise of said friends. The look on Hyunjin’s face was something Felix was sure was going to haunt him in his dreams. Terrified wouldn’t even begin to describe it.

And then to add oil to the fire, his heart hadn’t stopped screaming bloody murder from the moment Changbin had taken Hyunjin and fled. The tug in his chest had never been this violent before and it was making it hard to breathe, his lungs begging for air as Felix tried his best to suppress the sobs that were stuck in his throat.
He flinched when a hand came to rest on his cheek and he blinked furiously, trying to unblur his sight and meeting Jeongin’s gentle eyes that were locked onto his.
“It’s going to be okay” the young omega whispered softly and before Felix could muster up his voice in order to reply, Minho slowed his pace before coming to a full stop.

Felix looked up, realising they had already reached the clearing when the door to the cottage swung open and Seungmin's frazzled figure ran outside, his face a mixture of anger, confusion and worry as he sped towards them.
“What the actual fuck!?” He cried out when he reached them, his nose scrunching up when he had gotten close enough for the wind to no longer hide the mixture of pheromones that were out of control “I wake up to Minho hyung’s burning white rose only for me to find out that everybody’s gone!? What the hell is going on!?”
“Not now, Minnie. We need to get Jeongin inside. He’s hurt” Minho said sternly as he lowered himself, worry constantly taking over Seungmin’s features as his gaze snapped towards the two on Minho’s back while Minho addressed him “Help Felix to get him off my back”

Felix.
Granted, Minho always addressed him like that when he was angry or when he tried to reprimand him. But there was something in the way that he had spoken the name this time, that sent another wave of soul crushing grief to wash over the pink haired omega.
He slid off of his brother’s back, allowing Seungmin enough space to get to Jeongin who stubbornly tried to protest against the manhandling claiming that he was feeling fine enough to walk by himself. And Felix silently watched it all happen, his arms wrapped around him and the pouch protectively as his tear stained cheeks glittered in the moon light.
“Felix, get inside” His brother's cold voice pulled him out of his stupor, his body automatically flinching and his bottom lip trembling before he finally dared to look up at Minho. But Minho wasn’t even looking at him.
“Hyung, I--”
“I said, inside. Now” Minho interrupted him curtly, not moving from the place he was standing and waiting until Felix passed him.
Felix swallowed down another sob and clutched the pouch to his trembling frame before he moved, slowly walking past Minho and into the cottage.

“I said I’m fine, hyung!” Jeongin’s voice bounced off the walls from where he sat on the bench in front of the fireplace, a fur pelt draped over his legs “It’s just some bruising, It’ll pass soon. The worst has healed itself already”
Seungmin looked like he was about to protest when Minho walked into the room, making a beeline towards the young omega on the bench and prodding his finger into the younger’s side which instantly elicited a pained yelp from the omega.

“Hyung, what the hell!?”
“Stop fucking lying!” Minho snapped, his eyes on fire as he stared down the younger who flinched and lowered his arms defeatedly “And let Seungmin take a look at you, for the love of everything that is good and green. You two…”
Minho ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly before spinning around towards Felix who was still rooted in the same place he had been standing before, tears still streaming down his face.
“Sit down” Minho hissed, venom dripping from his voice as he pointed to the place next to Jeongin on the bench.
Felix didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly shuffled over and planted himself down, the pouch still clutched to his chest.

Minho looked from one to the other, trying to find the words to start his rant but none came to mind as he had no idea where to even start addressing the blatant insubordination. He didn’t even notice he had started pacing until Seungmin’s voice pulled him out of his head from where he was tending to Jeongin.
“It looks like you cracked a few ribs” the beta sighed, a disapproving frown on his face “That’s going to take some time, wolf healing or not”
“Fucking christ” Minho groaned before facing Jeongin “What the hell were you thinking jumping in front of me like that, Jeongin!? Do you have a death wish? Huh? Is that what you want? Me to suffer for accidentally killing you because you don’t know how to behave!?”

“Jumped… what?” Seungmin gaped as he looked from Minho to Jeongin, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
“I couldn’t let you hurt him, hyung” Jeongin tried to defend himself, his eyes desperate and filled with tears as he looked up at Minho “You don’t understand…”
“Him?” Seungmin asked again, his eyes now darting between the three omegas as his patience started to run thin at being left out of the loop “Is anyone going to clue me in on what the fuck is going!?”
“Of course I don’t understand, Jeongin!” Minho snapped back “I find my two omegas sneaking out of the house in the middle of the fucking night to meet with an alpha!? Of course I don’t understand!!”

At those words, Seungmin’s jaw fell slack and he got up from the floor, his horror filled gaze falling on Jeongin who had dropped his head in shame.
“You did what…?” he breathed out in disbelief.
“Oh right, Minnie. I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Minho addressed the beta with an exasperated chuckle, his voice almost manic “Felix and Jeongin here thought it would be a great idea to sneak off in the middle of the night to meet with, not one but, two foreign wolves. One of which was an alpha. In our territory. And, Oh! Did I mention that when I tried to eradicate the threat, Jeongin decided to thwart my ambush by jumping in front of me and taking the blow?”

The omega frantically motioned his hands in Jeongin’s direction, indicating the state he had inadvertently left the younger in.
“They are not a threat, hyung!” Felix cried out, unable to withhold the sob that escaped with it “They’re good people!”
“Do you really think… he's not going to turn on you the second he finds out who you are, who we are?” Minho’s voice snaked around Felix’s lungs like poison infiltrating the oxygen around him with every breath he tried to take and the younger hiccupped violently in an attempt to stifle another sob “Alphas can’t be trusted, Felix! You know that better than anyone!”

“He’s not like that, he wouldn’t do that…” The young omega cried.
Minho stared at Felix incredulously as he regarded the boy’s words carefully.
“Because you know him so well” He stated in disbelief, his voice cold and low as he didn’t even bother to hide the anger and disappointment that were coursing through his veins. And neither Felix or Jeongin dared to look up to meet his gaze.
“How long has this been going on…?” Seungmin spoke up quietly, his eyes still trained on Jeongin who tilted his head to look at him. But when their eyes met, Jeongin felt the lump that had been in his throat expand dangerously, tears finally spilling over onto his cheeks.
“This was what that argument was about…?” The words had come out more as a statement than a question as Seungmin finally put two and two together, his heart breaking at the realisation “You found out that day… and you kept it hidden from hyung? From me…?”

“Hyung--” Jeongin hiccupped in a soft whisper, his hand coming up to grab Seungmin’s.
“I don’t want to hear it” Seungmin cut him off and pulled his hand back before spinning on his heel and walking out of the room, his soggy cinnamon scent lingering in the room before the sound of a door slamming upstairs followed shortly after. Both omegas on the bench flinched at the noise and Jeongin dropped his face into his hands, giving the sobs free reign to take over his body.
The silence that fell after Seungmin had left the room was so loud that it hurt Felix’s ears. And with every second that passed with Minho just standing in front of them, he felt a piece of his heart break. The yelling was always so much better than whatever this was.

“We lost… everything. Because of alphas” Minho spoke softly, his voice so eerily calm that Felix almost missed how it cracked at the end “Then. I almost lost you, again, because of an alpha. And now, two months ago, you get so sick that I almost lose you once more. Come to find out that it was, yet again , because of an alpha?”
Felix’s lip trembled dangerously as he listened to his brother speaking, the guilt slowly burning him from the inside out.
“I don’t even know who I’m looking at right now…” Minho’s voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke, but it was loud enough to ring through the very being of Felix’s core.

The words were like an ice cold knife to his heart, cutting off all blood flow to his limbs and everything else that Felix needed to sustain life. His lungs constricted and his heart shattered when he looked up and met Minho’s gaze, the disappointment in his eyes now partnered with what seemed to be betrayal and in that moment Felix wished wholeheartedly for the moon spirits to just take him away.
“Hyung…” Felix whimpered, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I want you out of my sight. Go to your rooms” Minho cut him off before turning to face away from them.
Jeongin didn’t waste a beat, he got up as quickly as he could, wincing at the pain in his side before making his way up the stairs, sobs and soggy caramel scent following him in his wake. Felix took a little longer, slowly getting himself up as he continued to look at his brother’s back. The tears had not stopped running down his face and at this point he wondered where his body was finding the moisture to sustain his grief.
“Hyung, I’m sorry…” He croaked in between a sob, but Minho continued to face away from him so Felix just clutched the pouch closer to his chest before turning away himself and heading towards the stairs.

Felix much rather preferred the screaming. He had pissed off Minho plenty-a-time in his life that he knew that an angry but vocal Minho was always a good thing. Because it would never last longer than a few minutes before the elder would allow him to snuggle close again.
But this? This was beyond anything Felix had ever seen. And the fact that it was directed towards him was making it so much harder to process. He felt like someone had taken his lungs and ripped them out of his body, oxygen struggling to pass through his airway as his hands clutched at his neck and chest, trying desperately to make the pain stop.

He hadn’t even noticed that he had collapsed to his knees, the pouch that had previously been safely tucked away against his chest now on the floor, until he vaguely registered a pair of hands coming in to gently hold onto his face. Heart wrenching sobs raked through his body as he tried to focus on the hands and the figure in front of him. But when Minho’s fear struck face came into view, the feeling only got worse. He could see the man’s lips moving but the words sounded like someone had pushed Felix’s head underwater, which in turn worsened the sobs, his lungs burning dangerously as they screamed for air.
“H-hyu…hyu-ng…” Felix cried out in between his gasps for air “I c-cant… I- I w-want…”

Minho moved to wrap his arms around Felix’s violently trembling frame and hugged him tightly, his hand steadily and gently running up and down the younger’s back at a slow pace. And when he did, Felix’s trembling hands instantly found their way around Minho’s back, his nails digging into the elder’s skin as he tried for dear life to hold on to him.
The feeling of the hand on his back continued to tether him and Felix tried with all his might to focus on it. And before long he found himself trying to breathe with the pace of the strokes, his surroundings becoming a bit clearer and Minho’s voice filtering through the fog that had taken over his brain.
“Shhhh, Fe, I’ve got you” Minho softly whispered into his ear as he continued to run his hand over Felix’s back “I’ve got you”

Felix tightened his grip around Minho, the faint smell of blood vaguely registering in his brain but not wanting to understand where it was coming from. All he wanted to, and could, focus on were the warmth of Minho’s body, voice and scent as the elder continued to hold him and rock him ever so lightly.
“H-hyung” Felix hiccupped in between sobs, his chin digging into Minho’s shoulder “I’m s-sorry… I… I’m sor-ry. P-please. Don’t ha-hate me…”
And at the words, he felt Minho start to move away from him which flared the panic in his body and he instantly tightened his grip around the elder's body.
“No! P-please! Ple-ase! Don’t-- don’t l-eave me! Please!” He cried out desperately as his hands struggled to hold onto something, his nails again violently digging into Minho’s back.

“Felix…” Minho’s voice broke as he continued to hold onto the younger “Fe, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you. I would never leave you.”
Minho tried again to lean back, taking Felix’s face into his hand as the other continued to run down the young omega’s back.
“Look at me, moonshine. Look at me” he tried as he lifted Felix’s face until the younger was facing him and waited for Felix’s eyes to lock onto his before continuing “I am not going to leave you. Okay? And I don’t hate you. I could never hate you, Fe”
The pack leader spoke slowly, his voice firm as he tried to get his message across.
“Okay?” he asked again when Felix didn’t respond, the younger’s eyes frantically searching the elder’s face for any sign of a lie.

“Y-you do-n’t… h-hate me?” Felix hiccupped hesitantly.
“Of course not, baby” Minho said as he ran his hand over the younger’s cheek gently, his thumb caressing away some of the never ending tears “I love you, so so so much, moonshine. No matter how angry I get, I will always love you more than the air I breathe and more than the moon itself. Do you hear me?”
Felix nodded quickly, another hiccup raking his frame when Minho moved in to press a soft kiss against his forehead before pulling him back into his arms.
“Even if the sun and moon were to fall out of the sky and engulf the world into eternal darkness, I couldn't and wouldn't ever stop loving you.” He reassured the younger again, his hand coming up to stroke the young omega’s hair as he went back to rocking him gently.

Felix buried his nose into Miho’s scent gland, soft sobs still raking his body as he allowed the warm white rose to envelop him while he held onto his brother for dear life, terrified of what would happen if he let go. And it didn't take long for all the exhaustion of the day to finally catch up with him, his body slowly slumping against Minho’s as the white rose gradually lulled him into a deep slumber.

And on the other side, a couple of miles beyond their territory, an alpha was finally able to let go of his own chest when the excruciating pain finally stopped trying to tear through his heart before he collapsed into his pack leader's arms.

Chapter Text

Changbin sprinted through the trees at lightning speed, willing his legs to carry him as far away from the orchard and roses’ territory as quickly as possible.
He felt like a fool. How he ever could have been disappointed that he had never encountered roses was beyond him. If he had ever come across the wolf, that same day his funeral would have been held with whatever piece of him anyone would have been able to recover from the crime scene.
Appeal to the omega? How naïve he had been. Chan’s scars and description of him now fully made sense, everything clicked into place as it should have. Minho was rash, acting before even taking in the situation in front of him. All because of what? His need to protect his brother?

If the omega had taken even a second to investigate, a second to take a closer look at what was actually in front of him, then he would have easily been able to see that there was no need to protect someone who wasn’t in danger.
But instead, Changbin had been so close to being ripped to shreds because not only had the wind aided Minho in his ambush, the alpha himself had been way too distracted by Felix for him to even realize that something had been lurking.
The whole day, his instincts had been trying to warn him. And he had chosen to ignore it, chosen to brush it off as nerves and anticipation for seeing Felix. And because of that, he now had a whimpering and unmoving beta carefully clamped in his muzzle.

Which was another thing he was too afraid to face, because what in the ever-loving hell just happened at that orchard? How had the both of them ended up in that position? Though rare, Changbin had been privy to Chan’s alpha voice before. Hell, even the alpha voice of his father had terrorized him plenty-a-times growing up. But none of that was quite like what had happened today. Never in his life had he ever been forced to submit like that .
And it would have been understandable to a degree if it had been indeed an alpha of higher ranking than him to inflict any of this. But that wasn’t even the case. Changbin knew what an alpha voice sounded like, knew beyond the shadow of a doubt what it was and what it felt like.
This wasn’t that. This was far beyond that.
And the fact that it had been an omega who had caused it, was the thing that was keeping a constant tremor of fear and confusion buzzing under his skin. Because everything he had ever known, everything that he had ever been taught, had gone down the drain within the span of mere seconds.

In the throws of his thought spiral, Changbin hadn’t realized that he had safely made it out of Minho’s territory and was already deep into his own until the lingering remnants of the tell-tale calming pine scent of his pack alpha infiltrated his senses, causing him to quickly skid to a halt.
He gently placed Hyunjin down, his snout gently pushing into the younger’s side as he tried to get him to respond.
“Hyunjin-ah” Changbin tried, his voice gentle. But he flinched when the beta suddenly sat up on his knees, his frame trembling violently.

“He told us n-not to m-mo-move… We… we can’t m-move…” Hyunjin cried out softly, struggling to get the words out as tears started spilling out from his eyes and running down his cheeks like twin waterfalls. And aside from the obvious tremor that has taken root in his body, the beta didn’t move a muscle.
Changbin frowned and quickly shifted, dropping to his knees in front of Hyunjin and taking his face into his hands delicately.
“Hyunjin, you have to listen to me” Changbin said gently, keeping his voice level so as not to spook the distraught beta “That situation wasn’t safe. I know you know that better than I do”
Hyunjin continued to stare at nothing in particular, his eyes glazed over as the tears continued to run over his face.
“We… we c-can’t move…”

Changbin’s heart cracked at the sight of Hyunjin’s mental state, his bottom lip trembling before he slid one of his hands to the back of the beta’s neck.
“Hyunjin. I need you to come back to me” Changbin tried again, his voice a little firmer as he let a tinge of his alpha voice slip in “We’re safe now”
But Hyunjin didn’t move. The alpha noticed the awareness flash in the green orbs in front of him. But as fast as it had appeared it also disappeared and Hyunjin’s eyes continued to stare into space.
“Fuck…” Changbin choked, a soft sob escaping his lips as he pulled Hyunjin into his arms and wiped his own tears away before they spilled over his cheeks “I’m so sorry, Jin…”
He took a few deep breaths to steady out his heart, ignoring the tug in his chest that continued to grow more painful with each passing second, before lifting up his hand to cup around his mouth.

The alpha already knew that he wasn’t going to be able to do this on his own. He needed help and there was only one person he knew who was going to be able to get Hyunjin out of the intense submissive trance he was in.
He inhaled deeply and tilted his head up to the sky before howling into the night, his voice urgent in his cry for help. He repeated the process two more times with a couple of seconds in between each howl, knowing that they were deep enough into the territory for him to be heard loud and clear for the ears he was aiming for.

He lowered his hand and cradled the back of Hyunjin’s head, whispering sweet nothings into his ear as the beta continued to tremble under his touch. The alpha tried to calm him down to the best of his abilities, his fingers gingerly trailing through the blonde hair at the base of Hyunjin’s neck. But the tremor stubbornly clung to the beta’s body.
Simultaneously, he kept his ears trained on the area around him, desperately counting the seconds until he could hear something, anything, that would relieve the duo from the stress they were in. Not to mention the way Changbin was channelling all the willpower on the planet to try and ignore the steadily growing pain in his chest from the tug that seemed dead set on attempting to squeeze the life out of his heart.

His wolf wanted to go back, wanted to grab his omega and just run. But the glaring issue was that Felix wasn’t his omega, regardless of how much in instincts were telling him otherwise. Add on top of that the all encompassing fear of possibly never getting to see Felix again after what just happened, the pain was becoming unbearable. And it was slowly eating him up from the inside out, gnawing its way through his bones and leaving nothing but smouldering destruction in its wake.

He squeezed Hyunjin a little tighter and when his ears finally picked up on the distant but unmistakable and familiar sounds of wolf paws speeding through the woods, he leaned back and turned his head into the direction the noise was coming from. And the seconds that passed as he waited for the source of the sound to finally come into view seemed to drag out into infinity, his breath caught in his throat at the anticipation and fear of his pack alpha’s wrath about to rain down on him for allowing this to happen.
But when the giant jet black wolf finally emerged from the shadows, his amber eyes held nothing more than pure concern as he skidded to a halt with Jisung’s frazzled scarlet wolf mere seconds behind him. A mixture of soggy pine and sandalwood circled the duo on the floor despite the winds surrounding them and instantly Changbin felt a sense of relief settle into his stomach.

“Bin!” Chan called out as he leaped forward and shifted, quickly crouching down in front of the two as his eyes scanned both of them for injuries “What happened? Are you okay?”
And when Chan’s soothing voice registered in his brain, all else fell to pieces around him.
“I’m sorry, hyung” He started rambling, his voice breaking with the high of his adrenaline now crumbling in the safety that the presence of his pack alpha provided “It’s all my fault, I wasn’t careful enough. But he came out of nowhere! Everything was going fine and then he just-- and now Jinnie is-- hyung I’m sorry--”
“Changbin” Chan’s hand gripped the back of his neck firmly, allowing the young alpha to shift his attention to the hold and the gentle eyes in front of him.

“Breathe.”
Chan’s words echoed through his panicked stupor and Changbin released a breath he hadn't realized he’d been holding and allowed his lungs to fill with much needed oxygen. His hand came up to hold Chan’s arm, his grip almost crushing as he tried to regain his posture.
Now was not the time to freak out. Hyunjin was the priority.
“Good” Chan spoke again, his grip on Changbin’s neck releasing before he gently stroked his fingers through the short aegean hairs there “Now. Slowly, tell me what happened”

“Jinnie hyung?” Jisung’s voice added to the mix, the scarlet wolf carefully nosing the blonde who was still kneeling motionless on the ground, cheeks stained with fresh tears and coffee scent bitter with fear.
Changbin let his eyes briefly fall on their beta before turning back to his alpha, the guilt almost drowning him as there was no way that he was going to be able to explain everything that happened at this moment in time. So he settled for the one thing that would instantly grasp the gravity of the situation. At least for now.
“We ran into roses…”

At the words, Changbin saw almost all the light drain from Chan’s eyes and he had to fight the urge to flinch.
“What do you mean ‘you ran into roses’?” Chan’s voice asked, a low growl trembling in his chest.
“It’s complicated. And we will tell you everything but first, you have to help Jinnie. Something happened and I can’t get him back, he was forced to submit and now I can’t get through to him. He’s terrified and my voice isn’t reaching him, hyung, you have to do something” Changbin didn’t realize he had started rambling again, the tone in his voice desperate as his grip tightened around Chan’s arm. However, he didn’t miss the confusion that flashed through his pack leader’s eyes at his words before the man looked over at Hyunjin.
Chan carefully let go of Changbin who finally let himself scoot away from the beta, making way for his alpha as his eyes flitted over to Jisung’s futile attempts to try and get Hyunjin’s attention.

“Hyunjin” Chan spoke firmly, keeping his voice warm as one of his hands cupped the younger’s cheek gently and the other came up to grab at the back of the beta’s neck “It’s okay, you’re safe now. I need you to come back to me, love”
“We can’t… we can’t move. We h-have to stay down” Hyunjin whimpered, another stream of tears flowing over his cheeks and catching Chan's hand before they dripped along the elder’s wrist.
“Yes you can” Chan ordered as he tightened the grip on Hyunjin’s nape “It’s over. You can move”

And like someone had ripped open Hyunjin’s airways, the beta inhaled sharply as he gasped for air, his eyes zeroing in on the alpha in front of him.
“Hyung…?” he whispered softly. And Chan felt his heart shatter at how small he sounded. But before he could respond, the beta had flung himself into his arms, the unexpected impact sending both of them toppling backwards. He held onto the younger firmly, managing to catch himself in time and catching both their weights with one of his hands firmly on the ground behind him.

“Hyung!” Hyunjin cried as he all but strangled the elder in an attempt to ground himself, the words falling out of his mouth in incoherent sobs “Hyung I’m sorry! We didn’t know- He came out of nowhere- and now Innie is- he came out of nowhere!”
“Shhhh” Chan said softly, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion as he looked over at Changbin who’s eyes were planted firmly and unblinkingly on the ground “You’re okay. It’s okay. I’m here, I’ve got you”
“What the hell is going on…” Jisung spoke softly as he moved to nose at Changbin’s cheek “Hyung, why are you so sad?”

And as if Jisung’s words had reminded Hyunjin of the alpha’s existence, Changbin found his arms full of the blonde beta within the span of a second before he could even begin to reply to Jisung.
“Hyung!” Hyunjin breathed before leaning back to allow his gaze to travel over the alpha’s form worriedly, looking for any sign or injury “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Changbin nodded quickly, a solemn smile on his face as he reached up to pull Hyunjin back into his arms.
“I’m fine, Hyune. I’m not hurt. Thank you for coming back to us. You scared me there for a minute” He spoke into the younger’s hair shakily “Are you okay?”
Hyunjin nodded fiercely, his embrace becoming a little tighter before he finally looked up to meet Jisung’s gaze who moved into to press his snout against the beta’s cheek worriedly, Hyunjin’s eyes fluttering shut at the touch.

“Let’s go home” Chan’s voice interrupted them gently from where he had gotten himself off the ground and shifted back, though the tension in his voice was not missed by a single member of the pack. The black wolf towered over them, his amber eyes lingering on the two who remained entangled in each other before he spoke again “You two have a lot of explaining to do…”
“Yes hyung…” The duo said in unison before Hyunjin moved to detach himself from the aegean haired alpha, taking Jisung’s invitation when the younger had lowered himself to the ground and quickly climbed onto his back.
Changbin lifted himself up, turning to shift when an abrupt sharp tug in his chest flared pain up and down his lungs. He frowned at the sensation, as the pain from the tug had not stopped since leaving the orchard, gradually growing by the minute.
But this was different.

He swallowed thickly and straightened himself out again to try and shift when the tug pulled again, harder this time, causing him to grab at his chest with an audible gasp.
‘Felix’
“Bin?” Chan’s cautious voice filtered through his ears and he looked up to meet the man’s eyes just before another tug pulled all of the air out of his lungs, making his head spin as he lost his balance and fell to his knees.
Chan’s human form was in front of him within the blink of an eye.

“Bin, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” the alpha asked worriedly and Changbin vaguely felt hands cup his face like he was made out of fragile glass. But the searing pain that had started to drum through every fibre of his being didn’t allow him to focus on anything other than the idea of Felix being in distress.
“I c-can’t… I need to-- Felix--” Changbin panted as the pain intensified, his hands wrapping around Chan’s wrists as he tried to tether himself onto the elder’s pine scent. But his instincts were fighting against him. Every cell in his body was screaming for Felix like never before, like they were telling him that his omega was in pain.
But why was Changbin feeling this, when Felix wasn’t even his omega to begin with? What the hell was happening to him?

One of his hands came back up to clutch at his bare chest again when another tug rendered him breathless, voices circling around him like someone had pushed his head under water. He gasped for air for what felt like an eternity, his heart and lungs burning dangerously as he felt his vision start swimming.
And then, it stopped.
The tightness in his throat released the grip it had on him like a rubber band snapping back and the tug went back to the usual throbbing. And when Changbin finally felt oxygen flow into his lungs again, his body gave way under the weight of shock. He collapsed forwards into a solid frame, the worried voices of his pack members the last thing his ears picked up on in the distance before the night around him disappeared into darkness.

“How is he doing?”
“Still out cold…”
“What if we douse him in cold water?”
“Jisung, please…”
“What? It’s a valid idea, hyung. Hyunjin is refusing to talk without him and I need answers”
“We all need answers, squirrel. But Bin’s well being comes first”

“Can you stop being so loud?” Changbin groaned tiredly as he tried squeezing his eyes open. His head was throbbing and he felt like he had run a marathon to the moon and back. The voices abruptly stopped speaking and he heard frantic shuffling around him as he tried to get his eyes adjusted to the soft light around him. And it didn’t take long for the outlines of his room to fall into view, dim daylight filtering in through the window and the figures of Chan and Jisung hovering close by. Chan was seated on the side of Changbin’s bed where he lay and Jisung stood a couple of feet away, both their faces contorted into unfiltered worry.
“Bin, hey. How are you feeling?” Chan asked as he moved to run his hand over the young alpha’s forehead, brushing away a few strands of hair there.
“Like a buffalo ran me down. What the fuck happened?” Changbin rasped out, clearing his throat before attempting to lift himself into a seated position “ack…water”
“I was hoping you could tell me” Chan said pointedly as he waved Jisung out of the room to fetch a cup of water “You’re the one who collapsed out of nowhere, not me”

Collapsed? Changbin frowned at the statement.
“How long have I been out?” he said as he looked around his room when Jisung darted back into the room, his scarlet hair flopping on top of his head and his sandalwood slightly soggy before he sat down on the other side of the bed and handed Changbin the cup.
“Thanks, squirrel” the alpha sighed before downing the whole thing like a parched cat that had been left out in the desert.
“You slept through the entire morning” Chan said carefully “Since you and Jinnie came back”

It was as if the lead alpha had dumped a bucket of spiders over Changbin’s head as he spoke the words, the memories of the night before flooding back into his mind's eye. And with it, the familiar and painful tug in his chest.
“Felix…” Changbin had breathed out the name before his brain even registered the fact that he had even thought of him, the urge to jump out of bed and bolt out the door in search of the omega instantly at the forefront.
“Yeah. You see,-” Chan’s voice pulled Changbin’s attention over to him and when the young alpha met the man’s gaze, a cold shiver travelled down his spine “-you keep saying that name. But as far as my knowledge goes, there isn’t a single person in our pack named Felix, Bin”

Changbin swallowed thickly and averted his gaze, his hands fiddling with the cup on his lap.
“How’s Hyunjin?” he decided to ask, knowing he would not be able to even begin to explain without the beta present. Hyunjin was a vital part of this story, but before he could gauge Chan's reaction or even receive a response, the door swung open and dangerously crashed into the wall before a body flung itself onto the bed, latching onto Changbin with a loud ‘umph’.
“I’m fine, you big stupid lump of muscle. You fucking scared the crap out of us!” Hyunjin leaned back and smacked Changbin across the chest “Don’t ever do that shit ever again!”
“Wow, hyung, careful. He just woke up” Jisung scolded gently as he reached over to try and pry the beta off of the elder.

“Me?” Changbin countered as he rubbed at his chest before reaching up and flicking Hyunjin’s forehead, Jisung’s words bouncing off of their skin and out the window “I’m not the one who refused to snap out of submission. Do you have any idea the terror you put me through?”
“That was not my fault!” Hyunjin snapped back with a huff “I didn’t ask for that”
“Oh, you mean like how I asked to pass out? Seriously?” Changbin asked rhetorically.
“Enough.” Chan’s low growl put an immediate stop to the bickering, both of them cowering at the tone with a mumbled ‘sorry’.

“Since you two seem to be fine enough for shenanigans,” The pack leader continued as he got up from the bed and dragged over the chair that had been standing by the small desk “how about we address the real issue, hmm?”
He flipped the chair around and sat down, draping his arms over the backrest and eyeing the duo on the bed carefully. Jisung had moved to sit on the ground, his arms crossed with his back resting against the door and legs sprawled out in front of him lazily, just in case anyone got the crazy idea to run.
Hyunjin had moved off of Changbin’s lap and sat cross legged to his side, the latter moving up to lean his back against the headboard of the bed nervously while neither of them dared to meet Changbin’s watchful eyes.

“I don’t even know what questions to start asking” Chan said carefully, his tone surprisingly calm despite the calculated glimmer his eyes held “So I’m going to let you decide where to begin. But I warn you…”
Changbin and Hyunjin gulped at the switch in tone as he spoke the last part, both of them finally looking up and cowering at the simmering anger that lay dormant in the bright amber eyes resting on the both of them.
“After last night, I will not be as patient as I have been the past couple of weeks” Chan spoke slowly as his eyes flitted between the beta and the aegean alpha, noticing the change in their posture “So whatever it is that you two were ‘sorting out’, I hope for your sake that you have”

Changbin swallowed thickly, trying his best not to look away from the alpha. And when he felt a hand slip onto his thigh, giving it a light squeeze, he inhaled deeply and nodded once to push himself over the edge.
“It’s my fault.” he said, his heart feeling heavy as he ignored the small protests coming from beside him before he moved to grab the younger’s hand “I’m the reason we ended up in that situation. I started all of it”
He watched as Chan leaned onto his arms on the back of the chair, patiently waiting for Changbin to continue his story.
So he did.

He told them everything. From how he had been caught by the two omegas that fateful day he had gone to fetch fruits to how the arrangement of the nightly meetings had blown itself into existence. How Hyunjin had figured out something was going on and how all of this had continued to happen in the span of weeks which then had bled into months.
And as he spoke, his eyes continued to shift between the two other alphas in the room guiltily, noticing how Jisung’s sandalwood scent had turned slightly burnt at the edges the deeper Changbin got into his story. But he was grateful neither of them felt the need to interrupt him as he spoke, enabling him to rattle through his nerves as he got the story out.
And when he finally reached the part that would explain last night and the words that he had uttered to his alpha the night before, Changbin braced himself for an onslaught of rage.
“And that’s when roses showed up” he said carefully “He ambushed us out of nowhere, using the wind as his cover. Granted, if Felix is anything to go by, I know that the man also has to be just as good at hiding his scent regardless of any type of wind…”
Changbin swallowed thickly when he saw Chan’s eyebrows knit together in what seemed to be a hint of confusion, knowing that the pack leader was wondering why Felix would have anything to do with that.

“Roses… is Felix’s older brother” the young alpha nailed the coffin shut and bit the corner of his lip expectantly, his eyes never leaving his pack leader’s face.
Chan blinked at the information, jaw falling slightly agape as if out of everything that Changbin had recounted, that was the piece of information he couldn’t believe.
“For fucks sake, Seo Changbin” he exhaled after a few excruciating beats of silence “Out of all the stupid things you could have done, you decided to fratinize with the brother of the man responsible for this?”
Chan motioned towards the scars on his face exasperatedly and Changbin ducked his head guiltily.
“I’m sorry, hyung” He said softly “I never meant for it to escalate like that, I swear. It just happened, sorta… I don’t know…”
How was he going to tell his alpha that he was in love with the brother of their ‘enemy’. That the omega had swept him off of his feet by just looking at him and existing in the same vicinity. By pointing an arrow at his head and then letting him go because he was merciful, unlike his brother who chose violence over benevolence without even thinking about it. Because that information was going to go over so well.
“Well obviously, of course it just sorta happened ” Chan stated matter-of-factly, his eyebrows still knitted together “You don’t choose who you fall in love with, Bin. That shit chooses you”

What?
Changbin’s head snapped up, eyes wide as he regarded his alpha and his mouth opening and closing akin to a fish out of water as he tried to stumble for words which refused to come to mind.
“Please” Chan rolled his eyes “How stupid do you think I am, yeah? Hyunjin’s whole questionnaire about falling in love a few weeks ago? You think I can’t put two and two together? Granted, at first I thought you two were sneaking out to be together in private. Lord knows why, but I wasn’t going to pry and wanted to give you the space to come forward in your own time”
“Ew!” Hyunjin unlatched Changbin’s hand from his own as if the touch had burned him “Why would you even think that!?”
“Rude” Changbin flicked his ear with a grimace, the beta sticking his tongue out at him before the both of them turned their attention back to Chan.

“But never in my wildest dreams did I expect that you were being absolute idiots and crossing the border every night, seeking out the people I specifically told you to stay away from” Chan continued with his lips curled up, his fangs on full display and unable to subdue the menacing yet low growl that rumbled in the back of his throat which caused the duo to flinch lightly before he reeled in his anger and continued “When you started mumbling about this Felix last night and after hearing your story, Hyunjin’s questions started making a lot more sense. What I would do if one of you dated someone outside of the pack? Someone I did not approve of? It’s not hard to connect the dots after that spiel, Bin. You’re not fooling anyone”
If anything the alpha seemed more offended by the notion that they had assumed that he would not be able to decipher the cryptic than the actual rule breaking itself.

Missing how Jisung was looking between the three in utter confusion, Changbin gaped at Chan incredulously before lowering his face into his hands with a groan as he felt heat rush up to his head after being called out. Had he been that obvious? And if so, what was to tell him that Felix hadn’t caught on as well? For fucks sake.
“Questionnaire…?” Jisung’s voice drowned out where he had mumbled to himself, not even attempting to make it seem like he had any idea what they were talking about.

“But, your absolute ridiculous insubordination and plan to get yourselves killed by roses aside” Chan said with a pointed look, inadvertently ignoring their youngest alpha as anger flashed through his eyes, making the duo on the bed shrink into themselves “That does not explain what I ran into when I found the two of you yesterday, how had Jinnie been reduced to that ? What happened after you were ambushed by that maniac?”
“He’s not a maniac…” Hyunjin mumbled softly, all eyes in the room snapping back at him in disbelief. Changbin understood where the beta was coming from, considering everything they had been told by Felix. But after last night, he couldn’t deny the fact that Minho was at the very least very unhinged and extremely impulsive, which had left any hope for reconciliation burned and washed away.
“You’re kidding, right?” Jisung finally spoke up from where he was still sitting against the door, his arms crossed over his chest and the burned edge of sandalwood still present “You weren’t there, Hyunjin. When we found you, you literally weren’t there. Whatever happened to you at that orchard, left you so subdued that you couldn’t even speak properly! So how can you even say that?”

Hyunjin flinched at the stern tone of voice from the alpha before he snapped his head into Jisung’s direction with a fiery glare, the young alpha blinking at the sudden show of defiance.
“No, Jisung. You weren’t there.” Hyunjin countered fiercely, his voice thick with emotion and frustration.
“You weren’t there every time Felix told us stories about him and his brother. You weren’t there to see the stars twinkling in his eyes every time he would mention his brother like the man would daily pluck the moon out of the sky just for Felix to gaze upon in private. You weren’t there when Felix would defend his brother with every cell in his body, willing to die on a hill fighting for that man. And you weren’t there when all the stories and mentions led us to believe that he is not the man you think he is, that we thought he was. Minho is hurt, and traumatized and he’s a good person. Sure he’s extremely overprotective, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe there is a reason for that!?”

Hyunjin panted heavily, trying to catch his breath as he continued to glare daggers at the alpha at the door who looked back at him with guilt swirling in his eyes, obviously not having expected that Hyunjin would pop off the way that he did. And Changbin could see how hard the young alpha was trying not to pout at getting yelled at, but there was no stopping hurricane Hyunjin once he had set his course.
“Of course you haven't” Hyungjin added, his tone of voice almost heartbroken as his bottom lip trembled violently “While I may not fully understand what exactly happened to us yesterday or how we even got out of that situation in the first place. What I do understand, based on what I know about him, is that he probably saw a threat and acted without thinking about anything other than keeping his baby brother safe. Which, I promise you, was his exact same motive for attacking Channie hyung that day.”

The beta turned to face their pack leader with desperation and guilt laced in his features, inhaling deeply as his hand found Changbin’s again.
“And I’m sorry, hyung, for defending someone who inflicted all of that pain on you and left you with a physical reminder of it. But they are good people. And I just know that Minho is a good person too. He’s not the enemy, he’s just protecting his own. Because if he doesn’t, nobody else will” he spoke quickly, his tone almost pleading as he addressed the pack alpha and wiped at his eyes in an attempt to get rid of the tears that were threatening to spill “You of all people should be able to understand that, hyung. Especially since you have us…”
Hyunjin swallowed thickly, his head tipping down and zeroing in on his hand intertwined with Changbin’s and all the alpha could do was stare at the bravery. Bravery for standing up for someone who indeed deserved the grace Hyunjin was so openly willing to give him. And it made the alpha feel guilty for thinking the things he had shortly after they had gotten away last night.

The blonde was right.
There was so much more to Minho than meets the eye and he knew this, because he believed Felix when he spoke about him. And after everything that Felix had told him, he should have heeded to his own words and given the man the benefit of the doubt. Even after the ambush.

“He’s right” he said softly as he tore his eyes away from the beta, his thumb gently caressing the boy’s knuckles as he locked eyes with Chan “They’re good people…”
Chan studied the duo for a couple of excruciatingly long and silent seconds which dragged out until they felt like minutes. Though there was no anger in his eyes anymore, no contempt. Just warmth and gentle consideration as he continued to shift his eyes between the two seated on the bed until he finally broke the silence.
“Okay.” He spoke softly, shifting in his seat “I hear you, Hyunjin. And though I am surprised to hear this, I respect the fact that you feel the need to defend someone who you personally do not know, yet.”

Both Hyunjin and Changbin blinked at the word, their heads shooting up to meet Chan’s gaze who held his hand up to indicate that he wasn’t done speaking.
“So thank you for trusting me enough and feeling safe enough to share your thoughts with me. But that does not take away the fact that what you did was beyond ridiculously foolish and don’t you dare think that just because I am calm right now that I am not furious with you” he said sternly, the two pouting lightly at the short-lived heated glare they received “But above all else, I am relieved that you are okay. I am happy for you that you were able to make new friends. And based on your recounting of the events, they sound lovely”

He paused again for a couple of seconds as he replayed the explanation in his mind, his eyebrows stuck in a light frown.
“However. None of what you told me, explains the state I found the both of you in yesterday. You were ambushed but that does not answer the question as to why Hyunjin had been forced so deep into submission that nothing else registered to him. Nor does it explain what the hell happened to you for you to pass out the way that you did, Bin” He continued, his eyes sharp as they bored right through Changbin’s soul “You looked like you were in pain, and you were asking for Felix for reasons I do not comprehend. What are you not telling me?”
Changbin clenched his jaw, inhaling through his nose as he watched Chan with careful calculation. Because the problem was, he hadn’t a single clue of what exactly happened last night. The only explanation he could give was one that wasn’t even remotely reasonable and he already knew that he was going to sound insane if he tried to share it.

And what happened to himself was an even bigger mystery. Because how was he going to explain the tug he had been feeling, the way his instincts had been almost fighting with him since those tugs first started occurring. That every time he was with the omega, the tug would mysteriously disappear and melt into a content and warm presence. That last night he just knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that something was wrong with Felix without even being able to physically see him. And that now he was fine, tug still consistently and painfully there but not screaming bloody murder at him to go and find his omega. His omega who wasn’t even actually his to begin with. How, for the love of everything that was good and green, was he going to explain all of that?

“That’s the thing hyung. We don’t know what happened” Hyunjin said softly as he looked from Chan to Changbin and back when the latter took too long to answer, Chan’s eyes studying him carefully “All I know is that one moment we were trying to get away. Felix told us to run so we did. Or, we tried. And then there was this voice. Not actually a voice but something telling me to stop moving, to stay down. I didn’t even realize what was happening, my body just… listened. And no matter what I tried, I couldn’t move. I was terrified to move…”
“It was like there was an invisible hand holding us down. I couldn’t even breathe properly, it was suffocating” Changbin added silently as Hyunjin nodded along with the words, confirming the statement.

“Wait. You too?” Chan asked, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion “How were you able to get away, if you were in the same state? Hyunjin was barely even there when I got to you last night”
“Because Felix told me to” Changbin answered truthfully, the look in his eyes reflecting his own confusion about the situation “Felix told me to take Hyunjin and get out of there. It was almost as if his words broke the spell that was holding me down. Hyung, I bared my neck. Whatever that was, made me submit and I couldn’t even do anything to stop it until Felix told me otherwise.”
“How is that possible?” Jisung spoke up as he slowly pushed himself off the ground and moved over to the bed. “From what you told us, you made it seem like the only alpha in the area was you. You understand how that sounds, right? Being forced to submit while there was no alpha around to use an alpha voice on you?”
“Of course we understand that, Sung, that’s the whole point” Hyunjin quipped exasperatedly as he allowed Jisung to pull him into his chest, the beta relaxing into his arms despite the grimace on his face as Jisung gently nosed behind his ear apologetically.

“Yes, Sungie, I know. But that’s the problem. It wasn’t alpha voice” Changbin shifted his attention back to Chan “Though it felt eerily similar, it was completely different. Which is why I can’t comprehend what the hell happened and why I submitted. Why either of us did.”
The pack leader continued to watch Changbin carefully, his eyes serious and his eyebrows still furrowed together as he let the young alpha’s words sink in. And Changbin could almost see the gears turning in his eyes, the scrutiny he was under feeling like he was being interrogated.
“I’m trying but I’m not entirely sure what to make of this” Chan finally spoke up after a while, his voice cutting through the silence like an arrow.

“Yes, well. Repeat that for the next hour and you’ll be about where we are now” Hyunjin stated seriously, his hand clamping onto Jisung’s wrist who had his arms tightly wrapped around his waist. The corner of Chan’s lip quivered up into a lopsided smile, but the confusion that still riddled his face made it seem more like a pained grimace than anything else.
“Okay” Chan sighed as he ran his hands over his face before carding them through his hair “This is a lot of information to digest all at once”
“You asked…” Hyunjin mumbled with a small pout, instantly whispering a quick apology when Chan shot him a warning glare before snuggling a little deeper into Jisung’s safe embrace.

“Anyway.” Chan tore his eyes away from Hyunjin and brought his attention back to one of his previous questions “Is this why you were asking for Felix? Because he told you to run?”
Changbin heard the question but also heard the hesitation in Chan’s voice. Asif he knew that this wasn’t the case at all. And he wouldn’t blame him for assuming that because how would that even make sense in the first place. Changbin had been fine, granted a little frazzled but fine nonetheless, until he wasn’t.
He shook his head slowly and tried to find a way to explain it that would make a semblance of sense. But, struggling as he might, nothing came to mind so instead he just decided to start at the beginning.

“I don’t know how to explain it, hyung” He said as he locked eyes with Chan who looked back at him with gentle encouragement “a while after meeting Felix, something changed. My obvious attraction and feelings towards the omega aside, something started happening to me that I honestly don’t fully understand”
Subconsciously he had moved his hand to his chest as he tried to plow through his thoughts, the tug still constricting his heart.
“It’s like I can feel him. Which, I know, sounds insane. But every time I’m away from him, and the longer I go without seeing him, the worse it gets… it’s like… It’s--”

“Like a tug in your heart telling you that you need to find him?” Chan finished for him and Changbin’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at his alpha, yet again dumbstruck at how Chan had read him within the span of seconds.
“And when you are with him, the tug stops and all that is left is content and warmth and the need to keep him as close to you as possible?”
“How do you…?” Changbin breathed in disbelief as Chan recounted his own thoughts and experiences back at him so easily.

“Because, Bin” Chan’s eyes turned melancholy as heartbreak flashed through them while he addressed the younger “I’ve heard this all before, from Mila”
At the mention of Chan’s late fiancé's name, dread filled his stomach as he feared where his alpha was going with his words.
“There is nothing wrong with you, and what you’re feeling isn’t insane, Bin. What pains me is that this has happened to you in a situation where you can’t freely be with him. But nothing about what you are experiencing is unnatural or weird” Chan continued when he noticed the look on the young alpha’s face, giving him a soft reassuring smile.

“Seems to me like you’ve bonded with this Felix, Bin…”

--

Seungmin stared up at his ceiling from where he lay motionless in his bed, the events from the night before replaying in his mind over and over again. If anything, the beta hadn’t slept a wink in the wake of finding out what had been happening in the shadows all this time. The whole ordeal had left a very unpleasantly bitter taste in his mouth and had left him feeling betrayed by their youngest for some reason.
After everything he and Jeongin had survived through, the younger choosing not to confide in him and therefore breaking the promise they had made all those years ago, felt like a stab in the back and cracked away at his heart.

And maybe it was selfish, maybe Seungmin was selfish for feeling so conflicted about it and for being so angry, but he had truly believed that their relationship was stronger than that. Them finding Minho and Felix, or Minho finding them in the woods all those years ago when they had been knocking on death’s door, had been a blessing. And when Jeongin had grown so close to Felix, Seungmin couldn’t have been happier. After everything, they deserved the peace and Jeongin deserved to be loved the way that Minho and Felix loved him.
Which is why it infuriated him that the omega would even think about going behind Minho’s back like this. And it inadvertently made him feel like he wasn’t enough for Jeongin anymore, like Seungmin had fumbled the ball in their friendship so badly for Jeongin to choose not to come to him.
When there used to be a time where Seungmin was all Jeongin had.

Seungmin sat in the corner of his bottom bunk bed, the ragged book in his hands keeping him company as he shrunk himself into the corner of the wall under his blanket. The book wasn’t anything special, it didn’t even hold significant text. It was riddled with pictures of the same old stories Seungmin would dive into whenever he wasn’t being dragged around by his ear to do chores. And today was one of those days.
Mrs. Choi, the alpha who owned the orphanage, had slithered out of her torture chamber with orders for everyone to get bathed and dressed up properly, instead of their usual rags, which only meant one thing. New arrivals.

Seungmin already felt bad for the kid, because this orphanage wasn’t one anyone would want to be sent to. Though he figured being sent to an orphanage either way wasn't something anyone would want because that meant that you had nobody else, or nobody else wanted you. And he didn’t have anything else to compare it to but the boy strongly believed that this is not what an orphanage was supposed to be like.
Or else Mrs. Chois wouldn't bother with the charades in front of outsiders.
Seungmin had been dumped on the doorsteps of this place shortly after he had been born, and he couldn’t draw out a single memory of the 7 years that he had been here that hadn’t been worse than hell on earth.

The door to the small bedroom swung open and Seungmin nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound, quickly hiding the book underneath his mattress before sliding off of his bed and scurrying to stand next to it. He noticed in the corner of his eye that the kid in the bunk next to his, had dozed off and missed the fact that the door had opened. Panic flared up his spine and Seungmin moved to try and wake him up but when a figure emerged at the door, he froze.

Mrs. Choi stepped into the room, her tall and slender frame silhouetted by the light on the other side of the door. And as per usual, her hair was pulled back so tightly in an attempt to make her ugly and wrinkled face seem younger, causing her to look like a rat fresh out of water.
Seungmin straightened his back, his eyes briefly glancing over at Byungho and finding that the boy was still slumped against the wall in the corner of his bed. This wasn’t good. He tried whispering into his direction but Byungho remained dead to the world and if Seungmin made too much noise, Mrs. Choi would hear him and that was the last thing he needed right now. The bruises littering his back and legs from yesterday’s spanking were still fresh and he did not need another strike this week.

But before he could think of anything else to try and wake the boy, Mrs. Choi had already walked further into the room. Seungmin clenched his fist behind his back and swallowed the lump in his throat when her thick liquorice scent filled the room to the brink and he had to fight not to gag.
“Good afternoon, my beautiful children” Her voice screeched through the room like nails on a chalkboard and Seungmin clenched his jaw to keep from flinching. And in the corner of his eye he could see movement on Byungho’s bed, the 5 year old scrambling to his feet quickly and standing next to his bed.

“Good afternoon, headmother Choi!” the group chanted in unison in response to the greeting, sounding like a well practiced choir that had been whipped into perfection. Literally. But Byunho’s voice had still been groggy with sleep which caused his words to slur ever so lightly as he tried to keep a yawn off of his lips. A sound so small and unnoticeable that it would have been missed by a normal ear, if they had been surrounded by normal people. But the people in this orphanage weren’t normal people, they were demons.
Like a hungry vulture, Mrs. Choi zeroed in on Byunho, her snake-like gray eyes darkening for the briefest of moments and Seungmin couldn’t fight the shiver that ran over his spine.
“Nice for you to join us too, Byungho” The tension in her voice turned the air in the room to ice and Seungmin watched how Byungho’s trembling frame turned to face the headmother before bowing at a perfect 45 degree angle.
“Good afternoon, headmother Choi” he repeated before straightening himself up with Mrs. Choi watching him carefully, her rat-like face stony before a sudden smile took over her features as she turned to address the rest of the group.

“I have come here today to introduce you to the newest member of our family!” She clapped her hands together cheerfully “So I am expecting you all to give him a warm welcome and make him feel at home to the best of your abilities, my perfect puppies”
“Yes, headmother Choi” they all chanted again.
Seungmin internally reeled at the fakeness that dripped off of her frame to leave permanent marks on the floor below. There had to be someone behind the door they weren’t seeing, because there was absolutely no way Byungho would still be in the room if there wasn’t. And true to Seungmin’s suspicions, seconds later a young girl stepped into frame, her long caramel coloured hair braided down to her waist and her mismatched eyes scanning the room briefly before turning her eyes on the boy who was firmly holding onto her hand. He sported the same caramel hair and mesmerizing mismatched brown and blue eyes. But his were filled with tears.
“This is Jeongin” Mrs. Choi gestured towards the small boy, the fake smile still plastered on her ugly face “and he will be staying with ur for a little while”

“Noona…” Jeongin sniffed as he tugged the young girl’s hand shyly “I don’t want to stay here”
“Innie” The girl crouched down until she was on his eye level and smiled sweetly, but Seungmin didn’t miss the heartbreak that swirled around in her eyes “Noona will be back soon. I will find eomma and appa and then I will come for you, okay? It will just be for a little bit, I’ll be back before you know it”
She didn’t promise, Seungmin noted.
“I want to come with you” Jeongin hiccupped sadly as he shook his head, tears in his eyes threatening to overflow as his hand reached out to hold onto her tunic “I don’t want to stay here”

“I know, baby” the girl said again before pulling him into a hug “Just a few nights and noona will be back, okay? Will you be a good boy and listen to Mrs. Choi until noona comes back?”
When the girl leaned back to look at Jeongin, he hesitated for a couple of seconds, his eyes searching her face for any trace of a lie before nodding slowly and looking up at Mrs. Choi who was smiling down at him.
“Don’t you worry, little one” she said, her voice thick with feigned kindness “you will fit right in here, and you will have so many friends to play with”
Jeongin nodded again before carefully reaching out to take her outstretched hand. And the second his hand locked into hers, Seungmin knew that this boy was never getting out of here again. Because no pup who ever walked in through those doors, ever did.

“Kim Seungmin” Mrs. Choi’s voice startled Seungmin out of his mind and he straightened up, fear taking over every single blood cell coursing through his veins.
“Yes, Headmother Choi?” He answered quickly with a smile on his face, his cheeks already hurting from the strain of having to be forced to smile.
“Would you be a good little pup and take Jeongin under your wing while I walk ms. Yang out?”
“I would love to, headmother Choi” Seungmin bowed quickly before stepping forward and taking Jeongin’s hand “Hi, Jeongin. I’m Seungmin, nice to meet you!”

Jeongin nodded shyly, letting himself get dragged back towards Seungmin’s bunk bed before he casted a quick glance back to his sister standing at the door. The girl shot him an encouraging smile, the tears in her eyes at bay as she looked over Jeongin as if to burn his image into her brain before she sent him a quick wave and turned.
Mrs. Choi walked her out of the room, her cold eyes briefly glancing over to Byungho before she closed the door behind her, leaving the room to fall back into silence.
But the silence only lasted for a few seconds.

When they all knew Mrs. Choi was not going to come back, everyone swarmed around the new addition to the room cautiously. They all introduced themselves sweetly, all masks dropped to make way for genuine kindness and curiosity.
The young pup squeezed Seungmin’s hand as he moved a little closer in response to the sudden attention, the tears still in his eyes as tried to smile at all the faces surrounding him.
“It’s okay, Jeongin” Seungmin said sweetly, his hand coming up to pat the boy’s head “No need to be shy”
Jeongin nodded, a sweet smile taking over his face as he looked up at Seungmin, his eyes twinkling in awe. And instantly, the beta pup was sold.

“How old are you?” Seungmin asked carefully as he guided him over until they were seated on his bed.
“I’m 5” Jeongin said carefully as he held up 5 fingers “But I will be 6 soon”
“Ah, then I’m older than you. I’m 7, so you can call me hyung if you want” Seungmin smiled reassuringly.
“Okay hyung!” Jeongin answered quickly as he squeezed the elder’s hand a little harder. And soon the room had fallen into a comfortable buzz of conversation as everyone tried to get to know the new addition to their group, sending a flare of protectiveness coursing through Seungmin as the boy continued to clamp onto him as they talked.

But it wasn’t long before the door to the room swung open again, the sound of the door slamming into the wall sending a jolt through the cheerful air and cutting it down immediately. It took mere seconds for everyone, who had been happily huddled around Seungmin’s bed, to scurry off to their own bunk when Mrs. Choi re-emerged at the door.
Seungmin instinctively pulled Jeongin closer, discreetly hiding him out of sight to the best of his ability when Mrs. Choi’s fuming figure walked into the room, her liquorice scent burning with rage and draining all of the oxygen out of the room. Her slit-like eyes were glued on the pup she was here for as she approached, her hand shooting out before her bony fingers wrapped around Byungho’s upper arm.

“How dare you try to embarrass me like that in front of guests!?” her voice echoed through the room and bounced off of the walls. Seungmin felt Jeongin flinch as his hand came up to grip onto Seungmin’s wrist, his small frame trembling at the sudden change in atmosphere. The beta pup pulled him a little closer as he placed his hand over the younger’s hand, his finger gently rubbing over his skin to try and soothe him.
“I guess yesterday’s punishment wasn't enough for you to learn!?” Mrs. Choi shreeked again as she pulled on the boy’s arm violently, a loud popping noise following the movement and Seungmin watched in horror how Byungho’s arm pulled away from his shoulder farther than should have been possible.
The pup cried out in pain and tried thrashing against the grip as Mrs. choi dragged him out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her and leaving the room to fall back into silence, Byungho’s blood curdling screams echoing through the hallways as he was taken away to what Seungmin knew was the punishment room on the other side of the building.

It was the last time any of them saw Byungho ever again.

And if Seungmin had chosen to protect his heart by ignoring the voice in his head telling him the reason why he and some of his roommates were tasked with digging a sizable hole about a mile into the forest out back later that night, none would be the wiser.

Much like how he had been on the first day that he arrived, Jeongin had continued to glue himself to Seungmin’s side for the remainder of his stay. And the beta had gladly taken the boy under his wing in a desperate yet futile attempt to try and save what innocence the omega pup had left.
The first few weeks, Jeongin continued to talk about all the things he would do once his sister came back for him, all the things she had told him she would cook for him. Though when weeks turned into months, the enthusiastic words started diminishing. Which in turn prompted Seungmin to become a lifeline for the boy whose eyes were too sweet for the true horrors of the world.
Despite knowing better, he tried to reassure Jeongin that maybe his sister was having trouble finding his parents and that was what was causing the delay. And Jeongin had chosen to believe him. But when months turned into years, the topic of his sister died along with the light in the omega pup’s eyes.

When Jeongin had received his first beating, a couple of weeks after being dropped off at the orphanage, the boy had been inconsolable. The ugly bruises that littered his entire body had been nothing short of gruesome and Seungmin had sworn that he would try to protect him by whatever means necessary.
So the next time Jeongin spilled his food, Seungmin had pushed him aside and taken the fall for it, claiming that he had been uncareful when one of the mothers had asked what happened.
He hadn’t been able to sleep on his back for days after the whipping that followed and was denied food for a week. But, at least, Jeongin was unharmed.

And when Jeongin had found Seungmin’s book hidden under his mattress, not knowing that it was not allowed to have books in the bedrooms, the beta pup had snatched the book out of his hands just in time before one of the mothers had walked in for inspection.
Two days spent isolated in the ‘reflection room’ without food or water had been a small price to pay for the relief that came with the knowledge that Jeongin was unharmed.
And when the younger had accidentally broken one of the picture frames in the hall, Seungmin had carefully hidden the boy in the broom closet before being dragged away by one of the mothers to Mrs. Choi’s ‘office’.
The double fracture in his arm had taken forever to heal.
But, at least, Jeongin remained unharmed.

And this continued for the remainder of the years that the two were cooped up in the orphanage together. But no matter how hard Seungmin tried, he wasn’t always able to save Jeongin from punishment, mainly because their tasks around the orphanage weren’t always in the same area and the mothers always found the smallest things in order to get their sadistic ways. The omega pup would spend all night sobbing into the crook of Seungmin’s neck after some of the beatings. And the first time Jeongin had been sent off to the ‘reflection room’ for talking back to a mother, it had felt like eons to the beta until the boy was finally in his sights again. And the state in which Jeongin had returned, would continue to haunt him for the rest of his existence.

“I’m sorry, Innie” Seungmin had held onto the omega pup that night, his embrace lighter than a feather out of fear that the younger would snap in half at too much pressure “I should have been there. I should have stopped it”
“Not your fault, hyung” Jeongin had whispered, his throat raspy from lack of hydration.
“Yes it is” Seungmin said as he tried to bite back the tears that were rimming his eyes “I vowed to protect you and I can’t even do that right”
“I’m not your responsibility…” Jeongin tried.
“Yes you are. From the moment that you held my hand on the first day you got here, you have always been my responsibility, Innie” Seungmin reprimanded sternly “You’re my best friend. And you will always be my first priority. Promise me that you will find me, Innie. Whatever happens, whatever trouble you think you have gotten yourself into. Promise me to come and find me first”
“But, hyung, I don’t want you to get hurt because of me…” Jeongin sniffled silently.

“And I don’t want you to get hurt at all” Seungmin said firmly as he held out his hand, his pinky finger up in the air “Promise me”
Jeongin hesitated from where he lay with his ear pressed into Seungmin’s chest, the sound of the beta’s heartbeat slowly hazing his mind as the elder saw the boy’s eyelids grow heavier by the second. The omega pup finally lifted his hand weakly, pinky out, and Seungmin caught it with his own before it could collapse back down.
“Promise…” Jeongin said weakly, a tear running over his nose and dripping into Seungmin’s tunic “Forever…”
“Forever” Seungmin nodded before placing Jeongin’s hand down and burying his nose into the crown of the younger’s head “I love you, Innie”
“Love you too, hyung…” Jeongin mumbled before going limp in Seungmin’s arms and falling into a deep slumber.

It wasn’t until the winter after Seungmin had turned 13 that his last straw of any semblance of patience he had, was drawn. When Jeongin had gotten in trouble for sneaking a snack to one of the kids that was sitting out her ‘no food’ punishment.
The girl had been starving and Jeongin was shifty, he was quick on his feet and he had successfully done it multiple times before, without being caught. But what the young omega had not taken into account, was that the girl was relatively new to the group and his name had been beaten out of her easily by Mrs. Choi.

Jeongin had been dragged out of garden duty that day by one of the mothers, and when Seungmin had tried to stop them, tried to tell them it was a misunderstanding, they had taken him too. Though his punishment for the insubordination had paled in comparison to Jeongin’s. Mrs. Choi had beaten him within an inch of his life and deposited his limp and unconscious body into his bunk bed that evening.
That same night, biting through his own pain of the new forming bruises and what he suspected to be some new cracked ribs, he grabbed Jeongin and ran. He had been in the orphanage long enough to know the patterns of the surveillancing mothers at night and, save from a very close call in which he had almost rounded a corner and directly ran into the view of one, he had managed to avoid all of them thanks to him memorizing their horrible scents.

A loose plank in the fence, which he had accidentally stumbled upon only days prior, had been the anchor he had held onto for this impromptu escape plan. And asif the moon spirits had been guiding their way, the plank had still been loose that night. After wiggling himself and Jeongin’s still unconscious body through the tight spot, he shifted and he ran. He ran, high on adrenaline, for days without stopping. Desperate to get as far away from the orphanage as possible. Guilt swimming in his stomach for leaving the rest of his friends behind and praying that they would make it out safely one day. But his priority was Jeongin. So he ran.
Until a snow white omega found them lost in his territory.
And that was the first time in his life that Seungmin had learned what real safety and care and love felt like. The first time the beta had felt like he had succeeded in keeping his friend safe.

A knock on the door startled Seungmin out of his thoughts, making him notice the wetness running over his temples and into his earlobes. He pushed himself up into a seated position and wiped at his face before inhaling deeply and looking up at the door, delicate white rose filtering through the opening at the bottom.
“Yes, hyung?” he called out and the door slid open slowly shortly after.
“Hey, pup. How are you?” Minho’s face popped inside before he opened the door all the way and leaned against the door frame.
“Tired” Seungmin answered curtly “You? Did you manage to sleep?”
“What do you think?” Minho sighed softly.
“Is Lix okay?” the beta asked as he looked down at his hands, remembering the cries that had echoed through the wooden panels of the cottage that night.

“I don’t know… last time I went to check on him, he was still sleeping” the pack leader answered, his ice blue eyes careful as he regarded the boy on the bed “Are you mad at me?”
Seungmin clenched his jaw, his fingers curling around the hem of his tunic.
“Minnie” Minho pushed cautiously.
“Yes, I’m mad at you hyung!” Seungmin snapped, closing his eyes and running his hands over his face exasperatedly “But I don’t want to be…”
Minho sighed and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him before moving to sit down at the edge of the bed.
“Yell at me” he said softly as he crossed one of his legs underneath him “I know I deserve it”
“How could you let him get hurt like that!?” Seungmin glared up at Minho, cinnamon scent fuming “You were the very last person who was supposed to hurt us, hurt him! You are supposed to take care of us and keep us safe! And because of your stupid blinded hatred, for reasons still unknown to us by the way, you failed to notice him coming when you should have! Because I know you could have, because you’re you! You’re Minho! Sharp, alert, always aware of his surroundings, Lee Minho!”

Seungmin smacked Minho in the chest as fury licked up his throat.
“I get that what they did is beyond stupid, and I am mad at them for it too. I get that he shouldn’t have jumped in front of you like that and believe me it is taking everything in my power not to walk in there and throttle him for it” Seungmin hissed, another smack sent the omega’s way “But you should have known better! We are not the children we once were, we are no longer the pups you need to keep out of the hands of these evil alphas that haunt your past, hyung! You have raised us to know better and trained us to be strong. I know to trust that we can handle ourselves in a situation that matters so why the fuck can’t you!? If your head hadn’t been so far up your own ass, surrounded by fear and senses blinded by the ghosts of your past, I know you would have never let this happen! And now, the one person in my life who I thought would never hurt him has hurt the one person I cherish more than my own life!”
Minho caught Seungmin’s wrist when the boy was about to strike for the umteenth time, gently guiding his arm down before lifting his free hand to wipe at the tears that had started running over the younger’s face.
“You should have known better…” Seungmin whimpered weakly, Minho’s hand cold on his warm cheek.

“You’re right” Minho said softly after a few seconds, his fingers gently caressing the beta’s cheek “And I’m sorry… I saw red and didn’t see him coming and nobody is to blame for that but me. And I have been killing myself over it since it happened”
“Jeongin is to blame for that just as much” Seungmin mumbled with an angry pout.
“But Jeongin isn’t the one who attacked so blindly, I am” Minho spoke gently as he moved closer to the beta, taking the younger’s face into his hands “And I am sorry that I am the cause for this grief that you are feeling right now. Believe me when I say that I never meant to hurt him, because I would never. And if I could, I would undo it in a heartbeat. And I am sorry if I ever gave you the feeling that you are not safe with me…”

“No hyung!” Seungmin wiped at his face before pulling Minho’s hands down and taking them into his own “You have never made any of us feel unsafe, which is probably why Jeongin did what he did in the first place. But I just don’t understand… Because you have never confided in us as to why you hold so much contempt in your heart for alphas. So much so that you would miss something as crucial as that. And yet Felix seems to have no issue in approaching one despite all of your blinded hatred”

Minho watched Seungmin for a few silent seconds, the pack leader searching the younger’s eyes for a while before inhaling and exhaling deeply.
“You’re right, and I’m sorry…” He nodded slowly, his fingers gently running over the beta’s knuckles “As for Felix… I don’t know what goes through his mind but he doesn’t know the full story either.”
Seungmin frowned at the words as he locked eyes with the omega, noticing the melancholy that had settled there.
“I don’t understand”
Minho bit his cheek for a few seconds, allowing the feeling of the bite to ground him before he continued.
“Felix was too young to remember any of what happened, and I have shielded him from the truth ever since” he said softly “But that doesn’t erase the things he does remember, which is why I am beyond myself as to what he could have possibly been thinking by putting himself into a situation like that again”

Minho’s voice took on a frustrated edge at the end as he huffed lightly.
“Again?” Seungmin asked carefully as he squeezed his pack leader’s hands lightly “What do you mean with ‘again’?”
Minho swallowed and shook his head before looking back up to meet the younger's confused gaze.
“In due time, Minnie. Because you’re right. It might be high time for me to tell you and Innie about my reasons. But before I can do any of that… you understand that I have to take care of this mess first, yes?”

Seungmin wanted to protest, but the seriousness and urgency that had taken over Minho’s features pushed those back down his throat. So he looked down at their hands instead and nodded with a light sniff.
“I understand” He said softly.
“Thank you, my puppy” Minho reached up to ruffle the younger’s hair gently, his warm white rose filling the room. And anyone else would have taken the grimace on Seungmin’s face for annoyance at the show of affection. But the way the boy leaned into the touch ever so lightly, was enough for the people that knew him to know exactly how he truly felt.
“Are you planning on talking to Innie?” Minho asked carefully after pulling his hand back.
“No.” Seungmin huffed and looked away, frustration clear in both his scent and face.

“Kim Seungmin” the pack alpha reprimanded with a flick to the younger’s forehead.
“Ack-- Hyung!” Seungmin swatted the elder’s hand away and rubbed at his forehead “I will. Just not now. If I talk to him now, I’ll only end up yelling and I don’t want to do that”
“He deserves to get yelled at! And, believe me you, I will doing plenty of that” Minho’s eyes flashed dark and Seungmin gulped “But I also think it’s good for you to get whatever this is you are feeling in regards to him right now, off your chest too”
And with that, Minho lifted himself off the bed, planting a quick kiss on the beta’s temple before walking out of the room and leaving Seungmin alone again.

The beta let himself fall back down on the bed with a grunt and placed his arm over his eyes, a deep sigh rolling over his lips as he replayed his conversation with Minho back in his mind.
He knew damn well that he needed to talk to Jeongin. But the mere idea of looking at him right now, caused nothing but rage, disappointment and pain to flare within his chest. He felt betrayed and before he ended up saying something he did not mean or would come to regret, he would have to sort out his own thoughts and feelings first.
Then he could go and smack the omega upside the head.

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry” Changbin blinked at his pack leader, hoping that he had misunderstood the words that had come out of the man’s mouth “I what now?”
Chan inhaled deeply before shifting in his seat, making himself more comfortable before continuing with his theory.
“I believe, based on what you are telling me, that you have bonded with Felix. Inadvertently-” He said tentatively, his voice calm as he carefully regarded the young alpha “-which, obviously, because much like love, it is not something you choose but something that overcomes you”

“Wait” Hyunjin interrupted, his eyebrows knitted together into a frown and his eyes distant as he remembered the name Chan had uttered “Mila? Your friend that died? You had mentioned something about her having bonded, I remember that. But you never explained what it meant. Not that I asked either…”
“I’m sorry, who’s Mila?” Jisung looked between the three, confusion dripping off of his small face.
“Oh right” Hyunjin grimaced guiltily “You were sleeping then…”
“Sleeping when?” Jisung’s voice pitched as he leaned away from Hyunjin to try and see his face, his tone almost offended as he slowly came to the realization that everyone was in on the details except for him “Seriously, sleeping when? Who is Mila? And what questionnaire?”

Changbin and Hyunjin exchanged nervous glances at the impatient tone Jisung’s voice had taken before both turned their eyes towards Chan who had run a tired hand over his face. He leaned back over the backrest of the chair with his arms and locked his eyes on Jisung’s fidgeting frame.
“I’m sorry, squirrel. One of the nights when you were in the throes of your latest rut, Bin, Jinnie and I happened to run into each other outside” He said calmly before he started to recount the conversation that had taken place at the campfire that night, including how cagey Hyunjin had been and why Chan had been there in the first place. And the scarlet hung onto every word.

“I fucking knew it” Changbin mumbled “You nearly gave me a heart attack that night, and I wasn’t even going to sneak out that day”
Chan shrugged lightly “You would do the same if you had caught on to one of us continuously sneaking out in the middle of the night. And I was very much planning on confronting you until Hyunjin started his whole ‘what about love’ spiel. Which is exactly why I dropped the issue because that’s what led me to believe you were the secret. I realize now that I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.”
“Seriously. No, thank you” Hyunjin grimaced followed by a yelp when Changbin kicked him in the shin with an unimpressed scowl.

“I’m really sorry about your friend…” Jisung breathed after he had let the whole story sink in “But for fucks sake, hyung. With all due respect, what the fuck is wrong with your clan? And that’s coming from me, which is saying something.”
“That’s exactly what I said!” Hyunjin squealed, throwing his hands in the air “I’ve met some egotistical people in my life, but none of those hold a candle to the shit-show that is Chan’s clan! Respectfully…”

He quickly added the last part directed towards Chan who chuckled lightly at the antics and Changbin failed to stifle his own smile for he knew that Chan thought the exact same thing about his clan and his father times a thousand.
“Anyway” The beta huffed lightly, his cheeks dusted a soft shade of pink “You said your friend had bonded with her love, that they had loved each other enough in order for that to happen. So am I right in assuming you know exactly what bonding is, hyung?”
Chan regarded the question and tilted his head to the side in consideration.
“I can’t say that I know exactly what it is since I have never bonded myself, but I know enough” he said tentatively “When Mila was still alive, I had asked my mother about bonding after Mila had told me about what she was experiencing. And given that she had never bonded with my father, because naturally they fucking hated each other, she was more than happy to tell me what she did know about it.”

“This type of bond is different from the one that we know as pack bonding which only occurs when one receives a pack mark, the one that allows us to understand each other in and out of wolf form and grants us the knowledge of knowing the other pack members are safe to a certain degree” He started explaining slowly “But the one I am referring to now is something that grows within a wolf when they find a potential mate. A fated mate, if I may. It links two souls together in a way that surpasses the physical and borders the psychological in ways that pack bonds could only ever scratch the surface of. When two people bond, the link they come to share becomes the foundation of their relationship. They say often that communication is key within any relationship. Well, when two people have bonded, that bond serves as the base of said communication and everything that lies beyond it. Mainly because you can feel what the other is feeling without having to prompt, no matter how far away one is from the other. And much like love, a bond starts small. And the stronger the relationship between the two becomes, the deeper the bond buries itself into their hearts”

“So a bond happens between two people who feel the same? Or can It happen to anyone and with anyone?” Hyunjin asked carefully, his eyes resting on Changbin knowingly as he watched the elder’s face grow more confused by the second.
“Granted, one person can experience multiple bonds in one lifetime if the previous bond happens to break, but it is unheard of for bonds to overlap. However, a bond only happens when the two people are ‘meant to be’ so to speak” Chan air quoted quickly “Almost like how a lot of people like to throw around the word ‘soulmate’. It’s very similar to that. Two souls who find each other and who just match , almost like the heavens willed them to be together. It’s always a two way street. A bond can not be born unless the feelings are reciprocated--”

“Stop” Changbin held up his hand and Chan clamped his mouth shut “I’m going to stop you right there. Because that, quite frankly, is ludicrous”
“Why do you think that?” Chan asked with a small tilt to the head, his eyes searching the alpha’s face.
“Because it’s Felix” Changbin said with an airy scoff as he shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny “You haven’t seen him, hyung. You telling me that I bonded with someone like that is like telling me that you went galivanting with the moon spirits last night. It’s absurd”
“Why would that be absurd? How are you so sure that it isn’t?” Chan asked, his eyes furrowed together lightly at the alpha’s words.
“I don’t know, hyung” Changbin threw his hands up in defeat, his eyes downcast as he tried to gather his thoughts “How are you so sure that it is?”

“The reason I’m so sure, Bin” Chan spoke up after a couple of seconds of eyeing the young alpha carefully “Is because Mila told me all about how it felt for her, how she experienced it and how the link they shared allowed them to feel each other. And the way you are describing it… It’s like listening to her all over again. So why are you so opposed to the idea?”
“Because, like I said, you haven’t seen him, hyung” Changbin said as he looked up “And you giving me hope like this is only going to break my heart if it turns out to be something else and being one sided, much like what I already expect it to be…”
“Why would I have to see him for that?” Chan asked with a light tilt of the head, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
“Because Felix is too good to be true, hyung. I am but a dust particle floating around in the rays of dazzling light he emits. Him willing to be my friend is already something I still can’t wrap my head around.” Changbin answered softly “But bonding? Who am I kidding?”

“Oh for fucks sake!” Hyunjin’s thin strung patience finally snapped as he rolled his eyes with a loud groan, no longer able to keep his mouth shut and all eyes in the room snapping into his direction “I know you’re blind, hyung. But this is getting ridiculous. You need to stop working out so much because your muscles have become so big that they’ve swallowed up the remaining pieces of walnut that used to be your brain.”
“Excuse me?” Changbin gaped at the beta incredulously as the youngest alpha hid his face into the blonde’s neck to muffle his soft snickers.

“In case you haven't noticed, hyung, you're hot as fuck.” Hyunjin stated with a light scowl shot into the aegean alpha's direction, Chan and Jisung both mumbling and nodding in agreement in the background “You’re a fine piece of wolf who can flip a buffalo with his bare hands, your fur is stunning beyond comprehension, your ass was sculpted by the moon spirits just to spite everyone else. You are kind and sweet and smart. And the amount of love you have to offer to the people you care about is so much that you can barely contain it in that little body of yours. You are handsome and you’re cute and you listen really well when someone needs an ear because you’re caring and gentle.”

Hyunjin took a deep breath to steady his heart as he continued to rip Changbin a new one, the latter staring at him with his jaw hanging slightly slack and a trace of tears glazing his eyes.
“So what he looks like he belongs in a fairy tale story book? You would fit into his story perfectly because if you were to see what we see when you two are around each other you would do nothing but marvel at the sight. You’re the whole package, hyung. And the fact that you can’t see that, that you think he is above you is fucking heart breaking to hear.” He continued with his hand over his heart, his eyes pained as they bore through Changbin’s skull.

“And, since you so obviously haven’t noticed, Felix is so into you, that it’s nauseating and hurts to fucking watch. And the fact that you still haven’t noticed that is infuriating” He exclaimed tiredly as he pursed his lips in frustration “Innie and I have been keeping our mouths shut because we wanted to let you two figure it out on your own, but the two of you are so wrapped up in your own insecurities that you seem to choose to be blind to what’s right in front of you!”
He snapped the last part heatedly before pushing himself back into Jisung’s chest.

“Sheesh. You’re on a real roll today, Jin” Chan spoke up after a couple of seconds of silence, his eyes resting on Changbin who just continued to stare at Hyunjin like he had been slapped in the face.
“When is he ever not on a roll?” Jisung mused playfully, his lips leaving small loving kisses behind Hyunjin’s ear “He’s a rockstar”
“I’m just stating facts” Hyunjin huffed, a small pout on his face as he tried to stifle the bashful smile that threatened to take over his face after all the praise, his coffee scent sweet as he tilted his head ever so lightly to allow Jisung more space for his ministrations.

“He’s right, you know” Changbin’s eyes snapped over towards Chan when the elder had spoken, shrinking at the pointed look he was receiving “You need to not cut yourself so short. You are an amazing person with an even more amazing heart to boot. This Felix would be lucky to have you. And considering Hyunjin’s words here, I would bet my pinkie that he thinks the exact same thing”
Changbin felt his bottom lip tremble and pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his face in his arms with a loud groan.
“The lot of you will be the death of me one day” he sniffled after a few silent seconds.

But even within his embarrassment of all the unprompted compliments and love, he couldn’t help but focus on Chan’s explanation, Hyunjin’s insane confession and what their words would mean for him. All of it felt like it was too good to be true. On top of that, it felt like the universe was playing some type of sick twisted game with his head and heart. Because all this time he had been stalling because he was so entranced by Felix that he had put himself in the omega’s shadow. And for what?
And now his pack was telling him that Felix felt the same way about Changbin as Changbin had felt about Felix, all this time? Considering the fact that it had been ages since the tug first appeared, if he were to believe Chan’s words, then the apparent mutual feelings had been there for a long time. Just sitting out in the open and not being addressed all because of fear. Fear that now seemed so meaningless in the great scheme of things.

‘I don’t want to create something just for me to lose it, hyung…’
Hyunjin’s words from last night echoed through his brain like thunder and sent a wave of crushing defeat to wash over him. This is what the beta had been referring to. Now, Changbin knew more than he should have. And the only thing he wanted to do was to take Felix in his arms. But nothing he would or could do now, was going to grant him that wish. He had lost him and he had no idea how he was going to even attempt to get him back.
He felt the tug pull at his chest ever so lightly and clenched his fist in frustration. And as he thought about Chan’s words he focused on the tug and mentally willed for it to stop hurting, calling out Felix’s name in his head in an attempt to help ease his heart.

But it backfired seconds later when the tug constricted painfully in response, his fist clenching tighter and nails digging into his skin as the pain spread through his heart like venom. For Changbin had unknowingly and inadvertently caused the omega on the other side of the territory border to desperately and silently call out his name in between the sobs that plagued the younger’s sleep.

--

Seungmin softly and repeatedly banged the back of his head against the wall of the cottage from where he sat slumped on the bench in front of the fireplace, Jeongin running circles in his mind as the beta kept his eyes trained on the stairs down the hall.
It had been days since Minho had returned with the two omegas and neither of them had left their respective rooms since. Minho’s stubbornness was something that expanded beyond the bonds of blood in this pack. The pack leader would check on the duo every now and then without allowing himself into the room, with the exception of when the elder would bring them food.

And Seungmin was yet to approach Jeongin in order to sort out their issues. But Seungmin was still angry. Not so much angry as hurt, but still angry. And the fact that he was worried about his injury didn’t help the restlessness that had settled so deep into the beta’s bones that he felt like he had aged about 34 years in just a few days.
Just as the front door opened, he failed to suppress a large yawn and when he opened his eyes, he was met by a set of ice blue orbs eying him worriedly.
“When was the last time you slept properly, Min?” Minho asked cautiously as he deposited the basket of eggs on the kitchen table and moved over to the bench.

“Gee, I don’t know. In my past life, maybe?” Seungmin said tiredly as he scooted over to allow Minho to sit next to him, allowing the elder to guide his head down onto his lap. He looked up at Minho who started running his fingers through his hair gently, his eyes knowing as he stared down at Seungmin sternly.
“Please, I know okay. You don’t have to say anything” Seungmin rolled his eyes and turned his head to bury his nose into the elder’s stomach, avoiding the disapproving look he was receiving “Besides, you haven’t talked to them either”

“I am trying to give them space until they are ready to talk. I don’t want what happened with Felix, to happen again. Plus, I am also trying to reel in my own frustrations” Minho answered pointedly “You are just avoiding”
“I am not avoiding anything” Seungmin mumbled, frustration bubbling in his stomach. Frustration which was not aimed at Minho, but at himself. Because the truth was, the omega was right, Seungmin was avoiding. Avoiding having to talk to Jeongin, avoiding his anger about the whole situation, avoiding how hurt he felt by his best friend consciously choosing not to confide in him and, most of all, avoiding his fear of learning about everything that happened in these past months behind their backs.

“You need to stop beating yourself up” Minho spoke softly, the feeling of his fingers in Seungmin’s hair threatening to lull the younger to sleep “Jeongin is just as torn about how you left things as you are, I’m sure. And I know he is not going to be the one to seek you out. One, because he’s just as stubborn as you-”
“You’re the one to talk” Seungmin scoffed, receiving a flick to the ear in retaliation.
“-and two, because he knows you’re mad at him” Minho continued unbothered “You two survived hell together. Don’t you think that maybe he has a reason for not having told you?”

“Yeah, I’m no longer as important to him as I once was” Seungmin said softly as he nuzzled his face deeper into Minho’s stomach, relaxing at the white rose scent that clung both to the elder and his clothes.
“You and I both know that that is the farthest thing from the truth, Kim Seungmin” Minho quipped as he let his hand stroke over the side of Seungmin’s face “Green is not a good colour on you, pup”
“I’m not jealous” Seungmin frowned as he turned to meet Minho’s unimpressed stare “I’m not! I just, I don’t know… I feel like maybe I did something to let him down. That I fumbled the ball and now he no longer feels like he needs me”

“Seungmin-ah” Minho reprimanded sternly, his hand moving up to pinch the beta’s nose, drawing out a small yelp from the latter as he tried to swat Minho’s hand away “Don’t say such things. God. If that were true, that boy wouldn’t love you the way he does. Felix and Jeongin are free spirits and you know as well as I do that they love getting into trouble. No offense, but I have grown 50 grey hairs since you two stumbled into our lives and those two miscreants found each other. And their friendship doesn’t diminish what you have in the slightest.”

Seungmin sighed deeply, turning his face back into Minho’s stomach, not wanting to confront the issue. The issue that it wasn’t Felix he was worried about.
“You need to tell him how you feel, pup” Minho said as he pushed the boy’s hair behind his ear, gently carding his fingers through the locks again “tell him what you told me and I bet you my pinkie that he will probably smack you for even daring to even think that”
Seungmin snorted lightly, his eyelids drooping heavily at his pack leader’s soft ministrations before he succumbed to his exhaustion and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The beta found himself leaning against the wall opposite of Jeongin’s bedroom door hours later, debating on how to approach the situation in a way that wouldn’t end up in a screaming match. And by the time he had bitten his bottom lip so raw that he could taste the metallic tinge of blood on his tongue, he finally decided to brace himself and just take the plunge as he stepped towards the door.
He gently let his knuckles knock on the door a couple of times, placing his hand on the handle as he waited for a response. But after almost half a minute of silence and not a single sound of acknowledgement coming from the room, Seungmin frowned and knocked again. But the response never came.

He could  smell the soggy caramel scent wafting up from under the door where he stood, and knew the boy was in his room. Which meant that Jeongin could smell him standing out here. He let out a sigh and knocked one final time, pushing down the frustration bubbling in his stomach as he placed his hand on the handle again.
“I’m coming in, Jeongin. I know you’re in there” He huffed lightly, closing his eyes and shaking his head when he was yet again met with stubborn silence.
He pushed open the door and let his eyes travel around the room, finding his person of interest seated on the bed. But before he could lean against the door frame, anger flared within his stomach and he blinked at the sight in front of him.

Jeongin was sitting on the bed, back leaning against the headboard and legs tucked up so close to his chest that he was resting his chin on his knees with his arms locked firmly around his legs for support.
“Innie…” Seungmin gasped “You can’t sit like that, you need to let your ribs heal properly!”
“Why the fuck do you care?” Jeongin answered coldly, his eyes briefly looking up to meet Seungmin’s gaze with an emotionless glare.
Seungmin blinked at the hostility, jaw tensing and nostrils flaring as he felt the string of patience that he had been holding onto snap before he turned and all but slammed the door shut. He whirled around and faced the omega before advancing on him like a bull, previous composure completely out the window. So much for wanting to go about this peacefully. He closed in on the omega and forcefully pulled the younger’s legs down to give his ribcage the space to breathe and heal properly before straightening himself up.

“You do not get to talk to me like that!” Seungmin hissed heatedly, all the anger he had tried to push down the past few days rushing back to the surface within the span of mere seconds “You do not get to lash out at me for being mad at you, Yang Jeongin. I’m not the one who went behind your back to go gallivanting with strangers in the middle of the fucking night!”
Jeongin’s gaze has shifted back to the foot of his bed, unwilling to meet Seungmin’s eyes where he stood a few feet away from the younger.
“And then you go and pull the most mind-blowingly idiotic stunt known to wolfkind and jump in front of Minho in the middle of an attack!?” Seungmin threw his arm out towards the door in exasperation “You cracked your ribs, Jeongin! You could have snapped them, you could have punctured a lung or worse! And all because of what? A bunch of people who you barely even know!?”

In his rant, Seungmin missed how Jeongin’s lip twitched at the words, tears filling the younger’s eyes as he continued to refuse to look up.
“And then you have the audacity to sit here and expect me to, what? Praise you for your stupidity!?” The beta continued, everything he had been sitting on coming out in a force akin to a volcano eruption “You do not get to be mad at me for being angry, Jeongin. And you certainly do not get to dictate what I do or do not care about. You got yourself hurt! And I have been killing myself because I wanted to check on you but I couldn't without blowing up at you! So far for that fucking plan!”
“Then why did you come here?” the omega asked, his voice distant.

“Because I was worried about you! And I am so fucking angry at you that I want to break something. And I am disappointed in you for doing something so foolish. And I want to know what is going on inside of that head of yours!” Seungmin threw his hands up in the air “This isn’t you! Your usual shenanigans with Lix aside, this isn’t you! You are not this reckless. You are always the voice of reason, you make the right decisions!”
“Nobody asked you to worry about me. I don’t need your worry” Jeongin said coldly, his face still devoid of emotion as he continued to stare at the foot of the bed.
“You don’t need my worry or you don’t need me?” Seungmin asked in a tone that mirrored the younger’s, his chest moving up and down rapidly as he tried to catch his breath after his rant “Is that how expandable I am? You find new people to entertain you and suddenly I’m no longer needed?”

Jeongin’s head snapped up at that, eyes wide in disbelief as he regarded the beta.
“What…?”
“I asked you, months ago , what was going on. You told me you had an argument with Lix and I asked you… and you made the choice not to answer. To deflect.” Seungmin said, his voice eerily calm and stone cold “I asked you, and you took our promise and broke it without even blinking. And now Felix is a mess, you’re injured and Minho is torn because he has no idea where he went wrong in order for you two to make the decisions that you did. You could have been killed, Jeongin”
“I… I didn’t--” Jeongin stammered, tears now running down his face.

“You didn’t what? You didn’t mean it?” Seungmin scoffed “Is that why it’s been going on for months? If Minho hadn’t caught on… would you have stopped?”
Jeongin’s lip trembled and he opened his mouth but not a single word came out, his eyes desperately searching Seungmin’s for anything other than the heartbreak that had settled there.
“Yeah… That’s what I thought” Seungmin said after a few excruciatingly long seconds, his shoulder slumping in defeat “You made choices, Innie. And you chose them…over us. Over me.”

He turned to leave, feeling like someone had reached into his chest and was holding onto his heart with such a soul crushing grip that it sent waves of pain shooting up and down his limbs. This is what he had been scared of, walking in here holding all that anger so close to his heart, this is what he had wanted to avoid by staying away. He had wanted to come and talk things through, not make things worse.
Before he could get far, he felt two hands wrap around his wrist in a desperate attempt to pull him back and even though he wanted nothing more than to walk out and wallow in his self-pity, he allowed them to halt his steps.
“Hyung, wait p-please! P-please don’t leave. I’m sorry” Jeongin sniffled, the cold and emotionless tone he had so stubbornly been holding onto crumbling to the floor along with his tears “I’m s-sorry. I didn’t mean to let you down, hyung”

Seungmin allowed himself to be guided down onto the bed by the younger’s firm grip before he finally looked up and met Jeongin’s desperate eyes. And a piece of his heart cracked at the sight. He didn’t want Jeongin to cry anymore. Especially not by his hands. One thing he had vowed he would never let happen, yet here he was.
“Hyung, I’m sorry.” Jeongin cried as his hands shifted from the elder’s wrist to take hold of both his hands “Everything just happened so fast and I didn’t mean to lie but I also didn’t want to worry you and then everything just… escalated. I’m sorry, hyung. I can’t stand you being mad at me. And I miss you. And I know I fucked up! I’m sorry, okay? If I could go back in time and change it, I would”

“Why didn’t you tell me when I asked you?” Seungmin asked after swallowing the lump in his throat at the sight of Jeongin’s tears “Why didn’t you come to me for help?”
“I was scared…” Jeongin sniffled, a hiccup raking through his body violently as his grip on Seungmin’s hands tightened.
“Of what?” Seungmin asked carefully, his eyebrows drawing together.
“I was scared that you would run to Minho and that I would let Felix down…” Jeongin answered truthfully, another set of tears running down his face as his eyes looked down at Seungmin’s hands.
“Do you really think so little of me…?” Seungmin asked, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice and his heart breaking when Jeongin looked up at him with his eyes wide “Do you really think me to be that untrustworthy? That I would do something like that without consulting you?”

“No, hyung” Jeongin shook his head, his eyes pleading as he pulled on Seungmin’s hands “I just… I don’t know. I know you don’t like lying, especially to Minho…”
“You’re right. I don’t. And I wouldn’t have been able to” Seungmin said as he freed one of his hands and gently wiped at the younger’s face in an attempt to clear his cheeks from the almost permanent tear stains “But I would have been able to help you. We could have found a way to convince Minho of something, anything . Because I would do anything for you, Jeongin. Anything if it meant keeping you happy”

Jeongin stifled a sob as he leaned into the beta’s touch, his eyes never leaving the elder’s eyes.
“And I don’t know what I did or where I went wrong in our friendship to let you down enough for you to ever believe otherwise…” Seungmin added, eyes falling down to his lap together with his hand. But before he could reclaim Jeongin’s grasp, the younger had pulled his hands back as if the beta had burned him and had lashed out, his hand harshly coming into contact with Seungmin’s shoulder.
“How. dare you. fucking. say that!?” Jeongin smacked the elder’s arm repeatedly at every pause as an emphasis to his words, his teeth grinding together dangerously “You idiot!”

Ow- OW! YAH!” Seungmin quickly reached out to grab onto Jeongin’s arms and pushed them down, holding them restrained against his sides all the while mindful of the younger’s injuries. “What the hell!?”
“First you say that I replaced you, that I don’t need you and now this bullshit!?” Jeongin’s tear filled eyes had gone from sorrowful to ready for war within two seconds as he stared down the beta in front of him “Has your stubbornness corroded through your fucking frontal lobe!? How dare you say something like that?”
“I…” Seungmin stammered, struggling to find the words and feeling his face heat up in embarrassment as he slowly let go of Jeongin’s arms. And the arms were quickly replaced by the younger reclaiming his hands in a firm grip.

“You have done nothing wrong, hyung. You are the reason I breathe, I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for you” Jeongin continued fiercely, fire shooting out of his eyes “The day that I stop needing you is the day that winter comes in summer, when there is no more forever and when lies become the truth, hyung. And there hasn’t been a single day since I have met you that that has ever changed. You are my past, my present and my forever. You are the first friend I ever made, the only steady constant in my life and the one person I have always called home. Regardless of what happens and despite the people that we meet along the way, there is no me without you. So don’t you dare conjure up a scenario in your head that isn’t true. Not when it comes to me. Okay?”
Seungmin blinked a few times, his mouth slightly agape as he searched the younger’s eyes for a few seconds until Jeongin shook his hands lightly.
“Okay?” the younger urged again.

“Okay” Seungmin said quickly, trying and failing to hide the small pout that took over his lips.
“Good” Jeongin let out a hard sigh, his body heaving with the heavy inhale before he finally settled back down. But before he could relax back against the headboard he changed trajectory and decided to find refuge within Seungmin’s lap. The beta startled and looked at him in shock, not missing how the younger winced as he tried to make himself comfortable.
“Innie. Your ribs-- For the love of…” Seungmin sighed with a stern frown as he carefully adjusted the boy until he knew the position wouldn’t hurt him and leaned back against the headboard, his arms gingerly securing Jeongin in place.

“Shut up, I missed you.” Jeongin pouted as he snuggled closer and rested his head on the elder’s shoulder, nose grazing over his scent gland.
“Why do you always have to be such a thorn in my side?” Seungmin quipped with feigned annoyance.
“Because that’s what family is for” Jeongin countered “They make mistakes and they piss you off and they make you angry but at the end of the day you still love them… right?”
“Depends on what-- ack!”
Jeoning abruptly cut the elder off as he smacked him in the chest “Right?”

“Yeah, yeah… right…” Seungmin sighed with an exaggerated eye roll.
“Okay” Jeongin nodded quickly before nuzzling his nose a little deeper into the beta’s scent gland, visibly relaxing as Seungmin’s soft cinnamon gradually filled the room to the brim. The silence stretched out between them, slowly ticking away as they remained tethered to each other in peace. Seungmin could feel Jeongin’s body slowly melting into his and the beta tilted his head to look at him.
The omega’s eyes were red and puffy, courtesy of the crying but what caught Seungmin’s attention the most were the bags under his eyes which were so dark that they almost had a purple hue to them. He looked like he hadn’t slept properly in weeks and the beta felt his heart break at the sight, guilt spreading in his heart like poison.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you…” He spoke softly so as not to startle the boy, carefully pulling him closer and burying his nose in Jeongin’s hair.
“I deserved it” Jeongin said softly, his voice thick with sleep “I’m sorry I didn’t come to you, I’m sorry I broke our promise…”
Seungmin felt his heart constrict painfully at the grief that was evident in the younger’s voice and sighed softly before placing a soft kiss on the crown of his head.
“I forgive you” he whispered.
“And I’m sorry I smacked you” the omega added shyly.

“I deserved it” Seungmin chuckled fondly, rubbing his jaw over the boy’s head gently in an attempt to scent him and get rid of the odd lingering hints of coffee that clung to the younger.
“Yeah you did” Jeongin quipped weakly “I don’t ever want to hear such foolishness out of you ever again, you hear me?”
“I was the one who was supposed to be lecturing you, not the other way around” Seungmin reprimanded, his hand coming up to flick Jeongin’s nose, stifling a coo at the wrinkle it pulled from the younger.
“Yeah well. You yelled, I yelled. I say we’re even” Jeongin pouted as he relaxed back into the elders arms, snuggling a little closer.
Seungmin rolled his eyes and shook his head lightly but allowed Jeongin to settle, revelling in the soft purr that started vibrating through the younger’s chest and carrying over into his own body.

“Hyung?” Jeongin’s sleep heavy voice carefully spoke up after a couple of minutes and when Seungmin hummed sleepily for him to continue, the younger slowly reached out to grab his hand.
“I love you…”
“I love you too” Seungmin smiled softly, his head resting on the younger’s lazily.
“Forever?” Jeongin asked as his eyelids started to droop, unable and unwilling to fight the sleep that washed over him within the safety of Seungmin’s arms and cinnamon scent.
“Forever…” The beta answered before finally allowing sleep to take him for the second time that day, his pinkie firmly locked with Jeongin’s.

--

It felt like they had been sitting there for hours, curled up next to each other on the bench in front of the fireplace under Minho’s watchful eye, who stood leaning against the kitchen table. Even though Felix knew that they only had been called down here mere minutes ago by his brother.
It had been nearing two weeks since Minho had found them at the orchard, another full moon already passed and both Felix and Jeongin had been keeping themselves holed up in their own rooms ever since. And to Felix’s surprise, Minho had allowed them that courtesy. But it seemed like his brother’s patience had run dry. Either that or he had calmed down enough in order for him to start his interrogation without him chewing their heads off. An omega could hope.
Felix was looking down at his lap where he had Jeongin’s hand locked in his, fixating on the feeling of the younger’s warm skin against his in order to redirect his thoughts away from the feeling of Minho’s scrutinizing gaze.

“How are your ribs, Innie?” Minho spoke after what felt like an eternity, causing the rest of the pack in the room to startle lightly at the sound.
“They’re okay, they’re healing well” Jeongin spoke up softly, his eyes flitting over to Seungmin who was silently sitting on the other bench, watching the situation in front of him unfold.
“I’m sorry that I hurt you” Minho spoke, his tone gentle and full of regret. And when Jeongin’s head shot up to face him, Minho held his hand up to quell any protests the boy had on his lips. “I should have seen you coming, or smelled you. Anything. And I didn’t, because I was so lost in my own rage that I couldn’t think properly. So, for that, I apologize. I never meant to hurt you.”
Jeongin stared at the pack leader and Felix could see guilt swirling around in the boy’s eyes, his fang worrying the corner of his bottom lip as he tried to find a way to protest against the apology. But Minho was watching him just as closely as Felix was and spoke up again before the boy had the chance.
“That being said…” Minho inhaled deeply as his eyes bore holes into the young omega’s head, trying his best to keep his scent and voice level “What. were. you. thinking? Jumping in front of me like some kind of vigilante.”

Jeongin shrunk into himself with a small pout.
“I’m sorry hyung” He said softly, his hand squeezing Felix’s tighter for comfort “I wasn’t thinking. I saw you coming and I… I couldn't let you hurt him. I acted before I even realized what I was doing. And… I would do it again”
Minho blinked at the confession, obviously not having expected that. His eyes flitted between the two and then to Seungmin who shrugged lightly, his eyebrows signalling that he had nothing to do with this and that this was Minho’s mess to deal with.
“I’m sorry, you what?” Minho exhaled, his fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose tiredly.

“I would do it again” Jeongin said, a little more firmly as he straightened himself up and met Minho’s gaze “I understand that you are mad, hyung. And I’m sorry that we lied. But they’re good people. They’re our friends and he…”
Jeongin paused, his eyes minutely resting on Felix before he pressed his lips together and looked down again, not noticing that both Minho and Seungmin had picked up on the movement. The pack leader and beta briefly exchanged glances with each other before turning their attention back to the two youngest on the bench.
“He what, Jeongin?” Minho asked carefully, his eyebrows drawn together into a frown. The young omega shifted in his seat and Felix bit his lip before looking up and meeting Minho’s stare dead on.

“He’s a good person. We get that he is an alpha, and we were super careful about it in the beginning. But he has done nothing to make us believe that he’s got any ulterior motives. None of them do” He said firmly as he shifted his gaze from Minho to Seungmin, internally cursing at himself for not being able to stop the light tremor that buzzed underneath his skin and caused his lip to tremble. “They have a beta in their pack. You should know, at the very least, that that has got to count for something”

“No it doesn’t, Felix” Minho said with a light shake to the head, as if the boy was speaking gibberish “Just because they have a beta, doesn’t mean they can’t do no harm”
“And just because he’s an alpha’s, doesn’t mean he will” Felix shot back quickly, fire blazing in his eyes as the tug in his chest pulled harshly at his heart “He’s kind, and he’s sweet and the relationship they have with each other is really good. They treat, not only their beta but, each other really well. And you can not convince me that that is something an evil person would do.”
Minho watched his brother carefully as he spoke, the younger shifting in his seat uncomfortably as he tried his best to hold the elder’s gaze.

“This is getting me nowhere” Minho exhaled, his hands rubbing over his face tiredly before exhaling harshly and crossing his arms over his chest. “I want to understand, Fe. But quite frankly, with the information that I have. I can’t. Because I can not fathom what you two were thinking when you found an alpha in our territory and decided a tea party was the way to approach the situation”
“You mean unlike attacking someone without giving them the chance to explain?” Felix hissed and Minho blinked at the sudden change in tone.
“Lee Felix.” Minho growled lightly “Watch your tone.”
“I’m sorry” Felix flinched and swallowed, his eyebrows furrowing together in frustration as he could hear Minho sigh lightly before continuing.

“What do you mean by ‘attacking someone like that’?”
“I mean what you did to their pack leader. The alpha that smells like pine…” Felix said carefully, throwing the biggest issue on the table and instantly regretting it when Minho’s white rose spiked dangerously and filled the room.
“They are part of that pine bastard’s pack!?” Minho bellowed and everyone in the room cowered at the outburst.

“He’s not a bastard, hyung!” Felix looked up with pleading eyes “But you never gave him the chance to prove otherwise!”
Minho had leaned away from the table in his flare of fury, eyeing the young omega with wide eyes and disbelief as he listened. And as he opened his mouth to counter the younger, Felix quickly cut him off before he could.
“You acted. And don’t you dare think that I don’t understand why, because I do. You’re you. And your first priority is to protect us, I had just gotten my scent and Innie was still a pup. I know you did what you did out of your desperate need to protect” Felix spoke quickly out of fear of being interrupted “But that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t have gone differently if you had tried, if you had given him a chance…”

He dug his nails into the palm of his hand, never breaking eye contact as he continued to speak.
“And you raised us right, hyung. I just…” He said with a lighter tone of voice, seeing how Minho was visibly relaxing ever so lightly as Felix ranted on “That first day, Jeongin was ready to rip his head off and I had him under shot. But he was harmless. He even shifted into his human form because he wanted to prove that he was not trying to harm anyone. He wasn’t out for malice and he just… was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“How did that situation go from that to you willingly sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet with him?” Minho asked incredulously “You said I raised you right, but I taught you to run howl and hide. What happened to that?”
“We’re not pup’s anymore, hyung!” Felix exclaimed as he desperately tried to push back the tears that threatened to fill his eyes “This is not like that time in the cave, I am not that same boy anymore, hyung. Because you raised me well and I can fight for myself when I have to. If I want to.”
“I understand that you’re all grown!” Minho snapped back, heartbreak and desperation swirling within his ice blue eyes “But is it so horrible of me that all I want is to keep you safe?”
“Of course it’s not!” Felix answered. “But you also have to trust and believe that you have trained us well enough for us to be able to protect ourselves when needed. We had the situation under control, hyung.”
“And besides” Jeongin spoke up carefully “His wolf form is huge, hyung. It rivals yours, so I don’t think running would have fruited much results even if we tried”

“Was this the reason for your argument that day?” Seungmin spoke up from where he was watching the two intently, his voice sounding odd in the mix after his prolonged silence. And when the two omegas nervously exchanged glances, both the beta and Minho narrowed their eyes.
“What?” the pack leader’s voice caused the duo to shrink into themselves briefly, Felix closing his eyes and letting out a soft sigh.
“Uhm. Actually, that wasn’t the day we saw him… The day we met was the day prior, when Innie and I had gone to pick fruits…”
“I don’t follow” Minho said as he shook his head lightly.
Felix worried his bottom lip between his teeth quietly, his heart beating against his ribcage with such force that he was convinced that it was trying to carve its way through his sternum.

“You have to promise not to yell again” He finally said when he noticed Minho growing impatient with the silence, the latter doing a double take at the words.
“Felix. What did you do?”
“Promise me that you won’t yell at me” Felix said again, defiance taking over his features as he tried to keep from pouting when he met his brother’s dangerous gaze.
“I promise that I won’t strangle you” Minho said, the tremble in his voice almost manic as he addressed his brother “because those words alone already tell me that I am going to want to yell. I waited all this time to calm down enough to address you in a somewhat calm manner and you have already proven that this is impossible. What, pray tell, could make me want to yell even more ?”
“Hyung” Felix tried again with a desperate huff, pout now in full view.
“Fine” Minho complied through gritted teeth “I won’t yell.”

Felix took a deep breath as he sorted through his thoughts in search of the best way to approach the matter, a couple of seconds silently passing before he spoke up.
“We first encountered him on the day that Innie and I went citrus picking. But the day after, the day that we had been caught in the storm because I said that I had dropped my arrows-” he started carefully, his eyes fixed on a curve in the wood of the bench Seungmin was sitting on before he squeezed them shut for the next part “-I had actually gone back to the orchard, by myself, because I wanted to see if the alpha would have gone back there. I hadn’t dropped my arrows the day before and Innie had nothing to do with that. He covered for me because I begged him to. That’s why we argued”
The silence that filled the room after his confession was deafening and Felix almost wished he hadn’t requested Minho not to yell. And the excruciating silence dragged on, the only sound he could hear was some shuffling in front of him and then in the direction Minho was standing.

“Let go of me, Seungmin” Minho’s voice sounded strangled, and from the words Felix could conclude that the shuffling was coming from Seungmin’s attempts to keep the elder back.
“No, hyung. Remember, you love him. You promised not to strangle him” The beta’s voice followed calmly.
“I am not going to strangle him” Minho appeased wickedly “I am going to finish what that fever started and kill him”
“Okay. But at least let him finish his story first, hyung” Seungmin said with a huff “After that, you have my full permission to hang them by their ankles on the outside of the cottage. Let’s just hear them out first, or else you’ll be 89 by the time we’re done here”

A beat of silence filled the room again and Felix dared to crack his eyes open, keeping them locked on his knees and Jeongin’s hand that was still in his.
“Fine” Minho spat after a while, taking a few deep breaths to ground himself before leaning back against the table. And this time Seungmin remained standing next to him, knowing better than to leave the flight risk on his own.
Felix collected every drop of courage within his being, even a little from the tug in his chest asif the idea of the alpha made him feel stronger even if it was just a figment of his imagination, before he finally looked up to face Minho. Minho who, despite his usual calm outward demeanor, looked like he had ran a marathon. Face flushed and eyes wild as he stared at his brother unblinkingly.

“Speak”
Oh, Felix was so dead.
The one word was all it took for the two omegas on the bench to fall into a rapid string of words, recounting everything that had happened since that day and almost every detail from the meetings, save from the ones regarding the other pack and their dynamics. Some type of unspoken understanding flowing between the two as to not cross that line. And naturally, both of them also knew better than to breathe a word about Felix’s motives for even starting this whole ordeal nor the feelings that had infiltrated the younger’s heart along the way. Or from the start… Felix wasn’t quite sure anymore.

When they finished their ramblings, finally reaching the evening that had occurred two weeks ago, the room fell back into silence. The two on the couch were eyeing the duo, who were still leaning against the kitchen table, carefully for any signs of murderous intent. But to their relief, and surprise, there was none.
“Did you shift in front of them?” Minho finally asked after the silence had dragged out for minutes, his voice calm as he addressed Felix directly.
“Never” Felix said quickly, shaking his head to emphasize.

“And they never questioned that?” Minho narrowed his eyes and Felix bit his lip, remembering his conversation with Changbin the night he had been forced to go alone due to Jeongin’s heat.
“Not exactly” Felix decided to honestly answer “Cha-- the alpha asked, once. Because he was curious. Anyone would be. I always showed up on Jeongin’s back, fully clothed and never showed any intention to shift at all. That’s bound to raise questions, hyung. But he left it alone. I told him that it was complicated and he respected my wishes and never brought it up again.”
“And why aren’t you telling us their names?” Minho asked next, indicating that he had not missed Felix’s slip of the tongue.
“If you want to know their names, hyung, you are going to have to set aside your pride and ask them yourself” Jeongin said sternly “It is not our place to share that information. If you want to know them, go meet them”
“Before or after I rip their throats out?” Minho deadpanned at the defiance.

Felix sighed heavily as he turned his tired gaze to his brother.
“Minho hyung” He whined “What part of they’re our friends did you not understand? If it makes you feel any better, they also lied to their leader to meet us. Because he doesn’t allow them over here, not after what you did to him”
“And you believe that?” Minho asked with a soft scoff, his head tilted to the side “Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe they were tasked with getting close to you?”
“Do you fucking hear yourself?” Seungmin chimed in with an unimpressed glare shot towards the omega standing next to him “you’re onto conspiracy theories now? Seriously, hyung?”
Minho blinked and whipped his head into the beta’s direction, mouth slightly agape at the attitude. And it took everything in Felix’s power not to jump up and pepper Seungmin’s face with kisses, the fondness he held for the beta in his heart multiplying by a thousand for the minute show of support.

“I am just stating a possibility” Minho quipped.
“You are stating ridiculousness and grasping at straws” Seungmin chided “Seriously, hyung. Wisdom is chasing you but you move faster. What, in the name of the moon spirits, would be his reason to do that? And also, how would he have known that someone would be there that day? You really think they are going to sit and wait there all day until someone shows up? What would be the reason for something like that? You sound ridiculous, hyung. Your fears and misplaced anger are clouding your judgment.”

Minho regarded the younger for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh and finally pushing himself away from the table. He moved to plop himself down across from the two omegas on the bench Seungmin had occupied earlier, the latter joining him warily.
“Regardless of my fears and worries, I stand firm on my stance on this” He said after a while as he addressed the two in front of him “The two of you are not to leave the clearing until further notice. Call it house arrest, call is grounded, call it me being an overprotective and unreasonable bitch. Whatever helps you sleep at night. And believe me you, I will be making sure that you are sleeping at night.”
His eyes flashed darkly as he spoke the words and both Felix and Jeongin shrunk at the sight, every semblance of protest against their punishment dying on their lips.

“I can not and will not dismiss the threat despite your pleas for me to do otherwise” Minho continued “and I would rather rip my own heart out and die than let my guard down too much just for me to I lose you both in the process because you were too trusting”
He turned his attention towards Seungmin who had a displeased frown plastered on his face and the pack leader moved his hand to pat the younger’s head.
“And I hear you, puppy. I am not going to deny that my fear clouds my judgment, for that is true. But at least that clouded judgment has kept the three of you alive so far. So my decision is final” He added softly “At least for now”

Felix squeezed Jeongin’s hand as he tried with all his might to push back the tears he felt burning behind his eyes. The tug in his chest was pulling on him, driving the thorns deeper into his heart with each passing second. And the knowledge of not knowing if he would see the alpha again was nearly suffocating him.
But he refused to break in front of his brother again.
And he wished with all his heart that his brother would just listen, that he would let go of all of that fear and anger he holds so close to his heart to protect not only his pack but himself as well. Because Felix knew that Minho’s biggest fear was losing the people that he loved all over again, especially now that he was old enough to do something about it and prevent it.
“I’m sorry, hyung” He said softly, his bottom lip slipping back between his teeth solemnly “I’m sorry that I disappointed you and that I worried you. And that I lied”

“I’m sorry too, hyung” Jeongin added softly, his head tilted down as he continued to clutch Felix’s hand.
Minho sighed softly, his eyes closing as he shook his head ever so lightly, letting the words wash over him before turning his gaze back to the two infront of him.
“I’m not confining you to your rooms, I’m not that cruel” He said “You are free to do as you please, as long as you stay within sight of the cottage. And I will be enhancing the markings of my scent around the orchard and the territory border, so you can forget about having any funny ideas”

“Yes, hyung…” The duo mumbled in unison.
“Thank you for telling me the whole story” Minho added before waving his hand “You’re dismissed”
And without wasting a single second, the two pushed themselves off of the bench and made a beeline for the stairs, hands still intertwined as they made their way towards Felix’s room.
Due to the fear of getting yelled at and not being entirely sure if they were even allowed to, the two young omegas hadn’t sought each other out in the past two weeks. But now, the idea of retreating back into their own room separately felt foreign and neither of them had any intention of letting the other go.
Felix pulled Jeongin into his room and closed the door behind him, nearly bumping into Jeongin who had stopped to look at Felix’s bed.

“You built a nest?” The caramel haired boy asked as he looked back to face Felix who ran a hand through his snow white hair tiredly.
“You didn’t?” he asked curiously.
Jeongin pouted and shook his head, pointing at his midsection.
“My movement was limited” He stated matter-of-factly as he allowed Felix to lead him over to the bed “and after Minnie and I talked, he spent most of his time with me so that was all the comfort I needed”
Felix nodded slowly as he clumsily clamoured into his nest, pulling Jeongin in with him before settling down comfortably. They lay down opposite of each other, foreheads whispers apart and Felix took a shaky breath as he briefly searched Jeongin’s eyes who were watching him intently.

“How are you… holding up?” The younger asked carefully as he gently tucked the hairs that had fallen in front of Felix’s face out of the way and behind his ear. And instead of responding with words, Felix leaned back and dug his hands under his pillow, pulling out a piece of tattered fabric and holding it close to his nose.
Jeongin’s eyebrows furrowed together as he examined the piece with confusion laced through his features as Felix let his eyes flutter shut, allowing the tears he had been holding back to finally run over his face and into his bed.
He felt Jeongin’s hand gently card his hand through his hair soothingly as he buried his nose deeper into the piece of fabric, trying his best not to fall apart.
“Lix… where-- No. How did you get your hands on that?” Jeongin asked carefully, his voice just above a whisper. And Felix opened his eyes to look at him, finding that there wasn’t a single trace of judgment on Jeongin’s face, only concern and something akin to awe as he took in the piece Felix was clutching onto like a lifeline.

“Jeongin!” Felix yelled out to him “Innie are you okay!?”
Felix stepped forward but halted when he remembered their items and as Minho passed him to approach the young omega, he turned around, wiping at his face in a futile attempt to dry his tears as he tried to breathe through his sorrow.
He spotted his pouch near the tree Jeongin and Hyunjin had been cuddling against. He ran over to the pouch, feeling like a newborn foal with how badly his legs were shaking due to him attempting to go against Minho. Something that had never, not once, even crossed his mind and the idea of his hand being forced like that caused his stomach to churn dangerously.
He swallowed away the nausea and grabbed the pouch, dropping to his knees to gather the pieces that were left of Jeongin’s clothes before tightening the straps and closing the pouch.

He straightened himself up and turned to make his way to Jeongin and his brother, when his eyes fell on another heap of pieces of ripped clothing. And instantly the tug in his chest pulled him forward, constricting excruciatingly when he realized who the pieces belonged to.
Where the sudden surge of strength that pulled him forward had come from, Felix didn’t quite understand, but he let the tug in his chest lead him. He quickly crouched down and stuffed the pieces into the pouch at an almost desperate speed, tears streaming down his face as he knew time was off the essence and making sure they were well hidden under Jeongin’s clothing pieces.
“Felix, I need you to help Innie onto my back. Now”
Minho’s voice startled Felix out of his daze as he stuffed the last pieces into the pouch, quickly wrapping the strings around the top and holding onto it like the pouch carried a chunk of his heart before making his way over to the duo.

“I’m sorry, Innie. I should have been taking care of you instead of focusing on such trivial things” Felix said solemnly, the tears continuing to fall as he clutched the piece of fabric tightly to his chest and inhaled the soft petrichor scent that still clung to it.
“Is that why you were clutching onto that pouch like your life depended on it?” Jeongin spoke softly, his fingers still running through Felix’s hair “Now my scent in your nest suddenly makes sense, because you did not approach me for anything of mine since we came back.”
“I’m sorry…” Felix whimpered again.
“Shhhh” Jeongin hushed quickly, his hand moving to try and wipe the tears that were running over the bridge of Felix’s nose “You have nothing to apologize for, Lix. You did good”

Felix sniffled lightly, his hand coming up to catch Jeongin’s and holding onto it firmly as he examined the young omega’s face through his tears.
“How are you?” he asked silently as he tried to blink away the haze obstructing his view.
“I miss them, Lix… I miss him…” Jeongin said quietly, and Felix noticed the younger’s bottom lip trembling as he spoke “And I don’t know why it’s this bad. We just spent weeks away from them but for some reason, after seeing them again, something felt different. All I keep thinking about is what Hyunjin feels like when he hugs me, what he smells like when he’s happy… I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Lix”

Felix felt his heart break at how small Jeongin sounded as he talked about the beta, his eyes so full of sorrow that all he wanted to do was fold him into a little ball and tuck him away for safekeeping.
“I’m so sorry, Innie” Felix said again, his voice breaking as he slid the piece of fabric back under his pillow before reaching over and pulling Jeongin into his arms “I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you that first day. None of this would have happened if I had. just. listened. You wouldn’t be hurting like this if I hadn’t pursued this like a stubborn bull”
“And I also wouldn’t have known him if you had, Lix” Jeongin siffled softly as he buried his head into the crook of Felix’s neck “We wouldn’t have made such good friends and you wouldn’t have fallen in love”
“I also wouldn’t have known such pain…” Felix said with hiccup “I didn’t sign up for any of this crap. The people who created fairy tales are fucking liars, because they conveniently left out the heartache and problems that come with all the nice shit. And it seems that the hard trumps the easy.”

Jeongin chuckled lightly and snuggled closer, his eyelids feeling heavy as the mixture of his pack member’s scents enveloped him within the nest.
“It will be okay” He said softly “I don’t know how, or when… But we’ll figure it out. We have to…”
Felix nodded softly, the tug in his heart constricting again and causing a new wave of tears to travel down his temples. He wished with all his might that Jeongin was right, but with how his brother was going to be on top of them from now on, he feared for the worst.
The feeling of not knowing when he would be able to see Changbin again, if ever, was slowly eating away at him. And the pieces of clothes he had brought with him may have been keeping the tug at bay, but he knew that sooner or later, they would run out. He would go through all of them until none of them held the soft rain scent anymore and he did not want to think of what would happen to his heart when that time came.

But what Felix should have been more worried about, was something else entirely. Something he hadn’t even stopped to think about due to everything that had happened. And when days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, he was very quickly confronted with how much his whole being was missing the alpha to the point that he would no longer be able to hold onto his own sanity.
Which inadvertently would be putting Minho, Seungmin, Jeongin and Changbin in a position in which they would be forced to make choices.

Chapter Text

Torturous wouldn’t even begin to describe how Changbin had been experiencing being away from Felix this time around. Hell and the devil itself would be envious at the ways his heart had found ways to cause him such psychological harm.
From the moment Changbin had met Felix, three weeks had been the longest the alpha had gone without seeing him, hearing him and basking in that intoxicating jasmine scent he had unknowingly gotten so addicted to. And at that time he had believed that the tug, or bond according to Chan, had already been adjacent to unbearable. But now, he would do anything to get those three weeks back. Because three weeks was child’s play compared to this.
Two moon cycles had come and gone since the night Minho had ambushed them at the orchard, the sun that accompanied the first month of summer already a thorn in the young alpha’s side as he assisted both Jisung and Hyunjin with shelling some of the peas they still had left from their spring harvest.

They had been sitting outside, a little to the side of the clearing where the trees of the aligning forest provided enough shade from the already scorching sun so they could work in peace. And none of them had even bothered to wear their tunics, seeing that they would needlessly sweat through the fabric as they sat basking in the soft summer breeze with their linen shorts as their only restricting layer of clothing.
Jisung was lazily resting his head on one of Changbin’s thighs as he carefully separated the peas from the pods which he had stacked in his personal little basket while Hyunjin sat across from them, the layer of sweat on his skin glistening in the whispers of sun rays that occasionally peeked through the leaves. And his hair idly tied back where Jeongin’s gift was holding onto the blonde locks like it had every single day for the past two months.
Luckily, the company Changbin was sitting with was at the very least enjoyable seeing that the task at hand was boring as all high hell. But if it helped the alpha keep his mind off of all thoughts ‘Felix’, he would gladly participate in such mundane tasks to pass the time. Even when said time seemed to drag out and bleed into what seemed like eternity.

Not that the tug was making any of his attempts to distract himself any easier. At this point, Changbin was fully convinced that pieces of his heart muscle were constantly decaying and regenerating only for it to restart the process all over again like it hadn’t just tried to make Changbin’s life become past tense. And the longer he went without seeing Felix, or basking in his scent, the worse it seemed to get. And it wasn’t for lack of trying, either.
A couple of weeks after the initial confrontation with Minho, Changbin had ventured out to the borders of their territory with Chan carefully and willingly in tow only for them to be met with the dangerously increased white rose scent that Minho always marked his territory with. It even stretched out so far that it engulfed the side where Hyunjin and Changbin used to enter to get to the orchard. And they instantly knew that it was a warning issued by the omega for them to stay away.
That he was watching.
Which in turn also meant that there wasn’t a single chance in hell that he was going to let Felix out of his sight any time soon. And this evidently turned out to be the case as the increased scent still hovered in the area that characterized the omega’s territory, to this day.

And try as he might to distract himself from Felix during the day, his attempts were rendered pointless when every night the tug would be just a little more constricting, just a little more painful than at any other given moment during the day. And every night, without fail, Changbin would fight tooth and nail to not throw caution to the wind and break through the wall to just go and find Felix. Because just like Chan had later explained when Changbin had asked for more information about bonds, it always felt like the omega would be calling out for him, asking for him. Crying , for him.
In Changbin’s insecure mind, all of the signs indicating that there was a bond between him and Felix, was still wishful thinking. Something he couldn’t even dream of having even if he tried.
But even if it was just his imagination, the mere idea of the off chance that this was indeed a bond as Chan vehemently continued to claim it was, was enough to drive Changbin mad with worry every single day. Because in that case it would indeed mean that Felix was missing him. Needing him. Crying , for him.
And no matter how much he wanted to, there was no way Changbin would be able to get to him to ease the possible tears, regardless of the way his instincts continued to scream at him that he would know exactly where to go in order to find his omega.

In addition to all the gratuitous discomfort, over the span of the past two months Changbin had also come to learn that there were always different feelings that accompanied the painful tug which he had grown so accustomed to. As if being made aware of the possible bond had caused him to realize there was more than just the pain and sorrow of missing the omega. Which, quite frankly, scared the absolute fucking crap out of him.
Ever since Chan had told him that he suspected they had bonded, Changbin had been selfishly holding on to the words despite his reservations, occasionally focusing on the feeling and on Felix. But every single time that he did, it would backfire for the tug would start hurting him ten times worse mere seconds later.

At times the tug would feel intensely sad, other times angry and sometimes even what felt like excruciating and desperate longing. The same type of longing he undeniably always was cursed to submit to. And these types of tugs were the ones that he was used to now, the ones that he felt most of the time.
However, in the past two days there had been a new feeling which had been like an unexpected punch to the gut. The tug had been screaming at him that there was something wrong, that Felix had been in some type of discomfort and that he needed to find him sooner rather than later.
But how could he? Even if he wanted to, Minho would probably have his head the second he set foot on their land let alone before he could ever reach him.

“Binnie hyung..?” Changbin looked up from his own basket of peas, that he had been distantly staring at, to meet Jisung’s gaze. The younger had placed his hand on top of Changbin’s wrist in an attempt to get his attention and when the aegean alpha blinked at him in confusion, Jisung continued carefully.
“You’re throwing the peas in the wrong basket…” his voice held so much concern that it almost side-tracked the elder alpha from the words that had been said to him.
Changbin blinked again and looked down, finding that he was indeed holding an empty pod which he had almost discarded into the basket of peas. Hyunjin, who had been sitting opposite of the two alphas had silently grabbed the basket of empty pods and was fishing out the peas Changbin had inadvertently dropped in there when his thoughts had been anywhere but here.
So far for using shelling as a distraction.

“Oh. Shit. I’m so sorry” the alpha said silently, his throat feeling exceptionally dry “I wasn’t… I--”
“Don’t worry about it, hyung” Hyunjin said gently as he shot him an understanding and warm smile, but the sympathy that flashed through the beta’s eyes wasn’t missed by the alpha.
“Worry about what?” Chan chimed in as he plopped down next to Hyunjin, his wet curls dripping water onto his bare shoulder from the shower he had returned from. The trio looked up at him as the pack leader innocently popped a raw pea in his mouth as he looked between them expectantly.
The silence stretched out for a couple of uncomfortable seconds and eventually Chan furrowed his eyebrows together and opened his mouth to speak but his attempt was interrupted before his voice could even make it up his throat.

“I think something’s going on with Felix” Changbin blurted out as he subconsciously twirled the empty pod around in his fingers, the words causing all three heads to snap into his direction in concern. Mainly because this was the first time the alpha had actually mentioned Felix on his own accord since the day after the ambush and none of them had been expecting it.
“What do you mean?” Hyunjin asked carefully, the worried edge in his tone palpable at the mention of their friend.
“I don’t know” Changbin swallowed thickly, refusing to look up and meet the younger's eyes as he knew exactly what he would find there. The alpha was barely holding it together as it was. “I just, I don’t know, feel like something is wrong”

“Bin” Chan spoke softly as he placed his hand on the younger’s knee urging him to look up at him “Please, try to explain. We want to help”
“You can’t help, hyung” Changbin hissed, his voice a lot more hostile than he had wanted it to be and causing three sets of shocked eyes to look at him worriedly. He sighed and shook his head lightly as he looked down at his lap in shame, swallowing away the lump that had settled in his throat.
“Shit… Sorry, hyung. I didn’t… I-- I’m sorry” he mumbled dejectedly, the pod in his hand now completely crumpled to pulp as the guilt, for his sudden animosity towards the people who were just trying to be there for him, now hideously started blooming in his stomach.

“Bin” Chan said again, his hand gently squeezing the younger’s knee “I understand that you are going through some things right now, but please, let us at least try to help you. You don’t have to do this alone”
“Hyung’s right” Jisung said softly as he carefully lifted his hand up to pat the aegean alpha’s head lovingly “We know you’ve been suffering in silence, hyung. And we have been going along with aiding to whatever distraction you seek but…  we’re worried…”
“You haven’t really talked about Felix at all and we don’t want to push. But if you say that you think something’s wrong, forgive me for becoming worried about him too.” Hyunjin supplied, the other two alphas nodding along slowly in agreement.

“I watched Mila suffer in silence like this and was not able to help her when she needed me most, I’ll be damned if I let the same thing happen to you, Bin” Chan added softly and Changbin felt another pang of guilt shoot through his heart at the mention of their friend, knowing exactly what Chan was referring to. And the fact that he had allowed Chan’s mind to even contemplate something like that was more than enough to tear at his already wounded soul. Had he been that obvious in his misery?
“No, please don’t think that. I’m sorry…” Changbin said quickly, his hand grabbing onto Chan’s in an attempt to ease his mind “It’s not like that. I just… I’m miserable without him, hyung. And I don’t know what to do. Especially now, I feel like he needs me and I can’t… I want…” He let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his free hand over his face “I don’t know what to do”

The words earned him a round of sympathetic looks, both Chan and Jisung’s woody scents and Hyunjin’s coffee swirling around them warmly and allowing Changbin to breathe easy for a few seconds as they managed to lift some of the tension that had gathered in his shoulders, off of him.
“Can you explain what you mean by that, Bin? That you think he needs you, that something’s going on?” Chan gently urged again as he squeezed the younger’s hand encouragingly. Changbin inhaled deeply and looked up, his eyes moving between the three around him as he worried the side of his lip with his fang.
“I can’t really explain it well without it sounding insane” he mumbled.

“None of that. I already told you” Chan inhaled sharply in an attempt to reprimand Changbin’s self doubting tendencies “None of this is insane, and neither are you. So try us.”
Changbin locked eyes with Chan for a few seconds, the amber gems staring back at him full of reassurance and determination causing him to relax ever so lightly.
“Well, you know about the tug” he started carefully, the trio nodding along in confirmation “Well usually, the tug just hurts. Especially when I am missing him, or… If I were to believe Chan’s bond theory, when he misses me. I don’t know how to explain it but it just feels like that. The pain is a constant, sometimes more suffocating than other times. But especially at night, the tug gets worse and I swear… every time it does, it’s like I can just feel him. Feel like he’s in pain, like he’s crying and it is starting to chip away at my sanity, hyung.”

Changbin’s voice cracked at the end and he inhaled sharply and cleared his throat as he tried his best to continue, Jisung’s hand on his head and Chan’s on his knee serving as a grounding tether.
“And sometimes, I swear it’s almost as if I can feel it when he’s sad or angry which has been a continuously recurring the past two months” he briefly let his tongue run over his bruised and trembling bottom lip trying to shake the frustration that the mere thought of this set aflame within his veins.
“But the past two days have been different. Like he’s been in a constant state of discomfort and unrest and I don’t know why. But when I woke up this morning, it was worse. Every fibre in my body is screaming at me to go and find him, that he’s not okay, that he’s in pain and I can feel it. Like waves of pain emanating through my very core and… It’s still hard to believe but it’s there and I can’t fucking breathe, hyung. It’s like something is trying to claw its way out of my heart and chest, intent on killing me. And all I want is to go to him like my instincts are telling me to. And I don’t even understand or know why.”
Changbin startled when he felt a gentle hand rest on his cheek, thumb carefully wiping at the tears that had unknowingly started to roll down them as he looked up to meet Hyunjin’s own tearful eyes that were locked on his.

“Why have you been torturing yourself on your own like this, hyung?” Hyunjin whispered, his voice carrying such heartbreak that the alpha almost regretted telling them in the first place. Almost. But the comforting feeling of the beta’s hand on his face, accompanied with his warm coffee scent, was so pleasant and admittedly lifted such an immense amount of pressure off of his shoulders that it also made him think that maybe he should have told them sooner instead of only now.
“I’m sorry” Changbin answered, his own voice strained as he tried to force back a sob that was stuck in his throat “I didn’t want to worry you”
“Too bad, because we have been worried about you since the day you two came back from the orchard” Chan stated matter-of-factly “Especially since I learned of your bond. Which, by the way, I know for a fact is what is happening to you. No matter how much your insecurities are trying to tell you otherwise. There isn’t a shadow of doubt in my mind about this and I would bet my pinkie finger on that. Even your instincts are trying to tell you this and you are choosing to ignore it because why? You can’t grasp the fact that Felix feels the same about you? Even after all what Jinnie told you about him?”
Chan reached out and flicked Changbin on the forehead, the younger scowling at the words and action amidst his sniffles.
“Go wash up. Let’s take another trip down to the border to see what we can find. Maybe today is a lucky day?” he offered with a tilt to the head and a warm smile.

Changbin inhaled deeply before nodding, sending Chan a grateful smile as he pushed himself off the ground and made his way towards the cottage, disappearing through the door moments later.
“Oeh can I come?” Jisung chirped happily as he looked towards his alpha, his hazel eyes as wide and as innocent as he could muster up.
“You can stay here with Hyunjin and do your job” Chan shot him a pointed look, receiving a pout as reply.
“What!? Why me? Why can’t I come!?” Hyunjin whined as he looked at Chan with an incredulous look of betrayal on his face.

“Because you need to watch Sungie” Chan countered.
“I’m not a child. I don’t need a pup sitter. Mind you, I am stronger than he is.” Jisung chided.
“That’s a bold statement” Hyunjin whirled around to look him up and down, eyes narrowed into a challenge “You wish you were”
“Want me to hurl you towards the cottage again?” Jisung challenged, shifting in his seat so he could face the beta as he straightened himself in a futile attempt to seem taller than the blonde.
“Can you two knock it off--” Chan rolled his eyes but was abruptly cut off when all three of them suddenly stilled, their senses on high alert as their eyes darted between each other in alarm.

“Was that--?” Jisung breathed carefully after a few tensely charged silent seconds, but when all three of them snapped their heads into the same direction, his words were cut short at the confirmation of his thoughts.
They all sat in silence, breaths halted in their throats with nothing but the sounds of the soft wind rustling the leaves around them infiltrating their high strung bubble.

Until the bubble popped.

And the speed in which Hyunjin had jumped up and shifted before disappearing into the forest had left Jisung’s mind spinning, confusion and fear seeping into his skin as he stared at the place the blonde wolf had vanished in.
“HYUNJIN! NO!” Chan called out to him after the beta’s choice to move so recklessly shook him out of his concentrated stupor, cursing at himself for letting his guard down before he quickly shifted and turned to face Jisung “Sungie, stay here and alert Bin. I’m going after him”
And without waiting for a confirmation, Chan leaped towards the woods, the vibrant green swallowing him up in the same fashion it had Hyunjin.
Jisung found himself staring at the same spot again, frozen in place as he felt something akin to panic settle in his stomach.
“Shit…” he breathed before Chan’s words echoed through his mind, the young alpha quickly willing his limbs to move before he scrambled up from the ground and stumbled towards the cottage.

The cottage where Changbin was in the bathroom trying to clear his head by having it pushed into a bucket of water, blissfully unaware of the events that were unfolding just outside of the door.

--

-18 hours earlier-

“Fe, my love, is there anything I can get for you? Anything at all?” Minho asked as he carefully approached Felix’s nest in which the boy had been hiding since yesterday morning, refusing to let anyone, not even Jeongin, near him. And also still refusing to eat which was evident by the untouched plate of food that Minho had placed on the boy’s bedside table this afternoon “I know you are uncomfortable, but you have to eat something, Fe. You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning and your body needs the energy to get through this…”
“I’m not hungry” Felix mumbled softly, his jasmine scent growing distressed at the proximity of Minho who had come too close for comfort.

“I know you don’t want me here right now, and I promise I won’t come any closer” Minho said softly, the tone in his voice almost pleading as he eyed the pink haired boy on the bed “But Fe, I need you to eat something. Anything, please. I won’t force feed you but I can’t stand by and let you starve yourself, I’m worried sick about you, Fe.”
“I’m not hungry” Felix mumbled again, pushing his face deeper into the nest he was hiding in. The young omega knew he needed to eat but his stomach was refusing the mere thought of it. His appetite had been replaced with an unprecedented amount of discomfort and the idea of having food anywhere near him was making him nauseous.

Everything hurt. His muscles were screaming at him like he had ran across the globe in human form, his head was pounding like someone had whacked him with a sledge hammer, his skin was burning as if he had been dipped in a volcano for good measure. And to top it all off, his heart had been in a constant state of agony from the moment he had awoken yesterday morning.
The vine of thorns that hadn’t left him alone since the last day they visited the orchard, had for some reason decided that now was the time to try and squeeze every last bit of life out of the omega. But this was not how it was supposed to be, this was not what Felix was used to. And he knew that the way he was acting was scaring his pack members, but there wasn’t a single cell in his body that was willing to find the capability to care.

All he cared about and all he wanted was Changbin. The smile, the strong arms, the intoxicating petrichor, the velvety voice, the adorable chuckles, the aegean hair. Everything. And the fact that he couldn’t even ask for him, was slowly eating away at his life force.
All-in-all, his pre-heat had not been treating him kindly.

Especially because of the fact that it was hitting him so differently than what he and the pack were used to. He was supposed to have had his heat in the beginning of the last month of spring at the latest, but it had evaded the young omega like the plague. This in turn had worried everybody else in the pack, wondering what could have been causing this sudden delay and eventually they all signed it off as stress related due to the events that had taken place.
And then when Felix woke up yesterday, scent spiked with pre-heat hormones, everyone had been relieved. But the relief lasted no longer than half a day.

Usually during the week in which Felix experienced his heat, much like Jeongin, the pink haired omega would be exceptionally clingy. Cuddling with whomever he could manage to grab with his little hands, spending hours in his nest with them just basking in their scent and making sure that all of their scents were heavily embedded in his nest until he was sure that he would be able to drown in them.
He would eat everything within sight without restraint and would be a pouty little needy wolf, who had everyone wrapped around his finger in whichever way he so pleased. And they allowed him because they knew it would placate him and keep him happy, sunshine Felix wreaking havoc on the people that he loved.
But this time, Felix had woken up and didn’t even bother to leave his nest, growing distressed or agitated whenever anyone approached him, refusing to consume anything other than occasional sips of water and constantly crying his eyes out.
He didn’t feel like himself at all.

“Do you want me to bring you some extra water, or some broth so you can drink it?” Minho pleaded, the desperate edge in his voice like daggers to Felix’s heart “Innie made some rabbit bone broth yesterday and it’s very light, just like water. That way you don’t have to chew on anything. Please, Moonshine. For me? Just a few sips, please?”
Felix swallowed thickly, feeling the tears yet again run over his nose and drip into the nest as another pang of guilt and pain emanated from his heart and spread throughout his body. And he was unable to stop the soft sob that escaped him as he opened his mouth to reply.

“Okay…” his voice broke as he cried silently, pushing his nose into a piece of fabric which no longer held the scent he so desperately longed for.
Minho let out a silent sigh of relief and nodded before eying the food that was left on the bedside table, debating on whether or not it would be worth grabbing it.
“Thank you, moonshine.” He said softly, not moving from where he stood between the bed and the door “Is it okay if I grab the food on your table and take it downstairs?”
Felix nodded weakly, wanting nothing more than the food to leave his room, snuggling deeper into the nest as he heard Minho approach before the sound of cutlery softly clanging together filled the room.
“I’ll be back in a minute with your water and broth” Minho offered silently before turning and heading out the door.

And true to his words, Minho returned shortly after with two cups in hand. He carefully placed them on the bedside table before casting a glance over at Felix who still had his back turned to him, the younger’s scent yet again giving away that he did not want anyone close to his nest.
“I’ll be back tonight to take the cup of broth back down. Try to drink it while it’s still warm, I think your stomach might appreciate that more than cold broth.” Minho said gently as he moved away from the bed, stopping in the doorway for a second as he looked back at Felix.
“I’ll be here, Fe. Just call me and I’ll be here if you need me okay?” He said softly before closing the door behind him and leaving Felix alone again.

It took the young omega a good couple of minutes before he had found the strength to turn around and lift himself up into a seated position. He stared at the two cups on his table, watching the wispy puffs of steam disappear into the air from the sturdier stone cup. And instantly, he felt his stomach churn dangerously before bile crept up his throat. But Minho’s pleading voice echoed through his brain, causing more tears to run down his cheeks as he continued to stare at the cup before finally deciding to at least give it a try. He reached out with trembling hands, trying to will his body to stop the tremors as his fingers locked around the steaming cup before lifting it up to his mouth.

He took a very careful sip, trying very hard not to taste too much of the broth in favour of swallowing as quickly as possible out of fear that the taste wouldn’t sit well with him at the moment. But regardless of the fact that Minho was right and that the broth was so light that it was almost like water, his stomach still protested.
In a speed that should have been impossible in the state that he was currently in, Felix placed the cup back on the table and reached over the side of the bed for the pail Jeongin had brought him yesterday morning after his first nausea spell. The sip of broth and any of the water he had managed to drink since the morning were all expelled from his body with a force that left the young omega clutching to the sides of the pail until his knuckles were so white that the veins in his hands protruded dangerously.
He heaved into the pail a couple of more times, his stomach constricting as nothing but bile crept up his throat and burned in his mouth. Tears relentlessly streamed down the bridge of his nose as he tried to gasp for air, sweat droplets making strands of his pink hair stick to the sides of his face and back of his neck.

When the heaving finally stopped, he leaned over to place the pail back down, losing his balance in the process due to how the vomiting had exacerbated the tremors that had taken over his limbs. But before he could topple over with pail and all, a pair of gentle and warm hands enveloped his own as they carefully removed the pail from his faltering grasp. Felix couldn’t even register who it was that had entered the room as he collapsed back onto his nest.
And if it hadn’t been for the way he was just completely and utterly spent by his body rejecting anything that wasn’t his alpha, he would have protested against the same warm hand that soon was gently and carefully caressing his hair out of his face. He faintly registered a soft and damp cloth dabbing at his lips as the person tried to clean him up before the comforting and warm scent of white rose infiltrated his senses and started pulling him into a daze.

“H-hyung…” Felix whimpered weakly, his voice grating his sore throat as he tried to open his eyes and look up at Minho. But his eyelids were unwilling to cooperate, which might have been a good thing for he wouldn’t have to be subjected to the tears that were running down his brother’s anguished face.
“Shhhh” Minho whispered softly, the pack leader trying his best not to touch Felix’s nest as he placed the cloth down, never removing his hand from the younger’s hair “You’re okay. Try to sleep…”
And as Minho started humming the lullaby that would always manage to carry him right into the arms of his late mother, Felix finally allowed exhaustion to take him as a final tear rolled over the bridge of his nose and into his nest.

But as hellish the past two days had been for the young omega, nothing could have prepared Felix for how he would be feeling when he woke up the next morning and his pre-heat had transitioned into his heat.

Felix was violently jerked out of his sleep with an intense jolt that morning, his body feeling like it was engulfed in flames in ways he had never experienced before. Sweat was sticking to every single inch of his skin, making it seem like he had gone swimming in warm honey for fun just for him to dive into bed without a proper shower. And the heat from the progressing summer was not helping with relieving any of that.
He turned his head into the direction of the window, a pained whimper sounding in the back of his throat when every sliver of movement he made caused every cell in his body to scream out for him to stop. It felt like his muscles, especially the ones in his stomach, back and legs, were trying to slowly rip him apart piece by piece. Almost instantly, his stomach flipped dangerously and when he felt bile rise up his throat, he hurried to throw his top half over the side of the bed, his body protesting at the movements and sending excruciating flares of pain to spread through his frame.
He jerked his hand out for the pail, knocking it over in his rush before finally losing the battle with his restraint and spilling the limited contents of his stomach onto the floor. His trembling hands clutched the side of his bed, trying desperately to hang on as he continued to heave, bile burning his throat and muscles cramping dangerously with each movement.

In the midst of his misery he hadn’t even noticed someone rushing into the room until the cool palm of a hand came to rest on his forehead, slightly supporting him as the other hand moved to hold back the strands of hair that hung over Felix’s face. A gesture he was eternally grateful for even if he couldn’t fully grasp the sounds and situation around him or who the hands belonged to.
“Seungmin, go collect some water from the river to clean this up. Jeongin, refill Felix’s cup and then get me a bowl of water so I can try to clean him up a bit. He’s downright boiling…” a gentle and warm voice, that could only belong to his brother, faintly registered in his brain and Felix felt himself break when he felt a thumb carefully caress his forehead. He reached up and locked his fingers around the wrist of the hand that was supporting his head as he continued to heave, his nails digging into Minho’s skin as he yet again tried to hold on like everything he held dear, including his life, would slip away if he dared to let go.

“H-hyung” He whimpered as tears started streaming down his face after his stomach decided to stop spasming, the gentle hands that were holding onto him instantly moving to help him lie back down at the edge of his nest.
“Shhh” Minho shushed him softly “You’re okay, you’re going to be okay”
Felix continued to grip onto Minho’s wrist with all the strength that he could muster, as scarce as that strength was, out of fear that the elder would leave again after Felix had done nothing but reject him for the past two days. But now, the mere idea of being alone was making the excruciating pain that was radiating through his body a hundred times worse.

“D-don’t leave m-me” Felix whimpered as the tears continued to run down his face, his body too spent for him to move. His clouded eyes found Minho’s form hovering over him, the elder being meticulously careful not to touch the nest and Felix felt his heart constrict beyond the limits of what was possible. Because even though he wanted Minho to remain close, he still didn’t want anyone in his nest. At least, not anyone that was in the cottage right now. And the fact that Minho was mindful enough to know this, caused the tears to intensify.
“I’m not going anywhere if you don’t want me to, Fe” Minho said softly “But I’m going to need my hand back if you want me to stay. I promise, I’m not leaving”

Felix sniffled a couple of times before he reluctantly let go of Minho’s wrist, the elder moving away to grab a chair so he could position himself next to the bed before Felix was forced to squeeze his eyes shut when another wave of pain caused his view to swim dangerously after white spots started darting around the edges of his sight.
When the pain spiked, Felix couldn’t do anything to stop the violent sobs that started vibrating through his body. He shot his hand out in search of his brother who instantly entangled their fingers before a cold and wet cloth was pressed to his forehead with such gentle care that it allowed the young omega to relax for a fraction of a second.

“It’s never been this bad, hyung…” Felix heard Jeongin whine softly from somewhere in the room, the boy’s soft caramel scent soggy with worry and melancholy which in turn elicited a distressed whimper from the omega on the bed. Which Minho noticed immediately.
“Innie, go see if the chickens have laid any eggs” Minho instructed gently and after some hesitation the omega turned and left the room to do as told “Minnie, could you keep an eye on him? Please?”
“Yeah…” Seungmin said softly as he got up from where he had been cleaning the floor, carrying the bucket of water with him as he too excited the room promptly before Minho turned his attention back to Felix.

“Do you want to try and drink some water, Fe?” He asked carefully, his fingers soothingly carding through Felix’s hair as he spoke. And in all honesty, Felix craved the water, with how the bile had left his throat burning and his mouth sour. He wanted nothing more than a sip of water. But the all-encompassing fear of moving a muscle, even just a finger, had him terrified.
He opened his mouth to try and answer but only a whimper sounded in the back of his throat when another wave of pain crashed over him, pulsing through every inch of his body and making it seem like someone had taken a long ragged kife and was continuously stabbing him in different places.
He didn’t even realize he was screaming bloody murder, his death grip pulling at Minho’s hand so desperately until he felt a gentle arm wrap underneath him and pull him up until he was engulfed in the warmth of soothing white rose.

But Felix didn’t want white rose.

“I- p-please ma-ke it stop! Make it s-stop! ” Felix’s sobs were so guttural that Minho would have missed the words hidden within hadn’t it been for the omega suddenly pulling him so close, and it left Minho’s heart shattering “H-hyung it hurts! It h-hurts! Ple-- please!”
“Shhhh…” Minho tried to shush him softly from where he had his nose pressed into the younger’s hair, the wilted jasmine almost suffocating as he dabbed the sweat on the younger’s face and neck away with the cold cloth “I’ve got you.”
Felix’s cries continued to ricochet off the walls as Minho held him gently, trying his best not to agitate him more than he already was. But having no idea why his brother was in this much pain to even begin with, Minho was at a loss.

If Felix’s pre-heat had been strange, then what would one describe this? Confused was an understatement when it came to how Minho was viewing the current situation. Heat wasn’t like this. None of their heats had ever been like this. And seeing Felix so beside himself with pain, howling in agony like he was slowly being ripped apart by razored claws, was leaving Minho at wits end.
“Baby, do you want me to get Minnie back for you? He can help you” Minho tried carefully, keeping in mind how the omega in his arms had refused any form of closeness during his pre-heat from anyone in the pack. But the fact remained that Seungmin was a beta, and due to this was ‘gifted’ with adaptable pheromones. Pheromones that bended to the needs of the ones around them which is why he had always been so willing and able to help whenever needed with the heats of the boys since the proximity to his pheromones alone alleviated their symptoms immensely.

And Minho shouldn’t have been surprised by the protests that interrupted the younger’s cries. But the sheer force and pain in which he eventually did, still managed to make Minho flinch.
“No!” He croaked as he shook his head weakly, his hand squeezing Minho’s arm “n-no! I d-don’t want… I c-can’t--”
“Okay. Okay, I’m sorry. No Minnie” Minho tried to shush him as he gently swayed him from side to side as carefully as he possibly could, holding onto him like he was made out of paper thin glass that would break in contact with a gust of wind.

He continued to gently stroke Felix’s hair as the boy cried through his pain wrapped safely in Minho’s arms, occasionally dabbing at sweat drops on his face with the cloth that he would dip into the bowl of water on the bedside table. He could feel the heat radiating off of the younger’s skin like a lit fireplace, again something that left the pack leader beyond worried for their heats always came accompanied with fevers but never to this extent, never these types of temperatures.
Felix felt like he was made out of magma, and the sweating just wouldn’t stop. Minho could feel that the boy had already soaked through the thin tunic he was wearing and if this continued, he feared Felix would succumb to dehydration before anything else.

“Fe, my love.” Minho started carefully “I won’t call for Minnie, but I do need you to drink a few sips of water…”
Felix shook his head again, hiccupping violently until another wave of pain rendered him breathless and instantly Minho saw the complexion of his face changing colour and paling into a hue that was almost grey as Felix fought what undoubtedly was the nausea that had bothered him earlier. And at the sight, the pack leader couldn’t help the sliver of panic that flared within his stomach. How was he going to fix this? How was he going to get Felix to drink when his pain was so unspeakable that his stomach was trying to expel itself at this point?
“Shhhh” Minho shushed again, a low hum in the back of his throat as he held onto a trembling Felix who’s body continued to jerk with the power of his sobs “I know that you’re scared to, but we have to try, Moonshine. Please--”
“Cha-- I w-want Chang--bin!” the younger wailed, cutting off his brother’s words as his cries shot straight through Minho’s soul like sharpened arrows. But the elder didn’t miss the name his brother had uttered amidst his tears and was now religiously repeating with so much heartbreak that the pack leader failed to understand what was happening and where the foreign name had so suddenly come from.

‘Cha-- the alpha asked, once’

Realization hit him like a freezing tidal wave when Felix’s words on the day Minho had interrogated them echoed in his mind as if on cue. All the blood drained out of his face as he slowly looked down at his brother who continued to cry, calling out for this Changbin and begging for his brother to put an end to the pain.
“Felix… you…” Minho breathed, his heart rate picking up at a dangerous speed as the possible implications of the name dawned on him like a guillotine being readied for execution. And for a split second, he couldn’t breathe. His lungs constricted as every single thing that had happened and every single word that had been spoken in the past few months replayed in his mind, the omega trying desperately to find any signs he had so foolishly missed.

A sudden jolt in his arms pulled him out of his thought spiral when Felix lurched forward towards the edge of the bed again. And by the grace of the moon, Minho’s reflexes hadn’t been dulled amidst the monstrous dread that had settled in his stomach as he quickly reached for the pail on the floor just in time for Felix to heave up nothing but bile, seeing that his stomach no longer had anything else to give.
Minho rubbed soothing circles on the younger’s back as he fought tooth and nail to keep his own tears from creeping up into his eyes and spilling over. He watched how Felix’s knuckles turned so white that they became almost translucent with how hard the young omega was clutching onto the pail and Minho ran his hand over the younger’s forehead, clearing the pink strands of hair out of Felix’s face and holding them back while he continued his gentle ministrations on the young omega’s back.

When a panting and exhausted Felix finally collapsed against his chest, his hands letting go of the pail and dropping onto the bed limply, Minho quickly took hold of the pail before carefully leaning over the side of the bed and placing it on the ground. He whispered soft apologies into Felix’s hair when the young omega whimpered weakly at the movement and as soon as Minho straightened himself up, he reached for the cloth and carefully started wiping around Felix’s mouth.
Tears were still helplessly running down the younger’s cheeks, his eyes distant and almost glazed over as they stared at nothing, the soft whines and whimpers in the back of his throat growing more and more prominent as the seconds passed. And it didn’t take long before Felix’s tormented cries filled the entirety of the room and cottage again as another wave of pain caused his whole body to tremble dangerously, his nails digging into Minho’s arm in the process and drawing small droplets of blood.

But the soft stings of Felix’s nails digging into his skin were nothing compared to the pain that continued to blaze within Minho’s chest. Seeing Felix like this was a nightmare come true. And he felt cornered as he knew he was quickly running out of options, scared to have to result to that in order to stop the pain. Mainly because of the fact that he had only done it once before, to Jeongin when he had been fairly new to the pack and was still struggling with everything around him. And only because Seungmin had begged him to.

But when Felix weakly tilted his head back to look up at Minho, tears streaming down his face and voice so raspy that it grated Minho’s ears, the pack leader felt his resolve falter.
“H-hyung. I can’t… d-do thi-this…” Felix sobbed, the tone in his voice pleading as he begged for any semblance of relief “P-please m-make… it st-op”
Minho’s lip trembled as he gently brushed Felix’s hair out of his face, his movement so careful as he was terrified of inflicting any more pain by just being present in the room.
“Please, Fe. Let me get Seungmin. He can help you”

“NO! N-No!” Felix cried out, his eyes squeezed shut as if that would make the waves of pain controlling his body go away “I d-don’t-- I w-want-- Please just m-make it sto-stop h-hyung! Make it stop!”
“Fe…” Minho breathed.
“J-just… kill m-me then. Hyu--ng p-lease--” Felix choked, another heart wrenching sob cutting him off as he curled into Minho with his face scrunched up in agony.
It was like someone had reached into Minho’s chest and ripped out his heart only for them to cut it to shreds right in front of his eyes, his brother’s desperate words slicing through his skin like shards of glass.

“Felix…” Minho let out a broken gasp, a tear finally spilling over his lashes and down his face until they disappeared into Felix’s hair.
“No n-no no! m-make it s-stop! Just ma-ake it s-stop! Plea-se…” Felix shook his head, tears soaking through Minho’s shirt as his trembling hands squeezed the life out of the elder’s arm.
The pack leader swallowed thickly, eyes squeezed shut as he burrowed his nose into Felix’s hair, inhaling the wilted jasmine and biting through his reservations about what he was about to do. Scared as he was to attempt this again, fearing it might fail, he truly was left with no other option at this moment in time.
He gently pushed Felix’s head to the side, the younger so exponentially spent that the movement went unnoticed through his ragged breaths and his uncontrolled sobs.  Minho shifted Felix carefully, brushing the boy’s hair out of the way until his scent gland was within Minho’s reach and the jasmine intensified every so lightly.
“It’ll be over soon, Moonshine. I promise” Minho whispered, not trusting his voice enough for it not to break as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Felix’s forehead before turning and dipping his face towards the scent gland.

He took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves, calling on every corner of his being for his instincts to take over. And when he felt a rush of the will to protect his brother wash over him, he parted his lips and lined his fangs up at the corner where Felix’s scent gland was located, the gland glowing red and angry as the young omega continued to tremble and cry as he screamed for Changbin.
Minho swallowed again and exhaled one last steady breath before finally sinking his fangs into the gland, the sharp edges puncturing the skin like a warm knife cutting through butter before the metallic taste of blood spread on his tongue.
A shiver ran down his spine before he pressed his fangs in deeper, willing for this to work, praying to all the moon spirits to take away Felix’s pain even if it was temporarily.
And a few beats later, Felix’s breath hitched, the sobs catching in his throat before Minho felt the younger’s trembling body go completely limp in his arms. Which was Minho’s que that his wishes had been granted before he carefully removed the grip his mouth had on Felix’s neck, his tongue carefully lapping over the puncture wounds to clear out the remnants of blood that had trickled out before leaning back to look at Felix.

The omega’s eyes had completely glazed over as his head limply lulled back as Minho moved, and the elder quickly and gently took hold of him until he had Felix’s head tucked safely in the crook of his neck. He continued to stroke the younger’s back softly as he started humming their lullaby, making sure not to take his eyes off of him as Felix sank deeper into the headspace Minho had placed him in.
“You’re okay…” Minho whispered in between the hums as he held Felix like he was a sleeping newborn pup, scared to jostle him too much out of fear to break the temporary peace. The tremors had stopped, his breathing had evened out and the tears were no longer streaming down his face which allowed Minho to gently dab the cold cloth on Felix’s burning skin in an attempt to cool him down. He gingerly wiped the cloth over the scent gland, removing any last traces of blood before leaning over and grabbing the cup of water on the table and carefully holding it up to Felix’s mouth.
“Try to take a sip for me, okay love?” Minho encouraged softly and to his relief, Felix complied weakly. His eyes were still glazed over and heavily lidded, as if he was about to slip out of consciousness, but when Minho carefully and gently brought the cup up to his mouth, he locked his lips on the rim of the cup and allowed Minho to help him take some sips.

A few drops trickled down the sides of his mouth as he gulped down the water rather eagerly within his haze and Minho knew it was because his body was working on auto pilot at this point, revelling in the bit of moisture that was being offered. And when Felix decided he had enough, he turned his head weakly and pressed his face into Minho’s neck with a sigh that raked through his whole body as a soft, barely audible whimper sounded in the back of his throat.
“Shhh” Minho shushed him gently as he leaned over and placed the cup back on the table before using the cloth to wipe at Felix’s face again “You did so good, my Moonshine. You drank so good for me, thank you”

The pack leader went back to humming the lullaby softly, swaying Felix from side to side until the younger’s breaths slowed down to a deep slumber pace and when Minho looked down he had to fight back a strangled sob at the sight of Felix finally sleeping.
Finally, after all of that, the bite had worked properly. Enough so that it allowed for Felix’s body and mind to calm down into a state where he was able to succumb to his exhaustion. Minho let out a sigh of relief and placed a butterfly light kiss on Felix’s forehead as he let the younger sleep in his arms, a gloomy silence befalling the entirety of the cottage.

And for the first time in over a decade, Minho silently cried for the loss of their mother as he held onto a shattered Felix, the memory of calming chamomile burning a hole through his heart.

Chapter Text

They remained curled up like that for almost an hour until Minho felt confident enough that Felix wouldn’t wake and the pack leader slowly, at snail’s pace, moved to lay the boy down within the safety of his nest before carefully stepping out of it and grabbing the pail. He cast one last nervous look onto the bed where Felix continued to sleep seemingly peacefully, before making his way towards the bathroom downstairs.
The cottage was eerily quiet, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by the pack leader, and it caused an uneasy shiver to run up his spine. Maybe it was because he had spent the better part of the morning engulfed in the blood curdling screams of his brother but he knew that Jeongin and Seungmin had to be in the cottage somewhere since their worried scents still lingered where the elder passed as he walked back upstairs to quietly return the now clean pail to its spot next to Felix’s bed.

He made his way back into the hallway and knocked on Jeongin’s door before opening it and finding the room empty. Repeating the same steps with Seungmin’s room, he frowned when neither the beta or omega were in there either before he headed back downstairs and out the front door to try his luck there.
The patience he had tried so hard to replenish after finding Jeongin and Felix in that orchard all those nights ago, had yet again completely evaporated the moment Felix started asking for the alpha. Who Minho now knew was named Changbin. Because it was proof that yet again, he had been lied to. Or at least, certain details had been deliberately omitted.

And in any other case, he wouldn’t have made a big deal out of it because there is no need for him to be privy to every single thing his pack members think or, in this case, feel. If Felix had been a beta, he would have let it slide in the hopes that it would pass. But Felix wasn’t a beta and this wasn’t just any other case. From what Minho had gathered this morning, something deeper was going on and the fact that they kept something so vital a secret and therefore endangered Felix in the process, had lit something ugly within Minho’s core aflame.
Yet again, in the span of two months, they had managed to press all the wrong buttons. Because yet again, he found himself furious, disappointed and, above all else, heartbroken beyond comprehension.
Because if only he had known…

He spotted the missing duo at the edge of the forest, lounging in the shade provided by the dense trees. Seungmin had Jeongin tucked between his legs, the younger leaning back against his chest as their fingers lay intertwined on the omega’s lap and the pack leader picked up on the warm and soothing cinnamon that intensified the closer he got to them. And it didn’t take long for Minho to notice the dried tear streaks that decorated Jeongin’s cheeks, glittering in the light provided by the sun that sometimes peeked through the leaves. And for a split second. An ugly, horrifying and appalling milli fraction of a second. Minho revelled in the fact that the boy seemed to have been suffering with the knowledge that Felix was all but dying of pain all by himself.

Minho quickly shook the thoughts away, momentarily revolted with himself for even entertaining the mere thought of taking pleasure in the pain of one of his pack members and swallowed thickly when the two of them noticed him approaching. They both scrambled to their feet, Jeongin’s worried eyes finding Minho’s. And try as he might, the pack leader could not school the anger that undoubtedly blazed through his own.
“Hyung--” Jeongin started, his voice raw from what Minho assumed had been his crying session.
“Start talking” Minho cut him off as he came to a halt mere inches away from him, the soggy caramel mixing in with the cinnamon and burned white rose.
“I… I don’t…” Jeongin stammered as his eyes faltered, his head tilting down to look at his fidgeting hands.

“Hyung, please cal--” Seungmin tried as he reached to grab onto Jeongin’s hand again in an attempt to soothe him.
“Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down , Kim Seungmin, or so help me god” Minho seethed “Do you have any idea the state Felix is currently in!? I had to fucking put him into headspace to stop him from begging me to kill him to stop his pain!!!”
Minho’s anger escaped him as his voice bellowed through the clearing. His fury was bubbling under his skin like lava as he took a few breaths to reel himself back in, terrified of waking Felix after he had finally managed to get him to fall asleep.

Both Seungmin and Jeongin’s face paled at the words as they stared at Minho in horror. The young omega bit his bottom lip, tears again breaching the corners of his eyes as they started running down his face and Seungmin’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and hurt.
“How is he in so much pain? This isn’t normal… Why won't he let me help him?” He asked crestfallen “He’s never been like this, hyung…”
“Why don’t we ask Innie over here” Minho hissed, his eyes shooting from Seungmin to Jeongin “Do enlighten us. What, pray tell, do you think could possibly be the reason Felix is asking to die by my hands?”
“Hyung…” Jeongin whimpered.
“You don’t get to hyung me, Jeongin.” Minho shook his head and swallowed thickly, the heartbreak briefly overpowering the anger as he willed the tears back down “After everything that happened, you and Felix thought it would be a good idea to hide something like that !?”

“Hide what…?” Seungmin frowned as he looked from Minho to Jeongin “What’s going on?”
When Seungmin spoke, Jeongin visibly panicked, his eyes growing wide and his head shaking from side to side violently.
“No, hyung! I swear. I didn’t… I couldn't…” Jeongin stammered “This wasn’t my secret to tell because it isn’t about me. Felix would have told you if he wanted to. I’m sorry. I swear I couldn’t… I didn’t break our promise, I swear. This is not about that!” The omega sobbed out desperately, tears streaming down his face again.
“Wow wow, Innie” Seungmin rushed to take the younger’s face between his hands gently “Breathe for me please, I’m not mad. I’m just… confused. What’s going on?”

Jeongin took a few shaky breaths as he melted into Seungmin’s hands and hiccupped before nodding and turning to Minho.
“I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t know…” He whimpered softly and Minho raised an eyebrow.
“Jeongin… Stop lying to me”
“No, no, I mean I d-din’t know that this would happen” Jeongin cried.
“How long have you known? How long have you known and have you been keeping something this important hidden away like we’re living in some type of teenage romance novel?” Minho hissed venomously and Jeongin stifled a sob, his hand curling into Seungmin’s tightly.

“Since the beginning…” he whispered softly, his voice breaking as he squeezed his eyes shut and looked down. And at the words, Minho felt the world shift under his feet, everything falling away and leaving him falling into a pit of despair.
“Innie… what is this about?” Seungmin encouraged as he used the backs of his fingers to gingerly stroke over Jeongin’s cheek in an attempt to wipe the tears that continued to spill.
“Felix is in love with the alpha…” Jeongin croaked and Seungmin blinked incredulously.
“He what?” the beta asked, mouth hanging slack.
“Changbin” the pack leader provided and Jeongin’s head snapped up, his wide eyes locking with Minho’s.
“Oh right” Minho added with a small scoff “Given that you were outside, you probably were unable to make out the words he was spewing when he was all but dying of pain in my arms. But Fe religiously kept asking for one person and one person only. And that was this Changbin. So Jeongin, if you value Felix as much as you claim you do, you better start fucking talking. Now .”

The young omega winced at the words and the implications that were carried along with them, his hands coming up to wipe at his face before he started word vomiting everything he knew about the relationship that had blossomed between Felix and Changbin.
From the way Felix had been basically smitten with the alpha since day one to how he eventually started missing him in ways Jeongin was unable to understand. The truth as to why Felix had been so beside himself in those weeks when Jeongin had gone through his heat and why he had been baking so much during those times as well. And finally he told them about the tugs. About how Felix had described it to him that day on the porch and how everything had progressed from there.

“Tugs?” Minho exhaled, and Seungmin could see the blood drain out of the elder’s face almost instantly “They… You- I thought… oh my god.”
Minho’s hands found his hair and for a second Seungmin feared that the man was going to be sick.
“Hyung?” He took a step towards him until Minho looked back up, right through him and directly to Jeongin.
“Why didn’t you tell me this…?” Minho’s voice was so low that hadn’t it been for their wolf hearing, Seungmin was sure neither Jeongin nor he himself would have ever heard it. “Do you have any idea what you… Felix he… I could have…”

Seungmin frowned and stepped closer again, closing the gap between him and Minho as he gently took Minho’s hands out of his hair before allowing his cinnamon to engulf the elder until the tremor Seungmin felt radiating from his hands finally subsided.
“If there are tugs involved…” Minho said after a couple of minutes of silence, his face so grief stricken that it almost looked like it was devoid of any emotion “Then that probably means that Felix has bonded with this Changbin. Which is why his heat has changed. Which is why it was so late, because he was missing him. Needing him . His omega is crying for his alpha and his heat is not going to get any better unless…”
Minho’s lip wobbled and he took a deep breath before continuing.

“If you had told me… this could have been avoided. If you had told me, I could have…” Minho swallowed and looked down with a frown and a shake to the head before turning to look at the cottage.
“I’m going to check on him” He said suddenly and pulled away from Seungmin, the latter quickly reaching out to take his hands again.
“No let me” Seungmin offered with a pained expression, noting how Minho was barely keeping it together as it was.
“No. Just wait here, we can figure out what to do when I get back” Minho said with finality before pulling himself free and spinning on his heel to walk back to the cottage without as much as a glance back into their direction.

Silence befell them for about 3 seconds before Jeongin tugged at Seungmin’s sleeve and the beta turned to face him.
“I have to go get him” the omega whispered, his tear filled eyes searching Seungmin’s for a brief second and the beta blinked at the almost panicked look on the younger’s face.
“Go get who?”
“Changbin” Jeongin answered before Seungmin even finished talking and the beta reeled back in shock.
“Cha-- Have you lost your mind!?” He hissed.

“No. But Felix is losing his the longer they are kept away from each other. And I can’t sit here and just let that continue, Minnie. I can’t lose him. And this is all my fault because I kept my mouth shut again !” Jeongin all but started begging, his voice barely above a whisper “You heard Minho hyung. If Felix and Changbin have bonded, whatever that even means, then that is the reason Felix is feeling like this. And if Changbin has a chance of making that stop, then I am not going to sit here and do nothing!”
Seungmin searched Jeongin’s face for a few seconds, finding nothing but desperation and determination and for as much he wanted to argue, he knew the younger was right. And the idea scared the crap out of him.
“How will you even find them…?” He asked warily, scared of where his resolve was starting to take him “We should wait--”
“I will find them, hyung. Please” Another tear rolled down Jeongin’s face as he bounced on the balls of his feet, tugging at Seungmin’s sleeve pleadingly.

And maybe it was because of the gravity of the situation or maybe because of the fact that Jeongin would forever have a certain grip on him. But against all of his better judgement and all of the voices in his head screaming at him to ‘abort mission’, Seungmin closed his eyes and sighed before untangling’s Jeongin’s hand from his sleeve.
“Go” he whispered urgently as he looked back at Jeongin who blinked up at him in shock “Go now!”
The elder ushered the omega who didn’t have to be told again as he moved to quickly shed his clothes before shifting and letting his caramel spotted wolf form disappear into the forest line.

Seungmin had to fight every cell in his body not to jump after him, every alarm in his head telling him that this wasn’t safe, that they should have waited for Minho to discuss what to do next and that Jeongin was too young to know what he was doing. But weren’t they all? Jeongin was but a year and a half younger than him and he needed and wanted to believe that Jeongin did know what he was doing. Because the fact remained that, when it came to this other pack, Jeongin knew more than he and Minho did.
Seungmin sighed and knelt down to pick up the clothes that Jeongin had dropped to the ground, folding them neatly before getting up and heading back inside. Minho would be back soon and he was already dreading what would happen if he found out that Seungmin let Jeongin go off on his own.

He quietly walked up the stairs to deposit Jeongin’s clothes on the younger’s bed before heading back down to sit on the bench in the living area, heart pounding in his ears as he waited for Minho to finish tending to Felix.
And said fact didn’t take very long.
Jeongin had been gone for less than 10 minutes when the pack omega came down the stairs, seemingly looking worse than he did when he had gone up to check on Felix. Seungmin noticed how prominent the dark circles under his eyes had become, his skin so pale that he almost looked grey and he looked downright exhausted as he rubbed the back of his neck while he attempted to roll out his shoulders.

The elder spotted him and walked over before dropping himself on the other bench in the room with a long sigh before leaning back to rest against the backrest.
“Would you be the sweetest and go and get Innie for me please? We need to figure out what we are going to do about this situation…” Minho let a yawn escape when he finished speaking, eyes squeezed shut as his hand came up to cover his gaping mouth.
Seungmin worried the corner of his lip with his fang as he tried to wrack his brain for a plausible answer to a request he knew he couldn’t fulfil. And as he sat there in silence, wallowing in his own stress and guilt, he failed to notice how the air in the room shifted as it went completely silent.

“Minnie?” Minho asked after a couple of seconds and Seungmin’s eyes shot up to look at the omega who was looking at him with his eyebrows furrowed together ever so lightly “You okay?”
“Yeah” Seungmin nodded quickly, but the beta made no attempt to stand up to do what had been requested from him and he could feel cold sweat start to build on the back of his neck.
He never should have let Jeongin go. What had he been thinking, doing something so insanely stupid?
“Then can you go and get Innie, please? I’d rather do this sooner rather than later before Fe wakes… up…?” Minho asked again and Seungmin swallowed nervously, a movement that naturally did not go unnoticed by the omega.
“Seungmin?” Minho leaned away from the backrest as he sat up straight and turned to fully face Seungmin “Where is he?”
And in the way that the omega has asked the question, Seungmin knew that he had figured it out.

“I don’t know…” Seungmin whispered, fear rendering his vocal cords useless.
“You don’t know ?” Minho repeated, the tired edge to his voice dissipating almost instantly.
“I… I let him go” the beta confessed, his voice low and full of guilt.
“Let him go where ?” Minho asked as he got up from where he had been sitting, eyes wide as he stared at Seungmin in disbelief. And why wouldn’t he? Seungmin wouldn’t do this, not to Minho. And yet here he was. Doing the one thing he had promised himself never to do to the man who had saved his life.

“Kim Seungmin!” Minho growled when the beta remained silent and Seungmin flinched, ducking his head in shame and squeezing his eyes shut.
“He said that he knew where to find this Changbin and I let him go” He blurted out rapidly and when a strangled noise came from Minho’s direction he carefully looked back up to find that the omega had his hands in his hair again, pacing the length of the bench before turning the corner and heading towards the door.
“Hyung, wait!” Seungmin shot up from the bench in an instant and wrapped his hand around the elders wrist to try and hold him back, recoiling when Minho yanked his arm free and whirled around to face him, which allowed the beta to see the tears that had started running down the elder’s face. And Seungmin’s stomach clenched at the devastating heartbreak he could see in Minho’s eyes.
“I’m sorry” Seungmin mumbled quickly “But I think we have to try and give Innie a chance. If this Changbin can help Lixie, I think we should--”
“What did you think I was going to propose!?” Minho snapped “as much as I dislike the idea of any alphas anywhere near any of you, my fear and anger are nothing compared to the love I have for you--”
Minho’s voice broke and he swallowed thickly, his trembling hand coming up to wipe at his nose as he tried his best to reel in the emotions that were spilling over his face in streams.

“I would have done anything. Anything . To prevent this hell that Fe is currently stuck in…”
“Hyung… I--” Seungmin breathed, but Minho shook his head with furrowed brows and the beta clamped his mouth shut. Minho’s face was a mixture of betrayal, heartbreak and a pain that Seungmin was too afraid to unravel as the omega continued to speak, pieces of the beta’s heart cracking with every word.
“Do you think that if I had known this fact, that I would have kept them apart like that? For this long no less!? Don’t you think that if they had told me that I wouldn’t have found a way, any way, to deal with my pride and trauma in order to make sure that this wouldn't come to pass?” Minho pleaded as he gestured his hands into the direction of the stairs “Do you really think that I want to see Felix suffering like this? He is up there barely holding on and you two think that I’m-- I’m what? Enjoying this? That I want this? That I take some sort of sick pleasure in watching the person who means more to me than my own life, ask me to end his because he is in so much pain that he would rather die than take any more of this type of torture? That I kept him away from his mate because I thrive on his misery!? What have I done to be subjected to that type of cruel thinking?”

Seungmin blinked as he let the words wash over him, his eyes burning as he watched Minho break apart in a way he had never seen before as he lay out his broken heart on full display for the world to see. But words failed to come to mind to the questions asked, which was the thing that was bothering him most because the answer to all of them was as clear as day. Minho was strict but Seungmin had never known purer love than that which came in the form of Lee Minho. He was a good pack leader who always put himself last as long as it meant that the rest of the pack was cared for. He was a hard-ass but he never failed to do what was right and safest for them and to show them how much he cared, be it in the little gestures he did or even in spoken words, Minho didn’t shy away from affection because he knew what type of reaction it drew out of the rest of them. To Minho, his love for his family came as easy as breathing and he was never afraid to show it and remind them of said fact. Sure, he was a tad overprotective and Seungmin knew it was due to the trauma he had suffered which he had yet to tell them about. But that didn’t take away the fact that Minho was the very definition of love, care, family and friendship in ways Seungmin knew he never even could have dreamed of as a child.
So of course he didn’t think any of what Minho had asked. None of them did.
Right?

“Seungmin, I am asking you. Have I been such an atrocious hyung for all of you to think me so heartless?” Minho asked desperately, his voice devastated as he placed the back of his hand over his mouth in a futile attempt to lower the volume of the heart wrenching sob that he was unable to suppress when Seungmin failed to answer. A sight which left the beta’s heart shattering into a million pieces and crumbling onto the floor.
“Hyung…” The beta whispered with a small shake of the head, his own eyes brimming with unshed tears as he looked over every part of his pack leader’s anguished face. “I… I didn’t--”
“Stay with Felix” Minho croaked as he wiped at his face with his hands again before turning around and heading towards the door, clearly not wanting to waste any more time.

“Wait. Where are you going?” Seungmin asked softly, an edge of alarm lacing his voice as he took a step towards the omega with his hand coming up to reach for him but eventually halting mid-air at the memory of what had happened mere minutes ago.
“I’m going after Jeongin” Minho said with finality, the heartbreak in his voice so palpable through the tears that Seungmin felt like someone had reached into his body and strangled the life out of his spirit “No matter of how much of a monster you believe me to be, your safety is still my first priority. You are the sole reason that my blood continues to pump through my body and I will be damned if I let Innie run head first into a den of alphas all by himself without anyone to fall back on. He is 19…”
With those final words, the omega pushed himself out of the door and out of sight. And as the door fell shut into the frame, Seungmin finally allowed his own tears to spill over his cheeks as the regret pulsing through every blood cell in his veins threatened to swallow him whole.

Jeongin sped through the woods, his heartbeat pounding in his ears relentlessly as he tried to focus on the task at hand. But he couldn’t shake the shock that had accompanied Seungmin’s choice to let him go. It had been a long shot when he had begged the beta to let him go but he never actually thought that he would have agreed.
But Seungmin did and now here Jeongin was, speeding his way past the orchard and into the direction he knew Changbin and Hyunjin used to come and go from. And that was the extent of his knowledge.

He wasn’t a complete fool, he knew that what he was doing was idiotic since he technically had no idea where he was going. Not to mention the undeniable knowledge of Minho coming after him sooner rather than later. Regardless of how Seungmin would manage to stall him, he knew that there was no way that Minho would allow Jeongin to pull this ridiculous stunt. Going to the orchard was one thing, but going to the border? Hell, even surpassing it and trekking into another wolf’s territory? What’s worse was that Jeongin didn’t even know the extent of their own territory beyond the orchard as he and Felix had never been allowed so far away from the cottage. Let alone trying to find a whole other territory when he didn’t even know where their own ended or began. He was basically going into the situation with a blindfold on. But if he kept running he would eventually find the end. Or so he furiously hoped.

Who was he kidding? This was a suicide mission. And what if Jeongin couldn’t even find the other territory at all? What if he got lost? Or worse…

He swallowed thickly and faltered in the height of his nerves, his paws catching on a tree root and sending the omega flying and rolling over the unforgiving forest ground with a loud yelp. He whimpered softly when he came to a halt, wallowing in how alone he felt and how stupid he had been to even try this.
But then Felix’s agonising screams echoed through his brain and he internally grimaced for even daring to think like that when Jeongin wasn’t the one who was suffering right now. He internally cursed at himself and quickly scrambled back up and shook himself out before continuing his way, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he tried his best to keep his nose on high alert for any hints of pine.
The area was far away enough for him to not get tricked by the dense acres of pine trees that were situated just beyond their territory, and he was pretty sure that they were in the opposite direction too. So if he picked up on pine, at least he would know that he was heading in the right direction. Maybe even coffee or petrichor, if he was lucky. But he highly doubted it.

“Come on, Chan. Show yourself” Jeongin begged as he found himself further and further away from the orchard. He had lost track of time at this point, not knowing how long he had been underway nor how long it had been since he had passed the orchard and the side of the river that they had swam in all those nights ago.
Panic was starting to settle in the pits of his stomach the longer he ran and he knew he needed to find them fast or else Felix would wake up in pain again with no Changbin to hold him through it. And by now, Jeongin had already left their own territory behind a little while ago, the territorial scenting Minho had been vigorously keeping up with at the borders had been hard to miss when Jeongin passed the area. Which meant he was getting further and further away from what was deemed as safe and if he lost his way now, he wouldn’t be able to find his way back.

But just when he was about to stop and backtrack to try a different route, the tell tale scent of pine finally infiltrated his senses like a very welcome breath of fresh air with not a single pine tree in sight and Jeongin almost cried out in relief.
He continued his way into the territory, because there was no way that it wasn’t, and followed the traces of pine like a lifeline. But the glaring truth was that there was only so much he could do at this pace. Without having the slightest clue on where their home was located within the territory, it would be like trying to find a cotton thread in a haystack.
So he had to opt for a different strategy.

Jeongin stopped running and lifted his muzzle into the air, arching back to emphasise the volume in his throat before howling into the sky. He waited a couple of breaths before doing it again, and then once again for good measure. Within the territory he knew that at least someone would be bound to hear him and come investigate. But he wasn’t going to stick around and wait, if anything he knew he needed to continue and try to follow the scent to the best of his abilities.

He continued to howl every once in a while, to make sure that whoever heard him would know in which direction he was going. Which was the exact opposite of the ‘run, howl and hide’ rule Minho had drummed into their skulls but right now he didn’t want to hide, he needed to be found. On top of that he also was eerily aware of the fact that the white wolf that was currently no doubt tracing him would also be led to him a lot easier through his howls.
But hopefully he would have been found by Chan or anyone else from Chan’s pack by then in order to alert Changbin. Or so he wished.

He howled again, the sound catching in his throat when the hint of another scent hit his nose and he almost cried out again. But for different reasons this time. He knew that he had missed him but not to this extent. It felt like someone had returned a little piece of his heart as he took a second to bask in the coffee that hung around him as he skidded to a halt and sniffed around eagerly in an attempt to try and find the direction the coffee was coming from.

“Innie!”

Jeongin’s heart stopped when his name reached his ears before it jumped in his chest and he felt something inside of him break with desperation. It had been distant, and veiled because of it but unmistakable nonetheless. He whimpered softly and without wasting another beat he leaped into the direction of the voice. That sweet, honey doe voice he had missed so much that it almost tore him apart hearing it again after what had been far too long.
“Hyung!? I’m here!” he called out, picking up his pace as the coffee scent started getting stronger with every step he took.
“Innie!” He heard again. Closer, louder and clearer this time and the anticipation started spreading under his skin like wildfire as he tried to fight back tears that began to burn behind his eyes.

And it wasn’t long before a blond blob appeared in his view, approaching at top speed, stunning green eyes locked on Jeongin and coffee scent spiking instantly.
“Hyung!” Jeongin cried out and leaped when Hyunjin was close enough, the both of them shifting before crashing into each other like ocean waves hitting the rocky cliffs at shore during a storm.
Jeongin instinctively pressed his nose into Hyunjin’s scent gland as his hands clutched at the elder’s back desperately, trying to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming, that this Hyunjin wasn’t a figment of his imagination.
“Hyung!” He sobbed again, tears spilling over his cheeks as he inhaled the warm coffee scent deeply and melted into the body that was wrapped around him.

“Jeongin what the fuck!?” Hyunjin’s hands roamed all over the omega’s body worriedly, checking to see if he wasn’t injured. “What are you doing here? Why do I smell blood!?”
“B-blood?” Jeongin let out a confused whimper as Hyunjin pushed him back, the elder’s eyes scrutinising his every inch and then going wide with horror.
“Jeongin you’re hurt, what the hell happened!?” the beta asked worriedly as he grabbed onto Jeongin’s arm and lifted it to expose a few cuts on the side of his torso. Jeongin raised his free hand up to his face to try and wipe the tears that were obstructing his view and winced when the beta gingerly brushed his fingers over the wounds. Which instantly reminded him why he was here in the first place.

“No, wait! Where is--” He protested as he softly pulled his arm back from Hyunjin’s grip and grabbed his hand before turning his face to look at him when his breath suddenly caught in his throat and his stomach dropped right out of his body as he finally realised that the blonde hadn’t been alone.
There was an absolutely gigantic pitch black wolf that almost towered over them like a looming shadow standing just a few feet away, silently observing them with its glowing amber eyes trained on Jeongin inquisitively. And unlike how defiant and protective he had felt over Felix when they had met Changbin the first time, right now all that overcame him was a sense of mind numbing fear. The omega let out an involuntary whine as he fearfully dove back into Hyunjin’s arms who instantly held onto him carefully.

“Wow, hey. Innie?” Hyunjin looked down and stroked some hairs out of Jeongin’s face where the younger was hiding, his voice still worried before Jeongin felt him turn and tut “Ah… Channie hyung! Can you stop staring like that, for christ sake. You’re scaring the crap out of him”

‘Channie hyung’ ? Chan? Jeongin perked up at the name and carefully sneaked a glance over Hyunjin's shoulder only to be met by a sulking wolf who blinked when he noticed the omega looking at him. And for a split second Jeongin thought he was imagining things because he could have sworn that the wolf, Chan, just winked at him.

Jeongin inhaled a shaky breath, his eyebrows furrowing together as the wolf bowed his head politely, eyes glowing with what seemed like amusement and the young omega found himself mirroring the motion shyly, all previously felt fear now evaporated into thin air.
“Sorry, Innie” Hyunjin’s voice spoke next to his ear, causing a shiver to run down Jeongin’s spine as he quickly leaned back to look up at the beta “This is Chan hyung, remember how we told you about him? He’s harmless. I promise”
Jeongin nodded slowly but was quickly distracted because there was that smile, that smile that Jeongin hadn't realised he had so hopelessly longed for until his hand had come up and was resting against the beta’s cheek ever so tenderly.

“I missed you…” Jeongin breathed, his bottom lip trembling. And at the words, an arsenal of emotions flashed through Hyunjin’s eyes. Starting at surprise and rolling through melancholy, hurt, relief and eventually ending on what could only be described as soul crushing fondness. His gaze softened as he placed his hand on top of Jeongin’s and leaned into the touch.
“I missed you too” he said softly and Jeongin felt his heart leap.
“But, baby, what are you doing all the way out here by yourself?” Hyunjin asked, his eyebrows knitted together with worry as his eyes searched Jeongin’s for a brief moment. And the omega marvelled up at Hyunjin as his brain melted at the pet name, making his heart flutter violently against his ribcage until it suddenly stilled when the rest of the spoken words sunk into his awareness.

“Fuck!” He cursed as he retracted his hand quickly “Hyung. And uhm. Chan… sir?”
Hyunjin giggled softly and Jeongin mentally facepalmed himself for the awkward way he had addressed Chan before shaking his head quickly trying to sort out his thoughts. Felix was what mattered right now. Not Hyunjin and that enchanting smile or his invigorating coffee scent or who’s hair was tied back with the lint that Jeongin had made for him as his birth month celebration gift. Not even scary-not-so-scary Chan who was still watching them curiously from a short distance. None of that mattered right now.
Felix mattered.

“Hyung” Jeongin started again “Where is--”
His words were interrupted when Chan suddenly stepped forward, a dangerous snarl sounding in the back of his throat and Jeongin flinched at the sudden change of attitude.
Until he felt Hyunjin tense and start trembling right before his nose registered the white rose that quickly permeated the vicinity they were standing in which instantly caused his blood to run like ice. He whirled around and placed his arms behind him in a feeble attempt to protect Hyunjin from whatever it was that was coming.

Because this situation felt too scarily familiar for comfort and Jeongin internally cussed himself out for being so lost in Hyunjin that he had completely forgotten about the fact that he was being followed.
What he didn’t expect, though, was that Minho’s mud covered wolf would skid to a stop close to them, his white rose not burning but wilted with worry as he looked over Jeongin’s body with panic lacing his ice blue eyes.
“Jeongin! Jesus fuck!” Minho shouted exasperatedly “The scent of your blood is everywhere, what the fuck happened!?”

The omega stepped forward, completely ignoring the low warning growls from the alpha standing guard nearby in favour of nosing at Jeongin’s body.
And if Hyunjin could stiffen even more, he’d become a statue. Which was peculiar because the beta was trembling so hard that Jeongin could feel the tremors transfer into his back.
“No, Hyung. I’m fine. I fell and probably scraped myself, it’s fine.” He tried pushing Minho’s snout away, almost giggling at the tickling sensation. Almost. But Hyunjin’s trembling figure pressed against his back was keeping him grounded.
“You’re fine?” Minho asked, his eyes coming up to meet Jeongin’s for confirmation.
“Yes, I’m fine, hyung” He nodded quickly, his arm coming back again to wrap around Hyunjin protectively. Because there was no way that Minho was this calm.
And he was right.
“Good” Minho breathed a sigh of relief “Because that means I get to kill you. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?”

The bark was so unexpected that it sent everything into chaos. Hyunjin jerked himself away from Jeongin and fled to stand behind Chan who, surprisingly, hadn't moved a muscle because he knew that the target of the rage was the omega’s own pack member and not him or his beta.
Jeongin flinched and whimpered, a pout prominent on his face and if he had been in his wolf form right now his tail would have been tucked so far between his legs that one would assume he didn’t have a tail at all.

“All I did was tell you to wait so we could figure out what to do next and you decide that I was what? Addressing the ants on the floor!?” Minho growled as he towered over Jeongin’s tiny frame “Have you lost your goddamn mind coming out here all on your own!? You could have gotten lost! You could have gotten hurt worse than you did! What is wrong with you!? When did you get to the point where you just stopped listening to me!?”
“You would never have come here otherwise, hyung!” Jeongin fought back with a pout.
“You do not get to decide that, Jeongin!” Minho snapped “Just like how you don’t get to decide what information I do or do not get when it has such catastrophic consequences!”
“But Felix needs him, hyung! You said it yourself!” Jeongin tried again, frustration now building up his throat as he tried to stand his ground.

“You think I’m not aware of that!?” Minho asked and Jeongin could have sworn for a second that he saw heartbreak flash through the ice blue orbs that were trained on him “That is why I wanted to discuss it with you because I knew that you would know better than me where to go, Jeongin. Because if I had known from the start that they had bonded, I never would have kept them apart in the first place! Contrary of what the lot of you might believe about me, I love Felix more than I hate the world and there is nothing I would have stopped at to make sure that he doesn’t suffer the way that he is right now. Which I would have told you if you had just waited like I instructed you to…”

Minho’s voice trailed off painfully and Jeongin felt his heart constrict, realisation hitting him square in the chest like an arrow as he let the spoken words sink in. He had been so panicked and worried about the situation and about Felix, that he hadn’t even stopped to think that Minho would indeed do everything possible under the sun for Felix’s sake. Because it’s Minho. And Minho would stop the world from spinning, snuff out all the stars in the sky and gather all the planets in the universe if it meant keeping Felix safe. And right now Felix wasn’t safe and Minho knew that the only way to try and fix that was to get Changbin.
Which meant that Minho had wanted to try and come here with Jeongin to get him, despite his fears, despite his reservations and forcing himself to look his decade old trauma square in the eye, all for the sake of his brother. Because that’s what Minho always did. But Jeongin had jumped to conclusions and hadn’t given Minho the grace he deserved, and the thought of that caused an ugly flower of guilt to bloom within his stomach.

“I’m sorry, hyung… I didn’t… I’m sorry” Jeongin said softly, his head hanging low and Minho looked at him for a few seconds before letting out a soft huff and turning his attention towards the black wolf and the cowering little blonde beta that was hiding behind him. A mop of hair he vaguely remembered.

Minho assumed that this was the beta Jeongin and Felix had mentioned in their recounting of their stories of the orchard based on how Jeongin had been so close and personal with him when Minho arrived here. Which was another thing that he didn't quite want to wrap his head around, Felix’s situation was precarious enough as it was and right now that needed his full attention.
“You. I am sure you are not this ‘Changbin’ my omega is looking for” Minho said, disdain dripping out of his voice like fast acting venom as he addressed the black wolf “Where can I find him?”
“Hyung, oh my god” Jeongin gaped as he stared up at Minho in horror “Can’t you at least pretend to be nice?”
Minho let out a disapproving huff in response, his eyes briefly resting on Jeongin before looking back towards the alpha.

“Nice to see you again too, roses” the black wolf scoffed, the low growl still vaguely present in the back of his throat.
“I do not have time for pleasantries, pine ” Minho spat “I have matters that are far more pressing than me entertaining your ego.”
“Wow, okay” Jeongin sputtered, his eyebrows raised so far up his face that they disappeared behind his fringe “First of all, his name is not pine . And second, that was rude and so uncalled for. Remember, hyung, we are trying to ask for help. Not run them off…”
Minho’s fur bristled as he fought back a displeased snarl at the words, knowing damn well that Jeongin hadn’t heard how the black wolf had addressed Minho first. And the elder would rather eat snake fangs than make himself seem like a whining child in front of strangers, especially this pine smelling bastard.

Jeongin tutted disapprovingly before spinning around and walking over towards the black wolf like it was an everyday occurrence which caused Minho’s fur to bristle, a growl beginning to rumble in his stomach.
“Hyung?” Jeongin said softly and the sweet and careful tone of voice instantly let Minho know that the omega hadn’t been talking to him. And that, in all honesty, felt like a whip lash to the back.
The proximity of the black wolf and Jeongin was sending Minho’s head into a dizzy spin, fear clawing away at his insides the closer the young omega got to him. But Jeongin wasn’t aiming for the wolf, nor was the wolf paying the young omega any mind as Jeongin made his way to the blonde who was still hiding behind him. He reached out his hand and the blonde quickly took it, instantly pulling Jeongin flush against his chest and Minho growled again, a little louder this time.

Everything that was happening in front of him was making Minho so uncomfortable that he wanted to claw his skin off. Strangers, including an alpha for crying out loud, were getting and being so close to his baby bread and the mere sight of it had his alarms blaring at him and his blood boiling with fear.
“It’s okay, he won’t hurt you, I promise. He’s not as scary as he looks” Jeongin spoke softly as he tried to reassure the blonde from where he had his chin perched on the taller’s shoulder and Minho internally scowled at the words. Because how dare Jeongin downplay Minho’s intimidating prowess.

Jeongin pulled the blonde forward a little bit as he turned to face Minho with a gentle smile and eyes that read ‘please behave’ and Minho had to fight the insatiable urge to shift and spank the younger for the show of blatant defiance.
“Minho hyung, can you please stop growling? You’re scaring my friend” Jeongin asked carefully, bringing out the best puppy eyes he could muster and Minho huffed at the sight.
The pack leader had always been so very weak for those beautiful mismatched eyes. But the anxiety thrumming away under the surface of his skin was far too high with the knowledge that there was still an alpha near them. A pack alpha at that, a leader. The omega glanced over into the black wolf’s direction, a silent snarl on his lips before he finally noticed the scar that adorned the left side of the wolf’s face. A scar Minho had been responsible for. And the sight momentarily allowed his anxiety to make way for pride.

“Hyung” Jeongin’s voice snapped him out of his distraction and Minho turned to look at him, only to be confronted with the fact that, again, the omega had not been addressing him.
“This is Minho, our leader. And Minho hyung,” Jeongin turned to look at Minho, his eyes still holding that same pleading and defiant look “this is Hyunjin. My friend. The beta I told you about.”
Minho huffed bitterly, his eyes resting on the beta for a couple of seconds before finally nodding his head into the boy’s direction, who reluctantly mirrored the movement after swallowing thickly and shuffling closer towards Jeongin.

“Jeongin” Minho chided “As much as I am enjoying this tea party. We do not have the time. I do not know how long Felix will still be asleep, if he hasn’t woken up already. We need to head back, soon.”
“Right. Uhm. Jinnie hyung. We need your help” Jeongin’s eyes widened as he turned to face Hyunjin who’s previous reservation and fear instantly made way for worry at the distressed shift in Jeongin’s demeanour and scent, his attention now solely on the omega “We need Changbin hyung. Felix, he… he’s sick. He got his heat and he’s really ill, Jinnie. We don’t know what to do”

Jeongin’s bottom lip started trembling and Hyunjin placed his hand on one of the younger’s cheeks, the worry in his gaze doubling at the spoken words.
“He keeps asking for Changbin and he’s in so much pain. He’s not letting Minnie hyung help him and Minho hyung had to even put him into headspace. We’re out of options, hyung” Jeongin whimpered as he clutched Hyunjin’s arm.
“For christ sake. I fucking knew this would happen” The black wolf grumbled and Hyunjin whirled his head around to look at him with furrowed brows as Minho felt anger flare in the pits of his stomach “Of course he’s suffering. They’re bonded and he’s going through his heat without his mate.”

“What do you mean hyung?” Hyunjin asked with furrowed brows.
“What I mean is that due to the bond that was born between them, Felix’s heat pattern has changed” the black wolf explained and when his brother’s name was spoken in that foreign voice, Minho had to fight tooth and nail not to let out another snarl as the wolf continued to speak “His omega recognizes his bond mate as his alpha now, which means that his hormones do too. This results in what is happening right now. And because of that, nothing is going to help until he gets his alpha. Which is exactly why Bin has been feeling so distraught all day.”

“Is that what you came out here for, all alone?” Hyunjin asked as he turned back to face Jeongin with a disapproving look on his face, his hand reaching up to flick the younger’s forehead. And Minho blinked, not knowing if he should growl in defence or frown in confusion at how Jeongin pouted like a love struck child.
“I’m sorry, okay?” Jeongin huffed “Can we all stop yelling at me for my stupid decisions and get Changbin please? You and Minho hyung can team up and scold me later, but first we need to get Binnie hyung--”

But the omega hadn’t finished speaking the words when the area suddenly flooded with an ominous promise of storm, the scent of an approaching monsoon and thunderous rainstorm overshadowing every other scent in the vicinity. And if Minho hadn’t been painfully aware of the fact that there currently was no cloud in the sky, he would have almost been fooled.
He leaped forward to hover over Jeongin protectively, a warning growl low in his throat as Hyunjin flinched at the sudden movement before the impending storm reached them and the beta perked up.
“Wait, that’s--!!”

His words were cut off when a furious blur of aegean flew past them, not even giving them the light of day as he disappeared as fast as he had appeared. And Minho would have been confused at the odd behaviour if it hadn’t been for the fact that he realised the direction the wolf had sped into and the caramel spotted wolf who had suddenly surged forward and set chase without so much as a word. And Minho didn’t waste a single beat before following, panic rising to his chest as his heart started drumming in his ears dangerously.
“Innie!” He vaguely heard Hyunjin call after them before the black wolf’s voice cut in, telling the beta to ‘go back and stay with Sungie’ . Which was information that should have sent him into overdrive but at the moment the only thing occupying his mind was the, to Minho, unknown alpha who was now quickly closing in on their territory and by extension, Felix.

--

Felix had never been to the beach. Or maybe he had but he didn’t remember. But sitting here now, toes curled into the sand and nose kissed by the warm sun, made him wonder why he hadn’t. It couldn’t be that far from home if he was here now, right?
But he couldn’t remember how he got here. Not that he cared much for the answer, the peace he felt was too serene to jeopardise with something so trivial. The sounds of the waves rolling onto shore mixed in with the soft and warm seabreeze that gently blew Felix’s hair out of his face. The white sand glimmered happily in the sunlight with various types of empty shells scattered haphazardly along the neverending shore, occasionally pushed and pulled by the waves that washed over them like a lung taking in steady breaths. And the distant, overhead screeching of the seagulls blended in perfectly with the scenery Felix currently was completely lost in.

“Minho would like this” He whispered softly from where he had his chin rested on top of his knees, arms wrapped around the legs he had pulled up to his chest for comfort. But Minho wasn’t here right now.
Why wasn’t he, though? And how did Felix get here? He couldn’t remember.
And again, the omega couldn’t find it within himself to unravel the questions as he feared that it would take away the beauty of the ocean. The glaring sunlight was making the water surface look like the moon spirits had decorated it with countless of aegean jewels, glittering and shining brilliantly for as far as Felix’s sight could reach.

Aegean?
Felix felt his chest constrict at the sight of the stunning colour, his heartbeat picking up ever so lightly. He shifted in his spot, his toes digging deeper into the warm sand as he let out a longing sigh before swallowing thickly.
“Changbin…” He whispered, the sound carried away by the wind as the omega continued to be entranced by the jewels glittering on the ocean surface.
“You called?” A velvety and familiar voice startled him out of his thoughts when two strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him flush against a solid and warm frame. Almost instantly, the pain in his chest lifted and his heartbeat relaxed into a steady pace as he allowed himself to melt into the embrace.

“Where have you been…?” Felix asked softly as he leaned his head back to rest on the shoulder behind him, turning it slightly to burry his nose into the alpha’s scent gland. But there was no scent.
“I’ve always been here” Changbin said softly, a smile evident in his voice as one of his hands slid up the omega’s chest before it came to a stop right where Felix could feel his heart beating slowly.
“Please don’t leave…” Felix said again, his voice still the same volume. Like his body was refusing to make any louder noise.
“That’s up to you” Changbin smiled warmly, leaning in to place a soft kiss on the bridge of Felix’s nose before moving up to place one on the space between his eyebrows and then his forehead“As long as you want me to stay, I’ll stay. But are you sure you want that?”

“Why wouldn’t I want that?” Felix breathed, his eyes fluttering shut at the gentle ministrations which were so feather light that they felt like fairy wings fluttering against his skin. Like they weren’t really there. “I’ve always wanted you…”
“And you can have me…” Changbin said softly, his arms tightening around Felix’s waist.
“Can?” Felix asked, despite not really wanting to know the answer. He just wanted to stay like this, wrapped within the arms of the person he longed for most and surrounded by soft breezes, seagull screeches and warm sand.
“Mhm” Changbin hummed as he placed another kiss on the crown of Felix’s head “You can have me. But in order to get me, you’re going to have to wake up and come to me, my love”

The words sounded foreign in the omega’s ears. And he didn’t like the way they made the sun burn a little hotter on his skin, the seagulls fly a little further away and the jewels on the waves stop glittering.
“Can’t I just have you now, like this?” Felix asked softly, feeling a stray tear run over his face and into Changbin’s tunic “I don’t want to move… If I move, everything will hurt…”
Hurt? Why would everything hurt? And where was Minho? Minho was always with him. Especially since the beach was a place they definitely would have come to together… But Felix couldn’t remember. And he didn’t want to remember.

“It won’t hurt for long, I promise” Changbin nosed the side of the younger’s face gently “But you can’t stay here, or else I can’t help you…”
“Do you know where my brother is?” Felix deflected as he snuggled a little deeper into the chest behind him.
“He’s with me” Changbin said simply, his lips finding Felix’s forehead again.
“Why?” Felix asked, knowing that the information should have been alarming. But why? He couldn’t remember, and he didn’t want to remember.
“Because he’s worried sick about you”
“Why?” Felix’s chest constricted again, another tear rolling over his cheek as the sun started to burn too hot for it to be comfortable and he shifted uncomfortably in Changbin’s arms.
“Because you have to wake up, my love” Changbin said softly “Wake up and let me find you”
Felix whimpered, his eyebrows furrowing together as he nuzzled deeper into the alpha’s scent gland. But there was still no scent.
“Wake up, Felix…” Changbin said again and as he spoke the words, the seagulls overhead suddenly disappeared causing Felix to finally open his eyes in search of the missing sounds.

Felix woke with a jolt, his hands shooting out around him and finding nothing but soft blankets and pieces of fabric. No sea. No sand.

No Changbin.

The omega whimpered, feeling tears run over his temples as he attempted to turn to his side, which instantly reminded him why he didn't want to move. Excruciating pain exploded in his stomach, embedding itself in every inch of his body the shards could reach and setting his blood cells aflame. He let out a strangled cry and squeezed his eyes shut to eliminate the swirling room around him as he wrapped his arms around himself. But even with his eyes closed, the spinning didn’t stop and his stomach flipped.

His eyes flew open as he struggled to scramble to the side of the bed where he remembered the pail to be, throwing himself over the edge and blindly wrapping his hand around the rim of the pail before his stomach violently emptied itself out. Tears filled his eyes as bile and water were forcefully expelled out of his body, burning his throat and causing Felix to cry out in pain as the spasms aggravated the waves of cramps that were terrorising his small frame.
He felt a pair of soft yet firm hands gather his hair out of his face as he continued to heave into the pail, the soft and almost barely there cinnamon scent alerting him on who it was before Seungmin’s worried voice reached his ears.

“You’re okay” Seungmin spoke softly, one of his hands coming back to gently rub at Felix’s back, and if the omega hadn’t been so focused on trying not to throw up his intestines, he probably would have flinched away. Which was a sensation he didn’t ever want to feel. Because Seungmin was always so very sweet and so very caring and his touches were always, always , welcome.
But Felix didn’t want Seungmin right now.
He didn’t want cinnamon, or white rose or caramel. He wanted rain, and storm, and morning dew. He wanted the colour blue and sand between his toes, seagulls circling his head while the strongest arms on the planet pulled him into a broad chest. He wanted ocean and sun and butterfly kisses on his skin.

He wanted Changbin.

And at the thought of the alpha, Felix felt the tug in his chest pull so hard it almost made him tumble over the edge of the bed. He gasped for air as he let go of the pail, which was luckily caught in time by Seungmin, before he pushed himself back and collapsed into his bed. Violent sobs tore through his chest, tears that refused to stop running over his temples and into his hair.
He felt a cold cloth gently dab at his face and then his mouth, the omega distantly grateful for the continued love that was still being gifted to him while he so adamantly continued to refuse their proximity. But he had no power left to fight. His body felt like someone had dumped 1000 kilos of stones on top of him and left him for dead, his muscles refusing to cooperate in favour of making him feel like he was being killed from the inside out and all Felix wanted was for the pain to stop.

And then the tug pulled at his chest again, the same heart wrenching way it had done mere seconds ago, making his lungs constrict and his heart warm up.
’You can have me. But in order to get me, you’re going to have to wake up and come to me, my love’
Changbin’s velvety voice momentarily flashed through his brain and another sob escaped his lips before he willed his head to turn into the direction he knew Seungmin was standing.

“H-help me up…” Felix stammered through his tears, his hand coming up to weakly wrap around Seungmin’s wrist that was still hovering over his face with the damp cloth in hand.
Seungmin stilled, his eyes furrowing together as he looked down at Felix in confusion. The beta must’ve thought that Felix was incoherent, that he was babbling nonsense because, in all honesty, Felix’s words were in fact nonsense. He couldn’t even lie down without pain so how was he planning on getting out of bed? The omega knew it was insane, that there was no way that he was going to be able to get to Changbin. But the tug in his chest, that continued to pull at him, was telling him to get up and go. And for once, he wanted to listen. Because the moon and all its siblings knew what happened the last time that Felix didn’t.

“I n-need-- I need t-to get… u-up” Felix added softly as another sob tore through his frame, the omega curling into himself when another wave of pain sent static buzzing through his brain.
“Lix, I don’t think you getting up right now is a good idea…” Seungmin’s worried and fear filled voice echoed in the distance, but it was quickly overshadowed by Changbin’s voice and words infiltrating his mind again.
“P-please!” Felix cried as his grip on Seungmin’s wrist tightened, nails digging into the elder’s skin “I h-have to!”

And when Seungmin made no moves to help him, staring at Felix with a panicked look on his face, the omega swallowed thickly before letting go of the beta and crawling over to the side of the bed.
“Felix…” Seungmin breathed, his voice breaking ever so lightly. But Felix didn’t care. He couldn’t. He needed to get up. And when he reached the edge of the bed, another wave of pain sucked all of the strength out of his limbs and caused them to collapse from under him. And it would have sent him tumbling to the ground if it wasn’t for a pair of arms wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him back.
Felix cried out in pain, the hands on his body feeling like hot coals against his skin but he still reached out to hold onto Seungmin as the elder helped him step out of the nest reluctantly

“Lixie…” Seungmin pleaded “You’re in pain, Minho will be back soon. Please, Let’s just--”
“No!” Felix gritted out between heavy pants, his body wanting to give out with every move he made “I h-have… I need…”
Felix whimpered and collapsed into Seungmin’s chest when his feet finally found the floor, his finger’s curling into the beta’s tunic as he let out another cry.
’You can have me. But in order to get me, you’re going to have to wake up and come to me, my love’
The tug in his chest pulled at him again, the pain in his body pulsing excruciatingly as he tried to will himself to move. But when another wave caused his knees to buckle, a sob tearing through his frame, he quickly found himself horizontal and pushed against a Seungmin’s chest.

“Where do you need to go?” The beta asked firmly, determination and worry laced through his voice as he looked down at Felix who had his face pressed into the elder’s shoulder, face scrunched up in agony.
“Out… o-outside…” Felix cried softly, his nails digging into Seungmin’s tunic weakly as he tried his best to listen to what the tug in his chest was telling him to do. He didn’t know where he needed to go or how far, even. All he knew was that he needed to go outside.
He just begged with all his heart that he was not slowly ripping himself apart just because of a dream, just because of that stupid tug in his chest.

Seungmin complied, holding onto Felix carefully as he made his way out of the room and down the stairs while the omega continued to cry silently, pained whimpers escaping him every time another wave of pain washed over him. And with how he was being held and how the vibration of Seungmin’s steps ricocheted through his body, the pain seemed to only intensify by the second, a heavy and thick trail of wilted jasmine left behind on the path that they took.

By the time they reached the porch outside, Felix was full on sobbing again and Seungmin was trying his best not to panic and run back inside to place Felix back in his nest. The omega vaguely registered the elder walking for a little bit before sitting down somewhere the scorching sun couldn’t reach them as he held him a little closer. And Felix almost wanted to protest, his spent body once again rejecting the beta’s proximity. But he felt like he had nothing left to give.
The pain was unbearable and all he wanted was for it to end.

They sat in the shadows for a while, Felix’s anguished cries and wilted jasmine engulfing the whole clearing as he tried his best to find it within himself to move further. But he couldn’t. It was too much, the pain was too much.
“I c-can’t do thi-- this a-any more…” He cried weakly after what felt like an eternity, the tug in his chest intensifying momentarily as he spoke “I w-want Changbin…”
“Let’s get you back inside…” Seungmin offered carefully “It’s too warm outside and Minho will be back soon. Then everything will be okay”
Felix shook his head desperately as he continued to cry, another wave of pain making him curl up as tremors raked through his body.
“That’s it” Seungmin huffed and moved to stand up, carefully pulling Felix up with him “We’re going back inside, you need to rest and you need to be out of this heat. Your skin is on fire, Fe.”

And almost as if on cue, the tug in Felix’s chest pulled so hard that it made the younger gasp. He clutched at his chest and cried out, making Seungmin halt in his movement’s. And when his worried eyes looked down to check if Felix was okay, the both of them froze when they were suddenly hit by an incoming rainstorm.

Felix felt his heart stop when the scent hit his nose, the pain in his body momentarily faltering and the tug in his chest almost pulling him out of Seungmin’s arms. The beta had spun around to look into the far end of the clearing, breath caught in his throat and eyes wide before coming to his senses and whirling around with Felix in his arms to haul them both back towards the cottage due to the, for Seungmin, unknown scent that was approaching at lightning speed.
But Felix wouldn’t let him. Because that was not an unknown scent. That wasn’t danger.
“No!” Felix thrashed, the pain in his body almost splitting him in half as he tried to fight out of Seungmin’s arms “Stop!”
“Felix, wait!” The beta panicked and stumbled, his grip on Felix weakening which granted the omega leeway to wiggle himself free and causing Seungmin to fully trip before sending them both crashing to the ground.

Felix instantly scrambled to his feet, pushing himself through the waves of pain and bolted into the direction the scent was coming from. And somewhere in the far corner of his mind he could hear Seungmin screaming for him to stop, no doubt trying to go after him but all the omega was focused on was the monsoon that was undoubtedly coming for him. A rainstorm that was being carried along with sunshine and cloudless skies, juicy citrus fruits that were ready to be harvested and arrows that were left trembling in his wavering hands.

Maybe it was a figment of his imagination. Maybe the pain had tipped him over the edge and he had died in Seungmin’s arms as they sat in the shades at one of the edges of the clearing for him to now be sensing the one thing that he wanted most in the world, the tug in his chest pulsating with anticipation. And if that was the price he needed to pay to get the pain to stop, to be able to bury his toes in the sand as soft lips peppered butterfly kisses all over his face while the sea glittered away in the distance in that colour that he had come to love so much… Then Felix would gladly pay it.

It took all but 5 seconds from Felix getting himself away from Seungmin, tears streaming over his face like twin waterfalls as he tried his best to run feeling like a new born foal with how badly his legs were shaking under the pressure of the pain. To his eyes landing on the massive aegean wolf that broke into the clearing with his midnight sky eyes fixed on Felix’s rapidly crumbling frame.
Felix let out a strangled sob at the sight, the tug in his chest snapping and letting go of his heart before filling him with such an overwhelming calmness and warmth that he felt his knees give way.
But before he could even begin to descend, the same pair of strong arms that had held him so close on that beach locked firmly around his waist and Felix collided with the broad chest he had so desperately longed for. His own arms instantly came up to wrap around the alpha weakly, desperately trying to hold onto what he feared was a mirage conjured up by his own mind due to a combination of sun and pain.
But when Felix’s nose found the elder’s scent gland almost instinctively and he was greeted by that warm, dewy petrichor he had failed to pick up on at the beach, all the tension and fear bled out of his body and he allowed the scent to envelop him completely.

Almost instantly, the blazing pain that had been tormenting him into insanity all morning, slowly started dissipating with each breath of dewy rain Felix took until it became but a low simmer in his belly.
And with the overwhelming peace that abruptly washed over him in that blissful second, Felix felt his body go limp as the world around him finally faded into serene darkness.

Chapter Text

When Jisung had burst through the bathroom door, all but bringing the entire door and its frame down with him, Changbin had nearly lost his soul to the underworld. But the fear and stress the young alpha had brought along with his burning sandalwood scent, had instantly put the elder’s senses on high alert as he looked the boy up and down worriedly.
“What the hell--”
“We were talking and then we heard howling and at first we thought it was our imagination which is crazy because if it was then how did we all hear it at the same time--”
“Jisung!” Changbin moved to grab the young alpha by his nape when he had spilled the words out of his mouth in a string of incoherent panic “Breathe…”
And as if the words reminded Jisung that he had lungs, he inhaled a shaky breath through trembling lips as his hazel eyes found Changbin's.
“Good.” Changbin nodded softly, his firm gaze and grip never wavering “Now slow down. What’s going on?”
“There’s a wolf in our territory!” Jisung blurted, his voice barely above a whisper and the elder frowned.
“A wolf?”

“We heard howling.” Jisung continued “and we thought we had misheard but then it happened again, twice. Almost like they were deliberately trying to alert us…”
Changbin felt a shiver run down his spine, images of Felix instantly popping into his head.
“Where’s hyung?” he asked, feeling his breath pick up ever so lightly.
“He went after Jinnie hyung…” Jisung pouted lightly, the fear in his scent palpable and Changbin frowned again.
“What?”

“Jinnie hyung just bolted. The third time we heard the howl, he just disappeared into the direction of the noise like someone had lit a fire under his tail. He was so fast that Chan hyung couldn’t even stop him so he went after him and told me to alert you”
Changbin felt his heart skip dangerously, his blood chilling at the realisation. Because there was only one reason Hyunjin would react like that. Jeongin. The wolf in their territory had to be Jeongin. But that would probably mean…
“Were you sure there was only one wolf? One voice?” He asked urgently, his grip slightly tightening on the younger’s nape.
“Y-yes…” Jisung nodded “There was only one but we don’t know if they were actually alone… Hyung… what if- what if something happens to Jinnie?”
“No, squirrel. Don’t worry” Changbin tried to reassure the young alpha but he couldn’t even reassure himself. “Nothing is going to happen to him” as long as roses didn’t follow Jeongin again.

Shit.

He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes before letting out a steady breath and locking eyes with Jisung again.
“Jisung, I need you to watch the cottage. I’m going after them” he said, his voice firm before he finally let go of the younger and slid past him.
“Wha-- what!? No!” Jisung croaked and quickly fell into step behind the elder “You can’t leave me here alone, that’s not fair!”
“Jisung” Changbin spun around to face the younger again, his eyes dark and dangerous “I can not have you be put in the same danger as I allowed Hyunjin to be in last time. Stay here. And do not go outside until any of us come back”
“I am not a pup!” Jisung snapped back “Stop treating me like a defenceless child who can’t take care of himself!”
“I’m not saying that you are!” Changbin spat, his tone leaving no room for argument “But I need to know that at least one of the people that I love is out of harm's way, we have no idea what roses is capable of. Besides, I do not want to be on the receiving end of hyung’s wrath if I allow you to step into a potentially dangerous situation for no goddamn good reason. So stay here and watch the fucking cottage!”

He spun around on his heel, leaving behind a seething Jisung as he discarded his shorts and threw them to the side before running outside and shifting mid leap. In between the stressed sandalwood that hung low in the air, Changbin was luckily still able to pick up on both Hyunjin and Chan’s alarmed scents heading into the woods and he quickly sped up his pace, following the scents deeper into the forest.
The direction the trail was heading into was obviously Minho’s territory, which caused Changbin’s mind to start running 500 miles an hour. Because why would Jeongin be here? And from what Jisung told him, the howling had sounded deliberate. Asif he was trying to get to them. And of course, without knowing where to go, he would have to call for help.
But why?
Changbin’s heart clenched painfully in his chest, the tug pounding like a dull hum as Felix’s face flashed before his eyes again. What if something happened to their pack, to Felix? Or maybe Changbin was overthinking it and Felix was with him, the both of them tired of being separated from their friends and deciding to come look for them.

The chances of that happening were just as high as Changbin seeing pigs with bunny ears flying across the sky. Especially with Minho keeping watch.
And then there was that something inside of the alpha that was telling him that the former was most likely true as the feeling of his omega being in distress was still gnawing away at him like an alarm.
He picked up his pace, his nose and ears on high alert as he continued to follow the scents of his pack members that stuck to the foliage around him. And he tried with all his might to also pick up on the caramel and maybe, just maybe, the jasmine too as he willed ignorance towards the tug in his chest that continued to tell him his hopes were futile.
What terrified him most about the whole situation was the fact that all of his expectations, theories and worries were solely based on nothing other than his own speculation. Apart from the fact that he was sure that the wolf in their territory had to be Jeongin, there wasn’t a single thing that could prove it until he saw it with his own eyes or at least smelled him himself. Hyunjin being reckless wasn’t anything new but Changbin knew, through and through at this point, that the beta reacting like that when Chan was sitting right next to him, had to be because of the omega.
But if it was, what would that mean?

“We need Changbin hyung. Felix, he… he’s sick”

Changbin skidded to an abrupt halt, nearly running himself into the ground when his ears picked up on a voice in the distance. It was veiled due to the distance but nothing could make the unmistakable characteristics of the distressed voice unrecognisable. He had been right. The wolf in their territory was Jeongin and he was here because Felix… was sick? He focused his attention on the voice, scared to move in fear of losing track of what was being said. And every part of him needed to know what was being said.
“He keeps asking for Changbin and he’s in so much pain… Minho hyung had to even put him into headspace. We’re out of options, hyung”
The alpha’s blood ran cold at not only the words but also the distressed and desperate tone in which the words were spoken and instantly he felt his heartbeat pick up speed dangerously.

This whole time, he thought he had been losing his mind. That missing Felix was making him feel things that weren’t there, that he hoped weren’t true because the mere idea of Felix being in pain would send him into a frenzy. Only for him to now find out that he wasn’t crazy, that the tug had been right all this time.
That Chan had been right about everything.
“Of course he’s suffering. They’re bonded and he’s going through his heat without his mate.” Chan’s voice filtered through in the conversation and the raging fire that ignited within Changbin’s chest was nothing short of destructible, a vicious snarl escaping him as the implications of the conversations hit him like a brick.
Felix had been asking for him, missing him and crying for him . And now, just like every cell in his body had been telling him for the past two days, something was wrong and Felix needed him.

His omega needed him.

Changbin hadn’t even realised that he had started running again, his aegean wolf furiously shooting through the trees at a speed that made the area around him look like a blur until the conversation he had picked up on became a lot clearer.
Not that he was hearing anything that was being said at this point, his mind was solely focused on one thing and one thing only: getting to Felix. And logically, he was aware of the fact that he had no idea where the omega was but his legs and the tug in his chest pulled him forward with a force so strong that he couldn’t ignore it anymore. He didn’t want to ignore it anymore. For once he was going to listen, Minho be damned.

His nose picked up on two familiar scents mixed in with the coffee and pine that had been following. And even as the white rose raised an alarm in the back of his mind, his body moved without paying it any mind.
He vaguely registered his eyes landing on the salt and pepper wolf crouched over two figures and snarling in his direction but Changbin couldn’t care less. He couldn't even find a sliver of care within himself to stop or to acknowledge anyone else that was there, not even his friend who he hadn’t seen in months.
His priority, his only reason to exist in this moment, was waiting for him and that is exactly where he was going.

He flew past the group, not sparing them a single glance as he made his way into the direction of the other territory to which the tug in his chest was pulling him towards. Almost instantly he felt the same deathly aura from the orchard following him, the white rose dangerously mixed in with sweet caramel and pine further behind.
And maybe because Changbin was so desperate to get to Felix, so worried for his omega that it was ripping him apart by the second or maybe it was because he was sick and tired of Minho getting in the way of everything. But the surge of rage that washed over him as he felt the salt and pepper omega following him, washed away all the reservations and fears he had felt prior to meeting the man.
He skidded to a stop and whirled back around to face the elder, a snarl thick on his lips and it only took seconds for Jeongin to stop a mere few feet away from him and Minho stopping right behind.
“Hyung, wait--” Jeongin started but before he had the chance to continue, Minho spoke over him, his snarl directed to Changbin. And the tone in which the wolf had addressed him, hit the alpha like a punch in the gut.

“What’s your name?” Minho asked, his ice blue eyes drilling into Changbin’s. And as hard as the omega’s exterior was, as menacing as his snarl dripped with intent to kill if Changbin’s answer was not what he wanted to hear, there was also something else present in the way the question had reached the alpha’s ears. Something hidden, tucked away and protected by endless walls that almost seemed impenetrable. Almost.
And hadn’t it been for the way he noticed a slight shocked shift in both Chan and Jeongin’s demeanour as they regarded the omega, the aegean alpha would have fully believed he had imagined it. That his mind was playing tricks on him. For Minho, the fearless omega who was the sole reason their head alpha had a permanent scar on his face… now almost sounded scared. 

Changbin initially had spun around to face the omega in fury, ready to fight, despite the simmering fear he felt in regards to the omega, if Minho was going to be dead set on stopping him from getting to his destination. But the hesitation that he could clearly see vibrating through Minho’s frame, was melting all of that anger and defiance away. It was almost off putting, unsettling, to witness. So very unlike the big bad wolf they had learned so much about, the wolf that had caused him and Hyunjin to drop to their knees in submission. Even now, with the snarl on his lips, this wolf was but a glimpse of the wolf they had seen in the orchard that night.

This wolf was the wolf Felix always talked about like the man counted dandelion seeds to grant Felix and their pack every single wish provided by the flower. This wolf was the wolf who made Felix smile so painfully fondly whenever his name would fall out of his mouth. This wolf was the wolf Hyunjin had fought Chan and Jisung for, defending him and his actions after everything that had happened, who had deserved the benefit of the doubt and grace the beta so willingly granted him.
This wolf… was a sibling, a parent and a leader. One who was beyond terrified because the person that meant most to him in the world was in pain and he too was aware of the fact that there was only one way to help him through it. That’s why he had come here. He hadn’t come to stop Jeongin, he had come to help get to him .
‘He gave his life to raise me…’ Felix’s words from all those nights ago echoed through his brain and for the first time, Changbin was able to see a sliver of that person that he had been talking about. And as the realisation hit him, a pool of uncomfortable guilt started swirling in his stomach, the snarl on his lips melting away as his gaze softened ever so lightly.

“Changbin” He answered, his voice coming out a lot more strained than he had wished “I’m Changbin”
And instantly, the snarl on Minho’s lips disappeared as hesitant relief flashed through his eyes and for a split second Changbin could see just how young he actually was. And how those ice blue eyes held the same innocence Felix’s held, the fact that they were related shining through as clear as the summer sky above them. Just a split second before it made way for that same hard determination and deathly danger Changbin was used to as the salt and pepper wolf glanced over at Jeongin who nodded quickly. As if the omega had looked for confirmation in his pack member.
“Okay…” Minho said with a barely noticeable nod to the head and Changbin swallowed thickly, the tug in his chest screaming at him to continue instead of standing around and talking. But clearly Minho felt the same “Let’s go then”
And the alpha didn’t have to be told twice as he spun back around like on commando and continued his way, his scent blazing and leaving behind nothing but destruction and thunderstorm aftermath as the remaining three wolves followed him closely.

I’m coming, Felix…
He chanted in his head, over and over, trying to focus on the tug in the hopes that somehow it would let the younger know that he was indeed on his way. A long shot but a shot nonetheless.
He ran as fast as his paws could take him, a mix of caramel, white rose and pine hot on his heels which he no longer paid any mind to. They had passed both territory borders a while ago, the unmistakable white rose territory markings that Chan and he had so often investigated still circling the omega’s border like a warning. And the harder the tug started pulling, the more desperate it became, the closer he knew he was getting to his destination.
And it didn’t take long before his nose picked up on another scent. A scent that would have sent his heart soaring in his chest if it hadn’t been for the fact that not only was it so intoxicatingly strong in way he had never experienced it before, but the jasmine scent he had come to love and long for so desperately was laced with such agony and such heartbreaking distress that Changbin felt pieces of his heart crumbling at the feeling it carried along.

“I c-can’t do thi-- this a-any more…”

Felix’s shattered and tear filled voice filtered into his ears, the soft sobs accompanying his words clear as day and Changbin almost saw red. Hearing from others that he had been in pain was one thing. But hearing the pain in his voice first-hand as he got closer and closer to the omega, smelling the way his usual warm and vibrant jasmine had wilted so intensely that it almost caused the green scenery around him to whither and die, was another thing entirely.
His omega was suffering, alone.
He picked up his pace, his scent spiking dangerously as anger, sadness and worry took the forefront in his emotions. And mere seconds later, a cottage came into view, surrounded by a spacious clearing in which countless of summer flowers were scattered across the emerald green grass and were casting a beautiful multicolour hue across the area.
But the only thing Changbin had eyes for the second he broke through the edge of the forest and into the clearing, was the pink haired figure who was struggling to run towards him from near the cottage. And apart from the fact that the tug instantly stopped and made way for that same warmth it always did when Felix was in his vicinity, the sight of the boy broke something inside of him in ways he had never expected it would.

If he hadn’t been hyper aware of the heavily wilted jasmine scent that was flooding his lungs, he would have believed the omega in front of him was a ghost. Felix’s skin was so pale that he almost looked translucent, his pink hair sticking to his face and tear streaks on his cheeks gleaming in the harsh sunlight. He looked like he was crumbling to pieces right before Changbin’s eyes and the thought hadn’t even finished crossing his mind or Felix was indeed already collapsing.

The alpha felt his heart stop and sped up his pace before leaping towards Felix, shifting just in time to catch the omega before he hit the ground, and it took every fibre in him not to flinch at how the younger felt like a bag of hot coals against his skin. The boy was downright boiling to the touch, every inch of skin Changbin could feel was clammy and his clothes were drenched in sweat.
“Lix, I’m so sorry” He mumbled into Felix’s hair as he felt the younger press his face into the crook of his neck and scent gland before he relaxed in his arms “I’m so, so.. sor… Lix?”
Felix’s arms, which had been weakly draped around the alpha, his hands frantically trying to grab onto anything his fingers could touch, suddenly dropped down at the same time as his body went completely limp.

“Felix?” Changbin leaned back, Felix’s head lolling to the side uselessly “Shit, Lix!”
The alpha quickly but carefully lowered himself to the ground, cradling Felix’s head in his hand and holding him close as he kneeled and positioned the boy into his arms more comfortably. But no matter how Changbin moved him, no matter how many butterfly light kisses the elder placed on the younger’s temple desperately, Felix didn’t stir as his eyes remained closed and his chest heaved up and down slowly.
This wasn’t supposed to happen, it wasn’t supposed to have gone like this. Changbin knew the younger wasn’t well, but nothing could have prepared him for Felix just collapsing in his arms like this.

“Mi…Minho!” He stammered, calling out for the omega. And he didn’t know why this was the first name that came to mind during his momentary panic, but within less than a second he knew it had been the right one when a man kneeled down in front of him.
Hair, soft brown like the leaves decorating the forest during autumn, falling elegantly over his face before the strands were pushed back by a hand which then quickly found Felix’s cheek. A face, personally sculpted by the hands of the moon spirits, contorted in so much worry that it caused yet another pang of guilt to flare up within the alpha’s chest. White rose, wilted in ways Changbin could have never dreamt of witnessing from the omega, circling around them like a blanket. And eyes, icy blue like glaciers drifting in the coldest parts of the world, holding so much love within them as he looked down at the omega in Changbin’s arms that it left the alpha breathless for a second too long.

“He’s too weak” Minho spoke softly as he gently pushed Felix’s hair out of his face before looking up at Changbin, the look in his eyes changing from warm fondness to the usual hardness the alpha was now used to, snapping him back to reality instantly.
“How is he this sick?” Changbin asked carefully as he looked down at Felix, who looked so fragile in his arms that the alpha was scared to breathe out of fear that his breath would break the younger into pieces.

“He hasn’t eaten since his pre-heat started two days ago…” And out of everything Minho could have said, this was the last thing Changbin had expected, his eyes widening as he snapped his head up to look at the omega in disbelief.
“How…?” He breathed, gently holding Felix a little bit closer to his chest protectively, a lump forming in his throat.
“He hasn’t been able to keep anything down” Minho answered, and Changbin saw agony and heartbreak flash through the elder’s eyes “If I had known that you… that he had…”
The omega swallowed, his eyebrows twitching ever so lightly as he looked back down at his brother “If I had known that you two had bonded, I never would have kept him away from you and this never would have escalated so far. I…”

“It’s not your fault, hyung” Jeongin’s voice startled Changbin’s gaze away from Minho and up to where the young omega was standing tucked into the side of someone Changbin didn’t know. His guess was that this was the last member of their pack, the beta, Seungmin. In all honesty, the alpha had completely forgotten about the fact that they weren’t alone, Chan’s pine scent reminding him of his own alpha who was somewhere near but not in his line of sight.
“We’re the ones who… we didn’t…” the young omega continued, his voice wavering with hesitation and Changbin frowned at the sight. He could see that Jeongin was trying to say something at the same time as he wasn’t, the younger’s eyes moving all over the place nervously.

“Jeongin, get inside” Minho spoke up, effectively shutting the young omega up and Changbin blinked at the almost cold tone in which the elder had addressed the boy “Seungmin, he hurt himself. Can you please take a look at his injuries for me?”
“He-- what!?” the beta snapped as he spun Jeongin around, his dark eyes scanning the younger’s body for said injuries until his lips curled up into a silent growl when the cuts on the side of Jeongin’s body came into view “no wonder I smelled-- I let you out of my sight for one minute and you get yourself hurt? What the hell happened?”
“I’m fine. It’s just a few scratches, they’ll heal in no time” Jeongin whined with a pout as he willingly let Seungmin manhandle him towards the cottage and Changbin felt his heart lighten for the briefest of moments at the domestic feel of the scene in front of him before turning his attention back to the boy who remained unconscious in his arms.

He placed his hand on Felix’s cheek, the skin almost glowing with how hot it felt against his own. He ran his thumb over the area gently and bit the corner of his lip nervously before tearing his eyes away from the omega and looking up at Minho who was still kneeled in front of him. And it was only then that he realised how downright dirty the man was, he looked like he had taken a bath in charcoal and dirt.

“Minho-ssi” Changbin spoke up carefully, shaking his confusion out of his mind at the sight in favour of focusing on what was important. And when the omega tore his eyes away from his brother to look at him, Changbin tried to give him the most careful smile he could muster up. Because despite the glimpses of warmth he had seen from Minho, the man still made him nervous. Especially with how his gaze changed as his eyes shifted from his brother to Changbin. It was quite obvious he did not want the alpha, or any of them, here at all.
“I know that this is not what you signed up for…” Changbin started after taking a grounding breath “But his skin is burning. Would you allow me to take him inside? Please? If you don’t want me in the house, I understand. I’ll be happy to stay outside then, but please don’t make me leave. I know you sai--”
“It’s fine” Minho cut off Changbin’s stressed ramblings and the alpha blinked, a little taken aback by the quick response. The omega’s voice was almost emotionless, even colder than it had been when he had spoken to Jeongin, every trace of the fear Changbin had seen back in the forest completely eviscerated.

“I’m sorry…” Changbin found the words rolling over his lips before he even realised what he was saying and swallowed at the frown Minho sent into his direction. The omega looked at him for a few silent seconds, the hostility in his eyes sending a cold shiver down the alpha’s spine, before he finally pulled his hand away from Felix and stood up.
“The only reason I’m allowing you anywhere near our home and my pack is because I have no other choice. I know better than to keep bonded wolves separated from each other” Minho spat curtly “Do not make the mistake of misinterpreting my love for my brother for kindness to you or any of your kind.”
Minho sent a short glare over Changbin’s head and the alpha gulped before turning to look at where Chan’s black wolf was standing at the edge of the clearing, hairs on end and still on high alert due to being in a very unknown and central part of the territory. Changbin looked back down towards Felix and slowly stood up, holding the Omega close to his chest before facing Minho and nodding.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to” He said honestly and Minho tore his glare away from the black wolf behind them before spinning on his heel and walking towards the cottage.
“Follow me”
Changbin followed obediently, the nerves making the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright as he watched Minho’s dirt ridden back. And even then, with the omega’s back turned to him, he felt as if the man’s eyes were boring holes through every inch of his body even when he couldn’t even see them.
“Bin”
The alpha stopped in his tracks and turned back to face Chan who had called out for him, seeing that he had taken a few more steps into the clearing.
“Be careful. And do not let your guard down around him” he said urgently, his amber eyes almost glowing under his black fur.
“I won’t, hyung. Don’t worry” Changbin nodded before turning and following Minho inside quickly.

Chan watched the alpha disappear into the cottage, his breath high in his lungs. He knew it was unavoidable and that there was no way Felix could stay outside in the condition he seemed to be in. Even Chan had been shocked at the sight of the boy, he had never seen someone’s heat take such a toll on someone. Not that he had much to compare it to as he did not know how the young omega usually looked. But he knew that this was far from normal. Though, in all fairness, he had never known or met a bonded omega in his life.
The whole reason Chan had stayed behind at the edge of the clearing was because the boy’s jasmine scent had been so suffocating that it even affected him. And that was not a good sign at all.

He let out a deep sigh and lowered himself onto the ground, trying to breathe through the remnants of all the scents that hung in the air as he tried to process everything that had transpired in the past two hours. It was almost dizzying to go from the peaceful morning they had had to whatever the fuck this chaos was.
Chan found himself sitting just a few leaps away from a cottage he had never seen before, surrounded by three new wolf scents he had never even picked up on during his hunts that breached Minho’s territory. All the while his youngest alpha and beta were back in their own territory, alone and basically defenceless and his best friend had just disappeared behind the door of said cottage that just happened to be the property of the one wolf he had wowed to keep away from his pack at all cost because he had believed him dangerous, unhinged and deranged after they had run into each other all those years ago.

At the thought of his first meeting with the omega, he felt his scar sting and huffed lightly at the irony of it all. What would his father say at the situation Chan had found himself in? The fact that he had allowed an omega to best him like that? Not that he cared in the slightest what that monster thought at all but an image of his father’s disapproving sneer still managed to crawl its way to the forefront of his mind's eye.
As if on cue, almost as if his brain was just as unwilling as he was to give his father any light of day, Mila’s voice echoed through his brain and made him smile ever so lightly at the memory of his feisty friend.

‘With all due respect, Chan. Your dad knows as much about omegas and betas as he knows about the growth cycle of my pinkie toenail’
She would say, her distaste for the man evident on her small face.
‘Because the truth is, it doesn’t matter what someone’s subgender is. A wolf is a wolf and everyone is capable of anything they wish to be capable of. One is not lesser than the other just because of how their biology works. On top of that, everyone has their own stories that shape them into the people that they are. There isn’t a single wolf on this planet who is the same and there is a reason for that, my friend. Please never forget that just because you know one thing about them, doesn’t mean you have read the book that makes up the entirety of their life.’

God, he hated how wise she used to be. It’s like her spirit wafted up into the air and crash landed right into Hyunjin with how the beta knew how to talk and had defended Minho for dear life, even though the aftermath of what Minho had done to him was extremely evident in how scared the younger still seemed to be. And the issue with all of it was that Chan had seen it with his own eyes now, there was no denying that there was a lot more to Minho than met the eye.
The way he had asked Changbin for his name had been odd to Chan. Everything in the omega’s posture had screamed murder in the same way it had the day Chan had met him in these same woods. But when he had eventually spoken, there had been so much anxiety and fear carefully hidden in the wolf’s tone that even the snarl couldn’t have fooled Chan.

‘He’s just protecting his own. Because if he doesn’t, nobody else will’
Hyunjin’s words flashed through his mind and he sighed, remembering how the omega had stood there yelling at Jeongin who had ventured out on his own to find Changbin without consulting him. The blatant worry that wafted off of the omega’s body had been so palpable that if Chan had reached out he would have been able to run his fingers through it. And Minho had completely ignored Hyunjin and him in favour of making sure that his omega wasn’t harmed.
And in all honesty, Chan would have probably reacted the same way, if not worse, if one of his own had pulled that stunt.

“You are not going out there, Jeongin!”
Chan startled at the sudden voice registering in his ears, his head lifting up from where he had been leisurely resting it on the ground before he turned it into the direction of the cottage where the exclamation seemed to have come from. He had recognized the voice as Minho’s before someone else answered, another voice he had gotten to know today.
“But, hyung, he’s out there alone. What is he going to do?”
God, this kid was even more reckless than Changbin… Chan shook his head lightly as he withheld an amused little disbelieving scoff.

“Can you, for once in your life, please. just. listen.” Minho sounded absolutely exhausted. And the alpha couldn’t help but feel a sliver of sympathy for the omega, Jeongin sounded like an absolute handful. And if Hyunjin and Changbin’s stories about the two were any indication, Felix and him were very similar which means Minho didn’t get a day of rest. It was a little funny but it also put a couple of things in perspective, though the mystery still remained as to why their pack leader was so extremely guarded. Protectiveness aside, Chan couldn’t help shake the feeling that there was something else. And his suspicions were quickly confirmed.
“I want to, hyung. But it’s very hard for me to do so when you can’t even tell us why” Jeongin countered, but the tone in his voice was careful. Almost as if he knew he was stepping on thin ice by speaking the words.
“I understand that” Minho said, the almost heartbroken edge in his voice feeling like whiplash to the alpha and for a split second he felt like he shouldn’t be intruding on this conversation “But not now, not with him out there privy to every single word we are saying”

Chan frowned, feeling a little ashamed for proving the omega right by continuing to actively listen but also realising that he had been right about his suspicions. There was definitely something else going on which caused the omega to act the way that he did. But then again, who was he? Chan was not entitled to anyone’s stories unless they were willingly provided, no matter how curious he was about it.
“Innie, let’s just let it go for now. Maybe after hyung takes a shower he can supervise?” another voice mixed into the conversation and the alpha assumed it was the same brunette he had caught a brief glimpse of earlier, which must have been the beta Hyunjin and Changbin had mentioned “And before you protest, hyung, you have to also realise that there is not much else we can do at this point. Felix and that alpha are bonded, which means that one way or another we have to learn how to at least tolerate them…”

“I know that, Seungmin” Minho spoke again sounding even more tired than he had before “I know… just. Stay inside, please. We’ll see what to do about pine when I’m back. Please, Jeongin, can you please just…”
The omega sighed and the silence that followed was so emotionally charged that even Chan felt uncomfortable.
“Okay… I’m sorry, hyung…” Jeongin said softly, so soft that Chan almost missed it. And Minho’s voice must have been even softer because the alpha couldn’t make out if anything had been said in reply before another sombre silence fell over the cottage before being followed by some hushed mumbling.

“He doesn’t hate you, baby bread” the boy named Seungmin said softly after a while and Chan’s heart warmed at the gentle tone the beta had used to reassure his pack member of something even Chan could tell was true. One thing the alpha would be able to say for certain with what he had witnessed from Minho today was that he definitely did not hate Jeongin. If anything, the love he held for his pack members was so intense that it was almost endearing to look at. It made the violent omega look less like the maniac Chan had believed him to be and more like the man Hyunjin had so valiantly defended.
“Is it so much for me to ask that we all just get along? Hyunjin and Changbin hyung are harmless” Jeongin said softly, his voice on the verge of tears “and, sure, Chan looks scary as fuck but he… he winked at me, hyung. And he seemed so nice. Hyunjin even scolded him and… I don’t know…”

“It’s not too much, but it might be too much for us to ask Minho to shove down his trauma just for you to be with your friend” Seungmin answered carefully “He will tell us his reasons in due time but we honestly have no right to push him about it. Even after I already so foolishly did… Not after everything he’s done for us, Innie. You and I both know first hand what alphas are capable of… So we can’t fault him for trying to not only protect us but also himself. Especially Lixie…”
Ah. So the problem wasn’t Chan and his pack specifically, the problem was alphas in general. The black wolf let out a soft sigh at the revelation and laid his head back down onto the ground, trying to tune out the conversation at this time as the guilt for eavesdropping started to gnaw at his stomach uncomfortably.
But he hadn't even fully relaxed his shoulders yet when his head snapped back up and whirled into the direction of the forest, his amber eyes gleaming in the rays of sun that gingerly peeked through the leaves as he felt frustration replace the guilt in his stomach and a low and soft growl tore through his frame.
“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me…”

--

“Stay here and watch the cottage” Jisung grumbled as he kicked up dirt with his feet like a little pouting child that had been denied candy before leaning down and collecting a few of the baskets filled with unshelled peas that were left forgotten in the aftermath of the events that had transpired earlier.
“Like the cottage knows what the hell is happening in the first place” he huffed as he made his way inside and towards the pantry to discard the baskets, bottom lip protruding in a small pout “Why am I always the one left out, huh? I’m not helpless, you know!”
He called the last part out into the empty cottage, his voice bouncing off the walls and dissipating before he let out a tired sigh and walked back outside to tidy up the rest of the things they had been working with.

Jisung was at war with himself, for he understood why the pack was so protective over him and he would never not actually listen if they believed a situation to be potentially too dangerous for him to be in. The problem with this was, though, that Jisung was no longer the pup they had found all those years ago. He was no longer the weak and tiny late blooming alpha who was cast out of his clan for being useless. Sure, he was the smallest member of the pack. But Chan had trained him well and he was always working out with Changbin to make himself stronger. He knew how to hold his own, yet the rest still treated him like he was made out of paper thin glass. And this frustrated him to no end.

First Changbin and Hyunjin go out on this epic adventure to meet new people, not including him and therefore not allowing him to make new friends. Which sure, Jisung was usually terrified of people, but ever since meeting the pack he had gotten better at that so why couldn’t he at least be given the chance to try? Even though the members of the pack were the only ones he had actually met since leaving his clan and not been scared of, or at least not for long.

He pouted and carried the basket of empty pea pods back towards the shed, a long sigh escaping him as he thought back on how Changbin and Hyunjin had shared their stories about the orchard and the two new wolves they had met. And in all honesty, Jisung had been very weary at first. But eventually he had found that the two wolves, Felix and Jeongin, sounded wonderful. And he felt extremely bitter at the fact that he had not been there to experience all of this with them.
Though Minho sounded downright terrifying, despite Hyunjin’s heated words that had come to his defence, the young alpha still felt like he was missing something major just because of the fact that he was the youngest. Because now they had all left him, again, to go after something Jisung could only assume was the neighbouring pack because who else would be all the way out here deliberately calling out to them. Especially with Chan’s pine circling the territory. Something was up and, again, he was being left out of the loop.

All the fear he had felt when the howls had reached their ears, had now completely made way for frustration and annoyance as he deposited the empty pods into the compost bin they kept to fertilise the garden.
“Watch the cottage” he grumbled again, sulking as he carefully stored away the basket “ you watch the cottage… see how fun it--”
“Who are you talking to?”
Jisung felt his body tense and his stomach drop into the depths of hell when a hand came to rest on his shoulder, screaming his lungs raw before whirling around to face the person behind him who had jumped back at his reaction and was staring at him with wide eyes and his hands covering his ears, his blonde hair ruffled wildly.
“Jisu--”
“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Jisung shrieked after he felt his spirit return to his body, his hand resting over his heart “Why!? Why would you sneak up on me like that!?”
“I called out to you, like, three times…” Hyunjin grimaced “But you were so busy sulking and having a conversation with the ghosts in the room that you didn’t even notice. Ah, my poor ears…”
The beta rubbed around his ears carefully as he continued to look at Jisung who sighed and shook his head tiredly after finding his breath again.

“Is everything okay? Did you find the wolf who was howling?” Jisung asked wearily as he eyed the blonde up and down, scanning for any sign of injury.
“Uhm… yeah. It was Jeongin…” Hyunjin said softly.
“Then why did you come back so soon?” Jisung asked, the frustration in his stomach already bubbling with the confirmation of his suspicions and fearing the answer that the beta would give to his question.
“Chan told me to come and stay with you”
“Of course he did” Jisung scoffed and rolled his eyes with a grumble before pushing himself past the beta who blinked at the attitude.

“What?” Hyunjin tilted his head as he followed after the younger with a frown on his face.
“Let me make it very easy for you, Jinnie hyung” Jisung exclaimed as he walked back to where the final basket with peas was waiting for him “No need to bother, I don’t need a babysitter so you can go back to your adventure with the rest of the strong bunch. Little Jisungie can watch after himself and the cottage just fine without anyone breathing down his neck.”
The young alpha all but growled the words as he picked up the basket of peas and started making his way towards the cottage.
“Jisung wait--” Hyunjin reached out and stopped the younger from walking, the alpha turning around to pull his arm out of the elder’s grip before shooting him a glare which caused the beta to recoil and pull his hand back like a kicked puppy.

And instantly Jisung felt guilty after seeing the look on Hyunjin’s face. He knew he was being unfair, for his anger was misplaced and directed to the wrong person. Hyunjin was not to blame for Jisung’s feelings about the situation and it was wrong of him to dump all of it on the beta like he could magically fix it.
“I’m sorry…” the alpha sighed lightly as he shook his head in an attempt to push his anger down.
“No. No no” Hyunjin said quickly as his hand carefully found the younger’s arm again “What was that about? What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing…” Jisung mumbled as he tried to turn to head towards the cottage.

“No. That glare was not nothing, Jisung.” Hyunjin insisted, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown “What’s got you so upset?”
Jisung bit the corner of his lips, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply before he finally tore his eyes away from the basket in his hands to meet Hyunjin’s worried gaze.
“It’s just…” he started, cursing at the sudden nerves that started thrumming under his skin “You always treat me like a weakling… like I can’t look after myself or like I’m some kid that can’t handle things. And then you just, leave me… I’m not a pup anymore…”
Hyunjin looked a little taken aback by the words that had slipped over the younger’s lips so vulnerably, his lips parting in an attempt to say something before they promptly closed again as he lifted his hand to caress Jisung’s cheek.

“First you and hyung go out and meet these people and leave me out of it” Jisung continued, bottom lip trembling lightly as the frustration kept building “Then you all just run off like that and leave me behind to ‘watch the cottage’. But I know that you just leave me behind because you all think I’m weak--”
“Han Jisung” Hyunjin’s stern voice cut him off as the elder pinched Jisung’s nose, eliciting a small yelp from the alpha “We do not think you are weak! We just… Look. I’m sorry for not including you in what Changbin and I had been doing. Yes, mainly because we believed that it was way too unsafe and that Chan would blow a gasket if he found out. Granted, we were faced with the consequences of our actions that night Chan and you had to come find us, may I remind you the state I was in. What do you think would have happened if you had been there and had been rendered in the same state? Changbin hyung would have never been able to carry us both out of there and with how Minho had been out for blood, someone would have died that day”

Jisung pouted lightly, his grip tightening around the basket as he realised that Hyunjin was indeed most probably right based on what they had heard about the events that had transpired that night. A shiver ran down his spine remembering the condition Hyunjin had been in and he swallowed lightly.
“But that doesn’t mean we think you’re weak, Sungie” Hyunjin continued, desperation swirling around in his green eyes as his hand found the younger’s cheek again “You’re our youngest, and I’m not going to apologise for putting your safety above ours. Because we will always do that, without fail, Jisung. Doesn’t mean we don’t believe you can take care of yourself, because we know better than anyone else on the face of the planet that you are more than capable”

The alpha nodded softly as he felt the knot in his stomach unravel slightly while listening to Hyunjin speak, the soft hand on his cheek acting like a grounding tether which Jisung leaned into ever so lightly.
“And today, I ran out there like an idiot because I recognized who it was and I wasn’t thinking. Because low and behold, Minho showed up seconds after I found Jeongin.” Hyunjin waved his arm into the direction of the woods “If Chan hadn’t been there or if the situation had been different, I could have potentially walked right into a death-trap.”
Jisung frowned at the words as Hyunjin's current position reminded him of one thing: Chan had sent him back from Jisung. So where were Chan and Changbin?
“What do you mean by situation?” he asked as he looked into the direction the alphas had run off in earlier “And where are the others…?”
“That’s what I came back here for” Hyunjin spoke again, his hand lowering as anger flashed through his eyes “Indeed, you do not need babysitting and I am not a glorified babysitter either. I just got him back and wasn’t even able to properly check how he was before all went to shit. I came here because Chan would have never let me follow. And quite frankly, it is unfair for you to be left behind like this”

“Follow?” Jisung tilted his head in confusion, Hyunjin’s words making less sense than the structure of the universe “What happened?”
Hyunjin let out an exasperated huff and started bouncing on the balls of his feet anxiously, as if he was running out of time.
“Go put the peas away, pack some clothes for Bin and let’s go. I will explain on the way” He said quickly, his teeth worrying the nail of his thumb.
“Go where…?”
“I swear to god, Jisung I will leave you here” The warning came accompanied by an unimpressed glare, Hyunjin’s vibrant green eyes darkening dangerously. And when the beta quickly stepped past him and headed inside, Jisung finally understood what was being asked and he jumped.

He stumbled back towards the cottage, haphazardly dumping the basket of peas on the kitchen table before running up the stairs where he could hear Hyunjin rummaging through Chan’s room. As confused as Jisung felt about everything that was happening, Hyunjin said he would explain so who was the alpha to question it. Especially since he was finally being asked to join instead of being left back at the cottage.
So he did as requested, grabbing a leather pouch and stuffing a pair of shorts and a thin tunic in it for himself before running over to Changbin’s room to repeat the process. He sprinted down the stairs before quickly discarding his shorts onto the bench in the living area and hurrying outside where Hyunjin was already waiting for him, his own leather pouch strapped around his torso. Jisung’s scarlet wolf joined the blonde who immediately started sprinting once he saw the alpha come out of the cottage, the two of them quickly leaving the clearing behind.

The younger followed obediently, falling into step with the beta easily as they made their way through the woods and to the edge of the territory.
“We should still be able to follow their scent trail, Changbin had been absolutely fuming when he passed us” Hyunjin said as they expertly slid their bodies through the trees and bushes “Which is why we need to hurry, I don’t want to get there and lose the trail only for us to get lost”
At the words, Jisung indeed picked up on the remnants of Changbin’s rain scent and just as Hyunjin had stated, it was laced with what almost smelled like anger. As if a thunderstorm had passed over the area and laid waste to the land.
“Why does it smell so strong? He wasn’t entirely calm but also not this worked up when he left…” he asked as he picked up his pace, mirroring the beta.
“Chan was right” Hyunjin answered quickly “about the bond, about everything. Changbin and Felix bonded and because of it Felix is sick. That’s why Jeongin was out here. That idiot had come out to try and find us to get Changbin because Felix hit his heat and has been suffering because he’s separated from his bonded mate”

Jisung’s mind started reeling at the word vomit that was coming out of Hyunjin’s mouth as the elder tried to explain the situation.
“I thought I was going to lose my mind, when I found him he was covered in the smell of blood” Hyunjin continued “He had gotten himself injured trying to find us. And I didn’t even have time to check him over or Minho was already there, and it felt almost like it had that night. Even though, due to Jeongin’s injuries, he didn’t even seem to pay me any mind. But god, he’s scary when he’s angry. And then they tried to explain to us what was going on and Jeongin told us about Felix and that’s when Changbin arrived. Or more like flew over our heads and just bolted into the direction of Minho’s territory. I think he overheard the conversation and instincts just took over. Both Jeongin and Minho chased him, and I was about to follow when Chan told me to stay with you before he too just… left”

“So they all just… went to Minho’s territory? With Minho right there?” Jisung asked incredulously, finding that part of the story very hard to believe after everything that he had been told about the omega.
“Minho wanted them to. Or at least, he wanted Changbin to.” Hyunjin answered “But the way Binnie went about it and the look on Minho’s face, leads me to believe that it didn’t go smoothly. Plus, I will be damned if everyone gets to ‘hang out’ and I don’t even get to catch up with my friend. On top of that, I am also worried about Felix and I want to know if Changbin got to him safely”
Jisung huffed lightly, seeing how Hyunjin’s soft coffee scent started burning ever so lightly, indicating his displeasure with the whole situation, so he decided to take the explanation that was given and leave the rest for what it was. At the very least, Jisung now understood what had transpired and wouldn’t be walking into this completely blind sighted.

“Thank you…” Jisung spoke up after a couple of minutes of silence, only the sounds of twigs snapping under their paws and leaves rustling surrounding them as they sped through the foliage.
“For what?” Hyunjin asked, looking at the alpha from the corner of his eye.
“For coming to get me. And telling me what happened” the alpha answered shyly.
“Ofcourse” Hyunjin stated, a smile present in his voice “You’re part of us Sungie. And I know that Bin and Chan hyung are stubborn but it’s okay to stand your ground around them. You know that right?”

“I know…” Jisung said softly “If anything, you’ve taught me that the most”
Hyunjin chuckled and the alpha knew that if he could have flipped his hair back dramatically, he would have, with how the wolf lifted his nose up into the air smugly.
“I’m such a good influence” the beta joked playfully.
“You mean with all the sneaking around? Yeah. such a good influence” Jisung internally smirked “Were you like this in the orphanage too? Getting yourself and your peers in to trouble?”
Hyunjin let out an exaggerated gasp and snapped his fangs into Jisung’s direction playfully. “If I wasn’t so dead set on getting myself back to Jeongin, I’d show you how much trouble I can be”
“I’ve known you for over 3 years, hyung. I know how much trouble you can be” Jisung rolled his eyes with a small chuckle.

They continued their way through the forest, leaving behind their territory and entering Minho's, which sent Jisung’s hairs standing on end. The burning white rose circling the territory was suffocatingly thick and the warning in it was so menacingly dangerous that the alpha had to fight not to turn tail and go back.
It was the first time he had actually smelled the scent since he was the only one who would never breach their own territory borders so all the knowledge he had about the omega’s scent was from what he had heard from the stories and warnings of the others in the pack.
And he understood why.

The scent alone was quite terrifying and it was getting harder and harder to believe that maybe Minho ‘wasn’t as bad as they had thought’. And he knew it was illogical for an alpha to feel anxious or fear towards the idea of an omega since he was raised to believe that omegas and betas were the inferior subgenders who bent to the wishes of alphas. Not that he ever believed any of that, especially with how his clan used to treat him and especially not after meeting none other than the powerhouse that was Hyunjin. But it still made him uneasy that an omega could smell this dangerous. This is unapproachable.
And with every step they took, following the fading petrichor and pine and… was that caramel? to where they hoped the rest would be, the fear and anxiety grew.
“How far is this pl--”

“Hyunjin, I swear to everything that is good and green, I am going to skin you…”

Chan’s growl suddenly cut Jisung’s sentence in half as his voice resounded in their ears before their eyes even picked up on his black wolf, the anger sending a shiver down both their spines as their speed faltered every so lightly. They knew they were close because of that but if anything, the sudden wilted Jasmine scent that started infiltrating their senses was a glaring indication of said fact as well. The scent was so distressed and so thick that it even caused something in Jisung to shift uncomfortably.
“I gave you one task” the pack alpha growled again, clearer and louder this time as the duo continued on their patch, breaking through the forest line and into a spacious clearing a couple of minutes later.
“I told you to stay with him. Not get him and follow me! Was I speaking elvish!?” Chan’s black wolf towered over them where he stood a few feet away from the forest line and Jisung shrunk into himself with a small whimper, his ears pressing flat against his head and the discomfort surrounding the jasmine scent long forgotten.

“You didn’t order me, you requested” Hyunjin retorted, but the way he trembled under Chan’s murderous and tired gaze wasn’t fooling anyone “Besides, it’s not fair that I get to stay behind when they are my friends. I didn’t even get to check how Innie was doing. I missed him and he was hurt, hyung, so it’s not fair. And, also, Sungie said that he didn’t need a babysitter”
He added the last part with an air of self satisfaction and Jisung snapped his head into his direction.
“Why the hell are you dragging me into this!?” he hissed into Hyunjin’s direction.
“I told you, you have to stand your ground. You’re a king, own it” the beta countered matter-of-factly.
“There’s a time and place for that!” Jisung hissed again “Read the room. I’d rather not get my tail ripped off, thank you very much!”

“Enough!” Chan’s growl bounced through the clearing, effectively shutting the duo up with a soft whimper escaping them both as they lowered their heads and bared their necks briefly. The elder sighed tiredly and shook his head before sending them both a disapproving glare “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love us until the end of times?” Hyunjin tried, his lips curling up into an attempted smile which only ended up looking like a pained grimace as his fangs glimmered brightly in the sun.
“We brought clothes” Jisung softly added, his ears perking up and twitching cutely in anticipation.
Chan’s eyes flitted between the two of them a couple of times, his gaze passing the pouches around their torsos before letting out another tired sigh. And to both Jisung and Hyunjin’s relief, the elder shifted in front of them, holding out his hand to the pouches.

But before either of them could even attempt to shift themselves, they were interrupted by a loud bang coming from the direction the cottage was in. Chan spun around and both Jisung and Hyunjin snapped their heads up to see what was happening as the sound reminded them that they were not at home.
The young alpha had, for a split second, forgotten where they were. From the moment he arrived until now, he hadn't even been given the chance to take in his surroundings and therefore completely missed the cottage that stood on the other side of the clearing. And at said cottage, standing in an open doorway which no doubt had been the cause of the sound they had heard, stood a person.

His wet brown hair dripping onto his tunic, ice blue eyes aflame with rage trained on the trio in the clearing and a face… a face so flawless Jisung felt his heart stop for the briefest of moments. The burning white rose scent that reached them soon after, informed the alpha exactly who it was that he was looking at. But no amount of explanation or preparation could have prepared him for actually seeing the man in question.

In the end, Jisung had been blind sighted.

Chapter Text

“Shift”
“Huh?” Jisung and Hyunjin both nervously snapped their eyes away from Minho at the door to look into Chan’s direction when the alpha addressed them over his shoulder.
“Shift” Chan ordered again, his voice hushed with a level of urgency threading through his tone “He seems to have an opinion about alphas. Which, quite frankly, I do not blame him for. But we don’t mean any harm and I would like for him to at least see that. So shift, shut up and sit down.”
“I’m not an alpha though” Hyunjin said softly but the death glare his alpha sent him over his shoulder was enough for the beta to gulp thickly, the elder’s gaze leaving no room for argument.
“Shut up and sit, yes sir.” the beta murmured softly.

Chan turned back around with an exasperated sigh and promptly lowered himself to sit cross legged on the floor, his posture relaxed and his eyes never leaving the omega who’s looming form was now approaching them as fast as his feet could carry him.
Jisung and Hyunjin quickly followed their leader’s example, shifting and sitting down close to him. The beta subconsciously pressed himself into Jisung’s side, a low tremor running under his skin as he watched Minho get closer. And when he felt Jisung’s arm snake around his waist, the young alpha’s calming sandalwood infiltrating his senses and overshadowing the white rose briefly, he felt himself relax into the gentle embrace. Even more so when he spotted his favourite mop of caramel hair eagerly trailing behind the approaching omega.

“What the hell are they doing here!?” Minho seethed as he skidded to a halt in front of them, the beta behind him holding onto his arm in an almost futile attempt to keep him somewhat grounded “You thought ‘oh, they’ve got their guard down so now’s the time to strike’? Because I promise you, pine , one fucking hair out of line and I will tear you and your lot to pieces and send you all down to hell where you and your kind belong. If you think me weak, I would highly suggest you take another look at your reflection!”
Wow. Jisung blinked, his eyes wide as he watched the omega speak in ways he had never even heard Hyunjin speak. The words coming out of his mouth, the tone in which he spoke, even his demeanour. All of it dripped of highly lethal venom and there was no doubt in his mind that the brunette meant every single word he was saying. Which on its own was terrifying.

But even with the poison slowly seeping into Jisung’s skin, the alpha was distracted by what he was looking at. Because there was absolutely no way that this… being… was from the same universe as him, let alone planet earth.
The way his eyes glittered like icicles as the sunrays illuminated his face. The way his wet hair hung in strands over his face, making him almost look ethereal with how the sun complimented the colour. And how every single inch of his face seemed like it had been sculpted by the delicate hands of the gods surrounding the galaxy.
The alpha was having a hard time comprehending how this was the same wolf that permanently scarred Chan’s face, the same wolf who was the reason Hyunjin was currently shaking beside him and the same wolf who could make such a beautiful flower smell so inherently dangerous.

“Hyung…” the caramel haired omega who was standing next to Minho, hesitantly grabbed the man’s wrist and pulled on it lightly “Please…”
“We’re not here to hurt you or any of your pack, roses ” Chan said calmly, his firm gaze on Minho never wavering “We’re here because, just like you, we’re worried about our own. Who, may I remind you, is inside of a cottage in an unknown territory which is housed by a very hostile omega. We don’t mean any harm”
“Then why did they come here?” Minho hissed as his head nodded into the direction of Jisung and Hyunjin “Not capable enough to watch over one measly pack member on your own?”
“Because I too have wolves in my pack who don’t know how to listen” Chan all but growled the words dangerously as he briefly glared at the duo behind him “I told them to stay in our territory, but they brought it upon themselves to disobey. They came in peace, bearing clothes. So that Changbin and I don’t go cold. In this sweltering heat. Isn’t that sweet?”

“Tight ship you run” Minho scowled.
“I don’t think you are in any position to lecture me about how I run my ship” Chan raised a mocking eyebrow “Lest we forget what has transpired the past couple of months, including today?”
Jisung saw Minho’s jaw pop with how hard he was clenching it and for some unexplainable reason he felt himself shift in his seat, wanting nothing more than to ease the tension the omega was feeling.
He blinked at the foreign and alarming thought, tearing his eyes away from the brunette and looking down to where he hadn’t realised that Hyunjin was all but squeezing the life out of his hand. He released a little more of his sandalwood scent, trying to keep it as warm and calm as he possibly could during this situation in an attempt to ease the beta before making the mistake of looking back up to where Minho was still standing.

Minho, whose hypnotising eyes were now fully zeroed in on him.

Jisung froze, feeling like the gaze he was under had shackled him to the ground, his body tensing as he cowered under the daggers that were being sent his way. And yet he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the icy gems staring him down. Unfiltered hostility aside, Minho was absolutely, breathtakingly and earth shatteringly beautiful to look at. And all Jisung found himself able to do was, indeed, look.
“Hyung…” the boy that was still holding onto the omega’s wrist spoke up again, slightly pulling on the man’s arm again to catch his attention.
“What?” Minho finally and begrudgingly shifted his gaze away from Jisung to look at him, releasing Jisung from the spell he had been under and causing him to exhale a breath he hadn’t even noticed he had been holding.

The boy looked from Minho to Hyunjin nervously and back, swallowing thickly.
“You’re scaring Hyunjin again…”
Minho glared at him for a few seconds before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a long and tired sigh.
“Go on then” he grumbled as he turned to look at Chan, his gaze unimpressed and the previous anger now simmering in the background and waiting to be unleashed.
“You’re going to have to be more specific” Chan smirked, fixing the omega with the same unimpressed death glare.
“You said they brought you clothes. Get dressed then” Minho scowled “I thought alphas were supposed to be smart? You’re not doing a great job at proving it”

Jisung could almost see the veins in Chan’s neck popping as the alpha tried to keep his cool, and who blamed him. Even Jisung felt a little offended by the statement, and he wasn’t even the one being scorched right now.
“If you think I’ll be turning my back to you, you’re gravely mistaken” Chan sneered coldly.
“He won’t do anything” The beta spoke up softly from where he was still firmly holding onto Minho’s arm who rolled his eyes at the words “We won’t let him, rest assured”
“I would love to take you for your word, but I don’t know you.” Chan said calmly, the coldness in his voice in which he had addressed Minho, briefly making way for a warmth that felt almost like whiplash “Respectfully”
“I understand that. Believe me, I do” the beta said again, a small awkward smile present on his lips as one of his hands found its way to his nape where he scratched the blonde strands at the underside of his hair “And you don’t have to turn around if you don’t want to. But I think maybe some clothes might be good even in the sun. You wouldn’t want to get burned just for waiting for your friend”

Jisung blinked, surprised at the kindness behind the beta’s words. He sounded sweet… which, for some reason, left the young alpha’s mind reeling. Because how, if Minho seemed so very cold, did he have pack members that seemed as warm as the sun was? Especially with how the both of them were so extremely comfortable and relaxed around him.
Jisung watched the omega carefully, his thoughts running rampant as he again found it hard to look away and tried with all his might to see something, anything, that would make any of it make sense.
“Chan…sir” The caramel haired omega spoke next, his mismatched eyes glittering in the sunlight as he eyed Chan carefully and his gaze flitting from the alpha to Hyunjin nervously.
“Please. Jeongin? Stop calling me sir” Chan chuckled softly “I am no sir and I am but a humble stray currently under your mercy. So please, just Chan is fine”

“Okay. uhm, Chan…?” Jeongin smiled sweetly as he shuffled a little closer to Minho shyly, pulling on the elder’s wrist to get his attention “So… If you can get dressed, maybe we can all sit and just talk? Clear the air?”
“I’m not sitting anywhere, Innie” Minho almost growled as he looked at the young omega from the corner of his eyes.
“God, you are stubborn” Chan sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
“And you are unwelcome, yet here we are” Minho snapped, his lip curling up into a silent and manic snarl.
“Hyung, please…” Jeongin urged again “Maybe Changbin will also like his clothes, for when Lix wakes up?”
Minho continued to look at Chan for a couple of silent seconds, dismay dripping off of his face before he finally sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Just get dressed” He waved his hand into the trio’s direction “I’m not going to do anything, but I’m also not going to take my eyes off you. Face me or don’t, whatever helps you sleep at night, just get it over with”

Jisung watched as Minho addressed them, his unrelenting and distrustful eyes flitting between Chan and him like a hawk on a mission. And it was then that he realised the meaning of what Chan had said when the omega had walked out of the cottage earlier.
‘He seems to have an opinion about alphas’
The words rang true as he noticed that the omega was paying Hyunjin a lot less mind then he was the two alphas. Which sparked a newfound curiosity with Jisung’s core. That going paired with the fact that Minho also looked downright exhausted underneath all the hostility that was exuding from his frame.
The bags under his eyes were painfully prominent and despite the fire in his eyes, he looked like he hadn’t properly slept in days. And for some inexplicable reason, the mere idea sent an uncomfortable pang to shoot through Jisung’s heart. Sympathy spreading under his skin like wildfire. Because how much stress would Minho have to be under for him to look so tired? Had Hyunjin been right all along for defending him the way that he had?
Was there more to him than what they were led to believe this whole time?

“Sungie”
Jisung blinked, realising he had been staring at Minho for far too long with the omega in question staring right back at him, ice blue eyes filled with defiance burning a hole through his skull.
He swallowed thickly and tore his eyes away from him to face Hyunjin who had bumped him on the shoulder, humming in response to whatever it was that had been said which he had so blatantly missed.
“Come on, let’s get dressed…” Hyunjin said again and Jisung noticed that in front of him, Chan had already gotten up and was slowly dressing himself whilst still facing Minho. And the tension that hung in the air was so high strung that Jisung could almost see the sparks flying, ready to ignite a blazing fire that would take down the entire world.

He quickly reached for his pouch, fumbling with the strings as he felt Hyunjin stand up to get himself dressed as well before finally managing to get his own clothes and standing up awkwardly.
He felt like a bird in a cage with the way he could feel Minho’s eyes burning onto his skin, watching him almost like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And for some reason it made him feel extremely self conscious about how he looked. But the alpha believed that anyone who would be granted the time of day by someone who looked like Minho, would become very self aware. Not that Jisung believed that he looked bad at all, especially with all the love and confidence building compliments he received from his pack. But when one grew up with parents like Jisung’s, thoughts like these were sometimes unavoidable no matter how hard you tried to shake them.
He tried swallowing away the feeling of blood rushing to his face, hoping furiously that it wouldn’t reflect in his cheeks and when he looked up and consequently met the omega’s eyes, he knew that he had failed.

Minho was looking at him with an unreadable expression, his eyebrows drawn together ever so lightly and yet again Jisung found himself looking away nervously. The trio got dressed rather quickly, considering the fact that they didn’t have a lot of clothes to begin with and when they were done, the level of awkward tension reached a new high with how they just stood around each other. Mainly thanks to the fact that Minho’s attention was back on Chan and the two pack leaders were glaring daggers at each other and trying to see who would drop dead first.
Quite frankly, Jisung was a little tired of the animosity. And it had only been a few minutes since the omega had reached them. He knew Chan was stubborn, but this was something else entirely.

Granted, if Jisung were to face a person who maimed his face in the way Minho did Chan’s, he wouldn’t be as calm as his pack alpha was at the moment. It was quite impressive.
The young alpha’s eyes wandered around, trying his best to avoid looking at Minho, as he finally allowed himself to take in the clearing and the cottage. The area Minho’s pack lived in was, for a lack of better words, quite spectacular. Both the clearing and cottage were bigger than their own, with a select few sporadic trees decorating the grounds which was entirely covered in grass and beautiful flowers which cast an almost magical hue over the area with how the sun illuminated the area.
It looked peaceful. Like something worth protecting.

His eyes then found the two remaining wolves that were standing behind the omega. The brown and blond haired beta, who was still gripping onto Minho’s arm as his twinkling black eyes continued to curiously look between the three of them before landing on Chan somewhat nervously. And then there was Jeongin, who Jisung found staring right past everyone else and right at Hyunjin with something akin to longing and desperation in his eyes.
He looked like he was itching to let go of his pack leader. And Hyunjin wasn’t faring much better with how tightly he was holding onto Jisung’s hand as he too continued to look at Jeongin in the same way.
It hurt a little to see how obvious they were being.

“Innie” The beta spoke up after what felt like aeons, tearing his eyes away from Chan and looking past Minho to his friend “Can you, like, I don’t know. Introduce us? I think you might know the most out of all of us.”
At the words, Minho’s jaw clenched so unbearably hard that Jisung was scared the man was going to break his teeth and he noticed how hard the omega was trying not to bite his tongue clean off. But even Minho must have been aware that an introduction was unavoidable in this situation, no matter how much he most obviously despised the idea.
And with how Jeongin didn’t waste a beat before jumping into action, led Jisung to believe that the young omega had been waiting for someone to ask this exact thing of him. He finally let go of Minho’s wrist and before the latter could even react or try to stop him, the younger was already standing next to Hyunjin and slipping his hand into the beta’s free one with the cutest hopeful smile on his face as he nodded at the elder reassuringly.

Hyunjin allowed Jeongin to carefully pull him forwards until the both of them were standing in between the two packs, hands firmly intertwined as Hyunjin pressed himself into the omega’s side the closer they got to Minho. And it was very unnerving to see the usually feisty and stubborn Hyunjin reduced to a scared, nervous wreck. All because of one omega. An omega who’s eyes were now glaring daggers at Jeongin and Hyunjin’s locked hands like if he willed it hard enough, the two of them would let go of each other.
But Jeongin seemed at least almost as stubborn as Hyunjin’s usual self, and he wasn’t scared of Minho. Not even a little. There was definitely respect there, and love and admiration. But in this moment there was no fear, and Jisung reckoned that even with his own pack Minho had the capacity to be scary much like Chan was with them.

Though, what surprised the young alpha the most was that Jeongin also didn’t seem scared of Chan who, contrary to Minho, was looking at the two with an amused and fond glint in his eyes. The contrast was almost comical with how uncomfortable Minho was and how Chan was taking everything and everyone by stride except for whenever his eyes landed on the other pack leader.
Jisung slowly stepped forward as well, staying close to his alpha and sending the brunette beta next to Minho a shy little smile when their eyes met. And when the beta smiled back, it was like the sun reflected in the boy’s face. His smile was beautiful. So warm and welcoming even with his nerves still visible under the surface. And for some reason, the boy reminded Jisung of a little puppy.

“Okay, so. I’m Jeongin, our pack’s youngest…” Jeongin’s voice pulled Jisung’s attention back to the duo standing in the middle of them, the boy gesturing towards Minho as he continued his introductions “And you all already know Minho hyung, I assume. He’s our leader and I promise he’s not as scary as he looks”
At the words, Minho’s lip trembled into a silent snarl as he stared down Jeongin disapprovingly before averting his eyes with a displeased huff.
“And this is our beta, Seungmin hyung” Jeongin smiled happily as he pointed towards the beta who offered a shy little wave, his other hand still firmly on Minho’s arm “And then there is Felix who’s inside with Changbin. Maybe when his heat is over he can introduce himself too”

Jeongin turned to face Hyunjin, eyes twinkling happily as he gave him another little encouraging nod after which the beta seemed to relax ever so lightly as he watched Jeongin with a small smile before finally turning to face Minho and Seungmin.
“Hi, it is nice to finally meet you. Innie and Lixie have told us a lot about you” He said shyly as he nervously played with Jeongin’s fingers “Uhm. I’m Hyunjin, Jeongin’s friend from the orchard, which you probably all know about by now. And this is out pack leader Chan and youngest alpha, Jisung”
Jisung bowed his head in greeting shyly, his eyes coming back up to meet Minho’s who was again staring right back at him. He swallowed thickly and tried offering a little smile but somewhere in his brain he could only imagine it looking more like a grimace with how his nerves just wouldn’t shut up and leave him alone.

“It is nice to finally meet you too” Seungmin spoke up “I know the circumstances are not the most ideal but I think it’s progress”
The beta said the last few words whilst facing Minho who sent him an unimpressed glare before rolling his eyes again. The omega definitely wasn’t trying to hide the fact that he absolutely did not want any of them here and it was obvious that he was ‘tolerating’ their presence because of Felix.
“It is nice to meet you, Seungmin” Chan said kindly as he sent the beta a gentle smile. Seungmin nodded bashfully and looked down at the ground, a little frown present on his face. And for a split second, Jisung found the beta extremely endearing. He wondered if he was always like this or if it was because of the fact that there were strangers around.
“Shall we all sit?” Jeongin asked carefully as he eyed Minho with that same hopeful glint in his eyes. But before Minho could protest again, Seungmin was already pulling him down with a stern and pleading look on his face.
“Nothing is going to happen or change if you sit, hyung” He said softly as a grumbling Minho allowed the beta to lead him into a seating position “Let’s all just talk it out and clear the air? One step at a time”
And once they did, both Hyunjin, Jeongin and Chan quickly followed, leaving Jisung to look around awkwardly as he held onto the pouch which still held Changbin’s clothes.

“Uhm…” Jisung swallowed when everyone shifted their attention to him. Everyone except Minho and Chan who’s glaring competition was about to ignite an electrical storm “What about Changbin hyung’s clothes?”
“Oh, uhm. Hyung?” Seungmin blinked before looking at Minho with a questioning gaze.
“You bring them. Jeongin stays here where I can see him” he said sternly and Seungmin nodded in response before quickly getting back up to his feet to take the pouch from Jisung.
“It’s not like I’m going to run off. Where would I even go?” the caramel haired omega rolled his eyes.
“You should have asked yourself that 4 months ago” Minho growled and Jeongin flinched, a little whimper accompanying the pout on his lips as he snuggled a little closer to Hyunjin.
“Sorry…” he said softly.

Minho sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly as Jisung handed over the pouch to Seungmin with a little bow, sending him another small smile when the beta thanked him before turning and hurrying towards the cottage.
“Is he always this high strung?” Chan asked Jeongin with an amused glint in his eyes as he motioned his head into Minho’s direction.
“Do you want a matching scar, pine?” Minho sneered “Don’t tempt me”
“Meow” Chan smirked devilishly and Jisung could have sworn that Minho’s eyes flashed red for the briefest of seconds, sending a shiver down the young alpha’s spine before he finally decided to sit down and join the rest in silence. His eyes never leaving the omega who he had heard so much about and who was finally in front of him, burnt white rose penetrating the area dangerously and face mesmerizingly beautiful in a way Jisung never would have expected from the man.
Unnerving was an understatement.

--

Rain. Morning dew. The river running behind the cottage. The soft ocean waves which always reminded him of lemon, oranges and tangerines. The colour blue that carried along so much peace and warmth.
All of it was enveloping Felix like a warm blanket in the darkness he had found himself in, the pain in his stomach but a soft whisper in the back of his being and the turmoil in his heart no longer suffocating him as he allowed the soft dewy rain scent to submerge him into bliss.
Whatever dream it was that was blessing him in this moment, was one he wished not to wake up from. Strong arms carefully holding onto him, soft warmth radiating into his already overheated body and a lullaby so soft that it threatened to lul the omega into a deeper sleep.
And due to not wanting to wake up, not wanting the lovely rain scent to dissipate, the warmth to leave him cold and the waves to stop rolling into the shore, Felix took longer than he should have to realise the lullaby wasn’t one he recognized. It wasn’t his mother’s song that Minho always hummed for him. It wasn’t even Minho’s voice that was surrounding him. And yet the voice was so familiar, so soft and so comforting that he found himself snuggling closer to it.

And then the voice abruptly halted mid melody.

A soft, involuntary whine escaped Felix’s lips when the lullaby fell away and before he could stop himself, he let his eyes crack open just the tiniest bit. Which he instantly came to regret due to the harsh sunlight illuminating the area brightly enough to temporarily obscure his view. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut again and turned his face away from the light, burying it deeper into something firm and warm. The same thing that had been enveloping him in his dream. The same thing that smelled so very much like the rain.
“Felix?”
Felix found himself relaxing into the warmth when Changbin’s voice hit his ears, vibrating through his entire frame as they were spoken. The alpha had come for him just like in his last dream. And this time he didn’t want to wake up from it. He didn’t want him to disappear.

“Lix, can you hear me?”
Felix hummed softly, his eyebrows furrowing together ever so lightly.
“Don’t wake me up… I don’t want you to leave again” he croaked softly, his voice grating against the walls of his throat like sandpaper. And it hurt. But dreams weren’t supposed to hurt like this, were they?
He swallowed painfully and wormed himself closer into the embrace when a pair of strong arms tightened their grip around his body and he sighed contently.
“Lix, I’m not going anywhere” Changbin said again, his lips pressing into Felix’s hair. And Felix hummed again, a soft smile decorating his face as he leaned into the touch ever so lightly.

“But Lix, if you can hear me, I need you to wake up” Changbin said softly “I won’t go anywhere, I promise. I’m never letting you out of my sight ever again…”
Felix let out a soft whine, feeling his eyes burn as he shook his head weakly.
“Lix” Changbin whispered, one of his hands coming up to gently card through the pink locks on Felix’s head, threatening to lul the younger back to sleep “Look at me”
Felix shook his head again, feeling the tears rise up his throat and constrict his lungs. He didn’t want to wake up. Last time he did, all that awaited him was pain and emptiness and sorrow. The only difference between the dream on the beach and now was that in this dream he was already in pain. His throat hurt and he could feel the soft simmer of cramps radiating through his stomach like a fire that had been extinguished and only the tiny embers remained. Nothing even remotely nears as bad as it had been during the morning when Minho had held onto him much like Changbin was doing now, but there nonetheless.

“Felix, I need you to look at me” Changbin urged again, his lips and nose briefly pressing into Felix’s hair again as he spoke before he leaned back to try and catch a glimpse of the younger’s face. And Felix whined at the loss of contact. He sniffled lightly before inhaling the warm and soft dewy rain scent deeply, fearing that it too would disappear as soon as he allowed his senses to return to him, and carefully blinked his eyes open after a couple of seconds.

He slowly let his eyes adjust to the light, sun rays filtering through and allowing the young omega to take in his surroundings. He noticed that he hadn’t been on the beach at all, instead he found himself in his room. But he was still surrounded by the ocean. Still enveloped in warmth and still being held onto like he was made out of glass.
His eyebrows furrowed together lightly and he slowly tilted his head upwards, only to be met by the most breathtaking black eyes to ever grace planet earth looking back at him fondly. He swallowed again, his throat protesting against the dryness as he took in every inch of Changbin’s face, his bottom lip trembling ever so lightly.
“See” the alpha spoke softly as he reached out to wipe the tears that had started running down Felix's face “I’m still here. And I’m not going anywhere”
“Am I dead…?” The omega whispered softly, the words burning as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

“You better not be” Changbin chuckled lightly “Or else I am too. I don’t think anyone wants that. Maybe Minho but I think he’ll come around eventually… I’d like to believe that me being here is progress”
The alpha let out a small sigh, his gaze softening as he gently ran his hand over the omega’s cheek and forehead in an attempt to push some of the younger’s hair away from his face. And for a split second, Felix was at a loss. What did he mean by ‘being here’. The omega refused to believe that Changbin was actually here, holding him and talking to him like he had been on that beach. That his delirious and pain riddled mind wasn’t playing tricks on him just to have him fall back into hell after being fooled.
“Don’t you remember what happened?” Changbin asked as he searched Felix’s eyes for a few seconds, noting the confusion that had taken over his features and the omega could see the worry swirling around in his eyes.

“Remember…?” Felix frowned lightly and when he opened his mouth again to ask what the elder meant, images of him all but forcing Seungmin to take him outside flashed through his brain. Images of how Seungmin had tried to bring him back inside after a while of Felix’s condition just getting worse and then images of the massive aegean wolf breaking into the clearing and Felix barreling into him before the world around him fell away.
Felix had gone outside because in his dream on the beach, Changbin had told him to go to him if he wanted to have him. And then Changbin had actually shown up. It hadn’t been a mirage. It hadn’t been a figment of his imagination and it hadn’t been a dream. When that thunderstorm rolled in and Felix had buried his nose into the scent gland only to be met by the scent the had been missing at that beach, he knew that it was real. Changbin had managed to find him and right now, Felix wasn’t dreaming either. The alpha was really here, holding onto him and looking at him and touching him in ways Felix had believed the man never would. Drowning him in that petrichor that he had come to love so much, that he had come to rely on too much.
Like the ocean waves glittering like aegean jewels in the sun, Changbin’s light was shining at him and the alpha was within reach.

When the realisation hit, a soft sob escaped Felix’s lips and he scrambled to wrap his arms around the elder desperately. Ignoring how his hands tried to grab onto every inch of the alpha’s bare skin. Ignoring how he himself was drenched from top to bottom in sweat. Even ignoring the pain that the sobs, which were now freely tearing through his frame, were causing his throat to burn even worse. The only thing that mattered right now was the fact, the undeniable fact, that Changbin was here. With him, surrounding him, seeping into Felix’s every pore.
“Hey hey, shhh. It’s okay” Changbin said softly as he allowed Felix to climb closer, holding onto him gently with one hand cradling the back of the younger’s head “You’re okay. I’m not leaving you, Lix. I’m so sorry I ever left you in the first place”

Felix continued to cry, allowing Changbin to gently rock him back and forth until the sobs finally quieted down enough and he was but a sniffling bundle of sweat and dried tears in the alpha’s arms.
“How are you feeling?” Changbin asked after a couple of minutes, his hand gently carding through the younger’s hair. And Felix sighed deeply, his whole body heaving with the movement before he raised his hand to his throat.
“Water…” he said softly before trying to swallow again, a pained wince following the movement.
“Ofcourse” Changbin breathed before leaning over, his grip on the omega never faltering as one of his arms reached to grab the cup of water on the bedside table before slowly lifting the cup up to the omega’s mouth.

“Drink slowly, okay?” He said softly and Felix complied obediently, allowing Changbin to help him drink as his arms continued to rest around the elder’s torso lazily. And to both his and Changbin’s surprise, Felix emptied the whole cup with careful sips as his body refused the idea to stop drinking. Almost like it had been begging for the liquid.
“You feeling okay?” Changbin asked carefully as he placed the empty cup back on the table “How’s your stomach? If it starts hurting, try to let me know yeah? Minho left the pail right here next to the bed”
“I’m okay” Felix said softly, revelling in how much better his throat already felt after drinking the water “Thank you, hyung”
“Don’t thank me” Changbin shook his head lightly, his eyebrows pulled together into a small frown “I haven't done anything”
“You’re here…” Felix smiled, his eyes fluttering shut happily as he snuggled a little closer into the alpha’s chest “That’s more than enough”
And as he inhaled another lungfull of soft dewy petrichor, allowing himself to relax into the alpha’s embrace, something in his brain abruptly clicked into place as he realised the position he was currently in.

Felix’s eyes shot open, his heart rate speeding up dangerously as he felt the blood rush to his face. He let out a shaky breath before slowly pushing himself away from the alpha, turning to face him and letting his eyes roam the man’s figure and face in confusion.
“Wha--how.. How are you… what are” he stammered as he tried to scoot away shyly, mentally berating himself for being so out of it that he hadn’t even fully grasped the fact that not only was Changbin with him in his room. But he was as naked as a newborn foal and Felix had been curled up against him like a lost pup, sweaty and shameless and without a single care in the world. No matter how close he believed to have gotten to the alpha, this was crossing so many so many undiscussed borders at it sent his mind reeling.

Felix could feel his heartbeat thumping in his ears when the sudden movement caused him to sway ever so lightly, something that of course didn’t go unnoticed by the alpha who’s already worried face gained a whole new level of concern as he reached out to hold onto the omega’s arm, his other hand coming around the younger’s waist again.
“Don’t move” he chided gently “You are in no position to move, just… stay? I’ll explain everything that I can, okay? But just don’t move, your body’s been through enough already. Give it some rest.”
And maybe it was because he indeed felt too weak to protest or because there was nothing else in the world he wanted more than to stay within the comfortable confines of Changbin’s arms, but when the alpha carefully pulled him back, Felix allowed him to be guided back into Changbin’s chest quietly. He could feel the blood pumping violently fast through his veins, his face heating up when he made contact with the firm frame he had been previously curled up against as he nervously balled his hands into fists.

“Please don’t be so shy around me, Lix” Changbin’s hand found the younger’s cheek, tilting his head until he was facing him “You, of all people, don’t have to be shy around me. Ever. Okay?”
Felix met the alpha’s gaze, feeling himself slipping, falling deeper and deeper into the ocean that was Changbin as he allowed himself to drown in those beautiful gemstone black eyes before nodding slowly.
“I’m sorry… I just--” The omega bit his lip nervously “I don’t understand. How are you here? How did you find me”
“Actually. It’s Innie and Minho that found me” Changbin said with a gentle smile and Felix’s face must have shown his confusion for the alpha chuckled lightly.

“It’s a little complicated and a lot to explain” He smiled guiltily, a shade of pink dusted across his cheeks “And I promise I want to explain, but I think Chan hyung might be better equipped to do so, maybe even Minho since he seems to understand more than I do. But before that…”
Changbin ran his hand over Felix’s face, brushing away some strands of hair as worry took over his deep dark eyes again.
“I need to know how you’re feeling” He said softly “Because Lix, you scared the crap out of all of us. You collapsed like a sack of potatoes in my arms and I swear, I have never felt fear like that in my life. And then Minho told me that you haven’t been able to eat properly in days… He’s worried sick about you--”

A knock at the door interrupted the alpha’s words and the way Felix’s mind had been spinning in circles at the spoken words as he tried to comprehend any of it. Because Felix knew how the past two days had gone for him. How he had been missing Changbin so much that his body refused to keep anything down and then how his heat hit and he got so blinded by the pain that the events of the morning were nothing but a jumbled memory of excruciating torture. Agony which was now nowhere to be found, reduced to a light buzz in the bottom of his stomach. There but barely. Comfortable in a way that made it seem almost comical and made Felix almost feel like he had been imagining the pain in the first place.

If it hadn’t been for the vivid memories of his stomach convulsing at the mere idea of food and water, the omega would have thought that he was going insane with how the water he had just downed like a parched cat was not bothering him in the slightest. And to make matters worse, when the soft scent of cinnamon reached his nose after the door was carefully pushed open, his stomach rumbled and then growled loudly, embarrassingly so, and made everyone in the room freeze.
Felix let out a soft and embarrassed whine and turned his face to hide it in the crook of Changbin’s neck, feeling his face heat up again as he heard Seungmin’s footsteps walk into the room.

“Please tell me that that was Felix…” the beta spoke carefully and when Felix felt Changbin nod softly, the beta let out a relieved sigh “For the love of… You have no idea how glad I am to hear that commign front you, Lix”
Felix grumbled lightly, turning his face ever so lightly to send Seungmin a one eyed glare. But seeing the beta standing a few feet away from the bed, a pouch firmly grasped in his hand, sent a rush of guilt to wash over the younger as he remembered the events that had transpired in the clearing and the days prior.
“Minnie…” He whimpered softly as he reached out his hand, refusing to let go of Changbin but also wanting the oh so comfortable and oh so familiar cinnamon closer. And the beta didn’t hesitate to step closer, his free hand wrapping around Felix’s carefully “Minnie, I’m so sorry”

“Hey, no” Seungmin said softly “No apologising. Though, I don’t really know what you are apologising for. But I don’t want to hear it”
“But you fell because of me…” Felix pouted.
“Yeah, because I was scared and didn’t listen” Seungmin confessed, his eyes nervously flitting to Changbin “I didn’t understand what was happening and didn’t listen. So I’m the one that should be sorry”
Felix shook his head as he frowned up at the beta disapprovingly.
“Can’t you just let me apologise in peace?” he quipped heatedly “It’s not just about that, it’s everything of the past two days… I’m really sorry for pushing you away”

Seungmin looked between him and Changbin again before letting out a soft sigh and shaking his head.
“You shouldn’t blame yourself for any of that, Lix” he said fondly as he gently squeezed the younger’s hand “You are allowed to want what you want and feel what you feel, especially during your heat. Your wants are more important than anybody else's feelings, you hear me? Plus, none of it bothered me anyway. The only thing that broke my heart was seeing you in so much pain and not being able to do anything about it or help you in whatever way you needed. But you seem to be doing a lot better now. At least you’re no longer crying and that’s a relief”
“I am feeling better for some reason” Felix nodded softly as he sent Seungmin a soft smile “The pain is less than what I am usually used to. I don’t understand why it had gotten so bad in the first place…”

“And you are not to blame for that because you couldn’t have known” Seungmin said softly, his thumb caressing the back of the younger’s hand as he moved to carefully sit down on the edge of the bed “Hyung will explain everything when you are feeling better, okay?”
“Where is he? I want--” Felix breathed, feeling a lump form in his throat as his hand instinctively found his neck, vaguely remembering how Minho’s teeth had put him under and allowed him to dream of the beach “I want Minho…”
He let out a soft and heartbreaking whimper, causing both Seungmin and Changbin to shift in their spots lightly. The alpha tightening his grip around his waist as his nose and lips pressed comfortingly into Felix’s hair and Seungmin’s hand coming up to wipe away a stray tear that had run down the omega’s cheek.

“I’ll go get him for you” Seungmin nodded with a warm smile on his face “Do you want me to tell him to bring some food too?”
“Uhm” Felix pondered the question for a little bit. While he was undeniably feeling hungry, which is more than he could have said the past two days, he also felt extremely sticky and wanted nothing more than a bath to clean the sweat off of his skin and to get himself out of these clothes. But the idea of leaving Changbin’s side didn’t sit well with him either for some reason. All embarrassment and confusion of the comfortable proximity aside, the way the alpha was bringing him so much peace in this moment was something he wouldn’t trade for the world.

“It’s okay, Lix” Changbin said softly, his hand running through the younger’s hair “Anything that you want, we’ll get. You are the number one priority right now”
Felix found himself smiling shyly, snuggling a little closer to Changbin as he looked at Seungmin who nodded in agreement to the elder’s words.
“I think…” He spoke up shyly after a few seconds “I think I want to take a bath first, I feel disgusting”
“Okay” Seungmin smiled sweetly “I’ll get Minho for you and then I’ll run a bath. Just don’t go outside, okay?”
“I won’t let him” Changbin smiled at the beta reassuringly and Felix frowned, leaning back to look up at the alpha and then back to Seungmin.

“If I want to go outside, I’ll go outside” he grumbled defiantly. Who were they to tell him what he was or wasn’t allowed to do? Not in this day and age and definitely not in Minho’s house.
“No, you won’t. Unless you want Minho to murder our guests” Seungmin chuckled lightly.
“I’m sorry… what?” Felix blinked. Guests? What guests? What the hell was going on?
“Did you really think I came here alone?” Changbin smiled down at him lovingly, his fingertips gently brushing over the younger’s cheek.
“You… what?” Felix frowned and let out a frustrated huff “Okay. Someone needs to start explaining things right the fuck now”
“When we came here, Chan was with us” Changbin said softly, a guilty little smile on his face “He’s probably downstairs because knowing him, he would never leave me here on my own”

“Chan is here!?” Felix exclaimed as he shot up right and stared at the alpha in disbelief before turning to Seungmin for confirmation. He could already imagine the bloodbath happening just at the mere idea “Is he okay? What about Minho? Did anyone die?”
“Nobody’s dead, yet. And actually…” the beta spoke up with a small chuckle “They’re all here. Hyunjin and Jisung? I think their names were? They just arrived too. Everyone is outside and it’s all civil for now. Or as civil as can be, at least”
“Wait, what?” Changbin frowned “Seriously?”
“Jinnie hyung is here!?” Felix gaped before trying to move away from Changbin and Seungmin to try and get out of the bed “I wanna see him!”
“Oh absolutely fucking not” Changbin pulled him back and held him down against his chest “Need I remind you that you are an unmated omega in heat? What’s the plan here, Lix? Go out there and have them get territorial over you? I don’t know about you but I am not in the mood to fight my own alpha over you. You are too pretty and he is too strong.”

'Because I don’t want him around any other alphas, Felix is way too pretty for anyone else’s eyes'

Changbin’s words from that night echoed through Felix’s brain as if on que and immediately he felt his face flush dangerously as he allowed Changbin to hold him down against his chest, all fight and protest leaving his body and wafting up into the air. He swallowed thickly and settled down, his eyes finding Seungmin’s face who was looking at the alpha with poorly concealed disgust and a hint of amusement.
“That was… wauw” The beta breathed as he rolled his eyes playfully. And for a second it looked like he wanted to say something else but he clamped his mouth shut and flared his nostrils before deflecting “I am going to go now. Changbin-ssi, Jisung and Hyunjin brought you some clothes. Which is why I came up here in the first place”
He waved around the pouch in his hands and placed it down on the floor next to the bed as Changbin gave him a small thanks before turning to face Felix again, reaching out to brush the back of his fingers over the younger’s cheek.
“I’ll go and get Minho for you so you can go and take that bath” he said fondly “and then we’ll try to finally get some food into you, okay?”

Felix nodded shyly, a soft smile on his face as he leaned into the elder’s touch.
“Thank you hyung” he said softly.
“No. Thank you for coming back to us” Seungmin smiled before getting up and dusting his hands on his pants. He walked towards the door and paused, turning back to face the duo on the bed who were all but melted into each other, the alpha gently caressing Felix’s face who was looking up at him fondly. And at the sight, a grateful smile made its way onto the beta’s face.
“For what it’s worth. It is really nice to meet you, Changbin-ssi” he said with a soft bow to the head “Thank you for coming here”
“It’s nice to finally meet you too, Seungmin-ssi” Changbin smiled back at him, mirroring the bow as much as his position allowed him to.

With the words, the beta turned and left the room, Felix watching him go and letting out a little sigh before melting deeper into Changbin’s chest.
“I’m really glad you’re here” he spoke up after a couple of silent minutes “even though I don’t really understand how you managed to get Minho to agree to any of this, I’m still glad that you are. I really missed you, you know. You and Jinnie hyung”
“I know” Changbin answered as he continued to run his hand over the younger’s hair comfortingly “Believe me I know. I missed you too, Lix. More than you probably understand right now”
Felix smiled happily, his face heating up again as he allowed the warm petricor surrounding him to relax him, a low and steady purr radiating through his chest. And in response, he heard that same rumbling sound coming from Changbin as he had heard on the night they had eaten the strawberry pie, the two sounds mixing together like a peaceful melody and threatening to lul Felix back to sleep.

“You’re so warm” the omega sighed contently after a while “Thank you for keeping me company”
“Thank you for letting me” Changbin replied sweetly “I’m already glad that your own temperature has significantly lowered in comparison to what it was when I came here. I swear, I thought your blood had turned into lava”
“You tend to have that effect on me…” Felix blurted out softly, not realising what he had said until the words had already been spoken. But before he could react to his own embarrassment, Changbin beat him to the punch.

“That makes two of us…” the alpha said softly and Felix felt his heartbeat speed up at the words, suddenly reminding him of that night 2 months ago when Changbin had hugged him and almost scented him. About how he had decided that he was going to try and be brave and tell him how he felt about the alpha.
None of that resolve had changed, since Felix still felt the same way. But for some reason, the nerves had come back full force after spending so much time away from Changbin. The fear of the alpha rejecting him had taken the forefront of his mind, especially with how Felix was quite enjoying being in the man’s arms.
Though, staying like this didn’t feel right. It made Felix feel like he was taking advantage of the alpha whilst being in such a vulnerable state. And that was the absolute last thing he wanted.

“Hyung, I--”
“Lix, I--”
They both paused before erupting into a fit of shy giggles, Felix letting out a soft sigh and pushing himself away from Changbin’s chest in order to face him properly.
“Is that what our friendship is going to be like, constantly talking at the same time?” he chuckled and all but melted at the sweet smile Changbin was giving him in return.
“You go first” The alpha encouraged as he too sat up and reached out to take Felix’s cheek in his hand, the younger instinctively leaning into the touch as he collected the courage from every corner of his being.

“There is something…” Felix started, his hands curling into fists on his lap nervously “There is something I need to tell you. I wanted to tell you that day when we played in the river and then the next day before Minho found us. And I don’t want you to think I kept it a secret to mess with you! I was just… nervous. And scared”
He looked up at Changbin with a small pout, the alpha shaking his head ever so lightly and encouraging Felix to continue. The younger briefly bit his lip and swallowed thickly.
“The thing is” he continued carefully, his eyes falling down and focusing on his hands “I think that I-- No. I know that I, uhm. Jeez. This is a lot harder that I thought”

He chuckled nervously and shook his head to try and clear his jumbled thoughts, his heart beating so loud in his ears that he could barely hear himself think and both Changbin’s soft dewy rain scent spiking and the tug in his chest suddenly pulling at his heart didn’t help the situation at all. In all honesty, Felix wanted nothing more than to just lean back in and drift away into the ocean but he couldn’t in good conscience do that. And if anything, he learned in the past two months that time and chances were things that were not promised and that could be taken away at any given moment in time.
“Lix--”
“No wait! Please…” Felix said quickly, interrupting the alpha before his nerves got the better of him as he felt tears well up behind his eyes. Because he knew that if he didn’t say this now, the more it would be dragged out and the longer it would eat away at the pieces of his sanity. “I am… For a while now, I have… you uhm--”

“I’m in love with you too, Lix…”

Chapter Text

Teaparty. That’s the only thing Minho could use to describe the current scene that was playing out in front of his very eyes from where he sat cross legged on the ground, a few feet away from the others and with Jeongin within arm’s reach. Never in his wildest nightmares would he ever have expected to find himself in a position quite like this one. Preposterous would be an understatement.
Jeongin’s cheerful self was acting all chummy and sweet with the strangers like he had known them for years, smiling and doe eyed like two of said strangers weren’t alphas. Which was a fact that was sending the pack leader’s head spinning faster than a water wheel during a storm. Because to his knowledge, the only one the younger knew out of the three was the blonde beta named Hyunjin who still seemed to be very aware of Minho’s presence despite the distractions surrounding him. The same beta who was holding onto Jeongin so delicately that Minho was having a hard time trying to keep the disapproval from dripping off of his face.

With everything that Jeongin and Felix had told him about their midnight orchard shenanigans, the level of closeness they had established with the trespassers was something they had conveniently left out. The whole bonding situation between Felix and that Changbin person aside, how was it possible that they had only known each other for two months and Hyunjin was basically refusing to let go of the young omega and looking at him like he held all the answers to the universe? It was unnerving and Minho didn’t like it one bit.
Which he knew wasn’t exactly fair to Hyunjin because he was not the wolf that Minho had a problem with persé. At least, not as much as he had with the other two who were just as deep into the conversation as Jeongin was. Smiles on their faces and posture relaxed like they weren’t currently in a location where they weren’t even welcome. The only thing missing from the scene was the actual tea, and Felix’s many pastries to top it all off.

Minho observed them quietly, not contributing to the conversation and keeping the two alphas within his line of sight at all times, occasional growls rumbling in his chest everytime any of them dared to get a little too close to Jeongin. Which in turn would earn him a few glances varying from nervous to unimpressed. The latter always being sent his way by Chan, the leader, who’s gaze never failed to make Minho bristle in annoyance.
“We’re not going to kidnap your precious omega, you know” The alpha spoke up after a few minutes and after Minho’s umpteenth low growl, his eyes resting on the brunette with that same air of cocky confidence that made Minho want to claw his eyes out.
“One can never be too careful” the omega narrowed his eyes in response as he glanced between Chan and Jisung.

“You’re a curious one” Chan said again “What did alphas ever do to you to make you so distrusting?”
“That’s none of your business, pine” Minho sneered.
“It kind of is” Chan said again, his head tilted in careful contemplation “With Changbin bonded to your brother, you are not getting rid of us no matter how much you try to murder me with your eyes alone. At least, not unless their bond were to break for some reason. But I think you and I both know that that’s probably not going to happen any time soon, if at all”
“One can dream” Minho’s lip trembled lightly as he tried to fight the silent snarl.
“Hyung…” Jeongin whined softly.
“Don’t” Minho warned as his eyes shot to where the young omega was snuggled into Hyunjin’s side “Do not try me, Jeongin. I am tired enough as it is”

Jeongin huffed lightly, his lip protruding in a small pout before wiggling himself away from Hyunjin’s arms and scooting over to where Minho was sitting, the latter watching him skeptically until the younger lied down and plopped his head into Minho’s lap with a soft and cheeky grin on his face.
“I’m not trying you, hyung” he said softly “I’m just worried because your scent is a little strong and it’s starting to make me nervous and it’s making Jinnie hyung all rigid.”
The pack leader rolled his eyes, but the way his hand instinctively found its way into the young omega’s hair and his scent immediately mellowed out ever so lightly at the younger’s tone, wasn’t fooling anyone. Not even Minho himself.

Because in the end, his deep rooted hate for alphas would never overshadow the love he held for his pack. His family. Even when they managed to piss him off and make his already white hair even whiter, even when they hurt him, disobeyed him and drove his patience up the wall. They would always be more important than anything else this miserable and unfair world had to offer.
Jeongin visibly relaxed when Minho’s softer scent infiltrated his senses and allowed his eyes to flutter shut as he leaned into the elder’s touch, a soft and content sigh escaping his lips along with a low purr rumbling in his chest.
“Thank you, hyung” he smiled happily as he turned his head before nuzzling his nose into the elder’s stomach lovingly.

Minho sighed and shook his head, a small and fond smile on his lips as he watched Jeongin for a few seconds before looking back up and finding the briefly forgotten trio watching him silently, accidentally meeting Jisung’s unfaltering gaze in the process.
Instinctively, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he had to fight to suppress a growl that started to bubble in the pits of his stomach. Until he realised the young alpha’s hazel eyes were looking at him with something Minho could only recognize and describe as awe. Which took him by such surprise that it sent a cold shiver running down his spine.
He lightly furrowed his eyebrows as he refused to break eye contact with the alpha, almost opening his mouth to ask why the boy kept staring at him like that until the younger finally backed down and looked down at his hands where his fingers started playing with the hem of his tunic nervously.
“So” Jeongin’s voice pulled Minho’s attention back down to his lap where the younger had turned his head to face the trio as well “Chan-ssi, may I ask you how--”

“Hyung!”
Seungmin’s clear voice cut through the clearing and had everyone’s head snapping up and looking into the direction of the cottage where the beta was making his way back to them.
“Everything okay?” Minho asked, his heart rate involuntarily speeding up with worry for Felix.
“He’s awake” Seungmin nodded, soft smile on his face when he came to a halt just a few feet away from where they were sitting “And he wants you, he was asking for you. He also wants to take a bath so I’ll heat up some water in a bit”
At the words, Minho felt the tension that had been riddling his body melt away like ice falling into fire. If Felix was asking for a bath, that meant that he was feeling better. For as much as Minho hated the situation and the fact that there were alphas within his well protected territory, Changbin’s mere presence was actually helping his brother. And if having him here made it so that Felix was no longer in pain, Minho would bide his time and deal with everything else accordingly if need be. Felix was, and would alway be, his number one priority.
“Okay. Thank you, pup” he said with a soft nod before turning back to Jeongin and tapping his forehead softly “Let’s go, little one”
“Go? Go where?” Jeongin frowned as he lifted himself off of Minho’s lap so the elder could get up and turned to look at him just when Seungmin sat down on his other side “Why do I have to go?”

Minho shot him an unimpressed look before shaking his head and slowly standing up with a tired sigh.
“Let’s go, both of you” he repeated firmly, this time eyeing both Jeongin and Seungmin tiredly “You really thought that I was going to leave you out here on your own with… them?”
Minho gestured his head into the direction of Chan and Jisung with a skeptical look on his face, missing how Chan raised his eyebrows at the statement.
“How many times do I have to tell you that we’re not going to harm them or do anything to them?” The black haired alpha sighed as he rubbed his hands over his face before looking up at Minho incredulously “I’m not the monster you believe me to be. I am not the one going around attacking random wolves in the woods”
“And how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t trust you?” Minho deadpanned “I’m not the one threading into claimed territory for the heck of it”
Chan rolled his eyes at the counter and Minho huffed smugly before turning his attention back to his own pack and waving them towards the cottage.
“Come on, move. I don’t want to keep Lix waiting”
“But I wanna talk to Jinnie more, hyung. I haven’t seen him in months” The young omega whined.
“I can keep a look out, hyung. Nothing will happen” Seungmin tried with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Am I speaking elvish?” Minho warned through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing fire for a split second “Or do I need to speak moon? What is it going to take for you two to listen to me for once in your lives, huh? Get your sorry asses inside, now. I am not going to repeat myself again”
Seungmin sighed and slowly got back up, pulling a very unhappy Jeongin along with him, the younger not even trying to hide the displeasure that was dripping off of his face before he turned to pout at Hyunjin who seemed to be fighting himself not to stand up and take hold of the omega. Almost like he was scared the younger would disappear behind the cottage door only to never return.
“He’ll be back once I’ve checked on Felix” Minho couldn’t help but sigh at the sight as he addressed the blonde, his voice a lot softer than he had intended to “I am not going to eat him”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if you did” Chan mumbled under his breath.

“Want me to fucking eat you, pine?” Minho hissed dangerously before turning his attention back to Hyunjin who blinked up at him before looking away with his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink as he scooted closer to Jisung and nervously found the alpha’s hand for comfort. And for some odd reason Minho felt the briefest, most minuscule flicker of something other than hostility at the sight.
How this beta had ended up in the hands of these alphas was a mystery Minho was, in all honesty, very curious about. What’s more was that he seemed happy, comfortable and safe around them. And knowing that betas were sometimes treated worse than omegas in this forsaken world, that little possibility alone sparked another form of curiosity within the omega’s chest as he glanced into Chan and Jisung’s direction who were still eyeing him carefully.

But as fast as the feeling had surfaced, it had fizzled out and disappeared before Minho turned to look back at Jeongin and Seungmin.
“Let’s go” He said as he started walking towards the cottage, not waiting to see if the other two would fall into step.
“Can Hyunjin come?” Jeongin’s voice suddenly spoke up, his tone careful yet hopeful.
“Jeongin.” Minho stopped walking with a sigh as he lifted his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose before turning to look at the young omega, his shoulders starting to hurt from the exhaustion that continued to spread through his body slowly.
“He’s not an alpha” Jeongin stated matter-of-factly “And he’s my friend. The rest can stay outside. Please, hyung? Please?”

He pleaded, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight as he looked between Minho and Hyunjin, the latter sitting up a little straighter as he too found the courage to look between the two omegas with a glint of hope in his eyes. Hope Minho honestly couldn't understand as the blonde seemed to be terrified of Minho but also seemed willing to forgo that in favour of staying by Jeongin’s side.
Lord. Minho’s pack was going to be the death of him and now there seemed to be an additional one who was dead set on becoming his undoing.
“Hyung…” Seungmin said softly from where he had stepped closer to Minho, grabbing onto his sleeve gently “Felix also said he wanted to see him, he almost ran out here when I told him he was here…”
And maybe it was the way his own beta was looking at him with that all-knowing gaze of his or maybe it’s because Minho was, and would always be, the biggest softy on the planet when it came to anything Felix or his pack members, or even anything other than alphas. But when he met the two big green orbs looking at him hopefully as the blonde continued to squeeze the life out of Jisung’s hand, Minho let out another deep sigh and closed his eyes.

“Fine” He said before looking back at Jeongin who was too busy trying to figure out whether to be shocked or happy when Minho’s words registered in his brain “The beta is allowed. But only if his alpha lets him. Now get”
“Please Chan-ssi?” Jeongin conjured up the best puppy dog eyes he could find within himself as he looked over at the alpha “Please can he come?”
“You’re really pulling my hand here, Jeongin” Chan said as he eyed the two omegas and his beta carefully.
“I won’t let anything happen to him and Minho hyung is not going to do anything anyway” Jeongin said “He’s all bark, no bite. Deep down I think you know that too”
“Have you seen my face?” Chan raised his eyebrow as he all but scoffed “This is a prime example of no bark, all bite”

“Maybe that will teach you to stay away from places you’re not welcome in” Minho rolled his eyes “Oh. Wait.”
“Seriously” Chan deadpanned at Minho before turning his attention back to Jeongin “You want me to let my beta into the den of… that”
He gestured into Minho’s direction who scowled at him and rolled his eyes again.
“That den is currently housing one of your others against my will” he sighed “what’s one more going to do? At least this one isn’t one of your kind. I do not harm other sub genders, as my problem does not exist for or because of them”
“And my problem does not lie with omegas either, yet you seem very adamant on not letting them near us or alone with us” Chan answered without missing a beat “So I reckon you understand my hesitation”

“Jeongin, Seungmin. Let’s. Go” Minho gritted through his teeth before spinning on his heels and walking towards the cottage “And no buts!”
He called over his shoulder as he already knew Jeongin was going to protest. Once at the door, he opened it and stepped aside as he waited for the duo to pass him so he could close it again, not bothering to even look at them as he did not have time for puppy dog eyes and whiny pouts since right now he wanted nothing more than that barrier closed between them and the alphas outside. But when a third frame shyly stepped past him and into the cottage hesitantly, accompanied with a bitter cloud of coffee and a soft murmured ‘Sorry for the intrusion’, Minho blinked and looked up, surprised to find a blonde tuft of hair trailing behind Jeongin.
He whipped his head around to where Chan and Jisung were still sitting, unmoving and in the same spot he had left them in and when he locked eyes with the elder, an unspoken agreement flashed in between the tension of their gazes before Minho turned away and closed the door behind him.

“Whatever it is that you’re thinking, Yang Jeongin” Minho raised an eyebrow as he passed the young omega who instantly reeled in his giddy excitement as he continued to hold onto Hyunjin’s hand “Drop it. Coffee stays downstairs”
“Hyung, he has a name” Jeongin deadpanned “It’s Hyunjin, you know this”
“It’s okay, Innie” Hyunjin said softly as the elder made his way towards the stairs.
“No, He’s right. Where are my manners” Minho smiled sweetly as he stopped on the first step and turned to face the beta “Do not make yourself at home and do not give me any reason to hurt you and you’ll be just fine. Do I make myself clear, Hyunjin?”

Hyunjin gulped and nodded quickly, his eyes falling and looking down at his and Jeongin’s intertwined hands.
“Yes sir” he mumbled softly and Minho felt that same feeling shoot through his chest as it had done so a few minutes earlier and he sighed tiredly, shaking his head as he tried to reel in his hostility.
“Look” He said in a much gentler tone as he stepped back down and walked over to where the two were still standing before crossing his arms over his chest “I meant what I said. My problem is with them, not you. At least not entirely. I do not forgive you for trespassing into the orchard but I also know that there is nothing much I can do about it now. And I won’t hurt you, contrary to what you might believe. I don’t hurt people unless they give me a reason to. I understand that you are scared because I am a stranger to you, and so is Seungmin and to top it all off, you’re in a strange place”
Hyunjin swallowed thickly and nodded as he finally looked up to meet Minho’s gaze, relaxing ever so lightly at the change in tone the elder was using with him and the change in his scent.
“Well” Minho continued firmly “that is exactly how I felt finding my pack members with you and how I felt when Innie ran off to find you”
At the words, Hyunjin’s eyes widened a little and if he could have, the boy would've become physically smaller with how Minho saw a trace of guilt flash through the younger’s eyes.

“I am not going to hurt you, as long as you don't try to hurt any of us” Minho added “I am not a monster, Hyunjin. Despite what this little demon might have told you about me. I’m just someone who looks after my own”
“I know that” Hyunjin said quickly “I know you’re not. You’re just protecting those that you love. And I get that, because Channie hyung is the same. So, I never once blamed you for that… I just… You’re very intimidating”
“Good” Minho smirked “Means I’m doing something right”
At that, Minho saw the faintest hint of a smile tremble at the corner of the tall beta’s lips as he looked back down at Jeongin’s hand that was still firmly gripped into his.

“And Jeongin has never done anything other than vouch for what a good person you are, Minho-ssi. He and Felix both” Hyunjin said as he found Minho’s gaze again, determination ablaze in his eyes. But Minho was briefly distracted by the words that had been spoken because that was the last thing he had expected to hear. After everything that had transpired not only in the past months but today alone, his confidence had taken a massive hit and hearing this warmed his heart a little, albeit reluctantly as he was still royally pissed about the lack of trust shown in him. Words were nice but actions were more evident.
“And I would never hurt any of your pack, Minho-ssi” Hyunjin continued “Jeongin and Felix are my friends. Changbin hyung’s friends. Believe it or not, but they mean a lot to the both of us. Being out here doesn’t grant us many opportunities to make any new friends so they're a blessing. Even when the means of meeting them was a little… unconventional”

“Actions speak louder than words, Hyunjin” Minho said softly “Do not make me regret letting you into my home, got it?”
“I won’t” Hyunjin nodded and shuffled a little closer to Jeongin who was smiling at the exchange happily before Minho turned on his heel again to make his way back to the stairs.
“Seungmin, can you get that bath ready for Lix, please?” He called out to the beta who had been lazily leaning against the kitchen table “And don’t make it too hot, I don’t want him to overheat more than he already is”
“On it” Seungmin nodded as he started making his way towards the bathroom.

“Can I help?” He heard Hyunjin ask, the cheery tone in his voice reflecting in the whiff of sweet coffee that hit Minho’s nose as he walked up the stairs and disappeared out of sight. It was funny to see how a couple of words had the capability of changing the boy’s demeanour in such a way. And in all honesty, even Minho couldn’t deny that the blonde was somewhat endearing and for a split second he understood how and why his omegas had been reeled in so quickly.
Not that it made him any happier about it.
Why couldn't it just have been the beta? Why did it have to be a package deal? A package deal with three freaking alphas. Minho sighed and rubbed his hands over his face as he made his way over the landing and towards Felix’s room, already dreading being in the same proximity with another alpha again when he just managed to get himself away from two.

--

The world stopped spinning and time slowed down around him as Felix blinked slowly, his mouth slightly agape as he stared at Changbin in silence for what felt like hours. Because there was no way he had heard that correctly. His brain had been a jumble of nerves and fear and the buzz of his heartbeat was still so loud that it was ringing in his ears.
So whatever it was that the alpha had just said, that what he thought it was, couldn’t have been it.
“I’m sorry…” He breathed in confusion, his eyes furrowing together ever so lightly “What did you just say?”

“I’m sorry. I jumped the gun” Changbin blurted out “That’s probably not even what you were going to say, but you looked so nervous and I thought maybe that was why. But I shouldn’t have, I’m sorry I rained all over your para--”
“Stop talking” Felix said again, his voice barely above a whisper as he tentatively placed his fingers on the elder’s lips in an attempt to stop the nervous rambles.
“Yes. Sorry” Changbin swallowed as he nodded softly, taking Felix’s hand away from his mouth and holding onto it on his lap.
“No.” Felix shook his head as he subconsciously squeezed the alpha’s hand “Can you repeat what you said?… I think my brain did not fully… you what?”

Changbin’s face slowly turned a soft shade of pink, the corner of his lips turning down into that endearing smirk Felix loved so much. That he had missed so much. He felt the elder’s thumb caressing the back of his hand as Felix waited with bated breath for him to speak, the soft and dewy petrichor scent covering him like a warm blanket and almost willing him to lean forward and just drown into the alpha. But he couldn’t. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t. Not yet, not now.
“I’m in love with you too” Changbin whispered softly as his free hand came up to cup Felix’s cheek and again the omega felt the world stop along with his heart, his lungs, his brain. Everything just stopped working, functionality was only a suggestion at this point and in all honesty, Felix didn’t mind. All that mattered was the alpha who was sitting in front of him telling him things he previously believed were things only his dreams would be able to provide.
The words Felix had heard earlier hadn’t been wishfully jumbled by his brain, they hadn’t been a figment of his imagination, it wasn’t his mind playing tricks on him. Changbin was… in love with him.

Too…?

Felix felt his heart drop at the implications the little word brought along with the rest of the confession. Too? Why would he say that? unless he knew about Felix’s feelings. But there was no way that he did because Felix hadn’t had the guts to tell him yet, even now. And he knew that Jeongin would never.
Did Jeongin tell Hyunjin?
“You… you’re… too?” Felix breathed softly, his heart beating against his ribcage and almost threatening to break out of his body “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is that I know how you feel about me, Lix” Changbin smiled gently as his thumb wiped away a tear that had unknowingly run down Felix’s cheek “And no, Innie didn’t tell me. Technically Hyunjin did but only because he figured it out on his own…And at first he did't even want to tell me but he was kinda done with my bullshit I think. Not that I dared to believe any of it until everything that happened today anyway”

Felix felt like his brain was buzzing with static. The information was there but it wasn’t clearing up any of the questions currently swimming around in his head. Hyunjin figured it out all on his own? Had Felix really been that damn obvious about it? And if Changbin hadn’t believed him, what about today had made him change his mind about it so easily? None of it was making sense and instead of being happy about the words he had dreamed of hearing for months, Felix was feeling nothing but frustration building in his stomach. Frustration he didn’t even want any part of.
None of this was supposed to have gone like this. And what annoyed him the most was the fact that he was feeling like this over it in the first place. He wanted nothing more than to celebrate and be happy and dive into Changbin’s arms, scent him, kiss him, feel him. And yet his heart was slightly conflicted because he was confused and lost and he needed answers.
Now.

He leaned back, shuffling away from Changbin a little bit with his eyes trained on the elder’s, his eyebrows furrowed together and lip protruded in a small pout.
“I’m sorry” He said as he tried to place the thoughts in his brain into a coherent line of words as to not jumble trough what he wanted to say “I know I’m supposed to be happy right now, but I’m a little annoyed”
“That’s understandable” Changbin said gently, his eyes softening ever so lightly as he held Felix’s gaze and making the younger melt into the hand that was still on his cheek.

“No.” Felix stated “It’s not. because you know things. It seems that everyone knows things. About me, about you, about everything. Everyone except me and it is really starting to make me anxious, Bin. I need you to tell me what is going on. What do you mean with ‘everything that happened today’? Why are you here? No. How are you here? Why did Minho, of all people, go out to find you? He… oh my god. Does he know too? Does everyone know how I…? Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for my feelings to be splayed out in the open like that without my consent!?”
“Felix, breathe” Changbin’s eyes flooded with worry as he lifted his other hand to cup Felix’s other cheek gently. But Felix felt his chest overflow with emotions and was powerless to stop them as he shook his head furiously, tears now freely streaming down his face.
Because this wasn’t supposed to go like this.
“No. I need you to start explaining things! I can’t--”

The door swinging open and banging against the wall behind it snapped Felix out of his rant as both him and Changbin whipped their heads into the direction of the noise.
“Not now!” Felix yelled at the person standing in the doorway, the figure blurred by his tears “Can’t you hear that I am trying to have a conversation here!?”
The young omega was out of sorts and quite frankly sick and tired of the constant interruptions that seemed to haunt him like his nightmares. Every single time something was about to happen or every single time he wanted to have an important conversation, someone had to barge in or come into the vicinity with something else and because of it, nothing ever got done.
Not today, not now, not anymore. Felix was tired.

And he was about to yell again when he saw the figure approaching like the speed of light but when the tell tale scent of burnt and wilted white rose hit his nose, every single thing he had been feeling in his moment of anger and exhaustion, melted away within the span of mere seconds.
“Hyung…” Felix whimpered softly as he instinctively moved away from Changbin and towards the edge of the bed until he found himself crushed against Minho’s chest, his nose buried deep into the elder’s scent gland as he tried to stop his tears from flowing.

“What the fuck did you do!?” Minho’s murderous growl reverberated through Felix frame, the sensation making the younger shiver ever so lightly as he pressed himself deeper into Minho’s embrace before he hastily opened his mouth to protest when he realised the words had been directed at Changbin. Because of course Minho would only hear the part where Felix was distressed and crying and instantly the elder would think that Changbin had done something to cause the tears. Which was weird because Felix would think that the first thing the pack leader would conclude was that he was suffering from cramps again. Yet here he was, immediately trying to blame the alpha when in truth, he wasn’t really at fault here. Nobody was and yet everyone was at the same time.
He leaned back as he heard Changbin splutter for an answer and smacked Minho on the chest, eliciting a soft yelp from the elder and an incredulous look shot into his direction.

“What the hell you hitting me for?” Minho asked as he rubbed the spot Felix had hit.
“Don't yell at him!” Felix let out an annoyed huff, his hands coming up to wipe at the tears on his face and coating his lashes.
“You were yelling at him!” Minho answered, his voice cracking ever so lightly as his tone pitched in disbelief.
“I am allowed to yell at him.” Felix countered defiantly as he leaned back in and nuzzled his face into Minho’s neck contently “You’re not”

“And why is that?” Minho sighed and rolled his eyes as he instinctively cradled the back of Felix’s head, his fingers gently carding through the soft and still damp hairs there.
“He’s my friend, not yours.” The young omega mumbled.
“Felix.” Minho tried to counter the ridiculous reasoning but Felix wasn't having any of it as he leaned back and looked at his brother with that same determination and annoyance present in his teary eyes.
“Hyung.” he huffed and Minho sighed tiredly, shaking his head in the process as he lifted his hand to caress the younger’s face gently.

“Why are you crying, hmm?” He asked softly, his warm white rose scent engulfing Felix like a soft blanket of flower petals. That paired with the calming and dewy rain scent that was already hanging in the air, made Felix want to pull Minho into his nest and cuddle until his heat was over. Which was a complete 360 of how he had been feeling the past few days. Which in turn reignited his initial frustration because again he was reminded of the fact that something was up and he was none the wiser.
“What happened?” Minho continued to ask, snapping the younger out of his scent induced stupor “Did he hurt you? Or is it the cramps again?”
“No. Of course he didn’t hurt me, hyung. And the cramps are fine. For some odd reason, they’re back to normal” Felix answered with his eyebrows knitted together into a light frown “I’m crying because I'm upset”

“Okay, and why are you upset?” Minho asked with worry swirling around in his eyes, his thumb running over Felix’s cheek gently as he searched the younger's face for any hint of other discomfort and sending a wave of unconditional love to wash over Felix at the comfort the scrutinizing gaze brought him.
Not enough to distract him from the issue at hand, however.
“Because” Felix answered as he sniffled lightly “I don’t understand what’s going on and it feels like I'm being kept in the dark by everyone”
“Sucks, doesn't it?” Minho deadpanned briefly.

Felix blinked at the sudden shot taken and leaned back a little, looking up at his brother in disbelief. Really? Now? Of all times, now he was going to bring this up?
“Hyung!” He whined, shooting his brother an unimpressed look.
“I’m joking!” Minho grinned cheekily before mumbling a soft ‘sorta’ and sushing Felix before the boy could protest again.
“But, Lix” he continued seriously, pushing a stray strand of hair behind the younger’s ear “What is making you think that? Nobody is keeping anything from you.”
“Yes you are!” Felix countered as he pushed himself away from his brother and sat back down in his nest, this time making sure he was fully facing Changbin who was silently watching the conversation unfold, still nervous about Minho’s presence who now carefully lowered himself down to sit on the edge of the bed with his eyes trained on Felix worriedly. “Everyone knows what’s going on except for me…”

“What are you talking about?” Minho asked carefully, glancing into Changbin’s direction wearily.
“How is Changbin here?” Felix demanded “And how are you okay with that? Why does he know that I…” He trailed off as he felt blood rushing to his face at the reminder, his face undoubtedly turning a deep shade of pink.
“Who said I'm okay with it?” Minho asked as he sent Changbin a deathly glare “Because I’m not. Probably never will be. But I don't have much of a choice now, do I? I am simply tolerating the situation because it’s what’s best for you”

“What’s best for me?” How and why was this what was best for him? This is what Felix meant by being left in the dark. How and why would Minho tolerate an alpha, of all things, being in his house for Felix’s sake. Never in a million years would Minho do that. The whole situation was confusing and Felix’s frustration was growing by the second. He was about to open his mouth again to continue his line of questioning when Minho held up his hand indicating that he wasn’t done speaking yet.
“And, my love” The elder continued “Need I remind you that you haven’t been in the most present state of mind today? Mostly not even conscious. For as much as we want to fill you in on everything you wish to know, first we want to make sure that you are okay. I know it’s not your fault, though you telling me about your feelings for this… alpha… would have helped greatly and could have avoided everything that has transpired since your pre-heat started, but you haven't the slightest clue about how worried everyone, including the alpha’s pack, has been about you”

So he does know…
Felix felt his heart rate speed up at the confession that Minho was indeed aware about Felix’s feelings regarding the alpha, which only added to the numerous questions the boy currently held inside of his mind. He bit the inside of his cheek briefly and looked between Minho and Changbin for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his brother.
“What do you know about my feelings?” Felix asked cautiously, feeling tears prickling behind his eyes again “And why does everyone seem to know about my business without me allowing this information to even get out?”
“Lix…” Minho searched Felix’s eyes for a few seconds, his eyebrows furrowed together “You don’t realise what happened between you and….. your friend?”
“Like I said” Felix exclaimed exasperatedly “everyone seems to know everything except for me. And Binnie hyung is refusing to tell me anything”
“Excuse you” Changbin gasped lightly “That’s not what I said, I said that maybe your brother might be able to explain the situation better than I can. Mainly because I only learned about it two months ago and I didn’t dare believe it until today. And unfortunately because of that, you had to suffer alone”

“Literally, nothing you're saying is making any sense right now. You understand that right?” Felix deadpanned, and the pout he received from the alpha was nothing short of earth-shatteringly adorable. But no amount of cute Changbin was going to deter Felix away from his quest to get the answers he so desperately seeked.
“Lix” Minho called out softly as he reached out to take the younger’s hand in his “Do you remember the story that Miyoung and Kangdae used to tell us about how they managed to find each other? Remember how you used to love that story”
Felix’s eyebrows furrowed together as he considered Minho’s words for a little bit, his hand involuntarily squeezing Minho’s in the process. And even though he failed to understand what their grandparents had to do with his situation, he nodded nonetheless.
“Okay, good” Minho smiled gently “I think maybe keeping that in the back of your mind, might help you understand what is going on here a little better”
Felix nodded again and looked from Minho to Changbin and back, allowing the alpha to take his other hand and revelling in the love he was currently receiving despite him being nothing but stubborn with the two.

“As for me knowing about you and… him, Innie told me about it” Minho added carefully and Felix felt his heart drop painfully. And before Felix could jump up in order to barrel down said young omega’s door in a fit of rage, Minho tugged on his hand softly and forced Felix to look him in the eye.
“Only because I forced him to, Lix” the elder added, his eyes holding a warning as if he had known exactly what Felix had been almost ready to do.
“Jeongin didn’t break your promise, he was very adamant about it. I almost had to pound it out of him because I knew something was wrong with you the moment your preheat hit and you started acting differently” Minho continued, a glint of annoyance present behind his deep ice blue eyes “But this morning, when you started calling out for someone, a name I had previously never heard before in my life, I put two and two together and after I put you under and you finally fell asleep, I went and demanded Jeongin to tell me everything. And he did”

“I… I called out for him?” Felix swallowed, his eyes glancing over into the alpha’s direction nervously and feeling his face heat up.
“You were in so much pain, Lix” Minho rationalized “and your body was asking for the one thing that could help with that pain. Even if you weren’t aware of what was happening, your instincts were”
“My instincts?” Felix tilted his head lightly “Why would… I don’t understand?”
Minho nodded softly and briefly looked over at Changbin before turning his attention back to Felix and inhaling deeply.
“That tug you’ve been experiencing” Minho started and Felix felt his heart stop at the mention of the tug. The tug that had mercilessly tortured him for months and almost tried ending him in the past 48 hours, give or take. The tug that always ended up longing for one person and one person only. The tug that had been content and warm and fuzzy since he had woken up in said person’s arms just mere moments ago.

“Jeongin really told you everything…?” Felix asked, suddenly feeling extremely downcasted. Regardless of the fact that Minho said he had to drag it out of him, something that hadn’t been Jeongin’s to tell had still been told. And that fact hurt more than anything.
“Felix. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been here right now” Minho added urgently as he motioned his head into the alpha’s direction “And another thing I need you to understand- because I know what you are feeling right now, that you think your secret was laid out on the table for the world to learn about and that you feel like Jeongin betrayed your trust -but if either of you had decided to tell me any of this two months ago, Felix, I never would have kept you away from him in the first place. And then none of this, the pain, the agony, the suffering, would have ever come to pass”
Felix blinked, his eyes widening in shock as he let Minho’s words slowly sink in.
“You… why?” He asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion “How would that piece of information have been the one factor to allow you to change your mind about me seeing Binnie? After everything, all your reservations and hatred towards alphas, me catching feelings for one was the thing that would have changed your mind on that? How? Why?”

“First of all, I have not and will not change my mind about alphas. Ever” Minho stated matter of factly, his nostrils flaring dangerously before he dropped his head and shook it ever so lightly “And second, it’s not the feelings part that caused any of this to happen. Feelings are only one part of the equation. Believe me, I wouldn’t have had any problem keeping you away from him if that’s all it had been. Call me ruthless all you want. But ‘feelings’ would have eventually passed on their own and wouldn’t have brought about such dire changes within your wolf. It’s the tug that was the tipping point. Because that tug can not be ignored no matter how much I wish it could have been”
“Why?” Felix asked as he felt a warm shiver run up his arm from where Changbin was gently rubbing his thumb over the skin of the back of his hand.
“Because, Lix” Minho smiled solemnly “That tug is proof that the two of you have bonded”

“We hadn't even realized we had bonded until months later, when I finally decided to confide in one of my friends and told her how Dae had me walking around with my head in the clouds” Miyoung chuckled, the flames of the campfire flickering in her deep golden eyes as she looked over at Kangdae who was lovingly smiling back at her “It would have spared us both so much heartache if either of us had put our insecurities and stubbornness aside and listened to what the tug in our hearts were trying to tell us. To this day, I count my lucky stars that I was born a beta or else my heat would have probably driven me off a cliff”
She chuckled and shook her head lightly, every single shadow the lines on her face cast onto her features filled with nothing but love and nostalgia as she held Kangdae’s gaze for a few seconds before turning back to the two pups sitting across from them.

“What was it like when you first felt it?” A doe eyed tiny Felix, who had been hanging onto every single word that had left the elderly beta’s lips as she recounted her and her mate’s love story, asked as he snuggled a little closer into Minho’s chest, the fur pelt surrounding them barely big enough to cover them both.
“Hmm” Minyoung tilted her head in contemplation as she tried to find the best words to describe the feeling. “It’s a little hard to explain but it was like something suddenly started constricting within my chest which constantly tried to draw me closer to Dae. And everytime we were apart, it would hurt. Like a small sharp sting that would evolve until it eventually started feeling like… like a vine of thorns wrapped around my heart”
“That doesn’t sound very fun” Felix pouted, his blue eyes glittering in the campfire light.
“It wasn’t” Miyoung smiled regretfully “But in the end, all turned out well for us. And I truly hope that you won’t make the same mistakes we did if any of you are one day lucky enough to bond with anyone. Don’t take it for granted when you do”

Felix felt his lungs deflate as Miyoung’s words and their conversation of that evening so many blue moons ago, suddenly rang through his mind like a strike of lightning at Minho’s words. Like someone had unlocked a drawer that had been carefully stored away in a deep corner of his brain.
Everything Miyoung had shared that time was exactly how Felix had found himself feeling the past months, ever since that tug had shown up in the first place. And for a split second he felt extremely stupid for never even having thought back on that conversation during all this time.
He glanced over at Changbin and found that the alpha didn’t at all seem shocked by the information Minho had just provided. Of course he wouldn’t be. Because he already knew.

“That’s why you said ‘too’?” Felix asked carefully and when Changbin nodded Felix visibly deflated, his bottom lip protruding in a little pout.
“This is not how this was supposed to go…” He said softly as he looked down at Changbin’s hand that was still holding onto his.
“Believe me, I think nobody wanted any of this to happen the way it did” the alpha said solemnly.
“You remembered Miyoung’s story?” Minho asked, a slight tilt to the head as he watched Felix mull over the thoughts in his head.
Felix nodded softly before looking back up to his brother.
“Is that why you went to get Changbin hyung?” he asked and Minho bit his bottom lip in thought, seemingly thinking over the question before shaking his head lightly.

“Actually… that’s not exactly what happened” the pack leader started as he shifted himself from the edge of the bed and sat cross legged at the edge of the nest before the elder started recounting everything that had transpired today after he had put Felix into headspace. Eventually, Changbin also recounted his side of the story, starting with what Chan had told him the morning after Minho’s ambush two months ago and how Hyunjin had popped off at him about it because Changbin had been too insecure to believe any of it. Which then again also played into how he had basically refused to believe it until today.
“I’m so sorry for not coming for you sooner, Lix” He eventually ended with “I shouldn’t have been such a coward about it”

“Not that you would have made it far with the lack of information I had” Minho reminded him, his blue eyes ice cold as he looked the alpha up and down before a frown took over his forehead and he scrunched up his nose “Also, I’m pretty sure Seungmin brought you your clothes. So why, pray tell, are you still presenting like a baboon?”
“Hyung!?” Felix exclaimed, his mouth agape as his face started glowing bright red “Oh my god…”
He let go of both Minho and Changbin’s hands and dropped his head into his palms in a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment and also in an attempt to keep his eyes from wandering at the sudden reminder.

“What?” Minho shrugged with a satisfied little smirk and Felix shot him an unimpressed glare from behind his fingers, noticing a beet red Changbin scrambling out of the bed and heading over to the pouch for his clothes.
“Can you at least try to be nice?” Felix sighed tiredly as he moved to weakly slap his brother on the shoulder “I’m not asking you to mean it, just pretend or something…”
Minho was about to protest when a knock at the door had all three of them turning their head into the direction of the sudden interruption, finding a tuft of brown and blonde hair poking his head into the room with a gentle smile on his face.
“Your bath is ready, Lix” Seungmin said softly “And Hyunjin’s also downstairs, hyung allowed him into the cottage. He’s with Innie in the living area and he’s dying to see you”

The tone in which Seungmin spoke the words was filled with so much warmth and fondness as his gaze lingered on the young omega on the bed for a few seconds, relief swimming in his pitch black gemstone eyes, that Felix melted a little bit at the sight.
But the omega had been too quickly distracted by what the words meant to pay too much mind to how he was being looked at. Hyunjin was here. Inside of the cottage. Minho had let him come inside.
“Are you sick?” The young omega blurted as he looked at Minho in disbelief.

“What? No.” Minho’s scowled at him before lifting himself off of the bed and turning to hold his hand out for Felix to take “Now let’s get you cleaned up and fed”
Felix complied eagerly, struggling to get up and finding his energy depleting dangerously quickly after such miniscule movement. He staggered on his feet, grateful for Minho’s arms wrapping around him protectively as he allowed himself to lean into him with a tired sigh heaving through his frame.
“Careful” Minho warned sternly “I know you’re excited, but your body has been through hell. You do not have the energy to run around right now”

Felix nodded weakly, a small pout on his face as he looked up and around the room to try and find Changbin, who was now clothed and standing awkwardly at the door with Seungmin waiting for the two omega’s to join them out the door
“Moonshine…” Minho’s silent voice called out to Felix gently, their mother’s nickname sending a wave of comfort to thrum under the younger’s skin as he looked up at Minho with gentle, questioning eyes.
“Do you want… Changbin-” Felix could see how hard his brother was trying not to allow his face to contort with something akin to pure annoyance, his nostrils flaring in the process when he said the alpha's name “-to come with us or do you want him to wait outside of the bathroom?”

Felix felt his face heat up again and swallowed thickly as he contemplated Minho’s words. But the answer to the question was an easy one no matter how hard he tried to make it in his head.
The mere idea of letting the alpha out of his sight after everything that had happened was something he didn’t even want to cross his mind. And it instantly sent a flare of panic to rise up his spine as he was terrified that Changbin would disappear again if Felix did allow him to wait somewhere where he couldn’t see him.
“Hey, hey, no. It’s okay” Minho’s voice filtered through the soft static that was taking over his hearing as his blood rushed through his veins, his heart pumping at lightning speed. Felix hadn’t even noticed that his breathing had picked up until Minho’s face appeared in front of him, one of the elder’s arms still firmly locked around his waist and the other cupping his cheek.

“You’re okay” Minho said softly “Anything you want, you will get right now. You don’t have to worry about anything going wrong. Hyung will make sure nothing will go wrong ever again, you hear me?”
Felix swallowed thickly, his eyes briefly flitting to the alpha who was looking at him worriedly from the doorway with an equally worried Seungmin standing right next to him.
“I…” Felix looked back at Minho who had moved his hand away from Felix’s face and had taken hold of the younger’s hand, placing it on his own chest in an attempt to guide Felix through his breaths.

The young omega focused on the slow rising and falling of his brother’s chest, feeling the rib cage under his skin move under his fingertips ever so lightly. He leaned in and nuzzled his nose into Minho’s scent gland, finding comfort in the warm white rose as his eyes found Changbin again who seemed to be fighting tooth and nail not to leap forward.
“I want him there…” Felix said softly after finally managing to slow down his breathing, a wave of calmness and acceptance washing over him as he spoke the words.

There wasn’t anything to be nervous about. And there wasn’t anything to be scared of either. Changbin was here and he wasn’t leaving. The alpha had confessed his feelings and even though Felix had not specifically done the same, everyone knew the truth. And the truth was, that when one was lucky enough to find someone that made you feel like Changbin made Felix feel, one should never take the time gifted in their presence for granted. This was a lesson Felix had learned the hard way in the past two months. Time wasn’t a given. And wasting time was just as bad as wasting your life away. Things one could never get back once it was lost forever.
And Felix was done with wasting his.

“I want him there… because I’m in love with him, hyung…”

Chapter Text

Chan flared his nostrils as he watched Minho turn on his heel and leave, forcing his pack members along with him and leaving behind a pouting Hyunjin who’s big, round, pleading eyes had now shifted from Jeongin’s retreating back to him. And Chan could already read the not so silent question swimming in the beta’s gaze.
He watched the blonde for a few seconds, the younger’s gaze pulling at his heartstrings before he closed his eyes and minutely shook his head before letting out a sigh and lifting his hand to wave him off.
“Eyes and ears alert at all times, you hear me?” He breathed out tiredly “And do not stray from your friend’s side, no matter how curious you get”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened for a brief second before he hastily scrambled to his feet and bowed to Chan politely, which in turn elicited a playfully scoff from the elder.
“Thank you, I’ll be careful” Hyunjin said, a slight elation to his tone that Chan secretly reveled in before the beta turned and scurried off after Jeongin. He could see the taller slip his hand into the omega’s with the ease as taking a breath and Jeongin in turn blinked up at him in shock before the most dazzling smile took over his features, quickly turning to look at Chan over his shoulder and sending him a happy thumbs up.
And at the sight, the alpha had to admit that he understood why Hyunjin seemed so smitten. The boy was absolutely adorable with his toothy grins and fox like eyes.

He kept his eyes on the beta until they all disappeared into the cottage, briefly taking pleasure in the reaction Hyunjin’s sudden appearance managed to pull from the pack leader as he locked eyes with the omega. And if it hadn’t been for the mutual understanding that flashed between the two in that very moment, the alpha probably would have stuck his tongue out for good measure because he was petty and childish like that and quite frankly, the omega just rubbed him the wrong way simply by existing.
Minho finally closed the door and Chan let out an exceptionally tired sigh, the tension in his body finally letting go and bleeding out of his shoulders before he looked up at the sky and shook his head lightly.
“Good grief, this man is so…”

“Pretty…”
Chan blinked, his eyes going wide before he slowly looked down to face Jisung who was still sitting beside him and who seemed to have spoken without realizing it. Or at least that’s what it seemed like with how the young alpha was absentmindedly staring at the door Minho had disappeared behind.
“You… What?” Chan asked incredulously, his eyebrows furrowing together as he regarded Jisung carefully. He knew he had heard the words loud and clear yet for some reason, his brain refused to believe it. Granted, and this was something even Chan couldn’t deny, the omega wasn’t someone who was hard to look at. But pretty would not be the word he would use to describe him. Arrogant, definitely. Irrational and maybe even proud. But never pretty.

Not pretty in the way Chan had found the young beta who had been trying his best to placate the situation, all the while holding onto his pack leader’s arm in what seemed to be his attempt to ground the omega. Not to mention how he smelled so beautifully like winter. The type of winter he used to enjoy so many blue moons ago, snuggled up with his mother in front of the crackling fireplace whilst he was allowed to enjoy some of the many delicious spiced confectionery she would make during these times.
The smell of love, comfort and easier days. Days when he was young and small and doe-eyed and still so blind to the atrocities that used to and still happen in the world of the living. Days spent protected by his mother’s hands and days which now felt so long ago that even the memory felt like a memory of a memory. The beta’s calming cinnamon scent reminded Chan of home.
And with the nostalgia that suddenly hit him full force, he felt a pang shoot through his heart as he started missing his mother and wondered how she was faring without him in the presence of the man who called himself her mate.

“Huh?” Jisung’s voice snapped Chan back into the present, the younger’s hazel eyes looking up at him in pure confusion. As expected, he had blurted out his thoughts without even realizing that he had spoken at all.
“I was going to say vexing…” Chan said, trying his best to fight the smirk that wanted to tug at his lips “Where’s your head?”
Jisung frowned and blankly stared at Chan for what felt like hours, the gears in his eyes turning at lightning speed as he tried to figure out what Chan was even talking about.
“Huh?” He settled on again with a light tilt to the head and Chan chuckled, shaking his head before he lowered himself down into the grass and propped his arms up behind his head.

“There really is no way out of this anymore huh?”
“Out of what?” Jisung asked as he scooted a little closer and looked down at Chan, that same innocent look on his face as earlier.
“Out of this whole situation. With this pack” Chan provided “Having to be nice to someone who is making my face hurt just by looking at him”
“Your face hurts?” Jisung asked again, his hazel eyes glazing over with worry and Chan nodded softly, closing his eyes with a soft sigh.
“My scar has been hurting from the moment Minho stepped into the picture” he answered “Like some sort of phantom pain. It’s almost like my body knows that the wolf who inflicted it, is right here. It’s weird”

“I think that’s called a trauma response” Jisung nodded slowly “I used to feel the same whenever my father was near, even on the rare moments that he didn’t actually hurt me”
“I seriously hope you are not comparing your good for nothing sperm donor to Minho” Chan cracked one of his eyes open, the amber colour almost glowing in the rays of sun that peeked through the leaves of the trees “With all the flaws the man seems to have, even that is an insult to Minho”
“I wasn’t comparing them” Jisung scowled “Even I have enough sense not to do that. I’m just saying that the feeling Minho seems to evoke within you, is similar since it’s both stemmed from some sort of trauma. Do I have to spell everything out for you? Minho was right about you, you’re doing a stellar job at showing how smart you are”

“Yah yah yah” Chan quipped “Two minutes with ‘pretty’ face over here and you’re already switching sides? Need I remind you that you are also just another alpha to him?”
Jisung blinked, his eyes growing the size of meatballs and his face flushing a soft shade of red as he looked everywhere but at Chan.
“I w-wouldn’t call him p-pretty…” He stammered, trying to deny his earlier space-out.
“Except that you just did” Chan chuckled “I was going to drop it since you seemed to have said it subconsciously but then you decided to be a brat, so now you get to suffer. You think Minho’s pretty”

Jisung let out a loud groan, hiding his red face in his hands and dropping himself into the grass next to Chan, the tips of his ears now a dark shade of crimson which made the elder snicker in satisfaction.
“I would be careful spacing out like that in front of him” Chan said in a slightly more serious tone “He’s a flight risk and seems super unpredictable. I wouldn’t put it past him to poke your eyes out just for looking at him half a second too long”
“He doesn’t seem like that with his pack, though” Jisung stated softly, dropping his hands to his sides and staring up at the blue sky.
“That’s because it’s his own pack” Chan pointed out “and note how his pack doesn’t have any alphas?”
“I really wonder what his thing with alphas is all about” Jisung said carefully “I mean. I’m the last one who would disagree with the notion that alphas aren’t quite, let’s say… the nicest of subgenders. But he really seems to stand in the ‘it’s all or none’ side of things”

Chan nodded in agreement, his head turning slightly into the direction of the cottage.
“I was wondering the same thing” he said thoughtfully “because regardless of my findings and opinions of him, I have to admit that it truly does seem that Hyunjin was right about him”
“Hyunjin’s a funny one” Jisung snorted “He seems terrified of Minho and yet he’s so very willing to follow him into his house?”
“I think that’s because, even despite his fears, he fully believes what he said about him that day” Chan turned to face Jisung, meeting the younger’s gaze “and I can see why”

“He’s very good with his pack” Jisung pointed out, adding to Chan’s points seamlessly “They seem to love him unconditionally, even though he’s very strict with them”
“And he loves them” Chan added “Did you see how he almost dropped his guard when Jeongin laid down on his lap?”
“Anyone would” Jisung chuckled “He’s adorable, and seems so fun”
“He does” Chan smiled and looked back up towards the sky “But he also seems like a handful. Did Hyunjin tell you that he came out into our territory alone?”

“Yeah, he mentioned that”
“You should have seen Minho’s face” Chan sighed “He was livid but above all else, the amount of worry in his eyes… it was palpable in a way that it was almost suffocating”
“Understandable… Because is he really their leader?” Jisung asked and Chan turned to face him again “I mean, I can see that there is no alpha present but how?”
“I’m guessing it might have something to do with what happened that night we found Hyunjin subbed out of his mind” Chan said pensively “I don’t fully understand how either but it seems like it. Honestly, there is so much about him, about them, that I don’t understand…”

In all honesty, Chan was extremely intrigued. Not only about Minho but about their whole pack. He understood, after what he had seen today, that Minho was extremely protective over his people. Anyone would be. But with the omega, it indeed seemed to be mostly when it came to alphas in particular. And despite the walls the man had put up and the claws and fangs he would draw out in face of what he deemed dangerous, Chan could see that Minho truly didn’t seem like a bad person.
The way he was with his pack members, which included a beta of all things, was proof enough of that. And it fascinated him to no end. Hyunjin and Changbin had told them about the meetings and about certain things that had been shared between them but they had refused to go into the specifics. Stating that if Chan and Jisung wanted to know more they would have to try and get to know the pack themselves. Which led the pack alpha to believe that they knew personal things Chan and Jisung weren’t privy to.

One of the things Chan was most curious about, was how their pack came to be and how they ended up all the way out here. They were young and there didn’t seem to be any other wolves around them, and he was aware that Minho and Felix were siblings. So it led him to wonder how Jeongin and Seungmin fitted into the picture.
Granted, Chan knew that he was not going to be granted access to that information anytime soon if ever, especially where Minho was involved.

“But…?” Jisung urged after Chan’s prolonged silence, the elder blinking himself out of his mind and letting out a soft sigh.
“I just…” He said softly “He’s not a bad person? I think. I may not like him very much-”
The alpha grimaced lightly as he remembered the omega’s face glaring down at him, features dripping with disdain and what seemed like a hinge of disgust “- and he’s extremely judgmental but even I can see that he’s not evil”
“You got all of that in less than two hours?” Jisung chuckled.

“You got ‘pretty’ in less than 5 minutes?” Chan deadpanned and Jisung’s smile dropped, his bottom lip protruding into a small pout as he averted his gaze.
“I agree, though” the young alpha mumbled softly “That Hyunjin was right. He may be scary and extremely intimidating but he doesn’t seem like the ‘maniac’ we made him out to be”
Chan hummed lightly, turning his face back towards the sky and closing his eyes. Instantly, the image of Minho smiling down so fondly at Jeongin in his lap crossed his mind and for a split second it reminded him of someone else.
“The way he looks at them…” Chan found himself smiling softly, his eyes opening and finding the leaves hanging in the tree above him “The look in his eyes, that gaze… It’s the same as…”

Almost exactly the same as her. That deep rooted and unconditional love Minho holds in his eyes for his pack members. So primal, so natural. And even though Chan had only seen short and minute glimpses of it, it had undeniably been there. And not just that love and adoration. There was also the same fire whenever he got protective too, he had seen it in the forest when Minho had finally laid eyes on his missing pack member and then again when he had stormed out of the cottage when Jisung and Hyunjin had arrived at the clearing.
In the corner of his eyes, Chan could see Jisung turn to look at him before the younger propped himself up on one elbow, his face coming into the pack leader’s line of sight.
“As?” The young alpha prompted after a few seconds.

“He kinda reminds me…” Chan’s gaze fell on the cottage again, the nostalgia in his heart blossoming for a short moment “…of my mother. Of how she used to look at me”
Jisung nodded slowly, his face contorted and seemingly in deep thought.
“I think that could be a valid observation” He said after a while “He seems to hold some type of motherly role within this pack”
Chan agreed and chuckled, his eyes falling closed again as he pictured his mother’s face for the briefest of moments. Oh how he missed her.
“Mother hen” He smiled softly, letting the light summer breeze run through his hair and lull him into a sense of relaxation for the first time since running into the woods after Hyunjin today.

--

“Can I help?” Hyunjin asked carefully as he watched Seungmin spring into action after Minho had given him careful instructions, pulling Jeongin along with him as he hesitantly trailed after the beta.
“You don’t have to” the omega commented quickly “you’re our guest”
“And hyung just told you not to make yourself at home” Seungmin added with a small smirk playing at the corner of his lips “I think this directly goes against that”
“He said that I shouldn’t do anything to try and hurt you” Hyunjin mumbled “I don’t think he’s going to skin me for trying to help his brother, whom I also care about”
Seungmin turned to face the beta and pondered for a little bit, the same amused smirk still lingering on the corner of his lips as his eyes briefly dropped to Hyunjin and Jeongin’s intertwined hands before he finally nodded.

“Okay, you can help” Seungmin said with a playful hint to his voice, his eyes finding Hyunjin’s again “But are you okay letting go of your precious lifeline? If you want to help me, I’m going to need both of your hands”
“Lifeline?” Hyunjin blinked and looked down, realising how hard he was squeezing Jeongin’s hand and instantly felt his face flush. He let go of the omega and looked up at him apologetically.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” He said hastily “Did I hurt you?”
“No, you’re fine” Jeongin chuckled dismissively “You tend to do that when you’re nervous”

“You know, ” Seungmin spoke up again and tilted his head lightly when the blonde looked back at him “You don’t have to be nervous around me, right?”
“I’m not!” Hyunjin said quickly but the protest died on his lips as soon as he saw Seungmin give him the kindest, most understanding smile known to man.
“I get it” the brunette said “I’m a stranger, just like Minho said. I have no doubt in my mind that Innie has told you a lot about me-”
“Who said that I--” Jeongin countered but Seungmin cut him off with a soft hiss and a daunting look, eliciting a displeased huff from the younger before he continued his train of thought.
“-but I’m the last one here who would try to hurt you” He reassured “The only reason I would, is if you ever hurt the very person standing next to you. And the way you seem to handle him with such careful consideration and care, makes me believe that I don’t have to worry about that. Plus, Innie would never let me live it down if I hurt one of his friends… and I am also not a fan of the idea of upsetting your alpha out there…”
Seungmin drifted off slightly, his eyes flitting to the front door behind Hyunjin with an unreadable look on his face and Hyunjin blinked, tilting his head ever so lightly until Seungmin locked eyes with him again and gave him another smile.
“So if you are okay with sticking with me for a few minutes, you can help me” The beta added “Unless you would rather help Jeongin make some soup for Felix?”

“Soup?” Jeongin asked “He wants to eat?”
The tone of voice the omega had used, prompted Hyunjin to turn his head into the younger’s direction again, finding him looking at Seungmin with such soul crushing relief that his eyes started to glaze over with tears. This instantly sent an alarm ringing in the back of the beta’s stomach as he reached out and placed his hand on the younger’s shoulder, his eyebrows knitted together in worry and confusion.
“You’re sure he wants to eat, hyung?” Jeongin asked again, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“You should have heard his stomach” Seungmin smiled as he nodded softly “and he said that he’s hungry, but I’m too scared to give him solid food just yet, so some simple broth will suffice”

“Wait. What are you guys talking about?” Hyunjin looked between the two, confusion still riddling the features of his face.
“Felix hasn’t eaten in days” Jeongin quickly provided, rubbing the tears away from his eyes before they dared to spill over “He hasn’t been able to keep anything down and basically refused to eat”
“What!?” Hyunjin gasped “Why? Because of his heat? Is that even normal?”
“It’s not. It’s never been like this before” Seungmin said with a small shake of his head as he answered the blonde beta “But it seems to be because of Changbin’s absence. It’s the same with the amount of pain he woke up in today… Or at least that’s what I understood from what little info Minho provided”

At the statement, the memory of Chan’s words from earlier today in the woods rang clear through Hyunjin’s mind. About how Felix’s heat pattern had changed because of the bond that had formed between him and Changbin. But still, hearing that the omega hadn’t been able to eat for days was so much worse than he had imagined.
“That’s horrible…” he said softly, his eyebrows furrowed in worry and bottom lip jutting out into a small pout.
“He’ll be okay” Seungmin smiled encouragingly “He’s a tough cookie and he has survived worse. And now that Changbin’s here, he’ll probably bounce back super fast. There is already a canyon of difference between his condition now versus this morning, I can promise you that”
“That’s really good to hear” Hyunjin said with a soft smile and Seungmin nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, what’s it going to be, Hyunjin-ssi?” The brunette asked with a little tilt to the head “Bath or food?”
Hyunjin pondered the question for a little bit, as he found that both options were equally as exciting to him. He definitely did not want to leave Jeongin’s side, also because of the fact that Chan had instructed him to stay close to the omega at all times. But then there was this chance presented to him on a silver platter in which he would be able to get to know another member of his friend’s -and Minho’s- pack. And maybe, if luck was on his side, he’d be able to befriend him too.
And technically, Chan’s exact words were ‘not to stray from his friend’s side’. So if Hyunjin were to befriend the other beta in the process, he wouldn’t be disobeying Chan either. Win-win if you asked him. But then there still was Jeongin. Sweet, beautiful and enchanting Jeongin who he hadn’t seen in months and who he wanted nothing more than to be around.

He looked over at the omega who was eagerly awaiting his answer with a warm and anticipating smile on his face. And when the younger saw the hesitation in Hyunjin's eyes, he shook his head lightly and smiled reassuringly.
“Don’t worry about me” he said quickly, his voice gentle “if you want to get to know Minnie, you should. Now’s your chance and he’s wonderful, he won’t bite. Maybe with his words here and there but he’s as harmless as a puppy”
“Ever felt how sharp puppy teeth can be?” Seungmin deadpanned “Want to find out?”

Jeongin stuck his tongue out into the brunette’s direction and Hyunjin tried his best to push down the soft chuckle that he felt gliding up his throat when Seungmin reached out to try and grab it, missing the younger’s face by inches and eliciting a giggle from the omega as he hid behind Hyunjin’s arm.
“He’s also the reason I’m alive and even here with the pack, maybe you can ask him about that” Jeongin added sweetly “He can tell you all about how much of a hero he is”
He wiggled his eyebrows a little and glanced into Seungmin’s direction who playfully rolled his eyes at him, a soft huff escaping his nose.
“That actually sounds very intriguing” Hyunjin nodded quickly, his green eyes wide with wonder as he looked back at Seungmin “Would you mind? I wouldn’t want to intrude or ask about things you do not wish to talk about. So you don’t have to if you don’t want to but I also… I haven’t really met any other betas since leaving the orphanage, so…”

At the words, both Sungmin and Jeongin looked up at him and Hyunjin noticed something dark taking over their eyes within the matter of seconds. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked between the two as they exchanged glances before looking back at him.
“W-what…?” he asked carefully “Did… did I say something?”
“You grew up in an orphanage too?” Jeongin asked, a slight worried pitch present in his voice and Hyunjin bit the corner of his lip nervously at the tone.
Worry was often the very first reaction the information of him having been raised in an orphanage would draw out of people. More often than not followed by either pitty or disgust, because people who grew up in orphanages ‘amounted to nothing’ since they came from nowhere. Which, in Hyunjin’s opinion, was the biggest bullshit known to wolfkind. If being discriminated against for your sub-gender wasn’t enough, entitled people always needed to find extra reasons to put others down just in order to feel better about themselves.
Not that the blonde thought that Jeongin or Seungmin, especially Seungmin since he was also a beta, was going to judge him for it. But he also didn’t want them to pity him either.
“It’s okay, really” He shook his head and his hands to try and ease the look they were both sporting “I had a very good… child… hood-- Wait. What? Did you say ‘too’?”

The word had almost completely flown over the beta’s head because of his misplaced insecurities. But when it finally registered and both Jeongin and Seungmin carefully nodded their heads in answer, he felt something else blossom within his chest.
Until his slow self realised that Jeongin had also nodded and his eyebrows knitted together again for the umpteenth time. At this point he was fairly certain he was walking out of this cottage with permanent lines in between his eyebrows.
“Wait, you grew up in an orphanage?” Hyunjin asked, feeling a little befuddled “But you’re an omega…”

He hadn’t expected it mainly because during his 15 years in the orphanage, he had only had other beta pups surrounding him. Admittedly, he felt a little stupid for being confused because anyone could be orphaned at any point in time but he also knew that orphaned omegas and alphas were almost always taken in by other clan members because they were deemed ‘useful’ by society due to being able to reproduce. But before he could ask any more questions, the other beta in the room beat him to the punch.
“Hyunjin-ssi” Seungmin pushed himself away from where he had been leaning against the wall “as much as I would love to continue this conversation with the two of you, I really need to start preparing Felix’s bath before Minho rips my head off of my shoulders for the second time today. You’ll be joining me then? I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have”
“Wait! No!” Jeongin complained, his eyes wide and shifting between the two betas “That’s not fair, it’s the first I’m hearing of this. Why have you never told me this before?”

“I… It never came up” Hyunjin stated matter-of-factly as he eyed the younger “and you never told me either”
Jeongin was about to protest when Seungmin suddenly pressed an empty pail into Hyunjin’s hand and started pushing the blonde along.
“No time for chit chat now, you can have your turn later” he smirked “Let’s go, Hyunjin-ssi”
Hyunjin let himself be pushed along silently, casting a last glance over his shoulder at Jeongin who mumbled a rainbow of colorful words into Seungmin’s direction before sulking off towards the kitchen. And Hyunjin couldn’t help the small fond smile that took over his face as he watched him go before turning to face the front again and allowing Seungmin to guide him into the right direction.
The brunette eventually let him go in favor of opening the front door, the two of them heading back outside in silence with Hyunjin firmly holding onto his pail as he followed Seungmin. His eyes quickly scanned the clearing, finding Chan and Jisung still in the spot they had left them, the both of them now lying down in the grass and seemingly too deep in conversation for them to notice the betas stepping outside.
They reached the side of the cottage where Hyunjin’s eyes now fell on the small yet spacious little garden filled with various growing fruits and vegetables, a coop off to the side with a separate and enclosed outside area where a few chickens were happily enjoying the sun and a shed seemingly connected to the cottage which looked a lot like the one back at their own place.

Hyunjin was so deep in taking in his surroundings with big and curious eyes that he barely noticed when Seungmin walked off to the side and towards a river that ran not far behind the cottage. He quickened his pace, tearing his eyes away from the chickens and falling back into step with the brunette silently.
They reached the river and Seungmin made quick work of filling his own pail to the brim before gesturing Hyunjin to come closer, taking the pail from him before repeating the same steps.
“I want to thank you…” Seungmin suddenly broke the comfortable silence that hung between them as he busied himself with the water.
“Thank me? For what?” Hyunjin blinked as he squatted down next to the beta, his eyebrows raised in question.
“For being so genuine with Jeongin…” Seungmin said softly, his eyes fond as he looked down at the now filled pail in his hands “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him so excited about something. Or rather, someone, I should say. So thank you, for willing to be his friend. Even though the method on how that was achieved is a different story, I’m still grateful for the smile you seem to put on his face”

Hyunjin felt his face heat up at the sudden words, the beta looking down to the ground and absentmindedly playing with a daisy to distract himself from the shyness that washed over him.
“There is no need to thank me for that” He mumbled as he tried to hide the small smile that tugged at his lips “He is very easy to like”
“You have no idea how much there is need for that, Hyunjin-ssi” Seungmin said as he maneuvered his face to make the blonde beta look at him “It kind of adds to the detail of us coming from an orphanage…”

The beta stood up with the pail and Hyunjin quickly moved to grab the one that had already been filled and followed the brunette as they started making their way back to the cottage.
“What do you mean by that?” Hyunjin asked carefully “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, of course”
“I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t” Seungmin smiled into his direction “You also said that you grew up in an orphanage right?”
Hyunjin nodded as he listened intently, adjusting the now extremely heavy pail in his arms, careful not to spill any of the water as they slowly continued their way to what seemed to be a stone fire pit. Again something that was something Hyunjin recognized from a similar one they had back home which they used to heat their bathwater.

“How was that for you?” Seungmin asked carefully, threading the subject so lightly that it sent an uneasy shiver running down the blonde’s spine.
“It was pretty normal, I guess” He answered after a few seconds “The whole thing was run by betas and they were great with us. And since I was dropped on their doorstep shortly after I was born, I don’t know much about what it’s like to have two functional loving parents but I am pretty convinced that the mothers at my orphanage came very close. I had to leave because of my scent coming in but if I could have stayed forever, I probably would have. But then I never would have met Chan and the guys. Or Innie…”
He smiled bashfully, his cheeks tinged a soft shade of pink as he came to a halt at the fire-pit before shadowing Seungmin’s movements and carefully emptying the water from the pail into the large cauldron.
“That sounds extremely nice” Seungmin said softly as he made quick work of lighting a fire under the cauldron and moving to sit on one of the logs near the pit, gesturing for Hyunjin to join him.
Hyunjin followed quietly, his eyes searching Seungmin’s face carefully and noting the heartbreak that quietly lay under the surface of his gaze.
“I am very glad that your experience was so positive, truly” The brunette smiled warmly at Hyunjin who came to sit down across from him “If only every orphanage was like that…”

There it was again, the flash of melancholy flashing through the brunette's eyes and Hyunjin felt a sliver of dread settle in his stomach. He slowly started to understand that the looks Jeongin and Seungmin had exchanged earlier when the blonde had told them about him being an orphan, hadn’t been pitty at all. It had been fear. Fear of Hyunjin having gone through whatever it was they associated with living in an orphanage. And admittedly, that scared the beta a little.
“I am guessing by your tone, that yours wasn’t?” Hyunjin asked slowly, his head tilting ever so lightly in veiled curiosity “Did you and Innie grow up in the same one together?”
Seungmin watched him for a few seconds before nodding slowly.

“Partially?” He said, the answer sounding more like a question than a definitive statement as he pushed himself up and quickly checked the water in the cauldron “Like you, I was dumped on their doorstep shortly after I was born and Jeongin showed up about 7 years later. But my orphanage wasn’t run by a beta, it was run by an alpha…”
That small detail shouldn’t have made the dread in Hyunjin’s stomach explode into nausea the way that it did, especially since he lived with three alphas himself and they were the greatest people he had ever met. And as Seungmin slowly continued and recounted the story of how he and Jeongin had met and of how and why they had ended up with Minho, the nausea intensified and by the end of it he had to actively fight the urge to empty the contents of his stomach onto the ground.

“Which is why it’s so very surprising to us, hyung and I, that one of the people he’s out here defending and vouching for, is an alpha too. So when I say I am grateful, I mean it, Hyunjin-ssi” Seungmin smiled sweetly as the two of them now made their way back into the cottage, their pails filled with the slightly heated water “after we got away and after Minho hyung managed to save the both of us, Innie was traumatised. I can’t tell you the amount of times he almost bit both hyung and Felix in the first year we were with them”
“I actually did bite Minho once, but that was all the way in the beginning” Jeongin’s voice chimed in from where he was immersed in preparing the food for Felix in the kitchen when the two betas passed him during their conversation. Hyunjin quickly looked up and met the younger’s gaze who sent him a soft and encouraging smile before he turned back around and continued stirring the soup as Seungmin and Hyunjin walked out of sight and down the hallway.
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that” Hyunjin said softly after they had let the silence settle between them again, following the brunette into the bathroom and emptying the pails into the small tub situated in the corner.

“Don’t be” Seungmin smiled “We’re okay now. And like you said, if our lives had gone differently or if our orphanage had been a good one like yours, we never would have been here right now. We might have never even met each other or hyung and Felix. And we definitely never would have met you or your pack. They always say things happen for a reason, and due to the fact that we were able to come here at that exact time, I fully believe that”
Hyunjin swallowed thickly, a lump of emotion stuck in his throat as he couldn’t help but just stare at the beta in unfiltered awe and admiration. Surviving all of that and then still turning out so kind and so full of love. Because that’s all Hyunjin could see radiating from the beta in waves of warm, glowing rays. Love. For Jeongin, for Minho and for Felix. So raw and genuine and so extremely limitless. And for the most minuscule millisecond, Hyunjin wished that he could be standing at the receiving end of that warmth as he inhaled the calming cinnamon and let it ease his heart like a fluffy hug full of familiarity and affection.
“I see why Innie is so crazy about you…” He blurted out, his voice barely above a whisper as they continued to stand in the bathroom, facing each other and holding onto the empty pails.
“Aha. So he did tell you about me?” Seungmin smirked mockingly, a playful glint in his eyes as he finally stepped towards the door, holding it open for the blonde to pass.

Hyunjin blushed, feeling flustered at the sudden change of topic as he quickly stepped past the beta and blinked into his direction.
“I-- Only g-good things” he said quickly “He never breathed a bad word about you, I swear”
Seungmin chuckled and shook his head as he closed the bathroom door and fell into step next to the blonde as they made their way back through the hallway.
“I’m messing with you, Hyunjin-ssi” he said playfully “Isn’t that what friends are supposed to do?”

Friends.

The word somehow caused butterflies to erupt in the blonde’s stomach, his face heating up ever so lightly before a bright and gleeful smile took over his features as he looked over at Seungmin and nodded.
“Yeah” he agreed “They do”
“Good” Seungmin smiled back, walking into the kitchen and placing his pail into a corner.
“Though I have to warn you” Hyunjin smirked, his eyebrow arching up playfully as he added his own pail to the corner as well “I can be a handful, you’re sure you’re up for that?”
“Please” Seungmin scoffed “You have seen what I live with, right? If I can survive that everyday, you’ll be a piece of cake”
“Careful what you wish for, hyung” Jeongin mumbled from where he stood leaning against the kitchen table, one of his eyebrows raised and his voice pitched in an empty warning “Jinnie hyung is not one to be messed with”

Seungmin held both his hands up in defense, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he started making his way towards the stairs.
“I didn’t say I was going to mess with him” he chuckled “I’m just saying I can take him”
He winked into Hyunjin’s direction who giggled as he watched the brunette ascend the stairs, taking them two at a time until he disappeared before the blonde turned back to Jeongin, barely able to contain the glee that was thrumming under his skin from successfully making a new friend.
And this time it was someone he had been wanting to meet for a while now, which only made him feel all the better.
“You enjoying yourself?” Jeongin grinned as he walked around the kitchen table and poked the elder’s forehead “He’s nice, huh?”
Hyunjin rubbed the place Jeongin’s finger had touched, a crease between his eyebrows as he looked down at the omega before letting out a soft sigh and stepping into the younger’s personal space. He gently wrapped his arms around Jeongin’s waist, pulling him flush against his chest before hooking his chin on the younger’s shoulder.

Jeongin let out a startled little sound but almost instantly and instinctively locked his own arms around the beta and relaxed into the embrace.
“Everything okay?” He asked, the worried tone of voice not missed by the elder who decided to nod after a few seconds.
“Yeah. Just…” he said softly as he absentmindedly started rubbing his jaw over the younger’s shoulder, engulfing the omega in his coffee scent and scenting him lovingly “Thank you… for surviving all of that and finding your way here” to me, he wanted to say. But he didn’t.

He felt Jeongin’s body relax more than it already was, his soft and sweet caramel scent mixing in with Hyunjin’s coffee and making the room smell like a caramel latte on a summer afternoon.
“I’m so sorry that you had to live through all that” he continued “Thank you for coming out on the other side like the strong person I had the pleasure of meeting”
“Seriously, stop” Jeongin mumbled softly before Hyunjin felt the younger’s nose press into his scent gland “After today, I don’t think I have any moisture left in my body for any more tears. Besides, it’s all in the past now”
Hyunjin nodded with a soft snort and briefly squeezed the omega closer before letting go and stepping back, his hand coming up to pat the younger’s head gently.
“Your wish is my command, crybaby” Hyunjin smirked, narrowly dodging the smack that came flying his way almost instantly and darting around the table and out of a scowling Jeongin’s reach.

--

Felix held onto his brother, leaning into the elder’s arms as they followed Seungmin out of the bedroom. He could feel Changbin’s presence following close behind him, the tug in his chest humming warmly and contently at the sensation.
And now, after all this time he could finally understand why the tug felt the way it did and why it reacted to the alpha so unbearably strongly. It was because of a bond. Felix had bonded with Changbin, something he was having a hard time wrapping his head around but was delighted by nonetheless.
The feelings he had been harboring in secret for so long, were being reciprocated. And he could actually feel it, within that tug. The bond. He could feel the alpha’s feelings for him. The worry, the care, the longing, the happiness, the sadness. Everything was right there, some of them stronger than the others, spreading within his heart like the heat of a flickering flame.

They made their way over the landing slowly, reaching the stairs and starting their descent towards the bathroom. And with every step, Felix could feel his energy depleting, making the boy long for a bathroom somewhere upstairs instead. His body truly had been through the wringer. And now that most of the pain was gone and bearable, he could actually feel the toll the change in his heat had taken on his body.
But when he heard two voices travelling from the kitchen and living area and up the stairs, along with the smell of food, caramel and coffee, he momentarily forgot about how tired he was. The exhaustion briefly making way for anticipation and excitement as he focused on the sound of Jeongin and Hyunjin bickering like children.

“Why would you throw that much in there? You want him to burn from the inside out?” Jeongin exclaimed exasperatedly.
“Ginger is very healing!” Hyunjin countered “Quite frankly, I'm surprised you didn’t put more in it yourself. Our mothers used to put it in our soups too whenever we were sick”
“May I remind you that Lix is sick because of his heat” Jeongin sighed tiredly “Not because of some common cold?”
“So?” The beta asked “Ginger is good for more than just that. It’s good for your heart, helps with pain, helps with your digestive systems, relieves stress and helps with restoring your energy. Which, I guarantee, Lixie’s going to need after everything I’ve heard”

There was a short silence that followed the beta’s impromptu ginger lesson before Jeongin’s voice cut through the silence hesitantly.
“How… how do you know all of this…?” He sounded slightly disturbed and impressed at the same time as he spoke “What are you, the royal ginger guard?”
“They taught us this at the orphanage…” Felix could practically hear the pout in the blonde’s voice as he mumbled the words, bringing a smile to the omega’s face almost instantly.
“Wait… you got lessons at the orphanage?” Jeongin asked, the duo finally coming into Felix’s line of sight when they reached the bottom of the stairs.
Jeongin was standing at the stove where Felix could see a small pot where undoubtedly the delicious smell of food was coming from, instantly making his stomach rumble. And Hyunjin was leaning against the kitchen table, arms crossed over his chest and face as radiant and angelic as Felix remembered it to be while the beta frowned at the young omega tending to the food.
“All we ever got, was work duty” Jeongin continued “Those weren’t-- Lix!”

At the mention of his name, Hyunjin’s head whirled around into the direction of the stairs, his arms dropping to his sides and his eyes going wide when he spotted the omega leaning on his brother.
And he was in front of the younger within a second, quickly hesitating when he got close enough and seemingly too scared to come too close. Especially after glancing over at Minho and quickly looking back at Felix, the corner of his bottom lip worried between his teeth.
“Making yourself at home?” Minho asked, the slight edge to his tone unreadable to Felix and the young omega’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked up towards his brother, only to find him trying his best to hide the slight twitch at the corner of his lips. Minho was amused. Why? What was so funny? He looked back at Hyunjin who was shaking his head, his hands waving in front of him frantically and Felix tilted his head as he observed them quietly, a small smile playing on his lips.

“No, sir” The beta spoke, his eyes locked on Minho now “I was just helping Innie with the soup for Lix…”
“Again with the sir?” Minho mused lightly “Do I look that old to you?”
“Yes” Seungmin’s voice cut through the conversation from where he stood smugly leaning against the stair railing with his arms crossed over his chest “You’re hitting half 46 in like 4 to 5 moon cycles. Be careful not to lose your dentures”
“Want to lose your life?” Minho smiled at the beta sweetly from over his shoulder, the pitch in his voice dangerous enough to cut through stone.
“I would dare you to. But with those deteriorating joints of yours, I’d reckon you would collapse before you could even reach the front door” Seungmin snickered, sticking his tongue out playfully.

Felix rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Hyunjin, more than ready to let go of his brother to give the beta a well deserved hug which had been about two months overdue.
But when the young omega’s eyes found the elder, he just paused and stared for the beta was completely and utterly immersed in the banter between Seungmin and Minho that was playing out in front of him, his awestruck eyes locked on the pack leader. And Felix could almost see what seemed like little pieces of information finally falling into place like a mental puzzle that he had been trying to crack but had not yet been able to until now. It was a very cute thing to witness and Felix found himself smiling at the sight.
“Jinnie hyung” he softly called out after a few seconds, the elder instantly ripping his eyes away from Minho and looking at Felix “I missed you”

Felix scrunched up his nose to emphasize his displeasure with the time he had to spend apart from his friend, the beta smiling at him sweetly in response as he took a tentative step forward.
“If I wasn’t holding onto Lix right now…” Minho’s voice spoke up next to him, his tone dangerously low as his ice blue eyes bore daggers into the brunette.
“You’d what? Lose your balance?” Seungmin continued, the same teasing smirk plastered on his face “be careful not to dislocate your hip”
“Minnie hyung seems to be on a rampage today…” Innie mumbled softly from where he had moved to stand next to Changbin and had locked his arm through the alpha’s who patted his head fondly, one corner of his lips turned down into an amused smirk.

But Felix was too occupied trying to reunite with his friend to pay attention to the usual shenanigans that were unfolding around him. And when Hyunjin had moved forward, the omega carefully let go of his brother and allowed himself to step into the beta’s arms.
And the second Minho’s arms were free of the younger, he slowly turned into the direction of the stairs with a maniacal grin on his face.
“Awh shit” Seungmin snorted before leaping off the last step and bolting down the hall and into the direction of the bathroom.
“Yeah you better fucking run, Kim Seungmin” Minho all but growled as he watched the boy disappear into the shadows. But despite the obvious empty threats, he made no attempts to actually chase the beta or even move away from Felix at all, keeping one of his hands on the younger’s lower back even with Hyunjin holding onto him.

“I missed you too, little one” the blonde smiled happily as he ran a gentle hand over Felix’s hair “Though I reckon not as much as Binnie hyung did”
The young omega chuckled at the statement, leaning back and looking up to meet the elder’s gaze.
“You mean like how you missed Innie?” he raised a mocking eyebrow and chuckled when the beta flushed pink ever so lightly before he playfully got pushed back into Minho's arms.
“Well duh” Jeongin chimed in from where he stood “Everybody misses me the most all the time, I’m a fucking delight to be around”

“On what planet?” Minho raised his eyebrow as he glanced over at Jeongin “Don’t kid yourself, baby bread. You’re the biggest royal pain in the ass known to wolfkind”
Jeongin let out an exaggerated gasp at the insult, clutching his chest dramatically as he turned to look at Felix who was chuckling at the exchange happily.
“Can you keep your brother in check please?” The caramel haired omega grimaced, but the soft and glee filled twinkle in his eyes betrayed the younger’s attempt to seem actually offended by their pack leader.
“I think the one who needs to be kept in check is you” Changbin’s amused voice suddenly added, taking everyone in the room, including Minho, by surprise.

“Not you too!? Why me?” Jeongin unlinked his arm from Changbin’s and leaned back, sending the alpha an unimpressed stare “What’d I do?”
“You really wanna get into that?” Minho asked “Now? We don’t have enough days in a year to cover the answer to that question and Felix needs to take a bath”
“Oh, but I really want to hear this” Felix chuckled.
“Ofcourse you do,-” Minho scowled, the shadow of a smirk playing at his lips “-you’re part of the problem”
Felix weakly punched his brother in the chest, eliciting a small snort from the elder before they started making their way into the direction of the bathroom from which Seungmin’s face carefully emerged.

“Coast clear?” The beta asked as he looked around the room with a small, amused smile on his face.
“There isn’t a single coast on planet earth clear enough for you to hide in once I’m done with Felix” Minho deadpanned, the empty glare sent Seungmin’s way causing everyone in the room to silently snicker “Your days are numbered, pup”
Seungmin grinned playfully as he stepped aside to make way for the two omegas before moving over and snaking his arms around Jeongin’s waist who instinctively leaned back into the elder’s chest contently, Hyunjin watching the two with a look on his face that could only be described as fondness and something akin to awe.
And as he silently watched everyone around him, Felix couldn’t help but feel like there was something strangely yet comfortably domestic about the whole situation, despite everything that had happened prior to now and all the hesitation around the ‘guests’. The positive change of atmosphere was more than welcome to the omega.

Now all he needed was to find a way to include the two that remained outside.

Felix managed to cast a quick and curious glance over his shoulder, his eyes falling on the front door beyond which he now knew were the two alphas who he had heard so much about yet had never had the chance of meeting. And though he found it a little unfair that Minho, of all people, had met them before he did, at the moment he understood why he would have to wait a little longer for his own turn. Which, for now, he was more than okay with. Because the one alpha that mattered most was already there with him and from what he understood and believed, said alpha wasn’t going anywhere.
He shifted his eyes away from the door when it fell out of view and looked over at Changbin who was walking next to him as they rounded the corner and entered the bathroom, sending him a sweet smile when their gazes met.

“Are you feeling okay?” The aegean alpha asked softly as Minho maneuvered the young omega to sit at the edge of the tub.
“Yeah” Felix nodded “I’m okay. Just surprised at how tired this little walk down the stairs has made me”
“Nothing to be surprised about” Minho stated as he kneeled down in front of the younger “Your body’s gonna need some time to recover from the shock it just went through. Not to mention that I put you into headspace just a few hours ago. I reckon that still is leaving its traces due to it having been forced like that”

“I’m so sorry, hyung…” Felix said softly as he lifted his arms and allowed Minho to slide his tunic over his head “I never meant to cause such harm. I’m really sorry”
“I know, moonshine. I know” Minho placated softly as he threw the tunic towards the door “And I’m sorry for being so hard on you… and for not paying better attention to you. I should have known something was up and I failed you-- Ack! Yah!”
The elder flinched when Felix suddenly started hitting him before reaching out to grab onto the younger’s wrists and looking up at him, eyes wide and in shock as he stared back at his brother who was all but fuming out of his ears while Changbin awkwardly observed the unfolding situation from where he sat next to Felix on the edge of the tub.

“What the hell, Lix?” Minho exclaimed as Felix continued to glare daggers at him “What I do now?”
“Stop bullshitting, hyung. I don’t ever want to hear those words coming out of your mouth. Ever!” Felix snapped, though there was not a trace of actual heat within his tone. Just pure exasperation and something that felt like desperation “Did you and Seungmin hyung read the same book on how to piss off your family? What is this? Failed me? Failed me where, when? On what planet?”
“You’re the one to talk” Minho exclaimed, hie eyes wide as he looked Felix over in disbelief “You and Jeongin know that book front to cover by heart then”

“That’s not the point!” Felix snapped softly as he relaxed his arms, letting them drop into his laps while Minho continued to hold onto them before letting out a long sigh “You have never once in your life failed me. If anyone in this room has ever done the failing, it’s me. For being a crappy baby brother who continues to always just disobey and disappoint you…”
Felix looked down to where Minho’s hands were still gingerly locked around his wrists. He could feel Minho’s eyes on him and after a couple of seconds in silence, one of the elder’s hands found its way to Felix’s chin, tilting the young omega’s head just enough to meet his gaze. And when Felix locked eyes with his brother and noticed the elder’s concerned gaze, he felt a lump settle in his throat and swallowed thickly.

“My love, is that really what you think?” Minho asked softly, his hand cupping the omega’s cheek and running his thumb over the soft skin there “I understand that I can be a little strict sometimes and sure, you and Innie tend to have a special talent when it comes to testing my patience… But let me make something crystal clear to you, Felix”
Minho shifted his weight until he was comfortably resting on both his feet before tilting his head minutely.

“There isn’t a star in the sky or a lifetime in past, present or future in which I would ever dare consider you a failure” Minho said sternly as he continued to force Felix to look at him “nor a disappointment. Sure you make questionable choices sometimes but that just makes you… wolf. Just like everyone else. You are the best gift that eomma and appa ever could have given me and I will be damned for eternity if I let anything happen to you because I would rather die than let you get hurt or worse. And I have told you this, Fe. So why can’t you believe me when I say it?”
Felix bit the corner of his lip as he listened to his brother, never once breaking eye contact before he heaved a deep sigh and shrugged lightly. Minho shook his head softly, his blue eyes briefly glancing into Changbin’s direction before looking at the water in the tub and then back to Felix.

“You are the light of my life, Fe. My sun, my moon and all the stars that circle me. You are the reason I live, the reason I have lived since…” Minho hesitated, his eyes again finding the alpha for a split second “…since the day you were born. I swore to protect you then and I will continue to do so until the day that I take my last breath. You will never be a failure or a disappointment. Just my personal little headache. And I can deal with that, some days better than other days but I’m but a simple wolf. I’m not perfect. And I love you, you hear me?”
Felix continued to look at his brother before sodding softly, clenching his teeth as to not allow the damn of overwhelming emotion that had settled behind his eyes to break.
“Ohkay. Good” Minho snaked his hand to the back of Felix’s neck and pulled him closer as he leaned in and rested his forehead against the younger’s, their noses brushing against each other ever so lightly. And as Minho’s soft and warm white rose infiltrated all of his senses, Felix felt all the nervous and pent up tension bleed out of his body instantly.

They remained in the same position for a few seconds before Minho leaned back and placed a soft butterfly kiss on the younger’s forehead and stood up, stretching his back out leisurely before turning his attention to Changbin who was still silently sitting next to Felix and who had been watching them both with a carefully schooled neutral expression.
But Minho wouldn’t be Minho if he didn’t see right through it, just like how Felix would be a fool to miss how almost sweet the alpha’s petrichor smelled after listening to Minho’s words. Like morning dew on a sunny mid spring morning in a flower field decorated with countless different and colorful flora.
And instantly, Felix noticed the guarded haze in Minho’s eyes, that he had dialed down when talking to his brother, intensify as the elder inhaled deeply before opening his mouth to address the aegean alpha.

“If you ever breathe a word of what transpired within the walls of this bathroom, or in this house for that matter, to any of your people out in the clearing” Minho said, the warmth that had been previously present in his voice completely making way for a deathly cold that had the ability to freeze all the waters in the universe “I will personally see to it that you and your entire family lineage never procreate ever again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal” Changbin gulped and Felix couldn’t help the soft yet amused groan that escaped him as he rolled his eyes at his brother's words.

“Good” Minho nodded once before he turned back to Felix, his eyes filling with that comfortable and loving warmth again as he eyed the boy up and down “Now, let’s get you into that bath. I think it might have cooled down by now so if it’s too cold, just let me know okay?”
Felix nodded and got up with Minho’s help to remove his shorts, the elder tossing them into the same corner as he had the tunic while Changbin scooted to the side to allow Felix enough space to step into the tub. And Felix did his very best to push down the embarrassment that crept up his spine even though Changbin had been sweet enough to keep his eyes trained on the water. Having the alpha here has been Felix’s request and quite frankly, the alpha had already seen him before. Scratch that. He had done so much more than just seen him so Felix knew there was no need for him to feel shy. But that didn’t take away the glaring fact that he did.

Felix felt the blood rush to his head as he remembered the night they had all played in the river behind the orchard, his skin tingling at the memory and his vision blurring at the sudden dizziness that hit him full force. He staggered in his step, his hand clutching Minho’s as the elder carefully and slowly helped him into the tub before moving to quickly sit down as he focused on his breathing.
Like Minho had said, the water wasn’t that warm anymore, though Felix found the temperature rather comfortable against the heat of his skin. And once he had managed to submerge himself deep enough, he leaned back and let out a content sigh before he hesitantly lifted his hand up to find Changbin’s who had been gently tracing soft rippling patterns on the surface of the water.
“How do you feel?” the alpha asked as he finally looked up to meet the omega’s eyes while he squeezed his hand softly “Enough water?”
“I can get you more if you want?” Minho asked with a tilt to the head and Felix pondered the offer for a bit before finally nodding as he brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his free arm around his legs.
“More water would be nice” He breathed softly “Thank you, hyung”

“Okay” Minho smiled gently as he placed his had on the younger’s head for a second before turning and heading towards the door “I’ll be back in a few”
“Hyung?” Felix spoke up carefully and Minho instantly turned on his heel, raising his eyebrows in a silent question and nodding for the young omega to continue “How come you are okay with leaving me alone with Changbin hyung?”
Minho looked at the younger for a few silent seconds before glancing at Changbin and back. And the gentle care and consideration that he regarded Felix with, eased the pink haired omega’s heart substantially.

“Because you’re bonded to him” Minho said matter-of-factly, like the statement spoke for itself, before he looked over at Changbin again and continued “For as much as I distrust alphas, I trust nature and instincts indefinitely. He’s not going to do anything that would potentially hurt his mate. That, for a fact, I know”
Minho’s eyes lingered on the alpha before looking back at Felix and sending him a reassuring smile.
“Then why did you assume that he had, when we were upstairs?” Felix asked again.

“Because, Fe” Minho said with a small frown forming on his forehead “I heard you crying and you were yelling at him. I panicked even though I knew that he wouldn’t actually hurt you”
“Would you have thought the same if it had been Seungmin or Innie?” Felix asked tentatively even though he already knew what the answer was going to be, which came immediately.
“No” Minho answered honestly like any other answer was preposterous to even contemplate “It wasn’t a beta or an omega who almost took you away from me, Fe. And no, I’m not saying that either of those can do no harm. But when you’re used to it always being the same demographic, it changes the way you look at situations…”

Felix nodded slowly as he allowed the words to sink in for a few seconds, his eyebrows furrowed together ever so lightly. For some reason, despite his brother’s clear reasoning and explanations, the young omega couldn’t shake his curiosity about the topic. While he understood very well why Minho felt the way he felt about alphas and why he was so protective over his pack, there was something that continued to nag at the back of his brain.
And he knew that his next question was possibly a dangerous one to ask, especially in front of Changbin. But maybe, if Minho would be willing to answer, the alpha would also come to understand a little bit more about the complex being that was Minho which would then maybe open a window somewhere.
“If that’s all, I’ll go get your water now.” Minho nodded reassuringly before turning back around and pushing open the door.

“Would you have thought the same if it had been appa…?”

Chapter Text

Minho froze, the words filtering through his ears like static as he stared at his hand that was resting on the door handle. The bathroom had fallen completely silent after Felix had spoken, the only sound now audible coming from the water softly sloshing around the tub as the young omega moved where he sat.
“You… Felix… what?” Minho breathed out in disbelief before slowly turning around to face his brother “You can’t be serious?”
“Lix, I don’t think that question is very fair” Changbin said softly as he looked over at the omega in the tub, his gaze tentative.
“You stay out of this!” Minho hissed almost instinctively at the alpha, the man flinching ever so lightly and letting out a soft sigh as he minutely shook his head and pressed his lips into a thin line. And despite his reservations about the man, Minho knew he was in the wrong for snapping at him like that.

Especially since not only had Changbin come to his defence, even after all the hostility Minho had shown towards him, but the alpha had been right. The question wasn’t fair. Not to Minho, not to their father and not to everything he and Felix had survived together.
“How dare you insinuate something like that?” The brunette asked, turning his full attention back to Felix “What would even possess you to ask me that, Felix?”
“I’m sorry, hyung” Felix said, his eyes regretful, yet the glint of determination Minho could see swimming in those ice blue eyes was not helping the anger that was building inside of his own.
“But I’m just curious” Felix continued as he let go of Changbin’s hand and pulled his knees a little closer to his chest as he continued to hold Minho’s gaze.

“Out of all of the topics that roam this planet and that you could have picked to be curious about” Minho all but seethed “you’re out here questioning my motives? Again? After everything ?”
“It’s not that I’m questioning your motives, hyung” Felix quickly said almost pleadingly “It’s just that… You’re so hesitant and angry all the time when it comes to alphas in general. Attacking Chan, almost attacking Bin, constantly assuming the absolute worst about them when they have yet to show a single shred of malicious intent towards us. But whenever you speak of appa, there is not a single trace of distaste or hatred--”

“That’s because he was our father, Felix!” Minho exclaimed in disbelief, throwing one of his hands up before letting out an exasperated and pained groan and running his hand through his hair tiredly as he could feel a lump building in his lungs which constricted his airways and made his eyes and nose burn ever so lightly.
There was no way he was having this conversation with his brother right now, no way that this was happening. And in front of an alpha, no less.

How, for the love of everything that was good and green, was Felix comparing their father to any of the other power hungry, shameless and murderous cowards that continued to flock the earth, walking around like they were better than everyone and anyone else?
Their kind, sweet father who would always put his family first and who had all but worshipped their mother with how much he loved her and with how he used to look at her with nothing but adoration dripping out of his eyes. Their father, who had died trying to protect omegas. Fighting for them instead of fearing them and looking down on them. Because he too knew, despite being an alpha himself, that alphas could not be easily trusted. Especially when it came to omegas.

“Wake up, my little Moonbunny”
Minho turned around from where he lay in his bed, tangling himself deeper into his sheets when the sweet honeydew voice he adored so much tried to pull him out of the comfortable slumber he was in, a soft groan escaping the 6 year old’s lips.
“Come on, little one” a soft yet firm hand came to gingerly run over his head, brushing the hairs away from his forehead before Minho felt a pair of lips press into the side of his face as the warm and calming scent of cedar infiltrated his senses.
“Appa…” Minho sighed groggily before a yawn made its way up his throat as he brought his tiny hands up to rub at his sleep-ridden eyes “I don’t want to…”
“Oh?” his father whispered with an airy chuckle as he ran his hands over the younger’s head lovingly “I thought you said you wanted to come hunting with me… But if you’d rather sleep, then I’m just going to have to go all by my lonesome”

The exaggerated playful and mocking tone that his father used to basically manipulate the pup into getting up, flew right over Minho’s dazed mind. But that didn’t mean that it didn’t do exactly what it needed to do.
The omega pup had completely forgotten about the fact that he had all but begged his father months ago to take him hunting. Ever since Felix was born, Minho had been dead set on learning how to help out so he could be the best big brother the world had ever seen. Moreover, now that he had gotten better at shifting, hunting was one of the many things on his list that he wanted to learn about.

And his parents had entertained his shenanigans mainly because they found it endearing that he was trying so hard. But the level of helping that was allowed, usually entailed him following his mother around or keeping the youngest pup company while his parents attended to other tasks. And Minho didn’t mind either as he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his mother and adored Felix to bits and pieces. However, when it came to hunting, both his mother and father had been vehemently against the idea of him accompanying the alpha out into the woods because they had found it too dangerous for a pup his age.
Until now.

“No appa…” Minho rasped sleepily as he quickly tried to untangle himself from his blankets to sit up “I’m up. I want to go with you”
“Hmm, I don’t know…” his father mumbled, rubbing his chin in exaggerated thought as he tried to hide the smile tugging on the corner of his lips “You still look pretty sleepy to me, Min”
“No no, appa. I’m up” Minho huffed determinedly as he frowned at his father, his lip protruding in a small and angry pout “I want to go with you”
His father blinked at him for a couple of seconds, amusement flashing through his crimson eyes as they scanned the younger’s face briefly before letting out a small scoff and reaching out to roughly ruffle the pup’s hair.
“Okay. Okay. I get it, you’re up” He joked with an airy chuckle as his hand slid down to cup the younger’s cheek before mumbling fondly “Jeez, kid. Can you stop looking at me like that? It’s like looking at Lia…”

Minho brought his little hands up again in an attempt to rub the remaining sleep out of his eyes, another yawn escaping his lips before he sniffed lightly and looked up at his father with a small frown adorning his forehead.
“Who is Lia, appa?” he asked with a small tilt to the head.
“Lia… is my sister” the alpha answered with a small fond smile as he brushed Minho’s snow white hair out of his face, the pup’s frown deepening at the statement as he continued to hold his father’s gaze.
“I didn’t know you had a sister?” he said with a small displeased pout.
“Oh yes” His father let out an airy chuckle as he nodded convincingly “I have many sisters. Four in fact, I was the only boy”

Minho stared at his father in confusion for a few seconds, his mouth slightly agape as he contemplated the answer and absentmindedly played with the fingers of one of the elder’s hands.
“Are you a big brother like me?” he asked after a few seconds, the confusion now making way for curiosity as he marvelled up at his father. This was the first time the pup had ever heard that any of his parents had siblings and ever since he had been gifted Felix by them, it was a topic that intrigued him greatly. Especially since he would walk around gloating about how cute his little brother was to any poor soul that would listen. And he couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why other people didn’t do the same.

“No, actually” the alpha answered with a soft smile before poking the pup’s nose as he spoke “I am the youngest. The baby brother, like Lixie is to you”
“Ahh…” Minho nodded in understanding, the gears turning in his brain for a few seconds before he looked back at his father.
“Then they must be really great big sisters to you” He concluded with a soft nod and a small satisfied smile which had the alpha tilting his head at him in curiosity.
“And why do you think that?” he asked as he allowed the omega pup to clumsily climb into his lap.
“Because…” Minho huffed softly as he gave his father a serious look after finding the most comfortable spot “Appa is a very good person so that means he must have had very good models”

The alpha let out a soft snort at the words and smiled at the pup lovingly before leaning in and placing a soft kiss onto the younger’s temple.
“They were very good role models” he said softly, correcting the pup’s mistake gently “Especially Cordelia, Lia, she’s the sweetest and my favourite. But don’t tell the others I said that, or else you will no longer have an appa”
He whispered the last part mischievously as he tickled Minho’s side, eliciting a soft giggle from the pup as he tried to squirm away from the touch and eventually opted to wrapping his fingers around the elder’s wrist and pushing his hands a safe distance away from anywhere tickle sensitive before glancing over at Felix who luckily was still sleeping on the other side of the room.

“But where is Lia now?” he asked as he turned to look back up at his father who was silently chuckling at the younger’s attempts “And the others?”
“They all live with their own mates and families in their own clans” His father answered tentatively “Just like how I live with you, Lixie and eomma”
“Why?” Minho tilted his head in question, his eyebrows knitting together again in confusion.
“Because we all grew up and went our own way” the alpha smiled softly as he brought one of his freed hands up to wipe a stray eyelash from the younger’s cheek, blowing it away from his finger before looking back at the pup.
“That’s not very good…” Minho shook his head disapprovingly, his bottom lip protruding into a small pout “Will Fe and I also go our own way when we are old?”

The mere idea of having to separate from his family was not one that Minho liked at all, especially from Felix.
“Old…” the elder blinked in disbelief as he deadpanned at the pup in his arms “Who are you calling old?”
“Appa… and eomma” Minho answered honestly, completely missing the arrow he had collectively stuck into his father’s ego as he was too occupied with trying to get information “Does eomma have sisters too? Did they separate too? I don’t want to separate from Fe…”
“No, my love. Eomma is an only child, just like you were before Felix came along” his father said before shaking his head softly to reassure the boy “and nobody is going to take Lix away from you, sweetheart”

Minho contemplated his father’s words for a few seconds before letting out a soft huff and looking up to meet his father’s eyes, allowing the soft and warm cedar scent that was surrounding him, to relax him ever so lightly.
“What about you and eomma?” he asked carefully, his hands balling into little fists around the hem of his nightgown.
“Eomma and I are not going anywhere either” his father answered as he gently caressed the younger’s cheek “Don’t you worry about that, okay?”
“You promise?” Minho asked softly. “I promise, little one” the alpha smiled warmly before leaning in and nuzzling his nose into the younger’s hair who smiled happily and nodded.

“Okay” he said contently as he leaned into the touch until the elder backed away.
“Okay. Enough chit chat, little one” the alpha smiled softly as he poked the younger’s cheek gently “Now, do you want to come with me or not?”
“Yes, please” Minho nodded eagerly just when there was movement at the door and the duo both turned their heads only to be greeted by Aurora leaning against it, her hand on the handle and her foot softly tapping the wooden floor impatiently.

“Seriously, I can hear you two snickering all the way down the hall. It’s a miracle you haven't woken Fe yet” she hissed softly, though there was no actual heat or anger traceable in her voice at all as she addressed the two sitting on the bed closest to the door “Now get your butts out here or I swear to the moon, I will make you sleep outside tonight”
“Sorry, my queen” Minho’s father bowed his head towards the omega as he sent Minho a cheeky ‘seems like we got caught’ smirk before helping the pup down from his lap.
“I don’t want to sleep outside, eomma…” Minho shook his head as he looked from his father to his mother with wide eyes.

“Come, my love” Aurora beckoned the pup towards the door with an endeared smile and held her hand out to him until he rushed over and happily took it before following his mother out into the hall, his father silently closing the door behind them.
“Appa said that I can go hunting with him today, eomma” Minho exclaimed happily as they moved into the living area where the fireplace had already been lit and was casting a warm hue into the otherwise dark room.
“I know, my little one” his mother smiled sweetly as she sat down on one of the benches and gently pulled Minho to stand in front of her, her ice blue eyes glittering in the light of the fire “Are you excited?”

Minho nodded eagerly as he followed his mother’s instructions and lifted his hands up for her to take off his nightgown.
“Will you promise me that you will listen to appa?” his mother asked sternly, her eyes lingering on the pup’s for a brief moment as she slowly and neatly folded the gown up in her lap.
“Yes, eomma” the omega pup nodded again “I promise that I will be good and that I will listen to appa”
“Good” Aurora smiled softly as she leaned in to place a soft kiss on the younger’s temple before turning to look at her mate who was leaning against the front door.

“You better not--”
“Stray too far from the hamlet and get too close to the river side” The alpha finished her sentence with a teasing smirk playing at the corner of his lips “This isn’t my first rodeo, moonlight”
Aurora deadpanned at the man’s response, exhaling tiredly out of her nose as Minho shivered and stepped closer towards her before her arms instinctively wrapped around his small, bare frame as she continued to talk to her mate.
“It is your first time out there with him, though” she said with a serious frown on her face “I’m not questioning your capabilities, love. But I am also very aware of the fact that both Min and Lix get their ‘trouble maker gene’ from you. So don’t pull any weird stunts that could get either of you hurt just because you want to show him a good time, do I make myself clear?”

“Trouble maker gene? From WHO?” the alpha gasped exaggeratedly as he pushed himself away from the door, his finger poking into his chest as he looked at Aurora in disbelief “When I first met you, you were miles and miles away from your clan’s territory border and baked out of your moonlit mind. If anyone’s genes have a say in the level of their tomfoolery, it ain’t mine. Besides, compared to you, the pups are freaking angels”
Aurora gasped and held her hand over her heart as she gaped at her mate who remained standing near the door before turning to look at her son, amusement twinkling in her eyes as she fought to keep up the charades of her seemingly being offended by the spoken words and Minho giggled softly at the sight.

“Appa is being mean to me, Minho” she said, her bottom lip protruding in an exaggerated pout “What oh what will I do? I have nobody to protect me from this meanie”
“I will protect you, eomma” Minho nodded determinedly as he wrapped his arms around his mother and looked up at his father defiantly, failing to hide the glee that had taken over his features “Don’t be mean to eomma, she’s the one that cooks us dinner”
“Yah yah yah… I cook plenty of times” the alpha exclaimed, his eyes and mouth the size of golfballs before he let out a long sigh and rubbed at his face. But Minho could see the smile that peeked through the man’s hands and chuckled softly as he relaxed into his Mother’s arms, her warm chamomile scent enveloping him like a blanket.

“Ah, what would I do without you, my perfect little moonbunny” Aurora cooed softly as she gently squeezed the pup “Such a brave prince”
“What about me, huh?” The alpha spoke up from the front door, crossing his arms over his chest with the same smirk decorating his features “You’ve got your two knights in shining armour. What about me? Where is my knightess?”
“Maybe, if you listen and bring back my child without a scratch today, we can see about that arrangement” The omega raised one of her eyebrows enticingly at her mate after leaning back from Minho and looking over her shoulder.

The alpha’s eyes narrowed slightly, his cedar scent spiking ever so briefly as he held Aurora’s gaze for a few seconds before letting out a soft huff and running his hand through his deep silver hair.
“I’ll keep him safe, don’t worry” he nodded as he walked over towards the bench and leaned down to place a soft kiss on the omega’s temple, the latter’s eyes fluttering shut as she leaned into the gesture with a soft smile on her face.

“I want a kiss too, appa” Minho pressed as he leaned closer into his mother’s arms and hooked his chin on her shoulder whilst looking up at the alpha. And the man didn’t hesitate as he reached out to take Minho’s face between his hands before peppering kisses all over it, the younger squeaking and giggling as he tried to squirm away from the attack.
“Not so many!” He grunted softly as he tried to push his father’s face away from his while his mother’s soft laughter registered in his ears “Appa, that tickles!!”

The alpha chuckled as he leaned away and straightened himself out, ruffling the pup’s white hair playfully before placing his hand on Aurora’s shoulder.
“We won’t stay out long” he reassured her and she nodded up at him before turning her attention back to Minho.
“Okay, pup” she said as she softly ran her fingers through the younger’s hair in an attempt to straighten out the ruffled mess “Do you remember what you have to do if anything happens and you get lost and can’t find appa?”
Minho nodded eagerly as he looked from his mother to his father and back.
“Howl and hide” he said determinedly.

“That’s my boy” Aurora smiled warmly as she caressed his cheek for a few seconds before inhaling deeply and moving to stand up, Minho stepping out of the way to quickly stand by his father’s side.
“I’m going to go check on Fe” Aurora added as she stepped around the bench to head back to the pups’ bedroom. But before she could pass them, she was held back as the alpha gently wrapped one of his hands around her wrist and pulled her into his vicinity.
“My love, please go try and sleep some more” he said softly as his other hand came up to rest over her cheek “You’ve had a long night”

“Hmm, I’ll try” Aurora hummed softly before resting her hand over the alpha’s and leaned into the touch as he came down to place a kiss on her forehead “I love you…”
“I love you too” the alpha whispered against her forehead before finally letting her go, silently and fondly watching her go as she retreated and headed back down the hall towards the bedrooms.
“Are you ready, little one?” He turned and looked down at Minho who quickly tore his eyes away from the hallway and looked up at his father before nodding happily, slipping his hand into the elder’s and following him outside.

Minho often played outside with his friends from the clan, the side of the forest that bordered the hamlet being marked as safe for the Lee pups to play in as long as the hamlet remained within their sights at all times.
And this was something Minho had learned the hard way about a year ago when he had managed to get himself lost in the woods during a particularly fun game of hide and seek. Though the fun had been quickly replaced by fear when he had sat in his hiding place for far too long and nobody had come to try and find him.
It had been then that he realised that he had ran so far away from the hamlet to hide, that said hamlet was no longer within his line of sight or hearing.

And after crying and wandering around aimlessly for what felt like ages, the pup had finally stopped and started howling, sitting himself down at the base of one of the trees decorating the area.
It was because of this day that his parents had come up with the ‘Howl and Hide’ rule. Mainly because one, his parents would be able to hear that he was in trouble. And two, unlike strangers, his parents and direct family would be able to sniff out his puppy scent and find him in those situations.

Which they had that day, a lot faster than Minho ever could have dreamed in his terrified state. His father’s burning cedar had infiltrated his senses like a forest fire inching closer at the speed of light not long before his deep silver wolf had sprinted into view, crimson eyes alight with worry and fear until they finally landed on his pup who had leaped towards him the moment he was seen.
It had taken Minho weeks before he agreed to play or go near the forest border again after that. And when he did, he would always make sure that at least one cottage of the hamlet was within his peripheral vision at all times.

Until today.

He silently followed his father into the woods, excitement and nervousness thrumming under his skin as his small paws left prints in the soft dirt on the ground. The hamlet had fallen out of sight a few minutes ago and if it hadn’t been for the silver wolf next to him, Minho probably would have turned tail and sprinted back to safety.
Because that’s what it felt like, like it wasn’t safe to be out here. Like danger lurked in the shadows created by the dense foliage as the first amber rays of the morning sun started peeking through the trees.
But the sight of what the forest looked like at his hour, despite the creepy shadows that surrounded them, had Minho in awe more so than in fear. It was the first time he had been out and about this early and he was shocked at how pretty the world looked at this hour.

“Pretty, huh?” His father’s voice pulled the pup out of his daze and he looked up at him, his ice blue eyes filled with wonder before he nodded softly.
“The reason we prefer to go hunting at this hour is because of the quiet” his father explained as he fixed his gaze on the horizon “the silence allows us to hear better and during this time of day, a lot of animals are either making their way back home to sleep, or are waking up and are too lethargic to have plausible reactions to our approach”
“What is leta… late… jik?” Minho asked softly as he tried to repeat his father. And the alpha chuckled airily before looking down at the tiny snow white wolf.
“Le-thar-gic” the silver wolf sounded out slowly “It means being a little slow and sluggish. When one’s reaction time is affected by sleep for example, like how you feel when you just wake up. Everything around you moves faster than your brain can keep up with.”

Minho nodded slowly with a soft hum as he listened to his father’s explanation before coming to a halt when the silver wolf did too.
“Now, in order for us to have the best chance of hunting something down, we also need to be quiet and stay low” the alpha said before pressing his snout into the younger’s scruff “especially you, my beautiful snowflake. Your fur stands out, which means that prey will probably see you faster than they would, say, a black wolf. So you have to find ways to eliminate that disadvantage during hunting.”
“How?” Minho asked curiously as his eyes traced over his father’s silver form.
“You can either roll around in the mud before hunting to coat your fur” The alpha explained softly “But that will leave you very dirty so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are left with no other choice. Or you can try to blend in with the lightest parts of nature, like for example the snow. During winter you would be unstoppable because you’d be practically invisible, just like your mother”

Minho nodded softly as he looked around the area, trying to see if there was anything that would be able to hide his fur. But from what he could see, everything was too dark for him to blend into.
“Another thing you can do is lay as low as you can whenever you spot prey” his father continued, tilting his head ever so lightly as he followed Minho’s gaze before understanding took over his features “Come, let me show you something your mother showed me”
The alpha started walking again and Minho quickly followed silently, curiosity now coursing through his veins as they made their way to a spot between the trees where the morning rays of the sun were most prominent.

“Go stand over there” his father gestured into the direction of the sunlight with his snout and Minho tilted his head curiously before doing as told. He felt small twigs snapping under his paws and tried his best to step as carefully as he could in an attempt not to make much noise like his father had explained.
And once he was in position, the sun slightly warming his fur from where he stood, he turned around to face the alpha.

“Now look at yourself” the silver wolf pointed out and when Minho followed the man’s gaze down to himself he was left speechless for the briefest of moments.
The colours of the sun had seeped into his fur, almost making it seem like Minho was orange instead of white. It was fascinating but more than that it was as if a little candle in the pup’s brain lit up. This is what his father had meant with ‘blending into the lightest parts of nature’. Minho would have to learn how to make nature work to his advantage instead of trying to bend to its will.

He yipped happily and strutted back to his father, the elder pressing his snout into the younger’s scruff lovingly before they started making their way a little deeper into the forest.
“Now we have to be very quiet, lay low and keep our snouts up in the air so we can sniff out prey” The alpha explained gently and Minho nodded in understanding, his snout twitching ever so lightly as he tried to follow his father’s instructions.
They quietly walked around, keeping themselves hidden until his father suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, his body lowering to the ground slowly as his fur slightly stood on end.

“Get down” he ordered gently and Minho followed suit, no questions asked as he followed his father’s gaze that was fixed on a spot between the trees. And it wasn’t long before a sizable hare slowly hopped into view, it’s long legs moving over the forest floor leisurely as he grazed at the foliage around him, seemingly unaware of the two wolves watching it. The animal seemed to be alone and all Minho could do was stare at how cute it looked.
“Do you want to try to catch it?” his father’s voice snapped the pup out of his daze and he turned to face him, finding that the alpha was looking back at him with an amused and proud glint in his eyes that made Minho’s skin glow warmly.

“How?” Minho asked shyly “I’m scared, what if it runs away?”
“Then we’ll find another one, sweetheart” his father reassured him “It’s okay to be scared. Nobody gets it on the first try, that’s why we pract--”
The man’s words were ripped out of his mouth by a soft growl that bubbled up his throat. And before Minho could even register what was happening, the deep silver wolf had already leaped on top of him, hovering over him defensively as the growls grew deeper and deeper by the second.
“Stay down” The alpha ordered, but this time the words had left all trace of warmth behind in the dust as his father sounded almost angry and Minho couldn’t help but turn around to face the direction the alpha was growling at, curiosity and fear mixing together in his stomach like a whirlwind.

“What’s going on, appa?” Minho asked fearfully as he pressed himself into one of his father's legs.
“There’s an intruder” the alpha answered and Minho’s eyes widened as he started scanning the area. But to him, there was absolutely nothing there to be seen. Even the bunny had fled the moment his father started growling. He could hear his father sniffing the air amidst the growls and remembered what the alpha had said earlier about needing to keep their snouts alert during hunting. With that memory in mind, Minho lifted up his own and started sniffing around nervously.
But again, there was nothing there. His father’s burning cedar that now surrounded him like a raging forest fire blocked out everything else that he had previously picked up on. The soft petrichor scent of the morning dew that littered the forest floor, the crisp freshness of the flowers that were in full bloom and even the musky richness of the dirt under his paws were all completely drowned out by his father’s dangerously angry and alarmed state.

Until the scent of burning eucalyptus suddenly filtered through the cedar.

“Isn’t he an absolute beauty…”
Minho felt his blood run cold at the sudden invasion of the unfamiliar scent and eerie voice that sent shivers down his spine as his eyes frantically roamed the area in search of the source until finally a huge auburn wolf came into view, his yellow eyes fixed almost hungrily on Minho.
The pup let out a small involuntary whimper, pressing himself closer into his father’s leg who’s growls had now turned into snarls as he tried to hide his son out of view.
“Unless you are aiming to lose your eyes, I suggest you avert them” the alpha warned “He’s a pup”
“Oh come now” the auburn wolf said mockingly “An omega as beautiful as this one will grow up to be a fine specimen. Don’t you think it’s a little unfair to hide him from the rest of the world?”

“Speak about my son like that again and I promise you, you won't live to see the end of your own words” Minho’s father snarled again, saliva dripping down his fangs as he lowered himself into an attacking stance “Besides. Do you not realise that you are in claimed territory? I would advise you to turn around and go back to whatever hell hole you crawled out of”
“Oh my, how very clumsy of me” the auburn wolf mocked again, his voice unserious and almost challenging as he spoke. And Minho’s fir bristled when the yellow eyes briefly glanced down at him before locking his gaze on the deep silver alpha “I didn’t know I was so far away from home”
Lies. even Minho could tell that the auburn alpha was lying through his teeth and he wasn’t even trying to hide it either. It was disturbing and, quite frankly, terrifying.

“You’re not a very good liar” Minho’s father spat angrily and the pup cowered at the venom that accompanied the words, even though he knew that they weren’t even directed at him.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve for someone who is trespassing” the silver wolf continued “I can have you impaled on a stick within seconds, you realise that right?”
“Why so hostile?” the auburn wolf asked in a mock shocked tone “Is that really the example you want to set for you precious son? That’s not very helpful, now is it?”
“I will teach my son whatever he needs to be taught” Minho’s father barked “and I sure as hell will not let a treacherous intruder tell me what to do with my family”
“But he’s an omega” the auburn wolf countered incredulously, disgust apparent in his tone “Omegas aren’t supposed to learn anything accept how to be the obedient little bit--”

True to the silver wolf’s words, Minho’s father had leaped forward like a flash before the auburn alpha had had the chance to finish his sentence. But the wolf had seemingly anticipated the attack and leaped to the side, effectively dodging the attack and slamming himself into the silver wolf’s side.
Minho’s father got knocked into the floor, a soft grunt escaping him before he quickly scrambled back onto his paws again and leaped forward.

“Appa!” Minho yelped helplessly as the two alphas clashed, the pup watching the fight unfold before he shuffled back and hid behind a tree and out of sight.
How had this escalated so quickly? Other wolves trespassing into their territory wasn’t new but it wasn’t extremely common either. And from the stories Minho had heard, the intruders always just left after being guided into the right direction.
So why was this auburn alpha just here seemingly looking for a fight? And why had he been eying Minho like the pup had been prey, presented to him on a silver platter? The sheer amount of willpower Minho was trying to muster up in order not to cry at the memory, was exhausting.

The omega pup was terrified and done with hunting and wanted his mother. He wanted to go back home and get away from this stranger as fast as he could. But his legs refused to listen and neither did the common sense in his head telling him that he would most probably get lost again without his father. Regardless of how close to the hamlet they were, if Minho had no idea which way to turn to, he could find himself deeper into the forest instead of closer to home if he decided to listen to his fears and run.
So he waited.
The fear coursing through his veins was making him tremble like a leaf as he listened to the sounds of menacing snarls, barks and flesh being torn into by sharp fangs. And it all continued for what felt like forever until he heard the auburn wolf’s voice finally speak up.

“F-fuck… that little bitch is not w-worth this trouble” the wolf had grunted, wet gurgling noises accompanying his words before Minho heard the tell tale sounds of paw steps retreating as the area fell into silence again.
“Appa-a…” Minho whimpered again, his arms wrapping around his legs as he had shifted back into his human form and curled into himself “a-appa…”
The pup cried silently as he was too scared to move and look at where he had last seen his father leap towards the auburn wolf. And he wasn’t given the chance to either because within seconds there were another set of heavy paw steps that rushed into his direction and Minho flinched when something came into his peripheral vision.

But the fear quickly bled out of his body when the familiar scent of warm cedar hugged around him, a set of strong arms accompanying the pheromones as Minho uncurled himself and all but crawled into his father’s embrace before the sobs freely started to rake trough his body.
“Minho, honey, I’m so sorry” His father ran his hand over the pups back comfortingly before opting to pick him up off the ground completely and quickly started walking away from the scene. And as they did, Minho’s tear-filled eyes briefly found the area his father had been fighting in and he immediately regretted looking as the sight of dark crimson blood smeared everywhere was burned into his cornea, making the little boy cry out even harder than he already was.

What if some of that blood was his father’s? What if his father had gotten hurt trying to protect him from that stranger? What if the stranger would come back with more wolves to finish what they had started? Minho didn’t like it, he didn’t like this one bit.
“Shh, my love. Appa’s got you” His father tried shushing him, releasing more of his warm cedar as he rushed through the forest to make their way back home “And I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? I’ve got you”

His father made quick work of getting the pup back home, Aurora appearing at the front door of their cottage pale as a ghost at the sounds of the distressed cries of her pup and going even paler at the sight of her mate when they came into view.
She had taken Minho over from the alpha, checking the man over with her eyes worriedly as he reassured her that he was fine and that most of the blood smeared on him wasn't his and that the few scratches he had would heal. But the silver haired man didn’t waste any time to turn back around, announcing that he had to talk to the head of the clan about what had happened and that he would clue her in once he was back.

Meanwhile, Minho had pressed his nose into his mother’s scent gland as she moved to sit on the bench near the fireplace, rocking him back and forth and humming a soft lullaby in order to calm him down.
And it wasn’t until he felt the tiniest hand come to rest on his leg, that Minho finally turned his face out of his mother’s neck only to be met by the roundest set of ice blue eyes filled with worry staring up at him.
“It’s okay, my littlest wolf” Aurora said softly as she reached out to stroke the pup’s hair gently, the small omega looking up at her and then back to Minho as he kept one of his thumbs safely tucked into his mouth. “Hyung is just a little spooked, that’s all. He’s okay”

Felix let out a heavy sigh before pulling his thumb out of his mouth and moving to try and climb onto his mother’s lap where Minho was situated. And with a small grunt, Aurora assisted him until he was seated on her free leg which gave him full access to lean in and place a sloppy wet kiss on his brother’s cheek before comfortably snuggling close and enveloping him in a hug.
“Hyung okay” he mumbled against his brother’s chest softly and Minho wrapped his arm around the younger’s frame, pulling him closer and sniffling softly before a small and fond smile made its way to his lips.

Their father returned home after a few hours, with Minho anxiously waiting for him at the front door after his mother had finally managed to talk him into a relaxing bath. Which, granted, allowed his mind to wander for a little while as he and Felix played in the tub under their mother’s supervision.
The silver haired alpha had walked in looking exhausted, the blood on his skin now completely dried and the scratches he had acquired during his fight now scabbed over and healing quickly.

The whole household had followed the man into the bathroom, Aurora helping him into the fresh warm water in the tub as Minho and Felix sat down against the wall opposite of the tub, their hands intertwined as they both eyed their father worriedly.
“Is the water okay?” Aurora asked as she gently ran her wet hand through the alpha’s hair.
“It’s perfect. Thank you, my love” he answered as he looked up at her fondly.

“Okay” the omega smiled back before joining the two pups on the floor and pulling Minho into her lap “Now, start from the beginning. Minho hasn’t spoken a word about it since you two barged in here like that”
So, the alpha recounted everything that had taken place that morning, every detail and what he had eventually managed to do to the bastard before going out with a searching party to see if the trespasser had actually left. Luckily they had followed the trace of blood leading out of the territory and marked the borders for extra measurements.

And with every word the alpha spoke, Minho could feel Aurora starting to tremble under him, her warm chamomile scent slightly burning with rage.
“Those forsaken pompous alphas who think they can just own us like we’re worth nothing” she spat through gritted teeth “Do their peabrains have the capacity to understand what clan they are dealing with here? Have they all but lost their minds to try and all but stake a claim on one of us? Like we’re cattle? And on a little child no less. I hope the bastard succumbs to his injuries and rots for all eternity”

“I know, my love” the silver haired alpha smiled softly at her, his soft cedar scent filling the room “the amount of shame I feel whenever I think about those wolves existing, is inexplicable”
“But you are not like them, you do not deserve to suffer for their wrongdoings” Aurora huffed angrily.
“Are alphas bad, eomma?” Minho asked tentatively as he listened to his parent’s conversation carefully.
“No, love. Not all are bad…” Aurora cooed softly as she pressed her lips against his temple.
“Yes. They are the devil’s spawn” the alpha in the tub said simultaneously, earning a glare from his mate before he let out a soft sigh.

“Moonlight, isn’t it better that he knows what type of world he is dealing with now before he eventually finds himself in a situation that he can’t get out of because he was too trusting of the wrong wolf?” he asked.
“But you’re an alpha too appa…” Minho said softly, a little frown on his face.
He didn’t understand. If alphas were as bad as his mother was previously saying and how his father was confirming… then why wasn’t he bad too?
His father was the best alpha in the whole world in Minho’s eyes. And within their clan, there were multiple alphas who Minho had known all his life who were almost just as great. Not a single one of them had ever behaved the way that auburn wolf had.

“Honey, you need to understand one thing” Aurora sighed softly as she shifted Minho on her lap to make him look at her “Not all alphas in the world are like appa, or like the alphas we have in our clan”
“Why?” Minho asked carefully as he listened to his mother speak.
“Because a lot of alphas don’t think other wolves are their equals” his father spoke up next and Minho turned to look at him “A lot of them think that omegas and betas are worth less than them and because of that, they act like idiots”

“How do you know when an alpha is bad?” Minho tilted his head in confusion, his brain trying hard to catch up with the information given to him.
“You don’t…” Aurora confessed solemnly “That is something you find out as time progresses. Just know that you always, at every given time, have to be cautious around them because you never know what their motives might be. If you’re not careful, they can take away everything that you hold close to your heart within the blink of an eye… But that is something that you will learn to understand when you're older, I promise.”

Minho nodded softly as he leaned into his mother’s hand that brushed back a few strands of his hair.
“Your mother hated me too the first time we met” his father said softly, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
“No I didn’t” Aurora deadpanned.
“Please. If you had been in the right state of mind, you probably would have skinned me alive on the spot” the alpha chuckled as he rested his arms on the edge of the tub.

“Do you want me to skin you now?” Aurora raised her eyebrow in a challenge, her eyes ice cold as she regarded her mate.
“Is that an offer?” The alpha ran the tip of his tongue over his fang before sinking it into his bottom lip playfully and Aurora held his gaze with narrowed eyes for a few seconds before she slowly and gently slid Minho off her lap.
“Minho dear,” she said as she stood up and dusted off the back of her gown, the pup looking up at her curiously as he pulled Felix up to stand next to him “Why don’t you and Fe go play in your room for a while. I’ll come get you for lunch in a bit okay?”

“Okay, eomma” Minho nodded with a sweet smile before pulling Felix along with him as he let their mother gently lead them out of the bathroom. He could hear the lock of the door sliding into place as he and Felix made their way to their room.
Though, despite the fact that he had been told to play, his mind was still running in circles trying to take in all the information that he had received during the brief conversation he had had with his parents.

A conversation that would stick with him for as long as he lived, along with the scent of eucalyptus that had been burned into a core memory that sometimes still hunted his nightmares.

Minho looked at his brother who was looking at him expectantly, hope and melancholy swimming around in his eyes. But the pack leader was tired, and the sudden memory of that day so many blue moons ago, had started weighing heavy on his mind. Where was that little pup who had come to comfort him on their mother’s lap?
It seemed like everything Minho held dear was slipping through his fingers and all he could do was watch it happen with no solution to make it stop. Just like he had been warned, an alpha had swooped in and started changing everything that the omega held close to his heart.

And sure, he knew and could tell that Changbin didn’t mean any harm and that he wasn’t trying to do anything of the sort. If anything, he actually seemed quite nice. Especially with how he had just come to Minho’s defence in front of Felix. Although Minho would never actually admit to that out loud. And that also didn’t mean that he trusted him.
He briefly glanced over at the alpha and let out a tired sigh before turning to look back at his brother.
“I’m not having this discussion with you right now, Fe” he said as he softly shook his head before he tried to turn around to leave the room to get the promised bathwater.

“But I do want to have this discussion, hyung” Felix said determinedly, and Minho almost felt a vein pop at his brother's stubbornness. God, his mother really said ‘copy-paste’ with this child.
“Then you can wait until he is back with his pack where he belongs” He countered, his eyes shooting daggers at the young omega “Because I can’t, for the life of me, figure out in what corner of your audacity you found the nerve to ask me this infront of him”
“What do you mean where he belongs?” Felix straightened himself up at the words, his eyes wide as he looked from Minho to Changbin and back.
“I think I’m going to excuse myself to the hall…” the alpha mumbled awkwardly and made moves to remove himself from the tense situation. But before he could stand up Felix shot out his hand and wrapped it around his wrist, keeping the alpha seated in his place.

“No. You’re not going anywhere!” Felix all but snapped at him before looking back at Minho “What do you mean ‘where he belongs’? He belongs with me, hyung”
Minho groaned and rubbed his hands over his face before letting out an exasperated huff and tilting his head into Felix’s direction.
“What I mean, is that certain topics can not and will not be discussed in front of any of them” He gritted through his teeth “So when your heat is over and they go back to their own territory, then we can touch on this subject again and I will tell you everything you wish to know. Since you seem so stubbornly adamant on not dropping it like I’m asking you to”

“Gee” Felix deadpanned at the words as he let out a displeased mumble before giving Minho a once over “I wonder where I got that from…”
“Watch it.” Minho warned, his white rose spiking momentarily.
“Sorry.” Felix mumbled again, a small pout present on his lips as he let out a soft huff.
“But, hyung.” he continued after a few seconds, looking back up to meet his brother’s gaze again “You said that you wouldn’t separate us because we’re bonded. And now you’re saying he has to leave? How is that fair?”

“Of course they have to leave, Fe” Minho motioned his hand into Changbin’s direction exasperatedly “What do you want them to do? Live here? You’d have to kill me and exorcise my spirit before that happens. But that doesn’t mean that I’m separating you, you can still see each other. He’s an hour away, not 15 lightyears. Don’t be dramatic”
“Is he always this intense?” Changbin whispered softly into Felix’s direction. But the words didn’t go unnoticed in the silent bathroom and Minho bristled.

“He has a name” Minho all but spat at the alpha, his eyes aflame.
“So do I” Changbin raised his eyebrow and tilted his head in a challenge and Minho could swear that if he had been a pufferfish, he’d probably have blown up by now.
“Oh you are traversing on thin ice, petrichor” he hissed, his eye twitching ever so lightly.
“Hyung, please…” Felix sighed as he addressed his brother before turning to Changbin and softly slapping him on the arm “And you. You’re not helping. Seriously…”

Minho sighed as Changbin pushed his bottom lip out into a small pout before the omega finally shook his head again and ran his hand through his hair.
“I’m going to get your water” He said softly as he turned around and headed back to the door “Please behave”
“Fine…” Felix answered and Minho could hear the displeased pout on the boy’s lips as he made his way out of the bathroom and into the living area where the two betas and Jeongin were sitting in front of the fireplace, happily swapping stories.
And the moment Minho stepped into the room, all 3 of them spared him a quick glance before Jeongin and Hyunjin went back to their conversation and Seungmin slowly got up from the bench and headed over to the pack leader.

“You okay boss?” He asked softly as he stopped to lean against the kitchen table.
“I’m tired” Minho answered truthfully before letting out another soft sigh “But Fe needs more water”
“Let me go get it for him” Seungmin pushed himself away from the table as he patted the elder on the shoulder “You’ve had enough to deal with today and I don’t want Lix to ambush you when you go back in there”
Minho looked at the beta for a few seconds before nodding and sending him an appreciative smile.
“Thank you, pup” He smiled softly and Seungmin shook his head with that sweet puppy-like smile of his before giving Minho’s shoulder a little squeeze and heading for the pails.

--

“Why would you ask him that, Lix?” Changbin sighed when the door fell closed behind Minho’s retreating back “You kind of put him on the spot”
“That was the point” Felix huffed.
“I don’t understand you” Changbin raised an eyebrow as he looked at the omega in the tub and shook his head lightly “You love eachother so much and yet you talk to each other like your soul purpose in life is to make each other miserable”
“Do you not have siblings?” the omega chuckled before looking down at the water and softly moving his hand over the surface “It’s in the title description”

“My siblings and I were not as close as you two are” Changbin admitted and Felix perked up at the words.
“You never told me that” he said softly “How come you weren’t close?”
Changbin smiled at the omega as he took the younger’s hand and started playing with his fingers.
“As you always so famously say, it’s complicated” he said as he continued to look down at the hand wrapped in his before Felix squeezed and tugged on it softly, making the alpha look at him in the process.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to” the omega said sweetly before tilting his head cutely. And Changbin had to fight not too coo at him and wrap him in to a hug. Felix looked so adorable like this, it was almost heartbreaking.
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it” he answered after a few seconds “It’s just that… when I say it’s complicated. I mean it. My father wasn’t big on relationships so he never really let us be around each other, which means I never actually grew up with them. I had a better relationship with my mom than I did any of my other family members”

“I’m really sorry to hear that” Felix pouted softly “But I’m glad you and your mother were close, what’s she like?”
“She was great” Changbin smiled sweetly at the memory of his mother “I was her only pup, so naturally I was her favourite”
“Was…?” Felix frowned at the words, his ice blue eyes looking up at the alpha with so much dread that Changbin wanted to reach out and make it disappear. How, he didn’t know.
“She passed when I was 15” he said with a soft smile and reached out to brush his thumb over the omega’s lips as the younger pouted at the news “It’s okay. I know she’s in a better place now”

“Do you miss her?” Felix asked next as he gingerly leaned into the hand that had now moved over to rest on his cheek.
“Everyday” Changbin admitted “But I like to believe that her death is what gave me the strength to get away from my clan. Luckily I had Chan hyung who was on the exact same page at the time, with wanting a new start and all”
“What about your father?” Felix asked carefully asif he was afraid to touch on the subject “Because you said that you had siblings but you were your mother’s only child. It’s not really adding up…”
“My father doesn’t deserve the light of day” Changbin said with a soft shrug “He’s a top tier asshole and honestly, he’s one of the examples I have in life which kind off make me want to understand your brother’s intense hatred for alphas”

“That bad?” Felix asked incredulously as he pushed himself up to sit a little more comfortably, his hand never letting go of the alpha’s.
“The worst” Changbin let out an empty chuckle “The eucalyptus bastard will burn in hell for all he’s done one day, I promise you that”

Chapter Text

Minho tiredly watched Seungmin exit the room, a hand coming up to run through his hair as he closed his eyes for a few seconds to try and ground the turmoil that was running rampant within his soul. In all honesty, tired wasn’t really the correct word to describe how he was feeling. At this point, it was an unprecedented level of exhaustion that had taken root in his bones and was making his eyelids and body feel inexplicably heavy.
Due to Felix having been in the state that he had been in, Minho himself barely had managed to squeeze in a wink of sleep the past few days as he had been riddled with worry over his brother. And now, after the absolute random questioning the younger had bombarded him with, the pack leader started to feel a headache blooming behind his eyes which was already starting to spread around the entirety of his skull.

He let out a shaky breath and shook his head minutely before opting to grab himself a cup of water when a pair of arms snaked around his waist.
Now, in any given situation, Minho would have leaned into the touch almost on instinct regardless of who the arms belonged to. Because a pair of arms within the walls of their cottage had always meant safety, family and home.
But this time, the only things that were swirling within his sleep deprived brain were uncertainty, fear and doubt. And the head omega couldn’t stop himself as he flinched and jumped away from the embrace, even after the sweet and soft caramel scent had hit his nose.

And instantly, dread settled in his stomach for he had never ever reacted like this infront of his pack before. Momentarily, the exhaustion had triggered Minho’s fight or flight and had caused him to react in a way that was meant to protect himself from something that wasn’t even there. And now, all his senses were on alert and pumped full of adrenaline as he stared at Jeongin who had stiffened on the spot and was looking at Minho like he was looking at a ghost.
The stupid part was that Minho was very much aware of the fact that either of the unfamiliar wolves who were within the walls of their cottage right now, would never even contemplate on daring to do what Jeongin had just tried to do. 

“Innie…” Minho exhaled harshly before rubbing the space between his eyebrows as he tried to focus on calming his heart rate “You can’t sneak up on me like that”
“I… I’m sorry” the young omega breathed as he lowered his arms, his voice sounding crestfallen “I d-din’t… I”
“No, don’t” Minho shook his head as he looked back at the younger “I shouldn’t have reacted like that either, I’m sorry. Was there something you wanted?”
“You looked so tired” Jeongin replied as he awkwardly wrapped his arms around his own waist “So I just wanted to comfort you”
Minho looked the young omega up and down, nodding his head slowly as he contemplated the words before tilting his head lightly.

“Would have been nice to have received that sentiment a couple of months ago” he said softly as he locked eyes with the younger.
Jeongin looked at him in silence for a couple of seconds, his nostrils flaring and his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek before he let out a displeased huff. And Minho instantly knew how late it was.
“Fine” Jeongin said and turned on his heel to head back to the bench where Hyunjin was still sitting and watching the two with a small frown on his face “Be like that then”
“Like what, Jeongin” Minho sighed as his eyes followed the younger’s movements “Tired because I haven’t slept in days or on edge because I was forced my hand and now there is an alpha in my house?”

“Like so angry all the time!” Jeongin spun around to face Minho again, his eyebrows tilted up and his eyes alight with that same stubbornness that, on any other day, Minho would have found endearing. Now it was just adding to the mental and physical fatigue the pack leader was experiencing and after the ambush in the bathroom, having Jeongin throw a temper tantrum was not on his to-do list. He did not have the capacity to deal with it and was scared that they would just end up yelling at each other again.
And Minho was so fucking tired of yelling.
“I get that we made mistakes” Jeongin continued, his voice sounding almost pleading as he placed his hand on his chest “But we said that we were sorry and there is nothing we can do to change it now, so why can’t you just at least try?”

Minho stared at the omega for a few seconds, the words registering in his brain at snail speed as he could not believe what it was that he was hearing this time around. Try? Try!? This was minho trying. Everything that had happened today, the alpha in the bathroom being all cozy with Minho’s baby brother, the alphas on the fucking lawn outside of his house, his ideal future shattered to crumbles at his feet. All of that was Minho trying .
And then for Jeongin, to yet again have the audacity to ask for more? Minho couldn’t give more. This was it. This was his limit.

Especially after being forced into a situation so extremely uncomfortable for him that it felt like his lungs were trying to claw their way out of his body, oxygen feeling like sandpaper against his tongue and like shattered glass in his windpipe. And then for him to have to act so okay with it when he was not?
Minho was not okay. With any of what had happened and what was happening.
His skin had been crawling from the second he had found Jeongin in Chan’s territory. And then the way that the scarlet wolf had been staring at him earlier had made the sensation so much worse and all Minho wanted was to get out, get away.

Get away and hide behind that tree where only his father would be able to find him.

But he couldn’t. Because he wasn’t six years old anymore and these weren’t the Lee Clan territory woods.
Minho swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat before letting out a shaky breath to try and calm himself down. But before he could even open his mouth to snap back at Jeongin, who continued to look at him with his eyes still desperately holding onto the request he had made, he was interrupted by a voice in the room who had remained silent up until this point.
And it had not been in a way Minho ever, even on his best days, would have expected to come from the younger.

“Innie. That’s enough…”
Both omegas standing at the kitchen table turned to look at the blonde who had now stood up from where he had been sitting on the bench and was staring at Jeongin with a disapproving frown on his face. And the both of them stared at him in silence for a few seconds, both momentarily stunned at the words that were coming out of his mouth.
“Seriously.” Hyunjin continued “You do not get to talk to him like that”
“I’m sorry, what?” Jeongin gaped at him in disbelief as he fully turned his body to face the beta properly. And Minho briefly shook his head as he leaned back against the kitchen table and crossed his arms over his chest before choosing to address the boy.

“Hyunjin” He sighed as he looked up at him tiredly, his attempts of trying to sound stern flying right out the window “I do not need your help, this isn’t anything new. I’ll deal with it. Don't make yourself at home, remember?”
“Respectfully, no” Hyunjin countered as he briefly made eye contact with Minho who had been so shocked at the talk back that he could do nothing other than gape at the younger, blinking in shock at the sudden flame of defiance that had started flickering in the beta’s eyes. And as he held his gaze for a few seconds, intrigued by the change of demeanour, the elder could see Hyunjin swallow nervously at the prolonged stare before the boy turned his attention back to Jeongin, the tension instantly lifting when his green eyes found the young omega.

“I said that you don’t get to talk to him like that” the beta repeated “All he has done is try to look out for you and protect you, so it’s not fair for all of you to dump on him like this”
“What’s not fair is that he's refusing to let go of this anger towards us and he's not even telling us why. He’s being too stubborn and is acting like a child about it” Jeongin countered with a small huff, and Minho rolled his eyes at the words.
“Oh, someone’s acting like a child alright” Hyunjin let out a disbelieving scoff as he eyed Jeongin up and down “But it definitely ain't him”

“Excuse me?” Jeongin blinked at the accusation and Minho tilted his head lightly as he carefully studied the blonde beta’s figure. The scene that was playing out in front of him was intriguing to say the least as he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why this boy was standing there and defending him with such raw conviction and passion. It was kind of refreshing and Minho couldn’t place the warm feeling it was causing to spread in the back of his chest.
“Did I stutter?” Hyunjin countered as he gave Jeongin a challenging look “Of course he’s not ‘letting it go’, Jeongin. May I remind you that you ran out into a stranger's territory on your own a mere few hours ago? And that after he had undoubtedly asked you not to pull such an insane stunt, especially after everything that transpired two months ago. He’s got every right to be angry with you, Innie. Because he worries about you! I'm surprised he hasn't spanked you”

“Seriously?” Jeongin asked incredulously as his shoulder slumped in defeat “He almost attacked you--”
“Yeah, because he wanted to protect you, Innie!” Hyunjin countered desperately “Not because he wanted to harm us!”
“I can not believe you’re siding with him and not me…” the young omega let out a displeased huff as he crossed his arms over his chest like a kicked puppy.
“Because you’re acting like an entitled brat” Hyunjin said as he furrowed his eyebrows while he continued to look at the younger “Minho-ssi deserves to be treated better than that and I expected better from you too, Innie.”

“But he doesn’t tell us anything, hyung” Jeongin pleaded as he shot out one of his hands towards Minho to gesture at him and Minho couldn’t help but let out an exasperated sigh at the movement, a hand coming up to rub at his face tiredly “He acts and acts and acts and just expects us to understand like it’s his god given right--”
“That’s because it is!” Hyunjin all but snapped as his hands shot up towards his head in disbelief “I can not believe you would say something like that! He doesn’t owe you anything, Jeongin!”

Jeongin blinked at the beta’s sudden outburst, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to find his own ground again but eventually just opted to a small defeated pout as he looked down at the ground with his eyebrows furrowed together guiltily.
And for as much as Minho wanted to intercept the conversation, a small part of him hurting at how Jeongin’s sweet caramel scent had soured ever so lightly, he couldn’t find it within himself to say anything. All he could do was stare. Stare at this blonde beta who barely even knew him and who was standing there saying everything he had wanted to say himself but somehow couldn’t.

And as he did, the warm feeling in the back of his chest continued to spread as a small lump formed in his throat. Because for the first time in over a decade, there was someone actively coming up for him. Defending him.
Protecting him .

“He took you in without batting an eye and gave you a better life” Hyunjin continued after a few charged and silent seconds which he had used to calm his breathing before looking back at the young omega infront of him “And I get that you are stubborn. Both of you are, from what I’ve seen. But this behaviour that you are hanging onto is not okay, Innie. You’re supposed to give him the benefit of the doubt because he’s your family. Besides, if anyone owed anything in this equation, it’d be you. And you can’t even find it in yourself to do the one thing that he asks you to do, which is listen, because you keep going against him like… like…”
The beta paused for a moment as he let his own words sink in, a veil of understanding passing over his face before a soft and fond smile took over his features. And before he could finish his train of thought, Jeongin finished it for him.

“Like he’s my parent…” the young omega said softly, his voice almost cracking with emotion.
“Yes. Like he's your parent” Hyunjin chuckled softly as he quickly glanced over at Minho who was now looking at Jeongin with a calculated gaze that was schooling all of the feelings that had exploded within his heart “Because, in a way, he is…”
“Yeah, okay. So why are you acting like one too?” Jeongin huffed as he finally tore his eyes away from the wooden floor to look up at Hyunjin with a small scowl “What you scolding me for? You’re supposed to be on my side. You’re my friend, not his”

“Exactly. I am your friend” Hyunjin answered with a soft smile and for the briefest moment, Minho felt that same flutter that wasn’t hostility, which he had felt earlier in the garden, creeping up his stomach. And for once, the pack leader decided to just let it be instead of instantly squashing it into oblivion as he continued to carefully regard the young beta in front of him, something akin to awe and fascination swirling deep within his ice blue eyes.
“And it’s because I'm your friend, you weirdo” Hyunjin continued before letting out a soft sigh as a fond smile took over his face “Because friends call each other out on their bullshit. Especially since you seem so dead set on not listening when it’s coming from the person you love the most”

He let out an airy chuckle as he briefly glanced over at Minho who raised an eyebrow at him that basically screamed ‘you wish’.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that” the pack leader murmured under his breath but he couldn’t fight the small smile that he could feel tugging at the corner of his lips when Jeongin whirled his head back around at him, eyes wide and ready to protest before Hyunjin swiftly cut off his attempts.
“Look” the beta said softly as he closed the distance between him and Jeongin, gently reaching out to tilt the younger’s head back towards him before stroking the back of his fingers over the younger's cheek “I’m not saying that I’m not grateful that you broke the rules…”

Jeongin looked up at the elder, a soft blush creeping up his face at the sudden proximity as all the tension bled out of his body when Hyunjin’s soothing Coffee scent wrapped around him comfortingly.
“Because if you hadn’t, I never would have met you” the beta continued “And honestly, you and Felix are the best thing that have happened to me since Chan and the guys. But that doesn’t change the fact that Minho’s story is his to tell and you don’t have a single right to expect him to forgo that choice just because you are confused about something. Stay confused. And maybe find a hobby to distract yourself with while he decides when to tell you anything, if at all”

“I think I already did…” Jeongin answered softly, his tone of voice mellowed out and a complete 360 of what it had been a few seconds ago. So much so that it almost gave Minho whiplash as he had to do a double take at the younger.
“Then do something with that” Hyunjin smiled as he innocently tilted his head to the side, his fingers still caressing Jeongin’s cheek as he seemingly remained blissfully unaware of what the young omega was referring to.
“I want to…” Jeongin answered with a shy little smile and Minho had to fight the gag working its way up his throat, his nose scrunching up as he pushed himself away from the kitchen table.

“Okay, that’s enough” the pack leader clapped his hands together, causing the lovestruck duo to snap out of their daze and whip their head into his direction before Minho locked eyes with Hyunjin “First of all, Thank you for that. Second, where the hell did you learn how to talk like that? And three-”
He walked over to where they were standing and wrapped his hand around Jeongin’s wrist, gently pulling the omega away as he continued to deadpan at the blonde beta who was looking at the pack leader with such confusion on his face that Minho almost felt guilty. Almost.
“-I already lost one of my omegas to your pack” he added pointedly “I’m not planning on losing another”

“Hyung!” Jeongin smacked the elder on the shoulder and Minho looked back with a raised eyebrow, finding the boy’s face quickly turning a deep shade of pink as he stared at Minho in disbelief. And the elder didn’t even try to hide the small smirk that made its way onto his lips before turning back around to face Hyunjin who’s green eyes were flitting between the two omega’s, his face the same deep pink colour as Jeongin’s.
“I… I w-wound never…” The beta coughed out awkwardly before clearing his throat and averting his eyes to the side.
“What on god's green earth did I just walk into…?” A fourth voice suddenly spoke up and the trio all turned their attention to the front door where they found Seungmin standing with the now filled pail, his dark eyes looking between them suspiciously as he slowly stepped into the room.

“Minnie hyung! Hyunjin was yelling at me” Jeongin quickly said matter-of-factly before turning to playfully stick his tongue out at the blonde beta, both Hyunjin and Minho fondly rolling their eyes at the shenanigans.
“Why” Seungmin narrowed his eyes sceptically as he looked over at Hyunjin.
“First of all, I wasn’t yelling” the blonde deadpanned at Jeongin before turning his attention back to Seungmin “And second, he got what was coming for him because he was acting like a brat”
At the statement, Seungmin visibly relaxed and let out a soft sigh before he shrugged lightly and locked eyes with Jeongin.
“What else is new?” he said in the most unbothered way possible before he started making his way towards the bathroom with the pail, ignoring the exaggerated gasp that sounded from Jeongin who gaped at him as a small smirk made its way onto his face.

“Rude” Jeongin chuckled lightly. And Hyunjin was quick to join in with the laughter before Seungmin’s retreating self also couldn’t stop the soft chuckle that bubbled up his throat.
But when the beta suddenly stopped walking and turned around to look at Minho, the room suddenly falling silent as not only the brunette was now looking at him but also Jeongin and Hyunjin, Minho realised that he too had been unknowingly silently laughing along with them.
He blinked awkwardly as he lifted his arm to cover his mouth with the back of his hand in an attempt to hide the soft blush that undoubtedly was making its way onto his face before he quickly cleared his throat and turned into the direction of the kitchen.

“Go bring that water to Felix before he gets tired of the tub” He said grumpily, his words directed towards his beta who was now smiling cutely at him from where he stood in the hall.
“Yes, sir” the younger said happily before turning around and disappearing out of sight.
“I’m checking on the soup and making lunch” Minho added as he tried to regain his composure, his hand reaching out for the lid of the soup pot when another hand reached out to grab onto it, halting it midway.
The pack leader looked up and found Jeongin looking at him with a soft smile on his face, the younger softly pulling the elder away from the stove and shaking his head in disagreement.
“Hyung, you’re tired” The omega said softly “Let me. I was in charge of the food anyway. Go rest”

“I’d rather not” Minho countered as he raised an eyebrow at the younger “Because I now have reason to suspect that you might try to poison me”
“If I wanted to poison you, I would have done that months ago” Jeongin sang happily as he moved over to the stove, lifting the lid off of the pot to gently stir the soup.
“Gee, that's reassuring” Minho deadpanned as he leaned back against the counter, his eyes resting on the younger as he worked while he registered Hyunjin sitting himself down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table.
“Hyung…” Jeongin spoke up after a couple of seconds of silence, his hand moving the ladle through the heated liquid as his fang softly worried the corner of his bottom lip.
“What?” Minho asked softly as he eyed the younger carefully.

“I’m sorry for being such a pain in the ass…” Jeongin answered softly and Minho blinked at the sudden change in attitude, watching the boy suspiciously.
“Like Minnie said, what else is new?” He joked. But all it earned him was an annoyed scowl from the young omega.
“Can you let me finish?” Jeongin huffed softly as he looked over at Minho with pursed lips.
“Fine, fine” Minho waved his hand for him to continued before crossing his arms over his chest “Go ahead”
Jeongin let out a soft sigh as he placed the ladle down on the counter before turning to fully face Minho, his caramel scent slightly soured which caused a small, worried frown to crease Minho’s forehead as he instinctively let out some of his own warm white rose to help calm the younger’s heart.

“I'm sorry for lying to you all this time…” Jeongin continued after a couple of seconds “I never meant for any of it to get so out of hand the way that it did. And I’m sorry that we left you to pick up the pieces. I’m sorry for acting like a brat and not listening and trying to push you so hard about your motives too”
The young omega uncomfortably shifted his weight from one foot to another as he wrapped one of his arms around his waist, holding onto his other arm in an attempt to ground himself and Minho had to bite the inside of his cheek to not step forward and wrap him in a hug.
“Jinnie hyung's right” Jeongin continued, his beautiful mismatched eyes finding Minho’s “It's your story to tell so I shouldn’t have acted like that. I'm really sorry… and I promise that it won't happen again”

Minho continued to stare at the younger for a few silent moments, his narrowed eyes carefully scrutinising him until Jeongin finally couldn't take it anymore and broke under the gaze.
“Hyung, can you please say something? Anything?” The young omega pleaded with a small pout as he reached out and took hold of the elder’s wrist who instead of answering, turned to face Hyunjin who was watching the exchange with a warm smile on his face. A smile which melted away and made place for a nervous lip bite the second he met Minho’s gaze.
“W-what…?” He stammered nervously before swallowing nothing as he straightened himself up in his chair to face the elder properly.
“Can I possibly hire you on a weekly basis?” Minho asked tentatively as he regarded the blonde carefully.
“What?” Jeongin blinked as he pulled his hand away from Minho’s wrist in betrayal.

“Depends on the pay” Hyunjin smirked, visibly relaxing now that he knew that there was nothing to be nervous about as his coffee scent sweetened ever so lightly in amusement.
“Yah…” Jeongin looked over at the beta, his mouth slightly ajar as he gaped at the elder in disbelief.
“There is no pay” Minho continued, his eyebrows raised in playful challenge as the two of them continued to ignore a pouting Jeongin “You get to leave her alive every time, best I can do”
“Hyung!” Jeongin whined as he softly smacked the elder’s shoulder and all but stomped his feet on the wooden floor like a toddler.
“Deal.” Hyunjin beamed happily and held out his hand which Minho briefly looked at before reaching out and shaking it.

“Excuse you!?” Jeongin complained as he stepped in between the two and separated their hands “No! No deal, I do not need whatever you think I need him for!”
“Hush now, child” Minho cooed playfully as he reached out to ruffle Jeongin’s caramel coloured hair “Go make lunch”
The elder smiled at the younger before his hand slid down to cup his cheek lovingly, and instantly Jeongin stopped grumbling as he melted into the touch and looked back at his pack leader.
“Thank you…” Minho whispered softly before leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on the younger’s forehead “That’s all I wanted to hear”
He stepped away and noticed the blush and shy smile that had taken over Jeongin’s face before moving to take a seat at the table with Hyunjin as Jeongin quickly went back to the soup, his toothrottingly sweet caramel scent filling the room within minutes.

Seungmin joined the trio in the kitchen just a few moments later, the beta yet again confused at the changed atmosphere in the room but deciding against asking any questions and joining in on the idle conversation that seemed to have blossomed between the three.
And it wasn’t long before eventually both Changbin and Felix emerged from the bathroom as well, their fingers interlocked as they moved to sit down at the overcrowded table.
“Sit” Changbin said softly as he slid the last remaining chair back for Felix and the younger stared at it like it was a foreign object.
“Why don’t you sit?” he asked before looking back up at the alpha and Minho felt dread pooling in his stomach, his lips turning upside down into a grimace as he furiously chanted the same wish in his head over and over. For Felix not to do what he seemed like he was about to do.

“Can you stop being stubborn and just sit?” Changbin raised an eyebrow at the young omega as he gestured towards the chair he was holding onto, but Felix refused. Instead the younger opted to untangle the alpha’s hands from the back of the chair, leading the man forward and stubbornly pushing him down on the chair.
“Feli--”
Changbin tried to protest but was interrupted by his subject of attention when Felix plopped himself down onto his lap. Something Minho had seen coming from a mile away as Felix usually tended to be extremely clingy during his heat but nevertheless found very hard to witness as he tried his best not to gag at the sight, settling for the grimace he failed to wipe off of his face.

The young omega was the colour of a tomato and Changbin, who had instinctively wrapped his arm around the younger's waist as Felix shyly leaned into his chest, wasn’t faring any better either. Minho could almost see the steam puffing out of his ears.
These two were insufferable.
“Oh that’s going to make eating so easy” Seungmin deadpanned at the two, his face sporting the same grimace as Minho and the elder was glad to see that he wasn't the only one appalled by the public display of affection taking place right in front of them. There was a time and place for being gooey with each other and the kitchen table was not it.

“Just sit here, Lix” the beta sighed as he moved to stand up, holding the chair back for the younger who bit the inside of his cheek before finally relenting and shuffling out of Changbin’s lap to sit down in his own chair.
“Thanks, hyung” Felix said softly as he looked up at Seungmin who patted his head lovingly before moving to lean against the counter where Jeongin was scooping the soup into small bowls.
“Here, Lix. Seungmin said that you were hungry so…” the young omega said as he gently slid the steaming bowl in front of the pink haired boy “I hope it’s okay. We were afraid that heavier food wouldn’t sit well with your stomach right now”

“It’s smells great” Felix smiled happily as he looked up at Jeongin “Thank you, Innie”
“Don’t worry about it” Jeongin nodded as he moved to place a bowl in front of everyone else at the table, paired with a slice of bread that Felix didn’t get because of his stomach before the omega handed the last one to Seungmin who still stood at the counter.
“No you eat first” Seungmin said as he tried to push the bowl back into the omega’s hands “I’ll eat when you’re done”
“I can wait a few minutes, hyung” Jeongin frowned “It’s not going to kill me--”

But before the boy could even finish his string of words, he was pulled away from the beta and pushed down into one of the chairs in front of one of the bowls of soup.
“Hyung, no. You need to eat, you’re tired…” Jeongin protested as he tried to stand back up but Minho’s firm hands on his shoulders kept the younger from moving.
“Eat. I’ll eat when one of you is done” The elder said pointedly “No buts”
He added the last part sternly when he noticed that Jeongin was again going to open his mouth in protest. The younger frowned at him for a couple of seconds but when Minho raised one of his eyebrows threateningly, he sighed and murmured a soft thank you before picking up his slice of bread and dipping it into the soup.

Felix smiled fondly at the exchange before stuffing a spoonful of broth into his mouth and revelling in the taste. And the relief that settled in when his stomach welcomed the food with open arms was almost instantaneous. He went in for another bite but halted midway when he spotted Changbin and Hyunjin and chuckled lightly at their expressions.
The two of them were looking at the exchange between Minho, Seungmin and Jeongin with pure confusion dripping off of their faces, their spoons and food untouched before they both turned to face Felix when he gently tried to catch their attention.

“There aren’t enough bowls…” He mumbled softly as he gestured into the direction of the food.
“What do you mean?” Changbin asked as he glanced at Minho who had now moved to lean against the counter next to Seungmin and was convincing the beta of the same thing he had Jeongin, all but taking the spoon out of the younger’s hand and forcing it into Seungmin’s mouth.
“We’ve never been with more than four people here, even before Minnie and Innie came to live with us” Felix explained after swallowing a mouthful of broth “We used to have 6 bowls but I broke one when I was still a pup”

The omega blushed bashfully as he remembered the ordeal, a small smile on his lips as he softly scratched the back of his neck before he looked back up at Changbin and Hyunjin who were still looking at him in confusion.
“So now all the bowls are taken” he added before taking another bite “And it’s very typical for my brother to make sure everyone else is fed first”
“That’s… understandable” Changbin said and Hyunjin nodded along softly before the alpha stood up from his chair and turned to Minho, beating Hyunjin to the punch as it seemed like the younger had planned to do the exact same thing.
But before Changbin could even open his mouth to speak his mind, Minho had levelled him with an icy glare that even sent a chill down Felix’s spine.
“Sit down and eat” the omega said sternly “Both of you, I’m not a frail old man. I can go 10 minutes without food, calm down”

“You’re guests, please just eat” Felix added quickly, noting how Minho briefly grimaced at the words “the faster we eat, the faster he will too”
“You better eat slowly, Fe” Minho turned to face the younger with a small frown on his face “And stop when your body tells you too, please”
“I know, hyung” Felix said with a small smile before downing another spoon full as Changbin lowered himself down into his chair with a displeased frown before hesitantly starting on his food and Felix couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, a soft blush making its way up to his cheeks again at how cute the big bad buff aegean wolf could be.

“Anyway, Hyunjin-ssi--” Minho spoke again after a few seconds, the whole room instantly turning to look at Hyunjin who choked on a piece of bread after being addressed by the elder. And Minho sighed softly, shaking his head at the sight.
“Slow down. You don’t have to assume the worst every time I talk to you” The omega added as he stared at the younger who was pounding his fist against his chest while Jeongin rubbed his back with worry plastered all over his face.
“No offence” Hyunjin wheezed lightly as he wiped some tears away from his eyes before turning to look at Minho “for as much as you are nice, you are also quite terrifying”
“I know that” Minho smirked and Felix rolled his eyes before taking another bite when he saw that Hyunjin was fine.

“Is he always like this?” Hyunjin asked as he leaned closer to Jeongin whilst keeping his eyes on the elder leaning against the counter.
“See what we have to deal with every day?” Seungmin answered with a small smirk “He’s impossible”
“Carefull, pup” Minho smiled sweetly as he wrapped his arm around the beta’s shoulder who flinched ever so lightly before closing his eyes and sighing as Minho continued “Before you become past tense”
“And here I thought Chan was weird” Changbin mumbled before stuffing his mouth full with soaked bread and Felix chuckled softly.

“What was that?” Minho asked as he tilted his ear into Changbin’s direction and the alpha shook his head quickly and pointed at his full mouth indicating that his mouth was too full to have been able to say anything.
“That’s what I thought” Minho huffed softly as he eyed the alpha up and down before turning his attention back to Hyunjin.
“As I was saying” He continued “That whole rampage you went on earlier… Seriously, where did you learn how to talk like that? If you care to share, that is.”

“What rampage?” Changbin and Felix asked in unison as they looked from Minho to Hyunjin in confusion.
“Jeongin was acting up again and Hyunjin put him in his place” Seungmin chimed in with a cheeky grin before spooning the last of his soup onto his mouth.
“Hey. I was upset, okay? Leave me alone” Jeongin pouted as he continued to eat his soup before speaking in between bites “I already apologised, no need to bring up the past”
“Why was he acting up?” Felix asked curiously as he didn’t even try to hide the smirk he sent into Jeongin’s direction when the younger glared up at him.
“He was dumping on Minho-ssi about not wanting to share some kind of information or what not” Hyunjin added shyly “So I told him that people get to decide when they want to share their stories and that others can’t force it out of them”

“You were defending him again?” Changbin asked as he sent the blonde an incredulous scowl “Kiss ass”
“Again?” Minho perked up at the new information as he looked at the alpha with raised eyebrows.
“Hyung!” Hyunjin hissed as he shot his friend a warning look.
“Oh yeah” Changbin continued without paying the blonde beta any mind “You should have heard him hand Jisung’s ass back to him after our youngest dared to insult you the day after that whole orchard ordeal”

“He insulted me, huh?” Minho smirked devilishly and Changbin pressed his lips together, blinking slowly as he held the elder’s gaze for a few seconds before popping another piece of bread into his mouth and shaking his head with a shrug.
“It was nothing” Hyunjin said quickly as he glared at Changbin before turning to Minho to defuse the situation “He was just mad because of what happened, he didn’t mean any harm”
“And you defended me, why?” Minho asked as he looked back at Hyunjin “You have a habit of coming up for people that you know nothing about?”
“It’s not that…” Hyunjin said softly, a small sigh escaping his lips before he placed his spoon down in his bowl and swallowed thickly.

“It’s just that…” He continued “Everytime Felix or Jeongin would talk about you, they sounded like you personally plucked all the stars and moons out of the sky every night just for them to roll around in. And I just figured that someone who garners such pure and unfiltered affection, can’t be all that bad…”
“I think you dreamt that” Jeongin said, his eyes wide as he looked from the beta to Minho “We didn’t talk about you, hyung. We would never”
“What happened to ‘not lying ever again’?” Minho mused with a small smirk as he tilted his head ever so lightly and Jeongin stared at him, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he nodded once and looked down.
“I’ll shut up now” he murmured softly and Felix chuckled at the sight, his breath catching in his throat when he felt a hand slide onto his thigh and squeeze ever so lightly.

He looked over and found Changbin leaning back in his chair leisurely and watching the exchange infront of him with pure glee dancing around in those midnight sky eyes, the soft light from the windows making them twinkle like gemstones.
The alpha glanced over at him briefly, sending him a warm smile before turning his attention back to the conversation. But his hand never left the younger’s thigh and Felix revelled in the waves of electricity the heat of the hand sent shooting through his whole being.
He smiled shyly and carefully scooted his chair a little closer towards the alpha so he could lean against him, the motion going mostly unnoticed as everyone was too engrossed in the conversation for them to notice. All except Seungmin who flared his nostrils as he deadpanned at them whilst handing Minho a new bowl of soup.

‘What?’ Felix mouthed defiantly as he leaned even closer to Changbin, eliciting an amused eye roll from the beta and Felix smiled softly before he too turned his attention back to the conversation at the table.
“So you’re also this fearless with your own pack, which only consists of alphas” Minho nodded slowly as he took in the information that he had been fed “That’s actually quite interesting. And also brings me back to my initial question. Where did you learn how to talk like that or have you just been this quick witted all your life?”

Hyunjin blushed lightly as he looked down at his now empty bowl, his fang worrying the corner of his lip. And Minho must have noticed because he was quick to add his earlier statement.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wish to” the pack leader reassured softly “and I’m not pushing you to, either”
“No, that’s not it…” Hyunjin quickly countered as he looked back up to meet Minho’s gaze “I don’t mind sharing, it’s really not that interesting anyway. It’s just… I’m a little surprised you want to know”

Minho regarded the younger’s words for a few seconds as he continued to look at him inquisitively before letting out a small huff.
“How could I not when you all but fought your friend to defend the one person who was keeping you apart?” The omega said after a while “Colour me intrigued. Especially since you remind me so much of this little trouble maker”
He added the last part as he poked an unexpecting Seungmin in the side, the beta shrieking and jumping to the side whilst grabbing on to the attacked spot on his body.
“Use your words, hyung!” the brunette exclaimed as he moved to stand a few feet away from the elder, safely out of arm’s reach.

“I did” Minho shrugged with a smirk as he spooned soup into his mouth and everyone at the table chuckled at the scowl Seungmin sported as he glared at the elder before Hyunjin decided to answer Minho’s question.
And everyone listened attentively, Felix trying his best not to get distracted by the thumb that was now rubbing comforting circles over the fabric of his cotton shorts. But the attempts were futile as he eventually found himself leaning on the table, his head resting in his crossed arms as he let himself be lulled into a daze by the alpha’s ministrations while he vaguely registered the conversation in front of him. And the omega was still having a hard time believing that any of this was happening.

The domestic feel of the whole situation felt like whiplash after everything that had happened. Just like the moment before Felix took his bath, it was just so calming and chaotic in the familiar way that he was used to from not only his pack but especially his brother.
But Felix knew that the man was nearing his limit, exhausting himself in the process as he tried to keep up the facade in favour of making sure that Felix was taken care of. He saw it in the small and almost permanent crease in between the elder’s eyebrows and the way his eyes would linger on Changbin a second longer than needed. Like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop and that he wouldn’t be fast enough to handle if he allowed himself to let his guard down.
And he wasn’t the only one who noticed either. Because in the end, his pack knew him through and through.

“Why don't you go take a nap, hyung?” Seungmin asked carefully long after Hyunjin had finished his story and everyone had finished their food, the conversation at the table now a comfortable soft murmur.
Minho blinked at the sudden question as he turned to look at the beta, a frown adorning his face almost instantly.
“A nap?” He asked incredulously “How do you expect me to take a nap when there are two alpha's outside of my front door?”
“They are not going to do anything, hyung” Seungmin sighed softly, his voice sounding almost pleading as he addressed the omega carefully.

“Oh my bad, haha! Let me just--” Minho perked up before dropping his head down to his chest and making snoring noises before looking back up at the beta with a deadpan, causing the latter to send him an unimpressed glare.
“What do you think this is? A choice? You think I am choosing to be distrustful?” Minho asked as he crossed his arms over his chest “It is not a choice, pup, I am wired like that. Don't you think that I want nothing more than to go to sleep without a care in the world? Even if I tried to, I wouldn’t be able to because every fibre of my being is on high alert and telling me there is danger”
“They are not dangerous though, haven't they proven that by now?” Seungmin countered softly, his voice calm.

“They really aren't” Hyunjin added ever so carefully as he lifted his hand up into the air to catch their attention “I'm scared to go out there at this point because I know Chan is probably going to send me and Sungie back for the night whilst he camps out somewhere under a tree. We're lucky it's summer…”
Minho frowned at the words as he turned to look at Hyunjin so sent him an awkward smile back.
“Sungie?” the omega asked.
“Oh, yeah” Hyunjin nodded quickly “That's one of our nicknames for Jisung, our youngest alpha? The scarlet squirrel. But don’t tell him I told you that or he might bury me alive. He may be tiny but he's freakishly strong”
“That… that's not really easing any of my worries, Hyunjin…” Minho said slowly as he leaned back against the counter.

“Oh no, Sungie wouldn't hurt a fly” the blonde beta added reassuringly “Unless he has to, of course. But he's harmless and really sweet and kind and kind of funny in a silly way and…”
He sighed fondly, a goofy smile on his lips as he talked about their youngest, not noticing the small jealous pout it elicited from Jeongin who was watching him describe the alpha with such adoration.
“He’s really great and he has the biggest heart” Hyunjin continued, oblivious to all the cute smiles that were being sent his way “I honestly think his heart is to big for his small frame”
“You're gushing…” Minho mused as he tried to school the small smile that wanted to creep onto his face.

“You'd be too, if you got to know him” Hyunjin blushed a soft shade of pink as he fiddled with the hem of his tunic “Honestly, we all gush over him all the time. Just don't piss him off, that's all”
“Again, not helping” Minho shook his head lightly before pushing himself away from the counter and cracking his neck “I'm going to change Felix's sheets”
“Oh, can you undo my nest too please? I want to build a new one” Felix asked quickly as he perked up at the words.
“Ofcourse” Minho nodded as he smiled warmly at his brother. “Don’t stay down here too long, you need your rest. And what you do with the rest of the soup… is up to you”

He nonchalantly added the last part by briefly glancing at Hyunjin before exiting the room and disappearing up the stairs while the remaining party silently watched him leave, Seungmin shaking his head softly with a small smile present on his lips before sending Jeongin a knowing look who returned the gesture. The young omega then looked over at Hyunjin who had taken hold of the younger’s hand and was now playing with it absentmindedly, a small frown between his eyebrows as he seemed to be deep in thought about something.
And at the same time, Changbin stretched himself out and also cracked his joints while Felix continued to look into the direction of the stairs, his heart blooming with so much love that he almost felt like it was going to explode.

“See now why we talk about him the way that we do?” he asked softly, causing everyone to look over at him as the alpha eyed him curiously.
“About mister sarcastic over there?” Changbin raised an eyebrow as he relaxed in his chair, his hand finding the younger’s thigh again “Yeah, makes total sense”
Felix chuckled and shook his head, smacking the elder on the chest playfully.
“That’s not what he’s referring to” Jeongin chuckled and Changbin turned to look at the young omega, his gaze finding Hyunjin who still seemed to be lost in thought as he continued to look at Felix.
“Am I missing something…?” Changbin asked slowly as he straightened himself up in his chair a little bit.
“I think he just…” Hyunjin started carefully, his words trailing off into an endless abyss of confusion.

“He basically just told us to bring the rest of the food out to your alphas, who should be undoubtedly hungry by now” Seungmin finished the blonde’s words for him, the latter looking up at him in disbelief as Seungmin redirected his attention to Changbin “Well not us but Hyunjin directly. I'm pretty sure the rest of us are still not allowed to go out there and I know that you won't be leaving Felix's side no matter what, so that leaves only one person”
Everyone turned to look at the blonde who fidgeted with Jeongin’s hand nervously.
“What if he’s trying to test me and I fail and he shoots me down half way through the clearing?” He asked seriously and both Felix and Jeongin snorted.
“He’s not that good of a shot” Seungmin chuckled before turning to start ladling the remaining soup into two rinsed bowls “Our designated sharpshooter is Felix, and I highly doubt he would ever turn his arrows on you”

The beta placed the two bowls in front of the blonde with a reassuring smile.
“Now go, before he comes back” he said softly “Remember? He doesn’t want to know about it”
Hyunjin eyed the bowls suspiciously before looking up at Seungmin and then to Jeongin who nodded encouragingly. And with a small huff the blonde eventually lifted himself off of his chair, grabbing the bowls and making his way outside slowly, leaving behind a nervous trail of coffee in his wake.
“Now” Seungmin turned his attention back to the rest as he slid the chair back into place, resting his hands on the table and leaning forward before looking at Felix “I think it’s time for you to go rest, little one”

At the words, both Jeongin and Changbin turned to look at the omega who had rested his head back down on his arms on the table, a soft smile on his face as he looked up at Seungmin.
“I’m okay, just a little tired now that I’m full” He said softly, a small yawn betraying how tired he actually was and Changbin had to fight the urge to coo at him as he reached over to stroke the younger’s soft pink hair out of his face.
“Let’s get you upstairs” He said as he got up to help the omega off of the chair and up the stairs, the other two waving them off as they started making their way back to Felix’s room.

They found Minho just finishing up with Felix’s bed, the dirty sheets rolled up in his arms as he made his way to the door right when the two of them walked inside.
“Hi, pup” Minho smiled at the younger as he halted in his step “The bed’s clean now and I left some new things over there for you to build a nest with” The elder motioned his head into the direction of the foot of the bed where Felix could see a pile of clothing pieces and blankets, different hints of caramel, cinnamon and white rose wafting up from it and the young omega smiled happily at the comfortable sight.
“There’s a bunch of worn stuff from everyone and I scented a few more things” Minho continued as he lifted the slipping sheets back into his arms “And if you feel like you want more, from anyone, just let me know and I’ll get them to scent some things”

“Thank you hyung” Felix smiled at the elder lovingly and Minho just shook his head with a soft smile before gesturing to a separate blanket that was away from the pile and lying neatly folded on Felix's pillow.
“I also left a clean smelling one there just in case you wanted… Changbin’s scent in there too” the pack leader all but gritted the last part through his teeth as he tried to keep his tone soft with Felix and the younger blinked at the gesture, his heart bleeding with fondness and something akin to guilt. Because even after pissing him off, yet again, Minho was out here doing the most for his ungrateful, spoiled little brother.

“Thank you, hyung” Felix said softly, fighting against the lump in his throat as he looked from his clean bed to his brother “And I’m sorry…”
“Not now” Minho hushed him as he leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on the younger’s temple before heading for the door “Call for me if you need anything and don’t let him get too far away from you for the time being or you might regret it”
And with those words, Minho moved to leave the two to their own devices again. But before he disappeared out of sight, Felix remembered what the man had just offered and decided to carefully shoot his shot.

“Hyung, wait!” He called out and Minho almost broke his neck with how quickly he whirled himself around to face the younger, worry in his eyes as he eyed the boy up and down.
“What? Are you okay? You in pain?” He asked worriedly.
“No, I’m fine. Slow down” Felix moved to help him readjust the sheets that were slipping out of the man’s arms “I was just wondering if maybe… you could get Hyunjin to scent something for me too?”
The younger asked his question carefully as he met the elder’s gaze, the latter letting out an exasperated sigh. And Felix knew that if Minho hadn’t been holding onto the sheets, he probably would have smacked him.

“Did you have to yell like that? You scared the crap out of me” the elder reprimanded sternly before turning back to the door “I’ll ask him. Now rest, please”
And this time Felix let the man leave in peace, a happy smile on his face as he leaned back into Changbin contently, the elder’s arms instantly wrapping around him before the younger looked over towards his bed.
And immediately he felt the tiredness that had by now settled in his bones briefly make way for a small splurge of energy as he stepped away from the alpha and headed over towards the clean blanket.
“Can you scent this for me please?” He held the blanket out for the alpha who quickly moved to take it out of his hands.
“Do you even have to ask?” He grinned happily and Felix chuckled before moving to start on his nest.

Somewhere along the way of Felix’s nesting process, he had instructed Changbin to sit at the desk while he worked so that he wouldn’t ‘get in the way’ and mess things up. And Minho had walked back into the room halfway through to hand him a now coffee scented blanket and relaying how the blonde had almost cried of happiness when the omega had asked him for it, eliciting a small snort from Changbin who wasn’t given the light of day by the pack leader before the man had left the room again to go about the rest of his day.
And within twenty or so minutes, Felix’s exhausted self had crawled into his newly built nest and had rolled around happily, his content purrs filling the room as Changbin watched the younger get comfortable with a fond smile on his face.
And they remained like that until the purrs stopped and the younger let out a soft whine, rolling over to his side to look at Changbin who was still seated at the desk and who instantly sat up straight, eyes laced with worry at the sudden distressed sound that had come from his omega.

“What’s wrong?” The alpha asked as he eyed the younger worriedly “Are you in pain again?”
“If I say that I am, will you stop sitting there and come cuddle with me like you did before?” the omega breathed softly as he held Changbin’s gaze through half lidded eyes, his pupils dilated ever so lightly which caused the alpha to swallow nervously.
“You don’t have to go through all that trouble” He said after a few seconds, snapping himself out of his daze before getting up and making his way over to the bed “all you have to do is ask”
“Well, I’m asking now” Felix smiled softly, his eyes fluttering shut as he inhaled deeply and buried his nose into his nest.

The alpha carefully crawled onto the bed and into the nest, instantly overwhelmed with the onslaught of different scents that engulfed him like a carefully crafted rainbow. But one look at the person he was doing it for and he quickly adjusted almost on commando, the younger’s ice blue eyes looking up at him happily as the elder lowered himself down and allowed the omega to snuggle up to him.
He wrapped his arms around Felix’s small frame and pulled him closer, the younger leaning in and pressing his nose into the alpha’s scent gland as his content purrs started filling the confines of the room again.
“Do you have any idea how long I wanted to do this?” Felix asked as he nuzzled the alpha’s neck lovingly.
“No, but my imagination is providing me with a wishful idea” Changbin answered shyly.

“And what might that be?” Felix smiled as he leaned back and tilted his head up to lock eyes with the alpha.
“Too long?” Changbin breathed, his hand coming up to gently card his fingers through the omega’s hair and Felix almost instinctively leaned into the touch, a soft smile on his face as he allowed his eyes to flutter shut.
“Too long is an understatement” he murmured softly before looking back up “Do you have any idea how nervous you make me?”
“The sentiment is shared” Changbin chuckled softly as he traced his finger over the younger’s cheek, connecting the dots of the freckles he was now able to see clear as day.
“I make you nervous?” Felix snorted as he leaned back to give the elder an incredulous look “how?”

“Have you met you?” Changbin chuckled “You’re fucking adorable and you’re feisty as hell. It’s a terrifying combination that I can’t seem to get enough of”
“You think I’m feisty?” Felix grinned cheekily, his face and the tips of his ears turning a soft shade of pink.
“Absolutely” the alpha nodded convincingly “You really are Minho’s brother trough and trough. I see where you get it from”
“Minho always says that I take after our mother” Felix smiled fondly before leaning in and nuzzling into the elder’s board chest.
“If that’s true, then you both do” Changbin sighed softly as he rested his chin on the younger’s head.

They laid like that for a few minutes, Felix’s purrs continuing to fill the room as Changbin’s soft rumbles mixed in with them and created a small concert of peace, content and happiness.
“Hyung?” Felix spoke up after a while, pushing himself away to look up at the alpha shyly as the latter hummed softly.
“Try to sleep a little, Lix” the elder said “I know you must be exhausted”
“I don’t want to sleep” the omega countered, his voice barely above a whisper as his eyes roamed the alpha’s face in an attempt to memorise every single detail he could from this angle.
“Why?” Changbin asked worriedly as he pushed a few stray strands of soft pink hair behind the omega’s ear.
“What if I wake up and you're gone like last time?” The omega asked softly and Changbin smiled as he locked eyes with the younger.
“I already told you, I’m not going anywhere” he answered as he pulled Felix closer, eliciting a soft giggle from the boy “They’re going to have to pry you from my cold dead hands if they want me to leave you”

“Who are ‘they’?” Felix chuckled lightly “My brother and?”
“Well. I’m not so sure about your brother anymore, I think he’s safe” Changbin contemplated playfully “But the rest of the world? They can suck it, you’re mine now”
“Yours how?” Felix perked up at the words, his voice trembling ever so lightly as he felt his skin heat up where Changbin was again tracing small figures on his cheeks.
“Mine” Changbin answered as he paused his ministrations and held Felix’s gaze “My bond, my sunshine, my Felix… my omega…if you want to be, ofcourse”

Felix’s breath caught in his throat at the words, his chest erupting with fire in a way he never would have thought was possible without pain. The tug in his chest was thrumming away so gleefully that it almost felt like his heart wanted to beat out of his chest, pulling him closer and closer to the alpha. Almost impossibly so.
Hearing Changbin say these things after only being able to dream about it was almost overwhelming. But instead of anxiety or fear or nerves, the only things that washed over him were unprecedented amounts of peace and content as his heart finally, after all the pain and anguish and longing, found the place that it belonged to.

Or the person that it belonged with.

“My alpha…” he breathed longingly as he inched closer, their faces now inches apart and Changbin’s warm breath threatened to drown him like an ocean wave.
The alpha’s hand had come to rest at the back of Felix’s neck and the skin against skin contact was feeling like someone had pressed a hot iron against his neck and for some odd reason, the omega revelled in it as he finally let go of all of his reservations and leaned in to close the distance between them.

“Felix… wait” Changbin breathed softly, causing the omega to freeze and pull back instantly, dread settling in the back of his stomach as he looked up at the alpha’s midnight sky eyes. Was he moving too fast?
“W-what?” he asked carefully.
“For as much as I really really want to, Lix. I can’t” Changbin said as his gaze locked in on the younger’s lips almost hungrily.
“Why not?” Felix asked “I want to”
“Because you’re in heat” Changbin answered softly as he forced his eyes away from Felix’s lips to look back up at him.
“And?” the omega asked breathily, his voice coming out almost desperately as he couldn't find it in himself to look away from the alpha’s soft lips anymore. He had locked in on his target and he wanted to take it before his nerves caught up with his mind.
“And.” Changbin explained gently “I don’t want you to do something that you might regret later. Especially since we haven’t talked about it yet”

Felix felt his heart almost stop with how it fluttered so dangerously at the words, and for the briefest moment he felt a little bit guilty for being so focused on what he so desperately wanted whilst Changbin was thinking about what the omega might need instead. It was so sweet that the sugar almost ate away and corroded everything around them.
But what Felix needed… was to get what he wanted. And now, that want had intensified tenfold in comparison to what it had been before the alpha decided to be all chivalrous.
“While that’s very sweet of you, I don’t want to kiss you because I’m in heat, Changbin hyung” Felix huffed softly, his lips pursed in annoyance as his cheeks flashed even deeper red at his own words “I want to kiss you because I’ve been wanting to kiss you for months now and for once I have the feeling that finally nobody is going to barge in here and ruin the moment. I want to kiss you because I’m in love with you… because I love you…”

“For months?” Changbin smirked softly as he raised an eyebrow at the younger playfully, causing Felix to swallow nervously and flush a deep shade of red as he dipped his head to hide his face in the elder’s chest whilst letting out soft whine which in turn elicited an airy chuckle from the alpha.
“Is that seriously all you heard?” Felix smacked Changbin’s chest weakly before leaning back and pouting up at him.
“Maybe” Changbin breathed silently, his voice raspy with desire as his eyes zeroed back in on Felix’s lips “Have you really been wanting to kiss me for months?”
Felix paused, his heart pounding against his eardrums as Changbin inched closer agonisingly slowly before the omega nodded softly, his tongue subconsciously coming out to lick his bottom lip.

“I need words, love” Changbin whispered breathily as he swallowed softly, the alpha’s nose gingerly brushing over Felix’s as his almost stormy petrichor washed over the younger like a tidal wave and caused the omega’s brain to completely shut down.
“Make me yours…” Felix all but begged as he balled his hands into fists, gripping onto Changbin’s tunic and holding on like the man was his last lifeline “Kiss me--”
But before Felix could finish sounding out the words, he felt the alpha’s soft, plump lips press against his so tenderly and longingly that everything around him fell out of existence.

And in that very moment, the rest of the world just stopped spinning.

Chapter Text

Much to Minho’s surprise, Hyunjin had been spot on about his fears of being sent back by their pack leader that night. The alpha had instructed the blonde to accompany their youngest back to their territory in order for them to do a perimeter check and mark the borders, since the last time Chan had done this himself he had not anticipated that he was going to be out of the area for a prolonged period of time.
Minho would have definitely preferred it if the man had gone back himself and just taken everyone, except Changbin in this case, back to their side of the land with him. But unfortunately, the omega’s luck didn’t extend that far. And, quite frankly, was something that seemed to have run out in its entirety about two months ago when this whole party started.

Another thing which surprised the omega was that, despite all the grumbling and pouting Hyunjin had displayed to show his displeasure with the request, he had eventually joined the scarlet without going against his pack leader. The duo had left shortly after the moon had risen, leaving Chan behind to indeed make himself comfortable at the base of one of the trees at the edge of the clearing just like Hyunjin had predicted.
And after Minho had carefully observed the black alpha not move a single muscle for a over an hour as the omega sat in the small alcove at his bedroom window, he let out a somewhat defeated growl at his mother’s voice nagging in the back of his mind before carefully pulling the window shut and pushing himself out of the alcove to make his way out of the room.

He headed towards Seungmin’s bedroom, figuring that his scent would be the most neutral option in this situation but hesitated for a few minutes, just staring at the door and trying to will his feet back to the safety of his own room before finally taking a deep breath and lifting his hand up.
“Pup?” Minho gently knocked on the door and before he could knock again, the door swung open to reveal a frowning Seungmin, his hair sticking into all kinds of directions as he stared the pack leader down with a disapproving look.
“I don’t know why I was delusional enough to think you had actually fallen asleep” the younger said as he shook his head, a small yawn interrupting his words and giving Minho the chance to reach out and flick the boy’s nose in retaliation.
“Stop obsessing over me” he reprimanded fondly before giving the boy a once over “Sorry if I woke you”

“I’m not obsessing, I’m just worried” the beta countered as he rubbed his nose with a grimace before leaning against the door “and I hadn’t fallen asleep yet”
“Your hair tells a different story” Minho chuckled softly as he brought his hand up to gently pat the beta’s hair back into place, the younger gingerly leaning into the touch with a small smile.
“Innie was a little upset that his boyfriend had to leave” Seungmin mused, his voice barely above a whisper as he turned to look over at his bed where the young omega was fast asleep, soft snores filling the room “So he wanted to cuddle and then he fell asleep like a rock. I think this day took a lot out of him…”
“He’s not his boyfriend” Minho scowled as he flicked the beta’s forehead this time “don’t curse this family more than it already has been”

“And yet, you know exactly who I’m referring to without me even saying a name” Seungmin rolled his eyes playfully, a smirk on his lips as he swatted Minho’s hand away.
“Are you asking for a whooping?” Minho narrowed his eyes as he leaned against the doorpost, looking the younger up and down who just chuckled at the words.
“I’d like to see you try” the beta joked softly before tilting his head lightly “But what’s got you knocking on my door in the middle of the night?”
Minho paused for a few seconds as he regarded the younger and tried to drown out the voice in his head so he could go back to his room and pretend that his godforsaken Aurora shaped conscience wasn’t making him do things he really didn’t want to do.

He let out a soft sigh and minutely shook his head, a movement that went unnoticed by the beta due to another yawn plaguing him as Minho reached out to wipe away a tear that gathered at the corner of the younger’s eye.
“I was wondering if you happen to have a spare blanket left?” Minho asked softly “Everything else either needs to be washed tomorrow or is with Fe right now”
“I only have the one that’s usually on my bed” Seungmin perked up slightly as he quickly walked over towards his bed and grabbed the blanket that was bundled up at Jeongin’s feet “Innie was too hot so he kicked it away”

“Can I borrow it for the night? We can wash it with the rest tomorrow” Minho asked tentatively.
“Sure” Seungmin smiled as he headed back over to the omega “You don’t have to ask”
“Believe me, in this case I do” Minho answered as he took the blanket over from the beta with a grateful smile, the younger frowning back at him as he leaned back against the door.
“Why?” he asked carefully “What do you need it for?”

Minho opened his mouth to speak before closing it again and closing his eyes, his hand coming up to rub at the bridge of his nose before letting out another tired sigh and looking back up at Seungmin.
“It might have been warm this afternoon, but the night is proving to be slightly breezy” Minho said slowly as he gave Seungmin a meaningful look and much to his expectation, the beta instantly caught on to where the story was headed.

“Ah… and my scent is the most neutral” Seungmin nodded in understanding as he put two and two together, trying his best to fight the small smile that wanted to creep up his face.
“Don’t get all happy with me” Minho scowled as he pushed himself away from the door “and do not tell Jeongin about this or I will shave your eyebrows in your sleep”
“Sir, yes sir” Seungmin mocked softly as he saluted the omega who turned around and started heading down the hall. And if Seungmin had closed the door, leaning his forehead against it as he tried to calm his racing heart while his face and ears turned a deep shade of red, Minho would be none the wiser about it.
Which probably was a good thing at this moment in time.

The omega slowly made his way down the stairs, his feet carrying him along almost unwillingly as he headed towards the front door.
The midnight summer breeze instantly sent a small shiver running down his spine the second he stepped outside, causing him to halt and hold the blanket a little closer to himself as he allowed his eyes to scan the perimeter of the clearing before looking up at the moon longingly.
“What have I done for you to forsake me like this, eomma?” Minho whispered softly before letting out a small sigh and looking back down towards the clearing “I thought you wanted us safe? And I know you know that I don’t feel safe so why are you making me do this? What’s the point? Let him catch a cold or freeze to death if he wants to, I didn’t ask him to be here”

The omega’s lip instinctively trembled up into a silent snarl when he locked eyes with a pair of almost glowing amber ones that were trained on him from across the clearing, carefully scrutinising him from where he lay within the shadows.
Minho could feel his heart start to pound against his ribcage, the sound drowning out his own thoughts before he closed his eyes for the briefest of moments in an attempt to calm himself down. He took a few deep breaths and gripped the blanket tighter before schooling his face and stepping off of the porch, making his way towards where the black wolf was still intently staring at him.
And maybe it was the fear, anger and disdain that had taken permanent residence in Minho’s stomach that was making it feel like the clearing was larger than it was or maybe it was just because Minho was fighting himself every step of the way, but the walk over was taking too long for the omega’s liking.

When Minho was half way down the clearing, he noticed Chan shift back into his human form, the elder grabbing his pants and putting them on all the while keeping his eyes trained on the omega that continued to approach.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” the alpha asked warily as he pushed his black curls back from his face and leaned back against the tree.
Minho came to a halt a few feet away from the man, the blanket still in his arms as the two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Now, Minho could have just thrown a snarky comment into the alpha’s direction, dropped the blanket at his feet and made a u-turn back towards the cottage. And that was what he wanted to do but when the omega opened his mouth, snark was not what came out.

“Why did you have to come here?” Minho asked softly. His voice had come out barely above a whisper and laced with something akin to despair as he addressed the alpha and the omega cursed his aching heart for allowing it to betray his brain. And Chan, for a second, seemed taken aback at the tone, his eyebrows furrowing together for the briefest of moments as he regarded Minho.
“I think you and I both know--”
“I’m not talking about today” Minho interrupted him, one of his hands balling into a fist within the blanket “I’m talking about three years ago. Why did you have to come here of all places? Of all the acre available on planet earth, you could have gone anywhere but you just had to settle for here. Why?”
Minho swallowed thickly as he continued to look down at the alpha, his heart ramming against his ribcage as he fought tooth and nail not to allow the sudden onslaught of emotions to take control of his body.

This was the first time Minho had been alone with the alpha since the first day that they had met all those years ago and the emotional turmoil and exhaustion that was raking through his body was starting to catch up with him.
“You could have gone anywhere…” He hissed dangerously, his voice dripping with venom as he swallowed back the lump in his throat “Anywhere. And even after I attacked you, you decided to stay here. Why? Why do you alphas always feel the need to move yourself into a space that you are not welcome in? Why do you always have to try and take what does not belong to you? Why do you lot always act so fucking entitled like the everyone else is lesser than you and has to bend to your will just because you want them to? Why… did you have to come here and strip everything away from the world that I busted my ass off to build for my brother? Why couldn’t you just stay away?”

Chan blinked up Minho and the omega could see that the alpha had not expected the words that had come out of his mouth. And how could he have, when Minho hadn't either.
“I didn’t come here to take any--”
“If you had just left , if you had just taken your pack and gone elsewhere, Felix never would have met that alpha of yours and none of this would have happened” Minho spat “Even if you had just stayed the fuck on your own side of the fucking border… But no. Because why would you? Right? An omega threatens you and you think it’s a joke because who am I, right? The only purpose for an omega’s existence is to serve and obey the almighty alpha, so how dare I even try to defy that. How dare I, a lowly omega, have something of my own”
“I never--” Chan started, pushing himself away from the trunk to sit up straighter as he looked up at Minho with an unreadable expression on his face, but the omega didn’t let him.

“Let me make something very clear to you” Minho continued with a low and threatening voice as he balled his fists and gripped onto the blanket “If you think, even for a second, that I will take my eyes off of any of you, you are gravely mistaken. Do not misread any sign of hospitality that I might or might not show to you as weakness. Because, I promise you, I won’t hesitate to snuff either of you out the second any of my people are threatened. And if Changbin so much as hurts a single hair on Felix’s head…”
Minho clenched his jaw, his breath heavy as he stepped forward and loomed over the alpha.
“…I will burn down every last thing that you have ever held dear to your heart and I will make sure your legacy suffers until the end of eternity. And that’s not a threat, pine. It’s a promise” He hissed silently before dropping the blanket at the alpha’s feet and spinning on his heel before sending one last glare at Chan over his shoulder “Careful not to catch a cold.”

Chan watched the omega retreat until he finally disappeared behind the front door of the cottage, the clearing falling back into the eerie silence it had been in before Minho had showed up. And as the alpha sat there, staring at the door with his lips slightly parted in shock, he let himself fall back against the tree trunk and sighed softly.
He looked down at the blanket and reached out, his fingers gingerly brushing over the soft fabric as he tried to make sense of what the hell had just happened.
Sure, every single encounter he had had with Minho, had been far from pleasant. The omega seemed dead set on making it more than obvious that none of them were welcome here which was the only reason Chan was so adamant on staying as long as Changbin was in there and under the same roof as him.

But then, this afternoon, Hyunjin had walked out holding those two bowls of soup and informed them that Minho had basically agreed for them to be given the food in whatever cryptic way the man worked and both Chan and Jisung had been at a loss for words. And if Hyunjin hadn’t assured them that they had all eaten from the same pot, including Minho, the alpha would have one hundred percent believed that the food had been poisoned.

But instead, the food had been nice and quite welcome as it hadn’t been hot anymore which was nice due to the warm weather. And it had more than served its purpose of filling them up and, for the briefest moment, making them feel at ease.
It was weird that the same omega who, in no uncertain terms, let them know that he hated their guts and wanted nothing to do with them, would be capable of any type of hospitality.

Granted, today Chan had been surprised at the fact that he had been able to catch glimpses of a caring person hidden somewhere behind the carefully crafted wall of anger and distrust that Minho had built around himself. But all of the animosity shown towards them during the remainder of the day, continued to make it a little hard for Chan to believe any of it was real.

But then Minho had stood in front of him just now, talking down at him like he wished to erase the alpha from planet earth himself with words that burned with rage… and ice blue eyes that screamed terror as he had tried so hard not to let the tears, which he had no doubt attempted to hide while the moon so carefully illuminated them, spill. Almost as if the moon itself had wanted Chan not to miss the small detail.
For as much heat the omega’s words had contained during his warning, his eyes had seemed like he was beyond his breaking point. The hatred and anger that undoubtedly should have been there had been replaced by such raw pain, desperation and fear that even Chan felt pieces of his own heart cracking at the sight.

And the alpha felt weird about it because for the first time since meeting Minho, something inside of him wished that he could go back in time and eradicate every single person who was responsible for the unfiltered agony that resided within the omega…

He let out a defeated sigh and pulled off his pants again, taking the blanket that Minho had left behind and wrapping it around his shoulders before pausing when the scent lacing it finally infiltrated his senses.
He stared at the blanket for a few seconds, his eyebrows slightly creasing together before a soft smile took over his features. He dug his nose into the fabric, allowing the sweet and soft cinnamon to melt away the tension that had built in his shoulders before he laid himself down on the ground and shifted.

The blanket managed to cover most of his body, providing a little bit of extra warmth and blocking out most of the breeze which Chan was thankful for.
And as he curled himself up and stuck his snout under a piece of the blanket, he allowed the calming cinnamon and the images of tormented ice blue eyes to let him drift off. Though it was the face and soft voice of his mother humming his favourite lullaby that eventually lulled him into a deep sleep.

--

Minho had woken up with a slight headache and was instantly surprised at the fact that he had managed to fall asleep at all, writing it off as being soothed by the sweet caramel cinnamon that he had allowed himself to be surrounded with.
Instead of heading towards his own room like he had planned on doing last night, his feet had subconsciously carried him over to Seungmin’s room where the beta had all but pulled the omega into a headlock on the bed between him and Jeongin and had refused to let go.
And most of the night, the omega had stared up at the ceiling, replaying the words he had spoken to the alpha over and over in his mind and wishing that he had just kept his mouth shut. So much for ‘trying to be nice’.

He had been exhausted and everything had just come crashing down and instead of doing what he needed to do, he had to go all vigilante on a man who technically hadn’t really done or said anything in that moment to set Minho off like that. And now the omega had made himself sound just like the alphas he always cursed into oblivion for acting so goddamn superior.
Though, the golden difference between them and Minho was that Minho was trying to protect what he loved instead of taking what wasn’t his. So if he had to be unhinged, then so be it. He wasn’t going to apologise for trying to keep safe the one thing the universe had failed to protect, he was done being overlooked by the very moon that was supposed to have kept them out of harm's way.
In a world like this, you either had to kill or be killed, which was a lesson the omega had been forced to learn at a very young age.

He let out a soft sigh and looked out the window, noticing that the dark sky was slowly starting to streak with deep hues of indigo and sienna which instantly reminded him of the fact that his body was waking him up automatically because it was actually time for him to go hunting.
But how would he even start going about that when there was an alpha sleeping outside of their home. Not to mention the one inside. Though for some odd reason, probably courtesy to the bond between him and Felix, the one inside was the least of his concerns as Minho knew that the chance of Changbin doing anything to hurt his brother or to invoke the wrath of Minho himself was basically lower than zero.

Minho slowly and carefully wiggled Jeongin, whose head had been resting peacefully on his chest, off of him before silently manoeuvring himself out between the duo on the bed. And Jeongin didn’t waste a single moment to let out a small displeased groan and rolling over until he was able to snuggle up to Seungmin’s back, latching onto the beta like a koala bear.
The pack leader snorted softly at the sight from where he had halted at the door, his heart warming up ever so lightly before making his way out and towards his own bedroom.
He took off his necklace and carefully rolled it up before placing it on his bedside table and taking off his clothes, folding them neatly and placing them at the foot of his bed before taking a deep breath and heading outside.

The early morning air was just as crisp as it had been last night when Minho had stepped outside to deliver the blanket to Chan, the dim light reflecting off of the early summer morning dew and making it look like the clearing had been decorated with trillions of little jewels.
Minho closed his eyes for a few seconds, breathing in the fresh morning air before locking his gaze on the giant and still sleeping black wolf at the edge of the clearing and the omega breathed out a breath of relief.
If Minho was lucky enough, Chan would remain asleep which would give the omega time enough to quickly scan the nearby forest area for anything small so that Felix could have something fresh and a bit more filling than just soup today. The boy needed some energy.

As silently as he could, he quickly made his way to the back of the cottage, keeping his steps and breathing as light as possible before shifting and repeating his ritual of mudding his pure white fur next to the river. He then double checked on the sleeping alpha, confirming the soft snores that were coming from the man before slowly heading out.
He had already decided to stay as close to the cottage as possible as to be able to be back as soon as he could if anyone were to howl for him, but the anxiety coursing through his veins was making concentrating on the hunt and on sniffing out his prey a lot harder than it had to be.
On top of that, the previously clear sky had now slowly started to darken, ominous clouds slowly rolling in and blocking out any of the light that was about to peek over the horizon and in turn making the sky look almost pitch black.

It was unnerving.

Minho continued on his hunt, keeping his snout and ears sharp and trying to ignore the growing unease that continued to pull at his stomach the longer it took him to pick up on any prey.
And he was about to call it a day and head back to the cottage when there was the sound of a twig snapping not far from him. He halted and turned himself into the direction of the noise, slowly lowering himself into the shadows as his snout twitched dangerously to try and figure out what it was that he had missed to pick up on.
He was hoping furiously that it was a hare of some sort, even a squirrel would do at this point. Because Minho was not in the mood to even contemplate killing one of Felix’s chickens in the vulnerable state this little brother was in. The boy would never forgive him.

He layed low for a few minutes, but apart from the one snapped twig, there wasn’t a single other sound or scent that followed in the time that he patiently waited. And after a while, the omega let out a frustrated huff and straightened himself back up, shaking out his fur and casting a last look around before finally deciding to call it for what it was and go back home. There was no need for him to extend being away from his pack longer than necessary if it wasn’t going to fruit any results.

But then, against all of his already dwindled expectations, his snout picked up on something and instantly his mouth watered, his stomach doing a little happy flip as he turned into the direction of the scent of what he recognized to be a small hare or bunny. He slowly and carefully followed the trail, his eyes and snout peeled as he tried to navigate through the darkness that the clouds had cast over the forest.
Though, when the scent started getting stronger, the unease in Minho’s stomach started growing along with it. And when another scent mixed in with the scent of his prey, the omega froze and frowned, his fur bristling as a chilling shiver ran under his skin.

Whatever animal it was that he thought he had been hunting, was wounded and bleeding.

He picked up his pace and continued to follow the trail, the scent of blood starting to overpower the scent of the prey itself with every step the wolf took. And at one point Minho even started to give up on the thought of finding this animal alive at all. Something that left behind a trail of this much blood, was bound to have been attacked by something else and either left for dead or eaten on the spot.
But why and by what? Granted, there were other and smaller predators that occupied the forest area but none of those would allow such an obvious trail to be left behind since they always, much like Minho, took the prey for themselves.
The scent got stronger and the omega eventually started noticing splashes of blood splattered across the leaves, ground and tree trunks around him, causing him to slow his pace as the unease in his stomach grew to new heights.

He had never come across anything like this in his years here and everything inside of him was telling him to go back home and leave whatever this was that he was tracking, for dead as well. Because nothing good would come out of finding a dead animal like that anyway.
But the curiosity and his will to protect the people he had back home, overpowered the warning signs that were screaming at him. So he continued to move through the trees, carefully sniffing at the drops of blood he came across as a shiver yet again ran down his spine the more outspread the traces of blood became. But when he finally reached the end of the trail which had led to a tiny opening where a fallen tree was allowing a little bit more light to filter through, the omega froze, his blood instantly turning to ice as his eyes roamed around the scene in front of him which could only be described as gruesome.

About a dozen, at the very least, small animals of varying sizes were splayed across the open area which was almost completely painted a deep glistening crimson. Or atleast, whatever was left of them.
Not a single one of the animals had been left in one piece. Shredded pieces of flesh, intestines, various limbs and torn apart skulls lay splattered across the ground, swimming in pools of their own blood as their blank eyes stared out into nothingness. And at the sight, Minho had to fight the urge not to turn around and expel whatever contents he had in his stomach, the metallic smell of the blood burning his snout as he looked around in complete horror.

What was worse, was that whatever had transpired here hadn’t happened all too long ago either. Minho quickly concluded this when he accidentally stepped into a patch of blood, the almost sticky liquid still warm to the touch as it coated his mudded fur completely crimson. That paired with the fact that he could see the blood still slowly dripping from the leaves and down the trees made it highly likely whatever or whoever was responsible for this masacre, wasn’t that far away either.

Which was a detail that instantly struck fear into the very core of his soul. Because Minho was extremely close to his own clearing for this to be brushed off as some poor rabies infected small predator running rampant in the woods. His trauma wouldn’t allow himself to believe something like that.
He swallowed thickly, noticing the sky starting to bright up into a deep orange hue ever so lightly as out of nowhere the smell of blood was drowned out by an absolute suffocating smell of burning wood.
The omega frowned and shook out his muzzle, trying to get the sudden onslaught of burning sensation out of his snout, huffing loudly as he turned himself away from the bloody scene in front of him and opted to head back home, the sooner the better.

But when he turned, the corner of his eye caught onto something that had been just outside of his peripheral vision while he had been trying to make sense of the dead animals surrounding him. And when he shifted his gaze to lock in to what caught his attention, all the blood left inside of his body drained out of his veins so quickly that it felt like someone had ripped his soul right out of his skin.
His wide, ice blue eyes stared at the vision in front of him for less than a second before he found himself whirling around and speeding away from the area and back towards his cottage, the all encompassing fear that had taken over the entirety of his body burning away at his muscles as his paws carried him back home as fast as they could take him.
For what he had seen, had struck lightning through the very core of his being. On a tree to the side of the massive fallen trunk, dangled a small fox with a woven rope tied around its bushy tail. Its small head separated from its body and impaled on a piece of root at the base of the tree and its once perfectly snow white fur now painted crimson with its own blood.

Minho sprinted through the foliage, his heartbeat pounding so loudly in his ears that it felt like it was about to burst his eardrums and the anxiety coursing through his veins making it feel like he was dragging his paws trough quicksand as he tried to make his way back home. Back to his brother.
He never should have left. There was someone in their territory and whoever it was was out for blood. Luna blood.
Minho never should have allowed Chan and his pack into their lives. He should have taken Felix, Seungmin and Jeongin away from here when the alpha had shown up three years ago because where one alpha goes, another always follows. He should have listened to his gut and he should have paid better attention.
And now, he had been stupid enough to let his guard down while leaving his family at the mercy of his trust in Felix’s bond? How stupid could he have been?

The closer he got to his home, the more potent the scent of burning wood became and the brighter the sky started to paint his surroundings in deep hues of burgundy and amber. And it was only then that the omega’s brain reached the sinking realisation that the sudden change in brightness wasn’t coming from the sky. Both the light and the smell were coming from the clearing.
And when he finally broke through the trees and skidded to an abrupt halt at the edge of their clearing, Minho felt like he had teleported back in time. His heart had dropped out of his chest as he stared up at what seemed to look like his past and his worst nightmare mixing together and coming to life, the heat of the sky high flames that had completely engulfed the cottage making his skin feel like he had stepped into a hellfire.

“Fe…Felix?” Minho breathed weakly as he willed his legs to move “Innie…”
He managed to get himself closer to the wreckage, the flames whipping around dangerously almost in as a warning for him not to get too close.
“Seungmin!” he called out, the smoke wafting up from the burning cottage making it hard to breath as he shook his muzzle wildly to try and clear his airways “Felix! Innie… where are you…? Please. Please don’t be in there”

The omega pleaded as his eyes scanned the grounds, eventually landing on the blanket he had brought out the night prior for Chan. But no trace of the alpha was anywhere to be found.
Dread flooded Minho’s every cell as he sprinted over and allowed himself to shift before grabbing the blanket and pressing it to his face in an attempt to filter out the smoke that had blackened the entirety of the already darkly clouded sky, the light of the flames dancing off of it like they were mocking the omega.

“Felix!!” Minho tried again as he moved closer towards the cottage, his eyes yet again frantically scanning the area “Seungmin! Answer me!!”
The smoke started stinging his eyes and he could feel tears starting to well up at the burning sensation but not a single soul answered any of his calls.
“Cha… Changbin! Chan!” Minho tried next, forcing his legs to move closer to the wreckage “Anyone! Where the fuck are you!”
He decided to try and walk around the cottage to the side of the chicken coop, finding even that part, including their shed, completely up in flames. So far for wanting to spare any of Felix’s chickens.
But what his eyes landed on, wasn’t the coop or the shed or any of the broken and smouldering pieces of cottage that lay splayed across the garden.

It was the streaks of crimson that were splattered on the ground, eerily glistening in the light of the fire as they seemed to create a track leading to the back of the building.

He stared at the blood for far too long, his body feeling like lead before his eyes followed the trail as he forced his legs to listen to him and carry him forward. The smell of fire and burning wood paired with the blanket he was still pressing to his face was keeping him from being able to pick up on any other scents in the area and the omega felt almost paralysed by fear thinking about whose blood he was following.

And as his heartbeat continued to pound against his eardrums, Minho slowly made his way along the blood trail and towards the back of his house. But when he reached the corner, he wished that he had never taken a single step in the first place. That he hadn’t woken up that morning and that he had never even gone to sleep last night. Wished, from every corner of his past present and whatever future he had left, that everything he was seeing right now was but a nightmare. His own fears playing mind tricks on him and torturing him like they had been all his miserable life.

A broken sob tore through his chest as he dropped the blanket to the ground and stepped forward slowly, his eyes roaming around the carnage that lay in front of him as the overwhelming smell of death and charred flesh almost knocked the wind right out of his lungs.
A body with a head full of black curls that even Minho recognized as Chan was lying unmoving on the ground a few feet away from him, face down in a pool of his own blood that streamed from the wounds inflicted by the three arrows that were sticking out of his back.
Chan was stretched out, his arm reaching out to Seungmin who was just a few inches away from him, tear streaked face turned into the direction of the alpha and his once so sparkly black starry eyes now completely devoid of any signs of life.

Minho dropped to his knees next to the boy’s lifeless body, slowly lifting the boy’s severed torso up into his arms until the younger’s head was pressed against his chest before burying his nose into the beta’s fluffy brown hair as tears ran over his numbed face like twin waterfalls.
This wasn’t really happening. This wasn’t his Seungmin. This wasn’t his cheeky, quick witted, pain in the ass little puppy whose warm cinnamon scent he had woken up to this morning and whose soft breathing had puffed against the side of his neck. Minho was about to wake up because none of this was real. He squeezed his eyes shut as silent sobs continued to rake through his frame willing himself to wake up. Begging for someone to take him away from this before he managed to see anything else.

But he didn’t wake up. No matter how much he wished and begged and pleaded as he gently rocked the beta in his arms back and forth, the heat of the flames and the suffocating smell of death didn’t leave him alone. He opened his eyes just to be greeted by Seungmin’s lifeless ones again and the omega bit his lip so hard that he could have sworn that his fang had gone straight through with how the metallic taste of his own blood spread over his tongue. He brought one of his hands up to gently slide the beta’s eyelids shut, the trembling limb feeling like it wasn’t even part of his own body anymore with the numbness that had spread throughout his entire body as he leaned down and pressed his lips against the boy’s forehead before finally hesitantly willing himself to take in the rest of his surroundings.

He noticed that there were two half burned bodies a couple of yards away from him where they lay closest to the cottage, blisters and charred flesh making them almost unrecognisable as the broader body covered the smaller one in what seemed to have been an attempt to protect. But even covered in blood and ashes and even though Minho had only seen them for one day, the aegean and scarlet mops of hair were unmistakable. And Minho had to tear his eyes away, guilt flooding every fibre of his being before another sob almost ripped a hole through his lungs when his eyes landed on a crimson streaked mop of blonde hair, green eyes glazed over and staring into the flames from where the beta’s head lay a few feet away from the two alphas…

…the rest of his body, nowhere to be found…

“I’m s-sorry…” Minho sobbed softly as he rocked Seungmin back and forth, again willing his eyes away from the blonde and back to the rest of his surroundings “I’m s-so so-- sorry… Minnie… P-please wake up… Please wa-- wake me up, E-eomma. P-please…”
He nuzzled his nose into Seungmin’s mop of brown hair again as his tears continued to flow over his cheeks, trying so desperately to find any trace of the cinnamon that he adored so much. But all that was left was blood and the suffocating smoke wafting up from the cottage that continued to burn holed into his lungs and airway.
Nothing in this moment was making sense. How was this happening? How was any of this real right now? First the animals in the forest and now this? At this point there was no doubt in his mind that whoever had killed that poor fox to leave behind that warning had been the same ones who were responsible for this. And he couldn’t even concentrate on trying to figure it out because he still hadn’t even been able to locate the last two remaining wolves. His two sweet and young omegas.

“H-- Hyu-ng…?”
The soft gargled voice that weakly filtered into Minho’s ears caused the omega to freeze, his breath catching his throat as he slowly lifted his head away from Seungmin’s in an attempt to find where the noise was coming from. It was a miracle that he had even heard it above the blood rushing through his ears and the crackling of the blazing fire that continued to rage as it slowly ate away at what Minho once called his home.
“Hel… h-help m-me…”
“Innie…?” Minho breathed as the voice reached him again and he slowly slid Seungmin off of himself in order to track down the source of the voice, his heart hammering in his chest as he struggled to scramble back to his feet.

“Innie!?” He called out as he stumbled forward, his blood stained hands coming up to wipe at his face in an attempt to clear his view that was being obscured by the tears “Innie, where are you!?”
“Hy..ung…” Jeongin spoke out again, his voice strained and grating the pack leader’s ears with how agonised the younger sounded. Never in his life had Minho heard the boy speaking like this, not even on his worst days. He sped up his pace and followed the sound of the younger’s voice which seemed to have been coming out of the direction of the side of the river that ran not far behind their cottage.
But yet again, when his eyes finally found what he was looking for, his stomach dropped to his feet and he felt his knees grow weak as all hope flooded out of his body.

Jeongin was lying at the edge of the riverbank seemingly swimming in his own blood that only continued to slowly spread around him. He was facing the pack leader, his eyes finding Minho’s as tears ran down his temples.
Minho ran over and lowered himself down next to the younger, his trembling hands roaming over the boy’s body to assess his wounds. But within less than a second he realised that his eyes were enough to know that there was nothing the elder was going to be able to do.
Gaping claw marks ran over almost the entirety of the young omega’s body, flesh and muscle ripped to shreds with pieces of bone peeking through some of the wounds.
“Innie…” Minho whispered softly, his teeth sinking into the inside of his cheek as he moved to take the younger’s head into his hands and carefully lift him onto his lap like he had with Seungmin.

“They… they c-came out of no--nowhere” Jeongin murmured weakly, his face contorted with pain when Minho moved him, the elder instantly pressing his lips against the younger’s temple and shaking his head.
“Shhh…. don’t speak, Innie. Hyung will m-make it go away, okay?” Minho cried softly as he held the younger close.
“Fe…Felix… they t-took Felix…” Jeongin mumbled again, his voice growing weaker by the word “I’m sor…s-sorry…”
“No, baby. Don’t, please… I’ll get him back okay? And then we can go home, and we can--”

“Hyung…” Jeongin smiled up at the omega weakly, his lips coated with his own blood as he swallowed thickly and tried to breathe through the pain that was making his whole body shake worse than a leaf.
“Innie, please…” Minho begged as he held the boy closer, tears streaming down his face as he gently placed one of his hands on the younger’s cheek “Let’s go home okay?”
“Ho-- Home…” Jeongin breathed out softly, another tear running down his temple as his gaze slowly fell away from Minho’s face.

“Innie…?” Minho shook his head as he took Jeongin’s face between his hands, trying desperately to get the boy to look back at him “Innie?”
But there was no response. No breath leaving the young omega’s lips, no more tears that flowed from those beautiful mismatched brown and blue eyes that always used to twinkle with such playful mischief and no more sweet caramel as the violent tremor that had been shaking the boy’s entire frame abruptly stopped and he went completely still.
And the scream that tore its way through Minho’s body next was nothing less than deafening, his cry echoing through the sky and his tears streaming into Jeongin’s hair as he pressed the boy against his chest like a lifeline.

“Eomma… Eomma, p-please… make it s-stop!” The omega sobbed as his arms tried to hold Jeongin closer, his hands slipping through the blood that coated the younger’s skin.
This wasn’t happening. None of this was real. He squeezed his eyes shut as he sobbed into the young omega’s hair and begged for his mother to come and take him away from here. Begged for Felix to jump around the corner and shout ‘Gotcha!’. He begged for anything. Anything but this.

“Too bad your precious little father isn't here to save you now, huh, pretty one?”

Minho’s breath caught in his throat as he felt his veins turn to ice at the familiar voice that had sounded around him like a vulture circling his head. His eyes shot open and he snapped his head up to look over the surface of the water at the other side of the river.
And in that same second, the earth underneath his body was ripped away from under him as he found Felix’s terror filled ice blue eyes staring back at him from where the boy was being held hostage and gagged by a group of wolves Minho had never seen before.
All except one whose yellow eyes and auburn hair were the exact same as the omega remembered, even though he had never seen the man out of his wolf form before, the sickening eucalyptus making Minho want to vomit the second it hit his nose.

“If you had just been a good little omega and come with me that day, I wouldn’t have needed to go this far” The man sneered with a wicked smile, his teeth almost the same shade as his eyes “It wasn’t easy trying to sniff you out, but good things come to those with patience they say”
“Let him go” Minho gritted through his teeth as he gently placed Jeongin back on the ground and stood up.
“Too bad that I no longer need you-” The alpha continued to speak like he hadn’t even heard Minho as he turned to walk over towards the burly wolf that had been holding onto Felix “- either of you”
He fished a dagger out of the hem of his pants and mockingly ran it over the side of Felix’s face whose muffled cries were sending shockwaves through Minho’s body.

“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH HIM! LET HIM GO!” Minho barked out furiously. But again, it was almost asif the alpha hadn’t even heard him. And the other side of the river was not far enough for him to not have been heard.
Fire raged under Minho's skin as he watched Felix try to worm himself away from the knife, tears streaming over his face as the blade left a long and shallow cut along his cheek which instantly started to slowly bleed.
Minho jumped forward, shifting midair and hoping to get to the other side before more damage could be done when the alpha suddenly pressed the point of the dagger against Felix’s throat, his demon eyes locking on Minho’s instantly.
“One step, and he chokes on his own blood” the man hissed out and Minho froze, the water of the river washing the mud and blood away from around his paws.

“You see, pretty one” The alpha continued, his voice dripping with venom and Minho again had to fight the urge to vomit at the way he was being addressed “There’s a price on your heads. A hefty one, at that. Dantae was convinced that he had taken care of the lot of you all those years ago but no…”
The man smirked devilishly as he slowly twisted the knife, Felix squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to lean away from the threat. But the arms keeping him in place weren’t allowing him to move more than a single inch and Minho instinctively took another step, his heart hammering in his ears as he refused to take his eyes off of his brother.
“Let. Him. Go!” Minho snarled dangerously. But again the alpha continued to stare at him like nothing the omega said or ordered was being heard. And Minho knew that could not be the case. It was almost a full moon, he was supposed to be nearing full strength. Why weren’t his words reaching these alphas?

“…here you are, alive and well.” the auburn wolf continued with a sneer, unbothered by Minho’s warnings “And now I get to finally bring your heads back for Dantae to hang them on his wall together with the rest of your unnatural clan. I don’t know how you two managed to outrun him all this time but your time is up ”
Without warning, the alpha pulled the dagger back and plunged it into the side of Felix’s neck, the boy’s eyes widening at the sudden movement.
And everything that followed seemed to happen in slow motion as Minho’s brain malfunctioned at the sight, not willing to comprehend what he was seeing when the alpha yanked the knife forward and sliced clean through his brother’s neck.

Like a waterfall, blood started streaming out of the inflicted wound and around the cloth that had been tied over Felix’s mouth as the boy tried in vain to take in breaths while the blood made its way into his lungs and up his mouth.
“FELIX!” Minho jumped forward instinctively, a deafening howl sounding through the night as he helplessly watched his brother convulse whilst looking at his brother for help. And Minho could see the questions swimming in the boy’s eyes and asking him why. ‘Why this was happening and why Minho had left them alone and why Felix and everybody else were being handed such cruel fates’ Why…

Within the span of a few seconds, Felix’s eyes glazed over as his last tears ran down his face and mixed in with the blood that had now completely coated his clothes while his body went slack in the arms of the wolf that had been holding onto him before the man finally let him go.
And everything around Minho fell away as he watched his small baby Moonshine limply crumble to the ground. The omega’s heart stopped, his blood stilled and his soul ceased to live as the sole reason for his continued existence now lay lifeless on the cold riverbank in front of him, the ice blue eyes he had lovingly gazed upon for almost all of his life now unseeing and unmoving.

The last thing Minho heard was the sound of his own voice as he screamed bloody murder like he had never screamed before in his life, his vision blurring before the shock caught up with his consciousness and allowed him to black out with his brother’s bloodied and lifeless face burned into his memory for all eternity.

And it was the same blood curdling scream that finally awoke the omega as he tried with all his might to get oxygen into his lungs while he desperately tried to fight off the hands that were trying to hold him down as he cried out for his brother.
“Hyung!” a voice called out to him desperately as the hands continued to try and hold him down, gently stroking the side of his face as another pair of arms wrapped around his waist firmly “Hyung, wake up!”

Minho kept trying to pry the fingers off of him, his vision blurry with tears and his lungs burning with fire as he failed to catch his breath. His heart felt like it had been ripped out of his body and torn to shreds and it wasn’t until the scent of warm cinnamon caramel finally filtered through his hysterical state that he was able to blink enough tears out of his eyes for him to be able to focus on the face that had appeared in front of him, a pair gemlike black eyes worriedly trained on him as two firm and warm hands held onto Minho’s face in an attempt to ground the omega.

“Hyung…” Seungmin breathed softly as he searched the elder’s face, one of his hands sliding down to press against the omega’s chest “Hyung, can you try to breathe for me, hmm?”
“P…Pup… p-puppy…?” Minho stammered softly as he finally managed to to take a semblance of a breath, the air feeling like sandpaper against his throat.
“He’s completely soaked…” another voice Minho was finally able to recognize as Jeongin’s sounded close to him, making him notice that the arms that were wrapped around his waist were also accompanied by a body that was pressed into his side.
Minho willed his trembling face to look over to his side before being met with Jeongin gently rubbing his jaw on the elder’s shoulder and scenting him, tears flooding his eyes as he looked up at Minho with the same worried look that Seungmin was carrying.

“Innie…” the pack leader let out a soft and broken gasp when he registered the beautiful mismatched eyes looking back at him. And before his mind could catch up with his own body, he had pulled the young omega into his arms and into a soul crushing hug before his other arm shot out to pull the beta, who had been kneeling in front of him, into the embrace too.

Tears streamed over his face as his hands desperately roamed the bodies that he was holding onto while letting all of his senses fixate on everything he could find. The heat radiating off of them, the lack of blood mixed into their hair and the lack of missing body parts as he allowed their scents to even out his breathing.
And the duo let him for a little while, Seungmin soothingly running his hand over the elder’s back while Jeongin continued his gentle scenting as the both of them remained confused beyond comprehension.

“Hyung…?” A small and timid voice spoke up from the door and Minho’s head snapped up so fast that he could have sworn he heard a crack before he locked eyes with a terrified Felix. Felix who was standing at the door, having closed it behind him after silently stepping inside. Felix, whose beautiful and lively blue eyes were staring at his brother so full of worry that it caused a shiver to run over the pack leader’s spine. Felix, whose throat was completely intact with not a single speck of blood colouring his skin.
And with the way Minho instantly started trembling again when he allowed the soul crushing relief of the realisation that it indeed all had been a dream to wash over his body, both Seungmin and Jeongin slowly moved out of the way to give Felix room to crawl onto the bed.

And the omega didn’t waste a single second before Minho found his arms full of soggy jasmine within the blink of an eye as he locked his arms around his brother and buried his face into the boy’s neck.
“I heard you screaming…” Felix whimpered softly as he too nuzzled his nose into his brother’s scent gland “What’s going on?”
“He was having a nightmare” Seungmin answered softly “a pretty bad one because we were trying to wake him for a while but he was down deep…”

“I’m f-fine” Minho forced out a shaky breath as he brought his hand up to card through Felix’s fading pink hair “It was nothing…”
“Fuck that” Jeongin grimaced as he moved over to snuggle up against Seungmin who was now sitting at the foot of the bed carefully keeping a watchfull eye on Minho “That was not nothing, hyung. You scared the crap out of us, you were crying and refused to wake up. And that scream? I would be surprised if Jinnie and Jisung hadn’t heard it and they haven’t even come back yet. Talking about ‘it’s nothing’. If I don’t get to lie, neither do you.”

At the mention of the blonde beta, the image of the boy’s decapitated head staring blankly at the burning cottage flashed through his mind’s eye and Minho instinctively pressed Felix closer to him, a violent tremor raking through his frame.
“Is he okay?” Minho breathed out softly, his voice laced with guilt and concern which caused the whole room to fall into silence as they all eyed Minho tentatively at the sudden question.

“He should be fine…” Seungmin said slowly “they said they’d be back in the morning but it’s a little too early, still”
“What about the rest?”
At that, even Felix forced himself to lean back in his brother’s embrace to look up at his brother worriedly.
“What do you mean the rest?” he asked as he reached up to gingerly brush his hand over the pack leader’s forehead, cheek and neck, wiping away any residual sweat and checking his temperature.

“Chan should still be outside sleeping…” Seungmin said with a small and curious tilt to the head, both him and Jeongin glancing at each other before looking back at Minho and Felix “and Changbin’s…?”
“Bin hyung woke up too but he’s in bed” Felix answered as he looked back at the beta with the same concern lacing his eyes before looking back at his brother “He’s worried about what that scream was about but he’s fine”
“Okay…” Minho nodded softly as his eyes roamed Felix’s face, taking in every feature before pulling the boy back into his arms and nuzzling his nose into the side of his head.
“What the hell happened to you in that dream, hyung?” Jeongin asked carefully as he straightened himself up a bit, Seungmin following his movement as he sat cross legged at the foot of the bed.

“I don’t want to talk about it” Minho said, his eyebrows furrowing together as he tried to push down the tears that threatened to spill over his face again.
“Hyung…” Seungmin said softly, a small sigh leaving lips as he met Minho’s gaze “Whatever that was, I don’t think keeping it bottled up like that is going to do you any good”
“It was just a dream. Okay? It’s not important” Minho shook his head as he minutely rubbed his cheek against Felix’s hair who let out a small purr and nuzzled a little closer “What’s important is that you are all safe”
“Safe from what…?” Jeongin asked carefully.
Minho locked eyes with the younger, his mind running a mile an hour as he tried to block out the images of the young omega lying torn open in a pool of his own blood at the riverbank. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head again, the mix of soft caramel, cinnamon and jasmine lulling him into a sense of safety before he finally let go of Felix and leaned back against the headboard.